bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension among Young and Middle-Aged Adults: Results from a Community-Based Survey in Rural Tanzania
Authors: Muhihi Alfa J. , Anaeli Amani , Mpembeni Rose N. M. , Sunguya Bruno F. , Leyna Germana , Kakoko Deodatus , Kessy Anna Tengia , Mwanyika Sando Mary , Njelekela Marina , Urassa David P.
Published: September 2020

Background. Hypertension, which is the single most important risk factor for CVDs, is increasing at an alarming rate in most developing countries. This study estimated the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension among young and middle-aged adults in rural Morogoro, Tanzania. Furthermore, it explored factors associated with both prevalence and awareness of hypertension. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted as part of the cluster randomized controlled study of community health workers (CHWs) interventions for reduction of blood pressure in a randomly selected sample of young and middle-aged population in rural Morogoro. Sociodemographics, lifestyle-related factors, history of diagnosis, and treatment for hypertension were collected using a questionnaire adopted from the STEPS survey tool. Blood pressure, height, and weight were measured at home following standard procedures. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess determinants of hypertension and awareness. Result. The prevalence of hypertension was 29.3% (95% CI: 27.7–31.0). Among individuals with hypertension, only 34.3% were aware of their hypertension status. Only around one-third (35.4%) of those who were aware of their hypertension status were currently on antihypertensive medication. Hypertension control was attained in only 29.9% among those on medications. Older age (p<0.001), use of raw table salt (p<0.001), and being overweight/obese (p<0.001) were associated with hypertension. Predictors of awareness of hypertension status were older age, being a female, higher socioeconomic status, use of raw table salt, a history of diabetes, and overweight/obesity (all p<0.001). Alcohol drinking was associated with low awareness for hypertension status (p<0.001). Conclusion. There is high prevalence of hypertension with low rates of awareness, treatment, and control among young and middle-aged adults in rural Tanzania. Community-level health promotion and screening campaigns for hypertension and other CVD risk factors should be intensified.
Deep Learning, Feature Learning, and Clustering Analysis for SEM Image Classification
Authors: Aversa Rossella , Coronica Piero , De Nobili Cristiano , Cozzini Stefano
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we report upon our recent work aimed at improving and adapting machine learning algorithms to automatically classify nanoscience images acquired by the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). This is done by coupling supervised and unsupervised learning approaches. We first investigate supervised learning on a ten-category data set of images and compare the performance of the different models in terms of training accuracy. Then, we reduce the dimensionality of the features through autoencoders to perform unsupervised learning on a subset of images in a selected range of scales (from 1 μm to 2 μm). Finally, we compare different clustering methods to uncover intrinsic structures in the images.
New species and new records of Phragmatopoma (Polychaeta: Sabellariidae) from Tropical America
Authors: CHÁVEZ-LÓPEZ YESSICA
Published: September 2020

The genus Phragmatopoma included, until now, only four valid species with distributions in Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic. Since most taxonomic studies of Phragmatopoma include poor and uninformative descriptions, the aim of this work was to expand previous descriptions of the sabellariids of Phragmatopoma genus from Tropical America. Sabellariids from two Mexican collections, the Reference Collection of El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, and Laboratorio de Sistemática de Invertebrados Marinos (LABSIM), Universidad del Mar, Puerto Ángel, were revised. Six hundred sixty-six specimens were revised, and eight species were identified. Three new species are proposed: Phragmatopoma balbinae n. sp., from southern Mexican Pacific, P. carlosi n. sp., from northern Mexican Pacific and P. villalobosi n. sp., from Pacific of Costa Rica. Another morphospecies, Phragmatopoma sp., from Pacific of Costa Rica is characterized; however, it is only one specimen. Two species, Phragmatopoma digitata and P. peruensis, previously buried in the synonyms of P. virgini (type locality: Straits of Magellan, Chile), are considered as valid species. Also, new records of P. californica and P. caudata were made in Baja California and Veracruz, respectively. Additionally, the use of standard terminology for the description of opercular paleae and chaetae is proposed.
Haplothrips second instar larvae (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae); character states and key to Central European species
Authors: KUCHARCZYK HALINA , STANISŁAWEK KINGA
Published: September 2020

Descriptions and images of character states are provided of the second instar larvae of 16 species of Haplothrips. Specimens used are from Poland and surrounding countries, and an identification key is presented. The most important qualitative features concern colour, sclerotization and cuticular sculpture of some body parts, spiracle structure, setal lengths and type of setal apices.
Whartonstigma subgen. nov., a new subgenus of the genus Orthostigma Ratzeburg, 1844 from Australasia (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae)
Authors: PERIS-FELIPO FRANCISCO JAVIER , BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A.
Published: September 2020

The new subgenus Whartonstigma subgen. nov., with type species Orthostigma gallowagi Wharton 2000, of the genus Orthostigma Ratzeburg, 1844 is described and illustrated. Two new species: Orthostigma (Whartonstigma) longipede sp. nov. and O. (W.) papuae sp. nov. are described from Papua New Guinea. A key to all known species of the subgenus Whartonstigma is provided.
A new cryptic Cnemaspis Strauch (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from an isolated granite hill on the Mysore Plateau, Karnataka, India
Authors: KHANDEKAR AKSHAY , THACKERAY TEJAS , AGARWAL ISHAN
Published: September 2020

We describe a cryptic new species of the Cnemaspis mysoriensis complex from an isolated rocky hillock near Yadiyur, Mandya District of south Karnataka, India. Cnemaspis stellapulvis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from all other peninsular Indian congeners by its small body size (SVL <32 mm), presence of spine-like tubercles on the flanks, heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis, two or three femoral pores on each thigh separated on either side by eight poreless scales from a continuous series of two precloacal pores in males, tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles forming whorls, median row of sub-caudals smooth and slightly enlarged, and a distinct colour pattern. The new species can be diagnosed from members of C. mysoriensis clade by the number of femoral and precloacal pores and number of poreless scales separating these series, the number of dorsal tubercles rows at mid-body, the number of ventral scales across the belly at mid-body and subtle colour pattern differences; besides 13.4–21.4 % uncorrected ND2 sequence divergence. In this paper, we define the Cnemaspis mysoriensis clade and provide a diagnosis and comparison against peninsular Indian congeners. We also provide major diagnostic characters for members of the C. mysoriensis clade. The discovery of yet another endemic species of Cnemaspis from one of the many isolated granite rocky hills on Mysore Plateau highlights the possibilities of presence of many more cryptic undescribed species.
Modeled Climate Responses to Realistic Extremes of Northern Hemisphere Spring and Summer Snow Anomalies
Authors: Liu Shizuo , Wu Qigang , Wang Lin , Schroeder Steven R. , Zhang Yang , Yao Yonghong , Hu Haibo
Published: September 2020

Northern Hemisphere (NH) snow cover extent (SCE) has diminished in spring and early summer since the 1960s. Historical simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) estimated about half as much NH SCE reduction as observed, and thus underestimated the associated climate responses. This study investigates atmospheric responses to realistic decreasing snow anomalies using multiple ensemble transient integrations of climate models forced by observed light and heavy NH snow cover years, specifically satellite-based observations of NH SCE and snow water equivalent from March to August in 1990 (light snow) and 1985 (heavy snow), as a proxy for the trend. The primary atmospheric responses to March–August NH snow reduction are decreased soil moisture, increased surface air temperature, general tropospheric warming in the extratropics and the Arctic, increased geopotential heights, and weakening of the midlatitude jet stream and eddy kinetic energy. The localized response is maintained by persistent increased diabatic heating due to reduced snow anomalies and resulting soil moisture drying, and the remote atmospheric response results partly from horizontal propagation of stationary Rossby wave energy and also from a transient eddy feedback mechanism. In summer, atmospheric responses are significant in both the Arctic and the tropics and are mostly induced by contemporaneous snow forcing, but also by the summer soil moisture dry anomaly associated with early snow melting.
Multivariate Assimilation of Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration for Drought Monitoring
Authors: Gavahi Keyhan , Abbaszadeh Peyman , Moradkhani Hamid , Zhan Xiwu , Hain Christopher
Published: September 2020

Soil moisture (SM) and evapotranspiration (ET) are key variables of the terrestrial water cycle with a strong relationship. This study examines remotely sensed soil moisture and evapotranspiration data assimilation (DA) with the aim of improving drought monitoring. Although numerous efforts have gone into assimilating satellite soil moisture observations into land surface models to improve their predictive skills, little attention has been given to the combined use of soil moisture and evapotranspiration to better characterize hydrologic fluxes. In this study, we assimilate two remotely sensed datasets, namely, Soil Moisture Operational Product System (SMOPS) and MODIS evapotranspiration (MODIS16 ET), at 1-km spatial resolution, into the VIC land surface model by means of an evolutionary particle filter method. To achieve this, a fully parallelized framework based on model and domain decomposition using a parallel divide-and-conquer algorithm was implemented. The findings show improvement in soil moisture predictions by multivariate assimilation of both ET and SM as compared to univariate scenarios. In addition, monthly and weekly drought maps are produced using the updated root-zone soil moisture percentiles over the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint basin in the southeastern United States. The model-based estimates are then compared against the corresponding U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) archive maps. The results are consistent with the USDM maps during the winter and spring season considering the drought extents; however, the drought severity was found to be slightly higher according to DA method. Comparing different assimilation scenarios showed that ET assimilation results in wetter conditions comparing to open-loop and univariate SM DA. The multivariate DA then combines the effects of the two variables and provides an in-between condition.
Odorant Monitoring in Natural Gas Pipelines Using Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy
Authors: Galassi Rossana , Contini Christian , Pucci Matteo , Gambi Ennio , Manca Gabriele
Published: September 2020

The remote, timely and in-field detection of sulfured additives in natural gas pipelines is a challenge for environmental, commercial and safety reasons. Moreover, the constant control of the level of odorants in a pipeline is required by law to prevent explosions and accidents. Currently, the detection of the most common odorants (THT = tetrahydrothiophane; TBM = tertiary butyl mercaptan) added to natural gas streams in pipelines is made in situ by using portable gas chromatography apparatuses. In this study, we report the analysis of the ultraviolet spectra obtained by a customized ultraviolet spectrophotometer, named Spectra, for the in-field detection of thiophane and tertiary butyl mercaptan. Spectra were conceived to accomplish the remote analysis of odorants in the pipelines of the natural gas stream through the adoption of technical solutions aimed to adapt a basic bench ultraviolet spectrophotometer to the in-field analysis of gases. The remotely controlled system acquires spectra continuously, performing the quantitative determination of odorants and catching systemic or accidental variations of the gaseous mixture in different sites of the pipeline. The analysis of the experimental spectra was carried out also through theoretical quantum mechanical approaches aimed to detect and to correctly assign the nature of the intrinsic electronic transitions of the two odorants, thiophane and tertiary butyl mercaptan, that cause the ultraviolet absorptions. So far, these theoretical aspects have never been studied before. The absorption maxima of thiophane and tertiary butyl mercaptan spectra were computationally simulated through the usage of selected molecular models with satisfactory results. The good matches between the experimental and theoretical datasets corroborate the reliability of the collected data. During the tests, unexpected pollutants and accidental malfunctions have been detected and also identified by Spectra, making this instrument suitable for many purposes.
Daily Life Physical Activity and Concussion Symptoms in Adolescents
Authors: Boisgontier Matthieu P. , Cheval Boris , Schmidt Julia
Published: September 2020

Background.

Concussion is a common injury in an adolescent population with up to 30% experiencing persistent symptoms. Rehabilitation programs that include aerobic exercises can reduce persistent postconcussion symptoms. However, it is unclear if daily life physical activities can also reduce symptoms.

Purpose.

To investigate whether the level of daily life physical activity reduces postconcussion symptoms in the adolescent population.

Methods.

Ten adolescents aged 11–18 years with a concussion self-reported their postconcussion symptoms and level of physical activity during the first, third, and sixth months after injury. The extent to which physical activity explained postconcussion health was analyzed using linear mixed-effects modeling.

Findings.

Higher levels of daily life physical activity were associated with fewer somatic and cognitive symptoms.

Implications.

These findings suggest that daily life physical activity, including engagement in sports, physical education, or active games, should be encouraged by occupational therapists to promote concussion recovery.
Cross-cultural Design and Healthcare Waiting Rooms for Indigenous People in Regional Australia
Authors: O’Rourke Timothy , Nash Daphne , Haynes Michele , Burgess Meredith , Memmott Paul
Published: September 2020

The theory of supportive design influences healthcare facility design but is under-researched for different cultural groups. This mixed-methods study compared two Indigenous sample populations in Australia to examine the effect of the physical environment in public hospitals and clinics on Indigenous people’s perceptions and experiences of waiting for care. Quantitative survey data ( n = 602) measured perceptions of relevant design attributes using paired images in a screen-based survey. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 55) identified concerns about the physical healthcare environment including waiting rooms. Ceiling heights, seating arrangements and views to the outside were significant showing commonalities between perceptions of the two populations. The interviews revealed that cultural and social constructs, including privacy, fear, shame, and racism, were significant and that people’s perceptions were influenced by colonization and independent of location. Our study highlights the importance of a cross-cultural approach to supportive design interventions for spatial and symbolic treatments of waiting areas.
Inclusive Leadership and Pro-Social Rule Breaking: The Role of Psychological Safety, Leadership Identification and Leader-Member Exchange
Authors: Wang Feng , Shi Wendian
Published: September 2020

This study explores the impact of inclusive leadership on employees’ pro-social rule breaking through the dual path of psychological safety and leadership identification, as well as the moderating role of leader-member exchange in the above paths. We used questionnaires to survey 303 employees at two time points. The results show that inclusive leadership has a significant positive impact on employees’ pro-social rule breaking, that psychological safety and leadership identification play mediating roles in this relationship, and that there is no significant difference between the mediating effects. Leader-member exchange moderates the indirect effect of inclusive leadership on pro-social rule breaking through psychological safety. That is, under a high level of leader-member exchange, inclusive leadership has a strong impact on psychological safety and pro-social rule breaking, but the moderating effect of inclusive leadership on employees’ pro-social rule breaking through leadership identification is not significant. This study provides guidance for improving the vitality of employees and promoting the development of enterprise rules.
The Immigrant and the Citizen: Out-Group Evaluations and Well-Being of Turkish Immigrants From Bulgaria
Authors: Korkmaz Leman , Cingöz-Ulu Banu
Published: September 2020

This study examines the postulates of the Rejection Identification Model (RIM) and Rejection Disidentification Model (RDIM) in a sample of 314 ethnic Turks from Bulgaria who migrated to Turkey. We investigate the intervening roles of immigrant and citizen identifications between perceived discrimination and the outcome variables (well-being and out-group evaluations). The results indicate that perceived discrimination predicts negative affect and out-group evaluations. Besides, Turkish citizen identification significantly and positively predicts life satisfaction and satisfaction from living in Turkey, whereas immigrant identification negatively predicts satisfaction in Turkey. Citizen identification predicts positive, and immigrant identification predicts negative out-group evaluations. Immigrant identification plays a mediating role in the link between perceived discrimination and satisfaction in Turkey as well as in that between perceived discrimination and out-group attitudes. The results imply the importance of consideration of contextual factors, including historical and cultural backgrounds, and the meaning of different identities for minority groups in predicting well-being.
Wear analysis of finger locks with different design parameters for landing gear
Authors: Hou Yu , Zhang Ming , Nie Hong
Published: September 2020

The finger lock in the retractable actuator of the landing gear will wear during repeated unlocking and locking. Therefore, the effects of six parameters including the material of the finger lock, the length of the finger lock, the diameter of the finger lock, the number of petals, and the angle of the fingertip on the unlocking force after 500 unlocking cycles are researched. Archard wear theory was performed to obtain the unlocking force after wear and the influence of six key parameters on the unlocking force in this paper. Then, wear experiment was designed and the effectiveness of model and the influence of six parameters were verified. The results show that the chamfers of the finger lock was most worn, causing the value of the axial unlocking force during the transition phase to increase, but it has little effect on the maximum unlocking axial force. The material of the lock has little effect on the axial force; the length, diameter and the number of petals are inversely proportional to the axial force, and the angle of the fingertip is proportional to the axial force. Using Archard method can effectively calculate the finger pattern wear of locks.
Research on the dynamic heat transfer of stratified air conditioning zone building surfaces in large space scale rig based on low supply-middle return
Authors: Lv Liugen , Luo Yiying , Xiang Yi , Zhou Xiangjiang , Huang Chen
Published: September 2020

Radiation heat and convection heat exist on stratified air conditioning zone building surfaces in large space, and they have significant impact on cooling load calculation and thermal comfort analysis. Actually, heat transfer in large space is usually under non-steady condition. Based on an actual large space, a 1:4 scale model experiment rig is built as research object, which has: typical sloping ceiling structure, columnar low supply air, middle return air, inner surfaces periodic heat flow simulation system, heat measurement, and control system. For stratified air conditioning zone building surfaces in large space, radiation heat transfer calculation model is presented based on Gebhart radiation model and radiation heat is calculated by matrix calculation. Convection heat transfer calculation formula is presented based on inner surfaces temperatures and indoor air temperatures. Taking two periodic heat flow experiment conditions, building surfaces temperatures and indoor air temperatures of stratified air conditioning zone in large space were collected, taking model calculation program to compute dynamic radiation heat and convection heat. The result indicated the dynamic characteristics of radiation heat and convection heat of stratified air conditioning zone building surfaces in large space. It provided some important information for dynamic heat transfer research in stratified air conditioning zone building surfaces in large space.
Robust control design for home pension service mobile robots with passive and servo constraints
Authors: Zhao Yating , Chen Xiaolong , Zhao Han
Published: September 2020

This paper presents a novel robust control design for a class of home pension service mobile robots (HPSMRs) with non-holonomic passive constraints, based on the Udwadia-Kalaba theory and Udwadia control. The approach has two portions: dynamics modeling and robust control design. The Udwadia-Kalaba theory is employed to deal with the non-holonomic passive constraints. The frame of the Udwadia control is employed to design the robust control to tracking the servo constraints. The designed approach is easy to implement because the analytical solution of the control force can explicitly be obtained even if the non-holonomic passive constraints exists. The uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness are demonstrated by the theoretical analysis. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified through the numerical simulation by a HPSMR.
An identification method of the weak link of stiffness for cantilever beam structure
Authors: Guo Tieneng , Meng Lingjun , Cao Jinxuan , Bai Chunsheng
Published: September 2020

To find the weak link of the structural stiffness is important to improve machine tool stiffness. However, how to overcome the static deformation with difficulty acquisition is a difficult problem in machine tool structure. The article takes the cantilever beam structure as a numerical example, the weak link is modeled as EA reduction in stiffness. Thorough finite element simulations are performed to assess the robustness and limitations of the method in several scenarios with single and multiple weaknesses. The sensors are used to acquire the acceleration data, the structural modal parameters are obtained by the singular value decomposition technique, and the dynamic characteristics are systematically reconstructed by using the modal state-space method to obtain static stiffness. Then, an identification method proposed by measured data and reconstructed data to identify the weak link of stiffness of the cantilever structure. Furthermore, the comparison of numerical and experimental results validate the correctness and effectiveness of this method. The research has certain practical engineering value and provides an accurate guidance for the optimization of machine tool stiffness.
Applying Lean Six Sigma to Reduce the Incidence of Unplanned Surgery Cancellation at a Large Comprehensive Tertiary Hospital in China
Authors: Zhu Ling-Feng , Qian Wei-Yang , Zhou Gang , Yang Min , Lin Jing-Jing , Jin Jing-Ling , Dong Shu-Jing , Zhu Lin-Hong , Chen Hai-Xiao
Published: September 2020

Unplanned surgery cancellation (USC) was an important quality management issue in the course of medical care for surgical patients, which caused inappropriate use of hospital resources and had negative impacts on quality and safety. This study used Lean Six Sigma to reduce the incidence of USC. Following the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) process, the main factors influencing the USC were identified, such as the time of informing patient admission, the time of submitting operation notice, and the management of test report follow-up. A series of measures were implemented including improving the health education content of virtual bed patients, standardizing the way of communication between the Admission Management Center and the patients, improving the timing of anesthesia evaluation, optimizing the process of operation notice with an information system, and implementing the regulations of virtual bed management. The incidence of USC reduced from 10.21% in Jan. 2016 to 3.8% in Dec. 2016, and the Z-score increased from 1.25 to 1.68, which improved patient safety and demonstrated that Lean Six Sigma was an effective method to solve cross-department issues in hospital.
Adaptive quasi-Monte Carlo method for uncertainty evaluation in centroid measurement of planetary rovers
Authors: Na Qiang , Hu Shurong , Tao Jianguo , Luo Yang
Published: September 2020

The measurement of the centroid is of great significance to improve the control performance and reduce the energy consumption of the planetary rover (PR). The uncertainty is an essential indicator of the reliability of centroid measurement results. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the uncertainty of centroid measurement in the multi-configuration rover. For the measurement of the centroid, the model with 37 parameters of two measurements as the input and the centroid coordinates as the output is derived. Further, the mechanical and electrical integrated system is developed, which can measure the centroid of PRs in different configurations and sizes. Moreover, to overcome the shortcomings of the Monte Carlo method (MCM) in uncertainty evaluation, an adaptive algorithm that automatically determines the number of input sequences is proposed. On this basis, an adaptive quasi-Monte Carlo method (AQMCM) is presented in order to accelerate the uncertainty evaluation, which is characterized by the randomized Sobol sequence. Besides, experiments are performed to compare the uncertainty evaluation process and results of the AQMCM and the adaptive Monte Carlo method (AMCM) in multiple configurations. The result shows that the standard uncertainty of the AQMCM is almost the same as that of the AMCM, but the sequence size of AQMCM is evidently smaller than that of AMCM. Taken together, we identify that the AQMCM evaluates the uncertainty of CM for the multi-configuration rover in an efficient and fast way. Furthermore, the AQMCM provides a new method for uncertainty evaluation, particularly for nonlinear models in different states.
Personal Income Tax Compliance at the Regional Level: The Role of Persistence, Neighborhood, and Decentralization
Authors: López-Laborda Julio , Vallés-Giménez Jaime , Zárate-Marco Anabel
Published: September 2020

This article quantifies personal income tax compliance by regions for the first time in Spain and identifies the factors explaining differences in tax compliance between regions, an aspect that has scarcely been analyzed in the literature. To this end, and in addition to the dynamic and spatial components considered by Alm and Yunus, this article considers the variables included in the classical tax evasion model of Allingham and Sandmo, as well as tax morale and political-institutional variables, including those linked to the country’s fiscal decentralization. The results obtained confirm, on one hand, those reached in the very extensive literature studying tax evasion from the individual perspective (including the importance of the dynamic element) and, on the other, the relevance of the spatial component in explaining tax compliance, so that greater or lesser tax compliance is partly explained by factors such as the tax behavior of neighbors or how those neighbors are treated by the public sector.
Characterizing the Regional Structure in the United States: A County-based Analysis of Labor Market Centrality
Authors: Kaza Nikhil , Nesse Katherine
Published: September 2020

Categorizing places based on their network connections to other places in the region reveals not only population concentration but also economic dynamics that are missed in other typologies. The US Office of Management and Budget categorization of counties into metropolitan/micropolitan and central/outlying is widely seen as insufficient for many analytic purposes. In this article, we use a coreness index from network analysis to identify labor market centrality of a county. We use county-to-county commute flows, including internal commuting, to identify regional hierarchies. Indicators broken down by this typology reveal counterintuitive results in many cases. Not all strong core counties have large populations or high levels of urbanization. Employment in these strong core counties grew faster in the postrecession (2008–2015) than in other types of counties. This economic dimension is missed by other typologies, suggesting that our categorization may be useful for regional analysis and policy.
Parental Migration, Parental Emotional Support, and Adolescent Children’s Life Satisfaction in Rural China: The Roles of Parent and Child Gender
Authors: Shu Binbin
Published: September 2020

Previous literature on transnational families has raised concerns about the subjective well-being of left-behind children affected by different parental migration arrangements. From a gender perspective that considers both the parent’s gender and the child’s gender, this study reexamines the associations between parental migration arrangements and adolescent children’s life satisfaction, and then investigates how such associations vary by parental emotional support. Drawing on data gathered from 1,741 adolescent students in rural areas of Hunan province, China, the study shows that maternal migration and both-parent migration pose emotional challenges to adolescent children, although the former is only negatively associated with girls’ life satisfaction. In addition, emotional support from staying-behind fathers is found able to moderate the emotional costs of being separated from migrant mothers, but then only for boys. Findings reveal the roles of parent and child gender in the “migration–left behind nexus.”
Theoretical and Operational Consideration of Mindfulness, Resilience, and Resourcefulness
Authors: Musil Carol M. , Wallace McKenzie K. , Jeanblanc Alexandra B. , Toly Valerie B. , Zauszniewski Jaclene A. , Burant Christopher J.
Published: September 2020

Mindfulness, resilience, and resourcefulness are theoretically distinct but related constructs critical for improving psychosocial well-being outcomes for informal caregivers and others. Our aims were to evaluate the theoretical and operational distinctions among these constructs. Measures of mindfulness (Decentering Scale), resilience (Connor-Davidson Scale) and resourcefulness (Resourcefulness Scale) were collected from a national sample of 348 grandmother caregivers. We conducted exploratory factor analysis and examined correlation patterns. Inter-correlations ranged from r= .26 (resourcefulness and resilience) to r= .73 (resilience and mindfulness). Factor analyses and scree plots indicated unidimensional factors for resilience and for mindfulness, and two factors for resourcefulness (personal and social). When items from all measures were analyzed together, the four factors remained. Distinct relationships were found between mindfulness, resilience, and resourcefulness with relevant external variables. Our results support the conceptual distinctions among the constructs, providing support for interventions targeting these constructs to improve psychosocial outcomes in caregivers.
Understanding International Immobility through Internal Migration: “Left behind” Nurses in the Philippines
Authors: Ortiga Yasmin Y. , Macabasag Romeo Luis A.
Published: September 2020

Migration scholars have tended to portray internal mobility as a step toward broader cross-border movement, reinforcing the notion of ongoing progress toward international migration. This article argues for a need to recognize how internal mobility can also explain international immobility, or why people do not move across national borders. Using the case of Filipino nurses, we argue that while internal migration does allow aspiring migrants to build the potential ability to emigrate, individual trajectories are much more diverse and multi-directional, often prolonging or reinforcing their international immobility. As a result, and in our case study, the costs and burdens of constant internal movement can also alter nurses’ migration aspirations, prompting them to either alter their original goals or acquiesce to their inability to leave their origin countries. This article calls for migration scholarship to address not only a “mobility bias” within the field but also the over-focus on international migration, rather than internal mobility, as a subject of study.
Spotlight on Oculogyric Crisis: A Review
Authors: Mahal Pankaj , Suthar Navratan , Nebhinani Naresh
Published: September 2020

Background:

Oculogyric crisis (OGC) is a form of acute dystonia characterized by sustained dystonic, conjugate, and upward deviation of the eyes. It was initially reported in patients with postencephalitic parkinsonism. But later, other factors such as medications, movement disorders, metabolic disorders, and focal brain lesions were also found to be associated with OGC.

Methods:

The literature regarding OGC was searched via PubMed, Google Scholar, and through citations in relevant articles till December 2019, with keywords including OGC, oculogyric eye movements, tonic eye movement, neuroleptics and OGC, antipsychotics and OGC, and all combinations of these. Only original articles (abstract or full text) that were published in the English language were reviewed.

Results:

Hypodopaminergic state is implicated in the pathogenesis of OGC. Common risk factors are younger age, male sex, severe illness, high neuroleptic dose, parenteral administration of neuroleptics, high potency of neuroleptic drugs, abrupt discontinuation of anticholinergic medication, and family history of dystonia.

Conclusion:

OGC is an acute dystonic reaction leading to tonic upward deviation of eyes. It is associated with various neurometabolic, neurodegenerative, and movement disorders and medications such as antipsychotics, antiemetics, antidepressants, antiepileptics, and antimalarials. OGC can adversely impact the compliance and prognosis of the primary illness. Hence, it needs to be managed at earlier stages with appropriate medication, primarily anticholinergics.
Dimensionality of speech fluency: Examining the relationships among complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) features of speaking performances on the Aptis test
Authors: Yan Xun , Kim Ha Ram , Kim Ji Young
Published: September 2020

Speech fluency has been extensively researched as a core construct for second language (L2) speaking assessment. Despite the broad consensus on its multifaceted nature, few researchers have empirically explored the dimensionality of this construct. Operationalizations of fluency vary across research and practice, using both holistic and fine-grained features. To address the dimensionality of speech fluency, in this study we examined an array of fluency features of speaking performances on the Aptis test. We conducted both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to investigate the relationship between individual fluency features and language proficiency, as well as the relationships among fluency, complexity, and accuracy features. We found differences in the holistic and fine-grained fluency features, suggesting that they might reflect different dimensions of speech fluency and be associated with different components of language proficiency. Based on the findings, we labeled these two types of fluency features as macro and micro fluencies. Whereas macro fluency features tend to entail a holistic representation of fluency, micro fluency features tend to be more closely related to the automatic processing of lexico-grammar, constituting a more direct reflection of the cognitive processes in speech production. The findings support the multidimensionality of speech fluency and the need to include both macro and micro fluency features in the scoring, scale development, and validation of L2 speaking assessment.
A case series of transcatheter Potts Shunt creation in a pediatric population affected with refractory pulmonary artery hypertension: focus on the role of ECMO
Authors: Mirabile Cristian , Malekzadeh-Milani Sophie , Bojan Mirela , Raisky Olivier , Gaudin Regis , Bonnet Damien , Boudjemline Younes
Published: September 2020

Purpose:

Patients with suprasystemic idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (S-PAH) have a poor prognosis. Therapeutic options are limited. Reverse Potts shunt creation modifies physiology transforming patients with PAH into Eisenmenger physiology with a better outcome. Percutaneous transcatheter stent secured aortopulmonary connection (transcatheter Potts Shunt, TPS) is a feasible very high-risk procedural option in such patients. We report our experience with patients undergoing TPS at our institution requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.

Methods:

A prospective observational study of patients with drug-refractory PAH, worsening NYHA class, and right ventricular failure undergoing TPS. Two patients required rescue ECMO for cardiac arrest during the procedure. Subsequently, “standby ECMO” was available in all the following cases and elective support was provided in patients with extremely poor conditions.

Results:

Ten pediatric patients, underwent TPS at our institution. Two patients were rescued by ECMO after cardiac arrest during the shunt creation. This occurred as a result of the acute loading of the left ventricle (LV) after retrograde aortic arch filling through the Potts shunt. Following this, another two patients underwent elective ECMO after the uneventful induction of anesthesia. They all died postoperatively despite a successful TPS procedure. The causes of death were not related to the use of ECMO, but the complication of severe PAH. Six patients with successful TPS did not require ECMO and survived.

Conclusions:

TPS is a pioneering procedure offering the opportunity to treat high-risk idiopathic drug-refractory PAH patients. Acute LV failure is a complication of TPS in patients with S-PAH. Elective ECMO, an option to avoid circulatory arrest and acute profound hypoxia secondary to exclusive right-to left shunt systemic perfusion by Potts shunt and LV dysfunction with resulting pulmonary edema, may be used at the early stage of the learning curve, but it does not influence the prognosis of these patients which remains poor.
Techno-Social Disruption, Autobiographical Obsolescence and Nostalgia: Why Parental Concerns about Smart Phones and Social Media Have Historical Precedents as Old as the Printed Word
Authors: Areni Charles
Published: September 2020

Contemporary concerns that social media – and its hardware accomplice the smart phone – dumb down, socially isolate and cause addiction among users have historical precedents in earlier reactions to the Internet, television, radio, and even the printed word. Automated and interpretive analyses of thousands of comments on YouTube videos of products (Study 1) and television programs (Study 2) from the past suggest a link between concerns about the negative effects of smart phones and social media and autobiographical obsolescence, a sense that the lived past is psychologically disconnected from the present and irrelevant to the future. Ironically, having nostalgia experiences on social media may provide older consumers with a psychological remedy. Viewing and commenting on video material from the past helps them verify the reality of the lived past and establish its relevance to younger generations. Suspicion of the latest disruptive communication technology (DCT) may simply be part of this broader psychological restoration process.
Expression of IL17A in endometrial carcinoma and effects of IL17A on biological behaviour in Ishikawa cells
Authors: Cheng Ran , Xue Xiaoou , Liu Xiaoli
Published: September 2020

Objective

A growing body of evidence suggests chronic inflammation triggers the process of endometrial carcinogenesis. Interleukin (IL) 17A is an important proinflammatory factor involved in the tumour angiogenesis processes of many solid tumours. This study aimed to characterize the function of IL17A in endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma.

Methods

Levels of IL17A in human endometrial tissues were analysed by immunohistochemistry. In vitro proliferation and migration were analysed in Ishikawa cells treated with IL17A, using cell counting kit-8, wound healing and transwell assays. Western blots were used to analyse levels of oestrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ proteins in Ishikawa cells treated with IL17A.

Results

IL17A levels were significantly higher in endometrial carcinoma tissues than in endometrial hyperplasic tissues. Significantly increased proliferation and migration was observed in Ishikawa cells treated with IL17A versus controls. Investigation of the molecular mechanism revealed that IL17A treatment upregulated the ERα/ERβ protein ratio in Ishikawa cells.

Conclusions

IL17A may be an important proinflammatory factor involved in promoting endometrial carcinogenesis.
Crises of the communist and neoliberal orders 30 years later: A structural comparison between 1975 and 2019 Poland
Authors: Zarycki Tomasz
Published: September 2020

This article proposes to look at the current moment in the recent history of the so-called Central-European countries, with Poland as a critical case study, through a structural comparison with an earlier historical cycle, that is one of the first three decades of the communist rule in the region. Thus, I propose to compare the social and economic situation in Poland of circa 1975 with that of 2019, so 30 years after the establishment of a new given political order (30 years after 1945 and 1989 respectively). The paper will offer a general overview of the trajectory of Poland in the post-war era, based primarily on the perspective of the world-system theory and that of the critical sociology of elites, one which will also point to the essential structural contexts of the post-communist dynamics of society. This paper will be based on a basic observation: even if both the 1970s and late 2010s can be considered as periods of relative political stabilization and economic growth for the region as such, and Poland in particular, these countries are, at the same time, subjected to a considerable and even increasing economic dependence on the Western core. In the conclusions, it is argued that the proposed comparative approach, taking into account both an earlier historical cycle and the broader structural dependency of the region, may allow to cast a new light on the nature of current dynamics in Polish politics as well as on the possible future trajectories of the country.
‘Down with communism – Power to the people’: The legacies of 1989 and beyond
Authors: Ray Larry , Stoyanova Veronika
Published: September 2020

This special issue brings together reflections on the thirtieth anniversary of the revolutions of 1989 and considers their consequences for our understandings of European and global society. What seemed for some at least the surprising and rapid collapse of Eastern European state socialism prompted rethinking in social theory about the potential for emancipatory politics and new modes of social and political organization. At the same time, there was increased reflection on the nature of varieties of capitalism and the meaning of socialism beyond the failure of at least its etatist and autarkic mode. The five articles here and the editors’ introduction address themes such as utopian hopes, civil society, the transformation of Europe, the world beyond 1989, and new configurations of power and conflict.
Facilitating Staff Adoption of New Policies and Procedures in Aged Care Through Training for Readiness for Change
Authors: von Treuer Kathryn M. , McCabe Marita P. , Karantzas Gery , Mellor David , Konis Anastasia , Davison Tanya E.
Published: September 2020

This study examined whether training staff in preparation for organizational changes, such as the implementation of new practices, can increase levels of change readiness in residential aged care. Four aspects of organizational readiness were compared across time and between training and control conditions. Participants ( n = 129) were employed in eight residential aged care facilities in Australia. Survey data were collected at four time-points: preintervention and three postintervention time-points. The two conditions (training and control) differed significantly from one another on the subscales of appropriateness, personal valence, and efficacy postintervention but not at preintervention. The finding of support diminishing at 6 month and 12 months following the intervention for the training group was unexpected. The findings suggest that within aged care facilities, training in change processes may enhance an organization’s readiness for change, and booster training may be needed to help to sustain all aspects of change readiness over time.
Heterogeneity in the Effects of Food Vouchers on Nutrition Among Low-Income Adults: A Quantile Regression Analysis
Authors: White Justin S. , Vasconcelos Gabriel , Harding Matthew , Carroll Mandy M. , Gardner Christopher D. , Basu Sanjay , Seligman Hilary K.
Published: September 2020

Purpose:

To determine whether baseline fruit and vegetable (FV) intake or other predictors are associated with response to food vouchers (change in FV intake) among low-income adults.

Design:

Secondary analysis of a randomized, 2 x 2-factorial, community-based trial.

Setting:

San Francisco, California.

Subjects:

359 low-income adults aged ≥21 years old.

Intervention:

Participants were mailed $20 of food vouchers monthly for 6 months, and randomized to 1 of 4 arms according to: eligible foods (FV only or any foods) and redemption schedule (weekly or monthly).

Measures:

Change in FV intake measured in cup equivalents between baseline and month 6 of the trial, based on 24-hour dietary recalls.

Analysis:

Quantile multivariate regressions were employed to measure associations between key predictors and change in FV intake across study arms.

Results:

FV-only weekly vouchers were associated with increased FV intake at the 25th percentile (0.24 cups/day, p = 0.048) and 50th percentile (0.37 cups/day, p = 0.02) of the distribution, but not at lower and higher quantiles. Response to the vouchers diminished 0.10 cups/day for each additional household member ( p = 0.02).

Conclusion:

Response to food vouchers varied along the FV intake distribution, pointing to some more responsive groups and others potentially needing additional support to increase FV intake. Larger households likely need vouchers of higher dollar value to result in similar changes in dietary intake as that observed in smaller households.