bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Face mask detection using deep learning on NVIDIA Jetson Nano
Authors: Abdul Hassan Noor Faleh , Abed Ali A. , Abdalla Turki Y.
Published: August 2022

In December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic started. Coronavirus desease-19 (COVID-19) is transmitted directly from contaminated surfaces via direct touch. To combat the virus, a multitude of equipment is needed. Masks are a vital element of personal protection in crowded places. As a result, determining if a person is wearing a face mask is critical to assimilating to contemporary society. To accomplish the objective, the model presented in this paper used deep learning libraries and OpenCV. This approach was chosen for safety concerns due to its high resource efficiency during deployment. The classifier was built using the MobileNetV2 structure, which was designed to be lightweight and capable of being utilized in embedded devices such as the NVIDIA Jetson Nano to do real-time mask recognition. The stages of model construction were collecting, pre-processing, splitting data, creating the model, training the model, and applying the model. This system utilized image processing techniques and deep learning to process a live video feed. When someone is not wearing a mask, the output eventually produces an alarm sound through a built-in buzzer. Experimental results and testing were used to verify the suggested system's performance. Including both training and testing, the achieved recognition rate was 99%.
Deep convolutional network based real time fatigue detection and drowsiness alertness system
Authors: Sharma Vijay Prakash , Yadav Jitendra Singh , Sharma Vivek
Published: August 2022

Fatigue and drowsiness detection techniques based on the external features are under progress, and the methods of facial feature extraction require further development. This paper discusses the innovative processes, efficient methods, and recent advancements in the field of drowsiness and fatigue detection. In this proposed model, a wide application is planned in the field of artificial intelligence by defining the fundamentals of human-computer interaction, facial expression recognition and driver fatigue-sleepiness determination. This research outlines an efficient and effective three-phase strategy for detecting drowsiness. Viola Jones is used to detect facial traits in these three phases. Detection of yawning and tracking once the face has been identified, the segmenting the skin, the system becomes lighting invariant portion by itself, focusing on the chromatic components based on skin, and to reject most of non-face image backdrops. The color eye tracking and yawning detection are carried out by template matching with the correlation coefficient. The vectors of features based on each of the above phases is concatenated, and a binary result is obtained. The analysis of sound and successive frames into fatigue and non-fatigue states has been classified. If the time in fatigue state exceeds the threshold, the system will sound an alarm. 
Predicting the mental health of rural Bangladeshi children in coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Moon Nazmun Nessa , Hossain Refath Ara , Jahan Israt , Shakil Shahriar , Uddin Shihab , Hassan Mahmudul , Nur Fernaz Narin
Published: August 2022

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) current pandemic is a worldwide health emergency like no other. It is not the only COVID-19 infection in infants, children, and adolescents that is causing concern among their families and professionals; there are also other serious issues that must be carefully detected and addressed. Major things are identified due to COVID-19, some elements are affecting children’s healthcare in direct or indirect ways, affecting them not just from a medical standpoint but also from social, psychological, economic, and educational perspectives. All these factors may have affected children’s mental development, particularly in rural settings. As Bangladesh faces a major challenge such as a lack of public mental health facilities, especially in rural areas. So, we discovered a method to predict the mental development condition of rural children that they are facing at this time of COVID-19 using machine learning technology. This research work can predict whether a rural child is mentally developed or mentally hampered in Bangladesh and this prediction gives nice feedback.
Satisfaction prediction of online education in COVID-19 situation using data mining techniques: Bangladesh perspective
Authors: Poushy Lamisha Haque , Bhuiyan Salauddin Ahmed , Parvin Masuma , Hossain Refath Ara , Moon Nazmun Nessa , Nooder Jarin , Mahbuba Ashrarfi
Published: August 2022

This research focuses on the education-based online learning platform. Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, online education is gaining global popularity. It has shown how successful it is in investigating the quality of online education at the COVID-19 pandemic situation by 799 students from different academic institutions, schools, colleges, and universities. A Google web form has been utilized as the data gathering mechanism for this survey. This paper perused the prediction of online education through data mining and machine learning approaches in an online program. The data was collected through online questionnaires. To predict online education's satisfaction rate, four different types of classifiers are used e.g., logistic regression classifiers, k-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, naive Bayes classifiers. The key purpose of this research is to find out an answer to a question which is, "are the student's satisfied with starting the new online teaching system, or will it be an ambivalent effect for students in the future?".
Short term residential load forecasting using long short-term memory recurrent neural network
Authors: Muneer Amgad , Ali Rao Faizan , Almaghthawi Ahmed , Taib Shakirah Mohd , Alghamdi Amal , Abdullah Ghaleb Ebrahim Abdulwasea
Published: August 2022

Load forecasting plays an essential role in power system planning. The efficiency and reliability of the whole power system can be increased with proper planning and organization. Residential load forecasting is indispensable due to its increasing role in the smart grid environment. Nowadays, smart meters can be deployed at the residential level for collecting historical data consumption of residents. Although the employment of smart meters ensures large data availability, the inconsistency of load data makes it challenging and taxing to forecast accurately. Therefore, the traditional forecasting techniques may not suffice the purpose. However, a deep learning forecasting network-based long short-term memory (LSTM) is proposed in this paper. The powerful nonlinear mapping capabilities of RNN in time series make it effective along with the higher learning capabilities of long sequences of LSTM. The proposed method is tested and validated through available real-world data sets. A comparison of LSTM is then made with two traditionally available techniques, exponential smoothing and auto-regressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA). Real data from 12 houses over three months is used to evaluate and validate the performance of load forecasts performed using the three mentioned techniques. LSTM model has achieved the best results due to its higher capability of memorizing large data in time series-based predictions.
Energy efficient and privacy protection window system for smart home using polymer-dispersed liquid crystals glass
Authors: Alhawari Adam Reda Hasan , Almawgani Abdulkarem Hussien , Alghamidi Hisham , Hindi Ayman Taher , Alyami Azzan , Alyami Abdulrahman , Aldaweis Yahya , Algannas Mahdi , Qahtan Abdultawab
Published: August 2022

Hot climates smart home system is steadily advancing recently. The main concern is energy efficiency particularly in the Arabian Gulf region. Privacy is another prioritized concern culturally. This project presents a solution for both demanded priorities implementing a polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC) glass system. The proposed design was validated via a developed prototype that was measured experimentally. Its experimental results show about 39% improvement in energy saving compared to conventional systems without depriving the indoor-outdoor connections and the privacy of the smart home inhabitants. Furthermore, it also achieves several other additional goals, for instance, decreasing cost as well as wasted energy by automatically off the lighting and air conditioning systems whenever they are not in used. Moreover, it is also capable to significantly reduce the risk of harmful exposure to ultraviolet A/B (UVA/B) of solar radiations, which conventional curtains are not capable to protect.
Selection of smooth motion profile for a tube locator module of an inspection device
Authors: Perumalsamy G. , Visweswaran P. , Kumar Deepak , Winston S. Joseph , Murugan S.
Published: August 2022

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor steam generators inspection system has seven modules. In this, tube locator module is a planar serial two-link robotic arm, which is used to place the eddy current probe above the steam generators tube hole in the tube sheet region. The trajectory planning of the two-link robotic arm is one of the important tasks, so the peak velocity, peak acceleration, peak jerk of various motion profiles for a given distance has to be selected properly for smooth motion and to avoid actuator saturation. The fifth-order polynomial gives lower acceleration and velocity than the jerk-limited S-curve. In this paper, the comparison of peak values of kinematic variables (velocity, acceleration, and jerk) for different motion profiles has been presented.
Are Traditional Health Practitioners in Tanzania Walking a Tightrope? Lessons from the Policy and Legal Frameworks Guiding Health Service Delivery in Tanzania
Authors: Kabyemela Matrona
Published: August 2022

In Tanzania Traditional Medicine (TM) provides primary health services to more than 60% of the population. Tanzania incorporated TM into the 1996 Health Policy and enacted the Traditional Medicine Act, 2002, to formalise TM practices. This article argues that the legal and policy frameworks guiding the provision of health services in the country undermine the practices of Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) with respect to the provision of primary health services in the rural areas. This study was conducted in Bukoba District, Tanzania, to find out how TM coexisted with the biomedical system in the provision of health services. Data was collected by reviewing the National Health Policy and the Traditional Medicine Act, 2002, observing the facilities that THPs used and interviewing 50 respondents who were purposefully selected. The findings of the study revealed that the government didn’t fund TM, that there was no proper administrative coordination of TM, poor representation of THPs in the TM administration organs and that THPs were unaware of the laws that guided their practices. We recommend reviewing the health policy to includes a detailed administrative structure for TM, a source of funds for TM and proper representation of THPs in the TM administration organs.
Shades of green
Authors: Ponton Douglas Mark
Published: August 2022

Discursive interaction involves the co-construction of meaning between interlocutor/s and intended audience, a process which involves both explicit and implicit meanings (Kecskes 2016). However, since language is at best an imprecise tool for describing reality, even so-called explicit meanings are found to require effort to disambiguate, and true precision may not be attainable, despite sincerity on the part of the speaker/s. These aspects are especially relevant in considering public discourse on the environment, which represents a macro topic whose component discursive features are frequently big words in the sense originally identified by George Orwell (2013), i.e. nature, pollution, fossil fuels, conservation, green energy, global warming, climate change, etc. That is to say, their use signals the presence of ideologies (Fairclough 2003), deontologies (Roderick 2013), presuppositions (Levinson 1983) and naturalisations (Barthes 1957) which imply the use of meanings that are seldom self-evident, though they are presented as such. This paper explores interactions in the public domain about the current environmental crisis, showing how a pragmatic perspective that focuses on situated understandings of shared dialogue can illuminate these issues.
Online comments as inwards and outwards-directed acts in Polish and English
Authors: Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk Barbara
Published: August 2022

The main focus of the paper is to analyse selected English and Polish online comments on the Russia-Ukraine war (2022) from the perspective of dialogical discourse and define to what extent the exchanges satisfy the criteria of different types of dialogism with regard to their self- or other-referential character, i.e., inwards- or ingroup- directed, and what other circumstances are decisive in the determination of the exchange profiles. The materials are derived from selected Twitter comments referring to the war in Ukraine and its refugees, which dominate large segments of today’s online discourse. The research methodology employed is an interactional discourse analysis, which assumes that meanings are dynamic and created in interaction, and shaped by the cognitive and social potential of the participants, and their ideological preferences. The outcomes of the analysis indicate a complex character of the exchanges from a dialogical typology dilemma perspective and shed some light on the speakers’ argumentation. The analysis also shows a lower radicalization axis than in comparable samples referring to earlier refugee crisis scenarios in the years 2016–2020.
The genus Afrocymbella (Bacillariophyceae) from lakes Malawi and Tanganyika, with description of new fossil and extant species
Authors: STONE JEFFERY R. , WILSON MALLORY C. , JOVANOVSKA ELENA
Published: August 2022

Observations from modern communities and fossil diatom assemblages from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi were analyzed to explore species richness in the genus Afrocymbella. Modern samples were collected along the shores of both lakes and from open water sites. Fossil assemblages were analyzed from two existing cores collected near the central basins of both lakes, spanning back to the late Pleistocene. We document seven previously described Afrocymbella species, namely A. muellerii, A. beccarii, A. brunii, A. gracilis, A. kociolekii, A. rossii, and A. tanganyikae. We also encountered five Afrocymbella species (A. symmetrica sp. nov., A. nyassae sp. nov., A. delphinea sp. nov., A. cocquytiana sp. nov., and A. gibba sp. nov.) in both modern samples and fossil assemblages that did not fit any existing species and are here described as new to science.
Isolated Balanced Complete Atrioventricular Septal Defects: Prenatal Detection and Outcome in Nevada
Authors: Evans William N. , Acherman Ruben J. , Ciccolo Michael L. , Lehoux Juan , Restrepo Humberto
Published: August 2022

We analyzed patients with isolated, balanced complete atrioventricular septal defects. We identified 71 patients born in Nevada, between January 2008 and December 2020. We also analyzed prenatal detection rates. Of the 71, 61 (85%) had trisomy 21, 1 (1%) had CHARGE syndrome and 22q.11 deletion, and 10 (14%) had no chromosomal abnormalities. Of the 71, 67 had prenatal care, and 43/67 (64%) were prenatally diagnosed. Prenatal detection rate for 2008-2012 was 9/20 (45%) and 18/21 (86%) for 2018-2020, P = .03. Of the 71, 67 underwent surgical repair with 1 current postpulmonary artery banding and 0 surgical deaths. Of the 67, 3 (4%) had heart block. Only 1 (1.5%) patient had reoperation for a mitral valve replacement. Of the 71, 67 (94%) are alive during a 6-year average (range = 0-12 years) follow-up. In conclusion, surgical and long-term outcomes were excellent. Also, high state-wide, general population prenatal detection rates were achieved.
Multiplicity, the corporation and human rights in global value chains
Authors: Scheper Christian
Published: August 2022

Human rights in global value chains have become a key field of study in international law and corporate governance. The analysis often starts with a gap – a ‘governance gap’ in human rights protection. This pragmatic starting point calls for pragmatic solutions: better corporate compliance and more accountability. While this goes a long way in addressing corporate misconduct, the global corporate form, its power and legitimation in transnationally generating and appropriating value tend to become naturalized phenomena. Moreover, the effects of accountability agendas on corporate power and legitimation are hardly considered. Instead, I propose to address the ‘human rights problem’ by understanding the corporation and its networks as consequences of international politics – conceptualized as inter-societal multiplicity. The multiplicity lens offers a possibility to replace the governance gap with a productive conception of inter-societal conditions and can complement the focus on accountability and compliance. I conclude the article by tentatively sketching three important consequences of such a starting point for defining the problem of human rights in global value chains: the international dimensions of the division of labour under competitive conditions, the legitimation of corporate practices and the production of knowledge for their regulation.
“I Am Actually Sitting With Fear”: Narratives of Fear of Crime and Actual Victimization in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
Authors: Martin-Howard Simone
Published: August 2022

In the Western Cape Province of South Africa, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide direct services for residents of underserved areas where gang violence is rampant. The purpose of this qualitative study is to create a context specific understanding of fear of crime, explore experiences of actual victimization, and identify the strategies participants use to adapt to community challenges at an NGO in the province through in-depth semi-structured interviews with Black and Colored women. Actual victimization was experienced by more than half of the sample, fear of crime was the main barrier for almost half of all participants to effectively use the NGOs services, and 40% of women adapt to community challenges by remaining resilient or coping with violence through avoidance.
What Seems to be the Problem? Ex-Prisoners’ Reentry/Resettlement in the Czech Republic
Authors: Mertl Jiří
Published: August 2022

The study is focused on the reentry/resettlement problems that are faced by ex-prisoners in the Czech Republic (CR). Findings are based on semi-structured interviews with 26 ex-prisoners and 30 social workers who provide social services in prisons and after the release. Based on the data, which were coded inductively employing qualitative content analysis, several post-prison issues emerged: (1) material deprivation and insecurity regarding housing, subsistence, and stable employment; (2) debts and enforcement proceedings; (3) prisonisation effect; (4) health issues; (5) relationships with family and significant others; (6) drug abuse; (7) meaningful leisure time. Particularly, more attention was given to housing, subsistence, stable employment, and debts and enforcement proceedings because, compared to other countries, these issues have their specifics in the CR. Findings, interpreted through the optics of intersectionality, suggest that the Czech social policies regarding ex-prisoners are focused on a one or selection of factors, instead on the complex interplay of them, as well as not properly targeted and delivered in the right time. To improve the situation, the better system of social services financing that would address the ex-prisoners’ complex needs must be implemented along with the housing first policy and more accessible personal bankruptcy.
Federated Learning in Dentistry: Chances and Challenges
Authors: Rischke R. , Schneider L. , Müller K. , Samek W. , Schwendicke F. , Krois J.
Published: August 2022

Building performant and robust artificial intelligence (AI)–based applications for dentistry requires large and high-quality data sets, which usually reside in distributed data silos from multiple sources (e.g., different clinical institutes). Collaborative efforts are limited as privacy constraints forbid direct sharing across the borders of these data silos. Federated learning is a scalable and privacy-preserving framework for collaborative training of AI models without data sharing, where instead the knowledge is exchanged in form of wisdom learned from the data. This article aims at introducing the established concept of federated learning together with chances and challenges to foster collaboration on AI-based applications within the dental research community.
Experimental investigation of friction behaviors of glass-fiber woven fabric
Authors: Liu Yang , Xiang Zhong , Wu Zhenyu , Hu Xudong
Published: August 2022

Friction between the fabric and tool surface is one of the most significant phenomena in manufacturing and application, and it mainly relates to the decisive contact behavior and the influence of tension and relative velocity. This article first investigates the contact behavior between the fabric and roller surface with a visualization method; then explores the influence of the tension and the relative velocity on the friction behavior of fabric/roller; and, finally, proposes a compound friction model considering the effects of tension and velocity and coupling the contact behavior of warp and weft for the friction behavior of glass-fiber woven fabric/roller. The results of a visualization investigation of the contact behavior reveal that the friction between the fabric and the roller is essentially the comprehensive result of the friction between the warp or weft at many fabric interlacing points and the roller. When the tension increases from 29.4 N to 196 N, the static and dynamic friction coefficients of the three fabric samples increased by 39.94%, 40.14%, 32.2%, 88.47%, 42.53%, and 38.17%, respectively. The effect of the velocity is affected by the fabric structure and tension conditions. According to our statistical results, the proposed model was found to agree well with the experimental results from capstan tests.
Attendance, Completion, and Heterogeneous Returns to College: A Causal Mediation Approach
Authors: Zhou Xiang
Published: August 2022

A growing body of social science research investigates whether the economic payoff to a college education is heterogeneous — in particular, whether disadvantaged youth can benefit more from attending and completing college relative to their more advantaged peers. Scholars, however, have employed different analytical strategies and reported mixed findings. To shed light on this literature, I propose a causal mediation approach to conceptualizing, evaluating, and unpacking the causal effects of college on earnings. By decomposing the total effect of attending a four-year college into several direct and indirect components, this approach not only clarifies the mechanisms through which college attendance boosts earnings, but illuminates the ways in which the postsecondary system may be both an equalizer and a stratifier. The total effect of college attendance, its direct and indirect components, and their heterogeneity across different subpopulations are all identified under the assumption of sequential ignorability. I introduce a debiased machine learning (DML) method for estimating all quantities of interest, along with a set of bias formulas for sensitivity analysis. I illustrate the proposed framework and methodology using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort.
Health risk behaviour and persistent and incident depression among middle-aged and older adults in South Africa
Authors: Pengpid Supa , Peltzer Karl
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study was to assess the association between five health risk behaviours and persistent and incident depressive symptoms in a longitudinal study in South Africa. The sample included 5059 men and women (⩾40 years) in 2014/2015, and 4176 in 2018/2019 of the ‘Health and Ageing in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa’. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the associations between five health risk behaviours and persistent and incident depressive symptoms. Results indicate that 5.0% of participants had depressive symptoms at both wave 1 and 2 (persistent depressive symptoms), and 27.9% had incident depressive symptoms in wave 2. Higher education and moderate baseline physical activity were negatively associated and those with cardiovascular disease were positively associated with persistent depressive symptoms. Middle wealth index was negative, and being HIV positive and baseline tobacco use were positively associated with incident depressive symptoms. In conclusion, of five health risk behaviours assessed (inadequate fruit/vegetable intake, alcohol dependence, tobacco use, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour), only moderate physical activity was protective against persistent depressive symptoms, and tobacco use was associated with incident depressive symptoms.
Mapping the European media landscape – Meteor, a curated and community-coded inventory of news sources
Authors: Balluff Paul , Lind Fabienne , Boomgaarden Hajo G. , Waldherr Annie
Published: August 2022

We present Meteor, a new inventory for European news sources (i.e. EU  +  UK, CH, NO, IL): https://wp3.opted.eu/ . This inventory will facilitate researchers’ efforts to select sources across platforms and gather related textual data. It contains the names of print and online news sources, social media accounts, news blogs, and alternative news media sources, as well as rich meta-information for each entry (e.g. language, audience size, topical focus, ownership structures, access to full-text archives, secondary data, related research). Meteor accounts for the fuzziness of hybrid media systems through an interlinked knowledge graph. Entries are submitted by researchers, validated, continuously updated, and openly accessible to the public. Our inventory allows users to find various European news sources based on a wide range of criteria, putting scholars in a better position to navigate the European media landscape.
Alprazolam-related deaths in Scotland, 2004–2020
Authors: Corkery John Martin , Guirguis Amira , Chiappini Stefania , Martinotti Giovanni , Schifano Fabrizio
Published: August 2022

Background:

The benzodiazepine drug alprazolam, a fast-acting tranquiliser, cannot be prescribed on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Illicit alprazolam supply and consumption have increased. Concern about increasing numbers of alprazolam-related fatalities started circulating in 2018. However, statistics on this issue are very limited. This study examined patterns in such mortality in Scotland.

Methods:

Statistics on deaths where alprazolam was mentioned in the ‘cause of death’ were obtained from official mortality registers. Anonymised Scottish case-level data were obtained. Data were examined in respect of the characteristics of decedents and deaths using descriptive statistics.

Results:

Scotland registered 370 deaths in 2004–2020; 366 of these occurred in 2015–2020: most involved males (77.1%); mean age 39.0 (SD 12.6) years. The principal underlying cause of death was accidental poisoning: opiates/opioids (77.9%); sedatives/hypnotics (15.0%). Two deaths involved alprazolam alone. Main drug groups implicated: opiates/opioids (94.8%), ‘other benzodiazepines’ (67.2%), gabapentinoids (42.9%), stimulants (30.1%), antidepressants (15.0%). Two-thirds (64.2%) involved combinations of central nervous system (CNS) depressants.

Discussion:

Alprazolam-related deaths are likely due to an increasing illicit supply. The fall in deaths in 2019–2020 is partially due to increased use of designer benzodiazepines. Treatment for alprazolam dependence is growing. Clinicians need to be aware of continuing recreational alprazolam use. When such consumption occurs with CNS depressants, overdose and death risks increase.

Conclusions:

More awareness of alprazolam contributing to deaths, especially in conjunction with other CNS depressants, is needed by consumers and clinicians. Improved monitoring of illicit supplies could identify emerging issues of medicines’ abuse.
Impact of Wildlife Crossing Structures on Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions
Authors: Sugiarto Wisnu
Published: August 2022

This paper examines whether wildlife crossing structures reduce the number of wildlife–vehicle collisions. Using Washington state crash data from 2011 to 2020, I employed a difference-in-differences methodology at the year level on each of 13 observed wildlife crossing structures in Washington. The treatment area consisted of wildlife–vehicle collisions within 10 mi of a wildlife crossing structure, and the control area included wildlife–vehicle collisions that were 60 to 70 mi from the same wildlife crossing structure. I found evidence that wildlife crossing structures resulted in one to three fewer wildlife–vehicle collisions on average per mile per year. The marginal treatment effect also held within a 5-mi treatment area, a 15-mi treatment area, and when controlling for the presence of other structures within the baseline of a 10-mi treatment area. However, the collision reductions were more consistent among wildlife bridges than culverts, suggesting that not all wildlife crossing structures have the same effect in reducing accidents involving wildlife. Using a back-of-the-envelope approach, each wildlife crossing structure yielded annual benefits of $235,000 to 443,000 in 2021 U.S. dollars.
Safety Evaluation of Changing Speed Limit from 55 mph to 60 mph on Two-Lane, Two-Way Road Segments
Authors: Saleem Taha , Srinivasan Raghavan
Published: August 2022

This paper describes the efforts to evaluate the safety impacts of increasing the speed limit from 55 mph to 60 mph on selected two-lane, two-way state highway road segments in Minnesota, U.S. An empirical Bayes (EB) before–after analysis was used to estimate crash modification factors (CMFs) for both segments (1,909.11 mi) and intersections (1,722 3-leg and 1,191 4-leg). Aggregate analysis conducted using all the segment and intersection data showed a 2.9% increase in total crashes, a 2.5% increase in injury (KABC) crashes, and a 0.05% reduction in the injury (KAB) crashes. These results—along with before-and-after operating speed data from another study by Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) (2019) showing that the 85th percentile operating speed remained the same and that the mean operating speeds increased by 1 mph following the speed limit increase—can lead to a conclusion that the speed limit increase from 55 mph to 60 mph had a minor effect on combined segment and intersection crashes or operating speeds. It is important to note that these results are specific to the corridors that were selected by MnDOT for the increase in speed limit; caution must be exercised when extending these to systemwide increases in speed limits in Minnesota or in other states, and when estimating long-term effects of speed limit increases as operating speeds can change over a longer period of time.
Transplantation of Parathyroid Hormone–Treated Achilles Tendon Promotes Meniscal Regeneration in a Rat Meniscal Defect Model
Authors: Nishino Kazuya , Hashimoto Yusuke , Nishida Yohei , Orita Kumi , Takigami Junsei , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: August 2022

Background:

Autologous tendon grafts are used for meniscal reconstruction of surgically removed knee joint meniscus. However, as meniscal reconstruction cannot prevent the progression of cartilage degeneration, additional procedures that confer meniscus-like histological properties to the transplanted tendon are required for improved outcomes.

Hypotheses:

Parathyroid hormone (PTH)(1-34) induces cartilage formation in the rat tendon, and transplantation of PTH-treated tendon promotes meniscal regeneration.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Rat Achilles tendon–derived cells were cultured with or without PTH for 28 days and stained with Alcian blue to determine chondrogenic differentiation. After 14 and 28 days of incubation, gene expression was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In an in vivo study, rat Achilles tendon was injected with PTH and then transplanted onto a medial meniscal defect. Macroscopic and histological assessments of the regenerated meniscus and of cartilage degeneration in the tibial plateau were performed at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery.

Results:

In vitro, PTH-treated cells showed better staining with Alcian blue than the control (normal medium) group. PTH1R, Col2a1, Sox9, and RUNX2 were significantly upregulated in PTH-treated cells ( P < .05). Macroscopically, the in vivo results revealed more prominent meniscal coverage and lesser progression of articular cartilage degeneration in the PTH group than in the phosphate-buffered saline–injected group. Histologically, toluidine blue staining revealed metachromasia in the PTH-injected tissue at 4 and 8 weeks. The PTH-treated regenerated meniscus showed positive immunostaining for type II collagen in the area exhibiting metachromasia. Moreover, PTH-treated tendon had an enhanced histological score compared with the untreated group at 4 and 8 weeks ( P < .05).

Conclusion:

PTH(1-34) induced cartilage formation in the rat tendon. Transplantation of PTH(1-34)–treated Achilles tendon in a rat meniscal defect model induced meniscal regeneration and preserved knee articular cartilage. Macroscopically, PTH groups showed a greater coverage of the regenerated meniscus. Histologically, the regenerated meniscus had higher cartilaginous matrix content in rats transplanted with PTH-treated tendons. PTH(1-34) stimulated tendon-derived cells to promote chondrogenic differentiation.

Clinical Relevance:

Meniscal transplantation using PTH-injected autologous tendon grafts might promote meniscal regeneration and prevent progression of cartilage degeneration by stimulating chondrogenic differentiation of tendon-derived cells.
Measurement of the NOx reduction effect on food wastewater during waste incineration
Authors: Lee Young-Jin , Kang Jun-Gu , Kwon Young-Hyun , Ko Young-Jae , Lee Won-Seok
Published: August 2022

Incineration is the most effective method for reducing the increasing waste volume. However, as the pollutants generated during incineration may cause secondary pollution, blocking them in advance is necessary. During incineration, prevention facilities are operated to reduce the amount of pollutants. Conventional selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) reduces nitrogen oxides (NO x) by injecting ammonia and urea as reducing agents. In this study, the NO x reduction effect on food wastewater (FW) was examined. In addition, the removal efficiency was compared at different concentrations of urea mixed with FW. When different concentrations of urea were injected in SNCR facilities A, B and C, NO x removal efficiencies of up to 75% were observed; with FW injection only, removal efficiency was 56%; and when both urea and FW were injected, removal efficiency was up to 79%. Although FW showed a lower NO x removal efficiency than urea, injecting both increased the efficiency. In addition, when air pollutant emissions and the incinerator temperature were analysed, we found that they could be managed without exceeding the allowed limits. However, for the injection and incineration of reducing agents, the characteristics of the incineration facility and reducing agents must be considered.
Gendered Exposure, Gendered Response: Exposure to Wartime Stressors and PTSD in Older Vietnamese War Survivors
Authors: Young Yvette , Kovnick Miles O. , Korinek Kim , Huu Minh Nguyen
Published: August 2022

Growing numbers of women in militaries worldwide, coupled with vast segments of women within war-affected populations globally, raise questions about gender as it structures trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health consequences of war. In this study, we investigate the gendered associations between early-life wartime stress exposures and PTSD symptoms in older adulthood using data from the 2018 Vietnam Health and Aging Study, a unique data set documenting multiple dimensions of health and wartime stress exposures within a sample of older adults who occupied diverse roles during the American war in Vietnam. Our results indicate that the severity of recent PTSD symptoms is significantly and positively associated with the severity of wartime stress exposure among both men and women. Vietnamese men’s social positions, particularly their predominance in combat, exposed them to more numerous war-related stressors. However, Vietnamese women experience a greater PTSD penalty associated with some wartime stress exposures, likely due to the burden of protecting family in wartime and incorporation into military and paramilitary roles with lesser preparation, training, and support than men. We conclude that women who survive major wars, both as soldiers and civilians, bear a significant burden of armed conflict’s lasting toll upon mental health.
Supporting Volunteer Well-Being Through Disaster: Perspectives and Practices of a Youth-Led Informal Crisis Volunteer Group
Authors: Nissen Sylvia , Carlton Sally , Wong Jennifer H.K.
Published: August 2022

Embedded in growing expectations for post-disaster volunteer participation are questions of volunteers’ psychological well-being. Witnessing destruction and suffering, and the intense pressures of the work itself, can place heavy demands on crisis volunteers, particularly in “informal” community groups that may lack the structure, systems, and supports embedded within “formal” disaster response organizations. This article examines how the Student Volunteer Army in Aotearoa New Zealand has negotiated volunteers’ well-being across two disaster responses: an earthquake in 2011 and terrorist attacks in 2019. We identify three interrelated practices adopted by the group to support well-being: “action” (enabling opportunities for people to engage in volunteering); “reflection” (facilitating processes of discussion and debriefing); and “connection” (creating physical space and practices to enhance social interactions). Our discussion considers the implications of multi-layered practices of support that can develop within informal crisis volunteer groups.
Nonparametric kernel estimation of the probability of cure in a mixture cure model when the cure status is partially observed
Authors: Safari Wende Clarence , López-de-Ullibarri Ignacio , Jácome María Amalia
Published: August 2022

Cure models are a class of time-to-event models where a proportion of individuals will never experience the event of interest. The lifetimes of these so-called cured individuals are always censored. It is usually assumed that one never knows which censored observation is cured and which is uncured, so the cure status is unknown for censored times. In this paper, we develop a method to estimate the probability of cure in the mixture cure model when some censored individuals are known to be cured. A cure probability estimator that incorporates the cure status information is introduced. This estimator is shown to be strongly consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. Two alternative estimators are also presented. The first one considers a competing risks approach with two types of competing events, the event of interest and the cure. The second alternative estimator is based on the fact that the probability of cure can be written as the conditional mean of the cure status. Hence, nonparametric regression methods can be applied to estimate this conditional mean. However, the cure status remains unknown for some censored individuals. Consequently, the application of regression methods in this context requires handling missing data in the response variable (cure status). Simulations are performed to evaluate the finite sample performance of the estimators, and we apply them to the analysis of two datasets related to survival of breast cancer patients and length of hospital stay of COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care.
“We think this way as a society!”: Community-level science literacy among ultra-Orthodox Jews
Authors: Taragin-Zeller Lea , Rozenblum Yael , Baram-Tsabari Ayelet
Published: August 2022

Despite growing interest in community-level science literacy, most studies focus on communities of interest who come together through particular science, environmental or health-related goals. We examine a pre-existing community—ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel—with a particular history and politics vis-à-vis science, technology, and medicine. First, we show how Haredi cosmologies and culture come together to critique science as an epistemology while engaging with science as a technology. Then, we demonstrate how community-based medical experts serve as both science-related knowledge mediators and gatekeepers. Whereas Haredi Jews are constantly critiqued for their low levels of individual secular and science education, these community-based webs of knowledge seemingly position Haredi individuals with knowledge that surpasses the average “secular” Israeli. This case study develops unique analytical tools in the growing field of community-level science literacy, while pushing forward conversations about self-ascribed experts, knowledge gatekeeping, and the socio-political contexts of group critiques of science.
Book review: Heidi M. Neck and Yipewng Liu, Innovation in Global Entrepreneurship Education: Teaching Entrepreneurship in Practice
Authors: Mishra Ashutosh
Published: August 2022

Heidi M. Neck and Yipewng Liu, Innovation in Global Entrepreneurship Education: Teaching Entrepreneurship in Practice. Edward Elgar Publication, 2021, 305 pp.
Book review: Rajiv G. Agarwal, Family Business Management
Authors: Shrivastava Umesh
Published: August 2022

Rajiv G. Agarwal, Family Business Management. SAGE Publications, 2022, 270 pp.
Effect of an Educational Intervention on Nurses’ Competency in the Neonatal Unit of a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ike Elizabeth Urenna , Oluwatosin Oyeninhun Abimbola
Published: August 2022

Background:

Clinical competency of nurses has been identified to be vital in making the difference between survival and death of neonates. Continuing education (CE) is essential to enhance the competency of nurses. This study aims to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on nurses’ competency as regards their knowledge, attitude, and practices of neonatal care in a teaching hospital in Ogun State.

Methods:

A quasi experimental one (1) group pre- and postintervention design was used. Purposive sampling of all registered nurses working in the neonatal unit of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu Ogun State was utilized. Two tools were used for data collection: a semi-structured questionnaire and nurses’ clinical performance observational checklist. Data were collected before and 2 weeks after educational intervention. Data collected was managed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20 software. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze and present variables. Inferential statistics of student t test was employed for hypotheses testing at P ≤ .05.

Result:

Nurses’ knowledge and practice improved at postintervention. Knowledge mean score at pretest was 35.21 (±6.33) which increased to 43.74 (±3.30) in the posttest (t = −7.33, P = .000). Practice mean score at pretest was 32.7 (±6.04) which increased to 44.8 (±7.22) postintervention (t = 7.26, P = .000). However, no significant difference was observed between the attitude of nurses regarding care of neonates pretest 71.0 (±7.15) and posttest 71.1 (±13.5) (t = 0.04, P = .968). Overall, there is a significant difference in the nurses’ competency score at pretest 192.21 (±20.23) and posttest 203.79 (±4.78) (t = −2.21, P = .040). Majority (94.7%) of the nurses agreed that CE would facilitate their competent in the care of neonates in neonatal units while 31.6% established that financial constraint was a barrier to attending CE to improve themselves.

Conclusion:

Implementation of educational program for nurses working in the neonatal unit improved their competency toward neonatal care. It is recommended that CE and training programs should be organized for nurses on a regular basis to sustain their competency.
Is the Nasolabial Region Symmetric in Individuals With Cleft Lip and Palate?
Authors: Dindaroglu Furkan , Dogan Ege , Dogan Servet
Published: August 2022

Objective

To assess the nasolabial symmetry in smile and resting position in individuals with nonsyndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and compare with Class I individuals without cleft lip and palate (CLP).

Materials and Methods

Frontal photographs of 40 individuals with UCLP (mean age 14.30 ± 0.25 years; 20 female, 20 male) and 40 skeletal Class I individuals without CLP (mean age 14.60 ± 0.34 years; 20 female and 20 male) were examined. Bland–Altman Levels of Agreements, Mann–Whitney U test, independent sample t-test were conducted, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for statistical analysis.

Results

Differences in the transverse lip distance (d-d’) and vertical lip height at crista philtri (e-e’) were lesser in the UCLP group at smile ( P = .001; P = .005, respectively). When comparing the differences in these measurements at rest between control and UCLP groups, vertical lip height was longer at crista philtri (e-e’) ( P = .014), crista philtri was more laterally located (f-f’) ( P = .002), and the transverse lip distance was greater (d-d’) ( P = .004) in the UCLP group. Distance of the crista philtri to the midline of the face (f-f’) ( P = .007) were higher in the UCLP group during smiling compared to control group.

Conclusions

Nasolabial region asymmetry in smiling and rest position in individuals with UCLP was significantly different from the control group. However, the asymmetry in the nasolabial region, which is more evident in the resting position in individuals with UCLP, decreases during smiling.
LDL Reduction and Risk of Diabetes in Veteran Statin Users
Authors: Gross Michaela , Schwartz Skai W. , Sebastião Yuri V. , Alman Amy , Salemi Jason L. , Ghimire-Aryal Pragati , Foulis Philip
Published: August 2022

Background:

While statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, there is controversy regarding a potentially causal link with incident diabetes mellitus (DM). This association may partially be due to confounding by indication; since prescription guidelines encourage statin use among those diagnosed with DM, this may encourage their prescription among those with elevated blood glucose in the absence of DM diagnosis.

Objective:

The study examined the association between low-density lipoprotein (LDL) reduction following initiation of statin use and new-onset DM among veterans.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. Patients with a visit between January 2007 and December 2011 were selected from the Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture system. Individuals were classified into categories of statin usage based on LDL reduction percentages and frequency-matched with controls. The primary outcome of interest was incident DM.

Results:

There was a significant association between LDL reduction and DM which was higher in lower LDL reduction groups (low response hazard ratio [HR]: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.79; moderate response HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.45; high response HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.74, 2.07).

Conclusion and Relevance:

This association may partially be explained by potential lifestyle modifications individuals may make when prescribed a statin which may reduce their risk of DM independent of the statin usage. This research has demonstrated a protective association between greater LDL reduction and DM at the individual level while reenforcing the evidence of an association between statin usage and DM.