bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in cesarean section rates in private and public facilities in rural eastern Maharashtra, India from 2010-2017
Authors: Simmons Elizabeth , Lane Kevin , Rao Sowmya R. , Kurhe Kunal , Patel Archana , Hibberd Patricia L.
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Rates of cesarean sections (CS) have increased dramatically over the past two decades in India. This increase has been disproportionately high in private facilities, but little is known about the drivers of the CS rate increase and how they vary over time and geographically.

Methods

Women enrolled in the Nagpur, India site of the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research Maternal and Neonatal Health Registry, who delivered in a health facility with CS capability were included in this study. The trend in CS rates from 2010 to 2017 in public and private facilities were assessed and displayed by subdistrict. Multivariable generalized estimating equations models were used to assess the association of delivering in private versus public facilities with having a CS, adjusting for known risk factors.

Results

CS rates increased substantially between 2010 and 2017 at both public and private facilities. The odds of having a CS at a private facility were 40% higher than at a public facility after adjusting for other known risk factors. CS rates had unequal spatial distributions at the subdistrict level.

Discussion

Our study findings contribute to the knowledge of increasing CS rates in both public and private facilities in India. Maps of the spatial distribution of subdistrict-based CS rates are helpful in understanding patterns of CS deliveries, but more investigation as to why clusters of high CS rates have formed in warranted.
Shifting research priorities in maternal and child health in the COVID-19 pandemic era in India: A renewed focus on systems strengthening
Authors: Mehta Kayur , Zodpey Sanjay , Banerjee Preetika , Pocius Stephanie L. , Dhaliwal Baldeep K. , DeLuca Andrea , Bhattacharya Sangeeta Das , Hegde Shailendra , Sengupta Paramita , Gupta Madhu , Shet Anita
Published: August 2021

Background

The remarkable progress seen in maternal and child health (MCH) in India over the past two decades has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to undertake a rapid assessment to identify key priorities for public health research in MCH in India within the context and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A web-based survey was developed to identify top research priorities in MCH. It consisted of 26 questions on six broad domains: vaccine preventable diseases, outbreak preparedness, primary healthcare integration, maternal health, neonatal health, and infectious diseases. Key stakeholders were invited to participate between September and November 2020. Participants assigned importance on a 5-point Likert scale, and assigned overall ranks to each sub-domain research priority. Descriptive statistics were used to examine Likert scale responses, and a ranking analysis was done to obtain an “average ranking score” and identify the top research priority under each domain.

Results

Amongst the 84 respondents from across 15 Indian states, 37% were public-health researchers, 25% healthcare providers, 20% academic faculty and 13% were policy makers. Most respondents considered conducting systems strengthening research as extremely important. The highest ranked research priorities were strengthening the public sector workforce (vaccine preventable diseases), enhancing public-health surveillance networks (outbreak preparedness), nutrition support through community workers (primary care integration), encouraging at least 4–8 antenatal visits (maternal health), neonatal resuscitation to reduce birth asphyxia (neonatal health) and screening and treatment of tuberculosis (infectious diseases). Common themes identified through open-ended questions primarily included systems strengthening priorities across domains.

Conclusions

The overall focus for research priorities in MCH in India during the COVID-19 pandemic is on strengthening existing services and service delivery, rather than novel research. Our results highlight pivotal steps within the roadmap for advancing and sustaining maternal and child health gains during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Psychometric evaluation of patient assessment of chronic illness care among Korean cancer survivors
Authors: Kim Soo Hyun , Lee Bo Gyeong , Choe Yu Hyeon
Published: August 2021

Background

The Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) was developed in the United States to assess the implementation of the Chronic Care Model (CCM)-based intervention from the patient’s perspective. Although the psychometric properties of the PACIC have been reported in other chronically ill patients, it has not been reported in cancer survivors. Our aim was to evaluate the acceptability, validity, and reliability of a Korean version of the PACIC among cancer survivors (K-PACIC-CS).

Methods

Among 204 cancer survivors at a university-based hospital in South Korea, we performed psychometric evaluation of the K-PACIC-CS according to acceptability (descriptive statistics, missing values, and floor and ceiling effects), validity (confirmative factor analysis [CFA] and convergent validity), and reliability (internal consistency, i.e., Cronbach’s alpha).

Results

The item response was high (missing rate = 0.5%). The floor effect was 3.9%– 43.6% and the ceiling effect was 6.9%– 41.2%. The CFA revealed good indices of fit and confirmed the five structures predetermined in the original version of PACIC. The K-PACIC-CS scores had significant positive relationships with cancer survivors’ self-efficacy and health-related quality of life. The total K-PACIC-CS showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .94) and those of the subscales were acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = .76 -.86).

Conclusions

This study suggests that the K-PACIC-CS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring implementation of CCM-based chronic care from the survivor’s perspective.
Radiomics machine learning study with a small sample size: Single random training-test set split may lead to unreliable results
Authors: An Chansik , Park Yae Won , Ahn Sung Soo , Han Kyunghwa , Kim Hwiyoung , Lee Seung-Koo
Published: August 2021

This study aims to determine how randomly splitting a dataset into training and test sets affects the estimated performance of a machine learning model and its gap from the test performance under different conditions, using real-world brain tumor radiomics data. We conducted two classification tasks of different difficulty levels with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics features: (1) “Simple” task, glioblastomas [n = 109] vs. brain metastasis [n = 58] and (2) “difficult” task, low- [n = 163] vs. high-grade [n = 95] meningiomas. Additionally, two undersampled datasets were created by randomly sampling 50% from these datasets. We performed random training-test set splitting for each dataset repeatedly to create 1,000 different training-test set pairs. For each dataset pair, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model was trained and evaluated using various validation methods in the training set, and tested in the test set, using the area under the curve (AUC) as an evaluation metric. The AUCs in training and testing varied among different training-test set pairs, especially with the undersampled datasets and the difficult task. The mean (±standard deviation) AUC difference between training and testing was 0.039 (±0.032) for the simple task without undersampling and 0.092 (±0.071) for the difficult task with undersampling. In a training-test set pair with the difficult task without undersampling, for example, the AUC was high in training but much lower in testing (0.882 and 0.667, respectively); in another dataset pair with the same task, however, the AUC was low in training but much higher in testing (0.709 and 0.911, respectively). When the AUC discrepancy between training and test, or generalization gap, was large, none of the validation methods helped sufficiently reduce the generalization gap. Our results suggest that machine learning after a single random training-test set split may lead to unreliable results in radiomics studies especially with small sample sizes.
Acute vaping exacerbates microbial pneumonia due to calcium (Ca2+) dysregulation
Authors: Zhang Rui , Jones Myles M. , Parker De’Jana , Dornsife Ronna E. , Wymer Nathan , Onyenwoke Rob U. , Sivaraman Vijay
Published: August 2021

As electronic cigarette (E-cig) use, also known as “vaping”, has rapidly increased in popularity, data regarding potential pathologic effects are recently emerging. Recent associations between vaping and lung pathology have led to an increased need to scrutinize E-cigs for adverse health impacts. Our previous work (and others) has associated vaping with Ca2+-dependent cytotoxicity in cultured human airway epithelial cells. Herein, we develop a vaped e-liquid pulmonary exposure mouse model to evaluate vaping effects in vivo. Using this model, we demonstrate lung pathology through the use of preclinical measures, that is, the lung wet: dry ratio and lung histology/H&E staining. Further, we demonstrate that acute vaping increases macrophage chemotaxis, which was ascertained using flow cytometry-based techniques, and inflammatory cytokine production, via Luminex analysis, through a Ca2+-dependent mechanism. This increase in macrophage activation appears to exacerbate pulmonary pathology resulting from microbial infection. Importantly, modulating Ca2+ signaling may present a therapeutic direction for treatment against vaping-associated pulmonary inflammation.
Evaluation of the epidemiological behavior of mortality due to COVID-19 in Brazil: A time series study
Authors: Costa Ketyllem Tayanne da Silva , Morais Thiffany Nayara Bento de , Justino Dayane Caroliny Pereira , Andrade Fábia Barbosa de
Published: August 2021

The World Health Organization declared, at the end of 2019, a pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, a virus that causes Coronavirus Disease—COVID-19. Currently, Brazil has become the epicenter of the disease, registering approximately 345 thousand deaths. Thus, the study has scientific relevance in health surveillance as it identifies, quantifies and monitors the main behavioral patterns of the mortality rate due to COVID-19, in Brazil and in their respective regions. In this context, the study aims to assess the epidemiological behavior of mortality due to COVID-19 in Brazil: a time series study, referring to the year 2020. This is an ecological time series study, constructed using secondary data. The research was carried out in Brazil, having COVID-19 deaths as the dependent variable that occurred between the 12th and 53rd Epidemiological Week of 2020. The independent variable will be the epidemiological weeks. The data on deaths by COVID-19 were extracted in February 2021, on the Civil Registry Transparency Portal. The cleaning of the database and the information were treated in the Microsoft Excel® Software and, for statistical analysis, the JoinPoint software, version 4.7.0.0 was used. It was observed that Brazil presents an upward curve between the 12th and 19th SE, when it reaches saturation at the peak of mortality, which remains until the 35th SE and, subsequently, a downward curve was identified until the 47th SE, period in the which curve turns back up.
Differential responses of salivary cortisol, amylase, and chromogranin A to academic stress
Authors: Tammayan Manita , Jantaratnotai Nattinee , Pachimsawat Praewpat
Published: August 2021

Salivary biomarkers have been widely used to help diagnose stress, anxiety, and/or depression. This study aimed to compare the responses of three commonly investigated salivary stress biomarkers that represent the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity (cortisol; sCort) and the sympathetic activity (alpha-amylase; sAA and chromogranin A; sCgA), using academic oral presentation as a model of stress. Twenty postgraduate dental students attended the seminar class as presenter and audience. The presenters’ performances were evaluated by the instructors suggesting more stress than the audience. The saliva was collected two times: before attending class and after an academic presentation (for presenters) or during the class (for audience). The pulse rates (PR) were also recorded. The results showed that the levels of all three biomarkers, as well as PR, were significantly higher in the presenter group compared with the audience group; however, the changes were most prominent with sCort and sAA (99.56 ± 12.76% for sCort, 93.48 ± 41.29% for sAA, 16.86 ± 6.42% for sCgA, and 15.06 ± 3.41% for PR). When compared between pre-post presentation, the levels of sCgA were not different, while those of sCort and sAA were significantly increased. These results suggest more sensitive reactivity to academic stress of sCort and sAA compared with sCgA and that the response of sCgA did not necessarily follow sAA pattern even though both are claimed to reflect the sympathetic activity. More studies are needed to elucidate the roles of sCgA in stress.
The prevalence, incidence, and admission rate of diagnosed schizophrenia spectrum disorders in Korea, 2008–2017: A nationwide population-based study using claims big data analysis
Authors: Jung Yoon-Sun , Kim Young-Eun , Go Dun-Sol , Yoon Seok-Jun
Published: August 2021

This study estimated the prevalence and incidence rate of schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders (SSDD) in Korea from 2008 to 2017 and analyzed the hospital admission rate, re-admission rate, and hospitalization period. It used the Korean nationwide National Health Insurance Service claims database. SSDD patients who had at least one visit to Korea’s primary, secondary, or tertiary referral hospitals with a diagnosis of SSDD, according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), were identified as SSDD cases if coded as F20-F29. Data were analyzed using frequency statistics. Results showed that the 12-month prevalence rate of SSDD increased steadily from 0.40% in 2008 to 0.45% in 2017. Analysis of the three-year cumulative prevalence rate of SSDD showed an increase from 0.51% in 2011 to 0.54% in 2017. In 2017, the five-year cumulative prevalence rate was 0.61%, and the 10-year cumulative prevalence rate was 0.75%. The hospital admission rate among SSDD patients decreased from 2008 (30.04%) to 2017 (28.53%). The incidence of SSDD was 0.05% and no yearly change was observed. The proportion of SSDD inpatients whose first hospital visit resulted in immediate hospitalization was 22.4% in 2017. Epidemiological indicators such as prevalence, incidence, and hospitalization rate play an important role in planning social and financial resource allocation. Therefore, efforts to produce more accurate epidemiological indicators are very important and this study’s findings could have a significant social impact.
Measles virus exits human airway epithelia within dislodged metabolically active infectious centers
Authors: Hippee Camilla E. , Singh Brajesh K. , Thurman Andrew L. , Cooney Ashley L. , Pezzulo Alejandro A. , Cattaneo Roberto , Sinn Patrick L.
Published: August 2021

Measles virus (MeV) is the most contagious human virus. Unlike most respiratory viruses, MeV does not directly infect epithelial cells upon entry in a new host. MeV traverses the epithelium within immune cells that carry it to lymphatic organs where amplification occurs. Infected immune cells then synchronously deliver large amounts of virus to the airways. However, our understanding of MeV replication in airway epithelia is limited. To model it, we use well-differentiated primary cultures of human airway epithelial cells (HAE) from lung donors. In HAE, MeV spreads directly cell-to-cell forming infectious centers that grow for ~3–5 days, are stable for a few days, and then disappear. Transepithelial electrical resistance remains intact during the entire course of HAE infection, thus we hypothesized that MeV infectious centers may dislodge while epithelial function is preserved. After documenting by confocal microscopy that infectious centers progressively detach from HAE, we recovered apical washes and separated cell-associated from cell-free virus by centrifugation. Virus titers were about 10 times higher in the cell-associated fraction than in the supernatant. In dislodged infectious centers, ciliary beating persisted, and apoptotic markers were not readily detected, suggesting that they retain functional metabolism. Cell-associated MeV infected primary human monocyte-derived macrophages, which models the first stage of infection in a new host. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified wound healing, cell growth, and cell differentiation as biological processes relevant for infectious center dislodging. 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining located proliferating cells underneath infectious centers. Thus, cells located below infectious centers divide and differentiate to repair the dislodged infected epithelial patch. As an extension of these studies, we postulate that expulsion of infectious centers through coughing and sneezing could contribute to MeV’s strikingly high reproductive number by allowing the virus to survive longer in the environment and by delivering a high infectious dose to the next host.
Metabolomics provide new insights into mechanisms of Wolbachia-induced paternal defects in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Zhang Hua-Bao , Cao Zheng , Qiao Jun-Xue , Zhong Zi-Qian , Pan Chen-Chen , Liu Chen , Zhang Li-Min , Wang Yu-Feng
Published: August 2021

Wolbachia is a group of intracellular symbiotic bacteria that widely infect arthropods and nematodes. Wolbachia infection can regulate host reproduction with the most common phenotype in insects being cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), which results in embryonic lethality when uninfected eggs fertilized with sperms from infected males. This suggests that CI-induced defects are mainly in paternal side. However, whether Wolbachia-induced metabolic changes play a role in the mechanism of paternal-linked defects in embryonic development is not known. In the current study, we first use untargeted metabolomics method with LC-MS to explore how Wolbachia infection influences the metabolite profiling of the insect hosts. The untargeted metabolomics revealed 414 potential differential metabolites between Wolbachia-infected and uninfected 1-day-old (1d) male flies. Most of the differential metabolites were significantly up-regulated due to Wolbachia infection. Thirty-four metabolic pathways such as carbohydrate, lipid and amino acid, and vitamin and cofactor metabolism were affected by Wolbachia infection. Then, we applied targeted metabolomics analysis with GC-MS and showed that Wolbachia infection resulted in an increased energy expenditure of the host by regulating glycometabolism and fatty acid catabolism, which was compensated by increased food uptake. Furthermore, overexpressing two acyl-CoA catabolism related genes, Dbi (coding for diazepam-binding inhibitor) or Mcad (coding for medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase), ubiquitously or specially in testes caused significantly decreased paternal-effect egg hatch rate. Oxidative stress and abnormal mitochondria induced by Wolbachia infection disrupted the formation of sperm nebenkern. These findings provide new insights into mechanisms of Wolbachia-induced paternal defects from metabolic phenotypes.
Geossintéticos em Engenharia Geotécnica e Geoambiental: avanços e perspectivas
Authors: Palmeira Ennio , Gardoni Maria das Graças , Araújo Gregório Luis
Published: August 2021

Geossintéticos vêm sendo utilizados de forma crescente em obra geotécnicas e de proteção ao meio ambiente nas últimas décadas. As principais razões para tal crescimento de utilização ao longo dos anos são a facilidade e rapidez de instalação, facilidade de transporte, custo-benefício favorável, redução na utilização de materiais de construção naturais e menores impactos ambientais de obras com geossintéticos. Além disso, por serem manufaturados, os produtos geossintéticos têm sofrido contínuos desenvolvimentos para melhorar suas propriedades de engenharia e melhorar seus desempenhos. O presente artigo apresenta e discute algumas aplicações inovadoras de geossintéticos, bem como aplicações sob condições severas de utilização em obras geotécnicas e de proteção ambiental. São abordadas aplicações de geossintéticos como barreiras contra líquidos e gases, drenagem, filtração e reforço de solo, bem como combinações de geossintéticos e materiais de construção alternativos. São também apresentados e discutidos os avanços e as perspectivas futuras para estes materiais.
Valores representativos para su uso en las verificaciones de estados límite en el marco del futuro Eurocódigo 7
Authors: Estaire Jose , Schweckendiek Timo
Published: August 2021

El objetivo de este trabajo es explicar los conceptos detrás de los diferentes términos involucrados en la determinación de las propiedades del terreno en el marco de los Eurocódigos. El proceso comienza con todos los diferentes términos que aparecen en las fases de investigación y monitorización del terreno: valores históricos, valores estimados, valores de ensayo, valores monitorizados y valores derivados. Continúa con la determinación del “valor representativo” que es el valor que incide en la ocurrencia de los estados límite. Este valor se afecta por el factor parcial de materiales para obtener el “valor de proyecto” que será utilizado en la verificación de los diferentes estados límite último y de servicio de las estructuras geotécnicas utilizando el “Método de los Factores Parciales”. El futuro Eurocódigo 7 establece dos posibles formas de determinar dicho “valor representativo” de una propiedad del terreno: seleccionando el valor basándose en el juicio ingenieril y la experiencia comparable en casos similares, denominándose en este caso como “valor nominal”; o evaluar el valor por métodos estadísticos, denominándose en este caso “valor característico”. Además, el artículo ofrece un breve resumen del método estadístico para determinar el valor característico de una propiedad del terreno y un ejemplo del procedimiento a utilizar.
Tres décadas de evolución del análisis numérico de túneles. Una visión subjetiva a la luz de un caso real
Authors: Sagaseta Millán César , Castro González Jorge
Published: August 2021

Se presenta un esbozo de la evolución de los métodos de análisis numérico en problemas geotécnicos desde sus comienzos, haciendo hincapié en las tres últimas décadas. Para ello, se ha tomado un caso real de una obra bien documentada, que permita un reanálisis con las herramientas de cálculo disponibles actualmente. La obra elegida ha sido la estación de Baixa-Chiado, del Metro de Lisboa, construida en la década de los 90. El objetivo no es la evaluación de la obra en sí, sino de la evolución de las técnicas de modelización numérica reflejadas en su aplicación al caso, en respuesta a la invitación expresada por el Comité Editorial de la revista. La presentación del caso y de los métodos de cálculo tiene una componente subjetiva importante, por lo que las referencias de apoyo se han tomado en lo posible de la experiencia propia o del entorno próximo de los autores.
APPLYING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR MODEL TO THE STUFF LABOR MOTIVATION
Authors: Dobrydnev S. I. , Dobrydneva T. S.
Published: August 2021

The article appeals to the problem of designing motivation model for the labor behavior of company stuff. Human behavior is one of the key areas of research in many fields of knowledge. The main forms of human behavior in economics are consumer and labor behavior. For each of them, extensive theoretical and practical material has been developed, a significant variety of behaviors has been proposed. Moreover, in the absence of general models of human behavior that would be applicable in any field of his activity, each science develops its own methodological apparatus and builds models based on its own approaches. Models of consumer behavior describe a clearly defined object (purchasing act), are specific and practically oriented. Patterns of labour behaviour are more general and relate to conduct in general, but not to a specific act of activity. The article attempts to apply the principles of building models of consumer behavior to modeling labor behavior. The model of type “Definition of target actions — Stimulus selection — Information and desire — Choice and location — Check and preference — Confirmation and relation” is proposed. The content of these stages for the task of changing labor behavior is shown. A methodological feature of the model is the isolation of rational and emotional aspects in some elements of labor behavior.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC MECHANISM IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING A CONTROLLING SYSTEM
Authors: Semina L. A. , Sandu I. S. , Filimonova N. G. , Glubokov I. O.
Published: August 2021

The article discusses various approaches to the interpretation of the concept of “organizational and economic mechanism”, and also formed the author’s presentation of this concept. The authors provide the composition of the main elements of the organizational and economic mechanism with a brief description of each of them. Demonstrated the relationship between controlling and the organizational and economic mechanism. The main possibilities and effects that are achieved with the formed controlling system are highlighted. In the controlling system, tasks are identified that can be solved by the organizational and economic mechanism. As part of the transformation of the organizational and economic mechanism in the formation of the controlling system, the authors, in accordance with the goals of detailing and specifying the costs and revenues of the organization, supplemented the composition of the elements of the organizational and economic mechanism with “zones of responsibility”. The authors formulated the definition of areas of responsibility, an example is given for cost centers, and also clearly demonstrated the place of areas of responsibility in the management structure of an organization.
The Health Care System of the Semipalatinsk Region of the Steppe Territory: Stages of Formation (60s of the 19th Century — the Beginning of the 20th Century)
Authors: Vlasova A.I.
Published: August 2021

On the basis of different sources, mainly annual regional statistical surveys, the stages of the formation of the health care system of the Semipalatinsk region of the Steppe Governor General are revealed. At the first stage, the end of the 60s — 80s of the 19th century, the accession of the Steppe Territory to the Russian Empire was completed. The integrating policy of this ethnoregion into the political-legal and socio-economic space of the empire was initiated. In the social sphere, it led to the creation of a health system. The procesas had a number of specific features due to the absence of zemstvos and zemstvo medicine and the predominance of Kazakh nomads in the ethnosocial structure of the region. Therefore, in contrast to the central regions of Russia, the development of the health care system in the Steppe Territory was dealt with by the provincial and regional administrations. The second stage (the end of the 80s 19th century — 1917) is associated with the beginning of the mass migration of peasant migrants from the European part of Russia to the Steppe Territory. This stage is characterized by the expansion of the network of regional and county medical institutions, the improvement of their material and technical base, the expansion of the specialization of practicing doctors, and the solution of the personnel problem.

Also, at that stage, the system of management of medical institutions was improved and government organizations, for example, the Resettlement Department, were involved in solving problems related to health care services for the p opulation. In general, statistics show that by 1917 the quality of health care services and the percentage of population involvement remained at a low level.
Spiro-cyclotriphosphazene with three functional end groups: synthesis and structure characterization of new polycyclotriphosphazenes with Schiff-base groups
Authors: Al-Shukri Salah , Mahmood Ayad Tarik , Al Hanbali Othman A.
Published: August 2021

A new tris-spiro-(3,4-dioxybenzaldehyde)cyclotriphosphazene [PNCHO] was synthesized from the condensation of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene with 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde in the presence of strong base. Further reaction of the trialdehydic cyclotriphosphazene based molecules [PNCHO] with three different dianilines (benzidine, 4,4'-methylenedianiline and 4,4′-Sulfonyldianiline) resulted in creation of a new poly(tris-spiro-3,4-dioxbenzene)cyclotriphosphazenes with Schiff-base groups [PNSB1-3]. The structures of [PNCHO] and the polycyclotriphosphazenes-schiff base derivatives were characterized by means of FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR and C.H.N elemental analysis. Differential scanning calorimetery (DSC) revealed a relatively high glass transition temperature (135−175°C) of obtained polymers. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) exhibited their good thermal stability (up to 375oC). The char yield was about 36-42% at 700°C. All polymers were self-extinguishable as the LOI (Limiting Oxygen Index) values were above 26% and this meets with the V-0 and V-1, classification (UL-94). No fumes, soot, or toxic gases emission were observed during burning. The polymers obtained can be used as environmentally friendly, flame-retardant materials.
Effect of heat treatment on the tensile properties of incrementally processed modified polylactide
Authors: Kozik Bogdan , Dębski Mariusz , Bąk Piotr , Gontarz Małgorzata , Zaborniak Małgorzata
Published: August 2021

The article presents the results of strength tests in the form of a static tensile test on the INSTRON 5967 testing machine. Samples were made with the use of the Prusa i3 MK3 3D printer, by modeling with a plasticized material (FFF) made of ABS copolymer, polylactide and its modified variant. According to the information provided by the manufacturer, heat-treated modified polylactide has mechanical properties similar to ABS copolymer filament. The publication also discusses the method of manufacturing elements subjected to the tests, the heat treatment process, as well as changes in material properties as a result of this treatment. Based on the test results, it was found that the annealing process increased the proportion of the crystalline phase, which significantly improved the strength properties of the modified polylactide.
Rebooting Rhetoric and Public Address
Authors: Corrigan Lisa M. , Stuckey Mary E.
Published: August 2021

This introduction provides a brief context for the rebooting of the journal, including a history of the journal and the controversy that led to its reimagining, and offers brief synopses of the individual essays included within.
My Sanctified Imagination: Carter G. Woodson and a Speculative (Rhetorical) History of African American Public Address, 1925–1960
Authors: Johnson Andre E.
Published: August 2021

In 1925, Herbert Wichelns published The Literary Criticism of Oratory. By many accounts, the essay would become the founding document of the academic study of rhetoric and public address. However, in that same year, historian Carter G. Woodson published Negro Orators and Their Orations, which focused on the study of the African American oratorical tradition. In this essay, by way of speculative history and using my sanctified imagination, I wonder what an alternative or speculative history would look like if we can conceive Woodson as challenging the dominant (exclusively white) notions of public address and rhetorical praxis. By paying particular attention to Woodson’s introduction in Negro Orators and Their Orations, I submit that not only would we have been introduced to the richness and power of the African American public address tradition earlier but, more importantly, who we start to see as scholars and what we call scholarship would be different as well.

I examine this by first, offering an examination of Woodson’s text, paying close attention to the introduction, where Woodson develops his theory of oratory. Second, I examine the African American rhetoric and public address scholarship between 1925 and 1960. Finally, I offer a speculative history of what could have been and what we can still do if we would include some of these voices and their scholarship in the public address canon.
A Conversation on Activism, Solidarity, and Burnout in the Academy
Authors: Calafell Bernadette Marie , Ore Ersula J.
Published: August 2021

Drs. Ersula J. Ore and Bernadette Marie Calafell were invited to discuss their experiences with activism in the academy. They discuss what’s at stake and the costs (both emotional and financial) as well as issues of trauma and burnout.
Rhetoric and Sexual Violence: A Conversation with Annie Hill and Carol A. Stabile
Authors: Hill Annie , Stabile Carol A.
Published: August 2021

Annie Hill and Carol A. Stabile discuss U.S. cultural and political shifts in relation to sexual violence and what that means for rhetoric, public affairs, and the academic landscape.
In Search of Good Humans, Speaking Well: Communication’s Ableism Problem
Authors: Beasley Vanessa B.
Published: August 2021

Public address scholars trained in U.S. communication departments have tended not to study rhetoric created by people with disabilities as much as they do other social movements. Here I attribute this relative lack to two ableist assumptions associated with communication’s emphasis on winning arguments: the presumed disqualification of people with disabilities from public argument itself and the normalization of this disqualification based on biases related to rhetorical performance and capability. Overall, I argue this disqualification is the product of how communication scholars have understood and reconstructed the role of the ideal arguer in public affairs and call for more expansive views.
Collision Avoidance by Identifying Risks for Detected Objects in Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Hasn Haidr Ghasn , Ali Majed
Published: August 2021

We propose a system which will detect objects onour roads, estimate the distance of these object from the cameraand alert the driver if this distance is equal or less than thethreshold value(02meters),and assist the driver and alert him assoon as possible in order for him to take appropriate actions assoon as possible which can avoid any collision or significantlyreduce it. We plan to use state of the arts object detection modelslike YOLO to identify the target object classes and use depthmaps from monocular camera to be give an accurate estimate ofthe distance of the detected object from the camera. one majorrequirement of this system is the real-time behaviour and a highaccuracy for the detected and estimated distance, A secondrequirement is to make the system cheap and easy useablecomparatively to the other existing methods. That is why wedecided to use monocular camera images and depth maps whichmakes the solution cheap and innovative. This project(prototype) provide room for bigger and more complete projectwhich will contribute to the creation of tool which can save livesand improve security on our roads
EEG representing on brain surface using volume rendering
Authors: Klementev Dmitrii , Guzhov Vladimir , Hardt Wolfram
Published: August 2021

Brain research is challenging. One of the standard research methods is electroencephalography (EEG). As a rule, this study is presented in the form of graphs. This article describes an approach in which this data is mapped onto a brain model generated from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. This allows you to look at the EEG study from a different point of view. An MRI scan will also allow you to take into account some of the features of the brain. This is an advantage over mapping just to a brain template. This non-invasive system can be implemented to monitor the patient in real-time, for example, during space flight.
Towards Collection of Smart City Data for Cloud Storage Using UAVs
Authors: Ageev Ilia , Hardt Wolfram
Published: August 2021

The article describes the methodology and process of collecting smart city data using drones for cities that do not have a sufficiently developed infrastructure. For storage and subsequent analysis of data, a cloud server is required; TUC DriveCloud is presented as an example of such a server in the article. Traffic analysis and building inspection are described as examples of drone data collection tasks. The advantages and disadvantages of collecting data using a thermal imaging camera are also discussed using the example of the problem of detecting and tracking the movement of people.
Self-regulation strategies in blended learning environments in higher education: A systematic review
Authors: Eggers Jan Hein , Oostdam Ron , Voogt Joke
Published: August 2021

Although self-regulation is an important feature related to students’ study success as reflected in higher grades and less academic course delay, little is known about the role of self- regulation in blended learning environments in higher education. For this review, we analysed 21 studies in which self-regulation strategies were taught in the context of blended learning. Based on an analysis of literature, we identified four types of strategies: cognitive, metacognitive, motivational and management. Results show that most studies focused on metacognitive strategies, followed by cognitive strategies, whereas little to no attention is paid to motivation and management strategies. To facilitate self-regulation strategies non-human student tool interactional methods were most commonly used, followed by a mix of human student-teacher and non-human student content and student environment methods. Results further show that the extent to which students actively apply self-regulation strategies also depends heavily on teacher's actions within the blended learning environment. Measurement of self-regulation strategies is mainly done with questionnaires such as the Motivation and Self-regulation of Learning Questionnaire.

Implications for practice and policy:

More attention to self-regulation in online and blended learning is essential.

Lecturers and course designers of blended learning environments should be aware that four types of self-regulation strategies are important: cognitive, metacognitive, motivational and management.

Within blended learning environments, more attention should be paid to cognitive, motivation and management strategies to promote self-regulation.
Podium und Schauraum für die Wissenschaften – Der Erweiterungsbau der Württembergischen Landesbibliothek in Stuttgart
Authors: Schaab Rupert
Published: August 2021

Die Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart hat einen großen Anbau erhalten (7 215 qm HNF). Es war nicht einfach, in der beengten Situation, in der prominenten Nachbarschaft der Kulturmeile Stuttgart und an der städtebaulichen Bruchlinie der Bundesstraße B 14 eine überzeugende Lösung zu finden. Entstanden ist ein markanter Baukörper mit attraktiven Flächen für Veranstaltungen, Ausstellungen und konzentriertes Arbeiten. Da die wichtigsten Servicebereiche nun hier Platz gefunden haben, kann der Altbau für die anstehende Sanierung freigezogen werden.
Winterthurer Bibliotheken: der Lockdown als Herausforderung und Chance
Authors: Betschart Andres
Published: August 2021

Der Lockdown im Frühling 2020 schüttelte die Öffentlichen Bibliotheken der Stadt Winterthur wie alle Kultur-, Bildungs- und Freizeitinstitutionen gehörig durch. Mit einem Medien-Hauslieferdienst, dem einfachen Zugang zu den Online-Medien und weiteren Maßnahmen reagierten die Bibliotheken aber rasch auf die Sondersituation und konnten ihr so auch einige positive Aspekte abgewinnen.
Erfahrungen der ekz-Gruppe in der Corona-Krise 2020–2021
Authors: Neuer Johannes
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 hat die gesamte Bibliotheksbranche verändert. In diesem Artikel beschreibt Johannes Neuer, Bibliothekarischer Direktor der ekz-Gruppe, welche Auswirkungen, Veränderungen und Herausforderungen diese Krise für einen großen Dienstleister der Branche mit sich brachte und wie sich die ekz-Firmengruppe im ersten Jahr der Pandemie geschlagen hat. Dabei spricht er Themen wie neue Formen der Zusammenarbeit, Steigerung der Agilität, Beschleunigung der Digitalisierung, Veränderung der Kommunikation und nachhaltigen Wandel an.
Linear and non-linear feature extraction from rat electrocorticograms for seizure detection by support vector machine
Authors: Mohammed Haitham S. , Hassan Hagar M. , Zakhari Michael H. , Mostafa Hassan , Mohamad Ebtesam A.
Published: August 2021

Seizures, the main symptom of epilepsy, are provoked due to a neurological disorder that underlies the disease. The accurate detection of seizures is a crucial step in any procedure of treatment. In the present study, electrocorticogram (ECoG) signals were recorded from awake and freely moving animals implanted with cortical electrodes before and after pentylenetetrazol, the chemo-convulsant injection. ECoG signals were segmented into 4-s epochs and labeled. Twenty-four linear and non-linear features were extracted from the time and frequency domains of the ECoG signals. The extracted features either individually or in combinations were fed to an automatic support vector machine (SVM) classification system. SVM classifier was trained with 5 min of ictal and non-ictal labeled ECoG signals to build the hyperplane that separates two sets of training signals. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were determined for the testing dataset using the different feature combinations. It has been found that some linear features either individually or in combinations outperform non-linear features in terms of the accuracy for seizure detection. The maximum accuracy achieved by the system was 95.3% and has been obtained only after linear and non-linear features were combined. ECoG signals were classified without pre-processing or removal of artifacts to reduce the required computational time to be suitable for online implementation purposes. This may prove the detection system’s robustness and supports its use in online seizure detection protocols.
Comparability of 11 different equations for estimating LDL cholesterol on different analysers
Authors: Rossouw Helgard M. , Nagel Susanna E. , Pillay Tahir S.
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) estimation is critical for risk classification, prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Predictive equations and direct LDL-C are used. We investigated the comparability between the Martin/Hopkins, Sampson, Friedewald and eight other predictive equations on two analysers, to determine whether the equation or analyser influences predicted LDL-C result.

Methods

In two unpaired datasets, 9,995 lipid profiles were analysed by the Abbott Architect and 4,782 by the Roche Cobas analysers. Non-parametric statistics and Bland Altman plots were used to compare LDL-C.

Results

On the Abbott analyser; the Martin/Hopkins, Sampson and Friedewald LDL-C were comparable (median bias ≤1.8%) over a range of 1–4.9 mmol/L. On the Roche platform, Martin/Hopkins LDL-C was comparable to Friedewald (median bias 0.3%) but not to Sampson LDL-C (median bias 25%). In patients with LDL-C <1.8 mmol/L and triglycerides (TG) ≤1.7 mmol/L, predicted LDL-C using Abbott reagents was similar between Martin/Hopkins, Sampson and Friedewald equations but not comparable using Roche reagents. Abbott reagents classified 10–20% of patients in the 1.0–1.8 mmol/L range (Martin/Hopkins 13.4%; Sampson 14.5%; Friedewald 16%; direct LDL-C 13.2%). Roche reagents classified 11–30% in the 1.0–1.8 mmol/L range (Martin/Hopkins 23%; Sampson 11%; Friedewald 25%; direct LDL-C 17%).

Conclusions

Performance of predictive equations is influenced by the choice of analyser for total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and TG. Replacement of the Friedewald equation with Martin/Hopkins estimation to improve quality of LDL-C results can be safely implemented across analysers, whereas caution is advised regarding the Sampson equation.
Medical Empiricism and Causation
Authors: Allen James
Published: August 2021

The Empirical school of medicine, which arose in the third century BCE, defined itself in opposition to rationalist tendencies in medical thought. Causal explanation, which typically appeals to hidden, theoretical entities, is most at home in rationalist physiology and pathology, and much of what the Empiricists had to say about causes belongs to their anti-rationalist polemics. Over the course of the school’s history, however, some members appropriated the language and idea of cause, though always in ways that was consistent with its defining commitment to Empiricism.
Filone di Larissa e l’Assioco
Authors: Verde Francesco
Published: August 2021

This short paper is a critical note of the recent volume on the pseudo-Platonic dialogueAxiochusedited by A. Beghini([Platone], Assioco. Saggio introduttivo, edizione critica, traduzione e commento, Baden-Baden: Academia Verlag, 2020). This scholar assumes the possibility of attributing the dialogue to Philo of Larissa or his circle. This hypothesis, although well argued in the book, faces some exegetical difficulties concerning the content of the dialogue and the hardly reconstructible philosophy of Philo himself. In this note I will critically discuss the conclusions reached by Beghini in his prestigious book starting from the (alleged) sceptical vein which would be present in the pseudo-Platonic work, whose dating likely presupposes (also) the Epicurean conception of death.
Removal of a reactive dye from simulated textile wastewater by environmentally friendly oxidant calcium peroxide
Authors: Balci Behzat , Aksoy Nurevsan , Erkurt F. Elcin , Budak Fuat , Basibuyuk Mesut , Zaimoglu Zeynep , Turan E. Su , Yilmaz Sevgi
Published: August 2021

In the present study, calcium peroxide (CaO2) was used separately for potential application as an environmentally friendly and low-cost oxidant for the removal of a textile dye ‘Reactive Black 5’ (RB5) from simulated textile wastewater containing auxiliary chemicals of textile production. The specific morphology, elemental analysis, particle size distribution, specific surface area, identification of crystalline phases and surface functional groups of the synthesized CaO2 were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), laser diffraction (LD), Brunaure–Emmett–Teller method (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR), respectively. X-ray Diffraction analysis confirmed the synthesized oxidant as CaO2 with the tetragonal crystalline structure. The signal corresponded to a bending vibration of O–Ca–O was detected in the fingerprint region of the FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of various independent parameters such as contact time, pH, initial RB5 concentration and CaO2 dosage on decolorization were investigated. The results of the study showed that pH, initial dye concentration and the CaO2 amounts have significant effects on removal of the RB5. The optimum pH was determined 7 for the removal of RB5 by CaO2. 2.0 g CaO2 was found to be sufficient for the removal of 300 mg/L RB5 with 96.93% removal efficiency. Also 82.8% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency from simulated textile wastewater (STW) was obtained by 2.0 g CaO2. The results of the present study showed that the CaO2 can be used as an environmentally friendly and low-cost oxidant for effective removal of reactive textile dyes.
Without Authority: Kierkegaard’s Resistance to Patriarchy
Authors: Maughan-Brown Frances
Published: August 2021

The phrase, “Without Authority,” is used so frequently by Kierkegaard that it becomes a kind of signature; yet it remains little understood. I argue that the phrase works to resist patriarchal, top-down, institutionally sanctioned authority: the authority of “direct” communication. Kierkegaard is not alone in contesting the tyranny of patriarchy: another tyranny—of anonymity, of the crowd—threatens to do away with patriarchal authority too, and with it all authority, all communication. Kierkegaard’s “without authority” defies patriarchy and does so at the risk of this wild-fire destruction, for the sake of a different communication that might yet be possible.