bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisiting the Proportional Recovery Model in View of the Ceiling Effect of Fugl-Meyer Assessment
Authors: Lee Hyun Haeng , Kim Deog Young , Sohn Min Kyun , Shin Yong-Il , Oh Gyung-Jae , Lee Yang-Soo , Joo Min Cheol , Lee So Young , Han Junhee , Ahn Jeonghoon , Chang Won Hyuk , Kim Ilyoel , Mi Choi Soo , Lee Jongmin , Kim Yun-Hee
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose:

The aim of this study was to verify the validity of the proportional recovery model in view of the ceiling effect of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment.

Methods:

We reviewed the medical records of patients enrolled in the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation between August 2012 and May 2015. Recovery proportion was defined as the actual change in Fugl-Meyer Assessment score of the upper extremity between 7 days and 6 months poststroke, relative to the initial neurological impairment. We then used logistic regression to identify clinical factors attributable to a ceiling effect of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment score of the upper extremity and propensity score matching to verify the validity of the proportional recovery rule.

Results:

We screened 10 636 patients and analyzed 849 patients (mean age, 65.4±11.9 years; female, 320 [37.7%]) with first-ever ischemic stroke. We found, through logistic regression analysis, that a one-unit increase in the initial neurological impairment and the age at stroke onset affected the odds ratio (1.0386 and 0.9736, respectively) of achieving the full Fugl-Meyer Assessment score of the upper limb at 6 months poststroke. We also demonstrated, through propensity score matching, that the difference in initial neurological impairment of the upper extremity resulted in discrepancy of the recovery proportion (0.92±0.20 [0–1] versus 0.81±0.31 [0–1],
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:

We demonstrated that the ceiling effect of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment score of the upper extremity is pronounced in patients with mild initial motor deficits of the upper extremity and that the recovery proportion varies according to the initial motor deficit of the upper limb using logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching, respectively. These results suggest that the proportional recovery model is not valid.
Stroke Risks in Adult Survivors of Preterm Birth: National Cohort and Cosibling Study
Authors: Crump Casey , Sundquist Jan , Sundquist Kristina
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose:

Clinicians will increasingly encounter adult patients who were born preterm and will need to understand their long-term sequelae. Adult survivors of preterm birth have been reported to have increased risks of hypertension and other stroke risk factors. However, their stroke risks have seldom been examined and the findings are discrepant, possibly due to small sample sizes, insufficient follow-up, or survivor bias. We examined whether preterm birth is associated with stroke in a large population-based cohort.

Methods:

A national cohort study was conducted of all 2 140 866 singletons born in Sweden from 1973 to 1994 who survived to age 18 years, who were followed up for first-time stroke through 2015 (maximum age 43 years). Cox regression was used to examine stroke risks associated with gestational age at birth, adjusting for other perinatal and parental factors. Cosibling analyses assessed for potential confounding by shared familial (genetic or environmental) factors.

Results:

In 28.0 million person-years of follow-up, 4861 (0.2%) people were diagnosed with stroke. At ages 18 to 43 years, the adjusted hazard ratio for stroke associated with preterm birth (<37 weeks) was 1.26 (95% CI, 1.12–1.43;
P
<0.001), and further stratified was 1.42 (1.11–1.81;
P
=0.005) for early preterm (22–33 weeks) and 1.22 (1.06–1.40;
P
=0.004) for late preterm (34–36 weeks), compared with full-term (39–41 weeks). Positive associations were found with both hemorrhagic stroke (early preterm: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.04–1.94]; any preterm: 1.15 [0.97–1.35]) and ischemic stroke (early preterm: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.33 [95% CI, 0.87–2.03]; any preterm: 1.31 [1.07–1.60]). These findings were similar in men and women and only partially explained by shared determinants of preterm birth and stroke within families.

Conclusions:

In this large national cohort, preterm birth was associated with increased risks of both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke in adulthood. Preterm birth survivors need early preventive evaluation and long-term clinical follow-up to reduce their lifetime risk of stroke.
Association of Hypotension During Thrombectomy and Outcomes Differs With the Posterior Communicating Artery Patency
Authors: Maïer Benjamin , Robichon Erwan , Bourcier Romain , Dargazanli Cyril , Labreuche Julien , Thion Laurie-Anne , Leguen Morgan , Riem Romuald , Desilles Jean-Philippe , Boulouis Grégoire , Delvoye François , Hebert Solène , Redjem Hocine , Smajda Stanislas , Escalard Simon , Blanc Raphaël , Piotin Michel , Lapergue Bertrand , Mazighi Mikael , Piotin Michel , Blanc Raphaël , Smajda Stanislas , Desilles Jean-Philippe , Mazighi Mikael , Fahed Robert , Maacha Malek Ben , Lapergue Bertrand , Rodesch Georges , Consoli Arturo , Coskun Aguzhan , Maria Federico Di , Bourdain Frédéric , Decroix Jean-Pierre , Wang Adrien , Tchikviladze Maya , Evrard Serge , Lopez Delphine , Turjman Francis , Gory Benjamin , Labeyrie Paul-Emile , Riva Roberto , Mounayer Charbel , Saleme Suzanna , Costalat Vincent , Bonafé Alain , Eker Omer , Gascou Grégory , Darganzali Cyril , Bracard Serge , Tonnelet Romain , Derelle Anne Laure , Anxionnat René , Desal Hubert , Bourcier Romain , Daumas Duport Benjamin , Berge Jérome , Barreau Xavier , Margnat Gauthier , Djemmane Lynda , Labreuche Julien , Duhamel Alain
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose:

Hypotension during endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke is associated with worse functional outcomes (FO). Given its important role in intracranial hemodynamics, we investigated whether hypotension during endovascular therapy had the same effect on FO according to the posterior communicating artery (PComA) patency.

Methods:

We performed a post hoc analysis of the ASTER trial (Contact Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever for Successful Revascularization). Patients were included if they had middle cerebral artery occlusions. Primary outcome was favorable FO, defined by a modified Rankin Scale scores between 0 and 2 at 3 months.

Results:

One hundred forty-eight patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion were included. In patients with no PComA, an increase in minimum mean arterial pressure was positively associated with favorable FO (odds ratio per 10 mm Hg increase, 1.59 [95%CI, 1.11–2.25];
P
=0.010), whereas no association was found in patients with a PComA (odds ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.54–1.08];
P
=0.12). Patients with no PComA and longer cumulative time with mean arterial pressure <90 mm Hg or systolic blood pressure <140 mm Hg had significantly lower rates of favorable FO, with an odds ratio per 10-minute increase of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.59–0.94;
P
=0.010) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.60–0.91;
P
=0.003), but not in patients with a PComA.

Conclusions:

Hypotension during endovascular therapy for middle cerebral artery occlusion is consistently associated with worse FO in patients with no PComA but not in those with a PComA.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02523261.
The Immersive Guitar Project: Imagining Possibilities for Enriching Audience Experience through Architectural Innovation
Authors: Wolfe Jocelyn , Tomlinson Vanessa , Schaupp Karin
Published: June 2021

This article introduces The Immersive Guitar (TIG) Project, a proposed sonic performance installation that doubles as an intimate acoustic venue. The TIG Project responds to several needs, highlighting relations between place and performance, music and architecture. The needs concern a rarity of suitable, intimate spaces for acoustic performance and an appeal for more creative solutions in the provision of such spaces, which would afford novel ways of accessing performing arts experiences. This article introduces the proposition and provides project background and rationale.
Counting methods introduced into the bibliometric research literature 1970–2018: A review
Authors: Gauffriau Marianne
Published: June 2021

This review investigates (a) the number of unique counting methods, (b) to what extent counting methods can be categorized according to selected characteristics, (c) methods and elements to assess the internal validity of counting methods, and (d) to what extent and with which characteristics counting methods are used in research evaluations. The review identifies 32 counting methods introduced from 1981 to 2018. Two frameworks categorize these counting methods. Framework 1 describes selected mathematical properties and Framework 2 describes arguments for choosing a counting method. Twenty of the 32 counting methods are rank dependent, fractionalized, and introduced to measure contribution, participation, etc. of an object of study. Next, three criteria for internal validity are used to identify five methods that test the adequacy, two elements that test the sensitivity, and three elements that test the homogeneity of counting methods. Finally, a literature search finds that only three of the 32 counting methods are used by four research evaluations or more. Two counting methods are used with the same characteristics as defined in the studies that introduced the counting methods. The review provides a detailed foundation for working with counting methods, and many of the findings provide bases for future investigations of counting methods.
Negative psycho-emotional consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in risk groups
Authors: Karpova Elvira B. , Nikolaeva Ekaterina A.
Published: June 2021

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with a threat to somatic health and human life, poses a challenge to people’s mental health. The search for predictors of the negative consequences of the pandemic for the mental health is an urgent task for the psychological community. Objective. to test the assumption that the psychological impact of a pandemic may be more significant for people with a potentially more severe course of the disease and an increased likelihood of death (representatives of the risk group), than that of the general population, and can be accompanied by more pronounced psychoemotional disorders. Design. In the first two months after the introduction of restrictive measures for the COVID-19 epidemic, an online survey of the population was conducted on social networks using valid methods suitable for screening studies. We used a specially developed questionnaire and included psycho-diagnostic techniques in the “Google questionnaire” format. The study involved 449 people aged 12 to 82 years old, average age 30 years old, moda1 – 22 years old. The sample was divided into the main and control groups. The main group – the risk group – was 81 people, the size of the control group or the conventionally named “health group” – 368 people. Results. It was revealed that the commitment to self-isolation is not associated with the respondents’ belonging to the risk group. Despite the discovered connection between belonging to the risk group and the fear of contracting coronavirus infection, psycho-emotional disorders at a statistically significant level of significance were more often diagnosed in the “health group” (45%), and 26% in the risk group. Among the members of the risk group, a high level of experience of loneliness is less common (1% versus 8% for the “health group”). Conclusion. On the whole, the results showed a significant negative effect of the new conditions on the mental state of people. The hypothesis that people from the risk group turned out to be more susceptible to psycho-emotional distress during the period of self-isolation has not been confirmed. The most active part of the population appeared to be most vulnerable to distress. For them the current situation turned out to be frustrating to their usual needs.
Ethical-psychological portrayal of a Russian corrupt official
Authors: Maksimenko Aleksandr A. , Deyneka Olga S. , Krylova Dina V.
Published: June 2021

Background. Portraying a typical Russian corrupt official is important as a preventive measure to apply within the system of human resources on civil service. Objective. The study is aimed at creating a psychological portrait of civil servants working in the environments where corruption is possible in order to reveal their attitude to corruption and to the means used to eliminate it. Design. 100 municipal civil servants from the city of Kostroma took part in an anonymized survey with a standardized questionnaire. The survey encompassed civil servants of all levels: heads of departments and their deputies (top level), department managers and their deputies (mid level), minor officials. Results. Analyzing the results obtained within the survey one can conclude that for top-level civil servants the most important advantages of municipal civil service are the ability to help people and society in solving their problems, as well as substantial pension and good psychological climate. For mid-level managing positions the main advantages are psychological climate, that comes first, and, subsequently, the ability to help people. Minor officials’ scale of values prioritizes material gain over everything else. Instead of understanding corruption in the broad sense, as abuse of authority, the way the concept of corruption is represented in the law, civil servants view it more narrowly — as bribery. The most common excuses for bribery, according to the civil servants questioned, include protection and the bosses being interested in “extra” profit as well as the situation of mutual bribing and financial problems caused by low salary. The barriers for bribery, in civil servants’ opinion, are moral norms and the fear to be punished or fired. Conclusions. The analysis of literature on the subject, as well as the empirical study conducted, allows to single out the most characteristic features that a corrupt civil servant has. Corrupt civil servants are highly extravert, they are very eager to please people, and have a variety of addictions. The values of power and dominance contribute to making corruption acceptable, while the primary role of care and universalism lower its level.
The role of psychological rehabilitation in complex cardiac rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease
Authors: Velikanov Arseniy A. , Stoljarova Anna A. , Kruglova Nadezda E.
Published: June 2021

Background. Coronary artery disease (CHD) remains the most common disease and a common cause of death worldwide. In this regard, much attention is paid to preventive measures in relation to coronary heart disease. Providing high-quality and timely psychological rehabilitation as part of secondary prevention programs has the potential to improve the prognosis of patients with coronary disease. Therefore, it is urgent to improve the measures of psychological rehabilitation. Objective: review and analysis of data from modern foreign and domestic studies on the psychological rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease (within the framework of complex cardiac rehabilitation). Results. Despite the obvious, recognized by experts, benefits of rehabilitation programs, there is a problem of insufficient active participation of patients with coronary heart disease in such programs. Research is needed to identify factors and develop methods that improve patient motivation to participate in and complete rehabilitation activities. The main targets of psychological rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease include the correction of such psychological characteristics as: hostility, emotional tension, manifestations of depressive and anxious behavior, maladaptive personality traits. The importance of dealing with anxiety and depression is emphasized. According to scientific literature, the most effective and appropriate methods of psycho-correction in the system of psychological rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease are cognitive-behavioral methods, as well as the use of an integrative approach. It is important to develop and implement general organizational standards for psychological rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease, as well as the inclusion of positions of medical psychologists in the staffing of cardiological medical institutions. Conclusions. Despite the use of modern methods of treatment and rehabilitation, the mortality rate from CHD remains high. Therefore, it is necessary to continue research aimed at optimizing treatment and rehabilitation measures with the expansion of the set of psychological rehabilitation.
Personal factors of building a professional career during the period of entering adulthood
Authors: Karabanova Olga A. , Zakharova Elena I. , Starostina Julia А.
Published: June 2021

Background. Planning a professional career as an important step of professional self-determination at the stage of entering adulthood can be considered as the projection of a life path by a person in the conditions of the transitivity of modern society. Objective: to identify the personal factors of building a professional career by students during the period of entering adulthood. Tasks: 1) identifying the types of building a professional career; 2) identifying the features of motivation for professional development depending on the type of professional career; 3) analysis of the relationship between the type of professional career and the status of professional identity; 4) study of the relationship between the time perspective and the type of professional career; 5) study of the connection between life-meaning orientations as an indicator of the meaningfulness of life and the type of professional career. Design. The sample of the study consisted of 167 students enrolled in universities in Moscow and Penza, aged 17 to 22. We used the author’s methodology of the questionnaire “Life plans — family and professional careers” (FPC); the questionnaire of the time perspective by F. Zimbardo; D. Marcia method of determining the status of identity in the profession (modified by V.R. Orestova and O.A. Karabanova); methodology of life-meaning orientations (D.A. Leontiev). Results. The following 4 types of professional careers that are different in the nature of their motivation have been identified: “the conscious construction of a professional career in the unity with the individual’s life plans”; “focus on a professional career”; “uncertainty of a professional career” and “uncertainty of professional choice”. It is shown that the type of professional career is associated with the status of a person’s professional identity. The status of the achieved identity is consistent with the conscious construction of a professional career; the status of a pre-decision is consistent with a focus on a professional career; a moratorium is consistent with uncertainty in professional choice. It was found that high indicators of the meaningfulness of life are characteristic of the conscious building of a professional career and a focus on a career. The time perspective of the respondents who belong to the type of conscious construction of a professional career is distinguished by a more positive perception of the past and an aspiration to the future. Conclusions. The relationship between the type of professional career and the status of identity is that the status of achieved identity corresponds to a mature type of professional career; pre-decision corresponds to the focus on a professional career, and a moratorium corresponds to uncertainty in professional choice. The type of professional career as a project of a life path determines the way a person reflects on the meaningfulness of life.
Tactical deception in sociosexual behaviour of stump-tailed macaques (Macaca arctoides): an exploratory study
Authors: De Aquino Itzel , Platas-Neri Diana , Sánchez-Ferrer José Carlos , Jiménez Said , Muñoz-Delgado Jairo
Published: June 2021

Tactical deception (TD) is a social strategy in which a subject performs an action to its own benefit causing disadvantage for a competitor. In primates, the cognitive mechanisms involved in TD have been described at different levels. Sneaky mating is a common context within which to study TD because in many primate groups, dominant males monopolize access to females and subordinate males must find a way to copulate with females avoiding the alpha’s presence. The objective of this study was to explore which of the TD behavioural strategies are involved in the male sociosexual behaviour of a group of stump-tailed macaques (Macaca arctoides). We found that the subordinate males participated in more interactions when they were in a section of the enclosure where the alpha male was not present. The alpha male had more copulation interactions, but the beta male’s interactions lasted longer on average. Our data offer evidence in support of the hypothesis that stump-tailed macaques may use TD strategies that are related to operant conditioning.
Utilising the International Human Rights Framework to Access the Benefits of Paediatric Research in The covid Era: A Wales Case Study
Authors: Croke Rhian , Turner Rhian Thomas , Connor Phillip , Edwards Martin
Published: June 2021

This article uses Wales as a case study to discuss the challenges to accessing the benefits of paediatric research before and during the covid-19 pandemic. Due to the rapidly changing political and legislative landscape, it is critical that health professionals working for the benefit of children can utilise international human rights treaties and the most relevant General Comments that offer a bridge between legalistic provisions and practice. Additionally, it is vital for health professionals to interpret and understand domestic children’s rights legislation, including tools for implementation for realising children’s rights. This article shares learning from the Children’s Hospital for Wales, Children and Young Adult Research Unit’s endeavour to challenge the Welsh Government to pay due regard to the rights of the child in ensuring children can access the benefits of paediatric research; including research concerning children’s role in infection and transmission, during the pandemic.
The Political Implications of Urban Displacement: Notes from Two Fieldwork Research Projects in Casablanca
Authors: Guarino Laura , Portelli Stefano
Published: June 2021

Resettlement programs have always been in the political agenda of public institutions and administrators of Casablanca since its growth during the French Protectorate. Today real estate and private multinational capital sneak into local and national powers, pushing public authorities to clear land for new urban development through demolition and resettlement of local residents. The dwellers of areas such as the old town centre (medina) and the slums (karyan) increasingly react to displacement by challenging this urban agenda frontally with their bodies and words, but often also deploying what James Scott calls “weapons of the weak”, i.e. implicit acts of resistance and symbolic dissent. Reversing Asef Bayat’s statement, we consider residents of these stigmatized neighbourhoods “revolutionaries without a revolution”, partisans of an intimate cause of their own, that aims at having a home and surviving in a hostile city. Our reflections are the product of two separate fieldwork researches: one with the inhabitants of informal neighbourhoods, another with residents and former residents of the old medina. The two cases show how resettlement affects the sense of belonging and of cohesion of low-income classes by uprooting the founding element of the everyday life: the house. The uncertainty about the possibility to keep their own home deeply conditions the implicit social pact with the monarchy apparatus, and may represent one of the conditions that are undermining the allegiance to the monarchy itself.
An Analysis of Urban Initiatives in Cairo: Locality, Everyday Politics and Relational Space in Cairo’s Unplanned Neighbourhoods
Authors: Sarnataro Azzurra
Published: June 2021

This article focuses on urban activism and social movements that emerged in Cairo between 2011 and 2014 and argues that in unplanned areas these initiatives shape patterns of agency and social encounter. This contribution therefore investigates the transformative potential activated by the encounters between women of different social background in a small association (ǧamā‘iyya) in the unplanned area of Ezbet al-Haggana, in the north-east periphery of Cairo. Through analytical categories such as the “everyday politics”, “informality”, “relational space” and “capacity to aspire”, the article analyses how the everyday interactions, even within apparently non-politicized actions, reveal features of social change and mobility. The materials presented have been collected during a three-year research period conducted between 2012 and 2015. The fieldwork included 10 semi-structured interviews with local activists and institutional actors as well as an ethnographic account, which will be reported in the text.
La casa nelle narrazioni in lotta
Authors: Turco Lucia
Published: June 2021

This article advances an analysis of the struggles led by women living in Tangier’s working-class neighbourhoods over the past decade. Protest movements have emerged in Northern Morocco in response to the impacts of neoliberal processes, and specifically against the proliferation of Free Trade Zones and urban developments associated to internal migration. These social struggles are analysed through the “house” category, whereby the house is interpreted as a dynamic, ever-changing and situated category, through which a language of ordinary struggles has developed. Women play a crucial role in such struggles, using their agency to defend a whole set of values under attack by neoliberal processes. The narrative of household-centred struggles gives back the image of a constant urban turmoil, as well as a feeling of familiarity with such struggles that is a key factor behind the massive participation in protests in Southern Mediterranean countries.
A Case Study of Code-Switching among Thai Waiters in a Cambridge, UK Restaurant
Authors: Prin Nicola
Published: June 2021

This study explores Thai bilingual speakers’ code-switching in a formal work setting. Although code-switching may appear to be random, there is an underlying choice which speakers decide upon when switching between languages: Language proficiency, the initial speaker’s language choice, the setting, and role relationships all contribute to these choices. This study investigates the factors contributing to code-switch decisions by participants within their specific work environment. The main findings show that adopting one language over the other depends on two main factors: first, the initial sequence of the interaction; second, the role relationship that the participants wish to maintain. This study has drawn upon the conversational approach and Auer’s sequential analysis to collect and interpret data from ethno-graphic observations, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews.
Unmaking Masculine Determinacy: A Postmodern Challenge in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Venus
Authors: Padgate Usa
Published: June 2021

Venus, a play written by Suzan-Lori Parks, employs unconventional theatrical approaches in retelling the history of a 19th-century freak show attraction. This study examines how the critique of gender bias and sexual manipulations in Venus is explored and projected in ways that can be described as postmodern. Through the subversion of conventional forms and language, the blending of fact and fiction, the pastiches of both low and high generic and linguistic presentations, the liberating of a marginalized voice, and the revision of the philosophical premises that subordinate the female to the male order, the play questions the masculine determinacy inherent in social institutions and traditions and invites a conscious reconsideration of default meaning and truth.
Connecting Faith through Theatre: Barazan’yee as a Semi-Ritual Performance in Thai Muslim Communities
Authors: Midam Khalid
Published: June 2021

This research paper examines the creative process used to connect young Muslims with their experience, their faith, and their community through a community-based performance. It also stresses the different levels of connections that resulted from the performance itself. The author sought to reconnect Barazan’yee, an important Arabic poetic chant, to people in the Bangkok Islamic community using tools from community theatre. The performance design process allowed them to tell their own story in relation to Bar’zanyee poetry in ways that are meaningful to them and their community, thus connecting their lives to the life of Prophet Muhammad. The first performance was in a public theatre resulted in a shift in structure and participation choices for audience in the second performance at a public theatre. Although both performances were conducted in a semi-ritualized environment of the Muslim community, the latter better engaged both the performers and audience.
HOAMROANG SAM PRASAN: The Overture of Three Southern Cultures Concept from The Viewpoint of an Intercultural Composer and Musician
Authors: Sarasas Sinnapa
Published: June 2021

This article examines the process of combining three distinct traditional music cultures in Pattani, Thailand, into one piece of music. The author was the music director of the “Hoamroang Sam Prasan” (Overture: Harmony of the Three). Since the three musical traditions – Nora, Rong Ngeng and Digir Hulu, and Chinese drums ensemble – are similar yet different, the work was both easy and difficult. As someone with long experience in intercultural music, I developed a distinct way to do collaborative work. I seek to ensure musicians contribute their best to the piece, establish bonds of trust to co-operate, so they are willing to share in different ideas and training. The project drew the best from traditional musicians so they could develop new work on their own terms with their own musical abilities in a mode I call “conservative contemporary music.” Both artists and audiences could better appreciate the vitality of different musical traditions and their lively interactions more fully.
Micromorphological observations on lemma and palea surface of Bromus (Poaceae) in Iran
Authors: MOSAFERI SAMANEH , KESHAVARZI MARYAM
Published: June 2021

Bromus (Poaceae) includes more than 160 species of mesophytic and xerophytic grasses from temperate regions of the world, of which 39 occur in Iran. The genus is considered taxonomically problematic due to the occurrence of hybridization, variation in ploidy levels, and phenotypic plasticity. Moreover, morphological similarities make species delimitation difficult. It resulted in different taxonomic classifications proposed along the time. Thus, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the species of Bromus, 21 species from six different sections of Bromus occurring in Iran were evaluated micromorphologically. The abaxial surface of the lemma and palea of the lowermost florets were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Twenty-three quantitative and qualitative characters were analysed using PAST software. Lemma characters such as shape of silica cells, cork cells, crown cells, outline of long cell wall, and long cell length, and palea characters such as shape of cork cells, silica cells, and outline of long cell wall were informative among species studied. In UPGMA clustering most species were aggregated according to the previously delimited sections demonstrating the taxonomic value of micromorphological features in the species studied. Two sections Bromus and Genea showed a close relationship whereas two sections Ceratochloa and Pnigma were placed in one cluster close to the cluster including section Boissiera. The only exception was B. japonicus which was resolved within cluster of sect. Genea, not in cluster of sect. Bromus.
Revision of Limnocoris Stål (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Naucoridae) of the tropical Andes
Authors: RODRIGUES HIGOR D. D. , SITES ROBERT W.
Published: June 2021

The species of Limnocoris of the tropical Andes of South America are revised, including the descriptions of eight new species: L. chrysosetosus n. sp. from Ecuador; L. elongatus n. sp. and L. emboliatus n. sp. from Colombia; L. molanoi n. sp. from Colombia and Ecuador; L. luisae n. sp. from Colombia and Venezuela; L. longirostris n. sp. from Venezuela; L. nieseri n. sp. from Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama; and L. reynosoi n. sp. from Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Further, supplemental descriptions are provided for the previously described species. The following taxa are resurrected from synonymy and their species status are restored: Limnocoris peruvianus Melin stat. restit. from synonymy with L. pectoralis Montandon, and L. stali Montandon stat. restit. from synonymy with L. borellii Montandon. The following synonymies are proposed, with junior synonyms in brackets: L. borellii Montandon [L. horvathi Montandon n. syn.], L. dubiosus Montandon [L. aymarana Poisson n. syn.], L. malkini La Rivers [L. pulchellus n. syn.], L. obscurus Montandon [L. trilobatus Nieser, González, & Eichelkraut, n. syn.], L. ochraceus Montandon [L. maculatus De Carlo n. syn.], L. pallescens (Stål) [L. bergrothi Montandon n. syn.], L. pectoralis Montandon [L. rivalis Melin n. syn.], L. peruvianus Melin [L. calii Nieser, González & Eichelkraut n. syn.] and L. stali Montandon [L. robustus Roback & Nieser n. syn., L. carcharus La Rivers n. syn.]. Lectotypes are designated for five species: L. aymarana, L. bergrothi, L. borellii, L. dubiosus, and L. stali. An illustrated taxonomic key and distribution maps also are presented.
Classification of Benign and Malignant Pulmonary Nodules Using a Regularized Extreme Learning Machine
Authors: Liang ShuFen , Liu HuiLin , Yang FangChen , Qin Chuanbo , Feng Yue
Published: June 2021

An L1/L2-norm-bound extreme learning machine classification algorithm is proposed to improve the accuracy of distinguishing between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. In this algorithm, features extracted from the segmented lung nodule using the histogram of oriented gradients
method are used as inputs. L1-norm can promote sparsity in the weights of the output layer, and L2-norm can smooth output weights. The combination of the L1 norm and L2 norm can simplify the complexity of the network and prevent overfitting to improve classification accuracy. For each newly
tested lung nodule, the algorithm outputs a class label of either benign or malignant. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity reached 94.12%, 93%, and 95% respectively over the lung image database consortium and image database resource initiative dataset. Compared with other algorithms,
the average values of the three metrics increased by 6.5%, 7.94%, and 4.32%, respectively. An accuracy score of 95.83% can be achieved over a set of 120 urinary sediment images. Therefore, this algorithm has a good classification effect of pulmonary nodules.
A Study on the Relationships Among Character Strengths, Perceived Social Support and Subjective Well-Being of Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Ruan Feiyan , Ding Xiaotong , Li Huiping , Wang Yixuan , Ye Kemin , Sun Chenyu , Kan Houming
Published: June 2021

Purpose:Subjective well-being is a key factor affecting the overall quality of life of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to provide information on improving the level of happiness to breast cancer patients by exploring the relationships among character strengths, perceived social support and subjective well-being.Methods:A total of 181 breast cancer patients were enrolled. Participants completed a general information questionnaire, the values in action inventory of strengths questionnaire, the perceived social support scale questionnaire, and the index of well-being questionnaire.Results:The subjective well-being and perceived social support of breast cancer patients were positively correlated with their character strengths (r= 0.167-0.630, allP< 0.05). Perceived social support played a mediating role between the four traits of character strength and subjective well-being. The percentages of the mediating effects that comprised the total effects were 26.3% for perceptual—self-focused, 26.5% for perceptual—other-focused, 23.5% for rational—self-focused, and 23.7% for rational—other-focused.Conclusion:Breast cancer patients’ subjective well-being can be improved by their character strengths and high levels of perceived social support.
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction and Numerical Simulation of Intracranial Aneurysm for Sectional Anatomy Based on Computed Tomography Angiography
Authors: Deng Xuefei , Liu Yu , Meng Qingling , Cao Danning , Bao Quan , Liu Siqi , Li Zhengyuan , Jin Zhangsi , Zhang Yuanyuan
Published: June 2021

Objective: The mortality of rebleeding after ruptured intracranial aneurysms was more than 40%. It is essential to identify the intracranial artery in sectional anatomy. However, it is difficult for students to understand the intracranial artery in the section. Therefore, the
purpose of this study is to explore the application effect of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and numerical simulation of intracranial aneurysm for sectional anatomy based on computed tomography angiography (CTA). Method: Sixty students in medical imaging specialty of our university
were divided into two groups. The control group was taught with conventional sectional anatomy and CT images, while the observation group was taught with 3D reconstruction and numerical simulation of intracranial aneurysm. The teaching characteristics and teaching effects were analyzed and
compared between the two groups. Result: The 3D reconstruction can accurately express the size, direction, and adjacent relationship of aneurysms. Through rotation of the 3D image, students can easily understand the name and location of cerebral arteries. Combined with the function
of 3D positioning, each blood vessel can automatically and accurately locate in the transverse, coronal, and sagittal plane. Abnormal wall shear stress was easily found in the intersection of cerebral artery circle, which was the physiological basis for the occurrence of aneurysms. There was
a high shear zone in the root of an aneurysm, which was the physiological factor of rupture. The scores of sectional specimen identification, drawing examination, and theoretical assessment in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The 3D reconstruction and numerical simulation can directly display the 3D morphological and physiological characteristics of intracranial aneurysms, which is convenient for students to understand and memorize. It can reach a good teaching effect in sectional anatomy.
Construction of Vertebral Body Tracking Algorithm Based on Dynamic Imaging Parameter Measurement and Its Application in the Treatment of Lumbar Instability
Authors: Shen Lanjuan , Ji Cheng , Lin Jian , Yang Hongping
Published: June 2021

Static imaging measurements could not truly reflect the dynamic panorama of the lumbar movement process, and the abnormal activities between the lumbar vertebrae and their dynamic balance could not be observed, resulting in difficulties in the mechanism analysis of lumbar instability and the efficacy evaluation of manipulation therapy. Therefore, this paper constructed a vertebral tracking algorithm based on dynamic imaging parameter measurement through imaging parameter measurement and calculation. According to the imaging data obtained by vertebral body tracking algorithm, the corresponding statistical methods were used to compare the functional scores before and after manipulation and the changes of imaging data, so as to evaluate the therapeutic effect of manipulation on lumbar instability. Through the clinical observation and imaging analysis of 15 patients with lumbar instability before and after manipulation treatment, it is verified that the vertebra tracking algorithm is effective in the vertebra tracking and plays a positive role in the treatment of lumbar instability.
A Multi-Scale Information Fusion Level Set for Breast Tumor Segmentation
Authors: Fan Tongle , Wang Guanglei , Li Yan , Wang Zhongyang , Wang Hongrui
Published: June 2021

Purpose: Mammography is considered an effective method of examination in early breast cancer screening. Massive work by distinguished researchers of breast segmentation has been proposed. However, due to the blurry boundaries of the breast tumor, the variability of its shape
and the overlap with surrounding tissue, the breast tumor’s accurate segmentation still is a challenge. Methods: In this paper, we proposed a novel level set model which based on the optimized local region driven gradient enhanced level set model (OLR-GCV) to segment tumor within
a region of interest (ROI) in a mammogram. Firstly, Noise, labels and artifacts are removed from breast images. The ROI is then obtained using the intuitionistic fuzzy C-means method. Finally, we used OLR-GCV method to accurately segment the breast tumor. The OLR-GCV model combines regional
information, enhanced edge information and optimized Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) energy term. The regional and enhanced edge information are used to capture local, global and gradient information of breast images. The optimized Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) energy term is introduced in the energy
functional to further optimize edge information to improve segmentation accuracy. Results: We evaluated our method on the MIAS and DDSM datasets. It yielded a Dice value of 96.86% on the former and 95.51% on the latter. Our method proposed achieves higher accuracy of segmentation than
other State-of-the-art Methods. Conclusions: Our method has better segmentation performance, and can be used in clinical practice.
Renal Segmentation Using an Improved U-Net3D Model
Authors: Turk Fuat , Luy Murat , Barisci Necaattin
Published: June 2021

Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year, and this disease is more common in developed societies. Approximately 30% of patients with kidney cancer are recognized at the metastatic stage. Segmentation is an important process in the computer-aided
treatment planning of kidney diseases. For this reason, more importance should be given to studies focused on segmentation as accurate segmentation is of high importance in the medical sense. This paper focuses on an improved version of the existing U-Net3D models. The aim is to assist physicians
struggling with kidney segmentation. The improved U-Net3D model showed better performance than U-Net, U-Net+ResNet, and U-Net++ models, with 97.89% accurate segmentation.
Development of a Quantitative Method Based on the Hill-Shading Technique for Assessing Morphological Changes in the Bone During Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Bone Metastasis
Authors: Tanabe Yoshinori , Ishida Takayuki
Published: June 2021

We hypothesized that positioning corrections matching the image in image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) for bone metastasis contain information on temporal structural changes in irradiated bone metastatic lesions during the treatment period. To extract and quantify these changes, a hill-shading
technique was used to emphasize the characteristics of the structure. Spatial frequency components of the bone lesions were described based on hillshading transformations of the images, and a quantification method was suggested. The matching images of 11 patients who received IGRT for lytic
bone metastases were evaluated retrospectively. The hill-shading technique was applied to images of both metastatic lesions and normal bone outside the irradiation field. Outlined bone microstructures were analyzed by a two-dimensional power spectrum using fast Fourier transformation, and
the frequency components were quantified. Correlations between the frequency components and cumulative radiation doses were analyzed between the irradiated metastatic bone and normal bone outside the irradiation field. The high-frequency components of the metastatic bone lesion images decreased
by a mean of 7% (minimum:−0.2%, maximum: −13.2%) following cumulative irradiation doses of 20–30 Gy versus 0–10 Gy. In the normal bone outside the irradiation field, high-frequency components increased by a mean of 0.07% (minimum:−2.0%, maximum: +4.4%) following
irradiation doses of 20–30 Gy versus 0–10 Gy. High-frequency components were significantly different between the normal bone and bone metastases following radiotherapy (p <0.0001). Hill-shading transformation of matching images obtained during the treatment period enabled
adaptation and evaluation of irradiation-induced changes in the microstructure of bone metastatic lesions.
Heat Transfer Enhancement of Magneto-Micropolar Nanofluid Over a Wedge
Authors: EL-Zahar E. R. , Mansour M. A. , Rashad A. M. , Abdelrahman Z. M. A. , EL-Hakiem A. M. A.
Published: June 2021

Current investigation characterizes the flow and heat transmission of magneto-micropolar nanofluid through a non-isothermal wedge. The base-fluid as water and micropolar nanofluid as Copper or Alumina-nanoparticles are considered. Applying the similarity transformations along with non-dimensional quantities the formulated equations of the investigation are transmuted into a system of non-linear ODEs with a collection of convenient boundary conditions. The fourth-order finite difference method (FFDM) is then applied to determine the solution of a collection of resultant equations. The outcomes obtained by FFDM have also compared with cited works. Illustrations describing influences of prominent parameters which provide physical interpretations of temperature, micro rotation and velocity fields are examined in detail with the help of graphical representations. Both the skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number are computed and exhibited through tabular forms. This investigation determined that the skin-friction coefficient and heat transport rate improved along with augmentation in the magnetic force. micropolar parameter and the nanoparticle volume fraction augmented the Both skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number.
Transport Properties on Mixed Bioconvection Flow of Non-Newtonian Dusty Nanofluid with Nonlinear Radiation by a Moving Wedge
Authors: Abo-Zaid Omima A. , Mahdy A. , Hady F. M. , Mohamed R. A.
Published: June 2021

A numerical handling is executed on a dusty non-Newtonian fluid with a suspension of nanoparticles along a moving wedge. Via the impacts of Brownian motion and thermophoresis, heat and mass transfer properties are recognized. Nonlinear ODE are generated from the presence of appropriate
transformations applied to the governing fundamental PDE. The numerical treatment of these mutated equations is performed utilizing the Runge-Kutta method of fourth-order. From this investigation, significant results acquired that the local Nuslet number decline with an increase of variable
thermal conductivity parameter. The variable viscosity parameter tends to improve the velocity profiles for both the fluid phase and the dust phase. Addendum to this a shrinkin occurs to the temperature profiles induced from increasing mass concentration of the dust particles while supports
with nonlinear thermal radiation parameter. Variable transport properties are assumed to depend on the concentration and denoted as variable viscosity, variable thermal conductivity, variable mass diffusivit and variable microorganisms diffusivity parameters. Consequence of the quantitative
comparison between the current and previous numerical computations points out a superb agreement.