bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Destiny of Corneal Endothelial Cells in Anterior Chamber Intraocular Lens-Implanted Eyes
Authors: Tang Yating , Xu Jie , Chen Jiahui , Lu Yi
Published: December 2020

Purpose. To investigate the long-term changes of corneal endothelial cells (EC) in anterior chamber intraocular lens- (AC-IOL-) implanted eyes. Methods. Retrospective study. We included 37 eyes (25 patients) that received AC-IOL implantation previously in the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University between 1995 and 2016. Follow-up outcomes included the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), endothelial cell density, hexagonality, coefficient of variance, and central corneal thickness. Results. In total, 23 eyes (62.16%) with phakic and 14 eyes (37.84%) with aphakic AC-IOLs were included. Among these, 3 eyes (8.11%) were angle-supported AC-IOLs and 34 eyes (91.89%) were Artisan iris-fixated AC-IOLs. The mean age of patients was 41.40 ± 17.17 years, and the mean follow-up time was 12.12 ± 4.71 years in our study. At the follow-up time, corneal decompensation existed in 3 angle-supported AC-IOL eyes with a rate of 100% and 15 iris-fixated AC-IOL eyes with a rate of 44.12%. AC-IOL displacement occurred in 14 (41.18%) iris-fixated AC-IOL eyes. In the 19 iris-fixated AC-IOL eyes without corneal decompensation, significant changes also took place in corneal endothelial cells. The endothelial cell density decreased from 2843.26 ± 300.76 to 2015.58 ± 567.99 cells/mm2 (29.1% loss,

P
<
0.001

) and hexagonality decreased from 51.21 ± 7.83 to 42.53 ± 9.17 (%) (16.9% loss,

P
<
0.001

). The Kaplan–Meier survival curve also demonstrated the accumulated expectation rates of corneal endothelial cell decomposition for AC-IOLs with a median survival time of 12 years. Conclusion. We reported a significant chronic loss and long-term decompensation destiny of corneal endothelial cells in AC-IOL eyes. Semiannual or annual follow-up and evaluation of endothelial cells should be conducted in AC-IOL-implanted patients.
Impact of Climatic Factors on the Seasonal Fluctuation of Leishmaniasis Vectors in Central Morocco (Meknes Prefecture)
Authors: El Omari Hajar , Chahlaoui Abdelkader , Talbi Fatima Zahra , Mouhdi Karima EL , El Ouali Lalami Abdelhakim
Published: December 2020

The impact of climate factors on the epidemiology of diseases in general and leishmaniasis in particular continues to be a subject of research and analysis. Changes in climatic parameters contribute to the creation of ecological conditions favorable to the multiplication of the vectors of certain diseases. With this in mind, this study presents an entomological survey conducted in Meknes prefecture and the study of the link between the abundance of sandflies, an indicator of the risk of leishmaniasis in a given area, and the climatic factors. Monthly trapping of this fauna was carried out during a year from March 2016 until April 2017 using adhesive traps. Climatic data from the region were used to determine the effect of climate on the distribution of sandflies. A total of 941 leishmaniasis vector specimens were captured. The dominant species is Ph. sergenti (73.32), followed by Ph. longicuspis (8.25%), then Ph. perniciosus (7.94%) and Ph. papatasi (6.31%). The sex ratio study showed that males are more abundant than females for all species. The seasonal fluctuation is bimodal with two peaks, the first in July and the second in September. The results show a positive correlation between temperature and abundance of sandflies (r = 0.99) and a negative correlation with humidity and precipitation with a correlation coefficient of r = −0.87 and r = −0.72. Indeed, the medium-term climatological forecasts are essential tools to develop a warning system for leishmaniasis.
Anesthetic Management for Inclusion Body Myositis in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Authors: Kim Uoo
Published: December 2020

Anesthetic management for patients with certain neuromuscular disorders may be challenging due to contraindications to triggering agents secondary to increased susceptibility for malignant hyperthermia (MH). Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an inflammatory muscle disease that causes concern for the anesthesiologist due to potential respiratory muscle weakness and hyperkalemia with succinylcholine. Elevated serum creatinine kinase levels found in IBM also raise the possibility of increased susceptibility to MH. This case report describes a successful anesthetic course with special considerations in a patient with IBM undergoing general anesthesia for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA).
Predicting Coronavirus Pandemic in Real-Time Using Machine Learning and Big Data Streaming System
Authors: Zhang Xiongwei , Saleh Hager , Younis Eman M. G. , Sahal Radhya , Ali Abdelmgeid A.
Published: December 2020

Twitter is a virtual social network where people share their posts and opinions about the current situation, such as the coronavirus pandemic. It is considered the most significant streaming data source for machine learning research in terms of analysis, prediction, knowledge extraction, and opinions. Sentiment analysis is a text analysis method that has gained further significance due to social networks’ emergence. Therefore, this paper introduces a real-time system for sentiment prediction on Twitter streaming data for tweets about the coronavirus pandemic. The proposed system aims to find the optimal machine learning model that obtains the best performance for coronavirus sentiment analysis prediction and then uses it in real-time. The proposed system has been developed into two components: developing an offline sentiment analysis and modeling an online prediction pipeline. The system has two components: the offline and the online components. For the offline component of the system, the historical tweets’ dataset was collected in duration 23/01/2020 and 01/06/2020 and filtered by #COVID-19 and #Coronavirus hashtags. Two feature extraction methods of textual data analysis were used, n-gram and TF-ID, to extract the dataset’s essential features, collected using coronavirus hashtags. Then, five regular machine learning algorithms were performed and compared: decision tree, logistic regression, k-nearest neighbors, random forest, and support vector machine to select the best model for the online prediction component. The online prediction pipeline was developed using Twitter Streaming API, Apache Kafka, and Apache Spark. The experimental results indicate that the RF model using the unigram feature extraction method has achieved the best performance, and it is used for sentiment prediction on Twitter streaming data for coronavirus.
Barriers to Health Workers in Iron Deficiency Anemia Prevention among Indonesian Pregnant Women
Authors: Darmawati Darmawati , Siregar Tongku N. , Kamil Hajjul , Tahlil Teuku
Published: December 2020

Background. Anemia is a global maternal health problem that commonly occurs in developing countries. During pregnancy, a woman will receive antenatal services to check her condition and prevent complications. This study aimed to explore barriers towards achieving eradication of iron deficiency anemia among pregnant women in Aceh Besar District, Indonesia. Methods. This qualitative study was conducted on 18 health workers who were recruited through a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using open-ended questions to gain insight about participants’ experiences in managing iron deficiency anemia among pregnant women. Data analysis was conducted by an inductive content analysis method to evaluate, encode, and analyze the interview’s result. Result. Three main themes emerged: (1) facilities, infrastructures, and supplement support; (2) sociocultural factors; and (3) health provider competency deficits and no developing guidelines. Conclusion. Our findings provide understanding that there are many obstacles and barriers encountered by health workers in iron deficiency anemia prevention management. Thus, the management of anemia must be supported by a skilled health worker and quality facilities. Health workers and pregnant women must work together to achieve optimal management of anemia prevention.
Characteristics and Indications of Legal Abortion among the Pregnant Women in Lorestan Province of Iran during 2017–2019
Authors: Fatemi Zahra , Akbari Soheila
Published: December 2020

Background. Legal abortion is a challenge from the viewpoint of ethics and religion. The present study was conducted to investigate the frequency of fetal and maternal indications of legal abortion and also the maternal characteristics in Lorestan Province of Iran. Methods. As a descriptive cross-sectional study, all the cases with issued permits for legal abortion were selected by a census during 2017–2019. Descriptive data analysis was used to report the results. Event rates with Poisson 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated based on the regional population. Results. A total of 305 cases were selected. The mean age of the mothers was 31.61 ± 7.48 years, and the mean of gestational age was 15.76 ± 2.80 weeks. Demographically, most cases were from Khorramabad city (101 cases) followed by Borujerd (51 cases) and Doroud (46 cases). The overall event rate was 1.732 per 10,000 individuals (95% CI: 1.543–1.938) of the general population of the region per 3 years. Fetal disturbance of the brain and spine was the most prevalent reason of abortion (24.92%, 95% CI: 19.63%–31.19%) followed by Down syndrome (19.34%, 95% CI: 14.73%–24.95), hydrops fetalis (12.79%, 95% CI: 9.09%–17.48%), and anencephaly (12.79%, 95% CI: 9.09%–17.48%). Conclusion. From each 10,000 individuals of the population, one to two cases of legal abortion were screened per 3 years. More than 90% of cases had fetal indication. In cities with lower event rates, we should plan for better screening.
On Caputo–Fabrizio Fractional Integral Inequalities of Hermite–Hadamard Type for Modified
h
-Convex Functions
Authors: Wang Xiaobin , Saleem Muhammad Shoaib , Aslam Kiran Naseem , Wu Xingxing , Zhou Tong
Published: December 2020

The theory of convex functions plays an important role in engineering and applied mathematics. The Caputo–Fabrizio fractional derivatives are one of the important notions of fractional calculus. The aim of this paper is to present some properties of Caputo–Fabrizio fractional integral operator in the setting of

h

-convex function. We present some new Caputo–Fabrizio fractional estimates from Hermite–Hadamard-type inequalities. The results of this paper can be considered as the generalization and extension of many existing results of inequalities and convex functions. Moreover, we also present some application of our results to special means of real numbers.
A Novel Algorithm for Breast Mass Classification in Digital Mammography Based on Feature Fusion
Authors: Zhang Qian , Li Yamei , Zhao Guohua , Man Panpan , Lin Yusong , Wang Meiyun
Published: December 2020

Prompt diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses is essential for early breast cancer screening. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be used to assist in the classification of benign and malignant breast masses. A persistent problem in current mammography mass classification via CNN is the lack of local-invariant features, which cannot effectively respond to geometric image transformations or changes caused by imaging angles. In this study, a novel model that trains both texton representation and deep CNN representation for mass classification tasks is proposed. Rotation-invariant features provided by the maximum response filter bank are incorporated with the CNN-based classification. The fusion after implementing the reduction approach is used to address the deficiencies of CNN in extracting mass features. This model is tested on public datasets, CBIS-DDSM, and a combined dataset, namely, mini-MIAS and INbreast. The fusion after implementing the reduction approach on the CBIS-DDSM dataset outperforms that of the other models in terms of area under the receiver operating curve (0.97), accuracy (94.30%), and specificity (97.19%). Therefore, our proposed method can be integrated with computer-aided diagnosis systems to achieve precise screening of breast masses.
Middle Ear Neuroendocrine Adenoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Bruschini Luca , Canelli Rachele , Cambi Christina , Fiacchini Giacomo , Berrettini Stefano , Forli Francesca
Published: December 2020

Neuroendocrine adenomas of the middle ear are rare tumors that represent less than 2% of primary tumors of the ear. In this paper, we describe a case of a 40-year-old woman who developed neuroendocrine adenoma of the middle ear. The specific management strategy for this rare tumor is unclear; information in the available literature on the management of this tumor is varied. However, an extensive demolition seems to be the gold standard treatment for this tumor to avoid recurrence and regional metastases in the lymph node or distant metastases. For the present case, we performed an incisional biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, and thereafter, we performed a canal-wall-down tympanoplasty. For cases like the present one, careful long-term clinical and instrumental follow-up is required to monitor progress and facilitate patient recovery.
Improved 2D Discrete Hyperchaos Mapping with Complex Behaviour and Algebraic Structure for Strong S-Boxes Generation
Authors: Ahmad Musheer , Al-Solami Eesa
Published: December 2020

This paper proposes to present a novel method of generating cryptographic dynamic substitution-boxes, which makes use of the combined effect of discrete hyperchaos mapping and algebraic group theory. Firstly, an improved 2D hyperchaotic map is proposed, which consists of better dynamical behaviour in terms of large Lyapunov exponents, excellent bifurcation, phase attractor, high entropy, and unpredictability. Secondly, a hyperchaotic key-dependent substitution-box generation process is designed, which is based on the bijectivity-preserving effect of multiplication with permutation matrix to obtain satisfactory configuration of substitution-box matrix over the enormously large problem space of 256!. Lastly, the security strength of obtained S-box is further elevated through the action of proposed algebraic group structure. The standard set of performance parameters such as nonlinearity, strict avalanche criterion, bits independent criterion, differential uniformity, and linear approximation probability is quantified to assess the security and robustness of proposed S-box. The simulation and comparison results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method for the construction of cryptographically sound S-boxes.
Nina, Ana, a Crônica e A casa assassinada
Authors: Lima Livia Azevedo
Published: December 2020

Este artigo propõe uma breve análise do longa-metragem A casa assassinada (1971), de Paulo César Saraceni. Considerando o filme como obra autônoma e o contexto histórico que o separa do lançamento do romance que lhe serviu de base, Crônica da casa assassinada (1959), de Lúcio Cardoso, pretendemos destacar as personagens femininas Nina e Ana. Atentos à disjunção entre palavra e imagem nessa casa fechada, observaremos a maneira como os trechos das narrativas em primeira pessoa dessas personagens foram selecionados do romance e postos em cena no filme.
Lobotomia
Authors: Paula Júlio Cesar Machado de
Published: December 2020

Um poema de Júlio Machado
Desordem e destruição na casa patriarcal brasileira
Authors: Pereira Victor Hugo Adler
Published: December 2020

A proposta de Lúcio Cardoso de que sua literatura exprimisse sua descrença no tempo em que vivia se concretiza no romance Crônica da Casa Assassinada que tem como eixo temático o processo de implosão da estrutura familiar dos Meneses. O presente trabalho discute o modo peculiar com que o romancista aborda os sinais de desordem que contrastam com o esforço de manutenção das tradições do patriarcado rural brasileiro. O estudo parte de um paralelo com os procedimentos adotados por Nelson Rodrigues e José Lins do Rego no enfoque de questões análogas concernentes à ordem familiar num momento crucial do processo de modernização da sociedade brasileira.
Três poemas
Authors: Klumb Frederico
Published: December 2020

Três poemas de Frederico Klumb: "A palavra amor nunca foi vista num poema", "Enquanto leio a menina crescendo pelas bordas" e "Ontem vi um velho descalço".
Uns contos
Authors: Collin Luci
Published: December 2020

Contos de Luci Collin: "Não vou falar sobre isso, mas por exemplo", "SEXO COMONINGUÉM" e "Cisma".
Seis poemas
Authors: Furtado Mailson
Published: December 2020

Seis poemas de Mailson Furtado Viana: "das amizades distantes", "crônica de um homem de fé", "por causa do alvará de funcionamento", "no teatro tudo é presente", "poeminhas de amor", "varjota era tão perto".
"Não é impunemente que se entra para a família Meneses"
Authors: Silva Eduardo Marinho da , Correia Ana Maria Amorim , Cabala Frederico van Erven , Costa Érica Ignácio da , Lima Livia Azevedo
Published: December 2020

Depoimentos de leitores da Crônica da casa assassinada: Milton Hatoum, André Seffrin, Amara Moira, Júlio Castañon Guimarães, Xikito Affonso Ferreira, Newton Vieira, George Moura, Luiz Carlos Lacerda, Ney Costa Santos, Dib Carneiro Neto, Denilson Lopes, Júlio Machado, Marcos Antonio de Moraes, Leandro Garcia Rodrigues, Simone Rossinetti Rufinoni, Nádia Degrazia, Thaís Gomes, Alexandre Siqueira, Andrea Vilela, Margaret Jull Costa, Robin Patterson e Harrie Lemmens. Os depoimentos são alinhavados com fotografias, pinturas e desenhos de Lúcio Cardoso, um trabalho de artes plásticas de Adriana Varejão e trechos selecionados da Crônica da casa assassinada.
RADICAL BELIEFS ABOUT THE CAUSES, MANIFESTATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF CORONAVIRUS: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTENT AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH BEHAVIOUR
Authors: Rasskazova Elena I. , Emelin Vadim A. , Tkhostov Aleхandеr Sh.
Published: December 2020

Relevance. The spread of coronavirus infection is accompanied by the dissemination of information messages in the form of radical beliefs affecting people’s behaviour. The aim of the study was to reveal the relationship between beliefs about coronavirus and its treatment, magical thinking, anxiety and the protective behaviour against to the pandemic. Methods. 402 adults aged 18–64 years old filled checklist including beliefs about causes, manifestations, consequences and control of the pandemic, Illness and Treatment Locus of Control Scale, Treatment Self-Efficacy Scale, Magical Ideation Scale as well as scales measuring anxiety and protective behaviour in pandemic and monitoring of information about coronavirus. Results. Factor analysis revealed three groups of radical beliefs about coronavirus: negligence as the cause of the occurrence and spread of coronavirus, a particular meaning of morbidity and negative consequences of the pandemic. Conclusion. Belief in the negligence as a cause of coronavirus was more typical for people with an intrinsic locus of causes of the causes of illness but extrinsic locus of control of treatment and for those who were prone to protective behaviour in the pandemic. Belief about the particular meaning of coronavirus was associated with the magical thinking, the intrinsic locus of control of the causes of illness, less anxiety about infection and poorer compliance with self-isolation. Radical beliefs about the consequences of the pandemic were related to more frequent monitoring of the information about the pandemic, extrinsic locus of control of treatment but intrinsic locus of control of causes of illness and a pronounced anxiety regarding future negative consequences of the pandemic.
Is Nonterritorial Autonomy Wrong for Indigenous Rights? Examining the ‘Territorialisation’ of Sami Power in Norway
Authors: Spitzer Aaron John , Selle Per
Published: December 2020

Nonterritorial autonomy (nta) decouples governance of ‘people’ and ‘place’, allowing demographically submerged minorities to protect their cultural – but not territorial – interests. Indigenous peoples are often submerged and culturally vulnerable. At the same time, they are often especially interested in protecting the territories that have long sustained them. So, is nta well-suited or ill-suited for Indigenous self-governance? To explore this, we study Norwegian Sami self-governance, an oft-cited case of Indigenous nta. We make several contributions. We enumerate the variety of Sami-specific rights and powers in Norway, categorising them as either territorial or nonterritorial and tracking their evolution over time. By doing this we reveal that Sami self-governance has recently taken a ‘territorial turn’. We explore why this has happened, concluding it is due to the insufficiency of nta. Finally, we discuss likely limits to further Sami territorialisation.
The Defence of National Identity as a Revolutionary Concept: Gharbzadigī, Islamic Modernisation, and Anticolonialism
Authors: Tortolini Alessia
Published: December 2020

The framework of Iranian national identity has been the cornerstone of the discourse of different social groups that aimed to establish their hegemony over the ‘imagined community’ of Iranians. The difficulty in determining the territorial delimitation of identity, as well as the process of creation-assimilation of a unitarian paradigm of identity characterised, and still characterises, Iranian politics. Therefore, the interdependence between domestic and foreign affairs and national identity can be explained under the lens of the struggle of hegemony of dominant powers and, specifically, through the theoretical framework of specific traditional or organic social groups that developed their political discourse around the different shades of Iranian ‘nationalism’.
Theoretical Underpinnings of Wiredu’s Empiricalism
Authors: Kwesi Richmond
Published: December 2020

Wiredu uses the term ‘empiricalism’ to characterise a mode of thinking that is essentially empirical in orientation but admits non-transcendental metaphysical categories and existents into its systems of thought. Wiredu finds evidence of this mode of thinking in the Akan language, characterising the main linguistic community in Ghana, West Africa. The central question addressed in this essay is this: is empiricalism a plausible system in the sense that it carries universal validity and intelligibility? I argue that the plausibility and universality of empiricalism is evident in Wiredu’s logical syntactic and semantic principles which he recruits to investigate the contrast between basic categories of discursive thought such as signification and reference, concept and object, and the notion of ‘existence’. These analyses underpin the central theses of his empiricalism. Such detailed investigations demonstrate that the attractiveness of empiricalism is dependent upon theoretical principles other than, and in addition to, the linguistic evidence that Akan everyday usage provides. Thus the essay demonstrates a basic contrast between Wiredu’s philosophical investigation of language versus many standard works of African philosophy that constitute essentially in-depth studies in sociolinguistics.
First record of the genus Oliparisca Emeljanov (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Cixiidae) from China, with description of one new species
Authors: ZHI YAN , YANG LIN , CHEN XIANG-SHENG
Published: December 2020

Oliparisca menglaensis sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae: Pentastirini) is described and illustrated from Yunnan Province of China. This represents the first record of the genus Oliparisca from China. The new taxon extends the distribution range of the genus Oliparisca, previously known only from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka. A key of identification to all known species of this genus and a map of their geographic distributions are provided.
Antibacterial Properties of Oregano Essential Oil Encapsulated in Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Nanoparticles
Authors: Souza Juliana Reghine , Bonfim Kely Silveira , Lorevice Marcos Vinicius , Correa Daniel Souza , Mattoso Luiz Henrique Capparelli , Moura Márcia Regina de
Published: December 2020

This work describes an outstanding synthesis of poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles of distinct sizes loaded (PCLNP/OEO) or not (PCLNP) with oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil (OEO) by the nanoprecipitation method in order investigate the antimicrobial properties against
bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. OEO antimicrobial activity was achieved by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). FTIR spectra indicated that encapsulation of OEO by PCLNPs was successful. Scanning electron microscopy
images revealed that PCLNP and PCLNP/OEO presented spherical shape with diameters around 150 nm, while PCLNP exhibited size distribution raging 158 to 300 nm and zeta potential ranging from -13.8 to -28.5 mV. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated an increase in initial temperature of weight
loss for PCLNP/OEO. PCLNP with 80% wt. of OEO has exhibited the highest decrease of growth of bacteria, and MIC against S. aureus and E. coli and MBC only for E. coli, which indicate a promising alternative for designing stable antimicrobial nanoparticles for application
in novel food active packaging.
Potential Use of Antifreeze DNA Aptamers for the Cryopreservation of Human Erythrocytes
Authors: Bruno John G.
Published: December 2020

This article summarizes proof of concept experiments which clearly demonstrated the ability of DNA aptamers selected against a molecular mimic of early ice crystal nuclei to protect the integrity of human erythrocytes following a slow freeze-thaw cycle. Following 10 cycles of selection
and DNA amplification of rare candidate DNA aptamers against a copper-organic ligand complex which holds water molecules in a conformation resembling early ice crystal nuclei, the aptamers were tested for their ability to preserve erythrocyte morphology by phase-contrast microscopy versus
controls without aptamers and with the original randomized aptamer DNA library template following slow freezing and storage overnight at -20 °C with slow thawing at 25 °C. Those experiments revealed that a minimum of 32 μg/ml of the final selected aptamer pool of DNA molecules was
required to completely protect nearly 100% of the erythrocytes. By contrast, the treatment groups without the aptamers or with the randomized aptamer template DNA at 32 μg/ml produced only fragmented erythrocytes and cellular debris (no intact cells), thus indicating that specifically selected
DNA conformations were required to bind and limit the size of forming ice crystals to cryoprotect the erythrocytes.
Nonlinear Response of Atmospheric Blocking to Early Winter Barents–Kara Seas Warming: An Idealized Model Study
Authors: Chen Xiaodan , Luo Dehai , Wu Yutian , Dunn-Sigouin Etienne , Lu Jian
Published: December 2020

Wintertime Ural blocking (UB) has been shown to play an important role in cold extremes over Eurasia, and thus it is useful to investigate the impact of warming over the Barents–Kara Seas (BKS) on the behavior of Ural blocking. Here the response of UB to stepwise tropospheric warming over the BKS is examined using a dry dynamic core model. Nonlinear responses are found in the frequency and local persistence of UB. The frequency and local persistence of the UB increase with the strength of BKS warming in a less strong range and decrease with the further increase of BKS warming, which is linked to the UB propagation influenced by upstream background atmospheric circulation. For a weak BKS warming, the UB becomes more persistent due to its less westward movement associated with intensified upstream zonal wind and meridional potential vorticity gradient (PVy) in the North Atlantic mid-high latitudes, which corresponds to a negative height response over the North Atlantic high latitudes. When BKS warming is strong, a positive height response appears in the early winter stratosphere, and its subsequent downward propagation leads to a negative NAO response or increased Greenland blocking events, which reduces zonal wind and PVy in the high latitudes from North Atlantic to Europe, thus enhancing the westward propagation of UB and reducing its local persistence. The transition to the negative NAO phase and the retrogression of UB are not found when numerically suppressing the downward influence of weakened stratospheric polar vortex, suggesting a crucial role of the stratospheric pathway in nonlinear responses of UB to the early winter BKS warming.
Assessing the Influence of Large-Scale Environmental Conditions on the Rainfall Structure of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones: An Observational Study
Authors: Kim Dasol , Ho Chang-Hoi , Murakami Hiroyuki , Park Doo-Sun R.
Published: December 2020

Understanding the mechanisms related to the variations in the rainfall structure of tropical cyclones (TCs) is crucial in improving forecasting systems of TC rainfall and its impact. Using satellite precipitation and reanalysis data, we examined the influence of along-track large-scale environmental conditions on inner-core rainfall strength (RS) and total rainfall area (RA) for Atlantic TCs during the TC season (July–November) from 1998 to 2019. Factor analysis revealed three major factors associated with variations in RS and RA: large-scale low and high pressure systems [factor 1 (F1)]; environmental flows, sea surface temperature, and humidity [factor 2 (F2)]; and maximum wind speed of TCs [factor 3 (F3)]. Results from our study indicate that RS increases with an increase in the inherent primary circulation of TCs (i.e., F3) but is less affected by large-scale environmental conditions (i.e., F1 and F2), whereas RA is primarily influenced by large-scale low and high pressure systems (i.e., F1) over the entire North Atlantic and partially influenced by environmental flows, sea surface temperature, humidity, and maximum wind speed (i.e., F2 and F3). A multivariable regression model based on the three factors accounted for the variations of RS and RA across the entire basin. In addition, regional distributions of mean RS and RA from the model significantly resembled those from observations. Therefore, our study suggests that large-scale environmental conditions over the North Atlantic Ocean are important predictors for TC rainfall forecasts, particularly with regard to RA.
Effectiveness of Home-Based Occupational Therapy on COPM Performance and Satisfaction Scores in Patients with COPD
Authors: Koolen Eleonore H. , Spruit Martijn A. , de Man Marianne , Antons Jeanine C. , Nijhuis Elieke , Nakken Nienke , Janssen Daisy J.A. , van ‘t Hul Alex J.
Published: December 2020

Background.

Occupational therapy (OT) may be an important intervention in patients with COPD, but studies show conflicting results.

Purpose.

To evaluate the effectiveness of home-based monodisciplinary OT in COPD patients

Method.

We conducted an observational clinical study. Main outcomes were the mean differences in the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) performance and satisfaction scores, pre and post intervention.

Findings.

Pre- and postintervention data were obtained from 41 patients. Statistically significant increases were observed in COPM performance (5.0 ± 1.1 versus 6.9 ± 0.9; P<0.001) and satisfaction (4.6 ± 1.3 versus 6.9 ± 1.0; P<0.001). The most frequently reported occupational performance problems were found in the domains of productivity (47%) and mobility (40%), fewer in self-care (10%) and the least in leisure (3%).

Implications.

Home-based monodisciplinary OT can contribute significantly to the improvement of daily functioning of patients with COPD. OT should therefore be considered more often as part of the integrated management of these patients.
What is the core competency of EECS students in technological higher education?
Authors: Chang Jen-Chia , Shih Hsiao-Fang
Published: December 2020

The purposes of this study are to explore the core competency content of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS) students. This study uses document analysis and focus group methods to confirm the core competency content. It was found that the core competencies of EECS students clearly defined the direction of the students’ development especially mathematics ability, scientific and engineering knowledge, implementation, design and analysis, self-study, communication, social development and ethics with high degrees of overlap. This also means that, in addition to mathematical logic, EECS students should also have knowledge related to engineering science, implementation ability, communication and cooperation, and social networking ability. Finally, recommendations for cultivating the core competencies of EECS students were proposed in the hope that graduates will acquire the core competencies required by the industry.
“It Is Not Something You Can Easily Forget”: Ghanaian Parents’ Experiences of Child Loss
Authors: Asare Grace Owusu , Annor Francis , Yendork Joana Salifu
Published: December 2020

The loss of a child comes with trauma, which affects parents and the entire family. Yet, there is limited support for parents who lose their child and little empirical research has been devoted to the experiences of parents who lose a child in the Ghanaian context. Based on interviews with 20 participants purposively sampled from the Accra Metropolis, this study explored parents’ psychosocial experiences of child loss using a qualitative approach. The study’s findings indicated that bereaved parents showed signs of complicated grief and experienced spousal neglect, self-blame, and emotional pain. Bereaved parents may become sensitive to child comments years after child loss. The quality of interaction after child loss influences how parents experience the loss. Findings underscore the need for a joint effort by government and other stakeholders in the health sector to address issues related to child loss and provide improved services to those who suffer child loss.
Improving Quantitative Abilities and Attitudes in Clinical Psychology Courses: Longitudinal Assessment of a Blended Learning Intervention
Authors: Sockol Laura E. , Ellison William D. , Stutts Lauren A. , Knouse Laura E.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Many students report negative attitudes toward research methods and statistics (RMS), and these attitudes are associated with impaired performance. Student interest in clinical psychology suggests that clinical courses may provide a promising venue for integrating RMS instruction. This approach may be particularly valuable for students from underrepresented groups in psychology.

Objective:

We evaluated whether integrating core RMS concepts into undergraduate clinical psychology courses using a blended learning intervention improved students’ quantitative knowledge and attitudes. Exploratory analyses assessed whether the intervention had differential efficacy for students from underrepresented groups.

Method:

Students completed pre- and post-course assessments of content knowledge, perceived RMS competence, implicit theories of quantitative skills, and statistics anxiety. We compared changes in student outcomes before ( n = 101) and after ( n = 91) implementing the blended learning intervention.

Results:

Overall, the intervention did not result in greater improvements in content knowledge, perceived RMS competence, or statistics anxiety. However, exploratory analyses suggested that the intervention was more effective for first-generation and racial/ethnic minority students. Change in endorsement of a growth-oriented mindset for quantitative skills was marginally stronger among students in courses implementing the blended learning intervention.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that integrating RMS content in clinical psychology courses may confer modest benefits for students’ knowledge and attitudes toward quantitative skills, especially among students from underrepresented groups.
Interventions to Engage Patients and Families in Patient Safety: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lee Miseon , Lee Nam-Ju , Seo Hyun-Ju , Jang Haena , Kim Seong Min
Published: December 2020

The involvement of patients and families is essential for improving patient safety. However, the role of patients and caregivers in patient safety has recently been receiving attention, and programs and interventions have been implemented for patients and caregivers. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the types of interventions to improve patient safety that focused on engaging patients and their families, and the effectiveness of these interventions. Searching four electronic databases, 2019 articles were obtained; of these, 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. The studies used intervention strategies at the “information” and “involvement” engagement levels. Interventions with strategies only at the information level mostly measured safety perception and were mostly found to be effective. Interventions with both information and involvement strategies measured more diverse outcomes, but their effectiveness was inconsistent. Further studies using a range of intervention strategies and outcomes with more rigorous methodologies are needed.

PROSPERO registration number CRD42018096162.
The production of broad and strict senses in the discourse on musical creativity and their influences on the self-concept of musicians as creative
Authors: Nazario Luciano da Costa , Ultramari Leonardo Roman , Pacce Benjamin
Published: December 2020

This article presents an analysis of the construction of beliefs/values related to musical creativity. From the perspective of critical discourse analysis, we seek to comprehend how individuals constitute broad and strict senses of creativity and how these senses can influence their perceptions of themselves as creative. Open questionnaires were administered to students in the process of scholarly training and non-scholarly musicians. The results indicate that the presence of both senses of creativity in participants’ discourse reflects a social order that qualitatively and quantitatively produces and reproduces those senses. The broad sense of creativity has a smaller incidence rate (about 31%) and tends to allow participants to form a positive self-concept. In contrast, the strict sense appears more frequently (about 69%) and may lead to a negative self-concept when subjects do not reach the assigned values.
Perceptions of quality of life by people with advanced cancer who live at home
Authors: Peoples Hanne , Nissen Nina , Brandt Åse , la Cour Karen
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Cancer in advanced stages often results in a reduced ability to engage in occupations, which may influence quality of life. A growing number of people with advanced cancer receive palliative care at home and thus the home becomes the place where most of their everyday occupations occur. The purpose of this study was to explore, from an occupational perspective, how people with advanced cancer who live at home perceive quality of life.

Method

A qualitative descriptive design was employed, consisting of two consecutive interviews: a semi-structured interview and a subsequent photo-elicitation interview. Thematic analysis was used to explore the data. Ten participants took part in this study.

Findings

The analysis identified three interrelated themes: ‘quality of life during changing circumstances’; ‘striving to continue everyday life’ and ‘being independent and connected’.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the importance of everyday life continuity and ongoing changes and adjustments needed to maintain quality of life. However, due to the progressive nature of advanced cancer, the required adjustments may not always be possible. The findings furthermore show that loss of independence and increased dependence may lead to a new sense of interdependence and closeness with family and friends, which positively influences quality of life.
Perceptions of the Neighborhood Built Environment for Walking Behavior in Older Adults Living in Close Proximity
Authors: Herbolsheimer Florian , Mahmood Atiya , Ungar Nadine , Michael Yvonne L. , Oswald Frank , Chaudhury Habib
Published: December 2020

Past research documents a discordance between perceived and objectively assessed neighborhood environmental features on walking behavior. Therefore, we examined differences in the perception of the same neighborhood built environment. Participants were grouped if they lived 400 m or closer to each other. The perception of the pedestrian infrastructure, neighborhood aesthetics, safety from crime, and safety from traffic was derived from a telephone survey from two North American metropolitan areas; 173 individuals were clustered into 42 groups. Older adults who walked for transport in their neighborhood experienced the same neighborhood as more walkable (β = .19; p = .011) with better pedestrian infrastructure (β = .16; p = .037). Older adults with physical limitations experienced the same neighborhood as less safe from crime (β = −.17; p = .030) and traffic (β = −.20; p = .009). The study supports the notion that individual behavior and physical restrictions alter the environment’s perception and explains part of the discordance between objective and subjective assessment of the neighborhood environment.
Course Profiles and Participation in German Adult Education Centers During Times of Migration: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Martin Andreas , Granderath Julia Sophia , Rüber Ina Elisabeth
Published: December 2020

The increasing demand for integration courses in Germany (especially due to the crisis-induced migration of refugees) has raised the question in research and practice of how this change affects the supply and participation of continuing education providers. To address this issue, the present study explores the impact of increasing integration course counts and participation on regular course counts and participation in German state-funded public adult education centers (Volkshochschulen; VHS), which are the main providers of integration courses. For this, we apply longitudinal fixed effects analyses to the VHS statistics. Controlling for VHS-specific trends, we find that on average, an increase in integration course counts slightly decreases regular course counts. Regarding participation, we observe the opposite: Increasing participation in integration courses leads to a small increase in participation in regular courses.
A model of an agile organization designed to better manage the COVID-19 crisis
Authors: Brunet Fabrice , Malas Kathy , Fleury Danielle
Published: December 2020

COVID-19 strongly hit healthcare organizations due to three factors: the lack of knowledge of this new virus, the fear of the people, and the continuous modifications in the management of the crisis. This situation required flexibility and adaptability of organizations, as our university health centre demonstrated. It relied on a decentralized model of management based on three pillars: a culture of innovation and creativity, an agile organizational structure, and an open innovation ecosystem and network. These assets were already developed prior to the onset of COVID-19 and helped our organization to better respond to the crisis.
Cerium oxide nanoparticles protect red blood cells from hyperthermia-induced damages
Authors: Liu Tingting , Han Shiqian , Pang Mao , Li Jing , Wang Jing , Luo Xue , Wang Ying , Liu Zhifeng , Yang Xiaochao , Ye Zhijia
Published: December 2020

Heat stroke and severe fever cause anemia, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report the use of Cerium oxide nanoparticles in protection of red blood cells against damage caused by exposure to short-term hyperthermia (42°C, 10 min). Red blood cells exposed to hyperthermia exhibited extradition senescence with higher density, smaller size and lower zeta potential relative to those under normal physiological environment (37°C, 10 min). Furthermore, hyperthermia-exposed cells exhibited significantly higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) production compared to the normal conditions. Importantly, the preconditional treatment, using Ceria nanoparticles (CNPs), ameliorated senescence and apoptosis in red blood cells damaged by hyperthermia by reducing ROS levels. Summarily, short-term hyperthermia caused a significant increase in ROS in red blood cells, and resulted in senescence and apoptosis. These may be possible mechanisms of pathological changes in red blood cells exposed to heat stroke or severe fever. Overall, these findings indicate that CNPs strongly inhibit ROS production, and effectively ameliorates hyperthermia-induced damages in red blood cells.
Knowledge, Perceptions, and Preferred Information Sources Related to COVID-19 Among Healthcare Workers: Results of a Cross Sectional Survey
Authors: Sathianathan Shyama , Van Scoy Lauren Jodi , Sakya Surav Man , Miller Erin , Snyder Bethany , Wasserman Emily , Chinchilli Vernon M. , Garman John , Lennon Robert P.
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To compare COVID-19 related knowledge, perceptions, and preferred information sources between healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers.

Design:

Cross-sectional survey.

Setting:

Web-based.

Subjects:

Convenience sample of Pennsylvanian adults.

Measures:

Primary outcomes were binary responses to 15 COVID-19 knowledge questions weighted by a Likert scale assessing response confidence.

Analysis:

Generalized linear mixed-effects models to assess comparisons between clinical decision makers (CDM), non-clinical decision makers working in healthcare (non-CDM) and non-healthcare workers (non-HCW).

Results:

CDMs (n = 91) had higher overall knowledge than non-CDMs (n = 854; OR 1.81 [1.51, 2.17], p < .05). Overall knowledge scores were not significantly different between non-CDMs (n = 854) and non-HCW (n = 4,966; OR 1.03 [0.97, 1.09], p > .05).

Conclusion:

The findings suggest a need for improved education about COVID-19 for healthcare workers who are not clinical decision makers, as they play key roles in patient perceptions and compliance with preventive medicine during primary care visits.
A Critical Race Analysis of University Acts of Racial “Redress”: The Limited Potential of Racial Symbols
Authors: Tichavakunda Antar A.
Published: December 2020

More historically White institutions of higher education are compelled to respond, in some way, to increased activism and awareness of continued legacies of racism and racial crises on campuses. The author suggests that how schools wrestle with their legacies of racism and/or respond to student demands to right racial wrongs on campus might be considered university acts of racial redress. Through a Critical Race Theory inspired chronicle, the author argues that seemingly positive university acts of racial redress such as policies, place un/naming, or public statements are, in fact, Racial Symbols that do little to change the material realities of racially marginalized people on campus.
Energy absorbed ability and damage analysis for honeycomb sandwich material of bio-inspired micro aerial vehicle under low velocity impact
Authors: Du Jianxun , Hao Peng , Liu Mabao , Xue Rui , Li Lin’an
Published: December 2020

Because of the advantages of light weight, small size, and good maneuverability, the bio-inspired micro aerial vehicle has a wide range of application prospects and development potential in military and civil areas, and has become one of the research hotspots in the future aviation field. The beetle’s elytra possess high strength and provide the protection of the abdomen while being functional to guarantee its flight performance. In this study, the internal microstructure of beetle’s elytra was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a variety of bionic thin-walled structures were proposed and modelled. The energy absorption characteristics and protective performance of different configurations of thin-walled structures with hollow columns under impact loading was analyzed by finite element method. The parameter study was carried out to show the influence of the velocity of impactor, the impact angle of the impactor and the wall thickness of honeycomb structure. This study provides an important inspiration for the design of the protective structure of the micro aerial vehicle.