bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teacher-Student Performance Criteria During Online Classes due to COVID-19: Self-Report by Postgraduate Students in Education
Authors: Bazán-Ramírez Aldo , Quispe-Morales Rolando , Cruz-Valdiviano Carlos De La , Henostroza-Mota Carmela
Published: September 2022

During didactic interactions, teachers and students employ competencies and skills that correspond functionally to one another, and several models propose to typify didactic performances in higher education. For this study, we chose the didactic performance interbehavioral model as the substantive theory to identify six pairs of didactic performance criteria through self-evaluations from graduate students. These included: Competency exploration–precurrent learning behaviors, Criteria explicitness–Criteria identification, Illustration–Participation, Practice supervision–Relevant practice, Feedback–Improvement, and Evaluation–Application.309 Peruvian students from an in-person postgraduate course in Education Sciences filled out two scales (via Google Forms) to assess teacher-student performance criteria during online classes. Convergent and divergent validity were obtained separately for six teacher/student performance constructs through a confirmatory analysis using LISREL 8. Moreover, differences according to sex were only significant for the Illustration teacher criterion (favoring men) and the Application student criterion (favoring women). Students rated Explicitness of criteria and Illustration as the teacher performance criteria most frequently seen during online classes. On the other hand, Criteria identification ranked the highest in terms of the students’ performance criteria, followed by Feedback–Improvement. Another conclusion was that the didactic performance interbehavioral model could be empirically supported by the two self-assessment questionnaires, which yielded good convergent and divergent validity of constructs.
Theoretical and Terminological View of Unmanned Aircraft
Authors: IVANČÍK Radoslav , NEČAS Pavel
Published: September 2022

This paper represents a continuation of the ongoing research of authors who, in the framework of interdisciplinary scientific research, deals with several aspects of ensuring the safety of the Slovak Republic and the European Union in connection with aviation, aircraft, air traffic and airspace protection. In their current research, following these and constant developments in the field of innovation and introduction of new technologies in the field of aviation, the authors deal with unmanned aircraft, which are gradually used not only in the military, but are increasingly penetrating the commercial sphere of civil aviation. Due to the fact that the unmanned aircraft market is the fastest growing market of all categories of aviation, the authors in the article provide a theoretical and terminological view of the researched issues, including a brief historical view of the development of unmanned aircraft.
Experimental investigation on performance, combustion and emission characteristics of nanoparticle blends with diesel as fuel in a CI Engine
Authors: AKHIL PARA , PARASHAR SHARMILA , KOLAPE POONAM , FEROSKHAN M. , TAMILSELVAN P.
Published: September 2022

The present work has discussed the following characteristics like performance, combustion and emission characteristics of blends of aluminum (Al), zinc oxide (ZnO) and its mixture of nanoparticles at different ratios with diesel tested on a stationary direct injection compression ignition (CI) engine at five different loads. The fuels have been made by blending of nanoparticles with diesel at different concentrations. The results have shown that the Nano fuels have given lower brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), higher brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and air-fuel ratio when compared with diesel. In combustion analysis, the Nano fuels have given higher heat release rate, crank angle 50 (CA50) and lower ignition delay when compared with diesel. In emission analysis, the Nano fuels have given higher nitrogen oxides (NOx) and lower carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and smoke emissions when compared with diesel. The fuel properties of nano fuels have shown that the kinematic viscosity, calorific values have been higher and flash point, fire point, density have been lower when compared with diesel.
A theory on understanding aerodynamic phenomena of airfoils and the significance of airfoil’s thickness on lift and drag
Authors: SEENI Aravind
Published: September 2022

This paper proposes a new theory explaining aerodynamic phenomena of airfoils. The theory is based on the application of Newton’s classical mechanics rather than differential equations of fluid dynamics. The approach in developing the equations contains both geometrical and fluid dynamics perspectives of motion of body in a fluid. Based on the theory, it is shown that new airfoil designs could be generated through the application of “contraction” and subsequent “expansion” in the geometry for lift generation. The effect of thickness of airfoil is important in the context of lift and drag and further investigation on its effect on airfoil aerodynamics is conducted. The obtained results are reported and discussed.
Accuracy improvement of demodulating the stress field with StressUnet in photoelasticity
Authors: Zhao Weiliang , Zhang Guanglei , Li Jiebo
Published: September 2022

Evaluating the stress field based on photoelasticity is of vital
significance in engineering fields. To achieve the goal of efficiently
demodulating stress distribution and to overcome the limitations of
conventional methods, it is essential to develop a deep learning
method to simplify and accelerate the process of image acquisition and
processing. A framework is proposed to enhance prediction accuracy. By
adopting Resnet as the backbone, applying U-Net architecture, and
adding a physical constraint module, our model recovers the stress
field with higher structural similarity. Under different conditions,
our model performs robustly despite complicated geometry and a large
stress range. The results prove the universality and effectiveness of
our model and offer an opportunity for instant stress detection.
Simply structured polarization-independent high efficiency multilayer dielectric gratings
Authors: Cho Hyun-Ju , Kim Suk-Jun , Kim Kyung-Duck , Cho Sung-Pil , Tak In-Sun , Kim Gwan-Ha , Moon Byung-Joon , Kim Dong Hwan , Lee Yong-Soo , Kim Sang-In , Kim Hyun Tae , Cho Joonyong
Published: September 2022

A polarization-independent multilayer dielectric diffraction grating with a low aspect ratio and high diffraction efficiency was designed and fabricated. The diffraction grating designed with a grating density of 1200 lines/mm had an aspect ratio of 0.59, mean polarization-independent diffraction efficiency in the Littrow angle of

±

2.5

∘

, and 1030–1080 nm wavelength range of 97.2%. The designed grating was fabricated using ion assisted deposition and reactive ion etching techniques. The mean polarization-independent diffraction efficiency of the fabricated grating was 96.1%, and its standard deviation was 0.68%. The fabricated diffraction grating was irradiated with a 1064 nm cw laser, with a power density of

30

k
W

/

c
m

2

, for 1 min to measure the temperature change before and after the laser application. It was verified that the temperature variation of the diffraction grating without heat treatment was 8.8°C, and the temperature variation after heat treatment at 400°C decreased to 2.3°C.
Security analysis of discretized polar modulation continuous-variable quantum key distribution
Authors: Wang Tianyi , Li Ming , Wang Xu
Published: September 2022

In experimental setups of Gaussian modulation continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD), the amplitude and phase of coherent states will be modulated and discretized due to the finite resolution of voltages that drive electro-optical modulators, resulting in Gaussian modulation discretization. We demonstrate that the impact of discretization on CV-QKD can be described as a multiplicative coefficient experimentally and modeled as a preparation noise imposed on ideal Gaussian modulation theoretically. To obtain an accurate estimation of quadrature fluctuation induced by discretized polar modulation, a data-filtering process named preselection can be applied before state transmission. Numerical results show that when amplitude resolution is 0.25 and phase resolution is 0.02, discretized polar modulation enables a transmission distance of 69 km under homodyne detection, reaching 89% of ideal Gaussian modulation. As for heterodyne detection, 55 km and 80% are achieved.
Using FADOF to eliminate the background light influence in ghost imaging
Authors: Yin Longfei , Qian Dasheng , Geng Ziwei , Zhan Haodi , Wu Guohua
Published: September 2022

The high solar background during the day adversely affects the long distance daytime operations of ghost imaging. It is extremely hard to distinguish the signal light from the background noise light after they are both converted to voltage or current signals by the bucket detector, so spectral filtering before the detector is quite important. In this work, a Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF) is used in eliminating the background light influence in ghost imaging. Results of lab experiment show that the background light noise tolerance of the ghost imaging with FADOF is at least 18 times bigger than that with a 10 nm optical filter. The method has simple structure, great performance and great algorithms compatibility.
Degradation mechanisms of perovskite nanocrystals in color-converted InGaN micro-light-emitting diodes
Authors: Ma Zhanhong , Ma Chao , Ma Xin , Bi Chenghao , Li Jing , Sun Xuejiao
Published: September 2022

The metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted much attention because of their excellent optical properties and potential for application in optoelectronic devices. However, their photo- and thermostability are still practical challenges and need further optimization. Here, we have studied the degradation behaviors of CsPbI3 NCs utilized as optical conversion layer in InGaN based blue micro-LEDs in situ. Furthermore, the effects of temperature and light irradiation on perovskite NCs were investigated respectively. The results indicate that both blue light irradiation and high temperature can cause the increased nonradiative recombination rate, resulting in the degradation of perovskite NCs and reduction of the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Especially in high-temperature condition, both the single-exciton nonradiative recombination rate and the biexciton nonradiative recombination rate are increased, causing the significant reduction of PLQY of perovskite NCs in high temperature environment than blue light irradiation. Our work provides a detailed insight about the correlation between the light irradiation and temperature consequences for CsPbI3 NCs and may help to pave the way toward optoelectronic device applications.
Third-harmonic-assisted four-wave mixing in a chip-based microresonator frequency comb generation
Authors: Zhang Hao , Wu Yifan , Yang Huashan , Ju Zongxin , Kang Zhe , He Jijun , Pan Shilong
Published: September 2022

Microcombs generated in photonic integrated circuits can provide broadband and coherent optical frequency combs with a high repetition rate from microwave to terahertz. Coherent microcombs formed in normal group velocity dispersion microresonators usually have a flat-top temporal profile, called platicon. Here, we propose a novel scheme to generate platicon in Si3N4 microresonator with the assistance of third-harmonic generation. The nonlinear coupling between the fundamental and the third-harmonic waves that draws support from third-order sum/difference frequency generation provides a new mechanism to achieve the phase matching of four-wave mixing in normal dispersion microresonators. We show that single or multiple platicons can be obtained by changing the third-harmonic nonlinear coupling strength and phase matching condition for third-order sum/difference frequency generation. Our work provides a promising solution to facilitate coherent and visible microcomb generation in a pure χ(3) microresonator, which is potential for self-referencing combs and optical clock stabilization.
Improvement of the optical transmittance of a SiO2 surface by a femtosecond-laser-induced homogeneous nanostructure formation
Authors: Edakubo Minami , Richter Lukas Janos , Haraguchi Yuya , Aruga-Katori Hiroko , Ihlemann Jürgen , Miyaji Godai
Published: September 2022

It has been reported that periodic nanostructures with a period size of 200–330 nm can be formed on silicon suboxide (SiO
x
, x ≈ 1) with 800-nm, 100-fs laser pulses at a fluence much smaller than that needed for nanostructuring on glasses such as fused silica and borosilicate glass. We demonstrated that a homogeneous SiO2 nanostructure with a period of ∼240 nm can be produced using a two-step ablation process and heat treatment in air at 1000°C for 144 hours. Optical microscopic images of the nanostructured surface illuminated by non-polarized visible light show that the transmittance increases as the reflectivity decreases.
People with Parkinson’s perspectives and experiences of self-management: Qualitative findings from a UK study
Authors: Shah Ria , Read Joy , Davies Nathan , Nimmons Danielle , Pigott Jennifer , Schrag Anette , Walters Kate , Armstrong Megan
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Parkinson’s prevalence is growing, and more people are being impacted by the condition than ever before. Self-management has been proposed as one way to enable people living with the condition to improve or maintain their quality of life and wellbeing whilst living at home.

Aim

To explore the views and experiences of how people living with Parkinson’s self-manage their condition and identify areas needed to be incorporated into self-management resources or interventions.

Method

Twenty people with Parkinson’s from across London and Hertfordshire, UK took part in semi-structured interviews on self-management. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis to identify themes.

Results

Three main themes were identified: (1) Management of physical symptoms, which included engaging in physical activities, adapting their lifestyles, managing medication and using e-health resources; (2) Management of emotional impact, which involved using a range of cognitive and practical strategies, and seeking talking therapies and medication; and (3) barriers to self-management such as accessing accurate information, experiencing stigma towards their condition which impacted their self-esteem and identity, in turn impacting on their ability to self-manage.

Conclusion

Holistic and person-centred self-management programmes or interventions should be developed incorporating components such as medication and emotional support, individualised planning of exercise regimes, and accessible, timely and accurate information. Furthermore, more public health knowledge on Parkinson’s is needed to help reduce stigma.
Characteristics, sources and risk assessments of heavy metal pollution in soils of typical chlor-alkali residue storage sites in northeastern China
Authors: Wu Zhiyuan , Zhang Dan , Xia Tianxiang , Jia Xiaoyang
Published: September 2022

In this study, thirty-four soil samples from a typical chlor-alkali slag residue storage site near the city of Qiqihar in northeastern China were collected and their arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead and zinc concentrations were determined. Sources of these heavy metals were analyzed with a positive matrix factorization model, and the health risks associated with different pollution sources were calculated. The results showed that mercury was the main heavy metal pollutant at the site (maximum concentration of 112.19 mg.kg−1) and the soil was also contaminated with arsenic, copper and lead. The sources of eight heavy metals were: mixed oil refinery wastewater and parent material (arsenic, chromium, copper and lead), vinyl chloride waste source (mercury), parent material (cadmium, nickel and zinc). The average potential ecological risk of the soil was 22344.39, with vinyl chloride waste source contributing 99.85% of this risk. The average carcinogenic risk of a mixture of oil refinery wastewater and parent material for children and adults was 9.06×10−6 and 6.36×10−6, respectively, accounting for 99.9% (children) and 99.48% (adults) of the total average carcinogenic risk. The average hazard index of vinyl chloride waste source for children and adults was 0.6 and 0.38, respectively, which accounted for 64.13% (children) and 52.34% (adults) of the total hazard index. These results provide a reference for soil pollution risk assessments at this type of site.
Colorectal cancers with a residual adenoma component: Clinicopathologic features and KRAS mutation
Authors: Lee Hyoun Wook , Song Boram , Kim Kyungneun
Published: September 2022

Background/Aim

Colorectal cancer is well known for its “adenoma-carcinoma” sequential carcinogenesis. Some colorectal cancers demonstrate a residual adenoma component during progression from adenoma to invasive carcinoma. However, the clinicopathological significance of residual adenoma component remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics including the KRAS mutation in colorectal cancers containing a residual adenoma component.

Materials and methods

In this study, 498 surgically resected colorectal cancer patients were enrolled. Their detailed clinicopathologic features and results of molecular study including KRAS mutation test and microsatellite instability were analyzed.

Results

A residual adenoma component was identified in 42 (8.4%) patients with colorectal cancer. The presence of a residual adenoma component was associated with a high frequency of the KRAS mutation (65%, p = 0.031) as well as indolent clinicopathological features, including polypoid gross type (p < 0.001), well-differentiated histology (p < 0.001), low pT (p < 0.001) and pN stage (p = 0.003), absence of vascular invasion (p = 0.005), and a better progression-free prognosis (p = 0.029). The cases with an adenoma component had a 35.7% discordance rate on the KRAS mutation tests in their adenoma and carcinoma regions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, colorectal cancer with a residual adenoma component showed indolent clinicopathologic features and frequent KRAS mutations. Due to the discordance in the incidence of the KRAS mutation between the adenoma and carcinoma components, the adenoma component should be documented in the pathology report, and care should be taken not to include the adenoma component when collecting samples for molecular testing.
The relative importance of macro versus micro geographical scale in explaining suicide variation in Seoul, South Korea 2014–2016
Authors: Lee Hwa-Young , Kim Rockli , Jang Soong-Nang , Kawachi Ichiro
Published: September 2022

Background

As ecological factors are getting attention as important determinants of suicide, it is important to identify the unit at which the largest variation exists for more tailed strategy to prevent suicide. We examined the relative importance of two administrative levels for geographic variation in the suicide rate between 2014–2016 in Seoul, the capital city of Korea.

Methods

Two-level linear regression with Dongs (level 1) nested within Gus (level 2) was performed based on suicide death data aggregated at the Dong-level. We performed pooled analyses and then year-stratified analyses. Dong-level socioeconomic status and environmental characteristics were included as control variables.

Results

The overall age- and sex- standardized suicide rate across all Dongs decreased over time from 24.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2014 to 23.7 deaths in 2016. When Dong and Gu units were simultaneously considered in a multilevel analysis, most of the variation in suicide rate was attributed to within-Gu, between-Dong differences with a contribution of Gu-level being small and decreasing over time in year (Variance partitioning coefficient of Gu = 5.3% in 2014, <0.1% in 2015 and 2016). The number of divorce cases per 100,000 explained a large fraction of variation in suicide rate at the Dong-level.

Conclusions

Findings from this study suggest that ecological micro-area unit is more important in reducing the geographic variation in the suicide rate. More diverse ecological-level data needs to be collected for targeted area-based suicide prevention policies in Korea.
Like the new and hate the old: The impact of fiscal decentralization on regional development strategy
Authors: Liu Min , Gong Feng , Song Wenjing
Published: September 2022

This paper evaluates the impact of China’s fiscal decentralization reform, namely the “Province-Managing-County” (PMC) fiscal reform, on local governments’ regional development strategy using county-level data in China covering 2000 to 2013. Surprisingly, after implementing the PMC fiscal reform, local governments will adjust their strategy of supporting zombie firms and attracting new firms, indicating that fiscal decentralization has changed the regional development strategies of local governments. We perform a difference-in-differences (DID) analysis and find that the PMC fiscal reform materially induces an average rise of 0.131 in newly added firms, an average decline of 0.383 in zombie firms, and no significant change in other firms. There is a pronounced substitution effect between zombie firms and newly added firms. We also find evidence supporting this argument: the government’s subsidy, tax treatment, and financial support. Our study provides empirical evidence that local governments’ regional development strategies can be affected by fiscal decentralization.
“What can we do to actually reach all these animals?” Evaluating approaches to improving working equid welfare
Authors: Haddy Emily , Brown Julia , Burden Faith , Raw Zoe , Kaminski Juliane , Proops Leanne
Published: September 2022

NGOs utilise a range of programming to bring about desired changes. This study examines the advantages and limitations of the range of approaches used by one particular NGO sector: working equid welfare organisations, from the perspective of NGO staff. NGO staff hold a wealth of knowledge regarding the design and implementation of welfare improvement initiatives; however this knowledge is rarely systematically documented. Through 32 semi-structured interviews the experiences of staff across multiple organisations were explored. The nine most commonly utilised approaches within equid focussed NGO programming were discussed with participants. Many themes resulting from the interviews centred around the strengths and disadvantages of these individual approaches, implemented both historically and presently by different NGOs. The influences of the context in which initiatives took place and barriers to welfare improvement that existed across approaches were also examined. Striking a balance came through as a strong theme at many levels. Balancing top-down versus bottom-up approaches was a frequently voiced concern, as was balancing the utility of certain approaches against associated factors warranting caution. Combinations of approaches that were felt to be complementary provided a balance that drew on the strengths and mitigated for the weaknesses of different approaches. The need to tailor approaches to individual contexts was also raised and is especially relevant to INGOs working across multiple countries, cultures and political structures. The study provides an informed insight into potential factors to consider when designing future welfare initiatives. The collaborative pooling of experience across different NGOs could help make welfare initiatives more effective and provide a framework for NGOs in other fields to learn from each other’s collective knowledge.
A comparative analysis of factors influencing colorectal cancer’s age standardized mortality ratio among Korean women in the hot and cold spots
Authors: Lee ChuelWon , Kim SungMin , Woo JaeHyun
Published: September 2022

The study aimed at exploring factors that most influence colorectal cancer (CRC) age standardized mortality ratio (ASMR) among Korean women, as reported in previous studies. The factors used the data of 250 municipalities from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) from 2010 to 2018. In the exploratory survey, over 70% of women aged 65 and above died of colorectal cancer. After investigating the existing literature and theories, 250 regions were classified into hot and cold spots according to age standardized mortality ratio (ASMR). The Nearest Neighbor Index (NNI), Moran’s I index and The Durbin-Watson test were also utilized. The ASMR’s regional cluster analysis showed that the inland areas were the hot spots and the cold spots were in the southwest coastal areas. The result also showed the differences in dwellers’ lifestyles between these two regions as well as the mean difference between the two. In addition, there was no significant difference in ASMR for breast cancer, CRC deaths, and agricultural product shipments between the two regions. In the multiple regression model, CRC mortality, diabetes, and CRC age standardized incidence ratio (ASIR) were analyzed as major influencing factors, demonstrated a significant result with 30.6% by examining the adjusted R-squared. However, this study showed that factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, abdominal obesity, breast cancer, and food consumption indicated to have less influence on the occurrence of CRC. The aging rate, amount of food consumption, seafood production, livestock product shipments, and drinking rate were higher in the cold spot than in the hot spot.
Body image and self-perception in women with navel piercings
Authors: Coleman Christine , Gillmeister Helge
Published: September 2022

The present study investigated how women’s body image and body-perceptual processes are affected by navel piercings, an embellishment of the abdominal region women often feel negatively about. We probed perceptual (response times), cognitive (surveys), affective (aesthetic ratings) and neural (event-related potentials, ERPs) facets of (own) body perception. We found that navel piercings are primarily motivated by the desire to enhance one’s body image, and can significantly improve bodily self-perception relative to before and to imagined removal of the piercing. Hence, body image concerns in women with navel piercings were found to be comparable to those of a control group; and their aesthetic ratings of other women’s abdomens only differed, positively, for images depicting navel piercings. ERPs indicated that the sight of navel piercings enhances early structural encoding of bodies as well as late emotional-motivational processes, especially in women with navel piercings. We further found a strong self-advantage in both cortical and behavioural responses during recognition of own and others’ abdomens, especially for images displaying the piercing. Altogether, findings suggest that navel piercings become strongly, and beneficially, integrated into women’s bodily self image. Such piercings may thus be seen as expressions of body care that can protect against self-harming thoughts and behaviours.
Current and projected incidence trends of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease in Germany based on the Saxon Pediatric IBD Registry 2000–2014 –a 15-year evaluation of trends
Authors: Kern Ivana , Schoffer Olaf , Richter Thomas , Kiess Wieland , Flemming Gunter , Winkler Ulf , Quietzsch Jürgen , Wenzel Olaf , Zurek Marlen , Manuwald Ulf , Hegewald Janice , Li Shi , Weidner Jens , de Laffolie Jan , Zimmer Klaus-Peter , Kugler Joachim , Laass Martin W. , Rothe Ulrike
Published: September 2022

Aims

An increasing number of children and adolescents worldwide suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The present work aims to investigate the incidence, prevalence and future trends of IBD in children and adolescents in Saxony, Germany.

Methods

The Saxon Pediatric IBD Registry collected data on patients up to 15 years of age from all 31 pediatric hospitals and pediatric gastroenterologists in Saxony over a 15-year period (2000–2014). In 2019, an independent survey estimated a registry completeness of 95.7%. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) per 100,000 person-years (PY) and prevalence per 100,000 children and adolescents were calculated. Evaluation was also been performed in sex and age subgroups. Joinpoint and Poisson regression were used for trend analyses and projections.

Results

532 patients with confirmed IBD during 2000–2014 were included in the epidemiological evaluation. 63.5% (n = 338) patients had CD, 33.1% (n = 176) had UC and 3.4% (n = 18) had unclassified IBD (IBD-U). The 15-year IBD prevalence was 111.8 [95%-CI: 102.3–121.3] per 100,000. The incidence ASR of IBD per 100,000 PY over the whole observation period was 7.5 [6.9–8.1]. ASR for the subtypes were 4.8 [4.3–5.3] for CD, 2.5 [2.1–2.9] for UC and 0.3 [0.1–0.4] for IBD-U. The trend analysis of ASR using the joinpoint regression confirmed a significant increase for incidence of IBD as well as CD. For IBD, the ASR per 100,000 PY increased from 4.6 [2.8–6.3] in 2000 to 8.2 [7.5–13.6] in 2014; projected incidence rates for IBD in Germany are 12.9 [6.5–25.5] in the year 2025 and 14.9 [6.7–32.8] in 2030, respectively. Thus, the number of new IBD diagnoses in Germany would more than triple (325%) in 2030 compared to 2000. The increase is expected to be faster in CD than UC, and be more in males than in females. The expected number of newly diagnosed children with IBD in Germany is projected to rise to about 1,584 [1,512–1,655] in 2025, and to about 1,918 [1,807–2,29] in 2030.

Conclusion

The incidence of IBD in children and adolescents in Saxony increased at a similar rate as in other developed countries during the observation period. Given this trend, the health care system must provide adequate resources for the care of these young patients in the future.
Efficacy of non-surgical interventions for promoting improved functional outcomes following acute compartment syndrome: A systematic review
Authors: Janakiram Naveena B. , Motherwell Jessica M. , Goldman Stephen M. , Dearth Christopher L.
Published: September 2022

Background

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a devastating complication which develops following a traumatic extremity injury that results in increased pressure within osteofascial compartments, thereby leading to ischemia, muscle and nerve necrosis, and creates a life-threatening condition if left untreated. Fasciotomy is the only available standard surgical intervention for ACS. Following fasciotomy the affected extremity is plagued by prolonged impairments in function. As such, an unmet clinical need exists for adjunct, non-surgical therapies which can facilitate accelerated functional recovery following ACS. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review was to examine the state of the literature for non-surgical interventions that aim to improve muscle contractile functional recovery of the affected limb following ACS.

Methods

English language manuscripts which evaluated non-surgical interventions for ACS, namely those which evaluated the function of the affected extremity, were identified as per PRISMA protocols via searches within three databases from inception to February 2022. Qualitative narrative data synthesis was performed including: study characteristics, type of interventions, quality, and outcomes. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation’s (SYRCLE) RoB tool and reported level of evidence for each article.

Results

Upon review of all initially identified reports, 29 studies were found to be eligible and included. 23 distinct non-surgical interventions were found to facilitate improved muscle contractile function following ACS. Out of 29 studies, 15 studies which evaluated chemical and biological interventions, showed large effect sizes for muscle function improvement.

Conclusions

This systematic review demonstrated that the majority of identified non-surgical interventions facilitated an improvement in muscle contractile function following pathological conditions of ACS.
Examining the determinants and efficiency of China’s agricultural exports using a stochastic frontier gravity model
Authors: Abdullahi Nazir Muhammad , Zhang Qiangqiang , Shahriar Saleh , Irshad Muhammad Saqib , Ado Abdullahi Bala , Huo Xuexi
Published: September 2022

This paper aims to examine the key determinants and efficiency of China’s agricultural exports with its 114 importing countries by applying the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) on an augmented gravity model for the period of 2000–2019. The Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) and the fixed effect models were also estimated simultaneously to confirm the robustness of our findings. The results reveal that China’s economic size (GDP) and its importing countries, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), common border, and the Chinese language positively determine China’s agricultural export flows. The results, on the other hand, also reveal that China’s agricultural export is adversely influenced by the income (per capita GDP) of China and its trade partners, currency depreciation, distance, and landlocked. On an average account, China has untapped the potential of 51% in its agriculture export with the countries used in this study. We provide policy suggestions as part of our study.
Parents’ awareness, knowledge, and experiences of play and its benefits in child development: A systematic review protocol
Authors: Dhas Brightlin Nithis , Chacko Shoba Mary , David Solomon Vince Soloman , Sriram Vimal
Published: September 2022

Background

Play is an important childhood occupation and a medium for development. Parents’ attitudes towards play, knowledge about play and its benefits, and their experiences in facilitating effective play are key factors that determine the experiences of play in children. These factors related to parent’s understanding and experiences of play gain additional significance when the child has a disability. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the available evidence on awareness, knowledge, and experience of play among parents and to summarise the findings.

Method

MEDLINE, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Psychology Database, Sociological Abstracts, EMBASE, and Cochrane Collection Plus will be searched for studies of any design that investigate awareness, knowledge, and experience of play among parents and its benefits to child development. Manual searches from reference lists of relevant papers will also be completed. The primary outcomes are parents’ knowledge (what constitutes play), experiences (what parents feel about play) and awareness (benefits of play) about play. Three independent reviewers will screen identified papers with pre-defined eligibility criteria and extract data using a customized extraction form. Discrepancies will be resolved in discussion with a fourth reviewer. A synthesis of eligible studies and summary will be provided.

Discussion

A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative research evidence of parents’ awareness, knowledge, and experiences in play will be carried out. This will highlight parents’ own views on play among their children, current theories/domains related to parents’ awareness, knowledge, and experience in play, and outcome measures that have been used. In addition, comparison among views of parents of children with disabilities and parents of typically developing children will be made. The results will be presented as a summary of key findings under the themes of awareness, knowledge, and experience of parents in play.
A political economy analysis protocol: Case study implementing nutrition and sustainability policy into government food procurement
Authors: Heenan Maddie , Jan Stephen , Cullerton Katherine , Shanthosh Janani
Published: September 2022

Most Australian state and territory governments have healthy food provisioning policies targeting availability of unhealthy food at the retail level, and sustainability policies promoting a life-cycle approach to procurement. However, it remains unclear if health and sustainability are important considerations in awarding contracts, and whether these high-level policies are implemented into supplier contracts. A political economy analysis framework has been developed to prospectively identify and explain barriers and enablers to policy implementation. Using food procurement in Queensland and South Australia as case studies, the political economy analysis seeks to understand the structural and contextual factors, bargaining processes, stakeholders, and incentives and ideas surrounding food procurement. It involves a desktop and content analysis of existing policies and food contracts, and key informant interviews with government and industry stakeholders. Participants will be targeted across different departments (e.g. health, environment, treasury) and in varying roles from policy design, contract management and food service, and industry suppliers in different food and drink categories (e.g. meat, packaged foods, beverages, fruit & vegetables). Participants will be recruited using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts will be undertaken, informed by the political economy analysis framework. The study will identify current food procurement policy implementation barriers and enablers, including why high-level policies aren’t embedded into contracts, mechanisms for achieving policy coherence and future opportunities for addressing barriers and incorporating socio-economic, public health and environmental considerations into purchasing practices. Ultimately, the study will achieve impact by informing a whole of government approach to health and the environment by elevating the priority of health and sustainability in procurement (short term), increasing the availability of healthy and sustainable foods (medium term), and improving health and environmental outcomes (long term). To our knowledge this is the first political economy analysis of food procurement in Australia.
Prevalence of people with sickle cell disease and leg ulcers in Brazil: Socioeconomic and clinical overview
Authors: Spira Josimare Aparecida Otoni , Borges Eline Lima , Guedes Antônio Carlos Martins , Andrade Paula Gabriela Ribeiro , Lima Vera Lúcia de Araújo Nogueira
Published: September 2022

Objective

To identify the prevalence of people with leg ulcers resulting from sickle cell disease, as well as to describe the clinical, social, economic, and demographic conditions of these people.

Method

Descriptive study, carried out at the Minas Gerais Hematology and Hemotherapy Center Foundation. The study population consisted of individuals over the age of 18 with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data collection was performed from August 2019 to April 2020 through interviews. For the prevalence calculation, a census was taken of 5,379 people over the age of 18 with sickle cell disease, 77 of whom had active leg ulcers. Descriptive data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 20.0, Chicago, IL, USA).

Results

The prevalence of people with leg ulcers in Minas Gerais, Brazil was 1.4%. Of the 72 respondents, the average age was 39 years (range 18–64 years), 41.7% were single, 48.6% said they were black, 84.7% lived in their own house, 38.9% were retired, 61.1% had an income of one minimum wage. The median years of education was 10.5, 50% cited the church as a place for leisure activities, 79.2% denied smoking. Regarding pain, the median score was 3, the median baseline hemoglobin was 7.7 g/dL, and 91.7% had the HbSS genotype. The median age of the first ulcer was 18 years, 77.8% of active ulcers were recurrent, and 59.7% had only one active ulcer. The median time of existence of the ulcer was 3 years. The ulcer prevented 80.6% of people from doing some activity. Prejudice was experienced by 48.6% of the participants.

Conclusion

The estimated prevalence of leg ulcers was lower than what it reported in the literature, however, the recurrence and the duration of ulcers were high. These findings bring reflection about the assistance to people with leg ulcer.
Determinants of the health care service choices of long-term mechanical ventilation patients: Applying andersen’s behavioral model
Authors: Liang Hui-Yu , Lee Ming-Der , Lin Kuan-Chia , Lin Lieh-Hann , Yu Shu
Published: September 2022

Aims

The number of ventilator-dependent patients is rapidly increasing globally. As a result, long-term mechanical ventilation (LTMV) patients face the choice of receiving health care in respiratory care wards (RCWs) rather than at home. In this study, we applied Andersen’s behavioral theoretical model (ABM) to investigate the determinants of the health care service decisions of patients receiving LTMV.

Methods

A cross-sectional research design and cluster random sampling were used to select 365 participants from nine RCWs and eight home care facilities in northern Taiwan. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire.

Results

Of the predisposing factors, advanced age and an education level of at least junior high school influenced the choice to use RCW services. Being married, living with extended family, and medium or higher socioeconomic status were associated with the decision to use home care services. Of the enabling factors, patients with more caregivers, those whose family caregivers held strong beliefs about providing care, and those who perceived greater social support from health care providers were more likely to choose home care services. Of the need factors examined, poor cognitive function and higher dependence on assistance for activities of daily living (ADL) increased the probability of patients choosing RCW services. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis indicated that our final model accounted for 44.8% of the observed variance in health care service choice.

Conclusions

ABM enables an improved understanding of the health care service choices of LTMV patients. Our findings also highlight the importance of rigorously assessing patient needs and helping patients choose the most appropriate health care service.
Understanding the role of e-cigarette use in smoking cessation based on the stages of change model
Authors: Yoon Wonjeong , Cho Inhyung , Cho Sung-il
Published: September 2022

Objective

We explored the role of e-cigarette use in smoking cessation based on the stages of change (SOC) model, which is a framework for describing the process of smoking cessation.

Methods

We used nationwide, cross-sectional data on adults (19+ years) from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2016–2018) and restricted the participants to 3,929 recent smokers, consisting of current smokers and recent quitters (≤2 years). A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to reveal the relationships between e-cigarette use and cigarette quitting behaviors (e.g., current quitting status, past quit attempts, intention to quit, and duration of quitting) and all stages in smoking cessation, with adjustment for sociodemographic and smoking-related factors.

Results

E-cigarette use was positively related to past quit attempts, while not having quit, intention to quit, and longer duration of quitting. Based on the cessation stages, current and former e-cigarette users were significantly more likely to be in the ‘Precontemplation’ and ‘Contemplation’ stages than never users, while not to be in the ‘Preparation’ and ‘Action’ stages. Current users were particularly less likely to be in the ‘Maintenance’ stage compared to never users.

Conclusion

E-cigarette use was closely linked with early-stage behavior than late-stage behavior in the smoking cessation process. E-cigarettes might promote quit attempts and short-term quitting in some smokers, but the negative role of inducing smokers to continue cigarette smoking with no immediate quit-intention for future attempts is dominant in the real world.
Poa annua: An annual species?
Authors: Carroll Devon E. , Horvath Brandon J. , Prorock Michael , Trigiano Robert N. , Shekoofa Avat , Mueller Thomas C. , Brosnan James T.
Published: September 2022

As the Latin name annua implies, the species Poa annua L. is thought to have an annual life cycle. Yet, there are many reports in literature of P. annua persisting as a perennial. Considering that P. annua senescence patterns do not align with other true annual species, we hypothesized that P. annua is similar to other perennial, C3 turfgrass species that are subject to a confluence of environmental factors that can cause mortality. Four experiments were conducted in Knoxville, TN with the objective of determining environmental factors lethal to P. annua. A field monitoring study assessed 100 P. annua plants across ten grassland micro-environments from May to October 2020. Forty plants survived the summer and confirmed the existence of perennial P. annua ecotypes. Analysis of environmental factors at the time of plant death indicated soil moisture, soil temperature, and pathogenic infection were associated with mortality. A series of glasshouse or field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of each factor on P. annua mortality. Soil moisture and soil temperature were not lethal to P. annua in the glasshouse, except under extreme conditions not typical in the field. A field study assessed mortality of plants from pathogenic infection and indicated that P. annua plants treated with fungicide throughout the summer survived year-round, whereas plants not receiving fungicide applications senesced. These findings support our hypothesis that P. annua is of a perennial life cycle, which can be influenced by environmental conditions. We suggest that the name P. annua is likely a misnomer based on its modern interpretation.
Extracellular vesicles derived from PPRV-infected cells enhance signaling lymphocyte activation molecular (SLAM) receptor expression and facilitate virus infection
Authors: Chen Yan , Wang Ting , Yang Yang , Fang Yuan , Zhao Bao , Zeng Wei , Lv Daiyue , Zhang Leyan , Zhang Yanming , Xue Qinghong , Chen Xiwen , Wang Jingyu , Qi Xuefeng
Published: September 2022

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is an important pathogen that seriously influences the productivity of small ruminants worldwide. PPRV is lymphotropic in nature and SLAM was identified as the primary receptor for PPRV and other Morbilliviruses. Many viruses have been demonstrated to engage extracellular vesicles (EVs) to facilitate their replication and pathogenesis. Here, we provide evidence that PPRV infection significantly induced the secretion levels of EVs from goat PBMC, and that PPRV-H protein carried in EVs can enhance SLAM receptor expression in the recipient cells via suppressing miR-218, a negative miRNA directly targeting SLAM gene. Importantly, EVs-mediated increased SLAM expression enhances PPRV infectivity as well as the expression of various cytokines related to SLAM signaling pathway in the recipient cells. Moreover, our data reveal that PPRV associate EVs rapidly entry into the recipient cells mainly through macropinocytosis pathway and cooperated with caveolin- and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Taken together, our findings identify a new strategy by PPRV to enhance virus infection and escape innate immunity by engaging EVs pathway.