bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of Social Network Characteristics With Cardiovascular Health and Coronary Artery Calcium in South Asian Adults in the United States: The MASALA Cohort Study
Authors: Shah Nilay S. , Huffman Mark D. , Schneider John A. , Khan Sadiya S. , Siddique Juned , Kanaya Alka M. , Kandula Namratha R. 
Published: March 2021

Background
South Asian adults have worse cardiovascular health (CVH) and more coronary artery calcium compared with other race/ethnicities. The impact of the social environment has not been examined as a potential driver of CVH or coronary artery calcium in this population. We evaluated associations of social network characteristics with CVH and coronary artery calcium in South Asian American adults to inform strategies for CVH promotion in this at‐risk population.

Methods and Results
Using data from the MASALA (Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America) cohort study, multinomial and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate associations of participant social network size and density, proportion of network who are kin or South Asian ethnicity and reported health of participant's identified social network members (“alters”), with participant CVH and presence of coronary artery calcium. The 699 MASALA participants included were mean age 59.2 (SD, 9.2) years and 42.9% women. After adjustment, a 1‐person larger social network size was associated with 13% higher odds of ideal CVH (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01–1.27). Reporting an alter with high blood pressure was associated with lower odds of ideal CVH (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.29–0.88), and reporting an alter with high cholesterol was associated with lower odds of ideal CVH (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.30–0.94).

Conclusions
Social network characteristics are associated with CVH in South Asian American adults. Engaging social networks may help promote CVH in this population.
The Level of Processing Modulates Visual Awareness: Evidence from Behavioral and Electrophysiological Measures
Authors: Jimenez Mikel , Poch Claudia , Villalba-García Cristina , Sabater Lucía , Hinojosa José Antonio , Montoro Pedro R. , Koivisto Mika 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The level of processing hypothesis (LoP) proposes that the transition from unaware to aware visual perception is graded for low-level (i.e., energy, features) stimulus whereas dichotomous for high-level (i.e., letters, words, meaning) stimulus. In this study, we explore the behavioral patterns and neural correlates associated with different depths (i.e., low vs. high) of stimulus processing. The low-level stimulus condition consisted of identifying the color (i.e., blue/blueish vs. red/reddish) of the target, and the high-level stimulus condition consisted of identifying stimulus category (animal vs. object). Behavioral results showed that the levels of processing manipulation produced significant differences in both the awareness rating distributions and accuracy performances between tasks, the low-level task producing more intermediate subjective ratings and linearly increasing accuracy performances and the high-level task producing less intermediate ratings and a more nonlinear pattern for accuracies. The electrophysiological recordings revealed two correlates of visual awareness, an enhanced posterior negativity in the N200 time window (visual awareness negativity [VAN]), and an enhanced positivity in the P3 time window (late positivity [LP]). The analyses showed a double dissociation between awareness and the level of processing hypothesis manipulation: Awareness modulated VAN amplitudes only in the low-level color task, whereas LP amplitude modulations were observed only in the higher level category task. These findings are compatible with a two-stage microgenesis model of conscious perception, where an early elementary phenomenal sensation of the stimulus (i.e., the subjective perception of color) would be indexed by VAN, whereas stimulus' higher level properties (i.e., the category of the target) would be reflected in the LP in a later latency range.
Ballots and Bullets: Electoral Violence and Gubernatorial Elections in Oyo State, Nigeria, 2007–2015
Authors: Abebiyi Oluwashina Moruf 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
This article is an empirical study of the causal factors of electoral violence in gubernatorial elections in Oyo state from 2007 to 2015 and its implications on the state’s democratisation process. The methodology is qualitative, drawing data from primary and secondary sources. Data were analysed using content analysis. The article adopted political clientelism and patronage as the theoretical framework. Findings revealed that the nature of politics based on clientelism and patronage and the politicisation of leadership tussle of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were among the factors responsible for violence in the state during the period of the study. It is recommended that the establishment of a Joint Security Consultative Council can help in securing future elections.
TVET Offering Institutions’ Perceptions on TVET Education: The Case of Zimbabwe
Authors: Makochekanwa Albert , Mahuyu Joburg 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The study examined the perceptions of TVET offering institutions on TVET education in Zimbabwe. The research answered the following three questions: (i) What were the TVET institutions’ views toward technical and vocational education and training in Zimbabwe? (ii) What were the challenges faced by TVET institutions in providing TVET programmes? And (iii) How could TVET activities be enhanced in TVET institutions? To answer these questions, the study adopted the quantitative research paradigm and made use of a descriptive survey research design. The questionnaire was employed as the instrument for collecting data, and was used to get data from 55 government TVET institutions as well as several private institutions. The study found out that perception of community and various stakeholders on TVET educations was diametrically distributed as 50% viewed it negatively while 50% perceived it positively. A number of challenges were enumerated that bedevilled TVET education system in Zimbabwe. Associated recommendations were provided, not only to directly deal with some of the challenges, but also to improve and enhance the overall system.
The Continental-Scale Soil-Moisture Precipitation Feedback in Europe with Parameterized and Explicit Convection
Authors: Leutwyler David , Imamovic Adel , Schär Christoph 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSoil moisture atmosphere interactions are key elements of the regional climate system. There is a well-founded hope that a more accurate representation of the soil moisture-precipitation feedback would improve the simulation of summer precipitation on daily to seasonal, to climate time scales. However, uncertainties have persistently remained as the simulated feedback is strongly sensitive to the model representation of deep convection. Here we assess the feedback representation using a GPU-accelerated version of the regional climate model COSMO. We simulate and compare the impact of continental-scale springtime soil-moisture anomalies on summer precipitation at convection-resolving (2.2 km) and convection-parameterizing resolution (12 km). We conduct re-analysis-driven simulations of 10 summer seasons (1999-2008) in continental Europe. While both simulations qualitatively agree on a positive sign of soil moisture-induced precipitation, they strongly differ in precipitation frequency: When convection is parameterized, wetter soil predominantly leads to more frequent precipitation events, and when convection is treated explicitly, they primarily become more intense. The results indicate that the sensitivity to soil moisture is stronger with parameterized convection, suggesting that the land surface-atmosphere coupling may be overestimated. In addition, the feedback’s sensitivity in complex terrain is assessed for soil perturbations of different horizontal scales. The convection-resolving simulations confirm a negative feedback for sub-continental soil moisture anomalies, which manifests itself in a local decrease of wet-hour frequency. However, the intensity feedback reinforces precipitation events at the same time (positive feedback). The two processes are represented differently in simulations with explicit and parameterized convection, explaining much of the difference between the two simulations.
A 20-year analysis of disturbance-driven rainfall on O’ahu, Hawai’i
Authors: Longman Ryan J. , Elison Timm Oliver , Giambelluca Thomas W. , Kaiser Lauren 
Published: March 2021

AbstractUndisturbed trade-wind conditions comprise the most prevalent synoptic weather pattern in Hawai’i and produces a distinct pattern of orographic rainfall. Significant total rainfall contributions and extreme events are linked to four types of atmospheric disturbances: cold fronts, Kona lows, upper-tropospheric disturbances, and tropical cyclones. In this study, a 20- year (1990-2010) categorical disturbance time series is compiled and analyzed in relation to daily rainfall over the same period. The primary objective of this research is to determine how disturbances contribute to total wet season rainfall on the Island of O’ahu, Hawai’i. On average, 41% of wet seasonal rainfall occurs on disturbance days. Seventeen percent of seasonal rainfall can be directly attributed to disturbances (after a background signal is removed) and as much as 48% in a single season. The intensity of disturbance rainfall (mm/day) is a stronger predictor (r2 = 0.49; p < 0.001) of the total seasonal rainfall than the frequency of occurrence (r2 = 0.11; p = 0.153). Cold fronts are the most common disturbance type; however, the rainfall associated with fronts that cross the island is significantly higher than rainfall produced from non-crossing fronts. In fact, non-crossing fronts produce significantly less rainfall than under mean non-disturbance conditions 76% of the time. While the combined influence of atmospheric disturbances can account for almost half of the rainfall received during the wet season, the primary factor in determining a relatively wet or dry season/year on O’ahu are the frequency and rainfall intensity of Kona Low events.
Toward Win-win Message Strategies: The Effects of Persuasive Message Content on Retweet Counts During Natural Hazard Events
Authors: Li Yajie , Hughes Amanda Lee , Howe Peter D. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMessage diffusion and message persuasion are two important aspects of success for official risk messages about hazards. Message diffusion enables more people to receive lifesaving messages, and message persuasion motivates them to take protective actions. This study helps to identify win-win message strategies by investigating how an under-examined factor, message content that is theoretically important to message persuasion, influences message diffusion for official risk messages about heat hazards on Twitter. Using multilevel negative binomial regression models, the respective and cumulative effects of four persuasive message factors, hazard intensity, health risk susceptibility, health impact, and response instruction on retweet counts were analyzed using a dataset of heat-related tweets issued by U.S. National Weather Service accounts. Two subsets of heat-related tweets were also analyzed: 1) heat warning tweets about current or anticipated extreme heat events and 2) tweets about non-extreme heat events. This study found that heat-related tweets that mentioned more types of persuasive message factors were retweeted more frequently, and so were two subtypes of heat-related tweets. Mentions of hazard intensity also consistently predicted increased retweet counts. Mentions of health impacts positively influenced message diffusion for heat-related tweets and tweets about non-extreme heat events. Mentions of health risk susceptibility and response instructions positively predicted retweet counts for tweets about non-extreme heat events and tweets about official extreme heat warnings respectively. In the context of natural hazards, this research informs practitioners with evidence-based message strategies to increase message diffusion on social media. Such strategies also have the potential to improve message persuasion.
Association Between Serum Vitamin D Level and Ménière’s Disease
Authors: Bakhshaee Mehdi , Moradi Susan , Mohebi Masoud , Ghayour‐Mobarhan Majid , Sharifan Payam , Yousefi Razieh , Rezaei Alireza , Rajati Mohsen 
Published: March 2021

ObjectivesMénière’s disease (MD) is a well‐known inner ear disease; however, the etiopathogenesis is unknown. Several factors may be involved. Meanwhile, vitamin D is reported to have an important role in inner ear physiology. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relation between vitamin D deficiency and MD.Study DesignThis matched case‐control study compared serum vitamin D levels between patients with definite MD and those without it.SettingThe study was done between August 2018 and December 2019 at Ghaem University Hospital in Mashhad, Iran.MethodsTwenty‐eight patients with definite MD were matched with a group of 84 healthy individuals, regarding age, sex, body mass index, and occupation (indoor vs outdoor). The serum level of vitamin D (25‐hydroxyvitamin D3) was measured in both groups.ResultsThe mean ± SD vitamin D level was 18.9 ± 9.7 ng/mL in the case group and 25.2 ± 13.7 ng/mL in the control group (P =. 027). There was a significant difference between the case and control groups according to the results of the conditional logistic regression model (P =. 03; adjusted odds ratio, 0.96). In the MD group, 17 (60.7%) patients were vitamin D deficient, 6 (21.4%) insufficient, and only 5 (17.9%) sufficient.ConclusionsThe results of this study show that serum vitamin D level in MD is significantly lower than that of the control group. However, the role of vitamin D supplementation in the management of MD needs further study.Level of evidence:4.
Clinical Features and Risk Factors for In-Hospital Mortality From COVID-19 Infection at a Tertiary Care Medical Center, at the Onset of the US COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Bhargava Ashish , Szpunar Susanna M. , Sharma Mamta , Fukushima Elisa Akagi , Hoshi Sami , Levine Miriam , Gandhi Nikhil , Zhao Wei , Michael Somero , Tanveer Farah , Youssef Dima , Coyle Meredith , Leonard Johnson , Saravolatz Louis 
Published: March 2021

Background: Mortality from COVID-19 has been associated with older age, black race, and comorbidities including obesity, Understanding the clinical risk factors and laboratory biomarkers associated with severe and fatal COVID-19 will allow early interventions to help mitigate adverse outcomes. Our study identified risk factors for in-hospital mortality among patients with COVID-19 infection at a tertiary care center, in Detroit, Michigan. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study at a 776-bed tertiary care urban academic medical center. Adult inpatients with confirmed COVID-19 (nasopharyngeal swab testing positive by real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay) from March 8, 2020, to June 14, 2020, were included. Clinical information including the presence of comorbid conditions (according to the Charlson Weighted Index of Comorbidity (CWIC)), initial vital signs, admission laboratory markers and management data were collected. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: Among 565 hospitalized patients, 172 patients died for a case fatality rate of 30.4%. The mean (SD) age of the cohort was 64.4 (16.2) years, and 294 (52.0%) were male. The patients who died were significantly older (mean [SD] age, 70.4 [14.1] years vs 61.7 [16.1] years; P < 0.0001), more likely to have congestive heart failure (35 [20.3%] vs 47 [12.0%]; P = 0.009), dementia (47 [27.3%] vs 48 [12.2%]; P < 0.0001), hemiplegia (18 [10.5%] vs 18 [4.8%]; P = 0.01) and a diagnosis of malignancy (16 [9.3%] vs 18 [4.6%]; P = 0.03).From multivariable analysis, factors associated with an increased odds of death were age greater than 60 years (OR = 2.2, P = 0.003), CWIC score (OR = 1.1, P = 0.023), qSOFA (OR = 1.7, P < 0.0001), WBC counts (OR = 1.1 , P = 0.002), lymphocytopenia (OR = 2.0, P = 0.003), thrombocytopenia (OR = 1.9, P = 0.019), albumin (OR = 0.6 , P = 0.014), and AST levels (OR = 2.0, P = 0.004) on admission. Conclusions: This study identified risk factor for in-hospital mortality among patients admitted with COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital at the onset of U.S. Covid-19 pandemic. After adjusting for age, CWIC score, and laboratory data, qSOFA remained an independent predictor of mortality. Knowing these risk factors may help identify patients who would benefit from close observations and early interventions.
Mean Absolute Relative Difference of Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems and Relationship to ISO 15197
Authors: Freckmann Guido , Mende Jochen , Pleus Stefan , Waldenmaier Delia , Baumstark Annette , Jendrike Nina , Haug Cornelia 
Published: March 2021

Background: The analytical quality of a blood glucose monitoring system (BGMS) is often assessed according to the requirements described in the international standard ISO 15197. However, the mean absolute relative difference (MARD) is sometimes used as well. This analysis aims at providing empirical data from BGMS evaluation studies conducted according to ISO 15197 and at providing an estimation of how MARD and percentage of measurement results within ISO accuracy limits are related. Methods: Results of 77 system accuracy evaluations conducted according to ISO 15197 were used to calculate MARD between BGMS and a laboratory comparison method’s results (glucose oxidase or hexokinase method). Additionally, bias and 95%-limits of agreement (LoA) using the Bland and Altman method were calculated. Results: MARD results ranged from 2.3% to 20.5%. The lowest MARD of a test strip lot that showed <95% of results within ISO limits was 6.1%. The distribution of MARD results shows that only 3.6% of test strip lots with a MARD equal to or below 7% showed <95% of results within ISO limits (2.2% of all test strip lots). Bias of test strip lots that showed ≥95% of results within the limits ranged from −10.3% to +7.4%. The half-width of the 95%-LoA of test strip lots that showed ≥95% of results within the limits ranged from 4.8% to 24.0%. Conclusion: There is a threshold MARD that may allow an estimate whether ISO 15197 requirements are fulfilled, but this statement cannot be made with certainty.
Prevalence of sarcopenia and the association of sarcopenia, premorbid factors, early functional outcome and 1-year mortality in Hong Kong Chinese fragility hip fracture patients
Authors: Au Ivan Long Yin , Chan Wai Lan Daisy , Tiu Kwok Leung , Lee Kin Bong , Li Wilson , Chan Andy Chi Ming 
Published: March 2021

Background/purpose: Sarcopenia is a predictor of fall, which is a leading cause of fragility hip fractures (FHF). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a costly measurement method for sarcopenia. Rehabilitation and prognosis can be determined by early functional outcomes. Meanwhile, 1-year mortality of FHF patients is high. Aims: (i) To report the prevalence of sarcopenia. (ii) To investigate the relationships of sarcopenia, premorbid factors, early functional outcomes and 1-year mortality in Hong Kong Chinese FHF patients. Methods: FHF patients admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong from April 2016 to March 2017 were reviewed, including outcomes of relative appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (RASM), handgrip strength (HGS), New Mobility Score (NMS), Modified Functional Ambulation Classification (MFAC), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Cumulated Ambulation Score (CAS), Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS) and 1-year mortality. Results: One hundred sixty nine FHF patients, aged 82.68 ± 7.32 years, were reviewed. Prevalence of sarcopenia in male and female were 71.4% and 37.7%, respectively. RASM was correlated with HGS of both dominant ( r = 0.366, p < 0.001) and non-dominant side ( r = 0.383, p < 0.001), NMS ( rs = 0.239, p < 0.001), MFAC ( rs = 0.192, p = 0.013), MBI ( rs = 0.182, p = 0.018) and CAS ( rs = 0.183, p = 0.019). RASM was not significantly correlated with EMS-1 ( rs = 0.050, p = 0.525) and EMS-DC ( rs = 0.092, p = 0.249). There was significant correlation between Sarcopenia and EMS-DC ( rrb = −0.226, p = 0.004). Sarcopenia was marginally not associated with 1-year mortality ( χ 2 = 3.745, p = 0.053). One-year mortality of FHF patients with Sarcopenia and without Sarcopenia were 16.5% and 7.1%, respectively. FHF patients with Sarcopenia were not statistically significant to be more likely to face mortality within 1 year ( R 2 = 0.030, OR = 2.638, p = 0.060). Conclusions: Prevalence of sarcopenia was high in FHF patients and RASM was correlated with HGS and NMS, which can be easily administered as screening tools. Sarcopenia was correlated with early functional outcome but not with 1-year mortality. Early detection of Sarcopenia is crucial for early implementation of rehabilitation and treatment.
Integrating Peer Learning Activities and Problem-Based Learning in Clinical Nursing Education
Authors: Putri Suci Tuty , Sumartini Sri 
Published: March 2021

Introduction The implementation of nursing clinical learning in Indonesia has several challenges that require innovation in the learning method strategy. The method that has been used so far focuses on the hierarchical relationship between lecturers/preceptors and students, so that there are many shortcomings in learning outcomes. The application of the method of active learning with Peer Learning (PL) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) techniques has proven effective in classroom learning, but its rarely found in clinical learning. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the PL and PBL towards the achievement of clinical learning in nursing students. Methods The research method used a true experiment with a posttest only control group design, the sampling technique was taken by randomize control trial. An instrument for clinical learning achievement using AssCE. Results The analysis was carried out as descriptive and bivariate. The results showed the mean in the experimental group was 7.059 and the control group was 6.325. Further statistical test results were obtained p-value = 0.001 (p < 0.05) which showed that the average score there were differences in clinical learning achievement development scores. Conclusion Clinical learning using peer learning and PBL methods can directly improve various aspects of student competency achievement.