bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gait variability is affected more by peripheral artery disease than by vascular occlusion
Authors: Rahman Hafizur , Pipinos Iraklis I. , Johanning Jason M. , Myers Sara A. 
Published: March 2021

BackgroundPatients with peripheral artery disease with intermittent claudication (PAD-IC) have altered gait variability from the first step they take, well before the onset of claudication pain. The mechanisms underlying these gait alterations are poorly understood.AimsTo determine the effect of reduced blood flow on gait variability by comparing healthy older controls and patients with PAD-IC. We also determined the diagnostic value of gait variability parameters to identify the presence of PAD.MethodsA cross-sectional cohort design was used. Thirty healthy older controls and thirty patients with PAD-IC walked on a treadmill at their self-selected speed in pain free walking (normal walking for healthy older controls; prior to claudication onset for PAD) and reduced blood flow (post vascular occlusion with thigh tourniquet for healthy older controls; pain for PAD) conditions. Gait variability was assessed using the largest Lyapunov exponent, approximate entropy, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation of ankle, knee, and hip joints range of motion. Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses of the pain free walking condition were performed to determine the optimal cut-off values for separating individuals with PAD-IC from those without PAD-IC.Results and discussionPatients with PAD-IC have increased amount of variability for knee and hip ranges of motion compared with the healthy older control group. Regarding the main effect of condition, reduced blood flow demonstrated increased amount of variability compared with pain free walking. Significant interactions between group and condition at the ankle show increased values for temporal structure of variability, but a similar amount of variability in the reduced blood flow condition. This demonstrates subtle interactions in the movement patterns remain distinct between PAD-IC versus healthy older controls during the reduced blood flow condition. A combination of gait variability parameters correctly identifies PAD-IC disease 70% of the time or more.ConclusionsGait variability is affected both by PAD and by the mechanical induction of reduced blood flow. Gait variability parameters have potential diagnostic ability, as some measures had 90.0% probability of correctly identifying patients with PAD-IC.
Diagnostic accuracy of two commercial SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid tests at the point of care in community-based testing centers
Authors: Berger Alice , Nsoga Marie Therese Ngo , Perez-Rodriguez Francisco Javier , Aad Yasmine Abi , Sattonnet-Roche Pascale , Gayet-Ageron Angèle , Jaksic Cyril , Torriani Giulia , Boehm Erik , Kronig Ilona , Sacks Jilian A. , de Vos Margaretha , Bausch Frédérique Jacquerioz , Chappuis François , Renzoni Adriana , Kaiser Laurent , Schibler Manuel , Eckerle Isabella 
Published: March 2021

Objectives
Determine the diagnostic accuracy of two antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) for SARS-CoV-2 at the point of care and define individuals’ characteristics providing best performance.

Methods
We performed a prospective, single-center, point of care validation of two Ag-RDT in comparison to RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs.

Results
Between October 9th and 23rd, 2020, 1064 participants were enrolled. The PanbioTM Covid-19 Ag Rapid Test device (Abbott) was validated in 535 participants, with 106 positive Ag-RDT results out of 124 positive RT-PCR individuals, yielding a sensitivity of 85.5% (95% CI: 78.0–91.2). Specificity was 100.0% (95% CI: 99.1–100) in 411 RT-PCR negative individuals. The Standard Q Ag-RDT (SD Biosensor, Roche) was validated in 529 participants, with 170 positive Ag-RDT results out of 191 positive RT-PCR individuals, yielding a sensitivity of 89.0% (95%CI: 83.7–93.1). One false positive result was obtained in 338 RT-PCR negative individuals, yielding a specificity of 99.7% (95%CI: 98.4–100). For individuals presenting with fever 1–5 days post symptom onset, combined Ag-RDT sensitivity was above 95%. Lower sensitivity of 88.2% was seen on the same day of symptom development (day 0).

Conclusions
We provide an independent validation of two widely available commercial Ag-RDTs, both meeting WHO criteria of ≥80% sensitivity and ≥97% specificity. Although less sensitive than RT-PCR, these assays could be beneficial due to their rapid results, ease of use, and independence from existing laboratory structures. Testing criteria focusing on patients with typical symptoms in their early symptomatic period onset could further increase diagnostic value.
Rapidly modifiable factors associated with full vaccination status among children in Niamey, Niger: A cross-sectional, random cluster household survey
Authors: Kondo Kunieda Mika , Manzo Mahamane Laouali , Shibanuma Akira , Jimba Masamine 
Published: March 2021

Background and objectivesVaccination status becomes more equitable when interventions are carried out to eliminate poverty or to improve levels in maternal education. Low-income countries need to identify interventions that would have a more immediate and equitable effect. The present study aimed to identify rapidly modifiable factors associated with full vaccination status among children in Niamey, Niger.MethodsA cross-sectional, random cluster household survey was conducted in Niamey’s five health districts. Data on vaccination coverage and socioeconomic household characteristics were collected. Logistic regression analysis was conducted with data on 445 mothers and their children aged 12–23 months.ResultsOf 445 children, 38% were fully vaccinated. Mothers who were satisfied with their health worker’s attitude and had correct vaccination calendar knowledge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.05–13.82) were more likely to have fully vaccinated children. Mothers who had completed secondary school (aOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.17–3.55) were also associated with having fully vaccinated children.ConclusionsA higher rate of full vaccination among children could be achieved by relatively short-term modifiable factors. These modifiable factors are mothers’ satisfaction with health workers’ attitudes and knowledge of the vaccination calendar. Maternal satisfaction with health workers’ attitudes could be improved through better interpersonal communication between health workers and mothers. Specifically, mothers should be given specific information on time intervals between appointments. Strengthened communication interventions may be effective in improving both the acceptability of health services and low vaccination coverage.
Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of GPRC5A in various cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dai Lu , Jin Xiao , Liu Zheng 
Published: March 2021

Background
GPRC5A is associated with various cancer initiation and progression. Controversial findings have been reported about GPRC5A prognostic characteristics, and no meta-analysis has been conducted to assess the relationship between GPRC5A and cancer prognosis. Therefore, the objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the overall prognostic effectiveness of GPRC5A.

Methods
We first conducted a systematic search in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Cochrane, and WangFang databases. The hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI were then pooled to assess the associations between GPRC5A expression and overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), event-free survival (EFS), and clinicopathological characteristics. Chi-squared test and I2 statistics were completed to evaluate the heterogeneity in our study. A random‐effects model was used when significant heterogeneity existed (I2>50% and p<0.05); otherwise, we chose the fixed-effect model. Subgroup analysis was stratified by tumor type, region, HR obtained measurements, and sample capacity to explore the source of heterogeneity.

Results
In total, 15 studies with 624 patients met inclusion criteria of this study. Our results showed that higher expression of GPRC5A is associated with worse OS (HR:1.69 95%CI: 1.20–2.38 I2 = 75.6% p = 0.000), as well as worse EFS (HR:1.45 95%CI: 1.02–1.95 I2 = 0.0% p = 0.354). Subgroup analysis indicated that tumor type might be the source of high heterogeneity. Additionally, cancer patients with enhanced GPRC5A expression were more likely to lymph node metastasis (OR:1.95, 95%CI 1.33–2.86, I2 = 43.9%, p = 0.129) and advanced tumor stage (OR: 1.83, 95%CI 1.15–2.92, I2 = 61.3%, p = 0.035), but not associated with age, sex, differentiation, and distant metastasis.

Conclusion
GPRC5A can be a promising candidate for predicting medical outcomes and used for accurate diagnosis, prognosis prediction for patients with cancer; however, the predictive value of GPRC5A varies significantly according to cancer type. Further studies for this mechanism will be necessary to reveal novel insights into application of GPRC5A in cancers.
Risk factors for delayed encephalopathy following carbon monoxide poisoning: Importance of the period of inability to walk in the acute stage
Authors: Suzuki Yasuhiro 
Published: March 2021

Objective
Delayed neurological sequelae (DNS) is a serious complication that occurs after acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. The study identified factors for predicting DNS development for the purpose of improving CO intoxication treatment strategies.

Methods
The medical records of 65 patients admitted to Shizuoka Saiseikai General Hospital between 2004 and 2020 due to CO poisoning were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, using a range of evaluated items as explanatory variables and the development of DNS as the response variable.

Results
Patients who developed DNS were found to have higher peak creatine kinase (CK) (odds ratio, 1.0003; 95% CI, 1.0001–1.0005; P<0.001), and experienced a greater number of days during which walking was impossible in the acute stage following intoxication (odds ratio, 1.011; 95% CI, 1.005–1.018; P<0.001) according to the univariate analysis. Multivariate analyses indicated that DNS development was related to the score, peak CK (U/L) + 40 × the number of days in which walking was impossible. The model demonstrated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.91–1.00), and DNS was predicted with 100% sensitivity and 82% specificity.

Conclusion
An indicator that incorporates the number of days that walking is impossible for a patient could be useful in planning therapeutic strategies.
O que professa uma profissão?
Authors: De Castro João Cardoso , Cardoso de Castro Murilo 
Published: March 2021

O que professa uma profissão?
Resumo: Professar uma profissão é algo que ainda merece ser pensado. Seja em termos do sentido, se ainda algum, de professar uma profissão. Seja em termos da investigação daquilo que professa uma profissão. Seja em termos do como professar uma profissão. Certamente, não quanto a técnicas, práticas, atitudes e comportamentos, mas sim quanto ao ser-capaz, alcançado por uma paideia aquiescida por qualquer profissão aberta à vocação própria que a chama a professar. Assim, estendemos nossa reflexão sobre a vocação, desenvolvida em outro artigo, até o professar uma profissão, enquanto professar um aí-se-é que a vocação apela a propriamente ser.
Palavras-chave: profissão, paideia, educação, vocação, Heidegger, virtude
¿ Qué professa una profesión?
Resumen: Profesar una profesión es algo que todavía merece ser pensado. Sea en términos del sentido, si aún alguno, de profesar una profesión. Sea en términos de la investigación de lo que profesa una profesión. Sea en términos de cómo profesar una profesión. Ciertamente, no en cuanto a técnicas, prácticas, actitudes y comportamientos, sino en cuanto al ser-capaz, alcanzado por una paideia aquiescida por cualquier profesión abierta a la vocación propia que la llama a profesar. Así, extendemos nuestra reflexión sobre la vocación, desarrollada en otro artículo, hasta el profesar una profesión, mientras profesar un ahí-es que la vocación apela a propiamente ser.
Palabras clave: profesión, paideia, educación, vocación, Heidegger, virtude
What profess a profession?
Abstract: Profess a profession is something that still deserves to be thought. Be it in terms of meaning, if any, of professing a profession. Be it in terms of an investigation of what is professed by a profession. Be it in terms of how to profess a profession. Of course not about techniques, practices, attitudes and behaviours, but about the being-able realized by a paideia acquiesced by any profession open to its own vocation that calls it to profess. So we extend our meditation about vocation developed in another article, up to profess a profession, understood as to profess a there-self-being that a vocation calls to authentically Being.
Keywords: profession, paideia, education, vocation, Heidegger, virtue
Data de registro: 13/06/2019
Data de aceite: 22/07/2020
Application of costing methods: A case study in a retailer in the Triângulo Mineiro
Authors: Solon Alexsandro Silva , De Araújo Fernando , Araújo Flavia Barbosa de Brito 
Published: March 2021

Goal: The aim of this article is to show the importance of applying costing methods to increase the contribution margin and decision-making, besides helping the company to become more competitive against competitors.
Design / Methodology / Approach: This study carried out a case study of a quantitative nature, based on bibliographic works. He employed a semi-structured interview. The Direct / Variable Costing method was used to recognize points that could be improved. In addition, the data was organized into spreadsheets in the Office package.
Results: The results of the survey show at the end of the action survey that the company chose to outsource the raw material from its second item of highest revenue: cheese bread. With the change, the item increased its contribution margin by 30.16% and reduced costs by 77.98%, increasing the company's profit, reducing the product's equilibrium point from 54.14% to 4.14% of average daily production.
Limitations of the research: As limitations of the study, we highlight that the company passed on the already established costs for some products, so the costs were calculated considering this percentage.
Practical Implications: Its practical implications are to demonstrate the importance of the relationship between costs and sales price as a decision-making strategy.
Originality / Value: The study contributes to the academic area and adds knowledge related to costs and sales price for the bakery sector, being useful for users and interested in the bakery sector and its costs.
Sub-Finsler Horofunction Boundaries of the Heisenberg Group
Authors: Fisher Nate , Golo Sebastiano Nicolussi 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe give a complete analytic and geometric description of the horofunction boundary for polygonal sub-Finsler metrics, that is, those that arise as asymptotic cones of word metrics, on the Heisenberg group. We develop theory for the more general case of horofunction boundaries in homogeneous groups by connecting horofunctions to Pansu derivatives of the distance function.
Comparison of adsorption properties of commercial silica and rice husk ash (RHA) silica: A study by NIR spectroscopy
Authors: Chirsty Alfred A. , Sivarukshy Pathmanathan 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Adsorption properties of Silica gel (commercial silica), rice husk ash (RHA) silica, and their hydrothermally treated products towards water molecules were studied in this work. RHA silica was prepared by heating rice husk to 650°C for 4 h after pretreatment with hydrochloric acid. Portions of the samples of silica were evacuated at 200℃ and then allowed to adsorb water molecules from the surrounding air at either 42 or 50% humidity. The near infrared spectra of these samples were measured at different time intervals during their adsorption of water molecules. The evolved near infrared spectra were analyzed using second derivative techniques. Adsorption properties of these samples were further studied by gravimetric analysis. Surface functionalities and adsorption evolution of water molecules on silica samples studied showed that the adsorption of water molecules on commercial silica gel sample and RHA silica Samples takes place readily with hydrogen-bonded silanol groups on the surfaces of the samples. This adsorption arising from the OH stretching and bending vibrations of these water molecules gives rise to a band at 5,270 cm−1 in the near infrared region. The adsorbed water molecules then continue at the free silanol groups which is indicated by the absorption around 5,314 cm−1. The results clearly show that the silica made from rice husk adsorb water in the same manner as the commercial silica, but the quantity of water molecules adsorbed is less compared to commercial silica used in this experiment. However, the study clearly shows that the rice husk silica can replace the commercial silica as a substitute for desiccant purposes in industry.
A spatial-temporal study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by type: exploring localization economies implications in urban areas in Ontario
Authors: Meyer Stephen P. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Objectives
This study adds to the geography of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) literature by comparing the spatial-temporal patterns of five types of CAM within 19 cities in light of clustering benefits from localization economies.

Methods
CAM office location points and nearest neighbour, standard distance, local spatial autocorrelation, and Mann–Whitney analyses are utilized to test potential clustering tendencies of CAM types over time.

Results
It is shown that ‘within’ (chiropractors near chiropractors, for example) and ‘amongst’ (chiropractors proximate to other CAM types) spatial clustering occurs in 2007 and 2017. This implies the persistent influence of localization economies.

Conclusions
Continued clustering of CAM within urban locations already replete with CAM offices will widen spatial disparities through time. This has implications for policy-makers concerned with dispersing medical resources over space for better accessibility.
An Experimental Study on Creep Behavior of Transversely Isotropic Composite Rock under Conventional Triaxial Compression
Authors: Yang Sheng-Qi , Hu Bo , Xu Peng 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The time-dependent deformation behavior of hard-soft composite rock has a significant effect on tunnel excavation. In this article, a method to prepare hard-soft composite rock specimens with orientations ranging from 0° to 90° is presented. The influences of the dip angle on the long-term deformation and failure behaviors of an artificial transversely isotropic rock specimen were investigated by a series of creep experiments. The test results show that the creep failure strengths of the specimens first decreased and then increased with an increasing dip angle. The composite rocks displayed remarkable creep characteristics. The axial instantaneous deformation increased linearly with an increasing deviatoric stress, but the creep strain displayed a nonlinear trend. The instantaneous modulus first decreased in the range of 0° to 30° and then increased in the range of 45° to 90° with the increase of dip angle; however, the creep strain showed an opposite result. The steady-state creep rate increased nonlinearly with an increasing deviatoric stress. The dip angle had a significant effect on the steady-state creep rate. Moreover, the creep failure modes of the rock-like specimens, which were dependent on the dip angle, were compared.
Uncertainty of Elastoplastic Material Parameters Calculated from the Spherical Indentation in the Macro Range
Authors: Ullner Christian , Subaric-Leitis Andreas , Bartholmai Matthias 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The applicability of three methods developed by finite element method (FEM) and proposed in the literature are studied on steel S355. Instrumented indentation tests using spherical indenters of radius 200 and 500 µm are performed in the macro range at depths of more than 6 µm. The results of the selected methods are compared with the tensile test. To evaluate the partially strongly varying results, the uncertainties of the calculated strain hardening exponent, n, and yield stress, Y, are estimated. Recommendations for an appropriated procedure of the indentation test are given. The machine compliance and the determination of the zero point of depth play an essential role. If the certain conditions are considered, the instrumented indentation tests can be used, in particular for investigations of specimens with inhomogeneous elastoplasticity.
The Meaning of Eagles in the Baltic Region. A Case Study from the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Klaipėda, Lithuania (13th–14th Century)
Authors: Ehrlich Freydis , Piličiauskienė Giedrė , Urbonaitė-Ubė Miglė , Rannamäe Eve 
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we examine archaeological bird remains from Klaipėda Castle (Ger. Memel), western Lithuania. The castle was built in 1252, and during the Middle Ages, it was the northernmost castle of the Teutonic Order in Prussia. The castle together with its adjacent town were subjected to wars and changing political situations over the centuries, but nevertheless represented a socially higher status. The studied bird remains were found during the excavations in 2016 and have been dated by context to the Middle Ages – from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 14th century. Our aim is to introduce and discuss the bird remains with an emphasis on two species – the white-tailed sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Most of all, we are interested in their role in expressing people’s social status, use in material culture, and significance as a food source. Our analysis showed that in Klaipėda, the eagles were probably used for raw material and possibly for feathers, but not for hawking and food. Alternatively, they could have been killed for scavenging. Other species identified in the assemblage such as chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), grey partridge (Perdix perdix), geese (Anser sp.), ducks (Anatinae), and great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) were mainly interpreted as food waste. This article presents the first concentrated study on bird remains from Klaipėda and is one of the first discussions about the meaning of eagles in the Baltic region.