bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Affective Behavior in Parent Couples Undergoing Couple Therapy: Contrasting Case Studies
Authors: Liekmeier Esther , Darwiche Joëlle , Pinna Lara , Repond Anne-Sylvie , Antonietti Jean-Philippe
Published: March 2021

Being in a romantic relationship is characterized by a high degree of intimacy and affective involvement. Affective behavior indicates the emotional content in couple interactions and therefore promotes an understanding of the evolution of romantic relationships. When couples are also parents, their affective behavior reflects their romantic and coparental bonds. In this paper, we present an observation of parent couples’ affective behavior during a coparenting conflict discussion task to document whether and how much it improved during couple therapy. Two contrasting cases of affective behavior change are included. Observational coding of affective behavior within pre- and post-intervention coparenting conflict discussion tasks was carried out to compute means and CIs for each partner in both cases. In addition, the partners’ coparental and romantic satisfaction were evaluated through validated self-report questionnaires in pre- and post-intervention assessments; this helped document whether the partners’ coparental and romantic satisfaction were dissimilar between the two cases. Finally, a clinical analysis of both cases was realized with the contribution of the therapists to investigate possible differences within therapy sessions. Statistical analyses revealed negative means of affective behavior for couple A in the pre-intervention assessment and positive means in the post-intervention assessment. Partners from couple B had negative means of affective behavior in the pre- and post-intervention assessments. Results concerning coparental and romantic satisfaction differed: Couple A’s coparental satisfaction slightly increased and the romantic satisfaction somewhat decreased, whereas couple B’s coparental satisfaction remained stable and the romantic satisfaction slightly increased between the pre- and post-intervention assessments. The clinical analysis revealed that the interactional quality of couple A slightly improved within therapy sessions and that both partners succeeded in working together as coparents, notwithstanding their romantic distress. Couple B conveyed coparental distress and exhibited poor interactional quality throughout therapy sessions (e.g., repeated criticism and contempt). This study contributes to enriching the more traditional empirical research methods in the field of couple psychotherapy, as it takes into account microlevel affective changes within parent couples’ interactions in addition to self-reported data. Furthermore, the analysis of therapy sessions supports the importance of working with affective behavior in couple therapy.
Individual Differences Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Age, Gender, Personality, and Positive Psychology
Authors: Bernabe-Valero Gloria , Melero-Fuentes David , De Lima Argimon Irani I. , Gerbino Maria
Published: March 2021

Research on individual differences in facing the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be crucial in order to design diverse and highly effective intervention strategies. This study uses a sample of 302 North American participants who were recruited through the crowdsourcing platform ProA; different profiles were established, profiling variables of interest in facing the COVID-19 outbreak. Socio-demographic and psychological (personality traits, gratitude, life purpose, and religiosity) variables were explored. These results are of interest if we want to deepen the study of individual differences at both a theoretical and applied level.
Can Parental Body Dissatisfaction Predict That of Children? A Study on Body Dissatisfaction, Body Mass Index, and Desire to Diet in Children Aged 9–11 and Their Families
Authors: Solano-Pinto Natalia , Sevilla-Vera Yolanda , Fernández-Cézar Raquel , Garrido Dunia
Published: March 2021

Body image has been associated with self-care and the assumption of either healthy habits or poor diets and eating disorders. As a vital element in the formation of a positive body image, the role of the family in childhood has been highlighted by a few studies. This study aimed to assess whether children’s body dissatisfaction could be predicted by their parents’ body dissatisfaction, body mass index (BMI), and approach to change. The sample consisted of 581 participants (366 parents and 215 children). The following instruments were used: anthropometric data, the Brief Scale of Body Dissatisfaction for Children, the IMAGE questionnaire (approach to change and drive for muscularity subscales), and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness subscales). The results indicated that 19% of children, 22.8% of mothers, and 70.2% of fathers were overweight or obese. The multiple regression models developed for boys and girls explained 60 and 57% of the variance in body dissatisfaction, respectively. Several variables attributable to the mother (higher approach to change, higher drive for thinness, and higher BMI) and to the boys themselves (drive for muscularity, approach to change, and having a high BMI percentile) predicted a higher level of body dissatisfaction. For girls, only variables regarding themselves (approach to change, age, and BMI percentile) explained their body dissatisfaction. Relationships with the traits of the father were not detected for both models. The influence of sociocultural factors on the construction of gender and the negative consequences of mothers’ dieting for aesthetic purposes, on the development of children’s body image, are discussed.
Mental Health Status of the General Public, Frontline, and Non-frontline Healthcare Providers in the Early Stage of COVID-19
Authors: Luo Dan , Liu Qian , Chen Qin , Huang Run , Chen Pan , Yang Bing Xiang , Liu Zhongchun
Published: March 2021

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in 2020 which resulted in high levels of psychological stress in both the general public and healthcare providers.

Purpose: The study aimed to address the mental health status of people in China in the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, and to identify differences among the general public, frontline, and non-frontline healthcare providers.

Method: A cross-sectional study was used to identify the mental health status of the general public and healthcare providers between Jan 29 and Feb 11, 2020. Data were collected using an online survey from a convenience sample. The instruments used included: Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data. Kruskal-Wallis H tests were performed to assess differences in measurements among the three groups; P < 0.05 (two-sided) was considered to be statistically significant.

Results: Results showed that a majority of participants experienced post-traumatic stress (68.8%), depression (46.1%), anxiety (39.8%), and insomnia (31.4%). Significant changes in the mental health status of frontline providers was found as compared to those of the other groups (P < 0.001). Interestingly, the scores of the general public were significantly higher than those of the non-frontline healthcare providers (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: These findings provide information to evaluate outbreak associated psychological stress for the general public and healthcare providers, and assist in providing professional support and actionable guidance to ease psychological stress and improve mental health.
Autism Spectrum and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children of Immigrants: A Brief Review of Current Evidence and Implications for Clinical Practice
Authors: Schmengler Heiko , Cohen David , Tordjman Sylvie , Melchior Maria
Published: March 2021

Children of immigrants may have higher neurodevelopmental risks than those of non-immigrant populations. Yet, some evidence suggests that this group may receive late diagnosis, and therefore miss beneficial early interventions. Clinicians may misattribute symptoms of disorders to other social, behavioral or language problems. Likewise, there might be cultural differences in parents' likelihood of perceiving or reporting first developmental concerns to clinicians. Population-based standardized screening may play an important role in addressing ethnic inequalities in the age at diagnosis, although further research focusing on cross-cultural use is necessary. Once children are diagnosed, clinicians may rely on culturally sensitive procedures (translation services, cultural mediators) to increase the accessibility of interventions and improve adherence among immigrant families. In this brief review, we provide an overview about what is currently known about the epidemiology and risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorders, paying special attention to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in children of immigrants and suggest the necessity of population-based screening and culturally sensitive care.
Reduced Social Connectedness and Compassion Toward Close Others in Patients With Chronic Depression Compared to a Non-clinical Sample
Authors: Frick Artjom , Thinnes Isabel , Hofmann Stefan G. , Windmann Sabine , Stangier Ulrich
Published: March 2021

Reduced social functioning in depression has been explained by different factors. Reduced social connectedness and prosocial motivation may contribute to interpersonal difficulties, particularly in chronic depression. In the present study, we tested whether social connectedness and prosocial motivation are reduced in chronic depression. Forty-seven patients with persistent depression and 49 healthy controls matched for age and gender completed the Inclusion of the Other in the Self Scale (IOS), the Compassionate Love Scale (CLS), the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. A Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with IOS and CLS as dependent variables revealed a highly significant difference between both groups. The IOS and the CLS-subscale Close Others were lower in persistent depression, whereas there was no difference in the CLS-subscale Strangers/Humanity. IOS and CLS-Close Others showed significant negative correlations with depressive symptoms. Connectedness to family members as measured by the IOS was negatively correlated with childhood trauma in patients with chronic depression. The results indicate that compassion and perceived social connection are reduced in depressed patients toward close others, but not to others in general. Implications for the treatment of depression are discussed.
Abnormal Habituation of the Auditory Event-Related Potential P2 Component in Patients With Schizophrenia
Authors: Mazer Prune , Macedo Inês , Paiva Tiago O. , Ferreira-Santos Fernando , Pasion Rita , Barbosa Fernando , Almeida Pedro , Silveira Celeste , Cunha-Reis Cassilda , Marques-Teixeira João
Published: March 2021

Auditory event-related potentials (ERP) may serve as diagnostic tools for schizophrenia and inform on the susceptibility for this condition. Particularly, the examination of N1 and P2 components of the auditory ERP may shed light on the impairments of information processing streams in schizophrenia. However, the habituation properties (i.e., decreasing amplitude with the repeated presentation of an auditory stimulus) of these components remain poorly studied compared to other auditory ERPs. Therefore, the current study used a roving paradigm to assess the modulation and habituation of N1 and P2 to simple (pure tones) and complex sounds (human voices and bird songs) in 26 first-episode patients with schizophrenia and 27 healthy participants. To explore the habituation properties of these ERPs, we measured the decrease in amplitude over a train of seven repetitions of the same stimulus (either bird songs or human voices). We observed that, for human voices, N1 and P2 amplitudes decreased linearly from stimulus 1–7, in both groups. Regarding bird songs, only the P2 component showed a decreased amplitude with stimulus presentation, exclusively in the control group. This suggests that patients did not show a fading of neural responses to repeated bird songs, reflecting abnormal habituation to this stimulus. This could reflect the inability to inhibit irrelevant or redundant information at later stages of auditory processing. In turn schizophrenia patients appear to have a preserved auditory processing of human voices.
Continuous Infusion of Flumazenil in the Management of Benzodiazepines Detoxification
Authors: Benini Anna , Gottardo Rossella , Chiamulera Cristiano , Bertoldi Anna , Zamboni Lorenzo , Lugoboni Fabio
Published: March 2021

An effective approach in the treatment of benzodiazepine (BZD) overdosing and detoxification is flumazenil (FLU). Studies in chronic users who discontinued BZD in a clinical setting suggested that multiple slow bolus infusions of FLU reduce BZD withdrawal symptoms. The aim of this study was to confirm FLU efficacy for reducing BZD withdrawal syndrome by means of continuous elastomeric infusion, correlated to drugs plasma level and patients' compliance.

Methods: Seven-day FLU 1 mg/day subcutaneously injected through an elastomeric pump and BZDs lormetazepam, clonazepam, and lorazepam were assessed by HPLC-MS/MS in serum of patients before and after 4 and 7 days of FLU continuous infusion treatment. Changes in withdrawal severity were assessed by using the BZD Withdrawal Scale (BWS).

Results: Fourteen patients (mean age ± SD 42.5 ± 8.0 years, 5 male and 9 female), admitted to the hospital for high-dose BZD detoxification, were enrolled in the study. Serum FLU concentrations significantly decreased from 0.54 ± 0.33 ng/ml (mean ± SD) after 4 days of treatment to 0.1 ± 0.2 ng/ml at the end of infusion. Lormetazepam concentrations were 502.5 ± 610.0 ng/ml at hospital admission, 26.2 ± 26.8 ng/ml after 4 days, and 0 at the end of treatment. BWS values decreased during FLU treatment temporal period. FLU was well-tolerated by patients.

Conclusions: Elastomeric FLU infusion for BZD detoxification is a feasible administration device to maintain adequate, constant, and tolerated FLU concentrations for reducing BZD withdrawal symptoms.
Evaluation of Subjective Sleep Disturbances in Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Radiotherapy Department
Authors: Wang Jun , Zhou Bei-Yun , Lian Chen-Lu , Zhou Ping , Lin Hui-Juan , Wu San-Gang
Published: March 2021

Background: The factors associated with sleep disturbances in cancer patients remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of sleep disorders and predictors associated with sleep disturbance in cancer patients from a radiotherapy department.

Methods: Patients with cancers were recruited before the start of radiotherapy from our institution between January 2019 and February 2020. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale was used to assess sleep quality. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to conduct statistical analysis.

Results: A total of 330 eligible patients were included. Of them, 38.3% (n = 127) had the globe PSQI score >7, indicating that they suffered from sleep disorders. Patients with lung cancer (45.2%) were more likely to suffer from sleep disturbance, followed by cervical cancer (43.8%), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (41.7%), esophageal cancer (41.5%), breast cancer (37.7%), and colorectal cancer (30%). With regard to the PSQI components, the mean sleep duration was 8 h, 20.3% (n = 67) of them reported poor subjective sleep quality, 6.1% (n = 20) needed medication to improve sleep, and 53.6% (n = 177) suffered daytime dysfunction. Multivariate logistic regression models showed body mass index (BMI) ≥ 20 kg/m2 [odds ratio (OR) 0.599, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.329–0.948, P = 0.031] and the receipt of surgery (OR 0.507, 95% CI 0.258–0.996, P = 0.048) were the significant favorable predictors for sleep disturbance, while age, gender, marital status, education level, comorbidity, metastasis status, diagnostic status, and cancer type were not significantly associated with sleep disturbance.

Conclusions: Approximately 40% of the cancer patients suffer from sleep disturbance before the start of radiotherapy. Patients with BMI ≥ 20 kg/m2 and receiving surgery are less likely to develop sleep disturbance in comparison with others.
Accounting for Research Induced Environmental Impacts Using Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Cooney Ronan , Tahar Alexandre , Kennedy Alan , Clifford Eoghan
Published: March 2021

Since the 1970's the number of scientific publications with sustainability as a keyword has increased from 1 in 1975 to 13,628 in 2019. Research, like all human endeavors, has impacts on the environment due to the activities required to generate the supporting data (i.e., use of vehicles, resources, and materials). Researchers have a responsibility to minimize their impacts as part of their work and to make environmentally responsible decisions. A life-cycle approach is currently the best-developed means of assessing the impact of a group or organization. This article presents a case study of organizational life cycle assessment (O-LCA) of a research project. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate the impact of the project, focusing on travel. (ii) Use apost hocapproach to determine impact reduction opportunities. (iii) Apply O-LCA as a decision-making tool in project management of research and (iv) profile the environmental impact of the project using public data (manufacturers figures) and proprietary datasets. The results of this study indicate that the greatest impact arising from the project was due to commuting followed by conference and training attendance, fieldwork and meetings. Scenarios modeling, alternative vehicle use, flexible working arrangements and stakeholder events highlighted the reduction potential that could have been implemented as part of the project. O-LCA proved to be an appropriate tool for assessing the impact of a research group and that it has the potential to inform decisions and management of academic projects and events. It should be noted that the ability of research groups or personnel to bring about change might be limited, typically due to their placement within a larger organization (e.g., a higher education institute). The recent COVID-19 pandemic, has hastened the shift to remote working practices for many organizations. Recent surveys indicate that more than 80% of respondents would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, after the pandemic. This modal shift in working practices offers an immediate opportunity for environmental relief. It is recommended that O-LCA be incorporated into groups and organizations to support their decision-making practices to foster responsible and sustainable research.
Connecting the Dots: Discovering the “Shape” of Data
Authors: Feng Michelle , Hickok Abigail , Kureh Yacoub H. , Porter Mason A. , Topaz Chad M.
Published: March 2021

Scientists use a mathematical subject called topology to study the shapes of objects. An important part of topology is counting the number of pieces and the number of holes in an object, and researchers use this information to group objects into different types. For example, a doughnut has the same number of holes and the same number of pieces as a teacup with one handle, but it is different from a ball. In studies that resemble activities like “connect-the-dots,” scientists use ideas from topology to study the “shape” of data. Ideas and methods from topology have been used to study the branching structures of veins in leaves, voting in elections, flight patterns in models of bird flocking, and more.
An Investigation of the Mechanisms Involved in Plate Load Testing in Rock
Authors: Mortazavi Ali
Published: March 2021

Accurate determination of rock mass deformation modulus is very important in rock engineering projects. The plate loading test (PLT) is a method that is generally used in dam construction projects to determine rock mass modulus. Numerical simulation was used to investigate the mechanisms involved in this test. The first objective of the paper was to employ 3D modeling in the interpretation of plate load tests conducted at the Bazoft dam site in Iran. Additionally, a parametric study of the effects of key parameters such as displacement measuring depth and loading plate diameter on the test results was another objective of the study. The moduli values determined numerically were compared against actual filed testing data determined from in-situ test data conducted at the Bazoft dam site, and the values determined from the ISRM suggested formula. The analysis showed that the optimum measurement depth for rock mass modulus calculation is approximately equal to the loading plate diameter and the data determined from measurement depths beyond one plate diameter can be unrealistic. Moreover, the plate diameter can have a significant effect on test results. As the measurement depth increases, the determined modulus values increase at a much more rapid pace when employing smaller size loading plates.
A Bayesian Control Chart for Monitoring Process Variance
Authors: Lin Chien-Hua , Lu Ming-Che , Yang Su-Fen , Lee Ming-Yung
Published: March 2021

Automation in the service industry is emerging as a new wave of industrial revolution. Standardization and consistency of service quality is an important part of the automation process. The quality control methods widely used in the manufacturing industry can provide service quality measurement and service process monitoring. In particular, the control chart as an online monitoring technique can be used to quickly detect whether a service process is out of control. However, the control of the service process is more difficult than that of the manufacturing process because the variability of the service process comes from widespread and complex factors. First of all, the distribution of the service process is usually non-normal or unknown. Moreover, the skewness of the process distribution can be time-varying, even if the process is in control. In this study, a Bayesian procedure is applied to construct a Phase II exponential weighted moving average (EWMA) control chart for monitoring the variance of a distribution-free process. We explore the sampling properties of the new monitoring statistic, which is suitable for monitoring the time-varying process distribution. The average run lengths (ARLs) of the proposed Bayesian EWMA variance chart are calculated, and they show that the chart performs well. The simulation studies for a normal process, exponential process, and the mixed process of normal and exponential distribution prove that our chart can quickly detect any shift of a process variance. Finally, a numerical example of bank service time is used to illustrate the application of the proposed Bayesian EWMA variance chart and confirm the performance of the process control.
Collagen-Based Electrospun Materials for Tissue Engineering: A Systematic Review
Authors: Blackstone Britani N. , Gallentine Summer C. , Powell Heather M.
Published: March 2021

Collagen is a key component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in organs and tissues throughout the body and is used for many tissue engineering applications. Electrospinning of collagen can produce scaffolds in a wide variety of shapes, fiber diameters and porosities to match that of the native ECM. This systematic review aims to pool data from available manuscripts on electrospun collagen and tissue engineering to provide insight into the connection between source material, solvent, crosslinking method and functional outcomes. D-banding was most often observed in electrospun collagen formed using collagen type I isolated from calfskin, often isolated within the laboratory, with short solution solubilization times. All physical and chemical methods of crosslinking utilized imparted resistance to degradation and increased strength. Cytotoxicity was observed at high concentrations of crosslinking agents and when abbreviated rinsing protocols were utilized. Collagen and collagen-based scaffolds were capable of forming engineered tissues in vitro and in vivo with high similarity to the native structures.
Emerging Trends for Radio-Immunotherapy in Rectal Cancer
Authors: Corrò Claudia , Dutoit Valérie , Koessler Thibaud
Published: March 2021

Rectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease at the genetic and molecular levels, both aspects having major repercussions on the tumor immune contexture. Whilst microsatellite status and tumor mutational load have been associated with response to immunotherapy, presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is one of the most powerful prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Yet, the majority of rectal cancers are characterized by microsatellite stability, low tumor mutational burden and poor T cell infiltration. Consequently, these tumors do not respond to immunotherapy and treatment largely relies on radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy followed by radical surgery. Importantly, pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest that radiotherapy can induce a complete reprograming of the tumor microenvironment, potentially sensitizing it for immune checkpoint inhibition. Nonetheless, growing evidence suggest that this synergistic effect strongly depends on radiotherapy dosing, fractionation and timing. Despite ongoing work, information about the radiotherapy regimen required to yield optimal clinical outcome when combined to checkpoint blockade remains largely unavailable. In this review, we describe the molecular and immune heterogeneity of rectal cancer and outline its prognostic value. In addition, we discuss the effect of radiotherapy on the tumor microenvironment, focusing on the mechanisms and benefits of its combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Epigenetic Treatment of Urothelial Carcinoma Cells Sensitizes to Cisplatin Chemotherapy and PARP Inhibitor Treatment
Authors: Thy Sophia , Hommel Alexandra , Meneceur Sarah , Bartkowiak Anna L. , Schulz Wolfgang A. , Niegisch Günter , Hoffmann Michèle J.
Published: March 2021

Muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) is treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, which is only moderately efficient, mostly due to development of resistance. New therapy approaches are therefore urgently needed. Epigenetic alterations due to frequent mutations in epigenetic regulators contribute to development of the disease and to treatment resistance, and provide targets for novel drug combination therapies. Here, we determined the cytotoxic impact of the second-generation bromodomain protein inhibitor (BETi) PLX51107 on UC cell lines (UCC) and normal HBLAK control cells. PLX51107 inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis, and acted synergistically with the histone deacetylase inhibitor romidepsin. While PLX51107 caused significant DNA damage, DNA damage signaling and DNA repair were impeded, a state defined as BRCAness. Accordingly, the drug strongly synergized with cisplatin more efficiently than romidepsin, and with the PARP inhibitor talazoparib to inhibit proliferation and induce cell death in UCC. Thus, a BETi can be used to “episensitize” UC cells to cytotoxic chemotherapy and inhibitors of DNA repair by inducing BRCAness in non BRCA1/2 mutated cancers. In clinical applications, the synergy between PLX51107 and other drugs should permit significant dosage reductions to minimize effects on normal tissues.
Microfluidic Chip-Based Cancer Diagnosis and Prediction of Relapse by Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells and Circulating Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Cho Hyeon-Yeol , Choi Jin-Ha , Lim Joungpyo , Lee Sang-Nam , Choi Jeong-Woo
Published: March 2021

Detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been considered one of the best biomarkers in liquid biopsy for early diagnosis and prognosis monitoring in cancer. A major challenge of using CTCs is detecting extremely low-concentrated targets in the presence of high noise factors such as serum and hematopoietic cells. This review provides a selective overview of the recent progress in the design of microfluidic devices with optical sensing tools and their application in the detection and analysis of CTCs and their small malignant subset, circulating cancer stem cells (CCSCs). Moreover, discussion of novel strategies to analyze the differentiation of circulating cancer stem cells will contribute to an understanding of metastatic cancer, which can help clinicians to make a better assessment. We believe that the topic discussed in this review can provide brief guideline for the development of microfluidic-based optical biosensors in cancer prognosis monitoring and clinical applications.
Dynamic Measurements with the Bicone Interfacial Shear Rheometer: The Effects of the Numerical Implementation of the Interfacial Boundary Condition
Authors: Sánchez-Puga Pablo , Tajuelo Javier , Pastor Juan Manuel , Rubio Miguel A.
Published: March 2021

The increasing popularity of flow field-based data analysis (FFBDA) techniques has a paradigmatic example in the routines already developed for the rotational oscillating bicone bob interfacial shear rheometer. Such routines use a second order centered finite difference (SOCFD) discretization scheme, in both the vertical and radial coordinates, for the velocity field in the bulk fluid subphase and a first order forward finite difference (FOFFD) scheme in the vertical coordinate for the velocity field at the air/water interface. Such a mixture of schemes causes non-smooth flow fields at the interface that can be tackled by appropriately devising a SOCFD scheme for the vertical coordinate at the interface using a line of “phantom” nodes that merely serve to adequately merge the Navier–Stokes equations and the Boussinesq–Scriven boundary condition at the interface. Here we report on a detailed analysis of the quantitative improvements of such a scheme over the previous one by comparing the structure of the flow fields at and close to the interface, the differences in the interfacial and bulk drag torques on the bicone bob, and the differences in the torque/displacement complex amplitude ratio.
Estimating Endogenous Treatment Effects Using Latent Factor Models with and without Instrumental Variables
Authors: Banerjee Souvik , Basu Anirban
Published: March 2021

We provide evidence on the least biased ways to identify causal effects in situations where there are multiple outcomes that all depend on the same endogenous regressor and a reasonable but potentially contaminated instrumental variable that is available. Simulations provide suggestive evidence on the complementarity of instrumental variable (IV) and latent factor methods and how this complementarity depends on the number of outcome variables and the degree of contamination in the IV. We apply the causal inference methods to assess the impact of mental illness on work absenteeism and disability, using the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.
Comparison of Two Solar Probabilistic Forecasting Methodologies for Microgrids Energy Efficiency
Authors: Mazorra-Aguiar Luis , Lauret Philippe , David Mathieu , Oliver Albert , Montero Gustavo
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the performances of two approaches for solar probabilistic are evaluated using a set of metrics previously tested by the meteorology verification community. A particular focus is put on several scores and the decomposition of a specific probabilistic metric: the continuous rank probability score (CRPS) as they give extensive information to compare the forecasting performance of both methodologies. The two solar probabilistic forecasting methodologies are used to produce intra-day solar forecasts with time horizons ranging from 1 h to 6 h. The first methodology is based on two steps. In the first step, we generated a point forecast for each horizon and in a second step, we use quantile regression methods to estimate the prediction intervals. The second methodology directly estimates the prediction intervals of the forecasted clear sky index distribution using past data as inputs. With this second methodology we also propose to add solar geometric angles as inputs. Overall, nine probabilistic forecasting performances are compared at six measurements stations with different climatic conditions. This paper shows a detailed picture of the overall performance of the models and consequently may help in selecting the best methodology.
Evolution of Internal Stress in Heterogeneous Electrode Composite during the Drying Process
Authors: Zhu Zuoquan , He Yaolong , Hu Hongjiu , Zhang Fangzhou
Published: March 2021

The mechanical behavior of electrode composite during the drying preparation has played a crucial role in the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Our work aimed at developing an integrated analysis method to study the component distribution, mechanical properties, and internal stress of composite coating in the process of electrode drying. The main influence factors of drying stress were thoroughly investigated. It was found that this present model could capture not only the heterogeneity effect of inactive ingredients but also the porosity-dependent viscoelasticity of electrode composite. Meanwhile, the calculated effective modulus and stress evolution upon drying time were in acceptable accord with the experimental data. Furthermore, the rapid solidification markedly increased the drying stress in electrodes and significantly impaired the tensile strength of electrode composite due to the highly gradient distributed constituents. However, the stress level at high drying temperature could be significantly reduced by an aqueous sodium alginate binder instead of poly(vinylidene fluoride). The obtained results will be a great help in efficiently manufacturing LIB electrodes with adequate mechanical integrity.
CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future
Authors: Romeo Alessandro , Artegiani Elisa
Published: March 2021

CdTe is a very robust and chemically stable material and for this reason its related solar cell thin film photovoltaic technology is now the only thin film technology in the first 10 top producers in the world. CdTe has an optimum band gap for the Schockley-Queisser limit and could deliver very high efficiencies as single junction device of more than 32%, with an open circuit voltage of 1 V and a short circuit current density exceeding 30 mA/cm2. CdTe solar cells were introduced at the beginning of the 70s and they have been studied and implemented particularly in the last 30 years. The strong improvement in efficiency in the last 5 years was obtained by a new redesign of the CdTe solar cell device reaching a single solar cell efficiency of 22.1% and a module efficiency of 19%. In this paper we describe the fabrication process following the history of the solar cell as it was developed in the early years up to the latest development and changes. Moreover the paper also presents future possible alternative absorbers and discusses the only apparently controversial environmental impacts of this fantastic technology.
Uncontrolled Electric Vehicle Charging Impacts on Distribution Electric Power Systems with Primarily Residential, Commercial or Industrial Loads
Authors: Jones C. Birk , Lave Matthew , Vining William , Garcia Brooke Marshall
Published: March 2021

An increase in Electric Vehicles (EV) will result in higher demands on the distribution electric power systems (EPS) which may result in thermal line overloading and low voltage violations. To understand the impact, this work simulates two EV charging scenarios (home- and work-dominant) under potential 2030 EV adoption levels on 10 actual distribution feeders that support residential, commercial, and industrial loads. The simulations include actual driving patterns of existing (non-EV) vehicles taken from global positioning system (GPS) data. The GPS driving behaviors, which explain the spatial and temporal EV charging demands, provide information on each vehicles travel distance, dwell locations, and dwell durations. Then, the EPS simulations incorporate the EV charging demands to calculate the power flow across the feeder. Simulation results show that voltage impacts are modest (less than 0.01 p.u.), likely due to robust feeder designs and the models only represent the high-voltage (“primary”) system components. Line loading impacts are more noticeable, with a maximum increase of about 15%. Additionally, the feeder peak load times experience a slight shift for residential and mixed feeders (≈1 h), not at all for the industrial, and 8 h for the commercial feeder.
LCC-S-Based Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Controller for a Hybrid Energy Storage System Using a Wireless Power System
Authors: Ali Naghmash , Liu Zhizhen , Armghan Hammad , Ahmad Iftikhar , Hou Yanjin
Published: March 2021

Unlike the plug-in charging system, which has safety concerns such as electric sparks, wireless power transfer (WPT) is less-time consuming, is environmentally friendly and can be used in a wet environment. The inclusion of hybrid energy storage systems (HESSs) in electric vehicles (EVs) has helped to increase their energy density as well as power density. Combined with static wireless power transfer, a WPT–HESS system is proposed in this article. The HESS system includes a battery and supercapacitor (SC) connected to a WPT system through DC–DC converters. To ensure a stable DC bus voltage, an inductor–capacitor–capacitor series (LCC-S) compensation network has been implemented in the WPT system. Utilizing the two-port network theory, the design equations of the LCC-S compensation network are derived in order to realize the maximum efficiency point for the WPT system. To ensure that the WPT system operates at this maximum efficiency point and that the SC is charged to its maximum capacity, an energy management system (EMS) has been devised that generates reference currents for both the SC and battery. An integral terminal sliding mode controller (ITSMC) has been designed to track these reference currents and control the power flow between the energy storage units (ESUs) and WPT system. The stability of the proposed system is validated by Lyapunov theory. The proposed WPT–HESS system is simulated using the MATLAB/Simulink. The robustness of the ITSMC against the widely used proportional–integral–derivative (PID) and sliding mode controller (SMC) is verified under abrupt changes in the associated ESU resistance and reference load current. Finally, the simulations of the WPT–HESS system are validated by controller hardware-in-loop (C-HIL) experiments.
Study on the Sensitivity of a Gyroscope System Homing a Quadcopter onto a Moving Ground Target under the Action of External Disturbance
Authors: Krzysztofik Izabela , Koruba Zbigniew
Published: March 2021

This paper investigates the sensitivity (resistance) of a quadcopter on-board gyroscope system for the observation and tracking of a moving ground target to changing parameters of its regulator under interference conditions. It was shown that the gain in matrix elements is most sensitive, and even their slightest deviation from optimal values can lead to reduced target tracking efficiency and even loss of control system stability. Furthermore, the authors studied the energy expenditure at various gyroscope system control parameter values, while homing a quadcopter onto a ground target. A Matlab/Simulink environment was used to conduct simulations of the controlled gyroscope system dynamics. Selected test results are shown in graphic form.
Adaptive Divergence under Gene Flow along an Environmental Gradient in Two Coexisting Stickleback Species
Authors: Bal Thijs M. P. , Llanos-Garrido Alejandro , Chaturvedi Anurag , Verdonck Io , Hellemans Bart , Raeymaekers Joost A. M.
Published: March 2021

There is a general and solid theoretical framework to explain how the interplay between natural selection and gene flow affects local adaptation. Yet, to what extent coexisting closely related species evolve collectively or show distinctive evolutionary responses remains a fundamental question. To address this, we studied the population genetic structure and morphological differentiation of sympatric three-spined and nine-spined stickleback. We conducted genotyping-by-sequencing and morphological trait characterisation using 24 individuals of each species from four lowland brackish water (LBW), four lowland freshwater (LFW) and three upland freshwater (UFW) sites in Belgium and the Netherlands. This combination of sites allowed us to contrast populations from isolated but environmentally similar locations (LFW vs. UFW), isolated but environmentally heterogeneous locations (LBW vs. UFW), and well-connected but environmentally heterogenous locations (LBW vs. LFW). Overall, both species showed comparable levels of genetic diversity and neutral genetic differentiation. However, for all three spatial scales, signatures of morphological and genomic adaptive divergence were substantially stronger among populations of the three-spined stickleback than among populations of the nine-spined stickleback. Furthermore, most outlier SNPs in the two species were associated with local freshwater sites. The few outlier SNPs that were associated with the split between brackish water and freshwater populations were located on one linkage group in three-spined stickleback and two linkage groups in nine-spined stickleback. We conclude that while both species show congruent evolutionary and genomic patterns of divergent selection, both species differ in the magnitude of their response to selection regardless of the geographical and environmental context.
Overuse of Health Care in the Emergency Services in Chile
Authors: Alvial Ximena , Rojas Alejandra , Carrasco Raúl , Durán Claudia , Fernández-Campusano Christian
Published: March 2021

The Public Health Service in Chile consists of different levels of complexity and coverage depending on the severity and degree of specialization of the pathology to be treated. From primary to tertiary care, tertiary care is highly complex and has low coverage. This work focuses on an analysis of the public health system with emphasis on the healthcare network and tertiary care, whose objectives are designed to respond to the needs of each patient. A review of the literature and a field study of the problem of studying the perception of internal and external users is presented. This study intends to be a contribution in the detection of opportunities for the relevant actors and the processes involved through the performance of Triage. The main causes and limitations of the excessive use of emergency services in Chile are analyzed and concrete proposals are generated aiming to benefit clinical care in emergency services. Finally, improvements related to management are proposed and the main aspects are determined to improve decision-making in hospitals, which could be a contribution to public health policies.
Intention to Take COVID-19 Vaccine as a Precondition for International Travel: Application of Extended Norm-Activation Model
Authors: Radic Aleksandar , Koo Bonhak , Gil-Cordero Eloy , Cabrera-Sánchez Juan Pedro , Han Heesup
Published: March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat to human health, the global economy, and the social fabrics of contemporary societies as many aspects of modern everyday life, including travel and leisure, have been shattered to pieces. Hence, a COVID-19 mandatory vaccination as a precondition for international travel is being debated in many countries. Thus, the present research aimed to study the intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine as a precondition for international travel using an extended Norm-Activation Model. The study model integrates a new construct, namely mass media coverage on COVID-19 vaccination as additional predictor of intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The survey data were collected from 1221 international travelers. Structural equation modelling shows a very good fit of the final model to the data; the conceptual model based on extended Norm-Activation Model was strongly supported. Awareness of consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals’ health has shown a positive effect on individuals’ ascribed responsibility to adopt emotionally driven (anticipated pride and anticipated guilt) pro-social behaviors that activate a personal norm towards altruistic and pro-mandatory vaccination-friendly behavior. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Provision of Care to the People with HIV: Voices of Professional Nurses in the Public Hospitals of Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: Moshidi Maria Lebeko , Malema Rambelani Nancy , Muthelo Livhuwani , Mothiba Tebogo Maria
Published: March 2021

The battle against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic are still raging in South Africa (SA) despite all the preventive strategies implemented via the five-year strategic plan (2011–2015). The intensity of the AIDS pandemic in SA creates additional challenges for the health workers as they have to deal with an increasing number of people who suffer from this disease. Professional nurses are a critical part of the workforce. The qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual study design was conducted in five public hospitals from each district of Limpopo Province. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe experiences regarding support received by professional nurses while providing care to HIV and AIDS patients in the public hospitals of Limpopo Province. Purposive sampling was employed to select the participants who provided care to HIV and AIDS patients for 24 months or more. The recruitment of participants continued until data saturation was reached at participant number 20. Data were collected through face-to-face individual interviews using a semi-structured guide. Data were analyzed using Tech’s qualitative data analysis method. Trustworthiness was measured through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Findings: Emotional and physical strain due to a shortage of staff, heavy workload, staff turnover, and high absenteeism were experienced by the nurses fulfilling these tasks. Exhaustion, fatigue, increased levels of stress, and lack of training, counselling, debriefing sessions, recognitions, and reward systems were also experienced. Recommendations: A program for support of all professional nurses providing care to HIV and AIDS patients should be conceptualized and implemented.
The Psychology of Murder Concealment Acts
Authors: Kamaluddin Mohammad Rahim , Mahat Naji Arafat , Mat Saat Geshina Ayu , Othman Azizah , Anthony Ian Lloyd , Kumar Sowmya , Wahab Suzaily , Meyappan Saravanan , Rathakrishnan Balan , Ibrahim Fauziah
Published: March 2021

The escalating trend of murder victim concealment worldwide appears worrying, and literature does not reveal any specific study focusing on victim concealment amongst convicted male Malaysian murderers. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the psychological traits that may underlie the act of murder concealment in Malaysia via mixed method approaches. Male murderers (n = 71) from 11 prisons were selected via purposive sampling technique. In the quantitative analysis, a cross-sectional study design using the validated questionnaire was used. The questionnaire contained murder concealment variables and four Malay validated psychometric instruments measuring: personality traits, self-control, aggression, and cognitive distortion. The independent sample t-tests revealed the significantly higher level of anger in murderers who did not commit concealment acts (8.55 ± 2.85, p < 0.05) when compared with those who did so (6.40 ± 2.64). Meanwhile, the Kruskal–Wallis H test revealed that anger and the personality trait of aggressiveness-hostility significantly varied across the different groups of murder concealment acts (p < 0.05). The qualitative data obtained via the in-depth interviews revealed two important themes for the murderers to commit murder concealment acts: (1) fear of discovery and punishment and (2) blaming others. These findings discussed from the perspectives of the murderers within the context of criminology and psychology may provide the first ever insight into the murder concealment acts in Malaysia that can benefit the relevant authorities for crime prevention and investigation efforts.