bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medicare Benefits Schedule item numbers for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): Questions arising
Authors: Pridmore Saxby , Pridmore William
Published: May 2023

Objective

Four Medicare Benefits Schedule item numbers for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment of unresponsive MDD were declared in Australia in 2021. They are accompanied by rules/conditions. The aim is to consider these rules/conditions in light of recent research and real-world experience.

Conclusions

While evidence supports some listed rules/conditions, others lack clinical justification and deserve to be reconsidered. These include (a) ineligibility of patients who have previously received TMS, (b) a lifetime total limit of 50 treatments, (c) a second/final course being unavailable for 4 months following the completion of the first course, and (d) the second/final course being limited to 15 treatments.
Combined Hepatocellular-Cholangiocarcinoma With Ductal Plate Malformation Pattern: A Case Report With Molecular Analysis
Authors: Moon Woo Sung , Song Ji Soo , Yu Hee Chul , Kim Kyoung Min , Ahn Ae Ri
Published: May 2023

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma with a ductal plate malformation pattern is an extremely rare entity with unelucidated pathogenesis. We present the case of a 60-year-old male patient who underwent a sectionectomy for pre-operative diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma based on clinical and image findings. Gross examination of the specimen revealed a well-defined tumor with cystic change measuring 6.7 × 6.2 cm. Microscopically, the lesion had classical features of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma exhibited neoplastic glands with irregular-sized dilated lumens, resembling a ductal plate malformation. Postoperative diagnosis was combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma with ductal plate malformation pattern. Next-generation sequencing revealed genomic alteration in 15 genes: CDKN2A, CHD4, CYP2D6, ERBB3, KIR3DL1, KRAS, MDM2, PIM1, STAT6, TPMT amplification, FANCD2, FAT1, FLT4, RASA1, and TP53 point mutation. This is the first case report of molecular alteration in combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma with ductal plate malformation pattern.
The Impact of Media Watching and Victim Gender on Victim and Offender Blameworthiness and Punishment
Authors: Schanz Kimberley , Jones Emily E.
Published: May 2023

In recent years, there has been increased attention regarding the impact of the media on individuals’ perceptions of the criminal justice system, specifically focusing on the CSI effect and forensic evidence. In order to expand this area of research, this article focuses on the impact and interaction of crime-related media-watching habits and victim gender on perceptions of blameworthiness and punishment of both victims and aggressors in sexual assault cases. As expected, results supported the hypothesis that increased media-watching contributed to more stereotypical perceptions of sexual assault cases. However, slight variations observed in blameworthiness and punishment based on victim gender were nonsignificant. Implications for future research are discussed.
Biodegradable sodium alginate films incorporated with lycopene and β-carotene for food packaging purposes
Authors: Tupuna-Yerovi Diego Santiago , Schmidt Helena , Rios Alessandro de Oliveira
Published: May 2023

Incorporating carotenoids into sodium alginate films can give them functional properties for food packaging applications. The lycopene and β-carotene were included in the biopolymer matrix at 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5% (g carotenoid/g polymer). There was no significant difference ( p > 0.05) in film thickness (45 ± 1 μm) of sodium alginate films with carotenoids. Nevertheless, the low quantity of carotenoids was enough to promote significant variations in the tensile properties of films. The films with lycopene or β-carotene showed lower tensile strength and elongation at break than control films. The carotenoid incorporation promoted a reduction ( p < 0.05) in water vapor permeability, mainly by adding 0.5%. In the same way, it improved the light transmission and thermal stability of films and did not affect the water solubility of films. The scanning electron microscopy of films showed a homogeneous surface, but the films with lycopene or β-carotene showed a more compact structure than the control film. The sodium alginate films incorporated with 0.3% lycopene or β-carotene showed a remarkable protective effect on sunflower oil against oxidation compared with traditional commercial plastic packaging under accelerated storage conditions (heat and light). Therefore, they can be considered a potential material for food packaging purposes.
Smart Tourism Experience Design in Amusement Parks: A Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Application
Authors: Tsang Nelson K. F. , Au Wai Ching Wilson
Published: May 2023

In the context of extensive smart developments in amusement parks, this study aimed to understand how different smart tourism technologies could be transferred into tourists’ expectations of smart tourism experiences. Drawing on the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology, this study established a House of Quality (HoQ) for smart developments by analyzing data from 20 interviews (10 tourists and 10 service providers) and 300 survey responses (250 tourists and 50 service providers). The results identified 14 smart tourism technologies in amusement parks, and revealed that they correlated in different ways with the four smart tourism experience attributes (accessibility, informativeness, interactivity, and personalization), thus laying a theoretical foundation for more comprehensive discussions of smart tourism design, and providing practical implications for staging the smart tourism experience in a better way.
Clean Technology and Food Waste Reduction in On-Site Foodservice Management Companies
Authors: Legendre Tiffany S. , Lee Rachel Hyunkyung , Ding Anni , Hwang Eun Min (Min) , Graves Nancy
Published: May 2023

On-site foodservice management companies serve many people and have been dealing with severe food waste problems. Thus, many companies adopted clean technology to reduce food waste. This study aims to provide a meaningful understanding of the role of clean technology in food waste reduction goal setting and achievement in these companies. Through 16 expert interviews, this study found that clean technology adoption can make organizational food waste reduction goals more specific by its ability to measure and quantify: specified goals lower psychological distance (temporal, hypothetical, social). When objectives are understood at a concrete (vs. abstract) level, management can better develop detailed action plans and motivate employees to be part of them. However, employees may fear that clean technology can be used as a penalizing mechanism. Therefore, inner-organizational collaboration is critical to achieving sustainability goals and offsetting the double-sided nature of clean technology.
Topical tacrolimus in high-risk corneal transplants
Authors: Bernardes Luís , Gil João , Costa Esmeralda , Tavares Cristina , Rosa Andreia , Quadrado Maria João , Murta Joaquim
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the use of topical tacrolimus ointment in preventing rejection in high-risk corneal grafts, when added to the standard immunosuppressive regimen.

Methods

We conducted an observational, retrospective study using clinical data of high-risk patients subjected to penetrating keratoplasty, who were treated with topical tacrolimus ointment 0.2 mg/g twice a day plus topical dexamethasone 0.1 mg/ml 6 id and compared it with a similar control group treated with topical dexamethasone 0.1 mg/ml 6 id alone. High-risk status was attributed to patients with previous ipsilateral corneal graft failure, two or more quadrants with corneal neovascularization or an infectious or inflammatory corneal disease.

Results

We analysed 53 patients in the trial group versus 53 patients in the control group, with similar age, baseline diagnosis and risk factors, and median follow-up times of 30 and and 24 months, respectively. Survival analysis showed a higher graft survival rate at all follow-up periods for patients treated with topical tacrolimus ( p < 0.01). No adverse reactions were reported.

Discussion

This study shows that topical tacrolimus ointment increases the survival rate of the graft if added to the previous topical steroid regimen in high-risk patients.

Conclusion

Topical tacrolimus is safe and effective in prolonging graft survival in high-risk patients.
The Combination of Separation Surgery and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for a Primary Osteosarcoma of the Spine: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Kanda Yutaro , Kakiuchi Yuji , Yurube Takashi , Takeoka Yoshiki , Miyazaki Kunihiko , Kuroda Ryosuke , Kakutani Kenichiro
Published: May 2023

Background:

Primary spinal osteosarcoma is a rare and intractable disease. Although en bloc resection is favorable for longer survival, it is not always achievable. Separation surgery, a partial resection with circumferential separation to safely deliver high-dose irradiation including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), has been recently indicated for patients with spinal cord compression secondary to solid tumor metastases. However, little evidence regarding this combination approach to spinal osteosarcoma exists.

Case presentation:

We report a 55-year-old male patient with a T1 tumor who underwent urgent decompression surgery for epidural spinal cord compression. Pathological findings revealed primary osteosarcoma. Separation surgery, IMRT, and adjuvant chemotherapy were applied to reduce the symptoms of epidural spinal cord compression. The patient was alive without local recurrence at the 5-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

Separation surgery with IMRT can be a relatively safe and effective treatment option in patients with osteosarcoma adjacent to spinal cord when en-bloc resection is challenging.
Identity construction and collusion in documentary of the Gaelic-speaking community: A filmmaker’s perspective
Authors: Maclean Diane
Published: May 2023

If Gaelic has been symbolically appropriated to represent Scotland, then it follows that we need to look more closely at the part played by documentary film both of and from the Scottish Hebrides, in furthering the dissemination of what is an idealised and contested identity. As documentary is a negotiated contract between the producer and those they ‘represent’, the discussion needs to consider whether the representation of a Hebridean identity, and by extension a mythical Scottish identity, is constructed by the filmmaker, and if so, how filmic constraints and practices inform this representation. Within this framework is an acknowledgement of the extent to which Hebridean identity has been mediated by books, photographs and films for the past 300 years. This article will deliver the findings of a research project undertaken in the in the Outer Hebrides (also known as the Western Isles and Lewis & Harris). The research investigates the extent to which interviewees themselves collude with documentary makers in presenting a view of the Gael that reflects the Gaelic-speaker’s own self-assigned role as guardian of the land and traditions. As this research marries practice with research, it will present it in a semi-autobiographical style.
Beyond door policies: Cultural production as a form of spatial regulation in Amsterdam nightclubs
Authors: Koren Timo
Published: May 2023

Understanding regulation is key to identifying and understanding the mechanisms and patterns that (re)produce social inequalities in nightclub production. Roughly speaking, researchers have focused on two forms of regulation: governmental regulation and club-led regulation. First, city councils regulate nightlife through licensing, zoning laws, nightlife districts and urban redevelopment. Second, clubs have their own incentives to regulate spaces of consumption: to ensure safety, to increase middle-class audiences’ spending power and to attract audiences with high subcultural capital. Research in this vein has so far mainly focused on door policies. However, in analysing club-led regulation, a more nuanced, intricate understanding of cultural production is key. Using David Hesmondhalgh’s cultural industries framework, this research argues that existing work on regulation presupposes pre-existing demand, neglecting that nightclubs also actively create demand. First, it highlights that clubs employ other, less visible but nonetheless exclusionary, production practices that are in effect before audiences even reach the door: hiring external organisations, genre-based formatting, locational strategies and guest lists. Second, it decentralises the role of door policies. Understood in relation to other nightclub cultural production practices, door policy research does not account for nightclubs’ assessments of door policies, venues’ financial precarity, social networks and the need to constantly attract new audiences. By doing so, I examine the workings of power in urban cultural economies by understanding cultural production as a form of spatial regulation. The research is based on 29 interviews with 36 Amsterdam-based nightlife promoters and 111 hours of short-term ethnographies in clubs and at industry events.
Post-racial politics, pre-emption and in/security
Authors: Sharma Sanjay , Nijjar Jasbinder S.
Published: May 2023

Militarized policing strategies aiming to identify and nullify risks to national security in Western nations have become central to the biopolitical regulation of racialized populations. While the disproportionate impact of pre-emptive counter-terrorism policing on ‘Muslim’ populations has been highlighted, the post-racial techno-politics of predictive policing as a mode of securitization remain overlooked. This article argues that the ‘war on terror’ is governed by a state of crisis that conditions a pre-emptive biopolitics of containment against (unknown) future threats. We examine how predictive policing is progressively dependent on the computational production of risk to avert impending terror. As such, extant forms of counter-terrorism algorithmic profiling are shown to mobilize post-racial calculative logics that renew racial oppression while appearing race-neutral. These predictive systems and pre-emptive actions, while seeking to securitize the future by identifying and nullifying suspects, evasively remake race as risky, thus rendering security indistinguishable from insecurity. Hence, we assert that state securitization is haunted by a profound sense of racialized dread over terrorism, for it can only resort to containing, rather than resolving, the perceived threat of race.
Mass Euroscepticism revisited: The role of distributive justice
Authors: Baute Sharon
Published: May 2023

This article advances research into mass Euroscepticism by investigating the role of distributive justice. Drawing on cross-national survey data from 23 countries, the study shows that perceived injustice of individual opportunities (i.e. educational and job opportunities) and outcomes (i.e. earnings) nourish Eurosceptic sentiments, independent of objective inequalities. However, the public response to distributive injustice varies across European Union (EU) member states, as high domestic corruption levels dampen the apparent link to EU accountability. Perceptions of injustice concerning earnings provide a potential breeding ground for Euroscepticism in member states with low levels of corruption, while EU scapegoating regarding earnings injustice does not manifest itself in member states with the highest levels of corruption. These results are supportive of a justice-based approach in understanding varieties of Euroscepticism across Europe.
Impact of diesel-hythane dual-fuel combustion on engine performance and emissions in a heavy-duty engine at low-load condition
Authors: Longo K , Wang X , Zhao H
Published: May 2023

Heavy-duty diesel vehicles are currently a significant part of the transportation sector, as well as one of the major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. International commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly CO2 and methane (CH4) highlight the need to diversify towards cleaner and more sustainable fuels. Hythane, a 20% hydrogen and 80% methane mixture, can be a potential solution to this problem in the near future. This research was focused on an experimental evaluation of partially replacing diesel with hythane fuel in a single-cylinder 2.0 L heavy-duty diesel engine operating in the diesel-gas dual fuel combustion mode. The study investigated different gas substitution fractions (0%, 38% and 76%) of hythane provided by port fuel injections at 0.6 MPa indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and a fixed engine speed of 1200 rpm. Various engine control strategies, such as diesel injection timing optimisation, intake air pressure and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) were investigated in order to optimise the dual-fuel combustion mode. The results indicated that by using hythane energy fraction (HEF) of 76% combined with 125 kPa intake air boost and 25% EGR dilution, CO2 emissions could be decreased by up to 23%, while indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) was compromised by 1.5 percentage points, equivalent to a 3% reduction. Furthermore, soot was maintained below Euro VI limit and nitrogen oxides (NOx) level was held below the Euro VI regulation limit of 8.5 g/kWh assuming a NOx conversion efficiency of 95% in a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system. Nevertheless, carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbon (HC) and methane slip levels were considerably higher, compared to the diesel-only baseline. The use of a pre-injection prior to the diesel main injection was essential to control the heat release and pressure rise rates under such conditions.
Bare Stent Fracture After TEVAR With the Modified Restrictive Bare Stent (RBS) Technique in Type B Aortic Dissections
Authors: Lescan Mario , Andic Mateja , Bonorden Constantin , Schano Julia , Hahn Julia , Schlensak Christian , Mustafi Migdat
Published: May 2023

Purpose:

The aim was to assess the mid-term aortic remodeling and bare-metal stent (BMS) integrity of the restricted bare stent (RBS) technique reconstruction in aortic dissections.

Materials and Methods:

This retrospective cohort study included prospectively collected patients treated with the modified RBS technique between 2017 and 2020. The preoperative, postoperative, and last follow-up computed tomographic (CT) scans were analyzed in the centerline at the mid-descending, celiac trunk (CeT), and the mid-abdominal levels for false lumen (FL) patency, aortic diameter, and true lumen (TL) diameter changes. Bare-metal stent integrity was assessed in the 3-dimensional multiplanar reformats.

Results:

The median follow-up of the cohort (n=17) was 26 (11, 45) months. The procedure was mainly performed with the Relay NBS endograft (15/17; 88%) + E-XL BMS (17/17; 100%). Postoperative mortality, paraplegia, stroke, renovisceral vessel loss, and type I and III endoleaks were not observed. BMS fractured in 6 patients (6/17; 36%), damaged the dissection flap in 4/17 (24%), and led to the reperfusion of the FL and re-interventions with TEVAR (4/17; 24%). Two patients without FL reperfusion showed stable CT follow-ups 13 and 17 months after the fracture diagnosis. The TL expansion was seen at all landmarks and peaked in the thoracic aorta (+10; 6, 15; p<0.001). The FL thrombosis after modified RBS was only relevant in the thoracic aorta (p<0.001) and at CeT (p=0.003). The aortic diameter was stable in the thoracic aorta and increased at distal landmarks (CeT [+5; 1, 10; p=0.001]; mid-abdominal [+3; 1, 5; p=0.004]).

Conclusion:

The modified RBS technique could not stop aortic growth below the diaphragm and prevent new membrane rupture due to the fractures of the BMS and consecutive flap damage with the reperfusion of the FL.

Clinical Impact

The treatment of complicated type B aortic dissections with TEVAR has become a standard. Particularly, patients with true lumen collapse and malperfusion may benefit from a more aggressive treatment strategy including proximal TEVAR and distal bare-metal stent implantation to re-open the true lumen and to prevent distal stent-induced new entry. However, this study reports the challenges of this approach with a high rate of bare-metal stent fractures during the follow-up. The fractures that occurred at the site of vertical nitinol bridges led to the dissection membrane ruptures and the reperfusion of the false lumen with consecutive dilatation. A close follow-up is mandatory to detect this complication and to treat the patients with TEVAR extension.
Meaningful Place: A Phenomenological Approach to the Design of Spatial Experience in Open-world Games
Authors: Wang Bo , Gao Zhenlin , Shidujaman Mohammad
Published: May 2023

With the development of game engines and graphics technology, open-world games have gained popularity all over the world recently. One of the key features of this genre is a realistic open world space for the players to explore, to the extent that some even deemed it as the prototype of virtual world and the Metaverse. However, in comparison with the growing world size, the player's spatial experience is a downward spiral. Interaction in an ever-increasing game space suffered from a repetitive design pattern which rendered the world grandeur on the surface but hollow deep down. How to find meaning in this seemingly hollow world and what game designers can learn from it? From a phenomenological perspective, this paper distinguishes “place” from “space,” and, according to this, proposes a three-dimensional meaning structure of place, that is “orientation-identification-time,” as a design approach to reconstruct a meaningful spatial experience in the game world.
Social engagement and loneliness in school-age autistic girls and boys
Authors: Dean Michelle , Chang Ya-Chih , Shih Wendy , Orlich Felice , Kasari Connie
Published: May 2023

Objectives:

This study examines the relationship between social engagement and loneliness in female and male autistic children and adolescents in school-based social settings. Secondary aims sought to explore the emergence of loneliness across different age groups and differences in social engagement and loneliness between genders.

Methods:

This study conducted an analysis of previously collected data from two multi-site randomized control trials. This study included 58 autistic students (29 females, 29 males) between the ages 6 through 18 years. Female and male participants were matched on age and intelligence quotient. Concurrent mixed methods were used to examine participants’ social engagement and loneliness.

Results:

Findings revealed a significant relationship between joint engagement and loneliness, such that autistic students reported more loneliness when they were mutually engaged with social groups than when they were isolated or alone. Positive correlations between joint engage and loneliness were identified in elementary-age girls and secondary-age boys, suggesting that being mutually engaged with peers leads to increased loneliness. Negative correlations between parallel and loneliness identified in secondary-age boys suggested that boys in close proximity to peers felt less lonely than boys who were mutually engaged with peers. Qualitative analysis of social behaviors indicated that elementary girls and secondary boys were more likely to be mutually engaged or in close proximity to activities, but they had difficulty sustaining this engagement throughout the entire social period. Secondary girls and elementary boys, on the other hand, were more likely to be solitary and less likely to engage with peer groups.

Conclusion:

Study findings highlight the relationship between social engagement and loneliness in school-based autistic populations, and that more engagement itself can lead to more loneliness for younger girls and older boys. The influence of age and gender on engagement and loneliness highlights a need to tailor social interventions to leverage existing social strengths.
Flowing with the TIDE: A case study of the nature and development of epistemic beliefs of a high-level adventure sports coach
Authors: Christian Ed , Greenlees Iain A , Kearney Philip E
Published: May 2023

Coaches’ beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing (their epistemic beliefs) are an integral but under-researched component in the development of a philosophy of coaching. The Theory of Integrated Domains in Epistemology (TIDE) 1 offers a framework which may enhance the understanding of the development of coaches’ epistemic beliefs. The present study offers the first application of the TIDE framework to sports coaching. We present a case study of the nature and development of epistemic beliefs of a highly renowned Adventure Sports Coach (ASC), Doug Cooper, through the lens of the TIDE framework. Thematic analysis of a series of semi-structured interviews showed that early childhood experiences, strongly held beliefs about ASC as a domain of knowledge, and educational experiences in the later life were instrumental in shaping Doug's epistemic beliefs. We conclude that the TIDE framework has considerable potential for researchers and coach developers seeking to gain insight into and develop coaches’ beliefs.
Public spaces and circumscribed spaces of the collective memory: A research on the location of commemorative monuments
Authors: Moliner Pascal , Bovina Inna
Published: May 2023

This research presents three archival studies conducted on three different databases, on the location of memorials. Study 1 compares French monuments dedicated to the Wars of 1870–1871 (defeat) and 1914–1918 (victory). We note a proportionally greater presence in public spaces of monuments dedicated to the 1914–1918 War. Study 2 concerns the memorials to political repression in the Russian Federation, erected before and after 1991 (date of promulgation of a victim rehabilitation law). Results show an increase of presence of monuments in the public space starting from 1991. Study 3 concerns the location of monuments dedicated to the Second World War in the Russian Federation. No significant variation in the locations of these monuments is observed between 1951 and 2010. The results of these studies suggest that the location of monuments could be a relevant indicator to assess the way a society views a commemorated event at a given moment.
User experience evaluation of a 3D virtual reality educational program for illegal drug use prevention among high school students: Applying the decomposed theory of planned behavior
Authors: Guo Jong-Long , Chang Ying-Chieh , Lin Fen-He , Fan Ching-Chih , Lai Tzu-Ming , Huang Chiu-Mieh
Published: May 2023

Objective

To evaluate user acceptability of an immersive three-dimensional virtual reality program for preventing illegal drug use and identify factors associated with continuous usage intention of three-dimensional virtual reality learning among high school students based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior.

Methods

In this cross-sectional observational study, we developed five educational modules and serious games based on three-dimensional virtual reality technology. Ninety student-participants’ experiences were assessed by a structured questionnaire based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior variables. We applied partial least squares structural equation modeling to examine the correlates of continuous usage intention.

Results

The proposed model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the observed data. Eight of the 11 hypotheses based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior were supported. Continuous usage intention was significantly associated with attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control; these variables explained 55.4% of the variance in continuous usage intention. Perceived usefulness and compatibility were significant antecedents of attitude. The significant antecedent of subjective norms was support from school staff. Self-efficacy and resource-facilitating conditions were significant antecedents of perceived behavioral control.

Conclusions

Our findings support the applicability of the decomposed theory of planned behavior as a framework for evaluating a three-dimensional virtual reality program for illegal drug use. We recommend that the program be included as teaching material for illegal drug prevention education in senior high schools.
Patient Perspectives of the Hospital Discharge Process: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Jones Kayla C , Austad Kirsten , Silver Santana , Cordova-Ramos Erika G , Fantasia Kathryn L , Perez Daisy C , Kremer Kristen , Wilson Sophie , Walkey Allan , Drainoni Mari-Lynn
Published: May 2023

Care transitions after hospitalization require communication across care teams, patients, and caregivers. As part of a quality improvement initiative, we conducted qualitative interviews with a diverse group of 53 patients who were recently discharged from a hospitalization within a safety net hospital to explore how patient preferences were included in the hospital discharge process and differences in the hospital discharge experience by race/ethnicity. Four themes emerged from participants regarding desired characteristics of interactions with the discharge team: (1) to feel heard, (2) inclusion in decision-making, (3) to be adequately prepared to care for themselves at home through bedside teaching, (4) and to have a clear and updated discharge timeline. Additionally, participants identified patient-level factors the discharge planning team should consider, including the social context, family involvement, health literacy, and linguistic barriers. Lastly, participants identified provider characteristics, such as a caring and empathetic bedside manner, that they found valuable in the discharge process. Our findings highlight the need for shared decision-making in the discharge planning process to improve both patient safety and satisfaction.
Individualized Garment Pattern Generation in Batches Based on Biarc and Ezdxf
Authors: Ye Qinwen , Huang Rong , Liu Huanhuan , Wang Zhaohui
Published: May 2023

With the stimulating demand of consumers for personalized garments, mass customization is gradually becoming prevalent. However, the automatic generation of personalized garment patterns remains core to mass customization. In this article, we propose a novel parametric apparel pattern-making method and achieve the automatic generation of personalized garment patterns in batches. First, we review the basic principle of biarc and present a new parametric pattern-making method based on biarc and ezdxf. Second, 1000 3D human models randomly generated by the SMPL-X parametric human model are clustered into 10 classes with the k-means clustering method, and 10 representative human models are selected from each cluster to generate their personalized garment pattern. Finally, the rationality of the personalized garment pattern is verified by virtual fitting. Our method has several advantages: (1) the proposed parametric biarc can be easily used to build parametric garment patterns without being limited by the style of the garment, (2) the proposed method is capable of generating personalized garment patterns in batches by imputing measurements from large numbers of individuals, and it only takes very little time, and (3) the personalized garment patterns can fit human bodies very well. The proposed method can be used to build parametric garment patterns and to achieve the batch generation of personalized patterns, improving the efficiency of garment customization and the quality of final products.
American Foregut Society White Paper on Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication
Authors:   The American Foregut Society Clinical Practice Committee TIF Working Group, Brewer Gutierrez Olaya I. , Choi David , Hejazi Reza , Samo Salih , Tran Michael N. , Chang Kenneth J. , Ihde Glenn , Bell Reginald , Nguyen Ninh T.
Published: May 2023

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic disease on a spectrum that has an array of management options ranging from lifestyle changes, acid suppressive therapy to laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery (LARS). Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) is an endoscopic procedure in the management of GERD that re-establishes and augments the gastroesophageal flap valve (GEFV). TIF is appropriate for patients that do not have a hiatal hernia greater than 2 cm. Patients with a hiatal hernia greater than 2 cm have the option to have either a conventional LARS (laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair with complete or partial fundoplication) or a concomitant laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair with TIF, known as concomitant TIF (cTIF). This white paper summarizes the published outcome data for TIF 2.0 and cTIF to date and outline the best practice approaches including patient assessment, selection, and management for TIF and cTIF.
The honorable harvest of Indigenous data
Authors: Nelson Melissa K
Published: May 2023

This commentary invites readers into a thought experiment to help decolonize thinking and gain insight into Indigenous research paradigms. It uses Anishinaabeg language and concepts such as the “honorable harvest,” and the “grammar of animacy,” to re-frame the way people can approach and think about knowledge production and data collecting. Through examples of relationship building and engaging in cultural protocols, this commentary offers ways to be a good relative in research.
Measuring Coverage of Essential Maternal Postnatal Care Services in the Squatter Settlements of Islamabad Capital Territory in Pakistan
Authors: Tauhidi Lubna , Mureed Sheh , Raza Tahira Ezra , Hamid Saima , Hanif Kauser , Emmanuel Faran
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to assess the coverage of essential postnatal maternal care services among women residing in the slums of Islamabad. A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the coverage of essential postnatal care (PNC) services. Using random sampling, 416 women living in the squatter settlements of Islamabad Capital Territory were selected as study participants. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics were employed to display frequencies for categorical variables, whereas mean, median, and standard deviation were calculated for continuous variables. The analysis of data showed that 93.5 percent of the women utilized postnatal services at least once after delivery. Approximately 9 percent and 4 percent of women received all eight recommended services within 24 h of birth and beyond 24 h of birth, respectively. Effective PNC services were received by only 1 percent of the women. The study revealed that the utilization of effective PNC was very low. The majority of the women delivered in health institutions and received their first PNC checkups, but follow-up for the recommended checkups was very low. These results can help health professionals and policymakers in designing programs and developing efficient strategies that would improve PNC service utilization in Pakistan.
Relational database for building strong motion recordings used for seismic impact assessments
Authors: Abdelmalek-Lee Eusef , Jain Tricia , Galicia Madero Sebastian , Sun Han , Burton Henry , Wallace John
Published: May 2023

Historical data play a primary role in reconstructing building seismic responses and assessing damage in near-real time. While these types of data sets exist, they are often fragmented, difficult to access, and require significant manual manipulation on the part of the user to obtain useful information. This article introduces a relational database that comprises historical data from 216 buildings subjected to [Formula: see text] earthquakes, spanning a 36-year period in California. It includes comprehensive information about the events and accelerometer-equipped buildings, parameters that are often used in post-earthquake impact assessments, and time-series structural response data recorded during real earthquakes. The database is designed to facilitate incremental updating as new events occur, and the associated data becomes available. It is also paired with a Python-based tool that reduces the barrier to user access with a few simple inputs. The long-term goal is to expand the database to include additional seismic events and spur the development of similar single- or multi-hazard repositories.
Improving Access to General Education via Co-Teaching in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms: An Evaluation of Utah’s Professional Development Initiative
Authors: Bundock Kaitlin , Rolf Kristen , Hornberger Anna , Halliday Chamy
Published: May 2023

Co-teaching may be a promising strategy to improve inclusive secondary mathematics education in rural schools. Professional development (PD) aids in special and general education teachers’ co-teaching implementation, yet little empirical research examines how to effectively train and support co-teachers. In this study, we describe one U.S. state’s PD model for secondary mathematics co-teaching, evaluate outcomes of the PD on co-teachers’ behaviors and beliefs, and examine the impact of co-teaching on students’ mathematics achievement. We examined data from observations, surveys, and students’ pre/post assessments across nine classes within seven U.S. school districts, including three rural school districts, over 3 years. We report data from a total of 19 teachers and 281 students in sixth through ninth grades. The PD participants implemented effective co-teaching strategies and reported positive viewpoints toward co-teaching. Additionally, students with and without disabilities improved their mathematics scores. We present key findings for rural schools to guide future implementation and research.
Analytical Perspective of Trade Volatility Spillover Analysis During COVID Pandemic Times
Authors: Malhotra Rohit
Published: May 2023

No one in the world, particularly the economic community, could have predicted the manner in which the 2019 COVID pandemic erupted or shook the economies. Developing countries, particularly South Asian economies and the lower middle income (LMI) countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal), had also experienced similar turmoil. The COVID outbreak and trade-related risks were closely associated with exports, imports, international liquidity, and SDR exchange rates, posing time-varying risks. In this sphere, an analytical approach to generate meaningful trade-related time-varying volatility predictions with respect to India’s position is critical while considering the above-listed variables. The Markov-switching (endogenous switching) VAR model using the exponential moving average volatility model (EWMA) of the four macroeconomic variables was used. The author tried to use the EWMA volatility model to witness the impact of spillovers and shock persistence. The present study earmarked the behaviour of time-varying trade-related risks (for Regime 1, i.e., the Early COVID period versus Regime-2 during the COVID period) in terms of the top six economies (as per December 2021 data) when endogenous factors like international liquidity and exchange rate shocks are implemented.
Biological modeling of gadolinium-based nanoparticles radio-enhancement for kilovoltage photons: a Monte Carlo study
Authors: Wu Jianan , Xu Xiaohan , Liang Ying , Chen Tujia , Quan Enzhuo , Wang Luhua
Published: May 2023

Background

Gadolinium-based nanoparticles (GdNPs) are clinically used agents to increase the radiosensitivity of tumor cells. However, studies on the mechanisms and biological modeling of GdNP radio-enhancement are still preliminary. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of radio-enhancement of GdNPs for kilovoltage photons using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, and to establish local effect model (LEM)-based biological model of GdNP radiosensitization.

Methods

The spectrum and yield of secondary electrons and dose enhancement around a single GdNP and clustered GdNPs were calculated in a water cube phantom by MC track-structure simulations using TOPAS code. We constructed a partial shell-like cell geometry model of pancreatic cancer cell based on transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations. LEM-based biological modeling of GdNP radiosensitization was established based on the MC-calculated nano-scale dose distributions in the cell model to predict the cell surviving fractions after irradiation.

Results

The yield of secondary electrons for GdNP was 0.16% of the yield for gold nanoparticle (GNP), whereas the average electron energy was 12% higher. The majority of the dose enhancement came from the contribution of Auger electrons. GdNP clusters had a larger range and extent of dose enhancement than single GdNPs, although GdNP clustering reduced radial dose per interacting photon significantly. For the dose range between 0 and 8 Gy, the surviving fraction predicted using LEM-based biological model laid within one standard deviation of the published experimental results, and the deviations between them were all within 25%.

Conclusions

The mechanism of radio-enhancement of GdNPs for kilovoltage photons was investigated using MC simulations. The prediction results of the established LEM-based biological model for GdNP radiosensitization showed good agreement with published experimental results, although the deviation of simulation parameters can lead to large disparity in the results. To our knowledge, this was the first LEM-based biological model for GdNP radiosensitization.
Comparison of the recovery profile of remimazolam with flumazenil and propofol anesthesia for open thyroidectomy
Authors: Lee Ho-Jin , Lee Hyo Bin , Kim Yoon Jung , Cho Hye-Yeon , Kim Won Ho , Seo Jeong-Hwa
Published: May 2023

Background

Previous studies have consistently reported a slower recovery of consciousness following remimazolam-based total intravenous anesthesia without flumazenil than with propofol. This study aimed to compare the reversal effect of flumazenil on the recovery of consciousness after remimazolam-based total intravenous anesthesia with the propofol recovery profile.

Methods

This prospective, single-blinded, randomized trial included 57 patients undergoing elective open thyroidectomy at a tertiary university hospital. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either remimazolam- or propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (remimazolam group: 28 patients, propofol group: 29 patients). The primary outcome was the time from the end of general anesthesia to first eye opening (min). The secondary outcomes were the time from the end of the general anesthesia to extubation (min), initial modified Aldrete score measured at the post-anesthesia care unit, length of stay at the post-anesthesia care unit (min), occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting during the first 24 h postoperatively, and Korean version of Quality of Recovery-15 score at 24 h postoperatively.

Results

The remimazolam group showed significantly faster first eye opening time (2.3 [interquartile range, IQR: 1.8–3.3] min vs. 5.0 [IQR: 3.5–7.8] min, median difference:—2.7 [95% confidence interval, CI: -3.7 to -1.5] min, P < 0.001) and extubation time (3.2 [IQR: 2.4–4.2] min vs. 5.7 [IQR: 4.7–8.3] min, median difference: -2.7 [97.5% CI: -5.0 to -1.6] min, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in other postoperative outcomes.

Conclusions

The planned incorporation of flumazenil with remimazolam-based total intravenous anesthesia provided rapid and reliable recovery of consciousness.
Anesthesia characteristic of an algorithm of bupivacaine dose based on height in caesarean section under spinal anesthesia: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Huang Jinxin , Wen Gengzhi , Huang Qiang , Huang Bowan
Published: May 2023

Background

An algorithm of bupivacaine dose based on height is applied to reduce maternal hypotension in caesarean section under spinal anesthesia. This study is designed to further verify whether the algorithm of bupivacaine dose based on height is suitable.

Methods

The parturients were grouped according to height. The comparison of anesthesia characteristic among subgroups was carried out. The univariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were executed to reanalyze the interference factor for the anesthesia characteristic.

Results

When the dose of bupivacaine was adjusted by using the height based dosing algorithm, except for weight (P < 0.05), other general data did not present statistical changes with height (P > 0.05); the incidences of complications, characteristics of sensory or motor block, quality of anesthesia and neonatal outcome were of no statistical difference among parturients with different heights (P > 0.05); the height, weight and body mass index were not related with maternal hypotension (P > 0.05). When the dose of bupivacaine is constant, except for weight and body mass index (P > 0.05), the height was the independent risk factor for maternal hypotension (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Except for weight and body mass index, the height has an influence on the bupivacaine dose. It is reasonable that the bupivacaine dose is adjusted by using this dosing algorithm based on height.

Trial Registration

This study was registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov (13/04/2018, NCT03497364).
The relationship between triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and coronary microvascular disease
Authors: Liao Li ping , Wu Lei , Yang Yang
Published: May 2023

Background

As a novel marker of insulin resistance, the ratio of triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) has been recently reported to be related to the occurrence of coronary artery diseases. However, no research has been conducted to probe whether the TG/HDL-C ratio is associated with the occurrence of coronary microvascular disease (CMVD).

Aim

This study investigates the association between the TG/HDL-C ratio and the occurrence of CMVD.

Methods

This study included 175 patients diagnosed with CMVD in the Department of Cardiology of our hospital from October 2017 to October 2021 as the study group and 175 patients with no chest pain, no history of cardiovascular disease and drug use, and negative results of exercise treadmill testing as the non-CMVD group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared. In addition, the risk factors of CMVD were analyzed with logistic regression, and the efficacy of independent risk factors in predicting CMVD was analyzed with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

Compared with those in the non-CMVD group, the proportion of females, the incidence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, the level of platelet count, TG, and C-reactive protein, and the ratio of TG/HDL-C were increased in the CMVD group, accompanied by decreased levels of albumin and HDL-C (P < 0.05). Logistic regression results revealed C-reactive protein (the area under the ROC curve [AUC] value: 0.754; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.681–0.827), sex (the AUC value: 0.651; 95%CI: 0.571–0.730), albumin (the AUC value: 0.722; 95%CI: 0.649–0.794), and TG/HDL-C ratio (the AUC value: 0.789; 95%CI: 0.718–0.859) as the independent risk factors of CMVD.

Conclusion

The TG/HDL-C ratio is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of CMVD.