bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alogliptin and Heart Failure Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Layman Sara N. , Elliott Whitney V. , Neu Daniel W. , Howard Tiffany G. , Hamby Aaron
Published: November 2022

Background: In 2016, the FDA issued a warning for saxagliptin and alogliptin regarding an increased risk of heart failure (HF), potentially limiting the use of effective medications in type 2 diabetes. Current data and guideline recommendations regarding HF risk are conflicting, especially with alogliptin. In March 2019, the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center made a formulary change from saxagliptin to alogliptin, creating an opportunity to evaluate a large number of patients receiving alogliptin. Objective: To evaluate the risk of HF with alogliptin use in type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients prescribed alogliptin was performed. The primary outcome was the composite number of HF hospital admissions and ED visits. Secondary outcomes included exacerbation rates among established HF patients, incidence of new-onset HF, incidence of alogliptin discontinuation due to HF, comparison of HF exacerbations between saxagliptin and alogliptin in patients with prior saxagliptin use, and evaluation of concomitant cardiotoxic medications. Results: 455 patients were included. A composite of 28 hospital admissions and ED visits occurred for a HF exacerbation. Fourteen patients (26.4%) of 53 patients with established HF had an exacerbation, whereas 5 patients (1.2%) of 402 patients with no history of HF had an exacerbation. Eight patients (2%) developed new-onset HF. Alogliptin was discontinued in 4 patients (0.9%) due to HF. No statistically significant difference in HF exacerbations was found between patients on alogliptin who previously received saxagliptin (4.8% vs 4.2%, P = 0.726). Conclusions: Alogliptin may increase the risk of HF exacerbation in patients with established HF.
Analyzing the determinants of renewable energy: The moderating role of technology and macroeconomic uncertainty
Authors: Chishti Muhammad Zubair , Dogan Eyup
Published: November 2022

In line with the importance of SDG-7, a number of studies have endeavored to divulge the changes in renewable energy consumption (REC); however, the literature fails to either understand the importance of technology i.e., information communication technologies (ICT) and macroeconomic uncertainty in this context or employ robust econometric techniques. This research paper extends the prior literature by focusing on technology and macroeconomic uncertainty as novel determinants in addition to natural resources, human development, globalization, and economic growth as control variables of renewable energy for the top 10 renewable energy-consuming countries by applying several second and third generation econometric tests on annual data from 1990 to 2017. The empirical estimations determine ICT as a crucial factor of renewable energy, suggesting that it significantly triggers REC in the top economies. Conversely, the detrimental effects of uncertainty tend to shrink REC. Furthermore, natural resources, human development, globalization, and economic growth significantly boost REC as consistent with the existing literature. Based on these findings, this study suggests several SGD-oriented policies.
Does Green HRM Practices Infuse Green Behaviour Among Hotel Employees? The Mediating Role of Psychological Green Climate
Authors: Srivastava Saumya , Dhiman Neeraj
Published: November 2022

Firms prominently adopt green human resource management (GHRM) practices to resolve sustainability and environmental concerns. But it is often seen that triggering green creativity among employees ensures sustainability to a greater extent. Therefore, the study was undertaken to examine how these GHRM practices and individuals’ environmental values drive green behaviour and ultimately foster green creativity among hotel employees in the Indian context. The data were collected from a sample of 320 hotel employees working in rural tourist destinations and further analysed by employing a structural equation modelling approach using SmartPLS, followed by bootstrapping. The analysis was categorized into two sections, that is, measurement and structural model. The model explained 29% variance of green behaviour, 47% green creativity respectively. The results indicated that GHRM and environmental values positively impact employees’ green behaviour. Results further suggested that employees’ green behaviour positively leads to employees’ green creativity via a partial mediating effect of psychological green climate, thus suggesting hotel managers to embrace a psychological green climate in their organization to nurture green creativity. As travel and hospitality are connected with the plan of embracing green practices, subsequently present study will assist stakeholders with advancing the green way of behaving and green imagination among hotel employees. Further, implications to literature and marketers are discussed that offer noble insights.
Bots in Newsrooms: What Future for Human Journalists?
Authors: Serdouk Ali , Bessam Ahmed Cherif
Published: November 2022

This study highlights intelligent bots and their uses in journalism and media by looking at the leading global experiences in exploiting this technology within media institutions through integrating the technological determinism theory and, to a lesser extent, the job insecurity theory into the studied context. The study used the Delphi method to anticipate the future effects of artificial intelligence on human journalists’ jobs, based on the opinions of a sample of researchers and experts in the relevant subject that were gathered through personal interviews and other external sources. The information collected from experts, researchers and specialists showed a divergence in opinions between pessimistic and optimistic about what the human job will become after the penetration of AI within media institutions, depending on key indicators with technological, professional, and economic dimensions.
Representation of Anti-racism and Reconstruction of Black Identity in Black Panther
Authors: Jiaxi Wang , Changsong Wang
Published: November 2022

The black superhero film is an important research object for anti-racism development. Under the White supremacy framework, Black people and culture have been devalued and neglected for a long time. The all-Black lead Marvel film Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler in 2018, employs a well-defined system to present the appeals on anti-racist and reconstruct the filmic Black identity. This study explicitly analyses the approach through which the images of Black people and Black culture are represented, and it attempts to understand how this film reconstructs Black people’s sense of self-identity. This study focuses on the physical appearance of Black superheroes and material culture, the spatial narrative of Black Panther’s fictional spatial world Wakanda, and the Black spirit depicted in the film. Cultural identity, cinematic representation theory, and social identity theory are used to interpret how Black Panther reconstructs Black identity and represents Black culture. This study discovers that Black superheroes are portrayed as powerful, justice, and wise as White people, and Wakanda provides a utopia for a non-racist world. Meanwhile, Black culture is depicted elegantly and proudly to reconstruct Black people’s recognition of cultural and social identity.
Five Years Since Endrew F.: How the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal Have Applied the Endrew F. U.S. Supreme Court Ruling and Why This Matters for Special Education in Schools
Authors: Biolchino Erin
Published: November 2022

This paper provides an overview of the U.S. Circuit Court cases following the most recent U.S. Supreme Court decision related to special education: Endrew F. v. Douglas County Sch. Dist. (2017). This article will be helpful for school leaders who are on the front lines of implementing special education law as several implications of the Endrew F. case are considered: (1) reasonable progress is the legal standard, (2) crafting an IEP is an individualized, fact-intensive endeavor, (3) parent involvement is critical, (4) beware procedural errors, (5) the law favors the LRE, and (6) be prepared to fully implement the IEP.
Research on uncertain integrated production planning and scheduling with risk management based on improved collaborative optimization
Authors: Zheng Song , Liu Jun , Wu Di
Published: November 2022

The optimization of production planning and scheduling is important for modern process industry. Due to different time dimensions of them, it is easy to create conflicts between the optimization results if they are solved separately, and the final results are not feasible. When facing a complex problem like production model, Collaborative optimization could be applied, but it still has shortcomings. Therefore, the improvement of collaborative optimization is proposed and improved collaborative optimization is applied to solve the uncertain production model. At last, the simulation results show that improved collaborative optimization can achieve better global optimization capability and practicability. This paper not only shows that the application scope of collaborative optimization has been expanded, but also provides a new idea for solving the uncertain production model.
Breast Implanted-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Case of Advanced Disease with Flow Cytometric Findings
Authors: Demko Nadine , Safran Tyler , Vorstenbosch Joshua , Michel René P.
Published: November 2022

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (breast implant-associated ALCL) is a recently described, distinct clinicopathological entity associated with macrotextured breast implants. The diagnostic workup of a patient suspected to have breast implant-associated ALCL includes cytological assessment of effusions and tissue biopsies of any masses or enlarged lymph nodes, with morphologic and immunophenotypic evaluation and possible flow cytometric and molecular testing. We report the case of a woman found to have breast implant-associated ALCL on fine needle aspirate and core biopsy, who on surgical resection, had extensive local disease with involvement of the resection margins and lymph nodes, requiring systemic treatment. We focus on the flow cytometric findings that identified a population of large cells on the CD30/side scatter dot plot and whose immunophenotype was consistent with breast implant-associated ALCL, highlighting the value of flow cytometry as an adjunct to morphological and immunophenotypic evaluation.
Observer-based free-will arbitrary time sliding mode control for uncertain robotic manipulators
Authors: Sai Huayang , Xu Zhenbang , Han Tianyu , Wang Xiaoming , Li Hang
Published: November 2022

This paper studies a free-will arbitrary time sliding mode control (FATSMC) based on the predefined-time sliding mode observer (PTSMO) for tracking control of robotic manipulators. First, a PTSMO is constructed to estimate the coupled uncertainty of the robotic manipulator system in a preset time. Then, a FATSMC scheme is proposed to realize the free-will arbitrary time tracking control for uncertain robotic manipulators and preset the upper bound on the settling time in the reaching phase. The proposed control strategy has high tracking accuracy and smooth control torque, while the convergence time of the system is nonconservative. The stability of the FATSMC and the PTSMO are rigorously demonstrated using the Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, a three-degree-of-freedom uncertain manipulator is utilized for numerical simulation. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control strategy are demonstrated by comparing it with several control strategies.
Nothing Personal: An Anti-Asian Hate Crime
Authors: Wong Vicky
Published: November 2022

This autoethnography reflects the author’s devastation and recovery after being victimized by a stranger amid a surge of racist and anti-Asian attacks during the pandemic. Triggers and images impact her mental health which highlights her need for professional trauma therapy. During healing, she discovers how leaching images and triggers can spark fear and anxiety. The author lives the irony of both a culture of campaigns against anti-Asian racism and a culture of violence targeting Asians. Overall, the autoethnography provides a deeper sense of the social and cultural issues involved in the post-traumatic effects of anti-Asian racist incidents.
Efficacy of Combining Education and Site Management in Reducing Off-Trail Travel in a Fragile Biotic Community, Acadia National Park
Authors: Park Logan O. , Marion Jeffrey L. , Wimpey Jeremy F.
Published: November 2022

Averaging 2.4 million visits annually across fewer than 50,000 acres, Acadia National Park (ANP) is a “densely visited” park whose managers seek to protect the quality of natural resources and visitor experiences. The proliferation of informal (visitor-created) trail networks increases resource degradation and management costs to curtail and repair them. This paper evaluates the efficacy and acceptability of adaptive management measures for discouraging off-trail travel in a backcountry setting at ANP. Additive combinations of management techniques—designed to address multiple motives for going off-trail—are evaluated for efficacy along a high use backcountry summit trail. Trail site management actions and educational signs addressing multiple motives for off-trail travel were shown to be effective, as are more direct, obtrusive measures relying on fewer additive components. Management situations warranting the use of direct measures (e.g., fencing) vs. combinations of less direct and obtrusive measures are discussed.
The Effect of Mobile Payments on Retailer Firm Value: The Moderating Role of Promotions, Customer Segment, and Rollout Strategy
Authors: Pasirayi Simbarashe , Fennell Patrick B.
Published: November 2022

Mobile payment technology platforms are quickly gaining popularity. Despite this growth, academic research offers little insight into how adopting mobile payment technology impacts firm value. Further, extant studies are silent on the factors that determine the outcome of pursuing this strategy. Results from an event study of 152 announcements of mobile payments show an increase in firm value by an average of 1.03%, highlighting their effectiveness. Further analysis reveals characteristics of mobile payments that can augment this change in firm value. Specifically, positive firm value accrues when retailers promote the use of mobile payments to their customers. The authors also find that, compared with retailers whose target market comprises older customers, retailers targeting younger customers benefit more from adopting mobile payments. Finally, this study reveals an early-mover advantage, which is maximized in conjunction with an expansive, national rollout strategy. In fact, although a national rollout can be more beneficial early, the results show that for retailers that adopt mobile payments later, there is no difference between using an expansive rollout or a more limited, phased rollout strategy.
Contextual Validation of the Prediction of Postoperative Complications of Colorectal Surgery by the “ACS NSQIP®Risk Calculator” in a Tunisian Center
Authors: Ben Abdelkrim Mehdi , Elghali Mohamed Amine , Moussa Amany , Ben Abdelaziz Ahmed
Published: November 2022

Context:

Models for predicting individual risks of surgical complications are advantageous for operative decision making and the nature of postoperative management procedures.

Objective:

Validate the “ACS NSQIP® Risk Calculator” in the prediction of postoperative complications during colorectal cancer surgery, operated during the years 2015 to 2019.

Methods:

this is a prognostic validation study of the “ACS NSQIP®” applied retrospectively to patients operated on for colorectal cancer in the surgical department of Farhat Hached hospital, during the 2015 and 2019 5-year term. Three levels of adjustment. Discrimination and calibration were carried out mainly by ROC curves (AUC ⩾ 0.8).

Results:

In this study, 129 patients were included with a sex ratio of 1.22 and a median age of 62 years. The most common operative procedure was low segmental colectomy with colorectal anastomosis. Thirty-seven patients (28.7%) had at least one postoperative complication. The prediction and cuts-off points values of mortality (AUC = 0.858; CI95% [0.570-0.960]; Cuts-off points = 1.8%), cardiac complications (AUC = 0.824; CI95% [0.658-0.990]; Cuts-off points = 1.8%), thromboembolic complications (AUC = 0.802; CI95% [0.617-0.987]; Cuts-off point = 3.1%), and renal insufficiency (AUC = 0.802; CI95% [ 0.623-0.981]; Cuts-off point = 1.2%) were adjusted according to level 1 of the calculator.

Conclusion:

This work contextualized the prediction of postoperative complications in colorectal surgery in the university general surgery department of Farhat Hached in Sousse (Tunisia), making it possible to improve the quality and safety of surgical care. The application of the Tunisian mini calculator is recommended as well as the generalization of validation following the development of a generic calculator for all operating procedures.
Annual Carbon Footprint From Local Electricity Generation in Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Authors: Amakom Chijioke M , Ogungbenro Oluwasogo A , Iheonu Nneka O , Nkwoada Amarachi , Iwueke David C , Anya Joseph , Okoye Joseph
Published: November 2022

The carbon di-oxide (CO2) emissions emanating from the consumption of fossil fuels for generation of electric power in order to sustain the smooth running of activities at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) has been investigated. With appropriate emission factors and the amount of fuel consumption by the generators per annum, the annual CO2 emissions from both diesel and PMS operated electricity generators were estimated. This emission amounted to ~1460.20 tons of CO2 per annum with the institution’s diesel generators accounting for ~59%. The several gasoline generating sets scattered across the institution accounts for ~31% of the total CO2 emission. From literature, the result of this study shows that FUTO is one of the highest carbon emitters amongst other institutions were such studies have been carried out. There is a crucial need to control pollution and diversify into renewable sources of energy so as to reduce the carbon footprint emanating from generating power for the institution’s use.
Compliance with Antibiotics Prophylaxis Guideline in Surgical Patients in ICUs of a Teaching Referral Hospital
Authors: Vazin Afsaneh , Hatami-Mazinani Nazafarin , Alemzadeh Effat , Dehghani Fatemeh , Mahi-Birjand Motahareh
Published: November 2022

Antimicrobial prophylaxis used for surgical procedures remains one of the measures for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs). The present study was designed to assess the compliance with clinical practice guideline for antimicrobial prophylaxis in variable surgeries conducted in the intensive care units (ICUs) of a major referral hospital. This cross-sectional investigation was carried out by prospective data collected from October 2017 to March 2018 in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Nemazi hospital in Shiraz. Demographic characteristics, surgery type as well as antibiotic treatment were gathered from medical records and entered in data collection forms. We reviewed compliance and adherence of prophylactic antibiotic administration to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guideline and evaluated the courses of antimicrobial drugs. If an antibiotic administrated for surgical prophylaxis was different from the guideline, the antibiotic was classified as non-guideline-based antibiotics. Most patients participated in this study were male (64.5%). Only 8.75% of the administrated antibiotics chosen for surgical prophylaxis were found to be appropriate antibiotic prescriptions; however, those patients receiving appropriate antibiotics prescribed an inappropriate dosage. In addition, the antibiotics were administrated with inappropriate durations in all cases. Our findings indicated that adherence to the IDSA international guideline seems to be far from ideal in Namazi hospital for antimicrobial prophylaxis, resulting in the unsuitable administration of a wide variety of antibiotics.
Mediterranean Diet and its Effects on Silent Brain Infarcts in a Cohort of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Escudero-Martínez Irene , Mancha Fernando , Vega Ángela , Zapata Montserrat , Ocete Rafael F , Álvarez Lucía , Algaba Pilar , López-Rueda Antonio , Piñero Pilar , Fajardo Elena , Fernández-Engo José Román , Martín-Sánchez Eva M , Galvao-Carmona Alejandro , Zapata-Arriaza Elena , Lebrato Lucía , Pardo Blanca , Cabezas Juan Antonio , Ayuso María Irene , González Alejandro , Moniche Francisco , Montaner Joan
Published: November 2022

Background and Aims:

The benefits of Mediterranean Diet (MeDiet) in prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in general and ischemic stroke (IS) have been extensively studied and reported. We hypothesize that the consumption of nutrients typical of MeDiet would also reduce the rate of silent brain infarcts (SBI) among AF patients.

Methods and Results:

Patients with a history of AF who scored 0 to 1 in the CHADS2 score, ⩾50 years and with absence of neurological symptoms were selected from Seville urban area using the Andalusian electronic healthcare database. A 3T brain MRI was performed to all participants. Demographic and clinical data and food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were collected. Of the 443 scanned patients, 66 presented SBI. Of them 52 accepted to be scheduled for a clinical visit and were included in the diet sub study and 41 controls were matched per age and sex. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics. After logistic regression analysis, we found that a higher consumption of fiber from fruit was independently associated with a lower risk of SBI, while a higher consumption of high glycemic load (GL) foods was associated with a higher risk of SBI in a population with AF

Conclusion:

Our findings support that MeDiet could be suggested as a prevention strategy for SBI in patients with AF.
Prediction of friction coefficient of su-8 and its composite coatings using machine learning techniques
Authors: Mohammed Anwaruddin Siddiqui , Dodla Srihari , Katiyar Jitendra Kumar , Samad Mohammed Abdul
Published: November 2022

Machine learning (ML) techniques are used to predict the coefficient of friction of an epoxy polymer resin (SU-8) and its composite coatings deposited on a silicon wafer. Filler type and the number of cycles are taken as the input parameters. The filler types included, two solid fillers namely, graphite and talc, and a liquid filler such as Perfluoropolyether (PFPE). Six variations of the SU8 coatings were developed based on the different combinations of filers used and tested. The experimental data generated for these different coatings for varying number of cycles (0 to 499) was used to train the different ML algorithms like ANN, SVM, CART, and RF to predict the coefficient of friction. The performance of these ML techniques was compared by calculating mean absolute error (MAE), root means square error (RMSE), and square of the correlation coefficient (R2). The ANN algorithm was observed to have the best (R2) metrics while the other ML techniques SVM, CART, and RF had a satisfactory performance with some inaccuracies seen for the CART algorithm for the data set under consideration.
Board interlocks and corporate risk-taking: An empirical analysis of listed companies from tourism and related industries in China
Authors: Hao Chen , Feng Xuegang , Wu Dandan , Guo Xiaodong
Published: November 2022

Taking the tourism and related industry companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen of China from 2006 to 2019 as samples, this paper examines the impact of board interlock on corporate risk-taking and its micro-mechanism. Empirical evidence shows that board interlock can significantly improve corporate risk-taking, but the degree of influence varies from industry to industry. For the external risk sensitivity of industry, in the industry with high external risk sensitivity, the “quantity embedding” of interlocking directors has a stronger promoting effect on enterprise risk-taking. However, in industries with low external risk sensitivity, the “quality embedding” of interlocking directors has a stronger promoting effect on enterprise risk-taking. For the degree of industry competition, the more intense the industry competition, the stronger the role of board interlocks in promoting enterprise risk-taking. Further analysis shows that the intensity of information effect and the intensity of resource effect vary with the degree of information asymmetry and the type of directors.
Using arts-based research in applied health care: An example from an evaluation of NHS dental contract reform in Wales
Authors: Overs Ellie , Woods Chris , Jones Lorelei , Williams Lynne , Williams Sion , Burton Chris , Brocklehurst Paul R
Published: November 2022

Objective

Arts-based research (ABR) refers to the use of art in the research process to help generate, interpret and/or communicate knowledge. We used ABR principles to adapt a centre-staging method to complement a more traditional qualitative approach to evaluate participants’ views on dental service reform.

Methods

We asked five individuals in the dental health sector in the National Health Service in Wales to select objects to depict their views on the current reform process and their ideal reform process. This process took place alongside traditional semi-structured interviews with the participants.

Results

There were three marked differences in the centre-staging process as compared to the interviews: (1) there was a greater use of symbolism by the participants, (2) the participants put a greater focus on the process of change and (3) the participants were more likely to reveal the emotions underlying their assessments of the reform process.

Conclusions

The arts-based approach adopted appeared to be highly accessible and has the potential to be used in a wide range of applications.
Risk Epistemologies and Aesthetic Reflexivity of a Disaster-Affected Community: Findings from Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen-Trung Kien
Published: November 2022

Scholars and policymakers often use their expert knowledge to define the risk that laypeople face. Nonetheless, they have frequently overlooked how laypeople describe and explain the risks they face on a daily basis. Moreover, an emphasis on individualisation and reflexivity in Western societies has led to little understanding of how a non-Western community constructs its shared risk culture and how this culture associates aesthetic reflexivity and risk epistemologies. The purpose of this research is to fill these gaps by exploring how Vietnamese farmers reflexively define risk in their everyday lives, which in turn informs their risk-taking attitude and action. Drawing on a case study of disaster-prone farmers in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, this research reveals a distinct set of farmers’ risk epistemologies through a process of hermeneutic reflexivity situated in their risk culture and a shared identity. They do not view risk as wholly negative but rather as an opportunity to attain the aim of surviving and profiting. They see cultivating a risky crop as a collective action of risking their lives, sharing with their community both the challenges and the opportunities that risk might offer. My article makes a case for sociological research into non-Western civilizations, where late modernity and reflexivity might not be accompanied by individualisation but rather with collectivism and tradition.
On the relationships between critical theory and secularisation: The challenges of democratic fallibility and planetary survival
Authors: Chernilo Daniel
Published: November 2022

This article looks at the contribution of secularisation debates to a critical theory of society. As the relations between the ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ aspects of modern life grow more vexing, it argues critical theory must eschew its previous secularisation-as-progress metanarrative. Instead, processes of secularisation are better understood as those relationships between public and private beliefs and practices that take place at the boundaries between modern society’s commitment to procedural institutions and substantive value commitments. The article then revisits four different understandings of secularisation that, coming from a variety of intellectual traditions, help us redefine it beyond an exclusive focus on institutional religions: normative questions on the rise and decline of autonomous values; temporal questions on the self-positing of modernity as an historical epoch; political questions on the desacralisation of modern sovereignty and practical questions on the non-technological dimensions of technology. This framework is put to the test in relation to the procedural challenge of democratic fallibility and the substantive challenge of planetary survival.
Police executive leadership: An empirical and theoretical exploration of police chief performance
Authors: Brown Ben , Li Yudu
Published: November 2022

To date, most studies of police leadership have focused on lower and mid-level police managers, with few scholars having studied the leadership performance of police chiefs. This study contributes to the literature with an empirical assessment and theoretical consideration of leadership at the top executive level of police departments. Police chiefs who attended professional training programs at the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas evaluated the prior police chief's performance of multiple duties such as directing the work of employees, initiating changes in the department and working with other agencies. Factor analyses of the data indicate the measures load onto three clusters, the composition of which are incompatible with any single theory of leadership. These findings indicate the executive leadership of a police department may be distinct from the leadership of other types of organizations. Incorporating insights from skill-based and situational leadership theories, it is suggested that police executive leadership may be conceptualized as an amalgam of conceptual, managerial and political skills that are shaped by and tailored to the audience and situation.
Privatisation and accountability in Australian immigration detention: A case of state-corporate symbiosis
Authors: Yin Mark
Published: November 2022

Across the global north, immigration detention has become an increasingly common punishment for ‘illegal’ movement between borders. The punitive nature of Australia's border protection laws is enhanced by a privatised and offshored model of operation, drawing in corporations and neighbouring territories to sustain a policy of indefinite, offshore detention. Reading these arrangements as resulting in actions that might be described as state-corporate crime, this article considers how such punitive regimes are sustained by the institutional actors who operationalise them. It analyses documents tabled before the Australian Senate in 2019 which detail the contractual relationship between the Department of Home Affairs and private security provider Paladin. Communications materials in particular, including emails and meeting minutes, reveal a compromised framework of accountability that failed to apprehend underlying forms of harm in offshore detention, therefore sustaining its capacity to punish. The results also suggest a shared interest between government and Paladin in maintaining this compromised framework, and an absence of voices which might challenge it. Noting that public-private contracts are commonplace in contemporary punitive regimes, the article concludes by interrogating the place for human rights compliance within these regimes.
Climate change in the courtroom: An anthropology of neighborly relations
Authors: Walker-Crawford Noah
Published: November 2022

This article follows a groundbreaking climate justice lawsuit between a Peruvian farmer and major energy company in a German court, a strategic political intervention addressing the inequities of global warming. The claim posits that the two are neighbors, meaning the company should take responsibility for contributing to climate change impacts in the Andes. Using this legal conception as a starting point to engage with academic discussions about sociality and moral responsibility, I establish neighborliness as an analytical framework for examining the moral stakes of social relations. Addressing the methodological and theoretical challenges of studying a phenomenon that draws connections across the planet, this approach allows for an ethnographically grounded understanding of global warming. Climate change expands the scope of social relations and raises the question of how we should live together on our planet. A focus on neighborliness foregrounds the normative claims through which people make sense of globalizing phenomena.
Evaluation of toxicity of hydrocarbons emitted by Euro 3 and Euro 6 vehicles at idle conditions by means of equivalent toxicity coefficients
Authors: Kęska Aleksandra , Janicka Anna
Published: November 2022

Hydrocarbons present in gases emitted by internal combustion engines are a coefficient determining the toxicity of exhaust gases. The study examined exhaust gases emitted by passenger vehicles meeting Euro 3 and Euro 6 emission standards. Equivalent toxicity coefficients were calculated for volatile organic compounds (RTER) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CER) identified by gas chromatography. Analysis of the RTER values showed that four out of the six vehicles tested exceeded the control RTER value. For two of the three Euro 6 vehicles, the CER value was higher than the control value. The study indicates that the toxicity of the mixture of hydrocarbons emitted by the tested vehicles meeting stricter emission standards is higher than in the case of older generation vehicles.
Cultural code-switching in high context global virtual team members: A qualitative study
Authors: Zakaria Norhayati , Ab Rahman Muton Nursakirah
Published: November 2022

Global virtual teams (GVTs) are a prevalent work structure that enable people to accomplish tasks across time, space, and cultural boundaries and perform cross-culturally. However, few studies have highlighted what exact behaviors enable GVTs to share knowledge effectively. Based on a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 22 respondents from various multinational corporations (MNCs) in Malaysia, we answer the following overarching research question: Why do high context members switch their communicative behaviors amongst foreign team members within global virtual teams? Our study provides detailed narratives of high-context team members becoming the behavioral “switchers” to collaborate and share knowledge with their foreign team members effectively. Our study defines and clarifies the concept of cross-cultural code-switching as a key behavior reflecting effective cross-cultural performance when accommodating foreign team members’ communicative behaviours by adopting (1) directness in speech, (2) openness during knowledge sharing, and (3) task-oriented aims. This study addresses several gaps in the field of cross-cultural management by extending Hall’s (1976) theoretical lens on high-context and low-context cultures, Molinsky’s (2007) cross-cultural code-switching concept in the context of the virtual work structure, and the criterion space surrounding cross cultural performance.
Images and indicators: mixing participatory methods to build inclusive rigour
Authors: Fairey Tiffany , Firchow Pamina , Dixon Peter
Published: November 2022

Participatory methods seek to counter the extractive nature of mainstream research methods by putting control into the hands of research subjects. But participation itself does not guarantee against extraction. There is a tension between the desire for researcher-control and the prerogative of community action in participatory methods. How can researchers committed to participation manage this tension? In this paper, we draw on the concepts of “collaborative” and “action-oriented” participatory research to describe how integrating mixed-methodologies can help different research stakeholders attain desirable, fruitful and meaningful levels of ownership and build inclusive rigour. Drawing on our work with participatory indicators and photovoice with conflict affected communities in rural Colombia, we demonstrate how combining different kinds of participatory research methods—in this case, non-visual and visual research—creates opportunities to attend to the sometimes conflicting goals of robust research, policy change and community action. Under the broad umbrella of participatory research, collaborative approaches like participatory indicators and action-oriented approaches like photovoice complement and amplify each other in such settings, embracing complexity and catalyzing multiple ways of ‘knowing-for-action’. The result is participatory research that is attuned to the complexities of conflict-affected settings, inclusively rigorous and potentially transformative.
Pulmonary function and Quality of Life in a prospective cohort of (non-) hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia survivors up to six months
Authors: de Roos Marlise P , Siegerink Sebastiaan , Dijkstra Nynke G , Broekman Birit FP , Brinkman Kees , Jonkman Nini H , Bresser Paul
Published: November 2022

Objectives

A decrease of both diffusion capacity (DLCO) and Quality of Life (QoL) was reported after discharge in hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia survivors. We studied three and 6 month outcomes in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients.

Methods

COVID-19 pneumonia survivors ( n = 317) were categorized into non-hospitalized “moderate” cases ( n = 59), hospitalized “severe” cases ( n = 180) and ICU-admitted “critical” cases ( n = 39). We studied DLCO and QoL (Short Form SF-36 health survey) 3 and 6 months after discharge. Data were analyzed using (repeated measures) ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis or Chi-square test ( p < .05).

Results

At 3 months DLCO was decreased in 44% of moderate-, 56% of severe- and 82% of critical cases ( p < .003). Mean DLCO in critical cases (64±14%) was lower compared to severe (76 ± 17%) and moderate (81±15%) cases ( p < .001). A total of 159/278 patients had a decreased DLCO (<80%), of whom the DLCO improved after 6 months in 45% (71/159). However the DLCO did not normalize in the majority (89%) of the cases (63 ± 10% vs 68±10%; p < .001). At 3 months, compared to critical cases, moderate cases scored lower on SF-36 domain “general health” ( p < .05); both moderate and severe cases scored lower on the domain of “health change” ( p < .05). At 6 months, there were no differences in SF-36 between the subgroups. Compared to 3 months, in all groups “physical functioning” improved; in contrast all groups scored significantly lower on “non-physical” SF-36 domains.

Conclusion

Three months after COVID-19 pneumonia, DLCO was still decreased in the more severely affected patients, with an incomplete recovery after 6 months. At 3 months QoL was impaired. At 6 months, while “physical functioning” improved, a decrease in “non-physical” QoL was observed but did not differ between the moderate and severely affected patients.
An Equity Response to COVID-19 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: The Development and Work of the Black Equity Coalition
Authors: Gary-Webb Tiffany L. , Van Dyke Carlyn , Abrams Karen , Beery Jason , Bennett Olivia , Bey Jamil , Brown Fred , Conti Tracey , Garland Richard , Gloster Jerome , Gradeck Robert , Issac Lisa , Kohler Jared , King Ayanna A. , Lewis Mark , Maseru Noble , Mendez Dara , McGlasson Mickey , Monette Alissa , Ware Kellie , Wright Anne
Published: November 2022

From the onset of the pandemic in the United States, racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes have been evident. In April 2020, several events prompted a concerned group of colleagues to form the Black Equity Coalition (BEC), a Black-led coalition in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which brings together professionals from multiple sectors who aim to ensure an equitable response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several significant milestones have been achieved, and this article describes the development, functioning, and outcomes of the Coalition in the first 15 months of operation (April 2020–June 2021). COVID-19 was the reason for such an unprecedented effort, but this BEC infrastructure will be needed long after COVID-19 is controlled. In addition to short-term activities and reactive measures to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 in Black populations, the BEC is serving as a crucial link between government, health care stakeholders, and communities to produce long-term systemic change.
Psychosocial Factors Associated With Past Month Gambling Among Adolescents: Results From the 2016–2020 PRIDE Survey
Authors: Yockey R. Andrew
Published: November 2022

The present study sought to identify psychosocial factors associated with recent gambling (gambling within the past 30 days). The 2016, 2018, and 2020 Parents’ Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) data sets were pooled and analyzed, consisting of 108,690 adolescents in 13 local public schools. A sizable percentage (13.1%) of adolescents reported gambling in the past 30 days. Multiple logistic regression analyses found differences based on demographic factors, previous substance use, and psychosocial factors. Adolescents at highest risk were male, non-White, in high school; sold drugs; and participated in violent activities in the past 30 days. The study also found worrying rates of substance use. Findings from the present study can inform harm reduction efforts, prevention messaging, and clinical interventions related to adolescent gambling.
Snare-Dragging Technique to Target the Hypogastric Artery in an Iliac Bifurcation Dissection
Authors: Marchiori Elena , Kirchenbauer Julia , Ibrahim Abdulhakim , Frederik Schaefers Johannes , Oberhuber Alexander
Published: November 2022

Purpose:

To describe snare-assisted vessel targeting to selectively overcome a dissection in the iliac bifurcation and gain antegrade access to the hypogastric artery (HA).

Technique:

The technique is demonstrated in a 64-year-old woman with an asymptomatic Crawford type III thoracoabdominal aneurysm. A 2-stage endovascular repair, consisting of a thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and a branched endovascular aortic repair was planned. In the control angiography after TEVAR, a disrupted plaque with consequent dissection in the right iliac bifurcation was detected. The perfusion of the common iliac artery and external iliac artery resulted impaired. The targeting of the right HA through a contralateral antegrade approach failed, whereas an ipsilateral retrograde approach was possible but unsuitable for therapeutic purposes. Using the catheter of the retrograde ipsilateral access, a snare from a contralateral crossover was cached and dragged into the HA, allowing the targeting of the vessels and further endovascular therapy with angioplasty and stenting. Follow-up 8 months postoperatively demonstrated the patency of the stents and well-preserved perfusion in the right iliac bifurcation.

Conclusion:

The snare-dragging technique can be used to gain access to vessels presenting challenging conformations or dissections. This application may be a valuable support for complex endovascular treatment in a variety of patients.

Clinical Impact

The snare-dragging technique can be used to gain access to vessels presenting challenging conformations or dissections. It allows the catheterization to be establish from the easiest and safest approach and then “transferred” from one access to the other. It avoids the risk of repeated loss of catheterization due to unstable and unfavorable working angles, and it saves time and radiation. It permits different material combinations, adapting to the available resources and materials. We believe that the current technique may increase the strategy spectrum available for endovascular therapy and complex endovascular procedures.
Living Liver Donation Does not Significantly Affect Long-Term Life, Disability, or Medical Insurability
Authors: Horwich Brian H. , Yang Alexander H. , Haser Grace , Carlis Rene , Lee Brian T. , Maddur Haripriya , Dodge Jennifer L. , Genyk Yuri , Fong Tse-Ling , Han Hyosun
Published: November 2022

Introduction

The growing practice of living liver donation requires comprehensive understanding of the financial implications for living liver donors. While obtaining and maintaining insurance is important to financial health, little is known about the impact of liver donation on future insurability.

Research Questions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the donors’ experiences with insurance following donation and identify the insurance provider-driven factors that contribute to donor insurability.

Design

A two center cohort of living donors with donation between January 2000 and December 2018 (N = 442) were surveyed about postdonation insurance experiences. To understand insurance provider practices towards liver donors, life (n = 11) and disability (n = 4) insurance underwriters were asked to provide policy quotes for a standardized living liver donor profile.

Results

Responses (N = 101) were received by August 2020 (response rate = 22.9%). Living liver donors reported owning life (58%), disability (35%), and medical (87%) insurance at rates comparable to the general population with low proportions reporting difficulty obtaining these insurance types (9%, 9%, 4%, respectively). Post-donation life insurance ownership was associated with post-donation employment (P = 0.01). Underwriter responses indicate life and disability insurability were adversely affected up to 12 months following donation.

Conclusions

Living liver donors did not have difficulty maintaining insurance in the long-term but should be counseled to purchase insurance prior to surgery as short-term insurability may be affected. Perception of difficulty obtaining insurance following donation remains of significant concern among living donors. Further collaboration between the transplant community and insurance companies is warranted.
Teaming with Your Car: Redefining the Driver–Automation Relationship in Highly Automated Vehicles
Authors: Lee Joonbum , Rheem Hansol , Lee John D. , Szczerba Joseph F. , Tsimhoni Omer
Published: November 2022

Advances in automated driving systems (ADSs) have shifted the primary responsibility of controlling a vehicle from human drivers to automation. Framing driving a highly automated vehicle as teamwork can reveal practical requirements and design considerations to support the dynamic driver–ADS relationship. However, human–automation teaming is a relatively new concept in ADS research and requires further exploration. We conducted two literature reviews to identify concepts related to teaming and to define the driver–ADS relationship, requirements, and design considerations. The first literature review identified coordination, cooperation, and collaboration (3Cs) as core concepts to define driver–ADS teaming. Based on these findings, we propose the panarchy framework of 3Cs to understand drivers’ roles and relationships with automation in driver–ADS teaming. The second literature review identified main challenges for designing driver–ADS teams. The challenges include supporting mutual communication, enhancing observability and directability, developing a responsive ADS, and identifying and supporting the interdependent relationship between the driver and ADS. This study suggests that the teaming concept can promote a better understanding of the driver–ADS team where the driver and automation require interplay. Eventually, the driver–ADS teaming frame will lead to adequate expectations and mental models of partially automated vehicles.