bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Adolescent Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Victimization: Patterns of Intersectional Social Positions in a Statewide, School-based Sample
Authors: Cole Cory , Raguet Marissa , Rider G. Nic , McMorris Barbara J.
Published: January 2024

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a substantial public health issue faced by youth, with disparities along lines of race, gender, and sexual orientation. Using an intersectional framework, the current study describes the prevalence of self-reported IPSV victimization across intersecting social positions among adolescents. High school students who completed the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey were asked whether they had ever experienced IPSV. Using exhaustive Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detection (eCHAID), responses were modeled using five indicators: racial/ethnic identity, transgender/genderqueer/genderfluid identity, sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, and school location. The prevalence of IPSV victimization within each end group identified by the eCHAID varied from 2.6% to 32.0%. The highest prevalence of IPSV among all students was observed in subgroups defined by multiple marginalized social positions; for example, 32.0% among lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual, or questioning (LGBQ+) students of color who were transgender, genderqueer, genderfluid or unsure of their gender, and assigned male at birth; 22.8% among LGBQ+ students assigned female at birth and enrolled in a Greater Minnesota (outside of the Twin Cities) school; and 22.2% among Native+ or missing race LGBQ+ students assigned female at birth and enrolled in a metropolitan school. Within the eCHAID decision tree, several subsamples of students were split into two more subsamples with a twofold or greater statistically significant difference in IPSV victimization prevalence between them. Findings from this study highlight notable disparities in the prevalence of IPSV victimization among Minnesota youth and demonstrate the importance of detailing the distribution of interpersonal violence outcomes across youth with multiple marginalized identities. Findings suggest that disparities reported along one categorical axis only may miss important nuances in how risk for IPSV is distributed. Population health researchers should utilize methods that allow for the explication of complex intersections that characterize individuals’ social positions in estimating the prevalence of sexual violence.
How to Regulate Platforms Through a Non-Exploitative User-Generated-Content Levy
Authors: Huang Weijie , Chen Xi
Published: January 2024

The democratization of technology to re-create content and make that content publicly available has spurred a wave of user-generated content (UGC), which has produced remarkable social and economic benefits. However, under current copyright law, UGC creators face the dilemma of being deterred from creating UGC because of the risk of copyright infringement, copyright owners can rarely obtain remuneration from UGC, and UGC platforms profit from UGC without being held liable for copyright infringement. Recent proposals to extend fair use and compulsory licenses to UGC creators and impose direct liability on UGC platforms cannot solve the UGC dilemma due to the inadequate or unreasonable regulation of UGC platforms. This study aims to solve the UGC dilemma by proposing a non-exploitative UGC levy on UGC platforms. We demonstrate the necessity of the non-exploitative UGC levy by conducting a comparative study of existing proposals and illustrate the feasibility of the non-exploitative UGC levy through an institutional analysis of its framework and enforcement mechanisms. Justification of the proposed levy and responses to possible criticism are also provided. The levy scheme also provides inspiration for how copyright law can address burgeoning artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC).
Dynamic analysis and energy consumption modeling of a composite spindle with active magnetic bearings for a sustainable manufacturing
Authors: Benali Salwa , Jdidia Anoire Ben , Hentati Taissir , Bouaziz Slim , Haddar Mohamed
Published: January 2024

Modern life is marked with the extensive use of machine tools. The latter stand for high consumers of electrical energy which increase carbon emissions. For this reason, various solutions aiming to reduce energy consumption in industrial sector are elaborated. One solution lies in the use of economical materials for the spindle rotation system supported by active magnetic bearings (AMBs), which corresponds to a problem that has never been undertaken so far. A new conception for machine tool spindle rotation system is elaborated for sustainable design. The spindle material is composed of a carbon epoxy hollow shaft wrapped with a steel layer and supported by AMBs. A Finite Element Method (FEM) modeling of the spindle rotation system was carried out to assess its dynamic consumed energy and power during the acceleration and cutting phases. For an accurate estimation, the power consumed by the spindle system was calculated taking into account the dynamic behavior of the cutting force and losses generated by the bearings. A comparison between energies consumed by the proposed spindle system and the steel spindle system was enacted.
Fixed-time sliding mode estimator-based distributed formation control for multiple nonholonomic mobile robots
Authors: Gu Yao , Yue Ming , Liu Hongshuo , Su Longfei , Zhao Xudong
Published: January 2024

This paper proposes a fixed-time estimator-based distributed formation controller for a system consisting of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots, taking into consideration the stability of individuals and the effectiveness of internal communication. The desired trajectory of the formation is given by the virtual leader whose state is available only to some followers, and the information interaction within the followers is localized. To begin with, a distributed fixed-time sliding mode estimator is designed for each follower to estimate the state information of the virtual leader within a fixed time. Subsequently, based on the estimator, a formation controller is designed according to the trajectory tracking error of each follower. In addition, the Lyapunov function is constructed for stability analysis. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted in MATLAB/Simulink to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed estimator and controller, and the robustness of the control system is further verified by combining the actual situation of communication interruption and external disturbance.
Coordinated path-following control of distributed autonomous vehicles with obstacles and collision avoidance
Authors: Ghasemi Iman , Tahmasbi Mohammad , Ahmadian Saeid , Sayyaadi Hassan
Published: January 2024

This study presents the path-following control design for a group of autonomous underwater vehicles in a plane with obstacle and collision avoidance. A distributed backstepping controller is exploited for an autonomous vehicle to design a path-following controller. Then, the controller is applied for the path-following of a group of autonomous vehicle systems in the formation setting. The graph theory is used to model the interconnection between the vehicles. To avoid obstacles and collisions, a dynamic limit-cycle-based algorithm is proposed. It is assumed that each obstacle is involved an elliptical shape and if the collision or conflict of one vehicle to the surrounded environmental obstacles is detected, the obstacle avoidance algorithm will be active to prevent collisions. Finally, the introduced algorithm is implemented and simulated for a group of underwater autonomous vehicles in MATLAB software. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed distributed controller apparently.
A novel cable-net buffer device for recovering reusable launch vehicle: Design, dynamic modeling, and performance analysis
Authors: Wang Hui , Xiang Dalin , Zhang Haorui , Cui Shuo , Li Jiarui , Wu Hongyu
Published: January 2024

At present, reusable launch vehicle technology (RLV) has become a research hotspot in the aerospace field and one of the major development trends in this industry. With reference to the aircraft carrier’s arresting cable technology, this paper puts forward a novel cable-net buffer device for recovering the first stage of launch vehicle. The device can transfer load through a cable-pulley mechanism, and then complete the first stage recovery by losing the kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy of the first stage through hydraulic dampers and preloaded counterweights. In order to analyze the performance of this cable-net buffer device, the finite element software ABAQUS is adopted to establish a rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model. In this model, the cable-pulley mechanism is simulated by connector and shell elements, the damping force of the hydraulic dampers by VUAMP subroutine, and the preloaded counterweights by mass point. And then, performance evaluation indexes of this buffer device are proposed in this paper. Meanwhile, the dynamic simulation, using the established dynamic model, is carried out under different device design parameters and working condition parameters. On the one hand, the simulation results show that the tower span and damping force have remarkable effects on the buffer performance. On the other hand, among all working condition parameters, only the fall point deviation has a significant effect on the buffer performance, but this effect is less than that of the design parameters. Finally, combing the dynamic model and the surrogate model technique, this paper obtains feasible boundaries of design parameters of the device for the subsequent detailed design of it. Researches in this paper will provide new ideas for the development of RLV.
Enhancing high-speed steering stability of wheel-legged vehicles by active roll control
Authors: Liu Hui , Ren Xiaolei , Han Lijin , Qin Yechen , Xie Jingshuo , Liu Baoshuai
Published: January 2024

Wheel-legged vehicles (WLVs) combine the speed of wheels with the active control of legs to traverse challenging terrain, which presents a new development possibility for enhancing the system’s mobility and stability. Most of the existing studies mainly focus on the stability of low-speed trajectory optimization or obstacle-surmounting by hybrid walking-driving. Without considering the stability of high-speed driving. To enhance the vehicle stability at high-speed steering, with the additional roll moment generated by the active roll motion taken into account, a 15-degree-of-freedom nonlinear yaw-roll coupled vehicle model is developed. Specifically, a fusion dynamic stability factor for skid steering is presented as the rollover threshold to determine the three-dimensional stability region of longitudinal speed, yaw rate and roll angle, based on which the vehicle’s ideal roll angle is obtained. Subsequently, a hierarchical parallel control scheme is proposed to decouple the yaw and roll motions of the wheel-legged vehicle. The fusion dynamic stability factor is regarded as the switching threshold of the upper-level controller, while the lower-level controller adopts the linear quadratic regulator and the sliding mode control to actively control additional roll moment and direct yaw moment, respectively. Furthermore, the studies for the dynamic model and the proposed controller are conducted through vehicle tests. Corresponding test results validate the advantages of the proposed control scheme over conventional schemes without active roll control, in which vehicle stability is effectively improved, thereby preventing vehicle rollover in the case of high-speed steering.
Nonlinear shimmy and dynamic bifurcation in vehicle system with driver steering input
Authors: Wei Heng , Xu Yinggang , Wang Xiangyu , Li Liang
Published: January 2024

Based on the dynamic coupling analysis of the front wheel shimmy and vehicle plane motion, a three degrees of freedom (DOF) nonlinear shimmy model considering driver steering input is established. Firstly, when the driver steering input is not considered, the modal properties and dynamic stability of the system are investigated by solving the Jacobian matrix. Then, the nonlinear shimmy behavior considering the driver steering input is discussed by means of numerical calculations. The slow flow equations of the vehicle system considering the driver steering input are derived based on the complexification-averaging (CA) method. According to the nonlinear dynamics theory, the saddle node (SN) and Hopf bifurcation characteristics of the system are analyzed, the analytical solution of the front wheel shimmy angle is also obtained. Finally, with the help of the understeer gradient, the influence of the linear cornering stiffness of the front wheel on the nonlinear shimmy motion is discussed. It is summarized that the SN and Hopf bifurcation are more likely to occur in the shimmy system for an oversteered vehicle. The relevant conclusions are useful for the early anti-shimmy design of vehicles.
Aerodynamic efficiency analysis of the ridge integrated submerged inlet
Authors: B Saheby Eiman , Shen Xing , Jowkar Saeed
Published: January 2024

In this study, a new ridge surface is proposed and its impact on the aerodynamic efficiency of a generic top-mounted submerged inlet is investigated at Mach 0.3 to 0.5. The concept is developed to investigate the possibility of vortex breakdown manipulation by the ridge surface to control the chaotic flow pattern after the breakdown, measuring the overall drag increment and total pressure recovery due to the ridge integration. For this purpose, a conceptual submerged inlet is designed with a semi-elliptic entrance for integration with a generic fuselage and ridge surfaces; then different study cases are modeled based on this configuration for numerical simulations by Ansys Fluent. Key factors such as the quality of the captured streamtube, vortex patterns on the fuselage, induced lift, and vortex breakdown patterns are investigated and compared by second order accuracy. Results indicate that the modified ridge surface improves the overall efficiency of the fuselage-inlet configuration both in the terms of lift over drag and pressure recovery.
Hearing voices, but whose? Constructions of schizophrenia in introductory psychology textbooks
Authors: Senior Jessica , LaMarre Andrea
Published: January 2024

Introductory psychology courses have a broad reach; their textbooks are instrumental in disseminating information about mental distress. In this study, we present the theoretical implications of a Foucauldian discourse analysis of constructions of schizophrenia in six introductory psychology textbooks assigned in Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia. We identify three interconnected discursive constructions within the textbooks: object-for-study, social problem, and unrecoverable illness. These constructions converge to position people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (PWDS) as sites for biomedical intervention and generate biomedical treatment as necessary but non-curative. Notably, the voices of PWDS are absent from the texts. We contend that amplifying counter discourses and the voices of PWDS is essential to provide the context, meaning, and hope that is missing from these textbooks, and broader society. We work with Mad Studies to present potential ways of theorising otherwise around these experiences—and leveraging this theory in textbook writing.
Image-based visual servoing with Kalman filter and swarm intelligence optimisation algorithm
Authors: Dong Jiuxiang , Li Yang , Wang Bingsen
Published: January 2024

The article proposes a new Kalman depth estimation and an improved swarm intelligence optimisation algorithm for adaptive tuning of servo gain for image-based visual servo control. First, a Kalman depth estimation model is established from the principle of image-based visual servoing, and two state equations are designed for depth estimation based on the number of state quantities. Second, the improved sparrow search algorithm is proposed to tune the servo gain adaptively to improve the convergence speed and stability. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, the conventional image-based visual servoing and conventional Kalman estimation are reproduced and compared with the proposed method, and the simulation is completed on the Simulink simulation platform for verification. Finally, the experiments are completed in the robotic arm experimental platform. Both the simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method, which reduces the redundancy of the camera and shortens the convergence time.
Adaptive gain scheduling based event-triggering control design for robust performance of active magnetic bearing
Authors: Saini Prince Kumar , Pratap Bhanu , Kumar Punit
Published: January 2024

This article proposes an efficient adaptive robust control for the eight-pole active magnetic bearing based on a heteropolar structure. Due to the uncertain behavior of active magnetic bearing, the mathematical model of active magnetic bearing is considered to be highly nonlinear and uncertain. As the rotor displacement and velocity are the measurable states, sliding mode control is designed to estimate state variables. Also, a matched disturbance term is used to deal with undesirable disturbances in the active magnetic bearing system. The controller is developed for an active magnetic bearing using the event-triggering-based sliding mode control technique. However, the stability of the proposed scheme has been achieved with the help of Lyapunov theory. Furthermore, the adaptive gain scheduling approach based on a neural network has been augmented to adjust the gain of the proposed controller for active magnetic bearing adaptively. The simulation studies have been performed in detail to demonstrate the use of proposed scheme for the robust control of active magnetic bearings. Finally, a comparative analysis of the proposed control design scheme with a conventional controller has been performed to achieve improved performance satisfying the plant constraints.
Fixed-time fuzzy disturbance observer–based adaptive integral sliding-mode spacecraft attitude control under time-varying output constraints
Authors: Zhu Yuan , Ning Xin , Wang Shiyu , Wang Zheng
Published: January 2024

This article proposes a fixed-time fuzzy disturbance observer–based adaptive integral sliding-mode spacecraft control scheme with consideration of input uncertainties and unknown nonlinearities. First, for the purpose of satisfying the time-varying output constraints and simplifying the computational process, an error transformation function is employed to convert the constrained spacecraft system into an unconstrained one. Second, to ensure superior transient-state performance, an improved sliding manifold integrated with a nonlinear function is designed. Then, for accurately estimating the external disturbances, a fixed-time fuzzy disturbance observer is proposed. Furthermore, the unknown nonlinearities and the input uncertainties are handled by several adaptive laws. The simulation results are presented to verify the superiority and effectiveness of the proposed fixed-time fuzzy disturbance observer–based adaptive integral sliding-mode control scheme.
Platform work meets flexicurity: A comparison between Danish and Dutch social partners’ responses to the question of platform workers’ contract classification
Authors: Marenco Matteo
Published: January 2024

In the broader discussion on how to organize protection in the future of work, social partners sought to tackle the question of whether on-location platform workers are employees or freelancers. Extant literature investigating responses to platform work concentrates on institutions as main explanatory factor. While this provides valuable insights, it overlooks actors’ creativity and motivation as factors that allow to break away with existing constraints. This paper tackles such a shortcoming by developing a theoretical angle that looks at how uncertain actors actively shape institutions through learning processes. Using a qualitative methodology, it compares Danish and Dutch social partners’ responses to the question of platform workers’ contract classification. It finds that Danish social partners agreed on the need to shelter the centrality of collective bargaining for labour market regulation, while their Dutch functional equivalent stressed the urgency to re-think the way flexibility and protection are linked. Positions of Dutch social partners were considerably more polarized than in the Danish case. This work contributes to the i) scholarship on social partners and non-standard work in contemporary capitalist economies and ii) understanding of how the relationship between protection and flexibility is being re-defined in view of the future of work.
How to measure the interdisciplinarity of library and information science courses? Based on empirical research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Authors: Yu Tongtong , Qi Ying , Zhang Tao
Published: January 2024

The article proposes interdisciplinary indicators suitable for measuring and evaluating the interdisciplinarity of Library and Information Science (LIS) curriculum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with the aim of addressing the problems that arise in interdisciplinary education through suggestions. The interdisciplinarity of the curriculum is simulated on the Coursera platform and the interdisciplinary indicators are adopted to measure the interdisciplinarity of the disciplines and the curriculum. The results of the interdisciplinary simulations show a wide range of disciplinary knowledge and a high degree of interdisciplinarity. The interdisciplinary process of the curriculum shows that certain courses have a significant impact on the number of discipline categories. The comprehensive evaluation results for the three measures are consistent, indicating that the impact of the interdisciplinary measures varies from course to course. This study aims to provide constructive ideas for interdisciplinary curriculum design and talent cultivation in the field of Library and Information Science. In addition, the measurement and evaluation method can provide a reference for other disciplines.
Knowledge mapping of information cocoons: A bibliometric study using visual analysis
Authors: Yan Chunlai , Pu Ke , Luo Xuegang
Published: January 2024

Providing a systematic and complete knowledge map for researchers in the field of information cocoons, and helps them quickly understand the key knowledge, evolutionary trends and research frontiers. Using bibliometric methods and utilizing CiteSpace, Ucinet, and gCLUTO software, a scientific quantitative, and visual analysis was conducted on 2101 articles (from Web of Science and Scopus data collections) in the field of information cocoons research from 1966 to 2023. The numbers of publication present a rhythm with an exponential function y = 0.2477e0.1772x. The research hotspots of information cocoons mainly focus on social media and Internet, fake news, selective exposure, cognitive bubble and political polarization, mainly involving the discipline of journalism, communication, computer science, political science, management, sociology, economics. Twitter and Facebook are the most studied social media. The future research trend mainly focuses on rational intervention of misinformation, artificial intelligence personalized algorithm, machine learning, political polarization, personalized perception of recommendation, and the in-depth exploration of influencing factors of information cocoons.
Let my pictures convey my emotions: Acculturation and place attachment of mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong’s campus libraries
Authors: Ning Chuanlin
Published: January 2024

Acculturation is a crucial concern that international students grapple with while pursuing their studies in a cross-cultural environment. This study utilizes photovoice, a visual field method, along with reflexive thematic analysis (reflexive TA), to explore the emotional connection between mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong and campus libraries. Additionally, it explores the role of the university campus library in their acculturation process. The study’s findings underscore the profound attachment that mainland Chinese students develop toward campus libraries, revealing the complex nature of their acculturation journey. By engaging in comparisons encompassing individuals, rules, experiences, imagination, and culture, these students have cultivated favorable perceptions of their library experience, employing it as a strategic approach for acculturation and integration. Notably, the library space affords students a sanctuary of privacy and autonomy, facilitating their immersive engagement within a personal realm, and concurrently assuaging any sentiments of isolation and unease encountered in communal settings. However, the emotional attachment that mainland Chinese students develop toward the library may exacerbate long-term academic stress and anxiety, negatively affecting their experience adapting to the local culture. This groundbreaking article examines the relationship between international students’ acculturation and place attachment, providing crucial theoretical insight into this important issue. Moreover, the research provides valuable guidance for university administrators to effectively aid international students in adapting to cross-cultural environments.
Comparison of efficacy of continuous mycophenolate mofetil with sequential cyclophosphamide and tacrolimus as maintenance therapy for lupus nephritis
Authors: Kawazoe Mai , Nanki Toshihiro
Published: January 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the renal response to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as maintenance therapy for lupus nephritis (LN) in Japanese patients, we compared the efficacy of MMF and the sequential use of monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY) followed by tacrolimus (TAC).

Methods

We examined 14 patients with LN who were treated with continuous MMF as induction and maintenance therapies (MMF group) and 10 patients with LN who received monthly IVCY as induction therapy followed by maintenance therapy with TAC (IVCY-TAC group). We assessed the therapeutic effects of each treatment regimen on renal manifestations and serological findings over a 36-month period after treatment initiation.

Results

Mean urine protein-to-creatinine ratios in the MMF and IVCY-TAC groups significantly decreased from 2.75 to 0.11 g/gCr and from 3.26 to 0.22 g/gCr, respectively. Significant improvements in serum immunological variables (serum complement C3 or C4 levels and the anti-double-stranded DNA antibody titer) and reductions in the SLE disease activity index and daily prednisolone dosages were observed in both groups during induction therapy and were maintained during maintenance therapy. Efficacy was similar between the MMF and IVCY-TAC groups.

Conclusion

MMF has potential as an effective treatment for renal manifestations in Japanese patients throughout induction and maintenance therapies for LN, as an alternative to conventional IVCY-TAC therapy, and as a glucocorticoid-sparing agent.
Online politicizations of science: Contestation versus denialism at the convergence between COVID-19 and climate science on Twitter
Authors: Alinejad Donya , Honari Ali
Published: January 2024

This study investigates how scientific knowledge is politicized on Twitter. Identifying discursive modes of online politicization and analyzing how they relate to different online issue publics allows us to weigh in on the scholarly debate about when the politicization of science on social media becomes problematic in a democratic context. This is a complicated question in “knowledge societies” where increasing science–politics confluence means that some degree of politicization is necessary for science–informed policymaking and (online) public debate. We look at how pandemic science was politicized through becoming discursively linked with an already highly politicized science issue on Twitter, namely, climate change. Our mixed-methods analysis demonstrates that some politicizations of science seek to contest science-informed policy while others are better characterized as ideological science rejection. We argue for the advantages of this approach of identifying science rejection over approaches that seek to distinguish information from dis-/misinformation.
Turning a Curve: How People Use Everyday Resources to Negotiate Recovery From Cancer Treatment With Curative Intent
Authors: Bravington Alison , Johnson Miriam , Macleod Una
Published: January 2024

Many more cancers are treated with intent to cure now than in previous decades, but for most, this involves significant effects from which people need to recover psychologically and socially, as well as physically. This longitudinal photo-elicitation interview study uses grounded theory to explain how people discharged from specialist care made use of everyday social and material resources to manage this process at home. Recovery is presented as a curve in life’s pathway requiring gradual reorientation, drawing on social worlds and domestic resources to calibrate this process. Findings are described in three stages: (1) responding to diagnosis and treatment, (2) using social resources for meaning-making, and (3) developing assets for recovery. During treatment, participants drew on past identities to reinforce their sense of self, and personalized health care communication supported this process. In the weeks after treatment, new frameworks of understanding were constructed from perspectives on cancer encountered in the family, workplace, and outpatient clinics. Recovery processes included the negotiation of personal change, the renegotiation of close relationships, and the use of everyday resources to regain three sensations: control, comfort, and continuity. Supportive care would benefit from an individualized exploration of the assets that can help people to negotiate this challenging phase as treatment comes to a close. Possibilities for self-care (the maintenance of health and well-being in the context of everyday life) can be explored and assessed through personalized discussion around the identities, social worlds, and everyday resources available to each individual.
Cosmetic Medical Tourists’ Use of Online Support Communities: Sharing Information, Reciprocity, and Enduring Relationships
Authors: Forsyth Rowena , Prasad Tushar
Published: January 2024

Cosmetic procedures are amongst the most popular procedures sought after by medical tourists. Cosmetic medical tourists utilise numerous sources of information when planning their trips including, where available, discussing their decision with previous medical tourists. Current research on online support communities has investigated the interactions of patients with various health conditions with online support; however, limited research exists on cosmetic medical tourists’ participation in online support communities. Here we report findings from our qualitative interview study of Australian cosmetic medical tourists. We found that many of our participants experienced stigma regarding their intention to receive cosmetic procedures and to travel overseas from within their local social networks. Participating in online communities (Facebook groups) enabled them to access information and support from other cosmetic medical tourists. Through using public posting and messaging functionality of the communities, they performed two distinct roles in the groups that parallel the temporal transitions of their journeys: they were information and support seekers pre-surgery and information and support providers post-surgery. The reciprocity they practiced in the provider role occurred due to their desire to ‘pay forward’ the support they had received from others pre-surgery. This role was performed as a collective, community-based reciprocity rather than a direct mutual exchange. Some participants also transitioned their online relationships into enduing offline friendships demonstrating how online interactions may become enmeshed with broader social networks.
From a Single Voice to Diversity: Reframing ‘Representation’ in Patient Engagement
Authors: Scholz Brett , Kirk Lucy , Warner Terri , O’Brien Lauren , Kecskes Zsuzsoka , Mitchell Imogen
Published: January 2024

There has been a growing emphasis on consumer representation in the development of health policy, services, research, and education. Existing literature has critiqued how discourses of representativeness can disempower consumers working in health systems. The context of the current study is consumer engagement in the development of COVID-19 triage policy and practice in a local health service. Consumer engagement has often been an afterthought in the COVID response, with few examples of consumers in agenda-setting or decision-making roles. In the Australian Capital Territory, 26 consumer, carer, and community groups worked together with academics and clinicians to develop these principles. Interviews were conducted with stakeholders (including consumers, clinicians, and other health professionals) to evaluate the development of triage principles. A discursive psychological approach to analysis was used to explore participants’ understandings about and constructions of consumers being representative (or not) and how this may reproduce power imbalances against consumers. The results explore two distinct ways in which participants talked about consumer representativeness: the first drawing on rhetoric about consumers as lay members of the public (as distinct from being professionally engaged in the health sector), and the second in terms of consumer representatives being diverse and having intersectional identities and experiences. Expectations about consumers to be representative of the general population may reproduce traditional power imbalances and silence lived experience expertise. These power imbalances may be challenged by a shift in the way representativeness is conceptualised to requiring health services to seek out diverse and intersectionally marginalised consumers.
Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Living Kidney Donation Within a Sociotechnical Systems Framework
Authors: Crenshaw Rachel , Woods Cary , Koizumi Naoru , Dave Hitarth S. , Gentili Monica , Saleem Jason J.
Published: January 2024

The objective of this study was to investigate factors influencing one’s decision to become a live kidney donor under the framework of sociotechnical systems, by expanding the focus to include larger organizational influences and technological considerations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with live kidney donors who donated through University of Louisville Health, Trager Transplant Center, a mid-scale transplant program, in the years 2017 through 2019. The interview transcripts were analyzed for barriers and facilitators to live kidney donation within a sociotechnical system. The most salient facilitators included: having an informative, caring, and available care team; the absence of any negative external pressure toward donating; donating to a family or friend; and the ability to take extra time off work for recovery. The most recurrent barriers included: short/medium-term (<1 year) negative health impacts because of donation; the need to make minor lifestyle changes (e.g., less alcohol consumption) after donation; and mental health deterioration stemming from the donation process. The sociotechnical systems framework promotes a balanced system comprised of social, technical, and environmental subsystems. Assessing the facilitators and barriers from the sociotechnical system perspective revealed the importance of and opportunities for developing strategies to promote integration of technical subsystem, such as social media apps and interactive AI platforms, with social and environmental subsystems to enable facilitators and reduce barriers effectively.
A Better Me? An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Experiences of Female Cancer Survivors’ Heightened Preoccupation With ‘Healthy Eating’
Authors: Eisenberg Elodie , Josselin Daphne
Published: January 2024

The end of treatment is known to be a particularly challenging time for many cancer survivors as they transition to coping with their condition independently. They may engage in health behaviours, such as implementing drastic dietary changes to manage the side effects of treatment they have undergone or as a way to assuage their anxiety. Understanding cancer survivors’ heightened preoccupation with healthy eating is therefore fundamental to our understanding of the psychological phenomenology of cancer. This study explored how people who have developed a heightened preoccupation with healthy eating after a cancer diagnosis make sense of this change. Eight participants were recruited through social media. They each engaged in a semi-structured interview over Zoom concerning their changed relationship with food following cancer. Their accounts were then analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The article focuses on four group experiential themes arising from the analysis: Open and Enlightened About Food, Becoming a Better Me?, Developing a New Passion for Nutrition, and Becoming Consumed by Food. The themes that arose from the analysis speak to the experience of becoming a ‘better’ person from having lived through cancer and developed a new relationship with food. Instead of seeing illness as a loss, several of the participants reported a positive shift linked to having developed an interest in healthy eating, something which became central to their identity. However, others experienced their new engagement with healthy eating as a preoccupation that engulfed them. These findings are discussed in light of existing theory and research, and their clinical implications are outlined. Areas for future research are also suggested.
Homogenization of a coupled electrical and mechanical bidomain model for the myocardium
Authors: Miller Laura , Penta Raimondo
Published: January 2024

We propose a coupled electrical and mechanical bidomain model for the myocardium tissue. The structure that we investigate possesses an elastic matrix with embedded cardiac myocytes. We are able to apply the asymptotic homogenization technique by exploiting the length scale separation that exists between the microscale where we see the individual myocytes and the overall size of the heart muscle. We derive the macroscale model which describes the electrical conductivity and elastic deformation of the myocardium driven by the existence of a Lorentz body force. The model comprises balance equations for the current densities and for the stresses, with the novel coefficients accounting for the difference in the electric potentials and elastic properties at different points in the microstructure. The novel coefficients of the model are to be computed by solving the periodic cell differential problems arising from application of the asymptotic homogenization technique. By combining both the mechanical and electrical behaviors, we obtain a macroscale model that highlights how the elastic deformation of the heart tissue is influenced and driven by the difference in the electric potentials at various points in the material.
Applications of vector bundle to finite elasto-plasticity
Authors: Cleja-Ţigoiu Sanda
Published: January 2024

A new approach to finite elasto-plasticity of crystalline materials, with a differential geometry point of view toward the material description, is proposed. In order to define the plastic and elastic distortions, traditionally it is accepted the existence of an intermediate configuration, which is endowed with a differential manifold structure. A more restrictive but physically and mathematically well-motivated structure is assigned to the intermediate configuration, namely, a vector bundle structure. Two approaches to multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient can be rebuilt if on the same total space (intermediate configuration) the vector bundle structures are considered, but either the reference configuration, [Formula: see text] (i.e., plastic assumption) or the deformed configuration, [Formula: see text] (i.e., elastic assumption) stands for the base space. As the base spaces are homeomorphic, a pullback vector bundle over one base space is provided by the other one through the motion diffeomorphism. Thus, the total space is endowed with different differential manifold structures. The plastic distortion and the inverse elastic distortion, respectively, are defined for any material points as linear, invertible, and non-integrable maps from the tangent vector space at their material points, with the value on the attached vector fiber. The multiplicative decompositions into their non-integrable components are derived, based on the associate inverse elastic distortion and plastic distortion, respectively. When the plastic and elastic assumptions are simultaneously accepted, then a three-term multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient is achieved. The transition functions, which characterize the compatibility of the overlapping charts which belong to these different structures, namely of the vector bundle and of the pullback vector bundle over the same configuration, say [Formula: see text] define the non-uniqueness of the two-term multiplicative decomposition. The material symmetry transformation is defined for elastic-type materials. The compatibility of the models and examples of the bundle vector structures are also discussed.
Comparing Pharmacotherapies for ADHD in Adults: Evidence From Outcome-Focused Analysis of Food and Drug Administration Drug Label Registration Trials
Authors: Surman Craig B. H. , Walsh Daniel M. , Bond Joseph B.
Published: January 2024

Objective:

We appraised whether FDA registration trials for ADHD pharmacotherapy in adults provides comparable information to inform treatment expectations.

Method:

Comparison of ADHD outcome measure patterns in ADHD pharmacotherapy FDA drug label source studies.

Results:

Among stimulants, from fixed-dose titration data, amphetamine agents had numerically higher placebo-corrected symptom improvement and symptom effect sizes than methylphenidate agents. Symptom effect sizes were lower in the flexible dosing registration studies of atomoxetine and viloxazine. Varying responder definitions were analyzable, based on ≥30% symptom improvement and/or CGI-I improvement of “much” or “very much improved.” Number of exposures needed to create these responses were lower for stimulants than for viloxazine.

Conclusion:

Heterogeneity in the design and analysis of FDA drug label source trials restricts implications for clinical practice. Research conducted using replicated designs, direct comparison of available treatments, and outcome analyses that generalize to clinical care could better inform clinical decision making.
Transient nonlinear responses of a sandwich plate with micro-cellular auxetic core based on modified strain gradient theory under impact loads
Authors: Akhavan Alavi SM , Ghajar R
Published: January 2024

This study investigates the nonlinear dynamic response of an auxetic sandwich structure under impact load. The core is made of a micro-cellular auxetic structure. The main point of interest is studying the micro-cellular core properties’ effects on the structure’s nonlinear dynamic response. First, the mechanical properties of the micro-cellular auxetic core are introduced based on modified strain gradient theory (MSGT), followed by experimental and numerical validation. Then, Hamilton’s principle is applied to derive the sandwich structure’s nonlinear governing partial differential equations. Lastly, Galerkin’s method paved the way to achieving the final solution. So as to perform frequency-response analysis, the four-dimensional averaged equations are obtained using the perturbation method. In order to carry out experimental validation, a nanosecond laser system is used for micro-cellular auxetic sample fabrication, and the tensile tests are carried out per ISO 6892 standard. The comparison between the experimental and the theoretical results indicates an excellent agreement among the results. It can be concluded that MSGT plays a significant role in the mechanical properties and the nonlinear dynamic response of the micro-cellular auxetic structures. The present study is applicable in the field of protective panels, sensors, and energy harvesters.
Reactive Granulomatous Dermatitis: A Descriptive Study of 10 Patients
Authors: Lagacé Maude , Mainville Laurence , Dionne Marie-Claude
Published: January 2024

Background:

Reactive granulomatous dermatitis (RGD) is a rare and misunderstood skin disorder. It includes interstitial granulomatous dermatitis and palisaded neutrophilic and granulomatous dermatitis: 2 entities of the same spectrum. Multiple associations are described with RGD in the literature, including autoimmune diseases, malignancy, and drugs.

Objective:

To report and describe the suspected associations with RGD at the time of diagnosis and in the following year.

Methods:

We retrieved and described cases of RGD confirmed by skin biopsy and clinicopathologic correlation. All patients were evaluated in the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec— Université Laval between January 2000 and December 2020. Collected data include the systemic diseases (autoimmune disease, malignancy) and suspected drugs, in addition to the clinical presentation and prescribed treatments.

Results:

Out of the 10 patients with RGD, 7 patients were known to have an autoimmune disease at the time of diagnosis. They either had inflammatory arthritis (3/10) or inflammatory bowel disease (4/10). There was a clinical suspicion of a possible association with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor in 2 of these 7 patients. Among the 3 patients with idiopathic RGD at the time of diagnosis, 1 patient developed a high-grade B-cell lymphoma 6 months later. There was no new association identified in the following year for patients with a known autoimmune condition.

Conclusion:

This descriptive study supports RGD and its previously described systemic associations, particularly autoimmune diseases, malignancy, and certain drugs (specifically TNF inhibitors). The majority of patients already had one of these associations identified at the time of histopathological diagnosis.
A Practical Guide to Using Biologics in Pediatric Dermatology
Authors: George Annie , Lansang Rafael Paolo , Lansang Perla , Gooderham Melinda
Published: January 2024

Psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), atopic dermatitis (AD), and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), are common, immune-mediated, chronic, inflammatory skin diseases that can affect the pediatric population. While there is adequate evidence supporting the use of biologics in pediatric patients, concerns regarding safety and efficacy amongst healthcare providers are not uncommon. However, new emerging evidence in this population highlights the safety of biologic therapy, making it crucial to review and establish a practical guide for their use. This article describes a methodological framework for initiating biologics in the management of pediatric psoriasis, HS, AD, and CSU, with a special focus on baseline work-up, monitoring, dosing, and considerations in this population.