bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of organic matter on soil hydrothermal processes in the Tibetan Plateau: Observation and parameterization
Authors: Sun Jing , Chen Yingying , Yang Kun , Lu Hui , Zhao Long , Zheng Donghai
Published: August 2021

In the central-eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) there is abundant organic matter in topsoils, which plays a crucial role in determining soil hydraulic properties that need to be properly described in land surface models. Limited soil parameterizations consider the impacts of soil organic matter (SOM), but they still show poor performance in the TP. A dedicated field campaign is therefore conducted by taking undisturbed soil samples in the central TP to obtain in-situ soil hydraulic parameters and to advance SOM parameterizations. The observed findings are twofold. 1) The SOM pore-size distribution parameter, derived from measured soil water retention curves, has been demonstrated to be much underestimated in previous studies. 2) SOM saturated hydraulic conductivity is overestimated. Accordingly, a new soil hydraulic parameterization is established by modifying a commonly used one based on observations, which is then evaluated by incorporating it into Noah-MP. Compared with the original ones, the new parameterization significantly improves surface soil liquid water simulations at stations with high surface SOM content, especially in the warm season. A further application with the revised Noah-MP indicates that SOM can enhance sensible heat flux but decrease evaporation and subsurface soil temperature in the warm season, and tends to have a much weak effect in the cold season. This study provides insights into the role of SOM in modulating soil state and surface energy budget. Note that, however, there are many other factors at play and the new parameterization is not necessarily applicable beyond the TP.
A machine learning approach for classifying bird and insect radar echoes with S-band Polarimetric Weather Radar
Authors: Jatau Precious , Melnikov Valery , Yu Tian-You
Published: August 2021

The S-bandWSR-88D weather radar is sensitive enough to observe biological scatterers like birds and insects. However, their non-spherical shapes and frequent collocation in the radar resolution volume create challenges in identifying their echoes. We propose a method of extracting bird (or insect) features by coherently averaging dual polarization measurements from multiple radar scans, containing bird (insect) migration. Additional features are also computed to capture aspect and range dependence, and the variation of these echoes over local regions. Next, ridge classifier and decision tree machine learning algorithms are trained, first only with the averaged dual pol inputs and then different combinations of the remaining features are added. The performance of all models for both methods, are analyzed using metrics computed from the test data. Further studies on different patterns of birds/insects, including roosting birds, bird migration and insect migration cases, are used to further investigate the generality of our models. Overall, the ridge classifier using only dual polarization variables was found to perform consistently well across all these tests. Our recommendation is that this classifier can be used operationally on the US Next-Generation Radars (NEXRAD), as a first step in classifying biological echoes. It would be used in conjunction with the existing Hydrometeor Classification Algorithm (HCA), where the HCA would first separate biological from non-biological echoes, then our algorithm would be applied to further separate biological echoes into birds and insects. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to train a machine learning classifier that is capable of detecting diverse patterns of bird and insect echoes, based on dual polarization variables at each range gate.
Workplace gender equality in the post-pandemic era: Where to next?
Authors: Foley Meraiah , Cooper Rae
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and accelerated many gendered labour market inequalities in Australia and around the world. In this introduction to our special issue, ‘Workplace Gender Equality: Where are we now and where to next?’, we examine the impact of the pandemic on women’s employment, labour force participation, earnings, unpaid care work and experience of gendered violence. We identify five key areas where action is urgently required to create a more equitable post-pandemic recovery: addressing gender-based labour market segregations and discrimination; building access to mutually beneficial flexibility; ensuring a more gender-equitable distribution of unpaid care; confronting gender-based violence at work and beyond; and mobilising union action through gender equality bargaining.
Measuring the Real-Time Stock Market Impact of Firm-Generated Content
Authors: Lacka Ewelina , Boyd D. Eric , Ibikunle Gbenga , Kannan P.K.
Published: August 2021

Firms increasingly follow an “always on” philosophy, publishing multiple pieces of firm-generated content (FGC) every day. Current methodologies used in marketing are unfit to unbiasedly capture the impact of FGC disseminated intermittently throughout the day on stock markets characterized by ultra-high-frequency trading. They also neither distinguish between the permanent (i.e., long-term) and temporary (i.e., short-term) price impacts nor identify FGC attributes capable of generating these price impacts. In this study, the authors define price impact as the impact on the variance of stock price. Employing a market microstructure approach to exploit the variance of high-frequency changes in stock price, the authors estimate the permanent and temporary price impacts of the firm-generated Twitter content of S&P 500 information technology firms. The authors find that firm-generated tweets induce both permanent and temporary price impacts, which are linked to tweet attributes of valence and subject matter. Tweets reflecting only valence or subject matter concerning consumer or competitor orientation result in temporary price impacts, whereas those embodying both attributes generate permanent price impacts. Negative-valence tweets about competitors generate the largest permanent price impacts. Building on these findings, the authors offer suggestions to marketing managers regarding the design of intraday FGC.
Intelligent textiles: designing a gesture-controlled illuminated textile based on computer vision
Authors: Tan Jeanne , Shao Li , Lam Ngan Yi Kitty , Toomey Anne , Ge Lan
Published: August 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers the potential for the development of e-textiles that give wearers a smart and intuitive experience. An emerging challenge in intelligent materials design is hand gesture recognition textiles. Most current research focuses on number gesture recognition via smart gloves, so there is a gap in research that studies contact-less number gesture recognition textiles via computer vision. Meanwhile, there is lack of exploration on the integration of illuminating function and number gesture recognition textiles to improve interactivity by real-time visualizing detection results. In this research, a novel interactive illuminating textile with a touch-less number gesture recognition function has been designed and fabricated by using an open-source AI model. It is used in sync with a polymeric optical fiber textile with illuminative features. The textile is color-changing, controlled by the system's mid-air interactive number gesture recognition capability and has a woven stripe pattern and a double-layer weave structure with open pockets to facilitate integration of the system's components. Also described here is a novel design process that permits textile design and intelligent technology to integrate seamlessly and in synchronization, so that design in effect mediates continuously between the physical textile and the intangible technology. Moreover, this design method serves as a reference for the integration of open-source intelligent hardware and software into e-textiles for enhancement of the intuitive function and value via economy of labor.
Syringomyelia after spinal anaesthesia: A case report
Authors: Madhaw Govind , Radhakrishnan Divya M , Kumar Niraj
Published: August 2021

Lumbar spinal or epidural anaesthesia has a lower complication rate compared to general anaesthesia. An occasional patient may develop spinal cord injury during the procedure and develop neurological complications. We report an interesting case of paraparesis due to dorsal spinal cord involvement and syrinx formation following spinal anaesthesia for abdominal surgery.
The Violence Prevention Program in South Australia: A Recidivism and Cost–Benefit Analysis Pilot Study
Authors: Mercer Gene , Ziersch Emma , Sowerbutts Shawn , Day Andrew , Pharo Henry
Published: August 2021

Rehabilitation of incarcerated men is a primary focus of correctional systems across the world. The present pilot study examined the effect of participation in the South Australian Violence Prevention Program (VPP) on recidivism trajectories. Individuals who participated in the VPP were significantly less likely to engage in violent recidivism, with the greatest effect observed between Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders relative to similarly matched comparators. In addition, the types of violent crimes committed were less severe for those who engaged in treatment relative to the comparison group. No differences were observed between groups in overall rates of reoffending, or the length of time following release before reoffending. The study also quantified the economic impacts of treatment and found it was associated with a positive cost–benefit ratio of Aus$1.13. The results provide evidence that the VPP does reduce the rate of violent recidivism, and that these results translate into economic benefits for society.
Use of Mobile Social Story Maps in the Development of Cognitive and Social Skills of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Güler Tülay Dargut , Erdem Mukaddes
Published: August 2021

The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of animated and non-animated mobile social story maps using the mobile learning environment that the authors developed. An application using the story map method based on social stories was developed. Mobile social story map was presented with animated and non-animated narrative and the effectiveness and efficiencies of the two methods on both listening comprehension and social communication skills were compared using an alternating treatments design. The participants of the study consisted of three children aged between 6 and 7 years with an ASD diagnosis. Research findings showed that mobile social story maps contribute to the development of social communication skills and listening comprehension skills of participants with an ASD. The results indicated that two methods were equally effective in improving social communication skills, but in improving listening comprehension skills, animated supported stories were more effective for one of the three participants. Also, animated narrative-supported mobile social story maps were more efficient for two participants.
SACBP: Belief space planning for continuous-time dynamical systems via stochastic sequential action control
Authors: Nishimura Haruki , Schwager Mac
Published: August 2021

We propose a novel belief space planning technique for continuous dynamics by viewing the belief system as a hybrid dynamical system with time-driven switching. Our approach is based on the perturbation theory of differential equations and extends sequential action control to stochastic dynamics. The resulting algorithm, which we name SACBP, does not require discretization of spaces or time and synthesizes control signals in near real-time. SACBP is an anytime algorithm that can handle general parametric Bayesian filters under certain assumptions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in an active sensing scenario and a model-based Bayesian reinforcement learning problem. In these challenging problems, we show that the algorithm significantly outperforms other existing solution techniques including approximate dynamic programming and local trajectory optimization.
The sound of social class: Do music preferences signal status?
Authors: Cian Edoardo , Marini Daniele , Maass Anne
Published: August 2021

In three studies, we explore the subjective construal of associations between music preferences and social class. Two small-scale studies ( N = 100, N = 70) and one study involving a large representative sample of the Italian population ( N = 1,045) reveal that (a) people hold well-defined stereotypes on how music preferences are linked to social class, (b) that these stereotypes do not map onto actual class differences in music taste, (c) that they operate at both an implicit and explicit level, (d) that they are subject to ingroup bias among those who prefer “low-class” genres, and (e) that they are only weakly affected by streaming habits. Together, these findings shed new light on the psychological processes through which people draw inferences about social class on the basis of cultural expression.
Predicting emotions in music using the onset curve
Authors: Saiz-Clar Elena , Serrano Miguel Ángel , Reales José Manuel
Published: August 2021

The relationship between parameters extracted from the musical stimuli and emotional response has been traditionally approached using several physical measures extracted from time or frequency domains. From time-domain measures, the musical onset is defined as the moment in that any musical instrument or human voice issues a musical note. The onsets’ sequence in the performance of a specific musical score creates what is known as the onset curve (OC). The influence of the structure of OC on the emotional judgment of people is not known. To this end, we have applied principal component analysis on a complete set of variables extracted from the OC to capture their statistical structure. We have found a trifactorial structure related to activation and valence dimensions of emotional judgment. The structure has been cross-validated using different participants and stimuli. In this way, we propose the factorial scores of the OC as a reliable and relevant piece of information to predict the emotional judgment of music.
Critical insurance studies: Some geographic directions
Authors: Booth Kate
Published: August 2021

Critical insurance studies recognises insurance as not purely actuarial and calculative. From this recognition, this theoretically informed research pays attention to the reproduction of power in insurantial discourse and practice, and possibilities for equitable change. To extend geographical contributions in this regard, I review critical insurance research and describe three intersecting foci – governmentality, materiality and spatiality. I also contribute new insights in considering insurance as co-constituting fluid and fire space – as flowing and adapting within everyday complexities, and as fiery and constituted through multiple flickering realities. These contestable multiplicities and mobilities may contribute to more equitable configurations beyond the hegemonic.
Towards Equitable Health Care Access: Community Participatory Research Exploring Unmet Health Care Needs of Homeless Individuals
Authors: D’Souza Melba Sheila , Mirza Noeman Ahmad
Published: August 2021

Community and health services often overlook health care needs of persons experiencing homelessness, which leads to deterioration in health and increased utilization of emergency services. Since homeless people are underrepresented in health service research, little is known about their unmet health care needs, particularly in smaller cities where resources are limited. This community-based participatory research explored the experiences of small-city homeless service users (HSUs) with unmet health care needs and community service providers (CSPs) who work with them to determine barriers to health care access affecting them. Structured interviews were conducted with 65 HSUs and 15 CSPs in interior British Columbia, Canada. These interviews were audio-recorded, and the retrieved data were analyzed thematically. The three themes uncovered included: a lack of access to health care and risk of stigma, a lack of trust and fear of discrimination, and a need for community navigation and social support. The findings indicate that HSUs do not receive equitable care and face challenges in accessing appropriate and timely foot care, which contributes to increased foot-related emergency visits, loss of trust in the health care system, and disabilities due to worsening foot conditions. Various social determinants of health also impact HSUs, such as low socioeconomic status, lack of housing, decreased social support, unhealthy behaviors, and inequitable access to health services. By collaborating with HSUs, community and health services need to develop innovative outreach programs that provide better community resources as the first step toward equitable access to health care.
Understanding Physical Activity Patterns Across the School Day in Urban Pre-Kindergarten and Elementary Schoolchildren
Authors: Sacheck Jennifer M. , Blake Emily F. , Press Hannah , Huang Qiushi , Wright Catherine M. , Lora Karina R. , Sylvetsky Allison C. , Visek Amanda J. , DiPietro Loretta
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Despite recommendations that children accrue ≥60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), numerous barriers may exist. We examined school-day MVPA patterns in lower-income children (pre-K to 5th grade) to determine whether they were meeting the minimum school-day guidelines of at least 30-min/day of MVPA and to identify opportunities for intervention.

Methods:

Students (N = 629, pre-K-5th grade) from 4 urban schools wore Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers over 2 school days. Mixed effects models evaluated sex- and grade-specific differences in MVPA and sedentary time.

Results:

Only 34.6% of elementary and 25.3% of pre-K students met the school-time MVPA recommendation. Among elementary-aged children, boys accrued more MVPA than girls (30.8 ± 13.3 vs. 23.5 ± 10.7 min/day; p < 0.0001) with similar sex differences observed among pre-K children (51.3 ± 17.1 vs 41.9 ± 17.5 min/day; p < 0.001). Sedentary time also increased significantly with grade among elementary-aged children (207.9 ± 34.7 vs. 252.0 ± 36.1 min/day for those in 1st and 5th grade, respectively; p < 0.001), with girls accruing more sedentary time than boys (242.5 ± 48.2 vs. 233.8 ± 46.8 min/day; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion:

MVPA declines across elementary school years, with sex disparities observed as early as pre-K. Extended sedentary bouts and clustering of activity highlight opportunities for more movement throughout the school day.
Critical Applications of Heterogeneity Theories to Power in Nonprofit Human Services Organizations
Authors: Flanigan Shawn Teresa
Published: August 2021

The field of nonprofit studies often assumes that efforts of actors in the nonprofit landscape are beneficial, especially when considering nonprofit human service organizations. However, there are both theoretical and empirical reasons for scholars to adopt a more critical lens when examining these organizations. Taking nonprofit human services organizations as a common setting, the article uses a critical lens to apply classic, “mainstream” theories of the role of heterogeneity in nonprofit sector formation and illuminate risks often neglected in nonprofit human services research. In this way, the article demonstrates that classic social science theories of heterogeneity already offer us the tools we need to critically question dominant assumptions about nonprofit human services provision and challenges the reader to consider why we so rarely use these well-known theoretical frameworks in a critical manner. The article concludes by inviting scholars to utilize additional critical theoretical perspectives in future studies of nonprofit human services.
Antenatal hepatitis B screening in Nigeria: A comparative analysis with syphilis and HIV
Authors: Olakunde Babayemi O , Adeyinka Daniel A , Ndukwe Chinwendu D , Oladele Tolulope T , Yahaya Hidayat B , Ijaodola Olugbengba A
Published: August 2021

Nigeria has adopted routine screening of pregnant women for hepatitis B virus (HBV) as part of the interventions to eliminate its vertical transmission. However, there is a dearth of evidence on the coverage of routine antenatal HBV screening as recommended in the national guidelines. This study examined the antenatal HBV screening rate and the positivity rate compared with syphilis and HIV. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the 2019 national HIV/AIDS health sector data. The study included approximately 2.8 million pregnant women who received antenatal care (ANC) in over 6000 health facilities providing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in Nigeria. Of the ANC clients, 0.2 million (7.2%) were screened for HBV. At the zonal level, the South West had the highest HBV screening rate (19%), while the lowest rate was in the North East (2.5%). The percentage of pregnant women screened for HBV was lower than those screened for syphilis (16.3%) and HIV (90.3%). Among those screened for HBV, the positivity rate was 5%. The HBV positivity rate ranged from 8.5% in the North Central zone to 1.3% in the South East zone. The positivity rates for syphilis and HIV were 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively. Our results indicate a low antenatal HBV screening rate and a wide disparity compared with HIV and syphilis. This finding highlights the need to understand and address the barriers affecting routine antenatal HBV screening and to strengthen the integration of HBV services into the HIV program in Nigeria.
Social inclusion and collective skill formation systems: policy and politics
Authors: Durazzi Niccolo , Geyer Leonard
Published: August 2021

This thematic review essay focuses on the relationship between social inclusion and collective skill formation systems. It briefly surveys foundational literature in comparative political economy and comparative social policy that documented and explained the traditionally socially inclusive nature of these systems. It reviews how the literature conceptualized the current challenges faced by collective skill formation systems in upholding their inclusive nature in the context of the transition to post-industrial societies. It then discusses in detail a recent strand of literature that investigates the policy responses that have been deployed across countries to deal with these challenges. It concludes by providing heuristics that may be useful for researchers who seek to advance the study of the policy and politics of social inclusion in collective skill formation systems.
Talar Dome Access Through Posteromedial Surgical Intervals for Fracture Care
Authors: DeKeyser Graham J. , O’Neill Dillon C. , Sripanich Yantarat , Lenz Amy L. , Saltzman Charles L. , Haller Justin M. , Barg Alexej
Published: August 2021

Background:

Posterior talar body fractures are rare injuries without a consensus surgical approach. This study evaluates the accessible area of the talar dome through 2 posteromedial approach intervals (posteromedial [PM] and modified posteromedial [mPM]) both with and without distraction.

Methods:

Ten male cadaveric legs (5 matched pairs) were included. A PM approach, between flexor hallucis longus (FHL) and the tibial neurovascular bundle, and an mPM approach, between FHL and Achilles tendon, was performed on each pair. In total, 4 mm of distraction across the tibiotalar joint was applied with the foot held in neutral position. Accessible dome surface area (DSA) was outlined by drilling with a 1.6-mm Kirschner wire with and without distraction. Specimens were explanted and analyzed by micro–computed tomography with 3-dimensional reconstruction. Primary outcomes were total accessible DSA and sagittal plane access at predetermined intervals.

Results:

The PM approach allowed access to 19.1% of the talar DSA without distraction and 33.1% of the talar dome with distraction ( P < .001). The mPM approach provided access to 20.4% and 35.6% of the talar DSA without and with distraction ( P < .001). Both approaches demonstrated similar sagittal plane access at all intervals except the lateral border of the talus, where the mPM approach provided greater access both without distraction (20.5% vs 4.38%, P = .002) and with distraction (34.3% vs 17.8%, P = .02).

Conclusion:

The mPM approach, using an interval between FHL and Achilles tendon, provides similar access to the posterior surface of talar dome and better sagittal plane access to the most lateral portion of the dome. The mPM interval provides the advantage of avoiding direct dissection of the tibial nerve or posterior tibial artery. Using an external fixator for distraction can improve talar dome visualization substantially.

Level of Evidence:

Level V, Cadaveric Study.
Contract Length Determination in the B2B Service Industry: Role of Economic Factors, Business Relationship, and Learning
Authors: Feng Shanfei , Krishnan Trichy V.
Published: August 2021

In B2B markets, when firms sign contracts for transactions pertaining to the exchange of services that are delivered over a period of time, one critical decision they make is the length (or duration) of the contract. If the services are hired for a long project, companies often sign multiple, successively run contracts with the same vendor. This is prevalent in projects such as when multinational companies hire consulting firms like Accenture to streamline and digitize their business processes, when big banks in developing countries hire firms like Tata Consultancy Services to extend banking facilities into rural markets, and when oil companies hire rig firms to drill oil wells. From a traditional economic perspective, companies would decide on an optimal contract length that is not too long or too short; the former disables the firms from reacting to market changes while the latter makes negotiation costs expensive. However, when a company signs a series of successive contracts with a service-firm, both companies get to learn about the other company’s goals and operations dynamically, which might influence the length of each contract in the series. Thus, determining the contract length in a series of successive contracts is more challenging. In this study, we build a contract length determination model that considers both the economic factors and the dynamic learning. The model provides managers with a theoretical yet practical tool to make optimal decisions on contract length. We use data from the oil-drilling industry to empirically test the proposed model.
Serum IL-6/IL-10 ratio as a biomarker for the diagnosis and severity assessment of primary-open angle glaucoma
Authors: Ulhaq Zulvikar Syambani , Soraya Gita Vita , Hasan Yuliono Trika Nur , Rachma Lailia Nur , Rachmawati Ermin , Shodry Syifaus , Kusuma Muhammad A’raaf Sirojan
Published: August 2021

Objective:

To assess the performance of serum cytokine IL-6 and IL-6/IL-10 ratio as biomarkers for the diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and for determining its progression.

Methods:

In this study, 20 POAG patients and 21 healthy individuals from the Indonesian population were enrolled. The serum concentration of IL-6 and IL-10 were quantified. Comparative analysis was performed in addition to assessment of the diagnostic performance of cytokines using receiver-operating-curve (ROC) analysis.

Results:

POAG patients had a higher IL-6 ( p < 0.0001) and IL-6/IL-10 ratio ( p < 0.0001) than controls. Among the POAG subjects, advanced-stage patients exhibited a higher IL-6/IL-10 ratio than those in the early-moderate stage ( p = 0.001; p = 0.006). The ROC curve analysis showed that both IL-6 level and IL-6/IL-10 ratio exhibited an excellent capability of diagnosing POAG (cut-off of 20.5 pg/mL (100% sensitivity and 94% specificity) and 4.4 (88% sensitivity and 94% specificity), respectively). Serum IL-6/IL-10 ratio displayed a better performance than IL-6 in discriminating POAG severity with cut-off of at least 6.6 (sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 90%) and 9.1 (sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 78%) classified according to C/D ratio and MD of VF, respectively.

Conclusion:

The balance between IL-6 and IL-10 serum levels is potentially useful in discriminating POAG severity.
Multimodal imaging of bilateral immunogammopathy maculopathy associated to Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia
Authors: Bouraoui Rim , El Matri Khaled , Falfoul Yousra , Fakhfakh Dalel , Mghaieth Fatma , Chebil Ahmed , El Matri Leila
Published: August 2021

Aim:

Our aim is to report a case with bilateral Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) associated maculopathy, assessed with multimodal imaging including swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and OCT-Angiography (OCT-A).

Methods:

Observational case report.

Case presentation:

A 61-year-old diabetic woman with history of treated WM currently in remission, presented with progressive bilateral visual loss. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/100 in the right eye (RE) and 20/200 in the left eye (LE). Fundus examination showed bilateral microaneurysms and retinal punctuate hemorrhages and a large macular serous detachment in the LE. There was no retinal ischemia on FA nor macular dye leakage. SS-OCT showed a significant schisis-like intraretinal fluid accumulation in the RE and a large prominent macular detachment with significant subretinal fluid accumulation in the LE. Retinal and choriocapillaris vascular densities were normal on OCT-A.

Conclusion:

Our case illustrated characteristic multimodal imaging findings in WM associated maculopathy such as schisis-like intraretinal fluid accumulation and angiographically silent serous macular detachment. OCT-A could non-invasively analyze macular vascular densities layer-by-layer, without noticing any vascular anomaly.
Assessing ultrasound-guided axillary vein cannulation using a cumulative sum analysis: A single operator experience
Authors: Zhu Linjia , Gong Chanjuan , Zhu Jinming , Zhu Lili , Chen Liang , Ni Yan
Published: August 2021

Background:

Ultrasound-guided axillary vein (AxV) cannulation has been described as an effective alternative to internal jugular vein cannulation in adult cardiac surgical patients. However, the learning curve for this technique has not yet been addressed. This study aimed to determine the number of cases required to achieve proficiency in performing AxV cannulation among novice anesthesiologists.

Methods:

This prospective study included the first 60 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided AxV cannulation performed by a single third-year resident who was trained in adult cardiac anesthesia. This study investigated the number of cases required to gain technical proficiency by applying cumulative sum analysis on the learning curve (LC-CUSUM) of ultrasound-guided AxV cannulation.

Results:

Based on the assessment of the CUSUM plots, a descending inflection point for decreasing the overall procedural time for AxV cannulation was observed after patient 29. Regarding the procedural outcomes, comparing the early-experience group with the late-experience group (29 vs 31 cases), the former group had longer operating time (1526 s vs 1120 s, p < 0.001) and identification time (110 s vs 92 s, p < 0.001) and lower first-attempt success rate (8, 27.6% vs 30, 96.8%, p < 0.001) than the latter group.

Conclusions:

CUSUM demonstrated that at least 29 successful cases are required to achieve an expertized manipulation in ultrasound-guided AxV cannulation for inexperienced novices. The learning curve for ultrasound-guided AxV cannulation was observed in 29 cases. After adequate training, the overall procedural time and the first-attempt success rate, and puncture-related complications for AxV cannulation improved with increased experience.
Investigations on a mega–sub isolation system under near-fault ground motions
Authors: Li Xiangxiu , Tan Ping , Liu Aiwen , Li Xiaojun
Published: August 2021

The failure mechanism of the mega–sub isolation system under near-fault ground motions is studied in this article. 90 suites of near-fault ground motions collected from 23 earthquakes are adopted to investigate the ground motion intensity indices applicable for the mega–sub isolation system. Then, the sensitivities of the stochastic responses to the structural parameters are analyzed to determine the representative random structural parameters. Furthermore, considering the uncertainties of ground motion characteristics and structural parameters, the seismic fragility is analyzed by the response surface method in order to obtain the failure mechanism of this system under near-fault ground motions. Results show that different intensity indices have various correlation coefficients with the peak responses of the mega–sub isolation system. The correlations of acceleration-related intensity indices are the worst, whereas the correlations of displacement-related intensity indices show high linearity. The sensitivities of the structural responses are weaker to the sub-structure story stiffness but more sensitive to the sub-structure story mass and the stiffness and damping ratio of the isolation layer. The failure probability of the sub-structure is higher than that of the mega-structure under near-fault ground motion. While in the collapse state, the failure probability of the isolation layer is greater than that of the sub-structure.
The Gender Revolution on Greek Row
Authors: Ispa-Landa Simone , Risman Barbara J.
Published: August 2021

How has the gender revolution impacted the campus Greek world? Interviews with women in sororities from the 1970s and today point to both continuity and change. Citing their sexism and segregation of white and wealthy students, alumna of sororities at elite universities have begun social movements to abolish the Greek system.
Sociological Curiosity: Updating C. Wright Mills
Authors: Jacobs Jerry A.
Published: August 2021

C. Wright Mills’ famous essay, “The Sociological Imagination,” is the most frequently assigned reading in sociology syllabi in the United States today. However, the author of this article began to be concerned that Mills’ essay can seem dated to many. Here, the author stays true to Mills’ original ideas but updates some language and examples.
Changing Social Context and Queer Recruitment Panics
Authors: Brown-Saracino Japonica , Compton D’Lane , Parker Jeffrey Nathaniel
Published: August 2021

Following the Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality, a sense of “mission accomplished” quickly shifted focus away from the legal concerns of same-sex families. One year later, legal uncertainties remain for LGBT parents and children, resulting in differing access to and use of familial rights across states.
Barriers, Enablers, and Consumer Design Ideas for Health Literacy Responsive Hospital Waiting Areas: A Framework Method Analysis
Authors: McDonald Cassie E. , Remedios Louisa J. , Cameron Kate L. , Said Catherine M. , Granger Catherine L.
Published: August 2021

Aim:

The study aim was to (1) investigate the barriers and enablers experienced by consumers to accessing and engaging with health tools in hospital waiting areas and (2) evaluate consumers’ ideas for designing a health literacy responsive waiting area.

Background:

Health information, resources, and supports (“health tools”) in waiting areas should be responsive to the health literacy needs of consumers. However, consumers’ experiences of using health tools and their ideas for improving them are not known.

Methods:

Multicenter study was set in hospital waiting areas of outpatient rehabilitation services. Semistructured in-person interviews were conducted with 33 adult consumers attending appointments for various health conditions. Seven stages of the Framework Method were used to analyze data.

Results:

Six themes were identified which explained barriers and enablers from the perspective of consumers. The barriers were accessibility issues; personal factors—physical condition, emotional state, and preferences; and poorly presented and outdated resources. The enablers were design suits consumer needs and preferences; usable in available time or portable; and compatible environment for engaging and sharing. Consumers shared design ideas which fit within four typologies.

Conclusions:

A range of barriers and enablers exist which have an impact on consumers’ ability to engage with available health information, resources, and supports in hospital outpatient waiting areas. Practical insights from the perspective of consumers can be applied to future health service design. Consumer’s design ideas suggest that partnerships with consumers should be formed to design health literacy responsive waiting areas.
Serum fatty acids profile and association with early-onset coronary artery disease
Authors: Xuan Chao , Tian Qing-Wu , Li Hui , Guo Jun-Jie , He Guo-Wei , Lun Li-Min
Published: August 2021

Background:

Fatty acids (FAs) play crucial roles in modulating and preventing diseases in humans, including early-onset coronary artery disease (EOCAD). In this study, we aimed to provide a profile of FAs in the serum of EOCAD patients and identify potential EOCAD-associated FAs.

Methods:

In the first stage, we analyzed the FAs profiles in pooled samples of patients with EOCAD using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In the second stage, the serum levels of the candidate FAs were validated in EOCAD patients.

Results:

A total of 128 EOCAD patients and 64 controls were included in the study. Forty-nine serum FAs were quantified in pooled samples; three ω-3 FAs were identified to be associated with EOCAD. Moreover, results from the validation stage indicated that serum levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were significantly lower in EOCAD patients (55.43 ± 33.86 µg/ml) and myocardial infarction (MI) patients (47.49 ± 28.44 μg/ml) than those in the controls (70.65 ± 43.56 µg/ml). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that elevated serum DHA level was an independent protective factor for EOCAD [odds ratio (OR) = 0.8917, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.879–0.957] and MI (OR = 0.835, 95% CI: 0.799–0.862). Decreased serum levels of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were observed in the early-onset MI group.

Conclusion:

The study provided the serum FAs profile of EOCAD and confirmed that the decrease in serum levels of DHA, DPA, and EPA was associated with EOCAD. These findings might contribute to understanding the cardiovascular effects of FAs, particularly the protective effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated FAs.
Prognostic indicators of survival in patients with small-cell lung cancer at a tertiary care center in Lebanon
Authors: Tfayli Arafat , Atwi Hanine , Naji Amal , Assaad Majd Al , Assi Sahar , Hazimeh Maya
Published: August 2021

Objective:

Small-cell lung cancer is a very aggressive tumor associated with high invasiveness and ease of metastasis and therefore poor prognosis. In the literature, several demographical, clinical as well as pathological factors including age, stage, gender and smoking were cited as independent prognosticators of survival.

Material and Methods:

This is a retrospective cohort study that includes 222 patients diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer between 2010 and 2019. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from their medical records. The Kaplan–Meier and logistic regression models of statistical analysis were used to evaluate the association of these variables with survival.

Results:

Forty-five percent of patients were found to be alive at the time of data collection. The median survival of patients with small-cell lung cancer was found to be 14 months. On univariate analysis, increasing age as well as stage (extensive disease) were found to be significantly associated with decreased survival at 3 years. On the contrary, both gender and smoking status at diagnosis were not shown to significantly influence survival. On multivariate analysis, both age as well as stage remained significantly associated with survival.

Conclusion:

Limited data exist in the literature regarding the prognostic indicators of survival in small-cell lung cancer, especially from the Middle East area. In our study, both age and stage at the time of diagnosis were found to significantly influence survival. Further studies are needed to assess the association of other factors with survival.
Essential amino acid supplementation is associated with reduced serum C-reactive protein levels and improved circulating lymphocytes in post-acute inflamed elderly patients
Authors: Aquilani Roberto , Zuccarelli Ginetto C , Maestri Roberto , Boselli Mirella , Dossena Maurizia , Baldissarro Eleonora , Boschi Federica , Buonocore Daniela , Verri Manuela
Published: August 2021

Background

Persistent systemic inflammation leads to multidistrectual body dysfunctions. Attenuation of inflammation may improve patients’ functional and life prognoses. We hypothesized that essential amino acids (EAAs) given to elderly patients in rehabilitation after acute diseases may be associated with a reduced inflammatory state. Therefore, this retrospective study investigated whether the supplementation of EAAs – modulators of immune competence – was associated with a reduced inflammation rate in elderly patients.

Methods

The medical records of 282 patients admitted to the rehabilitation (rehab) institute after acute index events (surgery or medical diseases) (age: 81.18 ± 8.58 years; females: 67.9%) were analyzed.

Results

46 patients (16.3% of the entire population) had received EAA supplements (S), whereas the remaining 236 patients had not (N-S). Systemic inflammation (I) (serum C-reactive protein (CRP) > 0.5 mg/dL) was present in 67.4% of the I-S group and 57.2% of the I-N-S group. During rehab, the I-S group (but not the I-N-S group) showed a reduction in CRP levels ( p = 0.03) and an increase in circulating lymphocytes ( p = 0.035), immune cells of the adaptive immune system. C-reactive protein levels remained virtually unchanged in non-inflamed patients who received supplements but increased in non-inflamed patients who did not receive supplements ( p = 0.05). Stratified for developed infections, CRP levels reduced in S patients ( p = 0.008) but did not in N-S patients.

Conclusion

EAA supplementation was associated with reduced inflammation in both inflamed and infected patients. In addition, EAA supplementation was associated with increased circulating lymphocytes in inflamed patients.
Treatment of Partial-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears With a Resorbable Bioinductive Bovine Collagen Implant: 1-Year Results From a Prospective Multicenter Registry
Authors: Bushnell Brandon D. , Bishai Shariff K. , Krupp Ryan J. , McMillan Sean , Schofield Brian A. , Trenhaile Scott W. , McIntyre Louis F.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Surgical treatment of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears remains challenging and controversial, with several traditional options including debridement with acromioplasty, transtendon or in situ repair, and take-down and repair. A resorbable bioinductive bovine collagen implant has shown promise as an alternative treatment option for partial-thickness tears.

Purpose:

Data from a registry were analyzed to further establish that the implant contributes to improved patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores across a large number of patients treated for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 19 centers in the United States enrolled patients >21 years old with partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff in a comprehensive prospective multicenter registry. PRO scores were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively at 2 and 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months, and 1 year: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (physical and mental component scores), and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff scores. Revisions were reported throughout the study.

Results:

The registry included 272 patients with partial-thickness tears (49 grade 1 tears, 101 grade 2 tears, and 122 grade 3 tears), 241 who underwent isolated bioinductive repair (IBR; collagen implant placed after bursectomy without a traditional rotator cuff repair), and 31 who had take-down and repair with bioinductive augmentation. Patients experienced statistically significant and sustained improvement from baseline for all PRO scores beginning at 3 months. Among patients with grade ≥2 tears, those with take-down and repair had significantly inferior scores at 2 and 6 weeks for most PRO scores as compared with those who underwent IBR, but the difference was no longer significant at 1 year for all but the physical component score of the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey. There were 11 revisions, which occurred at a mean ± SD of 188.7 ± 88.0 days after the index surgery. There were no infections.

Conclusion:

This registry analysis further establishes across a large data set that this resorbable bioinductive bovine collagen implant improves PROs in all grades of partial-thickness tears, whether used as IBR or in conjunction with take-down and repair. IBR may offer improved early clinical outcomes (≤6 weeks) and comparable outcomes at 1 year when compared with a more invasive “take-down and repair” approach.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of MLC901 (NeuroAiD IITM) for Acute Ischemic Brain Injury in Animal Models
Authors: Ranuh I. G. M. Aswin R. , Sari Gadis Meinar , Utomo Budi , Suroto Nur Setiawan , Fauzi Asra Al
Published: August 2021

Introduction.

Moleac (MLC) 901 is a traditional Chinese medication approved by the Sino Food and Drug Administration in 2001 for treating stroke. This study aims to analyze the efficacy of MLC901 in animal stroke models after medial cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

Methods.

Literature selection was performed according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) 2015. Inclusion criteria for the experimental studies were the use of animal models, publication in English between 1990 and 2020, information regarding the intervention technique used, and outcomes regarding the efficacy of MLC901 administration.

Results.

MLC901 administration resulted in significantly less infarction volume by a mean difference of 17.17 compared to the control group (p < .00001). The MLC901 group resulted in significant improvement in 5-bromo-20-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells expression by a mean difference of 662.79 (p < .00001) and neurological function, which was indicated by a mean difference in the Bederson Neurological Outcome Score of 1.40 (p < .00001).

Conclusions.

MLC901 administration in an animal stroke model resulted in a better reduction in infarction volume and improvement in BrdU expression and neurologic function. These data could help in further determining the efficacy of MLC901 for acute ischemic brain injury in humans.