bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Attention-Based View on Environmental Management: The Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Environmental Sustainability Orientation, and Competitive Intensity on Green Product Innovation in Swedish Small Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Andersén Jim
Published: June 2022

Green product innovation (GPI) is a cornerstone of environmental management. Recent reviews on GPI have shown that research on GPI antecedents has mainly focused on identifying specific factors influencing the use of GPI. However, most studies lack a comprehensive theoretical explanation of the findings. In this study, which is based on a sample of 303 Swedish small manufacturing firms, antecedents to GPI are examined using the attention-based view of the firm. Two attentional perspectives, namely, entrepreneurial orientation and environmental sustainability orientation, were found to positively influence the use of GPI. Moreover, situated attention, in terms of competitive intensity, strengthens the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and GPI. The study highlights the usefulness of an attention-based view on GPI and environmental management in small firms.
Groundwater Option in Raw Water Source Selection and Related Policy Changes in Finland
Authors: Juuti Petri S. , Juuti Riikka P. , Katko Tapio S. , Lipponen Annukka M. , Luonsi Antero O.
Published: June 2022

Since the late 1800s, the source selection – surface water or groundwater – for urban water supply has faced several policy changes in Finland. First, groundwater was favored. In 1920, driven by cost and reliability issues, one major city turned to surface water which was a sourcing determination for the country. After WWII, groundwater gradually gained preference motivated by reliability, including managed aquifer recharge since 1970. Instead of identified policy decisions, this shift was based on accumulated strategy. Since the 1980s security issues have favored groundwater while environmental concerns manifest themselves controversially. As a sub-study, treated lake water and groundwater were tasted by 167 persons of whom 86% preferred the latter. An additional expert survey (n=14) showed several benefits for groundwater. Combining these findings, groundwater has several advantages over surface water for Finnish urban water. Yet, for the futures, we need to keep both water sources in as good condition as possible.
Parent Coaching in a Multimodal Communication Intervention for Children with Autism
Authors: Liao Ching-Yi , Ganz J. B. , Wattanawongwan Sanikan , Haas April N. , Ura Sarah K. , Vannest Kimberly J. , Morin Kristi L.
Published: June 2022

Social-communication deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder often lead to undesirable outcomes in other domains, such as interpersonal relationships, employment, and participation in community activities. Parents may be ideal implementers of interventions to address these deficits when provided with instruction that is efficacious and feasible. This study evaluated a web-based group training and multimodal communication protocol of individualized parent coaching to improve parent implementation of communication intervention components. Results indicated a moderate functional relation between the parent-coaching intervention and parent implementation of the instructional behaviors. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Strength of asymmetric tapered composite foam core sandwich structures subjected to thermomechanical loading
Authors: Goyal Vinay , Rome Jacob I , Patel Dhruv N
Published: June 2022

An experimental test program and companion analytical study were designed and conducted to gain understanding of the tensile failure mechanisms in asymmetrical tapered sandwich core structures at cold temperatures. Representative test coupons were subjected to a tensile load in an environmental chamber to induce foam tensile failure in the core. Finite-element modeling with a proposed maximum principal stress criterion was used to predict the failure loads of the tapered test coupon design at the test temperatures. The predicted failure loads were in good agreement with test results. An important finding is that the cure stresses in the foam are significant and should not be ignored. Additionally, the analysis correctly predicted the failure initiation location, which was verified using high speed photography during the tensile test. The study identified the critical failure regions of asymmetrical tapered sandwich core designs and the failure load dependence on the temperature gradient in the structure.
Transhepatic double lumen hemodialysis catheter in exhausted vascular access: Feasibility, functionality, and outcome among hemodialysis patients
Authors: Al-Ghamdi Saeed MG , Alharbi Ahmad , Abdorabo Hawazen , Heaphy Emily , Ashour Majed Ahmed
Published: June 2022

Introduction:

Permanent arteriovenous fistula and graft are considered the best options for hemodialysis in end-stage renal disease patients. Temporary access using the internal jugular or femoral veins is the feasible option in acute cases of dialysis and if permanent access is unavailable. Occasionally, however, these access sites are unusable after consecutive blockage of the upper and lower extremities veins. A transhepatic or translumbar approach might be the only unconventional way to ensure a sufficient blood flow for adequate dialysis.

Method:

Retrospective data on all transhepatic catheters (THCs) in patients at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were collected. The catheters were inserted over a 10-year period (2009–2019). A minimum of 1 year of follow-up from the last catheter insertion was considered for analysis.

Results:

A total of 12 patients had THCs with a mean age of 42.5 ± 12.2 and pre-insertion mean dialysis duration of 130.0 ± 72.9 months. All catheters were functional from the start with no immediate complications. A total of 35 catheter replacements over guidewires were made with a median of 2.0 catheters (range of 0–10). The mean blood flow was 300 ± 30 ml/minute with a mean Kt/v of 1.4 ± 0.4. The median initial (primary) device service interval was 68 (range 6–1531 days) and the median total access site service interval was 392 (range 76–2698 days). Catheter complications included catheter migration, thrombosis, and bloodstream infection occurring at a rate of 0.12, 0.18, and 0.046 per 100 catheter days respectively.

Conclusions:

Transhepatic catheters provide safe, feasible access in patients with exhausted vascular access. Patients who undergo THC insertion should be worked up for innovative permanent vascular access or urgent transplantation utilizing unconventional vascular techniques to avoid death due to lack of access.
Experimental investigations and empirical modeling of rubber wear on concrete pavement
Authors: Emami Anahita , Sah Hos Narayan , Aguayo Federico , Khaleghian Seyedmeysam
Published: June 2022

Material loss due to wear plays a key role in the service life of rubber components in various tribological applications, such as tires, shoe soles, wiper blades, to name a few. It also adversely affects energy consumption, economy, and CO2 emissions around the globe. Therefore, understanding and modeling the wear behavior of rubbers are important in the design of economic and environment-friendly rubber compounds. In this study, we investigated the effect of normal load and sliding velocity on the wear rate of rubber compounds widely used in the tire treads and evaluated the wear models previously proposed for rubbers to determine the best model to predict the rubber wear rate. The sliding wear rates of different types of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) and Isoprene Rubber (IR) compounds on a broom finish concrete slab were measured for different sliding velocities and normal loads. The experimental results were used to evaluate and discuss different wear models proposed in the literature. A new empirical model was proposed to predict the wear rate by considering mechanical properties associated with rubber wear. The experimental results revealed that the wear rate of rubber compounds non-linearly depends on the normal load or friction force, while the effect of sliding velocity on the wear rate is not significant in the 20–100 mm/s range. Moreover, traces of both mechanical (abrasion) and chemical (smearing) wear were observed on all rubber compounds.
Resistance to Change: Intergenerational Class Mobility in Hungary, 1973–2018
Authors: Huszár Ákos , Győri Ágnes , Balogh Karolina
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study is to describe long-term changes in intergenerational social mobility in Hungary between 1973 and 2018 and to provide an overview of the current situation that has not been examined previously. Our main questions are whether trends of the earlier periods continued and whether previous gender differences persisted at the end of the 2010s. According to our results total mobility continued to decline and it hit its lowest point in decades at the end of the 2010s. In addition, decreasing proportion of the population move upwards compared with their fathers and an increasing proportion experience the deterioration of their social position. While earlier research found that structural changes in society triggered upward mobility the polarising class structure after 1990 set into motion contrary trends. In this period, structural mobility increasingly typically meant downward mobility. As regards relative mobility chances associated with working in high and low occupational positions, we concluded that the ceiling seems to be stickier than the floor as a rule, that is, the role of origin is more decisive in keeping a favourable social position than in the transmission of a disadvantaged position across generations. The odds for someone born into unfavourable circumstances to rise are greater than for those of someone who was brought up in privileged circumstances to slide down.
Field measurement of wind shielding effect of bridge tower for wind-vehicle-bridge system
Authors: Xiang Huoyue , Zhang Botao , Li Zeteng , Li Yongle , Zhang Mingjin , Zhu Jin , Li Longan
Published: June 2022

Although the wind barrier was set near the bridge tower, more than 10 traffic accidents under crosswinds happen in the bridge tower area within 1 month of the opening operation of a cross-sea bridge. To investigate the wind shielding effect of the bridge tower, a field measurement scheme of wind-vehicle-bridge system, which is a step-by-step test method, was presented and performed on a long span cable-stayed bridge. Firstly, the horizontal profile of wind speed of bridge deck near bridge tower was obtained through the anemometers. Then, the dynamic response of the bridge was measured under the action of normal operating vehicle when the natural wind speed is low. Finally, the response of the moving car was measured when passing through bridge tower, and the wind speed was recorded simultaneously. The results show that the wind-vehicle-bridge system can be tested by step-by-step test method to understand the wind shielding effect of bridge tower. The displacement response of the bridge is still very small when two large trucks meet, and the coupling effect between the vehicle and the bridge is insignificant when a single car passes through the bridge tower. Due to a large porosity of the anti-collision guardrail, the wind speed at the height of 1 m from the bridge deck has changed dramatically when the car leaves the bridge tower on the windward and entering or leaving the bridge tower on the leeward. Among them, the leeward side change is more obvious, and the response of the leeward side vehicle is also greater. The suitable decrease of the anti-collision guardrail porosity in the bridge tower region will improve the running safety of vehicles.
The influence of holding time on the characteristics of friction stir welded dissimilar magnesium alloy joints during post welding heat treatment
Authors: Singh Kulwant , Singh Gurbhinder , Singh Harmeet
Published: June 2022

Magnesium (Mg) alloys have been extensively researched to widen their uses due to their outstanding particular features and the fact that they are one of the lightest metals. Mg alloys could be used in a variety of industries, including aircraft, shipbuilding, automobiles, railways, and many more. Mg alloy welding is recognized as one of the most difficult processes in a variety of industries. Because of its ability to generate a high-quality joint, friction stir welding (FSW) of Mg alloys has sparked a lot of research and industry interest. Heat treatment after welding is an effective way to improve the characteristics and performance of welded joints. Therefore, the FSW process was used to prepare Mg alloy weld joints and diverse heat treatment conditions were applied. The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-welded and heat-treated FSW butt-joints made of dissimilar AZ31 and AZ91 plates were studied. It was observed that holding times of 30 min and 60 min were prosperous in recrystallizing the grain and enhancing the microstructure of the weld zones. The holding time of the heat treatment cycle was found to smooth the microhardness profile in this order: 60 min>30 min>15 min. The post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) for 60 min has been found to improve both tensile strength and percentage elongation. Heat treatment enhanced the ductility of joints. As a result, the tensile failure mode was altered from brittle to ductile. PWHT joints had the highest impact energy of 4.2 J for 30 min, which was around 93% that of welded joints.
‘I Do Not Want Her to be Doing Anything Stressful’: Men’s Involvement in Domestic Work During Pregnancy in Ghana
Authors: Ampim Gloria Abena , Haukanes Haldis , Blystad Astrid , Kpoor Albert
Published: June 2022

Drawing on qualitative research from rural and urban areas, this article contributes to evolving social research in Ghana on possible changes in the gendered distribution of domestic labour. Formulated within debates on ‘doing gender’ and ‘undoing gender’, this study examines the extent to which acts of gender transgression may potentially occur during peak reproductive periods in the lives of Ghanaian couples. The findings of the study indicate that the participants reiterated normative gendered definitions of men as primary providers and women as primary domestic caretakers. Nonetheless, it was noted that during their partner’s pregnancy, men in both urban and rural areas were willing to modify their daily schedule to incorporate more housework. Simultaneously, men’s involvement in all or most of the household chores was perceived as potentially dangerous to the gendered balance of labour in the family and could, according to the participants, stimulate laziness among female partners. Despite the apparent resistance to male performance of domestic chores, the article argues that men’s willingness to do housework during their partner’s pregnancy may be an early indicator of slow but steady transformations in gender relations in Ghana.
Subsonic jet noise source location as a function of nozzle exit boundary layer
Authors: Breen Nick P , Ahuja Krish K
Published: June 2022

Over the years, there have been numerous studies on determining subsonic jet noise source locations, typically plotted as Strouhal number as a function of distance from the nozzle exit. A comparison of the results of various studies yields a spread of about two nozzle diameters in measured source location. This work examines how boundary layer thickness, which can vary from nozzle to nozzle, could be the cause of observed differences in different studies in subsonic jet noise source location. Source location measurements of unheated jets from ASME nozzles, which have comparably thinner nozzle exit boundary layers, and conical nozzles, which have comparably thicker nozzle exit boundary layers, are compared. These results are substantiated with the use of schlieren flow visualization and velocity profile measurements. It is found that the nozzles with thinner nozzle exit boundary layers have noise source distributions that are 0.25–2 diameters upstream of those with thicker nozzle exit boundary layers. Thinner nozzle exit boundary layers result in higher growth rates of instability waves, increasing mixing and thereby moving noise sources upstream.
Optimized U-shape convolutional neural network with a novel training strategy for segmentation of concrete cracks
Authors: Mousavi Mohammad , Bakhshi Ali
Published: June 2022

Crack detection is a vital component of structural health monitoring. Several computer vision-based studies have been proposed to conduct crack detection on concrete surfaces, but most cases have difficulties in detecting fine cracks. This study proposes a deep learning-based model for automatic crack detection on the concrete surface. Our proposed model is an encoder–decoder model which uses EfficientNet-B7 as the encoder and U-Net’s modified expansion path as the decoder. To overcome the challenges in the detection of fine cracks, we trained our model with a new training strategy on images extracted from an open-access dataset and achieved a 96.98% F1 score for unseen test data. Moreover, we evaluated our method on CrackForest Dataset and achieved a 97.06% F1 score which outperforms all the existing methods. The robustness of the proposed model is investigated using the various numbers of training data, and the optimal data size for training this model is presented. The results show that although deep learning models acquire a large number of data, this model works with limited data, without any degradation in its performance. Furthermore, the novel training strategy used in this study, significantly improves the model’s accuracy in detecting different types of cracks.
Nightly News or Nightly Jokes? News Parody as a Form of Political Communication: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Leicht Caroline V
Published: June 2022

News parody as a genre of political satire has become an increasingly popular form of entertainment in the past two decades. Mirroring traditional news media in format and style has made this genre one that receives both praise and criticism. While some see it as a chance for a wider audience to become politically interested, others point to potentially negative effects such as increased political cynicism. While news parody as a form of political communication has been at the center of various studies, related research has been spread across a plethora of disciplines and sub-fields and some limitations and gaps in the literature remain substantially unexplored. This review article seeks to contribute to this research field by presenting a comprehensive overview of the existing literature and proposing new directions for the study of news parody as political communication.
Comparison of Aortobifemoral Bypass and Endovascular Treatment for Chronic Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Occlusion From the CHAOS (

CH

ronic

A

bdominal Aortic

O

cclusion, A

S

ian Multicenter) Registry
Authors: Fujimura Naoki , Takahara Mitsuyoshi , Obara Hideaki , Ichihashi Shigeo , George Robbie K. , Igari Kimihiro , Banno Hiroshi , Hozawa Koji , Yamaoka Terutoshi , Kian Ch’ng J. , Tan Jimmy W. H. , Park Kihyuk , Skyi Pang Y. C. , Kato Taku , Kawarada Osami
Published: June 2022

Purpose:

To directly compare the clinical outcomes of aortobifemoral bypass surgery (ABF) and endovascular treatment (EVT) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the infrarenal abdominal aorta (IAA).

Materials and Methods:

In this retrospective, multicenter study, we used an international database of 436 patients who underwent revascularization for CTO of the IAA between 2007 and 2017 at 30 Asian cardiovascular centers. After excluding 52 patients who underwent axillobifemoral bypass surgery, 384 patients (139 ABFs and 245 EVTs) were included in the analysis. Propensity score-matched analysis was performed to compare clinical results in the periprocedural period and the long-term.

Results:

Propensity score matching extracted 88 pairs. Procedure time (ABF; 288 [240–345] minutes vs EVT; 159 [100–205] minutes, p<0.001) and length of hospital stay (17 [12–23] days vs 5 [4–13] days, p<0.001) were significantly shorter in the EVT group than in the ABF group, while the proportions of procedural success (98.9% versus 96.6%, p=0.620), complications (9.1% versus 12.3%, p=0.550), and mortality (2.3% versus 3.8%, p=1.000) were not different between the groups. At 1 months, ABI significantly increased more in the ABF group for both in a limb with the lower (0.56 versus 0.50, p=0.018) and the higher (0.49 versus 0.34, p=0.001) baseline ABI, while the change of the Rutherford category was not significantly different between the groups (p=0.590). At 5 years, compared with the EVT group, the ABF group had significantly better primary patency (89.4±4.3% versus 74.8±4.3%, p=0.035) and survival rates (86.9±4.5% versus 66.2±7.5%, p=0.007). However, there was no significant difference between the groups for secondary patency (100.0%±0.0% versus 93.5%±3.9%, p=0.160) and freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR) (89.3±4.3% vs 77.3±7.3%, p=0.096).

Conclusion:

Even with recent advancements in EVT, primary patency was still significantly better for ABF in CTO of the IAA. However, there was no difference between the groups in terms of secondary patency and freedom from TLR at 5 years. Furthermore, there was no difference in procedural success, complications, mortality, and improvement in the Rutherford classification during the periprocedural period, with significantly shorter procedure time and hospital stay in the EVT group.
AMPK-mediated autophagy modulates the inflammatory cytokine expression in intestinal epithelial cells induced by high glucose
Authors: Ma Kun , Li Yun , Dong Xiaolin , Guo Jingjing
Published: June 2022

Introduction: The homeostasis of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) is disrupted in diabetes, leading to functional changes of the gastrointestinal tract and increasing the risk of diabetic enteropathy. Methods: The aim of this study is to explore the effect of autophagy on the expression of inflammatory factors under high glucose in vitro. The effect of glucose at different concentrations (5, 10, 30 and 50 Mm) on IEC-6 cells was analyzed. Dorsomorphin (AMPK antagonist) and GSK621 (AMPK agonist) were used to examine the relationship between the autophagy and the AMPK/ULK1 signaling pathway in IEC-6 cells. Results: Our results showed that the high glucose significantly inhibited the growth of IECs, and induced more shrinkage and necrosis of cells. Autophagy was inhibited by high glucose. Furthermore, the levels of cytokines, including IL-22, INF-γ, NOS2, and TNF-α, were significantly increased, which were positively correlated with glucose concentration. Additionally, we confirmed that Dorsomorphin down-regulated the expression of p-AMPK and autophagy protein compared with GSK621. Similar, cellular immunofluorescence also detected low autophagy expression. However, GSK621 and Rapamycin increased the level of autophagy and down-regulated the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors compared with Dorsomorphin. Conclusion: Therefore, our results demonstrate that AMPK mediated autophagy may regulate levels of inflammation in IECs and improve cell survival under high glucose.
Elevated plasma proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 is associated with poor prognosis of acute myocardial infarction in hypertension patients
Authors: Wen Xiao-Qin , Huang Kui , Li Jie , Wu Li-Xue , Gao Bo
Published: June 2022

Whether serum proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) affects the prognosis of patients after the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in hypertension patients remains unknown. A total of 2350 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) subjects with hypertension after PCI were enrolled. Subjects were under 30-months follow-up and divided into the major cardiovascular adverse event (MACE) Group and the non-MACE Group. Cox regression analysis were performed for the risk factors of occurrence of MACE. The relationship between the level of PCSK9 and Gensin score was analyzed by Pearson correlation. Two hundred and thirty-two patients were divided to the MACE Group. Age over 55 (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.52; p = 0.032), smoking (HR = 1.02; p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (HR = 1.35; p < 0.001) and PCSK9 levels over 1011.3 ng/mL (HR = 1.05; ptdf < 0.001) were risk factors of occurrence of MACE. Baseline levels of PCSK9 was significantly related with Gensini score in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients ( r = 0.51), all patients ( r = 0.37) and non-STEMI patients ( r = 0.34, p < 0.001). A high baseline PCSK9 level was the risk factor of poor prognosis of AMI patients with hypertension after PCI. PCSK9 levels were associated with the Gensini score in STEMI patients.

Trial registration: This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04100434.
Cultural Spaces as Political Spaces: The Musical Field of the German Democratic Republic
Authors: Grüning Barbara
Published: June 2022

This article examines the relationship between music and politics in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), departing from the crucial role the State played there in organizing, and controlling all fields of cultural production. Much of the literature on the subject either depicts the interaction between the State and artists as unidirectional or represents their relationship as highly conflictual due to contrasting understandings of culture and its functions. In both cases, this tendency to dichotomize makes it hard to explain, for instance, how music genres that had arisen in Western countries could flourish in the GDR despite the official understanding of ‘socialist music’ propagated by the Socialist Unity Party (SED). Conversely, by adopting a field perspective, this article aims to highlight how musicians, the State, and Party representatives competed to shape the symbolic space of the GDR musical field. Hence, instead of understanding Party and State decisions as merely applications of ideological principles, a field perspective enables us to consider them as resulting from strategies, depending on both the objective position occupied in the musical field and its spatial-material dimension, and as aimed at maintaining their own power within it. The political elite succeeded, then, in actualizing its strategy of legitimating emerging music genres which were potentially disrupting until it was able to provide musicians with physical cultural spaces for developing their careers and, at the same time, expressing criticisms. On the other hand, from the 1950s, localized music scenes were created which proposed an alternative understanding of music to the official one without, however, refusing the core principles which structured the GDR musical field. After the end of the 1970s, though, new music scenes were formed which positioned themselves outside the institutionalized music spaces and places, refusing in this way the rules of the GDR musical field and questioning its very existence.
Manipulative use of political headlines in western and Russian online sources
Authors: Tymbay Alexey A
Published: June 2022

The research identifies the amount of headline/article discrepancies in the corpora of western (the USA, the UK) and Russian online articles on sensitive political topics. A quarter of the western headlines and nearly half of the Russian headlines distort the publications they introduce. Language means and manipulative strategies employed by different sides vary considerably. Extensive use of expressive language and style variation are seen as leading causes of distortions in the western corpus. The rich imagery used by the authors (metaphors and metonymy in particular) forms emotional implicatures that affect the reader’s perception of the issue. In contrast, information substitution, subjective modality and selective citations are identified as major causes of distortions in the Russian corpus. Contributors to Russian news outlets rely on general rather than language manipulation strategies, including frequent use of logical fallacies and wrong generalizations. These techniques establish false logical sequences and wrong causative implicatures that compromise objective reporting. The underlying motives of the journalists’ creating false emotional and causative implicatures in the headlines lies beyond the scope of the study; however, it is assumed that intentional change of the information introduced by the headline could be viewed as a covert misinformation attempt.
“Law Does Not Come Down From Heaven”: Youth Legal Socialisation Approaches in Chinese Textbooks of the Xi Jinping Era
Authors: Naftali Orna
Published: June 2022

Schools constitute key sites for legal socialisation, the process whereby youth develop their relationship with the law. Yet, what does legal socialisation entail in the context of an authoritarian party-state such as China? The article examines this question by analysing Chinese citizenship education textbooks of the Xi era. The study finds that China's current textbooks contain elements associated with both a coercive and a consensual approach to legal education. Nonetheless, it is the consensual orientation that receives greater stress, as the books highlight the positive benefits of legal compliance and endorse the idea that youth should advance beyond the external supervisory stage to the self-discipline level of legal consciousness. Reflecting the attempt of the Chinese Communist Party leadership to draw on legality as a key source of legitimacy, this approach is nonetheless undermined by the propagandist tone of the textbooks and their ambiguous messages regarding citizens’ ability to challenge China's existing laws.
The Impact of Free-Play: A Longitudinal Study of Trip-Level Visitation and Wagering Behavior
Authors: Lucas Anthony F. , Spilde Katherine , Singh A. K.
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to understand the impacts of changes in free-play (FP) award values on visitation frequency and gaming revenue. With costly and perpetual FP campaigns well established in many markets, a critical issue for operators centers on the potential consequences of walking back offer values, especially when nearby competitors do not. The results of experimentally manipulated FP offers suggested that widely held industry beliefs about their ability to influence visitation are equivocal. Additional outcomes related to the economic impact of FP awards across the experimental groups also questioned the sensitivity of loyalty club members to reductions in FP offers. Working from a common offer tier of 600 loyalty club members, subjects were randomly assigned to one of six groups, each comprised of 100 subjects. Daily group-level outcomes were produced by aggregating player performance data over a 191-day sample period, collected from the records of a tribal casino operating in a competitive repeater market. This longitudinal design allowed for the measurement of multiple levels of FP offers on visitation behavior and gaming value, over a meaningful duration. Our findings fill gaps in the literature related to the impacts of FP on visitation frequency and the ability to drive own-money wagering. Our results also add to literature within the domains of operant conditioning, goal gradient theory, and a growing stream of research on FP efficacy. There are also connections to the house money effect, reverse house money effect, and the endowment effect.
Bilateral Painful Hand Seizures: An Atypical Somatotopic Syndrome
Authors: Koleske Joshua , Amar Jordan Y. , Chou Chris A. , Varadhachary Arun S.
Published: June 2022

Painful Hand Seizures are a rarely reported form of secondary sensory seizures (SSS) characterized by painful, bilateral sensorimotor hand involvement and preserved consciousness. We report our case to aid neurologists in recognizing SSS as an atypical presentation of seizures.
Constraints of transition to online distance learning in Higher Education Institutions during COVID-19 in developing countries: A systematic review
Authors: Ndibalema Placidius
Published: June 2022

This paper addresses the paradox of transition to online distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in developing countries. The systematic review methodological procedures were employed to draw some limitations and possible opportunities that may inform future practices on online distance learning. The findings reveal several limitations such as digital inequalities, lack of reliable internet access, low readiness and technological competence among instructors and students, and limited availability of digital solutions. The findings also reveal that most students faced social emotional challenges due to rapid and blind transition to online distance learning. It was concluded that most limitations were due to lack of digital culture even before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that deliberate investment should be made to promote digital culture and equity. Further possible areas for research recommended in this paper include exploration of digital inclusion among marginalized groups in developing countries.
Motivational Interviewing to Encourage Agricultural Producers’ Use of Hearing Protection Devices: A Mixed-Method Feasibility Study
Authors: Ridge Laura J. , Stefanovsky Nathan J. , Trautner Keane L. , McCullagh Marjorie C.
Published: June 2022

Background:

Workers in production agriculture are frequently exposed to high noise levels and face unique barriers to implementing hearing protection, leading to occupational hearing loss. Motivational interviewing is a promising approach to assist workers in preserving their hearing.

Methods:

This pilot study used a mixed-method approach to evaluate the feasibility of an innovative motivational interviewing intervention for agricultural producers from February to May 2021. Qualitative data included coaches’ and participants’ comments and were coded using a structural coding approach. Quantitative data included Likert-type-style responses given by participants in a post-intervention survey. Data types were then integrated.

Results:

Sixteen participants were recruited during the 4-month pilot. Participants’ satisfaction scores averaged above six on a 7-point scale for all satisfaction questions. Implementation factors included the intervention’s flexibility, services provided by the coaches beyond motivational interviewing, and difficulties with recruitment.

Conclusions/Applications to Practice:

This motivational interviewing intervention was highly acceptable to participants, but factors affecting implementation may challenge scalability.
How Fair Is My Job? The Effects of Organisational Justice on Job Involvement among Indian IT Workers during COVID-19
Authors: Bhowmik Priyanka , Bhattacharyya Pratishtha , Sahoo Kalpana
Published: June 2022

Organisational justice has attained considerable attention due to work-related uncertainties induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the uncertainty management theory of fairness at work, social exchange theory and norm reciprocity theory, this article investigates the mediating effects of work-related quality of life and job embeddedness on the relationship between organisational justice and job involvement during COVID-19. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire from five IT companies in India. Hayes’ PROCESS macro was used to test the parallel mediation effect in our study. The findings indicate that work-related quality of life and job embeddedness fully mediate the association between organisational justice and job involvement, and the point estimate of the differences between the two mediators confirms that work-related quality of life and job embeddedness are no different from each other, and they mediate the relationship between organisational justice and job involvement in parallel manner. The study highlights benefit that organisations may achieve from devising policies that capitalise on organisational fairness and facilitate working factors for better employee performance amid uncertain situations and shock events such as the current pandemic. The article also discusses other managerial implications to overcome the unwanted effects of employees’ work life uncertainties.
Comparison of Outcomes Between Nonsmokers and Patients Who Discontinued Smoking 1 Month Before Primary Hip Arthroscopy: A Propensity-Matched Study With Minimum 2-Year Follow-up
Authors: Lee Michael S. , Jimenez Andrew E. , Owens Jade S. , Curley Andrew J. , Paraschos Olivia A. , Maldonado David R. , Lall Ajay C. , Domb Benjamin G.
Published: June 2022

Background:

Cigarette smoking has been shown to negatively affect outcomes after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). The effect of cessation of cigarette smoking before surgery has not been well established.

Purposes:

(1) To report minimum 2-year patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of former smokers who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS and (2) to compare these results with those of a propensity-matched control group of nonsmokers.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Data were collected for all patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS between December 2008 and November 2017. Patients were eligible if they indicated that they had previously smoked cigarettes but had quit smoking at least 1 month before surgery and had minimum 2-year postoperative outcomes for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. The percentage of hips achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) were recorded. The study group was then propensity matched in a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) to patients who had never smoked.

Results:

A total of 83 former-smoking patients (84 hips; age, 45.0 ± 13.5 years) were included at a median follow-up of 38.6 months (interquartile range, 27.5-48.2 months); all patients had stopped smoking at a mean ± standard deviation of 14.3 ± 24.5 months preoperatively. Former smokers demonstrated significant improvement from preoperatively to the minimum 2-year follow-up for all recorded PROs ( P < .001 for all) and achieved the MCID for the mHHS, NAHS, and VAS at favorable rates (75.0%-81.6%). Logistic regression analysis did not identify a significant relationship between cessation time and rates of achieving MCID for mHHS, NAHS, or VAS. When compared with 84 never-smokers (84 hips), the former smokers demonstrated similar preoperative scores, postoperative scores, and improvement on all recorded PROs ( P > .05 for all). Both groups achieved MCID for mHHS, NAHS, and VAS at similar rates and demonstrated similar rates of revision surgery.

Conclusion:

Former smokers who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS demonstrated significant improvement in PROs at minimum 2-year follow-up. When compared with a propensity-matched control group of never-smokers, they achieved similar postoperative PROs and rates of achieving psychometric thresholds.
Stroke Caused by Arterial Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in an Adolescent
Authors: Schleifer Lindsay , Vogel Sarah , Arun Anirudh , Lum Ying Wei , Lawrence Courtney , Hui Ferdinand , Sun Lisa R.
Published: June 2022

Arterial thoracic outlet syndrome is a rare condition characterized by compression of the subclavian artery, often with post-stenotic aneurysm formation. Artery-to-artery embolic strokes related to thoracic outlet syndrome have been reported in the posterior circulation and in the ipsilateral anterior circulation. We present a case in which a thrombus secondary to thoracic outlet syndrome caused a contralateral anterior circulation stroke in an adolescent and postulate mechanisms of this rare occurrence. This case demonstrates that a subclavian thrombus due to thoracic outlet syndrome can take a circuitous path and cause an anterior circulation stroke contralateral to the diseased subclavian artery. In addition, this case illustrates the importance of a high index of suspicion for thoracic outlet syndrome in patients with stroke and associated arm pain or discoloration.
Colostrum Avoidance Practices and Its Associated Factors among Mothers of Children Aged Less Than 12 Months in Jinka Town, South Ethiopia, 2020. A Community Based Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Amaje Elias , Gebremeskel Feleke , Tufa Girma , Gelchu Miesa , Wayessa Zelalem Jabessa
Published: June 2022

Background

Even though colostrum discarding hurts child health, little is known about the extent of the problem and its contributing factors in Southern Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of colostrum avoidance practices and associated factors among mothers of children aged less than 12 months in Jinka town, South Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Jinka Town from March 1 to 30, 2020. A total of 420 mothers having children less than 12 months of age were selected by systematic sampling technique. The data were collected by using pretested interviewer-administered and semi-structured questionnaires. The data was entered using EPI DATA 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis were done. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI at a p-value < 0.05 was estimated to identify statistically significant variables with colostrum avoidance practices.

Results

The prevalence of colostrum avoidance practice was 9.8% [95% CI: (6.9–12.5)]. Delayed initiation of breastfeeding [AOR = 9.08(95% CI 4.16–19.83)], lack of breastfeeding counseling [AOR = 2.33(95% CI 1.11–4.87)], home delivery of index child [AOR = 2.48 (95% CI 1.16–5.27)] and poor knowledge on breastfeeding [AOR = 4.55(95% CI 1.95–10.63)] were factors associated with colostrum avoidance practices.

Conclusion

Colostrum avoidance practice among mothers of children aged less than 12 months in Jinka town was high. Delayed initiation of breastfeeding, lack of breastfeeding counseling, home delivery, and knowledge of breastfeeding practice were factors associated with colostrum avoidance practice.
Listening to Parents of Children With Cancer—Between Life and its end
Authors: Manor-Binyamini Iris , Schreiber-Divon Michal
Published: June 2022

This study aimed to explore and provide an in-depth insight into the experience and perceptions of parents to children with cancer at the end of life (EOL). A sample of 15 parents of children (aged 2-18) with cancer participated in semi-structured interviews in an oncology department of an Israeli hospital. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological thematic analysis approach. The findings that emerged revealed: (a) the cultural aspect of the Israeli society of the importance of family and of the children within the family, (b) the parents’ unique way of coping, of holding a dual awareness, and (c) emphasizing that hope and support are necessary components for parents’ ability to cope with their child having terminal cancer, at the EOL. A number of important practical recommendations can be made for professionals treating child facing the EOL with cancer and their families. First, understanding the “double awareness” developed by parents of children facing with EOL cancer. Second, there is significance to bring the medical staff closer to the patient’s bed, which is to say, training medical staff in open communication on this subject. Third, it is recommended to construct intervention programs that would accompany the whole family and not just the parents. Fourth, there is some necessity to train healthcare teams working in pediatric oncology wards and providing palliative care, to teach them how to help people hold on hope and to evaluate hope in parents of children at the EOL.
Perceived Supportive Care Needs of Adolescents With Chronic Hepatitis B in a Resource-limited Setting
Authors: Kolbila Lilian , Adjei Charles Ampong , Kyei Josephine M , Agyemang-Prempeh Charles , Fosu Peter Kwabena
Published: June 2022

In Ghana, adolescents are disproportionately affected by hepatitis B. However, studies into adolescents’ supportive care needs are lacking. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to explore the supportive care needs of 18 adolescents with chronic hepatitis B who were receiving care at a tertiary hospital in Ghana. The data were processed using QSR Nvivo version 11.0 and analyzed using the Braun and Clarke procedure for thematic data analysis. According to the findings, adolescents with chronic hepatitis B have unmet supportive care needs ranging from information to financial need, psychological support, and social support. Explicitly, participants reportedly had a dilemma as to whether to keep or terminate their pregnancy to prevent transmission of the virus to their newborns. Physicians and nurses were perceived to be preoccupied with medication prescription and laboratory request writing rather than giving pretest and posttest counseling following diagnosis. This study highlights the need to have a tailor-made liver care for adolescents. Pretest and posttest counseling for adolescents with hepatitis B are also required.
Visual noise effect on reading in three developmental disorders: ASD, ADHD, and DD
Authors: Mihaylova Milena Slavcheva , Bocheva Nadejda Bogdanova , Stefanova Miroslava Dimitrova , Genova Bilyana Zaharieva , Totev Tsvetalin Totev , Racheva Kalina Ivanova , Shtereva Katerina Atanasova , Staykova Svetla Nikolaeva
Published: June 2022

Background and aims

Developmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Developmental Dyslexia (DD) are reported to have more visual problems, oral language difficulties, and diminished reading skills in addition to their different diagnostic features. Moreover, these conditions also have increased internal noise and probably an impaired ability of external noise filtering. The aim of the present study was to compare the reading performance of these groups in the presence of external visual noise which disrupts the automatic reading processes through the degradation of letters.

Methods

Sixty-four children and adolescents in four groups, ASD, ADHD, DD, and TD, participated in the study. Two types of stimuli were used – unrelated words and pseudowords. The noise was generated by exchanging a fixed number of pixels between the black symbols and the white background distorting the letters. The task of the participants was to read aloud the words or pseudowords. The reading time for a single letter string, word or pseudoword, was calculated, and the proportion of errors was assessed in order to describe the reading performance.

Results

The results obtained showed that the reading of unrelated words and pseudowords differs in the separate groups of participants and is affected differently by the added visual noise. In the no-noise condition, the group with TD had the shortest time for reading words and short pseudowords, followed by the group with ASD, while their reading of long pseudowords was slightly slower than that of the ASD group. The noise increase evoked variations in the reading of groups with ASD and ADHD, which differed from the no-noise condition and the control group with TD. The lowest proportion of errors was observed in readers with TD. The reading performance of the DD group was the worst at all noise levels, with the most prolonged reading time and the highest proportion of errors. At the highest noise level, the participants from all groups read the words and pseudowords with similar reading speed and accuracy.

Conclusions

In reading words and pseudowords, the ASD, ADHD, and DD groups show difficulties specific for each disorder revealed in a prolonged reading time and a higher proportion of errors. The dissimilarity in reading abilities of the groups with different development is most evident when the accuracy and reading speed are linked together.

Implications

The use of noise that degrades the letter structure in the present study allowed us to separate the groups with ASD, ADHD, and DD and disclose specifics in the reading process of each disorder. Error type analysis may provide a basis to improve the educational strategies by appropriately structuring the learning process of children with TD, ASD, ADHD, and DD.