bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Pilot Study Investigating the Use of Mobile Technology for Coordinating Educational Plans in Inclusive Settings
Authors: Siyam Nur , Abdallah Sherief
Published: July 2021

Good coordination among school staff and families leads to increased learning quality and academic success for students with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). This pilot study aims to investigate the use of mobile technology for the coordination of therapy and learning for students with SEND. This study first follows a participatory design methodology to identify the key design principles required to inform the design of a coordination mobile app for special education. Then, a mobile app (IEP-Connect) is designed and implemented with the aim of facilitating information sharing between different parties involved in the intervention of students with SEND. The proposed app uses the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) as the focal point of coordination. The evaluation of the app focused on students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as their learning requires sharing information from different distributed sources. Results from the usability study revealed that the app has “good” usability and that participants were satisfied with the use of the app for recording and sharing IEP information. The results of this study provide an understanding of the ways in which a coordination app for special education could be made easy and rewarding to use.
Cultural contributors to negative emotionality: A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium
Authors: Desmarais Eric E. , French Brian F. , Ahmetoglu Emine , Acar Ibrahim , Gonzalez-Salinas Carmen , Kozlova Elena , Slobodskaya Helena , Benga Oana , Majdandžić Mirjana , Beijers Roseriet , de Weerth Carolina , Huitron Blanca , Lee Eun Gyoung , Han Sae-Young , Park Seong-Yeon , Giusti Lorenzo , Montirosso Rosario , Tuovinen Soile , Heinonen Kati , Raikkonen Katri , Wang Zhengyan , Lecannelier Felipe , Linhares Maria Beatriz Martins , Casalin Sara , Putnam Samuel P. , Gartstein Maria A.
Published: July 2021

This study advances the cross-cultural temperament literature by comparing temperament ratings of toddlers from 14 nations. Multilevel modeling (MLM) procedures were utilized to regress negative emotionality (NE) and component subscales on Hofstede’s cultural value dimensions while controlling for age and gender. More individualistic values were associated with lower NE, and component discomfort, fear, motor activity, perceptual sensitivity, and soothability scales. The discomfort subscale was negatively associated with power distance and positively associated with masculine cultural values. Higher ratings of shyness were related to a more long-term cultural orientation. Results illustrate the feasibility of an MLM approach to cross-cultural research and provide a new perspective on the intersection of culture and temperament development. Limitations and future implications are discussed.
Beyond polarization and selective trust: A Citizens’ Jury as a trusted source of information
Authors: Setälä Maija , Serup Christensen Henrik , Leino Mikko , Strandberg Kim
Published: July 2021

In this article, we examine whether a deliberative mini-public can provide a trusted source of information in the context of a polarized referendum. Political polarization gives rise to selective distrust of those on the ‘other side’. The Citizens’ Jury on Referendum Options in Korsholm, Finland, was organized in conjunction with a polarized referendum on a municipal merger. Our analysis is based on a field experiment measuring the effects of reading the jury’s statement. We find that trust in all public actors was selective, that is, dependent on views on the merger, the Citizens’ Jury being the only exception. Overall, reading the jury’s statement increased trust in all public actors, including those perceived as being on the ‘other side’. With some caveats, our findings suggest that mini-publics can alleviate selective distrust in polarized contexts.
The ocean and the city: Spatial forgeries of racial capitalism
Authors: Chari Sharad
Published: July 2021

This article tries to look beyond what I call the spatial forgeries of racial capitalism in early 20th century Durban, South Africa, a set of renditions of the ocean and the city, to make sense of quite a surprising and relatively unremarked set of events. In a period of racial and xenophobic vitriol, Black subalterns from the Indian Ocean who had lived through harsh periods of indentured labour slowly and concertedly transformed the urban periphery and interstices. I trace three moves through which Indian indentured labour was ‘shoaled’ on South Africa’s racial shores, the way mixed Black populations in the urban periphery and interstices ‘built’ marginal and interstitial infrastructure to support their communal survival, and the way they literally ‘rooted’ themselves in place in ways that make Durban distinctive as an 'Indian' city on African shores, in partial complicity with a deepening landscape of racial segregation. What is clear is that these forms of spatial praxis accomplished nothing less than the decisive dissolution of the fantasy of a white city by the Afro-Indian sea. The complexities of this account also offer a cautionary tale with respect to our own desires for spacetimes of marronage to prove ‘successful’.
Proactive state geographies: Geocoded intelligence in London’s ‘suburban shanty towns’
Authors: Barry Born Theo
Published: July 2021

This article draws on an ethnographic approach to concrete institutional practices and machine learning algorithms to analyse emergent proactive state geographies in London’s suburbs. The article assesses predictive modelling in housing enforcement in respect of the government of migrant housing precarity in the interstices of rentier and racial capitalism. The article develops two central contentions concerning these proactive state geographies. First, relations between geopolitics, the racialisation of urban space and algorithms need to be situated in relation to institutional state prosaics. ‘Connecting the dots’, a motif of post-9/11 pre-emptive securitisation, is located in suburban housing enforcement regimes corresponding to the politicisation of overcrowding, while the enactment of data-driven intelligence, including in raids, renews the border in these suburbs. Second, proactive technologies work through state data infrastructures. Geocoding, a technique of urban legibility designating the property grid, organises the algorithmic production of legality/illegality and consequently public health and housing futures in the digital city. While the analysis stems from a specific context, the article aims to contribute to interdisciplinary debates about politics, algorithms and state transformation spanning political, urban and digital geography and cognate fields.
Navigating Leadership Challenges in a Polycentric World
Authors: Lederleitner Mary T.
Published: July 2021

Polycentric leadership is a growing issue in the global missions movement. The focus of this article is to help readers understand polycentrism broadly and examine what it means for those seeking to lead fruitfully in God’s mission. Examples will be provided to illustrate what polycentric leadership can look like. Biblical and theological convictions that shape leaders who work out of this paradigm will be examined. The reality of tension points experienced by people who desire to lead from this paradigm will be explored, as well as practical strategies and insights for those who have to navigate these tensions in their missional journeys. Through bringing together these different threads, the goal is for this article is to provide both academic insights and practical assistance for anyone who cares deeply about God’s work around the world and desires to lead fruitfully in a polycentric mission context.
Information experience of village library staff
Authors: Heriyanto  , Anggitia Selyna
Published: July 2021

Village libraries, which are generally voluntarily-operated, serve their local people with information and activities according to the local need. Volunteers manage libraries to provide information relevant to the locals’ interests and lines of work. This includes crops, fisheries, small home enterprises, as well as practices in preserving traditional cultures. In light of this, village libraries play an important role in supporting their local people by enhancing their competencies through the provision of information. This study aims to explore the information experiences of library staff when managing their respective libraries. The present study involved interviews with five library staff, uncovering their perspective on how they engage with information when managing the library. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis, revealing three themes related to the library staffs’ information experiences: information need, information network, and information impact. The results showed that the staff relied much on books to get information and utilized social media to find and connect with colleagues in order to learn more about library management. It was also through social media that the library staff made efforts to improve their competencies in managing local libraries.
GABAergic modulation of performance in response inhibition and interference control tasks
Authors: Faßbender Kaja , Bey Katharina , Lippold Julia V , Aslan Behrem , Hurlemann René , Ettinger Ulrich
Published: July 2021

Background:

Inhibitory control is a crucial executive function with high relevance to mental and physical well-being. However, there are still unanswered questions regarding its neural mechanisms, including the role of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

Aims:

This study examined the effects of lorazepam (0.5 mg and 1 mg), a positive allosteric modulator at the GABAA receptor, on response inhibition and interference control. We also explored the heterogeneity of inhibitory control and calculated delta plots to explore whether lorazepam affects the gradual build-up of inhibition and activation over time.

Methods:

N = 50 healthy participants performed antisaccade, Eriksen flanker and Simon tasks in a within-subjects, placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized design.

Results:

Lorazepam increased reaction time (RT) and error rates dose dependently in all tasks ( p ⩽ 0.005). In the antisaccade and Simon tasks, lorazepam increased congruency effects for error rate ( p ⩽ 0.029) but not RT ( p ⩾ 0.587). In the Eriksen flanker task, both congruency effects were increased by the drug ( p ⩽ 0.031). Delta plots did not reflect drug-induced changes in inhibition and activation over time. Delta plots for RT in the Simon task were negative-going, as expected, whereas those for the antisaccade and flanker tasks were positive-going.

Conclusions:

This study provides evidence for GABAergic involvement in performance on response inhibition and interference control tasks. Furthermore, our findings highlight the diversity of the broader construct of inhibitory control while also pointing out similarities between different inhibitory control tasks. In contrast to RT and error rates, the cognitive processes indexed by delta plots may not be sensitive to GABAergic modulation.
The impacts of caffeine administration, expectancies, and related stimuli on coffee craving, withdrawal, and self-administration
Authors: Shephard Aaron , Barrett Sean P
Published: July 2021

Background:

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance, yet its potential reinforcing properties have been understudied.

Aims:

This study examined the impact of caffeine administration and expectancy on coffee-related craving, withdrawal, and cue reactivity via a balanced-placebo design.

Methods:

Following 18-h caffeine abstinence, 65 daily coffee consumers (54% male) received either caffeine-containing (100 mg) or placebo gum, along with either accurate or inaccurate information regarding the gum’s caffeine content. Participants were exposed to neutral and coffee-related stimuli using different sensory modalities (visual and combined auditory/olfactory). Craving, withdrawal, and heart rate were assessed at baseline and after each cue presentation. Following the cue-reactivity assessments, participants were provided with an opportunity to self-administer units of coffee.

Results:

Caffeine expectancy was associated with reduced subjective withdrawal 30 min following the gum administration but was not significantly impacted by actual caffeine administration. The presentation of coffee-related cues was found to increase self-reported craving and heart rate, regardless of the expectation that caffeine had been administered. Visual, but not auditory/olfactory, cue reactivity appeared blunted when participants received a prior dose of caffeine. Prior caffeine ingestion also reduced the probability of subsequent coffee self-administration.

Conclusion:

To our knowledge, this is the first examination of the impact of caffeine administration and expectancy on cue-elicited coffee craving and coffee consumption. Although there was some evidence that caffeine expectancy and administration were found to impact subjective withdrawal and self-administration respectively, neither was found to exert strong consistent effects on cue reactivity.
Subjective executive function deficits in hazardous alcohol drinkers
Authors: Powell Anna , Sumnall Harry , Kullu Cecil , Owens Lynn , Montgomery Catharine
Published: July 2021

Background:

Dependent alcohol drinkers exhibit differences in the structure and function of the brain, and impairments in cognitive function, including executive functions (EFs). Less is known about the impact of non-dependent but hazardous use (that which raises the risk of harm), and it is also unclear to what extent executive impairments in this cohort affect real-world function. The current study examines the relationship between alcohol use, EF and alcohol-related problems, in the general population.

Methods:

A between-groups cross-sectional design assessed EF across two levels of drinking; hazardous (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score of ⩾8) and non-hazardous. Alcohol drinkers ( n = 666; 136 male; 524 female; six not disclosed; aged 28.02 ± 10.40 years) completed validated questionnaires online assessing subjective EF, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems.

Results:

Organisation, Strategic Planning, Impulse Control and overall function were significantly impaired in hazardous drinkers. Furthermore, the effect of alcohol on EF, partially mediated the relationship between alcohol use and alcohol-related problems.

Conclusion:

Hazardous drinking was associated with lower subjective EF, and this mediated the effect of alcohol on alcohol-related problems. This may be due to changes in prefrontal brain regions, which could indicate greater risk for the development of alcohol dependence (AD). Future research should use additional means to assess EF in hazardous drinkers, including recovery of function, development of AD and the relationship between cognition and alcohol-related daily problems.
The diagnostic efficiency of the perfusion-related parameters in assessing the vascular disrupting agent (CA4P) response in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model
Authors: Meng Fanhua , Zou Biao , Yang Rong , Duan Qingqing , Qian Ting
Published: July 2021

Background

There are inconsistencies when concomitantly using dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) to evaluate diagnostic efficiency.

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of perfusion-related parameters in assessing the effect of Combretastatin-A4-phosphate (CA4P) in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model using DCE and IVIM.

Material and Methods

Twenty rabbits implanted with VX2 tumors were included in the study. The perfusion-parameters of DCE ( Ktrans and iAUC60) and IVIM ( f and D*) were measured at baseline and 4 h after administration of CA4P. Subsequently, the rabbits were euthanized. Pre- and post-treatment perfusion parameters were analyzed using paired t-test. Correlation between the various perfusion parameters and correlation of perfusion parameters with microvascular density (MVD) were assessed using Pearson correlation analysis. The diagnostic efficiency was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

All perfusion parameters ( Ktrans, iAUC60, f and D*) showed significant decrease after 4 h of CA4P administration (all P < 0.001). Post-treatment perfusion parameters showed a moderate correlation with MVD (r = 0.663, r = 0.567, r = 0.685, r = 0.618, respectively; all P < 0.05). At baseline and after treatment, Ktrans values and iAUC60 showed correlation with f and D* (all P < 0.05). Concomitant use of perfusion parameters of DCE and IVIM showed the best diagnostic performance, which was slightly greater than that observed with individual application of DCE or IVIM (AUC = 0.915, 0.880, and 0.895, respectively).

Conclusion

Although concomitant application of DCE and IVIM can slightly improve the diagnostic value in assessing the effect of CA4P, the values were relatively small.
The mechanism of myocardial fibrosis is ameliorated by myocardial infarction-associated transcript through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to relieve heart failure
Authors: Zhao Xingsheng , Ren Yu , Ren Hongkun , Wu Yun , Liu Xi , Chen Hua , Ying Chun
Published: July 2021

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the role of long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) in a heart failure (HF) model in vivo and in vitro by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Methods

We established HF models in vivo and in vitro and evaluated the collagen content of these models and other factors.

Results

We found that when LncRNA MIAT was silenced, vascular endothelial growth factor, phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt), and phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) mRNA and protein levels were significantly downregulated, which suggested that MIAT activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Akt and PI3K expression was not significantly changed. We also found that when LncRNA MIAT was silenced, collagen expression was significantly downregulated. This finding suggested that MIAT promoted myocardial fibrosis during the development of HF. The levels of inflammatory factors were also significantly reduced with silencing of LncRNA MIAT. This finding suggested that MIAT promoted the expression of inflammatory factors in myocardial fibrosis by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Conclusion

This study indicates that silencing LncRNA MIAT may improve myocardial fibrosis and alleviate HF through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which may be helpful for patients with HF to obtain a better therapeutic effect.
Mesothelial cyst of the spleen mimicking a metastasis: a case report
Authors: Park Mihyeon , Lee Jisun , Kim Yook , Choi Chi-Hoon , Park Kil Sun
Published: July 2021

Mesothelial cyst of the spleen is a developmental disorder. Previous reports have elaborated on the radiological features of splenic mesothelial cysts as being unilocular with a smooth and well-defined margin. However, due to its rarity, it is unclear whether these characteristics are representative and specific for the diagnosis of mesothelial cysts. Herein, this case report presents an atypical case of splenic mesothelial cyst mimicking a malignant tumour, especially splenic metastasis in a 66-year-old woman with ascending colon cancer. Due to an overlapping imaging finding of hypodense splenic lesions, and considering the clinical history, a mesothelial cyst that developed as a multilocular hypodense mass from an ill-defined small nodule was inevitably misdiagnosed as metastasis. Although rare, it is important to consider the possibility of mesothelial cyst in a patient with multilocular hypodense lesions of the spleen.
‘Going Karura’: Colliding subjectivities and labour struggle in Nairobi's gig economy
Authors: Iazzolino Gianluca
Published: July 2021

Based on an ethnography of Uber drivers in Nairobi, my article explores practices of contestation of the gig economy taking place both in the digital and physical space of the city. It argues that the labour struggle against the price policies and the control mechanisms of ride-hailing platforms such as Uber foregrounds the tension between a subjectification from above, in which the platforms construct the drivers as independent contractors and the shaping of subjectivities through the interaction of the drivers with the digital platforms and with one another. It also suggests that, through contestation, as the one catalysed by the call to ‘go Karura’, logging off from the app, the workers connect their struggle to a broader critique of processes of exploitation, dependency and subalternity involving the state and international capital. While contributing to the growing literature on the gig economy in low- and middle-income countries, my article brings the labour geography scholarship exploring how workers collectively shape economic spaces in conversation with the intellectual tradition of Italian Operaismo (workerism). In doing so, it highlights the nexus of labour subjectivity and collective agency as mutually constitutive.
Naratriptan is as effective as sumatriptan for the treatment of migraine attacks when used properly. A mini-review
Authors: Tfelt-Hansen Peer
Published: July 2021

Background

Naratriptan, marketed in a low oral dose of 2.5 mg, is generally regarded as a less-effective triptan with a slower onset of action than most other triptans in the treatment of migraine attacks. In this review, naratriptan will be compared with sumatriptan, the standard triptan.

Methods

Papers on pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and results from comparative clinical trials with oral and subcutaneous naratriptan versus other triptans were retrieved from PubMed.

Results

Naratriptan and sumatriptan have similar effects in relevant animal models. In a randomized controlled trial, oral naratriptan 2.5 mg is less effective than oral sumatriptan 100 mg after both 2 h and 4 h. In contrast, oral naratriptan 10 mg has a similar time-effect curve as oral sumatriptan 100 mg, in both its steepness and the efficacy at 2 h and 4 h. Subcutaneous naratriptan 10 mg (88% pain free at 2 h) was in one trial superior to subcutaneous sumatriptan 6 mg (55% pain free at 2 h).

Conclusion

Naratriptan was marketed for the treatment of migraine attacks as the “gentle triptan” in a low oral dose of 2.5 mg, a dose with no more adverse events than placebo. This low dose results in the slow onset of action and low efficacy of oral naratriptan, but in high doses oral naratriptan is similar to oral sumatriptan. Based on one randomized controlled trial, subcutaneous naratriptan has probably the greatest effect of any triptan.
Pain in the temple? Headache, muscle pain or both: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Exposto Fernando G , Renner Nicole , Bendixen Karina H , Svensson Peter
Published: July 2021

Aim

Headache attributed to temporomandibular disorders and myalgia are two diagnoses included in the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD). However, it is not clear if these two diagnoses are different clinical entities given their similar presentation and way in which they are diagnosed, when the myalgia is within the temporalis muscle. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the overlap between headache attributed to temporomandibular disorders and myalgia of the temporalis muscle.

Methods

The charts of 671 patients seeking treatment at the Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Aarhus University, Denmark, between January 2015 and February 2020 were screened for a diagnosis of headache attributed to temporomandibular disorders, myalgia of the temporalis muscle, or both.

Results

A total of 89 patients fulfilled the DC/TMD criteria for either headache attributed to TMD, myalgia of the temporalis or both. Of these, two had a diagnosis of headache attributed to TMD, 16 of myalgia of the temporalis, and 71 were diagnosed with both. In 97.3% of the times that headache attributed to temporomandibular disorders was diagnosed, the patient was also diagnosed with myalgia of the temporalis. The Jaccard index was 0.8, indicating a substantial overlap between the two diagnoses. Finally, the overlap of pain location between the two diagnoses was substantial, with a Jaccard index of 0.9.

Conclusions

In the present study, headache attributed to temporomandibular disorders was almost exclusively diagnosed together with myalgia of the temporalis. Therefore, we propose that headache attributed to temporomandibular disorders and myalgia of the temporalis muscle have more clinical similarities than differences and as such could be considered one single clinical entity. Further studies will be needed to address the clinical consequences of this proposal.
Caste-Based Inequality in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in India
Authors: Choudhury Samira , Shankar Bhavani , Aleksandrowicz Lukasz , Tak Mehroosh , Dangour Alan
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is of central importance to many diet-related health outcomes. In India, caste is a major basis of socioeconomic inequality. Recent analysis shows that more disadvantaged “lower” castes consume less F&V than the rest. This article explores whether this consumption gap arises due to differential distribution of drivers of consumption such as income and education across castes, or whether behavioral differences or discrimination may be at play.

Design:

The Oaxaca-Blinder regression decomposition is applied to explain the gap in F&V consumption between “upper” castes and “lower” castes, using data from the 68th (2011-2012) round of the National Sample Survey Organization household survey.

Results:

Differences in the distribution of F&V drivers account for all of the 50 grams/person/day consumption gap between upper and lower castes. In particular, much of the gap is explained by income differential across castes.

Conclusions:

In the long run, India’s positive discrimination policies in education and employment that seek to equalize income across castes are also likely to help close the F&V consumption gap, leading to health benefits. In the medium run, interventions acting to boost lower caste income, such as cash transfers targeting lower castes, may be effective.
The ‘Playing a Blinder’ myth: The Republic of Ireland's pandemic response revisited
Authors: Kirwan Jordan
Published: July 2021

In a previous paper, ‘The Playing a Blinder Myth and why we must not forget shortcomings in unprecedented times’, it was argued that acting Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar's response to the pandemic was one of opportunism rather than one of competency. By adopting a similar method to the previous article, this piece will provide an updated discussion and commentary, based on newspaper articles covering the newly formed Irish (Republic of Ireland) government's response to the pandemic to date. This paper discusses the governance of the coalition of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and The Green Party to examine whether the context of the pandemic deflected the Irish public's attention from what was simply a continuation of the Government's normal approach to welfare, housing and healthcare. Therefore, this paper will focus on the coalition's decision to screen and tax recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, the enactment of housing strategies that have not met the existing issues within the housing market and how previous measures have not provided adequate protection for the healthcare system during the pandemic.

In this short article, the Republic of Ireland's government response to the pandemic is revisited after a year of living with coronavirus within the context of welfare, housing and healthcare.
Determination of indicators allowing to evaluating the hemostatic activity of chitosan without a biological experiment
Authors: Kadyseva Oksana Vladimirovna , Bykov Vladimir Nikolaevich , Strelova Olga Yurievna , Grebenyuk Alexander Nikolaevich
Published: July 2021

The biopolymer chitosan is widely used for the development of local hemostatic agents. However, the physicochemical parameters of chitosan that determine its hemostatic properties have not yet been determined. Standard quality control of chitosan-containing raw materials and medical products on its basis do not allow us to make a conclusion about the effectiveness of their use for stopping bleeding. The most reliable method for assessing hemostatic activity remains in vivo experiment on large animals. The aim of this study was to determine additional physicochemical parameters of chitosan, which would make it possible to predict its hemostatic activity without conducting a biological experiment. In this work, using the methods of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, spectrophotometry and viscometry, it has been shown that the ability to initiate hemostasis is depending of the molecular weight and degree of deacetylation of chitosan, but not enough linearly. The hemostatic properties in vitro increases in a series of samples with a relatively constant molecular weight with an increase in the degree of deacetylation. As well as in a series with the same degree of deacetylation with an increase in molecular weight. However, at molecular weight values more than 300 kDa, the viscosity of the polymer causes the opposite effect: with an increase in the degree of deacetylation, the hemostatic activity decreases. The best ability to initiate hemostasis have chitosan samples with a degree of deacetylation of 90.0%–97.4% and molecular weight 145.7–284.7 kDa, in which at pH of solution close to physiological, a significant part of the molecules transitioned from conformation state rigid rod to state globule. It was accompanied by an abrupt change in light transmission of the solution. It was concluded, that it is possible to study conformational states by spectrophotometry to assess the hemostatic activity of chitosan samples without performing biological experiment.
Treatment and Therapeutic Change of Individuals Imprisoned for Child Abuse in the Barcelona Study on Sex Offenders
Authors: Martínez-Catena Ana , Redondo Santiago
Published: July 2021

The sexual abuse of children is a serious social problem that must be prevented through distinct measures. Among them is the application of treatments to those who have already committed sex crimes in order to prevent them from committing a new one. To assess the efficacy of sexual offense treatment, the most common method has been to compare the recidivism rates of treated and untreated groups. Several meta-analyses in this regard—as well as some specific studies in Spain—have shown that the application of treatment is associated with lower recidivism rates. However, the analysis of the subjects’ recidivism alone does not reveal the therapeutic changes that the treatment may elicit in them. Some international studies have evaluated the therapeutic improvements resulting from the application of treatments to men who had sexually abused children. In this context, this study explores the therapeutic changes experienced by a sample of subjects imprisoned for child abuse ( N = 145), after participating in the treatment program applied in the Spanish prison system. Nine therapeutic variables were assessed (such as anxiety, cognitive distortions, impulsivity, and social self-esteem), before and after treatment, using an instrument named the Psychological Assessment Scale for Sex Offenders (PASSO). The obtained results show that most of the assessed therapeutic variables improved after treatment, with strong correlations between them. The implications of the results for treatment practice are discussed, as well as the main methodological limitations of this research.
Visual Art Intervention for People With Stroke on Holistic Well-Being: A Critical Review
Authors: Pang Phyllis C.P. , Cheung Daphne S.K. , Chiang Vico C.L.
Published: July 2021

Background: After a stroke, a person usually experiences physical, psychosocial, and spiritual consequences, causing distortion of holistic well-being. Existing studies using visual art interventions found some benefits to physiological, psychosocial, and/or spiritual well-being of people with stroke, but little is known about holistic well-being. Objectives: This critical review to identify how visual art interventions are delivered to people with stroke on holistic well-being. Methods: Databases were searched up to September 30, 2019, for published studies on “stroke” AND “art*/visual art*,” AND “holistic well*being.” Results: Ten studies were included. Heterogeneity was found in study characteristics, intervention modalities, outcome measures, and methodology issues or a lack of clarity in theoretical application. Most participants were people with stroke, with only two studies recruited older people with stroke. All studies were conducted in rehabilitation units or communities, and none in residential care settings. One study reported the effects on holistic well-being. The appraised quality of the included studies was variable. Conclusion: Stroke impacts the holistic well-being of a person, but little has been known for older people with stroke. It remains unclear how visual art interventions can be delivered and benefit the holistic well-being of older people with stroke in residential care settings.
On the integration of physics-based and data-driven models for the prediction of gas exchange processes on a modern diesel engine
Authors: Pulpeiro González Jorge , Ankobea-Ansah King , Peng Qian , Hall Carrie M.
Published: July 2021

The need for precise control of complex air handling systems on modern engines has driven research into model-based methods. While model-based control can provide improved performance over prior map-based methods, they require the creation of an accurate model. Physics-based models can be precise, but can also be computationally expensive and require extensive calibration. To address this limitation, this work explores the integration of data-driven models into an overall physics-based framework and applies this approach to the gas exchange processes of a diesel engine with a variable geometry turbocharger and exhaust gas recirculation. One of the most complex parts of this gas exchange loop is the turbocharger. Data-driven methods are used to capture the turbocharger performance and are also applied to the intake manifold, while the simpler features are captured with more traditional physics-based models. This combined modeling approach is able to capture the temperature and pressure dynamics with varying error levels depending on measurement availability and the inter-dependency of the submodels, with the turbocharger neural network model achieving a Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE) of 5e-5 and the overall engine model achieving a NMSE of 4.5e-3. The work illustrates that the integration of data-driven models can improve overall model accuracy and may be able to reduce the number of sensors needed on the system. The contributions of this work are the development and demonstration of a neural network based turbocharger model and intake air path model, the development of empirical equation-based models for the rest of the engine components along the air path and the demonstration of the integration and interaction of these two types of model to adequately characterize engine operation for control applications.
A novel IMC-FOF design for four wheel steering systems of distributed drive electric vehicles
Authors: Ti Yan , Zheng Kangcheng , Zhao Wanzhong , Song Tinglun
Published: July 2021

To improve handling and stability for distributed drive electric vehicles (DDEV), the study on four wheel steering (4WS) systems can improve the vehicle driving performance through enhancing the tracking capability to desired vehicle state. Most previous controllers are either a large amount of calculation, or requires a lot of experimental data, these are relatively time-consuming and laborious. According to the front and rear wheel steering angle of DDEV can be distributed independently, a novel controller named internal model controller with fractional-order filter (IMC-FOF) for 4WS systems is proposed and studied in this paper. The IMC-FOF is designed using the internal model control theory and compared with IMC and PID controller. The influence of time constant and fractional-order parameters which is optimized using quantum genetic algorithms (QGA) on tracking ability of vehicle state are also analyzed. Using a production vehicle as an example, the simulation is performed combining Matlab/Simulink and CarSim. The comparison results indicated that the proposed controller presents performance to distribute the front and rear wheel steering angle for ensuring better tracking capability to desired vehicle state, meanwhile it possesses strong robustness.
Stability control based on three-dimensional portraits for four-wheel-independent-drive EV
Authors: Ruan Jianfeng , Pi Dawei , Jiang Kaihang , Wang Hongliang , Xie Boyuan
Published: July 2021

In this paper, a two-stage expectation stability controller was proposed for driving stability of four wheel independent drive electric vehicles. The proposed controller has three levels. There were three steps to the stability control of the vehicle. First, the three-dimensional state portraits were drawn based on the 14DOFs vehicle model and used the s tem equation to find two-stage expectation. The surface was derived from the analysis of the tire-road adhesion divides the portraits into safe areas and unsafe areas. Second, the stability controller with sliding mode algorithm was designed. When the state parameter is in the unsafe areas, the safe boundary surface is taken as the first-stage expectation; after the system enters the safe areas, the stem is taken as the second-stage expectation. Then the fuzzy algorithm is applied to distribute the control demand of yaw moment to generate the torques of each in-wheel motor. Finally, simulation verification is performed in Simulink-CarSim co-simulation environment. The simulation results show that the designed control strategy can improve the lateral stability while the loss of longitudinal speed is within 3.25%.
Biomechanical comparison of a C1 posterior arch clamp with C1 lateral mass screws in constructs for C1-C2 fusion
Authors: Lasswell Timothy L , Medley John B , Callaghan Jack P , Cronin Duane S , McKinnon Colin D , Singh Supriya , Rasoulinejad Parham
Published: July 2021

The aim of this experimental study was to assess the biomechanical performance of a novel C1 posterior arch (C1PA) clamp compared with C1 lateral mass (C1LM) screws in constructs used to treat atlantoaxial instability. These constructs had either C2 pedicle (C2P) screws or C2 translaminar (C2TL) screws. Eight fresh-frozen human cadaveric ligamentous spine specimens (C0-C3) were tested under six conditions: the intact state, the destabilized state after a simulated odontoid fracture, and when instrumented with four constructs (C1LM-C2P, C1LM-C2TL, C1PA-C2P, C1PA-C2TL). Each specimen was tested in a spinal loading simulator that separately applied axial rotation, flexion-extension and lateral bending. In each test condition, displacement controlled angular motion was applied in both directions at a speed of 2 deg/s until a resulting moment of 1.5 Nm was achieved. The measured ranges of motion (ROM) of the C1-C2 segments were compared for each test condition using nonparametric Friedman tests. The destabilized state had significantly more C1-C2 motion ( p < 0.05) than the intact state in all cases, and all constructs greatly reduced this motion. C2 pedicle screw constructs that used the C1PA clamp had significantly less C1-C2 motion ( p < 0.05) than those with C1LM screws in flexion-extension as well as axial rotation and no statistically significant difference was detected in lateral bending. C2 translaminar screw constructs that used the C1PA clamp had significantly less C1-C2 motion ( p < 0.05) than those with C1LM screws in flexion-extension and no statistically significant difference was detected in axial rotation or in lateral bending. Data from the current study suggested that constructs using the novel C1PA clamp would provide as good, or improved, biomechanical stability to the C1-C2 segment compared with constructs using C1LM screws.
Novel modification of styrene butadiene rubber/acrylic rubber blends to improve mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and swelling behavior for oil sealing applications
Authors: Abdel-Hakim Ahmed , el-Mogy Soma A , Abou-Kandil Ahmed I
Published: July 2021

Blending of rubber is an important route to modify properties of individual elastomeric components in order to obtain optimum chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. In this study, a novel modification of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) is made by employing acrylic rubber (ACM) to obtain blends of outstanding mechanical, dynamic, and oil resistance properties. In order to achieve those properties, we used a unique vulcanizing system that improves the crosslink density between both polymers and enhances the dynamic mechanical properties as well as its resistance to both motor and break oils. Static mechanical measurements, tensile strength, elongation at break, and hardness are improved together with dynamic mechanical properties investigated using dynamic mechanical analyses. We also proposed a mechanism for the improvement of crosslink density and consequently oil resistance properties. This opens new opportunities for using SBR/ACM blends in oil sealing applications that requires rigorous mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties.
Does Board Diversity Matter in Credit Risk?
Authors: Arango Daniel Giraldo , Gaitan Sandra
Published: July 2021

The board of directors’ diversity plays a crucial role in the firm’s decision-making process, which includes risk management. This study proposes a multidimensional index to measure board diversity. We use the Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 1500 between 1996 and 2013 to analyse the relationship between board diversity and credit risk. We find an inverse and significative relation between board diversity and credit risk, which means that diversity matters in credit risk, and more diversity leads to less credit risk.
Identification of multi-defects in an arched composite structure by the corrected probabilistic diagnostic imaging with the fused damage index
Authors: Jin Hashen , Li Jun , Li Weibin , Qing Xinlin
Published: July 2021

Due to the complicacy of geometry and structure in the arched composite structure, it is difficult to monitor various kinds of defects accurately. The developed damage probabilistic diagnostic imaging approach based on ultrasonic guided wave energy signal characteristics is very feasible for the structural health monitoring in the arched composite structures. However, the conventional probabilistic diagnostic imaging (PDI) approaches united with the signal energy damage indices ( DIs) have some limitations in the identification of the number, location and specific size information of multi-defects. Thus, the damage shape factor from the single damage-impaired path imminently demands to be majorized to raise the precision and stability of PDI approach in the damage recognition. A corrected probabilistic diagnostic imaging (CPDI) approach integrated with the damage shape factor [Formula: see text] needs to be recommended to precisely inspect the expansion of defect zones and different multi-defects in the arched composite structure. The availability and feasibility of the proposed methods has been validated by the experiments in the tested specimen. The results show that the fused frequency-domain energy DIs can be applied to indicate the expansion of defect zones quantitatively. It is proved that the defect identification accuracy of multi-defects from the CPDI approach can be improved by the majorization of damage shape factor, effectively. It is also clearly observed that the number, location and specific size information of different conditions of multi-defects can be distinguished by using the CPDI algorithm, availably.
A Balanced Strategy for Entrepreneurship Education: Engaging Students by Using Multiple Course Modes in a Business Curriculum
Authors: Schultz Christian
Published: July 2021

Entrepreneurship education has become a regular part of the higher education curriculum worldwide. However, the distinct impacts of different pedagogical methods remain unclear. I develop six hypotheses and test them on a sample of participants in a business plan course and a lean startup camp. While any entrepreneurship course participation contributes to the students’ entrepreneurial intentions, students gain very different learning outcomes depending on the courses’ types. The impact of the business plan course (a hybrid supply–demand model course) lies mainly in its ability to increase the interest in general entrepreneurial activity of students with initially low entrepreneurial intention. The lean startup camp (a competence model course) attracts participants who are already highly motivated and is effective in fostering the initiation of startup projects. As parts of a balanced strategy within an entrepreneurial university, both pedagogical methods can contribute substantially to different objectives of entrepreneurship education.
Adjusting Intervention Intensity to Support Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Ma Zijie , Travers Jason C.
Published: July 2021

Special education and related professionals often understand the importance of adhering to intervention procedures (i.e., fidelity), but may be less familiar with concepts of intervention intensity. In some cases, professionals may correctly apply an intervention, but with insufficient intensity. This can result in an intervention failing to produce the expected benefit, which can add to student frustration, lost resources, and teacher burnout. Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often benefit from intensive intervention that contains high rates of opportunities to respond. This article provides an overview of a practical guide for adjusting intervention intensity for students with ASD through a three-step process that includes identifying when to adjust intensity along with three ways to adjust intervention intensity. Additional considerations are included for analyzing student responses for data-based decision-making.
The Controversy of Lateral Aberrant Thyroid and the use of BRAF Immunostain
Authors: Wallace Aaron , Angelos Peter , Cipriani Nicole A.
Published: July 2021

A 29-year-old women presents with primary intrathyroidal papillary thyroid carcinoma (BRAF VE1 positive) with morphologically recognizable metastases to cervical lymph nodes (BRAF VE1 positive) as well as a focus of bland-appearing thyroid follicles within the capsule of a level II lymph node (BRAF VE1 negative). There exist various theories regarding the possible developmental origins of “benign” intranodal thyroid tissue in the lateral neck. While the true nature of the bland follicles may not be definitively resolved in this case, these findings are suggestive that they do not represent metastasis from the main papillary thyroid carcinoma. Additional insight into this unusual phenomenon may be gathered by more specific clonal analysis of these microscopic foci.