bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Branch Reconfiguration of Bricard Linkages Based on Toroids Intersections: Line-Symmetric Case
Authors: López-Custodio P. C. , Dai J. S. , Rico J. M.
Published: January 2018

This paper for the first time investigates a family of line-symmetric Bricard linkages by means of two generated toroids and reveals their intersection that leads to a set of special Bricard linkages with various branches of reconfiguration. The discovery is made in the concentric toroid–toroid intersection. By manipulating the construction parameters of the toroids, all possible bifurcation points are explored. This leads to the common bi-tangent planes that present singularities in the intersection set. The study reveals the presence of Villarceau and secondary circles in the toroid–toroid intersection. Therefore, a way to reconfigure the Bricard linkage to a pair of different types of Bennett linkage is uncovered. Further, a linkage with two Bricard and two Bennett motion branches is explored. In addition, the paper reveals the Altmann linkage as a member of the family of special line-symmetric Bricard linkage studied in this paper. The method is applied to the plane-symmetric case in the following paper published together with this paper.
Pressure-Loss Coefficient of 90 deg Sharp-Angled Miter Elbows
Authors: Al-Tameemi Wameedh T. M. , Ricco Pierre
Published: January 2018

The pressure drop across 90deg sharp-angled miter elbows connecting straight circular pipes is studied in a bespoke experimental facility by using water and air as working fluids flowing in the range of bulk Reynolds number 500<Re<60,000. To the best of our knowledge, the dependence on the Reynolds number of the pressure drop across the miter elbow scaled by the dynamic pressure, i.e., the pressure-loss coefficient K, is reported herein for the first time. The coefficient is shown to decrease sharply with the Reynolds number up to about Re=20,000 and, at higher Reynolds numbers, to approach mildly a constant K=0.9, which is about 20% lower than the currently reported value in the literature. We quantify this relation and the dependence between K and the straight-pipe friction factor at the same Reynolds number through two new empirical correlations, which will be useful for the design of piping systems fitted with these sharp elbows. The pressure drop is also expressed in terms of the scaled equivalent length, i.e., the length of a straight pipe that would produce the same pressure drop as the elbow at the same Reynolds number.
Improved a-B10C2+xHy/Si p-n heterojunction performance after neutron irradiation
Authors: Peterson George Glenn , Su Qing , Wang Yongqiang , Ianno Natale J. , Dowben Peter A. , Nastasi Michael
Published: January 2018

The impact of neutron irradiation, in the energy range of ∼0.025 eV, on amorphous semiconducting partially dehydrogenated boron carbide (a-B10C2+xHy) on silicon p-n heterojunction diodes was investigated. The heterojunction devices were created by synthesizing a-B10C2+xHy via plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition on n-type silicon. Unlike many electronic devices, the performance of the a-B10C2+xHy heterojunction diode improved with neutron irradiation, in spite of the large neutron cross section of 10B. There is also increased charge carrier lifetime of more than 200% with modest neutron irradiation of approximately 2.7 × 108 to 1.08 × 109 neutrons/cm2.
Genetic Basis of Emerging Vancomycin, Linezolid, and Daptomycin Heteroresistance in a Case of Persistent Enterococcus faecium Bacteremia
Authors: Chacko Kieran I. , Sullivan Mitchell J. , Beckford Colleen , Altman Deena R. , Ciferri Brianne , Pak Theodore R. , Sebra Robert , Kasarskis Andrew , Hamula Camille L. , van Bakel Harm
Published: January 2018

Whole-genome sequencing was used to examine a persistent
Enterococcus faecium
bacteremia that acquired heteroresistance to three antibiotics in response to prolonged multidrug therapy. A comparison of the complete genomes before and after each change revealed the emergence of known resistance determinants for vancomycin and linezolid and suggested that a novel mutation in
fabF
, encoding a fatty acid synthase, was responsible for daptomycin nonsusceptibility. Plasmid recombination contributed to the progressive loss of vancomycin resistance after withdrawal of the drug.
A systematic review of network meta-analyses for pharmacological treatment of common mental disorders
Authors: Williams Taryn , Stein Dan J , Ipser Jonathan
Published: January 2018

Question

Network meta-analyses (NMAs) of treatment efficacy across different pharmacological treatments help inform clinical decision-making, but their methodological quality may vary a lot depending also on the quality of the included primary studies. We therefore conducted a systematic review of NMAs of pharmacological treatment for common mental disorders in order to assess the methodological quality of these NMAs, and to relate study characteristics to the rankings of efficacy and tolerability.

Study selection and analysis

We searched three databases for NMAs of pharmacological treatment used in major depression, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and specific phobia.

Studies were appraised using the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research checklist of good research practices for indirect-treatment-comparison and network-meta-analysis studies.

Findings

Twenty NMAs were eligible for inclusion. The number of randomised controlled trials per NMA ranged from 11 to 234, and included between 801 to more than 26 000 participants. Overall, antidepressants were found to be efficacious and tolerable agents for several disorders based on rankings (45%) or statistical significance (55%). The majority of NMAs in this review adhered to guidelines by including a network diagram (70%), assessing consistency (75%), making use of a random effects model (75%), providing information on the model used to fit the data (75%) and adjusting for covariates (75%).

Conclusions

The 20 NMAs of depression and anxiety disorders, PTSD and/or OCD included in this review demonstrate some methodological strengths in comparison with the larger body of published NMAs for medical disorders, support current treatment guidelines and help inform clinical decision-making.
Hazardous alcohol consumption among spouses or partners of military service personnel: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Gribble Rachael , Thandi G K , Goodwin L , Fear N T
Published: January 2018

Background

Alcohol misuse is particularly high among both the UK and US Armed Forces. As alcohol use among couples is associated, military spouses or partners may therefore be at a higher risk of acquiring hazardous drinking behaviours than people in relationships with other occupational groups.

Method

A literature review using a systematic approach was undertaken in four medical databases and supplemented with hand searches of specialist publications and reference lists. The prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption among military spouses or partners was estimated and potential sociodemographic and military factors associated with this outcome were identified.

Results

Nine papers met inclusion criteria, of which eight focused on female spouses or partners only. The limited evidence suggests hazardous alcohol consumption was not a common outcome among spouses or partners. None of the papers statistically compared the prevalence among spouses or partners to estimates from the general population and few reported associations with sociodemographic or military factors. Deployment abroad did not appear to be significantly associated with hazardous consumption, although increasing periods of separation from Service personnel may be associated with increased hazardous consumption among spouses or partners.

Conclusion

Limited evidence was found concerning the prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption among military spouses or partners or which sociodemographic and military factors might be associated with this outcome. The a dominance of US studies means applying the estimates of these outcomes to other nations must be undertaken with care due to differences in cultural attitudes to alcohol as well as differences between military structure and operations between the US and other nations.
Blood pressure levels post mechanical thrombectomy and outcomes in non-recanalized large vessel occlusion patients
Authors: Goyal Nitin , Tsivgoulis Georgios , Pandhi Abhi , Dillard Kira , Alsbrook Diana , Chang Jason J , Krishnaiah Balaji , Nickele Christopher , Hoit Daniel , Alsherbini Khalid , Alexandrov Andrei V , Arthur Adam S , Elijovich Lucas
Published: January 2018

Objective

Permissive hypertension may benefit patients with non-recanalized large vessel occlusion (nrLVO) post mechanical thrombectomy (MT) by maintaining brain perfusion. Data evaluating the impact of post-MT blood pressure (BP) levels on outcomes in nrLVO patients are scarce. We investigated the association of the post-MT BP course with safety and efficacy outcomes in nrLVO.

Methods

Hourly systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) values were prospectively recorded for 24 hours following MT in consecutive nrLVO patients. Maximum, minimum, and mean BP levels were documented. Three-month functional independence (FI) was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of 0–2.

Results

A total of 88 nrLVO patients were evaluated post MT. Patients with FI had lower maximum SBP (160±19 mmHg vs 179±23 mmHg; P=0.001) and higher minimum SBP levels (119±12 mmHg vs 108±25 mmHg; P=0.008). Maximum SBP (183±20 mmHg vs 169±23 mmHg; P=0.008) and DBP levels (105±20 mmHg vs 89±18 mmHg; P=0.001) were higher in patients who died at 3 months while minimum SBP values were lower (102±28 mmHg vs 115±16 mmHg; P=0.007). On multivariable analyses, both maximum SBP (OR per 10 mmHg increase: 0.55, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.79; P=0.001) and minimum SBP (OR per 10 mmHg increase: 1.64, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.60; P=0.033) levels were independently associated with the odds of FI. Maximum DBP (OR per 10 mmHg increase: 1.61; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.36; P=0.014) and minimum SBP (OR per 10 mmHg increase: 0.65, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.90; P=0.009) values were independent predictors of 3-month mortality.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that wide BP excursions from the mean during the first 24 hours post MT are associated with worse outcomes in patients with nrLVO.
Summary of the 4th International Workshop on Requirements Engineering and Testing (RET 2017)
Authors: Borg Markus , Bjarnason Elizabeth , Unterkalmsteiner Michael , Yu Tingting , Gay Gregory , Felderer Michael
Published: January 2018

The RET (Requirements Engineering and Testing) workshop series provides a meeting point for researchers and practitioners from the two separate fields of Requirements Engineering (RE) and Testing. The long term aim is to build a community and a body of knowledge within the intersection of RE and Testing, i.e., RET. The 4th workshop was co-located with the 25th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE'17) in Lisbon, Portugal and attracted about 20 participants. In line with the previous workshop instances, RET 2017 o ered an interactive setting with a keynote, an invited talk, paper presentations, and a concluding hands-on exercise.
Report on the 4th International Workshop on Model-driven Robot Software Engineering (MORSE)
Authors: Götz Sebastian , Piechnick Christian , Wortmann Andreas
Published: January 2018

The 4th edition of the international workshop on model-driven robot software engineering (MORSE) was held at the International Conference on Software Technologies: Applications and Foundations (STAF). The workshop took place in the city of Marburg, Germany, on the 21st of July 2017. The focus of this year's edition of the workshop was on scenario-based development and interaction modeling. In this report, we first present a synopsis of the workshop sessions before we highlight concerns raised in workshop's interactive discussion.
Improved Discourse Parsing with Two-Step Neural Transition-Based Model
Authors: Jia Yanyan , Feng Yansong , Ye Yuan , Lv Chao , Shi Chongde , Zhao Dongyan
Published: January 2018

Discourse parsing aims to identify structures and relationships between different discourse units. Most existing approaches analyze a whole discourse at once, which often fails in distinguishing long-span relations and properly representing discourse units. In this article, we propose a novel parsing model to analyze discourse in a two-step fashion with different feature representations to characterize intra sentence and inter sentence discourse structures, respectively. Our model works in a transition-based framework and benefits from a stack long short-term memory neural network model. Experiments on benchmark tree banks show that our method outperforms traditional 1-step parsing methods in both English and Chinese.
Engineering Approaches to Study Cellular Decision Making
Authors: Kreeger Pamela K. , Strong Laura E. , Masters Kristyn S.
Published: January 2018

In their native environment, cells are immersed in a complex milieu of biochemical and biophysical cues. These cues may include growth factors, the extracellular matrix, cell–cell contacts, stiffness, and topography, and they are responsible for regulating cellular behaviors such as adhesion, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation. The decision-making process used to convert these extracellular inputs into actions is highly complex and sensitive to changes both in the type of individual cue (e.g., growth factor dose/level, timing) and in how these individual cues are combined (e.g., homotypic/heterotypic combinations). In this review, we highlight recent advances in the development of engineering-based approaches to study the cellular decision-making process. Specifically, we discuss the use of biomaterial platforms that enable controlled and tailored delivery of individual and combined cues, as well as the application of computational modeling to analyses of the complex cellular decision-making networks.
Impaired Value of 99m Tc-GSA Scintigraphy as an Independent Risk Factor for Posthepatectomy Liver Failure in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Nakamura Ikuo , Iimuro Yuji , Hai Seikan , Kondo Yuichi  , Hatano Etsuro , Fujimoto Jiro
Published: January 2018

Background: Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) was recently defined with the corresponding recommendations as follows: grade A, no change in clinical management; grade B, clinical management with noninvasive treatment; and grade C, clinical management with invasive treatment. In this study, we identified the risk factors for grade B and C PHLF in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Of 339 HCC patients who underwent curative hepatic resection, 218 were included for analysis. The LHL15 index (uptake ratio of the liver to that of the liver and heart at 15 min) was measured by 99m Tc-GSA (99m technetium-labelled galactosyl human serum albumin); remnant LHL15 was calculated as LHL15 × [1 − (resected liver weight − tumor volume)/whole liver volume without tumor]. Results: A total of 163 patients were classified as having no PHLF, whereas 17, 37, and 1 patient had PHLF grade A, B, and C, respectively. There were significant differences in indocyanine green R15, serum albumin, prothrombin time, Child-Pugh classification, LHL15 and remnant LHL15 between patients with grades B/C PHLF and patients with grade A or no PHLF. Only remnant LHL15 was identified as an independent risk factor for grades B/C PHLF (p = 0.023), with a cut-off value of 0.755. Conclusions: Remnant LHL15 was an independent risk factor for grades B/C PHLF. Patients with impaired remnant LHL15 value of <0.755 should be carefully monitored for PHLF.
Low-Dose Oral Immunotherapy Using Low-Egg-Allergen Cookies for Severe Egg-Allergic Children Reduces Allergy Severity and Affects Allergen-Specific Antibodies in Serum
Authors: Maeta Akihiro , Matsushima Marin , Muraki Nozomi , Asano Mariko , Takaoka Yuri , Kameda Makoto , Takahashi Kyoko
Published: January 2018

Background: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of low-egg-allergen cookies (LAC) as low-dose oral immunotherapy (OIT) in children with severe egg allergy. We also examined the relationship between mild desensitization by low-dose OIT and serum biomarkers of allergy. Methods: We enrolled 13 children with egg allergy who could not receive OIT with hard-boiled egg white (EW). For 11 participants, OIT was carried out using LAC for 3-4 months. Open food challenges with hard-boiled EW and blood samplings were performed before and after OIT. Participants were divided into 2 groups: high effect (H-E) and no/low effect (N/L-E). Serum levels of total IgE and egg yolk-, EW-, and ovomucoid (OM)-specific IgE, ovalbumin (OVA)- and OM-specific IgG4, IgA1, and IgA2, and the percentage of CD 203c+ were measured. Results: Allergic severity was reduced in 7 patients, who were assigned to the H-E group. Moreover, no study participants were taken off the intake of LAC during OIT. In the H-E group, OVA-specific IgA2 levels after OIT were significantly higher than before OIT. The ratios of OM-specific IgG4/OM-specific IgE and OM-specific IgA2/OM-specific IgE in the H-E group after OIT were significantly higher than before OIT. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that low-dose OIT using LAC is an effective and safe treatment for patients with severe egg allergy.
A reconsideration of Pseudofortuynia and Tchihatchewia as synonyms of Sisymbrium and Hesperis, respectively (Brassicaceae)
Authors: GERMAN DMITRY A. , AL-SHEHBAZ IHSAN A.
Published: January 2018

Pseudofortuynia leucoclada (Boiss.) Khosravi was initially described and was long treated as a member of Hesperis L. whereas Tchihatchewia isatidea Boiss. has never hitherto been assigned to this genus. Currently these species represent monospecific genera, Pseudofortuynia Hedge and Tchihatchewia Boiss., endemic to restricted areas in Iran and Turkey, respectively. Based on a re-evaluation of morphological characters in light of available molecular data, the merger of Pseudofortuynia with Sisymbrium L. and Tchihatchewia with Hesperis is proposed. Relevant combinations are validated.
Two new species of Tarenaya (Cleomaceae) from Brazil
Authors: NETO RAIMUNDO LUCIANO SOARES , BARBOSA MARIA REGINA DE VASCONCELLOS , ROALSON ERIC H.
Published: January 2018

Two new endemic species of Tarenaya from Brazil are described and illustrated here. These species have been previously recognized, but their names were never validly published. They resemble each other by the armed petioles, corymbiform racemes, small flowers and sessile to subsessile mature capsules with deflexed and persistent sepals. Tarenaya curvispina is characterized by the curved stipular spines, serrulate-ciliate margins of the leaflets, and ascending fruits, while T. pernambucensis is characterized by being puberulent-glandular throughout, straight stipular spines, the margin of leaflets entire, and ciliate and deflexed fruits.
Anacroneuria flintorum Froehlich 2002 (Plecoptera: Perlidae): Notes, distribution, and life stages association using molecular tools
Authors: ALMEIDA LUCAS HENRIQUE DE , GONÇALVES MAÍSA DE CARVALHO , NOVAES MARCOS CARNEIRO , PARESQUI RAYNER CONSTANTINO , BISPO PITÁGORAS DA CONCEIÇÃO
Published: January 2018

Specimens of the perlid stonefly Anacroneuria flintorum from different regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest along the Atlantic coast of Brazil were studied. In this paper, the nymph of A. flintorum is described based on reared specimens and molecular associations. Additionally, we provide new locality records and comments about variation of the species.
Objective meaning: The formation of self in Mead and Sohn-Rethel
Authors: Granberg Magnus
Published: January 2018

This analysis of the work of George Herbert Mead and Alfred Sohn-Rethel compares their respective accounts of the formation of the self. The analysis proceeds from two important similarities: the effort to understand self-consciousness not as primordial but as the product of social processes, and the view that these processes form a circuit: the self arises from consciousness’ return to itself, concluding a movement whereby consciousness is first externalized onto objects and then internalized, taking on the insular shape of self-consciousness. What sets the two accounts apart is the site from whence the self returns: objects. In Mead, the self returns from meaningful objects, and this same (intersubjective) meaning is entangled with the process of self-formation. In contrast, for Sohn-Rethel, the self returns from objects whose meaning is not established intersubjectively but objectively: the self is the unintended consequence of commodity exchange. In Mead, interaction among people affords meaning to objects and thus evokes the self; in Sohn-Rethel, interaction among commodities evokes an objective meaning that renders people as selves. Interpretative sociology should attend to the objectively and unconsciously meaningful forms analyzed by Sohn-Rethel. To illustrate this conclusion, reference is made to a certain experience of the social under neoliberalism.
Shadow Learning: Building Robotic Surgical Skill When Approved Means Fail
Authors: Beane Matthew
Published: January 2018

I explore here how trainees in a community of practice learn new techniques and technologies when approved practices for learning are insufficient. I do so through two studies: a two-year, five-sited, comparative ethnographic study of learning in robotic and traditional surgical practice, and a blinded interview-based study of surgical learning practices at 13 top-tier teaching hospitals around the U.S. I found that learning surgery through increasing participation using approved methods worked well in traditional (open) surgery, as current literature would predict. But the radically different practice of robotic surgery greatly limited trainees’ role in the work, making approved methods ineffective. Learning surgery in this context required what I call “shadow learning”: an interconnected set of norm- and policy-challenging practices enacted extensively, opportunistically, and in relative isolation that allowed only a minority of robotic surgical trainees to come to competence. Successful trainees engaged extensively in three practices: “premature specialization” in robotic surgical technique at the expense of generalist training; “abstract rehearsal” before and during their surgical rotations when concrete, empirically faithful rehearsal was prized; and “undersupervised struggle,” in which they performed robotic surgical work close to the edge of their capacity with little expert supervision—when norms and policy dictated such supervision. Shadow learning practices were neither punished nor forbidden, and they contributed to significant and troubling outcomes for the cadre of initiate surgeons and the profession, including hyperspecialization and a decreasing supply of experts relative to demand.
Sharing the Burden of the Transition to Adulthood: African American Young Adults’ Transition Challenges and Their Mothers’ Health Risk
Authors: Barr Ashley B. , Simons Leslie Gordon , Simons Ronald L. , Beach Steven R. H. , Philibert Robert A.
Published: January 2018

For many African American youth, the joint influences of economic and racial marginalization render the transition to stable adult roles challenging. We have gained much insight into how these challenges affect future life chances, yet we lack an understanding of what these challenges mean in the context of linked lives. Drawing on a life course framework, this study examines how young African Americans’ experiences across a variety of salient domains during the transition to adulthood affect their mothers’ health. Results suggest that stressors experienced by African Americans during the transition to adulthood (e.g., unemployment, troubled romantic relationships, arrest) heighten their mothers’ cumulative biological risk for chronic diseases, or allostatic load, and reduce subjective health. These results suggest that the toll of an increasingly tenuous and uncertain transition to adulthood extends beyond young people to their parents. Hence, increased public investments during this transition may not only reduce inequality and improve life chances for young people themselves, but may also enhance healthy aging by relieving the heavy burden on parents to help their children navigate this transition.
Individual Values and SME Environmental Engagement
Authors: Schaefer Anja , Williams Sarah , Blundel Richard
Published: January 2018

We study the values on which managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) draw when constructing their personal and organizational-level engagement with environmental issues, particularly climate change. Values play an important mediating role in business environmental engagement, but relatively little research has been conducted on individual values in smaller organizations. Using the Schwartz Value System (SVS) as a framework for a qualitative analysis, we identify four “ideal-types” of SME managers and provide rich descriptions of the ways in which values shape their constructions of environmental engagement. In contrast to previous research, which is framed around a binary divide between self-enhancing and self-transcending values, our typology distinguishes between individuals drawing primarily on Power or on Achievement values and indicates how a combination of Achievement and Benevolence values is particularly significant in shaping environmental engagement. This demonstrates the theoretical usefulness of focusing on a complete range of values. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
The View From Orthodoxy: Point/Counterpoint on Globalization and Human Rights
Authors: Schuftan Claudio
Published: January 2018

The long-term trend of globalization masks a frank deterioration of the situation of the have-nots. Since 1970, polarization has grown faster than inequality, with alarming consequences for human rights and the economy overall. Globalization has continued to enrich the few at the expense of providing a decent livelihood and respecting the human rights of the many. Industrialized countries continue to be the rule makers—poor countries the rule takers. Rich countries go for growth, but an inequality-entrenching growth that brings about human rights violations and poverty. In many developing economies, income inequality and the violation of human rights have clearly increased over the past 3 decades. Discriminated losers have been fighting globalization before it had a name; they still are. Globalization has thus actually resulted in greater income inequality plus human rights violations and disrupted lives. Globalization may well be a finished project. We must remind our respective governments that they have the power to improve working people’s lives so that they, once and for all, address the needs of those who lose out from technological change and globalization. Otherwise, our political problems will only deepen.
Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship as Innovative Human Resource Practice
Authors: Brown William S.
Published: January 2018

This article examines how a single entrepreneur-owner of a heavy manufacturing firm in the United States has been influenced by the experience of the Mondragon cooperatives in Spain and the concept of servant leadership as articulated by Robert K. Greenleaf. The case that follows describes how this entrepreneur has attempted to not only sell his company to his employees at below market value but also to engage in a large scale training and development program so the employees may not only exercise ownership but also leadership and governance. His goal is to provide lifelong security and employment for the employees who made his company the success it is.
Modeling of water diffusion mechanism in polypropylene/date palm fiber composite materials
Authors: Boukettaya Sonia , Alawar Ahmad , Almaskari Fahad , Ben Daly Hachmi , Abdala Ahmed , Chatti Sami
Published: January 2018

The aim of this work is to model the water absorption mechanism of the polypropylene/date palm fibers composite materials after their exposure at different immersion conditions. For short immersion period, a model combining the Fick’s law and the time temperature stress principle has been proposed to describe the water absorption mechanism. However, it has been noted that, after a saturation time, the water diffusion mechanism leads to a physical degradation and a mass loss into the composite material, especially under high temperatures and long times of water immersion. Microscopic observations have revealed a decrease of the interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the matrix and fiber degradations. A general new model describing the evolution of the water uptake mechanism and the degradation phenomenon has been also proposed in the present work. A good agreement between the theoretical and experimental data has been obtained.
Analyses of the mechanical, electrical and electromagnetic shielding properties of thermoplastic composites doped with conductive nanofillers
Authors: Yilmaz Ali Can , Ozen Mustafa Sabri , Sancak Erhan , Erdem Ramazan , Erdem Ozlem , Soin Navneet
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study is to observe effect of incorporating vapor-grown carbon nanofibers with various amounts in polyvinylidene fluoride matrix in terms of mechanical strength and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. Thermoplastic conductive nanocomposites were prepared by heat-pressed compression molding. Vapor-grown carbon nanofibers were utilized at various weight ratios (1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 8 wt.%) as conductive and reinforcing materials. Polyvinylidene fluoride was used as a thermoplastic polymer matrix. Scanning electron microscopic analysis was conducted in order to characterize the morphology and structural properties of the nanocomposites and results revealed well dispersion of carbon nanofibers within the matrix for all concentrations. Mechanical characteristics were investigated according to standards. Findings proved that overall increments of 16%, 37.5%, and 56% were achieved in terms of tensile strength, elasticity modulus, and impact energy, respectively, where a total reduction of 44.8% was observed in terms of elongation for 8 wt.% vapor-grown nanofiber matrix compared to that of 0 wt.%. Electromagnetic shielding effectivenesses of the nanocomposites were determined by standard protocol using coaxial transmission line measurement technique in the frequency range of 15–3000 MHz. It was observed that resistance, sheet resistance, and resistivity of nanocomposites depicted substantial reduction with the increment in nanofiber content. Nevertheless, it was observed that nanofiber content, dispersion, and network formation within the composites were highly influent on the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness performance of the structures.
Creating effective biocontainment facilities and maintenance protocols for raising specific pathogen-free, severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) pigs
Authors: Powell Ellis J , Charley Sara , Boettcher Adeline N , Varley Lisa , Brown Justin , Schroyen Martine , Adur Malavika K , Dekkers Susan , Isaacson Dean , Sauer Mary , Cunnick Joan , Ellinwood N Matthew , Ross Jason W , Dekkers Jack CM , Tuggle Christopher K
Published: January 2018

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is defined by the lack of an adaptive immune system. Mutations causing SCID are found naturally in humans, mice, horses, dogs, and recently in pigs, with the serendipitous discovery of the Iowa State University SCID pigs. As research models, SCID animals are naturally tolerant of xenotransplantation and offer valuable insight into research areas such as regenerative medicine, cancer therapy, as well as immune cell signaling mechanisms. Large-animal biomedical models, particularly pigs, are increasingly essential to advance the efficacy and safety of novel regenerative therapies on human disease. Thus, there is a need to create practical approaches to maintain hygienic severe immunocompromised porcine models for exploratory medical research. Such research often requires stable genetic lines for replication and survival of healthy SCID animals for months post-treatment. A further hurdle in the development of the ISU SCID pig as a biomedical model involved the establishment of facilities and protocols necessary to obtain clean SPF piglets from the conventional pig farm on which they were discovered. A colony of homozygous SCID boars and SPF carrier sows has been created and maintained through selective breeding, bone marrow transplants, innovative husbandry techniques, and the development of biocontainment facilities.
Biocultural Predictors of Motor Coordination Among Prepubertal Boys and Girls
Authors: Luz Leonardo G. O. , Valente-dos-Santos João , Luz Tatiana D. D. , Sousa-e-Silva Paulo , Duarte João P. , Machado-Rodrigues Aristides , Seabra André , Santos Rute , Cumming Sean P. , Coelho-e-Silva Manuel J.
Published: January 2018

This study aimed to predict motor coordination from a matrix of biocultural factors for 173 children (89 boys, 84 girls) aged 7–9 years who were assessed with the Körperkoordinationtest für Kinder test battery. Socioeconomic variables included built environment, area of residence, mother’s educational level, and mother’s physical activity level (using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [short version]). The behavioral domain was marked by participation in organized sports and habitual physical activity measured by accelerometers ( ActiGraph GT1M). Indicators of biological development included somatic maturation and body mass index. Among males, the best logistic regression model to explain motor coordination (Nagelkerke R2 = 50.8; χ2 = 41.166; p < .001) emerged from age-group (odds ratio [OR]: 0.007–0.065), late maturation (OR = 0.174), normal body weight status (OR = 0.116), mother’s educational level (OR = 0.129), and urban area of residence (OR = 0.236). Among girls, the best logistic regression to explain motor coordination (Nagelkerke R2 = 40.8; χ2 = 29.933; p < .01) derived from age (OR: 0.091–0.384), normal body mass index (OR = 0.142), participation in organized sport (OR = 0.121), and mother’s physical activity level (OR = 0.183). This sex-specific, ecological approach to motor coordination proficiency may help promote physical activity during prepubertal years through familiar determinants.
Piecing It Together: The Effect of Background Music on Children’s Puzzle Assembly
Authors: Koolidge Louis , Holmes Robyn M.
Published: January 2018

This study explored the effects of background music on cognitive (puzzle assembly) task performance in young children. Participants were 87 primarily European-American children (38 boys, 49 girls; mean age = 4.77 years) enrolled in early childhood classes in the northeastern United States. Children were given one minute to complete a 12-piece puzzle task in one of three background music conditions: music with lyrics, music without lyrics, and no music. The music selection was “You’re Welcome” from the Disney movie “Moana.” Results revealed that children who heard the music without lyrics completed more puzzle pieces than children in either the music with lyrics or no music condition. Background music without distracting lyrics may be beneficial and superior to background music with lyrics for young children’s cognitive performance even when they are engaged independently in a nonverbal task.
A question of quality: Conceptualisations of quality in the context of educational test questions
Authors: Crisp Victoria , Johnson Martin , Constantinou Filio
Published: January 2018

In educational contexts, questioning performs a number of functions. These include facilitating learning in the classroom and the recognition of achievement through examinations and other assessments. Good quality questions are important to ensuring that these functions are achieved. This research focused on educational exams and used views from question writers to explore conceptualisations of question quality and features thought to affect question quality. Seven examination question writers from four subjects were shown some example exam questions. Participants were asked to comment on the quality of the question, reflect on performance data, rate question quality and comment more generally on how they define quality in question writing. Three conceptualisations of question quality emerged, two relating to aspects of validity and one relating to pedagogical concerns. Participants varied in which definition dominated their views. Discussions also identified question features thought to affect quality. These are similar to features previously identified as affecting difficulty and fairness by studies analysing student performance.
Effect of mechanical preconditioning on the electrical properties of knitted conductive textiles during cyclic loading
Authors: Isaia Cristina , McNally Donal S , McMaster Simon A , Branson David T
Published: January 2018

This paper presents, for the first time, the electrical response of knitted conductive fabrics to a considerable number of cycles of deformation in view of their use as wearable sensors. The changes in the electrical properties of four knitted conductive textiles, made of 20% stainless steel and 80% polyester fibers, were studied during unidirectional elongation in an Instron machine. Two tests sessions of 250 stretch–recovery cycles were conducted for each sample at two elongation rates (9.6 and 12 mm/s) and at three constant currents (1, 3 and 6 mA). The first session assessed the effects of an extended cyclic mechanical loading (preconditioning) on the electrical properties, especially on the electrical stabilization. The second session, which followed after a 5 minute interval under identical conditions, investigated whether the stabilization and repeatability of the electrical features were maintained after rest. The influence of current and elongation rate on the resistance measurements was also analyzed. In particular, the presence of a semiconducting behavior of the stainless steel fibers was proved by means of different test currents. Lastly, the article shows the time-dependence of the fabrics by means of hysteresis graphs and their non-linear behavior thanks to a time–frequency analysis.

All knit patterns exhibited interesting changes in electrical properties as a result of mechanical preconditioning and extended use. For instance, the gauge factor, which indicates the sensitivity of the fabric sensor, varied considerably with the number of cycles, being up to 20 times smaller than that measured using low cycle number protocols.
An improvement design of groove-wound clothing on the licker-in—Part II. Application on the card machine
Authors: He Shanshan , Cheng Longdi , Xue Wenliang , Lu Zhong , Chen Liguo
Published: January 2018

Due to spiral winding, there is an inclination angle between the teeth and the direction of the tangential velocity of the licker-in, which makes the teeth obliquely work with the fibers instead of vertically. In the previous work in Part I, we discussed the impacts of this using theoretical mechanical analysis and a digital model in ANSYS Explicit Dynamics. Based on the analysis, this paper makes a new type of card clothing for the licker-in and manufactures the rack by adding a process in the processing for traditional AT5610 × 05611 racks. The comparison of the two slivers worked by the traditional and new design licker-in card clothing show that the new design clothing has an increase of 24.41% on nep removal, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis. According to the paired samples test, the trash removal ratio and the short fiber content in the sliver, this new design shows no deterioration. For further discussion, we collect the noils and calculate the producing rate of the sliver, licker-in droppings and card strips with special collecting equipment. This new design shows a significant increase in the fiber yield percentage (8.45%) and a dramatic decrease for licker-in droppings (33.6%). Yarns from the new rack have better performance on breaking elongation (a decrease of 5.6%) and evenness. Therefore, this design has higher utilization for fibers and good commercial benefit.
Reliability evaluation of wearable radio frequency identification tags: Design and fabrication of a two-part textile antenna
Authors: Chen Xiaochen , Ukkonen Leena , Virkki Johanna
Published: January 2018

Passive radio frequency identification-based technology is a convincing approach to the achievement of versatile energy- and cost-efficient wireless platforms for future wearable applications. By using two-part antenna structures, the antenna-electronics interconnections can remain non-stressed, which can significantly improve the reliability of the textile-embedded wireless components. In this article, we describe fabrication of two-part stretchable and non-stretchable passive ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification textile tags using electro-textile and embroidered antennas, and test their reliability when immersed as well as under cyclic strain. The results are compared to tags with traditional one-part dipole antennas fabricated from electro-textiles and by embroidery. Based on the results achieved, the initial read ranges of the two-part antenna tags, around 5 m, were only slightly shorter than those of the one-part antenna tags. In addition, the tag with two-part antennas can maintain high performance in a moist environment and during continuous stretching, unlike the one-part antenna tag where the antenna-integrated circuit attachment is under stress.
Psychiatric diagnoses and their influencing factors in patients complaining of sleep problems: A study of a psychiatric consultation-liaison service
Authors: Chen Yan , Yu Enyan , Liao Zhengluan , Tan Yunfei , Qiu Yaju , Zhu Junpeng , Lin Sisi , Wu Minghao
Published: January 2018

Objective

This study aimed to identify misdiagnosed or undiagnosed psychiatric disorders and the factors associated with these disorders in patients with sleep problems who are referred to a consultation-liaison service.

Method

Records of all inpatients receiving a consultation from the Psychiatry Department between January and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Psychiatric diagnoses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the factors associated with the risk of these disorders in patients with sleep problems were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of the 331 referral patients whose referral reason was simply having trouble in sleeping, only 97 patients were diagnosed with primary sleep disorder after consultation. The recognition rate of psychiatric disorders in inpatients with sleep problems among nonpsychiatric physicians was 29.3%. Anxiety (107, 45.7%) was the most common psychiatric diagnosis in patients with sleep problems followed by organic mental disorder (83, 35.5%), depression (37, 15.8%), and other mental disorders (8, 3.4%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that a course >1 month (OR = 3.656, 95% CI = 2.171–6.156, p = 0.000) and sleep–wake rhythm disturbances (OR = 25.008, 95% CI = 5.826–107.341, p = 0.000) were associated with increased risks of psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions

The study showed that recognition rate of psychiatric disorders in inpatients with sleep problems was very low. A course >1 month and sleep–wake rhythm disturbances were associated with increased risks of disorders and could be used as indicators by nonpsychiatric physicians to improve diagnoses.
Improving the Care of Youth With Type 1 Diabetes With a Novel Medical-Legal Community Intervention: The Diabetes Community Care Ambassador Program
Authors: Malik Faisal S. , Yi-Frazier Joyce P. , Taplin Craig E. , Roth Christian L. , Whitlock Kathryn B. , Howard Waylon , Pihoker Catherine
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and efficacy of the Diabetes Community Care Ambassador (DCCA) Program, a novel medical-legal community intervention designed to support high-risk youth with type 1 diabetes.

Methods

Study eligibility criteria: ages 3-19 years, A1C ≥8.5% (≥69 mmol/mol) and/or recent diabetic ketoacidosis hospitalization, type 1 diabetes duration ≥1 year, and English- or Spanish-speaking. Eighty-nine youth and their caregivers participated in the 9- to 12-month intervention, which included diabetes education and support through 3 home visits, 1 to 2 school visits, and phone support from a lay health worker, as well as legal support from a medical-legal partnership attorney. Feasibility was assessed; change in A1C was compared in a linear mixed model.

Results

Of the 89 DCCA Program participants, 80% completed the program, with the majority of participants rating their DCCA favorably. Sixty-two percent reported ≥1 unmet legal need, of whom 29% accepted legal counsel. Youth enrolled in the DCCA Program demonstrated an improvement in glycemic control as their mean A1C decreased from 9.71% (83 mmol/mol) at the start of the program to 9.40% (79 mmol/mol) at the end of the intervention period ( P = .03). Participants with public health insurance experienced the greatest differential A1C reduction (9.79% to 9.11%, 83 mmol/mol to 76 mmol/mol).

Conclusions

The DCCA Program represents a promising intervention for improving care of high-risk youth with type 1 diabetes. A significant proportion of caregivers of youth reported having an unmet legal need. Participants remained highly engaged and demonstrated improved glycemic control, particularly youth with public health insurance.
Response Styles in the Partial Credit Model
Authors: Tutz Gerhard , Schauberger Gunther , Berger Moritz
Published: January 2018

In the modeling of ordinal responses in psychological measurement and survey-based research, response styles that represent specific answering patterns of respondents are typically ignored. One consequence is that estimates of item parameters can be poor and considerably biased. The focus here is on the modeling of a tendency to extreme or middle categories. An extension of the partial credit model is proposed that explicitly accounts for this specific response style. In contrast to existing approaches, which are based on finite mixtures, explicit person-specific response style parameters are introduced. The resulting model can be estimated within the framework of generalized mixed linear models. It is shown that estimates can be seriously biased if the response style is ignored. In applications, it is demonstrated that a tendency to extreme or middle categories is not uncommon. A software tool is developed that makes the model easy to apply.