bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
All-Sky Microwave Radiances Assimilated with an Ensemble Kalman Filter
Authors: Bonavita Massimo , Geer Alan J. , Hamrud Mats
Published: May 2020

Recent success in assimilating cloud- and precipitation-affected satellite observations using the “all-sky” approach is thought to have benefitted from variational data assimilation, particularly its ability to handle moderate nonlinearity and non-Gaussianity and to extract wind information through the generalized tracer effect. Ensemble assimilation relies on assumptions including linearity and Gaussianity that might cause difficulties when using all-sky observations. Here, all-sky assimilation is evaluated in a global ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) system of near-operational quality, derived from an operational four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) system. To get EnKF working successfully required a new all-sky observation error model (the most successful approach was to inflate error as a multiple of the ensemble spread) and adjustments to localization. With these improvements, assimilation of eight microwave humidity instruments gave 2%–4% improvement in forecast scores whether using EnKF or 4D-Var. Correlations from the ensemble showed that all-sky observations generated sensitivity to wind, temperature, and humidity. EnKF increments shared many similarities with those in 4D-Var. Hence both 4D-Var and ensemble data assimilation were able to make good use of all-sky observations, including the extraction of wind information. In absolute terms the EnKF forecast performance in the troposphere was still worse than that that with 4D-Var, although the gap could be reduced by going from 50 to 100 ensemble members. EnKF errors were larger in the stratosphere, where there are excessive gravity wave increments that are not connected with all-sky assimilation.
A Long Short-Term Memory Model for Global Rapid Intensification Prediction
Authors: Yang Qidong , Lee Chia-Ying , Tippett Michael K.
Published: May 2020

Rapid intensification (RI) is an outstanding source of error in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity predictions. RI is generally defined as a 24-h increase in TC maximum sustained surface wind speed greater than some threshold, typically 25, 30, or 35 kt (1 kt ≈ 0.51 m s−1). Here, a long short-term memory (LSTM) model for probabilistic RI predictions is developed and evaluated. The variables (features) of the model include storm characteristics (e.g., storm intensity) and environmental variables (e.g., vertical shear) over the previous 48 h. A basin-aware RI prediction model is trained (1981–2009), validated (2010–13), and tested (2014–17) on global data. Models are trained on overlapping 48-h data, which allows multiple training examples for each storm. A challenge is that the data are highly unbalanced in the sense that there are many more non-RI cases than RI cases. To cope with this data imbalance, the synthetic minority-oversampling technique (SMOTE) is used to balance the training data by generating artificial RI cases. Model ensembling is also applied to improve prediction skill further. The model’s Brier skill scores in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific are higher than those of operational predictions for RI thresholds of 25 and 30 kt and comparable for 35 kt on the independent test data. Composites of the features associated with RI and non-RI situations provide physical insights for how the model discriminates between RI and non-RI cases. Prediction case studies are presented for some recent storms.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the renin-angiotensin system: A closer look at angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)
Authors: Zemlin Annalise E , Wiese Owen J
Published: May 2020

Since the first cases of atypical pneumonia linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China, were described in late December 2019, the global landscape has changed radically. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and at the time of writing this review, just over three million individuals have been infected with more than 200,000 deaths globally. Numerous countries are in ‘lockdown’, social distancing is the new norm, even the most advanced healthcare systems are under pressure, and a global economic recession seems inevitable. A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as the aetiological agent. From experience with previous coronavirus epidemics, namely the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2004 and 2012 respectively, it was postulated that the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor is a possible port of cell entry. ACE2 is part of the renin-angiotensin system and is also associated with lung and cardiovascular disorders and inflammation. Recent studies have confirmed that ACE2 is the port of entry for SARS-CoV-2. Male sex, advanced age and a number of associated comorbidities have been identified as risk factors for infection with COVID-19. Many high-risk COVID-19 patients with comorbidities are on ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, and this has sparked debate about whether to continue these treatment regimes. Attention has also shifted to ACE2 being a target for future therapies or vaccines against COVID-19. In this review, we discuss COVID-19 and its complex relationship with ACE2.
Exploring Older Adults’ Experiences and Perceptions with a Peer-Led Wheelchair Training Program
Authors: Pellichero Alice , Best Krista L. , Routhier François , Miller William C.
Published: May 2020

Background.

Manual wheelchair (MWC) training is important, but less than 50% of new wheelchair users receive any training. The Wheelchair training Self-efficacy Enhanced for Use (WheelSeeU), a community-based peer-led MWC training program, is feasible and effective for improving wheelchair skills. However, implementing effective programs requires an understanding of stakeholders’ experiences.

Purpose.

Explore older adults’ perceptions about their participation in the WheelSeeU program.

Method.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with participants who completed the WheelSeeU program. Thematic analysis was conducted.

Findings.

Three themes emerged. 1. Getting my life back described participants’ perceived impact of the WheelSeeU program on their lives. 2. I can do it too, implied critical facilitators for success. 3. Social gains, revealed participants’ feelings of social inclusion through participation in the program.

Implications.

Older adults expressed satisfaction and quality of participation with the WheelSeeU program that increased autonomy, improved MWC mobility and self-efficacy, and enhanced social connectedness.
Multidimensional perspective of the poverty and dynamics of middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Ke-Mei , Leu Chao-Hsien
Published: May 2020

The purpose of this study is to assess the dynamics of multidimensional poverty and inequality among middle-aged and older adults. The findings demonstrate that most people may experience multidimensional poverty in old age. Social participation plays a crucial role in contributing to overall poverty. The most prominent factor of inequality among those in poverty is sex, and the greatest disparity in the multidimensional poverty across subgroups is education. This study offers empirical evidence on the old age poverty profile from a multidimensional perspective and helps to target disadvantaged groups and regions.
Transcending the Profession: Psychiatric Patients’ Experiences of Trust in Clinicians
Authors: Vale Mira D. , Good Mary-Jo DelVecchio
Published: May 2020

Classical medical sociological theory argues patients trust doctors in part because they are professionals. Yet in the past half-century, medicine has seen a crisis of trust as well as fundamental changes to the nature of professionalism. To probe the relationship between professionalism and trust today, we analyzed interviews with 50 psychiatric patients receiving care in diverse clinical settings. We found patients experience trust when they perceive clinicians transcending the formal bounds of professionalism. Patients find clinicians to be trustworthy when clinicians pursue connections to their patients beyond organizational strictures, cross boundaries of professional jurisdiction to provide holistic care, and embrace the limits of their professional knowledge. This dynamic of trust in professionals who transcend the profession highlights novel dimensions of contemporary professionalism, and it makes sense of a seeming contradiction in which patients have high trust in individual clinicians but low trust in institutions.
Making disorder more manageable: The short-term effectiveness of local mediation in Darfur
Authors: Duursma Allard
Published: May 2020

Much of the quantitative conflict resolution literature focuses on mediation between states or on efforts to end a civil war through a comprehensive peace agreement that brings peace to the entire country. This article instead analyses the effectiveness of mediation between a wide range of armed actors on a subnational level. Utilizing unique data on Darfur covering the January 2008–August 2009 period, this article finds that mediation efforts following armed clashes in a given area significantly prolong local lulls in fighting in this area. This finding remains robust when controlling for the presence of a peacekeeping base, battle-deaths and the type of armed actors engaged in armed clashes. In addition, the finding remains robust when accounting for the non-random assignment of mediation efforts through matching similar observations in the dataset. Finally, anecdotal evidence from sites of armed conflict beyond Darfur suggest that the findings from this study might also hold in other armed conflicts.
Possible Effects of Social Media Use on Adolescent Health Behaviors and Perceptions
Authors: Buda Greta , Lukoševičiūtė Justė , Šalčiūnaitė Laura , Šmigelskas Kastytis
Published: May 2020

Social media use is one of the most popular leisure activities among adolescents. Concomitant to this is a growing concern regarding problematic social media use and its relationship with health behaviors. To further increase the body of research into this phenomenon, our study explored the relationship between problematic social media use and physical activity levels, sleep peculiarities, and life satisfaction in Lithuanian children and adolescents. The study was conducted in April to June 2018 during the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey in Lithuania, a collaborative project of the World Health Organization. The sample comprised 4,191 school children (mean age 13.9 ± 1.69 years). The findings show that problematic social media use associates with about two times higher odds for worse sleep quality and lower life satisfaction. Problematic social media use was related to lower levels of vigorous physical activity in girls, but the possible effect on moderate physical activity was in boys and was inverse—boys with problematic social media use reported higher levels of moderate physical activity. Overall, in our study, girls with problematic social media use tended to have more negative health perceptions than boys. The results suggest that problematic social media use is an independent risk factor for negative health behaviors. This study adds to the accumulating knowledge that problematic social media use among adolescents may lead to worse health perceptions and, likely, further negative health outcomes.
Proximal Social Determinants of Adolescents’ Health: The Importance of Everyday Life Circumstances
Authors: Wang Kaipeng , Zhang Anao , Zheng Haotian , Kim Yeonwoo , Padilla Yolanda
Published: May 2020

Adolescent health has a significant influence as individuals transition to adulthood and can have lifelong effects on well-being. In addition to well-established structural determinants of health such as racism and poverty, proximal determinants of adolescent health illuminate on the health effects of the daily circumstances of adolescents. Guided by the proximal determinants of adolescent health theory, we examined the association between adolescents’ self-rated health and multiple domains of proximal determinants, including family relations, peer relationships, school environment, and neighborhood environment. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we analyzed 3,444 adolescents who were 14 to 15 years old. Results of ordered logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between proximal determinants and adolescents’ self-rated health even when taking into account all the domains simultaneously. This study highlights the importance of unraveling factors of multiple systems on adolescents’ health and suggests implications for their subsequent transition to adulthood.
Predictive Validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form Scale Scores in an Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Program
Authors: Whitman Megan R. , Burchett Danielle L. , Tarescavage Anthony M. , Ben-Porath Yossef S. , Sellbom Martin
Published: May 2020

Intimate partner violence intervention programs (IPVIPs) are intended to rehabilitate individuals charged with intimate partner violence (IPV) offenses, but these programs evidence high rates of treatment dismissal and recidivism. Applying the risk-needs-responsivity framework to improve IPVIP effectiveness has been suggested, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) may be used to inform risk estimates in this context. Past research has evaluated MMPI-2-RF Restructured Clinical scale scores in an IPVIP setting, but the remaining MMPI-2-RF substantive scales have yet to be evaluated. We tested the predictive validity of conceptually relevant MMPI-2-RF Higher-Order, Specific Problems, and Personality Psychopathology Five scale scores among a large sample of men who were court-mandated to treatment. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that several MMPI-2-RF scores incremented predictions of treatment dismissal and various recidivism variables beyond intake variables. Relative risk ratio analyses demonstrated promising utility of the measure in IPVIP settings.
Fracturing curve and its corresponding gas productivity of coalbed methane wells in the Zhengzhuang block, southern Qinshui Basin, North China
Authors: Chen Yang , Liu Dameng , Cai Yidong , Yao Jingjie
Published: May 2020

Hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in low permeability coalbed methane reservoirs to enhance gas production. To better evaluate the hydraulic fracturing curve and its effect on gas productivity, geological and engineering data of 265 development coalbed methane wells and 14 appraisal coalbed methane wells in the Zhengzhuang block were investigated. Based on the regional geologic research and statistical analysis, the microseismic monitoring results, in-situ stress parameters, and gas productivity were synthetically evaluated. The results show that hydraulic fracturing curves can be divided into four types (descending type, stable type, wavy type, and ascending type) according to the fracturing pressure and fracture morphology, and the distributions of different type curves have direct relationship with geological structure. The vertical in-situ stress is greater than the closure stress in the Zhengzhuang block, but there is anomaly in the aggregation areas of the wavy and ascending fracturing curves, which is the main reason for the development of multi-directional propagated fractures. The fracture azimuth is consistent with the regional maximum principle in-situ stress direction (NE–NEE direction). Furthermore, the 265 fracturing curves indicate that the coalbed methane wells owned descending, and stable-type fracturing curves possibly have better fracturing effect considering the propagation pressure gradient (FP) and instantaneous shut-in pressure (PISI). Two fracturing-productivity patterns are summarized according to 61 continuous production wells with different fracturing type and their plane distribution, which indicates that the fracturing effect of different fracturing curve follows the pattern: descending type > stable type > wavy type > ascending type.
Regional organizations and the politics of sanctions against undemocratic behaviour in the Americas
Authors: Palestini Stefano
Published: May 2020

Under which conditions do regional organizations in the Americas impose sanctions on member states that violate democracy? To address this question, the article combines a qualitative comparative analysis applied to 55 presumed threats to democracy brought to the attention of regional organizations (ROs), and a process tracing analysis of two cases of the imposition of sanctions. The analysis reveals that ROs impose sanctions despite lack of support or even obstruction by the US, when the threats are committed against the incumbent in relatively weak member states. The unique case in which an RO suspended a relatively powerful state because of threats by the incumbent required the convergence of interests between ROs’ most powerful member states, and the support of the US. The article demonstrates that under specific conditions, ROs in the Americas can become relatively autonomous enforcers of democracy-protection norms.
Bolus Detection in the Proximal Esophagus Using Pulse‐Echo Ultrasound: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Wilcox Andrew , Jackson Daniel , Jones Joshua , Thomas Samuel
Published: May 2020

Here, the feasibility of using nonimaging pulse‐echo ultrasound as a method of noninvasively detecting a bolus in the proximal esophagus was demonstrated. To accomplish this, patient swallows were recorded on a clinical ultrasound device with research interface that allowed for collection of the pulse‐echo data. These ultrasound data of the proximal esophagus were processed with a series of signal processing techniques in both the temporal and spectral domains, which revealed characteristic signatures that were unique for both liquid and food boluses compared to the normal collapsed esophageal state. Since substantial amounts of laryngopharyngeal reflux are gaseous in nature, future work will revolve around expanding the data set to include boluses of gaseous refluxate, a standardized methodology for capturing bolus events; developing automated detection tools for identifying laryngopharyngeal reflux for an extended duration; and assessing technology limitations due to user error.
Palatine Tonsilloliths and Actinomyces: A Multi‐institutional Study of Adult Patients Undergoing Tonsillectomy
Authors: Arvisais‐Anhalt Simone , Quinn Andrew , Bishop Justin A. , Wang Cynthia S. , Mitchell Ron B. , Johnson Romaine F. , Schultz Barbara , Day Andrew T.
Published: May 2020

Objective

To better characterize associations between Actinomyces and tonsillolith versus nontonsillolith tonsillectomy specimens.

Study Design

Bi‐institutional retrospective case‐case study.

Setting

University and county hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Adult patients with a clinical history of tonsilloliths who underwent tonsillectomy from January 2006 to December 2018 were included. Patients undergoing tonsillectomy for tonsillar hypertrophy and chronic tonsillitis were identified as comparative cases. Similarly, patients with ipsilateral oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) who underwent contralateral tonsillectomy of a normal‐appearing tonsil for prophylaxis against a second primary cancer were also included as comparative cases.

Results

The study population comprised 134 patients who underwent tonsillectomy: 62 tonsillolith and 72 nontonsillolith (tonsillar hypertrophy, n = 30; chronic tonsillitis, n = 30; normal‐appearing contralateral tonsil in patients with ipsilateral OPC, n = 12). Actinomyces was reported in 11% of the patients with tonsilloliths on initial pathology reports but in 95% after re‐evaluation (n = 54 of 57). Actinomyces prevalence was significantly higher in patients with tonsilloliths as compared with patients with recurrent tonsillitis (73%, n = 22 of 30, P <. 001) and normal‐appearing contralateral tonsils in patients with ipsilateral OPC (58%, n = 7 of 12, P <. 001). Actinomyces prevalence was not significantly different between patients with tonsilloliths and tonsillar hypertrophy (83%, n = 25 of 30, P =. 11).

Conclusion

The prevalence of Actinomyces in tonsillolith tonsil specimens is high; however, Actinomyces routinely colonizes nontonsillolith tonsil specimens. Therefore, Actinomyces is unlikely to be the primary driver of tonsillolith pathogenesis, and Actinomyces‐targeted treatment of tonsilloliths may not be effective. Treatment strategies addressing tonsilloliths should be further investigated.
Book review: Rohan Deb Roy, Malarial Subjects: Empire, Medicine and Nonhumans in British India, 1820–1909
Authors: Berger Rachel
Published: May 2020

Rohan Deb Roy, Malarial Subjects: Empire, Medicine and Nonhumans in British India, 1820–1909, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2017, xv + 332 pp., 32.99 USD (paperback).
Book review: Varuni Bhatia, Unforgetting Chaitanya: Vaishnavism and Cultures of Devotion in Colonial Bengal
Authors: Sarbadhikary Sukanya
Published: May 2020

Varuni Bhatia, Unforgetting Chaitanya: Vaishnavism and Cultures of Devotion in Colonial Bengal, Oxford University Press, New York, 2017, xiii +291 pp., $105 (Hardback).
Contained and abandoned in the “humane” border: Black migrants’ immobility and survival in Moroccan urban space
Authors: Gross-Wyrtzen Leslie
Published: May 2020

This article examines the effects of Morocco’s new, “humane” migration policy that claimed to center human rights and integration over securitized border enforcement. Drawing on ethnographic research, this paper demonstrates how the new migration policy expanded rather than dismantled the border regime, respatializing it from the edges of Moroccan territory into cities in the interior. Border respatialization was accomplished through abandonment, theorized not as an absence of government but a technique of governance that targets the racialized poor. Focusing on the experiences of migrants living in two urban spaces—an informal migrant settlement and a working-class neighborhood—this paper illustrates how abandonment limits black migrants’ ability to move and transgress the border, and how these effects have site-specific, as well as racial and gendered dimensions. This analysis underscores how humanitarian migration policy may have changed the modality of border violence, but not its substance.
Evaluation of toxicity of gadolinium-based contrast agents on neuronal cells
Authors: Erdoğan Mümin Alper , Apaydin Melda , Armagan Güliz , Taskiran Dilek
Published: May 2020

Background

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are widely used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Recently, increased signal intensity has been reported in specific brain areas after repeated administrations of GBCAs.

Purpose

To investigate the toxic effects of GBCAs on neuronal cells by using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell cultures.

Material and Methods

For toxicity assays, SH-SY5Y cells were incubated with different doses (0–1000 µM) of several macrocyclic (gadoterate meglumine and gadobutrol) and linear GBCAs (gadoversetamide, gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadodiamide, and gadoxetate disodium) for 48 h. Cell viability and proliferation capacity were evaluated by using MTS assay, LDH assay, and colony-forming assay. In addition, Western blotting of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins and nuclear Hoechst 33258 staining were performed to evaluate apoptotic cell death. The results were expressed as mean ± SEM. The data were analyzed using Student’s t-test. A P value < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

Results

Both macrocyclic and linear GBCAs significantly and dose-dependently reduced cell viability in neuronal cells compared to control. Cell viability was measured between 89.5% ± 4% and 61% ± 0.7% in GBCA-treated groups. In addition, neurotoxicity was more prominent in linear GBCA-treated cultures ( P < 0.0005). Bax protein levels were increased in GBCA-treated cells particularly with linear agents whereas Bcl-2 expression was decreased concomitantly.

Conclusion

The results of the present study indicated that exposure to specific GBCAs, even at low micro-molar concentrations, may have detrimental effects on neuronal survival. Further investigations are required to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying GBCA-induced cell death.
Clinical efficacy of Baihe Gujin decoction combined with anti-tuberculosis therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis with Yin-deficiency and Fire-hyperactivity syndrome
Authors: Ge Hai-Bo , Zhu Jia
Published: May 2020

Objective

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Baihe Gujin decoction combined with anti-tuberculosis therapy in mitigating the symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis and to measure the effect on the CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cell (Treg) ratio.

Methods

This randomized study enrolled patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and randomly assigned them to one of two treatment groups: an anti-tuberculosis treatment group and a combined treatment group. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed before and 2 weeks after treatment. The ratio of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells and the levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6 and IL-12 in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured. Symptoms were recorded before and after treatment.

Results

A total of 100 patients were enrolled and assigned to the anti-tuberculosis ( n = 58) and combined treatment groups ( n = 42). In the combined treatment group, Leicester Cough Questionnaire score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CD4+ CD25+ Treg cell ratio in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, cytokine levels, chest pain score and sleep disorder score were significantly decreased compared with the anti-tuberculosis treatment group after treatment. The leukocyte count, haemoglobin level, platelet and alanine aminotransferase levels did not differ significantly between the two groups after treatment. The creatinine level in the combined treatment group was significantly lower than that in the anti-tuberculosis treatment group.

Conclusion

Baihe Gujin decoction combined with anti-tuberculosis treatment can effectively alleviate the symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis, enhance the host immune function and protect renal function.
Usefulness of non-invasive cardiac output monitoring in elderly patients undergoing monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate: a pilot study
Authors: Kil Hae Keum , Park In Kyeong , Song Min Sup , Park Jin Ha
Published: May 2020

Objective

To assess the impact of irrigating fluid on hemodynamic profiles using real-time non-invasive cardiac output monitoring (NICOM) in elderly patients undergoing monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

Methods

Twenty patients between 65 and 80 years of age who were scheduled for monopolar TURP and received spinal anesthesia up to T10 were enrolled. Irrigating fluid (2.7% sorbitol with 0.5% mannitol solution) was used. Hemodynamic profiles including cardiac index, and stroke volume variation (SVV) using NICOM were obtained. Estimated irrigating fluid absorption was indirectly calculated.

Results

The median amount of irrigating fluid used was 6000 mL. The median SVV was 11%, which increased to 12% at 10 minutes after initiating surgery. No significant changes in the cardiac index were observed. The estimated absorption of irrigating fluid was almost zero.

Conclusions

Although the estimated amount of irrigating fluid that was absorbed was negligible, the increase in SVV may indicate intravascular volume depletion with diuresis resulting from mannitol in the irrigating fluid early during irrigation. Therefore, even during short irrigating times, intensive hemodynamic monitoring should be performed to monitor the possibility of intravascular volume depletion as well as volume overload, especially immediately after large amounts of irrigating fluid are used.
Elevated PCT at ICU discharge predicts poor prognosis in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Yu-rong , Zheng Qing-bin , Wei Guang-fa , Meng Li-jun , Feng Qing-ling , Yuan Wen-jie , Ou Jin-lei , Liu Wei-li , Li Yong
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Disease severity and inflammatory response status are closely related to a poor prognosis and must be assessed in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) before intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. Whether elevated serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels can predict a poor prognosis in STBI patients before ICU discharge is unclear.

Methods

This retrospective observational cohort study enrolled 199 STBI patients who were in the ICU for at least 48 hours and survived after discharge. Based on serum PCT levels at discharge, patients were divided into the high-PCT group (PCT ≥ 0.25 ng/mL) and the low-PCT group (PCT < 0.25 ng/mL). We assessed the relationship between serum PCT levels and a poor prognosis.

Results

The high-PCT group had a higher rate of adverse outcomes compared with the low-PCT group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and PCT level at discharge were significantly associated with adverse outcomes.

Conclusions

Elevated PCT levels at ICU discharge were associated with a poor prognosis in STBI patients. The serum PCT level as a single indicator has limited value for clinical decision-making.
Canine Respiratory Coronavirus: A Naturally Occurring Model of COVID-19?
Authors: Priestnall Simon L.
Published: May 2020

Discovered in 2003 at the Royal Veterinary College, London, canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) is a betacoronavirus of dogs and major cause of canine infectious respiratory disease complex. Generally causing mild clinical signs of persistent cough and nasal discharge, the virus is highly infectious and is most prevalent in rehoming shelters worldwide where dogs are often closely housed and infections endemic. As the world grapples with the current COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community is searching for a greater understanding of a novel virus infecting humans. Similar to other betacoronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 appears to have crossed the species barrier, most likely from bats, clearly reinforcing the One Health concept. Veterinary pathologists are familiar with coronavirus infections in animals, and now more than ever this knowledge and understanding, based on many years of veterinary research, could provide valuable answers for our medical colleagues. Here I review the early research on CRCoV where seroprevalence, early immune response, and pathogenesis are some of the same key questions being asked by scientists globally during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Crashworthiness of polystyrene foam and cardboard panels reinforced with carbon fiber reinforced polymer and glass fiber reinforced polymer composite rods
Authors: Fortin Gabriel Y , Elbadry Elsayed A , Yokoyama Atsushi
Published: May 2020

This article presents an experimental study on the quasi-static crushing performance of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) rods consisting of unidirectional carbon fibers wrapped by braided glass fibers. Rods with and without a taper are tested and then inserted in extruded and expanded polystyrene foam and cardboard panels. Hybrid columnar aluminum tube–CFRP rod structures are also tested in all panel materials. These results are compared to those based on glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rods, GFRP rods in polystyrene foams, and to GFRP rods in cardboard from a previous study. Tapered CFRP rods exhibit progressive crushing behavior with specific energy absorption superior to GFRP rods, with values of 82 kJ/kg and 65 kJ/kg, respectively. Moreover, the highest specific energy absorption (111 kJ/kg) is obtained in hybrid columnar aluminum tube–CFRP tapered rods, exceeding values of aluminum tubes (89 kJ/kg) and equivalent structures containing GFRP rods (102 kJ/kg). Within panels, cardboard produces the largest increase in mean load of CFRP and GFRP rods due to most constraining fiber splaying during crushing, followed by extruded foam, and lastly expanded foam. However, crushing displacement is most restricted in cardboard due to earlier final compaction. The smallest variations in crushing load occur in extruded polystyrene due to greater homogeneity throughout the foam structure.
Effects of sulfonated carbon on the catalytic carbonization and smoke suppression of sawdust board
Authors: Wu Yuanbo , Tang Liandong , Yuan Liping , Hu Yunchu , Wang Hao , Yuan Guangming
Published: May 2020

In this study, sulfonated carbon was obtained by sulfonating pine carbon with fuming sulfuric acid. Characterized by elemental analyzer, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, it showed that –SO3H was successfully bonded onto the pine carbon’ skeleton in the sulfonation reaction. The effects of pine carbon and sulfonated carbon on the catalytic carbonization and smoke suppression of sawdust boards, and its flame-retardant mechanism were investigated by cone calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. And the results demonstrated that sawdust boards containing sulfonated carbon showed superior performance, determined by comparing the peak heat release rate, total heat release, smoke release rate, and total smoke product. Furthermore, with the addition of sulfonated carbon, a carbon layer was formed with a strong oxygen-containing hybrid structure and carbohydrate structure, the pyrolysis of sawdust boards was inhibited, and its char yield was increased.
Cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane colloid as novel contrast agent for gastrointestinal magnetic resonance imaging: Transient nuclear Overhauser effect within the interface
Authors: Su Fu-Hu , Xiao Wang-Chuan , Lin Sheann-Huei , Li Qiyong
Published: May 2020

With good contrast in T1 and T2 weighted imaging as well as low toxicity in 3- (4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, this work proposes the cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane colloids as a novel non-ionic contrast agent for gastrointestinal magnetic resonance imaging. The experiments of nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and relaxation show that within the interface of the colloids, there are nuclear Overhauser effect and transient nuclear Overhauser effect (cross-relaxation). Regarding the longitudinal relaxation experiments of CH2CH2O segments of Tween 80, a two spins system is found and modeled well by the equation [Formula: see text] which is deduced based on the transient nuclear Overhauser effect proposed by Solomon. The arbitrary constant X is additionally added with the initial conditions ( Iz −  I0) t=0 = −2 XS0 and ( Sz −  S0) t=0 = −2 S0. For the two spins system, D1 and T1 are corresponding to longitudinal relaxation times of the bound water and the CH2CH2O respectively. Concerning the transverse relaxation experiments of the CH2CH2O, they agree with the equation with three exponential decays, defined by three relaxation times, likely corresponding to three mechanisms. These mechanisms possibly are intramolecular and intermolecular dipole–dipole (DD) interactions and scalar coupling. Within the interface, hydrogen bonding causes the positive nuclear Overhauser effect of the CH2CH2O’s nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, the transient nuclear Overhauser effect of the CH2CH2O’s longitudinal relaxation experiments and the intermolecular dipole–dipole interactions of the CH2CH2O’s transverse relaxation experiments.
Social Network Sites and Knowledge Transfer: An Urban Perspective
Authors: Tranos Emmanouil
Published: May 2020

This article surveys the literature to explore whether and how internet technologies and applications such as social network sites (SNS) support social interactions and, through them, knowledge transfers at different spatial scales and settings. By employing concepts from economic geography and combining them with ideas and empirics from urban sociology, business, and media studies, this article informs urban thinking about the underpinning mechanisms behind SNS-mediated vis-à-vis face-to-face knowledge-related interactions and how they mirror but also challenge established spatial patterns of knowledge spillovers.
A new flexible laser beam profiler for the inspection of train wheels
Authors: Torabi M , Mousavi G SM , Younesian D
Published: May 2020

In this paper, a flexible laser beam profiler is proposed to easily measure the profile of a train wheel for railway inspection. It only requires two laser beams (together and in parallel) to obtain two three-dimensional point-clouds based on the laser triangulation principle. Either the laser beam profiler or the wheel can be freely moved. The motion need not be known. The wheel profile will be obtained in two steps. First, the wheel axis position and orientation are obtained by minimizing the distance between one of the point-clouds and the other translated point-cloud, and translation is defined as a rotation of any point on the point-cloud around the wheel axis until it lies on the other point-cloud's laser plane. In the second step, the wheel profile is extracted by selecting one of the point-clouds and rotating it about the wheel axis and by finding the intersection of rotating points and a perpendicular plane, the perpendicular plane is defined as any arbitrary plane which passes through the wheel axis. This method is useful particularly for obtaining geometrical parameters of a wheel such as flange height, flange slope and flange thickness. In order to commission the proposed method, a prototype system was designed and manufactured. The performance of the system, evaluated in different circumstances, shows a measurement error of up to 2%. Compared with classical methods utilizing a caliper or those which use expensive equipment or additional parts such as reference guides, the proposed method is easy to use and flexible. Also, a novel calibration method is utilized to calibrate the system accurately and freely.
The Legacy of Peggy Hiscock: European Women’s Contribution to the Growth of Christianity in Zambia
Authors: Kangwa Jonathan
Published: May 2020

The history of Christianity in Africa contains selected information reflecting patriarchal preoccupations. Historians have often downplayed the contributions of significant women, both European and indigenous African. The names of some significant women are given without details of their contribution to the growth of Christianity in Africa. This article considers the contributions of Peggy Hiscock to the growth of Christianity in Zambia. Hiscock was a White missionary who was sent to serve in Zambia by the Methodist Church in Britain. She was the first woman to have been ordained in the United Church of Zambia. Hiscock established the Order of Diaconal Ministry and founded a school for the training of deaconesses in the United Church of Zambia. This article argues that although the nineteenth- and twentieth-century missionary movement in Africa is associated with patriarchy and European imperialism, there were European women missionaries who resisted imperialism and patriarchy both in the Church and society.
The Theological Language of Anorexia: An Argument for Greater Rapprochement between Chaplains and Physicians
Authors: Stammers Hannah R.
Published: May 2020

This article explores the theological themes prevalent in the language of anorexia nervosa by briefly exploring extant literature in the field before reporting on the author’s qualitative fieldwork with Christian women with anorexia nervosa. Sufferers, both those from religious and non-religious backgrounds, often convey their understanding of their illness in theological and moral language, using terms such as ‘sin’ and ‘sacrifice’. The use of theological frameworks on ‘Pro-Ana’ internet forums is also considered. The article concludes by considering the implications of this use of theological language for pastoral and chaplaincy care, and argues that highly skilled mental health chaplains would be of benefit to treatment models for anorexia nervosa and that community church leaders can pay a crucial role in long-lasting recovery, particularly for anorexic women who profess a Christian faith.
Nondestructive health monitoring techniques for composite materials: A review
Authors: Senthilkumar M , Sreekanth TG , Manikanta Reddy S
Published: May 2020

Structural health monitoring is the process of acquisition and analyzing technical data obtained from structures to determine the present condition of the structure and residual life. Composites have been widely in use because of their low weight and better mechanical properties compared to conventional metals. They are more prone to damage during cyclic loading and the impact of foreign objects. So, usage of the nondestructive techniques is important to detect such damage in composites at the beginning stage itself, which further helps to avoid catastrophic failure. Many review articles are discussing a single nondestructive technique to monitor the health of the structure, but a single technique is not sufficient in most of the cases. This review is focused on the most commonly used nondestructive health monitoring techniques such as acoustic emission, vibration testing, ultrasonic testing, infrared thermography, and shearography to detect and characterize the damage in composite structures used in aerospace, automotive, and marine applications. The comparison among the techniques also has been presented in this review.
Isokinetic Strength Comparison of Tuberosity Fractures of the Proximal Fifth Metatarsal Treated With Elastic Bandage vs Cast
Authors: Bayram Serkan , Kendirci Alper Şükrü , Kıral Doğan , Şahinkaya Türker , Ekinci Mehmet , Batıbay Sefa Giray , Akgül Turgut
Published: May 2020

Background:

The aim of this study was to compare the strength of injured and healthy ankle muscle as well as functional and clinical outcomes between patients with proximal fifth metatarsal tuberosity fractures who received elastic bandage treatment and those who received cast immobilization.

Methods:

Sixty-five patients who presented to our clinic between February 2018 and April 2019 were randomly divided into 2 groups: 33 received elastic bandages (group 1) and 32 received cast immobilization (group 2). All patients were scheduled for follow-up appointments at our clinic after 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks. Visual analog scale–foot and ankle (VAS-FA) score, time missed from work, and using assistive devices were recorded as clinical outcomes. Both ankle plantarflexion-dorsiflexion and inversion-eversion muscle strengths (peak torque) were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer for each group and were compared with those of the healthy extremities.

Results:

The mean missed work was 11.3 days in group 1 and 27.6 days in group 2. Groups 1 and 2 used assistive devices for a mean of 6.7 and 16.2 days, respectively ( P = .001). Group 1 had a significantly higher VAS-FA score at the 2nd, 4th, and 8th week of follow-up compared with group 2, and no significant differences were observed at the time of injury and at the 12th and 24th weeks. The muscle strength deficits in group 1 were present at the 4th week, whereas those in the cast immobilization group were determined at the 4th and 8th weeks in all muscles. During the 12th and 24th week of follow-up, no significantly differences in both extremities were observed between the groups.

Conclusion:

Elastic bandage treatment was better than cast immobilization in terms of preserving ankle muscle strength, clinical outcomes, and functional scores regardless of the degree of fracture displacement. Moreover, the present study emphasized that cast immobilization offered no advantages in this fracture treatment.

Level of Evidence:

Level I, prognostic randomized controlled trial.
Feature extraction of latent fault components of rolling bearing based on self-learned sparse atomics and frequency band entropy
Authors: Wang HongChao , Du WenLiao
Published: May 2020

As the key rotating parts in machinery, it is crucial to extract the latent fault features of rolling bearing in machinery condition monitoring to avoid the occurrence of sudden accidents. Unfortunately, the latent fault features are hard to extract by using the traditional signal processing method such as envelope demodulation because the effect of envelope demodulation is influenced strongly by the degree of background noise. Sparse decomposition, as a new promising method being able of capturing the latent fault feature components buried in the vibration signal, has attracted a lot of attentions, especially the predefined dictionary-based sparse decomposition methods. However, the feature extraction effect of the predefined dictionary-based sparse decomposition depends on whether the prior knowledge of the analyzed signal is sufficient or not. To overcome the above problems, a feature extraction method of latent fault components of rolling bearing based on self-learned sparse atomics and frequency band entropy is proposed in the article. First, a self-learned sparse atomics method is applied on the early weak vibration signal of rolling bearing and several self-learned atomics are obtained. Then, the self-learned atomics owing bigger kurtosis values are selected and used to reconstruct the vibration signal to remove the other interference signals. Subsequently, the frequency band entropy method is used to analyze the reconstructed vibration signal, and the optimal parameter of band-pass filter could be calculated. At last, the reconstructed vibration signal is filtered using the optimal band-pass filter, envelope demodulation on the filtered signal is applied, and better fault feature is extracted. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified through the vibration data of the accelerated fatigue life test of rolling bearing. Besides, the analysis results of the same vibration data using Autogram and spectral kurtosis methods are also presented to highlight the superiority of the proposed method.
Variation in States’ Implementation of CAPTA’s Substance-Exposed Infants Mandates: A Policy Diffusion Analysis
Authors: Lloyd Sieger Margaret H. , Rebbe Rebecca
Published: May 2020

In 2016, federal law changed state child welfare mandates related to prenatally substance-exposed infants. Little is known regarding the status or implications of policy implementation. The current study examined thematic clusters among states’ policies responsive to this 2016 mandate. Cluster analysis identified four distinct categories of states’ implementation: (1) “innovators/early adopters,” (2) “early majority,” (3) “late majority,” and (4) “laggards.” Innovator/early adopter states ( n = 14) were most likely to have implemented plan of safe care policies consistent with Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). Early majority states ( n = 15) have started developing some aspects of CAPTA 2016 but have some aspects that are still in development. Late majority states ( n = 17) have adopted few aspects of CAPTA 2016 but had implemented more CAPTA 2003 and 2010 aspects than states in the laggard cluster. Laggard states ( n = 6) have implemented the fewest CAPTA prenatal substance exposure domains. In bivariate analyses, the only variable associated with clusters was Census region (e.g., New England), suggesting that states’ implementation decisions may be influenced by their regional neighbors.