bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Presenting as Chronic Diarrhea; An Unusual Presentation of a Common Lymphoproliferative Disorder
Authors: Narayana Gowda Smitha , Abdullah Hafez Mohammad , Sharma Rakshya , Abdallah Mohamed A.
Published: April 2021

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common lymphoproliferative disorder in the United States. It has a variable presentation with most patients having asymptomatic lymphocytosis. Many other patients present with lymphadenopathy or enlargement of other organs of the reticuloendothelial system. However, CLL can present with extramedullary involvement. Most commonly, this is in the form of skin or central nervous system involvement, though rarely it can present with gastrointestinal involvement. Here, we present the case of a 70-year-old Caucasian male who presented with chronic diarrhea for over 4 months. After failing conservative treatment, a colonoscopy was performed which showed diffuse mucosal nodularities with a biopsy revealing CLL. The patient was treated successfully with chemotherapy and his diarrhea improved. This is a differential to keep in mind in patients with chronic diarrhea, once the more common causes have been ruled out.
Machine-Learning-Based Intelligent Mechanical Fault Detection and Diagnosis of Wind Turbines
Authors: Gao Qiang , Wu Xinhong , Guo Junhui , Zhou Hongqing , Ruan Wei
Published: April 2021

Wind power has gained wide popularity due to the increasingly serious energy and environmental crisis. However, the severe operational conditions often bring faults and failures in the wind turbines, which may significantly degrade the security and reliability of large-scale wind farms. In practice, accurate and efficient fault detection and diagnosis are crucial for safe and reliable system operation. This work develops an effective deep learning solution using a convolutional neural network to address the said problem. In addition, the linear discriminant criterion-based metric learning technique is adopted in the model training process of the proposed solution to improve the algorithmic robustness under noisy conditions. The proposed solution can efficiently extract the features of the mechanical faults. The proposed algorithmic solution is implemented and assessed through a range of experiments for different scenarios of faults. The numerical results demonstrated that the proposed solution can well detect and diagnose the multiple coexisting faults of the operating wind turbine gearbox.
Three-Dimensional Evaluation of Soft Tissue Changes after Functional Therapy
Authors: Yıldırım Ersin , Karaçay Şeniz , Tekin Dilek
Published: April 2021

This study was aimed at proposing a three-dimensional (3D) evaluation method for the soft tissue effects of Twin Block (TB) functional appliance therapy by using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. In this retrospective study, a total of 60 pre- and posttreatment (T0 and T1) CBCT images of Class II patients with mandibular retrognathia treated with a TB appliance were used. Volumetric and linear soft tissue changes were evaluated quantitatively with 3D measurements and qualitatively with color mapping visual. Linear (NV-A and NV-Pog) and angular (SNA, SNB, and ANB) skeletal changes were also measured on 3D images. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare statistical differences, and the scores of male and female participant differences were observed with the Mann–Whitney

U

test. In this study, a decrease was observed in SNA (

p
<
0.05

), ANB (

p
<
0.01

), and NV-Pog (

p
<
0.05

) while an increase in SNB (

p
<
0.01

) was found. However, decrease in NV-A distance was not statistically significant (

p
>
0.05

). As a result of the evaluation of soft tissue changes, while the anterior reposition of the lower lip, soft tissue pogonion, and soft tissue gnathion was found to be significant (

p
<
0.01

,

p
<
0.01

, and

p
<
0.05

, respectively), the upper lip and subnasale repositions were not statistically significant (

p
>
0.05

). 3D soft tissue changes after TB therapy can be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively by using CBCT images. Anterior repositioning of the mandible with functional therapy also provides improvement in soft tissue profile, especially in the lower facial region.
Evaluation of Antimalarial Potential of Aqueous Crude Gymnema Inodorum Leaf Extract against Plasmodium berghei Infection in Mice
Authors: Ounjaijean Sakaewan , Romyasamit Chonticha , Somsak Voravuth
Published: April 2021

Malaria is still a serious cause of mortality and morbidity. Moreover, the emergence of malaria parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs has prompted the search for new, effective, and safe antimalarial agents. For this reason, the study of medicinal plants in discovering new antimalarial drugs is important and remains a crucial step in the fight against malaria. Hence, this study is aimed at investigating the antimalarial activity of Gymnema inodorum leaf extract (GIE) in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Aqueous crude extract of G. inodorum leaves was prepared in distilled water (DW) and acute toxicity in mice was carried out. The antimalarial activity was assessed in the five groups of ICR mice employing the 4-day suppressive and curative tests. Untreated and positive controls were given DW along with 10 mg/kg of chloroquine, respectively. Any signs of toxicity, behavioral changes, and mortality were not observed in mice given GIE up to 5,000 mg/kg. GIE significantly (

P

 < 0.05) suppressed parasitemia by 25.65%, 38.12%, and 58.28% at 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg, respectively, in the 4-day suppressive test. In the curative test, the highest parasitemia inhibition of 66.78% was observed at 100 mg/kg of GIE. Moreover, GIE prevented packed cell volume reduction and body weight loss compared to the untreated control. Additionally, GIE was able to prolong the mean survival time of infected mice significantly. The results obtained in this study confirmed the safety and promise of G. inodorum as an important source of new antimalarial agents and justify its folkloric use for malaria treatment.
Vascular Risk Factors, Imaging, and Outcomes in Transient Ischemic Attack/Ischemic Stroke Patients with Neuroimaging Evidence of Probable/Possible Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
Authors: Zhang Qihui , Wang Anxin , Meng Xia , Liao Xiaoling , Zhang Yijun , Hou Huiqing , Niu Lijuan , Li Ruiping , Guo Wenjuan , Wang Yongjun
Published: April 2021

Background. In TIA/ischemic stroke patients, the clinical significance of lobar microbleeds potentially indicating cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is unknown. We assessed vascular risk factors and outcomes, including cognition, in TIA/ischemic stroke patients with neuroimaging evidence of probable/possible CAA. Methods. This prospective cohort was conducted from August 2015 and January 2018 at 40 centers. 2625 participants were collected. Eligible participants were aged at least 55 years. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score is less than or equal to 26. A total of 1620 patients were included. 1604 (99.0%) and 1582 (97.7%) participants are followed up at 3 and 12 months. The primary outcomes were death or disability (mRS score, 3‐6) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at 3 months and 12 months. Demographic and vascular risk factors were measured at baseline (smoking, alcohol, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attack). Blood samples were collected within 24 hours of admission. MRI was recommended for all patients. MoCA score was evaluated at baseline and follow‐up. Results. In total, 291/1620 patients with ischemic stroke/TIA (32.7% female and mean age, 67.8 years) had neuroimaging evidence of probable/possible CAA. Higher age, history of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, ischemic stroke, alcohol, and high glucose at the admission were more common in the patients. Mean MoCA changed from 21.4 at 3 months (SD 5.2) to 22.3 at 12 months (SD 4.7), difference 0.3 (SD 3.8). At the 3‐month and 12‐month follow‐up, there were significant differences in age, education level, and sex among different cognitive groups. Higher age, lower education (less than high school), and female sex were the predictors of changing in MoCA score from 3 months to 12 months. Moreover, age (more than 66 years) and education (less than high school) are strongly associated with MoCA at 3‐ and 12‐month follow‐up. 30 of 286 (10.5%) and 37 of 281 (13.2%) patients had poor outcome of death or disability (modified Rankin Scale score, 3‐6) at follow‐up 3 and 12 months. Cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) was associated with higher mRS at follow‐up. cSS status, cSS count 1‐2, cSS strictly lobar, and strictly deep might be the risks of outcomes in adjusted analyses. Conclusion. This study suggested that an increasing number of vascular risk factors and imaging markers were significantly associated with outcomes of TIA/ischemic stroke patients with CAA pattern. Male, young patients with high education should get better cognitive recovery.
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Acute Kidney Diseases: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: See Emily J. , Polkinghorne Kevan R. , Toussaint Nigel D. , Bailey Michael , Johnson David W. , Bellomo Rinaldo
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Acute kidney diseases and disorders (AKD) encompass acute kidney injury (AKI) and subacute or persistent alterations in kidney function that occur after an initiating event. Unlike AKI, accurate estimates of the incidence and prognosis of AKD are not available and its clinical significance is uncertain. Methods: We studied the epidemiology and long-term outcome of AKD (as defined by the KDIGO criteria), with or without AKI, in a retrospective cohort of adults hospitalized at a single centre for >24 h between 2012 and 2016 who had a baseline eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and were alive at 30 days. In patients for whom follow-up data were available, the risks of major adverse kidney events (MAKEs), CKD, kidney failure, and death were examined by Cox and competing risk regression analyses. Results: Among 62,977 patients, 906 (1%) had AKD with AKI and 485 (1%) had AKD without AKI. Follow-up data were available for 36,118 patients. In this cohort, compared to no kidney disease, AKD with AKI was associated with a higher risk of MAKEs (40.25 per 100 person-years; hazard ratio [HR] 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.16–2.91), CKD (27.84 per 100 person-years); subhazard ratio [SHR] 3.18, 95% CI 2.60–3.89), kidney failure (0.56 per 100 person-years; SHR 24.84, 95% CI 5.93–104.03), and death (14.86 per 100 person-years; HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.20–1.92). Patients who had AKD without AKI also had a higher risk of MAKEs (36.21 per 100 person-years; HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.89–2.70), CKD (22.94 per 100 person-years; SHR 2.69, 95% CI 2.11–3.43), kidney failure (0.28 per 100 person-years; SHR 12.63, 95% CI 1.48–107.64), and death (14.86 per 100 person-years; HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.19–2.07). MAKEs after AKD were driven by CKD, especially in the first 3 months. Conclusions: These findings establish the burden and poor prognosis of AKD and support prioritisation of clinical initiatives and research strategies to mitigate such risk.
Diversity of Ophioniformes wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in a Central-West Brazilian Savanna area
Authors: Santos Alvaro Doria dos , Onody Helena Carolina , Brandão Carlos Roberto Ferreira
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to assess the diversity, abundance and seasonal dynamics of Ophioniformes wasps collected throughout a year, as recorded in Malaise traps set at the Reserva Ecológica da Universidade Estadual do Mato Grosso do Sul, a Brazilian Savanna area in Aquidauana city, MS. A total of 621 specimens of Ophioniformes belonging to 11 subfamilies, 30 genera and 106 species were sampled. Despite the impressive number of species found, in a pattern of a few relatively abundant species and many rare ones, our data estimate even higher richness, probably between 125 to 165 species in the studied area. The genera Diadegma, Nonnus, Diradops, Meniscomorpha, Syzeuctus, Ophiopterus and Thyreodon are recorded for the first time in Mato Grosso do Sul State. Among the climatic variables evaluated, mean temperature and relative humidity were positively and significantly correlated with richness and abundance. Our data highlights the huge unknown species richness of these parasitoids in Brazil and the need of taxonomic studies efforts in the future.
Afinidades eletivas ou crítica a uma história da geografia sem classe(s)
Authors: Sousa Neto Manoel Fernandes de
Published: April 2021

O ensaio aborda questões de método relativas à historiografia da história da geografia no Brasil propondo uma crítica a certas abordagens historiográficas a partir do conceito de afinidades eletivas.
Brasil: políticas de transição e de reconciliação, estratégia de Guerra Fria
Authors: Cancelli Elizabeth
Published: April 2021

Esse artigo analisa a criação e o papel que o Latin American Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, criado em 1979, ganhou na discussão e na organização de encontros científicos, seminários e congressos sobre as questões da transição e da reconciliação como estratégias de superação das ditaduras, especificamente da brasileira, durante a Guerra Fria. Partimos da constatação de que as atividades do Programa de América Latina do Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars estabeleceu parâmetros de discussão e estratégias políticas seminais para a legitimaçãodas políticas de alianças ao final da ditadura brasileira na Guerra Fria. Centradas na reconciliação, estas estratégias explicitamente não só visaram salvaguardar a coalizão entre liberais e grupos de direita que sustentava a ditadura como trataram de barrar o avanço de correntes de esquerda ao poder.
‘A patriótica e verdadeiramente humanitária proteção aos índios’. Memória e retrospectiva sobre o Serviço de Proteção ao Índio por um velho indigenista
Authors: Benítez Trinidad Carlos
Published: April 2021

Em 1967, o Serviço de Proteção aos Índios (SPI), instituição indigenista brasileira, estava vivendo seus últimos dias. Abalado por escândalos e investigações judiciais e políticas, os militares no poder aproveitaram a situação para extinguir o SPI e reformar o indigenismo de acordo com seus objetivos geopolíticos e estratégicos. Nesses últimos momentos, Alberto Pizarro Jacobina, um antigo indigenista, publicou cinco textos no jornal O Globo, entre 7 e 12 de outubro de 1967, em busca de defender a memória do SPI, bem como seu legado físico e simbólico. Usando esses textos como ponto de partida, o presente trabalho pretende analisar os problemas e os desafios históricos do SPI no contexto do Brasil do século XX, visto por meio do olhar de uma pessoa que dedicou sua vida ao romântico projeto indigenista “rondoniano”.
Smoking prevalence and economic crisis in Brazil
Authors: Souza Luis Eugenio de , Rasella Davide , Barros Rafael , Lisboa Erick , Malta Déborah , Mckee Martin
Published: April 2021

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of the 2015–2018 economic crisis on tobacco consumption in Brazil. METHODS: This is an interrupted time series analysis conducted with data from 27 cities collected by VIGITEL, using linear regression models to account for first-order autocorrelation. Analyses were conducted based on gender, age group, and education level. RESULTS: Smoking rates decreased between 2006 and 2018, decelerating after the crisis onset. Differently than women, men showed an immediate but transient increase in smoking, followed by a decelerated decrease. Those over 65 also showed increased smoking rates immediately after the economic crisis onset, but decline accelerated later on. In turn, we found a trend reversal among those aged 31–44. Rates also decreased among those with lower education levels, but decelerated among those with more years of schooling. CONCLUSION: An economic crisis have varied impacts on the smoking habits of different population groups. Tobacco control policies should entail a detailed understanding of smoking epidemiology, especially during an economic crisis. DESCRIPTORS: Tobacco Use Disorder, epidemiology. Poverty. Health Impact Assessment. Financial Management
Embedded implementation research determinants in Latin American health systems
Authors: García-Cerde Rodrigo , Becerril-Montekio Victor , Langlois Étienne , Reveiz Ludovic , Alcalde-Rabanal Jacqueline , Torres-Pereda Pilar
Published: April 2021

OBJECTIVE: To assess the determinants of embedded implementation research (EIR) conduct in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries. METHODS: This qualitative interpretative study conducted and analyzed 14 semi-structured interviews based on a grounded theory approach using Atlas-ti© 7.5.7. We grouped the conditions appointed by interviewees as determinants of EIR conduct into six domains. RESULTS: The participation of high-level engaged decision makers as research co-producers is an important EIR determinant that fosters research use. Nevertheless, EIR faces challenges such as dealing with key personnel changes and fluctuating political contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its limitations, EIR is effective in creating a sense of ownership of research results among implementers, which helps bridge the gap between research and decision-making in health system
Prevalência e fatores associados à hesitação vacinal contra a covid-19 no Maranhão, Brasil
Authors: Oliveira Bruno Luciano Carneiro Alves de , Campos Marcos Adriano Garcia , Queiroz Rejane Christine de Sousa , Britto e Alves Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de , Souza Bruno Feres de , Santos Alcione Miranda dos , Silva Antônio Augusto Moura da
Published: April 2021

OBJETIVOS: Estimar a prevalência e fatores associados à hesitação ao uso da vacina contra o vírus SARS-CoV-2 no Maranhão, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de base populacional realizado de 19 a 30 de outubro de 2020. As estimativas consideraram agrupamento, estratificação e não resposta. A seleção da amostra foi realizada em três estágios (estrato, setores censitários e domicílio). Após análise sistemática, em cada estrato foram selecionados trinta setores, totalizando 150 setores, sendo o número de domicílios em cada setor fixado em 34, totalizando 5.100 domicílios e um indivíduo por domicílio (residente pelo menos há seis meses e com um ano de idade ou mais) selecionado por amostra aleatória simples. A intenção de ser vacinado foi questionada aos participantes. Foi realizada análise descritiva (frequências ponderadas) e teste do qui-quadrado de Pearson para verificar associação univariada entre as variáveis independentes e o desfecho (p < 0,05). Realizou-se análise multivariada robusta utilizando-se modelagem hierarquizada em três níveis. RESULTADOS: Foram entrevistados 4.630 indivíduos. A prevalência de hesitação vacinal foi de 17,5% (IC95% 16,1–19,1%). Após ajuste final do modelo, a hesitação vacinal foi estatisticamente maior entre moradores das cidades de Imperatriz (24,0%; RP = 1,48; IC95% 1,09–2,02) e de munícipios da Grande Ilha de São Luís (20,7%; RP = 1,34; IC95% 1,02–1,76), pessoas do sexo feminino (19,8%; RP = 1,44; IC95% 1,20–1,75), idosos (22,8%; RP = 1,79; IC95% 1,30–2,46), pertencentes às religiões de denominação evangélica (24,1%; RP = 1,49; IC95% 1,24–1,79) e entre aqueles sem relato de sintomas (18,6%; RP = 1,24; IC95% 1,02–1,51). Outras características socioeconômicas e demográficas, assim como variáveis relacionadas ao mercado de trabalho, comportamentos e condições de saúde dos entrevistados, não tiveram diferença estatística. CONCLUSÃO: A prevalência de hesitação vacinal no Maranhão e sua associação com fatores individuais, contextuais e clínicos revelam os grupos e contextos mais resistentes e que devem merecer atenção especial das estratégias públicas para garantir a ampla vacinação.
Clear Theories Are Needed to Interpret Differences: Perspectives on the Bilingual Advantage Debate
Authors: de Bruin Angela , Dick Anthony Steven , Carreiras Manuel
Published: April 2021

The heated debate regarding bilingual cognitive advantages remains ongoing. While there are many studies supporting positive cognitive effects of bilingualism, recent meta-analyses have concluded that there is no consistent evidence for a bilingual advantage. In this article we focus on several theoretical concerns. First, we discuss changes in theoretical frameworks, which have led to the development of insufficiently clear theories and hypotheses that are difficult to falsify. Next, we discuss the development of looking at bilingual experiences and the need to better understand language control. Last, we argue that the move from behavioural studies to a focus on brain plasticity is not going to solve the debate on cognitive effects, especially not when brain changes are interpreted in the absence of behavioural differences. Clearer theories on both behavioural and neural effects of bilingualism are needed. However, to achieve this, a solid understanding of both bilingualism and executive functions is needed first.
An international, multi-stakeholder survey about metadata awareness, knowledge, and use in scholarly communications
Authors: Kaiser Kathryn A. , Urberg Michelle , Johnsson Maria , Kemp Jennifer , Meadows Alice , Paglione Laura
Published: April 2021

The Metadata 2020 initiative is an ongoing effort to bring various scholarly communications stakeholder groups together to promote principles and standards of practice to improve the quality of metadata. To understand the perspectives and practices regarding metadata of the main stakeholder groups (librarians, publishers, researchers, and repository managers), we conducted a survey during summer 2019. The survey content was generated by representatives from the stakeholder groups. A link to an online survey (17 or 18 questions depending on the group) was distributed through multiple social media, listserv, and blog outlets. Responses were anonymous, with an optional entry for names and email addresses for those who were willing to be contacted later. Complete responses (N = 211; 87 librarians, 27 publishers, 48 repository managers, and 49 researchers) representing 23 countries on four continents were analyzed and summarized for thematic content and ranking of awareness and practices. Across the stakeholder groups, the level of awareness and usage of metadata methods and practices was highly variable. Clear gaps across the groups point to the need for consolidation of schema and practices, as well as broad educational efforts to increase knowledge and implementation of metadata in scholarly communications.
Two new species of the genus Psyllaphorura (Collembola: Onychiuridae) from the east of European Russia
Authors: SHVEENKOVA YULIA B. , BABENKO ANATOLY B.
Published: April 2021

Two new species of the genus Psyllaphorura Bagnall, 1948, namely P. silvestris sp. nov. and P. pseudopodis sp. nov., are described from the European Russia. The former species can be compared to the Nearctic P. obesa (Mills, 1934) which has almost the same number of dorsal pseudocelli, but differs in having compound vesicles in PAO. Psyllaphorura pseudopodis sp. nov. is similar to P. altaica Weiner, Stebaeva & Kaprus’, 2019 recently described from the Altai Mountains, southern Siberia. Both these species have the same number and arrangement of the cephalic pseudocelli. Nonetheless, P. pseudopodis sp. nov. can be distinguished by the absence of pseudocelli on Abd. IV, only 2+2 dental setae and a shorter unguiculus. Besides this, P. pseudopodis sp. nov. is unique in the presence of a pair of ventral swellings on the fourth abdominal segment. Based on a revision of the types, P. sensillifera (Martynova, 1981) is considered a senior synonym of P. raoheensis Sun & Wu, 2013. Taxonomic notes on the most important diagnostic characters of the genus are given, as well as a key and a table summarizing these characters in all Psyllaphorura species known in the World so far.
The genus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897 (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) in India, with description of a new subgenus and species from a cave in Chhattisgarh, India
Authors: JAISWARA RANJANA , MONAAL MONAAL , DESUTTER-GRANDCOLAS LAURE
Published: April 2021

The genus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897 is one of the 13 genera of Phalangopsidae present in India. A total of 11 species belongs to this genus, of which, 9 are grouped in the subgenus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897 with their distribution on the Indian subcontinent. One species occurs in Brazil and another in Euarachnomimus Gorochov, 1996 known from Southeast Asia. India hosts two species, Arachnomimus (Arachnomimus) lepidus Chopard, 1969 and Arachnomimus (Arachnomimus) maindroni (Chopard, 1969). In the present paper, we describe a new subgenus, Indimimus Desutter-Grandcolas & Jaiswara and a new species Indimimus jayanti Jaiswara under genus Arachnomimus. Identification keys for all the three subgenera and three species from India are proposed.
Ageing with psychosis – Fifty and beyond
Authors: Galletly Cherrie , Suetani Shuichi , Hahn Lisa , McKellar Duncan , Castle David
Published: April 2021

Objective:

While there is considerable current emphasis on youth and early psychosis, relatively little is known about the lives of people who live with psychotic disorders into middle age and beyond. We investigated social functioning, physical health status, substance use and psychiatric symptom profile in people with psychotic disorders aged between 50 and 65 years.

Methods:

Data were collected as part of the Survey of High Impact Psychosis, a population-based survey of Australians aged 18–65 years with a psychotic disorder. We compared those aged 50–65 years ( N = 347) with those aged 18–49 years ( N = 1478) across a range of measures.

Results:

The older group contained more women and more people with affective psychoses compared to the younger group. They were also more likely to have had a later onset and a chronic course of illness. The older group were more likely to have negative symptoms but less likely to exhibit positive symptoms; they also had lower current cognition, compared to the younger group. Compared to the younger group, the older group were more likely to be divorced/separated, to be living alone and to be unemployed. They had substantially lower lifetime use of alcohol and illicit substances, but rates of obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus were higher.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that the characteristics of people with psychosis change significantly as they progress into the middle age and beyond. A better understanding of these differences is important in informing targeted treatment strategies for older people living with psychosis.
Choosing the number of time intervals for solving a model predictive control problem of nonlinear systems
Authors: Tamimi Jasem
Published: April 2021

Model predictive control (MPC) is a control strategy that can handle state and control multi-variables at same time. To use the MPC using direct methods for solving the a dynamic optimization problem, one needs, for example, to transform the optimization problem into a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem by dividing the prediction horizon into equal time intervals. In this work, we suggest a tool and procedures for helping to choose a ‘compromise’ number of time intervals with a needed accuracy, objective cost, number of turned NLP iterations and computational time. On the other hand, we offer a simplified nonlinear program to ensure the convergence of a class of finite optimal control problem by modifying the state box constraints. In particular, a special type of box constraints were used to the constrained optimal control problem to enforce the state trajectories to reach the desired stationary point. These box constraints are characterized by some parameters that are easily optimized by our proposed nonlinear program. Our proposed tools are tested using two case studies; nonlinear continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and nonlinear batch reactor.
“Hey everyone, look at me helping you!”: A contingency view of the relationship between exhibitionism and peer-oriented helping behaviors
Authors: De Clercq Dirk , Pereira Renato
Published: April 2021

This research investigates how an understudied personal resource (exhibitionism) might positively connect with peer-oriented helping behavior, as well as how this connection might be invigorated by four pertinent contextual resources: two resources that speak to beliefs about fair organizational treatment (informational justice and procedural justice) and two resources that capture how employees feel about their work functioning (job satisfaction and organizational commitment). Two-wave survey data collected among banking sector employees reveal that their desire to be the center of attention is associated with an enhanced propensity to extend help to other organizational peers, voluntarily. This process also is more likely when employees (1) believe that organizational authorities provide them with sufficient information, (2) perceive organizational procedures as fair, (3) feel happy with their current job situation, and (4) experience a strong emotional bond with their employer.

JEL Classification: M50
Face Mask Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak: How Did Educated Brazilians Behave?
Authors: Fernandes Danilo Euclides , Riguetti Michelle T. P. , Kirsztajn Gianna Mastroianni
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

To describe Brazilians’ behavior regarding face mask use and health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic before and after the Ministry of Health of Brazil formal recommendation.

Design:

Cross-sectional surveys using a web-based questionnaire. Participants were recruited via snowball techniques.

Setting:

São Paulo state, the urban epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil at the time of the study.

Participants:

2.203 clicks to the survey link and 1.223 surveys completed (55.5% response rate). However, only 1118 surveys were considered after the exclusion criteria (>18 years-old and consent).

Measures:

Demographics, educational status, COVID-19-related symptoms (headache, cough, sore throat, rhinorrhea, fever, asthenia, diarrhea, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, anosmia, and ageusia), and face mask use.

Analysis:

Self-reports of COVID-19 symptoms were categorized as dichotomous variables (Cohen’s h = 0.94). Pearson Chi-square test evaluated differences between T1 and T2 and logistic multiple regression analyzed odds-ratio for the presence of symptoms and independent variables.

Results:

Face mask use increased from 43.60% in T1 to 90.52% in T2 ( P < .0001) as the pandemic went on. Health literacy also changed within 2 weeks and people started to assume everybody should use face masks (62.93% in T1 vs 94.12% in T2; P < .0001; ES = 0.29) during outside activities (43.60% in T1 vs 90.52% in T2; P < .0001; ES = 0.39). Self-reports of face mask use were associated with fewer self-reports of COVID-19 symptoms (OR = 0.65, P = .01, 95% CI 0.48; 0.88).

Conclusion:

Face mask use was already high among educated Brazilians before the formal recommendation by the authorities. This may have contributed to fewer self-reports of COVID-19-related symptoms.
Policing the (migrant) crisis: Stuart Hall and the defence of whiteness
Authors: Danewid Ida
Published: April 2021

Over the last two decades, the European border regime has become the subject of a growing body of scholarship in critical security studies. In this article, I draw on Stuart Hall’s work on racialized policing, authoritarian populism and conjunctural analysis to argue that this literature has paid insufficient attention to the close relationship between racism, capitalism and state violence. Writing at the dawn of Thatcherism and neoliberal globalization, Hall theorized the growth in repressive state structures as a revanchist response to breakdowns in racial hegemony. Revisiting these insights, the article argues that the ongoing expansion of the European border regime is a hegemonic strategy of racialized crisis management. The imposition of ever more restrictive immigration policies, increased surveillance and heightened forms of deportability are attempts to defend white bourgeois order and to police a (neoliberal) racial formation in crisis. The migrant ‘crisis’ is ultimately the result of one racialized world order collapsing, and another struggling to be born.
Delivering life, delivering death: Reaper drones, hysteria and maternity
Authors: Clark Lindsay C
Published: April 2021

Like all warfare, drone warfare is deeply gendered. This article explores how this military technology sediments or disrupts existing conceptualizations of women who kill in war. The article using the concept of motherhood as a narrative organizing trope and introduces a ‘fictional’ account of motherhood and drone warfare and data from a ‘real life’ account of a pregnant British Reaper operator. The article considers the way trauma experienced by Reaper drone crews is reported in a highly gendered manner, reflecting the way women’s violence is generally constructed as resulting from personal failures, lost love and irrational emotionality. This irrational emotionality is tied to a long history of medicalizing women’s bodies and psychologies because of their reproductive capacities and, specifically, their wombs – explored in this article under the historico-medical term of ‘hysteria’. The article argues that where barriers to women’s participation in warfare have, in the past, hinged upon their (argued) physical weakness, and where technology renders these barriers obsolete, there remains the tenacious myth that women are emotionally incapable of conducting lethal operations – a myth based on (mis)conceptions of the ‘naturalness’ of motherhood and the feminine capacity to give life.
Something Old, Something New: Finnish Living Historical Memory in the 2010s
Authors: Hakoköngäs Eemeli , Pirttilä-Backman Anna-Maija , Halme Merja
Published: April 2021

In this article, the authors present new results and discuss Finnish living historical memory in the 2010s. The data was collected as part of an international online survey in 2018–2019. The authors analyze the responses of 303 Finns who were asked to list three of the most influential events in Finnish history that had occurred in their lifetime or in the lifetime of someone they knew or had known. Cluster analysis is used to gain insight into the heterogeneous set of events that the respondents recalled. Finnish membership of the European Union (1995), recent global upheavals (e.g., 9/11), and historically more distant wars (1939–1944) characterize living historical memory. Five clusters—internationalizing nation, threatened nation, surviving nation, in favor of the European Union, and against the European Union—were discovered. Standpoints with regard to the European Union divide the respondent group. Political party preference and the level of identification with the world as a whole are related to cluster membership. Despite the differences in the level of identification and political orientation, the study shows a relatively homogeneous way of remembering events of the last century.
The Paramedian Forehead Flap: A Retrospective Clinical Model for Understanding the Connection Between Supraorbital and Supratrochlear Nerve Pathology and Headaches
Authors: Niklinska Eva B. , Colazo Juan M. , Patrinely James Randall , Drolet Brian C. , Kassis Salam A.
Published: April 2021

Background:

In the later stages of a paramedian forehead flap (PMFF) surgery, the supratrochlear (STN) and branches of the supraorbital nerve (SON) are transected during flap inset above the supraorbital rim. This can lead to either a nerve release if the compression point was previously distal to the transection point or a new nerve compression through neuroma or scar tissue formation. We inferred that PMFF could be a model for understanding the correlation between STN/SON pathology and migraines headaches (MH). We hypothesized that patients undergoing PMFF would experience either a change in severity or an onset of a new headache (HA) or MH.

Methods:

One hundred ninety-nine patients who underwent a PMFF at a tertiary medical centre were identified and contacted by phone. Patients were asked about the presence of MH or HA before and after the procedure. If a patient reported a perioperative history of MH/HA, their pre- and postoperative MH/HA characteristics were recorded.

Results:

Of the 199 patients contacted, 74 reported no perioperative HA/MH history and 14 reported a perioperative history of HA/MH. Of these 14 patients, 5 had stable HA/MH pre- and post-surgery, and 9 reported a change in HA/MH post-surgery. In this subset of 9 patients, 3 reported change in HA/MH quality post-surgery, 1 reported HA/MH resolution post-surgery, and 5 reported new onset HA/MH post-surgery.

Conclusion:

Sixty-four percent of patients with perioperative HA/MH experienced a change in headache quality following surgery. These results suggest a potential connection between SON and STN pathology and HA/MH pathophysiology; further work is warranted.
Injury Epidemiology and Time Lost From Participation in Women’s NCAA Division I Indoor Versus Beach Volleyball Players
Authors: Juhan Tristan , Bolia Ioanna K. , Kang Hyunwoo P. , Homere Andrew , Romano Russ , Tibone James E. , Gamradt Seth C. , Weber Alexander E.
Published: April 2021

Background:

Beach volleyball officially became a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sport in 2015-2016. Few studies have examined the epidemiology of injuries in indoor versus beach volleyball in NCAA Division I athletes.

Purpose:

To compare the epidemiology of injuries and time lost from participation between female NCAA Division I athletes who participate in indoor versus beach volleyball.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Injury surveillance data (2003-2020) were obtained using an institutional database for all NCAA Division I women’s beach or indoor volleyball athletes. The total injury rate was expressed per 1000 hours played. The injury rate per body site was calculated by dividing the number of injuries in each body region by the total number of injuries. The frequency of injury per body site was also expressed as number of injuries per 1000 hours of practice or number of injuries per 1000 hours of game. The injury rate (total and per body site) and time lost from participation were compared between indoor and beach volleyball athletes.

Results:

Participants were 161 female NCAA Division I volleyball athletes (53 beach volleyball and 108 indoor volleyball athletes). In total, 974 injuries were recorded: 170 in beach volleyball and 804 in indoor volleyball. The injury rates for beach versus indoor volleyball were 1.8 versus 5.3 injuries per 1000 hours played ( P < .0001). Indoor volleyball athletes had significantly higher injury rates compared with beach volleyball players for concussion (7.5% vs 6.5%; P < .0001) and knee injury (16.7% vs 7.6%; P = .0004); however, the rate of abdominal muscle injury was significantly higher in beach versus indoor volleyball (11.8% vs 4.7%; P = .0008). Time lost from sport participation was significantly longer in beach versus indoor volleyball for knee (24 vs 11 days; P = .047), low back (25 vs 17 days; P = .0009), and shoulder (52 vs 28 days; P = .001) injuries.

Conclusion:

Based on this study, injury was more likely to occur in indoor compared with beach volleyball. Sport-related concussion and knee injuries were more common in indoor volleyball, but the rate of abdominal muscle injury was higher in beach volleyball. Beach volleyball players needed longer time to recover after injuries to the knee, low back, and shoulder.
U.S. Eviction Filing Patterns in 2020
Authors: Hepburn Peter , Louis Renee , Fish Joe , Lemmerman Emily , Alexander Anne Kat , Thomas Timothy A. , Koehler Robert , Benfer Emily , Desmond Matthew
Published: April 2021

The coronavirus pandemic precipitated an economic crisis disproportionately affecting renter households. Attempting to prevent a surge in evictions, policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels extended emergency protections to renters. The authors describe eviction filing patterns in 2020 and analyze the efficacy of eviction moratoria. New filings were reduced dramatically since the start of the pandemic. Between March 15 and December 31, 2020, across sites for which data are available, 65 percent fewer eviction cases were filed than would be expected in a typical year. Extrapolating nationwide, the authors estimate that at least 1.55 million fewer eviction cases were filed in 2020 than in a normal year. The pace at which cases were filed increased in late 2020, however, and the amount of back rent claimed grew considerably. Filing rates exceeded historical averages when protections lapsed. Black and female renters received a disproportionate share of eviction cases filed during the pandemic.
Cost-Effectiveness of Saxagliptin Compared With Glibenclamide as a Second-Line Therapy Added to Metformin for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Ethiopia
Authors: Bekele Mengistu , Norheim Ole Frithjof , Hailu Alemayehu
Published: April 2021

Background. Metformin is a widely accepted first-line pharmacotherapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Treatment of T2DM with glibenclamide, saxagliptin, or one of the other second-line treatment agents is recommended when the first-line treatment (metformin) cannot control the disease. However, there is little evidence on the additional cost and cost-effectiveness of adding second-line drugs. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of saxagliptin and glibenclamide as second-line therapies added to metformin compared with metformin only in T2DM in Ethiopia. Methods. This cost-effectiveness study was conducted in Ethiopia using a mix of primary data on cost and best available data from the literature on the effectiveness. We measured the interventions’ cost from the providers’ perspective in 2019 US dollars. We developed a Markov model for T2DM disease progression with five health states using TreeAge Pro 2020 software. Disability-adjusted life year (DALY) was the health outcome used in this study, and we calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per DALY averted. Furthermore, one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed. Results. The annual unit cost per patient was US$70 for metformin, US$75 for metformin + glibenclamide, and US$309 for metformin + saxagliptin. The ICER for saxagliptin + metformin was US$2259 per DALY averted. The ICER results were sensitive to various changes in cost, effectiveness, and transition probabilities. The ICER was driven primarily by the higher cost of saxagliptin relative to glibenclamide. Conclusion. Our study revealed that saxagliptin is not a cost-effective second-line therapy in patients with T2DM inadequately controlled by metformin monotherapy based on a gross domestic product per capita per DALY averted willingness-to-pay threshold in Ethiopia (US$953).
Skeletal variation in extant species enables systematic identification of New Zealand’s large, subfossil diplodactylids
Authors: Scarsbrook Lachie , Sherratt Emma , Hitchmough Rodney A. , Rawlence Nicolas J.
Published: April 2021

New Zealand’s diplodactylid geckos exhibit high species-level diversity, largely independent of discernible osteological changes. Consequently, systematic affinities of isolated skeletal elements (fossils) are primarily determined by comparisons of size, particularly in the identification of Hoplodactylus duvaucelii, New Zealand’s largest extant gecko species. Here, three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of maxillae (a common fossilized element) was used to determine whether consistent shape and size differences exist between genera, and if cryptic extinctions have occurred in subfossil ‘Hoplodactylus cf. duvaucelii’. Sampling included 13 diplodactylid species from five genera, and 11 Holocene subfossil ‘H. cf. duvaucelii’ individuals. We found phylogenetic history was the most important predictor of maxilla morphology among extant diplodactylid genera. Size comparisons could only differentiate Hoplodactylus from other genera, with the remaining genera exhibiting variable degrees of overlap. Six subfossils were positively identified as H. duvaucelii, confirming their proposed Holocene distribution throughout New Zealand. Conversely, five subfossils showed no clear affinities with any modern diplodactylid genera, implying either increased morphological diversity in mainland ‘H. cf. duvaucelii’ or the presence of at least one extinct, large, broad-toed diplodactylid species.
Relationship between small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with carotid plaque in Chinese individuals with abnormal carotid artery intima-media thickness
Authors: Liu Fang , Wang Zheng , Cao Xia , Pan Yingxia , Zhang Erqiang , Zhou Jiahuan , Zheng Lina
Published: April 2021

Aim

To investigate the relationship of small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) to carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) and carotid plaque (CAP) in Chinese general population, and to evaluate whether sdLDL-C could be an independent risk factor for individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis.

Methods

A total of 729 subjects were randomly collected from consecutive individuals from April 2019 to April 2020 for an annual health checkup. CA-IMT > 1.0 mm was defined as abnormal IMT. Plaque stability was measured by ultrasound examination based on the property of the echo. And sdLDL-C levels were detected by LipoPrint system. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with CA-IMT and carotid plaque.

Results

The abnormal IMT group had significantly higher sdLDL-C levels than control group (p < 0.0001). And sdLDL-C levels were significantly positively correlated with IMT value (r = 0.1396,p = 0.0021) and presence of carotid plaque (r = 0.14,p = 0.002) in the subjects with abnormal IMT. In addition, subjects with higher levels of sdLDL-C (r = 0.11,p = 0.035) tended to have unstable CAP. After adjustment for age, gender and blood glucose, sdLDL-C level was an independent risk factor of the presence of CAP (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.02–1.83,p = 0.034) in subjects with abnormal IMT.

Conclusion

SdLDL-C is an independent risk factor of the occurrence of CAP in the Chinese subjects with abnormal IMT. Our findings provide supporting evidence that sdLDL-C might be an alternative way to predict CVD in early stage.
Nomogram for predicting advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease
Authors: Ding Rongrong , Zhou Xinlan , Huang Dan , Wang Yanbing , Li Xiufen , Yan Li , Lu Wei , Yang Zongguo , Zhang Zhanqing
Published: April 2021

Background

We aimed to formulate a novel predictive nomogram to discriminate liver fibrosis stage in patients with chronic liver disease.

Methods

Nomograms were established based on the results of multivariate analysis. The predictive accuracy of the nomograms was assessed by ROC analysis and calibration. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to determine the clinical benefit of the nomograms.

Results

INR, platelets, and N-terminal propeptide type III collagen (PIIINP) were independent predictors for advanced liver fibrosis (≥ S3) and cirrhosis (S4) in patients with chronic liver disease in the training cohort. In the training set, the areas under the ROCs (AUROCs) of nomogram S3S4, APRI, FIB-4, and GPR for stage ≥ S3 were 0.83, 0.71, 0.68, and 0.74, respectively; the AUROCs of nomogram S4, APRI, FIB-4, and GPR for stage S4 were 0.88, 0.74, 0.78, and 0.79, respectively. The calibrations showed optimal agreement between the prediction by the established nomograms and actual observation. In the validation set, the AUROCs of nomogram S3S4, APRI, FIB-4, and GPR for stage ≥ S3 were 0.86, 0.79, 0.78, and 0.81, respectively; the AUROCs of nomogram S4, APRI, FIB-4, and GPR for stage S4 were 0.88, 0.77, 0.81, and 0.83, respectively. Furthermore, the decision curve analysis suggested that the nomograms represent better clinical benefits in both independent cohorts than APRI, FIB-4, and GPR.

Conclusion

The constructed nomograms could be a superior tool for discriminating advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic liver disease.