bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes and beliefs of Tunisian High-School teachers about schizophrenia: The impact of vignette gender
Authors: Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Smaoui Olfa , Jahrami Haitham , Cheour Majda
Published: December 2021

Background:

Teachers have a crucial active role in provision of mental health services to students and fighting against mental health stigma in schools, hence their attitudes and beliefs toward mental illness should be assessed.

Method:

We carried-out a cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sample of 304 higher secondary school teachers. We used a structured questionnaire in which a vignette describing an individual with schizophrenia was presented, and was followed by a series of stigma-related questions.

Results:

A substantial proportion of teachers endorsed stressful life events (79.6%) as a cause of schizophrenia, elicited feelings of discomfort (41.4%) and incomprehension (41.1%) with the person displaying symptoms of schizophrenia, and agreed that the person’s condition will deteriorate even more (45.4%). Teachers perceived that the person described in the vignette is dependent on others, lacks will, is different from others and is unpredictable in 65.1%, 59.2%, 55.6%, and 49.7% of cases, respectively. In addition, 38.5% and 34.2% of teachers recommended turning to traditional healers and to a Sheikh or an imam of a mosque, respectively. Regarding gender effects, females with schizophrenia were regarded as more likely to be unable to make her own decisions and to be dependent on others than males, and were less likely to be recommended for seeking help from a family physician or to consult a psychiatric hospital than males.

Conclusion:

In the light of our findings, raising awareness of teachers of the impact of mental health issues on students should be prioritized in high schools in Tunisia.
Analysis of Managers’ Perception Regarding the Use of Traceability Tools in the Context of Brazilian Health
Authors: Vidal Emerson P. , De Liberal Márcia M. C. , Zucchi Paola
Published: December 2021

Our society has advanced in terms of technology, and health could not be different. Despite the benefits and advantages that such improvements entail, it is unknown what contributions have been added to the hospital environment and whether such technological engineering has managed to generate value and adapt to different factors within such institutions’ professional culture to establish relevance to the base of utilitarian nature. The use of tools can be conditioned to the view that the managerial sectors have such instruments. The work aims to identify and understand the perception that health managers have traceability tools such and their view on their efficiency and effectiveness in the hospital environment. The results direct us that the traceability tools have a significant expression in the hospital context, collaborating for efficiency and efficacy. Traceability tools can help the entire health system to be more uniform in service, in accountability, and in inspection processes.
A Joint Model for Longitudinal and Time-to-event Data in Social and Life Course Research: Employment Status and Time to Retirement
Authors: Cremers Jolien , Mortensen Laust Hvas , Ekstrøm Claus Thorn
Published: December 2021

Longitudinal studies including a time-to-event outcome in social research often use a form of event history analysis to analyse the influence of time-varying endogenous covariates on the time-to-event outcome. Many standard event history models however assume the covariates of interest to be exogenous and inclusion of an endogenous covariate may lead to bias. Although such bias can be dealt with by using joint models for longitudinal and time-to-event outcomes, these types of models are underused in social research. In order to fill this gap in the social science modelling toolkit, we introduce a novel Bayesian joint model in which a multinomial longitudinal outcome is modelled simultaneously with a time-to-event outcome. The methodological novelty of this model is that it concerns a correlated random effects association structure that includes a multinomial longitudinal outcome. We show the use of the joint model on Danish labour market data and compare the joint model to a standard event history model. The joint model has three advantages over a standard survival model. It decreases bias, allows us to explore the relation between exogenous covariates and the longitudinal outcome and can be flexibly extended with multiple time-to-event and longitudinal outcomes.
A Case Report of a Middle Ear Mass Originated From Cartilage-like Tissue Treated With Transcanal Endoscopic Ear Surgery
Authors: Suda Satoshi , Kitamura Mitsuru , Kawaida Miho , Fujioka Masato , Ozawa Hiroyuki
Published: December 2021

Middle ear tumors are relatively rare, and among them, the diagnoses of middle ear lesions originating from cartilage-like tissue are even rarer. Use of transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) has increased in recent years because of its advantages, such as clear visual field and minimally invasive procedure. Here, we report a middle ear mass originating from cartilage-like tissue treated with TEES. A 62-year-old woman presented with progressive right-sided hearing loss. A white mass was revealed through the tympanic membrane, and pure-tone audiometry detected a mean 50.0 dB conductive hearing loss. Computed tomography showed a mass in the tympanic cavity. TEES was performed for diagnosis and treatment. A white translucent tumor was observed intraoperatively, and it was completely resected. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a mass originating from degenerated cartilage-like tissue. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of a middle ear mass originating from cartilage-like tissue treated with TEES. TEES with its clear visual field and precise techniques was beneficial in treating the middle ear lesions circumscribed in the tympanic cavity.
Metastatic Clear Renal-Cell Carcinoma Mimicking Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: A Case Report
Authors: Silver Jennifer A. , Roy Catherine F. , Lai Jonathan K. , Caglar Derin , Kost Karen
Published: December 2021

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the thyroid is a rare yet aggressive histopathologic diagnosis, which may often be omitted from the initial clinical differential. This is in part due to the long latency period between the initial renal primary and appearance of metastatic disease, coupled with the diagnostic limitations of fine-needle aspiration biopsies. We herein present an interesting case of a metastatic clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma mimicking an aggressive primary thyroid neoplasm, 10 years after a nephrectomy for a renal primary, highlighting key diagnostic and management considerations.
Copy-move image forged information detection and localisation in digital images using deep convolutional network
Authors: Saba Tanzila , Rehman Amjad , Sadad Tariq , Mehmood Zahid
Published: December 2021

Image tempering is one of the significant issues in the modern era. The use of powerful tools for image editing with advanced technology and its widespread on social media raised questions on data integrity. Currently, the protection of images is uncertain and a severe concern, mainly when it transfers over the Internet. Thus, it is essential to detect an anomaly in images through artificial intelligence techniques. The simple way of image forgery is called copy-move, where a part of an image is replicated in the same image to hide unwanted content of the image. However, image processing through handcrafted features usually looks for pattern concerns with duplicate content, limiting their employment for huge data classification. On the other side, deep learning approaches achieve promising results, but their performance depends on training data with fine-tuning of hyperparameters. Thus, we proposed a custom convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture with a pre-trained model ResNet101 through a transfer learning approach. For this purpose, both models are trained on five different datasets. In both cases, the impact of the model is evaluated through accuracy, precision, recall, F-score and achieved the highest 98.4% accuracy using the Coverage dataset.
Social media and online safety practices of young parents
Authors: Greyson Devon , Chabot Cathy , Mniszak Caroline , Shoveller Jean A
Published: December 2021

Studies of parents’ online safety concerns typically centre on information privacy and on worries over unknown third parties preying on children, whereas investigations into youth perspectives on online safety have found young people to focus on threats to safety or reputation by known individuals. The case of youth who are themselves parents raises questions regarding how these differing perspectives are negotiated by individuals who are in dual roles as youth and parents. Using interview and ethnographic observation data from the longitudinal Young Parent Study in British Columbia, Canada, this analysis investigates social media and online safety practices of 113 young parents. Online safety concerns of young parents in this study focused on personal safety, their children’s online privacy and image management. These concerns reflect their dual roles, integrating youth image and information management concerns with parental concerns over the safety and information privacy of their own children.
Family Caregiver Preferences and Contributions Related to Patient Care in the ICU
Authors: Hetland Breanna D. , McAndrew Natalie S. , Kupzyk Kevin A. , Krutsinger Dustin C. , Pozehl Bunny J. , Heusinkvelt Jennifer M. , Camenzind Courtney E.
Published: December 2021

Guided by Individual and Family Self-Management Theory, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to describe patient care activities that family caregivers endorsed and performed while visiting their family member in the ICU. We found that caregivers wanted to be involved in ICU patient care and had preferences for the care they wanted to perform with their critically ill family member. More than 80% preferred to perform tasks related to daily grooming, communication, and education. Of note, many caregivers expressed interest in holistic healing activities (i.e., music and art), and yet, less than 50% of caregivers reported participating in these activities. The discrepancy between the number of care activities that respondents desired to perform compared to the number of care activities they reported performing represents an important opportunity to shift research and practice improvement efforts toward more tailored family engagement interventions and recognition of family caregivers as essential partners in care.
Comparative Study of ACR TI‐RADS and ATA 2015 for Ultrasound Risk Stratification of Thyroid Nodules
Authors: Thedinger William , Raman Easwer , Dhingra Jagdish K.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To study the adoption rate of the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI‐RADS) scoring system over a 3‐year period in a community setting and compare its performance with that of the American Thyroid Association 2015 (ATA 2015) ultrasound risk scoring system.

Study Design

Case series with prospective data collection and retrospective chart review.

Setting

Large community‐based practice with multiple satellite offices and a dedicated thyroid ultrasound clinic.

Methods

All patients referred to the thyroid clinic between January 2018 and December 2020 for ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle biopsy were assigned an ATA 2015 risk score in a prospective manner immediately prior to biopsy. ACR TI‐RADS scores were recorded through retrospective chart review of the radiologist report. Performance of the 2 systems was compared with cytology as the gold standard.

Results

A total of 949 nodules underwent biopsy, of which 236 had available data for both scoring systems. There was a 33.8% increase in adoption of the ACR TI‐RADS over the 3‐year study period. The ATA 2015 guidelines yielded sensitivity and specificity of 81.6% and 54.5%, respectively, as opposed to 73.7% and 27.0% for the ACR TI‐RADS.

Conclusion

In our community, there has been a gradual increase in adoption of the ACR TI‐RADS, although the ATA 2015 risk scoring system has performed better.
OSA Treatment on Cardio‐ and Cerebrovascular Comorbidities: A Long‐term Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Yang Kun‐Lin , Lin Pei‐Wen , Chang Chun‐Tuan , Liu Pi‐Hua , Lin Hsin‐Ching , Friedman Michael , Salapatas Anna M.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To compare the cardio‐ and cerebrovascular outcomes and survival rates of surgical and nonsurgical interventions for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on a national population‐based database.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Methods

We analyzed all cases of OSA among adults (age >20 years and confirmed with ICD‐9‐CM) from January 2001 to December 2013. We compared the patients with OSA who received upper airway surgery with age‐, sex‐, and comorbidity index–matched controls with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. The risk of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke after treatment of OSA‐related surgery versus CPAP was investigated.

Results

During follow‐up, 112 and 92 incident cases of MI occurred in the OSA surgery and CPAP treatment groups, respectively (rates of 327 and 298 per 100,000 person‐years). Furthermore, 50 and 39 cases were newly diagnosed with stroke in the OSA surgery and CPAP treatment groups (rates of 144 and 125 per 100,000 person‐years). Cox proportional hazard regressions showed that the OSA treatment groups (OSA surgery vs CPAP) were not significantly related to MI (hazard ratio, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.781‐1.359]; P =. 833) and stroke (hazard ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 0.736‐1.706]; P =. 596) at follow‐up, after adjustment for sex, age at index date, days from diagnosis to treatment, and comorbidities.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that there was no difference of cardio‐ and cerebrovascular results between CPAP and surgery for patients with OSA in a 13‐year follow‐up.

Level of Evidence

3.
The effect of pulsatile versus non-pulsatile flow during cardiopulmonary bypass on cerebral oxygenation: A randomized trial
Authors: Moosaeifar Samira , Mousavizadeh Mostafa , Najafi Ghezeljeh Tahereh , Hosseinian Afshin , Babaee Touraj , Hosseini Saeid , Mestres Carlos – A.
Published: December 2021

Background

The present study aims to compare regional oxygen supply determined by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in the course of pulsatile perfusion with non-pulsatile perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing valvular heart surgery.

Methods

In this prospective randomized single-blinded trial, we enrolled adult subjects aged 18–65 years scheduled for elective valvular heart repair/replacement surgery with non-stenotic carotid arteries, employing a consecutive sampling method. Eligible patients were then randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to pulsatile or non-pulsatile perfusion during aortic cross-clamp. The primary outcome was regional cerebral oxygenation monitored by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in each group.

Results

Seventy patients were randomly assigned, and each group comprised 35 patients. Mean age was 46.8 and 46.5 years in pulsatile and non-pulsatile groups, respectively. There were no significant between-group differences in regional cerebral oxygen saturation at different time points of cardiopulmonary bypass ( p-value for analysis of variance repeated measures: 0.923 and 0.223 for left and right hemispheres, respectively). Moreover, no significant differences in regional cerebral oxygen saturation levels from baseline between pulsatile and non-pulsatile groups at all desired time points for the left ( p = 0.51) and right ( p = 0.22) hemispheres of the brain were detected.

Conclusion

Pulsatile perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass does not offer superior regional cerebral oxygenation measured by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy than non-pulsatile perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass. Nonetheless, the efficacy of pulsatile flow in the subgroup of patients in whom cerebral blood flow is impaired due to carotid artery stenosis needs to be explored and evaluated by this method in future studies.
Evaluation of response in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with intratumoral dendritic cell vaccination using intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI and histogram analysis
Authors: Andersson Mats , Jalnefjord Oscar , Montelius Mikael , Rizell Magnus , Sternby Eilard Malin , Ljungberg Maria
Published: December 2021

Background

Immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an emerging method with promising results. Immunotherapy can have an antitumor effect without affecting tumor size, calling for functional imaging methods for response evaluation.

Purpose

To evaluate the response to intratumoral injections with the immune primer ilixadencel in HCCs with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) using intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and histogram analysis.

Material and Methods

A total of 17 patients with advanced HCC were treated with intratumoral injections with ilixadencel on three occasions 2–5 weeks apart. The patients were examined with IVIM before each injection as well as approximately three months after the first injection.

Results

The 10th percentile of perfusion-related parameter D* decreased significantly after the first and second intratumoral injections of ilixadencel compared to baseline ( P < 0.05). There was a non-significant trend of lower median region of interest f (perfusion fraction) before injection 2 compared to baseline ( P = 0.07). There were significant correlations between the 10th percentile and median of D at baseline and change in tumor size after three months ( r = 0.79, P < 0.01 and r = 0.72, P < 0.05, respectively).

Conclusion

DW-MRI with IVIM and histogram analysis revealed significant reductions of D* early after treatment as well as an association between D at baseline and smaller tumor growth at three months. The lower percentiles (10th and 50th) were found more important. Further research is needed to confirm our preliminary findings of reduced perfusion after ilixadencel vaccinations, suggesting a treatment effect on HCC.
Displacement of the full body of a dental implant into the sinus space without membrane perforation and subsequent osseointegration: a case report
Authors: Xia Xun , Wei Zhen-Yu , Wei Hong-Wu
Published: December 2021

An increasing number of studies have investigated the use of osteotome sinus floor elevation (OSFE) with simultaneous implant placement for maxillary sinus floor residual bone height (RBH) <4 mm. Many studies have reported good clinical results, but very few have reported complications related to this procedure. Here, the case of a 50-year-old female patient with an RBH in the left upper posterior region of 1–4 mm, who underwent OSFE with simultaneous placement of three Bicon short® implants, is described. One of the implants was found to be displaced during the second-stage surgery. The displaced implant was removed using piezosurgery, OSFE with simultaneous implant placement was repeated, and the missing tooth was reconstructed 6 months later. This case suggests that OSFE with simultaneous implant placement is feasible for severely atrophic maxillary sinus floor, but carries a risk of implant displacement.
A fatal outcome in a patient with coeliac disease who suspended a strict gluten-free diet: a case report
Authors: Lu Chong , Zheng Xiao-Juan , Hua Hong-Jun , Wang Qun-Ying
Published: December 2021

Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune small bowel disease that occurs in susceptible individuals that develop an immunological reaction to gluten. A strict gluten-free diet (GFD) is the primary treatment for CD. This case report describes a patient with CD recurrence due to a discontinuation of a strict GFD by the patient. After recurrence, the patient developed fever and pancytopaenia, and quickly died of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a case of CD associated with HLH due to discontinued GFD, which may contribute to improving the awareness of the importance of maintaining a strict GFD and having regular follow-up examinations.
Effect of atorvastatin on serum periostin and blood eosinophils in asthma – a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial
Authors: Mehrabi Samrad , Torkan Jalal , Hosseinzadeh Massood
Published: December 2021

Objective

To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on serum periostin level and blood eosinophil count in patients with asthma.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with asthma were enrolled and randomised into an intervention or placebo group, to receive 40 mg atorvastatin or similar placebo, daily, for 8 weeks. Spirometry was performed at baseline, and at the end of weeks 4 and 8; patients also provided blood samples and completed an asthma control test (ACT) at baseline and at the end of week 8. Primary study outcomes were blood eosinophil count and serum periostin levels.

Results

Eighty patients completed the study (40 per group). Mean ACT scores were similar between the intervention and placebo groups at baseline (17.95 ± 3.75 versus 17.98 ± 3.77, respectively), and improved in the intervention group (19.88 ± 3.28), but remained unchanged in the placebo group (18.6 ± 3.26) during the treatment period. No statistically significant differences in spirometric changes, blood eosinophil count or serum periostin levels were observed between the groups during the treatment period.

Conclusion

Spirometric parameters and inflammatory markers did not change significantly in response to atorvastatin treatment, and did not differ between the placebo and intervention groups.
Potential predictive value of plasma heat shock protein 90α in lung cancer
Authors: Li Xiaoqian , Tong Xuesong , Liu Bin , Li Zeng , Ding Jing , Li Jiang , Zheng Min , Tian Yuke , Yan Siyou , Huang Meiling , Ge Jun
Published: December 2021

Objective

Heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α) is associated with cancer development, progression, and metastasis. This study assessed the relationships of plasma HSP90α levels with treatment efficacy and prognosis in lung cancer.

Methods

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 231 patients with lung cancer were enrolled from 1 September 2016 to 31 December 2019. HSP90α levels were measured before and after treatment, and their relationships with outcomes were assessed.

Results

Patients with elevated HSP90α levels before treatment had a better overall response rate (ORR, 44.1% vs. 30.6%), whereas the disease control rate did not differ between patients with elevated and normal HSP90α levels (81% vs. 78.5%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.9 months in patients with elevated baseline HSP90α levels, versus 9 months in patients with normal HSP90α levels, whereas the median overall survival (OS) times in these groups were 12 and 14.1 months, respectively. Concerning HSP90α levels after treatment, ORR (20% vs. 47.1%) and DCR (67.3% vs. 90.9%) were lower in patients with increased HSP90α levels, and PFS and OS were also significantly different between the groups.

Conclusions

HSP90α levels before and after treatment were associated with treatment response and patient prognosis in lung cancer.
Bronchial brush cytology, endobronchial biopsy, and SALSA immunohistochemistry in severe equine asthma
Authors: Lee Gary K. C. , Beeler-Marfisi Janet , Viel Laurent , Piché Érica , Kang Heng , Sears William , Bienzle Dorothee
Published: December 2021

Horses with severe equine asthma (SEA), also known as heaves and recurrent airway obstruction, have persistent neutrophilic inflammation of the lower airways. Cytologic evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is commonly used to confirm the clinical diagnosis of SEA. However, the utility of microscopic assessment of bronchial brushings, endobronchial biopsies, and immunohistochemical detection of disease-associated biomarkers for the diagnosis of SEA remain poorly characterized. Salivary scavenger and agglutinin (SALSA) has anti-inflammatory properties and downregulated gene expression in SEA; therefore, it was investigated as a tissue biomarker for airway and systemic inflammation. Six asthmatic and 6 non-asthmatic horses were exposed to an inhaled challenge. Before and after challenge, samples of BAL fluid, bronchial brushing, and endobronchial biopsy were collected. Location of SALSA in biopsies was determined, and immunohistochemical label intensity was computed using image analysis software. Serum amyloid A (SAA) was measured to assess systemic inflammation. After challenge, neutrophil proportions were significantly higher in asthmatic versus non-asthmatic horses in BAL fluid (least squares means, 95% confidence interval: 80.9%, 57.2% to 93.1%, vs 3.6%, 1.1% to 10.7%) and in brush cytology slides (39.5%, 7.7% to 83.6%, vs 0.2%, 0% to 2.3%), illustrating the potential of brush cytology as an alternate modality to BAL for assessing intraluminal inflammation. Bronchial histopathologic findings and intensity of SALSA immunolabeling in surface and glandular epithelium were similar in asthmatic and non-asthmatic horses, indicating limited changes in bronchial tissue from the inhaled challenge. Increases in SAA indicated systemic inflammation, but SALSA immunolabeling did not change significantly.
The world’s number 1 real estate development exporter? Assessing announced transnational projects from the United Arab Emirates between 2003–2014
Authors: Koelemaij Jorn
Published: December 2021

Contemporary large-scale real estate developments often have an explicit transnational character. Particularly in late development contexts, they are frequently financed and developed by foreign stakeholders. United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based transnational developers have been the largest global providers of greenfield real estate foreign direct investment (GREFDI) between 2003 and 2014. A closer look at these activities, however, reveals that only a limited percentage of the announced projects eventually materialized. Based on a thorough study of several academic articles, online media coverage, and interviews conducted with real estate experts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2018, this paper critically evaluates the current status of transnational real estate development projects (TREDs) announced by the UAE companies in the early 21st century, as well as the most common implementation strategies and rationales behind them. It illustrates how closely geopolitics, geo-economics, and real estate can be intertwined, especially when transnational developers are closely related to their home governments. Against this backdrop, TREDs are often a part of broader bilateral business deals, and can simultaneously be driven by the desire of acquiring symbolic capital on behalf of the political actors involved. Furthermore, it is concluded that TREDs that are facilitated by UAE-based developers are fairly similar to contemporary TREDS on behalf of government-related developers from other emerging economies.
Q-stacking prediction model considering wind speed error correction
Authors: Chengyu Sun
Published: December 2021

In order to improve the accuracy of wind speed forecasting in wind farms, an ensemble-enhanced combined forecasting model is proposed considering error correction. First establish five independent base learners, build a two-layer Stacking ensemble model to fuse the prediction results of each base learner, and divide the input data by cross-validation to improve the generalization ability of the model. Then use the model-free learning framework Q learning selects the optimal model in the base learner to correct the preliminary prediction error and obtain the final prediction result. Select the actual wind farm measured data in different seasons to simulate the prediction effect of the model, and verify the prediction ability of the proposed model through comparative analysis. The results show that the model has high prediction accuracy with ε = 0.093.
Model of wind energy system with reduced simulation time validated by classical equivalent model developed under Simulink
Authors: Tounsi Souhir
Published: December 2021

Models of a wind energy conversion chain using classical Simulink models of a diode bridge exhibit significant simulation time making difficult its combination with large scales optimization approaches. For this purpose and to increase the degree of compatibility of wind turbine models with large scales optimization approaches such as those based on Genetic Algorithms, a wind energy conversion system having an horizontal axis propeller, an axial generator with permanent magnets, recharging a battery energy accumulator through a diode rectifier is modeled by simplified method reducing simulation time. Indeed, a model of the three phase’s diode rectifier making the simulation time considerably reduced compared to the existing model in the Simulink library is developed. This model is validated by comparison with the model using the classic Simulink library. Another objective of this study is the formulation of the useful torque optimization problem having an essential constraint the reduction of the generator phase’s inductance in the goal to reduce the overvoltage in generator phases.
Modeling the wind speed in North Morocco
Authors: Bahraoui Zuhair
Published: December 2021

The change of the wind speed is strictly related to several natural factors such as local topographical and the ground cover variations, then any adjustment has to take into account the statistical variation for each specific region under study. Unlike the Weibull distribution, which is most used in wind speed modeling, we investigate two alternative distribution functions for wind speed by using the extreme value theory. The generalized Champernowne distribution function and the mixture Log-normal-Pareto distribution function are considered. We demonstrate that the proper generalized extreme value distribution gives a good fit for wind speed in the North Moroccan. In order to validate the models, a comparison of the produced aggregate wind energy in the aeolian wind turbine was being established. The empirical study shows that the generalized extreme value distribution reflects better the intensity of the wind power energy.
Naturalistic Study on the Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) on Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Goegan Sarah A. , Hasey Gary M. , King Jelena P. , Losier Bruno J. , Bieling Peter J. , McKinnon Margaret C. , McNeely Heather E.
Published: December 2021

Objective

The effectiveness of ECT under naturalistic conditions has not been well-studied. The current study aimed to 1) characterize a naturalistic sample of ECT patients; and 2) examine the long-term outcomes of ECT on depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II; BDI-II) and functional disability symptoms (WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0) in this sample.

Methods

Participants were adults who received ECT for a major depressive episode at an ambulatory ECT clinic between September 2010 and November 2020. Clinical and cognitive assessments were completed at baseline ( n = 100), mid-ECT ( n = 94), 2–4 weeks post-ECT ( n = 64), 6-months post-ECT ( n = 34), and 12-months post-ECT ( n = 19).

Results

At baseline, participants had severe levels of depressive symptoms (BDI-II: M = 41.0, SD = 9.4), and 62.9% screened positive for multiple psychiatric diagnoses on the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Depressive symptoms ( F(4,49.1) = 49.92, P  < 0.001) and disability symptoms ( F(3,40.72) = 12.30, P  < 0.001) improved significantly following ECT, and this was maintained at 12-months follow-up. Improvement in depressive symptoms trended towards significantly predicting reduction in disability symptoms from baseline to post-ECT, ( F(1,56) = 3.67, P  = 0.061). Although our clinical remission rate of 27% (BDI-II score [Formula: see text] 13 and [Formula: see text] 50% improvement) and overall response rate of 41.3% ([Formula: see text]50% improvement in BDI-II score) were lower than the rates reported in the extant RCT and community ECT literature, 36% of those treated with ECT were lost to follow-up and did not complete post-ECT rating scales. At baseline, remitters had significantly fewer psychiatric comorbidities, lower BDI-II scores, and lower disability symptoms than non-responders ( P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Participants were severely symptomatic and clinically complex. ECT was effective at reducing depressive symptoms and functional disability in this heterogeneous sample. Although a large amount of missing data may have distorted our calculated response/remission rates, it is also likely that clinical heterogeneity and severity contribute to lower-than-expected remission and response rates to ECT.
Analysis of transmission box vibration characteristics under random road torsional excitation
Authors: Fu Shengping , Luo Shanming , Huang Hanlin
Published: December 2021

Random road torsional excitation is a key excitation condition for transmission box vibration of tracked vehicles. In order to accurately analyze influences of random road torsional excitation on the vibration characteristics of the transmission box, a calculation method of this excitation for tracked vehicle is proposed based on the random expression of the roughness of standard road surface. Furthermore, random road torsional excitations under different road grades and vehicle speeds are simulated. With the finite element method and modal superposition method, the box body is discretized, and the elastic characteristics of the box body are characterized to explore the dynamics coupling mechanism of gear shafting and the box body. By considering bending-torsional coupling vibration of gear shafting under multi-source excitations, such as the fluctuated torque of engine and dynamic meshing stiffness of gears, dynamic coupling model of gear shafting and box body under random road torsional excitation is established. The dynamic response of the gearbox under random road torsion excitation is obtained by co-simulation with the variable step length Runge-Kutta method. Influences of different road grades, track preload and vehicle speeds on dynamic response characteristics of the gearbox are analyzed. Real vehicle road test scheme is designed to obtain surface acceleration response of the box body at different speeds on the cement road surface. Both test and simulation results are compared and analyzed to verify the accuracy of the simulation method, which provides a theoretical reference for dynamic optimization of the transmission box.
Investigation of tape flexures for space borne deployable structures
Authors: Arora Hemant , Dangarwala Rutvik , Mukherjee Sudipto , Singh Munjal Bhavdeep
Published: December 2021

Space exploration arises the demand for launching large size structures to satisfy the need of high bandwidth telecommunication, earth observation and deep space interplanetary missions. Launching of these monolithic structures of sizes 3 m or more are not feasible due to limited launch fairing space of state-of-the-art launch vehicles. Therefore, the development of innovative deployment mechanisms is need of the hour. Deployment process of space borne deployable systems is the process of transition from mechanism to structure which is one of the unreliable stage due to existence of many conventional rotary joints which causes loss of energy due to backlash, friction and misalignment. An investigation study is presented in this paper for churning out a solution of flexible hinges using tape springs in state-of-the-art space deployable configurations which eliminates the factors causing loss of energy. Analytical and experimental methods are evaluated for investigating the bending behaviour of tape flexures. Tape flexures demonstrate to be a suitable candidate for compliant deployable configuration. The proposed configuration with combination of two tape flexures mounted in such a way that concave curve of each tape faces each other are structurally analysed for desired rotation angle. A comparison study is carried out for various material options of single and double layered tape flexures proposed for a flexure hinge. Practical feasibility of the proposed configuration is also demonstrated successfully on space borne deployable structures.
Similarity of Computations Across Domains Does Not Imply Shared Implementation: The Case of Language Comprehension
Authors: Fedorenko Evelina , Shain Cory
Published: December 2021

Understanding language requires applying cognitive operations (e.g., memory retrieval, prediction, structure building) that are relevant across many cognitive domains to specialized knowledge structures (e.g., a particular language’s lexicon and syntax). Are these computations carried out by domain-general circuits or by circuits that store domain-specific representations? Recent work has characterized the roles in language comprehension of the language network, which is selective for high-level language processing, and the multiple-demand (MD) network, which has been implicated in executive functions and linked to fluid intelligence and thus is a prime candidate for implementing computations that support information processing across domains. The language network responds robustly to diverse aspects of comprehension, but the MD network shows no sensitivity to linguistic variables. We therefore argue that the MD network does not play a core role in language comprehension and that past findings suggesting the contrary are likely due to methodological artifacts. Although future studies may reveal some aspects of language comprehension that require the MD network, evidence to date suggests that those will not be related to core linguistic processes such as lexical access or composition. The finding that the circuits that store linguistic knowledge carry out computations on those representations aligns with general arguments against the separation of memory and computation in the mind and brain.
William Warwick James OBE FRCS MCh FDS FLS (1874 to 1965)
Authors: Gelbier Stanley
Published: December 2021

William Warwick James was one of the most inspiring and outstanding dental surgeons of his time, a key researcher in dentistry and zoology and a pioneer in maxillofacial surgery. Most maxillofacial departments hold sets of his dental elevators. He wrote a major wartime work with Benjamin Fickling on the treatment of jaw and facial injuries.
Book review: Elizabeth A. Lambourn, Abraham’s Luggage: A Social Life of Things in the Medieval Indian Ocean World
Authors: Das Anwesha
Published: December 2021

Elizabeth A. Lambourn, Abraham’s Luggage: A Social Life of Things in the Medieval Indian Ocean World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018, pp. 301. ISBN: 978-1-316-62627-6 (Paperback).
Book review: Cameron A. Petrie (with contributions by P. Magee, F. Khan, J. R. Knox and K. D. Thomas), Resistance at the Edge of Empires: The Archaeology and History of the Bannu Basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200
Authors: Menon Jaya
Published: December 2021

Cameron A. Petrie (with contributions by P. Magee, F. Khan, J. R. Knox and K. D. Thomas), Resistance at the Edge of Empires: The Archaeology and History of the Bannu Basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200. Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow Books, 2021, pp. i–xxviii, 508. ISBN: 978-1-78570-303-4.
Book review: Alfredo González-Ruibal, An Archaeology of Resistance: Materiality and Time in an African Borderland
Authors: Riggs Erin P
Published: December 2021

Alfredo González-Ruibal, An Archaeology of Resistance: Materiality and Time in an African Borderland. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2014, pp. 381. ISBN: 978-1-4422-3090-3.
Archaeological Context and Archival Content: Historical Archaeology and Medieval Period Donative Practices on the Raichur Doab, Southern India
Authors: Bauer Andrew M.
Published: December 2021

Definitions of ‘historical archaeology’ frequently imply the use of documentary sources to contextualise the archaeological record and aid interpretation of its content. In this article, I underscore the importance of a complementary process of using the archaeological record to enrich interpretations of epigraphical sources from the medieval Deccan. Going beyond others’ critical calls to evaluate how interpretations of these inscriptional sources are shaped by biases in research practices, I will suggest that the substantive content of politicised donative stelae on the Raichur Doab was related to shifting material contexts of agricultural land use and the dynamic assemblages of cultigens, soils and water that facilitated production during the period. By contextualising inscriptional records and donative practices within an archaeologically documented landscape of changing production activities, one has a stronger epistemological basis for evaluating the social and political significance of the inscriptional archive and the historiography that it affords. In this case, it allows for the re-evaluation of historiographical tropes of the Raichur Doab’s value as ‘fertile’ agricultural space and provides a richer interpretation of how newly emergent social relationships and distinctions evident in eleventh–sixteenth-century inscriptions articulated with landscape histories.
Agro-Pastoralism, Archaeology and Religious Landscapes in Early Medieval South India
Authors: Kadambi Hemanth
Published: December 2021

Agro-pastoralism has been an important economic subsistence among diverse communities in the semi-arid climate and dry-deciduous ecology of the Deccan for the last four millennia. Recent research that looks at the entanglements of human-animal-environment relations in South Asian archaeology and history have highlighted the complex histories that prompt a reconsideration of the contexts within which political authority articulated in medieval India. This essay demonstrates the presence of non-elite agro-pastoral groups based on the evidence from my archaeological survey. I then present results from a limited study the Early Chalukya inscriptions to identify agro-pastoral activities. In addition, I employ limited architectural and iconographic analysis and argue that the non-Brahmanical religious affiliations of pastoral groups played a role in shaping the political and sacred landscapes of the Early Chalukya polity (ca. 550–750 ad) in the Deccan plateau of South India. A related aim in this essay is to highlight the productive engagement of archaeological investigations with ‘conventional’ history research. I suggest that the medieval period of Indian archaeology is a potent arena for such interdisciplinary research.
Climatic Variation and Society in Medieval South Asia: Unexplored Threads of History and Archaeology of Mandu
Authors: Casile Anne
Published: December 2021

Instabilities of the monsoon climate system, along with alternating periods of severe dryness and wetness, are known to have punctuated and disrupted the lives of peoples and institutions across Asia during medieval times. As far as India is concerned, the topic has attracted little attention from historians and archaeologists.

Did climatic variations play a determining role in societal changes in medieval times? The aim of this article is not to answer, but to raise and refine this question by calling for new interdisciplinary initiatives which would enrich our reading and understanding of the past and contribute different threads to the narratives of medieval history and archaeology. While doing so, it highlights two lingering ‘lacks’ underlying the well-established historiography: the lack of attention to nature, and thus to climate; and the lack of archaeology. Attention is then focused on recent advances in palaeoclimatology and in research linking climate and society, in which India is yet to find a substantial place. Finally, the article outlines prospects and openings for the study of the medieval past as it relates to the climate-water-society nexus, by presenting an ongoing project called MANDU exploring histories and archaeologies of the land-waterscapes of Mandu in Central India.
Book Review: L. N. Venkataraman, The Social Construction of Capabilities in a Tamil Village
Authors: Babu G. S. Suresh
Published: December 2021

L. N. Venkataraman, The Social Construction of Capabilities in a Tamil Village. Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan, 2021, 212 pp., ISBN: 9788194829591 (Paperback).
ICT Adoption and VAT Registration among Unincorporated Enterprises in India: Analysis of Unit-Level Data
Authors: Badola Shivani , Mukherjee Sacchidananda
Published: December 2021

Introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has resulted in harmonisation of tax compliance system in India. In the new tax regime, tax compliance system has completely moved to online (digital) platforms. Given the inequality in access to digital platform or adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) among marginal, small and medium enterprises in India, tax compliance may not improve in the GST regime. In a developing country like India where majority of unincorporated enterprises are in the informal sector, staying outside the formal network may restrict their economic prospects. It is worthwhile to study the relationship between access to ICT and tax (VAT) registration among unincorporated enterprises in India. Based on unit-level data of the 73rd round NSS survey, this study explores factors influencing the decision of unincorporated enterprises to take VAT/Sales Tax registration across the Indian states. The results show that adoption of ICT in terms of using internet and computers positively influence tax registration. Policy suggestions of the study may help to expand the tax base of GST by bringing informal enterprises under the tax net.
Transcultural Networks and Connectivities: The Circulation of Mathematical Ideas between India and England in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Raina Dhruv
Published: December 2021

The nineteenth century has been characterised as a period in which mathematics proper acquired a disciplinary and institutional autonomy. This article explores the intertwining of three intersecting worlds of the history of mathematics inasmuch as it engages with historicising the pursuit of novel mathematics, the history of disciplines and, more specifically, that of the British Indological writings on Indian mathematics, and finally, the history of mathematics education in nineteenth century India. But, more importantly, the article is concerned with a class of science and mathematics teaching problems that are taken up by researchers—in other words, science and mathematics teaching problems that lead to scientific and mathematical research. The article argues that over a period of 50 years, a network of scholars crystallised around a discussion on mathematics proper, the history of mathematics and education. This discussion spanned not just nineteenth-century England but India as well, involving scholars from both worlds. This network included Scottish mathematicians, East India Company officials and administrators who went on to constitute the first generation of British Indologists, a group of mathematicians in England referred to as the Analytics, and traditional Indian scholars and mathematics teachers. The focus will be on the concerns and genealogies of investigation that forged this network and sustained it for over half a century.
In the Eye of the Storm: Entrepreneurs and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Backman Mikaela , Hagen Johannes , Kekezi Orsa , Naldi Lucia , Wallin Tina
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of entrepreneurs. We surveyed a representative sample of Swedish entrepreneurs and wage employees at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey data, combined with register data, show that the COVID-19 outbreak has a negative effect on the well-being of entrepreneurs in terms of increased perceived stress. However, this negative effect is weaker for entrepreneurs who feel younger than their chronological age and entrepreneurs who are geographically distant from the epicenter of the crisis.