bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fuel Consumption Intersection Control Performance Index
Authors: Stevanovic Aleksandar , Shayeb Suhaib Al , Patra Satya S.
Published: April 2021

The Performance Index (PI), a widely used composite measure of vehicular stops and delays, is one of the most popular traffic signal performance measures. Over the decades it has been used to achieve a proper balance between delays and stops. Its key component, the “stop penalty,” has been used to minimize excess fuel consumption from unnecessary stops caused by traffic control operations. In signal optimization practice this stop penalty, also known as the K factor, has been set as an invariable parameter with a relatively low value ∼10 to 20. This paper questions this widely accepted practice. It first explains the origins and meaning of the PI and the significance of the K factor. Then, it lists various studies, discusses their inconsistencies, and introduces a new Fuel Consumption Intersection Control PI (FCIC-PI). The paper also presents findings from field data collection and compares them with the other studies, including some simulation results. Outcomes of these various findings show some inconsistencies, but all point to the existing practice being wrong: the K factor is a variable dependent on at least one important factor—cruising speed. The outcomes also indicate that K values should, if fuel consumption is to be minimized, be larger than currently used. Future research should confirm these findings with a larger field data set, investigate other factors that affect the stop penalty, and consider a family of other emission-related PIs. Finally, a new methodology should be developed to properly integrate these new PIs into signal timing optimization.
New Turner-Fairbank Alkali-Silica Reaction Susceptibility Test for Aggregate Evaluation
Authors: Muñoz Jose F. , Balachandran Chandni , Arnold Terence S.
Published: April 2021

The ASTM C1260 and ASTM C1293 are generally accepted as being the best available accelerated tests to evaluate the alkali-silica reactivity of aggregates used in concrete. Unfortunately, these tests have limitations, such as the significant amount of false-positive and false-negative results in ASTM C1260 and the alkali leaching in ASTM C1293, that reduce their accuracy. This paper introduces an alternative test method, the Turner-Fairbank alkali-silica reaction (ASR) susceptibility test (T-FAST) that overcomes traditional limitations of both ASTM standards. In the new test, the ASR was accelerated by exposing the aggregates to a 1 N NaOH solution, three different amounts of CaO, and two temperatures for 21 days. The reactivity index (RI), calculated based on the 21-day concentrations of aluminum, calcium, and silicon in liquid phase, was used to assess the alkali-silica reactivity of 24 well-known aggregates—17 coarse and 7 fine. The results agreed with the classification of the same based on ASTM C1293 and historic field performance available in the literature. The alkali levels at which the ASR reaction was triggered in a selection of aggregates were measured using the T-FAST experimental set up. The threshold alkali values obtained matched those previously reported using accelerated concrete expansion tests as well as with concrete blocks in outdoor exposure sites. The alkali threshold determined for a river sand from Arkansas helped to understand the unexpected ASR distress observed in the field for an aggregate traditionally categorized as nonreactive. This case is a good example of mismatch between the information obtained from accelerated-ASR standard tests and field performance.
Transportation Barriers among Immigrant Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Nahar Shamsun , Cronley Courtney
Published: April 2021

The current study reports on transportation barriers among a transportation-underserved and under-recognized population—immigrant women who are survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using an exploratory cross-sectional qualitative method, two focus groups were conducted with a total of 15 immigrant IPV survivors (25–68 years old) in North Texas, U.S. Three key themes highlight the essence of the transportation barriers among the participants: (1) “ my mobility was in my ex-husband’s hand,” (2) transportation disadvantage blocks independence, and (3) public transit in/accessibility undercuts the move toward independence. The study found that transportation is used as a means of control and coercion among IPV perpetrators, and insufficient and inconsistent access to this basic resource impedes the process of exiting IPV situations and regaining independence and stability. The women described that their perpetrators denied them access to the family car or prevented them from going to work. On exiting IPV relationships, the women desired flexible and on-demand transportation whenever possible, and reported concerns with safety, flexibility, and reliability in public transit. First- and last-mile obstacles proved difficult, particularly given that the women had recently relocated to IPV shelters intentionally located in discrete neighborhoods away from their normal travel routes and less proximal to public transit stations. Findings highlight the need for transportation planners and engineers to consider more multi-modal and creative transportation solutions for such populations to overcome first/last-mile accessibility, increase flexibility, and enhance perceived safety in ridership.
Optimization of Takeoff Departure Procedures for Airport Noise Mitigation
Authors: Behere Ameya , Mavris Dimitri N.
Published: April 2021

The environmental effects of aviation, particularly community noise exposure, is one of the major barriers to a sustainable growth in passenger air traffic. With an increasing number of aircraft operations and growing urban population, several major airports around the world have implemented various noise mitigation strategies. One such mitigation strategy is to optimize the departure procedures utilized by aircraft for performing takeoff operations. Present-day noise abatement departure procedures are developed by airlines under the guidance of the International Civil Aviation Organization and regulatory entities such as the Federal Aviation Administration. These procedures are generally limited to two per aircraft type and are therefore developed for averaged flight conditions. A generic methodology has been developed here which accounts for external parameters, such as the elevation and weather conditions at the departure airport, and aims to design optimal departure procedures per set of external conditions. By retaining these variables in the procedure design process, their influence on various metrics of interest can be studied. A case study is performed using three different airports each at a standard day and a hot day weather condition. Noise metrics are evaluated at four locations relative to the runway. Fuel consumption is also calculated to account for airline operating costs. The results show that the optimality of a procedure is sensitive on both external factors, as well as metrics being evaluated. While some noise metrics require a tradeoff with fuel consumption over a set of pareto optimal solutions, at certain locations, the two are optimized simultaneously by a single procedure.
Informal and Nonformal Adult Learning in the Coal Seam Gas Protests: Mobilizing Practices and Building an Environmental Justice Movement for Change
Authors: Ollis Tracey
Published: April 2021

This case study research examines informal adult learning in the Lock the Gate Alliance, a campaign against mining for coal seam gas in Central Gippsland, Australia. In the field of the campaign, circumstantial activists learn to think critically about the environment, they learn informally and incidentally, through socialization with experienced activists from and through nonformal workshops provided by the Environmental Nongovernment Organization Friends of the Earth. This article uses Bourdieu’s “theory of practice,” to explore the mobilization of activists within the Lock the Gate Alliance field and the practices which generate knowledge and facilitate adult learning. These practices have enabled a diverse movement to educate the public and citizenry about the serious threat fracking poses to the environment, to their land and water supply. The movements successful practices have won a landmark moratorium on fracking for coal seam gas in the State of Victoria.
Effectiveness of a Sexual Assault Self-defense Program for American Indian Girls
Authors: Edwards Katie M. , Siller Laura , Wheeler Lorey A. , Charge Leon Leader , Charge Damon P. Leader , Bordeaux Simone , Herrington Ramona , Hopfauf Skyler L. , Simon Briana
Published: April 2021

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 6-session (12-hour) empowerment self-defense classroom delivered curriculum (i.e., IMpower) among American Indian girls. Girls ( N = 74) in one middle school and two high schools on an Indian Reservation in the Great Plains region of the United States received the intervention and completed a pre-test and a post-test six months following the final program session. The surveys administered assessed hypothesized intermediary (i.e., efficacy to resist a sexual assault, self-defense knowledge), primary (i.e., sexual violence victimization), and secondary (i.e., physical dating violence, sexual harassment) outcomes. Native American girls ( N = 181) in five middle schools and three high schools in a nearby city where there was no sexual assault prevention occurring completed surveys assessing sexual violence, physical dating violence, and sexual harassment victimization approximately six months apart, thus serving as a comparison to girls in the treatment condition on primary and secondary outcomes. Girls exposed to the IMpower program reported significant increases over time in efficacy to resist a sexual assault and knowledge of effective resistance strategies. Furthermore, propensity score analyses suggested that girls who received the IMpower program reported significantly fewer types of sexual assault and sexual harassment at follow-up compared to girls in the control condition. However, no effect was found for physical dating violence. These data suggest that empowerment self-defense is a promising approach in preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment among American Indian girls.
Measuring Middle School Achievement Trajectories for College Readiness
Authors: Johnson Angela , Kuhfeld Megan , King Gregory
Published: April 2021

This study identifies students’ academic trajectories in the middle grades relative to a set of college readiness benchmarks. We apply math and reading college readiness benchmarks to rich longitudinal data for more than 360,000 students across the nation. Student-level and school-level demographic characteristics significantly predict academic trajectories. Compared to White and Asian students, higher proportions of Black and Hispanic student are always off-track throughout middle school. Among students who started 6th grade on track, being male, Black, Hispanic, and attending schools with a higher percentage of low-income students are positively associated with falling off track.
Partisan Predictors for Collective Bargaining Agreement Items
Authors: Edgerton Adam Kirk
Published: April 2021

The United States is rare among nations in its highly decentralized process for negotiating collective bargaining agreements with local teachers’ unions. To determine whether partisanship can predict these highly localized decisions, I construct an original database of Pennsylvania collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) merged with publicly available voter registration records to predict the presence of high-profile contract items. Using spatial autoregression and probit regression, I reveal that the partisanship of a school district is a significant predictor for fewer seniority protections but not for lower salaries. These partisan relationships can guide both district administrators and union leaders in future negotiations.
The non-sovereign territories: Economic and environmental challenges of sectoral and geographic over-specialisation in tourism and financial services
Authors: Armstrong Harvey W , Read Robert
Published: April 2021

This paper analyses the economic and geographic characteristics of the world’s principal non-sovereign territories in the context of the growth challenges facing small economies. These territories enjoy high degrees of policy autonomy within a complex array of relationships with their metropolitan countries. Seven of the ten metropolitan powers are European and account for 38 of the 49 inhabited non-sovereign territories. The territories’ distinct economic and geographic characteristics, notably small size and remoteness, have led to their adopting similar niche sectoral growth strategies to those of small sovereign states and a reliance upon tourism and financial services. In spite of the growth challenges faced, most of these territories have attained high levels of per capita gross national income, placing them in the World Bank High Income category. Global heating, economic crises and regional environmental shocks, along with growing international protectionist sentiments, however, raise critical questions regarding the continued viability of their traditional growth strategies, particularly their heavy reliance upon environmentally harmful long-haul air travel and cruise tourism. This paper bridges the gap between large-scale growth studies, which generally overlook non-sovereign entities, and single case studies to examine the determinants of the growth success of non-sovereign territories and their future growth challenges given the pressing need for both economic and environmental sustainability.
Undermining Your Case to Enhance Your Impact: A Framework for Understanding the Effects of Acts of Receptiveness in Persuasion
Authors: Hussein Mohamed A. , Tormala Zakary L.
Published: April 2021

Past research has uncovered actions that would seem to undermine but in fact frequently enhance persuasion. For example, expressing doubt about one’s view or presenting arguments against it would seem to weaken one’s case, but can sometimes promote it. We propose a framework for understanding these findings. We posit that these actions constitute acts of receptiveness—behaviors that signal openness to new information and opposing viewpoints. We review four classes of acts of receptiveness: conveying uncertainty, acknowledging mistakes, highlighting drawbacks, and asking questions. We identify conditions under which and mechanisms through which these actions boost persuasion. Acts of receptiveness appear to be more persuasive when they come from expert or high-status sources, rather than non-expert or low-status sources, and to operate through two primary mechanisms: increased involvement and enhanced source perceptions. Following a review of this work, we delineate potentially novel acts of receptiveness and outline directions for future research.
Trojan Horse: An Analysis of Targeted Advertising to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among YMSM
Authors: Tolosa-Kline Ayla , Yom-Tov Elad , Hoffman Caitlin , Walker-Baban Cherie , Lewis Felicia M.T.
Published: April 2021

Background

Men who have sex with men (MSM) increasingly use internet-based websites and geospatial apps to seek sex. Though these platforms may be useful for public health intervention, evaluations of such interventions are rare. We sought to evaluate the online behavior of young MSM of color in Philadelphia and the effectiveness of using ads to link them to DoYouPhilly.org, where users can order free condoms, lubricant, and sexually transmitted infection test kits delivered via the U.S. postal service.

Method

Data collection and analyses were conducted in two phases. First, we performed keyword research and analyzed web browser logs using a proprietary data set owned by Microsoft. Subsequently, we ran a Google Ads campaign using the keywords identified in the preliminary phase, and directed targeted users to the DoYouPhilly.org condom or test kit ordering pages. Results were analyzed using MATLAB 2018.

Results

Test kit advertisements received 5,628 impressions, 157 clicks, and 18 unique conversions. The condom advertisements received 128,007 impressions, 2,583 clicks, and 303 unique conversions. Correlation between the click-through rate and the conversion rate per keyword was ρ = −.35 ( P = .0096) and per advertisement was ρ = .40 ( P = .14). Keywords that directly related to condoms were most effective for condom ordering (42% conversion rate vs. ≤2% for other classes), while keywords emphasizing the adverse effects of unprotected sex were most effective in test kit ordering (91% conversion rate vs. 13% and 12% for other classes).

Conclusions

Online advertisements seemed to affect real-world sexual health behavior, as measured by orders of condoms and test kits, among a group of young MSM living in the same community.
Policing Is a Public Health Issue: The Important Role of Health Educators
Authors: Fleming Paul J. , Lopez William D. , Spolum Maren , Anderson Riana Elyse , Reyes Angela G. , Schulz Amy J.
Published: April 2021

For decades, marginalized communities have been naming the harms of policing—and the systemic racism that undergirds it—for health and well-being. Only recently have policing practices and racism within policing gained more widespread attention in public health. Building on social justice and emancipatory traditions in health education, we argue that health educators are uniquely prepared to use the evidence base to reframe narratives that drive aggressive policing and their disproportionate impacts on communities of color, promote disinvestment in militarized policing, and build relationships with community-based organizations and community organizers developing community-centered approaches to safety. Using public health institutions and institutions of higher education as examples, we suggest specific strategic actions that health educators can take to address policing as a public health issue. Health educators are uniquely poised to work with diverse community and institutional partners to support social movements that create community-centered, equitable approaches to public safety and health.
Digital populism, digital newswork and the concept of journalistic competence: the Philippine condition
Authors: Estella Pauline Gidget
Published: April 2021

The new environment for Filipino journalists is a difficult terrain to navigate: Professionals struggle to establish themselves as a source of information in the time of technological disruptions, digital populism, tighter market competition, labour precarities and the political pressures of an increasingly authoritarian regime. This provided the context for the subsequent discussion on journalistic competence: What competencies are most important for Filipino journalists given this status quo? More importantly, how should the concept of journalistic competence be viewed, conceptualised or interrogated given the current conditions that affect or threaten journalistic practice? The discussion on competencies was anchored on extant research, a survey with Filipino journalists and data from in-depth interviews with selected experts worldwide. The prominent elements of journalistic competence in the Philippines were identified and discussed vis-à-vis factors and conditions that influence journalism competence such as journalistic roles, media systems, popular attitudes towards news and educational infrastructure.
Mummy influencers and professional sharenting
Authors: Jorge Ana , Marôpo Lidia , Coelho Ana Margarida , Novello Lia
Published: April 2021

Sharenting (sharing parenting on social media) has become a widespread activity, and some of those parents become family influencers. Female influencers have been on the rise, partly as an alternative to the precariousness of the job market. This article presents a qualitative study on 11 Portuguese mummy and family influencers, analysing social media content observed throughout 2.5 years, as well as media discourses on them. It focuses on how these female content creators portray parenting and family, work–life balance as an influencer and their boundaries for privacy and intimacy. It demonstrates how prominent mummy influencers reproduce a neoliberal ethos which favours an individual management of reconciling motherhood and a career in the context of post-austerity and precarity, through an emotional discourse that promotes relatability with the audience, converted into an essentially consumerist agenda.
Influence of the diesel pilot injector configuration on ethanol combustion and performance of a heavy-duty direct injection engine
Authors: Giramondi Nicola , Jäger Anders , Norling Daniel , Erlandsson Anders Christiansen
Published: April 2021

Thanks to its properties and production pathways, ethanol represents a valuable alternative to fossil fuels, with potential benefits in terms of CO2, NOx, and soot emission reduction. The resistance to autoignition of ethanol necessitates an ignition trigger in compression-ignition engines for heavy-duty applications, which in the current study is a diesel pilot injection. The simultaneous direct injection of pure ethanol as main fuel and diesel as pilot fuel through separate injectors is experimentally investigated in a heavy-duty single cylinder engine at a low and a high load point. The influence of the nozzle hole number and size of the diesel pilot injector on ethanol combustion and engine performance is evaluated based on an injection timing sweep using three diesel injector configurations. The tested configurations have the same geometric total nozzle area for one, two and four diesel sprays. The relative amount of ethanol injected is swept between 78 – 89% and 91 – 98% on an energy basis at low and high load, respectively. The results show that mixing-controlled combustion of ethanol is achieved with all tested diesel injector configurations and that the maximum combustion efficiency and variability levels are in line with conventional diesel combustion. The one-spray diesel injector is the most robust trigger for ethanol ignition, as it allows to limit combustion variability and to achieve higher combustion efficiencies compared to the other diesel injector configurations. However, the two- and four-spray diesel injectors lead to higher indicated efficiency levels. The observed difference in the ethanol ignition dynamics is evaluated and compared to conventional diesel combustion. The study broadens the knowledge on ethanol mixing-controlled combustion in heavy-duty engines at various operating conditions, providing the insight necessary for the optimization of the ethanol-diesel dual-injection system.
Performance of direct injected propane and gasoline in a high stroke-to-bore ratio SI engine: Pathways to diesel efficiency parity with ultra low soot
Authors: Splitter D , Boronat V , Chuahy FDF , Storey J
Published: April 2021

This work explores pathways to achieve diesel-like, high-efficiency combustion with stoichiometric 3-way catalyst compatible combustion in a single-cylinder spark ignition (SI) research engine. A unique high stroke-to-bore engine design (1.5:1) with cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and high compression ratio ( rc) was used to improve engine efficiency by up to 30% compared with a production turbocharged gasoline direct injection spark ignition engine. Engine experiments were conducted with both 91 RON E10 gasoline and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) (i.e. autogas) and were compared to legacy gasoline data on the production engine. Geometric compression ratio ( rc) of 13.3:1 was used for both fuels with additional experiments at 16.8:1 for LPG only. Measurements of exhaust soot particle size and number concentrations were made with both fuels. Significant reduction in soot particles across the whole particle size range were achieved with LPG due to the elimination of in-cylinder liquid films. The effects of EGR, late intake valve closing (IVC) and fuel characteristics were investigated through their effects on efficiency, combustion stability and soot production. Results of 47% gross thermal efficiency, and 45% net thermal efficiency at stoichiometric engine operation, at up to 17 bar IMEP and 2000 r/min with 16.8:1 rc were achieved with LPG. Estimated brake efficiency values were compared to a contemporary medium duty diesel engine illustrating the benefits of the chosen path for achieving diesel efficiency parity.
Experimental investigation of wall heat transfer due to spray combustion in a high-pressure/high-temperature vessel
Authors: Keskinen Karri , Vera-Tudela Walter , Wright Yuri M , Boulouchos Konstantinos
Published: April 2021

Combustion chamber wall heat transfer is a major contributor to efficiency losses in diesel engines. In this context, thermal swing materials (adapting to the surrounding gas temperature) have been pinpointed as a promising mitigative solution. In this study, experiments are carried out in a high-pressure/high-temperature vessel to (a) characterise the wall heat transfer process ensuing from wall impingement of a combusting fuel spray, and (b) evaluate insulative improvements provided by a coating that promotes thermal swing. The baseline experimental condition resembles that of Spray A from the Engine Combustion Network, while additional variations are generated by modifying the ambient temperature as well as the injection pressure and duration. Wall heat transfer and wall temperature measurements are time-resolved and accompanied by concurrent high-speed imaging of natural luminosity. An investigation with an uncoated wall is carried out with several sensor locations around the stagnation point, elucidating sensor-to-sensor variability and setup symmetry. Surface heat flux follows three phases: (i) an initial peak, (ii) a slightly lower plateau dependent on the injection duration, and (iii) a slow decline. In addition to the uncoated reference case, the investigation involves a coating made of porous zirconia, an established thermal swing material. With a coated setup, the projection of surface quantities (heat flux and temperature) from the immersed measurement location requires additional numerical analysis of conjugate heat transfer. Starting from the traces measured beneath the coating, the surface quantities are obtained by solving a one-dimensional inverse heat transfer problem. The present measurements are complemented by CFD simulations supplemented with recent rough-wall models. The surface roughness of the coated specimen is indicated to have a significant impact on the wall heat flux, offsetting the expected benefit from the thermal swing material.
Twin-entry turbine losses: An analysis using CFD data
Authors: Galindo José , Serrano José Ramón , García-Cuevas Luis Miguel , Medina Nicolás
Published: April 2021

The current paper presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow behaviour and losses analysis of twin-entry radial turbines in terms of its Mass Flow Ratio ( MFR, the ratio between the flow passing through one of its intake ports and its total mass flow), focusing on the mixing phenomena in the unequal admission conditions cases. The CFD simulations are first validated with experimental data. Then, the losses mechanisms are analysed and quantified in the different parts of the twin-entry turbine in terms of the MFR value. A sudden expansion is found at the junction of both branches in the interspace between volutes and rotor for unequal and partial admission cases. Tracking the flow coming from each of the turbine intake ports, it has been observed that both flow branches do not fully mix with each other within the rotor. Another source of losses has been identified in the contact between both flow branches due to their momentum exchange that depends on the difference between both flow branches velocities. These losses have not been considered before, and they should be included in mean line loss-based models for twin-entry turbine since they are very significant for unequal admission conditions.
Infrared high-speed thermography of combustion chamber wall impinged by diesel spray flame
Authors: Aizawa Tetsuya , Kinoshita Tomoki , Akiyama Shinobu , Shinohara Kouya , Miyagawa Yuusei
Published: April 2021

As a demonstration of a new method to examine the extremely unsteady and spatially varying wall heat transfer phenomena on diesel engine combustion chamber wall, high-speed imaging of infrared thermal radiation from the wall surface impinged by a diesel spray flame was attempted using a high-speed infrared camera. A 35 mm-diameter chromium-coated quartz window surface was impinged by a diesel spray flame with an impinging distance of 27 mm from the nozzle orifice in a constant volume combustion chamber. The infrared thermal radiation from the back surface of the 0.6 µm thick chromium layer was successfully visualized at 10 kHz frame rate and 128 × 128 pixel resolution through the quartz window. The infrared radiation exhibited coherent and streaky structure with radial stripes extending and waving from the stagnation point. The width of the radial stripes, spatial amplitude and the period of the waving movement were comparable to the ones for turbulent heat transfer on the engine cylinder wall previously measured with a heat flux sensor, suggesting that they are resulting from the turbulent structure in the wall-impinging diesel flame. The radiation intensity was calibrated to temperature and converted to heat flux via 3-D numerical analysis of transient thermal conduction in the quartz window. The peak-to-peak variation amplitudes of temperature and heat flux among the radial stripes during the diesel spray flame impingement were about 20 K and 2.3 MW/m2, corresponding to 13% of 150 K maximum temperature swing amplitude and 18 MW/m2 maximum heat flux, respectively.
(De)colonising outcomes of community participation – a South African ethnography of ‘ethics in practice’
Authors: Brear Michelle R , Tsotetsi Cias T
Published: April 2021

Theoretically, community participation decolonises research ethics in settings where a ‘coloniality of power’ persists. We used ethnographic methods to document our experiences of ‘ethics in practice’, and interrogate the (de)colonising outcomes, of community participation in voluntary informed assent and consent (VIAC) procedures with 16–17-year-old Black South African youth and parents. Community participation decolonised by: (1) disrupting and problematising the power dynamics of written VIAC procedures and (2) minimally shifting power to youth and parents. However, community participation sometimes reinforced existing power hierarchies. In postcolonial qualitative research settings, community participation has potential to, but will not necessarily, decolonise ethics in practice.
Memory, Don’t Speak! Monumental neglect and memorial sacrifice in contemporary Estonia
Authors: Martínez Francisco
Published: April 2021

In this article, I discuss how memorials exist in time by conceptualising memory politics in relation to monumental neglect and a lack of maintenance work. I also study the way political discourses have material resonances by foregrounding how the Soviet memory is silenced in Estonia through the crumbling materiality of its cultural heritage – as a slow-motion sacrifice. In my research, I focused on the Maarjamäe memorial complex in Tallinn (which comprises a Soviet monumental landscape design, a cemetery of German soldiers, a Russian palace currently hosting the Estonian History Museum and the newly-built memorial of Victims of Communism), to show how part of it has been devalued by the political work of disrepair and institutional neglect, thus presenting the socialist past as something separated from the present. New developments at this site might potentially change its situation of abandonment since the construction of a novel antagonist element – the memorial of Victims of Communism – might produce a more attentive maintenance of the Soviet monumental design (adding another layer of meaning), or its final demolition in turn (thus producing a haunting afterlife). In any case, Maarjamäe makes clear that material memorials never simply speak for themselves and are, instead, multiple and contested in meaning. It also shows that if the tidiness of a memorial is the reminder of an obligation to remember, then its neglect can be but an invitation to forget, or to remember badly.
Using a Collective Impact Framework to Implement Evidence-Based Strategies for Improving Maternal and Child Health Outcomes
Authors: Schaffer Kay , Cilenti Dorothy , Urlaub Diana M. , Magee Erin P. , Owens Shuler Tara , Henderson Cathy , Tucker Christine
Published: April 2021

In 2016, the North Carolina Division of Public Health launched the Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal and Child Health program to invest in evidence-based programs to address three aims: improve birth outcomes, reduce infant mortality, and improve health outcomes for children 0 to 5 years old. Five grantees representing 14 counties were awarded 2 years of funding to implement one evidence-based strategy per aim using a collective impact framework, the principles of implementation science, and a health equity approach. Local health departments served as the backbone organization and provided ongoing support to grantees and helped them form community action teams (CATs) comprising implementation team members, community experts, and relevant stakeholders who met regularly. Focus groups with each grantee’s CAT were held during 2017 and 2019 to explore how CATs used a collective impact framework to implement their chosen evidence-based strategies. Results show that grantees made the most progress engaging diverse sectors in implementing a common agenda, continuous communication, and mutually reinforcing activities. Overall, grantees struggled with a shared measurement system but found that a formal tool to assess equity helped use data to drive decision making and program adaptations. Grantees faced logistical challenges holding regular CAT meetings and sustaining community expert engagement. Overtime, CATs cultivated community partnerships and multicounty collaboratives viewed cross-county knowledge sharing as an asset. Future collective impact initiatives should allow grantees more time upfront to form their CAT to plan for sustained community engagement before implementing programs and to incorporate a tool to center equity in their work.
Vitamin D: Do We Need More Than Sunshine?
Authors: Srivastava Sneha Baxi
Published: April 2021

There is an astounding amount of conversation and research about vitamin D. It carries many claims, and there is controversy as to what adequate levels should be, how to ensure reaching appropriate serum levels, and what the consequences are of vitamin D insufficiency. This article describes the role of vitamin D, reviews some of the evidence, and provides the current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation, including if a daily walk in the sun is the most appropriate prescription or do we need something more?
Barriers to Completing Therapy for Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: A Real-Life Experience from a Single Treatment Center in Egypt
Authors: Ahmed Marwa M. , O. Shaarawy Hagar , Anwar Ismail , Sarhan Mai D.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Interferon-based therapies against the hepatitis C virus had a poor adherence profile. On the other hand, new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are orally administered medications, show high efficacy against the hepatitis C virus in addition to a high safety profile. Therefore, adherence to this treatment is expected to improve. Assessment for treatment adherence is mandatory to assess the feasibility of achieving viral hepatitis elimination.

Aim

The study aims to assess the adherence rate and causes of non-adherence in Egyptian hepatitis C patients who received interferon-free treatment regimens.

Methods

Retrospective data analysis for 668 hepatitis C patient’s records from August 2014 to October 2019 was done. Assessment of treatment adherence was done by revising the records and phone calls. However, 172 patients were excluded due to the absence of contact data. Rest of patients (n = 496) was categorized into 2 groups: Adherent (n = 432) and non-adherent (n = 64). For whom comparative analysis was done.

Results

The adherent group (87%) achieved 100 % sustained virological response after 12 weeks (SVR 12). Non-adherence was reported in 12.9% of patients. Low awareness was the main cause of non-adherence (43.75%). BMI was the only significant risk factor for poor adherence ( P = . 04). Other Patient demographics, clinical, and laboratory data didn’t show any significant differences between both groups.

Conclusion

Interferon-free regimens are tolerable. Raising awareness is mandatory for proper treatment adherence and, subsequently, good clinical outcomes.
Multiblock variable influence on orthogonal projections (MB-VIOP) for enhanced interpretation of total, global, local and unique variations in OnPLS models
Authors: Galindo-Prieto Beatriz , Geladi Paul , Trygg Johan
Published: April 2021

Background

For multivariate data analysis involving only two input matrices (e.g., X and Y), the previously published methods for variable influence on projection (e.g., VIPOPLSor VIPO2PLS) are widely used for variable selection purposes, including (i) variable importance assessment, (ii) dimensionality reduction of big data and (iii) interpretation enhancement of PLS, OPLS and O2PLS models. For multiblock analysis, the OnPLS models find relationships among multiple data matrices (more than two blocks) by calculating latent variables; however, a method for improving the interpretation of these latent variables (model components) by assessing the importance of the input variables was not available up to now.

Results

A method for variable selection in multiblock analysis, called multiblock variable influence on orthogonal projections (MB-VIOP) is explained in this paper. MB-VIOP is a model based variable selection method that uses the data matrices, the scores and the normalized loadings of an OnPLS model in order to sort the input variables of more than two data matrices according to their importance for both simplification and interpretation of the total multiblock model, and also of the unique, local and global model components separately. MB-VIOP has been tested using three datasets: a synthetic four-block dataset, a real three-block omics dataset related to plant sciences, and a real six-block dataset related to the food industry.

Conclusions

We provide evidence for the usefulness and reliability of MB-VIOP by means of three examples (one synthetic and two real-world cases). MB-VIOP assesses in a trustable and efficient way the importance of both isolated and ranges of variables in any type of data. MB-VIOP connects the input variables of different data matrices according to their relevance for the interpretation of each latent variable, yielding enhanced interpretability for each OnPLS model component. Besides, MB-VIOP can deal with strong overlapping of types of variation, as well as with many data blocks with very different dimensionality. The ability of MB-VIOP for generating dimensionality reduced models with high interpretability makes this method ideal for big data mining, multi-omics data integration and any study that requires exploration and interpretation of large streams of data.
A novel method to establish the rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis: intra-articular injection of SDF-1 induces OA
Authors: Li Canzhang , He Yinhong , Li Yanlin , Wang Guoliang , Liu Dejian , Cai Guofeng , He Chuan
Published: April 2021

Background

Animal model of Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is the primary testing methodology for studies on pathogenic mechanisms and therapies of human OA disease. Recent major modeling methods are divided into artificially induced and spontaneous. However, these methods have some disadvantages of slow progression, high cost and no correlation with the pathogenesis of OA.

Methods

Our studies attempted to find a rapid, easy, and consistent with the natural pathological process of OA modeling method by intra-articular injection of stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) in the rabbit knee. After induction we collected cartilage specimens from the medial femoral condyle to undergo macroscopic, histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical evaluations. Meanwhile, compared with Hulth surgical method to evaluate its efficacy.

Results

Macroscopic observation and modified Mankin score of histological staining exhibited typical features of middle stage OA cartilage in SDF-1 injected groups. Immunohistochemically, the positive expression of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) was earlier and higher in high dose SDF-1 group than the surgical group. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in synovial fluid and chondrocytes significantly increased, but type II collagen (COLII) and aggrecan (ACAN) protein expressions decreased in SDF-1 injected group following the extension of time and increase of SDF-1 concentration.

Conclusions

Our data indicated intra-articular injection of SDF-1 (40μg/kg, three times for 12 weeks) can induce rabbit knee OA model successfully more rapidly and easily than traditional surgical modeling. The study provided a further option for the establishment of knee OA animal model.
Prognostic factors for the improvement of pain and disability following multidisciplinary rehabilitation in patients with chronic neck pain
Authors: Weigl Martin , Letzel Josefine , Angst Felix
Published: April 2021

Background

Recent clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of specific, multidisciplinary, bio-psychosocial, rehabilitation programmes for chronic neck pain. However, prognostic factors for the improvement of pain and disability are mostly unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore prognostic factors associated with improvements in chronic neck pain following participation in a three-week, multidisciplinary, bio-psychosocial, rehabilitation programme.

Methods

In this observational, prospective cohort study, a total of 112 patients were assessed at the beginning, end, and 6 months following the completion of a multidisciplinary, bio-psychosocial, rehabilitation programme. Inclusion for participation in the rehabilitation programme depended upon an interdisciplinary pain assessment. The primary outcome was neck pain and disability, which was measured using the Northern American Spine Society questionnaire for pain+disability and was quantified with effect sizes (ES). Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to explore potential prognostic factors associated with improvements in pain and disability scores at discharge and at the 6-month follow-up period.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 59.7 years (standard deviation = 10.8), and 70.5% were female. Patients showed improvement in pain+disability at discharge (ES = 0.56; p < 0.001), which was sustained at the 6-month follow-up (ES = 0.56; p < 0.001). Prognostic factors associated with improvement in pain+disability scores at discharge included poor pain+disability baseline scores (partial, adjusted correlation r = 0.414, p < 0.001), older age (r = 0.223, p = 0.024), a good baseline cervical active range-of-motion (ROM) (r = 0.210, p < 0.033), and improvements in the Short-form 36 mental health scale (r = 0.197; p = 0.047) and cervical ROMs (r = 0.195, p = 0.048) from baseline values. Prognostic factors associated with improvements in pain+disability at the 6-month follow-up were similar and included poor pain+disability baseline scores (partial, adjusted correlation r = 0.364, p < 0.001), improvements in the Short-form 36 mental health scale (r = 0.232; p = 0.002), cervical ROMs (r = 0.247, p = 0.011), and better cervical ROM baseline scores. However, older age was not a factor (r = 0.134, p = 0.172).

Conclusions

Future prognostic models for treatment outcomes in chronic neck pain patients should consider cervical ROM and mental health status. Knowledge of prognostic factors may help in the adoption of individualized treatment for patients who are less likely to respond to multidisciplinary rehabilitation.
Application of openEHR archetypes to automate data quality rules for electronic health records: a case study
Authors: Tian Qi , Han Zhexi , Yu Ping , An Jiye , Lu Xudong , Duan Huilong
Published: April 2021

Background

Ensuring data is of appropriate quality is essential for the secondary use of electronic health records (EHRs) in research and clinical decision support. An effective method of data quality assessment (DQA) is automating data quality rules (DQRs) to replace the time-consuming, labor-intensive manual process of creating DQRs, which is difficult to guarantee standard and comparable DQA results. This paper presents a case study of automatically creating DQRs based on openEHR archetypes in a Chinese hospital to investigate the feasibility and challenges of automating DQA for EHR data.

Methods

The clinical data repository (CDR) of the Shanxi Dayi Hospital is an archetype-based relational database. Four steps are undertaken to automatically create DQRs in this CDR database. First, the keywords and features relevant to DQA of archetypes were identified via mapping them to a well-established DQA framework, Kahn’s DQA framework. Second, the templates of DQRs in correspondence with these identified keywords and features were created in the structured query language (SQL). Third, the quality constraints were retrieved from archetypes. Fourth, these quality constraints were automatically converted to DQRs according to the pre-designed templates and mapping relationships of archetypes and data tables. We utilized the archetypes of the CDR to automatically create DQRs to meet quality requirements of the Chinese Application-Level Ranking Standard for EHR Systems (CARSES) and evaluated their coverage by comparing with expert-created DQRs.

Results

We used 27 archetypes to automatically create 359 DQRs. 319 of them are in agreement with the expert-created DQRs, covering 84.97% (311/366) requirements of the CARSES. The auto-created DQRs had varying levels of coverage of the four quality domains mandated by the CARSES: 100% (45/45) of consistency, 98.11% (208/212) of completeness, 54.02% (57/87) of conformity, and 50% (11/22) of timeliness.

Conclusion

It’s feasible to create DQRs automatically based on openEHR archetypes. This study evaluated the coverage of the auto-created DQRs to a typical DQA task of Chinese hospitals, the CARSES. The challenges of automating DQR creation were identified, such as quality requirements based on semantic, and complex constraints of multiple elements. This research can enlighten the exploration of DQR auto-creation and contribute to the automatic DQA.
Correction to: CCL3 contributes to secondary damage after spinal cord injury
Authors: Pelisch Nicolas , Almanza Jose Rosas , Stehlik Kyle E. , Aperi Brandy V. , Kroner Antje
Published: April 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.