bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: An emotional health perspective of Indians on Twitter
Authors: Chehal Dimple , Gupta Parul , Gulati Payal
Published: July 2020

Background:

Novel corona virus (2019-nCoV) has spread in the world since its first human infection in December 2019. India has also witnessed a rising number of infections since March 2020. The Indian government imposed lockdowns in the nation to control the movement of its citizens thereby confining the spread of the virus. Tweeters resorted to usage of social media platform to express their mind.

Aim:

Through this article, an attempt has been made to understand the mind-set of Indian people using Python and R statistical software, during the recent lockdown 2.0 (15 April 2020 to 3 May 2020) and lockdown 3.0 (4 May 2020 to 17 May 2020) through their tweets on the social media platform Twitter. Also, opinion on e-commerce during this pandemic has been analysed.

Method:

Analysis has been performed using Python and R statistical software. Also, recent articles related to COVID-19 have been considered and reviewed.

Result:

Although the country had a positive approach in lockdown 2.0 with only few instances of sadness, disgust and others, the majority of the people had a negative approach in lockdown 3.0.

Conclusion:

This analysis can help the health specialists to understand people’s mind-set, the authorities to take further corresponding measures in washing out the virus and the e-commerce stakeholders to adapt to the changing attitudes by adjusting demand and supply plans accordingly.
Trends in Indicators of Injection Drug Use, Indian Health Service, 2010-2014
Authors: Evans Mary E. , Person Marissa , Reilley Brigg , Leston Jessica , Haverkate Richard , McCollum Jeffrey T. , Apostolou Andria , Bohm Michele K. , Van Handel Michelle , Bixler Danae , Mitsch Andrew J. , Haberling Dana L. , Hatcher Sarah M. , Weiser Thomas , Elmore Kim , Teshale Eyasu H. , Weidle Paul J. , Peters Philip J. , Buchacz Kate
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV transmission in the United States may increase as a result of increasing rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) and associated injection drug use (IDU). Epidemiologic trends among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons are not well known.

Methods

We analyzed 2010-2014 Indian Health Service data on health care encounters to assess regional and temporal trends in IDU indicators among adults aged ≥18 years. IDU indicators included acute or chronic HCV infection (only among adults aged 18-35 years), arm cellulitis and abscess, OUD, and opioid-related overdose. We calculated rates per 10 000 AI/AN adults for each IDU indicator overall and stratified by sex, age group, and region and evaluated rate ratios and trends by using Poisson regression analysis.

Results

Rates of HCV infection among adults aged 18-35 increased 9.4% per year, and rates of OUD among all adults increased 13.3% per year from 2010 to 2014. The rate of HCV infection among young women was approximately 1.3 times that among young men. Rates of opioid-related overdose among adults aged <50 years were approximately 1.4 times the rates among adults aged ≥50 years. Among young adults with HCV infection, 25.6% had concurrent OUD. Among all adults with arm cellulitis and abscess, 5.6% had concurrent OUD.

Conclusions

Rates of HCV infection and OUD increased significantly in the AI/AN population. Strengthened public health efforts could ensure that AI/AN communities can address increasing needs for culturally appropriate interventions, including comprehensive syringe services programs, medication-assisted treatment, and opioid-related overdose prevention and can meet the growing need for treatment of HCV infection.
Understanding the global ecosystem of city networks
Authors: Acuto Michele , Leffel Benjamin
Published: July 2020

Cities are formalising collaborations across borders at an unprecedented rate: ‘city networks’ now form a wide ecosystem of global partnerships between local authorities that is often underestimated. It might be time to think of city networks more explicitly as institutionalised and presenting a challenging form of more-than-local urban governance. To do so, our essay mixes a review of the overall global landscape (beyond the environmental sector where most of the literature is to be found), with both a network analysis of how these institutions work as a web of connections, as well as an ‘inside out’ view of how they are managed and what the challenges of that are. We do this by analysing a database of 202 of these networks, both statistically as well as via social network analysis. We find that: international initiatives are on the rise, but this context of partnerships has a well-established history, producing a wealth of information and outputs and offering a complex organisational landscape for cities to reach out beyond their local confines. We measure the relationship this has to the integration of cities into the global economy, the pathways it opens for further internationalisation of city leadership and the patterns of partnership with business and international organisations that it implies.
Hepatitis C treatment in the era of directly acting antivirals: an encouraging scenario
Authors: Jain Mayank
Published: July 2020

The availability of directly acting antivirals (DAA) has revolutionised the management of hepatitis C in low- and middle-income countries such as India. We aimed to determine the spectrum of hepatitis C-related liver disease and the response to treatment using generic DAAs, using retrospective data collected from a cohort of adult patients. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, co-infection with hepatitis B, HIV and those with incomplete data were excluded. A sustained virological response was documented in 101/106 (95.3%) cases; we therefore conclude that DAAs are highly effective in the management of hepatitis C infection across a wide spectrum of clinical presentations.
Between Prophecy and Apocalypse: Buber, Benjamin, and Socialist Eschatology
Authors: Wycoff Asher
Published: July 2020

Martin Buber’s political thought has enjoyed renewed attention lately, particularly his concept of “theopolitics,” a type of political practice that recognizes God as the ultimate political authority. In Buber’s biblical exegesis, theopolitics is a condition of everyday life in premonarchical Israel, but following the installation of the monarchy, it becomes a specialized activity of prophets, consisting chiefly in divinely commanded intercession against state actions. Buber suggests that a version of this prophetic activity is manifest in present-day socialist cooperatives, especially the kibbutzim. Indeed, for Buber, these cooperatives can be seen as laying the groundwork for messianic redemption. This essay probes some potentially troubling implications of Buber’s theopolitical framework, taking objections raised in Walter Benjamin’s correspondence as an entry point. A central concern for Benjamin is Buber’s nationalist articulation of Jewish identity, which appears all the more problematic when considered in tandem with the teleological view of history evident in Buber’s framework.
Characterization of fines produced during drainage of coalbed methane reservoirs in the Linfen block, Ordos Basin
Authors: Zhang Aoxiang , Cao Daiyong , Wei Yingchun , Rufford Thomas E
Published: July 2020

Coal fines produced during drainage of coalbed methane reservoirs can affect the permeability of the coal reservoir and damage production facilities such as downhole pumps, shafts, and valves. Thus, to clarify the mechanism of coal fines output is very important to high production of coalbed methane. The characteristics of coal fines can be used to identify the sources of the coal fines and to develop reasonable means of controlling coal fines output. In this study, different coal fines characteristics were investigated to reveal the output mechanism of coal fines. The coal fines samples were collected from 16 coalbed methane wells, which located in Eastern Ordos Basin of China. And the wells are in different drainage stages. The coal fines samples were analyzed by using transmission light microscopy, reflection polarized optical microscopy, laser particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X. The results show that the concentration of coal fines is in the range of 3–8% (volume percent). The sizes of the coal fine particles tended to be below 200 µm. The main components of pulverized coal are vitrinite and inorganic minerals and the average content of inorganic minerals account for 50.56% and the standard deviation is 0.0685. The morphology analysis results show that the shape of coal fines is different in different parts of the coalbed methane wells. The coal fines concentration increases with the increase in the thickness of the deformed coal, and decreases with the increase in the burial depth. The concentration of coal fines becomes higher with the increase of casing pressure and coal fines concentration increases with the increase of the variation of bottom hole pressure.
Are Psychopathic Traits Associated with Core Social Networks? An Exploratory Study in University Students
Authors: Reale Kylie S. , Bouchard Martin , Lim Yan L. , Cook Alana N. , Hart Stephen D.
Published: July 2020

In a sample of 480 university students, we examined associations between self-ratings of psychopathic traits, made using the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP), the Psychopathic Personality Inventory: Short Form (PPI: SF), and self-ratings of the structure of their core social networks (i.e., best friends, intimates). Results indicated that higher self-ratings of domains (CAPP) and subscales (PPI: SF) related to interpersonal dominance, manipulation, poor attachment, and emotional regulation were associated with less connected core networks. We interpret the dominance and manipulation domain and subscale findings as preliminary evidence of a deliberate strategy to provide a more influential position within one’s social network. As for the associations with the attachment and emotional regulation domain and subscale findings, we suggest this could be reflective of deficits or a lack of desire both in establishing and maintaining long-term relationships.
From formal semantics to transcendental pragmatics: Karl-Otto Apel’s original insight
Authors: Habermas Jürgen
Published: July 2020

Karl-Otto Apel occupies a pre-eminent place among the German philosophers of the first post-war generation. His groundbreaking achievement, which has been unjustly overshadowed by the tenacious debate over the ‘ultimate justification’ of ethics, consisted in disclosing a new dimension in the philosophy of language and thereby completing the ‘linguistic turn’. He made the transition from formal semantics, which concentrates on the structure of propositions, to ‘transcendental’ pragmatics of language, which focuses on the formal aspects of the use and interpretation of linguistic expressions. In pursuing this path, he also laid the foundations for discourse ethics. The essay traces the stages of this ‘transformation of transcendental philosophy’ leading from the late Heidegger to Apel’s conception of ‘transcendental hermeneutics’ inspired by Peirce. Continuing the lifelong discourse with my friend Karl-Otto, I will conclude by addressing some problems raised by his justification of discourse ethics.
Swallowing Patterns in the HNC Population: Timing of Penetration‐Aspiration Events and Residue
Authors: Pisegna Jessica M. , Langmore Susan E. , Meyer Tanya K. , Pauloski Barbara
Published: July 2020

Objective

This study described swallowing patterns in a large head/neck cancer (HNC) cohort.

Study Design

In a retrospective review of data from a randomized controlled trial, we studied timing of penetration events as they related to aspiration and oral/pharyngeal residue.

Setting

Retrospective review of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Subjects and Methods

In total, 168 patients who were >3 months postradiation received baseline modified barium swallow evaluations. Retrospective analyses of data from these exams were studied, including Penetration‐Aspiration Scale (PAS) scores and timing of these events (before, during, or after the swallow), as well as percentage of oral and pharyngeal residue.

Results

Aspiration occurred more frequently after than before or during the swallow (P <. 05). There were significantly more events of penetration that led to aspiration after the swallow (n = 260) when compared to events before (n = 6) or after (n = 81) the swallow. There was more pharyngeal (16%‐25%) than oral residue (5%‐20%). Weak correlations were found between thin liquid, nectar‐thick liquid, pudding residue, and PAS scores, with varying significance (pharyngeal residue/PAS rs:. 26*,. 35*,. 07*; oral residue/PAS rs:. 21*,. 16,. 3; *P <. 05).

Conclusion

The predominant pattern for this sample of postradiation patients with HNC with dysphagia was aspiration that occurred after the swallow, rather than before or during the swallow. The aspiration was directly caused by penetration events that occurred during the swallow, resulting in aspiration as the airway reopened. Patients demonstrated more pharyngeal residue than oral residue, but a weak relationship was found between residue and penetration/aspiration events. These results guide clinicians in targeting appropriate swallowing interventions.
Alexander Crum Brown: A Forgotten Pioneer in Vestibular Sciences
Authors: Dasgupta Soumit , Mandala Marco , Guneri Enis Alpin
Published: July 2020

Although vestibular anatomy was described in the Renaissance period, research in vestibular physiology began in the 1820s and was spearheaded by Purkinje and Flourens. This was subsequently expanded by Ménière, Helmholtz, Goltz, Mach, Breuer, Ewald, and Hogyes, who are regarded as the early pioneers in research on vestibular physiology in the 19th century. The relationship of endolymphatic flow and semicircular canal function is termed the Mach‐Breuer hypothesis. What is less well known is that a Scottish chemist, Alexander Crum Brown, arrived at similar conclusions as Mach and Breuer at the same time quite independently. In fact, he pioneered several concepts in vestibular physiology that included pairing of semicircular canals for function, the vestibular pathway, optic fixation elimination in vestibular experimentation, the theory of motion intolerance, and study in deaf mutes for insights into vestibular pathology and vestibular compensation. This article is a tribute to this forgotten pioneer in vestibular research.
Association of Metformin With the Growth of Vestibular Schwannomas
Authors: Tran Sophia , Killeen Daniel E. , Qazi Shafeen , Balachandra Sanjana , Hunter Jacob B.
Published: July 2020

Objective

To assess whether medication use, specifically statin, metformin, and aspirin, affects the growth of vestibular schwannomas (VSs).

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Setting

Single tertiary care academic hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Patients were enrolled if they were diagnosed with sporadic VS and had at least 2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies at a minimum of 6 months apart prior to any intervention. Electronic medical records were reviewed for demographic and medication data. Tumor volumes on MRI studies were assessed via BrainLab iPlan. The primary endpoint was VS tumor growth, defined as a 20% increase in tumor volume, between consecutive MRI studies or between the first and last available MRI study. Predictors of volumetric growth, specifically statin, aspirin, or metformin use, were analyzed with t tests, chi‐square test, univariate logistic regression, and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

A total of 387 patients met inclusion criteria, 53.5% of whom were women. For all patients, the mean age was 60.6 years (range, 18.2‐89.2 years); the mean axial tumor diameter, 11.9 mm (range, 1.7‐32.0 mm); and the mean tumor volume, 0.85 cm3 (range, 0.01‐13.1 cm3). In review of the electronic medical record, 46 patients (11.9%) were taking metformin; 145 (37.5%), a statin; and 117 (30.2%), aspirin. Among patients taking metformin, 39.1% (18/46) exhibited volumetric growth, as opposed to 58.2% (198/340) of nonusers (P =. 014). Metformin (odds ratio, 0.497; P =. 036) is significantly associated with reduced VS growth when controlling for aspirin, statin, and tumor size on multivariate logistic regression.

Conclusion

Metformin use is associated with reduced volumetric VS growth.
Prevalence and Predictors of Stress, anxiety, and Depression among Healthcare Workers Managing COVID-19 Pandemic in India: A Nationwide Observational Study
Authors: Wilson William , Raj Jeffrey Pradeep , Rao Seema , Ghiya Murtuza , Nedungalaparambil Nisanth Menon , Mundra Harshit , Mathew Roshan
Published: July 2020

Background:

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused great financial and psychological havoc. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are among the many groups of people who are in the frontline and facing a risk of direct exposure to the virus. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms among HCPs of India.

Methods:

It was a cross-sectional, online survey conducted in April 2020 among HCPs who are directly involved in the triage, screening, diagnosing, and treatment of COVID-19 patients and suspects. Stress was estimated using Cohen’s perceived stress scale. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the tools Public Health Questionnaire—9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder—7. Predictors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression.

Results:

A total of 433 online responses were obtained, and N = 350 were finally included. The prevalence (95% CI) of HCPs with high-level stress was 3.7% (2.2, 6.2), while the prevalence rates of HCPs with depressive symptoms requiring treatment and anxiety symptoms requiring further evaluation were 11.4% (8.3, 15.2) and 17.7% (13.9, 22.1), respectively. Women had approximately two times the increased odds of developing moderate- or high-level stress, depressive symptoms requiring treatment, and anxiety symptoms requiring further evaluation. Similarly, women staying in a hostel/temporary accommodation had two times the increased odds of developing depression or anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms among HCPs in India during the pandemic is comparable with other countries.
Statewide Survey of Psychological Distress Among People of Tamil Nadu in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ramasubramanian Vikhram , Mohandoss Anusa Arunachalam , Rajendhiran Gopi , Pandian P. Raja Soundara , Ramasubramanian C.
Published: July 2020

Background:

COVID-19-driven pandemic has caused panic, fear, and stress among all strata of society. The study aimed to assess stress and the factors that influence it in a representative population in the state of Tamil Nadu (TN)—a state in the southern India where the levels of stress have not been measured yet.

Methods:

From April 13 to April 25, 2020, we conducted an online survey among the TN population using the snowball sampling technique, collecting basic demographic data. COVID-19-perceived stress was collected through COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). Binomial regression analysis was used to identify the extent of the relationship between CPDI and sociodemographic factors by estimating the odds of having significant stress. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.

Results:

A total of 2,317 valid responses were received. Of the respondents, 830 (35.82%) were males, 1,084 (46.79%) were below 25 years of age, and 2,297 (99.14%) were native residents of TN. The mean(±SD) CPDI was 20.66±12.03. While 1,830 (77.2%) respondents had low or no stress, 478 (20.2%) had mild to moderate stress, and 63 (2.7%) had severe stress. The bivariate model included marital status, age, nativity, and income. The odds of having significant stress (mild–moderate or severe) for a 25–34 year age group as compared to >55 years group was 2.38 (P < 0.001). As compared to widowed, the married had higher odds ratio (3.41, P = 0.05). Compared to those with >10 lakh annual income, those with 2.5–5 lakhs annual income had odds ratio of 1.65 (95% CI = 1.01 to 2.7, P = 0.05).

Conclusions:

During the lockdown due to COVID-19, every 1 in 5 TN population had some form of stress, as measured by CPDI. Our model identified certain factors driving the stress, which would help policy framers to initiate an appropriate response.
Ecology, Capitalism and Waste: From Hyperobject to Hyperabject
Authors: Frantzen Mikkel Krause , Bjering Jens
Published: July 2020

The article develops the notion of the ‘hyperabject’ – coined by Danish poet Theis Ørntoft – into a proper theoretical concept. The term hyperabject is a synthesis of Timothy Morton's concept of hyperobjects and Julia Kristeva's theory of abjection, and in the article we argue that the concept of the hyperabject entails a necessary critique of and correction to Morton's ecological thought, as well as various other versions of speculative realism, new materialism and object-oriented ontology.
Paradoxes of Rationalisation: Openness and Control in Critical Theory and Luhmann's Systems Theory
Authors: Overwijk Jan
Published: July 2020

For the Critical Theory tradition of the Frankfurt School, rationalisation is a central concept that refers to the socio-cultural closure of capitalist modernity due to the proliferation of technical, ‘instrumental’ rationality at the expense of some form of political reason. This picture of rationalisation, however, hinges on a separation of technology and politics that is both empirically and philosophically problematic. This article aims to re-conceptualise the rationalisation thesis through a survey of research from science and technology studies and the conceptual framework of Niklas Luhmann's systems theory. It argues that rationalisation indeed exhibits a logic of closure, namely the ‘operational closure’ of sociotechnical systems of measurement, but that this closure in fact produces the historical logics of technical reason and, paradoxically, also generates spaces of critical-political openness. This opens up the theoretical and practical opportunity of connecting the politically just to the technically efficient.
Towards a Decolonial Media Archaeology: The Absent Archive of Screenwriting History and the Obsolete Munshi
Authors: Sengupta Rakesh
Published: July 2020

Much has been written about how Foucault's archaeology of the modern episteme, emerging from early 19th-century Europe, was curiously divorced from its context of colonialism. Media archaeology, as Foucault's legacy, has also remained rather geopolitically insular and race agnostic in its epistemological reverse engineering of media modernity. Using screenwriting history as a case study, this article demonstrates how bringing decolonial thinking and media archaeology together can challenge linear narratives of modernity/coloniality in media history. The article connects two seemingly disparate histories of archival absence and human obsolescence to reveal the construction of an elusive screenwriting modernity that has historically obscured parallel scripting practices and pre-existing scribal traditions.
The effect of parent–adolescent relationship quality on deviant peer affiliation: The mediating role of self-control and friendship quality
Authors: Liu Fangsong , Chui Harold , Chung Man Cheung
Published: July 2020

Previous research demonstrated the association between parent–adolescent relationship quality and deviant peer affiliation, but it is unclear whether this relation is mediated by other psychological and interpersonal variables, whether father– and mother–adolescent relationship quality have different pathways in predicting deviant peer affiliation, and whether gender moderates these associations. A sample of 543 students from grades 10 to 12 (42.7% male; age M = 16.2 years, SD = 1.0) was selected from a Chinese high school in Shenzhen, China. They provided demographic variables and completed self-report measures of father– and mother–adolescent relationship quality, self-control, friendship quality, and deviant peer affiliation. The results showed that lower father–adolescent relationship quality was associated with lower self-control, which in turn was associated with higher deviant peer affiliation. Mother–adolescent relationship quality did not have direct or indirect association with deviant peer affiliation. In addition, male and female adolescents had no significant difference in the associations between father– and mother–adolescent relationship quality, self-control, friendship quality, and deviant peer affiliation. Implications and limitations of these findings were discussed.
Large-scale, real-time visual–inertial localization revisited
Authors: Lynen Simon , Zeisl Bernhard , Aiger Dror , Bosse Michael , Hesch Joel , Pollefeys Marc , Siegwart Roland , Sattler Torsten
Published: July 2020

The overarching goals in image-based localization are scale, robustness, and speed. In recent years, approaches based on local features and sparse 3D point-cloud models have both dominated the benchmarks and seen successful real-world deployment. They enable applications ranging from robot navigation, autonomous driving, virtual and augmented reality to device geo-localization. Recently, end-to-end learned localization approaches have been proposed which show promising results on small-scale datasets. However, the positioning accuracy, scalability, latency, and compute and storage requirements of these approaches remain open challenges. We aim to deploy localization at a global scale where one thus relies on methods using local features and sparse 3D models. Our approach spans from offline model building to real-time client-side pose fusion. The system compresses the appearance and geometry of the scene for efficient model storage and lookup leading to scalability beyond what has been demonstrated previously. It allows for low-latency localization queries and efficient fusion to be run in real-time on mobile platforms by combining server-side localization with real-time visual–inertial-based camera pose tracking. In order to further improve efficiency, we leverage a combination of priors, nearest-neighbor search, geometric match culling, and a cascaded pose candidate refinement step. This combination outperforms previous approaches when working with large-scale models and allows deployment at unprecedented scale. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on a proof-of-concept system localizing 2.5 million images against models from four cities in different regions of the world achieving query latencies in the 200 ms range.
Bioinformatics analysis of high-throughput data to validate potential novel biomarkers and small molecule drugs for glioblastoma multiforme
Authors: Qi Fuwei , Li Qing , Lu Xiaojun , Chen Zhihua
Published: July 2020

Objective

There have been no recent improvements in the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) outcome, with median survival remaining 15 months. Consequently, the need to identify novel biomarkers for GBM diagnosis and prognosis, and to develop targeted therapies is high. This study aimed to establish biomarkers for GBM pathogenesis and prognosis.

Methods

In total, 220 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained by integrating four microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE4290, GSE12657, GSE15824, and GSE68848). Then a 140-node protein–protein interaction network with 343 interactions was constructed.

Results

The immune response and cell adhesion molecules were the most significantly enriched functions and pathways, respectively, among DEGs. The designated hub genes ITGB5 and RGS4, which have a high degree of connectivity, were closely correlated with patient prognosis, and GEPIA database mining further confirmed their differential expression in GBM versus normal tissue. We also determined the 20 most appropriate small molecules that could potentially reverse GBM gene expression, Prestwick-1080 was the most promising and had the highest negative scores.

Conclusions

This study identified ITGB5 and RGS4 as potential biomarkers for GBM diagnosis and prognosis. Insights into molecular mechanisms governing GBM occurrence and progression will help identify alternative biomarkers for clinical practice.
Introducing Electrified Vehicle Dynamics in Traffic Simulation
Authors: He Yinglong , Makridis Michail , Mattas Konstantinos , Fontaras Georgios , Ciuffo Biagio , Xu Hongming
Published: July 2020

Many studies have highlighted the added value of incorporating vehicle dynamics into microsimulation. Such models usually focus on simulation of conventional vehicles, failing to account for the acceleration dynamics of electrified vehicles that have different power characteristics from those of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). In addition, none of them have explicitly dealt with the vehicle’s deceleration characteristics. Although it is not commonly considered critical how a vehicle decelerates, unrealistic behaviors in simulations can distort both traffic flow and emissions results. The present work builds on the lightweight microsimulation free-flow acceleration (MFC) model and proposes an extension, marking the first attempt to address these research gaps. First, a comprehensive review of dynamics-based car-following (including free-flow) models is conducted. Second, the methodology of the MFC model to capture the dynamics of electrified vehicles is described. Then, the experimental setup in different dimensions is introduced for the model validation and implementation. Finally, the results of this study indicate that: (1) the acceleration and deceleration potential curves underlying the MFC model can accurately represent real dynamics of electrified vehicles tested on the chassis dynamometer; (2) smooth transitions can be guaranteed after implementing the MFC model in microsimulation; (3) when reproducing the on-road driving trajectories, the MFC model can deliver significant reductions in root mean square error (RMSE) of speed (by ∼69%) and acceleration (by ∼50%) compared with benchmarks; (4) the MFC model can accurately predict the vehicle 0–100 km/h acceleration specifications, with RMSE 49.4% and 56.8% lower than those of the Gipps model and the intelligent driver model (IDM), respectively.
Sequenced Ordered Logit Model Considering Latent Variables for Determining Trip Satisfaction of Metro Passengers
Authors: Saeidi Tara , Mesbah Mahmoud , Habibian Meeghat
Published: July 2020

Improving the public transportation system to compete with the private modes requires an understanding of passenger perceptions of the service quality (SQ). In the literature, various models have been developed to identify effective SQ attributes and to assess their relationship with passenger satisfaction. However, most of them either ignore the socioeconomic and trip characteristics or consider them by a market segmentation approach. Since these variables can affect passenger perceptions, it is important to include them in the model. This paper aims to capture the effect of socioeconomic and trip variables by combining them with SQ attributes in a satisfaction analysis. An ordered logit model considering SQ latent variables is calibrated to model passenger satisfaction. The measurement part of a Structural Equation Model (SEM) is applied to construct latent variable structures. The case study was on the Tehran metro. The SQ attributes were used to form five SQ latent variables: “comfort,”“information,”“cleanliness,”“service,” and “safety/security.” The results indicate that socioeconomic and trip characteristics, as well as the SQ latent variables, had a significant effect on passenger satisfaction. From the results of this study, “service” and “comfort” were found to be the most effective contributors to satisfaction levels among the SQ latent variables. Among socioeconomic and trip characteristics, gender, education, driving license, egress mode, access time, and trip origin type (i.e., work, education, etc.) were also important in passenger satisfaction.
Vendor-Independent Reliability Testing Model for Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Communications
Authors: Madkour Fatma Elzahraa , Mohammad Umair , Sorour Sameh , Hefeida Mohamed , Abdel-Rahim Ahmed
Published: July 2020

This paper describes a vendor-independent reliability testing approach for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications in connected vehicle traffic signal system applications. It provides an alternative to using the communication data reported by proprietary vendor-supplied interfaces. This approach was based on building a rigorously tested translation model that uses measured received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from any V2I communication equipment to predict the corresponding packet delivery ratio (PDR). This was achieved by correlating the signal strength, measured using a generic power meter, to PDR values reported in the communication interface of the equipment of different vendors. Both stationary and in-motion (10–40 mph) field data collection tests were conducted at three intersections. These tests were performed over distances of up to 500 m between the road-side units (RSUs) and the on-board units (OBUs). In each test, the RSSI values for line-of-sight packet exchange between various RSUs and OBUs was collected in the field, using both a generic power meter and vendor-specific tools. Next, the results were statistically analyzed and logistic and linear regression models that predict PDR values were developed. A case study to test and validate this new PDR prediction model was conducted at two intersections in Boise, Idaho. This prediction model will enable transportation system operators to test and validate the efficiency of connected vehicle RSU/OBU communications at signalized intersection approaches under different traffic conditions, independent of vendor-provided tools.
Analytical Method to Approximate the Impact of Turning on the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram
Authors: Xu Guanhao , Yu Zhengyao , Gayah Vikash V.
Published: July 2020

Network macroscopic fundamental diagrams (MFDs) have recently been shown to exist in real-world urban traffic networks. The existence of an MFD facilitates the modeling of urban traffic network dynamics at a regional level, which can be used to identify and refine large-scale network-wide control strategies. To be useful, MFD-based modeling frameworks require an estimate of the functional form of a network’s MFD. Analytical methods have been proposed to estimate a network’s MFD by abstracting the network as a single ring-road or corridor and modeling the flow–density relationship on that simplified element. However, these existing methods cannot account for the impact of turning traffic, as only a single corridor is considered. This paper proposes a method to estimate a network’s MFD when vehicles are allowed to turn into or out of a corridor. A two-ring abstraction is first used to analyze how turning will affect vehicle travel in a more general network, and then the model is further approximated using a single ring-road or corridor. This approximation is useful as it facilitates the application of existing variational theory-based methods (the stochastic method of cuts) to estimate the flow–density relationship on the corridor, while accounting for the stochastic nature of turning. Results of the approximation compared with a more realistic simulation that includes features that cannot be captured using variational theory—such as internal origins and destinations—suggest that this approximation works to estimate a network’s MFD when turning traffic is present.
Comparing Underlying and Contributory Cause of Death in Registry Data With End-of-Life Proxy Interviews: Findings From The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)
Authors: Ward Mark , May Peter , Normand Charles , Kenny Rose Anne , Nolan Anne
Published: July 2020

Cause of death is an important outcome in end-of-life (EOL) research. However, difficulties in assigning cause of death have been well documented. We compared causes of death in national death registrations with those reported in EOL interviews. Data were from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults aged 50 years and older. The kappa agreement statistic was estimated to assess the level of agreement between two methods: cause of death reported in EOL interviews and those recorded in official death registrations. There was moderate agreement between underlying cause of death recorded on death certificates and those reported in EOL interviews. Discrepancies in reporting in EOL interviews were systematic with better agreement found among younger decedents and where the EOL informant was the decedents’ partner/spouse. We have shown that EOL interviews may have limited utility if the main goal is to understand the predictors and antecedents of different causes of death.
Through the Montessori Looking-Glass: Barriers to Implementing a Montessori-Based Intervention
Authors: Janssen Leah M. , Kinney Jennifer M. , Farfsing Kathleen M.
Published: July 2020

Montessori methods are used with individuals with dementia to create meaningful, inclusive, failure-free activities that enhance quality of life. This research qualitatively explored the barriers to implementing a Montessori-based intervention for people living with dementia in a 24-hr memory care setting. A lens comprised of key Montessori values and principles guided a content analysis of field note data to create an overall framework for understanding implementation barriers, which are rarely addressed in the literature. Interestingly, the four themes that emerged as barriers—the absence of respect, interdependence, meaningful activity, and structure—permeated implementation efforts and represent the opposite of Montessori principles. These findings confirm literature that identifies similar barriers across diverse interventions. Findings underscore the need for formal documentation of implementation barriers and extensive pre-implementation work to accomplish culture change in long-term care.
Reading-Metacognitive Strategy Awareness and Use in Reciprocal Teaching Settings: Implementing a Computerized RMSA System
Authors: Reshadi-Gajan Elnaz , Assadi Nader , Davatgari Asl Hanieh
Published: July 2020

The present experiment was composed of both qualitative and quantitative methods and aimed at investigating Reading Metacognitive Strategy Awareness (RMSA) and use by the aid of three inventory techniques including a questionnaire, a think-aloud protocol, and a Computerized RMSA System. The computerized system was specifically designed and validated to satisfy the needs of this study in measuring and practicing Reading Metacognitive Strategies. It also tried to explore any possible effects of Computerized RMSA System on reading comprehension of the participants. To this end, a sample of 25 university students majoring in English Translation and English Literature from a University in Iran were selected based on purposive and clustered sampling. The research data were selected using a number of instruments including the reading section of Test of English as a Foreign Language as pre/posttest, a researcher-made Reading Metacognitive Strategies questionnaire, think-aloud protocol and a Computerized RMSA System. The research findings show that the questionnaire, think-aloud and Computerized RMSA System results vary significantly. Moreover, Computerized RMSA System has a positive effect on reading comprehension of learners of English as a Foreign Language. Pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed.
Two-step method of nanosecond pulse laser ablation manufacturing of miniature bevel line gears
Authors: Chen Yang Zhi , Xie Xiong Dun
Published: July 2020

Miniature gears have important research value and application prospects in micro-scale machinery. The existing manufacturing methods for miniature gears produce spur gears on the micron scale and spur, helical and bevel gears on the millimetre scale. However, there is no mature process for gears on the micron scale for angular transmissions, such as bevel gears. This article reports for the first time the micro-machining of a miniature bevel gear with an external size of 1–2 mm based on a novel gear structure: the bevel line gear. First, a novel manufacturing method, namely the two-step method of nanosecond pulse laser ablation (NSPLA), is proposed. Then, a sample of a miniature bevel line gear is fabricated from 6061 aluminium alloy with a top angle of 90°, external diameter of 1375 μm, tooth number of 3 and average tooth width of 20 μm. Finally, the accuracy of the sample is studied to confirm the practicability of the proposed method.
Numerical modeling of therapeutic lens drug delivery in the anterior human eye for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma
Authors: Bhandari Ajay , Bansal Ankit , Sinha Niraj
Published: July 2020

A numerical model of drug delivery from a therapeutic lens in the anterior portion of the human eye has been developed for a more effective treatment plan of primary open-angle glaucoma. The numerical model takes into account the drug diffusion through the therapeutic lens along with heat transfer and aqueous humor flow in different orientations of the human eye (supine (two-dimensional) as well as standing (three-dimensional)). Results illustrate that the drug diffuses through the therapeutic lens to the cornea and is convected into the anterior chamber of the eye due to the temperature gradient across the eye. In addition, eye orientation significantly affects drug delivery with supine orientation providing better and uniform drug exposure in different target regions of the eye as compared to standing in the case of the therapeutic lens. Furthermore, a comparison of the therapeutic efficacy of the therapeutic lens has been done with topical administration and the drug uptake results from both the drug delivery modes have been validated with the experimental data reported in the literature. The developed model may help ophthalmologists to comprehend the transport and retention of different drugs in different domains and orientations of the human eye when administered through a therapeutic lens.
Design of an integrated model for diagnosis and classification of pediatric acute leukemia using machine learning
Authors: Fathi Ehsan , Rezaee Mustafa Jahangoshai , Tavakkoli-Moghaddam Reza , Alizadeh Azra , Montazer Aynaz
Published: July 2020

Applying artificial intelligence techniques for diagnosing diseases in hospitals often provides advanced medical services to patients such as the diagnosis of leukemia. On the other hand, surgery and bone marrow sampling, especially in the diagnosis of childhood leukemia, are even more complex and difficult, resulting in increased human error and procedure time decreased patient satisfaction and increased costs. This study investigates the use of neuro-fuzzy and group method of data handling, for the diagnosis of acute leukemia in children based on the complete blood count test. Furthermore, a principal component analysis is applied to increase the accuracy of the diagnosis. The results show that distinguishing between patient and non-patient individuals can easily be done with adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system, whereas for classifying between the types of diseases themselves, more pre-processing operations such as reduction of features may be needed. The proposed approach may help to distinguish between two types of leukemia including acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. Based on the sensitivity of the diagnosis, experts can use the proposed algorithm to help identify the disease earlier and lessen the cost.
Resistance of a novel ceramic acetabular cup to critical impact loads
Authors: de Villiers Danielle , Collins Simon
Published: July 2020

A novel thin-walled direct-to-bone fixation ceramic cup was tested under critical impact loads simulating lateral fall and car crash scenarios. Three sizes of BIOLOX delta ceramic cups (total hip replacement cup with bearing diameter of 32 mm and two hip resurfacing cups with bearing diameters of 40 and 64mm) were implanted into reamed Sawbones blocks representing acetabulae. Three cups of each size were fully supported by the block and three were implanted with 15° of the cup’s outer diameter unsupported by the block. All testing was conducted with the corresponding bearing diameter heads lateralised by approximately 1 mm to represent worst case subluxed hips and all then subjected to test, replicating a lateral fall impact followed by a car crash impact. All cups passed lateral fall conditions without visible damage, although some movement of the cups was measured and damage to the blocks was observed. Five out of six of each cup size survived the car crash impacts with one fracture per size. In all cases, this was in the fully supported condition representing the highest cup inclination angle. The car crash impact force was equivalent to that reported to fracture the acetabulum and in all simulated cases, the Sawbones block showed signs of damage. Survival of five cups per size suggests the pelvis is much more likely to fracture before the cup. The ability of the cups to withstand these critical impact forces indicates they are unlikely to fracture in normal clinical use and should meet the more challenging demands of active patients likely to receive this device.
Crocin attenuates CCl4-induced liver fibrosis via PPAR-γ mediated modulation of inflammation and fibrogenesis in rats
Authors: Chhimwal J , Sharma S , Kulurkar P , Patial V
Published: July 2020

Background:

Liver fibrosis is a chronic pathological condition with a leading cause of liver-related mortality worldwide. In the present study, we have evaluated the antifibrotic effect of crocin, a carotenoid present in the stigma of Crocus sativus, and also explored its putative mechanism of action.

Methods:

Liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal administration of 30% carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The crocin was administered orally at 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg body weight along with CCl4 up to 8 weeks.

Results:

Chronic exposure to CCl4 resulted in elevated levels of liver enzymes and reduced cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) activity in the liver. The liver tissue showed cellular swelling, vacuolization, necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells and fibrotic changes. The crocin treatment significantly lowered the levels of liver enzymes in serum and improved the liver CYP2E1 mRNA levels. The pathological changes in the liver were also lowered by crocin treatment. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-kappa B, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor α and fibrogenic factor, transforming growth factor β, and α-smooth muscle actin were elevated by the CCl4 in the liver tissue. However, crocin treatment at different doses significantly reduced the expression of these factors. The increased caspase 3/7 activity was also lowered by crocin. CCl4 administration decreased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) in liver tissue. The improved PPAR-γ expression in the liver by crocin treatment indicates its role in the therapeutic effect of crocin.

Conclusions:

Crocin attenuated the various events in the progression of liver fibrosis via PPAR-γ mediated modulation of inflammatory and fibrogenic pathways.