bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alfa fibers for Cereplast bio-composites reinforcement: Effects of chemical and biological treatments on the mechanical properties
Authors: Werchefani Mouna , Lacoste Catherine , Belguith Hafedh , Bradai Chedly
Published: April 2021

The present work is a comparative study of the impact of Alfa fiber modifications on the Cereplast composites mechanical behavior. Various treatments have been employed, including mechanical, soda, saltwater-retting, hot-water treatments and enzymatic treatment using xylanase. Chemical and morphological analyses were carried out in order to determine the changes of the biochemical composition and the dimensions of fibers. Cereplast composites reinforced with Alfa fibers were fabricated using a twin-screw extrusion followed by an injection molding technique with a fiber load of 20 wt. %. Resulting materials were assessed by means of tensile, flexural and Charpy impact testing. Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis was carried out to investigate the interfacial properties of the composites. The results have shown a significant enhancement of mechanical strengths and rigidities for the xylanase-treated fiber composites, owing to the increase of cellulose content, the enhancement of defibrillation level and the improvement of matrix-fiber adhesion. The data proved that the technology of enzymes can be used as a powerful and eco-friendly approach to modify fiber surfaces and to increase their potential of reinforcement.
Partially activated reconfigurable arrays to guide acoustic waves
Authors: Zhao Ningxiner , Zou Chengzhe , Harne Ryan L
Published: April 2021

Recent studies have exemplified the potential for curved origami-inspired acoustic arrays to focus waves. Yet, reconfigurable structures that adopt curvatures are often difficult to translate to practice due to mechanical deformation of the facets that inhibit straightforward folding. In addition, not all tessellations that curve upon folding are also flat-foldable, which is a key advantage of portability inherent to many origami-inspired structures. This research introduces a new concept of partially activated reconfigurable acoustic arrays as a means to mitigate these drawbacks. Here, tessellations are studied where a subset of the facet surfaces are considered to radiate acoustic waves. The analytical results reveal focusing behaviors in such arrays that are otherwise not manifest for the array when fully activated. The focused waves are more intense in amplitude and space for partially activated arrays than fully activated counterparts. These trends are verified by experiment and are also found to be applicable to multiple reconfigurable array geometries. The results encourage broader study of the design space accessible in reconfigurable arrays to capitalize on all of the functionality afforded by origami-inspired wave guiding structures.
Coupled longitudinal-flexural vibration characteristics of a piezoelectric structure with losses
Authors: Yang Hua , Yuan Tao , Guo Hui , Sun Pei , Fan Pingqing , Wang Yansong
Published: April 2021

The dynamic characteristics studies of piezoelectric structures usually focus on the single vibration modes such as the longitudinal or the flexural mode, and the losses that cause heat generation and energy waste are generally neglected, which leads to discrepancies compared with experiments. In the present paper, a beam-type piezoelectric structure with four kinds of losses under coupled longitudinal-flexural vibration mode is investigated. In this approach, first, impedance matrix of the structure is obtained based on the motion equation and the electrical-mechanical boundary conditions. Secondly, admittance curves of this piezoelectric structure under different boundary conditions are simulated by the equivalent circuit methods that contain four losses—piezoelectric and dielectric losses, as well as two elastic losses. The simulation results by equivalent circuit methods has good agreement with COMSOL results, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Safety and Efficacy of Non–Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulant Use Early After Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wang Erica H. Z. , Ye Jian , Turgeon Ricky
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To determine the safety and efficacy of non–vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) initiated early after cardiac surgery.

Data Sources::

Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, and MEDLINE (database inception to January 20, 2021), www.clinicaltrials.gov , www.who.int/ictrp/search/en/ , NOAC trial registries, and bibliographies of relevant guidelines and other reviews were used.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that initiated NOACs within the index hospitalization and that reported bleeding for the primary outcome were included.

Data Synthesis:

A total of 6 cohort studies, 1 RCT, and 3 ongoing RCTs were included. Most studies were single-centered, limited to postoperative atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting, and with 30-day follow-up; few studies included patients with isolated bioprosthetic valve replacement or valve repair. Bleeding risk varied (0%-28.6%), and all but one study showed no significantly higher risk with NOAC compared with warfarin.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice:

Overall, NOACs were used in 26% to 37.5% of patients early after cardiac surgery. Starting a NOAC on postoperative day 4 appeared to have similar bleeding rates compared with warfarin, but clinical application is limited by heterogeneity of outcome definitions, confounding, and bias. Compared with warfarin, NOACs may have similar thromboembolism risk, reduced length of stay, and cost.

Conclusions:

There is limited evidence to guide NOAC use early after cardiac surgery. Three ongoing randomized trials will add to the literature and provide guidance for clinicians on whether, in whom, when, and how to use NOACs safely early after cardiac surgery.
Extracting Agency and Communion From the Big Five: A Four-Way Competition
Authors: Entringer Theresa M. , Gebauer Jochen E. , Paulhus Delroy L.
Published: April 2021

Agency and communion are the two fundamental content dimensions in psychology. The two dimensions figure prominently in many psychological realms (personality, social, self, motivational, cross-cultural, etc.). In contemporary research, however, personality is most commonly measured within the Big Five framework. We developed novel agency and communion scales based on the items from the most popular nonpropriety measure of the Big Five—the Big Five Inventory. We compared four alternative scale-construction methods: expert rating, target scale, ant colony, and brute force. Across three samples ( Ntotal = 942), all methods yielded reliable and valid agency and communion scales. Our research provides two main contributions. For psychometric theory, it extends knowledge on the four scale-construction methods and their relative convergence. For psychometric practice, it enables researchers to examine agency and communion hypotheses with extant Big Five Inventory data sets, including those collected in their own labs as well as openly accessible, large-scale data sets.
Evaluation of the Effect of Hyaluronic Acid–Based Biomaterial Enriched With Tenascin-C on the Behavior of the Neural Stem Cells
Authors: Shahi Maryam , Mohammadnejad Daruosh , Karimipour Mohammad , Rahbarghazi Reza , Abedelahi Ali
Published: April 2021

One of the most important natural extracellular constituents is hyaluronic acid (HA) with the potential to develop a highly organized microenvironment. In the present study, we enriched HA hydrogel with tenascin-C (TN-C) and examined the viability and survival of mouse neural stem cells (NSCs) using different biological assays. Following NSCs isolation and expansion, their phenotype was identified using flow cytometry analysis. Cell survival was measured using MTT assay and DAPI staining after exposure to various concentrations of 50, 100, 200, and 400 nM TN-C. Using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, we measured the number of live and necrotic cells after exposure to the combination of HA and TN-C. MTT assay revealed the highest NSCs viability rate in the group exposed to 100 nM TN-C compared to other groups, and a combination of 1% HA + 100 nM TN-C increased the viability of NSCs compared to the HA group after 24 hours. Electron scanning microscopy revealed the higher attachment of these cells to the HA + 100 nM TN-C substrate relative to the HA substrate. Epifluorescence imaging and DAPI staining of loaded cells on HA + 100 nM TN-C substrate significantly increased the number of NSCs per field over 72 hours compared to the HA group ( P < 0.05). Live and dead assay revealed that the number of live NSCs significantly increased in the HA + 100 TN-C group compared to HA and control groups. The enrichment of HA substrate with TN-C promoted viability and survival of NSCs and could be applied in neural tissue engineering approaches and regenerative medicine.
Orbital abscess due to infection of a non-absorbable porous orbital implant after orbital wall fracture repair : An uncommon and delayed occurred case
Authors: Choi Moon Young , La Tae Yoon
Published: April 2021

We report a rare case of a patient who developed an orbital abscess several years after successful orbital medial wall fracture repair. A 37-year-old female patient who underwent orbital fracture repair with a titanium Medpor® orbital implant two years prior visited the clinic for pain, conjunctival injection, discharge, and lid swelling of the right eye. Orbital CT revealed severe orbital cellulitis and sinusitis. After administering antibiotics, the sinusitis was successfully resolved. However, the orbital inflammation around the implant did not improve, forming an orbital abscess. Abscess drainage and implant removal were performed. The removed implant was infected at the center, exhibiting a yellowish abscess-like discoloration. The patient improved rapidly and recovered without complications. In rare cases, orbital cellulitis and orbital abscesses develop even after a considerable period of time after orbital fracture repair using a non-absorbable porous orbital implant. In such cases, delayed orbital implant infection should be suspected as the cause, and an imaging study should be performed. If the patient does not respond to antibiotic treatment, it may be necessary to remove the infected implant with immediate drainage.
Placemaking ‘experiences’ during Covid-19
Authors: Norum Roger , Polson Erika
Published: April 2021

This article explores the ways in which, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, AirBnb’s successful place-based Experiences product was reimagined as a live online offering, marketed to would-be tourists living under ‘stay at home’ orders. Using online ethnographic and interpretive analysis of these new virtual experiences, we highlight a series of core placemaking strategies employed by hosts of the once in-situ experiences to show how they reemerge as interactive digital placemakers. In doing so, we elucidate how live, multimedia digital experiences become part of an evolution in the creation of ‘placemarkets’ that are now fundamental to both global mobility and globalized commercial exchange in the experience economy. Beyond the technological features used for these placemaking experiences, we find that the experience hosts and their manifold strategies to substantively engage participants – particularly through igniting their senses – are at the crux of digital placemaking; it is the affective labor of the hosts that most contributes to experiencing emplacement.
The impact of standing desks on cardiometabolic and vascular health
Authors: Bodker Ariel , Visotcky Alexis , Gutterman David , Widlansky Michael E , Kulinski Jacquelyn
Published: April 2021

Sedentary behavior is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality, independent of physical activity. The biological mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unknown. We hypothesized that obese subjects with sedentary desk jobs, when assigned a sit–stand desk, will reduce daily sedentary time, and show improvement in arterial flow-mediated dilation (FMD), an early indicator of CVD. Overweight and obese subjects without known CVD were recruited at our institution and given an adjustable sit–stand desk at work. Activities were quantified with an accelerometer for 7 days at baseline and during the intervention. FMD of the brachial and superficial femoral arteries, fasting lipids, insulin and glucose labs, and anthropometrics were measured at baseline, and 12 and 24 weeks. Repeated one-way ANOVA tests were used to compare measurements over time. Fifteen participants were enrolled (93% female, mean age 40 ± 5 years, mean body mass index [BMI] 33 ± 5). Mean daily sedentary time at work decreased by 90 minutes from baseline (385 ± 49 minutes) to 12 weeks (297 ± 80 minutes, p = 0.002) and 24 weeks (295 ± 127 minutes, p = 0.015). Femoral FMD increased from baseline (4.9 ± 1.7%) to 12 weeks (6.4 ± 2.3%, p = 0.043) and further to 24 weeks (8.1 ± 3.2%, p = 0.009). Significant improvement in fasting triglycerides and insulin resistance occurred. There was no change in brachial FMD, exercise activity, step counts, weight, or BMI. A significant reduction in sedentary time during working hours was identified with utilization of a sit–stand desk and sustained over 24 weeks. Improvements in FMD, triglycerides, and insulin resistance provide insight into mechanisms of adverse health risks associated with sedentary behavior.
Venous thromboembolism in COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kollias Anastasios , Kyriakoulis Konstantinos G , Lagou Styliani , Kontopantelis Evangelos , Stergiou George S , Syrigos Konstantinos
Published: April 2021

Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism events (VTE). This study performed a systematic review in PubMed/EMBASE of studies reporting the prevalence of VTE in patients with COVID-19 who were totally screened/assessed for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or for pulmonary embolism (PE). Among 47 candidate studies ( n = 6459; 33 in Europe), 17 studies ( n = 3973; weighted age 63.0 years, males 60%, intensive care unit (ICU) 16%) reported the prevalence of PE with a pooled estimate of 32% (95% CI: 25, 40%), and 32 studies ( n = 2552; weighted age 62.6 years, males 57%, ICU 49%) reported the prevalence of DVT with a pooled estimate of 27% (95% CI: 21, 34%). A total of 36 studies reported the use of at least prophylactic antithrombotic treatment in the majority of their patients. Meta-regression analysis showed that the prevalence of VTE was higher across studies with a higher percentage of ICU patients and higher study population mean D-dimer values, and lower in studies with mixed dosing of anticoagulation in ⩾ 50% of the population compared to studies with standard prophylactic dosing of anticoagulation in < 50% of the population. The pooled odds ratio for death in patients with COVID-19 and VTE versus those without VTE (17 studies, n = 2882) was 2.1 (95% CI: 1.2, 3.6). Hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 are at high VTE risk despite prophylactic anticoagulation. Further research should investigate the individualized VTE risk of patients with COVID-19 and the optimal preventive antithrombotic therapy. PROSPERO Registration No.: CRD42020185543.
Admissibility of confession evidence: Principles of hearsay and the rule of voluntariness
Authors: Porter Jennifer
Published: April 2021

The common law test of voluntariness has come to be associated with important policy rationales including the privilege against self-incrimination. However, when the test originated more than a century ago, it was a test concerned specifically with the truthfulness of confession evidence; which evidence was at that time adduced in the form of indirect oral testimony, that is, as hearsay. Given that, a century later, confession evidence is now mostly adduced in the form of an audiovisual recording that can be observed directly by the trial judge, rather than as indirect oral testimony, there may be capacity for a different emphasis regarding the question of admissibility. This article considers the law currently operating in Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia to see whether or not, in the form of an audiovisual recording, the exercise of judicial discretion as to the question of the admissibility of confession evidence might be supported if the common law test of voluntariness was not a strict test of exclusion.
To the exclusion of all others? DNA profile and transfer mechanics—R v Jones (William Francis) [2020] EWCA Crim 1021 (03 Aug 2020)
Authors: Kotsoglou Kyriakos N. , McCartney Carole
Published: April 2021

This case note deals with doctrinal and inferential issues around the use of DNA in the criminal process, in particular DNA alone, as a case to answer.
The values of prediction in criminal cases
Authors: Jellema Hylke
Published: April 2021

Like scientists, investigators and decision-makers in criminal cases both explain known evidence and use the resulting explanations to make novel predictions. Philosophers of science have made much of this distinction, arguing that hypotheses which lead to successful predictions are—all else being equal—epistemically superior to those that merely explain known data. Their ideas also offer important lessons for criminal evidence scholarship. This article distinguishes three values of prediction over explaining known facts in criminal cases. First, witnesses who predict are—all else being equal—more reliable than those who do not because they are less likely to be biased or lying. Second, investigators who only explain known facts run the risk of ‘fudging’ the scenarios that they formulate. Predictions can protect us against this danger. Third, carefully constructed predictions may help investigators to avoid confirmation bias. This article ends with a case study of the murder of Hae Min Lee.
Development of common rail lube oil injector for large two-stroke marine diesel engines
Authors: Milanese Marco , Iacobazzi Fabrizio , Stark Matthias , de Risi Arturo
Published: April 2021

The two-stroke crosshead diesel engines, nowadays moving the majority of merchant vessels, have lubrication systems which significantly contribute to their overall emissions, since they work on total loss basis: a relevant fraction of lubricant enters the exhaust duct, increasing total exhaust emissions. This paper demonstrates that a viable solution to reduce lubrication system related emissions can be found in the application of a new common rail type ( CR) lubrication system. Particularly, in the first part of this study, a common rail injector was simulated and numerically optimized by means of AMESim. The main parameters influencing lube oil injected mass were identified, with the purpose to design a highly time responsive injector. Therefore, a CR injector was realized and experimentally characterized by means of a dedicated test cell, defining the lube oil injection map over the entire engine load range. Finally, full scale engine tests allowed to evaluate oil loss at exhaust, proposing, and applying the Sulfur tracing methodology. A comparison with a pulse jet lubrication system demonstrated a relevant reduction in oil loss: 100% engine load testes demonstrated decreases ranging from 56.2% to 63.3%, while once fixed the lube oil feed rate to 0.8 g/kWh a maximum reduction in oil loss equal to 66.7% was reached. These results allow nominating the common rail lubrication system as a feasible solution to significantly reduce oil loss at exhaust of large two-stroke marine diesel engines.
Evaluation of electrospun polyurethane scaffolds loaded with cerium oxide for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Mani Mohan Prasath , Jaganathan Saravana Kumar , Khudzari Ahmad Zahran Md
Published: April 2021

Electrospun polyurethane (PU) scaffolds were developed containing cerium oxide (CeO2). Photomicrograph of the composites revealed the diameter of the PU/CeO2 (264 ± 169 nm) was smaller than the polyurethane scaffold (994 ± 113 nm). The fabricated PU/CeO2 (110° ± 1) scaffold displayed a more hydrophobic nature as depicted by increasing contact angle compared to the pristine PU (105° ± 3). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results presented evidence for the cerium oxide presence in the PU matrix through the formation of the hydrogen bond. The surface roughness of PU/CeO2 (301 ± 52 nm) was reduced in comparison with pristine PU (854 ± 32 nm) as estimated in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. Cerium oxide enhanced the thermal and tensile behaviour of the pristine PU. Coagulation assays indicated delayed clotting time and a less toxic nature to red blood cells of PU/CeO2 than pristine PU. Further, the calcium deposition in the nanocomposites (10.5%) was higher compared to pure PU (2.4%) as showed in bone mineralization testing. Hence with these potent properties, PU/CeO2 holds as a promising candidate for bone regeneration.
EfficientDet for fabric defect detection based on edge computing
Authors: Song Shaojun , Jing Junfeng , Huang Yanqing , Shi Mingyang
Published: April 2021

The productivity of textile industry is positively correlated with the efficiency of fabric defect detection. Traditional manual detection methods have gradually been replaced by deep learning algorithms based on cloud computing due to the low accuracy and high cost of manual methods. Nonetheless, these cloud computing-based methods are still suboptimal due to the data transmission latency between the end devices and the cloud. To facilitate defect detection with more efficiency, a low-latency, low power consumption, easy upgrade, and automatical visual inspection system with the help of edge computing are proposed in this work. Firstly, the method uses EfficientDet-D0 as the detection algorithm, integrating the advantages of lightweight and scalable and can suit the resource-constrained edge device. Secondly, we performed data augmentations on five fabric datasets and verified the adaptability of the model in different types of fabrics. Finally, we transplanted the trained model to the edge device NVIDIA Jetson TX2 and optimized the model with TensorRT to make it detection faster. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated in five fabric datasets. The detection speed is up to 22.7 frame per second (FPS) on the edge device Jetson TX2. Compared with the cloud-based method, the response time is reduced by 2.5 times, with the capability of real-time industrial defect detection.
The Use of Case Study Design in Learning Management System Research: A Label of Convenience?
Authors: Turnbull Darren , Chugh Ritesh , Luck Jo
Published: April 2021

Case study design is often characterized as a poorly applied and understood approach to conduct research into information systems. This literature review examined 28 empirical studies of Learning Management Systems (LMS) that were self-declared as case studies. This paper’s main aim was to establish whether these studies actually applied case study techniques or simply utilized the term “case study” as a label of convenience. Alarmingly, more than one-third of the examined articles contained little or no justification for adopting a case study design and did not meet the established criteria for identification as a case study as outlined in this review. The lack of an appropriate discussion on the characteristics and applicability of the case study approach to empirical discovery brings into question the robustness of a study’s stated methodology. It is not sufficient to assume that the label “case study” by itself will portray a universal understanding of the research design of an empirical LMS study. This paper proposes that a robust description of what constitutes a case study in a LMS context will assist in ensuring that future studies on LMS (or other information systems) research that intend to adopt a case study approach, adequately present appropriate justifications for adopting this methodology. It is hoped that our definition and description of LMS case study methodology will serve to inspire further reflection on the characteristics of this robust research approach that might lead to a set of guidelines for applying this methodology to information systems research.
A rare presentation and management of thrombosis of an aberrant right subclavian artery related to thoracic outlet syndrome
Authors: Bellamkonda Kirthi S , Perez Lozada Juan Carlos , Chaar Cassius Iyad Ochoa
Published: April 2021

Objectives

We present a case in which a 44-year-old female smoker with a complex medical and surgical history presented with acute upper limb ischemia.

Methods

The patient was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome causing symptomatic thrombosis of an aberrant right subclavian artery associated with diverticulum of Kommerell. The patient had history of extensive surgeries and radiation in the right chest with fibrotic changes, so surgical dissection in the area was associated with significant risk of nerve injury. Therefore, revascularization of the arm was performed via carotid to brachial artery bypass with reversed saphenous vein and the thoracic outlet was decompressed with segmental clavicular resection.

Results

Patient has been symptom free for 3 years with patent bypass.

Conclusions

This case demonstrates a unique presentation of distal thrombosis of a symptomatic aberrant right subclavian artery related to thoracic outlet syndrome. The combined claviculectomy–vein bypass is a safe and efficacious surgical approach that provides durable relief.
Effectiveness and safety of repeated percutaneous intervention in an office-based endovascular center in maintaining hemodialysis access
Authors: Patel Jay , Chang Stephanie , Manawar Shaan , Munn John , Rummel Mark C , Johnston Dan , Jain Krishna
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Percutaneous dialysis access interventions are routinely used to maintain the patency of dialysis access despite the lack of data regarding their long-term effectiveness. This retrospective study was undertaken to study the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous dialysis access interventions in arm fistulas and bridge grafts in an office-based endovascular center.

Methods

Patients who had a percutaneous dialysis access intervention in their upper extremity access site, performed at a single office-based endovascular center over a nine-year period (2007–2016) were included in this study. The patients’ demographic factors, patency, and complications were analyzed. Patients were entered in the study after first percutaneous dialysis access intervention.

Results

A total of 298 limbs in 259 patients had 913 procedures carried out over a nine-year period. There were 190 access arteriovenous fistulas and 108 arteriovenous grafts. The two most common arteriovenous fistulas were the brachiocephalic fistula ( n = 74, 39%) and radio cephalic fistula ( n = 69, 36%). Arteriovenous grafts were most commonly placed in the upper arm ( n = 66, 61%) followed by the forearm ( n = 42, 39%). The mean overall patency for all limbs was 50.86 months. Arteriovenous fistulas had a significantly longer patency than arteriovenous grafts (51.65 vs. 42.09 months; P = 0.01). In addition, patients with two or more percutaneous dialysis access intervention in their arteriovenous fistula had significantly greater patency than those with only one percutaneous dialysis access intervention (58.5 vs. 7.6 months; hazard ratio 0.41; P = 0.0008). This was not true for the arteriovenous graft group. Women represented 49% of the patient group. Their accesses had shorter patency than men (39.8 vs. 60 months; P = 0.0007).

Conclusions

This data support the use of repeated percutaneous dialysis access intervention to maintain long-term patency of dialysis access sites in an office-based endovascular center. Overall, fistulas have longer patency than grafts and women have poorer outcomes as compared to men
The characteristics of carotid body tumors in high-altitude region: Analysis from a single center
Authors: Wang Yong-Hong , Zhu Ji-Hai , Yang Jia , Ma Wei , Zhong Hao , Zhang Wen-Shi , Wu Jian-Ying
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Though carotid body tumors are rare, increasing attentions have been given because of malignant transformation and high surgical risk. However, at present, the characteristics and etiology still remain unclear. Our study was designed to describe the clinical features of carotid body tumors in our institution and to compare the results with previous reports.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed carotid body tumor patients diagnosed in our institution from January 2015 to May 2020. The demographics, comorbidities, lesion location, anatomic characteristics, complications, and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. Carotid body tumor measurements were determined from computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and carotid arteriography examination. We described and compared the clinical features of carotid body tumors in our institution and other reports.

Results

We totally identified 122 carotid body tumor cases for the present analysis. The mean age was 50.26 years, with the majority being female (82%). The commonest presentation was a painless neck mass (68%). For the distribution of nationality, most patients were the Han nationality (69.7%). The mean altitude of habitat of patients was 2689.4 km; 19.7% patients suffered bilateral lesions. The main blood supply of carotid body tumors was from external carotid artery (54.1%). For patients who received operation, 11 (11.2%) patients experienced cranial nerve injury. The maximal diameter of tumors was 3.99 ± 1.98 cm in male and 3.38 ± 1.36 cm in female. The volume of tumors was 31.49 ± 29.76 cm3 in male and 15.27 ± 13.06 cm3 in female. The distance to base of skull of tumors was 3.39 ± 1.07 cm (3.99 ± 1.98 cm in male vs 3.38 ± 1.36 cm, P <  0.05). Two patients (2.04%) were identified as having malignant carotid body tumor.

Conclusions

Though carotid body tumor had a low morbidity and multitudinous clinicopathologic features, it was apt to middle-aged women and the main blood supply was from external carotid artery. The painless neck mass was the commonest presentation of carotid body tumors. There were significant difference between male and female patients regarding platelet, hemoglobin, distance to base of skull, tumor volume, altitude of habitat, carotid body tumor location, and hypertension.
Robot visual measurement and grasping strategy for roughcastings
Authors: Wan Guoyang , Wang Guofeng , Xing Kaisheng , Fan Yunsheng , Yi Tinghao
Published: April 2021

To overcome the challenging problem of visual measurement and grasping of roughcasts, a visual grasping strategy for an industrial robot is designed and implemented on the basis of deep learning and a deformable template matching algorithm. The strategy helps realize the positioning recognition and grasping guidance for a metal blank cast in complex backgrounds under the interference of external light. The proposed strategy has two phases: target detection and target localization. In the target detection stage, a deep learning algorithm is used to recognize the combined features of the surface of an object for a stable recognition of the object in nonstructured environments. In the target localization stage, high-precision positioning of metal casts with an unclear contour is realized by combining the deformable template matching and LINE-MOD algorithms. The experimental results show that the system can accurately provide visual grasping guidance for robots.
Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte infiltration and chemokine predict long-term patient survival independently of tumor mutational burden in triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Katsuta Eriko , Yan Li , Opyrchal Mateusz , Kalinski Pawel , Takabe Kazuaki
Published: April 2021

Background:

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) infiltration into tumor is a positive prognostic factor in breast cancer. High tumor mutational burden (TMB) is also considered as a predictor of tumor immunogenicity and response to immunotherapy. However, it is unclear whether the infiltration of functional CTL simply reflects the TMB or represents an independent prognostic value.

Methods:

Utilizing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer cohort, we established the Functional Hotness Score (FHS). The associations of FHS and breast cancer patient prognosis as well as distinct immunity markers were analyzed in a total of 3011 breast cancer patients using TCGA, METABRIC and metastatic breast cancer (MBC) cohort GSE110590.

Results:

We established FHS, based on CD8A, GZMB and CXCL10 gene expression levels of bulk tumors, which delivered the best prognostic value among some gene combinations. Breast cancer patients with the high-FHS tumors showed significantly better survival. FHS was lower in the MBCs. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) showed the highest FHS among subtypes. FHS predicted patient survival in hormone receptor (HR)-negative, especially in TNBC, but not in HR-positive breast cancer. FHS predicted patient prognosis independently in TNBC. The high-FHS TNBCs showed not only higher CD8+ T cell infiltration, but also enhanced broader type-1 anti-cancer immunity. The patients with the high-FHS tumors showed better prognosis not only in high-TMB tumors but also in low-TMB TNBCs. The combination of high-TMB with high-FHS identified a unique subset of patients who do not recur over time in TNBC.

Conclusion:

TNBCs with high FHS based on the expression levels of CD8A, GZMB and CXCL10 showed improved prognosis with enhanced anti-cancer immunity regardless of TMB. FHS constitutes an independent prognostic marker of survival, particularly robustly when combined with TMB in TNBC.
Social media in health communication: A literature review of information quality
Authors: Afful-Dadzie Eric , Afful-Dadzie Anthony , Egala Sulemana Bankuoru
Published: April 2021

Background:

Social media is used in health communication by individuals, health professionals, disease centres and other health regulatory bodies. However, varying degrees of information quality are churned out daily on social media. This review is concerned with the quality of Social Media Health Information (SMHI).

Objective:

The review sought to understand how SMHI quality issues have been framed and addressed in the literature. Health topics, users and social media platforms that have raised health information quality concerns are reviewed. The review also looked at the suitability of existing criteria and instruments used in evaluating SMHI and identified gaps for future research.

Method:

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the forward chaining strategy were used in the document search. Data were sourced according to inclusion criteria from five academic databases, namely Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed and MEDLINE.

Results:

A total of 93 articles published between 2000 and 2019 were used in the review. The review revealed a worrying trend of health content and communication on social media, especially of cancer, dental care and diabetes information on YouTube. The review further discovered that the Journal of the American Medical Association, the DISCERN and the Health on the Net Foundation, which were designed before the advent of social media, continue to be used as quality evaluation instruments for SMHI, even though technical and user characteristics of social media differ from traditional portals such as websites.

Conclusion:

The study synthesises varied opinions on SMHI quality in the literature and recommends that future research proposes quality evaluation criteria and instruments specifically for SMHI.
Forecasting Advertisement Effectiveness: Neuroscience and Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Hamelin Nicolas , Al-Shihabi Sameh , Quach Sara , Thaichon Park
Published: April 2021

This research used a novel method in which biometric data and data envelopment analysis (DEA) (a statistical tool generally used for multi-criteria decision making) were used to assess advertising effectiveness. Facial detection and eye-tracking analyses were used to measure participants’ reactions to 14 real estate advertisements. Each of the 14 advertisements had been suggested to a real estate company by a creative advertisement company for a real upcoming advertising campaign in Modern Living for Males and Females. A total of 20 females and males, each of whom wanted to purchase a property, participated in this study. The real estate company was not sure which advertisement to select or which advertisement would be more effective in relation to the male and female target markets. The eye-tracking analysis provided useful information in relation to advertisement design efficiency and cue saliency, which can also affect participants’ emotional responses. DEA was employed to process attention, engagement, and joy provoked by the advertisements. The advertising materials were then benchmarked for each gender using the R studio and R Core Team and a robust DEA for the R (rDEA) package. Furthermore, we used an output-oriented model and variable returns-to-scale to identify the advertisement which maximized the positive emotional responses of each gender, revealing significant differences between males and females in relation to ad effectiveness.
Effects of Whole-Body Vibration Therapy on Quadriceps Function in Patients With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review
Authors: Qiu Jihong , Ong Michael Tim-Yun , Leong Hio Teng , He Xin , Fu Sai-Chuen , Yung Patrick Shu-Hang
Published: April 2021

Context:

Quadriceps dysfunction is common for patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Whole-body vibration (WBV) could effectively treat quadriceps dysfunction.

Objective:

To summarize WBV protocols for patients with ACLR and to evaluate the effects of WBV on quadriceps function.

Data Sources:

PubMed, CINAHL, SportDiscus, Web of Science, Medline, and Embase were searched from inception to January 2020.

Study Selection:

Randomized controlled trials recruiting patients with ACLR, using WBV as intervention, and reporting at least 1 of the following outcomes, strength, rate of torque development (RTD), and voluntary activation ratio of quadriceps, were included.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Evidence Level:

Level 3.

Methods:

This systematic review was reported according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Quality of evidence was determined by PEDro criteria and GRADE system. Participant characteristics, interventions, and the relevant results of the included studies were extracted and synthesized in a narrative way.

Results:

In total, 8 studies were included. Of these, 2 studies had serious risk of bias. Five of 8 studies implemented a series of WBV program ranging from 2 to 10 weeks in duration, while the other 3 studies implemented a single session of WBV. Eight WBV protocols were reported. The reported outcomes consisted of quadriceps strength, RTD, and central activation ratio. WBV protocols were heterogeneous. Low quality of evidence supported that exclusive conventional rehabilitation was more effective than exclusive WBV therapy in increasing quadriceps strength. Low quality of evidence supported that WBV combined with conventional rehabilitation was more beneficial in increasing quadriceps strength when compared with conventional rehabilitation alone. Very low quality of evidence supported the efficacy of a single session of WBV on quadriceps function.

Conclusions:

There is no standardized WBV protocol for patients with ACLR, and the effectiveness of WBV in rehabilitation on quadriceps function remains inconclusive.
Through thick and thin: Diagnosis of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis through non-invasive multimodality imaging
Authors: Raja Shariff Raja Ezman , Zainal Abidin Hafisyatul Aiza , Kasim Sazzli
Published: April 2021

Cardiac amyloidosis is a severely underdiagnosed cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We report a case of highly probable transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) diagnosed through the assistance of non-invasive multimodality imaging. An 81-year-old man presented with worsening dyspnoea, reduced effort tolerance and limb swelling. Examination and bedside investigations demonstrated congestive cardiac failure. On arrival, N-terminal-pro B-type natriuretic peptide was 2400 ng/L, and high-sensitivity troponin T was 78 mmol/L. Echocardiography showed severe left and right ventricular hypertrophy, and a Doppler study revealed diastolic dysfunction. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed on non-conventional dark blood sequence an abnormal inversion time for nulling myocardium suggestive of infiltrative disease, including amyloidosis. The patient was referred for nuclear-based studies involving technetium-99m pyrophosphate which demonstrated changes highly diagnostic of ATTR-CA. Early diagnosis of ATTR-CA remains paramount due to the increasing availability of disease-modifying therapies. Current guidelines recognise the role of multimodality imaging in confidently recognising the disease without the need for histological evidence in the appropriate context, providing an alternative means of diagnosis.
The Role of Perceived Familial Expectations on Depressive Symptoms and Self-Esteem in Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Analysis
Authors: Mejia Yesenia , Supple Andrew J. , Plunkett Scott W. , Kulish Andrea L. , Stein Gabriela L.
Published: April 2021

Asian and Latinx emerging adults in the United States typically hold stronger values and expectations regarding their duty to support and respect their families than their White peers. Yet, research has not fully explored how meeting familial expectations is associated with psychological well-being in these populations. This study examined ethnic-racial differences in perceptions of meeting familial expectations and their relation to depressive symptoms and self-esteem (i.e., positive and negative self-image) in Latinx, Asian, and White emerging adults. Participants were 1,223 students (51% female, mean age = 19.2) recruited from a state university in southern California. Results found that meeting familial expectations regarding personal responsibility was negatively associated with depressive symptoms only for Asian youth, and with negative self-image for all groups; however, the association was stronger for Asians. Further, meeting familial academic expectations was positively associated with positive self-image and negatively associated with negative self-image for Latinx and Asian youth.
An Artificial Intelligence Hypothetical Approach for Masseter Muscle Segmentation on Ultrasonography in Patients With Bruxism
Authors: Orhan Kaan , Yazici Gokhan , Kolsuz Mehmet Eray , Kafa Nihan , Bayrakdar Ibrahim Sevki , Çelik Özer
Published: April 2021

Aim:

The present study is aimed to assess the segmentation success of an artificial intelligence (AI) system based on the deep convolutional neural network (D-CNN) method for the segmentation of masseter muscles on ultrasonography (USG) images.

Materials and Methods:

This retrospective study was carried out by using the radiology archive of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology of the Faculty of Dentistry in Ankara University. A total of 195 anonymized USG images were used in this retrospective study. The deep learning process was performed using U-net, Pyramid Scene Parsing Network (PSPNet), and Fuzzy Petri Net (FPN) architectures. Muscle thickness was assessed using USG by manual segmentation and measurements using USG’s software. The neural network model (CranioCatch, Eskisehir-Turkey) was then used to determine the muscles, following automatic measurements of the muscles. Accuracy, ROC area under the curve (AUC), and Precision-Recall Curves (PRC) AUC were calculated in the test dataset and compare a human observer and the AI model. Manual segmentation and measurements were compared statistically with AI ( P < .05). The Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyze whether there is a statistically significant difference between the predicted values and the actual values.

Results:

The AI models detected and segmented all test muscle data for FPN and U-net, while only two cases of muscles were not detected by PSPNet (false negatives). Accuracies of FPN, PSPNet, and U-net were estimated as 0.985, 0.947, and 0.969, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic scores of FPN, PSPNet, and U-net were estimated as 0.977, 0.934, and 0.969, respectively. The D-CNN measurements of the muscles were similar to manual measurements. There was no significant difference between the two measurement methods in three groups ( P > .05).

Conclusion:

The proposed AI system approach for the analysis of USG images seems to be promising for automatic masseter muscle segmentation and measurement of thickness. This method can help surgeons, radiologists, and other professionals such as physical therapists in evaluating the time correctly and saving time for diagnosis.
Measures Matter: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Educational Apps on Preschool to Grade 3 Children’s Literacy and Math Skills
Authors: Kim James , Gilbert Joshua , Yu Qun , Gale Charles
Published: April 2021

Thousands of educational apps are available to students, teachers, and parents, yet research on their effectiveness is limited. This meta-analysis synthesized findings from 36 intervention studies and 285 effect sizes evaluating the effectiveness of educational apps for preschool to Grade 3 children and the moderating role of methodological, participant, and intervention characteristics. Using random effects meta-regression with robust variance estimation, we summarized the overall impact of educational apps and examined potential moderator effects. First, results from rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental studies yielded a mean weighted effect size of +0.31 standard deviations on overall achievement and comparable effects in both math and literacy. Second, the positive overall effect masks substantial variability in app effectiveness, as meta-regression analyses revealed three significant moderators of treatment effects. Treatment effects were larger for studies involving preschool rather than K–3 students, for studies using researcher-developed rather than standardized outcomes, and for studies measuring constrained rather than unconstrained skills.
M&A successes: Breadth, depth, and deal completion time in the US semiconductor industry
Authors: Roh Taewoo , Hwang Jieun , Park Byung Il
Published: April 2021

Most previous studies examining M&As (mergers and acquisitions) have focused on the post-merger integration process. While there have been studies that have partially investigated the importance of deal completion, we argue that firms could learn to increase their deal completions by leveraging their experience from prior successful acquisitions and that their cumulative success could reduce the deal completion time; that is, the time from the announcement of the deal to its resolution. To address this unexplored issue about M&As, we investigated whether prior intra- and/or inter-industry acquisition experiences helped accelerate subsequent focal acquisitions in the semiconductor industry, which is characterized by rapid technological innovation. We tested our hypotheses on data consisting of 323 acquisition deals in the US semiconductor industry between 2000 and 2013. The results showed that both prior intra- and inter-industry acquisition experiences significantly reduced deal completion time.

JEL CLASSIFICATION M10