bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental and theoretical investigation to improvement biodiesel production using green catalyst based on cellulose derivatives
Authors: Al-Harbi Laila M. , Khowdiary Manal M. , Nassar H. S. , Darwish Mohamed S. A. , Hasanin Mohamed , Taha Nahla. A. , Alosaimi Abeer M. , Elhenawy Ahmed. A.
Published: March 2021

The present study aimed to enhancement production of the biodiesel process using new green catalyst. The obtained compounds were established using diverse spectroscopic data. These molecules were evaluated as catalyst in production process. The biodiesel yield was 93% in case of copper
complex catalyst, while the amino acid catalyst give 96% yield. To get clear insight for catalysts properties, we measured surface activity and simulating the chemical reactivity using HF quantum calculation. The obtained data summarize that using the prepared catalyst lowering the biodiesel
process cost through decreasing both process time and production cost.
Preparation and characterization of an elastin nanogel with enhanced biocompatibility and improved entrapment efficiency in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Lakshmanan Vinoth-Kumar , Kim Byoungkwon , Ojha Shreesh , Al-Abd Ahmed M. , Shin Myung Geun , Jung Young Do
Published: March 2021

Nanogels represent an emerging class of drug delivery systems with enhanced renal clearance and serum half-life. However, synthetic polymeric nanogels are immunogenic and less biodegradable than other systems. Protein nanogels, being non-immunogenic; biodegradable; biocompatible; and
mechanically, spatially, and temporally tunable, are gaining widespread attention. Elastin, a natural structural component of connective tissue, has enhanced vascular mobility and is highly biodegradable, biocompatible, temperature and pH sensitive, inert in the bloodstream, able to self-assemble,
and able to permeate the blood-brain-barrier. In this study, the development of an Elastin Nanogel (ENG) and its functional capacity as a next generation injectable nano-drug carrier was studied. ENG was prepared via an inverse mini-emulsion technique and was characterized and found to be
stable at room temperature and cytocompatible with five different prostate cancer cell lines of varied etiologies. Rhodamine-loaded ENG showed enhanced cellular uptake. Blood smear, hemolysis, CBC, PT/APTT, and C3a complement activation assays showed that ENG is vascular tissue compatible
and hence meets the objectives of injectable nanogels. The formulated ENG can be efficiently used as an injectable nano-drug carrier for cancer therapy. Moreover, ENG has the potential to encapsulate hydrophobic drugs for targeted drug delivery.
Preparation of competitive immunochromatographic assay for detection of residual fipronil in urine and food samples
Authors: Wu Kuo-Hui , Huang Wen-Chien , Chang Shu-Chen , Kao Ching-Hua , Shyu Rong-Hwa
Published: March 2021

A colloidal silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was developed using an antifipronil polyclonal antibody (fAb), and its employment for the rapid detection of residual fipronil in spiked egg, honey, tea and human urine samples was studied. The fAb was successfully
immobilized on the AgNP surface by ionic interactions and characterized using the Bradford method, UV-Vis, SEM, TEM and XPS analyses. The visible detection limit and optical detection limit of the fipronil test strip were 40 and 2.0 ppb, respectively, in fipronil standard solution. This assay
showed no cross-reaction with pyraclofos or ethiprole. Finally, the fipronil test strip was effectively applied for the detection of fipronil spiked into egg, honey, tea and urine samples, with optical detection limits of 4.6, 10, 4.6 and 3.0 ppb, respectively. The results demonstrated that
this assay is suitable for the quantitative detection of fipronil at trace levels in agricultural, food and urine samples.
Eu3+/Eu2+/Tb3+ co-activated single-phase Gd2O2S: A high-performance white light emitting phosphor for light emitting diode
Authors: Xie Jinpeng , Liu Bonan , Qong Qingtao , Xu Zhicheng , Jin Zhiqiang , Ma Wangjing
Published: March 2021

In this work, we report Eu3+/Tb3+/Eu2+ co-activated Gd2O2 S as novel phosphor materials that can be effectively applied in the white-light emitting diode based on a near-UV chip with sensational performances. The luminescent properties
and energy transfer mechanism have been thoroughly investigated. The as-prepared europium/terbium co-doped Gd2O2 S phosphors exhibit strong fluorescence with tunable color output under UV-vis light excitation. Furthermore, a high response to ultraviolet illumination of
398 nm wavelength was observed in the excitation spectra, indicating an excellent match with a light-emitting-diode chip in the dominant emissions. It is found that a tricolor (blue, green and red) emission band which results in a white light emission can be acquired when Eu3+,
Eu2+ and Tb3+ ions are all co-doped into the single phase Gd2O2S, and an optimum ion doping level (10 at.% Eu and 0.7 at.% Tb) can effectively emit nearly pure white color photoluminescence with lifetime effectively tuned from 0.55 ms to 1.10 ms.
The CIE (Commission International de I'Eclairage 1931 chromaticity) is X = 0.3507, Y = 0.3029. It is therefore expected that the newly found phosphor material with high-performance properties possess great potentials for the future advanced white LED applications.
The Impact of Noah-MP Physical Parameterizations on Modeling Water Availability during Droughts in the Texas-Gulf Region
Authors: Wu Wen-Ying , Yang Zong-Liang , Barlage Michael
Published: March 2021

Texas is subject to severe droughts, including the record-breaking one in 2011. To investigate the critical hydrometeorological processes during drought, we use a land surface model, Noah-MP, to simulate water availability and investigate the causes of the record drought. We conduct a series of experiments with runoff schemes, vegetation phenology, and plant rooting depth. Observation-based terrestrial water storage, evapotranspiration, runoff, and leaf area index are used to compare with results from the model. Overall, the results suggest that using different parameterizations can influence the modeled water availability, especially during drought. The drought-induced vegetation responses not only interact with water availability but also affect the ground temperature. Our evaluation shows that Noah-MP with a groundwater scheme produces a better temporal relationship in terrestrial water storage compared with observations. Leaf area index from dynamic vegetation is better simulated in wet years than dry years. Reduction of positive biases in runoff and reduction of negative biases in evapotranspiration are found in simulations with groundwater, dynamic vegetation, and deeper rooting zone depth. Multi-parameterization experiments show the uncertainties of drought monitoring and provide a mechanistic understanding of disparities in dry anomalies.
Functionalization of cotton fabric with ZnO nanoparticles and cellulose nanofibrils for ultraviolet protection
Authors: Li Mengmeng , Farooq Amjad , Jiang Shuai , Zhang Meiling , Mussana Hassan , Liu Lifang
Published: March 2021

A simple impregnation method was employed to obtain functional cotton fabric based on a zinc oxide (ZnO) and cellulose nanocomposite. The cellulose nanofibril suspension was utilized to reduce the agglomeration of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and bind them to the surface of the fiber. Scanning electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were used to confirm the presence of ZnO NPs on the surface of the fiber. The treated cotton fabrics exhibited high ultraviolet protection factor values, which were still higher than 50 even after 30 standard washing cycles. Furthermore, the treated samples showed a modest antibacterial effect due to the presence of ZnO NPs. Meanwhile, the treated cotton fabrics showed a decrease (less than 30%) in air permeability.
How bad could it be? Worst-case bounds on bias in multistate models due to unobserved transitions
Authors: Dudel Christian , Schneider Daniel C.
Published: March 2021

Multistate models are often used in social research to analyze how individuals move between states. A typical application is the estimation of the lifetime spent in a certain state, like the lifetime spent in employment, or the lifetime spent in good health. Unfortunately, the estimation of such quantities is prone to several biases. In this paper, we study the bias due to the often implicitly used assumption that there are no unobserved transitions between states. This assumption does often not hold for the panel data typically used to estimate multistate models, as the states occupied by individuals are only known at specific points in time, and further transitions between panel waves are not recorded. We present partially identified estimates of the lifetime spent in a state, or worse-case bounds, which show the maximum possible level of bias due to unobserved transitions. We provide two examples studying the lifetime spent in disability (disabled life expectancy; DLE). The first example applies our methods to results on cohort trends in DLE in the U.S. taken from Crimmins et al. (2009). In the second example, we replicate findings from Mehta and Myrskylä (2017), and apply our methods to data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in order to estimate the effects of health behaviors on DLE.
Voicing the Clone: Laurie Anderson and Technologies of Reproduction
Authors: Murphy Maria
Published: March 2021

In the 1980s, new reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer became commercially available in the United States, and somatic cell nuclear transfer—the cloning process by which Dolly the Sheep would be conceived in 1996—was in its experimental phase. While anxieties concerning these new technologies escalated in the popular sensorium, Laurie Anderson explored the phenomenon of cloning in a short musical film called What You Mean We? (1986) in which Anderson consults a design team to clone herself in order to manage her demanding workload. The videographic image of the clone is Anderson herself, performing in drag, and her clone’s body is partially created through the use of a pitch shifter which changes Anderson’s voice to that of the cloned—but ostensibly male—version of herself. In this article, I investigate Anderson’s technological consideration of the body, which extends beyond her own corporeality, to interrogate the biological and affective capacities of clones. I consider how Anderson addresses the convergence of reproductive technologies, the market and the creation of subjects within this market as participating in a shift in how voices are heard, governed and reproduced in the latter half of the twentieth century.
Use of Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test to Predict Practical Performance of Sinus Endoscopy
Authors: Rogister Florence , Pottier Laurence , El Haddadi Ilyas , Monseur Justine , Donneau Anne-Françoise , Diep Anh Nguyet , Camby Séverine , Defaweux Valérie , Bonnet Pierre , Tombu Sophie , Lefebvre Philippe , Poirrier Anne-Lise
Published: March 2021

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT) on performance of novice medical students for manipulation of a nasal endoscope on a cadaveric model.

Material and Method:

We randomly selected 39 medical students who had never handled a nasal endoscope and subjected them to the MRT. General information including experience in manual, technical, or surgical activities and testing of anatomical knowledge were collected to exclude possible confounding factors. They were then asked to perform series of cadaveric model exercises using a nasal endoscope. Their cadaver performance was evaluated by 2 blinded observers, using a standardized scale.

Results:

We found that medical students with higher mental rotation skills had significantly increased endoscopic sinus performance ( P = .0002 using multivariate regression adjusted for specialty choice, previous surgical exposure, and anatomy knowledge). Higher anatomy knowledge was also associated with better endoscopic sinus performance ( P = .0141). Other parameters had no impact on endoscopic sinus performance measured by the endoscopic scale ( P > .05).

Conclusion:

The score obtained on the MRT was correlated with the practical performance of manipulating the nasal endoscope in cadaver. It could therefore be a useful spatial ability tool for directing targeted training in rhinology.
Pathology Clinic: Nodular Fasciitis Involving the External Ear
Authors: Yver Christina M. , Husson Michael A. , Friedman Oren
Published: March 2021

Nodular fasciitis is a rare, benign lesion characterized by the pseudosarcomatous proliferation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Accurate diagnosis presents a unique challenge for otolaryngologists, as nodular fasciitis frequently mimics malignancy clinically; however, it can be distinguished from malignancy by subtle findings on pathology. A diagnosis of nodular fasciitis should be considered for any irregular or rapidly growing lesion of the head and neck area, as accurate diagnosis is particularly important to avoid overtreatment in cosmetically sensitive regions.
Giant epidermal inclusion cyst with infection arising within the breast parenchyma: a case report
Authors: Zhang Yongxia , Song Lei , Zhang Han , Liu Fengjie , Hao Guo , Liu Jing , Xie Haizhu , Shi Hao
Published: March 2021

Epidermal inclusion cysts (EICs) of the breast develop in the deep breast parenchyma, and they are very rare. Only about 10 cases have been reported in the English-language literature to date. In this report, we present a rare case of a giant EIC with infection arising within the deep breast parenchyma. Unlike a typical EIC of the breast, the EIC in the present case was a cystic and solid lesion containing a large amount of liquid within the cyst and popcorn-like calcification in the wall. In this report, we describe the contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM), ultrasonography, and computed tomography findings and provide a reference for the diagnosis of EICs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the CESM findings of an EIC. Our case illustrates that CESM has excellent performance similar to that of magnetic resonance imaging and is much more effective than conventional digital mammography. Additionally, our case indicates that precise correlation of CESM with ultrasonography findings contributes to the diagnosis of EICs. This rare case with multiple imaging findings will increase the awareness of EICs in the breast parenchyma.
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and LVAD: What are the chances? A case report and literature review
Authors: Tarzia Vincenzo , Tessari Chiara , Fabozzo Assunta , Cavalli Chiara , Pagnin Chiara , Volpe Biancarosa , Bottio Tomaso , Gerosa Gino
Published: March 2021

Left-ventricular-assist-device (LVAD) implantation in patients with antiphospholipid-syndrome (APS) is considered a high-risk procedure and its indication still represents an open challenge. Herein, we report a 63-year-old man with APS and end-stage heart failure, for whom a HeartMate3-LVAD and a continuous rheologic profile monitoring with a multiparametric assessment resulted the optimal therapeutic strategy.
Gender Norms and Household Labor: Time Use in the Context of Social Class Differentiation in Transitional China
Authors: Zhang Wei , Xu Zhun
Published: March 2021

This paper studies the historical evolution of China’s gender relations through the lens of housework time allocation. In particular, we highlight the role played by social class and income. Drawing upon data from the Chinese Health and Nutrition Survey, we find that during the period 1991–2011, being a peasant or earning less than the spouse was increasingly associated with a higher share of housework. The market process appears to have indirectly improved the social status of women (most likely rural women) married to peasant husbands as measured by the former’s declining housework share. Such changes, however, have not challenged traditional patriarchal norms in the countryside and have even facilitated the rise of a new market-based patriarchy. Policy makers should empower women by tackling the different faces of patriarchy as a whole.

JEL Classification: B51, J16, P16
Too Much of a Good Thing: Quality-Differentiated Demand and Monopoly Bias
Authors: Adams Charles F.
Published: March 2021

Previous teaching notes focused on the logic and mechanics of a quality-differentiated linear demand structure. This note takes up the question of potential bias in how markets respond to quality-related aspects of consumer choice. Earlier examples demonstrated instances where monopoly interests might conflict with those of consumers in matters of quality choice. This article points to a more general propensity toward excessively high levels of quality under a monopoly market structure.

JEL Classifications: D4, D41, D42
Flash Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Practical Guide and Call to Action for Pharmacists
Authors: Cowart Kevin , Zgibor Janice
Published: March 2021

Despite advances in diabetes technology, the proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes achieving recommended glycemic goals remains suboptimal. There is a growing interest in flash continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) among patients, pharmacists and providers. Pharmacists are well positioned to collaborate with patients and providers in ambulatory care or community-based settings to allow a greater number of patients with diabetes to harness the benefits of flash CGM. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide pharmacists with a background on flash CGM technology, review the data supporting pharmacist-driven flash CGM services, and address common questions that arise in pharmacy practice surrounding flash CGM.
Policing with the drone: Towards an aerial geopolitics of security
Authors: Klauser Francisco
Published: March 2021

This article explores in empirical detail the air-bound expectations, imaginations and practices arising from the acquisition of a new police drone in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel. The study shows how drones are transforming the ways in which the aerial realm is lived as a context, object and perspective of policing. This tripartite structure is taken as a prism through which to advance novel understandings of the simultaneously elemental and affective, sensory, cognitive and practical dimensions of the aerial volumes within, on and through which drones act. The study of the ways in which these differing dimensions are bound together in how the police think about drones and what they do with them enables the development of an ‘aerial geopolitics of security’ that, from a security viewpoint, approaches interactions between power and space in a three-dimensional and cross-ontological way.
The work that place does: The London Landed Estates and a curatorial approach to estate management
Authors: Canelas Patrícia , Raco Mike
Published: March 2021

Writings on urban development and planning in Europe have been dominated by a combination of technical studies of the real estate sector and more structural political economy approaches on land expropriation and financialisation. In this paper we draw on the example of the London Landed Estates, to critically assess how land-owning real estate companies, that we call city-owners, perform their roles and what models and knowledge sources they draw upon in managing and carefully curating urban spaces and places. Data sources include interviews with estate managers, others involved in, or affected by, their management, and other corporate public information. Our theoretical framing draws on performativity theory that we see as a valuable addition to existing research approaches. We describe and analyse the ways these agencies construct narratives and practices of socially responsible and historically established forms of performance, that they label place stewardship, and the specific mechanisms they use to bring places into existence. Collectively, the discussion calls for an increased focus on how models abstracted from local context and politics can be ‘localised’, in the study of the governance of the built environment. Greater attention also needs to be paid to the work that place does in influencing the strategies, tactics and activities of property owners.
Stratification, Entrepreneurial Choice and Income Growth: The Moderating Role of Subnational Marketization in an Emerging Economy
Authors: Su Yiyi , Zahra Shaker A. , Fan Di
Published: March 2021

In this study, we examine the moderating role of subnational institutions (marketization) in the relationship between social stratification, on the one hand, and entrepreneurial choice and income growth, on the other. Our analyses, using data from 5,581 individual-wave observations from nine provincial regions in rural China, across six data collection waves, show that: (1) lower-class status is conducive to self-employment, while being from the upper class encourages individuals to become employers; (2) compared to their middle-class counterparts, both upper- and lower-class entrepreneurs enjoy higher levels of income growth; and (3) when subnational marketization is high, the positive effect of being upper class on selecting entrepreneurship as a career is weakened, but the effect on income growth among entrepreneurs is strengthened. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory and future research.
Family Influence and Digital Business Model Innovation: The Enabling Role of Dynamic Capabilities
Authors: Soluk Jonas , Miroshnychenko Ivan , Kammerlander Nadine , De Massis Alfredo
Published: March 2021

New digital technologies have prompted many firms, including family firms, to innovate their business models. We study the role of dynamic capabilities as mediator in the relationship between family influence and digital business model innovation (BMI), and the moderating role of environmental dynamism. Based on unique survey data from 1,444 German firms with and without family influence, we reveal that knowledge exploitation, risk management, and marketing capabilities mediate the positive relationship between family influence and digital BMI. Surprisingly, and contrary to our assumption, we find that the positive relationship between family influence and dynamic capabilities is weakened rather than strengthened by environmental dynamism. Our findings hold important implications for family business innovation and digital BMI research, offering valuable insights into the role of dynamic capabilities and environmental dynamism in the digital economy.
"The Most Effective Experience was a Flexible and Creative Attitude"—Reflections on Those Aspects of Spiritual Care that were Lost, Gained, or Deemed Ineffective during the Pandemic
Authors: Vandenhoeck Anne , Holmes Cheryl , Desjardins Cate Michelle , Verhoef Joost
Published: March 2021

This paper presents and discusses data from three of the qualitative questions in the international COVID-19 survey: What was the most important aspect of spiritual care that was lost during the pandemic? What was new to you during this pandemic? What are the new ways of delivering spiritual care you have experienced? Of these new experiences, what do you think was the most effective?
“We Need to Learn from What we Have Learned!”: The Possible Impact of Covid-19 on the Education and Training of Chaplains
Authors: Flynn Eleanor , Tan Heather , Vandenhoeck Anne
Published: March 2021

The responses of chaplains providing care in health services during the Covid-19 pandemic showed that they both learned new skills and taught these to others while working in environments made unfamiliar by personal protective equipment and social distancing. This paper discusses the responses of the participants as they relate to education and training as well as suggesting new content and styles of education to meet the needs of chaplains in future similar events.
Improving Lower Extremity Casting Quality by Providing an Experienced Assistant in Pediatric Tibia Fractures Managed by Trainees
Authors: Woo Brandi M. , Bastrom Tracey P. , Dennis M. Morgan , Pennock Andrew T. , Upasani Vidyadhar V. , Edmonds Eric W.
Published: March 2021

Background: The value of employing an orthopedic technician or advanced practice provider (OT/APP) to assist trainees during on-call hours has not been assessed. As the third most common pediatric long bone fracture, most tibial fractures can be managed with closed reduction and casting. Purpose: We sought to determine whether clinical outcomes could be positively affected for traumatic childhood tibia fractures by using an experienced OT/APP to aid orthopedic surgery residents with closed reduction and casting. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of tibial shaft fractures that occurred between 2010 and January 2017. Fractures undergoing manipulation and closed reduction by orthopedic surgery residents (post-graduate year 2 to 4) in the emergency department were included and differentiated into 2 cohorts: (1) residents who performed the procedure alone and (2) residents who were assisted by an OT/APP. Comparisons in cast quality and treatment success were made using univariate statistics followed by a multivariate Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis. Results: Of the 73 patients who met our criteria, 38 received treatment by a resident alone and 35 by a resident assisted by an OT/APP. Evidence to support our hypothesis was found with the resident-alone group “over” padding the casts posteriorly. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the rate of subsequent surgical intervention was more than double in the resident-alone group (31% vs 14%), yet OT/APP castings underwent more wedging at follow-up (17% vs 0%). CART analysis revealed initial fracture severity and lack of OT/APP assistance as predictors of surgical intervention with terminal nodes, in increasing order of risk of requiring surgical intervention: lower translation on sagittal and anteroposterior (AP), lower sagittal translation with greater AP translation, greater sagittal translation with OT/APP assistance, and greater sagittal translation without assistance. The initiation of a cast application-training program in 2015 decreased the need for surgical treatment in the resident-only group (pre-program 38.5% vs post-program 17%), although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: When residents were assisted by OT/APP with initial tibia closed reduction and casting, subsequent loss of reduction was more likely to be managed with cast wedging; when this assistance was not available, there was a higher rate of fractures needing surgical intervention due, in part, to poor casting technique. The reduction in the rate of surgical intervention after an internal training program was implemented suggests that trainees may improve their casting ability without added help of an experienced assistant. Future study should be performed on distal radius fractures to determine if the presented findings are valid across casting types.
Poisoning
Authors: Callaghan Rachel
Published: March 2021

Every day in the UK, hundreds of people seek medical attention after accidental or deliberate exposure to a drug or chemical. Although significant cases of poisoning will be managed in secondary care, many patients will seek help from primary care, either through their GP practice or the NHS telephone advice services. The most common cause of poisoning in adults is deliberate overdose of a drug. Other poisoning scenarios encountered in general practice include accidental exposure (especially in young children), environmental exposure, medication administration errors and therapeutic excess of prescribed or over-the-counter drugs.
Three Poems From a Pandemic
Authors: Borchard Kurt
Published: March 2021

Three poems, written during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, are presented. The poems convey frustration, fear, and sense-making emerging from an unprecedented normative, health, and information crisis. They also evoke discourses regarding inequalities exacerbated during the pandemic, as well as questions of political legitimacy and the impotence of truth.
Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in the Older Athlete
Authors: Moorman Alec J. , Dean Larry S. , Yang Eugene , Drezner Jonathan A.
Published: March 2021

Context:

Limited data are available to guide cardiovascular screening in adult or masters athletes (≥35 years old). This review provides recommendations and the rationale for the cardiovascular risk assessment of older athletes.

Evidence Acquisition:

Review of available clinical guidelines, original investigations, and additional searches across PubMed for articles relevant to cardiovascular screening, risk assessment, and prevention in adult athletes (1990-2020).

Study Design:

Clinical review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Results:

Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of exercise-induced acute coronary syndromes, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death in older athletes. Approximately 50% of adult patients who experience acute coronary syndromes and sudden cardiac arrest do not have prodromal symptoms of myocardial ischemia. The risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) can be estimated by using existing risk calculators. ASCVD 10-year risk is stratified into 3 categories: low-risk (≤10%), intermediate-risk (between 10% and 20%), and high-risk (≥20%). Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring with noncontrast computed tomography provides a noninvasive measure of subclinical CAD. Evidence supports a significant association between elevated CAC and the risk of future cardiovascular events, independent of traditional risk factors or symptoms. Statin therapy is recommended for primary prevention if 10-year ASCVD risk is ≥10% (intermediate- or high-risk patients) or if the Agatston score is >100 or >75th percentile for age and sex. Routine stress testing in asymptomatic, low-risk patients is not recommended.

Conclusion:

We propose a comprehensive risk assessment for older athletes that combines conventional and novel risk factors for ASCVD, a 12-lead resting electrocardiogram, and a CAC score. Available risk calculators provide a 10-year estimate of ASCVD risk allowing for risk stratification and targeted management strategies. CAC scoring can refine risk estimates to improve the selection of patients for initiation or avoidance of pharmacological therapy.
Sino–Sri Lankan relations and their impact on India
Authors: Jain Ishan
Published: March 2021

This article aims to understand the development of the Sino–Sri Lankan relationship from ancient to contemporary times and its overall impact on the Indo–Sri Lankan relationship and on India as a leader in the South Asian region. China has been investing heavily in Sri Lanka and several other South Asian countries in the name of economic development and upliftment. It has formed diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka and has provided immense economic, military and other forms of assistance and has reduced India’s involvement. The building of the Maritime Silk Route and the Belt and Road Initiative have been dream projects for China, and so the article analyses the assistance provided in terms of strategy that the Chinese may be planning. Based on the facts and evidence provided, the article will end on a scenario that could most likely take place based on the trajectory of the events and relationships.
“I Felt I Was Reaching a Point with My Health”: Understanding Reasons for Engagement and Acceptability of Treatment Services for Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Primary Care
Authors: O’Grady Megan A. , Conigliaro Joseph , Levak Svetlana , Morley Jeanne , Kapoor Sandeep , Ritter Melanie , Marini Christina , Morgenstern Jon
Published: March 2021

Introduction/Objectives:

Despite increasing need, there are large gaps in provision of care for unhealthy alcohol use. Primary care practices have become increasingly important in providing services for unhealthy alcohol use, yet little is known about the reasons patients engage in these services and their views on acceptability of such programs. The purpose of this study was to examine primary care patients’ reasons for engagement, experiences with, and acceptability of a primary care practice-based program for treating unhealthy alcohol use.

Methods:

This qualitative study was conducted in a primary care practice that was developing a collaborative care model for treating unhealthy alcohol use in primary care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 primary care patients. Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis.

Results:

Findings suggest that patients engaged for both internal (concerns about drinking and health) and external reasons (family or provider concern). Patient experiences in the program were shaped by their affective responses (enjoyable, enlightening), as well as therapeutic benefits (gaining new insights about drinking; staff/provider support). Acceptability was driven by core program elements (medication, therapy, integration) as well as positive impacts on drinking cognition and behavior and flexible, patient-centered approaches.

Conclusions:

Offering flexible and comprehensive programs with mutiple elements and both abstinence and moderation goals could also improve patient engagement and views on acceptability. Primary care practices will need to be thoughtful about the resources needed to implement these programs in terms of staffing, training, and program support.
The early use of Antibiotics for at Risk CHildren with InfluEnza-like illness (ARCHIE): a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Wang Kay , Semple Malcolm G. , Moore Michael , Hay Alastair D. , Tonner Sharon , Galal Ushma , Grabey Jenna , Carver Tricia , Perera Rafael , Yu Ly-Mee , Mollison Jill , Little Paul , Farmer Andrew , Butler Christopher C. , Harnden Anthony
Published: March 2021

Introduction

The UK government stockpiles co-amoxiclav to treat bacterial complications during influenza pandemics. This pragmatic trial examines whether early co-amoxiclav use reduces reconsultation due to clinical deterioration in “at risk” children presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI) in primary or ambulatory care.

Methods

“At risk” children aged from 6 months to 12 years presenting within 5 days of ILI onset were randomly assigned to oral co-amoxiclav 400/57 or a placebo twice daily for 5 days (dosing based on age±weight). “At risk” groups included children with respiratory, cardiac and neurological conditions. Randomisation was stratified by region and used a non-deterministic minimisation algorithm to balance age and current seasonal influenza vaccination status. Our target sample size was 650 children which would have allowed us to detect a reduction in the proportion of children reconsulting due to clinical deterioration from 40% to 26%, with 90% power and 5% two-tailed alpha error (including allowance for 25% loss to follow-up and an inflation factor of 1.041). Participants, caregivers and investigators were blinded to treatment allocation. Intention-to-treat analysis included all randomised participants with primary outcome data on reconsultation due to clinical deterioration within 28 days. Safety analysis included all randomised participants. Trial registration:ISRCTN 70714783. EudraCT 2013-002822-21.

Results

We recruited 271 children between February 11, 2015 and April 20, 2018. Primary outcome data were available for 265 children. Only 61 out of 265 children (23.0%) reconsulted due to clinical deterioration. No evidence of a treatment effect was observed for reconsultation due to clinical deterioration (33 out of 133 for co-amoxiclav (24.8%) and 28 out of 132 (21.2%) for placebo; adjusted risk ratio (RR) 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75–1.80). There was also no evidence of a difference between groups in the proportion of children for whom one or more adverse events (AEs) were reported (32 out of 136 (23.5%) for co-amoxiclav and 22 out of 135 (16.3%) for placebo; adjusted RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.90–2.34). In total, 66 AEs were reported (co-amoxiclav, n=37; placebo, n=29). Nine serious AEs were reported per group, although none were considered related to study medication.

Conclusion

Our trial did not find evidence that treatment with co-amoxiclav reduces risk of reconsultation due to clinical deterioration in “at risk” children who present early with ILI during influenza season. Our findings therefore do not support early co-amoxiclav use in children with seasonal ILI.
SHARP: enabling generation of real-world evidence on a pan-European scale to improve the lives of individuals with severe asthma
Authors: van Bragt Job J.M.H. , Hansen Susanne , Djukanovic Ratko , Bel Elisabeth H.D. , ten Brinke Anneke , Wagers Scott S. , Maitland-van der Zee Anke H. , Porsbjerg Celeste
Published: March 2021

Real-world evidence is important to help unravel unanswered problems in severe asthma and is valuable to better understand the patient experience and common clinical practice.

The Severe Heterogeneous Asthma Registry, Patient-centred (SHARP) Clinical Research Collaboration is created as a network of national registries and severe asthma centres that work together to perform registry based real-world research and clinical studies on a pan-European scale.

Such collaboration requires a new, innovative design to overcome the many issues that arise with large-scale data collection across national borders. SHARP has developed a platform that offers a federated analysis approach where national registry data are transformed and integrated into a common data model (CDM). The CDM then allows a local analysis of de-identified patient data and subsequent aggregate (meta-)analysis. To facilitate an easily accessible way to set up new registries, SHARP enables new registries to take part in a central database, based on already proven technology. Next to being economical, this linkage ensures data from different SHARP central members to be comparable.

Technological advancements lead to an ever-expanding rate of patient data that will be collected; with the collective effort of the pan-European severe asthma research community SHARP hopes to ensure that they are well equipped to enter a new era of medical research, with the ultimate goal to positively impact the lives of patients with severe asthma.
Multi-Branch Cable Harness Layout Design Based on Genetic Algorithm with Probabilistic Roadmap Method
Authors: Zhao Yingfeng , Liu Jianhua , Ma Jiangtao , Wu Linlin
Published: March 2021

Current studies on cable harness layouts have mainly focused on cable harness route planning. However, the topological structure of a cable harness is also extremely complex, and the branch structure of the cable harness can affect the route of the cable harness layout. The topological structure design of the cable harness is a key to such a layout. In this paper, a novel multi-branch cable harness layout design method is presented, which unites the probabilistic roadmap method (PRM) and the genetic algorithm. First, the engineering constraints of the cable harness layout are presented. An obstacle-based PRM used to construct non-interference and near to the surface roadmap is then described. In addition, a new genetic algorithm is proposed, and the algorithm structure of which is redesigned. In addition, the operation probability formula related to fitness is proposed to promote the efficiency of the branch structure design of the cable harness. A prototype system of a cable harness layout design was developed based on the method described in this study, and the method is applied to two scenarios to verify that a quality cable harness layout can be efficiently obtained using the proposed method. In summary, the cable harness layout design method described in this study can be used to quickly design a reasonable topological structure of a cable harness and to search for the corresponding routes of such a harness.
Resource integration optimization of convenience service platforms adopting dynamic service modes in new retail
Authors: Yang Yang , Yao Jianming
Published: March 2021

This paper analyzes the key issues of resource integration, and proposes a method for solving the problem of achieving efficient resource integration for convenience service platforms that adopt dynamic service modes. This method considers both the service level of collaborative resources under dynamic service modes, and collaborative resources’ satisfaction of service modes in the resource integration. In addition, dominant factors needing the most attention during resource integration under dynamic service modes are excavated. Moreover, a model for resource integration optimization is established, and ant colony algorithm is used to solve the problem. Finally, a case is used to verify the feasibility of the method.
Study of factors influencing the encrustation of indwelling catheters: prospective case series
Authors: Kalpande Sanket , Saravanan P. R. , Saravanan K.
Published: March 2021

Background

Long-term catheterisation is frequently necessary for patients with retention of urine or intractable incontinence who are unfit for definitive treatment or being evaluated for definitive treatment. In this study, the important factors influencing the encrustation of indwelling catheters are analysed.

Methods

A total of 52 patients on catheter drainage for a period ranging from 1 month to 1 year were taken in the study. Patients reported either for problems like catheter block or routine changing of catheter. The catheters were removed, and encrustation was subjected to chemical analysis. Urine was examined for pH, specific gravity, culture sensitivity and appearance. Blood samples were taken for estimation of calcium, phosphorus and uric acid.

Results

Out of 52 patients, 28 with urea splitting and 15 with non-urea splitting had positive urine culture (43 out of 52). Amongst 28, 27 (96%) had encrustation compared to 10 (50%) out of 15 with non-urea splitting bacteria (p value < .05). Amongst 24 patients having pH > 6, 22 (92%) had encrustation (p value < .05). The encrustation was found to be more common in bedridden patients (91%) when compared to physically active patients (54%) (p value < .05). The encrustation was more common in patients having single catheter for more than 15 days (86%) when compared to patients having catheter for shorter period (43%) (p value < .05).

Conclusion

This study showed definitive influence of the following factors in encrustation formation: infection with urea splitting organism, alkaline pH, physical activity of patient and duration of keeping a particular catheter.
Price discrimination in informal labor markets in Bogotá: an audit experiment during the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Authors: Zamora Paula , Mantilla César , Blanco Mariana
Published: March 2021

We conducted an audit experiment to examine whether street vendors in Bogotá (Colombia) exert price discrimination based on buyers’ attributes, such as gender and nationality, and based on product characteristics, such as the increasing marginal valuation of items needed to complete a collection. We exploited the seasonal demand for album stickers related to the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. In our within-subjects design, experimenters carried out in-person audits and quoted a pre-determined list of missing stickers. They interacted with 59 sticker vendors located in five geographic clusters and collected 287 vendor–buyer interactions. We find that prices quoted to foreign buyers are higher than prices quoted to Colombian buyers. By contrast, we do neither find evidence supporting direct gender-based discrimination, nor that vendors charge a higher price per sticker when the list of missing stickers is shorter. We complement the study with a qualitative analysis based on interviews that reveal vendors’ pricing strategies, their awareness of price discrimination, and the trade of counterfeits. The qualitative results suggest that price discrimination appears to be unconscious.
AlphaPart—R implementation of the method for partitioning genetic trends
Authors: Obšteter Jana , Holl Justin , Hickey John M. , Gorjanc Gregor
Published: March 2021

Background

In this paper, we present the AlphaPart R package, an open-source implementation of a method for partitioning breeding values and genetic trends to identify the contribution of selection pathways to genetic gain. Breeding programmes improve populations for a set of traits, which can be measured with a genetic trend calculated from estimated breeding values averaged by year of birth. While sources of the overall genetic gain are generally known, their realised contributions are hard to quantify in complex breeding programmes. The aim of this paper is to present the AlphaPart R package and demonstrate it with a simulated stylized multi-tier breeding programme mimicking a pig or poultry breeding programme.

Results

The package includes the main partitioning function AlphaPart, that partitions the breeding values and genetic trends by pre-defined selection paths, and a set of functions for handling data and results. The package is freely available from the CRAN repository athttp://CRAN.R-project.org/package=AlphaPart. We demonstrate the use of the package by partitioning the nucleus and multiplier genetic gain of the stylized breeding programme by tier-gender paths. For traits measured and selected in the multiplier, the multiplier selection generated additional genetic gain. By using AlphaPart, we show that the additional genetic gain depends on accuracy and intensity of selection in the multiplier and the extent of gene flow from the nucleus. We have proven that AlphaPart is a valuable tool for understanding the sources of genetic gain in the nucleus and especially the multiplier, and the relationship between the sources and parameters that affect them.

Conclusions

AlphaPart implements the method for partitioning breeding values and genetic trends and provides a useful tool for quantifying the sources of genetic gain in breeding programmes. The use of AlphaPart will help breeders to improve genetic gain through a better understanding of the key selection points that are driving gains in each trait.