bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Navigating Client Deaths in the Community Mental Health Center: A Humanistic Approach to Clinical Supervision
Authors: Craig Adam K. , Hamm Jay A. , Steuer Patrick , Leonhardt Bethany L.
Published: May 2024

Mental health providers in community mental health centers (CMHCs) often contend with patient deaths but there is little established guidance in the literature in regard to clinical supervision following these losses in general, and making meaning of these experiences specifically. Following a brief review of relevant literature, the authors offer four identified challenges to a meaning-making supervisory approach. Namely, these are (a) determining a supervisory response, (b) disenfranchisement of grief in professionals, (c) a hyperfocus on quantifiable outcomes, and (d) an outsized focus on risk response. The authors contend that a humanistically-oriented, meaning-making response guided by the recovery model provides answers to these challenges, and present a case study demonstrating how these have been navigated in a CMHC.
Combining melatonin with dexmedetomidine improves anesthesia in rats
Authors: Cogo Pagella Joaquín , Rodríguez María F , Frisina Fabricio , O Cervino Claudio
Published: May 2024

Melatonin (ML) and dexmedetomidine (DM) are used separately as anesthetic premedication or as an anesthetic in humans and laboratory animals. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anesthetic properties of both drugs combined. The anesthetic effects of several combinations of ML (50 and 100 mg/kg) and DM (50 and 100 μg/kg) were evaluated in rats by observing behavioral manifestations and recording the duration and depth of anesthesia. Five anesthetic intervals were established according to the loss and recovery of reflexes. While each individual drug did not induce an appropriate anesthetic effect at the tested doses, ML50 + DM100, ML100 + DM50 and ML100 + DM100 combinations resulted in surgical anesthesia intervals of 60 to 360 min. Together, our results point that the use of ML allows to decrease the dose of DM, reducing the unwanted anesthetic effects of this α2-agonist.
Experience of Public Health Departments in Implementation of COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Programs
Authors: Staatz Colleen , Loosier Penny S. , Hsu Ruth , Fiscus Michelle , Gupta Reena , Sabin E. Rain , Vohra Divya , Matulewicz Holly , Taylor Melanie M. , Caruso Elise C. , DeLuca Nickolas , Moonan Patrick K. , Oeltmann John E. , Thorpe Phoebe
Published: May 2024

Objective:

Case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) are fundamental public health efforts widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate transmission. This study investigated how state, local, and tribal public health departments used CI/CT during the COVID-19 pandemic, including CI/CT methodology, staffing models, training and support, and efforts to identify or prioritize populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Methods:

During March and April 2022, we conducted key informant interviews with up to 3 public health officials from 43 state, local, and tribal public health departments. From audio-recorded and transcribed interviews, we used the framework method to analyze key themes.

Results:

Major adjustments to CI/CT protocols during the pandemic included (1) prioritizing populations for outreach; (2) implementing automated outreach for nonprioritized groups, particularly during COVID-19 surges; (3) discontinuing contact tracing and focusing exclusively on case investigation; and (4) adding innovations to provide additional support. Key informants also discussed the utility of having backup staffing to support overwhelmed public health departments and spoke to the difficulty in “right-sizing” the public health workforce, with COVID-19 surges leaving public health departments understaffed as case rates rose and overstaffed as case rates fell.

Conclusions:

When addressing future epidemics or outbreaks, public health officials should consider strategies that improve the effectiveness of CI/CT efforts over time, such as prioritizing populations based on disproportionate risk, implementing automated outreach, developing models that provide flexible additional staffing resources as cases rise and fall among local public health departments, incorporating demographic data in laboratory reporting, providing community connections and support, and having a system of self-notification of contacts.
Data Equity as a Building Block for Health Equity: Improving Surveillance Data for People With Disabilities, With Substance Use Disorder, or Experiencing Homelessness, United States
Authors: Meehan Ashley A. , Flemming Shauna S. , Lucas Shelley , Schoonveld Megan , Matjasko Jennifer L. , Ward Megan E. , Clarke Kristie E.N.
Published: May 2024

Objectives:

People with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and people who have substance use disorders face unique health challenges. Gaps in public health surveillance data limit the identification of public health needs of these groups and data-driven action. This study aimed to identify current practices, challenges, and opportunities for collecting and reporting COVID-19 surveillance data for these populations.

Methods:

We used a rapid qualitative assessment to explore COVID-19 surveillance capacities. From July through October 2021, we virtually interviewed key informants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health departments, and health care providers across the United States. We thematically analyzed and contextualized interview notes, peer-reviewed articles, and participant documents using a literature review.

Results:

We identified themes centered on foundational structural and systems issues that hinder actionable surveillance data for these and other populations that are disproportionately affected by multiple health conditions. Qualitative data analysis of 61 interviews elucidated 4 primary challenges: definitions and policies, resources, data systems, and articulation of the purpose of data collection to these groups. Participants noted the use of multisector partnerships, automated data collection and integration, and data scorecards to circumvent challenges.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the need for multisector, systematic improvements in surveillance data collection and reporting to advance health equity. Improvements must be buttressed with adequate investment in data infrastructure and promoted through clear communication of how data are used to protect health.
Advancing Evidence-Based Public Health Policy: How Core Component Thinking Can Illuminate the Multilevel Nature of Public Health Policy
Authors: Puddy Richard W. , Kelly Megan A. , Nelson Christopher , Ntazinda Alexandra H. , Siddiqi Sameer , Hall Diane , Murray Christian T. , Kucik James E.
Published: May 2024

A growing body of literature uses the concept of core components to better understand small-scale programmatic interventions. Instead of interventions being viewed as unitary “black boxes,” interventions are viewed as configurations of core components, which are the parts of interventions that carry their causal potential and therefore need to be reproduced with fidelity to produce the intended effect. To date, the concept of core components has not been as widely applied to public health policy interventions as it has to programmatic interventions. The purpose of this topical review is to familiarize public health practitioners and policy makers with the concept of core components as applied to public health policy interventions. Raising the profile of core component thinking can foster mindful adaptation and implementation of public health policy interventions while encouraging further research to enhance the supporting evidence base. We present 3 types of multilevel interactions in which the core components of a public health policy intervention produce effects at the population level by (1) seeking to directly affect individual behavior, (2) facilitating adoption of programmatic interventions by intermediaries, and (3) encouraging intermediaries to take action that can shape changes in upstream drivers of population health. Changing the unit of analysis from whole policies to core components can provide a basis for understanding how policies work and for facilitating novel evidence-generating strategies and rapid evidence reviews that can inform future adaptation efforts.
Syndromic Surveillance of Emergency Department Visits Related to Unintentional Drowning, United States, 2019-2022
Authors: Moreland Briana , Clemens Tessa , Idaikkadar Nimi
Published: May 2024

Objectives:

To improve national drowning surveillance efforts, we developed and evaluated a definition for unintentional drowning for use in the National Syndromic Surveillance Program’s ESSENCE platform (Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics) and described drowning-related emergency department (ED) visits from 2019 through 2022 using the new definition.

Methods:

We adapted an unintentional drowning definition from a previous version, which included all drowning-related ED visits regardless of intent (including drowning related to assault and suicide, as well as unintentional drowning). We reviewed a random sample of 1000 visits captured by the new definition of unintentional drowning and categorized visits as likely, possibly, and unlikely to be related to unintentional drowning. We compared monthly drowning-related ED visits from 2020, 2021, and 2022 with monthly drowning ED visits from 2019, overall and by sex and age group.

Results:

A total of 35 431 ED visits related to unintentional drowning (10.71 per 100 000 ED visits) occurred from 2019 through 2022. Most visits (86%) captured by the new definition and manually reviewed were likely related to unintentional drowning. Rates were highest among males (14.04 per 100 000 ED visits) and children aged <1 to 4 years (65.61 per 100 000 ED visits). The number of drowning-related ED visits was higher in May and August 2020, May and June 2021, and May 2022 as compared with the same months in 2019 among people aged 18 to 44 years.

Conclusions:

The definition for unintentional drowning is available in the National Syndromic Surveillance Program’s ESSENCE platform for state and local jurisdictions to use to monitor unintentional drowning-related ED visits in near-real time to inform prevention strategies.
Associations Between Social Networks and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in 4 Rural Alabama Counties: Survey Findings
Authors: McCollum Greer , Allgood Ashleigh , Agne April , Cleveland Dave , Gray Cicily , Ford Eric , Baral Stefan , Mugavero Michael , Hall Allyson G.
Published: May 2024

Objectives:

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how vaccination decisions are influenced by misinformation, disinformation, and social pressures, leading to varied and inequitable uptake rates. In this study, we examined how COVID-19 vaccine messages received via social networks were associated with vaccine uptake in rural Alabama.

Methods:

From November 2021 through March 2022, we collected 700 responses to a telephone survey administered in 4 rural Alabama counties. We asked respondents to indicate whether certain social relationships (eg, family, businesses) tried to influence them to (1) obtain or (2) avoid a COVID-19 vaccine. We used χ2 tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, Mantel–Haenszel χ2 tests, and Fisher exact tests to examine the associations between vaccination status and survey responses.

Results:

Respondents in majority–African American counties were significantly more likely than those in majority–White counties to have received ≥1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine (89.8% vs 72.3%; P < .001). Respondents who received ≥1 dose had a significantly higher mean age than those who had not (58.0 vs 39.0 years; P < .001). Respondents who were encouraged to get vaccinated by religious leaders were more likely to have received ≥1 dose ( P = .001), and those who were encouraged to avoid vaccination by family ( P = .007), friends ( P = .02), coworkers ( P = .003), and health care providers ( P < .001) were less likely to have received ≥1 dose. Respondents with more interpersonal relationships that encouraged them to avoid vaccination were more likely to be unvaccinated ( P < .001).

Conclusions:

Interpersonal relationships and demographic characteristics appeared to be important in COVID-19 vaccine decision-making in rural Alabama. Further research needs to identify how to facilitate vaccine-positive interpersonal relationships, such as peer mentoring and trusted messenger interventions.
Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking, E-cigarette Use, and Dual Use Among Urban and Rural Women During the Peripartum Period, PRAMS 2015-2020
Authors: Masud Nazish , Hamilton Whitney , Tarasenko Yelena
Published: May 2024

Objectives:

Evidence has emerged on the health dangers of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among pregnant women and neonates. We examined whether rural residence is a risk factor for smoking and e-cigarette use among women during the peripartum period in the United States.

Methods:

This study was based on pooled cross-sectional 2015-2020 data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. The outcome was exclusive smoking, exclusive e-cigarette use, and use of both products (ie, dual use) versus use of neither tobacco product by women with live infants aged 2 to 6 months. We examined rural–urban differences in outcome by using univariate and multivariable multinomial logistic regressions with post hoc contrasts and marginal analyses, adjusting for complex survey design and nonresponse.

Results:

During the peripartum period, 5.0% of women were smoking combustible cigarettes, 5.0% were using e-cigarettes, and 1.9% were using both tobacco products. The crude prevalence of e-cigarette use was 1.1 percentage point higher, and the adjusted prevalence was 0.8 percentage points lower for rural versus urban women ( P < .001 for both). Among rural women, 6.7% (95% CI, 6.3%-7.1%) smoked combustible cigarettes exclusively and 2.6% (95% CI, 2.3%-2.8%) used both products, as compared with 4.5% (95% CI, 4.4%-4.8%) and 1.7% (95% CI, 1.6%-1.8%) of urban women, respectively, adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics.

Conclusions:

Maternal sociodemographic and health-related characteristics differed by combustible smoking versus e-cigarette use during the peripartum period. The effect of residence on e-cigarette use was significantly confounded by sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, resulting in clinically comparable prevalence of e-cigarette use in rural and urban mothers with live infants aged 2 to 6 months.
Architecture, Planning, and Policy Around Two Spanish Trips to the Soviet Union: I Réunions Internationales des Architectes (1932) and V International Union of Architects Congress (1958)
Authors: García-González María Cristina , Guerrero Salvador
Published: May 2024

The aim of this article is to explore the diffusion of the USSR housing, planning, and architecture related to Spain in the transnational networks through the development of two international congress. The French magazine L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui organized a trip to the Stalinist Soviet Union in 1932. The aims were to stage the I Réunions Internationales d’Architectes (RIA) and to discover the progress of Soviet urban planning and housing after the First Five-Year Plan. At the time, Spain was a newly declared republic that was eyeing the situation in the international context as a reference for development. In 1948, the RIA was transformed into the International Union of Architects (IUA) and organized the second meeting in Moscow, the V IUA Congress, under the support of the Khrushchev regime in 1958. Spain was then a dictatorship attempting to overcome the international isolation of the Franco regime. The chronicles of these meetings show the contradictions and similarities of ideas at two very different points in time for both countries.
Trapped in the COVID-19 pandemic: Seafarers and the global crew change crisis
Authors: Borovnik Maria
Published: May 2024

This paper builds on the situation of seafarers, who found themselves stuck in the global crew change crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis, caused by countries going into lockdown and closing their borders, had affected more than 400,000 seafarers worldwide. Some were stranded overseas, some were trapped aboard ships and others were waiting in transition. A number of international organizations highlighted safety and human rights issues of what was recognized as a humanitarian crisis. They called out the international responsibility of allowing seafarers to cross borders and access health services, and for governments to facilitate safe journeys home for seafarers. The year 2021 was proclaimed as the “year of action for seafarers” to recognize them as essential workers. Building on media and other materials, this paper explores the global crisis and difficulties for many governments in dealing with this exceptional global pandemic with a particular focus on seafarers from Kiribati.
Skin cancer diagnosis using CNN features with Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization methods
Authors: Başaran Erdal , Çelik Yüksel
Published: May 2024

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world. If skin cancer is not treated early, it also affects the diseased area under the skin and this threatens the treatment of the disease. In recent years, many diseases have been rapidly detected with high accuracy with artificial intelligence methods, and the treatment process has accelerated. Convolutional neural networks, one of the artificial intelligence methods, provide very detailed information about images, and extremely successful results are obtained in classifying images. In this study, first the data set was trained with the EfficientNetB0 model, which is one of the convolutional neural networks models. Then, with the fully connected layer of this model, deep features of the images were obtained. These deep features were obtained by selecting Particle Swarm Optimization and Genetic Algorithm optimization, and different feature combinations were created. Each of these selected feature sets was classified by the support vector machines method, and the best performance results were tried to be obtained. As a result, the success of the proposed model has been proven by obtaining an accuracy rate of 89.17%.
Opting for cooperative self-management: The ethical and job quality motives of service-sector professionals and technicians in Barcelona
Authors: Lees Emma
Published: May 2024

Moving beyond the idea of crises as a prime determinant of cooperative participation, this article provides a nuanced account of why and under what circumstances service-sector professionals in Barcelona have opted for cooperative self-management. Taken collectively, their experiences contribute to how job quality and meaningful work, and a receptiveness to cooperativism and solidaristic diverse economies, might be conceptualised and realised in knowledge-based occupations including architects, legal, finance, and organisation professionals, social scientists, economists, and journalists and communications professionals. For these individuals, neoliberal capitalist market logics have been viewed as fostering conditions that compromise ethical integrity and job quality in their respective professions. They have instead opted for jointly-owned and democratically-managed cooperative enterprises and are advancing economic democracy and the solidarity economy as a means to reassert the normative potential of paid work in society such that workers might realise not only their own well-being and flourishing but also the ‘common well-being’ and general interest.
A transfer learning-based hybrid model with LightGBM for smart grid short-term energy load prediction
Authors: Simaiya Sarita , Dahiya Mamta , Tomar Shilpi , Faujdar Neetu , Sharma Yogesh Kumar , Nuristani Nasratullah
Published: May 2024

Efficient energy management is crucial given 2024's 4.1% worldwide electricity demand increase. This urgency emphasizes the necessity for various, sustainable energy sources in distribution grids. Short-term load prediction approaches using probabilistic power generation and energy storage are crucial for energy usage prediction. Urban energy planners use simulation, probability optimization and modelling to create sustainable energy systems. This study offers a novel hybrid model for smart grids: short-term energy load prediction using transfer learning (TL) and optimized lightGBM (OLGBM). Our two-phase solution tackles Short-term Load Forecasting complexities. First, aberrant supplements and quick deviation selection eliminate missing values and identify key features during data pre-processing. Second, TL-OLGBM learns dynamic time scales and complex data patterns with Bayesian optimization of hyperparameters to improve forecasting accuracy. Additionally, our architecture easily combines the newest Smart and Green Technology, enabling energy system innovation. Comparative performance research shows that our technique outperforms similar models in mean absolute percentage error, accuracy and root mean square error. This hybrid model is a reliable short-term energy load forecast solution that fits the dynamic terrain of smart and green technology integration in modern energy systems.
Does oral iron and folate supplementation during pregnancy protect against adverse birth outcomes and reduced neonatal and infant mortality in Africa: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis?
Authors: Bekele Yibeltal , Gallagher Claire , Batra Mehak , Buultjens Melissa , Eren Senem , Erbas Bircan
Published: May 2024

Background

Globally, one-third of pregnant women are at risk of iron deficiency, particularly in the African region. While recent findings show that iron and folate supplementation can lower the risk of adverse birth outcomes and childhood mortality, our understanding of its impact in Africa remains incomplete due to insufficient evidence. This protocol outlines the systematic review steps to investigate the impact of oral iron and folate supplementation during pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes, neonatal mortality and infant mortality in Africa.

Methods and analysis

MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for published articles. Google Scholar and Advanced Google Search were used for gray literature and nonindexed articles. Oral iron and/or folate supplementation during pregnancy is the primary exposure. The review will focus on adverse birth outcomes, neonatal mortality and infant mortality. Both Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale risk of bias assessment tools will be used. Meta-analysis will be conducted if design and data analysis methodologies permit. This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide up-to-date evidence about iron and folate supplementation's role in adverse birth outcomes, neonatal mortality and infant mortality in the African region.

Ethics and dissemination

This review will provide insights that help policymakers, program planners, researchers, and public health practitioners interested in working in the region.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023452588.
Lifestyle habits and examination findings before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: From health checkups in a rural area in Japan
Authors: Katayama Naomi , Yoshida Tadao , Nakashima Tsutomu , Kobayashi Masumi , Suzuki Hirokazu , Hamajima Nobuyuki , Sone Michihiko
Published: May 2024

Aim: Few health checkup studies have reported lifestyle habits and examination results before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared lifestyle habits and examination results surveyed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Five hundred and ten and 396 participants attended the health checkup in 2019 and 2022, respectively. The median age of females was 65 in 2019 and 2022, and that of males was 68 in 2019 and 69 in 2022. We investigated dietary and exercise habits, alcohol consumption, sleeping situation, and examination results, including body mass index (BMI), smell function, and blood examination results before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural area in Japan. Results: An ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that the intake frequency of vegetables and marine products was significantly less in 2022 than in 2019 after adjusting age and sex; green leafy vegetables ( p = .016), fish ( p = .002), and other marine products, including squid, shrimp, crabs, and octopus ( p = .008). Alcohol consumption amount increased significantly in 2022 than in 2019 in men who drank beer ( p = .007) and chuhai ( p = .040). Albumin, hematocrit, cholesterols, and uric acid decreased, but serum calcium increased significantly in 2022 than in 2019 after adjusting age and sex. BMI and hemoglobin A1c were not significantly different between 2019 and 2022. A decrease in subjective smell feeling and smell test results was associated with decreased intake frequency of vegetables. Conclusion: Both dietary habits and blood examination results changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural area in Japan.
How to complement traditional instruments to measure the economic dimension of food security in older people? An application for regions of Argentina
Authors: Geri Milva , González Gisela , Moscoso Nebel
Published: May 2024

Introduction: One of the dimensions of food security has to do with economic access to food. Aim: Propose a methodology that allows evaluating economic access to food in Argentina for the elderly population. Methods: Dietary guides for the Argentine population are used. Meanwhile, the food consumption patterns observed in the elderly population in Argentina are considered from a household expenditure survey, from which implicit food prices can also be obtained. Results: Six dietary plans corresponding to different regions of the country are designed and evaluated and it is found that they would be affordable only in two of the six regions analyzed. Conclusion: in the Metropolitan, Pampas, Cuyo, and Northeast regions the cost of the ideal basket is higher than food spending, fundamentally in the Northeast region where food spending should increase by 25%.
Co-production and Smart Environmentality: Smart Eldercare in Urban China
Authors: Yu Yi
Published: May 2024

The Chinese government has recently promoted community-based eldercare supported by digitally programmed “smart” health and safety devices placed in homes to address the perceived pressure of a rapidly aging population. This is envisioned as a solution to the growing need for eldercare that simultaneously enables aging in place, facilitates digitally mediated population governance, and provides a safety net for older adults residing in the community. However, the top-down practices of smartening older adults’ homes have encountered a series of frictions in their implementation. By examining the frictions in smart eldercare programs, this paper highlights older adults’ varied capacities to modify, resist, or misuse smart eldercare devices. In so doing, they collectively co-produce the smart environmentality that shapes the aging population. This study re-conceptualizes smart eldercare within a ‘smart environmentality’ framework, highlighting its co-production by the elderly and stakeholders through collaboration. It contributes to the literature on biopolitics and critical aging studies by revealing the interactions of digital governance, glitch politics, and co-production.
The effects of incidental learning and input frequency on the perception of non-native speech
Authors: Lee Andrew H. , Lloyd Jackie S.
Published: May 2024

The current study investigated the extent to which naive listeners could incidentally acquire non-native phonemic contrasts and the degree to which the frequency of exposure to the target phonemes affects their learning. A total of 100 English speakers were assigned to the following conditions: (1) 0-occurrence; (2) 2-occurrence; (3) 10-occurrence; (4) 20-occurrence; or (5) 30-occurrence. The participants watched a video that provided instruction on counting numbers in Korean while incidentally exposing them to various repetitions of the target phonemes. All participants completed a pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest, each comprising an AX discrimination task. The effects of incidental exposure were found only in the 10-occurrence condition, in both the immediate posttest and the delayed posttest. While the current study demonstrates the overall efficacy of incidental exposure on the perception of non-native speech, it also highlights the important role that selective attention plays in language learning.
Chronic venous disease: What if everything started with early care? A discussion with experts
Authors: Nicolaides Andrew , Kakkos Stavros K , Estrada-Guerrero Jaime G
Published: May 2024

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is an umbrella term for a group of morphological and functional disorders of the venous system. Clinical signs of CVD may range from telangiectasia and reticular veins to active venous ulcers; therefore, earlier diagnosis and management of CVD may delay disease progression and reduce the burden of CVD on patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems. In this podcast discussion, Professor Andrew Nicolaides, Professor Stavros Kakkos, and Dr Gerardo Estrada-Guerrero share the key highlights from their symposium at the 2023 European Venous Forum. This symposium, titled “Chronic venous disease: what if everything started with early care?”, discussed the clinical significance of “functional CVD,” evidence and risk factors for CVD progression, and real-world strategies to facilitate earlier diagnosis and management of CVD. Together, these topics highlight the importance of early care to improve long-term outcomes for people with CVD.
Reliable Event Rates for Disease Mapping
Authors: Quick Harrison , Song Guangzi
Published: May 2024

When analyzing spatially referenced event data, the criteria for declaring rates as “reliable” is still a matter of dispute. What these varying criteria have in common, however, is that they are rarely satisfied for crude estimates in small area analysis settings, prompting the use of spatial models to improve reliability. While reasonable, recent work has quantified the extent to which popular models from the spatial statistics literature can overwhelm the information contained in the data, leading to oversmoothing. Here, we begin by providing a definition for a “reliable” estimate for event rates that can be used for crude and model-based estimates and allows for discrete and continuous statements of reliability. We then construct a spatial Bayesian framework that allows users to infuse prior information into their models to improve reliability while also guarding against oversmoothing. We apply our approach to county-level birth data from Pennsylvania, highlighting the effect of oversmoothing in spatial models and how our approach can allow users to better focus their attention to areas where sufficient data exists to drive inferential decisions. We then conclude with a brief discussion of how this definition of reliability can be used in the design of small area studies.
Clinical markers in heart failure: a narrative review
Authors: Javed Nismat , El-Far Markos , Vittorio Timothy J.
Published: May 2024

Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome that is one of the causes of high mortality worldwide. Additionally, healthcare systems around the world are also being burdened by the aging population and subsequently, increasing estimates of patients with heart failure. As a result, it is crucial to determine novel ways to reduce the healthcare costs, rate of hospitalizations and mortality. In this regard, clinical biomarkers play a very important role in stratifying risk, determining prognosis or diagnosis and monitoring patient responses to therapy. This narrative review discusses the wide spectrum of clinical biomarkers, novel inventions of new techniques, their advantages and limitations as well as applications. As heart failure rates increase, cost-effective diagnostic tools such as B-type natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide are crucial, with emerging markers like neprilysin and cardiac imaging showing promise, though larger studies are needed to confirm their effectiveness compared with traditional markers.
Effects of fundamental frequency changes on spoken sound loudness
Authors: Evans Jonathan P. , Lin Kueihong , Savostyanov Alexander N.
Published: May 2024

This study aimed to investigate the perception of loudness in response to changes in fundamental frequency (F0) in spoken sounds, as well as the influence of linguistic background on this perceptual process. The results revealed that participants perceived changes in F0 to have accompanying changes in loudness, with a trend of lower F0 sounds being perceived as louder than higher F0 sounds. This finding contrasts with previous studies on pure tones, where increases in frequency typically led to increases in loudness. Furthermore, the study examined differences between two distinct groups of participants: Chinese-speaking and English-speaking individuals. It was observed that English-speaking participants exhibited a greater sensitivity to minor intensity changes compared to Chinese-speaking participants. This discrepancy in sensitivity suggests that linguistic background may play a significant role in shaping the perception of loudness in spoken sound. The study's findings contribute to our understanding of how F0 variations are perceived in terms of loudness, and highlight the potential impact of language experience on this perceptual process.
Influence of preheating lump ore on blast furnace smelting energy saving and consumption reduction
Authors: Hao Liangyuan , Zhang Jianliang , Liu Zhengjian , Wang Yaozu , Feng Ben , Niu Lele , Li Sida , Li Zhen , Cao Shuzhi
Published: May 2024

The ironmaking process often produces a certain amount of waste heat and pressure, the use of this surplus energy to preheat the lump ore is a commonly used process, but the quality of each process of the material, or the stability of production, the performance optimisation of the lump ore after treatment, there are certain defects, based on practice, through the use of rotary kiln to preheat the lump ore gradually becomes a green environmental protection process measure, the application of the rotary kiln, makes the efficient utilisation of the lump ore possible, but for its optimisation principle is still little research, this paper through the pretreatment of the basic physical properties, metallurgical properties of the lump ore before and after experimental analysis. At the same time, combined with production practice, the relevant smelting parameters of the blast furnace after the application of different lump ore were compared and analysed, and the excellent impact of lump ore preheating on blast furnace smelting was determined and finally based on the calculation of carbon emissions, the industrial application prospect of preheated lump ore was evaluated from the perspective of environmental protection, and the impact of comprehensive scientific analysis, field practice, theoretical calculation and comprehensive analysis of the impact on lump preheating technology was carried out.
Study on electromagnetic stirring–braking structure layout design and its synergistic mechanism in electromagnetic metallurgy
Authors: Li Wei , Liu Jiachen , Yang Pinghao , Shen Yancong , Chen Yongbiao , Yin Tengfei
Published: May 2024

During the continuous casting process, electromagnetic stirring (EMS) can control the flow pattern of the molten steel on the meniscus in the slab mould, while it is difficult to effectively control the entire molten steel. To this end, a novel composite magnetic field structure of EMS and electromagnetic braking (EMBr) is proposed, and the EMS–EMBr synergistic mechanism is analysed. The flow field of molten steel without a magnetic field is analysed. The magnetic field regulation strategy required to control the molten steel is clarified. The coil core structure layout of existing EMS is analysed. The action mechanism of EMS is studied through simulation, revealing the poor control effect of EMS on the molten steel under high casting speeds. Thus, a novel EMS–EMBr structure layout is proposed to enable the braking magnetic field to cover the key areas within the slab mould, ensuring that the main flow is effectively suppressed. On this basis, the effects of EMS–EMBr synergy and different process parameters on the flow pattern of molten steel are studied. The results indicate that the EMS–EMBr composite magnetic field structure proposed can more effectively control the molten steel, providing technical support for the development of electromagnetic metallurgical equipment.
Validity of a self-report measure of student learning in active learning statics courses
Authors: LeChasseur Kimberly , Wodin-Schwartz Sarah Jane , Sloboda Andrew , Powell Adam
Published: May 2024

Although faculty-centered pedagogies are endemic across undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, there is increasing interest in active learning approaches. As discipline-based educational research in mechanical engineering continues to assess strategies for improving student learning and development, researchers need data collection tools that ameliorate issues of bias, minimize costs (e.g. time and student attention), and provide reliable data that has been validated within the disciplinary context. This study analyzes the validity and reliability of a commonly used survey, the Students’ Assessment of their Learning Gains (SALG). Data from seven Introduction to Statics courses at two universities were used to identify and confirm the latent constructs of the measure and to assess their reliability and criterion validity. Results demonstrated that four scales—active learning, concept knowledge and skills, self-efficacy, and feedback mechanisms—explain the majority of variation in the SALG survey in relation to the teaching and learning of statics. These scales were statistically validated and shown to accurately capture the criterion they represent. The primary advantage of the SALG is that it is less burdensome to students, who are only required to spend 10 to 15 min once at the end of the course to complete the survey, rather than spending more time with longer surveys or with those that require completion at multiple points in time. The tool is therefore also less disruptive to the class, which may make it more likely that faculty will be willing to include data collection efforts in their courses.
Gate Assignment Algorithm for Airport Peak Time Based on Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zhu Chenwei , Wei Zhenchun , Lyu Zengwei , Yuan Xiaohui , Hang Dawei , Feng Lin
Published: May 2024

In existing airport gate allocation studies, little consideration has been given to situations where gate resources are limited during peak periods. Under such circumstances, some flights may not be able to make regular stops. In this paper, the airport gate assignment problem under peak time is investigated. We propose a gate pre-assignment model to maximize the gate matching degree and the near gate passenger allocation rate. Besides, to minimize the pre-assignment gate change rate, we propose a dynamic reassignment model based on the pre-assignment model. By considering the non-deterministic polynomial hard (NP-hard) property of this problem, a gate assignment algorithm based on proximal policy optimization (GABPPO) is proposed. The simulation results show that the algorithm can effectively solve the gate shortage problem during the airport peak period. Compared with the adaptive parallel genetic, deep Q-network, and policy gradient algorithms, the target value of solutions obtained by the proposed algorithm in the near gate passenger allocation rate is increased by 5.7%, 3.6%, and 7.9%, respectively, and the target value in the gate matching degree is increased by 10.6%, 4.9%, and 11.5% respectively.
Pozzolanic Reactivity of High-Alkali Supplementary Cementitious Materials and Its Impact on Mitigation of Alkali-Silica Reaction
Authors: Wang Weiqi , Roberts James , Rangaraju Prasad
Published: May 2024

The growing scarcity of conventional supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as Class F, Class C fly ashes, and slag has necessitated exploring alternative SCMs previously considered suboptimal. In particular, high-alkali SCMs are often avoided because of the potential concern that their alkali content could release into the concrete pore solution, thus exacerbating the potential for alkali-silica reaction (ASR). However, preliminary research indicates that not all high-alkali SCMs are deleterious, and some can effectively suppress the ASR expansive reaction when used in sufficient dosage levels. This study evaluates the feasibility of using high-alkali SCMs, such as high-alkali natural pozzolans and reclaimed fly ashes, focusing on their pozzolanic reactivity and the correlation between the reactivity and their ASR mitigation performance. The pozzolanic reactivity of the SCMs was evaluated by the R3 test per ASTM C1897 and strength activity index test per ASTM C311. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the calcium hydroxide consumption by the SCMs. ASR mitigation performance of SCMs was evaluated in accordance with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) T380 miniature concrete prism test. Additionally, pore solution expression and analysis of paste specimens were conducted to determine the correlation between the total alkali and the released alkali levels into the pore solution. Based on the results of this study, all SCMs indicated high pozzolanic reactivity; however, individual performance varied by test method. Ultimately, the high-alkali SCMs, particularly natural pozzolans, did not appear to release any significant levels of alkalis into the pore solution readily and, therefore, show potential for ASR mitigation when used in sufficient dosage levels.
Drive-by Environmental Sensing Strategy to Reach Optimal and Continuous Spatio-Temporal Coverage Using Local Transit Network
Authors: Ariss Mayar , Wang An , Sabouri Sadegh , Duarte Fabio , Ratti Carlo
Published: May 2024

Monitoring environmental features, such as air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, noise, and heat, gives cities key data-driven insights to advise sustainable policies and city design. However, given the high variability of the environmental data, achieving good spatio-temporal resolution and coverage remains a major challenge. Even in well-monitored cities, such as Amsterdam, environmental sensors are usually placed in very few fixed locations, implying limited spatial coverage and an inability to adapt to changes in the urban environment. As cities evolve, they experience shifts in pollution sources, and fixed sensors might not adequately capture these changes without a costly and time-consuming reconfiguration process. To monitor the environmental qualities of Amsterdam’s roads, we present a “drive-by” sensing solution for a structured network of vehicles, meaning that sensors are designed to be deployed on buses and tramways, the trajectories and schedules of which are known. We propose a deployment strategy that combines the available fleets to reach optimal spatio-temporal coverage for different environmental features. For example, by optimizing the deployment of sensors on public transit vehicles, our proposal significantly enhances the monitoring of pollution-sensitive areas in Amsterdam. Depending on the desired spatio-temporal granularity and noting that one vehicle only hosts one sensor, the required number of sensors to be deployed on the structured network varies between 43 and 142, with the latter achieving the finest possible resolution.
Implementation of Progressive Design-Build in Airport Capital Construction Projects
Authors: Nguyen Phuong H.D. , Tran Daniel , Scott Sid , Konrath Linda
Published: May 2024

Alternative contracting methods (ACMs) have been increasingly used for airport capital construction projects to explore the opportunity for achieving better cost and time savings than traditional design-bid-build. Progressive design-build (PDB), an emerging variation of design-build, stands out as a promising delivery method that promotes collaboration between project stakeholders. Although PDB has been successfully used across building, water/wastewater, and transit construction sectors, its implementation in the aviation industry is still limited because of legislative considerations, regulatory policies, and funding constraints. A research gap exists in systematically investigating current practices in implementing PDB in airport projects. The main objective of this study is to explore the selection criteria, implementation strategies, success factors, and lessons learned from using PDB for airport capital construction projects. This study employed a triangulation research methodology, including a comprehensive review of PDB guidance and manuals, an industry survey of 39 airports across the U.S., and structured interviews with 12 airport representatives. This study found that the top four criteria for selecting PDB are: flexibility to handle complexity, reducing claims, industry input on constructability, and cost control. The main benefits of using PDB for airport construction projects include improving project schedules, enhancing design control levels, and better management of project complexity and risks. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing insights into the current PDB practices for airport capital projects. Lessons learned from implementing PDB can help airport authorities and owners better administer and manage their projects.
Gandhi and Election: An Exploration
Authors: Kumar Chandra Bhushan
Published: May 2024

How Gandhi viewed elections? Scholars studying Gandhi have focussed on his strategies of ahimsa (non-violence) and satyagrah (insistence on truth), which produced conditions for mass mobilisation leading to successful decolonisation efforts in India. Though Gandhi recorded his views on franchise beginning with his petition to Natal Assembly in 1894, the researchers have not made much attempt to explore its nuances; those shaped Gandhi’s evolution as a democratic crusader in the context of India as a nation. His engagements with the issues of the franchise question in Natal connected him to traditions of elections in India, and his observation of suffragette in England made him conscious of the challenges of struggle in the manner of engagement with a powerful state. This article focuses on Gandhi’s engagement with various facets of elections in his early political days and argues that the ‘franchise question’ allowed him to understand India as a political possibility and the ‘suffragette’ informed his methods of mass engagement with the imperial powers.