bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular End Points and Mortality Are Not Closer Associated With Central Than Peripheral Pulsatile Blood Pressure Components
Authors: Huang Qi-Fang , Aparicio Lucas S. , Thijs Lutgarde , Wei Fang-Fei , Melgarejo Jesus D. , Cheng Yi-Bang , Sheng Chang-Sheng , Yang Wen-Yi , Gilis-Malinowska Natasza , Boggia José , Niiranen Teemu J. , Wojciechowska Wiktoria , Stolarz-Skrzypek Katarzyna , Barochiner Jessica , Ackermann Daniel , Tikhonoff Valérie , Ponte Belen , Pruijm Menno , Casiglia Edoardo , Narkiewicz Krzysztof , Filipovský Jan , Czarnecka Danuta , Kawecka-Jaszcz Kalina , Jula Antti M. , Bochud Murielle , Vanassche Thomas , Verhamme Peter , Struijker-Boudier Harry A.J. , Wang Ji-Guang , Zhang Zhen-Yu , Li Yan , Staessen Jan A. , Aparicio LS , Barochiner J , Thijs L , Staessen JA , Wei FF , Yang WY , Zhang ZY , Cheng YB , Guo QH , Huang JF , Huang QF , Li Y , Sheng CS , Wang JG , Filipovský J , Seidlerová J , Juhanoja EP , Jula AM , Lindroos AS , Niiranen TJ , Sivén SS , Casiglia E , Pizzioli A , Tikhonoff V , Chori BS , Danladi B , Odili AN , Oshaju H , Kucharska W , Kunicka K , Gilis-Malinowska N , Narkiewicz K , Sakiewicz W , Swierblewska E , Kawecka-Jaszcz K , Stolarz-Skrzypek K , Schutte AE , Norton GR , Woodiwiss AJ , Ackermann D , Bochud M , Ponte B , Pruijm M , Álvarez-Vaz R , Américo C , Baccino C , Borgarello L , Florio L , Moliterno P , Noboa A , Noboa O , Olascoaga A , Parnizari P , Pécora M
Published: July 2020

Pulsatile blood pressure (BP) confers cardiovascular risk. Whether associations of cardiovascular end points are tighter for central systolic BP (cSBP) than peripheral systolic BP (pSBP) or central pulse pressure (cPP) than peripheral pulse pressure (pPP) is uncertain. Among 5608 participants (54.1% women; mean age, 54.2 years) enrolled in nine studies, median follow-up was 4.1 years. cSBP and cPP, estimated tonometrically from the radial waveform, averaged 123.7 and 42.5 mm Hg, and pSBP and pPP 134.1 and 53.9 mm Hg. The primary composite cardiovascular end point occurred in 255 participants (4.5%). Across fourths of the cPP distribution, rates increased exponentially (4.1, 5.0, 7.3, and 22.0 per 1000 person-years) with comparable estimates for cSBP, pSBP, and pPP. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios, expressing the risk per 1-SD increment in BP, were 1.50 (95% CI, 1.33–1.70) for cSBP, 1.36 (95% CI, 1.19–1.54) for cPP, 1.49 (95% CI, 1.33–1.67) for pSBP, and 1.34 (95% CI, 1.19–1.51) for pPP (
P
<0.001). Further adjustment of cSBP and cPP, respectively, for pSBP and pPP, and vice versa, removed the significance of all hazard ratios. Adding cSBP, cPP, pSBP, pPP to a base model including covariables increased the model fit (
P
<0.001) with generalized
R
2
increments ranging from 0.37% to 0.74% but adding a second BP to a model including already one did not. Analyses of the secondary end points, including total mortality (204 deaths), coronary end points (109) and strokes (89), and various sensitivity analyses produced consistent results. In conclusion, associations of the primary and secondary end points with SBP and pulse pressure were not stronger if BP was measured centrally compared with peripherally.
Carbidopa for Afferent Baroreflex Failure in Familial Dysautonomia
Authors: Norcliffe-Kaufmann Lucy , Palma Jose-Alberto , Martinez Jose , Kaufmann Horacio
Published: July 2020

Afferent lesions of the arterial baroreflex occur in familial dysautonomia. This leads to excessive blood pressure variability with falls and frequent surges that damage the organs. These hypertensive surges are the result of excess peripheral catecholamine release and have no adequate treatment. Carbidopa is a selective DOPA-decarboxylase inhibitor that suppresses catecholamines production outside the brain. To learn whether carbidopa can inhibit catecholamine-induced hypertensive surges in patients with severe afferent baroreflex failure, we conducted a double-blind randomized crossover trial in which patients with familial dysautonomia received high dose carbidopa (600 mg/day), low-dose carbidopa (300 mg/day), or matching placebo in 3 4-week treatment periods. Among the 22 patients enrolled (13 females/8 males), the median age was 26 (range, 12–59 years). At enrollment, patients had hypertensive peaks to 164/116 (range, 144/92 to 213/150 mm Hg). Twenty-four hour urinary norepinephrine excretion, a marker of peripheral catecholamine release, was significantly suppressed on both high dose and low dose carbidopa, compared with placebo (
P
=0.0075). The 2 co-primary end points of the trial were met. The SD of systolic BP variability was reduced at both carbidopa doses (low dose: 17±4; high dose: 18±5 mm Hg) compared with placebo (23±7 mm Hg;
P
=0.0013), and there was a significant reduction in the systolic BP peaks on active treatment (
P
=0.0015). High- and low-dose carbidopa were similarly effective and well tolerated. This study provides class Ib evidence that carbidopa can reduce blood pressure variability in patients with congenital afferent baroreflex failure. Similar beneficial effects are observed in patients with acquired baroreflex lesions.
Book Reviews
Authors: Allard E. , Schulte Nordholt H.G. , Muskens M.P.M. , Teeuw A. , Penth H. , Nooy-Palm C.H.M. , Sharp Andrew
Published: July 2020

- E. Allard, H.G. Schulte Nordholt, M.P.M. Muskens, Indonesië. Een strijd om nationale identiteit. Nationalisten, Islamieten, Katholieken. P. Brand, Bussum 1969. 598 p. - A. Teeuw, H. Penth, Hikajat Atjéh, Die Erzählung von der Abkunft und den Jugendjahren des Sultan Iskandar Muda von Atjeh (Sumatra), von Hans Penth. Veröffentlichungen des Ostasiatischen Seminars der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main. Reihe A: Südostasienkunde. Band 2. Otto Harrassowitz - Wiesbaden. 1969. 207 pp. - C.H.M. Nooy-Palm, Andrew Sharp, The journal of Jacob Roggeveen. Clarendon Press: Oxford University Press, Oxford 1970. Illustrations and maps, bibliography, index, 193 pp.
Two new species of Cryptopontius Giesbrecht, 1899 (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Artotrogidae) associated with invertebrates from Northeastern Brazil
Authors: FARIAS AMILCAR , NEVES ELIZABETH G. , JOHNSSON RODRIGO
Published: July 2020

Cryptopontius is the most species-rich genus in the family Artotrogidae with 25 species, being recorded in almost all oceans, except in the Arctic. However only three species of this genus have been recorded from the Brazilian coast, all of them along the coast of Pernambuco state. This study describes two new species of the genus. Cryptopontius phyllogorgius sp. nov. differs from other species by having 9-segmented antennule, and nine elements on the third exopodal segment of leg 4. Cryptopontius pentadikos sp. nov. differs from its congeners by having five expressed antennulary segments proximal to fused ancestral IX-XII, two setae on second endopodal segment of leg 1, eight elements on third exopodal segment of leg 1 and the free segment of leg 5 with two setae. A key to species of the genus Cryptopontius is provided.
MiR-630 Regulates Proliferation and Apoptosis of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Through Targeted Binding to Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog
Authors: Zhao Jianjun , Chen Pengjie , Tan Chao , Chen Haibin , Li Keji
Published: July 2020

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) occurs as tumor cells in the kidney quickly accumulate and forms a lump (mass). Previous evidence showed that miR-630 overexpression is associated with gastric cancer progression. In this study, the differentially expressed miRNAs were screened
in ccRCC patients using the gene expression profile chip. The possible targets for miR-630 were predicted by Target Scan and assessed via the luciferase reporter gene assay. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected via CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. The Bcl-2, Bax, PTEN as well
as downstream PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling were detected via Western blotting. The result revealed that in silico analysis using the Target Scan software predicted that PTEN might be a potential target for miR-630, which was further verified via the luciferase reporter gene assay. The increase
of miR-630 expression significantly raised the proliferation rate (P < 0.05) and reduced cellapoptosis (P < 0.05). In addition, the results of Western blotting also revealed that miR-630 mimic could activate PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling (P < 0.05). In conclusion, miR-630
cantargeted reduce the PTEN expression, and then activate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, ultimately promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of ccRCC.
Hip Dysplasia Is Not More Common in W-Sitters
Authors: Rethlefsen Susan A. , Mueske Nicole M. , Nazareth Alexander , Abousamra Oussama , Wren Tishya A. L. , Kay Robert M. , Goldstein Rachel Y.
Published: July 2020

Parents are frequently cautioned by therapists, teachers, physicians, and online resources about potential negative effects of w-sitting in children (including hip dysplasia), despite lack of evidence. To examine relationships between w-sitting and hip dysplasia, a prospective cohort study was conducted of 104 patients (196 hips), aged 9.9 (standard deviation = 5.7) years, who underwent hip/pelvis radiography at a pediatric tertiary care center. Measures of hip dysplasia were taken from radiographs. Parents/patients completed a questionnaire regarding the patients’ sitting habits. Associations between hip dysplasia and w-sitting were analyzed statistically. About 48/104 parents/patients (46%) reported current or past w-sitting: 11/104 (11%) current, preferred position; 23/104 (22%) current, nonpreferred position, 14/104 (13%) w-sat in past, and 56/104 (54%) never w-sat. There was no difference in measures of hip dysplasia ( P > .12) or hip dysplasia frequency between w-sitters (9%) and non-w-sitters (10%; P = .81), or among w-sitting persistence groups ( P = .26). W-sitting in children is not associated with hip dysplasia.
Why Monarchy? The Rise and Demise of a Regime Type
Authors: Gerring John , Wig Tore , Veenendaal Wouter , Weitzel Daniel , Teorell Jan , Kikuta Kyosuke
Published: July 2020

Monarchy was the dominant form of rule in the pre-modern era and it persists in a handful of countries. We propose a unified theoretical explanation for its rise and decline. Specifically, we argue that monarchy offers an efficient solution to the primordial problem of order where societies are large and citizens isolated from each other and hence have difficulty coordinating. Its efficiency is challenged by other methods of leadership selection when communication costs decline, lowering barriers to citizen coordination. This explains its dominance in the pre-modern world and its subsequent demise. To test this theory, we produce an original dataset that codes monarchies and republics in Europe (back to 1100) and the world (back to 1700). With this dataset, we test a number of observable implications of the theory—centering on territory size, political stability, tenure in office, conflict, and the role of mass communications in the modern era.
Gendered preferences: How women’s inclusion in society shapes negotiation occurrence in intrastate conflicts
Authors: Nagel Robert Ulrich
Published: July 2020

To what extent do gender relations in society influence the likelihood of negotiations during intrastate disputes? A substantial body of literature recognizes gendered inequalities as integral to understanding conflict, yet they have received little attention in systematic studies of conflict management. I argue that patriarchal gender relations that reflect a preference for masculinity over femininity influence states’ propensity to negotiate with rebels. I draw on the concept of practices to explain how gender relations shape government preferences for negotiations. Specifically, I contend that practices of excluding women from fully participating in public life institutionalize violence as the preferred way of managing conflict. The implication is that countries with more patriarchal gender relations are less likely to engage in negotiations during intrastate conflicts. I test this argument on all civil conflict dyads between 1975 and 2014. The analyses show that countries that marginalize women’s participation in public life are significantly less likely to engage in negotiations. The results provide strong support for my theoretical argument and offer systematic evidence in support of core claims of the feminist peace theory.
Experimental test and thermodynamic analysis on scaling-down limitations of a reciprocating internal combustion engine
Authors: Shang Huichao , Zhang Li , Chen Bin , Chen Xi
Published: July 2020

Due to the enormous energy densities of liquid hydrocarbon fuels for future utilization on micro scale, there is a concern about the feasibility of scaling down reciprocating internal combustion engines from small scale to meso scale. By building a specialized test bench, the performance and combustion characteristics of a miniature internal combustion engine with a displacement of 0.99 cc were tested, and the thermodynamic simulation was carried out to achieve a more complete understanding of in-cylinder mass and energy change of the miniature internal combustion engine. The miniature internal combustion engine had higher brake-specific fuel consumption, lower thermal efficiency, lower brake mean effective pressure, and serious cyclic variation; however, friction mean effective pressure seems to be less sensitive to engine speed. Simulation results showed that the miniature internal combustion engine had a poor volumetric efficiency, which was not more than 50%. The step-by-step processes of scaling down the miniature internal combustion engine were also simulated; it was found that the maximum indicated mean effective pressure loss was due to the imperfection of gas exchange processes, and the next was the imperfection of combustion. It is considered that for the scaled-down miniature internal combustion engines, more attention should be pay on improving the processes of gas exchange and combustion, and achieving meso-scale internal combustion engines with cylinder bore less than 1 mm is thermodynamically possible in future if these imperfections, especially that of the gas exchange process, can be effectively perfected.
Element extraction and convolutional neural network-based classification for blue calico
Authors: Jia Xiaojun , Liu Zihao
Published: July 2020

Blue calico is a highly valued folk handicraft that forms part of China’s national intangible cultural heritage. Thus, blue calico is a worthy target for reconstruction using modern image processing technology. Extracting the visual components or elements of a blue calico pattern is one way to capture the underlying design and enable innovation in traditional patterns using modern techniques. This paper presents a method of element extraction and classification based on a smart convolutional neural network (CNN), with an improved CifarNet structure, which we call CalicoNet. Initially, the algorithm for element extraction is implemented to generate element samples of blue calico. This process includes gray scaling, binarization, and contour extraction. We construct a data set of elements with 12 types. Then, four critical hyper-parameters, the batch-size, dropout ratio, learning rate, and pooling strategy, are optimized by a comparative analysis. A combination classifier strategy is subsequently added to the fully connected layers to strengthen the feature expression in the corresponding classes. Finally, the superiority of the proposed CalicoNet is verified through a comparison with other sophisticated CNNs. Experimental results demonstrate that CalicoNet achieves a validation accuracy of 99.2% for the training set, a total time of 1.13 hours for the whole data set, and a test mean accuracy precision of 98.66%. The robust performance of the proposed method across the element data set indicates that CalicoNet is a promising approach for element extraction and classification.
Beyond Disclosure: Developing Law and Policy to Tackle Corporate Influence
Authors: Marks Jonathan H.
Published: July 2020

Corporate influence is one of the most pressing issues in public health. It cuts across many of our most intractable problems—from obesity to the opioid epidemic. Companies develop close relationships with public health agencies, research universities, academic medical centers, professional societies, and patient advocacy organizations—often funding medical research and public health interventions intended to address the very challenges these corporations are creating or exacerbating. How we view relationships with industry, including how these relationships are framed in ethical discourse, shapes our legal and policy responses to them. In recent years, fueled in part by the opioid epidemic, the ethical framing of industry relationships has begun to evolve in significant ways. But legal and policy responses have not yet caught up. In this article, I develop a temporal account of corporate influence, and legal and policy responses to corporate influence. This account clarifies the limitations and adverse effects of conflicts of interest disclosure, especially when implemented as the sole legal or policy response. Disclosure can illuminate corporate influence—but policymakers cannot and should not rely on disclosure to eliminate corporate influence or its effects. Nor should we allow disclosure to crowd out structural and systemic responses to corporate influence—including sequestration of and separation from private-sector entities.
Opioid Prescribing and the Ethical Duty to Do No Harm
Authors: Nicholson Kate M. , Hellman Deborah
Published: July 2020

Doctors have two ethical duties: to cure disease or ease suffering and, also, to do no harm. The ethical duty to “Do No Harm” has been used to justify two sides of a pendulum swing in the philosophy of opioid prescribing for pain. In the 1990s, it was invoked to expand prescribing, and more recently to justify dramatic reductions in prescription opioid use. In this Article, we explore whether prescribing opioids for pain presents challenges that differ from the ordinary mandate physicians face as they balance the call for action with the imperative to do no harm [DNH].

We argue that the treatment of pain differs in three important ways. First, the fact that pain is present and occurrent reduces uncertainty about the need for action, and thus strengthens the reasons to act. Second, while DNH applies to both physicians and policymakers, each has distinct duties: physicians have a duty to the individual patient; policymakers have a duty to society. As a result, harm from drug diversion should weigh little when clinicians decide how to treat individual patients. Public health officials, by contrast, rightly consider societal effects. However, in doing so, they must adopt policies that mitigate the ethical burdens placed on physicians, respect the testimony of patients in pain, and pay particular attention to how policy guidance is likely to be implemented by others. Finally, we address what duties are owed to patients who are currently taking opioid medication, given evidence that they are experiencing significant barriers in receiving healthcare. We argue that once treatment has been initiated, there are special duties to these patients.
The use of inquiry-based learning in public administration education: Challenges and opportunities in the context of internationalization
Authors: Moseley Alice , Connolly John
Published: July 2020

This paper discusses both challenges and opportunities for using inquiry-based learning in public administration postgraduate education in a context of internationalisation. In particular, we discuss the appropriateness of inquiry-based learning for teaching diverse groups of students from varied international backgrounds. Inquiry-based learning has been widely promoted in the United Kingdom higher education sector and seems intuitively appealing as a pedagogical approach for an applied subject such as public administration. However, there are challenges associated with using inquiry-based learning with postgraduate international students who have a short time to assimilate complex theories and concepts in a second language, and have often been educated previously in contexts with a more didactic tradition of education. With the increasing internationalisation of the United Kingdom higher education sector, we suggest there is tension between some of the teaching and learning methods that are being promoted nationally and the needs of an increasingly diverse international student body. Reflecting on our own experiences as teachers of international students on public administration programmes, we outline both the benefits and limitations of teaching with inquiry-based learning but also suggest ways in which this type of approach could be assimilated within the broader set of pedagogical practices used with international postgraduate students.
Repair of pulmonary artery sling with tracheal and intracardiac defects
Authors: Muthialu Nagarajan , Martens Thomas , Kanakis Meletios , Bezuska Laurynas , Nakao Masakazu , Derrick Graham , Marek Jan , Khambadkone Sachin , Kostolny Martin , Tsang Victor
Published: July 2020

Background

Pulmonary artery sling is commonly associated with tracheal stenosis and intracardiac anomalies. While surgical repair is standardized, coexistent anomalies often determine outcomes. With the paucity of risk stratification, this study aimed to review our experience and stratify risk factors for the surgical outcome of complex pulmonary artery sling repair in the presence of airway or intracardiac lesions.

Methods

Seventy-nine consecutive children with pulmonary artery sling were evaluated retrospectively following surgical repair. Median age at surgery was 5 months (interquartile range 3–9). Surgical approaches included pulmonary artery sling alone ( n = 10), pulmonary artery sling with tracheoplasty ( n = 41), and pulmonary artery sling with both intracardiac and tracheal surgery ( n = 28).

Results

There were 7 early (8.8%) deaths. Two patients after left pulmonary artery reimplantation needed revision of the anastomosis. The median intensive care and hospital stay were 11 (interquartile range 9.2–24.8) and 17.9 (interquartile range 4.3–19.8) days, and considerably longer when associated tracheal surgery ( p = 0.002). Follow-up was complete in 66/69 and 3 (3.8%) children died late: 2.7, 10.2, and 17 months after surgery. Univariate analysis showed abnormal lung and coexisting structural heart disease as risk factors. Multivariate analysis revealed total cardiopulmonary bypass time as an independent predictor of overall mortality.

Conclusion

Complex pulmonary artery sling repair can be performed with a good surgical outcomes even when associated with airway malformations or structural heart diseases. Lung abnormality and longer cardiopulmonary bypass time as a surrogate marker of complex surgery, are possible risk factors.
Sterility and performance of open and closed extracorporeal circuits after long-term dry-wet setups
Authors: Deptula Joseph , McGrath Catrina , Preston Thomas , Miller Hayden , Yen Bianca , Munari Lenny , Setty Shaun P
Published: July 2020

Background:

The timeframe for safely using previously setup dry, crystalloid, and blood-primed extracorporeal circuits has long been debated. This study was undertaken to determine a safe deviation from standardized recommendations.

Methods:

Open (cardiopulmonary bypass) circuits and closed extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuits were setup dry for up to 60 days and wet primed for up to 6 weeks with one control inoculated with Escherichia coli. Open circuits were cultured daily, closed circuits weekly. Circuits were primed with blood, albumin, heparin, NaHCO3, and CaCl2. Baseline pCO2, pO2, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, and plasma free hemoglobin were measured. Circuits were recirculated at a blood flow of 6 Liters/minute with a sweep gas of 1 Liter/minute at 100% FiO2 for 1 minute. Post oxygenator blood gases were collected at 8-, 16-, and 24-hour intervals.

Results:

There was no observed compromise to the sterility of the circuits and no clinically significant gas exchange abnormalities observed over the duration of the study period. Statistical significance (p < 0.01) was seen in free hemoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase levels, most significant in between the 16- and 24-hour time point in the closed systems intentionally inoculated with E. coli.

Conclusion:

Open and closed circuits can be safely setup dry for up to 60 days. Open, wet-primed circuits can be used safely up to 5 days. Closed, wet-primed circuits can be used safely up to 6 weeks. Blood-primed circuits can be safely run up to 16 hours prior to patient use but should be validated in a randomized clinical study.
Minor tributary veins of the common femoral vein near the saphenofemoral junction – A postmortem study
Authors: Mühlberger Dominic , Mumme Achim , Stücker Markus , Brenner Erich , Hummel Thomas
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Recurrent varicose veins after surgery are a frequent burden and the saphenofemoral junction is the most common source of reflux. Pre-existing branches of the common femoral vein near the saphenofemoral junction, which may increase due to haemodynamic or other reasons, could play a role in the development of recurrent varices. There exist only a few anatomical data about the prevalence of these minor venous tributaries of the common femoral vein near the saphenofemoral junction. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate their frequency and distribution.

Method

A total of 59 veins from 35 anatomical donors were dissected. The common femoral vein with the adherent parts of the profunda femoris vein and the great saphenous vein was exposed and analysed ex situ. The number of minor tributaries to the common femoral vein was counted and their distances to the saphenofemoral junction as well their diameters were measured.

Results

We could identify up to 10 minor tributaries of the common femoral vein below the level of the great saphenous vein as far as 6 cm distally and up to four veins above the level as far as 5 cm proximally. The mean diameters of these vessels ranged from 0.5 to 11.7 mm. Most of these vessels were located near the saphenofemoral junction and 3 cm distally. Directly opposite to the opening of the great saphenous vein we could find at least one minor tributary of the common femoral vein in 57%.

Conclusions

There exist a vast number of minor tributaries of the common femoral vein and they are mainly located near the saphenofemoral junction. Nevertheless, their role in the development of recurrent varices is still unclear and further studies are necessary.
Efficacy of high-intensity laser therapy on arthropathy of the hands in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Abdel-Aal Nabil Mahmoud , Ali Khadra Mohamed , Eladl Hadaya Mosaad
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To determine the efficacy of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) on arthropathy of the hands in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Design:

A double-blinded randomized, controlled study.

Setting:

Outpatient setting

Participants:

Fifty patients, 30–50-years-old, suffering from arthropathy of the hands were randomly assigned either into the experimental group, received HILT plus the routine physical therapy program or the control group, received sham HILT plus the same routine physical therapy program.

Intervention:

All treatment interventions were applied at a frequency of three sessions per week for eight weeks.

Outcome measures:

Handgrip strength, joints swelling counts, joints tenderness counts, visual analog scale (VAS) were measured before and after eight-weeks of interventions.

Results:

There were statistically significant differences in handgrip strength, joint swelling count, joint tenderness count and VAS in favor of the study group ( P < 0.05). After eight-weeks of intervention, the mean (SD) for handgrip strength, joint swelling counts, joint tenderness count, and pain score was 28.34 ± 8.3 kg, 4.4 ± 2.18, 5 ± 2.1, and 35.6 ± 13.87 mm in the study group, and 22.96 ± 8.76 kg, 7.36 ± 2.14, 9.08 ± 1.63, and 58.8 ± 10.54 mm in the control group, respectively. The MD (95%CI) for handgrip strength, joint swelling counts, joint tenderness count, and pain score was 5.38(0.53,10.23) kg, −2.96(−4.19, −1.73), −4.08(−5.15, −3.01), and −23.2(−30.2, −16.2) mm between groups, respectively.

Conclusions:

Adding HILT to the routine physical therapy program might be more effective than routine physical therapy program alone in improving handgrip strength, decreasing joint swelling counts, joint tenderness counts, and pain in patients with arthropathy of the hands.
Cooperation and Conflict in State and Local Innovation During COVID-19
Authors: Mallinson Daniel J.
Published: July 2020

This essay discusses how scholarship on state politics and policy, intergovernmental relations, and federalism provides necessary context for understanding governmental responses to COVID-19. It also highlights how observing those responses can further push the bounds of existing scholarship and theory regarding policy innovation and cooperative and conflictual federalism. It argues that there is a space for mutual learning and sharing between scholars and practitioners.
Comparative Evaluation of Cortical Bone Anatomy of Mandibular Buccal Shelf for Mini Implant Placement in Different Facial Divergence: A Cone Beam Computed Tomography Study
Authors: Trivedi Kalyani , Jani Bharvi K , Hirani Sagar , Radia Mansi V
Published: July 2020

Aim: The purpose of this study was to use measurements from cone beam computed tomography scans to quantify the cortical bone thickness of mandibular buccal shelf region and preferable site for buccal shelf implant placement in 10 hyperdivergent and 10 hypodivergent patients.

Method: 20 cone beam computed tomographies were equally divided based on divergence. 6 sites were examined: mesial of first molar (6M), middle of first molar (6Mi), interdental between the first and second molar (Id), mesial of second molar (7M), middle of second molar (7Mi), and distal of second molar (7D). The study quantified the mandibular buccal shelf relative to its angle of slope, the cortical bone thickness measured perpendicular to the bone surface, the amount of cortical bone 30° angle to the bone surface. The cortical bone thickness was measured perpendicular and at a 30° angle at 3, 5, and 7 mm from the alveolar crest.

Result: Significant change is seen at the buccal shelf slope at 6M ( P = .001) and further increase in this angle till 7D ( P = .003). Mean amount of cortical bone for hyperdivergent group at 7D is 4.77 ± 0.68 mm and for hypodivergent group is 3.86 ± 0.70 mm. Statistically significant differences were noted at insertion site at 90° and 30° for both groups at 3, 5, and 7 mm from the alveolar crest.

Conclusion: Preferable site for buccal shelf implant placement is distal to the mandibular second molar. The maximum amount of cortical bone is found distal to the second molar 7 mm vertically from alveolar crest when the buccal shelf implant is placed at 30° angulation for hyperdivergent group.
Study of ice accretion on wind turbine blade profiles using thermal infrared imaging
Authors: Yousuf Adeel , Jin Jia Yi , Sokolov Pavlo , Virk Muhammad S
Published: July 2020

Atmospheric icing has been recognized as hindrance in proper utilization of good wind resources in cold regions. There is a growing need to better understand the ice accretion physics along wind turbine blades to improve its performance and for optimal design of anti/de-icing system. This article describes a study of ice accretion along wind turbine blade profiles using thermal infrared imaging. Surface temperature distribution along four different blade profile surfaces is studied at different operating conditions. Analysis shows that surface temperature distribution along blade profile surface during ice accretion process is a dynamic process and change in atmospheric conditions and blade geometric characteristics significantly affects the surface temperature and resultant ice accretion. The effect of blade geometry on ice accretion is more prominent in case of wet ice conditions due to low freezing fraction and water run back along blade profile surface.
Estimating the Earnings from Peer-to-Peer Carsharing for Vehicle Owners on the Turo Platform using Anonymized Data
Authors: Schwieterman Joseph P. , Smith C. Scott
Published: July 2020

Peer-to-peer carsharing, in which “hosts” (i.e., vehicle owners) make their vehicles available for a fee, has grown markedly in recent years. Little is known about how activity in this sector is distributed across communities with different socioeconomic or demographic profiles, or about the income it provides to hosts. To offer insights into these issues, this study evaluates anonymized data of trips made on Turo, one of the country's largest peer-to-peer carsharing platforms, in Illinois. It shows that usage is heaviest in higher-density neighborhoods with above-average unemployment and rental housing rates, with a particularly large concentration on Chicago's near north, south, and west sides, as well as zip codes with sizable minority populations. Most transactions are financially remunerative to hosts who would own their vehicle regardless of their decision to share. When maintenance and other expenses are taken into account (while nonmonetary costs such as the host's time are excluded), 94.9% of trips cover their marginal cost to the host. The returns from sharing sports utility vehicles (SUVs) tend to be higher than those for sedans and minivans. A low-income family making $40,000 annually will increase household income by 6% by sharing a vehicle 90 days annually.
Predicting Compliance with Speed Limits using Speed Limit Credibility Perception and Risk Perception Data
Authors: Yao Yao , Carsten Oliver , Hibberd Daryl
Published: July 2020

The link between attitudes and behavior shows that driving behavior can be predicted by personal characteristics and individual attitudes, as has been shown in previous research. This study aimed to predict the level of compliance with speed limits by individual drivers by using attitudes data including speed limit credibility perception and risk perception on eight rural single carriageway layouts. This study investigated how the road layout and roadside environment affect speed limit credibility perception and risk perception, and investigated which machine learning algorithm can be used to predict driving behavior based on experimental evidence. This study was carried out in a well-controlled experimental design by using a questionnaire and a driving simulator. The simulated road environment only considered rural single carriageway which has higher risk factors than other road types. The results show that a boosted decision tree algorithm can establish a driving behavior model based on drivers’ credibility perception and risk perception. This result can be used to predict driving behavior in advance for in-vehicle warning system design.
Exploring Instrumentation and Sensor Technologies for Highway Design and Construction Projects
Authors: Harper Christofer M. , Tran Daniel , Jaselskis Edward
Published: July 2020

With the infusion of emerging technologies into highway construction practices, state departments of transportation (DOTs) can make better informed decisions that positively influence cost, schedule, quality, and safety. DOTs are increasingly using instrumentation and sensor technologies for delivering highway projects across the U.S.A. Instrumentation devices and sensors include such technologies as remote sensing, real-time kinematics, global positioning systems, digital handheld devices, ground penetrating radar, and intelligent compaction/thermal profiling. These technologies are becoming commonplace in highway construction because of their capabilities to improve the construction process by making activities more efficient and more productive. However, the practices in using instrumentation and sensor technologies for highway construction vary among state DOTs. Therefore, this study investigates how DOTs employ the use of instrumentation and sensor technologies for highway construction. This study engaged a research methodology that included an extensive literature review, survey questionnaire, and case studies of state DOTs. Results show that 31 state DOTs use instrumentation and sensor technologies for monitoring work progress, conducting quality control and quality assurance, performing construction inspections, identifying optimal conditions and recording the placement of work, and locating utilities. The main barriers to using instrumentation and sensor technologies include analyzing the large amount of data, verifying the accuracy of the data, ensuring staff have the skills and knowledge to use the technologies efficiently, and assisting smaller contractors to gain the knowledge to use these technologies. The findings from this study provide recommendations and strategies for DOTs to implement instrumentation and sensor technologies effectively for highway construction.
The Associations Between Computational Thinking and Creativity: The Role of Personal Characteristics
Authors: Israel-Fishelson Rotem , Hershkovitz Arnon , Eguíluz Andoni , Garaizar Pablo , Guenaga Mariluz
Published: July 2020

Computational Thinking (CT) and creativity are considered two vital skills for the 21st century that should be incorporated into future curricula around the world. We studied the relationship between these two constructs while focusing on learners’ personal characteristics. Two types of creativity were examined: creative thinking and computational creativity. The research was conducted among 174 middle school students from Spain. Data collected using a standardized creativity test (Torrance's TTCT) were triangulated with data drawn from students' log files that documented their activity in a game-based learning environment for CT (Kodetu). We found some interesting associations between CT and the two constructs of creativity. These associations shed light on positive associations between each of the two creativity constructs and CT acquisition, as well as between the two creativity constructs themselves. Additionally, we highlight differences between boys and girls, as girls were found to be more creative on both creativity measures. Other differences associated with school affiliation, prior coding knowledge, and technology affinity are also discussed.
Exploring the Intersections of Disability, Race, and Gender on Student Outcomes in High School
Authors: Forber-Pratt Anjali J. , Merrin Gabriel J. , Espelage Dorothy L.
Published: July 2020

This study explored the intersections of disability, race, sexual orientation, and gender on peer victimization, suicidal ideation, and school connectedness. Participants were 11,353 high school students ages 14 to 18 years ( MD =15.88, SD = 1.20). Of these individuals, 1,640 students self-identified as either having an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or as having a disability. Students completed online self-report measures. Results indicated that having a disability or identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ) was associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation, higher levels of peer victimization, and lower levels of school connectedness across several racial categories. Moderation analyses examined the intersection of various identities. Findings indicate that differences exist among the intersection of disability, race, sexual orientation, and gender identities in relation to the outcomes of interest.
What Is Good Advance Care Planning According to Hospitalized Palliative Patients and Their Families? An Explorative Study
Authors: Vanderhaeghen Birgit , Bossuyt Inge , Menten Johan , Rober Peter
Published: July 2020

Background:

Advance care planning is not well implemented in Belgian hospital practice. In order to obtain successful implementation, implementation theory states that the adopters should be involved in the implementation process. This information can serve as a basis for creating better implementation strategies.

Aim:

For this study, we asked hospitalized palliative patients and their families what they experienced as good advance care planning.

Methods:

Twenty-nine interviews were taken from patients and families, following the Tape Assisted Recall procedure of Elliot. These interviews were analyzed using content analysis based on grounded theory. To improve reliability, 3 independent external auditors audited the analysis.

Results:

Results show that hospitalized palliative patients and families want to have advance care planning communication about treatment and care throughout their disease and about different aspects: social, psychological, physical, practical, and medical. They prefer to have these conversations with their supervising physician. They report 4 important goals of advance care planning communication: establishing a trustful relationship with the physician, in which they feel the involvement of the physician; giving and receiving relevant information for the decision process, making a personal decision about which treatment and care are preferred; and finding consensus between the preferred decision of the physician, the patient and the family concerning the treatment and care policy.

Conclusion:

This study can contribute to advance care planning implementation in hospital practice because it gives in insight into which elements in advance care planning patients and families experience as necessary and when advance care planning is necessary to them.
Providing care for the 99.9% during the COVID-19 pandemic: How ethics, equity, epidemiology, and cost per QALY inform healthcare policy
Authors: Archer Stephen L.
Published: July 2020

Managing healthcare in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) era should be guided by ethics, epidemiology, equity, and economics, not emotion. Ethical healthcare policies ensure equitable access to care for patients regardless of whether they have COVID-19 or another disease. Because healthcare resources are limited, a cost per Quality Life Year (QALY) approach to COVID-19 policy should also be considered. Policies that focus solely on mitigating COVID-19 are likely to be ethically or financially unsustainable. A cost/QALY approach could target resources to optimally improve QALYs. For example, most COVID-19 deaths occur in long-term care facilities, and this problem is likely better addressed by a focused long-term care reform than by a society-wide non-pharmacological intervention. Likewise, ramping up elective, non-COVID-19 care in low prevalence regions while expanding testing and case tracking in hot spots could reduce excess mortality from non-COVID-19 diseases and decrease adverse financial impacts while controlling the epidemic. Globally, only ∼0.1% of people have had a COVID-19 infection. Thus, ethical healthcare policy must address the needs of the 99.9%.
Critiques of the Shrinking Cities Literature from an Urban Political Economy Framework
Authors: Berglund Lisa
Published: July 2020

This article outlines the political economy critiques of the shrinking cities literature by answering the following: (1) how does the “shrinking cities” canon define a categorically distinct set of geographies with unique challenges and what solutions are proposed? and (2) how has the urban political economy literature engaged with and critiqued these ways of framing problems and solutions? This analysis finds that the “the shrinking city” is loosely defined and that debates exist around their exceptionalism. Urban political economy scholarship debates whether the solutions provided through shrinking cities literature are innovative alternatives to growth-oriented development or manifestations of austerity urbanism.
Positive Links Between Exposure to Police Violence, PTSD, and Depression Symptoms Among Yellow Vests Protesters in France
Authors: Çelebi Elif , Adam-Troian Jais , Mahfud Yara
Published: July 2020

Police violence during protests occurs worldwide with varying levels ranging from physical abuse to lethal use of force. Although prior research has investigated the health consequences of exposure to police violence (EPV), EPV’s relationship with protesters’ mental health has not yet been examined. Therefore, we designed a cross-sectional study which included measures of self-reported EPV, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. The computerized survey was disseminated among a large sample of Yellow Vests protesters in France ( N = 523; average protest attendance = 18). Overall, 49% of protesters displayed severe symptoms of depression and 15.5% met the criteria for provisory post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses. Subsequent analyses revealed, as expected, positive associations between EPV, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in our sample (.30 < d < .63). These were robust to adjustment on several potential confounds (e.g., physical injuries, demographics, political extremism) and similar when analyzing provisory diagnoses rates (1.65 < OR < 3.02). This study is the first to assess potentially detrimental effects of EPV on mental health during protests. Furthermore, prevalence rates for both provisory depression and PTSD diagnoses were comparable with those found among war-refugee populations. We call for further research on EPV among various protester samples and use longitudinal designs to investigate a potent risk factor for mental health issues among civilian populations.
Investigation of the Thermal Protective Performance of Shape Memory Fabric System: Effect of Moisture and Position of Shape Memory Alloy
Authors: Lu Yehu , Wang Lijun , He Jiazhen , Xu Pengjun , Song Wenfang
Published: July 2020

A prototype of temperature-responsive protective fabric assembly with shape memory alloy (SMA) spring was developed. The effect of moisture on the thermal protective performance of fabric was investigated under radiant heat exposure and hot surface contact. The thermal liner of fabric system was pretreated with moisture amount of 25%, 50%, and 100%. Meanwhile, the thermal protection of fabric assembly with SMA springs in different positions between the fabric layers was explored. The results showed that moisture above 25% had a positive influence on thermal protective performance of both traditional and SMA fabric assembly under two hazardous environments. The effect of moisture in SMA fabric assembly was more remarkable than that in fabric without spring. And the SMA spring located between thermal liner and moisture barrier provided better thermal protective performance. The research findings will be beneficial for manufacturing high-performance temperature-responsive fabric.
Measurement of Aluminum and Chemical Oxygen Demand in the Effluent of Mordanted Cotton Against Environmental Regulations
Authors: Haar Sherry , Saha Kowshik , Patwary Sarif , Nguyen Tuyen Duong Thanh , Aryal Santosh
Published: July 2020

Despite toxicity concerns of chemical mordants used in natural dyeing, there is limited research on the measurement, quality, and safe disposal of the chemical mordant effluent. This study measured the aluminum ions across the premordanting process of cotton print cloth using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and calculated the oxidizable organic matter in the effluent through chemical oxygen demand (COD). The amount of aluminum absorbed by the cotton print cloth was low (2.31%–5.16%). The effluent COD was 23.91g COD/kg. Upon neutralization of the acidic condition, the aluminum in the effluent met discharge to freshwater regulations, and the COD met discharge to U.S. municipal sewage systems. However, the Global Harmonized System restricts aluminum acetate dibasic from organic certification due to its boric acid content. The high mordant concentration in the effluent supports the reuse of mordant baths but not direct disposal to the land or standing waters.