bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Guide to the Assessment of Function and Fitness in Older Adults
Authors: Thompson Christian J. 
Published: August 2022

Apply It!After finishing this article, the reader will:• Understand the components of an integrated assessment to be used with older adults.• Understand the screening process and interpret the data to reveal health risks.• Learn the procedures for functional fitness assessments including the Senior Fitness, Gait Speed, Functional Reach, Timed Up-and-Go, and Dual-Task Testing.
A study to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Lifestyle of Medical students
Authors: Tahir Sania , Imran Nazish , Haider Imran Ijaz , Mustafa Ali Burhan , Rehman Aqeeb-ur , Azeem Muhammad Waqar , Javed Afzal 
Published: August 2022

Background: Stressful situations are often linked with poor health and lifestyle behaviors (e.g., unhealthy diet, limited physical activity, poor sleep quality etc.). Subsequent to the nationwide lockdown in Pakistan due to COVID-19 pandemic, medical students experienced substantial lifestyle changes along with academic stresses. The goal of this study was to measure the impact that the COVID-19 lockdown had on lifestyle like sleep, physical activity and nutrition, substance abuse, dealing with finances, spirituality and family life, with respect to a sample of Pakistani medical students.
Methods: This cross- sectional online study involving 1100 medical students (68.7% females) from five medical colleges in Pakistan, used self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the impact of pandemic related restrictions on lifestyle of medical students in Pakistan from August- September 2020. Parameters such as physical activity, sleep, nutrition, smoking and substance abuse, family life, finances, internet use and spirituality were studied.
Results: Fifty-nine percent of medical students reported a significant effect of lockdown on their physical activity. Only 5.8% people clearly followed or adhered to a routine during the pandemic. About 54.6% students have found that physical activity and exercise significantly reduced their anxiety. More than half of respondents reported increase in screen time, weight gain and poor sleep with 3.1% of students stating an increased use of sleeping pills to fall asleep Another 18.3% students had an increased worry regarding COVID19 based on the information they received on internet. No significant increase in substance uses and alcohol use or family conflicts among students post pandemic was noted.
Conclusion: Our findings underscore that COVID-19 pandemic has led to undesired changes in health and lifestyle habits of medical students, which may, to some extent, be responsible for higher negative impact. Hence it is important for medical colleges to start awareness campaigns to tackle challenges for medical students physical and emotional well-being.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.7.6031
How to cite this:Tahir SM, Imran N, Haider II, Mustafa AB, Aqeeb-ur-Rehman, Azeem MW, et al. A study to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Lifestyle of Medical students. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(7):1730-1737. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.7.6031
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Programmatic mapping and estimating the population size of female sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs and transgender populations in Kenya
Authors: Musimbi Janet , Musyoki Helgar , Mugambi Mary , Kaosa Shem , Kioko Japheth , Aluko Diane , Wanjiru Waruiru , Wambua Solomon , Prakash Ravi , Isac Shajy , Bhattacharjee Parinita , Emmanuel Faran 
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Effective coverage of Human Immunodeficiency Virus prevention services for Key Populations (KPs) including female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID) and transgender (TG) people necessitates periodic validation of physical venues and size estimates. Kenya conducted a robust size estimation of KPs in 2012 and a repeat mapping and size estimation exercise was conducted in 2018 to update KP Size Estimates and sub-typologies within each County for calculation of realistic program indicators. Methods: A prospective mixed methods programmatic mapping approach adopted comprised two steps. The first step involved consolidating and documenting all known venues where KPs congregate while the second step included visiting and validating these venues confirming their active status. Data were collected in 34 out of 47 Counties in Kenya between January and March 2018. Data collected included estimated number of KPs (range), venue typology and timing of operation of each venue. Results: We estimated a total number of 167,940 (129,271 to 206,609) FSWs; 32,580 (24,704 to 40,455) MSM; 16,063 (12,426 to 19,691) PWIDs; 10,951 (8,160 to 13,742) and 4,305 (2,826 to 5,783) transgender people congregating at 10,250, 1,729, 401 and 1,202 venues respectively. Majority of the venues for FSW (81%), MSM (64%) and transgender people (67%) were bars with and without lodging, PWIDs were mostly found on streets and injecting dens (70%). Around 9% of FSW and MSM and11% of PWIDs were below the age of 18 years. Conclusion: This study provided information on young KPs, female PWIDs, MSWs and for the first time, TG people in Kenya. The exercise updated size estimates of KPs by typology and provided new evidence for resource allocation, planning of interventions and targets. Programmatic mapping continues to be a useful approach supporting programs to achieve high levels of coverage and prioritize resources.
Concept maps as a novel assessment tool in medical education
Authors: LOIZOU STELLA , Nicolaou Nicoletta , Pincus Bridget Anne , Papageorgiou Alexia , McCrorie Peter 
Published: August 2022

Background: We conducted a pilot study to investigate the use of Concept Maps (CMs) in a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) setting as a complementary tool to current educational techniques for enhancing medical student knowledge and critical thinking. The main focus of the pilot was to introduce a measure from the field of graph theory and investigate its usefulness as a means of CM quantitative quality assessment. Methods: Participants were first-year medical students with no or minor prior CM experience. All participants completed questionnaires (demographic information and assessment of learning style) to establish a baseline measure against which the change in clinical and critical thinking was assessed. They were asked to prepare CMs for three PBL cases, and following the submission of the CMs they completed semi-structured critical and clinical thinking questionnaires. A clinical expert also created corresponding “benchmark” CMs for comparison. Qualitative (Wordclouds) and quantitative (graph theory) analysis provided a summary of the key concepts and quantified the CM quality respectively, compared to the “benchmark” CMs. Results: Questionnaires revealed that CMs helped students recall information, organize material in a concise manner, prepare better for their PBL session and provided a good revision tool. It was also found that graph-theoretical measures (graph density, modularity) were suitable for distinguishing between CMs that captured more in-depth knowledge, compared to CMs that contained simpler associations. Conclusions: We have shown that it is possible to quantify CM quality using graph-theoretical measures, such as graph density and modularity.
A biopsychosocial approach to death, dying, and bereavement: a course on end-of-life education for medical students
Authors: Kripalani Simran , Joy Sandra , Raizada Shivani , Cerceo Elizabeth 
Published: August 2022

Background: Despite the inevitable nature of death and dying, the conversations surrounding this subject are still uncomfortable for many physicians and medical students. Methods: A six-week humanities-based course, “A Biopsychosocial Approach to Death, Dying, & Bereavement,” at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, United States, which covers definitions of death and dying, the process of dying, ethical dilemmas, and new concepts of the grieving process. Through development of a curriculum using various academic and medical literature and resources, we sought to bring attention to the necessity of having a medical education curriculum on death and dying to prepare medical students for the difficult conversations and patient experiences that lie ahead of them. Qualitative data in the form of surveys and reflection papers submitted by students and quantitative data (Likert scores on course satisfaction) were collected and analyzed both pre- and post-course. Results: 90.7% (49/54) of the respondents answered that they agree or strongly agree with the statement that this selective course was useful in the student’s medical education experience. The top three qualitative themes brought up the most in reflection papers (n=54) were: the utility and instruction of the course (21 times), the importance of hospice and palliative care (20 times), avoidance around topics of death (15 times). Conclusions: Medical students are often not prepared to cope with the realities of patient loss and of caring for the patient and their families throughout the dying process. We created this course to familiarize medical students with an aspect of the medical experience that is frequently neglected in traditional medical curricula. We learned that integrating such a course can help educate medical students facilitate important conversations, teach them to act with kindness and dignity in a physician-patient setting, and enhance their personal understanding of death and dying.
Protocol for a pregnancy registry of maternal and infant outcomes in Uganda –The PREPARE Study
Authors: Davies Hannah , Afrika Simon , Olema Ruth , Rukundo Gordon , Ouma Joseph , Greenland Melanie , Voysey Merryn , Mboizi Robert , Sekikubo Musa , Le Doare Kirsty 
Published: August 2022

Background: Pregnancy is associated with complications which must be differentiated from adverse events associated with the administration of vaccines during pregnancy both in clinical trials and post licensure surveillance. The frequency of pregnancy related complications varies significantly by geographical location and the prevalence of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes are poorly documented in most low-resource settings. In preparation for Group B Streptococcus maternal vaccination trials, we describe a protocol for a pregnancy register at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda to describe pregnancy maternal and infant outcomes. Methods: The study has two components. Firstly, an active, prospective surveillance cohort consisting of pregnant women in their first or second trimester recruited and followed up through their hospital scheduled antenatal visits, delivery and their infants through their extended programme of immunisation visits until 14 weeks of age. Data on obstetric and neonatal outcomes defined by the Brighton Collaboration Global Alliance of Immunisation Safety Assessment in Pregnancy criteria will be collected. Secondly, a passive surveillance cohort collecting data through routine electronic health records on all women and infants attending care at KNRH. Data will be collected on vaccinations and medications including antiretroviral therapy received in antenatal clinic and prior to hospital discharge. Discussion: Conducting vaccine research in resource-limited settings is essential for equity and to answer priority safety questions specific to these settings. It requires improved vaccine safety monitoring, which is especially pertinent in maternal vaccine research. During a trial, understanding the epidemiology and background rates of adverse events in the study population is essential to establish thresholds which indicate a safety signal. These data need to be systematically and reliably collected. This study will describe rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes in a cohort of 4,000 women and infants and any associated medications or vaccines received at a new vaccine trial site in Uganda.
The Power and Limits of Predictive Approaches to Observational Data-Driven Optimization: The Case of Pricing
Authors: Bertsimas Dimitris , Kallus Nathan 
Published: August 2022

We consider data-driven decision making in which data on historical decisions and outcomes are endogenous and lack the necessary features for causal identification (e.g., unconfoundedness or instruments), focusing on data-driven pricing. We study approaches that, for lack of better alternative, optimize the prediction of objective (revenue) given decision (price). Whereas data-driven decision making is transforming modern operations, most large-scale data are observational, with which confounding is inevitable and the strong assumptions necessary for causal identification are dubious. Nonetheless, the inevitable statistical biases may be irrelevant if impact on downstream optimization performance is limited. This paper seeks to formalize and empirically study this question. First, to study the power of decision making with confounded data, by leveraging a special optimization structure, we develop bounds on the suboptimality of pricing using the (noncausal) prediction of historical demand given price. Second, to study the limits of decision making with confounded data, we develop a new hypothesis test for optimality with respect to the true average causal effect on the objective and apply it to interest rate–setting data to assesses whether performance can be distinguished from optimal to statistical significance in practice. Our empirical study demonstrates that predictive approaches can generally be powerful in practice with some limitations.Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [Grant 1846210].Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoo.2022.0077 .
Tax-Favored Stock Donations by Corporate Insiders and Consequences for Equity Markets
Authors: Arya Anil , Mittendorf Brian , Ramanan Ram N. V. 
Published: August 2022

Although corporate insiders face substantial restrictions on stock sales, securing tax deductions through charitable donations of stock is viewed as an attractive alternative. Recent press coverage and growing empirical evidence confirm that insider donations occur frequently and often precede stock price drops. Securities regulators have also taken note, with a recent push for new rules to require rapid disclosure as with insider trades. This paper develops a model of informed stock trading when disposal of stock by insiders takes the form of tax-favored charitable donations rather than direct trading. We demonstrate that charitable gifts by insiders can reflect nonpublic information about firm value and that they do so in a manner that promotes greater market efficiency. Relative to informed trading, insider donations yield greater market liquidity, more efficient equity prices, and superior investor protection. The results suggest that although insider donations deserve scrutiny, they are not equivalent to insider trades. The results also provide a general framework to examine implications of insider donations for tax policy governing philanthropic behavior. This paper was accepted by Ranjani Krishnan, accounting. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4514 .
Nondestructive Prediction of Rice Seed Viability Using Spectral and Spatial Information Modeling of Visible–Near Infrared Hyperspectral Images
Authors: Hong Suk-Ju , Yang Tao , Kim Sang-Yeon , Kim EungChan , Lee ChangHyup , Nurhisna Nandita Irasaulul , Kim Sungjay , Roh Seung-Woo , Ryu Jiwon , Kim Ghiseok 
Published: August 2022

HighlightsAn NIR-Vis hyperspectral imaging approach was developed to predict the viability of rice seeds.Through multi-step accelerated aging, seed lots in various states were used for the experiments.Models using spectral information and spectral-spatial information of hyperspectral images were used and compared.Abstract. Rice is one of the world’s most important food crops, and rice seed viability is an important factor in rice crop production. In this study, a visible–near infrared (vis–NIR) hyperspectral imaging system and spectral–spatial information modeling are used to predict the viability of rice seeds. Experimental samples are prepared using seeds harvested in two different years and artificially aged for various periods. Vis-NIR hyperspectral acquisition and germination tests of the prepared seed samples are performed. Partial least square (PLS)–discriminant analysis, a support vector machine (SVM), a PLS–SVM, a PLS–artificial neural network, and a one-dimensional–convolutional neural network (CNN) for the mean spectra of seeds, as well as a CNN, a PLS–CNN, and dual branch networks for the hyperspectral images of the seeds are applied for viability prediction modeling. Result shows that an accuracy of approximately 90% and high f1 scores can be obtained in most models. Furthermore, it is confirmed that models using spectral and spatial information can classify hard samples more effectively. Keywords: Deep learning, Hyperspectral images, Rice, Seed, Spectroscopy, Viability.
Subsurface Nitrate Processing Beneath Drainageways: Are They Landscape Opportunities for Subsurface Drainage Remediation?
Authors: Schilling Keith , Streeter Matthew , Pierce Sophie , Brennan Greg , St. Clair Marty 
Published: August 2022

HighlightsDrainageways contain fine-textured and nutrient rich alluvial soils conducive for denitrification.NO3-N concentrations in drainageway groundwater were 70% lower than observed in cropped fields.A new grass waterway design connects subsurface water from upland cropped fields to the drainageway deposits for NO3-N remediation.Abstract. Efforts to reduce nutrient export from agricultural crop production in the U.S. Midwest are leading to development of new conservation practices. In this study our objectives were to: (1) characterize subsurface soils and hydrogeology found in two main drainageway areas in eastern Iowa, (2) compare groundwater quality to upland agricultural fields, and (3) utilize a groundwater flow model to assess the capacity of drainageways to provide additional NO3-N processing in agricultural watersheds. Using data obtained from a network of 12 shallow wells installed across six different waterways, we found that the waterways contained fine-textured and nutrient rich alluvial soils derived from erosion and deposition of upland loess and till. Concentrations of NO3-N in waterway groundwater (3.1 mg/l) were 70% lower compared to groundwater beneath nearby cropped fields (10.5 mg/l). A shallow water table in the organic-rich drainageway soils provides the requisite organic carbon, anaerobic soil conditions, and nitrogen supply for denitrification to occur. Numerical modeling suggested that groundwater from the surrounding catchment discharges approximately 53 m3/day into the waterways and reduces NO3-N mass by 144.3 kg/yr, or 7.8 kg/ha. Results suggest that drainageways could be better exploited for additional NO3-N reductions from subsurface drainage if the flow could be diverted into these areas. Keywords: Denitrification, Grass waterway, Nitrate-nitrogen, Saturated buffer.
Terminal Velocity Determinations for Switchgrass Nodes and Internodes
Authors: Womac Alvin Ray , Klasek Sarah E. , Yoder Daniel , Hayes Douglas G. 
Published: August 2022

HighlightsA vertical wind tunnel was fabricated to aerodynamically suspend switchgrass particles to measure terminal velocity.Overall terminal velocity estimates for node and internode were 8.04 and 5.68 m s-1, respectively.Terminal velocity prediction equation for spherical particles (Mohsenin, 1970) produced values almost identical to experimental values unlike an equation for infinite-length cylindrical particles.Hollow switchgrass particle behavior was complex with particle bouncing, rolling, tumbling, and other dynamic behaviors during aerodynamic equilibrium. Abstract. Terminal velocity is a fundamental aerodynamic property often used to separate plant anatomical components. A vertical wind tunnel was fabricated to investigate whether terminal velocities of switchgrass stem internodes and nodes were distinctly different. Wind tunnel features included a clear observation section for suspended particles and fine adjustment of airflow. Each sample terminal velocity was measured with 45 anemometer readings from nine locations and five repeated measures. The experiment evaluated two sample moisture contents (52% and 15% wet basis, hereafter referred to as w.b.), three particle lengths (0.64, 1.27, and 2.54 cm), node versus internode, and 12 replications. The 6,480 anemometer readings provided significant differences between factors and interactions. The greatest magnitude in mean terminal velocity difference was 4.55 m s-1 (i.e. 9.62 to 5.07) that resulted in a velocity ratio of 190% [(9.62/5.07) x 100]. The least magnitude of mean terminal velocity difference, while significant, was 0.36 m s-1 (i.e. 6.59 to 6.23). This offered a limited difference and may indicate that separations may need to be confined within groups of moisture category and/or particle length. Terminal velocity measurements were most similar to those calculated using the Mohsenin (1970) spherical particle equation yielding a mean (6.86 vs. 6.91 m s-1), standard deviation (1.41 vs. 1.42 m s-1), minimum (4.65 vs. 4.69 m s-1), and maximum (9.95 vs. 10.03 m s-1) for measurement and spherical particle equation, respectively. Keywords: Anatomical component, Biomass property, Physical experiment, Separation, Sorting, Switchgrass, Vertical wind tunnel.
Visual encoder-based angle measurement method in low-frequency angular
vibration calibration
Authors: Cheng Hao , Wang Ying , Wei Kai , Liu Zhihua , Yang Ming , Cai Chenguang 
Published: August 2022

Angular vibration calibration is required to determine the sensitivity of sensors such
as dynamic inclinometers, gyroscopes, and angular accelerometers,
which are used for angular motion measurement in engineering
applications. Additionally, the calibration performance depends on the
accuracy of the angle measurement by laser interferometry or a
circular grating (CG) method that is commonly used in vibration
calibration. However, these methods usually own a complex and
high-cost system or limited frequency and amplitude ranges. In this
study, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, angle measurement method
that combines a special visual encoder and an accurate angular
position detection method is investigated; the method requires only a
simple and flexible telecentric vision measurement system. Comparison
experiments with the CG method demonstrate that the investigated
method has the maximum measurement deviation of 0.0014° and 0.0138°
for static angle measurement in the small-angle range and continuous
full circle, respectively. The relative deviation of the angular
vibration measurement in the range of 0.1–8 Hz with amplitudes 0–100°
is less than 0.173%. Additionally, the relative deviation of
calibrated sensitivity of a gyroscope by the investigated and CG
methods is less than 0.096%.