bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between the Anion Gap and Serum Lactate in Hypovolemic Shock
Authors: Rudkin Scott E. , Grogan Tristan R. , Treger Richard M.
Published: June 2022

Background and objectives: Previous studies evaluating patients in the Intensive Care Unit with established lactic acidosis determined that the anion gap is an insensitive screening tool for elevated blood lactate. No prior study has examined the relationship between anion gap and serum lactate within the first hours of the development of lactic acidosis. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Data were obtained prospectively from a convenience sample of adult trauma patients at a single level 1 trauma center. Venous samples were drawn prior to initiation of intravenous fluid resuscitation. A linear regression model was constructed to assess the relationship between serum lactate and anion gap, and 95% prediction intervals were computed. Logistic regression models were constructed to determine the sensitivity and specificity for several different anion gap and lactate cutpoints. Results: 128 patients with elevated serum lactate levels (>2.1 mmol/L) and 63 patients with normal serum lactate levels (< 2.1 mmol/L) were included. The sensitivity of an elevated anion gap (> 10) to reveal hyperlactatemia was only 43% whereas specificity was 84%. Sensitivity improved if the upper limit of normal anion gap was lowered and with increasing levels of serum lactate. The coefficient of determination between serum lactate level and AG yielded an R2 of 0.30 (p < 0.001) and the slope of this relationship was 2.185 with a 95% confidence interval of 2.011–2.359. The mean 95% prediction interval was + 8.9. Conclusions: Within the first hour of the development of lactic acidosis due to hypovolemic shock, the anion gap was not a sensitive indicator of an elevated serum lactate level, but it was fairly specific. The anion gap increased to a greater extent than the serum lactate, the 95% mean prediction interval was wide and approximately 70% of the change in anion gap could not be explained by increases in serum lactate, suggesting that other anions contribute to the anion gap in lactic acidosis.
Relationship Dynamics and Abusive Interactions in a National Sample of Youth and Young Adults
Authors: Mumford Elizabeth A. , Liu Weiwei , Copp Jennifer E. , Taylor Bruce G. , MacLean Kai , Giordano Peggy C.
Published: June 2022

Stemming intimate partner violence among adults demands earlier education and skill-building supportive of healthy youth and young adult dating relationships. The current U.S.-based study examines a spectrum of youth and young adult relationship dynamics (RDs), inclusive of abusive interactions. In a nationally representative cohort of youth aged 10–18 at baseline and one parent or caregiver, survey responses regarding RDs from 618 participants ages 15–23 at wave 5 follow-up were analyzed. Latent class analysis of four positive dynamics, six problematic dynamics, and three scales of adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) were estimated, yielding four latent profiles of dating RDs. Relationships characterized by Unhealthy and Intense RDs both exhibited high probability of ARA but differed from each other in terms of other positive and problematic dynamics. Relationships characterized by Disengaged RDs had lower probability of ARA but elevated probability of awkward communications, negative feelings, social liability, and other challenging dynamics. Several baseline covariates were significantly associated with profiles of dating RDs approximately 5 years later. Younger participants were more likely to subsequently fall in an Intense or Disengaged RDs profile, as were participants with baseline emotional health problems. Further, classification in the Unhealthy RDs profile was less likely for participants reporting a better baseline relationship with their parents and more likely for those exposed to violence in childhood. These findings suggest that in addition to developmental maturity, youth and young adults would benefit from closer investigation and processing of past emotional and relational issues and traumas to foster healthier dating relationships.
Gender-Typed Skill Co-Occurrence and Occupational Sex Segregation: The Case of Professional Occupations in the United States, 2011–2015
Authors: Hsiung Constance
Published: June 2022

Studies of occupational sex segregation rely on the sociocultural model to explain why some occupations are numerically dominated by women and others by men. This model argues that occupational sex segregation is driven by norms about gender-appropriate work, which are frequently conceptualized as gender-typed skills: work-related tasks, abilities, and knowledge domains that society views as either feminine or masculine. The sociocultural model thus explains the primary patterns of occupational sex segregation, which conform to these norms: Requirements for feminine (masculine) skills increase with women’s (men’s) representation in the occupation. However, the model does not adequately explain cases of segregation that deviate from these norms or investigate the ways in which feminine and masculine skills co-occur in occupations. The present study fills these gaps by evaluating two previously untested explanations for deviations from the sociocultural model. The findings show that requirements for physical strength (a masculine skill) increase with women’s representation in professional occupations because physical strength skills co-occur with substantially higher requirements for feminine skills that involve helping and caring for others. These results indicate that the sociocultural model, and more generally explanations for how gender norms drive occupational sex segregation, can be improved by examining patterns of gender-typed skill co-occurrence.
Interaction analysis of geometric tolerance of multi-axis machine tools based on kinematic Jacobian-Torsor model
Authors: Chen Kun , Liu Shun , Tian Ang , Mo Wei , Jin Sun
Published: June 2022

For the purpose that the multi-axis machine tools can machine workpieces flexibly and accurately, it is important to ensure that each axis of the machine tool can be linked with each other, and the geometric tolerances are within their required range. However, each tolerance is not only related to its own kinematic axis, but also affected by the comprehensive influence of other kinematic axes, which brings great difficulties to the modeling of geometric tolerances. This paper focus on developing a modeling methodology to describe the relationship between the range of machining geometric tolerance and the motional domain of machine tool axe based on an improved Jacobian-Torsor theory. General formulas for the expression of the geometric tolerances are derived. Experiments are carried out on five four-axis machine tools, type CNC-SH50, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed kinematic Jacobian-Torsor model in dealing with the interaction analysis of geometric tolerances.
Combustion control of DME HCCI using charge dilution and spark assistance
Authors: Yu Xiao , LeBlanc Simon , Sandhu Navjot , Tjong Jimi , Zheng Ming
Published: June 2022

To realize the potential of DME for clean combustion, fueling control is essential. In this research, the challenges, advantages, and applicability of high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port injection are reviewed and evaluated, especially in relevance to HCCI combustion. In this study, emphasis is given to the applicable ranges of low-pressure fuel delivery in relevance to load, air-fuel ratio, and inert gas dilution, for realizing HCCI combustion. The strategy of high-pressure direct injection is advantageous for combustion phasing control, but the fuel handling is challenging because of the high vapor pressure of DME fuel. The strategy of port fuel injection is prone to early combustion and, consequently, tends to produce excessive pressure rise rates in the combustion chamber. This challenge is escalated at higher engine loads, making homogenous charge compression ignition difficult to achieve. In this paper, the load extension of DME-fueled HCCI combustion was explored. First, the impact of dilution on the combustion characteristics of DME HCCI was studied under lean and CO2 diluted conditions. Under the present empirical setups, results show that the lean-burn strategy has limited capability of combustion phasing control, especially when the engine load is above 5 bar IMEP. The CO2 dilution strategy can significantly retard the combustion phasing until the fulfillment of combustion becomes unstable. It was found that spark assistance is advantageous for combustion control. With an effective application of excess air, intake CO2 dilution and spark assistance, an engine load of 8 bar IMEP was reached with appropriate combustion phasing, with ultra-low NOx emissions.
Alaskan palaeosols in modern times: Deciphering unique microbial diversity within the late-Holocene
Authors: Barbato Robyn A , Jones Robert M , Douglas Thomas A , Esdale Julie , Foley Karen , Perkins Edward J , Rosten Shelby , Garcia-Reyero Natàlia
Published: June 2022

The Holocene Epoch (11,700 years ago to the present) marks the development of the present-day boreal ecosystems in interior Alaska. The composition and genetics of soil microbes have the potential to alter how nutrient cycling and vegetation respond to warming and cooling events, but very little is known about how boreal soils have varied over time. Here, we use DNA sequencing on both modern soils and well-preserved paleosols developed during several episodes of the Holocene to extract information on soil bacteria, archaea, and fungi present in interior Alaska during the past 8000 years (8 ka). Community composition of bacteria and fungi in the ancient paleosols was different from modern soils, with a higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Verrucomicrobia in the modern soils. The most dramatic shift in interior Alaska’s soil microbiome occurred ca. 7 ka, when species diversity was lowered and functional diversity became higher after 7 ka. This suggests that function was truly low, the early Holocene ecosystems were functionally redundant, and/or that true functional diversity was not captured due to a lack of genetic resolution in existing sequence databases. The cause of this observed shift cannot be directly answered in this work; however, these data suggest that ca. 7 ka was a critical period when microbial taxa and function shifted dramatically. This is important for understanding how the soil microbiome responds to climate changes and impacts the succession of vegetation.
Variation in humidity and the forcing mechanism in Asian monsoon-influenced regions indicated by hematite/goethite from Baxian Lake, southern China, since AD 800
Authors: Shang Shengtan , Yang Xiaoqiang , Zhang Enlou , Wei Ruomei , Zhang Tingwei , Zhou Qixian
Published: June 2022

Understanding the potential mechanisms driving the precipitation pattern in the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) area is significant to reconstructing the environmental and hydrological conditions over the past 2000 years. However, robust and consistent conclusions have been hampered by the complex processes controlling the dynamics and diverse interconnected linkage of the Asian monsoon. Here, we present a reconstruction of variations in humidity since AD 800, based on the ratio of hematite to goethite (Hem/Goe) and other magnetic parameters in the sediments of Baxian Lake, southern China. The record indicates that a dramatic transition from dry to humid climate occurred during AD 800–950 and then returned to extreme drought during the second half of the Medieval Warm Period. The fluctuations between a relatively wet climate and weak drought were also demonstrated during the Little Ice Age (AD 1450–1800). Climate-influenced vegetation coverage may influence the flux of weathered detrital magnetic minerals in sediments, as it hinders the input of coarser detritus into Baxian Lake. The magnetic minerals in the sediments were not significantly altered during the post-depositional processes. Additionally, the Hem/Goe record indicates that an opposite precipitation pattern occurred in southern China when compared with precipitation records in northern China and India. We ascribe this result to the superimposition of land-ocean-atmosphere dynamics on the traditional model of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) movement forced by the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. This is significant for enhancing our understanding of the relationship among the continent-ocean thermal gradient, ASM variation, ITCZ movement, El Niño Southern Oscillation-like events, and extreme climates in areas influenced by the ASM.
A comparative study of treatment interventions for patellar tendinopathy: a secondary cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Fernández-Sanchis Daniel , López-Royo María Pilar , Jiménez-Sánchez Carolina , Herrero Pablo , Gómez-Barrera Manuel , Calvo Sandra
Published: June 2022

Objective:

To compare the cost-effectiveness of three patellar tendinopathy treatments.

Design:

Secondary (cost-effectiveness) analysis of a blinded, randomised controlled trial, with follow-up at 10 and 22 weeks.

Settings:

Recruitment was performed in sport clubs. The diagnosis and the intervention were carried out at San Jorge University.

Participants:

The participants were adults between 18 and 45 years (n = 48) with patellar tendinopathy.

Interventions:

Participants received percutaneous needle electrolysis, dry needling or sham needling, all of which were combined with eccentric exercise.

Main outcome measures:

Costs, quality-adjusted life years and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were calculated for each group.

Results:

The total cost per session was similar in the three groups: €9.46 for the percutaneous needle electrolysis group; €9.44 for the dry needling group; and €8.96 for the sham group. The percutaneous needle electrolysis group presented better cost-effectiveness in terms of quality-adjusted life years and 96% and 93% probability of being cost-effective compared to the sham and dry needling groups, respectively.

Conclusion:

Our study shows that percutaneous needle electrolysis has a greater probability of being cost-effective than sham or dry needling treatment.
The Representation of the Rhodesian Security Forces in the Propaganda of ZANU and ZAPU, 1965–1980
Authors: Pattenden Hugh
Published: June 2022

This article considers in detail the ways in which ZANU and ZAPU sought to present the Rhodesian Security Forces in their propaganda during the UDI period. The Rhodesian Bush War was fought as much in the arena of public opinion as it was on the battlefield, a fact not lost on the guerrilla forces, who sought to delegitimize the RSF in a variety of ways. It argues that ZANU and ZAPU had to balance a range of factors when depicting the RSF, and used propaganda for multiple ends during the conflict.
Profitability Determinants of Non-bank Financial Institutions under Basel Regulations: Evidence from a Frontier Market
Authors: Alam Md. Nahid , Islam K. M. Zahidul
Published: June 2022

This article examines the impact of firm-specific and macroeconomic variables on non-bank financial institution (NBFI) profitability in Bangladesh undertaking a gradual implementation of Basel III regulatory standards. One-step difference generalized method of moments (GMM) model is applied on a dataset comprising 15 NBFIs listed on the bourse of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) Limited with a time span of 9 years ranging from 2011 to 2019. In this study, NBFI profitability is measured by return on asset (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The results of the panel data analysis demonstrate that capital adequacy ratio (CAR), non-performing loans (NPL), gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation (INF) affect NBFI profitability negatively whereas debt to equity ratio (DER) and cost of funds (COF) have a statistically significant and positive impact on the same. The findings of this study are of the essence for policymakers, regulators, investors and other stakeholders in the financial market.
Short-term IPO Performance Amidst Fearof COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from India
Authors: Maheshwari (Totla) Madhu , Kumar Anil
Published: June 2022

The study of investor behaviour in and around tail events is important as these impact market returns. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, financial markets worldwide have seen enormous falls amid widespread uncertainty initially and then bounced back strongly with greater momentum. This article investigates the short-term performance of public issues which had their debut on the Indian Stock exchanges during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also analyses the impact of fear of the pandemic on underpricing, if any and the factors impacting their performance.

It compares the pre-COVID and post-COVID initial public offerings (IPOs) in Indian Capital Market with a sample of 158 listings across nine years from 2013 to 2021 on the main board segment of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). With the help of the t-test and multivariate regression applied on subscription data, listing data, listing gains, issue size, return on net worth, age and other factors, a more active retail investor group emerges with a statistically significant increase in underpricing during the COVID-19 era.

The study provides strong evidence that the pandemic contributed towards increase in number of firms getting listed and higher levels of underpricing. It also suggests that the impact was particularly on the investors’ sentiment with increase in retail subscription four folds. Desire to synthesize short term benefits and over optimism among the retail investors, has led to such increase. We summarize that in the post pandemic era, higher than usual listing gains and larger than usual issue sizes are affected by a radical shift in Indian retail investor behaviour. Tail events like COVID-19 have changed the way Indian investors behave and invest in IPO’s causing them to base their decisions on speculative metrics rather than the actual fundamentals of the issue.

This article is a first-of-its-kind study to examine the impact of the pandemic on the equity market practices in India, namely, the anomaly of underpricing of IPOs or new listings on the main board segment.
Parental Factors Associated With Physical Activity Among East Asian Children/Youth: A Meta-Analysis Based on the Active Healthy Kids Report Cards
Authors: Ho Robin Sze-Tak , Yajun Huang Wendy , Lo Ho-Yau , Liu Kenneth Kang-Yue , Wong Stephen Heung-Sang
Published: June 2022

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a leading risk factor for mortality. The Active Healthy Kids Report Cards provide comprehensive evidence related to PA in children/adolescents. Associations of (1) parental support for PA with amount of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) performed by children/adolescents and (2) amount of MVPA performed by parents with amount of MVPA performed by children/adolescents, as indicated by Report Cards, have not been critically synthesized in meta-analysis. We selected data in Asian countries/regions Report Cards and performed meta-analyses to assess pooled associations of influence indicators and behavior indicators among children/adolescents in Asian countries/regions. Our meta-analyses included five studies that assessed association of parental support or MVPA performance with child/adolescent MVPA performance. Positive association was observed between the amount of time spent by parents on MVPA per week, regardless of gender, and the amount of time spent by children and adolescents on MVPA per week ( r = .11; I2 = 40%). In East Asia, the amount of MVPA performed by parents appears to be an important factor influencing the participation of children/adolescents in PA.
How gender affects the newsworthiness of sports news on German TV: An application of the news-factors approach to understanding gender-biased sports news presentation
Authors: Ihle Holger
Published: June 2022

Gender inequalities in sports media are well-documented. This study focuses on sports news composition and how gender influences the prominence of sports news stories. The news-factors approach offers a causal explanation for the lower prominence (i.e. newsworthiness) of women's sports in TV sports reporting. Following this theory's perspective, athletes’ gender is supposed to work as a moderating variable on news values of news factors in sports reports. The content analysis of seven German sports news programs reveals whether the same news factors are treated unequally with regard to women's and men's sports in TV news coverage. The results show that women's sports are presented as less newsworthy than men's sports, although news factors do not differ significantly by gender. However, the moderation effect of gender does not cause lower newsworthiness. That means, e.g., sports women's successes are equally emphasized as the success of male athletes in sports news on TV, and gender does not lower the credits female athlete's success receive in any given news stories. Instead, the results suggest that gender works as a news factor of its own, reducing not the news value of certain news factors but the overall newsworthiness of women's sports in TV coverage. Thus, the results demonstrate that gender inequality in sports media does not necessarily come from journalists perceiving female athletes’ performance as inferior but from presenting women's sports less often and in a far less prominent way than men's sports.
Prevalence and Management of Laryngomalacia in Patients With Pierre Robin Sequence
Authors: Bakeman Anna E. , Shaffer Amber D. , Tobey Allison B. J. , Jabbour Noel , Ford Matthew D. , Goldstein Jesse A. , Simons Jeffrey P.
Published: June 2022

Objective

To characterize the prevalence and presentation of laryngomalacia and efficacy of supraglottoplasty (SGP) in a cohort of patients with Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS).

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary-care children's hospital.

Patients, Participants

Consecutive patients with PRS born between January 2010 and June 2018.

Main Outcome Measures

Chart review included demographics, comorbid airway obstruction including laryngomalacia, timing of surgical interventions, clinical symptoms, sleep study data, and modified barium swallow study data.

126 patients with PRS were included; 54% had an associated syndrome, 64% had an overt cleft palate, and 22% had a submucous cleft palate. 64/126 were noted to have laryngomalacia (51%). Patients with concurrent PRS and laryngomalacia were significantly more likely to have submucous cleft palate ( P = .005) and present with aspiration with cough ( P = .01) compared to patients with PRS without laryngomalacia. Patients with concurrent laryngomalacia and PRS showed a significant decrease in apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) and obstructive AHI (OAHI) after mandibular distraction, with a median AHI and OAHI improvement of 22.3 ( P = .001) and 19.8 ( P = .002), respectively. Patients who underwent only SGP did not show significant improvement in these parameters ( P = .112 for AHI, P = .064 for OAHI).

The prevalence of laryngomalacia in our PRS cohort was 51%. Patients with PRS and laryngomalacia are more likely to present with overt aspiration compared to patients with PRS without laryngomalacia. These data support that laryngomalacia does not appear to be a contraindication to pursuing MDO.
Effects of Schooling Type and Physical Activity on Resilience Among Parents of School-Aged Youth
Authors: Kabiri Laura S. , Chen Annie , Ray Brian D.
Published: June 2022

Resilience could improve parental response to serving as schooling educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to determine whether schooling type (homeschool vs. public-school) and physical activity resulted in significantly different perceived resilience among 123 parents of school-aged youth. The main effect of schooling type, but not physical activity, on perceived parental resilience was significant. Homeschool parents perceived themselves as significantly more resilient than public-school parents. Public-school parents who did not meet physical activity recommendations perceived themselves as significantly less resilient than all other groups making physical activity particularly important for this demographic.
Depressive Symptoms in Context: Variations in a Community Sample Based on Dispositional Optimism, Self-Rated Health, Place Attachment, and Social Trust
Authors: Killian Timothy S. , Betsy Garrison M. E. , Way Kelly A.
Published: June 2022

Depression is a serious and growing problem in the United States particularly in rural areas and more so with the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, there is little debate that depressive symptoms and health are experienced in social and physical environments. Using a sample of over 800 rural adults, this study used structural equation modeling to test a model that predicted variations in depressive symptoms as functions of dispositional optimism, self-reported health, place attachment, and social trust. Overall, the model fit to the data was good although some of the indirect pathways were not significant. Suggestions for more research and interventions are discussed.
Enhancement neural control scheme performance using PSO adaptive rate: Experimentation on a transesterification reactor
Authors: Yassin Farhat , Ali Zribi , Asma Atig , Ridha Ben Abdennour
Published: June 2022

An arbitrary choice of the neural controller adaptive rate can have a negative effect on the performance of the closed-loop system. In this study, we propose a novel methodology for neural controller adaptive rate using Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. The developed control scheme is composed of a recurrent neural networks emulator and controller with decoupled adaptive rates. Constraints on the adaptive rate are derived from the Lyapunov stability method. Particle Swarm Optimization is proposed as a mechanism to optimize the adaptive rate of the NC to improve the closed-loop performances. The advantages of the proposed new control algorithm are as follows: (1) online optimal choice of adaptive rate, which reduces the effort for searching an adequate neural controller adaptive rate when considering the conventional methods and (2) ensuring stability, faster convergence, disturbance rejection, and good tracking. The efficiency of the proposed PSO adaptive rate is demonstrated with numerical control of SISO nonlinear system. The obtained results prove the efficiency of the proposed NC compared to those obtained with existing methods. An application of the developed approach on a semi-batch reactor is presented to validate simulations results.
Frontalis suspension by a minimally invasive “harvesting-stripping technique” for congenital blepharoptosis in children under 3-years-old
Authors: Evereklioglu Cem
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To describe a minimally-invasive “harvesting-stripping technique” on a small segment of autogenous fascia lata (AFL) in small children with severe blepharoptosis under 3-years-old.

Methods

A single-surgeon, uncontrolled surgical trial was designed for 25 eyelids of 18 small children (5 girls, 13 boys) with severe blepharoptosis. Single- and short-skin incisions (2-cm) were made on the thigh and a final 3X0.6-cm or 3.5X1-cm AFL segment was excised according to the ptosis laterality. The surface area of the harvested AFL was calculated and dissected for a final 9-cmX2-mm-long fascial strip for each eye. Functional and aesthetic outcomes of the upper eyelids were evaluated and the feasibility, effectivity and advantages of this novel approach in younger patients were assessed.

Results

The mean age was 28.3 months (17–35) with a mean follow-up of 34.3 months (6–96). All eyelids achieved good or excellent functional and aesthetic results (except one), with no peri- or post-operative severe complications such as haemorrhage, wound infection, hypertrophied thigh scar, muscle prolapses, eyelid contour abnormalities, ptosis recurrence or overcorrection.

Conclusions

“Harvesting-stripping technique” with the AFL may be an alternative approach to correct severe upper blepharoptosis in small children under 3-years-old, which offers various benefits over conventional methods with non-autogenous materials.
Effects of prostaglandin analogues on epiphora persistence after EN-DCR: A hypothesis-generating study
Authors: Di Maria Alessandra , Tredici Costanza , Cozzupoli Grazia Maria , Vinciguerra Paolo , Confalonieri Filippo
Published: June 2022

Purpose: To explore the relationship between topical antiglaucoma therapy, both prostaglandin and non-prostaglandin based eyedrops, and persistence of epiphora in glaucoma patients who underwent EN-DCR surgery for PANDO. Methods: prospective observational cohort study of all over 65 years-old patients with a dacryo-CT documented diagnosis of PANDO who underwent EN-DCR, were affected by glaucoma and treated with either topical monotherapy prostaglandin eyedrops or other antiglaucoma molecules, up to 12-month postoperative follow-up. Patients were assessed with Fluorescein Dye Disappearance Test and Munk scale. Results: Fifteen right eyes from 15 PG-group patients and 15 eyes right eyes from 15 non-PG-group patients were considered. Epiphora occurred in 1/15 (7%) of PG-group patients at 3 months, in 8/15 (53%) at 6 months, and in 11/15 (73%) at one year. In comparison, only 1/15 of non-PG-group patients developed epiphora at 6 months. The relative risk of epiphora in PG-group patients versus non-PG-group patients was 3.00 (95% CI, 0.13–68.1; p = 0.99) at 3 months, 8.00 (95% CI, 1.14–56.3; p = 0.014) at 6 months, and 11.0 (95% CI, 1.62–74.9; p < 0.001) at 12 months. Conclusion: Based on our results, we speculate that prostaglandin eye drops may affect the outcome of EN-DCR in terms of increasing epiphora recurrence from early to late postoperative follow up. The toxicity of antiglaucoma eye drops might damage spiral fibers of the mucous membrane of the lacrimal system inducing fibrosis by a proinflammatory mechanism.
Monitoring of Amoxicillin and Cephalexin Antibiotics in Municipal WWTPs During Covid-19 Outbreak: A Case Study in Isfahan, Iran
Authors: Samandari Mehri , Movahedian Attar Hossein , Ebrahimpour Karim , Mohammadi Farzaneh
Published: June 2022

Antibiotics are non-biodegradable drugs that inhibit the expansion and growth of microorganisms. Especially with the prevalence of Covid-19, the consumption of antibiotics has increased. Therefore, the presence of most prescribed antibiotics from ß-lactams including amoxicillin and cephalexin were studied at two municipal WWTPs in Isfahan. The analytical method was to extract antibiotics from the aqueous phase and then detected them via HPLC/UV. Samples were collected from 2 WWTPs for 13 sampling periods over 2 months between February and March 2020 during the outbreak of Covid-19. In WWTP A, the average concentration of amoxicillin in influent, effluent, and its removal efficiency was 509.64 ± 161.97 µg/L, 352.96 ± 203.88 µg/L, 34.35 ± 31.38%, and the average concentration of cephalexin in influent, effluent, and its removal efficiency was 189.42 ± 176.06 µg/L, 32.6 ± 49.59µg/L, 78.75 ± 23.81%, respectively. In WWTP B, the average concentration of amoxicillin in influent, effluent, and its removal efficiency was 2134.82 ± 3031.53µg/L, 401.09 ± 205.86µg/L, and 54.82 ± 33.29%, respectively. Also, the average concentration of cephalexin in influent, effluent, and its removal efficiency was 183.69 ± 123.48 µg/L, 23.01 ± 40.71 µg/L, and 87.65 ± 21.76%, respectively. According to Mann–Whitney test results, the concentration of antibiotics in both WWTPs had significant differences ( p-value < .05), and according to results from the Spearman test no correlation between removal efficiency of antibiotics with other principles wastewater parameters was observed.
Bilateral Wrist Drop Due to Lead Poisoning in a Young Woman With Opium Addiction
Authors: Azadeh Hossein , Gholami Farhad , Zakariaei Zakaria , Banimostafavi Elham Sadat , Soleymani Mostafa
Published: June 2022

Opium addiction can cause symptoms in the central or peripheral neurological systems, as well as gastrointestinal disorders and anemia; in such situations, lead poisoning should be considered and chelation therapy should be started as soon as possible. In adults, lead poisoning is an unusual cause of abdominal pain. A common form of lead neuropathy includes weakness of the wrist and finger extensors. We describe a 24-year-old female who developed severe lead poisoning after 3 years of opium consumption, leading to gastrointestinal complaints and bilateral wrist drops.
Telemedicine evaluation of new head and neck patients at a tertiary academic clinic during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
Authors: Xie Katherine Z , Antezana Luis A , Bowen Andrew J , Yin Linda X , Yeakel Sarah , Nassiri Ashley , Moore Eric J
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 accelerated the use of virtual visits within health care. We examined the utility of telemedicine for conducting visits in a tertiary head and neck practice.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on patients presenting via video to a tertiary-level head and neck clinic between January 2020 and December 2020. Patient demographics were collected in addition to visit indication, diagnostic imaging/tests at the time of visit, and post-visit plan. Visits were deemed successful if evaluation by video was sufficient in determining a clinical plan and did not require deferment of recommendations for subsequent in-person consult visits and/or work-up (labs, imaging). Logistic regression was performed to identify variables that served as significant predictors of successful video visits.

Results

A total of 124 video visits were reviewed. Video visits were successful for the initial evaluation 88.7% of the time ( n = 110). Computerized tomographic scans were the most available diagnostic test, available for 54% of patients ( n = 67), followed by biopsy report 30.6% ( n = 38). Visit indication had a statistically significant effect on whether a treatment plan could be made ( p = 0.024). For new patients with parotid masses ( n = 42), definitive treatment plans could be made 97.6% of the time ( n = 41). Patients presenting with an indication of thyroid mass (odds ratio: 0.19 (confidence interval: 0.00072–0.50), p = 0.018) and other neck mass (odds ratio: 0.035 (confidence interval: 0.0014, 0.90), p = 0.043) were at significantly lesser odds than parotid patients to have a successful video visit.

Discussion

In this study, virtual visits were successful for a high percentage of head and neck visits, particularly among patients seeking evaluation for parotid-related concerns.
Telemonitoring of motor skills using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale for at-risk infants in the first year of life
Authors: Lima Camila Resende Gâmbaro , Verdério Bruna Nayara , de Abreu Raissa Wanderley Ferraz , Brugnaro Beatriz Helena , dos Santos Adriana Neves , dos Santos Mariana Martins , Rocha Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Remote assessment creates opportunities for monitoring child development at home. Determining the possible barriers to and facilitators of the quality of telemonitoring motor skills allows for safe and effective practices. We aimed to: (1) determine the quality, barriers and facilitators of Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) home videos made by mothers; (2) verify interrater reliability; (3) determine the association between contextual factors and the quality of assessments.

Methods

Thirty infants at biological risk aged between three and ten months, of both sexes, and their mothers were included. Assessments were based on asynchronous home videos, where motor skills were evaluated by mothers at home according to AIMS guidelines. The following were analyzed: video quality; stimulus quality; camera position; and physical environment. The video characteristics were analyzed descriptively. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to calculate interrater reliability and the regression model to determine the influence of contextual factors on the outcome variables. Significance was set at 5%.

Results

Remote assessment of AIMS exhibited high image and stimulus quality, and a suitable physical environment. Interrater reliability was high for all domains: prone ( r = 0.976); supine ( r = 0.965); sitting ( r = 0.987); standing ( r = 0.945) and total score ( r = 0.980). The contextual factors had no relation with assessment quality.

Discussion

Assessments conducted remotely by the mothers showed high video quality and interrater reliability, and represent a promising assessment tool for telemedicine in at-risk infants in the first year of life.
L1 and L2 vocabulary and word combinations of preschool children from migrant families in Italy
Authors: Bello Arianna , Ferraresi Paola , Stefanini Silvia , Perucchini Paola
Published: June 2022

Purpose:

This study aimed to examine the L1 and L2 linguistic profiles of preschool bilingual children of migrants, to compare the evaluations of their parents and teachers, and to identify the children with low L2 lexical skills.

Method:

The expressive vocabulary and word combinations of these bilingual children were assessed with the MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI) short-form questionnaire, by both parents, to evaluate L1 and L2-Italian, and teachers, to evaluate L2. Interviews were carried out with the parents to collect the demographic and linguistic variables.

Data and analysis:

The sample comprised 60 preschool bilingual children of migrants (chronological age: 37–62 months) with 15 first language (L1) minority backgrounds, and exposed to L2-Italian. A total of 60 families and 44 nursery school teachers also participated.

Conclusion:

Almost two-thirds (61.4%) of these preschool bilingual children of migrants showed greater expressive vocabulary in L2 than L1. The children’s word combinations were advanced in L2 in 84.8%, and in L1 in 27.1%. Parents attributed higher language skills in L2-Italian to their children than teachers, although assessments of parents and teachers were correlated. Almost a quarter of the children (24.6%) showed low lexical skills in L2, which is explained by shorter exposure time to L2 at school.

Originality:

The characteristics of the L1 and L2 linguistic profiles of preschool bilingual children have been little studied to date, although these children are increasingly present in school contexts. There is the need to identify children who are slow in acquisition of L2, along with the contextual-linguistic factors that explain this slowed language acquisition.

Implications:

The availability of a relevant and rapid tool (MB-CDI questionnaire) to estimate knowledge in L1 and L2 that is suitable for migrant parents and teachers provides important information for assessment of the L2 skills of such bilingual children of migrants.
Finding lost words: The ‘savings effect’ in the Irish language context
Authors: Barry Shane
Published: June 2022

Aims:

By applying the savings paradigm to determine the presence of residual Irish language knowledge, this study seeks to investigate the relearning advantage for the acquisition of words likely to have been acquired during the second language acquisition of Irish compared with newly acquired Irish words. Furthermore, self-efficacy will be assessed as a robust self-assessed predictor of performance.

Methodology:

Using a corpus of Irish language, low- and high-frequency nouns were used to create a list of ‘old’ and ‘new’ words. Thirty-six participants were tested over 2 months, across three phases. Each participant was provided with a relearning session before being tested on their individualised list of 40 words. Participants were asked to rate their self-efficacy confidence levels before each testing session.

Data and analysis:

An online survey platform was used at each phase to test residual knowledge and to gather self-efficacy and attitudinal data. Correlation analyses and independent t-tests were carried out to measure the effect sizes over the 2-month time period of testing.

Findings:

The data provide evidence that Irish nouns likely to have been previously encountered, but since forgotten, are recalled more efficiently than newly encountered Irish nouns. Furthermore, evidence of cognateness as a retrieval strategy reveals an active Irish language residual knowledge base.

Originality:

This paper is the first effort in applying the savings paradigm methodology, as demonstrated in de Bot et al., to the Irish language context, and is the first attempt at measuring perceived pre-test Irish language abilities using self-efficacy.

Implications:

With Irish language as a compulsory school subject in Ireland, and so few daily users of the language, the identification of residual Irish knowledge in a population that has not used the language in decades may encourage reactivation of a language presumed to be forgotten.
Damage detection of cables in cable-stayed bridges using vibration data measured from climbing robot
Authors: Nguyen Khoa V , Van Bach Pham Ngoc , Dao Thao TB
Published: June 2022

This paper presents a method for damage detection of bridge cables using the vibration signal coming from the sensor installed in the climbing robot. In this paper, the damage types are crack and local reduction in diameter. The climbing robot consisting of a body and three wheels connected to the body by three springs. The cable is considered as an axially loaded Euler beam. When there is no crack, the dynamic displacement of the robot is smooth and no distortion at the crack position can be inspected. However, when there is a damage in the cable, there is a distortion in the robot displacement at the damage location but this distortion is small and difficult to be observed visually. The distortion caused by the crack is presented as the significant peaks in the wavelet transform of the robot displacement. The proposed method is promising since it is efficient to detect cracks with depth as small as 1% of the cable diameter and to detect local changes in diameter with amplitude as small as 0.1%.
‘Las Kellys son las que limpian’: Collective identity and social media in the mobilisation of room attendants in Spain
Authors: Alcalde-González Verna , Gálvez-Mozo Ana , Valenzuela-Bustos Alan
Published: June 2022

In this qualitative study, we focus on Las Kellys, a Spanish movement of room attendants who have mobilised against labour precarisation and social devaluation, to address two challenges: (1) to characterise the role of social media in the construction and politicisation of collective identity as a stepping stone to mobilisation, and (2) to describe the lines of interplay between online politicisation of collective identity and other mobilisation factors such as grievances, social embeddedness and efficacy. Findings suggest that (1) room attendants build a politicised collective identity on Facebook, which functions as both an online community of coping and a locus of politicisation and micro-mobilisation, and (2) online politicisation of collective identity happens in online/offline interplay with the process of consensus mobilisation around the room attendants’ issues (grievances), the social capital accumulated within intragroup and intergroup networks (social embeddedness) and the expectation of changing conditions and/or policies through protest (efficacy).
Online social support for infertility in Azerbaijan
Authors: Pearce Katy E , Donohoe Dana , Barta Kristen , Vitak Jessica
Published: June 2022

Online social support, with its novel opportunities for coping, is especially important for those experiencing isolation. Daughters-in-law in Azerbaijan are isolated and have inadequate support due to patriarchal and patrilocal norms, amplified when they experience infertility. This study considers an online community where supportive communication and resources are exchanged to mitigate infertility isolation. Using virtual ethnography and thematic analysis, three research questions related to different types of isolation are explored. We find support exchanges in this community can likely help women more efficiently and effectively cope with, and have more control over, the immediate stressor of infertility and associated uncertainty, which is profound given the lack of supportive resources they would otherwise have.
E-extremism: A conceptual framework for studying the online far right
Authors: Zhang Xinyi , Davis Mark
Published: June 2022

Despite a recent surge in the literature on the far right, there has been a theoretical gap in studying the relationship between the dynamics of change in the far right and the changing digital landscape. Drawing on a set of interrelated concepts developed in far-right studies, social movement studies, and media and communication studies, this theoretical paper adopts a framework based on the concepts of digital network repertoires and the mediation opportunity structure to discuss the ways in which various actors on the far right – reactionary conservatives, online antagonistic communities and right-wing extremists and terrorists – exploit the affordances of mainstream and alt-tech platforms for their own purposes. Through this discussion, this article seeks to shed light on the interplay between e-extremism and the online far right.
Effect of ignition advance angle offset in a dual ignition system of a large aircraft piston engine
Authors: Czarnigowski Jacek , Jakliński Piotr , Karpiński Paweł
Published: June 2022

The paper presents the results of the experimental research on the combustion process inside the cylinder of a large piston radial aircraft engine with dual spark plug ignition. The tests were carried out on the ASz-62IR-16X radial engine equipped with a double, electronically controlled ignition system with two spark plugs in each cylinder. The constant engine speed tests allowed for comparing the combustion processes with ignition carried out with different ignition advance angle offset between both spark plugs. In the test, the ignition advance angle for one spark plug was changed while leaving the ignition advance angle for the other spark plug. The tests performed for two engine operating points were to change the angle of the front spark plug and the rear spark plug. The analyses were based on the recorded pressure signal from one of the engine cylinders. It has been shown that the ignition advance angle offset significantly affects the combustion process. The obtained results indicate the leading role of the rear spark plug in initiating the combustion process. When ignition is carried out with a steady rear spark plug advance angle, the combustion process practically does not change when the ignition advance angle of the front spark plug changes. However, changing the rear spark plug advance angle at a constant front spark plug ignition advance angle significantly changes the combustion process.