bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creative haptics: An evaluation of a haptic tool for non-sighted and visually impaired design students, studying at a distance
Authors: Bowers Lisa , Hayle Ryan
Published: April 2020

Design students who are blind or sight-impaired face distinct challenges when studying a visually centric discipline such as design practice. Students who are sighted use computer-aided design (CAD) which is presented via high definition using a PC mouse. However, design students who are blind or sight-impaired are not able to use visual display technology; therefore, this creates a barrier to access for this community. The aim of this study is to present a haptic prototype trial (Haptic Application Prototype Test [HAPT]) designed to assist design students who are blind/sight-impaired to interact with prototype assembly at the Open University (OU). The study specifically assessed the user feedback and the efficacy of access to CAD interface through the affordances of the haptic interface. The experiment included two groups of participants: one group included students who were blind and sight-impaired and the second group students who were classed fully sighted. Both groups were tested in two conditions of haptic engagement – manual and virtual. The parameters examined were (a) time – set at an industry-recognized time taken to assemble a ‘sketch model’ or prototype, and (b) ncollision – the number of collisions created by a collision algorithm which calculated any random collisions with the virtual environment or objects therein. Quantitative results showed that there was little statistical difference between time and a between-group test. From this we can imply that the haptic interface had offered equal access to CAD for people in the trial who were sighted and blind/sight-impaired indiscriminate of their sight acuity. Further future work using HAPT could be developed to a wider audience and a larger more diverse range of sight-impaired users. Future work will focus on new explorations of teaching using of haptics for greater immersion for distance learners at the OU science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs.
‘Everywhere is home’: The paradox of ‘homing’ and child upbringing among Nigerian-Chinese families in Guangzhou city
Authors: Adebayo Kudus Oluwatoyin , Omololu Femi O
Published: April 2020

Africa–China relations are facilitating different flows and inducing mobilities that have produced Afro-Chinese families in Guangzhou, China. This article examines how Nigerian-Chinese couples construct and embrace contradictory notions of home, as well as how their child upbringing practices manifest this paradox. The article uses data from life history interviews, repeated visits and in social hangouts involving both Nigerian-Chinese couples and individual Nigerian men in interracial marriages. Whereas Nigerian men tend to feel less at home, owing to problems such as perceived Chinese identity exclusivity, the uncertainty of life, and their experiences of discrimination and racism, their Chinese spouses, as internal migrants themselves, also feel similarly unwelcome in Guangzhou. Furthermore, Nigerian-Chinese couples feel obligated to secure the futures of their Afro-Chinese children due to a suspicion that Chinese society may not accept them. The parenting styles, hopes and aspirations revealed by Nigerian-Chinese couples regarding their children show that they view home as an un-centred category.
The effects of a supportive-educational intervention on women with type 2 diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ahrary Zohre , Khosravan Shahla , Alami Ali , Najafi Nesheli Mahdi
Published: April 2020

Purpose:

To determine the effect of a supportive educational intervention based on the Orem self-care model on women with type 2 diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Design:

A randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Hospital outpatient diabetes clinic.

Subjects:

Adult women with type 2 diabetes and mild-to-moderate diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Out of 410 patients, 120 diabetic patients were recruited and randomly assigned to trial group ( N = 60) and control group ( N = 60).

Intervention:

The trial group received a designed intervention consist of one-month supportive educational program with three months of follow-up (totally four months), based on self-care requisites according to the Orem self-care regarding diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The control group only received a routine care program in the diabetes clinic.

Main measurements:

The main outcomes were symptoms and severity of diabetic neuropathy. Further outcomes were fasting blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin.

Results:

By the end of the intervention, the number of participants reduced from 60 to 58 in the trial group and to 57 in the control group (totally 115). The intervention significantly decreased mean score of diabetic neuropathy symptoms (trial group: 3.26 vs. control group: 9.57, P = 0.001), severity (trial group: 5.86 vs. control group: 9.02, P = 0.001), fasting blood sugar (trial group: 151 vs. control group: 204, P = 0.001), and glycosylated hemoglobin (trial group: 7.85 vs. control group: 8.62, P = 0.004).

Conclusion:

Delivering a supportive-educational intervention based on the Orem self-care model on outpatient diabetes clinic can decrease the symptoms and severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Trial registration:

It was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT2015021521095N1).
Rbfox-1 contributes to CaMKIIα expression and intracerebral hemorrhage-induced secondary brain injury via blocking micro-RNA-124
Authors: Shen Fang , Xu Xiang , Yu Zhengquan , Li Haiying , Shen Haitao , Li Xiang , Shen Meifen , Chen Gang
Published: April 2020

RNA-binding protein fox-1 homolog 1 (Rbfox-1), an RNA-binding protein in neurons, is thought to be associated with many neurological diseases. To date, the mechanism on which Rbfox-1 worsens secondary cell death in ICH remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of Rbfox-1 in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced secondary brain injury (SBI) and to identify its underlying mechanisms. We found that the expression of Rbfox-1 in neurons was significantly increased after ICH, which was accompanied by increases in the binding of Rbfox-1 to Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIα) mRNA and the protein level of CaMKIIα. In addition, when exposed to exogenous upregulation or downregulation of Rbfox-1, the protein level of CaMKIIα showed a concomitant trend in brain tissue, which further suggested that CaMKIIα is a downstream-target protein of Rbfox-1. The upregulation of both proteins caused intracellular-Ca2+ overload and neuronal degeneration, which exacerbated brain damage. Furthermore, we found that Rbfox-1 promoted the expression of CaMKIIα via blocking the binding of micro-RNA-124 to CaMKIIα mRNA. Thus, Rbfox-1 is expected to be a promising therapeutic target for SBI after ICH.
Utility of VSRAD for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in patients screened for dementia
Authors: Oshikubo Gaku , Akahane Akihisa , Unno Aki , Watanabe Yukako , Ikebuchi Emi , Tochigi Mamoru , Hayashi Naoki
Published: April 2020

Objective

To investigate the utility of the voxel-based specific regional analysis system for Alzheimer’s disease (VSRAD).

Methods

Clinical data from patients who underwent screening for dementia using VSRAD and the Japanese version of COGNISTAT, the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination, were retrospectively investigated to specify the domains of cognitive function that correlate with the statistical mean value of positive Z-scores in the target volume-of-interest (VOI). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to assess the mean value of positive Z-scores in discriminating patients with AD.

Results

A total of 72 patients were included (18 male and 54 female; 15 patients with AD). The mean value of positive Z-scores in the target VOI was significantly correlated with standardized COGNISTAT scores for Orientation and Memory in all patients (r = –0.35 and –0.38, respectively). ROC curve analysis revealed that a cut-off of 1.57 for mean value of positive Z-scores in the target VOI provided 69.4% accuracy in discriminating patients with AD, with a sensitivity of 0.80 and specificity of 0.67.

Conclusions

The results evinced the value of VSRAD in diagnosing AD. The degree of atrophy represented by the target VOI may reflect impairments in Orientation and Memory, which are early stage symptoms observed in AD.
Stress, Schizophrenia, and Violence: A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Kirchebner Johannes , Sonnweber Martina , Nater Urs M. , Günther Moritz , Lau Steffen
Published: April 2020

This study employs machine learning algorithms to examine the causes for engaging in violent offending in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Data were collected from 370 inpatients at the Centre for Inpatient Forensic Therapy, Zurich University Hospital of Psychiatry, Switzerland. Based on findings of the general strain theory and using logistic regression and machine learning algorithms, it was analyzed whether accumulation and type of stressors in the inpatients’ history influenced the severity of an offense. A higher number of stressors led to more violent offenses, and five types of stressors were identified as being highly influential regarding violent offenses. Our findings suggest that an accumulation of stressful experiences in the course of life and certain types of stressors might be particularly important in the development of violent offending in individuals suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders. A better understanding of risk factors that lead to violent offenses should be helpful for the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies for patients at risk and could thus potentially reduce the prevalence of violent offenses.
Interpersonal Violence and Psychological Well-Being: Perspectives of Low-Income Patients, Social Workers, and Medical Doctors in Mexico City, Mexico
Authors: Zhen-Duan Jenny , DeJonckheere Melissa , Raglin Bignall Whitney J. , Galván Jorge , Saavedra Nayeli , Berenzon Gorn Shoshana
Published: April 2020

The violence epidemic in Mexico is becoming more widespread. Using a social-ecological framework, the current study sought to understand interpersonal violence among those impoverished communities in Mexico City, Mexico. Participants were recruited from Community Health Centers located within districts that were densely populated, had high rates of poverty and marginalization, and where people experience complex social needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, social workers, and medical doctors ( N = 15) who were either receiving or providing services in these centers. Data were analyzed using an inductive, thematic approach. Analysis resulted in three themes: (a) interpersonal violence permeates all settings in which people live and interact; (b) social and cultural factors increase the risk of becoming a perpetrator or victim of interpersonal violence; and (c) interpersonal violence is closely intertwined with mental health. Rapid changes within gender roles and expectations in Mexico, combined with widening income inequality, are shifting dynamics within families that may be inherently linked to interpersonal violence. Our findings support the conceptualization of interpersonal violence at the four levels of the social-ecological framework: individual, relationship, community, and societal. Prevention and interventions for violence reduction must be applied across the four levels simultaneously. Community-level efforts should go toward strengthening existing community health centers and equipping primary care providers with training and resources on the screening and triaging of patients encountering interpersonal violence.
The Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression: An Application With Adolescent Males
Authors: Huntington Charlie , Pearlman Deborah N. , Orchowski Lindsay
Published: April 2020

The Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression is a well-established framework for understanding factors that contribute to men’s perpetration of sexual aggression against women, highlighting the roles of hostile masculinity, impersonal sex orientation, and exposure to pornography. To date, only one study has applied aspects of the Confluence Model to examine predictors of sexual aggression in adolescent males, and the study did not include pornography exposure as a predictor. The current study evaluates the Confluence Model as a framework for understanding the perpetration of both contact and noncontact sexual aggression in a sample of 935 heterosexual 10th-grade adolescent boys. Composite scores for hostile masculinity and impersonal sex orientation were generated. Nearly all the variables included in the hostile masculinity and impersonal sex constructs were associated with perpetration. Zero-inflated Poisson regression models revealed distinct combinations of salient predictors when the dependent variable was identified as boys’ frequency of perpetration, compared with when the dependent variable was defined as any perpetration of sexual aggression. Impersonal sex orientation and violent pornography exposure were associated with perpetrating noncontact sexual aggression in the last 6 months, while violent pornography exposure and the interaction of hostile masculinity and impersonal sex orientation increased the frequency of recent contact sexual aggression. Results suggest that hostile masculinity, impersonal sex orientation, and violent pornography exposure are important factors to address within sexual assault prevention approaches for adolescent boys.
Research on roll stability of articulated engineering vehicles based on dynamic lateral transfer load
Authors: Xu Xiangyang , Ai Xing , Chen Renxiang , Jiang Guosong , Hua Xia
Published: April 2020

A 16-degree-of-freedom non-linear roll dynamic model is developed for an articulated engineering vehicle considering non-linear road excitations and non-linear characteristics of vehicle structures. In addition, a variable step-size numerical method is proposed to solve the non-linear dynamic model. The proposed numerical method can improve the calculation accuracy and the computational stability. Through the proposed dynamic model, an equation is derived considering time-varying tire load characteristics to reflect the roll stability of an articulated engineering vehicle. Using the proposed roll stability equation, the driving stability can be effectively evaluated for an articulated engineering vehicle with different system parameters. The analysis results show that the roll stability decreases significantly with the increase in vehicle speed, centroid height of engineering vehicle, or lateral slope angle. The influence of vehicle speed and lateral slope angle on roll stability is greater than that of the centroid height of engineering vehicle. When steering on the road with a lateral slope angle, the roll angle and the lateral load transfer ratio curves fluctuate with time. As the lateral slope angle increases, the fluctuation is stronger. Overall, the proposed model can accurately evaluate the roll stability of a driving articulated engineering vehicle and accurately determine the unstable tilting of an articulated engineering vehicle.
Modeling gaseous non-reactive flow in a lean direct injection gas turbine combustor through an advanced mesh control strategy
Authors: Payri R , Novella R , Carreres M , Belmar-Gil M
Published: April 2020

Fuel efficiency improvement and harmful emissions reduction are the main motivations for the development of gas turbine combustors. Numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of these devices are usually computationally expensive since they imply a multi-scale problem. In this work, gaseous non-reactive unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes and large eddy simulations of a gaseous-fueled radial-swirled lean direct injection combustor have been carried out through CONVERGE™ CFD code by solving the complete inlet flow path through the swirl vanes and the combustor. The geometry considered is the gaseous configuration of the CORIA lean direct injection combustor, for which detailed measurements are available. The emphasis of the work is placed on the demonstration of the CONVERGE™ applicability to the multi-scale gas turbine engines field and the determination of an optimal mesh strategy through several grid control tools (i.e., local refinement, adaptive mesh refinement) allowing the exploitation of its automatic mesh generation against traditional fixed mesh approaches. For this purpose, the normalized mean square error has been adopted to quantify the accuracy of turbulent numerical statistics regarding the agreement with the experimental database. Furthermore, the focus of the work is to study the behavior when coupling several large eddy simulation sub-grid scale models (i.e., Smagorinsky, Dynamic Smagorinsky, and Dynamic Structure) with the adaptive mesh refinement algorithm through the evaluation of its specific performances and predictive capabilities in resolving the spatial-temporal scales and the intrinsically unsteady flow structures generated within the combustor. This investigation on the main non-reacting swirling flow characteristics inside the combustor provides a suitable background for further studies on combustion instability mechanisms.
Initial design of low-thrust trajectories based on the Bezier curve-based shaping approach
Authors: Fan Zichen , Huo Mingying , Qi Naiming , Zhao Ce , Yu Ze , Lin Tong
Published: April 2020

This paper presents a method to use the Bezier curve to rapidly generate three-dimensional low-thrust trajectories, which can provide a suitable initial approximation to be used for more accurate trajectory optimal control tools. Two missions, from Earth to Mars and the asteroid Dionysus, are considered to evaluate the performance of the method. In order to verify the advantages of this method, it is compared with the finite Fourier series method. Numerical results show that the Bezier method can get better performance index in shorter computation time compared with the finite Fourier series method. The applicability of the solution obtained by Bezier method is evaluated by introducing the obtained solution into the Gauss pseudospectral method as an initial guess. The simulation results show that the Bezier method can rapidly generate a very suitable three-dimensional initial trajectory for the optimal solver. This is very important for rapid evaluation of the feasibility of a large number of low-thrust flight schemes in the preliminary mission design stage.
Kid friendly? Constructions of comics literacy in the classroom
Authors: Wallner Lars
Published: April 2020

This article explores how teachers and pupils construct and negotiate discourses around comic books as part of interaction in the classroom from a New Literacy Studies perspective. The combination of imagery and text, the essence of comics, makes them relevant tools for exploring how literacy is constructed in social interaction in the classroom. The analysis is based on video material from two different Swedish schools, one class in Grade 3 and one class in Grade 8. Nine interactional sequences were initially found, and these have been analysed using a qualitative discursive psychological approach, investigating how assessments are utilized to perform social actions – how participants use assessments of comics as easy or difficult reading, or assessments of themselves or others as being or not being comic book readers – to make something happen in interaction. The results show that participants utilize discourses of personal, visual and textual literacy to construct a comics literacy in which image and text are both construed as important for, as well as a difficulty in, reading comics. This demonstrates constructions of comics literacy and readership, how personal experiences of reading comics are important and the importance of broadening the view of comics as school literature.
Evaluation of a competitive inhibition ELISA based on the recombinant protein tSAG1 to detect anti–Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle
Authors: Novoa María B. , Valentini Beatriz S. , Sarli Macarena , Torioni-de-Echaide Susana M. , Primo María E. , Echaide Ignacio E.
Published: April 2020

Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite that causes abortion and important economic losses in cattle worldwide. There are no treatments or vaccines available; disease control is based on diagnosis and herd management strategies. We developed, validated, and evaluated under field conditions a competitive inhibition ELISA based on the truncated SAG1 protein (tSAG1), expressed in Escherichia coli, and the RafNeo5 monoclonal antibody (ciELISAtSAG1). A criterion based on the 3-y sequential serologic analysis of 230 dairy cows by IFAT was used as the gold standard. The assay was validated using 860 serum samples from cows that were consistently positive or negative by IFAT throughout the study period. ciELISAtSAG1 was then used to evaluate the prevalence of neosporosis in 16 beef cow herds (22 samples per herd, 352 total samples). The results were compared with those from IFAT and a commercial cELISA (cELISAVMRD). The ciELISAtSAG1 cutoff was ≥ 29%I, with a diagnostic sensitivity of 98.7% (95% CI = 96.8–99.7%) and a diagnostic specificity of 97.9% (95% CI = 96.4–99.0%). Concordance among IFAT, cELISAVMRD, and ciELISAtSAG1 was 90.3%. The agreement (κ) between ciELISAtSAG1 and the other 2 tests was ≥ 0.81. The overall prevalence of neosporosis in the 16 beef herds was 30% (range: 5–60%). The ciELISAtSAG1 could be useful for large-scale detection of anti– N. caninum antibodies in cattle and seroepidemiologic investigations, given its appropriate sensitivity and specificity, and the simplicity of production.
Professional Wargaming: A Flawed but Useful Tool
Authors: Curry John
Published: April 2020

Rationale for the Article. Professional wargames have long been an integral part of the tool set used by the military. The literature includes many examples of wargames that have been successful in terms of training, military education, procurement, operational analysis and planning for war. However, retrospective examination demonstrates that many of these professional wargames also had major errors in them and by implication current games about future confrontations are similarly flawed. Nevertheless, the academic evidence is clear that such games are still invaluable tools.

Methodology. Ten years of research into the development of wargames undertaken by the History of Wargaming Project has analysed and made generally available more professional wargames than ever before. Retrospective examination of a sample of these declassified games, from the British War Office Rules (1896) to more recent games about the Ukraine, shows significant errors.

Value. Demonstrating that professional games had errors in the past opens challenges the overconfidence in the predictive capacity of games. It also raises the possibility for future research to identify game design bias and to develop better games in the future. Understanding the value of better games, even with their inherent issues, raise the possibility of better preparing decision makers for the future.

Notes. The words wargame and game are used interchangeably in this article. Whilst the techniques used in professional gaming evolved from modelling the battlefield, modern professional gaming is increasingly focussed on other situations that are not war, such as state level confrontations, trade wars, politics, cyber conflict, banking crisis etc. Using the term wargame seems inappropriate when for example, gaming a shipping dispute. All the games referred to this article, unless otherwise noted, are professional wargames, used by military, government, public sector bodies and other parties directly involved in real world issues. The prefix professional has been omitted for brevity in most places.
Finding the Balance Between Collaboration and Autonomy Among School Nurses in Interactions With Schools
Authors: Helleve Arnfinn , Midthassel Unni Vere , Federici Roger Andre
Published: April 2020

In Norway, new national guidelines for school service emphasize the importance of establishing structured collaboration with schools. Nevertheless, few studies have explored the characteristics of such collaboration. The purpose of the present study is to explore how principals, teachers, and school nurses collaborate and to identify barriers and facilitators of structured collaboration. The study is based on 46 qualitative interviews conducted in five Norwegian municipalities in 2018 and 2019. The results reveal that school nurses are highly valued among the school staff but collaborations between teachers and school nurses varied both within and between schools, often for arbitrary reasons such as personal relations and office locations at schools. Personal relationships built over time as well as regular meetings, seemed to foster stronger collaboration, while discontinuity in personnel, recruitment difficulties, and sick and maternity leaves were frequently reported factors that seemed to have negative impacts on collaboration.
Increasing Information Seeking About Antibiotic Risks: Testing a Clinical Intervention Message Using the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model
Authors: Brinker David L. , Zhou Yanmengqian , Acevedo Callejas Michelle L. , MacGeorge Erina L.
Published: April 2020

We employed the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model to inform the design of antibiotic stewardship messages aiming at influencing intentions to seek or avoid antibiotic risk information. College-age respondents ( N = 400) from a national sample viewed one of three versions of a RISP-informed message or no message (control group). Relative to the control group, all RISP-informed messages increased perceptions of information insufficiency. The most complete version of the RISP-informed message increased severity perceptions and information seeking intention and decreased information avoidance intention. Approaches to designing antibiotic stewardship messages are recommended accordingly.
Laboratory Limitations of Excluding Hereditary Protein C Deficiency by Chromogenic Assay: Discrepancies of Phenotype and Genotype
Authors: Seidel Holger , Haracska Bianca , Naumann Jennifer , Westhofen Philipp , Hass Moritz Sebastian , Kruppenbacher Johannes Philipp
Published: April 2020

Protein C (PC) deficiency is associated with an increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). In daily practice, exclusion of a hereditary PC deficiency is often based on a single determination of PC activity, by either clotting time–based or mostly chromogenic assay. However, diagnosis of hereditary PC deficiency is challenging due to several laboratory and clinical limitations. We compared the potential of PC activity values measured by either chromogenic or clotting time–based assay to predict a variation in the PROC gene. One hundred one (35%) of 287 patients carried variations within the PROC gene, including 2 previously not published variations. In 20 (20%) patients with identified variation, PC activity, determined by chromogenic assay, was within the reference range. For prediction of an underlying genetic defect determined by chromogenic and clotting time–based assay, sensitivity was 80% versus 99%, specificity 75% versus 18%, positive predictive value 64% versus 39%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 88% versus 97%. The lower NPV of chromogenic versus clotting time–based PC assay can be mainly explained by the presence of PC deficiency type IIb. Following our proposed diagnostic algorithm, additional measurement of PC activity by clotting time–based assay in case of a positive VTE history improves detection of this subtype of PC deficiency. Considering potential therapeutic consequences for primary and especially for secondary VTE prophylaxis, genetic analysis is required not only for confirmation but also for clarification of PC deficiency.
“Nano” Regeneration: How Human Agency Intermediates Between Nature and Technology in Community-Based Energy
Authors: Walther Charlotte Marie , Poldner Kim , Kopnina Helen , Dentoni Domenico
Published: April 2020

This article provides a nano (hyperlocal) view of climate change mitigation by viewing regenerative organizing through the eyes (as well as bodies and senses, etc.) of the households engaged in community-based energy projects. By showing what humans make up for in the largely absent relationship between nature and technology in these projects, we envision an incremental extension of the literature on community-based energy. The radically different contribution we aim to make is a tripartite imbrication that brings in natural agency alongside the human and the technical but specifies precisely how nano (smaller than micro) embodied practices afford mis- and realignments.
Examining the Relationship Between Low Birth Weight Occurrence and Passive Measures of Environmental Arsenic by Census Tract in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, Florida
Authors: Scott-Richardson Maya , Ruiz Marilyn O’Hara , Smith Rebecca L
Published: April 2020

Arsenic is a public health concern because of its widespread distribution and high toxicity, even when doses are small. Low birth weight (LBW) occurrence, birth weights less than 2500 g, may be associated with prenatal exposure of arsenic from environmental factors and consuming contaminated drinking water and food. The objective of this study was to examine whether mothers living in areas of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with varying levels of background arsenic in surface soil and water were associated with the occurrence of LBW. Inverse distance weight in ArcGIS was used to interpolate arsenic concentrations from environmental samples and estimate arsenic concentrations by census tracts in the two counties. After excluding multiple births and displaced geocoding addresses, birth data were obtained for the years of 2005 (n = 5845), 2010 (n = 5569), and 2015 (n = 5770) from the Bureau of Vital Statistics at the Florida Department of Health to assess temporal differences. Generalized linear models were used to analyze and compare the association between child and maternal demographic information, socioeconomic characteristics, and the environmental estimates of arsenic with LBW. No significant association was found between environmental arsenic concentration and LBW, suggesting that environmental contamination of the pregnant mother’s census tract may not be a useful proxy in assessing risk for LBW.
Study on temperature rise distribution of contact surface under cyclic load
Authors: Li Ling , Tian Haifei , Yun Qiangqiang , Chu Wei
Published: April 2020

A large amount of heat is generated during the friction of joint surfaces, which has a significant influence on the contact characteristics of surfaces, causing deformation or failure of key components. A two-dimensional friction-thermal structure coupling contact model of cylinder/plane was established in ABAQUS. The effects of roughness under different fractal parameters, tangential load amplitude and cycle number on the temperature rise distribution of a contact surface under normal cyclic loading were studied. The results show that with the increase of roughness and tangential load amplitude, the area of thermal effect becomes more obvious and the temperature rise of the contact surface increases. It is also found that the heat affected zone is mainly distributed near the surface of the contact area with a high-temperature field generated, while the temperature rise amplitude decreases gradually along the depth direction. In addition, the contact surface nodes have a similar temperature rise distribution process and the farther away from the contact center ( x = 0.3 mm), the smaller the temperature rise, which is consistent with the simulation results of the published literature. For the same tangential load amplitude, the surface temperature rise amplitude under the normal cyclic load is lower than that of the normal constant load. The temperature rise of the surface increases with the increase of the number of fretting cycles.
Effect of interconnected metal skeletons on the tribological properties of polyurethane elastomers
Authors: Wen Mingcai , Tang Yiqiang , Yuan Cong , Cui Enhua , Ji Keju , Dai Zhendong
Published: April 2020

Electrostatic cumulative discharges from the surfaces of polyurethane elastomers are often the primary cause of accidents and disasters, such as equipment failures, fires, and explosions, in industries. In this study, in order to improve the electrostatic protection performance of PU as well as to enhance the wear resistance of the PU matrix, copper foam was embedded in polyurethane to form a copper foam-based polyurethane composite with a three-dimensional connected metal skeleton. The mechanical properties, wear resistance, and antistatic capability of the composite were experimentally investigated. The results indicated that the connected metal skeleton structure forms a good conductive network and reduces the static electricity on the polyurethane composite surface to less than 1/10 of that on polyurethane. Moreover, owing to the mechanical support offered by metal skeletons with pore densities greater than 50 pores per inch, the wear resistance of the polyurethane composite is also enhanced, and consequently, its degree of wear is reduced to ∼1/5 of that of polyurethane under the same conditions.
Caring experiences of family caregivers of patients with heart failure: A meta-ethnographic review of the past 10 years
Authors: Kim Eun Young , Oh Seieun , Son Youn-Jung
Published: April 2020

Background:

Living with heart failure, a debilitating disease with an unpredictable course, requires ongoing adaptation and management not only from patients but also from their families. Family caregivers have been known to be key facilitators of self-management of heart failure. An integrative understanding of the experiences of family caregivers will provide essential information for improving the quality of life of persons with heart failure and their families.

Aims:

This study aimed to integrate and synthesize the findings of qualitative studies on family members’ experiences of caring for patients with heart failure.

Methods:

We employed the meta-ethnography methodology. Five electronic bibliographic databases were used to retrieve studies published from April 2009–March 2019 that explored family caregivers’ experiences of caring for patients with heart failure. Twelve qualitative studies were finally included for the synthesis, based on the eligibility criteria.

Results:

Three themes were identified: “shouldering the entire burden,” “starting a new life,” and “balancing caregiving and everyday life.” These three themes illustrate how family caregivers fulfilled caregiving roles, what helped them juggle their multiple responsibilities, and how they struck a balance between life as caregivers and individuals in their own right.

Conclusion:

This review provides a deeper understanding of family caregivers’ experiences of caring for patients with heart failure. The findings can help healthcare providers in the development and implementation of tailored interventions for both patients and family caregivers.
Whole-Blood Levels of MicroRNA-9 Are Decreased in Patients With Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Souza Vinicius Carolino , Morais Gilberto Santos , Henriques Adriane Dallanora , Machado-Silva Wilcelly , Perez Diego Ignacio Valenzuela , Brito Ciro José , Camargos Einstein Francisco , Moraes Clayton Franco , Nóbrega Otávio Toledo
Published: April 2020

Recent evidence suggests changes in circulating microRNA levels may be promising biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD). We hypothesized that whole-blood microRNAs may be useful to identify individuals with established AD. For this purpose, a sample of community-dwelling women (≥55 years old) carrying the ApoE ∊4 allele were clinically evaluated using the American Psychiatric Association/ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition and the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale criteria to diagnose probable AD, and the Clinical Dementia Rating scale to stage the dementia. A set of 25 mature microRNAs was rationally selected for evaluation based on experimental evidence of interaction with genes linked to the late-onset AD neuropathology. Whole-blood concentrations were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Compared to patients without dementia, a median 3-fold decrease in miR-9 levels was found among patients with AD ( P = .001). Our findings support blood-borne miR-9 as a candidate biomarker for probable AD, embodied by evidence from the literature of its implication in amyloidogenesis.
“It Feels Like You Have Stepped Back in Time”: Implementing Authenticity Research in Henry VIII’s Kitchens at Hampton Court Palace
Authors: Peirce Aileen , Jackson Dan , Fitch Richard , Manning Aaron
Published: April 2020

In 2015, Historic Royal Palaces undertook a large-scale audience research study to explore how visitors to our sites understand the idea of authenticity and whether it matters. The key finding was that while visitors strongly agreed that historic building fabric and objects are important, their primary response to authenticity is emotional. Whether a space feels authentic is not simply about the material originality of the building and objects. Re-creations, human, and multisensory experiences were often seen as adding to authenticity. This research is informing and shaping Historic Royal Palaces’s work, most notably the re-presentation of Henry VIII’s Kitchens at Hampton Court Palace which opened in May 2018, combining historic building fabric and fixtures, re-created furniture and objects, groundbreaking use of audiovisuals (AV), and live interpretation led by our team of food historians. Taking Henry VIII’s Kitchens as a case study, this article will reveal Historic Royal Palaces’s research into visitor perceptions of authenticity and how this is being applied in practice.
Multi-point forming springback compensation control oftwo-dimensional hull plate
Authors: Su Shaojuan , Jiang Yuchao , Xiong Yeping
Published: April 2020

Springback is always a technical problem in sheet metal forming. In this article, the rapid springback compensation control of two-dimensional hull plate is realized by theoretical calculation and numerical simulation. For the cylindrical shell, according to the bending forming theory of medium and thick plates, the total elastic-plastic bending moment is established, and the curvature change before and after springback is deduced. The curvature correction coefficient is determined by the precise numerical simulation technology. At the same time, the validity of the method is verified by cold bending experiment. For the shell with variable curvature, it is divided into several cylindrical surfaces according to the curvature gradient of its geometric section line. The compensation curvature array is obtained by the correction compensation algorithm of springback curvature of cylindrical plate, and the algorithm is verified by numerical simulation. The results show that the method is very close to the expected results. Thus, the efficiency and precision of forming will be improved, and the foundation of digitization of sheet metal forming is established.
Measuring school leadership and management and linkages with literacy: Evidence from rural and township primary schools in South Africa
Authors: Wills Gabrielle , van der Berg Servaas
Published: April 2020

This paper describes a process to develop and trial new metrics in South Africa to quantify school leadership and management practices or processes that are considered theoretically related to literacy outcomes. The predictive validity of these measures is assessed in challenging contexts, including 60 township and rural primary schools in South Africa. We observe a randomness to how better leadership and management practices are distributed across better and worse performing schools. Regression analyses confirm weak and inconsistent linkages between measured leadership and management dimensions and literacy outcomes across the sample. However, we find evidence of stronger linkages with intermediate outcomes, including monitoring curriculum coverage. This research contributes to a burgeoning, yet underdeveloped literature on educational management and leadership in Africa and the challenges of measurement in this context.
New chalcone-3-O-glycoside derivatives: Synthesis and characterization
Authors: Çelik Gonca
Published: April 2020

Seven novel carbohydrate conjugates of new chalcone-3- O-glycosides were synthesized and characterized. Starting from the substituted 3′-hydroxyarylmethylacetophenone derivatives (chalcones) with α-acetobromoglucose in anhydrous acetone were synthesized 2,3,4,6-tetra- O-acetyl-3′- O-β-d-glucopyranosyloxychalcones. Deblocking the latter with CH3ONa in dry methanol results in substituted chalcone-3- O-glycosides (3′- O-β-d-glucopyranosyloxychalcones). The structures of the newly synthesized chalcone-3- O-glycosides were characterized based on 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.
Bureaucratic land grabbing for infrastructural colonization: renewable energy, L’Amassada, and resistance in southern France
Authors: Dunlap Alexander
Published: April 2020

Governments and corporations exclaim that “energy transition” to “renewable energy” is going to mitigate ecological catastrophe. French President Emmanuel Macron makes such declarations, but what is the reality of energy infrastructure development? Examining the development of a distributional energy transformer substation in the village of Saint-Victor-et-Melvieu, this article argues that “green” infrastructures are creating conflict and ecological degradation and are the material expression of climate catastrophe. Since 1999, the Aveyron region of southern France has become a desirable area of the so-called renewable energy development, triggering a proliferation of energy infrastructure, including a new transformer substation in St. Victor. Corresponding with this spread of “green” infrastructure has been a 10-year resistance campaign against the transformer. In December 2014, the campaign extended to building a protest site, and ZAD, in the place of the transformer called L’Amassada. Drawing on critical agrarian studies, political ecology, and human geography literatures, the article discusses the arrival process of the transformer, corrupt political behavior, misinformation, and the process of bureaucratic land grabbing. This also documents repression against L’Amassada and their relationship with the Gilets Jaunes “societies in movement.” Finally, the notion of infrastructural colonization is elaborated, demonstrating its relevance to understanding the onslaught of climate and ecological crisis.
Cortisol/cortisone levels and quality of life in individuals with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Tulloh RMR , Quek FF , Stevenson K , Garratt V , Turner‐Cobb JM
Published: April 2020

Individuals with pulmonary arterial hypertension experience debilitating symptoms and psychological distress which may influence their cortisol regulation. We describe associations between diurnal salivary cortisol/cortisone levels and quality of life in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Findings suggest potential clinical utility of cortisol/cortisone assessment as applied to a pulmonary arterial hypertension population.
Diagnosis and treatment of primary biliary cholangitis
Authors: Laschtowitz Alena , de Veer Rozanne C , Van der Meer Adriaan J , Schramm Christoph
Published: April 2020

Primary biliary cholangitis is a cholestatic, chronic autoimmune liver disease with a wide individual variation in disease progression. The diagnosis is predominantly based on chronic elevation of alkaline phosphatase and the presence of anti‐mitochondrial antibodies or other specific antinuclear antibodies (i.e. anti‐gp210 and anti‐sp100). Even in early‐stage disease, health‐related quality of life can be severely impaired by symptoms such as pruritus, fatigue, and sicca syndrome and metabolic bone disease should be assessed and treated. The prognosis of the disease is, however, largely determined by the development of cirrhosis and its complications. Ursodeoxycholic acid is associated with an improved prognosis and should be initiated and continued in all patients. Clinical outcome is related to the biochemical response to ursodeoxycholic acid, but the prognosis of those with an incomplete response is still better than those who remain untreated. Obeticholic acid was recently approved as second‐line treatment and bezafibrate may serve as an adequate off‐label alternative, particularly in patients with pruritus. Preliminary data suggest an additive effect of triple therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid, obeticholic acid, and bezafibrate, whereas other promising drugs are being evaluated in clinical trials.
Evolving data teams: Tensions between organisational structure and professional subculture
Authors: Stalph Florian
Published: April 2020

This study explores the integration of data journalism within three European legacy news organisations through the lens of organisational structure and professional culture. Interviews with data journalists and editors suggest that professional routines resonate with established data journalism epistemologies, values, and norms that appear to be constitutional for an inter-organisational data journalism subculture. At the same time, organisational structure either integrates the journalistic subculture by increasing levels of complexity, formalisation, and centralisation or rejects it by not accommodating it structurally or culturally. The three data teams work along epistemologies of computer-assisted reporting, investigative journalism, and data journalism but differentiate themselves through nuanced understandings of data journalism practice, driven by individual journalists. After a structureless episode, one team sets itself apart as it diverges from data-driven routines and orients itself towards technological and interdisciplinary interactive journalism. The findings show an interdependence of individual efforts, varying conceptualisations of data journalism practice, and interplay between organisational structure and professional culture.
Searching for Oneself on YouTube: Teenage Peer Socialization and Social Recognition Processes
Authors: Balleys Claire , Millerand Florence , Thoër Christine , Duque Nina
Published: April 2020

YouTube is the preferred online platform for today’s teenagers. As such, this article explores the relationship between socialization processes in adolescent peer culture and the meanings behind the production and reception of YouTube videos by teenage audiences. Two fields of enquiry comprise the data analyzed in this article. First, through content analysis, we studied the production of videos on YouTube by teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18. The discursive construction of an audience is expressed by YouTubers through intimate identity performances using specific, dialogical, and conversational modes. The second study investigated the reception of these videos by teenagers between the ages of 12 and 19 through the use of focus groups and in-depth interviews. The results explained the way young people develop a sense of closeness with YouTubers. When examined collectively, our studies reveal how teenage YouTube practices, both as production and reception of content, constitute a twofold social recognition process that incorporates a capacity to recognize oneself in others—like figures with whom one can identify with—and a need to be recognized by others as beings of value. The “intimate confessional production format,” as we have termed it, reinforces this bond.