bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Chronic Liver Disease and Mortality in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Zhang Yu , Li Linjie , Jia Lu , Chong Weelic , Hai Yang , Lunsford L. Dade , You Chao , Cheng Yongzhong , Fang Fang
Published: July 2021

Background and Purpose:

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in acutely ill patients. For patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), the association between CLD and mortality remains unknown.

Methods:

In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed consecutive aSAH patients admitted to the West China Hospital between 2009 and 2019. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality.

Results:

This study included 6228 cases of aSAH, 489 (7.9%) of whom also had CLD. In a propensity-matched analysis, CLD was associated with increased mortality in patients with aSAH compared with non-CLD (odds ratio, 2.04 [95% CI, 1.43–2.92]). In aSAH patients with CLD, a high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was still associated with an increased odds of mortality.

Conclusions:

Among aSAH patients, CLD was associated with increased mortality compared with non-CLD. Among aSAH patients with CLD, a higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was associated with an increased odds of mortality.
Notes on Neoperla sinensis Chu, 1928 and Neoperla anjiensis Yang & Yang, 1998, with descriptions of new species of Neoperla from China (Plecoptera: Perlidae)
Authors: HUO QINGBO , DU YUZHOU , ZHU BINQING , YU LEI
Published: July 2021

The identity of Neoperla sinensis Chu, 1928 is confirmed in this paper. Two new species of Neoperla, N. huangshana Huo, Du & Zhu, sp. nov. and N. pangi Huo, Du & Zhu, sp. nov. are proposed from Anhui Province, southeast China, closely related to N. sinensis. Neoperla anjiensis Yang & Yang, 1998 is newly recorded in Anhui Province.
Description of three new species of Bradyidius (Copepoda: Calanoida), the new aetideids from the deep Pacific Ocean, with notes on the genera Bradyidius and Aetideopsis
Authors: MARKHASEVA ELENA L. , RENZ JASMIN
Published: July 2021

Three new aetideid species, Bradyidius abyssalis sp. nov., Bradyidius parabyssalis sp. nov., and B. kurilokamchaticus sp. nov. are described from female specimens collected near the seafloor in the abyss of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Specimens of Bradyidius parabyssalis sp. nov. were obtained in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Argentine Basin, area of the Meteor Seamount and the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench). Bradyidius abyssalis sp. nov. was found only in the Atlantic Ocean, (Brazil and Guinea Basins and area of the Meteor Seamount) and Bradyidius kurilokamchaticus sp. nov. was recorded from the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench of the Pacific Ocean. Three new herein described Bradyidius species constitute the first documented records of the genus from the abyss of the World Ocean. In addition, three Bradyidius species from the Weddell Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench, are briefly described without biological names due to their bad condition. Bradyidius parabyssalis sp. nov. and B. abyssalis sp. nov. are distinguished from all known congeners by the presence of 3 setae at the basis of the mandible and morphological details of the prosome posterior corners and P1. They show close resemblance to each other but differ in body size, rostrum structure, P4 coxa armament and length of the setae of the antennule ancestral segment I and the mandible basis. Bradyidius kurilokamchaticus sp. nov. shares with B. curtus Markhaseva, 1993, B. pacificus (Brodsky, 1950) and B. arnoldi Fleminger, 1957 a rostrum with non-divergent or parallel points, but differs from these species in the size, the well developed lateral spine on exopod segment 1, in the number of setae at the antenna exopod segment 1 and some morphological details of the prosome posterior corners. Characters that define the genus Bradyidius Giesbrecht, 1897 from Aetideopsis Sars, 1903, i.e. the shape of lateral spines of P1exopod segments 1 and 2; the endopod of P2 segmentation and the setation of the antennule ancestral segments XII, XV and XVII are discussed.
The effects of probiotic supplementation on renal function, inflammation, and oxidative stress in diabetic nephropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Wang Han , Wang Dunfang , Song Hongxin , Zou Dixin , Feng Xue , Ma Xuran , Miao Jinxue , Yang Weipeng , Wang Hainan
Published: July 2021

Whether supplemental probiotic therapy improves clinical outcomes in diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients remains unclear. To uncover its impacts via meta-analysis, relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched by means of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of
Science as of August 31, 2020. The effect of probiotics was reported on renal function biomarkers, oxidative stress, inflammation, and serum albumin (ALB) levels among DN patients. Random- or fixed-effects models were used to estimate pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs). Seven RCTs
(456 patients) were included for final analysis. The results showed that probiotic supplementation led to a significant increase in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (SMD: 6.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84–11.21; P =0.020), glutathione (GSH) levels (P
< 0.001), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (P < 0.001). In contrast, probiotic intake significantly decreased the serum creatinine (SCr) (P = 0.020), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (P < 0.001), malondialdehyde (MDA) (P = 0.020), and high-sensitivity C-reactive
protein (hs-CRP) (P < 0.001) contents. Serum Na, K, ALB, and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations showed no significant change. Probiotics are beneficial for DN patients through improving renal function and regulating the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers. However,
probiotics do not significantly affect serum ALB, NO, Na, and K levels. These results need to be confirmed through more reliable RCTs.
Study on the removal of amyloid plaque by nano-gold in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease-alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Chai Hongyan , Wang Xueyong , Liu Zhimin , Zhao Yuehan
Published: July 2021

As a complex neurological disease, the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a global challenge. Compared with traditional drug therapy, a novel therapeutic tool, inorganic nanoparticles combined with photothermal therapy (PTT) can decompose amyloid β-protein (Aβ)
fibrils and inhibit Aβ aggregation, alleviating AD symptoms. In this study, MoS2@Au NPs composite nanoparticles were constructed by combining sulfhydryl-modified Au NPs and MoS2 nanosheets. In vitro experiments showed that the composite nanoparticles
could degrade insoluble Aβ fibers to soluble monomers and alleviate neurotoxicity. Additionally, the excellent biocompatibility and biosafety of MoS2@Au NPs reduced the damaging effects on nerve cells, and the AD model mice benefited from the treatment with MoS2@Au
NPs, which significantly improved their learning and cognitive abilities and thus reduced the disease. More importantly, MoS2@Au NPs combined with PTT effectively curbed the inflammatory response and slowed down the course of AD.
Experimental study of nanoelectroplating steel spot welding structure under impact tensile-shear loading
Authors: Fan Chunlei , Wang Huanran , Ma Dongfang
Published: July 2021

The tensile shear fracture behavior of solder joints under impact load influences the whole vehicle’s safety substantially. This paper takes the QP980 steel resistance spot welding (RSW) structure as the research object to study the tensile-shear fracture behavior of the RSW structure under tensile-shear loading. The microstructure observation of the welded spot shows that the metallographic structure is the martensite. The porosity defects in the melting zone are the primary defect reflecting the obvious plate-cracks on both sides of the nugget. The paper demonstrates the Vickers hardness test result of the spot-welded zone. According to the test, the micro-hardness distribution result shows that the higher the martensite, the greater the hardness. A softened zone emerges adjacent to the heat-affected zone on the welded base material interface. The quasi-static and dynamic tensile-shear tests on the QP980 steel RSW lap-joint specimens show that the fracture on the BM is adjacent to the welded spot under quasi-static loading but close to the heat-affected zone under dynamic loading. Under dynamic loading, the weld seam and softened zone of the welded spot have a direct influence on the fracture. On the recovered specimen’s fractured section, there are a large number of apparent dimples on the section of the BM under quasi-static loading and the section of the HAZ under dynamic loading with nucleation, growth, and aggregation of cavitation, resulting in ductile fracture.
Effect of alendronate sodium on chondrocytes in joint inflammation through down-regulation of microRNA-184 (miR-184)
Authors: Shi Lin , Li Xiuyun , Tang Junfeng
Published: July 2021

Chondrocytes participate in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Alendronate (ALN) can significantly improve the pathological changes of knee arthritis. However, whether alendronate affects chondrocytes of knee arthritis remains unclear. In this paper, the articular chondrocytes
were assigned into model group. The inflammation cell model group was prepared using 10 ng/mL IL-1β, the alendronate group was co-cultured with 10 ng/mL IL-1β and 10 ng/mL ALN, and the miR-184 group was transfected with miR-184 siRNA on the basis of an inflammation
model followed by the analysis of miR-184, BMP-2 and BMP-4 expression by real-time PCR, IL-1β and IL-22 levels were assayed by means of ELISA, Treg cells were detected by flow cytometry, IL-35 and TGF-β levels were checked by means of real-time PCR and western blot,
and Wnt3, Wnt4 and β-Catenin protein levels were investigated by means of western blot. After alendronate and miR-184 siRNA were applied to the arthritis rat model, Treg cells was significantly decreased, IL-35 and TGF-β mRNA and secretion were reduced, miR-184 was down-regulated,
BMP-2 and BMP-4 were upregulated, along with decreased IL-1β and IL-22 levels and expressions of Wnt3, Wnt4 and β-Catenin (P < 0.05). Alendronate inhibits Wnt/β-Catenin pathway by down-regulating miR-184, Treg cell and cytokines secretions these
cytokines upregulate BMP-2 and BMP-4 in articular chondrocytes, and inhibits inflammatory factors secretion, thus ameliorating the progression of chondrocyte inflammation.
Porous matrix nanometric scaffold repairs rabbit tibia injury by promoting bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell osteogenic differentiation and up-regulating type I and II collagen content
Authors: Dong Bozan , Zhang Dongjie
Published: July 2021

To explore the effect of porous matrix nanometer scaffold on Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell osteogenic differentiation and type I and II collagen content in rabbit tibial injury. 22 rabbits, weighing 2.20–3.10 kg, were equally divided into model and treatment groups. Von Kossa
was used to detect osteogenic differentiation, while Western blot detected type I and type II collagen. The bone density meter measurement software was used to assess tibial bone density. Universal material testing machine was used to detect biomechanical indicators level, while HE staining
detected bone morphology. Adherent Cells growth were observed in a week; where cells clusters appeared and continued to grow 2 weeks later, and the number of osteoblasts and mineralized nodules increased significantly 3 weeks later. The collagen level in the treatment group was significantly
higher than that in model group (P < 0.05). The tibia bone mineral density in model group was significantly lower at the sixth and twelfth weeks after surgery (P < 0.05). The maximum bending load and bending stiffness of model group were significantly lower than those of
treatment group with higher damage degree (P < 0.05). Treatment increased the bone tissue and osteoblasts, leading to production of trabecular bone structure. No clustered regenerated bone-like tissues in model group were observed. The porous matrix nanometer scaffold can repair
rabbit tibia injury possibly by promoting Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell osteogenic differentiation and increasing type I and type II collagen level.
Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA)
Authors: Wang Jian , Wood Rob , Jensen Michael P. , Chiu J. Christine , Liu Yangang , Lamer Katia , Desai Neel , Giangrande Scott E. , Knopf Daniel A. , Kollias Pavlos , Laskin Alexander , Liu Xiaohong , Lu Chunsong , Mechem David , Mei Fan , Starzec Mariusz , Tomlinson Jason , Wang Yang , Yum Seong Soo , Zheng Guangjie , Aiken Allison C. , Azevedo Eduardo B. , Blanchard Yann , China Swarup , Dong Xiquan , Gallo Francesca , Gao Sinan , Ghate Virendra P. , Glienke Susanne , Goldberger Lexie , Hardin Joseph C. , Kuang Chongai , Luke Edward P. , Matthews Alyssa A. , Miller Mark A. , Moffet Ryan , Pekour Mikhail , Schmid Beat , Sedlacek Arthur J. , Shaw Raymond A. , Shilling John E. , Sullivan Amy , Suski Kaitlyn , Veghte Daniel P. , Weber Rodney , Wyant Matt , Yeom Jaemin , Zawadowicz Maria , Zhang Zhibo
Published: July 2021

With their extensive coverage, marine low clouds greatly impact global climate. Presently, marine low clouds are poorly represented in global climate models, and the response of marine low clouds to changes in atmospheric greenhouse gases and aerosols remains the major source of uncertainty in climate simulations. The eastern North Atlantic (ENA) is a region of persistent but diverse subtropical marine boundary layer clouds, whose albedo and precipitation are highly susceptible to perturbations in aerosol properties. In addition, the ENA is periodically impacted by continental aerosols, making it an excellent location to study the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) budget in a remote marine region periodically perturbed by anthropogenic emissions, and to investigate the impacts of long-range transport of aerosols on remote marine clouds. The Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) campaign was motivated by the need of comprehensive in situ measurements for improving the understanding of marine boundary layer CCN budget, cloud and drizzle microphysics, and the impact of aerosol on marine low cloud and precipitation. The airborne deployments took place from 21 June to 20 July 2017 and from 15 January to 18 February 2018 in the Azores. The flights were designed to maximize the synergy between in situ airborne measurements and ongoing long-term observations at a ground site. Here we present measurements, observation strategy, meteorological conditions during the campaign, and preliminary findings. Finally, we discuss future analyses and modeling studies that improve the understanding and representation of marine boundary layer aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and the interactions among them.
Who Favors Magnets and Who Favors Charters? Political Ideology, Social Purpose Politics, and School Choice in the Upper South
Authors: Riel Virginia , Mickelson Roslyn Arlin , Smith Stephen Samuel
Published: July 2021

School choice is an increasingly important feature of the US educational landscape. Numerous studies examine whether a particular form of school choice promotes student achievement or whether a type of school choice discourages or encourages diversity by race, ethnicity, and ability. Studies also examine attitudes toward school choice, but these studies are typically limited to the views of parents, teachers, and administrators rather than public attitudes. We contribute to this literature by studying public opinion about magnet and charter schools in five southern school districts. Using a new and unique dataset, we examine if social background characteristics, political ideology, and attitudes toward the role of public schooling, neighborhood schools, and school diversity influence citizen opinion regarding magnets and charters. We find that more educated, higher income, and older individuals do not support charters, while conservatives and Republicans do. Whites are less likely to favor magnets than other races, while the more educated are more likely to favor them. Those who believe public schools should operate for the common good support magnets, as do those who favor diverse schools. However, those who favor neighborhood schools support both charters and magnets. We interpret our findings within the context of case studies of the respective locations and suggest that public opinion studies motivate public policies regarding educational choice.
Staff recruitment and geographical representation in international organizations
Authors: Eckhard Steffen , Steinebach Yves
Published: July 2021

What explains geographical representation in the professional staff of intergovernmental organizations (IOs)? We address this question from an organizational perspective by considering IO recruitment processes. In the United Nations (UN) system, recruitment processes are designed to ensure bureaucratic merit, with experience and education being the relevant merit criteria. We develop and test a supply-side theory, postulating that differences in countries’ supply of well-educated and highly experienced candidates can explain geographical representation. Drawing on staff data from 34 IOs and supply data from 174 member states, and controlling for endogeneity and alternative explanations, we find no such relationship for education. However, countries with a high supply of candidates with relevant working and regional experiences have significantly higher representation values. These findings offer a complementary narrative as to why some countries are more strongly represented in the international professional staff than others. Findings also unveil the nature of bureaucratic merit in the UN, which seems to emphasize local knowledge and working experience over formal (Western) education.

Points for practitioners

What explains member states’ representation in the staff bodies of organizations in the UN system? Previous work has shown that member state power is a good predictor. But what about bureaucratic merit? The paper demonstrates that representation patterns can also be explained when measuring states’ supply of candidates with relevant working and regional experience. Supply of educated candidates plays no significant role. Bureaucratic merit in the UN seems to emphasize local knowledge and working experience over formal (Western) education.
Revisiting Opportunism in Civil Conflict: Natural Resource Extraction and Health Care Provision
Authors: Conrad Justin , Reyes Liana Eustacia , Stewart Megan A.
Published: July 2021

What is the relationship between natural resources and rebel governance? Previous studies have argued that resource rich groups have fewer incentives to provide social services. We argue, however, that even well-funded rebels may have incentives to provide some social services to civilians. Specifically, rebel groups profiting from the extraction of natural resources should be more likely to offer health care services as a means of ensuring a dependable civilian workforce than groups who do not profit from natural resources. Using data on both the extraction of natural resources and social service provision by rebel groups, we find strong empirical evidence to support our argument. We conclude with implications for scholars and policymakers.
Is the Biggest Hindrance to Educational Success “Virtually” Solved?
Authors: Linza Jim
Published: July 2021

It started with a simple little filler in USA Today 25 years ago. It showed a broken student desk with cobwebs on it and offered data on “average yearly absences” in Japan, Germany, and the United States. Assessing my own data, I verified that they were on point and proceeded to discuss why this was a major hurdle for our kids and what could be done. Now, 25 years later, I am revisiting this topic, but through the virtual lens, including new data.
Sociology of Chronic Pain
Authors: Zajacova Anna , Grol-Prokopczyk Hanna , Zimmer Zachary
Published: July 2021

Chronic pain is a common, costly, and consequential health problem. However, despite some important analytic contributions, sociological research on pain has not yet coalesced into a unified subfield. We present three interrelated bodies of evidence and illustrative new empirical findings using 2010 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey data to argue that pain should have a central role in sociological investigations of health. Specifically, we contend that (1) pain is a sensitive barometer of population health and well-being, (2) pain is emblematic of many contested and/or chronic conditions, and (3) pain and pain treatment reflect and have wide-ranging implications for public policy. Overall, whether pain is analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively—focusing on its distribution in the population, its social causes and consequences, or its subjective meanings for individuals—pain reflects social conditions, sociopolitical context, and health-related beliefs of a society. Pain is thus an important frontier for future sociological research.
What the Doctor Would Prescribe: Physician Experiences of Providing Voluntary Assisted Dying in Australia
Authors: Rutherford Jodhi , Willmott Lindy , White Ben P.
Published: July 2021

Background

Like many countries where voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is legal, eligible doctors in Victoria, Australia, have sole legal authority to provide it. Doctors’ attitudes towards legalised VAD have direct bearing on their willingness to participate in VAD and consequently, on whether permissive laws can effectively facilitate access to VAD. The study aimed to explore how some Victorian doctors are perceiving and experiencing the provision of legalised VAD under a recently commenced law.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews with 25 Victorian doctors with no in-principle objection to legalised VAD were conducted between July 2019-February 2020. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical approval from the relevant institution was obtained.

Results

Doctors perceive or experience VAD to fundamentally challenge traditional medical practice. Barriers to access to VAD derive from applicant, communication, and doctor-related factors. Doctors’ willingness to participate in VAD is situation specific.
Cycle-skipping strategy with intake air cut off for natural gas fueled Si engine
Authors: Tunçer Erdal , Sandalci Tarkan , Pusat Saban , Balcı Özgün , Karagöz Yasin
Published: July 2021

In this study, cycle-skipping was investigated for a natural gas engine which has single cylinder, unsupercharged with 1.16 L volume and spark ignition. Additionally, inlet manifold air was switched off during cycle-skipping to minimize pumping losses. Thus, cycle-skipping strategy was carried out, and its effects on emission and engine performance were investigated. Indicated mean effective pressure, indicated efficiency, specific emissions (CO, HC, and NOX) and combustion characteristics (in-cylinder pressure and rate of heat release) were investigated in the study. As a result of performed study, it is predicted that a significant improvement can be achieved in indicated thermal efficiency as 22.8% and 13.4% by different cycle-skipping strategies. However, there is not a continuous change in emissions for different cycle-skipping strategies. While CO and NOX emissions increased in 3N1S (three normal, one cycle-skip) condition, HC emissions decreased in accordance with normal condition. For both cycle-skipping strategies, all the emissions have an increase in accordance with normal condition. In 3N1S and 2N1S (two normal, one cycle-skip) cycle skip engine operating conditions, compared to engine operating under normal condition, CO emissions increased by 14.7 and 51.7 times, respectively. In terms of HC emissions, while emission values decreased by 27.8% under 3N1S operating conditions, they increased by 67.2% under 2N1S operating conditions. Finally, in 3N1S and 2N1S cycle skip engine operating conditions, NOx emissions increased by 3.7 and 6.9 times, respectively, compared to normal operating condition. Another significant result of this study is that peak in-cylinder pressure increased as the cycle-skipping rate increased.
Impact of a change in vascular access flow volume after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty on cardiac function
Authors: Hashimoto Koji , Kamijo Yuji , Harada Makoto , Yamada Yosuke , Kanno Taro , Kanno Yutaka
Published: July 2021

Vascular access (VA) is necessary for patients on hemodialysis, and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is a useful treatment for maintaining VA function. PTA immediately increases the VA flow volume, which can affect cardiac function. We investigated the relationship between changes in VA flow volume and cardiac function in patients who underwent PTA. This was a single-center retrospective observational study, including patients who underwent PTA between June 2016 and August 2016. VA flow volume and cardiac function were measured by sonography before and 1 h after PTA. This study included 50 PTA procedures in 50 cases. PTA significantly increased the median VA flow volume from 445 (range, 150–1229) to 725 (350–1268) mL/min. Although the ejection fraction and diameter of the inferior vena cava were unchanged, the cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index increased significantly in most cases. Surprisingly, the CO was decreased in 18% of cases despite the increased VA flow volume. In this atypical group, a high CO before PTA was found to be a significant factor for the decrease in CO by PTA. In most cases, both VA flow volume and CO were increased by PTA, whereas in some cases, the CO was decreased despite an increase in VA flow volume. This atypical phenomenon may be due to the insufficient adaptive response in the peripheral artery and heart and could predict risks for future cardiac events. Therefore, it is important that such patients are carefully followed up on.
Clinico-laboratory characteristics and outcome of patients with eucalyptus oil-induced/provoked seizures: A case series and systematic review of the published patients
Authors: Panda Prateek Kumar , Sharawat Indar Kumar , Panda Pragnya , Dawman Lesa , Kasinathan Ananthanarayanan
Published: July 2021

Seizures triggered by skin application, inhalation or ingestion of over-the-counter medications containing eucalyptus oil are known. We report five children who suffered likewise. We made a systematic search for all reported cases and performed a pooled analysis to provide a comprehensive estimate of the type of seizures, their management and outcome. In 110 cases (49 children), inhalational use was the most predominant, generalised tonic-clonic (the commonest semiology) and levetiracetam was the most common anti-convulsant treatment used. Most cases had an uneventful recovery. Adults were less likely to have prolonged and multiple seizures, requiring intensive care or mechanical ventilation.
The Social Science of Practice Approach to the Study of China’s Development: A Methodological Discussion
Authors: Zhao Liuyang
Published: July 2021

The basic facts of China’s economic development have called into question Western transition economic theory, most famously presented in the works of János Kornai. On the other hand, the three most representative approaches to explaining China’s development experience have variously emphasized the resource endowment structure, or the property rights system, or the incentive mechanism behind the behavior of local governments, as the key to China’s economic development. Although they focus on different dimensions of China’s economic practices, they ultimately converge on the logic of marketism as the explanation. The “social science of practice” approach proposed by Philip Huang is distinguished from these orthodox theories in that, first, it attends to the rise of the huge informal economy in China and reveals the historical roots of contemporary social inequality. This approach has three closely related characteristics: theoretical formulations based on analyses of paradoxical phenomena, a broad historical perspective on current problems, and the idea of substantive justice. The main significance of this approach lies not only in its insightful and practice-focused understanding of the key realities that have been ignored by mainstream theories, but, more importantly, in its multiple inspirations for constructing a social science theory that incorporates Chinese subjectivity.
Predictors of Taste Dysfunction and Its Severity Among Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Yusuf Tajudeen , Raji Yemi R. , Lasisi Taye J. , Daniel Adekunle , Bamidele O. T. , Fasunla Ayotunde J. , Lasisi Akeem. O.
Published: July 2021

Background:

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often complain of taste dysfunction. The prevalent taste dysfunction among patients with CKD predisposes them to malnutrition, poor quality of life, and worsen disease prognoses. To appropriately treat the taste dysfunction in this group of patients, it’s imperative that factors that predict taste dysfunction and its severity are identified for prompt treatment.

Aim:

To identify factors associated with taste dysfunction and its severity among patients with CKD.

Materials and Methods:

This was a hospital-based case–control study of adult patients with CKD at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. The control group was made up of age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers with no clinical and laboratory evidence of CKD. Relevant clinical and social data obtained include demographics, symptoms, and signs of taste dysfunction and its risk factors. The 4 basic taste modalities namely sweet, sour, bitter, and salt taste senses of the participants were tested with validated “taste strips.” Factors that predict taste dysfunction were identified among the spectrum of the disease.

Results:

There were 100 patients with CKD and 100 healthy controls, age ranges between 19 and 86 years (mean ± standard deviation [SD] = 46.3 ± 13.9 years) and 20 and 85 years (mean ± SD = 43.4 ± 14.9 years), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between cases and control gender distribution ( P = .57). Hypogeusia was found in 27.0% of patients with CKD, while total taste function score of all the control was within normal range. Increasing duration of CKD was identified as a predictor of taste dysfunction among patients with CKD (odds ratio: 4.889, P = .038). The stages of CKD had no statistically significant relationship with the severity of taste dysfunction ( P = .629).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of taste dysfunction among patients with CKD was high and this showed significant correlation with increasing duration of CKD; in contrast, the severity of CKD is not significant in the development of taste dysfunction.
Multiple Warthin Tumors With Epithelial–Myoepithelial Carcinoma of the Ipsilateral Parotid Gland: A Case Report
Authors: Sha Tong , Yu Yang , Liu Kang , Sun Bin , Zhang Wei
Published: July 2021

Multiple primary tumors of the parotid gland refer to the occurrence of 2 or more primary tumors in the ipsilateral or bilateral parotid gland metachronously or synchronously, which do not originate from postoperative recurrence or metastasis. Multiple primary tumors of the parotid gland, especially synchronous benign and malignant tumors, are extremely uncommon. A rare case of multiple Warthin tumors with epithelial–myoepithelial carcinoma of the ipsilateral parotid gland is reported as follows.
Laryngeal Cancer With Lung Metastases Showing Long-Term Complete Response and Delayed Immune-Related Adverse Event After Nivolumab Discontinuation
Authors: Kondo Takahito , Nakatsugawa Munehide , Okubo Mitsuru , Nakamura Hironori , Yunaiyama Daisuke , Wakiya Midori , Takeda Atsuo , Kikawada Naiue , Kishida Takuma , Someya Miwako , Yoshida Shigekazu , Ogawa Yasuo , Tsukahara Kiyoaki
Published: July 2021

We report a case of laryngeal cancer with multiple lung metastases that maintained a complete response (CR) for 18 months after discontinuing nivolumab treatment, with colitis developing 5 months after drug discontinuation. A 65-year-old man was diagnosed with T3N2cM0 stage IVA right supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma that progressed after 1 course of TPF (cisplatin, docetaxel, and 5-fluorouracil) as induction chemotherapy. He underwent total laryngectomy, bilateral neck dissection, pharyngeal reconstruction with anterolateral thigh flap, and creation of a permanent tracheostoma; extranodal extension was detected in the right cervical lymph node metastasis, and the patient underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. Multiple lung metastases occurred during radiotherapy, and the patient was deemed platinum refractory; nivolumab treatment was thus initiated. The tumor proportion score for programmed death-ligand 1—evaluated via antibody testing of the laryngeal tumor—was <1. The patient received 240 mg/body nivolumab every 2 weeks; a computed tomography performed after course 16 of nivolumab treatment confirmed a CR. He exhibited grade 2 thyroid dysfunction, grade 1 interstitial pneumonia, and grade 2 colitis after 6, 7, and 14 months of receiving nivolumab, respectively; treatment was discontinued as despite maintaining a CR, interstitial pneumonia occurred twice. Colitis appeared 5 months after nivolumab discontinuation; nevertheless, a CR was maintained after 18 months.
On Relationality and Organizationality: Degrees of durability, materiality, and communicatively constituting a fluid social collective
Authors: Smith William Roth
Published: July 2021

Recent organizational theorizing contends that loosely structured fluid social collectives may attain degrees of “organizationality” depending on whether or not they achieve certain organization-like elements. The organizationality approach offers a compelling account for the persistence of fluid social collectives, but the framework could be strengthened by moving beyond language-centered explanations and including into theorizing a plurality of “entities” that differ in ontological status. Based on a case study within the context of a fluid user-built recreation space, this study adopts a relational ontology viewpoint on materiality to show how dynamic aspects of natural elements, expectations, feelings, and the cyclicality of nature can be theorized as material, and thus mattering, to organizing processes. Findings reveal that the degree of durability of these entities is key for understanding interconnected decision-making, identity, and ultimately how the fluid collective achieves or degrades organizationality.
Entrepreneurial imagining: How a small team of arts entrepreneurs created the world’s largest traveling carillon
Authors: Elias Sara R. S. T. A. , Chiles Todd H. , Crawford Brett
Published: July 2021

Although imagination has been recognized as essential to entrepreneuring, the processes by which entrepreneurs imagine and generate novelty remain insufficiently understood. To begin addressing this oversight, we propose a rhizomatic process model of entrepreneurial imagining that comprises five elements: experiencing, early creating, reaching an impasse and gestating, (re)creating and evaluating imagined futures, and choosing and enterprising. To generate this dynamic process model, we undertook an abductive, 25-month case study, guided by enactive research, to investigate how a small team of arts entrepreneurs created the world’s largest traveling carillon. Our primary contribution is to offer new theoretical insights into entrepreneurial imagining as a complex, situated, relational performance that unfolds through conscious and unconscious, self-reflective and embodied processes.
Organizational Learning From Hidden Improvisation
Authors: Macpherson Allan , Breslin Dermot , Akinci Cinla
Published: July 2021

Research has identified improvisation as a creative and open activity that can be harnessed to encourage innovation and learning within the organization. In this paper, we present improvisation as a covert phenomenon, occurring in a climate of mistrust and fear of censure, and disconnected with wider organizational learning. Drawing on qualitative evidence of a Fire Service in the United Kingdom, we explore hidden improvisation, and identify the conditions and processes that can connect these local deviations to wider processes of learning. We show that while most improvisations remain hidden and contained to avoid wider scrutiny, certain conditions of frequency, connectedness and scale escalate events to become more visible to supervisors and managers. The learning outcomes from these visible improvisations will then depend on management’s interpretation, evaluation and translation of improvising behaviours. Dependent on prior relationships of trust and credibility, middle management perform a key brokering role in this process, connecting previously hidden improvisation to wider organizational systems and structures.
Pediatric Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Minimum Test Battery and Referral Criteria for Cochlear Implant Candidacy Evaluation
Authors: Anne Samantha , Brown Kevin D. , Goldberg Donald M. , Adunka Oliver F. , Kenna Margaret , Chien Wade , Teagle Holly , Zwolan Teresa A. , Sydlowski Sarah A. , Roush Patricia , Buchman Craig A.
Published: July 2021

Among the various cochlear implant systems approved by the Food and Drug Administration, current labeling for pediatric usage encompasses (1) bilateral profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in children aged 9 to 24 months and bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in children older than 2 years; (2) use of appropriately fitted hearing aids for 3 months (this can be waived if there is evidence of ossification); and (3) demonstration of limited progress with auditory, speech, and language development. Pediatric guidelines require children to have significantly worse speech understanding before qualifying for cochlear implantation. The early years of life have been shown to be critical for speech and language development, and auditory deprivation is especially detrimental during this crucial time.

Level of evidence: 2.
Did Children Interact With Their Personified Objects During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Yamaguchi Masanori , Moriguchi Yusuke
Published: July 2021

Although previous studies revealed the characteristics of children with imaginary companions, the characteristics of children alone could not explain why some children create and interact with imaginary companions. The current cross-sectional study examined the impact of the situational factors, decreased opportunities to meet and play with real playmate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on the prevalence of imaginary companions. Five hundred sixty caregivers of children aged 2–9 years (half of them were girls) were asked whether their children currently had imaginary companions (personified objects and invisible friends) before (September 2019) and during the pandemic (April 2020). The logistic regression model showed that only the prevalence of personified objects increased during the pandemic, OR = 2.01, 95%CI [1.34, 3.00], even when potential variables were controlled. The results suggest that children more frequently played with their personified objects during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic.
Assessment of AASHTO Load-Spreading Method for Buried Culverts and Proposed Improvement
Authors: Katona Michael G.
Published: July 2021

AASHTO’s ad hoc method (AAM) for predicting free-field soil stress under a rectangular loading area is a simple and very useful tool for the analysis of buried culverts subject to vehicular wheel loads. AAM assumes the surface load spreads with soil depth into an ever-increasing rectangular area whose dimensions are controlled by a constant spread angle θ usually taken as 30°, denoted as AAM-30°. Both simplified and comprehensive culvert analysis procedures utilize AAM predictions for adjusting pressure distributions acting on the culvert periphery. Also, AAM-30° is routinely used to determine the two-wheel soil interaction depth, in which the combined effect of both axial wheels need to be considered. To date, a thorough accuracy analysis of AAM-30° has not been published in the open literature. This paper provides a unique and rigorous evaluation of AAM-30° using an exact solution from an elasticity-based model (EBM) of a homogeneous half-space with rectangular surface load. One key discovery is the depth parameter called y*, which is the soil depth at which AAM-30° peak-stress prediction exactly matches the exact EBM solution. Moreover, it is shown that y* may be determined by a simple, yet accurate formula that only depends on the square root of the load area. However, the investigation reveals that AAM-30° significantly underestimates peak stress in the shallow-depth zone 0 <  y < ½ y* by as much as 31.3% of the applied surface pressure. As this is a large nonconservative error it cannot be ignored. Accordingly, a very simple modification is introduced called AAM-θ*, in which θ* is a spread angle that linearly increases to 30° at soil depth ½ y* and thereafter θ* remains constant at 30°. An accuracy evaluation of AAM-θ* reveals an order of magnitude increase in accuracy in which the small residual error is conservative, not nonconservative. The paper concludes with discussions on applying AAM-θ* to the analysis of buried culverts when using either simple or finite element model solution procedures.
New Mechanistic Procedure to Predict the Critical Cracking Temperature of Asphalt Concrete from Bending Beam Rheometer and Indirect Tension Test Data
Authors: Hasan Md Amanul , Tarefder Rafiqul A.
Published: July 2021

This study presents a new mechanistic procedure for determining the critical cracking temperature of asphalt concrete (AC) using data from bending beam rheometer (BBR) test of asphalt binder and indirect tension (IDT) test of AC. This new procedure uses BBR creep data to generate the mixture relaxation modulus mastercurve by utilizing the Hirsch model, time-temperature superposition principle, and Prony series-based interconversion method. The Hirsch model parameters are calibrated by comparing creep data from BBR and IDT creep tests performed at the same temperature. Boltzmann hereditary integral and second-order heat equation are then used to calculate thermal stress from the developed relaxation modulus mastercurve. IDT strength data is transferred from test strain rate to thermal strain rate using the viscoelastic continuum damage model. Since a strain gauge is not attached for traditional laboratory IDT strength testing, this study derived an analytical equation based on the Hondros solution to compute the horizontal strain rate from the applied vertical displacement rate. Finally, the critical cracking temperature is determined by coupling the thermal stress and strength profiles. Using the procedure presented in this paper, the critical cracking temperatures of four AC mixtures were predicted from BBR and IDT data. Their actual critical cracking temperatures were measured using thermal stress restrained specimen test performed in the laboratory to validate the method. The predicted critical cracking temperatures are found to be very close to the laboratory measured values. The developed procedure has substantial practical and technical importance in predicting the critical cracking temperature of AC because it utilizes widely available BBR and IDT tests.
Method for Estimating Speed of the Out-of-Control Tractor-Semitrailer on Downhill Grades
Authors: Yan Menghua , Xu Jinliang , Han Shuo , Dong Yaping , Wei Leyu
Published: July 2021

Speed estimation for the out-of-control truck on a downhill grade is essential for passive safety features like truck escape ramps to promote traffic safety. This paper presents a method for estimating the speed of out-of-control trucks based on Newton’s Laws of Motion. First of all, we analyze gravity effort, aerodynamics, and rolling resistance through a free body diagram of an out-of-control truck on a downhill grade. Further, we select the speed as the dependent variable, with the following road and vehicle characteristics as independent variables: road surface type, grade, grade length, truck size, truck weight, and tire type. Finally, we estimate the speed and acceleration according to Newton’s Laws of Motion. The results show that the factors that significantly affect the out-of-control truck’s speed include tire type, road surface coefficient, grade, and grade length. TruckMaker simulation results demonstrate that the model is valid at a 99% confidence level.
Public Transport Fleet Replacement Optimization Using Multi-Type Battery-Powered Electric Buses
Authors: Tang Chunyan , Li Xiaoyu , Ceder Avishai (Avi) , Wang Xiaokun
Published: July 2021

To achieve a green and sustainable public transit system, most transit agencies plan to completely replace current diesel and hybrid buses with battery-powered electric buses (EBs) in the decades ahead. Based on performances of EBs in practical operations, this study develops a transit fleet replacement model using multi-type EBs to determine an optimal fleet replacement plan in a cost-effective manner, considering associated diesel–electric replacement rates and in-vehicle crowd costs for passengers. Multi-type EBs include small EBs with fast charging technique, and large EBs with fast and slow charging techniques. The proposed model is applied to a real-life case study of the transit system in Qingdao, China. The results obtained indicate that large EBs with a high price tag are preferentially purchased in the first few years of the analysis period, whereas small EBs with a low price tag are favored in the latter years. The use of multi-type EBs results in a significant saving of the total cost, compared with the use of single-type EBs. Interestingly, with the increase of passenger demand, a large EB with a fast charging method presents more benefits than others. In contrast, a small EB has more advantages in a transit system with low demand.