bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of the skin sensitization potential of polyhexamethylene guanidine and triclosan and mixtures of these compounds with the excipient propylene glycol through the human Cell Line Activation Test
Authors: Yang SuJeong , Heo Yong , Gautam Ravi , Lee JaeHee , Maharjan Anju , Jo JiHun , Acharya Manju , Kim ChangYul , Kim HyoungAh
Published: December 2020

Household products often contain an antimicrobial agent such as biocides, polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG), triclosan (TCS), and propylene glycol (PG) as an excipient to dissolve the active ingredients. The skin sensitization (SS) potentials of each of these substances or mixtures of PHMG or TCS with PG have not been investigated through in vitro alternative test methods. The in vitro alternative assay called human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT) served to address these issues. The h-CLAT assay was conducted in accordance with OECD TG 442E. On three independent runs, all the three substances were predicted to be sensitizers according to the SS positivity with relative fluorescence intensity of CD86 ≥ 150% and/or CD54 ≥ 200% at any tested concentrations. Mixtures of PHMG or TCS with PG at ratios of 9:1, 4:1, or 1:4 weight/volume were all positive in terms of SS potential. Since humans can be occupationally or environmentally exposed to mixtures of excipients with active ingredients of biocides, the present study may give insights into further investigations of the SS potentials of various chemical mixtures.
SAHA attenuates rotenone-induced toxicity in primary microglia and HT-22 cells
Authors: Günaydin Caner , Çelik Z Betül , Bilge S Sırrı , Avci Bahattin , Kara Nurten
Published: December 2020

Rotenone is an industrial and environmental toxicant that has been strongly associated with neurodegeneration. It is clear that rotenone induces inflammatory and oxidative stress; however, information on the role of histone acetylation in neurotoxicity is limited. Epigenetic alterations, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress play a role in the progression of neurodegeneration and can be caused by exposure to environmental chemicals, such as rotenone. Histone modifications, such as methylation and acetylation, play an important role in mediating epigenetic changes. Therefore, we here investigated the effects of histone acetylation on rotenone-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in both primary mouse microglia and hippocampal HT-22 cells using the pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). Our results showed that SAHA suppressed the inflammatory response by decreasing nuclear factor kappa B and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression. Additionally, SAHA inhibited the rotenone-induced elevation of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α levels in both cell lines. Furthermore, SAHA improved the rotenone-induced antioxidant status by mitigating the decrease in cellular glutathione levels. Additionally, SAHA prevented the rotenone-induced increase in the HDAC activity in microglial and hippocampal HT-22 cells. Together, our results showed that SAHA reduced rotenone-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress, suggesting a role for histone deacetylation in environmental-related neurotoxicity.
Surface functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for intravitreal application of tacrolimus
Authors: Paiva Mayara Rodrigues Brandão , Andrade Gracielle Ferreira , Dourado Lays Fernanda Nunes , Castro Brenda Fernanda Moreira , Fialho Silvia Ligório , Sousa Edésia Martins Barros , Silva-Cunha Armando
Published: December 2020

Tacrolimus (TAC), a potent immunosuppressive macrolide, has been investigated for ocular diseases due to promising results in the treatment of anterior and posterior segments eye diseases. Mesoporous and functionalized silica nanoparticles show potential as TAC delivery platforms owing to their interesting characteristic as large surface area, uniform pore size distribution, high pore volume, and excellent biocompatibility. The purpose of this study was to incorporate TAC in functionalized silica nanoparticles with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (MSNAPTES) and investigate the safety and biocompatibility of the systems. The MSNAPTES and MSNAPTES TAC nanoparticles were characterized. The in vitro cytotoxicity of MSNAPTES and MSNAPTES load with TAC (MSNAPTES-TAC) in retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) was determined, chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay model was used to investigate the in vivo biocompatibility, and safety of intravitreal injection was evaluated using clinical examination (assessment of intraocular pressure and indirect fundus ophthalmoscopy), electroretinographic (ERG) and histologic studies in rats’ eyes. The elemental analysis (CHN), thermogravimetric (TGA), photon correlation spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed the presence of functionalized agent and TAC in the MSNAPTES nanoparticles. TAC loading was estimated at 7% for the MSNAPTES TAC nanoparticles. MSNAPTES and MSNAPTES TAC did not present in vitro cytotoxicity. The drug delivery systems showed good biocompatibility on CAM. No retinal abnormalities, vitreous hemorrhage, neovascularization, retinal detachment, and optic nerve atrophy were observed during the in vivo study. Follow-up ERGs showed no changes in the function of the retina cells after 15 days of intravitreal injection, and histopathologic observations support these findings. In conclusion, MSNAPTES TAC was successfully synthesized, and physicochemical analyses confirmed the presence of TAC in the nanoparticles. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that MSNAPTES TAC was safe to intravitreal administration. Taking into account the enormous potential of MSNAPTES to carry TAC, this platform could be a promising strategy for TAC ocular drug delivery in the treatment of eye diseases.
In vitro performance of 3D printed PCL−β-TCP degradable spinal fusion cage
Authors: Han Xiao , Gao Yuan , Ding Yilei , Wang Weijie , Liu Li , Zhao Ansha , Yang Ping
Published: December 2020

Spinal fusion cages are commonly used to treat spinal diseases caused by degenerative changes, deformities, and trauma. At present, most of the main clinical spinal fusion cage products are non-degradable and still cause some undesirable side effects, such as the stress shielding phenomenon, interference with postoperative medical imaging, and obvious foreign body sensation in patients. Degradable spinal fusion cages have promising potential with extensive perspectives. The purpose of this study was to fabricate a degradable spinal fusion cage from both polycaprolactone (PCL) and high-proportion beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), using the highly personalised, accurate, and rapid fused deposition modelling 3 D printing technology. PCL and β-TCP were mixed in three different ratios (60:40, 55:45, and 50:50). Both in vitro degradation and cell experiments proved that all cages with the different PCL:β-TCP ratios met the mechanical properties of human cancellous bone while maintaining their structural integrity. The biological activity of the cages improved with higher amounts of the β-TCP content. This study also showed that a spinal fusion cage with high β-TCP content and suitable mechanical properties can be manufactured using extruding rods and appropriate models, providing a new solution for the design of degradable spinal fusion cages.
A Qualitative Study on the Establishment of an Interpersonal Violence Registry System in Iran
Authors: Iezadi Shabnam , Alizadeh Mahasti , Samadirad Bahram , Khanijahani Ahmad , Pourasghari Hamid , Sadeghi-Bazargani Homayoun , Shahrokhi Hassan , Gholipour Kamal
Published: December 2020

Establishment of an interpersonal-violence registry system (IPVRS) is a promising initiative to tackle violence. This qualitative study aimed to fill the gap in knowledge regarding the feasibility of establishing the IPVRS in the East-Azerbaijan province of Iran. This qualitative study using content analysis was conducted to explore the importance, challenges, and facilitating factors of establishing the IPVRS from the viewpoints of stakeholders. Forty-six individuals from the Forensic Medical Organization, the University, the Welfare Organization, the Training and Education Organization, hospitals, and primary health centers participated in the study. Six themes and 13 sub-themes were identified. The importance of the establishment of the IPVRS was sub-categorized into two main themes, including violence as a public health priority and severe consequences of violence including intensive health and social outcomes and high use of medical services. The most critical challenges of establishing the IPVRS were categorized into two main themes including victims’ under-reporting due to financial difficulties as well as psychosocial barriers and structural barriers such as organizational barriers and methodological challenges. Inter-sectoral partnership was identified as the main facilitating factor in the successful establishment of the IPVRS. The participants recommended improving the development of the IPVRS by stepwise development of the program, resource absorption from other beneficiary organizations, and making more coverage in the registry system. In conclusion, the establishment of the IPVRS is identified as an effective strategy to tackle violence-related issues. Close collaboration with different governmental and non-governmental sectors and the gradual development of the registry system can pave the way for establishing the IPVRS. This study has several implications for identifying potential challenges and facilitators of the IPVRS applicable to other developing countries with similar contexts.
Safety and Predictors of Sexual Minority Youth Carrying Weapons
Authors: Streed Carl G. , Turner Blair , Beach Lauren B. , Marro Rachel , Felt Dylan , Wang Xinzi , Phillips Gregory
Published: December 2020

Prior research has revealed sexual minority youth are more likely to carry weapons both outside of and within school. However, to date, no study has examined the degree to which bullying and harassment is associated with weapon carrying among sexual minority youth. We utilized the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to examine the prevalence and likelihood of carrying weapons by sexual identity, adjusting for adverse experiences. From the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2009-2015, we examined self-report of adverse experiences (e.g., being bullied, skipping school due to fear for personal safety) and performed Logistic regressions to estimate the odds of carrying a weapon and were adjusted to include demographics and adverse experiences. When surveyed by sexual identity, 14.0% of heterosexual, 21.8% of gay/lesbian, 18.5% of bisexual, and 17.4% of “not sure” students reported carrying a weapon in the past 30 days. Odds of carrying a weapon were significantly increased for youth who skipped school due to feeling unsafe at school, had ever been threatened with a weapon in the past year, and had ever been in a physical fight. Compared to heterosexual female peers, sexual minority women had increased odds of carrying a weapon. Pediatricians should recognize that experiencing bullying and feeling unsafe are associated with weapon carrying, particularly among sexual minorities. Pediatricians and professionals who work with youth should recognize that reported experiences of bullying may not be the most salient indicator of risk for weapon carrying among all youth, and that other fears of or experiences with bullying are crucial to screen for among sexual minorities in particular.
“Words Aren’t Supposed to Hurt, But They Do”: Sexual and Gender Minority Youth’s Bullying Experiences
Authors: Henderson Emmett R. , Sang Jordan M. , Louth-Marquez William , Egan James E. , Espelage Dorothy , Friedman Mark , Coulter Robert W. S.
Published: December 2020

Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) are more likely to experience bullying and violence compared to the youth who do not identify as SGMY, leading to increased risk of poor mental and physical health outcomes, and poor academic performance. Few studies explore the entire range of bullying experienced by sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY). The purpose of this study was to qualitatively describe the ways in which SGMY experience bullying victimization. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of 20 SGMY aged 14–18 years (median age 16 years) recruited from online social media. The sample included 10 participants who identified as cisgender girls, 4 who identified as cisgender boys, 2 who identified as transgender, and 4 who identified as another gender identity. Ten participants identified as bisexual, six identified as lesbian, and four identified as gay. Findings indicated six common experiences of bullying among the participants: (a) verbal harassment; (b) gender policing; (c) physical violence; (d) sexual harassment; (e) treated as sexual perpetrators and deviants; and (f) and social exclusion. SGMY described how bullying victimization ranged from overt to concealed attitudes and behaviors, and they articulated how several forms of bullying are likely not experienced by heterosexual and cisgender youth. These results support findings from prior qualitative studies and suggest that efforts to address school-based bullying may benefit from a more complete awareness of the range of bullying victimization experienced by SGMY. Development of multi-item scales of bullying that reflect the six common experiences of bullying presented in this study would allow researchers to quantitatively explore the range of bullying behaviors experienced by SGMY, and would aid in the conceptualization and successful implementation of anti-bullying interventions.
Health-Behaviors Associated With the Growing Risk of Adolescent Suicide Attempts: A Data-Driven Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wei Zhiyuan , Mukherjee Sayanti
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

Identify and examine the associations between health behaviors and increased risk of adolescent suicide attempts, while controlling for socio-economic and demographic differences.

Design:

A data-driven analysis using cross-sectional data.

Setting:

Communities in the state of Montana from 1999 to 2017. Selected Montana as it persistently ranks among the top 3 vulnerable states in the U.S. over the past years.

Subjects:

Selected 22,447 adolescents of whom 1,631 adolescents attempted suicide at least once.

Measures:

Overall 29 variables (predictors) accounting for psychological behaviors, illegal substances consumption, daily activities at schools and demographic backgrounds were considered.

Analysis:

A library of machine learning algorithms along with the traditionally-used logistic regression were used to model and predict suicide attempt risk. Model performances—goodness-of-fit and predictive accuracy—were measured using accuracy, precision, recall and F-score metrics. Additionally, χ2 analysis was used to evaluate the statistical significance of each variable.

Results:

The non-parametric Bayesian tree ensemble model outperformed all other models, with 80.0% accuracy in goodness-of-fit (F-score: 0.802) and 78.2% in predictive accuracy (F-score: 0.785). Key health-behaviors identified include: being sad/hopeless ( p < 0.0001), followed by safety concerns at school ( p < 0.0001), physical fighting ( p < 0.0001), inhalant usage ( p < 0.0001), illegal drugs consumption at school ( p < 0.0001), current cigarette usage ( p < 0.0001), and having first sex at an early age (below 15 years of age). Additionally, the minority groups (American Indian/Alaska Natives, Hispanics/Latinos) ( p < 0.0001), and females ( p < 0.0001) are also found to be highly vulnerable to attempting suicides.

Conclusion:

Significant contribution of this work is understanding the key health-behaviors and health disparities that lead to higher frequency of suicide attempts among adolescents, while accounting for the non-linearity and complex interactions among the outcome and the exposure variables. Findings provide insights on key health-behaviors that can be viewed as early warning signs/precursors of suicide attempts among adolescents.
Inter-organizational collaboration between healthcare providers
Authors: van der Schors Wouter , Roos Anne-Fleur , Kemp Ron , Varkevisser Marco
Published: December 2020

Across OECD countries, healthcare organizations increasingly rely on inter-organizational collaboration (IOC). Yet, systematic insight into the relations across different healthcare sectors is lacking. The aim of this explorative study is twofold. First, to understand how IOC differs across healthcare sectors with regards to characteristics, motives and the role of health policy. Second, to understand which potential effects healthcare executives consider prior to the establishment of the collaborations. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among a representative panel of Dutch healthcare executives from medium-sized or large healthcare organizations. Almost half (n = 344, 48%) of the invited executives participated. Our results suggest that differences in policy changes and institutional developments across healthcare sectors affect the scope and type of IOC: hospitals generally operate in small horizontal collaborations, while larger and more complex mixed and non-horizontal collaborations are more present among nursing homes, disability care and mental care organizations. We find that before establishing IOCs, most healthcare executives conduct a self-assessment including the potential effects of the collaboration. The extensive overview of policy developments, collaboration types and intended outcomes presented in our study offers a useful starting point for a more in-depth assessment of the effectiveness of collaborations among healthcare organizations.
A new reconstruction of the “Wisdom of the Hands” unit in 4QInstructiond (4Q418)
Authors: Gayer Asaf
Published: December 2020

This study presents the material reconstruction of the unit on חכמת ידים‎—“Wisdom of the Hands,” in copy d of the wisdom composition Instruction (4Q418), followed by a complete transcription and an English translation. The study presents the location of nine fragments of 4Q418, placed on three consecutive columns, along with new joins and new readings. The reconstruction is based on the principles of the Stegemann method for the reconstruction of fragmentary scrolls, alongside new digital tools and software, as elaborated below. The new findings allow for a better understanding of the practical wisdom of Instruction, and provide new valuable data for future reconstruction of the entire composition.
Esoteric wisdom texts from Qumran
Authors: Brooke George J.
Published: December 2020

The dominant approach to sapiential compositions found in the caves at and near Qumran has been based on traditional views of the wisdom books of the Hebrew Bible. The intention here is to look rather at the likely contexts of the transmission of the sapiential literature in the movement that preserved the Scrolls. In so doing, particular attention is given to esoteric writings. The first part of the paper outlines three key factors that indicate how a change of perspective might be justified and facilitated, namely views among biblical scholars that the overarching category of Wisdom Literature has lost much of its heuristic value, early Jewish views on evil and how to deal with it, and views on secrecy in early Judaism. The second major part is a brief consideration of sapiential compositions in the light of those key factors, suggesting a hierarchy of texts to match the social hierarchy and its accompanying hierarchy of knowledge for the group responsible for collecting the Scrolls in the caves at and near Qumran.
Vector field path-following control for a small unmanned ground vehicle with Kalman filter estimation
Authors: Sun Yun-Ping , Liang Yen-Chu
Published: December 2020

Industry 4.0 accelerates the growth of unmanned technology that reduces the labor cost and creates high automation in manufacturing system. The automated guided vehicle which is capable of transferring materials or executing tasks without human intervention becomes a necessary system for modern unmanned factories. The study explores the guidance and control design to accomplish the common task of path-following control for unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). A complete design method is presented that includes the lateral-directional autopilot, the vector field guidance for path-following, and multi-sensor fusion. The lateral-directional autopilot produces the low-level control action, the higher level guidance indicates the course direction of UGV at every spatial point based on the lateral path error, and the accurate UGV position relies on the estimate obtained by dynamically fusing sensors with extended Kalman filter. The design parameters in every stage are analyzed theoretically first and then fine-tuned in practice. The process is clearly described in this study, and the field test results are discussed in details to verify the performance of the proposed method and demonstrate the superiority over others.
Multi-objective optimization of the manufacture of face-milled hypoid gears on numerical controlled machine tool
Authors: Simon Vilmos V
Published: December 2020

A new method is presented for advanced manufacture of hypoid gears on numerical controlled machine tool. The tool geometry and machine tool settings are determined to introduce the optimal tooth modifications into the teeth of hypoid gears. The goal is to reduce the maximum tooth contact stresses, angular displacement error of the driven gear, and energy losses in the oil film existing between tooth surfaces. The calculation is based on the optimal variation of machine tool settings on the classical machine tool for hypoid gear manufacture. The novelty of the method is that during the machining process of teeth surfaces, the variation of machine tool settings on the cradle-type hypoid generator is conducted by polynomial functions of fifth-order. By an algorithm, this variation of machine tool settings is transferred to the numerical controlled machine tool for hypoid gear manufacture (hypoid generator). The obtained results have shown that by applying the optimal manufacture process, considerable reductions in tooth contact stresses and angular displacement errors of the driven gear, and a moderate reduction in energy losses were obtained. Therefore, by applying this new method in practice, advanced manufacture of hypoid gears on CNC hypoid generator is made possible, resulting improved operating characteristics of the hypoid gear pair.
Combining the strength of centralized control and distributed autonomy for crowdsourcing design: An integrated model of Blackboard and Bayesian network
Authors: Yang Maolin , Jiang Pingyu
Published: December 2020

Socialized product design (SPD) mode, enabled by advanced internet technologies and sharing economic trends, has the capability of utilizing the design resources from large numbers of socialized designers (SDs) to carry out the design tasks that used to be participated by only the internal R&D staffs of companies. During SPD projects, different kinds of mechanisms can be applied to organize the SDs. Some of them tend to be centralized control (e.g. crowdsourcing design) and some are more of distributed autonomy (e.g. opensourcing design). Both centralized control and distributed autonomy have their strengths and limitations for SPD. Centralized control enables more organized, focused, and efficient project execution, but it limits the emergence of collective intelligence among the SDs. Distributed autonomy helps to explore the innovation potential of SDs by granting them the freedom of communication and mutual inspiration, but it may cause the problem of unreliable and unpredictable design process. To complement the advantages of centralized control and distributed autonomy in SPD, an integrated model of Blackboard and Bayesian network is established in this paper. The Blackboard, whose Control modules are specially customized for human Knowledge sources, is for guaranteeing overall control of the distributed design process and at the same time permitting certain level of autonomy to the SDs. The Bayesian network, built with an improved Bayesian causal map method, is an embedded Control module of the Blackboard which evaluates design solutions according to the incomplete collective judgments from SDs. The operability of the integrated model has been verified through a case study of 3D printer conceptual design project.
Nonlinear dynamic characteristics of marine rotor-bearing system under coupled heave and pitch ship motions
Authors: Zhang Wenzhuo , Li Ming
Published: December 2020

The coupled heave and pitch motions of a ship sailing in head waves affect the stability of the marine rotor-bearing system. Based on the theory of analytical mechanics, this study establishes a dynamic model of the rotor-bearing system subjected to the coupled motions of heave and pitch, considering nonlinear oil film moments produced by the tilting of the rotor in the bearings. The nonlinear dynamic behaviours of the system are analysed using numerical methods to obtain Poincaré sections, bifurcation diagrams, and the largest Lyapunov exponents. The results show that dynamic bifurcation characteristics reveal complex quasi-periodic motion of upper and lower branches after the initial instability of the system, and the speed of second instability increase markedly. At high speeds, the amplitude of the rotor system increases sharply, which can cause the rotor to touch the inner wall of the bearings in the quasi-periodic state and a failure to transition to the chaotic state. Additionally, the effects of heave and pitch amplitude variations on the dynamic characteristics of the system are also discussed.
Obstacle-avoidance algorithm design for autonomous vehicles considering driver subjective feelings
Authors: Deng Weishun , Guo Huan , Zhang Kaijiong , Lin Mengqi , Zhang Xi , Yu Fan
Published: December 2020

Normally, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are limited to be widely used in market not only for technical factors, but also psychological reasons. Considering the psychological feelings of drivers during switching manned to unmanned operation modes, an algorithm for avoiding obstacles is designed for AVs by considering driver psychological feelings. A so-called confidence-limit-distance (denoted as CLD) for driver to avoid obstacle is experimentally obtained by a number of real track tests with 100 volunteer test drivers as required to approach the obstacle in a certain way. Based on Artificial Potential Field (APF) method, a road potential field is established accordingly to characterize the information on the real road. To express the different influences of obstacles on the driver’s psychological feeling in both longitudinal and lateral directions, a confidence potential field also is established based on a two-dimensional normal distribution combining von Mises distribution. Hence, the second-order Taylor expansions of the road potential field and the confidence potential field are firstly introduced into the cost functions for model predictive control (MPC). The corresponding MPC algorithm used here selects front-wheel steering angle as the control variable to be solved. The CLD and range of sensed vehicle motion state variables are taken as the constraints of the MPC. Co-simulations and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) tests are carried out, showing the effectiveness of designed algorithm, which can be useful in the development and design for Advanced Driving Assistant System (ADAS) and AVs.
An efficient variance-based global sensitivity index based on C-DRM and Taylor expansion
Authors: Wang Wenxuan , Wang Xiaoyi
Published: December 2020

Sensitivity analysis plays an important role in quantifying the impact of input uncertainty on model response uncertainty. Through sensitivity analysis, we can grasp the crucial parameters and gain a deeper understanding of the model behavior. In this paper, an effective analytical solution for solving the variance-based global sensitivity index is proposed. Firstly, the original performance function is approximated as the sum of a series of univariate functions using the conventional dimensional reduction method (C-DRM). Then, the Taylor series expansion is used to expand the univariate function as unary linear function and unary quadratic functions. Finally, the analytical solutions of the variance-based global sensitivity index based on unary linear function and unary quadratic functions are derived respectively. The computational cost of the proposed method is completely concentrated on the calculation of the partial derivative information of the performance function with respect to each variable. As long as the partial derivative information is obtained, the variance-based global sensitivity index can be obtained directly by the proposed method without any additional computational cost. For simple explicit performance functions, the derivative information can be directly derived analytically. For complex explicit or implicit performance functions, the derivative information can be estimated by some simple numerical difference methods. Five examples are studied to investigate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
Dynamic analysis of railway vehicle derailment mechanism in train-to-train collision accidents
Authors: Hou Lin , Peng Yong , Sun Dong
Published: December 2020

Train collision-induced derailment may result in serious casualties. This study investigates the railway vehicle derailment behaviour and explores the derailment causes in train-to-train impacts. A train-track coupled dynamic model is developed and validated. The lateral ( Yde) and vertical ( Zde) relative displacements of the wheel/rail pair are used for the derailment evaluation. The results show that the wheelset jumping derailment and the saw-tooth buckling mode may occur during the high-speed collisions. Derailment is mainly caused by car body yawing rotation and wheelset lateral and vertical displacements. Yawing and pitching motions of car body influence wheelset displacement significantly. Vehicles with the higher velocity generate more severe derailment behaviour. Under circumstance of the same train impact energy, the higher vehicle mass and greater car numbers have the stabilizing influence for reducing the derailment risk. Increasing the force on the main energy-absorbing structure which is set in the front-end crushing zone of a vehicle to dissipate the train impact energy and the damping coefficient of the secondary yaw damper can decrease the derailment risk. The train safety operation areas and derailment boundaries indicate that the reliability of the Yde criterion is higher.
Far-field drag decomposition using hybrid formulas and vorticity based area sensors
Authors: Qiao L , He XL , Sun Y , Bai JQ , Li L
Published: December 2020

Numerical simulation of flow-field has become an indispensable tool for aerodynamic design. Usually, wall surface integration is a tool used to calculate values of pressure drag and skin friction drag, but the aerodynamic mechanism of drag production is still confusing. In present work, in order to decompose the total drag into viscous drag, wave drag, induced drag, and spurious drag, a far-field drag decomposition (FDD) method is developed. This method depends on axial velocity defect and area sensor functions. The present work proposes three hybrid formulas for velocity defect to tackle the negative square root issue by analyzing the existing axial velocity defect formulas. For dealing with the issue of detection failure for near-wall cells, a novel vorticity based viscous area sensor function is proposed. The new area sensor function is also independent of the turbulence model, which ensures easy application to general simulation methods for flow-field. Three tests cases are there to validate the proposed FDD method. The three dimensional transonic CRM test case shows that the present improvement is crucial for accurate drag decomposition. Excellent agreement between total decomposed drags and results from the near-field method or experimental data further confirms the correctness.
Experimental and numerical analysis of fluid-solid-thermal coupling on electric fuel pump
Authors: Wei Renfeng , Ye Zhifeng
Published: December 2020

This paper designs an axial partition fuel cooling shell to solve the problem of temperature rise in the motor of the electric fuel pump (EFP). And describes a simplified method in conjunction with the computational fluid dynamics(CFD) to analyze heat generations and fuel cooling effects in integrated EFPs. Furthermore, CFD is used to numerically simulate the coupling effects among the fluid-solid-thermal based on multiple physical field. With varying different working conditions of the pump, cooling characteristics of the fuel cooling shell are obtained through CFD results. Finally, an experimental system for the EFP is established to verify reliability of the simplified method and the effectiveness of the fuel cooling scheme. Results show that fuel cooling shell plays an essential role in heat dissipating, with a maximum reduction of up to approximately 42 K in temperature. Temperature error between simulations and experiments is less than 4%, which indicates reliabilities of the simplified model and fuel cooling shell.
Numerical study of the flow over the modified simple frigate shape
Authors: Li Tong , Wang Yibin , Zhao Ning
Published: December 2020

The simple frigate shape (SFS) as defined by The Technical Co-operative Program (TTCP), is a simplified model of the frigate, which helps to investigate the basic flow fields of a frigate. In this paper, the flow fields of the different modified SFS models, consisting of a bluff body superstructure and the deck, were numerically studied. A parametric study was conducted by varying both the superstructure length L and width B to investigate the recirculation zone behind the hangar. The size and the position of the recirculation zones were compared between different models. The numerical simulation results show that the size and the location of the recirculation zone are significantly affected by the superstructure length and width. The results obtained by Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes method were also compared well with both the time averaged Improved Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation results and the experimental data. In addition, by varying the model size and inflow velocity, various flow fields were numerically studied, which indicated that the changing of Reynolds number has tiny effect on the variation of the dimensionless size of the recirculation zone. The results in this study have certain reference value for the design of the frigate superstructure.
Evaluation on the performance fluctuation after water ingestion for a turbofan engine compressor during flight descent
Authors: Yang Lu , Zheng Qun , Lin Aqiang
Published: December 2020

Turbofan engine compressor is most severely threatened by the entry of liquid water during flight descent. This study aims to deeply understand the fluctuations of compressor performance parameters caused by water ingestion through frequency spectrum analysis. The water content and droplet diameter distribution are determined based on the real heavy rain environment. Results reveal that most of the droplets actually entering the core compressor have a particle size of less than 100 μm. In addition, the formation and motion of water film plays a critical role in affecting the fluctuation characteristics. Water ingestion deteriorates the compression performance and aggravates the unsteady fluctuations of the fan. However, the performance of the core compressor is less affected by water ingestion, but their fluctuations are still exacerbated. For some important parameters, such as inlet mass flow rate, total pressure ratio, total temperature ratio, compression work and efficiency, their main frequency of fluctuation are switched from the original blade passing frequency to the rotor passing frequency, and their amplitudes are correspondingly amplified to varying degrees. These phenomena can be observed in both the fluctuations of the fan and core compressor. Moreover, the operating point of them will be in the long-period and large-amplitude fluctuations, which leads them experiences the non-optimal state for a long time and threatens their operating stability.
Greater Male Variability in Cooperation: Meta-Analytic Evidence for an Evolutionary Perspective
Authors: Thöni Christian , Volk Stefan , Cortina Jose M.
Published: December 2020

Do men and women differ systematically in their cooperation behaviors? Researchers have long grappled with this question, and studies have returned equivocal results. We developed an evolutionary perspective according to which men are characterized by greater intrasex variability in cooperation as a result of sex-differentiated psychological adaptations. We tested our hypothesis in two meta-analyses. The first involved the raw data of 40 samples from 23 social-dilemma studies with 8,123 participants. Findings provided strong support for our perspective. Whereas we found that the two sexes do not differ in average cooperation levels, men are much more likely to behave either selfishly or altruistically, whereas women are more likely to be moderately cooperative. We confirmed our findings in a second meta-analytic study of 28 samples from 23 studies of organizational citizenship behavior with 13,985 participants. Our results highlight the importance of taking intrasex variability into consideration when studying sex differences in cooperation and suggest important future research directions.
Incidental Attitude Formation via the Surveillance Task: A Preregistered Replication of the Olson and Fazio (2001) Study
Authors: Moran Tal , Hughes Sean , Hussey Ian , Vadillo Miguel A. , Olson Michael A. , Aust Frederik , Bading Karoline , Balas Robert , Benedict Taylor , Corneille Olivier , Douglas Samantha B. , Ferguson Melissa J. , Fritzlen Katherine A. , Gast Anne , Gawronski Bertram , Giménez-Fernández Tamara , Hanusz Krzysztof , Heycke Tobias , Högden Fabia , Hütter Mandy , Kurdi Benedek , Mierop Adrien , Richter Jasmin , Sarzyńska-Wawer Justyna , Smith Colin Tucker , Stahl Christoph , Thomasius Philine , Unkelbach Christian , De Houwer Jan
Published: December 2020

Evaluative conditioning is one of the most widely studied procedures for establishing and changing attitudes. The surveillance task is a highly cited evaluative-conditioning paradigm and one that is claimed to generate attitudes without awareness. The potential for evaluative-conditioning effects to occur without awareness continues to fuel conceptual, theoretical, and applied developments. Yet few published studies have used this task, and most are characterized by small samples and small effect sizes. We conducted a high-powered ( N = 1,478 adult participants), preregistered close replication of the original surveillance-task study (Olson & Fazio, 2001). We obtained evidence for a small evaluative-conditioning effect when “aware” participants were excluded using the original criterion—therefore replicating the original effect. However, no such effect emerged when three other awareness criteria were used. We suggest that there is a need for caution when using evidence from the surveillance-task effect to make theoretical and practical claims about “unaware” evaluative-conditioning effects.
‘Next time stay in your war room and pray for your boys’ or return to your kitchen: Sexist discourses in Ghana’s 2019 National Science and Math Quiz
Authors: Agyepong Dorothy Pokua , Diabah Grace
Published: December 2020

This paper examines the representations of women in the discourses on the 2019 edition of Ghana’s National Science and Math Quiz. With data from online news articles and three social media outlets, the study examines stereotypical views about gender and Science/Math while exploring the relationship between language, gender, and culture. We focus on how the authors use memes, images and some linguistic strategies to instantiate certain (Ghanaian) gender norms and practices. Findings suggest that women who pursue (academic) excellence, especially in male-dominated fields like Science and Math, are usurpers who need to be kept where they ‘belong’. They are thus presented in particular stereotypical ways – homemakers, supporters, objects of sex and beauty, ‘unfit’ for science/math. Using Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, which makes room for uncovering, contesting and reinterpreting the ‘hidden agendas’ of discourse, we also analyze nuances of the representations, some of which we (re)interpret as representations of women’s power.
Turkey’s energy trade relations with Europe: The role of institutions and energy market
Authors: Sakal Halil Burak
Published: December 2020

Globally, the level of electricity grid interconnectedness between neighboring countries varies depending on the level of regional cooperation enabled by institutions. As suggested by previous research, in transboundary river basins, this variation affects the environment and the management of transboundary waters. In regions where all electricity utilities are connected and function at a synchronized frequency, and where integrated electricity market mechanisms function, the stress on the shared water resources tends to be less. Turkey shares river basins and power transmission lines in Europe both with the members of the European Union (EU) and with non-member states. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature on the geopolitics of renewable energy by comparing the level of Turkey’s electricity trade integrity with its EU-member European neighbors and with its non-EU-member neighbors and discuss the potential impacts of the transboundary electricity trade on the environment and the shared water resources. The main argument in this paper is that the higher level of electricity trade between Turkey and its EU-member neighbors is facilitated and boosted by Turkey’s membership to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E). The higher level of electricity interconnection leads to a higher level of cooperation in water and environment issues in the shared river basins between Turkey and Europe through the facilitating role of established institutions.
But what about that nice house you own? The impact of asset tests in minimum income schemes in Europe: An empirical exploration
Authors: Marchal Sarah , Kuypers Sarah , Marx Ive , Verbist Gerlinde
Published: December 2020

Means-tested transfer schemes in Europe and elsewhere tend to include not only income tests but also asset tests of various sorts. The role of asset tests in minimum income protection provisions has been extensively researched in the Anglo-Saxon context. Far fewer authors have assessed the role of asset tests on social policy in a continental European context. Although asset tests may be useful in singling out the more deserving of the poor, we know relatively little of their actual impact on eligibility and social outcomes in European welfare states. This paper looks at the prevalence and design of asset tests in European minimum income protection schemes. We distinguish between two main types of asset tests: outright disqualification when assets reach a certain value, versus a more gradual tapering at a fictional rate of return. We then analyse in greater detail how asset tests in Belgium and Germany, as representatives of these two types, affect minimum income protection eligibility and poverty outcomes. We use the EUROMOD microsimulation model on the Household Finance and Consumption Survey data in order to assess the effects of asset tests. This survey was explicitly designed to more realistically reflect assets and capital incomes.
Breadwinning or on the breadline? Female breadwinners’ economic characteristics across 20 welfare states
Authors: Kowalewska Helen , Vitali Agnese
Published: December 2020

In analysing heterosexual couples’ work–family arrangements over time and space, the comparative social policy literature has settled on the framework of the ‘male-breadwinner’ versus the ‘dual-earner’ family. Yet, in assuming men in couple-families are (full-time) employed, this framework overlooks another work–family arrangement, which is the ‘female-breadwinner’ couple. Including female-breadwinner couples matters because of their growing prevalence and, as our analysis shows, greater economic vulnerability. We perform descriptive and regression analyses of Luxembourg Income Study microdata to compare household incomes for female-breadwinner couples and other couple-types across 20 industrialized countries. We then consider how labour earnings and benefit incomes vary for ‘pure’ breadwinner couples – comprising one wage-earner and one inactive/unemployed partner – according to the gender of the breadwinner. We find that pure female breadwinners have lower average individual earnings than male breadwinners, even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and occupational and working-time differences. Furthermore, welfare systems across most countries are not working hard enough to compensate for the female breadwinner earnings penalty, including in social-democratic countries. Once controls are included in our regression models, it never happens that pure female breadwinners have higher disposable household incomes than pure male breadwinners. Thus, our study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that female-breadwinner families sit at the intersection of multiple disadvantages. In turn, these couples offer comparative scholars of the welfare state an ‘acid test’ case study for how effectively families are protected from social risk. Our results additionally highlight how cross-national differences in the female breadwinner income disadvantage do not fit neatly with established welfare typologies, suggesting that other factors – in particular, labour market characteristics and the economic cycle – are also at play.
Bringing EU citizens together or pulling them apart? The European Health Insurance Card, east–west mobility and the failed promise of European social integration
Authors: Stan Sabina , Erne Roland , Gannon Susan
Published: December 2020

Although the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) was meant to bring Europeans together, this study shows that it is amplifying social inequalities across regions and classes. First, we evaluate the effects of east–west EHIC mobility, and of Eastern Europeans’ participation in it, on the practice of EU social citizenship rights to access cross-border care along spatial (east–west) and social class divides. We then assess the impact of these mobilities on healthcare resources in Western and Eastern Europe. Our findings show that the EHIC reinforces rather than reduces the spatially and socially uneven access to social citizenship rights to cross-border care. Moreover, EHIC patient outflows from Eastern to Western Europe result in a much higher relative financial burden for the budgets of Eastern European states than outflows from Western to Eastern Europe do for Western European countries. As a result, east–west EHIC mobility is reproducing rather than reversing healthcare inequalities between the two regions. Hence, the EHIC does not fulfil its promise of European social integration – not, however, because it creates a burden on Western European welfare states as often argued in Eurosceptic tabloids, but because it increases social inequalities both inside and between richer and poorer EU member states.