bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transverse forced nonlinear vibration analysis of a double-beam system with a supporting nonlinearity
Authors: Zhao Yuhao , Hu Xingyu , Du Jingtao , Liu Yang , He Feifan
Published: December 2022

To exploit the potential application of supporting nonlinearity in marine engineering, an attempt is made to establish the transverse forced vibration analysis model of a double-beam system supported by a spring-mass system that is nonlinear. This kind of vibration system consists of two beam sections, boundary supports, a coupling component, and a nonlinear spring-mass arrangement. The variational approach and the generalized Hamiltonian concept are used to develop the governing equations of such a double-beam system. The Galerkin truncation method (GTM) is a technique for obtaining the governing equations’ residual equations. By solving the associated residual equations numerically, the nonlinear responses of the double-beam system can be figured out. The GTM has good solidity and correctness in the prediction of the vibration system’s forced transverse vibration. The dynamic responses of the double-beam structure supported by a spring-mass system that is nonlinear are subtle to their initial calculation values. Appropriate parameters of the nonlinear support will subdue the level of vibration at the boundary of the double-beam system. In contrast, unsuitable parameters of the nonlinear support motivate complex dynamic responses of the double-beam system and harmfully influence the vibration repression at the boundary of the vibration system.
“Are You Safe at Home?”: Clinician's Assessments for Intimate Partner Violence at the Initial Obstetric Visit
Authors: Huang Cecilia , Hill Amber , Miller Elizabeth , Soudi Abdesalam , Flick Diane , Buranosky Raquel , Holland Cynthia L. , Hawker Lynn , Chang Judy C.
Published: December 2022

Few studies have empirically examined patient–clinician conversations to assess how intimate partner violence (IPV) screening is performed. Our study sought to examine audio-recorded first obstetric encounters’ IPV screening conversations to describe and categorize communication approaches and explore associations with patient disclosure. We analyzed 247 patient encounters with 47 providers. IPV screening occurred in 95% of visits: 57% used direct questions, 25% used indirect questions, 17% repeated IPV screening later in the visit, 11% framed questions with a reason for asking, and 10% described IPV types. Patients disclosed IPV in 71 (28.7%) visits. There were no associations between disclosure and any categories of IPV screening.
Does Self-Silencing Behavior Mediate the Relation Between Rejection Sensitivity and Sexual Violence Victimization?
Authors: Freitag Stephanie L. , Lenzenweger Mark F. , Crowson H. Michael
Published: December 2022

Previous research reveals that rejection sensitivity is associated with both sexual violence victimization and self-silencing behavior, yet the association among these variables has not been examined. As the foundation for this study, we propose a theoretical model that integrates these constructs. Using mediational analyses with bootstrapping, the results from a sample of 241 heterosexual college women revealed that consistent with the proposed model, self-silencing mediated the link between rejection sensitivity and reports of unwanted sexual contact and rape. The implications of the findings for the prevention of victimization/revictimization and interventions with victimized women are discussed.
Behavioral Outcomes of Children With In-Utero Opioid Exposure Age 2-7 and Parenting Self-Efficacy
Authors: Arter Sara , Kiel Elizabeth , McAllister Jennifer , Hay M. Cameron
Published: December 2022

Background:

The relationship between behavior difficulties and parenting self-efficacy in children with in-utero opioid exposure (IOE) remains a significant gap that needs to be addressed for providers to better understand the mental health trajectories of children with IOE and help these families.

Aims:

In this study, caregivers’ perception of their child’s behavior and potential relationships between parenting self-efficacy, child temperament, and behavior difficulties were investigated.

Methods:

A descriptive survey design with a convenience sample of 143 caregivers of 2- to 7-year-old children with IOE who had follow-up visits in a Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) clinic was used for this study. Data were collected using a survey of demographics, the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale.

Results:

The overall sample scored in the average range of behavior difficulties, but a subgroup of children with very high difficulties was identified who exhibited a negative temperament, and caregivers reported a lower sense of parenting competence. There were no differences between groups on demographic variables.

Conclusions:

High negative affect and low effortful control are predictive of later internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as broader problems in self-regulation, school readiness, and socioemotional competence. Thus, although a large percentage of children treated for NAS appear to be functioning at the same level as their peers, a subset of children appears to be at higher risk. Child behavior as well as caregiver self-efficacy should be assessed during all provider encounters.
Long term outcomes of ‘Christmas Tree’ banding for haemodialysis access induced distal ischemia: A 13-year experience
Authors: Ravindhran Bharadhwaj , Totty Joshua P , Sidapra Misha , Lathan Ross , Carradice Daniel , Chetter Ian C , Smith George E
Published: December 2022

Background:

The reduction in distal arterial flow following arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation can cause a perfusion deficit known as haemodialysis access induced distal ischemia (HAIDI). Various techniques have been advocated to treat this difficult problem with varying success. We present the long-term outcomes following a novel banding technique.

Methods:

46 patients in this cohort from 2008 to 2021 underwent a novel banding procedure using a Dacron™ patch shaped with one slit-end and saw-tooth edges (resulting in a ‘Christmas-tree’ pattern) to provide a ratchet mechanism to progressively constrict the fistula outflow. Real-time finger perfusion pressure monitoring allowed an accurate reduction in AVF flow whilst increasing distal arterial perfusion pressure. Baseline characteristic were recorded and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were obtained to calculate the post-intervention primary, assisted primary and secondary patency.

Results:

29 patients presented with rest pain and 11 presented with tissue loss due to distal ischemia. The post-intervention primary access patency was 100%, 98%, 78% and 61% at 30, 60 and 180 days and 1 year respectively. Complete resolution of symptoms was achieved in 74% ( n = 34) of patients and a partial response needing no further intervention was achieved in 11% ( n = 5) of patients. A Youden index calculation suggested that digital pressures of 41 mm Hg or lower in an open AVF were highly sensitive for symptomatic hand ischemia whereas pressures greater than 65 mm Hg ruled out distal ischemia.

Conclusion:

‘Christmas-tree’ banding with on table finger systolic pressures is not only an efficacious and durable method for treating HAIDI but also preserves fistula patency.
Career decision-making as dynamic semiosis: Autoethnographic trajectory equifinality modeling
Authors: Tsuchimoto Teppei , Sato Tatsuya
Published: December 2022

This study aims to describe and analyze the career decision-making of the first author in the context of life trajectory using autoethnographic trajectory equifinality modeling (Auto-TEM). The life story and analysis of the first author indicate that career decision-making is a constant pre-constructive process in the life trajectory of an individual. This process is a semiotic and trans-action one between the individual and society. In other words, career decision-making is an issue of the cultural psychology of dynamic semiosis, which is concerned with understanding the manner in which the life trajectory of a person promotes or inhibits socio-culturalism and not only a subject of matching and self-esteem. Alternatively, we emphasize that career decision-making for an individual is an act of meaning with a unique ontological aspect. We propose the value of Auto-TEM as a qualitative method for describing such a dynamic career decision-making process. The autoethnographic viewpoint renders possible the understandings of the dynamics of the personal–collective culture synthesis for the subject.
Locked down or locked out? Trends in psychiatric emergency services utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Duncan Alison , Herrera Carolina-Nicole , Okobi Margaret , Nandi Shurobhi , Oblath Rachel
Published: December 2022

Objective

To estimate changes in Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST) psychiatric emergency services (PES) encounter volume (total and by care team) and inpatient disposition during the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Data on 30,657 PES encounters was extracted from the four-county, BEST reporting system. The study period consisted of the first 34 weeks of 2019 and 2020. This period corresponded to the first five stages of Massachusetts’s COVID-19 public health restrictions: pre-lockdown, lockdown, Phase I, II and III reopenings. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed to estimate changes in encounter volume by care team and disposition.

Results

Compared to the same period in 2019, covariate-adjusted, weekly PES encounters decreased by 39% (β = −0.40, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = [−0.51, −0.28], p < 0.00) during the lockdown. PES volume remained significantly lower during Phase I reopening compared to the previous year but returned to 2019 levels during Phase II. The covariate-adjusted proportion of weekly encounters that led to inpatient admission significantly increased by 16% (CI = [0.11, 0.21], p < 0.00) for mobile crisis teams (MCTs) and significantly declined by 13% (CI = [−0.19, −0.07], p < 0.00) for BEST-designated emergency departments during the lockdown period compared to the prior year.

Conclusions

The overall drop in PES utilization and the rise in inpatient admissions for MCT encounters suggests that during the early phases of the pandemic, patients delayed psychiatric care until they had a psychiatric crisis. Public health messaging about the lockdowns and absent equivalent messaging about the availability of telehealth services may have made patients more reluctant to seek psychiatric care.
Inhibitory Control Training Improves Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Externalizing Behavior
Authors: Nejati Vahid , Fallah Fatemeh , Raskin Sarah
Published: December 2022

Background

Based on dysexecutive function theory of Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), inhibitory control plays a crucial role in ADHD symptoms and respective behavioral problems.

Methods

In the present study, 30 preschoolers with ADHD were recruited in a random clinical trial design in two control and intervention groups. The Flanker and Go/No-Go tasks, Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale, and Child Behavior Checklist were used for assessment at baseline, after the intervention, and 1-month follow-up sessions. The program for attentive rehabilitation of inhibition and selective attention (PARISA) was used for intervention in 10–12 sessions.

Results

Findings showed an improvement in prepotent inhibition and interference control in the intervention group. Furthermore, the hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms were ameliorated, and the externalizing behavioral problems were improved after the intervention.

Conclusion

Inhibitory control in preschoolers with ADHD is trainable, and the training gain could be transferred to ADHD symptoms and externalizing behavior.
‘Madness’ after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina – challenging dominant understandings of distress
Authors: Maglajlic Reima Ana , Vejzagić Halida , Palata Jasmin , Mills China
Published: December 2022

This article reports on the findings from a small-scale co-produced qualitative study on experiences of distress caused by the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Inspired by the emerging interdisciplinary field of Mad Studies, the study is novel and unique in two ways. First, it prioritises social understanding and interpretation of madness and distress. Second, an emphasis is placed on experiential knowledge. Beyond interviews with 20 people who experienced distress due to political conflict, this included contextualisation of the study in the knowledge generated through survivor research and within the field of Mad Studies. Study findings highlight the social causes and consequences of distress caused by conflict, such as war-related violence, gender-based violence, experiences of poverty and corruption. Participants stressed the importance of safety and support within their own home, mutual and supportive relationships with their families, friends, other people who experienced distress, the broader community and opportunities to do everyday activities they enjoy. In terms of professional support, the findings suggest that poverty alleviation and protection of people’s right to self-determination through access to human rights advocacy and representation may be as relevant as non-coercive community-based services. This indicates that support for distress caused by political conflict need not be different from any other support for people who experience distress. Emphasis should be placed on survivor-run initiatives and non-coercive, community-based support which addresses social causes of distress and enables people to exercise self-determination.
‘I want to be judged on my work, I don’t want to be judged as a person’: Inequality, expertise and cultural value in UK craft
Authors: Patel Karen
Published: December 2022

This article focuses on the relationship between inequality, expertise and cultural value in UK professional craft. Drawing on interviews with ethnically diverse women makers, I explore how getting their craft skills recognised and valued as expertise hinders their ability to establish a full-time career in craft. This is because judgements of craft expertise are largely predicated on aesthetic codes and classifications which are historically racialised, gendered and classed. In order to address these exclusionary processes, I argue that expertise in craft, which refers to the practical skills of production and the capacities of the maker, should be more central to evaluative judgements. I draw on Janet Wolff’s work on community evaluation to discuss how evaluative judgements about craft expertise can be less universalizing and instead located within specific contexts and communities. I propose that community evaluation could help to reframe what ideas of craft expertise are and address existing inequalities in the sector.
A natural experiment: Assessment of Danish high-school students’ alcohol drinking patterns from 2014 and 2019 after the introduction of a common alcohol policy
Authors: Pisinger Veronica S. C. , Hoffmann Sofie Have , Krølner Rikke , Tolstrup Janne
Published: December 2022

Aim:

In this study, using national survey data from 2014 and 2019, we tested the hypothesis that students at schools who introduced a common alcohol policy in 2017 drank less than students at schools without a common policy.

Methods:

We used survey data from 41 high schools that participated in the Danish National Youth Study in 2014 and 2019. We perceived the introduction of a common high-school alcohol policy in 2017 among local groups of high schools as a natural experiment and assessed it using difference-in-difference analyses. We assessed drinking patterns from 2014 and 2019 among students at schools with and without a common alcohol policy combined and stratified by sex in negative binominal regression and logistic regression models. Drinking patterns were measured as average weekly alcohol use, average alcohol intake at last school party, proportion of non-drinkers and frequent binge drinkers.

Results:

Drinking patterns were similar among students in schools with and without a common alcohol policy. For example, among students at schools with a common alcohol policy, the average alcohol intake at the last school party among drinkers was 8.7 units in 2014 and 8.5 units in 2019, whereas average alcohol intake among students at schools without a common alcohol policy was 8.8 units in 2014 and 8.9 units in 2019 ( p=0.413).

Conclusions:

No statistically significant effects were observed following the introduction of a common alcohol policy on students’ drinking patterns, and alcohol consumption among high-school students was stable and remained high in 2014 and in 2019.
Tacit and embedded as forms: A tropological approach to neoliberalism
Authors: Sutton David
Published: December 2022

What might we learn by considering the social and literary forms that makeup neoliberalism, and their relationship to the figurations of anthropological thought and writing? Inspired by tropological work in literary criticism and anthropology, this article considers how two terms introduced into the analytic literature by Karl and Michael Polanyi—embeddedness and tacit knowledge respectively—can give us new insights into important aspects of neoliberal practice. In considering the interrelation of these tropes, we can begin to parse out the relationship among several key aspects of the practice of neoliberalism: marketization, audit culture, and quantification; and how these are intertwined in their opposition to embeddedness and tacit knowledge. This article considers what different forms afford for analytic thinking about our present moment, as well as for formulating various protests and oppositions to neoliberalism.
Response of carbon/PEEK automotive driveshafts with/without an inner isotropic layer at high temperature considering temperature-dependent material properties
Authors: Hastie James C. , Guz Igor A. , Kashtalyan Maria
Published: December 2022

Lightweight fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (FRTP) driveshafts are ideal for automotive applications. In this work, material and buckling failures of FRTP driveshafts subjected to torsion at elevated temperature are analysed by finite element modelling. Critical speed at increasing temperature is also quantified. The driveshafts comprise unidirectional carbon/polyetheretherketone (PEEK) layers with/without an inner layer of aluminium or unreinforced plastic. Temperature-dependent material properties are considered. The results demonstrate achievable performance of the fully carbon/PEEK and hybrid driveshafts, which are compared with traditional alloy counterparts. The carbon/PEEK shaft exhibits marked temperature sensitivity but satisfies the design requirements at high temperature with significant weight reduction. A hybrid shaft composed of carbon/PEEK layers over-wrapped onto an aluminium tube provides a compromise in terms of superior buckling resistance and critical speed but reduced material failure safety factor. Utilising a thick layer of unreinforced plastic to reduce fibre volume may only be suitable for low-temperature, low-speed applications.
Flame detection via active plasma probing
Authors: Wang Linyan , Yu Xiao , Zheng Ming
Published: December 2022

Combustion diagnostics of highly diluted air fuel mixtures are of great importance for reducing the carbon footprint of various types of combustion systems. Flame detection techniques, such as ion sensing and optical diagnostics, have been reported for diagnosing combustion status. In this paper, a flame front detection technique based on active plasma probing is introduced and analyzed. Unlike the conventional ion sensing used in internal combustion engines, a separate electrode gap is used to detect the flame front arrival. Further, the voltage potential across the electrodes of the spark plug probe is modulated actively to be slightly below the breakdown threshold prior to flame arrival. At the arrival of the flame front, the ions in the flame tend to decrease the breakdown voltage threshold and trigger a breakdown event. An optically accessible constant volume combustion vessel is employed to investigate the efficacy of such active plasma probing for the detection of the flame front under quiescent and flow conditions. Three types of fuels are used in the tests, including methane, propane, and DME, with an air fuel ratio sweep (from stoichiometric to extremely lean) for each fuel. Efforts are made to characterize the probing criteria of minimum, yet adequate voltage to succeed in the detection of the arrival and departure of the flame front most sensitively and reliably, for all three types of fuels under various mixture strengths. For comparison, conventional ion current measurements are conducted under identical background conditions to benchmark the efficacy of flame detection. Results show that the active plasma probing can promptly detect the arrival and departure of the flame front, robustly regardless of the fuel type and excess air ratios. The precise control of the detecting voltage is key for reliable flame detection with high sensitivity.
The relevance of the eighteenth century to modern political theory
Authors: Alexander James
Published: December 2022

The eighteenth century is still the bottleneck of the history of political theory: the century that separates pre-economic theorists such as Machiavelli, Bodin and Hobbes from post-economic theorists such as Hegel, Mill and Marx. Political thinking became immeasurably much more complicated in the eighteenth century: and yet historians, after at least half a century of extremely judicious scholarship, still have difficulty explaining its significance for contemporary theory. Sagar's Adam Smith Reconsidered is an important contribution to the attempt to clarify just how modern political theorists should look backward – without hastening back to the abstractions of the seventeenth century or remaining confined to particular involutions of the nineteenth century. Its specific originality is in drawing attention to two important ideas of Adam Smith, seldom seen clearly or at all, ‘the quirk of rationality’ and ‘the conspiracy of merchants’. Political theorists as well as historians of political thought will benefit from familiarising themselves with these ideas.
From slogans to frameworks: Embedded values or postdigital positionality?
Authors: Hayes Sarah , Jandrić Petar
Published: December 2022

This article explores ways in which higher education (HE) slogans, together with related frameworks and policies, increasingly invade the personal, cultural and positional values of individual staff and students. After a quick exploration of examples of embedded university values that are expected to be ‘lived’, the article outlines some epistemic implications in areas including epistemic positioning, epistemic injustice, epistemic space, data epistemologies, epistemic dominance and epistemic violence. Concluding that epistemologies are always lived, the article explores slogans at the intersections of biology, information and society using the case of excellence. Finally, the article briefly opens up the question of consent. Slogans, frameworks and policy texts exist as all other data assemblages that are subject to regulation. Should they also need to conform to such, or similar, regulations?
Setting bounds for in-plane shear induced fiber angle deviations in bi-axial non-crimp fabrics
Authors: de Zeeuw Chantal M , Peeters Daniel MJ , Bergsma Otto K , Benedictus Rinze
Published: December 2022

For pick-and-place processes to become widely implemented in industry a consistent and acceptable product quality needs to be achieved. In the state of the art it is assumed that reinforcements will be in perfect condition at the start of forming or draping. In reality the handling process can already result in undesired deformations. The current work will look at fiber angle deviations that occur during this process due to in-plane shear. It is shown that bounds can be set for these fiber angle deviations based on experimental work. Periodic representative volume element homogenization is used to obtain homogenized material properties for a bi-axial non-crimp fabric with a specific construction. With these material properties the in-plane shear strain, and thus the fiber angle deviations, can be predicted. The presented methodology and results obtained using it can be a basis in the design process for automated handling of reinforcements and for in-situ quality control of the pick-and-place process.
Deep Thoughts—Predicting Initial Treatment Response in Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy
Authors: Terman Samuel W.
Published: December 2022

[Box: see text]
Money Matters: Measuring the Economic Impact of Epilepsy
Authors: Karakis Ioannis
Published: December 2022

[Box: see text]
Study on kinematic characteristics of the vertical-wheel on hybrid PDC bit
Authors: Qi Qingliang , Yang Yingxin , Yang Yan , Niu Shiwei , Chen Xu
Published: December 2022

Aiming at improving the ROP of PDC bits in hard-to-drill formation, a new hybrid PDC bit with vertical-wheel is proposed in this paper, furtherly, the kinematic characteristics of the vertical-wheel are researched. Firstly, the coordinate system of the vertical-wheel is established, on basis of which the motion equation, the speed equation and the acceleration equation of the vertical-wheel is derived. Secondly, a series of unit rock-breaking experiments on the vertical-wheel with variable parameters are carried out, so that the average speed of vertical-wheel under different conditions is obtained and the theoretical model of average speed is established, furthermore, the influence of diameter and normal angle of the wheel on the average speed is analyzed. Thirdly, the speed of vertical-wheel under different conditions is measured on basis of the speed model with compensation coefficient, specifically, the calculated average speed of the Ø18 mm vertical-wheel according to the instantaneous speed model is 4.532 r/s, while the average speed obtained in experiment is 4.491 r/s, with an error of 0.9%, proving that the measuring method and modeling of the instantaneous speed are credible. Lastly, the theoretical conditions for continuous rotation of the wheel are obtained. The research results are of great significance to study the working mechanism of the vertical-wheel and provide technical support for the application of the hybrid PDC bit with vertical-wheels.
Emodin alleviates arthritis pain through reducing spinal inflammation and oxidative stress
Authors: Cheng Ding-Wen , Yue Yuan-Fen , Chen Chun-Xi , Hu Yin-Di , Tang Qiong , Xie Min , Liu Ling , Li Dai , Zhu Hai-Li , Cheng Meng-Lin
Published: December 2022

Chronic pain is the predominant problem for rheumatoid arthritis patients, and negatively affects quality of life. Arthritis pain management remains largely inadequate, and developing new treatment strategies are urgently needed. Spinal inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to arthritis pain and represent ideal targets for the treatment of arthritis pain. In the present study, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model was established by intradermally injection of type II collagen (CII) in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) solution, and exhibited as paw and ankle swelling, pain hypersensitivity and motor disability. In spinal cord, CIA inducement triggered spinal inflammatory reaction presenting with inflammatory cells infiltration, increased Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression, and up-regulated NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) and cleaved caspase-1 levels, elevated spinal oxidative level presenting as decreased nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. To explore potential therapeutic options for arthritis pain, emodin was intraperitoneally injected for 3 days on CIA mice. Emodin treatment statistically elevated mechanical pain sensitivity, suppressed spontaneous pain, recovered motor coordination, decreased spinal inflammation score and IL-1β expression, increased spinal Nrf2 expression and SOD activity. Further, AutoDock data showed that emodin bind to Adenosine 5‘-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through two electrovalent bonds. And emodin treatment increased the phosphorylated AMPK at threonine 172. In summary, emodin treatment activates AMPK, suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome response, elevates antioxidant response, inhibits spinal inflammatory reaction and alleviates arthritis pain.
Is Open Science Neoliberal?
Authors: Uygun Tunç Duygu , Tunç Mehmet Necip , Eper Ziya Batuhan
Published: December 2022

The scientific-reform movement, frequently referred to as open science, has the potential to substantially reshape the nature of the scientific activity. For this reason, its sociopolitical antecedents and consequences deserve serious scholarly attention. In a recently formed literature that professes to meet this need, it has been widely argued that the movement is neoliberal. However, for two reasons it is hard to justify this widescale attribution: First, the critics mistakenly represent the movement as a monolithic structure, and second, the critics’ arguments associating the movement with neoliberalism because of the movement’s (a) preferential focus on methodological issues, (b) underlying philosophy of science, and (c) allegedly promarket ideological proclivities reflected in the methodology and science-policy proposals do not hold under closer scrutiny. These shortcomings show a lack of sufficient engagement with the reform literature. What is needed is more nuanced accounts of the sociopolitical underpinnings of scientific reform. To address this need, we propose a model for the analysis of reform proposals, which represents scientific methodology, axiology, science policy, and ideology as interconnected but relatively distinct domains, and thus allows for recognizing the divergent tendencies in the movement and the uniqueness of particular proposals.
Radar Indications of Altered Foraging Behavior during the February 2021 Severe North American Cold Wave
Authors: Van Den Broeke Matthew S
Published: December 2022

Total radar cross-section of birds was quantified in observations of four large bird assemblages with daily sunrise foraging flights for January and February 2021, including the severe February 2021 cold wave. Reduced foraging behavior during the cold wave was expected as birds reduced energy expenditure during the extreme cold. While this was observed with two assemblages in Oklahoma where the cold was most severe, a site in central Texas showed the opposite response, indicating increased foraging to meet increased energy demands. Foraging behavior was influenced by temperature and windspeed, but the direction of this influence differed across sites. This difference seemed partially driven by cold wave severity at individual sites, and may have also been influenced by differing species composition.  At the site where waterbirds were the primary contributors, these larger and more cold-tolerant species showed less of a wind/temperature dependence.
Synthesis and Cytotoxic Activity of Novel Ergosterol Peroxide Derivatives with Acrylate or Propionate Side Chain
Authors: Bu Ming , Zhang Zhiguo , Li Gang , Xie Chunhua , Du Xiaohui , Ma Guofang , Li Hongling
Published: December 2022

A series of novel ergosterol peroxide derivatives with acrylate or propionate side chain were synthesized. All compounds 3a-n were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four kinds of human carcinoma cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, HCT-116, and A549). Most of the derivatives displayed stronger cytotoxicity than ergosterol peroxide parent. Among them, compound 3h with the highest potency against HepG2 cell line (IC50  =  2.70 μM), which was 7.47-fold more efficacious than ergosterol peroxide. The results suggested that the introduction of acrylate or propionate side chain at C-3 position of ergosterol peroxide is beneficial to enhance its cytotoxic activity. Compound 3h has potential to become a novel anti-tumor agent through further structural modification.
Identifying and ranking the attributes of hospitals readiness to apply bring your own device: An explanatory sequential mixed study
Authors: Jahanbakhsh Maryam , Amini-Rarani Mostafa , Tahmasebian Shahram , Shahbazi Masoumeh
Published: December 2022

Objective

The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach has promoted the usage of personal mobile devices for organizational and carrier purposes. Applying a BYOD approach might provide various challenges for healthcare organizations. This study endeavored to identify the attributes of hospitals readiness in applying BYOD and to rank these attributes in order to develop appropriate policies for dealing with challenges.

Materials and methods

This study is an explanatory sequential mixed method design that was carried out in two qualitative and quantitative phases for identifying the BYOD attributes and ranking them, respectively. Semi-structured interviews with 15 experts in the BYOD field were performed through in the qualitative phase. Purposive and snowball sampling approaches were used to choose experts. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The identified attributes were ranked in a quantitative phase by asking 10 experts using fuzzy hierarchical analysis.

Results

Six main themes and 23 subthemes were identified. The findings of hierarchical analysis showed that ethical considerations, management principles, human resources, legislation considerations, cost, and technical infrastructure as the six main themes, respectively, have priority in hospitals readiness for BYOD.

Conclusion

Addressing the highlighted priorities, from ethical considerations to technical infrastructure, in the formulation and implementation of formal programs and policies by health managers and authorities will prepare hospitals for the use of BYOD while decreasing the challenges associated with it.
Prediction of blast loading on protruded structures using machine learning methods
Authors: Zahedi Mona , Golchin Shahriar
Published: December 2022

Current empirical and semi-empirical based design manuals are restricted to the analysis of simple building configurations against blast loading. Prediction of blast loads for complex geometries is typically carried out with computational fluid dynamics solvers, which are known for their high computational cost. The combination of high-fidelity simulations with machine learning tools may significantly accelerate processing time, but the efficacy of such tools must be investigated. The present study evaluates various machine learning algorithms to predict peak overpressure and impulse on a protruded structure exposed to blast loading. A dataset with over 250,000 data points extracted from ProSAir simulations is used to train, validate, and test the models. Among the machine learning algorithms, gradient boosting models outperformed neural networks, demonstrating high predictive power. These models required significantly less time for hyperparameter optimization, and the randomized search approach achieved relatively similar results to that of grid search. Based on permutation feature importance studies, the protrusion length was considered a significantly more influential parameter in the construction of decision trees than building height.
Democratic backsliding in illiberal Singapore
Authors: Tan Netina , Preece Cassandra
Published: December 2022

Singapore is a well-known illiberal democracy, ruled by one party, the People's Action Party (PAP), uninterruptedly since 1959. The rise of disinformation, the leadership succession crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have posed challenges to the ruling party's technocratic, ‘soft-authoritarian’ governance style. Is it business as usual in Singapore? Or has its democracy backslid like its regional neighbours? Drawing on an established index of accountability and V-Dem's democratic indicators, our study investigates whether democratic institutions in hybrid regimes such as Singapore have changed. We find that mechanisms of diagonal accountability related to media and civil society have declined. Vertical and horizontal accountability remains weak as expected in a hybrid regime such as Singapore. The PAP government has returned to relying on the law as a ‘fist in velvet glove’ to muzzle dissent and constrain information that may last post pandemic.
Effects of Online Choir or Mindfulness Interventions on Auditory Perception and Well-Being in Middle- and Older-Aged Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Herschel Ellen , Hennessy Sarah , Cahn Baruch R , Goldsworthy Raymond , Habibi Assal
Published: December 2022

Previous work suggests that both choir and mindfulness training may improve well-being and auditory skills in older adults. This randomized control trial investigated the effects of a 10-week online choir or mindfulness program on speech-in-noise (SIN) perception. We collected multiple measures of auditory perception and attention, and multiple measures of socioemotional well-being in adults (N = 61) aged 50–65. We observed that both interventions improved SIN perception in high-noise conditions, decreased anxiety, and increased global well-being, mindfulness, and self-transcendence. Choir participants, compared to their own performance, showed improvements in additional noise conditions of the SIN task relative to mindfulness participants. Choir training produced greater advantages than mindfulness training in reducing state anxiety and improving melodic interval discrimination. These findings provide preliminary evidence for improvements in selected well-being and auditory measures as a result of online singing and mindfulness interventions in middle-aged and older adults in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eye Closure Interacts with Music to Influence Vividness and Content of Directed Imagery
Authors: Herff Steffen A. , McConnell Sophie , Ji Julie L. , Prince Jon B.
Published: December 2022

Goal-directed, intentional mental imagery generation supports a range of daily self-regulatory activities, such as planning, decision-making, and recreational escapism. Many clinical interventions for mood and anxiety disorders also use imagery and their effectiveness can be affected by an individual's ability to manipulate vividness and content of mental imagery. Prior literature points towards music as a promising candidate to influence imagination in such settings, but basic questions remain regarding how music affects mental imagery and how it interacts with basic, well-established parameters, such as facilitatory effects of eye closure. One hundred participants listened to music and a silent control whilst performing a guided mental imagery task. Specifically, participants saw a short video of a figure journeying towards a landmark and imagined a continuation of the journey with either closed or open eyes. After each trial, participants reported vividness and content of their imagined journeys. Bayesian Mixed Effects Models obtained strong evidence of greater vividness, duration, as well as distance travelled in music conditions compared to silent conditions. Additionally, interactive effects of music and eye closure were found for both vividness and the emotional valence of imagined content, where music effects were disproportionately amplified by eye closure. Findings further support music's potential to manipulate the perceptual, spatial-temporal, as well as emotional sentiment of deliberately generated mental imagery.
Learning From the United States?: Policy Transfer and the Development of Chinese Higher Education Since 1978
Authors: Shen (沈文钦) Wenqin
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The paper tries to analyze the impact of the American higher education model on China's higher education since the reform and opening-up, enriching the research on policy learning in comparative education by adding a Sino-U.S. case.

Design/Approach/Methods

This study focuses on three cases of policy learning: undergraduate education reform, the transformation of polytechnic universities into comprehensive ones, and the introduction of the tenure-track system, using academic archives, oral interviews, and policy texts.

Findings

This study identifies several characteristics of policy learning. First, while the influence of the United States remains dominant, other countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and France have also become learning targets. Second, policy learning from the United States reflects the characteristics of selective adoption, suggesting that the foreign model is partially copied and reinterpreted in the Chinese context.

Originality/Value

Policy transfer is a classic theme of comparative education research. Although the Western model—and the U.S. model in particular—has had a profound impact on China's higher education reform, research on the impact of the U.S. model since 1978 is limited. This study addresses this gap.
A Newly Identified Complication of Patellofemoral Arthroplasty: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Solarino Giuseppe , Maccagnano Giuseppe , Vicenti Giovanni , Buono Claudio , Simone Filippo , Ottaviani Guglielmo , Zavattini Giacomo , Zaccari Domenico , Carrozzo Massimiliano , Spinarelli Antonio , Bizzoca Davide , Moretti Biagio
Published: December 2022

Background

Patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) is a surgical option for patients older than 40 years old who are affected by patellofemoral osteoarthritis. Regarding the complications of PFAs, few studies have investigated periprosthetic fractures. The purpose of this literature review was to highlight a previously overlooked complication of primary prosthetic surgery of the patellofemoral joint.

Methods

Three literature databases were searched for studies published between 2000 to 2020 using relevant keywords. A total of 4,942 articles were originally identified. After excluding duplicates and analysing the titles and abstracts, 20 studies were considered. From these, data regarding the number of cases, clinical outcomes and complications were extracted.

Results

Among the 20 selected articles, only one described periprosthetic fractures as a complication of PFAs. Herein, we also report an illustrative case of an unknown fracture complication. No cases in the literature were found that described the type of complications experienced by our patient during the postoperative period.

Conclusions

This review confirms the lack of data about clinical outcomes and fracture complications of PFAs. In primary prosthetic surgery of the patellofemoral joint, patient selection and close consideration of demographic factors (such as BMI and age) and intraoperative factors (such as patellar thickness and size of the trochlear component) play a key role in optimising pre-operative planning to avoid intraoperative periprosthetic fractures.
Perceived Effectiveness of Total Quality Management (TQM) Practice of the Public Sector Companies in India
Authors: HM Amal Jishnu , VR Hareendrakumar , Subramoniam Suresh
Published: December 2022

Total quality management (TQM) is a widely accepted philosophy of performance improvement through employee and customer satisfaction. TQM widened the quality concept from products to the entire range of organizational activities and extended the customer experience to beyond the product. As the employees at work can play a major role in adding quality to products including services, the successful integration of the human factor with quality programs is very critical to organizations. This study is an attempt to understand the satisfaction on TQM practices in their companies, as perceived by public sector employees in India. The data collected from 265 employees of 10 public sector companies using the method of stratified random sampling is analyzed through structural equation modelling (SEM). It is evident from this study that the employees of public sector companies are more satisfied with the effectiveness of education and training, leadership, and customer focus, out of a total of six factors taken up for the study. The study also highlights the scope for improving employees’ satisfaction with the other factors. The outcome of this study provides valuable input for the managers in reviewing their current TQM practices and making improvements for the future.
Haplo-Storm induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Bonilla Marco , Nimkar Abhishek , Bayer Ruthee L , Fishbane Steven , Jhaveri Kenar D
Published: December 2022

With the advancement in immunosuppressive management and graft versus host disease prophylaxis, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a haploidentical donor is increasingly used and has become a standard donor option for patients lacking an appropriately matched sibling or unrelated donor. Inflammatory cytokines released by activated lymphocytes and innate cells in the context of cellular therapy can cause fever, vasodilatation, and end-organ damage, collectively known as cytokine release syndrome, is a common complication in patients undergoing haploidentical stem cell transplant and in this setting referred as “haplostorm.” We present a case of acute kidney injury induced by haplostorm after receiving a haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The patient was managed with tocilizumab and conservatively without the need for kidney replacement therapy. Over the course, the patient had a successful kidney recovery.
Management and Complications of Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implant Migration Into the Anterior Chamber
Authors: Betsch Devin M. , Gupta R. Rishi
Published: December 2022

Purpose:

To report patient demographics, the clinical course, and visual outcomes across a case series of patients who experienced dexamethasone (DEX) intravitreal implant (Ozurdex, Allergan, Inc) migration into the anterior chamber (AC), with a focus on the corneal transplantation rate.

Methods:

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, a chart review of all cases was performed. For numerical responses, means and SDs were calculated. Percentages and absolute numbers were used to report the proportion of patients who experienced various outcomes of interest.

Results:

The study comprised 32 cases. All cases occurred in pseudophakic eyes; of those, 8 (25.0%) had posterior chamber intraocular lenses in the capsular bag with no known capsular or zonular issues. The mean duration from DEX implant injection to detection of migration was 19.4 ± 14.5 days. The DEX implant was explanted in 21 patients (65.6%) and repositioned in the vitreous cavity or subconjunctival space in 6 patients (18.8%). Twelve patients (37.5%) ultimately required corneal transplantation.

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this is the largest case series of DEX intravitreal implant migration into the AC compiled to date. Cases of migration occurred in individuals with no known history of significant prior zonule disruption. This potential complication should be discussed with all patients undergoing DEX implant injection, which may aid in earlier presentation and improved visual outcomes.