bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Common pathologies in RC bridge structures: a statistical analysis
Authors: J. Santos  , C. Nunes  , C. Fernandes  , H. Varum
Published: August 2022

One of the main tasks in bridge engineering is to maintain the existing bridge stock according to current and predicted traffic and safety requirements. Bridges deterioration commonly occurs due to a wide variety of pathological factors, with origin in, for example: unexpected traffic loads, vehicle impacts, environmental factors, earth movements, chloride attack, carbonation effect, lack of maintenance, de-icing salts, degradation of the drainage systems, pavement quality. Considering this, a statistical analysis of the mostcommon pathologies in bridge structures, their origin and consequences, was carried out. This analysis was performed considering the pathologies for the overall structure, and for each bridge component. A total of 85 reinforced concrete bridges, representative of the bridge stock in Portugal, were analyzed. Additionally, a comparison of the obtained results with a similar study for Germany was developed. The main differences between the results obtained for each country within this study are pointed out.
Design aspects of steel I-girders with corrugated steel webs
Authors: Ezzeldin Yazeed Sayed-Ahmed
Published: August 2022

Corrugated web girders represent a new structural system emerged in the past two decades. The girder’s flanges provide the flexural strength of the girder with no contribution from the corrugated web which provides the girder’s shear capacity. Failure of the web occurs by steel yielding, web buckling or interactively between them. Lateral torsion and local flange buckling of corrugated web girders represent another two possible failure criteria. Here, the work previously performed by the author on corrugated web girders was compiled and presented in a comprehensive format. The starting point is the shear behaviour of the corrugated webs which is investigated focusing on the failure modes affecting the web design. An interaction equation that considers web buckling and yielding is proposed. Numerical analyses are performed to investigate the buckling modes of the corrugated web, verify the validity of the proposed equation and explore the post-buckling strength of corrugated web girders. The numerical model is extended to determine the critical moment causing lateral instability for corrugated web girders. The applicability of the critical moment design equations, currently used for plane web girders, to corrugated web girders is examined. The numerical model is then used to scrutinize the local buckling behaviour of the compression flange. The applicability of the currently used limiting values for the flange outstand-to-thickness ratios to corrugated web girders is investigated.
Finite Element Micro-Modeling of Infilled Frames
Authors: P.G. Asteris
Published: August 2022

In this paper, a realistic criterion is proposed to describe the frame-infill separation, in order to better simulate the complicated behavior of infilled frames under lateral loads. The basic characteristic of this analysis is that the infill/frame contact lengths and the contact stresses are estimated as an integral part of the solution, and are not assumed in an ad-hoc way. In order to implement the method, a specific computer program for the analysis of infilled plane frames, under lateral loads, has been developed. Using this method, the response of a single-bay single-story masonry infilled R.C frame, under a lateral load in the beam level, has been investigated. The large magnitude of the variation of the contact lengths between the infill and the different frame members is clearly shown.
Flexural fatigue strength prediction of steel fibre reinforced concrete beams
Authors: S. P. Singh  , Y. Mohammadi  , S. K Kaushik
Published: August 2022

Results of an investigation conducted to study the fatigue strength of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) containing fibres of mixed aspect ratio are presented. Approximately eighty one beam specimens of size 500 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm were tested under four-point flexural fatigue loading in order to obtain the fatigue lives of SFRC at different stress levels. About thirty six static flexural tests were also carried out to determine the static flexural strength of SFRC prior to fatigue testing. The specimens incorporated 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% volume fraction of corrugated steel fibres. Each volume fraction incorporated fibres of two different sizes i.e. 2.0 x 0.6 x 25 mm and 2.0 x 0.6 x 50 mm by weight of the longer and shorter fibres in the ratio of 50% - 50%. Fatigue life data obtained has been analysed in an attempt to determine the relationship among stress level, number of cycles to failure and probability of failure for SFRC. It was found that this relationship can be represented reasonably well graphically by a family of curves. The experimental coefficients of the fatigue equation have been obtained from the fatigue test data to represent the curves analytically
Bond Strength of FRP Laminates to Concrete: State-of-the-Art Review
Authors: E.Y. Sayed-Ahmed  , R. Bakay  , N.G. Shrive
Published: August 2022

Rehabilitation of existing infrastructure has become a priority in recent years as an alternative to the daunting costs of rebuilding structures. Traditional repair methods have drawbacks, many of which can be overcome through the use of fibre reinforced polymer FRP laminates. However, the behaviour of FRP rehabilitated structures has yet to be conveniently and accurately modelled in many situations. For example, better understanding of their failure modes will allow for more precise designs that will balance safety andcost. To strengthen an RC beam or slab for flexure, FRP laminates are usually bonded externally on the structural element. A common failure mode encountered in initial tests was the laminate debonding from the surface. Here, the bond strength and modes of debonding between the FRP laminates and reinforced concrete members strengthened in flexure are reviewed. Current models for predicting the bond strength between the laminates and concrete are also scrutinized.
The Seat Angle Role on Moment-Rotation Response of Bolted Angle Connections
Authors: A. Pirmoz  , F. Danesh
Published: August 2022

Effect of the seat angle stiffness on moment-rotation response of the bolted top-seat angle connections is studied in this paper by using finite element method (FEM). All of the connection components, such as beam, column, angles and bolts are modeled using solid elements. The effect of interactions between components, such as slippage of bolts and frictional forces, are modeled using surface contact algorithm. Bolt pretensioning force is applied on bolt shanks as the first load case to evaluate the behavior of connection more precisely. The Results of this numerical modeling are compared with the results of experimental works done by other researchers and good agreement was observed. It has been shown that the beam length has a considerable effect on connection moment-rotation behavior, especially in the nonlinear range of the connection behavior.
Arbeiten mit Multipler Sklerose
Authors: Zink Maria
Published: August 2022

How do workers diagnosed with multiple sclerosis feel? And how do work-related stress and MS affect each other? In this book, Maria Zink investigates not only the connection between work-related stress and MS, but also the subjective stress perception of workers with MS and then discusses her findings, which she arrived at qualitatively. In this way, the author provides valuable insights into the work situation of people with this chronic disease and derives helpful implications for the working world that enable healthy work despite such a diagnosis.

Maria Zink is currently conducting research at the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on the subject of nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Head Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Genomics: Oncogenes, Tumor Suppressor Genes and Clinical Implications
Authors: B. Pathak Anand , Satyarthi Satyam
Published: August 2022

Head Neck Squamous Cell Cancer is genomically heterogenous. Common somatic mutations involve TP53, CDKN2A, FAT1, NOTCH1, PIK3CA, KMT2D and NSD1, less frequently others. Epigenetic changes also contribute to HNSCC biology. Alterations in tumor suppressor genes is a major oncogenic event in HNSCC. Genomic heterogeneity exists between different subsites within head neck region and also between the primary and metastatic disease. Intratumor heterogeneity has also been recognized. Based on key genomic alterations, four major molecular subtypes have been identified. Multi-omics analysis has provided further insights into HNSCC biology and shed light on EGFR pathway and immunogenomics. Corelative genomics of tumor cells, stromal cells and immune cells have led to emergence of distinct immune molecular subtypes of HNSCC. Major tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes have a correlation with prognosis, survival and treatment resistance. EGFR pathway is in focus for renewed understanding of resistance to EGFR targeted treatments and novel ways to target EGFR pathways. Increasingly genomic data is being leveraged towards clinical use including HNSCC prevention, prediction of metastases, survival and prognostication, fine tuning use of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, identifying patients for using immunotherapy, predicting drug resistance and gaining new information from radiological studies. Several novel targeted therapies are being pursued in clinical trials. Molecular co targeting strategies are being developed. Understanding the way tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes shape HNSCC biology and clinical behavior is bringing the much-needed therapeutic breakthrough in this tough to treat disease.
Perspective Chapter: Cultural Competence and the Education of CSD Professionals in Times of COVID-19
Authors: Dreux M. Fernandes Fernanda , Vitoria do Amaral Maria , La Higuera Amato Cibelle
Published: August 2022

This manuscript aims to discuss the experiences and expectations regarding the cultural competence of Brazilian CSD students and the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cultural awareness has been one of the competencies focused on by CSD programs in Brazil. However, travel and face-to-face contact with persons from different cultures and environments is just one of the possible ways of experiencing cultural awareness. The interruption of these opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not reduce the interest in learning and improving cultural abilities. It is possible to think about alternatives for embedding discussions and experiences regarding cultural sensitivity in students’ routine studies and practice.
Agroforestry: An Approach for Sustainability and Climate Mitigation
Authors: O. Russo Ricardo
Published: August 2022

Agroforestry Systems (AFS), or the association of trees with crops (or animals), is a strategy for land management and use that allows production within the sustainable development: (a) environmentally (production environmentally harmonic); (b) technically (integrating existing resources on the farm); (c) economically (increase in production), and (d) socially (equality of duties and opportunities, quality of life of the family group). As an intentional integration of trees or shrubs with crop and animal production, this practice makes environmental, economic, and social benefits to farmers. Given that there is a set of definitions, rather than a single definition of Agroforestry (AF) and AFS, it is justified to explore the historical evolution and the minimum coincidences of criteria to define them and apply them in the recovery of degraded areas. Knowing how to classify AFS allows us to indicate which type or group of AFS is suitable for a particular area with its characteristics. The greatest benefit that AFS can bring to degraded or sloping areas lies in their ability to combine soil conservation with productive functions. In other words, AF is arborizing agriculture and animal production to obtain more benefits including climate change adaptation and mitigation by ecosystem services.
Diseases of the Canine Prostate Gland
Authors: Schäfer-Somi Sabine
Published: August 2022

In dogs, the most frequent diseases of the prostate gland are benign prostate gland hyperplasia (BPH), acute and chronic prostatitis, squamous metaplasia, and prostate tumors. New diagnostic tools comprise diagnostic markers in the blood and urine, as well as advanced imaging methods. The therapy can be initialized with the 5α-reductase-inhibitor finasteride or an anti-androgenic compound, and prolonged with a long-acting gonadotropin-releasing-hormone (GnRH)-agonist such as deslorelin. In case of prostatitis, effective antibiotics must be applied for weeks. Antibiotics must be able to penetrate into the prostate tissue; fluoroquinolones, clindamycin, and erythromycin are good choices and are in addition effective against mycoplasms. The chronical prostatitis cannot be differentiated from a neoplasia by sonography; a biopsy, histological, and bacteriological examination are required. Tumors of the prostate gland are seldom and mostly occur in castrated but in intact dogs. For the final diagnosis, a biopsy must be taken. Partial and total resection of the prostate gland by use of laser technique is possible but coincedes with many side effects and the prognosis is still futile. Immunotherapy combined with NSAIDs, targeted noninvasive thermotherapy, BRAF gene inhibitors, or prostate artery chemoembolization are promising methods.
Seed Dormancy: Induction, Maintenance and Seed Technology Approaches to Break Dormancy
Authors: Kingsley Mbi Tabi , Godswill Ntsefong Ntsomboh , Eugene Lenzemo Tatah
Published: August 2022

Dormancy is the major cause of erratic germination, patchy emergence and uneven seedling establishment in the field. These traits are exceedingly undesirable in crop production as future phases of growth and development are strongly linked to uniform seedling development at early growth phases. Variations in maturation time, and difficulty in managing abiotic and biotic stresses during pre- and postharvest are common consequences of uneven germination and seedling emergence. Minimizing this negative impact of dormancy in a seed lot is the major concern of all seed production companies. Generally, mature seeds show some considerable dormancy during which embryo growth is halted momentarily because one or more internal and external stimuli for growth resumption is/are absent. If the inhibition of seed germination is solely due to insufficient or complete absence of external signals, then the seed is in a state of quiescence. Otherwise, if linked to internal factors, then the seed is in a state of dormancy. Induction, maintenance, and release of dormancy are therefore related to Seed-dependent factors such as morphology, hormones, state of embryo maturity at seed dispersal and chemical inhibitors. This chapter focuses on species-dependent methods currently used to break dormancy, reduce germination time and improve emergence and seedling establishment.
Coping Strategies and Meta-Worry in Adolescents’ Adjustment during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Benedetto Loredana , Schipilliti Ilenia , Ingrassia Massimo
Published: August 2022

With the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, several limitations and stressful changes have been introduced in adolescent’s daily life. Particularly, Italian teenagers were the first among western populations to experience fears of infection, home confinement, and social restrictions due to a long lockdown period (10 weeks). This study explores the role of coping strategies (task-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance coping) and meta-beliefs about worry as vulnerability factors associated with adolescents’ anxiety. A community sample of adolescents (N = 284, aged 16–18 y.o.) answered questionnaires assessing anxiety symptoms (RCMAS-2), meta-cognitive beliefs and processes about worry (MCQ-C), and coping strategies (CISS). Results show that 37% of participants report clinically elevated anxiety. Emotion-centered coping predicted higher anxiety, whereas task-centered coping resulted associated with decreased anxiety. Cognitive monitoring about their own worry contributes, but to a lesser extent, to higher levels of anxiety. The implications for the intervention are discussed, especially the need to enhance the coping skills of adolescents and mitigate the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could last for a long time.
Human Sperm Vitrification: Review of Recent Progress
Authors: Gao Feng
Published: August 2022

Sperm vitrification has been used in the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for years and has resulted in many healthy live births. Compared to the conventional sperm slow freezing method, vitrification is simpler, quicker, and less expensive, and some vitrification methods are also cryoprotectant free, which has the potential to become an alternative cryopreservation method for human sperm. Human sperm vitrification has been the most commonly used and valuable way to preserve the fertility of males with small numbers of spermatozoa. Recently, new sperm vitrification devices have been developed to help improve volume control. Direct contact during the vitrification process with liquid nitrogen increases the risk of cross-contamination. New strategies have been implemented to minimize the contamination risk. Depending on the variety of semen parameters and patients’ purposes at ART clinics, specific sperm cryopreservation approaches should be personalized to achieve the optimal results for each case.
Wood Quality and Pulping Process Efficiency of EliteEucalyptusspp. Clones Field-Grown under Seasonal Drought Stress
Authors: Rodrigues de Souza Santos Deborah , Sarto Camila , Fernandes dos Santos Rafael , Lôbo Ribeiro Anciotti Gil Júlia , de Melo e Silva-Neto Carlos , Maria Gomes Regina , Novaes Evandro , Roberto Sette-Junior Carlos , Tomazello-Filho Mario , Tassinari Resende Rafael , Peres Chagas Matheus
Published: August 2022

The objective of the present study is to evaluate the wood quality of five elite Eucalyptus spp. clones at 4 years of age from a clonal test installed in a region of seasonal drought stress in central-western Brazil focusing on pulp production. A total of 25 trees were systematically felled and disks and logs were obtained along the trunk. Wooden disks were used for density and fiber analyses and the logs were converted into chips for application in the pulping process. For the denser genotype, clone D (E. grandis x E. urophylla x Eucalyptus tereticornis), a thicker cell wall associated to thinner fibers results in a negative effect on the fiber quality. In contrast, clone B (Eucalyptus pellita x E. grandis), which has relatively inferior pulping performance, displayed the lowest wood density associated to wider lumen and fibers. The best growth performances in response to acclimatization and adaptation to the site strongly influences the pulp productivity, which is identified as the parameter of greatest variance between genotypes, and highlighting clone E (E. grandis x E. urophylla).
Emerging Trends in the Management of Cryptogenic Epilepsy
Authors: Shuk Wan Chow Joyce , Lap Poon Tak
Published: August 2022

Cryptogenic epilepsy, accounting for ~40% of adult-onset epilepsies and a lesser proportion in paediatrics, is defined as epilepsy of presumed symptomatic nature in which the cause has not been identified. It has a higher prevalence of refractory seizures when compared to those with idiopathic epilepsy (40 vs. 26%). These patients are usually treated with multiple anti-epileptic drugs, yet the total number of which used is inversely proportional to their efficacy. Moreover, these children may have significantly worse behavioural problems and can result in substantial cognitive impairments when older. Luckily, the number of cryptogenic epilepsy cases is diminishing due to better diagnostic abilities in recent years. We aim to divide this chapter into three parts. First, we hope to discuss our working algorithm and explain the use and advantages of different imaging modalities including high-field 3-Tesla MRI with morphological analysis for accurate localisation of the epileptogenic foci. We shall then elaborate the concept of the epileptogenic circuit and explore the selection criteria for more invasive approaches, such as depth electrodes and SEEG. Last but not the least, we aim to discuss the surgical treatments, including VNS and DBS, and their outcomes in these patients.
Gestational Tryptophan Fluctuation Underlying Ontogenetic Origin of Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Authors: Huang Xiaohong , Li Xiaohua , Cheng Heng-Wei
Published: August 2022

Neuropsychiatry underlies personality development and social functioning. Borderline personality disorder exhibits high trait aggression and is associated with tryptophan hydroxylase polymorphisms. The acute tryptophan depletion reduces plasma and cerebrospinal fluid tryptophan availability and brain serotonin concentrations, leading to alterations in personality and trait-related behaviors. Tryptophan is essential for fatal neurodevelopment and immunomodulation in pregnancy. Gestational tryptophan fluctuation induced by maternal metabolic disorders or drug administrations may account for the maternal-fetal transmission determining neurogenesis and microbial development, consequentially shaping the long-standing patterns of thinking and behavior. However, it is not possible to assess the gestational tryptophan exposure effects on fetal brain and gastrointestinal system in humans for ethical reasons. The maternal–fetal microbe transmission in rodents during gestation, vaginal delivery, and breastfeeding is inevitable. Chicken embryo may be an alternative and evidence from the chicken embryo model reveals that gestational tryptophan fluctuation, i.e., exposed to excessive tryptophan or its metabolite, serotonin, attenuates aggressiveness and affects peer sociometric status. This chapter discusses the gestational tryptophan fluctuation as a risk factor of personality disorders in offspring and the prevention of personality disorders by dietary tryptophan control and medication therapy management during pregnancy.
Detection of Diabetic Foot Using Statistical Features
Authors: Jayapal Saminathan , Bhavani Murugesan Nandu , Mohan Sasikala
Published: August 2022

Diabetes is a serious threat to universal health that respects neither socioeconomic rank nor nationwide boundaries. Diabetic foot and lower extremities problems, which affect 40 to 60 million people with diabetes universally, are a significant source of morbidity in people with diabetes. Conducting regular screening and risk stratification for at-risk feet can be greatly used for the management of blood glucose levels. Recent studies revealed that qualitative evidence can be attained using temperature variations from the thermogram of the plantar foot. The changes in temperature distribution are vital in the investigation of diabetic foot, which assist in the early detection of foot ulceration. The main objective of this work is to perform statistical analysis of diabetic foot to draw reasonable and accurate inferences. Besides, there is no gold standard method in classifying the plantar thermal images into any particular group. This may be conquered by quantitatively analyzing the temperature distributions in each foot separately. Since, plantar thermal images are colored in nature, certain color statistical features which are statistically more significant are added with the quantitative temperature distribution to develop an efficient machine learning method to prognosticate the likelihood of diabetes in patients with maximum accuracy is explored.
Health of Trans People in Paraguay
Authors: Miguel Rios-González Carlos
Published: August 2022

Trans care is not taught in conventional medical education programs, and very few doctors have the knowledge and comfort level to do so. A theoretical design study was carried out using the bibliographic review method, which allowed to provide a systematic framework of products in terms of scientific publications and official publications on the health of transgender people. In the Paraguayan context, it is recognized that sex work is the main economic activity of 86% of trans people, which although it is a job that is not punished in Paraguay, but neither is it recognized or regulated by law, although in Paraguay, numerous international instruments for the protection of human rights have been ratified, by which it is obliged to adopt measures to guarantee the sexual and reproductive health of all people and nondiscrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Breaking the Property Trade-Offs by Using Entropic Conceptions
Authors: Zhang Yong , Yan Xuehui
Published: August 2022

Entropic conception has been used as an effective strategy for developing materials to break the property recordings of current materials, for example, breaking the trade-off between the high-strength and low-ductility structural alloys. The performance of materials usually under a complex circumstance, a balance of multiple properties, for example, combined the high-strength, high ductility, high conductivity, high corrosion resistance, high irradiation resistance, etc., the strategy of high-entropy-alloy (HEA) will provide a materials design and development technology to realize the goal. Magnetic materials usually exhibit excellent magnetic properties but weak mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The reported unique behaviors of HEAs, for example, self-healing effects may be the mechanism for the high irradiation resistance of the HEAs, and self-sharpening behaviors of the tungsten-based HEAs main closely be related to the serration behaviors.
Utilizing Photocatalysts in Reducing Moisture Absorption in Composites of Natural Fibers
Authors: Mohammed Mohammed , Rahman Rozyanty
Published: August 2022

Due to growing environmental consciousness and the depletion of oil supplies, numerous efforts have been made to replace synthetic fibers in fiber-reinforced composites with natural fibers (NFr). The low cost and abundance of NFr and its biodegradability and low density have encouraged researchers worldwide to study their potential applications in several industrial sectors. However, NFr has several disadvantages: excessive moisture absorption and subsequent swelling and degradation, low chemical and fire resistance, and insufficient interfacial interactions with polymers. Consequently, there is great interest in modifying the surface of NFr using a variety of methods. This chapter presents an overview of the NFr, its characterization, the problems associated with adding NFr to polymer composites. This literature survey suggests an in-depth review of photocatalysis by utilizing photocatalysts nanoparticle (PHNPs) aimed at increasing the hydrophobicity and interfacial bonding between the NFr and the matrix Using a photo-induced oxidation mechanism to disassemble water molecules, pollutants, and bacteria in a wet environment. Additionally, we reviewed the effects of these PHNPs on the moisture absorption, mechanical characteristics, and dimensional stability of NFr composites. As a result, this review article may make a valuable contribution to researchers interested in coating and treating NFr to further enhance their surface characteristics.
Macrophages as a Target for Treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Authors: Zhu Lingyan , Xiao Yu , Xiao Yao , Jiang Yinan , Prathap Adama Maharana , K. Gittes George
Published: August 2022

In all stages of wound healing, macrophages play a pivotal role by coordinating the repair steps in a timely and accurate fashion. The successful completion of wound healing requires proper spatiotemporal presence and function of macrophages. Diabetes significantly alters the proliferation, polarization and functionality of macrophages, leading to a suboptimal but prolonged pro-inflammatory M1-like phenotype in wound macrophages and a failure of their late transition to a reparative M2-like phenotype. This defect in macrophage phenotype and the proper transition results in delayed or even failure of wound healing. Specifically in the diabetic foot ulcer (DFUs), this macrophage dysfunction results in chronic infection and potentially amputation. The abnormal macrophage phenotype in diabetes is not fully understood but is believed to mainly result from epigenetic changes in macrophages and altered interactions between macrophages and other cell types, such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, neutrophils and T-cells. Recent research on DFUs has focused on developing strategies to improve diabetic wound repair through modulation of macrophage polarization. Treatment of DFUs will greatly benefit from a multi-modal therapy that includes controlling high blood glucose, topical support, prevention of secondary infection, resolution of sustained inflammation and application of cellular therapies targeting macrophages.
Ranking Hospital Hoteling Services from Patients’ Perspective Using Importance-Performance Analysis
Authors: Karimkhany Amir , Zarei Ehsan , Arabi Samira , Navvabi Elahe , Anisi Somayeh
Published: August 2022

Background: While the ultimate goal of health care is to maintain or improve the health status, features of care, including the quality of hotel services, are important to enhance the quality of health care services. Due to the limited resources of the health system, it is important to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of health service providers for policy-making and allocating resources in line with customers’ expectations. Objectives: The current study aimed at ranking the dimensions of hospital hoteling services from patients’ perspectives using the importance-performance analysis (IPA) method in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 440 patients were enrolled through multi-stage random sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of 44 items in six dimensions. Its internal reliability was determined based on Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.97). The IPA method was used to prioritize the dimensions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the paired t-test at a significance level of < 0.05. Results: In all aspects of hoteling, there was a significant difference between the performance of hospitals and the expectations of patients. The highest and lowest gaps between performance and expectation were related to the economic-financial and performance-process factors, respectively (P < 0.05). Based on the IPA matrix, the "physical-structural" and "economic-financial" factors were the major weaknesses, and the "need to allocate more resources" and "human-behavioral" factors were recognized as the most strong points. Considering that the dimensions of "cultural-religious” and "safety-security" were located in the third quadrant of the IPA matrix, these dimensions did not require additional resources. Conclusions: The existence of a gap between hospital performance and patient expectation in all the hoteling dimensions indicated that the performance of hospitals in providing hoteling services was not proportional to the importance of these factors from the viewpoints of patients. The "physical-structural" and "economic-financial" factors were the major weaknesses of the hospitals studied. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention and allocate resources to these dimensions. Efforts should be continued to maintain and upgrade the status quo regarding the human-behavioral factors to boost patient satisfaction and improve the quality of hoteling services.
Development of Olympic education in the historical aspect
Authors: Ivashchenko Sergii , Kovalchuk Nataliya , Živanović Nenad
Published: August 2022

The materials of this article present data obtained from numerous sources of scientific information, and devoted to the study of some factors that influenced the development of Olympic education in the historical aspect. Based on the analysis of modern domestic and foreign literary sources, the conclusion was substantiated that the process of historical development of the Olympic education system in many countries of the world took place in different ways. The need to systematize information related to this area of scientific research was caused by the need to study the patterns of development of Olympic education in different countries in order to improve it at the global level. Many of the scientists who work in the field of physical education and sports have come to the conclusion that Olympic education can have a significant impact on some areas of people's lives in modern society. It is important that in the course of education and training of various categories of specialists for the field of physical education and sports (athletes, coaches, instructors, rehabilitators), the course on Olympic education plays an extremely important role. But for a deep understanding of the question of what essence the modern system of Olympic education has, it is necessary to know well how it was improved in the course of the historical development of mankind. A separate research work was devoted to the study of this particular issue, which lasted two and a half years and based on the results of which this article was prepared.
Tipos de campaña Astroturfing de contenidos desinformativos y polarizados en tiempos de pandemia en España
Authors: Arce-García Sergio , Said-Hung Elías , Mottareale-Calvanese Daria
Published: August 2022

Este trabajo busca determinar la aplicación de estrategias de Astroturfing en Twitter, a nivel español, durante el periodo de pandemia a causa de la Covid-19, en la primavera del año 2020. Se aplica análisis estadístico, análisis de redes y técnicas de machine learning, en 32.527 mensajes, publicados a partir del decreto de estado de alarma en España (14 de marzo de 2020) hasta finales de mayo del mismo año, asociados ocho etiquetas que abordan temas vinculados a contenidos desinformativos identificados por dos de los principales proyectos de fact-checking (Maldito Bulo y Newtral). Los datos nos permiten observar, entre otras cosas, la participación de usuarios (no bots), que ejercen un rol de influenciadores pese a que cuentan con un perfil promedio o alejado a ser considerados como personalidad pública. Se aprecia la aplicación del Astroturfing, como estrategia de comunicación empleada para posicionar temas en las redes sociales, a nivel de la opinión pública en España, a través de la distribución, amplificación y la inundación de contenidos desinformativos. El escenario permite comprobar la presencia de un escenario comunicativo digital que favorecería un marco más difícil de detección de contenidos desinformativos, desde estrategias como la estudiada, orientadas a romper el efecto campana y filtro de burbuja de redes sociales como Twitter. Todo, con el fin de posicionar temas a nivel de la opinión pública.
EHMT2 methyltransferase governs cell identity in the lung and is required for KRAS G12D tumor development and propagation
Authors: Pribluda Ariel , Daemen Anneleen , Lima Anthony Nelson , Wang Xi , Hafner Marc , Poon Chungkee , Modrusan Zora , Katakam Anand Kumar , Foreman Oded , Eastham Jefferey , Hung Jefferey , Haley Benjamin , Garcia Julia T , Jackson Erica L , Junttila Melissa R
Published: August 2022

Lung development, integrity and repair rely on precise Wnt signaling, which is corrupted in diverse diseases, including cancer. Here, we discover that EHMT2 methyltransferase regulates Wnt signaling in the lung by controlling the transcriptional activity of chromatin-bound β-catenin, through a non-histone substrate in mouse lung. Inhibition of EHMT2 induces transcriptional, morphologic, and molecular changes consistent with alveolar type 2 (AT2) lineage commitment. Mechanistically, EHMT2 activity functions to support regenerative properties of KrasG12D tumors and normal AT2 cells—the predominant cell of origin of this cancer. Consequently, EHMT2 inhibition prevents KrasG12D lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumor formation and propagation and disrupts normal AT2 cell differentiation. Consistent with these findings, low gene EHMT2 expression in human LUAD correlates with enhanced AT2 gene expression and improved prognosis. These data reveal EHMT2 as a critical regulator of Wnt signaling, implicating Ehmt2 as a potential target in lung cancer and other AT2-mediated lung pathologies.
Pathfinding in stochastic environments: learning vs planning
Authors: Skrynnik Alexey , Andreychuk Anton , Yakovlev Konstantin , Panov Aleksandr
Published: August 2022

Among the main challenges associated with navigating a mobile robot in complex environments are partial observability and stochasticity. This work proposes a stochastic formulation of the pathfinding problem, assuming that obstacles of arbitrary shapes may appear and disappear at random moments of time. Moreover, we consider the case when the environment is only partially observable for an agent. We study and evaluate two orthogonal approaches to tackle the problem of reaching the goal under such conditions: planning and learning. Within planning, an agent constantly re-plans and updates the path based on the history of the observations using a search-based planner. Within learning, an agent asynchronously learns to optimize a policy function using recurrent neural networks (we propose an original efficient, scalable approach). We carry on an extensive empirical evaluation of both approaches that show that the learning-based approach scales better to the increasing number of the unpredictably appearing/disappearing obstacles. At the same time, the planning-based one is preferable when the environment is close-to-the-deterministic (i.e., external disturbances are rare). Code available at https://github.com/Tviskaron/pathfinding-in-stochastic-envs.
Investigating toxicity changes of cross-community redditors from 2 billion posts and comments
Authors: Almerekhi Hind , Kwak Haewoon , Jansen Bernard J.
Published: August 2022

This research investigates changes in online behavior of users who publish in multiple communities on Reddit by measuring their toxicity at two levels. With the aid of crowdsourcing, we built a labeled dataset of 10,083 Reddit comments, then used the dataset to train and fine-tune a Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) neural network model. The model predicted the toxicity levels of 87,376,912 posts from 577,835 users and 2,205,581,786 comments from 890,913 users on Reddit over 16 years, from 2005 to 2020. This study utilized the toxicity levels of user content to identify toxicity changes by the user within the same community, across multiple communities, and over time. As for the toxicity detection performance, the BERT model achieved a 91.27% classification accuracy and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) score of 0.963 and outperformed several baseline machine learning and neural network models. The user behavior toxicity analysis showed that 16.11% of users publish toxic posts, and 13.28% of users publish toxic comments. However, results showed that 30.68% of users publishing posts and 81.67% of users publishing comments exhibit changes in their toxicity across different communities, indicating that users adapt their behavior to the communities’ norms. Furthermore, time series analysis with the Granger causality test of the volume of links and toxicity in user content showed that toxic comments are Granger caused by links in comments.
Osteosarcoma of Jaw Masquerading as Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Tumour- A Diagnostic Dilemma
Authors: Sethi Neha , Devpura Nimisha , Khutenta Nitin , Yadav ML , Vijaywargia Maneesh
Published: August 2022

Osteogenic osteosarcoma is the most widely recognised primary malignant bone tumour involving particularly the appendicular skeleton. Osteosarcoma of jaw including maxillary and mandibular osteosarcoma accounts for about 7% of cases. The variants of osteosarcoma involving jaw include- osteosarcoma, Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) Low grade central osteosarcoma; chondroblastic osteosarcoma; parosteal osteosarcoma; periosteal Osteosarcoma. The present case was a 27-year-old male who came to the dental Outpatient Department (OPD) with the complaints of swelling in the upper vestibule and loosening of upper alveolar teeth and was reported as Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Tumour (CEOT) on histopathological examination and excision of the lesion was done. After two months the patient again presented with a recurrent lytic and sclerotic lesion involving the left maxillary bone with soft tissue extension in the maxillary sinus. Provisional diagnosis was made as malignant transformation of CEOT and immunohistochemistry was performed for the confirmation of the diagnosis. This case represented the challenges in the diagnosis of osteosarcoma of jaw which can be due to difficult biopsy procedure; limited imaging and challenges in legitimate resection because of the proximity to essential structures and the challenges are being faced to get the optimal treatment of jaw osteosarcoma.
PEMANFAATAN APLIKASI POWTOON UNTUK LAYANAN BIMBINGAN KONSELING PADA GURU BK SMA NEGERI/SWASTA KABUPATEN SIDOARJO
Authors: Rahmawati Endra , Poerna Wardhanie Ayouvi
Published: August 2022

Sistem pembelajaran Studi from Home di masa Pandemi Covid-19 memberikan dampak pada seluruh aktivitas belajar mengajar, termasuk bimbingan konseling yang dilakukan secara daring (online). Penyelenggaraan bimbingan konseling bertujuan untuk memfasilitasi sekolah dalam mengembangkan potensi para siswa, supaya mampu bekerja secara efektif, produktif dan menjadi manusia mandiri. Para Guru BK pada SMA Negeri/Swasta yang ada di Kabupaten Sidoarjo mengalami kesulitan dalam proses berinteraksi dengan para siswa untuk kegiatan bimbingan konseling. Salah satu media interaktif yang digunakan dalam melakukan pembelajaran online ini adalah aplikasi Powtoon. Kegiatan ini tidak sekedar dilakukan untuk siswa bermasalah saja, namun juga dilakukan untuk menyebarkan informasi terkini mengenai proses belajar mengajar di sekolah, himbauan positif kepada siswa, dan peringatan / pengumuman penting terkait proses belajar siswa. Untuk itu diperlukan sebuah kegiatan pelatihan bagi para Guru SMA Negeri/Swasta dengan mempelajari semua fitur yang telah disediakan oleh Aplikasi Powtoon. Dengan adanya pelatihan ini dapat membantu Para Guru BK untuk menyebarkan informasi terkait dengan proses belajar, himbauan, maupun peringatan/pengumuman yang bermanfaat bagi para siswa berupa Video Animasi yang dapat diakses secara online melalui media online seperti Youtube Channel. Pemberian pelatihan ini dibagi menjadi 2 sesi, sesi workshop dan sesi konsultasi. Pada sesi workshop, pemateri/trainer memberikan demonstrasi bagaimana penggunaan dan pengoperasian aplikasi powtoon, mulai dari pendaftaran akun baru hingga publish hasil animasi video. Sedangkan pada sesi konsultasi dimungkinkan adanya interaksi 2 arah dari peserta dan pemateri untuk mendalami materi yang telah diberikan. Di akhir pelatihan, ditutup dengan evaluasi menggunakan kuisioner via Google Form dan melakukan pengamatan dari sisi pemateri/trainer dengan melihat hasil akhir dari video animasi yang dihasilkan oleh peserta. Hasil feedback dari kuisioner menunjukkan bahwa 93,7% setuju dengan pernyataan bahwa pelatihan ini dapat menambah wawasan para Guru BK, penyampaian materi sudah cukup baik, dan kualitas video yang dihasilkan juga memuaskan. Berdasarkan hasil pengamatan dari pemateri/trainner terdapat sekitar 80% peserta mampu menghasilkan video animasi versi diri mereka sendiri.
Firm Red-Brown Plaques in a Patient With Systemic Scleroderma
Authors: Zacher Natasha C. , Rieger Kerri E. , Bailey Elizabeth E.
Published: August 2022

A man in his 60s with systemic sclerosis complicated by scleroderma kidney crisis, heart failure, interstitial lung disease, sclerodactyly, and Raynaud phenomenon presented with a pruritic rash. What is your diagnosis?
Analysis of Cancer Survival Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors After Statistical Adjustment
Authors: Lin Emily Pei-Ying , Hsu Chih-Yuan , Berry Lynne , Bunn Paul , Shyr Yu
Published: August 2022

Importance

Appropriate clinical decision-making relies on accurate data interpretation, which in turn relies on the use of suitable statistical models. Long tails and early crossover—2 features commonly observed in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) survival curves—raise questions as to the suitability of Cox proportional hazards regression for ICI survival analysis. Cox proportional hazards–Taylor expansion adjustment for long-term survival data (Cox-TEL) adjustment may provide possible solutions in this setting.

Objective

To estimate overall survival and progression-free survival benefits of ICI therapy vs chemotherapy using Cox-TEL adjustment.

Data Sources

A PubMed search was performed for all cataloged publications through May 22, 2022.

Study Selection

The search was restricted to randomized clinical trials with search terms for ICIs and lung cancer, melanoma, or urothelial carcinoma. The publications identified were further reviewed for inclusion.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Cox proportional hazards ratios (HRs) were transformed to Cox-TEL HRs for patients with short-term treatment response (ie, short-term survivor) (ST-HR) and difference in proportions for patients with long-term survival (LT-DP) by Cox-TEL. Meta-analyses were performed using a frequentist random-effects model.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcomes of interest were pooled overall survival (primary outcome) and progression-free survival (secondary outcome) HRs, ST-HRs, and LT-DPs. Subgroup analyses stratified by cancer type also were performed.

Results

A total of 1036 publications was identified. After 3 levels of review against inclusion criteria, 13 clinical trials (7 in non–small cell lung cancer, 3 in melanoma, and 3 in urothelial carcinoma) were selected for the meta-analysis. In the primary analysis, pooled findings were 0.75 (95% CI, 0.70-0.81) for HR, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.81-0.92) for ST-HR, and 0.08 (95% CI, 0.06-0.10) for LT-DP. In the secondary analysis, the pooled values for progression-free survival were 0.77 (95% CI, 0.64-0.91) for HR, 1.02 (95% CI, 0.84-1.24) for ST-HR, and 0.10 (95% CI, 0.06-0.14) for LT-DP.

Conclusions and Relevance

This systematic review and meta-analysis of ICI clinical trial results noted consistently larger ST-HRs vs Cox HRs for ICI therapy, with an LT-DP of approximately 10%. These results suggest that Cox HRs may not provide a full picture of survival outcomes when the risk reduction from treatment is not constant, which may aid in the decision-making process of oncologists and patients.