bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why eat flowers? Symphonia globulifera flowers provide a fatty resource for red-tailed monkeys
Authors: Ross Abigail C. , Bryer Margaret A.H. , Chapman Colin A. , Rothman Jessica M. , Nevo Omer , Valenta Kim
Published: March 2022

Flowers are ubiquitous in primate environments, yet their nutritional advantages are underexamined. Symphonia globulifera is a widely distributed tree exploited by a variety of animals in Africa and the Americas. We collected S. globulifera flower samples consumed by red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) and compared them nutritionally to flower samples from other plant species in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Flowers were assayed for three fiber fractions (NDF, ADF, lignin), fat, crude protein, acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN), ash, and soluble sugars. We estimated available protein, total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC), and metabolizable energy (ME). We calculated the mean and standard deviation for all nutrient categories and applied nutritional geometry to illustrate the balance among the energetic gains from available protein, fat, fiber, and TNC across flower species. Our results suggest that S. globulifera flowers provide an unusually high fat resource (14.82% ± 1.41%) relative to other flowers (1.38% ± 5.79%) and other foods exploited in the same habitat.
The Best Interests of the Child and the Right to Inclusive Education
Authors: Veerman Philip
Published: March 2022

The drafters of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (crpd) incorporated the concept of inclusive education into Article 24 of the crpd. Many consider this to be a new children’s right. The inclusive education idea has played since 2006 a role in interpreting crc Article 23 (rights of children with disabilities), Article 28 (right to education) and Article 29 (aims of education). The relationship between these two complementary human rights Conventions (crc and crpd) is described and the question raised by Sandland and discussed here is if there is a “Clash of Conventions”. The disability rights perspective created an ideological battle between advocates of the closure of special education and those who oppose it. The author supports the proposal (More and More Inclusive, 2020) by the Dutch Education Council to the Minister of Education to bring special and regular education closer to each other, but not closing special education.
A syntactic study of the Chinese negative polarity item renhe
Authors: Yu-Fang Flora Wang , Miao-Ling Hsieh
Published: March 2022

In Chinese, the polarity sensitive (PS) renhe 'any' can occur only in negative polarity contexts such as negation, yes-no questions and conditionals. Our study shows that PS renhe must occur in the c-command domain of its licensor at LF. The distance of licensing depends on the verb type, and can either cross at most one clause boundary or more than one. The relation between PS renhe and its licensor is further characterized as a binder-variable relationship, which is subject to Minimality and displays Specificity effects, similar to indefinite wh as investigated by Li (1992).
On intransitive nasal prefixation in Sino-Tibetan languages
Authors: Sagart Laurent
Published: March 2022

The author discusses alternations of voiced and voiceless stop initials in intransitive/transitive pairs in Tibeto-Burman languages in the light of Chinese facts. He suggests that it is not necessary to suppose two distinct processes in proto-Tibeto-Bunnan to account for the facts, as Benedict’s “alternation of root initial”, assigned by him to the Proto-Tibeto-Bunnan level, is probably only a special case of voicing under the effect of an intransitive nasal prefix.
Manned submersible dives reveal a singular assemblage of Hexactinellida (Porifera) off the Amazon River mouth, Northern Brazil
Authors: MOSER JULIA , MORAES FERNANDO C. , CASTELLO-BRANCO CRISTIANA , PEQUENO CAROLLINE B. , MURICY GUILHERME
Published: March 2022

The outer shelf and upper slope region under the influence of the Amazon River mouth harbors an extensive reef system with a rich sponge fauna, but no hexactinellids were recorded in the area so far. In this work, manned submersibles were used to describe for the first time three species of Hexactinellida off the Amazon River mouth: Hyalonema (Cyliconemaoida) alucia sp. nov., Dactylocalyx pumiceus and Claviscopulia facunda. We found two morphotypes of Dactylocalyx pumiceus, suggesting that it may be a complex of cryptic species. The populations of the three species off Pará State were sparse, but a large aggregation of D. pumiceus was found off Maranhão State from 145 to 230 m depth. These findings indicate that hexactinellid grounds may be more common along the Northern Brazilian continental outer shelf and slope than previously thought.
From Bat Mitzvah to the Bar: Religious Habitus, Self-Concept, and Women’s Educational Outcomes
Authors: Horwitz Ilana M. , Matheny Kaylee T. , Laryea Krystal , Schnabel Landon
Published: March 2022

This study considers the role of religious habitus and self-concept in educational stratification. We follow 3,238 adolescents for 13 years by linking the National Study of Youth and Religion to the National Student Clearinghouse. Survey data reveal that girls with a Jewish upbringing have two distinct postsecondary patterns compared to girls with a non-Jewish upbringing, even after controlling for social origins: (1) they are 23 percentage points more likely to graduate college, and (2) they graduate from much more selective colleges. We then analyze 107 interviews with 33 girls from comparable social origins interviewed repeatedly between adolescence and emerging adulthood. Girls raised by Jewish parents articulate a self-concept marked by ambitious career goals and an eagerness to have new experiences. For these girls, elite higher education and graduate school are central to attaining self-concept congruence. In contrast, girls raised by non-Jewish parents tend to prioritize motherhood and have humbler employment aims. For them, graduating from college, regardless of its prestige, is sufficient for self-concept congruence. We conclude that religious subculture is a key factor in educational stratification, and divergent paths to self-concept congruence can help explain why educational outcomes vary by religion in gendered ways.
Telemedicine and Otolaryngology in the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Nguyen Brandon K. , Eltahir Hafiah Z. , Barinsky Gregory L. , Ying Yu-Lan Mary , Hsueh Wayne D.
Published: March 2022

Objective:

The global Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an expansion of telemedicine. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with outpatient telemedicine visits within a single institution’s Department of Otolaryngology during the initial COVID-19 era.

Study Design:

Retrospective chart review.

Methods:

This was a single-institution study conducted within the Department of Otolaryngology at an urban tertiary care center. Data on outpatient visits was obtained from billing and scheduling records from January 6 to May 28, 2020. Visits were divided into “pre-shutdown” and “post-shutdown” based on our state’s March 23, 2020 COVID-19 shutdown date.

Results:

A total of 3447 of 4340 (79.4%) scheduled visits were completed in the pre-shutdown period as compared to 1451 of 1713 (84.7%) in the post-shutdown period. The proportion of telemedicine visits increased (0.7%-81.2%, P < .001). Overall visit completion rate increased following the shutdown (80.2%-84.7%, P < .001). Subspecialties with an increase in visit completion rate were general (76.9%-88.0%, P = .002), otology (77.4%-87.2%, P < .001), and rhinology (80.0%-86.2%, P = .003). Patients with Medicaid and Medicare had higher appointment completion rates following the transition to telemedicine visits (80.7%-85.7%, P = .002; 76.9%-84.7%, P = .001). Older age was associated with decreased appointment cancellation pre-shutdown (OR 0.994 [0.991-0.997], P < .001) but increased appointment cancellation post-shutdown (OR 1.008 [1.001-1.014], P = .015). Mean COVID-19 risk scores were unchanged ( P = .654).

Conclusions:

COVID-19 has led to major changes in outpatient practice, with a significant shift from in-person to telemedicine visits following the mandatory shutdown. An associated increase in appointment completion rates was observed, reflecting a promising viable alternative to meet patient needs during this unprecedented time.
Power Analysis for Moderator Effects in Longitudinal Cluster Randomized Designs
Authors: Li Wei , Konstantopoulos Spyros
Published: March 2022

Cluster randomized control trials often incorporate a longitudinal component where, for example, students are followed over time and student outcomes are measured repeatedly. Besides examining how intervention effects induce changes in outcomes, researchers are sometimes also interested in exploring whether intervention effects on outcomes are modified by moderator variables at the individual (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity) and/or the cluster level (e.g., school urbanicity) over time. This study provides methods for statistical power analysis of moderator effects in two- and three-level longitudinal cluster randomized designs. Power computations take into account clustering effects, the number of measurement occasions, the impact of sample sizes at different levels, covariates effects, and the variance of the moderator variable. Illustrative examples are offered to demonstrate the applicability of the methods.
Extending the Gutowski model to kidney-bean and elliptically shaped fibers
Authors: Reichanadter Alex , Mansson Jan-Anders E
Published: March 2022

Efforts by manufacturers to produce more cost-effective carbon fibers have resulted in fibers with irregular cross-section often referred to as kidney-bean shaped fibers. In this research, compaction experiments were performed with a modified laser light section method to evaluate the compaction behavior of kidney-bean shaped carbon fibers. The kidney-bean shaped fibers followed a different compaction behavior compared to the Gutowski model for circular fibers. Additionally, these fibers required an order of magnitude larger force to compact than circular fibers to achieve similar fiber volume fraction, which has implications in infiltration and consolidation efficiency for composites manufacturing. A shape correction factor based on the fiber cross-sectional aspect ratio was proposed to extend the Gutowski model to fibers with irregular cross-sectional shapes. The modified Gutowski model provided an appropriate order of magnitude fit for the kidney-bean fibers. Furthermore, this modification to the Gutowski model recovered the original solution for circular fibers (cross-sectional aspect ratio = 1).
The Commercial Military Actor Database
Authors: Petersohn Ulrich , Gottwick Vanessa , Penel Charlotte , Kellgren-Parker Leila
Published: March 2022

This article introduces the Commercial Military Actor Database (CMAD), a dataset able to support research on civil war and commercial military actors. First, the CMAD covers all civil wars from 1980 to 2016 across all of the world’s regions except Europe, which enables the investigation of long-term regional and global trends. Second, the CMAD encompasses the corporate market segment and mercenary outfits, which facilitates the analysis of how those actors have impacted conflicts differently. Third, containing detailed information about the relationships behind exchanges, the CMAD allows users to disaggregate market exchanges. Using the CMAD’s new data, we examined trends in the market for force, and demonstrate the data’s added value. We re-examining Akcinaroglu and Radziszewski’s study on how private military and security companies affect the duration of civil war. The findings show that the market’s influence on conflict can only be fully understood by including corporate and mercenary actors.
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in the Criminal/Legal System: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes Among Rural Community-Based Stakeholders
Authors: Victor Grant , Lee Guijin , Pozo Brandon del , Silverstein Sydney , Zettner Catherine , Cason Rahni , Ray Bradley
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to describe rural community stakeholders’ attitudes and perceptions of providing medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to individuals in the criminal/legal system. Data were utilized from a technical assistance initiative aimed at strengthening community-based OUD treatment within criminal/legal systems. A mixed-methods approach was applied. Survey responses were used to compare stakeholders’ who had and had not attended an MOUD training, and semistructured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of rural criminal/legal and treatment stakeholders. MOUD training was associated with endorsing the effectiveness of methadone, oral naltrexone, and injectable naltrexone. Three primary themes emerged from the stakeholder interviews: 1) acceptance of MOUD uptake; 2) stigma of MOUD and diversion concerns; and 3) gaps in MOUD treatment. Most interviewees noted that there is a scarcity of treatment options in their community, and among the existing services, there are considerable barriers to care.
First person: Schooling and the power of perception
Authors: Brownlee Lewis Andrea
Published: March 2022

Research has shown that teachers’ biases often inform their instructional decisions. Andrea Brownlee reflects on how this finding played out in his own life as a Black child growing up in a community engulfed by the crack epidemic in the 1980s. His teachers tended to focus on his behavior and the ways his problem-solving methods differed from the norm, and they seemed unprepared to offer lessons that connected to what was happening in Brownlee’s community. Yet his community provided him unexpected opportunities to learn. He urges teachers to learn more about what the children they teach are facing and to dismantle the oppressive norms that get in the way of their success.
WASHINGTON VIEW: Looking for leadership in a time of crisis
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused chaos in local schools, and education has been the subject of countless news stories about the crisis. And, as Maria Ferguson explains, the U.S. Department of Education has been unable to articulate a bold vision for schools as local leaders adapt to constantly changing circumstances. At the state level, on the other hand, Virginia’s new governor, Glenn Youngkin, appears to be making education as centerpiece of his policy agenda with a series of executive orders forbidding the teaching of divisive topics and ending mask mandates.
Penal Arts Interventions and Hope: Outcomes of Arts-Based Projects in Prisons and Community Settings*
Authors: Atherton Susie , Knight Victoria , van Barthold Benedict Carpenter
Published: March 2022

The value of arts-based projects within the criminal justice system is well documented, as research has identified positive outcomes relating to inmates’ behavior and their relationships with others. This article examines the work of the Soft Touch Arts project at HMP Leicester, UK and identifies the importance of hope as a transformative outcome. Interviews with artists in prison and community settings demonstrated the value of engaging in creative and purposeful activity, generating hope which enabled artists to aspire to a better future. This occurred alongside ameliorating the harms of prison and helping artists manage their relationship with probation services.
Settling Accounts at the End of History: A Nonideal Approach to State Apologies
Authors: Friedrich Jasper
Published: March 2022

What are we to make of the fact that world leaders, such as Canada’s Justin Trudeau, have, within the last few decades, offered official apologies for a whole host of past injustices? Scholars have largely dealt with this phenomenon as a moral question, seeing in these expressions of contrition a radical disruption of contemporary neoliberal individualism, a promise of a more humane world. Focusing on Canadian apology politics, this essay instead proposes a nonideal approach to state apologies, sidestepping questions of what they ought to do and focusing instead on their actual functioning as political acts. Through a sociologically informed speech act theory and Foucault’s work on power, apology is conceptualized as a speech act with an essentially relational nature. The state, through apologizing, reaffirms the norms governing its relationship to its subjects at a moment when a past transgression threatens to destabilize this relation. From a Foucauldian point of view, the state’s power inheres in the very stability of the state–citizen relation, and we should therefore see apologies as defensive moves to protect state hegemony. In the context of Western liberal democracies, such as Canada, apologies embody, rather than challenge, the logic of neoliberal governmentality by suggesting that everything, including resentment against the state, can be managed within the current status quo. Nevertheless, total cynicism about apology politics is not warranted. In many indigenous apology campaigners’ demands for contrition we see another side of apologies: their potential to bring about change by enacting counterhegemonic relations to the state.
Pediatric Soft Tissue Perineurioma in the Head and Neck
Authors: Wilson Traeden , Wang Sherrie , Bolshom Bridgette , Stanisce Luke , Vimawala Swar , Ahmad Nadir , Solomon Donald
Published: March 2022

Soft tissue type perineuriomas (STP), or Extraneural perineuriomas, are typically found in the superficial extremities or trunk of adult patients. Their incidence in the head and neck is exceptionally rare, particularly amongst the pediatric population. Since 1978, only 19 cases of pediatric STP have been reported, with only one in the neck. This case report describes the second case of STP in the neck of a child as well as reviews the current literature on pediatric STP. The pattern of patient genetic anomalies associated with the few pediatric STP cases encountered suggests an association between genetic aberrations and STP. Clinicians should be aware of STP when formulating a differential diagnosis of pediatric soft tissue masses in the head and neck despite the rarity of this tumor.
Anxiety, Cognitive Availability, and the Talisman Effect of Insurance
Authors: Schindler Robert M. , Isaac Mathew S. , Dolansky Eric , Adams Grant C.
Published: March 2022

Across four experiments ( N = 1,923), this research provides converging evidence of a talisman effect of insurance—consumers who have an insurance policy feel that the covered mishap is less likely to occur. Although such an effect has previously been proposed, empirical evidence for it is limited, in part because the talisman effect has often been conflated with a related but distinct magical-thinking phenomenon, the tempting-fate effect. By disentangling these two effects, we are better able to isolate the talisman effect and show that it is a robust phenomenon in its own right. We also provide support for a mechanism underlying the talisman effect: Insurance reduces anxiety and repetitious thoughts related to the mishap; with fewer thoughts about the mishap, its cognitive availability is lower and so it seems less likely to occur.
Prospective Associations between Physical Activity and Memory in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging: Examining Social Determinants
Authors: Hammond Nicole G. , Stinchcombe Arne
Published: March 2022

Objectives

To examine associations between physical activity (PA) and prospectively assessed memory in a cohort of cognitively healthy adults, after accounting for understudied social determinants.

Methods

We used data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). PA (exposure) and memory (outcome) were assessed using validated measures in 2013–2015 and 2015–2018, respectively. Respondents reported their daily number of hours spent engaging in five different PAs. We conducted multiple imputation and used linear regression ( n = 41,394), adjusting for five categories of covariates: demographics, sensory health characteristics, health behaviors, health status, and social determinants (sex/gender, education, income, social support, perceived social standing, race, and sexual orientation).

Results

In crude models, nearly every intensity and duration of PA was associated with better memory. In fully adjusted models, protective associations were attenuated; however, some associations held: all durations of walking, most durations of light activities, moderate activities for ≥1 hour, and strenuous activities for 1 to <2 hours.

Discussion

Some forms of PA may be associated with better memory. The benefits of higher intensity PA may only be realized after social determinants are addressed.
Adorno, Marx, and abstract domination
Authors: Lichtenstein Eli B.
Published: March 2022

This article reconstructs and defends Theodor Adorno’s social theory by motivating the central role of abstract domination within it. Whereas critics such as Axel Honneth have charged Adorno with adhering to a reductive model of personal domination, I argue that the latter rather understands domination as a structural and de-individualized feature of capitalist society. If Adorno’s social theory is to be explanatory, however, it must account for the source of the abstractions that dominate modern individuals and, in particular, that of value. While such an account remains undeveloped in Adorno, Marx provides resources for its development, in positing the constitution of value neither in production nor exchange alone, but in the social totality. This article argues that Marx’s account is compatible with Adorno’s, and that it may be used to render Adorno’s theory of domination more credible on explanatory grounds.
Effect of Application Screening Methods on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Otolaryngology
Authors: Dorismond Christina , Farzal Zainab , Shah Rupali N. , Ebert Charles S. , Buckmire Robert A.
Published: March 2022

Otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (OHNS) lags behind other surgical subspecialties in the representation of underrepresented minorities in medicine (URMs). Given the recently announced changes to Step 1 scoring, we aimed to assess the effect of alternative application screening methods—Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores and Alpha Omega Alpha membership—on the racial/ethnic diversity of the OHNS applicant pool. After reviewing OHNS residency applications submitted to our institution for the 2015‐2020 matches (N = 2177), we determined that a significantly greater proportion of URM vs non‐URM applicants would be screened out from interview consideration if any the following were used as an initial screening method: Step 2 cutoff score of 240, Step 2 cutoff score of 253 or non–Alpha Omega Alpha membership (P <. 01 for each). Given that using these metrics to screen applications disproportionately affects URMs, programs should consider implementing alternative application review methods, such as holistic evaluation, which may promote more equitable distribution of interviews.
Acupuncture-related treatments improve cognitive and physical functions in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lin Chuan-Ju , Yeh Mei-Ling , Wu Shu-Fang , Chung Yu-Chu , Lee Justin Chen-Hao
Published: March 2022

Objective

To determine acupuncture-related treatments’ effects and duration on improving cognitive function, physical function, and quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Data sources

Eight electronic databases were searched for eligible randomized controlled trials from database inception to January 2021, including Medline, PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, Cochrane, Airiti Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Journal Full-text Database.

Review methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on acupuncture types, cognitive function, activity of daily life, muscle strength and quality of life.

Results

Sixty-six studies in total with 4191 participants, the overall risk of bias was classified 60% as low and 24% as high. Acupuncture-related treatments for cognitive function and self-care ability revealed a moderate effect size, with a significant difference in noninvasive and invasive remedies ( p < 0.001). Cognitive function showed significant differences in 6, 8, 12, and 24 weeks while self-care ability in the latter two weeks ( p < 0.001). Meta-regression analysis showed cognitive function increased by 0.05 points ( p = 0.002) and self-care ability decreased by 0.02 points ( p = 0.04) after weekly treatment. There was a significant difference in muscle strength ( p = 0.0003).

Conclusion

Acupuncture-related treatments effectively improved cognitive function with the treatment lasted 6 weeks at least, but self-care ability started showing effects after 12 weeks of treatment. The improvement of muscle strength was also confirmed. Acupuncture-related treatments, particularly noninvasive ones, have few complications and high safety, perhaps providing patients and caregivers diversified choices and clinical care guidelines for reference.
Humans Prefer to See and Imagine Drawing Curved Objects
Authors: Chuquichambi Erick G. , Sarria Daniela , Corradi Guido B. , Munar Enric
Published: March 2022

Lines contribute to the visual experience of drawings. People show a higher preference for curved than sharp angled lines. We studied preference for curvature using drawings of commonly-used objects drawn by design students. We also investigated the relationship of that preference with drawing preference. Experiments 1 and 2 revealed preference for the curved drawings in the laboratory and web-based contexts, respectively. Experiment 3 showed that the curved drawings were also preferred to draw than the sharp-angled ones. However, this effect only appeared when the drawings were made by hand, but not when they were made by computer. We found a moderate positive correlation between liking and drawing preference. This relationship was mainly explained by the hand-made drawings. Sex, art experience and openness to experience did not influence preference for curvature. Altogether, our findings support the curvature effect and the hypothesis that people prefer to draw what they like to see.
Rubik Tables and object rearrangement
Authors: Szegedy Mario , Yu Jingjin
Published: March 2022

A great number of robotics applications demand the rearrangement of many mobile objects, for example, organizing products on store shelves, shuffling containers at shipping ports, reconfiguring fleets of mobile robots, and so on. To boost the efficiency/throughput in systems designed for solving these rearrangement problems, it is essential to minimize the number of atomic operations that are involved, for example, the pick-n-places of individual objects. However, this optimization task poses a rather difficult challenge due to the complex inter-dependency between the objects, especially when they are tightly packed together. In this work, in tackling the aforementioned challenges, we have developed a novel algorithmic tool, called Rubik Tables, that provides a clean abstraction of object rearrangement problems as the proxy problem of shuffling items stored in a table or lattice. In its basic form, a Rubik Table is an n × n table containing n2 items. We show that the reconfiguration of items in such a Rubik Table can be achieved using at most n column and n row shuffles in the partially labeled setting, where each column (resp., row) shuffle may arbitrarily permute the items stored in a column (resp., row) of the table. When items are fully distinguishable, additional n shuffles are needed. Rubik Tables allow many generalizations, for example, adding an additional depth dimension or extending to higher dimensions. Using Rubik Table results, we have designed a first constant-factor optimal algorithm for stack rearrangement problems where items are stored in stacks, accessible only from the top. We show that, for nd items stored in n stacks of depth d each, using one empty stack as the swap space, O( nd) stack pop-push operations are sufficient for an arbitrary reconfiguration of the stacks where [Formula: see text] for arbitrary fixed m > 0. Rubik Table results also allow the development of constant-factor optimal solutions for solving multi-robot motion planning problems under extreme robot density. These algorithms based on Rubik Table results run in low-polynomial time.
Influence of Seed Layer Moduli on Backcalculation Procedure and on Overlay Design of Flexible Pavements
Authors: Rocha Marcos , Marques Geraldo , Silva Rafael , Lana Gustavo
Published: March 2022

The seed moduli selected for backcalculation analysis of multilayer flexible pavement can have significant effects on the performance of backcalculation software and, sometimes, the final solutions of the overlay designs. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the variability of the resilient moduli (MR) obtained by backcalculation programs, taking different seed moduli as input data. To this end, data obtained from non-destructive structural evaluation (falling weight deflectometer [FWD]) were used in three different regions of Brazil. Thereafter, the deflection basin values and the seed moduli were inputted into the two backcalculation methods: linear elastic and finite element. By varying the RM seed of one of the layers by 100%, the percentage differences in the backcalculated moduli were computed within the range of typical resilient modulus (MR) values for paving materials, and close to the upper and lower thresholds of the usual moduli in Brazil. Furthermore, with the data provided by backcalculation software and crack monitoring, these were inputted into the flexible pavement design software (MeDiNa) to also analyze the influence of the seed moduli variability on the pavement overlay design, through the cracked area percentage parameter. Therefore, it was found that the seed moduli have a high influence on the backcalculated moduli, with percentage differences of up to 68.30%, mainly for the base and subbase layers of pavement. Even with the differences obtained in the values of the backcalculated moduli, it was found that the seed moduli did not cause a significant impact on the overlay design in which the percentage difference between the cracking predicted for the surface layer was less than 2.5%.
Occupational lead exposure is an independent modulator of hypertension and poor pulmonary function: A cross-sectional comparative study in lead-acid battery recycling workers
Authors: Yadav Shiv K , Patil Gajanan P , Virmagami Ankit , Bijalwan Vandana , Devi Kirti , Chauhan Aakriti , Gupta Sanjeev K , Fathima Shabarin , Naorem Chaoba D , Yadav Suresh , Singh Gyanendra , Mishra SukhDev , Bishnoi Mahendra , Sarkar Kamalesh , Singh Dhirendra P
Published: March 2022

Blood lead level (BLL) is the primary biomarker for lead-exposure monitoring in occupationally exposed workers. We evaluated occupational lead-exposure (OE) impact on cardiopulmonary functions in lead-acid battery recycling unit workers. Seventy-six OE cases and 30 control subjects were enrolled for questionnaire-based socio-demographic, dietary, tobacco usage, and medical history data. Anthropometric measurements, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and pulmonary function tests were performed. Venous blood was collected for BLL, hematological analysis, and biochemical analysis. OE caused a significant increase in BLL, SBP, DBP, and small airways obstruction in lung function tests. It also impaired platelet indices, affected renal and liver biochemical measurements, and promoted oxidative stress and DNA damage. Multilinear regression analysis suggested that BLL affected SBP (β = 0.314, p = .034) and increased small airways obstruction (FEV1/FVC, β = −0.37, p = .05; FEV25–75%, β = −0.351, p = .016). Higher BLL appears to be an independent modulator of hypertension and poor pulmonary function upon occupational lead exposure in lead-acid battery recyclers.
The Southern Surgical Arts Staple-Shape Mastopexy: A Technique for Improving Breast Ptosis
Authors: Demaree Dax , Deal R. Chad , Gardner Vincent , Nease Carey
Published: March 2022

This article describes the mastopexy technique as used by multiple physicians at Southern Surgical Arts. The procedure is based off the tailor-tacking technique that has been modified to improve efficiency and consistency in obtaining cosmetically pleasing results. The procedure has proven to be safe when performing in combination with augmentation and other cosmetic procedure.
Epidemiology of Childhood Witnessing Domestic Violence and Exploration of Its Relationships With Affective Lability and Suicide Attempts in Chinese Young Adults
Authors: Gong Jingbo , Zhou Lihua , Zhao Lishun , Zhang Shujun , Chen Ziyi , Liu Jianbo
Published: March 2022

Childhood witnessing domestic violence (CWDV) exerts short- and long-term negative impacts on emotional and behavioral health. The present study investigated the epidemiological features of CWDV, and its negative impact on psychological outcomes in a sample of Chinese college students. The mediating role of emotion regulation strategies on CWDV associations with psychological outcomes and gender differences in these relationships were examined. A total of 3,126 respondents (1,034 males; 2,086 females; 6 missing data in gender) completed the study questionnaire, which included demographic characteristics, CWDV, and suicide attempt history items as well as the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and Affect Lability Scale-18 (ALS-18). Overall, 43.03% of the respondents reported CWDV, including 44.87% of males and 42.09% of females. Higher frequencies of CWDV were found to be related to the following factors: unstable marital status of parents; not being an only child; being a left-behind child, family financial difficulties, consumption of alcohol in the past year, and being in relatively poor physical condition. Among males, ERQ suppression scores were significantly higher for those men who experienced “often or every day” CWDV than for men who indicated that they did not have any history of CWDV (Bonferroni-corrected p = 0.047). More frequent CWDV was associated with higher ALS-18 scores and increased risk of suicide attempts in males and females (p < 0.05), and emotion regulation (suppression) was found to mediate the association between CWDV and affective lability among males. This study revealed high rates of CWDV, and serious impacts of CWDV on mental health in male and female Chinese college students. In males, but not females, emotion regulation strategy use, use of suppression, was found to act as a mediator in the association of CWDV with affective lability. Our findings suggest that interventions for individuals with CWDV should focus on the emotional regulation, which may help them improve mental health, especially in males.
The Impact of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on Simple Assault in Oregon
Authors: Wu Guangzhen , Willits Dale W.
Published: March 2022

There has been heightened public concern about the implications of recreational marijuana legalization to public safety. Prior research on this issue has primarily focused on Colorado and Washington State—the two states that first legalized recreational marijuana in the U.S.—and on legalization’s impact on major crimes. This study extends this line of research to Oregon (OR, legalized in late 2014) and examines the impact of legalization on a less serious form of violent crime—simple assault. Using Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program data from 2007 to 2017 and a quasi-experimental research design, this study found that counties in OR have experienced increases in simple assault rate following legalization, relative to rates in the 19 non-legalized states. Findings suggest the need for more scholarly efforts to explore the potential impact of marijuana legalization on different subtypes of violent crime in other legalized states.
Teacher Qualification Typologies and Their Relationship With the Math Achievement of Adolescents At Risk for Math Difficulties: A Latent Class Analysis Study
Authors: Myers Jonté A. , Redding Christopher , Brownell Mary T. , Gage Nicolas A. , Leite Walter
Published: March 2022

This latent class analysis study used a bias-adjusted three-step approach to empirically identify mutually exclusive clusters of teacher professional qualifications based on commonly studied indicators of teacher quality. We then examined the relationship between cluster membership and the mathematics gains of adolescents at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD), including students with disabilities and those without disabilities. We identified students at risk for MD as those performing at or below the 25th percentile on the state exam. We empirically identified eight qualitatively distinct and interpretable teacher qualification clusters. Based on value-added models, we found that teachers in Cluster 5 had lower average math learning gains than their peers in clusters with the most experienced and credentialed teachers. Cluster 5 included teachers who were novice and early-career, traditionally prepared math majors. We observed significant effects for the end or grade scores for the middle grades but not the algebra scores of high school students, suggesting teacher cluster membership effects varied by grade level. We discuss limitations and offer implications for research and policy.
Interdependencies between family and friends in daily life: Personality differences and associations with affective well-being across the lifespan
Authors: Buijs Vera L , Jeronimus Bertus F , Lodder Gerine MA , Riediger Michaela , Luong Gloria , Wrzus Cornelia
Published: March 2022

Family and friends are central to human life and well-being. Most people maintain both family and friendship relationships and these relationships might show interdependencies that have scarcely been addressed. We examined the relative frequency of daily contact with family and friends (i.e. friends/family-contact) and its link with personality traits and affective well-being. In an experience sampling study with 396 participants ( Mage= 40 years, range 14–88 years, 52% females), we studied how friends/family-contact was associated with Big Five traits and affective well-being across six daily measurements on nine days (average of 55 assessments). Most participants reported more daily contact with family than friends (i.e. held a family orientation), but individual differences were substantial, moderately stable over time, and largely independent from Big Five traits. With advancing age, participants were relatively more often with friends than family. Furthermore, participants were happier when they were with friends compared to family, and this effect was even stronger with higher extraversion. We discuss how examining friends/family-contact extends previous knowledge on personality differences in social relationships, and how this concept yields promising, yet challenging, future directions in personality-relationship associations.
Doing Research With a Gamified Survey: Reflections From Smart City Research
Authors: Rijshouwer Emiel A. , van Zoonen Liesbet
Published: March 2022

Corporate and government officials as well as social scientists studying smart cities are exploring gamification to help stakeholders engage with complex technological and societal issues. However, despite research addressing concerns of respondents’ engagement and the validity and reliability of the results of gamified research, there are hardly any empirical accounts of how respondent engagement, validity and reliability of results are affected by decision-making in multi-stakeholder processes of designing and producing gamified research. In this paper, we evaluate a gamified survey that we developed to do research about public perceptions and engagements with digitization and datafication in public space. We report and evaluate the ideas, discussions and decisions in the design and production of the gamified survey. These reflections offer insights into the politics of such a process and advice for other researchers considering the use of gamified research tools for examining seemingly invisible and intangible technological developments, whilst at the same time being critical of the validity and reliability of the outcomes that such a survey produced. Our analysis shows how and why pragmatism and stakeholder relations took precedence over academic and epistemological concerns. Whilst we produced a research tool that did provoke large numbers of different people to actually engage with the smart city, the resulting data were less rich than we had aimed for, and required additional, qualitative methods.
Displacement characteristics hierarchical control of electro-hydraulic compound steering for commercial vehicle
Authors: Liu Chang , Wang Chunyan , Zhao Wanzhong , Guo Zhiqiang
Published: March 2022

The electro-hydraulic compound steering combines the function of electric power steering and hydraulic power steering, which can reduce the energy consumption of steering, ensure the stability of vehicles, and meet the steering demand under unmanned driving. In order to fully coordinate the steering stability and path tracking requirements in the unmanned steering process, this paper proposes a hierarchical control strategy of displacement characteristics for commercial vehicle electro-hydraulic compound steering. The mixed H2/H∞ controller for the vehicle stability is designed in the upper layer, which takes the vehicle yaw rate as the control variable. Based on the motor model and sliding-mode control theory, the sliding-mode variable structure controller of motor angle is designed in the lower layer, and the hydraulic power distribution is completed by estimating the steering resistance torque. Simulation results show that the designed controller can effectively track the yaw rate on the premise of ensuring path tracking effect. Combined with steering torque estimation and hydraulic power distribution rules, it can effectively realize the coordinated control of hydraulic power and motor rotation angle.
Separation method of particles based on electromagnetic coupling
Authors: Zou Junchen , Wang Min , Wei Yuan , Zhang Hongli , Liu Shulin
Published: March 2022

This paper investigates an approach for particle matter (PM) separation with electromagnetic field coupling. In consideration of electric and magnetic fields, linear and nonlinear dynamics models of PM separation are established. Simultaneously, this model considers the response of different diameters and velocities of PM to the change of the dynamic model, and the coupling effect of electromagnetic field is used to separate particles. Numerical results present that PM diameter, magnetic field drag, and strength play an important role in the separation of the PM matter. Moreover, with the increase of flux density or the decrease of drag force, the PM separation displacement will grow. Changing the flux density is better than changing the drag force to separate the particles. Following the growth of particle diameter and magnetic flux density, the particle changes from linear motion to spiral motion, and the final particle velocity reaches a stable state after attenuation. In addition, considering the changes of drag force and magnetic field, when drag decrease and magnetic flux density increase, the separation effect gradually becomes better, and the optimal separation distance reaches the decimeter level. However, in most cases, the PM displacement response is small. The work has certified the proposed separation method is feasible by decreasing drag and enhancing magnetic flux density.
An authorisation framework for actively controlled running gear
Authors: Goodall Roger , Licciardello Riccardo , Hughes Peter , Persson Rickard
Published: March 2022

A Shift2Rail funded research project called RUN2Rail has investigated a range of new technologies for railway rolling stock. The project included a task on the use of active suspensions, and one of the subtasks was to propose a strategy supporting the authorisation by safety authorities for highly innovative mechatronic vehicles to be placed on the market. The incorporation of electronics and control into suspension systems is still at an early stage, so this paper provides a framework for a practical and efficient authorisation strategy, primarily based upon existing European regulations and standards but in general applicable worldwide.
Effects of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 5 on NLRC4 inflammasome in brain tissues of transient cerebral ischemia/reperfusion rat
Authors: Zhang Xuling , Huang Tao , Lang Lubo , Yu Ling
Published: March 2022

Aim

To explore whether LPA5 was involved in the inflammatory responses in CI/R injury by regulation of NLRC4.

Method

The cerebral I/R model in rats was constructed with ischemia of 2h and different time points of reperfusion. After that, western blot was used to determine protein expression (LPA5, NLRC4, AIM2, caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, mature IL-1β, and precursor IL-1β). And LPA5 and NLRC4 expression were also detected by using immunofluorescence experiment. Afterward, two sequence of LPA5-siRNA were injected into rats via intracerebroventricular administration. TTC staining and HE staining were performed.

Result

As the reperfusion time was prolonged, LPA5 content was continuously increased, and the highest expression of NLRC4 was found at 4h of reperfusion. And protein expression of AIM2, cleaved-caspase-1, and mature IL-1β was also at highest level at 4h. And after reperfusion of 4h, LPA5 siRNA1# or 2# was injected into lateral ventricles. LPA5 silence markedly reduced the infract volume and improved the histological change of ischemic zone. And LPA5 silence significantly downregulated NLRC4, AIM2, and the ratio of cleaved-caspase-1/caspase-1 and mature IL-1β/precursor IL-1β. And compared with LPA5-siRNA2#, LPA5-siRNA1# exerted a more significant effect.

Conclusion

Low expression of LPA5 can protect against the inflammatory responses in CI/R model of rats through inhibiting NLRC4 inflammasomes.
Upgrading Opportunities and Challenges for Small Coffee Producers in Sidama Region of Ethiopia
Authors: Addisie Gashaw , Tebarek Lika
Published: March 2022

This study attempted to examine upgrading opportunities and challenges for small coffee producers. The study followed a mixed-method approach, which combined qualitative and quantitative analysis. The study involved a survey of 214 coffee producers, in-depth interviews with several actors and stakeholders, and focus group discussions with two farmer groups. The study identified a growing demand for organic/specialty coffee, availability of farmer groups, promising rules and regulations as some of the opportunities for small coffee producers to diversify upgrading options. However, lack of investment capital, lower levels of farmers’ educational background, lack of continuous training, poor infrastructure and irrigation facilities, the high cost of machinery and processing materials, lack of technical knowledge to produce input and adopt new technologies were the major constraints for upgrading. The majority of producers have participated in product and process upgrading. A limited number of coffee growers have engaged in functional and channel upgrading. Vertical and horizontal coordination can play an important role in upgrading the chain to help farmers compete in wider markets. Therefore, a policy aimed to accelerate the coffee sector in the area could be successful if the opportunities and constraints are taken into consideration through horizontal and vertical coordination of actors.