bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary and Secondary Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Pregnant and Nonpregnant Young Adults by SMASH‐UP Criteria
Authors: Sariyeva Mehriban , Haghighi Noora , Mitchell Amanda , Booker Whitney A. , Petersen Nils H. , Shields Andrea D. , Ghoshal Shivani , Agarwal Sachin , Park Soojin , Claassen Jan , Connolly E. Sander , Roh David J. , Miller Eliza C.
Published: March 2024

Background

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a major cause of maternal morbidity, but its pathophysiology is poorly characterized. We investigated characteristics of pregnancy‐associated ICH (P‐ICH), compared with ICH in similar aged nonpregnant adults of both sexes.

Methods and Results

We performed a retrospective analysis of 134 adults aged 18 to 44 years admitted to our center with nontraumatic ICH from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2021. We compared ICH characteristics among 3 groups: those with P‐ICH (pregnant or within 12 months of end of pregnancy); nonpregnant women; and men. We categorized ICH pathogenesis according to a modified scheme, SMASH‐UP (structural, medications, amyloid angiopathy, systemic, hypertension, undetermined, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome/reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome), and calculated odds ratios and 95% CIs for primary (spontaneous small‐vessel) ICH versus secondary ICH (structural lesions or coagulopathy related), using nonpregnant women as the reference. We also compared specific ICH pathogenesis by SMASH‐UP criteria and functional outcomes between groups. Of 134 young adults with nontraumatic ICH, 25 (19%) had P‐ICH, of which 60% occurred postpartum. Those with P‐ICH had higher odds of primary ICH compared with nonpregnant women (adjusted odds ratio, 4.5 [95% CI, 1.4–14.7]). The odds of primary ICH did not differ between men and nonpregnant women. SMASH‐UP pathogenesis for ICH differed significantly between groups (
P
<0.001). While the in‐hospital mortality rate was lowest in the P‐ICH group (4%) compared with nonpregnant women (13%) and men (24%), 1 in 4 patients with P‐ICH were bedbound and dependent at the time of discharge.

Conclusions

In our cohort of young adults with ICH, 1 in 5 was pregnancy related. P‐ICH differed in pathogenesis compared with non–pregnancy‐related ICH in young adults, suggesting unique pathophysiology.
Physical Activity, Mental Activity, and Risk of Incident Stroke: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Cao Zhi , Zhang Jing , Lu Zuolin , Chen Han , Min Jiahao , Hou Yabing , Wang Xiaohe , Xu Chenjie
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND:

Cumulative evidence suggests a correlation between physical or mental activity and the risk of stroke. However, the combined impact of these activities on stroke onset remains unexplored. This study identified physical and mental activity patterns using principal component analysis and investigated their associations with risk of incident stroke in the general population.

METHODS:

Our study was sourced from the UK Biobank cohort between 2006 and 2010. Information on physical and mental-related activities were obtained through a touch-screen questionnaire. The incident stroke was diagnosed by physicians and subsequently verified through linkage to Hospital Episode Statistics. Principal component analysis was used to identify potential physical and mental activity patterns. Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of incident stroke, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS:

The initial UK Biobank cohort originally consisted of 502 411 individuals, of whom a total of 386 902 participants (aged 38–79 years) without any history of stroke at baseline were included in our study. During a median follow-up of 7.7 years, 6983 (1.8%) cases of stroke were documented. The mean age of the included participants was 55.9 years, and the proportion of women was 55.1%. We found that multiple individual items related to physical and mental activity showed significant associations with risk of stroke. We identified 4 patterns of physical activity and 3 patterns of mental activity using principal component analysis. The adherence to activity patterns of vigorous exercise, housework, and walking predominant patterns were associated with a lower risk of stroke by 17% (HR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.78–0.89]; 20% (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.75–0.85]; and 20% (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.75–0.86), respectively. Additionally, the transportation predominant pattern (HR, 1.36 [95% CI, 1.28–1.45) and watching TV pattern (HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.33–1.53) were found to be significantly associated with a higher risk of stroke. These associations remained consistent across all subtypes of stroke.

CONCLUSIONS:

Activity patterns mainly related to frequent vigorous exercise, housework, and walking were associated with lower risks of stroke and all its subtypes. Our findings provide new insights for promoting suitable patterns of physical and mental activity for primary prevention of stroke.
Dijital İletişim, Dijital Vatandaşlık, Dijital Yönetişim ve CİMER
Authors: Dede Ayşegül
Published: March 2024

Dijital iletişim, iletişim olgusu çerçevesinde hem yeni formlar üretmekte hem de mevcut formları güncellemekte veya değişime uğratmaktadır. Zira toplumların kabullendiği bir uygulama ancak iletişim olgusu sayesinde toplumların sosyo-ekonomik dinamikleriyle hayat kazanmakta ve topluma faydalı bir unsur olmaktadır. Cumhurbaşkanlığı İletişim Merkezi (CİMER) vatandaşlarına yazılı, sözlü ve elektronik ortamda başvuru hakkı tanıyarak geleneksel iletişim yöntemleri ile birlikte dijital iletişim formlarını da kullanarak dijital çağa uygun bir politika ile çalışmalarını yürütmektedir. CİMER, dijital iletişimin şekillendirdiği dijital vatandaşlık ve dijital yönetişim olguları çerçevesinde toplumsal yaşamda kendisine alan açmaktadır. Bu çalışmada dijital iletişim, dijital vatandaşlık, dijital yönetişim ve CİMER arasındaki etkileşim nitel araştırma yöntemi olan doküman analizi ile incelenmiştir. CİMER’in dijital iletişimi sağlaması ile birlikte farklı gruplarda yer alan vatandaşların yönetimine daha kolay ve aktif şekilde katılmaları sonucunda çalışmada dijital vatandaşlık kültürünün geliştiği ve dijital yönetişim çerçevesinde daha katılımcı ve demokratik bir toplumun ortaya çıktığı vurgulanmıştır.
Two new species of Siphonorhinidae (Myriapoda: Diplopoda: Siphonophorida) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber
Authors: SU YI-TONG , CAI CHEN-YANG , HUANG DI-YING
Published: March 2024

Two new species of the millipede family Siphonorhinidae, Siphonorhinus globosus sp. nov. and Siphonorhinus peculiaris sp. nov., are described from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Detailed morphological characters are provided on the basis of 22 specimens, mainly using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The new species can be confidently placed in the extant genus Siphonorhinus based on the head lacking a beak-like rostrum, antennae stout and elbowed; antennomeres 5 and 6 each with a field of basiconic sensilla, and gonopods leg-like, with apical podomere of posterior gonopod divided to two branches. A detailed comparison between the new and extant species is given.
Tannoura: A new early Barremian fossiliferous amber outcrop from South Lebanon
Authors: MAKSOUD SIBELLE , ISKANDAR-TABIB DENISE , AZAR DANY
Published: March 2024

A fossiliferous amber outcrop in Tannoura (Rashayya District, Southern Lebanon) is described. This new discovery constitutes the 30th amber outcrop with biological inclusions in Lebanon and enriches and improves our knowledge about the palaeobiodiversity and palaeoenvironment of the North-Eastern coast of Gondwana during the early Barremian. Also, an infrared spectrum of the amber from Tannoura is given and discussed.
Lentinus punjabensis (Polyporaceae), a new species from Lal Suhanra National Park, southern Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: ASIF MUHAMMAD , SABA MALKA , MAULA FAZLI , RAZA MUBASHAR
Published: March 2024

Lentinus punjabensis, from the biodiverse Lal Suhanra National Park in southern Punjab, Pakistan, is the first new species of Lentinus for the country. It is characterized by an applanate pileus with a dark brown depressed center, erect scales, decurved margins, eroded lamellae, oblong to sometimes lacrymoid basidiospores, clavate to lageniform or sometimes lacrymoid cheilocystidia, and the presence of a dimitic hyphal system in the pileipellis. Our study presents the taxonomic position, using morphology, and molecular characterization, based on phylogenetic analyses of ITS and 28S sequences, to prove the distinctiveness of the new species. We provide an illustrated morphological description and comparison with morphologically similar or phylogenetically related species. In addition, we provide a key to the known species of Lentinus in Pakistan.
Taxonomic review of the family Throscidae Laporte, 1840 (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) in Korea, the description of a new species with new generic and species records
Authors: SEUNG JINBAE , HAN TAEMAN , LEE SEUNGHYUN , LEE MINHYEUK , LEE SEUNGHWAN
Published: March 2024

The family Throscidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) is taxonomically reviewed from Korea. To date, the taxonomic study on Throscidae from Korea is insufficient, as only a single species has been reported in the fauna prior to this study. We newly recognized three species belonging to the genus Aulonothroscus, which is recorded for the first time from Korea. A new species, Aulonothroscus koreanus sp. nov., is described and two additional species are reported as new to Korea: Aulonothroscus laticollis (Rybiński, 1897) and Aulonothroscus longulus (Weise, 1879), raising the total number of known species of Korea to four. Herein, we provide a key to genera and species, descriptions, and images of diagnostic morphological features of the Throscidae fauna of Korea.
Ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the collection of Volodymyr Opanasovych Karawajew. Communication 2. Dolichoderinae
Authors: RADCHENKO ALEXANDER G. , FISHER BRIAN L. , ESTEVES FLAVIA A. , MARTYNOVA EKATERYNA V. , BAZHENOVA TATYANA N. , LASARENKO SVETLANA N.
Published: March 2024

The article is the second in a series of catalogues of ant type specimens from the collection of V. O. Karawajew, stored at the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (SIZK, Kiev). It includes data on 214 type specimens of 45 taxa of the subfamily Dolichoderinae, collected from around the world and described by V. O. Karawajew and other myrmecologists, which are currently assigned to 11 genera (Anonychomyrma, Azteca, Bothriomyrmex, Dolichoderus, Dorymyrmex, Iridomyrmex, Linepithema, Liometopum, Ochetellus, Tapinoma and Technomyrmex).
Providing Better Support for Entrepreneurial Activities in the Weather, Water, and Climate Community
Authors: Seitter Keith L. , Tipton Emma , Higgins Paul A. T.
Published: March 2024

There has been an increase in entrepreneurial activity within the weather, water, and climate (WWC) community over the past decade, with the potential for much more as artificial intelligence/machine learning techniques continue to develop and as new opportunities arise across the weather, climate, and ocean service enterprises. Despite indications of recent growth, this study reports on key challenges that are limiting the community’s ability to achieve the full potential of commercialization of new WWC products and services. Most of these challenges are related to the preparation of those in the WWC community for jobs in the private sector in general and entrepreneurial activities in particular. These results extend and build upon the work of others who have reported on shortcomings in the preparation of students for positions in the private sector, with this study showing that deficits in preparation and awareness of available resources affect potential entrepreneurs well into their career—most researchers are unaware of the resources available to them. Based on a synthesis of input from successful WWC entrepreneurs, many of the challenges could be greatly reduced by relatively minor adjustments to curriculums at universities and through new programs that could be offered by scientific and professional societies to help potential entrepreneurs better take advantage of existing resources as they spin up a new business.
Admission Medication Reconciliation Discrepancies in Trauma Patients: Consistent Nursing Care May Not Be the Answer
Authors: Gautreaux Corinne E. , Robinson Thomas W. , Dunbar Elisabeth G. , Lee Yann-Leei L. , Mbaka Maryann , Kinnard Christopher M. , Bright Andrew C. , Williams Ashley Y. , Polite Nathan M. , Capasso Thomas J. , Simmons Jon D. , Butts C. Caleb
Published: March 2024

Inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies are common among trauma patient populations. We conducted a prospective study at a level 1 trauma center to assess incidence of inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies following decreased reliance on short-term nursing staff. Patients and independent sources were interviewed for home medication lists and compared to admission medication reconciliation (AMR) lists. Of the 108 patients included, 37 patients (34%) never received an AMR. Of the 71 patients that had a completed AMR, 42 patients (59%) had one or more errors, with total 154 errors across all patients, for a rate of 3.7 per patient with any discrepancy. Patients taking ≥ 5 medications were significantly more likely to have an incomplete or inaccurate AMR than those taking <5 medications (89% vs 41%, P < .0001). Decreased reliance on short-term nursing staff did not decrease inadvertent admission medication reconciliation discrepancies. Additional interventions to decrease risk of medication administration errors are needed.
Indications for Readmission for Small Bowel Obstruction: A Comparison of Medical vs Surgical Service Admission
Authors: Sturm Emily L. , Van Horn Alexandra L. , Sternick Molly E. , Soult Alexa P. , Britt Rebecca C.
Published: March 2024

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) impacts the health care system and patient quality of life. Previously, we evaluated differences between medical and surgical admissions in the management of SBO. This study investigates indications for readmission based on original admission to medical (MS) or surgical services (SS). A retrospective chart review was performed for 799 patients aged 18 to 89 admitted between 2012 and 2019 with a diagnosis of SBO. Patient characteristics examined included length of stay (LOS), prior abdominal operations, prior SBO, use of small bowel follow through imaging, operative intervention, mortality, and 30-day readmission. There was no difference in readmission rates in patients originally admitted to MS or SS (13.2% vs 12.7%, P = .86). Patients admitted to SS were more likely to be readmitted for recurrent SBO (39% vs 8.6%, P = .006). Patients admitted to MS were more likely to be readmitted for other reasons (73.9% v. 40.2%, P = .004). In the MS cohort, 30.4% (7 patients) had surgery during their initial admission for SBO, and none of those patients were readmitted for recurrent SBO (rSBO). In the SS cohort, 23% had surgery during their initial admission and 31.6% were readmitted for rSBO ( P = .002). Patients admitted to SS were more likely to be readmitted for rSBO and to require surgery. Patients admitted to MS were more likely to be readmitted for other reasons. None of the MS patients who had surgery were readmitted for SBO. 31.6% of SS patients who had surgery were readmitted for SBO.
Surgery Adherence and Survival Outcomes in Patients With Locally Advanced (IIA-IVA) Cancer of the Lower Esophagus: A SEER Database-Based Study
Authors: Liu Jingsong , Chen Hu , Wu Chuannan
Published: March 2024

Background

Esophageal cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of surgical adherence on the prognosis of patients with locally advanced lower esophageal cancer and to analyze the factors that affect surgical adherence.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with locally advanced (IIA-IVA) lower esophageal cancer between 2004 and 2015 were screened from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We utilized multifactorial logistic regression to analyze the correlates affecting surgical adherence. Furthermore, we employed Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression to determine the impact of surgical adherence on cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Of the 4922 patients screened, 2372 individuals were advised to undergo surgery, out of which 2025 ultimately underwent the procedure while the remaining 347 refused. Lower surgical adherence was associated with older age, unmarried, SEER classification of “distant,” and squamous cell carcinoma. Adherence to surgery proved to be an independent factor affecting OS and CSS. The Cox regression analysis showed that patients who refused surgery had lower OS ( OR: 1.657; 95% CI: 1.429∼1.927; P < .001) and CSS ( OR: 1.487; 95% CI: 1.309∼1.690; P < .001) than those who underwent surgery. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients who underwent surgical treatment had a better prognosis.

Discussion

Good surgical adherence can improve the prognosis of patients with locally advanced (IIA-IVA) lower esophageal cancer, while poor surgical adherence is associated with older age, unmarried, SEER classification of “distant,” and squamous cell carcinoma.
Antithrombotics in the Fall Patient: Appropriateness and Risk-Benefit Analysis
Authors: Bethurum A. J. , Zeng Kevin , Puzdrakiewicz Thaddeus , Goenka Parth , Collins Hannah , Burns J. Bracken , Roche Keelin
Published: March 2024

Falls are the leading cause of hospitalizations following trauma nationwide, resulting in over 3 million admissions in 2020. This population is typically aged, and many are prescribed antithrombotic (AT) therapy. In this prospective study, we aimed to analyze fall history while assessing appropriateness of AT regimen relative to fall risk. Patients presenting following ground level fall (GLF) and meeting inclusion criteria during the study period were enrolled. Primary outcome was the relationship between AT therapy necessity (CHA2DS2-VASc) and fall risk (Morse Fall Risk). The cohort of 30 patients had an average age of 77. CHA2DS2-VASc and Morse Fall Risk showed a moderate-positive correlation (r = 0.47; P = 0.012); however, 17% of patients categorized as high fall risk had a <5% 1-year risk of VTE. This study demonstrates that risks of hemorrhage may outweigh thromboembolism prophylaxis in a significant number of patients and sheds light on the astonishing fall volume in this population.
Shaping India's climate future: A perspective on harnessing carbon credits from agriculture
Authors: Khurana Ananya , Kajale Dilip , Cariappa Adeeth AG , Krishna Vijesh V
Published: March 2024

Human activities are responsible for emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global warming and climate change. As the world's second-largest producer of staple food and the third-largest emitter of GHGs, India has been witnessing an increase in demand for food and energy, resulting in increased emissions. Thus, to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2070, India must focus urgently on climate change mitigation. Its agriculture sector has the potential to transition from being a net emitter to a net absorber of GHGs by adopting sustainable farming practices such as zero tillage, laser-assisted precision land leveling, direct seeding of rice, intercropping, biochar application, use of solar energy, and more efficient management of irrigation water, soil nutrients, livestock feed, and manure. To incentivize climate consciousness, a voluntary carbon credit trading system could be utilized in agriculture, supported by a measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification platform. This system would also bring about social, environmental, and financial co-benefits for its stakeholders. Specifically, the agriculture sector could substantially reduce the country's annual emissions by 84% from 2019 to 2070. But to realize their potential, the carbon markets must overcome the limitations currently set by policy, economic, cultural, and biophysical factors.
Estimating shelf life and degradation mechanisms of nitrile butadiene rubber for viscoelastic dampers
Authors: Ammineni Syam Prasad , Lingaraju Dumpala , Nagaraju Cherukuri
Published: March 2024

This study investigates the shelf life of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) based on age and temperature factors. Natural aging of nitrile butadiene rubber samples is performed under laboratory conditions for 2 years, followed by thermogravimetric analysis to evaluate Arrhenius parameters. Toop’s equation is used to predict shelf life at 5% conversion rate. Model-free kinetic methods, including Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Kissinger, estimate shelf life at different temperatures for both virgin and naturally aged nitrile butadiene rubber. Results show close correlation between KAS and Kissinger methods, with slight variations in activation energy impacting shelf life. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests assess functional group changes with age. Virgin nitrile butadiene rubber activation energy: OFW-73.33 kJ/mol, KAS-68.43 kJ/mol. Aged nitrile butadiene rubber activation energy: OFW-72.57 kJ/mol, KAS-67.88 kJ/mol. Shelf life at 40°C: Virgin nitrile butadiene rubber - OFW-111.29 years, KAS-26.31 years. Aged nitrile butadiene rubber - OFW-89.01 years, KAS-22.37 years. These findings provide valuable insights for predicting and assessing nitrile butadiene rubber viscoelastic damper performance in engineering applications.
“It’s a Chance, Not a Choice”: Black Families, School Choice, and Gentrification in Washington, D.C.
Authors: Butler Alisha , Quarles Bradley
Published: March 2024

Background:

Public education reforms, such as expanded school choice, have become a critical lever for remaking urban landscapes. These reforms often aim to attract and retain affluent and White families in urban schools, so scholars have examined how these parents navigate the perceived risk of choosing these schools for their children.

Purpose:

This paper extends this scholarship to understand how other families experience these reforms in gentrifying landscapes. We ask: (1) How do Black parents navigate school selection in a gentrifying and expansive education marketplace? (2) How do Black parents’ perceptions of schooling shape their approach to school selection? (3) How do parents’ positionalities (e.g., gender, class, place attachments, and tenure in the city) influence their experiences?

Research Design:

We leverage a qualitative meta-analysis design that pools data from three separately conducted studies of gentrification in Washington, D.C. For this analysis, we center on 34 Black parents’ experiences as they navigate school selection. We reanalyzed data through the lens of critical spatial and racial theories. We paid particular attention to participants’ attachments to place, their perceptions of their choices, the school and neighborhood attributes participants valued, and how they navigated school selection.

Findings:

Parents considered a broad range of school and neighborhood characteristics as they constructed their choice sets. As they searched for schools, Black parents made a series of racialized compromises to find schools they perceived to be racially, physically, and socially safe for their children. Parents, for example, negotiated their desire for academic rigor with their perception of schools’ social climates and their perceptions that schools would be racially affirming and inclusive. Place and space were essential to parents’ choice set construction. Schools’ physical locations and perceptions of safety influenced whether parents viewed schools as viable options for their children.

Conclusion:

Our study underscores the multiple factors that bound choice set construction. Critically, Black parents’ experiences as they navigated school selection suggest that the expansive educational marketplace offered a “chance, not a choice” at high-quality educational opportunities.
Gentlemen rappers: Masculinity and traditional style in Korean popular music performance
Authors: Nara Vivien
Published: March 2024

Across its history, K-pop has put traditional Korean elements to a diversity of uses, including in music, dance and visual style. This article investigates the use of traditional elements in the sub-genre of Korean hip hop and rap performance. In this strongly masculine sub-genre, the cultural meanings invoked in the incorporation and remediation of traditional Korean elements take on a more particular generic significance, one that highlights the hegemonic masculinity enjoyed by the referenced figure of the ‘gentleman scholar’ ( seonbi). With this narrower scope of investigation, I argue that the use of traditional cultural elements in Korean popular music can simultaneously function as an element of attraction for global audiences, as has previously been argued, while still maintaining local, genre-specific meanings. In particular, I argue that the gentlemanliness of the ‘gentleman scholar’ comes from and expresses a position of power and privilege.
Re-conceptualizing Development Terminology from a Relational Approach: Perspectives from Two Case Studies in South Africa
Authors: Holtzhausen Marlie
Published: March 2024

This article uses a relational approach to re-conceptualize development concepts, measures, and practices. It explores how participants in the development sector construct and make sense of their lived realities and how they perceive and act on development initiatives as part of a social process. This is a qualitative study that uses a case study of two organizations in the development sector of South Africa working with individuals and households in communities that are in precarious circumstances. The organizations are small but rich in understanding what it means to be present, to learn, to negotiate, to allow for choices, and to do so within a sustainable view of development relationships. The insights from these contexts and the ethos from which they derive provide us with an opportunity to rethink the ethos that guides the broader development discourse.
The ethics of knowledge production and the problem of global knowledge inequality
Authors: John Lillianne , Rempala Kit
Published: March 2024

Given demonstrated global knowledge inequality, this article attempts to draw out the connection between tertiary education and research (TER), economic development and infrastructure, and human development. We first explore the connection between knowledge and economic development by tracing a short history of the emergence of knowledge in economic analysis and by introducing the concept of a ‘knowledge economy’. The World Bank’s ‘Knowledge Assessment Methodology’ (2000) attempted to evaluate such ‘knowledge economies’ through a number of proposed variables. We describe relationships between such TER-variables, economic development, and infrastructure building, especially in the shift towards digital economies. We will show that there is a tangible, negative human impact from disparities in knowledge production, and significant improvement in human welfare when knowledge production capacities improve. Finally, we will illustrate how these relationships play out in two case studies, in Montenegro and Bangladesh.
Future of E-Bikes on Public Lands: A Human Factors Field Study at Minute Man National Historical Park
Authors: Chiarenza Jonah , Berg Ian , Ledvina Kirby , Rodriguez Michael , Young Jared
Published: March 2024

Electric-assist bicycles (e-bikes) are growing in popularity, and their use has increased on public lands managed by federal, state, and local agencies in the United States. Evaluation of e-bike use on public lands is hindered by a dearth of scientific research, as noted in a prior literature review completed by the study team. This paper presents the results of a human factors field study that evaluated participant speed and behavior on an unpaved, multiuse trail to answer research questions about trail user safety and social interaction. The study concludes that e-bike riders travel approximately 1 to 2 mph faster than conventional bike riders on average, but that individuals’ speeds among conventional and e-bike riders are widely distributed and overwhelmingly overlap, including at the upper and lower extremes. The sex of the rider predicts a greater difference in speed than whether they are using a conventional or an e-bike. The study also found conventional and e-bike riders generally reduce speed in areas of potential conflict and exhibit similar precautionary behaviors when passing other trail users and when crossing trail junctions and vehicle paths. Public lands managers can use these results to inform their decisions about managing e-bike use on multiuse trails with similar characteristics.
Synchronization characteristics of two induction motors on a floating raft system
Authors: Kong Xiangxi , Wang Shaodong , Dong Zhixu , Xu Qi , Cong Xin
Published: March 2024

The synchronization characteristics of two exciters driven by induction motors independently on a typical double-layer vibration isolation system, that is, the floating raft system are studied in the paper to enhance its vibration attenuation effect. Firstly, a new dynamical model for a floating raft system driven by two exciters is established by the Lagrange equation under considering the coupling effect among floating raft system and exciters. Then, the vibration responses in all directions are obtained by the Laplace transform. Secondly, the synchronization and stability solution are obtained by using the average small parameter method. Thirdly, the results of the theoretical analysis are verified by simulations. Finally, the parameter scope of a floating raft system to enhance its vibration attenuation effect is given. Moreover, compared with the traditional model, the proposed model considering the coupling effect among floating raft system and exciters is more feasible. Additionally, the effects of the mass ratio of the eccentric block, the symmetrical installation distance, parameter differences of two motors, and other dynamic parameters such as system mass and stiffness on their synchronization and the system vibration are discussed. This paper can provide a theoretical reference for the design, modeling, and application of such double-layer vibration isolation systems including the floating raft systems to enhance its vibration attenuation effect.
A dynamic competitive velocity prediction method based on Markov state space reconstruction
Authors: Wang Rong , Ti Yan , Shi Xianrang , Song Tinglun
Published: March 2024

Predictive energy management (PEM) strategy has shown great advantages in improving fuel economy for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). A key technology in PEM is velocity prediction and its accuracy greatly affects the effectiveness of a PEM strategy. This paper proposes a novel dynamic competitive velocity prediction method based on Markov state space (SS) reconstruction. The basic Markov model is introduced and its performance is fully evaluated. The Markov SS is designed by the K-Means++ clustering method to support online reconstruction. The transition probability matrix (TPM) is updated to adapt to the actual driving scenario. The dynamic competitive prediction method combines the basic and the reconstructed Markov models to achieve better performance. The velocity prediction performance is validated through repetitive complex driving conditions. Simulation result shows that the proposed method has superior performance in both prediction accuracy and computing time. For the complex driving condition scenario, the proposed method can reduce prediction error by 5.7%–9.1% comparing to the basic Markov model and its computing time is about 1% of that of LSTM when the prediction horizon is 5 s.
A computational fluid dynamics study of the influence of sleeper shape and ballast depth on ballast flight during passage of a simplified train
Authors: Pardoe Lee , Powrie William , Hu Zhiwei
Published: March 2024

The paper assesses the effect on the air flow regime underneath a simplified high-speed train of changing the ballast depth and the sleeper shape, with regard to its potential for causing ballast flight or pickup. The study was carried out numerically using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software AnSys Fluent. The flow profile beneath the underbody of the train was generated by means of a moving wall above the track. The Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) with the SST [Formula: see text] turbulence model was used to simulate turbulent flow, and the ballast bed roughness was applied parametrically using the wall roughness feature when resolving the boundary layer. CFD simulations were validated for flow over a cube, showing good agreement with experimental results. Up to three different depths to the ballast surface and three different sleeper profiles were investigated. Velocity profiles and aerodynamic forces on cubes placed between or on top of the sleeper blocks were used to assess the propensity of individual ballast grains for movement. For a standard G44 sleeper, increasing the ballast depth and/or the ballast bed roughness was found to reduce aerodynamic loads on an individual ballast grain. A ballast grain on top of the sleeper is more prone to uplift than a grain on the surface of the ballast bed in the crib. A curved upper surface to the sleeper is beneficial in that it prevents ballast from settling on top, the most vulnerable position. However, the reduced flow separation associated with the curved top may increase the likelihood of ballast pickup from the crib. Hence new sleeper shapes intended to reduce the potential for ballast flight should not only prevent ballast from settling on top, but also increase flow separation through the provision of a sharp surface. A prismatic sleeper shape that achieves both is suggested.
Exploring the landscape of librarianship in the Philippines: Establishing the profession’s population parameter estimates
Authors: Dorado Dan Anthony
Published: March 2024

This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the librarian profession in the Philippines through an extensive examination of various population parameters. Focusing on demographics, professional landscapes, educational attainments, affiliations, roles, challenges, aspirations, and the financial landscape, this research seeks to create a holistic picture of the current state and future prospects of librarianship in the country. Utilizing a descriptive approach, the study gathers data from a diverse range of libraries across the Philippines. The demographics section analyzes age, gender, ethnic background, and geographical distribution, offering insights into the workforce composition. The professional landscape assessment includes an exploration of employment types, roles within libraries, and job statuses. Educational attainments are evaluated to understand the academic backgrounds and continuous professional development engagements of librarians. The study also delves into the librarians’ professional affiliations and the roles they play in their communities and organizations. Moreover, the research provides an in-depth analysis of the financial landscape, including salary structures, benefits, and economic challenges faced by librarians, thereby shedding light on the economic sustainability of the profession. The study’s findings are intended to serve multiple stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, and professional organizations. For researchers, it offers a rich dataset for hypothesis formulation and gap identification in literature. Policymakers can utilize the insights for tailoring policies to the specific needs of the library sector. Professional organizations can leverage the findings to align their programs and initiatives with the actual needs of librarians.
New Graduate Nurses’ Approaches to Death and Dying Patients and the Relationship Between Death Anxiety and Death Awareness: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tarhan Merve , Dogan Pinar
Published: March 2024

Background

One of the challenges experienced by new graduate nurses during the transition into practice is caring for dying patients. This study aimed to determine new graduate nurses’ approaches to death and dying patients and the relationship between death anxiety and death awareness.

Methods

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 226 new graduate nurses in Istanbul, Türkiye. A personal and work environment characteristics form, the Approach to Death and Dying Patients Attitude Scale, Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale, and Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure were used to collect data.

Results

Hardness in communicating with the dying patients (hardness: meaning difficulty) and their relatives and avoiding death and dying patients were considered moderate, with mean scores of 2.64 ± .63 and 2.45 ± .40, out of 4. Death anxiety accounted for approximately 7% of the variance of hardness in communicating with dying patients and their relatives, which is statistically significant. Death awareness statistically significantly explained 9.7% of avoiding death and dying patients.

Conclusion

For new graduate nurses, besides simulation-based training on end-of-life care, approaches to sharing their experiences about death and programs to determine a value system related to death may be recommended.
Rozanolixizumab: A New Therapy in the Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: Hitt Emily M.
Published: March 2024

Objective:

The aims of this article are to review the clinical aspects of rozanolixizumab, to describe clinical trial results that led to the drug’s approval, and to examine the impact on patient care to aid clinical decision making.

Data Sources:

A PubMed search was conducted using the terms Rystiggo™, rozanolixizumab, rozanolixizumab therapy, and myasthenia gravis. The most recent prescribing information was also used for information relating to the drug and for identification of pertinent studies.

Study Selection/Data Extraction:

Phase I, II, and III randomized controlled trials were all eligible for inclusion. Meeting abstracts and articles focusing on the use of rozanolixizumab or any indication other than generalized myasthenia gravis were excluded from this article.

Data Synthesis:

Food and Drug Administration approval of rozanolixizumab is based on the phase III MycarinG study in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis. A phase II trial explored initial clinical efficacy and safety pertaining to the dose and frequency of rozanolixizumab across 2 treatment periods in patients with moderate to severe myasthenia gravis.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice in Comparison to Existing Agents:

Rozanolixizumab is the first therapy approved to treat patients positive for both types of antibodies, anti-acetylcholine receptor or anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase, in generalized myasthenia gravis.

Conclusion/Relevance:

The approval of rozanolixizumab represents an advancement in therapy for generalized myasthenia gravis. The provision of individualized, targeted, and well-tolerated treatment is valuable for the patients whose myasthenia gravis is not well controlled and who are seeking a medication with a rapid onset of action to improve their symptoms and overall quality of life.
The Effect of Crises on Fiscal and Political Re-Centralization
Authors: Canavire-Bacarreza Gustavo , Evia Salas Pablo , Martinez-Vazquez Jorge
Published: March 2024

Economic stability plays a crucial role in any fiscal and political decentralization process. In the face of financial and economic shocks, when revenues and expenditures are reduced, countries may decide to gather resources at the central level creating a re-centralization scenario or may take away devolved powers and centralize political institutions. Using data from 75 countries, we examine the effects of the economic crisis on fiscal and political decentralization. We find that several types of crises lead to fiscal re-centralization. However, in the case of domestic borrowing crises, the effect is further revenue decentralization, probably reflecting the central government's willingness to empower sub-national governments to avoid similar crises. In addition, we explore the impact of the economic crisis on political decentralization and find that they are concordant with the fiscal decentralization effects, suggesting an alignment of the impact along political and fiscal dimensions of subnational autonomy. We also explore whether the economic crises trigger more permanent rather than just transitory changes in the level of decentralization, and we generally find more long-lasting effects in the case of fiscal decentralization measured from the expenditure side. This pattern is apparent in the cases of inflation and banking crises and is less precise but still present in the cases of currency and external debt crises. The main results are robust to different specifications, estimation methods, and the measurement of decentralization.
Estimation of acoustical materials sound absorption coefficient under oblique incidence plane wave and diffuse field via Allard model inversion
Authors: Sciard Magdeleine , Berry Alain , Sgard Franck , Dupont Thomas , Robin Olivier
Published: March 2024

A technique for estimating the sound absorption of materials under oblique incidence plane wave and diffuse field excitations is proposed. It requires a mobile loudspeaker and a pair of fixed microphones above a layer of absorbing material. Starting from sound pressure measurements made above the material surface for multiple source positions and by inverting Allard’s propagation model, the proposed method allows for the identification of two effective (or equivalent) parameters, namely, the complex effective density and the complex wave number. Obtaining these parameters makes it possible to estimate the sound absorption coefficient for a plane wave with any angle of incidence or under a diffuse acoustic field by summation over the angles. The results are compared to theoretical values calculated using the Johnson-Champoux-Allard model and to reference measurements obtained using an impedance tube, a small cabin, a large reverberant room, and a sound field synthesis method. One of the limitations of this method lies in the assumptions associated with the Allard model to describe the sound field above the material (assumed to be isotropic, homogeneous, of constant thickness, and to behave like an equivalent fluid). The main advantages are (1) that the sound absorption coefficient can be estimated under oblique incidence plane wave and diffuse acoustic field with values that are always in a physical range (between 0 and 1), and (2) that samples of the order of the square meter without specific preparation can be tested which reduces the constraints associated with impedance tube or reverberant room measurements.
Structure – property relationships of different natural rubber grades
Authors: Hayeemasae Nabil , Soontaranon Siriwat , Masa Abdulhakim
Published: March 2024

The effects of various natural rubber (NR) grades, namely RSS 3, STR 5L, STR 10, STR 20 and STR 20CV, towards their final properties were investigated. The molecular characteristics of these NR grades were assessed by gel permeation chromatography and by determining protein contents. The highest molecular weight was found for RSS 3, while STR 20CV had the lowest molecular weight. No relationship between molecular weight and protein content was seen in this study. A higher molecular weight rubber provided greater maximum torque and torque difference, and a better resistance to degradation during processing. However, no significant difference was found among molecular weights higher than 1.25 × 106 g/mol. The final torque during processing and the Mooney viscosity of rubber increased with molecular weight due to tie chain entanglements, as later confirmed by a dynamic mechanical analyzer. Thermo-stability and stress relaxation of the various NR grades were also largely governed by their molecular weights. Stability of rubber at an elevated temperature improved with molecular weight. Also, the tensile properties and the strain-induced crystallization varied with the molecular weight. The tensile strength of various NR grades varied from 15 to 18 MPa while the elongation at break was 600%–800%. The molecular weight of NR was found to have a great effect on the processing, thermomechanical, dynamic, and mechanical properties of the vulcanizates. In addition, a narrow molecular weight distribution also affected the mechanical properties. The crystallinities of the NRs during stretching were closely related to their tensile behavior, and the alignment of crystal structures during stretching was almost parallel to the stretching direction in all NR samples. The molecular weight of NR appears to be a key factor associated with the mechanical properties and reinforcement behavior of vulcanizates.
Deterioration of steel structures due to corrosion considering the global effects of climate change
Authors: Tamimi Mohammad F. , Alshannaq Ammar A. , AbuQamar Mu’ath I.
Published: March 2024

The randomness of atmospheric conditions is among the key contributing factors that affect the ability to accurately predict the corrosion growth in steel structures. Climate change has the potential to alter the long-term characteristics of these factors over the lifespan of steel structures, both those already existing and those newly built. The impact of climate variability on the stochastic nature of atmospheric variables, which greatly influence corrosion conditions, can add complexity to corrosion predictions in these structures. This paper introduces an integrated framework to quantify the impact of climate change on corrosion rates of steel structures worldwide. It considers the changes in environmental conditions, specifically temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and their effects on atmospheric corrosion. Global Climate Models are employed to evaluate the long-term impacts of climate change on these environmental conditions. An analytical model for predicting corrosion rate is integrated with climate change models to predict alterations in the corrosion rates of steel components relative to historical conditions. This paper also discusses the impact of climate change on the variations of these climatic parameters and offers a comparison between historical data and projected conditions across the globe. The results indicate that the effect of climate change on the corrosion rate depends on the considered region. While regions such as Australia, North America and Europe see an increase, others such as Asia and Africa observe a decline. Notably, all oceans, especially the Antarctic and Arctic, experience a significant increase in corrosion by the end of the century.