bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum 25OHD3 of Obese Mice Is Affected by Liver Injury and Correlates with Testosterone Levels and Sperm Motility
Authors: Feng Meiying , Wang Kai , Wei Hengxi , Zhang Shouquan , Chen Yun
Published: August 2021

Introduction: The concentration of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) in the serum of obese people is low and often accompanied by symptoms of low fertility. Therefore, vitamin D is recommended as a potential treatment option. However, after clinical trials, it was found that vitamin D cannot effectively increase the concentration of 25OHD3 in the serum of obese people. How obesity causes low 25OHD3 concentration and low fertility is unclear. Methods: We analyzed the physiological and pathological changes in obese mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and the changes in mice after supplementing with 25OHD3. Results: The concentration of 25OHD3 in the serum of obese mice induced by HFD was significantly reduced, and these mice showed liver hypertrophy accompanied by abnormal liver injury, testicular hypertrophy, low testosterone levels, high leptin levels, and low sperm motility. The mRNA and protein expression of CYP2R1 of hydroxylated vitamin D3 was significantly reduced; CYP11A1 and CYP11A2, which synthesize testosterone, were significantly reduced. After supplementing with 25OHD3, there was an increase in serum 25OHD3 concentration, testosterone level, and sperm motility, but it cannot improve the degree of obesity, CYP2R1 expression, and liver damage. Conclusion: Our research shows that there is a metabolic interference mediated by 25OHD3 and testosterone between obesity and low sperm motility. The results of this study can provide a scientific basis for studying the mechanism of 25OHD3 and hormone regulation and treating obese people with low sperm motility.
Perception Status of Nursing Department Students in Terms of Spirituality and Spiritual Care
Authors: Ovayolu Özlem , İlter Sümeyra Mihrap , Serçe Sibel , Ovayolu Nimet
Published: August 2021

Purpose: The study was conducted to examine the spirituality and spiritual care perceptions of nursing department students. Methods: The study was conducted in descriptive design with nursing students at a state university. Permission was obtained from the ethics committee, the institution, and the students before the study. The universe of the study consisted of all nursing students studying at the faculty, and the sample consisted of a total of 500 students who were willing to participate in the study. The data were collected with a questionnaire and with the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Detection Scale. The scores received from this scale were between 17 and 85, and high total scores suggest that the spirituality and spiritual care detection scale level is “good.” The data obtained in the study were evaluated with the Student t, one-way ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: It was determined that 66.2% of the students had knowledge about spiritual care, 27.4% received this knowledge from the school, and 60.2% met the need for spiritual care with worshiping. It was determined that the mean spirituality and spiritual care detection scale score of nursing students was 66.83 ± 5.01, and the mean spirituality and spiritual care detection scale score was statistically significant according to the grades (p < 0.05). It was also found that the students with an authoritarian family structure had lower mean spirituality and spiritual care detection scale scores than students with democratic and protective families. Conclusions and Recommendations: It was found that many nursing department students had knowledge on spirituality and spiritual care, the mean spirituality and spiritual care score was “good,” and that the family structure and the grade affected this situation. In this respect, it is recommended that students are supported and prepared for the clinic with topics including spirituality and spiritual care in nursing education.
Characteristics of Late-Onset Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in a Chinese Cohort
Authors: Sun Qionghua , Huo Yunyun , Bai Jiongming , Wang Haoran , Cui Fang , Wang Hongfen , Yang Fei , Huang Xusheng
Published: August 2021

Objective: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical characteristics and prognosis of the elderly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) population in a large sample. Methods: The study included 1,005 patients with sporadic ALS admitted to Chinese PLA General Hospital between March 2011 and March 2021. We stratified the ALS patients into young and old groups using 2 cutoffs for the age at disease onset (≥65 or ≥70 years old) and compared their demographic, clinical, and survival data. Results: The mean onset age of all patients was 52.79 ± 10.55 years, with 123 (12.24%) having a disease onset ≥65 years and 44 (4.38%) having an onset ≥70 years. There were 624 (62.1%) male patients. More bulbar-onset cases were in the late-onset group (p = 0.001). The sex distribution, time from onset to diagnosis, and the time of symptom spread from spinal or bulbar localization to a generalized localization did not differ between groups. Late-onset patients progressed more rapidly and had a significantly shorter survival. Conclusions: Chinese ALS patients have an earlier age at onset and a relatively smaller proportion of old onset than European and Japanese patients. Elderly patients are more likely to have bulbar onset, which is related to rapid progression and a shorter survival.
A new method to incorporate three-phase power transformer model into distribution system load flow analysis
Authors: Gianto Rudy , Purwoharjono Purwoharjono
Published: August 2021

This paper proposes a new and simple method to incorporate three-phase power transformer model into distribution system load flow (DSLF) analysis. The objective of the present work is to find a robust and efficient technique for modeling and integrating power transformer in the DSLF analysis. The proposed transformer model is derived based on nodal admittance matrix and formulated by using the symmetrical component theory. Load flow formulation in terms of branch currents and nodal voltages is also proposed in this paper to enable integrating the model into the DSLF analysis. Singularity that makes the calculations in forward/backward sweep (FBS) algorithm is difficult to be carried out. It can be avoided in the method. The proposed model is verified by using the standard IEEE test system.
Bromus husainii (Poaceae:Bromeae), a new species from Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: YADAV REKHA , PRASAD DILESHWAR , TRIPATHI SHAILJA , JAISWAL SHUBHAM , AGNIHOTRI PRIYANKA
Published: August 2021

Bromus husainii, a new species of Poaceae collected from Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand, is described and illustrated. The new species is closely related to B. confinis in having similar rhizomatous habit and purple-tinged spikelets but differs by the characters of inflorescence with heteromorphic spikelets and a band of hairs present on its collar. Moreover, presence of robust spikelets make it different from other species of Bromus.
Absidia aguabelensis sp. nov.: A new mucoralean fungi isolated from a semiarid region in Brazil
Authors: LEITÃO JOANA D. A. , CORDEIRO THALLINE R. L. , NGUYEN THUONG T. T. , LEE HYANG B. , GURGEL LUCIANA M. S. , SANTIAGO ANDRÉ L. C. M. DE A.
Published: August 2021

During a soil survey for Mucorales in a semiarid region of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, a specimen of Absidia (URM 8213) was isolated. Both morphological and phylogenetic analyses (ITS and LSU rDNA regions) of this specimen showed that it is a new species. The new species differs from other species in the genus in its ability to concomitantly produce isolated or whorled sporangiophores of up to 8 with fig-shaped and hemispherical columellae, as well as globose, subglobose, and cylindrical sporangiospores. Thus, in this study, we propose a new species of Absidia.
The Relationship Between Open Access Article Publishing and Short-Term Citations in Otolaryngology
Authors: Wassef David W. , Barinsky Gregory L. , Behbahani Sara , Peddireddy Sudeep , Grube Jordon G. , Fang Christina H. , Baredes Soly , Eloy Jean Anderson
Published: August 2021

Objectives:

The purpose of this study is to compare the number of citations received by open access articles versus subscription access articles in subscription journals in the Otolaryngology literature.

Methods:

Using the Dimensions research database, we examined articles indexed to PubMed with at least 5 citations published in 2018. Articles were included from Otolaryngology— Head and Neck Surgery, The Laryngoscope, JAMA Otolaryngology— Head and Neck Surgery, Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology, and American Journal of Otolaryngology. Multivariate Poisson regression modeling was used to adjust for journal, article type, and topic. Practice guidelines, position statements, or retractions were excluded as potential outliers.

Results:

137 open access articles and 337 subscription access articles meeting inclusion criteria were identified, with a median citation number of 8 (IQR 6-11). The most common article type was original investigation (82.5%), and the most common study topic was head and neck (28.9%). Open access articles had a higher median number of citations at 9 (IQR 6-13) when compared to subscription access articles at 7 (IQR 6-10) ( P = .032). Open access status was significantly associated with a higher number of citations than subscription access articles when adjusting for journal, article type, and topic (β = .272, CI 0.194-0.500, P < .001).

Conclusions:

Although comprising a minority of articles examined in this study of subscription journals, open access articles were associated with a higher number of citations than subscription access articles. Open access publishing may facilitate the spread of novel findings in Otolaryngology.
Drifters and Delinquents: Commitment and Neutralization in Low- and High-Rate Offending Early Adolescents
Authors: Walters Glenn D. , Runell Lindsey , Kremser Jon
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this study was to compare drift/neutralization and criminal lifestyle interpretations of the neutralization-delinquency nexus in 1,005 (498 boys, 506 girls) youth (mean age = 11.22 years) organized into three groups: no delinquency, low-rate delinquency, and high-rate delinquency. Findings showed that low-rate delinquent youth were as committed to conventional social relationships as nondelinquent youth and more committed to conventional relationships than high-rate delinquent youth. It was further noted that low-rate or drifting delinquents used neutralization techniques more often than nondelinquents but less often than high-rate delinquents. These results suggest that neutralization may be less a matter of relieving guilt after having violated the law than it is a way of constructing a moral value system that supports crime.
Transverse shear properties of fiber reinforced polymer bars with different reinforced phases
Authors: Gao Danying , Zhang Yu , Wen Fangzheng , Pang Yuyang , Fang Dong , Lv Mingyan
Published: August 2021

In this study, a total of 105 shear specimens of fiber reinforced polymer bars with different reinforced phases, including the glass fiber, the hybrid of carbon fiber with glass fiber, and the hybrid of steel wire with glass fiber, were prepared to systematically investigate their transverse shear properties. The surface configuration of specimens, the performance characteristics and distribution pattern of reinforced phase were mainly regarded as variables. The results showed the shear strengths of glass fiber reinforced polymer bar specimens increased from 247.9 MPa to 263.5 MPa as the rib depth changed from shallow ribs to deep ribs, and their ultimate strain decreased from 0.374 to 0.328 with the increase in rib spacing from 8 mm to 16 mm. The shear strengths of carbon/glass hybrid fiber reinforced polymer (C/G HFRP) bar specimens declined from 247.4 MPa to 226.3 MPa as the distribution pattern of carbon fiber changed from centralized distribution to dispersed distribution. The shear strength of C/G HFRP bars decreased from 256.5 MPa to 247.4 MPa as the ratio of glass fiber to carbon fiber ranged from 0:1 to 1:4, and increased from 138.7 MPa to 214.8 MPa for steel wire/glass HFRP bars as the volumetric fraction of steel wire replacing glass fiber increased from 0 to 33.3%. This indicated that the surface configuration of specimen, the distribution pattern of fiber, and the performance characteristics of reinforced phase have great effects on the ultimate strain and shear strength of FRP bars, respectively.
Investigating Chinese University Students’ Enjoyment in a Web-Based Language Learning Environment: Validation of the Online Foreign Language Enjoyment Scale
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Yang , Yang Yizhi , Wang Lu
Published: August 2021

The revolution in web-based technologies has enriched pedagogical practices and motivated scholars to address learners’ positive and negative emotions in the web-based language learning environment. In this study, we first examined the psychometric properties of the Foreign Language Enjoyment Scale (FLES) and then developed the Online Foreign Language Enjoyment Scale (OFLES). We adopted a mixed-method approach using a sample of 383 first language Chinese EFL undergraduates. In stage one of the research, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported an 11-item and 4-factor OFLES structure with an ideal model fit. The four sub-domains of the new enjoyment construct were OFLES- Teacher, Private, Interaction, and Competence. The Teacher domain accounted for most variance. In stage two, the qualitative analyses of feedback on an open-ended question concerning enjoyable episodes from 56 of the 383 participants revealed various sources of enjoyment for Chinese university EFL learners attending online English courses. Our findings contribute to an emerging wave of research examining the cross-contextual application of the FLES and provide important pedagogical implications for L2 practitioners and researchers. We discuss suggestions for future research.
Performance evaluation of a novel improved slime mould algorithm for direct current motor and automatic voltage regulator systems
Authors: Izci Davut , Ekinci Serdar , Zeynelgil H. Lale , Hedley John
Published: August 2021

This study deals with the controlling the speed of a direct current (DC) motor via a fractional order proportional–integral–derivative (FOPID) controller and maintaining the terminal voltage level of an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) via a proportional–integral–derivative plus second order derivative (PIDD2) controller. To adjust the parameters of those controllers, a novel improved slime mould algorithm (ISMA) is proposed. The latter is a novel metaheuristic algorithm developed in this work. The proposed algorithm aims to improve the original SMA in terms of exploration with the aid of a modified opposition-based learning scheme and in terms of exploitation with the aid of the Nelder–Mead simplex search method. A time domain objective function, which includes time response specifications of steady state error and maximum overshoot along with rise and settling times, is used as a performance index to design the FOPID controller-based DC motor system and PIDD2 controller-based AVR system. The performance of the proposed novel approaches for both systems are assessed through time and frequency domain simulations along with statistical tests which show the greater performance of the improved algorithm. Further to this, the efficacy of the proposed approaches for both systems is compared with other available and effective approaches in the literature. The extensive comparative results demonstrate the proposed method to be superior to those state-of-the-art approaches for both DC motor speed and AVR control systems.
The Frequency and Clinical Assessment of COVID-19 in Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Akhlaghi Allahkarm , Darabi Amirhossein , Mahmoodi Marzieh , Movahed Ali , Kaboodkhani Reza , Mohammadi Zahra , Goreh Amir , Farrokhi Shokrollah
Published: August 2021

Background:

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), as an inflammatory airway disease, could be a risk factor for COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and severity of symptoms of COVID-19 in patients with CRS and to assess the association between the status of CRS symptoms and the quality of life (QoL) of the patients.

Methods:

In this observational and cross-sectional study, 207 adult CRS patients participated. The patients, who presented the symptoms of COVID-19, were examined by taking the reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction test. A questionnaire was completed by each patient, regarding their demographic and clinical data. In addition, the GA2LEN and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) standard questionnaires were used to identify the comorbid allergic condition and QoL of CRS patients.

Results:

The frequency of patients with COVID-19 was 25 (12.1%) of which 22 were treated as outpatients, 2 of them admitted in wards and 1 at intensive care unit. The severity of hyposmia in the patients was 2 (8%) as mild, 5 (20%) moderate, and 11 (72%) as anosmia. The most common allergic and underlying comorbid diseases were allergic rhinitis (88%) and thyroid disorders (28%). Further, the average SNOT-22 score in 4 SNOT-22 domains (nasal, otologic, sleep, and emotional symptoms) was significantly decreased in CRS patients after a period of one year since the pandemic started (40.1 ± 18.0 vs. 46.3 ± 17.7; P < .0001).

Discussion:

This study showed a low frequency of COVID-19 in patients with CRS and about the same rate of infection positivity in the general population; therefore, we concluded that CRS could not be considered as a risk factor for COVID-19. Interestingly, the lower average score of SNOT-22 after one year of the pandemic in the patients with CRS confirmed the necessity for performing the standard health protocols by the patients.
Contracture Treatment With 5-FU
Authors: Talei Ben , Raskin Jonathan , Borrelli Michela , Desales Alexis
Published: August 2021

We present a case of a 53-year-old female patient who was treated with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) after postsurgical contracture. A review of the literature regarding the use of 5-FU injections as a minimally invasive way to treat contracture was performed. We describe that the use of 5-FU injections is the preferred method for the effective treatment of contracture with minimal risk to the patient.
The Society of Toxicologic Pathology: Advances and Adventures in the First 50 Years
Authors: Hoenerhoff Mark , Fossey Stacey , Keenan Charlotte , Bédard Agathe , Lejeune Typhaine , Kerns William , Patrick Daniel , Quist Erin , Bolon Brad
Published: August 2021

The Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP, https://www.toxpath.org /) was founded in North America in 1971 as a nonprofit scientific and educational association to promote the professional practice of pathology as applied to pharmaceutical and environmental safety assessment. In the ensuing 50 years, the STP has become a principal global leader in the field. Society membership has expanded to include toxicologic pathologists and allied scientists (eg, toxicologists, regulatory reviewers) from many nations. In addition to serving membership needs for professional development and networking, major STP outreach activities include production of articles and presentations designed to optimize toxicologic pathology procedures (“best practice” recommendations), communicate core principles of pathology evaluation and interpretation (“points to consider” and “opinion” pieces), and participation in international efforts to harmonize diagnostic nomenclature. The STP has evolved into an essential resource for academic, government, and industrial organizations that employ and educate toxicologic pathologists as well as use toxicologic pathology data across a range of applications from assessing product safety (therapies, foods, etc) to monitoring and maintaining environmental and occupational health. This article recapitulates the important milestones and accomplishments of the STP during its first 50 years.
Emotion Processing Deficit in Euthymic Bipolar Disorder: A Potential Endophenotype
Authors: Reddy Preethi V. , Anandan Saravanakumar , Rakesh Gopalkumar , Shivakumar Venkatarama , Joseph Boban , Vasu Sunil Kalmady , Agarwal Sri Mahavir , Muralidharan Kesavan , Venkatasubramanian Ganesan , Narayanaswamy Janardhanan C.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Emotion processing deficits have been described in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and are considered one of the core cognitive abnormalities in BD with endophenotype potential. However, the literature on specific impairments in emotion processing cognitive strategies (directive/cortical/higher versus intuitive/limbic/lower) in euthymic adult BD patients and healthy first-degree relatives/high-risk (HR) subjects in comparison with healthy controls (HCs) is sparse.

Methods:

We examined facial emotion recognition deficits (FERD) in BD ( N = 30), HR ( N = 21), and HC ( N = 30) matched for age (years), years of education, and sex using computer-administered face emotions–Matching And Labeling Task (eMALT).

Results:

The three groups were significantly different based on labeling accuracy scores for fear and anger (FA) (P < 0.001) and sad and disgust (SD) (P < 0.001). On post-hoc analysis, HR subjects exhibited a significant deficit in the labeling accuracy of FA facial emotions (P < 0.001) compared to HC. The BD group was found to have significant differences in all FA (P = 0.004) and SD (P = 0.003) emotion matching as well as FA (P = 0.001) and SD (P < 0.001) emotion labeling accuracy scores.

Conclusions:

BD in remission exhibits FERD in general, whereas specific labeling deficits of fear and anger emotions, indicating impaired directive higher order aspect of emotion processing, were demonstrated in HR subjects. This appears to be a potential endophenotype. These deficits could underlie the pathogenesis in BD, with possible frontolimbic circuitry impairment. They may have potential implications in functional recovery and prognosis of BD.
“My disability does not measure me: it is a way of living and being in the world” meanings of social inclusion from the perspective of people with visual impairment
Authors: Oviedo-Cáceres María del Pilar , Arias-Pineda Karen Natalia , Yepes-Camacho María del Rosario , Montoya Falla Patricia , Guisasola Valencia Laura
Published: August 2021

Social inclusion involves the dynamics that link the development of capacities with access to opportunities, well-being, relationship networks, and the exercise of citizenship. This study sought to understand the meanings on social inclusion of people with visual impairment from four cities in Colombia, as well as the family dynamics that favor or hinder inclusion processes. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted, by applying 26 semi-structured interviews via telephone. The interviews were transcribed and the themes extracted by the authors. The three emerging categories were the following: (1) My disability does not measure me: it is a way of living and being in the world; (2) deconstructing imaginaries: a wager on inclusion; and (3) from the family, the most important is letting be. Our results indicate that social inclusion is mediated by the meanings they assign to their own condition of visual impairment, by the existing social imaginaries on the theme, and by the family dynamics or the nearby environment. The work recognized the following as facilitators: acceptance of the disability by those who have the condition and by their close environment; recognition of the disability as part of human diversity; the family as actor that recognizes, respects individuality, and promotes their development; and the individual skills to cope with the situation and find a support network. Barriers were the negative imaginaries and the biomedical view that persist in society, which interact with the daily lives of the people, thus generating situations of exclusion.
Joint mobilization and therapeutic exercises in the hands of patients with systemic sclerosis: A preliminary randomized controlled trial
Authors: Santos Cardozo Roque Letticia Cristina , Tenório Angélica da Silva , de Aquino Lígia Tomaz , Ferreira Renata dos Santos , Duarte Angela Luzia Branco Pinto , Dantas Andréa Tavares
Published: August 2021

Objective:

To investigate the effectiveness of Maitland’s joint mobilization and therapeutic exercises on the functionality of the hands in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Tertiary university hospital.

Subjects:

Twenty-four patients diagnosed with systemic sclerosis according to ACR/EULAR 2013 criteria; age ⩾18 years and Cochin Hand Functional Scale (COCHIN) score ⩾10. They were randomized to physical therapy group ( n = 12) or control group ( n = 12).

Interventions:

The physical therapy group received joint mobilization and undertook therapeutic exercises, twice a week, for 12 weeks, and received a booklet with information about the disease. The control group only received the booklet about the disease.

Main measures:

The primary outcome measure was functionality of the hands (COCHIN). The secondary outcomes measures were disability (SHAQ), pain (visual analogic scale), range of motion (HAMIS and Delta finger-to-palm), grip strength (JAMAR dynamometer), and quality of life (SF12).

Results:

Twenty-two patients were female, with a mean age of 47.4 ± 11.1 years and 18 had limited cutaneous form. The physical therapy group showed a decrease of 11.33 points in the COCHIN in comparison with the control group ( P = 0.09). There was a significant increase in range of motion by HAMIS (3.00 ± 1.48 vs 5.42 ± 2.64, P = 0.008), reduction in pain VAS (3.42 ± 2.78 vs 7.75 ± 2.53, P < 0.001), and increase in the physical component of SF12 (38.51 ± 9.60 vs 32.65 ± 9.10, P = 0.038).

Conclusion:

Maitland’s joint mobilization and therapeutic exercises improved the functionality of the hands, reduced pain in the hands and wrists, increased range of motion, and improved quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis.
A line through the brain: implementation of human line-scanning at 7T for ultra-high spatiotemporal resolution fMRI
Authors: Raimondo Luisa , Knapen Tomas , Oliveira ĺcaro A.F , Yu Xin , Dumoulin Serge O , van der Zwaag Wietske , Siero Jeroen C.W
Published: August 2021

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a widely used tool in neuroscience to detect neurally evoked responses, e.g. the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Typically, BOLD fMRI has millimeter spatial resolution and temporal resolution of one to few seconds. To study the sub-millimeter structures and activity of the cortical gray matter, the field needs an fMRI method with high spatial and temporal resolution. Line-scanning fMRI achieves very high spatial resolution and high sampling rate, at the cost of a sacrifice in volume coverage. Here, we present a human line-scanning implementation on a 7T MRI system. First, we investigate the quality of the saturation pulses that suppress MR signal outside the line. Second, we established the best coil combination for reconstruction. Finally, we applied the line-scanning method in the occipital lobe during a visual stimulation task, showing BOLD responses along cortical depth, every 250 µm with a 200 ms repetition time (TR). We found a good correspondence of t-statistics values with 2D gradient-echo echo planar imaging (GE-EPI) BOLD fMRI data with the same temporal resolution and voxel volume (R = 0.6 ± 0.2). In summary, we demonstrate the feasibility of line-scanning in humans and this opens line-scanning fMRI for applications in cognitive and clinical neuroscience.
Smart Parking Systems: A Data-Oriented Taxonomy and a Metadata Model
Authors: Lubrich Peter
Published: August 2021

Smart parking systems (SPS) represent an evolving and heterogeneous field of approaches and applications in parking management. One commonality is that all present systems deal with digital data related to the parking domain, such as data about parking infrastructure, parking demand, transactions, and similar. Data offerings of SPS seem to provide essential benefits for actors in parking space management, as long as they can be discovered and assessed efficiently. This paper presents mechanisms for the discovery and assessment of SPS data offerings. First, a taxonomy is developed via an inductive approach, based on a review of existing approaches to categorizing such data offerings. The taxonomy represents a hierarchical classification system, looking at functional, technical, and content perspectives of SPS data. This taxonomy is further integrated and formalized into a metadata model, allowing structured and harmonized descriptions about data offerings of individual SPS. The metadata model is built on established metadata frameworks, namely the Resource Description Framework (RDF). For reasons of reusability and interoperability, it also adopts existing metadata vocabularies from the domain of internet data catalogs. This work intends to make the data offerings of SPS assessable and comparable for potential SPS users, namely actors in parking space management. It also provides a foundation for integrating the various forms and technologies of current SPS deployments. Such integration is missing so far, according to some other authors, and is addressed in this work by an interoperable metadata approach.
Dysplastic Patellofemoral Joints Lead to a Shift in Contact Forces: A 3D-Printed Cadaveric Model
Authors: Spang Robert C. , Jahandar Amirhossein , Meyers Kathleen N. , Nguyen Joseph T. , Maher Suzanne A. , Strickland Sabrina M.
Published: August 2021

Background:

The distribution of contact forces across the dysplastic patellofemoral joint has not been adequately quantified because models cannot easily mimic the dysplasia of both the trochlea and the patella. Thus, the mechanical consequences of surgical treatments to correct dysplasia cannot be established.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The objective of this study was to quantify the contact mechanics and kinematics of normal, mild, and severely dysplastic patellofemoral joints using synthetic mimics of the articulating surfaces on cadavers. We tested the hypothesis that severely dysplastic joints would result in significantly increased patellofemoral contact forces and abnormal kinematics.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Method:

Patellofemoral dysplasia was simulated in 9 cadaveric knees by replacing the native patellar and trochlear surfaces with synthetic patellar and trochlear implants. For each knee, 3 synthetic surface geometries (normal, showing no signs of dysplasia; mild, exemplifying Dejour type A; and severe, exemplifying Dejour type B) were randomized for implantation and testing. Patellar kinematics and the sum of forces acting on the medial and lateral patellar facets were computed for each knee and for each condition at 10° increments from 0° to 70° of flexion.

Results:

A pronounced lateral shift in the weighted center of contact of the lateral facet occurred for severely dysplastic knees from 20° to 70° of flexion. Compared with normal geometries, lateral patellar facet forces exhibited a significant increase only with mild dysplasia from 50° to 70° of flexion and with severe dysplasia at 70° of flexion. No measurable differences in medial patellar facet mechanics or joint kinematics occurred.

Conclusion:

Our hypothesis was rejected: Severely dysplastic joints did not result in significantly increased patellofemoral contact forces and abnormal kinematics in our cadaveric simulation. Rather, severe dysplasia resulted in a pronounced lateral shift in contact forces across the lateral patellar facet, while changes in kinematics and the magnitude of contact forces were not significant.

Clinical Relevance:

Including dysplasia of both the patella and trochlea is required to fully capture the mechanics of this complex joint. The pronounced lateralization of contact force in severely dysplastic patellofemoral joints should be considered to avoid cartilage overload with surgical manipulation.
Seeing Class in Ladders: An Integrated Approach to Subjective Status and Health Inequality
Authors: Andersson Matthew A.
Published: August 2021

Subjective social status, or one’s perceived rank within society, predicts individual health, often matching objective socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as education or income in this capacity. While rank- or ladder-based measurement of subjective status is typical, subjective social class identification (e.g., seeing oneself as “working class” or “middle class”) remains a relatively neglected approach. Drawing on two recent national datasets and several measures of subjective status, I find that subjective class identification partly explains links between objective SES and subjective ladder scores. Adjusted distributions of ladder scores differ strikingly by subjective social class, with peaks and troughs highly dependent on class identity and ladder question wording. Crucially, subjective class and ladder systems both contribute to predicting self-rated health, net of each other and at similar, substantial levels. In sum, Americans significantly associate ladders with class. Thus, a sole emphasis on ladder-based approaches misses the categorical and cultural construction of subjective status, limiting our insight into health inequality.
Brazilian Evidence on Tax Evasion and Enforcement: A Case Study of Global North–South Comparison
Authors: Clemente Felippe , Lírio Viviani Silva , Aransiola Temidayo James
Published: August 2021

This study investigates the differences observed in the rate of tax evasion between the Global North and South countries, with special focus on Brazil, by comparing key parameters of their tax systems, namely, tax burden, audit cost, and fines. This is achieved by extending and applying Graetz, Reinganun, and Wilde’s model using data from tax authorities from European and Latin American countries, which produced parameters that are used for Bayesian games. The results show that tax evasion is directly associated with tax burden and audit cost, but the effect of fines is unclear. Overall, findings pointed to shortcomings in the tax system of Latin American countries that create the avenue for high tax evasion.
Research on adaptive non-singular fast terminal sliding mode control based on variable exponential power reaching law in manipulators
Authors: Zhang Xin , Shi Ran
Published: August 2021

Aiming at the manipulator control system is susceptible to model parameter uncertainty and external disturbance. In this article, an adaptive non-singular fast terminal sliding mode control based on variable exponential power reaching law is proposed. First, due to the slow convergence speed and large chattering of the traditional reaching law, the variable exponential power reaching law is designed in this article. It can adaptively change the reached speed according to the system state, improve the accuracy of the control system and reduce chattering. Second, compared to the slow convergence speed of traditional sliding mode surfaces, this article uses non-singular fast terminal sliding mode surfaces to speed up the system error convergence speed. At the same time, in view of the problem that the disturbance has an uncertain upper bound in the actual problem, the adaptive law is used to estimate the uncertain upper bound of the system disturbance. And by introducing a time-varying boundary layer to improve the symbolic function in the control law. Finally, the Lyapunov function is used to prove the stability of the control system. The simulation results show that the controller designed in this article has good position tracking performance and strong anti-disturbance ability.
Greening of regional industrial paths and the role of sectoral characteristics: A study of the maritime and petroleum sectors in an Arctic region
Authors: Nilsen Trond , Njøs Rune
Published: August 2021

Recent studies on regional industrial path development call for new perspectives and studies of how a region’s endogenous and exogenous processes (e.g. networks, capital, knowledge) influence its industries, and more recently, the greening of those industries. To this end, recent research has focused on increasing our understanding of the roles of firm and non-firm agency and multi-scalar dynamics (e.g. value chains, national and global regulations). However, the literature has naturally tended to focus more on territorial dynamics (e.g. agglomerations, clusters, regional innovation systems) than on the role of sectoral characteristics to explain regional industrial path development and regional industry greening. To address this, we have developed a framework built on the sectoral innovation systems literature to provide a better explanation of the role of sectoral characteristics in regional industrial path development. We argue herein that the greening of regional industrial paths can be strongly influenced by sectoral characteristics (e.g. standards, markets, technological solutions, laws, regulations), and not merely by territorial characteristics. Our theory-based argument is practically exemplified by an investigation of how a new green technology, onshore power supply, has influenced the greening of two industries (i.e. maritime and petroleum) in the rural Arctic region of northern Norway.
Changed Men? Men Talking about Violence and Change in Domestic and Family Violence Perpetrator Intervention Programs
Authors: Seymour Kate , Natalier Kristin , Wendt Sarah
Published: August 2021

This article critically interrogates the ways in which men's talk about domestic and family violence (DFV) and change reproduce gender hierarchies which are themselves productive of violence. Drawing on interviews with men who have completed a perpetrator program and building on the work of Hearn (1998), we show that these men’s conceptualizations of change both reflect and contribute to the discursive construction of masculinity, responsibility, and violence. By reflecting on men’s representations of change—and of themselves as “changed” men—we argue that DFV perpetrator interventions constitute a key site for the performance of dominant masculinities, reproducing the gendered discourses underpinning and enabling men’s violence.
PICC entrapment and air embolism on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A case report
Authors: Hekmatjah Natan , Escallier Krisztina , Singh Sumit
Published: August 2021

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an incredible, life-sustaining intervention for patients suffering from a variety of cardiopulmonary insults. However, its use comes with a unique set of risks and potentially devastating complications, including air entrainment and embolism. We present a case of recurrent air entrainment in a patient on veno-venous ECMO after her peripherally inserted central catheter became entrapped within the lumen of her bi-caval, dual lumen ECMO cannula. We briefly discuss considerations for air embolism on ECMO and recommend general strategies to avoid this potentially catastrophic complication.
Intralesional Acyclovir: A Potential Therapeutic Option for Cutaneous Warts
Authors: Elsayed Ayman , Nassar Amany , Marei Ayman , Hoseiny Heba Allah Mohamed , Alakad Rania
Published: August 2021

Background

The treatment of warts is challenging and the development of an antiviral drug that can eradicate the human papilloma virus (HPV) is difficult. The viral origin of warts suggests that acyclovir, an antiviral drug with a proven efficacy in DNA viruses, may be a potential therapeutic option.

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intralesional acyclovir in the treatment of cutaneous warts.

Methods

Thirty-one patients with cutaneous warts were allocated into 2 groups. Group A (19 patients) had intralesional acyclovir (70 mg/ml) injected into the warts, while group B (12 patients) received intralesional saline as control. The treatment was repeated at 2 week intervals until complete clearance or for a maximum of 5 sessions.

Results

Complete clearance of warts was observed in 52.6%, partial response in 36.8%, and no response in 10.5% of the patients in the acyclovir group. Partial response was reported in 16.7%, and no response in 83.3% of the patients in the control group. A high statistically significant difference was found between the treatment and control groups ( P < .01). Adverse effects included pain during injection in 89.5%, blistering in 52.6% and erythema in5.3% of the patients. No recurrence was detected during the follow-up period.

Conclusion

Intralesional acyclovir can be an effective and well-tolerated treatment modality for cutaneous warts.
Path-following enhancement of an 8×8 combat vehicle using active rear axles steering strategies
Authors: Ahmed Moataz , El-Gindy Moustafa , Lang Haoxiang
Published: August 2021

Active rear steering has been used in many research work to enhance ground vehicles’ lateral stability. However, there is a shortage in the published research studies that consider the incorporation of active rear steering for autonomous vehicles applications, especially in case of multi-axle combat vehicles. In this paper, various H∞ controllers are developed to actively steer rear axles of a multi-axle combat vehicle using a linearized bicycle model. The proposed controllers are incorporated with a 22 degrees of Freedom nonlinear Trucksim full vehicle model to study and compare the developed controllers’ performance on a hard surface. Moreover, a frequency-domain analysis is conducted to investigate the influence of the active rear steering on the path-following controllers’ robustness in terms of stability and performance. Three path-following controllers are designed, where the first controller is applied on the front two axles of the vehicle, while the rear two axles are fixed. The second is applied to all-wheel steering vehicle. The third controller is an integration between the designed front steering path-following controller and a developed lateral stability active rear steering controller. Eventually, a series of virtual maneuvers are performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intended controllers to present the advantages and limitations of each controller at different driving conditions.
Participatory video from a distance: co-producing knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic using smartphones
Authors: Marzi Sonja
Published: August 2021

In this paper, I outline an innovative remote participatory video (PV) methodology that makes use of participants’ smartphones. It was developed as an alternative to co-production research and can be employed when face-to-face contact is impossible or undesirable. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face research interactions have been disrupted or become impossible. Yet it is vital to reach those who are most affected by emergencies and to include their voices. The research reported here was a collaboration between women in Medellín, Colombia, and a team of filmmakers and researchers. We developed an innovative remote PV methodology using participants’ smartphones, researching how women from poorer neighbourhoods were affected by the pandemic in their everyday lives. Here, I reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the remote PV methodology, arguing that it offers new avenues for participants to take control of the filming and editing process, and builds technical skills and capacities that have value beyond the timeframe of the project. I conclude that the remote PV method has great potential as a stand-alone method, moving the landscape of co-production research away from a requirement for geographical co-presence and potentially shifting power and ownership towards local co-researchers and participants.
A Latent Allocation Model for Brand Awareness and Mindset Metrics
Authors: Marshall Pablo
Published: August 2021

Mindset metrics, the measurement of consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions, have a long tradition in marketing, particularly in advertising and branding. Some of the most usual mindset metrics are brand awareness, brand image, personality traits, and attribute importance. Brand awareness and other mindset measures have the form of texts (bag of words). And, a natural methodology for analyzing these variables is topic modeling and the popular Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model. The LDA methodology assumes that brands or concepts are represented by clusters of brands in consumers’ minds. This study proposes an extension/modification of the LDA model for brand awareness and other mindset variables that incorporate Bernoulli observations instead of the Multinomial specification present in the usual LDA specification. This extension is relevant since, unlike words in texts, brands and mindset concepts are not repeated within a document and have a dichotomous form, present or absent. The proposed model is applied to two brand awareness datasets. The results show significant gains in both managerial insights in analyzing brand clusters and consumers’ profiles.
Congressional Concerns Over Partisanship and a Lack of Professional Independence: Critical Junctures and the Evolution of U.S. Government Information Agencies
Authors: Juwayeyi Murendehle Mulheva
Published: August 2021

The nomination by Pres. Donald J. Trump of Michael Pack as the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the agency that oversees the Voice of America (VOA) and other civilian international broadcasters, was politically controversial. Democratic senators feared that if confirmed, Pack would pursue a partisan political agenda through the broadcasters because he was a known associate of President Trump’s former chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon. This study shows that fears that a president could use government agencies to advance a partisan political agenda emerged long ago when the government first started establishing information agencies, such as the Committee on Public Information (CPI) and the Office of War Information (OWI). Such fears are likely to continue.
Using an HIV Disclosure Model to Slow the Spread of COVID-19
Authors: Gardner Antonio J. , Jones Ashley White
Published: August 2021

Black/African American populations in the United States are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is evidence suggesting that vaccine hesitancy is a concern among this group. As an alternative to the primary prevention method of vaccination, the tertiary method of disclosing one’s COVID-19 status after contracting the virus is of utmost importance in reducing the spread of the virus. Recommendations to inform disclosure decisions based on an HIV disclosure model can be applied to COVID-19-positive Black populations in clinical and community settings to reduce the spread of the virus among this population.