bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvements to the Land Surface Air Temperature Reconstruction in NOAAGlobalTemp: An Artificial Neural Network Approach
Authors: Huang Boyin , Yin Xungang , Menne Matthew J. , Vose Russell , Zhang Huai-Min
Published: September 2022

NOAA global surface temperature (NOAAGlobalTemp) is NOAA’s operational global surface temperature product, which has been widely used in Earth’s climate assessment and monitoring. To improve the spatial interpolation of monthly land surface air temperatures (LSATs) in NOAAGlobalTemp from 1850 to 2020, a three-layer artificial neural network (ANN) system was designed. The ANN system was trained by repeatedly randomly selecting 90% of the LSATs from ERA5 (1950–2019) and validating with the remaining 10%. Validations show clear improvements of ANN over the original empirical orthogonal teleconnection (EOT) method: the global spatial correlation coefficient (SCC) increases from 65% to 80%, and the global root-mean-square difference (RMSD) decreases from 0.99° to 0.57°C during 1850–2020. The improvements of SCCs and RMSDs are larger in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere and are larger before the 1950s and where observations are sparse. The ANN system was finally fed in observed LSATs, and its output over the global land surface was compared with those from the EOT method. Comparisons demonstrate similar improvements by ANN over the EOT method: The global SCC increased from 78% to 89%, the global RMSD decreased from 0.93° to 0.68°C, and the LSAT variability quantified by the monthly standard deviation (STD) increases from 1.16° to 1.41°C during 1850–2020. While the SCC, RMSD, and STD at the monthly time scale have been improved, long-term trends remain largely unchanged because the low-frequency component of LSAT in ANN is identical to that in the EOT approach.

Significance Statement

The spatial interpolation method of an artificial neural network has greatly improved the accuracy of land surface air temperature reconstruction, which reduces root-mean-square error and increases spatial coherence and variabilities over the global land surface from 1850 to 2020.
Distinctive Rainfall Evolutions in East Asia between Super and Regular El Niño Events during Their Decaying Summers
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Li Tim , Yao Suxiang
Published: September 2022

While enhanced rainbands progressed northward in East Asia from June to August during the regular El Niño decaying summer, strengthened rainbands were only observed in the earlier summer and disappeared in August in the super El Niño composite. The cause of this distinctive feature is investigated through a combined observational and modeling study. The relative roles of the mean state and anomalous heating in causing the northward progression in the regular El Niño group are assessed through idealized numerical experiments. The result shows that the monthly evolving mean state is more important, while the anomalous forcing also plays a role. The distinctive rainfall feature in the super El Niño composite was primarily contributed by the 1982/83 and 2015/16 events, whereas the rainband evolution in 1998 resembled the regular El Niño composite. The cause of the different rainfall pattern in August among the super El Niño events is further investigated. A marked difference exists in the tropical sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) and associated anomalous precipitation patterns. A low-level cyclonic (anticyclonic) anomaly appeared south of Japan in August 1983 and 2016 (1998), inducing northerly (southerly) anomalies and thus suppressed (enhanced) rainfall in eastern China. Whereas an anomalous anticyclone in the western North Pacific (WNP) is a typical response to an El Niño during its mature and decaying phases, the formation of a cyclonic anomaly in the WNP resulted from anomalous enthalpy advection associated with the eastward retreat of an anomalous anticyclone triggered by a local cold SSTA belt in August 1983 and from a Pacific meridional mode (PMM)-like positive SSTA pattern in August 2016.
Life Cycle of Major Sudden Stratospheric Warmings in the Southern Hemisphere from a Multimillennial GCM Simulation
Authors: Jucker Martin , Reichler Thomas
Published: September 2022

Sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are rare in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), making it difficult to study possible precursors or subsequent impacts. Using a multimillennial coupled climate model simulation producing 161 SSWs in the SH, we present a detailed study of their life cycle. We show that SH SSWs are predominantly displacement events forced by wave-1 planetary waves, and that a surface signature similar to the negative phase of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is detectable up to two months before the onset date, but there is a tendency for a transition from wave 1 before to zonally symmetric anomalies after onset. We identify a strong weakening of the Amundsen Sea low as one of the most prominent precursors, which weakens the climatological wave-2 and wave-3 stationary waves and strengthens wave-1 forcing. Compared to their northern counterparts, SH SSWs generally have a longer time scale, and while there is evidence of pre-onset forcing related to tropical sea surface temperatures, the Indian Ocean dipole is more important than El Niño–Southern Oscillation.

Significance Statement

Sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are extreme events where the winter polar stratosphere warms within a few days to temperatures usually only experienced in summer. These events are rare in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, both the observational record and standard climate model simulations are not enough to understand how SSWs develop, or how they might change surface weather. Here we use very long global climate simulations that produce a large number of SSWs in the Southern Hemisphere to study the development and impact of these events. This includes possible precursors as well as the influence they have on surface weather after they occur.
Thurgood Marshall, Hero of American Medicine
Authors: Nakayama Don K.
Published: September 2022

One of the heroes in American history, Associate Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) sought legal remedies against racial discrimination in education and health care. As director of the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) of NAACP from 1940 to 1961, his success in integrating law schools in Texas led to the first black medical student admitted to a state medical school in the South. Representing doctors and dentists needing a facility to perform surgery, the LDF brought cases before the courts in North Carolina that moved the country toward justice in health care. His ultimate legal victory came in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the decision that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. In 1964, the LDF under Jack Greenberg, Marshall’s successor as director, won Simkins v. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, a decision that held that hospitals accepting federal funds had to admit black patients. The two decisions laid the judicial foundation for the laws and administrative acts that changed America’s racial history, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965 that established Medicare and Medicaid. His achievements came during the hottest period of the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Well past the middle of the twentieth century, black Americans were denied access to the full resources of American medicine, locked in a “separate-but-equal” system woefully inadequate in every respect. In abolishing segregation, Marshall initiated the long overdue remedy of the unjust legacies of slavery and Jim Crow.
Preventing the Early Introduction of Juice and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Infants’ Diets: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Golova Natalia , Eskander Jessica , Pho Alyssa , Chu Tzu-Chun , Murillo Anarina L. , Friedman Jennifer F. , Musial Sandra
Published: September 2022

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine whether a simple educational intervention targeting parents of young infants could have an impact on the consumption of juice and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in early childhood and decrease overweight and obesity rates. Parents of 2- to 4-month-old infants were randomized into intervention (n = 67) and control (n = 77) groups. Parents completed questionnaires about juice and SSB consumption and knowledge at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Intervention parents received informational handouts and watched videos about the health effects of juice and SSBs. Knowledge about juice increased significantly in the intervention group compared with control ( P < .01) and was significantly higher in black/African American parents ( P < .05) and those with some college education ( P < .05). The intervention had a significant impact on the knowledge gained by parents about the health effects of juice and SSBs but did not decrease the consumption of sugary drinks or change children’s weight status.
Life satisfaction, skills diffusion, and the Japan Paradox: Toward multidisciplinary research on the skills trap
Authors: Araki Satoshi
Published: September 2022

Recent research argues skills are the key to socio-economic success for individuals and societies, ranging from labor market outcomes to non-economic well-being. Drawing on these arguments, this study re-examines the linkage between the skills level of societies and people’s life satisfaction (LS), using the joint European Values Study–World Values Survey data for 48,930 individuals in 32 countries. Multilevel regressions confirm the positive association between these two variables, as suggested by the literature. However, there exists one outlier where the average LS score is markedly low despite its high skills level: Japan. Examining the mechanism behind this overall cross-national trend and Japan’s peculiar position—Japan Paradox—is a promising agenda for future multidisciplinary research, as it may reflect not only the favorable link between skills and LS but the hidden socio-economic structure—Skills Trap—that prevents highly skilled people from enjoying better well-being even under seemingly well-developed social conditions.
Difficult texts: the crime of bestiality (Exodus 22.19)
Authors: Phillips Anthony
Published: September 2022

Comparison of Exodus 22.19 with the later legislation of Leviticus 20.15–16 raises a number of difficulties as to how the former text should be interpreted. It is suggested that this sole sexual crime in the Book of the Covenant was designed to prevent a physical union with Yahweh through intercourse with a sacrificial animal.
Social mix and the city: Council housing and neighbourhood income inequality in Vienna
Authors: Premrov Tamara , Schnetzer Matthias
Published: September 2022

The Austrian capital of Vienna is widely acknowledged as one of the most livable cities, featuring a unique model of council housing that accounts for roughly 25% of all residential dwellings. This paper studies whether the broad provision of council housing is linked with a higher social mix in the neighbourhood. The analysis is based on administrative wage tax data at a small-scale raster grid of 500 × 500 meter with neighbourhood income inequality as an indicator for the social mix. While council housing is widely spread across the city, we find distinct spatial clusters of high and low income and inequality. Spatial econometric models show that council housing in Vienna is associated with lower income areas but slightly correlates with higher neighbourhood income inequality. These findings suggest that well-designed public housing policies may contribute to a higher social mix in a city.
At war or saving lives? On the securitizing semantic repertoires of Covid-19
Authors: Baele Stephane J , Rousseau Elise
Published: September 2022

This paper offers a multi-dimensional analysis of the ways and extent to which the US president and UK prime minister have securitized the Covid-19 pandemic in their public speeches. This assessment rests on, and illustrates the merits of, both an overdue theoretical consolidation of Securitization Theory’s (ST) conceptualization of securitizing language, and a new methodological blueprint for the study of ‘securitizing semantic repertoire’. Comparing and contrasting the two leaders’ respective securitizing semantic repertoires adopted in the early months of the coronavirus outbreak shows that securitizing language, while very limited, has been more intense in the UK, whose repertoire was structured by a biopolitical imperative to ‘save lives’ in contrast to the US repertoire centred on the ‘war’ metaphor.
Entrapped Malecot catheter removal: Our experience
Authors: Hegde Ganesh , Sharma Praveen , Lekhadia Utkarsh , Gopani Srushti , Kandoi Nilay
Published: September 2022

Some surgeons use a Malecot catheter for drainage of intra-abdominal or mediastinal collections. These tubes are usually removed after 2–3 weeks. If left later, they may become entrapped due to the ingrowing of tissue, and fibrosis within the flower-like tip of the Malecot’s catheter. Its removal then needs careful manipulation to prevent organ damage. We present our experience in ensuring the safe removal of such entrapped Malecot's catheters in liver abscess patients.
Understanding Bureaucratic Involution through Weber’s Bureaucracy: China’s Central Inspection Teams in Practice
Authors: Jiang Zhengyang
Published: September 2022

Max Weber came to see his “rational bureaucracy” as also something of an “iron cage.” The reliance on regularized paperwork can result in a separation of the administrative procedure from actual substance, and the level-by-level transmission of documents can result in the resolution of problems on paper only. The complex specialized and standardized procedures of the formal, hierarchical bureaucracy are therefore often ineffective because they have lost touch with reality. In China, the problem of the “involution” of public power found by central inspection teams 中央巡视组 during the course of their inspections is in essence the “formalist” 形式主义 response of bureaucracy when supervised and reviewed. Weber believed that the iron cage of bureaucracy, or the irrationality of rationality, needs an outside “charismatic” authority to check and counterbalance it. The practice of the central inspection teams, however, shows how bureaucratic organizations only further intensify formalism to preserve themselves in the face of such outside authority. That is to say, if the charismatic authority does not break through the trap of bureaucratized patterns of thought and behavior, the iron cage will only be further strengthened and perpetuated.
A Study of Improving Independent Walking Outcomes in Children Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision Aged 5 Years and Younger
Authors: Ambrose-Zaken Grace
Published: September 2022

Walking alone (without assistance) is considered by the World Health Organization as the terminal independent walking milestone, typically achieved by 18 months. Children born with severe visual impairment and blindness (visual impairments) do not achieve independent walking milestones on time. This study examined independent walking in 35 children with visual impairments (VIs) aged 14–69 months. Before treatment, they had limited to no anticipatory control. Wearing the pediatric belt cane (PBC) provided them with consistent, tactile anticipatory control. Thirty-five participants with VIs’ independent walking milestones were analyzed using pre- and post-video recordings provided weekly 1 month before and the 3 months after obtaining the PBC. The PBC consisted of a rectangular frame that connects to a custom-made belt with magnets. The PBC provided no weight support. While none of the participants had motor impairments, 80% of them were receiving physical therapy services prior to obtaining a PBC. Fifty-four percent were receiving orientation and mobility services, and half were equipped with hand-held mobility tools (long canes, adaptive mobility devices, push toys, and reverse walkers). A paired samples t-test indicated a significant difference between the before and with PBC scores ( N = 35, t = −13.0, df = 34, p = .000). Participants demonstrated significantly improved independent walking after wearing their PBC regularly over 3 months. Before PBC, the participants demonstrated delayed independent walking milestones. Most participants walked only with assistance. Those who walked independently experienced unavoidable bodily collisions and used a slow pace with poor gait patterns. After being provided PBCs, these same participants’ independent walking milestones improved, all but three were walking independently and five were observed independently running. Wearing their PBCs allowed them to perform motor skills, like running, often described as needing to be specifically taught to learners with VIs due to their inability to learn incidentally through visual observation.
A Study on the Design Procedure of Three-Dimensional Printable Tactile Graphics for Individuals With Visual Impairments
Authors: Wu Chih-Fu , Wu Hsiang-Ping , Tu Yung-Hsiang , Yeh I-Ting , Chang Chin-Te
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Three-dimensional (3D) printing can be used to produce tactile teaching materials for individuals with visual impairments. Although 3D and 2.5D teaching materials are based on realistic content, no systematic conversion model for 2D materials exists. Here, we combined the previous findings and this study's results and technology to develop procedure recommendations for tactile-graphic design. Methods: We enrolled 19 participants with congenital blindness to identify and name the tactile graphics. The tactile graphic design involved height differences, materials, and operation zone areas. We recorded the identification time, accuracy, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration–Task Load Index assessment performance and conducted a three-way analysis of the variance to investigate the interactions. Results: A larger area resulted in a better performance in seconds; model 3 (high lines and low planes) under large areas obtained the lowest speed and accuracy performances. Large areas were associated with a better intelligent load, physical load, mental load, and self-performance scores. Model 1 (equal line and plane heights) yielded better physical-load performance. Model 3 was found to be superior when thermoplastic elastomers were used under large areas. Discussion: Larger area ratios could increase the identification performance. As model 3 is not recommended, model 1 was found to be better than model 4 (non-operation-guiding zones become planes) in terms of physical load. Model 2 (low lines and high planes) required more time than model 1; hence model 1 is recommended. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) materials such as FDM_TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) increases the identification steps and should not be used first. The FDM_PLA (polylactic acid) platform is inexpensive and easier to operate than stereolithography (SLA) materials such as SLA_ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene); hence FDM_PLA is recommended. Implications for Practitioners: When designing the graphics, a plan view photograph of the object can be obtained for delineating the contours first. Adjustments should be made after confirming the presentation model. The graphic may then be transferred for 3D printing with PLA materials.
Targeted Double Scoring of Performance Tasks Using a Decision-Theoretic Approach
Authors: Sinharay Sandip , Johnson Matthew S. , Wang Wei , Miao Jing
Published: September 2022

Targeted double scoring, or, double scoring of only some (but not all) responses, is used to reduce the burden of scoring performance tasks for several mastery tests (Finkelman, Darby, & Nering, 2008). An approach based on statistical decision theory (e.g., Berger, 1989; Ferguson, 1967; Rudner, 2009) is suggested to evaluate and potentially improve upon the existing strategies in targeted double scoring for mastery tests. An application of the approach to data from an operational mastery test shows that a refinement of the currently used strategy would lead to substantial cost savings.
Envy Influences Interpersonal Dynamics and Team Performance: Roles of Gender Congruence and Collective Team Identification
Authors: Tai Kenneth , Keem Sejin , Lee Ki Young , Kim Eugene
Published: September 2022

Our research extends past envy research by considering how envy and gender congruence shape interpersonal dynamics at the dyadic level and their bottom-up effects for team performance. Integrating social comparison theory and social identity theory, we examine when and how dyadic level envy influences team performance. Using time-lagged data from 428 dyads of 161 employees in 51 teams, our results show that envious employees are likely to engage in interpersonal deviance directed toward envied team members and that envied employees are likely to seek advice from envious team members. Gender congruence further influences these relationships, with different patterns for males and females. Specifically, while envious male employees are more likely to engage in interpersonal deviance toward envied male team members (i.e., male–male dyads), envied female team members are more likely to ask envious female employees for advice (i.e., female–female dyads). Interpersonal dynamics involving envy have performance implications, such that team performance is worse where envious employees are more likely to engage in interpersonal deviance directed toward envied team members, in comparison to teams where this relationship is weaker. Finally, collective team identification mitigates the negative effect of envious employees’ interpersonal deviance on team performance.
Human rotavirus VP4 and VP7 genetic diversity and detection of GII norovirus in Ibadan as Nigeria introduces rotavirus vaccine
Authors: Maina Meshach Maunta , Faneye Adedayo Omotayo , Motayo Babatunde Olanrewaju , Nseabasi-Maina Ntung , Adeniji Adekunle Johnson
Published: September 2022

Objective

This cross-sectional study investigated the circulating strains of rotavirus and screened for noravirus in Ibadan, Nigeria as the country introduces the rotavirus vaccine into its national immunization program.

Methods

Sixty-five stool samples were collected from children younger than 5 years with clinically diagnosed diarrhea and screened for the presence of rotavirus and norovirus using RT-PCR. Rotavirus-positive samples were further analyzed to determine the G and P genotypes using semi-nested multiplex PCR.

Results

The rates of rotavirus and norovirus positivity were 30.8% and 10.8%, respectively, whereas the rate of rotavirus and norovirus mixed infection was 4.6%. G1 was the predominant VP7 genotype, followed by G2, G9, and G1G2G9, whereas the predominant VP4 genotype was P[4], followed by P[6], P[8], and P[9]. The mixed P types P[4]P[8] and P[4]P[6] were also detected. G1P[4] was the most common VP4 and VP7 combination, followed by G2P[4], G1[P6], G1P[8], G2P[6], G2P[9], G9P[6], G2G9P[4], G2P[4]P[6], G1P[4]P[8], G2G9P[8], G1G2G9P[8], and G1[non-typable] P[non-typable], which were detected in at least 5% of the samples. Four samples had a combination of non-typable G and P types.

Conclusions

It is essential to monitor the circulation of virus strains prior to and during the implementation of the immunization program.
The toxicokinetics of acute paraquat poisoning in specific patients: a case series
Authors: Shi Longke , Yu Guangcai , Li Yaqian , Zhao Liwen , Wen Zixin , Tao Yiming , Wang Wenjun , Jian Xiangdong
Published: September 2022

Paraquat is a non-selective contact herbicide that is absorbed through the digestive tract and skin and can cause multiple organ damage. The toxicokinetics of paraquat poisoning in specific patients are rarely reported. Case 1 was a 76-year-old man who intermittently immersed his perineum in diluted paraquat solution for 3 consecutive days because of eczema of the perineal skin. On admission, the patient’s scrotal skin was severely corroded and his blood paraquat concentration was 0.5 μg/mL. He developed severe kidney and lung damage after admission and died on Day 6 of admission. Case 2 was a 23-year-old woman who ingested paraquat during gestational week 36. Her initial blood paraquat concentration was 0.81 μg/mL. The patient refused hemoperfusion and a cesarean section. She birthed a baby girl 83 hours after ingesting paraquat. Paraquat concentrations in postnatal maternal blood, fetal blood, umbilical cord blood, and amniotic fluid were 0.19 μg/mL, 0.23 μg/mL, 0.20 μg/mL, and 0.47 μg/mL, respectively. The baby died within hours of birth and the mother died of refractory respiratory failure 2 days after delivery. This paper provides clues about paraquat toxicokinetics in specific patient types and indicates that paraquat can be absorbed through the scrotal skin and the placental barrier.
Quality of life aspects of a low protein diet using GMP in patients with phenylketonuria
Authors: Bensi Giulia , Carbone Maria Teresa , Schiaffino Maria Cristina , Parolisi Sara , Pozzoli Angela , Biasucci Giacomo
Published: September 2022

Objective

To assess some quality of life (QOL) aspects of a low protein diet, using glycomacropeptide (GMP) as a protein substitute in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU).

Methods

This was a multicentre, prospective observational cohort, study. Metabolic control, nutritional parameters, and dietary adherence were assessed in patients with PKU before (T0), and six months after (T6) starting a low protein diet using GMP. Selected items from the PKU-QOL questionnaire were used to assess patients’ acceptance of their modified diet.

Results

18 patients from three Italian Centres, completed the study. With the exception of LDL-cholesterol and vitamin 25OH-D concentrations, there were no differences between T0 and T6 in metabolic or nutritional parameters. Data suggested that patients have a good acceptance of protein substitutes containing GMP, probably because of their improved palatability.

Conclusions

According to our patients’ responses to items related to dietary regimen, GMP based protein substitutes do not appear to significantly affect QOL.
Multiple logics in financialisation? Moving to carbon sustainability in build-to-rent development
Authors: Wainwright Thomas , Demirel Pelin
Published: September 2022

Real-estate has become an integral part of financialised economies, but while scholars have turned to examine the emergence of carbon markets, the role of carbon in real-estate finance has been broadly overlooked. Real-estate as a sector has been historically slow to innovate, particularly in response to pressure from climate change. More recently, the attitude of UK build-to-rent (BTR) developers to carbon is changing, partly due to global initiatives including the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), but also pressure from institutional investors. In this paper, we provide nuanced insight into the emergence of new logics within financialisation's governance in the UK BTR sector and examine how investors attempt to steer developers into adopting low carbon building materials and designs, while identifying barriers. First, we highlight the multiplicity of financialisation's logics wrapped within assets, highlighting the presence of a carbon logic, which creates pressure for low-carbon activity. Second, we contribute to debates on assetisation and financialisation by examining the tools and knowledge used to create low-carbon real-estate assets, and how carbon attributes are ‘retrofitted’ into existing asset classes.
Reviewing Petty Commodity Production: Toward a Unified Marxist Conception
Authors: Yadav Srishti
Published: September 2022

This article reviews three veins of contributions on contemporary petty commodity production in Marxian political economy, with reference to India. Through a comparative analysis of the works of Henry Bernstein, Kalyan Sanyal, and Barbara Harriss-White, the article maps areas of commonality and contestation between the three theoretical constructions and makes a case for the merits of Harriss-White’s framework over others.

JEL Classification: B510, O170
The Politics of Prevention: Polarization in How Workplace COVID-19 Safety Practices Shaped the Well-Being of Frontline Service Sector Workers
Authors: Woods Tyler , Schneider Daniel , Harknett Kristen
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped the labor market, especially for service sector workers. Frontline service sector workers, already coping with precarious working conditions, faced proximate risks of COVID-19 transmission on the job and navigated new workplace safety measures, including masking, social distancing, and staying home while sick, all in a polarized political environment. We examine polarization in the effects of COVID-19 workplace safety measures on workers’ feelings of safety and well-being. Specifically, we examine how support for former President Trump moderates the relationship between COVID-19 safety practices (masking, social distancing, staying home while sick) and workers’ feelings of safety and well-being. To do so, we draw on novel data collected by The Shift Project from 2,039 service sector workers at 89 large firms during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that workplace safety measures are positively associated with workers’ self-assessments of feeling safe and with mental health, but only for Biden voters.
The Relationship Between Cognition and Mortality Among Older Black and White Men in Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly
Authors: Thorpe Roland J. , Huang Alison , Smail Emily , Clay Olivio J. , Dean Lorraine , Aiken-Morgan Adrienne , Gellert Andrew , Rebok George W.
Published: September 2022

Objective: To determine the association between baseline cognition and all-cause mortality among Black men and White men. Methods: Data were from 614 Black and White men aged ≥65 years at baseline in the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly trial and their linked mortality information. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association between baseline cognition (memory, reasoning, speed of processing, Mini Mental State Exam) and mortality risk over 20 years, adjusting for covariates. Results: Among White men, higher performance on the memory composite measure was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89–0.98), whereas the other cognitive measures were not associated with all-cause mortality risk. Among Black men, none of the cognitive measures was associated with all-cause mortality risk. Discussion: There is a need for future work to recruit and retain a larger sample of older Black men to better understand the cognition-mortality relationship.
Graduate employability concerns amidst a crisis: Student perspectives from Singapore on COVID-19
Authors: Tan Eunice , Mwagwabi Florence , Lim Tania , Lim Amy
Published: September 2022

With the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, global economies continue to face uncertainties, widespread workforce volatility and employment challenges. During a sustained crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, university students’ self-perceptions about their employability and future career choices in their chosen industry sectors may be affected. Therefore, this study investigates graduate employability concerns and the perceptions of undergraduate students regarding employment prospects and future job security confidence in their disciplines’ industry sectors in light of this global crisis. Through the employment of a mixed methods design, the study investigates the perceptions of graduating students from three disciplines in Singapore: Tourism, Communications and Information Technology. The findings indicate that COVID-19 had a positive impact on perceptions of jobs that could be performed from home and those in essential services. Concurrently, there were notable variances in the students’ perceptions regarding career prospects and job security confidence across the three disciplines with regard to the impact of the crisis on their industry sectors in general and themselves individually.
A generative model for path synthesis of four-bar linkages via uniform sampling dataset
Authors: Yu Sheng-Chia , Chang Yuan , Lee Jyh-Jone
Published: September 2022

Solving the problem of path synthesis for four-bar linkages via either analytical or numerical algorithms may entail issues such as mechanism defects and the need to guess at initial values. Recently, methods for solving such problems using neural network-based schemes show that these issues can be avoided. Despite the success in resolving the issues, there exist areas for further enhancement of the accuracy of the neural network-based scheme. In this work, a learning-based framework including preprocessing, data generation, and model training for the path synthesis of four-bar linkages is presented. The preprocessing starts by regenerating the target path with evenly distributed points along the path, followed by the normalization of the shape and feature extraction. For data generation, unsupervised learning, that is, K-means clustering, is employed to uniformly adjust the distribution of paths of different shapes in the dataset so that robustness of the model can be achieved. As for model training, models based on datasets of different classes of four-bar linkage as well as a classifier to determine the suitable generative model for the target path are constructed. Finally, several examples, including closed and open paths, are illustrated to verify the effectiveness of the framework.
Torque vectoring control of a hybrid drive vehicle to enhance vehicle agility and stability
Authors: Cha Hyunsoo , Joa Eunhyek , Park Kwanwoo , Park Jaeyong , Yi Kyongsu
Published: September 2022

This paper presents a torque vectoring algorithm that enhances the agility and stability of a hybrid drive vehicle that is a rear-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with two front in-wheel motors and an open differential at the rear axle. Vehicle agility and stability are closely related to the understeer gradient and the yaw rate damping coefficient. Based on this relation, the proposed torque vectoring algorithm is designed to modify the two cornering characteristics using steady-state and transient control inputs, each input with its respective purpose. Firstly, the steady-state control input improves vehicle agility by reducing the vehicle understeer gradient. Secondly, the transient control input improves the lateral stability by increasing the yaw rate damping coefficient. The effects of the proposed algorithm on vehicle dynamic responses are analyzed to select proper design parameter values for the algorithm. The proposed algorithm has been validated via both computer simulations and vehicle tests. From the simulation results, the proposed control algorithm showed better control performance compared to that of the sliding mode based yaw rate controllers, fulfilling the objectives of the steady-state and transient control strategies. The vehicle tests have been conducted with the algorithm implemented in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with two front in-wheel motors. The vehicle test results show that the proposed algorithm can provide superior performance in enhancing vehicle agility and stability compared to that of the uncontrolled case.
Use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists for ovarian preservation in patients receiving cyclophosphamide for systemic lupus erythematosus: A meta-analysis
Authors: Ejaz Komal , Abid Dania , Juneau Paul , Chu Jun , Hasni Sarfaraz
Published: September 2022

Background

Cyclophosphamide (CYC) has known cytotoxic effects on ovarian reserve and has been linked to premature ovarian failure (POF) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The concurrent use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHas) is postulated to preserve ovarian function by reducing the number of follicles exposed to CYC, but there is paucity of data to establish its efficacy. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the effect of concurrent GnRHa use in persevering ovarian function and pregnancy.

Methods

English language databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched to include studies published between 2000 and 2021. Studies in females with rheumatic diseases receiving concurrent GnRHa and CYC therapy to evaluate ovarian preservation as defined by amenorrhea, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), or estradiol levels or successful pregnancy were included. We used a fixed effect, exact, Mantel-Haenszel approach to estimate the overall odds ratio (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Results

Seven studies with 218 female patients were included. The ovarian function was preserved in 125/132 (94.6%) of women who received GnRHa concurrently with CYC compared to 50/86 (58%) of women who did not receive GnRHa (OR = 10.3, CI = 4.83–36.29). The OR for pregnancy with GnRHa use = 2.94 (CI = 1.04–9.89).

Conclusion

Our results based on limited published studies suggest that concurrent GnRHa use preserves ovarian function and increase odds of pregnancy. It can be considered for premenopausal SLE females receiving CYC. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to establish the efficacy and safety of GnRHa use for ovarian preservation.
Unlocking the Methodology of Escape Rooms: Considerations for Conducting Applied Escape Rooms in Research
Authors: Griggs Andrew C. , Lazzara Elizabeth H. , Doherty Shawn M. , Keebler Joseph R. , Gewertz Bruce L. , Cohen Tara N.
Published: September 2022

Background

Teams are the foundation of modern organizations. Many organizations are interested in interventions to bolster the effectiveness of their workforce. One viable intervention is an escape room. Escape rooms are engaging, team-based activities that require individuals to work together to complete multiple tasks in a limited amount of time.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide ten considerations that are relevant to leveraging escape rooms as a means for data collection. Specifically, we offer guidance regarding pilot testing, equipment set-up, participant recruitment, briefing participants, progress monitoring, hints, room maintenance, data maintenance and analysis, and revising the room and study.

Conclusion

The considerations provided in this article can assist researchers when attempting to employ an escape room as a mechanism to collect data.
Orofacial Deformities in 3 Related Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) Resembling Human Binder’s Syndrome
Authors: Goldschmidt Beatriz , Bouzon Aline C. , Meireles Bárbara C. S. , Soares Carlos A. , Leal Gabriel M. , Cordeiro Natalia F. G.
Published: September 2022

Binder’s syndrome is a rare congenital deformity characterized by midface hypoplasia, particularly around the nasomaxillary area. Genetic etiology or developmental failure caused by prenatal exposure to teratological agents has been considered. In this article, we present 3 related rhesus monkeys born with orofacial deformities similar to those found in infants with the Binder phenotype. For the first time, a primate biomodel for this condition is presented. The clinical description and association with management and environmental factors are discussed. These findings reinforce the knowledge about the relationship between possible vitamin K metabolism interference and Binder’s syndrome.
Reasons to Say Farewell
Authors: Marshall Bruce D.
Published: September 2022

For Paul Molnar, “A Catholic Appraisal” unfairly holds Barth to be inconsistent in claiming that God has his being in his act of revelation, and he shows that Barth often says the opposite of this. This does not resolve the inconsistency, but simply makes it more apparent. For Paul Hinlicky, the essay unfairly assumes that Barth needs to be consistent in the first place. Reflection on the law of identity shows how unfruitful it is for theologians to think they can dispense with basic logical truths. The essay concludes with arguments on the saving significance of baptism, the human refusal of God, and what theology can accomplish, in response to Katherine Sonderegger.
Boundary lubrication and super lubricity, textured surfaces
Authors: Kudish Ilya I , Volkov Sergei S
Published: September 2022

Over last couple of decades, various regimes of lubrication attracted lots of attention. Among these regimes of lubrication, the least understood and studied are the regimes or boundary lubrication and lubricity. Better understanding these regimes of lubrication is necessary due to the fact that many moving joints such as, for example, bearings and gears at least part of their operating time work in these regimes. It may occur due to slow motion of counter parts or their relative overload. This paper proposes a model for analysis of these regimes of lubrication. Specifically, the model takes into account roughness of one of the contact surfaces. It is shown that for sufficiently high applied load it can be expected that contact surfaces are completely separated by a lubricant layer in spite of the presence of surface asperities. The definitions of boundary lubrication regimes and super lubricity are proposed. A method based on the method of matched asymptotic expansions is applied for analyzing such cases and an approximate analytical solution of the problem away from the contact region boundary is found. In the narrow inlet and exit zones adjacent to contact boundaries equations describing the main solution terms are derived. For the case of super lubricity, a resemblance of a superposition between the lubrication and surface roughness effects is determined and the effect of surface roughness on the lubrication film thickness is considered. Specifically, certain roughness conditions are identified for which the lubrication film thickness can be higher than for smooth surfaces while in other cases it can be lower. For the super lubricity regimes, the equations for the main pressure asymptotic terms in the inlet and exit zones are reduced to the corresponding equations for the smooth (not rough) surfaces for which a series of numerical solutions is obtained earlier. A general analysis of the effect of texturing on lubrication conditions in case of super lubricity is conducted based on a simple geometric criterion. Several models of textured surfaces and their influence on the lubrication film thickness in case of super lubricity regimes are considered.
Providing Physical Assistance for Family or Friends: An Overview for the Home Health Care Professional—Part 2
Authors: Weir Rodney L. , Hoover PT Donald L.
Published: September 2022

This article is Part 2 of a 2-part series of articles addressing the needed educational and training support for informal caregivers who provide physical assistance in the home. Part 1, which was presented in a previous edition of Home Health Care Management & Practice (HHCMP), covered contemporary research on informal caregiver burden and addressed special challenges linked to provision of physical mobility assistance. Part 2, presented here, offers specific training recommendations for informal caregivers that may be provided by home health care professionals.
Active Transportation Policies: Do Media Narratives Matter?
Authors: Bezboruah Karabi , Sloan Jennifer , Mattingly Stephen , Nargesi Saeed Reza Ramezanpour
Published: September 2022

The intersection of media, public opinion, politics, and their relationship with public policy is well documented. Taking the issue of active transportation, we examine if media narratives on bicycle and pedestrian crashes appear important in shaping policy. We define positive and negative narratives portraying bicyclists and pedestrians as victims and villains respectively. Our research objective is to understand if media narratives have an effect on the policy tools used by decision-makers to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. We examine if there is a relationship between the victim versus villain narrative and policy change at the state level. Using a mixed-methods research design, we analyze publication reports on crashes collected from 12 states for the period 2003–2015. We find that the victim narrative remains more prevalent in crash reporting, and the probability of policy change has a positive relationship with crash reporting rate. Greater salience of the issue in media reporting may influence increased policy change.
The presenting visual symptoms of optic chiasmal disease
Authors: Jefferis Joanna M , Innes William A , Hickman Simon J
Published: September 2022

Recognising optic chiasmal disease early is important in order to avoid irreversible visual loss and the potential risk of mortality for patients. Yet, there is frequently a delay in the initial diagnosis. Whilst the signs of optic chiasmal disease, particularly the perimetric findings, are well documented in the recent literature, the symptoms have been less well reported. Whilst some patients with optic chiasmal disease will be asymptomatic, many will complain of visual symptoms including symptomatic field defects, problems with central vision, difficulty with near tasks, binocular visual disturbances, colour vision disturbances, photophobia, phosphenes, glare, and rarely, oscillopsia and visual hallucinations. Others may have headache or the severe and sudden visual symptoms associated with pituitary apoplexy. The visual symptoms may be vague or non-specific, even when there are significant bitemporal visual field defects. We aim in this review to describe the presenting visual symptoms of optic chiasmal disease, and to illustrate these with selected qualitative descriptions from the literature. Our hope is that this will aid clinicians in eliciting a careful history of the sometimes subtle symptoms that may be present.
The role of cyclophilin A and VEGF in the pathogenesis and recurrence of pterygium
Authors: Turan Meydan , Turan Gulay , Can Humeyra Yildirim
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Pterygium is defined as overgrowth of abnormal conjunctival tissue on the cornea. Many proinflammatory cytokines and various growth factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pterygium. Cyclophilin A (CyPA) is a protein that is used by cyclosporin A (CsA) as the intracellular receptor and is secreted in response to inflammatory stimuli. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most important angiogenic factor. This study aimed to assessment CyPA and VEGF immunoreactivity in pterygium specimens.

Material and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 32 primary pterygium samples, 25 recurrent pterygium samples and 25 normal bulbar conjunctiva samples were included. The histopathological features, CyPA and VEGF immunoreactivity of surgically excised pterygium specimens were compared with control conjunctiva specimens obtained from normal bulbar conjunctiva.

Results

CyPA immunoreactivity in vascular endothelial cells, epithelial cells, and stromal cells was remarkably higher in pterygium specimens than control conjunctiva specimens ( p = 0.004, p = 0.012, p = 0.001, respectively). Morever, VEGF immunoreactivity in endothelial cells was remarkably higher in pterygium specimens than control conjunctiva specimens ( p < 0.001). When recurrent and primary pterygium specimens were compared, CyPA and VEGF immunoreactivity was remarkably higher in recurrent pterygium ( p = 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively). Pearson correlation showed that CyPA immunoreactivity correlated with stromal vascularity, stromal inflammation, and mast cell count in pterygium specimens.

Conclusion

This study aimed to assess CyPA and VEGF may have a important function in the pathogenesis and recurrence of pterygium.