bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 and Perioperative Management Strategies for Gastrointestinal Surgery: An Experience From Jiaxing, China
Authors: Zhou Yuan , Cen Lusha
Published: February 2021

Background

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was leading to a worldwide pandemic, which affected surgical operation. This study assessed the efficacy of perioperative management of patients scheduled for gastrointestinal surgery during COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 188 patients who underwent gastrointestinal surgery during the COVID-19 outbreak in Jiaxing, China. Perioperative data were collected, including data on pre-, intra-, and postoperative management strategies. The same data over the same period in 2019 were also collected for comparison.

Results

A total of 117, 63, and 8 patients underwent emergency, semi-elective, and elective surgeries, respectively. The locals: nonlocals ratio was significantly higher during this investigation period in 2020 than during the same period in 2019 ( P < .05). After screening, 12 patients were identified as unqualified. The number of gastrointestinal surgeries was reduced in 2020. There were no differences in the ratio of emergency surgery or semi-elective surgery between in 2020 and in 2019. The elective surgery ratio between January 27 and February 28 was found to be lower in 2020 than in 2019 ( P < .05). The disease spectra of emergency surgery and semi-elective surgery were similar. A total of 31 elective surgeries were postponed. There were five cases of short-term complications for emergency surgeries and two cases of short-term complications for semi-elective surgeries. No long-term complications or COVID-19 infection occurred in any of the cases, and no medical staff member was infected.

Conclusion

Perioperative management strategies minimize the risk of nosocomial infection and reduce the influence of epidemics on gastrointestinal surgery.
Confinement risks and social inequality in Latin America: Evidence from Argentina
Authors: Mancini Fiorella
Published: February 2021

Social distancing and isolation measures in response to COVID-19 have confined individuals to their homes and produced unexpected side-effects and secondary risks. In Latin America, the measures taken by individual governments to mitigate these new daily and experiential risks have varied significantly as have the responses to social isolation in each country. Given these new social circumstances, the purpose of this article is to investigate, from the sociological approach of risk-taking, the relationship between confinement, secondary risks and social inequality. The author argues that secondary risks, despite their broad scope, are deeply structured by social inequalities in contemporary societies, especially in developing countries. To corroborate this hypothesis, a quantitative comparative analysis is performed for the Argentine case. Using data from a web-survey and correspondence analysis (CA), there are three major findings: (1) there are some widespread experiences similarly distributed across all social strata, especially those related to emotional and subjective matters; (2) other risks follow socio-structural inequalities, especially those corresponding to material and cultural aspects of consumption; (3) for specific vulnerable groups, compulsory confinement causes great dilemmas of decision-making between health and well-being.
Gendered parenting and returns from children in contemporary India: A study of IIT students and their parents
Authors: Kaur Ravinder
Published: February 2021

This article seeks to understand the modern-day value of children to middle class Indian parents. It examines parental strategies aimed at raising successful children by providing them with the best education possible. These strategies, involving ‘concerted cultivation’ and gendered ‘educational labour’, are analysed in relation to schooling and preparation for a highly competitive national entrance exam, for admission to an elite engineering college in the country. Describing and analysing the classed and gendered nature of these strategies, the article explores the shifting nature of returns that middle class parents expect from their grown children. As the article shows, gendered burdens and class location of parents are crucial in shaping the value of children. Mothers across class contribute disproportionately to children’s educational training and highly educated mothers are withdrawn from the labour market to immerse themselves in educational labour. Ironically, educated mothers’ own educational inputs remain invisible even to themselves, resulting from an acceptance of culturally constructed norms around the gendered division of labour. Family strategies are oriented towards aspirations of upward social mobility, a return that parents seek to derive from educationally and professionally successful children.
Traumatic events, post-traumatic stress disorders, and gender among Yazidi population after ISIS invasion: A post conflict study in Kurdistan – Iraq
Authors: Al Shawi Ameel F , Hassen Suzan Mohammed
Published: February 2021

Background:

Traumatic experiences can lead to a range of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder depends on the cumulative exposure to traumatic stress. The Yazidis (Êzidî) are a Kurdish religious minority living in the north of Iraq, western Iran, eastern Turkey, and northern Syria. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had sought to destroy the Yazidis population through killings; sexual slavery, enslavement, torture, degrading treatment, and forcible migration causing serious physical and mental disorders. The objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence of traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder among Yazidi population in Yazidi community and to assess the association between post-traumatic stress disorder and gender.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted during period from June to August 2019. The participants were chosen by a random sampling method from Chammshko camp in Zakho district that it’s a city in Kurdistan region – Iraq. The questionnaire consisted of questions for demographical characteristics (e.g., gender, age, marital status, education, and job), and PTSD symptoms was assessed by using Harvard Trauma Questionnaire.

Results:

The females consisted 54.7% of the subjects. The majority of the participants were married (54.1%) and 98 (54.1%) of them were uneducated. About 79% of the subjects had PTSD symptoms. There was a statistically significant association between gender and PTSD, the female subjects had higher mean of trauma and PTSD symptoms scores (17.84 ± 3.5), (117.34 ± 13.8) respectively compare to that of male subjects (15.95 ± 3.1), (104.61 ± 18.8) respectively ( p < .001)

Conclusion:

High rate of PTSD among Yazidi population, Female subjects highly suffered from trauma and PTSD.
Communication and Silence Surrounding the Experience of Bereavement of Older Adults Living in Seniors’ Residences
Authors: Bourgeois-Guérin Valérie , Millette Valérie , Lachance Jeanne
Published: February 2021

As they age, many seniors leave their homes to live in a seniors’ residence. Since those residences are both living environments and places where death happens from time to time, seniors who live there will be confronted to the loss of other residents. How is grief experienced by seniors in this setting? Research on this topic has been close to nonexistent. As part of a qualitative research project, we met 26 individuals older than the age of 65 years who had experienced the loss of another resident. Following our interviews, we conducted a thematic analysis of the data. Our results show that communication practices surrounding end of live and death vary from one seniors’ residence to the next. We highlight the strengths and limitations of these practices as well as their impacts on bereaved seniors. We discuss the ways in which our participants felt their grief was considered by others, look at the meanings of silence and communication and reflect on potential intervention strategies.
Faculty Research Incentives and Business School Health: A New Perspective from and for Marketing
Authors: Stremersch Stefan , Winer Russell S. , Camacho Nuno
Published: February 2021

Grounded in sociological agency theory, the authors study the role of the faculty research incentive system in the academic research conducted at business schools and business school health. The authors surveyed 234 marketing professors and completed 22 interviews with 14 (associate) deans and 8 external institution stakeholders. They find that research quantity contributes to the research health of the school, but not to other aspects of business school health. The r-quality of research (i.e., rigor) contributes more strongly to the research health of the school than research quantity. The q-quality (i.e., practical importance) of research does not contribute to the research health of the school but does contribute positively to teaching health and several other dimensions of business school health. The authors conclude that faculty research incentives are misaligned: (1) when monitoring research faculty, the number of publications receives too much weight, while creativity, literacy, relevance, and awards receive too little weight; and (2) faculty feel that they are insufficiently compensated for their research, while (associate) deans feel they are compensated too much for their research. These incentive misalignments are largest in schools that perform the worst on research (r - and q -) quality. The authors explore how business schools and faculty can remedy these misalignments.
Developing National Genotype-Independent Indicators for Recent Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Transmission Using Pediatric Cases—United States, 2011-2017
Authors: Harrist Alexia V. , McDaniel Clinton J. , Wortham Jonathan M. , Althomsons Sandy P.
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) cases are sentinel events for Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in communities because children, by definition, must have been infected relatively recently. However, these events are not consistently identified by genotype-dependent surveillance alerting methods because many pediatric TB cases are not culture-positive, a prerequisite for genotyping.

Methods:

We developed 3 potential indicators of ongoing TB transmission based on identifying counties in the United States with relatively high pediatric (aged <15 years) TB incidence: (1) a case proportion indicator: an above-average proportion of pediatric TB cases among all TB cases; (2) a case rate indicator: an above-average pediatric TB case rate; and (3) a statistical model indicator: a statistical model based on a significant increase in pediatric TB cases from the previous 8-quarter moving average.

Results:

Of the 249 US counties reporting ≥2 pediatric TB cases during 2009-2017, 240 and 249 counties were identified by the case proportion and case rate indicators, respectively. The statistical model indicator identified 40 counties with a significant increase in the number of pediatric TB cases. We compared results from the 3 indicators with an independently generated list of 91 likely transmission events involving ≥2 pediatric cases (ie, known TB outbreaks or case clusters with reported epidemiologic links). All counties with likely transmission events involving multiple pediatric cases were identified by ≥1 indicator; 23 were identified by all 3 indicators.

Practice Implications:

This retrospective analysis demonstrates the feasibility of using routine TB surveillance data to identify counties where ongoing TB transmission might be occurring, even in the absence of available genotyping data.
Remixing Resilience: A Critical Examination of Urban Middle School Learning Environments among Resilient African American Learners
Authors: James Marlon C. , Wandix White Diana , Waxman Hersh , Rivera Héctor , Harmon Willie C.
Published: February 2021

This study examines a sample of African American students attending urban middle schools in a Southern city, and considers their perceptions of learning environments within mathematics classrooms. This study concluded that variables like Academic Self-Concept, Mathematics Anxiety, Satisfaction, Involvement, and Academic Aspiration varied significantly among higher and lower performing students. These variables are informed by the classic resilience literature on learning environment that tends to be less culturally affirming. In an effort to move resilience theory away from racial ideologies, we reconceptualize resilience as a cultural trait common among African American learners that should not be conceptualized dichotomously nor hierarchically
The Relationship Between Patterns of Change in Dynamic Risk and Strength Scores and Reoffending for Men on Community Supervision
Authors: Wanamaker Kayla A. , Brown Shelley L.
Published: February 2021

Research is needed focusing on the predictive nature of dynamic risk and strength score changes. The current study includes 11,953 Canadian men under community supervision with Service Planning Instrument re-assessment data. Using a retrospective, multi-wave longitudinal design, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was conducted to assess patterns of change in total dynamic risk and strength scores across three to five timepoints over 30 months. Change parameters from the HLM were incorporated into regression models, linking change to three reoffending outcomes: technical violations, new charges, and new violent charges. Results indicated that total dynamic risk scores decreased over time and total dynamic strength scores increased over time, although the rate of change for both was gradual. Change in total dynamic risk scores was predictive of all outcomes, whereas change in total dynamic strength scores only predicted technical violations. Results demonstrated the utility of re-assessing dynamic risk and strength scores over time.
Qualitative experiences of Australian mental health staff with students exposed to domestic violence
Authors: Berger Emily , Meltzer Lauren
Published: February 2021

The prevalence of domestic violence is concerning due to its debilitating impact on the psychological, social and academic functioning of children. This study explored the experiences, strengths and challenges of school mental health staff in relation to students exposed to domestic violence. Interviews with 10 school wellbeing staff working in Victoria, Australia, showed that these staff felt confronted and distressed, and were unsure of their role in managing the complexities associated with students’ exposure to domestic violence. Staff reported the need for educators, students and parents to be educated on domestic violence, and for improved school structures and policies that encourage staff consultation and self-care following students’ disclosures of domestic violence. The results of this study are discussed within the context of trauma-informed practice and multi-tiered mental health promotion in schools.
The libidinal economy of vernacularisation: modernity, sexuality and Bhojpuri media
Authors: Kumar Akshaya
Published: February 2021

The last two decades have witnessed a notable proliferation of media industries producing low-budget digital films and music videos. These media industries routinely stage a confrontation between modernity and a fantasy of pure cultural traditions. The bulk of their content deploys the male star as an extraordinary crossover figure – the only one capable of bringing modernity and its vernacular outsides on the negotiating table. Drawing upon the trajectory of Bhojpuri media industry – referring to the language spoken in parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar – this paper discusses, via Bruno Latour, the fundamental discord at the heart of modernity. I argue that the libidinal economy has emerged as a narrative simplification of the purifying imperative of modernity, haunted as it is by the concurrent hybridizing force-field.
Multi-thread hierarchical deep model for context-aware sentiment analysis
Authors: Keramatfar Abdalsamad , Amirkhani Hossein , Jalaly Bidgoly Amir
Published: February 2021

Real-time messaging and opinion sharing in social media websites have made them valuable sources of different kinds of information. This source provides the opportunity for doing different kinds of analysis. Sentiment analysis as one of the most important of these analyses gains increasing interests. However, the research in this field is still facing challenges. The mainstream of the sentiment analysis research on social media websites and microblogs just exploits the textual content of the posts. This makes the analysis hard because microblog posts are short and noisy. However, they have lots of contexts which can be exploited for sentiment analysis. In order to use the context as an auxiliary source, some recent papers use reply/retweet to model the context of the target post. We claim that multiple sequential contexts can be used jointly in a unified model. In this article, we propose a context-aware multi-thread hierarchical long short-term memory (MHLSTM) that jointly models different kinds of contexts, such as tweep, hashtag and reply besides the content of the target post. Experimental evaluations on a real-world Twitter data set demonstrate that our proposed model can outperform some strong baseline models by 28.39% in terms of relative error reduction.
Incidence of Complete Insertion in Cochlear Implant Recipients of Long Lateral Wall Arrays
Authors: Canfarotta Michael W. , Dillon Margaret T. , Brown Kevin D. , Pillsbury Harold C. , Dedmon Matthew M. , O’Connell Brendan P.
Published: February 2021

Objective

High rates of partial insertion have been reported for cochlear implant (CI) recipients of long lateral wall electrode arrays, presumably caused by resistance encountered during insertion due to cochlear morphology. With recent advances in long‐electrode array design, we sought to investigate (1) the incidence of complete insertions among patients implanted with 31.5‐mm flexible arrays and (2) whether complete insertion is limited by cochlear duct length (CDL).

Study Design

Retrospective review.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Methods

Fifty‐one adult CI recipients implanted with 31.5‐mm flexible lateral wall arrays underwent postoperative computed tomography to determine the rate of complete insertion, defined as all contacts being intracochlear. CDL and angular insertion depth (AID) were compared between complete and partial insertion cohorts.

Results

Most cases had a complete insertion (96.1%, n = 49). Among the complete insertion cohort, the median CDL was 33.6 mm (range, 30.3‐37.9 mm), and median AID was 641° (range, 533‐751°). Two cases of partial insertion had relatively short CDL (31.8 mm and 32.3 mm) and shallow AID (542° and 575°). Relatively shallow AID for the 2 cases of partial insertion fails to support the idea that CDL alone prevents a complete insertion.

Conclusion

Complete insertion of a 31.5‐mm flexible array is feasible in most cases and does not appear to be limited by the range of CDL observed in this cohort. Future studies are needed to estimate other variations in cochlear morphology that could predict resistance and failure to achieve complete insertion with long arrays.
Complications Secondary to Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: DeVictor Sam , Ong Adrian A. , Sherris David A.
Published: February 2021

Objective

The popularity of nonsurgical rhinoplasty with injectable fillers continues to rise, and it is important to understand the scope of potential adverse outcomes. The purpose of our study is to determine the prevalence and types of adverse outcomes secondary to nonsurgical rhinoplasty.

Data Sources

PubMed, Cochrane, Embase.

Review Methods

The data sources were explored using the following combination of terms: ((“inject*” OR “nonsurgical” OR “augmentation” OR “filler”) AND “rhinoplast*”) AND (“complication” OR “adverse” OR “embol*”). Studies on human nonsurgical rhinoplasty using injectable fillers were included. A quantitative meta‐analysis was performed on articles with low risk of bias.

Results

The search yielded 37 publications for review, with 23 included cohort studies and 14 case reports with 8604 patients undergoing nonsurgical rhinoplasty with reported complications. The overall rate of adverse outcome across all cohort studies was 2.52%. The most commonly reported complications were bruising (1.58%) and hematoma (0.13%). While uncommon, there are several reports of major complications including 30 episodes of vessel occlusion (0.35%), 7 reports of skin necrosis (0.08%), 8 reports of vision loss (0.09%), and 6 reports of infection (0.07%).

Conclusion

Overall, nonsurgical rhinoplasty with injectable fillers is safe with low rates of complications. However, serious complications, such as vision loss, skin necrosis, and vessel occlusion, can occur. Further studies are needed to optimize delivery of injectable fillers in the nose to decrease the rate of adverse outcomes.
Outcomes from adult veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a cardiovascular disease center from 2009 to 2019
Authors: Gao Sizhe , Liu Gang , Yan Shujie , Lou Song , Gao Guodong , Hu Qiang , Zhang Qiaoni , Qi Jiachen , Yan Weidong , Wang Qian , Wang Jian , Ji Bingyang
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an imperative short-term cardiopulmonary support device now. We aimed to provide a single-center experience of veno-arterial (V-A) ECMO management and identify the risk factors of in-hospital mortality.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients who received V-A ECMO between 2009 and 2019 in a cardiovascular disease center. The risk factor analysis of in-hospital mortality was conducted.

Results:

The study reviewed 236 patients, with an overall survival rate of 68.2%. The survivors’ blood lactate concentration is significantly lower than non-survivors [7.4 (7.8) vs 11.1 (9.7), p = 0.002]. Patients who received heart transplantation were with higher in-hospital survival rate. Survivors developed less hepatic dysfunction, acute kidney injury and myocardial damage [23 (14.3%) vs 19 (25.3%), p = 0.039; 81 (50.3%) vs 51 (68%), p = 0.011; 24 (14.9%) vs 22 (29.3%), p = 0.009, respectively], with higher rate of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) [56 (34.8%) vs 53 (70.7%), p < 0.001]. Fewer survivors’ 24 hours and total chest drainage was over 1000 mL, and the rate of re-exploration as well as red blood cell and platelet transfusion were lower in survivors. In multivariate analysis, female, pre-ECMO blood lactate concentration, hyperlipidemia, CRRT, and 24 hours chest drainage ⩾ 1000 mL were risk factors of early mortality.

Conclusions:

By providing a general description of V-A ECMO practice at a single-center in China. Post-heart transplant graft failure was associated with numerically, the greatest survival in our practice. Furthermore, female sex, pre-ECMO blood lactate concentration, hyperlipidemia, CRRT, and high blood loss in chest drains are predictors of mortality in patients who undergo V-A ECMO.
Association between lower extremity venous insufficiency and duration of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Yapan Emren Zeynep , Emren Sadık Volkan , Ada Fatih , Ömür Sefa Erdi , Dindaş Ferhat
Published: February 2021

Objective

Physiologic studies have shown that atrium has an active role in venous blood return from lower extremity. In this context we investigated the association between AF and chronic venous disease (CVD).

Methods

In this observational study we included 392 AF patients which were divided into two groups (chronic AF, 218 (56%)) and non-chronic. AF, 174 (44%)). These two groups were compared in terms of CVD after matching conventional risk factors for CVD.

Results

CEAP classification was different between chronic and non-chronic patients (C0–C2: 72% vs 47%; C3–C6: 28% vs 53% <0.001). Chronic AF patients had also higher rate of venous reflux on Doppler ultrasound (38% vs 16% P < 0.05). There was a correlation between AF duration, right atrial volume index and CEAP classification respectively (rho:0.314 p < 0.001), (rho:0.258, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Prevalence of CVD is higher in patients with chronic AF. In addition, atrial volume is directly correlated with CVD.
How Physicians Manage Medical Uncertainty: A Qualitative Study and Conceptual Taxonomy
Authors: Han Paul K. J. , Strout Tania D. , Gutheil Caitlin , Germann Carl , King Brian , Ofstad Eirik , Gulbrandsen Pål , Trowbridge Robert
Published: February 2021

Background

Medical uncertainty is a pervasive and important problem, but the strategies physicians use to manage it have not been systematically described.

Objectives

To explore the uncertainty management strategies employed by physicians practicing in acute-care hospital settings and to organize these strategies within a conceptual taxonomy that can guide further efforts to understand and improve physicians’ tolerance of medical uncertainty.

Design

Qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews.

Participants

Convenience sample of 22 physicians and trainees (11 attending physicians, 7 residents [postgraduate years 1–3), 4 fourth-year medical students), working within 3 medical specialties (emergency medicine, internal medicine, internal medicine–pediatrics), at a single large US teaching hospital.

Measurements

Semistructured interviews explored participants’ strategies for managing medical uncertainty and temporal changes in their uncertainty tolerance. Inductive qualitative analysis of audio-recorded interview transcripts was conducted to identify and categorize key themes and to develop a coherent conceptual taxonomy of uncertainty management strategies.

Results

Participants identified various uncertainty management strategies that differed in their primary focus: 1) ignorance-focused, 2) uncertainty-focused, 3) response-focused, and 4) relationship-focused. Ignorance- and uncertainty-focused strategies were primarily curative (aimed at reducing uncertainty), while response- and relationship-focused strategies were primarily palliative (aimed at ameliorating aversive effects of uncertainty). Several participants described a temporal evolution in their tolerance of uncertainty, which coincided with the development of greater epistemic maturity, humility, flexibility, and openness.

Conclusions

Physicians and physician-trainees employ a variety of uncertainty management strategies focused on different goals, and their tolerance of uncertainty evolves with the development of several key capacities. More work is needed to understand and improve the management of medical uncertainty by physicians, and a conceptual taxonomy can provide a useful organizing framework for this work.
Educators need to be educated: Or, ‘class struggle’ in academia
Authors: Das Raju
Published: February 2021

Asking questions – questioning – is a medium through which we clarify our thinking as well as others’. Questioning is also a medium through which we begin to oppose the current system. An important space for questioning is academia. When students ask critical questions to their educators, this practice becomes a form of students’ active participation in their learning process. Besides, the vast majority of students are future workers (and many of them are indeed already workers), so developing a critical perspective on society is crucial to their lives as workers. To the extent that some of them might wish to become what Gramsci would call the organic intellectuals of the masses, then what kind of questions might they ask their educations that might expose the biases of their educators, that might aid their own learning process, and that might indeed make learning a collaborative process between students and teachers? The article suggests that these questions centre on the class character of the society in which we live.
The burden of migraine on acute and emergency services in a London teaching hospital
Authors: Southwell Jessica , Afridi Shazia K
Published: February 2021

Objective

There is a lack of data on the burden of primary headache disorders such as migraine on emergency services. Existing data relies on a coding of “headache”, which encompasses both primary and secondary headache of all causes; for example, subarachnoid haemorrhage. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London is one of the UK’s busiest emergency departments with 150,000 attendances per year. Our aim was to assess the healthcare resource utilisation of primary headaches, in particular migraine, in acute medical services.

Methods

We conducted an audit of all adult presentations to the emergency department of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals which were coded as “headache” over the first 6 months of 2018. We reviewed the initial diagnosis at presentation and also at discharge, investigations and outcome.

Results

Of 78,273 attendances to the emergency department, there were 976 presentations to the emergency department with “headache” as their primary complaint. “Migraine” was the most frequent of all diagnoses, accounting for 30% of all headache presentations and 25% of headache admissions. We calculated the cost of admitting and investigating migraine as £131,250 over the 6-month period.

Conclusion

Emergency admissions for migraine represent an avoidable cost and burden for both the hospital and the migraineur. This data informs us about the need to develop better care pathways for migraine in the community and to improve headache education for physicians and patients.
Bayesian Nonparametric Approach to Average Annual Daily Traffic Estimation for Bridges
Authors: Ashley Grace , Attoh-Okine Nii
Published: February 2021

Every year, the U.S. government provides several billions of dollars in the form of federal funding for transportation services in the U.S.A. Decision making with regard to the use of these funds largely depends on performance indicators like average annual daily traffic (AADT). In this paper, Bayesian nonparametric models are developed through machine learning for the estimation of AADT on bridges. The effect of hyperparameter choice on the accuracy of estimations produced by Bayesian nonparametric models is also assessed. The predictions produced using the Bayesian nonparametric approach are then compared with predictions from a popular Frequentist approach for the selected bridges. Evaluation metrics like the mean absolute percentage error are subsequently employed in model evaluation. Based on the results, the best methods for AADT forecasting for the selected bridges are recommended.
The role of macrophage-derived TGF-β1 on SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis: A review
Authors: Zhang Zhao-qiang , Tian Hai-tao , Liu Hu , Xie Ruining
Published: February 2021

Silicosis is an occupational fibrotic lung disease caused by inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), which is secreted from macrophages, has an important role in the development of this disease. Macrophages can recognize and capture silicon dust, undergo M2 polarization, synthesize TGF-β1 precursors, and secrete them out of the cell where they are activated. Activated TGF-β1 induces cells from different sources, transforming them into myofibroblasts through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms, ultimately causing silicosis. These processes involve complex molecular events, which are not yet fully understood. This systematic summary may further elucidate the location and development of pulmonary fibrosis in the formation of silicosis. In this review, we discussed the proposed cellular and molecular mechanisms of production, secretion, activation of TGF-β1, as well as the mechanisms through which TGF-β1 induces cells from three different sources into myofibroblasts during the pathogenesis of silicosis. This study furthers the medical understanding of the pathogenesis and theoretical basis for diagnosing silicosis, thereby promoting silicosis prevention and treatment.
Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Practices and Strategies of the Global Clothing and Textile Value Chain
Authors: Zhao Li , Kim Kihyung
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has created lots of uncertainties that force clothing and textile (C&T) companies to question their current practices and make urgent changes to navigate their future. Given that this period represents an unprecedented market situation with almost no prior research on how an industry can recover from such a crisis and reshape its value chain, this study aims to present new possibilities with C&T value chain by evaluating specific industry responses. The global value chain framework and resource-based theory of the firm were used as the theoretical framework in this study. Based on case study analysis and extensive literature review, this study develops a conceptual model illustrating the connections among various value chain segments in C&T that have been affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings provide actionable considerations for C&T practitioners when implementing appropriate strategies during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 outbreak.
An Integrative Review of Behavioral Disturbances in Veterans With Dementia and PTSD
Authors: Kramer Abigail , Kovach Shannon , Wilkins Stacy
Published: February 2021

Objective:

Both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dementia have been associated with a variety of behavioral changes; however, little is known about the behavioral consequences of comorbid PTSD and dementia. An integrative review was conducted to identify and examine studies reporting on behavioral disturbances in Veterans with PTSD and dementia.

Methods:

PubMed and PsychINFO databases were searched for articles on behavioral disturbances in Veterans with comorbid PTSD and dementia.

Results:

Seven studies met inclusion for this review, sampling a total of 822 Veterans. Preliminary findings suggest that though Veterans with dementia and comorbid PTSD may present with more difficult behavioral symptoms, they do not typically display increased levels of aggression.

Conclusion:

Given the limited study inventory, the key finding from this review highlights the lack of methodologically rigorous empirical studies on this topic. A research agenda is proposed to encourage future studies to address gaps in the literature.
Parameter-dependent actuator fault estimation for vehicle active suspension systems based on RBFNN
Authors: Xue Wenping , Jin Pan , Li Kangji
Published: February 2021

The actuator fault estimation (FE) problem is addressed in this study for the quarter-car active suspension system (ASS) with consideration of the sprung mass variation. Firstly, the ASS is modeled as a parameter-dependent system with actuator fault and external disturbance input. Then, a parameter-dependent FE observer is designed by using the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) to approximate the actuator fault. In addition, the design conditions are turned into a linear matrix inequality (LMI) problem which can be easily solved with the aid of LMI toolbox. Finally, simulation and comparison results are given to show the accuracy and rapidity of the proposed FE method, as well as good adaptability against the sprung mass variation. Moreover, a simple FE-based active fault-tolerant control (AFTC) strategy is provided to further demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed FE method.
Development and control of a rail vehicle model to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions
Authors: Harrison Tim J , Midgley William JB , Goodall Roger M , Ward Christopher P
Published: February 2021

The development, validation and control of a bi-mode train model is presented. A detailed modular model of a United Kingdom Class 800 train, which included carbon dioxide emissions data, was developed in MATLAB/Simulink. This model was validated against data obtained from a full day of rail journeys in the south-west of England. The validated model was used to develop control measures to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of the train. Combining adaptive speed limit control with selective engine shutdown reduced the carbon dioxide emissions by 19.1% over a representative route without affecting the train’s on-time performance. The model was used to develop a tool for investigating the emissions benefits of (intermittent/discontinuous) route electrification. This tool shows that electrification of a route can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 66%.
An improved analytical model for heat flow in cancerous tumours to avoid thermal injuries during hyperthermia
Authors: Dutta Jaideep , Kundu Balaram
Published: February 2021

The present study highlights an analytical hybrid scheme consisted of a shift of variables and finite integral transform for analysing a local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) bioheat model. This model can have utilised to be a betterment of prediction of the temperature field in the localised hyperthermia therapy (LHT) for the treatment of cancer patients. As the hyperthermia treatment is only the application in living tissues, an appropriate initial condition for the therapeutic thermal response is proposed instead of a constant temperature taken in the previous studies based on the 1-D heat flow. The present analysis suggests the therapeutic exposure time of 7776.8s (2.16 h) with constant heat flux and the exposure time of 10969.9s (3.06 h) with a sinusoidal heat flux within the usual temperature range of the hyperthermia (in a combination of thermal ablation and medium temperature hyperthermia) to be more effective in the treatment protocol. The presented results show that fatal injuries (tissue trauma, thermal burn, etc.) of internal organs might be possible to avoid by the current therapeutic condition. Therefore, this study may nullify the adverse effect of the existing model with the constant heating and consequently, the repercussion of the several therapeutic variables is to estimate with the development of a thermal profile for the suitability of a therapeutic condition. On the other hand, the present study well matches with the published analysis in case of both the theoretical and experimental (live tissues of the pig due to unavailability of real-time data on the human body) studies and it found the maximum deviation of the thermal response as 2.26% and 2.66%, respectively.
Acceptability and feasibility of testing for sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Lau Richard , Eskander Rula , Al-Yaqoobi Mubarak , Al-Habsi Zeyana , Elgalib Ali , Shah Samir , Al-Fouri Maha , Al-Rawahi Bader , Al-Abri Seif
Published: February 2021

There are currently no reliable epidemiological data for estimating the burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Oman. STIs such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia are often asymptomatic and associated with sexual and reproductive morbidity. An exploratory study was conducted in an antenatal clinic in Muscat, Oman, to assess the acceptability and feasibility of testing for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Two hundred and twenty-one women were recruited over 14 weeks between July and October 2020. There were three cases of chlamydia (3/221, 1.36%); no cases of gonorrhoea were identified. Acceptability and feasibility for testing in this cohort of pregnant women were good despite anticipated cultural sensitivities surrounding sexually transmitted infections.
Circ SMARCA5 Inhibited Tumor Metastasis by Interacting with SND1 and Downregulating the YWHAB Gene in Cervical Cancer
Authors: Zhang Xia , Zhang Qing , Zhang Ke , Wang Fang , Qiao Xiaogai , Cui Jinquan
Published: February 2021

Cervical cancer is one of the diseases that seriously endanger women’s health. Circular RNA plays an important role in regulating the occurrence and development of cervical cancer. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of circ SMARCA5 in the development of cervical cancer. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results showed that the expression of SMARCA5 was downregulated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Then we found that overexpression of SMARCA5 inhibited proliferation and invasion, but promoted apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. These were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell, and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide detection kit, respectively, and the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins was determined by western blotting. Then we predicted that SMARCA5 combined with Staphylococcal nuclease domain-containing 1 (SND1) by starBase, and verified by RNA pull-down assay. To further reveal the molecular mechanisms of SMARCA5 in the progression of cervical cancer, the interaction protein of SND1 was predicted by STRING, and the interaction was verified by co-immunoprecipitation assay. Then, the effects of SND1 or YWHAB on the development of cervical cancer were detected by the gain and loss function test, and we found that knockdown of SND1 or YWHAB reversed the effects of SMARCA5 short interfering RNA on proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. Overexpression of SMARCA5 inhibited cervical cancer metastasis in vivo. Our results showed that overexpression of circ SMARCA5 inhibits the binding of SND1 to YWHAB, and inhibits the proliferation and invasion, but promotes apoptosis in cervical cancer cells, thus inhibiting the metastasis of cervical cancer.
The Effect of Rural Poverty on Access to Land in Ethiopia
Authors: Nigussie Kassie Dessie , Admassie Assefa , Jayamohan M. K.
Published: February 2021

Land ownership and its persistent gap between rich and poor is one of the pressing development challenges in Africa. Access to land has fundamental implications for a poor and agrarian African economy like Ethiopia, where most people depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Empirical literatures suggest that access to land is a cause and effect of poverty—at the same time, the role of poverty status of the household in gaining or limiting access to land has received only a passing attention from researchers. This study investigates the effect of ‘being poor’ on access to land using ordered probit and censored tobit models. Three wave panel data of Ethiopian Rural Socioeconomic Survey (ERSS) collected between 2011–12 and 2015–16 are used for the analysis. The study result confirms that poverty does have significant effect on household’s participation and intensity of participation on both sides of the rental market. It is found that being poor, as compared to non-poor counterpart, leads to an increase in the likelihood of rent-in land by 0.068 hectare and reduce the likelihood of rent-out land by 0.046 hectare at 1% and 5% significance levels, respectively. The tenants are not characterised as economically disadvantaged reflecting the existence of reverse tenancy among rural poor in Ethiopia.
Motivation Matters: Three Strategies to Support Motivation and Engagement in Mathematics
Authors: Morano Stephanie , Markelz Andrew M. , Randolph Kathleen M. , Myers Anna Moriah , Church Naomi
Published: February 2021

Motivation and engagement in mathematics are important for academic success and are sometimes compromised in students with disabilities who have experienced a history of frustration and failure. This article explains how general and special education teachers can implement three research-supported strategies for boosting motivation and engagement for elementary students with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in the mathematics classroom. The strategies include (a) reinforcing engagement and motivation in mathematics using behavior-specific praise and token economy systems; (b) teaching self-monitoring and self-regulation strategies to promote attentive behavior and academic achievement; and (c) using the high-preference strategy to build behavioral momentum and support completion of nonpreferred tasks.
Trauma-Informed Strategies for Culturally Diverse Students Diagnosed With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Hurless Nicole , Kong Na Young
Published: February 2021

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) requires that school counselors engage with and advocate for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), in addition to requiring competency in counseling culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. However, few publications have called for increased attention to the intersectional needs of this population. This column provides a brief rationale for focusing on students with EBD who are also CLD and recommends a trauma-informed approach to supporting them through fostering a safe school-wide environment, building faculty and staff cultural competence, increasing collaborative communication with students and families, and recommending counseling services in individualized education program meetings.
Linking bulk modulus to an unilateral damage yield criterion: A thermodynamic modeling approach
Authors: Saramito Piere , Dansereau Véronique , Weiss Jérôme
Published: February 2021

This work presents a new damage criterion suitable for elastic, elastic-plastic/viscous or elastic-viscous-plastic materials involving rupture effects. Its derivation, made here within a thermodynamic framework, follows previous scalar-valued damage mechanics approaches. Such approaches are appropriate to many geophysical problems involving quasi-brittle materials for which there is no clear physical justification for the level of complexity of a tensorial damage variable. Distinction between the mechanical response to compressive and tensile stresses is therefore not introduced by the damage itself but via a special definition of the Helmholtz free energy. This scheme differs from previous ones in that it combines with an evolution of Poisson’s ratio with the level of damage, which allows expressing the damage criterion in the principal stresses space. Moreover, there is no need to compute the stress eigensystem, which makes it simpler to implement than the Mohr–Coulomb damage criterion. Here we derive this damage criterion and compare it to observations of the variations of the bulk modulus in damaged geomaterials. We also compare it to in-situ stress measurements and find a good agreement in terms of the shape of the criterion in the stress space. We tentatively interpret the results in the context of previous studies of rock and ice mechanics.
Oseltamivir-Associated Bradycardia in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: MacLaren Robert , Francisco Janelle , Fetters Megan , Brady Jessica , Kim Crystal , Welker Cameron
Published: February 2021

Background:

Oseltamivir is frequently administered to critically ill patients with presumed influenza. It may modulate Na+, K+, and Ca2+ channels to produce bradycardia.

Objective:

To evaluate the association between oseltamivir and bradycardia in critically ill patients and assess parameters associated with bradycardia.

Methods:

This was a retrospective audit of 203 critically ill adults with presumed influenza receiving at least 2 doses of oseltamivir. The primary outcome was the occurrence of bradycardia, defined as a heart rate (HR) ≤59 beats per minute (BPM) while receiving oseltamivir or a decrease of ≥20 BPM compared with the lowest HR before initiating oseltamivir.

Results:

A total of 88 (43.4%) patients manifested bradycardia, 59 with HR ≤59 BPM, 19 with HR decrease of ≥20 BPM, and 10 with both. The time from first dose to bradycardia was 51.4 ± 43 hours. In all, 48 (54.6%) patients received therapies for bradycardia, including increased inotropic/vasopressor dose, electrolyte replacement, electrocardiogram, discontinuation of other medications, cardiology consult, discontinuation of oseltamivir, and pacer placement. There were no significant differences between groups with bradycardia versus without in terms of demographics, laboratory values, hospital characteristics, or oseltamivir dosing. Multivariate logistic regression showed that bradycardia was associated with baseline HR, age, past medical history of neurological issues, and positive influenza status. Between hours 6 through 126, significant differences existed between groups in actual and lowest HR.

Conclusion and Relevance:

Oseltamivir was associated with clinically relevant bradycardia in critically ill patients. Clinicians should closely monitor HR in critically ill patients receiving oseltamivir.