bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Nearctic Eremidrilus species (Clitellata: Lumbriculidae). Part 2, western species with one spermathecal segment
Authors: RODRIGUEZ PILAR , FEND STEVEN V.
Published: June 2022

Three new species of the lumbriculid genus Eremidrilus Fend & Rodriguez, 2003 are described from rivers in California, Nevada and Idaho, USA. The new species share the typical characters of the genus: a filiform proboscis, semiprosoporous male ducts and atria in X, spermathecae paired in the postatrial segment and male pores usually associated with distinct porophores. Species in Eremidrilus have either two spermathecal segments, XI and XII, or only one, XI. Compared with other Eremidrilus species having only one pair of spermathecae in XI, E. chalonensis n. sp. is mainly distinguished by the presence of a ring of glands at the spermathecal pore; E. pinedai n. sp. has a very small atrium and porophore; E. owyhee n. sp. has a thin, cylindrical atrium and a very long porophore. The spermathecal pores open in line with ventral chaetae in E. chalonensis, a position which separates it from previously described California species where the pore opens in a more lateral position. In contrast, the spermathecal pores in E. owyhee open at the lateral line in a transverse body fold. Most Eremidrilus species described so far show narrow endemicity, and their geographic distributions are restricted to small hydrographic areas. Only E. felini and E. owyhee have distribution ranges greater than 200 km. We provide a key to all known species of Eremidrilus.
Stability of Anti-thyroid Stimulating Hormone Receptor Antibody in Whole Blood and Serum: Caution Required for Reflective and Batch Testing
Authors: Hepburn Sophie , Ifrahim Rizwan , Cordle Jane
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Anti-thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb) stability is stated as 7h at 20–25°C in the Roche Elecsys assay kit insert. The purpose of this study was to determine TRAb stability in whole blood and serum to assess the suitability of samples for reflective and weekly batch testing (with a single freeze-thaw cycle).

Methods

In the first study, blood from n = 5 volunteers was used to assess: (1) stability in whole blood at room temperature up to 24h, and (2) stability in serum at 4–8°C up to 72h. In the second study, n = 21 patient samples were analysed in serum stored at 4–8°C for two and five days post-preliminary analysis.

Results

There was a statistically significant decrease in TRAb concentration caused by the single freeze-thaw cycle of −8.9% ± 5.2% ( p = 0.03). TRAb concentration decreased in whole blood between 0 and 24h by −16.5% ±9.2%, and declined in serum over time by −11.6% ±6.6% (at 12h). In the patient samples, serum TRAb concentration decreased over time by −4.6% ± 2.5% at day two and −6.5% ± 4.0% at day five.

Conclusion

TRAb concentration decreases over time in both whole blood at room temperature and serum samples stored at 4–8°C. A single freeze-thaw cycle also has a statistically significant effect on TRAb concentration.
Re-imagining what counts as femicide
Authors: A. Cook Elizabeth , Walklate Sandra , Fitz-Gibbon Kate
Published: June 2022

This Special Subsection on Re-imagining what counts as femicide brings together five original articles which, from different perspectives, seek to push, challenge, and redefine what counts as femicide. The contributions offered here excavate the conceptual issues of what, who, and where femicide ‘counts’. In order to do so, the articles engage with epistemological and methodological questions regarding how different bodies of evidence on femicide are formed and which take priority, the ethical implications of including or excluding deaths from counts of femicide, and prospects for legal intervention, specifically in Latin America, in contributing to who and what is counted as femicide. Together, these articles seek to challenge how existing concepts of femicide and approaches to counting have focused policy and practice attention on some women’s lives whilst neglecting to count (and thereby acknowledge) others.
‘A Child is Born’ – Gender, Remittances and Patrimony: The Case of Chivi District in Zimbabwe
Authors: Tagutanazvo Emelder Muchadzoka , Dzingirai Vupenyu
Published: June 2022

While debates about its morality continue among states and conservatives, migration is taking place in Africa. In previous decades, migration was dominated by men. Increasingly, in Zimbabwe, women are taking centre stage in this process. Using the case study of Chivi District in Zimbabwe which is now considered an established ‘donor’ of migrants, we examine how access and control of remittances by migrant men and women determines patrimony. This paper argues that migration and remittances have given birth to new rights and entitlements to daughters who were previously marginalised.
The Combined Outcomes of the COVID-19 Pandemic and a Collapsing Economy on Mental Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sacre Hala , Hajj Aline , Badro Danielle A. , Abou Selwan Carla , Haddad Chadia , Aoun Randa , Salameh Pascale
Published: June 2022

Objective: This study aimed to examine the outcomes of COVID-19 and a collapsing economy on the mental well-being (MWB) of the general Lebanese population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted online in May 2020 and enrolled 502 adults. Results: Mental well-being had a mean of 14.80 (14.37; 15.24). A lower MWB was associated with female gender (beta=−1.533 [−2.324; −0.743]), university education (beta=−2.119 [-3.353;-0.885]), fear of COVID-19 (beta=−0.131 [−0.199; −0.063]), fear of poverty (beta=−0.232 [−0.402;−0.063]), verbal violence at home (beta=−3.464 [−5.137; −1.790]), and chronic disease (beta=−1.307 [−2.283; −0.330]). Better family satisfaction (beta=0.380 [0.235; 0.525]) and better financial situation (beta=0.029 [0.003; 0.055]) were significantly correlated with better MWB. In the subsample of workers/looking for a job, additional factors affected MWB: physical exercise (beta =1.318 [0.370; 2.265]) was associated with better QOL, while being a previous waterpipe smoker, being self-employed before the crisis (beta=−1.22 [−2.208;−0.231]), working from home since the economic crisis (−1.853 [−3.692; −0.013]), and worrying about the long-term effects of the crisis on one’s employment status (beta=−0.433 [−0.650; −0.216]) were associated lower MWB. It is noteworthy that closure of the institution yielded a borderline result (B = −1.2; p = .094), while the fear of COVID-19 was not significantly associated with MWB (B = −0.054; p =0.192). Conclusion: This study showed that, during the pandemic, economic and other factors, directly or indirectly related to COVID-19, significantly affected quality of life. The fear of COVID-19 and fear of poverty mainly impacted the MWB of the general population. However, the fear of COVID-19 lost its significance among workers, who reported that factors negatively affecting their MWB are directly related to their employment and the already collapsing economy in Lebanon.
Data sharing practices across knowledge domains: A dynamic examination of data availability statements in PLOS ONE publications
Authors: Jiao Chenyue , Li Kai , Fang Zhichao
Published: June 2022

As the importance of research data gradually grows in sciences, data sharing has come to be encouraged and even mandated by journals and funders in recent years. Following this trend, the data availability statement has been increasingly embraced by academic communities as a means of sharing research data as part of research articles. This article presents a quantitative study of which mechanisms and repositories are used to share research data in PLOS ONE articles. We offer a dynamic examination of this topic from the disciplinary and temporal perspectives based on all statements in English-language research articles published between 2014 and 2020 in the journal. We find a slow yet steady growth in the use of data repositories to share data over time, as opposed to sharing data in the article and/or supplementary materials; this indicates improved compliance with the journal’s data sharing policies. We also find that multidisciplinary data repositories have been increasingly used over time, whereas some disciplinary repositories show a decreasing trend. Our findings can help academic publishers and funders to improve their data sharing policies and serve as an important baseline dataset for future studies on data sharing activities.
Multireader image quality evaluation of dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion imaging with a novel four-dimensional noise reduction filter
Authors: Sliwicka Olga , Swiderska-Chadaj Zaneta , Snoeren Miranda , Brink Monique , Salah Khibar , Peters-Bax Liesbeth , Stille Tip , van Amerongen Martinus Johannes , Sechopoulos Ioannis , Habets Jesse
Published: June 2022

Background

Dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) is a novel technique able to depict cardiac ischemia.

Purpose

To evaluate the impact of a four-dimensional noise reduction filter (similarity filter [4D-SF]) on image quality in dynamic CTP imaging, allowing for substantial radiation dose reduction.

Material and Methods

Dynamic CTP datasets of 30 patients (16 women) with suspected coronary artery disease, acquired with a 320-slice CT system, were retrieved, reconstructed with the deep learning-based algorithm of the system (DLR), and filtered with the 4D-SF. For each case, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in six regions of interest (33–38mm2) were calculated before and after filtering, in four-chamber and short-axis views, and t-tested. Furthermore, six radiologists of different expertise evaluated subjective image preference by answering five visual grading analysis-type questions (regarding acceptable level of noise, absence of artifacts, natural appearance, cardiac contour sharpness, diagnostic acceptability) using a 5-point scale. The results were analyzed using visual grade characteristics (VGC) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

Mean SNR in four-chamber view (unfiltered vs. filtered) were: septum=4.1 ± 2.1 versus 7.6 ± 5.6; lateral wall=4.5 ± 2.0 versus 8.0 ± 4.9; CNRseptum=16.6 ± 8.9 versus 31.7 ± 28; lateral wall=16.2 ± 8.9 versus 31.3 ± 28.9. Similar results were obtained in short-axis view. The perceived filtered image quality indicated decreased noise (VGCAUC=0.96) and artifacts (0.65), improved natural appearance (0.59), cardiac contour sharpness (0.74), and diagnostic acceptability (0.78). The inter-observer variability was excellent (ICC=0.79). All results were statistically significant ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Similarity filtering after DLR improves image quality, possibly enabling dose reduction in dynamic CTP imaging in patient with suspected chronic coronary syndrome.
Evaluation of clinical efficacy of continuous care with improved insulin injection techniques on patients with diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zhang Fang-Ying , Shen Mengyuan , Sun Li-Qin
Published: June 2022

Objective

To investigate the clinical effect of continuous care with improved insulin injection techniques on patients with diabetes mellitus.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial enrolled patients with diabetes mellitus. They were randomly assigned to a control or observation group. Patients in the control group received conventional continuous nursing. Patients in the observation group were given optimized insulin injection education and continuous nursing on the same basis as the conventional nursing used in the control group. Blood glucose-related outcomes, knowledge of insulin injections and adverse events were recorded.

Results

A total of 96 patients with diabetes mellitus were enrolled in the study ( n = 48 per group). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of sex, age and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Compared with the control group, continuous care combined with optimized insulin injection techniques significantly reduced blood glucose target time, fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose and HbA1c. The proportions of patients reporting a subcutaneous mass, insulin leakage and hypoglycaemic events were significantly lower in the observation group; and pain scores were significantly reduced compared with the control group.

Conclusions

Continuous care and optimization of insulin injection techniques can help patients achieve better diabetes-related outcomes. Study Registration Number: ChiCTR2200057166.
Calculation of field and force of Halbach arrays: Improved magnetic charge method for irregular magnetized magnets
Authors: Hu Liang , Liu Mingxiao , Yang Dong , Su Rui , Ruan Xiaodong , Fu Xin , Li Yong
Published: June 2022

Permanent magnets (PMs) are widely used in magnetic machinery. To better predict the performance of PMs, the magnetic field and force need to be calculated. In general applications, PMs are usually magnetized in a direction parallel to their symmetry axes, and the equivalent magnetic charge method (EMCM) can be used to calculate the corresponding magnetic field and force. However, in some particular cases, such as Halbach arrays, the magnetizing directions or shapes of PMs are irregular and cannot be modeled by the normal EMCM that is limited to the magnets with regular shapes and magnetizing directions. In this paper, an improved EMCM is proposed to calculate PMs with irregular magnetizing directions and shapes. The general rules of magnetic charge distribution are given. The standard forms for calculating magnets with irregular magnetizing directions are obtained through the orthogonal decomposition of the magnetizing direction to simplify the calculation. As an illustration, semi-analytical expressions for magnetic field and force of arc-shaped PMs with irregular magnetizing direction are obtained. Furthermore, the application of this method to calculate the 3-D magnetic field and axial magnetic force of Halbach arrays is discussed and compared with the finite element method (FEM) and experimental measurement. It shows that the improved EMCM has good accuracy and greatly reduces the time cost, which can provide reference for the structure design.
Effect of the design parameters of induced structures on the sensitivity of compressor efficiency and static pressure of induced structure inlets
Authors: Zhu Fei , Ma Chaochen , Wang Zhihui , Chen Shaolin , Wang Pengxiao , Wang Xiaoli
Published: June 2022

A gas-entraining diffuser exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) was proposed to induce the entry of the exhaust gas into the diffuser, to completely utilize the lower static pressure at the diffuser for reducing engine fuel consumption owing to the low engine backpressure. Thus, the induced structure was designed such that a large amount of exhaust gas enters the compressor diffuser. To improve the compressor efficiency and reduce the static pressure at the induced structure inlet, the design parameters of the induced structure (induced angle, induced effective inlet area, parallel part width, and position of the induced structure inlet) were investigated using numerical methods. The results show that the peak compressor efficiency reduced by 4% compared with the compressor prototype, and up to 90% of the compressor efficiency reduction is attributed to the induced gas entering the diffuser, except for the 10% induced gas ratio scenario over the near-choking point. This is because the entropy generation of the induced structure is close to 10% of the entropy generation increase in the diffuser system due to the induced gas at a medium flow rate. Second, in most cases, the compressor efficiency and static pressure of the induced structure inlet increase or decrease simultaneously as the design parameters vary. To select the best induced structure, it is necessary to compromise between the compressor efficiency and static pressure of the induced structure inlet. In fact, the compressor efficiency changes by less than 1% by varying the design parameters of the induced structure, compared with case ID1. This demonstrates that the design parameters have little effect on the compressor efficiency. Compared with the compressor efficiency, the static pressure of the induced structure inlet is more sensitive to the design parameters, particularly the induced effective inlet area and the position of the induced structure inlet.
Historical explanations in the Rettig Report: The role of interpersonal grammatical metaphors
Authors: Castro Claudia , Oteíza Teresa
Published: June 2022

This article explores different realizations of modality meanings in Spanish written language and their contribution to dialogic positionings in the field of the historical explanations provided in The National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation Report (1991) regarding human rights violations during Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile (1973–1990). From an ideological, socio-semiotic perspective anchored in the theoretical framework provided by Systemic Functional Linguistics, the analysis focuses on congruent and metaphorical expressions of modality in the text and their contribution to authors’ positionings as organized in the system of engagement, considering, at the lexicogrammatical level, the place of modality in the interpersonal, ideational, and logical structure of the clause. The analysis shows the productive role of a range of realizations of modality meanings in the discourse to construe an interpretation of a conflicting, traumatic recent past and to present and validate the authorial voice regarding its mission and actions. An outline of grammatical interpersonal metaphors of modality for Spanish written language is also presented.
Improved modeling and active disturbance rejection control of tank gun control system
Authors: Zheng Huaqing , Rui Xiaoting , Zhang Jianshu , Zhang Shujun , Gu Junjie
Published: June 2022

In order to improve the stability control performance of the tank barrel at high speed, a new 2-degree-of-freedom nonlinear dynamics model of yaw and pitch bodies is established, taking into account the 6-degree-of-freedom motion of the tank chassis. By analyzing the direction of the tank barrel in space, the barrel stability control scheme for the tank gun control system with the arbitrary motion of the tank chassis in space is realized. The new dynamics equations of the tank gun control system are established by analytical mechanics. It effectively solves the problem of modeling methods for the tank gun control system in azimuth and elevation when considering the 6-degree-of-freedom motion of tank chassis. Then, an improved active disturbance rejection control strategy for tank gun control system is proposed. A smooth nonlinear function faln(·) is constructed to avoid the switching problem of the function fal(·) at the piecewise points. Next, an improved extended state observer is designed based on the deviation principle by means of the deviation between each state variable and its observation. Afterwards, the stability of the system is analyzed by constructing a Lyapunov function. Simulations were carried out with different input signals to verify the reliability of the dynamics model and control algorithm. The improved active disturbance rejection control has a faster response speed and smaller steady state error. The results show that the stability and tracking performance of the tank gun control system has been improved using the proposed method.
Transgressing Boundaries, Transforming Film Culture(s): Tales of Bedeni and the Constructs of Female Performer Figure in the 1990s Bengali Cinema
Authors: Bhattacharya Spandan
Published: June 2022

Bedeni film emerged as a film genre centred on the snake worship cult and the figure of the bedeni/snake charmer woman after the phenomenal popularity of Beder Meye Josna (Panu, 1991). In this article, I consider how bedeni’s figuration disrupted the idea of the bhadra heroine of Bengali cinema, a figure of polish and restraint, and offered new understandings of ‘public women’. I study constructs of bedeni as a sexualised female performing figure through the multiple influences of diverse media texts ranging from Hindi cinema, to music videos, to sexually explicit Bengali songs (‘raser gaan’) popularised by cassettes. These influences speak of an expansive adaptation by Bengali cinema of contemporary popular culture across regional and national boundaries.
Community lawyering and climate justice: A new frontier
Authors: Taylor Monica , Lay Bronwyn
Published: June 2022

Climate change threatens the livelihoods of poor and marginalised people as they have the least capacity to adapt, recover and respond to climate events. This article presents climate justice as a new frontier for the Australian community legal sector and puts forward three key reasons why community legal centres (CLCs) are ideally suited to the challenge of climate justice-related legal work.
A one-pass predictor-corrector algorithm for the inverse Langevin function
Authors: Başdemir Selçuk , Dal Hüsnü
Published: June 2022

Inverse Langevin function has an extensive use in statistical mechanics, polymer chemistry, and physics. Main struggle is that the inverse Langevin function cannot be expressed in an exact analytical form. To this end, many approaches to estimate the inverse Langevin function have been proposed. A trade-off can be observed between level of accuracy and mathematical complexity in the existing approximants in the literature. In the present contribution, a simple, yet efficient one-pass predictor-corrector algorithm is proposed for the accurate prediction of the inverse Langevin function. The predictor step uses the approximants yp( x) proposed in the literature. The corrector term is based on a single iteration applied to the error function [Formula: see text]( yp) – x. The correction term is based on the yp and has the same form irrespective of the specific approximant used in the predictor step. Hence, the additional computational cost is constant irrespective of the approximant used as predictor. In order to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the approach, maximum relative error and the computational cost before and after corrector step are analysed for eight different approximants. The proposed one-pass predictor-corrector approach allows the use of relatively simpler approximants of the inverse Langevin function by improving their accuracy by at least an order of magnitude.
Effect of limited range of motion of the hip joint and leg-length discrepancy on gait trajectory: an experiment to reproduce the asymmetric gait that occurs in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint
Authors: Maezawa Katsuhiko , Nozawa Masahiko , Gomi Motoshi , Sato Hironobu , Hayashi Akito , Maruyama Yuichiro , Sugimoto Munehiko , Ishijima Muneaki
Published: June 2022

Purpose:

Although some symptoms that often occur with hip joint osteoarthritis (OA) may be involved in the appearance of gait disturbance, the main cause has not been identified. We hypothesised that the abnormalities in gait trajectory of patients with hip joint OA are mainly caused by limited range of motion of the hip joint or the presence of leg-length discrepancy, or both. To investigate this hypothesis, we examined whether the abnormal gait trajectory in patients with hip joint OA can be reproduced in healthy individuals by asking them to wear a hip orthosis and shoe orthotic (insole).

Methods:

We recruited 2 groups of participants: patients with hip joint OA (OA group, 38 patients) and healthy individuals who imitated patients with OA of the hip joint by wearing a hip orthosis or shoe orthotic (10-mm or 20-mm insole) or both (simulated OA group, 6 individuals). For gait analysis, we used a portable, wearable gait analyser with inertial sensors to evaluate 3-dimensional (3D) changes in gait trajectory.

Results:

In the OA group, the patterns of gait trajectories that were drawn on the 3 planes (coronal, sagittal, and horizontal planes) could be roughly divided into 3 types. The gait trajectories that were drawn when wearing a hip orthosis in the simulated OA group were very similar to 1 of the 3 patterns of gait trajectory that occurs in the OA group.

Conclusions:

We were able to reproduce the abnormal gait trajectory that is observed in ⅓ of patients with hip OA in healthy individuals, so we propose that an extreme reduction in hip joint ROM is 1 of the causes of abnormal gait pattern in patients with OA of the hip joint. A difference in leg length of 20 mm alone has little effect on gait trajectory.
Long-term safety and efficacy of ozanimod in relapsing multiple sclerosis: Up to 5 years of follow-up in the DAYBREAK open-label extension trial
Authors: Cree Bruce AC , Selmaj Krzysztof W , Steinman Lawrence , Comi Giancarlo , Bar-Or Amit , Arnold Douglas L , Hartung Hans-Peter , Montalbán Xavier , Havrdová Eva K , Sheffield James K , Minton Neil , Cheng Chun-Yen , Silva Diego , Kappos Ludwig , Cohen Jeffrey A
Published: June 2022

Background:

Ozanimod, an oral sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 and 5 modulator, is approved in multiple countries for treatment of relapsing forms of MS.

Objective:

To characterize long-term safety and efficacy of ozanimod.

Methods:

Patients with relapsing MS who completed a phase 1‒3 ozanimod trial were eligible for an open-label extension study (DAYBREAK) of ozanimod 0.92 mg/d. DAYBREAK began 16 October 2015; cutoff for this interim analysis was 2 February 2021.

Results:

This analysis included 2494 participants with mean 46.8 (SD 11.9; range 0.033‒62.7) months of ozanimod exposure in DAYBREAK. During DAYBREAK, 2143 patients (85.9%) had treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs; similar in nature to those in the parent trials), 298 (11.9%) had a serious TEAE, and 75 (3.0%) discontinued treatment due to TEAEs. Serious infections (2.8%), herpes zoster infections (1.7%), confirmed macular edema cases (0.2%), and cardiac TEAEs (2.8%) were infrequent. Adjusted annualized relapse rate was 0.103 (95% confidence interval, 0.086‒0.123). Over 48 months, 71% of patients remained relapse free. Adjusted mean numbers of new/enlarging T2 lesions/scan and gadolinium-enhancing lesions were low and similar across parent trial treatment subgroups.

Conclusions:

This long-term extension of ozanimod trials confirmed a favorable safety/tolerability profile and sustained benefit on clinical and magnetic resonance imaging measures of disease activity.
Treatment outcomes of dialectical behaviour therapy for adolescents presenting with characteristics of borderline personality disorder: A naturalistic study
Authors: van der Hout Rebecca , Barnasconi Fleur , Noorloos Janet , de Bruin Rosanne , van Slobbe-Maijer Kim , Legerstee Jeroen , Oort Frans , Utens Elisabeth
Published: June 2022

This naturalistic study investigated treatment outcomes of Dutch dialectical behaviour therapy for adolescents (DDBT-A) in a sample of 93 adolescents (95.4% female, mean age = 16.20 years) presenting with borderline characteristics, treated at Levvel (a Dutch mental health institution). From baseline to posttreatment significant decreases were found on severity of the borderline symptoms, passive coping style, internalizing and externalizing behavioural problems, and a significant increase on self-worth. Overall, three different therapy formats (outpatient, part-time therapy, and day therapy) showed similar improvements at posttreatment. Concluding, DDBT-A seems promising in reducing borderline related symptoms for adolescents.
‘Healthy Publics’ and the pedagogy of It’s a Sin
Authors: Ledin Chase , Weil Benjamin
Published: June 2022

The UK television series It’ s a Sin (2021) emerged alongside ongoing cultural projects that re-script acquired immunodeficiency syndrome crisis narratives and contribute to a broader ‘post-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’ media culture. In this Cultural Commons piece, we consider how community health promoters have adapted the imagery from It’ s a Sin to create new human immunodeficiency virus educational materials. We situate these media practices in relation to an ongoing practice to think about the ‘end of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’ through strategic health communication practices and question the cultural significance of adapting It’ s a Sin for health advocacy initiatives. We argue that more attention needs to be paid to the exchanges between popular culture and health promotion imagery. Critical health and media scholars should develop more complex cultural health criticism to capture the exchanges between health promotion and melodrama, to create accountability and avoid re-scripting normative perspectives of health and illness within post-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome media.
A transient and spatially confined phenomenological combustion model for direct-injection, compression-ignition engines in fuel-rich applications: N-Stage Lagrangian (NSL)
Authors: Donohue Mark A , Cetin Burak Y , Edwards Chris F
Published: June 2022

Previous efforts aimed at increasing the efficiencies of systems where a piston engine serves as a primary work producer have led to interest in operating direct-injection, compression-ignition (DI/CI) engines at overall stoichiometric or fuel-rich equivalence ratios. In order to extend the current understanding of DI/CI combustion to applications in this regime, a phenomenological model is proposed. The model builds on previous conceptual and phenomenological models that describe steady, reacting free jets and applies the underlying concepts to a spatially confined, transient system. The model is assessed in its ability to describe and interpret experimental data through comparisons to experimental data collected in this regime, with a particular focus on its ability to address the observed trends in exhaust gas species concentrations. Through this comparison to experimental data, potential insights provided by the model are discussed.
TJP1, a Membrane-Expressed Protein, is a Potential Therapeutic and Prognostic Target for Lung Cancer
Authors: Pu Junyi , Ai Tao , Weng Weining , Wang Lijun , Yang Yuan , Ma Linjie , Hu Zhiping , Meng Xun
Published: June 2022

Objective: Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with the highest mortality rate in the world. It is necessary to develop effective biomarkers for diagnosis or prognostic treatment to improve the survival rate of patients. In this prospective study, we identified a membrane-expressed protein Tight Junction Protein 1 (TJP1), which is an ideal therapeutic target for lung cancer, and demonstrated its role in invasion, migration, and proliferation of lung cancer. Methods: High-throughput monoclonal antibody microarrays were used to screen for differential expression of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in lung cancer and normal lung tissue. Differentially expressed antibodies were used to immunoprecipitate their cellular targets to be identified by mass spectrometry. The identified target TJP1 was knocked down to observe the effect of reduced gene expression on lung cancer cell function. Immunohistochemistry on human tumor tissues and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to explore the relationship between TJP1 expression in multiple cancer types and patient prognosis. Results: The antibody CL007473 was overexpressed in tumor tissue and its target protein was identified by mass spectrometry and immunofluorescence as TJP1, a membrane-expressed protein. Knockdown of TJP1 in lung cancer cell lines showed that reduced expression of TJP1 could inhibit the invasion and migration of lung cancer cells and inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, suggesting that membrane-expressed protein TJP1 may be used as a therapeutic target for lung cancer. TCGA database analysis showed that TJP1 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer (PAAD) tissues compared with normal tissues, and low expression was more beneficial to the prognosis and survival of PAAD patients. Conclusion: Membrane-expressed protein TJP1 may be a good therapeutic and prognostic target for lung cancer and has the potential to be a prognostic biomarker in pancreatic cancer.
A Heart Rate-Dependent Protocol of “One-Stop” Computed Tomography Angiography of Coronary Combined with Pulmonary Arteries Reduces the Dosages of Contrast Agent
Authors: Yu Hairong , Wang Hui , Gao Zhen , Chen Guoyue , Song Hao , Yan Shihao , Luan Xiaomei , Song Peiji
Published: June 2022

Background:

The personalized, heart rate-dependent computed tomography angiography (CTA) protocol can reduce the use of contrast medium (CM) and the radiation dose. This is especially beneficial for patients with CTA of coronary combined with pulmonary arteries.

Purpose:

To evaluate the feasibility of low CM in one-stop coronary and pulmonary arterial CTA tailored by patients’ heart rate.

Material and Methods:

94 patients set to undergo CTA of coronary combined with pulmonary arteries with one-stop scans. Patients were prospectively randomized into two groups: For group A (n = 47), the timing of the scans was determined according to the patient’s HR using 30 mL CM; For group B (n = 47), in which the routine bolus tracking was applied by setting the ascending aortic threshold of 80 HU with 70 mL CM, scans were performed simultaneously.

Results:

Compared with group B, group A had slightly higher computed tomography (CT) value and image quality of pulmonary artery (CT value: group A 484.7HU; group B 457.9HU; t = 2.446, P = .016; image quality: χ2 = 8.292, P = .016), but in coronary artery wasn’t statistically different between two groups(image quality: χ2 = 2.516, P = .642).

Conclusion:

The heart rate-dependent CM injection protocol can greatly reduce the use of CM, simplify the work-flow, and may obtain comparable or even better image quality compared with the routine bolus tracking.
A fault diagnosis method for the HIPPS of FPSO unit based on dynamic Bayesian network
Authors: Han Yu , Yu Jianxing , Wang Chuan , Xie Xiaobo , Yu Chao , Liu Yupeng
Published: June 2022

The high integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS) on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit is essential for handling various emergencies. However, if the location of the fault cannot be accurately identified, proper measures may not be taken to isolate the hazard. This paper presents a fault diagnosis method for HIPPS on FPSO units based on Dynamic Bayesian network (DBN). The method considers the influence of sensor and system equipment degradation on the diagnosis results and avoids the problem of overdiagnosis in static diagnosis networks. Six fault diagnosis cases of the system are analyzed and discussed to verify the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. By changing the failure rate of the faulty component, it is determined that the posterior probability of the faulty component increases with the increase of the failure rate at the same time.
‘You’re not going to give a monkey’s chuff’: exploring co-production in the design of services for women who have experienced sexual violence
Authors: Warwick-Booth L , Cross R , Coan S , Fisher P
Published: June 2022

Aims:

Co-production is an emerging field in public health practice. We aim to present evidence of what works well to support co-production and what can be improved based upon learning from our evaluation of a co-production project implemented by Rape Crisis England and Wales (RCEW). RCEW designed and delivered a national co-production project called Weaving the Web, to inform the development of an online support service for women who have experienced sexual violence.

Methods:

We qualitatively evaluated the RCEW co-production approach. The specific objectives of our evaluation were to assess the increased role and voice for women and girls in co-producing services and provide better quality of evidence for what works in empowering women and girls. The evaluation was conducted in two phases: Phase 1 was the observation of co-production events ( n = 8), with findings from this used to develop an interview schedule for Phase 2, where semi-structured interviews ( n = 26) were conducted with a range of stakeholders (staff, partners and service users).

Results:

Staff supporting the co-production project were highly committed to the work, investing time, money, and preparation, and having a good understanding of co-production. Service users were less familiar with the approach and felt alienated by some of the language used. Most service users described participation as empowering and, in some instances, important in their own recovery. They were keen to stay involved beyond the creation of the online resource.

Conclusion:

The data from our evaluation illustrate that co-production on a national level is challenging. While RCEW used values-based practice, and provided a supportive culture to underpin the co-production of their online service, transformative engagement and true participation were not achieved. Learning from this project is drawn out here to outline transferrable lessons for practitioners intending to use models of co-production in other public health settings.
Challenges and opportunities of remote public involvement and community engagement during a pandemic: refining the MapMe childhood healthy weight intervention
Authors: McSweeney L , Arnott B , Jones A , Cain G , Jenkins J , Andras A , Adamson A
Published: June 2022

Aims:

Including parents and other stakeholders in the development of interventions to address the sensitive public health issues such as childhood obesity, through public involvement is critical. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has created a challenge for public involvement and engagement activities (PICE). The aim of this paper is to describe the process and challenges of setting up, maintaining, evaluating, and recording impact of three public and stakeholder groups via remote methods in the context of the MapMe2 study during the Covid-19 pandemic. Parental reaction to result letters received as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) informing parents of their child’s overweight status is often one of hostility or disbelief. As a result, parents often do not act on these letters to address child overweight. The MapMe2 study is working in collaboration with the NCMP and local authorities, building on previous work (MapMe) and aims to support parents of primary school–aged children to recognise and maintain a healthy weight in their child. The existing MapMe Intervention includes an enhanced NCMP child weight result letter, supplemented with Body Image Scales (BIS), and an intervention website with material to support healthy eating, physical activity, and signposting supporting information. The intervention was to be refined and the evaluation informed with PICE input.

Methods:

Covid-19 restrictions meant that planned face-to-face PICE methods had to be altered with all recruitment, all correspondence, and activities taking place remotely. A Parent Involvement Panel (PIP), a child panel, and an expert panel were established. Several adaptations were made to accommodate a new way of involving the public in research.

Results/Conclusions:

Working remotely created many challenges and was a learning experience for all involved. However, an active group was successfully established. Using continuous assessment and evaluation methods, we were able to demonstrate successful involvement and engagement in the refinement of the MapMe2 study. Through the sharing of PICE methods practice, this paper adds to the literature, the value of partnership working.
Thoracoscopic lobectomy for an aberrant pulmonary artery of mediastinal inferior lobar branch: A case report
Authors: Watanabe Hajime , Wada Atsushi , Nakagawa Tomoki , Masuda Ryota , Yamada Shunsuke , Iwazaki Masayuki
Published: June 2022

We report on a rare case of thoracoscopic surgery for a patient with an aberrant pulmonary artery of the inferior lobar branch (A7) in the right lower lobe. A 69-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of an abnormal shadow on chest radiography. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a 14-mm solid nodule in the right lower lobe. The patient was diagnosed with lung cancer by bronchoscopic biopsy, and a surgery was planned. Preoperative thin-slice CT and three-dimensional CT showed an aberrant A7 branching from the right main pulmonary artery. The right lower lobe and lymph node dissection was performed safely under a video view. Preoperative evaluation of this anomaly is important for a safe surgery.
Sharing precision medicine data with private industry: Outcomes of a citizens’ jury in Singapore
Authors: Ballantyne Angela , Lysaght Tamra , Toh Hui Jin , Ong Serene , Lau Andrew , Owen Schaefer G , Xafis Vicki , Tai E Shyong , Newson Ainsley J , Carter Stacy , Degeling Chris , Braunack-Mayer Annette
Published: June 2022

Precision medicine is an emerging approach to treatment and disease prevention that relies on linkages between very large datasets of health information that is shared amongst researchers and health professionals. While studies suggest broad support for sharing precision medicine data with researchers at publicly funded institutions, there is reluctance to share health information with private industry for research and development. As the private sector is likely to play an important role in generating public benefits from precision medicine initiatives, it is important to understand what the concerns are and how they might be mitigated. This study reports outcomes of a deliberative method of citizen engagement in Singapore that asked whether sharing precision medicine data with private industry would be permissible, and if so, under what circumstances. Findings from this citizens’ jury suggest sharing with industry would be permissible under certain conditions that are set out in nine recommendations. Implications of the recommendations and their underlying assumptions for policy decision makers are discussed. This study aligns with prior international studies which found conditional acceptance for data sharing with private industry, a public benefit requirement, specific reluctance to share with insurance companies and an emphasis on accountability and transparency to demonstrate trustworthiness. However, our results differ from prior studies in that opt-in consent did not dominate the deliberations as jurors were able to set it aside as an assumed prerequisite for participation in a precision medicine programme.
Physician Flow at Work: Examining Work Absorption, Clinical Flow, Work Fulfillment, and Flow Thieves
Authors: Shreffler Jacob , Huecker Martin
Published: June 2022

Background:

The experience of “flow” at work correlates with positive job outputs and work-related attitudes. Very little current literature describes flow at work in physicians, who experience significant barriers to optimal work outputs, also known as flow thieves (e.g., case interruptions, documenting care). This study aimed to develop a measurement for physician flow (P-Flow) at work and examine the association of P-Flow with physician burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being.

Methods:

A pilot instrument was tested with items measuring P-Flow at work. After the pilot administration, a 14-item physician flow (P-Flow-14) scale was administered to physicians. In addition to the P-Flow-14 scale, physician respondents completed items measuring burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being.

Results:

This study specifies initial psychometric evidence of P-Flow-14 and 7-item P-Flow instruments for researchers interested in studying flow at work in physicians. For each P-Flow instrument, higher levels of the flow experience correlated with superior levels of well-being ( p < .01) and job satisfaction ( p < .01), and less burnout ( p < .001). Results showed initial psychometric evidence of derived subscales (work absorption, clinical flow, flow thieves, work fulfillment) for application in future research. Results showed associations between flow experience by age group and physician specialty.

Conclusions/Application to Practice:

To enhance well-being and job satisfaction, physicians should aim for concentration and immersion in clinical duties while reducing unnecessary distractions. These findings can be applied by employers and can guide further research on work interruptions and patient safety. Future research can validate the P-Flow scales and subscales to assess interventions aimed to improve the physician work environment.
Meaning-Making Profiles During Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach in the Context of Romantic and Working Conditions
Authors: Zambelli Michela , Tagliabue Semira
Published: June 2022

Empirical evidence supported the existence of different meaning-making profiles among youths, however, it is unknown whether these profiles are related to specific transitional conditions. The present study applied a multi-group Latent Profile Analysis to examine the generalizability and criterion-validity of meaning-making profiles across two samples of emerging and young adults living different contextual situations (pre-COVID-19 vs during COVID-19), and to investigate their association with the balanced versus imbalanced conditions in the romantic and work role transitions. Three meaning-making profiles, searchers (high search, average presence of meaning), in-between (low search, average presence), and fulfilled (very low search, high presence) were supported by strong generalizability and criterion-validity evidence (i.e. fulfilled individuals showed higher well-being). As expected, older individuals were more likely to be fulfilled, while gender wasn’t a predictor of profiles. Imbalanced individuals in love and work were more likely to be searchers, while fulfilled individuals were predominantly living a balanced condition.
An examination of temporal trends in health behaviors among United States children, adolescents, and adults from 2005 to 2016
Authors: Mubarak Naser , Wynn Austin , Tapasak Brandon , Collins Andrew , Mubarak Norah , Gonzalez Carla , Marino Gustavo , Mayne Stephanie
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Lifestyle-related health behaviors are major contributors to preventable chronic diseases. We aimed to characterize temporal trends in health behaviors of US children, adolescents, and adults and examine the association of sociodemographic characteristics with clustering of unhealthy behaviors.

Methods

The study population included 46,793 participants from the 2005 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from three age groups: children (aged 2–11), adolescents (aged 12–19), and adults (aged ≥20). We calculated weighted prevalences of unhealthy behaviors—poor diet quality, low physical activity, screentime, fast food consumption, smoking (adolescents and adults), alcohol use, and short sleep duration (adults)—for each survey wave to examine temporal trends across age groups. Multivariable logistic regression estimated associations of sociodemographic characteristics with unhealthy behavior clustering (≥2 behaviors), stratified by age.

Results

Results of the study demonstrated that between 2005 and 2016, the proportion of children and adolescents not meeting the physical activity guidelines increased and screentime increased among all ages. Dietary quality improved and smoking prevalence declined among adolescents and adults, while fast food consumption declined among adolescents. Unhealthy behavior clustering among children increased by 13%. The odds of unhealthy behavior clustering were higher among children and adolescents that were older, non-Hispanic Black, or lived in unmarried households, and among adults who were younger, non-Hispanic black, had lower educational attainment, were uninsured or had public insurance, and had lower poverty-to-income ratios.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that screentime and physical inactivity are growing areas of concern in the U.S. population, and that disparities in adherence to multiple healthy behaviors may contribute to disparities in chronic diseases.