bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Americans’ Attitudes toward the Affordable Care Act: What Role Do Beliefs Play?
Authors: Li Gabriel Miao , Pasek Josh , Krosnick Jon A. , Stark Tobias H. , Agiesta Jennifer , Sood Gaurav , Tompson Trevor , Gross Wendy
Published: May 2022

How do people form their attitudes toward complex policy issues? Although there has long been an assumption that people consider the various components of those issues and come to an overall assessment, a growing body of recent work has instead suggested that people may reach summary judgments as a function of heuristic cues and goal-oriented rationalizations. This study examines how well a component-based model fits Americans’ evaluations of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, an important and highly contentious piece of legislation that contained several constituent parts. Despite strong partisan disagreement about the law, we find that Democrats and Republicans both appear to evaluate the law as a function of their beliefs and what the law would do as well as their confidence in those beliefs. This finding implies that correcting misperceptions and increasing awareness of the components of legislation have the potential to change attitudes.
Book review: Kyle J. Gardner, The Frontier Complex: Geopolitics and the Making of the India-China Border 1846–1962
Authors: Rao Nirupama
Published: May 2022

Kyle J. Gardner, The Frontier Complex: Geopolitics and the Making of the India-China Border 1846–1962 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021), 300 pp., ISBN: 978-1108840590; doi:10.1017/9781108886444 (Hardback).
Three Parameters of Urban K-8 Education During Pre- and Post-Covid-19 Restrictions: Comparison of Students of Slums, Tin-Sheds, and Flats in Bangladesh
Authors: Alam Gazi Mahabubul , Parvin Morsheda
Published: May 2022

According to a proverb often referring to the misery that prevails in restricted if enlightened surroundings, “It is dark under the lamp.” Urban areas have emerged as centers of excellence as far as economic development is concerned. People coming from diverse cultural, professional, and economic backgrounds live in cities. Gaps their economic conditions have led to various clusters of people much different from their rural counterparts. Comparing between urban and rural areas, studies often argued that urban education is exceptionally better. Adopting “descriptive analysis” of both secondary and primary data, this study notes that students living in urban slums suffer in terms of three parameters (access, attendance, and academic performance) of K-8 education. Government-run education neglects students living in the slums and this enabled NGOs to step in. Students living in tin-sheds receive education mainly through the government’s initiatives, while those living in flats attend private, international, and elite-public schools. Students who live in tin-sheds cannot compete with those who live in flats, let alone the slums. The Covid-19 pandemic has further aggravated this crisis. Substantial policy intervention by the government may be the only viable way to ensure developing nations’ K-8 urban education is safe from criticism.
Not Another School Shooting: Media, Race, and Gun Violence in K-12 Schools
Authors: Hilaire Breahannah , Campbell Laurie O. , Kelchner Viki P. , Laguardia Eric D. , Howard Cassandra
Published: May 2022

This study examines the characteristics of school shootings and investigates the relationship between perpetrators’ race and how shootings are reported by the media. Findings, utilizing data from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, demonstrate differences by race in the characteristics of school shootings and media reporting of school shootings. Inaccurate and incomplete portrayals of school gun violence in data repositories and the media may lead to public perceptions and policy responses that do not adequately address root causes of violence. In addition, these inaccurate depictions shroud the reality of gun violence in K-12 schools. Accurate information regarding the circumstances of gun violence in schools is a necessary component of preventing future violence.
Self-Efficacy, Subjective Norms, Self-Regulated Learning: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior With GEAR UP Students
Authors: Ellis James M. , Helaire Lumas J.
Published: May 2022

Racial-ethnic and low-income youth have differential access to key educational resources that promote learning and college readiness. College readiness programs provide activities, resources, and experiences that support learning. Yet little is known about the influence of adults and peers in shaping students’ beliefs and expectations as learners. This study examined the extent to which GEAR UP adolescent self-regulated learning was influenced by perceptions of adult and peer behavioral expectations. Among the 118 adolescent participants, perceived behavioral expectations of a parent or guardian was found to be the strongest determinant of self-regulated learning. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
The role of primary school teachers’ nutrition training in healthy eating promotion
Authors: Marconi Silvia , Vezzoli Marika , Locatelli Mara , Bertolotti Paola , Zanini Barbara , Valerio Alessandra
Published: May 2022

Background:

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood makes intervention imperative, and schools provide a privileged setting in which to undertake this work. Teachers have the potential to influence children’s eating behaviour through nutrition education and by acting as positive role models. We conducted a case–control study in 14 primary schools in Italy to assess the impact of a nutrition training programme (NTP) for primary school teachers on school children’s eating habits.

Methods:

From participating schools, 11 volunteer teachers attended the NTP (trained teachers; TT), and as a control, we identified a group of teachers (untrained teachers; UT) who did not attend the NTP but who were interested in participating in the study. The effect of NTP intervention was evaluated on 599 children in the TT group and 536 in the UT group, respectively, using the KidMed questionnaire to assess adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

Results:

Overall adherence to a Mediterranean diet was low in 24.3%, medium in 56.6% and high in 19.1% of the children’s population, with an overall median score of 5 (−3 to 12). Compared with the UT group, children in the TT group had a significantly higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet (Wilcoxon test p-value = .012) and showed significantly healthier habits regarding fast-food consumption, the eating of sweets and breakfast composition.

Conclusions:

Study findings demonstrate the efficacy of an indirect intervention for primary school children through intensive nutrition training for teachers. When planning future nutrition education in primary school, the role models offered by teachers should drive the interventions developed.
Institutional Pressures, High-Performance Work Systems, and Marketability: The Moderating Role of Organizational Inertia
Authors: Feng Ming , Li Jin-Jing , Xiong Xue-Yuan
Published: May 2022

This article constructs a conceptual model to explore the mechanism underlying the relationship between institutional pressures and perceived marketability through the perception of high-performance work systems (HPWSs) and tests organizational inertia as a moderator. Based on survey data from 73 senior HR managers and 291 grassroots employees of 73 manufacturing state-owned enterprises in Southwestern China, multilevel structural equation modeling shows that institutional pressures are positively related to perceived internal and external marketability. The perception of HPWSs fully mediates the relationship between institutional pressures and perceived internal marketability, and organizational inertia is a catalyst that strengthens the first stage of the indirect effect. However, the perception of HPWSs is found to have no mediation effect on the relationship between institutional pressures and external marketability. As such, this study provides theoretical and empirical insights into institutional pressures, HPWSs, and marketability.
Slave Past, Modern Lives: An Analysis of the Legacy of Slavery and Contemporary Life Expectancy in the American South
Authors: Reece Robert L.
Published: May 2022

As questions about racial reparations have entered public and political discourse again, research about the long-term impact of chattel slavery—so called “legacy of slavery” research—has taken on new significance. Over the past two decades researchers have identified direct quantitative links between slavery and a number of contemporary social and economic outcomes, including income, poverty, home ownership, school segregation, crime, educational inequality, and political polarization. Recently, however, researchers have begun to connect slavery to contemporary health outcomes, showing the legacy of slavery seems to stunt the health of black Americans while bolstering the health of white Americans. This manuscript builds on that recent research by examining the connection between subnational variation in the density of slavery and life expectancy in the American South. Using a variety of data sources, such as the US Census, American Community Survey (ACS), the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings, and spatially robust OLS regression analysis, I find that in southern counties where slavery was denser black life expectancy remains proportionally lower and white life expectancy remains proportionally higher than in southern counties where slavery was less dense.
Mechanical behavior of interfacial stress transfer in platelet-reinforced thermoset polymeric composites
Authors: Almagableh Ahmad , Omari Mohammad A
Published: May 2022

This study models the mechanical performance of thermoset polyamide filled with various percentages of glass beads using a coupling agent. A micromechanical model is developed for polyamide glass-bead composite containing three-phase zones with imperfect bonding across interfaces. The micromechanical/interface model uses square sub-region arrays representing particle, matrix, and interface zones to obtain the stress transfer behavior across the cohesive zone for a given microstructure. Understanding the stress transfer tool and interfacial adhesion across multi-coated inclusions, and developing accurate material models will help in establishing upcoming design criteria in the engineering of polymer based composites. The impact of this study comes from the fact that the diffusion quality and non-uniform distribution of inclusions within the polymer matrix, and weak bonding of filler to the polymer matrix, may result in an ineffective stress transfer, which in turn degrades the mechanical properties of nanocomposites. The influence of incomplete interfacial adhesion on the modulus and strength property of polymer-based composites has been investigated in this study. The coupling agent used had a minor impact on the stiffness of the composite which confirms the fact that stiffness is minimally affected by interfacial bonding. The model also revealed that the maximum obtainable stress decreases with increasing volume fraction of glass present in those composites with no coupling agent.
Degree of Meaningfulness of an Event’s Ending Can Modulate Mixed Emotional Experiences Among Japanese Undergraduates
Authors: Shirai Mariko , Kimura Toshiaki
Published: May 2022

While people may experience mixed emotions when confronting a meaningful ending; it is unclear how much an ending’s meaningfulness contributes to evoking these mixed emotions. This study examined, among Japanese undergraduate students, whether different degrees of meaningfulness of an ending affected emotional experiences, and how time passage changed emotional intensity. Sixty-one Japanese students (37 females, 24 males; M age = 20.75, SD = 0.80) reported their emotional experiences and the degree of meaningfulness they assigned to the ending of the Heisei era at two time points-before and after the ending. As expected, participants who placed high meaningfulness to the ending of the Heisei era experienced a high level of mixed emotions, indicating that the degree of meaningfulness given to an ending can modulate emotional experiences. Furthermore, the specific emotions experienced (i.e., sadness or happiness) differed depending on the assessment time point, such that the meaningfulness of the ending played a key role in producing mixed emotional experiences in this sample.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Pregnant People at Labor and Delivery and Changes in Infection Rates in the General Population: Lessons Learned From Illinois
Authors: Goyal Sonal , Gerardin Jaline , Cobey Sarah , Son Crystal , McCarthy Owen , Dror Arielle , Lightner Shannon , Ezike Ngozi O. , Duffus Wayne A. , Bennett Amanda C.
Published: May 2022

Objectives:

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) assessed whether increases in the SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rate among pregnant people at labor and delivery (L&D) could signal increases in SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in the general Illinois population earlier than current state metrics.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty-six birthing hospitals universally testing for SARS-CoV-2 at L&D voluntarily submitted data from June 21, 2020 through January 23, 2021, to IDPH. Hospitals reported the daily number of people who delivered, SARS-CoV-2 tests, and test results as well as symptom status. We compared the test positivity rate at L&D with the test positivity rate of the general population and the number of hospital admissions for COVID-19–like illness by quantifying correlations in trends and identifying a lead time.

Results:

Of 26 633 reported pregnant people who delivered, 96.8% (n = 25 772) were tested for SARS-CoV-2. The overall test positivity rate was 2.4% (n = 615); 77.7% (n = 478) were asymptomatic. In Chicago, the only region with a sufficient sample size for analysis, the test positivity rate at L&D (peak of 5% on December 7, 2020) was lower and more stable than the test positivity rate of the general population (peak of 14% on November 13, 2020) and lagged hospital admissions for COVID-19–like illness (peak of 118 on November 15, 2020) and the test positivity rate of the general population by about 10 days (Pearson correlation = 0.73 and 0.75, respectively).

Practice Implications:

Trends in the test positivity rate at L&D did not provide an earlier signal of increases in Illinois’s SARS-CoV-2 prevalence than current state metrics did. Nonetheless, the role of universal testing protocols in identifying asymptomatic infection is important for clinical decision making and patient education about infection prevention and control.
Management of stage II seminoma: a contemporary UK perspective
Authors: Alifrangis Constantine , Nicol David L. , Shamash Jonathan , Rajan Prabhakar ,   on behalf of the National Cancer Research Institute Teenage and Young Adult and Germ Cell Tumour Research Group
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

Testicular Germ Cell Tumours (TGCTs) are the commonest young adult male cancer, with excellent survival outcomes even with metastatic disease. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are international guideline-dictated standard of care (SOC) treatments for International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) “good risk” TGCT, but are associated with significant toxicities. Therapy de-escalation aims to reduce treatment morbidity whilst preserving cure rates, and has been adopted by some centres for stage IIA/B seminoma. Here, we report on the contemporary UK treatment landscape for stage IIA/B seminoma.

Methods

A questionnaire-based survey of NHS England-designated specialist cancer centres hosting supra-regional specialist multi-disciplinary team (sMDT) services (n = 13) as well those within NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland. Respondents were asked to order preferences of SOC and therapy de-escalation treatments for stage IIA/B seminoma.

Results

We identified significant geographical heterogeneity in treatment preferences. Whilst up to a third of centres have adopted a treatment de-escalation regimen, the majority deliver combination chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Conclusion

A wider recognition of UK treatment heterogeneity and consideration of therapy de-escalation strategies at supra-regional sMDTs will increase stage IIA/B seminoma treatment options as part of clinical trials with oncological and quality of life endpoints.
Identity formation among mixed families in a conflictual society: The case of Jewish–Muslim families in Israel
Authors: Gaya Alice
Published: May 2022

Mixed families offer a unique opportunity to explore the interrelated aspects of identity such as religion, ethnicity, and nationalism. In Israel, intermarriages of Muslims and Jews are particularly interesting because the complex tensions between these identities are intertwined with the national conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. However, such mixed families have rarely been studied. The purpose of this study is to identify the ways in which mixed families construct their identities in the context of a conflictual society. It is based on ethnographic work conducted among 16 Jewish–Muslim families. Findings indicate two patterns of identity formation: single identity, in which one spouse transitions to the other spouse’s culture, and hybrid identity, in which each spouse takes part in the other’s religious and cultural practices. This article demonstrates how socioeconomic status affects the choices that mixed families make in the process of identity formation in the context of a conflictual society.
When sharing religion is not enough: A transregional perspective on marriage, piety, and the intersecting scales of identity transmission among female converts to Islam in mixed unions
Authors: Mossière Géraldine
Published: May 2022

Drawing on fieldwork conducted among converts to Islam (France and Quebec), this article focuses on women who are in unions with partners of Muslim background. As these women commit to make a union based on shared religious identity, they face the double challenge of learning to be a Muslim and of transmitting identity to the children. Addressing these issues opens a space of ongoing negotiations within the couple (sometimes involving the in-laws) over the definition of the ‘authentic’ Islam, and the articulation between religion and ethnicity. These conjugal debates create new areas of mixedness through women’s own identification processes as Muslim and French or Quebecois. This negotiation is framed by the social and cultural capital each partner is granted in their specific context of living, including experiences of having minority status, as well as by the specific representations each partner draws on the ethnicity and space of origin of the other.
Daughters of Maghrebian Muslim and native non-Muslim couples in Spain: Identity choices and constraints
Authors: Rodríguez-García Dan , Rodríguez-Reche Cristina
Published: May 2022

This article explores the life experiences of the daughters of mixed couples living in Spain. These adolescents and young adults have one Muslim parent of Maghrebi origin and another non-Muslim native Spanish parent. Drawing on in-depth interviews, we examine the identity processes of this female population and the interplay between factors of origin, location, and gender. We find that prejudices around Maghrebi Muslims in Spain have a constraining impact on the identity choices of females in particular. Social perceptions of Islam immediately place these teenagers and young women in a position of being the absolute Other, giving rise to differential treatment and limiting their identity choices and sense of belonging. However, these respondents also demonstrate resilience, empowerment, and agency in confronting socially imposed categories, such as forming counter-narratives and self-categorising in multiple ways – in turn illuminating the socially transformative aspects of ethnic and religious mixedness.
Constructing comparisons: Reflecting on the experimental nature of new comparative tactics
Authors: Brill Frances
Published: May 2022

In this commentary I reflect on experimental approaches to comparative urbanism emerging in recent papers. Drawing on the methodological approaches employed in the special issue on Comparative Methods for Global Urban Studies, I highlight the way in which a more reactive and responsive approach – to both pre-existing conditions and understandings of urban development, as well as realities faced during fieldwork and analysis – have elucidated new ways of thinking with and through different cities to productively push forward the comparative urbanism agenda. In doing so I build on the long history of comparative approaches in urban studies to argue that experimenting with how we put new places into existing conversations, within a particular project or beyond, can be hugely powerful in transforming the way in which comparison is conducted in urban studies and geography.
Techniques for Advertising Healthy Food in School Settings to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Authors: Oke Shariwa , Tan Marcia
Published: May 2022

Background

Childhood obesity rates in Western developed countries are rapidly increasing. While research shows that eating more fruits and vegetables (FV) is a preventive measure, children do not eat adequate amounts of FV. Marketing of high salt, fat, and sugar foods influences children’s eating behaviors, decreases FV consumption, and is prevalent in children’s surroundings. Garnering the power of ads on children, a potential solution for increasing FV consumption is FV marketing/advertising. Schools can serve as a viable option for testing this advertising because a significant amount of children’s time is spent in school settings. However, research surrounding the use of FV advertising in schools is lacking in a consensus on the most effective methodologies.

Objective

This paper reviewed existing research on FV advertising in schools and proposed directions for future research surrounding methodology and experimental design.

Study Design, Setting, Participants

PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched with variations of the terms “vegetable,” “marketing,” “advertisements,” “consumption,” and “schools” (eg, “vegetable consumption AND advertisements AND schools”. Study inclusion criteria were: conducted in school settings, used FV marketing as primary intervention, and measured change in FV consumption or preference.

Measurable Outcome/Analysis

This review qualitatively compared the studies’ participant demographics, methodologies, and measures of success, and evaluated the studies’ strengths and weaknesses.

Results

Of the 38 articles reviewed, 8 met the inclusion criteria. Five studies examined elementary school populations; 4 were conducted in cafeterias. Major forms of advertising/interventions were print media, video media, and classroom education interventions, of which print media was the most widely used. Three articles utilized change in consumption of FV as a measure of success, while others measured change in preference. All studies reported increased consumption/preference in at least 1 intervention during or immediately after the intervention. However, only 4 studies conducted follow-up testing.

Conclusion

FV advertisements in schools appear to be effective in increasing FV consumption among children. To develop implementable advertising, future studies should maintain cohesive methodologies by controlling for novelty effects, conducting follow-up testing, and measuring actual FV consumption rather than preference.
Nonlinear controller design for a fractional extended model of COVID-19 outbreak using feedback linearization method
Authors: Khoshdel A , Sadati Rostami SJ , Abbasi Nozari H
Published: May 2022

This paper proposes a novel fractional-order epidemic model for the COVID-19 outbreak using the Caputo derivative that incorporates various intervention policies to manage the spread of the disease. A total of eight state variables were considered in this nonlinear model, namely, susceptible, exposed, infected, quarantined, hospitalized, recovered, deceased, and insusceptible. Two possible outbreak scenarios were considered to control the disease before and after vaccine discovery. The proposed system was designed using the feedback linearization method, allowing to develop a suitable controller for reducing susceptible, exposed, and infected populations. A comparative study with previous work was conducted based on Canada’s reported cases to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed COVID-19 outbreak control strategy using this model. The simulation results confirmed that the proposed fractional controller could effectively track the desired goals, including an exponential decrease in infected, exposed, and susceptible populations.
Within-Firm Variation in the Liability of Foreignness: A Demand-Based Perspective
Authors: Benischke Mirko H. , Rietveld Joost , Slangen Arjen
Published: May 2022

The literature on the liability of foreignness focuses on explaining why foreign firms operating in a given country underperform relative to their domestic rivals. We provide a complementary perspective that allows for within-firm variation in the liability of foreignness, at the level of a firm's products. Specifically, we explore how consumers’ willingness-to-pay for foreign products is affected by a firm's sourcing strategy for product inputs and by heterogeneity in demand characteristics across the markets where the product is sold. We hypothesize that sourcing inputs from a regional product developer as well as cultural diversity in regional consumer markets will have a stronger positive impact on the regional sales performance of products sold by foreign firms than on those by domestic firms. Our hypotheses are supported in a product-level analysis of 2,144 console video games sold in the 11 subnational regions of the United Kingdom over the period 2005–2008. Our findings suggest that firm-level explanations of the liability of foreignness need to be supplemented by a product-level perspective that considers heterogeneity in both supply- and demand-side factors as important determinants of consumers’ willingness-to-pay for foreign products.
How Teachers and Leaders Facilitate Integration in a Two-Way Dual Language Immersion Program
Authors: Ayscue Jennifer B. , Uzzell Elizabeth M.
Published: May 2022

Background/Context:

Public school enrollment in the United States is becoming increasingly racially and linguistically diverse; however, school segregation continues to intensify across the nation. Within this context, two-way dual language immersion (TWI) programs, which intentionally strive to balance English learners and English speakers, may create a natural opportunity for integration.

Research Question:

How do teachers and leaders facilitate integrative interactions among students of different racial and linguistic groups in a TWI program?

Research Design:

This qualitative, holistic, single case study explores the TWI program at Silverthorne Elementary School (pseudonym), a K-5 traditional public school in the southeastern United States. Silverthorne is in a rural community on the outskirts of a large metropolitan area that is a new immigrant destination. At the time of data collection, Silverthorne’s TWI program was in its seventh year of implementation. Participants include 12 teachers, one guidance counselor, and one school leader. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with all participants, observed eight classrooms, and analyzed supplemental documents. We used inductive coding and ultimately generated four themes to describe how TWI teachers and leaders facilitate integration.

Findings:

Silverthorne’s TWI program provides an opportunity to facilitate integration among students from different racial and linguistic backgrounds. The nature of these integrative experiences is shaped by the structure of the TWI program, the teachers’ conceptualizations of diversity, the teachers’ pedagogical and curricular decisions, and the school leader’s support of the TWI program.

Conclusion:

Although teachers and leaders in the Silverthorne TWI program have promoted integration in numerous ways, they also have missed important opportunities to facilitate greater integration. Nonetheless, this TWI program illustrates the potential of TWI to provide opportunities for students from different racial and linguistic backgrounds to learn together in a truly integrated environment. Findings suggest the need for enhanced professional development regarding how to facilitate integration in diverse classrooms as well as future research to understand how, if at all, integration is considered when districts and schools are designing and implementing TWI programs.
“A False Classless Society”: Adorno’s social theory revisited
Authors: Frumer Naveh
Published: May 2022

Adorno’s social theory is enjoying renewed attention, as is the debate to what extent is it Marxist. A central issue remains Adorno’s concept of social totality: capitalism as a fully integrated society in which every difference is levelled. One problem this raises is why is he still committed to the Marxist concept of class. And second, how to understand his critique of the idea of proletarian class-consciousness, which seems to leave his critical theory without an addressee. The article suggests that, for Adorno, capitalist society exhibits what is termed here “differential integration.” It is predicated both on the labor/capital distinction and, at the same time, on sufficient homology between the two, such that the qualitative class divide is experienced as mere quantitative variance. This efficacious gap between social structure and social experience is at the center of his concept of ideology. Ideology-critique for Adorno is mainly the critique of symptomatic misconceptions of how ideology functions, due to lack of attention to how the class structure is in fact not experienced as such. Adorno’s alternative to proletarian class consciousness is “differential solidarity”: consciousness of social domination that is on the one hand found across class divides yet is experienced differentially between them.
Gastric Neuroendocrine Tumors With Parietal Cell Atrophy in a Long-term Carcinogenicity Study in Rats
Authors: Shirai Norimitsu , Choudhary Shambhunath , Houle Christopher
Published: May 2022

Malignant neuroendocrine tumors were diagnosed in the stomach of two out of sixty female Sprague-Dawley rats treated for 89 weeks with a high dose of a novel, small molecule, cannabinoid-1 antagonist. The tumors were associated with parietal cell atrophy accompanied by foveolar hyperplasia of the glandular stomach mucosa. Parietal cell atrophy/foveolar hyperplasia was considered test article related at the high dose, given the higher incidence and severity relative to untreated controls, although the precise mechanism of the parietal cell atrophy was undetermined. Spontaneous gastric neuroendocrine tumors are very rare in rats, and the current cases were considered secondary to parietal cell atrophy causing reduced gastric acid secretion and subsequent overstimulation of gastrin release through a feedback loop.
Total arch replacement: When and how?
Authors: Okada Kenji
Published: May 2022

Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening disease, which often causes cardiac tamponade, rupture, and malperfusion. ATAAD is associated with a high hospital mortality rate. Open aortic surgery for ATAAD is always required to save the patient, particularly elderly patients. Tear-oriented surgery is recommended as the frontline treatment for ATAAD, and hemiarch replacement (HAR) is sufficient because the primary entry is often observed in the ascending aorta (60%–70%). However, HAR has some drawbacks, such as new creation of an anastomotic entry and unfavorable distal aortic remodeling during long-term follow-up. Although total arch replacement (TAR) is a demanding procedure, it is another useful option for ATAAD. Proper patient selection for TAR is controversial. Standardized procedure for TAR, including the optimal brain protection methods and the use of excellent sealed vascular prosthetic grafts, has been established over the past decades. Therefore, TAR is increasingly being selected for HAR in patients who are young or have enlarged aortic arch, severely dissected supra-aortic arch vessels, or hereditary thoracic aortic disorders. The emerging technology of commercially available frozen elephant trunk accelerated the application of TAR, facilitates distal anastomosis, and improves distal aortic remodeling. Although further evidence is required, TAR could be the best choice for HAR for selected patients. Currently, appropriate selection of the surgical technique is important to maximize the benefits of open surgery for ATAAD.
Rethinking Ao Naga traditional religion
Authors: Longkumer Tiatemsu
Published: May 2022

Understanding the Ao Naga traditional religion detached from its colonial and Christian theological imprints is still in a very nascent stage. Literature review reveals that there are copious writings on Ao traditional religion, seemingly indicating that it is one of the most studied aspects of Ao society. Even though Ao traditional religion is the most studied aspect of Ao society, it is also one of the most misunderstood aspects of the society. Such misunderstanding stems from the bubble of references among the academic writers concentrated on colonial and Ao theologians’ writings with negligible scrutiny. This paper is an attempt to break the bubble and challenge the mindscape by giving an alternative proposal. The first section critiques the colonial writings of J. P. Mills and W. C. Smith. The second section critiques work by Ao Christian theologians. In the last section, I propose a way of understanding Ao traditional religion gleaning from the work of contemporary animism.
Mixed embeddedness and entrepreneurship beyond new venture creation: Opportunity tensions in the case of reregulated public markets
Authors: Högberg Lena , Mitchell Craig
Published: May 2022

The mixed embeddedness (ME) perspective offers a holistic approach to understanding entrepreneurship as embedded in a myriad of contexts. Alone, however, it is not capable of explaining the dynamic interrelations between entrepreneurship and opportunity structures beyond venture start-up. We offer a synthesis between ME and the dynamic states approach, using the concept of opportunity tension to explore the recursive interplay between entrepreneurial agency and opportunity structures. The integrated approach is applied to, and developed by drawing upon, the case of ethnic minority entrepreneurship in the changing Swedish welfare state following customer choice reform. We explore opportunity tensions that arise during start-up, growth and exit for two firms that provide care for the elderly in public quasi-markets. We develop concepts that account for different patterns of embeddedness and opportunity tensions as well as bottom-up effects of entrepreneurship in terms of reregulation and conclude that the interplay amounts to a paradox of ethnicity.
Understanding resilient places: Multi-level governance in times of crisis
Authors: Broadhurst Kate , Gray Nicholas
Published: May 2022

When countries are impacted by a crisis, comparisons at the national level are often drawn. Whilst useful, this approach fails to explore how local measures are enacted alongside centralised responses. This paper addresses that gap by examining England’s intergovernmental response to the Covid-19 pandemic. With a focus on multi-level governance (MLG) and resilience theories the paper explores how tiers of government respond to the demands of the crisis. The focus is primarily on the responses of those involved with responding to the economic crisis with a recognition of the interlinked health and environmental crises. Adopting a case study approach, which included some of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic, the paper asks whether the application of MLG provided a resilient system to the shock of the pandemic. The findings illustrate local government sought to respond quickly, but decision-making was too often centrally controlled rather than devolved to the most appropriate scale. The paper draws lessons for how England might think constructively about its post pandemic reorientation considering the adaptation of intergovernmental roles and subnational governance that permits greater devolution to facilitate place-based recovery. Drawing on the knowledge gained throughout the pandemic, the paper argues that to Level Up in England and address the long-term economic and societal imbalances will demand a place-based recovery model.
Impact of expected parental death on the health of adolescent and young adult children: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Jessop Melissa , Fischer Amanda , Good Phillip
Published: May 2022

Background:

Few studies of health impacts of parental death focus on the developmental stage of adolescence and young adulthood and in particular, expected parental death from terminal illness.

Aim:

To systematically review the health impact of expected parental death on adolescent and young adult children aged 15–25 years and provide a basis for further research and clinical practice.

Design:

Systematic review registered on PROSPERO (CRD42017080282).

Data sources:

Pubmed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were searched with no restrictions on publication date with the last search in March 2021. Eligible articles included studies of adolescent and young adult children (defined by age range of 15–25 years) exposed to parental death due to terminal illness, and with reported health outcomes (physical, psychological or social). Articles were reviewed using the QualSyst tool.

Results:

Ten articles met the inclusion criteria. Adolescent and young adult children reported poor family cohesion and communication with associated negative psychological outcomes. They reported distrust in the health care provided to their terminally ill parent, increased psychological distress and risk of unresolved grief, anxiety and self-harm. Some experience was positive with posttraumatic growth identified.

Conclusions:

This review specifically analysed the health impact of expected parental death on adolescent and young adult children. It highlights their need for age-appropriate psychosocial support and clear information during parental illness, death and bereavement.
Nitrous oxide–induced reproductive risks: Should recreational nitrous oxide users worry?
Authors: van Amsterdam Jan , van den Brink Wim
Published: May 2022

Background:

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a frequently used anaesthetic. Since the year 2000, recreational use of N2O, also known as ‘laughing gas’, became popular as a recreational drug due to its mild psychedelic effect. In the 1980s, several reports warned against N2O-induced reproductive risks among healthcare personnel, questioning the occupational safety of N2O in health care.

Methods:

Data about the reproductive risks of N2O were collected from literature.

Results:

Particularly in the past, professionals working in dental and midwifery practices, operating theatres and ambulance transport were exposed to high levels of N2O. Adverse reproduction effects included congenital anomalies, spontaneous abortion and reduced fertility rates in females. Following occupational measures, like maximal exposure limits for ambient N2O, this occupational risk was considerably reduced. Recreational users of N2O, however, voluntarily and repeatedly expose themselves to (very) high doses of N2O. As such, they exceed the health exposure limits some hundred times, but they are fully unaware of the related reproductive risks.

Conclusion:

We advocate to increase the awareness in recreational N2O-users about its potential reproductive risks, especially in heavy users, pregnant users or those who intend to become pregnant.
Can pediatric bipolar disorder be successfully treated when comorbid with conduct disorder? A secondary analysis of clinical trials of risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole
Authors: Wozniak Janet , DiSalvo Maura , Farrell Abigail , Yule Amy , Joshi Gagan , Cook Emmaline , Faraone Stephen V , Biederman Joseph
Published: May 2022

Background:

Pediatric bipolar disorder (BP) is frequently comorbid with conduct disorder (CD) and its presence adds to the morbidity of BP. While there are no known pharmacological treatments for CD, pediatric BP is responsive to treatment with medications initially indicated for the treatment of psychosis, several of which have Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of pediatric mania.

Aims:

The main aim of this secondary analysis was to examine whether pediatric BP comorbid with CD responds similarly to treatment with such selected medications. Considering the well-documented morbidity of CD, this finding could have important clinical and public health significance.

Methods:

We conducted a secondary analysis of six prospective 8-week open-label trials of selected medications (risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole) using identical methodology in youth with BP with and without comorbid CD. Results: Of 165 youths with BP, 54% ( N = 89) met criteria for comorbid CD. The antimanic effects observed did not significantly differ between BP youths with and without comorbid CD, as measured either by a reduction in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) ⩾ 30% or Clinical Global Impression (CGI)-Improvement ⩽ 2 ( p = 0.23), or by the more stringent definition of a reduction in YMRS ⩾ 50% ( p = 0.61).

Conclusion:

Pediatric BP can be effectively treated with the abovementioned medications in the context of comorbid CD. Based on previous research showing that remission of BP is associated with remission of CD, if confirmed, these findings raise the possibility that antimanic treatment of youth with BP comorbid with CD could have secondary benefits in mitigating the morbidity associated with CD. This is a pilot scale finding, the results of which are promising and should be confirmed by larger and long-term follow-up studies.
Point-Counterpoint: Transfer function analysis of dynamic cerebral autoregulation: To band or not to band?
Authors: Liu Jia , Simpson David M , Panerai Ronney B
Published: May 2022

Transfer function analysis (TFA) is the most frequently adopted method for assessing dynamic cerebral autoregulation (CA) with continuously recorded arterial blood pressure (ABP) and cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV). Conventionally, values of autoregulatory metrics (e.g., gain and phase) derived from TFA are averaged within three frequency bands separated by cut-off frequencies at 0.07 Hz and 0.20 Hz, respectively, to represent the efficiency of dynamic CA. However, this is of increasing concerns, as there remains no solid evidence for choosing these specific cut-off frequencies, and the rigid adoption of these bands can stifle further developments in TFA of dynamic CA. In this ‘Point-Counterpoint’ mini-review, we provide evidence against the fixed banding, indicate possible alternatives, and call for awareness of the risk of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ banding becoming dogmatic. We conclude that we need to remain open to the multiple possibilities offered by TFA to realize its full potential in studies of human dynamic CA.
Intracerebral hemorrhage and thrombin-induced alterations in cerebral microvessel matrix
Authors: Gu Yu-Huan , Hawkins Brian T , Izawa Yoshikane , Yoshikawa Yoji , Koziol James A , del Zoppo Gregory J
Published: May 2022

Four phase III clinical trials of oral direct factor Xa or thrombin inhibitors demonstrated significantly lower intracranial hemorrhage compared to warfarin in patients with nonvalvular-atrial fibrillation. This is counter-intuitive to the principle that inhibiting thrombosis should increase hemorrhagic risk. We tested the novel hypothesis that anti-thrombin activity decreases the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage by directly inhibiting thrombin-mediated degradation of cerebral microvessel basal lamina matrix, responsible for preventing hemorrhage. Collagen IV, laminin, and perlecan each contain one or more copies of the unique α-thrombin cleavage site consensus sequence. In blinded controlled experiments, α-thrombin significantly degraded each matrix protein in vitro and in vivo in a concentration-dependent fashion. In vivo stereotaxic injection of α-thrombin significantly increased permeability, local IgG extravasation, and hemoglobin (Hgb) deposition together with microvessel matrix degradation in a mouse model. In all formats the direct anti-thrombin dabigatran completely inhibited matrix degradation by α-thrombin. Fourteen-day oral exposure to dabigatran etexilate-containing chow completely inhibited matrix degradation, the permeability to large molecules, and cerebral hemorrhage associated with α-thrombin. These experiments demonstrate that thrombin can degrade microvessel matrix, leading to hemorrhage, and that inhibition of microvessel matrix degradation by α-thrombin decreases cerebral hemorrhage. Implications for focal ischemia and other conditions are discussed.
Preliminary Effects of a Structured Educational Program in Cardiac Patients at Different Stages of Enrollment in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation
Authors: Zulianello dos Santos Rafaella , Scheafer Korbes Andrea , Batista Bonin Christiani D. , Marques Vieira Ariany , Karsten Marlus , Benetti Magnus , Oh Paul , Ghisi Gabriela L. d. M.
Published: May 2022

This quasi-experimental study investigated the preliminary effects of a structured education intervention in a pooled sample of cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) patients in Brazil. Recently enrolled (RE) and long-term enrolled (LTE) patients attended 12 weekly education sessions in addition to three weekly exercise sessions. Patients completed surveys assessing disease-related knowledge, physical activity, food intake, self-efficacy, and health literacy. Functional capacity was assessed by the 6-minutes walking test. All outcomes were assessed at pre-,post-CR, and 6-months follow-up. Bonferroni correction was applied. In total, 69 (69.7%) patients completed all three assessments. There were significant improvements in knowledge pre-to post-test in both subgroups (p < 0.001), and in functional capacity (p ≤ 0.001) and food intake (p ≤ 0.001) pre-to post-test in the RE subgroup. Post-test knowledge was correlated to physical activity, functional capacity and health literacy. This preliminary study suggests the importance of structured education for CR patients. A larger study using a randomized controlled design is needed to determine efficacy.