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Psychosocial Responses to ACL Reconstruction
No full textBackground: The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is an essential structure within the human knee, and rates of ACL reconstruction surgeries (ACLR) are at an all-time high. ACLR is a complex operation where a graft is taken from elsewhere in the body or external structures and integrated into the normal ACL position behind the kneecap. Post-operative healthcare teams frequently use question-guided self-assessments to guide patient perceptions of their knee function and ability in the months or years following surgery. These serve as a valuable indicator of patient?s status regarding fear, pain, inhibited function, and level of recovery following ACLR. Purpose: To understand the relationship between self-reported psychological responses after ACLR and time since surgery. Methods: 25 participants ranging from 0.5 months to 10 years post-ACLR completed the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC) and their overall scores, reflective of cognitive outlook, were compared based on their time since operation. Results: With an alpha level set at 0.05, there were three significant results uncovered in this study: an existent overall correlation between time since surgery and IKDC score in the whole sample and strong significant relationships between time and IKDC value in both the 0-2 year and 2-5-year post-surgical groups. Discussion: The analysis of our results revealed a direct, positive correlation between IKDC score- representing cognitively perceived knee function- and time since the operation, up until the 5-year timepoint
Effects of chronic nicotine on autoshaping acquisition and extinction
No full textLearning and motivational processes have been central for a modern understanding of tobacco addiction. In particular, there is growing evidence highlighting the importance of incentive motivational processes for the maintenance of tobacco addiction. The present experiment evaluated the effects of chronic nicotine on the incentive value of a natural reward paired with an environmental cue during acquisition and extinction in a Pavlovian autoshaping procedure with rats. We found that chronic administration of a nicotine dose with translational value for human research had an enhancing effect on responding to an environmental cue during late autoshaping acquisition, but there was no evidence that it affected extinction. Our results are consistent with the role of nicotine enhancing the incentive value of stimuli during acquisition on a Pavlovian autoshaping task and suggest future research on the conditions necessary for the expression of nicotine enhancement in Pavlovian autoshaping tasks
Implementaton of Strength Reimagined
No full textThe Strong Black Woman (SBW) stereotype has been consistently linked to poor mental health for African American women and its endorsement leads to anxiety, depression, and stress. African American women unknowingly subscribe to this stereotype through the exertion of strength and independence found necessary to combat oppression and gendered racism. This article explores existing literature on the SBW stereotype and suggests strategies for leveraging this stereotype to enhance mental health interventions for African American women. Utilizing an integrated conceptual framework that draws from the lens of Black Feminist Thought, Intersectionality, and Social Constructivism Theory, Strength Reimagined: A Therapeutic Framework for African American Women is proposed. This treatment framework incorporates five key aspects: therapist awareness, psychoeducation, culturally responsive psychotherapy, trauma-informed complementary interventions, and mutual support to improve mental health outcomes among African American women
The Relationship Between Race, Family Dynamics, and Discrimination on Black and White
No full textExisting literature highlights family dynamics and discrimination and its association to self-esteem and occupational performance among African American and Caucasian populations single handedly. However, this study considers how these factors are interconnected. Two quantitative cross-sectional design studies were conducted through the survey-based software called Qualtrics. Study 1 involved a White population sample of 172 participants from the Texas Christian University SONA Psychology pool. Study 2 included a population sample of 178 Black participants from Amazon MTurk and existing data from Study 1. The mediation models in both studies indicated that discrimination causes individuals to exhibit lower levels of self-esteem. Furthermore, self-esteem was positively related to greater occupational performance. Through changes in self-esteem, familial relationships are attributed to higher levels of self-esteem and occupational performance. These findings emphasize the important role of family relationships as a protective factor against adversity through discrimination and success in occupational performance as self-esteem changes
A New Typology of Out-of-School Youth Sports in 21st Century America: The Contrasting Organizational Logics of “Sport-Focused†and “Sport-for-Development†Programming Under Neoliberal Conditions
No full textOut-of-school youth sport in the United States is bigger, more varied, and more impactful than ever before. In dialogue with existing scholarship, this paper uses multisite, collaborative fieldwork to identify core elements of program variation and develop a composite typology of this organizational field. The typology is based on a distinction between “sport-focused†programs and programs oriented toward nonsport social and developmental goals. Our primary insight is that programs within these domains exhibit two different organizational logics, one hierarchical, the other categorical. We also argue that variabilities of funding, social context, and reliance on public facilities are additional factors that impact the operation and effectiveness of these program types including their ability to address the racialized challenges of access, equity, and inclusion. Theorizing these differential configurations and their underlying characteristics can help parents, policymakers, practitioners (including coaches), and sports researchers engage youth sports more effectively under increasingly competitive neoliberal conditions
Ten years after: a systematic review of the literature on postsecondary education and disability from 2013 to 2022
No full textThis article presents the results of a systematic review of the literature related to postsecondary education and disability published in peer-reviewed articles from 2013 to 2022. It replicates a prior investigation that examined the literature published on this topic between 1952 and 2012. Results indicated a nearly 200% increase in the number of published articles in this 10-year period, and moreover, a nearly 1,400% increase in articles that were based outside of the United States. Articles were published in 636 unique journals. There was also an increase in the number of articles presenting original data. Although most of the articles featured descriptive designs, there was also an increase in articles using mixed methods, single subject, or group designs. Comparisons across the two time periods of investigation are presented, as are implications for the field
Do Influencers Influence? A Meta-Analytic Comparison of Celebrities and Social Media Influencers Effects
No full textThe emergent body of scholarship on social media influencers (SMIs) highlights their potential to yield positive brand advertising outcomes. However, the literature is undermined by the lack of clarity regarding how SMIs conceptually compare to celebrity endorsers and their impact on advertising outcomes. The study aims to clarify these differences via a meta-analysis of 39 experimental studies (total sample size = 13,766) of SMI effects from 2010 through March 2024. Findings reveal that SMIs are more effective than brand-only advertising and that there is no significant difference between SMIs and celebrity endorsers. Taking these factors into consideration, the effects are moderated by perceived credibility and influencer types, indicating that mega-influencers are relatively more persuasive, while nano-influencers are less persuasive compared to celebrities, respectively. Findings imply that there is a “sweet spot†wherein SMIs are most effective and distinct from celebrity endorsers, providing support for more nuanced conceptualizations of SMIs and calling for future research to explore additional enhancing and attenuating factors
Impact of body mass index on in-hospital outcomes in patients receiving leadless pacemakers: A five-category analysis
No full textBackground: The adoption of leadless pacemakers (LPMs) is increasing, yet the impact of body mass index (BMI) on procedural outcomes remains underexplored. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of BMI on in-hospital outcomes for patients receiving LPM implantation. Methods: Data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2018–2021 were analyzed for patients older than 18 years who underwent LPM implantation, with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria applied. Patients were identified using International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes and categorized into BMI groups: underweight, normal, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese. The primary outcome assessed was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included blood transfusion, pericardial complications, infection/inflammation, removal/revision, and other complications. Results: The study included 3832 patients who underwent LPM implantation between 2018 and 2021, weighted to represent 19,610 patients, with 3540 having an appropriate BMI designation. Mortality was lower in the obese group (2.3%) compared to the nonobese group (2.7%) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.462, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.259–0.623, P = .009). Compared to the normal weight group, those categorized as overweight, obese, and morbidly obese demonstrated a lower risk of in-hospital mortality (aOR 0.432, 95% CI 0.299–0.734, P = .009; aOR 0.465, 95% CI 0.238–0.721, P <.001; aOR 0.299, 95% CI 0.153–0.586, P <.001, respectively). Conclusion: These findings support the existence of the obesity paradox in patients with LPM implantation, where higher BMI categories are associated with improved mortality outcomes, meeting our prespecified primary endpoint. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms behind these observations
DRIVING DIGITAL MARKETING SUCCESS WITH GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GEN AI)
No full textDigital Marketing Evolution: Digital marketing has shifted from traditional fixed-cost strategies to dynamic, cost-efficient approaches. This evolution emphasizes personalization and adaptability, driven by metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC).
Gen AI Capabilities in Marketing: Generative AI tools, such as GPT-4 and DALL-E, enable businesses to craft personalized, scalable content. These tools enhance marketing by optimizing customer segmentation, content creation, and predictive analytics.
Consumer Engagement: Gen AI improves engagement by tailoring marketing messages and recommendations to individual preferences. Companies with agile systems can deliver real-time personalized content, fostering stronger consumer connections.
Conversion Rate Enhancement: Through hyper-personalized content, Gen AI boosts conversion rates by aligning marketing efforts with specific consumer needs. Tools like Sephora?s Virtual Artist demonstrate how personalized experiences increase sales.
Case Studies:
Amazon: Utilizes Gen AI for dynamic recommendations, product descriptions, and video ads, leading to increased customer interaction and sales.
Sephora: Leverages Gen AI for virtual try-ons and tailored recommendations, significantly boosting conversion rates and customer loyalty.
Key Metrics for Success: The research identifies conversion rates and engagement levels as critical indicators of Gen AI's effectiveness in digital marketing.
Strategic Recommendations: Businesses should adopt Gen AI-powered tools for dynamic content generation, real-time customer interactions, and enhanced personalization to maintain competitiveness and improve customer loyalty
Updates to the Physiologic Mechanism, Anatomical Sites, and Diagnostic Utility of the Scratch Collapse Test: A Systematic Review
No full textBackground: The scratch collapse test (SCT) has gained popularity as a physical examination technique for diagnosing compression neuropathy. This systematic review aims to assess the reliability of the SCT as a diagnostic tool for compression neuropathy, as well as to propose the underlying physiological mechanisms involved. Specific criteria was developed to broaden the potential anatomical applications of the SCT. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Eleven articles meeting predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria were selected for numerical analysis, which yielded sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy values. Results: In total, 890 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were reported in 10 studies. The mean (±SD) sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 0.442 ± 0.272, 0.788 ± 0.163, 0.834 ± 0.143, 0.433 ± 0.297, and 48.8% (range, 31%–82%), respectively. Of the studies that provided interrater reliability (κ), the mean was 0.544 ± 0.441, indicating moderate agreement. A total of 121 patients with cubital tunnel syndrome were reported in three studies, with a mean (±SD) sensitivity and specificity of 0.635 ± 0.367 and 0.945 ± 0.06, respectively. Twenty-four patients with peroneal nerve compression, reported in one study, had sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of 0.77, 0.99, 0.95, 0.92, and 93%, respectively. Conclusions: Current literature indicates that the SCT can serve as a provocative test to assist in diagnosing compression neuropathy. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of reported values underscores the necessity for further investigation aimed at enhancing the objectivity of SCT, thus improving interrater reliability and minimizing potential bias