bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sleep Duration Correlates With Performance in Ultra-Endurance Triathlon
Authors: Kisiolek Jacob N. , Smith Kyle A. , Baur Daniel A. , Willingham Brandon D. , Morrissey Margaret C. , Leyh Samantha M. , Saracino Patrick G. , Mah Cheri D. , Ormsbee Michael J.
Published: October 2021

The relationship between sleep duration, sleep quality, and race completion time during each stage of a 3-day ultra-endurance triathlon (stage 1: 10-km swim, 146-km cycle; stage 2: 276-km cycle; and stage 3: 84.4-km run) was investigated. Seventeen triathletes partook in sleep analysis throughout the ultra-endurance multiday triathlon using an actigraphy wristband. The participants wore the band to record objective sleep outcomes for approximately 4 days (1–2 d prerace, 3 race days, and 1 d postrace), except while racing. The total sleep time (TST; prerace: 414.1 [95.3] min, prestage 1: 392.2 [138.3] min, prestage 2: 355.6 [62.5] min, and prestage 3: 299.7 [107.0] min) significantly decreased over time (P < .05). Significant Pearson moment–product correlations were found between TST and subsequent race–day performance for race stage 1 (r = −.577; P = .019) and stage 3 (r = −.546; P = .035), with further analysis revealing that TST explained 33% and 30% of the variation in performance for stages 1 and 3, respectively. During a 3-day ultra-endurance triathlon, the TST was reduced and had a significant negative correlation to exercise performance, indicating that sleep loss was associated with slower performances. Sleep onset latency, wake episodes, and sleep efficiency did not significantly change over the course of this investigation, which may stem from the close proximity of exercise to sleep.
Accelerometer-Measured Daily Steps, Physical Function, and Subsequent Fall Risk in Older Women: The Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease in Older Women Study
Authors: Schumacher Benjamin T. , Bellettiere John , LaMonte Michael J. , Evenson Kelly R. , Di Chongzhi , Lee I-Min , Sleet David A. , Eaton Charles B. , Lewis Cora E. , Margolis Karen L. , Tinker Lesley F. , LaCroix Andrea Z.
Published: October 2021

Steps per day were measured by accelerometer for 7 days among 5,545 women aged 63–97 years between 2012 and 2014. Incident falls were ascertained from daily fall calendars for 13 months. Median steps per day were 3,216. There were 5,473 falls recorded over 61,564 fall calendar-months. The adjusted incidence rate ratio comparing women in the highest versus lowest step quartiles was 0.71 (95% confidence interval [0.54, 0.95]; ptrend across quartiles = .01). After further adjustment for physical function using the Short Physical Performance Battery, the incidence rate ratio was 0.86 ([0.64, 1.16]; ptrend = .27). Mediation analysis estimated that 63.7% of the association may be mediated by physical function (p = .03). In conclusion, higher steps per day were related to lower incident falls primarily through their beneficial association with physical functioning. Interventions that improve physical function, including those that involve stepping, could reduce falls in older adults.
Global Engagement in the Kinesiology Classroom Through Virtual Exchange
Authors: Beach Pamela , Perreault Melanie , Malete Leapetswe
Published: October 2021

As the importance of intercultural competence increases for future professionals, kinesiology faculty should consider internationalizing their curriculum. Faculty can promote intercultural competence through a variety of experiences, including studying abroad, attending international conferences, or adding a virtual exchange component to their classes. Global engagement in the classroom allows students to examine problem solving by scholars globally and enhances soft skills and career readiness skills. Because international travel through study abroad programs poses many challenges, this paper will focus upon an alternative, virtual exchange that can be implemented in any kinesiology or related course. Faculty can implement virtual exchanges with either an international class or a nonprofit organization on a large (e.g., complete course) or small scale (e.g., collaborative project). A sample design and tips for developing a collaborative project in a kinesiology course will be discussed to provide kinesiology faculty with a framework to begin a partnership around international course collaboration.
Mga safeguards embryonic stem cells from acquiring extraembryonic endoderm fates
Authors: Qin Jinzhong , Wang Congcong , Zhu Yaru , Su Ting , Dong Lixia , Huang Yikai , Hao Kunying
Published: October 2021

Mga functions as a gatekeeper to prevent embryonic stem cells from entering into the endodermal lineage.
The Yin and Yang of Follicular Helper T Cells
Authors: Awasthi Amit , Kuchroo Vijay K.
Published: October 2021

The balanced expression of two transcription factors controls the development of a subset of T cells that support B cell maturation.
Appearance of Genetic Transforming Activity in Pneumococcal Cultures
Authors: Ottolenghi Elena , Hotchkiss Rollin D.
Published: October 2021

Growing populations of
Pneumococcus
were found to release into the culture medium deoxyribonucleate-containing material with genetic transforming activity. Active material was maximally produced at the time when the culture was most responsive to added deoxyribonucleate. Since mixed cultures thus give rise to recombinants, it may be that transformation provides a natural mechanism of genetic recombination for
Pneumococcus
.
Fever and Survival
Authors: Kluger Matthew J. , Ringler Daniel H. , Anver Miriam R.
Published: October 2021

The significance of fever in response to a bacterial infection has been investigated using the lizard
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
as an animal model. These lizards develop a fever of about 2°C after injection with the bacterium
Aeromonas hydrophila
. To determine whether this elevation in body temperature increases the resistance of the host to this infection, as measured by survival, lizards were infected with the live bacteria and placed in a neutral (38°C), low (34° or 36°C), or high (40° or 42°C) ambient temperature. An elevation in temperature following experimental bacterial infection results in a significant increase in host survival.
Developmental regulation of two 5S ribosomal RNA genes
Authors: Wolffe AP , Brown DD
Published: October 2021

The developmental regulation of two kinds of Xenopus 5S RNA genes (oocyte and somatic types) can be explained by differences in the stability of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions in a transcription complex that directs transcription initiation by RNA polymerase III. Dissociation of transcription factors from oocyte 5S RNA genes during development allows them to be repressed by chromatin assembly. In the same cells, somatic 5S RNA genes remain active because their transcription complexes are stable.
The SCID-hu mouse: murine model for the analysis of human hematolymphoid differentiation and function
Authors: McCune JM , Namikawa R , Kaneshima H , Shultz LD , Lieberman M , Weissman IL
Published: October 2021

The study of human hematopoietic cells and the human immune system is hampered by the lack of a suitable experimental model. Experimental data are presented showing that human fetal liver hematopoietic cells, human fetal thymus, and human fetal lymph node support the differentiation of mature human T cells and B cells after engraftment into mice with genetically determined severe combined immunodeficiency. The resultant SCID-hu mice are found to have a transient wave of human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and human IgG (immunoglobulin G) in the peripheral circulation. The functional status of the human immune system within this mouse model is not yet known.
Dynamic instability of sheared microtubules observed by quasi-elastic light scattering
Authors: Keates RA , Hallett FR
Published: October 2021

The kinetics of microtubule reassembly was studied in vitro by quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS). When microtubules assembled in the absence of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) were sheared, they rapidly depolymerized, recovered, and reassembled. The mean length of the recovered microtubules was the same as that observed just before shearing, implying that on average one fragment per original microtubule survived the fragmentation and recovery. When microtubules that contained 25 percent brain MAP were sheared, the fragments did not depolymerize extensively and the average length of the fragments decreased by a factor of 3 relative to the unsheared sample. The results support the dynamic instability model, which predicts that cellular microtubules are latently unstable structures protected on their ends by stabilizing caps.
Imaging of phosphorescence: a novel method for measuring oxygen distribution in perfused tissue
Authors: Rumsey WL , Vanderkooi JM , Wilson DF
Published: October 2021

The imaging of phosphorescence provides a method for monitoring oxygen distribution within the vascular system of intact tissues. Isolated rat lives were perfused through the portal vein with media containing palladium coproporphyrin, which phosphoresced and was used to image the liver at various perfusion rates. Because oxygen is a powerful quenching agent for phosphors, the transition from well-perfused liver to anoxia (no flow of oxygen) resulted in large increases of phosphorescence. During stepwise restoration of oxygen flow, the phosphorescence images showed marked heterogeneous patterns of tissue reoxygenation, which indicated that there were regional inequalities in oxygen delivery.
Image of the thin accretion disk around compact objects in the Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity
Authors: Gyulchev Galin , Nedkova Petya , Vetsov Tsvetan , Yazadjiev Stoytcho
Published: October 2021

We study the optical appearance of a thin accretion disk around compact objects within the Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity. Considering static spherically symmetric black holes and naked singularities we search for characteristic signatures which can arise in the observable images due to the modification of general relativity. While the images of the Gauss–Bonnet black holes closely resemble the Schwarzschild black hole, naked singularities possess a distinctive feature. A series of bright rings are formed in the central part of the images with observable radiation $$10^3$$

10
3

times larger than the rest of the flux making them observationally significant. We elucidate the physical mechanism, which causes the appearance of the central rings, showing that the image is determined by the light ring structure of the spacetime. In a certain region of the parametric space the Gauss–Bonnet naked singularities possess a stable and an unstable light ring. In addition the gravitational field becomes repulsive in a certain neighbourhood of the singularity. This combination of features leads to the formation of the central rings implying that the effect is not specific for the Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity but would also appear for any other compact object with the same characteristics of the photon dynamics.
LEVERAGE, FIRM FUNDAMENTALS AND EARNINGS MANAGEMENT UNDER NONLINEAR ASSUMPTIONS: EVIDENCES FROM APTA ECONOMIES
Authors: SHOAIB ADNAN , SIDDIQUI MUHAMMAD AYUB , SAEED MUHAMMAD BILAL
Published: October 2021

This study describes the impact of leverage on earnings management and determines varying relationships with the moderating effect of firm size in linear and nonlinear setting. Results from selected firms of members’ countries of Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) unequivocally revealed that in all countries the relationship between the leverage and earnings management is sigmoid in nature. Firms can limit the managers reporting of income-increasing accruals through debt creation up to a certain threshold after which further debt creation challenges the debt covenants. The firm size substantially moderates the relationship of leverage and earnings management and systematically converses the relationship through moderation. The relationship between accruals and firm size is also sigmoid in nature. The specific behavior is seen in Indian firms in which relationship between leverage and accruals is like Richard’s curve in nature due to higher agency cost issue. In Pakistan, firm size has been found as a major factor that guides the accrual due to higher political cost. Additionally, in the setting of comparative static analysis, at the first place, we examine cash flows-risk determining liquidity-risk position of the firms in Pakistan and Bangladesh. At the second place, in the case of China, India and Pakistan, this study reveals an increasing relationship between the effective tax rate and the probability of reporting negative accruals which may create attitude of tax evasion among the firms in these countries. In the third place, in the case of China, India and Bangladesh, sales growth depicts an increasing relationship with the likelihood of reporting positive accruals. However, decreasing relationship is observed for Pakistan and Sri Lanka between the sales growth and the possibility of positive accruals. This study has major implications for funding institutions, debt manager and regulatory bodies of Asian Economies.
Wage Discrimination and Tax Progressivity
Authors: LEE INSOOK
Published: October 2021

How does wage discrimination affect tax progressivity? To address this, optimal tax progressivity is characterized in an economy where individuals have different levels of ability and some of the individuals face wage discrimination. A decrease in wage discrimination reduces optimal tax progressivity, while an increase in ability inequality raises it. When pre-tax income inequality increases, tax progressivity can decrease. Moreover, interaction effect on tax progressivity of wage discrimination and ability inequality is negative. These findings hold whether social planners or voters decide tax progressivity. The empirical analysis with panel data of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development economies provides evidence supportive of the theoretical findings.
Numerical study on the mechanism of drag reduction for interceptors on planing boats
Authors: Cui Lianzheng , Chen Zuogang , Feng Yukun
Published: October 2021

The drag reduction effect of interceptors on planing boats has been widely proven, but the mechanism of the effect has been rarely studied in terms of drag components, especially for spray resistance. The resistance was caused by the high gauge pressure under the boats transformed from the dynamic pressure, and it is the largest drag component in the high-speed planing mode. In this study, numerical simulations of viscous flow fields around a planing boat with and without interceptors were conducted. A two degrees of freedom motion model was employed to simulate the trim and sinkage. The numerical results were validated against the experimental data. The flow details with and without the interceptor were visualized and compared to reveal the underlying physics. A thinner and longer waterline could be achieved by the interceptor, which made the boat push the water away more gradually, and hence, the wave-making resistance could be decreased. The improved waterline also reduced the component of the freestream normal to the hull surface and led to the less transformed dynamic pressure, resulting in the lowAer spray resistance. Furthermore, the suppression of the flow separation could also be benefited from the interceptor; the viscous pressure resistance was therefore decreased.
New explicit solitons for the general modified fractional Degasperis–Procesi–Camassa–Holm equation with a truncated M-fractional derivative
Authors: Hong Xiao , Davodi A. G. , Mirhosseini-Alizamini S. M. , Khater M. M. A. , Inc Mustafa
Published: October 2021

Important analytical methods such as the methods of exp-function, rational hyperbolic method (RHM) and sec–sech method are applied in this paper to solve fractional nonlinear partial differential equations (FNLPDEs) with a truncated [Formula: see text]-fractional derivative (TMFD), which consist of exponential terms. A general modified fractional Degasperis–Procesi–Camassa–Holm equation (GM-FDP-CHE) is investigated with TMFD. The exp-function method is also applied to derive a variety of traveling wave solutions (TWSs) with distinct physical structures for this nonlinear evolution equation. The RHM is used to obtain single-soliton solutions for this equation. The sec–sech method is used to derive multiple-soliton solutions of the GM-FDP-CHE. These techniques can be implemented to find various differential equations exact solutions arising from problems in engineering. The analytical solution of the [Formula: see text]-fractional heat equation is found. Graphical representations are also given.
Spatial-Prior-Guided Attention for Small Object Detection in Overhead Catenary System
Authors: Gong Hang , Zheng Shangdong , Wu Zebin , Xu Yang , Wei Zhihui , Xia Lei , Xu Wei , Liu Jianxin , Ding Daohua
Published: October 2021

The small defects in overhead catenary system (OCS) can result in long time delays, economic loss and even passenger injury. However, OCS images exhibit great variations with complex background and oblique views which pose a great challenge for small defects detection in high-speed rail system. In this paper, we propose the spatial-prior-guided attention for small object detection in OCS with two main advantages: (1) The spatial-prior is proposed to retain the spatial information between small defects and the electric components in OCS. (2) Based on spatial-prior, the spatial-prior-guided attention model (SAM) is designed to highlight useful information in the features and suppress redundant features response. SAM can model the spatial relations progressively and can be integrated with state-of-the-art feed-forward network architecture with end-to-end training fashion. We conduct extensive experiments on both Split pin datasets and PASCAL–VOC datasets and achieve 97.2% and 79.5% mAP values, respectively. All the experiments demonstrate the competitive performance of our method.
Control of COVID-19 outbreak using an extended SEIR model
Authors: McQuade Sean T. , Weightman Ryan , Merrill Nathaniel J. , Yadav Aayush , Trélat Emmanuel , Allred Sarah R. , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: October 2021

The outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in high death tolls all over the world. The aim of this paper is to show how a simple SEIR model was used to make quick predictions for New Jersey in early March 2020 and call for action based on data from China and Italy. A more refined model, which accounts for social distancing, testing, contact tracing and quarantining, is then proposed to identify containment measures to minimize the economic cost of the pandemic. The latter is obtained taking into account all the involved costs including reduced economic activities due to lockdown and quarantining as well as the cost for hospitalization and deaths. The proposed model allows one to find optimal strategies as combinations of implementing various non-pharmaceutical interventions and study different scenarios and likely initial conditions.
Predictive Modeling and Correlated Response Optimization of Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-Based Bio-Nano-Composite Material Using a Hybrid Module
Authors: Dubey Umang , Kesarwani Shivi , Verma Rajesh Kumar
Published: October 2021

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is commonly known as bone cement, having good biocompatibility, mechanical qualities. It is extensively used in the biomedical sector as a synthetic bone material, orthopedic surgery and dental applications. However, some primary machining is required to achieve the tailored shape, size and finish before application in the human body. This study focuses on the machining (drilling) behavior of the developed PMMA-based Hydroxyapatite (PMMA-HA) bio-nano- composites. The machining efficiency and parametric control were estimated using a combined principal component analysis (PCA) module and evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS). The Hydroxyapatite (HA) weight percentage (wt.%), spindle speed (SPEED) and tool material (TOOL) viz. HSS, Carbide and TiAlN are chosen according to the Taguchi-based experimental array. The objective is to get the best possible machining responses, such as the material removal rate (MRR), mean surface roughness (Ra) and circularity error ([Formula: see text] using the PCA-EDAS hybrid module. The optimal condition is found as the HSS drilling bit, 10%[Formula: see text]wt.%, SPEED-1428[Formula: see text]rpm with an improvement of 30.53%, 21.15% and 41.9% in MRR, Ra and [Formula: see text]-ERROR, respectively. The microstructural investigation scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows the excellent morphology and quality of the drilled hole in the proposed composites. Also, an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the prepared sample was done to ensure the proper reinforcement. The flexural test shows a significant expansion in the mechanical property due to the presence of HA in PMMA
Cortical bone stem cell-derived exosomes’ therapeutic effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion and cardiac remodeling
Authors: Schena Giana J. , Murray Emma K. , Hildebrand Alycia N. , Headrick Alaina L. , Yang Yijun , Koch Keith A. , Kubo Hajime , Eaton Deborah , Johnson Jaslyn , Berretta Remus , Mohsin Sadia , Kishore Raj , McKinsey Timothy A. , Elrod John W. , Houser Steven R.
Published: October 2021

Our work is noteworthy due to the identification of factors within stem cell-derived exosomes (dEXOs) that alter fibroblast activation through the hereto-unknown mechanism of decreasing small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) signaling within cardiac fibroblasts. The study also shows that the injection of stem cells or a stem-cell-derived exosome therapy at the onset of reperfusion elicits cardioprotection, emphasizing the importance of early treatment in the post-ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) wounded heart.
Interstitial Lung Disease: Seasonality of Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Mortality 2005–2015
Authors: von der Beck Daniel , Grimminger Friedrich , Seeger Werner , Günther Andreas , Löh Benjamin
Published: October 2021

Background: The overall incidence of interstitial lung disease and disease-associated mortality have been found on the rise. Hospitalizations for interstitial lung disease are typically caused by airway infection or the acute exacerbation of the underlying disease. Seasonal variance in ambient air pollution has recently been linked to exacerbation and mortality. We sought to examine the seasonal pattern of hospitalizations in Germany, use of mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality on a year-by-year basis to identify their overall trend and to characterize seasonal patterns. Methods: The national in-patient database of the federal statistical office of Germany was searched for cases of interstitial lung disease. Results: A total of 130,366 hospitalizations for ILD occurred from 2005 to 2015. Time series data were examined for seasonality using X-11 statistics. The incidence of hospitalizations, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality show clear seasonal peaks in the cold season. The observed seasonality cannot be attributed to the variance of selected comorbidities. Also, there is a significant overall upward trend regarding hospitalization counts, especially in the use of non-invasive ventilation. Conclusion: Time series analysis of in-hospital data shows an ILD-related rise of hospitalizations, in-hospital mortality, and non-invasive ventilation. This emphasizes a growing importance of interstitial lung diseases for health-care systems. Strong seasonality is seen in these variables. Data therefore support previous studies of ILD exacerbation. More research on infectious causes and environmental factors is warranted.
Deterioro en la actividad ventilatoria hipóxica inducido por neuropatía autonómica diabética, una causa de diagnóstico erróneo de eventos cardiacos graves: breve reporte de dos casos
Authors: Schubert Louis , Laroche Suzanne , Hartemann Agnès , Bourron Olivier , Phan Franck
Published: October 2021

Resumen: La ocurrencia de muerte súbita cardiaca es dos veces más frecuente en pacientes diabéticos con neuropatía autonómica. La etiología de la muerte súbita cardiaca aún no está clara, y no existen recomendaciones para identificar factores asociados con el paro cardiorrespiratorio en pacientes diabéticos. Proponemos la hipótesis, con base en dos casos clínicos, de que un deterioro en la actividad respiratoria hipóxica, inducido por la neuropatía autonómica diabética, es una causa del diagnóstico erróneo de eventos cardiacos graves. Presentación de casos: Describimos los casos de dos pacientes con baja saturación sanguínea aislada, medida con oxímetro de pulso durante la revisión rutinaria (77% y 85%, respectivamente), que contrasta con la ausencia de molestias como disnea, polipnea u otros signos de insuficiencia respiratoria durante el examen clínico. La gasometría arterial confirmó subsecuentemente la baja saturación de oxígeno en la sangre, y que ambas pacientes se hallaban hipoxémicas. La paciente 1 sufría una sobrecarga vascular complicada con paro cardiaco causado por hipoxemia, en vista de la rápida recuperación observada después de la ventilación. En la paciente 2 se diagnosticó edema pulmonar. El denominador común en los dos casos descritos en este breve reporte es la ausencia de signos clínicos de insuficiencia respiratoria y su contraste con la presencia confirmada de hipoxemia. Asimismo, en ambos casos, la ausencia de dichos signos precursores parece deberse a un deterioro en la actividad ventilatoria hipóxica, que resultó en hipoxemia. Ésta parece estar relacionada con la neuropatía autonómica diabética encontrada en estas dos pacientes. Conclusiones: Por tanto, en este breve reporte señalamos a la neuropatía autonómica cardiaca como una causa de deterioro en la actividad respiratoria hipóxica, vinculado con eventos cardiorrespiratorios agudos y severos en dos pacientes con diabetes tipo 1. Asumimos que una respuesta alterada a la hipoxemia debida a la neuropatía autonómica cardiaca y un comando respiratorio neurológico central no-funcional podría tener un papel clave en la muerte súbita entre pacientes diabéticos. Un punto importante es que es fácil pasar por alto la hipoxemia, puesto que no se reportan signos de insuficiencia respiratoria en estos dos casos clínicos. Es necesario aplicar una búsqueda sistemática de neuropatía autonómica cardiaca y detectar de manera proactiva el deterioro en la actividad respiratoria hipóxica en pacientes diabéticos, para garantizar un manejo temprano de la condición (p. ej., dando tratamiento a la hipoxia) y prevenir consecuencias dramáticas, como el paro cardiorrespiratorio y la muerte.
Applying an Individual Word-Problem Intervention to a Small-Group Setting: A Pilot Study’s Evidence of Improved Word-Problem Performance for Students Experiencing Mathematics Difficulty
Authors: Powell Sarah R. , Berry Katherine A. , Acunto Anasazi N. , Fall Anna-Maria , Roberts Greg
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether positive results from a word-problem intervention implemented one-to-one contributed to similar outcomes when implemented in small groups of three to four students. Third-grade students experiencing mathematics difficulty ( N = 76) were randomly assigned to word-problem intervention ( n = 56) or business-as-usual comparison ( n = 20). Intervention occurred for 13 weeks, 3 times per week, 30 min per session. Multilevel models revealed the intervention condition significantly outperformed the BaU on a proximal word-problem outcome, corroborating results from our prior individual intervention. When comparing student performance in the individual versus small-group intervention, findings suggest students received added benefit from the individual intervention. The word-problem intervention successfully translated to a small-group setting, which holds important implications for educators working with students in supplemental, targeted, or Tier 2 mathematics intervention settings.
Wear characteristics of exfoliated MoS2/polyamide-6,6 composite
Authors: Kim Jae Ik , Kim Jung W , Ryu Sung H
Published: October 2021

Effect of exfoliation of MoS2 on the wear characteristics of the MoS2/PA-6,6 composite is investigated. Exfoliation of MoS2 is identified using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Wear loss of composites is done using Taber abrasion tester with CS-17 abrasive wheel and atomic force microscope is used to characterize the worn surface. It is observed that wear loss of MoS2/PA-6,6 composite is strongly affected by content and exfoliation of MoS2. Wear loss of composites is decreased by the addition of MoS2 irrespective of exfoliation and it is improved with increasing filler content. Exfoliated MoS2/PA-6,6 composites show improved wear characteristic, that is, reduced wear loss, compared to the pristine MoS2/PA-6,6 composite. Addition of MoS2 induces less plastic deformation of the worn surface of composites, and it is more distinct for exfoliated MoS2.
A Visualization Tool for 1790s Charleston: Locating an Enslaved Population Using GIS
Authors: Collins Sarah
Published: October 2021

This article promotes the value of GIS methodologies to integrate and analyze a range of historic sources dating to the eighteenth century, utilizing Charleston, South Carolina as a case study. Data compiled from the 1790 Federal Census, the 1790 Charleston trade directory, and Ichnography of Charleston 1788 provide vital and complementary evidence that allows the population of the city to be located, which in turn provides a means of assessing late eighteenth-century residency patterns and the enslaved urban population. The value of data visualization is explored, underscoring the need for historians to engage with visual representations of data to communicate research results.
Iterative learning control for tracking varying-amplitude and morphologically similar targets
Authors: Chen Chunjun , He Zhiying , Yang Lu , Wang Dongwei
Published: October 2021

To break through the limitation of conventional iterative learning control algorithm (ILC) that requires a fixed target, a new ILC algorithm is designed for tracking the varying-amplitude but morphologically similar targets. First, the problem is formulated, in which the tracking target is selected as varying-amplitude and biased-measured. Then, the process of the ILC algorithm based on a variable-gain-proportional-integral scheme is discussed, in which the magnitude coefficient is defined and calculated by orthogonal projection and utilised to redefine the error and build the refreshment algorithm of the input. Next, the convergence of the algorithm is analysed and the applicational simulation is conducted. Results show that the new ILC algorithm has the ability in dealing with the trajectory of the varying but morphologically similar target and the applicational scenario of the ILC algorithm is expanded.
Primary Small Cell Carcinoma in Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses: 15 Cases From a Single Center
Authors: Wang Jian , Fan Yingying , Chen Xiao-dong , Xue Tao , Chen Fu-quan
Published: October 2021

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) in the nasal cavity and sinuses is extremely rare. The clinical data of 15 patients with primary SCC in nasal cavity and sinuses were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were treated with surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Of the 15 patients, 2 patients are alive for more than 6 years, and 5 patients died after the median follow-up period (11 months). Most of our patients represent the later stage (73% presented at stage III or IV) and had surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy; however, nearly half of patients have tumor recurrence and/or distant metastasis. SCC of nasal cavity and sinuses often invades surrounding tissues, and the long-term curative rate is generally low. Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment are key to improve survival. Although the overall survival time of SCC is not optimistic, it is still recommended that patients take comprehensive treatment.
maat: An R Package for Multiple Administrations Adaptive Testing
Authors: Choi Seung W. , Lim Sangdon , Niu Luping , Lee Sooyong , Schneider Christina M. , Lee Jay , Gianopulos Garron J.
Published: October 2021

Multiple Administrations Adaptive Testing (MAAT) is an extension of the shadow-test approach to CAT for the assessment framework involving multiple tests administered periodically throughout the year. The maat package utilizes multiple item pools vertically scaled across grades and multiple phases (stages) within each test administration, allowing for transitioning from an item pool to another as deemed necessary to further enhance the quality of assessment.
“I changed, I had to realize that I was wrong”: Identity gap management amidst evolving illness uncertainty
Authors: Thompson Charee M. , Babu Sara , Romo Lynsey K. , Pulido Manuel D. , Liao Danni , Kriss Lauren A.
Published: October 2021

Doubt that a family member’s health issues are real, severe, or even possible entwines some of the most challenging aspects of medical, personal, and social uncertainty. Although several studies have examined doubt, this investigation focuses on how doubt evolves and foregrounds the identity implications of uncertainty. Guided by Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), the purpose of this study was to explore the identity gaps people experience as they navigate evolving doubt about a family member’s health and how they manage those identity gaps. We interviewed 33 individuals in the U.S. about a family member’s health issues that they doubted but began to believe. Our analysis uncovered three identity gaps among personal, relational, and enacted layers of identity: personal-enacted, relational-enacted, and personal-relational-enacted identity gaps. Participants managed identity gaps in two primary ways: (a) closing gaps by altering personal, relational, or enacted layers of their own identity; and (b) maintaining identity gaps by putting the locus of responsibility for identity change within their family member’s relational identities. This study offers theoretical implications for CTI as well as practical implications for individuals navigating doubt and evolving illness uncertainty in their family relationships.
The Personal Experiences of Pastoral Leaders During the COVID-19 Quarantine
Authors: Miller Jason A. , Glanz Judy L.
Published: October 2021

COVID-19 proved to be a unique crisis for churches and their pastoral leaders as they were forced to move their worship and work to an online format. This article reports on 33 pastoral leaders in 13 states who identified surprisingly positive experiences to go with the unsurprisingly negative reality of quarantine. It would appear that COVID-19, while brutal in its methods, naturally incubated reflection and positive growth in the lives of these pastoral leaders.
Weaning Analgosedation in Patients Requiring Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Taylor Stephanie Parks , Hammer John M. , Taylor Brice T.
Published: October 2021

Although research supports the minimization of sedation in mechanically ventilated patients, many patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) receive prolonged opioid and sedative infusions. ICU teams face the challenge of weaning these medications, balancing the risks of sedation with the potential to precipitate withdrawal symptoms. In this article, we use a clinical case to discuss our approach to weaning analgosedation in patients recovering from long-term mechanical ventilation. We believe that a protocolized, multimodal weaning strategy implemented by a multidisciplinary care team is required to reduce potential harm from both under- and over-sedation. At present, there is no strong randomized clinical trial evidence to support a particular weaning strategy in adult ICU patients, but appraisal of the existing literature in adults and children can guide decision-making to enhance the recovery of these patients.
Sexual Consent Across Diverse Behaviors and Contexts: Gender Differences and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences
Authors: Willis Malachi , Smith Rebecca
Published: October 2021

Sexual consent refers to people’s internal willingness to engage in sexual activity with another person—as well as their external communication of that willingness. Internal and external sexual consent can vary by type of sexual behavior; however, previous research on sexual consent has primarily only assessed “typical” sexual behaviors such as genital touching, oral sex, and vaginal–penile sex without providing further context or acknowledging people’s sexual diversity. Therefore, we provided an initial account of people’s sexual consent—and lack thereof—for a broader array of sexual behaviors and contexts in which they occur. Using an online cross-sectional survey of participants in the United Kingdom and the United States ( N = 658, 50.5% women), we examined event-level internal and external sexual consent for 20 sexual behaviors or contexts. Women reported significantly lower levels of sexual consent feelings than men for 12 of the 20 sexual behaviors and lower levels of active consent communication for 7 of them. Almost a third of participants (31.0%) had experienced at least one of the listed sexual behaviors against their will. Of those, participants on average reported nonconsensual experiences with 3.1 of the 20 types of sexual behavior listed, ranging from 1 to 11. More women reported at least one nonconsensual experience with one of the sexual behaviors assessed compared with men (47.9% versus 22.3%, respectively). We discussed several behavior-specific findings regarding sexual consent and the lack thereof. We also made recommendations for initiatives aimed at promoting healthy sexual consent practices: embrace sexual diversity, emphasize sexual agency, and encourage active consent communication.
Sufficiency of Teachers’ Access to Resources and Supports for Students With Disabilities
Authors: Gesel Samantha A. , Foreman-Murray Lindsay , Gilmour Allison F.
Published: October 2021

Students with disabilities are served by both special and general educators, yet teachers often feel unprepared to meet the needs of these students in their classrooms. Using data from a nationally representative survey, we examined the sufficiency of teachers’ access to supports available for meeting the needs of students with high-incidence disabilities, their access to development opportunities, and the sources teachers used to access interventions. We explored differences in teachers’ experiences by grade band, service delivery model, and teacher preparation model. We found teachers of students with disabilities rated the sufficiency of access to supports between somewhat insufficient and somewhat sufficient, with the lowest ratings for planning/release time and training and information. Teachers reported greater rates of access to collaboration than professional development. Colleagues were sources for resources related to academic interventions and administrators were sources for nonacademic intervention resources. There were few significant differences in these results by teacher characteristics.
Enhanced MSRCR optical frequency segmented filter algorithm for a low-light vehicle environment
Authors: Lai Xin , Chen Hang
Published: October 2021

To solve the problem of difficult face detection in a low illumination vehicle environment, a novel multi-scale retinex color restoration (MSRCR) approach exploiting the RGB three-channel decomposition and guided filtering (MSRCR-3CGF) is proposed. The MSRCR algorithm is employed to remove the artifacts and interference of low-light in the image based on the face detector using a multi-task cascaded convolutional neural network (MTCNN). The enhanced face image is decomposed into RGB, and GF is applied to each channel. The proposed method is tested on three widely used datasets: Dark Face, large-scale CelebFaces attributes (CelebA) and WIDER FACE, and an actual low-light scene in vehicles. The experimental results show that the proposed method suppresses the high-frequency noise of MSRCR, whilst improving the image enhancement and accuracy in the face detection in a low-light vehicle environment.
Tracking ankle joint movements during gait cycle via control of functional electrical stimulation
Authors: Arash Haghpanah Seyyed , Farrokhnia Morteza , Taghvaei Sajjad , Eghtesad Mohammad , Ghavanloo Esmaeal
Published: October 2021

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an effective method to induce muscle contraction and to improve movements in individuals with injured central nervous system. In order to develop the FES systems for an individual with gait impairment, an appropriate control strategy must be designed to accurate tracking performance. The goal of this study is to present a method for designing proportional-derivative (PD) and sliding mode controllers (SMC) for the FES applied to the musculoskeletal model of an ankle joint to track the desired movements obtained by experiments on two healthy individuals during the gait cycle. Simulation results of the developed controller on musculoskeletal model of the ankle joint illustrated that the SMC is able to track the desired movements more accurately than the PD controller and prevents oscillating patterns around the experimentally measured data. Therefore, the sliding mode as the nonlinear method is more robust in face to unmodeled dynamics and model errors and track the desired path smoothly. Also, the required control effort is smoother in SMC with respect to the PD controller because of the nonlinearity.
Transitioning from Military to Civilian Society: Trials and Tribulations of Integration Process
Authors: Sharma Molak R. , Jain Dhiraj
Published: October 2021

The Armed Forces require young and physically strong soldiers to win wars. Therefore, about 60000 soldiers from the Indian Armed Forces retire every year, called Ex-Servicemen (ESM) or Veterans. The government has initiated measures including training courses, reservations in government jobs and self-employment schemes for resettlement of ESM. The objectives of the study were to: Investigate the resettlement and integration problems of the ESM, identify and examine ‘Enablers’ and ‘Barriers’ in the process and study and explore the ‘Quality of Life’ as perceived by ESM. The research was confined to the ESM comprising personnel below officer rank belonging to all three wings of the Indian Armed Forces. The survey was conducted online. An online survey software was used to design and share the and record responses. We found that a majority of Ex-Servicemen retire before they turn forty, and a significant minority could not get jobs and resettle. Employment emerged as crucial for resettlement and integration. Higher education, merit and networking, and job reservation helped in obtaining employment. However, government departments did not implement job reservation rules faithfully. Ex-servicemen lacked civilian job skills, and employers did not recognise their military skills. ESM considered government resettling agencies as powerless, ineffective and of little use.
Syringomyelia Managed with Classical Homeopathy: A Case Report
Authors: Rudakova Elena , Mahesh Seema , Vithoulkas George
Published: October 2021

Syringomyelia (SM) with Chiari malformation is a rare disease with an unpredictable course. Surgery and other interventions help reduce the severity of symptoms, but over 50% patients require re-operation. Auto-resolution is rare in this type of SM, and most cases progress to complications, which may amount to a great burden. The patient of SM with Arnold-Chiari malformation type 1 in a 54-year-old Russian woman who was treated with individualized classical homeopathy for over eight years with remarkable improvement in the clinical signs and symptoms of the condition and comorbidities. On MRI, the syrinx completely resolved, which further confirmed the benefit of this therapy. This case of SM with Arnold-Chiari malformation type 1 seemed to benefit from individualized classical homeopathy. Scientific investigation into an individualized classical homeopathic approach towards SM is necessary to establish its relevance in this condition.
School Nurses’ Perceptions and Experiences of Delivering a School-Based Intervention to Improve Primary Prevention of Human Papillomavirus Among Adolescents—A Focus Group Study Following a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Mattebo Magdalena , Gottvall Maria , Grandahl Maria
Published: October 2021

The present qualitative study is a part of the process evaluation of a complex intervention, the randomized controlled trial, “Prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV) in a school-based setting.” We aimed to explore participating school nurses’ perceptions and experiences of delivering the educational HPV intervention to adolescents aged 16. Focus group interviews were conducted with school nurses ( n = 20) and analyzed with inductive qualitative content analysis. The overall theme Easily adapted into the existing role as a school nurse permeated the participants’ views. The nurses were in favor of delivering an intervention that increased the HPV vaccination rates and improved beliefs and awareness about HPV prevention. It suits their work and health-promoting aspect of their role well and can easily be adapted into the current school health consultant curriculum. Having material in different languages to share with adolescents and their parents to promote equal health was deemed important.
Integrating User-Centered Design Into the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative’s Personal Exposure Reporter
Authors: Millet Barbara
Published: October 2021

Firefighters are potentially exposed to many carcinogens in their work. Collection of occupational hazard exposure data offers firefighters greater awareness of their health and wellness and analysis of the data provides researchers opportunities to identify firefighters’ specific health risks. The University of Miami’s Firefighters’ Cancer Initiative conducted user-centered design research with 450 Florida firefighters to develop and implement the Personal Exposure Reporter system for firefighters. Responses after product launch suggest that the system is well received and allows firefighters to successfully submit incident exposure information. The Personal Exposure Reporter will help both firefighters and cancer researchers better understand and address cancer risks.
Effect of interfacial properties on the damping performance of steel–polymer sandwich cantilever beam composites
Authors: Han Sungjin , Yu Woong-Ryeol
Published: October 2021

The damping performance of lightweight steel/polymer/steel sandwich composites has been typically studied without considering the interface between the heterogeneous materials. Herein, the interface between the steel and polymer layers was investigated experimentally for various steels and polymers. Impact hammer tests revealed that the interfacial adhesion strength between steel and polymer did not significantly affect the loss factor of the sandwich cantilever beam composites. However, although very thin, the adhesive layer itself greatly influenced the vibration-damping performance of the composite. As such, previous three-layered (skin-core-skin) sandwich model without considering the properties of adhesive layer predicted different results from experiments. To accurately predict the loss factor of the sandwich, a five-layered sandwich model consisting of two skins, two adhesives, and a core layer was proposed and validated with experiments.