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Sexual stigma operates at multiple levels (institutional, group, individual), which serves to disadvantage sexual minority (LGBQ+) individuals and increases risk for deleterious outcomes. The current study evaluated a novel multilevel sexual stigma model of intimate partner violence (MLSSM-IPV) that incorporates multiple levels of sexual stigma as related to IPV risk via several pathways (e.g. hazardous drinking, affective symptoms). We evaluated this model in a longitudinal study of LGBQ+ undergraduate college students (n = 2,415) attending 18 universities who completed surveys in the Fall and Spring semesters. Group-level sexual stigma on each campus was assessed via surveys with heterosexual students (n = 8,517) and faculty, staff, and administrators (n = 2,865), and institutional-level stigma was evaluated via a campus climate assessment. At the campus level, institutional stigma was related to LGBQ+ students' self-stigma and identity concealment. Moreover, self-stigma prospectively predicted IPV victimization, and hazardous drinking mediated the relations between self-stigma and IPV perpetration and victimization. Results suggest that interventions addressing stigma and hazardous drinking may be efficacious in reducing IPV among LGBQ+ students. Further, comprehensive efforts to improve campus climate for LGBQ+ students are likely to produce a plethora of benefits for these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous health communication research has demonstrated the negative psychological and health effects of depicting thin-sized models in mass media advertisements including on social media sites such as Instagram. However, gym advertisements are one common source for the presentation of lean and thin-sized models on Instagram. Therefore, the current study guided by social comparison theory and signaling theory aimed to experimentally examine the effect of thin-sized models relative to plus-sized models as well as slogan-type (health and wellness versus physique-based) on women's appearance comparison, body satisfaction, perceived gym fit, and intentions to join the gym. A sample of 217 undergraduate students who identified as women were randomly assigned to one of four Instagram gym advertisement conditions varying in model body-size and slogan-type. Appearance comparisons, perceived gym fit, and intentions to join the gym were measured post advertisement exposure and body satisfaction was measured pre-and-post advertisement exposure. As expected, exposure to Instagram gym advertisements featuring thin-sized models resulted in greater appearance comparisons and lower body satisfaction than exposure to Instagram gym advertisements featuring plus-sized models. Moreover, the combination of plus-sized models with health and wellness slogans in Instagram gym advertisements resulted in greater gym fit perceptions although there was no effect of model body-size and slogan-type on intentions to join the gym. This study supports social comparison theory, signaling theory, and practically the findings indicate that Instagram gym advertisements that depict plus-sized models (versus thin) with health-and-wellness slogans (versus physique) generate fewer body image concerns and lead to greater gym fit perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ambitions to fund excellent researchers and path-breaking research unite a whole family of funding instruments ranging from Centres of Excellence to individual grants. While instruments aimed at funding excellence share a number of commonalities, there are important subsidiary features which determine their overall efficacy. The paper uses a case study of the Swedish Distinguished Professor Grant (DPG) to investigate the role of subsidiary features in enabling conditions associated with path-breaking research. Interviews were conducted with DPG recipients, to develop an "affordance analysis" identifying how features of the instrument enabled certain researcher actions and opportunities. Results suggest that while long duration and large funds are central to research excellence, the way in which subsidiary features such as reporting, planning and content requirements are structured affect the level of risk-taking. In terms of policy, the paper offers specific and general suggestions for the design of excellence funding instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the manufacturing industry, mass production enables manufacturers to produce parts with high precision and lower costs. Multiple shifts operate production processes to maximize efficiency. Several researches have been conducted on the impact of shift work on labor's health and habits. However, there have been few studies on the influence of shift work on the consistency of product quality. This paper provides a methodology to analyze the impact of different work shifts in a real electronic board manufacturing industry. The study uses big data and analytics to assess product quality from data. Non-parametric kernel density estimation is used to approximate the distribution of good products in each work slot. Then several metrics are used to measure the dissimilarity between the estimated densities. The approach can be leveraged in various problems related to process performance and quality. The obtained results show that there is no significant difference in terms of product quality between work shifts. These prove the consistency of the manufacturing processes and the homogeneity of performance across work shifts in the studied factory. Compared to the literature, the paper presents the first quantitative analysis to compare production process performance and product quality over shift works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodsResultsConclusionTo investigate the long-term outcomes of XEN-45 implantation for glaucoma secondary to Fuchs uveitis syndrome (FUS), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-related anterior uveitis and intermediate uveitis (IU).This retrospective study evaluated 19 eyes with FUS, 10 eyes with JIA, and nine eyes with IU that underwent XEN-45 Gel Stent implantation. The primary outcome measure was 3-year surgical success, defined as a ≥20% reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP), with a target IOP of 6–21 mmHg. Success was considered complete when IOP control was achieved without glaucoma medication or surgery other than needling and qualified when medication and/or incisional bleb revision were allowed for IOP control. The secondary outcome measures included IOP changes and revision and complication rates.The 3-year complete success rate was 49% and 67% in the FUS and IU groups, respectively, both significantly higher than the 20% rate in the JIA group (p = 0.01 and 0.02, respectively, log-rank test). The qualified success rate was also significantly higher in the FUS and IU groups than in the JIA group. Significantly more medications were reintroduced in the JIA group within the first year, and the JIA group did not achieve a significantly lower median IOP at the 2- and 3-year visits, contrary to the FUS and IU groups. The bleb revision and secondary glaucoma surgery rates were similar among all groups.XEN-45 demonstrates a favourable safety and efficacy profile for glaucoma secondary to FUS and IU. However, its efficacy is significantly poor for JIA-related uveitic glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI)-tools hold great potential to compensate for missing resources in health-care systems but often fail to be implemented in clinical routine. Intriguingly, no-code and low-code technologies allow clinicians to develop Artificial intelligence (AI)-tools without requiring in-depth programming knowledge. Clinician-driven projects allow to adequately identify and address real clinical needs and, therefore, hold superior potential for clinical implementation. In this light, this study aimed for the clinician-driven development of a tool capable of measuring corneal lesions relative to total corneal surface area and eliminating inaccuracies in two-dimensional measurements by three-dimensional fitting of the corneal surface. Methods: Standard slit-lamp photographs using a blue-light filter after fluorescein instillation taken during clinical routine were used to train a fully convolutional network to automatically detect the corneal white-to-white distance, the total fluorescent area and the total erosive area. Based on these values, the algorithm calculates the affected area relative to total corneal surface area and fits the area on a three-dimensional representation of the corneal surface. Results: The developed algorithm reached dice scores >0.9 for an automated measurement of the relative lesion size. Furthermore, only 25% of conventional manual measurements were within a ± 10% range of the ground truth. Conclusions: The developed algorithm is capable of reliably providing exact values for corneal lesion sizes. Additionally, three-dimensional modeling of the corneal surface is essential for an accurate measurement of lesion sizes. Besides telemedicine applications, this approach harbors great potential for clinical trials where exact quantitative and observer-independent measurements are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS) are a promising variable to explain the so-called therapist effect. We aimed to investigate associations between observer-rated interpersonal skills and self-reported personal characteristics of future therapists. In this cross-sectional observational study, psychology students and trainee therapists completed self-report personality and sociodemographic questionnaires as well as the FIS Performance Task (German version, observer-rated). Mixed multilevel model analysis was conducted with FIS total mean score (mean value of 312 individual ratings [13 video-clips, 8 FIS-items, 3 raters]) as dependent variable, therapist ID and FIS clip ID as random effects and 15 therapist variables as fixed effects. In the present sample consisting of 177 participants (age: M = 29.8 years (SD = 7.3), [18,59]; 79.1% female, 20.9% male) greater therapists' experience level, male gender and lower levels of alexithymia were predictive for higher FIS score when statistically controlling for other therapist variables in the model. Age, self-reported childhood maltreatment, attachment style, emotion regulation and self-concept variables turned out to be unrelated. The results can inform psychotherapy training programs. They specifically support the importance of addressing therapists' potential difficulties in recognizing and verbalizing emotions. This is in line with theoretical literature on alliance ruptures and premises of the Alliance-focused training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethical and sustainable thinking is an important competence in the engineering education to support students' abilities to act and perform in a responsible manner in corporate contexts, and consequently contribute to a sustainable future. This paper investigates engineering students' attitudes towards ethical and sustainable thinking focusing on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles in the context of entrepreneurship courses as a part of larger research project. Engineering students from a Finnish and an Estonian university (N = 342) responded to a self-assessment survey. The students' attitudes towards CSR principles were assessed both on the enterprise level and the individual level as expectations of potential future employees. The findings indicate that engineering students acknowledge the need to take into account responsible thinking and that it is important for enterprises to be both socially and environmentally responsible in their activities. The self-assessment tool of ethical and sustainable thinking associated with the entrepreneurship competence model and CSR principles can be helpful in practice when university teachers wish to support and assess their students' attitudes towards CSR principles among other entrepreneurship competencies when creating new course content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In democratic societies, cultural organizations function based on principles of freedom of expression. In non-democratic countries, promoting this fundamental value can be more challenging for such organizations and their actors. This paper explores potential interactions between structure and agency that can leverage freedom of expression, creating an environment conducive to development and creativity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with human rights experts and employees of Dawit Isaak Library in Malmö, Sweden. The paper finds that capitalizing on freedom of expression is interdependent with other resources, and that financial autonomy is an essential aspect. This can be achieved through various means, including strategic partnerships, careful sponsorships, collaborations with like-minded cultural entities, and the establishment of independent financial foundations through endowment funds and crowdfunding initiatives. We argue that it is crucial to strengthen the efforts of institutions active in this domain while supporting individuals' and groups' agency to create change in non-democratic societies. The paper also emphasizes the role of cultural and symbolic capital, highlighting the significance of exercising caution and striking a balance between freedom of expression and other human rights principles to prevent conflicts and safeguard vulnerable groups' rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Too often management attempts to control employee behavior by threats and punishment. Behavior analysis eschews aversive control and organizational behavior management (OBM) exemplifies this philosophical and ethical preference with a rich history of reinforcement strategies for appropriate work performance. Discipline in OBM emphasizes clarification of job requirements, monitoring behavior and results, frequent feedback, and maximizing short-, medium-, and long-term contingencies of reinforcement for effective performance, thus preventing additional problematic behaviors from employees. This results in efficient supervision that promotes employee development leading to successful worker performance and strategic goals for the organization. However, dangerous or inappropriate work behaviors necessitate punitive consequences. Well controlled evidence-based research concerning punishment in organizational settings is lacking and possible benefits are unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a systematic review to generate a comprehensive understanding of cisgendered girls' mathematical identity within the United States to better understand: (a) how mathematical identity is associated with girls' participation, engagement, and achievement in mathematics; (b) the factors related to girls' mathematical identity; and (c) strategies for developing strong mathematical identities within girls. We identified 76 articles that examined mathematical identity in young girls and women. Our review suggests that positive girls' mathematical identity was consistently linked with increased performance, participation and persistence in mathematics. Factors and strategies affecting girls' mathematical identity included the role of parental attitudes and beliefs; societal and cultural influences; and the intersections of sex and race. Practical implications for researchers and practitioners are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four experiments were administered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: April/May 2020 (n = 587), September/October 2020 (n = 279), March/April 2021 (n = 590), and September 2021 (n = 353) with a national sample of Americans. Using Terror Management Theory (TMT), these set of studies evaluated whether mortality salience impacted speaker credibility and behavioral intentions to follow government recommendations to stay safe from COVID-19, testing TMT. Results show that repeated reminders of mortality over time may have negated the desire for information from a trusted source. Implications for TMT and long-term awareness of death are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tokamak à Configuration variable (TCV) is equipped with two neutral beam injection (NBI) systems delivering up to 1.2 MW each for pulse durations of up to 2 s. The first system (NBI1), designed for an injection energy in the range of 25 to 30 keV has been operational since 2016. The existing concrete neutron shielding of the experimental hall proved insufficient for fully protecting human accessible areas, limiting the number of daily plasma pulses using NBI1. The recently commissioned second system (NBI2) is designed for injection synergies in the range 50 to 60 keV. Both systems are tangentially oriented in opposite directions in order to permit experiments with low or no net torque. Calculations with the TRANSP and ORBIS heating codes show that neutron rates from deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions may be as high as 1014 n/s, up to 10 times higher than with the lower energy beam only. This is due both to the ~five times larger beam-plasma neutron rates from the higher energy beam and to an exceptionally high contribution from beam-beam reactions between the opposing beams. The radiation protection policy at the Swiss Plasma Center is that all staff members be considered as members of the general public, limiting the daily personal dose to 4 µSv. This is also the maximum admissible daily dose in any publicly accessible zone, whether occupied or not. Currently, with only the lower energy beam, this limit can be attained in the control room adjacent to the device hall after only five NBI pulses out of a possible 30 daily pulses. To allow for exploitation of the two beams at full specifications, the source side of the existing barite concrete walls of the 15 × 20 × 8 m large TCV hall will be covered with 20-cm-thick polythene (PE) cladding and a ceiling made of 35-cm-thick PE will be added. The total mass of PE will be 200 tons. The usage of PE at this scale for neutron shielding is unprecedented at any fusion research facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Interviewer interviews "many characters," initiating a conversation concerning characters in fiction, a concept introduced by Walt Whitman in Song of Myself of containing multitudes, the concept of self-identity. "Many Characters" is the name of one of those being interviewed, a character claiming to be many characters. We encounter characters from other works of fiction, such as Alice and the hookah-smoking Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. This leads us to encountering Lewis Carroll. We also encounter ancient writers, specifically Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, who themselves created many characters, and a character named Hineni, a Hebrew word meaning "Here I am," who links the name Hineni to the 17 times the word hineni appears in the Torah, and to Leonard Cohen's use of the word in his song, "You Want it Darker." We also encounter Psychoanalyst and Forbidding Superego. Eventually, we meet an incarnation of William Shakespeare called "Willie the Shake." How do characters exist? Storytellers channel them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented threat to global health. During times of public health crises, governments and healthcare practitioners must effectively communicate preventive guidelines to the public to reduce viral transmission. Public compliance with recommended health behaviours is essential to the success of the overall pandemic response. This online experiment investigated the persuasiveness of visual message format on COVID-19 handwashing guidelines on people's behavioural intentions. A total of 350 participants, recruited through Amazon's MTurk, were randomly assigned to one of three information format conditions: text, infographic, or video. Results indicated that perceived severity, benefits, self-efficacy, cues to action, and perceived barriers significantly predicted people's intentions to comply with suggested preventive guidelines. There were no significant differences between the three information formats, in terms of behavioural intentions. These results have consequences for identifying and implementing public health strategies for a global health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve higher citizen engagement, and for understanding future emerging infectious disease preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare clinical oral conditions as well as the self-reported oral health status of biathletes and cross-country skiers (A) to age- and gender-matched non-athletic controls (C). Thirty-one A and 68 C were examined in 2020 regarding caries experience (DMF-T), partially erupted wisdom teeth, non-carious tooth wear (erosion), dental plaque biofilm, gingival inflammation, periodontal screening (PSI), salivary active matrix-metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) test and screening for temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Questionnaires recorded periodontal symptoms, TMD symptoms and oral health behaviour. Group A had a lower prevalence of carious teeth and positive aMMP-8 tests, but more of them had severe gingivitis and signs of periodontitis. Both groups reported similar oral health behaviour. Only in group C, associations between aMMP-8 and periodontal findings as well as clinical findings and self-reported symptoms of TMD were identified. Group A showed a high prevalence of oral inflammation and seemed to be less aware of oral symptoms. Clinical examination seems to be necessary for periodontal/TMD screening of athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Head-to-head data for bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/F/TAF; B) and darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (DRV/c/F/TAF; D) are lacking in the context of rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. This study, BIC-T&T, evaluates the efficacy and tolerability of B vs D in a UK test‐and‐treat setting. Setting: BIC-T&T was a randomised, open-label, multi-centre, study in which participants initiated ART within 14 days after confirmed HIV‐1 diagnosis before baseline laboratory. Methods: The primary endpoint is the virological response (HIV RNA < 50copies/mL) at week 12 by time-weighted average change in log10 HIV RNA recorded in viral load assays from treatment initiation to week 12, using two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results: 36 participants were randomised: 94% were male, 53% white; mean (SD) age was 35 years (11.8). Baseline mean (±SD) log10 HIV-RNA was 4.79 (± 0.87) log10 copies/mL and CD4 505 (±253) cells/mm3. The mean (±SD) time from confirmed HIV diagnosis to ART initiation was 7.9 (± 3.7) days. The time-weighted mean decrease in log10 HIV RNA from treatment initiation to week 12 was significantly greater in B in comparison to D (3.1 vs. 2.6 log10 copies/mL, p < 0.001). Both regimens demonstrated good tolerability with infrequent laboratory abnormalities and no grade 3 or 4 adverse events. Conclusion: In this first head-to-head study in the context of ART initiation, HIV RNA decline from baseline to week 12 was significantly more rapid for BIC/F/TAF compared with DRV/c/F/TAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visigothic Iberia experienced significant economic transformations from the sixth through the early eighth centuries, during which churches played an increasing ideological and material role. This article investigates the role of churches as key landholders in Visigothic Iberia, with a focus on how their growing wealth was managed. It explores three aspects of the intertwined relationship between churches, the state and the economy. First, it reveals the ideological views of authors who accepted and promoted ideas concerning the correct use of a church's wealth. Second, the article shows that churches, like secular landowners, slowly shifted from an economic system based on taxes to one based on landowning and rents. And third, it demonstrates that this shift to rent collection gave greater power to bishops, who were able to decide how to divide up revenues, which led to tensions over what was institutional church property and what was personal clerical property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a shift in scholarly focus from the traditional query about state revenues in early medieval Iberia to exploring local economic dynamics and how individuals shaped broader economic systems. It delves into questions about how people managed their economy, the reasons behind economic decisions, and the relationships between local communities and the state.

This research examined the factors influencing people's likelihood of following the COVID-19 preventive measures of hand washing and wearing face masks communicated via infographics, in the U.S. and India. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), this study used a 3 (source: national versus international versus a dummy source) X 2 (topic: hand washing versus wearing a face mask) X 2 (country: the U.S. versus India) research design. The results showed that the HBM constructs of perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy were associated with people's likelihood of following the suggested guidelines. Message credibility mediated these relationships. Source credibility mediated the relationship between people's perceptions of severity and their intentions to adopt the preventive measures. Particularly for the hand washing infographics, people's likelihood of following these guidelines were significantly higher in the U.S. than India. Theoretical and managerial implications for international strategic communication are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently showed that perinatal exposure to diets with unbalanced n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios affects the olfactory mucosa (OM) fatty acid composition. To assess the repercussions of these modifications, we investigated the impact of diets unbalanced in n-3 PUFAs on the molecular composition and functionality of the OM in young mice. After mating, female mice were fed diets either deficient in α-linolenic acid (LOW diet) or supplemented with n-3 long-chain PUFAs (HIGH diet) during the perinatal period. Weaned male offspring were then fed ad libitum with the same experimental diets for 5 weeks. At 8 weeks of age, olfactory behavior tests were performed in young mice. The fatty acid composition of OM and olfactory cilia, as well as the expression of genes involved in different cellular pathways, were analyzed. The electroolfactograms induced by odorant stimuli were recorded to assess the impact of diets on OM functionality. Both diets significantly modified the fatty acid profiles of OM and olfactory cilia in young mice. They also induced changes in the expression of genes involved in olfactory signaling and in olfactory neuron maturation. The electroolfactogram amplitudes were reduced in mice fed the LOW diet. Nevertheless, the LOW diet and the HIGH diet did not affect mouse olfactory behavior. Our study demonstrated that consumption of diets deficient in or supplemented with n-3 PUFAs during the perinatal and postweaning periods caused significant changes in young mouse OM. However, these modifications did not impair their olfactory capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective: This study examined cisgender and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) college students’ perceptions of gender-neutral bathroom availability across eight U.S. campuses, TGD students’ fear of harassment related to (lack of) availability of gender-neutral bathrooms, and the relation between fear of harassment and TGD students’ psychological distress. Methods: Participants were 4,328 college students (4,195 cisgender, 30 binary transgender, 103 gender diverse) from eight U.S. institutions of higher education. Results: The majority (84.2%) of TGD students and 34.6% of cisgender students perceived there were too few gender-neutral bathrooms on their campus. Further, TGD students’ fear of harassment related to a lack of availability of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus was positively associated with psychological distress (i.e., symptoms of depression and anxiety). Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of increasing accessibility of gender-neutral bathrooms on campuses to help mitigate TGD students’ fear of harassment and psychological distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granular sludge processes are frequently used in domestic and industrial wastewater treatment. The granule buoyant density and biomass density are important parameters for the design and operation of granular sludge reactors. Different methods to measure the granule density include the pycnometer method, the Percoll density gradient method, the dextran blue method, and the settling velocity method. In this study, a comparison was made between these four methods to measure granule density for granules from a full-scale granular sludge plant treating domestic sewage. The effect of salinity on granule density was assessed as well. Three out of the four evaluated methods yielded comparable results, with granule buoyant densities between 1025.7 and 1028.1 kg/m3 and granule biomass densities between 71.1 and 71.5 g/L (based on volatile suspended solids (VSS)). The settling velocity method clearly underestimated the granule density, due to the complex relation between granule properties and settling velocity. The pycnometer method was the most precise method, but it was also quite susceptible to bias. The granule buoyant density increased proportionally with salinity, to 1049.2 kg/m3 at 36 g/L salinity. However, the granule biomass density, based on VSS, remained constant. This showed that the granule volume was not affected by salinity and that the buoyant density increase was the result of diffusion of salts into the granule pores. Overall, the granule density can be measured reliably with most methods, as long as the effect of salinity is considered. The results are discussed in light of operational aspects for full-scale granular sludge plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This report describes a very rare case of progeroid syndrome of De Barsy (Cutis laxa-corneal clouding syndrome). Materials and Methods: A 2 year-old child presented to the pediatric ophthalmology outpatients with bilateral congenital corneal opacification along with dysmorphic facial features, including loose wrinkled skin, progeroid appearance, delayed milestones, short stature, multiple hyper-extensible joints, muscular hypotonia, pectus excavatum and congenital dislocation of the hip joint. The child underwent a detailed ophthalmic work up and systemic evaluation by a clinical geneticist. Results: Ophthalmic management in the form of bilateral sequential penetrating keratoplasties and a left eye trabeculectomy for medically uncontrolled angle-closure glaucoma was performed. Visual rehabilitation with glasses and amblyopia therapy is ongoing. Histopathology of the corneal button revealed loss of the bowman's layer which was replaced by a fibrous pannus while the stroma showed loss of stromal lamellar architecture with anterior and mid stroma showing vascularization. Genetic testing confirmed a mutation in the PYCR1 gene for a homozygous autosomal recessive cutis laxa type IIB. Conclusions: Although rare, De Barsy syndrome is an important cause of corneal opacification at birth with multiple systemic abnormalities that requires intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognising the value of GIS in screening environmental impacts, the South African government has introduced a web-based Screening Tool as a mandatory part of the EIA application process. The Tool draws on numerous databases to depict sensitive attributes of proposed development sites. Enforcement of the Tool has implications for how EIAs are conducted, in terms of both scope and cost. In this paper we present the results of preliminary research into user perceptions of the accuracy and utility of the Tool. Findings from a national survey and several semi-structured interviews show that most users are not confident that the Tool accurately assigns sensitivity ratings according to various environmental themes. Notwithstanding this finding, overall opinion is that the Tool has potential to improve the scientific robustness of the EIA process. It is recommended that practitioners and specialists are involved in further development of the Tool to increase accuracy of the sensitivity ratings. We conclude more generally that integration of GIS can compensate for knowledge gaps and enhance the scientific veracity of EIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children with cochlear implants (CwCIs) constitute a heterogeneous population. A multitude of factors influence their spoken language development. There is evidence that CwCIs follow similar trajectories in language development as typically developing (TD) children but there is a lack of research on specific types of skills. This study aimed to (1) map the trajectory of receptive and expressive language skill development of a representative group of CwCIs and (2) evaluate the impact of age at switch-on (ASO) on skill development. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the language outcomes of 44 CwCIs with ASO between 11 and 45 months (M = 26.02 SD = 8.31). These children were tracked for the first two years following implantation. Clustered bar charts were used to compare specific types of skills acquired by CwCIs with ASO ≤2 years versus >2 years. The results suggest that CwCIs generally acquire receptive and expressive language skills along a similar sequence to TD children, but there is individual variability relating to specific skills. However, the language outcomes of CwCIs are ultimately the result of a complex interplay of demographic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feedback surrounds our personal and professional worlds, informing us about what worked and what did not. Within workplace settings, it is important to understand how feedback operates in order to deliberately and carefully craft performance information that, when delivered, generates desirable organizational outcomes. The current paper examines the many potential functions of feedback, including details on how such functions might be established. Behavioral investigations into how to best structure and deliver feedback are detailed, along with considerations of factors that may impact the reception of feedback. Finally, using the current literature as a blueprint, several possible research directions are suggested that would fit well within a behavior analytic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The African state is not monolithic, even if the authors find the state to be consistently biased against peasants and other small producers. The struggle for land and liberty that has characterized rural communities in so many African countries for the past century has not abated, but rather entered a new neoliberal phase. Today, black rural communities in Africa and the African Diaspora are struggling for land rights and livelihoods. Some African rural communities challenged territorial dispossession by the state, landed elite, and agribusiness through legal recourse, while others ultimately decided upon land occupation. [Extracted from the article]

Predominant malignancies were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (13 patients, 21%), CLL (11 patients, 17%) and follicular lymphoma (10 patients, 16%). Patients who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 (hospitalized patients) were compared to other patients according to their initial characteristics (Supplementary methods 2). In the international EPICOVIDEHA survey run during 2020 when wild-type SARS-CoV-2 was dominant, 29% of CLL patients and 56% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients had severe or critical infection and 28% and 30% died, respectively [[2]]. Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, patients with a history of cancer [[1]], especially those with hematological malignancies [[2]] were shown to be at high risk of severe COVID-19. [Extracted from the article]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important public health concern due to its causative role in many cancers, especially cervical cancer, and other conditions that lead to serious health consequences in both men and women. In Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 60,000 new cases of cervical cancer and another 7,000 HPV-associated cancers are diagnosed annually. HPV vaccination combined with comprehensive cervical cancer control programmingis paving the way for eliminating cervical cancer as a major public health problem and drastically reducing other HPV-associated diseases. To date, 44 countries and territories in the Americas have introduced HPV vaccines as part of their national immunization programs and cervical cancer control strategies. Early lessons from HPV vaccine introduction suggest that transparent and credible evidence-based decision-making, information, education and communication about HPV and cervical cancer, coordination with existing cervical cancer control initiatives, and precise planning for ensuring effective uptake of the vaccine in target groups are all critical elements of success. There is an urgent need for strategies to increase HPV vaccine coverage, and as the integrated control programs evolve and other HPV-associated disease becomes important for public health, there will be a need for continued program and policy evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To report the pattern of noninfectious scleritis across a tertiary eye-care network. A three-year retrospective review of patients diagnosed with noninfectious scleritis was performed. Data were retrieved using diagnostic terms assigned to scleritis through the in-house eyeSmart-electronic medical record system. 1103 patients, with a mean age of 44.33 ± 14.38 years and a median follow-up of 199.5 days (range 32–685) were enrolled. Unilateral disease was noted in 85%. Diffuse anterior scleritis (n = 542, 42.51%) and nodular scleritis (n = 482, 38.12%) were the commonest subtypes. Systemic immune disease association was present in 65 (5.89%). Treatment at onset was topical corticosteroids (n = 372, 36.54%) followed by oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 351, 34.45%), oral corticosteroids in 184 (19.04%), and immunomodulators in 32 patients (3.54%). This study depicts the pattern of various noninfectious scleritis in a large cohort of patients. The present study helped to further customize the electronic medical records to minimize several data capture limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new methodology for analyzing serial data by quantile regression assuming that the underlying quantile function consists of constant segments. The procedure does not rely on any distributional assumption besides serial independence. It is based on a multiscale statistic, which allows to control the (finite sample) probability for selecting the correct number of segments S at a given error level, which serves as a tuning parameter. For a proper choice of this parameter, this probability tends exponentially fast to one, as sample size increases. We further show that the location and size of segments are estimated at minimax optimal rate (compared to a Gaussian setting) up to a log-factor. Thereby, our approach leads to (asymptotically) uniform confidence bands for the entire quantile regression function in a fully nonparametric setup. The procedure is efficiently implemented using dynamic programming techniques with double heap structures, and software is provided. Simulations and data examples from genetic sequencing and ion channel recordings confirm the robustness of the proposed procedure, which at the same time reliably detects changes in quantiles from arbitrary distributions with precise statistical guarantees. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both business and behavior can be understood through the lens of variation and selection, with adaptive approaches prospering and other approaches perishing. The Handbook of Organizational Performance: Foundations and Advances series seeks to lay out the groundwork and direction for our field to prosper, as understood by many expert contributors in the field of organizational behavior management. Other worthwhile directions beyond the series are also noted, all guided by the notion that a science of behavior is not only possible, but also a critical missing component from the typical understanding of how to best operate a business so that it survives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of affordable and effective strategies to mitigate multiple heavy metal contamination in lowland rice production. We tested phosphorus (P) or silicon (Si) addition to a soil contaminated with both arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) for their mitigation potential in rice seedlings. Rice variety IR64 was grown in pots with either P (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 (recommended rate), 40 and 80 mg P kg−1 soil), or Si (0, 0.15, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2 and 2.4 g Si kg−1 soil) addition until the end of tillering phase (nine weeks). Over this period, growth of rice was enhanced by up to 35% with the addition of P until the recommended rate, whereas growth was reduced beyond 0.3 g Si kg−1 application. Photosynthetic rate and maximum PSII quantum yield of the youngest fully expanded leaves were similar among P and Si treatments. Phosphorus addition increased shoot [As] and decreased shoot [Cd] by up to 59% and 63%, respectively, and both effects were visible only after plants reached P sufficiency. Silicon addition from 0 to 2.4 mg Si kg−1 soil increased shoot [As] by up to 28% and decreased [Cd] by up to 25%. Accumulation of As and Cd in the leaves from top to bottom of the canopy increased by factors of 10 and 7.6, respectively. Therefore, P or Si application cannot generally be recommended as remedy for rice production on multiple heavy metal contaminated soil. However, rice plants have efficient mechanisms to translocate As and Cd to mature leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arnica montana is a threatened plant species that highly depends on species-specific conservation action. We conducted three experiments in montane heathlands to quantify the role of disturbance for population reinforcement of A. montana. In the first experiment, clusters of A. montana were raked to remove biomass and promote vegetative growth. In two other experiments, we analysed what kind of disturbance intensity is necessary to promote the establishment of A. montana by seeding and planting, respectively. Different traits with respect to population structure and growth of A. montana (e.g. abundance of rosettes and flowering stems) were measured. Raking resulted in the removal of bryophytes and parts of the herb layer and strongly fostered vegetative reproduction of A. montana. In general, disturbance enhanced the establishment of A. montana by seeding, however, the establishment rate was low. By contrast, planting of A. montana in plots whose surface was disturbed greatly increased the populations of A. montana. Our study highlights that populations of A. montana much depend for re-production on the disturbance of the above-ground vegetation. We identified (i) disturbance of vegetation within existing populations for fostering vegetative reproduction and (ii) planting of A. montana in previously disturbed vegetation as the most suitable measures for reinforcing populations of this species of European conservation concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steering light is relevant to many medical applications that require tissue illumination, sensing, or modification. To control the propagation direction of light beams, a great variety of innovative fiber-optic medical devices have been designed. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the patent literature on light beam control in fiber-optic medical devices. The Web of Science Derwent Innovation Index database was scanned, and 81 patents on fiber-optic devices published in the last 20 years (2001–2021) were retrieved and categorized based on the working principle to steer light (refraction/reflection, scattering, diffraction) and the design strategy that was employed (within fiber, at fiber end, outside fiber). Patents describing medical devices were found for all categories, except for generating diffraction at the fiber end surface. The insight in the different designs reveals that there are still several opportunities to design innovative devices that can collect light at an angle off-axis, reduce the angular distribution of light, or split light into multiple beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azobenzene macrocycles are widely investigated as potential drug delivery systems and as part of molecular machines due to their photo-responsive properties. Herein, we detect the formation of a series of new azobenzene macrocycles that feature up to eight switchable repeating units. High-resolution mass spectrometry and ion mobility (IM) mass spectrometry experiments and 1H and diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR are used to detect the presence of the macrocycles that contain 10 to 40 aromatic rings in the gas phase and solution, respectively. The responsiveness of the Z-to-E photo-switching of the smallest of the macrocycles, exhibiting two azobenzene units and in total 10 aromatic rings, separated with column chromatography, is studied with irradiation experiments, using both UV-Vis light and thermal excitation and relaxation, and monitoring the sample with UV-Vis absorption and 1H NMR spectroscopy. DFT calculations are used to understand the conformation of this isolated species in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive demands placed on university students are high and so is the prevalence of insomnia in this population. Neurocognitive functions, such as delayed recall, working memory, and flexibility are often impaired in patients with insomnia disorder. Therefore, this study investigates the development of neuropsychological functioning in students with insomnia symptoms over the course of a sleep training. In this pilot-study 54 university students with symptoms of insomnia were included and randomly assigned to a group intervention with cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy (n = 35) and a waiting-list control condition (n = 19). Sleep quality and objective measures of neurocognitive performance (attention, inhibition, flexibility, memory, and working memory) were assessed before and after the training or a waiting period of 6 weeks. Both the intervention condition and the waiting-list control condition improved with regards to sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and measures of higher cognitive functions. In addition, students in the intervention condition reported less subjective daytime impairments when compared to the waiting-list control condition. The subgroup of students with short sleep duration benefitted significantly from the intervention in flexibility and working memory tasks. In line with previous studies, improved sleep was associated with improved neuropsychological functioning. The additional improvements observed in students with short sleep duration indicate an association between insomnia severity and neuropsychological improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Organizational behavior management (OBM) arose as early behavior analysts decided to use data in earnest to make the world a better place, first through education, then workplace training, and eventually through business and industry as a whole. The historical roots of the field are traced through the lessons learned by these pioneers and how their formative experiences created the tools and techniques that are common within the discipline today. This history also created a worldview and conceptual system that continues to distinguish OBM from alternative approaches and is reflected in recent publication trends seen today. As the levels of analysis, specializations, implementations, and problems faced continue to vary and expand within organizational behavior management, the mantra of performance-based empiricism has remained as a steady and consistent guide throughout the decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, millions of Americans get sick from foodborne illness and it is estimated half of all reported instances occur at restaurants. To protect the public, regulators are encouraged to conduct restaurant inspections and disclose reports to consumers. However, inspection reporting format is inconsistent and typically contains information unclear to most consumers who often misinterpret the inspection results. Additionally, consumers are increasingly searching for this information in a digital context. Limited research explores inspection reports as communication tools. Using affect-as-information and ELM as theoretical frameworks, this experiment investigated how discrete emotions (e.g., disgust) conveyed through pictorial cues (i.e., emojis) influenced consumers' processing of inspection reports. Participants, recruited from Amazon's MTurk, were randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions in a 3 (emoji: smiling vs. disgusted vs. none) x 2 (violation level: low vs. high) between-subjects design. Then, participants completed a questionnaire regarding perceptions and cognitive processing of the message. Results revealed that, compared to text, disgusted face emoji increased risk perceptions and avoidance behavior. In terms of emotion, smiling face emoji motivated participants to feel more emotions related to sanitation. In turn, positive feelings decreased elaboration likelihood. As predicted by ELM, involvement also predicted elaboration, such that participants who were highly involved with inspection reports elaborated more than those less involved. Involvement also moderated the relationship between emoji presented and elaboration. Practical implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the devastation caused by disasters and mass violence, it is critical that intervention policy be based on the most updated research findings. However, to date, no evidence–based consensus has been reached supporting a clear set of recommendations for intervention during the immediate and the mid–term post mass trauma phases. Because it is unlikely that there will be evidence in the near or mid–term future from clinical trials that cover the diversity of disaster and mass violence circumstances, we assembled a worldwide panel of experts on the study and treatment of those exposed to disaster and mass violence to extrapolate from related fields of research, and to gain consensus on intervention principles. We identified five empirically supported intervention principles that should be used to guide and inform intervention and prevention efforts at the early to mid–term stages. These are promoting: 1) a sense of safety, 2) calming, 3) a sense of self– and community efficacy, 4) connectedness, and 5) hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As most college campuses across the U.S. switched to remote learning in March 2020 as a result of COVID-19, students began taking classes online, many of them using video conferencing tools such as Zoom asynchronously and synchronously. Quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey administered between April and July 2020 at two university campuses located in COVID-19 hotspots document the impact of this sudden pedagogical change on 295 respondents. Results showed many students acknowledged both practical and psychological challenges associated with the change, yet recognized that skills gained during the pandemic could be beneficial for their future careers. Overall, the study presents a look at the impact COVID-19 has had on university students and how a sudden change in education practices can affect learning, based on factors including self-efficacy, interaction, and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Aim of the study: Studies in mouse models have suggested a role for the cellular prion protein in iron metabolism of the eye. Here we have investigated whether iron metabolism affects the expression of prion protein in humans. Patients presenting to the department of ophthalmology of the Medical University of Graz for reasons unrelated to prion diseases were enrolled. Parameters of iron metabolism, including ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor were measured by routine laboratory tests. Serum prion protein was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Surface prion protein on CD14+ monocytes and CD4+ T cells was analyzed by fluorescence activated cell sorting. 95 patients were enrolled. Soluble transferrin receptor correlated significantly with prion protein levels on CD14+POM1+ monocytes (P =.001, r = −0.7) and on CD4+POM1+ T cells (P =.01, r = −0.62). Our findings suggest a connection between the physiological function of the prion protein and iron metabolism in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a chronic female endocrine disorder, is a leading cause of infertility and its symptoms tend to negatively affect appearance, physical health, and psychological well-being. Utilizing attachment theory as a theoretical framework, this study examined the relationships among anxious and avoidant attachment, hyperactivating and deactivating coping, and psychological distress in a sample of 183 women diagnosed with PCOS. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed significant relationships among attachment, coping, and distress as well as mediation effects. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]