bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MRI Types of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Circulating Markers of Vascular Wall Damage
Authors: Dobrynina Larisa A. , Zabitova Maryam R. , Shabalina Alla A. , Kremneva Elena I. , Akhmetzyanov Bulat M. , Gadzhieva Zukhra Sh. , Berdalin Alexander B. , Kalashnikova Ludmila A. , Gnedovskaya Elena V. , Krotenkova Marina V.
Published: June 2020

The evaluation of the clustering of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signs into MRI types and their relationship with circulating markers of vascular wall damage were performed in 96 patients with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) (31 men and 65 women; mean age, 60.91 ± 6.57 years). The serum concentrations of the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α) were investigated in 70 patients with Fazekas stages 2 and 3 of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and 21 age- and sex-matched volunteers with normal brain MRI using ELISA. The cluster analysis excluded two patients from the further analysis due to restrictions in their scanning protocol. MRI signs of 94 patients were distributed into two clusters. In the first group there were 18 patients with Fazekas 3 stage WMH. The second group consisted of 76 patients with WMH of different stages. The uneven distribution of patients between clusters limited the subsequent steps of statistical analysis; therefore, a cluster comparison was performed in patients with Fazekas stage 3 WMH, designated as MRI type 1 and type 2 of Fazekas 3 stage. There were no differences in age, sex, degree of hypertension, or other risk factors. MRI type 1 had significantly more widespread WMH, lacunes in many areas, microbleeds, atrophy, severe cognitive and gait impairments, and was associated with downregulation of VEGF-A compared with MRI type 2. MRI type 2 had more severe deep WMH, lacunes in the white matter, no microbleeds or atrophy, and less severe clinical manifestations and was associated with upregulation of TNF-α compared with MRI type 1. The established differences reflect the pathogenetic heterogeneity of cSVD and explain the variations in the clinical manifestations observed in Fazekas stage 3 of this disease.
18F-FDG-PET Imaging Patterns in Autoimmune Encephalitis: Impact of Image Analysis on the Results
Authors: Moreno-Ajona David , Prieto Elena , Grisanti Fabiana , Esparragosa Inés , Sánchez Orduz Lizeth , Gállego Pérez-Larraya Jaime , Arbizu Javier , Riverol Mario
Published: June 2020

Brain positron emission tomography imaging with 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) has demonstrated utility in suspected autoimmune encephalitis. Visual and/or assisted image reading is not well established to evaluate hypometabolism/hypermetabolism. We retrospectively evaluated patients with autoimmune encephalitis between 2003 and 2018. Patients underwent EEG, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling and autoantibodies testing. Individual FDG-PET images were evaluated by standard visual reading and assisted by voxel-based analyses, compared to a normal database. For the latter, three different methods were performed: two based on statistical surface projections (Siemens syngo.via Database Comparison, and 3D-SSP Neurostat) and one based on statistical parametric mapping (SPM12). Hypometabolic and hypermetabolic findings were grouped to identify specific patterns. We found six cases with definite diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis. Two cases had anti-LGI1, one had anti-NMDA-R and two anti-CASPR2 antibodies, and one was seronegative. 18F-FDG-PET metabolic abnormalities were present in all cases, regardless of the method of analysis. Medial–temporal and extra-limbic hypermetabolism were more clearly depicted by voxel-based analyses. We found autoantibody-specific patterns in line with the literature. Statistical surface projection (SSP) methods (Neurostat and syngo.via Database Comparison) were more sensitive and localized larger hypermetabolic areas. As it may lead to comparable and accurate results, visual analysis of FDG-PET studies for the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis benefits from voxel-based analysis, beyond the approach based on MRI, CSF sample and EEG.
The Additional Value of 18F-FDG PET and MRI in Patients with Glioma: A Review of the Literature from 2015 to 2020
Authors: Quartuccio Natale , Laudicella Riccardo , Vento Antonio , Pignata Salvatore , Mattoli Maria Vittoria , Filice Rossella , Comis Alessio Danilo , Arnone Annachiara , Baldari Sergio , Cabria Manlio , Cistaro Angelina
Published: June 2020

Aim: Beyond brain computed tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) hold paramount importance in neuro-oncology. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the literature from 2015 to 2020, showing advantages or complementary information of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET imaging to the anatomical and functional data offered by MRI in patients with glioma. Methods: A comprehensive Pubmed/MEDLINE literature search was performed to retrieve original studies, with a minimum of 10 glioma patients, published from 2015 until the end of April 2020, on the use of 18F-FDG PET in conjunction with MRI. Results: Twenty-two articles were selected. Combined use of the two modalities improves the accuracy in predicting prognosis, planning treatments, and evaluating recurrence. Conclusion: According to the recent literature, 18F-FDG PET provides different and complementary information to MRI and may enhance performance in the whole management of gliomas. Therefore, integrated PET/MRI may be particularly useful in gliomas, since it could provide accurate morphological and metabolic information in one-shoot examination and improve the diagnostic value compared to each of procedures.
Weakly Labeled Data Augmentation for Deep Learning: A Study on COVID-19 Detection in Chest X-Rays
Authors: Rajaraman Sivaramakrishnan , Antani Sameer
Published: June 2020

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a pandemic resulting in over 2.7 million infected individuals and over 190,000 deaths and growing. Assertions in the literature suggest that respiratory disorders due to COVID-19 commonly present with pneumonia-like symptoms which are radiologically confirmed as opacities. Radiology serves as an adjunct to the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test for confirmation and evaluating disease progression. While computed tomography (CT) imaging is more specific than chest X-rays (CXR), its use is limited due to cross-contamination concerns. CXR imaging is commonly used in high-demand situations, placing a significant burden on radiology services. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has been suggested to alleviate this burden. However, there is a dearth of sufficient training data for developing image-based AI tools. We propose increasing training data for recognizing COVID-19 pneumonia opacities using weakly labeled data augmentation. This follows from a hypothesis that the COVID-19 manifestation would be similar to that caused by other viral pathogens affecting the lungs. We expand the training data distribution for supervised learning through the use of weakly labeled CXR images, automatically pooled from publicly available pneumonia datasets, to classify them into those with bacterial or viral pneumonia opacities. Next, we use these selected images in a stage-wise, strategic approach to train convolutional neural network-based algorithms and compare against those trained with non-augmented data. Weakly labeled data augmentation expands the learned feature space in an attempt to encompass variability in unseen test distributions, enhance inter-class discrimination, and reduce the generalization error. Empirical evaluations demonstrate that simple weakly labeled data augmentation (Acc: 0.5555 and Acc: 0.6536) is better than baseline non-augmented training (Acc: 0.2885 and Acc: 0.5028) in identifying COVID-19 manifestations as viral pneumonia. Interestingly, adding COVID-19 CXRs to simple weakly labeled augmented training data significantly improves the performance (Acc: 0.7095 and Acc: 0.8889), suggesting that COVID-19, though viral in origin, creates a uniquely different presentation in CXRs compared with other viral pneumonia manifestations.
Growth Plate Pathology in the Mucopolysaccharidosis Type VI Rat Model—An Experimental and Computational Approach
Authors: Guevara-Morales Johana M. , Frohbergh Michael , Castro-Abril Hector , Vaca-González Juan J. , Barrera Luis A. , Garzón-Alvarado Diego A. , Schuchman Edward , Simonaro Calogera
Published: June 2020

Background: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of inherited metabolic diseases caused by impaired function or absence of lysosomal enzymes involved in degradation of glycosaminoglycans. Clinically, MPS are skeletal dysplasias, characterized by cartilage abnormalities and disturbances in the process of endochondral ossification. Histologic abnormalities of growth cartilage have been reported at advanced stages of the disease, but information regarding growth plate pathology progression either in humans or in animal models, as well as its pathophysiology, is limited. Methods: Histological analyses of distal femur growth plates of wild type (WT) and mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) rats at different stages of development were performed, including quantitative data. Experimental findings were then analyzed in a theoretical scenario. Results: Histological evaluation showed a progressive loss of histological architecture within the growth plate. Furthermore, in silico simulation suggest the abnormal cell distribution in the tissue may lead to alterations in biochemical gradients, which may be one of the factors contributing to the growth plate abnormalities observed, highlighting aspects that must be the focus of future experimental works. Conclusion: The results presented shed some light on the progression of growth plate alterations observed in MPS VI and evidence the potentiality of combined theoretical and experimental approaches to better understand pathological scenarios, which is a necessary step to improve the search for novel therapeutic approaches.
Entropy Application for Forecasting
Authors: López-Menéndez Ana Jesús , Pérez-Suárez Rigoberto
Published: June 2020

The information theory developed by Shannon [...]
Path Integral Approach to Nondispersive Optical Fiber Communication Channel
Authors: Reznichenko Aleksei V. , Terekhov Ivan S.
Published: June 2020

In the present paper we summarize the methods and results of calculations for the theoretical informational quantities obtained in our works for the nondispersive optical fiber channel. We considered two models: the per-sample model and the model where the input signal depends on time. For these models we found the approach for the calculation of the mutual information exactly in the nonlinearity parameter but for the large signal-to-noise power ratio. Using this approach for the per-sample model we found the lower bound of the channel capacity in the intermediate power range.
Mutual Information Gain and Linear/Nonlinear Redundancy for Agent Learning, Sequence Analysis, and Modeling
Authors: Gibson Jerry D.
Published: June 2020

In many applications, intelligent agents need to identify any structure or apparent randomness in an environment and respond appropriately. We use the relative entropy to separate and quantify the presence of both linear and nonlinear redundancy in a sequence and we introduce the new quantities of total mutual information gain and incremental mutual information gain. We illustrate how these new quantities can be used to analyze and characterize the structures and apparent randomness for purely autoregressive sequences and for speech signals with long and short term linear redundancies. The mutual information gain is shown to be an important new tool for capturing and quantifying learning for sequence modeling and analysis.
Mathematical Models of Consciousness
Authors: Kleiner Johannes
Published: June 2020

In recent years, promising mathematical models have been proposed that aim to describe conscious experience and its relation to the physical domain. Whereas the axioms and metaphysical ideas of these theories have been carefully motivated, their mathematical formalism has not. In this article, we aim to remedy this situation. We give an account of what warrants mathematical representation of phenomenal experience, derive a general mathematical framework that takes into account consciousness’ epistemic context, and study which mathematical structures some of the key characteristics of conscious experience imply, showing precisely where mathematical approaches allow to go beyond what the standard methodology can do. The result is a general mathematical framework for models of consciousness that can be employed in the theory-building process.
Grasp Posture Control of Wearable Extra Robotic Fingers with Flex Sensors Based on Neural Network
Authors: Setiawan Joga Dharma , Ariyanto Mochammad , Munadi M. , Mutoha Muhammad , Glowacz Adam , Caesarendra Wahyu
Published: June 2020

This study proposes a data-driven control method of extra robotic fingers to assist a user in bimanual object manipulation that requires two hands. The robotic system comprises two main parts, i.e., robotic thumb (RT) and robotic fingers (RF). The RT is attached next to the user’s thumb, while the RF is located next to the user’s little finger. The grasp postures of the RT and RF are driven by bending angle inputs of flex sensors, attached to the thumb and other fingers of the user. A modified glove sensor is developed by attaching three flex sensors to the thumb, index, and middle fingers of a wearer. Various hand gestures are then mapped using a neural network. The input data of the robotic system are the bending angles of thumb and index, read by flex sensors, and the outputs are commanded servo angles for the RF and RT. The third flex sensor is attached to the middle finger to hold the extra robotic finger’s posture. Two force-sensitive resistors (FSRs) are attached to the RF and RT for the haptic feedback when the robot is worn to take and grasp a fragile object, such as an egg. The trained neural network is embedded into the wearable extra robotic fingers to control the robotic motion and assist the human fingers in bimanual object manipulation tasks. The developed extra fingers are tested for their capacity to assist the human fingers and perform 10 different bimanual tasks, such as holding a large object, lifting and operate an eight-inch tablet, and lifting a bottle, and opening a bottle cap at the same time.
An Effective Edge-Assisted Data Collection Approach for Critical Events in the SDWSN-Based Agricultural Internet of Things
Authors: Li Xiaomin , Ma Zhiyu , Zheng Jianhua , Liu Yongxin , Zhu Lixue , Zhou Nan
Published: June 2020

In the traditional agricultural wireless sensor networks (WSNs), there is a large amount of redundant data and high latency on critical events (CEs) for data collection systems, which increases the time and energy consumption. In order to overcome these problems, an effective edge computing (EC) enabled data collection approach for CE in smart agriculture is proposed. First, the key features data types (KFDTs) are extracted from the historical dataset to keep the main information on CEs. Next, the KFDTs are selected as the collection data type of the software-defined wireless sensor network (SDWSN). Then, the event types are decided by searching the minimum average variance between the sensing data of active nodes and the average value of the key feature data obtained by EC. Furthermore, the sensing nodes are driven to sense the event-related data with a consideration of latency constraints by the SDWSN servers. A real-world testbed was set up in a smart greenhouse for experimental verification of the proposed approach. The results showed that the proposed approach could reduce the number of needed sensors, sensing time, collection data volume, communication time, and provide the low latency agricultural data collection system. Thus, the proposed approach can improve the efficiency of CE sensing in smart agriculture.
Trajectory Planning for Spray Painting Robot Based on Point Cloud Slicing Technique
Authors: Chen Wei , Li Xu , Ge Huilin , Wang Lei , Zhang Yuhang
Published: June 2020

In this paper, aiming at the problem of poor quality and low spraying efficiency of irregular for complex freeform surfaces, a new spray painting robot trajectory planning method based on point cloud slicing technology is proposed. Firstly, the point cloud data of the workpiece to be sprayed is obtained by laser scanning. The point cloud data is processed to obtain the point cloud model of the sprayed workpiece. Then the section polysemy line is obtained after slice acquisition and section data processing of the point cloud model. The section polysemy line is sampled on average, and the normal vector of all sampling points is estimated. Finally, interpolation algorithm is used to connect the data points to obtain the space trajectory of spraying robot. In addition, the droplet trajectory model for electrostatic spray painting is established. The experimental results show that the method fully meets the requirements of coating thickness and improves the spraying efficiency and uniformity of coating.
Development of Wood Composites from Recycled Fibres Bonded with Magnesium Lignosulfonate
Authors: Antov Petar , Mantanis George I. , Savov Viktor
Published: June 2020

The potential of producing ecofriendly composites from industrial waste fibres, bonded with magnesium lignosulfonate, a lignin-based formaldehyde-free adhesive, was investigated in this work. Composites were produced in the laboratory using the following parameters: a hot press temperature of 210 °C, a pressing time of 16 min, and a 15% gluing content of magnesium lignosulfonate (on the dry fibres). The physical and mechanical properties of the produced composites were evaluated and compared with the European Standard (EN) required properties (EN 312, EN 622-5) of common wood-based panels, such as particleboards for internal use in dry conditions (type P2), load-bearing particleboards for use in humid conditions (type P5), heavy-duty load-bearing particleboards for use in humid conditions (type P7), and medium-density fibreboards (MDF) for use in dry conditions. In general, the new produced composites exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties: a bending strength (MOR) (18.5 N·mm−2) that was 42% higher than that required for type P2 particleboards (13 N·mm−2) and 16% higher than that required for type P5 particleboards (16 N·mm−2). Additionally, the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of composites (2225 N·mm−2) was 24% higher than that required for type P2 particleboards (1800 N·mm−2) and equivalent to the required MOE of MDF panels for use in dry conditions (2200 N·mm−2). However, these ecofriendly composites showed deteriorated moisture properties, i.e., 24 h swelling and 24 h water absorption, which were a distinct disadvantage. This should be further investigated, as modifications in the lignosulfonate formula used and/or production parameters are necessary.
Engineering Methods of Forest Environment Protection against Meteorological Drought in Poland
Authors: Czerniak Andrzej , Grajewski Sylwester , Krysztofiak-Kaniewska Anna , Kurowska Ewa E. , Okoński Bernard , Górna Małgorzata , Borkowski Rafał
Published: June 2020

The forest cover in Poland reaches almost 30% of the country’s area. Polish forests are characterized by high biodiversity. Unfortunately, in recent years, the forests of Central Europe have been affected by climate change problems, in particular meteorological drought. In Poland, even those stands which consist of species that were widely recognized as drought tolerant and easily adaptable to environmental changes are beginning to die. The article presents engineering methods applicable to forest environment protection, largely developed at the University of Life Sciences in Poznań and implemented by the State Forests—National Forest Holding in Poland, to minimize the effects of drought. Among the issues raised are ways to protect forests against fires, modern technologies for fire road surface construction and small-scale water retention in forests. A comprehensive solution to problems related to progressive drought is a must. Scientists and foresters are observing the dying of large areas of stands and, at the same time, intensification of wildlife migration due to the search for new habitats as a consequence of the drought. Therefore, the issue of building animal crossings during the current dynamic expansion of the road network in Poland has also been presented in the paper. Another subject pointed to in the text is forest tourism. Forests provide opportunities for recreation and rest to society. However, the increasing tourist pressure in some regions may cause adverse environmental effects. Finally, the paper shows some examples of supporting forest environment protection using remote sensing techniques. Generally, the aim of the paper is to present experiences and comprehensive solutions implemented in Poland.
Assembling and Customizing Multiple Fire Weather Forecasts for Burn Probability and Other Fire Management Applications in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Boychuk Den , McFayden Colin B. , Evens Jordan , Shields Jerry , Stacey Aaron , Woolford Douglas G. , Wotton Mike , Johnston Dan , Leonard Dan , McLarty Darren
Published: June 2020

Weather forecasts are needed in fire management to support risk-based decision-making that considers both the probability of an outcome and its potential impact. These decisions are complicated by the large amount of uncertainty surrounding many aspects of the decision, such as weather forecasts. Wildland fires in Ontario, Canada can burn and actively spread for days, weeks, or even months, or be naturally limited or extinguished by rain. Conventional fire weather forecasts have typically been a single scenario for a period of one to five days. These forecasts have two limitations: they are not long enough to inform some fire management decisions, and they do not convey any uncertainty to inform risk-based decision-making. We present an overview of a method for the assembly and customization of forecasts that (1) combines short-, medium-, and long-term forecasts of different types, (2) calculates Fire Weather Indices and Fire Behaviour Predictions, including modelling seasonal weather station start-up and shutdown, (3) resolves differing spatial resolutions, and (4) communicates forecasts. It is used for burn probability modelling and other fire management applications.
Monitoring and Assessment of Salinity and Chemicals in Agricultural Lands by a Remote Sensing Technique and Soil Moisture with Chemical Index Models
Authors: Hasab Hashim Ali , Dibs Hayder , Dawood Abdulameer Sulaiman , Hadi Wurood Hasan , Hussain Hussain M. , Al-Ansari Nadhir
Published: June 2020

Agricultural land in the south of Iraq provides habitat for several types of living creatures. This land has a significant impact on the ecosystem. The agricultural land of Al-Hawizeh marsh covers an area of more than 3500 km2 and is considered an enriched resource to produce several harvests. A total of 74% of this area suffers from a high degree of salinity and chemical pollution, which needs to be remedied. Several human-made activities and post-war-related events have caused radical deterioration in soil quality in the agricultural land. The goal of this research was to integrate mathematical models, remote sensing data, and GIS to provide a powerful tool to predict, assess, monitor, manage, and map the salinity and chemical parameters of iron (Fe), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn) in the soils of agricultural land in Al-Hawizeh marsh in southern Iraq during the four seasons of 2017. The mathematical model consists of four parts. The first depends on the B6 and B11 bands of Landsat-8, to calculate the soil moisture index (SMI). The second is the salinity equation (SE), which depends on the SMI result to retrieve the salinity values from Landsat-8 images. The third part depends on the B6 and B7 bands of Landsat-8, which calculates the clay chemical index (CCIs). The fourth part is the chemical equation (CE), which depends on the CCI to retrieve the chemical values (Fe, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn) from Landsat-8 images. The average salinity concentrations during autumn, summer, spring, and winter were 1175, 1010, 1105, and 1789 mg/dm3, respectively. The average Fe concentrations during autumn, summer, spring and winter were 813, 784, 842, and 1106 mg/dm3, respectively. The average Pb concentrations during autumn, summer, spring, and winter were 4.85, 3.79, 4.74, and 7.2 mg/dm3, respectively. The average Cu concentrations during autumn, summer, spring, and winter were 3.9, 3.1, 4.45, and 7.5 mg/dm3, respectively. The average Cr concentrations during autumn, summer, spring, and winter seasons were 1.28, 0.73, 1.03, and 2.91 mg/dm3, respectively. Finally, the average Zn concentrations during autumn, summer, spring, and winter were 8.25, 6, 7.05, and 12 mg/dm3, respectively. The results show that the concentrations of salinity and chemicals decreased in the summer and increased in the winter. The decision tree (DT) classification depended on the output results for salinity and chemicals for both SE and CE equations. This classification refers to all the parameters simultaneously in one stage. The output of DT classification results can display all the soil quality parameters (salinity, Fe, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn) in one image. This approach was repeated for each season in this study. In conclusion, the developed systematic and generic approach may constitute a basis for determining soil quality parameters in agricultural land worldwide.
Dating the Sedimentary Protolith of the Daldyn Group Quartzite, Anabar Shield, Russia: New Detrital Zircon Constraints
Authors: Gusev Nikolay I. , Sergeeva Lyudmila Yu. , Skublov Sergey G.
Published: June 2020

Quartzites and paragneisses of the Archean granulite series of the Anabar Shield (Siberian Craton, Russia) are described geochemically. The Sm-Nd isotope systematics of the rocks and the U-Pb age (SHRIMP II) and geochemistry of zircons from quartzites and paragneisses are studied. Newly formed zircons from quartzites display geochemical characteristics of the magmatic type and were produced by rock anatexis upon granulite-facies metamorphism. The Paleoproterozoic age of the latest detrital zircons, 2250 ± 24 Ma, constrains the maximum age of sedimentary rock deposition. The anatectic rims around detrital zircons were formed ca. 2000 ± 9 Ma ago. The time of deposition of the sedimentary protolith of gneisses and quartzites falls within the age interval of the above-mentioned dates and is tentatively accepted as 2.1 Ga. The presence of Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks in the Daldyn Group implies the tectonic heterogeneity of the series and the existence of Paleoproterozoic rock bodies among the predominant Archean rock sequences.
Feasibility and Validity of a Low-Cost Racing Simulator in Driving Assessment after Stroke
Authors: Tiu Jonathan , Harmon Annie C. , Stowe James D. , Zwa Amen , Kinnear Marc , Dimitrov Latch , Nolte Tina , Carr David B.
Published: June 2020

There is a myriad of methodologies to assess driving performance after a stroke. These include psychometric tests, driving simulation, questionnaires, and/or road tests. Research-based driving simulators have emerged as a safe, convenient way to assess driving performance after a stroke. Such traditional research simulators are useful in recreating street traffic scenarios, but are often expensive, with limited physics models and graphics rendering. In contrast, racing simulators developed for motorsport professionals and enthusiasts offer high levels of realism, run on consumer-grade hardware, and can provide rich telemetric data. However, most offer limited simulation of traffic scenarios. This pilot study compares the feasibility of research simulation and racing simulation in a sample with minor stroke. We determine that the racing simulator is tolerated well in subjects with a minor stroke. There were correlations between research and racing simulator outcomes with psychometric tests associated with driving performance, such as the Trails Making Test Part A, Snellgrove Maze Task, and the Motricity Index. We found correlations between measures of driving speed on a complex research simulator scenario and racing simulator lap time and maximum tires off track. Finally, we present two models, using outcomes from either the research or racing simulator, predicting road test failure as linked to a previously published fitness-to-drive calculator that uses psychometric screening.
Compression Stocking Length Effects on Oedema, Pain, and Satisfaction in Nursing Students: A Pilot Randomized Trial
Authors: Lee Yoonyoung , Kim Kisook , Kang Seunghyun , Kim Ji yeong , Kim Su gyeong , Kim Taeun , Jung Jisu
Published: June 2020

Professional practitioners who are required to stand for long periods of time frequently complain about vein-related symptoms. Compression stocking are effective for vein-related symptoms, but there is not enough evidence on the effect of the length of compression stockings for nursing students. To compare oedema, pain, and satisfaction according to different lengths of compression stockings worn by female nursing students. This study was conducted as a randomized clinical trial. The participants included 20 female nursing students in their first semester of clinical practice training. Compression stockings with 25–32 mmHg pressure were used in the study; the participants were divided into two groups based on the length of compression stocking: knee length and thigh length. Differences between groups regarding pain, oedema, and satisfaction were analysed using t-tests, paired t-tests, and Mann–Whitney U tests, when appropriate. There were no significant differences in pain, oedema, and satisfaction between the two groups. However, pain in right legs of the thigh-length stocking group significantly increased after clinical training shift compared with that before the shift (t = −2.377, p = 0.041). Both groups reported high satisfaction. There were no differences in pain, oedema, and satisfaction in both legs based on the length of compression stockings, but side effects appeared in participants wearing the thigh-length stockings; nevertheless, satisfaction was high in both groups. It may be important to suggest nursing students to wear knee-length compression stockings during clinical practice training.
Process-Oriented Instrument and Taxonomy for Teaching Surgical Procedures in Medical Training: The Ultrasound-Guided Insertion of Central Venous Catheter
Authors: Galvez Victor , de la Fuente Rene , Meneses Cesar , Leiva Luis , Fagalde Gonzalo , Herskovic Valeria , Fuentes Ricardo , Munoz-Gama Jorge , Sepúlveda Marcos
Published: June 2020

Procedural training is relevant for physicians who perform surgical procedures. In the medical education field, instructors who teach surgical procedures need to understand how their students are learning to give them feedback and assess them objectively. The sequence of steps of surgical procedures is an aspect rarely considered in medical education, and state-of-the-art tools for giving feedback and assessing students do not focus on this perspective. Process Mining can help to include this perspective in this field since it has recently been used successfully in some applications. However, these previous developments are more centred on students than on instructors. This paper presents the use of Process Mining to fill this gap, generating a taxonomy of activities and a process-oriented instrument. We evaluated both tools with instructors who teach central venous catheter insertion. The results show that the instructors found both tools useful to provide objective feedback and objective assessment. We concluded that the instructors understood the information provided by the instrument since it provides helpful information to understand students’ performance regarding the sequence of steps followed.
N-Fertilizer (Urea) Enhances the Phytoextraction of Cadmium through Solanum nigrum L.
Authors: Maqbool Arosha , Ali Shafaqat , Rizwan Muhammad , Arif Muhammad Saleem , Yasmeen Tahira , Riaz Muhammad , Hussain Afzal , Noreen Shamaila , Abdel-Daim Mohamed M. , Alkahtani Saad
Published: June 2020

Heavy metal contamination is currently a major environmental concern, as most agricultural land is being polluted from municipal discharge. Among various other pollutants, cadmium (Cd), one of the most harmful heavy metals, enters into the food chain through the irrigation of crops with an industrial effluent. In the present study, a pot experiment was designed to assess the effect of different nitrogen (N)-fertilizer forms in the phytoremediation of Cd through Solanum nigrum L. Two types of N fertilizers (NH4NO3 and urea) were applied to the soil in different ratios (0:0, 100:0, 0:100, and 50:50 of NH4NO3 and urea, individually) along with different Cd levels (0, 25, and 50 mg kg−1). The plants were harvested 70 days after sowing the seeds in pots. Cadmium contamination significantly inhibited the growth of leaves and roots of S. nigrum plants. Cadmium contamination also induced oxidative stress; however, the application of N-fertilizers increased the plant biomass by inhibiting oxidative stress and enhancing antioxidants’ enzymatic activities. The greatest plant growth was observed in the urea-treated plants compared with the NH4NO3-treated plants. In addition, urea-fed plants also accumulated higher Cd concentrations than NH4NO3-fed plants. It is concluded that urea is helpful for better growth of S. nigrum under Cd stress. Thus, an optimum concentration of N-fertilizers might be effective in the phytoremediation of heavy metals through S. nigrum.
Stress, Burnout, and Turnover Issues of Black Expatriate Education Professionals in South Korea: Social Biases, Discrimination, and Workplace Bullying
Authors: Dos Santos Luis Miguel
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study is to understand expatriate educators’ overall teaching experiences and opinions about living in South Korea. The research study sought to explore the relationship between stressors and social biases against Black individuals and their suicidal behaviours and turnover decisions. The approach of stress, burnout, career decision, and suicide guided this study as the lens. The research method for this study included a phenomenological analysis of two sessions of semi-structured interviews with 18 Black expatriates in the field of education in South Korea. The results indicate that their experiences were impacted by unfairness against individuals based on their skin colour and nationalities. The outcomes of this study highlight the major difficulties experienced by foreign professionals living in South Korea. They can be used by human resource professionals, school administrators, and government leaders to reform their current policy and improve expatriate experiences so as to prevent turnover.
A Methodological Review of Mixed Methods Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (2014–2019)
Authors: Fàbregues Sergi , Hong Quan Nha , Escalante-Barrios Elsa Lucia , Guetterman Timothy C. , Meneses Julio , Fetters Michael D.
Published: June 2020

Mixed methods research has been increasingly recognized as a useful approach for describing and explaining complex issues in palliative care and end-of-life research. However, little is known about the use of this methodology in the field and the ways in which mixed methods studies have been reported. The purpose of this methodological review was to examine the characteristics, methodological features and reporting quality of mixed methods articles published in palliative care research. The authors screened all articles published in eight journals specialized in palliative care between January 2014 and April 2019. Those that reported a mixed methods study (n = 159) were included. The Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) criteria were used to assess reporting quality. Findings showed that 57.9% of the identified studies used a convergent design and 82.4% mentioned complementarity as their main purpose for using a mixed methods approach. The reporting quality of the articles generally showed a need for improvement as authors usually did not describe the type of mixed methods design used and provided little detail on the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to improve the quality of reporting of mixed methods articles in palliative care.
Spanish Version of the Attitude Towards Euthanasia Scale
Authors: Fernández-Martínez Elia , Fernández-Muñoz Juan José , Romero-Blanco Cristina , Parra-Fernández María Laura , Onieva-Zafra María Dolores
Published: June 2020

Euthanasia is undoubtedly the protagonist of many of the debates around the end of life both among health staff and in the general population. Considering that nurses provide care for terminally ill patients and support families and patients in their final days, it is essential to know their attitudes towards euthanasia. The aims of the study were to adapt and validate the Attitude Towards Euthanasia scale to a Spanish context, to test the dimensionality and to estimate the reliability of the scale. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of Spanish health-workers of 201 in a University Hospital in Ciudad Real. A self-reported socio-demographic questionnaire and the Euthanasia Attitude Scale were used for data collection. The psychometric properties of the scale were assessed, including reliability and validity using an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach’s alpha of the Attitude Towards Euthanasia scale was α = 0.827 and McDonald’s Omega = 0.903. The range of items of homogeneity was from 0.205 to 0.685. For the different exploratory factor analyses carried out, the Bartlett’s test of sphericity was p < 0.001 and the sample index value of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was over 0.802. in all cases. We present the factorial weights for three models: The first one assumes a unidimensional solution, the second model was composed by three factors and the third model was composed by four factors. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the three models presented an acceptable fit index. The Attitude Towards Euthanasia scale adaptation to a sample of Spanish health workers has shown, with some limitations, appropriate psychometric properties. There have been several differences between the original factorial solution. It would be necessary to replicate the study to reinforce the findings about the number of factors of the scale.
Gender Differences in Postural Stability among 13-Year-Old Alpine Skiers
Authors: Jastrzębska Agnieszka D.
Published: June 2020

This experiment examined changes in body sway after Wingate test (WAnT) in 19 adolescents practicing alpine skiing, subjected to the same type of training load for 4–5 years (10 girls and nine boys). The postural examinations were performed with eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC), and sway reverenced vision (SRV) in the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) planes. The displacement of center of foot pressure (CoP), range of sway (RS), mean sway velocity (MV), way length, and surface area were measured in bipedal upright stance before and after the WAnT to assess the influence of fatigue on postural balance. There were no significant differences in WAnT parameters between girls and boys. Relative peak power (RPP), relative total work (RWtot) were (girls vs. boys) 8.89 ± 0.70 vs. 9.57 ± 1.22 W/kg, p < 0.05 and 227.91 ± 14.98 vs. 243.22 ± 30.24 W/kg, p < 0.05 respectively. The fatigue index (FI) was also on similar level in both genders; however, blood lactate concentration (BLa) was significantly higher in boys (10.35 ± 1.16 mM) than in girls (8.67 ± 1.35 mM) p = 0.007. In the EO examination, statistically significant differences between resting and fatigue conditions in the whole group and after the division into girls and boys were found. In fatigue conditions, significant gender differences were noted for measurements in the ML plane (sway path and RS) and RS in the AP plane. Comparison of the three conditions shows differences between EO vs. EC and SRV in AP plane measured parameters, and for RS in ML plane in rest condition in girls. The strong correlations between FI and CoP parameters mainly in ML plane in the whole group for all examination conditions were noted. By genders, mainly RS in ML plane strongly correlates with FI (r > 0.7). No correlation was found between BLa and CoP parameters (p > 0.06). The presented results indicate that subjecting adolescents of both genders to the same training may reduce gender differences in the postural balance ability at rest but not in fatigue conditions and that girls are significantly superior in postural balance in the ML plane than boys. It was also shown that too little or too much information may be destructive to postural balance in young adolescents.
The Interrelationships between Parental Migration, Home Environment, and Early Child Development in Rural China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Zhong Jingdong , Kuhn Lena , Wang Tianyi , Liu Chengfang , Luo Renfu
Published: June 2020

A growing body of literature is providing evidence of a negative association between parental migration and child development. Meanwhile, the chain of relationships between parental migration, home environment, and early child development has not yet been well documented in China. This paper investigates the interrelationships between parental migration, home environment, and early child development in an undeveloped area of western rural China. In total, 444 households were included in the study. Bayley Scales of Infant Development version III (BSID-III), Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME), and a socioeconomic questionnaire, were used to measure children’s development outcomes, home environment, and socioeconomic characteristics in sample households. A mediation effect model was used to estimate the interrelationships between parental migration, home environment, and child development. The results demonstrate that home environment works as a significant mediator, through which parental migration is associated with a 0.07 standard deviation (SD), 0.13 SD, 0.12 SD, and 0.10 SD decline in the child’s cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional scores, respectively. For future studies, the key findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving the home environments of left-behind children might be necessary in rural China.
Effect of Siblings and Type of Delivery on the Development of Motor Skills in the First 48 Months of Life
Authors: Rebelo Miguel , Serrano João , Duarte-Mendes Pedro , Paulo Rui , Marinho Daniel A.
Published: June 2020

This study aimed to verify whether the presence of siblings and the type of delivery had an influence on the motor skills development of children in the first 48 months of life. We developed a quantitative study with a sample of 405 children of both genders, divided according to the studied variables: children with siblings, children without siblings, children born via eutocic delivery, and children born via dystocic delivery. The instrument used in the study was the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2. Overall, the results indicated that children who had siblings had, on average, better outcomes regarding all motor skills (global and fine). Furthermore, those born via eutocic delivery, on average, had better outcomes regarding all motor skills (global and fine) when compared to children born via dystocic delivery. Thus, the presence of siblings in the family context and the type of delivery positively influenced motor development, especially after 24 months of age, showing that the presence of siblings providing cooperative activities through play and challenges improved cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Furthermore, a eutocic delivery, in addition to providing a better recovery from labor and the immediate affective bond between mother and child, also led to better results in terms of global and fine motor skills.
Sprint Interval Running and Continuous Running Produce Training Specific Adaptations, Despite a Similar Improvement of Aerobic Endurance Capacity—A Randomized Trial of Healthy Adults
Authors: Litleskare Sigbjørn , Enoksen Eystein , Sandvei Marit , Støen Line , Stensrud Trine , Johansen Egil , Jensen Jørgen
Published: June 2020

The purpose of the present study was to investigate training-specific adaptations to eight weeks of moderate intensity continuous training (CT) and sprint interval training (SIT). Young healthy subjects (n = 25; 9 males and 16 females) performed either continuous training (30–60 min, 70–80% peak heart rate) or sprint interval training (5–10 near maximal 30 s sprints, 3 min recovery) three times per week for eight weeks. Maximal oxygen consumption, 20 m shuttle run test and 5·60 m sprint test were performed before and after the intervention. Furthermore, heart rate, oxygen pulse, respiratory exchange ratio, lactate and running economy were assessed at five submaximal intensities, before and after the training interventions. Maximal oxygen uptake increased after CT (before: 47.9 ± 1.5; after: 49.7 ± 1.5 mL·kg−1·min−1, p < 0.05) and SIT (before: 50.5 ± 1.6; after: 53.3 ± 1.5 mL·kg−1·min−1, p < 0.01), with no statistically significant differences between groups. Both groups increased 20 m shuttle run performance and 60 m sprint performance, but SIT performed better than CT at the 4th and 5th 60 m sprint after the intervention (p < 0.05). At submaximal intensities, CT, but not SIT, reduced heart rate (p < 0.05), whereas lactate decreased in both groups. In conclusion, both groups demonstrated similar improvements of several performance measures including VO2max, but sprint performance was better after SIT, and CT caused training-specific adaptations at submaximal intensities.
COVID-19 Outbreak Perception in Italian Dentists
Authors: De Stefani Alberto , Bruno Giovanni , Mutinelli Sabrina , Gracco Antonio
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study is an evaluation of the Italian dentists’ knowledge regarding COVID-19 and their perception of the risks associated with COVID-19, their attitude in resuming their activities, and how they judge the institutional intervention on a health and economic basis. Methods: This research evaluated Italian dentists from 11 to 18 April 2020, using a questionnaire submitted via Google Forms (Alphabet, Mountain View, CA, USA). It consisted of different investigations about sociodemographic aspects, profession-related characteristics, knowledge about COVID-19 infection transmission modalities, symptoms, and attitude in treating potentially infected patients. Statistical analysis was performed using the Pearson chi2 test and Student t-test. The α-level was fixed at p = 0.05. All data were analyzed with STATA 16 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA). Results: 1500 dentists (664 men and 836 women) completed the questionnaire. The majority of respondents declared having been trained in infection prevention procedures (64.3%) but not specifically to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (48.7%). A total of 57.2% declared that they were not trained sufficiently to restart working after lockdown, with a significantly higher prevalence (Pearson chi2 test, p < 0.001) among women (62.3%) than men (50.9%). Conclusion: Italian dentists were informed correctly on the mode of transmission but partially missed COVID-19 symptoms. Dentists considered the virus infection highly dangerous, and they were not confident in being able to work safely. The lack of precise operating guidelines creates uncertainties on infection control measures and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The participants revealed apprehension for their health and the current and future economic situation of their practices.