bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multilevel Information Granule Construction Model Based on Large Data Environment and Its Application in Time Series
Authors: Yu Dongxian , Xiao Jian
Published: March 2022

Considering the uneven distribution of time series data in time windows, this paper designs an information granulation method based on the idea of “multigranularity,” and uses multilayer information granularity to construct the prediction model of time series. Firstly, a multigranularity time series model is established by applying binary relation on the time axis of time series data, and an evaluation effect function of time series data mining is introduced for the purpose of forecasting tasks. Based on this function, the optimal time granularity of prediction is found. In view of the uncertainty of time series, a multidimensional matrix model of attributes of sequence data is constructed, and the clustering category information of each attribute is obtained by clustering operation on the matrix model. Finally, the clustered data are classified by machine learning method to obtain classification knowledge. Prediction is achieved by classifying knowledge. Finally, the ICU data were used to predict the life and death of ICU patients to test the predictive effect of granular computing on time series data. The experimental results show the following: (1) the proposed method is superior to the traditional time series analysis and modeling methods. (2) When EM clustering algorithm, optimal time granularity and ID3 decision tree algorithm are used, the prediction rate of ICU mortality can reach 92.13% by using ICU time series data.
Michaelis-Menten-Type Prey Harvesting in Discrete Modified Leslie-Gower Predator-Prey Model
Authors: Khan M. Saqib , Abbas Mujahid , Bonyah Ebenezer , Qi Hengxiao
Published: March 2022

A discrete-time Michaelis-Menten-type prey harvesting is discussed in this paper, in the modified Leslie-Gower predator-prey model. Detailed analysis of the topology of nonnegative interior fixed points is given, including their existence and stability dynamics. Also, the conditions for the existence of flip and Neimark-Sacker bifurcations are derived by using the center manifold theorem and bifurcation theory. The numerical simulations are provided, using a computer package, to illustrate the consistency of theoretical results.
A Deep Learning Model with Virtual Reality Technology for Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Zhao Yu , Liu Shuying
Published: March 2022

Attention is considered a sufficient condition for transforming input into absorption in the field of second language acquisition and is a major cognitive factor influencing second language learning. The temporal characteristics of attentional shift are a more accurate reflection of second language learners’ thinking processes. Based on this, this study uses deep learning techniques and VR technology to explore the attentional patterns of the second language (English) learners when processing online tasks. The experiments show that the linear attentional control model of young second language learners is closely related to their online task performance, which can visually explain the effect of their linear attentional control on online task completion. The model also has a high regression/prediction accuracy.
Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Listeria monocytogenes in Dairy Products with Reduction Trials Using Rosmarinic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Clove, and Thyme Essential Oils
Authors: Elafify Mahmoud , Elabbasy Mohamed Tharwat , Mohamed Rasha Samir , Mohamed Esraa A. , Saad Eldin Walaa Fathy , Darwish Wageh Sobhy , Eldrehmy Essam Hassan , Shata Radwa Reda
Published: March 2022

Continuous monitoring of Listeria spp., particularly Listeria monocytogenes, in foods is a mandatory task for food safety and microbiology sectors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of L. monocytogenes in milk and dairy products retailed in Egypt. Furthermore, an experimental trial was conducted to investigate the antilisterial effects of some phytochemicals. A total of 200 samples (market raw milk, Kareish cheese, Damietta cheese, and plain yoghurt, 50 each) were collected and examined for detection of Listeria spp. The results revealed that 8, 12, 1, and 0 samples of market raw milk, Damietta cheese, Kareish cheese, and plain yoghurt were contaminated with Listeria spp., respectively. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing revealed that all L. monocytogenes isolates (15) were resistant to streptomycin and erythromycin. Molecular analysis revealed that 86.67% of L. monocytogenes harbored hylA virulent gene. Use of rosmarinic acid, ascorbic acid, thyme, and clove essential oils significantly (

P
<
0.05

) reduced L. monocytogenes growth in soft cheese—artificially contaminated with L. monocytogenes throughout a 4-week incubation period. In conclusion, strict hygienic conditions should be adopted during the preparation and distribution of dairy products. In addition, rosmarinic acid, ascorbic acid, clove, and thyme essential oils are good candidates as food preservatives with antilisterial activities.
Debates on the Nature of Blood and the Forging of Social Models in Early Modern Spain (1630s)
Authors: Ortega-del-Cerro Pablo , Hernández-Franco Juan
Published: March 2022

During the early modern period, blood was not only the red fluid that circulates within the body, but also an important cultural and social element. It was a symbol that synthesized and represented the most relevant social principles: individuals, families, and groups were defined according to the alleged nature of their blood, and, thus, it was an important matrix through which society was built and imagined. However, there were many ways to think about blood, each of which reflected a different social model. In this article, we study different concepts of blood and seek to understand their symbolic value. We aim to dissect and analyze their meanings in order to reconstruct the implicit models of society which they embodied. We focus on three Castilian treatises that deal with the issue of purity-of-blood, written by Fernando de Valdés, Gerónimo de la Cruz, and Bartolomé Jiménez de Patón in the 1630s – a decade of resurgent Anti-Judaism and racist attitudes in Castile. They represent different currents of opinion about purity-of-blood statutes – essentially, those wishing to abolish, reform, and preserve this system of social segregation – and they allow us to examine the characterization of blood traits, the construction of social principles, and the forging of ideal societies.
Hobbes Reenvisions Hebraic and Christian History
Authors: Nyquist Mary
Published: March 2022

In this essay, I examine Hobbes’s interpretation of Scriptural passages that figure prominently in contemporaneous political debates. Hobbes’s interpretative practices affirm his major systematic aims but also contribute to his inventive reenvisioning of Hebraic and Christian political history. The privileged position Hobbes gives Hebraic forms of rule together with his treatment of I Samuel 8 are motivated, in part, by a need to counter Aristotle’s influence on an exegetical tradition that opposes monarchy-as-tyranny in connection with this central, much-debated text. Hobbes conjoins his counter-revolutionary interpretation of 1 Samuel 8 with specific passages in the Christian New Testament that permit him to insert Jesus as “king of the Jews” into a startlingly unique conception of Hebraic and Christian history. This revisionary history and eschatology support Hobbes’s theorization of absolute sovereignty and undercut fantastical beliefs in an immaterial world.
Grammatical Propositions
Authors: Schmitz Barbara
Published: March 2022

First of all, this paper aims at a clarification of Wittgenstein’s conception of grammatical propositions. Their essential characteristics will be developed and some of the central questions concerning their status will be discussed: Should grammatical propositions be seen as arbitrary conventions? How do they work in practices? And how do they relate to natural facts? Later on, the two propositions “Every rod has a length” and “Sensations are private” will be discussed in more detail, for both fulfil three important features of grammatical propositions: They are not empirical descriptions, they are rules of a practice, and they are not knowledge-claims but express insights. Focussing on the grammar of pain language, it will be shown what kind of interdependency exists between grammar and natural facts. It will also turn out that some grammatical propositions are closely connected to our understanding of living a human form of life.
Under the Radar: Visibility and the Effects of Discrimination Lawsuits in Small and Large Firms
Authors: Knight Carly , Dobbin Frank , Kalev Alexandra
Published: March 2022

Research on how discrimination lawsuits affect corporate diversity has yielded mixed results. Qualitative studies highlight the limited efficacy of lawsuits in the typical workplace, finding that litigation frequently elicits resistance and even retribution from employers. But quantitative studies find that lawsuits can increase workforce diversity. This article develops an account of managerial resistance and firm visibility to reconcile these divergent findings. First, we synthesize job autonomy and group conflict theories to account for resistance that occurs when dominant groups perceive non-dominant groups to be attempting to usurp managerial authority, in this case through litigation. Second, we integrate insights from organizational institutionalism, which suggests that highly visible firms seek to demonstrate compliance with legal and societal norms. Drawing on this theory, we predict that only large, visible firms will see increases in diversity following lawsuits, and, by the same token, that the most visible workplaces of those large firms, their headquarters, will see the greatest changes. We test our hypotheses with data on litigation and workforce composition from a diverse set of 632 firms that were sued by the EEOC between 1997 and 2006. This study shows that understanding the consequences of lawsuits across firms, and across organizations within them, is key to tackling workplace discrimination.
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the effect of psilocybin and methylenedioxymethamphetamine on mental, behavioural or developmental disorders
Authors: Kisely Steve , Connor Mark , Somogyi Andrew A , Siskind Dan
Published: March 2022

Objectives:

There is an increasing interest in combining psilocybin or methylenedioxymethamphetamine with psychological support in treating psychiatric disorders. Although there have been several recent systematic reviews, study and participant numbers have been limited, and the field is rapidly evolving with the publication of more studies. We therefore conducted a systematic review of PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and CINAHL for randomised controlled trials of methylenedioxymethamphetamine and psilocybin with either inactive or active controls.

Methods:

Outcomes were psychiatric symptoms measured by standardised, validated and internationally recognised instruments at least 2 weeks following drug administration, Quality was independently assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework.

Results:

There were eight studies on methylenedioxymethamphetamine and six on psilocybin. Diagnoses included post-traumatic stress disorder, long-standing/treatment-resistant depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety in adults with autism, and anxiety or depression in life-threatening disease. The most information and strongest association was for the change in methylenedioxymethamphetamine scores compared to active controls in post-traumatic stress disorder ( k = 4; standardised mean difference = −0.86; 95% confidence interval = [−1.23, −0.50]; p < 0.0001). There were also small benefits for social anxiety in adults with autism. Psilocybin was superior to wait-list but not niacin (active control) in life-threatening disease anxiety or depression. It was equally as effective as escitalopram in long-standing depression for the primary study outcome and superior for most of the secondary outcomes in analyses uncorrected for multiple comparisons. Both agents were well tolerated in supervised trials. Trial quality varied with only small proportions of potential participants included in the randomised phase. Overall certainty of evidence was low or very low using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework.

Conclusion:

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and psilocybin may show promise in highly selected populations when administered in closely supervised settings and with intensive support.
The Boon and Bane of Blockchain: Getting the Governance Right
Authors: Goldsby Curtis , Hanisch Marvin
Published: March 2022

Countless enterprise blockchains fail to live up to high expectations, often because the supporting governance structures are insufficiently established or have become stagnant. Based on interviews with 153 blockchain executives and an analysis of publicly documented use cases, this article offers a guide for blockchain scholars and practitioners. Its framework highlights the coordination and control challenges that exist in blockchain governance contexts and presents four generic governance modes to address them: chief, clan, custodian, and consortium. Managers can use these governance modes as a basis for four strategic moves (connecting, isolating, loosening, and tightening) to navigate blockchain governance challenges.
Sources of Instability in Nigeria’s Manufacturing Performance: 1981–2018
Authors: Onodje Michael Akpovbera , Onodje Patrick Onosode
Published: March 2022

The article investigates factors that may be responsible for observed instability in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector performance. Based on growing concerns regarding early deindustrialisation observed for many developing countries, the study examines how a menu of fiscal and monetary policies can be applied to revitalise the Nigerian manufacturing sector. Consequently, we construct an index of manufacturing sector instability and examine how it responds to a mixture of fiscal and monetary policy variables. We use annual time series data from 1981–2018 and apply the ARDL bounds test technique. Our findings show that budget deficits induce instability in the performance of the Nigerian manufacturing sector, while government infrastructural investments stabilise it. The monetary policy instruments were found to have inconsistent short-run and long-run influences but mostly conform with theory.

JEL Codes: F63, L20, L25, L60, O10, O14
Reimagining Indigenised social work in Uganda: Voices of practitioners
Authors: Wamara Charles Kiiza , Twikirize Janestic , Bennich Maria , Strandberg Thomas
Published: March 2022

Using thematic analysis, this study examined social workers’ (n = 21) descriptions of what Indigenised social work practice in Uganda entails. Responses from semi-structured interviews revealed the following three themes that inform social workers’ understanding of Indigenised social work practice: (1) collective action and mutuality, (2) communal welfare and respect for life and (3) liberation and restoration. The discussion aims at understanding the hallmarks of each description in relation to the notions of Indigenised social work as culturally inclusive and responsive practice, developmental social work and political action.
The Value of Thinking About Feelings Across Cultures: A Preliminary Investigation of the Mentalizing Values Scale
Authors: Aival-Naveh Erez , Rothschild-Yakar Lily , Park Joonha , Kurman Jenny
Published: March 2022

In this proof-of-concept paper, we aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation of a newly developed scale that focuses on what we have termed “mentalizing values”—that is, the extent to which thinking about internal mental states is valued across different cultures. To this end, we report the results of a cross-cultural comparison of mentalizing values, Schwartz’s value dimensions, and two overlapping concepts: externally oriented thinking (EOT) and emotional awareness (EA), in a sample of students from Japan, the UK, and Israel ( N = 360). The results indicate that the mentalizing values scale (MVS) has good internal consistency in different languages and seems to capture a similar unidimensional construct across the three cultures. In Israel, people ranked mentalizing values as very important for them relative to other values, whereas in Japan, mentalizing values were relatively less important to people. In the UK, the relative importance of mentalizing values was between that assigned by their counterparts from Israel and Japan. EOT and EA were predicted by mentalizing values and by conservation across cultures, with mentalizing values explaining cultural differences over and above conservation, and mentalizing values being the only significant predictor within each culture. Finally, a parallel mediation model indicated that cultural differences in EOT and EA could be explained by mentalizing values and conservation. Overall, these findings lend initial support for the utility of the MVS and suggest that cultural variations in mentalizing values can be heavily intertwined with concepts that emphasize people’s tendency or capacity to think about feelings, such as EOT and EA.
Thermo-physical evaluation of firefighter outer garment in high flux environments
Authors: Bhutta Rumeel A , Choi Sengkwan
Published: March 2022

Thermal protective performance tests have been conducted and improved over the years to assess the safety provided by firefighters’ outer thermal garments. Existing evaluation criteria based on empirical relations require an iterative process to estimate skin burn injuries. In this work, the concept of critical time – maximum exposure time before physical failure, is proposed, and utilized to abate this iterative process. The critical time relation to the fabric performance is investigated at an incident heat flux of 41, 84 and 126 kW/m2. Furthermore, parametric studies are performed to characterize the fabric thermo-physical behavior and associated burn degree. The tested specimens consist of an outer shell, a moisture barrier and a thermal liner. The methodology of visual assessment as per ISO 6942 is implemented to approximate the critical time. The critical time relation to increasing incident heat flux displayed a nonlinear performance reduction in the garment. An increase in the second degree burn time was observed for a vertically oriented bench-scale test. The firefighter’s current outer garment failed at a high flux of 126 kW/m2. The concept of relating the critical time to cumulative incident flux will aid the education of firefighters on fluctuating fire environments. This research opens a new domain to analyse the protective garments utilising the critical time.
Qualitative job insecurity and extra-role behaviours: The moderating role of work motivation and perceived investment in employee development
Authors: Nikolova Irina , Caniëls Marjolein CJ , Sverke Magnus
Published: March 2022

This article examines how qualitative job insecurity, work motivation and perceived investment in employee development (PIED) are associated with employees’ contextual performance in terms of extra-role behaviours (ERBs). The authors propose a three-way interaction model and suggest that the way qualitative job insecurity relates to employees’ ERBs is contingent upon their work motivation and PIED. Results showed that there was a significant three-way interaction between job insecurity, PIED and intrinsic motivation (but not for extrinsic motivation) for ERBs. Employees who reported high qualitative job insecurity but had low intrinsic motivation engaged in more ERBs when they were given ample opportunities for development, while highly intrinsically motivated individuals exhibited fewer ERBs when the organization supported their professional development. This study contributes to the job insecurity and motivation literatures. To increase ERBs, organizations are advised to reduce qualitative job insecurity and to provide ample learning opportunities for employees who have low levels of intrinsic motivation.
Employer associations: Climate change, power and politics
Authors: Goods Caleb , Ellem Bradon
Published: March 2022

How employer associations deploy their power resources to frame and pursue members’ interests in the making of public policy is of marked importance in many economies. This is strikingly so in Australia where employer associations have, over a 30-year period, shaped a critically important industrial relations policy space – climate change. In exploring this issue, in this article the authors combine studies from industrial relations and political science to show that, despite suggestions of employer association decline, these organisations exert influence over policymaking in both ‘noisy’ and ‘quiet’ ways. These forms of influence can be understood as linked to specific sources of power – structural, associational, institutional, societal – as employer associations define and pursue members’ interests.
‘Someone should have looked after us’: the boundary work of mental health disclosure on TV
Authors: Thorbjørnsrud Kjersti , Lånkan Kjersti Blehr
Published: March 2022

This article investigates the boundary work of young people who disclose personal experiences of mental health illness and trauma in a reality TV series. The programme in focus features group therapy sessions led by a professional psychologist, supplemented by personal video diaries. Combining disclosure theory with media sociological perspectives, the article analyses how boundaries are drawn, negotiated or trespassed in the production process. Data is based on in-depth interviews with participants, supplemented with background interviews with the production team and therapist. A main finding is that participants’ experiences in retrospect vary greatly: from accounts of meaningful self-disclosure to regret, increased strain and flare up of illness. Participants with negative experiences highlighted a lack of control over their stories, alienating representations of themselves and guilt about revealing information about third parties. The article concludes that interventional ‘do-good TV’, which builds authority and rhetorical ethos by offering professional therapy to participants, calls for careful consideration of the often-opaque relations of power and instrumental interests involved in this production setting.
Does the Running Variable Matter? A Second Look at Discontinuity Designs for Evaluating Regional Economic Development and Business Incentive Policies
Authors: Bondonio Daniele
Published: March 2022

In recent years, a growing number of studies have applied regression discontinuity designs (RDDs) to the analysis of prominent regional economic development and business incentive policies. As a result, impact evaluations of these policy interventions are being increasingly commissioned under the assumption that local linear regressions have superior impact identification properties in the cases in which an eligibility boundary, geographical border or application cutoff is identifiable as a source of treatment assignment. This paper shows that in a number of frequently encountered cases, however, economic development and business incentive programs pose peculiar impact identification conditions in terms of violations of main assumptions for the validity of RDDs and of running variables that have little or no influence of the outcome variable. Under these circumstances, that bear generalizable relevance also for the analysis of other public programs at large, no adequate testing to support the internal validity of the applied discontinuity design is often performed in the literature and the use of local linear/polynomial regressions, or cross-border comparisons, becomes an inadequate choice. When these conditions apply, adopting instead other quasi-experimental methods to achieve an actual adequate treatment-control balance of the relevant baseline characteristic will often be a better approach.

JEL classification; O1; R5; C23
Financial Eschatology and the Libidinal Economy of Leverage
Authors: Samman Amin , Sgambati Stefano
Published: March 2022

Apocalyptic thinking has a long religious and political tradition, but what place does it occupy within the temporal universe of contemporary capitalism? In this essay, we use the figure of the eschaton to draw out the loaded and ambiguous character of the future as it emerges through the condition of indebtedness. This entails a departure from political economy accounts of capitalist futurity, which stress the structural logic of financial speculation, in favour of an existential account that begins instead with the cosmology of money and debt. We argue that finance capital’s fixation on the future has produced a very specific form of apocalyptic imagination, characteristic of financial society and built on a libidinal economy of leverage. Rather than offering an ecstatic end to the global process of financialization, financial eschatologies bind the contemporary subject to debt and indebtedness to the very end: an endless apocalypse, premised on the ends of finance itself.
Popular Art, Crime and Urban Order Beyond the State
Authors: Oosterbaan Martijn , Jaffe Rivke
Published: March 2022

This article engages with current discussions on the politics of aesthetics to theorize the role of popular art in reproducing or contesting urban orders. Specifically, we engage with scholars who have taken up the work of Jacques Rancière to understand how power structures are normalized through ‘the distribution of the sensible’. Building on and critically engaging with debates on the ‘post-political city’, we suggest that all too often scholars fall back on a binary, state-centric approach that depicts non-state popular aesthetics as either revolutionary and disruptive, or as indicative of an alternative form of oppression. Drawing on our work in Kingston, Jamaica, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we argue that sensorial-political, art-based urban struggles shape multiple urban orders that are distinct but not necessarily antagonistic. Applying Stuart Hall’s work on popular culture to contexts of criminal governance, we show how art is often simultaneously supportive and disruptive of urban orders.
Attachment in the time of COVID-19: Insecure attachment orientations are associated with defiance of authorities’ guidelines during the pandemic
Authors: Gruneau Brulin Joel , Shaver Phillip R. , Mikulincer Mario , Granqvist Pehr
Published: March 2022

Previous research has linked people’s relational attachment orientations to emotional reactions and coping during crises, and to social trust and trust in societal institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis for which collective efforts, such as social distancing, are necessary to stop the spread of the virus. During previous pandemics, people high in trust have typically adhered to such efforts. In the present study, we investigated whether attachment orientations were related to people’s adherence to authorities’ guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19. We also tested whether previous mediational findings—linking attachment-related avoidance to welfare state trust via social trust—would replicate. We used a web-based survey of 620 participants. Our findings showed that attachment-related anxiety was linked to low adherence to social distancing regulations. This finding was especially noteworthy because high attachment-anxious participants also experienced more negative emotions, yet negative emotions were generally linked to high adherence. Thus, people higher in attachment anxiety seem to have more difficulties in avoiding social situations despite heightened risk of catching and spreading the virus. In addition, attachment-related avoidance was negatively related to adherence and to welfare state trust, and its effects on welfare state trust were statistically mediated by low social trust.
Squamous cell histological transformation in a lung adenocarcinoma patient (hyper) progressing upon immunotherapy
Authors: Mariniello Annapaola , Righi Luisella , Morrone Antonio , Carnio Simona , Bironzo Paolo
Published: March 2022

Introduction:

In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) histologic transformation upon immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) is rare.

Case presentation:

We described the case of a patient with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma who relapsed after surgery. At the time of relapse, he received chemo-radiotherapy, followed by consolidation immunotherapy. After 3 cycles the patient experienced disease hyperprogression for onset of a new lung mass, which resulted in squamous cell carcinoma. The preservation of an atypical mutation in the v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) gene in both the primary adenocarcinoma and the new squamous carcinoma suggests histological transformation, likely ICI-related.

Discussion:

We reviewed similar cases in literature, highlighting common patterns and substantial differences. For a deeper insight into inherent biological mechanisms, re-biopsy in case of atypical ICI response should be encouraged.
Factors associated with intraoperative intravenous catheter extravasation in children
Authors: Mecoli Marc D , Ding Lili , Yang Gang , McSoley Joseph W , Doellman Darcy A , Rineair Sylvia A , Subramanyam Rajeev
Published: March 2022

Summary

This retrospective study aimed to determine the incidence of and factors associated with peripheral intravenous extravasation in paediatric patients in the intraoperative setting. We conducted a retrospective study of 56,777 patients who underwent general anaesthesia and had peripheral intravenous catheter placement at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital between 1 January 2015 and 1 January 2017. Data collected included age, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification, catheter site, number of cannulation attempts, ultrasound use for cannulation, surgery duration, and surgery class. Primary outcome was peripheral intravenous extravasation using an extravasation assessment tool. Some 64,814 peripheral venous catheters were placed in patients undergoing general anaesthesia. Significant extravasation was documented in 40 catheters with an estimated incidence of 1 in 1620 venous catheters (0.06%). Of those 40 catheters, 47.5% ( n = 19) were placed using ultrasound and 37.5% ( n = 15) required more than one cannulation attempt. In multivariable analysis, peripheral intravenous catheter extravasation was associated with American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification (3, 4, 5) versus (1, 2) (odds ratio 2.42 (95% CI 1.08 to 5.41)), inpatient versus outpatient surgeries (odds ratio 2.99 (95% CI 1.31 to 6.81)), and intravenous catheters placed with ultrasound guidance (odds ratio 8.01 (95% CI 4.12 to 15.57)). Our study identified factors associated with intraoperative peripheral intravenous extravasation, and will help develop mitigation strategies to minimise harm to patients.
Airway emergency from megaoesophagus: A rare complication of an adjustable gastric band
Authors: Lea Richard , Tran Andre K , Trochsler Markus , Thiruvenkatarajan Venkatesan
Published: March 2022

A 77-year-old lady with a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB), implanted 12 years earlier for obesity, developed an unusual but almost fatal complication, characterised by dysphonia and stridor within minutes and a tensely swollen anterior neck. The condition mimicked haemorrhage into the subcutaneous tissues of the neck, and the airway was secured with an awake fibreoptic intubation. Subsequent computed tomography imaging of the abdomen and chest revealed megaoesophagus with dilatation up to 7 cm, proximal to the gastric band. The band was then deflated percutaneously with immediate resolution of the neck swelling. In patients with LAGB in situ, fluid should be removed from the band for any suspected device-associated symptoms such as severe vomiting, severe gastro-oesophageal reflux or neck swelling and respiratory distress. When there is radiological evidence of gross oesophageal dilatation or a high likelihood of an obstructive pathology at the level of the band, a careful nasogastric tube decompression may also resolve reflux, neck swelling or respiratory distress. A complication associated with LAGB should be considered in a patient with unexplained neck swelling or other features of airway obstruction who has an LAGB in situ.
Testing Connected Vehicle-Based Accident Mitigation for Red-Light Violation Using Simulation Strategies
Authors: Tajalli Mehrdad , Al Islam S. M. A. Bin , List George F. , Hajbabaie Ali
Published: March 2022

Simulation is often suggested as a way to analyze the safety improvements of geometric changes and operational strategies. But the results from simulations are mixed. This paper presents new ideas about how to do such assessments, especially in the context of testing the value of vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle to infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle to pedestrian (V2P) communications in preventing crashes because of red-light violation at signalized intersections. Algorithms are created that watch for impending collisions through sensing and then issue speed and trajectory changes to avoid accidents. Red-light violation is a primary focus because it increases the likelihood that collisions will occur. VISSIM is used to test these ideas, including new communication and control algorithms that link to vehicles, pedestrians, and signal controllers through the communication interface. The algorithms predict unsafe conditions, determine an appropriate crash remedial decision, and communicate those controls with the appropriate vehicles and pedestrians. The impacts of these algorithms are explored under various demand patterns, connected vehicle market penetration rates, and red-light violation rates in a hypothetical simulated environment. The simulation analysis suggests that the number of near-crash events can be reduced significantly if V2V and V2P communications are implemented. Moreover, adding V2I communication on top of these may further reduce the number of near-crash events. These results suggest that not only could such control strategies have significant impacts, but also those impacts can be assessed through simulation.
Implementation of NCHRP 9-44A Fatigue Endurance Limit Prediction Model in Mechanistic-Empirical Asphalt Pavement Analysis Web Application
Authors: Ghazavi Mahdi , Abdollahi Seyed Farhad , Kutay M. Emin
Published: March 2022

One of the essential components of various design methods for perpetual (or long-life) flexible pavements is elimination (or minimization) of bottom-up fatigue cracking. For this purpose, the concept of the fatigue endurance limit (FEL) is used. The FEL is defined as a strain threshold below which fatigue damage does not accumulate for any number of load repetitions. Different ranges of FEL values have been reported in the literature. Recent studies have showed that FEL is not a single value and depends on several factors. The NCHRP 9-44A project resulted in an FEL prediction model based on the micro-crack healing concept and stiffness, both of which can fluctuate throughout the service life of a pavement. In this study, NCHRP 9-44A FEL prediction model was implemented in the Mechanistic-Empirical Asphalt Pavement Analysis (MEAPA) web application to investigate the effect of fluctuating FEL on bottom-up fatigue cracking prediction in three typical road sections (low, medium, and high traffic) in Michigan. The critical bottom-up fatigue strains, predicted FEL, and predicted fatigue cracking for each road section have been compared. The results revealed that implementation of FEL is critical for accuracy in the prediction of fatigue cracking in relatively thick pavements that are subjected to high traffic loading. The effect of FEL, however, was minimal in thin pavements with low traffic levels. Therefore, given that the mechanistic-empirical pavement design methods are typically used while designing highly trafficked pavements (e.g., highways, arterials, etc.), proper implementation of the FEL concept in pavement design is very important.
Quantifying the Extent to Which Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Reduce Accidents at Railroad Grade Crossings: A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Mathew Jacob , Benekohal Rahim F.
Published: March 2022

This paper quantifies the safety benefits of a proposed near real-time traffic control system for highway–rail grade crossing (HRGC) utilizing emerging safety technologies in connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). The connected-vehicle technologies that have applications at a railroad crossing include vehicle-based technologies (railroad crossing violation warning, automated or semi-automated braking system, drowsiness/distracted driver alert) and technologies that require cooperation from the railroad industry (advanced warnings to trains about an occupied crossing). This paper provides a methodology to quantify the reduction in crashes as safety technologies become prevalent. It first identifies crash characteristics that enable the classification of crashes as preventable crashes or not. This classification is used to train machine learning models to estimate the likelihood of a potential crash being preventable. The machine learning model is used along with the zero inflated negative binomial with empirical Bayes system (ZINEBS) model to estimate the expected accident count at a crossing when a percentage of vehicles in the traffic stream is CAV. This paper presents case studies for three crossings to show the reduction in crashes with the increase in the percentage of connected vehicles in the traffic stream. It also presents the general trend in the reduction expected by analyzing 50 crossings of each warning device type.
Modeling Pedestrian Temporal Violations at Signalized Crosswalks: A Random Intercept Parametric Survival Model
Authors: Liu Yan , Alsaleh Rushdi , Sayed Tarek
Published: March 2022

This study aims to model pedestrian temporal violation behavior at signalized crosswalks. Video data of pedestrian crossing behavior were collected from three locations in China and were used to investigate the effect of several factors on pedestrian temporal violation behavior. The temporal violation behavior was analyzed using the relationship between pedestrian waiting duration and their endurance probabilities. A fully parametric duration model with Weibull distribution was used to model the temporal violation behavior, and the cluster-specific heterogeneity among the three study sites was accounted for using random intercepts. Six variables were identified to significantly affect the violation behavior: pedestrian gender and phone distraction status, location type, pedestrian volume, day of the week, and time of the day. The results show that pedestrians are likely to disobey traffic regulations when there are longer waiting durations. Male pedestrians have a higher violation tendency than females. Pedestrians distracted by their phones have longer waiting durations than undistracted pedestrians. Signalized road segment crosswalks are associated with higher temporal violation propensity than signalized intersection crosswalks. Pedestrians are more likely to commit violations at higher pedestrian densities. Weekdays are associated with shorter waiting durations and higher violation tendency than weekends. Pedestrians are more likely to violate traffic regulations in the morning than at midday and in the evening. These findings give insights into the pedestrian crossing behavior to better accommodate pedestrians and improve safety.
Pavement Management Programs Based on Quantitative Performance Targets
Authors: Beg Muhammad Arif
Published: March 2022

This paper demonstrates network level pavement management program development for agencies based on maintaining quantitative performance targets. The goal is to minimize budget demands while maintaining the performance targets. This methodology is unique as it considers the concepts and rules for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) MAP-21 and FAST Acts performance target setting for pavements. It shows how agencies can evaluate and define pavement performance measure targets while establishing their network level work programs. The paper reports the results of a case study for a sample roadway network. The study approach was based on establishing multiple performance targets based on key performance indicators: International Roughness Index (IRI), rutting, and percent cracking. Multiple candidate scenarios include different intervention strategies to accomplish agency network performance targets while developing optimal pavement management programs. The scenarios include two approaches: (i) minimizing the budget for given fixed performance targets for IRI, rutting, and cracking, and (ii) maximizing performance given fixed budget levels. Ten-year pavement management programs were then developed for the network for each scenario. The results were compared for the costs for each scenario and the performance targets maintained for each scenario. The methodology utilizes multi-constraint optimization analysis to evaluate each network level analysis scenario while satisfying performance constraints. The case study demonstrates that scenarios with a focus on preservation can help reduce the costs of meeting performance targets.
Environmental policies for the treatment of waste generated by COVID-19: Text mining review
Authors: Puertas Rosa , Carracedo Patricia , Marti Luisa
Published: March 2022

The rapid transmission of COVID-19 has meant that all economic and human efforts have been focused on confronting it, ignoring environmental aspects whose consequences are causing adverse situations all over the planet. The saturation of the sanitary system and confinement measures have multiplied the waste generated, which implies the need to adapt environmental policies to this new situation caused by the pandemic. It is a review article whose objective was to identify the environmental policies that would facilitate an adequate treatment of the waste generated by the pandemic. It was proposed to analyse the current lines of research developed on this paradigm, applying the text mining methodology. A systematic review of 111 studies published in environmental journals indexed in the Web of Science was carried out. The results identified three areas of interest: knowledge of transmission routes, management of the massive generation of plastics and appropriate treatment of solid waste in extreme situations. Leaders are called upon to implement the contingency plans to sustainably alleviate the enormous waste burden caused by society’s adaptation to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Specifically, innovation aimed at achieving the reuse of medical products, the promotion of the circular economy and educational campaigns to promote clean environments should be encouraged.
Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of natural drug loaded polymeric films for cardiovascular applications
Authors: Ghafoor Bakhtawar , Najabat Ali Murtaza
Published: March 2022

Drug eluting stents (DES) can efficiently reduce the atherosclerosis and restenosis issues of coronary artery as compared to bare metal stents due to the presence of pharmaceutically active agent on their surface. Nevertheless, the arising safety concerns of DES such as delayed healing and late in stent restenosis and thrombus, has stirred the research efforts to improve the outcomes of the DES. In this connection, attention is being shifted from the use of synthetic drug to natural drug for DES. In the present work, natural compound loaded polymeric films were synthesized and their antioxidant and anticoagulation capabilities were assessed through in vitro testing. The potential of the drug loaded polymeric films to curb the production of free radicals was evaluated by carrying out antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The in vitro platelet adhesion was investigated through static platelet adhesion test while effect of synthesized films on intrinsic coagulation pathway was investigated through activated partially thromboplastin time (APTT). Moreover, to further evaluate the blood compatibility of the developed drug loaded films, in vitro hemolytic and anti-thrombolytic assays were carried out. The obtained results indicated that, incorporating herbal compounds such as ginger, magnolol and curcumin, in polymeric matrix (PVA) has significantly improved the blood compatibility of the polymeric films. Hence, it can be concluded that the synthesized drug loaded polymeric films have the potential capability to be used as a potential coating material for coating biomedical implants with good anticoagulation and antioxidant property to cater the cardiovascular issues such as atherosclerosis, restenosis and thrombus formation.
Peripheral nerve regeneration by thiolated chitosan hydrogel containing Taurine: In vitro and in vivo study
Authors: Ehterami Arian , Rezaei kolarijani Nariman , Nazarnezhad Simin , Alizadeh Morteza , Masoudi Alireza , Salehi Majid
Published: March 2022

About 2.8% of trauma sick persons hurt from peripheral nerve damages, thus, numerous approaches are using to improve peripheral nerve regeneration. In the current study, the efficacy of several dosages of Taurine for peripheral nerve regeneration was evaluated. About 0.1%, 1%, and 10% (w/w) of Taurine were added into thiolated chitosan hydrogel and its features including morphology, swelling properties, weight loss, hemo-, and cytocompatibility were assessed. Hydrogels’ functionality was evaluated by injecting them into the crushed sciatic nerve of rats by using walking-foot-print analysis, Hot plate latency test, gastrocnemius muscle wet weight loss, and histopathological evaluation. Results demonstrated that the average pore size is in the area of 30–40 μm with interconnected pores and their weight loss was around 70% after 7 days. Results of blood compatibility and the MTT tests confirmed the biocompatibility of hydrogels. In vivo study illustrate thiolated Chitosan/Taurine hydrogels especially hydrogel includes 1% of Taurine enhanced sciatic nerve regeneration. In conclusion, Taurine can be used as a feasible treatment for peripheral nerve regeneration.