bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards rectifying limitations on species delineation in dusky salamanders (Desmognathus: Plethodontidae): An ecoregion-drainage sampling grid reveals additional cryptic clades
Authors: BEAMER DAVID A. , LAMB TRIP
Published: February 2020

Dusky salamanders (Desmognathus) constitute a large, species-rich group within the family Plethodontidae, and though their systematic relationships have been addressed extensively, most studies have centered on particular species complexes and therefore offer only piecemeal phylogenetic perspective on the genus. Recent work has revealed Desmognathus to be far more clade rich—35 reciprocally monophyletic clades versus 22 recognized species—than previously imagined, results that, in turn, provide impetus for additional survey effort within clades and across geographic areas thus far sparsely sampled. We conceived and implemented a sampling regime combining level IV ecoregions and independent river drainages to yield a geographic grid for comprehensive recovery of all genealogically exclusive clades. We sampled over 550 populations throughout the distribution of Desmognathus in the eastern United States of America and generated mitochondrial DNA sequence data (mtDNA; 1,991 bp) for 536 specimens. A Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction of the resulting haplotypes revealed forty-five reciprocally monophyletic clades, eleven of which have never been included in a comprehensive phylogenetic reconstruction, and an additional three not represented in any molecular systematic survey. Although general limitations associated with mtDNA data preclude new species delineation, we profile each of the 45 clades and assign names to 10 new clades (following a protocol for previous clade nomenclature). We also redefine several species complexes and erect new informal species complexes. Our dataset, which contains topotypic samples for nearly every currently recognized species and most synonymies, will offer a robust framework for future efforts to delimit species within Desmognathus.
Variability of Arctic Sea Ice Based on Quantile Regression and the Teleconnection with Large-Scale Climate Patterns
Authors: Zhang Shuyu , Gan Thian Yew , Bush Andrew B. G.
Published: February 2020

Under global warming, Arctic sea ice has declined significantly in recent decades, with years of extremely low sea ice occurring more frequently. Recent studies suggest that teleconnections with large-scale climate patterns could induce the observed extreme sea ice loss. In this study, a probabilistic analysis of Arctic sea ice was conducted using quantile regression analysis with covariates, including time and climate indices. From temporal trends at quantile levels from 0.01 to 0.99, Arctic sea ice shows statistically significant decreases over all quantile levels, although of different magnitudes at different quantiles. At the representative extreme quantile levels of the 5th and 95th percentiles, the Arctic Oscillation (AO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Pacific–North American pattern (PNA) have more significant influence on Arctic sea ice than El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO). Positive AO as well as positive NAO contribute to low winter sea ice, and a positive PNA contributes to low summer Arctic sea ice. If, in addition to these conditions, there is concurrently positive AMO and PDO, the sea ice decrease is amplified. Teleconnections between Arctic sea ice and the climate patterns were demonstrated through a composite analysis of the climate variables. The anomalously strong anticyclonic circulation during the years of positive AO, NAO, and PNA promotes more sea ice export through Fram Strait, resulting in excessive sea ice loss. The probabilistic analyses of the teleconnections between the Arctic sea ice and climate patterns confirm the crucial role that the climate patterns and their combinations play in overall sea ice reduction, but particularly for the low and high quantiles of sea ice concentration.
Spatial Radiative Feedbacks from Internal Variability Using Multiple Regression
Authors: Bloch-Johnson Jonah , Rugenstein Maria , Abbot Dorian S.
Published: February 2020

The sensitivity of the climate to CO2 forcing depends on spatially varying radiative feedbacks that act both locally and nonlocally. We assess whether a method employing multiple regression can be used to estimate local and nonlocal radiative feedbacks from internal variability. We test this method on millennial-length simulations performed with six coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs). Given the spatial pattern of warming, the method does quite well at recreating the top-of-atmosphere flux response for most regions of Earth, except over the Southern Ocean where it consistently overestimates the change, leading to an overestimate of the sensitivity. For five of the six models, the method finds that local feedbacks are positive due to cloud processes, balanced by negative nonlocal shortwave cloud feedbacks associated with regions of tropical convection. For four of these models, the magnitudes of both are comparable to the Planck feedback, so that changes in the ratio between them could lead to large changes in climate sensitivity. The positive local feedback explains why observational studies that estimate spatial feedbacks using only local regressions predict an unstable climate. The method implies that sensitivity in these AOGCMs increases over time due to a reduction in the share of warming occurring in tropical convecting regions and the resulting weakening of associated shortwave cloud and longwave clear-sky feedbacks. Our results provide a step toward an observational estimate of time-varying climate sensitivity by demonstrating that many aspects of spatial feedbacks appear to be the same between internal variability and the forced response.
Processes Responsible for the Southern Hemisphere Ocean Heat Uptake and Redistribution under Anthropogenic Warming
Authors: Lyu Kewei , Zhang Xuebin , Church John A. , Wu Quran
Published: February 2020

The Southern Hemisphere oceans absorb most of the excess heat stored in the climate system due to anthropogenic warming. By analyzing future climate projections from a large ensemble of the CMIP5 models under a high emission scenario (RCP8.5), we investigate how the atmospheric forcing and ocean circulation determine heat uptake and redistribution in the Southern Hemisphere oceans. About two-thirds of the net surface heat gain in the high-latitude Southern Ocean is redistributed northward, leading to enhanced and deep-reaching warming at middle latitudes near the boundary between the subtropical gyres and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The projected magnitudes of the ocean warming are closely related to the magnitudes of the wind and gyre boundary poleward shifts across the models. For those models with the simulated gyre boundary biased equatorward, the latitude where the projected ocean warming peaks is also located farther equatorward and a larger poleward shift of the gyre boundary is projected. In a theoretical framework, the subsurface ocean changes are explored using three distinctive processes on the temperature–salinity diagram: pure heave, pure warming, and pure freshening. The enhanced middle-latitude warming and the deepening of isopycnals are attributed to the pure heave and pure warming processes, likely related to the wind-driven heat convergence and the accumulation of extra surface heat uptake by the background ocean circulation, respectively. The equatorward and downward subductions of the surface heat and freshwater input at high latitudes (i.e., pure warming and pure freshening processes) result in cooling and freshening spiciness changes on density surfaces within the Subantarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water.
Development of a Method to Detect High Ice Water Content Environments Using Machine Learning
Authors: Haggerty Julie A. , Rugg Allyson , Potts Rodney , Protat Alain , Strapp J. Walter , Ratvasky Thomas , Bedka Kristopher , Grandin Alice
Published: February 2020

This paper describes development of a method for discriminating high ice water content (HIWC) conditions that can disrupt jet-engine performance in commuter and large transport aircraft. Using input data from satellites, numerical weather prediction models, and ground-based radar, this effort employs machine learning to determine optimal combinations of available information using fuzzy logic. Airborne in situ measurements of ice water content (IWC) from a series of field experiments that sampled HIWC conditions serve as training data in the machine-learning process. The resulting method, known as the Algorithm for Prediction of HIWC Areas (ALPHA), estimates the likelihood of HIWC conditions over a three-dimensional domain. Performance statistics calculated from an independent subset of data reserved for verification indicate that the ALPHA has skill for detecting HIWC conditions, albeit with significant false alarm rates. Probability of detection (POD), probability of false detection (POFD), and false alarm ratio (FAR) are 86%, 29% (60% when IWC below 0.1 g m−3 are omitted), and 51%, respectively, for one set of detection thresholds using in situ measurements. Corresponding receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves give an area under the curve of 0.85 when considering all data and 0.69 for only points with IWC of at least 0.1 g m−3. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that aircraft sampling biases resulted in a positive POD bias and the actual probability of detection is between 78.5% and 83.1% (95% confidence interval). Analysis of individual case studies shows that the ALPHA output product generally tracks variation in the measured IWC.
Legitimation strategies of informal groups of states: The case of the E3 directoire in the nuclear negotiations with Iran
Authors: Bassiri Tabrizi Aniseh , Kienzle Benjamin
Published: February 2020

The European Union has seen the rise of informal groups of states as an increasingly important governance mechanism within its formal structures. Such groups can make decision-making processes more efficient, but they also suffer from a substantial lack of legitimacy in the eyes of the non-members. In this article, we examine how informal groups overcome this fundamental dilemma between efficiency and legitimacy and sustain themselves at the forefront of important policy areas. To this end, we trace the development of what we argue to be a particularly useful case: the E3 directoire in the nuclear negotiations with Iran. The empirical results point to new insights into how directoires – and informal groups in general – can use different types of legitimation strategies to gain and maintain legitimacy. More specifically, the E3 implemented three successive legitimation strategies – detachment, co-optation and integration – using different types of legitimacy sources, in particular problem-solving, institutional adjustments and fostering institutional and policy congruence.
Combining Accelerometry and GPS to Assess Neighborhood-Based Physical Activity: Associations With Perceived Neighborhood Walkability
Authors: Stappers N. E. H. , Schipperijn J. , Kremers S. P. J. , Bekker M. P. M. , Jansen M. W. J. , de Vries N. K. , Van Kann D. H. H.
Published: February 2020

This study explored associations between perceived neighborhood walkability and neighborhood-based physical activity (NB-PA) and assessed possible moderation effects of the amount of time spent in the home neighborhood and individual characteristics (i.e., educational level and health-related problems). In 2016 to 2017, 509 Dutch adults, living in the South Limburg area, were included. Context-specific PA levels were measured using the Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer and the Qstarz BTQ1000XT GPS-logger. Perceived neighborhood walkability, level of education, work status, and health-related quality of life were measured with validated self-report instruments. Results showed that individuals with a lower level of education or health-related problems spent more time in the home neighborhood. The perceived neighborhood walkability only affected NB-PA for individuals spending a relatively large amount of time in their home neighborhood. PA-facilitating features in the home neighborhood, for example, aesthetics, were only associated with more NB-PA for individuals without health-related problems or with a higher level of education.
Problematising Dependency: Soteriology and Vocabulary in James and Paul
Authors: List Nicholas
Published: February 2020

Despite attempts to break the ‘Pauline fixation’ in Jamesian studies, scholarship continues to read James’ language of ‘faith’ and ‘works’ in relation to Paul. This article attempts to trace James’ language and soteriology back not to Paul, but to certain strands of thought within Second Temple Judaism. This problematises the view that James can only be understood by means of dependancy on Pauline categories. It also avoids falling prey to ecclesial biases that try to harmonise Paul and the Letter of James without due respect for each author’s differing soteriological emphases.
The weight of service delivery: administrative and rules burdens in street-level bureaucracy
Authors: Stanica Cristina M. , Balica Dan , Henderson Alexander C. , Ţiclău Tudor C.
Published: February 2020

This article explores the factors that shape perceptions of administrative and rules burdens among street-level bureaucrats in Romania. Recent research examining the concept of administrative burden has focused on burdens experienced by a citizen or client. We argue here that national context shapes the features of public service delivery, and that burdens must also be understood from the perspective of bureaucrats in transitioning post-communist countries. Street-level bureaucrats represent an important category of public servants given their main characteristics in implementing policy. Findings of two analyses—one examining broader concepts of administrative burden and one looking at the narrower concept of rules burdens—indicate that rule complexity, autonomy, conformity, job satisfaction, educational attainment, and perceived corruption impact perceptions of administrative burden, while perceptions of rules burdens are impacted by rule-abiding tendencies, discretionary latitude, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and supervisory status.

Points for practitioners

A major practical implication of this study derives from our findings on the factors that impact attitudes and perceptions of street-level bureaucrats in Romania. Managers that aim to improve public service delivery in this context will be able to disseminate the fact that reduced rule complexity and increased autonomy, among other organizational variables, positively impact perceptions on administrative and rules burdens. In this sense, our study provides evidence for new and current structures to improve organizational performance and service delivery.
Effective functionalisation of carbon nanotubes for reinforcement application in liquid state processed aluminium composites: A relatively greener approach
Authors: Sahoo Barada Prasanna , Das Diptikanta , Rath Prasanta , Chaubey Anil Kumar
Published: February 2020

This paper outlines an innovative approach to functionalise multiwall carbon nanotubes at a reduced functionalisation time and energy consumption, preserving their structural integrity, with objective of potential application of the carbon nanotubes as reinforcement in aluminium matrix composites processed through liquid state method. Longstanding problems of aluminium carbide formation as reaction by-product in aluminium matrix composites is expected to be reduced by reinforcing the carbon nanotubes functionalised through the developed method. Carbon nanotube surfaces were oxidised following four different methods using solutions of different acids at different parametric combinations, and the best possible method was identified through dispersion stability test, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Results revealed that primary oxidation by 6M HNO3, followed by subsequent oxidation by weak acid H2O2 generated functionalised carbon nanotubes with satisfactory dispersion stability, preserved graphitic structure, high degree of structural integrity, less structural distortion and less carbon nanotube fragmentation.
Alcohol Use and Peer Mentorship in Veterans
Authors: Hall Samuel , Flower Mark , Rein Lisa , Franco Zeno
Published: February 2020

Veterans are at an increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other comorbid psychiatric disorders, yet they often underutilize professional mental health services. Peer mentorship programs offer an alternative option for those seeking help for mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to examine alcohol use in veterans enrolled in a peer mentorship program, determine the effects of peer mentorship on alcohol use and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and assess the interaction between AUD risk and PTSD symptoms over time. Veterans were enrolled in a 12-week peer mentorship program at Dryhootch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Measures of AUD risk (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5) were collected before and after 12 weeks. Additionally, the participants reported their total drinks consumed each week throughout the program. Results showed that veterans were at an increased risk for AUD compared with civilian populations. The risk of developing AUD was associated with more PTSD symptoms. While PTSD symptoms were significantly lower after 12 weeks in the program, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores and the average number of weekly drinks were not significantly different. Further community work should address alcohol use in veterans to achieve better mental health outcomes in the program.
Use of translated and adapted versions of the WISC-V: Caveat emptor
Authors: McGill Ryan J. , Ward Thomas J. , Canivez Gary L.
Published: February 2020

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is the most widely used intelligence test in the world. Now in its fifth edition, the WISC-V has been translated and adapted for use in nearly a dozen countries. Despite its popularity, numerous concerns have been raised about some of the procedures used to develop and validate translated and adapted versions of the test around the world. The purpose of this article is to survey the most salient of those methodological and statistical limitations. In particular, empirical data are presented that call into question the equating procedures used to validate the WISC-V Spanish, suggesting cautious use of that instrument. It is believed that the issues raised in the present article will be instructive for school psychologists engaged in the clinical assessment of intelligence with the WISC-V Spanish and with other translated and adapted versions around the world.
Effects of co-current airflow on water atomization in a curved diffuser
Authors: Chen Shiqiang , Liu Chunyu , Wu Zhirong , Yu Qi
Published: February 2020

To explore the effect of airflow on water atomization mechanism in mine exhaust heat recovery system, an experimental study of the dispersed phase fraction for droplets is conducted by Malvern laser particle size analyzer. This paper focuses on the influence of gas disturbance on water atomization in a curved diffuser in a ventilation system. With the theory of liquid breakup, it shows how liquid sheet occurs in primary breakup under different operating conditions. In case that the spray flows in the same direction as the airflow, the dominant factor affecting the breakup length of liquid film near the atomizing nozzle is the injection pressure. At a long distance from the nozzle, the droplet goes through vibrational shape oscillation and eventually further breakup in the complete atomization area. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) the dispersed phase fraction for droplets reaches maximum when the airflow is 3.2 m3/s; (2) droplets achieve the optimal atomization effect of the spray; (3) the heat and moisture should be fully exchanged.
Methodology, Legend, and Rhetoric: The Constructions of AI by Academia, Industry, and Policy Groups for Lifelong Learning
Authors: Eynon Rebecca , Young Erin
Published: February 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) is again attracting significant attention across all areas of social life. One important sphere of focus is education; many policy makers across the globe view lifelong learning as an essential means to prepare society for an “AI future” and look to AI as a way to “deliver” learning opportunities to meet these needs. AI is a complex social, cultural, and material artifact that is understood and constructed by different stakeholders in varied ways, and these differences have significant social and educational implications that need to be explored. Through analysis of thirty-four in-depth interviews with stakeholders from academia, commerce, and policy, alongside document analysis, we draw on the social construction of technology (SCOT) to illuminate the diverse understandings, perceptions of, and practices around AI. We find three different technological frames emerging from the three social groups and argue that commercial sector practices wield most power. We propose that greater awareness of the differing technical frames, more interactions among a wider set of relevant social groups, and a stronger focus on the kinds of educational outcomes society seeks are needed in order to design AI for learning in ways that facilitate a democratic education for all.
Case series of introducing palliative care consultation in psychiatry
Authors: Etgen Thorleif
Published: February 2020

Background:

The significance of palliative care consultation in psychiatry is unclear.

Actual case series:

Analysis of the introduction of palliative care consultation in a large psychiatric hospital.

Possible courses of action:

Continue without offering, survey the need for or offer palliative care consultation, and analyse its introduction.

Formulation of a plan:

Palliative care consultation was established and details including patient age, department, diagnosis, main problem, solution and discharge were analysed during the first 2 years.

Outcome:

Two consultations in the first year and 18 consultations in the second year were requested (18 geriatric, 2 addiction, 0 general, clinical social and forensic psychiatry) involving two domains: delirium associated with dementia or another condition (75%) and mental illness (e.g. alcoholic psycho-syndrome, psychosis, suicidal tendency, schizophrenia, depression) and cancer (25%). Recommendations of consultations were realized in 95%.

Lessons from the case series:

Implementation of palliative care consultation in psychiatry is one possible method of how to introduce palliative care in a field of medicine with lack of palliative care.

View:

Future research should focus on reasons for reservations about palliative care in psychiatry, include more patients with severe persistent mental illness and assess the value of palliative care consultation in resolving this problem.
Transcriptomic and functional studies reveal undermined chemotactic and angiostimulatory properties of aged microglia during stroke recovery
Authors: Jiang Lu , Mu Hongfeng , Xu Fei , Xie Di , Su Wei , Xu Jing , Sun Zeyu , Liu Silvia , Luo Jianhua , Shi Yejie , Leak Rehana K , Wechsler Lawrence R , Chen Jun , Hu Xiaoming
Published: February 2020

Age-dependent alterations in microglia behavior have been implicated in neurodegeneration and CNS injuries. Here, we compared the transcriptional profiles of young versus aged microglia during stroke recovery. CD45intermediateCD11b+ microglia were FACS-isolated from the brains of young (10-week-old) and aged (18-month-old) male mice with sham operation or 14 days after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion and subjected to RNA-sequencing analysis. Functional groups enriched in young microglia are indicative of upregulation in cell movement, cell interactions, inflammatory responses and angiogenesis, while aged microglia exhibited a reduction or no change in these features. We confirmed reduced chemoattractive capacities of aged microglia toward ischemic brain tissue in organotypic slide co-cultures, and delayed accumulation of aged microglia around dead neurons injected into the striatum in vivo. In addition, aging is associated with an overall failure to increase the expression of microglial genes involved in cell–cell interactions, such as CXCL10. Finally, impaired upregulation of pro-angiogenic genes in aged microglia was associated with a decline in neovascularization in aged mice compared to young mice after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion. This study provides a new resource to understand the mechanisms underlying microglial alterations in the aged brain milieu and sheds light on new strategies to improve microglial functions in aged stroke victims.
Detection of the usual interstitial pneumonia pattern in chest CT: effect of computer-aided diagnosis on radiologist diagnostic performance
Authors: Fujita Ryo , Iwasawa Tae , Aoki Takatoshi , Iwao Yuma , Ogura Takashi , Utsunomiya Daisuke
Published: February 2020

Background

Anti-fibrotic drugs for interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been developed. Physicians are becoming increasingly aware of the need for better diagnosis of IPF.

Purpose

To evaluate whether a computer-aided system can improve the diagnostic performance of general radiologists in detecting the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on computed tomography (CT).

Material and Methods

We included 60 CT datasets from 30 patients with IPF and 30 with idiopathic fibrosing non-specific interstitial pneumonia (fNSIP), all diagnosed by a multidisciplinary diagnosis (MDD) procedure that included surgical biopsy. We analyzed the CT data using a computer-aided system (Gaussian histogram normalized correlation: GHNC). Five general radiologists with <6 years of experience each interpreted these CT scans with and without the GHNC results. We compared the likelihoods of a UIP-pattern diagnosis with the likelihood of the same diagnosis by MDD using the average area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC). We also evaluated the association between the radiologists’ diagnosis and survival using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

In the ROC analysis, the AUC increased significantly from 0.731 without GHNC to 0.829 with GHNC ( P = 0.0396). The diagnosis without GHNC was not significantly associated with survival for any radiologist, but the UIP diagnosis with GHNC was significantly associated with a worse prognosis for four out of five radiologists.

Conclusion

The computer-aided system could increase the confidence level of UIP-pattern diagnosis by non-expert radiologists.
Pharmacogenetic Testing Options Relevant to Psychiatry in Canada: Options de tests pharmacogénétiques pertinents en psychiatrie au Canada
Authors: Maruf Abdullah Al , Fan Mikayla , Arnold Paul D. , Müller Daniel J. , Aitchison Katherine J. , Bousman Chad A.
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To identify and assess pharmacogenetic testing options relevant to psychiatry in Canada.

Method:

Searches of published literature, websites, and Standard Council of Canada’s Laboratory Directory were conducted to identify pharmacogenetic tests available in Canada. Identified tests were assessed on 8 key questions related to analytical validity, accessibility, test ordering, delivery of test results, turnaround time, cost, clinical trial evidence, and gene/allele content.

Results:

A total of 13 pharmacogenetic tests relevant to psychiatry in Canada were identified. All tests were highly accessible, and most were conducted in accredited laboratories. Both direct-to-consumer and clinician-gated testing were identified, with turnaround times and cost ranging from 2 to 40 days and CAD$199 to CAD$2310, respectively. Two tests were supported by randomized controlled trials. All tests met minimum gene and allele panel recommendations for psychiatry, but no 2 panels were identical. No test was unequivocally superior to all other tests.

Conclusions:

Pharmacogenetic testing in Canada is readily available but highly variable in terms of ordering procedures, delivery of results, turnaround times, cost, and gene/allele content. As such, it is important for psychiatrists and other health-care providers to understand the differences between the available tests to ensure appropriate selection and implementation within their practice.
Sense of Power: Policy Insights for Encouraging Consumers’ Healthy Food Choice
Authors: Wang Cindy Xin , Minton Elizabeth A. , Zhang Jiao
Published: February 2020

Research has inadequately examined how increasing a consumer’s sense of power may positively influence healthy choices. With the global obesity epidemic worsening each year, now is an essential time for marketers and policy makers to identify ways to encourage healthy choices. Thus, the current research addresses this need and the accompanying gap in the literature. Through five studies (including a field study) involving both corporate advertising and public service announcements, results show that priming a high (vs. low) sense of power leads consumers to make healthier food purchase decisions and that this effect occurs because a higher sense of power results in a more salient health goal. Most relevant for policy makers, the findings show that priming a high sense of power through simple changes in marketing communications (e.g., using the headline “You are powerful”) is an effective way to increase healthy choice, particularly for lower-socioeconomic-status consumers.
Synthetic CD47 antibody-chitosan/hyaluronic acid polyelectrolyte complex mediates targeted inhibition of atherosclerotic plaques by exogenous foam-like cells via the NLRP3 pathway
Authors: Yu Jun , Ruan Qiurong , Nie Xiu , Yu Lan , Huang Bangxing
Published: February 2020

Studies have shown that CD47-mediated macrophage immune escape plays an important role in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. CD47 is the target of an atherosclerosis treatment strategy that promotes the body’s clearance of macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques, via a mechanism that improves the immune system’s recognition of foam-like cells, which are derived from macrophages that highly express CD47. We designed a synthetic CD47 antibody coated with hyaluronic acid and chitosan nanocarriers to coat foreign foam cells, which we administered to high-fat-fed apoE knockout mice to study their atherosclerotic plaques using block inhibition. In vitro, we synthesized CD47 hyaluronic acid-modified chitosan nanoparticles and tested their physical and chemical properties, stability, cytotoxicity, and targeting patterns. Then, CD47 nanoparticles were coated with exogenous foam cells and given to high-fat-fed mice. The apoE knockout mice were then observed and analyzed. CD47 nanoparticles had good biostability, no obvious cytotoxicity, and adequate in vivo and in vitro targeting. Further experiments showed that the foreign foam cells were coated. Our observations revealed that CD47 nanoparticle-coated exogenous cells may partially mediate the inhibition of atherosclerotic plaques by activating NLRP3-related signaling pathways. Our experiments showed that CD47 hyaluronic acid-modified chitosan nanoparticles can mediate the inhibition of atherosclerotic plaques generated by exogenous foam cells through the NLRP3 pathway, providing a basis for the potential application of a treatment for atherosclerotic plaques.
Stiffness analysis of leaf spring system under large deformation
Authors: Ghuku Sushanta , Saha Kashinath
Published: February 2020

The paper proposes a semi-analytical model to analyze large deformation elastic behavior of leaf spring under static load. The model treats leaf spring system as a curved beam with one end directly hinged to a fixed support and the other end being attached to another fixed support through a rigid link (shackle). Constrained motion of the shackle with large deformation of curved beam is modeled using a rotational spring at fixed hinge point of the shackle. Two more physically plausible models for the restraint motion are also proposed, which are derived from the main model through post processing. In the first derived model, the constrained motion is captured by defining a longitudinal spring in a virtual rod connecting the curved beam ends, whereas in the second derived model, the restrained motion is modeled through vertical stiffness of the system. Due to combined complications coming from non-conventional boundary condition, asymmetric geometry, non-uniform curvature, and nonlinear kinematics, the problem is analyzed through successive geometry updation. Governing equation for the curved beam is derived in body fitted curvilinear frame considering combined bending–stretching effects. Global solution for the total system is then obtained by incorporating the elastically restrained shackle motion through satisfaction of kinematic and kinetic constraint relations. As the governing equation and the constraint conditions involve geometric nonlinearity, a numerical iterative scheme is developed and implemented in MATLAB®. For the purpose of validation, the theoretical model is simulated in commercial finite element package ABAQUS®. Comparison of deflection profiles with the finite element model validates the proposed leaf spring model. After the validation study, observations on effects of system parameters and curved leaf profile shape on system stiffnesses are furnished. Effects of the parametric study are presented through true and total system stiffnesses. The parametric study may lead toward optimized design of the system.
Solving locomotive wheel polygonisation by reducing variable frequency drive interharmonics
Authors: Spangenberg U , Fröhling RD
Published: February 2020

Severe vibrations and an increase in structural component fatigue failures have been observed on a freight locomotive class operating in South Africa. The cause of the severe vibration was linked to polygonal wheel wear dominated by the 20th order. This locomotive is powered by an alternating current traction system, which is controlled by a variable frequency drive. The variable frequency drive generates interharmonics that produce torque pulsations in the torque output from the motors. Interharmonics are determined by the alternating current supply frequency ([Formula: see text]) and the fundamental frequency ([Formula: see text]) of the variable frequency drive. The interference of the torque pulsations with a coupled resonance mode is reaffirmed as the root cause of the polygonal wheel wear. An experimental investigation of this phenomenon was performed by means of on-track testing. It was found that the [Formula: see text] interharmonic excited the coupled resonance mode at approximately 42 km/h, which fixes the 20th-order polygon on the wheel. Two approaches that may eliminate the polygonal wheel wear were introduced and discussed. It was found that the forced excitation of the coupled mode by the [Formula: see text] interharmonic could be avoided by postponing the speed where the alternating current traction motor's pulse mode changed.
Human papillomavirus vaccination and sexual practices among men who have sex with men in Melbourne, Australia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Chow Eric PF , Aung Ei T , Chen Marcus Y , Bradshaw Catriona S , Fairley Christopher K
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with self-reported receipt of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM aged 16–40 years attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia, for their first visit in 2016 were included in the analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between self-reported HPV vaccination and sexual practices: one examining the sexual practices. A total of 1332 MSM with a mean age of 27.6 (standard error [SE] = 0.1) were included in the analysis. The mean number of reported male partners in the last 3 and 12 months was 4.0 (SE = 0.1) and 8.9 (SE = 0.4), respectively. Six percent ( n =  81) of MSM reported receiving the HPV vaccine. There was no significant association between sexual practices (the number of partners or condomless anal sex) and self-reported HPV vaccine receipt after adjusting for confounding factors such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). HIV-negative MSM taking PrEP were three times more likely to be vaccinated against HPV compared with HIV-negative MSM not taking PrEP in both multivariable analyses. Our findings suggest that there is no association between HPV vaccination and sexual risk practices in MSM.
The fate of Jews hospitalized in mental hospitals in France during World War II
Authors: Mouchenik Yoram , Fau-Vincenti Véronique
Published: February 2020

The fate of Jewish psychiatric patients in occupied Europe during World War II is inseparable from the fate of the disabled and mentally ill, as planned by the Nazi regime. But Jews found themselves at the confluence of eugenics, Christian anti-Judaism and Nazi racist and anti-Semitic madness. They faced the twin promise of death – both as Jews and as mentally ill. They did not escape from the euthanasia programme and, if by a miracle they survived, they disappeared into the extermination camps. The modalities of annihilation of Jewish psychiatric patients are inseparable from the forms of German occupation, which differed from country to country. In this research we focus initially on various countries in occupied Europe, and then on France.
For a Society Beyond Justice
Authors: Lele Jayant
Published: February 2020

The first part of the paper suggests a minimalist framework for integrating the discipline of psychology. Such a framework must rest on the principle of parsimony, build on fewest and simplest possible axiomatic assumptions and yet be able to contain, sustain and benefit from the enormous diversity of its interests and approaches, its ever-widening research enterprise and its unique relationship to neuroscience that situates it felicitously between natural and human sciences. I take the Kantian questions about the human condition as the starting point to link the concepts of reason, work and autonomy to the idea of self as transformative agency that straddles the domains of nature and society the way psychology does. The second part of the paper takes Rawls’ idea of society beyond justice, with reference Marx, to show why justice must act as the placeholder for equality in formal procedural democracies and to chart the direction that psychology should follow to meet the challenge of becoming more relevant for human welfare in this neoliberal age of deepening inequalities and mounting social, political and personality crises.
Inside the black box: A micro-sociological analysis of sport for development
Authors: Spaaij Ramón , Schaillée Hebe
Published: February 2020

Sport for development research increasingly seeks to move beyond a focus on evidence of sport for development outcomes to better understand the mechanisms and contexts that underpin these outcomes. Building on recent innovations in micro-sociology, which highlight the role of emotions and bodily entrainment in face-to-face interactions, this paper critically examines, and aims to progress, efforts to open the ‘black box’ of sport for development outcomes and impacts. The authors argue that the theoretical and methodological merits of radical micro-sociology, and interaction ritual theory in particular, enable important advances in the field of sport for development. The paper proposes micro-sociological questions and practical directions for sport for development research but also outlines the limitations of this approach.
Social Security Works for the United States 2019
Authors:   Social Security Works
Published: February 2020

Social Security Works is a nongovernmental organization that works to protect and improve the economic security of disadvantaged and at-risk populations; safeguard the economic security of those dependent, now or in the future, on Social Security; and maintain Social Security as a vehicle of social justice. With permission, New Solutions has reprinted a recent report that provides details of the Social Security system’s expansive coverage and protections for U.S. individuals and families, as well challenges the system faces.
Event-driven adaptive fault-tolerant tracking control for uncertain mechanical systems with application to flexible spacecraft
Authors: Wei Caisheng , Liao Yuxin , Xi Wenxiong , Yin Zeyang , Luo Jianjun
Published: February 2020

An event-driven neural network–based fault-tolerant tracking control scheme is investigated for uncertain mechanical systems with performance guaranteed in the presence of unknown actuator faults and external disturbances. Compared with the existing works, the primary advantage is that the detections and identifications of actuator faults are not required, whereas the convergence rate and tracking accuracy can be guaranteed a priori by constructing an adaptive tracking controller with a few aperiodic updates. Moreover, by using the norm-bounding skill, only two adaptive parameters are needed to update online, which dramatically decreases the complexity of the corresponding adaptive schemes. Finally, applications to the attitude stabilization and tracking control of the flexible spacecraft are used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of apixaban and rivaroxaban in cancer patients receiving concomitant active anti-neoplastic therapy at an outpatient cancer setting
Authors: Yassine Darin , Brown Erika N , Putney David , Fasoranti Oyejoke
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Venous thromboembolism is a common complication among cancer patients with an estimated risk of 20%. American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines recommend direct oral anticoagulants for long-term anticoagulation but caution the use of direct oral anticoagulants because of drug–drug interactions with antineoplastic therapies. The clinical impact of these drug–drug interactions is yet to be studied in clinical trials. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the drug–drug interactions on venous thromboembolism recurrence and bleeding.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study that included cancer patients with venous thromboembolism receiving apixaban or rivaroxaban with antineoplastic therapy. The impact of the drug–drug interaction was determined by its effect on the rates of venous thromboembolism recurrence and bleeding in patients with a drug–drug interaction compared to patients with no drug–drug interaction.

Results

The primary composite endpoint of venous thromboembolism recurrence and bleeding events occurred in 65% versus 62% of patients in drug–drug interaction and non-drug–drug interaction groups accordingly. There was a higher rate of venous thromboembolism recurrence and minor bleeding events with anti-mitotic microtubule inhibitors and a higher rate of minor bleeding events with hormonal therapy and alkylating agents. Among the drug–drug interaction group, there were no major bleeding events reported with mild drug–drug interactions when compared to moderate-to-severe drug–drug interactions. There was no difference in time to venous thromboembolism recurrence between rivaroxaban and apixaban.

Conclusion

Due to small sample size, our study results could not confirm a higher risk of bleeding or venous thromboembolism recurrence with the drug–drug interactions. Further prospective study is warranted, but clinicians should be aware of these drug–drug interactions and identify them using available literature.
You exist in my song! How a destination-related popular song enhances destination image and visit intentions
Authors: Yin Cheng-Yue , Bi Nan , Chen Yong
Published: February 2020

Research on media-induced tourism has been growing in recent years. The existing research has shown that films, television programs, and radio commercials can induce tourism behavior. The present research aimed to introduce a new form of music-induced tourism to the literature by examining the impact of a destination-related popular song on prospective tourists’ intentions to visit the destination. A theoretical model that included music-evoked mental imagery, affective image, overall image, and visit intentions was developed; 381 respondents participated in a web-based experiment to test the hypotheses, and the model was validated using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that music-evoked mental imagery led tourists to generate positive affective images and overall images of the destination, which in turn influenced their intentions to visit the destination. The implications of the findings for tourism marketers and future research directions are also discussed.
‘New Italians’ and intercultural citizenship: Challenging hegemonic visions of migration, childhood and identity through fiction
Authors: Rorato Laura
Published: February 2020

This article explores how representations of migration in 21st-century Italian fiction, including texts aimed at children and adolescents, can foster intercultural communication and contribute to the creation of a more tolerant society. Children represent a large proportion of the number of migrants arriving in Italy every year. However, since immigration is a relatively recent phenomenon, and Italians are still struggling to accept their homeland’s transition from emigrant to immigrant nation, Italian fiction offers a useful platform for exploring and challenging stereotypes about childhood, migration, identity and multiculturalism. This article presents a close reading of four semifictional works selected for their child-centric perspective, and their authors’ desire to use storytelling as a contact zone, that is a tool for sharing memories and creating a community spirit capable of promoting a sense of belonging, even in the absence of a single physical place to call home. The texts in question are Sumaya’s Abdel Qader’s Porto il velo, adoro i Queen. Nuove italiane crescono [I wear a headscarf, I love Queen. New Italian women are growing up]; Giuseppe Caliceti’s Italiani, per esempio. L’Italia vista dai bambini immigrati [Italians, for instance. Italy seen through the eyes of immigrant children]; Fabrizio Gatti’s Viki che voleva andare a scula [Viki who wanted to go to School], and Carmine Abate’ La festa del ritorno [The homecoming party]. All four authors have either direct or indirect experience of migration and particularly of the impact that migration has on children. They also share a sense of commitment and engagement and particularly in Caliceti’s and Abate’s case, an interest in language as a form of resistance. Their works are clear examples of the power of literature in challenging some of the more problematic sociological and media discourses about childhood and migration that tend to represent children as vulnerable victims or potential criminals.
Doing Internet research with hard-to-reach communities: methodological reflections on gaining meaningful access
Authors: Kaufmann Mareile , Tzanetakis Meropi
Published: February 2020

This article contributes to scholarship on digital sociology by addressing the methodological challenge of gaining access to hard-to-reach online communities. We use assemblage theory to argue how collaborative efforts of human participants, digital technologies, techniques, authorities, cultural codes and the human researcher co-determine aspects of gaining access to online subjects. In particular, we analyse how credibility and reflexivity are assembled in an online research context. This is exemplified by our own experiences of researching hackers that dispute surveillance and the social embeddedness of darknet drug market users. In this article, we demonstrate the utility of an assemblage perspective for understanding the complexities involved in negotiating access to hard-to-reach communities in digital spaces.