bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AGE-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE BRAIN ACTIVITY DURING SLEEP INDUCED BY MEDICATION
Authors: PAKNIYAT NAJMEH , VIVEKANANDHAN GAYATHRI , RAJAGOPAL KARTHIKEYAN , KREJCAR ONDREJ , KUCA KAMIL , NAMAZI HAMIDREZA
Published: December 2022

One of the important areas of research in neuroscience is to investigate how brain activity changes during aging. In this research, we employ complexity techniques to analyze how brain activity changes based on the age of subjects during sleep. For this purpose, we analyze the Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of 22 subjects induced by sleep medication using fractal theory and sample entropy. The analysis showed that the fractal dimension and sample entropy of EEG signals decrease due to aging. Therefore, we concluded that aging causes lower complexity in EEG signals during sleep. The employed method of analysis could be applied to analyze the effect of aging on the variations of the activity of other organs (e.g. heart, muscle) during aging by studying their related physiological signals (e.g. ECG, EMG).
Energy level tuning of push-pull porphyrin sensitizer by trifluoromethyl group for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Higashino Tomohiro , Sugiura Kenichi , Namikawa Keigo , Imahori Hiroshi
Published: December 2022

We have introduced trifluoromethyl groups into meta-positions of two meso-phenyl rings of a push-pull-type porphyrin dye (ZnP-CF[Formula: see text] to modulate the energy levels of the porphyrin dye for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The light-harvesting ability of ZnP-CF[Formula: see text] is almost comparable to those of reference porphyrins where the trifluoromethyl groups are replaced with methyl (ZnP-CH[Formula: see text] or tert-butyl groups (YD2). We revealed that the introduction of the electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl groups is effective to lower the excited-state oxidation potential of the porphyrin (–0.80 V vs NHE), which is consistent with the theoretical calculation. Meanwhile, DSSCs with ZnP-CF[Formula: see text] exhibited a lower power conversion efficiency ([Formula: see text] of 5.95% than DSSCs with ZnP-CH[Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] = 7.33%) and YD2 ([Formula: see text] = 8.97%) because of the severe aggregation tendency of ZnP-CF[Formula: see text] arising from the trifluoromethyl groups. In addition, the insufficient steric bulkiness of the trifluoromethyl and methyl groups relative to tert-butyl groups would result in the lower short circuit current and open circuit voltage for ZnP-CF[Formula: see text] and ZnP-CH[Formula: see text] due to fast charge recombination between electrons in the conduction band of TiO2 and I[Formula: see text]in the electrolyte solution. Overall, introducing both trifluoromethyl groups and bulky substituents into a porphyrin core would be necessary to boost cell performance.
Design and Analysis of Charge Plasma-Based Vertical-Nanowire Tunnel FET for Biosensor
Authors: Kumar Parveen , Raj Balwinder
Published: December 2022

In the semiconductor industry, nanoscale devices have better ability to provide for biomolecules detection, but they face various problems during fabrication process, such as high doping concentration, random dopant fluctuation (RDF), higher production cost, low electrostatic control. To overcome these problems, charge plasma (CP) technique has been introduced by the formation of hafnium material at drain side and platinum material at source side with appropriate work-function. The proposed work charge plasma-based vertical-nanowire tunnel FET (CP-VNWTFET) has been designed and analyzed for biosensor application using different dielectric constant and gate underlap method by creating a cavity area under the gate metal. The sensitivity ([Formula: see text]) of biosensor is calculated in terms of change in drain-current ([Formula: see text]) and transconductance ([Formula: see text]) by immobilizing the biomolecules such as Urease, Keratin, Streptavidin, ChOX, Zein, Gluten using gate underlap and dielectric modulation technique. The performance parameters like subthreshold slope (SS), off-current ([Formula: see text]), on-current ([Formula: see text]), on/off current ratio ([Formula: see text]) of the CP-VNWTFET have also been observed while varying the neutral and charged biomolecules at various biased conditions. The device is simulated by using Silvaco ATLAS simulator. The proposed device has been found to be suitable for low power sensor design application.
Are capital markets turning efficient? Need for financial market efficiency index
Authors: Arora Ruchi , Mehra Rishi
Published: December 2022

Government, regulators, exchanges, banks, and institutions collaborate to develop rules and devote significant time and resources to improving the financial system, with the ultimate goal of creating a more effective market. The statistics on turnover and earnings only show the market’s Quantitative’ growth. The figures do not demonstrate how the market has improved in terms of Quality and Market Efficiency. A robust market structure and long-term growth in any market are only possible when development is based on both qualitative (market efficiency) and quantitative factors (Turnovers and Earnings). Historically, studies and research have laid great emphasis on determining the market’s level of efficiency. However, market efficiency was always checked using staggered time frames and efficiency tests. The need of the hour is a transparent and simple-to-understand tool that can continuously measure market efficiency and has universal applicability. This study proposes a tool for measuring efficiency called the Financial Market Efficiency Index — FMEI. The Index would derive its parameters from the broad market Index of any country to assess and compare market efficiency. The index would not only measure the qualitative growth (Market Efficiency) of any market, but it would also compare the market efficiency of all countries around the world. This would allow stakeholders to make the best decisions for their respective markets.
Efficient Removal of High-Concentration Dye Pollutants in Wastewater Using Composite Photocatalyst NH2-MIL-125 (Ti)/g-C3N4 Nanosheets Under Visible Light
Authors: Shi Jianhui , Ju Chenke , Nie Jianhui , Wang Hui , Yang Tiantian , Pu Kaikai , Shi Jiating , Zhao Ting
Published: December 2022

The NH2-MIL-125(Ti)/g-C3N4 nanosheets composite photocatalyst was prepared by one-step solvothermal synthesis and used to remove high-concentration dye wastewater. The morphology, structure, and photoelectrochemical properties of the as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, FT-IR, UV–vis DRS PL, EIS, and transient photocurrent. The results showed that g-C3N4 nanosheets were tightly loaded on the surface of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) to form the NH2-MIL-125(Ti)/g-C3N4 nanosheets composite photocatalyst. Among them, NM (Ti)/CNNS30 showed the best adsorption performance and photocatalytic degradation activity for removing high-concentration RhB solution. In addition, the optimal experimental conditions were also explored, such as the concentration of RhB solution, the dosage of NM (Ti)/CNNS30, and the initial pH of RhB. Finally, the mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of NM(Ti)/CNNS30 on high-concentration RhB solution was also proposed based on active species capture experiment and energy band structure analysis. It was inferred that O2− and h+ were the main active species for NM(Ti) photocatalytic degradation of high-concentration RhB. This work provided new insights into the design and synthesis of highly efficient photocatalysts for the practical treatment of high-concentration dye wastewater.
Dynamic accentuated antagonism of heart rate control during different levels of vagal nerve stimulation intensity in rats
Authors: Kawada Toru , Yokoi Aimi , Nishiura Akitsugu , Kakuuchi Midori , Yokota Shohei , Matsushita Hiroki , Li Meihua , Uemura Kazunori , Saku Keita
Published: December 2022

Accentuated antagonism refers to a phenomenon in which the vagal effect on heart rate (HR) is augmented by background sympathetic tone. The dynamic aspect of accentuated antagonism remains to be elucidated during different levels of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) intensity. We performed VNS on anesthetized rats ( n = 8) according to a binary white noise signal with a switching interval of 500 ms at three different stimulation rates (low-intensity: 0–10 Hz, moderate-intensity: 0–20 Hz, and high-intensity: 0–40 Hz). The transfer function from VNS to HR was estimated with and without concomitant tonic sympathetic nerve stimulation (SNS) at 5 Hz. The asymptotic low-frequency (LF) gain (in beats/min/Hz) of the transfer function increased with SNS regardless of the VNS rate [low-intensity: 3.93 ± 0.70 vs. 5.82 ± 0.65 ( P = 0.021), moderate-intensity: 3.87 ± 0.62 vs. 5.36 ± 0.53 ( P = 0.018), high-intensity: 4.77 ± 0.85 vs. 7.39 ± 1.36 ( P = 0.011)]. Moreover, SNS slightly increased the ratio of high-frequency (HF) gain to the LF gain. These effects of SNS were canceled by the pretreatment of ivabradine, an inhibitor of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, in another group of rats ( n = 6). Although background sympathetic tone antagonizes the vagal effect on mean HR, it enables finer HR control by increasing the dynamic gain of the vagal HR transfer function regardless of VNS intensity. When interpreting the HF component of HR variability, the augmenting effect from background sympathetic tone needs to be considered.
How does density of the inner mitochondrial membrane influence mitochondrial performance?
Authors: Heine Kyle B. , Parry Hailey A. , Hood Wendy R.
Published: December 2022

Our current understanding of variation in mitochondrial performance is incomplete. The production of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation is dependent, in part, on the structure of the inner mitochondrial membrane. Morphology of the inner membrane is crucial for the formation of the proton gradient across the inner membrane and, therefore, ATP synthesis. The inner mitochondrial membrane is dynamic, changing shape and surface area. These changes alter density (amount per volume) of the inner mitochondrial membrane within the confined space of the mitochondrion. Because the number of electron transport system proteins within the inner mitochondrial membrane changes with inner mitochondrial membrane area, a change in the amount of inner membrane alters the capacity for ATP production within the organelle. This review outlines the evidence that the association between ATP synthases, inner mitochondrial membrane density, and mitochondrial density (number of mitochondria per cell) impacts ATP production by mitochondria. Furthermore, we consider possible constraints on the capacity of mitochondria to produce ATP by increasing inner mitochondrial membrane density.
Comparison of Continuous and Programmed Intermittent Bolus Infusion of 0.2% Ropivacaine after Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
Authors: Kim Hye-Jin , Baek Ji-Hye , Park Seyeon , Yoon Ji-Uk , Byeon Gyeong-Jo , Shin Sang-Wook
Published: December 2022

Background. Despite the clinical effectiveness of the programmed intermittent bolus (PIB) method for epidural analgesia, evidence for this method in continuous interscalene brachial plexus block (CIBPB) is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the pain relief effect after arthroscopic shoulder surgery according to the administration method by comparing the PIB and continuous infusion methods among the administration methods of local anesthetics. Methods. Sixty-four patients aged >19 years scheduled for elective arthroscopic shoulder surgery were enrolled and divided into two groups. Ultrasound-guided CIBPB was performed to control postoperative pain. The infusion pump was programmed so that 0.2% ropivacaine was continuously injected at 1.1 mL/h in group A, whereas in group B, 0.1 mL/h was continuously injected and 4 mL was periodically injected at 4 h intervals. In both groups, a further infusion of 4 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine was administered if the patient requested additional analgesia, and the lockout time was set at 30 min. Postoperative pain quality was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS), and the incidence of patients requiring additional analgesics, motor blockade using a modified Bromage scale (MBS), and consumed doses of local anesthetic were assessed. Results. The VAS and incidence of rescue analgesics were performed when the patient could communicate voluntarily after admission to the post-anesthetic care unit, and at 24 and 48 h after surgery showed no significant difference between the two groups. The MBS at 24 h after surgery was significantly higher in group B (

p

 = 0.038). In the comparison of consumed doses of local anesthetic, group B had a significantly higher bolus injection dose (

p

 = 0.047) and frequency of bolus use in the 24 h after surgery (

p

 = 0.034). Conclusion. The PIB method in CIBPB after arthroscopic shoulder surgery provided a similar analgesic effect, with a higher bolus injection dose of local anesthetic and increased motor blockade than the continuous infusion method.
Vibration Analysis for Fault Detection of Wind Turbines by Combining Machine-Learning Techniques and 3D Scanning Laser
Authors: Vives Javier , Roses Albert Eduardo , Quiles Emilio , Palací Juan , Fuster Teresa
Published: December 2022

With this research, we apply range-resolved interferometry (RRI) to the maintenance of wind turbines using some of the most relevant machine-learning (ML) techniques. The degeneration of electrical and mechanical components of wind turbines can be predicted, detected, and anticipated using this method of automatic and autonomous learning. The vibrations in two different failure states are detected with the help of a scanner laser. In-process measurements taken by RRI agree with manual measurements, laser scanning measurements, and in-process hand measurements made following each working cycle. Consequently, the proposed method will be very useful for monitoring and diagnosing faults in wind turbines. The system will also be able to perform low-cost in-process measurements.
Tumor-Associated CD19+CD39− B Regulatory Cells Deregulate Class-Switch Recombination to Suppress Antibody Responses
Authors: Pati Subhadip , Mukherjee Sumon , Dutta Saikat , Guin Aharna , Roy Dia , Bose Sayantan , Paul Silpita , Saha Sudipto , Bhattacharyya Sankar , Datta Pratyush , Chakraborty Jayati , Sarkar Diptendra K. , Sa Gaurisankar
Published: December 2022

B cells are an essential component of humoral immunity. Their primary function is to mount antigen-specific antibody responses to eliminate pathogens. Despite an increase in B-cell number, we found that serum-IgG levels were low in patients with breast cancer. To solve this conundrum, we used high-dimensional flow cytometry to analyze the heterogeneity of B-cell populations and identified a tumor-specific CD19+CD24hiCD38hi IL10-producing B regulatory (Breg)–cell subset. Although IL10 is a Breg-cell marker, being an intracellular protein, it is of limited value for Breg-cell isolation. Highly expressed Breg-cell surface proteins CD24 and CD38 also impede the isolation of viable Breg cells. These are hurdles that limit understanding of Breg-cell functions. Our transcriptomic analysis identified, CD39-negativity as an exclusive, sorting-friendly surface marker for tumor-associated Breg cells. We found that the identified CD19+CD39‒IL10+ B-cell population was suppressive in nature as it limited T helper–cell proliferation, type-1 cytokine production, and T effector–cell survival, and augmented CD4+FOXP3+ regulatory T–cell generation. These tumor-associated Breg cells were also found to restrict autologous T follicular helper–cell expansion and IL21 secretion, thereby inhibiting germinal transcript formation and activation-induced cytidine deaminase expression involved in H-chain class-switch recombination (CSR). This isotype-switching abnormality was shown to hinder B-cell differentiation into class-switched memory B cells and subsequent high-affinity antibody-producing plasma B cells, which collectively led to the dampening of IgG-mediated antibody responses in patients with cancer. As low IgG is associated with poor prognosis in patients with cancer, Breg-cell depletion could be a promising future therapy for boosting plasma B cell–mediated antibody responses.
Establishing Minimal Clinically Important Difference in Sleep Outcomes after Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients with Chronic Pain Disorders
Authors: Johansen Phillip M. , Trujillo Frank A. , Hagerty Vivian , Harland Tessa , Davis Gregory , Pilitsis Julie G.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: As one of the most common medical conditions for which patients seek medical care, chronic pain can be debilitating. The relationship between chronic pain and sleep is thought to be bidirectional, suggesting that treatment of one can be beneficial to the other. There is mounting evidence that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) improves aspects of sleep. How meaningful that is to patients’ lives has not been ascertained. Objective: The aim of the current study was to further elucidate the effect of SCS on sleep by examining the relationship between pain outcome measures with the insomnia severity index (ISI) and to establish the minimally clinical important difference (MCID), which is defined as the smallest noticeable change that an individual perceives as clinically significant. Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected ISI, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Numerical Rating Scale, McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form, Oswestry Disability Index, Beck Depression Inventory, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale data both pre- and postoperatively for chronic pain patients who underwent SCS placement and had long-term outcomes. The ISI is a well-studied questionnaire used to assess an individual’s level of insomnia. Results: We correlated the ESS and ISI with pain outcome measures in sixty-four patients at a mean follow-up of 9.8 ± 2.9 months. The ISI showed correlations with disability as measured through the Oswestry Disability Index (p = 0.014) and depression as measured through the Beck Depression Inventory (p = 0.024). MCID values for the ISI were calculated using both anchor- and distribution-based methods. The minimal detectable change method resulted in an MCID of 2.4 points, standard error of measurement resulted in an MCID of 2.6 points, and the change difference resulted in an MCID of 2.45. The receiver operating characteristic method yielded an MCID of 0.5-point change with an area under the curve of 0.61. Conclusion: This study successfully established MCID ranges for the ISI outcome measure to help gauge improvement in insomnia after SCS. The ISI has ample evidence of its validity in assessment of insomnia, and MCID values of 2.4–2.6 correlate with improvement in disability and depression in our patients.
Structural Cerebral Network Differences in Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease and Prodromal Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Authors: Ota Miho , Nemoto Kiyotaka , Nemoto Miyuki , Numata Yuriko , Kitabatake Ayako , Yamada Yasunori , Shinkawa Kaoru , Kobayashi Masatomo , Arai Tetsuaki
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) have long prodromal phases without dementia. However, the patterns of cerebral network alteration in this early stage of the disease remain to be clarified. Method: Participants were 48 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (MCI-AD), 18 patients with MCI with DLB (MCI with Lewy bodies: MCI-LB), and 23 healthy controls who underwent a 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scan. Cerebral networks were extracted from individual T1-weighted images based on the intracortical similarity, and we estimated the differences of network metrics among the three diagnostic groups. Results: Whole-brain analyses for degree, betweenness centrality, and clustering coefficient images were performed using SPM8 software. The patients with MCI-LB showed significant reduction of degree in right putamen, compared with healthy subjects. The MCI-AD patients showed significant lower degree in left insula and bilateral posterior cingulate cortices compared with healthy subjects. There were no significant differences in small-world properties and in regional gray matter volume among the three groups. Conclusions: We found the change of degree in the patients with MCI-AD and with MCI-LB, compared with healthy controls. These findings were consistent with the past single-photon emission computed tomography studies focusing on AD and DLB. The disease-related difference in the cerebral neural network might provide an adjunct biomarker for the early detection of AD and DLB.
Understanding the Presentation of Terminal Ileitis
Authors: Jain Ashali , Tang Xiaolan , Jones Tyler , Padam Sripal Aditya
Published: December 2022

Our patient is a 47-year-old African American female with a past medical history of recurrent episodes of small bowel obstruction. She presented to the emergency department with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Upon further evaluation, imaging showed obstruction at the terminal ileum. Based on the holistic clinical presentation, we initially thought that this patient was experiencing symptoms of early onset Crohn’s disease. Gastroenterology evaluated the patient and was uncertain of the formal diagnosis. Colonoscopy and biopsy were not pathognomonic for Crohn’s disease, suggesting that there may be a component of terminal ileitis or another inflammatory bowel disease process. This case exemplifies the degree to which these inflammatory bowel disease processes frequently overlap.
Climate Change Influences Brain Size in Humans
Authors: Stibel Jeff Morgan
Published: December 2022

Brain size evolution in hominins constitutes a crucial evolutionary trend, yet the underlying mechanisms behind those changes are not well understood. Here, climate change is considered as an environmental factor using multiple paleoclimate records testing temperature, humidity, and precipitation against changes to brain size in 298 Homo specimens over the past fifty thousand years. Across regional and global paleoclimate records, brain size in Homo averaged significantly lower during periods of climate warming as compared to cooler periods. Geological epochs displayed similar patterns, with Holocene warming periods comprising significantly smaller brained individuals as compared to those living during glacial periods at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Testing spatiotemporal patterns, the adaptive response appears to have started roughly fifteen thousand years ago and may persist into modern times. To a smaller degree, humidity and precipitation levels were also predictive of brain size, with arid periods associated with greater brain size in Homo. The findings suggest an adaptive response to climate change in human brain size that is driven by natural selection in response to environmental stress.
Instruments for Measuring Recovery among Serious Mental Illness: A Systematic Review of Systematic Review
Authors: Thongsalab Jutharat , Yunibhand Jintana , Uthis Penpaktr
Published: December 2022

Background: Indicators of recovery outcomes are selected by mental health nurses beginning with a commitment to a holistic and client-centered view of recovery. The purpose of the review aimed to bring together the results of previous systematic reviews on instruments for assessing the recovery of people with serious mental illnesses.

Methods: A systematic literature review was carried out using the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute for systematic reviews. A literature search using The ScienceDirect, SpringerLink electronic databases, Google Scholar, and a Google search engine was used. Searching in literature published between January 2010 and December 2020, supplemented by reference tracking and Internet searches. The authors independently reviewed all titles, assessed articles’ eligibility for inclusion, determined a methodological quality score for each included article and extracted relevant data.

Results: Out of 19,724 articles related to the title for potential inclusion in this review, four met the inclusion criteria. The eligibility tools appear to have been studied in various settings and with varied types of patients but are still congruent with SIM. Most importantly, the reviews identified several methodological limitations across the original studies. The lack of a ‘gold standard. This review found twenty-two dimensions in personal recovery instruments and twenty-one in mental health services orientation. Also, many recovery assessment tools are available for the serious mental illness population. However, there is limited evidence about their psychometric properties.

Conclusion: Three instruments were found that could measure the personal recovery of people with serious mental illnesses. Those instruments' psychometric properties and cultural adaptation are recommended for further studies.
IMPACT OF POLITICAL STABILITY AND ABSENCE OF VIOLENCE/TERRORISM ON TOURISM: A PANEL CO-INTEGRATION ANALYSIS
Authors: CAN GABERLİ Yağmur , GABERLİ Ümit , GÜLER Mehmet Emre
Published: December 2022

In this study, the effects of political stability and the absence of violence/terrorism on tourism were empirically analysed, from the 2005 to 2018 period. A literature review on terrorism, violence, and political stability in tourism is included in the first part. The second part panel co-integration analysis has been carried out worldwide within 137 countries. As a result of the analysis, a positive long-run relationship was found between the change in the number of tourists and the political stability - no violence index. In addition, it was tried to produce evidence of whether there is an endogeneity between them.
The Impact of Tropical Pacific SST Biases on the S2S Forecast Skill over North America in the UFS Global Coupled Model
Authors: Stan Cristiana , Krishnamurthy V. , Bai Hedanqiu , Li Bin , Mehra Avichal , Meixner Jessica , Moorthi Shrinivas , Stefanova Lydia , Wang Jiande , Wang Jun , Worthen Denise , Yang Fanglin
Published: December 2022

The impact of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) biases on the deterministic skill of the Unified Forecast System (UFS) coupled model Prototype 5 is evaluated during weeks 1–4 of the forecast. The evaluation is limited to the contiguous United States (CONUS) and two seasons: boreal summer (June–September) and winter (December–March). The tropical SST in the UFS model is warmer than in observations and bias patterns show seasonal dependence especially in the central and western Pacific. During boreal summer, the bias is located north of the equator whereas in winter, the bias is located in the Southern Hemisphere. A regression analysis indicates a significant relationship between these SST biases and the biases in the surface temperature and precipitation over the CONUS along with midtroposphere large-scale circulation and North Pacific storm-track activity. The SST biases affect the biases in other fields from week 1 of the forecast and the impact becomes stronger as the lead time increases to week 4. The impact of SST biases on the biases in other fields show a qualitative relationship to the patterns of forecast errors of the fields.
Un’altra casa II: La proposta culturale per l’emigrazione italiana di Cronache d’Italia (1948–63)
Authors: Marazzi Martino
Published: December 2022

Single-handedly conceived and crafted by its creator, the hyper-active but relatively unknown Milan-based journalist Annibale Del Mare, the monthly Cronache d’Italia (1948–1963) was more than an eclectic bulletin of Italian news (with a special flair for entertainment, the arts, tourism, and local attractions). Supported by a discreet but consistent political backing, the magazine succeeded in weaving a veritable world wide web of Italian immigrant readers and Italophiles (well beyond the usual destinations of the Italian diaspora) – as witnessed by its gigantic epistolary archive, a treasure trove of the plights and expressive creativity of Italian immigrants worldwide.
Improved face mask testing system
Authors: Brandt Richard A
Published: December 2022

A new way to measure the penetration efficiency of a face mask is introduced. It has a number of advantages over the currently used measurement systems in which a stationary mask is impacted with a moving aerosol during which the upstream and downstream particle concentrations are compared. The equivalent system described here instead moves a mask through a stationary aerosol in a closed chamber and compares the particle concentrations before and after the movement of the mask. This system provides many advantages, such as greater simplicity, greater accuracy, an exact constant aerosol flow speed through a mask, more easily made concentration measurements, more realistic impacts, more controlled averaging, the absence of the need for preliminary impacts during flow stabilization, and a lower cost. A laboratory prototype of the system has been fabricated and seen to perform as expected. Data obtained from this prototype are displayed, analyzed, and used to demonstrate the consistency and repeatability of the system. A portable fully-automated compact prototype has also been designed and fabricated. This device can be easily operated, and the total time required to test a mask, from material insertion to result display, is only a few minutes.
Particle filter–based data assimilation in dynamic data-driven simulation: sensitivity analysis of three critical experimental conditions
Authors: Huang Yilin , Xie Xu , Cho Yubin , Verbraeck Alexander
Published: December 2022

Data assimilation (DA) is a methodology widely used by different disciplines of science and engineering. It is typically applied to continuous systems with numerical models. The application of DA to discrete-event and discrete-time systems including agent-based models is relatively new. Because of its non-linearity and non-Gaussianity, the particle filter (PF) method is often a good option for stochastic simulation models of discrete systems. The probability distributions of model runs, however, make it computationally intensive. The experimental conditions therein are understudied. This paper studied three critical conditions of PF-based DA in a discrete event model: (1) the time interval between two consecutive DA iterations, (2) the number of particles, and (3) the actual level and perceived level of measurement errors (or noises). The study conducted identical-twin experiments of an M/M/1 single server queuing system. The ground truth is imitated in a stand-alone simulation model. The measurement errors are superimposed so that the effect of the three conditions can be quantitatively evaluated in a controlled manner. The results show that the estimation accuracy of such a system using PF is more constrained by the choice of time intervals than the number of particles. An under estimation of measurement errors produces worse state estimates than an over estimation of errors. A correct perception of the measurement errors does not guarantee better state estimates. Moreover, a slight over estimation of errors results in better state estimates, and it is more responsive to abrupt system changes than an accurate perception of measurement errors.
Book review: Mahuya Bandyopadhayay and Rimple Mehta (Eds.), Women Incarcerated: Narratives from India
Authors: Kumar Sheethal S.
Published: December 2022

Mahuya Bandyopadhayay and Rimple Mehta (Eds.), Women Incarcerated: Narratives from India. Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan, 2022, 356pp., ₹1210 (paperback). ISBN: 9789354421884.
But who trains the language teacher educator who trains the language teacher? An empirical investigation of Chilean EFL teacher educators’ language assessment literacy
Authors: Villa Larenas Salomé , Brunfaut Tineke
Published: December 2022

Research has shown that language teachers typically feel underprepared for assessment aspects of their job. One reason may relate to how teacher education programmes prepare future teachers in this area. Research insights into how and to what extent teacher educators train future language teachers in language assessment matters are scarce, however, as are insights into the language assessment literacy (LAL) of the teacher educators themselves. Additionally, while increasingly research insights are available on components that constitute LAL, how such components interrelate is largely unexplored. To help address these research gaps, we investigated the LAL of English as a Foreign Language teacher educators in Chile. Through interviews with 20 teacher educators and analysis of their language assessment materials, five LAL components were identified (language assessment knowledge, conceptions, context, practices, and learning), and two by-products of LAL (language assessor identity and self-efficacy). The components were found to interrelate in a complex manner, which we visualized with a model of concentric oval shapes, depicting how LAL is socially constructed (and re-constructed) from and for the specific context in which teacher educators’ practices are immersed. We discuss implications for LAL conceptualisations and for LAL research methodology.
Generalised pairwise comparisons for trend: An extension to the win ratio and win odds for dose-response and prognostic variable analysis with arbitrary statements of outcome preference
Authors: Johns Hannah , Campbell Bruce , Bernhardt Julie , Churilov Leonid
Published: December 2022

The win ratio is a novel approach for handling complex patient outcomes that have seen considerable interest in the medical statistics literature, and operates by considering all-to-all pairwise statements of preference on outcomes. Recent extensions to the method have focused on the two-group case, with few developments made for considering the impact of a well-ordered explanatory variable, which would allow for dose-response analysis or the analysis of links between complex patient outcomes and prognostic variables. Where such methods have been developed, they are semiparametric methods that can only be applied to survival outcomes. In this article, we introduce the generalised pairwise comparison for trend, a modified form of Agresti’s generalised odds ratio. This approach is capable of considering arbitrary statements of preference, thus enabling its use across all types of outcome data. We provide a simulation study validating the approach and illustrate it with three clinical applications in stroke research.
Queering School Leadership Preparation Curricula for Gender Justice in Public Schooling
Authors: Wilcox Serena M.
Published: December 2022

Recent education policies and laws such as a new rule to Title IX by the U.S. Department of Education (2020) and the Parental Rights in Education (HB 1557, 2022) also known as the “ Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida have important implications for how educational leaders are expected to address issues of gender, sexuality, and school-based sexual violence in public schools. The purpose of this article is to examine how education laws, policies, and practices privilege heteronormative values in our public schools and how the lack of educational preparation of school officials are complicit in the maintenance of hegemonic racial, gender and sexuality structures in public schooling. Structural intersectionality grounds this study and maps the corporeal consequences of systems of oppression while political intersectionality describes the strategies used to fight against those systems of oppression (Crenshaw, 2014). The study uses a qualitative narrative inquiry methodology to examine coursework data of doctoral students in an education leadership program to interpret their understanding of gender justice in teaching and leadership in public schools. Critical policy analysis as a discursive analytic is used in this study to reveal the interrelatedness of theory and method. The implications of this study bear important implications for understanding the need for gender justice curriculum in school leadership preparation programs and offers thoughts on how queering curricula can be an act of education activism.
Utility of Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea with the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) in Children with Craniofacial Anomalies
Authors: Solis Roberto N. , Aulakh Sukhkaran S. , Velazquez-Castro Oscar S. , Farber Nicole I. , Olarewaju Adebola M. , Nandalike Kiran , Tollefson Travis T. , Senders Craig W. , Funamura Jamie L.
Published: December 2022

Objective

To determine the accuracy of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) as a screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea in children with craniofacial anomalies.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial clinic at a tertiary care center.

Patients

Children with craniofacial anomalies 2 to ≤18 years of age who both completed a PSQ screen and underwent polysomnography (PSG) without interval surgery.

Main outcome measures

Sensitivity and specificity of the PSQ in detecting an obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5 events/hour.

Results

Fifty children met study criteria, with 66% (n = 33) having an associated syndrome. Mean patient age at time of PSQ was 9.6 + 4.0 years. Overall, 33 (64%) screened positive on the PSQ, while 20 (40%) had an AHI ≥ 5. The sensitivity and specificity for identifying AHI ≥ 5 was 70% and 40%, respectively. With subgroup analysis, the sensitivity and specificity were higher (100% and 50%) in children with non-syndromic palatal clefting but lower (65% and 31%) in children with a syndrome or chromosomal anomaly. There was no correlation detected between PSQ score and AHI severity (p = 0.25). The mean obstructive AHI in the study population was 10.1 ± 22.7 despite 44% (n = 22) undergoing prior adenotonsillectomy.

Conclusions

The PSQ was less sensitive and specific in detecting an AHI ≥ 5 in children with craniofacial anomalies than in a general population, and particularly poor in for children with syndrome-associated craniofacial conditions. Given the high prevalence of OSA in this patient population, a craniofacial-specific validated screening tool would be beneficial.
On the Combined Role of Work Engagement and Burnout Among Novice Nurses: A Longitudinal Person-Centered Analysis
Authors: Gillet Nicolas , Fernet Claude , Blechman Yael , Morin Alexandre J. S.
Published: December 2022

This study examined the profiles taken by global and specific facets of work engagement and burnout among a sample of novice ( M tenure = 3.77 years) nurses ( n = 570; 88.4% females; M age = 29.3 years). This study also investigated the role of psychological need satisfaction in the prediction of profile membership, and the implications of these profiles for attitudinal (job satisfaction), behavioral (in-role and extra-role performance, absenteeism, and presenteeism) and health (perceived health difficulties) outcomes. Latent profile analyses revealed six profiles: High Global Engagement and Low Global Burnout, Moderately High Global Engagement and Moderately Low Global Burnout, Low Dedication and Efficacy and Highly Cynical, Dedicated but Exhausted Burned-Out, Low Efficacy Burned-Out, and Very Low Global Engagement and Very High Global Burnout. Although these profiles were replicated over a 1-year period, profile membership was only weakly stable. The most beneficial outcomes were observed in the High Global Engagement and Low Global Burnout profile, and the most detrimental in the Very Low Global Engagement and Very High Global Burnout profile. Need satisfaction was also associated with profile membership, although associations were stronger for global levels of need satisfaction than for specific levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness need satisfaction.
Establishment of a Predictive Model for Poor Prognosis of Incomplete Revascularization in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and Multivessel Disease
Authors: Lian Huan , Zhao Zhuoyan , Ma Kelin , Ding Zhenjiang , Sun Lixian , Zhang Ying
Published: December 2022

Objective

To establish a predictive model for poor prognosis after incomplete revascularization (ICR) in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD).

Methods

Clinical data of 757 patients with MVD and ICR after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University from January 2020 to August 2021 were retrospectively collected. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression method was used to screen variables, and multivariate logistic regression was used to establish a predictive model. An independent cohort was used to validate the model. The C-statistic was used to verify and evaluate the discriminative ability of the model; the calibration curve was drawn, and the decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the calibration degree, the clinical net benefit, and the practicability of the model.

Results

The predictive factors included female, age, unconjugated bilirubin, uric acid, low-density lipoprotein, hyperglycemia, total occlusion, and severe tortuosity lesion on coronary angiography. The C-statistic of the training and validation sets were 0.628 and 0.745, respectively. The statistical value of the Hosmer–Lemeshow test for the calibration curve of the training and validation sets were 5.27(P = 0.873) and 6.27 (P = 0.792), respectively. DCA showed that the model was clinically applicable when the predicted probability value of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs) ranged from 0.07 to 0.68.

Conclusions

We established a predictive model for poor prognosis after ICR in patients with MVD. The predictive and calibration ability and the clinical net benefit of the predictive model were good, indicating that it can be used as an effective tool for the early prediction of poor prognosis after ICR in patients with MVD.
Whole-blood Point-of-Care Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time Ratio (APR) is not Accurate Enough to Monitor Heparin Therapy in Patients with Severe Respiratory Failure Secondary to SARS-Cov-2 Infection Supported with Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VV-ECMO)
Authors: Aston Daniel , Besser Martin , Goddard Ben , Maggs Nicholas , Ahmed Hassan , Falter Florian
Published: December 2022

Support with VV-ECMO requires anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin to prevent thrombotic complications. This must be monitored due to bleeding risk. A point-of-care (POC) method of testing aPTT and APR was evaluated for agreement with laboratory methods. In a prospective observational study, patients supported on VV-ECMO as a result of severe respiratory failure secondary to Covid-19 infection were given heparin as part of standard therapy. The aPTT was measured (i) at the bedside using the Hemochron Signature Elite device and (ii) at the hospital laboratory. Duplicate results were compared. Agreement between the POC and laboratory tests was poor, as assessed using the Bland-Altman method. The maximum difference between POC and laboratory methods was 133% and the minimum was 0%. Overall bias was 7.3% and limits of agreement were between −43.8% and 58.5%. Correlation increased when results were normalised to platelet count and creatinine. This POC test is insufficiently accurate for use as the primary method of heparin monitoring in patients requiring VV-ECMO for Covid-19. Platelets and renal function may influence the result of this whole blood POC test.
How brachial access compares to femoral access for invasive cardiac angiography when radial access is not feasible: A meta-analysis
Authors: Mele Marco , Mele Antonietta , Cuculo Andrea , Tricarico Lucia , Liantonio Antonella , Imbrici Paola , Santoro Francesco , Brunetti Natale Daniele
Published: December 2022

Background:

Trans-radial access is considered the best approach for cardiac catheterization. The choice of an alternative access route may be complex and trans-femoral access (TFA) is generally preferred. However, trans-brachial approach (TBA) may represent another feasible alternative. We therefore aimed to compare TBA and TFA in terms of access site bleeding and complications in a meta-analysis study.

Methods:

We systematically searched principal databases for studies comparing femoral and brachial approach in terms of in-hospital vascular complications in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization (coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention).

Results:

Five retrospective studies and one randomized study were identified for the meta-analysis; 2756 patients undergoing a TBA and 331.208 patients undergoing a TFA for cardiac catheterization were included in the final study. No significant differences between access routes were found in terms of risk of any vascular complications (relative risk 1.18; 95% CI: 0.91–1.53; p n.s.). Brachial access was associated with a significantly lower risk of access site bleeding (relative risk 0.46; 95% CI 0.24–0.88, p = 0.02).

Conclusions:

TBA for cardiac catheterization was associated with a lower risk of access site bleeding and a comparable risk of any vascular complications compared with TFA. TBA may be considered a reasonable alternative access route for cardiac catheterization, at least as femoral approach.
The effects of Valsalva maneuver on pain intensity and hemodynamic status during short peripheral cannula insertion in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Javad , Manzari Zahra-Sadat , Karkhah Samad , Heydari Abbas
Published: December 2022

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the randomized clinical trial studies regarding the effects of Valsalva maneuver on the severity of short peripheral cannula insertion pain and hemodynamic status in adults. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus databases, Cochrane, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar Search Engine using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings, such as “Valsalva Maneuver,” “Valsalva’s Maneuver,” “Forced Expiratory,” “Balloon Inflation,” “Pain,” “Ache,” “Cannulation,” “Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation,” “Peripheral Catheterization,” “Vascular Access,” “Venous Cannulation,” “Venous Catheterization,” and “Catheterization,” from the inception to January 1, 2022. Finally, 12 and 11 articles were included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of this systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively. Overall, pain intensity based on both the Numeric Rating Scale and Visual Analog Scale resulted in a large clinical effect (Effect Size: −1.20, 95% Confidence Interval: −1.69 to −0.71, p < 0.001). A large clinical effect was observed in a separate study of both scales because clinical effect has been determined in studies based on the Numeric Rating Scale (Effect Size: −1.26, 95% Confidence Interval: −1.90 to −0.62, p < 0.001 (and Visual Analog Scale (Effect Size: −1.09, 95% Confidence Interval: −1.98 to −0.20, p = 0.016). Valsalva maneuver significantly increased the mean heart rate (Weighted Mean Difference: 1.90, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.56–2.24, p < 0.001), decreased the mean arterial pressure (Weighted Mean Difference: 0.73, 95% Confidence Interval: −0.13 to 1.60, p = 0.096), and caused a non-significant decrease in anxiety (Weighted Mean Difference: −1.95, 95% Confidence Interval: −5.24 to 1.34, p = 0.25). The results showed that Valsalva maneuver significantly reduced pain intensity. Therefore, it is recommended that nurses use it as a convenient and low-cost non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate the severity of pain in non-cardiac patients. Also, it is suggested to conduct the studies with a strong methodological design and consider its effects on hemodynamic parameters in future investigations.