bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The politics of welfare
Authors: McNay Lois
Published: April 2021

Steven Klein’s excellent new book The Work of Politics is an innovative, insightful and original argument about the valuable role that welfare institutions may play in democratic movements for change. In place of a one-sided Weberian view of welfare institutions as bureaucratic instruments of social control, Klein recasts them in Arendtian terms as ‘worldly mediators’ or participatory mechanisms that act as channels for a radical politics of democratic world making. Although Klein is careful to modulate this utopian vision through a developed account of power and domination, I question the relevance of this largely historical model of world-building activism for the contemporary world of welfare. I point to the way that decades of neoliberal social policy have arguably eroded many of the social conditions and relations of solidarity that are vital prerequisites for collective activism around welfare.
Damage identification of bolt connection in steel truss structures by using sound signals
Authors: Zhuo Debing , Cao Hui
Published: April 2021

Different from traditional health-monitoring methods based on vibrational signals recorded by contact sensors, an online diagnosis procedure for steel truss structures using sound signals was proposed. The basic idea of the procedure was to identify the features related to bolt connection damage extracted from sound signals and locate the damaged position. Before the online diagnosis was carried out, sound signals were specifically collected by a microphone array involving environmental noise and sound discharged by artificial damaged bolt connections. Then the signals were preprocessed and their time and frequency domain features were extracted, from which sensitive features were selected by support vector machine recursive feature elimination. A support vector machine classifier aiming to identify signals related to damage was trained with the selected sensitive features, and a genetic algorithm was used to optimize its parameters. An improved method called steered response power and phase transformation with offline database was put forward to compute the steered response power values of coordinates in the offline database to localize the source of identified damage signals. The pre-built database consisted of a series of coordinates indicating the positions of bolts. When the online diagnosis was implemented for a steel truss structure, sound signals were picked up by the microphone array at the same location as that used for the database construction. The signals were preprocessed and their sensitive features were extracted for damage identification by the trained support vector machine classifier. If some signals were judged to be related to bolt connection damage, steered response power and phase transformation with offline database was used to compute steered response power values, with which a fusion decision was made based on evidence theory to locate the damaged bolt connection. The experiment of a steel truss model with 24 bolt connections showed that the proposed procedure could locate the loose bolts precisely even under heavy noise effect, and had a smaller computational load compared with traditional steered response power and phase transformation.
Herpes Zoster Does Not Increase the Risk of Neurodegenerative Dementia: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Choi Hyo Geun , Park Bum Jung , Lim Jae Sung , Sim Song Yong , Jung Yoon Jung , Lee Suk Woo
Published: April 2021

Objective:

This study was conducted to evaluate the association between neurodegenerative dementia and herpes zoster infection (HZI) using a national sample cohort.

Methods:

From the national cohort study conducted by the Korean National Health Insurance Service, we extracted data for patients with neurodegenerative dementia and for 1:4 matched control participants and searched the patient histories for HZI.

Results:

The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for HZI was 0.90 (95% CI = 0.84-0.97) in the dementia group. According to the subgroup analysis, the adjusted OR for HZI was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.83 -1.00) in the < 80 years old group, 0.88 (95% CI = 0.78 -1.00) in the ≥ 80 years old group, 0.77 (95% CI = 0.66-0.89) in men and 0.96 (95% CI = 0.88 -1.05) in women.

Conclusions:

We concluded that HZI does not increase the risk of neurodegenerative dementia in individuals of any age or of either sex.
Irisin induces white adipose tissue browning in mice as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Chen Yue , Ding Jie , Zhao Yufei , Ju Shenghong , Mao Hui , Peng Xin-Gui
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to track and evaluate the effect of low-dose irisin on the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) in mice using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) noninvasively in vivo. Mature white adipocytes extracted from mice were cultured, induced and characterized before being treated by irisin. The volume and fat fraction of WAT were quantified using MRI in normal chow diet and high fat mice after injection of irisin. The browning of cultured white adipocytes and WAT in mice were validated by immunohistochemistry and western blotting for uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and deiodinase type II (DIO2). The serum indexes were examined with high fat diet after irisin intervention. UCP1 and DIO2 in adipocytes showed increases responding to the irisin treatment. The size of white adipocytes in mice receiving irisin intervention was reduced. MRI measured volumes and fat fraction of WAT were significantly lower after Irisin treatment. Blood glucose and cholesterol levels were reduced in high fat diet mice after irisin treatment. Irisin intervention exerted browning of WAT, resulting reduction of volume and fat fraction of WAT as measured by MRI. Furthermore, it improved the condition of mice with diet-induced obesity and related metabolic disorders.
A Comparison of Contemporary Clinical Outcomes Following Femoro-Popliteal Plain Balloon Angioplasty and Bypass Surgery for Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia
Authors: Meecham Lewis , Popplewell Mathew A. , Bate Gareth R. , Patel Smitaa , Bradbury Andrew W.
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Despite the BASIL-1 trial concluding that bypass surgery (BS) was superior to plain balloon angioplasty (PBA) in terms of longer-term amputation free (AFS) and overall survival (OS), CLTI patients are increasingly offered an endovascular-first revascularization strategy. This study investigates whether the results of BASIL-1 are still relevant to current practice by comparing femoro-popliteal (FP) BS with PBA in a series of CLTI patients treated in our unit 10 years after BASIL-1 (1999-2004).

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed prospectively gathered hospital data pertaining to 279 patients undergoing primary FP BS or PBA for CLTI in the period 2009 to 2014. We report baseline characteristics, 30-day morbidity and mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and long-term AFS, limb salvage (LS), OS, major adverse limb events (MALE), and freedom from re-intervention (FFR).

Results:

234 (84%) and 45 (16%) patients underwent PBA and BS respectively. PBA patients were significantly older (77 vs 71 years, P = 0.001) and more likely to be female (45% vs 28%, P = 0.026). Bollinger and GLASS anatomic scores were significantly more severe in the BS group. Technical success was better for BS (100% vs 87%, P = 0.007). Index hospital stay was shorter for PBA (9.1 vs 15.6 days, P = 0.035) but there was no difference in hospital days or admissions over the next 12 months. AFS (HR 1.00), LS (HR 1.44), OS (HR 0.81), MALE (HR 1.25) and FFR (HR = 1.00) were not significantly different between PBA and BS.

Conclusion:

Important clinical outcomes following FP BS and PBA for CLTI have not changed significantly in our unit in the 10 years following the BASIL-1 trial. BASIL-1 therefore remains relevant to our current practice and should inform our approach to the management of CLTI going forward.
Comparison Between Time-Resolved Magnetic Resonance Angiography and Diagnostic Digital Subtraction Angiography in the Vascular Assessment of Nonspecific Aorto-Arteritis Patients: A Prospective Study
Authors: Chandrashekhara Sheragaru Hanumanthappa , Gulati Gurpreet Singh , Sharma Sanjiv , Jagia Priya , Kumar Sanjeev , Choudhary Shiv
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

Nonspecific aortoarteritis (NSAA) is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis involving aorta and its branches. We conducted a study prospectively to compare time resolved magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with diagnostic digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for the vascular assessment in the patients of NSAA.

Materials and Methods:

Seventeen patients of NSAA were recruited in the study over the period of 3 years. Contrast enhanced MRA using Time-resolved angiography With Interleaved Stochastic Trajectories (TWIST) sequence and diagnostic DSA were performed in these 17 patients.

Results:

The majority of the patients were young (median age was 25 years, range 8 to 46 years) and 11 patients were females. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was elevated in 9 patients and C-reactive protein (CRP) was elevated in 6 patients. Most commonly involved vessels in our patients were right renal artery (14 patients), abdominal aorta (12 patients) and left renal artery (11 patients). Left and right subclavian arteres were involved in 10 and 6 patients respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of time-resolved MRA using TWIST sequence is 100% as compared to DSA in the assessment of major vessels such as aorta, arch vessels, celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery. However, the sensitivity and specificity of time resolved MRA in the evaluation of renal arteries and vertebral arteries were 100%, 71.4% and 85.7%, 33.3% respectively. No significant association of MRI contrast enhancement with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 1.00) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.600).

Conclusion:

Time resolved MRA images obtained using TWIST sequence were as qualitative as DSA images and can noninvasively evaluate the vascular involvement in NSAA patients.
“Where is the Safe Haven?” Transgender Women’s Experiences of Victimization and Help-Seeking across the Life Course
Authors: Hereth Jane
Published: April 2021

Transgender women report high rates of interpersonal victimization, including child abuse and maltreatment, intimate partner violence and sexual assault, and community and bias-related violence. Transgender individuals experience distinct barriers to help-seeking, including fear of discrimination, harassment, or violence by police, being outed as transgender by partners, and discrimination by social services for survivors of violence. The present study explores experiences of cumulative victimization across the life course and barriers to help-seeking behaviors among a sample of 21 transgender women in Chicago. Study findings can be used to inform interventions that are inclusive of transgender women survivors.
Strategies for Incorporating Lifestyle Medicine in Everyday Hospital Practice
Authors: Petersen Matthew R. , Freeman Andrew M. , Madrid Marcy , Aggarwal Monica
Published: April 2021

Cardiovascular disease and its associated risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes are contributing to a large portion of morbidity, mortality, and health care costs in the United States. Diet and lifestyle education have been shown to be beneficial in reducing cost, mortality, and morbidity associated with these diseases. However, the lack of implementation of diet and lifestyle tools into clinical practices and into hospital systems leaves much room for improvement. Obstacles such as poor physician education, financial concerns, patient preference, and social resistance to change have made it difficult to promote healthy lifestyle and nutrition practices throughout all aspects of health systems. Some hospital systems and hospital-based clinical practices have had important successes in creating prevention clinic models, implementing plant-based menus in their hospital systems, and incorporating intensive rehabilitation programs that will pave the way for more future change. This review describes the current deficits, obstacles, and innovative strategies for implementing lifestyle medicine into hospital systems.
Introducing Lifestyle Medicine Within the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Arizona
Authors: Drost Jennifer M. , Lucas Pauline H. , Patchett David C. , Hatley Melissa R. , Johnson Daniel C. , Scales Robert
Published: April 2021

Purpose: High-value care is becoming increasingly important as the United States shifts toward a more sustainable health care system. Lifestyle medicine (LM) may be the highest-value model of care. Surprisingly, however, it is taught in a minority of medical schools. In this article, we describe a pilot project of introducing a brief LM course taught within the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Arizona. The main purpose of the course was to introduce the students to LM as a specialty practice and to provide students with foundational knowledge of the pillars of LM. Results: Students reported improved personal health habits and increased confidence in LM competencies.
Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome after intracranial stenting: Case report and systematic review
Authors: Diana Francesco , Frauenfelder Giulia , Botto Annibale , Saponiero Renato , Romano Daniele Giuseppe
Published: April 2021

Background

Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome (CHS) is an uncommon complication observed after intracranial angioplasty or stenting procedures. Given to the increasing use of new devices for intracranial angioplasty and stenting (INCS), in selected patients with high ischemic stroke risk, an equally increasing knowledge of complications related to these procedures is mandatory. Case description: a 63-year-old man was diagnosed with an hyperperfusion syndrome after percutaneous angioplasty and stenting for severe symptomatic right internal carotid artery (ICA) siphon stenosis. After treatment he complained generalized seizures and respiratory failure. While conventional imaging did not demonstrate any acute brain lesions, Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling (PCASL) Perfusion MRI early documented right hemisphere blood flow increase suggestive for CHS.

Conclusions

Monitoring of perfusion changes after INCS could play an important a role in determining patients with high risk of CHS. ASL Perfusion MRI might be used for promptly, early diagnosis of CHS after treatment of severe intracranial artery stenosis.
A Review of Case Study Method in Operations Management Research
Authors: Sadeghi Moghadam Mohammad Reza , Ghasemnia Arabi Narjes , Khoshsima Gholamreza
Published: April 2021

This article reviews the case study research in the operations management field. In this regard, the paper’s key objective is to represent a general framework to design, develop, and conduct case study research for a future operations management research by critically reviewing relevant literature and offering insights into the use of case method in particular settings. To achieve our objective, a systematic literature review (SLR) was considered in one of the best OM journals in 1990–2018. This study represents a general structure to guide, design, and fulfill a case study research with categorized steps necessary for researchers to use in their research.
Experimental and kinetic modeling study for N2O formation of NH3-SCR over commercial Cu-zeolite catalyst
Authors: Li Songfeng , Zhang Chunhua , Zhou Ao , Li Yangyang , Yin Peng , Mu Chunfang , Xu Jinyuan
Published: April 2021

In this paper, a systematic experimental and kinetic model investigation was conducted over Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst to study the DeNOx efficiency and N2O formation for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR). The kinetic model was developed for various reactions to take place in the NH3-SCR system, including NH3 adsorption/desorption, NH3 oxidation, NO oxidation, standard SCR, fast SCR, slow SCR and N2O formation reactions. In addition, the reaction of N2O formation from NH3 non-selective oxidation was taken into account. All the experiments were performed in a flow reactor with a feed stream near to the real application of diesel engine vehicles exhaust. The current model can satisfactorily predict the steady state conversion rate of various species at the reactor outlet and the effect of gas hourly space velocities and ammonia nitrogen ratio on N2O formation. The results show that the kinetic model can simulate the reaction process of the Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst well. This is significant for the optimization of NH3-SCR system for achieving the higher DeNOx efficiency and the lower N2O emission.
Radiofrequency ablation for markedly incompetent perforators versus compression therapy in the management of post-phelebtic venous ulcers: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Abdelgawad Mohamed Shukri , El-Shafei Amr M , Sharaf El-Din Hesham A , Saad Ehab M , Khafagy Tamer A , Sameer Amr , Elsaadany Nshaat A , Abdelmaksoud Mohamed A
Published: April 2021

Background

Venus ulcers developed mainly due to reflux of incompetent venous valves in perforating veins.

Patients and methods

In this randomized controlled trial, 119 patients recruited over two years, with post-phelebtic venous leg ulcers, were randomly assigned into one of two groups: either to receive radiofrequency ablation of markedly incompetent perforators (Group A, n = 62 patients) or to receive conventional compression therapy (Group B, n = 57 patients). Follow-up duration required for ulcer healing continued for 24 months post randomization.

Results

Statistically significant shorter time to healing (ulcer complete healing or satisfactory clinical improvement) between both groups (56 patients, 90.3% of cases in Group A versus 44 patients 77.2% of cases in Group B) over the follow-up period of 24 months was attained ( p  = 0.001). Also, significantly different ulcer recurrence was recorded between both groups, 8 patients (12.9%) in Group A versus 19 patients (33.3%) in Group B ( p = 0.004).

Conclusion

In absence of deep venous obstruction, the monopolar radiofrequency ablation for incompetent perforators is a feasible and effective method that surpasses the traditional compression protocol for incompetent perforator-induced venous ulcers in terms of time required for healing even in the presence of unresolved deep venous valvular reflux.
A grid gradient approximation method of energy-efficient gait planning for biped robots
Authors: Zhiqiang Lu , Yuanbing Hou , Xiuli Chai , Yun Meng
Published: April 2021

In this article, an energy-efficient gait planning algorithm that utilizes both 3D body motion and an allowable zero moment point region (AZR) is presented for biped robots based on a five-mass inverted pendulum model. The product of the load torque and angular velocity of all joint motors is used as an energy index function (EIF) to evaluate the energy consumption during walking. The algorithm takes the coefficients of the finite-order Fourier series to represent the motion space of the robot body centroid, and the motion space is gridded by discretizing these coefficients. Based on the geometric structure of the leg joints, an inverse kinematics method for calculating grid intersection points is designed. Of the points that satisfy the AZR constraints, the point with the lowest EIF value in each network line is selected as the seed. In the neighborhood of the seed, the point with the minimum EIF value in the motion space is successively approximated by the gradient descent method, and the corresponding joint angle sequence is stored in the database. Given a distance to be traveled, our algorithm plans a complete walking trajectory, including two starting steps, multiple cyclic steps, and two stopping steps, while minimizing the energy consumption. According to the preset AZR, the joint angle sequences of the robot are read from the database, and these sequences are adjusted for each step according to the zero-moment-point feedback during walking. To determine the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, both dynamic simulation and walking experiment in the real environment were carried out. The experimental results show that compared with algorithms based on the fixed body height or vertical body motion, our gait algorithm has a significant energy-saving effect.
Comparison of weekly and daily recall of pain as an endpoint in a randomized phase 3 trial of cabozantinib for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Schaffer Elisabeth M , Basch Ethan M , Schwab Gisela M , Bennett Antonia V
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Scant evidence reveals whether the use of weekly versus daily pain ratings leads to meaningful differences when measuring pain as a clinical trial outcome. We compared the ability of weekly ratings and descriptors of daily ratings to evaluate pain as an endpoint in a randomized phase 3 drug trial.

Methods

Participants ( n = 119) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer were randomized to treatment arms and rated their pain on the average and at its worst during a baseline week and at weeks 3, 6, and 12 of study treatment. For each reporting period, participants rated their pain daily for 7 days. On day 7, participants rated their pain over the prior 7 days. We estimated mean differences and intraclass correlation coefficients of the weekly ratings and the mean and the maximum daily ratings. We compared the ability of the weekly ratings and the daily rating descriptors to detect change in pain and evaluated the agreement of the weekly rating and the mean daily rating of pain at its worst to detect treatment response.

Results

For both pain constructs, the weekly rating was consistently higher than the mean daily rating and lower than the maximum daily rating yet was moderately to highly correlated with both daily rating descriptors (intraclass correlation coefficient range = 0.55–0.94). The weekly rating and the daily rating descriptors consistently detected change in pain for the study sample and participant subgroups. Substantial agreement existed between the weekly rating and the mean daily rating of pain at its worst when used with trial protocol opioid criteria to detect treatment response (Cohen’s κ = 0.71).

Conclusion

Use of daily over weekly ratings delivered no added benefit in evaluating pain in this clinical trial. This study is the first to compare weekly and daily recall to measure pain as an endpoint in a randomized phase 3 drug trial, and the pattern of differences in ratings that we observed is consistent with other recent evaluations of weekly and daily symptom reporting.
Anti-trafficking saviors: Celebrity, slavery, and branded activism
Authors: Heynen Robert , van der Meulen Emily
Published: April 2021

This article traces the development of popular forms of anti-trafficking activism in the United States through a social network and discourse analysis that focuses on NGO websites, celebrity advocacy, merchandising, social media campaigns, and policy interventions. This “branded activism,” as we describe it, plays an important role in legitimizing an emerging anti-trafficking consensus that increasingly shapes both US foreign policy and domestic policing, and is frequently driven by an anti-sex work politics. Popular anti-trafficking discourses, we find, build on melodramatic narratives of victims and (white) saviors, depoliticize the complex labor and migration issues at stake, reinforce capitalist logics, and enable policy interventions that produce harm for migrants, sex workers, and others ostensibly being “rescued.” Celebrity and marketing-driven branded activism relies especially strongly on parallels drawn between histories of chattel slavery and what anti-trafficking campaigns call “modern-day slavery.” We challenge these parallels, particularly as they encourage participants to see themselves as abolitionist saviors in ways that reinforce neo-liberal notions of empowerment rooted in communicative capitalist networks.
Leadership lessons untold: A new history of Robert McNamara’s World Bank
Authors: Heath John Richard , McCann Leo
Published: April 2021

Leadership education can be reductionist and facile. Recent scholarship in management and organizational history has reexamined many of the most established business school concepts and literatures, rethinking the ‘lessons’ taught from – among others – Taylor, Maslow and the Human Relations School. This study similarly uses historical methods (oral historical and archival) to analyse the career of Robert S. McNamara, a major figure often portrayed simplistically in leadership literature. McNamara is often characterized as a ‘good manager but poor leader’, notorious for failures associated with micromanaging by questionable metrics. While this picture is partially accurate, it is far from complete. McNamara’s career – for all its management failures and weaknesses – also featured many traits associated with celebrated concepts of ‘leadership’, especially during his long tenure as President of the World Bank (1968–81). We develop an historical narrative that reevaluates and updates our understanding of this comparatively unexplored latter stage of McNamara’s career. The article argues against the construction of simplistic ‘leadership lessons’ that suffer from three weaknesses: (1) a poor grasp of historical events, (2) a weak understanding of history as a discipline and (3) a reliance on artificial constructs and dichotomies, such as leadership (good) versus management (bad). We suggest that there is much to learn from deepening the scholarly relationship between critical leadership studies and management history.
Parenting stress among caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A cross-sectional study in Bangladesh
Authors: Haque M Atiqul , Salwa Marium , Sultana Sarmin , Tasnim Anika , Towhid Muhammad Ibrahim Ibne , Karim Md Rizwanul , Abdullah Al Mamun Mohammad
Published: April 2021

This cross-sectional study explored stressful situations of caregivers related to life events of their children suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders along with potential contributing factors. A total of 906 caregivers of children with diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder, from eight administrative districts and two city corporation areas in Bangladesh were interviewed. The Family Stress and Coping Interview scale was used to evaluate parenting stress. The diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder at the outset, feelings about the cause of the disorder, future planning for employment and accommodation for the child and dealing with child sexuality were some important stressful situations for parents. Parenting stress is found to be higher among female [regression coefficient (B) = 5.09, p < 0.001] and less educated caregivers [B = 2.69, p < 0.01]. Increasing age of child [B = 0.82, p < 0.001] and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder before child’s second birthday [B = 4.22, p < 0.001] are also associated with higher parenting stress.
Association of serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) with heat pain stimulation and postoperative pain in gastric cancer patients
Authors: Yu Ling , Li Shuo , Wei Jin , Sun Hongwei , Yang Caixia , Tan Hongyu
Published: April 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to assess whether the genotype of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in gastric cancer patients is associated with postoperative pain and pain threshold.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 251 patients scheduled for gastrectomy from May to September 2019. All patients enrolled in the study were asked to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire. Heat pain threshold (HPT), cold pain threshold (CPT) and Pressure pain threshold (PPT) were measured for all participants one day prior to surgery. Blood samples were collected for genetic testing. All patients were connected to a patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) pump at the end of the surgery. After exclusion of 15 patients, the postoperative conditions of 236 patients were recorded.

Results

Distribution of homozygous long (L/L), heterozygous (L/S), and homozygous short (S/S) 5-HTTLPR genotypes among participants were 26 (11.0%), 91 (38.6%), and 119 (50.4%), respectively. Heat pain threshold ( P = 0.038) and Numerical rating scale (NRS) in the 1st postoperative 24 h ( P = 0.026) were significantly different between long (L/L) and short (S/S) genotype carriers.

Conclusions

In patients with gastric cancer, heat pain stimulation is associated with 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, and postoperative pain may be related to 5-HTTLPR polymorphism.
A bat optimization algorithm with moderate orientation and perturbation of trend
Authors: Liu Jingsen , Ji Hongyuan , Liu Qingqing , Li Yu
Published: April 2021

In order to improve the convergence speed and optimization accuracy of the bat algorithm, a bat optimization algorithm with moderate optimal orientation and random perturbation of trend is proposed. The algorithm introduces the nonlinear variation factor into the velocity update formula of the global search stage to maintain a high diversity of bat populations, thereby enhanced the global exploration ability of the algorithm. At the same time, in the local search stage, the position update equation is changed, and a strategy that towards optimal value modestly is used to improve the ability of the algorithm to local search for deep mining. Finally, the adaptive decreasing random perturbation is performed on each bat individual that have been updated in position at each generation, which can improve the ability of the algorithm to jump out of the local extremum, and to balance the early global search extensiveness and the later local search accuracy. The simulating results show that the improved algorithm has a faster optimization speed and higher optimization accuracy.
Effects of a Decentralized Nursing Model on Patient Outcomes in Two Rural Community Hospitals
Authors: Jimenez Francesqca E. , Rich Renae K. , Puumala Susan E. , Kentfield Melinda , Schoenholtz Lori , Brittin Jeri
Published: April 2021

Aim:

To assess hypothesized effects of decentralized nursing models on adult inpatient outcomes, patient medical records and satisfaction surveys were analyzed from two rural community hospitals that transitioned from centralized to decentralized nursing unit designs in 2015.

Background:

The objective to place nurses closer to patients precipitates broad use of decentralized nursing unit designs over models with centralized nurse stations. Decentralized models have been hypothesized to improve patient outcomes, but few studies have empirically measured effects.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, pre–post study used regression and interrupted time series models of adult inpatient data. Encounter-level patient records and survey responses across both sites were analyzed for a change in length of stay (LOS) and patient satisfaction from the preperiod (centralized) to the postperiod (decentralized).

Results:

LOS decreased in the postperiod compared to the preperiod at one site, and there was no change in LOS at the other. Patient satisfaction mostly improved at both hospitals in the decentralized model; however, most upward trends started prior to the move, with no change postmove. Patient satisfaction significantly improved regarding quietness at night and overall hospital rating at one hospital and decreased regarding receiving help as soon as wanted at the other hospital. These changes occurred at the time of the move but may not be solely attributable to the decentralized nursing model.

Conclusions:

Overall, the results were mixed. One hospital experienced positive changes while the other did not, suggesting factors apart from nursing unit design are important to assess.
Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes After Treatment of Patellar Chondral Defects: A Systematic Review
Authors: Su Charles A. , Trivedi Nikunj N. , Le Hao-Tinh , Sivasundaram Lakshmanan , Maak Travis G. , Salata Michael J. , Voos James E. , Karns Michael
Published: April 2021

Context:

There is currently no evidence-based consensus on how to treat a full-thickness, symptomatic articular cartilage injury of the patella, although numerous treatment options are available.

Objective:

To systematically evaluate the functional outcomes after operative treatment of patellar cartilage lesions. Our secondary purpose was to evaluate radiographic outcomes after treatment.

Data Sources:

PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase

Study Selection:

Studies published between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2018 that included patient-reported functional outcomes for patients after operative treatment of patellar chondral defects at a minimum 2-year follow-up were included.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Data Extraction:

MINORS (Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies) score, level of evidence, sample size, demographic data, follow-up data, intervention, functional outcome scores, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected.

Results:

The review identified 10 studies and 293 patients receiving cartilage restoration procedures for patellar chondral defects with extractable clinical and radiographic results and data on complications and reoperations. All treatments (autologous chondrocyte implantation [ACI], matrix-induced ACI [MACI], autologous osteochondral transplantation [AOT]) utilized in the management of patellar chondral lesions, with the exception of isolated particulated juvenile articular cartilage, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in functional outcome scores compared with preoperative measurements at a minimum of 2-year follow-up. Postoperative MRIs were obtained in 6 studies and found that regardless of treatment, moderate-to-complete infill of patellar cartilage lesions was seen in the majority of patients. While failure rates were low for the various treatment modalities, rates of reoperation were substantial, with up to 40% to 60% reoperation rate seen after ACI.

Conclusion:

Patients treated with ACI, MACI, and AOT all demonstrated statistically significant improvements in functional outcome scores with radiographic evidence of healing at minimum of 2-year follow-up. Evidence is insufficient to recommend one particular treatment over another.
A shock to the system: sectoral bargaining under threat in Ireland
Authors: Eustace Alan
Published: April 2021

In Náisiúnta Leictreach Contraitheoir Éireann v Labour Court, the Irish High Court struck down as unconstitutional a key component of Ireland’s industrial relations system for the third time in recent years. The Court determined that the extension of collective agreements erga omnes breaches the constitutional prohibition on the delegation of legislative power. This note explains the background to that decision and critiques the Court’s reasoning from the perspective of a ‘labour constitution’ model of labour law, and in light of international and European legal principles. The decision appears to misunderstand the place of collective bargaining at a sectoral level within European internal market and competition law. It also seems to rule out any form of meaningful participation by workers, employers and their representatives in collective bargaining on a sectoral basis or through dedicated industrial relations machinery. According to the vision of Irish constitutional law put forward in this case, decisions relating to the administration of production and economic life more broadly must be reserved to the legislature. This is a significant loss for the autonomy of the social partners and represents an impoverished understanding of democracy and legitimacy within the constitutional order, and risks leaving Ireland even more of an outlier in Europe than it already is on the issue of sectoral collective bargaining.
What Instagram Can Teach Us About Bird Photography: The Most Photogenic Bird and Color Preferences
Authors: Thömmes Katja , Hayn-Leichsenring Gregor
Published: April 2021

What makes a great bird photo? To examine this question, we collected over 20,000 photos of birds from the photo-sharing platform Instagram with their corresponding liking data. We standardized the total numbers of Likes and extracted information from the image captions. With this database, we investigated content-related image properties to see how they affect the ubiquitous online behavior of pressing a Like button. We found substantial differences between bird families, with a surprising winner in the category “most instagrammable bird.” The colors of the depicted bird also significantly affected the liking behavior of the online community, replicating and generalizing previously found human color preferences to the realm of bird photography.
Overcoming the Challenges Faced by Immigrant Populations While Accessing Primary Care: Potential Solution-oriented Actions Advocated by the Bangladeshi-Canadian Community
Authors: Turin Tanvir C , Haque Sarika , Chowdhury Nashit , Ferdous Mahzabin , Rumana Nahid , Rahman Afsana , Rahman Nafiza , Lasker Mohammad , Rashid Ruksana
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Immigrants continue to face significant challenges in accessing primary healthcare (PHC) that often negatively impact their health. The present research aims to capture the perspectives of immigrants to identify potential approaches to enhance PHC access for this group.

Methods:

Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among a sample of first-generation Bangladeshi immigrants who had experience with PHC in Canada. A total of 13 FGDs (7 among women, 6 among men) were conducted with 80 participants (women = 42, men = 38) in their preferred language, Bangla. We collected demographic information prior to each focus group and used descriptive statistics to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of participants. We applied thematic analysis to examine qualitative data to generate a list of themes of possible approaches to improve PHC access.

Results:

The focus group findings identified different levels of approaches to improve PHC access: individual-, community-, service provider-, and policy-level. Individual-level approaches included increased self-awareness of health and wellness and personal knowledge of cultural differences in healthcare services and improved communication skills. At the community level, supports for community members to access care included health education workshops, information sessions, and different support programs (eg, carpool services for senior members). Suggested service-level approaches included providers taking necessary steps to ensure an effective doctor-patient relationship with immigrants (eg, strategies to promote cultural competencies, hiring multicultural staff). FGD participants also raised the importance of government- or policy-level solutions to ensure high quality of care (eg, increased after-hour clinics and lab/diagnostic services).

Conclusions:

Although barriers to immigrants accessing healthcare are well documented in the literature, solutions to address them are under-researched. To improve healthcare access, physicians, community health centers, local health agencies, and public health units should collaborate with members of immigrant communities to identify appropriate interventions.
Disciplinary Recognized Self-Presence: Self-Mention Used With Hedges and Boosters in PhD Students’ Research Writing
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Zeng Liangjing
Published: April 2021

Despite the existing extensive research on stance markers such as hedges, boosters, and self-mention in academic writing, few studies, however, examined the co-occurrence of these stance markers to help authors project their identities in writing. In this study, we examine how self-mention with boosters and hedges are used by writers of different groups to manifest authorial presence and what functions they realize in research writing. Two self-compiled corpora were constructed to compare the discursive practice between Chinese PhD students and journal article writers from four disciplines in hard applied and hard pure science. In general, student writers use fewer self-mention with boosters but more self-mention with hedges than expert writers. An examination of the rhetorical functions of these devices shows that both expert and student writers employ most self-mention with boosters for presenting research findings, but students are more inclined to invest self-mention with boosters than expert writers when describing research procedures or elaborating arguments. Meanwhile, self-mention with hedges are mostly used for elaborating arguments, but compared with expert writers, students seem to overly obscure their presence in this function.
A Comparative Research Between Italian and Turkish Journalists: Professionalism, Autonomy, Clientelism, and Ethic
Authors: Simaku Xheni
Published: April 2021

The global society which we live in nowadays makes us rethink about media system, global dynamics, and the operation of the influences that these dynamics have on national media systems. Starting from the book by Hallin and Mancini’s (2004) Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics, and under the Polarized Pluralist Model they proposed, the aim of this work is to compare Turkish and Italian journalists’ professionalization. This research has been conducted under the concept of professionalization that these authors suggested in their work and, more specifically, under the Polarized Pluralist Model, in which Hallin and Mancini recognize countries like Italy have the main characteristics described by the model; Turkey can also be included. The main goal of this work is to underline not only the similarities but also the differences that are encountered in these two countries in the journalistic professionalization. The methodology used is in-depth interviews with 10 journalists: five Italian and five Turkish journalists chosen from the biggest journals in their respective countries. Main topics taken into consideration were autonomy, clientelism, and professionalization in journalism based on ethics values. Even if the Polarized Pluralist Model seems to fit in both countries from a macro perspective, with the in-depth interviews, it is clearly seen that different cross-national nuances come out.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use by Patients From the Gulf Region Seen in the International Practice of a Tertiary Care Medical Center
Authors: Kebede Esayas B , Tan Judy , Iftikhar Salma , Abu Lebdeh Haitham S. , Duggirala Murali K , Ghosh Amit K , Croghan Ivana T , Jenkins Sarah M , Mahapatra Saswati , Bauer Brent A , Wahner-Roedler Dietlind L
Published: April 2021

Background

Patients from various countries may have unique patterns of using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and unique reasons for using it.

Objective

Our objective was to assess the use of CAM among patients from the Gulf region attending the Executive and International Health Program of the Department of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey was administered to all patients who were from the Gulf region and were undergoing outpatient evaluation in the Executive and International Health Program. After their initial medical evaluation by a physician, the patients were invited to anonymously complete the modified International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire.

Results

The survey was completed by 69 patients (41 women, 27 men; mean age, 45.4 years). The most frequently seen providers for CAM treatments were physicians (71.0% of patients), spiritual healers (29.0%), and chiropractors (20.3%). CAM treatments most frequently received from a physician were massage therapy (51.0%), hijama (38.8%), spiritual healing (24.5%), and acupuncture or herbs (16.3%). The most frequently used dietary supplements were ginger (42.0%), bee products (30.4%), and garlic (27.5%). The most common self-help therapies were prayers for health (68.1%), meditation (15.9%), and relaxation techniques (11.6%). CAM therapy, including visits to CAM providers, was used by 92.8% of patients. CAM was mainly used to improve well-being and long-term health conditions rather than for acute illnesses.

Conclusion

The use of CAM was high among our patients from the Gulf region, and the CAM therapies used by this population differed from the ones used by US patients. Physicians providing care to patients from the Gulf region should be aware of how the use of CAM may affect the care needs of these patients.
Leading Organizational Change: Improved Leadership Behaviors Among Public Health Leaders After Receiving Multirater Feedback and Coaching
Authors: Spears-Jones Crystal , Myles Ranell , Porch Tichelle , Parris Stephanie , Ivy-Knudsen Michelle , Dean Hazel D.
Published: April 2021

Background:

Leading Change is one of five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) used in developing leaders in the federal government. Leadership development programs that incorporate multirater feedback and executive coaching are valuable in developing competencies to lead change.

Methods:

We examined the extent by which coaching influenced Leading Change competencies and identified effective tools and resources used to enhance the leadership capacity of first- and midlevel leaders at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Tuberculosis Prevention. Data included qualitative data collected via semi-structured interviews that focused on leadership changes made by leaders in the Coaching and Leadership Initiative (CaLI), a leadership development program for Team Leads and Branch Chiefs.

Findings:

Ninety-six participants completed leadership coaching; 94 (98%) of whom completed one or more interviews. Of those 94 respondents, 74 (79%) reported improvements in their ability to lead change in 3 of 4 leading change competencies: creativity and innovation, flexibility, and resilience. All respondents indicated tools and resources that were effective in leading change: 49 (52%) participated in instructor-led activities during their CaLI experience; 33 (35%) experiential activities; 94 (100%) developmental relationships, assessment, and feedback; and 25 (27%) self-development.

Conclusions/Application to Practice:

First- and midlevel leaders in a public health agency benefitted from using leadership coaching in developing competencies to lead organizational change. Leadership development programs might benefit from examining Leading Change competencies and including instructor-led and experiential activities as an additional component of a comprehensive leadership development program.
An Enquiry into the Persistence of Turn-of-the-Month Effect on Stock Markets in India: Insights and Perspectives on a Seasonal Anomaly
Authors: Tadepalli Meher Shiva , Jain Ravi Kumar , Metri and Bhimaraya A.
Published: April 2021

Asset pricing in capital markets is a strikingly vibrant area of academic research and is considered as an indicator to evaluate the efficiency of stock markets. Though the explanation for the seasonal behavior of capital markets was attempted by various market models, several anomalies were observed historically. Calendar anomalies that belong to the specific class of seasonal anomalies provided abnormal returns in the global stock markets at regular intervals within and across various calendar years. This article documents the study on one such anomaly—namely, the turn-of-the-month effect in the context of Indian stock indices. In this pursuit, exhaustive research has been carried out considering all the broad-market and sectoral indices of two major stock exchanges, namely, National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange. The study used the ARIMAX methodology with dummy exogenous variables (to represent the turn-of-the-month days) and presented comprehensive findings and learnings. Besides, this article attempts to analyze the changes in the strength and significance of the anomaly in progression with various stock market reforms in both the broad-market and sectoral indices to provide new insights into the efficiency of Indian stock market exchanges.