bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of the burr height at hole exit in bone drilling by twist drills
Authors: Song Shaokang , Cheng Xiang , Shi Ming , Zheng Guangming , Dong Ruichun , Mu Zonggao
Published: September 2022

The burr at the hole exit is one of the key factors affecting bone drilling performances. In order to reduce burr height at hole exit during cortical bone drilling, the four key parameters in twist drilling of bones are analyzed based on the response surface method (RSM). The prediction model of the burr height is obtained via the analysis of variance. The influence trend and size of each factor on the height of the burr are further analyzed based on the RSM. Experimental results show that smaller point angle and diameter of the twist drill, smaller feed speed, and higher rotational speed can effectively reduce the burr height at hole exit. Then, the geometric variables of the twist drill and process parameters are optimized. When the point angle of the twist drill 2 Φ = 95°, the diameter D = 2.5 mm, the rotational speed n = 1500 rpm, and the feed speed vf  = 10 mm/min, the height of the burr at hole exit reaches the smallest. At the same time, the burr at the exit of the hole with different diameters of twist drills is studied. It is found to be beneficial to select a twist drill with a smaller diameter for drilling when the requirements of drilling are fulfilled.
Finite-time robust stabilization of manipulator system with uncertainty via observer method
Authors: Shi Xin , Yang Renming
Published: September 2022

Via Hamiltonian function method, the article studies the observer-based finite-time robust stabilization problem of a class of two joint uncertain manipulator system under external disturbance. First, we present an equivalent Hamiltonian model for the two-degree-of-freedom manipulator system and design its finite-time observer and develop a finite-time robust stabilization control result by using Lyapunov stability theory and dimension expansion technique for the manipulator system with external disturbance. On this basis, we further study the robust control problem of the mechanical system containing uncertainty and external disturbance simultaneously and develop several corresponding robust control results for the system. Finally, the control effect is proved by an example simulation. Compared with the existing observer-based infinite time stability control results, an observer and a finite time controller are designed in this article. The system has good robustness to external disturbances and can converge quickly.
Building resilient landscapes in a semi-arid watershed: Anthropogenic and natural burning histories in Late Holocene Tesuque Creek, northern New Mexico
Authors: Damick Alison , Krause Samantha , Rosen Arlene
Published: September 2022

As mega-fires have swept the North American West in recent decades, studies of past fire events have gained academic interest. Deep-time perspectives are necessary to better understand the periodicity of fire events and to identify basic drivers of frequent fire episodes through time, including potential anthropogenic fire use. Our study contributes to the growing field of archeological fire ecology in the Southwest with an examination of a high-resolution geobotanical dataset for Holocene fire regimes as indicated within sediments from an alluvial section from Tesuque Creek in northern New Mexico. Using phytolith, geochemical, and sedimentological data, we reconstruct indices for burn cycle seasonality and destabilization of riparian vegetation communities that suggest potential anthropogenic land use and possible patterns distinguishing human burning from lightning ignitions. Through this study, we consider the potential role of hunter-gatherer behavior in producing fire landscapes as part of their strategies for managing risks in the fragile environments of the Middle-Late Holocene in northern New Mexico. We suggest that combining geo and botanical datasets from alluvial sections with archeological evidence will allow researchers to fine-tune the resolution of local climate sequences and their environmental impacts on small landscape scales. When such small-scale studies can be aggregated, they may further contribute to testing models of regional patch-burning, either natural or anthropogenic. We further posit that human relationships with fire in the past should be considered as collaborative efforts with lightning-ignited burns, to manage the risks associated with both too much and too little fire in fragile dryland ecosystems.
Validation of the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Junker Christina I , Dreyer Lene , Duch Kirsten , Waarst Gregersen Jon , Kristensen Salome
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience significant fatigue, a debilitating symptom associated with reduced quality of life. There has not yet been agreed on a simple and reliable method for assessing fatigue in SLE.

Objectives

To investigate the internal consistency, test–retest reliability and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity) of the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) in patients with SLE. The secondary objective was to investigate the contribution of disease activity and organ damage to fatigue.

Methods

Fatigue was assessed using the MFIS in 61 patients with SLE. Internal consistency of MFIS was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha (α) and Principal Component Analysis. Test–retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was studied using Spearman’s rank correlation (rs). Associations between MFIS and disease activity and organ damage were estimated with rs.

Results

Internal consistency of the MFIS was excellent with Cronbach’s α = 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96–0.98) for the complete scale. Test–retest reliability was good with ICC = 0.89 (95% CI: 0.78–0.95, p < 0.001). Construct validity was confirmed by Spearman’s correlation (VT-SF36: rs = −0.73, p < 0.001. MH-SF36: rs = 0.70, p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between the MFIS and SLEDAI (rs = 0.03, p = 0.83). There was a moderate correlation between MFIS and SLICC Damage Index (rs = 0.43, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The present study found the MFIS to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing fatigue in SLE. Further investigations are needed to clarify if an association between measured fatigue and disease components exists.
Book review: Prasad Kurian, Life in Organizations: Paradoxes, Dilemmas and Possibilities
Authors: Carvalho Sheldon
Published: September 2022

Prasad Kurian, Life in Organizations: Paradoxes, Dilemmas and Possibilities. Chennai: Notion Press Media Private Limited, 2021. 140 pp. ₹190.
‘Backward’ industrialisation in resource-rich countries: The car industry in Uzbekistan
Authors: Galdini Franco
Published: September 2022

This article analyses the ‘backward’ form of import-substitution industrialisation (ISI) in countries integrated into the global economy as exporters of primary commodities, using the example of the car industry in Uzbekistan. This form of incorporation defines the way in which all manufacturing capitals, regardless of ‘nationality’, accumulate at the average rate of profit via raw material rents, as mediated by specific state policies. This has been the case of Uzbekistan’s state-owned car manufacturer UzAvtoSanoat, in joint-venture with Korean Daewoo Motor Company and American General Motors in the 1992–2016 period. Orthodox (‘neoliberal’) economists view the Uzbek car industry as inefficient due to state intervention. Heterodox (‘developmental state’) scholars hail it as an example of export-oriented industrial upgrading. Neither explain, however, why leading MNCs would invest in such an inefficient market (as per the former), given its low scale of production that is mostly purchased domestically (pace the latter). Instead, I contend that all manufacturing capitals in the country could stay profitable only via rent subsidisation, the main reason for leading MNCs to invest in it. As such, ‘backward’ manufacturing ISI in Uzbekistan epitomises a specific national form taken by the global process of capital accumulation in resource-rich countries of the Global South.
How to Analyse the Level of Internationalisation of Curriculum at Argentine Universities: A Model for Reflection and Implementation
Authors: Beneitone Pablo
Published: September 2022

Internationalisation of Curriculum (IoC) can be considered a very inclusive approach, as it makes it possible to reach all students, addressing the current and future needs of global citizenship. Argentine universities, which in previous years had prioritised mobility over other internationalisation strategies, have focused on exploring and developing IoC with greater commitment and effort since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In Argentina there were no theoretical references that allowed IoC to be analysed in a national context, only isolated and fragmented experiences of actions developed by some universities. This paper introduces a conceptual model for the analysis of IoC in Argentine universities, and can also be considered as a benchmark to explore underdeveloped aspects in higher education institutions. Using four levels of analysis, 12 dimensions and 96 indicators, it is proposed to review the different elements that contribute to the curriculum being understood and recognised in diverse contexts.
A Sociomaterial Investigation into Chinese International Students’ Navigation of a Doctoral Trajectory During COVID-19
Authors: Xu Xing
Published: September 2022

Despite a vast body of scholarship delving into international students’ educational experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about the doctoral group's perception from a sociomaterial perspective. Utilizing a group of Chinese international doctoral students while drawing on semi-structured interviews, the article unpacks what and how matter and human forces are entangled with one another as bricolages to shape a disrupted doctoral trajectory. It reveals that, within working and social spaces, human agency and non-human matter mediate, forge and produce a doctoral trajectory embedded within a complex lived experience of responding to shifting dynamics during the pandemic. It also shows how doctoral students aligned material and social assemblages to construct sociomaterial bricolages that facilitate a restoration of relative stability. The study contributes to the literature of international doctoral education with a nuanced disclosure of its navigation as a continual process of mobilization, negotiation and construction emerging from the performative flow of sociomaterial practices. It concludes that a doctoral trajectory represents network operations of experiencing and accounting for, not just what humans do with matter, but what matter does to human thinking and action.
Maintenance ECT treatment in New Zealand: Local and national data
Authors: Stegmann Ben , Gale Chris , Glue Paul
Published: September 2022

Objectives

To retrospectively analyse patients receiving maintenance Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), patterns of ECT treatment administration and impact on hospitalisation before and during treatment, in a single New Zealand District Health Board catchment. We also asked other District Health Boards in New Zealand for annual data on their use of maintenance ECT.

Methods

Regional analysis: retrospective analysis of patient-level data over 9 years. National analysis: survey of maintenance ECT/year.

Results

Regionally, 14 patients received maintenance ECT over 9 years. Patients were 50% male, with mean age 59 years, and principal diagnoses included schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. The time between ECT treatments tended to be shorter for patients with schizophrenia compared with those with mood disorders. Duration of time in hospital during maintenance ECT, compared with pre-ECT, was reduced by 52% for all patients, with greater reductions for patients with mood disorders compared with those with schizophrenia. Nationally, 19.7% of all ECT treatments in New Zealand (range 4–57%) were for maintenance treatment.

Discussion

Regional and national use patterns of maintenance ECT in New Zealand resemble those reported internationally. The RANZCP section of neurostimulation is planning ECT standards which would assist with ensuring coherence and quality of High-dose contrast-enhanced computed tomography/modified electroconvulsive therapy practice in New Zealand.
Cisheteronormativity, Conversion Therapy, and Identity Among Sexual and Gender Minority People: A Narrative Inquiry and Creative Non-fiction
Authors: Kinitz David J. , Salway Travis
Published: September 2022

Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) navigate systems of oppression that reify cisgender and heterosexual norms (cisheteronormativity) while developing their identities. ‘Conversion therapy’ represents a particularly prominent and harmful threat in this landscape. We explore how SGM who experienced conversion therapy develop their identities to understand antecedents to mental health struggles in this population. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 people in Canada. A ‘master narratives’ framework combined with Polkinghorne’s narrative analysis were used to explore individual-structural relations that affect identity in settings where cisheteronormative master narratives are amplified (i.e., conversion therapy). We present research findings through a creative non-fiction, which includes learning cisheteronormative master narratives; internalizing master narratives; feeling broken and searching for alternatives; and embracing self-love amidst pain. The amplification of master narratives through conversion therapy leads to conflict and delays in adopting a coherent identity. Health professionals should enact institutional practices that affirm SGM and thereby deemphasize cisheteronormativity.
“Primary Correction of the Cleft Nasal Septum: A Systematic Review”
Authors: Bins Griffin P. , Dourado Justin , Tang Jason , Kogan Samuel , Runyan Christopher M.
Published: September 2022

Patients affected by cleft lip and palate have a characteristic nasal deformity; however, the treatment timeline varies amongst providers. There has been a shift from a more conservative approach to earlier intervention in order to allow for more normal development of the nose. Form, function, and future development all must be considered. For this reason, this investigation was undertaken to present the current literature available on the effects to all aspects of primary septoplasty in the cleft nasal deformity.

An initial list of 222 papers was identified, and it was determined that 16 papers fit the inclusion criteria. Studies were included in which the initial age of operation for the majority of patients was between 3 and 12 months and in which patients underwent septal repositioning at the time of cleft lip repair. These papers were all reviewed by a single author initially, and the results recorded. All results were then verified by a second author for accuracy and completeness.

Symmetry was found to be improved by primary septoplasty. Growth was not found to be impaired in any study; data was insufficient to indicate that growth was improved. Obstruction was improved as determined both by imaging, endoscopy, and patient survey. Finally, reoperation rates occurred at an acceptable rate not exceeding that of primary rhinoplasty without septoplasty.

Primary septoplasty leads to better aesthetic symmetry and function of the cleft nose without impairing growth. This change is maintained into adulthood often without the need for revisionary surgery.
A beam theory for a new class of constitutive relation for elastic bodies
Authors: Bustamante Roger
Published: September 2022

A theory for two-dimensional (2D) beams is presented for the case of considering new constitutive equations, wherein the linearized (infinitesimal) strain tensor is assumed to be a nonlinear function of the Cauchy stress tensor. An incremental formulation is developed to solve numerically the resultant equations. Three constitutive equations for elastic bodies are considered: a model wherein we have strain-limiting behavior, a nonlinear model for rock, and a bimodular constitutive equation for rock (which can also be considered as a nonlinear model for rock). Two boundary value problems are studied: the deformation of a cantilever beam with a point load, and a three-point beam with a point load applied on the middle. The numerical results are compared with the predictions of the classical theory for beams for the case of linearized elastic solids. The results for the stresses can be notoriously different, when comparing the predictions of the nonlinear constitutive equations with the results obtained using the linearized theory of elasticity.
Persistent subretinal fluid following tractional retinal detachment repair: An exploring use of dexamethasone implant
Authors: Huang Xinyuan , Shao Yan , Li Xiaorong
Published: September 2022

Introduction

To report a successful application of dexamethasone implants in the treatment of a massive amount of persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) following a tractional retinal detachment (TRD) surgery.

Case report

A 44-year-old woman was found to have SRF 1 week after a diabetic TRD surgery. The central macular thickness (CMT) reached up to 1.47 mm and remained high after a month's observation. For better restoration, 2 dexamethasone implants (Ozurdex) were applied at postoperative week 5 and 32 respectively and got good outcomes. The SRF decrease showed a close correlation with Ozurdex treatments: The CMT declined quickly in the next 16 weeks both after 2 times of Ozurdex applications (the linear regression slopes of CMT changes: −12.54 and −22.94, respectively). In contrast, in the interval of 2 injections, the CMT had few changes (the slope: −4.667) even if applying an anti-VEGF agent. Eventually, SRF was completely resolved 48 weeks after the surgery.

Discussion

Dexamethasone implant can be an option for effective treatment of persistent SRF after TRD repair, especially in some refractory cases. However, the mechanism remains unclear, and the treatment regimen needs to be explored based on more clinical trials.
Experimental research on piston rings with different end face structures
Authors: Liu Chunrui , Yan Ze , Dai Weize , He Lidong , Jia Xingyun , Zhang Le
Published: September 2022

In order to reduce the leakage and the temperature of the end face of the piston ring to prolong its service life, an experimental research of the piston ring with different types of end face structures is carried out. In this research, a high-pressure and high-speed rotary seal experiment bench is built, and the leakage and temperature experiment of piston rings such as traditional type, micro-pit type, circular arc groove type and V-groove type are carried out. The results show that when the pressure is 1–2 MPa and the speed is 1000–5000 rpm, the V-groove type piston ring has the best comprehensive performance among the four different structures of the piston rings, which can not only reduce the temperature of the piston ring to prolong the service life of the piston ring, but also reduce the leakage of the piston ring. The results of this research reveal the influence of different types of end face structures on the leakage and temperature of the piston ring, which can provide theoretical support for its optimal design.
Do international parliaments matter? An empirical analysis of influences on foreign policy and civil rights
Authors: Koenig-Archibugi Mathias , Bareis Luka
Published: September 2022

International parliamentary institutions (IPIs), which give parliamentarians regular opportunities to communicate with their foreign counterparts, have become a common feature in global governance. Recent research has shed light on why IPIs are created, on the similarities and differences in their institutional design, and on the reasons that lead members of national parliaments to engage with them. By contrast, there is little systematic empirical research on whether and how IPIs affect global politics. This article addresses this question by assessing their ability to influence states in relation to the position they take on issues of global concern and to how they treat their own citizens. The study identifies several mechanisms of IPI influence, leading to the hypothesis that more frequent opportunities for parliamentarians to interact with their foreign counterparts within IPIs leads in time to greater similarity in the foreign policy positions expressed by their governments and affects how those governments protect the civil rights of their citizens. A statistical analysis spanning multiple international organizations, member states, and decades indicates that IPIs offer a distinct contribution to convergence in foreign policy. By contrast, participation in IPIs is not robustly associated with civil rights protections. The finding that IPIs can be consequential on which policies governments promote internationally even though such institutions typically lack substantial authority may be encouraging for advocates of further international parliamentarization and specifically the creation of a United Nations parliamentary assembly.
Systems thinking concepts within a collaborative program evaluation methodology: The Hermes Program Evaluation
Authors: Torres-Cuello Maria Alejandra , Pinzon-Salcedo Luis Arturo
Published: September 2022

There has been a growing interest in introducing systems thinking ideas in the program evaluation field over the last decades. Most of these efforts have supported the practice of evaluation, rather than contributing to produce theoretical advancements in evaluation. This article illustrates how systems thinking concepts may enrich the program evaluation field both at theoretical and practical levels. In particular, it examines how critical systems thinking perspectives and concepts were introduced in evaluation by discussing the design of an evaluation of a peace-building program in Colombia. We describe theoretical contributions of systems thinking within a reframed evaluation methodology and illustrate its application in a practical evaluation. Finally, we discuss some advantages of using systems thinking in evaluation.
A consensus that impedes contestation: Debating migration-related diversity in post-terror Norway
Authors: Ezzati Rojan Tordhol
Published: September 2022

This article draws on the post-terror setting of Norway to investigate interactions between consensus, contestation, and conflict in public debates about diversity. A consensus-oriented unity prevailed in immediate responses to the 2011 terror attacks that killed 77 people in Norway. Analysis of 40 semi-structured interviews identifies lingering perceptions that the following conditions limited the space for contestation after the attacks: the intensity of the initial unity expressions; the perpetrator's identity as a Norwegian, self-proclaimed Christian crusader; and broader patterns of limited space for nuanced contestation in diversity debates. Drawing on influential political theories on liberal democratic debate, this is an empirical inquiry into when and how contestation about migration-related diversity is impeded, and with what implications. The Norwegian case illustrates that too much consensus-orientation and inadequate space for nuance can further underline conflict and thereby impede citizens’ engagement with debates about migration-related diversity.
3D reconstruction of non-structural surface of a stiffened hull plate based on RGB-D images
Authors: Li Jun , Chen Zhen , Li Dongyang , Sun Chao , Ding Yuhang
Published: September 2022

Deformation measurement of hull structure is of great significance for enhancing the quality of shipbuilding. In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction method based on RGB-D images is presented for non-structural surface of a stiffened hull plate. The algorithm for object surface region nodes (OSRN) is proposed to extract the features of point clouds and generate higher-order fitting surface model. Firstly, random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm and least square method are applied to eliminate the noise of point clouds. Spatial position of targets in RGB image and singular value decomposition (SVD) are utilized to accomplish the registration of point clouds from multiple camera views. Then, the point clouds data are clustered and fused to fit the quadric surface. On this basis, the 3D surface model is reconstructed through higher-order panel element. Two comparative experiments, including the measurements via the RGB-D camera and 3D Laser Scanner, are carried out to verify the applicability and accuracy of the proposed method.
Polymeric compounds based on thermoplastic elastomer styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers and siliconic rubber powder
Authors: Stelescu Maria Daniela , Sonmez Maria , Georgescu Mihai , Alexandrescu Laurentia , Nituica Mihaela , Gurau Dana
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the obtaining and characterization of polymeric composites based on thermoplastic elastomer type styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers and vulcanized rubber powder. The rubber powder used was obtained as waste in the technological processes in the rubber industry. It was analyzed by determining the acetonic extract, ash and FTIR analysis and it was observed that the base elastomer in the rubber waste is silicone rubber, and the amounts of inorganic fillers, plasticizers, antioxidants, lubricants etc. existing in the rubber powder are lower than 19%. The samples were obtained by mixing technique, on Brabender Plasti-Corder internal mixer type. The test specimens necessary to determine the characteristics were obtained on a laboratory electrical press at 170°C, applying a force of 300 kN, and moulding time 6 min. The characteristics of the obtained samples show that the addition of rubber powder improved the hardness and elasticity, and by the applying compatibility method, namely crosslinking and grafting in melt, in dynamic regime, there was a significant increase in hardness, elasticity, modulus 100%, tensile strength, and the material obtained is more compact. The new composites have physical and mechanical properties suitable for producing a wide range of rubber consumer goods.
The Gender Paradox: Understanding the Role of Masculinity in Suicidal Ideation
Authors: Griffin Laura , Hosking Warwick , Gill Peter Richard , Shearson Kim , Ivey Gavin , Sharples Jenny
Published: September 2022

It is important to understand the role of social determinants, such as gender, in suicidal ideation. This study examined whether conformity to specific masculine norms, particularly high self-reliance and emotional self-control, moderated the relationship between psychological distress and suicidal ideation for men. The other norms explored were those pertaining to behavioral–emotional or social hierarchy status aspects of masculinity, and whether they moderated the psychological distress–suicidal ideation relationship for men and women. The Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale were administered to an Australian community sample in an online survey ( n = 486). As predicted, higher psychological distress was associated with higher suicidal ideation. Self-reliance enhanced the relationship and was the only moderator among men. High self-reliance levels might be an important indicator of risk, which can be used when assessing and working with men who are hesitant to openly discuss suicidal ideation with clinicians. For female participants, higher endorsement of behavioral–emotional norms and lower conformity to social hierarchy status norms appear to increase suicide risk in the presence of psychological distress. Our findings suggest that high self-reliance is of particular concern for men experiencing psychological distress. It is also important to consider the roles of masculine norm endorsement in the psychological distress–suicidal ideation relationship among women.
Developing an Accountability Framework to Support Bridging Inuit Worldviews and the Critical Paradigm in Qualitative Research
Authors: MacLachlan Janna , Andersen Andrea , Benoit Anita C. , Nowgesic Earl , Nixon Stephanie A.
Published: September 2022

Bridging Indigenous and Western paradigms in research can offer benefits but it can also be challenging because of the need to navigate power dynamics and differences in perspectives. Amid the Western epistemic norms that dominate most academic spaces in Canada, researchers must endeavour to bridge paradigms in such a way that Indigenous rights to self-determination are upheld, ensuring that Indigenous paradigms or worldviews are not subsumed by or tokenized within Western paradigms. Researchers must also be able to demonstrate the coherence of their project, showing how all aspects fit well together despite the involvement of different perspectives. This article shares lessons learned from a research project in which we aimed to coherently bridge Inuit worldviews and the critical paradigm in a manner that foregrounds Inuit perspectives. We present an accountability framework that supported project planning and decision-making in alignment with our core project intentions by prioritizing requirements for paradigm bridging. This framework was guided by concepts from or based on Inuit knowledge (i.e., piliriqatigiinniq and the Qaggiq Model) and qualitative research (i.e., meaningful coherence). We draw examples from our study to illustrate how we strove to achieve a balanced, dynamic relationship between Inuit and Western epistemologies, which was facilitated by shared points of common ground. Intentional focus was required to continually resist and redress power imbalances. We emphasize the importance of reflexivity and humility to the whole endeavour, highlighting the relevance of researcher positionality from the perspective of the Qallunaaq (White) lead researcher. While acknowledging that any effort to bridge paradigms must be specific to context, we propose that following an iterative, collaborative, reflexive, dynamic and responsive process can enable accountability to Indigenous communities and fidelity to researcher intentions. Such actions support the production of research that is meaningful, valued and useful to the population it intends to serve.
Socioeconomic status is not associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute limb ischemia
Authors: Natour Abdul Kader , Shepard Alexander , Nypaver Timothy , Weaver Mitchell , Peshkepija Andi , Kafri Omar , Kabbani Loay
Published: September 2022

Objective

Whether socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with health outcomes in patients with acute limb ischemia (ALI) is largely unknown. We aimed to determine whether SES is associated with worse presentations and outcomes for patients with ALI.

Methods

We performed a retrospective medical record review of patients who presented with ALI between April 2016 and October 2020 at a single tertiary care center. SES was quantified using individual variables (median household income, level of education, and employment) and a composite endpoint, the neighborhood deprivation index (NDI). The NDI is a standardized and reproducible index that uses census tract data (higher number indicates lower SES status). The NDI summarizes 8 domains of socioeconomic deprivation. ALI severity was categorized using the Rutherford classification. The association between SES and the severity of ALI at presentation and between SES and other health outcomes were analyzed using bivariate analysis of variance, independent t test, and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

During the study period, 278 patients were treated for ALI, of whom 211 had complete SES data available. The mean age was 64 years, 55% were men, and 57% were White. The Rutherford classification of disease severity was grade 1, 2a, 2b, and 3 for 6%, 54%, 32%, and 8% of patients, respectively. Patients with a low SES status per the NDI were more likely to have a history of peripheral arterial disease and chronic kidney disease at presentation. The ALI etiology (thrombotic vs embolic) was not associated with SES. No significant differences were seen between SES and the severity of ALI at presentation ( p = 0.96) or the treatment modality ( p = 0.80). No associations between SES and 30-day or 1-year mortality were observed (mean NDI, 0.15 vs 0.26, p = 0.58, and 0.20 vs 0.26, p = 0.71, respectively) or between SES and 30-day or 1-year limb loss (mean NDI, 0.06 vs 0.30, p = 0.18, and 0.1 vs 0.32, p = 0.17, respectively). Lower SES (higher NDI) was associated with increased 30-day readmission (mean NDI, 0.49 vs 0.15, p = 0.021). However, this association was not significant on multivariate analysis (odds ratio 1.4, 95% CI 0.9–2.1, p = 0.06).

Conclusions

SES was not associated with the severity of ALI at patient presentation. Although SES was associated with the presence of peripheral arterial disease and chronic kidney disease at presentation, SES was not a predictor of short-term or 1-year limb loss and mortality. Overall, ALI presentation and treatment outcomes were independent of SES.
Reliability analysis of fail-safe systems with heterogeneous and dependent components subject to random shocks
Authors: Zhang Jiandong , Yan Rongfang , Zhang Yiying
Published: September 2022

In many significant safety systems, the fault tolerance of a fail-safe system has been a fundamental design attributed to obtaining more higher reliability. However, in most practical scenarios, the components in a fail-safe system suffer from additional random shocks, and one component’s failure may increase the failure probability of other surviving components. This article analyzes the effects of survived probabilities and components lifetimes on the reliability of fail-safe systems with statistically dependent components subject to random shocks in terms of the usual stochastic and hazard rate orderings. Sufficient conditions are established by means of transformation functions, underlying component lifetime distributions, and majorization orders. Some numerical examples are also presented for illustrating our theoretical findings.
The Windrush and the BUMIDOM: The memorialization of Caribbean migration
Authors: Wimbush Antonia
Published: September 2022

This article examines the role of the ‘Windrush’, a term which stands for post-war Caribbean migration to Britain, in cultural and political memory, and compares it to a similar migratory phenomenon which occurred in the French context. In 1963, the BUMIDOM (Bureau pour le développement des migrations dans les départements d’outre-mer/Bureau for the Development of Migration in the Overseas Departments) was formally established, thus initiating mass migration to metropolitan France. The BUMIDOM acted as a labour recruitment agency, financing the transportation, recruitment and housing of workers from France’s former Caribbean colonies. The article argues that the BUMIDOM has not been commemorated by museums, institutions or memorials because this would mean contesting France’s Republican model of universalism which does not recognize identitarian categories such as race. In contrast, British institutions have incorporated the ‘Windrush’ story into the national narrative, but Caribbean communities prefer to memorialize Caribbean migration on their own terms.
Robust design of compact axial compressor
Authors: Zeng Cong , Chen Shaowen , Liu Hongyan
Published: September 2022

The method of connection weights in neural networks was used to analyze the sensitivity of the compressor rotor, and the Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) was used to construct the analysis relationship between the compressor rotor's geometries and the performance based on the training and learning of the data base, and the prediction accuracy can reach more than 99.99%. Then the modified Grason Algorithm based on the neural network connect weights was used to quantify the contribution of the geometrical effects on its performance. The result shows that the tip clearance contributes 11.43% (efficiency sensitivity analysis) and 10.18% (pressure ratio sensitivity analysis) to compressor performance changes. This study focuses mainly on the robust optimization of tip clearance. Non-intrusive probability collection point method (NIPC) was adopted for the uncertainty propagation. The robust optimization method based on BPNN agent model coupled with multi-objective genetic algorithm Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA II) was used to perform the optimization. Compared to the design prototype, the variance of robust compressor rotor's efficiency could be reduced by 21.04%.
Assessment of fatty liver and its correlation with glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia
Authors: Abebe Gashaw , Ayanaw Daniel , Ayelgn Mengstie Tiget , Dessie Gashaw , Malik Tabarak
Published: September 2022

Objectives:

The purpose of conducting this study was to assess fatty liver disease and its correlation with glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In addition, evaluation of associated factors and correlation analysis between the fatty liver index and hemoglobin A1C level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was another aim of this study.

Methods:

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending at diabetes clinic of Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital located in south Wollo, Ethiopia. It was conducted from July to August 2021. The fatty liver index was calculated to assess fatty liver disease. Simple descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis, and an independent sample t-test were utilized for statistical analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associated factors of fatty liver. The p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results:

In this study, the mean ± standard deviation values of body mass index among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were 25.82 ± 3.64, 28.04 ± 2.43, and 22.70 ± 2.62 in both fatty and non-fatty liver cases, respectively. In this study, the prevalence of fatty liver among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was 58.4%. There was a significant positive correlation between the level of Hemoglobin A1C or glycated hemoglobin and fatty liver index (p value = 0.008, r = 0.35). The development of fatty liver was 4.6 times more likely among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had insufficient physical exercise than sufficient exercise. Patients with insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs were 0.8 folds less likely to have a fatty liver as compared to oral hypoglycemic drug treatment.

Conclusion:

The results of this study showed that the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was elevated among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had higher levels of body mass index, waist circumference, triglycerides, glycated hemoglobin, and gamma-glutamyltransferase. Therefore, glycemic control, sufficient physical exercise, and insulin treatment may reduce the risk of fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Vaginal leiomyoma misdiagnosed as a Bartholin abscess: A case report from Damascus, Syria
Authors: Tarrab Rand , Al Sabbagh Alaa , Adwan Dema
Published: September 2022

Fibroids are benign neoplasms that are primarily found in the uterus. Fibroids can rarely be found in the vagina—most commonly arising from the anterior wall. Generally, the vagina is an unusual location for tumors. In this article, we present the case of a 30-year-old multigravid Syrian woman presenting to the emergency department with painful swelling of the left labia, mistakenly diagnosed as a Bartholin abscess. A surgical excision was recommended for the solid mass and the mass was sent for histopathological examination which confirmed the diagnosis of a vaginal leiomyoma.
Novel electrode design reduces sensory threshold current drift during peripheral nerve evaluation in patients considered for sacral nerve stimulation
Authors: Shin Je Song , Middleton Duncan G , Small Douglas , Cochrane Lisa , Morton Simon , Conn Ian G
Published: September 2022

Objective:

To retrospectively compare the efficacy and technical performance of a novel lead used for percutaneous nerve evaluation (PNE) during the testing phase for sacral nerve neuromodulation with the existing lead currently used.

Materials and methods:

Sixty-three PNE leads were inserted in 45 consecutive patients who underwent PNE with the novel helical electrodes, and the intra-operative and return clinic sensory threshold currents were recorded. This resulted in current measurements for 63 individual electrodes. Measurements were compared with 46 consecutive patients who previously underwent PNE using the standard lead with measurements for 63 individual electrodes. Current difference distributions for the two leads were compared using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results:

There was a statistically significant difference observed between the two types of PNE electrode. The new PNE lead demonstrated less drift in sensory threshold current during a 12-day test period in comparison to the old lead.

Conclusion:

The novel helical PNE electrodes demonstrate a significant improvement in current drift compared with the old style leads over a 12-day test period.

Level of evidence:

Level III
Algorithmic empowerment: A comparative ethnography of two open-source algorithmic platforms – Decide Madrid and vTaiwan
Authors: Tseng Yu-Shan
Published: September 2022

Scholars of critical algorithmic studies, including those from geography, anthropology, Science and Technology Studies and communication studies, have begun to consider how algorithmic devices and platforms facilitate democratic practices. In this article, I draw on a comparative ethnography of two alternative open-source algorithmic platforms – Decide Madrid and vTaiwan – to consider how they are dynamically constituted by differing algorithmic–human relationships. I compare how different algorithmic–human relationships empower citizens to influence political decision-making through proposing, commenting, and voting on the urban issues that should receive political resources in Taipei and Madrid. I argue that algorithmic empowerment is an emerging process in which algorithmic–human relationships orient away from limitations and towards conditions of plurality, actionality, and power decentralisation. This argument frames algorithmic empowerment as bringing about empowering conditions that allow (underrepresented) individuals to shape policy-making and consider plural perspectives for political change and action, not as an outcome-driven, binary assessment (i.e. yes/no). This article contributes a novel, situated, and comparative conceptualisation of algorithmic empowerment that moves beyond technological determinism and universalism.
Mapping, Organizing, and Visualizing Interdependent Events (MOVIE): A rigorous analytic framework and cost-free software application designed to model temporal and dynamic complex realist structures in social research settings
Authors: González Canché Manuel S
Published: September 2022

The study of the social world involves multiple, multidimensional, and endlessly dynamic competing systems evolving over time. This inherent complexity, however, does not mean that the social world is chaotic, random, or unstructured. Rather, structural forms do emerge and co-exist in social settings. It is the emergence, maintenance, and decay of these structures that allows researchers to detect temporary stability and provides them with the means to make predictions about continuity and change in social dynamics. Arguably then, the main challenge in the study of the social world consist of developing robust and consistent strategies or tools capable of tracing, mapping, or retrieving these structural forms in order to ultimately model this social complexity. Accordingly, the overarching purpose of this study consists of addressing this analytic and methodological challenge by proposing a groundbreaking analytic framework, and its corresponding software application, designed to extract temporal and dynamic structures in the social world relying on complex realism, complex systems, dynamic temporal network analyses, and data science and visualization techniques. Together, these frameworks constitute the foundations of Mapping, Organizing, and Visualizing Interdependent Events (MOVIE), an analytic framework [and software application] designed to ease the understanding of, individually-produced or interactively-generated, events and knowledge evolution, by tracing and recreating the processes that may have affected participants’ experiences, outcomes, and standpoints. To demonstrate MOVIE’s performance and rigor in capturing and recreating the dynamic complexity of micro-level interactions, the analyses relied on publicly available data sources on foreign policy and conflict resolution. All data elements and tools are provided with this study to make these analyses fully transparent and reproducible. MOVIE can trace/recreate the temporal elements embedded in existing qualitative databases (e.g. those generated with NVivo/MAXQDA/Atlas.ti), even if they were created without considering their dynamic time-evolving features, whose meaning-building relevance may help inform policy planning and action.
Tree-Like Structures in Architecture: Revisiting Frei Otto’s Branching Columns Through Parametric Tools
Authors: Arslan Selçuk Semra , Gülle Nur Banu , Mutlu Avinç Güneş
Published: September 2022

Tree-like architectures and branching structures are one of the analogical designs that are among the nature inspired structures arousing attention of the designers, inspiring them and that are frequently confronted throughout the history of architecture. Likewise, trees are structural models for designers beyond the plant and branching patterns that are used as architectural ornamentation. Trees have the characteristics of being mentors for architects and engineers concerning how the vertical and the horizontal loads are transmitted through the trunks, branches, and leaves and how the balance is provided. Within this context, it is possible to claim that a quite wide and intuitively developed structural knowledge is acquired with the tree analogies throughout the history of architecture. By the development of computational design technologies, there have been significant developments in the design and the building of tree-like structures. Especially the number of branching, angles of dendroids, lengths, and the other parameters can be defined by using algorithms and can be optimized also by the help of computational tools. In this paper, the historical development and classification of the tree-like structures have been carried out and Frei Otto who is the pioneer to pave the way for innovative structures related to this field has been selected to revisit the efficiency of lightweight columns inspired by nature. One of the experimental studies of Otto in which he called as “minimum path system” has been determined as the case study; the parametric design behind the structure has been analyzed and reproduced by using a parametric software. The structural effectiveness has been determined and discussed by testing the obtained models using a FEM program under horizontal and vertical loads. Consequently, the structural effectiveness of today’s computational technologies and the branching structures that Otto built intuitively and by natural analogies have been able to be tested and the possible potentials that can be leading for today’s architects have been demonstrated.