bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Pharmacists-Managed Oncology Outpatient Clinic on Resolving Drug-Related Problems in Ambulatory Neoplasm Patients: A Prospective Study in China
Authors: Zhao Xincai , Xu Rong , Wang Yonggang , Zhu Wanhu , Hu Haiyan , Shen Zan , Guo Cheng , Zhang Jianping
Published: April 2021

Pharmacists are health care professionals who are actively involved in identifying and solving drug-related problems (DRPs) in neoplasm patients. However, the effectiveness of pharmaceutical services at outpatient clinic for neoplasm patients have not been reported in China. This study aims to describe and investigate the impacts of pharmacists-managed oncology outpatient clinic on ambulatory neoplasm patients. We performed a descriptive, prospective study from June 6, 2018 to June 6, 2020. Firstly, we established a pharmacists-managed oncology outpatient clinic and a Pharmacists Work System of Medication Therapy Management (MTM) software with the cooperation of oncologists, pharmacists and software engineers in 2018. Subjects were neoplasm patients who visited the pharmacists-managed outpatient clinic. The pharmacists performed a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s medication and made planned interventions based on the DRPs identified. A total of 215 eligible patients with 707 visits were enrolled and recorded in the MTM software. A total of 316 DRPs (1.47 per patient) were identified. Adverse reactions, non-adherence, untreated indication, and drug interactions were the leading DRPs. 261 (82.6%) of the identified DRPs had been confirmed as resolved and 104 (78.2%) of adverse reactions were improved following pharmacist interventions and 2 to 3 course follow-up. Of the 382 planned interventions, 345 (90.3%) were accepted by patients or physicians. This is the first pharmacists-managed oncology outpatient clinic to describe the type of DRPs in neoplasm patients and evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist interventions in China. Pharmacist interventions were efficacious in resolving DRPs and improving adverse reactions. We confirmed that pharmacists have an important role in ambulatory neoplasm patients care.
Taking the Tactical Out of Technical: A Reassessment of Tactical Technical Communication
Authors: Randall T. Scott
Published: April 2021

This article interrogates the concept of tactical technical communication specifically questioning the established understanding of de Certeau in the field of technical communication. It argues once readers move beyond the concepts of strategies and tactics, they will find a rich and nuanced explanation of how ordinary people “make do” in everyday life.
Twitter Users’ Displays of Affect in the Global Warming Debate
Authors: Cameron Shanna , Russell Alexandra , Brake Luke , Fredlund Katherine , Morris Angela
Published: April 2021

This article engages with recent discussions in the field of technical communication that call for climate change research that moves beyond the believer/denier dichotomy. For this study, our research team coded 900 tweets about climate change and global warming for different emotions in order to understand how Twitter users rely on affect rhetorically. Our findings use quantitative content analysis to challenge current assumptions about writing and affect on social media, and our results indicate a number of arenas for future research on affect, global warming, and rhetoric.
Asymptomatic bacteriuria among medical inpatients: Data from an Indian teaching hospital
Authors: Gogulamudi Pradeep R , Deepanjali Surendran , Mandal Jharna , Pallam Gopichand
Published: April 2021

Studies indicate that asymptomatic bacteriuria in medical inpatients is often inappropriately treated with antibiotics. We prospectively studied the proportion of asymptomatic bacteriuria among 200 positive urine cultures which were ordered in hospitalised medical inpatients of a teaching hospital in southern India. We used pre-defined criteria to classify patients as urinary tract infection and asymptomatic bacteriuria. Median age of patients was 53.5 (42–65) years, and 51% were male. In all, 157 (78.5%) patients had urinary tract infection (131 [66.5%] definite and 26 [13%] probable) and 43 (21.5%) had asymptomatic bacteriuria. In patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria, 18 (41.8%) received urinary tract infection-directed antibiotics; broad spectrum antibiotics were used in 10 (23%). Patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria were younger, more likely to be on a urinary catheter, had higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease and congestive cardiac failure and had lower prevalence of pyuria and lower total leucocyte counts. Urine cultures should be ordered only in indicated patients. Inappropriate antibiotic treatment in patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria should be avoided.
Comprehensive technical support for safe mining in ultra-close coal seams: A case study
Authors: Zhang Wei , Guo Jiawei , Xie Kaidi , Wang Jinming , Chen Liang , Hu Wenmin , Xu Jiaxing
Published: April 2021

In order to mine the coal seam under super-thick hard roof, improve the utilization rate of resources and prolong the remaining service life of the mine, a case study of the Gaozhuang Coal Mine in the Zaozhuang Mining Area has been performed in this paper. Based on the specific mining geological conditions of ultra-close coal seams (#3up and #3low coal seams), their joint systematic analysis has been performed, with the focus made in the following three aspects: (i) prevention of rock burst under super-thick hard roof, (ii) deformation control of surrounding rock of roadways in the lower coal seam, and (iii) fire prevention in the goaf of working face. Given the strong bursting tendency observed in upper coal seam and lower coal seam, the technology of preventing rock burst under super-thick hard roof was proposed, which involved setting of narrow section coal pillars to protect roadways and interleaving layout of working faces. The specific supporting scheme of surrounding rock of roadways in the #3low1101 working face was determined, and the grouting reinforcement method of local fractured zones through Marithan was further proposed, to ensure the deformation control of surrounding rock of roadways in lower coal seams. The proposed fire prevention technology envisaged goaf grouting and spraying to plug leaks, which reduced the hazard of spontaneous combustion of residual coals in mined ultra-close coal seams. The technical and economic improvements with a direct economic benefit of 5.55 million yuan were achieved by the application of the proposed comprehensive technical support. The research results obtained provide a theoretical guidance and technical support of safe mining strategies of close coal seams in other mining areas.
Inertial property of oscillatory flow for pulse injection in porous media
Authors: Ji Bingyu , He Yingfu , Tang Yongqiang , Yang Shu
Published: April 2021

The low-frequency pulse wave makes the velocity of the fluid in the reservoir fluctuate dramatically, which results in a remarkable inertia force. The Darcy’s law was inapplicable to the pulse flow with strong effect of inertial force. In this paper, the non-Darcy flow equation and the calculation method of capillary number of pressure pulse displacement are established. The pressure pulse experiments of single-phase and two- phase flow are carried out. The results show that the periodic change of velocity can decrease the seepage resistance and enhance apparent permeability by generating the inertial force. The higher the pulse frequency improves the apparent permeability by enhancing influence of inertial force. The increase of apparent permeability of high permeability core is larger than that of low permeability core, which indicates that inertial force is more prominent in high permeability reservoir. For the water-oil two-phase flow, inertia force makes the relative permeability curve move towards right, and the equal permeability point becomes higher. In other words, with the increase of capillary number, part of residual oil is activated, and the displacement efficiency is improved.
Transcanal Endoscopic Retrograde Mastoidectomy for Cholesteatoma: A Prospective Study
Authors: Shakya Dipesh , Nepal Ajit
Published: April 2021

Objectives:

To evaluate the feasibility, morphological, and functional outcomes of endoscopic retrograde transcanal mastoidectomy.

Study Design:

Prospective study.

Settings:

Tertiary Referral Hospital.

Materials and Methods:

We analyzed 31 patients with a diagnosis of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma that extended to the mastoid cavity who underwent endoscopic transcanal retrograde canal wall down mastoidectomy under general anesthesia. The tympanic membrane and posterior canal wall reconstruction were done using the tragal cartilage palisade technique reinforced with perichondrium. Morphological and functional results were reported in the follow-up of a minimum of 1 year. The graft uptake was also compared with the presence of granulations and discharge status.

Results:

Graft uptake and disease-free conditions were achieved in 21 of 24 patients, that is, 87.5%, and 3 patients required revision surgery. The graft uptake rate was not affected by the presence of granulation tissues and discharge. The hearing was improved after the surgery, which was statistically significant.

Conclusion:

Endoscopic retrograde mastoidectomy is a new technique to deal with cholesteatoma with excellent results. It is more functional, ideal for sclerotic mastoid, allows faster wound healing, has excellent outcomes, and is a minimally invasive procedure that avoids postauricular incision and tissue dissection. Because the set up for the surgery costs less, it holds a promising future for the developing countries.
Strength Is Still a Weakness in Coalition Formation: Replicating and Understanding the Strength-Is-Weakness Effect
Authors: Wissink Joeri , van Beest Ilja , Pronk Tila , van de Ven Niels
Published: April 2021

A key observation in coalition formation is that bargainers with most resources are often excluded from coalitions: the Strength-is-Weakness effect. Previous studies have suffered from low sample sizes and lack of (appropriate) incentives and have rarely focused on underlying processes. To address these issues, we conducted a cross-platform replication using the Online Coalition Game. We replicated the Strength-is-Weakness effect in a psychology laboratory, on Amazon Mechanical Turk, and on Prolific. Moreover, our results showed that the equity norm shapes the Strength-is-Weakness effect in two ways. First, strong bargainers claim a higher larger of the payoffs than weak bargainers do, making them less attractive coalition partners. Second, weak bargainers expect strong bargainers to make these larger claims, directing weak bargainers to each other from the outset. Finally, the studies suggest that the Online Coalition Game is a viable tool for conducting high-powered coalition formation research.
Trouble in Paradise? Disclosure After Tax Haven Leaks
Authors: Schmal Fabian , Schulte Sasse Katharina , Watrin Christoph
Published: April 2021

Tax haven leaks have attracted negative public attention in recent years, prompting scrutiny of corporate behavior in leaked jurisdictions. We investigate whether U.S. companies with subsidiaries in implicated tax havens change their disclosure behavior after a leak. The Offshore Leaks, Panama Papers, Bahamas Leaks, and Paradise Papers are included in this study. We analyze the leaks as separate exogenous shocks to the affected firms’ behavior using a difference-in-differences approach. First, we focus on the readability of tax footnotes in annual reports. Our results suggest that tax footnotes are less readable after a firm’s tax haven is implicated in a leak. This finding suggests that implicated firms try to obfuscate information and hide unethical conduct. Second, we investigate firms’ disclosures of tax expenses using GAAP effective tax rates and find that companies report higher tax expenses after a leak. These changes in behavior could indicate that firms are concerned about the increasingly critical public attitude toward doing business in leaked low-tax jurisdictions and that they are taking measures to counteract possible negative reputational consequences.

JEL Classification: F23, G14, H26, M41
A semiautomatic annotation approach for sentiment analysis
Authors: Alahmary Rahma , Al-Dossari Hmood
Published: April 2021

Sentiment analysis (SA) aims to extract users’ opinions automatically from their posts and comments. Almost all prior works have used machine learning algorithms. Recently, SA research has shown promising performance in using the deep learning approach. However, deep learning is greedy and requires large datasets to learn, so it takes more time for data annotation. In this research, we proposed a semiautomatic approach using Naïve Bayes (NB) to annotate a new dataset in order to reduce the human effort and time spent on the annotation process. We created a dataset for the purpose of training and testing the classifier by collecting Saudi dialect tweets. The dataset produced from the semiautomatic model was then used to train and test deep learning classifiers to perform Saudi dialect SA. The accuracy achieved by the NB classifier was 83%. The trained semiautomatic model was used to annotate the new dataset before it was fed into the deep learning classifiers. The three deep learning classifiers tested in this research were convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM) and bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM). Support vector machine (SVM) was used as the baseline for comparison. Overall, the performance of the deep learning classifiers exceeded that of SVM. The results showed that CNN reported the highest performance. On one hand, the performance of Bi-LSTM was higher than that of LSTM and SVM, and, on the other hand, the performance of LSTM was higher than that of SVM. The proposed semiautomatic annotation approach is usable and promising to increase speed and save time and effort in the annotation process.
Influence of personality traits on users’ viewing behaviour
Authors: Sarsam Samer Muthana , Al-Samarraie Hosam , Alzahrani Ahmed Ibrahim
Published: April 2021

Different views on the role of personal factors in moderating individual viewing behaviour exist. This study examined the impact of personality traits on individual viewing behaviour of facial stimulus. A total of 96 students (46 males and 50 females, age 23–28 years) were participated in this study. The Big-Five personality traits of all the participants together with data related to their eye-movements were collected and analysed. The results showed three groups of users who scored high on the personality traits of neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Individuals who scored high in a specific personality trait were more probably to interpret the visual image differently from individuals with other personality traits. To determine the extent to which a specific personality trait is associated with users’ viewing behaviour of visual stimulus, a predictive model was developed and validated. The prediction results showed that 96.73% of the identified personality traits can potentially be predicted by the viewing behaviour of users. The findings of this study can expand the current understanding of human personality and choice behaviour. The study also contributes to the perceptual encoding process of faces and the perceptual mechanism in the holistic face processing theory.
Democracy, science and the state: Reflections on the disaster(s) of our times
Authors: Benhabib Seyla
Published: April 2021

The global Covid-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our social and political lives, such as the balance between work and family, the shrinking role of the public sphere and the growth of government by executive or emergency powers. Among the most surprising consequences of this situation has been the rise of scepticism and hostility towards science and scientific authorities. This essay examines the interdependence of modern science and the modern state via a brief detour to Hobbes’s philosophy. The economic growth and affluence made possible by the yoking of scientific technology to a modern market economy served to legitimize public power for several centuries. We have reached the end of this cycle and we need a science in the service of reversing the damages inflicted by the Anthropocene on the earth; we need economic production in the service of human equality and dignity, and we need a state in which the alliance between big pharma, big capital and big data is harnessed for a new green deal rather than serving corporate greed.
Leadership as a Facilitator of Evidence Implementation by Nurse Managers: A Metasynthesis
Authors: Clavijo-Chamorro María Zoraida , Romero-Zarallo Gema , Gómez-Luque Adela , López-Espuela Fidel , Sanz-Martos Sebastián , López-Medina Isabel Maria
Published: April 2021

Evidence-based practice is often not implemented in nursing for reasons relating to leadership. This article aims to cast light on the factors that facilitate nursing evidence implementation perceived by nurse managers in their practical experiences of this implementation. It is a qualitative, narrative metasynthesis of primary studies on nurse managers’ leadership-related facilitation experiences, following the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregative approach and the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) model. Eleven primary studies were included and three general categories were identified as leadership-related factors facilitating evidence implementation: teamwork (communication between managers and staff nurses), organizational structures (strategic governance), and transformational leadership (influence on evidence application and readiness for change among leaders). Nurse managers act as facilitators of evidence-based practices by transforming contexts to motivate their staff and move toward a shared vision of change. Always providing support as managers and colleagues, sharing their experience in the clinic environment.
Dizziness Diagnostic Pathways: Factors Impacting Setting, Provider, and Diagnosis at Presentation
Authors: Adams Meredith E. , Marmor Schelomo
Published: April 2021

Objective

Ensuring that patients with dizziness present to the most appropriate level of care and provider are key goals of quality and cost improvement efforts. Using a symptom‐defined cohort of adults presenting for dizziness evaluations, we aimed to identify patient factors associated with ambulatory clinic vs emergency department (ED) presentations, evaluating provider specialty, and assigned diagnoses.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

OptumLabs Data Warehouse (OLDW), a longitudinal, real‐world data asset with deidentified administrative claims.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional analysis of adults (older than 18 years) who received new dizziness diagnoses (2006‐2015) and identified factors associated with setting and provider at initial presentation using multivariable regression models.

Results

Of 805,454 individuals with dizziness (median age 52 years, 62% women, 29% black, Asian, or Hispanic), 23% presented to EDs and 77% to clinics (76% primary care, 7% otolaryngology, 5% cardiology, 3% neurology). Predictors of ED presentation were younger age, male sex, black race, lower education, and medical comorbidity. Predictors of primary care clinic presentation were older age and race/ethnicity other than white. Nonetiologic symptom diagnoses alone were assigned to 51% and were most associated with age older than 75 years (odds ratio, 2.90; 95% CI, 2.86‐2.94).

Conclusion

Adults with dizziness often present to a level of care that may be higher than is optimal. Differential care seeking and diagnoses by age, sex, and race/ethnicity reflect influences beyond dizziness presentation acuity. Targeted patient resources, triage systems, provider education, and cross‐specialty partnerships are needed to direct dizzy patients to appropriate settings and providers to improve care.
Affect and critique: A politics of boredom*
Authors: Anderson Ben
Published: April 2021

What are the politics of boredom? And how should we relate to boredom? In this paper, I explore these questions through cases where the disaffection and restlessness of boredom have become a matter of concern in the UK and USA at the junctures between Fordism and neoliberalism, and amid today’s resurgence of right-wing populism. I argue that what repeats across the critique of the ‘ordinary ordinariness’ of Fordism, the neoliberal counterrevolution and today’s right-wing populism is a ‘promise of intensity’ – the promise that life will feel eventful and boredom will be absent. As I make this argument, I reflect on the role of critique in the context of the multiplication of modes of inquiry that has accompanied the interest in affect across the humanities and social sciences. Rejecting the dismissal of critique in some affect-related work, I advocate for and exemplify a type of ‘diagnostic critique’ based on the practice of conjunctural analysis as pioneered by Stuart Hall and colleagues.
Percutaneous transcystic removal of gallbladder and common bile duct stones: a narrative review
Authors: MacCormick Andrew , Jenkins Paul , Gafoor Nelofer , Chan David
Published: April 2021

The incidence of gallstone-related complications is rising, thus leading to increases in waiting list times for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) provides immediate biliary drainage and may be used as an emergency option in a critically unwell patient as a bridge to surgery, or as the management option of a patient who is not fit for surgery. However, a significant number of these patients may be readmitted after PC with recurrent acute cholecystitis or pancreatitis, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present review was to analyze the available literature surrounding the use of the transcystic approach, including the extraction and balloon expulsion method, in the management of patients with gallbladder stones and/or common bile duct (CBD) stones. The full text of 18 articles were reviewed, of which four were included in this review. Results showed an overall success rate of CBD stone extraction in 118 of 139 patients (84.9%), gallbladder stone extraction in 97 of 114 (85.0%), and CBD stone expulsion in 27 of 29 (93.1%). Percutaneous CBD and gallbladder stone extraction may be a safe management option for elderly or co-morbid patients who are not appropriate for surgical intervention. However, the evidence base surrounding this is very limited; therefore, further research is required in order to evaluate this in more detail.
Forkhead box F2 as a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in human cancers prone to bone metastasis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Qing , Zhou Lei , Chen Fancheng , Hu Annan , Wang Ketao , Liang Haifeng , Dong Jian
Published: April 2021

Objective

To undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of Forkhead box F2 (FOXF2) levels in different types of cancers prone to bone metastasis.

Methods

A systematic search of publications listed in electronic databases (The Web of Science, EMBASE®, PubMed®, PMC, Science Direct and CNKI) from inception to 5 November 2020 was conducted. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to assess the relationship between FOXF2 levels and patient prognosis including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

Sixteen studies enrolling 8461 participants were included in the meta-analysis. High levels of FOXF2 were a predictor of OS (HR: 0.66; 95% CI 0.51, 0.86) and DFS (HR: 0.60; 95% CI 0.48, 0.76). The trim-and-fill analysis, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analyses stratified by the study characteristics confirmed the robustness of the results.

Conclusion

These current findings indicate that high FOXF2 levels could be an indicator of a good prognosis in cancer patients with tumours that are prone to bone metastasis. FOXF2 levels might be a clinically important prognostic biomarker.
Novel model predicts prognosis for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in first relapse after initial R-CHOP therapy: a single-institution study in China
Authors: Wang Wei , Yin Jingjing , Zhang Wei , Zhang Yan , Zhou Daobin , Zhao Danqing , Wei Chong
Published: April 2021

Objective

To develop a prognostic model for Chinese patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after initial R-CHOP therapy.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics and survival outcomes of 79 patients with relapsed DLBCL initially treated with R-CHOP at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from February 2012 to September 2016. We used the data to develop a novel prognostic model.

Results

The median age at the start of salvage therapy was 59 (17–85) years and median time from diagnosis to relapse was 319 (49–1018) days. Multivariate analysis identified short time to relapse (TTR) and B symptoms as independent prognostic factors for reduced progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We created a new prognostic scoring system including TTR, lactate dehydrogenase, absolute lymphocyte count at relapse, and B symptoms, referred to as the TLLB model, which could separate patients into three risk groups with 2-year PFS and OS rates of 70.7%, 40.0%, and 11.1%, and 87.5%, 53.7%, and 29.4%, respectively.

Conclusion

TTR and B symptoms can be used as important predictors of survival in patients with DLBCL. The TLLB system provides a useful prognostic model compared with the previous TTL system.
Prediction model that combines with multidisciplinary analysis for clinical evaluation of malignancy risk of solid breast nodules
Authors: Dong Bin , Hu Qiaohong , He Hongfeng , Liu Ying
Published: April 2021

Objective

Few studies have systematically developed predictive models for clinical evaluation of the malignancy risk of solid breast nodules. We performed a retrospective review of female patients who underwent breast surgery or puncture, aiming to establish a predictive model for evaluating the clinical malignancy risk of solid breast nodules.

Method

Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent variables and establish a predictive model based on a model group (207 nodules). The regression model was further validated using a validation group (112 nodules).

Results

We identified six independent risk factors (X3, boundary; X4, margin; X6, resistive index; X7, S/L ratio; X9, increase of maximum sectional area; and X14, microcalcification) using multivariate analysis. The combined predictive formula for our model was: Z=−5.937 + 1.435X3 + 1.820X4 + 1.760X6 + 2.312X7 + 3.018X9 + 2.494X14. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, missed diagnosis rate, misdiagnosis rate, negative likelihood ratio, and positive likelihood ratio of the model were 88.39%, 90.00%, 87.80%, 10.00%, 12.20%, 7.38, and 0.11, respectively.

Conclusion

This predictive model is simple, practical, and effective for evaluation of the malignancy risk of solid breast nodules in clinical settings.
Imbalance between T helper 1 and regulatory T cells plays a detrimental role in experimental Parkinson’s disease in mice
Authors: Li Wenjie , Luo Yuan , Xu Hongyu , Ma Qianqian , Yao Qi
Published: April 2021

Objective

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder characterized by steady motor function loss. PD pathogenesis remains inconclusive, but aberrant immune responses might play important roles. We hypothesized that imbalance between T helper (Th) 1 and regulatory T (Treg) cells was essential in experimental PD.

Methods

Th1 and Treg cells from the blood of patients with PD and healthy volunteer blood were measured by flow cytometry. Experimental PD was induced in mice by peritoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. Experimental PD severity was measured by open field test behavior assessments (distance moved, rearing, and grooming). Mice were administered neutralizing anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α to inhibit Th1 effects. Treg cells were depleted by anti-CD25 neutralizing antibodies or isolated and transferred to experimental PD mice.

Results

Patients with PD had fewer Treg and more Th1 cells than healthy volunteers. Experimental PD mice exhibited fewer Treg and more Th1 cells. Treg cell depletion exacerbated experimental PD, whereas TNFα neutralization attenuated PD in mice. Treg transfer to experimental PD mice reduced PD severity. Mechanistically, anti-TNFα antibody administration and Treg transfer increased Treg and reduced Th1 cell abundance in the brain.

Conclusion

Th1 and Treg cell imbalance plays an essential role in mouse experimental PD pathogenesis.
Characterization of the competing role of surface-contact and shear stress on platelet activation in the setting of blood contacting devices
Authors: Bozzi Silvia , Roka-Moiia Yana , Mencarini Tatiana , Vercellino Federica , Epifani Ilenia , Ammann Kaitlyn R , Consolo Filippo , Slepian Marvin J , Redaelli Alberto
Published: April 2021

Supraphysiological shear stress and surface-contact are recognized as driving mechanisms of platelet activation (PA) in blood contacting devices (BCDs). However, the competing role of these mechanisms in triggering thrombogenic events is poorly understood. Here, we characterized the dynamics of PA in response to the combined effect of shear stress and material exposure. Human platelets were stimulated with different levels of shear stress (500, 750, 1000 dynes/cm2) over a range of exposure times (10, 20, and 30 min) within capillary tubes made of various polymeric materials. Polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK), used for BCDs fabrication, were investigated as compared to glass and thromboresistant Sigma™-coated glass. PA was quantified using the Platelet Activity State assay. Our results indicate that mechanical stimulation and polymer surface-contact both significantly contribute to PA. Notably, the contribution of the mechanical stimulus ranges between +36% and +43%, while that associated with polymer surface-contact ranges from +48% to +59%, depending on the exposure time. In more detail, our results indicate that: (i) PA increases with increasing shear stress magnitude; (ii) PA has a non-linear, time-dependent relationship to exposure time; (iii) PA is largely influenced by biomaterials, with PE and PEEK having respectively the lowest and highest prothrombotic potential; (iv) the effects of polymer surface-contact and shear stress are not correlated and can be studied separately. Our results suggest the importance of incorporating the evaluation of platelet activation driven by the combined effect of shear stress and polymer surface-contact for the comprehensive assessment, and eventually minimization, of BCDs thrombogenic potential.
Brominated flame-retardant composition in firefighter bunker gear and its thermal performance analysis
Authors: Mokoana Vincent , Asante Joseph , Okonkwo Jonathan
Published: April 2021

Firefighting bunker gear is manufactured from flame-retardant materials, which resist ignition and delay flame spread. However, concerns have been emerging on the potential harmful effects of some flame retardants (FRs) commonly used in flame-retarding materials, particularly the brominated flame retardants. This study investigated the presence of flame retardants in bunker gear, particularly polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their congeners in the garments, and evaluated their impact on thermal performance. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was used to ascertain the presence of bromine as a possible indicator for brominated flame retardants. X-ray fluorescence results indicated the presence of Br in all samples, ranging from 444 to 20,367 µg/g. Further analysis via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was done on samples. Brominated flame retardants, particularly polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane, were detected in all samples with concentrations ranging from 261.61 to 1001.77 µg/g and 0.01 to 0.07 µg/g, respectively. The cone calorimeter was used, with 50 and 75 kW/m2 heat fluxes, to investigate the impact of the brominated flame-retardant concentrations, if any, on thermal performance. New bunker garments, particularly those with lower Br and brominated flame-retardant concentrations, were observed to have higher thermal performance.
Progress in the application of spider silk protein in medicine
Authors: Liu Yi , Huang Wei , Meng Minsi , Chen Minhui , Cao Chengjian
Published: April 2021

Spider silk protein has attracted much attention on account of its excellent mechanical properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. As the main protein component of spider silk, spidroin plays important role in spider spinning under natural circumstances and biomaterial application in medicine as well. Compare to the native spidroin which has a large molecular weight (>300 kDa) with highly repeat glycine and polyalanine regions, the recombinant spidroin was maintained the core amino motifs and much easier to collect. Here, we reviewed the application of recombinant spider silk protein eADF4(C16), major ampullate spidroin (MaSp), minor ampullate spidroin (MiSp), and the derivatives of recombinant spider silk protein in drug delivery system. Moreover, we also reviewed the application of spider silk protein in the field of alternative materials, repairing materials, wound dressing, surgical sutures along with advances in recombinant spider silk protein.
Biodegradable green composite film developed from Moringa Oleifera (Sahajana) seed filler and PVA: Surface functionalization, characterization and barrier properties
Authors: Mishra Kajal , Sinha Shishir
Published: April 2021

The present work focuses on surface functionalization, characterization, biodegradability and barrier properties of MOSF as a practicable reinforcement in PVA matrix. Film-forming dispersions at different concentrations of alkali and acid treatments were casted at room temperature. The effect of surface modifications on the developed film’s compositional, physical, mechanical, biodegradability and barrier properties were analyzed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to describe the functional composition, formation and surface morphology of the film. The 5% acid treated film significantly increases the tensile strength (33.69 MPa) and flexural strength (56.612 MPa), which was close to the frequently used LDPE and HDPE package films. Composite films were moisture absorptive but simultaneously capable to maintain uniformity and composition upon modifications. Lower water vapor permeability (1.42 × 10−10gs−1 m−1 Pa−1), eminent biodegradability proved the suitability of composite film for various packaging applications.
Selective Avoidance on Social Media: A Comparative Study of Western Democracies
Authors: Skoric Marko M. , Zhu Qinfeng , Koc-Michalska Karolina , Boulianne Shelley , Bimber Bruce
Published: April 2021

This study examines the phenomena of political unfriending and content removal on social media in three Western democracies—France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We seek to understand the role of crosscutting discussion, confrontational discussion style, and ideological extremity in triggering unfriending and content removal on social media, while shedding light on cross-country differences. The findings show that selective avoidance behaviors are much more common in the United States than either in France or the United Kingdom. They also show that crosscutting discussion and confrontational style are the predictors of selective avoidance across all the above countries, while ideological extremity plays a role in the United States only. We suggest that while social media provide opportunities for citizens to engage in discussions with people with dissimilar political views and socioeconomic backgrounds, they also allow them to easily reestablish more homophilous environments via content removal and tie dissolution.
Technology driven change in the retail sector: Implications for higher education
Authors: Woods Róisín , Doherty Oran , Stephens Simon
Published: April 2021

In this paper the authors explore the implications for higher education of the disruptions caused by changes in the retail sector resulting from rapid developments in technology. Industry 4.0 technologies such as big data, the Internet of Things, blockchain, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality are increasingly evident in the retail sector. While predictions vary as to the extent of the disruption, retailers agree that embracing technology is now a necessity. The evidence in the paper is taken from a diverse sample of 60 senior managers across 24 retail companies in Ireland. The authors adopt a mixed-methods approach to data collection. They report that the skills required to perform in retail now and in the future will be a combination of human, digital and traditional skills. What emerges from the study is that advances in technology necessitate the provision of new hard skills, but importantly reinforce the necessity for soft skills so that the potential of the new technology can be fully understood and utilised. Helping retail employees upskill and future proof is a major challenge for higher education. Retailers need to proactively develop their employees by identifying clear progression pathways and promoting careers in retail.
Poor people’s beliefs and the dynamics of clientelism
Authors: Pellicer Miquel , Wegner Eva , Benstead Lindsay J. , Lust Ellen
Published: April 2021

Why do some poor people engage in clientelism whereas others do not? Why does clientelism sometimes take traditional forms and sometimes more instrumental forms? We propose a formal model of clientelism that addresses these questions focusing primarily on the citizen’s perspective. Citizens choose between supporting broad-based redistribution or engaging in clientelism. Introducing insights from social psychology, we study the interactions between citizen beliefs and values, and their political choices. Clientelism, political inefficacy, and inequality legitimation beliefs reinforce each other leading to multiple equilibria. One of these resembles traditional clientelism, with disempowered clients that legitimize social inequalities. Community connectivity breaks this reinforcement mechanism and leads to another equilibrium where clientelism takes a modern, instrumental, form. The model delivers insights on the role of citizen beliefs for their bargaining power as well as for the persistence and transformation of clientelism. We illustrate the key mechanisms with ethnographic literature on the topic.
Modeling and dynamic analysis of spiral bevel gear coupled system of intermediate and tail gearboxes in a helicopter
Authors: Zhu Haimin , Chen Weifang , Zhu Rupeng , Zhang Li , Fu Bibo , Lu Xiong
Published: April 2021

The coupled dynamic model of the intermediate and tail gearboxes’ spiral bevel gear-oblique tail shaft-laminated membrane coupling was established by employing the hybrid modeling method of finite element and lumped mass. Among them, the dynamic equation of the shaft was constructed by Timoshenko beam; spiral bevel gears were derived theoretically by the lumped-mass method, where the effects of time-varying meshing stiffness, transmission error, external imbalance excitation and the like were considered simultaneously; laminated membrane coupling was simplified to a lumped parameter model, in which the stiffness was obtained by the finite element simulation and experiment. On this basis, the laminated membrane coupling and effects of several important parameters, including the unbalance value, tail rotor excitation, oblique tail shaft’s length and transmission error amplitude, on the system’s dynamic characteristics were discussed. The results showed that the influences of laminated membrane coupling and transmission error amplitude on the coupled system’s vibration response were prominent, which should be taken into consideration in the dynamic model. Due to the bending-torsional coupled effect, the lateral vibration caused by gear eccentricity would enlarge the oblique tail shaft’s torsional vibration; similarly, the tail rotor’s torsional excitation also varies the lateral vibration of the oblique tail shaft. The coupled effect between the eccentricity of gear pairs mainly hit the torsional vibration. Also, as the oblique tail shaft’s length increased, the torsional vibration of the oblique tail shaft tended to diminish while the axis orbit became larger. The research provides theoretical support for the design of the helicopter tail transmission system.
States of violence: Exploring welfare state regimes as violence regimes by developing a violence regimes index
Authors: Strid Sofia , Humbert Anne Laure , Hearn Jeff , Balkmar Dag
Published: April 2021

The aim of the article is to examine if and how the welfare state regime typology translates into a violence regime typology in a European context. It builds on the concept of violence regimes (Strid et al. 2017; Hearn et al. 2020) to empirically examine whether the production of interpersonal violence constitutes distinct regimes, and how these correspond (or not) with welfare regimes, gender regimes, and with other comparative metrics on violence, gender equality and feminist mobilisation and transnational actors. Its main contribution is to operationalise the concept of violence regimes, thereby moving from theory to a first empirical measurement. By first constructing a new composite measure of violence, a Violence Regimes Index, based on secondary administrative and survey data covering the then 28 EU member states, countries are clustered along two axes of violence: ‘deadly’ violence and ‘damaging’ gender-based violence. This serves to examine if, and how, the production of gendered violence in different states constitutes distinct regimes, analogous to welfare state regimes, as well as to enable future research and further comparisons and contrasts, specifically related to violence and the welfare state. By providing an empirical measurement of violence regimes in the EU, the article then contributes further to the debates on welfare, welfare regimes, and violence. It specifically contributes with discussions on the extent to which there are different violence regimes, comparable to welfare regimes, and with discussions on the relevance of moving from thinking about violence as an institution within other inequality regimes, to thinking about violence as a macro-regime, a way of governing and ruling in its own right. The article concludes that the exclusion of violence from mainstream social theory and research has produced results that may not be valid, and offers an alternative classification using the concept of violence regimes, thereby demonstrating the usefulness of the concept.
Speaking social Europe: A paradigmatic shift in the European Commission Presidents’ social policy discourse?
Authors: Vesan Patrik , Pansardi Pamela
Published: April 2021

This article presents an original analysis of the social policy discourse at the European Union level by focusing on the language used by European Commission Presidents when addressing social issues. Through an empirical analysis based on a semi-supervised machine learning approach, we consider the entire corpus of speeches made by Barroso and Juncker from 2010 to 2018 and we classify all sentences according to three possible variants of social policy language: social-retrenchment, social-investment and rights-based language. We argue that the focus on these languages allows us to understand whether the ‘fiscal consolidation discipline’ narrative, which dominated in the aftermath of the Great Recession, has been challenged over the years by the recourse to alternative ‘social policy images’. The results confirm a significant shift in the overall configuration of social policy discourse between Barroso and Juncker. This shift has been mainly characterized by an increase in the use of rights-based language and a decrease in the use of social-retrenchment language, which however has not been completely abandoned. Therefore, the recalibration of EC’s speeches on social policy has not been abrupt but has instead been incremental. The article concludes by discussing preliminary interpretations of the observed trends and their potential implications in terms of ‘discursive legacy’ in the post-pandemic era.
A method for systematically ranking therapeutic drug candidates using multiple uncertain screening criteria
Authors: Peng Xubiao , Gibbs Ebrima , Silverman Judith M , Cashman Neil R , Plotkin Steven S
Published: April 2021

Multiple different screening tests for candidate leads in drug development may often yield conflicting or ambiguous results, sometimes making the selection of leads a nontrivial maximum-likelihood ranking problem. Here, we employ methods from the field of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) to the problem of screening candidate antibody therapeutics. We employ the SMAA-TOPSIS method to rank a large cohort of antibodies using up to eight weighted screening criteria, in order to find lead candidate therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease, and determine their robustness to both uncertainty in screening measurements, as well as uncertainty in the user-defined weights of importance attributed to each screening criterion. To choose lead candidates and measure the confidence in their ranking, we propose two new quantities, the Retention Probability and the Topness, as robust measures for ranking. This method may enable more systematic screening of candidate therapeutics when it becomes difficult intuitively to process multi-variate screening data that distinguishes candidates, so that additional candidates may be exposed as potential leads, increasing the likelihood of success in downstream clinical trials. The method properly identifies true positives and true negatives from synthetic data, its predictions correlate well with known clinically approved antibodies vs. those still in trials, and it allows for ranking analyses using antibody developability profiles in the literature. We provide a webserver where users can apply the method to their own data: http://bjork.phas.ubc.ca .
Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer and Platelet-Rich Plasma Assisted Lipotransfer: What Should We Expect from a Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis?
Authors: Chen Aizhen , Zhang Li , Chen Penghong , Zhang Chaoyu , Tang Shijie , Chen Xiaosong
Published: April 2021

Due to the high absorption rate of traditional autologous fat grafting, cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-assisted lipotransfer were developed. The purpose of this article was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CAL and PRP in promoting the survival of autologous fat grafting through systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EMBASE for clinical studies on CAL and PRP-assisted lipotransfer published from January 2010 to January 2020. Then a meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy of CAL and PRP-assisted lipotransfer through data analysis of fat survival rate. We also assessed the incidence of complications and multiple operations to analyze their safety. A total of 36 studies (1697 patients) were included in this review. Regardless of the recipient area, CAL and PRP-assisted lipotransfer significantly improved the fat survival rate (CAL vs non-CAL: 71% vs 48%, P < 0.0001; PRP vs non-PRP: 70% vs 40%, P < 0.0001; CAL vs PRP: 71% vs 70%, P = 0.7175). However, in large-volume fat grafting, such as breast reconstruction, both increased the incidence of complications and did not decrease the frequency of multiple operations after lipotransfer. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the clinical benefits of CAL and PRP-assisted lipotransfer.