bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distal anastomosis support for bypass grafting with coronary endarterectomy for the severe diseased posterior descending artery
Authors: Li Haitao , Wang Liangshan , Liu Changcheng , Gu Chengxiong
Published: March 2021

Background:

The posterior descending artery is the most common vessel chosen for an endarterectomy, while endarterectomy to the posterior descending artery is associated with decreased graft patency. The purpose of this study was to describe a distal anastomosis support (DAS) technique and retrospectively investigate the effect of DAS on the mid-term graft patency.

Methods:

Between January 2016 and December 2018, 200 patients with a PDA severe lesion who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) with CE (OPCAB + CE group, n = 95) and OPCAB + CE with DAS for anastomosis of PDA grafted by saphenous vein (SVG) (OPCAB + CE + DAS group, n = 105) were evaluated retrospectively. All patients came back to follow-up visit 6th, 12th, 24th, and 36th postoperative month. The primary endpoint is the graft failure (FitzGibbon B or O) of SVG-PDA on the follow-up CTA or CAG.

Results:

There was no significant difference in perioperative outcomes. We found significantly improved cumulative graft patency in OPCAB + CE + DAS group at 36 months after operation (84.6% vs 76.5%, p = 0.02). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, plaque length larger than 2 cm (hazard ratio [HR], 13.108, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.842–60.457, p = 0.001), and peak TNI ⩾70× ULN within 48 hours of surgery (HR, 3.778, 95% CI, 1.453–9.823, p = 0.006) were independent predictors of graft failure, whereas PDA diameter greater than 1.5 mm (HR, 0.231, 95% CI, 0.081–0.654, p = 0.006), and DAS use (HR, 0.336, 95% CI, 0.139–0.812, p = 0.015) were significant protective factors.

Conclusions:

Concomitant DAS conferred superior mid-term patency of SVG-PDA. Adding the DAS procedure to OPCAB + CE may be a promising surgical option for patients with a PDA severe lesion, especially when PDA diameter less than 1.5 mm and plaque length greater than 2 cm.
Breaking Up (With a Friend) Is Hard to Do: An Examination of Friendship Dissolution Among Early Adolescents
Authors: Flannery Kaitlin M. , Smith Rhiannon L.
Published: March 2021

The current study examined the experience of friendship dissolution among early adolescents, including the number of friendship dissolutions, the reasons for the dissolution, and the ways in which friendships ended. Participants were 354 middle school students ([Formula: see text] = 11.89 years, SD = .86). Results indicate that dissolutions are quite common, reported by 86% of the sample. Conflict/betrayal was the most common reason for friendship dissolution, and avoidance was the most common method used to end a friendship. The current study also investigated associations between dissolution experiences and emotional reactions following the dissolution and current depressive symptoms. Adolescents felt a nuanced mix of emotions including both sadness and happiness/relief following dissolution experiences. Emotional reactions differed based on why the friendship ended, how it ended, and who did the “breaking up.” The current findings provide a critical first step in understanding the experience of friendship dissolution and its implications for adolescents’ emotional well-being.
Uncommon site of metastatic neuroblastoma in a 15-year-old girl: case report and description of sonographic and radiographic features
Authors: Avola Emanuele , Giannetta Vincenzo , Depretto Catherine , Scaperrotta Gianfranco P.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Although most breast masses in children are benign, breast cancer must be considered in the differential diagnosis. The majority are represented by sarcomas and secondary lesions. Literature reports only four cases of neuroblastoma breast metastasis, with no emphasis on radiologic features. Our work aims to furnish a description of radiologic and sonographic features of neuroblastoma metastasis in the breast.

Case description:

A 15-year-old girl had a round nodular mass in the outer upper quadrant of the left breast that had rapidly enlarged over the last month. An ultrasound showed two subcutaneous nodules (3.8 cm and 1.3 cm in maximum diameter), with an irregular shape, heterogeneous echogenicity (isohypoechoic), and hyperechoic foci with a posterior acoustic shadow inside. Overall, the features were highly suspicious of secondary malignant lesions. Computed tomographic scan was performed and found a large retroperitoneal mass and multiple mixed secondary lesions to the spine and hip. A 14G core needle biopsy of breast masses was performed and showed a secondary localization of neuroblastoma.

Conclusions:

In adolescents, metastases are the most frequent cause of malignant breast masses. Ultrasound examination should be preferred as the first imaging tool. For the differential diagnosis of breast metastasis with benign masses, a rapid enlargement, a heterogeneous echogenicity, and intralesional hyperechogenic foci could be considered features of malignancy.
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting of Kentucky Traffic Incident Management Performance
Authors: Zhang Xu , Souleyrette Reginald R. , Green Eric , Wang Teng , Chen Mei , Ross Paul
Published: March 2021

Traffic incidents remain all too common. They negatively affect the safety of the traveling public and emergency responders and cause significant traffic delays. Congestion associated with incidents can instigate secondary crashes, exacerbating safety risks and economic costs. Traffic incident management (TIM) provides an effective approach for managing highway incidents and reducing their occurrence and impacts. The paper discusses the establishment and methods of calculation for five TIM performance measures that are used by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to improve incident response. The measures are: roadway clearance time, incident clearance time, secondary crashes, first responder vehicle crashes, and commercial motor vehicle crashes. Ongoing tracking and analysis of these metrics aid the KYTC in its efforts to comprehensively evaluate its TIM program and make continuous improvements. As part of this effort, a fully interactive TIM dashboard was developed using the Microsoft Power BI platform. Dashboard users can apply various spatial and temporal filters to identify trends at the state, district, county, and agency level. The dashboard also supports dynamic visualizations such as time-series plots and choropleth maps. With the TIM dashboard in place, KYTC personnel, as well as staff at other transportation agencies, can identify the strengths and weaknesses of their incident management strategies and revise practices accordingly.
Highway Asset and Pavement Condition Management using Mobile Photogrammetry
Authors: Farhadmanesh Mohammad , Cross Chandler , Mashhadi Ali H. , Rashidi Abbas , Wempen Jessica
Published: March 2021

Highway asset condition is of the utmost importance for transportation maintenance and pedestrian safety. Transportation facility managers must have up-to-date information on the status of all transportation assets to keep the transportation facilities operating at their highest level. Because of the sheer volume of transportation assets, an efficient and affordable data-collection procedure is necessary to gather the as-is status of the assets and create an asset inventory. Some pioneer departments of transportation in the United States use mobile Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to monitor highway assets and pavement condition data. Not only is the laser scanning equipment expensive, but the operator in charge of using the equipment must have special technical knowledge that may not be accessible to every individual. More recently, image-based reconstruction, known as photogrammetry, has emerged as a cheaper and simpler technology than LiDAR. Image-based 3D reconstruction can be done using a digital camera, such as a digital single-lens reflex camera or even a smartphone. This paper presents a full review of various research studies conducted on highway asset management and pavement condition assessment using spatial data modeling by the use of LiDAR and photogrammetry. This paper also presents two case studies to fill the current research gap in highway asset inventorying using photogrammetry. The results show the superiority of mobile LiDAR for highway asset inventorying and the possibility of having photogrammetry as a reliable alternative technology only in favorable illumination conditions.
Topic Models from Crash Narrative Reports of Motorcycle Crash Causation Study
Authors: Das Subasish , Dutta Anandi , Tsapakis Ioannis
Published: March 2021

The Motorcycle Crash Causation Study (MCCS) is a matched case-control study that contains a very wide list of crash contributing factors associated with motorcycle crash occurrences. It contains information such as motorcycle information, rider information, and associated trip information. This study also provides crash narrative information that presents an in-depth narrative discussion of the crash causation. Because of the plethora of information, it is critical to investigate MCCS-related data. Some studies examined the structured information in MCCS datasets. There is no in-depth study that has examined the unstructured textual contents in the MCCS data. This study aims to mitigate this research gap by applying different natural language processing tools (e.g., text mining, topic modeling). Fatal and non-fatal crash narratives are clustered separately to gain insights pertaining to the injury level. The findings of this study will contribute to the ongoing studies on MCCS to better understand the crash causation mechanism associated with motorcycle crashes.
Critical theory and the question of technology: The Frankfurt School revisited
Authors: Delanty Gerard , Harris Neal
Published: March 2021

Unlike the first generation of critical theorists, contemporary critical theory has largely ignored technology. This is to the detriment of a critical theory of society – technology is now a central feature of our daily lives and integral to the contemporary form of capitalism. Rather than seek to rescue the first generation’s substantive theory of technology, which has been partly outmoded by historical developments, the approach adopted in this article is to engage with today’s technology through the conceptual apparatus offered by the early Frankfurt School. This rationale is guided by the conviction that the core ideas of critical theory still offer a sound basis for assessing the nature of technology today. Through a reconstruction and engagement with some of the core concepts of first-generation critical theory, as well as the work of Bernard Stiegler and Andrew Feenberg, we can arrive at a more robust theory of technology, capable of critically interrogating the role of technology in contemporary society.
From Theory to Practice and Back: How the Concept of Implicit Bias was Implemented in Academe, and What this Means for Gender Theories of Organizational Change
Authors: Nelson Laura K. , Zippel Kathrin
Published: March 2021

Implicit bias is one of the most successful cases in recent memory of an academic concept being translated into practice. Its use in the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program—which seeks to promote gender equality in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) careers through institutional transformation—has raised fundamental questions about organizational change. How do advocates translate theories into practice? What makes some concepts more tractable than others? What happens to theories through this translation process? We explore these questions using the ADVANCE program as a case study. Using an inductive, theory-building approach and combination of computational and qualitative methods, we investigate how the concept of implicit bias was translated into practice through the ADVANCE program and identify five key features that made implicit bias useful as a change framework in the academic STEM setting. We find that the concept of implicit bias works programmatically because it is (1) demonstrable, (2) relatable, (3) versatile, (4) actionable, and (5) impartial. While enabling the concept’s diffusion, these characteristics also limit its scope. We reflect on implications for gender theories of organizational change and for practitioners.
Impact of Low-Dose Fluconazole on Tacrolimus Dosing in Renal Transplant
Authors: Johnston Jackie P. , Cohen Elizabeth A. , Casal Gianna H. , Asch William S. , Reardon David P.
Published: March 2021

Background:

The interaction between azole antifungal therapy and immunosuppressant tacrolimus (TAC) is a barrier to use.

Objective:

This study quantified the drug interaction between low-dose fluconazole (LDF) and TAC to determine the appropriate TAC dose adjustment when used concurrently in renal transplant recipients.

Methods:

We conducted a single-center retrospective chart review of renal transplant patients >18 years who received LDF or nystatin (NYS), and TAC. The primary outcome was the difference in tacrolimus total daily dose (TAC TDD) for LDF versus NYS groups. Secondary outcomes included days with supratherapeutic, therapeutic and subtherapeutic tacrolimus levels, time to therapeutic level, incidence of adverse drug reactions and graft rejection.

Results:

We evaluated 94 patients and included 81. Low-dose fluconazole received a greater TAC TDD prior to post-operative day (POD) 10 (10.5 ± 4.7 mg vs. 7.1 ± 4.5 mg, p < 0.001), but a decreased TAC TDD POD 10 - 30 (8.6 ± 2.2 mg vs. 9.8 ± 0.8 mg, p < 0.001) and following LDF discontinuation (6.9 ± 0.1 mg vs. 9.0 ± 0.4 mg, p < 0.001). Low-dose fluconazole had more patient-days with supratherapeutic (17.9 ± 7.0 vs. 13.9 ± 8.5; p = 0.02) but fewer with subtherapeutic (6.7 ± 5.7 vs. 12.9 ± 7.2; p < 0.01) TAC levels. There was no difference in patient-days with therapeutic TAC levels (15.9 ± 5.8 vs. 14.4 ± 6.6, p = 0.28), meanwhile LDF required less patient-days to therapeutic TAC level (7.1 ± 2.7 vs. 11.5 ± 7.7; p < 0.01). There was no difference in adverse drug reactions between groups and no incidence of graft rejection.

Conclusion:

A 20% reduction in TAC TDD is warranted in renal transplant patients when used concomitantly with LDF to achieve therapeutic levels.
Enhancing the mechanical properties of SCF/PEEK composites in FDM via process-parameter optimization
Authors: Hu Bin , Xing Zehua , Wu Weidong , Zhang Xiaojun , Zhou Huamin , Du Chun , Shan Bin
Published: March 2021

Short-carbon-fiber (SCF)–reinforced poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) is a promising polymer composite material with good biocompatibility, a high strength-to-weight ratio, and low friction properties. In artificial-bone fabrication and other applications with more flexible fabrication demands, fused-deposition modeling (FDM) technology enables the rapid and low-cost fabrication of SCF/PEEK parts with sophisticated structures. Owing to the high viscosity of melting PEEK composites, great challenges, associated with the poor internal interface, need to be overcome before enhanced mechanical properties can be obtained. In this study, key processing parameters and various SCF amounts were studied to investigate their effects on the mechanical properties of PEEK composites. It was revealed that the existence of voids and gaps between the SCF and PEEK led to a decrease in the strength of the composite systems. The FDM processing parameters were tuned to eliminate these defects in the PEEK composites. The tensile strength of the 2% SCF/PEEK sample reached 96.4 MPa, which is comparable to that of PEEK parts prepared by injection molding. Meanwhile, its elastic modulus reached 2.6 GPa, which is 169% higher than that of the bare PEEK sample.
Masculinity in the public image of physics and mathematics: a new model comparing Japan and England
Authors: Ikkatai Yuko , Inoue Atsushi , Minamizaki Azusa , Kano Kei , McKay Euan , Yokoyama Hiromi M.
Published: March 2021

Women are a minority in science, technology, engineering and mathematics academic careers. In particular, few women in Japan choose to study physics and mathematics. In this study, we investigated the factors contributing to the masculine image of physics and mathematics based on the framework of our expanded model. We conducted online questionnaire surveys in Japan and England, and found that physics and mathematics occupations, and mathematical stereotypes were both related to a masculine image. Only in Japan were social factors, such as a person’s attitude to intellectual women, related to viewing mathematics as ‘masculine’. However, the experience of being told or having heard that the choice of a particular course of studies would make someone less attractive to the opposite sex was evident only in England. This finding suggests that social factors affect the masculine image of physics and mathematics, and that this could vary depending on the country.
Investigation on fracture toughness of polytetrafluoroethylene with impact essential work of fracture method
Authors: Armağan Mustafa , Arıcı A Armağan
Published: March 2021

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) polymer has a wide range of applications in various industries. Therefore, for designers it is essential to know the strength properties of the material under dynamic loads. In this study, pure-PTFE, bronze and carbon filled-PTFE are tested under dynamic load. In addition, pure and carbon filled specimens were used to determine the temperature effect of PTFE. All tests were carried out in the Charpy impact device according to impact essential work of fracture method. At 23°C, pure-PTFE showed the highest impact strengths, bronze filled-PTFE and carbon filled-PTFE showed lower respectively and it has been found that the carbon filler increases the fracture toughness approximately two times at high temperature (150°C). On fracture surfaces phase transitions effects of PTFE and behavior of fillers used were investigated with Scanning Electron Microscope.
Study on thermal and mechanical behaviors of polypropylene grade 552R/Cloisite 15A nanocomposites suitable for yarn applications
Authors: Farahani Ali , Parvareh Arsalan , Moraveji Mostafa Keshavarz , Soudbar Davood
Published: March 2021

The investigation of polypropylene (PP)/clay nanocomposites has received considerable scientific and technological attention during the last decades due to their good mechanical and barrier properties. In the present article, the effects of adding Cloisite15A (C15A) nanoclay in polypropylene (PP) were investigated. PP nanocomposites were prepared by a direct melt mixing method. For better dispersion of C15A, 30 wt% of nanoclay masterbatch was first prepared by melt mixing of PP matrix and acrylic acid grafted PP oligomer (PP- g-AA) in a compounder, before being used to produce nanocomposites with 2 and 5 wt% of C15A. The aim of this work was to used nanoclay filled nanocomposites with suitable properties for cable application like good flame-retardant property; improve dye-ability and resilience of polypropylene. The XRD results indicated an intercalated layer structure for nanocomposites, The SEM examination showed satisfactory dispersion of nanoclay in 2 wt% of C15A and some degree of agglomeration in 5 wt% of C15A. DSC analysis indicated that C15A acts as a nucleating agent and increases crystallinity in the nanocomposite. TGA showed with increasing nanoclay, heat resistance was improved and degradation temperatures increased. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) tests showed increased flame retardancy from 25% for neat polypropylene t0 32.2% for nanocomposites of 5 wt% of C15A. The tensile modulus was improved from 423 MPa for neat polypropylene to 474 MPa for nanocomposites with 5 wt% of C15A. This result indicates that increasing C15A content had a suitable effect on the tensile properties. Melt spinning investigation on low oriented yarn (LOY), draw textured yarn (DTY), and fully drawn yarn (FDY) of 2 wt% C15A nanocomposite showed a reduction of linear density for FDY and an increase of the shrinkage. Furthermore, the obtained results for the improvement of dye-ability and compression resilience showed that PP/C15A is appropriate for textile products.
Transdermal patch, co-loaded with Pregabalin and Ketoprofen for improved bioavailability; in vitro studies
Authors: Shafique Nida , Siddiqui Tuba , Zaman Muhammad , Iqbal Zoya , Rasool Shahid , Ishaque Ambreen , Siddique Waqar , Alvi Muhammad Nadeem
Published: March 2021

The current study was aimed to fabricate a transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) containing Ketoprofen (KTF) and Pregabalin (PGB) for controlled drug release, avoidance of the first-pass metabolism, and increased patient compliance. TDDS of KTF and PGB were formulated using the solvent casting method. Various ratios of hydrophilic polymer (HPMC) and hydrophobic polymers (Eudragit L-100 and Ethyl Cellulose) were employed for the formulation of transdermal patches. PG and oleic acid were used as a permeation enhancer, and PEG-400 was employed as a plasticizer. Surface morphology has confirmed the uniform distribution of drugs throughout the matrix and the excellent compatibility of the selected ingredients. All the formulation showed folding endurance of more than 300, which exhibited that all patches have suitable mechanical strength. One hundred percent flatness also showed good stability of the patches and suitability of the selected ingredients. In vitro drug permeation studies showed more than 97% and 95% release of PGB and KTF, respectively, during the in vitro dissolution studies. The drug release mechanism investigated with various kinetic models exhibited that the rate of drug release was not dependent on initial concentrations of the drug present in the patches and was following the drug diffusion mechanism.
The ECtHR’s first advisory opinion: Implications for cross-border surrogacy involving male intended parents
Authors: Bracken Lydia
Published: March 2021

This article examines the content and scope of the European Court of Human Rights’s first advisory opinion as regards the practice of cross-border surrogacy in Europe. While the advisory opinion concerns the recognition of the legal parentage of an intended mother, this article considers whether the reasoning could be applied to male couples who avail of surrogacy. It is argued that the non-genetically related intended father in the male couple is in a directly comparable position to the non-genetically related intended mother in the opposite-sex couple for the purpose of legal parentage following surrogacy.
Economic Activities and Oil Price Shocks in Indian Outlook: Direction of Causality and Testing Cointegration
Authors: Sharma Preeti , Shrivastava Avinash K.
Published: March 2021

The current study intends to find out the linkages between crude oil prices and economic activity in the context of Indian economy. The macroeconomic variables such as gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment, industrial output, inflation, exchange rate and stock market prices have been used as a proxy to economic activity. We have analysed the sample data of 30 years, that is, from year 1991 to 2020. To inspect the short-run relationship between oil prices and the above-mentioned macroeconomic variables, Granger causality test has been applied after removing the presence of unit root through differencing the series. To investigate the long-run relationship, vector error correction model (VECM) has been applied after testing cointegration through the Johansen method of cointegration. The findings of the study show that oil prices have short-run causality with all the variables, that is, GDP, unemployment, industrial output, inflation, exchange rate and stock market prices, while they have a long association with inflation, industrial production and unemployment. Further we find a negative relationship between oil prices and unemployment, industrial output, inflation and exchange rate and a positive relationship with GDP and stock prices.
Heterogeneous coalitions and social revolutions
Authors: Nieva Ricardo
Published: March 2021

We have explained the presence of heterogeneous winning coalitions in social revolutions. In an overcrowded agrarian society, two almost identical non-productive enforcers, the landed political elite, collude and bargain over transfers with one of the two peasants to contest over a piece of land, as property rights for land are not well defined. In any other scenario, neither the grand coalition nor the coalition of two peasants and one enforcer forms, thereby deposing the other enforcer with positive probability. So, social revolutions never occur. If foreign wars weaken an enforcer, such as in China (1911), France, and Russia, adding one unit of capital makes the coalition of the peasant, the now worker, and one of the enforcers (now an industrial political elite) attractive: The excess labor can work with it; the weaker enforcer retaliates less and the stronger one more, if excluded. However, if the weaker one (the still-landed political elite) proposes first, a grand coalition forms in which he or she gets less than the other members do (desertion). There is conflict among peasants and among landed elites; thus, the concept of a coalition is more appropriate than that of a class.
Explaining Fear of Identity Theft Victimization Using a Routine Activity Approach
Authors: Choi Jaeyong , Kruis Nathan E. , Choo Kyung-Seok
Published: March 2021

The current study aims to estimate and explain citizens’ fear of identity theft victimization by examining data collected from a nationally representative sample of South Korean residents. Specifically, we compared participants’ levels of fear of identity theft victimization with fear of other types of crime using paired-samples t-tests. We found that fear of identity theft victimization is significantly higher than fear of other types of crime. Drawing on routine activity theory, we explored the relationship between victimization (i.e., identity theft), online proximity to motivated offenders (i.e., phishing), online exposure to motivated offenders (e.g., online banking and shopping), target suitability (e.g., downloading pirated media), and fear of identity theft victimization. Results from ordinal logistic regression models suggest that victimization and online exposure to motivated offenders were significantly related to fear of identity theft victimization.
Impact of Nurse-Led Asthma Intervention on Child Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review
Authors: Kindi Zainab Al , McCabe Catherine , McCann Margaret
Published: March 2021

Given the leading role school nurses occupy within the school setting, they are often the most suited health care professionals to lead asthma programs. However, most school-based asthma programs have been conducted by researchers outside the school setting. Thus, we aim to determine what is currently known about the type of school nurse-led asthma intervention programs and their impact on children’s asthma-related outcomes. This article describes published literature on school nurse-led asthma intervention programs for the school-aged population using Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework. A search strategy was developed and implemented in six electronic databases from 1980 to 2020. Results showed that school nurse-led asthma programs were predominantly educational interventions. Yet given the positive outcomes of school nurse-led asthma interventions reported across the articles reviewed, it is important to emphasize the leadership role school nurses assume in asthma programs, to promote more positive asthma-related outcomes in school children.
Body Weight Perception and Health-Related Behaviors Among U.S. Adolescents: Mediating Effects of Body Weight Control Behaviors
Authors: Park So Hyun , Park Hanjong , Faith Myles
Published: March 2021

This study examined mediating effects of body weight control behaviors in the relationship between body weight perception and health-related behaviors among 11,458 U.S. adolescents from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey. Parallel multiple mediation analysis was performed for the secondary data analysis. Nearly one third of adolescents (32.5%) had overweight or obesity; one quarter (25.0%) perceived themselves as slightly overweight and 5.1% thought they were very overweight. More girls (58.6%) had tried to lose weight than boys (32.3%), while boys were more physically active than girls. Healthy and unhealthy weight control behaviors significantly mediated the relationship between adolescents’ body weight perception and health-related behaviors (physical activity and screen time). Teachers and parents should help adolescents have accurate weight perception and utilize reliable and healthy weight control strategies. Future studies should consider the intercorrelated relationships among adolescents’ perceptions and behaviors regarding weight to provide successful weight control intervention programs.
Designing a New Forklift Backrest: Role of Adjustability in Improving Operator Comfort
Authors: Kuber Pranav Madhav , Rashedi Ehsan
Published: March 2021

Selection of a single design to delight customers may not be always possible due to the anthropometric differences in humans, wherein a hybrid design can benefit. Using adjustability, we demonstrate our approach for developing a novel forklift backrest to accommodate drivers with a wide range of body sizes. Field and laboratory evaluations were conducted to assess and improve the design. Our results indicated that the new design could provide improved comfort for longer durations. This study reveals the possibilities for human factors professionals to consider adjustability in vehicle operator compartment interiors, especially backrests and seating, of similar industrial vehicles.
Deuterium Depletion Inhibits Cell Proliferation, RNA and Nuclear Membrane Turnover to Enhance Survival in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Boros László G. , Somlyai Ildikó , Kovács Beáta Zs. , Puskás László G. , Nagy Lajos I. , Dux László , Farkas Gyula , Somlyai Gábor
Published: March 2021

The effects of deuterium-depleted water (DDW) containing deuterium (D) at a concentration of 25 parts per million (ppm), 50 ppm, 105 ppm and the control at 150 ppm were monitored in MIA-PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells by the real-time cell impedance detection xCELLigence method. The data revealed that lower deuterium concentrations corresponded to lower MiA PaCa-2 growth rate. Nuclear membrane turnover and nucleic acid synthesis rate at different D-concentrations were determined by targeted [1,2-13C2]-D-glucose fate associations. The data showed severely decreased oxidative pentose cycling, RNA ribose 13C labeling from [1,2-13C2]-D-glucose and nuclear membrane lignoceric (C24:0) acid turnover. Here, we treated advanced pancreatic cancer patients with DDW as an extra-mitochondrial deuterium-depleting strategy and evaluated overall patient survival. Eighty-six (36 male and 50 female) pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients were treated with conventional chemotherapy and natural water (control, 30 patients) or 85 ppm DDW (56 patients), which was gradually decreased to preparations with 65 ppm and 45 ppm deuterium content for each 1 to 3 months treatment period. Patient survival curves were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and Pearson correlation was taken between medial survival time (MST) and DDW treatment in pancreatic cancer patients. The MST for patients consuming DDW treatment (n = 56) was 19.6 months in comparison with the 6.36 months’ MST achieved with chemotherapy alone (n = 30). There was a strong, statistically significant Pearson correlation (r = 0.504, p < 0.001) between survival time and length and frequency of DDW treatment.
Determinants of Increased Fibrinogen in COVID-19 Patients With and Without Diabetes and Impaired Fasting Glucose
Authors: Wang Zhenzhou , Du Zhe , Zhao Xiujuan , Guo Fuzheng , Wang Tianbing , Zhu Fengxue
Published: March 2021

Background:

To investigate the factors associated with elevated fibrinogen (Fbg) levels in COVID-19 patients with and without diabetes (DM) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG).

Methods:

According to whether or not their glucose metabolism was impaired, COVID-19 patients were subdivided into 2 groups: 1) with DM and IFG, 2) control group. Their demographic data, medical history, signs and symptoms, laboratory results, and final clinical results were analyzed retrospectively.

Results:

28 patients (16.3%) died during hospitalization, including 21 (29.2%) in group 1 and 7 (7.0%) in group 2 (P < 0.001). Fbg levels in groups 1 and 2 were higher than the normal range, at 5.6 g/L (IQR 4.5–7.2 g/L) and 5.0 g/L (IQR 4.0–6.1 g/L), respectively (P = 0.009). Serum ferritin levels, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), triglycerides (TG) were significantly increased in group 1 compared to those in the control. TG levels were 1.3 mmol/L in the control, while that in group 1 was 1.8 mmol/L. Multiple linear regression showed that the predicting factors of Fbg in the control group were serum ferritin and CRP, R2 = 0.295; in group 1, serum ferritin, CRP, and TG, R2 = 0.473.

Conclusions:

Fbg in all COVID-19 patients is related to serum ferritin and CRP involved in inflammation. Furthermore, in COVID-19 patients with insulin resistance, Fbg is linearly positively correlated with TG. This suggests that regulation of TG, insulin resistance, and inflammation may reduce hypercoagulability in COVID-19 patients, especially those with insulin resistance.
Assessing the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in ambulatory patients with cancer: Rationale and implementation of a pharmacist-led VTE risk assessment program in an ambulatory cancer centre
Authors: Pelletier Ryan
Published: March 2021

Objectives

The objectives of this paper were to identify and compare clinical prediction models used to assess the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in ambulatory patients with cancer, as well as review the rationale and implementation of a pharmacist-led VTE screening program using the Khorana Risk Score model in an ambulatory oncology centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

Data Sources

PubMed was used to identify clinical practice guidelines and review articles discussing risk prediction models used to assess VTE risk in ambulatory patients with cancer.

Data Summary

Three commonly used VTE risk prediction models in ambulatory patients with cancer: the Khorana Risk Score, Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study (CATS) and Protecht Score, were identified via literature review. After considering guideline recommendations, site-specific factors (i.e. laboratory costs, time pharmacists spent calculating VTE risk) and evidence from the CASSINI and AVERT trials, a novel pharmacist-led VTE risk assessment program using the Khorana Risk Score was developed during a fourth-year PharmD clinical rotation at the Algoma District Cancer Program (ADCP) [ambulatory cancer care centre]. ADCP patients with a Khorana Risk Score of [Formula: see text] were referred to the hematologist for a full VTE workup. Considering limitations, inclusion and exclusion criteria of the CASSINI and AVERT trials, the hematologist and pharmacy team decided on appropriate initiation of thromboprophylaxis with a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC).

Conclusions

The Khorana Risk Score was the chosen model used for the pharmacist-led VTE risk assessment program due to its user-friendly scoring algorithm, evidence from validation studies and clinical trials, as well as ease of integration into pharmacy workflow. More research is needed to determine if pharmacist-led VTE risk assessment programs will impact patient outcomes, such as morbidity and mortality, secondary to cancer-associated thrombosis.
Machine Learning Can Predict Total Death After Radiofrequency Ablation in Liver Cancer Patients
Authors: Tong Jianhua , Liu Panmiao , Ji Muhuo , Wang Ying , Xue Qiong , Yang Jian-Jun , Zhou Cheng-Mao
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Over 1 million new cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are diagnosed worldwide every year. Its prognosis remains poor, and the 5-year survival rate in all disease stages is estimated to be between 10% and 20%. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become an important local treatment for liver cancer, and machine learning (ML) can provide many shortcuts for liver cancer medical research. Therefore, we explore the role of ML in predicting the total mortality of liver cancer patients undergoing RFA.

Methods:

This study is a secondary analysis of public database data from 578 liver cancer patients. We used Python for ML to establish the prognosis model.

Results:

The results showed that the 5 most important factors were platelet count (PLT), Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), age, tumor size, and total bilirubin, respectively. Results of the total death model for liver cancer patients in test group: among the 5 algorithm models, the highest accuracy rate was that of gbm (0.681), followed by the Logistic algorithm (0.672); among the 5 algorithms, area under the curve (AUC) values, from high to low, were Logistic (0.738), DecisionTree (0.723), gbm (0.717), GradientBoosting (0.714), and Forest (0.693); Among the 5 algorithms, gbm had the highest precision rate (0.721), followed by the Logistic algorithm (0.714). Among the 5 algorithms, DecisionTree had the highest recall rate (0.642), followed by the GradientBoosting algorithm (0.571).

Conclusion:

Machine learning can predict total death after RFA in liver cancer patients. Therefore, ML research has great potential for both personalized treatment and prognosis of liver cancer.
The influence of a teacher-designed and -implemented disability awareness programme on the attitudes of students toward inclusion
Authors: Reina Raul , Haegele Justin A. , Pérez-Torralba Alberto , Carbonell-Hernández Laura , Roldan Alba
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to examine: (1) the influence of a disability awareness programme, designed and implemented by attendees of the Incluye-T programme and implemented in real educational settings, on the attitudes of their students toward the inclusion of peers with disabilities; (2) the differential effects of the disability awareness activities between classes in which physical impairment, visual impairment, or multi-impairment programmes were implemented; and (3) the influence of personal demographic variables on participants’ attitudes toward the inclusion of peers with disabilities before and after the implementation of the disability awareness physical education (PE) sessions. A sample of 1105 PE students (13.1 ± 2.2 years) from 56 Spanish public educational centres took part. After the training programme on self-efficacy toward inclusion, physical educators designed and implemented awareness interventions at their schools. Physical educators implemented physical-only (23.2%), visual-only (42.9%), and combined activities for both impairments (33.9%). PE students’ attitudes toward inclusion were measured pre- and post-interventions. Those who participated in combined activities revealed significant differences for the four attitude scores ( p < 0.001), while those taking part in visual-only activities demonstrated decreased scores for the overall ( p = 0.044) and the control beliefs subscale ( p = 0.010). PE teachers were capable of influencing their PE students’ attitudes toward inclusion using awareness activities taking into consideration the ecology of the interventions and the PE students’ base level of attitudes before delivering sessions. The type of impairment/disability that was the focus of the awareness activities was an important factor that influenced the effectiveness of the interventions.
Enregistering cuteness of fashion clothes on Chinese social media
Authors: Li Kunming
Published: March 2021

In the context of cute material culture, this article focuses on the production of valorized cute aesthetic in fashion clothes being sold on Chinese social media. Through corpus-enlightened empirical case studies, the article demonstrates how the baby-talk register converges with the material design and embodiment of clothes to synergically affect the cute materiality of the clothes at issue. With special attention paid to discursive practices of enregisterment, the study tries to recalibrate the existing biased hermeneutics of cute material culture that largely reduce cute clothes to material immediacy and consumerist passivity. The study sheds light on the collegiality and complementarity that enregisterment shows for embodiment and material design in the production of material aesthetics, and by doing so enriches the understanding of materiality within clothing material culture in general.
Intellectual disability and mental illness among women sentenced to death in the U.S.: Constitutional and evidentiary dilemmas
Authors: Farr Kathryn
Published: March 2021

This study examined the cases of women on death in which evidence of the defendant’s intellectual disability or mental illness was presented at trial. Of the total population of 52 women on death row at the beginning of 2020 and seven recently-executed women, over 50% qualified for the study. According to expert testimony, most of the women in the sample had a below-average IQ score and/or a neurological deficit, and all but three suffered from a serious mental illness. Almost all had abusive and dysfunctional backgrounds. Recent Supreme Court rulings have banned the execution of defendants with intellectual disability and opened the door to a consideration of execution exemption for defendants with severe mental illness or brain abnormalities. However, considerable judicial equivocation over the meaning and measurement of mental impairments remains. Even as a mitigating factor, the mental health problems of the defendants in this study were given little weight.
Numerical study on edge tone with compressible direct numerical simulation: Sound intensity and jet motion
Authors: Iwagami Sho , Tabata Ryoya , Kobayashi Taizo , Hattori Yuji , Takahashi Kin’ya
Published: March 2021

A two-dimensional model of the edge tone is studied by a highly accurate and reliable method of direct numerical simulation of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations, and used to verify key features observed in previous experimental and numerical studies, and to discover new features related to the jet motion and the edge tone generation mechanism. The first and second modes of the edge tone that are numerically reproduced agree well with Brown’s equation. In the mode transition region, dynamical mode transition is observed at a fixed jet velocity. For both first and second modes, the pressure distributions are antisymmetric with respect to the edge plate, and the sound intensity is proportional to the fifth power of the jet velocity. These results are consistent with the edge tone being radiated from a dipole-like source. Spatial profiles of the velocity and the velocity variance of the oscillating jet are also investigated for each mode over a range of the jet velocity including the mode transition regime. The amplitude of the velocity oscillation becomes constant with increasing jet velocity, while a measure of the amplitude of the velocity variance profile, which is introduced to characterize the strength of the jet fluctuation and named the ’fluctuation strength’, is proportional to the third power of the jet velocity. Some properties of the fluctuation strength correspond to properties of the sound intensity, including the first mode having larger amplitude than the second mode, and the way of deviating from the power law at smaller values of jet velocity and in the mode transition region. It is proposed that the third-power law exhibited by behavior of the fluctuation strength could be related to the increase of the skewness observed in the velocity profile with increase of jet velocity, and a model calculation is used to support this proposal.
Stent Graft Modification to Preserve Intercostal Arteries Using Thoracoabdominal Off-the-Shelf Multibranched (t-Branch) Endograft
Authors: Ferreira Marcelo , Mannarino Matheus , Cunha Rodrigo , Ferreira Diego , Capotorto Luis Fernando , Oderich Gustavo S.
Published: March 2021

Purpose: To demonstrate an off-the-shelf multibranched (t-Branch) modification to allow intercostal arteries preservation during juxtarenal, pararenal, paravisceral, and extent IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Technique: The t-Branch is an off-the-shelf device not customized for specific patient anatomy and may be offered for urgent endovascular repair for patients with complex aortic aneurysms. However, a concern when treating patients who do not aneurysms extending above the celiac axis is that the more proximal extension which is required with this device may render patients at high risk for spinal cord injury. We report a novel technique with t-Branch modification performing a 180° fabric back windows at the first 2 sealing stents that allow perfusion to the intercostal arteries. Conclusion: T-Branch-PIA (preserving intercostal arteries) modification limits intercostal arteries coverage while optimizing proximal seal zone in juxtarenal, pararenal, paravisceral, and extent IV thoracoabdominal aneurysms, thereby may decrease the risk of spinal cord injury.
Paralympic Broadcasting and Social Change: An Integrated Mixed Method Approach to Understanding the Paralympic Audience in the UK
Authors: Pullen Emma , Jackson Daniel , Silk Michael
Published: March 2021

Despite the successful transition of the Paralympics from relative obscurity to global mega-event, we still know little about how it is consumed by audiences. Using a methodological approach that draws on survey ( n = 2008) and focus group ( n = 216) data from Paralympic audiences across the UK, this study provides the first mixed method and integrated empirical analysis of Paralympic audiences to date. We attempt to identify who the UK Paralympic audience is, before examining audience perceptions of Paralympic coverage, and the impact of watching the Paralympics on audience sentiments toward disabled people in sporting and everyday contexts.
Higher Education and the Ethic of Care: Finding a Way Forward During a Global Pandemic
Authors: Persky Julia
Published: March 2021

At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, before we had a chance to acclimate to our world turned upside-down, I was genuinely confounded by the inflexibility of some professors to help students. After all, we had been offered the grace of an extension on tenure-track requirements, and afforded the opportunity, and relative safety, of working from home. How was it possible then, to not understand that students, too, might need grace? And how could anyone be OK with choosing not to help? Far from traditional research questions, my wonderings provoked lively conversations with colleagues, and a lens through which to consider my own positionality and difficulties in dealing with the challenges posed by the pandemic. Framed by Nel Noddings’ Ethic of Care, and through poetic inquiry, this article presents a personal response to teaching in an Educator Preparation Program during a global pandemic.
Knockdown of circ_NEK6 Decreased 131I Resistance of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma via Regulating miR-370-3p/MYH9 Axis
Authors: Chen Fukun , Yin Shuting , Feng Zhiping , Liu Chao , Lv Juan , Chen Yuanjiao , Shen Ruoxia , Wang Jiaping , Deng Zhiyong
Published: March 2021

Radioresistance is a crucial factor for the failure of iodine 131 (131I)-based radiotherapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). This study aimed to explore the effect of circ_NEK6 on the development of 131I resistance in DTC and its potential mechanism. In this study, we demonstrated that circ_NEK6 expression was significantly elevated in 131I-resistant DTC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of circ_NEK6 significantly repressed 131I resistance via inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, invasion abilities, and inducing cell apoptosis and DNA damage in 131I-resistant DTC cells. Mechanistically, knockdown of circ_NEK6 suppressed 131I resistance in DTC by upregulating the inhibitory effect of miR-370-3p on the expression of myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9). In vivo experiments showed that circ_NEK6 inhibition aggravated 131I radiation-induced inhibition of xenograft tumor growth. Taken together, knockdown of circ_NEK6 repressed 131I resistance in DTC cells by regulating the miR-370-3p/MYH9 axis, indicating that circ_NEK6 may act as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for DTC patients with 131I resistance.