bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Access of Urban Poor to Basic Services: Concerns of Sustainability and Equity
Authors: Kundu Amitabh , Rahaman Mehebub , Khan Khalid
Published: March 2024

Sharp inequality in India’s urban economy, coupled with an increasing reliance on the market system for infrastructure and basic services, has led to inadequate access to and poor quality of amenities for the urban poor. Disparities in welfarist interventions by central and state governments, manifest in changing administrative paradigm, have impacted inequality trends and patterns. Given this macro scenario, this article is designed to achieve two objectives: one, an analysis of the differential access of urban poor to select basic amenities and changes therein over time at the national level. An attempt is also made to bring out the deficits in amenities for households in different asset quintiles within the framework of India’s inclusive development strategy. Two, to analyse the pattern of access to basic services across the states, their changing pattern over time, and probe into their interdependencies with indicators of environmental sustainability. The basic idea is to examine quantitatively the complex relationship between the utilisation of natural resources, environmental degradation, and the provisioning of basic amenities to the poor. The possibility of the poor being forced to use non-renewable resources, posing serious threats to their micro-environment and its long-term implications are discussed using available secondary data and over-viewing empirical research on the subject. The article concludes by proposing broad directions in which solutions to the twin problems of providing a decent living environment to the poor and ensuring ecological sustainability can be sought.
How Mandatory Military Service Can Divide Rather Than Unite: Conscription, Gender, and Military Trust in South Korea 2003–2021
Authors: Bae Joonbum , Lee YuJung Julia
Published: March 2024

Can mandatory military service increase confidence in the state across the population when only men are required to serve? To answer this question, we leverage the case of South Korea to examine how male-only conscription influences trust toward a critical state institution, the military. Based on the foreign policy opinion literature on the gender gap, we hypothesize that women hold different views of the military and respond in distinct ways to conscription. Analysis of public opinion data from 2003 to 2021 shows that women generally exhibit less trust in the military than men. Male conscription also has diverging effects along gender lines for parents of sons who must serve, increasing distrust of the military for their mothers while not affecting fathers. The findings suggest that mandatory military service can (further) divide opinions of the military across society.
Distributed optimization game algorithm to improve energy efficiency for multi-radio multi-channel wireless sensor network
Authors: Yao Ning , Chen Bai , Wang Jiaojiao , Wang Liyuan , Hao Xiaochen
Published: March 2024

To send and receive data simultaneously, reduce network interference, and effectively improve energy efficiency, this paper analyzes the network characteristics of Multi-Radio Multi-Channel Wireless Sensor Network and optimizes the power and channel of each radio frequency interface. Based on the novel energy efficiency model and energy consumption efficiency model, this paper establishes a distributed optimization game model using Game Theory to maximize network energy efficiency, minimize energy consumption, and ensure network connectivity. Based on the game model, an efficient distributed resource allocation game algorithm is designed, in which a joint power control and channel allocation can quickly converge to Nash Equilibrium with low complexity. At the same time, the simulation results show that the distributed resource allocation game algorithm can effectively improve the energy efficiency, reduce network interference and bit error rate to ensure the successful data transmission.
Observer-based positive edge consensus of multi-agent systems with directed graphs
Authors: Zhang Pengyu , Zhang Wei , Hu Liduo , Hu Zhi
Published: March 2024

This paper concentrates on the positive edge consensus in directed networks with spanning trees using output feedback protocols. First, a novel positive system observer is established, which introduces a parameter to enhance the design freedom of the observer. Furthermore, sufficient conditions are proposed, which are based solely on the network’s edge count. Specifically, improved consensus and non-negative conditions are obtained by optimizing the constraints on the eigenvalue information. Subsequently, based on positive edge-consensus design conditions, a programming algorithm is developed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control protocol is verified utilizing numerical simulations.
Estimator-based multi-target tracking of networked robotic systems via predefined-time hierarchical control method
Authors: Wang Meixue , Xiao Bo , Han Tao , Yan Huaicheng
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we study the multi-target tracking problem of networked robotic systems (NRSs) within predefined time under a directed interaction topology considering disturbances and physical parameter uncertainties. On the basis of non-singular sliding-mode surface, a new predefined-time estimator-based hierarchical control algorithm is put forward so as to address the tracking problem under the case of multiple moving targets. Using the time base generator (TBG), a distributed estimator algorithm is designed to ensure that the followers can estimate different target states within a predefined-time. Certain sufficient conditions of predefined-time multi-target tracking of NRSs are presented using the Lyapunov stability and neighbor information interaction principle. In the end, numerical simulation experiments are offered to indicate the availability and correctness of the theoretical results.
Unveiling the duality: Visiting the big questions of public administration education through qualitative insights from Türkiye
Authors: Göçoğlu Volkan , Göçoğlu İpek Didem , Demirkol Atahan
Published: March 2024

Despite the vast literature on public administration education (PAE), there is still a need for a broader perspective and exploration of its general characteristics, focal points, and objectives to create an overarching framework. Stemming from this motivation, this study establishes an investigative point of view that considers both the structural and functional dimensions of existing literature, embracing the big questions of PAE proposed by Denhardt, as a precise foundational base. By conducting a content analysis on 1401 program learning outcomes from 110 universities offering undergraduate public administration programs in Türkiye, the study provides national-scale qualitative evidence for the big questions. The prominent findings indicate that PAE prioritizes equipping graduates with practical skills beyond immediate job preparation in the functional axis, while it appears to overlook the theoretical gains in the structural axis. Findings on competencies make a supportive contribution to the scholarly discourse on PAE, emphasizing the crucial role of managerial and technical competencies for future roles. Remarkably, less visible but insightful final findings regarding values such as ethics, human rights, social justice, equality, and democracy have the potential to be inspiring in clarifying and realizing the PAE’s meta-goal, whose definition and scope are not yet clear.
Access to Otolaryngologic Telemedicine Care Across the COVID-19 Pandemic at an Urban Tertiary Hospital System
Authors: Srinivasan Yashes , Andreadis Katerina , Ballakur Sarita S. , Rameau Anaïs
Published: March 2024

Objective: To describe associations between patients’ demographic characteristics and access to telemedicine services in an urban tertiary academic medical system across the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify potential barriers to access. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single-center tertiary academic medical center. The study included adult patients undergoing outpatient otolaryngologic care in person or via telemedicine during 8 week timeframes: before the pandemic, at the onset of the pandemic, and during later parts of the pandemic. Patients were characterized by age, sex, race, insurance type, primary language, portal activation status, income estimate, and visit type. Where appropriate, chi-squared tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and logistic regression were used to compare demographic factors between the cohorts. Results: A total of 14,240 unique patients [median age, 58 years (range, 18-107 years); 56.5% were female] resulting in a total of 29,457 visits (94.8% in-person and 5.2% telemedicine) were analyzed. Patients seen in person were older than those using telemedicine. Telemedicine visits included a higher proportion of patients with private insurance, and fewer patients with government or no insurance compared to in-person visits. Race, income, and English as primary language were not found to have a significant effect on telemedicine use. Conclusion: In an urban tertiary medical center, we found significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics between patients who accessed otolaryngologic care in person versus via telemedicine through different phases of the COVID pandemic, reflecting possible barriers to care associated with telemedicine. Further studies are needed to develop interventions to improve access.
Who Believes Gender Research? How Readers’ Gender Shapes the Evaluation of Gender Research
Authors: Grace Hart Chloe , Townsend Charlotte H. , Delecourt Solène
Published: March 2024

Prior research finds that relative to women, men are less receptive to scientific evidence of gender bias against women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, whereas the researcher’s gender does not influence evaluations of gender research. Do these effects hold for research documenting workplace gender inequalities more generally? In a preregistered survey experiment fielded on Prolific, survey participants were shown tweets from a fictitious researcher—a woman or a man—that summarized recent research about workplace gender inequality, and then they were asked to rate the research. Consistent with prior work, men viewed research findings about workplace gender inequality less positively than women; researcher gender did not significantly influence evaluations. Men’s higher endorsement of gender system justification beliefs and hostile sexism appear to partially explain their less positive views, suggesting that men view gender research less positively in part because it challenges the idea that men’s relative advantages in the workplace are natural and earned.
The association between cerebral blood flow variations during on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery and postoperative delirium
Authors: Sampaolesi Caterina , Casarotta Erika , Gresti Giacomo , Mariotti Giulia , Pisani Leonardo , Veccia Diego , Di Eusanio Marco , Malvindi Pietro Giorgio , Donati Abele , Münch Christopher Maria
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Postoperative delirium (POD) has a major impact on patient recovery after cardiac surgery. Although its pathophysiology remains unclear, there could be a correlation between cerebral blood flow (CBF) variations during cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) and POD. Our study aimed to evaluate whether variations in on-pump CBF, compared to pre-anesthesia and pre-CPB values, are associated with POD following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.

Methods

This prospective observational cohort study included 95 adult patients undergoing elective on-pump CABG surgery. Right middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (MCAV) was assessed using Transcranial Doppler before anesthesia induction, before CPB and every fifteen minutes during CPB. Pre-anesthesia and pre-CPB values were chosen as baselines. Individual values, measured during CPB, were converted as percentage changes relative to these baselines and named as %MCAV0 and %MCAV1, respectively. POD was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for ICU (CAM-ICU) during the first 48 post-operative hours and with the 3-Minute Diagnostic Interview for Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) on the fifth post-surgical day.

Results

Overall POD incidence was 17.9%. At 30 minutes of CPB, %MCAV0 was higher in POD group than in no-POD group ( p = .05). %MCAV0 at 45 minutes of CPB was significantly higher in POD group (87 (±17) %) than in no-POD group (68 (±24) %), p = .04. %MCAV1 at 30 and 45 minutes of CPB were higher in POD group than in no-POD group, at the limit of statistical significance. We found %MCAV1 > 100% in POD group, but not in no-POD group.

Conclusions

Significant differences in %MCAV0 became evident after 30 minutes of CPB, whereas differences in %MCAV1 at 45 minutes of CPB were at limit of statistical significance. In POD group %MCAV1 was higher than 100% at 30 and 45 minutes of CPB, which is supposed to be a sign of cerebral hyperperfusion. Monitoring CBF during CPB could have prognostic value for POD.
Wildfire festivals - How crisis management professionals monitor affect, power relations and the right spirit
Authors: Ericson Mathias , Uhr Christian , Wester Misse
Published: March 2024

In disaster management, some crises receive more attention than others. In this article we try to unpack what specific factors make one crisis more interesting than another, by focusing on the experiences of crisis management professionals. In the article, we use a broad set of data including participant observations, interviews and workshops, working with the metaphor of a “festival” to illustrate this phenomenon. We find that the festival metaphor works well to capture distinctive features of this specific kind of crisis, that in turn affects the response. Our results indicate that the festival spirit enables a clarity, where managers feel that they can prioritize the proper response and need not include a range of different perspectives. At the same time, they are aware that positive feelings, in the sense of getting things done, are not to be publicly expressed. We conclude with a discussion on the implications for crisis response and the possibility of working with metaphors.
Measurement and Modeling of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Behaviors of Frozen Clays: Frost Susceptibility and Compressibility
Authors: Cai Weiling , Zhu Cheng , Lein Wade
Published: March 2024

The risk of geohazards associated with frozen subgrades is well recognized, but a comprehensive framework to evaluate frost susceptibility from microstructural characteristics to macroscopic thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behaviors has not been established. This study aims to propose a simple framework for quantitatively assessing frost susceptibility and compressibility in frozen soils. A systematic THM model was devised to predict heat transfer, soil freezing characteristics, and stress states in frozen soils. Constant freezing experiments and oedometer compression tests were performed on bentonite clays under varying temperatures (−5°C, −10°C, and −20°C) and stress levels to validate the proposed model. Additionally, soil electrical conductivity measurements were employed to assess the temperature- and stress-dependent volumetric and mechanical properties of frozen soils. The model used Fourier’s law to compute the transient soil temperature profile and estimated the volume change and stress states based on the soil freezing characteristic curve. Experimental results showed that frost heave of bentonite reached between 9.0% and 26.6% of axial strain, which was largely predicted by the proposed model. It also demonstrated that the frost heave was mainly attributed to the fusion of the porewater. Additionally, the preconsolidation pressure of frozen soils exhibited a rapid increasing trend with decreasing temperature, which was explained by the temperature-dependent ice morphology in the soil interpore. Furthermore, the findings also demonstrated a remarkable sensitivity in the electrical conductivity in response to the soil temperature during the frost heave process and the stress state under the loading or unloading path.
What Is (and Isn’t) a Product Recall?
Authors: Astvansh Vivek , Antia Kersi D. , Tellis Gerard J.
Published: March 2024

Safety in consumer goods is maintained by product safety laws and associated regulations. However, the legislation and regulations are specific to product categories and legal jurisdictions, thus impeding one's ability to understand what a recall is and isn’t, and how it differs from related phenomena (e.g., product-harm crisis). The authors aim to provide such an understanding. They reviewed 510 reports from academics, managers, governments, and regulators; conducted interviews with 25 practitioners; and used 10 recall data sets to identify seven fundaments of recall. They synthesize the fundaments to propose a definition and a decision tree of recall, which can help inform academics, journalists, managers, lawyers, and safety advocates regarding what term is appropriate in what context. The authors apply the fundaments to identify similarities and differences between a recall and a harm crisis, the term used frequently in marketing research in association with recall. The fundaments also enable the authors to make five recommendations each for lawmakers and regulators in an effort to guide the academic and practitioner discourse on product recall.
CAR and CSTR Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) Practice Guidelines: Part 1 Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)
Authors: Nguyen Elsie T. , Green Courtney R. , Adams Scott J. , Bishop Helen , Gleeton Guylaine , Hague Cameron J. , Hanneman Kate , Harris Scott , Strzelczyk Jacek , Dennie Carole
Published: March 2024

Imaging the heart is one of the most technically challenging applications of Computed Tomography (CT) due to the presence of cardiac motion limiting optimal visualization of small structures such as the coronary arteries. Electrocardiographic gating during CT data acquisition facilitates motion free imaging of the coronary arteries. Since publishing the first version of the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) cardiac CT guidelines, many technological advances in CT hardware and software have emerged necessitating an update. The goal of these cardiac CT practice guidelines is to present an overview of the current evidence supporting the use of cardiac CT in various clinical scenarios and to outline standards of practice for patient safety and quality of care when establishing a cardiac CT program in Canada.
Holistic Rehabilitation in Action: A Data-Driven Analysis of the Impact on Quality of Life among Individuals with Psychoactive Substance Abuse
Authors: Utomo Shella Febrita Puteri , Dewi Inggriane Puspita , Seman Nordianna , Pratiwi Desta Rahayu
Published: March 2024

Background: Psychoactive substance abuse can affect biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects, as well as the users’ quality of life, and obliged to carry out medical and social rehabilitation. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify the effect of holistic rehabilitation programs on quality of life among drug abusers. Methods: Quasi-experimental with time series design. The sample of this study amounted to 54 people, taken by G-power, all participants who will take part in the rehabilitation program at the National Narcotics Board rehabilitation clinic. Rehabilitation interventions include health assessment, psychological assessments, health counseling, human immunodeficiency virus-related voluntary counseling and testing, addiction counseling, group therapy, family therapy, client and family monitoring, relapse prevention therapy, and postrehabilitation services. Interventions are provided for 10 weeks, and delivered by health professionals. Measurement of quality of life using World Health Organization Quality of Life—Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) MEAT 26 statements consisting of physical, psychological, environmental, and social relationship dimensions, with an alpha value of 0.8756. The data was analyzed with the Friedman test. Results: Holistic rehabilitation influences all dimensions quality of life of drug abusers with a P-value of <0.001. Conclusions: A holistic rehabilitation program improves the quality of life of drug abusers.
How does population size influence administrative performance? Evidence from Malta, Samoa, and Suriname
Authors: Jugl Marlene , Veenendaal Wouter , Corbett Jack , Ng Shiu Roannie
Published: March 2024

Public administration scholars pay increasing attention to the role of context as a pathway to genuinely comparative analysis. Specifically, they focus on the economic, institutional and socio-cultural conditions in which administration takes place. Population size is an overlooked contextual factor despite the fact that existing studies often make implicit, positive assumptions about the effects of smallness on administrative performance. We investigate these assumptions by focusing on small, rather than large states across three dimensions: representativeness, transparency and service delivery. Drawing on unique qualitative data from three small states from different continents, Malta, Samoa and Suriname, we find that contra implicit assumptions, small population size does not have the overwhelmingly positive effects that much of the literature assumes. Rather, smallness tends to undermine legal-rational decision making and to facilitate patronage-based service delivery. These findings indicate that the contextual turn in public administration needs to pay more attention to the way population size shapes bureaucratic practice in all states, large and small.
Performance analysis of powder-assisted micro-drilling operation using micro-EDM
Authors: Yadav Sharad , Sisodia Naman , Agarwal Deepak , Singh Rabesh Kumar , Sharma Anuj Kumar
Published: March 2024

Miniaturization is governed by the precise and accurate micro-machining operations of various applications. Micro-EDM has emerged as a feasible method for attaining microscale high-precision drilling. The present paper aims to conduct an experimental investigation for drilling micro-holes on copper using the Alumina (Al2O3) powder mixed Micro-EDM technique. Process parameters, including voltage, feed rate, and powder concentration, are varied in experimentation to evaluate their impact on response measures like MRR, TWR, taper angle, and aspect ratio. ANOVA determines the individual contribution of process parameters on each response measure. Voltage is the primary factor influencing MRR (93.5%), TWR (58.24%), and aspect ratio (67.3%), whereas the interaction effect of voltage with powder concentration primarily affects the taper angle (32.36%). Furthermore, the GRA method has optimized the multiple parameters for different responses. The optimum combination of parameters was obtained at a voltage of 125 V, powder concentration of 0.8 g/L, and tool travel speed of 9 µm/s at which better responses are received. The results obtained from FESEM analyses indicate that utilizing alumina (Al2O3) Nano-powder in the dielectric fluid leads to improved effectiveness and reduces the formation of micro-cracks, and micro-voids. Furthermore, the formation of recast layer is reduced by 36.49% as compared to without powder mixed EDM oil during micro-drilling operations.
The history of Fagus sylvatica at its northern limit in Vendsyssel, Denmark
Authors: Hannon Gina E , Bradshaw Richard HW , Chiverrell Richard C , Skovsgaard Jens Peter
Published: March 2024

Pollen, plant macrofossils and charcoal analyses were used to study tree diversity, fire history and forest disturbance over the past c. 3500 years at three forest remnant sites in Vendsyssel, northern Denmark. All locations had a more diverse tree composition in the past including abundant Alnus, Betula, Corylus, Pinus, Quercus, Salix, Tilia and Ulmus. The changes in tree diversity through time can be attributed to a combination of factors including climate change, burning linked to shifting cultivation, grazing and felling. The balance between arboreal and non-arboreal pollen was already being influenced by human activities in the late Bronze Age c. 3000 years ago. The high pollen abundance values recorded for Tilia pre-2000 years ago are exceptional as compared to later periods at these sites. At one location, the transition from Tilia to Fagus indicated that Tilia prevailed until c. 1300 years ago. Subsequent periods of forest clearance, with charcoal and cereal cultivation, initially including Hordeum and subsequently also Secale, were recorded. There was pollen evidence for grazing followed by shrub regeneration including Calluna, Erica, Juniperus and herbaceous taxa, and following that, a forest recovery of mainly Fagus, Picea and Pinus. This recovery is also recorded in historical forest records from 1880 CE onwards, emphasising the dominant role of plantation schemes. Results are placed in a wider framework of other sites in Denmark and southern Scandinavia, which have also documented a reduction of tree diversity and forest cover over the same period. The evidence from the long-term record is used to draw conclusions to assist forest restoration programmes.
What Drives the Stock Market Participation (SMP) of an Individual Investor: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Kautkar Himanshu , Bhatia Shikha
Published: March 2024

In the last two decades, multiple attempts have been made to solve the ‘stock market participation puzzle’. With the help of bibliometric analysis, we explore the various dimensions of the existing research on stock market participation (SMP). The results of this paper systematically synthesize the knowledge base and the intellectual structure of SMP. The article reveals the motivation for an individual to invest in the stock market. The study contributes by identifying the most influential authors, countries, journals and organizations that publish research on SMP. It also identifies the most impactful articles and performs a co-citation network analysis. The results indicate three broad clusters summarizing the extant literature on SMP: cognitive abilities and skills-based studies, risks appetite and asset allocation-based studies and social capital-based studies. The study findings are more relevant for researchers, policymakers, financial regulators and discount brokers.
Picroside II Inhibits Glycolysis and Migration in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Lei Xia , Yang Si-Cheng , Peng Kang-Bo , Wang Meng-Fan , Wu He-Zhen , Yang Yan-Fang
Published: March 2024

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts and mechanisms of Picroside II on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials and Methods

The GeneCards database was mined for HCC-related targets. The targets of Picroside Ⅱ were predicted using PharmMapper and SwissTarget Prediction. The molecular complex detection (MCODE) plugin in Cytoscape was used to screen core genes. The DAVID database was subsequently used to enrich the core targets by Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), which was used to determine the possible mode of action of Picroside II on HCC. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2) examined core targets and patient mortality. Auto Dock 4.2.6 was used to simulate the docking of potential targets with Picroside II. Then, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to validate the targets’ docking ability. Finally, Western blotting and in vitro experiments were used to evaluate the effect of Picroside II on HepG2 cells.

Results

The result of network pharmacology showed that 94 genes may be possible targets for Picroside II treating of HCC, with GPI, LGALS3, SRC, HRAS, HSP90AA1, MMP9, PPARG, SERPINE1, and VEGFA being the most promising. GPI and Picroside II have strong virtual docking capabilities, and SPR tests verified their binding ability. In vitro studies revealed that Picroside II could suppress HepG2 cell migration. It has been demonstrated that Picroside II can stop tumors from migrating by attaching to the glycolytic proteins GPI and suppressing the downstream glycolytic pathway proteins ALDOA and GAPDH. Picroside II’s potential new target for treating tumors is GPI.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that Picroside Ⅱ can affect glucose metabolism by binding to glycolytic protein GPI and that this protein is a potential new target for Picroside Ⅱ in the treatment of tumors.
‘Money does not stink’ – Accounting and slavery
Authors: Tinkelman Daniel
Published: March 2024

This article supplements the multidisciplinary effort sparked by the New York Times's 1619 Project to focus attention on institutions and practices that supported American slavery. Managerial and financial accounting practices support many types of endeavours. Accounting is usually done for managers, investors, and creditors. Accounting practices supported investment in, and management of slavery, a fundamentally immoral and destructive practice. Accounting served the interests of the enslavers, not the enslaved. Accounting practices helped investors in slave voyages and absentee plantation owners overcome agency problems, facilitating investment. Plantations used accounting to track enslaved people's productivity. Accounting terms and reports dehumanised enslaved men and women, classifying them as assets and as loan collateral. Accounting forms and statements treated slave ownership and the use of slave labour as routine. In these ways, accounting statements helped normalise and legitimise the practice of slavery and helped distance investors and lenders from its brutal reality.
Is There Utility in Preoperative Testing of Hemoglobin Before Primary Cheiloplasty?
Authors: Shay Aryan , Gaffey Megan , Roe Roger , Robbins Alexa , Zaniletti Isabella , Johnson Adam , Hartzell Larry
Published: March 2024

Objective

To examine whether a preoperative hemoglobin of less than 10 g/dL is associated with a higher rate of perioperative complications.

Design

Retrospective review.

Setting

Tertiary academic hospital at Arkansas Children's Hospital of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Patients

A retrospective chart review evaluated patients undergoing primary cleft lip surgery from 2012 to 2017.

Interventions

No prospective intervention was performed for this study care.

Main Outcome Measures

Age, sex, medical history, weight, and perioperative complications. Hemoglobin level was collected in the preoperative area. The primary outcome was rate of perioperative complications including infection, dehiscence, return to the operating room, unplanned admission, and emergency department visit within two weeks postoperatively.

Results

105 patients undergoing primary cheiloplasty met inclusion criteria. Hemoglobin levels were obtained on all patients. 93.3% (n = 98) of patients had a hemoglobin of >10 g/dL before surgery, and 6.6% (n = 7) had levels <10 g/dL. 1 of 7 patients with a hemoglobin of <10 g/dL experienced a postoperative complication (Tet spell) and one patient with a hemoglobin of >10 g/dL experienced a postoperative complication (unplanned intensive care admission for respiratory distress).

Conclusions

Post-operative complications are rare after primary cheiloplasty in patients with low or normal hemoglobin levels. The results of this study show that a preoperative hemoglobin of <10 g/dL does not predict perioperative complications in patients undergoing primary cheiloplasty.
The Effect of Albumin Replacement on Vasopressor Duration in Septic Shock in Patients With Hypoalbuminemia
Authors: Counts Jacob P. , Arnold Joshua , Atyia Sara , Ogake Stella , Smith Rachel M. , Doepker Bruce
Published: March 2024

Background:

The use of albumin resuscitation in septic shock is only recommended in patients who have received large volumes of crystalloid resuscitation regardless of serum albumin concentration. The role of albumin is still largely debated and evidence to support its use still lacking.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether albumin replacement increases the number of vasopressor-free days in patients with septic shock and hypoalbuminemia.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was conducted to assess the effect of albumin replacement in septic shock. Hypoalbuminemic patients with septic shock who received albumin were retrospectively compared with a cohort who did not. The primary outcome was number of vasopressor-free days at day 14 from shock presentation, which was analyzed using an adjusted linear regression model to adjust for confounders.

Results:

There was no difference in vasopressor-free days at day 14 in patients who received albumin versus those who did not, after adjusting for confounders of exposure (0.50, 95% CI = −0.97 to 1.97; P = 0.502). There also was no difference in secondary outcomes except for need for invasive mechanical ventilation (MV), which was significantly lower in patients who received albumin (61 [54.4%] vs 88 [67.7%]; P = 0.035).

Conclusions and Relevance:

We observed no difference in vasopressor-free days at day 14 in patients with hypoalbuminemia who received albumin compared with those who did not. However, patients who received albumin required significantly less MV although further studies are warranted to assess this effect.
Research on modified lumped parameter method in torsional vibration analysis of reciprocating compressor shaft
Authors: Ye Junchao , Yu Xiaoling , Zhang Xingyue , Lv Qian , Wang Xiaolin
Published: March 2024

Abnormal vibrations often occur during the operation of reciprocating compressors under different load conditions. To efficiently and accurately calculate the torsional vibration response of the shafting under various working conditions, a modified lumped parameter method (MLPM) based on finite element mode modification is proposed. MLPM is derived from the lumped parameter method (LPM) and incorporates corrections to the stiffness matrix based on the multi-degree-of-freedom modal calculation using a finite element model. This allows MLPM to combine the high accuracy of finite element method (FEM) with the fast computing speed of LPM. To demonstrate the effectiveness of MLPM, an abnormal vibration compressor equipped with a stepless capacity control system is considered. MLPM is utilized to calculate the torsional natural frequency (TNF) and torsional torque response of the compressor’s shafting. The computed 1st-order TNF error between MLPM and FEM is only 0.20%. In the time domain, the torque response error of MLPM is less than 3.07%, while in the frequency domain, it is less than 0.57%. Moreover, MLPM exhibits a significantly increased calculation speed of more than 95% compared to FEM. By comparing MLPM results with torsional vibration test data, the 1st-order TNF error is found to be less than 0.50%, and the frequency-domain torque response error is no more than 8.91%. Furthermore, MLPM is effectively applied to solve the abnormal vibration problem of the compressor. It proposes a modification plan for the shafting, which successfully avoids torsional resonance and reduces the peak value of the torque response by 54.77%. These results demonstrate that MLPM is highly suitable for practical engineering applications due to its combination of high accuracy and fast computing speed.
Encapsulation and drying methods in the production of powdered red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.): Chemometrics and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Baltacıoğlu Cem , Keskin Oktay , Baltacıoğlu Hande , Ağçam Erdal
Published: March 2024

In this study, powder colorant was obtained from red cabbage ( Brassica oleracea L.). The stability of the colorants obtained by spray and freeze drying was investigated in terms of antioxidant capacity and anthocyanin content. The yield of the products increased with the encapsulation for both drying methods and encapsulation application. Drying method and encapsulation application had a significant effect on most of the physical properties of powders except for flowability and adhesiveness values. An increase in L*, a*, and C values was observed with the encapsulation process. Antioxidant activity of the samples increased with the encapsulation process by 13.44% in the spray-dried samples, while it increased by 9.75% in the freeze-dried samples. Total monomeric anthocyanin content was detected as 9039.21 mg/kg for encapsulated freeze-dried samples and 7811 mg/kg for encapsulated spray-dried ones. Nine anthocyanins were detected in the samples by using high-performance liquid chromatography. To discriminate samples according to drying methods with/without encapsulation principal component analysis (PCA) was used based on the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) data. Four groups were observed for the PCA. The chemometric evaluation was done to predict the antioxidant capacity, anthocyanin content, and individual anthocyanins using FTIR spectra. High correlations were observed between the calculated and reference values for partial least square regression analysis.
Kano Model Categorization Methods: Typology and Systematic Critical Overview for Hospitality and Tourism Academics and Practitioners
Authors: Slevitch Lisa
Published: March 2024

The Kano model has been widely applied in multiple disciplines, particularly in product or service development and optimization. Although the original categorization framework remains the most applied, modifications and new approaches have recently been developed. Yet, most of the hospitality and tourism studies continue to use the original Kano method when newer and superior methods are available. The new categorization methods also have flaws, which academics and practitioners should be aware of. The present study uses a systematic literature review approach to provide a comprehensive synthesis and critical analysis of the existing Kano model categorization methods structuring them in groups based on categorization procedures and pointing to the strengths, weaknesses, and fit of each method. The manuscript aims to provide the most current systematic roadmap and “how-to” of the existing methods. It also points to the existing knowledge gaps and directions for future research.
Hyphema and vitreous hemorrhage after micropulse cyclophotocoagulation a case report
Authors: Shah Megh K , Syal Sapna , Desai Rajen U , Khouri Albert S
Published: March 2024

Introduction

We present two cases of vitreous hemorrhage after micropulse cyclophotocoagulation one of which had concurrent hyphema. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first cases of vitreous hemorrhage due to micropulse CPC in the United States.

Case description

The first case is an 82-year-old woman with bilateral severe primary open angle glaucoma. BCVA in the right eye was 20/25, and 10-2 Humphrey visual field showed severe peripheral defects. The patient underwent MPCPC of the right eye and at one week, a settled 2 mm hyphema and vitreous hemorrhage confirmed by B-scan were noted. At three months, the patient had a BCVA of 20/80 with an IOP of 12 and retina consultation deferred a PPV. The second case is of a patient with bilateral moderate stage POAG who underwent MPCPC in both eyes. His original VA was 20/200 bilaterally. At 2 weeks, RE VA was count fingers at one foot and LE was 20/150-1. At two months, a RE B scan revealed dense vitreous opacities. Retina consultation revealed vitreous hemorrhage but a PPV was deferred.

Conclusion

Clinicians should be aware of the risks of bleeding and the potential need for additional surgical interventions after MPCPC.
Perceived autonomy during childbirth predicts mothers’ parental self-efficacy: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Brand Rebecca J , Gartland Casey A , Koo Grace , McMahon Jennifer E , Hicks Jordan M , Al-Khayyat Ranya , Jaatinen Martina M
Published: March 2024

Experience during childbirth is an important predictor of mothers’ later well-being. Using the framework of Self-Determination Theory and, we hypothesized that the degree to which women felt autonomy over their choices during childbirth would be reflected in their later confidence as parents, termed Parental Self-Efficacy (PSE). We assessed PSE as well as depressive symptoms before birth (T1, approximately 36 weeks pregnant) and after birth (T2, approximately 5 weeks postpartum). Perceptions of autonomy during childbirth were measured at T2 using the Perceived Control in Childbirth scale. Using hierarchical linear regression, we found that mothers’ perceived autonomy during childbirth predicted their postpartum PSE, controlling for prenatal PSE, pre- and postnatal depression, number of childbirth interventions, and overall birth satisfaction. These data suggest that care providers’ support for women’s autonomy in childbirth impacts how women feel about themselves as mothers in the postpartum months.
The propensity to control: Non-sexual violence as probative of sexual offending in the intimate partner context
Authors: Armstrong Caccia , High Anna
Published: March 2024

This article explores, with reference to four recent New Zealand appellate court decisions, the use of evidence of prior non-sexual offending by a defendant against the same complainant offered to prove sexual offence charges. Such ‘relationship propensity evidence’ can be particularly crucial for explaining the defendant–complainant dynamic in cases involving intimate partner violence. However, in some cases, courts have applied traditional common law ‘similar fact’ notions of linkage and coincidence to exclude evidence of non-sexual offending in relation to sexual charges. We argue that this is an unsatisfactory outcome that is largely resultant from the governing provision being designed to assess similar fact reasoning. Rather, we submit that in the context of intimate partner violence, seemingly discrete and unrelated forms of violence should be understood as potentially linked by the underpinning dynamic of coercive control. This shift in characterisation of varying forms of violence—from discrete and dissimilar to connected by a dynamic of coercive control—will result in a more flexible approach to the cross-admissibility of relationship propensity evidence in appropriate cases, including when it comes to offering evidence of physical violence as probative of sexual offending.
Towards a natural semiotics for centralising ‘out of this world’ images in research with children
Authors: Thomas Donna M
Published: March 2024

This article discusses using concepts from various fields across general semiotics, to centralise children's abstract images in research. The aim is to move towards a natural semiotics – which accommodates the primordial, natural and universal dimensions of experience – that children connote through their ‘out of this world’ images. Natural semiotics is a term used to interrogate typical socio-cultural orientations towards meanings generated through signs. It is an approach to the co-interpretation of children's abstract images that appeals to emerging fields in semiotics and philosophical models which suggest the natural world as carrying intrinsic semantic value. Moving towards a natural semiotics carries potentials for co-interpreting children's ‘out of this world’ signs, in relation to situated and universal systems of meaning. When children cannot narrativise their experiences, symbols and other abstract imagery naturally emerge. A natural semiotics approach can be valuable for trying to figure out meanings behind children's creative, and at times, unknowable-yet-known data.
Robust and versatile assembly for emitter positioning, observation, and heating in atmospheric pressure field desorption mass spectrometry
Authors: Schweinfurth Jan , Linden H. Bernhard , Gross Jürgen H.
Published: March 2024

Atmospheric pressure field desorption (APFD) mass spectrometry (MS) has recently been introduced as a new variant of field desorption (FD) mass spectrometry. The development aimed at providing the basic characteristics of FD-MS in combination with instruments equipped with an atmospheric pressure (AP) interface. Hitherto, APFD has been demonstrated to yield both positive and negative even electron ions of highly polar or ionic compounds as well as to enable the generation of positive molecular ions, M+•, of polycyclic aromatic compounds. The prototype setup for APFD was based on a nano-electrospray ionization (nanoESI) source slightly modified to allow for emitter positioning in front of the AP interface of a Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. The entrance electrode of the interface was set to negative or positive high voltage with respect to the emitter at ground potential, thereby permitting the formation of positive or negative ions, respectively. This work describes a custom-built device for quicker and more reproducible sample loading on and positioning of field emitters at the entrance electrode of the atmospheric pressure interface of a mass spectrometer. In addition, the device provides means for observation of the emitter during operation and for resistive emitter heating as employed in traditional FD-MS. Emitter heating both speeds up the desorption of the analytes and allows for the desorption/ionization of analytes of higher molecular weight than without emitter heating. In some cases, the signal-to-noise ratio of APFD mass spectra is improved due to higher ion currents effected by compressing the entire process into shorter periods of spectral acquisition. The new setup enables robust and reliable operation in APFD-MS. Moreover, it has been designed as to allow for use on a range of instruments as it can either be used on an FT-ICR mass spectrometer or in combination with a trapped ion mobility-quadrupole-time-of-flight (TIMS-Q-TOF) instrument.
Drug-induced chylothorax as a rare pleural complication in dasatinib therapy for chronic myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Ng Isaac KS , Ruparel Mamta , Chan Esther HL , Khoo Kay Leong
Published: March 2024

Chylothorax is a lymphatic chylous pleural effusion typically associated with traumatic (iatrogenic, non-iatrogenic) and non-traumatic (infections, malignancy, lymphatic disorders) aetiologies. Drug-induced chylothorax is uncommon and mostly reported in association with BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.
A Review of 1228 In-Office Hand Surgery Procedures With Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) at a Single Private Practice
Authors: Coffman Jason R. , Dela Cruz Jeffrey A. , Stein Brandon A. , Bagg Mark R. , Person David W. , Desai Kunj K. , Srinivasan Ramesh C.
Published: March 2024

Background:

This study examined the complication rate of Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique in the clinic setting with field sterility at a single private practice. We hypothesized that WALANT is safe and effective with a low complication rate.

Methods:

This retrospective chart review included 1228 patients who underwent in-office WALANT hand procedures at a single private practice between 2015 and 2022. Patients were divided into groups based on type of procedure: carpal tunnel release, A1 pulley release, first dorsal compartment release, extensor tendon repair, mass excision, foreign body removal, and needle aponeurotomy. Patient demographics and complications were recorded; statistical comparisons of cohort demographics and risk factors for complications were completed, and P < .05 was considered significant for all statistical comparisons.

Results:

The overall complication rate for all procedures was 2.77% for 1228 patients including A1 pulley release (n = 962, 2.7%), mass excision (n = 137, 3.7%), extensor tendon repair (n = 23, 4.3%), and first dorsal compartment release (n = 22, 8.3%). Carpal tunnel release, foreign body removal, and needle aponeurotomy groups experienced no complications. No adverse events (e.g. vasovagal reactions, digital ischemia, local anesthetic toxicity, inadequate vasoconstriction) were observed in any group. Patients with known autoimmune disorders and those who were currently smoking had a statistically significant higher complication rate.

Conclusions:

Office-based WALANT procedures with field sterility are safe and effective for treating common hand maladies and have a similar complication profile when compared to historical controls from the standard operating room in an ambulatory center or hospital.