bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From God to Technology: Multiple Ontologies of Reproductive Time
Authors: Yopo Díaz Martina
Published: December 2023

Recent decades have seen substantive changes in reproductive patterns involving decisions whether, when and how to have children. Although time is at the core of transformations of contemporary childbearing, there are few systematic theoretical reflections and empirical studies on reproductive time. Drawing on sociological, feminist and decolonial approaches to time and 40 life story interviews on the transition to motherhood, this article explores the multiple ontologies of time shaping women’s reproductive experiences. The findings show that women understand and live reproductive time as determined by God, nature, the clock and technology and often manage convergent and conflicting ontologies of time in negotiating childbearing. These times outline differential spaces for agency and accountability, thus enabling and constraining women’s childbearing experiences in particular ways. These findings advance knowledge on the temporal dimension of childbearing, challenge normative assumptions underlying reproductive time and contribute to better understand contemporary changes in the nature of reproduction.
“I Don’t Have to Write an Essay Ever Again!”: University Student Reflections on ChatGPT in the Classroom
Authors: Cornish Disa , Larter Zak
Published: December 2023

ChatGPT and AI programs are creating a stir on college campuses nationwide. Concerns about cheating are strong and many instructors are adopting new teaching strategies to dissuade students from using the technology in assignments. In the present study, undergraduate students in an introductory epidemiology course were assigned to use ChatGPT to produce essays about topics related to course content and, in pairs, critically analyze the resulting essays. Individually, students responded to reflection questions regarding the technology and its implications for college classrooms. In this study, those qualitative reflection responses were analyzed for themes. While a variety of viewpoints were expressed regarding expectations of the program, most students were aware of the potential for cheating but remained cautiously optimistic about the use of ChatGPT as an educational tool.
Changing spectrum of primary pyomyositis in North India
Authors: Divyashree Krishna , Pannu Ashok Kumar , Saroch Atul , Angrup Archana , Sharma Navneet
Published: December 2023

Recent data have demonstrated the changing epidemiology of primary pyomyositis worldwide. Our hospital-based retrospective study investigated the clinical and microbiological spectrum of primary pyomyositis between 2013 and 2021 in PGIMER (Chandigarh), India. Over a quarter had predisposing conditions, mainly diabetes mellitus and immunosuppressive therapy. Fever, muscle pain, local swelling and breathlessness were the usual presentations, with quadriceps, iliopsoas and gluteal muscles commonly affected. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant cause, with c.50% methicillin-resistant strains. Almost two-thirds presented with metastatic infection (stage 3 pyomyositis), frequently with septic lung emboli. Patients with methicillin-sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus had a similar incidence of metastatic infection. In-hospital mortality was c.10% and was strongly associated with a high international normalised ratio. Primary pyomyositis remains a significant problem, with a dramatic increase in community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
online public shaming as a feminist practice for social change, a double-edged sword for fighting gender violence: the case of the ‘feminist funa’ in Chile
Authors: Larrain Blanca
Published: December 2023

This research investigates the political practices of online public shaming ( funa) with regard to gender violence in Chile and their ability to trigger feminist social change. The central argument is that funa, as a feminist practice, offers a problematic pathway to social change, which, despite contributing to denaturalising violence against women, does not address the structural causes of gender violence. Online public shaming, as a feminist practice and strategy for change, triggers critical moral and social dilemmas, generating a questionable feminist transformation. The research explores those dilemmas, presenting the advances and setbacks of this practice in current feminist movements globally and in Chile. It contributes to the reflection on feminist movements in terms of their ability to trigger social change.
solidarity through mail-based participatory visual research: exploring queer and feminist futures through an art, activism and archiving project with 2SLGBTQ+ youth amidst COVID-19
Authors: Burkholder Casey , MacEntee Katie , Thorpe Amelia
Published: December 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a logistical problem to our normal ways of engaging in participatory visual research. Our in-person art, activism and archiving with 2SLGBTQ+ Atlantic Canadian youth pivoted to use distanced engagement strategies that met the demands of the pandemic. We sought to create networks of solidarity while we were apart. Monthly, over the course of a year, we mailed out themed packages of art supplies and directions to fifty-five 2SLGBTQ+ youth situated in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Participants then created the artworks, photographed them and contextualised them through text. While the resulting co-curated digital archive includes multiple mediums, here we focus on the participants’ zines and dioramas for what they taught us about 2SLGBTQ+ youth’s identities, activism, beliefs, friends, home, family, fears, strengths and futures. The digital archive of our artwork deconstructs, explores and affirms identities and functions to build solidarity during a time of increased isolation. We argue that collaboratively building the digital archive was a feminist act of reclamation and a declaration of youth queer activism.
the Colombian Truth Commission’s work on reproductive violence: gendered victimhood and reproductive autonomy
Authors: Sanchez Parra Tatiana
Published: December 2023

While conflict-related sexual violence has gained attention on international transitional justice agendas, conflict-related reproductive violence continues to be overlooked. The Colombian Truth Commission was the first truth-seeking transitional justice body worldwide to directly investigate these forms of conflict-related violence. Based on an ethnographic analysis of the Commission’s work on reproductive violence, in this article I engage with the reproductive justice framework to argue that the Commission’s work broadened understandings of both gendered victimhood and reproductive autonomy. Regarding gendered victimhood, I show that the Commission’s work focused on gaining recognition for conflict-related reproductive violence as distinct from conflict-related sexual violence, identifying conflict-related practices of reproductive violence and offering recommendations for addressing such practices. Secondly, I show that not only was the Commission the first truth-seeking body to directly investigate reproductive violence, but it did so through an understanding of reproductive violence that does not revolve around the notion of autonomy as individual choice. I argue that by doing this, the Commission compelled us to comprehensively consider war as part of the conditions under which reproductive autonomy may be exercised. Following this line, the latter part of the article focuses on the Colombian government’s use of glyphosate as a form of conflict-related reproductive violence that claimed ownership over the reproductive futures of entire communities by creating environmental devastation.
‘we are not like them’: reinventing modernity within tradition in the debates on female khatna / female genital cutting in India
Authors: Subramanian Reetika Revathy
Published: December 2023

Since 2011, female khatna, or the practice of female genital cutting within the Dawoodi Bohra community, has become a big topic of debate in India and globally. The ‘secret’ tradition has been challenged by community activists, tabled in parliament, heard by international courts of law and debated on news channels. In response, a growing number of Bohra women have come to the fore to publicly defend their right to khatna by subverting seemingly Western tropes of autonomy, equality and modernity. Situated in the thick of these polarised exchanges, this article examines the complicated, under-explored relationship between gender and Islam by foregrounding self-narratives of the Bohra women who actively participate within, as opposed to fight against, patriarchal norms to preserve the tradition. I juxtapose their narratives with those of anti- khatna activists to further contextualise and clarify their ‘modern-yet-traditional’ subjectivities. As such, this article combines a postcolonial feminist lens with Eric Hobsbawm’s notion of ‘invention of tradition’, to investigate the multiple ways in which a majority of Bohra women are using the rhetoric of ‘modernity’ in public—by reinventing history, renegotiating patriarchies, reimagining the other and incorporating biomedicine—to preserve and perpetuate this contested tradition.
Introduction to the Special Issue on “Energy Market Transition, Financialization and Integration”
Authors: Ji Qiang , Ripple Ronald D. , Zhang Dayong
Published: December 2023

Due to difficulties in accessing detailed energy modelling and usage data that are required to estimate energy needs that are responsive to local circumstances, we propose an equivalence scale approach to the determination of required energy consumption. Our method requires the estimation of energy equivalence scales that are used to rescale reference household energy consumption and, thus, yield household-specific energy requirements. We apply the method using readily available income and expenditure data, finding that estimated required energy is well above actual energy expenditure for low- and middle-income households, which is consistent with an expectation that basic energy needs for poor households may not be met. The proposed approach is general enough to incorporate other features that might be deemed relevant and available in other settings, and, therefore, can be used to examine the affordability component of SDG 7, undertake energy poverty analysis or design appropriate policies.
Carceral domesticity as containment of troubled families in Santiago, Chile
Authors: Aedo Angel
Published: December 2023

This article deals with the ways in which populations in prison-neighbourhood circuits are policed, managed, and contained in Santiago, Chile. It draws attention to how the safeguarding of social order and security policy is intertwined with the reproduction of carceral domesticities among low-income households. Building on ethnographic research conducted in two stages between 2017 and 2022 with practitioners of crime prevention programmes and the ‘problem’ families targeted by such initiatives, the article addresses carceral domesticity as containment of troubled families. It shows how such containment involves a project of subjectivation centred on women to enforce a gendered family model by engaging state programmes, psychosocial manuals, and prevention practitioners. It focuses on security and enclosure mechanisms in domestic spaces at work through a grammar of care and prevention. By examining the pitfalls that carceral domesticity encounters in everyday domestic life, the article sheds light on the productivity of resistances to enable spaces of autonomy in times of economic crisis and social uprising in Chile.
The relationship between echocardiographic parameters and albumin bilirubin score in patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism
Authors: Evlice Mert , Kurt İbrahim H
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) score is useful and easy-to-use for objectively assessing liver function. We investigated whether the ALBI score, a parameter indicating liver stiffness, congestion and fibrosis, has any relationship with echocardiographic parameters in patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE).

Material and Methods

A total of 140 patients diagnosed with acute PTE were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into three groups according to the hemodynamic severity of acute PTE: Group I [Low risk]; Group II [Submassive or intermediate-risk]; and Group III [Massive or high-risk]. Biochemical data obtained from venous blood samples taken at admission were analyzed. In addition, data were also analyzed from transthoracic echocardiography and pulmonary computed tomographic angiography performed at admission. ALBI, Bova, and PESI scores were calculated.

Results

ALBI scores (−3.32 ± 0.21 vs −2.86 ± 0.15 vs −2.46 ± 0.2, p < .001) were statistically significantly higher in Group III than Groups I and II. There was a significant difference between the three groups in terms of echocardiographic parameters, and LVEF and TAPSE values tended to decrease from group I to group III. In multivariate linear regression analysis, sPAP, RV/RA diameter, and NT-pro-BNP were found to be significantly associated with the ALBI score. An ALBI score higher than −2.87 was associated with Bova stage II-III in patients with Group I and Group II PTE, with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 62% (AUC = 0.804; 95% CI 0.713–0.895; p < .001).

Conclusion

The ALBI score, which is a common, easy-to-use, and inexpensive method, may be beneficial to select intermediate and high-risk patients in patients with acute PTE. Additionally, it may have prognostic value in distinguishing low and intermediate-risk acute PTE patients.
Bivalirudin anticoagulation for cardiopulmonary bypass during cardiac surgery
Authors: Meshulami Noy , Murthy Raghav , Meyer Maisy , Meyer Andrew D , Kaushik Shubhi
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Heparin is the primary anticoagulant for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) support during cardiac surgery. While widely used, ∼2% of cardiac surgery patients develop heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and 4–26% develop heparin resistance. Bivalirudin is an alternative anticoagulant mainly used for percutaneous coronary interventions. Given the challenges associated with heparin anticoagulation, we conducted a review to explore the use of bivalirudin for CPB surgery.

Methods

PubMed and Embase scoping review included 2 randomized controlled trials, a retrospective comparison study, 3 pilot studies, and 30 case reports. To provide a contemporary series, we searched for articles published from 2010 to 2023. Our review included studies from both adult and pediatric populations.

Results

While data is limited, bivalirudin seems to supply similar effectiveness and safety as heparin for CPB anticoagulation. Across the three comparative studies, the heparin cohorts had a 0–9% mortality rate and 0–27% rate of major bleeding/reoperation compared to a 0–3% mortality and 0–6% major bleeding/reoperation rate for the bivalirudin cohorts. Bivalirudin was successfully used as an anticoagulant in a wide range of CPB surgeries (e.g., heart transplants, ventricular assisted device placements, and valve repairs). Successful patient outcomes were reported with bivalirudin infusion of ∼2 mg/kg/hour, activated clotting time monitoring (target >400 s or 2.5× baseline), use of cardiotomy suctions, minimization of stagnant blood, and post-bypass modified ultrafiltration.

Conclusion

Bivalirudin is a safe and effective anticoagulant for CPB, especially for patients with HIT or heparin resistance. Further comparative research is called for to optimize bivalirudin utilization for CPB during cardiac surgery.
From the racialization of finance to the financing of anti-racism: Tracing the US financial industry’s investments in closing the racial wealth gap
Authors: Rosenman Emily
Published: December 2023

This paper examines profit-seeking investments that US financial industry actors have made in the name of racial justice since the summer of 2020. This trend, which builds on the proposition of “sustainable” finance that private profits and social benefits can coexist, is known in the industry as racial justice investing. To understand how the industry frames racial justice as an object of financial intervention, I draw from theories of social reproduction, racial capitalism, and social finance to analyze the historical and contemporary processes through which racial injustice is conceived in economic terms as a “gap” between the wealth of white and racialized households. Then, I analyze the political economy of these investments, focusing on how solutions to the wealth gap are oriented around extending credit and economic inclusion to racialized households and business owners. Ultimately I illustrate how the financial industry’s investments in closing the racial wealth gap largely sidestep questions of power and, paradoxically, justice that animate many contemporary racial justice movements.
What should we do with bad feelings? Negative affects, impotential responses
Authors: Dekeyser Thomas , Zhang Vickie , Bissell David
Published: December 2023

Bad feelings are everywhere. When faced with this situation in our empirical encounters or conceptual analyses, most socio-spatial research is committed to making things right again, with an eye to unleashing new potentials for action by repairing bad feeling. Yet this ‘ethics of rehabilitation’ assumes both the inherent possibility and ethical desirability of working away those affects that are deemed to be ‘negative’. We argue that this activating process risks delegitimising, in possibly troubling or violent ways, the ethical validity of both incapacities (when one is unable to act) and negative capacities (when one decides to not act). Instead of a rehabilitative ethics, we propose an ‘ethics of impotentiality’ that suspends the urge to activate negative affects, offering a radically situated ethical relation that is neither didactic nor moralising, refuses any easy distinction between empowering and disempowering affects, and allows for subjects to stay with inaction.
Development of a Recommended Practice for Evaluating Rumble Strip Noise and Vibration Performance
Authors: Donavan Paul R. , Janello Carrie J.
Published: December 2023

A measurement program was completed to develop recommended procedures for determining the noise and vibration performance of rumble strip designs as part of the NCHRP 15-68 project “Effective Low-Noise Rumble Strips.” Measurements were conducted on and off shoulder rumble strips on eight light vehicles ranging from small compact passenger cars to a large sport utility vehicle. Two rumble strip designs were included to assess the input to a vehicle operator and resultant exterior noise when the vehicle departed from the travel lane. The first design consisted of cylindrical indentations ground into the pavement at regular intervals, and the second was a continuous sinusoidal profile. Triaxial vibration measurements were made at six locations, including the steering wheel and column, the seat cushion and track, and the front and rear spindles. Interior noise was measured at six locations, one at the operator’s outward ear and five around the front seat passenger position. From these measurements, the recommended procedure was narrowed to include one primary location for noise and one for vibration as well as optional secondary locations for each. Vehicle pass-by measurements were also made following the procedures of AASHTO TP 98 Statistical Isolated Pass-By Method. The measurements were performed at 60 mph (97 km/h) and 45 mph (72 km/h). The recommended procedure is intended to be used by transportation agencies and other practitioners to assure comparable results when evaluating existing and alternative rumble strip designs. The optimized rumble strip design will produce minimal exterior noise while maintaining sufficient warning input to the vehicle operator.
Reliability analysis and optimization design of hydrogen storage composite pressure vessel with hybrid random-fuzzy uncertainties
Authors: Li Wenbo , Lv Hong , Zhang Lijun , He Pengfei , Zhang Cunman
Published: December 2023

In this study, a progressive failure model for hydrogen storage composite pressure vessel (CPV) burst is established. The burst pressure and progressive damage behavior of the CPV are analyzed. Besides, kriging and response surface (RS) surrogate models for CPV burst are established. The verification and the comparative analysis of the surrogate models are carried out. Then, the reliability of the CPV is analyzed with hybrid random-fuzzy uncertainties, and the influence of longitudinal tensile strength, hoop layer thickness, and helical layer thickness on the hybrid reliability is explored. Finally, a unified reliability index is established with hybrid random-fuzzy uncertainties, and the modified particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied to carry out reliability-based optimization design. The minimum weight of the composite shell is set as the objective, and the reliability of the CPV with hybrid random-fuzzy uncertainties is set as the constraint. The results show that the hoop layer of the CPV is the main load-bearing structure. The kriging and RS surrogate models are effectiveness to surrogate the burst pressure of the CPV, and the RS model is simpler and more computationally efficient than kriging model, which is more suitable for reliability analysis and optimization design. Under the condition of hybrid random-fuzzy uncertainties, the reliability of the hydrogen storage CPV exhibits fuzzy uncertainty, and there is a possibility of reliability equal to 0 under the low λ-cut level, making it difficult to meet reliability requirements. Increasing the longitudinal tensile strength, the hoop layer thickness and the helical layer thickness can improve the reliability of the hydrogen storage CPV. Furthermore, the optimization method proposed in this study improves its reliability from 0.7043 to 1. This study establishes reliability analysis and optimization design methods for hydrogen storage CPV with hybrid random-fuzzy uncertainties, which contributes to further improvement on the safety of CPV.
A Rhetorical Content Analysis of Moroccan Regional Agronomic Abstracts: Textual Practices of Plurilingual Science Communication
Authors: Mahmou-Werndli Alexander J.
Published: December 2023

In order to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the varied ways multiple language competencies are invoked in scientific communication and publication, this study features a content analysis of a collection of English, French, and Arabic abstracts from 14 articles of Al-Awamia, a Moroccan agronomic journal. Mapping rhetorically significant differences across abstracts in different languages suggests that EN/FR abstracts are tailored to an international specialist audience and Arabic abstracts favor a domestic policymaker audience in several key ways. The textual moves made to address these different audiences are typical of those studied by scholars of science communication, and accordingly this study indicates that plurilingual textual practices in scientific writing are associated with differences in audience and stakeholders. These findings carry implications for trans/pluri/multilingually oriented scholars of scientific communication, as well as for those who prepare future researchers for the demands of publication, suggesting that the flexible use of diverse linguistic resources is important to scientific practice in a globalized world.
In Vitro Analysis of Dissolution of 18 HA-based Dermal Fillers with Tailored Hyaluronidase Dosing to Achieve Urgent Reversal of Vascular Complications
Authors: Reddy Sahitya , Mihori Marisa , Rostami Soheila
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

Hyaluronidase (HYAL), a hyaluronic acid-degrading enzyme, is commonly used “off-label” as part of the gold standard management of hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler complications. It is paramount that injectors be cognizant to diagnose and treat filler complications, particularly vascular emboli, where there may be a narrow window for timely treatment. There is a paucity of studies, however, that provide HYAL dosage guidelines in the setting of acute vascular obstruction that are specific to each of the 18 reversible HA-based dermal fillers commercially available on the current US market. Differences in resistance to HYAL degradation is based on variation in cross-linking technique, concentration of HA, and cohesive properties that each filler may possess. This in vitro study investigates optimal dosage parameters of HYAL to achieve gross dissolution of every reversible HA-based filler commercially available to better improve outcomes after filler-induced vascular complications.

Methods:

Standardized in vitro analysis using 0.5-mL aliquots of all 18 commercially available HA-based fillers included all Restylane products (Lyft, Restylane-L, Silk, Refyne, Defyne, Kysse, Contour), Juvederm products (Volbella, Vollure, Voluma, Ultra XC, Ultra Plus XC), Revanesse products (Versa+, Lips+), Teoxane products (RHA 2, RHA 3, RHA 4), and Belotero. Hylenex, recombinant human HYAL, was used in 150 IU increments for total quantities of either 300, 450, 600, or 750 IU to achieve timed assessment of the gross dissolution of filler using photographic and videographic documentation. Inert dye was used to improve filler visibility against the HYAL. Mechanical integration of HYAL into the filler mimicked massage technique commonly implemented to incorporate HYAL into the perivascular soft tissue to help relieve a filler-induced vascular obstruction.

Results:

The cross-linking technology utilized by each HA-filler manufacturer played a significant role in the readiness of filler dissolution with HYAL. Fastest dissolution times ranged from 11 seconds to approximately 32 minutes, with a strong correlation with Restylane products dissolving the fastest, followed by Juvederm & Revanesse products. The slowest to achieve gross dissolution were Belotero and the RHA series.

Discussion:

All 18 HA-based fillers achieved complete gross dissolution within the first 32 minutes, however, due to differences in cross-linking technology and molecular properties, there was large variation in in vitro HYAL-induced degradation that can be extrapolated clinically to help reverse urgent vascular obstruction. This may also help beginner injectors strategically choose the HA-based dermal fillers that have the fastest degradation response to HYAL. Further in vivo studies are necessary to integrate these into clinical practice.
Strain, Anger, and Violent Behavior of South Korean Adolescents
Authors: Lee Wonki
Published: December 2023

Although general strain theory (GST) highlights the mediating role of anger between strain and violent behavior, the extant body of literature has been criticized for lack of rigorous testing of the mediating role of anger and lack of application in different cultural contexts. To cover this research gap, the current study investigated the mediating effect of anger between primary sources of strain of South Korean adolescents (i.e., parental abuse, academic-related strain, and negative relations to teacher) and violent behavior. Using structural equation modeling based on a nationally representative longitudinal dataset ( n = 3,120), this study found a significant mediating role of anger in connecting strain and violent behavior of South Korean adolescents. Results from the present study support the main proposition of the GST on the mediating role of anger and its applicability in a cross-cultural context. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
An Investigation of COVID-19 Outcomes and College Student Demographics: Results from a National Sample
Authors: Lederer Alyssa M. , Hoban Mary T. , Kukich Christine
Published: December 2023

Purpose

To assess the effects of COVID-19 on college students and any differential outcomes across collegiate sub-populations towards the beginning of the pandemic.

Design

Cross-sectional survey.

Setting

Fall 2020 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment.

Subjects

N = 13 373 undergraduate/graduate/professional students; 22 colleges/universities.

Measures

Six COVID-19 outcomes; 10 demographics.

Analysis

Campus-specific weights for student enrollment/sex distribution. Cross-tabulations/Pearson χ2 test; Cramer’s V/effect size; Bonferroni multiple testing correction ( P < .0009).

Results

5.6% of students had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Compared to counterparts within each demographic category, rates were significantly higher among many BIPOC student groups (e.g., Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: 15.0%); cisgender women (5.9%) and men (5.6%); heterosexuals (6.1%); undergraduates (6.3%); and sorority/fraternity members (13.7%). Due to COVID-19, 8.8% of students had lost a loved one; 14.6% had a loved one with long term effects from COVID; 38.6% had increased stress; 61.4% had more financial concerns; and 52.7% had more difficulty accessing mental healthcare. Students identifying as BIPOC; cisgender women and transgender/gender non-conforming (TGNC); queer-spectrum; undergraduate; first-generation; having a disability; and taking courses online were significantly more affected by most of these outcomes (all comparisons P < .0009).

Conclusions

Students were widely impacted by COVID-19 with substantive differences across sub-populations. Future research should examine trends over time and explore ways to reduce health disparities.
Optimization and analysis of Sic reinforced copolymer blend composite structural springs
Authors: Edan Ekhlas , Al-Ezzi Athil S
Published: December 2023

The design of lightweight leaf springs plays a crucial role in reducing fuel consumption and improving vehicle comfort by minimizing road shock transmission and vibration. Composite materials have shown great potential in significantly reducing leaf spring weight. epoxy, being a desirable thermoset polymer widely used in various applications such as electrical devices, ships and automobiles, exhibits limitations in terms of brittleness, fracture resistance and impact strength. To overcome these drawbacks while preserving its beneficial properties, epoxy can be blended with other polymers and reinforcements. In this study, polysulfide (PS) was selected as a suitable solution to enhance epoxy brittleness, offering an effective yet underutilized approach. Furthermore, the incorporation of silicon carbide (Sic), known for its superior characteristics, aimed to further enhance the mechanical properties of the epoxy-PS copolymer blend. The microstructural analysis was inspected using Fourier transform infrared. The blending and reinforcement process followed a Taguchi L8 static design to evaluate the impact of different composite blending percentages (represented as input factors) on leaf spring tensile strength, damping properties, impact resistance and hardness (represented as responses). The responses were analyzed using S/N ratios, ANOVA, main effect plots and interaction plots, while regression equations were employed to predict the responses under varying factors. The analysis demonstrated a robust model for manufacturing leaf springs. Experimental results indicated a 7.4% reduction in hardness with the addition of PS polymer. Conversely, reinforcing the epoxy-PS copolymer with 10–20% wt. of Sic resulted in a 3–5% increase in hardness. The natural frequency of the composite exhibited a gradual decrease upon the incorporation of PS and Sic. Evaluating the damping ratio revealed that the maximum value was achieved when the epoxy-PS copolymer was reinforced with 20% Sic. Additionally, while the copolymer blend displayed the greatest logarithmic decrement, epoxy exhibited the highest damping frequency.
An optimization method of electrostatic sensor array based on Kriging surrogate model and improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with elite strategy algorithm
Authors: Zhong Zhirong , Jiang Heng , Zuo Hongfu
Published: December 2023

Array-type electrostatic monitoring is gradually becoming an effective tool for aero-engine fault diagnosis. In this paper, we innovatively apply the surrogate optimization method to the optimization of the sensor array structure in order to meet the need of improving the particle information recognition capability of the electrostatic sensor array (ESA). A structure optimization method of ESA based on the Kriging surrogate model and improved NSGA-II algorithm is proposed. In this paper, a finite element simulation model of ESA is established, and the array optimization problem is abstracted as the solution of a mixed-integer optimization problem. This paper reduces the large-scale numerical simulations in the full-variable space with the help of the Kriging surrogate model. In addition, an improved NSGA-II algorithm for mixed-integer optimization is proposed. The simulation experiment verified that the average absolute error of the sensor before and after optimization for the identification of particle position and charge quantity was reduced by 69.88% and 49.68%, respectively. The array structure optimization method proposed in this paper facilitates the acceleration of the design process of electrostatic sensors and provides a scientific design method for their specific design for airborne application.
Prevalence of Tuberculosis Infection and Disease Among Homeless Persons Staying in NGO Shelters in Chennai
Authors: Dolla Chandrakumar , Dhanaraj Bhaskar , Padmapriyadarsini Chandrasekaran , Malaisamy Muniyandi , Kannan Thiruvengadam , Menon Pradeep Aravindan , Krishnan Rajendran , P. Kumaravel , R. Vijayalakshmi , K. Devika , Tripathy Srikanth Prasad
Published: December 2023

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a inactive stage after being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and it reactivates into pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study was to estimate the prevalence of LTBI in homeless persons staying in 13 shelters run by NGOs in Chennai metro city, India. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to April 2018. All inmates aged 15 years and above were screened for PTB infection using tuberculin skin test (TST) and disease smear and culture examinations. Out of a total of 1,068 registered, 1,016 persons were screened for PTB disease and 818 persons for LTBI. Among them, PTB was detected in two persons and TST was positive in 275 persons. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to find out the factors associated with LTBI. It was found that LTBI is significantly associated with male gender, aged more than 40 years and with chest X-ray TB lesions. This study finding highlights that low prevalence of TB disease and one third of homeless persons infected with tuberculosis. Our finding suggests that there is a need for prevention interventions to eliminate TB in this key population.
Continuum damage mechanics of cyclic viscoplasticity using asymptotic numerical method
Authors: Sen Suvadeep , Patel Badri Prasad
Published: December 2023

Conscious efforts on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions have led to an energy transition to renewable energy, however uncertainties of renewable energy production have resulted in higher thermal cycling demands from conventional power plants. Thermal load cycling at high temperature regions of steam turbine components leads to enhanced creep-fatigue damage accumulation. It is well established that such damage mechanism is numerically best predicted by unified constitutive modeling including damage as a variable as per the formalism of continuum damage mechanics at an expense of considerable computational efforts using finite element analysis. In this paper, the non-iterative Asymptotic Numerical Method (ANM), currently limited to partial cycle analysis with linear hardening plasticity model, is proposed for the first time to address cyclic viscoplasticity problems including damage capable of handling multiple cycles and most generalized loading conditions. Regularization techniques additionally necessary to implement loading-unloading-reloading criteria and advanced constitutive models etc. are presented. The constitutive model chosen for the formulation includes the non-linear multiple back stress variable modified Chaboche model to include damage combined with modified Chaboche-Rousselier isotropic hardening model to include damage, power law for viscoplasticity, Lemaitre’s damage potential and Kachanov-Rabotnov’s creep damage law. The method is verified with defined error measures and then applied to two high pressure steam turbine rotors, one with and another without thermal stress relief groove (TSRG) at the inlet under service type loading conditions to study the beneficial effect of the TSRG on creep-fatigue damage evolution. The accumulated errors of the proposed ANM and computational time are compared to a conventional Newton-Raphson solution.
Talocalcaneal Ligament Reconstruction Kinematic Simulation for Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity
Authors: Mania Sylvano , Beeler Silvan , Wirth Stephan , Viehöfer Arnd
Published: December 2023

Background:

In progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD), an internal and plantar rotation of the talus relative to the calcaneus may result in painful peritalar subluxation. Medial soft tissue procedures (eg, spring ligament repair) aim to correct the talar position via the navicular bone if bony correction alone is not sufficient. The effect of the medial soft tissue reconstruction on the talar reposition remains unclear. We hypothesized that a subtalar talocalcaneal ligament reconstruction might be favorable in PCFD to correct talar internal malposition directly. This pilot study aims to evaluate the anatomical feasibility and kinematic behavior of a subtalar ligament reconstruction in PCFD.

Methods:

Three-dimensional surface model from 10 healthy ankles were produced. A total of 1089 different potential ligament courses were evaluated in a standardized manner. A motion of inversion/eversion and talar internal/external in relation to the calcaneus were simulated and the ligament strain, expressed as a positive length variation, for each ligament was analyzed. The optimal combination for the ligament reconstruction with increased length in internal rotation of the talus, isometric kinematic behavior in inversion/eversion, and extraarticular insertion on talus and calcaneus was selected.

Results:

A laterodistal orientation of the talar insertion point in respect to the subtalar joint axis and laterodistal deviation of the calcaneal insertion point presents the highest ligament lengthening in internal talar rotation (+0.56 mm [3.8% of total length]) and presented a near-isometric performance in inversion/eversion (+0.01 to −0.01 mm [0.1% of total length]).

Conclusion:

This kinematic model shows that a ligament reconstruction in the subtalar space presents a pattern of length variation that may stabilize the internal talar rotation without impeding the physiological subtalar motion.

Clinical Relevance:

This study investigates the optimal location, feasibility, and kinematic behavior of a ligament reconstruction that could help stabilize peritalar subluxation in progressive collapsing foot deformity.
Cardiovascular Safety of Atomoxetine and Methylphenidate in Patients With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Japan: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study
Authors: Zheng Yunlong , Fukasawa Toshiki , Yamaguchi Fumitaka , Takeuchi Masato , Kawakami Koji
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To investigate the association between atomoxetine or methylphenidate use and arrhythmia, heart failure (HF), stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients mainly focused on the people of working age.

Methods:

In a self-controlled case series study using a Japanese claims database, we identified events of arrhythmia, HF, stroke, and MI among 15,472 atomoxetine new users and 12,059 methylphenidate new users. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) of outcome events were estimated using multivariable conditional Poisson regression.

Results:

An increased risk of arrhythmia was observed during the first 7 days after the initial atomoxetine exposure (aIRR 6.22, 95% CI [1.90, 20.35]) and in the subsequent exposure (3.23, [1.58, 6.64]). No association was found between methylphenidate exposure and arrhythmia, nor between atomoxetine or methylphenidate exposure and HF. The limited number of stroke and MI cases prevented thorough analysis.

Conclusions:

Clinicians should consider monitoring for arrhythmia after patients initiating or re-initiating atomoxetine.
Treatment Utilization Pattern of Preschool Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Baweja Raman , Baweja Ritika , Weidlich Hunter , Nyland Jennifer E. , Waschbusch Daniel A. , Waxmonsky James G.
Published: December 2023

Objective:

The aim of this study was to identify patterns of ADHD care, including factors that guide selection and sequencing of treatments in a large nationwide sample of preschool-aged youth over the past 6 years.

Method:

A retrospective cohort study utilizing a large electronic health record (TriNetX) of nearly 24,000 children ages 3 to 6 diagnosed with ADHD.

Results:

One in three preschoolers with ADHD were prescribed psychotropic medication, most commonly methylphenidate and guanfacine. One in 10 had at least one psychotherapy billing code during the entire assessment with most youth starting medication before psychotherapy. Rates of most treatments, including polypharmacy, increased with comorbid psychiatric disorders or sleep problems and over the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

Conclusion:

Rates of treatment have increased over time but are still largely inconsistent with published care guidelines that advise therapy before medication. Clinicians appear to prioritize psychiatric comorbidity and sleep problems when selecting treatments.
A Phase II Study of 131I-rituximab for Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Marginal Zone Lymphoma
Authors: Jang Yoon Jung , Lim Sang Moo , Lee Inki , Byun Byung Hyun , Lim Ilhan , Kim Byung Il , Choi Chang Woon , Lee Seung-Sook , Yang Sung Hyun , Na Im Il , Lee Hyo-Rak , Shin Dong-Yeop , Kang Hye Jin
Published: December 2023

Background:

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is a rare treatment option for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). We investigated the safety and efficacy of 131I-rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphomas.

Methods:

Patients with pathologically confirmed marginal zone lymphoma who relapsed or were resistant to prior therapy were enrolled. The patients received 250 mg/m2 of unlabeled rituximab immediately before receiving a therapeutic 131I-rituximab dose. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), and the secondary endpoints were toxicity assessment, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

Results:

Ten patients (median age = 57.5 years; range = 32-71) were included. Owing to poor enrollment, only 10 of the initially intended 25 patients were included in the study, rendering it unfeasible to perform the primary endpoint analysis. Before RIT, patients received chemotherapy, with 40% (n = 4) receiving rituximab therapy. Median PFS and OS were 18.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0-38.9) and 100.0 months (95% CI: 39.8-160.1), respectively. The ORR was 90%, and the duration of response was 29.7 months (95% CI: 0.0-61.3). Considering a median follow-up of 78.5 months (95% CI: 42.7-114.3), 4 patients (40%) were diagnosed with secondary malignancy. Hematological toxicities were common treatment-related adverse events, and 60% and 50% of the patients experienced grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia and neutropenia, respectively.

Conclusions:

131I-rituximab showed marked efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma, with a considerable risk of secondary malignancies during long-term follow-up. Radioimmunotherapy is not a recommended treatment option for relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma but may be considered when other treatment options are not feasible.
A wearable device perspective on the standard definitions of disability progression in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Dalla Costa Gloria , Nos Carlos , Zabalza Ana , Buron Mathias , Magyari Melinda , Sellebjerg Finn , Guerrero Ana Isabel , Roselli Lucia , La Porta Maria Libera , Martinis Matteo , Bailon Raquel , Kontaxis Spyridon , Laporta Estela , Garcia Esther , Pokorny Florian B , Schuller Björn W , Folarin Amos , Stewart Callum , Leocani Letizia , Vairavan Srinivasan , Cummins Nicholas , Dobson Richard , Hotopf Matthew , Narayan Vaibhav , Montalban Xavier , Sorensen Per Soelberg , Comi Giancarlo
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a leading cause of disability among young adults, but standard clinical scales may not accurately detect subtle changes in disability occurring between visits. This study aims to explore whether wearable device data provides more granular and objective measures of disability progression in MS.

Methods:

Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse in Central Nervous System Disorders (RADAR-CNS) is a longitudinal multicenter observational study in which 400 MS patients have been recruited since June 2018 and prospectively followed up for 24 months. Monitoring of patients included standard clinical visits with assessment of disability through use of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), 6-minute walking test (6MWT) and timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), as well as remote monitoring through the use of a Fitbit.

Results:

Among the 306 patients who completed the study (mean age, 45.6 years; females 67%), confirmed disability progression defined by the EDSS was observed in 74 patients, who had approximately 1392 fewer daily steps than patients without disability progression. However, the decrease in the number of steps experienced over time by patients with EDSS progression and stable patients was not significantly different. Similar results were obtained with disability progression defined by the 6MWT and the T25FW.

Conclusion:

The use of continuous activity monitoring holds great promise as a sensitive and ecologically valid measure of disability progression in MS.
Racism and the representation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in audio: An analysis of audience experience of the immersive story environment
Authors: Aziz Tahera
Published: December 2023

This article investigates the power of audio as a storytelling medium and its capacity to provide immersive narrative-based experiences. In particular, it examines the potential of immersive or spatial audio to engage young people with the complex and pressing issue of racism by focusing on the artwork [re]locate: a multi-channel sound installation revisiting the racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. [re]locate metaphorically places the audience at the bus stop where Stephen Lawrence was attacked, and allows them to experience an audio-only reconstruction of events associated with his murder and its aftermath. Based on a reflexive thematic analysis of the qualitative feedback elicited after encounters with the artwork, the article seeks to understand young people’s perspectives on events, their sense of engagement with the story and the aesthetic and technical features of the installation that create a sense of immersion, and induce presence. It argues that the perceived potency of the artwork and its ability to engage young people with the issue not only resides in the inherent qualities of sound, but also in the capacity of the spatial audio design of the installation to heighten the sense of immersion, induce presence and enhance cognitive and emotional perspective taking.