bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gdje se susreću javna diplomacija i odnosi s javnošću država?
Authors: Skoko Božo
Published: February 2022

Rad analizira međuovisnost javne diplomacije i odnosa s javnošću, kao sve prisutnijih i sve‎ važnijih disciplina u međunarodnim aktivnostima države. Propituje njihova teorijska utemeljenja i praksu,‎ s posebnim naglaskom na dodirne točke i preklapanja. Naime, iako postoji svijest o povezanosti tih‎ dviju disciplina još od šezdesetih godina prošlog stoljeća, kad je javna diplomacija zaživjela kao termin i‎ zasebna diplomatsko-komunikacijska disciplina, od 2001. godine teoretičari i praktičari sve češće pišu o‎ međuovisnosti, pa i konvergenciji javne diplomacije i odnosa s javnošću. Naime, javnu se diplomaciju u‎ njezinim početcima više povezivalo s propagandom ili se svodilo na programe kulturne diplomacije, a‎ odnosi su s javnošću doživljavani putem modela jednosmjernoga javnog informiranja. U suvremeno doba‎ odnosi s javnošću sve se više doživljavaju putem simetričnog modela dvosmjernog komuniciranja, čija je‎ svrha postizanje razumijevanja i izgradnja odnosa s ključnim javnostima. A javna diplomacija obično se ‎sagledava u tri područja djelovanja: upravljanje informacijama, dugoročne kampanje strateškog komuniciranja ‎i upravljanje odnosima. Zbog toga autor smatra nezamislivim djelovanje javne diplomacije bez ‎odnosa s javnošću, odnosno njezino promatranje izvan teorije i prakse odnosa s javnošću. Tek sinergijom,‎ zajedničkim djelovanjem i primjenom sličnih strategija i taktika, javna diplomacija i odnosi s javnošću ‎mogu postići punu učinkovitost u međunarodnom komuniciranju i djelovanju države prema ciljnim javnostima ‎te utjecanju na njihovo znanje, mišljenje i ponašanje.‎‎
A Critical Analysis of the Hospitalization Network for COVID-19 Patients in Bahia, Brazil in the First Wave of the Pandemic
Authors: Araujo Marcio Luis Valença , Miranda José Garcia Vivas , Vasconcelos Rodrigo Nogueira , Cambui Barbosa Elaine Cristina , Rosário Raphael Silva , Macedo Márcio Cerqueira de Farias , Bandeira Antonio Carlos de Albuquerque , Souza Márcia Sao Pedro Leal , Silva Ana Claudia Fernandes Nunes , Nascimento Filho Aloisio Santos , Murari Thiago Barros , Jorge Eduardo Manuel de Freitas , Saba Hugo
Published: February 2022

To effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government of Bahia, Brazil, has distributed intensive and non-intensive care units along the nine regions that divide the state of Bahia, such that COVID-19 patients could be easily hospitalized in health care units located at the same regions where they live. However, the observed hospitalizations networks for COVID-19 patients shows that a considerable number of COVID-19 patients had to travel beyond their region of residence to be hospitalized. Hence, this study indicates that the current distribution of health care units in Bahia, Brazil, is not sufficient to effectively reduce the distances traveled by COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. We believe that such unnecessary travels to distant hospitals may put the sick patients as well as healthy people involved in the transportation process in risk, further delaying the stabilization of the COVID-19 pandemic in each region of the state of Bahia.
In-utero Ramadan Exposure and Child Nutrition
Authors: Chu Hoi , Goli Srinivas , Rammohan Anu
Published: February 2022

In this study, we analyse if in-utero exposure to Ramadan fasting period is negatively associated with child nutrition? The data for the analyses come from a retrospective assessment of 924,198 children from 103 demographic and health surveys (DHS) across 56 countries during the period 2003-2020. Considering the month-long Ramadan exposure as a natural experiment, we implement an intent-to-treat framework, comparing outcomes among individuals who were exposed to Ramadan at any time in-utero to those who were not exposed. Our findings do not show significant evidence to conclude that in-utero exposure to Ramadan fasting period is negatively associated with child nutrition. On the contrary, except for stunting in children who had in-utero exposure to Ramadan during the first trimester, among Muslims, we find slightly better nutritional outcomes among children exposed in-utero to Ramadan period. The better nutritional outcomes among children exposed in-utero can be attributed to high nutritious food intake and better hygienic practices during holy months of Ramadan compared to usual months. Our main results are robust to multiple robustness checks.
Intercomparison Of PurpleAir Sensor Performance Over Three Years Indoors and Outdoors at a Home: Bias, Precision, and Limit of Detection Using an Improved Algorithm for Calculating PM2.5
Authors: Wallace Lance
Published: February 2022

Low-cost particle sensors are now used worldwide to monitor outdoor air quality. However, they have only been in wide use for a few years. Are they reliable? Does their performance deteriorate over time? Are the algorithms for calculating PM2.5 provided by the Plantower company for PurpleAir monitors accurate? We investigate these questions using continuous measurements of four monitors (8 sensors) under normal conditions inside and outside a home for 1.5-3 years. A recently-developed algorithm (called ALT-CF3) is compared to the two existing Plantower algorithms. The Plantower CF1 algorithm was shown to lose 25-50% of all indoor data due to the questionable practice of assigning zero to all concentrations below a threshold. None of these data were lost using the ALT-CF3 algorithm. About 92% of all data showed precision better than 20% using the ALT-CF3 algorithm, but only about 45-75% of data achieved that level using the Plantower CF1 algorithm. The limits of detection (LODs) using the ALT-CF3 algorithm were mostly under 1 ug/m3, compared to about 3-10 ug/m3 using the Plantower CF1 algorithm. The percent of observations exceeding the LOD was 53-92% for the ALT-CF3 algorithm, but only 16-44% for the Plantower CF1 algorithm. For indoor air in homes, the Plantower algorithms are inappropriate.
Parameter Optimization of Motion Estimation for Geographically Distributed Photovoltaic Power Forecasting
Authors: Kure Taiki , Tsuchiya Haruka Danil , Kameda Yusuke , Kodaira Daisuke , Kondoh Junji
Published: February 2022

The power-generation capacity of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power systems is increasing. As output power forecasting is required by electricity market participants and utility operators for the stable operation of power systems, several methods have been proposed using physical and statistical approaches for various time ranges. A short-term (30 min ahead) forecasting method has been previously proposed by our laboratory for geographically distributed PV systems using motion estimation. This study focuses on an important parameter for estimating the proposed motion and optimizing the parameter. This parameter is important because it is associated with the smoothness of the vector field, which is the result of motion estimation and influences the forecasting accuracy. In the periods with drastic power output changes, the evaluation was conducted on 101 PV systems located within a circle of 15-km radius in the Kanto region of Japan. The results indicate that the absolute mean error of the proposed method with the optimized parameter is 10.3%, whereas that of the persistent prediction method is 23.7%. Therefore, the proposed method is effective in forecasting for periods when PV output changes drastically in a short time.
Predictive Optimization Based Energy Cost Minimization and Energy Sharing Mechanism for Peer-to-Peer Nanogrid Network
Authors: Qayyum Faiza , Jamil Harun , Jamil Faisal , Kim Do-Hyeun
Published: February 2022

The concept of distributed generation has made photovoltaic an integral source of energy in smart grid systems, especially in peer-to-peer energy trading frameworks that exploit excess power to fulfill the energy requirements of consumers in cost-efficient and eco-friendly manner. It is believed that P2P energy trading will dominate a significant portion of research in forthcoming power generation systems due to the excessive rise of energy demands across the globe. Despite a plethora of studies on energy optimization solutions in P2P trading, minimizing nanogrid energy trading cost and efficient energy sharing between consumers and prosumers are deemed among the challenging problems. This study overcomes essential issues overlooked by the contemporary P2P energy trading models by introducing a predictive optimization-oriented nanogrid energy trading model. The proposed study encompasses two stages: (1) predictive optimization model which harnesses BD-LSTM-based forecasted energy parameters (energy load, energy consumption, and PV generation) that are later incorporated in PSO-enabled objective function to reduce nanogrid trading cost, (2) optimal energy sharing plan is devised to decide the role of nanogrids as prosumers or consumers by emphasizing the use of PV-produced energy. The proposed model is validated on the case study containing nanogrid houses data. The simulation provides detailed experiments by comparing the energy demand and response using the proposed energy sharing model. The outcomes yield that the energy sharing plan holds a significant potential to fulfill maximum energy requirements of nanogrid house in P2P cluster and significantly reduces the energy cost compared to grid.
IoT-Orchestration based Nanogrid Energy Management System and Optimal Time-Aware Scheduling for Efficient Energy Usage in Nanogrid
Authors: Qayyum Faiza , Jamil Harun , Jamil Faisal , Ahmed Shabir , Kim Do-Hyeun
Published: February 2022

The present era of the Internet of Things (IoT) having intelligent functionalities in solving problems pertaining to realtime mission-critical systems has brought an immense revolution in diverse fields including healthcare and navigation systems. However, to the best of our knowledge, the potential of IoT has not been fully exploited yet in the field of the energy sector. We argue that there is an immense need to shift the traditional mission-critical electric power system architecture to IoT-based fully orchestrated architecture in order to increase efficiency, as billions of investment is reserved for the energy sector globally. Since network orchestration deals with auomating the interaction between multiple components involved to execute a particular service, therefore, scheduling the relevant processes within strict deadlines becomes the core pillar of the architecture. The mission-critical systems with urgent task execution often suffer from issues of missing task deadlines. In this study, we present a novel IoT task orchestration architecture for efficient energy management of a nanogrid system that focuses on minimizing the use of nonrenewable energy resources and maximizing the use of renewable energy resources. Moreover, major components of IoT task orchestration such as task mapping and task scheduling are also enhanced using NLP and PSO optimization modules. The proposed task scheduling algorithm incorporates the optimized surplus time, and efficiently executes the energy management-related tasks contemplating to their types. The study utilizes sensors to obtain data from physical IoT devices, including photovoltaic (PV), Energy Storage System (ESS), and diesel generator (DG). The performance of the proposed model is evaluated using data set of nanogrid houses. The outcomes revealed that IoT-task orchestration has played a pivotal role in efficient energy management for nanogrid mission-critical system. Furthermore, the comparison with state-of-the-art scheduling algorithms showed that the task starvation rate is reduced to 16% and 12% when compared with RR and FEF algorithms, respectively.
A Multicentered Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of Pain Treatment Communication Tools in Emergency Department Patients With Back or Kidney Stone Pain
Authors: Meisel Zachary F. , Shofer Frances , Dolan Abby , Goldberg Erica B. , Rhodes Karin V. , Hess Erik P. , Bellamkonda Venkatesh R. , Perrone Jeanmarie , Cannuscio Carolyn C. , Becker Lance , Rodgers Melissa A. , Zyla Michael M. , Bell Jeffrey J. , McCollum Sharon , Engel-Rebitzer Eden , Tiako Max Jordan Nguemeni , Ridgeway Greg , Schapira Marilyn M.
Published: February 2022

Objectives. To compare the effectiveness of 3 approaches for communicating opioid risk during an emergency department visit for a common painful condition.

Methods. This parallel, multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted at 6 geographically disparate emergency department sites in the United States. Participants included adult patients between 18 and 70 years of age presenting with kidney stone or musculoskeletal back pain. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 risk communication strategies: (1) a personalized probabilistic risk visual aid, (2) a visual aid and a video narrative, or 3) general risk information. The primary outcomes were accuracy of risk recall, reported opioid use, and treatment preference at time of discharge.

Results. A total of 1301 participants were enrolled between June 2017 and August 2019. There was no difference in risk recall at 14 days between the narrative and probabilistic groups (43.7% vs 38.8%; absolute risk reduction = 4.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −2.98, 12.75). The narrative group had lower rates of preference for opioids at discharge than the general risk information group (25.9% vs 33.0%; difference = 7.1%; 95% CI = 0.64, 0.97). There were no differences in reported opioid use at 14 days between the narrative, probabilistic, and general risk groups (10.5%, 10.3%, and 13.3%, respectively; P = .44).

Conclusions. An emergency medicine communication tool incorporating probabilistic risk and patient narratives was more effective than general information in mitigating preferences for opioids in the treatment of pain but was not more effective with respect to opioid use or risk recall.

Trial Registration. Clinical Trials.gov identifier: NCT03134092. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S1):S45–S55. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306511 )
Patient and Surgeon Ratings of Patient Involvement in Decision-Making Are Not Aligned
Authors: Alokozai Aaron , Lin Eugenia , Crijns Tom J. , Ring David , Bozic Kevin , Koenig Karl , Jayakumar Prakash
Published: February 2022

Background:

Specialists want to guide patients toward making informed treatment choices consistent with what matters most to them (their values). One measure of this goal is alignment between patient and surgeon-perceived involvement in decision-making. We performed a cross-sectional survey of patients presenting for musculoskeletal specialty care to determine agreement between patients and surgeons regarding patient involvement in shared decision-making. We also tested (1) factors associated with specialist-perceived involvement, accounting for the patient’s perceived involvement in decision-making, and (2) factors associated with patient perception of involvement in decision-making, accounting for ratings of preferred involvement.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional survey, 136 patients seeking musculoskeletal care for conditions involving the upper or lower extremities rated their preferred level of involvement in decision-making (Control Preferences Scale) before the visit and their perceived level of involvement (Modified Control Preferences Scale) after the visit. Participants also completed measures of symptoms of depression and pain self-efficacy. After the visit, the surgeons rated their perception of the patient’s involvement in decision-making (Modified Control Preferences Scale).

Results:

There was poor agreement between patients and surgeons regarding the extent of patient participation in decision-making (ICC = 0.11). The median difference was 1 point on a 5-point Likert scale (interquartile range: 0 to 1). Accounting for demographic characteristics and personal factors in multivariable analysis, specialists rated patients who did not have a high school diploma as having less involvement in decision-making. Specialist-perceived patient involvement in decision-making was not related to patient-perceived involvement. The only factor associated with higher patient-rated involvement was higher patient-preferred involvement (OR = 3.9; 95% CI = 2.6 to 5.8; p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The observation that surgeons misperceive patient participation in decision-making emphasizes the need for strategies to ensure patient participation, such as methods to help patients gain awareness of what matters most to them (their values), clinician checklists for identification and reorientation of common misinterpretations of symptoms, and decision aids or motivational interviewing tools that can help to ensure that patient choices are consistent with their values and are unhindered by misconceptions.
Acute Cauda Equina Syndrome Due to Spondylolisthesis in the Midst of a Pandemic
Authors: Isakov Aleksandr , Yanamadala Vijay , Yassari Reza , Udemba Adaobi , Shaparin Naum , Hascalovici Jacob R.
Published: February 2022

Case:

A 54-year-old woman with chronic lumbar radiculopathy due to grade II spondylolisthesis at lumbar 4 to 5 developed acute cauda equina syndrome (CES) after an elective lumbar decompression, and fusion was delayed because of statewide bans on elective procedures during the pandemic. The diagnosis was made largely through telehealth consultation and eventually prompted urgent neurosurgical intervention.

Conclusion:

This case report illustrates a rare presentation of acute CES and highlights some of the challenges of practicing clinical medicine in the midst of a pandemic.
Post-traumatic Radioulnar Synostosis in Distal Forearm Fractures in Children: A Report of 2 Cases
Authors: Gounot Alexandre , Simon Anne-Laure , Dizin Frédérique , Chinnappa Jason , Mas Virginie , Jehanno Pascal
Published: February 2022

Cases:

Two pediatric cases of post-traumatic distal radioulnar synostosis are reported, accompanied by a literature review summarizing evidence on the management of these conditions. Radioulnar synostosis is a rare complication of distal forearm fractures, which impairs upper-extremity function. The numerous surgical procedures that have been described to treat this condition in adults typically involve synostosis resection and an interposition graft to reduce recurrence. The optimal treatment in children has not been established.

Conclusions:

Post-traumatic radioulnar synostoses are rare conditions in pediatric patients who can be successfully treated with surgical excision of the synostoses and without the use of interposition grafting.
Profiles and Characteristics of Patients with Mild to Moderate COVID -19 Disease Phenotypes in a Teaching Hospital in Kano, Northern Nigeria
Authors: Musa Baba , Dahiru Garba , Amina Amina , Hussaini Tijjani , Shuaibu Sabitu , Ibrahim Mohammed , Adamu Auwal , Mohammed Nura , Maje Mahmoud , Salihu Hamisu
Published: February 2022

Background and Introduction: COVID-19 has affected almost 180 million people around the world, causing the death of about 5 million persons, as of November 16, 2021. The disease presents with a plethora of pulmonary and extrapulmonary symptoms of varying severity. After an exhaustive review of the literature, we found no data on the mild and moderate COVID-19 disease phenotypes in Northern Nigeria. Our objective is to describe the clinical characteristics of non-severe COVID -19 disease phenotypes in Kano State.
Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study at the COVID-19 Isolation Center of Muhammad Buhari Specialist Hospital Kano, Nigeria. We included all patients admitted from May 2020 to December 2020. Patients’ medical records were assessed and evaluated to describe the clinical characteristics at presentation. We explored time to discharge between patients aged ≤ 50 years old versus those >50. We applied the Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimator to generate cumulative probabilities of discharge over time and used the Log-rank test to determine differences between the two age groups. We applied Cox Proportional Hazards to identify predictors of time to discharge among the patients in the study. The study variables comprised of time of viral clearance and time to discharge as outcome variables, while main exposure variables included, age, sex, occupation, mode of exposure, presence of co-morbidity, and duration of hospitalization.
Results: A total of 187 COVID-19 patients were reviewed. The commonest symptoms were fever, breathing difficulty, and dry cough. There was no recorded death. Contact with a confirmed COVID-19 positive person was the source of infection in 167(89.3%) of patients. We noted faster time to viral clearance in patients on lopinavir compared to those on chloroquine (Log-rank test p-value = 0.048). There were no significant differences in time to discharge between younger (< 50 years) versus older patients (≥ 50 years) [24 days vs. 26 days respectively; Log-rank test p-value = 0.082]. Age, sex, and source of infection did not appear to be predictors of infection phenotype.
Conclusion and Implications for Translation: The findings of this study have a bearing on the surveillance and diagnosis of COVID-19 in Nigeria. While the plethora of clinical features may not be limited to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, healthcare practitioners should consider these symptom clusters in addition to cognate contact and travel history when confronted with a suspected COVID-19 infection.
 
Copyright © 2022 Maiyaki et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.
Manajemen Pengembangan Kurikulum Seni Budaya di SD Al-Fath Bumi Serpong Damai-Tangerang
Authors: Khumaeni Agus , Susanto Susanto
Published: February 2022

As a lesson that is very compatible with the world of children's play, the Cultural Arts curriculum should be implemented in such a way so that it can be optimally useful in fostering multiple intelligences, especially at the elementary school level. However, in reality, art lessons are still often underestimated, resulting in less than optimal implementation. Al-Fath Elementary School which is located on Jl. Lengkong Gudang timur-BSD-Tangerang, developing an arts and culture curriculum in the form of majors classes. Apart from being a very rare good practice, these efforts have also yielded positive results, namely the growth of student enthusiasm and community satisfaction with the school. However, over time and the dynamics of education that continue to develop things are discovered; a problem that results in less than optimal art learning in the majors class. This study aims to determine how the development of the Cultural Arts learning curriculum is implemented at SD Al-Fath-BSD and see it from the perspective of curriculum development management. This type of research is field research. Data collection techniques in this study are: observation, interview, and documentation. Then the data analysis used Miles and Huberman's model. The results showed that the management of curriculum development has been carried out well but requires improvement efforts so that the expected goals can be realized and reap maximum results.
Implementasi Metode Pembelajaran Inkuiri dalam Meningkatkan Hasil Pembelajaran Mata Pelajaran PAI
Authors: Heriyudanta Muhammad
Published: February 2022

Para pakar pendidikan dan hasil penelitian menyebutkan bahwa, hingga saat ini masih banyak ditemukan peserta didik kita yang dalam belajar cenderung hanya mempelajari materi dengan cara menghafal materi secara normatif saja. Karena itu, perlu diimplementasikan metode-metode yang dapat merangsang daya nalar peserta didik, supaya nalar mereka dapat berfungsi secara baik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana implementasi metode pembelajaran inkuiri dalam meningkatkan hasil pembelajaran pada mata pelajaran PAI. Jenis penelitian ini merupakan penelitian lapangan (field research) dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Metode pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Sumber data primer penelitian ini adalah kepala sekolah, guru PAI dan sejumlah peserta didik. Sedangkan sumber skundernya adalah data-data dari hasil observasi dan dokumentasi penelitian, seperti yang telah menjadi buku, jurnal, majalah, dan lainnya. Dari hasil penelitian, ditemukan bahwa model pembelajaran dengan menggunakan metode inkuiri dapat menjadikan siswa lebih aktif, kreatif, inovatif, mandiri, kritis, dan percaya diri untuk menjadi dirinya sendiri. Para siswa secara umum menjadi lebih percaya diri dalam bernalar, menganalisis, dan mengungkapkan pendapatnya dalam rangka untuk memecahkan masalah-masalah yang ada.
Human blastoids model blastocyst development and implantation
Authors: Kagawa Harunobu , Javali Alok , Khoei Heidar Heidari , Sommer Theresa , Sestini Giovanni , Novatchkova Maria , Reimer Yvonne Scholte op , Rivron Nicolas
Published: February 2022

A model of human bastocyst formed from stem cells (blastoid) would support scientific and medical advances. However, its predictive power will depend on the ability to faithfully, efficiently, and timely recapitulate the sequences of blastocyst specification, morphogenesis, and patterning, and form cells reflecting the blastocyst stage. Here we show that naïve human pluripotent stem cells cultured in PXGL conditions and then triply inhibited for the Hippo, transforming growth factor- β (TGF-β), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways efficiently form blastoids (>70%). Within 4 days, blastoids sequentially produce analogs of the blastocyst-stage trophoblast and epiblast, followed by the formation of analogs of the primitive endoderm and the polar trophoblasts. This results in the formation of transcriptional analogs of the blastocyst (>96%) and a minority of postimplantation analogs (e.g., amnion, mesoderm). Blastoids efficiently form the embryonic-abembryonic axis marked by the maturation of the polar region (NR2F2+), which acquires the specific potential to directionally attach to hormonally stimulated endometrial cells, as in utero. Such a human blastoid is a scalable, versatile, and ethical model to study human development and implantation in vitro.
Evaluation of the efficacy of Thymus kotschyanus extract as an additive treatment in patients with ulcerative colitis: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Vazirian Fatemeh , Samadi Sara , Abbaspour Mohammadreza , Taleb Amirmahdi , Bagherhosseini Hadi , Mozaffari Hooman Mosannen , Mohammadpour Amir Hooshang , Emami Seyed Ahmad
Published: February 2022

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the chronic diseases which is increasing in prevalence and patients suffer from illness flare-ups. UC standard regimen treatment has various side effects besides the efficacy, so there is an interest in administering complementary medicine to reduce adverse effects and increase the efficacy, as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and anti-inflammatory effect of Thymus kotschyanus as an additive treatment in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of UC patients. Methods: Thirty UC out-patients with mesalazine regimen treatment that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were participated in a 12-week trial and were randomly chosen for the treatment and control group. Fifteen patients were administered a placebo as a control and 15 patients were administered received Thymus kotschyanus extract by a dose of 0.5 grams in a day in the treatment group. Laboratory tests were performed at baseline and week 12. The primary outcome was reduction in fecal calprotectin as the main intestine inflammatory marker. Likewise, reduction in SCCAI, SIDBQ, and SEO indices were considered as the secondary aims. The primary outcome was a reduction in SCCAI as the main intestine inflammatory marker. Likewise, reduction in fecal calprotectin, SIDBQ, and SEO indices were the secondary aims. Results: Fecal calprotectin Comparing the treatment and placebo groups at week 12 indicated a was decreased in fecal calprotectin by 54.74% in the treatment group, as compared with placebo group at week 12 (p=0.02). and alsoA significant difference reduction was shown in SCCAI was also shown between two study groups (p=0.01). Thymus kotschyanus extract was safe and no severe side effects were reported. Conclusion: Administration of Thymus kotschyanus revealed improvement in UC symptoms by the intestinal anti-inflammation effect of the plant and could be suggested as a potential additive treatment in UC patients. The study protocol has been registered under the identification code: IRCT20200406046965N2.
Robot and mechanical testing of a specialist manual toothbrush for cleaning efficacy and improved force control
Authors: Acherkouk Amina , Götze Marco , Kiesow Andreas , Ramakrishnan Anantha , Sarembe Sandra , Lang Tomas , Gaengler Peter
Published: February 2022

Background: Toothbrushes require flexibility to access all dental surfaces and remove plaque effectively, but they should also aim to prevent or limit overbrushing and consequent damage to teeth and gums. In two studies, the physical properties and cleaning performance of specialist test toothbrushes with flexible necks were compared to a reference rigid-necked toothbrush. Methods: In Study 1, a universal testing machine (Instron E 10000) with a specially designed setup was used to test the deflection behaviour of toothbrush head and neck. Untufted toothbrushes were fixed in a custom holder and force was applied to the head while the deflection was measured. In Study 2, one control and five test toothbrushes were assessed using a robot system to simulate the cleaning of artificial plaque from defined surfaces of artificial replicated human teeth in a model oral cavity (typodonts). Results: Study 1 showed that the flexible-neck toothbrush deflected 2 to 2.5 times more than the rigid-neck reference toothbrush when same force was applied to the toothbrush head. Study 2 revealed that all five test toothbrushes showed statistically superior simulated plaque removal to the reference toothbrush. This superiority was observed for all test toothbrushes employing horizontal and rotating brushing action (all p = 0.001) but only three of the five toothbrushes when vertical brushing was employed (all p = 0.001). Cleaning efficacy of the test toothbrushes was demonstrated both interdentally and at the gumline locations. The Complete Protection toothbrush showed the most effective cleaning performance followed by the Repair and Protect and Rapid Relief toothbrushes. Conclusion: The addition of a flexible-neck component to the toothbrush designs reduced stiffness and allowed more effective cleaning compared to rigid designs with controlled force distribution on the teeth and gums. This helped to provide plaque control at all risk areas in an in vitro robot model and could support good oral hygiene. Trial registration: N/A
Antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of dried and germinated legumes
Authors: Umar Aisha , Khan Muhammad Tajammal , Bukhari Shanila , Sardar Rehana , Naheed Kishwar , Younas Hajira , Hussain Saber , Gillani Raazia Alam , Kiani Rushaan Kauser
Published: February 2022

Beans and lentils are good sources of total phenolic contents and possessed excellent free radical scavenging activity. This study was aimed to assess the total phenolic compounds (TPCs) and antioxidant activity of dried and germinated beans and lentils. The total phenolics contents were extracted from seven types of beans and lentils by using 50% (v/v) aqueous ethanol. The TPCs and antioxidant activities were analyzed using Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH (2, 2-diphenyle-1-picrylhydrazyl radical), ABTS (2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) assays, respectively. The legumes showed the highest total phenolic contents (TPCs) and antioxidant capacity by DPPH and ABTS scavenging activity (p < 0.05) in germinated samples. The germinated beans and lentils contained more total phenolic contents that decrease significantly in dried beans. This study also suggested that germinated beans are a valuable source of commercial natural antioxidants.
Qualitative Assessment of Providers’ Experiences with a Segmentation Counseling Tool for Family Planning in Niger
Authors: MacLachlan Ellen , Agali Balki Ibrahim , Maytan-Joneydi Amelia , Chaibou Sanoussi , Garba Souleymane Amadou , Halidou Illiassou Chaibou , Speizer Ilene S , Nouhou Abdoul Moumouni
Published: February 2022

Introduction: This study examines experiences with a family planning segmentation counseling tool that is used during the provision of family planning services. Based on answers to a series of questions, women are segmented into one of five categories of family planning users and counseled based on their identified segment. This study aimed to qualitatively assess provider perspectives on implementation of the tool. Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews took place in the Dosso region of Niger among 16 family planning providers who had been trained in segmentation and were currently using the segmentation tool. The facilities chosen for interviews were part of a larger mixed methods study assessing the impact of using the segmentation approach. Interview questions focused on training, supervision, how segmentation occurs at the health facility, how segmentation changes provider-client interactions, and any difficulties faced with implementation. Interviews were translated and transcribed into French and data were coded and thematically analyzed. Results: All providers in the study reported positive outcomes associated with segmentation, especially the benefit of spending extra time with each client. This extra time results in more meaningful interactions between clients and providers, leaving clients with a deeper understanding of family planning and of the different methods available. The implementation of the tool did not change other aspects of service delivery, except that a segmentation sheet was required to be filled in and kept in each patient’s file. Difficulties reported included translating the segmentation tool questions into local languages, training enough health care providers and avoiding stock outs of the segmentation sheets. Conclusion: The segmentation process is of benefit to family planning clients in Niger and the scale up of the strategy could bring higher quality services to women. If this approach is brought to scale the implementation challenges uncovered need to be addressed, especially adequate training. Further research is needed to determine if segmentation leads to changes in family planning use outcomes.
From Anti-China Rhetoric to Anti-Asian Behavior: The Social and Economic Cost of "Kung Flu"
Authors: Huang Justin , Krupenkin Masha , Rothschild David , Lee Julia
Published: February 2022

Discrimination and violence directed towards Asian Americans in the United States increased dramatically following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we examine consumer discrimination against businesses associated with Asian Americans. Leveraging the pandemic as an exogenous shock to Americans' level of anti-Chinese sentiment, we utilize a series of analyses combining survey data, online search trends, and consumer cellular device mobility data to measure the effects of this shock on consumer discrimination against Chinese and other Asian restaurants. Survey and search data show that attitudes towards Chinese and non-Chinese Asian food declined precipitously during the pandemic, and this change in attitudes was driven by a mix of assigning blame for COVID-19 spread to Asians and experiencing fear of Chinese food. Analysis of cellular phone mobility data shows Asian restaurants suffered a 18.4\% drop (95\% C.I.: -15.9\% to -20.8\%) in traffic relative to non-Asian restaurants in the pandemic period. We explore heterogeneity in these effects by political affiliation and find strong correlation between support of former President Trump and avoidance of Asian restaurants. The results are consistent with the role of outgroup homogeneity and ethnic misidentification as drivers of spillover effects of anti-Chinese sentiment on non-Chinese Asian restaurant traffic. This work documents some of the unique economic challenges faced by Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic and has substantial implications for the study of consumer discrimination and stigmatization in public health communications.
Analysis of Methodological Quality of The Process of Moving From Evidence to Recommendations in Chinese Clinical Practice Guidelines Between 2010 and 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Zheng Nan , Chen Xiaoming , Ren Xiangying , Guan Xiangyun , Tan Ran , Su Linxia , Huang Qiao , Cao Yingjuan , Jin Yinghui
Published: February 2022

Background: The general situation of the methodological quality of the process of moving from evidence to recommendations (EtR) in Chinese CPGs and the main methodological factors affecting the rigor of EtR is still unclear. This study explored the status of the methodological characteristics of EtR by analyzing of all Chinese CPGs illustrating recognizable recommendations published during the period 2010-2020, and identified the relevant factors associated with the rigor of EtR in CPGs.Methods: We systematically searched two major Chinese databases, CNKI and WanFang Database to gather all CPGs illustrating recognizable recommendations from 2010 to 2020. A data-extraction form was designed to extract all the methodological characteristics of EtR. We used the M-K test to identify monotonically increasing or decreasing trends of each methodological characteristic over time, and compared the methodological characteristics between groups using Chi-square test. Multi-factor Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors related to the rigor of the process of EtR in CPGs.Results: A total of 753 CPGs (EB-CPGs=386/1,127, CB-CPGs=367/1,527) were selected based on the selection criteria. EB-CPGs did better than CB-CPGs in most of the EtR methodological characteristics, and CPGs using GRADE were also superior to those not using GRADE. 43.69% (329/753) of CPGs considered relevant factors. The most frequently considered factors were the effectiveness of the intervention (398, 52.9%), safety (368, 48.9%), and balance of benefits and harms (193, 25.6%). Only 95 CPGs considered costs in the methods or the process of EtR, the proportion was even lower for the consideration of values and preferences (57, 7.6%) and feasibility (47, 6.2%). The rigor of EtR were significantly associated with GRADE or non-GRADE CPGs (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.37-3.00, P< 0.001), EB-CPGs or CB-CPGs (OR 1.48, 95%CI 1.06-2.07, P=0.022) and the designated level of evidence (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.15-2.34, P=0.006).Conclusion: Unsatisfactory: there is still much room for improvement in the rigor of EtR in Chinese CPGs over the last 11 years. In order to improve the rigor of EtR, guideline panels should try to consider all the relevant factors. Additionally, EB-CPGs using GRADE are preferable for enhancing the EtR rigor.
Logic Motion Algorithm and Design of Flexible Limb of Gecko-imitating Robot
Authors: Liang Peidong , Liang Fengshun , Gu Lizhi
Published: February 2022

The transmission tower climbing robot runs up and down along the tower tri-steel skeleton, and is supposed to stay in the required position firmly, transporting and installing the safety cable at the appropriate tower end for provision of the basic life safety guarantee for the operator during climbing and operating in maintenance.This paper puts forward and designs a set of robot and intelligent control with the hardware system of homing and pseudo-target excluding algorithms. In Euclidean n dimension space with the real number, definitions and constructions of the robot climbing state sequence number set are down with the norm sequence number set of the two adjacent rotary center distance of the handles on the same side of the skeleton, machine vision, and W- type sensor layout of discrete - continuous integration, efficiently homing the real goals and reliably identifying the pseudo target. According to the three point support - one point fetching, design of flexible appendage logical sequence were built up, not only guarantee the biomimetic gecko type climbing, and ensure the reliable grip of the robot hand with respect to to help handle,Together with the hardware design, the robot can work safely and reliably and transport the safety cable to the tower end. Because of the non-uniformity of the arrangement of the handle along the skeleton, the most critical problem to be solved in the climbing process is the robot's searching and reliable grasping.
Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and the First Occurrence of Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
Authors: Su Ning , Zhang Xing , Tang Xingming , Tang Li-wen , Wang Qinqin , Chen Xingyu , Wang Xiaoyang , Wen Yueqiang , Feng Xiaoran , Zhou Qian , Zhou Jiafan , Shang Sijia
Published: February 2022

Background: Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been used as a potential biomarker of inflammation-related diseases, but its role in the peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis (PDRP) is still uncertain. This study was aimed to investigate the association between PLR and the new-onset PDRP in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study,1378 PD Chinese patients were recruited from four centers, who were divided into the high PLR group(HPG) and the low PLR group(LPG) according to the cutoff value of PLR. The correlation between PLR and the new-onset PDRP was assessed using the Cox regression model analysis. Results: During follow-up, 121 new-onset PDRP events were recorded. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed a higher risk of new-onset PDRP in the HPG (log-rank test, P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, the Cox regression model showed the risk of new-onset PDRP was higher in the HPG than that in the LPG (HR,1.689,95%CI 1.096~2.602, P=0.017). Competitive risk analysis showed that significant differences still existed between the two PLR groups in the presence of other competitive events(P<0.001).Conclusion: PLR is independently associated with the new-onset PDRP in PD patients.
Electronic Informed Consent: effects on enrolment, practical and economic benefits, challenges, and drawbacks. Studies within Randomised Controlled Trials. Systematic Review.
Authors: Mazzochi Ana Teresita , Dennis Martin , Chun Ho-Yan Yvonne
Published: February 2022

Background
Enrolment is one of the most challenging aspects of conducting clinical trials, preceded by the process of informed consent (IC). Different strategies to improve recruitment in clinical trials have been used, including electronic IC. During COVID-19 pandemic, barriers to enrolment have been evident. Although digital technologies were acknowledged as the future of clinical research and potential advantages were shown for recruitment, electronic informed consent (e-IC) has not yet been globally adopted. The purpose of this review is to investigate the effect of using e-IC on enrolment, practical and economic benefits, challenges, and drawbacks when compared to traditional informed consent, through a systematic review.
Methods
Embase, Global Health Library, Medline, and The Cochrane Library databases were searched. No limit was set for publication date, age, sex, or study design. We included all studies within a randomised controlled trial (RCT), published in English, Chinese or Spanish, evaluating the electronic consent process used in the parent RCT. Studies were included if any of the three components (i. information provision, ii. participant’s comprehension, iii. signature) of the IC process was designed as electronic, whether administered remotely or face-to-face. The primary outcome was the rate of enrolment to the parent trial. Secondary outcomes were summarised according to the various findings reported on the use of electronic consent.
Results
From a total of 9069 titles, 12 studies were included in the final analysis with a total of 8864 participants. Five studies of high heterogeneity and risk of bias showed mixed results on the efficacy of e-IC on enrolment. Data of included studies suggested e-IC could improve comprehension and recall of study-related information. Meta-analysis could not be conducted due to different study designs and outcome measures and the predominantly qualitative findings.
Conclusion
Few published studies have investigated the impact of e-IC on enrolment and findings were mixed. e-IC may improve participant´s comprehension and recall of information. High quality studies are needed to evaluate the potential benefit of e-IC to increase clinical trial enrolment.
Trial registration:
International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO CRD42021231035)
Numerical Validation on Noval Replaceable Reduced Beam Section Connections for Moment-Resisting Frames
Authors: Özkılıç Yasin Onuralp , Bozkurt Mehmet Bakır
Published: February 2022

After a severe seismic activation, the buildings designed based on seismic specifications are expected to have damages without any local and global collapse. The key parameters that influence re-occupancy of the damaged buildings are workmanship cost and time. In order to circumvent shortcomings of these crucial parameters, replaceable fuse members with high energy dissipation capacity have been developed up to date. Moment resisting frames (MRFs) are one of the most preferred lateral load resisting systems in terms of architectural versatility and high energy dissipation capacity. Even though many beam-to-column connection details have been investigated over the years, none of them has addressed assembly difficulties when replacing the damaged fuse members under the residual drift ratio occurred after an earthquake. Therefore, this study presents replaceable reduced beam sections with connection detail for MRFs under residual drift. The proposed detail includes end-plated mid-spliced reduced beam sections. Pursuant to this goal, the proposed detail has been investigated under cyclic loading protocol required by AISC 341-16 by using ABAQUS finite element program. Seismic response of the proposed connection detail was compared from PEEQ and Rupture Index standpoint. The obtained findings indicate that the proposed mid-spliced replaceable reduced beam section satisfies all requirements mandated by AISC 341-16.
DNA nicks induce mutational signatures associated with BRCA1 deficiency
Authors: Feng Yi-Li , Liu Qian , Chen Ruo-Dan , Liu Si-Cheng , Huang Zhi-Cheng , Yang Xiao-Ying , Xie An-Yong
Published: February 2022

Analysis of human cancer genome sequences has revealed specific mutational signatures associated with BRCA1-deficient tumors, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we show that one-ended DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) converted from CRISPR/Cas9-induced nicks by DNA replication, not two-ended DSBs, cause more characteristic chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei in Brca1-deficient cells than in wild-type cells. BRCA1 is required for efficient homologous recombination of these nick-converted DSBs and suppresses bias towards long tract gene conversion and tandem duplication (TD) mediated by two-round strand invasion in a replication strand asymmetry. However, aberrant repair of these nick-converted one-ended DSBs, not that of two-ended DSBs in Brca1-deficient cells, generates mutational signatures such as small indels with microhomology (MH) at the junctions, unbalanced translocations and small MH-mediated TDs, resembling those in BRCA1-deficient tumors. These results suggest a major contribution of DNA nicks to mutational signatures associated with BRCA1 deficiency in cancer and the underlying mechanisms.