bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictive Analytics of Streetcar Bunching Occurrence Time for Real-Time Applications
Authors: Aboudina Aya , Diab Ehab , Shalaby Amer
Published: January 2021

Bunching occurs when transit vehicles are unable to maintain their scheduled headways, resulting in two or more vehicles arriving at a stop in close succession and following each other too closely thereafter. Very few studies have explored the prediction of bunching in real-time, particularly for streetcar services. Predicting the time to bunching in real-time allows transit agencies to take more preventive actions to avoid the occurrence of bunching or to minimize its effects. In this study, we present a comprehensive literature review of the recent research conducted in bunching and real-time prediction models. Based on the findings from the literature review, we propose a model for real-time prediction of streetcar bunching. The Kalman filtering model predicts the travel time to bunching incidents and is tested and analyzed using an automatic vehicle location data feed for one streetcar route (Route 506 Carlton), obtained from the Toronto Transit Commission’s next bus system. The results show that: (1) the model provides good predication quality given that it relies only on the real-time GPS feed of streetcars, which makes it practical for use in real-time prediction applications; (2) the model prediction accuracy improves as the transit vehicle travels away from the terminal; and (3) increasing the number of past days involved in the calculations beyond 6 days or increasing the number of leading trips considered in the same day beyond 7 or 10 trips might increase the prediction error.
Child Naming Patterns as an Indication of Assimilation: A Case Study in Eastern Washington’s Selbu Community
Authors: Slind Marvin G.
Published: January 2021

In 1901, a small group of Norwegian immigrants relocated from Minnesota to Eastern Washington. The community grew quickly, with other immigrants coming directly from Norway. The group maintained a strong Norwegian character for several decades; for example, their church continued to hold services in Norwegian until the late 1920’s. Assimilation into American society was evidenced by the names the community members gave to their children, as traditional Norwegian names were quickly replaced by more typically American monikers. This paper examines the extent to which the assignment of forenames represents the assimilation of Washington’s Selbu community into the broader American society around it.
Examining Batting Performance After a Sports-Related Concussion Among Major League Baseball Position Players
Authors: Green Gary , Pollack Porter Keshia M. , Kvit Anton , Conte Stan , D’Angelo John , Valadka Alex , Curriero Frank C.
Published: January 2021

Background:

An ongoing challenge in sports-related concussion (SRC) is determining full recovery. This study examines performance metrics in baseball after an SRC and provides a template for assessment of return-to-performance parameters.

Purpose:

To determine whether batting performance returns to baseline after an SRC.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiological study.

Methods:

Participants were all Major League Baseball (MLB) position players with confirmed SRCs that occurred during the 2011-2015 seasons. A retrospective review and assessment of performance metrics before and after injury were conducted as defined relative to the number of plate appearances (PAs) to yield reliable performance statistics. Seven batting metrics were considered as outcomes in longitudinal regressions: batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, bases on balls, strikeouts, and home runs. Metrics were calculated for each player 60, 30, and 14 days before their SRCs, as well as for the 14, 30, and 60 days after returning to play. Other variables controlled for included defensive position, player age at the time of SRC, number of days missed, mechanism of injury, whether the player completed a rehabilitation stint, and year in which the mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) occurred (2011-2015).

Results:

A total of 77 MTBI case events occurred in MLB position players over 5 seasons. These injuries resulted in a mean 11.4 days lost to injury. For all performance metrics using 60 or 30 days before MTBI as baseline, no statistically significant differences were found in batting performance. In total, 63 events met PA criteria before injury. Varying the PA cutoff thresholds to be more inclusive or more restrictive yielded similar regression results. For the 48 events that met PA criteria before and after injury, most performance metrics showed no significant performance change after MTBI and, in some events, a slight though mostly nonsignificant performance improvement after MTBI.

Conclusions:

MLB position players who are medically cleared to return to play after an SRC perform at the same offensive performance levels as their preinjury statistics when an adequate number of PAs is used to compare performance before and after injury.
Layer after layer: Aerial roots and routes of translation
Authors: Wiemann Dirk
Published: January 2021

When the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in South London were opened to the general public in the 1840s, they were presented as a ‘world text’: a collection of flora from all over the world, with the spectacular tropical (read: colonial) specimens taking centre stage as indexes of Britain’s imperial supremacy. However, the one exotic plant species that preoccupied the British cultural imagination more than any other remained conspicuously absent from the collection: the banyan tree, whose non-transferability left a significant gap in the ‘text’ of the garden, thereby effectively puncturing the illusion of comprehensive global command that underpins the biopolitical designs of what Richard Grove has aptly dubbed ‘green imperialism’. This article demonstrates how, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the banyan tree became an object of fascination and admiration for British scientists, painters, writers and photographers precisely because of its obstinate non-availability to colonial control and visual or even conceptual representability.
How Are Self-Determination Components Taught to Improve Reading Outcomes for Elementary Students With or At Risk for Learning Disabilities?
Authors: Didion Lisa , Toste Jessica R. , Benz Sarah A. , Shogren Karrie A.
Published: January 2021

Research findings illustrate the strong connection between self-determined learning and reading performance for students with or at risk for disabilities. Students with or at risk for learning disabilities (LDs), who are at increased risk for academic failure, may benefit from instruction to promote self-determination skills. Causal Agency Theory has driven research on interventions to support the development of self-determination in people with disabilities since the 1990s; however, this work has most often focused on adolescents and young adults. Self-determination skills develop over the lifespan—and targeting the building blocks for these skills in the elementary years can lay a foundation for the development of self-determined learners in reading and beyond. As such, this systematic review sought to investigate to what extent self-determination skills were taught to improve reading outcomes for students with or at risk for LD in kindergarten through fifth grade. Twelve studies met criteria for inclusion; two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 10 single-case design studies. Results indicate self-determination for students with LD at the elementary level is limited; all interventions used a subcomponent related to self-regulation. Goal setting and positive attributions were also investigated but within intervention packages alongside self-regulation. Future researchers should study the effects of interventions that use other self-determination components for this population of students.
Reporting on transgender victims of homicide: Practices of misgendering, sourcing and transparency
Authors: Seely Natalee
Published: January 2021

Media representations of violence against transgender individuals have implications for public opinion, awareness and policy. A sample (N = 212) of U.S. mainstream news articles about 53 transgender 2018–2019 victims of homicide were studied by content analysis and qualitative methods. About 13% of articles referred to victims by their deadnames (no longer used birthnames), but about 18% of articles drew attention to the harms of misidentification. Deadnaming declined significantly from 2018 to 2019. About 30% of the full sample discussed violence against transgender individuals in social context. Police and transgender community advocates were sources in 80% and 50% of articles, respectively.
Some health effects of work-related stress among nurses working in critical care units
Authors: Eldin A Seif , Sabry Dina , Abdelgwad Marwa , Ramadan Mona Abdallah
Published: January 2021

Occupational stress is a major health problem among nurses. Critical care nurses appear to experience more stress at work compared to others. Stress is associated with multiple system disorders, hormonal, and immunological disturbances, and genetic effects. The aim of our study was the detection of health effects of work-related stress and to investigate the link between stress and immune response, alterations of hormones, and expression of micro-RNA (miRNA) among critical care nurses. An exposed 80 critical care nurses matched to 80 controls were involved in our study. Full history, psychological assessment using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) and a complete clinical examination were done for both groups. Serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine (FT4) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, micro-RNA26, and 142 extractions. The exposed group had a mean age of 41 ± 10 years old and mean work duration of 22 ± 9.7 years, matched to 80 controls. The exposed group (32.5%) was associated with severe psychological distress (GHQ scores > 20) compared to only 5% among controls. In addition, the exposed group had a significantly higher level of miRNA 26, miRNA 142, TSH, LH, and IL-6 when compared to the control group. However, there a significantly lower level of FT4 among the exposed group compared to the control group, there were no statistically significant differences between the studied participants regarging FT3,FSH and IL-10 levels. Stress is prevalent among critical care nurses and is reflected on their psychological health with an increase in inflammatory cytokines and disturbances in endocrine functions.
Successful Treatment of Refractory Atopic Dermatitis With the Use of High-Peak Power 1064 nm Nd:YAG Laser Therapy
Authors: LaBrasca Mistica , Stalling Simone , Poulos Georgann Anetakis , Obagi Suzan
Published: January 2021

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease involving the complex association of genetic, immunologic, and environmental causes. Until recently, the treatment of eczematous processes was limited to the use of topical corticosteroids, systemic immunosuppressants, and controlling environmental triggers. Photobiotherapy offers a promising approach to the management of atopic dermatitis. Photobiotherapy is the clinical application of light for healing superficial wounds. We present 2 cases of patients with biopsy-proven, long-standing, poorly controlled atopic dermatitis successfully treated with a high-peak power 1064-nm neodynium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. Over the course of 9 years, each patient continued to undergo periodic laser treatments to maintain control over their disease. Both patients underwent a series of laser using high-peak power treatments with long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser (Cool Glide, Cutera, Brisbane, California) in “photorejuvenation/Genesis mode” over the course of 9 years. Case 1 received 29 treatments over a 9-year period. When financially able to, the patient had 1 treatment a month for 2 to 6 treatments a year. At the very least, she had a treatment during her worst flares. Case 2 received 19 treatments over 9 years with the timing being monthly when possible but with longer intervals between treatments if her disease was not flaring. One patient that was on systemic immunotherapy to control her atopic dermatitis was able to successfully come off this medication early in her treatment, and both patients experienced long-lasting improvement in their symptoms. The dramatic improvement in the skin eruption, symptoms, and quality of life in these patients further supports addition of the 300-µs 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of refractory atopic dermatitis. The authors are using this modality for less severe eczema that is refractory to topical therapies. However, a greater number of patients are needed as well as larger studies to further elucidate the mechanisms of lasers for eczematous processes. If further studies support this modality, it would be a safe alternative to systemic immunotherapies.
Sleep Duration, Sleep Apnea, and Gray Matter Volume
Authors: Kim Regina Eun Young , Abbott Robert Douglas , Kim Soriul , Thomas Robert Joseph , Yun Chang-Ho , Kim Hyun , Johnson Hans , Shin Chol
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sleep duration on brain structures in the presence versus absence of sleep apnea in middle-aged and older individuals. The study investigated a population-based sample of 2,560 individuals, aged 49-80 years. The presence of sleep apnea and self-reported sleep duration were examined in relation to gray matter volume (GMV) in total and lobar brain regions. We identified ranges of sleep duration associated with maximal GMV using quadratic regression and bootstrap sampling. A significant quadratic association between sleep duration and GMV was observed in total and lobar brain regions of men with sleep apnea. In the fully adjusted model, optimal sleep durations associated with peak GMV between brain regions ranged from 6.7 to 7.0 hours. Shorter and longer sleep durations were associated with lower GMV in total and 4 sub-regions of the brain in men with sleep apnea.
Synergistic impact of cumin essential oil on enhancing of UV-blocking and antibacterial activity of biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/clay platelets nanocomposites
Authors: Moustafa Hesham , El-Sayed Samah M , Youssef Ahmed M
Published: January 2021

Both biodegradable UV-blocking and antimicrobial films are extremely demanded, especially for food packaging to meet the increasing sustainable requirement for the human health and the environment. Thus, the objective of this research was to fabricate antibiofilms based biodegradable Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/organoclay (PBAT/OC) bionanocomposites incorporating with different proportions of cumin essential oil (CEO) as a toxicity-free product without requiring ZnO, TiO2, Ag-NPs or other nanoparticles. The composition of CEO was characterized by GC-MS. PBAT/OC bionanocomposites with variable proportions of CEO were prepared by solvent casting approach. The synergistic effect of CEO on the morphology, UV-shielding, and antibacterial/antioxidant activities was studied. The results revealed that the dispersion of clay layers in the matrix was affected when the CEO content was increased. The incorporated natural CEO into PBAT/OC nanocomposite was enhanced the UV-shielding properties (i.e. 100% blocking for UV-B and nearly up 95% for UV-A), and antimicrobial/antioxidant activities, especially at high oil concentration. Whereas for mechanical properties, the findings showed inferior tensile and modulus values, because of plasticizing CEO effect. The data in this research provide very promising formulations for fabricating sustainable PBAT-based antimicrobial and UV-protecting films for perspective applications in light-sensitive packaging such as drugs, food products or in agriculture mulch films.
Successful implementation of telemedicine depends on personal relations between company representatives and healthcare providers: A qualitative study of business models for Danish home telemonitoring
Authors: Korsgaard Frederik , Hasenkam John Michael , Vesterby Martin
Published: January 2021

The struggle to transform telemedicine from project level to daily clinical practice is ongoing. An assessment of the business models of telemedicine applications could provide insights into how to facilitate this transition. Our aim was to identify the qualitative characteristics of business models of long-term operational telemedicine providers in Denmark.

A structured interview study design was applied to interviews of representatives from seven Danish companies providing home telemonitoring in long-term operation. Data was analysed using Osterwalder’s Business Model Canvas framework.

Multiple themes emphasized the importance of strong personal relationships between company representatives and healthcare providers. Personal relations could 1) secure a strong relationship to lead users and clinical ambassadors; 2) facilitate work with healthcare providers to develop, test and revise value propositions; 3) promote user support and education; 4) establish an indirect connection between companies and healthcare managers or decision makers.

Thus, a strong personal relationship between company representatives and healthcare providers is of paramount importance when integrating home telemonitoring from project stage into clinical practice. However, this strategy could lack patient involvement, use of data, and business scalability. Additionally, companies with the ability to establish strong personal connections could be favoured over companies which provide strong clinical and economic evidence.
Australia’s incipient eviction crisis: No going back
Authors: Martin Chris
Published: January 2021

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia was facing an incipient eviction crisis, the gravity of which had been obscured by inadequate data and the gradual mounting of systemic problems of unaffordability and insecurity. This article reviews the legal framework around tenancies and evictions and the sparse data it produces. Tribunal data obtained by the author shows that Australia’s two largest jurisdictions had, prior to the pandemic, a termination application rate somewhat more than half that of the US ‘crisis’ rate. The article concludes with directions for further research and reforms to address evictions in an enduring way, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
School Administrators and Physical Educators: A Scoping Review of Perceptions and Partnerships From 2000 to 2020
Authors: McNamara Scott , Townsley Matthew , Hangauer Kelly
Published: January 2021

Physical education (PE) is an academic subject that delivers students a standards-based program designed to foster the knowledge and skills needed to be physically active for a lifetime. Although there is a dearth of research that has examined school administrators’ perceptions and interactions with PE, it has been reported that school administrators often are a barrier that disrupts effective PE programming. This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of the literature to capture a comprehensive view of the peer-reviewed research that has focused on physical educators’ collaboration with and perceptions of school administrators, and literature related to school administrators’ collaboration and perceptions of physical educators. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist guided this investigation. Seven databases were searched, and 29 articles met the full inclusion criteria. This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence and research trends; nonetheless, the heterogeneity of the studies and limited literature on this topic make it difficult to form any substantial conclusions. The need for additional research is especially true for research examining PE teachers’ perceptions and interactions with school administrators, as only three of the identified studies in this review focused on this topic. The recognition of these gaps in the literature may be important to the fields of educational leadership and PE, as it may lead to more concerted efforts to examine how these fields interact and how they can collaborate more effectively.
Fear of Movement and Physical Self-Efficacy Partially Mediate the Association Between Fatigue and Physical Activity Among Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Liu Min , Sun Qian , Cui Lina , Liu Jia , Liu Lifang , Wu Xiaoxia , Wang Zhimin , Zhou Xin , Xie Jianfei , Cheng Andy SK.
Published: January 2021

Fatigue is one of the most distressing symptoms in renal transplant patients, causing functional impairment and worsening their quality of life. However, the mechanism by which fatigue affects physical activity is unclear. A cross-sectional study using a convenient sampling approach was utilized to investigate 665 kidney transplant recipients recruited from the transplantation centers of six general hospitals from July and September 2019. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the interaction among fatigue, fear of movement, physical self-efficacy, and physical activity. Our study found fatigue was directly negatively associated with physical activity and had an indirect impact on physical activity through the mediating effects of physical self-efficacy and fear of movement. These variables accounted for 44.4% of the variation in physical activity. Our findings alert healthcare providers for the importance of fatigue management for physical activity and focused attention on fear of movement and physical self-efficacy in renal transplant recipients.
Hybrid bacteria mediated cemented sand: Microcharacterization, permeability, strength, shear wave velocity, stress-strain, and durability
Authors: Sharma Meghna , Satyam Neelima , Reddy Krishna R
Published: January 2021

Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP), a sustainable approach for sand biocementation, was investigated in previous studies based on metabolic activity of individual microorganisms. The individual bacteria, specifically Sporosarcina pasteurii (SP), Bacillus subtilis (BS), and Lysinibacillus sphaericus (LS), were found capable enough for sand biocementation. However, present study investigates synergistic effects of using bacterial-hybrids on cementation and consequent improvement in sand properties. The SP, BS, and LS strains were used in different combinations to create bacterial-hybrids and applied under simulated non-sterile field conditions. Initially, sand biotreatment was carried out in plastic tubes up to 14 days, using bacterial mixtures and 0.5 M cementation solution. Biocemented specimens were tested for calcite precipitation, XRD, FTIR, and SEM. The SP and LS combination (SPLS hybrid) showed maximum calcite precipitation, which is further used for biotreatment to create cylindrical sand samples for testing improved engineering properties. These samples were prepared using 0.5 M cementation solution in three pore volumes (1, 0.75, and 0.5 PV) and treatment cycles (12, 24, and 48 hrs TC) up to 18 days. Biocemented samples were tested for permeability (6th, 12th, and 18th days of biotreatment), unconfined compressive strength (UCS), split tensile strength (STS), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), and consolidated undrained stress-strain response. Durability of biocementation was also investigated by determining reduction in strength and UPV subjected to freeze-thaw (FT) cycles (5, 10, 15, and 20). The results showed maximum UCS of 1902 kPa, STS of 356 kPa, UPV of 2408 m/s, and coefficient of permeability reduction up to 91%. The higher results were achieved with 11.11% calcite content in 1PV-12TC treated samples. The 1PV-12TC treated samples resulted in 4.2%, 8.3%, 17%, and 35% reduction of strength after 5, 10, 15, and 20 FT cycles, respectively. Overall, biocementation using hybrid bacteria is shown significant to improve sand's engineering properties, including potential to mitigate liquefaction.
Who Punishes More? Partisanship, Punitive Policies, and the Puzzle of Democratic Governors
Authors: Gunderson Anna
Published: January 2021

The growth of the carceral state over the last few decades has been remarkable, with millions of Americans in prison, jail, on parole or probation. Political science explanations of this phenomenon identify partisanship as a key explanatory variable in the adoption of punitive policies; by this theory, Republicans are the driving force behind growing incarceration. This article argues this explanation is incomplete and instead emphasizes the bipartisan coalition that constructed the carceral state. I argue Democratic governors are incentivized to pursue more punitive policies to compete with Republicans when those Democrats are electorally vulnerable. I test this proposition using a series of regression discontinuity designs and find causal evidence for Democrats’ complicity in the expansion of the carceral state. Democratic governors who barely win their elections outspend and outincarcerate their Republican counterparts. This article highlights Democrats’ role as key architects in the creation of vast criminal justice institutions in the states when those Democrats are electorally vulnerable.
The Personalization of Electoral Rules: How Shifting Influence From Selectors to Voters Affects Party Unity
Authors: Däubler Thomas
Published: January 2021

How does making electoral systems more candidate-centered affect party unity? Using a principal-agent perspective, this study makes three contributions to the literature on this topic. Conceptually, it suggests thinking about the incentives due to personalization as arising from a shift in electoral impact from party selectors to voters. Theoretically, it incorporates this notion into a spatial model of parliamentary voting that also considers principals’ monitoring capacities. From the resulting framework follows a rich set of observable implications, notably that candidate-centered electoral systems facilitate rather than undermine collective action within parliamentary parties under certain conditions. Empirically, this study then analyzes the 2010 reform of Sweden’s flexible-list proportional representation system, which changed the preference vote threshold. As expected, I find that when extreme (district-based) selectors disagree with the moderate bills supported by the party group leadership, personalized rules incentivize politicians to support these policies and vote in unison.
Control of sound transmission into a hybrid double-wall sandwich cylindrical shell
Authors: Hasheminejad Seyyed M , Jamalpoor Ali
Published: January 2021

A 3D analytical model is formulated for diffuse sound field transmission control through a smart hybrid double concentric sandwich circular cylindrical shell structure in presence of external and internal air gap mean flows. The multi-input multi-output sliding mode control is applied to enhance the sound transmission loss characteristics via direct control action of a uniform force piezoelectric actuator layer along with semi-active variation of the stiffness/damping characteristics of the electrorheological fluid core layer incorporated in a non-collocated configuration within the external or internal shell structure. Extensive numerical simulations examine the uncontrolled/controlled diffuse field sound transmission loss spectrums in a broad frequency range for single-wall and hybrid double-wall sandwich shells at selected external and air gap Mach numbers. The proposed smart hybrid active/semi-active double-wall configuration is demonstrated to provide satisfactory overall acoustic insulation control performance with much lower operative energy requirements. Limiting cases are considered, and validity of the formulation is verified against the available data.
Abrasion performance of the scraper conveyor chute under complex working conditions
Authors: Xia Rui , Wang Xuewen , Li Bo
Published: January 2021

In the coal mine transportation, the scraper conveyor chute is badly worn. However, the abrasion performance has not been well documented. In this study, the chute was wear tested under a single factor using a modified pin-on-disc apparatus, including normal load, sliding distance, bulk coal characteristics (water content, gangue content), and chute material. Experiments were also carried out with a simultaneous variation of these factors. Generally speaking, the influence of coal characteristics on the chute wear was obviously higher than that of normal load and sliding distance. An improved wear predict model was obtained taking the operational parameters and bulk coal characteristics into account. The wear mechanism involved micro-ploughing, corrosion, adhesion, and fatigue peeling.
Influence of sizes on tribological properties and tribofilm formation of lanthanum borate nanospheres in soybean oil
Authors: Lin Wang , Chen Boshui , Fang Jianhua , Gu Kecheng , Wu Jiang
Published: January 2021

Vegetable oils exhibit excellent lubrication properties owing to their polar functional groups, which are liable to adsorb on the metal surfaces to form adsorption film and tribofilm. Additionally, nanoparticles play significant roles in enhancing the tribological performances of base oils by means of forming a tribofilm between friction parts. However, little work has been done on clarifying the interaction of nanoparticles and vegetable oils in the film-forming process. In this paper, two varieties of lanthanum borate nanospheres with average diameters of 50 nm (named LBN-1) and 105 nm (named LBN-2) were synthesized. The morphologies, size distribution, and chemical compositions of the nanospheres were characterized using a scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction. The tribological characteristics of soybean oils with lanthanum borate nanospheres were evaluated by a four-ball tribo-tester. The tribological performances of soybean oils were obviously improved by lanthanum borate nanospheres. The focused-ion beam/transmission electron microscope analyses results revealed a uniform tribofilm containing LBN-1 was formed, contributing to excellent friction-reducing and anti-wear performances. Whereas the tribofilm of soybean oil/LBN-2 was uneven in thickness and contained more wear debris. The outcome of this work provides significant insights into the tribofilm formation for metal surfaces lubricated with vegetable oils containing different sizes of lanthanum borate nanoparticles.
The tennis common content knowledge measure validation
Authors: Tsuda Emi , Ward Phillip , Kim Junyoung , He Yaohui , Sazama Debra , Brian Ali
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable common content knowledge (CCK) instrument for pre-service teachers who teach fundamental tennis in secondary schools. The instrument, called the tennis CCK test for pre-service teachers (CCK-Tennis), was administered to 117 undergraduate students who were enrolled in physical education (PE) teacher education programmes at three universities in the United States. Two tennis content experts developed the CCK-Tennis and five in-service teachers reviewed the test to establish content validity. A total of 10 pre-service teachers took the test for pilot testing. The data were analysed using Rasch statistics (Linacre, 2011; Rasch, 1980). The authors judged the unidimensionality of the CCK-Tennis using the unexplained variance in the first contrast (2.59) and the standardized residual contrast one plot (-0.4 to 0.4). These data provided evidence that the test is unidimensional and measures tennis CCK. The results of infit (0.8 to 1.2) and outfit (0.5 to 1.5) mean square residuals showed that the difficulty of the questions matches respondents’ knowledge levels. The item (5.32, Cronbach’s α = 0.97) and person (1.71, Cronbach’s α = 0.72) separation index and the Wright map showed that there are low to high knowledge levels of the respondents who took the test. The results illustrate that the CCK-Tennis is a robust, valid, and reliable tool that people can use in teacher education. Having valid and reliable measures for CCK is an essential step to improve teachers’ instructional effectiveness from the area of content knowledge.
The role of storylines in penal policy change
Authors: Annison Harry
Published: January 2021

Bringing policy reform to fruition is an enterprise fraught with difficulty; penal policy is no different. This paper argues that the concept of ‘storylines’, developed within policy studies, is capable of generating valuable insights into the internal dynamics of penal policy change and particularly the ‘commmunicative miracle’ whereby policy participants sufficiently align to achieve reform. I utilize the part-privatization and part-marketization of probation services in England and Wales (‘Transforming Rehabilitation’) as a pertinent case study: a policy disaster foretold, but nonetheless inaugurated at breakneck speed. Drawing on interviews with policy makers, I demonstrate the means by which the ‘rehabilitation revolution’ storyline resolved (at least temporarily) the tensions and problems inherent in the reform project; without which it would have struggled to succeed. We see that storylines play at least three important roles for policy makers: they enable specific policies to ‘make sense’, to ‘fit’ in line with their pre-existing beliefs. They provide a sense of meaning, moral mission and self-legitimacy. And they deflect contestation. In closing, I consider the implications for scholars of penal policy change.
Size-dependent vibration analysis of fluid-infiltrated porous curved microbeams integrated with reinforced functionally graded graphene platelets face sheets considering thickness stretching effect
Authors: Arshid Ehsan , Amir Saeed
Published: January 2021

Size-dependent vibration analysis of three-layered fluid-infiltrated porous curved microbeams, which are integrated with nanocomposite face sheets, is provided in this work. The effect of the fluids within the pores of the core is taken into consideration and the core’s thermomechanical properties vary across the thickness based on three different patterns. Also, the face sheets are made from epoxy, which are reinforced by graphene platelets as lightweight and high-stiffness reinforcements. Graphene platelets dispersion patterns are also considered, which obey three different functions, namely parabolic, linear, and uniform. Moreover, effective thermomechanical properties of the face sheets are determined with the aid of ERM and Halpin–Tsai micromechanical models. The microstructure is under thermal load and it is rested on Pasternak elastic foundation. In the polar coordinate system, the strains are determined for deep curved beams that lead to more accurate results. Based on a refined higher-order shear deformation theory, which includes four variables and considers the thickness stretching effect, and employing the modified couple stress theory for accounting the size effect, the differential motion equations are derived and via an analytical method, they are solved. A verification study is conducted by neglecting some parameters and after that, the results are presented and discussed in detail. It is seen that the porous core and nanocomposite face sheets material properties have significant effects on the vibrational response of the under consideration model. Up to now, no similar work in the available literature has been found, therefore, the results of this study can be considered as a benchmark for future ones. The outcomes of this study may help to design more efficient structures with the desired properties.
Play like a team in teams: A typology of online cognitive-social learning engagement
Authors: Prestridge Sarah , Cox Deniese
Published: January 2021

Within higher education, students and institutions are increasingly moving towards blended components and fully online learning coursework. Best practice online pedagogy is understood to be student-centred with a strong emphasis on social learning through collaboration. The social aspect supports frequency of engagement while collaborative activity supports cognitive engagement. Research that guides online pedagogy draws substantially from studies identifying type and frequency of students’ cognitive engagement, usually along a continuum but without the nuance of social learning. To build on that and to identify profiles of cognitive-social engagement, this study examined the content of 3,855 student posts from one course within a chat-based platform. The findings suggested six student engagement types: lurk, superficial, task, respond, expand, create. These types were then further examined along two continuums of complexity and intensity of engagement. The results present a new typology of cognitive-social learning engagement defined by four profiles: bench sitter, hustler, striker, champion. The typology was purposely fashioned using team-play acronyms to build a useable language for educators to recognise student engagement profiles and to guide learning design in social spaces online.
Alliance experience and performance outcomes: A meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Peng , Jiang Xu , Dong Maggie Chuoyan
Published: January 2021

Alliance experience has been a frequent topic in strategic alliance research in recent decades. Nonetheless, its performance consequences, either as a whole or differentiated into general versus partner-specific alliance experience, are neither theoretically clear nor empirically consistent. We use a range of meta-analytic techniques to integrate the empirical findings of 143 studies and provide a more conclusive assessment compared to prior research. Our study thus addresses a long-standing, understudied, and controversial topic: the distinction between the two types of alliance experiences. Going beyond traditional sub-group analysis, we reveal the contextual contingencies by examining how different types of alliance experiences and performance outcomes jointly affect the alliance experience–performance relationship. Moreover, we identify critical country-level institutional contingencies that moderate the focal effect.
Effect of S-2304 wire-mesh angle in hemp/flax composite on mechanical and twist drilling surface response analysis
Authors: Krishnasamy Prabu , Rajamurugan G , Muralidharan B , Arbat Akshay P , Kishorkumar Bendre Parag
Published: January 2021

Natural fiber-based composite materials have found wide applications in Automotive, Aerospace, and Marine Industries. The current study presents the composite preparation, mechanical characterization, and machining behavior of hybrid composite. The fabricated hybrid composite consists of natural fibers (hemp and flax), resin (epoxy and hardener), and S-2304 wire mesh of different orientations (45° and 90°). The mechanical characterization was performed through tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness with ASTM samples. The FRW45 hybrid composite had shown an excellent tensile strength of 43 MPa and 31.57% higher than that of FRW90. Moreover, the FRW45 (82 MPa) flexural strength has shown better results than the HRW45 (76 MPa) composite. The machining performance was studied by drilling experiments, designed by the central composite design (CCD) to study the significant input parameters such as type of composite, speed, and feed rate. The obtained results revealed that torque reduces with the enhancement in feed rate for all types of composites. It was also noticed that at 500 rpm spindle speed, the delamination factor was comparatively 35.03% lower in HRW45 and 58% in HRW90 compared to HR composite. The fiber fracture voids and delamination failures were observed through fractography analysis.
Evaluation of cutting force of high-performance fibers’ dynamic cutting behaviour
Authors: El Messiry Magdi , Eloufy Affaf , Latif Samar Abdel , Eid El Shimaa
Published: January 2021

An analysis of fiber mechanics during cutting is conducted using a rotating cutting set up. It was found that high cutting speeds, low cutting angles, and high cutting normal forces lead to low values of cutting force. In this study, a set of high performance organic and inorganic fiber types are tested throughout different conditions of cut testing. Inorganic fibers gave the lowest specific cutting force. Values of cutting stresses on the edge of the blade were proved to be a function of fibers’ Young’s moduli. Higher Young’s moduli give lower cutting stresses on the blade edge while cutting fibers. Organic fibers were found to have a higher cutting resistance than carbon and glass fibers. A significant indirect correlation was found between the shear stress of the fibers and the fiber Young’s modulus. The value of the cutting force is significantly affected by both normal force and cutting velocity. The analysis of fiber mechanics during cutting is conducted using a rotating cutting set-up. It was found that high cutting speeds, low cutting angles, and high cutting normal forces lead to low values of cutting force. In this study, a set of high performance organic and inorganic fiber types are tested throughout different conditions of cut testing. Inorganic fibers gave the lowest specific cutting force. Values of cutting stresses on the edge of the blade were proved to be a function of fibers Young’s modulus. Higher Young’s modulus gives lower cutting stresses on the blade edge while cutting fibers. Organic fibers were found to have a higher cutting resistance than carbon and glass fibers. A significant indirect correlation was found between the shear stress of the fibers and the fibers Young’s modulus. The value of the cutting force is significantly affected by the normal force, cutting angle, and cutting velocity.
T Branch Repair of Ruptured a Type IV Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Complicated by Renal Branch Occlusion
Authors: Duvnjak Stevo , Bach-Frommer Stephan , Resch Timothy Andrew
Published: January 2021

A 60-year male patient presented with a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm rupture, which was treated emergently with a modified off-the-shelf t-Branch stent-graft (COOK Medical Inc). The sole renal branch occluded 1 month after TEVAR due to branch compression, and the patient became anuric and temporarily dialysis-dependent. Despite the prolonged renal ischemia time, the occluded renal branch was successfully opened with thrombolysis and reinforced with a bare-metal stent. The patient recovered his renal function and came off dialysis.
Combined Superficial and Deep Venous Arterialization in No-Option Critical Limb Ischemia: Case Report
Authors: Harfouch Tammam , Tarus Andrei , Agafitei Elena-Teodora , Chistol Raluca Ozana , Tinica Grigore
Published: January 2021

The management of peripheral artery disease with no revascularization options can be challenging due to the very limited treatment options available and the high rate of major amputation which is linked to increased mortality and poor quality of life. Using a distal venous bed as an alternative bypass runoff seems to be a viable option when arterial reconstruction is not feasible. We report our experience with distal venous arterialization for limb salvage in non-reconstructable critical limb ischemia and describe the configuration used to achieve venosome directed revascularization in a patient with concomitant varicose veins.
Adaptation and Pilot Evaluation of an Intervention Addressing the Sexual Health Needs of Gay Men Living with HIV Infection in Colombia
Authors: Alvarado Beatriz E. , Martinez-Cajas Jorge Luis , Mueses Hector F , Correa Sanchez Diego , Adam Barry D. , Hart Trevor A.
Published: January 2021

Interventions addressing the sexual health need of HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in Latin America are scarce. We adapted and evaluated GPS, a group-based intervention led by peers, developed using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) model and motivational interviewing (MI). We used McKleroy et al framework to culturally adapt GPS to MSM living with HIV infection in Colombia. Then, a one-armed pilot trial examined changes in depressive symptoms, loneliness, self-efficacy for engaging in sexual risk reduction behaviors, sexual sensation seeking and sexual compulsivity at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. These results were complemented with semistructured interviews with participants 3 months after the intervention. GPS was identified to be culturally acceptable with few changes in materials and exercises. Facilitators showed high levels of adherence and fidelity to MI principles. Seven of 11 eligible participants finished the intervention; GPS positively influenced self-efficacy for condom negotiation, depressive symptoms, and condomless anal sex with partners of unknown HIV status. Exit interviews revealed that GPS was well-designed, relevant, facilitated discussion of sex in a nonjudgmental manner, and helped make positive changes in participants’ sexual lives. These results provided preliminary evidence of an intervention to address sexual and mental health of MSM living with HIV in Latin America.
Long-term Clinical Results of Carpal Tunnel Release Using Ultrasound Guidance
Authors: Leiby Braeden M. , Beckman John P. , Joseph Anthony E.
Published: January 2021

Background:

The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of carpal tunnel release (CTR) using ultrasound guidance in a group of patients treated by a single physician.

Methods:

The study group consisted of 76 consecutive CTRs performed on 47 patients between June 2017 and April 2019 for whom 1-year follow-up was available. All procedures were performed by the same operator using a single CTR technique. Outcomes included complications; Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire symptom severity (BCTQ-SSS) and functional status (BCTQ-FSS) scores; Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QDASH) scores; and a 5-point global satisfaction score (4 = satisfied, 5 = very satisfied).

Results:

The 47 patients included 27 females and 20 males (ages 31-91 years). Twenty-five patients (50 hands) had simultaneous bilateral CTRs, 4 patients (8 hands) had staged bilateral CTRs, and 18 patients had unilateral CTRs. No complications occurred. Statistically and clinically significant reductions in BCTQ-SSS, BCTQ-FSS, and QDASH scores occurred by 1 to 2 weeks post-CTR and persisted at 1-year (mean 1-year changes vs. pre-CTR -2.11, -1.70, and -44.99, respectively; P < .001 for all). The mean global satisfaction score at 1-year was 4.63.

Conclusions:

CTR using ultrasound (US) guidance is a safe and effective procedure that produces statistically and clinically significant improvements within 1 to 2 weeks postprocedure that persist to 1 year. Furthermore, simultaneous bilateral CTRs using US guidance are feasible and may be advantageous for patients who are candidates for bilateral CTR.