bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adults perceive similar ultra-processed and minimally processed foods as having different levels of healthfulness: Development of stimuli for an ultra-processed food-related implicit association task
Authors: Braun Ashlea , Smith Michael , Garrett Evan , Cohn Amy M
Published: November 2024

Background: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is excessive across the United States (US). Understanding perceptions of food based on processing is critical to elucidate reasons for UPF intake and inform tool development for measuring related cognition. Aim: Design and evaluate perceptions of UPF and non-UPF food among general US adults. Hypothesis: Significant differences exist in perceived healthfulness across similar UPF and non-UPF foods. Methods: Photographs of foods were taken to represent eight pairs of similar UPFs and non-UPFs and presented in a Qualtrics survey with questions to gauge healthfulness from 0 to 10 (0 = completely unhealthy, 10 = completely healthy). Paired-samples sign tests were used to detect differences in ratings within pairs. Results: Participants ( n = 100) rated stimuli within all pairs significantly differently ( P < 0.001), indicating different perceptions of UPF and non-UPF. Conclusion: Adults perceive similar UPF and non-UPF as having different levels of healthfulness. Reasons for these differences warrant investigation.
Entrepreneurial passion, alertness and opportunity recognition: Affective-cognitive interactions in dynamic environments
Authors: Zhu Fei , Adomako Samuel , Donbesuur Francis , Ahsan Mujtaba , Shinnar Rachel , Sadeghi Arash (Ash)
Published: November 2024

Opportunity recognition is a core concept in entrepreneurship research. However, the mechanisms by which passion influences opportunity recognition, as well as the conditions under which this relationship occurs, are not well understood. This study analyses time-lagged data from 258 entrepreneurs to explore how, when and which aspects of entrepreneurial passion influence opportunity recognition through entrepreneurial alertness. The results indicate that all three types of entrepreneurial passion – passion for inventing, passion for founding and passion for developing – enhance opportunity recognition by increasing entrepreneurial alertness. Yet, only passion for inventing and passion for developing have a direct impact on opportunity recognition. Additionally, passion for inventing and passion for founding boost entrepreneurial alertness, but only in highly dynamic environments. Conversely, the effect of passion for developing alertness remains consistent regardless of environmental conditions. Further analysis reveals that each of the three passion domains affects opportunity recognition through different dimensions of entrepreneurial alertness.
Structure and properties of aluminum alloy composite conversion coating
Authors: Junming Liu , Heng Zhang , Bobo Chen , Liming* Feng
Published: November 2024

The intrinsic corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy is relatively poor and needs to be enhanced through anodic oxidation treatment. Traditional anodic oxide films predominantly consist of aluminum oxide and are characterized by low toughness and poor impact resistance, making them unsuitable for environments with high temperatures, large temperature variations, and stringent corrosion resistance requirements. This study employs oxalic acid and trace amounts of ammonium fluoride as the electrolyte for anodic oxidation treatment of 6061 aluminum alloy. Through electrochemical oxidation and chemical co-deposition, a composite oxide film is prepared. The composition of the oxide film includes Al2C6O12, AlF3, AlOOH, and amorphous Al2O3, exhibiting a micro-porous structure with an average pore diameter of 10–20 nm. The surface of the micropores is covered by a relatively dense chemical conversion film, which seals the micropores and enhances the corrosion resistance of the oxide film. When the concentration of oxalic acid is 10 g/L and the concentration of ammonium fluoride is 0.5 g/L, the composite oxide film does not crack when bent at 90° at room temperature. Furthermore, no cracks are observed after heating to 100°C and holding for 30 min or even after maintaining at 300°C for 6 h. The electrochemical impedance reaches 5.891 × 106 Ω cm2, while the sulfuric acid anodic oxide film develops cracks when bent at 30° at room temperature or heated to 58°C, with a low-frequency impedance value of 3.649 × 105 Ω cm2.
Effect of ultrasonic shot peening on the microstructure, surface residual stress, and wear properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy
Authors: Sun Haodong , Si Chaorun , Wang Junbiao
Published: November 2024

In this study, ultrasonic shot peening (USP) was used to enhance the surface of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Samples treated with different amplitudes were characterized and their wear resistance was tested and analyzed. The results demonstrate that the surface morphology of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy changed significantly after USP treatment, and the surface roughness increases at first, then stabilizes as the amplitude increases. The surface grain of the material is refined due to severe plastic deformation, and the average grain size after USP treatment is 27.93% finer than the original sample. Due to the effect of fine grain strengthening and work hardening, the microhardness of the material's near-surface layer is also enhanced in varying degrees, showing a gradient decrease throughout the depth of the cross-section. Furthermore, USP produces compressive residual stress as high as −791.01 MPa in the near-surface layer. When the USP amplitude is 80% and the treatment time is 240 s, the wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is substantially enhanced under the combined action of hardness, compressive residual stress, and surface pits, reducing wear resistance. The wear mechanism is primarily abrasive wear and oxidation wear.
Evaluation of Ni-Co/TiO2-CeO2 nanocomposite coatings fabricated by electro-co-deposition
Authors: Saeidpour Fatemeh , Ebrahimi Taha
Published: November 2024

Multiarticulate metal matrix composites have recently attracted the attention of many researchers. In this study, the efficacy of two reinforcement particles, TiO2 and CeO2, on the Ni-Co alloy coating was investigated. This coating is formed via the electro-co-deposition method on the copper substrate. The coated copper was examined and identified using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) system, an electrochemical workstation, surface roughness measuring instruments, and a microhardness machine. Findings showed that adding TiO2 and CeO2 nanoparticles into Ni-Co makes better the morphology of the surface, decreases the crystalline size, and improves the corrosion resistance, wear resistance and microhardness of the Ni-Co alloy coating. For Ni-Co /TiO2-CeO2 coating, the average surface roughness value was estimated at 85 nm, which is almost twice the roughness of Ni-Co alloy coating.
Outcomes after inpatient rehabilitation for older adults with hip fractures: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Lee Se Won , Elsakr Carol , Joung Keong M , Ayutyanont Napatkamon
Published: November 2024

Objective

To investigate the clinical characteristics of older adults undergoing inpatient rehabilitation after hip fractures and to find factors associated with discharge location.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis.

Setting

Inpatient rehabilitation units in the United States.

Participants

≥65 years old patients with hip fractures.

Intervention

Inpatient rehabilitation with ≥1 hour of physical and occupational therapy per weekday.

Main measures

Home versus nonhome discharges.

Results

79% of 7439 ( n = 5,908) patients were discharged to home after a median stay of 14 days, while 13% ( n = 990) were discharged to skilled nursing facilities. 6% ( n = 423) were transferred to acute care during rehabilitation stay. Functional mobility levels for bed-to-chair transfer and sit-to-stand at admission were significantly lower in patients discharged to facilities than in patients discharged to home. Older age (OR 0.97 per 1 year, CI 0.96–0.98); comorbidities of dementia (OR 0.68, CI 0.56–0.83) and cerebrovascular disease (OR 0.53, CI 0.36–0.78); and the use of opioid analgesics (OR 0.71, CI 0.56–0.91), antipsychotics (OR 0.73, CI 0.58–0.92), and anticonvulsants (OR 0.81, CI 0.67–0.96), and lower initial functional levels in bed-to-chair transfers (OR 0.08, CI 0.05–0.12) for dependent level; OR 0.16, CI 0.10–0.25 for level requiring maximal assistance; OR 0.38, CI 0.24–0.60 for level requiring partial, moderate assistance), were associated with a decreased likelihood of discharge to home after inpatient rehabilitation.

Conclusion

Older adults with dementia, cerebrovascular disorders, and lower bed-to-chair transfer mobility levels at admission after hip fractures may benefit from additional targeted rehabilitation to improve the chances of a successful community discharge.
Facilitators and Barriers in Parental Mediation of Internet Use by At-Risk Families
Authors: García-Ruiz María-del-Mar , Gallego-Arrufat María-Jesús
Published: November 2024

The Internet presents a great challenge for families that want a safe digital environment for their children, yet few studies have been performed of facilitators and barriers to the processes by which parents mediate Internet use. Our study reviews the literature indexed in WoS, Scopus, and ERIC since 2000 and identifies factors related to children, parents, and cultural differences due to context. It also performs a qualitative study with at-risk families in southern Spain using focus group technique. Our findings show that parents primarily perceive barriers, emphasizing lack of control over their children's Internet access and usage. Negative beliefs about Internet use also contribute to these challenges. There is a critical need to design programs that give families tailored tools and resources. Addressing educational needs in this context remains a significant challenge for both research and practice. To enhance children's digital safety, it is crucial for parents, educators, and policymakers to collaborate actively. Future research efforts should aim to develop more effective strategies in this direction.
Product-Form Strategy and the Macro Structures of Service Ecosystems
Authors: Frias Kellilynn M. , Ghosh Mrinal
Published: November 2024

Recent conceptual advances in macromarketing suggest that to understand the service ecosystem, we need to study the interactions and interconnectedness at different levels. Relatedly, recent work in product-form strategy suggests environmental and technological factors may influence decisions about where to position a product or service. We categorize these “what to sell” decisions into four principal product-forms—know-how, components, systems, and solutions. We develop a framework to suggest how the macrostructure of the service ecosystem shapes and gets shaped by the product form the firm chooses to offer in a market. Additionally, we explore the impact of this product-form framework across service ecosystems that are representative of marketing systems. We illustrate these interactions in the market for cookies by focusing on one firm—Pillsbury—that simultaneously offers all four product forms. We conclude by drawing implications for future research directions in the area.
Relational Plants and Apurinã's Multibeing Life-Making
Authors: Virtanen Pirjo Kristiina , Apurinã Franciso
Published: November 2024

Southwestern Amazonia is one of the most biodiverse areas of the world. In this region, plants have a significant place and role in Indigenous peoples’ social relations. They are inseparable actors in human history and crucial social actors within diverse social assemblages. Our article focuses on plant subjectivities in Apurinã ritual encounters, which highlight the elemental role of certain plants in complex relations of various more-than-human and human beings. In the kyynyry and kamatxi rituals of this Arawak-speaking nation living in the Purus River region, the plants are central ritual actors and manifest in immaterial and material ways: they are entities, have their own songs, and are embodied, danced with, and experienced through diverse audible dimensions. Our sources, produced by participative workshops, interviews, co-living with our interlocutors, as well as our own participation in ritual encounters, show how plants are considered to be constituted as relational agents. The plants are identified and known through their relationships, qualities, and the production of multibeings. They follow the same moiety lines as the Apurinã, but some plants become more important than others. Plants reveal varying degrees of relative agentive potency depending on their relationship to other beings, and the role in the life-making of humans, animals, plants, and other more-than-human beings. Furthermore, our community-based approach also points to the development of specific systems of communication, such as in the form of plant instruments’ sounds, storying, and sharing experiences of living with plants.
Magnetic manipulation of unknown and complex conductive nonmagnetic objects with application in the remediation of space debris
Authors: Tabor Griffin F , Pham Lan N , Abbott Jake J , Hermans Tucker
Published: November 2024

This article extends recent work in magnetic manipulation of conductive, nonmagnetic objects using rotating magnetic dipole fields. Eddy-current-based manipulation provides a contact-free way to manipulate metallic objects. We are particularly motivated by the large amount of aluminum in space debris. We previously demonstrated dexterous manipulation of solid spheres with all object parameters known a priori. This work expands the previous model, which contained three discrete modes, to a continuous model that covers all possible relative positions of the manipulated spherical object with respect to the magnetic field source. We further leverage this new model to examine manipulation of spherical objects with unknown physical parameters by applying techniques from the online-optimization and adaptive-control literature. Our experimental results validate our new dynamics model, showing that we get improved performance compared to the previously proposed model, while also solving a simpler optimization problem for control. We further demonstrate the first physical magnetic manipulation of aluminum spheres, as previous controllers were only physically validated on copper spheres. We show that our adaptive control framework can quickly acquire useful object parameters when weakly initialized. Finally, we demonstrate that the spherical-object model can be used as an approximate model for adaptive control of nonspherical objects by performing magnetic manipulation of a variety of objects for which a spherical model is not an obvious approximation.
Horus Behdety, a Royal Wife, and a Royal Daughter from the Private Necropolis of Kom el-Khamaseen (South Saqqara)
Authors: González León Daniel , Cervelló Autuori Josep
Published: November 2024

Kom el-Khamaseen is a small necropolis located in South Saqqara, 3 km west of the pyramid of Djedkare-Izezi, dating from the end of the Old Kingdom to the First Intermediate Period. In the past few decades, the site has been the victim of several incidences of looting which have destroyed it to a great extent. Between 2019 and 2022, a team from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona carried out rescue excavations there. A great number of limestone blocks and block fragments decorated with inscriptions and reliefs were recovered. In a few cases, this decoration suggests reuse and external provenance. Thus, the two blocks presented here – one with a representation of Horus Behdety and the other with an allusion to a royal daughter – must come from the royal cemeteries of South Saqqara. A discussion of this provenance and of the robbery and reuse of materials during the First Intermediate Period is presented.

[Formula: see text]
Parent assessment of their child’s play: A psychometric study on the Pretend Play Enjoyment Developmental Checklist
Authors: Dabiri Golchin Minoo , Stagnitti Karen , Ansarinia Rasool , Dehghan Manshadi Mohammad amin , Nobahar Ahari Monire
Published: November 2024

Introduction:

Play is a crucial occupation of children’s that requires reliable and valid assessment. This study aimed to investigate validity and reliability of the parent version of the Pretend Play Enjoyment Developmental Checklist (PPE-DC).

Methods:

This cross-sectional psychometric study included 10 Iranian occupational therapists from paediatric clinical practice (mean age of 36.5 years) with an average of 14.5 years of experience. Thirty parents and their neurodivergent children (6 girls; mean = 55.90 months; SD = 14.25) and 30 parents and their neurotypical children (14 girls; mean age = 53.4 months; SD = 20.45) participated. Parents filled in the PPE-DC, and a trained therapist assessed children with the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (ChIPPA) within 10 days of parents filling in the PPE-DC.

Results:

The content validity ratio was 1. Content validity index was >0.8. There were significant differences for all parent PPE-DC scores between neurotypical and neurodivergent children ( p < 0.001). For concurrent validity, there were moderate significant relationships between the ChIPPA and PPE-DC items. Test–retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.99).

Conclusion:

The PPE-DC Parent version is a reliable and valid parent’s measurement of their child’s level of complexity of play skills.
Comprehending self-compassion manifestations and their relationships among adults diagnosed with ADHD: A foundation for recovery-based interventions
Authors: Paley Tamar , Maeir Adina , Shor Ron
Published: November 2024

Background:

Enhancing self-compassion ( SC) was found to enhance Quality of Life ( QoL). There is a need to comprehend SC manifestations among adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who experience low QoL to provide a foundation for Recovery-based interventions aiming to enhance SC and QoL among adults with ADHD.

Objective:

To explore SC manifestations and their relationships with ADHD symptoms and ADHD related QoL.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey used self-rated questionnaires for ADHD symptoms, QoL and SC among 32 adults with ADHD, recruited by a volunteer community sampling.

Results:

Moderate overall SC was noted. Negative SC means were found to be higher than the positive SC means. The positive SC subscale common humanity had the lowest mean while the negative SC subscale overidentification had the highest mean. Overall SC level was found to significantly contribute to ADHD symptoms in predicting QoL variance. Overidentification was found to be a significant partial mediator between ADHD symptoms and QoL.

Conclusion:

Recovery-based interventions aiming to decrease the tendency of adults with ADHD to overidentify with their negative thoughts and feelings and to enhance their realization that their difficulties are shared by others, may have the potential to enhance SC and QoL.
The diachrony of the Hebrew verb בָּעַל‎
Authors: Carbonell Ortiz Clara
Published: November 2024

Lexicographers and biblical scholars have traditionally disagreed regarding the chronological distribution of the sexual and marital meanings of the verb בָּעַל‎. Some restrict the sense ‘to penetrate’ to post-biblical corpora, whereas others assert that it is also present in the Hebrew Bible. This research seeks to 1) assess the degree of suitability of these claims, 2) analyse the semantics and morpho-syntactical structure of בָּעַל‎ in its diachronic extension, and 3) determine when the semantic evolution dominion/marriage > sex happened. To this end, a wide array of sources, both direct (Hebrew Bible, Qumran documents, Mishnah, and Tosefta) and indirect (the ancient versions and dictionaries) is thoroughly examined.
Ezekiel’s God in pursuit of recognition: A catalyst for self-transformation
Authors: Kugler Gili
Published: November 2024

This article explores the recurring refrain ‘Then you shall know that I am the Lord’, which appears over 70 times in the book of Ezekiel, serving as a primary driving force behind God’s actions and intentions throughout history. The article examines how this formula reflects God’s concern about his perception and the level of respect accorded to him, leading to a tendency to revise plans and decisions, and even contradict previous principles. Key examples explored include the retrospective review in Ezek. 20 and God’s confronting entities like Gog of Magog (ch. 39) and the nation of Seir (ch. 35). Ultimately, the recognition formula reveals God’s responsive nature, influenced by others’ perceptions, portraying God as a self-aware entity eager for acknowledgment. This perspective challenges entrenched beliefs about the unchanging nature of the biblical deity, often erroneously associated with the immutable mover of classical philosophy.
A pre-biblical version of the Cain and Abel story: A subtle condemnation of a dysfunctional social structure
Authors: Krstić Vladimir
Published: November 2024

This article argues that, in its pre-biblical version (pre-J), the Cain and Abel story principally dealt with tensions unique to dry-farming families. According to pre-J, the main cause of these tensions was the relevant social structure. The social structure was problematic because it involved two important imbalances, one between the spouses and one between the children. Pre-J offers a novel solution to problems caused by these interfamilial imbalances: rather than accepting their pre-established social roles, people should develop a merit-based social structure. This is why Yahweh says that acceptance and honour are to be found in doing what is right. Focusing on a pre-J narrative in this way and situating the story within the broader context of sibling rivalry solves three puzzles relating to: Yahweh’s preference (God challenges unjust social institutions), Cain’s reactions (he is angry because his expectations were unmet and depressed because he thought that this was his failure), and Yahweh’s final forgiving of Cain (the conflict was not due to Cain’s wicked character).
Simulating Impacts from Transit Service Enhancements in the San Francisco Bay Area
Authors: Poliziani Cristian , Needell A. Zachary , Laarabi Haitam , Waraich Rashid , Todd-Blick Annika , Fujita K. Sydny , Rezaei Nazanin , Caicedo D. Juan , Guirado Carlos , Spurlock C. Anna , Wenzel Tom
Published: November 2024

Preemptively assessing the potential impacts of large transportation projects is an essential step in achieving better outcomes. However, for transformative public transit projects, it can be difficult to weigh the many complicated downstream impacts on individual travelers in a coherent, cost-effective, and comprehensive way. This research focuses on leveraging the Behavior, Energy, Autonomy & Mobility Comprehensive Regional Evaluator (BEAM CORE) to gauge regional responses to changes in existing and planned public transit services, capturing service performance, system impacts, and users’ responses. We applied BEAM CORE to a case study in the San Francisco Bay Area to simulate the effects of recent and upcoming transit projects, showcasing its potential for transportation planning. By simulating individual traveler movements, it becomes possible to delve deeply into the equity and accessibility ramifications of transit system enhancements. The analysis of ridership, mobility, accessibility, and equity presented for this study highlights the benefits of this method in providing a clear understanding of the performances of public transit projects, facilitating more informed and efficient decision-making for transport stakeholders. The results obtained from BEAM CORE aligned closely with expectations and observed data, demonstrating its effectiveness and reliability. Finally, because of the BEAM CORE model’s responsiveness to changes in the systems, the method can in the future be applied not only to test existing or planned interventions but to a large variety of hypothetical scenarios to identify the optimal solution, including other transport modes.
Accessible Commercial Airline Travel for Mobility Device Users: A Focus Group Study with Veterans
Authors: Lee Chang Dae , Rafferty Evan , Oliver Chloe , Cooper Rosemarie , Candiotti Jorge , Deepak Nikitha , Cooper Rory A.
Published: November 2024

This study aimed to identify the needs of mobility device users (MDUs) to pursue accessible airline travel at every stage of the journey, from trip planning to departure to arrival at the destination airport. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with MDUs ( n = 13) and their caregivers ( n = 7). Descriptive statistics were used for demographic information, and a qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the transcribed interviews and extract themes. Three overarching themes were identified: service, accessibility, and safety. Sub-themes related to service encompassed booking concerns, disconnected services, untrained airport staff, and damaged mobility devices. Accessibility sub-themes included the in-cabin aisle, in-cabin toilet, and airport infrastructure. Safety sub-themes encompassed aisle chairs and passenger seats. This study has uncovered challenges, particularly in relation to booking concerns, disconnected services, untrained airport staff, and airport infrastructure. To address these challenges, potential solutions are suggested, including staff education, installation of in-cabin accessible toilets and versatile seats, modification of wheelchairs and aisle chairs, and improvements to accessible airport infrastructure. We anticipate that the findings will provide insights into the redesign of aircraft, airports, wheelchairs, and aisle chairs as well as inform the development of legislation and guidelines.
Graph Convolutional Network for AD and MCI Diagnosis Utilizing Peripheral DNA Methylation: Réseau de neurones en graphes pour le diagnostic de la MA et du TCL à l’aide de la méthylation de l’ADN périphérique
Authors: Qian Yuqin , Tang Xinlu , Shen Ruinan , Lu Yong , Ding Jianqing , Qian Xiaohua , Zhang Chencheng
Published: November 2024

Objective

Blood DNA methylation (DNAm) alterations have been widely reported in the onset and progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, DNAm is underutilized as a diagnostic biomarker for these diseases. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of DNAm for MCI and AD, both individually and in combination with well-established AD biosignatures.

Methods

A total of 1,891 blood samples from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) studies were used to identify potential candidate DNAm biomarkers. Multimodal clinical data from 635 samples (normal control (NC), n = 193; MCI, n = 352; AD, n = 90) in the TADPOLE dataset were utilized to construct eight different classification models using a graph convolutional network, a machine learning framework.

Results

After feature selection, 17 DNAm sites were selected for subsequent analysis. Remarkable differences in DNAm levels were observed at the screened DNAm loci in all three cohorts. Adopting DNAm features into multimodal models significantly improved the classification performance for three dichotomous subtasks (NC vs. non-NC, MCI vs. non-MCI, and AD vs. non-AD), especially when combined with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) features for NC (area under the curve (AUC): 0.8534) and MCI classification (AUC: 0.7675). A weak correlation between DNAm and both magnetic resonance imaging and CSF features in the NC and MCI cohorts suggests good complementarity between modalities (correlation coefficient ≤0.2).

Conclusions

Our study offers new insights into peripheral DNAm in MCI and AD and suggests promising diagnostic performance of models integrating epigenomics, imaging, or CSF biomarkers.

Plain Language Summary Title

Using Machine Learning and Blood-Based Genetic Markers to Help Diagnose Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease
Concentration in contemporary society: Towards a theory of crisis based on Marx and Luhmann
Authors: Alvear Rafael
Published: November 2024

When examining the current form that modern society has acquired, it is hard to overlook the emergence of a systemic dimension that has become far removed from its social-symbolic roots. This systemic dimension is the result of a process of functional differentiation and simultaneous growth that has led to the gradual formation of social systems that, alongside their coordinating effect, give rise to multiple conflicts or crises. But how are the crises of modern societies to be understood in light of this logic of functional differentiation and internal growth? The purpose of this article is to postulate one particular form of crisis, which will be understood as the result of a consubstantial tendency towards systemic growth. The trend takes the form of a concentration of the performances of social systems that recreates modern schemes of stratification, homogenizes the diversity of options and selections of these systems and, by becoming caught up in thoughtless patterns of growth, produces critical scenarios.
Exploring Rapid Response Team Activation Impact in Patients with Cirrhosis with Acute Decompensation
Authors: Friesen Joelle N. , Maberry Mackenzie , Olson Jody C. , Gallo de Moraes Alice
Published: November 2024

Background

Cirrhosis is associated with significant healthcare utilization, yet data about in-hospital decompensations remain sparse. Additionally, the impact of liver transplant candidacy status on resuscitation and outcomes is largely unknown.

Aims

We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of resuscitation events for patients with cirrhosis with acute decompensation, analyzing liver transplant candidacy and intensive care unit (ICU) transfer parameters.

Methods

Retrospective single-center review of adult patients with liver cirrhosis who had a rapid response team (RRT) activation during hospitalization and no prior liver transplantation.

Results

Patients with cirrhosis who were liver transplant candidates were more likely to be younger ( p = .003), have a higher serum total bilirubin ( p = .015), higher INR ( p < .001), and higher MELD 3.0 ( p = .006). There was no significant difference in ICU transfer ( p = .170) after RRT activation. Liver transplant candidates had a lower 30- and 60-day mortality ( p = .008, p = .014) and were less likely to have a code status discussion after decompensation ( p = .001). Lower serum albumin was associated with ICU transfer ( p = .001). Patients who transferred to the ICU were more likely to have a code status discussion within 24 h after RRT ( p = .011) without significant difference in 30- or 60-day mortality ( p = .059, p = .277).

Conclusions

Liver transplant candidacy in patients with cirrhosis with acute decompensation is not clearly correlated with ICU transfer. Liver transplant candidates are more likely to be younger, have higher MELD 3.0 scores, less likely to have code status discussed after RRT, and have lower 30- and 60-day mortality rates. Patients who transfer to the ICU are more likely to have a code status discussion without any significant difference in 30- or 60-day mortality.
Consuming Traditional Qashqai Dress in 21st Century Iran: Space, Place, and Connectedness
Authors: Falsafi Zahra , Reddy-Best Kelly L.
Published: November 2024

The Qashqai tribe is one of many ethnic groups in Iran with its own language and traditions. Different regions of Iran, including where the Qashqai tribe is predominantly located in the Fars Province, produce and use different Iranian traditional dress. In this research, we explored Qashqai Iranian tribal members in the twenty-first century and what is negotiated about identities through traditional Qashqai dress and how does space and place intersect with identity negotiations through traditional dress. We identified the overarching theme of feelings of connectedness, that is, a sense of association within and between numerous and different spaces and places, interrelated to the Qashqai traditional dress. Numerous scholars have identified connectedness as a theme in relation to ethnic communities and their traditional dress. We expand on the nuances related to connectedness, examining a more indepth understanding of how this concept is negotiated within, between, around, and through traditional Qashqai dress.
Project Coordinate: Impact of Content-Focused Lesson Study on Teacher Knowledge, Collaboration, and MTSS Instruction
Authors: Benedict Amber E. , Brownell Mary T. , Sohn Hyojong , Williams Jessica , Kelcey Ben , Kosiarski Germaine
Published: November 2024

General and special educators often do not have the needed knowledge and skills or collaborative opportunities to implement coordinated, evidence-based instruction within a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. As such, the authors used a randomized control design to examine the impact of Project Coordinate (PC), a professional development approach incorporating online content modules and lesson study, on fourth-grade general and special education teachers’ knowledge, collaborative planning, and instructional practice in reading. The authors used multilevel modeling, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) analyses to examine differences in teacher knowledge, changes in the frequency of tiered instruction, teachers’ perceptions of collaborative planning, changes in treatment teachers’ use of evidence-based practices (EBPs), and effective implementation of EBPs. Results showed that PC teachers did not make significant gains in knowledge; however, these teachers did make significant gains on collaborative and instructional practice though findings are complex. The authors discuss the implications of findings for future research and practice.
School-to-Work Transition: How Digital Educational Context Promotes Career Satisfaction Through a Motivational Mechanism
Authors: Bazine Nicolas , Freour Léa
Published: November 2024

The use of technology for educational purposes has become widespread with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution (Dal santo et al., 2022). Drawing from Masdonati’s et al. (2022) model, the current research aims to show that the digital educational context can allow for decent education and play a tremendous role in the success of the school-to-work-transition. The study develops a model exploring how digital educational context is related to motivation to learn, proactive skill development during university studies, and career satisfaction once employed. We tested our hypotheses with a three-wave panel study composed of 297 individuals via a structural equation modeling analysis involving a sequential mediation. The results support our hypotheses and emphasize the importance of digital educational context for a better school-to-work-transition through motivation to learn and proactive skill development. The study provides practical implications which are discussed.
Diagnosis, Classification, and Treatment of Canine Tooth Resorption: A Literature Review
Authors: Baldwin Emily , Guillory Melissa , Vall Patrick
Published: November 2024

Tooth resorption is a common finding in imaging and oral examination of the canine veterinary dental patient. Although significant literature exists on tooth resorption in the feline, available canine tooth resorption publications are sparse. This article aims to provide a comprehensive literature review of canine tooth resorption, including diagnosis, classification, and treatment.
Exploring the possibility of university students as charity trustees
Authors: Evans Carl , Jackson Nigel , Shrives Nicole , Chen Huilan
Published: November 2024

The aim of this study is to examine the viewpoint of charities, as to how receptive they might be to having a university student on their board of trustees. A questionnaire was sent to charities in the South-West of England. 154 responses were received. 63% of respondents currently have vacancies for trustees. There is a heightened awareness among respondents of the importance of diversity of boards and a high level of interest in exploring whether, and how, students could be recruited as trustees. This paper extends previous work in exploring whether charities would be receptive to having a university student on their boards and raises awareness of one possible route that charities might pursue to increase the number and diversity of trustees.
Adaptive event-triggered dynamic output feedback control for networked autonomous vehicles affected by signal quantization and actuator failures
Authors: Zhang Shou-Wu , Li Qing , Wang Heng , Xi Ya-Ming
Published: November 2024

In this paper, an event-triggered sliding-mode output feedback control (SMOFC) strategy with adaptive fault-tolerance is proposed to achieve path tracking for networked autonomous vehicles, considering the challenges posed by network communication and electric steering systems. Initially, signal quantization, external disturbances, and actuator faults are incorporated into the vehicle model. This incorporation enhances the designed controller’s robustness against a broader and more demanding range of driving scenarios. Subsequently, in situations where only output feedback is available, a dynamic output compensator is designed to reconstruct the unmeasurable vehicle state. Utilizing the reconstructed vehicle state, an event-triggered strategy is devised to alleviate the network burden and determine the minimum time between triggering events to prevent Zeno behavior. Furthermore, an adaptive mechanism is employed to estimate the actuator fault boundaries. The performance of the designed controller is evaluated through simulation instances.
Adaptive robust sliding mode control for AEB considering road adhesion condition constraint
Authors: Qiu Mingming , Li Zengyuan , Yu Wei , Zhang Bingzhan , Zhao Han
Published: November 2024

Road adhesion condition is one of the key factors affecting the control effect of active emergency braking system (AEB), and emergency braking decision and slip rate tracking control are restricted by road adhesion condition. In this paper, an improved automatic emergency braking control method is proposed, which takes into account the constraints of road adhesion conditions. Firstly, a method of road adhesion coefficient recognition is established, which combines the database of road friction parameters with visual recognition algorithm to obtain the road adhesion coefficient. Secondly, a dynamic emergency braking distance model is established, which takes into account the road adhesion conditions and the motion state of vehicles and targets, so as to dynamically adjust the emergency braking decision distance. Then, considering the constraint of road adhesion coefficient on braking torque, a slip rate adaptive robust sliding mode controller with dynamic input constraint is designed. The input saturation boundary of the controller can be dynamically adjusted with different road adhesion conditions, and the dynamic compensation control for input saturation of the system is realized. Finally, the simulation experiments are carried out under different emergency braking conditions. The results show that the proposed method is deemed more consistent with the practicalities and demonstrates excellent braking performance and robustness.
Research on unsteady flow characteristics of turbocharger turbine stage with coupling inlet and exhaust casings
Authors: Mo Guangyu , Tao Chunde , Zhao Tianxiao , Ma Guojun , Gao Jie
Published: November 2024

The inlet and exhaust casings of marine turbochargers are closely coupled to the axial flow turbine. These are crucial parts that work with the axial flow turbine and have the ability to raise the power plant’s output power even higher. Their final stage of the axial flow turbine and the exhaust casing’s complex flow due to their close relationship will have a significant effect on each other’s aerodynamic performance. However, most existing studies have not paid sufficient attention to this coupled transient interaction. In this paper, the flow interaction between the axial flow turbine and the inlet and exhaust casings is studied. Particular attention is paid to the study of the coupled flow characteristics under design and variable operating conditions. This study is carried out using coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The computational domain consists of an inlet casing, 28 stator blades, 43 rotor blades, and an exhaust casing. The commercial CFD software ANSYS CFX solver and the SST turbulence model are used to simulate the unsteady flow field of the turbocharger axial turbine coupled to the inlet and exhaust casings. In this paper, the turbine flow field and the inlet and exhaust casings flow fields are analyzed, and the influence of the exhaust casing on rotor surface pressure fluctuation is discussed. In addition, the flow field distribution and performance parameters of the axial flow turbine coupled with the inlet and exhaust casings under three different operating conditions have been calculated and analyzed. The results show that the inlet casing affects the circumferential distribution of the stator leading edge pressure, while the asymmetric back pressure caused by the exhaust casing flow field causes the low-frequency pressure fluctuation at the rotor blade surface. At the trailing edge of the suction surface, the complex flow separation and vortex structure in the exhaust casing are the main factors causing rotor-stator interaction. The low-frequency fluctuation amplitude caused by the exhaust casing is greater than that caused by the high-frequency fluctuation of the rotor-stator interaction. Moreover, as the flow coefficient increases, the low-frequency fluctuation amplitude is much greater than the high-frequency fluctuation amplitude.
The problem of pain in systemic lupus erythematosus: A comprehensive analysis of pain distribution using the CHOIR body map and PROMIS measures
Authors: Jiang Tiffany En , Mackey Sean , Darnall Beth D , Simard Julia F , Falasinnu Titilola
Published: November 2024

Background

Our study investigates the associations between pain distribution, biopsychosocial factors, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Employing self-reported pain body maps, we aim to characterize the distribution of pain and its impact on biopsychosocial measures.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the electronic health records (EHR) of 332 adult patients with SLE attending pain clinics at an academic medical center. The study included demographics, pain distribution assessed via self-reported body maps, and PROMIS assessments of biopsychosocial experiences. We used linear regression models adjusted for age and sex to investigate associations between pain distribution and PROMIS outcomes.

Results

Men, on average, indicated pain in 3.2 regions, whereas women reported pain in 5.6 regions. Women predominantly highlighted the hip, buttock, and leg region, whereas men primarily emphasized the shoulder and arm region. We found a positive correlation between pain widespreadness and worse PROMIS measures, including pain interference, behavior, fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and social isolation. Additionally, widespread pain was associated with lower physical function, emotional support, and satisfaction in roles and activities. Female patients reported higher levels of pain and PROMIS measures compared to males.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the multidimensional impact of pain on SLE patients’ lives underscoring the need for holistic pain management approaches. The intricate associations between pain distribution and biopsychosocial factors emphasize the importance of considering spatial dimensions of pain in clinical interventions. Further research is warranted to explore effective interventions addressing psychosocial aspects of pain in SLE, aiming to enhance patient symptom management and quality of life.
Qualitative discrimination of low-dose oral contraceptives and identification of environmentally stressed tablets: Comparing a handheld near infrared spectrometer to a benchtop spectrometer
Authors: Eady Matthew , Peters Noah , Jenkins David
Published: November 2024

Levonorgestrel – ethinyl estradiol tablets (Levo-EE) are an essential medication provided through global health supply chains for family planning purposes. Ensuring the quality of Levo-EE and other essential medications in a global supply chain is a primary concern. Portable and handheld diffuse reflectance spectrometers have become more approachable from a cost and usability perspective in recent years. A discriminatory screening method with a handheld near infrared (NIR) spectrometer (900 – 1700 nm) differentiating between brands of Levo-EE and placebos has been constructed. Additionally, the handheld spectrometer was used to determine if environmentally stressed tablets could be identified and differentiated in a qualitative screening method. The same samples were scanned on a benchtop diffuse reflectance NIR spectrometer as well (350 – 2500 nm) for comparison. Brands of oral contraceptives were able to be discriminated by applying a Mahalanobis distance-based classification approach to the handheld spectrometer, though be it at a slightly lower level of discernability due to the reduced spectral range collected. Environmentally stressed samples were applied to the classification model, which were flagged as unlike the reference dataset. Spectra from the environmentally stressed tablets saw an increase in absorbance for water associated peaks with the benchtop spectrometer at approximately 1450 nm and 1949 nm for tablets stored at 30, 40, and 50°C–54°C. Data collected by the handheld showed that the spectrometer offers a low-cost screening approach to oral contraceptive tablets containing two low-dose active ingredients. The handheld spectrometer was also able to flag environmentally stressed samples. The total model accuracy for the target product (brand “A”; N = 560) was above 98% for both benchtop and handheld spectrometers. While these results focus on oral contraceptives, a similar approach could be conducted for other solid dosage tablets for more approachable quality compliance screening.
Global Value Chain Spillovers and Economic Growth of SAARC Countries under the BRI Perspective
Authors: Mushtaq Bushra , Afzal Muhammad
Published: November 2024

This study revisits the relationship between trade and growth, emphasizing the functions of the global value chain (GVC). This is a pioneer study to empirically evaluate the impact of GVC trade on the economic growth of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations from the perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The objective of this article is to analyze the potential contribution of BRI in the development of these countries backward, forward and sectoral-level GVC participation. We employed second-generation econometric techniques for this empirical analysis over the period 1990–2022. To ensure the robustness of the results of cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL), we used the augmented mean group (AMG) and common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG) models. The results indicate that forward and backward GVC involvement increases economic growth for SAARC countries. On the contrary, due to improper implementation of domestic policies, economic environment and inadequate absorptive capacity, GVC participation comes with a negative impact on the economic growth of the sample countries. The sectoral GVC trade in manufacturing industries is linked to a favourable impact on growth, while sectoral GVC trade-in service shows a negative association with gross domestic product (GDP). The results of our analysis demonstrate that GVCs are a driver of economic growth. Countries can unlock potential gains by implementing policies that promote participation in GVCs and by strengthening domestic fundamentals through regional collaborations within the BRI.