Social distancing measures during COVID-19 have altered the use of space. With the closure of places of work, learning, leisure, consumption, and more, the pandemic has limited our territories and ...public life. Yet, residents living in mid- to low-density places are experiencing their neighbourhoods differently. They are repurposing residential streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and other spaces and transforming neighbourhood space for active living, play, and sociability. In many neighbourhoods, social distancing is generating a new sociable space. Can we build on our ingenuity to reclaim neighbourhood spaces for public life, and the physical and psychological health of our communities?
Given the investment in streets, it is imperative for planners and urban designers to determine what makes streets social places. Defining street liveliness as stationary social behavior and duration ...of stay, we present an empirical longitudinal study extending previous research findings. Using observations and visual surveys, regression analysis and factor analysis, we study liveliness and determine its correlation with street characteristics. Extending prior findings, we ask, what changes in street characteristics over time predict increases in liveliness? Complementing previous results, we found liveliness was significantly predicted by increases in commercial seating, public seating, block variety, independent businesses, and community-gathering places.
Evaluating Public Space Mehta, Vikas
Journal of urban design,
01/2014, Letnik:
19, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Public space plays an important role in sustaining the public realm. There is a renewed interest in public space with a growing belief that while modern societies no longer depend on the town square ...or the piazza for basic needs, good public space is required for the social and psychological health of modern communities. New public spaces are emerging around the world and old public space typologies are being retrofitted to contemporary needs. Good public space is responsive, democratic and meaningful. However, few comprehensive instruments exist to measure the quality of public space. Based on an extensive review of literature and empirical work, this paper creates a public space index to assess the quality of public space by empirically evaluating its inclusiveness, meaningfulness, safety, comfort and pleasurability. Four public spaces in downtown Tampa, Florida, are examined using the index and several applications for public space planners, designers and managers are suggested.
Background
This study compared survival between patients who had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) treated with surgery alone and patients who underwent surgery and radiation (SRT).
Methods
Patients ...from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) with a diagnosis of stage 3 or 4 MTC, lymph node disease, and no distant metastases between 2008 and 2016 were studied. Kaplan–Meier analyses and log-rank statistics were used to estimate and compare overall survival between patients treated with surgery alone and those treated with SRT. Mutlivariable Cox proportional hazards models and propensity-matching were used to adjust for confounding and selection bias.
Results
Among 1370 patients, 1112 (81%) received surgery alone, and 258 (19%) received SRT. The hazard ratio for mortality in the SRT group was 1.784 (95% confidence interval CI 1.313–2.43) after multivariable adjustment for confounding variables. Furthermore, SRT remained associated with a higher mortality rate (
p
< 0.008) after propensity-matching in an effort to adjust for selection bias.
Conclusions
This analysis of NCDB patients showed that SRT is associated with a significantly higher mortality rate among patients treated for stage 3 or 4 IV MTC with positive lymph node disease. Although this observation can be attributed to unmeasured confounders or selection bias, the cause for the profound survival differences deserves prospective evaluation, especially as adjuvant therapies for this disease continue to evolve.
This review critically evaluates the potential of Waste Foundry Sand (
WFS
) as a substitute for fine aggregate in concrete, conducting a comparative analysis of its physical and chemical properties ...against those of natural sand. The study synthesizes findings from various research experiments to determine concrete's most effective
WFS
replacement percentage. It compiles and analyzes data on how different
WFS
ratios affect concrete's mechanical properties, including modulus of elasticity and compressive strength. The review also consolidates research on the impact of
WFS
on concrete's workability, density, and flowability. A key finding is that
WFS
, categorized as a non-hazardous waste, possesses a diverse particle size distribution, rendering it suitable for recycling in various industrial applications.
The study identifies that a 20%-30% replacement of
WFS
in concrete significantly improves properties such as voids, specific gravity, and density. However, it is essential to note that exceeding a 30%
WFS
replacement can result in increased carbonation depth and decreased resistance, primarily due to sulfur trioxide (
SO
3
). Further observations indicate that incorporating higher levels of
WFS
in self-compacting concrete reduces its flowability and increases water permeability. Moreover, the review highlights the regulatory and classification challenges associated with using
WFS
, particularly its classification as waste, which hampers its widespread adoption in construction. In conclusion, the study recommends implementing End-of-Waste (
EoW
) regulations to facilitate sustainable recycling and environmental protection. Additionally, it includes a bibliometric analysis of foundry sand research spanning from 1971 to 2020, providing a comprehensive summary of the field's historical and recent developments.
Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg defines a third place as a place of refuge other than the home or workplace where people can regularly visit and commune with friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even ...strangers. Because little is known about the place-based physical qualities of third places that support sociability and place attachment, this article examines how four urban design characteristics distinguish third-place businesses from other businesses on the Main Street. The article discusses a study conducted at Main Streets in two cities and one town in Massachusetts. As part of the study, visual surveys measured urban design qualities of businesses on the Main Streets, and interviews helped determine user perceptions. The findings suggest that third places are relatively high in both personalization (distinctiveness, recognizability) and permeability to the street, but seating and shelter provisions are perhaps the most crucial urban design characteristics that contribute to sociability on the Main Street.
Recently, much research has revealed the increasing importance of natural fiber in modern applications. Natural fibers are used in many vital sectors like medicine, aerospace and agriculture. The ...cause of increasing the application of natural fiber in different fields is its eco-friendly behavior and excellent mechanical properties. The study's primary goal is to increase the usage of environmentally friendly materials. The existing materials used in brake pads are detrimental to humans and the environment. Natural fiber composites have recently been studied and effectively employed in brake pads. However, there has yet to be a comparison investigation of natural fiber and Kevlar-based brake pad composites. Sugarcane, a natural fabric, is employed in the present study to substitute trendy materials like Kevlar and asbestos. The brake pads have been developed with 5-20 wt.% SCF and 5-10 wt.% Kevlar fiber (KF) to make the comparative study. SCF compounds at 5 wt.% outperformed the entire NF composite in coefficient of friction (µ), (%) fade and wear. However, the values of mechanical properties were found to be almost identical. Although it has been observed that, with an increase in the proportion of SCF, the performance also increased in terms of recovery. The thermal stability and wear rate are maximum for 20 wt.% SCF and 10 wt.% KF composites. The comparative study indicated that the Kevlar-based brake pad specimens provide superior outcomes compared to the SCF composite for fade (%), wear performance and coefficient of friction (Δμ). Finally, the worn composite surfaces were examined using a scanning electron microscopy technique to investigate probable wear mechanisms and to comprehend the nature of the generated contact patches/plateaus, which is critical for determining the tribological behavior of the composites.
Objective
To characterize the efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination as an adjuvant therapy in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).
Data Sources
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Google ...Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science databases were queried for articles published before April 2021.
Review Methods
All retrieved studies (n = 870) were independently analyzed by two reviewers according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) statement using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. 13 studies met inclusion criteria. A random‐effects meta‐analysis was performed to study intersurgical interval (ISI) and number of surgical procedures per year before and after vaccination.
Results
The systematic review included 13 studies, comprising 243 patients. All studies utilized the Gardasil® quadrivalent vaccine, and one study (Yiu et al. 2019) utilized both the quadrivalent and Gardasil® 9‐valent vaccines. Our meta‐analysis included 62 patients with ISI data across 4 studies, and 111 patients with data on the number of surgical procedures per month across 7 studies. The mean number of surgical procedures decreased by 4.43 per year after vaccination (95% CI, −7.48 to −1.37). Mean ISI increased after vaccination, with a mean difference of 15.73 months (95% CI, 1.46–29.99). Two studies reported on HPV sero‐conversion, with HPV seropositivity of 100% prior to vaccination and 25.93% after vaccination.
Conclusion
The addition of HPV vaccination was associated with an increase in time between surgeries and reduction in the number of surgical procedures required. HPV vaccination may be a beneficial adjuvant treatment for RRP.
Level of Evidence
NA Laryngoscope, 133:2046–2054, 2023
A systematic review and meta‐analysis was done to characterize the efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination as an adjuvant therapy in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). The addition of HPV vaccination was associated with an increase in time between surgeries, and reduced the number of surgical procedures required for patients with RRP. HPV vaccination may be a beneficial adjuvant treatment for RRP.
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