bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating Ensemble Classifiers with Information Entropy Diversity Measure
Authors: Zou Jiangbo , Fu Xiaokang , Guo Lingling , Ju Chunhua , Chen Jingjing
Published: May 2021

Ensemble classifiers improve the classification accuracy by incorporating the decisions made by its component classifiers. Basically, there are two steps to create an ensemble classifier: one is to generate base classifiers and the other is to align the base classifiers to achieve maximum accuracy integrally. One of the major problems in creating ensemble classifiers is the classification accuracy and diversity of the component classifiers. In this paper, we propose an ensemble classifier generating algorithm to improve the accuracy of an ensemble classification and to maximize the diversity of its component classifiers. In this algorithm, information entropy is introduced to measure the diversity of component classifiers, and a cyclic iterative optimization selection tactic is applied to select component classifiers from base classifiers, in which the number of component classifiers is dynamically adjusted to minimize system cost. It is demonstrated that our method has an obvious lower memory cost with higher classification accuracy compared with existing classifier methods.
[Retracted] Improvement and Optimization of Feature Selection Algorithm in Swarm Intelligence Algorithm Based on Complexity
Authors: Chen Bingsheng , Chen Huijie , Li Mengshan
Published: May 2021

The swarm intelligence algorithm simulates the behavior of animal populations in nature and is a new type of intelligent solution that is different from traditional artificial intelligence. Feature selection is a very common data dimensionality reduction method, which requires us to select the feature subset with the best evaluation criteria from the original feature set. Feature selection, as an effective data processing method, has become a hot research topic in the fields of machine learning, pattern recognition, and data mining and has received extensive attention and attention. In order to verify the improvement effect of the feature selection algorithm based on the swarm intelligence algorithm on the data, this paper conducts experiments on six classes in the city’s first middle school with similar conditions. First, count the current situation of the students in the class, then divide them into classes, use different algorithms to teach them, and count the changes of the students after a period of teaching. The experiment found that the performance of students under the feature selection algorithm is about 30% higher than other teaching methods, and the awareness of cooperation between students reaches 0.8. It solves the contradiction between popularization and improvement and solves the problems of polarization and transformation of underachievers. The individuality of the algorithm has been fully utilized and developed. The test results show that the improved algorithm has faster convergence speed and higher solution accuracy, and the feature selection algorithm based on swarm intelligence algorithm can effectively improve the efficiency of the algorithm.
Sports Injury Rehabilitation Intervention Algorithm Based on Visual Analysis Technology
Authors: Chen Xiao , Yuan Guoliang
Published: May 2021

Sports injuries of high-level athletes restrict the improvement of sports performance. Under this premise, an efficient and accurate sports injury assessment method is needed to detect potential sports injuries and conduct injury prevention training. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel sports injury prediction algorithm based on visual analysis technology. The proposed algorithm first takes the time-frequency of sensed data as the convolutional neural network (CNN) input. The one-dimensional time series collected by the sensor is converted into two-dimensional images using the Gram angle domain algorithm. The one-dimensional sensed data provides a new perspective and provides a basis for better use of convolutional neural networks and computer vision technology. Second, combining the residual network’s structure and advantages and hole convolution and multihole convolution kernel residual module is proposed. It improves the model’s ability to extract features at different scales while effectively controlling the parameter scale. Based on these modules, a single-sensor-based athlete action recognition algorithm is proposed. Several comparative experiments have been conducted on a public data set containing only acceleration sensors to verify the proposed algorithm’s effectiveness.
Opening of the Blood–Brain Barrier Using Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Enhances Responses to Immunotherapy in Preclinical Glioma Models
Authors: Sabbagh Aria , Beccaria Kevin , Ling Xiaoyang , Marisetty Anantha , Ott Martina , Caruso Hillary , Barton Emily , Kong Ling-Yuan , Fang Dexing , Latha Khatri , Zhang Daniel Yang , Wei Jun , DeGroot John , Curran Michael A. , Rao Ganesh , Hu Jian , Desseaux Carole , Bouchoux Guillaume , Canney Michael , Carpentier Alexandre , Heimberger Amy B.
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) inhibits adequate dosing/penetration of therapeutic agents to malignancies in the brain. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPU) is a safe therapeutic method of temporary BBB disruption (BBBD) to enhance chemotherapeutic delivery to the tumor and surrounding brain parenchyma for treatment of glioblastoma.

Experimental Design:

We investigated if LIPU could enhance therapeutic efficacy of anti–PD-1 in C57BL/6 mice bearing intracranial GL261 gliomas, epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in NSG mice with EGFRvIII-U87 gliomas, and a genetically engineered antigen-presenting cell (APC)-based therapy producing the T-cell attracting chemokine CXCL10 in the GL261-bearing mice.

Results:

Mice treated with anti–PD-1 and LIPU-induced BBBD had a median survival duration of 58 days compared with 39 days for mice treated with anti–PD-1, and long-term survivors all remained alive after contralateral hemisphere rechallenge. CAR T-cell administration with LIPU-induced BBBD resulted in significant increases in CAR T-cell delivery to the CNS after 24 (P < 0.005) and 72 (P < 0.001) hours and increased median survival by greater than 129%, in comparison with CAR T cells alone. Local deposition of CXCL10-secreting APCs in the glioma microenvironment with LIPU enhanced T-cell glioma infiltration during the therapeutic window (P = 0.004) and markedly enhanced survival (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

LIPU increases immune therapeutic delivery to the tumor microenvironment with an associated increase in survival and is an emerging technique for enhancing novel therapies in the brain.
HYAL4-V1/Chondroitinase (Chase) Drives Gemcitabine Resistance and Predicts Chemotherapy Failure in Patients with Bladder Cancer
Authors: Hasanali Sarrah L. , Morera Daley S. , Racine Ronny R. , Hennig Martin , Ghosh Santu , Lopez Luis E. , Hupe Marie C. , Escudero Diogo O. , Wang Jiaojiao , Zhu Huabin , Sarcan Semih , Azih Ijeoma , Zhou Michael , Jordan Andre R. , Terris Martha K. , Kuczyk Markus A. , Merseburger Axel S. , Lokeshwar Vinata B.
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimens are first-line for several advanced cancers. Because of better tolerability, gemcitabine + cisplatin is a preferred neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and/or palliative chemotherapy regimen for advanced bladder cancer. Nevertheless, predicting treatment failure and overcoming resistance remain unmet clinical needs. We discovered that splice variant (V1) of HYAL-4 is a first-in-class eukaryotic chondroitinase (Chase), and CD44 is its major substrate. V1 is upregulated in bladder cancer and drives a malignant phenotype. In this study, we investigated whether V1 drives chemotherapy resistance.

Experimental Design:

V1 expression was measured in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) specimens by qRT-PCR and IHC. HYAL-4 wild-type (Wt) and V1 were stably expressed or silenced in normal urothelial and three bladder cancer cell lines. Transfectants were analyzed for chemoresistance and associated mechanism in preclinical models.

Results:

V1 levels in MIBC specimens of patients who developed metastasis, predicted response to gemcitabine + cisplatin adjuvant/salvage treatment and disease-specific mortality. V1-expressing bladder cells were resistant to gemcitabine but not to cisplatin. V1 expression neither affected gemcitabine influx nor the drug-efflux transporters. Instead, V1 increased gemcitabine metabolism and subsequent efflux of difluorodeoxyuridine, by upregulating cytidine deaminase (CDA) expression through increased CD44–JAK2/STAT3 signaling. CDA inhibitor tetrahydrouridine resensitized V1-expressing cells to gemcitabine. While gemcitabine (25–50 mg/kg) inhibited bladder cancer xenograft growth, V1-expressing tumors were resistant. Low-dose combination of gemcitabine and tetrahydrouridine abrogated the growth of V1 tumors with minimal toxicity.

Conclusions:

V1/Chase drives gemcitabine resistance and potentially predicts gemcitabine + cisplatin failure. CDA inhibition resensitizes V1-expressing tumors to gemcitabine. Because several chemotherapy regimens include gemcitabine, our study could have broad significance.
Combining Clinical and Polygenic Risk Improves Stroke Prediction Among Individuals With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: O’Sullivan Jack W. , Shcherbina Anna , Justesen Johanne M. , Turakhia Mintu , Perez Marco , Wand Hannah , Tcheandjieu Catherine , Clarke Shoa L. , Rivas Manuel A. , Ashley Euan A.
Published: May 2021

Background:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a five-fold increased risk of ischemic stroke. A portion of this risk is heritable; however, current risk stratification tools (CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc) do not include family history or genetic risk. We hypothesized that we could improve ischemic stroke prediction in patients with AF by incorporating polygenic risk scores (PRS).

Methods:

Using data from the largest available genome-wide association study in Europeans, we combined over half a million genetic variants to construct a PRS to predict ischemic stroke in patients with AF. We externally validated this PRS in independent data from the UK Biobank, both independently and integrated with clinical risk factors. The integrated PRS and clinical risk factors risk tool had the greatest predictive ability.

Results:

Compared with the currently recommended risk tool (CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc), the integrated tool significantly improved Net Reclassification Index (2.3% [95% CI, 1.3%–3.0%]) and fit (χ
2
P
=0.002). Using this improved tool, >115 000 people with AF would have improved risk classification in the United States. Independently, PRS was a significant predictor of ischemic stroke in patients with AF prospectively (hazard ratio, 1.13 per 1 SD [95% CI, 1.06–1.23]). Lastly, polygenic risk scores were uncorrelated with clinical risk factors (Pearson correlation coefficient, −0.018).

Conclusions:

In patients with AF, there appears to be a significant association between PRS and risk of ischemic stroke. The greatest predictive ability was found with the integration of PRS and clinical risk factors; however, the prediction of stroke remains challenging.
Disconnectomics of the Rich Club Impacts Motor Recovery After Stroke
Authors: Egger Philip , Evangelista Giorgia G. , Koch Philipp J. , Park Chang-Hyun , Levin-Gleba Laura , Girard Gabriel , Beanato Elena , Lee Jungsoo , Choirat Christine , Guggisberg Adrian G. , Kim Yun-Hee , Hummel Friedhelm C.
Published: May 2021

Background and Purpose:

Structural brain networks possess a few hubs, which are not only highly connected to the rest of the brain but are also highly connected to each other. These hubs, which form a rich-club, play a central role in global brain organization. To investigate whether the concept of rich-club sheds new light on poststroke recovery, we applied a novel network-theoretical quantification of lesions to patients with stroke and compared the outcomes with what lesion size alone would indicate.

Methods:

Whole-brain structural networks of 73 patients with ischemic stroke were reconstructed using diffusion-weighted imaging data. Disconnectomes, a new type of network analyses, were constructed using only those fibers that pass through the lesion. Fugl-Meyer upper extremity scores and their changes were used to determine whether the patients show natural recovery or not.

Results:

Cluster analysis revealed 3 patient clusters: small-lesion-good-recovery, midsized-lesion-poor-recovery (MLPR), and large-lesion-poor-recovery (LLPR). The small-lesion-good-recovery consisted of subjects whose lesions were small, and whose prospects for recovery were relatively good. To explain the nondifference in recovery between the MLPR and LLPR clusters despite the difference (LLPR>MLPR) in lesion volume, we defined the

metric to be the sum of the entries in the disconnectome and, more importantly, the

to be the sum of all entries in the disconnectome corresponding to edges with at least one node in the rich-club. Unlike lesion volume and corticospinal tract damage (MLPR<LLPR), for

, this relationship was reversed (MLPR>LLPR) or showed no difference for

.

Conclusions:

Smaller lesions that focus on the rich-club can be just as devastating as much larger lesions that do not focus on the rich-club, pointing to the role of the rich-club as a backbone for functional communication within brain networks and for recovery from stroke.
Public Emotional Diffusion over COVID-19 Related Tweets Posted by
Major Public Health Agencies in the United States
Authors: Xi Haixu , Zhang Chengzhi , Zhao Yi , He Sheng
Published: May 2021

Since the end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide has not only presented challenges for government agencies in addressing public health emergency, but also tested their capacity in dealing with public opinion on social media and responding to social emergencies. To understand the impact of COVID-19 related tweets posted by the major public health agencies in the United States on public emotion, this paper studied public emotional diffusion in the tweets network, including its process and characteristics, by taking Twitter users of four official public health systems in the United States as an example. We extracted the interactions between tweets in the COVID-19-TweetIds data set and drew the tweets diffusion network. We proposed a method to measure the characteristics of the emotional diffusion network, with which we analyzed the changes of the public emotional intensity and the proportion of emotional polarity, investigated the emotional influence of key nodes and users, and the emotional diffusion of tweets at different tweeting time, tweet topics and the tweet posting agencies. The results show that the emotional polarity of tweets has changed from negative to positive with the improvement of pandemic management measures. The public's emotional polarity on pandemic related topics tends to be negative, and the emotional intensity of management measures such as pandemic medical services turn from positive to negative to the greatest extent, while the emotional intensity of pandemic related knowledge changes the most. The tweets posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration of the United States have a broad impact on public emotions, and the emotional spread of tweets' polarity eventually forms a very close proportion of opposite emotions.
Taxonomic position and circumscription of Cardamine barbaraeoides (Brassicaceae), a systematically challenging taxon from the Balkan Peninsula

Authors: ŠLENKER MAREK , PERNÝ MARIÁN , ZOZOMOVÁ-LIHOVÁ JUDITA , MARHOLD KAROL
Published: May 2021

The Balkan Peninsula, and the territory of Greece in particular, is a significant biodiversity hotspot in the Mediterranean that is rich in endemic plants. The focal species of this study, Cardamine barbaraeoides, is a narrow Greek endemic that has been confused taxonomically since its original description. Based on a detailed multivariate morphometric study, we provide here a set of morphological characters that enables the reliable identification of this species. In addition, we present an identification key to C. barbaraeoides and related taxa. We have revised herbarium specimens and literature data on the occurrence of this species in Greece and ascertained that it occurs only in the Pindos mountains (the Southern Pindos and partly the Northern Pindos floristic regions). All reports of this species from the Greek floristic regions of North Central, Sterea Ellas and partly also Northern Pindos were based on misidentifications of specimens of C. acris.
Two new species of Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae) from Machu Picchu and Oxapampa, Peru
Authors: ARROYO FRANK
Published: May 2021

Weinmannia machupicchuensis and W. oxapampana, two endangered species of Cunoniaceae endemic to the montane forests of the Peruvian Andes are newly described and illustrated. Data on ecology and their relationships with similar species are also discussed.
Three new genera and eighteen new species of miniature polydesmid millipedes from the northwestern United States (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae)
Authors: SHEAR WILLIAM A. , MAREK PAUL E.
Published: May 2021

Three new genera, Retrorsioides, Rowlandesmus and Benedictesmus, are described and the polydesmid millipede fauna of North America is briefly reviewed with an emphasis on the genera Bidentogon Buckett & Gardner, 1968 and Retrorsia Shelley, 2003. Eighteen new species are described: Bidentogon buttensis, Bidentogon norcal, Retrorsia leonardi, Retrorsia benedictae, Retrorsia richarti, Retrorsia gracilis, Retrorsia simplicissima, Retrorsioides castellum, Retrorsioides linnensis, Retrorsioides kittitas, Retrorsioides bammerti, Retrorsioides arboramagna, Rowlandesmus millicoma, Rowlandesmus dentogonopus, Benedictesmus aureua, Benedictesmus ellenae, Benedictesmus yaquina and Benedictesmus timber. Natural history notes and illustrations are provided of putative commensal fungi, nematodes and a mite found on the millipede specimens.
One Hundred Years of Solitude: rediscovery of Catasticta lycurgus (Godman & Salvin, 1880), a yellow butterfly from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)
Authors: HUERTAS BLANCA , PRIETO CARLOS , MONTERO FREDY , ADAMS MIKE , LE CROM JEAN FRANÇOIS , BOLLINO MAURIZIO , CORREA-CARMONA YENNY , PADRÓN PABLO SEBASTIÁN
Published: May 2021

Catasticta lycurgus is a striking endemic butterfly, restricted to high elevation habitats in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an isolated mountain range separate from the Andes in the north of Colombia. The type, which for almost a hundred years was the only known specimen, was collected in 1878 by Frederick Simons in the vicinity of Atánquez and was sent to the UK to be described by renowned naturalists Godman and Salvin in 1880. In 1972, explorers Adams and Bernard collected a second specimen of C. lycurgus in the locality of San Pedro at 2,900m of elevation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. These two specimens were the only known ones for many decades until recently, when Colombian entomologists found the species again in San Pedro de la Sierra and later, when a female was discovered in 2013. Here, we report the rediscovery of this rare and charismatic species, with new specimens collected near the type locality, which have not been reported previously. The female of C. lycurgus is described and illustrated for the first time as well the male genitalia of this species. We combine all information available to provide some insights on the systematic relationships of this species within the genus Catasticta Butler, discuss its distribution and provide a preliminary conservation assessment. Despite the newly collected specimens, the species remains very rare in the field and in collections.
Identifying the development of a tropical depression into a tropical storm over the South China Sea
Authors: Huang Huijun , Yuan Jinnan , Wen Guanhuan , Bi Xueyan , Huang Ling , Zhou Mingsen
Published: May 2021

Tropical depressions formed over the South China Sea usually produce severe flooding and wind damage when they develop into a storm and make landfall. To provide an early warning, forecasters should know when, and if, a tropical depression will develop into a tropical storm. To better understand and predict such development, we examine the dynamic and thermodynamic variables of 74 tropical depressions over the South China Sea, 52 of which developed into storms, hereafter ‘developing’, the remaining being classified as ‘nondeveloping’. Using NCEP FNL (National Centers for Environmental Prediction Final) data, verified with ECMWF forecast data, we examine the dynamic and thermodynamic statistics that characterize these tropical cyclones. Based on these characteristics, we propose seven criteria to determine whether a tropical depression will develop. Five had been used before, but two new criteria are also found useful. These two are associated with the diabatic heating rate and help to determine whether a tropical cyclone diurnal cycle exists and whether the convection system remains intact in the center: 1) Presence of a regular diurnal variation of the diabatic heating-rate at the center. 2) Occurrence of specific peaks in the radiative-heating profile. We test all seven criteria on all tropical depression cases in 2018–2019 before the system developed or decayed, showing that these criteria can help to operationally identify whether or not a tropical depression develops into a tropical storm with an average lead time of 36.6 h.
A Note on the Accuracy of Normal Approximation of Random Quantities
Authors: Ahmad Ibrahim A. , Mugdadi A. R.
Published: May 2021

For a sequence of independent, identically distributed random variable (iid rv's) [Formula: see text] and a sequence of integer-valued random variables [Formula: see text], define the random quantiles as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] denote the largest integer less than or equal to [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] the [Formula: see text]th order statistic in a sample [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In this note, the limiting distribution and its exact order approximation are obtained for [Formula: see text]. The limiting distribution result we obtain extends the work of several including Wretman[Formula: see text]. The exact order of normal approximation generalizes the fixed sample size results of Reiss[Formula: see text].

AMS 2000 subject classification: 60F12; 60F05; 62G30.
The performance analysis of type-2 fuzzy fractional-order tilt integral derivative controller with enhanced Harris hawks optimization
Authors: Jekan P , Subramani C
Published: May 2021

Modern Alternating Current (AC) microgrids (ACMGs) are highly complex because of the indeterminate nature of distributed energy generation and load causes frequency fluctuations. It is essential to maintain the constant power amongst load and generations by the proper design of an efficient controller to stabilize frequency fluctuations. In this paper, the type-2 fuzzy fractional-order tilt integral derivative controller structure is designed and analyzed for frequency control of an ACMG by using an enhanced Harris hawks optimization (EHHO). The modified optimization technique is analyzed employing test functions and compared with similar methods. It is noticed that the modified optimization technique is outperforming the other methods in most of the test functions. The frequency control performance of an ACMG is demonstrated and compared with the original Harris hawks optimization (HHO) and other optimization methods. The proposed type-2 fuzzy fractional-order tilt integral derivative controller tuned with EHHO technique is demonstrated to be effective and superior to any of the alternatives by application to a typical two-area test system.
From “Secret” to “Sensitive Issue”: Shifting Ideas About HIV Disclosure Among Middle-Aged and Older Rural South Africans in the Era of Antiretroviral Treatment
Authors: Schatz Enid , David Ifeolu , Angotti Nicole , Gómez-Olivé F. Xavier , Mojola Sanyu A.
Published: May 2021

Objective

As HIV shifts from “death sentence” to “chronic condition,” disclosure of HIV status to intimate partners and family is a significant component of both prevention and treatment adherence. While disclosure is closely considered in many studies, few examine middle-aged and older persons’ (age 40+) perspectives or practices. We trace older rural South Africans’ views on HIV disclosure to their partners and family members in a high prevalence community over a period of extensive antiretroviral treatment (ART) rollout.

Methods

Community focus group discussions (FGD) conducted in 2013 and 2018 show shifts in older persons’ thinking about HIV disclosure.

Findings

Our FGD participants saw fewer negative consequences of disclosure in 2018 than in 2013, and highlighted positive outcomes including building trust (partners) as well as greater support for medication collection and adherence (family).

Discussion

Particularly as the epidemic ages in South Africa and globally, tracing changes in older persons’ views on disclosure is an important step in developing messaging that could enhance treatment as prevention and ART adherence.
A virtual joint method of analytical form for parallel manipulators
Authors: Zhang Hui , Xu Zhenbang , Han Hasiaoqier , Han Chunyang , Yu Yang , Xia Mingyi
Published: May 2021

Oriented towards the stiffness optimization of parallel manipulators, a stiffness modeling method based on subspace analysis was proposed. The paper revealed the “shielding effect” of passive joints, i.e. shielding the partial local stiffness of a mechanism on Cartesian space, and accordingly brought forward the concept of Effective Stiffness Tensor (EST), which was then obtained by introducing the orthogonal projector. The method allows a stiffness model of analytical form as well as high computation efficiency, which makes it suitable for applications in the stiffness optimization of parallel manipulators. Proposed method had been applied to the parallel alignment mechanism in China’s large space telescope and verified by dynamic experiments.
How are academic libraries in Spanish-speaking Latin America responding to new models of scholarly communication and predatory publishing?
Authors: Buitrago Ciro Jairo
Published: May 2021

The topic of predatory publishing and ways to combat it is garnering considerable attention in many parts of the developed world, where academic librarians are emerging as leaders in this regard. However, less is known about how this phenomenon is playing out in developing regions, including Spanish-speaking Latin America. This study presents the results of a survey of 104 academic librarians in this region, along with follow-up interviews with seven respondents. The findings reveal that scholarly publishing literacy in general, and predatory publishing in particular, currently has low visibility in this part of the world, although there is growing recognition of and increasing concern about the issue. Although there is some debate about whether scholarly publishing literacy should be the sole responsibility of the library, many participants agree that the library has a role to play. Moreover, while most of the librarians who participated perceive that they have a solid knowledge of open access, they are less confident in their understanding of predatory practices and are seeking to increase their skills and knowledge in this regard to better support researchers at their institutions. To address this shortcoming, academic librarians in the region have expressed an interest in receiving training and in participating in international collaborations with other libraries that have already developed resources or programming in this area.
Business Environment in Emerging Market Countries
Authors: Liu Qian
Published: May 2021

The business environment of a country or region is an important measure of its economic soft power and an indicator of the strength of its governance. A good business environment attracts foreign investment, which emerging market countries in structural transformation are most concerned about. This article calculates and ranks the business environment index of the 30 emerging market countries (E30). It assesses the trend of the overall business environment and the contributing factors and conducts an empirical analysis of how business environment in these countries affects their economic development. The study shows that the business environment of the E30 countries is closely related to their economic development, albeit with prominent regional differences. Additionally, the quality of business environment is closely related to the strength of government regulation. In the last 5 years, the business environment of the E30 countries has improved in general, and closed the gap with the OECD countries, with Asian countries demonstrating the most conspicuous improvement. Empirical results show that the overall score of the business environment has a significantly positive effect on economic development. Lastly, based on a systematic analysis of the business environment of the E30 countries, the article summarizes the findings and makes projections about future development.
Choledochal cyst with secondary cholangitis, choledochitis, duodenal papillitis, and pancreatitis in a young domestic shorthair cat
Authors: Schreeg Megan E. , Miller Sybille A. , Cullen John M.
Published: May 2021

Choledochal cysts, congenital segmental dilations of the common bile duct, have been reported in few cats, and histologic characterization is lacking. A 20-mo-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was presented because of vomiting and weight loss. There was progressive elevation of liver enzyme activity (ALT > ALP, GGT) and hyperbilirubinemia. Diagnostic imaging identified focal cystic dilation of the common bile duct, dilation and tortuosity of adjacent hepatic ducts, and a prominent duodenal papilla. A choledochal cyst was suspected, and the animal was euthanized. On postmortem examination, there was a 2-cm, firm, thickened, cystic dilation of the common bile duct, patent with adjacent ducts. Histologically, the cyst wall was expanded by fibroblasts, collagen, and lymphoplasmacytic inflammation. Adjacent bile ducts were markedly dilated and tortuous, with lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and papillary mucosal hyperplasia that extended to the major duodenal papilla. There was chronic neutrophilic cholangitis, suggesting bacterial infection and/or disturbed bile drainage, extrahepatic obstruction, and lymphoplasmacytic pancreatitis with ductular metaplasia. Prominent lymphoid follicles within biliary ducts and duodenum suggested chronic antigenic stimulation. Choledochal cysts can be associated with chronic neutrophilic cholangitis, extrahepatic obstruction, choledochitis, duodenal papillitis, and pancreatitis, and should be a differential for increased hepatic enzymes and hyperbilirubinemia in young cats.
Implementing and Evaluating a Standardized New Diagnosis Education Checklist: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group
Authors: Duffy Elizabeth A. , Herriage Teresa , Ranney Lori , Tena Nancy
Published: May 2021

When a child is newly diagnosed with cancer, parents report feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information that they must process in order to safely care for their child at home. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Nursing Discipline has focused on examining current practices for educating families of children newly diagnosed with cancer, and developing tools to enhance the process of patient/family education at the time of diagnosis, including development of a COG Standardized Education Checklist, which classifies education into primary, secondary, and tertiary topics. The COG Nursing Discipline awarded nursing fellowships to two doctorally prepared nurses practicing at two distinct COG institutions to evaluate the checklist implementation. This project addressed the primary topics on the checklist essential to safely care for the child at home following the first hospital discharge. Checklist feasibility was determined by the proportion of checklists completed. Checklist fidelity was determined by review of documentation on the checklist regarding educational topics covered, learner preferences, and methods used. Checklist acceptability was assessed through parent/caregiver and nurse feedback. Project implementation occurred over a 5-month period and involved 69 newly diagnosed families. Implementation of the checklist was feasible (81%), with moderate fidelity to checklist topics taught across the two sites. Verbal instruction and written documentation were the most prevalent form of education. The return rate for the parent/caregiver and nurse acceptability questionnaires was moderate to low (68% and 12%, respectively), parent/caregiver feedback was positive and acceptability among responding nurses was high, with 92% of nurses identifying the primary checklist as useful.
Experiences of Iranian Pediatric Nurses in Providing Care to Hospitalized Children of Different Language Backgrounds: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Beykmirza Raziyeh , Negarandeh Reza , Varzeshnejad Maryam
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Communication is one of the main foundations of providing care. Nurses have encountered patients from different languages due to globalization and mobilities within and between countries. This study aimed to explore the Iranian pediatric nurses’ experiences in providing care for children of different language backgrounds.

Methodology

In this conventional qualitative content analysis study, 15 pediatric nurses were selected through purposive sampling from four specialty pediatric hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected via in-depth semistructured face-to-face interviews and concurrently analyzed via conventional content analysis.

Results

Data analysis resulted in 132 primary codes, which were reduced to 95 during constant comparison and categorized into 34 subcategories, six main categories, and the main theme emerging from the categories was “language as a barrier in providing effective nursing care.”

Discussion

This study suggests that language differences between pediatric nurses and hospitalized children may make nursing care less effective and act as a barrier to achieving patient care goals.
New control strategy for suppressing the local vibration of sandwich beams based on the wave propagation method
Authors: Xu Jun , Chen Yandong , Tai Yongpeng , Shi Guodong , Chen Ning , Yao Jialing
Published: May 2021

The general vibration control strategy of beam structures is a global vibration control method based on the principle of modal superposition. However, the vibration wave control of beams can achieve local control of the vibration energy. This paper presents a wave control method for the local vibration control of fractional viscoelastic composite beams based on the operating principle of a piezoelectric sheet. To obtain better control performance, a particle swarm optimization algorithm was adopted to optimize the parameters of the piezoelectric sheet. A linear quadratic regulator control algorithm was designed to verify the validity of the proposed method. In addition, the effects of the piezoelectric sheet number and fractional order on the amplitude response and optimization parameters were investigated. We observed that the proposed method has a good control effect on the local area vibration, and it can control the flow direction of the vibration power. The proposed method can be used to directly design the voltage and phase of a piezoelectric sheet without real-time feedback computation. This method is suitable for reducing local vibration under single repetitive operating conditions in engineering and can provide a theoretical basis for a follow-up study on the acoustic black hole phenomenon.
“Concurrent Ropes and Ladders”: Mapping and Conceptualizing the Emotional Loss Experience of Parents Following Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury
Authors: Yehene Einat , Steinberg Pnina , Gerner Maya , Brezner Amichai , Landa Jana
Published: May 2021

This grounded theory study aims to map, conceptualize, and theorize the emotional loss experienced by parents following their child’s pediatric acquired brain injury (pABI). Data were obtained from 47 semi-structured interviews conducted with parents (72% mothers) at least 1 year following pABI. The study’s theory of “concurrent ropes and ladders” emerged from a process of initial in vivo coding followed by focused and thematic coding. Codes were consolidated into five thematic categories capturing parents’ emotional continuous loss experience: (a) comparing life before and after, (b) struggling to construct new realities, (c) recognizing instability and permanency, (d) adjusting and readjusting, and (e) grieving as an emotional shadow. These categories are at work simultaneously in parents’ accounts, thus supporting a model of dynamic concurrency within and across their lived experiences. Recommendations for practitioners were derived from the theory to support parents’ emotional coping with living loss throughout the chronic stage.
Embedding Virtual Simulation Into a Course to Teach Parent–Teacher Collaboration Skills
Authors: Luke Sara E. , Vaughn S. Michelle
Published: May 2021

Teacher preparation programs have acknowledged the need to address the topic of collaboration in coursework; however, few educator preparation programs require collaboration courses or address the interpersonal aspects involved in teaching in other required courses. Working with families is essential in the field of special education, and pre-service teachers must be given opportunities to develop their collaborative practices in teacher preparation programs. The use of virtual simulation is emerging in the field of teacher education and is a tool faculty can use to provide pre-service teachers a safe environment to practice parent–teacher conferencing skills within courses.
Positive Self-Talk: An Emerging Learning Strategy for Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Feeney Danielle M.
Published: May 2021

Self-monitoring has proven to be an effective strategy for improving academic performance for students with learning disabilities (LD). In addition to academics, these interventions have improved actions such as task completion, engagement, and on-task behaviors. As a supplement to self-monitoring, self-talk strategies have similar effects in exercise psychology, with added benefits such as improved self-confidence, task accuracy, persistence, and self-awareness. This column highlights the effects of positive self-talk, the addition of self-talk to self-monitoring interventions, and the importance of translating these interventions into classroom settings to improve academic and behavioral outcomes of students with LD.
Moderating Effect of Trust on Customer Return Intention Formation in Peer-to-Peer Sharing Accommodation
Authors: Ye Shun , Chen Siyu , Paek Soyon
Published: May 2021

The peer-to-peer sharing accommodation features a high level of asymmetric information and a series of uncertainties and risks. Therefore, trust plays a critical role in shaping consumer behavior. Previous studies have frequently emphasized the direct effect of trust during the prepurchasing stage while disregarding its role in shaping customer satisfaction/return intention at the postpurchasing stage. Based on the attribution theory, in this study, we model the formation of return intention by incorporating the moderating effects of trust. A sample of 500 peer-to-peer sharing accommodation participants in China was collected to test the extended model based on the moderated structural equation modeling. Furthermore, users of Airbnb and Chinese domestic platforms were compared. Results demonstrated the existence of the moderating role of trust for domestic platform users but not for Airbnb users.
Let Photos Speak: The Effect of User-Generated Visual Content on Hotel Review Helpfulness
Authors: Li Chunhong , Kwok Linchi , Xie Karen L. , Liu Jianwei , Ye Qiang
Published: May 2021

A picture is worth a thousand words. User-generated photos (UGPs) are increasingly accompanying online reviews of hotels. This article draws on media richness theory to estimate the effects of UGPs on hotel reviews’ helpfulness. Based on a sample of 1,159,590 valid reviews with 464,316 photos, we utilized an integrated analytical model incorporating both econometric analyses and image-processing techniques. The results show that reviews accompanied by UGPs are generally rated as more helpful than those with textual content only. Furthermore, photos showing guestroom objects were rated as more helpful than those showing food & beverages. Finally, the positive effects of UGPs on review helpfulness were especially prominent for hotels with lower prices and negative reviews. This study adds new insights to the online review literature and advances the methodological approach in analyzing unstructured user-generated content. This study provides important implications for hotel managers and online booking platforms regarding UGP management.
Global Health Impacts of Dust Storms: A Systematic Review
Authors: Aghababaeian Hamidreza , Ostadtaghizadeh Abbas , Ardalan Ali , Asgary Ali , Akbary Mehry , Yekaninejad Mir Saeed , Stephens Carolyn
Published: May 2021

Background:

Dust storms and their impacts on health are becoming a major public health issue. The current study examines the health impacts of dust storms around the world to provide an overview of this issue.

Method:

In this systematic review, 140 relevant and authoritative English articles on the impacts of dust storms on health (up to September 2019) were identified and extracted from 28 968 articles using valid keywords from various databases (PubMed, WOS, EMBASE, and Scopus) and multiple screening steps. Selected papers were then qualitatively examined and evaluated. Evaluation results were summarized using an Extraction Table.

Results:

The results of the study are divided into two parts: short and long-term impacts of dust storms. Short-term impacts include mortality, visitation, emergency medical dispatch, hospitalization, increased symptoms, and decreased pulmonary function. Long-term impacts include pregnancy, cognitive difficulties, and birth problems. Additionally, this study shows that dust storms have devastating impacts on health, affecting cardiovascular and respiratory health in particular.

Conclusion:

The findings of this study show that dust storms have significant public health impacts. More attention should be paid to these natural hazards to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate these hazardous events to reduce their negative health impacts. Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018093325
Does National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Represent Good Value for Money? Results from a Return-on-Investment Model in Vietnam
Authors: Quynh Anh Nguyen , Ha Nguyen Thu
Published: May 2021

To provide important evidence for the resource allocation process in Vietnam, this research was conducted to explore the return on investment (ROI) of the national colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program. A decision tree model was designed to estimate the cost and cost savings of a national screening program (ie, providing annual fecal occult blood test [FOBT], following with colonoscopy in case of FOBT positive for the medium-risk group over 50 years old) compared to no screening scenario. This was the first attempt in estimating the ROI of a public health program in Vietnam. Although there was a wide variation due to the uncertainty of the input parameters, especially regarding the coverage of the colorectal cancer screening program in the community, the calculated ROI rates in all different cases were positive, demonstrating that the national colorectal cancer screening program brought benefits to the investment. With a modest coverage of 30% of the population over the age of 50, the corresponding ROI value was 325.4% (95%UI: 321.0; 329.9). The results of this study could be used to advocate for the implementation of a national colorectal cancer screening program in terms of the monetary benefits of investing in the program.
The democratic deficit in reporting political crises: The case of Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections
Authors: Santos Phillip , Ndhlovu Mthokozisi Phathisani
Published: May 2021

Although our impression of the media’s role in a democracy and democratising societies is fairly stable, the situation is fundamentally different under unstable and ever shifting conditions of political crisis. To explore dynamics in the latter scenario we analyse the coverage of Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections by the country’s daily newspapers. This allows us to examine the newspapers’ active role in shaping the conditions of crisis through their interpretation and evaluation of issues and events during the period under study. We use frame and rhetoric analytical tools to analyse front-page stories and editorials, which enables us to explore the dimensions of news media’s agency during the context of crisis and assess the nature and direction of such agency using normative theories of the media in a democracy. We argue that a political crisis can easily polarise news media and subsequently induce them into assuming an active partisan posture in their reportage of political issues and events by using rhetorical discursive strategies not only to persuade the audience to accept their standpoint, but subsequently, to influence their political action in the future, with consequential implications for their functional performance of received normative roles.
Association of 2D Perfusion Angiography and Wound Healing Rate in Combined Femoro-popliteal and Below-the-Knee Lesions in Ischemic Patients Undergoing Isolated Femoro-popliteal Endovascular Revascularization
Authors: Troisi Nicola , Michelagnoli Stefano , Panci Simone , Bacchi Sara , Incerti Daniela , Lo Vecchio Luigi , Dedola Giovanni L. , Chisci Emiliano
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the association between 2-dimensional (2D) perfusion angiography and wound healing rate in patients with combined femoro-popliteal and below-the-knee lesions in critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and foot wounds undergoing isolated femoro-popliteal endovascular revascularization. Between January and June 2019, 24 patients with multilevel CLTI and foot wounds underwent isolated femoro-popliteal endovascular revascularization. In all of them, an assessment of foot perfusion by 2D perfusion angiography was performed. To evaluate the foot perfusion, a region of interest was identified, and time–density curves were calculated. Changes of the overall time–density curves were evaluated together with transcutaneous oximetry (TcPO2) using bivariate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient) and associated with 6-month wound healing. The mean increase of time–density curves was 212.2% (range from +9.8% to +1984.9%) and the mean increase of TcPO2 was 116.4% (range from −4.7% to 485.7%). No significant association between time–density curves and TcPO2 values (Pearson correlation coefficient: −0.24) was observed ( P = .3). At 6 months, wound healing occurred in 15 of 24 (62.5%) patients. In conclusion, this preliminary experience confirmed that 2D perfusion angiography associates with wound healing rate in CLTI patients with ischemic foot wounds and combined femoro-popliteal and below-the-knee lesions who are undergoing isolated femoro-popliteal endovascular revascularization. No association between time–density curves and TcPO2 values was observed.