bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Case of Severe COVID-19 in a Patient with Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease after Haploidentical Transplantation
Authors: Han Dan , Sun Yuqian , Xie Rong , Zhu Xiaojian , Zhong Zhaodong
Published: March 2021

We report a case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after haploidentical transplantation with acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). COVID-19 and aGVHD were improved under treatment with arbidol, remdesivir, methylprednisolone, and ruxolitinib. However, eventually, the patient died of septic shock and multiple organ failure. It was concluded that the disease condition of this COVID-19 patient after transplantation was serious, complex, and variable, with poor prognosis.
Software Defect Prediction for Healthcare Big Data: An Empirical Evaluation of Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Khan Bilal , Naseem Rashid , Shah Muhammad Arif , Wakil Karzan , Khan Atif , Uddin M. Irfan , Mahmoud Marwan
Published: March 2021

Software defect prediction (SDP) in the initial period of the software development life cycle (SDLC) remains a critical and important assignment. SDP is essentially studied during few last decades as it leads to assure the quality of software systems. The quick forecast of defective or imperfect artifacts in software development may serve the development team to use the existing assets competently and more effectively to provide extraordinary software products in the given or narrow time. Previously, several canvassers have industrialized models for defect prediction utilizing machine learning (ML) and statistical techniques. ML methods are considered as an operative and operational approach to pinpoint the defective modules, in which moving parts through mining concealed patterns amid software metrics (attributes). ML techniques are also utilized by several researchers on healthcare datasets. This study utilizes different ML techniques software defect prediction using seven broadly used datasets. The ML techniques include the multilayer perceptron (MLP), support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (J48), radial basis function (RBF), random forest (RF), hidden Markov model (HMM), credal decision tree (CDT), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), average one dependency estimator (A1DE), and Naïve Bayes (NB). The performance of each technique is evaluated using different measures, for instance, relative absolute error (RAE), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), root relative squared error (RRSE), recall, and accuracy. The inclusive outcome shows the best performance of RF with 88.32% average accuracy and 2.96 rank value, second-best performance is achieved by SVM with 87.99% average accuracy and 3.83 rank values. Moreover, CDT also shows 87.88% average accuracy and 3.62 rank values, placed on the third position. The comprehensive outcomes of research can be utilized as a reference point for new research in the SDP domain, and therefore, any assertion concerning the enhancement in prediction over any new technique or model can be benchmarked and proved.
Adult Pleomorphic Rhabdomyosarcomas: Assessing Outcomes Associated with Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy Use in the National Cancer Database
Authors: Reddy Vishruth K. , Jain Varsha , Wilson II Robert J. , Hartner Lee P. , Diamond Mark , Sebro Ronnie A. , Weber Kristy L. , Maki Robert G. , Shabason Jacob E.
Published: March 2021

Purpose. Practice patterns for treatment of localized adult pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma (PRMS) remain quite variable given its rarity. Current national guidelines recommend management similar to that of other high-grade soft tissue sarcomas (STS), which include surgery with perioperative radiation (RT) with or without chemotherapy. Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we assessed practice patterns and overall outcomes of patients with localized PRMS. Patients and Methods. Patients with stage II/III PRMS treated with surgical resection from 2004 to 2015 were identified from the NCDB. Predictors of RT and chemotherapy use were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The association of radiation and chemotherapy status on overall survival was assessed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses. Results. Of 243 total patients, RT and chemotherapy were not uniformly utilized, with 44% receiving chemotherapy and in those who did not undergo amputation 62% receiving RT. In those who did not undergo amputation, RT was associated with improved survival on both univariate (HR: 0.49, 95% CI 0.32–0.73,

P
<
0.001

) and multivariate analysis (HR: 0.40, 95% CI 0.26–0.62,

P
<
0.001

), corresponding to greater 5-year overall survival (59% vs. 38%,

P
<
0.001

). Chemotherapy was associated with a higher rate of 5-year overall survival (63% vs. 39%,

P
<
0.001

). However, the survival benefit of chemotherapy did not reach statistical significance on multivariate analysis (HR: 0.65, 95% CI 0.41–1.03,

P
=
0.064

). Notable predictors of omission of RT included female gender (OR: 0.40, 95% CI 0.22–0.74,

P
<
0.01

) and age ≥ 70 (OR: 0.55, 95% CI 0.30–1.00,

P
=
0.05

). Correspondingly, factors associated with omission of chemotherapy included age ≥70 (OR: 0.17, 95% CI 0.08–0.39,

P
<
0.001

). Conclusions. A significant proportion of patients with localized adult PRMS are not receiving RT. Likewise, use of chemotherapy was heterogeneous. Our findings note potential benefits and underutilization of RT, for which further investigation is warranted.
Investigation of the Association between 45 Tag SNPs and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Han Chinese Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Yun , Chen Xiao-Ying , Dong Xiao-Lian , Wang Yu-Zhuo , Wang Na , Zhu Jian-Fu , Chen Yue , Jiang Qing-Wu , Fu Chao-Wei
Published: March 2021

Introduction: The objective of this study was to examine the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and genes identified in previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in rural Han Chinese adults. Methods: This prospective study included 1,832 adults aged ≥18 years in Deqing without diabetes at baseline. The subjects were followed up for 8.7 years on average. We selected 45 susceptible tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for T2DM that have been identified in GWASs and genotyped. A Cox model was constructed to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for the association between SNPs and incident T2DM. Results: The incidence rate of T2DM was 12.0 per 1,000 person-years. After adjustment for covariates and a Bonferroni correction, rs17584499 of protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor-type D (PTPRD), rs11257655 and rs10906115 of cell division cycle 123 gene (CDC123), and rs12970134 of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) were significantly associated with incident T2DM. The aHRs for incident T2DM were 1.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28–2.40) and 1.61 (95% CI: 1.27–2.04) in association with an increasing number of T alleles in rs17584499 and rs11257655 under an additive genetic model, and the aHR was 1.72 (95% CI: 1.33–2.22) with an increasing number of A alleles in rs10906115. The aHRs under the dominant model were 1.82 (95% CI: 1.25–2.66) for TT + CT versus CC of rs17584499 and 2.04 (95% CI: 1.47–2.86) for AA + AG versus GG of rs10966115. The aHRs under the recessive model were 2.99 (95% CI: 1.30–6.89) for TT versus CT + CC of rs17584499, 1.92 (95% CI: 1.39–2.70) for TT versus CT + CC of rs11257655, and 2.54 (95% CI:1.22–5.29) for AA versus AG + GG of rs12970134. In addition, an increased incidence of T2DM was significantly associated with the TA haplotype of rs11257655 and rs10906115 (aHR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.12–2.92), while a decreased incidence was associated with the CG haplotype (aHR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.35–0.68) and the CT haplotype of rs1111875 and rs5015480 (aHR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.37–0.98). Conclusion: Variants of the PTPRD, CDC123, and MC4R genes were associated with the T2DM incidence in a rural Han Chinese population.
A wearable device for machine learning based elderly's activity tracking and indoor location system
Authors: Tabbakha Nour Eddin , Ooi Chee Pun , Tan Wooi Haw , Tan Yi-Fei
Published: March 2021

The number of older people is increasing in many countries. By 2030, it is estimated that 15% of the overall population will be comprised of people aged 65 and above. Hence, the monitoring and tracking of elder activities to ensure they live an active life has become a major research topic in recent years. In this work, an elderly sub-activity tracking system is developed to detect the sub-activity of the elderly based on their physical activities and indoor location. The physical activities tracking system and indoor location system is combined in this project to enhance the context of the elderly activities (i.e. sub-activities as defined in this project). An indoor location system is developed by using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon and BLE scanners to measure the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) signal to detect the location of the elderly. The activity tracking is carried out via a waist wearable device worn by the elderly. Random forest and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are used as machine learning classifiers to predict the activity and indoor location with an accuracy of 95.03% and 86.58%, respectively. The data from activity tracking and indoor location sub-systems will then be combined to derive the sub-activity and push to an online Internet of Things (IoT) platform for remote monitoring and notification.
Scaled conjugate gradient ANN for industrial sensors calibration
Authors: Othman Karam Mazin Zeki , Salih Abdulkreem M
Published: March 2021

In this paper, artificial neural network is used to calibrate sensors that are commonly used in industry. Usually, such sensors have nonlinear input output characteristic that makes their calibration process rather inaccurate and unsatisfied. Artificial neural network is utilized in an inverse model learning mode to precisely calibrate such sensors. The scaled conjugate gradient (SCG) algorithm is used in the learning process. Three types of industrial sensors which are gas concentration sensor, force sensors and humidity sensors are considered in this work. It is found that the proposed calibration technique gives fast, robust and satisfactory results.
A streamlined 17-level cascaded H-bridge multilevel converter with solar PV integration
Authors: Shahbaz Muhammad Hamza , Amjad Kashif , Ahmad Naqash , Amin Arslan Ahmed , Iqbal Sajid , Khan Muhammad Gufran , Adnan Muhammad
Published: March 2021

The quest for a green electrical power system has increased the use of renewable energy resources and power electronic converters in the existing power system. These power electronic converters, however, are a major cause of harmonics and result in the degradation of power quality. In the last two decades, researchers have proposed various designs of multilevel converters to minimize these harmonic distortions, however, a comprehensive solution for stand-alone solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with low total harmonic distortion (THD) is still missing in the present body of knowledge. This paper proposes a single-phase 17-level cascaded H-bridge multilevel converter (CHMC) model for a stand-alone system using solar PV arrays. The proposed model employs eight different flexible PV arrays that can be replaced with DC voltage sources when required to meet the load demand. The proposed model does not include any capacitor and filter thus saving a lot of cost in the overall system. The model has been implemented in the Simulink environment using a model-based design approach. The simulation results show that the proposed model has reduced the THD to almost 7% as compared to the existing models. The cost comparison of the proposed converter also proved its economic benefit over other types.
Real-time mask detection and face recognition using eigenfaces and local binary pattern histogram for attendance system
Authors: Suhairi Md Suhaimin Mohd , Hanafi Ahmad Hijazi Mohd , Kheau Chung Seng , On Chin Kim
Published: March 2021

Face recognition is gaining popularity as one of the biometrics methods for an attendance system in an organization. Due to the pandemic, the common face recognition system needs to be modified to meet the current needs, whereby facemask detection is necessary. The main objective of this paper is to investigate and develop a real-time face recognition system for the attendance system based on the current scenarios. The proposed framework consists of face detection, mask detection, face recognition, and attendance report generation modules. The face and facemask detection is performed using the haar cascade classifier. Two techniques for face recognition were investigated, the eigenfaces and local binary pattern histogram. The initial experimental results and implementation at Kuching Community College show the effectiveness of the system. For future work, an approach that is able to perform masked face recognition will be investigated.
Association of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth With Heart Failure and Its Prediction for Short‐Term Outcomes
Authors: Song Yu , Liu Yuan , Qi Baozhen , Cui Xiaotong , Dong Xinyue , Wang Yanyan , Han Xueting , Li Fuhai , Shen Dongli , Zhang Xian , Hu Kai , Chen Shiyao , Zhou Jingmin , Ge Junbo
Published: March 2021

Background

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a common pathological condition of intestinal microbiota. The prevalence of SIBO and its prognostic value in patients with heart failure (HF) are unknown.

Methods and Results

A total of 287 patients tested for SIBO using lactulose hydrogen‐methane breath test were evaluated. At least 1 of the following criteria fulfilled was SIBO positive: patients with fasting hydrogen level ≥20 parts per million (ppm) or a ≥20 ppm rise in hydrogen by 90 minutes were diagnosed with SIBO (H
2
) positive; and patients with methane levels ≥10 ppm at any test point were diagnosed with SIBO (CH
4
) positive. The association between SIBO and the composite of cardiovascular death and HF rehospitalization was investigated. In 287 consecutive patients with HF, 128 (45%) were positive for SIBO. Our result showed SIBO increased the risk of HF rehospitalization in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (
P
<0.001), and the risk of cardiovascular death in patients with HF with preserved EF (
P
=0.011). SIBO was an independent risk factor of primary end point in patients with HF (hazard ratio [HR], 2.13; 95% CI; 1.26–3.58;
P
=0.005). In addition, SIBO (CH
4
) showed a prognostic value on adverse outcomes (HR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.38–4.02;
P
<0.001), whereas the association between SIBO (H
2
) and outcomes was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

There was high prevalence of SIBO in patients with HF, and SIBO was independently associated with poor outcomes. Proactive treatment for SIBO may provide extra benefit for patients with HF.
Observation of Collagen-Containing Lesions After Hematoma Resolution in Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Love Christopher J. , Kirschenbaum Daniel , Selim Magdy , Lo Eng H. , Rushing Elisabeth , Spector Myron , Aguzzi Adriano
Published: March 2021

Background and Purpose:

The classic presentation of chronic (stage III) hemorrhagic stroke lesions is a fluid-filled cavity. In one of the most commonly used animal models of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), we noticed additional solid material within the chronic lesion. We examined the composition of those chronic ICH lesions and compared them with human autopsy cases.

Methods:

ICH was induced in rats by the injection of collagenase in the striatum. Tissue sections after hematoma resolution corresponding to 3 different chronic time points—28, 42, and 73 to 85 days post-ICH—were selected. Human autopsy reports at the University Hospital of Zurich were searched between 1990 and 2019 for ICH, and 3 chronic cases were found. The rat and human sections were stained with a variety of histopathologic markers.

Results:

Extensive collagenous material was observed in the chronic lesion after hematoma resolution in both the rat model and human autopsy cases. Additional immunostaining revealed that the material consisted primarily of a loose network of collagen 3 intermingled with occasional GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein)-positive processes and collagen 4.

Conclusions:

A key feature of the chronic ICH lesion is a loose network of collagen 3. The collagenase rat model reproduces the morphology and composition of the chronic human ICH lesion. While identifying new features of ICH lesion pathology, these results are important for treatment and recovery strategies.
The Demise, Dissolution and Elimination of Religions
Authors: Stausberg Michael
Published: March 2021

While it is generally acknowledged that religions can “die” or go “extinct,” little research has been dedicated to the problem of the demise of religions. This text reviews earlier research on this topic and develops some reflections on two types of religion (ethno-specific and transcendental ones) and on the end of indigenous religions. The text stresses the importance of ruler conversions and indigenous agency in religion demise and transformation processes, introduces the category of “religiocide,” and proposes some criteria for identifying “religion death.” Finally, it introduces the articles of this special issue.
Destruction, Death, and Drama: Narratives of Religiocide in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Feldt Laura
Published: March 2021

This article analyzes active strategies for dismantling religion and discusses their role in religion demise. The aim is to throw light on how the dramatic and violent narratives of religion demolition stemming from different religious groups factor into processes and understandings of demise. I focus on religious change in the Hebrew Bible, analyzing aspects of two narratives that thematize an active dismantling of religious practices: (1) the story of the competition on Mount Carmel between the prophet Elijah and the Baʿal prophets in 1 Kings 18, involving the prophet’s mockery, denigration, and eventual killing of his religious opponents; and (2) the “reform” of King Josiah in 2 Kings 23 that involves the king instigating several different forms of destruction of religious objects and cult sites and the killing of priests deemed illegitimate. Analyzing how the dismantling activities are portrayed, I suggest that the dramatic narratives about dismantling religion form part of cultural memory in the Persian era, not in the eras they purport to depict. I discuss which roles dismantling strategies play in the narrative, and how they played a role in the identity building processes leading from ancient “Israelite” and “Judean” lived religion toward early forms of “Judaism” in the Persian era as performative group-internal communication supporting enclave characteristics. My key suggestion is that narratives about religion demolition should be taken into account in discussions of religious demise more broadly. Narratives of religion demolition are often spectacular, dramatic, and violent, and they can play important roles in forms of religious identity formation and cultural memory, especially by making apostasy appear risky within the in-group. Thus, they influence both processes of demise and understandings of religious demise in transformation processes.
What Comes to an End When a “Religion” Comes to an “End”? Reflections on a Historiographical Trope and Ancient Mediterranean History of Religion
Authors: Rüpke Jörg
Published: March 2021

This article argues that the neglect of narratives about the end of religious traditions is due to a complex entanglement of our positions as historical narrators and specifics of the sources for histories of religions, that is of emic and academic narrators. Typically, academic histories are not only based on emic narratives, but also tend to accept their conceptual frameworks with regard to the unities of description. It will be shown that such an entanglement has consequences for the neglect of the end of religious practices or groups. Against this background an analytical grid for change and discontinuation of different dimensions of “religion” will be offered and exemplified in an analysis of the “end of Paganism” in the late ancient Roman Empire. The most problematic implications of such narratives, the article will argue, are assumptions about the coherence of the religious protagonists brought center-stage.
“I Was Not Born to Obey, but Rather to Command”: The Self-Fashioning of Ṣägga Krǝstos, an Ethiopian Traveler in Seventeenth-Century Europe
Authors: Salvadore Matteo
Published: March 2021

In 1632, an Ethiopian traveler named Ṣägga Krǝstos arrived in Cairo and introduced himself to Franciscan missionaries as the legitimate heir to the Ethiopian throne. Following conversion to Catholicism, he embarked on an epic journey throughout the Italian peninsula and France, where he was hosted and supported by the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, multiple northern Italian rulers, and the French monarchy. By cross-referencing his autobiographical statement with a vast body of archival and published sources, this article shows that Ṣägga Krǝstos was an impostor, but also that, thanks to a favorable historical juncture and skilled self-fashioning, he was extensively supported by his European hosts. Ṣägga Krǝstos’s story of survival in the early modern Mediterranean dovetails with the literature on imposture, highlights the role that Africans played in the making of European expansion, and sheds further light on the condition of elite Africans in early modern Europe.
Multiple Spatial Coordinates Influence the Prediction of Tactile Events Facilitated by Approaching Visual Stimuli
Authors: Kimura Tsukasa
Published: March 2021

Interaction with other sensory information is important for prediction of tactile events. Recent studies have reported that the approach of visual information toward the body facilitates prediction of subsequent tactile events. However, the processing of tactile events is influenced by multiple spatial coordinates, and it remains unclear how this approach effect influences tactile events in different spatial coordinates, i.e., spatial reference frames. We investigated the relationship between the prediction of a tactile stimulus via this approach effect and spatial coordinates by comparing ERPs. Participants were asked to place their arms on a desk and required to respond tactile stimuli which were presented to the left (or right) index finger with a high probability (80%) or to the opposite index finger with a low probability (20%). Before the presentation of each tactile stimulus, visual stimuli approached sequentially toward the hand to which the high-probability tactile stimulus was presented. In the uncrossed condition, each hand was placed on the corresponding side. In the crossed condition, each hand was crossed and placed on the opposite side, i.e., left (right) hand placed on the right (left) side. Thus, the spatial location of the tactile stimulus and hand was consistent in the uncrossed condition and inconsistent in the crossed condition. The results showed that N1 amplitudes elicited by high-probability tactile stimuli only decreased in the uncrossed condition. These results suggest that the prediction of a tactile stimulus facilitated by approaching visual information is influenced by multiple spatial coordinates.
Orlando’s Unseen Face
Authors: Dabija Maria
Published: March 2021

In this essay, I propose to complicate the paradigm of circulation through a close look at a case in which a unique life story, of the sexually ambiguous Chevalier d’ Éon (1728–1810), crosses back and forth across generic as well as national boundaries, reaching a nodal point when he receives an entry in the Dictionary of National Biography edited by Virginia Woolf’s father, and then becomes the model for her hero/ine Orlando. The Chevalier has never before been discussed by Woolf scholars, who have paid little attention to Woolf’s foreign intertexts, but a broader understanding of the concept of circulation as developed by David Damrosch, Franco Moretti and Pascale Casanova will help me reveal the route of this hidden source from France to Russia and then to England, and can enable us to see Woolf’s gender- and genre-bending novel as a prime example of globality and worldliness.
Expansion of the orchid genus Eulophia (Eulophiinae; Epidendroideae) to include Acrolophia, Cymbidiella, Eulophiella, Geodorum, Oeceoclades and Paralophia

Authors: CHASE MARK W. , SCHUITEMAN ANDRÉ , KUMAR PANKAJ
Published: March 2021

Eulophia (Eulophiinae; Epidendroideae) has been found in molecular phylogenetic studies to be non-monophyletic. Here, we propose to combine it with Acrolophia, Cymbidiella, Eulophiella, Geodorum, Oeceoclades and Paralophia and discuss the characters that have been used previously to discriminate among these genera, demonstrating that none of them is without exceptions. Given the incongruence found in the molecular phylogenetic studies between plastid and nuclear results, a broader circumscription of Eulophia is more likely to be stable. In total, 35 new combinations/names are required for the expansion of Eulophia to include these other genera.
Descriptions of three new species of the harvestmen genus Pseudogagrella (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae: Gagrellinae) from Taiwan, supported by morphological and molecular evidence
Authors: CHEN SSU-LI , SHIH HSI-TE
Published: March 2021

Three new species of Opiliones are delimited and described from central and northern Taiwan based on morphological and molecular evidence. Pseudogagrella dorsomaculata sp. nov., collected from the Dasyueshan Forest Recreation Area, Heping, Taichung, resembles P. andoi Suzuki 1977, but can be recognized by the different pattern of the first abdominal tergite and the morphology of the penile grans. Pseudogagrella nigridorsa sp. nov., collected from the Lalashan National Forest Sanctuary, Fusing, Taoyuan, resembles P. arishana Suzuki 1977, but can be recognized by the different pattern of legs and the morphology of the penile stylus. Pseudogagrella sauteri sp. nov., also collected from the Dasyueshan Forest Recreation Area, resembles P. cyanea (Roewer 1915) and P. taiwana Suzuki 1977, but can be distinguished by the morphology of the alate part of the penis. Molecular evidence from mitochondrial 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) supports the identity of the three new species.
Tracking Smoke from a Prescribed Fire and Its Impacts on Local Air Quality Using Temporally Resolved GOES-16 ABI Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)
Authors: Huff Amy K. , Kondragunta Shobha , Zhang Hai , Laszlo Istvan , Zhou Mi , Caicedo Vanessa , Delgado Ruben , Levy Robert
Published: March 2021

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved from the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) was used to track a smoke plume from a prescribed fire in northeastern Virginia on 8 March 2020. Weather and atmospheric conditions created a favorable environment to transport the plume through the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, metro areas in the afternoon and concentrate smoke near the surface, degrading air quality for several hours. ABI AOD with 5-min temporal resolution and 2-km spatial resolution definitively identified the timing and geographic extent of the plume during daylight hours. Comparison to AERONET AOD indicates that ABI AOD captured the relative change in AOD due to passage of the smoke, with a mean absolute error of 0.047. Ground-based measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) confirm deteriorations in air quality coincident with the progression of the smoke. Ceilometer aerosol backscatter profiles verify plume transport timing and indicate that smoke aerosols were well mixed in a shallow boundary layer. This event illustrates the advantages of using multiple datasets to analyze the impacts of aerosols on ambient air quality. Given the quickly evolving nature of the event over several hours, ABI AOD provided information for the public and decision-makers that was not available from any other source, including polar-orbiting satellite sensors. This study suggests that PM2.5 concentrations estimated from ABI AOD can be used to fill in the gaps in nationwide regulatory PM2.5 monitor networks and may be a valuable addition to EPA’s PM2.5 NowCast of current air quality conditions.
The Effects of Lake Representation on the Regional Hydroclimate in the ECMWF Reanalyses
Authors: Minallah Samar , Steiner Allison L.
Published: March 2021

Lakes are an integral part of the geosphere, but they are challenging to represent in Earth system models which either exclude lakes or prescribe properties without simulating lake dynamics. In ECMWF Interim reanalysis (ERA-Interim), lakes are represented by prescribing lake surface water temperatures (LSWT) from external data sources, while the newer generation ERA5 introduces the FLake parameterization scheme to the modelling system with different LSWT assimilation data sources. This study assesses the performance of these two reanalyses over three regions with the largest lakes in the world (Laurentian Great Lakes, African Great Lakes, and Lake Baikal) to understand the effects of their simulation differences on hydrometeorological variables. We find that differences in lake representation alter the associated hydrological and atmospheric processes and can affect regional hydroclimatic assessments. There are prominent differences in LSWT between the two datasets which influence the simulation of lake-effect snowstorms in the Laurentian winters and lake-land breeze circulation patterns in the African region. Generally, ERA5 has warmer LSWT in all three regions for most months (by 2-12 K) and its evaporation rates are up to twice the magnitudes in ERA-Interim. In the Laurentian lakes, ERA5 has strong biases in LSWT and evaporation magnitudes. Over Lake Baikal and the African Great Lakes, ERA5 LSWT magnitudes are closer to satellite-based datasets, albeit with warm bias (1-4 K), while ERA-Interim underestimates the magnitudes. ERA5 also simulates intense precipitation hotspots in lake proximity that are not visible in ERA-Interim and other observation-based datasets. Despite these limitations, ERA5 improves the simulation of lake-land circulation patterns across the African Great Lakes.
Filipino Home Care Workers: Invisible Frontline Workers in the COVID-19 Crisis in the United States
Authors: Nasol Katherine , Francisco-Menchavez Valerie
Published: March 2021

Filipino home care workers are at the frontlines of assisted living facilities and residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs), yet their work has largely been unseen. We attribute this invisibility to the existing elder care crisis in the United States, further exacerbated by COVID-19. Based on quantitative and qualitative data with Filipino workers before and during the COVID-19 crisis, we find that RCFEs have failed to comply with labor standards long before the pandemic where the lack of state regulation denied health and safety protections for home care workers. The racial inequities under COVID-19 via the neoliberal approach to the crisis puts home care workers at more risk. We come to this analysis through Critical Immigration Studies framing Filipino labor migration as it is produced by neoliberalism and Racial Capitalist constructs. Last, while the experiences of Filipino home care workers during the pandemic expose the elder care industry’s exploitation, we find that they are also creating strategies to take care of one another.
Characteristics of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Following an Earthquake
Authors: Yildiz Muhammed Gazi , Bilal Nagihan , Kara Irfan , Sagiroglu Saime , Orhan Israfil , Doganer Adem
Published: March 2021

Introduction:

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a commonly encountered peripheral vestibular disorder. People exposed to massive earthquakes experience intense and long-term problem associated with dizziness. The purpose of our study is to investigate this relationship and to demonstrate the efficacy of the treatment modalities used in the management of patients with post-earthquake dizziness.

Methodology:

The study was carried out by examining the retrospective records of patients who presented with dizziness to the otorhinolaryngological outpatient unit before and after the Elazig earthquake that occurred on 24th Jan 2020. Parameters evaluated include patients’ age and gender, onset of dizziness, accompanying symptoms and comorbidities, videonystagmography (VNG) findings, pre- and post-treatment Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results:

The number of patients who presented with dizziness to our outpatient clinic after the earthquake and were included in our study totaled 84. The number of patients who visited the outpatient clinic before the earthquake was identified to be 75. In the earthquake related group, while there was a statistically significant difference between residual symptoms (RS) and the need for repetitive repositioning maneuvers, there was no statistically significant difference detected for age, gender, and comorbidities. Also, no statistically significant difference was found in the pre- and post-treatment assessments of VAS, DHI, and HADS median values in the earthquake group.

Conclusion:

There was a remarkable increase in the number of patients presenting with dizziness in the early post-earthquake period. Management of these patients may differ from the classic BPPV. Residual symptoms appearing after performing repositioning maneuvers can be more commonly seen among these patients.
Bringing psychiatrists into the picture: Automated measurement of regional MRI brain volume in patients with suspected dementia
Authors: Wibawa Pierre , Matta Gabrielle , Das Sourav , Eratne Dhamidhu , Farrand Sarah , Desmond Patricia , Velakoulis Dennis , Gaillard Frank
Published: March 2021

Objective:

The volumes of various brain regions can be rapidly quantified using automated magnetic resonance imaging tools. While these appear to be useful at face value, their formal clinical utility is not yet understood, particularly for non-neuroradiologists and in patients presenting with suspected dementia. This study investigated the utility of an automated normative morphometry tool on determinations of brain atrophy by psychiatrists and radiologists in a tertiary hospital.

Methods:

Consecutive magnetic resonance scans ( n = 110) of patients referred with suspected neurodegenerative disorders were obtained retrospectively and rated by two neuroradiologists, two general radiologists and four psychiatrists over two sessions. First, conventional magnetic resonance sequences were shown. Then, morphometry colour-coded maps, which segmented T1-weighted magnetisation prepared rapid gradient echo images into brain regions and visualised these regions in colour according to their volumetric standard deviation from a normative population, were added to the second reading which occurred ⩾6 weeks later. Presence and laterality of atrophy in frontal, parietal and temporal lobes and hippocampal regions were measured using a digital checklist. The primary outcome of inter-rater agreement on atrophy was measured with Fleiss’ Kappa (κ). We also evaluated the accuracy of the atrophy ratings for differentiating post hoc diagnosis of subjective cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Results:

Agreement among all raters was fair in frontal lobe and moderate in other regions with conventional method (κ = 0.362–0.555). With morphometry, higher agreement was seen in all regions (κ = 0.551–0.654), reaching significant improvement in the frontal and temporal lobes. No significant improvement was seen within the various disciplines, except in frontal lobes rated by psychiatrists. Accuracy of atrophy ratings on determining post hoc diagnosis was significantly improved for distinguishing subjective cognitive impairment versus dementia.

Conclusion:

In routine clinical assessment, automated normative morphometry complements the determination of regional atrophy and improves inter-rater agreement regardless of neuroradiology experience.
Odour identification impairment is a trait but not a disease-specific marker for bipolar disorders: Comparisons of bipolar disorder with different episodes, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia
Authors: Li Shu-bin , Li Ze-tian , Lyu Zhi-hong , Zhang Xiao-yuan , Zou Lai-quan
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Olfactory deficits have been reported in bipolar disorder, but this finding is controversial. This study investigated whether olfactory deficit can serve as a specific marker for bipolar disorder by comparing olfactory function in different mood episodes of bipolar disorder. We also compared olfactory function in bipolar disorder and other mental disorders – namely, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.

Methods:

The study consisted of two experiments. Experiment 1 enrolled 175 bipolar disorder patients (70 depressed subgroup, 70 manic subgroup and 35 euthymic subgroup) and 47 controls. Experiment 2 enrolled the participants from Experiment 1, along with 85 major depressive disorder and 90 schizophrenia patients. The Sniffin’ Sticks test was used to evaluate odour identification ability and odour threshold (as a measure of odour sensitivity). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale were used to assess depressive symptoms in all subjects and manic symptoms in bipolar disorder patients, respectively. We also used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale to assess clinical symptoms in schizophrenia patients.

Results:

All three bipolar disorder patient subgroups (depressed, manic and euthymic subgroup) showed reduced odour identification ability compared to controls; however, only patients in the acute phase of a mood episode (depressed, and manic subgroup) showed impaired odour sensitivity. Clinical symptoms were negatively correlated with odour sensitivity but not odour identification ability. Bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder patients showed less odour identification and sensitivity impairment than schizophrenia patients.

Conclusion:

Odour sensitivity is a potential dopaminergic marker for distinguishing between bipolar disorder patients in acute phase vs remission, while odour identification is a trait but a nonspecific marker of bipolar disorder.
The Representational Effects of Communal Property: Evidence from Peru’s Indigenous Groups
Authors: Carter Christopher L.
Published: March 2021

Why do some indigenous groups achieve coethnic political representation while others do not? In this paper, I highlight the primary role of communal property in shaping indigenous representation. While scholars often laud the developmental benefits of communal land titling, I argue that formalizing collectively held land can inhibit indigenous coordination to achieve political representation. Where communal land is informally held, indigenous groups are more likely to invest in traditional institutions that facilitate collective action to elect coethnic candidates to political office. Conversely, titling communal property secures indigenous land access but in the process erodes traditional institutions that would otherwise promote collective action during elections. I test my argument using a multi-method approach that includes interviews and experiments with three-hundred Peruvian indigenous leaders, historical land-title data, and information scraped from mayoral candidate CVs. The findings suggest that the oft-cited economic benefits of collective property may generate negative political effects.
Parliamentary Representation and the Normalization of Radical Right Support
Authors: Valentim Vicente
Published: March 2021

How do stigmatized political preferences become normalized? I argue that the parliamentary representation of the radical right normalizes radical right support. Radical right politicians breach established social norms. Hence their supporters have an incentive to conceal that support. When the radical right enters parliament, however, its voters are likely to perceive that their views have been legitimized, becoming more likely to display their private preferences. I use three studies to test this argument. Study 1 employs a regression discontinuity comparing the underreport of voting for radical right parties (RRPs) above and below thresholds of parliamentary representation. Study 2 compares how much individuals report liking RRPs in post-electoral surveys depending on interview mode. Study 3 employs a difference-in-differences that looks into the underreport of UKIP vote before and after entering parliament. The results support the argument and highlight the role of political institutions in defining the acceptability of behaviors in society.
Beyond Last Words: Patterns of Linguistic and Interactional Behavior in a Historical Sample of Dying Hospital Patients
Authors: Erard Michael
Published: March 2021

Patterns of linguistic and interactional behavior by people at the very end of their lives are not well described, partly because data is difficult to obtain. This paper analyzes descriptions of 486 deaths gathered from 1900 to 1904 in the first-ever clinical study of dying by noted Canadian physician, Sir William Osler. Only 16 patients were noted speaking, and only four canonical last words were reported. The most frequent observation by medical staff was that the deaths were quiet ( n = 30), though range of other behaviors were noted (e.g., moaning, delirium, seeming intention to speak). Osler's problematic study left behind data whose analysis is a small step toward empirically characterizing the linguistic and interactional details of a previously under-described phenomena as well as the importance of the social context in which they occur.
A Strike against the Left: General Strikes and Public Opinion of Incumbent Governments in Spain
Authors: Johnston Alison , Hamann Kerstin , Field Bonnie N
Published: March 2021

Political links between labor unions and leftist political parties have weakened over the last four decades in Western Europe, reducing the former’s influence on the latter. Unions’ prolonged organizational decline suggests that their capacity to pressure left parties should become more limited. We examine whether unions can use general strikes to influence public opinion when left parties in government pursue austerity policies. Executing a distributive lag time series analysis of quarterly public opinion data from 1986 to 2015 in Spain, we find that Socialist governments incurred significant public opinion penalties in the wake of a general strike. Not only did PSOE prime ministers lose confidence from the public, but they also witnessed a significant reduction in voting intentions. In contrast, Spain’s conservative governments incurred no such public opinion penalties in response to general strikes. We conclude that general strikes carry significant political costs for left governments that stray from union ideals.
Tuberculosis Outbreak Associated With Delayed Diagnosis and Long Infectious Periods in Rural Arkansas, 2010-2018
Authors: Labuda Sarah M. , McDaniel Clinton J. , Talwar Amish , Braumuller Anthwan , Parker Sarah , McGaha Stephanie , Blissett Carolynne , Wortham Jonathan M. , Mukasa Leonard , Stewart Rebekah J.
Published: March 2021

Objectives:

During 2010-2018, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 21 genotype-matched cases of tuberculosis (TB) among residents of a rural county in Arkansas with a low incidence of TB and in nearby counties. The Arkansas Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated to determine the extent of TB transmission and provide recommendations for TB control.

Methods:

We reviewed medical and public health records, interviewed patients, and reviewed patients’ social media posts to describe patient characteristics, identify epidemiologic links, and establish likely chains of transmission.

Results:

We identified 21 cases; 11 reported during 2010-2013 and 10 during 2016-2018. All case patients were US-born non-Hispanic Black people. Eighteen case patients had the outbreak genotype, and 3 clinically diagnosed (non–culture-confirmed) case patients had epidemiologic links to patients with the outbreak genotype. Social media reviews revealed epidemiologic links among 10 case patients not previously disclosed during interviews. Eight case patients (38%) had ≥1 health care visit during their infectious period, and 7 patients had estimated infectious periods of >12 months.

Conclusions:

Delayed diagnoses and prolonged infectiousness led to TB transmission in this rural community. TB education and awareness is critical to reducing transmission, morbidity, and mortality, especially in areas where health care providers have limited TB experience. Use of social media can help elucidate people at risk, especially when traditional TB investigation techniques are insufficient.
County Poverty, Urban–Rural Classification, and the Causes of Term Infant Death
Authors: Mohamoud Yousra A. , Kirby Russell S. , Ehrenthal Deborah B.
Published: March 2021

Objective

Higher mortality among full-term infants (term infant deaths) contributes to disparities in infant mortality between the United States and other developed countries. We examined differences in the causes of term infant deaths across county poverty levels and urban–rural classification to understand underlying mechanisms through which these factors may act.

Methods

We linked period birth/infant death files for 2012-2015 with US Census poverty estimates and county urban–rural classifications. We grouped the causes of term infant deaths as sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), congenital malformations, perinatal conditions, and all other causes. We computed the distribution and relative risk of overall and cause-specific term infant mortality rates (term IMRs) per 1000 live births and 95% CIs for county-level factors.

Results

The increase in term IMR across county poverty and urban–rural classification was mostly driven by an increase in the rate of SUDI. The relative risk of term infant deaths as a result of SUDI was 1.6 (95% CI, 1.5-1.8) times higher in medium-poverty counties and 2.3 (95% CI, 1.2-2.5) times higher in high-poverty counties than in low-poverty counties. Cause-specific IMRs of congenital malformations, perinatal conditions, and death from other causes did not differ by county poverty level. We found similar trends across county urban–rural classification. Sudden infant death syndrome was the main cause of SUDI across both county poverty levels and urban–rural classifications, followed by unknown causes and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.

Conclusions

Interventions aimed at reducing SUDI, particularly in high-poverty and rural areas, could have a major effect on reducing term IMR disparities between the United States and other developed countries.
CLT using CEFR and EIL in Southeast Asia and East Asia in the English language classroom
Authors: Foley Joseph
Published: March 2021

This article discusses language teaching and the move from a predominantly psycholinguistic to a more sociolinguistic approach through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the Common European Framework of Reference Languages (CEFR) and English as an International Language (EIL). The context is four plurilingual and pluricultural societies in Southeast Asia and East Asia, (Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and China). These countries were chosen as they had similarities in the development of CEFR and consequently there were common factors that needed to be addressed in implementing CEFR. According to the English Proficiency Index (2020) a number of countries in the region have been described as being in the category of low or very low with regard to proficiency. To help improve such a situation, given the need for economic development, CEFR was introduced by various Ministries of Education in addition to the already existing official CLT syllabuses. English as an international language has also been widely proposed by a number of researchers, in terms of making teachers, students and educators aware of English as a world language as well as developing an attitudinal change with regard to ‘standard’ English. This article suggests that the basic principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) can be best applied through scaffolding using CEFR and EIL given the reality of teaching in relatively low English language proficiency contexts.