bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Utilization and Microhabitat Selection of the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) under Different Livestock Grazing Intensities
Authors: Hong Yang , Connor Thomas , Luo Huan , Bian Xiaoxing , Duan Zhaogang , Tang Zhuo , Zhang Jindong
Published: August 2021

There is increasing conflict between snow leopards and humans in many protected areas, the main driver of which is the overlap in spatial utilization between snow leopards and livestock. Understanding the spatial utilization and microhabitat selection of snow leopards in areas featuring different levels of livestock grazing is important to better understand and resolve this conflict, but such studies are rare. Here, we conducted line transect and plot surveys in low- and high-grazing-disturbance areas (LGDAs and HGDAs) in Wolong National Reserve, southwestern China. We compared snow leopard spatial utilization and microhabitat characteristics between LGDAs and HGDAs. Results showed that snow leopards had aggregated distribution in both LGDAs and HGDAs, but the distribution of snow leopards in HGDAs was more centralized than in LGDAs. Herb cover and height in LGDAs were greater than in HGDAs. We fit a resource selection function (RSF) that showed that snow leopards preferentially selected higher elevation, smaller basal diameter of shrubs, and lower height of herbs in LGDAs. In contrast, there were no significant microhabitat factors in our snow leopard RSF in HGDAs. Our results indicate that high-intensity grazing tends to reduce the habitat types available to and preferential selectivity of habitat by snow leopards. We recommend that livestock grazing should be controlled to restore the diversity of the alpine ecosystems in Wolong Nature Reserve. Our findings also highlight the need for evaluating the impact of livestock grazing on rare animals in alpine environments (e.g., snow leopard) in other areas facing similar issues.
Observations of tropical cyclone inner-core fine-scale structure, and its link to intensity variations
Authors: Vinour Léo , Jullien Swen , Mouche Alexis , Combot Clément , Mangeas Morgan
Published: August 2021

Tropical Cyclone (TC) internal dynamics have emerged over recent decades as a key to understand their intensity variations, but are difficult to observe, as they are sporadic, multi-scale, and occur in areas of very strong wind gradients. The present work aims at describing the internal structure of TCs, as observed with newly available satellite synthetic aperture radars (SARs) wind products, and at evaluating relations between this structure and the TC life cycle. It is based on a unique dataset of 188 SAR high-resolution (1 km) images, containing 15 to 47 by intensity category. An extraction method is designed to retrieve and characterize, the TC radial profile, its azimuthal degree of asymmetry, and the energy distribution in the eyewall and maximum wind areas. Vortex contraction and sharpening of the eyewall wind radial gradient with increasing TC intensity are observed, as well as a symmetrization of energy distribution around the vortex. Eyewall high wave number structures show a dependence on the life cycle phase, supporting previous findings discussing the vortex rapid evolution with onset and propagation of eyewall mesovortices and associated vortex Rossby wave generation. A machine learning approach finally highlights that the eye shape and eyewall radial wind gradient fine-scale dynamics have the potential to improve the statistical prediction of TC intensity variations, compared to the sole use of vortex averaged parameters and synoptic information. The high-resolution radial and azimuthal coverage provided by SARs make these acquisitions a very valuable tool for TC research and operational application.
Partitioning Solid and Liquid Precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau Based on Satellite Radar Observations
Authors: Song Ping , Liu Guosheng
Published: August 2021

Whether precipitation falls in the form of rain or snow is of great importance to glacier accumulation and ablation. Assessments of the phase-aware precipitation have been lacking over the vast area of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) due to the scarcity of surface measurements and the low quality of satellite estimates in this region. In this study, we attempt a satellite radar-based method for this precipitation partition, in which the CloudSat radar is used for snowfall while the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission radar is used for rainfall estimation. Assuming that a 11-year snowfall and a 5-year rainfall estimates represent the mean states of precipitation at each phase, the phase partition characteristics including its annual mean, spatial pattern, seasonal dependence and variation with elevations are then discussed. Averaged over the highland area (over 1 km above sea level) in TP, the annual total precipitation is estimated to be around 400 mm, of which about 40% fall as snow. The snowfall mass fraction is about 45% in the northern and 30% in the southern part of TP, and about 80% in the cold and 30% in the warm half year. Surface elevation is found to be a high-impact factor on total precipitation and its phase partition, generally with total precipitation decreasing but snowfall fraction increasing with the increase of elevation. While there are some shortcomings, the current approach in combining snowfall and rainfall estimates from two satellite radars presents a useful pathway to assessing phase-aware precipitation over the TP region.
Traumatic Bilateral Self-Enucleation With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Flippin James Alford , Truong Evelyn , Kishawi Sami , Allan Annie , Ho Vanessa P.
Published: August 2021

We present a rare case of traumatic self-enucleation of the bilateral globes resulting in traumatic subarachnoid and intraventricular hemorrhages. This case highlights the critical importance of multidisciplinary trauma care, starting with recognition of the potential for less obvious injuries such as contralateral optic nerve injury in unilateral enucleation, intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebrovascular injuries. We highlight the role of a thorough trauma assessment and workup, especially in the context of highly distracting injuries in patients who may also have severe mental illness. The trauma and acute care surgeon, who also serves as the critical care specialist, should be well prepared to facilitate care between multiple subspecialists including neurosurgeons, interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, and psychiatrists, with a high index of suspicion for occult trauma in seemingly isolated injuries.
Rapid Development, Training, and Implementation of a Remote Health Profession’s Student Volunteer Corps During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Satterfield Caley A. , Goodman Michael L. , Keiser Philip , Pennel Cara , Elliott Aleisha , Stalnaker Leslie , Cotharn Ami , Kai Ruth
Published: August 2021

Public health in the United States has long been challenged by budget cuts and a declining workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities left by years of neglecting this crucial frontline defense against emerging infectious diseases. In the early days of the pandemic, the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Galveston County Health District (GCHD) partnered to bolster Galveston County’s public health response. We mobilized interprofessional teams of students and provided training to implement projects identified by GCHD as necessary for responding to the pandemic. We provided a safe outlet for students to contribute to their community by creating remote volunteer opportunities when students faced displacement from clinical rotations and in-person didactics converted to virtual formats. As students gradually returned to clinical rotations and didactic demands increased, it became necessary to expand volunteer efforts beyond what had initially been mostly hand-selected student teams. We have passed the initial emergency response phase of COVID-19 in Galveston County and are transitioning into more long-term opportunities as COVID-19 moves from pandemic to endemic. In this case study, we describe our successes and lessons learned.
Continuing Education and Stratification at Midlife
Authors: Grodsky Eric , Doren Catherine , Hung Koit , Muller Chandra , Robert Warren John
Published: August 2021

We ask whether patterns of racial ethnic and socioeconomic stratification in educational attainment are amplified or attenuated when we take a longer view of educational careers. We propose a model of staged advantage to understand how educational inequalities evolve over the life course. Distinct from cumulative advantage, staged advantage asserts that inequalities in education ebb and flow over the life course as the population at risk of making each educational transition changes along with the constraints they confront in seeking more education. Results based on data from the 2014 follow up of the sophomore cohort of High School and Beyond offer partial support for our hypotheses. The educational attainment process was far from over for our respondents as they aged through their 30s and 40s: More than 6 of 10 continued their formal training during this period, and 4 of 10 earned an additional credential. Patterns of educational stratification at midlife became more pronounced in some ways as women pulled further ahead of men in their educational attainments and parental education (but not income), and high school academic achievement continued to shape educational trajectories at the bachelor’s degree level and beyond. However, African Americans gained on whites during this life phase through continued formal (largely academic) training and slightly greater conditional probabilities of graduate or professional degree attainment; social background fails to predict earning an associate’s degree. These results, showing educational changes and transitions far into adulthood, have implications for our understanding of the complex role of education in stratification processes.
Is Secularization an Age-Related Process?
Authors: Idler Ellen
Published: August 2021

Secularization has been studied for decades by sociologists of religion. Long-running surveys in the United States and Europe show steady generational decline in religious affiliation and participation, and yet this trend has largely been ignored by gerontologists and life course researchers. We examined data from the Health and Retirement Study, hypothesizing between-cohort declines in religious participation. Based on data from a sample stratified by 10-year birth cohorts, we identified variation in patterns of religious involvement from 2004 to 2016. Measures of attending religious services, feeling religion is very important, and having good friends in the congregation show age-graded patterns; older cohorts have a higher level of religiosity than those following them, with only minor exceptions. For all three measures, differences by cohort within waves of data are statistically significant. We confirm, with longitudinal data, the findings of repeated cross-sectional surveys in the United States showing a generational pattern of decline in religiousness. The consequences of this loss of a common social tie for future older cohorts are unknown, since current older cohorts still maintain a high level of religious participation. However, future generations of older adults are likely to be less familiar with social support from religious institutions, and those institutions may be less available to provide such support as the apparently inexorable processes of secularization continue.
Rational Dictators in the Dictator Game Are Seen as Cold and Agentic but Not Intelligent
Authors: Ruessmann Janna Katrin , Unkelbach Christian
Published: August 2021

In Dictator Games, dictators decide how much of a given endowment to send to receivers with no further interactions. We explored the social inferences people draw about dictators from the dictators’ money amount sent and vice versa in 11 experiments ( N = 1,425): Participants rated “unfair” dictators, who sent little or no money, as more agentic, but less communal than “fair” dictators, who sent half of the endowment. Conversely, participants expected more agentic and conservative but less communal dictators to send less money than less agentic, more liberal, or more communal dictators. Participants also rated unfair dictators as less intelligent but expected less intelligent dictators to send more money. When participants played the Dictator Game with real money, only self-reported communion predicted the money amount sent. Thus, participants’ inferences might not reflect reality, but rational social actors should not only fear to appear unfair but also unintelligent.
Mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in an infant: a case report and literature review
Authors: Lin Qiuyu , Hai Yuanping , Chen Siqi , Feng Naichao , Mo Zhelai , Wei Yong , Luo Qing , Huang Xiaoyan , Fan Lichun , Chen Jinni , Xiang Wei
Published: August 2021

We performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging examinations, treatment, and prognosis of a male infant who was diagnosed with mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in our hospital. The clinical features of this patient were coughing, wheezing, and dyspnea. Enhanced computed tomography of the neck and chest showed a diffuse abnormality in the right-upper mediastinum. He was diagnosed with a hemangioma after a physical examination combined with bronchoscopy. The clinical symptoms were relieved by oral propranolol. We also investigated the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in infants in the previous literature, and searched for case reports of this disease in China and in other countries. We only identified three previous cases of mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in infants, indicating that this condition is rare. In the proliferative stage, surrounding organs and tissues are compressed, which can be life-threatening. Most of these children develop wheezing, shortness of breath, dyspnea, cyanosis, and other symptoms within 2 months. Enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging combined with soft bronchoscopy can confirm the diagnosis of this disease, and oral propranolol achieves a favorable effect.
High Friction Surface Treatment Deterioration Analysis and Characteristics Study
Authors: Pranav Cibi , Tsai Yi-Chang (James)
Published: August 2021

High friction surface treatment (HFST) is used to improve friction on curved roadways, especially on curves that have a history of wet pavement crashes. Observations on the long-term performance monitoring of HFST sections at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Test Track showed friction (skid number, SN) dropped significantly at the end of service life of HFST, creating unsafe driving conditions. There is no clear, observed friction deterioration trend to predict the friction drop when using friction performance measures like SN. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore and develop supplementary HFST safety performance measures (such as aggregate loss) that can correlate to friction deterioration and provide predictable, cost-effective, and easily measurable results. The objectives of this paper are to (i) analyze the correlation between HFST aggregate loss percentage area and friction value using a dynamic friction tester (DFT), and (ii) study the characteristics of HFST deterioration associated with aggregate loss, at the NCAT Test Track and at selected HFST curve sites in Georgia (using 2D imaging and high-resolution 3D laser scanning). Results show a strong correlation between HFST aggregate loss percentage area and DFT friction coefficient. Where friction measurement is used as the primary safety performance measure, it is recommended that HFST aggregate loss be used as a supplementary performance measure for monitoring the HFST safety performance deterioration. Aggregate loss can be easily identified by characteristics such as color and texture change. Preliminary texture analyses of 3D HFST surface profiles show lower mean profile depth (MPD) and ridge-to-valley depth (RVD) texture indicators can also identify loss of aggregate spots on HFST surface.
Laboratory Approach to Determine Roller Compacted Concrete Mixture Electrical Characteristics Using a New Time-Domain Reflectometry Interpretation Method
Authors: Issa Issa M. , Zollinger Dan G. , Onifade Ibrahim , Lytton Robert L.
Published: August 2021

This work deals with using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) to measure the electrical properties of roller compacted concrete (RCC). It is well known that TDR provides a non-destructive method to measure the dielectric constant toward an estimation of moisture content for soil materials. However, few studies have used TDR to determine the moisture content in concrete because of the inability to obtain TDR traces after the concrete hardens. To obtain TDR traces, a transmission circuit is initiated where a wave signal moves through the medium and reflects back in accordance with transmission line theory. In the literature, the TDR waveform has been interpreted empirically to estimate the relative permittivity (or dielectric constant) and electrical conductivity in a given material relative to the determination of associated water content. However, empirical models tend to ignore certain aspects related to the electrical properties of a medium, which has made interpretation of TDR measurements prone to systematic errors. In this paper, a new approach of test configuration and TDR response interpretation has been developed. For the test setup, the approach uses disposable metal probes that can be embedded into the concrete at different depths to obtain the TDR traces. The approach also employs the transmission line equation to estimate the dielectric constant, electrical conductivity, and reflectivity of an instrumented RCC mixture. These properties will affect the understanding of the RCC pavement behavior, especially curling and warping behavior, placement density, and development of long-term distresses.
Vehicle Delay Estimation at Signalized Intersections Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Bagdatli Muhammed Emin Cihangir , Dokuz Ahmet Sakir
Published: August 2021

Accurate determination of average vehicle delays is significant for effective management of a signalized intersection. The vehicle delays can be determined by field studies, however, this approach is costly and time consuming. Analytical methods which are commonly utilized to estimate delay cannot generate accurate estimates, especially in oversaturated traffic flow conditions. Delay estimation models based on artificial intelligence have been presented in the literature in recent years to estimate the delay more accurately. However, the number of artificial/heuristic intelligence techniques utilized for vehicle delay estimation is limited in the literature. In this study, estimation models are developed using four different machine learning methods—support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), k nearest neighbor (kNN), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)—that have not previously been applied in the literature for vehicle delay estimation at signalized intersections. The models were tested with data collected from 12 signalized intersections located in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and the performance of the models was revealed. The models were furthermore compared with successful delay models from the literature. The developed models, in particular the RF and XGBoost models, showed high performance in estimating the delay at signalized intersections under different traffic conditions. The results indicate that the delay estimation models based on the RF and XGBoost techniques can significantly contribute to both the literature and practice.
Combating Coronavirus Disease-2019 Outbreak in Long-Term Care Facilities for Frail Older Adults: Preventive Measures and Palliative Care Go Hand-in-Hand
Authors: Cheng Hon Wai Benjamin
Published: August 2021

While the whole population is at risk from infection with the coronavirus, older people—often frail and subject to multimorbidity—are at the highest risk for the severe and fatal disease. Despite strict infection control and social distancing measures, frail adults in long-term care facilities may be at particular risk of transmission of respiratory illness. Treatment decisions are often complex attributed to the heterogeneity of this population with regards to different geriatric domains such as functional status, comorbidity, and poly-pharmacy. While measures must be taken to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading through these facilities, it is also essential that residents with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have access to the symptom management and support they want and deserve. What most nursing home residents want during the course of their illness is to be able to stay in their facilities, to be surrounded by the people they love most, and to feel relief from their physical and emotional pain. By addressing the limited access to hospice and palliative care delivery in nursing homes, we can prevent unnecessary suffering and pain from COVID-19 as well as lay the groundwork for improving care for all residents moving forward.
Brain Natriuretic Peptide as a Marker of Adverse Neurological Outcomes Among Survivors of Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Dutta Abhishek , Alirhayim Zaid , Masmoudi Youssef , Azizian John , McDonald Lawson , Jogu Hanumantha R. , Qureshi Waqas T. , Majeed Nasir
Published: August 2021

Background

Neurological prognosis after cardiac arrest remains ill-defined. Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) may relate to poor neurological prognosis in brain-injury patients, though it has not been well studied in survivors of cardiac arrest.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review and examined the association of BNP with mortality and neurological outcomes at discharge in a cohort of cardiac arrest survivors enrolled from January 2012 to December 2016 at the Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, in North Carolina. Cerebral performance category (CPC) and modified Rankin scales were calculated from the chart based on neurological evaluation performed at the time of discharge. The cohort was subdivided into quartiles based on their BNP levels after which multivariable adjusted logistic regression models were applied to assess for an association between BNP and poor neurological outcomes as defined by a CPC of 3 to 4 and a modified Rankin scale of 4 to 5.

Results

Of the 657 patients included in the study, 254 patients survived until discharge. Among these, poor neurological status was observed in 101 (39.8%) patients that had a CPC score of 3 to 4 and 97 patients (38.2%) that had a modified Rankin scale of 4 to 5. Mean BNP levels were higher in patients with poor neurological status compared to those with good neurological status at discharge ( P = .03 for CPC 3-4 and P = .02 for modified Rankin score 4-5). BNP levels however, did not vary significantly between patients that survived and those that expired ( P = .22). BNP did emerge as a significant discriminator between patients with severe neurological disability at discharge when compared to those without. The area under the curve for BNP predicting a modified Rankin score of 4 to 5 was 0.800 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.756-0.844, P < .001) and for predicting CPC 3 to 4 was 0.797 (95% CI 0.756-0.838, P < .001). BNP was able to significantly improve the net reclassification index and integrated discriminatory increment ( P < .05). BNP was not associated with long-term all-cause mortality ( P > .05).

Conclusions

In survivors of either inpatient or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, increased BNP levels measured at the time of arrest predicted severe neurological disability at discharge. We did not observe an independent association between BNP levels and long-term all-cause mortality. BNP may be a useful biomarker for predicting adverse neurological outcomes in survivors of cardiac arrest.
The effect of geometric parameters of PTL on oxygen transport in PEM electrolysis cell
Authors: Hoseini Larimi SZ , Ramiar A , Shafaghat R , Esmaili Q
Published: August 2021

In this study, two-phase flow of oxygen-water is studied by using numerical simulation in the Porous Transport Layer (PTL) of the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis Cell (PEMEC). The effect of thickness, porosity and multi-layer arrangement of PTL on the oxygen flow pattern and its removal from the PTL is investigated. The results showed the increase in the PTL thickness causes to increase the growth of the lateral paths from the inlet to the channel, which leads to increase the oxygen saturation in the PTL. It is also obtained that for PTL with different porosity, number and volume of occupied pores by oxygen in the PTL are the two main factors affecting the oxygen saturation and trade-off between them indicate the proper porosity to be used in different operating conditions. Furthermore, studies showed the use of two-layer PTL instead of single-layer can cause reduction in oxygen saturation in the proximity of reaction sites leading to a better operation of the electrolyzer.
New continuum surgical robot based on hybrid concentric tube-tendon driven mechanism
Authors: Abdel-Nasser Mohammed , Salah Omar
Published: August 2021

Robotics technology is used widely in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) which provides high performance and accuracy. The most famous robot arm mechanisms, which are used in MIS, are tendon-driven mechanism (TDM), and concentric tube mechanism (CTM). Unfortunately, these mechanisms until now have some limitations, i.e. making friction with the tissue during extracting and retracting and strain limits, for TDM and CTM respectively. A new hybrid concentric tube-tendon driven mechanism (HCTDM) is proposed to overcome these limitations. HCTDM enables the end-effector to get close to and get away from the surgical area during the operation without harming the tissue and with more flexibility. In addition to that, the workspace increases as a result of this combination, too. This benefit serves MIS, especially endoscopic surgeries (ESs). We did an analytical study of this idea and got the forward kinematics. In the inverse kinematics, an intelligent approach which is called an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is used because the closed-form solution is more complicated for such these mechanisms. Finally, HCTDM is analyzed and evaluated by using a computer simulation. The simulation results show that the workspace becomes wider and has more dexterity than use TDM or CTM individually. Furthermore, various trajectories are used to test the mechanism and the kinematic analysis, which show the mechanism can follow and track the trajectories with maximum mean error 1.279, 0.7027, and [Formula: see text] for X, Y, and Z axes respectively.
Design and off-line tuning of a longitudinal driver model for EiL applications
Authors: Gilormini Thomas , Chesse Pascal , Tauzia Xavier , Colin Hervé
Published: August 2021

Tightnening emission regulations and increasing powertrain complexity lead car manufacturers to rely on novel testing methods in order to frontload development. Among these, Engine-in-the-Loop, that is, the coupling of a physical internal combustion engine (ICE) on a testbed with a virtual environment, shows great promise for emission- and consumption-related tasks. In particular, this study focuses on the driver model, a simple yet crucial component of the virtual environment. A longitudinal driver model is developed in Simulink based on the PI-regulation structure and augmented with anti-windup, cycle preview, and takeoff strategy. While the PI approach is generally chosen in the literature, this study details the implementation of the added functions, and proposes a method for the gains of the model to be tuned in simulation by considering engine dynamics, and using several performance indicators. The virtual driver is then tested in a complete EiL setup simulating an electric hybrid driveline and shows satisfactory cycle-following and overall behavior on a WLTC. Robustness of the tuning method is also studied by varying vehicle parameters on the EiL bench.
The stability analysis using Lyapunov exponents for high-DOF nonlinear vehicle plane motion
Authors: Shi Shuming , Meng Fanyu , Bai Minghui , Lin Nan
Published: August 2021

The Lyapunov exponents method is an excellent approach for analyzing the vehicle plane motion stability, and the researchers demonstrated the effectiveness under 2-DOF vehicle model. However, whether the Lyapunov exponents approach can effectively reveal the characteristics of high-DOF nonlinear vehicle model is the key problem at present. In this paper, the Lyapunov exponents is applied to quantitatively analyze the stability of the nonlinear three and five degree of freedom vehicle plane motion system. The different characteristics between 2-DOF and high-DOF model are revealed and explained by using Lyapunov exponents. It illustrates the feasibility of using Lyapunov exponents to analyze the stability of high-DOF vehicle models, which supplements and perfects the existing quantitative analysis conclusion.
An adaptive equivalent consumption minimization strategy considering catalyst temperature for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
Authors: Deng Tao , Zhao Ke , Yu Haoyuan
Published: August 2021

In the process of sufficiently considering fuel economy of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the working time of engine will be reduced accordingly. The increased frequency that the three-way catalytic converter (TWCC) works in abnormal operating temperature will lead to the increasing of emissions. This paper proposes the equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) to ensure the catalyst temperature of PHEV can work in highly efficient areas, and the influence of catalyst temperature on fuel economy and emissions is considered. The simulation results show that the fixed equivalent factor of ECMS has great limitations for the underutilized battery power and the poor fuel economy. In order to further reduce fuel consumption and keep the emission unchanged, an equivalent factor map based on initial state of charge (SOC) and vehicle mileage is established by the genetic algorithm. Furthermore, an Adaptive changing equivalent factor is achieved by using the following strategy of SOC trajectory. Ultimately, adaptive equivalent consumption minimization strategy (A-ECMS) considering catalyst temperature is proposed. The simulation results show that compared with ordinary ECMS, HC, CO, and NOX are reduced by 14.6%, 20.3%, and 25.8%, respectively, which effectively reduces emissions. But the fuel consumption is increased by only 2.3%. To show that the proposed method can be used in actual driving conditions, it is tested on the World Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTC).
Determinants of Bangladesh’s Leather Exports to Its Major Trade Partners: A Panel Gravity Model Approach
Authors: Shahriar Saleh , Kea Sokvibol , Abdullahi Nazir Muhammad , Rahman Redwanur , Islam Rajib Moshfequl
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this research is to study the determinants of export, import and overall trade performance. The article employed the panel gravity model along with the analytical approaches of the fixed-effects, random-effects, Poisson Pseudo-Maximum-Likelihood (PPML) and Heckman selection models. This analysis is based on a panel data set from 1989 to 2015 (27 years) for a total of 20 selected largest leather importing partners. The findings are consistent with the Heckscher–Ohlin (H–O) theory, meaning that Bangladesh could chase for the comparative advantage in the leather industry through the effective planning and efficient utilization of its abundant population of 163 million. It is demonstrated that the wealthier nations are likely to trade in the Bangladeshi leather sector. But the key problem in the ways of trade is the presence of high trade and transport costs. Among the major causes of high-trade costs in Bangladesh are the cumbersome and complex cross-border trading practices, which also increase the possibility of corruption. Moreover, the trading of leather products is negatively influenced by the COVID-19. These problems and issues need to be addressed to facilitate Bangladesh’s leather exports. Also, Bangladesh is a founding member of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Exporting to Chinese consumer markets and using network connectivity to boost leather trade with other participating countries in the BRI would create a considerable growth potential for Bangladesh. To this end, the issue of technological developments and research innovations could be prioritized. This work provides both industrial and policy directions for future research on trade of leather products by means of an application of the gravity model. There are some methodological innovations of the model. The concluding remarks have generated some insights and lessons that would be useful in the development of leather trade across the world.
Book review: Surinder Kumar, Fahimuddin, Prashant K. Trivedi and Srinivas Goli, Backward and Dalit Muslims: Education, Employment and Poverty
Authors: Jodhka Surinder S.
Published: August 2021

Surinder Kumar, Fahimuddin, Prashant K. Trivedi and Srinivas Goli, Backward and Dalit Muslims: Education, Employment and Poverty. Jaipur and Delhi: Rawat Publications, 2020, ₹995, VIII + 211 pp. ISBN: 978-8131611166 (Hardback).
Novel GRHL3 Variants in a South African Cohort With Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Naicker Thirona , Adeleke Chinyere C. , Alade Azeez , Mossey Peter A. , Awotoye Waheed A. , Busch Tamara D. , Li Mary , Olotu Joy , Gowans Lord J. J. , Aldous Colleen , Butali Azeez
Published: August 2021

Objective

The etiology of cleft palate (CP) is poorly understood compared with that of cleft lip with or without palate (CL ± P). Recently, variants in Grainyhead like transcription factor 3 ( GRHL3) were reported to be associated with a risk for CP in European and some African populations including Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia. In order to identify genetic variants that may further explain the etiology of CP, we sequenced GRHL3 in a South African population to determine if rare variants in GRHL3 are associated with the presence of syndromic or nonsyndromic CP.

Design

We sequenced the exons of GRHL3 in 100 cases and where possible, we sequenced the parents of the individuals to determine the segregation pattern and presence of de novo variants.

Setting

The cleft clinics from 2 public, tertiary hospitals in Durban, South Africa (SA), namely Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital and KwaZulu-Natal Children's Hospital.

Patients, participants

One hundred patients with CL ± P and their parents.

Interventions

Saliva samples were collected.

Main outcome measures

To ascertain the genetic variants in the GRHL3 gene in patients with CL ± P in SA.

Results

Five variants in GRHL3 were observed; 3 were novel and 2 were known variants. The novel variants were intronic variants (c.1062 + 77A>G and c.627 + 1G>A) and missense variant (p.Asp169Gly).

Conclusions

This study provides further evidence that variants in GRHL3 contribute to the risk of nonsyndromic CP in African populations, specifically, in the South African population.
Impact of Pharmacist Activities in Patients With Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Bunchuailua Waranee , Samprasit Nathapol , Kotirum Surachai , Kapol Nattiya
Published: August 2021

Background

Depression is a substantial health burden. Pharmacist activities may help improve health outcomes of patients with depression when comparing to current practice with no pharmacist-involved intervention.

Objective

To systematically review and analyze randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of pharmacist services on patients with depression compared to usual care using a meta-analysis approach

Methods

Four international and 3 domestic electronic databases were systematically searched. Data from database inception to December 2019 were included. Studies were selected using predefined inclusion criteria, and quality was assessed using the risk-of-bias criteria. Pooled estimation was analyzed to report the relative risk (RR) and standard mean difference (SMD). The meta-analysis used the random-effect model when heterogeneity was observed between studies.

Results

A total of 12 eligible studies with 2133 patients with depression were included in the analysis. The relevant pharmacist interventions included medication therapy management, adherence counseling, and educational advice about depression and antidepressants. Pooled data in the meta-analysis showed a significantly increased number of patients with good adherence (RR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.75) and improved medication adherence score (SMD = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.56) associated with pharmacist activities compared to usual care. No significant differences were detected in clinical rating scales (SMD = −0.03; 95% CI = −0.16 to 0.10) and quality of life (SMD = 0.10; 95% CI = −0.04 to 0.25)

Conclusion and Relevance

This review suggests that the role of pharmacists in patients with depression has a positive impact on medication adherence.
Effectiveness and Safety of Twice- Versus Thrice-Daily Subcutaneous Heparin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis at a Large Academic Medical Center
Authors: Wiethorn Eryne E. , Harrison Sarah , Weeda Erin R. , Bell Carolyn Magee
Published: August 2021

Background

Dosing variation of subcutaneous unfractionated heparin (UFH) exist for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (VTEP).

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of thrice-daily (TID) versus twice-daily (BID) administration of UFH during a heparin shortage for VTEP.

Methods

A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted in patients with orders for BID subcutaneous UFH during a heparin shortage from September 1, 2019, to February 4, 2020. These patients were matched to patients with TID subcutaneous UFH orders from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2019. The primary outcome was the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism confirmed by imaging during hospitalization. The secondary outcome was the incidence of major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding events as defined by International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) definitions.

Results

A total of 277 patients with orders for BID UFH and meeting inclusion criteria were evaluated and matched to patients who received TID UFH. After the exclusion criteria were implemented, 510 patients remained in the TID group. The primary outcome occurred in 4% of patients in the BID group and 3% in the TID group ( P = 0.645). Major bleeding or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding events occurred in 10% of patients in the BID group and 8% in the TID group ( P = 0.310).

Conclusion and Relevance

There was no difference in effectiveness or safety of TID versus BID subcutaneous UFH for VTEP. During a heparin shortage, transitioning patients to BID UFH for VTEP to conserve supply may be considered.
Children Who Receive Special Education Services for ADHD: Early Indicators and Evidence of Disproportionate Representation in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K: 2011)
Authors: Rhinehart Laura , Iyer Sai , Haager Diane
Published: August 2021

Approximately one in 10 children in the United States is diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a disability that can negatively affect academic achievement, yet relatively few children with ADHD are in special education. To better understand factors that determine which students with ADHD are in special education, we analyzed students in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (ECLS-K: 2011). Using logistic regression, we looked to see which sociodemographic, academic, executive functioning, and behavioral skills, all measured in kindergarten, significantly influenced the odds a student would receive special education services for ADHD in fourth grade ( N = 220). Results showed that higher conflict with teachers and lower working memory significantly increased these odds. Furthermore, even when controlling for academic and social skills, students who are girls, Hispanic/Latinx, and/or living in a home where a language other than English is spoken were less likely to receive special education services for ADHD. Findings suggest early identification of students with ADHD and special education needs is possible and that sociodemographic characteristics play a significant role in determining who receives special education services for ADHD.
Cell Type–Specific Nuclei Markers: The Need for Human Brain Research to Go Nuclear
Authors: Wiseman James A. , Dragunow Mike , I.-H. Park Thomas
Published: August 2021

Identifying and interrogating cell type–specific populations within the heterogeneous milieu of the human brain is paramount to resolving the processes of normal brain homeostasis and the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. While brain cell type–specific markers are well established, most are localized on cellular membranes or within the cytoplasm, with limited literature describing those found in the nucleus. Due to the complex cytoarchitecture of the human brain, immunohistochemical studies require well-defined cell-specific nuclear markers for more precise and efficient quantification of the cellular populations. Furthermore, efficient nuclear markers are required for cell type–specific purification and transcriptomic interrogation of archived human brain tissue through nuclei isolation–based RNA sequencing. To sate the growing demand for robust cell type–specific nuclear markers, we thought it prudent to comprehensively review the current literature to identify and consolidate a novel series of robust cell type–specific nuclear markers that can assist researchers across a range of neuroscientific disciplines. The following review article collates and discusses several key and prospective cell type–specific nuclei markers for each of the major human brain cell types; it then concludes by discussing the potential applications of cell type–specific nuclear workflows and the power of nuclear-based neuroscientific research.
Trilingualism and reading difficulty in a third (school) language: A case study of an at-risk child in French immersion
Authors: Petrescu Maria Claudia , Helms-Park Rena
Published: August 2021

This longitudinal study documents a trilingual child’s struggle with decoding and word recognition, the remedies sought to help him start reading in his second language (English) while he was in French immersion, and his performance after the intervention on tests of phonological awareness in L1 Romanian, L2 English, and L3 French. The study commenced at age 5;6, when the child, Alex, was in English kindergarten and diagnosed with a reading deficit. The initial diagnostic assessment uncovered his near-complete lack of phonological awareness, a key ingredient of emergent reading. An intervention using a multisensory approach to reading was used twice a week until the child was 7;9, at which point he was completing grade 2 in French immersion. Alex’s phonological processing abilities were assessed in all three languages immediately after remediation in order to determine: (i) whether his phonological processing skills improved in English, the language of the intervention; (ii) whether there were similar effects in the two non-remediation languages (Romanian and French); and, finally, (iii) whether children at-risk for reading difficulties are able to continue their education in an L3, such as French in an immersion context.
Sidgwick and Rawls on distributive justice and desert
Authors: Miller David
Published: August 2021

This article explores, comparatively and critically, Sidgwick’s and Rawls’s reasons for rejecting desert as a principle of distributive justice. Their ethical methods, though not identical, each require giving weight to common sense convictions about justice as well as higher-level principles. Both men, therefore, need to find a substitute for desert that captures some of its content – in Sidgwick’s case ‘quasi-desert’ takes the form of an incentive principle, and in Rawls’s case a principle of legitimate entitlement. However their reasons for rejecting desert are unclear, and at points appear to rest on contestable conceptual or metaphysical claims that their methodological commitments are meant to rule out. To clarify matters, the article distinguishes between three levels at which anti-desert arguments may operate: 1) Those purporting to reveal some fundamental defect in the idea of desert itself; 2) Those purporting to show that we cannot find a coherent basis for desert, at least for purposes of social justice; 3) Those purporting to show that it is impossible for social institutions to reward people according to their deserts, no matter which basis is chosen. At each level, the arguments put forward by Sidgwick and by Rawls are shown to be unsound.
On Bayesian model selection for INGARCH models viatrans-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo methods
Authors: Tsamtsakiri Panagiota , Karlis Dimitris
Published: August 2021

There is an increasing interest in models for discrete valued time series. Among them, the integer autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (INGARCH) is a model that has found several applications. In the present article, we study the problem of model selection for this family of models. Namely we consider that an observation conditional on the past follows a Poisson distribution where its mean depends on its past mean values and on past observations. We consider both linear and log-linear models. Our purpose is to select the most appropriate order of such models, using a trans-dimensional Bayesian approach that allows jumps between competing models. A small simulation experiment supports the usage of the method. We apply the methodology to real datasets to illustrate the potential of the approach.
Are Tax Cuts Supporters Self-Interested and/or Partisan? The Case of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Authors: Mendoza Aviña Marco , Blais André
Published: August 2021

In late 2017, the first unified Republican government in 15 years enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which cut taxes for corporations and the wealthy. Why did so many citizens support a policy that primarily benefited people richer than them? The self-interest hypothesis holds that individuals act upon the position they occupy in the income distribution: richer (poorer) taxpayers should favor (oppose) regressive policy. Associations between income and policy preferences are often inconsistent, however, suggesting that many citizens fail to connect their self-interest to taxation. Indeed, political psychologists have shown compellingly that citizens can be guided by partisan considerations not necessarily aligned with their own interests. This article assesses public support for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Using data from the 2018 Cooperative Congressional Election Study as well as contemporaneous ANES and VOTER surveys to replicate our analyses, we show that self-interest and partisanship both come into play, but that partisanship matters more. Personal financial considerations, while less influential than party identification, are relevant for two groups of individuals: Republicans and the politically unsophisticated.