bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Water-Based Nanofluids on the Generation of Entropy in a Shell and Helical Coil Heat Exchanger
Authors: Srinivas T. , Vinod A. Venu
Published: April 2024

A forced convection finding proves that entropy was generated as a result of the heat transfer between the fluids on the coil and the fluids on the shell side. It was found that entropy generation was affected by nanofluid concentration, coil-side fluid flow rate, shell-side fluid temperature,
and agitator speed (500 rpm, 1000 rpm, and 1500 rpm) in this paper. The nanoparticle (Al2O3, CuO, and TiO2) weight fractions ranged from 0.3 to 2%. This paper investigates the friction entropy generation rate, the entropy generation ratio, and the thermal entropy
generation rate of various nanofluids in laminar and turbulent flow conditions, using existing correlations to guide the investigation. The results revealed that the generation of entropy increased as the Dean number, SS, and fluid temperature on the shell side of the reactor were increased
in the laboratory. And, found that the maximum entropy generation rate of Al2O3/water, CuO/water, and TiO2/water nanofluids occurred at 56.4 percent by weight of the nanofluid, 62.1 percent by weight of the nanofluid, and 48.1 percent by weight of the nanofluid.
Numerical Investigation of Nanofluids Mixed Convection in a Lid-Driven Cavity with Two Heat Sources
Authors: Bounib Meriem , Bouhezza Aicha , Teggar Mohamed , Khelifa Abdelkrim
Published: April 2024

Heat transfer enhancement through using nanofluids improves energy efficiency and enables energy savings. In this paper, a nanofluids flow and heat transfer are numerically investigated in a cavity. Four nanoparticle types (CuO, Al2O3, ZnO and SiO2)
dispersed in the base liquid (water) are considered. The cavity is partially heated by two identical sources placed on the vertical walls. Partial differential equations (PDEs) are solved using (ANSYS R2 (2020) software). The Maxwell physical model and the Brownian motion effect are used to
calculate the thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity considering the diameter of the nanoparticles. Numerical simulations are performed for various parameters including nanoparticle type, nanoparticle volume fraction (0 ≤ Φ ≤ 0.06), nanoparticle diameter (29 nm, 49 nm and 69
nm) and Richardson number (0.1 ≤ Ri ≤ 10). The streamlines, isotherms, and average Nusselt number are analyzed. The results of this study showed that the average Nusselt number increases with increasing the volume fraction of nanoparticles, and decreases with incrementing the
nanoparticle diameter. The heat transfer increases as the Richardson number increases. The nanofluid SiO2-water is suggested as it showed the highest heat transfer rate among the investigated nanofluids. Using Φ = 6% nanoparticles with a diameter of 29 nm improves the
average Nusselt number by 6.81%, 2.43% and 0.96% for SiO2, Al2O3, ZnO, respectively, when compared to CuO, for the right-wall (Nuaverage(1)), and 6.70%, 2.40% and 0.84% for the left wall (Nuaverage(2)).
Chemical Reaction, Radiation and Hall Effects on MHD Rotating Nanofluid Past an Infinite Vertical Moving Smooth Plate
Authors: Anand Kumar S. Abhilash , Sreedhar S. , Krishna M. Veera , Chamkha A. J.
Published: April 2024

We have explored the uneven normal convection flows of the nanoliquids past an unbounded vertical moving soft plate by the permeable material in the revolving frame by convection as well as diffusion frontier situations and considering Hall current in this paper. We looked at two different
forms of nanofluids: Ag–H2O as well as TiO2–H2O, respectively. The controlling calculations were done systematically utilizing the perturbations approach, described in detail below. Finally, with diagrams, the consequences of dissimilar non-dimensional
parameters on the velocities, temperatures, as well as concentrations sketches and the shear stress, locally Nusselt as well as Sherwood numbers were studied in detailed. The effect of radiating as well as Hartmann quantity has the potential to slow down the velocity. By an augment in the
Hall parameters the velocity amplifies. The convective parameters of the movement contribute to the improvement of the temperatures profile of the flows. The concentration reduces if the suction parameter values are enhanced.
Convective Flow of Water-Ethylene Glycol (50:50) Based Nanofluid Over a Spinning Down-Pointing Vertical Cone in a Darcy Porous Medium
Authors: Yashodha S. , Ganga B. , Abdul Hakeem A. K. , Sivasankaran S.
Published: April 2024

The present work analyzes the free convective boundary layer flow of nanofluids around a heated and spinning down pointing vertical cone with the effect of magnetic field placed in a porous medium. The solutions of the partial differential equations with slip boundary conditions, which
describes the flow are attained by a numerical based technique called fourth order Runge-Kutta method with shooting techniques after converting into ordinary differential equations with suitable transformations. The impact of governing parameter on velocity profile, temperature distribution
is represented graphically. The range of the variables are 0 < M < 4, 0.01 < Φ < 0.04, 0 < ɛ < 4, 0 < Da < 4, 0.1 < Γ1 < 1.5 and 0.1 < Γ2 < 1.5. Increasing the value of Da noticeably promotes
the F′(y) and G(y) and diminishes the H(y). Regarding tangential velocity, Fe3O4 dominates Al2O3 for every values of Magnetic parameter, spin parameter, Darcy number, velocity and thermal slip parameter. Fe3O4
possess 0.87% of high heat transfer rate than Al2O3 with respect to nanoparticle volume fraction. In case of slip parameters (velocity and thermal) Al2O3 shows good heat transfer rate than Fe3O4 with 0.93% and 0.98% respectively.
It is scrutinized that the current results are in excellent compatibility with the outcomes noted as in previous works.
Active and Passive Control of Nanoparticles Under the Influence of Magnetized Nanofluid Flow Over a Convectively Heated Slippery Wedge
Authors: Maity Suprakash , Kundu Prabir Kumar
Published: April 2024

This research investigate the upshots of actively and passively controlled nanofluid flow over a wedge. Comparison is done for various wedge angle parameter. Magnetic field is employed in normal to the flow direction. Velocity slip effect and external heat source is incorporate to the
system. Leading partial differential equations are converted nonlinear ordinary differential equations with the help of suitable similarity transformation. Runge Kutta-4 method with shooting technique is used to solve the system. MAPLE-2019 software is applied to simulate the whole system.
The results are described by graphs and corresponding values of engineering interest are tabulated properly. For magnetic parameter reduced skin friction coefficient value is increased by 7.31% but for injection situation and 9.32% or suction effect. Biot number also gives us escalated velocity
profile. We get 10.56% increment in skin friction for suction effect and 7.25% for injection effect. Heat lines and mass lines also show excellent result for different parameter under the comparison of active and passive controlled of nanofluid flow.
Numerical Investigation of Thermo-Bioconvection of Oxytactic Micro-Organism in a Tilted Square Porous Cavity Heated Sinusoidally
Authors: Chowdhury Sandip , Rao P. S.
Published: April 2024

This study examines the thermo-bioconvective flow in a square tilted porous cavity heated sinusoidally and contains oxytactic microorganisms. The bio-convection flow in porous material is formulated using the Darcy model with Boussinesq approximation. The governing equations are expressed
in terms of dimensionless stream function, concentrations, and temperature. For a wide variety of relevant parameters, including bioconvection Rayleigh number Rb = 100, 10, Rayleigh number Ra = 100, 10, Lewis number Le = 10, 1 Peclet number Pe = 1, 0.1, and slanted
angle (ɛ) = 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, numerical results are produced using the implicit finite difference approach. Average Nusselt number (Nu<mml:mo
accent="false">¯), Average Sherwood number of oxygen concentration (Sh¯),
and average Sherwood number of microorganisms (Nn¯) are thoroughly analyzed. It has
been found that effect of tiltedness (ɛ) of the cavity on average Sherwood number of microorganism (Nn¯)
is insignificant at left wall and at the right wall average Sherwood number of microorganism (Nn¯)
is highly influenced by ɛ. Also tiltedness of the cavity weakens the flow strength for higher bioconvection Rayleigh number at Pe = 0.1.
Numerical Simulation of Mixing Performance on the Rotating Electroosmotic Micromixer
Authors: Shahnazari Mohammad Reza , Chenarani Hamid , Ghasemi Jahan B. , Chamkha Ali J.
Published: April 2024

Lab-on-a-disk systems have become popular during the past two decades by accelerating the biomedical diagnostic process and chemical reactions. Mixing performance should be attended to because of its importance in lab-on-a-disk systems. This paper investigates applying a voltage to
the mixing performance in a centrifugal serpentine three-dimensional micromixer. The finite element method is used for the simulation-based COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 program. Working fluid has the same properties as water in 298 K. The results indicate that increasing angular velocity causes
mixing quality to drop until the threshold angular velocity increases. Also, it is observed that applying an electric field into the domain can improve mixing quality, and as a result, channel length decreases; hence more patterns will be placed on one disk.
La escritura electrónica
Authors: Cassany Daniel
Published: April 2024

En el marco de los estudios sobre comunicación mediatizadapor ordenador (CMO), exploramos algunas de las consecuencias que tiene en el campo de la educación lingüística la actual migración de las prácticas de escritura analógica (impresas, producidas con lápiz y papel) a la escritura electrónica (o EE, escritura con ordenador e internet). Describimos los principales rasgos psicosociolingüísticos de la EE en comparación con la redacción impresa, en los planos pragmático, discursivo, léxico-gramaticaly en lo relativo al procesamiento cognitivo. También destacamos algunas de las implicaciones pedagógicas para la educación lingüística que supone la expansión de este tipo de práctica escrita.
Cost Savings of Whole Blood Versus Component Therapy at a Community Level 1 Trauma Center
Authors: Murphy Rachel C. , Johnson Tyler W. , Mack Thomas J. , Burke Rachel E. , Damiano Nicholas P. , Heger Laura , Minner Nicholas , German Emily , Wilson Angela , Mount Michael G. , Thurston Brian C. , Mentzer Caleb J.
Published: April 2024

Background

Blood product component-only resuscitation (CORe) has been the standard of practice in both military and civilian trauma care with a 1:1:1 ratio used in attempt to recreate whole blood (WB) until recent data demonstrated WB to confer a survival advantage, leading to the emergence of WB as the contemporary resuscitation strategy of choice. Little is known about the cost and waste reduction associated with WB vs CORe.

Methods

This study is a retrospective single-center review of adult trauma patients admitted to a community trauma center who received WB or CORe as part of their massive transfusion protocol (MTP) resuscitation from 2017 to 2021. The WB group received a minimum of one unit WB while CORe received no WB. Univariate and multivariate analyses were completed. Statistical analysis was conducted using a 95% confidence level. Non-normally distributed, continuous data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test.

Results

576 patients were included (201 in WB and 375 in CORe). Whole blood conveyed a survival benefit vs CORe (OR 1.49 P < .05, 1.02-2.17). Whole blood use resulted in an overall reduction in products prepared (25.8%), volumes transfused (16.5%), product waste (38.7%), and MTP activation (56.3%). Cost savings were $849 923 annually and $3 399 693 over the study period.

Discussion

Despite increased patient volumes over the study period (43.7%), the utilization of WB as compared to CORe resulted in an overall $3.39 million cost savings while improving mortality. As such, we propose WB should be utilized in all resuscitation strategies for the exsanguinating trauma patient.
More Harm Than Good: It is Time to Reconsider Prophylactic Fasciotomy in Lower-Extremity Vascular Injury
Authors: Rao Appajosula S. , Scalea Thomas M. , Feliciano David V. , Harfouche Melike N.
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Four-compartment calf fasciotomy (CF) can be limb-saving. Prophylactic fasciotomy (PP) is advised in high-risk situations to prevent limb loss. Calf fasciotomy can cause significant morbidity, particularly if performed unnecessarily. We hypothesized that selective use of fasciotomies (SF) after lower-extremity vascular injury would lead to a lower rate of overall fasciotomies without an increase in limb complications than prophylactic fasciotomies (PFs).

Methods

Trauma patients who sustained lower-extremity vascular injury that required operative repair at a high-volume trauma center were retrospectively reviewed and grouped by SF or PF (2016-2022). SF were individuals who were observed and underwent CF only if signs of compartment syndrome developed, whereas PF were individuals who underwent CF without signs of compartment syndrome. The primary outcome was amputation rate. Secondary outcomes were fasciotomy rate, need for reoperative vascular surgery, and clinical characteristics predisposing use of PF.

Results

Of 101 overall patients, 30 patients (29.4%) had PF. Of the remaining 71 (SF group), 43.7% (n = 31) were spared CF. The median time from injury to vascular repair in both groups was the same (7 hours, P = .15). There was no difference in rate of vascular reoperation per group (PF = 26.7% vs SF = 23.9%, P = .77). The only clinical characteristic associated with PF was need for arterial shunt (OR 4.2, P = .028).

Conclusions

In trauma patients with lower-extremity vascular injury undergoing vascular repair, selective use of fasciotomy can spare almost half of patients the need for fasciotomy without an increase in limb complications.
iPad-Based Neurocognitive Testing (ImPACT-QT) in Acute Adult Mild Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion: Study on Practicality and Bedside Cognitive Scores in a Level-1 Trauma Center
Authors: Chen Patrick M. , Lee Sean , Cruz Lillian D. , Lopez Michael , Thomas Aaron , Chen Jefferson W. , Grigorian Areg , Nahmias Jeffry , Lekawa Michael
Published: April 2024

Background

There lacks rapid standardized bedside testing to screen cognitive deficits following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment & Cognitive Testing-Quick Test (ImPACT-QT) is an abbreviated-iPad form of computerized cognitive testing. The aim of this study is to test ImPACT-QT utility in inpatient settings. We hypothesize ImPACT-QT is feasible in the acute trauma setting.

Method

Trauma patients ages 12-70 were administered ImPACT-QT (09/2022-09/2023). Encephalopathic/medically unstable patients were excluded. Mild traumatic brain injury was defined as documented-head trauma with loss-of-consciousness <30 minutes and arrival Glasgow Coma Scale 13-15. Patients answered Likert-scale surveys. Bivariate analyses compared demographics, attention, motor speed, and memory scores between mTBI and non-TBI controls. Multivariable logistic regression assessed memory score as a predictor of mTBI diagnosis.

Results

Of 233 patients evaluated (36 years [IQR 23-50], 71% [166/233] female), 179 (76%) were mTBI patients. For all patients, mean test-time was 9.3 ± 2 minutes with 93% (73/76) finding the test “easy to understand.” Mild traumatic brain injury patients than non-TBI control had lower memory scores (25 [IQR 7-100] vs 43 [26-100], P = .001) while attention (5 [1-23] vs 11 [1-32]) and motor score (14 [3-28] vs 13 [4-32]) showed no significant differences. Multivariable-regression (adjustment: age, sex, race, education level, ISS, and time to test) demonstrated memory score predicted mTBI positive status (OR .96, CI .94-.98, P = .004).

Discussion

Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment & Cognitive Testing-Quick Test is feasible in trauma patients. Preliminary findings suggest acute mTBIs have lower memory but not attention/motor scores vs non-TBI trauma controls.
Practicing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Canadian Hospital-Based Occupational Therapists
Authors: Oostlander Samantha A. , Sauvé-Schenk Katrine , Bissett Diana
Published: April 2024

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted hospital operations worldwide, including services delivered by occupational therapists (OTs). Purpose. This study aimed to understand the experiences of OTs at one Canadian, tertiary care hospital during the 2021–2022 period of the pandemic. Method. We used a qualitative descriptive approach to describe the experiences of OTs during the pandemic. Findings. While there were similarities in the 10 participating OTs’ experiences, salient differences were largely linked to the method of service delivery. Inpatient OTs benefitted from the support of colleagues and developed coping strategies in response to high levels of workplace stress and anxiety and a perceived lack of support from many levels of society. Clinically, they spent more time on discharge planning with fewer resources. OTs providing virtual/hybrid services experienced unique challenges related to adapting their practice to a virtual platform, including challenges assessing patients. They described benefits associated with virtual/hybrid service delivery and brought up concerns around equity of service provision. Conclusion. OTs in this hospital setting faced challenges in providing patient care and supporting their own wellness during the pandemic. Future research could explore the role of leadership in supporting occupational therapy practice during public health emergencies.
Neighborhood Safety and Perinatal Mental Health
Authors: Svelnys Cassandra L. , Narayan Angela J.
Published: April 2024

Neighborhood safety (NS) has important implications for mental health, yet research is needed to clarify how different constructs that measure NS associate with mental health problems. Research is particularly underdeveloped on NS among low-income, postpartum individuals, who may experience greater vulnerability. This study examined two measures of NS, self-reported and coder-rated, and their associations with prenatal and postnatal depression and PTSD symptoms, and lifetime adversity. Participants were 121 perinatal individuals living in a major metro area. Both types of NS were significantly intercorrelated. Neither prenatal nor postnatal depression symptoms predicted self-reported or coder-rated NS. However, higher lifetime adversity and higher postnatal PTSD symptoms predicted lower self-reported postnatal NS (but not coder-rated NS). After controlling for prenatal PTSD symptoms, lower self-reported NS also predicted higher postnatal PTSD symptoms. Findings underscore the importance of focusing on individuals’ lived experiences in their neighborhoods to understand links between perceptions of NS and PTSD symptoms.
A Comparative Study of Regional Disparities in the Districts of West Bengal
Authors: Sengupta Panchali , Chakrabarti Anjan
Published: April 2024

In the post-economic reform period, the overall economic growth of West Bengal has been increasing. However, agricultural growth has become sluggish since the 1990s. The relatively low contribution of the secondary sector reveals an absence of a strong manufacturing base in the state. The high contribution of the tertiary sector indicates diversification and expansion of services. The time dimension for district-level analysis has been constricted by data availability. The inequality among the district is increasing, with a divergence of growth. Three development indices and a composite index reveal a significant disparity in development outcomes across districts between 2001 and 2013. The developmental gap between districts in the southern and northern parts of West Bengal has become prominent.

JEL Codes: R11, 047, D63
Asymmetric Volatility in Stock  Market: Evidence from Selected  Export-based Countries
Authors: Gupta Himani
Published: April 2024

In a country, the financial markets depend on several economic factors. One of these important factors is the export of the country. The stock index of the country tends to be raised due to the exports, though it may occur after some time rather than immediately. In this study, an attempt has been made to predict the best model of volatility in top export countries, Germany, China, the United States, Japan and Hong Kong by taking into account the closing price of the stock index of the sampled countries for a period ranging from the year 2000 to 2020. The returns from the stock markets are asymmetric; negative returns are found to be followed by a greater increase in volatility than the corresponding positive returns. Therefore, both symmetric and asymmetric generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) models have been applied to predict the volatility. The symmetric model used is GARCH (1,1) and asymmetric models used in the study are exponential GARCH (1,1) and GJR-GARCH (1,1). The study shows that EGARCH model has outperformed the GARCH and GJR-GARCH models in estimating the volatility in four stock indices ( Hanif & Pok, 2010 ; Kışınbay, 2010 ; Lin, 2018 ), and GJR-GARCH has outperformed in estimating volatility in one stock index ( Oberholzer & Venter, 2015 ; Shamiri & Hassan, 2007 ). The benefit of this study is to help portfolio managers, investors and corporations in making investment-related decisions.

JEL Codes: C20, C31, C58, G12
Acute fatigue-induced alterations in hamstring muscle properties after repeated Nordic hamstring exercises
Authors: Magdalena Podczarska-Głowacka , Bartłomiej Bogdański , Robert Trybulski , Małgorzata Smoter , Hsing-Kuo Wang , Sebastian Klich
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the Nordic hamstring exercises (NHE) on acute fatigue-induced alterations in the mechanical and morphological properties of hamstring muscles. The second aim was to define the blood flow and perfusion after NHE in recreational active volunteers. Twenty-two individuals volunteered to participate in the study. This study investigated fatigue outcomes: rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale and average force generated during NHE; mechanical properties (stiffness); morphological properties (thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length), and vascularity index (VI) of the semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris long head (BFLH) at baseline, immediately post-exercise and 1-h post-exercise. The NHE fatigue procedure consisted of six bouts of five repetitions. The results showed an increase in thickness and pennation angle of BFLH and ST immediately post-exercise and a decrease in thickness and pennation angle of BFLH and ST 1-h post-exercise. While the fascicle length of BFLH and ST decreased immediately post-exercise and increased 1-h post-exercise. The VI for two muscles increased immediately post-exercise and after 1-h post-exercise. Moreover, we found a relationship between RPE and average force, that is, as RPE increased during NHE, average force decreased. In conclusion, eccentric NHE exercises significantly and acutely affect BFLH and ST. The NHE fatigue protocol significantly affected the mechanical and morphological properties of BFLH and ST muscles, changing their thickness, fascicle length, pennation angle, and VI.
Development and application of a power Bonferroni mean operator based on the foreign fiber content grade evaluation method
Authors: Rong Ziqi , Du Yuhong , Ren Weijia
Published: April 2024

Cubic q-rung orthogonal fuzzy sets (C q-ROFSs) are a sophisticated mathematical tool used to handle complex evaluation information in multi-attribute decision-making problems. In specific decision-making problems, the power Bonferroni mean (PBM) operator can reflect the correlation between different attributes and mitigate the impact of extreme evaluation information, thereby providing more practical value. This paper focuses on expanding the PBM operator into the C q-ROFS environment and deriving new PBM operators: the cubic q-rung orthogonal power Bonferroni averaging operator and weight cubic q-rung orthogonal PBM operator. The proposed operator shows strong flexibility and stability in the cubic q-rung orthogonal fuzzy environment. In the absence of weight information, there is a dearth of literature addressing the acceptable advantage and decision stability in the C q-ROFS environment; considering the regret behavior of decision information, a VIKOR method based on regret theory is proposed. The proposed method aggregates information using the proposed operator, determines the scheme and weights at two levels of attributes, and constructs a relative proximity decision matrix. Then, the VIKOR method calculates the group utility value and individual regret value based on the regret perception value to rank the alternatives. Finally, the method is applied to evaluate the cotton foreign fiber content, and its stability and effectiveness are verified through sensitivity analysis and comparison with existing methods.
Modeling and economic model predictive control of constrained cutterhead system with disturbance in tunnel boring machines
Authors: Zhang Langwen , Liu Jinfeng , Xie Wei , Wang Bohui
Published: April 2024

Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are usually the first choice for tunneling construction with its advantages on high safety, time saving, and less operators. Cutterhead system is an important component for TBMs since it is used to excavate rocks and soil. It is difficult to guarantee both the boring efficiency and energy saving under the excavating rock disturbances and the constraints on the driving motors in TBMs by manual operation. To deal with this problem, it is necessary to develop advanced control algorithms for the cutterhead system. Thus, we investigate an economic model predictive control (EMPC) structure for cutterhead system in TBMs. A generalized nonlinear dynamic model of TBM cutterhead system is built based on the first principle method. An economic cost is constructed with the boring efficiency and energy cost to evaluate the tunnel construction quality. EMPC algorithms are designed to optimize the constructed economic cost for a cutterhead system to guarantee good economic performance. It is shown that EMPC can improve the economic performance of the cutterhead system.
Introduction: The Cultural Axis Between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany
Authors: Goeschel Christian , Malone Hannah
Published: April 2024

In setting the scene for the articles featured in the special issue, the Introduction provides a brief overview of the literature on the Axis between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany from its origins until the present day. While traditionally the historiography has overlooked culture as a point of contact between the two regimes, there is a small, but growing, body of recent research on the topic, which is often inspired by transnational, comparative, and global history. Thus, the introduction presents the cultural entanglements of Fascism and National Socialism as fertile ground for new research.
Value of radiomics-based automatic grading of muscle edema in polymyositis/dermatomyositis based on MRI fat-suppressed T2-weighted images
Authors: Zhang Yumei , Zou Yuefen , Tan Wenfeng , Lv Chengyin
Published: April 2024

Background

The precise and objective assessment of thigh muscle edema is pivotal in diagnosing and monitoring the treatment of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM).

Purpose

Radiomic features are extracted from fat-suppressed (FS) T2-weighted (T2W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of thigh muscles to enable automatic grading of muscle edema in cases of polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Material and Methods

A total of 241 MR images were analyzed and classified into five levels using the Stramare criteria. The correlation between muscle edema grading and T2-mapping values was assessed using Spearman’s correlation. The dataset was divided into a 7:3 ratio of training (168 samples) and testing (73 samples). Thigh muscle boundaries in FS T2W images were manually delineated with 3D-Slicer. Radiomics features were extracted using Python 3.7, applying Z-score normalization, Pearson correlation analysis, and recursive feature elimination for reduction. A Naive Bayes classifier was trained, and diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and comparing sensitivity and specificity with senior doctors.

Results

A total of 1198 radiomics parameters were extracted and reduced to 18 features for Naive Bayes modeling. In the testing set, the model achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.97, sensitivity of 0.85, specificity of 0.98, and accuracy of 0.91. The Naive Bayes classifier demonstrated grading performance comparable to senior doctors. A significant correlation (r = 0.82, P <0.05) was observed between Stramare edema grading and T2-mapping values.

Conclusion

The Naive Bayes model, utilizing radiomics features extracted from thigh FS T2W images, accurately assesses the severity of muscle edema in cases of PM/DM.
Making Ends Meet: An Examination of Legal and Illegal Sources of Financial Support for Individuals Returning from Prison
Authors: Peterson Bryce E. , Fontaine Jocelyn
Published: April 2024

A fundamental challenge facing individuals returning from prison is securing income. Although there have been numerous studies on the relationship between post-release employment and reintegration, less is known about the extent to which returning individuals rely on other sources of financial support, such as the support from family members, public assistance, or earnings from illicit activities. There is also a knowledge gap around how these sources of financial support relate to one another. We use survey data from 385 men who were released from prison to two Chicago neighborhoods, collected as part of an evaluation of the Safer Return Demonstration. We found that 41% of men reported having a legal job since their release, 9% reported receiving income from illegal activities, 30% reported receiving monetary public assistance, 66% received non-monetary public assistance, and 60% were currently receiving financial support from their families. Results from logistic regression models indicate that individuals who were employed were less likely to be financially supported by their families or receive public benefits, but this had no impact on whether they received earning from illegal activities. We discuss the implications of these findings for policy, practice, and future research.
On the transformation of values into prices of production apropos of Moseley’s Money and Totality
Authors: Iñigo-Carrera Juan
Published: April 2024

Mosely’s book provides a vantage point for a critical analysis of the ‘transformation problem’, as it questions the dominant conceptions that reduce the methodological debate to a matter of constructing systems of equations; at the same time, it shares with them the reduction of the methodological question to a matter of interpreting Marx’s texts. Moseley interprets ‘Capital’ as a logical representation composed of a macro theory and a micro theory. The article starts by showing how this approach mutilates the organic unity between social capital and individual capitals. Consequently, focus is placed on Moseley’s presupposition of values as if they were given in prices of production to explain the determination of these same prices, as well as on his exclusion of gold’s exchangeability as a product of capital from the transformation process. The article extends the methodological analysis to the above-mentioned prevailing conceptions and their ideological basis. Next, it shows how they coincide with Moseley’s in the logical inconsistency of assuming that the value of total variable capital and total surplus value appear unchanged in prices of production, although the organic compositions of the spheres that produce their material content differ from the social average. At this point, the real issue is brought forward: it is not about interpreting Marx’s texts in search of a ‘given’ or an ‘invariance postulate’ to construct a model that satisfies them; the point is to follow Marx’s methodological proposal to reproduce by way of thought the concrete determinations that make values take the complete form of prices of production of a certain magnitude. Finally, the article follows this path to demonstrate how, even if the value contents of total variable capital and total surplus value remain quantitatively unchanged, the prices of production in which they necessarily take form will quantitatively differ from those value contents.
Predictive Model for Determining Saturation Profiles under Pavements during Flood Events
Authors: Sun Wei , Sias Jo , Dave Eshan
Published: April 2024

Pavements are highly susceptible to water infiltration during floods, resulting in reduced serviceability, shortened life span, and poor durability. To enhance pavement resilience and mitigate the rising risks associated with flooding events, this study aims to propose a method to predict the short-term temporal evolution of saturation levels within pavement structures resulting from inundation events. The methodology involves conducting a series of finite-element-based hydraulic simulations considering various influential factors such as pavement structure, subgrade type, groundwater table level, and flooding scenario. Time-descriptive indicators, including peak saturation time and restoration time, are calculated from the simulated volumetric water content data. To capture the complex relationships between the input parameters and output indicators, machine learning (ML) methods are employed to construct a predictive model for saturation profiles during flooding events. The results demonstrate that the 2nd-degree polynomial provides the best fit for the saturation changes within the vadose zone, and the random forest algorithm outperforms other ML methods, achieving the highest accuracy in projecting saturation changes during flooding events. The predictive model offers valuable insights for decision-making processes, including determining the optimal timing to reopen submerged roadways to traffic, and evaluating the moisture damage caused by the inundation. Overall, this research contributes to enhancing pavement resilience and enables the design and management of resilient pavements under changing climate conditions and extreme weather events.
Not so Simple: Examining the Gendered Nature of Intimate Partner Assault Victimizations
Authors: Chamberlain Alyssa W. , Gill Lexi M. , Boggess Lyndsay N.
Published: April 2024

Although prior research has established a relationship between neighborhood structure and intimate partner violence (IPV), much of this literature focuses on serious IPV, despite the fact that less serious forms of IPV comprise the majority of IPV instances. Further, women are far more likely to experience all types of IPV victimization relative to men, especially simple assault, yet the relative importance of neighborhood structure across gradations of IPV and victim sex is relatively unexplored. We use data from Los Angeles, CA, and disaggregate IPV assaults across victim sex to examine whether neighborhood factors have differential effects on simple and aggravated IPV. We find differential effects of neighborhood structure by victim sex, especially for simple assault. Most notably, we find that neighborhood racial composition has significantly greater effects on females relative to male victims of simple IPV assault, while residential stability is protective of women more so than men. Only the percent of vacant or owner-occupied housing was specific to male simple IPV victimization. This suggests that neighborhood-based interventions should differ depending on the type of IPV being targeted.
Year in Review 2023: Noteworthy Literature in Cardiac Anesthesiology
Authors: Plaisted Jacob , Christensen Elijah , Kowalsky Markus , Rooke Douglas , Clendenen Nathan
Published: April 2024

Notable clinical research published in 2023 related to cardiac anesthesia included studies focused on resuscitation and pharmacology, regional anesthesia, technological advances, and novel gene therapies. We reviewed 241 articles to identify 25 noteworthy studies that represent the most significant research related to cardiac anesthesia from the past year. Overall, improvements in clinical practice have enabled decreased morbidity and mortality with a renewed focus on mechanical circulatory support and transplantation.
Epidemiology and Healthcare Expenditure for Skin Disease in Emergency Departments in Alberta, Canada
Authors: Ma Bryan , Park Ye-Jean , Ramien Michele
Published: April 2024

Background:

There are limited data on the epidemiology and costs associated with managing dermatologic conditions in emergency departments (EDs).

Objective:

To assess the incidence and mean cost per case of skin diseases in EDs in Alberta.

Methods:

Alberta Health Services’ Interactive Health Data Application was used to determine the epidemiology and costs associated with nonneoplastic dermatologic diseases in EDs in the province of Alberta, Canada, from 2018 to 2022. Skin conditions were identified using the International Classification of Disease 10th edition diagnostic groupings.

Results:

Skin disease represented 3.59% of all ED presentations in Alberta in 2022. The total costs associated with managing dermatologic conditions have remained stable over time at approximately 15 million Canadian Dollars (CAD) annually, but the mean cost per case has risen from 188.88 (SD 15.42) in 2018 to 246.25 CAD (SD 27.47) in 2022 (7.59%/year). Infections of skin and subcutaneous tissue were the most expensive diagnostic grouping. The most common dermatologic diagnostic groupings presenting to the ED were infections of skin and subcutaneous tissue [mean age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of 143.67 per 100,000 standard population (SD 241.99)], urticaria and erythema [mean ASIR 33.57 per 100,000 standard population (SD 59.13)], and dermatitis and eczema [mean ASIR 18.59 per 100,000 standard population (SD 23.65)]. Cellulitis was both the most common and the costliest individual diagnosis. The majority of patients were triaged as less urgent or nonurgent.

Conclusions:

Skin disease represents a substantial public health burden in EDs. Further research into drivers of cost change and areas for cost savings is essential.
Effect of beam oscillation frequency on porosity in laser welding of aluminum alloy lap-butt joints
Authors: Tan Zhuoming , Zhang Zhao , Liu Fuyun , Qin Xudong , Zhou Xiaohui , Gao Peixin , Yu Tao , Tan Caiwang
Published: April 2024

Many investigations into laser oscillations for mitigating severe porosity in aluminum alloys have involved trading off penetration depth, potentially disrupting the porosity suppression mechanism. In this study, an oscillation laser butt-lap welding technique was designed, and the effect of oscillation frequency on cross-section morphologies and porosity rate was investigated while maintaining the constant weld depth. The findings unveiled that heightened oscillation frequencies led to diminished porosity levels, and this pattern remained consistent, even in cases where weld depths were extended. High-frequency laser beam oscillation enhanced the stability of the keyhole, increased the duration of the molten pool existence, and reduced porosity to 0.17%. Thus, this study offered significant insights into the impact of oscillation on laser welding of aluminum alloys.
Why Americans increasingly claim to own guns for self-protection: A modern culture of social-psychological threat defense
Authors: Stroebe Wolfgang , Leander N. Pontus
Published: April 2024

This article addresses two questions: (a) why do Americans believe that they need guns to defend themselves and their families and (b) why has the number of Americans who share this belief increased dramatically in recent decades? To address the first question, we describe a model of defensive gun ownership that assumes that Americans’ perceived need of a gun for self-defense is not only determined by their perceived lifetime risk of being assaulted (PLRA), but also by some diffuse belief in a dangerous world (BDW). In attempting to identify the dangerous world feared by high BDW gun owners, we review evidence that gun ownership is often associated with racial prejudice and concerns about groups that are stereotypically associated with safety threats (e.g., Black Americans, illegal immigrants). We identified three environmental changes that might exacerbate social threat perceptions: the proliferation of intergroup threat narratives such as the great replacement theory (that White Americans will be replaced by non-White minorities), the COVID-19 pandemic, and a change in the way the American gun industry advertises their products (praising the quality of their guns to emphasize the usefulness of guns for self-defense).
Whose questions? Ventriloquation in entrepreneurial podcasts
Authors: Jacobs Geert , Valeiras Julia
Published: April 2024

While interaction is a signature feature of podcasts, new research on selected entrepreneurial podcasts has shown how they are de-dramatized as part of the leadership branding project, indexing the genre’s transition from a homespun to a corporate medium and echoing the notion of media re-colonization. This article reports on a case study of the use of questions in a single entrepreneur’s six-episode podcast series. We set out to identify and analyse what we see as ‘re-dramatization’ strategies, creating a sense of interaction and heteroglossia in what is essentially a monologue. Next, triangulating with insights from multimodal discourse analysis and linguistic ethnography, our analysis points to ventriloquation. Through questions that are presented as reported (i.e. referring back to questions that were raised on some earlier occasion), the entrepreneur makes himself or others say something, staging a specific past situation (real or imagined) where questions were asked and thus creating an enhanced sense of author-ity. As for questions that are presented as asked at the moment of speaking (we call them direct questions), the results of our inquiry indicate that the entrepreneur is ventriloquating either what he believes the listener might want to ask him or what he himself was previously asked by the podcast producer. We suggest that the entrepreneur is accommodating more actively to his listenership than it seems at first sight and conclude by reflecting on how this sheds new light on the entrepreneurial podcast as a tool of leadership communication as part of the wider digital mediascape, on the interactive use of questions in general and on the potential of our multi-method approach.
Women’s Experiences of Gender-Based Interpersonal Violence in Sport: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis
Authors: Forsdike Kirsty , Giles Fiona
Published: April 2024

Violence against women in sport is pervasive. Prevalence rates of interpersonal violence range from 26% to 74% across psychological, physical, and sexual violence. This review synthesizes adult women’s experiences of gender-based interpersonal violence in sport. A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted. Five databases were searched, including CINAHL, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts. In total, 1,617 records were retrieved and screened. Twenty-five records representing 24 studies were eligible for inclusion. Following a meta-ethnographic approach, both authors synthesized first- (participants) and second-(researcher) order constructs to create a new interpretation (third-order construct) beyond the individual studies reviewed. A feminist socio-ecological lens was applied. Five themes were constructed: women’s safety work, the normalization of abusive behaviors in the sports context, sport family violence, organizational impotence and hostility, and women’s status in a patriarchal system. Women’s experiences of abuse are mapped within and across the individual, relational, organizational, and cultural levels of the socio-ecological model, with (lack of) power being a central factor within each level as well as flowing between the levels. A fifth socio-ecological level was developed pertaining to the unique context of sport—that of the sport family. This sits between the relational and organizational levels of the model and covers both intense familial relationships and patriarchal familial organizational structures in sport that facilitate and silence the abuse. Sporting bodies must co-design interventions encompassing all socio-ecological levels to address gender-based violence in sport.
Breast Cancer Prediction Based on Multiple Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Zhou Sheng , Hu Chujiao , Wei Shanshan , Yan Xiaofan
Published: April 2024

Introduction

The incidence of breast cancer has steadily risen over the years owing to changes in lifestyle and environment. Presently, breast cancer is one of the primary causes of cancer-related deaths among women, making it a crucial global public health concern. Thus, the creation of an automated diagnostic system for breast cancer bears great importance in the medical community.

Objectives

This study analyses the Wisconsin breast cancer dataset and develops a machine learning algorithm for accurately classifying breast cancer as benign or malignant.

Methods

Our research is a retrospective study, and the main purpose is to develop a high-precision classification algorithm for benign and malignant breast cancer. To achieve this, we first preprocessed the dataset using standard techniques such as feature scaling and handling missing values. We assessed the normality of the data distribution initially, after which we opted for Spearman correlation analysis to examine the relationship between the feature subset data and the labeled data, considering the normality test results. We subsequently employed the Wilcoxon rank sum test to investigate the dissimilarities in distribution among various breast cancer feature data. We constructed the feature subset based on statistical results and trained 7 machine learning algorithms, specifically the decision tree, stochastic gradient descent algorithm, random forest algorithm, support vector machine algorithm, logistics algorithm, and AdaBoost algorithm.

Results

The results of the evaluation indicated that the AdaBoost-Logistic algorithm achieved an accuracy of 99.12%, outperforming the other 6 algorithms and previous techniques.

Conclusion

The constructed AdaBoost-Logistic algorithm exhibits significant precision with the Wisconsin breast cancer dataset, achieving commendable classification performance for both benign and malignant breast cancer cases.
Role of Bovine Colostrum Dressing on Chronic Non-Healing Wounds in Comparison to Conventional Dressing: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Mandloi Vikas , Banerjee Tuhina , Sharma Aditya , Pratap Arvind , Ansari Mumtaz Ahmad , Srivastava Vivek
Published: April 2024

Colostrum has been shown to be suitable for oral and/or topical applications. Colostrum decreases the amount of discharge from wounds and also accelerates healing, leading to a decrease in the number of dressings. In this study, 40 patients with chronic non-healing wounds were divided into two groups, considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Group I included 15 patients with conventional dressings, and Group II included 25 patients with added topical colostrum dressings. All patients were assessed at the time of presentation and after 21 days. The results of the present study indicate that colostrum powder dressings may be used as an adjunct in the management of chronic non-healing wounds.