bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pelagic amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea) in western Mexico. 7. Superfamily Platysceloidea. Family Oxycephalidae
Authors: GASCA REBECA , HENDRICKX MICHEL E.
Published: March 2022

Twelve species of the family Oxycephalidae were collected during a deep-water survey off western Mexico: four species of Rhabdosoma, three species of Streetsia, two species of Oxycephalus, and one species each of Cranocephalus, Glossocephalus, and Leptocotis. In total, 321 specimens were collected, 114 males and 207 females, in 33 sampling localities in the Gulf of California (28) and off southwestern Mexico (5). Two species dominated in the samples and co-occurred in 17 of the 33 samples containing hyperiids: Oxycephalus clausi (24 localities, 152 specimens) and Rhabdosoma whitei (20 localities, 121 specimens). Considering this study and previous records, a total of 16 of the 18 described species of Oxycephalidae (89%) have been reported from western Mexico. Distribution of this new material off western Mexico is provided together with update data on species occurrence in the eastern Pacific.
Channelling Artscience Through Fan-Fiction for Diversifying STEM Approaches in Participatory Learning in Malaysia
Authors: Lee Clarissa Ai Ling
Published: March 2022

Fan-fiction is proposed as a participatory and discovery-learning approach to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; communication; and collaboration through the epistemic third space afforded by artscience. The objective is to increase the affective dimension in STEM instruction by allowing STEM to enter intimately into social spaces, all the while drawing interests from girls and women. There is strong female participation in fan-fiction creation, whether in the form of textual stories or other transmedia objects, that could be used to develop more multi-dimensional STEM-based experiential and imagination-centric learning without excluding the more technical aspects of the science – in fact, the technical aspects could be weaved in as a STEM problem or project to be collectively tackled through the communal experience of creating and responding to fan-fiction. Moreover, the world-building capability of fan-fiction, with its ability to bring together multiple fandoms such as multiple works from the same creator or different creators within similar genres, means that there is ample room for using fan-fiction during interdisciplinary engagement for STEM problem-solving or research creation approaches to learning and doing. In this article, some examples of activities are taken from workshops targeted at Malaysian audiences to explore the possibility of deploying fan-fiction approaches to STEM, or STEM through the lenses of artscience, within the culture of learning and doing in Malaysia. These workshops were not originally conceived with fan-fiction as method and medium in mind and yet, were found to share certain similar traits with fan-fiction. The world-building capacity of fan-fiction could be deployed to mainstream the incorporation of indigenous and cultural ways of knowing within Malaysia into the rubrics of institutionalized STEM education. However, the convergence and compatibility between fan-fiction and participatory design, which were featured in at least three of the four workshops depicted here, are the reasons for the choice, while the fourth workshop considers the practice of fan-fiction and its relevance to more informal practices in STEM publishing and communication at a meta level.
Survivor of Right Atrial Appendage Rupture Following Blunt Chest Trauma
Authors: Read Meagan D. , Sunderland Michaelia S. , Laface Angela
Published: February 2022

A 20-year-old woman presented to our trauma center with cardiac rupture after a motor vehicle collision. Our patient was the restrained driver in a high-speed collision. She arrived without external evidence of trauma but in obvious distress with tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypotension. Initial FAST was negative and chest x-ray; however, second FAST was equivocal for pericardial fluid. Computed tomography demonstrated a large hemopericardium, suspicious for cardiac injury. She underwent emergent operative exploration with a median sternotomy. A 1 cm right atrial appendage avulsion was identified and repaired primarily. She recovered uneventfully and was discharged home. Survival of blunt cardiac rupture is extremely rare and can occur in the absence of any external signs of trauma. Surgeons should maintain clinical suspicion for blunt cardiac injury in unstable trauma patients with deceleration injuries. Injury to the low-pressure right atrium likely contributed to her ability to survive transport to a trauma center.
Managing Vascular Trauma: Trauma Surgeons versus Vascular Surgeons
Authors: Harfouche Melike N , Kauvar David S , Feliciano David V , Dubose Joseph J
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Changes in vascular trauma care and trainee exposure to vascular surgery have raised questions regarding who should take care of vascular trauma patients. This study aimed to determine nationwide trends and perceptions regarding the management of vascular trauma amongst vascular and trauma surgeons.

Material and Methods

Online surveys were administered to trauma surgeons through the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) and to vascular surgeons through the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS) and Western Vascular Society (WVS) in February 2021. Demographics, practice-related information, and interest in, experience and comfort level with vascular trauma were queried. Trainees and those practicing outside the United States were excluded. Results were analyzed using Stata/BE v16.1.

Results

247 surgeons were included in the final study population, of which 163 (66%) were trauma surgeons (T) and 84 (34%) were vascular surgeons (V). Vascular surgeons were younger (46 v 51y, P < .001) and had fewer years in practice (10 v 17y, P < .001). Vascular surgeons had greater experience and comfort with managing vascular trauma, but less interest in both vascular and endovascular trauma care when compared to trauma surgeons. Inability to maintain skillset (27%) and unfamiliarity with techniques (32%) were the most common barriers to practicing vascular trauma cited by trauma surgeons.

Discussion

Despite significant interest in practicing vascular trauma amongst trauma surgeons compared to vascular surgeons, most feel unprepared to do so. Collaboration between vascular and trauma surgeons could close the experience gap and appeal to the interests of both groups.
Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, and total triiodothyronine in the Lebanese adult population
Authors: Salameh Christy , Al Achkar Anis , El Boustany Joelle , Sleilaty Ghassan , Gannagé-Yared Marie-Hélène
Published: February 2022

Background

For a better assessment of thyroid function, each laboratory should establish its own reference intervals (RI). In Lebanon, no previous study has been conducted to establish the reference values for thyroid function tests.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 301 volunteers aged between 18 and 65 years (65.8% women, 34.2% men), free from any thyroid pathology and any condition that could affect thyroid function tests. The reference intervals of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (FT4), free T3 (FT3), and total T3 (TT3) were measured on the Roche Cobas e411 machine. 39 subjects tested positive for thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and/or thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb), were excluded from the study.

Results

There was an increase in the 2.5th percentile for the TSH compared to the value provided by the manufacturer (from 0.27 to 0.53 mlU/L) as well as a decrease in the 97.5th percentile for the FT4, TT3, and FT3 (respectively, from 22 to 19.78 pmol/L for FT4, from 3.1 to 2.71 nmol/L for TT3, and from 6.80 to 6.10 pmol/L for FT3). Higher TT3 and FT3 values were noted in men compared to women (respectively, p = 0.068 and p < 0.0001). An age decrease in FT4 and FT3 was also observed (respectively, p = 0.045 and p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The established RI of thyroid function tests for the Lebanese population were significantly different from the values recommended by the manufacturer (Roche Diagnostics). Changing our RI values will allow a more accurate diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction.
For Better for Worse Even After Death: Is ‘Widow Politics’ in Ghana’s Fourth Republic Becoming a Reliable Pathway for Women?
Authors: Boakye Baffour Agyemang Prempeh , Yeboah-Assiamah Emmanuel , Gyekye-Jandoh Maame Adwoa
Published: March 2022

The quest to bridge the gender disparity in the politics of Ghana has seen little progress owing to the challenges associated with the passage of the Affirmative Action bill by the actors involved. However, the recent emergence and unconventional adoption of ‘widow succession’ politics in Ghana have sparked some public debates into the viability of the practice in the promotion of women in politics. This paper examined all five identified cases of widow politics in Ghana between 2000 and 2020 (Asutifi South, Shai Osudoku, Ayawaso West Wuogon, Mfantseman and Tempane constituencies) and draws on the widow effect and affirmative action concepts to propose lessons and the possible implication of the practice in Ghana.
Do Work-Related Factors Moderate the Association Between Subjective Nearness-to-Death and Psychological Distress?
Authors: Shilo-Levin Sagit , Bergman Yoav S.
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased existential concerns, as well as with significant changes in the work force. The current study examined the availability of meaning in work and belonging to a work group as personal resources which may mitigate psychological distress associated with feeling close to death. Data were collected from 450 working Israelis, and results indicated that the connection between feeling close to death and distress was not significant for individuals reporting high levels of belonging and meaning. Implications are discussed from the perspective of Terror Management Theory.
The Relationship Among Chronotype, Hardiness, Affect, and Talent and Their Effects on Performance in a Military Context
Authors: Burrell Lolita M. , Kelly Collette J. , Kelly Dennis R. , Matthews Michael D.
Published: March 2022

Individual preference for morning or evening activities (chronotype), affect, hardiness, and talent are associated with a variety of performance outcomes. This longitudinal study was designed to investigate the degree to which these variables are associated with academic, physical, and military performance. Self-reported measures of chronotype, affect, and hardiness were collected from 1149 cadets from the Class of 2016 upon entry to the United States Military Academy. Talent, a composite of academic, leadership, and physical fitness scores were drawn from cadet records. Academic, military, and physical performance measures were collected at graduation 4 years later. The results indicated that a morning orientation was associated with better physical and military performance. Higher talent scores, as well as lower levels of negative affect, were associated with better performance across all three performance measures. Hardiness was only associated with military performance. The findings suggest that a morning orientation and less negative affect may result in better performance overall within a challenging and structured military environment. Future studies of chronotype shifts may provide further insight into associated performance benefits.
Machine learning on small size samples: A synthetic knowledge synthesis
Authors: Kokol Peter , Kokol Marko , Zagoranski Sašo
Published: February 2022

Machine Learning is an increasingly important technology dealing with the growing complexity of the digitalised world. Despite the fact, that we live in a ‘Big data’ world where, almost ‘everything’ is digitally stored, there are many real-world situations, where researchers are still faced with small data samples. The present bibliometric knowledge synthesis study aims to answer the research question ‘What is the small data problem in machine learning and how it is solved?’ The analysis a positive trend in the number of research publications and substantial growth of the research community, indicating that the research field is reaching maturity. Most productive countries are China, United States and United Kingdom. Despite notable international cooperation, the regional concentration of research literature production in economically more developed countries was observed. Thematic analysis identified four research themes. The themes are concerned with to dimension reduction in complex big data analysis, data augmentation techniques in deep learning, data mining and statistical learning on small datasets.
Infrastructure-led development and the peri-urban question: Furthering crossover comparisons
Authors: Kanai J Miguel , Schindler Seth
Published: March 2022

Contemporary development policy portrays enhanced connectivity as the key to fostering economic growth in lagging regions. This global policy consensus and consequent infrastructure scramble have resulted in a proliferation of new urban spaces. These are dispersed, fragmentary and often unrecognised as urban by projects and plans centred on large-scale connective infrastructures to integrate remote regions into circuits of capital. Whilst our understanding of infrastructure-led development is informed by critical engagements with planetary urbanisation, global infrastructure and logistics, this position paper seeks to reconcile political economy analyses with situated studies closer to lived forms of heterogeneous precariousness in emerging urban worlds. Addressing recent debates that frame these bodies of scholarship as antagonistic, we emphasise the supplementarity of perspectives from within and beyond urban studies. This pluralism can be practised through comparisons that will (i) trace the geo-economic relationality of mega-infrastructures, which conditions directly and indirectly their planning, financing, construction and management, and (simultaneously or independently) (ii) examine difference in the diverse experiences of and responses to emergent infrastructural urbanisms of precarity. The article shows that genetic and generative comparisons can inform a research agenda on (peri-)urban precariousness, engaging policies with unmistakable global moorings but complex multi-scalar politics, diverging outcomes and situated resistances and appropriations.
Prevalence of Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Hopelessness Among Healthcare Workers in COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey
Authors: Akova İrem , Kiliç Esma , Özdemir Mehmet Emin
Published: March 2022

Background

This study’s aim was to reveal the burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, and hopelessness levels of HCWs in the pandemic period.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was carried out with 1015 HCWs, between September 1 and October 1, 2021, in Turkey. Maslach Burnout Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used.

Results

Of the HCWs, 56.7% had moderate/high emotional exhaustion (EE), 35.8% had moderate/high depersonalization (D), 58.0% had low personal accomplishment (PA), 34.9% had high depression, 31.9% had high anxiety, 15.4% had high stress, and 33.3% had moderate/severe hopelessness. Risk factors for EE were working in a public hospital, increased workload intensity, decreased income, and difficulty in procuring personal protective equipment (PPE). Risk factors for D were having a male gender, being under the age of 40, being a physician, working in a public hospital, and difficulty in procuring PPE. Risk factors for depression were being under the age of 40, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and decreased income. Risk factors for anxiety were having a female gender, being under the age of 40, working in a public hospital, having a chronic disease, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and having individuals at high risk for COVID-19 at home. Risk factors for hopelessness were having a female gender, being a physician, and increased income.

Conclusion

The negative effects of the pandemic, which has been going on for over a year and a half, on the mental health of HCWs were high.
Brazilian Subimperialism? Empirical Evidence against Ruy Mauro Marini’s Explanatory Scheme
Authors: Silva Rodrigo Luiz Medeiros da
Published: March 2022

With the postulate of “subimperialism,” Ruy Mauro Marini proposed that Brazilian industrialization was structurally limited by scarcity of demand but its deceleration could be avoided by exporting to neighboring nonindustrialized countries. This amounted to a sort of imperialist offensive that was useful to the foreign multinationals operating in Brazil—a “ subimperialist” solution. Data on Brazil’s foreign trade and productive structure effectively contradict Marini’s perspective.

Segundo seu postulado do “subimperialismo,” Ruy Mauro Marini propôs que a industrialização brasileira seria estruturalmente limitada por escassez de demanda mas sua tendência a desacelerar-se teria sido evitada pela exportação a países vizinhos não industrializados. Isso conformaria uma sorte de ofensiva imperialista, ainda que útil às multinacionais estrangeiras instaladas no Brasil—uma saída “ subimperialista.” Dados do comércio externo e da estrutura produtiva do Brasil contradizem a proposição de Marini.
Ibuprofen: A Journey from Prescription to Over-the-Counter Use
Authors: Moore Nicholas
Published: March 2022

Ibuprofen was the first non-aspirin non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) to be approved for over-the-. counter (OTC) use and is widely considered to be the best tolerated drug of its class. Low-dose, OTC ibuprofen has been used for pain relief for over 30 years without any obvious major health issues. However, there is no clear differentiation between the OTC and prescription doses of ibuprofen, and their respective effects. Adverse reactions to ibuprofen appear to be dose and duration dependent, and this may be the reason for the observed tolerability of the drug at OTC doses. OTC ibuprofen is at least as effective as aspirin and more effective than paracetamol. The tolerability concerns associated with higher dose NSAIDs currently do not apply to low-dose, short-term use of ibuprofen for common pain. Ibuprofen is associated with the least risk of GI complications compared with other NSAIDs and is considered relatively benign in overdose. This review will aim to distinguish the safety of OTC or non-prescription use of ibuprofen from its prescription use.
Extent of Nasal Irrigation in Non-operated Sinuses: A Cadaveric Trial
Authors: Sumaily Ibrahim , Jomaah Mohammad , Alarifi Ibrahim , Alromaih Saud , Aloulah Mohammad , Ajlan Abdulrazag , Alroqi Ahmad , Alsaleh Saad
Published: February 2022

Background

Nasal irrigation is among the most widely used treatment modalities for sinonasal diseases. The extent of irrigation is well studied in operated sinuses but not for non-operated sinuses. Moreover, the preferred head positioning during irrigation is not known. Herein, we studied the extent of nasal irrigation in cadaveric heads with non-operated sinuses.

Methods

Nine cadaveric heads were used. Normal saline solution mixed with radiological contrast material was used to irrigate the nasal cavities with the heads in 2 different positions: standing-leaning-forward (SLF) and Head-down forward (HDF). After each irrigation, computed tomography images of the head were acquired. The extent of irrigation was assessed for each subunit of the sinonasal cavity.

Results

Irrigation was performed twice on a total of 18 sides, each time in 1 position. Nine subunits were evaluated: inferior, middle, and superior meati; the olfactory cleft; and the frontal, maxillary, anterior, and posterior ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses. The extent of irrigation was significantly better in the HDF position for the olfactory cleft (100% vs 33%), P-value=.001, frontal sinus (33% vs 11%), P-value=.002, maxillary sinus (78% vs 17%), P-value=.001, and anterior ethmoid sinus (89% vs 17%), P-value=.001. There was no significant difference in the extent of irrigation between the 2 positions for the other evaluated subunits. The overall extent of irrigation was 70.37% of the subunits in HDF position and 45.06% of the subunits for SLF position, P-value= .001

Conclusions

Nasal irrigation reached the cavities of non-operated paranasal sinuses. However, while the extent of irrigation was limited in the SLF, it was well achieved in the HDF position. Studies on the clinical efficacy of irrigation in this position are recommended.
Concern About Falling, Confidence in Balance, Quality of Life, and Depression Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults After a 24-week Dual-Task Training With Variable and Fixed Priority: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Trombini-Souza Francis , Nogueira Renata Taysa de Souza Azevedo , Serafim Ana Cícera Batista , Lima Thamires Medeiros Mendes de , Xavier Michelle Katherine Andrade , Perracini Monica Rodrigues , de Araújo Rodrigo Cappato , Sacco Isabel CN , Nascimento Marcelo de Maio
Published: February 2022

Objective

To evaluate the effect of a 24-week dual-task training with progression from variable to fixed priority on the concern about falling, confidence in balance, quality of life, and depression symptoms in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

A total of 60 participants (60–80 y.o.) were randomly allocated into a dual-task training group with progression from variable to fixed priority (experimental group) or into a dual-task training group with variable priority (control group).

Results

No between-group difference was observed after the intervention. A significant time effect showed a reduction in concern about falling [mean difference (MD) = -2.91)] and depression symptoms (MD = −1.66), an increase in the physical function (MD = 7.86), overall mental health (MD = 5.82), perception of vitality, energy, and less fatigue (MD = 10.45), general perception of overall health (MD = 6.81), and their health compared to the last year (MD = 11.89).

Conclusion

The experimental protocol was not superior to the control one. However, both protocols improved these outcomes.
Dietary patterns and risk of multiple sclerosis: Results of a double-center case-control study in Iran
Authors: Rouzitalab Tohid , Shivappa Nitin , Daneshzad Elnaz , Izadi Azimeh , Sanoobar Meisam , Khandouzi Nafiseh , Shiri-Shahsavar Mohammad Reza , khalili Mohammad
Published: March 2022

Background: It has been suggested that nutrition might contribute to multiple sclerosis etiology (MS). Aim: This case-control study aimed to determine the role of food habits and dietary patterns in preventing or developing MS in a multicenter study in Iran (Tehran and Shiraz). Methods: In this study, food intake of (106 patients with relapsing/remitting MS (RRMS) and 72 healthy controls in Tehran) and (75 patients with relapsing/remitting MS (RRMS) and 72 healthy controls in Shiraz) were collected using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were extracted using factor analysis. The association between dietary patterns and the risk of MS was analyzed by Logistic regression. Results: Two major dietary patterns were extracted: the “healthy” and the “unhealthy” patterns. After adjustment for potential confounders, in Tehran city, subjects in the highest tertile of the unhealthy dietary pattern score had greater odds of having MS, compared with those in the lowest tertile (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: [1.95–2.41]; p for trend  =  0.01). In Shiraz city, subjects in the highest tertile of the unhealthy dietary pattern score had greater odds with MS than those in the lowest tertile (OR: 3.08; 95% CI: [1.27-7.38]; p for trend  =  0.01). However, in both groups, no significant association was found between healthy dietary pattern and MS risk. Conclusions: Adherence to unhealthy dietary pattern may increase the risk of MS in Iran. The results can be used for developing interventions that aim to promote healthy eating for preventing MS.
Supporting the social-emotional needs of children and young people with developmental coordination disorder: Occupational therapists’ perceptions of practice in England
Authors: Rihtman Tanya , Gadsby Nichola , Porter Joanne
Published: February 2022

Introduction

The social-emotional impacts of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) for children and young people (CYP) are often the most disabling. Occupational therapists (OTs) have a central role in facilitating holistic service provision for this population. There is a need to understand OTs’ perceptions regarding provision of support for the social-emotional needs of CYP with DCD.

Method

A focus group ( n = 9) explored issues pertaining to OT support for the social-emotional needs of this population. Qualitative data were analysed through collaborative coding, organization and reorganization following the classic analysis strategy.

Results

Findings suggest that social-emotional support is not explicitly addressed in service provision for CYP with DCD. It appears that OTs know what needs to happen to improve social-emotional outcomes, and have made some progress, but more remains to be done. Holistic service provision depends upon varied factors, many of which are outside individual therapists’ control.

Conclusion

In England, OTs working with CYP with DCD may be providing services in settings not geared to supporting social-emotional needs. This raises concerns as to whether practitioners are enabled to stay true to holistic principles, as well as concerns related to delivering evidence-based practice in light of growing evidence regarding this population’s social-emotional risks.
Predictors of Osteoarthritis Development at a Median 25 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using a Patellar Tendon Autograft
Authors: Lindanger Line , Strand Torbjørn , Mølster Anders Odd , Solheim Eirik , Fischer-Bredenbeck Cornelia , Ousdal Olga Therese , Inderhaug Eivind
Published: March 2022

Background:

Few studies have investigated the outcome ≥20 years after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with a bone–patellar tendon–bone autograft, and there is a wide range in the reported rates of radiographic osteoarthritis (OA).

Purpose:

To report on radiographic OA development and to assess risk factors of knee OA at a median 25 years after ACLR with a bone–patellar tendon–bone autograft.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Unilateral ACLRs performed at a single center from 1987 to 1994 were included (N = 235). The study population was followed prospectively with clinical testing and questionnaires. Results from the 3-month, 12-month, and median 25-year follow-up are presented. In addition, a radiographic evaluation was performed at the final follow-up. Radiographic OA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥2 or having undergone ipsilateral knee replacement surgery. Possible predictors of OA development included patient age, sex, time from injury to surgery, use of a Kennedy ligament augmentation device, any concomitant meniscal surgery, and return to preinjury sports after surgery.

Results:

At long-term follow-up, 60% (141/235) of patients had radiographic OA in the involved knee and 18% (40/227) in the contralateral knee ( P < .001). Increased age at surgery, male sex, increased time between injury and surgery, a Kennedy ligament augmentation device, and medial and lateral meniscal surgery were significant predictors of OA development in univariate analyses. Return to preinjury level of sports after surgery was associated with less development of OA. In the multivariate model, medial meniscal surgery and lateral meniscal surgery were independently associated with OA development. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.88 (95% CI, 1.03-3.43; P = .041) for medial meniscal surgery and 1.96 (95% CI, 1.05-3.67; P = .035) for lateral meniscal surgery. Patients who had developed radiographic signs of OA had significantly lower Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and Lysholm scores at long-term follow-up.

Conclusion:

At 25 years after ACLR, 60% of patients had developed OA in the involved knee, and these patients reported significantly lower subjective outcomes. Medial meniscal surgery and lateral meniscal surgery were independent predictors of OA development at long-term follow-up.
State Policies Concerning Disaster Preparedness for Home- and Community-Based Service Providers
Authors: Peterson Lindsay J. , Rouse Hillary J. , Slater Christian , Ayala Joey
Published: March 2022

Older adults are among those most vulnerable to harm in disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Nursing homes and other Medicare providers are subject to federal requirements to develop detailed disaster plans. However, millions of older adults receive care at home from non-Medicare providers who are under federal disaster preparedness rules that are less prescriptive than Medicare rules and subject to state interpretation. This study assessed the disaster preparedness policies for Older Americans Act-funded home- and community-based programs in 10 states with high numbers of older adults and experience with disasters. We found considerable variation by state. The results raise questions about the protection provided to vulnerable individuals who receive care at home in some states. However, the policies of some other states indicate an awareness that government has a significant role in protecting older adults exposed to disasters and that disaster preparedness is a component of aging in place.
Evaluation of Intravenous Push Piperacillin-Tazobactam on Time to Antibiotic Administration in Emergency Department Patients with Sepsis
Authors: Alrashed Mohammed A. , Kang Nayoung , Perona Stephen J. , Torabi Mohammad R. , Borgstrom Mark C.
Published: February 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if intravenous push (IVP) administration of piperacillin-tazobactam reduced the time to antibiotic administration compared to intravenous piggyback (IVPB) in emergency department (ED) patients who present with sepsis. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with sepsis who received piperacillin-tazobactam before and after implementation of an IVPB to IVP conversion protocol. Results: A total of 486 charts were reviewed and the final analysis included 127 patients in each group. The mean time to administration of piperacillin-tazobactam was 67 (± 48) minutes and 58 (± 36) minutes in the IVPB and IVP cohorts, respectively (P = NS). The time to administration of secondary antibiotics was reduced by 38 minutes in patients who received piperacillin-tazobactam by IVP (105 min ±69 vs 67 min ±37; P < .001). Nurse administration time was reduced by 11 min for piperacillin-tazobactam (54 min ±46 vs 43 min ±33; P = .034) and 40 min for secondary antibiotics (90 min ±67 vs 50 min ±32; P = < .001) in the IVP group. There was no difference in hypersensitivity reactions, hospital length of stay, or mortality. Conclusion: Conversion from piperacillin-tazobactam IVPB to IVP was associated with a reduction in time to piperacillin-tazobactam and secondary antibiotic administration in emergency department patients with sepsis. Further prospective research is needed to evaluate clinical outcomes associated with IVP administration.
Design and implementation of an autonomous service robot based on cyber physical modeling systems
Authors: Li Shih-An , Chou Li-Hsiang , Chang Tsung-Han , Wong Ching-Chang , Feng Hsuan-Ming
Published: March 2022

An autonomous robot is designed and implemented to support the service works. Many technologies were adapted, namely human-robot interaction order system, path planning and mapping in indoor, Robot Operating System (ROS), and Cyber Physical System (CPS). Many subsystems are developed and constructed based on ROS to implement a human-interaction action in completing service robot tasks. A human-robot interaction order system is designed for the convenient human servicing purpose. Therefore, the customer quickly finds the commodity information through the internet. This system recommends the commodity according to the content of the database. In addition, the customer makes an order by touch screen interface, and then it sends a command to control the robot to deliver the commodity. In the second subsystem, it includes path planning and mapping generation. The well-known simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) concept with a Rao-Blackwellized particle filter (RBPF) addresses the appropriated maps after completing the exploration of the indoor environment. In order to reach better robustness and agility, the hybrid path planning algorithm includes a global A* algorithm and local dynamic window approach (DWA) to navigation. In the third subsystem, the Gazebo makes the perfect construction of CPS design. Finally, the simulation and implementation of dual-arm robot navigation with the interactive order situation to efficiently support servicing actions of the robot and finish the required tasks.
Nonlinear dynamic analysis of the central bevel gear transmission system in aero engine subjected to internal and external excitation
Authors: Liu Jiayin , Zhang Hao , Zhai Jingyu , Han Qingkai
Published: February 2022

The research on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the central bevel gear transmission system was carried out for the requirement of the vibration control and fault diagnosis of the central bevel gear transmission system in an aero engine. This paper proposes the dynamic model for the first time in order to investigate nonlinear dynamic behavior of the central bevel gear transmission system, and the internal and external excitations are taken into account by using lumped parameter modeling. Time-varying meshing stiffness, gear backlash, and gear transmission error is included in the internal excitations, and the input power, the speed fluctuation of the driven shaft and the high-pressure rotor unbalance excitation are included in the external excitations. The effects of the external excitations on the complex nonlinear dynamic behavior of the system are studied. The results show that reasonable control of input power, speed fluctuations, and high-pressure rotor mass imbalance can improve engine vibration.
Computational comparison and experimental performance analysis on heat pipes using concentrating solar parabolic trough collector
Authors: Kumar P Ravindra , Babu Nelakuditi N , Prasad K Lakshmi
Published: February 2022

The heat pipes in solar applications uses are important and it is significantly growing nowadays. Capable of meeting the world’s challenges with a threat to the climate; a shortage of conventional energy sources, usually fossil fuels, high electricity costs, and it is inexpensive; therefore, the renewable energy of solar energy is an excellent source, reaching total amount of energy is 34,00,000 EJ in each year, all over the world. This is between 7000 and 8000 times the annual global primary energy consumption. Thereby, a Concentrating Solar Parabolic Trough Collector is suggested in this paper, which can be used to analyze the performance of various heat pipes. Using solar parabolic trough collector to analyze the performance of different heat pipes rather than considering the supply of electric power input. Using a parabolic trough collector that concentrates solar energy on an evacuated tube heat pipe, which converts radiation energy into electrical energy heat, the experimental work demonstrates the use of solar energy. Condensers, evaporators, and three heat pipes consisting of aluminum galvanized iron, and stainless steel materials are the main components. A porous wick structure and an ammonia solution-filled working fluid consist of each heat pipe. Continuously recirculating the working fluid through temperature variation. The readings are taken using connected thermocouples on three heat pipes by continuously varying the mass flow rate. The vacuum pressure gauge to maintain the heat pipes generates the vacuum inside space. At various mass flow rates of heated water from the parabolic trough collector, experimentation was also performed. The result of this study calculates the mass flow rate at the end of the process of the different heat pipes used here. Furthermore, different inclinations are estimated in a variety of situations, such as at temperatures of 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°. In the experimental analysis, outlet temperatures of heat pipes are measured and the temperature distribution contours are evaluated using the analysis of computational fluid dynamics.
Implications for COVID-19 vaccination following the European Court of Human Right’s decision in Vavřička and oths v Czech
Authors: Alekseenko Aleksandra
Published: March 2022

Mass vaccination in the fight against the global pandemic of COVID-19 brings new questions to the ‘old’ issue of mandatory vaccination. The intention to restrict access to some spheres of life on the basis of an individual’s vaccination status provides fertile soil for potential violations of fundamental subjective rights, such as the right to bodily integrity and the interest not to be subject to medical intervention without consent, the right to a private life, and the right to engage fully within society without unjust discrimination. The potential implications of mandated or necessary vaccination for individual rights have not been fully explored, but the recent decision from the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Vavřička and others v. The Czech Republic (2021) gives us a sense of the Court’s approach to the question, given that the hearing (and subsequent decision) took place at the height of the pandemic. In this commentary, the judgement and the dissenting opinion will be analysed and compared from the perspective of the different understanding of the doctrine of proportionality. It will be argued that the approach, wherein the nature of the considered right is becoming the central question, corresponds more adequately with the aims of the Convention. Consequently, it can be suggested that in considering how to regulate vaccination against coronavirus, it is necessary to reframe the analysis in order to ensure that States remain true to the underlying ethos of the Convention to protect individual rights against State interference.
Virtual Reality Instructional Design in Orthopedic Physical Therapy Education: A Mixed-Methods Usability Test
Authors: Hartstein Aaron J. , Verkuyl Margaret , Zimney Kory , Yockey Jean , Berg-Poppe Patti
Published: February 2022

Background

Physical therapy education benefits from innovative and authentic learning opportunities. However, factors that influence the acceptance of educational technology must be assessed prior to curricular adoption. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of a virtual reality (VR) learning experience developed to promote the clinical decision-making of student physical therapists.

Methods

A VR learning experience was developed, and an established two-stage usability test assessed player experience as well as the user’s perception of both ease of use and usefulness. Two experts evaluated the VR learning experience and provided feedback. Six student physical therapists and five faculty members completed the VR experience, responded to two questionnaires, and participated in a semi-structured interview to further assess ease of use and utility.

Results

High levels of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and positive player experiences were reported by both faculty and student users. Faculty users perceived a significantly greater amount of educational and clinical utility from the VR simulation than did student users. Semi-structured interviews revealed themes related to ease of use, benefits, modeling of professional behaviors, and realism.

Conclusion

Quantitative data supported faculty and student users’ perceptions of ease of use, utility towards learning, practical application, and several constructs related to user experience. Qualitative data provided recommendations to modify design features of the VR experience. This study provides a template to design, produce, and assess the usability of an immersive VR learning experience that may be replicated by other health professions educators where current evidence is limited.
Home-Based Palliative Care Organizations Struggle to Survive and Thrive in a Competitive Market
Authors: Rahman Anna , Coulourides Kogan Alexis , Lewis Nicole , Lomeli Sindy , Enguidanos Susan
Published: March 2022

Background

New opportunities to expand home-based palliative care (HBPC) highlight the need for novel data that explores how HBPC providers currently navigate this nascent business.

Objectives

To investigate how HBPC providers and their organizations sustain their operations in a rapidly evolving market.

Study Design

This was an exploratory, qualitative study.

Setting

We conducted focus groups with staff of nine HBPC organizations that held provider contracts with a large California insurance provider.

Measurement

A research team member experienced in qualitative methods conducted semi-structured focus group interviews with HBPC agency staff who were knowledgeable about their agency’s patient recruitment and enrollment processes. Interview sessions of roughly an hour long were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used thematic analysis procedures to identify codes and themes.

Results

We identified seven themes: market competition, market diversity, HBPC reimbursement, service standardization, hiring practices, marketing, strategic enrollment processes, and outcomes monitoring. The participants called for more standardization in their field. In discussing key business operations—hiring, marketing, patient enrollment, outcomes monitoring—they demonstrated inventiveness and willingness to innovate in order to succeed in a complex healthcare sector.

Conclusion

Our study expands on the literature by providing a glimpse of the challenges encountered by HBPC providers and their organizations and the myriad strategies they undertake to navigate a health-service area that lacks standardized practice and payment guidelines. Our findings suggest that HBPC agencies will continue to struggle in the absence of standardization in practice, payment, and quality oversight.
Elementary School Nurses’ Perceptions Regarding Menstruation Education: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Sweeney Erin N. , Fisher Christine M. , Adkins Megan M.
Published: March 2022

Menarche can be a difficult transition for young people. With appropriate education, youth can feel more positively about the menstrual experience. Since many elementary teachers are not equipped with menstrual health knowledge, the education falls to the school nurse. However, it is unknown if school nurses feel comfortable communicating about menstruation with young people. The purpose of this study was to explore school nurses’ perceptions regarding menstrual health education in elementary schools (grades K-5).

An online mixed-methods survey was established using Qualtrics. Through snowball sampling, 30 elementary school nurses responded. Using the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) as a framework, a deductive semantic thematic analysis was used to identify themes for each question.

Data suggested that elementary school nurses would participate in professional development regarding menstrual health and hygiene. School health nurses are receiving limited knowledge/skills surrounding pedagogy and are not familiar with cultural differences when it comes to menstrual health.
Endocervicosis in an Intramammary Lymph Node
Authors: Jebakumar Deborah , Asirvatham Jaya Ruth
Published: March 2022

Benign müllerian inclusions are frequently encountered within infra-diaphragmatic locations such as pelvic lymph nodes, bladder, cervix and vagina. Supra-diaphragmatic müllerian inclusions, especially endocervicosis, are exceedingly rare. We report a case of endocervicosis within an intramammary lymph node in a 49-year-old woman. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second reported case.
Hairy Cell Leukemia-Japanese Variant: Report of a Patient and Literature Review
Authors: Ito Mariko , Harada Tomoya , Lang Lang , Saga Tomoyuki , Kanagawa Michiyo , Matsuda Reina , Yashiro Shinichi , Kano Satoshi , Sasaki Yutaka , Nakamine Hirokazu
Published: March 2022

Hairy cell leukemia-Japanese variant (HCL-jv) shares some features with, but differs in other features from, HCL variant. Recently, it has been pointed out that HCL-jv and splenic diffuse red pulp small B-cell lymphoma (SDRPL) possibly constitute the same disease. We report a patient with HCL-jv, in which the neoplastic cells in the resected spleen were positive for CD11c, CD103, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (by immunohistochemistry), and weakly positive for cyclin D3. They were negative for CD25, CD123, annexin A1, and BRAF V600E-derived protein. Meta-analysis of HCL-jv cases in the literature showed considerable variation in the expression of HCL-related molecules. Although the clinical features and pattern of splenic involvement of HCL-jv are similar to those of SDRPL, some cytomorphological and phenotypical differences can be pointed out. To confirm whether the weak expression of cyclin D3 in our case suggests a spectrum from HCL-jv to SDRPL or one of the characteristics of HCL-jv, further studies on a large number of cases are necessary.
“More than a Job, it’s a Purpose”: A Psychology of Working Perspective of the Working Experiences for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Gilson Carly B. , Sinclair James , Whirley Mary L. , Li Yi-Fan , Blustein David L.
Published: February 2022

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) aspire to work, though they are often excluded from the workforce. However, little is known about the perspectives and work experiences of adults with IDD viewed through a vocational psychology lens. Our study focused on the Psychology of Working theoretical (PWT) framework, which is anchored in inclusivity, lived experiences, and equity. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 adults with IDD across the United States to understand how they make meaning of work and the extent to which their lived experiences aligned with the PWT taxonomy. We employed consensual qualitative research to analyze participants’ views within the three functions of the PWT taxonomy (i.e., power and survival, social connection, and self-determination). Our findings affirm the taxonomy as an appropriate framework to apply to the working experiences of adults with IDD. We discuss implications of this study for research and practice in vocational psychology.
Advocacy Coalitions and Knowledge Transfer within Geothermal Policy Change in Indonesian Conservation Forests
Authors: Pratiwi Santi , Juerges Nataly
Published: February 2022

The utilization of geothermal energy is recently disrupting the management of conservation forests. It has taken more than a decade to change related forest policy in justifying geothermal energy utilization in the conservation forests. This study combined the Advocacy Coalition Framework and the Research-Integration-Utilization models to analyze the driver of forest policy change related as per the legitimation of geothermal utilization linked to actor’s power and interests. Expert interviews, field observations, and document analysis were triangulated according to the methodology described in this study. The results show different interests of key actors affecting the geothermal practice through two opposing coalitions, namely, development and conservation coalition. Furthermore, the weak integration and implementation of science-based policy evoked conflicts, thus creating a deadlock for geothermal projects in the conservation forests. A sustainable and integrated policy is necessary to resolve conflicted interests without threatening the conservation forests and the local community.