bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of Free Flap Reconstruction Following Salvage Robotic-Assisted Resection of Recurrent and Residual Oropharyngeal Cancer in 3 Patients
Authors: Williamson Andrew , Haywood Matthew , Awad Zaid
Published: July 2020

Introduction:

Human papilloma virus (HPV)–positive oropharyngeal cancer carries a good prognosis when managed with primary chemoradiotherapy. However, the dramatically increasing rate of this disease means more patients are now developing recurrence, with surgery remaining the mainstay of treatment. Despite this, there is no agreed technique for excision of recurrent oropharyngeal cancer.

Objective:

We describe the transoral robotic technique employed by our head and neck multidisciplinary team (MDT) in the management of patients with recurrent HPV positive oropharyngeal cancer and assess their symptom severity using quality of life and swallowing questionnaires.

Method:

Three (2 males:1 female, mean age 60.7 years) patients with recurrent or residual p16 positive oropharyngeal cancer following radical chemoradiotherapy were identified. All patients underwent selective neck dissection, tracheostomy, and transoral robotic surgery (TORS)–assisted partial oropharyngeal resection with the resultant defect closed with a robotic assisted radial forearm free flap (RFFF). Patient quality of life, symptom severity, and swallowing were assessed pre- and postoperatively using the University of Washington Quality of Life score and MD Anderson Dysphagia Index (MDADI).

Results:

Histopathological examination revealed complete clearance of the primary lesion in all cases. Two patients made uneventful recoveries, while one patient developed a chest infection and tracheocutaneous fistula managed conservatively. Mean inpatient stay was 15 days (range 8-27). University of Washington Quality of Life and MDADI scores showed a mild improvement in symptoms following surgery.

Conclusion:

Surgical management of recurrent oropharyngeal cancer remains a technical challenge; however, MDT discussion and judicious use of TORS oropharyngeal resection and RFFF can result in good oncological and quality of life outcomes with acceptable postoperative complications and symptoms.
Reconceptualizing Professional Learning Within the Gifted Field: Exploring the Instruct to Innovate Model
Authors: Spoon Robyn , Rubenstein Lisa DaVia , Shively Kate , Stith Krista , Ascolani Margaret , Potts Mistie L.
Published: July 2020

Effective gifted education should incorporate opportunities for gifted students to develop creative and critical thinking along with academic and affective skills. Professional learning (PL) supporting these outcomes is not consistently successful. Therefore, this study pilots a new PL model called Instruct to Innovate (I2I) to support teachers’ efforts in facilitating gifted students’ development. This model integrates the Design Thinking Model and adult learning theories. Teachers participated in a multiphase intervention, including a 2-week PL summer camp with subsequent bimonthly meetings throughout the school year. Teachers’ reflections, captured in focus groups, along with secondary sources of corroborating data were collected. Through qualitative analyses, teachers recognized key design principles (i.e., human-centeredness, bias towards action, collaborative nature, and mindfulness of the process) within the PL model, their practice, and their students. These findings provide initial evidence that this approach may support educators’ efforts as they provide powerful learning experiences for gifted students.
Between order and insurgency: Post-structuralism and the problem of justice
Authors: Sotiropoulos George
Published: July 2020

Faced with the apologetic and exclusionary tendencies of liberal normativism, there is a marked trend in political theory to recover a more critical conception of justice, which does not adopt the dismissive attitude of traditional Marxism. In this context, the legacy of post-structuralism has been ambivalent. On the one hand, the work of thinkers such as Jacque Derrida, Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze has helped to shape the direction of the relevant discourse. On the other hand, post-structuralist critiques of political normativism have been often accused of leading to a subsumption of justice to power. Contributing to the ongoing discussion, my article explores the insights of Derrida, Foucault and Deleuze and assembles them into a coherent line of analysis. The main argument advanced is that post-structuralist thought provides a fertile basis for a critical concept of justice, which foregrounds the notion’s material texture without forfeiting its normative and ethical traits.
How to Address Uncertainty in Health Economic Discrete-Event Simulation Models: An Illustration for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Corro Ramos Isaac , Hoogendoorn Martine , Rutten-van Mölken Maureen P. M. H.
Published: July 2020

Background. Evaluation of personalized treatment options requires health economic models that include multiple patient characteristics. Patient-level discrete-event simulation (DES) models are deemed appropriate because of their ability to simulate a variety of characteristics and treatment pathways. However, DES models are scarce in the literature, and details about their methods are often missing. Methods. We describe 4 challenges associated with modeling heterogeneity and structural, stochastic, and parameter uncertainty that can be encountered during the development of DES models. We explain why these are important and how to correctly implement them. To illustrate the impact of the modeling choices discussed, we use (results of) a model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a case study. Results. The results from the case study showed that, under a correct implementation of the uncertainty in the model, a hypothetical intervention can be deemed as cost-effective. The consequences of incorrect modeling uncertainty included an increase in the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio ranging from 50% to almost a factor of 14, an extended life expectancy of approximately 1.4 years, and an enormously increased uncertainty around the model outcomes. Thus, modeling uncertainty incorrectly can have substantial implications for decision making. Conclusions. This article provides guidance on the implementation of uncertainty in DES models and improves the transparency of reporting uncertainty methods. The COPD case study illustrates the issues described in the article and helps understanding them better. The model R code shows how the uncertainty was implemented. For readers not familiar with R, the model’s pseudo-code can be used to understand how the model works. By doing this, we can help other developers, who are likely to face similar challenges to those described here.
Impact of Socioeconomic Differences on Distributional Cost-effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Yang Fan , Angus Colin , Duarte Ana , Gillespie Duncan , Walker Simon , Griffin Susan
Published: July 2020

Public health decision makers value interventions for their effects on overall health and health inequality. Distributional cost-effectiveness analysis (DCEA) incorporates health inequality concerns into economic evaluation by accounting for how parameters, such as effectiveness, differ across population groups. A good understanding of how and when accounting for socioeconomic differences between groups affects the assessment of intervention impacts on overall health and health inequality could inform decision makers where DCEA would add most value. We interrogated 2 DCEA models of smoking and alcohol policies using first national level and then local authority level information on various socioeconomic differences in health and intervention use. Through a series of scenario analyses, we explored the impact of altering these differences on the DCEA results. When all available evidence on socioeconomic differences was incorporated, provision of a smoking cessation service was estimated to increase overall health and increase health inequality, while the screening and brief intervention for alcohol misuse was estimated to increase overall health and reduce inequality. Ignoring all or some socioeconomic differences resulted in minimal change to the estimated impact on overall health in both models; however, there were larger effects on the estimated impact on health inequality. Across the models, there were no clear patterns in how the extent and direction of socioeconomic differences in the inputs translated into the estimated impact on health inequality. Modifying use or coverage of either intervention so that each population group matched the highest level improved the impacts to a greater degree than modifying intervention effectiveness. When local level socioeconomic differences were considered, the magnitude of the impacts was altered; in some cases, the direction of impact on inequality was also altered.
Cerebral schistosomiasis: MRI features with pathological correlation
Authors: Lu Chun-yan , Zhao Sha , Wei Yi
Published: July 2020

Background

Neuroschistosomiasis is not commonly encountered and is probably underrecognized. We hope these findings can help clinicians and radiologists to raise awareness of this disabling disorder.

Purpose

To demonstrate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of cerebral schistosomiasis and correlate it with pathological findings.

Material and Methods

We identified seven patients with cerebral schistosomiasis from radiology and pathology archives of our hospital. Of the seven patients, six were pathologically confirmed. The remaining patient had pathologically confirmed spinal schistosomiasis with MRI findings of cerebral involvement. MRI and pathological findings of these patients were analyzed and correlated.

Results

Multiple enhancing nodules at varying size were found in all patients. Prominent leptomeningeal or choroidal veins were found in six patients, four at the center of the foci and two at the periphery. Hemorrhage was identified in two patients. Histology revealed granulomas around ova in six patients. A prominent vein with ova in the lumen and wall of a vein was found in one patient and perivascular ova deposition was found in one patient.

Conclusion

Multiple enhancing nodules with central or peripheral veins in a circumscribed brain area are important signs to the diagnosis of cerebral schistosomiasis. The inflamed veins involved may be the route taken by the ova to spread to the brain tissue.
Genetically tuned fuzzy controlled flywheel powered micro-grid for improved frequency control
Authors: Manzoor Saira , Mufti Mairaj-ud-Din
Published: July 2020

In this article, hybrid wind-diesel system is powered with a genetically tuned fuzzy controlled flywheel for improving its frequency control. Flywheel is interfaced with the system through an electrical machine (generator/motor) and an electronic converter for synchronization. Fuzzy logic controller for the flywheel is designed in such a way that it continuously controls the system frequency and simultaneously satisfies the operational constraints of flywheel. Fuzzy logic controller is optimized by genetically tuning its membership functions. Regulated variable based on frequency deviation of system and speed characteristics of flywheel is introduced to reach out to the optimized membership functions. Necessary modeling has been done and effectiveness of the assembly has been confirmed by the simulation results.
Notes for a critical and ecological view of patriarchal capiltalism in the web of life
Authors: Trujillo Mina Lorena Navarro
Published: July 2020

The starting point of this text is the concern for the impacts that the extractive offensive is generating in the territories and means of existence that have historically guaranteed the sustenance and reproduction of human and non-human life on the planet. This offensive is part of a historical and continuous dynamic of exploitation and appropriation of nature for the accumulation of capital, that has intensified in all the countries of Latin America in the last two decades. In this text, I present some interpretative guidelines and bridges between critical Marxism, ecology and feminism to understand the socio-ecological impacts that the metabolism of patriarchal capitalism generates in the web of life.
Improving the Durability of High Early Strength (HES) Concrete Patching Materials for Concrete Pavements
Authors: Wilson Cameron , Weiss W. Jason
Published: July 2020

High early strength (HES) concrete patching materials are increasingly used to repair damaged pavements. The use of HES concrete enables the repaired pavement to be opened to traffic shortly after the repair has been installed; for example, opening pavements to traffic 4–6 h after the concrete is placed is becoming more common. HES concrete mixtures are typically designed with a low water-to-cement ratio and a high cement content; they contain accelerating admixtures and limited supplementary cementitious materials. As a result, these HES patches may be susceptible to self-desiccation, causing autogenous shrinkage and early age cracking. Self-desiccation can lead to reduced hydration, limited strength gain, and overestimation of strength development in maturity-based predictions. The objectives of this study are threefold. First, the paper will illustrate how self-desiccation can lead to the premature cessation of hydration and increased potential for shrinkage cracking. Second, the paper will illustrate how maturity-based predictions can be modified to account for self-desiccation. Third, internal curing is discussed as a way to mitigate self-desiccation and shrinkage ultimately improving the performance of HES concrete patching materials.
Moving Beyond CAP-X to Combinations of Alternative Intersections That Might Be Worth Further Investigation
Authors: Hummer Joseph E.
Published: July 2020

Many intersection project sites in North Carolina, and probably across the U.S., have asymmetric conditions. There is typically heavier demand from one approach than the others, right of way is more restricted in one or two quadrants than in the others, pedestrian demand is concentrated in one crosswalk, and so forth. However, the literature on alternative intersections and the software that planners and engineers use to explore suitable alternatives primarily provide symmetric and full designs. Analysts reading the FHWA guidebooks on alternative designs or looking at the menus of CAP-X or VJUST would be led to believe that their options were limited. Fortunately, in the past few years it has become apparent that there are many more intersection design options than presented in CAP-X or VJUST. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that designers can combine pieces of the alternatives in many creative ways to find asymmetric designs that better fit whatever asymmetric conditions they are given. This paper shows some hybrid at-grade and grade-separated intersection designs that seem to have potential to increase efficiency, increase the quality of the pedestrian and bicyclist crossing experience, decrease impacts, and have other benefits. Based on these examples, it should be apparent that many interesting combinations are possible. Designers wanting to explore a hybrid cannot use the usual software to do so, but the tools to analyze a hybrid design are available if one knows where to look.
Workforce Development Needs and Objectives of Today’s Transportation Engineering Professionals
Authors: Chang Kevin N. , Lutz Benjamin , Brown Shane
Published: July 2020

Given the growing influence of technology and innovation, the skill set and knowledge required of today’s transportation engineering professional includes many different subject areas. For this reason, transportation engineers and managers alike must constantly seek out workforce development opportunities to expand either their learning or the skill set of their employees. This study examined transportation education needs from a Pacific Northwest regional perspective on two fronts. First, an assessment was initiated identifying available course training offerings and their curriculum and delivery characteristics. Second, an investigation into training needs was conducted using a mixed-method approach consisting of personal interviews and an online survey. This study concluded that although training is a highly personal decision and influenced by many different factors, those related to cost, location, and topic area ultimately drive an individual or agency to pursue such opportunities. These findings can inform both practitioners and researchers to strategically determine how future training opportunities should be developed and shaped to meet the growing demands of tomorrow’s transportation engineer.
Influence of Lane Width on Semi- Autonomous Vehicle Performance
Authors: García Alfredo , Camacho-Torregrosa Francisco Javier
Published: July 2020

In the medium-term, the number of semi-autonomous vehicles is expected to rise significantly. These changes in vehicle capabilities make it necessary to analyze their interaction with road infrastructure, which has been developed for human-driven vehicles. Current systems use artificial vision, recording the oncoming road and using the center and edgeline road markings to automatically facilitate keeping the vehicle within the lane. In addition to alignment and road markings, lane width has emerged as one of the geometric parameters that might cause disengagement and therefore must be assessed. The objective of this research was to study the impact of lane width on semi-autonomous vehicle performance. The automatic lateral control of this type of vehicle was tested along 81 lanes of an urban arterial comprising diverse widths. Results showed that the semi-autonomous system tended to fail on narrow lanes. There was a maximum width below which human control was always required—referred to as the human lane width—measuring 2.5 m. A minimum width above which automatic control was always possible—the automatic lane width—was established to be 2.75 m. Finally, a lane width of 2.72 m was found to have the same probability of automatic and human lateral control, namely the critical lane width. Following a similar methodology, these parameters could be determined for other vehicles, enhancing the interaction between autonomous vehicles and road infrastructure and thus supporting rapid deployment of autonomous technology without compromising safety.
Trip Generation Rates of Land Uses in a Developing Country City
Authors: Ahmed Tanjeeb , Mitra Suman Kumar , Rafiq Rezwana , Islam Sanjana
Published: July 2020

In recent decades, a major shift in the land use pattern has been observed in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. To understand and model the impact of these land use changes on transportation demand, this study aimed to determine the trip generation rates for six different land use categories adjacent to Mirpur Road in Dhaka. A total of 20 establishments consisting of six land use categories were selected for the collection of data on person trip rates and respective modal share by manual counts and intercept surveys. These data were used to develop vehicular trip generation rates for each land use category in passenger car equivalents as a uniform unit of comparison. Results showed that commercial and healthcare land uses had the highest average and peak-hour trip rates. There was also a significant variation in the share of eight transport mode categories among the trips generated by the land uses. The peak-hour trip generation rates of the study area were found to be different from the values established by the Institute of Transportation Engineers which corresponds to the fact that trip generation depends on a host of factors, such as surrounding land uses, modal share, the economic condition of a region, and so forth, rather than on a single factor inherent to the land use. The findings of this research can help to determine the trip generation impact of new establishments and consequently identify suitable locations to minimize the impact.
Development of a Test Level 4, Side-Mounted, Steel Tube Bridge Rail
Authors: Rasmussen Jennifer D. , Rosenbaugh Scott K. , Faller Ronald K. , Bielenberg Robert W. , Steelman Joshua S. , Pena Oscar , Mauricio Pascual
Published: July 2020

A new, side-mounted, steel beam-and-post bridge rail was designed, crash tested, and evaluated according to safety performance guidelines included in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) for Test Level 4 (TL-4). The new bridge rail system was designed to be compatible with multiple bridge decks, including cast-in-place concrete slabs and prestressed box beams. Additionally, the bridge rail was designed to remain crashworthy after roadway overlays up to 3 in. thick. The bridge rail was designed and optimized based on strength, installation cost, weight per foot, and constructability. The new bridge rail consisted of three rectangular steel tube rails supported by standard steel cross section, W6 × 15 steel posts spaced at 8 ft on-center. The upper rail was a 12 × 4 × ¼ in. hollow structural section (HSS) steel tube, and the lower two rails were 8 × 6 × ¼ in. HSS steel tubes. The top mounting heights for the upper, middle, and lower rails were 39 in., 32 in., and 20 in. above the surface of the deck, respectively. A new, side-mounted, post-to-deck connection was also developed that incorporated HSS steel spacer tubes that offset the posts 6 in. from the bridge deck and aligned the face of the bridge rail with the edge of the deck. Thus, the traversable width of the bridge was maximized. Three full-scale crash tests corresponding to the MASH TL-4 testing matrix were performed on the new bridge rail. All three crash tests successfully contained and redirected the vehicles and satisfied all MASH evaluation criteria.
Review of Agency Pavement Recycling Construction Specifications
Authors: Bowers Benjamin F. , Allain David E. , Diefenderfer Brian K.
Published: July 2020

Cold in-place recycling, cold central plant recycling, and full depth reclamation are cost-effective, environmentally conscious pavement rehabilitation or reconstruction techniques. Although these techniques are not new, they have not been widely adopted among state agencies. There has, however, been a recent resurgence in interest in these techniques. To date there are no national specification guidelines for these processes to assist in their widespread implementation, and those specifications that do exist often have a wide range of requirements. This paper presents the results of a review of state and local agency specifications for pavement recycling techniques and offers suggestions to help agencies achieve a better and longer-lasting product when specifying pavement recycling techniques.
Process for the Encapsulation and Visualization of Dominant Demand and Supply Corridors
Authors: Yann Jeudy , Morency Catherine
Published: July 2020

Before thinking about implementing new transportation services, it is essential to assess the performances of the available ones and to develop an objective diagnosis of the adequacy between transportation supply and demand. This paper focuses on the refinement of a spatial–temporal clustering process able to encapsulate the spatial distribution of travel demand and supply. It illustrates the potential of such process to assist in the development of an objective diagnosis of the quality of the configuration of transit services. The two tools composing this process are presented in this paper, Traclus_DL and Grille_CR. A literature review is conducted on the main concepts such as corridors and grids, which will give a better understanding of the contributions proposed in this paper. Traclus_DL is a spatial clustering algorithm for desire lines (direct line from origin to destination) developed by Bahbouh. This paper will explain how this algorithm works and will also present improvements that were implemented to facilitate its usage and to give a better representation of the reality. Grille_CR is an automated smoothing tool which facilitates the visualization and the interpretation of the results produced by Traclus-DL. This paper explains how this process can be implemented and illustrates its relevance for public transport analysis and design. The major contribution of this paper is the implementation of a tool which helps better understand the spatial configuration of the demand in transport.
Effect of Manual Traffic Control on Evacuation Time Estimates
Authors: Parr Scott A. , Herrera Nelida , Wolshon Brian , Smith Todd
Published: July 2020

Manual traffic control (MTC) is a common intersection control strategy where trained personnel, typically police law enforcement officers, allocate intersection right-of-way to approaching vehicles. MTC is frequently used for special events and during emergencies. However, the current state-of-the-practice has shown little research that quantifies or assesses the benefits of MTC during evacuations. This paper describes research to develop microscopic traffic simulation models that were used to assess traffic processes of emergency evacuations of nuclear power plant sites involving MTC. A recently developed model to represent MTC was integrated into the simulation to quantify its impact on clearance time and other operational parameters. The results of this effort showed that in rural or less congested urban areas clearance times experienced no significant benefit from the application of MTC. Conversely, in densely populated regions clearance times increased significantly when MTC was deployed. This suggested that for congested urban areas, with closely spaced intersections, the characteristically long cycle lengths associated with MTC resulted in significant queues. These queues propagated upstream, interfering with traffic operations at neighboring intersections and bottleneck points within the network. This, in turn, triggered even more queues and, ultimately, led to localized gridlock. From the perspective of police officers, longer cycle lengths result in fewer phase changes and less lost-time at the intersection. As such, the officer is incentivized to extend green times and cycle lengths as long as possible. What the officer cannot see, however, is the effect of such actions on queue formation at upstream intersections.
Effectiveness of “Reducing Disability in Alzheimer’s Disease” Among Dyads With Moderate Dementia
Authors: Perales-Puchalt Jaime , Barton Kelli , Ptomey Lauren , Niedens Michelle , Yeager Amy , Gilman Laura , Seymour Pam , George Amanda , Sprague Susan , Mirás Neira Antonio , Van Dyke Rik , Teri Linda , Vidoni Eric D.
Published: July 2020

Replications of evidence-based dementia care receiver–caregiver dyad interventions in the community are scarce. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Kansas City implementation of Reducing Disability in Alzheimer’s Disease (RDAD) among a convenience sample of dyads with moderate dementia, which addressed needs identified by nine participating community agencies. We hypothesized that dyads’ mental health and physical activity outcomes would improve from baseline to end-of-treatment. The final analytic sample included 66 dyads. Outcomes improved ( p < .01) from pre- to post-intervention: behavioral symptom severity (range 0–36) decreased from 11.3 to 8.6, physical activity increased from 125.0 to 190.0 min/week, caregiver unmet needs (range 0–34) decreased from 10.6 to 5.6, caregiver behavioral symptom distress (0–60) decreased from 15.5 to 10.4, and caregiver strain (0–26) decreased from 11.1 to 9.7. This adapted implementation of RDAD leads to clinically meaningful improvements and might inform scaling-up.
Victimization in Cyberspace: Is It How Long We Spend Online, What We Do Online, or What We Post Online?
Authors: Ngo Fawn T. , Piquero Alex R. , LaPrade Jennifer , Duong Bao
Published: July 2020

Prior research on cybercrime victimization has generally emphasized the linkage between the frequency or actual length of time individuals spend online engaging in certain activities and the risk of being victimized in cyberspace but has paid much less attention to what persons actually share or post online that increases the risk of online victimization. To address this gap, we appeal to the integrated lifestyle–routine activities theory in order to examine the relationships between the length of time one spends online (online frequency), specific activities or tasks one engages in while online (online activity), specific types of information one shares online (online posting), and seven specific forms of cybercrime victimization using a convenience sample of students. Results showed that one online frequency variable (internet hours), six online activity variables (banking, reading news, shopping, planning travel, socializing, and communicating with stranger), and three online posting variables (phone number, home address, and other info) were significantly related to five of the seven forms of cybercrime victimization (computer virus, harassment by nonstranger unwanted porn, sex solicitation, and phishing). Implications for our findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Environmentally friendly process instead of cyanide leaching on recycling of gold and silver from jewellery scraps and wastes
Authors: Aydın Ş Beste , Gül Alim
Published: July 2020

Nowadays, the production and exploration of gold has an increased importance all over the world. Recycling is a significant source for the supply of gold and has a pronounced effect on its price. The flotation method, which is more economical and more environmentally friendly than cyanide leaching, has been investigated for recycling gold and silver from jewellery slag. A jewellery slag sample containing 28.3 ppm Au and 42.0 ppm Ag was obtained from a refinery in Turkey. Flotation concentrate assaying 614.6 ppm Au and 511 ppm Ag was achieved with recoveries of 89.0% and 83.2%, respectively. On the other hand, 87.8% Au and 81.5% Ag extractions were obtained by cyanide leaching tests. Based on these results, flotation is suggested, considering its environmental and economic benefits.
Influence of material alterations and machine impairment on throughput related sensor-based sorting performance
Authors: Küppers Bastian , Schlögl Sabine , Friedrich Karl , Lederle Laura , Pichler Celestine , Freil Julia , Pomberger Roland , Vollprecht Daniel
Published: July 2020

Experiments with sensor-based sorting (SBS) machinery provide insight into the effect of throughput rate and input composition on the sorting performance. For this purpose, material mixtures with certain compositions and particle size distributions were created from waste fractions and sorted at various throughput rates. To evaluate the sorting performance of the SBS unit (using near infrared technology) in dependence of the applied load, four assessment factors concerning the output fractions were studied: yield, product purity, recovery/product quantity and incorrectly discharged share of reject particles. The influences on the assessment parameters of light twodimensional (2D) particles in the input of a sorting stage and failing air valves in an SBS unit were evaluated for various input compositions at different throughput rates. It was found that a share of approximately 5 wt% 2D particles in the input had a similar negative effect on the yield as the malfunction of 20% of all air valves in an SBS machine at high throughput rates. Additionally, the failure of the air valves reduced the product purity of the sorting stage at increased throughput rates. Furthermore, qualitative observations concerning systematic effects of prior studies could be confirmed. Resulting graphs for a specific input composition of an SBS unit at varying throughput rates could be used to adjust the throughput rate to meet the exact demands for a sorting stage.
Co-processing of industrial trade rejects in cement plant
Authors: Baidya Rahul , Ghosh Sadhan Kumar
Published: July 2020

In India non-hazardous industrial waste is generated at a staggering rate of about 30 million metric tonnes/year; considering the major generators (excluding power plant and mining industry waste) as per Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India (GoI), thus disposing of them is a challenge. The industrial waste generated from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) trade rejects and expired product is also enormous (although largely remains unaccounted) and needs to be disposed of by the producer as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, GoI. Co-processing of this industrial trade rejects in cement plant can be a prominent solution as it reduces the disposal problem of the solid waste stream and provides an alternative methodology for complete thermal and material recovery of the waste with no by-products. Co-processing further reduces the use of conventional resources by utilizing the waste as an alternative fuel and raw materials. The study thus analyzes a co-processing trial of a month in a cement plant in the southern part of India and based on the obtained data, the environmental and operational sustainability was studied. The economic benefit obtainable was also analyzed based on the achieved substitution benefit. Parameters such as emission and quality of the final product were gauged. The leaching behavior of the final product was also analyzed. Thus, the findings will help in reducing the carbon footprints of the industrial wastes, specifically the FMCG trade waste, and will show the sustainability of co-processing waste in Indian cement plants.
Physical and Emotional Intimate Partner Violence and Women’s Health in the First Year After Childbirth: An Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study
Authors: FitzPatrick Kelly M. , Brown Stephanie , Hegarty Kelsey , Mensah Fiona , Gartland Deirdre
Published: July 2020

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can comprise physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and is a widespread public health concern. Despite increasing recognition that women experience different types of IPV, the majority of research has focused on physical IPV. The present study aims to examine associations between different types of IPV (physical, emotional, physical, and emotional) and women’s mental, physical, and sexual health by analyzing longitudinal data from a prospective pregnancy cohort of 1,507 first-time mothers in Melbourne, Australia. Questionnaires included validated measures of physical and mental health (Short Form Health Survey, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) and IPV (Composite Abuse Scale). Emotional IPV alone was the most commonly reported type of IPV ( n = 128, 9.5%), followed by both physical and emotional IPV ( n = 76, 5.7%), and then physical IPV alone ( n = 30, 2.2%). Women reporting emotional IPV or physical and emotional IPV had increased odds of poor health compared with women reporting no IPV. Experience of physical and emotional IPV was most strongly associated with mental health issues, including depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.9, 7.1]) and self-reported anxiety (adjusted OR 2.9, 95% CI = [1.9, 4.4]). Experience of emotional IPV alone was associated with poor mental health as well as physical factors, including poor general physical health (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI = [1.2, 3.1]), and pain during sex (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI = [1.2, 2.7]). Increased odds of poor body image were also observed for women reporting emotional IPV alone and physical and emotional IPV. These findings highlight the need for greater awareness of the diversity in women’s experiences of IPV among health care providers. This includes understanding the prevalence of emotional IPV among new mothers, and the range of health problems that are more common for women experiencing IPV.
Dependent Personality in Depressed Older Adults: A Case Report and Systematic Review
Authors: Heintz Hannah L. , Freedberg Alexis L. , Harper David G.
Published: July 2020

Personality pathology in older adults is largely understudied. Here, we present a case report of an older adult who presented to an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit with dependent personality traits in the context of chronic major depressive disorder, followed by a systematic review of the literature to identify research regarding the diagnosis and prevalence of dependent personality in depressed older adults. We identified 11 studies relevant to this topic. Synthesis of these data revealed that dependent personality is generally more common in depressed older adults compared to other personality disorders. However, studies were limited by small sample sizes and the use of assessments not validated for use in older adults. Therefore, it is difficult to draw conclusions from the available data. Potential implications for patient outcomes and health care services utilization are discussed. Our review highlights the need for larger scale research and personality assessments which are sensitive to age-related factors in order to draw evidence-based conclusions.
Explanatory Power and Nursing Theory
Authors: Reed Pamela G.
Published: July 2020

A theme of this article is the theory-research link and its essential role in advancing nursing science and practice. Concern is expressed over the current status of nursing theory relative to the advances in research and practice. Soon-to-be and current theoreticians and scientists are encouraged to champion not just nursing theory proper but scientific nursing theories that have explanatory power. The role of the precision health movement in facilitating development of scientific theory is explored.
Internet Use for Health-Related Information: Self-Care Agency of Lower Income Persons Living With HIV/AIDS
Authors: Nokes Kathleen M. , Reyes Darcel M
Published: July 2020

Chronically ill persons with a condition requiring self-care activities can benefit from learning from reliable internet sources. Orem’s theory of self-care was used to answer the question: Does increasing technical knowledge about reliable internet sites for health information increase self-care agency of low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS ( N = 100)? Self-care agency, as measured by the Self-As-Carer Inventory, increased but not significantly, after two educational interventions. We hoped to gain insight into the measurement of self-care agency in our African American and Hispanic population. The only significantly different basic conditioning factor was ethnicity in that non-Hispanic/Latinos scored higher on self-care agency than Hispanic/Latinos; the only significantly different subscale was the Judgment and Decisions Affecting Production of Self-care subscale. Self-care agency remained stable over the 1-week period, pointing to two possible conclusions: Scores accurately reflect self-care agency, and a more intensive, longer intervention may be needed to change self-care agency.
Without Diversity, There Is No Excellence
Authors: Malone Beverly
Published: July 2020

Diversity is a critical theme in healthcare and in nursing. In the manuscript presented here, a discussion of how differences, including race, can interfere with nursing care and relationships overall is portrayed.
Discovering Ideas
Authors: Bunkers Sandra Schmidt
Published: July 2020

This article explores creativity and innovation through the lens of dispositional realism, a psycho-socio-cultural perspective, a Japanese fable, and the humanbecoming paradigm perspective. New ideas are presented on the understanding of creativity and innovation, feeling overwhelmed, suffering, and living dignity.
Patient Engagement, Nursing Theory, and Policy Possibilities
Authors: Ortiz Mario R.
Published: July 2020

It is important to continually carve out ways to connect with persons in practice and ensure that polices and processes directing practice are aligned with the values and beliefs of nurses and those they serve. In this paper, patient engagement is discussed in light of nursing theoretical principles and concepts, specifically Parse’s (2014) humanbecoming paradigm. In addition, policy connections will be outlined to show how nurses may participate in patient engagement in unique ways.
Hospital Nurses and Research: Yes or No?
Authors: Morrow Mary R.
Published: July 2020

This is the introduction to the Book Reviews and New Media Column. The controversy being addressed is whether or not hospital-based nurses can do nursing research.
Consequences for Straight Thinking in Nursing Ethics
Authors: Milton Constance L.
Published: July 2020

The concepts of nursing ethics continue to be seen through the lens of medical science and the systematic study of bioethics. The discipline of nursing has chosen through its philosophical educational systems to focus on the systematic study of bioethics as foundational to doctoral, graduate, and advanced practice nursing programs. In choosing to focus outside of the discipline for this straight thinking inquiry, what are the consequences for the discipline as well as to humankind for the lack of discipline-specific inquiry and practice as articulated by the discipline of nursing? This article begins a conversation for the straight thinking priorities that should be considered by the discipline of nursing for the study of nursing ethics.
The finite element analysis–based simulation and artificial neural network–based prediction for milling processes of aluminum alloy 7050
Authors: Ma Wei , Wang Rongqi , Zhou Xiaoqin , Xie Xuefan
Published: July 2020

The cutting forces will generally suffer massive complex factors, such as material deformation, tool eccentricity and system vibration, which will inevitably induce many great difficulties in accurately modeling the cutting force predictions that are very significant to investigate cutting processes. Therefore, the genetic algorithm optimized back-propagation and particle swarm optimization neural networks will be adopted to effectively construct cutting force prediction models. In these two back-propagation prediction models, the main milling parameters will be defined into their input vectors, and the transient milling forces along three different directions will be selected as their output vectors, then the implicit relationships between input and output vectors can be directly generated through practically training and learning these two built back-propagation models with a set of experimental milling force data. Meanwhile, the finite element analysis method will be also used to predict milling forces through programming two easy-to-operate plug-ins that can efficiently construct finite element analysis models, conveniently define processing parameters, and automatically perform mesh generation. Subsequently, the milling forces predicted by the established genetic algorithm optimized back-propagation and particle swarm optimization back-propagation models will be analytically compared with finite element analysis simulations and experiments; also the stress distribution and chip formations of finite element analysis and experiments will be comparatively investigated. Finally, the obtained results clearly indicate that these two back-propagation models built by artificial neural networks can well agree with finite element analysis simulations and experiments, but the particle swarm optimization back-propagation model is superior to the genetic algorithm optimized back-propagation model, which clearly demonstrate the particle swarm optimization back-propagation model has higher efficiencies and accuracies in predicting the average and transient cutting forces for different milling processes on aluminum alloy 7050.
Variation and artificial neural network prediction of profile areas during slant type taper profiling of triangle at different machining parameters on Hastelloy X by wire electric discharge machining
Authors: Manoj IV , Narendranath S
Published: July 2020

In the present research work, an in-house developed fixture is used to achieve taper profiles which avoids the disadvantages in convention tapering operation in wire electric discharge machining like wire bend, inaccuracies in taper, insufficient flushing, guide wear etc. A simple triangular profile was machined at 0°, 15° and 30° slant/taper angles. These taper profile areas are investigated for various machining parameters like wire guide distance, corner dwell time, wire offset and cutting speed override. It is observed that as the wire guide distance and cutting speed override increases, the profile area decreases. Whereas in case of wire offset, as offset increases the profile areas also increase. The corner dwell time parameter do not effect on the profile area. The taper profile areas measured highest at 30° followed by 15° and 0° slant angles. This is due to the workpiece placed at different angles during machining with the aid of fixture to obtain taper profile. The taper angle represents the angularity of slant triangular profiles. As the slant angle increases the variation in taper error also increases due to higher wire vibration. An artificial neural network model is developed for the prediction of these areas at a different slant angle. The model is validated experimentally where the errors in prediction ranged from 1% to 9%. In conclusion, it can be noticed that the machining parameters and slant angle influence on profiles irrespective of their dimensions.
Analysis of the surface topography of retrieved metal-on-polyethylene reverse shoulder prostheses
Authors: Ramírez-Martínez Israel , Stea Susanna , Joyce Thomas J.
Published: July 2020

Despite the encouraging short- and medium-term clinical results and increased usage of reverse shoulder replacements, a higher revision rate is documented compared with other major joint arthroplasties. Adverse reaction to polyethylene wear debris is still an important factor which may influence the long-term survival of reverse shoulder arthroplasty. To date, only a small number of retrieval studies of reverse shoulder arthroplasty have reported the different damage modes on polyethylene components, but none have quantified the ex vivo surface roughness on both articulating surfaces. The main purpose of this study was to assess, for the first time, the surface roughness of 13 retrieved metal-on-polyethylene reverse shoulder replacements using a white light profilometre with nanometre resolution. Although no significant relationship was observed between the surface roughness values and patient variables, it was noted that half of the polyethylene components still showed their original machining marks, indicating little change in vivo and that the metallic humeral components in the reversed design configuration showed low values of surface roughness after their time in vivo.
Biological and mechanical characterization of biodegradable carbonyl iron powder/polycaprolactone composite material fabricated using three-dimensional printing for cardiovascular stent application
Authors: Singh Jasvinder , Kaur Tejinder , Singh Neetu , Pandey Pulak Mohan
Published: July 2020

Biological and mechanical properties of biodegradable polymeric composite materials are strongly influenced by the choice of appropriate reinforcement in the polymer matrix. Non-compatibility of material in the vascular system could obstruct the way of the biological fluids. The concept of development of polymeric composite material for vascular implants is to provide enough support to the vessel and to restore the vessel in the natural state after degradation. In this research, the polycaprolactone composite materials (carbonyl iron powder/polycaprolactone) were developed by reinforcement of the 0%–2% of carbonyl iron powder using the solvent cast three-dimensional printing technique. The physicochemical properties of developed composites were characterized in conjunction with mechanical and biological properties. The mechanical characterizations were assessed by uniaxial tensile testing as well as flexibility testing. The results of mechanical testing assured that carbonyl iron powder/polycaprolactone composites have shown desirable properties for vascular implants. Besides the mechanical characterization, in vitro biological investigations of carbonyl iron powder/polycaprolactone were done for analyzing blood compatibility and cytocompatibility. The results revealed that the materials developed were biocompatible, less hemolytic, and having non-thrombogenic properties indicating the promising applications in the field of cardiovascular applications.