bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fetal Origins of Health Disparities: Transgenerational Consequences of Racism
Authors: Matoba Nana , Collins James W. , Dizon Maria L.V.
Published: June 2023

Despite advances in perinatal medicine, racial disparity in birth outcomes remains a public health problem in the USA. The underlying mechanisms for this long-standing racial disparity are incompletely understood. This review presents transgenerational risk factors for racial disparities in preterm birth, exploring the impact of interpersonal and structural racism, theoretical models of stress, and biological markers of racial disparities.
The Phonetic and Morphosyntactic Dimensions of Grammatical Gender in Spanish Heritage Language Acquisition
Authors: Pérez-Leroux Ana Teresa , López Yadira Álvarez , Barreto Miguel , Cuza Alejandro , Marinescu Irina , Yang Jierui , Colantoni Laura
Published: June 2023

Previous studies disagree as to whether heritage bilinguals demonstrate loss of knowledge of Spanish grammatical gender. As phonetic variability is known to affect the acquisition of certain grammatical markers, we examine whether bilinguals’ gender difficulties relate to bilingual contact-induced phonetic variability, namely, reduction in the inventory of word-final unstressed vowels. We analyzed narratives from children in the United States (n = 49, ages 4–12). All NP  s (n = 1415) were analyzed for structure, noun class, and morphology. Word-final vowels were sub-selected for acoustic analyses. Morpho-syntactically, group results show high accuracy with gender (95%), but with wide individual variation (44%–100%). Speakers also show individual variability and substantive numbers of vowel misclassifications (6%–33%) with higher variability for /a/ and /o/. We found bilingual effects in both domains but no association between phonetics and gender accuracy. These findings have implications for the relationship between phonetics and grammar, and for the morphosyntax of Spanish gender.
Marxism and Homosexual Liberation
Authors: Gaido Daniel
Published: June 2023

The decriminalisation of homosexuality was a measure originally adopted by the bourgeois revolutions, which was abandoned by the bourgeois parties as the rise of the labour movement led the bourgeoisie to seek a compromise with landlords, clergy and monarchy in different countries. The demand to decriminalise homosexuality was therefore taken over by the Marxist workers’ parties, such as the Social-Democratic Party of Germany before the First World War and the Bolshevik Party in Russia after the Revolution of October 1917. This article outlines the cooperation between the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee led by Magnus Hirschfeld and Social Democracy to decriminalise homosexuality by removing Paragraph 175 of the German Penal Code before the First World War. It also describes the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Russia under Lenin, with the adoption of the first Soviet Penal Code in June 1922, and Magnus Hirschfeld’s relations with prominent figures of the early Soviet government such as N.A. Semashko, the first People’s Commissar of Public Health, and Anatoly Lunacharsky, the first People’s Commissar for Education. Those ties ceased with the Nazis’ rise to power in January 1933, which resulted in the destruction of the institutions created by Hirschfeld, such as the Institute for Sexual Science and the World League for Sexual Reform, while in the Soviet Union itself Stalin recriminalised homosexuality in March 1934, shortly before Hirschfeld’s death, linking homosexuality and fascism.
On the Path to Universalism? The Role of External Instruments in the European Court of Human Rights Jurisprudence
Authors: Nilsson Isak
Published: June 2023

In the multi-layered system of international human rights law, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) uses not only its own case-law but also external instruments (ei s) when interpreting the European Convention on Human Rights (echr). This article explores the horizontal judicial borrowing practice of the Court until 2020. The landscape includes a wide range of different sources, but with a clear preference for Council of Europe instruments and secondly United Nations sources. Bridging what ei s are cited with how they are used, a case-study is performed investigating the functions that the ei s serve under Article 3 echr. Although it is uncommon, explicitly relying on ei s suggests that the Court views it to be legitimate. Yet, it is not uncontroversial. The Court’s motivations in citing ei s can be understood as justified from a universal human rights perspective, and susceptible to criticism from the perspective that it could undermine State sovereignty.
The US at the Margins of Business and Human Rights
Authors: Palombo Dalia
Published: June 2023

The US often portrays human rights to be Western values America cherishes. But what happens when American corporations abuse human rights transnationally? While a decade ago, the US could be considered to be one of the most advanced jurisdictions in terms of business and human rights litigation, now it is no longer the case. The US Judicial, Legislative and Executive branches all appear to be behind a number of other countries in terms of ensuring that domestic corporations respect human rights and the environment transnationally. In the past decade, US courts have substantially limited the possibility of suing corporations for transnational torts; US lawmakers have failed to adopt a mandatory due diligence law of general application requiring US multinationals to oversee and prevent human rights and environmental abuses in their supply chains; and the US Government, under three separate administrations (the Obama, Trump and Biden) have consistently opposed a UN treaty initiative for the Elaboration of an international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights. Is this negative trend reversible?
Holding Corporations Liable for Breaches of Indigenous Peoples’ Right to a Healthy Environment in Colombia: Chimera or Reality?
Authors: Martini Pauline , López Velásquez María Paula
Published: June 2023

The article examines whether corporations can be held liable for breaches of Indigenous peoples’ right to a healthy environment in Colombia. After exposing the scope of the right in the international, regional and Colombian legal orders, it tackles Colombia’s obligation to protect it against infringements committed by third parties, and to provide judicial remedies in the event of breaches. Then, it discusses how the absence of a binding international and national legal frameworks imposing obligations on corporations in environmental matters affect available judicial remedies for Indigenous peoples. It argues that the Colombian Constitutional Court and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace have attempted to fill the void left by the legislator. Whilst the first has acknowledged the existence of obligations on corporations in environmental matters, the second has recognized Indigenous territories as subjects of rights in order to further protect Indigenous rights and overall environment. It concludes by a few recommendations.
A Piece of Qing History
Authors: Sárközi Ildikó Gyöngyvér
Published: June 2023

The roots of the genealogy writing tradition of the Chinese Sibe go back to the Qing Dynasty. This tradition has played a crucial role to create a genealogical community of the Sibe: genealogies were the material carriers of knowledge preserved about their ancestors and their past. However, many of the genealogies were lost during the turbulent time of the twentieth century, and although numerous Sibe clans embark on reproducing their own family trees, it is only the memory of the elderly they can most often draw on. This study is intended to present and highlight the significance a specific collection of genealogies compiled by a self-taught Sibe historian, offering valuable sources for conduct research on the history of the Qing-dynasty and the Sibe.
Reconstructing Giovanni Vacca’s Collection in the Vatican Library
Authors: Bréard Andrea
Published: June 2023

This article reconstructs an important but specific portion of Giovanni Vacca’s personal library: his books related to mathematics in Chinese language. Collected during his stay in China from 1907 to 1908, they were donated to the Vatican Library after his death. The article combines detailed archival and bibliographic research with an analysis of handwritten annotations in mathematical books in the Library’s collection R. G. Oriente in order to identify which books were previously owned by Vacca. This not only allows us to contextualize his sojourn in China and understand better his intellectual interests in Chinese science and the way he read and translated Chinese mathematical texts, but it also contributes to a more detailed picture of the Chinese book market in the early twentieth century.
Automatic Detection of Rainfall at Hourly Time Scales from Mooring Near-Surface Salinity in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Authors: Chkrebtii Oksana A. , Bingham Frederick M.
Published: June 2023

We explore the use of ocean near-surface salinity (NSS), that is, salinity at 1-m depth, as a rainfall occurrence detector for hourly precipitation using data from the Salinity Processes in the Upper-Ocean Regional Studies–2 (SPURS-2) mooring at 10°N, 125°W. Our proposed unsupervised learning algorithm consists of two stages. First, an empirical quantile-based identification of dips in NSS enables us to capture most events with hourly averaged rainfall rate of >5 mm h−1. Overestimation of precipitation duration is then corrected locally by fitting a parametric model based on the salinity balance equation. We propose a local precipitation model composed of a small number of calibration parameters representing individual rainfall events and their location in time. We show that unsupervised rainfall detection can be formulated as a statistical problem of predicting these variables from NSS data. We present our results and provide a validation technique based on data collected at the SPURS-2 mooring.

Significance Statement

Continuous monitoring of precipitation in the ocean is challenging when a physical rain gauge is not available in the region of interest. Indirect detection of precipitation using available data, such as changes in ocean near-surface salinity (NSS) can be used to construct a virtual rainfall detector. We propose to combine data-based and model-based methods to detect rainfall without the use of a physical rain gauge. We use NSS and precipitation data from a mooring in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to develop and test the method.
Vocational rehabilitation in persons with mental illness in India: A scoping review
Authors: Thekkumkara Sreekanth , Rawat Vikram Singh , Jagannathan Aarti , Muliyala Krishna Prasad
Published: June 2023

Background:

Employment has a therapeutic impact, enhances community integration and improves the quality of life of persons with mental illness (PwMI). Vocational rehabilitation (VR) models must be sensitive to existing needs and resources. Several VR models have been tested in high income countries. Mapping different VR models in India would help both practitioners and policymakers.

Aim:

The study aimed to comprehensively review VR models tested among PwMI in India.

Methods:

We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews. We included interventional studies, case studies and grey literature carried out for the VR of PwMI in India. The search was done in PubMed, PsychInfo, worldwide science and Web of Science. Google Scholar was used to supplement the search. A Boolean search using MeSH terms was carried out for the period January 2000 to December 2022.

Results:

A total of twelve studies (one feasibility study, four case studies, four institute-based intervention studies and two studies reporting NGOs’ role) were included in the final synthesis. The studies included in the review were either quasi-experimental studies or case based. Types of VR included supported employment or place and train or train and place models, case management and prevocational skills training.

Conclusion:

Limited studies exist on VR in PwMI from India. Most studies assessed a restricted set of outcomes. The experiences of NGOs should be published so that practical challenges can be understood. There is a need for public-private partnerships in designing and testing services and should involve all the stakeholders.
Development of multi-material hybrid yarns consisting of steel, glass and polypropylene filaments for fiber hybrid composites
Authors: Overberg Matthias , Hasan Mir Mohammad Badrul , Rehra Jan , Lohninger Ewald , Abdkader Anwar , Cherif Chokri
Published: June 2023

With the increased use of fiber-reinforced composites (FRPs), the design of a new generation of composite structures with high stiffness and a ductile material behavior is required to cope with complex load scenarios and high damage tolerances. This can be achieved, in particular, by a combination of conventional FRPs, which possess high stiffness and strength, with metallic materials characterized by their high ductility and associated higher energy absorption capacity. Currently, there are no solutions for the hybridization of high-performance filament yarns, metal filament yarns or thermoplastic filament yarns at the micro level. Therefore, the aim of this paper is the hybridization of multi-fiber components intermixed at the micro scale. For this purpose, three hybridization processes were investigated. They are conventional air-jet technology, air-jet technology based on a modified air nozzle and an additional pre-spreading device and a process based on a newly developed multi-level-intermixing device. The effect of different processing parameters, such as air pressure, air nozzle and type of manufacturing, on the tensile properties, appearance and damage of multi-material hybrid yarn was analyzed. The results show that the developed multi-material hybrid yarns have high potential for use in composites with high requirements for crash and impact properties.
Study on developing a multi-integrated textile system: investigating the liquid loading and release performances of hollow fiber yarns
Authors: Chan Mei Lan , Cheung Tin Wai , Zhao Fuwang , Tao Yifei , Wang Ziyi , Lin He , Li Li
Published: June 2023

Textile fabrics have a long history of use for a wide range of applications that satisfying the needs of livelihood. In this era of modernization and high technological advancements, the use of textiles has spread to include using man-made and nonconventional textiles. Among them, hollow fiber-based textiles have great application prospects due to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, high loading capability, high active surface area and high permeability of the porous layer. Herein, the liquid loading and release performances of various hollow fiber yarns with different parameters (i.e. spinning methods, yarn count, loading amount, releasing rate, etc.) under optimized negative pressure are presented. Results showed that the hollow fiber vortex spun yarn (with yarn count Ne 10/1) had the highest loading ability under negative pressure. Moreover, the amount of liquid loaded into the yarns first increased rapidly and then the rate became slower with an increase of loading time and finally tended to a stable value. In addition, as the release time increases, the amount of liquid released from the hollow fiber yarns became higher and the release rate became lower. These findings provide an important foundation for the development of the multi-integrated textile system, which is comprises the controllable loading and delivery of various types of active substances and chemicals.
The impact of human capital and housing supply on urban growth
Authors: Büchler Simon C , Niu Dongxiao , Thompson Anne K , Zheng Siqi
Published: June 2023

We empirically analyse the impact of human capital and housing supply on urban growth in the US and China. Integrating the heterogeneity of housing supply helps determine how a positive human capital shock translates into more population, higher house prices, or higher wages. To causally estimate this effect, we use a rich urban-level data set, choose our controls using the post-double-selection methodology, and instrument human capital with the per capita number of historical educational institutions. We find that human capital positively impacts urban population, house price and wage growth. While an elastic housing supply reinforces the impact on urban growth, it reduces house price growth and wage growth. Our results infer that human capital increases productivity in both countries and acts as an amenity only in the US.
The Role of Customer Engagement in Sustaining Subjective Well-being After a Travel Experience: Findings From a Three-Wave Study
Authors: So Kevin Kam Fung , Li Jing , He Yueying , King Ceridwyn
Published: June 2023

Although customer engagement’s (CE) effects on marketing-related outcomes are well documented, its broader impacts on life domain constructs (e.g., subjective well-being [SWB]) have received less attention. We propose CE as a viable mechanism for prolonging travel’s positive effects on SWB. Specifically, this study adopts a three-wave design to investigate the linkages between destination brand experience (DBE), CE, and SWB over time. Our results indicate that sensory destination experience ( t1) and affective destination experience ( t1) stimulated CE with a destination ( t2), which contributed significantly to SWB ( t3). Findings from this longitudinal study contribute to the literature by demonstrating that CE significantly mediates the effects of the sensory and affective dimensions of DBE on tourists’ SWB over time. The study highlights the importance of CE beyond key marketing performance indicators.
Not Subjects of the Market, but Subject to the Market: Capitalist Slavery as Expropriation
Authors: Gorup Michael
Published: June 2023

This essay draws political theory into dialogue with recent work in economic history and the history of capitalism to develop an account of the unique injustice produced by capitalist slavery in the antebellum United States. Prevailing approaches to thinking about slavery in political theory tend to disembed it from its broader socioeconomic context, which has led theorists to overlook some of the distinctive horrors associated with capitalist slavery in particular. In response, I develop a theory of capitalist slavery as expropriation, conceived as violent domination harnessed to the imperatives of capital accumulation. Capitalist slavery-as-expropriation encompasses two analytically distinct moments: the moment of confiscation, in which human lives and capacities are enclosed via commodification, and the moment of conscription, in which enslaved labor is mobilized via routine violence. Though enslaved people were not market subjects, this framework reveals the extent to which they were nevertheless subject to the market.
Religiosity & mental health seeking behaviors among U.S. adults
Authors: Boateng Augustine Cassis Obeng , Sebu Joshua , Lekwauwa Ruby , Britt Katherine C. , Oh Hayoung , Doolittle Benjamin
Published: June 2023

Objectives

The association between religiosity and secular mental health utilization is unclear. Evidence suggests that religious and spiritual leaders (R/S leaders) may be more trusted than secular mental health therapists (SMHTs) and are often the first point of contact for individuals with mental health problems who identify as religious.

Methods

Generalized equation estimate (GEE) analyses were used to examine the association between religiosity and mental health seeking behaviours in 2,107 participants using t Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS) data collected between 1995 and 2014.

Results

The final model indicated that after adjusting for covariates, higher levels of baseline religious identification and baseline spirituality (assessed in 1995) predicted an increase in visits to R/S leaders from 1995 to 2014 by a factor of 1.08 (95% CI=1.01–1.16) and 1.89 (95% CI=1.56–2.28), respectively. Higher levels of baseline religious identification reduced SMHTs visits by a factor of 0.94 (95% CI=0.90–0.98), whereas higher levels of baseline spirituality increased SMHTs visits by a factor of 1.13 (95% CI=1.00–1.27) during the same timeframe.

Conclusion

Higher levels of spirituality and religious identification increased the frequency over time of seeking mental health support from R/S leaders relative to SMHTs. Individuals with mental illness may seek support from religious resources, mental health professionals, or both, underscoring the importance of collaboration between R/S leaders and SMHTs. Mental health training for R/S leaders and collaboration with SMHTs may help alleviate mental health burden, especially among those who highly value their religious and spiritual beliefs.
El Amigo y El Esé: Stereotyping of the “Criminal Immigrant”
Authors: Caraballo Krystlelynn , Topalli Volkan
Published: June 2023

The criminal immigrant narrative (CIN) is the embodiment of stereotypes suggesting that foreign nationals are engaged in crime. Research has documented how this narrative has influenced discourse, policies, and enforcement, but none to date has addressed how the CIN affects the stereotyping and interactions of crime-involved individuals with those deemed “immigrants.” This study draws from in-depth, semi-structured interviews of 25 individuals actively engaged in street crime from Atlanta, Georgia, to understand their beliefs regarding immigration, stereotyping of “immigrants,” and their interactions with perceived immigrants, including targeting. Our findings suggest that interviewees’ stereotypes of immigrants and their ascribed attributes are based on perceived nationality, nativity, documentation status, work ethic, criminality, and prior interactions with foreign nationals. Participants demonstrated an understanding of immigration policies from media and political rhetoric. This understanding influenced the stereotyping of immigrants as “illegal” or “doing illegal things,” shaping participants’ views of foreign nationals as vulnerable or dangerous.
Streaming culture and a new wave of institutionalisation of audience measurement in China
Authors: Zhao Elaine Jing
Published: June 2023

This article examines the unfolding re-institutionalisation of audience measurement as the streaming culture reshapes the television industry in China. Following a brief introduction of the institutionalisation of the ratings culture, I examine how streaming platforms are reconfiguring audience measurement by tracing how various metrics are defined, used and valued by different platforms, in different contexts and across time. The analysis reveals continuing and new forms of informalities despite signs of convergence towards the use of algorithmic metrics, which are closely connected to streaming service providers’ self-serving interest in a multi-sided market. Next, I discuss how the disruption of the state’s near-monopoly in audience measurement in the traditional television industry breaks the regulatory inertia. I explain the dual-approach to institutional intervention by the state – the regulation of metric commodities through mandated calibration, and the launch of an official system as market alternative and policy instrument. I argue that the state intervention – through governance of and with algorithms – constitutes adaptive cultural governance serving ‘mass’ audience construction, and the regulation doubles up as a market response to serve the state’s intention to reclaim power in and over the market.
Difamilast for the treatment of atopic dermatitis
Authors: Freitas Egídio , Torres Tiago
Published: June 2023

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease. The pathogenesis of AD is complex and still not fully understood. Despite recent therapeutic developments, the current therapeutic arsenal of AD remains limited and is associated with long-term efficacy and safety issues. Therefore, new topical therapies with different mechanisms of action are required to overcome the limitations of existing treatments. Difamilast is a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor currently in phase 3 studies. Difamilast shows antipruritic and anti-inflammatory properties and a rapid onset of action, with significant differences in some parameters from the vehicle within 1 week of treatment. Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials have shown that difamilast ointments are effective and well tolerated in adult and pediatric patients with AD, and are expected to be used for long-term AD treatment. In 2021, difamilast was the first phosphodiesterase 4inhibitor to acquire manufacturing and marketing approval in Japan for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients (2 years of age and older) with AD. This article is a narrative review of the current literature on difamilast in the management of AD.
From ‘making lists’ to conducting ‘well-rounded’ studies: Epistemic re-orientations in soil microbial ecology
Authors: Falkenberg Ruth , Sigl Lisa , Fochler Maximilian
Published: June 2023

Soil microbial ecology is a relatively young research field that became established around the middle of the 20th century and has grown considerably since then. We analyze two epistemic re-orientations in the field, asking how possibilities for creating do-able problems within current conditions of research governance and researchers’ collective sense-making about new, more desirable modes of research were intertwined in these developments. We show that a first re-orientation towards molecular omics studies was comparably straightforward to bring about, because it allowed researchers to gain resources for their work and to build careers—in other words, to create do-able problems. Yet, over time this mode of research developed into a scientific bandwagon from which researchers found it difficult to depart, even as they considered this kind of work as producing mostly descriptive studies rather than exploring interesting and important ecological questions. Researchers currently wish to re-orient their field again, towards a new mode of conducting ‘well-rounded’ interdisciplinary and ecologically-relevant studies. This re-orientation is, however, not easy to put into practice. In contrast to omics studies, this new mode of research does not easily enable the creation of do-able problems for two reasons. First, it is not as readily ‘packaged’ and hence more difficult to align with institutional and funding frameworks as well as with demands for productivity and career building. Second, while the first re-orientation was part of a broader exciting bandwagon across the life sciences and promised apparent discoveries, the current re-orientation goes along with a different sense of novelty, exploring complex environmental relations and building an understanding at the intersection of disciplines, instead of pushing a clearly circumscribed frontier. Ultimately, our analysis raises questions about whether current conditions of research governance structurally privilege particular kinds of scientific re-orientation over others.
Statistical Analysis of Traffic Crashes on Mountainous Freeway Tunnel Sections
Authors: Wang Xuesong , Azati Yesihati , Quddus Mohammed , Cai Bowen , Zhang Xuefang
Published: June 2023

Tunnels on mountainous freeways are affected by abrupt changes in brightness, complex geometric alignments, heavy traffic flow, bad weather, and other factors, some of which contribute toward tunnels having more traffic crashes than other sections of the freeway. Previous research, however, has given limited attention to tunnel length and heterogeneity in the parts of the tunnels, such as at the tunnels’ entrance and exit zones. Focusing on 36 tunnels on the Guidu Freeway in China’s Guizhou Province, this study collects data on crashes and their influencing factors over 2 years (2020–2021), constructs a negative binomial panel data random effects model, and analyzes single-vehicle crashes, multi-vehicle crashes, and total crashes. The results show that: 1) multi-vehicle crashes occur throughout the tunnel sections, 2) crashes are more likely to occur in long tunnel sections, 3) the crash frequency from the tunnel entrance zone to the mid zone is higher than in other areas of the tunnel, 4) the crash frequency is higher for circular curve/easy curve tunnel sections than for straight tunnel sections, 5) the crash frequency is higher for downhill and concave curve sections than for flat sections, 6) the crash frequency increases with heavy traffic flow and adverse weather conditions, and 7) the crash frequency increases as road surface skidding resistance and ride quality decrease. These findings can provide theoretical support for engineering improvement and the formulation and revision of specifications for designing freeway tunnel sections, especially in mountainous areas.
Reconciling Pavement Condition Data from Connected Vehicles with the International Roughness Index from Standard Monitoring Equipment Using Physics-Integrated Machine Learning
Authors: Kargah-Ostadi Nima , Vasylevskyi Kostiantyn , Ablets Andrei , Drach Andrew
Published: June 2023

This study investigates the possibility for augmenting infrequent standard pavement survey data with spatiotemporally continuous sensor data crowdsourced from connected vehicles. A framework is proposed to leverage physics-integrated machine learning (ML) models to reconcile the two disparate data sources. The proposed approach is demonstrated for the International Roughness Index (IRI). Using the quarter-car simulation, vertical acceleration data records were generated based on random stratified sampling from probability distributions of vehicle suspension properties at different speed levels on elevation profiles collected from various pavement sections. An ML model was pretrained to approximate the quarter-car simulation. Using transfer learning, the parameters of the outer layers of the model were finetuned to adapt model output to the measured values, while the parameters of the inner layers were fixed to preserve the embedded knowledge of the physical behavior of the suspension. The resulting physics-integrated ML model can predict the standard IRI value of a pavement section using speed, suspension properties, and features of the acceleration response from vehicles traversing that road section. The evaluation results on independent training and test datasets showed high accuracy, precision, and generalization capability, especially on smoother road profiles. This is attributed to the limited training data for rougher roads. After averaging the predicted IRI from all vehicles passing a certain road segment, a correction function is used to rectify the model’s under-predicted output and estimate the actual IRI value for that segment. High-frequency data resulting from the proposed approach can enhance pavement design, maintenance management, and asset management practices.
In-hospital stroke and mortality trends after left ventricular assist device implantation in the United States from 2017 to 2019
Authors: Lopez Jose , Mark Justin , Wahood Waseem , Lamaa Nader , Danckers Mauricio
Published: June 2023

Background:

The newer Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), the HeartMate 3 (HM3), was initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017. We aimed to describe the temporal trends of in-hospital stroke and mortality among patients who underwent LVAD placement between 2017 and 2019.

Methods:

The National Inpatient Sample was queried from 2017 to 2019 to identify all adults with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who underwent LVAD implantation using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes. The Cochran-Armitage test was conducted to assess the linear trend of in-hospital stroke and mortality. In addition, multivariable regression analysis was conducted to assess the association of LVAD placement with in-hospital stroke and death.

Results:

A total of 5,087,280 patients met the selection criteria. Of those, 11,750 (0.2%) underwent LVAD implantation. There was a downtrend in in-hospital mortality per year (trend: −1.8%, p = 0.03), but not in the trend of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke per year. LVAD placement was associated with greater odds of stroke of any type (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.68–2.29, p < 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.61, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Our study found a significant downtrend in the in-hospital mortality rates among patients with LVAD without substantial changes in stroke rate trends over the study timeframe. As stroke rates remained steady, we hypothesize that improved management along with better control of blood pressure, could have played an important role in survival benefit over the study time frame.
Management of Fall Risk Among Older Adults in Diverse Primary Care Settings
Authors: Shear Kristen , Rice Hannah , Garabedian Pamela M. , Bjarnadottir Ragnhildur , Lathum Nancy , Horgas Ann L. , Harle Christopher A. , Dykes Patricia C. , Lucero Robert
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Falls are persistent among community-dwelling older adults despite existing prevention guidelines. We described how urban and rural primary care staff and older adults manage fall risk and factors important to integration of computerized clinical decision support (CCDS).

Methods

Interviews, contextual inquiries, and workflow observations were analyzed using content analysis and synthesized into a journey map. Sociotechnical and PRISM domains were applied to identify workflow factors important to sustainable CCDS integration.

Results

Participants valued fall prevention and described similar approaches. Available resources differed between rural and urban locations. Participants wanted evidence-based guidance integrated into workflows to bridge skills gaps.

Discussion

Sites described similar clinical approaches with differences in resource availability. This implies that a single intervention would need to be flexible to environments with differing resources. Electronic Health Record’s inherent ability to provide tailored CCDS is limited. However, CCDS middleware could integrate into different settings and increase evidence use.
Plastic Venture Builder (PVB): An empirically derived assessment tool to support plastic waste management ventures in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Grassin J.B. , Dijkstra H.
Published: June 2023

Plastic waste management is a complicated challenge that in recent years has gained attention as a global policy priority. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), waste management is heterogeneous and context-specific and many organizations provide needed waste management services, including entrepreneurs. Sustainable entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to provide these services; however, they face challenges such as limited support system and lack of capacity. The goal of this paper is to understand critical characteristics of successful plastic waste management ventures in LMIC and operationalize those insights into a strategic tool. A wide variety of successful ventures from diverse LMIC contexts are systematically analyzed to identify which factors contribute to their business viability and ability to deliver services. The identified success factors were built into a tool, the Plastic Venture Builder (PVB), based on the multi-criteria analysis methodology. This is validated using empirical cases, tested on projects currently in development and discussed with experts in the field. The results show that political, economic, financial, technological, operational, social, team and legal factors contribute to success; however pathways to success are diverse. We identify a strong team as the most critical factor, whereas financial, political and social factors have the least impact. The PVB can be used by entrepreneurs who want to set up or improve plastic waste management ventures by identifying weak spots or avenues for improvement. The assessment framework can also be used by policy makers, development agencies and financing organizations who want to support or assess waste management initiatives by prioritizing their resources to match the identified critical factors.
Modification and development of product concept design based on the product customers life environmental and social habits backgrounds’ diversity requirements
Authors: Jamea Ali Mohammed Adam , Jing Liting , Peng Xiang , Li Jiquan , Jiang Shaofei
Published: June 2023

Product customers often have varying preferences because they have different environmental and social habits backgrounds’ requirements “customer diversity requirements.” Even for a particular product used in specific place, the requirements of product stakeholders are often differed. It is a challenge to adapt diversity requirements to concepts design of products to satisfying different customers. To address the customer diversity requirements issue, after the analysis of customers information is completed, customers are classified according to their diversity. Then, customer requirements (CRs) and engineering specifications (ESs) that satisfy the CRs are determined. The priorities of CRs are calculated with analytical hierarchy process (AHP) involving a pairwise comparison matrix in the first step and fix-sum method in the second step. Quality function deployment (QFD) relation matrix is utilized to form the relationships intensities of CRs and ESs. ESs satisfaction degree values obtained concerning computation of CRs priorities calculated via AHP, while ESs target degree values obtained concerning computation of CRs priorities calculated via fix-sum method into QFD relation matrix. ESs satisfaction degree compared with ESs targets degree to measure the satisfaction for each customer target individually. The decision on whether the concept design needs further development or modification is made based on the comparison results. A case study of the application of this approach is presented to illustrate the possibilities of the technique in developing or modifying concept design according to customers’ life environmental and social habits background “diversity requirements.” The case proved that technique can adapt products to different environments and that products used by existing customers can be used for new customers or markets (product globalization) instead of being confined to one location. Moreover, the approach is very useful in clarifying the objectives expected by customers for specifying the development or modification of a product concept.
In Silico Analysis: HLA-DRB1 Gene’s Variants and Their Clinical Impact
Authors: Hassan Mohamed M. , Hussain Mohamed A. , Ali Sababil S. , Mahdi Mohammed A.
Published: June 2023

The HLA-DRB1 gene encodes a protein that is essential for the immune system. This gene is important in organ transplant rejection and acceptance, as well as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Addison’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, caries susceptibility, and Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. The following Homo sapiens variants were investigated: single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), multi-nucleotide variants (MNVs), and small insertions–deletions (Indels) in the HLA-DRB1 gene via coding and untranslated regions. The current study sought to identify functional variants that could affect gene expression and protein product function/structure. ALL target variants available until April 14, 2022, were obtained from the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism database (dbSNP). Out of all the variants in the coding region, 91 nsSNVs were considered highly deleterious by seven prediction tools and instability index; 25 of them are evolutionary conserved and located in domain regions. Furthermore, 31 indels were predicted as harmful, potentially affecting a few amino acids or even the entire protein. Last, within the coding sequence (CDS), 23 stop-gain variants (SNVs/indels) were predicted as high impact. High impact refers to the assumption that the variant will have a significant (disruptive) effect on the protein, likely leading to protein truncation or loss of function. For untranslated regions, functional 55 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and 16 indels located within microRNA binding sites, furthermore, 10 functionally verified SNPs were predicted at transcription factor-binding sites. The findings demonstrate that employing in silico methods in biomedical research is extremely successful and has a major influence on the capacity to identify the source of genetic variation in diverse disorders. In conclusion, these previously functional identified variants could lead to gene alteration, which may directly or indirectly contribute to the occurrence of many diseases. The study’s results could be an important guide in the research of potential diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that require experimental mutational validation and large-scale clinical trials.
Adsorption characteristics of bovine serum albumin on the surface of 316L stainless steel coated with diethoxydimethylsilane/chitosan composite films
Authors: Chang Shih-Hang , Kuan Yen-Ting
Published: June 2023

In this study, diethoxydimethylsilane (DEDMS) was blended with chitosan (CS) to fabricate DEDMS/CS composite films, which were deposited on the surface of 316L stainless steel to assess their anticoagulant properties. A neat CS film exhibits a high concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein adhesion of 458.3 ± 6.2 μg/L in a bicinchoninic acid protein assay because the carbonyl and amide functional groups on the CS surface easily form hydrogen bonds with the carboxylic acid functional groups of the BSA protein. The DEDMS/CS composite films exhibited lower BSA adhesion concentration than neat CS films because some of the carbonyl and amide functional groups on the surface of CS were replaced by the –Si-O-Si and –Si-(CH3)2 functional groups. Increasing the DEDMS content in the DEDMS/CS composite films led to a higher concentration of –Si-O-Si and –Si-(CH3)2 functional groups on the surface and lower BSA adhesion concentration. Blending excess amounts of DEDMS caused an undesirable rougher surface morphology because of the hydrolysis and self-condensation reactions of DEDMS; this deteriorated the anticoagulant properties of the composite films. The study confirmed that a DEDMS/CS composite film with an appropriate DEDMS/CS content ratio of 8/92 mL/mL possesses hydrophobic characteristics and the lowest BSA protein adhesion of 155.5 ± 1.0 μg/L and has potential for biomedical coating applications.
A Qualitative Analysis of the Customers’ Perceptions of the Restaurant Services in Bengaluru
Authors: Murthy K. Sreenivasa , Kumar K. Sai
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this qualitative study is to know the expectations and perceptions of customers on different services offered to them in restaurants, along with the estimation of the gap that exists between them. A sample of 250 respondents with different demographic profiles has been selected for conducting the study. The different dimensions that are considered for the study include tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The results of the study concluded that the highest expectation of the customers is on sincerity in providing error-free service followed by providing a menu for diet and offering prompt services to customers even during peak hours. The lowest perception is on creating a feeling of safety and a pleasant environment followed by individual attention to customers and staff availability as and when needed. The analysis of the gap between expectations and perceptions of customers in various dimensions indicates that there is a gap in every dimension except in the tangible dimension. The highest gap was found in the responsiveness dimension followed by the reliability dimension and assurance dimension. The lowest gap is found in the empathy dimension.
Mechanical properties and constitutive models of shape memory alloy for structural engineering: A review
Authors: Mohammadgholipour Ali , Billah AHM Muntasir
Published: June 2023

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are an innovative material with the unique features of superelasticity and energy dissipation capabilities under extreme loads. Due to their unique features, they have a great potential to be employed in structural engineering applications under different conditions. However, in order to effectively use SMAs in civil engineering structures and model their behaviors accurately in Finite Element (FE) packages, it is crucial for structural engineers to comprehend the mechanical properties and cyclic behavior of different SMA compositions under varying loading conditions. While previous studies have focused mainly on the cyclic behavior of SMAs under tensile loading, it is important to evaluate their fatigue behavior under cyclic tension-compression loading for seismic applications. This literature review aims to discuss the current gaps in the existing literature on the behavior of SMA rebars under low-cycle fatigue (LCF). The review provides a comprehensive overview of the primary characteristics of SMAs, summarizes the mechanical properties of SMAs presented in the literature and the parameters that affect them, and critically evaluates the effects of cyclic loading and LCF on SMAs. The review also provides a summary of the different constitutive models of SMAs and compares their advantages and limitations, which helps structural engineers to employ an appropriate constitutive model for predicting the accurate behavior of SMAs in FE software.
Performance of PROMIS Measures to Assess Fatigue and Sleep Symptom Severity Among African American Patients Newly Diagnosed With Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Giordano Nicholas A. , Pasquel Francisco J. , Pak Victoria , Rogers Ann E. , Selimovic Selma , Pelkmans Jordan , Miller Andrew H.
Published: June 2023

This pilot study examined the concurrent validity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), Short Form, measures with the longer Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory among patients living with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A total of 26 African American patients living with prediabetes and newly diagnosed with OSA completed the six-item short form versions of PROMIS Fatigue and PROMIS Sleep Disturbance, and the longer 20-item Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Both PROMIS Fatigue and Sleep Disturbance scales demonstrated high reliability with Cronbach’s α of .91 and .92, respectively. PROMIS Fatigue scores were significantly correlated with Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory scores ( rs = .53; p = .006) and demonstrated concurrent validity. However, PROMIS Sleep Disturbance scores and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory scores were not associated with one another. The brief PROMIS Fatigue scale is a useful, succinct approach to assess fatigue severity among diverse patient populations living with OSA. This study is among the first to evaluate the performance of PROMIS Fatigue in a sample living with OSA.
Recommendations for Conceptualizing and Measuring Constructs Within Psychology of Working Theory
Authors: Duffy Ryan D. , Choi Yeonwoo , Kim Haram J. , Park Junsang
Published: June 2023

Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) has been increasingly adopted by counseling and vocational psychologists since its inception in 2016, and approximately 100 quantitative studies to date have tested various propositions of the Theory. As a relatively new theory, there has been lack of consistency in how the main constructs are conceptualized and measured by scholars, thus limiting further application of PWT. The following paper is aimed at addressing this inconsistency by providing a guide for researchers interested in using PWT as a theoretical framework in their studies. First, we provide an overview of PWT and the definitions of its core constructs: economic constraints, marginalization, work volition, career adaptability, decent work, and need satisfaction. Then, we review quantitative studies conducted to date to show how each of the constructs have been conceptualized and measured. Finally, we provide specific recommendations that researchers can follow in their future studies based on this review. It is hoped that the recommendations can provide a more streamlined way of measuring the constructs as well as ideas for researchers to expand the psychology of working literature.