bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reliability of stair-climbing speed in two cohorts of older adults
Authors: Brodowski Hanna , Andres Natascha , Gumny Margareta , Eicher Cornelia , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth , Tannen Antje , Kiselev Joern 
Published: December 2021

Background/Aims The ability to climb stairs is an important prerequisite for activities of daily living and social participation in older adults, and is therefore an important part of rehabilitation. However, there is no consensus on how to measure stair-climbing ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the test–retest reliability of the measurement of stair-climbing speed (steps per second) as a parameter for functional ability in older adults. Methods A total of 57 participants who were in hospital and 56 participants who were community-dwelling and did not have any limitations in activities in daily living, all aged 60 years and over, ascended and descended a set of 13 stairs twice. The halfway point of the staircase was marked in order to split the time required for both the ascending and the descending actions. Additional measurements consisted of the Functional Reach Test, the Timed Up and Go Test, walking ability using the GAITRite walkway system and the isometric strength of four muscle groups of the lower extremities using a handheld dynamometer. Results Test–retest reliability of the first and second half of the stair-climbing for both ascending and descending showed excellent results for the group of hospitalised participants (intraclass correlation coefficient, [ICC] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79–0.93 to 0.94, 95% CI 0.9 – 0.97 for comparison of first vs second half of stair climbing; ICC 0.9, 95% CI 0.83-0.94 to ICC 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.97 for comparing first vs second measurement)) and moderate to excellent results for the group of community-dwelling participants with no limitations (ICC 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.73 to ICC 0.76, 95% 95% CI 0.63-0.85 for comparison of first vs second half of stair climbing; ICC 0.82, 95% CI 0.71-0.89 to 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.95 for comparing first vs second measurement). As expected, hospitalised participants took significantly longer descending than ascending stairs (t(56)=6.98, P<0.001, d=0.93). A general and significant trend of increasing speed while descending could be observed in both groups (performing paired sample t-tests). Conclusions The results indicate that stair-climbing speed is not constant and that different patterns exist in older adults who have no limitations and in those who are hospitalised. The use of stair-climbing speed as an assessment tool should include both stair ascent and descent, because differences in these speeds seem to be indicators of stair-climbing ability.
Impulse response of underwater optical wireless channel in the presence of turbulence, absorption, and scattering employing Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Enghiyad Nima , Ghorban Sabbagh Abbasali 
Published: December 2021

Recently, compared with acoustic and radio methods, underwater optical wireless communications has been considered as a high-speed and high-bandwidth transmitting method at a lower cost. Absorption, scattering, and optical turbulence are three destructive phenomena that affect the performance of underwater optical communication systems. In this work, we use computer simulations to mimic the statistical behavior of underwater media employing the Monte Carlo method. Our simulation results for optical turbulence are in good agreement with the lognormal probability density function, which describes weak turbulence well, and they deviate as the turbulence moves away from weak. By considering the combined effect of absorption, scattering, and turbulence (AST) phenomena, we obtain the underwater channel’s impulse response (IR). We demonstrate that there is no noticeable difference between the mean of ensemble IRs of the AST channel and the IR of the channel when turbulence is not taken into account. Moreover, our results predict that tripling the coastal link length from 10 to 30 m increases the average variance of sample IRs of the AST channel from their ensemble average by more than five times.
Theoretical design of an absorption hologram-based sensor for dose quantification in daylight photodynamic therapy
Authors: O’Callaghan J. , Cournane S. , McCavana J. , Cody D. 
Published: December 2021

Daylight photodynamic therapy (D-PDT) is an effective and almost painless treatment for many skin conditions, where successful treatment relies on daylight activation of a topical photosensitizer. Optimization of D-PDT requires accurate assessment of light dose received. There is a requirement for a small-area sensor that can be placed adjacent to the treatment site to facilitate accurate dose quantification. Here, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, configuration for a D-PDT dose sensor, consisting of a holographic absorption grating fabricated in a photosensitive film, is presented. Theoretical modeling of the sensor’s response (i.e., change in grating diffraction efficiency due to change in grating absorption modulation,

α
1

, on exposure to daylight) was conducted using Kogelnik’s coupled-wave theory. The influence of the different grating parameters (initial film absorption, thickness, spatial frequency, and reconstruction wavelength) on the sensor response was examined and revealed that the initial absorption and grating thickness values have a large impact on both the magnitude and rate of the D-PDT sensor response. The optimum design for an absorption grating-based D-PDT sensor is described.
Magnitude and associated factors of low back pain among nurses working at intensive care unit of public hospitals in Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: Tefera Bitew Zewudie , Zeleke Haymanot , Abate Abebe , Abebe Haimanot , Mekonnen Zebene , Sewale Yihenew 
Published: December 2021

Background
Low back pain is a common public health problem throughout the world with a global prevalence from 28% to 86%. Nurses working in intensive care units are handling people who are critically ill and helpless, which requires more assistance for transferring and handling activities. This possesses a risk for low back pain but little is known about it in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of low back pain and associated factors among nurses who work at intensive care units in Amhara region public hospitals, North Ethiopia.

Methods
A multi-centered institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Amhara region public hospitals from March 1-30, 2020. A simple random sampling technique after proportional allocation was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a standard modified Nordic musculoskeletal assessment tool. After data were checked for completeness and consistency, it was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science software version 26 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with low back pain. Finally, those variables with a p-value of <0.05 in multivariable analysis were considered statistically significant.

Result
Study was conducted among 412 intensive care unit nurses giving a response rate of 97.6%. The magnitude of low back pain was 313 (76%) [95% CI: (71.6%-79.9%)]. Being female [AOR = 2.674 (1.404, 5.076)], unavailability of assistive device for patient handling [AOR = 2.139 (1.035, 4.410)], lack of training on intensive care [AOR = 2.017 (1.092, 3.943)], lack of regular exercise [AOR = 2.164 (1.164, 4.108)] and job stress [AOR = 3.66 (1.955, 6.498)] were factors significantly associated with low back pain.

Conclusions
In this study the magnitude of low back pain was high. Being female, unavailability of an assistive device for patient handling, lack of training on intensive care, lack of regular exercise and job stress were factors associated with low back pain. Policymakers and concerned bodies should emphasize the accessibility of assistive devices for patient care, provision of training on intensive care, and adaptive working environment for intensive care unit nurses.
Prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and other psychiatric disorders among health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Medeiros Kleyton Santos de , Ferreira de Paiva Letícia Maniçoba , Macêdo Luíza Thomé de Araújo , Farias de Souza Wederson , Soares da Silva Luís Antônio , Sarmento Ayane Cristine Alves , Costa Ana Paula Ferreira , Freitas Cijara Leonice , Gonçalves Ana Katherine 
Published: December 2021

Introduction
Studies carried out during previous pandemics revealed an increase in the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and other psychiatric disorders among health professionals. A high prevalence of psychiatric disorders is also observed in some health categories, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective
This systematic review/meta-analysis study aims to assess the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and other psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia) among health care professionals and other support professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inclusion criteria
Observational studies published from December 2019, without language restrictions in which the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and other psychiatric disorders among health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic will be assessed.

Methods
PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHAL, PsycINFO, LILACS, SCOPUS, and The Cochrane Library will be searched for eligible studies. Two reviewers will independently screen and select studies, assess methodological quality, and extract data. A meta-analysis will be performed, if possible, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE).

Ethics and disclosure
This study will use secondary data. Thus, there is no need for submission to the ethics committee. The results of this systematic review will be published in a journal after a peer-review process.

Trial registration
Systematic review registration number: CRD42020212036.
Molecular transmission networks and pre-treatment drug resistance among individuals with acute HIV-1 infection in Baoding, China
Authors: Shi Penghui , Chen Zhixia , Meng Juan , Su Miaomiao , Yang Xuegang , Fan Weiguang , Shi Haoxi , Gao Ying , Lu Xinli 
Published: December 2021

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genetic diversity and pre-treatment drug resistance (PDR) are major barriers to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). In China, sexual intercourse is the most frequent route of HIV-1 transmission. However, few studies have analyzed PDR and transmission networks in detail among individuals in China with acute HIV-1 infection and their sexual contacts.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Baoding City, Hebei Province, China from 2019–2020. CD4 T cell counts and viral loads were assessed and a HIV-1 genotypic PDR assay was developed in-house. Transmission networks were visualized using Cytoscape with a threshold genetic distance of 0.015 among HIV-1 subtypes.ResultsFrom 139 newly diagnosed and drug-naïve individuals with HIV-1, 132polgene sequences were obtained and revealed eight HIV-1 subtypes. Circulating recombinant form (CRF)01_AE was the most frequent subtype (53.0%, 70/132) followed by CRF07_BC (26.5%, 35/132), B (13.6%, 18/132), unique recombinant forms (2.3%, 3/132), CRF55_01B (1.5%, 2/132), CRF103_01B (1.5%, 2/132), CRF65_cpx (0.8%, 1/132), and C (0.8%, 1/132). A total of 47polgene sequences were used to generate 10 molecular transmission networks. The overall prevalence of PDR was 7.6% and that of PDR to non-nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors was 6.1%. Of three transmission networks for PDR, two were closely associated with Beijing and Tianjin, while another was restricted to sequences determined in this study.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that during acute HIV-1 infection, PDR is transmitted in dynamic networks. This suggests that early detection, diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment are critical to effectively control HIV-1 spread.
Quality-adjusted life year comparison at medium term follow-up of endovascular versus open surgical repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm in young patients
Authors: Byun Eunae , Kwon Tae-Won , Kim Hyangkyoung , Cho Yong Pil , Han Youngjin , Ko Gi Young , Jeong Min-Jae 
Published: December 2021

Objectives
This study aimed to compare the quality of life and cost effectiveness between endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR) in young patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Design
This was a single-center, observational, and retrospective study.

Materials and methods
A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients with AAA, who were <70 years old and underwent EVAR or OSR between January 2012 and October 2016. Only patients with aortic morphology that was suitable for EVAR were enrolled. Data on the complication rates, medical expenses, and expected quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were collected, and the cost per QALY at three years was compared.

Results
Among 90 patients with aortic morphology who were eligible for EVAR, 37 and 53 patients underwent EVAR and OSR, respectively. No significant differences were observed in perioperative cardiovascular events and death between the two groups. However, during the follow-up period, patients undergoing OSR showed a significantly lower complication rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.11; P = .021). From the three-year cost-effectiveness analysis, the total sum of costs was significantly lower in the OSR group (P < .001) than that in the EVAR group, and the number of QALYs was superior in the OSR group (P = .013). The cost per QALY at three years was significantly lower in the OSR group than that in the EVAR group (mean: $4038 vs. $10 137; respectively; P < .001)

Conclusions
OSR had lower complication rates and better cost-effectiveness than EVAR Among young patients with feasible aortic anatomy.
A mixed methods evaluation of medication reconciliation in the primary care setting
Authors: Gionfriddo Michael R. , Duboski Vanessa , Middernacht Allison , Kern Melissa S. , Graham Jove , Wright Eric A. 
Published: December 2021

Objectives
To understand the extent to which behaviors consistent with high quality medication reconciliation occurred in primary care settings and explore barriers to high quality medication reconciliation.

Design
Fully mixed sequential equal status design including ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews, and surveys.

Setting
Primary care practices within an integrated healthcare delivery system in the United States.

Participants
We conducted 170 observations of patient encounters across 15 primary care clinics, 48 semi-structured interviews with staff, and 10 semi-structured interviews with patients. We also sent out surveys to 2,541 eligible staff with 616 responses (24% response rate) and to 5,132 eligible patients with 577 responses (11% response rate).

Results
Inconsistency emerged as a major barrier to effective medication reconciliation. This inconsistency was present across a variety of factors such as the lack of standardized workflows for conducting medication reconciliation, a lack of knowledge about medication and the process of medication reconciliation, varying levels of importance ascribed to medication reconciliation, and inadequate integration of medication reconciliation into clinical workflows. Findings were generally consistent across all data collection methods.

Conclusion
We have identified several barriers which impact the process of medication reconciliation in primary care settings. Our key finding is that the process of medication reconciliation is plagued by inconsistencies which contribute to inaccurate medication lists. These inconsistencies can be broken down into several categories (standardization, knowledge, importance, and inadequate integration) which can be targets for future studies and interventions.
Immigrant Japan: Mobility and Belonging in an Ethno-Nationalist Society, Gracia Liu-Farrer (2020)
Authors: Baas Michiel 
Published: December 2021

Review of: Immigrant Japan: Mobility and Belonging in an Ethno-Nationalist Society, Gracia Liu-Farrer (2020)
New York: Cornell University Press, pp. i–xii and 1–259,
ISBN 978-1-50174-862-2, h/bk, €35.17
Differences between Korean Null Arguments and Korean Overt Pronouns
Authors: Kang Namkil 
Published: December 2021

The ultimate goal is this paper is to provide five pieces of evidence that Korean null pronouns are not semantically and syntactically equivalent to Korean overt pronouns. First, when Korean overt pronouns and Korean null pronouns have the only NP as their antecedent, the truth condition becomes different. Second, when Korean overt pronouns and Korean null pronouns take the even NP as their antecedent, the truth condition becomes different. Third, the Korean overt pronoun ku ‘he’ is associated with its antecedent by coreference, whereas Korean null pronouns are associated with their antecedent by binding. Fourth, Korean overt pronouns yield a strict reading, whereas Korean null arguments induces the strict/sloppy ambiguity. This in turn suggests that Korean null pronouns yield looser interpretations than Korean overt pronouns. Additionally, it is worth noting that Korean overt pronouns induce a definite reading, whereas Korean null pronouns yield indefinite and definite readings. Fifth, Korean overt pronouns and Korean null pronouns are not alike in that the former is sensitive to phi-features (gender, number, and person), whereas the latter is not. This paper argues that Korean null pronouns are not syntactically the equivalent of Korean overt pronouns.
The incentivisation of English medium instruction in Chinese universities: policy misfires and misalignments
Authors: Xu Xin , Rose Heath , McKinley Jim , Zhou Sihan 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe growth of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education in China over the past two decades has been promoted via implicit and explicit policies that aim to incentivise activities associated with the creation of English-taught courses and programs. This study investigates the components of such incentivisation schemes. It also explores how incentivisation policies are being implemented by policy arbiters, EMI programme directors, and EMI teachers. Data were collected from two sources: 93 institutional policy documents on EMI provision collected from 63 Chinese universities, and 26 interviews with senior university staff at a selection of eight Chinese universities. Results revealed that incentivisation policies focused on increased workload weighting for EMI courses, greater access to career development opportunities for teachers, increased monetary rewards, and dedicated financial support for creating and delivering courses. A comparison of policy and practice revealed areas of policy misfires and misalignments. EMI teachers considered the workload incentives insufficient and were not primarily motivated by financial rewards, but rather chose to teach in English for professional, academic, and personal intrinsic rewards; many viewed EMI at the core of their teacher-researcher academic identities. The paper concludes with recommendations to better align incentivisation policies with the driving forces attached to EMI in China.
Corrosive-wear behavior of LSP/MAO treated magnesium alloys in physiological environment with three pH values
Authors: Shen Yongshui , Sun Tongjin , Zhu Tao , Xiong Ying 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
A laser shock peening (LSP) layer, a micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating, and an LSP/MAO composite coating were fabricated on the surface of AZ80 magnesium alloy by laser shock and micro-arc oxidation process. The ball-disc grinding method was used to perform wear test on the three treated specimens in simulated body fluids (SBF) with pH values of 4, 7.4 and 9. The morphology and element content of worn surface were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The results indicated that the wear rates of the three treated specimens in three pH environment in numerical order were pH 4 > pH 7.4 > pH 9, respectively. The wear rates of the three treated specimens in the same pH environment were arranged in the order of MAO > LSP > LSP/MAO, respectively. The main wear mechanisms of the LSP specimen in pH 4 environment were fatigue wear and corrosion wear, while it were corrosion wear and adhesive wear in pH 7.4 and pH 9 environments. Abrasive wear, fatigue wear and corrosion wear were the main wear mechanisms of the MAO specimen in pH 4 environment, while abrasive wear, adhesive wear and corrosion wear were the main wear mechanisms of that in pH 7.4 and pH 9 environments. The corrosion wear resistance of the LSP/MAO specimen in SBF solution with three pH values was improved due to the synergism of LSP fine crystal layer and MAO coating.
Energy visibility of a modeled photovoltaic/diesel generator set connected to the grid
Authors: Abbas Majid K. , Hassan Qusay , Jaszczur Marek , Al-Sagar Zuhair S. , Hussain Ali N. , Hasan Ali , Mohamad Abdulmajeed 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
The paper presents a technical and economic analysis for two energy systems (conventional and renewable) with grid connection. The investigation was carried out using an experimental measurement for the desired load and weather data (solar irradiance and ambient temperature), were 5.1 kWh the daily energy consumption as measured and 4.6 kWh/m2/day the annual average of the solar irradiance. The simulation process was done by using MATLAB and HOMER software at a 1 min time step resolution. The economic optimization objective presented for two energy system scenarios (i) photovoltaic/grid and (ii) diesel/grid, takes into account the economic aspects and component prices based on the Iraqi market and regulations. The diesel generator, very popular in rural areas, is designed to work during the same period as the photovoltaic system (only during day hours). The yearly operating hours were recorded at 4380 h/year, and energy generation was approx. 2349 kWh/year while fuel consumption was 1826 L/year. The results showed that the photovoltaic system in scenario (i) can generate about 7895 kWh, and for the diesel generator in scenario (ii), it can generate approximately 2346 kWh. Furthermore, for scenario (i) the levelized net present cost is $1079 and the cost of energy is about $0.035/kWh, while for scenario (ii) the levelized net present cost is $12,287 and the cost of energy is $0.598/kWh. The use of solar energy is highly recommended compared to diesel generators due to the lowest cost and delivery of energy to the grid. Furthermore, it can capture carbon dioxide by about 5295 kg/year.