bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Male Portuguese Prisoners
Authors: Carmo Cláudia , Iacob Vivien , Brás Marta , Fernandes Jacinta
Published: June 2022

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in prison environments have revealed positive benefits for prisoners’ physical and psychological health. This study aimed to verify the efficacy of an MBI program in decreasing depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, negative effects, and increasing positive affects, self-esteem, and mindfulness state and capacity in prisoners. The sample comprised 44 Portuguese male prisoners, who were divided into two groups: the mindfulness training group ( n = 22) and the control group ( n = 22). The mindfulness training group demonstrated increased self-esteem and mindfulness capacities. Qualitative analysis showed the usefulness of the training for inmates, not only in their daily prison life, but also post-release and the importance of breathing in coping with anxious and stressful situations. These findings suggest the benefits of MBI in prison settings and propose that these interventions may hold the potential to improve prisoners’ reintegration into society.
The experience of meaning and value in occupations for forced migrants seeking asylum, and factors that facilitate occupational engagement: A meta-ethnography using a strength-based approach
Authors: McGovern Anna , Yong Audrey
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Asylum-seekers face significant barriers to meaningful occupation, leading to negative health and wellbeing outcomes. This study provides a strength-based approach to enhance understandings about the meaning of occupation for those seeking asylum.

Method

A systematic search of the literature identified seven qualitative research studies. A meta-ethnographic approach was used to synthesise the findings.

Results

Examination of the selected studies generated three third-order interpretations as follows: keeping busy as a coping mechanism; maintaining continuity with past life by preserving identity, roles, values and culture; and building a new future with a drive to be a productive member of society. The study also identified factors that support meaningful occupational engagement during asylum.

Conclusion

This study shows that occupations are essential to existence for asylum-seekers. They help preserve identity and life-continuity; help people make sense of disorder in their life; and provide opportunity for reflection, leading to motivation toward goal-directed occupation. Finally, engaging in occupation helps people adjust and cope with trauma. The study highlights that a lack of meaningful occupations may limit the long-term benefits of occupational engagement while seeking asylum. Recommendations are made for further research to challenge restrictive policies and promote the rights and wellbeing of this population.
Articulation work: Value chains of land assembly and real estate development on a peri-urban frontier
Authors: Gidwani Vinay , Upadhya Carol
Published: June 2022

If the entanglements of real estate and finance capital are pivotal in ongoing urban transformations in cities of the global south, then a less visible but equally vital dimension is the process of land assembly on which residential and commercial real estate speculation and development are premised. This paper pries open the value chain of land assembly that underlies these transformations in a rapidly expanding peri-urban frontier of Bengaluru, India. Drawing on detailed interviews with land market intermediaries, operating across different scales, who were instrumental in assembling agricultural land for a large apartment complex, the paper shows how existing forms of social power and local knowledge are harnessed to create inter-scalar linkages that enable the creation and extraction of value in Indian real estate. It makes the case for understanding the economic and cultural work of intermediaries in animating land's value chain as ‘articulation work’. Finally, the paper assesses the varying forms and quantum of value that are generated and captured by different actors in the value chain, which stretches from the landowning farmer up to a major real estate company, to reflect on the micro-dynamics of speculative urbanism and agrarian urbanization.
Association Between Anteromedial Portal Versus Tibial Tunnel Drilling and Meniscal Reoperation Risk Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Cohort Study
Authors: Davis Brent R. , Chang Richard N. , Prentice Heather A. , Tejwani Samir G. , Morris Andrew J. , Maletis Gregory B.
Published: June 2022

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) provides functional stability to an injured knee. While multiple techniques can be used to drill the femoral tunnel during ACLR, a single technique has yet to be proven as clinically superior. One marker of postoperative functional stability is subsequent meniscal tears; a lower risk of subsequent meniscal surgery could be expected with improved knee stability.

Purpose:

To determine if there is a meniscal protective effect when using an anteromedial portal (AMP) femoral tunnel drilling technique versus transtibial (TT) drilling.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Data from Kaiser Permanente’s ACLR registry were used to identify patients who had a primary isolated ACLR between 2009 and 2018; those with previous surgery in the index knee and meniscal pathology at the time of ACLR were excluded. The exposure of interest was TT (n = 2711) versus AMP (n = 5172) drilling. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to evaluate the risk of a subsequent ipsilateral meniscal reoperation with adjustment for age, sex, femoral fixation, and graft choice. We observed a shift in surgeon practice from the TT to AMP over the study time frame; therefore, the relationship between technique and surgeon experience on meniscal reoperation was evaluated using an interaction term in the model.

Results:

At the 9-year follow-up, the crude cumulative meniscal reoperation probability for AMP procedures was 7.76%, while for TT it was 5.88%. After adjustment for covariates, we observed a higher risk for meniscal reoperation with AMP compared with TT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.53; 95% CI, 1.05-2.23). When stratifying by surgeon experience, this adverse association was observed for patients who had their procedure performed by surgeons with less AMP experience (no previous AMP ACLR: HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.84-1.91) while a protective association was observed for patients who had their procedure with more experienced surgeons (40 previous AMP ACLRs: HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13-0.92).

Conclusion:

Drilling the femoral tunnel via the AMP was associated with a higher risk of subsequent meniscal surgery compared with TT drilling. However, when AMP drilling was used by surgeons experienced with the technique, a meniscal protective effect was observed.
Biomechanical Comparison of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction With and Without Suture Augmentation
Authors: Narvaez Michael V. , Nelson Trevor J. , Youssefzadeh Keon , Limpisvasti Orr , Metzger Melodie F.
Published: June 2022

Background:

A common concern associated with elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is the amount of time required for recovery and rehabilitation. For example, for Major League Baseball pitchers, the average time to return to competition ranges from 13.8 to 20.5 months. Suture tape augmentation has shown the ability to provide additional soft tissue stability across other joints in the body. By providing an additional checkrein to the UCL reconstruction while the graft is healing, it may be possible to accelerate the rehabilitation process in overhead athletes and thus effect a quicker return to sports.

Purpose:

To compare elbow valgus stability and load to failure between UCL reconstruction with and without suture tape augmentation.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Fresh-frozen cadaveric elbows (N = 24) were dissected to expose the UCL. Medial elbow stability was tested with the UCL intact, deficient, and reconstructed utilizing the 3-strand docking technique with or without suture augmentation. A 3-N·m valgus torque was applied to the elbow, and valgus rotation of the ulna was recorded via motion-tracking cameras as the elbow was cycled through a full range of motion. After kinematic testing, reconstructed specimens were loaded to failure at 70° of elbow flexion.

Results:

UCL-deficient elbows demonstrated significantly greater valgus rotation when compared with intact and internally braced reconstructed elbows at every angle of flexion tested and when compared with unbraced UCL-reconstructed elbows at 50° to 120° of flexion ( P < .05). There were no significant differences between intact and UCL-reconstructed elbows with and without suture augmentation at any flexion angle tested. When loaded to failure, unbraced reconstructed elbows failed at a significantly lower torque as compared with elbows with UCL reconstruction with suture tape augmentation ( P < .01).

Conclusion:

In this cadaveric model, 3-strand UCL reconstruction with suture augmentation did not overconstrain the elbow throughout all flexion angles when compared with the native state and UCL reconstruction alone, while providing greater load to failure.

Clinical Relevance:

Suture tape augmentation may provide the additional strength necessary to accelerate rehabilitation after UCL reconstruction.
Effects of Male and Female Sex on the Development of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis in the Porcine Knee After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery
Authors: Pinette Megan P. , Molino Janine , Proffen Benedikt L. , Murray Martha M. , Fleming Braden C.
Published: June 2022

Background:

Posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a common sequela of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, even when surgical treatment is selected. The effect of patient sex on cartilage health after ACL injury and surgical treatment has been less studied.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The study objective was to compare the macroscopic cartilage damage that develops after ACL surgery in male and female Yucatan minipigs. It was hypothesized that after ACL surgery, the macroscopic cartilage damage of the tibiofemoral joints from female animals would be greater than that from male animals. Additionally, it was hypothesized that the effect of sex on the macroscopic cartilage damage would depend on surgical treatment.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study

Methods:

Twelve-month follow-up data were obtained for 55 adolescent Yucatan minipigs (22 female/33 male) that were randomized to 1 of 3 experimental groups: no treatment (ACL transection [ACLT]), ACL reconstruction, and bridge-enhanced ACL restoration. The Osteoarthritis Research Society International guidelines were used to determine a standardized macroscopic cartilage damage score on 5 surfaces of the knee joint.

Results:

Females had significantly worse mean total macroscopic cartilage damage scores on the surgical side (adjusted P value [ P adj] = .04) and significantly better scores on the contralateral side ( P adj = .01) when compared with males. The trochlear damage scores were also significantly worse in females for surgical limbs ( P adj = .009) and significantly better for the contralateral limbs ( P adj < .001) when compared with males. Although there were no significant differences in total macroscopic cartilage damage scores between sexes within treatment groups on the surgical limbs (ACLT, P adj = 0.45; ACL reconstruction, P adj = .56; bridge-enhanced ACL restoration, P adj = .23), the mean trochlear scores on the surgical limb of females were significantly worse than those of the males in the ACLT group ( P adj = .003).

Conclusion:

Mean total macroscopic cartilage damage scores of Yucatan minipigs were significantly worse in females than males, regardless of treatment. These differences were predominantly found in the trochlear scores across all treatment groups.

Clinical Relevance:

These data suggest that patient sex could be more influential in the progression of PTOA than surgical treatment after ACL injury. Identifying factors responsible for this discrepancy may prove valuable to identify targets to slow PTOA progression in male and female ACL-injured populations.
Avoiding Overcorrection to Increase Patient Satisfaction After Open Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy
Authors: Lee Sung-Sahn , Kim Joo Hwan , Kim Su , Jung Eui Yub , Ryu Dong Jin , Lee Do Kyung , Wang Joon Ho
Published: June 2022

Background:

Achieving the postoperative mechanical axis passing through 62.5% of the tibial plateau is considered successful osteotomy surgery. Despite precise preoperative planning and surgical techniques, some procedures result in under- or overcorrection. Few studies have investigated the relationship between clinical outcomes and unintentional under- or overcorrection after open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) using whole-leg standing radiographs.

Purpose:

To investigate the relationship between postoperative alignment using whole-leg standing radiographs and clinical outcomes after OWHTO.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 89 knees (72 patients) that underwent OWHTO between October 2013 and September 2018 were included. Patients with postoperative weightbearing line (WBL) ratios within 57% to 67% were classified as appropriate correction (group A; 45 cases), whereas ratios <57% and >67% were classified as undercorrection (group U; 20 cases) and overcorrection (group O; 24 cases), respectively. The following patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were investigated: International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score, Kujala score, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). The correlation between postoperative WBL and PROs was analyzed. PROs were compared among the 3 groups.

Results:

Regarding the correlation between postoperative WBL ratio and PROs, a larger postoperative WBL ratio was significantly correlated with a poor IKDC subjective score ( P = .002), Kujala score ( P = .009), and KOOS. Group O showed inferior postoperative PRO scores when compared with group A or U, whereas group U showed a similar result to group A (mean IKDC subjective scores: group U, 62.0; group A, 61.2; group O, 47.6; P = .004).

Conclusion:

Overcorrection after OWHTO surgery correlated with inferior PROs; therefore, overcorrected alignment should be avoided for patient satisfaction. Knees with an undercorrected alignment showed clinical results similar to those with appropriate correction.
Incriminatory utopias: Utopian visions creating scapegoats
Authors: Drousioti Kalli , Papastephanou Marianna
Published: June 2022

Many utopian visions operate by scapegoating an Otherness. They blame an ‘enemy’ for an unbearable, dystopian current reality, holding the ‘enemy’ responsible for it or for obstructing the passage to a desired, new reality. Then they exclude (or even promise the elimination of) this ‘enemy’. Despite the renewed interest in utopias, such utopian frames remain theoretically neglected or, worse, they are considered typical of the logical structure of utopianism. This paper aims to show that this issue merits a different political-philosophical attention. We begin with operations of utopian predicates in the relevant scholarship and distinguish them from the operations of the term ‘incriminatory’ that we are introducing. We term incriminatory the kind of utopian frame whose future-oriented, idealized and desired image is constructed in and through an incriminated ‘Other’. We indicate the re-conceptualizing merits of this new term and then we discuss the affirmative utopianism that does not incriminate a specific Other. Our main argument, which we deploy contra Yannis Stavrakakis’s position, is that utopias are not unavoidably or inherently incriminatory.
Effects of Pair Learning on Girls’ Learning Performance in Robotics Education
Authors: Zhong Baichang , Liu Xiaofan , Huang Yu
Published: June 2022

Robotics Education (RE) is viewed as a tool to narrow the gender gap in STEM fields, especially for promoting girls’ learning. As an emerging and potential model in RE, Pair Learning (PL) is different from Individual Learning (IL), which is impacted by many factors. Among them, social factors need to be further explored. Therefore, this study emphasized gender as a key social factor and focused on girls’ learning performance in different learning models (IL and PL) and gender pairing patterns (boy-girl and girl-girl), as well as exploring the effective pedagogy for enhancing girls’ learning performance in RE. To this end, we conducted a comparison experiment in two classes from the fifth grade in a Chinese primary school. Results indicated that: (a) PL outperforms IL in enhancing girls’ learning engagement; (b) PL and IL have the same effect on the girls’ learning attitude and robotics works; (c) Mixed-gender pairing is more beneficial for girls to complete robotics works than single-gender pairing; and (d) Mixed-gender pairing and single-gender pairing have the same effects on girls’ learning attitudes and engagement. The key findings, possible reasons, and implications for practice are also discussed.
Effects of Interaction between Peer Assessment and Problem-Solving Tendencies on Students’ Learning Achievements and Collaboration in Mobile Technology-Supported Project-Based Learning
Authors: Zhang Di , Hwang Gwo-Jen
Published: June 2022

Project-based learning (PBL) aims to foster students’ problem-solving ability and collaboration by engaging them in completing a project in teams. Researchers have indicated the importance of guiding students to make comparisons and reflection during the process of project-based learning. Therefore, the present research proposed a peer assessment-based PBL (PA-PBL) approach to boost students’ PBL performances. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a quasi-experiment was conducted for 3 weeks. A total of 110 secondary students were divided into an experimental group learning with the PA-PBL approach and a control group learning with the conventional PBL (C-PBL) approach. The students’ problem-solving tendency, learning achievement, and collaboration tendency were evaluated. The experimental results indicated that the PA-PBL approach improved the students’ learning achievement, especially for those students with higher problem-solving tendency. In terms of collaboration tendency, it was found that the PA-PBL approach benefited the lower problem-solving tendency students more than the C-PBL approach, while there was no difference between the higher problem-solving tendency students in the two groups. The experimental results also indicated that the PA-PBL approach could better enhance students’ problem-solving tendencies than the C-PBL approach.
Bright Light Decreases Peripheral Skin Temperature in Healthy Men: A Forced Desynchrony Study Under Dim and Bright Light (II)
Authors: Lok R. , Woelders T. , van Koningsveld M. J. , Oberman K. , Fuhler S. G. , Beersma D. G. M. , Hut R. A.
Published: June 2022

Human thermoregulation is strictly regulated by the preoptic area of the hypothalamus, which is directly influenced by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The main input pathway of the SCN is light. Here, thermoregulatory effects of light were assessed in humans in a forced desynchrony (FD) design. The FD experiment was performed in dim light (DL, 6 lux) and bright white light (BL, 1300 lux) in 8 men in a semi-randomized within-subject design. A 4 × 18 h FD protocol (5 h sleep, 13 h wake) was applied, with continuous core body temperature (CBT) and skin temperature measurements at the forehead, clavicles, navel, palms, foot soles and toes. Skin temperature parameters indicated sleep-wake modulations as well as internal clock variations. All distal skin temperature parameters increased during sleep, when CBT decreased. Light significantly affected temperature levels during the wake phase, with decreased temperature measured at the forehead and toes and increased navel and clavicular skin temperatures. These effects persisted when the lights were turned off for sleep. Circadian amplitude of CBT and all skin temperature parameters decreased significantly during BL exposure. Circadian proximal skin temperatures cycled in phase with CBT, while distal skin temperatures cycled in anti-phase, confirming the idea that distal skin regions reflect heat dissipation and proximal regions approximate CBT. In general, we find that increased light intensity exposure may have decreased heat loss in humans, especially at times when the circadian system promotes sleep.
Touch Me if You Can: Intimate Bodies at Cuddle Parties
Authors: Mayr Cornelia
Published: June 2022

This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork, focusing on the processes and practices of cuddle parties. Data was collected from a combination of participant-observation, interviews, and diaries aimed to understand and interpret this unique form of intimate interaction. By disentangling bodily disciplines and dramaturgical (self-)presentations, this study explores how and to what extent cuddle party participants embody safe and nonsexual touch experiences in forms of “playful” interaction rituals. Alongside the chance for participants to explore bodies, with permission, this study concludes that cuddle parties are experiential, bounded playgrounds where both intimacy and touch are (re)created in the context of loosened normative, relational, and sexual constraints.
Causing harm but doing good: Recognizing and overcoming the burden of necessary evil enactment in healthcare service professions
Authors: Andiappan Meena
Published: June 2022

Necessary evils – defined as acts that cause physical, psychological, or emotional harm to victims but are for the greater good of either the victim or society - are an everyday occurrence in the healthcare industry across the globe and across healthcare service professions. Healthcare professionals are tasked with behaviors that result in pain and suffering (e.g. nurses providing shots to patients; oncologists communicating cancer diagnoses) for the betterment of their patients and stakeholders. Although these behaviors are professionally mandated, they can also be cognitively and psychologically taxing for enactors. The current conceptual paper explores the undesired effects of performing necessary evils and proposes various actions through which healthcare organizations can reduce the negative repercussions of necessary evil enactment on healthcare service professionals.
Comparison of the Newton–Raphson Method and genetic algorithm solutions for nonlinear aircraft trim analysis
Authors: Ozdemir Ugur
Published: June 2022

As the number of unknowns in trim analysis increases, the problem becomes more complicated, and traditional methods begin to fail. Common problems with conventional methods may be an ill-conditioned matrix, rounding errors, and division by zero. Furthermore, these methods are likely to find the local optimum, not the global optimum. In such cases, hybrid use with intelligent methods such as genetic algorithms is recommended. In this study, a flight situation that the Newton–Raphson method has for difficulty in solving is selected for a six-degree-of-freedom nonlinear trim analysis. Trim analysis was performed using the Newton–Raphson method, genetic algorithm, and by their hybrid use, respectively. The Newton–Raphson method had convergence problems despite very good initial guesses. The genetic algorithm was able to solve the same problem by itself. The unknowns in trim analysis, such as deflection angles of an elevator, a rudder, and an aileron, have physical limits, whereas the constraints make conventional methods more complicated, and the ability to use these limits in the genetic algorithm narrows the solution space and reduces the computation time. The hybrid use of the GA and Newton–Raphson method significantly increased the performance of the Newton–Raphson method and eliminated the convergence problem. It has been shown that a 6-degree-of-freedom trim problem, which traditional numerical methods such as the Newton–Raphson method have for difficulty in solving, can be solved easily and effectively with the hybrid use of the GA and the Newton–Raphson method. The strength of the proposed hybrid method to solve a highly nonlinear trim problem was demonstrated.
Research on inner flow and energy characteristics of air ejector for liquid-ring vacuum pump
Authors: Jiang Lijie , Zhang Renhui , Chen Xuebing , Guo Rong
Published: June 2022

To analyze the complex flow characteristics, and reveal the mechanisms of energy transfer and hydraulic loss of the liquid-ring pump ejector. The numerical simulation and experiment were applied to analyze the complex shock wave structure, vortex evolution characteristics in the ejector and its influence on hydraulic performance, which provides a novelty reference for the optimization design of the ejector. Furthermore, novelty is expressed in the performance analysis of the ejector based on the performance of its matching liquid-ring pump. The results show that the λ-shock wave and Mach disk are formed inside the nozzle under the action of supersonic jet, and the triple point is formed as the incident shock wave, the reflected shock wave and the Mach disk intersect. The shock wave, as it propagates, changes from Mach reflection to regular reflection, and meanwhile, the position of triple point moves from the initial Mach disk to the new Mach disk. With the interaction of shock wave and jet boundary layer, the shock train is formed in the core region of the jet. The pressure, density and Mach number are oscillatory distributed in the shock wave region. There is a relatively large velocity gradient between the high speed primary flow and the low speed secondary flow near the outlet of nozzle, which induces the formation of opposite rotating vortices in the shear layer of the cylinder. With the evolution of the vortex, the high speed jet transfers energy through the cylindrical shear layer and is accompanied by the large hydraulic loss. The total entropy production of the ejector increases with the increase of primary flow pressure. The entropy production rate has a strong correlation with the vorticity magnitude.
Curcumin and resveratrol inhibit chemoresistance in cisplatin-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer cells via targeting P13K pathway
Authors: Muhanmode Yalikun , Wen Meng Ke , Maitinuri Amina , Shen Guqun
Published: June 2022

Background:

The activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway has been proved to be associated with survival as well as proliferation of various tumour cells in multiple cancer types, including epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Purpose:

Moreover, the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is the key mechanism responsible for higher invasiveness and migratory capacities of ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, PI3K is crucial for activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway; therefore, its inhibition might be an effective strategy against cancer.

Research Design:

The combination approach is now an established strategy against cancer. So, the present study evaluated molecular mechanics behind the synergistic effects of curcumin and resveratrol along with cisplatin treatment on inhibition of the PI3K pathway in ovarian cancer cells.

Results:

The present study confirmed significant inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway as observed by Matrigel invasion assay, Western blot expression of important molecular markers and apoptotic markers.

Conclusion:

 The present study concludes that the combination of curcumin and resveratrol significantly sensitized the EOC cells to cisplatin treatment, thereby inhibiting chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells by significant inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
Effects of organification degree of mordenite on swelling behaviors of starch-g-poly (acrylic acid) /organo-mordenite superabsorbent composites
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wei Jianxiong , Wang Rui , Gao Pingqiang
Published: June 2022

Starch-g-poly(acrylic acid)/organo-mordenite (St-g-PAA/OMOR) superabsorbent composites were prepared via inverse suspension polymerizationutilizing potassium persulfate as an initiator and N, N’-methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinker. Different dosages of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were used to obtain organo-mordenite (OMOR) samples with different organification degrees. The effects of the organification degree of OMOR on the water absorbency, swelling behavior, and reswelling properties of St-g-PAA/OMOR were studied. The results from both FTIR and XRD analyses indicate that the Si–OH group of OMOR was involved in the formation of the St-g-PAA/OMOR composite. SEM analyses showed that the organification degree of OMOR influenced the morphology of the St-g-PAA/OMOR composite. The water absorption absorbency, swelling rate, and reswelling capability of the St-g-PAA/OMOR composite prepared using the OMOR with the optimal organification degree were superior to those of the St-g-PAA/mordenite composite. The swelling behaviors of the St-g-PAA/OMOR composites, which were measured in distilled water, obeyed Schott’s second-order kinetics model. The St-g-PAA/OMOR composite prepared using the OMOR with the 8 wt.% organification degree had the highest water absorption capacity and the highest swelling rate. Moreover, after five swelling–shrinking cycles, the composite retained its excellent water absorption capacity.
Older adults` sense of dignity in digitally led healthcare
Authors: Raja Moonika , Uhrenfeldt Lisbeth , Galvin Kathleen T , Kymre Ingjerd G
Published: June 2022

Background

Health ministries in Europe are investing increasingly in innovative digital technologies. Older adults, who have not grown up with digital innovation, are expected to keep up with technological shifts as much as other age groups. This is ethically challenging, as it may threaten a sense of dignity and well-being in older adults.

Research objective

To clarify the phenomenon of sense of dignity experienced in older adults, concerning how their expectations and needs are met within the context of digitally led healthcare in Norway.

Research design

A Reflective Lifeworld Research design was chosen, and purposive, in-depth interviews were conducted.

Participants and research context

The participants were 13 adults 75 years and older from Northern Norway, living at home and not receiving consistent assistance.

Ethical considerations

Followed the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. This study was approved by the Social Science Data Services in Norway (project number 916119). Interviews were conducted carefully within a safe environment chosen by the participants.

Findings

Older adults experience that using new digital systems in healthcare makes them become dependent with experiences of helplessness. They feel an increased sense of dependency on other people, and that recognition can assail their experience of personal dignity. Older adults not only expect digitally led healthcare to give them a feeling of safety but also experience feeling insecure concerning privacy and loss of possibilities for dialogue with healthcare providers. They are met by demands from society, which they often struggle to achieve.

Conclusion

The phenomenon of sense of dignity experienced in older adults, concerning how their expectations and needs are met within digitally led healthcare, indicates a sense of feeling lost in the digital world. Further, innovative healthcare lacks focus on ethical performance. This impacts their perception of dignity, as loss of dignity is noticed especially in its rupture.
Informed consent prior to nursing care: Nurses’ use of information
Authors: Aveyard Helen , Kolawole Abimola , Gurung Pratima , Cridland Emma , Kozlowska Olga
Published: June 2022

Background

Informed consent prior to nursing care procedures is an established principle which acknowledges the right of the patient to authorise what is done to him or her; consent prior to nursing care should not be assumed. Nursing care procedures have the potential to be unwanted by the patient and hence require an appropriate form of authorisation that takes into consideration the relationship between the nurse and patient and the ongoing nature of care delivery.

Research question

How do nurses obtain consent from patients prior to nursing care?.

Design

Critical incident technique and the collection of critical happenings.

Participants

17 participants who were all qualified nurses took part in in-depth interviews

Ethical considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from the university ethics committee.

Findings

Information giving is a key component prior to nursing care procedures. Nurses provide information to patients as a routine aspect of care delivery, and do so even when the patient is unable to communicate themselves. Whilst some participants described how information giving might be rushed or overlooked at times, it is clearly an established part of nursing care and is provided to ensure the patient knows what to expect when care is delivered. What is less clear is the extent to which information is given in order to seek the consent – rather than merely inform the patient – about nursing care.

Conclusion

Implied consent is often an appropriate way in which consent is obtained prior to nursing care procedures. It takes into account the ongoing care provision and the relationship that exists between the nurse and patient. However implied consent should not be assumed. Nurses need to ensure that information is given not only to inform the patient about a procedure but to enable the patient to give his or her consent and to find an alternative way forward if the patient withholds their consent.
Is there a role for ethics in addressing healthcare incivility?
Authors: Blackler Liz , Scharf Amy E , Chin Martin , Voigt Louis P
Published: June 2022

In a healthcare setting, a multitude of ethical and moral challenges are often present when patients and families direct uncivil behavior toward clinicians and staff. These negative interactions may elicit strong social and emotional reactions among staff, other patients, and visitors; and they may impede the normal functioning of an institution. Ethics Committees and Clinical Ethics Consultation Services (CECSs) can meaningfully contribute to organizational efforts to effectively manage incivility through two distinct, yet inter-related channels. First, given their responsibility to promote a humane, respectful, and professional climate, many CECSs and Ethics Committees may assist institutional leadership in evaluating and monitoring incivility policies and procedures. Second, when confronted with individual incidents of patient/family incivility, Ethics Consultants can and often do work with all stakeholders to address and mitigate potentially deleterious impacts. This manuscript presents an overview of the multifaceted ethical implications of incivility in the healthcare environment, discusses the inherent qualifications of Ethics Consultants for assisting in the management of incivility, and proposes specific mitigating actions within the purview of CECSs and Ethics Committees. We also invite healthcare organizations to harness the skills and reputation of their CECSs and Ethics Committees in confronting incivility through comprehensive policies, procedures, and training.
When law and ethics come apart: Constraints versus guidance
Authors: Wilkenfeld Daniel A , Durmis Christine
Published: June 2022

The generally agreed upon principle that legality and ethics can come apart is frequently overlooked in our professional ethics education and decision-making procedures. The crux of the issue is that we teach in our philosophy classes that the law can sometimes be unethical, but then clearly state in nursing codes of ethics that students should always follow the law. The law could no doubt give us some reason to choose action A over action B, but in professional contexts we frequently treat the law as a side-constraint that limits the logical space of choices to exclude even consideration of action B. If B is the mandatory action, this in effect forces professionals to do something unethical by preventing them from ever seeing the ethical action as an option. This is a problem. Ultimately we concede that there might be an irresolvable tension in competing normative interests in ethics and the law, though we suggest that a more nuanced approach to ethical code formation could help alleviate the issue somewhat.
Workplace Spirituality as a Mediator Between Organizational Trust and Thriving at Work
Authors: Ozdemir Seyhan , Palframan Jason Timothy , Sever Melih , Agcasulu Hulya
Published: June 2022

This study examines workplace spirituality as a mediator between organizational trust and thriving at work. Using a survey research design, data was collected from 157 employees across three hotel companies operating in the tourism and hospitality management sector in Turkey and was then analysed with structural equation modelling. The results suggest that workplace spirituality plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between organizational trust and thriving at work. We discuss how workplace spirituality can support an environment where employees trust their organization and can thrive at work. Practitioners can support a spiritual workplace by developing a set of foundational attributes that convey a purpose-driven and meaning-based culture where both openness and trust are supported. The findings contribute to the workplace spirituality literature and have several important implications. Limitations and future research directions are outlined.
In the Boardroom: How Do Cognitive Frames Shape American and Dutch Hospitals’ Responses to the Pressure of Adopting Governance Best Practices?
Authors: Szabo Agota , Ruotsalainen Riku
Published: June 2022

The literature on how organizations respond to institutional pressure has shown that the individual decision-makers’ interpretation of institutional pressure played an important role in developing organizational responses. However, it has paid less attention to how this interpretation ultimately contributes to their range of organizational decisions when responding to the same institutional pressure. We address this gap by interviewing board members of U.S. and Dutch hospitals involved in adopting best practices regarding board evaluation. We found four qualitatively different cognitive frames that board members relied on to interpret institutional pressure, and which shaped their organizational response. We contribute to the literature on organizational response to institutional pressure by empirically investigating how decision-makers interpret institutional pressure, by suggesting prior experience and role definition as moderating factors of multidimensional cognitive frames, and by showing how these cognitive frames influence board members’ response to the same institutional pressure.
Reflection and refraction of plane wave at the junction of two dissimilar pre-stressed functionally graded piezothermoelastic media under different interfacial conditions
Authors: Karmakar Subhashis , Sahu Sanjeev Anand , Goyal Suman
Published: June 2022

The present paper deals with the study of the reflection and refraction of plane waves (quasi P wave, quasi SV wave, electroacoustic wave, and thermal wave) at the common interface of two dissimilar initially stressed functionally graded piezothermoelastic media. The problem has been formulated and solved using suitable boundary conditions, and the results are obtained in a closed matrix form. The effect of mechanical, electrical, and thermal loose bonding of the common interface on the reflection and refraction coefficients are analyzed and theoretical outcomes are presented through graphs under two generalized forms of thermoelasticity (namely, Lord and Shulman (LS) theory, Green and Lindsay (GL) theory). A particular model of CdSe and PZT-5A materials has been considered for the numerical illustration. Moreover, the effect of material gradient; horizontal, transverse, and normal initial stresses; thermal relaxation parameters; and material coefficients on the reflection and refraction coefficients are demonstrated with the help of graphs. The expressions for energy ratios of reflected and refracted waves are derived, and energy conservation is validated with the help of obtained graphs under LS and GL theories. The study finds its application toward the efficient optimization of force sensors, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, temperature sensors, and Love wave sensors.
Behavior and adoptability of hoarded cats admitted to an animal shelter
Authors: Jacobson Linda S , Ellis Jacklyn J , Janke Kyrsten J , Giacinti Jolene A , Robertson Jyothi V
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to analyze the behavioral characteristics and success of adoption for previously hoarded cats.

Methods

Shelter records and post-adoption surveys were analyzed for hoarded cats ⩾6 months old at intake. A non-standard scoring system was used. Intake scores were allocated contemporaneously and socialization scores were applied retrospectively for three time points (TPs): 5–10 days post-intake (shelter TP), ⩽1 week post-adoption (home TP1) and >1 week post-adoption (home TP2). Adoption returns were compared between hoarded and non-hoarded cats.

Results

The study included 195 hoarded cats, of which 174 were adopted. Of 164 cats with intake scores, 86 (52%) were scored as ‘friendly’ at intake. Forty-five cats had socialization scores for all of the TPs, and of these, the percentages of ‘supersocial’ or ‘social’ decreased from 87% at the shelter TP to 47% at home TP1, then increased to 84% at home TP2. Most cats that scored as ‘tense’ at intake had supersocial or social scores at home TP2. Nine of the 88 cats with survey results had out-of-box (OOB) elimination in either the shelter or home but only 1/88 in both. Adopters expressed positive feelings for 42/43 cats for which feelings-based language was used in their survey responses. Notable behaviors, such as neediness, were recorded for 48/88 cats. Relationships with other household pets were typically positive. Eighteen of 174 hoarded (10%) and 188/2662 non-hoarded (7.1%) cats were returned post-adoption. Of these, six hoarded and 87 non-hoarded returns included behavioral reasons. There were no significant differences between hoarded and non-hoarded cats for total or behavioral returns.

Conclusions and relevance

Hoarded cats had high adoption rates, high adopter satisfaction and the potential for good emotional well-being in adoptive homes. Behavior at intake and OOB elimination in the shelter may not reflect post-adoption behavior. Behavior-based outcome decisions for these vulnerable animals should be deferred to allow time for habituation.
Glycerophosphoinositol is Elevated in Blood Samples From CLN3Δex7-8 pigs, Cln3Δex7-8 Mice, and CLN3-Affected Individuals
Authors: Brudvig Jon J , Swier Vicki J , Johnson Tyler B , Cain Jacob C , Pratt Melissa , Rechtzigel Mitch , Leppert Hannah , Dang Do An N , Porter Forbes D , Weimer Jill M
Published: June 2022

Introduction:

CLN3 Batten disease is a rare pediatric neurodegenerative lysosomal disorder caused by biallelic disease-associated variants in CLN3. Despite decades of intense research, specific biofluid biomarkers of disease status have not been reported, hindering clinical development of therapies. Thus, we sought to determine whether individuals with CLN3 Batten disease have elevated levels of specific metabolites in blood.

Methods:

We performed an exhaustive metabolomic screen using serum samples from a novel minipig model of CLN3 Batten disease and validated findings in CLN3 pig serum and CSF and Cln3 mouse serum. We further validate biomarker candidates with a retrospective analysis of plasma and CSF samples collected from participants in a natural history study. Plasma samples were evaluated from 22 phenotyped individuals with CLN3 disease, 15 heterozygous carriers, and 6 non-affected non-carriers (NANC).

Results:

CLN3 pig serum samples from 4 ages exhibited large elevations in 4 glycerophosphodiester species: glycerophosphoinositol (GPI), glycerophosphoethanolamine (GPE), glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and glycerophosphoserine (GPS). GPI and GPE exhibited the largest elevations, with similar elevations found in CLN3 pig CSF and Cln3 mouse serum. In plasma samples from individuals with CLN3 disease, glycerophosphoethanolamine and glycerophosphoinositol were significantly elevated with glycerophosphoinositol exhibiting the clearest separation (mean 0.1338 vs 0.04401 nmol/mL for non-affected non-carriers). Glycerophosphoinositol demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity as a biomarker, with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.9848 ( P = .0003).

Conclusions:

GPE and GPI could have utility as biomarkers of CLN3 disease status. GPI, in particular, shows consistent elevations across a diverse cohort of individuals with CLN3. This raises the potential to use these biomarkers as a blood-based diagnostic test or as an efficacy measure for disease-modifying therapies.
Equitable Substance Use Treatment for Migrants and Ethnic Minorities in Flanders, Belgium: Service Coordinator and Expert Perspectives
Authors: De Kock Charlotte
Published: June 2022

Despite mounting evidence of disparities in health service provision for migrants and ethnic minorities (MEM) across EU countries, there has been limited research into how services (meso) and policy (macro) can contribute to reducing these disparities. In Flemish (Belgian) substance use treatment (SUT) policy making, no systematic attention is given to MEM. Nevertheless, preliminary studies have identified some disparities, especially among non-Belgian MEM. For this paper we studied the factors related to these disparities and ways forward based on 21 semi-structured interviews with SUT coordinators and experts. The low representation of MEM populations in psychiatric hospitals due to language exclusion criteria stands out as the main disparity. Moreover, respondents indicated that exclusion may be anticipated by general practitioners in the referral process, causing additional disparities. The exclusion of MEM from policy making processes, waiting lists and the structure of the federalized Belgian health system are identified as indirect macro contributors to disparities. Respondents specified four main ways to reduce disparities in SUT among MEM: targeted treatment and policy making, installing diversity policies in SUT services, enhancing training and education, and community-based treatment.
Prevalence of the Clinical Symptoms and PCR Test Results on Patients With COVID-19 in South of Tehran
Authors: Monireh Rahimkhani , Kiana Kazemian
Published: June 2022

Background:

The first human case of COVID-19 was reported on 19 February 2020 in Iran, since then the number of infected cases has dramatically increased to about 1.800 million and about 62 000 deaths, also elderly people have accounted for the largest frequency of mortality.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of Covid-19 RT-PCR positive among Iranian patients and to evaluate the most important clinical symptoms of identified patients based on age, gender, and their background diseases to be used as an aid for early diagnosis.

Methods:

During 9 months, swab samples of 11 034 patients’ nasopharynx and oropharynx secretions were obtained and were referred to the laboratory for Covid-19 RT-PCR test. In addition, the history of signs and symptoms from patients was recorded.

Results:

In total, 11 034 Covid-19 RT-PCR tests that performed, 3358 samples had positive results (30.4%). Headache was the most commonly reported, which was found in 42.5% of our cases. Fever was the second most common symptom among the patients studied, with a prevalence rate of 36.2%.

Conclusion:

In this study, almost 30% of symptomatic patients had positive Covid-19 RT-PCR test results. Headache was the most common symptom; also diarrhea and nausea were the least common symptoms among patients under this study.