bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Recognition of Traffic Signs Based on Improved YOLO v3 Algorithm
Authors: Yang Zhonglai
Published: September 2022

In recent years, assisted driving and autonomous driving technology have been paid more attention to by the public. Road sign recognition is of great practical significance for the realization of auto-driving technology. In the actual traffic environment, the traffic signs have the problems of small detectable volume, low resolution, unclear characteristics, and easy to be disturbed by the environment. In order to better realize road traffic sign recognition, this paper improves and optimizes the YOLO v3 network derived from YOLO v3 structure algorithm, enhances the data of the traffic signs by using color enhancement and other technologies, and improves the original FPN structure of the YOLO v3 network algorithm to 52 × 52. Then, the secondary sampling output characteristic diagram 108 in the YOLO v3 network is used × 108 solutions to solve these difficulties of picture size and image distortion. Use 5, 9, and 13 fixed-size pools in front of the surface of the control architecture, then the output characteristics are associated with the original characteristics of the picture so that inputs of different sizes can obtain the same output. Finally, we use the intermediate class K algorithm to group the TT100K landmark data set, reconsider the original network parameters, and compare the TT100K data set with the small target determination algorithm, such as YOLO v3 network model and improved YOLO v3 network model. The results show that compared with the traditional YOLO v3 algorithm, the optimized YOLO v3 road sign recognition algorithm has a significant improvement in sign recognition accuracy, sign recognition speed, and learning cost. When the change of FPS is very small, the recall rate and accuracy will be greatly improved. At the same time, compared with other small target detection algorithms, the improved YOLO v3 algorithm has more accurate and faster detection accuracy.
Construction of Intelligent Nursing System Based on Visual Action Recognition Algorithm
Authors: Zeng Yan , Liang Bo
Published: September 2022

Due to advancements in scientific research and technological innovation, as well as the proliferation of the Internet of things, the Internet, and big data, the general public has gradually become aware of a new type of intelligent nursing system model known as the smart nursing system. The smart nursing system is a sensing system and information platform for the elderly in their homes, communities, and institutions for elderly care. Based on this, it provides timely, efficient, and cost-effective elderly care services in real time. These services utilize the Internet of things and the Internet as well. Through the monitoring of video data, we are able to differentiate the visual motions of these elderly individuals and determine whether they are in a normal life state or a fall state. This has the potential to better meet the diverse and multifaceted needs of senior citizens, enhance the quality of life of senior citizens in their final years, and provide senior citizens with greater humanistic care and spiritual solace. Our team has developed an intelligent nursing system based on the visual action recognition algorithm, also known as the deep learning (DL) algorithm. As a result of our simulation tests, we discovered that the algorithm can accurately identify the living situations of elderly individuals at home.
Green Plasma Electrochemical Synthesized Colloidal Silver Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Thuy Nguyen Thi Thu , Bao Nguyen Thi Thanh , Tung Do Hoang
Published: September 2022

Nanosilver solutions of colloidal silver nanoparticles at reasonable price, good quality, and availability are increasingly demanded for the application in agriculture and aquaculture for the prevention and treatment of diseases. In this paper, we have applied a new simple and environmental‐friendly fabrication method based on a plasma electrochemical procedure, where silver nanoparticles are directly formed in the plasma environment from silver ions generated by the electrochemical process from the silver anode. The electrode dissolution rate, the formation percentage, and quality of the silver nanoparticles were examined and evaluated using atomic absorption spectroscopy, electrode mass change, transmission electron microscopy, and UV‐Vis absorption spectroscopy. The silver nanoparticle formation was found of nearly 100% with the rate of about 3.3 mg per minute. Spherical nanoparticles are found in quite homogenous size distribution around about 9.7 nm in the solution. The solution of the plasma synthesized nanosilvers shows better antibacterial property in comparison to that of AgNO3 of the same molar concentration on both normal and antibiotics resistant E. coli strains.
Predicting Student Academic Performance at Higher Education Using Data Mining: A Systematic Review
Authors: Alwarthan Sarah A. , Aslam Nida , Khan Irfan Ullah
Published: September 2022

Recently, educational institutions faced many challenges. One of these challenges is the huge amount of educational data that can be used to discover new insights that have a significant contribution to students, teachers, and administrators. Nowadays, researchers from numerous domains are very interested in increasing the quality of learning in educational institutions in order to improve student success and learning outcomes. Several studies have been made to predict student achievement at various levels. Most of the previous studies were focused on predicting student performance at graduation time or at the level of a specific course. The main objective of this paper is to highlight the recently published studies for predicting student academic performance in higher education. Moreover, this study aims to identify the most commonly used techniques for predicting the student's academic level. In addition, this study summarized the highest influential features used for predicting the student academic performance where identifying the most influential factors on student’s performance level will help the student as well as the policymakers and will give detailed insights into the problem. Finally, the results showed that the RF and ensemble model were the most accurate models as they outperformed other models in many previous studies. In addition, researchers in previous studies did not agree on whether the admission requirements have a strong relationship with students' achievement or not, indicating the need to address this issue. Moreover, it has been noticed that there are few studies which predict the student academic performance using students’ data in arts and humanities major.
Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Overview in Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease Using Real-World Evidence Based on Hospital Information System
Authors: Chen Guoming , Huang Chuyao , Luo Dongqiang , Yang Jiawei , Shi Yuzhen , Li Danyun , Li Zhuoyao , Song Tie , Xu Hua , Yang Fen
Published: September 2022

Objectives. To describe the epidemiological characteristics and medication overview of HFMD in Guangzhou and analyze the factors of length of stay (LOS) based on TCM usage. Method. From January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019, clinical data of HFMD (ICD-10 B08.401) as the initial diagnosis, based on HIS of five medical institutions for outpatient and inpatient cases, was collected. The inpatient cases of the five hospitals in Guangzhou were utilized for hospitalization analysis. Information extracted from the warehouse was standardized. Descriptive analysis was used for baseline characteristics, medication usage, and inpatient characteristics. Potential factors were analyzed by bivariate analysis. COX regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier analysis for calculating HRs and 95% CIs were adopted to determine the predictors of LOS. Stratified COX regression was applied to analyze the relationship between predictors and LOS and to calculate interaction. Results. A total of 14172 patients with HFMD were included. It showed that HFMD would occur in males, infants, and summer. Cause and symptoms are the two aspects of conventional Western medicine treatments, while TCM treatment of HFMD took clearing heat and detoxification as the basic principle. Inpatients with HFMD were divided into two groups by the use ratio of TCM. Age, season, and disease severity were possible correlated factors of LOS, extrapolating from their disparity in distribution. By stratified Cox regression, three factors following presented as possible contributions to shortening LOS, including TCM ≥ 0.1 (HR = 1.79, 95% CI (1.67–1.92),

P
<
0.01

), winter (HR = 1.28, 95% CI (1.12–1.47)),

P
<
0.01

), mild HFMD (HR = 1.93, 95% CI (1.69–2.22),

P
<
0.01

). Additive interaction of TCM use and disease severity was significant (RERI = 1.014 (0.493–1.534),

P
<
0.01

). Conclusion. Young children and high temperature were the risk factors of HFMD infection, which suggests that increasing surveillance for susceptible particular-age individuals and season is indispensable. Favorable factors to decrease LOS included a higher proportion of TCM use, mild HFMD, and onset in winter. The proportion of TCM use had additive interaction with disease severity, indicating that TCM may have antiviral and other biological effects on HFMD. Increasing the proportion of TCM use was probably beneficial to shortening LOS.
Car Purchase Intention Modeling in the Context of COVID-19: An Integrated Analysis of Impact Range and Impact Asymmetry
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Shao Chunfu , Wang Bobin , Huang Shichen , Yang Xiong
Published: September 2022

The car purchase intention of noncar owners is closely related to the growth of car ownership and may be changed in the context of COVID-19. This paper aims to investigate the decision-making mechanism of the car purchase intention before COVID-19 and the change of car purchase intention after COVID-19. The contributions of influencing factors are derived from the gradient boosting decision tree model and the asymmetric effects of attitudinal factors are further analyzed based on the three-factor theory. The comprehensive importance hierarchies of the two dependent variables are constructed through the integrated analysis of impact range and impact asymmetry. The results show that people who were previously more willing to buy cars are more likely to increase their willingness to buy after COVID-19. The pre–COVID-19 car purchase intention is primarily determined by shared mobility-related attitudes, while attitudes toward private car use have a greater impact on the post–COVID-19 intention change. These two attitudes are mainly manifested as intention relievers and discouragers before COVID-19, but they are more likely transformed into intention strengtheners and encouragers after COVID-19. The availability of shared mobility has the maximum comprehensive importance to the post–COVID-19 intention change. Therefore, maintaining and promoting the ridership of shared mobility will be the most important prerequisite for alleviating the car purchase intention after COVID-19 pandemic.
Design and Analysis of Multilayered Neural Network-Based Intrusion Detection System in the Internet of Things Network
Authors: Sangeetha S. K. B , Mani Prasanna , Maheshwari V. , Jayagopal Prabhu , Sandeep Kumar M. , Allayear Shaikh Muhammad
Published: September 2022

A large array of objects is networked together under the sophisticated concept known as the Internet of Things (IoT). These connected devices collect crucial information that could have a big impact on society, business, and the entire planet. In hostile settings like the internet, the IoT is particularly susceptible to multiple threats. Standard high-end security solutions are insufficient for safeguarding an IoT system due to the low processing power and storage capacity of IoT devices. This emphasizes the demand for scalable, distributed, and long-lasting smart security solutions. Deep learning excels at handling heterogeneous data of varying sizes. In this study, the transport layer of IoT networks is secured using a multilayered security approach based on deep learning. The created architecture uses the intrusion detection datasets from CIC-IDS-2018, BoT-IoT, and ToN-IoT to evaluate the suggested multi-layered approach. Finally, the new design outperformed the existing methods and obtained an accuracy of 98% based on the examined criteria.
Analysis of English Education Quality Evaluation and Internationalization Integration Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Song Yaqin , Yang Gongping
Published: September 2022

English education is one of the most active research directions in the field of natural language processing. With the gradual implementation of deep learning in various fields, more and more industries have begun to use deep learning to carry out more efficient work. In the field of education, it is also urgent to adopt a more intelligent set of algorithms to relieve the pressure of teachers to correct test papers, and also to increase the fairness of non-subjective evaluations in the process of scoring. Teachers conduct teaching evaluation when the concept of teaching evaluation is not clear; there are defects in learning evaluation goals; there are many problems in the relationship between ability evaluation and knowledge evaluation; in the process of English teaching evaluation, the phenomenon of using summative evaluation instead of procedural evaluation is very serious. Therefore, this subject uses deep learning to study the problem of text line positioning and recognition. At the same time, this subject also builds a text scoring network based on RNN and STLM as a quantitative evaluation index for text line detection and recognition algorithms. We will examine students later. Whether problem-based learning theory can be used to promote deep learning among students to determine whether students’ systematic use of PBL in teaching can promote the use of deep learning in college English courses. Finally, comparing the effects of deep learning and shallow learning, it is concluded that the evaluation of deep English teaching can provide students with more learning opportunities, access to more learning-related materials, and questions are more transparent and are free, which is easy. It is speculated that the purpose of this problem is to facilitate the use of deep learning methods to find meaning types.
Efficacy Evaluation of High-Volume Hemofiltration in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Zhang Yonglei , Zhang Yan , Pan Jiming
Published: September 2022

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of high-volume hemofiltration (HVHF) in the treatment of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by sepsis and its effect on serum levels of miR-126, miR-184, and MAP1-LC3. Methods. From July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2021, patients with severe ARDS caused by sepsis who were admitted to our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who received conventional treatment were summarized into the control group, and those who received HVHF were summarized into the study group. The treatment effects of the two groups were compared. Results. Ninety-five qualified patients were retrieved, with 42 patients in the control group and 53 patients in the study group. After treatment, the levels of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, miR-126, miR-184, and MAP1-LC3 were significantly lower in the study group (

P
<
0.05

for all), whereas PEF, FRC, TEF25%, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and blood oxygen were significantly higher in the study group (

P
<
0.05

for all). Conclusion. HVHF has a good clinical effect on improving patients with severe ARDS caused by sepsis and can improve the pulmonary function of patients.
A Metabolic Activity Recovery of the Intestinal Microbiota in the Patients with Bronchial Asthma
Authors: Ozimek Mariusz , Ivashkin Vladimir , Zolnikova Oksana , Potskherashvili Nino , Ivashkin Konstantin , Dzhakhaya Natiya , Kurbatova Anastasia , Kryuchkova Kira , Zaborova Victoria
Published: September 2022

Goals. We assessed the possibilities of correcting the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) content and profiles in feces of patients with bronchial asthma. Background. It was established that the high biological diversity of intestinal microorganisms promotes the needed SCFAs production, which induces immune regulatory pathways and contributes to the anti-inflammatory response. Study. A group of 30 patients with allergic bronchial asthma (BA) were investigated in our study. All of the patients were tested for the presence of SIBO by the SCFA spectrum determination. For the SIBO treatment, 10 patients from the studied group were prescribed Rifaximinum with the 200 mg dose at 3 times a day for a week; the other 10 patients were prescribed Rifaximinum at the same dose, followed by the administration of the Lactobalance probiotic in capsules at 3 times a day for a month. A month probiotic course was assigned to the remaining 10 patients without SIBO, as part of the BA complex therapy. The SCFA studies were immediately carried out for all of the patients after the 1 month probiotic therapy course. Results. A normalization of the SCFA spectrum and anaerobic index for all of the studied patients were noted. Upon taking the probiotics, it was revealed in the patients without SIBO that the total content of fatty acids (

p
<
0.001

), acetic and butyric acid (

p
<
0.001

) had increased. The Rifaximinum course, followed by administration of the probiotics led to a decrease of the relative amount of isoacids and ratio of isoacids/acids in the studied patients as compared to the patients who had received Rifaximinum for the SIBO treatment only (

p
<
0.05

). Conclusion. The obtained results demonstrate a potential opportunity of the drug influence on the active bacterial metabolites composition and amount in the intestinal biotope; as it was confirmed by the restoration of the intestinal microbiocenosis and microorganism habitat.
CNN Multi-Position Wearable Sensor Human Activity Recognition Used in Basketball Training
Authors: Tang Biao , Guan Wei
Published: September 2022

With the development trend of artificial intelligence technology and the popularization of wearable sensors, human activity recognition based on sensor data information has received widespread attention and has great application value. In order to better optimize the network structure and reduce the total number of main training parameters in the convolutional layer, a convolutional network entity model based on shared resources of main parameters is clearly proposed. We analyzed the CNN multi-position wearable sensor human activity recognition used in basketball training. According to the entity model of the main parameters of shared resources, the effectiveness of the entity model is verified from both the total number of sensors and the accuracy of single-class recognition. In addition to maintaining the actual effect of recognition, the main training parameters are also reduced. The simulation results verify the actual effect of the SVM algorithm and motion simulation of the convolutional network entity model. On this basis, scientific research physical exercise methods are selected to reasonably ensure the smooth progress of appropriate physical exercise at a certain level, improve the quality of training and the actual effect.
Efficacy of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator in Nonischemic Systolic Heart Failure According to Sex: Extended Follow-Up Study of the DANISH Trial
Authors: Butt Jawad H. , Yafasova Adelina , Elming Marie B. , Dixen Ulrik , Nielsen Jens C. , Haarbo Jens , Videbæk Lars , Korup Eva , Bruun Niels E. , Eiskjær Hans , Brandes Axel , Thøgersen Anna M. , Gustafsson Finn , Egstrup Kenneth , Hassager Christian , Svendsen Jesper Hastrup , Høfsten Dan E. , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Pehrson Steen , Thune Jens Jakob , Køber Lars
Published: September 2022

Background:

Men and women may respond differently to certain therapies for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, including implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). In an extended follow-up study of the DANISH trial (Danish Study to Assess the Efficacy of ICDs in Patients With Non-Ischemic Systolic Heart Failure on Mortality), adding 4 years of additional follow-up, we examined the effect of ICD implantation according to sex.

Methods:

In the DANISH trial, 1116 patients with nonischemic systolic heart failure were randomized to receive an ICD (N=556) or usual clinical care (N=550). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.

Results:

Of the 1116 patients randomized in the DANISH trial, 307 (27.5%) were women. During a median follow-up of 9.5 years, women had a lower associated rate of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.60 [95% CI, 0.47–0.78]) cardiovascular death (HR, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.46–0.84]), nonsudden cardiovascular death (HR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.42–0.85]), and a numerically lower rate of sudden cardiovascular death (HR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.40–1.25]), compared with men. Compared with usual clinical care, ICD implantation did not reduce the rate of all-cause mortality, irrespective of sex (men, HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.69–1.06]; women, HR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.64–1.50];
P
interaction=0.51). In addition, sex did not modify the effect of ICD implantation on sudden cardiovascular death (men, HR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.36–0.92]; women, HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.26–1.77];
P
interaction=0.76).

Conclusions:

In patients with nonischemic systolic heart failure, ICD implantation did not provide an overall survival benefit, but reduced sudden cardiovascular death, irrespective of sex.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT00542945.
Deep Learning for Explainable Estimation of Mortality Risk From Myocardial Positron Emission Tomography Images
Authors: Singh Ananya , Kwiecinski Jacek , Miller Robert J.H. , Otaki Yuka , Kavanagh Paul B. , Van Kriekinge Serge D. , Parekh Tejas , Gransar Heidi , Pieszko Konrad , Killekar Aditya , Tummala Ramyashree , Liang Joanna X. , Di Carli Marcelo F. , Berman Daniel S. , Dey Damini , Slomka Piotr J.
Published: September 2022

Background:

We aim to develop an explainable deep learning (DL) network for the prediction of all-cause mortality directly from positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging flow and perfusion polar map data and evaluate it using prospective testing.

Methods:

A total of 4735 consecutive patients referred for stress and rest
82
Rb positron emission tomography between 2010 and 2018 were followed up for all-cause mortality for 4.15 (2.24–6.3) years. DL network utilized polar maps of stress and rest perfusion, myocardial blood flow, myocardial flow reserve, and spill-over fraction combined with cardiac volumes, singular indices, and sex. Patients scanned from 2010 to 2016 were used for training and validation. The network was tested in a set of 1135 patients scanned from 2017 to 2018 to simulate prospective clinical implementation.

Results:

In prospective testing, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for all-cause mortality prediction by DL (0.82 [95% CI, 0.77–0.86]) was higher than ischemia (0.60 [95% CI, 0.54–0.66];
P
<0.001), myocardial flow reserve (0.70 [95% CI, 0.64–0.76],
P
<0.001) or a comprehensive logistic regression model (0.75 [95% CI, 0.69–0.80],
P
<0.05). The highest quartile of patients by DL had an annual all-cause mortality rate of 11.87% and had a 16.8 ([95% CI, 6.12%–46.3%];
P
<0.001)-fold increase in the risk of death compared with the lowest quartile patients. DL showed a 21.6% overall reclassification improvement as compared with established measures of ischemia.

Conclusions:

The DL model trained directly on polar maps allows improved patient risk stratification in comparison with established methods for positron emission tomography flow or perfusion assessments.
Association Between Peripheral Versus Central Access for Alternative Access Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Mortality and Stroke: A Report From the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry
Authors: Kaneko Tsuyoshi , Hirji Sameer A. , Yazdchi Farhang , Sun Yee-Ping , Nyman Charles , Shook Douglas , Cohen David J. , Stebbins Amanda , Zeitouni Michel , Vemulapalli Sreekanth , Thourani Vinod H. , Shah Pinak B. , O’Gara Patrick
Published: September 2022

Background:

In some patients, the alternative access route for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is utilized because the conventional transfemoral approach is not felt to be either feasible or optimal. However, accurate prognostication of patient risks is not well established. This study examines the associations between peripheral (transsubclavian/transaxillary, and transcarotid) versus central access (transapical and transaortic) in alternative access TAVR and 30-day and 1-year end points of mortality and stroke for all valve platforms.

Methods:

Using data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry with linkage to Medicare claims, patients who underwent alternative access TAVR from June 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018 were identified. Adjusted and unadjusted Cox proportional hazards modeling were performed to determine the association between alternate access TAVR site and 30-day and 1-year end points of mortality and stroke.

Results:

Of 7187 alternative access TAVR patients, 3725 (52%) had peripheral access and 3462 (48%) had central access. All-cause mortality was significantly lower in peripheral access versus central access group at in-hospital and 1 year (2.9% versus 6.3% and 20.3% versus 26.6%, respectively), but stroke rates were higher (5.0% versus 2.8% and 7.3% versus 5.5%, respectively; all
P
<0.001). These results persisted after 1-year adjustment (death adjusted hazard ratio, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.62–0.85] and stroke adjusted hazard ratio, 2.92 [95% CI, 2.21–3.85]). When broken down by individual subtypes, compared with transaxillary/subclavian access patients, transapical, and transaortic access patients had higher all-cause mortality but less stroke (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions:

In this real-world, contemporary, nationally representative benchmarking study of alternate access TAVR sites, peripheral access was associated with favorable mortality and morbidity outcomes compared with central access, at the expense of higher stroke. These findings may allow for accurate prognostication of risk for patient counseling and decision-making for the heart team with regard to alternative access TAVR.
Atrial Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation: Novel Definition and Impact on Prognosis
Authors: Schlotter Florian , Dietz Marlieke F. , Stolz Lukas , Kresoja Karl-Patrik , Besler Christian , Sannino Anna , Rommel Karl-Philipp , Unterhuber Matthias , von Roeder Maximilian , Delgado Victoria , Thiele Holger , Hausleiter Jörg , Bax Jeroen J. , Lurz Philipp
Published: September 2022

Background:

Atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation (atrial TR) has received growing recognition as a TR entity with a distinct cause owing to its independence from valvular tethering as the predominant mechanism underlying TR. However, characterization of atrial TR varies, and a universal definition is lacking.

Methods:

In total, 651 patients with significant functional TR were analyzed, including 438 conservatively treated individuals and 213 patients who received transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR). Based on a clustering approach, we defined atrial TR as tricuspid valve (TV) tenting height ≤10 mm, midventricular right ventricular diameter ≤38 mm, and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%.

Results:

Patients with atrial TR were more often females, had higher right ventricular fractional area change, higher left ventricular ejection fraction, and lower LV end-diastolic diameter, TV tenting area and height, lower right ventricular and tricuspid annular size, enlarged, but lower right atrial area and lower TV effective regurgitant orifice area (all
P
<0.05). Patients with atrial TR had significantly better long-term survival than non-atrial TR in the conservatively treated TR cohort (
P
<0.01, n=438). Atrial TR was independently associated with a lower rate of the combined end point of mortality and heart failure hospitalization at 1-year follow-up in the TTVR cohort (hazard ratio, 0.39;
P
<0.05, n=213). TR degree was significantly reduced after TTVR in non-atrial and atrial TR (
P
<0.01). Functional parameters significantly improved following TTVR independent of TR cause (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions:

An echocardiography-based atrial TR definition is associated with prognostic relevance in patients with functional TR in conservatively treated TR and after TTVR.
Intensive Social Interaction for Treatment of Poststroke Depression in Subacute Aphasia: The CONNECT Trial
Authors: Stahl Benjamin , Millrose Saskia , Denzler Petra , Lucchese Guglielmo , Jacobi Frank , Flöel Agnes
Published: September 2022

Background:

Limiting the ability to engage in social interaction, aphasia increases the risk of poststroke depression and may prevent classical forms of psychotherapy. Our parallel-group, blinded-assessment, quasi-randomized controlled trial explores the feasibility and potential efficacy of intensive social interaction as a means to alleviate poststroke depression in subacute aphasia.

Methods:

We adopted a linguistically validated treatment program based on massed practice and conversational turn-taking (Intensive Language-Action Therapy). In a routine outpatient setting, 60 individuals with poststroke depression and subacute aphasia (0.5–6 months following left-hemispheric ischemia or hemorrhage) were assigned to Intensive Language-Action Therapy combined with standard care (Group I) or standard care alone (Group II). End points included feasibility (primary outcome) alongside change on self-report and clinician-rated measures of depression severity (co-primary outcomes: Beck’s Depression Inventory; Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) after a 1-month treatment period (5 weekly 1-hour sessions), controlled for progress in language performance (secondary outcome: Aachen Aphasia Test, AAT).

Results:

100% treatment participation demonstrated feasibility of Intensive Language-Action Therapy in poststroke depression. Analyses (
n
=60) revealed significant between-group differences on the Beck’s Depression Inventory (change in Group I [95% CI]: −12.6 [±4.9]; in Group II: −5.8 [±3.2];
P
=0.040) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (change in Group I: −5.0 [±1.4]; in Group II: −3.3 [±1.2];
P
=0.002), indicating small-to-medium effect sizes in reducing depression severity with Intensive Language-Action Therapy (
η
2
≤0.101). No significant between-group differences emerged on expressive AAT subscales.

Conclusions:

Our results confirm the feasibility and potential efficacy of intensive social interaction for treatment of poststroke depression in subacute aphasia.

Registration:

URL:
www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04318951.
Perceived Aggressive Tendencies of, and Functional Attitudes Towards, Selected Breeds of Dogs
Authors: Briones Elizabeth M. , Marshall Philip H. , Mangano Serena
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study was to examine the current state of perceptions towards select breeds of dogs with a focus on perceived aggressiveness. While some studies investigating breed perceptions of aggressiveness have presented dogs in various poses, possibly adding to unintentional perception bias towards aggressiveness, this study showed standardized representations of 27 dog breeds. A hierarchical cluster analysis of data collected from a large sample suggests two distinct categories of dogs that were perceived as either higher or lower in aggressiveness. Additionally, this study asked participants about their intended behavior toward those breeds, thus providing data on people’s functional attitudes towards breeds perceived as more or less aggressive. The data show that people are less willing to interact with those breeds of dogs that are perceived to be higher in aggressiveness and intend to engage in more favorable interactions towards those breeds perceived as less aggressive.
A Competing Harvester, Stakeholder, and Environmental Threat: Positioning Reindeer in Metla Forestry Research
Authors: Nyyssönen Jukka
Published: September 2022

What kind of positions have reindeer been given in Finnish forestry science by research institution, Metsäntutkimuslaitos (Metla)? Because of overlapping zones of utilization, reindeer for the most part appeared as a threat to national wealth and a problem to harvesting, as well as spoiling ecosystem productivity. They were perceived as a harmful species that destroyed and “killed” saplings and decreased the forest areal. Closer to the present day, the positions of reindeer have become more versatile, and reindeer receive more positive characterizations, even that of stakeholders, or the ones enjoying the outcomes of better-managed pastures. However, the breakthrough in environmental discourse from the 1980s onwards has led to the marginalization and demonization of the reindeer. The position of reindeer in their ecosystem has become unstable and is defined anew as a risk.
The Lasting Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Surgical Key Indicator Cases for Otolaryngology Residency Education
Authors: Krishnan Pavan S. , Daggumati Srihari , Widmeyer Jonathan , Quinn Kevin J. , Yu Cheryl , Vahidi Nima , Kamdar Rushabh , Kandl Christopher
Published: September 2022

Objectives:

Early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other government as well as medical institutions recommended that surgeons postpone nonessential surgeries. The aim of our study is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on otolaryngology surgical training by evaluating changes in surgical volumes through various time points relative to the height of the pandemic.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of all surgical cases performed by the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery department at a tertiary care academic center from 3 time periods: July 1st, 2018, to June 30th, 2019; July 1st, 2019, to June 30th, 2020; and July 1st, 2020, to June 30th, 2021.

Results:

From the 2018-19 period to the 2020-21 period, the total number of overall cases decreased by 9.9%, from 2386 to 2148 cases. During this same time duration, the number of key indicator cases decreased by 13.4%, from 1715 to 1486 cases. Relative to other cases, ethmoidectomy, rhinoplasty, and stapes/OCR cases decreased the most during the 2019-20 period by 41.9%, 41.8%, and 29.5%, respectively. From the 2018-19 period to the 2020-21 period, thyroid/parathyroid cases decreased the most by 35.4%. Only ethmoidectomy and oral cavity cases showed increases during this period at 9.7% and 24.4%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Although case volumes have stayed relatively constant, key indicator case volumes at the present tertiary care academic center have not yet fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts must be made to determine how this has impacted residency surgical education.
The specular dream: Historical imaginary in speculative fiction of colonial Bengal
Authors: Bhattacharya Atanu , Hiradhar Preet
Published: September 2022

This article examines Bhudeb Mukhopadhyaya’s Swapnolabdho Bharatbarsher Itihas ( History of India Revealed in a Dream) as a speculative dream narrative within the wider context of literary practices of colonial Bengal in the nineteenth century. History is a contested terrain within the colonial domain and intersects with pedagogy, politics, and technology in myriad ways. History in the text is also refracted through identitarian religious, gender, and caste prisms. We investigate Bhudeb’s text within these sites, arguing that the text represents a contradictory colonial modernity that negotiates the historical self through the speculative possibility of a dream.
Stealing an Election: Violence or Fraud?
Authors: Brancati Dawn , Penn Elizabeth M
Published: September 2022

Political actors often resort to electoral violence to gain an edge over their competitors even though violence is harder to hide than fraud and more likely to delegitimize elections as a result. Existing explanations tend to analyze violence in terms of the same factors as fraud, or to treat violence as a means of last resorts given its overtness. We introduce a novel explanation that does neither, arguing that political actors often use violence for the very reason that it is hard to hide. Its overtness, we argue, allows political actors to observe whether the agents they enlist to manipulate elections for them do so and reduces these agents’ likelihood of shirking in turn. We develop our argument through a formal model showing that electoral monitors, by exacerbating problems of moral hazard (shirking), can induce actors to increasingly turn to violence and use process tracing to examine the implications of this model through the example of Egypt.
A Different Energy: The Critical Hip-Hop Teaching Artist and School Culture
Authors: Lipset Michael , Low Bronwen
Published: September 2022

We study the role of Hip-Hop teaching artists in a school change initiative. A school-university-community partnership in a Canadian city, the project sought to develop a school-wide focus on the “urban arts” for student learning and wellbeing. The experiences of nine teaching artists over four years, examined through the lens of Critical Hip-Hop Pedagogy, offer insight into the roles of Hip-Hop based teaching artists in a nontraditional, arts-based, school change initiative.
Exploring Ontology of Tourism: A New-Realist Approach
Authors: Butowski Leszek , Butowski Stanisław
Published: September 2022

The aim of this paper is to propose a new-realist ontology of tourism; an ontology that could be used as a foundation for those social sciences which are ready to accept the moderate realist approach. To achieve this goal, an answer to the general question is sought: What is the nature of the tourism reality? This has been broken down into specific issues: What entities make up the domain of tourism? How are they formed and how do they exist in the world? What are their features? And finally: What are the epistemic consequences of the adopted solutions? Our answers are embedded in Searle’s social ontology and his concepts of biological naturalism and social Background. The proposed tourism ontology will also be able to serve as a competitive option to relativist approaches that seem to be gaining the upper hand in the current debate about the state of tourism research.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Investment Preferences of Tour Operators
Authors: Masiero Lorenzo , Goffi Gianluca , Cucculelli Marco
Published: September 2022

This study examines the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the investment preferences of tour operators through a discrete choice experiment conducted among tour operator managers worldwide. Stakeholder theory is used as a theoretical platform for explaining the role of CSR within the tour operators’ investment preferences. The findings indicate that, when making investment decisions, tour operators generally tend to balance the interests of the local community, employees and businesses, and to consider the effects of their investments on the local economy and the environment. However, empirical evidence indicates that tour operator’s investment preferences are moderated by three factors, namely: local government pressure, size of the investment, and tour operator profile. In particular, greater attention should be paid to high-scale investments, and to investments made by generalist tour operators if destinations want to preserve their distinctive sociocultural and natural assets and provide well-being to local communities.
Shifting borders and migrant workers’ im/mobility: The case of Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lan Pei-Chia
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified border control and disrupted international labor migration, but the complex consequences for migrant workers, including deepened marginalization and countervailing opportunities, have yet to receive sufficient scrutiny. Drawing on the case of Taiwan, this article examines how a host country reorganizes the multiple layers of physical and social borders for the purpose of sanitization, leading to an entanglement of mobilities and immobilities in migrant workers’ lives. I illustrate how bordering practices have had uneven impacts on Filipino and Indonesian migrant workers across different circumstances of risk management. The findings highlight the geographic scales and temporal changes of shifting borders, which involve the negotiation of social membership for migrant workers in relation to the public health crisis and labor market shortage.
An Investigation Into the Impact of Test Session Disruptions for At-Home Test Administrations
Authors: Castellano Katherine E. , Sinharay Sandip , Hao Jiangang , Li Chen
Published: September 2022

In response to the closures of test centers worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several testing programs offered large-scale standardized assessments to examinees remotely. However, due to the varying quality of the performance of personal devices and internet connections, more at-home examinees likely suffered “disruptions” or an interruption in the connectivity to their testing session compared to typical test-center administrations. Disruptions have the potential to adversely affect examinees and lead to fairness or validity issues. The goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which disruptions impacted performance of at-home examinees using data from a large-scale admissions test. Specifically, the study involved comparing the average test scores of the disrupted examinees with those of the non-disrupted examinees after weighting the non-disrupted examinees to resemble the disrupted examinees along baseline characteristics. The results show that disruptions had a small negative impact on test scores on average. However, there was little difference in performance between the disrupted and non-disrupted examinees after removing records of the disrupted examinees who were unable to complete the test.
Predictors of Health Care Utilization Following Major Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery in Older Patients
Authors: Faiq Samya , Solis Roberto N. , Sekhon Harveen K. , Morisada Megan V. , Wilson Machelle , Abouyared Marianne , Bewley Arnaud F. , Birkeland Andrew C.
Published: September 2022

Objective

To identify patient factors in older patients associated with making posttreatment visits in the first year after major head and neck oncologic surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Academic institution.

Methods

Patients aged ≥60 years who underwent a neck dissection with or without a free flap reconstruction were retrospectively analyzed. Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities, social variables, perioperative course, and clinical visits.

Results

Within a 1‐year postoperative period, the 181 patients in our cohort had a mean ± SD 6.37 ± 3.6 postoperative clinic visits; 70% attended at least 4 visits. Multivariable regression analysis showed a significant association with distance closer to the hospital (P = .013): for every 10‐mile increase in distance, the number of visits decreased by 0.15 (SE = 0.06). Additionally, receiving adjuvant radiation therapy (P = .0096) demonstrated significant associations: when compared with no adjuvant therapy, radiation therapy had on average 1.5 (SE = 0.56) more visits, and chemoradiation had 0.04 (SE = 0.73) more visits.

Conclusion

Older patients who undergo major head and neck oncology surgery are more likely to attend posttreatment visits in the 1 year following surgery if they are discharged home rather than to a skilled nursing facility, live closer to the hospital, and undergo adjuvant radiation therapy.
Impact of Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment on Patient‐Partner Intimacy
Authors: Fiorella Michele , Alnemri Angela , Sussman Sarah , Koka Anusha , Johnson Jennifer , Cognetti David , Curry Joseph , Mady Leila , Worster Brooke , Leader Amy E. , Luginbuhl Adam
Published: September 2022

Objective

To determine the effects of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis and treatment on patient‐ and partner‐perceived intimacy and to understand if a diagnosis of HPV‐related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma influences patient‐partner intimacy.

Study Design

Prospective observational.

Setting

Single tertiary care center.

Methods

An investigator‐developed questionnaire was used to prospectively survey patients and partners in 2 groups based on human papillomavirus (HPV) status: HPV+ and HPV– at diagnosis (visit 1) and after treatment (visit 2). Surveys were scored on a 60‐point scale, and results were categorized as follows: loss of intimacy (0‐30), stable relationship (31‐41), or improvement in intimacy (42‐60). Responses of couples who participated together were assessed for concordance. Responses were considered discordant if patient and partner scores equated to different levels of perceived intimacy. Median patient and partner scores were compared via Mann‐Whitney U test, and concordance was assessed with a chi‐square test.

Results

Thirty‐four patients and 28 partners completed surveys at visit 1 and 28 patients and 15 partners at visit 2. Median scores among patients and partners were similar at the first time point (HPV+, 45 vs 45, P = .64; HPV–, 42.6 vs 40.8, P = .29) and the second (HPV+, 44.5 vs 44, P = .87; HPV–, 40.2 vs 39.6, P = .90). Concordance rates between HPV+ and HPV– couples were 63% vs 44% (P = .43) for the first time point and 89% vs 50% (P = .24) for the second.

Conclusion

Patients and partners reported stable or improved intimacy at both time points, and most couples tended to agree on their levels of perceived intimacy. A diagnosis of HPV did not appear to significantly affect intimacy scores.
A Needs Assessment for the Future of Otolaryngology Education
Authors: Chen Jenny X. , Yu Sophie E. , Miller Lauren E. , Gray Stacey T.
Published: September 2022

The field of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery is rapidly changing, and surgical education must keep pace. In the face of recent advances in medical knowledge, surgical technique, and novel technology, educators may find it increasingly difficult to identify the evolving educational needs of otolaryngology residents. To better align training activities with modern practice patterns, we propose conducting a longitudinal needs assessment by designing a standardized specialty‐specific survey for practicing otolaryngologists. This recurring survey could be implemented alongside accreditation or other continuing medical education activities. The outcomes would report what contemporary otolaryngologists see and do in everyday practice to guide educational reforms to better prepare trainees for future practice.