bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of individual low-vision rehabilitation counseling among older adults: A qualitative 2-year follow-up study
Authors: Siira Heidi Johanna , Kyngäs Helvi Aulikki , Falck Aura Aino Kaarina
Published: April 2022

Visual impairments (VI) burden particularly the aging population globally. To ensure healthy aging despite disability, the health care systems must provide effective low-vision rehabilitation services (LVR) for those in need. Low-vision rehabilitation counseling (LVRC) requires specialized multidisciplinary teamwork and has not been studied in detail among the elderly. This study aims to provide a comprehensive picture of individual LVRC actions and introduce a LVRC classification to use for attempts to improve the LVRC processes. This study employed a qualitative follow-up design. Data describing the individual LVRC processes in a prospective cohort of elderly patients with VI ( n = 39) were collected individually over 2 years during the years 2016–2019. The data were analyzed through deductive content analysis. The analyzed LVRC provided assistive devices, services, and home modifications, but problems related to independent movement in the living environment, psychosocial burdens, adaptation to disability, and learning new compensatory skills received less attention. To ensure effective LVRC, the multiprofessional team providing the rehabilitation should emphasize goal-setting and continuous assessment. LVRC should be seen as a process of adaptation, adherence, and learning. LVRC should support and promote older adults to participate and function to their full potential in the modern society, which includes utilizing digital technologies.
Making particularity travel: Trust and citizen science data in Swedish environmental governance
Authors: Kasperowski Dick , Hagen Niclas
Published: April 2022

This paper focuses on how particularities are performed and made to travel through the creation of trust. The Swedish Species Observation System (Artportalen) is one of the largest inscription and calculation centers for citizen data in the world, used extensively by public authorities in Sweden. Observations by members of the public become actionable through environmental governance laws in Sweden. These observations are made through networks of things and humans in which trust is created but unevenly distributed. Important for them to be trusted and to travel are such things as computer software to filter and map observations, red lists, GIS-tools to determine time and place, and validation committees. However, trust is more concentrated in a core set of actors, and there depends on interpersonal relations – though these relations are facilitated by other parts of the epistemic system.
Evaluation of the Metric Properties of the Delaware School Climate Survey – Student: A Study in a Sample of Serbian High School Students
Authors: Đorđić Dejan , Florić Olivera Knežević , Ninković Stefan
Published: April 2022

The present study examined the metric properties of the Delaware School Climate Survey – Student (DSCS-S) using a sample of 1524 Serbian high school students. Of the total number of participants, 764 were male and 760 were female with age ranging from 16 to 20 years ( M = 17.67, SD = 0.65). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated that a seven-factor model of school climate has an adequate fit with the data. Furthermore, measurement invariance of the DSCS-S across gender was supported. Results revealed significant latent mean differences between male and female students on most dimensions of the school climate. Convergent validity of the DSCS-S was established by correlations of its dimensions with students’ academic achievement and attachment to school. Taken together, the findings of the present study indicate that the DSCS-S has the potential to be applied in measuring school climate in the Serbian educational context.
Inadequacies in service delivery for the diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis and vaginosis in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Omosa-Manyonyi Gloria S , Koyio Lucina N , Mwangi Esther W , Gathura Hannah , van der Ven Andre , Oever Jaap ten
Published: April 2022

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), a common cause of vaginitis, affects 75% of women in their lifetime. In Kenya, vaginitis/VVC is managed using the vaginal discharge syndrome guidelines. We assessed how frequently healthcare workers consider the diagnosis of vaginitis/VVC in symptomatic women, and adherence to the syndromic guidelines, outpatient records at Nairobi City County health facilities, of non-pregnant symptomatic females aged ≥15 years were abstracted. Descriptive statistics were applied, and analysis of determinants of practice determined using multivariable logistic regression models. Of 6,516 patients, 4,236 (65%) (inter-facility range 11–92%) had vaginitis of which 1,554 (37%) were considered VVC (inter-facility range 0–99%). Vaginitis was associated with facility, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64–4.76) and aOR 0.03 (95% CI 0.02–0.04); and month, aOR 0.33 (95% CI 0.25–0.43). Vaginal examination was in 53% (inter-facility range 0–98%). Adherence to syndromic treatment was 56% (inter-facility range 0–83%), better with older patients (aOR 7.73, 95% CI 3.31–18.07). Vaginitis and VVC are commonly diagnosed in symptomatic patients in Nairobi; adherence to the syndromic guidelines is low and differs across the health facilities. Interventions to improve adherence are needed.
Using horseshoe prior for incorporating multiple historical control data in randomized controlled trials
Authors: Ohigashi Tomohiro , Maruo Kazushi , Sozu Takashi , Gosho Masahiko
Published: April 2022

Meta-analytic approaches and power priors are often used to incorporate historical controls into the analysis of a current randomized controlled trial. In this study, we propose a method for incorporating multiple historical controls based on a horseshoe prior, which is a type of global–local shrinkage prior. The method assumes that historical controls follow the same distribution as the current control. In the case in which only a few historical controls are heterogeneous, we consider them to follow a potentially biased distribution from the distribution of the current control. We analyze two clinical trial examples with binary and time-to-event endpoints and conduct simulation studies to compare the performance of the proposed and existing methods. In the analysis of the clinical trial example, the posterior standard deviation of the treatment effect is decreased by the proposed method by considering the bias between the current control and heterogeneous historical control. In the scenarios in which the current and historical controls follow the same distribution, the statistical power using the proposed method is higher than that using existing methods. The proposed method is advantageous when few or no heterogeneous historical controls are expected.
Trevor Mann (1916–1996): Paediatrician responsible for the development of hospital services for children in Brighton, England
Authors: Patterson Rosemarie , Sornalingam Sangeetha , Cooper Maxwell John
Published: April 2022

Trevor Philip Mann (1916–1996) was the first consultant paediatrician at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital (RACH) in Brighton, since its foundation in 1881. Here, he was responsible for significant service developments, including establishing a department of paediatric surgery and the first neonatal unit in England outside of London. Mann grew up in South London, and aged 14 had a lengthy admission to hospital with tuberculosis. He studied medicine at St Mary's Hospital, London. During World War II he was a Royal Navy Surgeon-Lieutenant, aboard the Atlantic destroyer, HMS Georgetown, and with the Russian convoys, before completing paediatric training in London. Here, he was involved in treating paediatric tuberculous meningitis; clinical work that formed part of one of the earliest randomised controlled trials. In 1951 Mann moved to the RACH where he researched infantile infectious gastroenteritis and introduced (now commonplace) practices at the hospital, including barrier nursing. He lived in Rottingdean, Sussex, and enjoyed sailing, gardening and wood turning. Mann's impact on paediatric care in Brighton was recognised by the hospital, naming the Trevor Mann Baby Unit in his honour, upon his retirement in 1981. This article seeks to record his contributions and reconnect local clinicians with his memory.
The Potential of Cool Materials Towards Improving Thermal Comfort Conditions Inside Real-urban Hot-humid Microclimate
Authors: Zeeshan Muhammad , Ali Zaib
Published: April 2022

The urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon has become a major concern for city sustainability in the wake of global warming and rapid urbanization. This has resulted in increased heat stress and worsened outdoor thermal comfort in urban microclimates. The study demonstrates that heat stress can be mitigated by reducing air temperature and surface temperature with the integration of cool materials into the urban environment using computational fluid dynamics, under representative climatic conditions. The thermal comfort conditions are examined at pedestrian height and the diverse vertical levels by evaluating two climatic parameters: first, the reduction of ambient air temperature and surface temperature characterizing the mitigation (cooling) intensity, and second, the alteration of airflow velocity. The analysis shows that the proposed intervention can effectively decrease surrounding temperature and promote airflow. Cool materials, when applied simultaneously on both buildings and ground, generate a more pronounced mitigation effect than on only the ground or the buildings as it results in a large reduction of air and surface temperature, that is, of 2°C and 6°C, respectively. For airflow velocity, it is highest for combined cool materials, with maximum effect at the time of highest solar irradiance. The study is expected to inform architects, urban designers and people involved in construction engineering regarding retrofitting mitigation of UHI under representative climatic conditions.
Tuning and performance comparison of multiresonant piezoelectric shunts
Authors: Raze Ghislain , Dietrich Jennifer , Kerschen Gaetan
Published: April 2022

This work presents tuning rules for piezoelectric shunts aiming to mitigate multiple structural resonances. Starting from a specification procedure of the shunt characteristics, the electrical parameters are derived for shunt topologies proposed in the literature, namely Hollkamp’s shunt, the current flowing shunt, the series parallel impedance structure and the current blocking shunt. Effective vibration mitigation of multiple structural modes is demonstrated numerically and experimentally on a piezoelectric beam. Performance in terms of vibration reduction obtained with the different shunts is shown to be comparable if similar shunt characteristics are considered.
Reproductive Health Knowledge among Adolescents in Indonesia: The Role of Family Structure
Authors: Nasution Sri Lilestina , Kistiana Sari , Gayatri Maria , Naibaho Margareth Maya P.
Published: April 2022

Background: Adolescents often lack basic reproductive health information. Improper information on reproductive health may lead to various types of health and social problems. The study was conducted to assess reproductive health knowledge among adolescents belonging to complete and incomplete family, and to calculate the knowledge index of Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH). Methods: A population-based study of 41,582 never married adolescents aged 10–24 years in Indonesia based on the 2019 Indonesia Population, Family Planning and Family Development Program Performance and Accountability Survey. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with ARH knowledge. Results: The majority of adolescents had low to moderate level of knowledge of reproductive health. The overall mean score of reproductive health knowledge among adolescent belonging to complete family and incomplete family were 47.6 and 52.4 respectively. This study found that youngest age (OR: 25.73, 95%CI: 21.28–31.10) low level of education (OR: 9.88, 95%CI: 7.81–12.49) are related to low level of ARH knowledge among adolescent from complete family. Moreover, no ARH information, no exposure to family planning information, no experience and awareness of eight family functions and middle level of parents’ education were associated with low level of ARH knowledge among adolescents from complete family. Conclusion: Based on these results, we recommended that it is important to heighten concerns targeting adolescents from both family structures. The dissemination of reproductive health information through media, parents, peer groups is needed to help adolescents gain insights on decision making toward positive reproductive health and protect them from reproductive health risks.
Anisotropic stress softening of electromagnetic Mullins materials
Authors: Shariff MHBM
Published: April 2022

The influence of electromagnetic forces in purely elastic deformable solids has been extensively studied in the literature. However, to the best of the author’s knowledge, the influence of electromagnetic fields on anisotropic Mullins materials has not been studied. In view of this, we propose an anisotropic phenomenological model to describe anisotropic stress softening of electromagnetic Mullins materials; taking note that most materials are not purely elastic and some of them exhibit an anisotropic stress-softening phenomenon widely known as the Mullins effect. The proposed anisotropic model is based on the use of direction-dependent damage parameters and a set of anisotropic spectral invariants, presented recently in the literature by the author. The spectral invariants have a clear physical meaning which is useful in aiding the design of a rigorous experiment to construct a specific form of constitutive equation. Since boundary value results for electromagnetic Mullins materials are not found in the literature, the effect of electromagnetic fields on the Mullins phenomena in simple tension and simple shear deformations is discussed in this paper.
Omalizumab for the Treatment of Bullous Pemphigoid: A Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety
Authors: D’Aguanno Kathleen , Gabrielli Sofianne , Ouchene Lydia , Muntyanu Anastasiya , Ben-Shoshan Moshe , Zhang Xun , Iannattone Lisa , Netchiporouk Elena
Published: April 2022

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune blistering skin disease. Current treatment strategies are limited by their efficacy and/or side effect profile and the need for safer and effective alternatives is undeniable. We aimed to conduct a systematic review focusing on the efficacy and safety of omalizumab in BP patients. Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for English and French articles published from inception to July 1, 2021, using search terms “omalizumab” OR “Xolair” OR “IGE025” OR “olizumab” AND “bullous pemphigoid.” Screening and data extraction was performed by two raters independently. The primary outcome was complete response (CR), and secondary outcomes were partial response (PR), flare-ups, adverse events/vital status. In total, 22 articles were included, with a total of 56 patients. All patients had a refractory BP with mean disease duration of 13.5 ± 20.2 months (Standard Deviation (SD)) and failed 3.1 ± 1.6 therapies and many remained corticosteroids dependent. Overall, 87.5% of patients responded to treatment (55.4% CR and 32.1% PR), 7.1% discontinued the protocol and only 5.4% were non responders. A third of patients were able to discontinue all other therapies and most others were able to discontinue or taper systemic corticosteroids to <10 mg daily. Flare-ups occurred in 57.7% of patients upon discontinuation of omalizumab and/or steroid tapering, most patients recaptured response thereafter. Omalizumab was well tolerated by most patients. Omalizumab appears to be a promising treatment for BP with a good response rate and safety profile. However, several limitations were identified in current literature, and highlight the need for randomized controlled trials of omalizumab in BP.
Embodiment in directive sequences: The case of triadic interactions in a Polish-English bilingual family
Authors: Gaskins Dorota , Frick Maria
Published: April 2022

Aims:

This study provides a multimodal conversation analytic account of directive sequences used in the presence of a child aged 1;8-2;4 growing up in an English-dominant environment and acquiring Polish as a heritage language.

Design:

The video recorded data are drawn from naturally occurring interactions, in which the child is present when one caregiver produces a directive turn (request, proposal, or suggestion) and another one carries it out in an embodied fashion.

Analysis:

The analysis focuses on the sequential unfolding of the triadic interactions, the two adults’ and child’s verbal turns, gaze direction, manual actions, and handling of objects.

Findings:

Although the child is not always verbally active in the directive sequences, she observes them and sometimes takes part, either through bodily actions or verbal utterances. The multimodal analysis also shows that even if the child’s verbal activity might indicate understanding a prior turn and responding to it, the child may not actually be orienting to the conversation. Observing adults carrying out heritage language directive sequences is only possible when the child is interacting with two speakers of her heritage language, or a speaker of that language and a person who has some passive knowledge of it. Seeing adults’ mutual social actions offers the child a social environment, in which she can get a rich linguistic model and also observe the benefits of using the heritage language in everyday interactional situations.

Originality:

This is the first study to offer a multimodal conversation analysis of directive sequences in which one adult produces the directive and another adult responds to it in the presence of a child acquiring a heritage language.
Regional and urban heat island studies in megacities: A systematic analysis of research methodology
Authors: Degefu Mekonnen Amberber , Argaw Mekuria , Feyisa Gudina Legese , Degefa Sileshi
Published: April 2022

The paper provides a systematic review of satellite-based regional and urban heat island (RHI and UHI) studies in cities and their challenges, from 2010 to the present based on visualizing scientific landscapes (VOS) viewer analysis and Scopus and science database search using a set of standard criteria. The review results show that 52.17% of the studies used Landsat images followed by MODIS (36.65%). Based on VOS viewer analysis author keywords, remote sensing was strongly linked to urban heat island, urban greenspace, and improvise surface, respectively. Regarding, Co-authorship network China, Canada and the United kingdom’s authors actively collaborated with different world researchers. The most frequently studied regions and periods of research are China and summer daytime, respectively. A total of 55% of the articles reported the use of a mono-window algorithm for retrieving LST from sensors. On the other hand, remotely sensed UHI studies have been facing a series of challenges, including differences between remote sensing satellite-derived LST and air temperature, impacts of clouds and other factors on LST data, methods to quantify UHI, accuracy assessment and attribution of RHI and UHI. Thus, consideration was given to the understudied cities, the methods to compute RHI and/or UHI intensity, inter-annual variability and modeling in the future.
ECN Spray G: Coupled Eulerian internal nozzle flow and Lagrangian spray simulation in flash boiling conditions
Authors: Duronio Francesco , Di Mascio Andrea , Villante Carlo , Anatone Michele , De Vita Angelo
Published: April 2022

Flash-boiling of fuel sprays occurs when a super-heated fuel is discharged into an environment whose pressure is lower than the saturation pressure of the fuel and can dramatically alter spray formation due to complex two-phase flow effects and rapid droplet vaporization. In gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines, typically, it occurs during the injection process when high fuel temperatures make its saturation pressures higher than the in-cylinder one. Flash boiling significantly affects the spray structure and fuel-air mixture formation, with, potentially, if spray collapse is avoided, positive consequences for the engine performance and pollutant emissions. Hence, this paper developed a modelling approach based on the coupling of Eulerian multi-phase and Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations to reproduce flash boiling sprays physics. It allows a comprehensive description of the flash-boiling phenomena that begins within the injector’s ducts and continues outside, where a particular mechanism for primary breakup occurs. Experimental data of the Engine Combustion Network (ECN) Spray G injector, covering various operating conditions, were exploited to assess the reliability of the numerical technique adopted. The validation was performed taking into account various parameters such as axial liquid and vapour penetrations, droplet size and images regarding the near-nozzle zone. The numerical model achieves a pretty good level of agreement with the experimental data and, in particular, it is sensitive to the spray behaviour in the different operating conditions.
Vitamin D Receptor Expression and its Clinical Significance in Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Kim Min Jhi , Kim Daham , Koo Ja Seung , Lee Ju Hee , Nam Kee-Hyun
Published: April 2022

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin D receptor (an essential component in the vitamin D signaling pathway) and serum vitamin D as well as its clinical significance in papillary thyroid cancer. Methods: This prospective cohort study comprised patients with thyroid tumors who visited our hospital, from 2017 to 2018. The level of vitamin D receptor expression from thyroid tissue was measured in patients with thyroid tumor and evaluated for correlation with serum vitamin D levels and clinicopathologic characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer. Data from 501 patients with papillary thyroid cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were analyzed. Results: Increased vitamin D receptor protein and mRNA expression were observed in papillary thyroid cancer compared to those in normal and benign tissues. Lower vitamin D receptor protein expression was associated with high TNM stage papillary thyroid cancer and low p21 protein expression. Lower relative vitamin D receptor mRNA expression in papillary thyroid cancer was associated with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level. The Cancer Genome Atlas database showed a positive correlation among mRNA expression of vitamin D receptor, CYP24A1, and p21. Conclusions: An association between decreased vitamin D receptor protein expression and advanced stage papillary thyroid cancer, and a correlation between low vitamin D receptor mRNA expression with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was observed. Low vitamin D receptor expression in papillary thyroid cancer was shown to positively correlate with low serum vitamin D level and disease aggressiveness.
Association of PVL Gene in MSSA and MRSA Strains among Diabetic Ulcer Patients from Odisha, India
Authors: Pany Swatishree , Sharma Bayasis M. , Sen Shibani K. , Pal Bibhuti B.
Published: April 2022

Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as an important pathogen among diabetic foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. Infections with S. aureus in diabetic ulcers need surveillance of resistant microbial profile to provide the basis for empirical therapy for the reduction of lower extremities amputation. Panton valentine leucocidin ( PVL) is considered as one of the major virulence gene of S. aureus which is responsible for destruction of white blood cells and tissue necrosis. This pore forming cytotoxin gene is carried out by both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains. The present study described the prevalence of PVL gene in MSSA and MRSA strains isolated from diabetic ulcer patients treated during November, 2019 to January, 2021 from a tertiary care hospital, Odisha. Infected tissue and blood samples from these patients were collected aseptically and sub-cultured using different media and standard techniques. The isolated genomic DNA of MSSA and MRSA strains were subjected to PCR assay for the detection of PVL gene. Two hundred ten S. aureus out of 402 diabetic ulcer patients were isolated having 59.52% MSSA and 40.47% MRSA strains. Wagner's grade III and grade IV ulcers were most prevalent in these ulcer patients. The prevalence of PVL gene in MSSA strains was more in comparison to MRSA strains. Forty five resistance patterns were observed from the antibiogram profiles of S. aureus. The present study highlighted that PVL gene could not be a marker for the detection of MRSA and MSSA strains in diabetic ulcer patients.
Interpreting logit models
Authors: Uberti Luca J.
Published: April 2022

The parameters of logit models are typically difficult to interpret, and the applied literature is replete with interpretive and computational mistakes. In this article, I review a menu of options to interpret the results of logistic regressions correctly and effectively using Stata. I consider marginal effects, partial effects, (contrasts of) predictive margins, elasticities, and odds and risk ratios. I also show that interaction terms are typically easier to interpret in practice than implied by the recent literature on this topic.
Measuring technical efficiency and total factor productivity change with undesirable outputs in Stata
Authors: Wang Daoping , Du Kerui , Zhang Ning
Published: April 2022

In this article, we introduce two community-contributed data envelopment analysis commands for measuring technical efficiency and productivity change in Stata. Over the last decades, an important theoretical progression of data envelopment analysis, a nonparametric method widely used to assess the performance of decision-making units, is the incorporation of undesirable outputs. Models able to deal with undesirable outputs have been developed and applied in empirical studies for assessing the sustainability of decision-making units. These models are getting more and more attention from researchers and managers. The teddf command discussed in the present article allows users to measure technical efficiency, both radial and nonradial, when some outputs are undesirable. Technical efficiency measures are obtained by solving linear programming problems. The gtfpch command we also describe here provides tools for measuring productivity change, for example, the Malmquist–Luenberger index and the Luenberger indicator. We provide a brief overview of the nonparametric efficiency and productivity change measurement accounting for undesirable outputs, and we describe the syntax and options of the new commands. We also illustrate with examples how to perform the technical efficiency and productivity analysis with the newly introduced commands.
Binary contrasts for unordered polytomous regressors
Authors: Freese Jeremy , Johfre Sasha
Published: April 2022

In observational studies, regression coefficients for categorical regressors are overwhelmingly presented in terms of contrasts with a reference category. For unordered regressors with many categories, however, this approach often focuses on contrasting different pairs of categories to one another with little substantive rationale for foregrounding some comparisons with others. Mean contrasts, which compare categories with the overall mean, provide an alternative to the reference category, but the magnitude of mean contrasts is conflated with the relative sizes of the categories. Instead, binary contrasts compare a category with all the other categories, allowing the familiar interpretation for dichotomous regressors. Our command binarycontrast computes binary contrasts.
Exploring Outdoor Recreation Activities as a Facilitator for College Student Diversity Experiences
Authors: Williams Nathan
Published: April 2022

Racial intolerance and violence in the United States, and on college campuses specifically, has created a dire need for universities to bridge gaps between students of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. Campus recreation programs offer promising environments for students from diverse identities to engage with each other and learn about peers, while increasing their openness to diversity. Despite this potential, little is known about how students engage with diversity in recreation contexts. This phenomenological study uncovered the experiences of students attending diversity-focused outdoor adventure trips and examined the facets of this recreation environment that contributed to engagement with diverse peers. Campus recreation administrators can use these findings to consider parallel experiences throughout recreation programs that can bring students from diverse backgrounds together.
Activity of 3,19-isopropylidinyl andrographolide against herpes simplex virus type 1 in an animal model
Authors: Chuerduangphui Jureeporn , Nukpook Thawaree , Pientong Chamsai , Aromdee Chantana , Suebsasana Supawadee , Khunkitti Watcharee , So-in Charinya , Proyrungroj Kanisara , Ekalaksananan Tipaya
Published: April 2022

Background

In our previous study, the semi-synthetic analog of andrographolide, 3,19-isopropylideneandrographolide (IPAD), acts more effectively against herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in cell culture than does acyclovir. IPAD inhibits cytopathic effect and production of HSV wild types and drug-resistant strains. Its effect is associated with the reduction of immediate-early regulatory protein (ICP27) and early proteins (ICP8 and UL42), indicating a mode of action different from that of acyclovir. Therefore, studies of the anti-HSV activity of IPAD in animal models are required before further application.

Material & Method

Prednisolone-treated BALB/c mice were cutaneously infected with HSV-1 wild-type KOS strain. Experimental groups included control groups (untreated or treated only with the cream base) and treatment groups (with acyclovir or IPAD creams). Creams were applied four times daily for 10 days after infection to the relevant groups. The skin lesion score was assessed twice a day for 10 days. In addition, the effect of IPAD on HSV copy number and HSV late gene (gD) expression was investigated in skin lesion cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Result

IPAD cream was significantly effective in delaying the development of skin lesions and regression of the skin lesion score by day 5 (P < 0.01) compared with untreated controls. In addition, this IPAD cream significantly reduced HSV DNA copy number and gD gene expression (P < 0.01). No signs of irritation were observed at the application site.

Conclusion

Topical administration of IPAD cream reduced skin lesions in mice cutaneously infected with HSV-1 KOS.
Emergency ureteric lithotripsy – Improving clinical care in the GIRFT era
Authors: Horsburgh Ben , Carr Stephanie
Published: April 2022

Objective:

Emergency ureteric stone treatment with lithotripsy is a key topic in Urology. This study describes the process of change in this unit to develop protocol-led quality care for patients with obstructing ureteric stones.

Subjects/patients (or materials) and methods:

A retrospective series of 675 consecutive patients undergoing emergency ureteric stone lithotripsy. Treatment data, times from referral to treatment completion and outpatient follow-up by endourologist are analysed. Data are reviewed over a 4-year period while protocol-led care was introduced.

Results:

This study demonstrates significant improvement in timely patient management. In 2017, the median time from referral to post-treatment review was 147 days. With the introduction of the protocol-led booking system, the median time from referral to post-treatment review was reduced to 14 days. Improvements in evidence-based shock wave delivery and clinical coding are demonstrated.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates improvement in patient care through timely booking of lithotripsy treatment and follow-up. Barriers to improving care include IT support and changing established practice. Ongoing metrics for emergency ureteric lithotripsy should include the time taken from referral to post-treatment clinical review by an endourologist.

Level of evidence:

4
Perception of Organizational Politics and Career Satisfaction: Mediating Role of Networking Ability and Self-promotion Behavior
Authors: Bhattarai Ganesh
Published: April 2022

This study has developed a model incorporating employee networking ability and self-promotion behavior in the relationship between perception of organizational politics and career satisfaction. Specifically, this study examined (a) the direct association of perception of organizational politics, networking ability, and self-promotion behavior with career satisfaction, and (b) mediating role of networking ability and self-promotion behavior in the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics and career satisfaction. Positivist research philosophy and deductive reasoning approach were adopted to conclude. “AMOS” structural equation modeling was used to examine self-reported perceptual cross-sectional data acquired from 725 employees working in Nepalese commercial banks. The direct influence of organizational politics on career satisfaction was significant, although it was in the opposite direction of the predicted connection. Both networking abilities and self-promotion behavior mediated the association between organizational politics perception and career satisfaction. Besides the hypothesized relationship, a causal impact of self-promotion behavior on networking ability was established to improve the model fit index. Direct and indirect (through networking ability and self-promotion behavior) effects of perception of organizational politics on an employee’s career satisfaction were measured. It issuggested that the findings have a number of theoretical and practical implications.
Where the Crosswalk Ends: Mapping Crosswalk Coverage via Satellite Imagery in San Francisco
Authors: Moran Marcel E.
Published: April 2022

Marked crosswalks are the primary means of safeguarding pedestrian travel at intersections in American cities. In the face of decades-high pedestrian fatalities nationwide, the provision of adequate crosswalks is highly salient. Though, how they are spatially distributed across an entire city, and vary by neighborhood, has drawn little academic scrutiny. Given that, this study utilizes satellite imagery to map the presence of marked crosswalks throughout San Francisco, a dense, walkable city that has struggled to reach its pedestrian-safety goals. For the first time, this allows for a calculation of “crosswalk coverage” for the city as a whole. Manual review of satellite imagery documents that crosswalks are present at 58% of San Francisco’s roughly 6,400 intersections, though they are not evenly distributed across neighborhoods. Both hotspot analysis and comparing crosswalk coverage by Census tracts demonstrates that northern neighborhoods—even outside of the downtown core—maintain higher percentages of intersections with crosswalks than those in the southern half. Intersections exhibit crosswalk “corridor effects,” in that crosswalks often cluster along certain streets, including (but not limited to) commercial areas. In addition, crosswalks in four neighborhoods were analyzed to a deeper extent, including category (e.g., ladder, continental, and standard), condition, and “completeness” or the number of adjacent blocks with a connecting crosswalk. Across these roughly 1,000 intersections, coverage varied from 51% in the Bayview (a historic African American community) to 83% in Pacific Heights (a high-income, majority-white neighborhood). Though these patterns track somewhat with local pedestrian and automobile volumes, crosswalk coverage diverges from these data in many ways, indicating other factors at play in their distribution. Overall, satellite imagery can be used to identify marked crosswalks at scale, evaluate their quality, and probe geographic variation. Armed with such granular data, planners can consider the ways in which crosswalks are present throughout cities—and where notable gaps exist—in their pursuit of Vision Zero goals.
The effects of dual credit college algebra on postsecondary education outcomes
Authors: Heavin Karen S. , Ma Xin
Published: April 2022

Using data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics, this study aimed to explore the impact of participation in dual credit college algebra on longitudinal postsecondary education outcomes of high school seniors in Kentucky. Seniors were divided into students who took dual credit college algebra in high school and those who did not. Each group was further divided into two subgroups using junior ACT (American College Testing) math score of 22 (the benchmark in Kentucky for college algebra readiness). Propensity score matching was used to match dual credit college algebra participants with their non-participating peers based on student and school characteristics. The comparisons showed statistically significant advantages in terms of postsecondary enrollment, first year GPA, time to degree, and completion of a bachelor's degree for students in the low ACT group who took dual credit college algebra. Students in the high ACT group who took dual credit college algebra showed statistically significant advantages in terms of postsecondary enrollment, time to degree, and completion of a postsecondary certificate.
Impact ofIDH1andIDH2mutation detection at diagnosis and in remission in patients with AML receiving allogeneic transplantation
Authors: Bill Marius , Jentzsch Madlen , Bischof Lara , Kohlschmidt Jessica , Grimm Juliane , Schmalbrock Laura Katharina , Backhaus Donata , Brauer Dominic , Goldmann Karoline , Franke Georg-Nikolaus , Vucinic Vladan , Niederwieser Dietger , Mims Alice S. , Platzbecker Uwe , Eisfeld Ann-Kathrin , Schwind Sebastian
Published: April 2022

Somatic mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 genes (IDH1 and IDH2) are common in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The prognostic impact of the presence of IDH mutations may be influenced by the comutational status, the specific location of the mutation (ie, IDH1 R132, IDH2 R140, and IDH2 R172) at diagnosis, and the dynamics of the mutation burden during disease course. Even though many patients with IDH-mutated AML are consolidated by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the underlying biology and prognostic consequences remain largely unknown. Here, we present a large analysis of 292 patients with AML who received HSCT in complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete peripheral recovery (CRi), in which we assessed the IDH mutation status at diagnosis and HSCT as a potential marker for measurable residual disease (MRD). About a quarter of all patients were IDH-mutated at diagnosis. The diagnostic presence of IDH mutations in AML did not have a significant prognostic impact when consolidated with HSCT. However, IDH1 R132 and IDH2 R172 MRD positivity in remission at HSCT associated with an increased risk of relapse, while IDH2 R140 mutations did not. The IDH2 R140 variant allele frequency (VAF) at diagnosis was higher, clustering around 50%, and the mutation clearance at HSCT in morphologic remission was much lower compared with IDH1 R132 and IDH2 R172. In our cohort, IDH2 R140 mutations behaved more like a clonal hematopoiesis-related aberration, while IDH1 R132 and IDH2 R172 harbored AML disease-specific features.
Incidence and clinical impact of bleeding events in older patients with acute venous thromboembolism
Authors: Ferrazzini Elisa , Méan Marie , Stalder Odile , Limacher Andreas , Rodondi Nicolas , Aujesky Drahomir
Published: April 2022

Older patients anticoagulated for venous thromboembolism (VTE) have an increased risk of bleeding compared with younger patients. Little is known about the clinical impact of anticoagulation-related bleeding in this growing patient group. To prospectively assess the incidence, clinical impact, and predictors of bleeding in older patients anticoagulated for VTE, we analyzed 981 patients aged ≥65 years with acute VTE in a prospective multicenter cohort. Eight-eight percent were anticoagulated with vitamin K antagonists. Outcomes were the occurrence of major bleeding (MB) or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (CRNMB) event during the initial anticoagulation period up to 36 months. We described the incidence and clinical impact of bleeding and examined the association between risk factors and time to a first bleeding using competing risk regression; 100 MB and 125 CRNMB events occurred during follow-up. The incidence of MB and CRNMB was 8.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.0-10.4) and 13.4 events (95% CI, 11.4-15.7) per 100 patient-years, respectively. In patients with MB, 79% required hospitalization, 18% required surgical intervention, and 19% required permanent discontinuation of anticoagulation; 15% of MB were intracranial and 6% were fatal. After adjustment, active cancer (subhazard ratio [SHR], 1.81; 95% CI, 1.12-2.93) and low physical activity (SHR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.19-2.98) were associated with MB and high risk of falls with CRNMB (SHR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.39-3.00). Older patients anticoagulated for VTE had a high incidence of MB and CRNMB, and these bleeding episodes caused a great burden of disease. Physicians should carefully weigh the risks/benefits of extended anticoagulation in the older population with VTE.
Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Research of Surface Texture Hydrodynamic Lubrication
Authors: Li Dan , Yang Xuefeng , Wu Yuanbo , Cheng Jian , Wang Shouren , Wan Zhuang , Liu Wenbo , Xia Guofeng
Published: April 2022

The research on surface texture is developing from single macro-texture to composite micro-nano texture. The current research on the anti-friction mechanism and theoretical models of textures is relatively weak. Studying the characteristics of different types of surface textures and determining the applicable working conditions of each texture is the focus of current research. In this paper, a mathematical model of hydrodynamic lubrication is established based on Navier–Stokes equations. The FLUENT software is used to simulate and analyze the four texture models, explore the dynamic pressure lubrication characteristics of different texture types, and provide data support for texture optimization. The key variable values required by the mathematical model are obtained through the simulation data. The friction coefficient of the texture under different working conditions was measured through friction and wear experiments, and the mathematical model was verified by the experimental results. The research results show that circular texture is suitable for low to medium speed and high load conditions, chevron texture is suitable for medium to high speed and medium to high load conditions, groove texture is suitable for high speed and low load conditions, and composite texture is suitable for high speed and medium to high load conditions. Comparing the experimental results with the results obtained by the mathematical model, it is found that the two are basically the same in the ranking of the anti-friction performance of different textures, and there is an error of 10%−40% in the friction coefficient value. In this study, a mathematical model of hydrodynamic lubrication was proposed, and the solution method of the optimal surface texture model was determined.
Bionic Design and Analysis of a Novel Quadruped Robot with a Multistage Buffer System
Authors: Zheng Yi , Xu Kun , Tian Yaobin , Deng Huichao , Ding Xilun
Published: April 2022

Large quadruped mammals, such as ruminants, have outstanding motion ability, including running and bounding. These advanced motion abilities are related to the buffer effect of their complicated musculoskeletal systems. However, the buffer effect of most bio-robots is not satisfactory owing to the simple design of their buffer systems. In this paper, a physiological analysis of the ruminant musculoskeletal system is presented to explain the intrinsic buffer mechanism of motion. Based on the physical buffer parts of the ruminant limbs, the corresponding bionic mappings were determined. These mappings were used to guide the mechanism design of the robot multistage buffer system. The multistage buffer system includes two main buffer mechanisms: the first stage and the second stage. The buffer mechanism analysis of the first stage and multiple stages is discussed in theory to compare the effects between the normal single buffer system and the novel multistage buffer system. Then, the detailed mechanical structure of the limbs was designed based on the limb mechanism design. To further verify the superior efficacy of the multistage buffer system, the corresponding walking simulation experiments were conducted after the virtual prototype of a quadruped robot with a novel limb was built completely. Both theoretical analysis and simulation experiments prove that the bionic robot design with the novel multistage buffer system achieves better motion performance than the traditional robot buffer design and can be regarded as the design template of the robot limb.
Step-by-Step Numerical Prediction of Aerodynamic Noise Generated by High Speed Trains
Authors: Li Tian , Qin Deng , Zhou Ning , Zhang Weihua
Published: April 2022

In this paper, the unsteady flow around a high-speed train is numerically simulated by detached eddy simulation method (DES), and the far-field noise is predicted using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic model. The reliability of the numerical calculation is verified by wind tunnel experiments. The superposition relationship between the far-field radiated noise of the local aerodynamic noise sources of the high-speed train and the whole noise source is analyzed. Since the aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains is derived from its different components, a stepwise calculation method is proposed to predict the aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains. The results show that the local noise sources of high-speed trains and the whole noise source conform to the principle of sound source energy superposition. Using the head, middle and tail cars of the high-speed train as noise sources, different numerical models are established to obtain the far-field radiated noise of each aerodynamic noise source. The far-field total noise of high-speed trains is predicted using sound source superposition. A step-by-step calculation of each local aerodynamic noise source is used to obtain the superimposed value of the far-field noise. This is consistent with the far-field noise of the whole train model’s aerodynamic noise. The averaged sound pressure level of the far-field longitudinal noise measurement points differs by 1.92 dBA. The step-by-step numerical prediction method of aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains can provide a reference for the numerical prediction of aerodynamic noise generated by long marshalling high-speed trains.