bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of Knee and Shoulder Arthroscopy
Authors: Kazubski Krystian , Tomczyk Łukasz , Morasiewicz Piotr
Published: November 2021

The purpose of our study was to comprehensively assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on knee and shoulder arthroscopy performed in an orthopedic department of a university hospital in Poland. This study compared the data on all shoulder and knee arthroscopy procedures performed in two different periods: The period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland (from March 4, 2020, to October 15, 2020) and the corresponding period prior to the pandemic (March 4, 2019, to October 15, 2019). The study evaluated epidemiological data, demographic data, and hospital stay duration. The total number of arthroscopy procedures conducted in the evaluated period in 2020 was approximately 8.6% higher than that in the corresponding 2019 period. The mean duration of hospital stay for orthopedic patients after their knee or shoulder arthroscopy was 3.1 days in 2020 and 2.8 days in 2019. Our study revealed the mean age of arthroscopy patients during the pandemic to be lower at 48.4 years than the 51.2 years recorded in 2019. The male-to-female ratio was shown to be lower at .85 during the pandemic, having decreased from 1.5 in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic did not reduce the number of arthroscopy performed at our center, and the mean age of the patients did not change. However, the pandemic had a marked effect on the mean duration of hospital stay and male-to-female ratio.
Does Receiving Informal Care Lead to Better Health Outcomes? Evidence From China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey
Authors: Wang Yixiao , Yang Wei
Published: November 2021

Population aging has become a global challenge. Drawing data from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2008, 2011, and 2014, this study examines the effect of informal care receipt on functional limitations and depressive symptoms among older people in China using lagged fixed effects model. Our findings suggest that receiving informal care is significantly associated with a slower functional decline. We also find that this effect varies across different income groups. The protective effect of informal care is more pronounced among older people with higher income compared to those with lower income. We do not observe any significant associations between receiving informal care and depressive symptoms of older people. This study highlights a pressing need for the Chinese government to establish a comprehensive long-term care system.
Parental Mediation and Use of Mobile Devices-Smartphones and Tablets- in Spanish Families
Authors: Ramírez-García Antonia , González-Fernández Natalia , Salcines-Talledo Irina
Published: November 2021

Mobile devices are changing society in different areas, including the family. This study analyses different types of parental mediation implemented in Spanish households in relation to Smartphones and Tablets. The participants in this study were 1082 parents from all the Spanish Autonomous Communities. The methodology used is quantitative (descriptive and inferential). The results show that the type of mediation most used by Spanish families is active mediation, followed by technical control, restrictive mediation and co-viewing. The application of one or another modality of mediation is conditioned by variables such as gender and age of the parents, number of children and educational stage of schooling or educational level of the mothers, among others. In conclusion, the research provides significant data on parental mediation for mobile devices in Spain.
Designing Professional Development in Restorative Practices: Assessing High School Personnel's, Students’, and Parents’ Perceptions of Discipline Practices
Authors: Vincent Claudia , McClure Heather , Marquez Brion , Goodrich Deanna
Published: November 2021

We conducted focus groups with high school staff, students, parents, and administrators to gain information about how to design professional development training supporting high school staff in implementing restorative practices within a multitiered support system. Results indicated that all stakeholders valued trust and relationship building and identified equity, accountability, and home−school communications as key elements of effective discipline approaches. We provide recommendations for designing professional development for high school staff in effectively and sustainably integrating restorative practices with existing multitiered student support systems.
Urban Secondary School Administrators and Faculty Perceptions of Multitiered System of Supports/Response to Intervention
Authors: Lesh Jennifer J. , Roberts Cortney , Cavitt Dennis , Morales Diana L.
Published: November 2021

MTSS promises a school-wide early warning system, high-quality instruction, and evidence-based interventions. However, research has focused mainly on the elementary level. This study examined the beliefs and perceptions of over 300 administrators and teachers currently implementing MTSS in secondary schools using survey research. Results showed that special education teachers and administrators had significantly higher MTSS/RtI beliefs and perceptions of their own academic and behavioral MTSS/RtI instructional and intervention skills. Recommendations include the need for extensive and intensive professional development, delineation of role clarity, increased fidelity of implementation, and staff accountability.
A concise history of sociology’s ‘indigenization’ in postwar Taiwan: Emergence, transformation, and invisibilization
Authors: Lin Feng-Tsan , Wu Huang-Chang , Tang Chih-Chieh
Published: November 2021

In Taiwan, sociology is ‘the Western knowledge’ by its origin, and inevitably will be indigenized, especially in the process of teaching or researching. The development of sociology in postwar Taiwan takes a crooked path. It is in the crooked path to postwar that the indigenization in Taiwan’s sociology takes different faces, employing different terminology and constellating around different academic figures to embody the indigenization as we have known today. Although the path from sinicization to Taiwanization may nicely capture the basic line of Taiwan’s sociology after the Second World War, it does fail to reveal the details that can suggest to a more dynamic, more controversial side of indigenization. In this short article, we review the emergence, transformation, and invisibilization of indigenization in postwar Taiwan in the following three aspects: its periodization, the socio-political background in which the debate is embedded, and the key issues involved. While the indigenization debate has been subsiding in last decade, we will argue that the ideal which the debate evinces is still significant and influential. In conclusion, we propose an alternative view to rethink the indigenization of Taiwan’s sociology. In terms of reciprocal comparison and connected histories, Taiwan’s case exemplifies an alternative trajectory of modernity, which is potential to correct the hitherto double historical misrecognition of modernity upheld by classical sociological theories, and to build a new synthesis or a new theory of modernities.
A place-based approach to population sustainability: Demographic and economic change at the local level in Fife, Scotland
Authors: McCollum David , Nicholson Hebe , Duffy Paula
Published: November 2021

Population sustainability is a prevalent yet nebulous concept within academic and policy debates surrounding the nature and consequences of demographic and economic change. This research seeks to add nuance to understandings of population sustainability in ageing societies. The fiscal challenges posed by population ageing mean that more and more states are implementing specific policies in response to it, with limited degrees of success thus far. This investigation examines place-based understandings of population sustainability on the part of local stakeholders in a region of Scotland, a country facing significant demographic challenges and which is enacting policy measures specifically aimed at promoting population sustainability. The findings suggest that the on-the-ground realities of population sustainability are nuanced and complex. As such, there is scope for greater attention to the diversity and complexities of population and economic change at the sub-national scale in broader academic conceptualisations of and policy responses to the increasingly pressing issue of population sustainability.
An Exploratory Examination of the Relationship Between Trust and Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Willingness to Risk Their Lives for Others
Authors: Cohen Nissim
Published: November 2021

This article presents the findings of an exploratory study examining the relationships between street-level bureaucrats’ (SLBs) trust in their peers, managers, and the institution they belong to, and their willingness to endanger their own lives for the public. We build on previous administrative and behavioral theories to present a model of these relationships. Using a survey of 211 police officers in Israel, our findings demonstrate the important role of trust in understanding the willingness of civil servants to risk their lives for citizens. We also identify additional factors that may be related to their willingness to take this risk and the types of clients for whom they are less or more willing to do so. We discuss the normative elements related to these findings and suggest fruitful future directions for study.
Liraglutide suppresses obesity and promotes browning of white fat via miR-27b in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Wang Xing , Chen Shuchun , Lv Dan , Li Zelin , Ren Luping , Zhu Haijiao , Xie Xing , Liu Yang
Published: November 2021

Objective

To investigate the effect of liraglutide on the browning of white fat and the suppression of obesity via regulating microRNA (miR)-27b in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat (HF) diet and 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were differentiated into mature white adipocytes. Rats and mature adipocytes were then treated with different doses of liraglutide. The mRNA and protein levels of browning-associated proteins, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16), CCAAT enhancer binding protein β (CEBPβ), cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector A (CIDEA) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ-coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.

Results

Liraglutide decreased body weight and reduced the levels of blood glucose, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in HF diet-fed rats. Liraglutide increased the levels of UCP1, PRDM16, CEBPβ, CIDEA and PGC-1α in vivo and vitro. The levels of miR-27b were upregulated in HF diet-fed rats, whereas liraglutide reduced the levels of miR-27b. In vitro, overexpression of miR-27b decreased the mRNA and protein levels of UCP1, PRDM16, CEBPβ, CIDEA and PGC-1α. Transfection with the miR-27b mimics attenuated the effect of liraglutide on the browning of white adipocytes.

Conclusion

Liraglutide induced browning of white adipose through regulation of miR-27b.
Use of GP73 in the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and the staging of hepatic fibrosis
Authors: Li Yadi , Yang Yan , Li Yufang , Zhang Ping , Ge Gaiying , Jin Jing , Du Ting , Ma Maiyan , Na Li , Ding Lu , Sheng Huiping
Published: November 2021

Objective

To evaluate the utility of Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis (HF) staging.

Methods

Ninety-one patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were allocated to NAFL (n = 46) and NASH (n = 45) groups according to their NAFLD activity score (NAS), and there were 30 healthy controls. Serum GP73 was measured by ELISA, GP73 protein expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry, and FibroScan was used to determine liver hardness.

Results

The serum GP73 concentrations of the NAFL and NASH groups were significantly higher than those of controls. GP73 expression in the liver of the patients gradually progressed from absent or low to moderate or high. Serum GP73 positively correlated with liver expression, and the serum and liver GP73 of the patients positively correlated with FibroScan value and HF stage. There was a strong positive correlation of the combination of alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase and GP73 with NASH. The combination of serum GP73 and FibroScan value was found to predict NASH (NAS > 4) and advanced HF (stage ≥2) in patients with NAFLD using receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Conclusion

Serum GP73 may be useful in the diagnosis of NASH and the staging of HF.
Enumeration of viable CD34+ cells in cord blood using a novel stem cell enumeration kit
Authors: Huang Sheng , Xu Kangli , Xu Shanshan , Yu Shijun , Miao Yan , Wang Juan
Published: November 2021

Objective

To assess the detection performance of the hematopoietic stem cell enumeration kit developed by BD Biosciences.

Methods

Cord blood samples were prepared using a hematopoietic stem cell enumeration kit developed by BD Biosciences and Stem-Kit reagents from Beckman Coulter. CD34+ cells were enumerated using a BD FACSCanto instrument and FACSDiva software.

Results

A total of 519 samples were analyzed in this study. The hematopoietic stem cell enumeration kit developed by BD Biosciences yielded absolute counts of CD34-positive cells that were on average 8.7% lower than Beckman Coulter Stem-Kit reagents (range: −5.7% to−14.7%). The BD Biosciences kit yielded relative counts that were on average 9.9% higher compared with Beckman Coulter Stem-Kit reagents (range: −2.1% to +13.8%). The intraclass correlation coefficients for absolute and relative counts of CD34-positive cells were 0.9967 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9961–0.9972) and 0.9512 (95% CI: 0.9423–0.9587) for the BD Biosciences and Beckman Coulter kits, respectively.

Conclusions

The hematopoietic stem cell enumeration kit developed by BD Biosciences can be used to enumerate CD34-positive stem cells from cord blood samples.
Effectiveness of collaboration between oncology pharmacists and anaesthesiologists for inpatient cancer pain management: A pilot study in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Kuan-Ju , Tai Yu-Ting , Chang Elizabeth H , Kuo Li-Na , Kuo Chun-Nan
Published: November 2021

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of the collaboration between oncology pharmacists and anaesthesiologists for improving pain control management in cancer patients.

Methods

This retrospective case–control pilot study enrolled inpatients with active cancer and a pain score of >3 at least once per day for 3 consecutive days. The study group was selected from June 2018 to January 2019. Patients with the same inclusion criteria were selected between November 2017 and May 2018 to serve as the comparison group. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients that experienced pain relief within 7 days from initial pain attack.

Results

A total of 71 and 77 patients were enrolled in the study and comparison groups. More patients in the study group experienced pain relief within 7 days from the index date (78.9% [56 of 71 patients] versus 72.7% [56 of 77 patients], respectively). The service increased the rate of intervention from attending physicians within 4 days from index date and quality of opioid management.

Conclusion

The collaboration between oncology pharmacists and anaesthesiologists for cancer pain management may be associated with an increase in the rate of pain relief in cancer patients with poor pain control.
Outcome analysis of early surgery and conservative treatment in neonates and infants with severe hydronephrosis
Authors: Deng Qi-Fei , Chu Han , Peng Bo , Liu Xiang , Cao Yong-Sheng
Published: November 2021

Objective

The treatment strategy and timing of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in infants remain controversial. This study aimed to compare the effect of early surgical treatment (EST) and conservative treatment (CT) on neonates and infants with UPJO and their recovery of renal function and morphology.

Methods

Eighty neonates and infants with severe hydronephrosis were enrolled in this study. They received early pyeloureteroplasty or CT. Diethylenetriamine pentaacetate was used to assess renal function.

Results

There were no significant differences in renal function or renal indices at baseline between the two groups. At 3 and 6 months of follow-up, the anteroposterior diameter of the renal pelvis and the Society of Fetal Urology grade in the EST surgery group were significantly lower compared with those at baseline. The thickness of the renal cortex was greater in the EST group than in the CT group at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. After follow-up for 6 months, renal function in the EST group was significantly better than that in the CT group.

Conclusion

EST accelerates the recovery of renal morphological and functional indices in neonates and infants with severe hydronephrosis.
Symmetry and Artistic Elongation of the Human Form: Exploring the Attainment of Aesthetic Appeal
Authors: Schott G D
Published: November 2021

Although typically associated with the Mannerist artistic style of the Renaissance, artists throughout history have created pictures and sculptures of humans depicted in an unrealistic and abnormally elongated form. The scientific basis for adopting this form of distortion is discussed here. First, probably subconsciously, artists have appreciated that the human form displays a symmetry which is often aesthetically pleasing. Second, perceived beauty is enhanced when the symmetrical image is elongated. There is evidence that the appeal of artworks which feature these characteristics can be attributed to their ease of cerebral processing, a view supported by functional MRI studies indicating there is an overlap between regions of the brain devoted to processing of symmetry and those devoted to appreciation of beauty.
The spectral scientists of corridor B: Neoliberalization and its ghosts in higher education
Authors: Holden Kerry
Published: November 2021

This paper examines the role and function of science as a vocation in contemporary higher education. In recent decades, universities have expanded and reorganized their resources and expertise around commercially viable research avenues. All the signs point towards the creep of new public management coupled with neoliberal economic policy that starting in the 1980s had introduced accountability, standardization and internal competitiveness into public sector institutions. In this paper, I examine how the idea of the vocation is produced in higher education institutes using the example of an internal research audit that was carried out in a major research-led university between 2002 and 2005. I examine its impacts on biomedical scientists who lost access to laboratory space, a move that effectively ended their research careers. These scientists were redeployed to teaching-only positions and shortly thereafter, resurrected as ghostly reminders of the effects of audit. While teaching-only staff echoed Foucauldian critique in exposing the power/knowledge matrices of institutional management, it was their spatialization as spectres stalking the edges of research that revealed how the moral economies of science are valorized not in resistance to neoliberalization but as constitutive of it.
National quality improvement indicators project: an initial descriptive study
Authors: Ramsay Daniel P , Quinn Phillip , Gin Veronica , Starkie Timothy D , Fry Robert A , Grummitt Samuel ,   on behalf of Anaesthesia Quality Improvement New Zealand
Published: November 2021

Background

Anaesthesia Quality Improvement New Zealand developed a set of five quality improvement indicators pertaining to postoperative nausea and vomiting, pain, respiratory distress, hypothermia and a prolonged post-anaesthesia care unit stay. This study sought to assess the proportion of eligible institutions that were able to measure and provide data on these indicators, produce an initial national estimate of these, and a measure of variability in the quality improvement indicators across hospitals in New Zealand.

Methods

All public hospitals that provide a representative to Anaesthesia Quality Improvement New Zealand were eligible for inclusion. Participating institutions were required to provide the number and proportion of patients with each of the five quality improvement indicators over a continuous 2-week period between 1 June 2019 and 25 October 2019. The overall percentage of patients and the median percentage with each outcome were calculated.

Results

A total of 79.2% of eligible hospitals participated. The median incidence of the indicators ranged from 1.67% for respiratory distress to 6.31% for prolonged post-anaesthesia care unit stay. The indicator with the largest interquartile range was hypothermia and the smallest was respiratory distress (13.48 and 2.29, respectively). A large variation was seen for prolonged post-anaesthesia care unit stay, hypothermia, pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Conclusion

The majority of eligible institutions were able to measure and provide data on the quality improvement indicators. There was a low rate of respiratory distress with low variability. A large amount of variability was observed in the other indicators. Future studies are needed to explore the nature of this variability.
Coolsense® versus EMLA® for peripheral venous cannulation in adult volunteers: A randomised crossover trial
Authors: Thind Dilraj , Roberts Stephen J , van der Griend Benjamin FH
Published: November 2021

Peripheral venous cannulation (PVC) is a commonly performed invasive medical procedure. Topical treatments such as the eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA®, Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd, St Leonards, NSW) attenuate the associated pain, but are limited by requiring up to one hour of application before becoming effective. The Coolsense® (Coolsense Medical Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel) pain numbing applicator is a new device using a cryoanalgesic means to anaesthetise skin within seconds. Coolsense is being increasingly used for cannulation, but comparative studies are lacking. We recruited 64 healthy adult volunteers to this open-label two sequence, two period randomised crossover trial. Participants had two 20 gauge venous cannulae inserted, one on the dorsum of each hand. Each cannulation attempt was preceded by treatment with Coolsense or an EMLA patch containing 2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine. The primary outcome was participant pain using the 0–10 numerical pain rating scale. Secondary outcomes were participant satisfaction scores on a 0–10 scale, treatment preference, and failed cannulation attempts. Participants were randomly assigned to either the Coolsense EMLA ( n = 32) or EMLA Coolsense ( n = 32) sequence. All participants completed the trial. The pooled mean paired difference of the numerical pain rating scale was –1.84 (95% confidence intervals –1.28 to –2.41; P < 0.001) in favour of EMLA. The pooled mean paired difference for satisfaction score was 2.26 (95% confidence intervals 1.46 to 3.07; P < 0.001) higher with EMLA. Most participants preferred EMLA over Coolsense ( P < 0.001). There was no significant difference regarding failed cannulation between the two treatments ( P = 0.14). Among healthy individuals undergoing elective PVC, EMLA was associated with reduced pain, increased satisfaction, and was the preferred treatment compared to Coolsense.
Optimal Deployment of Cordon Sanitaire with Available Testing Capacity
Authors: Lin Hongzhi , Zhang Yongping
Published: November 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities in many places have implemented various countermeasures, including setting up a cordon sanitaire to restrict population movement. This paper proposes a bi-level programming model to deploy a limited number of parallel checkpoints at each entry link around the cordon sanitaire to achieve a minimum total waiting time for all travelers. At the lower level, it is a transportation network equilibrium with queuing for a fixed travel demand and given road network. The feedback process between trip distribution and trip assignment results in the predicted waiting time and traffic flow for each entry link. For the lower-level model, the method of successive averages is used to achieve a network equilibrium with queuing for any given allocation decision from the upper level, and the reduced gradient algorithm is used for traffic assignment with queuing. At the upper level, it is a queuing network optimization model. The objective is the minimization of the system’s total waiting time, which can be derived from the predicted traffic flow and queuing delay time at each entry link from the lower-level model. Since it is a nonlinear integer programming problem that is hard to solve, a genetic algorithm with elite strategy is designed. An experimental study using the Nguyen-Dupuis road network shows that the proposed methods effectively find a good heuristic optimal solution. Together with the findings from two additional sensitivity tests, the proposed methods are beneficial for policymakers to determine the optimal deployment of cordon sanitaire given limited resources.
Mode Switching Control Using Lane Keeping Assist and Waypoints Tracking for Autonomous Driving in a City Environment
Authors: Horri Nadjim , Haas Olivier , Wang Sheng , Foo Mathias , Fernandez Manuel Silverio
Published: November 2021

This paper proposes a mode switching supervisory controller for autonomous vehicles. The supervisory controller selects the most appropriate controller based on safety constraints and on the vehicle location with respect to junctions. Autonomous steering, throttle and deceleration control inputs are used to perform variable speed lane keeping assist, standard or emergency braking and to manage junctions, including roundabouts. Adaptive model predictive control with lane keeping assist is performed on the main roads and a linear pure pursuit inspired controller is applied using waypoints at road junctions where lane keeping assist sensors present a safety risk. A multi-stage rule based autonomous braking algorithm performs stop, restart and emergency braking maneuvers. The controllers are implemented in MATLAB® and Simulink™ and are demonstrated using the Automatic Driving Toolbox™ environment. Numerical simulations of autonomous driving scenarios demonstrate the efficiency of the lane keeping assist mode on roads with curvature and the ability to accurately track waypoints at cross intersections and roundabouts using a simpler pure pursuit inspired mode. The ego vehicle also autonomously stops in time at signaled intersections or to avoid collision with other road users.
Reimagining Social Work Ancestry: Toward Epistemic Decolonization
Authors: Clarke Kris
Published: November 2021

Contextualizing disciplinary histories through the personal stories of forerunners creates compelling narratives of the craft of evolving professions. By looking to our intellectual and practitioner ancestors, we participate in a dialogue with a history that shapes our contemporary professional identities and aspirations for the future. Grounded in a decolonizing approach to social work, this article examines how the discipline shapes its professional identity and ways of knowing by centering the role of canonical founders in the social work curriculum. The global social work origin story in the curriculum often centers on Anglo-American ancestors that illustrate the development of the disciplinary boundaries of the international profession. One method of decolonizing social work epistemology at the intersection of ancestors and professional lineage could be to look to public history as a pedagogical tool in the curriculum. The article concludes by examining the use of podcasts as having the potential to decolonize the process of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating local knowledge of ancestors thus challenging the top-down approach to expert-driven epistemologies.
Evaluating Community Factors Associated With Individually Held Intimate Partner Violence Beliefs Across 51 Countries
Authors: Thulin Elyse J. , Heinze Justin E. , Zimmerman Marc A.
Published: November 2021

Globally, one in three women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) within her lifetime. IPV attitudes are highly predictive of IPV. While a wealth of literature on risk factors related to IPV exist, an overarching critique in the field is the lack of studies examining risk factors across the socioecological framework. Using data from multiple administrative and individual surveys, this study fills a gap in the literature by evaluating the effect of meso-influences on physical IPV attitudes (i.e., permissibility of a man beating his wife) while accounting for known micro- and macro-risk factors in 64,466 individuals across 51 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Mixed-effects modeling was used to evaluate factors and identify comparative contributions of each factor representing the socio-ecological levels. We tested five multivariate logistic models. The final model indicated that greater perceived neighborhood disorder and less perceived neighborhood security were associated with physical IPV attitudes, while individual endorsement of interpersonal violence, belief in corporal punishment of children, holding greater patriarchal beliefs, being male, being separated from a significant partner, reporting greater household hunger and nationally lower levels of female literacy were associated with beliefs that IPV is acceptable. Overall, the findings of this study support that IPV is a complex behavior, influenced by factors across socio-ecological domains. However, data on neighborhood structural factors (i.e., exosystem) would help unpack the mechanisms between macro-, meso- and micro-level factors and may be important for protecting women from violence.
Diet Quality and Biological Risk in a National Sample of Older Americans
Authors: Choi Yeon Jin , Ailshire Jennifer A. , Kim Jung Ki , Crimmins Eileen M.
Published: November 2021

Objectives: Using comprehensive measures of biological risk, this study aims to investigate the relationship between intake of individual dietary components, overall diet quality, and biological dysregulation. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from 3734 older adults who participated in the Health and Retirement Study Venous Blood Study in 2016 and Health Care and Nutrition Survey in 2013. Results: Eleven out of 13 individual dietary components were associated with lower biological risk. Respondents with poor/suboptimal quality diet had higher biological risk than those with good quality diet. Discussion: Findings from this study emphasize the importance of healthy eating in improving health of older adults. Encouraging intake of fruits, greens and beans, whole grains, and fatty acids, while limiting consumption of sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat would improve overall diet quality and contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases and morbidity.
Tooth Elongation of Maxillary Second Premolars and Mandibular Third Molars and Associated Periodontal Disease in Horses: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Turner Colleen M. , Reiswig Jeff , Manfredi Jane Marie
Published: November 2021

Periodontal disease has been identified in horses and donkeys through the millennia at a prevalence of up to 75% and is a leading cause of tooth loss in horses. We hypothesize that there is a correlation between tooth elongations and periodontal disease. Dental records of all client owned horses examined by a single AVDC/equine board certified practitioner in 2016-2018 were analyzed. Inclusion criteria consisted of the examination finding of tooth elongation of one of the following teeth pairs 106/107, 206/207, 310/311, or 410-411. The included cases were then examined for the finding of periodontal disease in Stages 1-4 (PD 1-4). Bayesian correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations of elongations and periodontal disease existed between PD1 and proximal tooth pairs 106-107 and 206-207, PD2 and PD4 with all four tooth pairs, and PD3 with 106-107. Clinically, early diagnosis and treatment of newly formed elongations, or prevention of their formation altogether through diligent dental prophylaxis could prove key in preservation of teeth through prevention of the associated development of periodontal disease in the horse.
Model-based feedforward control for suppressing torque oscillation of electric power steering system
Authors: Fu Duo , Li De-Zheng , Shangguan Wen-Bin
Published: November 2021

Oscillation suppression is essential for the stability design of electric power steering (EPS) systems. The stability controller module in EPS controller is the key to solve the stability control problem of EPS system. This paper proposes a new method of stability analysis and stability controller module design for EPS systems. Furthermore, the dynamic characteristics of the EPS system are analyzed, and two critical factors on the resulting EPS stability, that is, large assist and variable assist gain are investigated experimentally. The transfer function from steering torque to sensor torque is redefined. A new transfer function is proposed for measuring the effect of variable assist gain on system performance. Based on the above factors and transfer functions, constraints on the stability controller design are proposed. Then the optimal parameters in the controller are obtained by maximizing an objective function including phase margin, gain margin, and crossover frequency. It is concluded from simulations and bench tests that the proposed stability controller can significantly reduce the torque oscillation of the EPS system.
An observation algorithm for key motion states of skid-steered wheeled unmanned vehicle
Authors: Zhang Xing , Pei Weiya , Yin Xufeng , Yuan Shihua
Published: November 2021

With the increasing demand of military and civilian in the intelligent vehicles, the skid-steering theory has been widely used in unmanned ground vehicles, especially in unmanned military vehicles and unmanned surveillance platforms. Due to its driving environment complex and variable, which requires stricter dynamic control system. In order to improve the active safety performance of the skid-steering unmanned vehicle and develop the key technologies such as behavior decision planning technology, path tracking, and dynamic control technology, it is necessary to develop the dynamic state parameter observation system based on skid-steering theory. In this paper, an observation using Strong Track External Kalman Filter theory with noise matrix adaptive is designed to estimate vehicle kinematic parameters based on a 6 × 6 skid-steered unmanned vehicle. First, kinematic and dynamic model is built to analyze the characters of a skid-steered wheeled vehicle. Then a tire force estimation method based on dynamic model is presented to observe the tire longitude and vertical force. The tire force data is also used by Dugoff nonlinear model. Then an External Kalman Filter theory is designed to estimate vehicle kinematic parameters. To increase the accuracy and the robustness of the observer, the Strong Tracking EKF (STEKF) and noise adaptive adjustment is designed. Finally, a combined simulation using TruckSim and Simulink and the experiment using a 6 × 6 skid-steered unmanned vehicle verifies the efficiency of the observer. Results show that the observer is able to estimate the skid-steered wheeled vehicle states, and it also shows that the yaw rate result in the slip angle difference between each tire.
Investigation of effects of tire contour on aerodynamic characteristics and its optimization
Authors: Zhang Lingxin , Zhou Haichao , Wang Guolin , Li Huiyun , Wang Qingyang
Published: November 2021

Reducing the aerodynamic drag is one of the most important approaches for the development of energy-saving and environment-friendly automobiles. The tire contour has a great influence on the aerodynamic characteristics of automobiles. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the tire contour design parameters on the aerodynamic characteristics around a closed wheel, and obtain the optimized tire contour to reduce the automobile aerodynamic drag. A passenger car tire 185/65R14 was selected to conduct the wind tunnel test, and the surface pressure coefficients were used to validate the simulation model established using the detached eddy simulation (DES) model. To decrease tire drag, and taking the upper sidewall height, the tread radii, the tread width, and the transition arc radius of the shoulder as four design variables of contour, a combination of the Latin hypercube experimental design, the Kriging surrogate model, and the adaptive simulated annealing (ASA) algorithm were used to optimize the tire contour design parameters. The changes of flow field around the tire, including the velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, and pressure field were compared and analyzed for further understanding of the drag reduction mechanism. It is found that the aerodynamic drag coefficient of the optimized tire is reduced by 14.5%, and the aerodynamic coefficient drag of the car using the optimized tire is reduced by 7%. The present results are expected to provide useful information for designing new tire structures and improving the aerodynamic performance of the automobile.
The relationship between LNG price, LNG revenue, non-LNG revenue and government spending in China: An empirical analysis based on the ARDL and SVAR model
Authors: Hao Yuanyuan
Published: November 2021

The present paper examines the dynamic relationship between liquefied natural gas (LNG) price, LNG revenue, non-LNG revenue and government spending (GOVS) in China using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and structural vector auto-regressive (SVAR) model. The goal of carrying out ARDL and SVAR together is to consolidate and strengthen the consistency of the results obtained from both approaches. ARDL results show that a positive influence relationship between both short-run and long-run LNG prices, LNG revenue, non-LNG revenue and GOVS, but there was no significant relationship between LNG price and GOVS. The SVAR also substantiates the results of ARDL test and provides further insight which shows that long-run fiscal synchronization hypothesis is evidenced between the LNG revenue and GOVS, while spend-tax hypothesis exists in the long-run between GOVS and non-LNG revenue. It is also evidenced that there is a complementary relationship between LNG revenue and non-LNG revenue, but this complementary role is stronger than the substitution role. Since non-LNG revenue has a greater impact on GOVS in the short-run, and the impact of LNG prices and LNG revenue on GOVS in the long-run increases over time, thus, GOVS mitigates the direct impact of non-LNG revenue to some extent, and that an appropriate allocation of spending in the non-LNG industry will have a positive impact on the development of the market economy supporting the Keynesian and spend-tax hypothesis.
Prognostic factors of acetaminophen exposure in the United States: An analysis of 39,000 patients
Authors: Mehrpour Omid , Saeedi Farhad , Hadianfar Ali , Mégarbane Bruno , Hoyte Christopher
Published: November 2021

Acetaminophen is a frequently used over-the-counter or prescribed medication in the United States. Exposure to acetaminophen can lead to acute liver cytolysis, acute liver failure, acute kidney injury, encephalopathy, and coagulopathy. This retrospective cohort study (1/1/2012 to 12/31/2017) investigated the clinical outcomes of intentional and unintentional acetaminophen exposure using the National Poison Data System data. The frequency of outcomes, chronicity, gender, route of exposure, the reasons for exposure, and treatments as described. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the prognostic factors and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for outcomes. This study included 39,022 patients with acetaminophen exposure. Our study demonstrated that the likelihood of developing severe outcomes increased by aging (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.08–1.015) and was lower in females (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.78–0.99). Drowsiness/lethargy (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.22–1.82), agitation (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.11–2.50), coma (OR = 23.95, 95% CI: 17.05–33.64), bradycardia (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.22–4.32), rhabdomyolysis (OR = 8.84, 95% CI: 3.71–21.03), hypothermia (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.77–9.51), and hyperthermia 2.10 (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.04–4.22) were likely associated with major outcomes or death. Treatments included intravenous N-acetylcysteine (61%), oral N-acetylcysteine (10%), vasopressor (1%), hemodialysis (0.7%), fomepizole (0.1%), hemoperfusion (0.03%), and liver transplant (0.1%). In conclusion, it is important to consider clinical presentations of patients with acetaminophen toxicity that result in major outcomes and mortality to treat them effectively.
Case C-243/19 A v. Veselības ministrija
Authors: Paju Jaan
Published: November 2021

The issue at stake in Case C-243/19 A v. Veselības ministrija is whether a personal choice on the part of a patient, based on religious beliefs, must be considered when assessing the need for cross-border healthcare. The Court of Justice of the European Union holds that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is applicable and the right to freedom of religion can be invoked, in addition to medical criteria. However, the sustainability of the healthcare system can be an objective justification for refusal to grant authorisation for cross-border healthcare. Furthermore, the case clarifies – to a certain extent – the parallel tracks for claiming cross-border healthcare.
Grandfathers’ Experiences of Grief and Support Following Pregnancy Loss or Neonatal Death of a Grandchild
Authors: Lockton Jane , Oxlad Melissa , Due Clemence
Published: November 2021

Pregnancy loss and neonatal death are recognized as distressing experiences for parents and other family members. However, no research has specifically addressed the experiences of grandfathers. This study aimed to understand grandfathers’ grief experiences, and to identify supports they provide, receive, and desire following the loss of a grandchild in pregnancy or the neonatal period. Semi-structured interviews with 10 Australian grandfathers were analyzed, applying principles of thematic analysis. Three themes related to grief and three themes related to support were identified. Findings indicated that grandfathers expressed grief in a range of ways, and emotional expressiveness did not reflect the extent of their grief. Grandfathers typically provided extensive support to their child and family; however, few supports were available to help grandfathers. Recognition and validation of grandfathers’ grief, early access to information, and guidance to a variety of supports including written materials, peer and professional support, is required.
From Theory to Implementation: Adaptations to a Quality Improvement Initiative According to Implementation Context
Authors: Olaniran Abimbola A. , Oludipe Modupe , Hill Zelee , Ogunyemi Adedoyin , Umar Nasir , Ohiri Kelechi , Schellenberg Joanna , Marchant Tanya
Published: November 2021

As countries continue to invest in quality improvement (QI) initiatives in health facilities, it is important to acknowledge the role of context in implementation. We conducted a qualitative study between February 2019 and January 2020 to explore how a QI initiative was adapted to enable implementation in three facility types: primary health centres, public hospitals and private facilities in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Despite a common theory of change, implementation of the initiative needed to be adapted to accommodate the local needs, priorities and organisational culture of each facility type. Across facility types, inadequate human and capital resources constrained implementation and necessitated an extension of the initiative’s duration. In public facilities, the local governance structure was adapted to facilitate coordination, but similar adaptations to governance were not possible for private facilities. Our findings highlight the importance of anticipating and planning for the local adaptation of QI initiatives according to implementation environment.
Diversity in Outdoor Education: Discrepancies in SEL Across a School Overnight Program
Authors: Germinaro Kaleb , Dunn Erin , Polk Kayla D. , de Vries Hannah G. , Daugherty Devin , Jones Janine
Published: November 2021

Background: Outdoor education plays a significant role in social emotional development; however, research on the benefits of outdoor education has focused on white student populations. Purpose: This pilot-study examines social emotional learning (SEL) growth, measured by instructor ratings, across a multicultural group of students who participated in an immersive outdoor education program. Methodology/Approach: 69 fifth-grade students from a public ( n = 50) and private school ( n = 21) located in western Washington state were included in the study. Instructors’ ratings were examined. Findings/Conclusions: Results indicated across all participants in the subsample, instructors’ ratings of students’ SEL skills significantly increased over the course of the program. Specifically, instructors perceived white students to improve more during the program than students of color. Implications: There will be more possibilities for outdoor immersive education experiences if there is increased focus on creating equitable experiences for students.
Widowhood and Mental Health: Social Predictors of Mental Health Disorders Among Widows
Authors: C. Taylor Brown , Harrold Jordan
Published: November 2021

This study examines the relationship between three common mental health disorders—anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder—in the first year of spousal bereavement and a myriad of social factors—including the security of health insurance and the presence of children at home—among those who have been widowed. We analyzed a novel survey of 503 widows who had participated in the Modern Widows’ Club Widows Empowerment Event. We then used logistic regression to investigate the relationship between these variables, discovering nuance between them. Our findings further elucidate the need for health and mental health providers to be attuned to the unique psychosocial needs of widows, especially among the first year of widowhood.
Development and use of an innovative Gap Finding Tool to create a Pharmaceutical Care Model within a paediatric oncology setting
Authors: Falzon Sephorah , Galea Nathalie , Calvagna Victor , Pham Jennifer T , Grech Louise , Azzopardi Lilian M
Published: November 2021

Introduction

A paediatric cancer ward is a setting where pharmacists participate in direct patient care, acting as coordinators between the patient, caregivers and healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to develop a Gap Finding Tool to support the setting up of a pharmaceutical care model at a Paediatric-Adolescent Cancer Ward.

Methods

The Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacy Services by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia Committee of Specialty Practice in Clinical Pharmacy (2013), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (2014) and the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (2014) were used to compile the Gap Finding Tool. The developed Tool was tested for content validity by a panel of experts and subsequently implemented over 2 months.

Results

The Gap Finding Tool comprised of nine sections with an average of eight statements each about pharmacy services that should be provided at ward level. For each statement, the rater indicates whether these contributions are provided. When the Tool was implemented at the Paediatric-Adolescent Cancer Ward, four major gaps were identified, namely, absence of a clinical pharmacist, lack of medicines information, vetting of chemotherapy prescriptions by pharmacist with limited access to patient data and lack of pharmacist-input on medicines availability. Processes requiring optimisation included discharge medication advice and documentation processes.

Conclusion

The developed Gap Finding Tool is an innovative tool which is versatile and can be used in ward or ambulatory clinical settings to identify gaps in pharmaceutical processes and services and compare national or regional practices to international standards.