bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influences of S100A8 and S100A9 on Proliferation of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells through PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wen Liting , Ding Yu , Chen Xiaodong , Tian Keyong , Li Danfeng , Liang Kun , Yue Bo
Published: September 2021

Objective. To investigate the effects of S100A8 and S100A9 on proliferation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and the regulatory effects of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Methods. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells (CNE1) were cultured and randomly divided into three groups: control group, S100A8/S100A9 overexpression group, and siRNA S100A8/S100A9 group. CCK‐8 method was used to detect the effect of S100A8 and S100A9 on the viability of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. The effects of S100A8 and S100A9 on the colony forming ability of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells were detected by colony forming assay. The effects of S100A8 and S100A9 on the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells were detected by EdU staining. The mRNA levels of PI3K and Akt were detected by RT‐PCR. The expression levels of PI3K and Akt in NPC cells were detected by Western blot. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3K/Akt pathway, was used to inhibit the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway. Results. Compared with the control group, the cell viability, the number of plate clones, the positive rate of EdU staining, and the mRNA and protein levels of PI3K and Akt were increased in the overexpression group. Compared with the control group, the cell viability, the number of plate clones, the positive rate of EdU staining, and the mRNA and protein levels of PI3K and Akt were decreased in the siRNA group. After inhibiting the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway, the viability of NPC cells in the overexpression group decreased significantly at 48 h and 72 h, while that in the siRNA group increased significantly. Conclusion. SiRNA S100A8 and S100A9 could inhibit the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
COVID-19 and Cancer Therapy: Interrelationships and Management of Cancer Cases in the Era of COVID-19
Authors: Mbugua Simon N. , Njenga Lydia W. , Odhiambo Ruth A. , Wandiga Shem O. , Onani Martin O.
Published: September 2021

The COVID-19 global epidemic poses this generation’s biggest worldwide public health challenge probably since the 1918 influenza epidemic. Recent reports on two new variants have triggered a dramatic upsurge in research to understand the pandemic, primarily focussing on the virology, triggers, clinical characteristics, and diagnostic tests including the prevention and management of the novel coronavirus. Whilst such studies are important in managing the present medical emergency, there is a need for further work to include interdependencies between the epidemic and other illnesses. This will help in developing effective approaches to treat and manage associated diseases in both the short and the long term. In this regard, people living with cancer are a subgroup that is highly vulnerable to respiratory infections and acute pneumonitis similar to the one caused by the COVID-19 virus. This is because the state of their immunity is compromised due to malignancy and the adverse effects of anticancer treatments. With annual cancer projections rising globally and an estimated 70 percent of all cancer-related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, the patient population with impaired immune systems that could be adversely impacted by COVID-19 is only anticipated to rise. In this review, we delve into the challenges and health risks facing cancer patients and cancer treatment in the COVID-19 context, with suggestions into viable measures which can be taken to minimize exposure to the risk of contracting COVID-19 for this vulnerable subgroup. New mutations and the prospects offered by vaccines development and how they relate to this class of patients are also discussed.
Perspectivas da cooperação em saúde no espaço lusófono: análise da atuação do Brasil nas relações de cooperação com países de Língua Portuguesa
Authors: Pimentel Raimunda Antonila Campos Mota , Dias Eduardo Rocha
Published: September 2021

O presente artigo objetivou examinar como se dá a cooperação em saúde entre o Brasil e os países de língua oficial portuguesa, de forma tanto bilateral quanto multilateral, com destaque para as ações adotadas pela Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa. Após análise dos desafios às iniciativas de cooperação, apontaram-se os avanços já obtidos e as perspectivas que se apresentam, com vistas a concretizar o cumprimento das metas da Agenda 2030 da Organização das Nações Unidas. Também se evidenciou a necessidade de minimizar os atrasos e paralisações que ocorrem quando há mudanças administrativas; de criar um marco legal que defina como se deve dar a cooperação brasileira nos planos bilateral e multilateral, fundada nos princípios que regem o Estado em suas relações internacionais, na busca de sustentabilidade financeira e em uma melhor análise prévia dos projetos a serem desenvolvidos, com uma avaliação posterior de seus resultados; bem como a necessidade de estabelecer mecanismos de resposta a crises humanitárias. Concluiu-se que a cooperação em saúde proporciona um aprendizado recíproco e pode ser vista como uma ferramenta de aperfeiçoamento nessa área. A pesquisa adotou metodologia analítica e quantitativa, de cunho bibliográfico e documental, e se pretendeu exploratória ao apontar possíveis respostas às questões levantadas.
Tradução e multimodalidade nos discursos para prevenção contra o coronavírus no estado do Pará
Authors: Oliveira Lucas Araújo de , Benchimol-Barros Silvia Helena
Published: September 2021

Em meio à Pandemia de Covid-19, as diversas redes de informação e comunicação produzem conteúdos que perpassam pelo binômio comunicação – cultura, e proliferam por uma variedade de gêneros digitais, transportando discursos e ideologias multimodalizados. O presente artigo aborda os discursos sobre a prevenção do Covid-19 no estado do Pará, sob a perspectiva da tradução intralinguística, veiculados pelos gêneros digitais provenientes de aplicativos de comunicação que consideram características do falar local. O corpus deste trabalho consiste em postagens oriundas da rede social Facebook. A pesquisa teórico-empírica de características analítico-qualitativas cria interfaces teóricas entre os Estudos da Tradução (Bassnett; Trivedi, 1999; Jakobson, 2005), os pressupostos da Análise do Discurso (Maingueneau, 2008), os estudos sobre Gêneros Digitais (Bakhtin, 1997; Marcuschi, 2004) e os aspectos semióticos da Teoria da Multimodalidade (Baptista, 2015; Dicerto, 2018).
A tradução no Brasil e a retradução de clássicos: algumas considerações
Authors: Martins Marcia do Amaral Peixoto
Published: September 2021

A proposta deste artigo é enfocar a condição do Brasil como cultura tradutora, com um segmento de títulos traduzidos cuja robustez muito se deve às inúmeras retraduções de clássicos. São reescritas simultâneas ou sucessivas que derivam de motivações variadas — textuais, ideológicas, políticas, estéticas, epistemológicas — e recorrem a diferentes estratégias tradutórias para concretizar os objetivos de seus promotores e atender às expectativas do público a que se destinam. Para exemplificar a fecundidade dessa prática, será abordada, a partir de uma visão panorâmica, a trajetória em português do Brasil de um autor específico, presença certa nos cânones literários formados ao menos no Ocidente: William Shakespeare, cuja obra dramática é objeto de traduções, retraduções e adaptações para o português do Brasil desde o século XIX.
Tradução como contrapoder: representações de gênero em webnotícias
Authors: Simão Angélica Karim Garcia , Diogo Júlia Vilar
Published: September 2021

Neste trabalho, analisamos a tradução de textos jornalísticos, entendendo a tradução como um fenômeno de “representação cultural” (ZIPSER E POLCHLOPEK, 2006), e observamos os critérios utilizados por tradutores para representar a violência de gênero, considerando os procedimentos de tradução empregados. Partimos do entendimento de que o jornalismo pressupõe o fato a ser noticiado, o que diferencia o papel que tradutores e jornalistas desempenham no que tange às suas matérias-primas. Assim, pudemos refletir sobre o papel que as instituições sociais desempenham, bem como sobre seu poder e influência na transmissão de ideologias que incidem sobre a formação da opinião pública. O corpus de análise constitui-se de artigos publicados em português e espanhol na versão digital do jornal Folha de São Paulo, considerado o jornal de maior circulação no Brasil.
Tradução e adaptação transcultural do “Modified Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MMASA)” para a língua portuguesa do Brasil
Authors: Silva Nayara Ribeiro da , Ribeiro Jéssica Caroline Silva , Felipini Leila Maria Gumushian , Mituuti Cláudia Tiemi , Luccas Gabriele Ramos de , Souza Juliane Ruiz de , Silva-Arone Marcela Maria Alves da , Berretin-Felix Giédre
Published: September 2021

No Brasil, na área da Disfagia, a escassez de instrumentos de avaliação clínica é significativa. Traduzir e adaptar instrumentos disponíveis em idiomas estrangeiros é uma forma de amenizar esse problema. Assim, este estudo buscou traduzir e transculturalmente adaptar o “Modified Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MMASA)” da língua inglesa norte-americana para a língua portuguesa do Brasil, de acordo com as recomendações de Peters e Passchier. O MMASA é um instrumento de rastreio desenvolvido para identificar as características de risco para a disfagia em pacientes com acidente vascular encefálico. Quatro etapas metodológicas foram conduzidas: tradução e síntese das traduções, retrotradução, banca de especialistas e pré-teste. Conceitos das áreas de Tradução e de Saúde foram discutidos. O MMASA em língua portuguesa do Brasil foi estabelecido e considerado equivalente ao original.
Thromboprophylaxis for Children Post‐Fontan Procedure: Insights From the UNIVERSE Study
Authors: McCrindle Brian W. , Michelson Alan D. , Van Bergen Andrew H. , Suzana Horowitz Estela , Pablo Sandoval Juan , Justino Henri , Harris Kevin C. , Jefferies John L. , Miriam Pina Liza , Peluso Colleen , Nessel Kimberly , Lu Wentao , Li Jennifer S. , Chantada Guillermo , Peirone Alejandro , Lenzi Andrea Wirich , Binotto Maria Angelica , Dahdah Nagib , Sato Keisuke , Ono Hiroshi , Sagawa Koichi , Muneuchi Jun , Samion Hasri , Ruiz Sergio , Palacios Alexis , Breur J.M.P.J , Gutierrez‐Iarraya Federico , Alvarez Teresa , Albert Dimpna , Rueda Fernando , Rossano Joseph , Hill Kevin , Heydarian Haleh , Niebler Robert , Weber Howard , Pietra Biagio , Bergen Andrew Van , Alejos Juan , Menon Shaji , Steiner Marie , Cramer Jonathan , Reinking Ben
Published: September 2021

Background

Patients with single‐ventricle physiology who undergo the Fontan procedure are at risk for thrombotic events associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The UNIVERSE Study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a novel liquid rivaroxaban formulation, using a body weight–adjusted dosing regimen, versus acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in children post‐Fontan.

Methods and Results

The UNIVERSE Study was a randomized, multicenter, 2‐part, open‐label study of rivaroxaban, in children who had undergone a Fontan procedure, to evaluate its dosing regimen, safety, and efficacy. Part A was the single‐arm part of the study that determined the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and safety of rivaroxaban in 12 participants before proceeding to part B, whereby 100 participants were randomized 2:1 to open‐label rivaroxaban versus ASA. The study period was 12 months. A total of 112 participants were enrolled across 35 sites in 10 countries. In part B, for safety outcomes, major bleeding occurred in one participant on rivaroxaban (epistaxis that required transfusion). Clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding occurred in 6% of participants on rivaroxaban versus 9% on ASA. Trivial bleeding occurred in 33% of participants on rivaroxaban versus 35% on ASA. For efficacy outcomes, 1 participant on rivaroxaban in part B had a pulmonary embolism (2% overall event rate); and for ASA, 1 participant had ischemic stroke and 2 had venous thrombosis (9% overall event rate).

Conclusions

In this study, participants who received rivaroxaban for thromboprophylaxis had a similar safety profile and fewer thrombotic events, albeit not statistically significant, compared with those in the ASA group.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Identifier: NCT02846532.
Outcomes of Elderly Patients Undergoing Left Atrial Appendage Closure
Authors: Sanjoy Shubrandu S. , Choi Yun‐Hee , Sparrow Robert T. , Jneid Hani , Dawn Abbott J. , Nombela‐Franco Luis , Azzalini Lorenzo , Holmes David R. , Alraies M. Chadi , Elgendy Islam Y. , Baranchuk Adrian , Mamas Mamas A. , Bagur Rodrigo
Published: September 2021

Background

Elderly patients have a higher burden of comorbidities that influence clinical outcomes. We aimed to compare in‐hospital outcomes in patients ≥80 years old to younger patients, and to determine the factors associated with increased risk of major adverse events (MAE) after left atrial appendage closure.

Methods and Results

The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify discharges after left atrial appendage closure between October 2015 and December 2018. The primary outcome was in‐hospital MAE defined as the composite of postprocedural bleeding, vascular and cardiac complications, acute kidney injury, stroke, and death. A total of 6779 hospitalizations were identified, of which, 2371 (35%) were ≥80 years old and 4408 (65%) were <80 years old. Patients ≥80 years old experienced a higher rate of MAE compared with those aged <80 years old (6.0% versus 4.6%,
P
=0.01), and this difference was driven by a numerically higher rate of cardiac complications (2.4% versus 1.8%,
P
=0.09) and death (0.3% versus 0.1%,
P
=0.05) among individuals ≥80 years old. In patients ≥80 years old, higher odds of in‐hospital MAE were observed in women (1.61‐fold), and those with preprocedural congestive heart failure (≈2‐fold), diabetes (≈1.5‐fold), renal disease (≈2.6‐fold), anemia (≈2.7‐fold), and dementia (≈5‐fold). In patients <80 years old, a higher risk of in‐hospital MAE was encountered among women (≈1.4‐fold) and those with diabetes (≈1.3‐fold), renal disease (≈2.6‐fold), anemia (≈2‐fold), and dyslipidemia (≈1.2‐fold).

Conclusions

Patients ≥80 years old had higher rates of in‐hospital MAE compared with patients aged <80 years old. Female sex and the presence of heart failure, diabetes, renal disease, and anemia were factors associated with in‐hospital MAE among both groups.
An essential review of Singapore’s response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests: improvements over a ten-year period
Authors: White AE , Ho AFW , Shahidah N , Asyikin N , Liew LX , Pek PP , Kua JPH , Chia MYC , Ng YY , Arulanandam S , Leong SHB , Ong MEH
Published: September 2021

Care for patients who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has rapidly evolved in the past decade. Increased sophistication of care in the community, emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital setting is associated with improved patient-centred outcomes. Notably, Utstein survival doubled from 11.6% to 23.1% between 2011 and 2016. These achievements involved collaboration between policymakers, clinicians and researchers, and were made possible by a strategic interplay of policy, research and implementation. We review the development and current state of OHCA in Singapore using primary population-based data from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study and an unstructured search of research databases. We discuss the roles of important milestones in policy, community, dispatch, EMS and hospital interventions. Finally, we relate these interventions to relevant processes and outcomes, such as the relationship between the strategic implementation of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and placement of automated external defibrillator with return of spontaneous circulation, survival to discharge and survival with favourable neurological outcomes.
A Note on the Alleged Egyptian Etymology of Sabaoth
Authors: Lenzo Giuseppina , Nihan Christophe
Published: September 2021

This note provides a detailed criticism of the etymology relating the divine name or title ṣĕbā’ôt in Hebrew with Egyptian ḏbȝt/ḏbȝty, as initially proposed by M. Görg and S. Kreuzer.
„Ištar“ und „Marduk“ als jüdische Protagonisten, Purim als neues Fest der Befreiung: Zur Theologie und zum historischen Ort des Esterbuches
Authors: Hutzli Jürg
Published: September 2021

This article deals with two theological paradoxes in the Book of Esther (Masoretic Text). Arguably, the most striking characteristic of the book is that it does not mention God. At the same time, the two Jewish protagonists bear names that are identical with, or at least strongly reminiscent of, those of the Babylonian deities Marduk and Ištar. While the author of Esther seems to completely ignore the cultic laws of the Pentateuch, at the end of the book he strongly emphasizes the foundation of the Purim feast. Although each of these four topics has been dealt with in scholarship, they are seldomly—and if so, only partly—investigated with regard to their mutual coherence. In aiming to do this, the present article undertakes to reevaluate the theological profile of the Book of Esther (as expressed in the Masoretic Text) as well as its historical location. As for the latter question, the intriguing statement related to “relief and deliverance coming to the Jews from another place” in Est 4:14 provides an important hint.
Beyond Belief
Authors: Ferguson Christine
Published: September 2021

Over the last decade, esotericism studies has witnessed a distinct literary turn, as more and more of the field’s primarily religious studies-based researchers have recognized the value, and indeed, centrality, of imaginative literature to the transmission of occult and new religious ideas. Although welcome, this impetus has sometimes taken an anti-aesthetic shape, reducing the texts it incorporates to little more than empirical evidence of authorial belief or practical occult experience. Accompanying this tendency has been a suspicion of the formalist, post-modern, and/or political forms of interpretation common within contemporary literary studies as being ideologically tainted or even wilfully perverse in their resistance to surface meaning. My article uses a case study of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Land of Mist (1926), a seemingly straightforward example of an emic novel whose author’s spiritualist belief and conversionist intentions are well known, to demonstrate the limitations of such a biographically reductionist hermeneutic, and to call for a greater diversity of approach within literary esotericism studies.
A new leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from late Eocene Rovno amber described based on an adult and associated last-instar nymph from Perebrody (Ukraine)
Authors: DIETRICH CHRISTOPHER H. , DMITRIEV DMITRY A. , PERKOVSKY EVGENY E.
Published: September 2021

Rovnoxestus rasnitsyni gen. & sp. nov. is described from Eocene Rovno amber based on an adult female and fifth-instar nymph collected at a recently discovered locality at Perebrody, Rovno Province, Ukraine. The new fossil taxon is tentatively placed in Aphrodinae and resembles Xestocephalites Dietrich & Gonçalves from Eocene Baltic amber but has the hind femur macrosetal formula 2+2+1 and hind tarsomere I in both nymph and adult with an elongated inner preapical seta. This is the first species of Eocene leafhopper for which both the adult and nymph are described in detail.
Redescriptions of beetles of the Notocupes generic complex (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Buryatia
Authors: STRELNIKOVA OLESYA D. , YAN EVGENY V.
Published: September 2021

The term “generic complex” is proposed for 12 previously synonymized fossil genera of Ommatidae. Redescriptions of three species of the genus Notocupes are provided: N. excellens Ponomarenko, 1966, N. caudatus Ponomarenko, 1966 and N. vitimensis Ponomarenko, 1966, as well as a description of an elytron of a new species Zygadenia alexrasnitsyni sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous locality Baissa (Vitim River headwaters, Eastern Transbaikalia). The descriptions contain selected morphological characters that will be used in future redescriptions.
The Effect of Soil on the Summertime Surface Energy Budget of a Humid Subarctic Tundra in Northern Quebec, Canada
Authors: Lackner Georg , Nadeau Daniel F. , Domine Florent , Parent Annie-Claude , Leonardini Gonzalo , Boone Aaron , Anctil François , Fortin Vincent
Published: September 2021

Rising temperatures in the southern Arctic region are leading to shrub expansion and permafrost degradation. The objective of this study is to analyze the surface energy budget (SEB) of a subarctic shrub tundra site that is subject to these changes, on the east coast of Hudson Bay in eastern Canada. We focus on the turbulent heat fluxes, as they have been poorly quantified in this region. This study is based on data collected by a flux tower using the eddy covariance approach and focused on snow-free periods. Furthermore, we compare our results with those from six Fluxnet sites in the Arctic region and analyze the performance of two land surface models, SVS and ISBA, in simulating soil moisture and turbulent heat fluxes. We found that 23% of the net radiation was converted into latent heat flux at our site, 35% was used for sensible heat flux, and about 15% for ground heat flux. These results were surprising considering our site was by far the wettest site among those studied, and most of the net radiation at the other Arctic sites was consumed by the latent heat flux. We attribute this behavior to the high hydraulic conductivity of the soil (littoral and intertidal sediments), typical of what is found in the coastal regions of the eastern Canadian Arctic. Land surface models overestimated the surface water content of those soils but were able to accurately simulate the turbulent heat flux, particularly the sensible heat flux and, to a lesser extent, the latent heat flux.
Prevalence and 5-year trend of incidence for medical illnesses after the diagnosis of bipolar disorder: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Chen Pao-Huan , Tsai Shang-Ying , Pan Chun-Hung , Chen Yi-Lung , Su Sheng-Siang , Chen Chiao-Chicy , Kuo Chian-Jue
Published: September 2021

Objective:

Medical comorbidities are prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder. Evaluating longitudinal trends of the incidence of medical illnesses enables implementation of early prevention strategies to reduce the high mortality rate in this at-risk population. However, the incidence risks of medical illnesses in the early stages of bipolar disorder remain unclear. This study investigated the incidence and 5-year trend of medical illnesses following bipolar disorder diagnosis.

Methods:

We identified 11,884 patients aged 13–40 years who were newly diagnosed as having bipolar disorder during 1996–2012 and 47,536 age- and sex-matched controls (1:4 ratio) who represented the general population from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We estimated the prevalence and incidence of individual medical illnesses yearly across the first 5 years after the index date. The adjusted incidence rate ratio was calculated to compare the occurrence of specific medical illnesses each year between the bipolar disorder group and control group using the Poisson regression model.

Results:

Apart from the prevalence, the adjusted incidence rate ratios of most medical illnesses were >1.00 across the first 5-year period after bipolar disorder diagnosis. Cerebrovascular diseases, ischaemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, other forms of heart disease, renal disease and human immunodeficiency virus infection exhibited the highest adjusted incidence rate ratios during the first year. Except for that of renal disease, the 5-year trends of the adjusted incidence rate ratios decreased for cerebrovascular diseases, cardiovascular diseases (e.g. ischaemic heart disease, other forms of heart disease, and vein and lymphatic disease), gastrointestinal diseases (e.g. chronic hepatic disease and ulcer disease) and communicable diseases (e.g. human immunodeficiency virus infection, upper respiratory tract infection and pneumonia).

Conclusion:

Incidence risks of medical illnesses are increased in the first year after bipolar disorder diagnosis. Clinicians must carefully evaluate medical illnesses during this period because the mortality rates from medical illnesses are particularly high in people with bipolar disorder.
“Not Anybody can be a Dad”: The Intergenerational Transmission of Masculinity Among Incarcerated Men
Authors: Umamaheswar Janani , Tadros Eman
Published: September 2021

Despite an important and burgeoning literature correcting oversimplified portrayals of incarcerated men as “hypermasculine” and aggressive, research on men’s prison masculinities has not yet been sufficiently incorporated into prison treatment and therapy programs. In this article, we draw on in-depth interviews with 28 incarcerated men to explore the intergenerational transmission of masculinity in the family setting, highlighting how incarcerated men adapt, modify, and/or challenge the masculinity scripts they inherited from their fathers (or father figures) when reflecting on their own attitudes toward fatherhood. We use these insights to advocate for gender-responsive feminist family therapy that incorporates incarcerated men’s constructions of masculinity in efforts to restore and strengthen these men’s familial ties.
Hostile, Quick-Tempered, and Exposed to Dangerous Environments: Exploring the Link Between Temperament and the Street Code Adherence
Authors: Wolff Kevin T. , Spriggs Sharron , Intravia Jonathan , Baglivio Michael T. , DeLisi Matt
Published: September 2021

Although Elijah Anderson’s code of the street thesis has received a great deal of scholarly attention, fewer studies have examined the characteristics associated with its adoption. Existing evidence is supportive of Anderson’s initial observations, however, less is known about the association between personality and emotional characteristics and adopting street code norms. The current study assesses the role of DeLisi and Vaughn’s difficult temperament index in the adoption of the street code among a sample of juvenile justice-involved youth. Results indicated youth with more difficult temperaments, characterized by lower levels of effortful control and higher levels of negative emotionality, were more likely to report greater street code adherence. Implications for juvenile justice policy and future research are discussed.
Scheduling the periodic delivery of liquefied petroleum gas tank with time window by using artificial intelligence approaches: An example in Taiwan
Authors: Hsieh Yi-Chih , You Peng-Sheng , Chen Cheng-Sheng
Published: September 2021

Introduction

In Taiwan, liquefied petroleum gas tank users have to call a gas company to deliver a full liquefied petroleum gas tank when their tank is out of gas. The calls usually congest in the cooking time and the customers have to wait for a long time for a full liquefied petroleum gas tank. Additionally, allocating manpower is difficult for the gas company.

Objectives

A strategy of periodic delivery for gas companies was presented to deliver liquefied petroleum gas tanks in advance and charge the gas fee based on the weight of returned tanks. Additionally, a new encoding scheme was proposed and embedded into three evolutionary algorithms to solve the nondeterministic polynomial-hard problem. The objective of the problem is to minimize the total traveling distance of the vehicle such that the delivery efficiency of tanks increases and the waiting time of customer decreases.

Methods

A new encoding scheme was presented to convert any random sequence of integers into a solution of the problem and embedded into three evolutionary algorithms, namely, immune algorithm, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization, to solve the delivery problem. Additionally, the encoding scheme can be used to different frequency types of demand based on customers’ requests.

Results

Numerical results, including a practical example in Yunlin, Taiwan, were provided to show that the adopted approaches can significantly improve the efficiency of delivery.

Conclusions

The periodic delivery strategy and the new encoding scheme can effectively solve the practical problem of liquefied petroleum gas tank in Taiwan.
Predictions of the axial tensile property of the unidirectional composite influenced by microfiber breakage defects
Authors: Liu Tao , Gao Yuan , Fan Wei , Gao Xingzhong , Ma Jianhua
Published: September 2021

This paper primarily investigated the effect of fiber breakage defects on tensile properties of the unidirectional composite (UD) using the numerical simulation method. Different kinds of fiber breakage defects were firstly proved to exist in the UD according to the sub-micro computed tomography images at the microscale level. A strict random uniform distribution hypothesis was then proposed to introduce fiber breakage defects into the composite. Numerous microstructural models within random fiber breakage defects were created with the Monte Carlo method to analyze the fiber breakage defect effect on the UD. The results show that the tensile modulus of the UD was reduced by 17% when the fiber breakage defect volume fraction was only 1%, which indicates the effect of this kind of defect was very significant. The fiber volume fraction, defect volume fraction and property all have influences on the decrease of the UD caused by the fiber breakage defect. Finally, we derived a mathematical model to calculate the tensile modulus of the UD based on the numerical results. The proposed mathematical model has an application on the prediction of the axial modulus of the UD or the fiber tow containing large numbers of fiber breakage defects in the composites with complicated structure.
“A Dumping Ground for the South”: Race, Place, and Poverty in Newburgh, New York (1945-1961)
Authors: Boussac Tamara
Published: September 2021

This article explores the urban politics that led to the outbreak of the Newburgh, New York, welfare controversy in 1961. It uncovers the intricate interplay between race, place, and poverty that led to the early backlash against social welfare from the immediate postwar years to the early 1960s. Newburgh officials engineered their welfare reform as a political response to the economic, demographic, and urban transformations the city underwent in the 1950s. Race was central to their concerns as they scapegoated newly arrived African American migrants and blamed them for the city’s population loss and slowing economy. Welfare reform served at once as a tool for migratory, demographic, and racial regulation. The Newburgh story demonstrates that welfare regulation was used by city officials to enforce racial hierarchies in the Jim Crow North and suggests that city politics should be taken into greater account in the history of the American welfare state.
Facebook experiences of visually impaired students: A deconstruction of the challenges and benefits
Authors: Quainoo Michael Asante , Serwornoo Michael Yao Wodui , Hammond Christiana
Published: September 2021

This study explores the motivation for usage, benefits, and strategies to overcoming the challenges visually impaired people face in their Facebook interactions. Using in-depth interviews and a narrative analysis of five visually impaired students at the University of Cape Coast, we found that Facebook usage among visually impaired students, although unique in experiences and gratifications, has promoted the formation and strengthening of their social bonds in the community of visually impaired people and their significant other. However, the visually impaired students face significant challenges with interpreting the pictures and videos they encounter on Facebook because screen reader software currently in use cannot interpret graphical content forcing them to rely on their sighted friends which have created independence and privacy issues. Despite these challenges, Facebook remains a powerful communication tool for visually impaired students in interacting with both their disabled and non-disabled friends whom they would normally shy away from in person.
Identifying Wrong-Way Driving Incidents from Regular Traffic Videos Using Unsupervised Trajectory-based Method
Authors: Chang Qing , Ren Jiaxiang , Zhou Huaguo , Zhou Yang , Song Yukun
Published: September 2021

Currently, transportation agencies have implemented different wrong-way driving (WWD) detection systems based on loop detectors, radar detectors, or thermal cameras. Such systems are often deployed at fixed locations in urban areas or on toll roads. The majority of rural interchange terminals does not have real-time detection systems for WWD incidents. Portable traffic cameras are used to temporarily monitor WWD activities at rural interchange terminals. However, it has always been a time-consuming task to manually review those videos to identify WWD incidents. The objective of this study was to develop an unsupervised trajectory-based method to automatically detect WWD incidents from regular traffic videos (not limited by mounting height and angle). The principle of the method includes three primary steps: vehicle recognition and trajectory generation, trajectory clustering, and outlier detection. This study also developed a new subtrajectory-based metric that makes the algorithm more adaptable for vehicle trajectory classification in different road scenarios. Finally, the algorithm was tested by analyzing 357 h of traffic videos from 14 partial cloverleaf interchange terminals in seven U.S. states. The results suggested that the method could identify all the WWD incidents in the testing videos with an average precision of 80%. The method significantly reduced person-hours for reviewing the traffic videos. Furthermore, the new method could also be applied in detecting and extracting other kinds of abnormal traffic activities, such as illegal U-turns.
Pediatric onset lupus nephritis in western India—is it different from the rest of the country?
Authors: Mittal Aliza , Bamnawat Harshita , Nalwa Aasma , Vishwajeet Vikarn , Kumar Prawin , Didel Siyaram , Goel Akhil Dhanesh , Singh Kuldeep
Published: September 2021

Aim

To determine the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of children diagnosed with lupus nephritis in a tertiary hospital in western Rajasthan and compare it with the data available from other parts of India.

Material and methods:

A retrospective review of children presenting to a tertiary care center in western Rajasthan, India, with a diagnosis of pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (p SLE), between July 2017 and July 2020 was done. Comparisons of pediatric lupus in western India to other parts of country were done.

Results

19 children with SLE with Renal involvement were enrolled and followed up. The median age at presentation was 15 years (IQR-16–9.5) (73% females). 8/19 (42%) children presented with AKI, of which 62% children presented as rapidly progressive renal failure. Six (37.5%) patients required dialysis at presentation. 84.21% of children were evaluated with renal biopsy, 16 biopsies were done in 19 children, among which class II, III, and IV lupus nephritis were reported in 21%,42%, and 35% respectively(4 crescentic). Antiphospholipid antibodies were positive in 8/15(53%), children which is much higher than a reported incidence of 30% in other Indian studies. Ten patients (52%) had neurological involvement, with seizures being the most common form of presentation (60%). Seven patients (36%) developed hepatitis. We noted many uncommon presentations in the small group like Autoimmune Pancreatitis, Mononeuritis multiplex, and peripheral digital gangrene. Cyclophosphamide was used in 10 out of 19 patients for inducing remission with class 3 and 4 nephritis and MMF in 8 children. 55% patients attained remission (after completing induction), of which 4 relapsed during the follow up. Four patients were lost to follow-up. A total of 27% patients died and 10% patients developed end stage renal failure. It was seen that those who died had more cardiac and neurological involvement at presentation, higher grade of proteinuria, lower GFR, and need for dialysis at admission.

Conclusion:

We found a more severe form of clinical manifestation in pediatric SLE patients at the time of the first presentation in the form of severe renal and extrarenal manifestation compared to other parts of the country.
A Prospective Study on Type-2 Diabetic Complications and Efficacy of Integrated Yoga: A Pan India 2017
Authors: Patil Suchitra S. , Raghuram Nagarathna , Singh Amit , Rajesh S. K. , Ahmed Sabzar , Hongasandra Nagendra
Published: September 2021

Background:

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) contributes to high mortality and morbidity because of its major complications related to kidney, heart, brain, and eyes. It also poses a high risk for mortality because of COVID-19. Studies suggest the possible implications of Yoga in delaying or attenuating such complications.

Methodology:

This was a pan-India multi centered cluster-randomized (4 level) two-armed trial in the rural and urban population of all populous states of India. Data were obtained using mobile app in all adults in the household of the selected clusters.

Results:

We report the diabetes related complications in 16623 adults (48% males, 52% females) from 65 districts (1 in 10 districts, 2011 census) of 29 (out of 35) states and Union Territories of India; mean age was 48.2 ± 12.46 years. Out of this 40% lived in rural and 62% in urban locations. In high risk diabetes individuals (scored ≥ 60 points on Indian diabetes risk score key), 18.0% had self-reported history of (peripheral neuropathy, 6.1% had h/o major strokes, 5.5% had minor strokes (transient ischemic episodes), 18.1% had lower limb claudication, 20.5% leg ulcers, 4.4% had h/o cardiac surgery, 4.8% angioplasty, and 15.1% had diabetes retinopathy. Complications were higher in rural than in urban areas, higher in people with extended duration of diabetes. Integrated yoga module for three months (one hour daily) showed significantly better reduction in symptoms related to complications as compared to control group ( P < .001)

Conclusion:

The alarming high prevalence of complications in diabetes population calls for urgent action, where yoga may show the benefits in reduction of symptoms of complications.
Sleep Patterns of Resident Physicians and the Effect of Heartfulness Meditation
Authors: Thimmapuram Jayaram , Pargament Robert , Tredici Sonya Del , Bell Theodore , Yommer Deborah , Daoud Dana , Powell Frankie , Madhusudhan Divya K.
Published: September 2021

Background:

Medical residents are vulnerable to poor sleep quality due to intense work shifts and academic load. Studies objectively quantified with sleep quantity and quality among resident physicians are limited. Meditation techniques have been shown to improve sleep but are rarely studied in this population. The aim of the present study is to evaluate sleep patterns of internal medicine residents and the effect of a structured Heartfulness meditation program to improve sleep quality.

Methods:

A total of 36 residents participated in a pre–post cohort study from January 2019 through April 2019. Sleep was monitored during a one-week outpatient rotation with two validated assessment tools, namely consensus sleep diary and actigraphy. After four intervening weeks, when the residents returned to the same rotation, Heartfulness meditation was practiced and the same parameters were measured. At the end of the study period, an anonymous qualitative feedback survey was collected to assess the feasibility of the intervention.

Results:

All 36 residents participated in the study (mean age 31.09 years, SD 4.87); 34 residents (94.4%) had complete pre–post data. Consensus sleep diary data showed decreased sleep onset time from 21.03 to 14.84 min ( P = .01); sleep quality and restfulness scores increased from 3.32 to 3.89 and 3.08 to 3.54, respectively ( P < .001 for both). Actigraphy showed a change in sleep onset time from 20.9 min to 14.5 min ( P = .003). Sleep efficiency improved from 83.5% to 85.6% ( P = .019). Wakefulness after initial sleep onset changed from 38.8 to 39.9 min ( P = .682). Sleep fragmentation index and the number of awakenings decreased from 6.16 to 5.46 ( P = .004) and 41.71 to 36.37 ( P = .013), respectively.

Conclusions:

Residents obtained nearly 7 h of sleep during outpatient rotation. Findings suggest a structured Heartfulness meditation practice to be a feasible program to improve subjective sleep onset time and several objective measures among resident physicians.
Female Labour Force Participation in India: Insights Through Time Use Survey
Authors: Srija A. , Vijay Shirke Shrinivas
Published: September 2021

Labour market employment statistics covers less than 50% of all the work performed each week, and on a gender basis, the coverage is 75% of men’s work and 33% of women’s work (Ironmonger,1999). The Periodic Labour Force Survey (2018-19) results show a gap of 35.4% and 40.6% between male–female LFPR (usual status: principal + subsidiary). About 42.5% of the women (age group 15+ years) are engaged in domestic duties only while 14.2% engaged in domestic duties are also engaged in free collection of goods (vegetables, roots, firewood, cattle feed, etc.), sewing, tailoring, weaving, etc. for household consumption. As the burden of unpaid domestic duties falls largely on the females, their activities go uncaptured. It is, therefore, important to understand the time disposition of women and their burden of work so as to help informed policy formulation inclusive of women. Using the results of the Time Use Survey (2019) and the Periodic Labour Force Surveys, this study tries to better understand the gamut of paid and unpaid economic activities undertaken by women in India and aims to get better insights into the factors affecting the female labour force participation in rural and urban India. This study reflects that the double burden of unpaid domestic and caregiving activities is prevalent irrespective of the education level of the women, the income levels of the household and is equally affecting women in rural as well as urban Indian households. The findings support the fact that the predominance of time disposition on non-SNA activities negatively affects the choice of economic activities undertaken by women and there is a need to address this divide of time disposition of men and women in non-SNA activities in order to increase the female Labour Force Participation. Using cross country comparison of the G20 countries, it is observed that distribution of domestic and caregiving activities among men and women has a positive impact on the labour force participation of women. While it may be difficult to quantify the entire gamut of unpaid domestic and care giving activities into the SNA and come with improved GDP estimate, ways to reduce the burden of unpaid domestic duties can always be thought of as mentioned in the section on policy interventions.

JEL Classification: J220
The Effect of Supportive Nursing Interventions on Reducing Stress Levels of Mothers of Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Yilmaz Gamze , Küçük Alemdar Dilek
Published: September 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of supportive interventions on the stress levels of mothers with infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This study was a prospective, pre-and post-test randomized controlled trial. The research was completed with 85 mothers in two groups of 45 subjects and 40 controls selected at random. Data collection used the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU), NICU Parent Belief Scale (NICU:PBS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI TX-2) and saliva cortisol analysis. There were statistically significant differences in favor of the experiment group for the PSS:NICU images and sounds subscale and PBS total points after supportive interventions ( p < .05). Supportive nursing interventions were effective in reducing stress related to the intensive care environment, anxiety levels and saliva cortisol levels and increasing parental belief among mothers.
Alveolar Cleft Reconstruction Using Double Iliac Corticocancellous Bone Plates Grafting Technique in Mixed Dentition Phase
Authors: Omara Mohammed , Ahmed Mamdouh , Shawky Mohamed , Ali Sherif
Published: September 2021

Objective

The primary goal of maxillary alveolar cleft reconstruction in patients with cleft lip/palate at the phase of mixed dentition is to build bone in the cleft area which in turn allows closure of the oronasal fistula, establishes arch continuity, and improve maxillary stability. This study aimed to evaluate the double iliac corticocancellous bone plates grafting technique for initial alveolar cleft grafting.

Design

This prospective study was conducted on 12 consecutive patients with unilateral complete alveolar cleft and previous cleft lip and palate corrective surgery.

Intervention

For all patients, the iliac crest graft was harvested and cut into 2 cortical bone plates and adapted labially and palatally. Both plates were fixed with screws then the gap between the 2 plates was filled with cancellous bone. The grafted side was compared to the contralateral side 9 months postoperatively regarding labio-palatal alveolar width and bone density, while the 9 months postoperative graft height was compared to the immediate postoperative height using computed tomography scans.

Results

All grafted sides showed similarity to the contralateral sides regarding both alveolar width and bone density with minimal crestal bone resorption.

Conclusion

The double iliac corticocancellous bone plate grafting technique seems to be a reliable method for alveolar cleft reconstruction with adequate bone quality and contour.
A Comparison of Burglary Near Repeat Victimization Between Rural and Urban Areas Using a Target-Based Assessment of Criminal Opportunity
Authors: Chainey Spencer P.
Published: September 2021

Numerous studies have shown that near repeat victimization of burglaries can account for a substantial minority of burglaries in urban settings. Using a method based on the distribution of potential targets to determine the size of spatial bandwidths, the presence of burglary near repeats in rural areas was examined and compared to the level of near repeats in urban areas. A significant burglary near repeat pattern was observed in rural areas, but was restricted to the spatial and temporal bands that were closest to and most recently after a previous burglary. The proportion of all burglaries that were near repeats in this nearest spatial and temporal bands was greater than that observed in urban areas. The findings lead to extending how the boost account and offender foraging principles may apply in rural settings, and the identification of crime prevention opportunities that counter near repeats in rural areas.