bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons on building more equal and sustainable societies
Authors: van Barneveld Kristin , Quinlan Michael , Kriesler Peter , Junor Anne , Baum Fran , Chowdhury Anis , Junankar PN (Raja) , Clibborn Stephen , Flanagan Frances , Wright Chris F , Friel Sharon , Halevi Joseph , Rainnie Al
Published: May 2020

This discussion paper by a group of scholars across the fields of health, economics and labour relations argues that COVID-19 is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis from which there can be no return to the ‘old normal’. The pandemic’s disastrous worldwide health impacts have been exacerbated by, and have compounded, the unsustainability of economic globalisation based on the neoliberal dismantling of state capabilities in favour of markets. Flow-on economic impacts have simultaneously created major supply and demand disruptions, and highlighted the growing within-country inequalities and precarity generated by neoliberal regimes of labour market regulation. Taking an Australian and international perspective, we examine these economic and labour market impacts, paying particular attention to differential impacts on First Nations people, developing countries, women, immigrants and young people. Evaluating policy responses in a political climate of national and international leadership very different from those in which major twentieth century crises were addressed, we argue the need for a national and international conversation to develop a new pathway out of crisis.
Applying Crime Pattern Theory and Risk Terrain Modeling to Examine Environmental Crime in Cambodia
Authors: Cowan Devin , Moreto William D. , Burton Christina , Nobles Matt R. , Singh Rohit
Published: May 2020

The spatial-temporal analysis of crime has significantly evolved. One innovative technique recently developed is risk terrain modeling (RTM). RTM, however, has yet to be used for environmental crime. This research applies RTM and draws from crime pattern theory to examine illegal activities in two protected areas in Cambodia. Findings suggest that pathways, edges, areas with suitable targets, conservation posts, landcover, and prior incidents are related to fauna- and flora-related illegal activities, though this relationship varies by season, units of analysis, and study area (i.e., patrol-based compared with official designation). Implications for theory and policy are outlined.
Health Hyperbolism: A Study in Health Crisis Rhetoric
Authors: Glowacki Elizabeth M. , Taylor Mary Anne
Published: May 2020

The Ebola virus had only been in the United States for 2 months before it became a major national health concern. However, while some citizens panicked about the looming health crisis, others remained calm, offering explanations for why a rapid spread of the virus was unlikely. Examining the distinctions between these different reactions can contribute to a better understanding of the coping strategies citizens use when facing a health crisis. We consider how citizens respond to fear by focusing on whether or not hyperbolic rhetoric was used as a means for processing and managing fear. Approximately 400 tweets and Facebook posts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House, and The Alex Jones Show were examined to make conclusions about how citizens respond to messages from these mediated forums. At the intersection of health communication and critical rhetoric, we advance an operational definition of health hyperbolism derived from public response to opinion leaders. Ultimately, we find that health hyperbolism contains language illustrative of distrust, blame, anger, misrepresentation, conspiracy, and curiosity.
Water Scarcity and Water Quality: Identifying Potential Unintended Harms and Mitigation Strategies in the Implementation of the Biosand Filter in Rural Tanzania
Authors: Hovden Lise , Paasche Tina , Nyanza Elias Charles , Bastien Sheri
Published: May 2020

Bottom-up public health interventions are needed which are built on an understanding of community perspectives. Project SHINE is a community-based participatory action research intervention focused on developing sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene strategies with Maasai pastoralists in Tanzania. The aim of the study is to understand perceptions related to water quality and scarcity as well as to assess the potential of the Biosand Filter as a low-cost, low-tech water treatment option. To avoid unintended harms, the community was engaged in identifying potential harms and mitigation strategies prior to the implementation of the filter.Two in-depth interviews and two group discussions were analyzed using thematic content analysis, while three think tanks were analyzed using directed content analysis. The findings highlight a range of concerns regarding water scarcity and quality. The think tank approach was an effective means of engaging the community in identifying potential unintended harms across four dimensions: the physical, psychosocial, economic, and cultural contexts. In addition, two external themes emerged as salient: political harm and harm by omission.
“What Will Come Will Come”: The Journey of Adjustment and Acceptance on the Path of Dementia Care Among Vietnamese Family Caregivers
Authors: Nguyen Trang , Levkoff Sue
Published: May 2020

In this article, we explore the psychological process through which Vietnamese family caregivers adjust to their role as primary caregivers for their relatives with dementia. The study adopted a constructivist grounded theory approach to collect data with 30 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 20 self-identified primary caregivers of older adults with dementia in Vietnam. The core adjustment process, consisting of four stages ( Experience, Acknowledgment, Experiment, and Acceptance [ EAEA]), to caregiving role emerged from the data. The EAEA process highlights the importance of self-perception, self-perception focused strategies, and acceptance of caregivers and suggests an adjustment process to their “becoming self” in caregiving. The EAEA process was reflected in the transactional relationship with caregiver personal factors (demographic and relational characteristics with care recipients, personal beliefs in and commitments to caregiving, and personal history of caregiving and coping with past adversity) and structural factors (cultural values and norms, social support, and social pressure).
“I Can Understand Where They’re Coming From”: How Clinicians’ Disability Experiences Shape Their Interaction With Clients
Authors: Battalova Alfiya , Bulk Laura , Nimmon Laura , Hole Rachelle , Krupa Terry , Lee Michael , Mayer Yael , Jarus Tal
Published: May 2020

Students and clinicians with disabilities are underrepresented in the academic health programs and professional clinical settings. Disability studies foregrounds the unique ways of knowing and being that clinicians with disabilities can offer. Based on a larger grounded theory study of the experiences of students and clinicians with disabilities, this article examines the role that clinicians’ abilities to draw on their personal experiences of living with a disability have on their interactions with clients. The analysis of semistructured interviews with 55 students and clinicians with disabilities from different fields contributes to the development of a theory of epistemic connection. The theory is informed by the following three themes: (a) building rapport through understanding, (b) from understanding to advocacy and creative approaches, and (c) between professionalism and disability. The findings emphasize not only the importance of diversifying the health care workforce but also incorporating disability epistemology into the health care culture.
Ballistic penetration damages and energy absorptions of stacked cross-plied composite fabrics and laminated panels
Authors: Wei Qingsong , Gu Bohong , Sun Baozhong
Published: May 2020

Flexible fabrics have been widely used in body armor designs. Here we report ballistic impact damage of stacked cross-plied composite fabric and cross-plied laminated panels. The ballistic impact behaviors of stacked cross-plied composite fabric and cross-plied laminated panel have been tested with fragment-simulating projectiles under the strike velocity 550–600 m/s to explore the influence of the layers combination of fabric target on ballistic impact. Two types of macroscopic anisotropy continua finite element models based on fabric targets structures are established to analyze the ballistic mechanism of stacked cross-plied composite fabric and cross-plied laminated panels. The impact damage morphologies and energy absorptions have also been compared between the tests and finite element analysis results. We have found the stacked fabric construction absorbed more energy than their counterpart cross-plied laminated panel, while the laminated panel shows better structural integrity and stability during ballistic penetration.
Gender Role Attitudes in the International Social Survey Programme: Cross-National Comparability and Relationships to Cultural Values
Authors: Lomazzi Vera , Seddig Daniel
Published: May 2020

Differences in societal views on the roles of men and women have been addressed in many large-scale comparative studies by employing indicators of gender roles attitudes from cross-sectional surveys. Assuming that cross-country differences in gender role attitudes are linked to the prevailing cultural value orientations in each society, this study aims at investigating the association between societal views on gender roles, as measured by the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), and the prevailing cultural values, as defined by Schwartz’s theory. However, to carry out meaningful comparisons, we first assessed the prerequisite of measurement equivalence between countries. The comparability of gender role attitudes is limited when using traditional methods based on the concept of exact equivalence (multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis). However, the recently established alignment optimization procedure reveals approximate measurement equivalence and suggests that the mean comparison is trustworthy. Based on these results, we correlate the national mean levels of gender role attitudes with the cultural values of embeddedness, hierarchy and egalitarianism, showing that traditional gender roles are displayed in societies emphasizing hierarchy and embeddedness while progressive views are more expressed in egalitarian societies.
Text Message Preferences for Surveillance Colonoscopy Reminders Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors
Authors: Hohl Sarah D. , Shankaran Veena , Bell-Brown Ari , Issaka Rachel B.
Published: May 2020

Background. Surveillance colonoscopy 1-year after colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery effectively reduces CRC mortality, yet less than half of survivors undergo this procedure. Text message reminders can improve CRC screening and other health behaviors, but use of this strategy to address barriers to CRC surveillance has not been reported. Objectives. The goal of this qualitative study was to assess CRC survivor perspectives on barriers to colonoscopy to inform the design of a theory-based, short message service (SMS) intervention to increase surveillance colonoscopy utilization. Method. CRC survivors in Western Washington participated in one of two focus groups to explore perceived barriers to completing surveillance colonoscopy and preferences for SMS communication. Content analysis using codes representative of the health belief model and prospect theory constructs were applied to qualitative data. Results. Thirteen CRC survivors reported individual-, interpersonal-, and system-level barriers to surveillance colonoscopy completion. Participants were receptive to receiving SMS reminders to mitigate these barriers. They suggested that reminders offer supportive, loss-framed messaging; include educational content; and be personalized to communication preferences. Finally, they recommended that reminders begin no earlier than 9 months following CRC surgery and not include response prompts. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that CRC survivors perceive SMS reminders as an acceptable, valuable tool for CRC surveillance. Furthermore, there may be value in integrating theoretical frameworks to design, implement, and evaluate SMS interventions to address barriers to CRC surveillance. As physicians play a key role in CRC surveillance, provider- and system-level interventions that could additively improve the impact of SMS interventions are also worth exploring.
What shapes the cultivation effects from infotaining content? Toward a theoretical foundation for journalism studies
Authors: Pelzer Elena , Raemy Patric
Published: May 2020

Infotaining formats are gaining rapid popularity over the past decades. So far, studies often attempt either to define what infotainment is, how the technological and economic changes have given rise to the format, or what effects it exerts, but rarely consider all three aspects together. This raises the possibility that the properties of infotaining formats are under-defined, leading to a confusion about the effects from infotaining content. This article explores (1) where infotainment comes from, (2) what its constitutive properties are, and (3) why its potential cultivation effect should differ from other formats. From synthesizing these notions, an integrated model derives that combines insights from journalism studies and cultivation theory in order to explain how the technological and economic forces shape the infotaining content being produced, and its cultivating effects on the public further. Scholars from across multiple subfields can use this framework to make common theoretical and empirical progress.
Genetic association study of prolylcarboxypeptidase polymorphisms with susceptibility to essential hypertension in the Yi minority of China: A case–control study based on an isolated population
Authors: Wu Yanrui , Yang Hongju , Xiao Chunjie
Published: May 2020

Objective:

Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) is a negative regulator of the pressor actions of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. It is also involved in the kallikrein–kinin system. This gene has an important role in blood pressure (BP) regulation.

Methods:

A case–control study was performed for 615 Yi participants (303 cases and 312 controls) from a remote mountainous area in Yunnan Province of China. For the PRCP gene, 11 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Results:

The PRCP gene rs12290550 was associated with the occurrence of essential hypertension (EH) and BP traits. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the rs12290550 T allele was significantly linked to the risk of EH (odds ratio (OR) = 1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.44–2.39, p = 0.2 × 10−5). Under Bonferroni correction, the H7 TAGCACTAACA haplotype containing the risk allele rs12290550 T increased the risk of EH (OR = 4.53, 95% CI 2.29–8.93, p = 0.2×10−5).

Conclusions:

The findings of this study demonstrate the strong association of the PRCP gene with EH. rs12290550 may be a useful genetic predictor of EH in the Yi minority.
A Follow-Up Study on Recidivism among Adjudicated Juveniles with Special Education in the Juvenile Correctional Facility
Authors: Ho Taiping , Rocheleau Gregory C.
Published: May 2020

This study examines recidivism among adjudicated juveniles in special education programs in the juvenile correctional facility during the period of 2009–2015. There were two aims of this research: to conduct exploratory analyses of recidivism and to examine whether level of education relates to recidivism among this segment of juvenile offenders. Results revealed that 37.6 % of adjudicated juveniles with special education recidivated and that 52 % of those who recidivated were recommitted within 12 months of being released. Results from logistic regression also show that education failed to significantly predict recidivism once other factors were controlled for in multivariate analyses.
Three-dimensional image coordinate-based missing region of interest area detection and damage localization for bridge visual inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Yoon Sungsik , Gwon Gi-Hun , Lee Jin-Hwan , Jung Hyung-Jo
Published: May 2020

In this study, the three-phase missing region of interest area detection and damage localization methodology based on three-dimensional image coordinates was proposed. In Phase 1, the coordinate transformation is performed by the position and attitude information of the unmanned aerial vehicles and camera, and the coordinates of the center point of each acquired image are obtained with the distance information between the camera and the target surface. For Phase 2, the size of the field of view of every acquired image is calculated using the focal length and working distance of the camera. Finally, in Phase 3, the missing part of the region of interest area can be identified and any damage detected at the individual image level can also be localized on the whole inspection region using information about the sizes of the field of view in all images calculated in the previous phase. In order to demonstrate the proposed methodology, experimental validation was performed on the actual bridge pier and deck as well as the lab-scale concrete shear wall. In the tests, the missing area detection and damage localization results were compared with image stitching and human visual inspection results, respectively. Experimental validation results have shown that the proposed methodology identifies missing areas and damage locations within reasonable accuracy of 10 cm.
A particle swarm optimization–support vector machine hybrid system with acoustic emission on damage degree judgment of carbon fiber reinforced polymer cables
Authors: Xu Jie , Liu Xuan , Han Qinghua , Wang Weixin
Published: May 2020

The feasibility of machine learning in damage degree judgment of carbon fiber reinforced polymer cables was first verified by the improved b-value method and wavelet packet spectrum analysis. Then, a hybrid system with support vector machine classification and particle swarm optimization algorithms was proposed to realize the prediction. The b-value calculated with all acoustic emission events has better performance when noise cannot be avoided. The 1/ b-value has almost the same trend with acoustic emission signal cumulative energy, which can meet the preliminarily needs of health monitoring. The particle swarm optimization clustering algorithm works by using nine characteristic parameters of acoustic emission signals. It demonstrates that the characteristic parameters of acoustic emission signals are closely related to the failure mode of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer cable. This indicates their correspondence to the cable’s damage degree and their ability to work as training data for machine learning. With particle swarm optimization, the trained support vector machine can reach at least 77% accuracy of a single acoustic emission signal when predicting the corresponding current damage degree. In addition, using the voting mechanism can promote the performance of support vector machine. This demonstrates the practicability of applying acoustic emission combined with machine learning as a damage degree judgment method for carbon fiber reinforced polymer cables.
Transformative learning, epistemology and technology in adult education
Authors: Wang Victor , Torrisi-Steele Geraldine , Reinsfield Elizabeth
Published: May 2020

Adult learners can have well-established ‘ways of knowing’, so a process of transformation represents learning that challenges them to discover new ways of thinking. Transformative learning is thus a frame for the practice of adult educators. The affordances of technologies can be exploited to facilitate transformative learning in adult learning contexts. However, this response is not consistently applied. In the present article, the authors highlight that technology is a tool within teaching strategy, and that it can be used to facilitate transformative learning albeit in a slightly different manner depending upon the epistemological stance of the educator. Adult and vocational teaching practice is positioned within four epistemological stances: post-positivist, constructivist, advocacy/participatory and pragmatism. Discussion focuses on the opportunities for transformative learning, made possible by digital technologies, within each of these epistemological stances.
Rethinking Identity in Political Science
Authors: Weiner Scott , Tatum Dillon Stone
Published: May 2020

Political science engages similar types of identity on different terms. There are extensive literatures describing phenomena related to national, ethnic, class, and gender identity; however, these literatures in isolation give us little insight into broader political mechanics of identity itself. Furthermore, many of the theoretical approaches to identity in political science tend to proceed from the macro-level, without conceptualizing its building blocks. How should we conceptualize and operationalize identity in political science? In this article, we examine the existing literature on identity in ethnic politics, nationalism studies, and gender politics to show this disconnect in conceptualizing identity across research agendas. We then provide an integrated model of identity, focusing on how gradations of visibility, conceptualization, and recognition form the basis of claims and conflicts about the politics of identity. We conclude by elucidating a path to overcoming these issues by opening space for a rethinking of identity in political science.
A Community-Based Cultural Adaptation Process: Developing a Relevant Cooking Curriculum to Address Food Security for Burundian and Congolese Refugee Families
Authors: McElrone Marissa , Colby Sarah , Franzen-Castle Lisa , Olfert Melissa D. , Kattelmann Kendra K. , Fouts Hillary N. , Spence Marsha , Kavanagh Katie , White Adrienne A.
Published: May 2020

Refugee-specific nutrition and cooking curricula addressing dietary acculturation barriers to food security are limited. A cooking curriculum was culturally adapted for Burundian and Congolese refugees to address their unique dietary acculturation experiences. A four-phase curriculum adaptation process (information gathering [literature review, researcher informed, and formative interviews; n = 18], preliminary adaptation design [data incorporation and steering committee; n = 5], pilot testing [ n = 10 youth/adult dyads], and refinement) was applied to the existing evidence-based iCook 4-H curriculum using a five-strategy (peripheral, evidential, linguistic, constituent-involving, and sociocultural) cultural adaptation framework. A multiphase, two-cycle coding analytic process was completed within NVivo 12, followed by direct content analysis. Seventeen adaptations were made to the iCook curriculum, derived from varying combinations of four data sources (literature review, researcher informed, priority population, and steering committee), applying all five cultural adaptation strategies. A majority of the curriculum adaptations were derived from two or more data sources (71%) and were categorized within multiple adaptation strategies (88%). This study provided a community-based cultural adaptation process that could be used with various populations to address unique barriers and facilitators to food security. This innovative model addresses cultural needs while simultaneously aiming to improve health habits of refugee communities.
Levodopa Facilitates Prefrontal Cortex Activation During Dual Task Walking in Parkinson Disease
Authors: Orcioli-Silva Diego , Vitório Rodrigo , Nóbrega-Sousa Priscila , da Conceição Núbia Ribeiro , Beretta Victor Spiandor , Lirani-Silva Ellen , Gobbi Lilian Teresa Bucken
Published: May 2020

Background. Although dopaminergic medication improves dual task walking in people with Parkinson disease (PD), the underlying neural mechanisms are not yet fully understood. As prefrontal cognitive resources are involved in dual task walking, evaluation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is required. Objective. To investigate the effect of dopaminergic medication on PFC activity and gait parameters during dual task walking in people with PD. Methods. A total of 20 individuals with PD (69.8 ± 5.9 years) and 30 healthy older people (68.0 ± 5.6 years) performed 2 walking conditions: single and dual task (walking while performing a digit vigilance task). A mobile functional near infrared spectroscopy system and an electronic sensor carpet were used to analyze PFC activation and gait parameters, respectively. Relative concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) from the left and right PFC were measured. Results. People with PD in the off state did not present changes in HbO2 level in the left PFC across walking conditions. In contrast, in the on state, they presented increased HbO2 levels during dual task compared with single task. Regardless of medication state, people with PD presented increased HbO2 levels in the right PFC during dual task walking compared with single task. The control group demonstrated increased PFC activity in both hemispheres during dual task compared with single task. People with PD showed increases in both step length and velocity in the on state compared with the off state. Conclusions. PD limits the activation of the left PFC during dual task walking, and dopaminergic medication facilitates its recruitment.
IFed: A novel federated learning framework for local differential privacy in Power Internet of Things
Authors: Cao Hui , Liu Shubo , Zhao Renfang , Xiong Xingxing
Published: May 2020

Nowadays, wireless sensor network technology is being increasingly popular which is applied to a wide range of Internet of Things. Especially, Power Internet of Things is an important and rapidly growing section in Internet of Thing systems, which benefited from the application of wireless sensor networks to achieve fine-grained information collection. Meanwhile, the privacy risk is gradually exposed, which is the widespread concern for electricity power consumers. Non-intrusive load monitoring, in particular, is a technique to recover state of appliances from only the energy consumption data, which enables adversary inferring the behavior privacy of residents. There can be no doubt that applying local differential privacy to achieve privacy preserving in the local setting is more trustworthy than centralized approach for electricity customers. Although it is hard to control the risk and achieve the trade-off between privacy and utility by traditional local differential privacy obfuscation mechanisms, some existing obfuscation mechanisms based on artificial intelligence, called advanced obfuscation mechanisms, can achieve it. However, the large computing resource consumption to train the machine learning model is not affordable for most Power Internet of Thing terminal. In this article, to solve this problem, IFed was proposed—a novel federated learning framework that let electric provider who normally is adequate in computing resources to help Power Internet of Thing users. First, the optimized framework was proposed in which the trade-off between local differential privacy, data utility, and resource consumption was incorporated. Concurrently, the following problem of privacy preserving on the machine learning model transport between electricity provider and customers was noted and resolved. Last, users were categorized based on different levels of privacy requirements, and stronger privacy guarantee was provided for sensitive users. The formal local differential privacy analysis and the experiments demonstrated that IFed can fulfill the privacy requirements for Power Internet of Thing users.
Engaging Men With BRCA-Related Cancer Risks: Practical Advice for BRCA Risk Management From Male Stakeholders
Authors: Dean Marleah , Campbell-Salome Gemme , Rauscher Emily A.
Published: May 2020

Men are at risk for developing hereditary cancers such as breast, prostate, pancreatic, and melanoma due to a pathogenic germline variant in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. The purpose of this study was to identify and provide practical advice for men managing their BRCA-related cancer risks based on men’s real-life experiences. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 men who either tested positive for a pathogenic variant in BRCA1/2 gene or who had an immediate family member who had tested positive for a pathogenic variant in BRCA1/2. A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was completed utilizing the constant comparison method. Qualitative analysis produced three categories of participant advice for men who recently learned of their hereditary cancer risk. Specifically, participants advised the following: (a) know the basics, (b) engage in the family narrative, and (c) advocate for yourself. Results showed the need for men to know and understand their BRCA cancer risks and communicate that genetic risk information to their family members and practitioners. In particular, the findings stress the importance of addressing men’s risks and medical management from a family-focused approach. Overall, because men are historically undereducated about their BRCA-related cancer risks, this practical advice serves as a first step for men managing BRCA-related cancer risks and may ultimately assist them in making preventive and screening health behaviors.
The Role of Pulses in Cardiovascular Disease Risk for Adults With Diabetes
Authors: Lukus Patricia K. , Doma Katarina M. , Duncan Alison M.
Published: May 2020

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death among adults while associated comorbidities like diabetes further increase risks of CVD-related complications and mortality. Strategies to prevent and manage CVD risk, such as dietary change, are a key component for CVD and diabetes prevention and management. Pulses, defined as the dried edible seeds of plants in the legume family, have received attention for their superior nutritional composition as high-fiber, low–glycemic index foods and have been studied for their potential to reduce CVD and diabetes risk. Both observational and experimental studies conducted among adults with and without diabetes have provided support for pulses in their ability to improve lipid profiles, glycemic control, and blood pressure, all of which are major modifiable risk factors of CVD. These capabilities have been attributed to various mechanisms associated with the nutrient and phytochemical composition of pulses. Overall, this evidence provides support for the consumption of pulses as an important dietary strategy to reduce risk of CVD for those living with and without diabetes.
Experimental study on damage evaluation of stainless steel–reinforced concrete piers under lateral impact
Authors: Wu Bo , Xu Shixiang
Published: May 2020

Horizontal impact tests of stainless steel–reinforced concrete piers with different reinforcement ratios at different impact velocities were carried out by using the ultra-high drop weight impact test system. Degree of piers damage after impact was comprehensively analyzed by measuring the acceleration of the impact body, the displacement of the top of the pier specimens, the strain of the steel bars, the rotation of the pier bottom, and the crack development of concrete. The test results showed that under the same impact velocity, with the decrease in reinforcement ratio, the peak acceleration of the impact body, the displacement of the top of pier specimens, the strain of steel bars, and the pier bottom rotation all increase. To a certain extent, increasing the reinforcement ratio of bridge piers can effectively reduce impact damage.
Bioconvection of micropolar nanofluid with modified Cattaneo–Christov theories
Authors: Siddiq Muhammad Kamran , Ashraf Muhammad
Published: May 2020

An incompressible, electrically conducting, bioconvective micropolar fluid flow between two stretchable disks is inspected. Modification versions of Fourier and Fick’s law are accounted through Cattaneo–Christov heat–mass theories. The nanofluid Buongiorno model is also utilized in constitutive equations. The influence of gyrotactic microorganism is also accounted through bioconvection. Similarity variables transform the fluid model into system of ordinary differential equations. The resultant model is then solved through bvp4c method. Results in pictorial and tabular ways are accomplished. It is found that stretching Reynolds number and magnetic parameter slows down the radial velocity at center of the plane. Motile microorganism field is reduced by Peclet number. Micropolar parameters can be useful in the enhancement of couple stresses and in reduction of shear stresses. A comparison is also elaborated with published work under limiting scenario for the validation of numerical scheme accuracy.
Examination of race and infrainguinal bypass conduit use in the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative
Authors: Stewart Luke , Pearce Benjamin J , Beck Adam W , Spangler Emily L
Published: May 2020

Background

Vein conduit is known to have better patency than prosthetic for infrainguinal bypass. Here we explore if racial disparities exist in infrainguinal bypass vein conduit use amid preoperative patient and systemic factors.

Methods

Retrospective Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative data for 23,959 infrainguinal bypasses between 2003 and 2017 for occlusive disease were analyzed. For homogeneity, only infrainguinal bypasses originating from the common femoral artery were included. Demographics of patients receiving vein vs prosthetic were compared and logistic regression analyses were performed with race and preoperative factors to evaluate for predictors of vein conduit use.

Results

Adjusted regression models demonstrated black patients were 76% as likely ( p < .001) and Hispanic patients 79% as likely ( p = .003) to have vein conduit compared to white patients. Factors positively correlating with vein use included vein mapping, more distal bypass target, tissue loss or acute ischemia bypass indications, commercial insurance, and weight. Factors against vein use included advanced age, female gender, ASA class 4, urgent procedure, preoperative mobility limitation, prior CABG or leg bypass, prior smoking, preoperative anticoagulation, and a bypass performed in the Southern US or before 2012. While black and Hispanic patients were less likely to receive vein, they were vein mapped at similar or higher rates than other groups.

Conclusion

Racial disparities exist in conduit use for infrainguinal bypass, with black and Hispanic patients less likely to receive vein bypasses. However, the contribution of race to conduit selection is small in adjusted and unadjusted models. Overall, pre-operative variables in the Vascular Quality Initiative poorly predicted vein conduit use for infrainguinal bypass.
Preventing ethics dumping: the challenges for Kenyan research ethics committees
Authors: Chatfield Kate , Schroeder Doris , Guantai Anastasia , Bhatt Kirana , Bukusi Elizabeth , Adhiambo Odhiambo Joyce , Cook Julie , Kimani Joshua
Published: May 2020

Ethics dumping is the practice of undertaking research in a low- or middle-income setting which would not be permitted, or would be severely restricted, in a high-income setting. Whilst Kenya operates a sophisticated research governance system, resource constraints and the relatively low number of accredited research ethics committees limit the capacity for ensuring ethical compliance. As a result, Kenya has been experiencing cases of ethics dumping. This article presents 11 challenges in the context of preventing ethics dumping in Kenya, namely variations in governance standards, resistance to double ethics review, resource constraints, unresolved issues in the management of biological samples, unresolved issues in the management of primary data, unsuitable informed consent procedures, cultural insensitivity, differing standards of care, reluctance to provide feedback to research communities, power differentials which facilitate the exploitation of local researchers and lack of local relevance and/or affordability of the resultant products. A reflective approach for researchers, built around the values of fairness, respect, care and honesty, is presented as a means of taking shared responsibility for preventing ethics dumping.
Specific composition of polyphenolic compounds with fatty acids as an approach in helping to reduce spirochete burden in Lyme disease: in vivo and human observational study
Authors: Goc Anna , Gehring Gebhard , Baltin Hartmut , Niedzwiecki Aleksandra , Rath Matthias
Published: May 2020

Background:

Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The current therapeutic approach to this disease is limited to antibiotics. However, after their administration, about 20% of patients experience delayed onset of this illness manifesting as lingering persistent symptoms.

Methods:

To determine a suitable approach that would help reduce this number, we examined the efficacy of a composition of polyphenolic compounds (baicalein, luteolin, and rosmarinic acid) with fatty acids (monolaurin and cis-2-decenoic acid), and iodine/kelp in a Lyme disease animal model and volunteers.

Results:

The results showed that 4 weeks of dietary intake of this composition reduced the spirochete burden in animal tissues by about 75%. Basic and differential blood parameters did not show significant differences between control animals and the animals fed with this composition. Also, hepatic and renal toxicity markers were not changed and apoptosis was not observed. Relevant inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, and INF-γ, were elevated in infected animals but normalized in infected and treated animals. A small observational study revealed that after administration of this composition to 17 volunteers three times per day for 6 months, 67.4% of the volunteers with late or persistent LD, and not receptive to previous antibiotic application, responded positively, in terms of energy status as well as physical and psychological wellbeing to supplementation with this composition, while 17.7% had slight improvement, and 17.7% were none responsive.

Conclusion:

We concluded that this specific composition revealed feasible benefits in late or persistent LD management, although double-blind controlled clinical trials are warranted.
The secrecy−transparency dynamic: A sociological reframing of secrecy and transparency for public relations research
Authors: Cronin Anne M.
Published: May 2020

This article offers a sociological account of how we might analyse the relationship between contemporary practices and discourses of secrecy on the one hand, and those of transparency on the other hand. While secrecy is often framed in popular and political discourses as the antithesis of transparency, in reality, their relationship is more complex and co-constitutive than may initially appear. The article argues that understanding the interface between secrecy and transparency as a socially embedded dynamic can offer public relations scholarship productive avenues for both theoretically oriented research and empirical studies. In its role in the management of the secrecy−transparency dynamic, PR plays a significant role in actively creating social relations. This article aims to provide resources for assessing the strength of this dynamic in acting to structure social, political and economic relations, and offers new perspectives on how techniques employed to manage the secrecy–transparency dynamic – including public relations – are both embedded in such relations and act to shape them.
Being a ‘strategist’: Communication practitioners, strategic work, and power effects of the strategy discourse
Authors: Andersson Rickard
Published: May 2020

This article analyzes communication practitioners’ accounts to interpret what power effects the strategy discourse has on their ‘way of seeing’ themselves and their work. Through an analysis of 26 interviews with communication practitioners, the findings show that strategy, understood as a discursive body of knowledge, has empowered practitioners by enabling them to produce an understanding of themselves as worthy ‘strategists’ possessing unique expertise and competencies essential to their organization, and empowered them to claim intra-organizational power and power over others. The article empirically shows how practitioners engage with the strategy discourse to construct accounts of themselves and their work, and makes a theoretical contribution by exemplifying the problematizing potential of the strategy as discourse perspective by discussing the power effects strategy has on the profession and practice. Thus, the article complements classical and emergent perspectives on strategy in public relations and strategic communication by offering an approach more attentive toward the constitutive effects of strategy on the practice of public relations and strategic communication.
Still time to perform intestinal revascularization in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia with peritonitis: An analysis of bowel viability in resections
Authors: Hayashi Kentaro , Hayashi Ken , Narita Makoto , Tsunoda Akira , Kusanagi Hiroshi
Published: May 2020

Objective:

Acute mesenteric ischemia is often fatal, and many survivors develop short bowel syndrome. To avoid massive bowel resection, revascularization is recommended for acute mesenteric ischemia patients. However, whether acute mesenteric ischemia patients with clinical peritonitis can be revascularized remains uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the histopathological potential reversibility of resected bowel in acute mesenteric ischemia patients with peritonitis.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of acute mesenteric ischemia patients treated at the Kameda Medical Center between January 2001 and March 2015. Pathological evaluation regarding bowel resection was performed. Patients with and without peritonitis were compared. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with reversible or irreversible ischemia. Patients with reversible and irreversible ischemia were characterized.

Results:

Of 41 patients, 17 underwent laparotomy, 6 endovascular surgery, and 18 palliative care. Among 23 patients receiving curative treatment, 7 had peritonitis and 13 did not. Seven patients of each group received bowel resection, but 85.7% of those with peritonitis had reversible ischemia. We categorized patients with ischemia into reversible and irreversible groups. The median time between symptom onset and diagnosis in the reversible group was >27 h. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome was found in 72.2% and 66.7% of the reversible and irreversible groups, respectively.

Conclusion:

Acute mesenteric ischemia patients with clinical peritoneal signs may have potentially reversible ischemia. As a result, revascularization should be considered, even in the case of peritonitis.
Eight-year outcome after invasive treatment of infrainguinal intermittent claudication: A population-based analysis from the Swedish vascular register (Swedvasc)
Authors: Gunnarsson Thordur , Gottsäter Anders , Bergman Stefan , Troëng Thomas , Lindgren Hans
Published: May 2020

Objectives:

Invasive treatment of infrainguinal intermittent claudication is controversial, and long-term outcomes are scarce. The study aim was to evaluate 8 years results regarding new vascular interventions on index and contralateral limb, hospitalization, mortality, and amputation in 775 patients revascularized for infrainguinal intermittent claudication in 2009.

Methods:

Data on new vascular interventions retrieved from the Swedish vascular register (Swedvasc) were linked to the Inpatient Register and Cause of Death Register with information on hospitalizations, primary discharge diagnoses according to the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), deaths, causes of death, and amputations.

Results:

During 8 years of follow-up, 486 new vascular interventions were performed. Patients were admitted for a total of 4662 hospitalizations and spent 25,970 days in hospital. Between 79% and 99% of surviving subjects were hospitalized each year. During follow-up, 311 (40.1%) patients died. The most common causes of hospitalization and death were cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, or other diseases of the circulatory system, causing 47.5% of hospitalizations and 42.4% of deaths. Seventy-seven major lower limb amputations were performed in 52 patients.

Conclusion:

As patients undergoing invasive treatment of infrainguinal intermittent claudication have high morbidity and mortality, during 8 years of follow-up, the indication for invasive treatment should be carefully weighed against concomitant comorbidities and the timing of this treatment optimized with regard to the patient’s possibilities to enjoy positive treatment effects on quality of life.
Stakeholder Engagement for a Planned Automated Quality Measurement System
Authors: Kalsy Megha , Kelly Natalie , Meystre Stephane M. , Kim Youngjun , Bray Bruce E. , Bolton Dan , Goldstein Mary K. , Garvin Jennifer H.
Published: May 2020

We sought to evaluate the context of potential implementation of an automated quality measurement system for inpatients with heart failure in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The research methodology was guided by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Sciences (PARIHS) framework and the sociotechnical model of health information technology. Data sources comprised semi-structured interviews ( n = 15), archival review of internal VA documents, and literature review. The interviewees consisted of four VA key informants and 11 subject matter experts (SMEs). Interviewees were VA quality management (QM) staff, clinicians, data analysts, and quality measurement experts, among others. Our interviews identified themes, which confirmed that the automated system is aligned with current internal organizational features, hardware and software infrastructure, and workflow and communication needs. We also identified facilitators and barriers to adoption of the automated system. The themes found will be used to inform future implementation of the system.
The Relationship Between Service Quality, Corporate Image, and Customer Loyalty of Generation Y: An Application of S-O-R Paradigm in the Context of Superstores in Bangladesh
Authors: Alam Mirza Mohammad Didarul , Noor Nor Azila Mohd
Published: May 2020

Facing immense competition, retailers across the globe are experiencing reduction in their customer loyalty. This decreasing trend is even more observable in the superstore retailing in Bangladesh; especially whose target market is young cohort (Generation Y [Gen Y]). As a result, it is vital for the superstore owners to ascertain the factors affecting the customer loyalty of Gen Y. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of service quality and corporate image on customer loyalty of Gen Y in the retail superstores of Bangladesh. A total of 325 Gen Y shoppers were surveyed from four leading superstores in Bangladesh using a structured questionnaire. Smart-PLS 3.0 software was used to validate the collected data and test the statistical significance of the path relationships by following structural equation modeling. The results indicate that Gen Y customers’ loyalty toward the superstores is positively and significantly influenced by both service quality and corporate image. The outputs also reveal that service quality indirectly affects Gen Y customer loyalty toward superstores with an intervening role of corporate image. Research implications from theoretical and practical standpoints as well as the recommendations for forthcoming study are also provided.