bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategic responses of NGOs to the new party-building campaign in China
Authors: Nie Lin , Wu Jie
Published: February 2021

Over the last decade, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has sought to assimilate the third sector – non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – through its party-building campaign. This article examines NGOs’ strategies in response to this campaign, based on in-depth interviews with 64 NGOs and local cadres. We find that NGOs have developed three main strategies to respond to the CCP’s attempts to penetrate their organizations. First, NGOs embedded in the party-state system and those affiliated with private enterprises tend to acquiesce to party building out of habit and for compliance reasons, respectively. Second, those with multiple stakeholders generally compromise in the party-building process, acting as passive compliers if they depend more on non-state resources, or active players if they rely more on state resources. Third, civic NGOs that advocate causes inconsistent with the ruling regime might avoid party building as a resistant strategy, by either disguising their nonconformity or escaping from the control of the ruling regime entirely. NGOs’ strategic responses are contingent on their negotiating power, which results from their resource dependence and the party’s enforcement dilemmas. This article contributes to our understanding of the recent party-building campaign from an institutional perspective, and enriches our knowledge about relations between the party and the third sector.
The inlet flow structure of a conceptual open-nose supersonic drone
Authors: Saheby Eiman B , Shen Xing , Hays Anthony P , Jun Zhang
Published: February 2021

This study describes the aerodynamic efficiency of a forebody–inlet configuration and computational investigation of a drone system, capable of sustainable supersonic cruising at Mach 1.60. Because the whole drone configuration is formed around the induction system and the design is highly interrelated to the flow structure of forebody and inlet efficiency, analysis of this section and understanding its flow pattern is necessary before any progress in design phases. The compression surface is designed analytically using oblique shock patterns, which results in a low drag forebody. To study the concept, two inlet–forebody geometries are considered for Computational Fluid Dynamic simulation using ANSYS Fluent code. The supersonic and subsonic performance, effects of angle of attack, sideslip, and duct geometries on the propulsive efficiency of the concept are studied by solving the three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations in structured cell domains. Comparing the results with the available data from other sources indicates that the aerodynamic efficiency of the concept is acceptable at supersonic and transonic regimes.
Unconscious Touch Perception After Disruption of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex
Authors: Ro Tony , Koenig Lua
Published: February 2021

Brain damage or disruption to the primary visual cortex sometimes produces blindsight, a striking condition in which patients lose the ability to consciously detect visual information yet retain the ability to discriminate some attributes without awareness. Although there have been few demonstrations of somatosensory equivalents of blindsight, the lesions that produce “numbsense,” in which patients can make accurate guesses about tactile information without awareness, have been rare and localized to different regions of the brain. Despite transient loss of tactile awareness in the contralateral hand after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary somatosensory cortex but not TMS of a control site, 12 participants (six female) reliably performed at above-chance levels on a localization task. These results demonstrating TMS-induced numbsense implicate a parallel somatosensory pathway that processes the location of touch in the absence of awareness and highlight the importance of primary sensory cortices for conscious perception.
Marginal analysis of bivariate mixed responses with measurement error and misclassification
Authors: Zhang Qihuang , Yi Grace Y
Published: February 2021

Bivariate responses with mixed continuous and binary variables arise commonly in applications such as clinical trials and genetic studies. Statistical methods based on jointly modeling continuous and binary variables have been available. However, such methods ignore the effects of response mismeasurement, a ubiquitous feature in applications. It has been well studied that in many settings, ignorance of mismeasurement in variables usually results in biased estimation. In this paper, we consider the setting with a bivariate outcome vector which contains a continuous component and a binary component both subject to mismeasurement. We propose estimating equation approaches to handle measurement error in the continuous response and misclassification in the binary response simultaneously. The proposed estimators are consistent and robust to certain model misspecification, provided regularity conditions. Extensive simulation studies confirm that the proposed methods successfully correct the biases resulting from the error-in-variables under various settings. The proposed methods are applied to analyze the outbred Carworth Farms White mice data arising from a genome-wide association study.
miR-22 Host Gene Enhances Nuclear Factor-kappa B Activation to Aggravate Hypoxia-induced Injury in AC16 Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Yan Xu , Hou Jinlan
Published: February 2021

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a severe life-threatening disease caused by acute and persistent ischemia and hypoxia and eventually leads to heart failure and sudden death. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play significant roles in the pathology, diagnosis, and development of various cardiovascular diseases, including MI. This study aimed to explore the effect and molecular mechanism of lncRNA miR-22 host gene (MIR22HG) on hypoxia-induced injury in AC16 cardiomyocytes. The expression of MIR22HG and miR-24 in hypoxia-treated AC16 cardiomyocytes was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase release, levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and apoptosis were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, commercial enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay kits, and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The protein levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 and cytoplasmic inhibitor of kappa B alpha (IκBα) and phosphorylated IκBα were detected by western blot. Results showed that hypoxia treatment decreased viability and increased MIR22HG expression in AC16 cardiomyocytes. MIR22HG overexpression aggravated hypoxia-induced viability reduction, leakage of myocardial injury markers LDH, AST, and CK-MB, and apoptosis in AC16 cardiomyocytes, while MIR22HG knockdown elicited the reverse effects. MIR22HG overexpression enhanced NF-κB activation in hypoxia-treated AC16 cardiomyocytes. Inhibition of NF-κB pathway impaired the effects of MIR22HG overexpression on hypoxia-induced injury in AC16 cardiomyocytes. Moreover, MIR22HG knockdown inhibited the NF-κB pathway by upregulating miR-24 in AC16 cardiomyocytes. Inhibition of miR-24 resisted the effects of MIR22HG silencing on hypoxia-induced injury in AC16 cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, MIR22HG overexpression aggravated hypoxia-induced injury in AC16 cardiomyocytes via enhancing NF-κB activation by targeting miR-24.
Building Cultural Bridges Between China and India
Authors: Bhawuk Dharm P. S.
Published: February 2021

Employing one of the established theories from cross-cultural psychology and sociology, first it is shown that both China and India are collectivist cultures. Then the Chinese and Indian worldviews are compared to highlight fundamental similarities between the two cultures. Finally, it is shown how self-cultivation is emphasised in both China and India. Effort is made to show how ideas presented by Confucius and Lao Tsu are captured in the Indian culture and social behaviours. A number of issues are raised for the development of indigenous knowledge from multiple perspectives using various paradigms and methodology. It is hoped that the special issue and this article will stimulate researchers to bridge Chinese and Indian psychologies which may pave the path towards peaceful prosperity.
Risk Perception in the Construction Industry: Differences Between Italian and Migrant Workers Before and After a Targeted Training Intervention
Authors: Ricci Federico , Bravo Giulia , Modenese Alberto , Pasquale Fabrizio De , Ferrari Davide , Gobba Fabriziomaria
Published: February 2021

We developed a visual tool to assess risk perception for a sample of male construction workers (forty Italian and twenty-eight immigrant workers), just before and after a sixteen-hour training course. The questionnaire included photographs of real construction sites, and workers were instructed to select pictograms representing the occupational risks present in each photograph. Points were awarded for correctly identifying any risks that were present, and points were deducted for failing to identify risks that were present or identifying risks that were not present. We found: (1) Before the course, risk perception was significantly lower in immigrants compared to Italians ( p < .001); (2) risk perception improved significantly ( p < .001) among all workers tested; and (3) after the training, the difference in risk perception between Italians and immigrants was no longer statistically significant ( p = .1086). Although the sample size was relatively small, the results suggest that the training is effective and may reduce the degree to which cultural and linguistic barriers hinder risk perception. Moreover, the use of images and pictograms instead of words to evaluate risk perception could also be applied to nonconstruction workplaces.
Furlow Palatoplasty: Should We Also Focus on the Size of the Nasopharynx?
Authors: Leclerc Jacques E. , Gilbert Francis , McConnell Élisa-Maude , Beaudoin Ericka , Bouchard Johanie , Simonyan David
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

(1) To determine the incidence rate of velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) according to 7 speech criteria post-Furlow palatoplasty. (2) To find an anatomical measurement of the cleft palate (or combination of measurements) associated with the occurrence of VPD.

Study design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Participants and Methods:

Fifty-six patients with cleft palate ± cleft lip underwent palatoplasty with the Furlow technique at the age of 10 months. Pre-and post-palatoplasty cleft palate measurements were collected during the procedure. Three blinded speech-language pathologists (SLPs) retrospectively scored the patients from the chart data at age 4. Student t test and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used to evaluate the association and predictive capacity between cleft measurements and parameters (M&P) with all VPD criteria.

Results:

The SLPs found an incidence of VPD according to 7 criteria: hypernasality (11%), audible nasal emission (4%), nasal rustle (14%), compensatory errors (4%), impairment of speech understandability (7%), and impairment of speech acceptability (16%). The SLPs recommended a secondary surgical procedure in 5 patients (9%). A statistically significant association was found between, respectively, 17 and 5 M&P and the occurrence of compensatory errors and audible nasal emission. Our data suggest that the length of the cleft, the cleft area, and the postoperative transversal size of the nasopharynx are the best indicators of the future positivity of VPD criteria.

Conclusion:

The size of the postoperative transverse nasopharyngeal area during the primary cleft palate procedure may become the focus of the next generation of cleft surgeons to reduce the incidence of VPD.
Long-Term Treatment Outcomes of Primary Alveolar Bone Grafts for Alveolar Clefts: A Qualitative Systematic Review
Authors: Carbullido M. Kristine , Dean Riley A. , Kamel George N. , Davis Greta L. , Hornacek Michael , Segal Rachel M. , Ewing Emily , Lance Samuel H. , Gosman Amanda A.
Published: February 2021

Background:

Alveolar bone grafting is utilized to manage alveolar clefts in patients with cleft lip and palate. However, the timing of bone grafting is variable with conflicting evidence supporting the use of primary alveolar bone grafting (PABG) in clinical practice.

Primary Aim:

To provide a qualitative systematic review analysis of long-term outcomes after PABG.

Materials and Methods:

A qualitative systematic review was performed following the Cochrane Handbook and reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Summative findings were evaluated using Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research to assess the quality of evidence supporting the findings.

Results:

After removing duplication, 2182 publications were identified, and 2131 were excluded after screening through titles and abstracts. Inclusion criteria for this study included patients who underwent PABG at 24 months of age or younger and a minimum of 5 year follow-up. Thirty-two publications met the inclusion criteria and were included for qualitative analysis. Primary outcome measures included cephalometric analysis, bone graft survival, occlusal analysis, hypomineralization, tooth eruption, radiograph analysis, and arch relationships. Four assessment themes were characterized from the systematic review: (1) bone graft survival, (2) craniofacial skeletal relationships, (3) occlusion and arch forms, and (4) recommendations for utilizing PABG in practice.

Conclusion:

The reported systematic review provides evidence that performing PABG leads to poor long-term outcomes related to bone graft survival and maxillary growth restriction despite some reported positive outcomes.
Leiomyoma with Bizarre Nuclei (Symplastic Leiomyoma) in the Paratubal Cyst Wall: Report of a Rare Case
Authors: Celik Murat
Published: February 2021

Leiomyoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor that develops from smooth muscle cells. It can present in various histological variants. Leiomyoma with bizarre nuclei is an infrequent variant of uterine smooth muscle neoplasm. It is characterized by focally or diffusely distributed bizarre cells on the background of a typical leiomyoma. These bizarre cells are large, multinucleated, or multilobulated and have an eosinophilic cytoplasm. Even though leiomyomas with bizarre nuclei display benign clinical behavior, their differential diagnosis from leiomyosarcoma can sometimes be difficult. Leiomyoma has been described most commonly in the uterus. There is no case of leiomyoma originating from paratubal cysts described in the literature. In this article, we present a rare case of leiomyoma with bizarre nuclei originating from a paratubal cyst.
Hibernoma-like Changes and TFE3 Expression in Mesothelioma Mimicking TFE3-Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Diagnostic Pitfall
Authors: Hoton Delphine , Luyckx Mathieu , Galant Christine , Dano Hélène
Published: February 2021

The long delay between asbestos exposure and the development of mesothelioma will likely result in an increased incidence of mesothelioma in our industrialized societies. Radiation therapy is another factor known to induce these tumors. We describe a rare case of foamy looking mesothelioma in a 63-year-old patient with a long oncology history of a supposed peritoneal carcinomatosis. The pathologist was faced with a diagnostic pitfall as this peritoneal clear cell tumor expressed transcription factor binding to immunoglobulin heavy constant mu enhancer 3 (TFE3) at the nuclear level. Fortunately, the pathologist performed an extensive panel of immunomarkers, leading to a final diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma. Thus, we describe the first case of mesothelioma expressing TFE3. Note that there was no rearrangement of TFE3 in fluorescence in situ hybridization.
Borderline Brenner Tumor of the Ovary Coexisting With an Ovarian Mucinous Cystadenoma With Focal Atypical Epithelial Proliferation: A Rare Case With Review of the Literature
Authors: Salibay Christine J. , Zanfagnin Valentina , Miller Heather , Walia Saloni , Brunette Laurie L. , Wang Tiannan
Published: February 2021

Ovarian Brenner tumors, accounting for ∼5% of overall ovarian epithelial neoplasm, are often reported in association with mucinous neoplasm. Histogenetically, the two tumors are thought to arise from similar precursors. To date, fewer than 60 borderline Brenner tumors alone have been reported, and the concomitant presence of atypical proliferative components in Brenner and mucinous tumors is even rarer. Therefore, the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with the borderline Brenner tumors alone or coexisting with mucinous neoplasm are extremely limited. Herein, we report a unique case of a 53-year-old woman with a unilateral ovarian borderline Brenner tumor associated with focal atypical mucinous epithelial proliferation and her clinical presentations. The clinicopathological features of the tumor are documented and the literature review along with the clinical molecular advances are summarized in this study.
Current Concepts Review: Common Peroneal Nerve Palsy After Knee Dislocations
Authors: Dy Christopher J. , Inclan Paul M. , Matava Matthew J. , Mackinnon Susan E. , Johnson Jeffrey E.
Published: February 2021

Dislocation of the native knee represents a challenging injury, further complicated by the high rate of concurrent injury to the common peroneal nerve (CPN). Initial management of this injury requires a thorough neurovascular examination, given the prevalence of popliteal artery injury and limb-threatening ischemia. Further management of a knee dislocation with associated CPN palsy requires coordinated care involving the sports surgeon for ligamentous knee reconstruction and the peripheral nerve surgeon for staged or concurrent peroneal nerve decompression and/or reconstruction. Finally, the foot and ankle surgeon is often required to manage a foot drop with a distal tendon transfer to restore foot dorsiflexion. For instance, the Bridle Procedure—a modification of the anterior transfer of the posterior tibialis muscle, under the extensor retinaculum, with tri-tendon anastomosis to the anterior tibial and peroneus longus tendons at the anterior ankle—can successfully return patients to brace-free ambulation and athletic function following CPN palsy. Cross-discipline coordination and collaboration is essential to ensure appropriate timing of operative interventions and ensure maintenance of passive dorsiflexion prior to tendon transfer.
The Effects of COVID-19 on Cancer Care Provision: A Systematic Review
Authors: Alom Samiha , Chiu Chun Ming , Jha Ashwarya , Lai Sheung Heng Daniel , Yau Thomas Ho Lai , Harky Amer
Published: February 2021

This systematic review aims to gather primary data from cancer institutions that have implemented changes to cancer service provision amid the COVID-19 outbreak to inform future intervention and health care facility response strategies. A comprehensive literature search was done on Global Health Medline and EMBASE using pertinent key words and MeSH terms relating to COVID-19 and Cancer service provision. A total of 72 articles were selected for inclusion in this systematic review. Following the narrative synthesis that was conducted of the literature, 6 core themes that encompassed common cancer service intervention adopted by institutions were identified: (1) Testing and Tracking, (2) Outreach and Communication, (3) Protection, (4) Social Distancing (5) Treatment Management, (6) Service Restructuring. Since cancer patients are a high-risk population amid the COVID-19 pandemic, these areas of targeted intervention can be used to inform necessary actions in institutions facing similar risks, based on previous learning from numerous cancer centers globally.
Nonlinear dynamics and control of helicopter ground resonance
Authors: Warrier Jayachandran , Ali Shaikh Faruque
Published: February 2021

Ground resonance is an aero-mechanical instability in helicopters that use soft in-plane rotors. Traditionally, ground resonance is mitigated by using passive lead–lag dampers that provide sufficient in-plane damping. However, these dampers because of their passive nature cannot adapt to all operating conditions. In this work, a magnetorheological fluid–based semi-active lead–lag damper is proposed to offer controllable damping. Two nonlinear control strategies are reported to operate the voltage to be supplied to the magnetorheological damper. The first strategy is a model-based control using dynamic inversion. The second is a fuzzy logic control integrated with a particle swarm optimization algorithm to optimize the control parameters. Both control strategies are shown to be effective in eliminating ground resonance. Unlike bang–bang control, the prescribed control algorithms can make use of complete voltage level available in the magnetorheological damper with smooth voltage updates. A comparative study of the controller performances is made through appropriate performance indices and system responses. Finally, the most optimum control strategy to mitigate ground resonance is inferred.
Second-Order Sexual Harassment: Violence Against the Silence Breakers Who Support the Victims
Authors: Flecha Ramón
Published: February 2021

Second-order sexual harassment (SOSH) is the harassment suffered by those who stand with and support victims of violence against women (VAW)1. Because the vast majority of programs currently focus on promoting bystander intervention, for such programs to be successful, knowledge about and actions against SOSH are necessary. Through narratives, this article provides unprecedented clues about SOSH. Working on safety strategies for individuals who support victims, promoting solidarity networks that also address SOSH, and ensuring that institutional policies are enforced are found to be central factors that can help prevent and/or transcend SOSH.
Bright spotty lesions as an imaging marker for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Authors: Salama Sara , Levy Michael
Published: February 2021

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies in the serum are highly specific for the diagnosis of NMOSD, but the sensitivity remains under 90% allowing for diagnosis of AQP4 IgG seronegative disease. It remains of crucial importance to identify seronegative NMOSD myelitis as early as the first attack to initiate long-term treatment that will reduce future relapses and disability and to avoid potentially harmful treatments such as those of multiple sclerosis (MS). Over the years, many spinal imaging features have been reported to favour the diagnosis of NMOSD, but only longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) was specific enough to make the diagnostic criteria in the AQP4 IgG seronegative cases. Bright spotty lesions (BSLs), which are defined as hyperintense lesions on axial T2-weighted images and sometimes associated with T1 low signal, are now reported to have a higher specificity and sensitivity compared to LETM in predicting a diagnosis of NMOSD against other causes of myelitis. In the review, we aim to highlight the position of BSLs in diagnosing NMOSD as well as its possible role as a prognostic factor for the clinical outcome.
How and how well do workplace assessments work? Using contextual variations in a theory-based evaluation with a large N
Authors: Dahler-Larsen Peter , Sundby Anna , Boodhoo Adiilah
Published: February 2021

What can be said about effect of an intervention without a control group? The lack of evaluative evidence is a long-standing problem for regulatory policies against work-related health and safety risks. The European Union Occupational Safety and Health Framework has been in operation for three decades and covers more than 200 million workers, but the most recent evaluation was inconclusive about the benefits generated by this framework. A theory-based evaluation focusing on mechanisms in combination with a design capturing within-intervention variations offers a way forward. The idea is to measure the prevalence of most likely mechanisms and their correlation with outcomes. This approach is illustrated in a large- N evaluation of the use of workplace assessments in the public sector in Denmark. The strengths and weakness of the workplace assessment legislation are assessed. It is shown how findings based on the presented approach contribute to the public debate about workplace assessments.
‘I was just doing what a normal gay man would do, right?’: The biopolitics of substance use and the mental health of sexual minority men
Authors: Gaspar Mark , Marshall Zack , Adam Barry D. , Brennan David J. , Cox Joseph , Lachowsky Nathan , Lambert Gilles , Moore David , Hart Trevor A. , Grace Daniel
Published: February 2021

Drawing on 24 interviews conducted with gay, bisexual, queer and other men who have sex with men (GBM) living in Toronto, Canada, we examined how they are making sense of the relationship between their mental health and substance use. We draw from the literature on the biopolitics of substance use to document how GBM self-regulate and use alcohol and other drugs (AODC) as technologies of the self. Despite cultural understandings of substance use as integral to GBM communities and subjectivity, GBM can be ambivalent about their AODC. Participants discussed taking substances positively as a therapeutic mental health aid and negatively as being corrosive to their mental wellbeing. A fine line was communicated between substance use being self-productive or self-destructive. Some discussed having made ‘problematic’ or ‘unhealthy’ drug-taking decisions, while others presented themselves as self-controlled, responsible neoliberal actors doing ‘what a normal gay man would do’. This ambivalence is related to the polarizing binary community and scientific discourses on substances (i.e. addiction/healthy use, irrational/rational, uncontrolled/controlled). Our findings add to the critical drug literature by demonstrating how reifying and/or dismantling the coherency of such substance use binaries can serve as a biopolitical site for some GBM to construct their identities and demonstrate healthy, ‘responsible’ subjectivity.
Smoking, hazardous drinking and individual differences in cost and gain discounting
Authors: Halkjelsvik Torleif
Published: February 2021

Aims:

Past research has linked substance use to individual differences in discounting of future rewards. Since behaviours such as smoking and excessive drinking appear to involve a devaluation of future negative consequences, discounting of costs may also be relevant in the understanding of such behaviour. The primary aims were to investigate the association between cost discounting and the behaviours smoking and hazardous drinking.

Methods:

In four studies, individuals recruited from the crowdsourcing marketplace Amazon Mechanical Turk responded to measures of discounting. Results were combined by meta-analysis of the standardised mean differences ( d) between self-reported smokers and non-smokers, and between participants with AUDIT scores of 10+ (hazardous drinking) and those with scores below 10.

Results:

In comparison with non-smokers, smokers’ relative valuations of future gains were lower, d = –0.32, 95% CI [–0.47, –0.18]. There was no association between smoking and cost discounting, d = –0.02, 95% CI [–0.17, 0.13]. Participants with AUDIT scores of 10+ valued future gains somewhat lower than participants with scores below 10, d = –0.17, 95% CI [–0.35, 0.01]. There was no association between hazardous drinking and cost discounting, d = –0.02, 95% CI [–0.21, 0.16]. According to Bayes Factors (BF), the data supported an association between gain discounting and smoking (BF > 100). It was insensitive in the analysis of gain discounting and hazardous drinking (BF = 0.6), but it strongly supported null-effects in both analyses of cost discounting (BFs = 0.1).

Conclusion:

The results suggest that the robust link between gain discounting and smoking status does not reflect a general devaluation of future outcomes among smokers.
Remediation in the hybrid media environment: Understanding countermedia in context
Authors: Toivanen Pihla , Nelimarkka Matti , Valaskivi Katja
Published: February 2021

We examine the position of five online-only ‘countermedia’ publications often publicly labelled as ‘fake media’ and use them to indicate how the ‘post-truth era’ takes place. Both academic and public discussions perceive countermedia as separate and distinct from the established, professionally produced journalist media outlets. We argue that the studied outlets are an integral part of the hybrid media environment. Our data show countermedia mainly remediate content initially published by professional Finnish media. We also suggest that media references are used strategically to explicate a relationship with mainstream media, as there are different ways of remediating the mainstream media content. This evidence contributes to the growing body of work criticising the usage of the ‘fake media’ concept and attempts to create a more nuanced understanding of countermedia’s role in its contexts. Furthermore, we suggest remediation as a lens may help scholars understand the integrated hybrid media environment.
“Chinese Elm 1030595 . . . (or can I call you Dale??)”: Communication and representation in mediated encounters with nonhuman others
Authors: Altrudi Soledad , Dunbar-Hester Christina , Miltner Kate M.
Published: February 2021

The last couple of years have seen an uptick of different technological forms presented as mediators of human/nonhuman interaction, and these developments have been accompanied by an increase in scholarly interest. Here, we engage with the human urge to enter into communicative exchanges that implicate “other” entities, but we also wonder what is at stake, analytically and ethically, in these mediated communicative acts. Following an approach informed by work in the environmental humanities as well as science and technology studies and media studies, we explore three sites of (ostensible) encounters between humans and nonhuman others—plants and animals—and argue that while certain technological mediations can facilitate human “noticing” by rendering nonhuman others sense-able, it does not follow that such interventions open up a space where participants can meaningfully respond to each other.
Rethinking the concept of ‘subaltern-researcher’: different D/deaf identities and communicative modalities as conflict factors in in-depth interviews
Authors: Bitman Nomy
Published: February 2021

This article focuses on the communicative, cultural, and practical aspects of being a hard-of-hearing (HH) researcher who studies D/deaf people’s smartphone use through 20 in-depth interviews. This context presents the conflict between seeing deafness as a disability and seeing Deaf people as members of a cultural minority. This complexity of ‘subaltern-researcher’ concept combines with the limitations caused by conducting research as a marginal member of the academy, which in turn prompts the researcher’s conflict between the commitment to marginalized research participants and the able-bodied academic obligation to act according to able-bodied research, analysis, and standards for publication of findings. This paper suggests a reflexive description of identity, culture, senses, and communication, which interacts with the social responsibility of the disabled researcher, and the interviewees’ expressed agency. As such, this article contributes methodological and communicative insights on inclusive qualitative methods regarding both disabled participants and researchers.
Reducing bubble generation and sweepdown effect on a research vessel with a moonpool
Authors: Yao X. L. , Huang X. H. , Shi Z. Y. , Xiao W.
Published: February 2021

Some research vessels set moonpools for sonars installation. The moonpool provides a relatively good working environment for sonar in a harsh marine environment. At the same time, other acoustic detection equipment are installed along the ship bottom behind the moonpool. Due to the exist of the sonar with a variable cross-section, the number of bubbles generated in the moonpool increases. The bubbles generated in the moonpool expel and flow along the vessel bottom to the stern, which leads to the sweepdown effect. The performance of the sonar and other acoustic detection equipment degrades by the bubbles around. However, the research on reducing bubble generation in the moonpool and sweepdown effects is rare. So in present paper the reduction effects of damping devices such as the flange and choke deck on the bubble generation in the moonpool are investigated experimentally. Then, in order to reduce the sweepdown effects of bubbles on the ship bottom, three other damping devices which are double flaps, diversion channel and wedge are investigated. It can be seen that through reducing the area of bubble leakage in the moonpool the distribution position of bubbles can be effectively restricted and the width and thickness of the bubbles reduce.
The Relationship Between Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Severity of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Chang Che-Wei , Juan Yung-Shun , Yang Yuan-Han , Lee Hsiang-Ying
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

Urinary incontinence (UI) is more prevalent in elderly populations with dementia than those without dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Urge UI, the most common type of UI in AD patients, causes more morbidity and mortality. However, it is inconvenient to obtain the report of urodynamic study from AD patient to diagnose urinary incontinence. Nevertheless, it is easier to obtain subjective or objective questionnaires from the patients or the caregivers. The data collected from the questionnaires are used to evaluate if severity of dementia is associated with urge UI and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTs).

Patients and Methods:

A total of 43 AD patients were enrolled in this study, all of whom were checked post-void residual (PVR) urine amount by sonography after voiding. The severity of dementia was evaluated by questionnaire including Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI), Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Clinical Dementia Rating Sub-of-Box (CDR-SB). The LUTs were assessed with International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) and Overactive bladder symptom scores (OABSS) questionnaire. Independent t test and Pearson’s correlation analysis were calculated.

Results:

The average age in both AD with/without urge UI patients is 78 years old. The scores of CDR-SB, OABSS and ICIQ are significantly different in these 2 groups (p = 0.023, p = 0.003, p = 0.001; respectively). However, the neurophysiological scores of CASI, MMSE, CDR, CDR-SB is not correlated with OABSS (r = 0.047, p = 0.382; r = 0.074, p = 0.317; r = 0.087, p = 0.288; r = 0.112, p = 0.237; respectively). Interestingly, if we separate each individual symptom of OAB, there is a significant correlation between CDR-SB and urge UI score (r = 0.314, p = 0.023).

Conclusions:

Higher lower urinary tract symptom scores are noted in AD patients with urge UI. The CDR-SB score is highly correlated with urge UI in AD patients.
A 2-Study Psychometric Evaluation of the Modified Dementia Worry Scale
Authors: Roberts Jennifer R. , Maxfield Molly
Published: February 2021

A modified version of the Dementia Worry Scale (DWS) used the terminology “Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias” (versus the DWS’ use of “dementia”). Two studies investigated psychometric properties of the modified DWS (MDWS). Study 1 compared the psychometric properties of the DWS and MDWS; both versions had single factor structures and exhibited excellent internal consistency (αs ≥ .95). The MDWS exhibited greater test-retest reliability after a 4-week interval (DWS r = .68; MDWS r = .90). In Study 2, the MDWS again displayed a single factor structure, excellent internal consistency (α = .95), and good test-retest reliability after an 8-week interval (r = .78). Additionally, results support convergent validity between the MDWS and fear of dementia, subjective memory, general anxiety, health anxiety, and neuroticism. The MDWS is psychometrically consistent with the DWS, maintains strong test-retest reliability, and is appropriate for use in cross-sectional and longitudinal research.
Association Between Oral Health and the Medical Costs of Dementia: A Longitudinal Study of Older Japanese
Authors: Saito Mizuki , Shimazaki Yoshihiro , Nonoyama Toshiya , Ohsugi Kazushi
Published: February 2021

Objective:

Oral health status may be associated with dementia, which in turn results in higher medical costs among older people.

Methods:

This STUDY enrolled 4,275 older individuals. Generalized linear models were constructed with the medical costs of dementia as the dependent variable, and number of teeth, Community Periodontal Index (CPI), and other factors as independent variables.

Results:

Individuals with fewer teeth or with poor periodontal condition had significantly higher medical costs ratios for dementia independent of other confounding variables. The adjusted medical costs ratios of dementia were 4.13 (95% CI [confidence interval]; 1.79–9.56) for those with ≤9 teeth compared with those with ≥20 teeth and 3.48 (95% CI; 1.71–7.08) for those with personal CPI code 4 compared with those with personal CPI code 0–2.

Conclusions:

Oral health status was associated with the medical costs of dementia. Preventing tooth loss and maintaining periodontal health may contribute to controlling dementia costs.
Intraprocedural Artificial Intelligence for Colorectal Cancer Detection and Characterisation in Endoscopy and Laparoscopy
Authors: Hardy Niall P , Mac Aonghusa Pól , Neary Peter M , Cahill Ronan A
Published: February 2021

In this article, we provide an evidence-based primer of current tools and evolving concepts in the area of intraprocedural artificial intelligence (AI) methods in colonoscopy and laparoscopy as a ‘procedure companion’, with specific focus on colorectal cancer recognition and characterisation. These interventions are both likely beneficiaries from an impending rapid phase in technical and technological evolution. The domains where AI is most likely to impact are explored as well as the methodological pitfalls pertaining to AI methods. Such issues include the need for large volumes of data to train AI systems, questions surrounding false positive rates, explainability and interpretability as well as recent concerns surrounding instabilities in current deep learning (DL) models. The area of biophysics-inspired models, a potential remedy to some of these pitfalls, is explored as it could allow our understanding of the fundamental physiological differences between tissue types to be exploited in real time with the help of computer-assisted interpretation. Right now, such models can include data collected from dynamic fluorescence imaging in surgery to characterise lesions by their biology reducing the number of cases needed to build a reliable and interpretable classification system. Furthermore, instead of focussing on image-by-image analysis, such systems could analyse in a continuous fashion, more akin to how we view procedures in real life and make decisions in a manner more comparable to human decision-making. Synergistical approaches can ensure AI methods usefully embed within practice thus safeguarding against collapse of this exciting field of investigation as another ‘boom and bust’ cycle of AI endeavour.
Hetero-functional azo reactive dyes applied on cellulosic fabric and dyeing conditions optimization to enhance the dyeing properties
Authors: Siddiqua Umme Habibah , Ali Shaukat , Muzaffar Shazia , Subhani Zinayyera , Iqbal Munawar , Daud Hina , Iqbal Dure Najaf , Nazir Arif
Published: February 2021

New dyestuff moieties are introduced in the textile industry to upgrade the quality and aesthetic properties of dyed fabric. To contribute to this research endeavor, the current project was conducted for the dyeing of cellulosic fabric via new hetero-functional reactive dyes R1 and R2 synthesized in our previous study. Optimization of different process variables (temperature, salt, and alkali concentration) and their interactive study for exhaust dyeing was explored and delineated based on a statistical tool response surface methodology. Results divulged that both dyes displayed maximum exhaustion and fixation at a temperature of 61.50°C on the cellulosic fabric. Reactive dye R1 exhibited 87.62 (±3) exhaustion and 82.85 (±3) fixation percentage at their optimum salt (29.07 g/L) and alkali (32.55 g/L) dosage while R2 displayed 81.50 (±3) exhaustion and 77.21 (±3) fixation at its optimized salt (32.55 g/L) and alkali concentrations (22.84 g/L). All process variables showed a positive and synergistic effect on the dyeing properties. Enhanced exhaustion and fixation percentage of R1 as compared to R2 may be accredited to greater planarity and less steric hindrance of R1. Both dyes presented superb color buildup showing good to excellent color fastness on cotton fabric. Future perspectives of the current study comprised the application and assessment of dyeing parameters of these new reactive dyes on polyester cotton (PC) fabric.
An Analysis of Procedural Medicare Reimbursement Rates in Hand Surgery: 2000 to 2019
Authors: Thornburg Danielle A. , Gupta Nikita , Chow Nathan , Haglin Jack , Noland Shelley
Published: February 2021

Background:

Medicare reimbursement trends across multiple surgical subspecialties have been analyzed; however, little has been reported regarding the long-term trends in reimbursement of hand surgery procedures. The aim of this study is to analyze trends in Medicare reimbursement for commonly performed hand surgeries.

Methods:

Using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File, we determined the 20 hand surgery procedure codes most commonly billed to Medicare in 2016. Reimbursement rates were collected and analyzed for each code from The Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool for years 2000 to 2019. We compared the change in reimbursement rate for each procedure to the rate of inflation in US dollars, using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the same time period.

Results:

The reimbursement rate for each procedure increased on average by 13.9% during the study period while the United States CPI increased significantly more by 46.7% ( P < .0001). When all reimbursement data were adjusted for inflation to 2019 dollars, the average reimbursement for all included procedures in this study decreased by 22.6% from 2000 to 2019. The average adjusted reimbursement rate for all procedures decreased by 21.92% from 2000 to 2009 and decreased by 0.86% on average from 2009 to 2019 ( P < .0001).

Conclusion:

When adjusted for inflation, Medicare reimbursement for hand surgery has steadily decreased over the past 20 years. It will be important to consider the implications of these trends when evaluating healthcare policies and the impact this has on access to hand surgery.
Numerical simulation study of influence of friction coefficient of die based on Abaqus on V-shaped clamp stamping parameters
Authors: Wu Shuqian , Fu Yonghong , Wu Guoqing , Xia Mengmeng
Published: February 2021

To improve the forming quality of V-shaped clamps, a basis for optimal V-shaped clamp mold surface design is provided.

In this paper, the V-shaped clamp stamping process is simulated using Abaqus and the influence of the mold’s friction coefficient on the V-shaped clamp stamping parameters is revealed. The regional friction coefficient of the V-shaped clamp mold surface is optimized using an equal horizontal design scheme and the optimal friction coefficient combination for the mold surface is obtained, along with comparison and analysis of the molding parameters before and after optimization.

Results show that the mold’s surface friction properties have significant regional characteristics. Increasing the friction coefficient of the bottom, the rounded section of the punch’s V-shaped groove and the bulge filleted corner of the punch while reducing the friction coefficient of the bulge filleted corner and crimping area of the die head contributes to the material flow. Mold surface optimization makes the material flow velocity more uniform, disperses stress on the part’s surface, reduces strain and thickness reduction of the key parts, and improves overall quality.

Measurements show that the V-shaped clamp mold’s surface friction characteristics affect the molding parameters significantly and mold optimization improves the V-shaped clamp’s molding quality.
Optimization of process parameters for surface roughness and tool wear in milling TC17 alloy using Taguchi with grey relational analysis
Authors: Wang Zhe , Li Lei
Published: February 2021

To improve machining quality and processing efficiency, the Taguchi analysis method is employed to design the milling tests of titanium alloy TC17. According to results based on the signal-to-noise ratio method, the cutting depth plays a critical role in improving the surface roughness and tool wear. The grey correlation analysis is a multi-objective optimization method that can help to acquire process parameters combination of the optimal surface roughness and the optimal tool wear. Finally, the correctness of multi-objective optimization results is verified through comparison experiments. The research results can provide process guidance and data reference for the actual production processing.
Theoretical and experimental research on the cartridge two-dimensional (2D) electro-hydraulic servo valve
Authors: Zheng Fei-Xia , Li Sheng , Ding Chuan , Zhao Jian-Tao , Ruan Jian
Published: February 2021

A cartridge 2D EHSV based on torque motor is proposed in this paper, which is keeping the advantages of conventional 2D valve, such as compact structure, high power-to-weight ratio, and excellent dynamic characteristics. In order to explore its dynamic characteristics, the design concept and operating principle of the cartridge 2D EHSV valve is presented first. Then the mathematical model of cartridge 2D EHSV valve is derived, especially the rotational viscous damping coefficient which is studied in detail. The simulation results of the open(closed)-loop model show that the support pressure plays an insignificant role in the dynamic characteristics of 2D EHSV, only the phase bandwidth of the closed-loop model increases. And the rise time of the open-loop model is about 10 ms, and the frequency bandwidth is about 40 Hz, while the rise time is about 4 ms and the frequency bandwidth is about 100 Hz of the closed-loop model. Furthermore, as verified by experimental results, the rising time of the step response is about 7 ms and the bandwidth is approximately 38 Hz under the open-loop control, while that is 6 ms and 117 Hz for 25% input signal under the close-loop control. Finally, the difference between the experiment and the simulation is discussed. It is concluded that the cartridge 2D EHSV has excellent dynamic characteristics.
Analysis method of the cavitation vibration signals in poppet valve based on EEMD
Authors: Li Beibei , Zhao Qiao , Li Huaiyi , Liu Xiumei , Ma Jichao , Fan Zhong
Published: February 2021

To study the vibration characteristics of the poppet valve induced by cavitation, the signal analysis method based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method was studied experimentally. The component induced by cavitation was separated from the vibration signals through the EEMD method. The results show that the IMF2 component has the largest amplitude and energy of all components. The root mean square (RMS) value, peak value of marginal spectrum, and center frequency of marginal spectrum of the IMF2 component were studied in detail. The RMS value and the peak value of the marginal spectrum decrease with a decrease of cavitation intensity. The center frequency of marginal spectrum is between 12 kHz and 20 kHz, and the center frequency first increases and then decreases with a decrease of cavitation intensity. The change rate of the center frequency also decreases with an increase of inlet pressure.