bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extreme Surface Winds During Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers: The Modulating Role of Near-Surface Stability
Authors: Pagano Terence J. , Waliser Duane E. , Guan Bin , Ye Hengchun , Ralph F. Martin , Kim Jinwon
Published: April 2021

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are long and narrow regions of strong horizontal water vapor transport. Upon landfall, ARs are typically associated with heavy precipitation and strong surface winds. A quantitative understanding of the atmospheric conditions that favor extreme surface winds during ARs has implications for anticipating and managing various impacts associated with these potentially hazardous events. Here, a global AR database (1999–2014) with relevant information from MERRA-2 reanalysis, QuikSCAT and AIRS satellite observations are used to better understand and quantify the role of near-surface static stability in modulating surface winds during landfalling ARs. The temperature difference between the surface and 1 km MSL (ΔT; used here as a proxy for near-surface static stability), and integrated water vapor transport (IVT) are analyzed to quantify their relationships to surface winds using bivariate linear regression. In four regions where AR landfalls are common, the MERRA-2-based results indicate that IVT accounts for 22-38% of the variance in surface wind speed. Combining ΔT with IVT increases the explained variance to 36-52%. Substitution of QuikSCAT surface winds and AIRS ΔT in place of the MERRA-2 data largely preserves this relationship (e.g., 44% compared to 52% explained variance for USA West Coast). Use of an alternate static stability measure–the bulk Richardson number–yields a similar explained variance (47%). Lastly, AR cases within the top and bottom 25% of near-surface static stability indicate that extreme surface winds (gale or higher) are more likely to occur in unstable conditions (5.3%/14.7% during weak/strong IVT) than in stable conditions (0.58%/6.15%).
Unemployment and political trust across 24 Western democracies: Evidence on a welfare state paradox
Authors: Giustozzi Carlotta , Gangl Markus
Published: April 2021

Set against the backdrop of the Great Recession, the paper explores the interplay of unemployment experiences and political trust in the USA and 23 European countries between 2002 and 2017. Drawing on harmonized data from the European Social Survey and the General Social Survey, we confirm that citizens’ personal experiences of unemployment depress trust in democratic institutions in all countries. Using multilevel linear probability models, we show that the relationship between unemployment and political trust varies between countries, and that, paradoxically, the negative effect of unemployment on political trust is consistently stronger in the more generous welfare states. This result holds while controlling for a range of other household and country-level predictors, and even in mediation models that incorporate measures of households’ economic situation to explain the negative effect of unemployment on trust. As expected, country differences in the generosity of welfare states are reflected in the degree to which financial difficulties are mediating the relationship between unemployment and political trust. Overlaying economic deprivation, however, cultural mechanisms of stigmatization or status deprivation seem to create negative responses to unemployment experiences, and these render the effect of unemployment on political trust increasingly negative in objectively more generous welfare states.
Impact of the Economic Crisis on Endocarditis Mortality in Spain: A Nationwide Study
Authors: Ortega-Loubon Christian , Ruiz López del Prado Gema , Muñoz-Moreno María F. , Gómez-Sánchez Esther , López-Herrero Rocío , Sánchez-Quirós Belén , Lorenzo-Lopez Mario , Gómez-Pesquera Estefanía , Jorge-Monjas Pablo , Bustamante-Munguira Juan , Álvarez F. Javier , Resino Salvador , Tamayo Eduardo , Heredia-Rodríguez María
Published: April 2021

Economic recession has dire consequences on overall health. None have explored the impact of economic crisis (EC) on infective endocarditis (IE) mortality. We conducted a retrospective, nationwide, temporal trend study analyzing mortality trends by age, sex, and adverse outcomes in patients diagnosed with IE in Spain from 1997 to 2014. Data were divided into two subperiods: pre-EC (January 1997-August 2008) and post-EC (September 2008-December 2014). A total of 25 952 patients presented with IE. The incidence increased from 301.4 to 365.1 per 10 000 000 habitants, and the mortality rate rose from 24.3% to 28.4%. Those aged >75 years experienced more adverse outcomes. Complications due to sepsis, shock, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis, and heart failure increased after the EC onset, and expenditures soared to €16 216. Expenditure per community was related to mortality ( P < .001). The EC resulted as an independent predictor for mortality (hazard ratio 1.06; 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.11). Incidence and mortality rate in patients with IE after the onset of the EC have increased as a result of rising adverse outcomes despite an overall increased investment.
Creating alternative interventions in social work to promote socio-economic development in South Africa: Lessons from selected social enterprises
Authors: Kajiita Robert M , Kang’ethe Simon M
Published: April 2021

Social work interventions for families, individuals and communities should be comprehensive and sustainable. A social enterprise model with dual social and economic value creation provides a useful framework for such interventions. Through a qualitative research approach and case study design, three social enterprises were studied. The findings indicate that social enterprises pursue people-centred investment; engineer and promote social integration and equity in the local communities; and create employment and promote skill development for vulnerable groups such as women and youth. Thus, a social enterprise dual mission for accruing social and economic value aligns with the social work helping mandate, and therefore smoothly integrates.
An ocean of languages? Multilingualism in Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
Authors: Neumann Birgit
Published: April 2021

The article examines the multilingual poetics of Arundhati Roy’s novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, focusing on the historically strained relations between English and India’s other languages. As a contribution to the project of “unforgetting English” (Walkowitz, 2015), the close reading of Roy’s novel reveals how English is construed and posited as a language within India’s multilingual environment. The use of English in Roy’s novel is tinged with a peculiar ambivalence: while it is marked as an alien language that is inimical to India’s linguistic plurality, English nevertheless serves as a literary and linguistic mediator that makes possible the encounter between different Indian languages in the first place. My article argues that the novel’s uneasy multilingualism navigates the possibilities (and impossibilities) of producing a literature that espouses ex-centric and small worlds in the hyper-central language of English.
Fabrication of Vascularized DPSC Constructs for Efficient Pulp Regeneration
Authors: Katata C. , Sasaki J.I. , Li A. , Abe G.L. , Nör J.E. , Hayashi M. , Imazato S.
Published: April 2021

Dental pulp regeneration is a promising approach to restore the vitality of necrotic teeth. We have previously reported the fabrication of scaffold-free cell constructs containing only dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and their ability to form pulp-like tissue in the pulpless tooth. However, the DPSC construct could not build pulp-like tissue with a full root length because it is difficult to induce blood vessels from a small root canal foramen. Therefore, we hypothesized that vascular structure could be preformed in the DPSC construct by employing endothelial differentiation capability of DPSCs, and vascularized constructs might facilitate dental pulp regeneration in the pulpless tooth. In this study, vascularized DPSC constructs were fabricated by inducing endothelial differentiation, and then we investigated the behavior of differentiated DPSCs, the internal structure of cell constructs, and their pulp regenerative ability in vivo. We observed that DPSCs positive for CD31 and von Willebrand factor were localized at the outer layer of constructs and formed a reticulated lumen structure. The cells constituting the outer layer of the construct expressed endothelial differentiation markers at higher levels than cells in the inner part. These results indicated that DPSCs in the outer layer differentiated into endothelial cells and formed vascular-like structures in the cell construct. Next, a vascularized DPSC construct was transplanted into the human pulpless tooth that was implanted into immunodeficient mice in the subcutaneous space. After 6 wk of implantation, the vascularized construct formed pulp-like tissues with higher density of human CD31-positive blood vessels when compared with specimens implanted with a DPSC construct without prevascularization. These results suggest that the vascular structure formed in the DPSC construct facilitated the blood supply and enhanced pulp regeneration. This study demonstrates that a vascularized DPSC construct is a prospective biomaterial as an implant for novel dental pulp regeneration.
An accident of history? How mopeds boosted Dutch cycling infrastructure (1950–1970)
Authors: Dekker Henk-Jan
Published: April 2021

This article argues that mopeds played an ambivalent but ultimately positive role in the long-term success of Dutch cycling. Unlike in many other countries, Dutch cycling levels dropped but remained significant throughout the 1950s and 1960s, partly because cycling infrastructure continued to be constructed. One underexplored factor explaining this is the role of mopeds in the 1950s. The Netherlands constructed a significant network of cycle paths before the 1950s. When mopeds became popular, the existence of this network raised the question of where they should ride. Engineers and politicians classified mopeds as bicycles, assigning them to the cycle path. As a result, engineers decided to build more and wider cycle paths. Despite the danger and discomfort of sharing cycling paths, cyclists therefore also benefited in the long run from the decision to reframe cycle paths as cycle-and-moped paths.
The formula for calculating the predicted value of cardiorespiratory endurance using a foot rest-based cardiorespiratory exercise device
Authors: Mirtha Listya Tresnanti , Siagian Minarma , Tamin Tirza Z , Radi Basuni , Soemarko Dewi Sumaryani , Prijanti Ani Retno , M Irfanuddin , Pelana Ramdan , Mansyur Muchtaruddin
Published: April 2021

This study developed a formula for calculating the predicted VO2 max value using a prototype model of foot-based cardiorespiratory exercise. Forty sedentary workers (20 men and 20 women) were enrolled via consecutive sampling. They underwent direct measurement of VO2 max using spiroergometry as the gold standard; the predicted VO2 max value was calculated using a prototype model of foot-based cardiorespiratory exercise, which was performed on consecutive days. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to formulate the equation for the predicted VO2 max value by including potential contributing variables: gender, body height, body weight and heart rate. Bland–Altman test was used for assessing the agreement level for the predicted VO2 max value. The equation for the predicted VO2 max value was formulated as 3.2 + 0.15 optimal exercise heart rate −5.5 sexes (0 for men, 1 for women). The agreement level for the formula was acceptable in all measurement result ranges. The formula developed in this study can be used to measure the predicted VO2 max value with an acceptable agreement level.
Protective properties of Spondias mombin Linn leaves on redox status, cholinergic dysfunction and electrolyte disturbance in cyanide-intoxicated rats
Authors: Akinmoladun Afolabi Clement , Adelabu Adesola Adebusayo , Saliu Ibrahim Olabayode , Adetuyi Aanuoluwapo Ruth , Olaleye Mary Tolulope
Published: April 2021

Cyanide is an environmental neurotoxin which has been reported to arrest the normal functioning of the brain. This study investigated the protective properties of methanol and flavonoid-rich extracts of the leaves of Spondias mombin on redox status, cholinergic dysfunction and electrolyte disturbance in cyanide-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Male Wistar rats were orally pre-treated with Spondias mombin methanol leaf extract (SMC) (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg), flavonoid-rich extract (SMF) (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg) or quercetin (20 mg/kg), followed by intraperitoneal administration of 2 mg/kg potassium cyanide. Cyanide intoxication caused brain damage in rats as echoed in the deleterious alterations to activities/levels of endogenous antioxidants and biomarkers/enzymes linked with electrolyte imbalance and neurotoxicity. Pre-treatment with SMC and SMF significantly attenuated these KCN-induced imbalances ( p < 0.05). The results suggested that the protection conferred by SMC and SMF probably involves attenuation of oxidative stress and regulation of ionic homeostasis. SMF displayed a better apparent ameliorative activity than SMC and 75 mg/kg SMF offered the best protection suggesting that flavonoids probably contributed to the protective effect of Spondias mombin leaf.
Rivaroxaban for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism
Authors: Liang Bo , Liang Yi , Zhao Li-Zhi , Zhao Yu-Xiu , Gu Ning
Published: April 2021

All cancers can increase the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), and anticoagulants should be considered as an optimal treatment for patients suffering from cancer-associated VTE. However, there is still a debate about whether the new oral anticoagulant, rivaroxaban, can bring better efficacy and safety outcomes globally. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for relevant published papers before 1 September 2019, with no language restrictions. The primary outcomes are defined as the recurrence of VTE. The secondary outcomes are defined as clinically relevant non-major bleeding, adverse major bleeding events, and all-cause of death. The data were analyzed by Stata with risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Four trials encompassing 1996 patients were included. Rivaroxaban reduced recurrent VTE with no significant difference (RR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.43–1.07). Similarly, there were no significant differences in adverse major bleeding events (RR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.37–2.00), clinically relevant non-major bleeding (RR = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.73–2.12) and all-cause mortality (RR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.40–1.44). In a selected study population of cancer patients with VTE, rivaroxaban is as good as other anticoagulants. Further, carefully designed randomized controlled trials should be performed to confirm these results.
COVID infection displaces serious cardiovascular disease from the resuscitation room
Authors: Yuguero Oriol , Guzmán Marianela , Vidal Carmel , Pardos César , Gros Silvia , Viladrosa Maria
Published: April 2021

The SARS-COV2 Pandemic has required the emergency departments to focus their attention and care to COVID-19-diagnosed patients over patients with other pathologies. Descriptive study of patients attended in the resuscitation room between 1st of March and 31st May 2019 and compared to the same period in 2020. We include all the patients attended were included in the study and their clinical variables evaluated and their diagnosis at discharge. Six hundred and fifty-nine patients were attended in 2019 and 384 in 2020. There were no differences between age and gender. In 2019, 83.2% of the cases attended had a cardiac pathology, followed by neurological pathology and traffic accidents. This data is also significant since in the same period of 2020 cardiac pathology fell to 8.3%. The COVID pandemic has reduced patients attended at resuscitation room, and especially cardiovascular ones. These are preliminary results and more studies should be done to confirm or to study this trend.
The Christian Politics of Identity and the Making of Race in the German Welfare State
Authors: Lewicki Aleksandra
Published: April 2021

The Christian Caritas and Diakonie are Germany’s largest welfare providers. They currently recruit abroad and in refugee shelters to fill staffing shortages in care. Yet, they also seek to preserve their organisations’ Christian identity. Drawing on interviews with facility managers, my research explores how these initiatives shape institutional life in care homes. Specifically, I examine meanings attributed to conversion, notably in relation to Muslim staff. My analysis shows that Christians, nominal (‘by heritage’) or observant, are seen to ‘naturally embody’ care ethics and have privileged access to permanent contracts and leadership positions. The churches’ politics of identity, I argue, racialises affiliation with Christianity into a category of belonging naturally inhabited by some, and only potentially – and always debatably – attainable for others. The analysis feeds into controversies about conversion in the sociology of race and extends scholarship on identity politics beyond its usual focus on minority or far-right activism.
Advice Not Safely Ignored: Professional Authority and the Strength of Legitimate Complexity
Authors: Harrits Gitte Sommer , Larsen Lars Thorup
Published: April 2021

It is widely debated how ordinary citizens understand and use different types of knowledge and whether the authority of professional expertise is challenged by the spread of information. These debates underline that we know too little about how professional expertise is understood from the citizens’ point of view and how citizens decide whether or not to accept various types of expertise as authoritative. This article investigates professional authority understood as lay citizens’ willingness to follow certain types of professional advice. We argue that variation in professional authority can be explained by citizens’ evaluations of professional expertise and whether they perceive the tasks and problems addressed by professionals as having ‘legitimate complexity’. The analysis uses survey data from two countries, including vignettes on following advice in concrete everyday situations. We find legitimate complexity to be a strong predictor of professional authority although social status also plays a role.
Benefits of Experience and Knowledge for Older Adults’ Monetary Sequence Preferences
Authors: Wilson Jenna M. , Strough JoNell , Shook Natalie J.
Published: April 2021

Financial literacy and financial experience may be important for understanding age differences in financial decisionmaking. Older adults generally have more financial experience than younger adults do, and some studies suggest they also have better financial literacy. We investigated associations among age ( N = 594, aged 20–88, M age = 46.48), financial experience, financial literacy, and preferences for receiving larger (versus smaller) amounts of money sooner (versus later). Older age was correlated with preferences for receiving larger amounts of money sooner and smaller amounts later, but this association was no longer significant after accounting for financial experience and financial literacy. Financial experience was the only significant contributor. We discuss implications for improving financial decision-making across adulthood.
Intraosseous Hemangioma of the Ethmoid Sinus
Authors: Caceres Christian , Kreicher Kathryn L. , Wu Qian , Falcone Todd E.
Published: April 2021

Intraosseous hemangiomas, also referred to as bony hemangiomas, arising within the nasal cavity are exceedingly rare with only 2 cases arising in the ethmoid region. Despite their rarity, they are important to consider in a patient presenting with long-standing nasal congestion. While characteristic findings on computed tomography imaging may be observed, biopsy is diagnostic. En bloc resection using a transnasal endoscopic approach with or without preoperative embolization is the treatment of choice for intranasal intraosseous hemangiomas.
Environment as Land: Understanding Anti-displacement Politics in Jharkhand
Authors: Jairath Vasundhara
Published: April 2021

While environmental claim-making is centered on nature as the object of protection or preservation, the invocation of land remains marginal to discussions on environmentalism. Land claims remain in the realm of agrarian or material discursive practices. This article analyzes an anti-displacement adivasi movement in Jharkhand in India to examine its environmental praxis. The movement articulates a distinct attachment of adivasis to land which undergirds the process of resistance to forceful land acquisition. An environmental discourse is invoked to protect continued access to land, not land itself, thereby acting back on such a discursive politics to inflect it with a material praxis that places the producer at the center.
Self-Perception of Aging Among Older Adults and Participation in Prevention
Authors: Silva-Smith Amy L. , Benton Melissa J.
Published: April 2021

Many older adults do not engage in age-based prevention despite evidence to support reduced health risks and enhanced successful aging. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-perceived aging (SPA) differed among older adults by age (young-old vs. old-old), participation in healthy lifestyle behaviors, screening, vaccinations, and self-rated health. Community-dwelling older adults (n=204) completed questionnaires reporting their SPA, self-rated health, and participation in recommended preventive healthy lifestyle behaviors, screening, and vaccinations. Our findings indicated that adults who were older and engaged in more preventive health behaviors, yet had lower self-rated health, tended to have better SPA. Prevention was greater in older adults who scored higher on aging well and aging successfully. Old-old (75 years or older) participants scored higher on aging successfully than those who were younger. Self-rated health was inversely related to SPA scores. Reporting poor or fair health did not diminish positive SPA in this sample.
Parental health literacy and nutrition literacy affect child feeding practices: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Costarelli Vassiliki , Michou Maria , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B. , Lionis Christos
Published: April 2021

Background:

Health literacy (HL) and nutrition literacy (NL) are important issues to consider, in the provision of health care to children and the establishment of healthy eating behaviors.

Aim:

The study investigates the possible role of HL and NL levels of Greek parents, in parental Feeding Practices (PFP).

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted in the urban area of the Attica region, Greece. The sample consisted of 402 parents (68.4% mothers). Parents completed the Greek version of Comprehensive Parental Feeding Questionnaire, the European Health Literacy Questionnaire 47 and the Greek version of the Nutrition Literacy Scale. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics were also assessed. The non-parametric tests Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis, the chi-square test and linear regression models were applied.

Results:

The median for HL and NL were 33.69 and 24.00, respectively. Mothers applied the “child control” practice more frequently than fathers ( p = 0.015). Linear regression analysis revealed that HL was associated positively with “healthy eating guidance” and “monitoring” ( p = 0.009 and p < 0.0001, respectively) and negatively with “emotion regulation/food as reward” and “child control” ( p = 0.037 and p = 0.015, respectively). NL was associated positively only with “healthy eating guidance” ( p = 0.009), positively but marginally with “monitoring” ( p = 0.051) and negatively with “emotion regulation/food as reward” ( p = 0.020).

Conclusions:

Higher parental levels of HL and NL are significantly positively associated with better parental feeding practices in Greece.
Visualizing the regional patterns of two crises: The COVID-19 outbreak and decreasing MSME sales during three different phases of 2020 in Korea
Authors: Kim Donghyun
Published: April 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused various socioeconomic problems as well as deaths. The featured graphic depicts the COVID-19 outbreak and the accompanying decrease in sales of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from week 2 to week 53 in 2020 as well as its regional patterns during three different phases in Korea. The geovisualization shows that the MSMEs’ economic crisis occurred during the COVID-19 outbreak period. The COVID-19 crisis witnessed the emergence of pandemic management strategies, including mitigation and reinforcement of lockdowns repeatedly, which weakened the effectiveness of policies for controlling the spread of infectious diseases. This research sheds further light on the prioritization of policy-related decision making for controlling infectious diseases by utilizing economic shutdowns.
Governing information technology (IT) investment: A contingency perspective on organization’s IT investment goals
Authors: Ali Syaiful , Green Peter , Robb Alastair , Masli Adi
Published: April 2021

Using contingency theory, we argue that there is not a uniform approach for companies to govern information technology (IT) investments. Rather, the level of governance over IT investments is contingent upon the organization’s goals for its IT investments. We find that Australian organizations with both operation- and market-focused IT investment goals (i.e. dual-focused IT goals) demonstrate higher IT investment governance (ITIG) levels than those with less focused IT goals. We also document that dual-IT-focused firms that do not implement high levels of ITIG underperform. Our study informs business executives, boards of directors, and other practitioners interested in governance implementations over IT investments.

JEL Classification: M1
Forecasting U.S. Maritime Incidents using the Grey-Markov Model
Authors: Zouhair Fatima , Kerby Jerome
Published: April 2021

Vessel incidents periodically occur in the waterways of the United States, but some types of commercial vessels have shown a downward trend in the number of incidents in recent years. One of the missions of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) is to develop regulations to mitigate and potentially prevent maritime incidents. In this paper, the USCG gathered data on more than 117,000 incidents that involved U.S.-flag vessels in U.S. waterways for the period 2001 through 2018. We applied the Grey System theory or model and Grey-Markov forecasting model to predict the future number of vessel incidents for four different vessel types from 2019 through 2030. Incident data can vary considerably from year to year and often can be incomplete. The Grey-Markov model, which is a combination of the Grey model and the Markov chain process, is suitable for this purpose because of its predictive ability. From our results, we found that the Grey-Markov model performed exceptionally well and showed the predicted values of the number of incidents to be remarkably similar to the actual values with acceptable mean relative errors ranging from 5.2% to 8.2%. We expect that these results will benefit decision makers in formulating sound policies thereby improving the maritime safety of vessels operating in waterways of the United States.
Performance of Waterproofing Membranes to Protect Concrete Bridge Decks
Authors: Haynes Matthew A. , Coleri Erdem , Obaid Ihsan
Published: April 2021

The installation of waterproofing membranes on concrete bridge decks is a commonly used strategy to prevent water on the roadway surface from penetrating into the deck and to reduce the load and freeze–thaw related damage to the bridge deck. Typically, an asphalt layer is paved over the waterproofing membrane to prevent damage from heavy vehicles. The early failure of asphalt pavement overlays on concrete bridge decks with waterproofing membranes has been recognized as a significant issue by several transportation agencies. Potential reasons for the failure of the asphalt overlay were thought to be poor adhesion between the waterproofing membrane and the asphalt wearing course, and the material properties of the asphalt layer. By determining the most effective waterproofing methods and strategies, this research will serve to decrease repair and replacement costs, and increase the service life of asphalt overlays on concrete bridge decks. The main goals of this study are to provide the industry and transportation agencies with better insight into the failure mechanisms of asphalt overlays on concrete bridge decks and to establish field and laboratory experiments to evaluate the performance of these overlays. From the results of this study, a poured waterproofing membrane was recommended as an ideal membrane for use on concrete bridge decks because of its ease of installation, complete impermeability, and high bond strengths between the concrete deck, membrane layers, and asphalt overlay.
Age Is More Predictive of Safe Movement Patterns Than Are Physical Activity or Sports Specialization: A Prospective Motion Analysis Study of Young Athletes
Authors: Heath Madison R. , Janosky Joseph J. , Pegno Angelo , Schachne Jonathan M. , Fabricant Peter D.
Published: April 2021

Background:

Movement quality and neuromuscular balance are noted predictors of acute injury. Early sports specialization and extremely high activity levels have been linked to elevated risk of injury.

Purpose:

To investigate for any relationships among quality of physical movement, quantity of physical activity, and degree of sports specialization in a healthy cohort of active children and adolescents.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study with prospectively collected data.

Methods:

Healthy children between the ages of 10 and 18 years were recruited and completed the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale to assess quantity of physical activity and the Jayanthi scale to assess degree of sports specialization (high, score of 2 or 3; low, score of 0 or 1). Movement quality was assessed using motion analysis sensors during 5 repetitions of 4 different jumping and squatting motions, with a maximum score of 100 per participant. Independent-samples t tests were used to compare participants with high versus low specialization on physical activity and movement quality. A Spearman correlation was used to determine the relationship between quantity of physical activity and movement quality, and linear regression was used to assess for the effect of participant age on relevant covariables.

Results:

Final analyses included 147 participants (72% male) with a mean ± SD age of 13.4 ± 2.2 years. Participants who were highly specialized displayed better movement quality than did participants with low sports specialization (27.6 ± 14.0 vs 19.8 ± 10.1; P < .01). Participants who were highly specialized had significantly higher activity levels (24.6 ± 5.9 vs 18.1 ± 6.9; P < .001). Movement quality was moderately correlated with physical activity level ( r = 0.335; P < .001). Physical activity; hours of organized sports activity; hours of free, unorganized physical activity; and specialization level were not significant predictors of movement quality when controlling for age. Age alone predicted 24.2% of the variance in the overall movement quality score ( R2 = 0.242; B = 3.0; P < .001).

Conclusion:

This study found that sports specialization and physical activity levels were not associated with movement quality when controlling for age, which was the most important variable predicting athletic movement quality. Although all participants displayed movement patterns that were associated with high risk for injury, overall movement quality improved with advancing chronological age.

Clinical Relevance:

All young athletes should ensure that neuromuscular training accompanies sport-specific training to reduce risk of injury.
Hearing Loss Diagnosis and Early Hearing-Related Interventions in Infants With or at High Risk for Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Richard Céline , Kjeldsen Caitlin , Findlen Ursula , Gehred Alison , Maitre Nathalie L.
Published: April 2021

Aim:

To synthesize published evidence regarding hearing impairment diagnosis and interventions in infants with or at high risk for cerebral palsy in the first year after birth.

Method:

Nine databases were searched for MeSH terms up to February 2020. Included studies were published in English, enrolled infants with or at high risk for cerebral palsy, and addressed hearing evaluation/rehabilitation within the first year after birth. Quality of evidence was evaluated using RTI Item Bank and QUADAS-2.

Results:

Eighteen articles met inclusion criteria. Quality of the evidence ranged from low to high, revealing variability in diagnostic assessment methodologies and adherence to diagnostic schedules. Concerns for bias included lack of recognition of cerebral palsy effects and etiologies on functional hearing assessment methods and results. Two interventions (hearing aid and cochlear implantation) were identified; however, reported use was inconsistent.

Interpretation:

Hearing screening in infants with or at high risk for cerebral palsy requires evaluation of the entire auditory pathway preferentially using comprehensive electrophysiological panels of assessments. For infants with perinatal neural insults, pediatric neurologists are uniquely positioned to recommend adherence to systematic surveillance and comprehensive audiology assessments, regardless of comorbidities and motor impairments.
Cerium oxide nanomaterial with dual antioxidative scavenging potential: Synthesis and characterization
Authors: Singh Sushant , Kumar Udit , Gittess David , Sakthivel Tamil S , Babu Balaashwin , Seal Sudipta
Published: April 2021

Many studies have linked reactive oxygen species (ROS) to various diseases. Biomedical research has therefore sought a way to control and regulate ROS produced in biological systems. In recent years, cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria, CNPs) have been pursued due to their ability to act as regenerative ROS scavengers. In particular, they are shown to have either superoxide dismutase (SOD) or catalase mimetic (CAT) potential depending on the ratio of Ce3+/Ce4+ valence states. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that SOD mimetic activity can be diminished by the presence of phosphate, which can be a problem given that many biological systems operate in a phosphate-rich environment. Herein, we report a CNP formulation with both SOD and catalase mimetic activity that is preserved in a phosphate-rich media. Characterization demonstrated a highly dispersed, stable solution of uniform-sized, spherical-elliptical shaped CNP of 12 ± 2 nm, as determined through dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy. Mixed valence states of Ce ions were observed via UV/Visible spectroscopy and XPS (Ce3+/Ce4+ > 1) (Ce3+∼ 62%). X-ray diffraction and XPS confirmed the presence of oxygen-deficient cerium oxide (CeO2-x) particles. Finally, the CNP demonstrated very good biocompatibility and efficient reduction of hydrogen peroxide under in-vitro conditions.
Wear behavior of polyamide 11 reinforced with titanate nanotubes
Authors: Pereira Ayrton Alef Castanheira , d’Almeida José Roberto Moraes
Published: April 2021

Besides polyamide 11 (PA 11) outstanding properties, wear performance is considered a key factor for its continued widespread use. TiTanate NanoTubes (TTNT) have a huge potential as reinforcement in polymer matrix nanocomposites, and although nanotubes reinforcement capacity is well understood, its effect on tribological characteristics is still an open question. Thus, the present work has as objective to study the wear behavior of PA 11 and its nanocomposites, highlighting TTNT loading, functionalization and sodium content effects. Seeking the possibility to tailor properties, surface topography is investigated. Based on parameter classification, correlation and functional sense, an ideal roughness parameter set is defined. By taking measurements in X- and Y-axis, parameter variations and sensibility are also analyzed. From the results, maximum wear resistance can be reached in functionalized samples with low TTNT loading and high sodium content. Some roughness parameters demonstrate a moderate to strong correlation with wear performance. Parameter variations are mainly attributed to the non-stationarity of the surface.
Near Vision but not Hearing Loss is Associated with Lacking a Usual Source of Health Care
Authors: Simning Adam , Caprio Thomas V. , Li Yue , Conwell Yeates
Published: April 2021

Objectives: Sensory loss may be a barrier to accessing healthcare services, and this study seeks to examine the association of sensory loss with whether older adults report having a usual source of health care. Methods: Our study included 7548 older adults who participated in the National Health and Aging Trends Study in 2015. Having a self-reported usual source of health care was our outcome, and hearing and vision loss were our primary independent variables. Results: In multivariate analysis accounting for demographics, socioeconomic, health status, and environmental covariates, near vision loss but not distance vision or hearing loss was associated with decreased odds of having a usual source of health care. Discussion: That older adults with near vision loss were less likely to report having a usual source of health care is concerning. Examining barriers to care is needed to identify sensory loss-relevant processes to optimize and intervene upon.
Gape Angle in Asymptomatic Dogs with Normal Occlusion
Authors: Thomson Amy , Hetzel Scott , Snyder Christopher J.
Published: April 2021

This study reports the gape angle (vertical temporomandibular joint range of motion for mouth opening) in conscious and anesthetized dogs. Mouth opening was reported as an angle in this study. Additionally, conscious and anesthetized measurements were compared to see if the state of anesthesia affected this measurement in asymptomatic patients. This prospective study evaluated 165 anesthetized dogs. Patients were placed in 1 of 2 groups: dental patients or non-dental patients. Only patients who were reported by owners to be asymptomatic for oral pain were included in the study. All dogs that met inclusion criteria had the maxillary length and interincisal distance measured. There was no difference (p = 0.590) between the mean (+/-SD) gape angle of conscious 44.0o (+/- 4.1+o) and anesthetized patients 43.9o (+/- 3.9o). No difference was seen in the gape angle between dental (44.2o) and non-dental patients (43.2o) (p = 0.183), or between conscious (43.8o) and anesthetized patients (43.7o) (p = 0.610). This study suggests that a consistent gape angle of 44o exists in dogs not exhibiting overt signs of oral pain and the gape angle is easy to measure in conscious patients and may be a useful tool during routine physical examination to identify patients with restricted range of motion. Immediate clinical application of this information can be used to monitor progress of treated patients affected by disorders that cause a decreased gape angle.
Understanding the Donor-Advised Fund Giving Process: Insights From Current DAF Users
Authors: Heist H. Daniel , Farwell Megan M. , Cummings Benjamin F. , Cnaan Ram A. , Andrews Erinn , Shamash Rebecca
Published: April 2021

The growing use of donor-advised funds (DAFs) is changing the way many donors give to charity. Despite the increasing influence and importance of DAFs in the nonprofit sector, very little is known about how people actually use them. We conducted 48 in-depth interviews with DAF users, collecting rich qualitative data about why and how donors use DAFs. We use these data to sketch a DAF giving process with four phases and multiple decision points. We highlight some of the common donor strategies that are used with DAFs. Overall, we present evidence of abundant diversity in individual adaptation for giving through DAFs.
Who Did You Meet at the Venice Biennale? Education-to-Work Transition Enhancers for Aspiring Arts Professionals in Australia
Authors: Vincent Caitlin , Glow Hilary , Johanson Katya , Coate Bronwyn
Published: April 2021

Precarious employment and unpaid labour are common features of the cultural and creative industries. While existing literature highlights the benefit of professional development in building careers, it focuses on self-driven rather than formalised activities. Social capital and social disadvantage are recognised as major factors limiting career success. Yet, it is unclear whether formalised professional development programs offer advantages to overcoming such barriers. This article examines a professional development scheme led by a government-funded cultural agency that provides cultural workers with opportunities to develop education-to-work ‘transition enhancers’. Using data from 45 participants in the Australia Council for the Arts’ Venice Biennale Professional Development Program, we find that the program enables access to three transition enhancers (professional experience, social connections and international experience). However, the program’s lack of structure ensures the benefits of participation are most effective for those who bring a proactive approach to engaging in events and building social relations.
The Making of Cheap Labour across Production and Reproduction: Control and Resistance in the Senegalese Horticultural Value Chain
Authors: Baglioni Elena
Published: April 2021

This article investigates the making of cheap workers at the bottom of global value chains. Adopting a class relational approach, it engages in labour regime and social reproduction analyses, to examine the labour process in Senegalese export horticulture and its relations with rural households. Drawing from primary qualitative data, it analyses power relations within workplaces and households investigating the structural relations between them through the disciplining and exploitation of women. It argues that labour control beyond workplaces is crucial to the supply of cheap and disciplined workers, showing how patriarchy and religion regulate a continuum of class relations between households, fields, and packaging centres. It shows the inherent conflict between production and reproduction intensifies South of the supply chain and fuels fragmentation of women in ‘classes of labour’. While women shape, respond and defy some forms of subordination, their resistance to the combined pressures of disciplining and exploitation is less manifest.
BiGRU based online multi-modal driving maneuvers and trajectory prediction
Authors: Zhi Yongshuai , Bao Zhipeng , Zhang Sumin , He Rui
Published: April 2021

Accurately predicting maneuvers and trajectory of vehicles are essential prerequisites for intelligent systems such as autonomous vehicles to achieve safe and high-quality decision making and motion planning. Motions of each vehicle in a scene is governed by the traffic context, that is, the motion and relative spatial positions of neighboring vehicles, and is also affected by its motion inertia, that is, the trajectory history. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme based on Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (BiGRU) to conduct online multi-modal driving maneuvers and trajectory prediction. The motivation for this BiGRU based method relies on its enhanced prediction accuracy and computational efficiency in outputting the predicted results within the limited prediction horizon. We utilize a BiGRU to extract the complete history and future information of every point in the trajectory history sequence, apply dilated convolutional social (DCS) for learning interdependencies in vehicle motion, and subsequently use a GRU decoder model to make predictions. Additionally, our model simultaneously outputs a multi-modal predictive distribution over future trajectory and vehicle’s behavior prediction results. We evaluate our model using the publicly available NGSIM US-101and I-80 datasets. Our results show improvements over the state-of-the-art in terms of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values and Negative Log-Likelihoods (NLL). We also present a qualitative analysis of the model’s predicted maneuvers and multi-model trajectories for various traffic scenarios.
Increasing cervical cancer screening at a non-government medical center in Lilongwe, Malawi
Authors: Kakani Preeti , Kojima Noah , Banda Ben A , Lewis Samuel , Suri Rajat , Chibwana Florence , Chivwara Mackenzie , Sullivan Lauren , Chimombo Mayamiko , Sigauke Hitler , Tymchuk Chris , Kahn Daniel
Published: April 2021

Malawi has the highest incidence of and mortality rate due to cervical cancer in the world. This is largely because of inadequate screening and high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which greatly increases cervical cancer risk. We describe the implementation of a quality improvement program to increase use of cervical cancer screening at a non-government medical center in Lilongwe, Malawi. The intervention, developed and launched from March to August 2017, aimed to promote education among patients and clinicians about the importance of cervical cancer screening and improve accessibility of screening information within medical records. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) was used to screen for cervical cancer. Women with a positive VIA were offered treatment using thermocoagulation. The number of VIA screenings conducted in 2016 (pre-intervention), 2017 (intervention), and 2018 (post-intervention) was 125, 234 and 456, respectively. Of the 815 women screened during this period, 36 (4.4%) had a VIA-positive result and 12 (1.5%) had suspect cancer. Of the VIA-positive women, 13 (36.1%) received same-day treatment with thermocoagulation. An interrupted time series regression revealed that there was a sustained increase in monthly screenings between the pre- and post-intervention period ( β = 30.84; p = 0.006; 95% CI 9.72–51.97), suggesting that the intervention likely was effective in increasing cervical cancer screening. Our results demonstrate that focusing on developing sustainable solutions and improving system processes, without additional equipment or funding, significantly increased the number of women screened and should be considered in other settings to enhance cervical cancer prevention services.