bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Irreversible Mixing Induced by Geostrophic Turbulence over the Global Ocean
Authors: Liu Tongya , Qian Yu-Kun , Liu Xiaohui , Peng Shiqiu , Chen Dake
Published: January 2024

Two recently proposed mixing diagnostics are employed to estimate the global surface irreversible mixing based on particle and tracer simulation driven by satellite-derived geostrophic velocities. These two novel diagnostics, similar to the traditional dispersion diffusivity and Nakamura’s effective diffusivity but defined in a localized and instantaneous sense, have the following advantages: 1) they reconcile the theoretical discrepancies between Eulerian-, particle-, and contour-based diffusivities and 2) they do not rely on the stationary and homogeneous assumptions of the turbulent ocean and are free from traditional average operators (e.g., Eulerian time–space or along-contour mean). Our results show that evident discrepancies among these three types of diffusivities do emerge when employing traditional estimates. However, these discrepancies could be significantly mitigated with the adoption of new diagnostic methods, implying that the three types of diffusivities can be effectively reconciled within a global framework. Moreover, finescale mixing structures and transient elevated mixing events due to geostrophic stirring can be clearly identified by the two new diagnostics, in contrast to previous estimates that are spatially and/or temporally smoothed. In particular, it is interesting to note that large values of the new diagnostics usually occur along narrow filaments/fronts associated with mesoscale eddies, and elevated mixing is observed to be located at the periphery of eddies. Our study presents a novel revisit of the global surface mixing induced by geostrophic eddies with an emphasis on irreversibility and provides new insights into previous questions regarding different mixing diagnostics in the community.

Significance Statement

Previous estimates of eddy mixing over the global ocean, using particle-based, tracer-based, and Eulerian-based diffusivities, have shown evident discrepancies. By using recently proposed novel mixing diagnostics, this study demonstrates that the three types of diffusivity estimates agree well with each other, indicating a practical unification of the three types of diffusivities. Also, since the new mixing diagnostics do not involve any traditional average operator, the local and instantaneous mixing maps over the global ocean are presented here, in contrast to previous spatial- or temporal-averaged ones. These new insights can address several unresolved issues in the mixing community.
Sacred cites: Engaging the spiritual in ethnographic knowledge (re)production
Authors: Castor N. Fadeke
Published: January 2024

In this article I offer a Black feminist sacred citational praxis supported by considerations of how subjectivity, relationality, and epistemology speak to questions, such as: which voices contribute to the stories we tell, the arguments that we make, and what is our responsibility to marking and naming those voices? Certainly, the calling of academic names, those thinkers and scholars recognized in academia largely through peer-reviewed writings, is both commonplace and normative. This includes both people who are living and those who have passed. That is, part of our accepted normal praxis is being in conversation with the dead. Yet largely we don’t speak of the “normative” citations as a spiritual practice, or recognize the naming, quoting, and reproducing of people’s voices after they have passed on in that vein. What if we did? What would that look like?
Promoting mindfulness in education: Scientisation, psychology and epistemic capital
Authors: Hemming Peter J , Arat Alp
Published: January 2024

Mindfulness is increasingly found in many educational settings in the United Kingdom, but existing research has focused primarily on clinical efficacy or implementation issues, rather than sociological interests. This article draws on data from the ‘Mapping Mindfulness in the UK’ study to help explain the successful growth of mindfulness in education, by exploring the discursive strategies through which practitioners construct, promote and solicit support for the practice among policymakers and educational leaders. The analysis highlights the significance of certain authorities or epistemic capitals, and logics of ‘scientisation’, for positioning mindfulness as a credible and legitimate practice for educational contexts, yet also reveals competing discourses and alternative conceptualisations. In doing so, it extends theories of ‘scientisation’ by explicating the role of ‘harder’ and ‘softer’ forms of psychology within these processes. The research makes original contributions to sociological understandings of mindfulness and education, while offering new insights on broader theories concerning science and society.
A Duplex Model for Giftedness
Authors: Sternberg Robert J.
Published: January 2024

This article proposes a duplex model for understanding giftedness. The first part of the duplex is the set of gifted skills and attitudes that one possesses as a result of heredity, the environment, and their interaction. It is the input that one has acquired from one’s life experiences. The second part of the duplex is the utilization or deployment of gifted skills and attitudes. On this view, giftedness, like intelligence, in practice heavily depends upon one’s attitudes toward deployment of abilities, not just the abilities themselves. It is the output that one gifts back to the world. Someone may possess giftedness in the first part of the duplex but give very little back in the second part. Alternatively, someone may make gifted contributions but not be identified as having the characteristics usually associated with giftedness. This can result because giftedness can be either trait-like or state-like. Some people act in gifted ways as a function of their interactions with tasks and situations, although they would not have been predicted to be individuals who would act that way. A full model should allow both for input and output—giftedness as a possession but also giftedness as it is deployed to make the world a better place.
Lessons Learned From Adolescent COVID-19 Vaccine Administration in Medically Underserved Communities
Authors: Lin Sue C. , Donney Julie Fife , Lebrun-Harris Lydie A.
Published: January 2024

Objectives:

In May 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program (HCCVP) began supporting the national adolescent vaccination rollout for a safe return to in-person learning for children and adolescents from medically underserved communities. To understand the initial implementation of adolescent vaccinations, we estimated the number of vaccines administered through the HCCVP at the national and state level to adolescents aged 12-17 years, and we examined challenges and solutions in vaccine deployment.

Methods:

We analyzed data on vaccine administration, challenges, and solutions from the Health Center COVID-19 Survey during May 14–August 27, 2021, and we analyzed data on patients served from the 2019 Uniform Data System. National adolescent COVID-19 vaccination and population data came from CDC’s COVID Data Tracker and the US Census Bureau’s 2019 Current Population Survey.

Results:

HCCVP health centers administered >485 000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to adolescents during the study period, with variations across states. Health centers in 13 states and territories (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, and Puerto Rico) vaccinated more adolescents than their share of prepandemic adolescent patients. The most frequently reported challenges in vaccine administration were vaccine confidence and staffing availability.

Conclusions:

This assessment of the initial months of COVID-19 vaccine administration among adolescent health center patients suggests rapid response by health centers in several states, reaching beyond their adolescent patient population to support state-level pandemic response. Future research could examine processes to optimize strategic activation of health centers in public health emergency responses.
Model design to investigate the role of augmented reality technology on contextual marketing: a system dynamics approach
Authors: Irani Hamid Reza , Karimi Tooraj , Shafiei Samira
Published: January 2024

In E-commerce, one of the most essential reasons of company failures is conveying the right content of their product to the customers at the wrong time. This could include the company inability to adapt to their environment dynamically. With the existence of special circumstances like COVID-19 pandemic, companies require launching new techs, if they are to grow and stay competitive, and since the technology and related factors have a major effect on marketing success, “Systems Dynamic” sounds like a suitable tool in this regard. This article discusses augmented reality (AR) roles in contextual marketing (CM) using a system dynamics approach. After the identification of the key variables in both augmented technology and CM fields, casual relationships are defined. Then, the mathematical functions between these variables are extracted and the behavior of each factor is analyzed. Finally, based on this behavioral model, various scenarios are simulated to demonstrate how augmented reality technology can enhance the CM.
Optimization of impact strength and elastic modulus of polyamide-based nanocomposites: Using particle swarm optimization method
Authors: Panahizadeh Valiollah , Hamidi Ehsan , Daneshpayeh Sajjad , Saeifar Hosna
Published: January 2024

In the current paper, the mechanical properties of polymeric nanocomposites based on a two-phase PA6/EPDM matrix reinforced with carbon nanotubes have been optimized. The compounds consist of 0, 1, 2, and 3 wt% carbon nanotubes, 5 and 10 wt% EPDM-g-MA as a compatibilizer, and 10 and 20 wt% EPDM were made by an internal mixer. The mechanical tests were done to measure mechanical properties of the samples. In addition, SEM images were used to investigate the dispersion quality of nanotubes in the polymer matrix. From SEM findings, adding up to 2 wt% nanotubes in the matrix accompanied with a proper distribution and dispersion, whereas adding 3 wt% nanotubes into matrix results in inappropriate dispersion and agglomeration. Furthermore, samples including high level of EPDM-g-MA displayed better dispersion of nanotubes in the matrix. Moreover, the findings of mechanical tests depicted that the presence of EPDM and compatibilizing agent causes 12.5% and 22% increase in impact strength, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of nanotubes up to 2 wt% has enhanced the elastic modulus of the compounds. Finally, the optimization results of the PSO method indicate that adding 13.31 wt% EPDM, 9.91 wt% EPDM-g-MA and 2.61 wt% nanotubes progress the elastic modulus (by 36%) and impact strength (by 33%) of the matrix.
Global and transnational governance: Implications for public administration teaching
Authors: van der Waldt Gerrit
Published: January 2024

Public Administration (PA) as an academic discipline has traditionally been anchored in the principles of state-centric governance, national implementation policies, and the management of domestic public affairs. However, the rise of global and transnational governance has significantly reshaped the context in which public administrators operate. This reality has a direct bearing on the corpus of knowledge taught in PA and the teaching thereof. Preparing for new governance realities and their demands necessitates a review of the competencies that prospective civil servants should have to navigate global and transnational affairs. The purpose of this article is to explore the potential influence of global and transnational governance on the corpus of knowledge of PA and its implications for teaching. It comprises an investigation of the dynamic relationship between the changing landscape of global governance structures, the evolving challenges faced by public administrators, and the adaptation of educational curricula and teaching approaches to equip future civil servants with the requisite competencies, skills, and knowledge. The findings made and the recommendations offered underscore the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to PA teaching in the era of rapid globalisation.
Vitamin D deficiency promotes intracranial aneurysm rupture
Authors: Kimura Tetsuro , Rahmani Redi , Miyamoto Takeshi , Kamio Yoshinobu , Kudo Daisuke , Sato Hiroki , Ikedo Taichi , Baranoski Jacob F , Uchikawa Hiroki , Ai Jinglu , Lawton Michael T , Hashimoto Tomoki
Published: January 2024

Intracranial aneurysm rupture causes severe disability and high mortality. Epidemiological studies show a strong association between decreased vitamin D levels and an increase in aneurysm rupture. However, the causality and mechanism remain largely unknown. In this study, we tested whether vitamin D deficiency promotes aneurysm rupture and examined the underlying mechanism for the protective role of vitamin D against the development of aneurysm rupture utilizing a mouse model of intracranial aneurysm. Mice consuming a vitamin D-deficient diet had a higher rupture rate than mice with a regular diet. Vitamin D deficiency increased proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebral arteries. Concurrently, vitamin D receptor knockout mice had a higher rupture rate than the corresponding wild-type littermates. The vitamin D receptors on endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, but not on hematopoietic cells, mediated the effect of aneurysm rupture. Our results establish that vitamin D protects against the development of aneurysmal rupture through the vitamin D receptors on vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Vitamin D supplementation may be a viable pharmacologic therapy for preventing aneurysm rupture.
The Role of Smoking Status in Making Risk-Informed Diagnostic Decisions in the Lung Cancer Pathway: A Qualitative Study of Health Care Professionals and Patients
Authors: Black Georgia B. , Janes Sam M. , Callister Matthew E. J. , van Os Sandra , Whitaker Katriina L. , Quaife Samantha L.
Published: January 2024

Background

Lung cancer clinical guidelines and risk tools often rely on smoking history as a significant risk factor. However, never-smokers make up 14% of the lung cancer population, and this proportion is rising. Consequently, they are often perceived as low-risk and may experience diagnostic delays. This study aimed to explore how clinicians make risk-informed diagnostic decisions for never-smokers.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 lung cancer diagnosticians, supported by data from interviews with 20 never-smoker lung cancer patients. The data were analyzed using a framework analysis based on the Model of Pathways to Treatment framework and data-driven interpretations.

Results

Participants described 3 main strategies for making risk-informed decisions incorporating smoking status: guidelines, heuristics, and potential harms. Clinicians supplemented guidelines with their own heuristics for never-smokers, such as using higher thresholds for chest X-ray. Decisions were easier for patients with high-risk symptoms such as hemoptysis. Clinicians worried about overinvestigating never-smoker patients, particularly in terms of physical and psychological harms from invasive procedures or radiation. To minimize unnecessary anxiety about lung cancer risk, clinicians made efforts to downplay this. Conversely, some patients found that this caused process harms such as delays and miscommunications.

Conclusion

Improved guidance and methods of risk differentiation for never-smokers are needed to avoid diagnostic delays, overreassurance, and clinical pessimism. This requires an improved evidence base and initiatives to increase awareness among clinicians of the incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers. As the proportion of never-smoker patients increases, this issue will become more urgent.

Highlights

Smoking status is the most common risk factor used by clinicians to guide decision making, and guidelines often focus on this factor. Some clinicians also use their own heuristics for never-smokers, and this becomes particularly relevant for patients with lower risk symptoms. Clinicians are also concerned about the potential harms and risks associated with deploying resources on diagnostics for never-smokers. Some patients find it difficult to decide whether or not to go ahead with certain procedures due to efforts made by clinicians to downplay the risk of lung cancer. Overall, the study highlights the complex interplay between smoking history, clinical decision making, and patient anxiety in the context of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.
A cross-domain challenge with panoptic segmentation in agriculture
Authors: Halstead Michael , Zimmer Patrick , McCool Chris
Published: January 2024

Automation in agriculture is a growing area of research with fundamental societal importance as farmers are expected to produce more and better crop with fewer resources. A key enabling factor is robotic vision techniques allowing us to sense and then interact with the environment. A limiting factor for these robotic vision systems is their cross-domain performance, that is, their ability to operate in a large range of environments. In this paper, we propose the use of auxiliary tasks to enhance cross-domain performance without the need for extra data. We perform experiments using four datasets (two in a glasshouse and two in arable farmland) for four cross-domain evaluations. These experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our auxiliary tasks to improve network generalisability. In glasshouse experiments, our approach improves the panoptic quality of things from 10.4 to 18.5 and in arable farmland from 16.0 to 27.5; where a score of 100 is the best. To further evaluate the generalisability of our approach, we perform an ablation study using the large Crop and Weed dataset (CAW) where we improve cross-domain performance (panoptic quality of things) from 12.8 to 30.6 for the CAW dataset to our novel WeedAI dataset, and 21.2 to 36.0 from CAW to the other arable farmland dataset. Although our proposed approaches considerably improve cross-domain performance we still do not generally outperform in-domain trained systems. This highlights the potential room for improvement in this area and the importance of cross-domain research for robotic vision systems.
Immunohistochemical characterization of the immune cell response during chlamydial infection in the male and female koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) reproductive tract
Authors: Pagliarani Sara , Johnston Stephen D. , Beagley Kenneth W. , Palmieri Chiara
Published: January 2024

Chlamydiosis is one of the main causes of the progressive decline of koala populations in eastern Australia. While histologic, immunologic, and molecular studies have provided insights into the basic function of the koala immune system, the in situ immune cell signatures during chlamydial infection of the reproductive tract in koalas have not been investigated. Thirty-two female koalas and 47 males presented to wildlife hospitals with clinical signs suggestive of Chlamydia infection were euthanized with the entire reproductive tract collected for histology; immunohistochemistry (IHC) for T-cell (CD3ε, CD4, and CD8α), B-cell (CD79b), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR markers; and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) for Chlamydia pecorum. T-cells, B-cells, and HLA-DR-positive cells were observed in both the lower and upper reproductive tracts of male and female koalas with a statistically significant associations between the degree of the inflammatory reaction; the number of CD3, CD4, CD79b, and HLA-DR positive cells; and the PCR load. CD4-positive cells were negatively associated with the severity of the gross lesions. The distribution of immune cells was also variable according to the location within the genital tract in both male and female koalas. These preliminary results represent a step forward towards further exploring mechanisms behind chlamydial infection immunopathogenesis, thus providing valuable information about the immune response and infectious diseases in free-ranging koalas.
Is multi-polarity the new non-alignment?
Authors: Harris Jerry
Published: January 2024

As multi-polarity grows, there are some who see this as a new stage of non-alignment, and even the creation of an anti-imperialist bloc. But the economic and political elites of the Global South are too deeply tied to transnational capitalism to be truly independent. Instead, multi-polarity is a struggle within global capitalism for a larger share of markets, profits and political power. China has become the main proponent of a new world order based on ‘win-win’ relationships. But a ‘common destiny for mankind’ within global capitalism covers over the fundamental reality of capitalist competition and exploitation.
Dialogue in the Median Group: Inter-subjectivity that helps to reclaim the fused, confused, obsessed Mind. Part II: Clinical case and research
Authors: Schöllberger Roberto
Published: January 2024

A Median Group session supervised by Pat de Maré is presented with discussion. Research is described in which Median Groups were convened in an open psychiatric out-patient service in the community and in a closed psychiatric ward of a general hospital. Their efficacy and the participants’ satisfaction and that of the department staff are described.
Revision and Validation of the Parental Autonomy Support Scale Among Chinese College Students
Authors: Fu Yuanshu , Wang Yang , Hao Min , Ou Zhenling , Zeng Ziru , Ren Wanting , Xu Xinwen
Published: January 2024

To revise the Parental Autonomy Support Scale (PASS) and to validate its psychometric properties in Chinese college students, this study recruited 738 Chinese college students, with 72 of them retested four weeks later. The Parental Psychological Control Scale (PPCS) and the Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used to evaluate the validity of the PASS. Results showed that the revised PASS contained a total of nine items measuring three dimensions: autonomous decision-making, transpositional thinking, and willingness to respect. Results showed that the three-factor ESEM model fitted the data well (TLI = 0.981, CFI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.046). The PASS showed a significant negative correlation between the total score of the PASS and the total score of the PPCS ( r = −0.344, p < .001), and a significant positive correlation of the PASS with the total score of the RSES ( r = 0.297, p < .001). The composite reliability coefficient was 0.913 for the total score. The test-retest reliability coefficients were 0.827 for the total score and ranged from 0.626 to 0.744 for the three dimensions. The revised PASS is shown to have sound psychometric properties and thus can be used as a tool to measure the level of parental autonomy support among Chinese college students.
Toward improved thermal exposure classes for structural firefighters
Authors: Weinschenk Craig , Knight Holli , Regan John W
Published: January 2024

In the early 1970s, there was an initial effort to quantify the conditions under which firefighters are expected to perform. Harvey Utech led this endeavor by defining three levels of thermal exposure—routine, ordinary, and emergency—which were characterized by combining a range of air temperatures and radiative heat fluxes. In the last half-century, there has been a concerted scientific effort to further understand the conditions to which firefighters are exposed during structural firefighting. Research has been conducted on the resiliency of turnout gear and facepiece lenses, the thermal conditions observed during a structure fire, and the impact of firefighter tactics such as ventilation and suppression. The authors synthesize the results from these research areas to update the original thermal classifications to six categories of exposure—routine, Ordinary I, Ordinary II, Emergency I, Emergency II, and Emergency III—which are more representative of the operating environment and protective equipment thresholds that firefighters should be aware of during firefighting operations and tactical decision-making.
Preparing Teachers for Teaching Spatial Computational Thinking With Integrated Data Viewer Visualization of Weather Data: A Discipline-Based Perspective of Computational Thinking
Authors: Sun Yan , Dyer Jamie , Harris Jonathan
Published: January 2024

This study was grounded in the spatial computational thinking model developed by the 3D Weather project funded by the NSF STEM+C program. The model reflects a discipline-based perspective towards computational thinking and captures the spatial nature of computational thinking in meteorology and the reliance of computational thinking on spatial thinking for geospatial analysis. The research was conducted among nineteen teachers attending the summer workshop offered by the project in its third project year to prepare them for teaching spatial computational thinking with IDV ( Integrated Data Viewer, downloadable at https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/idv/ ) visualization of weather data. Quantitative survey data were collected measuring these teachers’ meteorology content knowledge, spatial computational thinking, self-efficacy for teaching spatial computational thinking, and epistemic cognition of teaching meteorology. The data were analyzed to examine the effects of the workshop in terms of these variables and the correlations among them were also explored.
Chest CT at X-Ray Dose Using a Noise-Mitigating Weighted Projection: The Thoracic Tomogram. Diagnostic Performance for Pneumonia Detection in Hemato-Oncology Patients
Authors: Sanchez Tijmes Felipe , Kandel Sonja , Kavanagh John , Carey Sean , May Mary , Chen Shiyi , Mattsson Jonas , Rogalla Patrik
Published: January 2024

Purpose:

To compare the diagnostic performance of a thick-slab reconstruction obtained from an ultra-low-dose CT (termed thoracic tomogram) with standard-of-care low-dose CT (SOC-CT) for rapid interpretation and detection of pneumonia in hemato-oncology patients.

Methods:

Hemato-oncology patients with a working diagnosis of pneumonia underwent an SOC-CT followed by an ultra-low-dose CT, from which the thoracic tomogram (TT) was reconstructed. Three radiologists evaluated the TT and SOC-CT in the following categories: (I) infectious/inflammatory opacities, (II) small airways infectious/inflammatory changes, (III) atelectasis, (IV) pleural effusions, and (V) interstitial abnormalities. The TT interpretation time and radiation dose were recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, ROC, and AUC were calculated with the corresponding power analyses. The agreement between TT and SOC-CT was calculated by Correlation Coefficient for Repeated Measures (CCRM), and the Shrout-Fleiss intra-class correlations test was used to calculate interrater agreement.

Results:

Forty-seven patients (mean age 58.7 ± 14.9 years; 29 male) were prospectively enrolled. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, AUC, and Power for categories I/II/III/IV/V were: 94.9/99/97.9/0.971/100, 78/91.2/86.5/0.906/100, 88.6/100/97.2/0.941/100, 100/99.2/99.3/0.995/100, and 47.6/100/92.2/0.746/87.3. CCRM between TT and SOC-CT for the same categories were .97/.81/.92/.96/.62 with an interobserver agreement of .93/.88/.82/.96/.61. Mean interpretation time was 18.6 ± 5.4 seconds. The average effective radiation dose of TT was similar to a frontal and lateral chest X-ray (0.27 ± 0.08 vs 1.46 ± 0.64 mSv for SOC-CT; P < .01).

Conclusion:

Thoracic tomograms provide comparable diagnostic information to SOC-CT for the detection of pneumonia in immunocompromised patients at one-fifth of the radiation dose with high interobserver agreement.
Resilience in Family Businesses: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Yilmaz Yasin , Raetze Sebastian , Groote Julia de , Kammerlander Nadine
Published: January 2024

Resilience attracts increasing attention across scientific domains, particularly in the context of family businesses, for which the ability to navigate adversity is pivotal for transgenerational success. This systematic literature review investigates 87 publications on organizational resilience in family businesses. Our analysis highlights four distinctive themes of family business resilience: (1) defining family business resilience, (2) long-term orientation and family values, (3) resource and capability endowments, and (4) demonstration of resilience and learning. We contribute to family business research by providing a novel framework and integrated definition, accompanied by a future research agenda.
Hydroxychloroquine-Induced Hypoglycemia in a Patient Without Diabetes
Authors: Mcknight Madison , Cutshall B. Tate , Sakaan Sami , Al Hommos Nisreen Abu , Wells Drew A.
Published: January 2024

Hydroxychloroquine is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug commonly used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Although rare, hydroxychloroquine is associated with hypoglycemia in patients with or without diabetes due to its ability to alter insulin metabolism. There have been several cases described in the literature, but none of which, to our knowledge, detail follow-up and time to resolution of hypoglycemia. We describe a 55-year-old female who presents for episodes of hypoglycemia. She reported hypoglycemic symptoms and fasting blood glucoses in the 60-70s mg/dL regularly. Based on the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale, hydroxychloroquine was the probable etiology of her hypoglycemic episodes due to the improvement at her 3-month follow up appointment after discontinuing the drug. Providers should be mindful of the hypoglycemia risk when using hydroxychloroquine and be aware that the effects may take an extended amount of time to resolve given the drug’s long half-life.
Investigation of the contact temperature during face grinding with a new design wheel in order to increase its efficiency
Authors: Husseinov Hassan Ahmad , Krehel' Radoslav , Chingis Mammadov
Published: January 2024

The article deals with technological research. The article discusses the results of theoretical and experimental studies on the creation of a new design of an end grinding wheel with an intermittent frontal and continuous nursing part of the final processing. In the discontinuous part, the transition from projections to depressions has been profiled along an Archimedean spiral. The characteristic of which we have determined by the ratio of the speed of the part to the speed of the wheel. On the basis of experimental studies carried out by orthogonal planning of the second order, an empirical model of the dependence of the contact temperature on the elements of the grinding mode of a wheel of a new design has been obtained. The resulting model contributed to the determination of a rational combination of elements of the grinding mode from the standpoint of increasing their efficiency, in particularly, reducing the contact temperature of the grinding process with a new design of the wheel.
Modeling and simulation analysis of a novel proportional water flow valve with a digital pilot stage
Authors: Hao Wang , Jiyun Zhao , Chao Cao , Yunfei Wang , He Zheng
Published: January 2024

The position straightness of the hydraulic supports is the key factor to the intelligent fully mechanized mining, and the adjacent cylinder is the actuator used to pull the hydraulic support. However, the control component of the adjacent cylinder is electromagnetic on/off valve that cannot control the movement of adjacent cylinder proportionally. Therefore, a novel proportional water flow valve with a digital pilot stage is proposed to control the trajectory of adjacent cylinder precisely. The novel valve consists of a dual active cartridge main valve and a digital pilot valve that includes a high speed on/off valve A (HSV-A) and a throttle valve piloted by the high speed on/off valve B (HV-B). A coupling dynamic mathematical model of the flow valve is formulated and the dynamic characteristics of the valve is analyzed theoretically. The fluctuation of the throttle valve and main spool motion is also analytically calculated. In addition, the influences of the control parameters and key structural parameters on the throttle valve and the main valve's motion are analyzed on the basis of AMESim simulation respectively. The simulation results have demonstrated that the displacement fluctuation of the valve can be reduced by increasing the control frequency. The throttle valve closed-loop displacement fluctuation is about 0.2 mm and 0.1 mm when the control frequency is 100 Hz and 200 Hz. What's more, decreasing the main valve orifice diameter can also effectively lower the main valve displacement fluctuation, while it will diminish the main valve response speed at the same time.
Prevalence and risk factors of sexually transmitted infections in the setting of a generalized HIV epidemic—a population-based study, western Kenya
Authors: Awuoche Hellen Carolyne , Joseph Rachael H , Magut Faith , Khagayi Sammy , Odongo Fredrick S , Otieno Moses , Appolonia Aoko , Odoyo-June Elijah , Kwaro Daniel O
Published: January 2024

Background

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) cause adverse health outcomes, including increasing HIV acquisition/transmission risk. We analyzed data from an HIV biomarker and behavioral survey to estimate STI prevalence, and explore associated factors in the setting of a generalized HIV epidemic in Siaya County, western Kenya.

Methods

Data were collected in March–September 2022 through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires; records from 9643 sexually active participants aged 13+ years were included in the analysis. We calculated weighted self-reported STI prevalence, by sex, age, and HIV status and explored associated factors using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Median age was 37 years and 59.9% were female; HIV prevalence was 18.0%. Overall STI prevalence was 1.8%; 1.5-fold higher among males vs. females, and 2.6-fold higher among participants living with HIV vs. those without. HIV status and multiple sexual partners were independently associated with STI in both sexes. Mind-altering substance use and being circumcised were associated with STI among males.

Conclusions

This study estimates STI prevalence in the setting of high HIV prevalence. Findings underscore the importance of: effective STI screening in HIV clinics and HIV testing and counseling in STI clinics; screening and counseling on substance use, and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis; and intensive sexual health counseling in male circumcision programmes.
Evaluation of antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity of brown algae (nizamuddinia zanardinii) in uterine (hela) and pancreatic cancer cell lines (paca-2)
Authors: Amerifar Milad , Arabnozari Hesamoddin , Shokrzadeh Mohammad , Habibi Emran
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Pancreatic cancer and cervical cancer are among the most common cancers. Brown algae have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, antioxidant, and immune-boosting properties. This study investigated the antioxidant properties and the effect of brown algae extract on pancreatic and uterine cancer cells.

Materials and methods

In this study, Cervical (Hela) and pancreas (Paca-2) cancer cell lines were examined. The algae materials were extracted by sequential maceration method and amount of fucoxanthin content in the sample was determined by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system. The cytotoxic effect of different concentrations of brown algae was measured by the MTT assay. All statistical calculations for comparing IC50 were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism software.

Results

the algal sample contained an average of 102.52 ± 0.12 μg of fucoxanthin per 100 g. IC50 for 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide free radical scavenging activity for methanolic extract was 2.02 and 11.98 ± 0.13 respectively. Brown algae in all fractions inhibited cell growth and survival. In Hela cell lines, the methanolic extract was the most effective inhibitor, while in Paca cell lines, hexane and methanolic extracts were particularly potent. The methanolic extract was more toxic than other fractions on Hela and Paca cell lines.

Conclusion

This study highlights brown algae extracts strong anticancer effects on uterine and pancreatic cancer cells, suggesting its potential as a natural anticancer drug. Different fractions of the extract showed superior apoptotic and cytotoxic effects, with higher concentrations leading to increased apoptotic effects and reduced survival rates of cancer cells.
Investigating the Antioxidant Effect of Deoxyschizandin in Doxorubicin-induced Hepatotoxicity: Role of PTEN Signaling Modulation
Authors: Zhou Naijing , Zhu Qilian
Published: January 2024

Background

The hepatotoxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) is one of its main toxic side effects that cannot be ignored. As an important initiating factor for hepatocyte apoptosis and necrosis, oxidative stress is crucial in DOX-induced hepatotoxicity. Deoxyschizandin (Deo) is a highly effective antioxidant flavonoid that has potential therapeutic potential in liver diseases.

Objectives

It is of great clinical significance to demonstrate that Deo can effectively treat DOX-related hepatotoxicity.

Materials and Methods

The hepatotoxicity animal model was established by DOX, and Deo was used for intervention to observe the therapeutic effect. At the cellular level, phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is used as a therapeutic target for Deo to explore its impact on oxidative stress in hepatocytes.

Results

Liver function damage and oxidative stress successfully appear in animal bodies. Specific manifestations include biomarkers of liver function damage, abnormal biomarkers of oxidative stress, and excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hepatocytes. PTEN signaling plays an important role in Deo’s inhibition of oxidative stress.

Conclusion

Our studies indicate that Deo improved DOX-induced liver oxidative stress, whose mechanisms may be related to PTEN signaling.
Magnetostrictive energy conversion ability of Iron Cobalt Vanadium alloy sheet: Experimental and theoretical evaluation
Authors: Zangho Borel Franck Toutsop , Liu Yuanyuan , Zhang Shurui , Lallart Mickaël , Morel Laurent , Sebald Gael , Tsafack Pierre , Ducharne Benjamin
Published: January 2024

The increasing demand for autonomous devices has made the concept of energy harvesting a significant industrial and academic point of interest. In this domain, an ideal magnetostrictive material for converting mechanical vibrations into electrical energy in a cost-effective way (i.e. competing with the price of primary batteries) remains to be determined. Iron-Cobalt-Vanadium (Permendur, Co49-Fe49-V2) is a promising candidate: it is a soft ferromagnetic material with high magnetization saturation, high magnetostrictive coefficients, low price, and good availability.

In this study, the experimental magnetic characterization and simulation of Permendur sheets under tensile stress were performed, and their energy conversion capabilities were assessed. The conversion ability was predicted using thermodynamic Ericsson cycles from reconstructed anhysteretic curves. A maximum of 10.45 mJ cm−3 energy density was obtained under a tensile stress of 480 MPa and a magnetic excitation of 5.5 kA m−1. Then, an additional estimation was proposed to account for the hysteresis losses. For this, major hysteresis loops at different stress levels were considered, yielding an energy density of 3.52 mJ cm−3. Finally, experimental Ericsson cycles were performed to prove the feasibility of the conversion and corroborate the energy level predictions.
Impact of Visitor Restrictions on the Pain and Psychological Wellbeing of Palliative Care Patients: A Cohort Study
Authors: Tu Yiran , Tacey Mark , Yoong Jaclyn
Published: January 2024

Aim: Palliative care patients with advanced or life-threatening illnesses in hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to be affected by visitor restrictions (VR). We aimed to explore the impact of VR on patients’ levels of physical pain and psychological distress. Design: Retrospective cohort study comparing two cohorts of patients admitted to a palliative care unit in a major metropolitan hospital in Australia; the first cohort from 1 April to 30 June 2019 (pre-pandemic; n = 96), and the second from 1 April to 30 June 2020 (during pandemic; n = 95). Methods: Patient-rated pain scores (using the Symptom Assessment Scale; SAS) and clinician-rated pain and psychological/spiritual severity scores (using the Palliative Care Problem Severity Score; PCPSS) on admission and on discharge or death were compared between pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts. Discharge pain scores and change in scores from admission to discharge were also assessed via multivariable analyses. Results: Case-mix of patients in both cohorts were similar. After adjusting for demographics and functional status, pain scores in the pandemic cohort were higher for patients deceased on discharge, compared to the pre-pandemic cohort (SAS: coefficient = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.09 to 1.64, P = 0.029; PCPSS: coefficient = 0.24, 95%CI: −0.07 to 0.86, P = 0.131, respectively). Differences in SAS and PCPSS pain and psychological/spiritual scores for those discharged alive were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Among palliative care inpatients affected by VR, we observed higher pain scores for patients discharged deceased; suggesting that VR may have impacted the physical wellbeing (pain) of these patients.
What Parents of Children Born with a Cleft Lip and/or Palate Want to Know About the Care for their Child
Authors: Heijsters F.A.C.J. , van Eick M.D. , van Nassau F. , Bouman M. , Breugem Corstiaan C. , de Bruijne M.C. , Mullender M.G. , Don Griot J.P.W.
Published: January 2024

Objective

Adequate health information that matches the needs of care recipients is a prerequisite for patient-centered care. To facilitate the provision of tailored and timely information, it isimportant to understand the information needs of parents of children and adolescents with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) themselves, and in addition they were asked how they experienced the provided care-related information.

Design

A cross-sectional study employing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

Setting

Participants were recruited from a cleft palate-craniofacial care unit in a major tertiary hospital in the Netherlands.

Participants

Participants were parents or guardians of children with CL/P, and two adolescents with CLP. They were recruited through the outpatient clinic during multidisciplinary consultation or after clinical admission.

Results

In total, fifty-five questionnaires were completed by parents or guardians and eleven interviews were conducted with nine parents of children with CL/P and two adolescents with CL/P. In general, participants reported to be satisfied with provided information during hospital admission or multidisciplinary cleft team consultations (mean 8.0, scale 0–10). In addition, 25.5% (n = 14) indicated that information to prepare for hospital admission was lacking (eg, practical information). Thematic qualitative analysis yielded five main information needs: 1) Clear communication during the care process, 2) Overview of the care trajectory, 3) Specific care plan information, 4) Presentation of information and 5) Guidance and support.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize the importance of gaining insights into wishes and information needs from care recipients who can provide insights in their information needs. With these findings, information provision should be redesigned to improve and to foster the further transition to family-centered care.
Health Behaviors and Health Status in Couples Experiencing Pandemic Stress
Authors: Meyer Dixie , Ferber Megan , Chen Stephanie , Keyvani Shadi , Samanta Justin , Stratman Hope , Wang Wenjin
Published: January 2024

When individuals are in duress, they often neglect health habits. Research shows romantic partners often adopt similar health habits. This study sought to examine the relationship between health habits and current health status as couples endured the winter (2020–2021) peak of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic. Mixed gender couples ( N = 228) completed this ecological momentary assessment designed study over a 2-week period. Regression analysis tested the relationship between physical health status and health habits including healthy weekday eating, weekend emotional eating, exercise, sleep quality, troubled sleep, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Tobacco and alcohol use were not significant, and all other predictors were significant. Next, we tested actor partner effects between physical health status and health habits using the predictors that were significant in the regression model. Weekday healthy eating and sleep quality were related to physical health status for both men and women. Weekend emotional eating was related to health status for women. Exercise showed actor effects for women only and partner effects for men only. Sleep quality showed partner effects for men only. Surprisingly, our findings showed no potential regulatory effects for men regulating women's physical health status through their health habits. However, women's health habits were related to their male partners’ physical health status. This adds to the growing body of research showing a regulatory effect for women to men in different-gender relationships.
Evaluating the Evidence-Base Supporting Writing Instruction Strategies for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of Experimental Research
Authors: McClure Erica B. , Pennington Robert C. , Bewley Stacy Crawford
Published: January 2024

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often present with difficulties in writing performance. Despite the importance of writing to achieving positive academic, employment, and social outcomes, relatively little research has been conducted examining the effects of intervention on the writing performance of individuals with ASD. Previous reviews of research examining these interventions have not evaluated the quality and rigor of studies. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the extant writing intervention research for individuals with ASD using two sets of quality indicators to offer recommendations for practices and areas for future research.
Effects of Prenatal Breastfeeding Education on Breastfeeding Duration Beyond 12 Weeks: A Systematic Review
Authors: Oggero Megan K. , Rozmus Cathy L. , LoBiondo-Wood Geri
Published: January 2024

The proportion of infants in the United States who are breastfed at 1 year remains well below the Healthy People 2030 target. The health implications of suboptimal breastfeeding durations are significant, including increased risk of childhood leukemia and maternal Type 2 diabetes. Prenatal breastfeeding education provides an opportunity to improve breastfeeding self-efficacy among pregnant individuals and to establish their coping skills in case future breastfeeding problems arise. Although prenatal breastfeeding education is known to improve breastfeeding self-efficacy, characteristics of prenatal breastfeeding education interventions that are successful at increasing breastfeeding duration have not been well defined. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Health Action Process Approach, we conducted a systematic review of the literature examining the impact of prenatal breastfeeding education interventions on breastfeeding duration measured at least 12 weeks postpartum. Twenty-one studies were identified. Prenatal breastfeeding education was most likely to increase breastfeeding duration when education interventions integrated psychological components (Health Action Process Approach coping planning) or were paired with in-person postpartum breastfeeding support. Additional research is needed to examine the role of psychological components in breastfeeding education interventions in diverse populations and to determine the specific psychological intervention components with the greatest impact on breastfeeding duration.