bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Associations between vitamin E status and bone mineral density in children and adolescents aged 8–19 years: Evidence based on NHANES 2005–2006, 2017–2018
Authors: Cui Aiyong , Xiao Peilun , Fan Zhiqiang , Zeng Yuan , Wang Hu , Zhuang Yan 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionBone mineral density (BMD) in adolescence is a crucial determinant in osteoporosis and fragility fractures in older age. Vitamin E is the most abundant lipid-soluble antioxidant present in the blood. However, the association of vitamin E status with BMD in children and adolescents remains unclear.MethodsWe first measured the association of vitamin E status (serum α- and γ tocopherol) with BMD in children and adolescents with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multiple linear regression models were performed to evaluate their relationship after adjusting for a large range of covariates. Stratified analyses and interaction tests were used to explore their effects on different genders, ages, and races/ethnicities.Results13,606 children and adolescents from NHANES (2005–2006, 2017–2018) were included in our analysis. Compared with the lowest α-tocopherol quartile, individuals in the highest α-tocopherol quartile are likelier to be Non-Hispanic White and have a higher value of poverty income ratio (PIR). They have a lower value of serum phosphorus and lumbar spine BMD. Every 1umol/L increase in serum α- and γ- tocopherol, the lumbar spine BMD decreased by -0.0016 and -0.0068 g/cm2. Compared with the lowest quartile serum α- and γ- tocopherol concentration, individuals in the highest quartile have a -0.0223 and -0.0329 g/cm2lower mean BMD, respectively. Interaction effects suggest that the negative effect is more prominent among female youth, individuals aged 8–13 years, non-Hispanic whites, Mexican Americans, and non-Hispanic blacks.ConclusionsOur study indicates serum α- and γ-tocopherol are negatively correlated with lumbar BMD. Age, gender, and race may have a modifying effect on this relationship. Our study has an important clinical implication. A higher vitamin E status for children and adolescents could not improve BMD, even decrease BMD. More prospective research with stronger evidence is needed to verify our findings and their underlying mechanisms.
Differences in the predicted nasoseptal flap length among races: A propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Jeong Chang Yeong , Cho Jin Hee , Park Yong Jin , Kim Sung Won , Park Jae-Sung , Abdullah Basurrah Mohammed , Kim Do Hyun , Kim Soo Whan 
Published: March 2023

Objectives
We compared the lengths of a nasoseptal flap (NSF) and skull base according to race, age, and sex.

Methods
We performed paranasal sinus computed tomography in 19,961 adult patients between 2003 and 2022. The race of the patients was East Asian (n = 71), Caucasian (n = 71), or Middle Eastern (n = 71). The expected lengths of the NSF and anterior skull base defect were measured and analyzed according to race, age, and sex.

Results
Compared with Caucasians and Middle Easterners, East Asians had a shorter NSF length (p < 0.001) and lower ratio of the expected NSF length to the expected defect length (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the values among age groups. The expected NSF length was longer, and the ratio of the expected NSF length to the expected defect length was higher, in males than females (p < 0.001 for both).

Conclusions
East Asians and females had a shorter NSF length and lower ratio of expected NSF to surgical defect lengths after anterior skull base reconstruction compared with the other races and with males, respectively. Anatomical differences should be considered when long NSF lengths are required, such as for anterior skull base reconstruction.
Age of first diagnosis and incidence rate of uterine fibroids in Ghana. A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Edzie Emmanuel Kobina Mesi , Dzefi-Tettey Klenam , Brakohiapa Edmund Kwakye , Quarshie Frank , Ken-Amoah Sebastian , Cudjoe Obed , Boadi Evans , Kpobi Joshua Mensah , Edzie Richard Ato , Kusodzi Henry , Dziwornu Prosper , Asemah Abdul Raman 
Published: March 2023

Background
Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in or on the uterus of women. Globally, they occur in more than 80% of women of African ancestry and 70% in white women. Uterine fibroid requires much attention because of its high incidence rate among women of all races and ages. This study sought to document the age of first diagnosis and incidence rates of uterine fibroids in our urban setting.

Methods
This study reviewed and analyzed the ages and year of diagnosis of all 2,469 patients with the first diagnosis of uterine fibroids from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2021 in South-Central Ghana. The obtained data were analyzed using GNU PSPP, Python on Jupyter Notebook and Libre Office Calc with statistical significance level set at p≤0.05.

Results
The overall average age was 36.29±8.08 years, with age range 17–61 years and the age groups with the highest frequencies were 35–39 years (n = 642, 26.00%), 30–34 years (n = 563, 22.80%) and 40–44 years (n = 381, 15.43%). The mean ages of the patients in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 36.70±8.00 years (95%CI = 35.97–37.43), 37.07±7.66 years (95%CI = 36.45–37.70), 35.92±7.87 years (95%CI = 35.30–36.53) and 35.78±8.54 years (95%CI = 35.19–36.38) respectively. The incidence rate (per 100,000) of uterine fibroids in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 66.77 (95% CI = 60.63–72.90), 81.86 (95%CI = 75.19–88.58), 85.60 (95%CI = 78.85–92.35) and 92.40 (95%CI = 85.88–98.92) respectively, with 35–39 age group recording the highest in all years.

Conclusion
The incidence rate of uterine fibroids increased as the years progressed and it is mostly high in 35–39 years age category, with a decreasing annual mean age trend indicative of early diagnosis.
High-risk fertility behaviours among women of reproductive ages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Prevalence, correlates, and spatial distribution
Authors: Tsala Dimbuene Zacharie , Tadesse Tessema Zemenu , Wang Sonne Soziac Elise 
Published: March 2023

Background
High-risk fertility behaviour remains a major public health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, like other sub-Saharan Africa countries, especially because Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is very high in the country, estimated at 6.6 children. Despite the commendable progress in reducing maternal deaths in the region, sub-Saharan Africa is still lagging very behind compared with other regions. Yet, high-risk fertility behaviours are pivotal to improve maternal and child health. This study aims to assess geographical variations of, and to identify risk factors associated with high-risk fertility behaviours among married women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo using the 2013–14 Demographic and Health Survey.

Methods
Overall, 11,497 married women were selected from a nationally representative using a two-stage sampling design. Standard logistic regressions were performed to identify individual- and household/community-level factors associated with high-risk fertility behaviours. Additionally, interactions between women’s age and education, and urban residence were tested. Bernoulli based spatial scan statistics were used to identify the presence of high-risk fertility behaviours spatial clusters using Kulldorff’s SaTScan version 9.6 software. ArcGIS 10.7 was used to visualize the spatial variations of high-risk fertility behaviours. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis was employed using Multiscale GWR version 2.0 software.

Results
Findings indicated that more than two-third of married women exhibited high-risk fertility behaviours in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Multivariate logistic regression showed that education was negatively and significantly associated with the odds of high-risk fertility behaviours. In contrast, women’s age significantly increased the odds of high-risk fertility behaviours. Interactions between urban residence and women’s education and age confirmed the urban advantage identified from previous studies. Finally, high-risk fertility behaviours were highly clustered in the Northeastern provinces of the country.

Conclusion
The study showed that there were significant geographical variations of high-risk fertility behaviours across provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The paper also identified significant-high hot spots of high-risk fertility behaviours in the Northeastern provinces of the country. To reduce high-risk fertility behaviours, and ultimately improve maternal and child outcomes in the country, policymakers and health planners need to strategically address these inequalities. Finally, this paper highlighted the persistent needs of country-specific studies due to differences across sub-Saharan African countries in terms of social development and cultures.
Post-pandemic governance: focus and concepts we need to develop to move forward
Authors: Lee Martha Isabel Gómez 
Published: March 2023

Vivimos en una sociedad donde se ha instalado una dinámica de incertidumbre que debemos entender para avanzar. Los gobiernos ya no pueden seguir entregando lo mismo con menos; las demandas sociales siguen creciendo y acumulándose a las históricas; y la ciudadanía, ahora más empoderada, exige una mejor Administración. Toda esta evidencia ha ido debilitando la legitimidad de lo público, donde básicamente la gran mayoría de la población no desea un gobierno perfecto; sino, sólo uno que hace todo lo que puede con lo que tiene, y lo da a conocer.
El siguiente documento desea exhibir la realidad actual de la gestión pública, con carácter general, interrelacionando los conceptos de: control gubernamental, transparencia, eficiencia y eficácia, big data e inteligencia artificial, y calidad e innovación pública. Así, la implicancia y práctica de todos estos términos podrían ayudarnos significativamente a dar respuestas concretas a gran parte de nuestras demandas tanto históricas como actuales.
An Exploratory Study of Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Language-Literature Integration in Secondary EFL Education
Authors: Sun Lina 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
The benefits of using literature in second/foreign language instruction have been re-gaining recognition in recent years. This study investigates a reading program implemented by an experienced teacher in a Chinese high school, with the aim of exploring students’ and teachers’ perceptions, as well as possible pedagogical strategies. Graphic novels were used in the program, facilitated by such literacy activities as reader’s theatre, keeping a reflection journal, literature circles, and explicit vocabulary teaching. This exploratory case study lasted for four months, collecting data from student and teacher participants, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, reflection journals, artifacts, and relevant documents. Using the framework of a critical literacy approach to second/foreign language teaching, this study finds that with explicit teacher guidance and critical pedagogies, students developed high-order reading/thinking skills, multiple perspectives, historical empathy, and agency by engaging in multiliteracies practices through language-literature integration. Additionally, by highlighting some of the challenges and confusions teachers encountered, this study draws attention to the need for teacher training in the implementation of this pedagogical approach, alongside implications for future research and practice.
Testing the way of driving a vehicle in real road conditions
Authors: Gruszczyński Michał , Jurecki Rafał 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Safety is one of the most important issues in all areas of human life. It is taken into account during the design of motor vehicles, road infrastructure, the implementation of training for drivers, and their education. The main goal is to raise it, which is why it is discussed in many research studies. The research concerns the construction of motor vehicles, systems equipped with them, infrastructure, as well as drivers, their behavior, and the way they are driven. This article presents tests of the method of driving a vehicle in real road conditions. To evaluate the driver, selected vehicle motion parameters were used, which were recorded while driving on a real test section characterised by changing traffic conditions.
A Reflection on the Methods of Interpretation of EU Law
Authors: Petrić Davor 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
In many legal systems, methods of interpretation are unwritten customary norms. As such, they depend on consistent practice of legal officials and their acceptance of those methods as binding. Among them, the most important are judges. The EU legal system is characterised by a two-tier judiciary, composed of the Court of Justice and national courts. The Court of Justice has the final word regarding the development of the methods of interpretation of EU law. National courts are required to accept and apply those methods when they interpret EU law on their own. This is essential for ensuring uniformity and effectiveness of EU law. The Court of Justice therefore needs to develop the methods of interpretation of EU law through a dialogue with national courts. How any method of interpretation will be employed in a particular case depends on moral and political values that inform their use. The inherent characteristic of the EU legal order is value pluralism. This means that although the same constitutional values are likely to be formally recognised in the EU and its Member States, their conceptions may nonetheless vary. To have uniform EU law that produces same effects in all Member States, national courts have to interpret EU law by using particular methods of interpretation informed by EU conceptions of values that are associated with those methods. So, these EU values likewise have to be shared by national courts whenever they interpret EU law. What these EU values are is determined not only by the Court of Justice in a dialogue with national courts, but with other institutional actors, supranational and national, in the EU legal order.
Perceiving in networking interactions: emblems, indexicality, and their mapping through reflexivity
Authors: Militello Jacqueline 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
For newly met acquaintances, deployment of a single lexical term, an emblem such as tech or finance, signals where one stands in the professional universe and points to any manner of traits and characteristics or a certain type of person. This positioning and evaluation has pivotal real-world implications for occupational attainment as people decide whether a conversation is worth continuing and a contact worth advancing. This study examines self-presentation sequences at a professional networking event in Hong Kong. In the interactions at these events, professional emblems serve to locate people amongst different taxonomies, such as hierarchies of eliteness, and invoke various traits. But in highly diverse, globalized contexts like this one in Hong Kong, what happens when shared knowledge of emblems is not readily available, and how do participants negotiate this? This study seeks to answer these underexamined questions, acutely relevant in particular social circles nowadays, focusing on misrecognized, vaguely recognized, semiotically transposed, and spuriously recognized cases. It also introduces advanced visual depictions of the indexical maps that participants hold, in all their complexity, drawing both from interaction, where there are some hints of emblem uptake, and subsequent interviews, where emblems’ indexicalities and their social value to social actors are made explicit. This study fills a gap in how people with diverse biographies ‘cobble together’ indexical meanings in the moment to position their interactants within their conceptions of the world and ascribe social value.
The crystal structure of catena-[nitrato-κ
2
O,O′-(μ
3-3-iodobenzene-1,2-dicarboxylato-κ
4
O:O′:O″,O‴)-(2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine-κ
3
N,N′,N″)lanthanum(III)], C23H14IN4O7La
Authors: Cai Bin , Meng Yuning 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
C23H14IN4O7La, triclinic,

P

1
‾

$P\overline{1}$

(no. 2), a = 8.2438(3) Å, b = 12.3786(5) Å, c = 12.6230(5) Å, α = 111.802(1)°, β = 91.144(1)°, γ = 100.6470(10)°, V = 1169.86(8) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0313, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1051, T = 296 K.
Towards lignin valorization: lignin as a UV-protective bio-additive for polymer coatings
Authors: Goliszek Marta , Podkościelna Beata , Smyk Nataliia , Sevastyanova Olena 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Interest in fossil-free, bio-based materials capable of protecting against the harmful effects of UV radiation is constantly growing. The functional groups within lignin are able to effectively absorb light in the visible and UV range, making lignin a good candidate as a bio-additive in UV-protective polymer coatings. In this work, unmodified and modified (by methacrylation) lignin of different origins (softwood [spruce] and hardwood [eucalyptus]) was used as a bio-additive within epoxy resin to develop UV-blocking coatings. Methacrylation of the lignin, as well as the presence of appropriate functional groups in the coatings was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The colour properties of the coatings were additionally investigated whereby the chemical modification of lignin was found to significantly influence the colour of the biocomposite coating. The thermal properties and morphology were investigated by DSC and confocal microscopy, respectively. The results demonstrate that methacrylated lignin is a promising environmentally friendly UV-protective bio-additive for polymer coatings.
Uptalk in L2 English: the phonetic identity and perception of final declarative rises in Serbian EFL
Authors: Paunović Tatjana 
Published: March 2023

AbstractUptalk has been increasingly documented in different L1 English varieties and communicative contexts, but is rarely recognized in formal L2 educational contexts, where it is still attributed to learners’ inadequate mastery of intonation. This study is a cross-sectional corpus-based exploration of the phonetic realization of uptalk in Serbian EFL students’ semi-spontaneous expository speech, and its perception as a sentence-finality signal. The corpus comprised all rising intonation units (IU) produced by 14 female and 9 male participants, classified by structural clues as syntactic continuation, listing, polar questions, or uptalk, to explore the relatedness of the phonetic properties to structural position and gender. Next, 100 EFL students rated selected phrases, illustrating continuation rises, uptalk, and final falls, as possibly sentence final, on a 5-point scale. The findings showed that uptalk was consistently produced as a phonetically distinct signal, characterized by a larger pitch excursion, a steeper rise slope, a higher rise peak, and a longer post-IU pause. Females produced wider pitch excursions and steeper slopes. Uptalk examples were ranked high as possible sentence-finality signals. The study suggests that EFL speakers’ uptalk should be recognized as a novel socio-pragmatic prosodic device, deliberately used even in more formal academic contexts.
Wear prediction of 3D-printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene-carbon nanotube nanocomposites at elevated temperatures
Authors: Feratoglu Kamil , Istif Ilyas , Gumus Omer Yunus 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
In this study, multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) nanocomposite filaments are produced. Filaments are examined through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and definitive scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Produced nanocomposite filaments are used in the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process to manufacture parts. Wear tests are conducted on 3D-printed parts using wear test apparatus with an attached heating module under different ambient temperatures. Hence, the influence of CNT reinforcement, along with different FDM process parameters and varying test conditions on the wear behavior of 3D-printed ABS-CNT parts, are examined. Worn surfaces of the specimens are examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Nonlinear autoregressive exogenous (NARX) models are proposed for the prediction of the wear behavior of 3D-printed ABS-CNT nanocomposites. While wear rate is taken as output, ambient temperature and amount of nanofiller are accounted as input parameters along with the variation of coefficient of friction (COF) which is obtained from measured frictional force and three input-one output model structure is proposed for NARX. The use of multiple input-single output (MISO) model structure and examining the wear behavior of 3D-printed ABS-CNT samples under different wear test conditions with different FDM process parameters are the novelties in this work.
Analysis of material removal process when scratching unidirectional fibers reinforced polyester composites
Authors: Mzali Slah , Elwasli Fatma , Zemzemi Farhat , Mezlini Salah , Mkaddem Ali , Bouazizi Mohamed Lamjed 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn this study, the micromechanical scratch behavior of unidirectional glass fiber reinforced polyester (GFRP) using several wear conditions was highlighted. Single-indenter scratch tests (SSTs) were carried out on GFRP composite material perpendicular (SST⊥) and parallel (SST//) to fiber direction. Damage modes dominating the material removal process (MRP) and friction exhibit significant sensitivity to both attack angle and normal load. From findings, damage modes and apparent friction coefficient substantially accentuate when increasing the attack angle. The inspections of the damage state at different testing conditions using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) reveal the dominating modes governing the MRP through the different phases. The response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to develop a mathematical model based on the measured data. The RSM approach was found very promoting for predicting friction evolution versus attack angle and normal load. The proposed model reveals good ability not only in predicting apparent friction coefficient but also in detecting separately its ploughing and adhesive component. To emphasize the correlation between friction coefficient and MRP, the wear maps have been drawn up.
Physical Characteristics and Competition Demands of Elite Wheelchair Basketball
Authors: Snyder Leanne , Goods Paul S.R. , Peeling Peter , Binnie Martyn , Peiffer Jeremiah J. , Balloch Aaron , Scott Brendan R. 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT
Wheelchair basketball (WCB) is one of the most popular sports for athletes with disabilities. Athletes with a wide range of disabilities compete in the sport, making WCB highly inclusive while presenting unique challenges for various aspects of performance support. This review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on physical characteristics and competition demands of elite WCB athletes to provide practitioners with the best physical preparation practices for improving performance. Many physical characteristics and capacities have been reported to improve performance and are useful for setting performance benchmarks. Assessment of these capacities in WCB athletes requires special considerations due to the impacts of individual disabilities and interactions between the athlete and the wheelchair. Profiling WCB athletes also requires understanding the competitive demands that cannot be extrapolated from nondisabled basketball. To track game movements, this review describes previous studies tracking game movements with various tracking devices, and recent studies have identified inertial sensors as an accurate and practical option. Athletes' internal responses to game demands vary based on disability, particularly spinal cord injuries, so special considerations for internal load monitoring include implementing individualized monitoring strategies.