bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Future Changes in Tropical Cyclone Intensity and Frequency over the Western North Pacific Based on 20-km HiRAM and MRI Models
Authors: Hong Chi-Cherng , Tsou Chih-Hua , Hsu Pang-Chi , Chen Kuan-Chieh , Liang Hsin-Chien , Hsu Huang-Hsiung , Tu Chia-Ying , Kitoh Akio
Published: December 2020

The future changes in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity and frequency over the western North Pacific (WNP) under global warming remain uncertain. In this study, we investigated such changes using 20-km resolution HiRAM and Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) models, which can realistically simulate the TC activity in the present climate. We found that the mean intensity of TCs in the future (2075–99) would increase by approximately 15%, along with an eastward shift of TC genesis location in response to the El Niño–like warming. However, the lifetime of future TCs would be shortened because the TCs tend to have more poleward genesis locations and move faster due to a stronger steering flow related to the strengthened WNP subtropical high in a warmer climate. In other words, the enhancement of TC intensity in the future is not attributable to the duration of TC lifetime. To understand the processes responsible for the change in TC intensity in a warmer climate, we applied the budget equation of synoptic-scale eddy kinetic energy along the TC tracks in model simulations. The diagnostic results suggested that both the upper-level baroclinic energy conversion (CE) and lower-level barotropic energy conversion (CK) contribute to the intensified TCs under global warming. The increased CE results from the enhancement of TC-related perturbations of temperature and vertical velocity over the subtropical WNP, whereas the increased CK mainly comes from synoptic-scale eddies interacting with enhanced zonal-wind convergence associated with seasonal-mean and intraseasonal flows over Southeast China and the northwestern sector of WNP.
White Space(s) and the Reproduction of White Supremacy
Authors: Embrick David G. , Moore Wendy Leo
Published: December 2020

In the past two decades, social scientists have begun to explicitly interrogate the racialized economic, political, cultural, and ideological mechanisms of social space. This work interrogates the overt and covert racial organization of social spaces and the ways in which systemic White supremacy is facilitated by racialized space. Drawing on and synthesizing that work we explicate a critical theory of White space, explicating how geographical, physical, cultural, and ideological social spaces reproduce a racialized social structure organized by White supremacy. We argue that White spaces are integral to racialized social systems and global anti-Black racism in ways that not only normalize the existing racial and social order but ensures Whites’ fantasy(ies) of complete dominion over place and space, as well as control over brown and Black bodies.
Employee proactive goal regulation and job performance: The role modeling and interacting effects of leader proactive goal regulation
Authors: Wang An-Chih , Kim Tae-Yeol , Jiang Yuan , Tang Guiyao
Published: December 2020

Given the critical role of leaders in managing employees’ goal-setting, we theorized and examined how leader proactive goal regulation facilitates employee proactive goal processes and outcomes. Based on a sample of 74 leaders and 371 employees who work in research and development groups, we found that employees’ three motivational states—role breadth self-efficacy, psychological ownership, and activated positive affect—were positively associated with job performance via employee proactive goal regulation. In addition, the effects of leader proactive goal regulation on this mediation model were twofold. First, there was a direct effect on employee proactive goal regulation, which, in turn, positively related to job performance. Second, there was a moderating effect of leader proactive goal regulation such that employees delivered high job performance when their leaders were high in proactive goal regulation, regardless of employees’ own levels of proactive goal regulation. This study highlights the importance of not only employee but also leader proactive goal regulation in connecting employees’ proactive motivational states with job performance.
The Effects of Computerized Sentence and Paragraph Strategy Instruction for Struggling Adolescent Writers
Authors: Schumaker Jean B.
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine whether struggling adolescent writers could learn sentence and paragraph writing skills from a software program. Nine junior-high and nine senior-high struggling writers participated in a multiple-probe across-students design that was replicated six times. Instructional procedures within the software program were based on methods previously found to be successful in teaching learning strategies to adolescents. Measures included scores on practice activities, time spent working through the program, quiz and knowledge test scores, a sentence-construction score, a complete sentences score, a paragraph-organization score, a planning score, satisfaction with the software program, and satisfaction with personal writing skills. All of the students met mastery on all of the activities and quizzes in the program. Significant differences representing large effect sizes (range of Cohen’s d = 1.42 to 2.39) were found between baseline and post-instruction scores in the multiple-probe design on the Complete Sentence and Paragraph-Organization measures. Students indicated that they were satisfied with the software program and their own writing.
Exploring Barriers to and Facilitators of Physical Activity among Korean American Women
Authors: Choi JiWon , Cho Juhyun , Shin Nah-Mee , Tsoh Janice
Published: December 2020

Physical inactivity is prevalent among ethnic minority women including Korean American (KA) women. We explored the barriers to and facilitators of physical activity (PA) and strategies to promote continued engagement in a PA program with a component of an online community. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study of 37 KA middle-aged women who used to be physically inactive and participated in an exit interview following postintervention visit. Using a thematic analysis approach to analyze the data, we found the individual, interpersonal, and neighborhood/community-level barriers to and facilitators of PA; social influence and social support-related themes were evident. Participants expressed benefit and interest in lifestyle modification using social media. Such program that reduces the barriers and reinforces the facilitators may be able to help motivate KA women to increase their PA.
COVID‐19 Vaccines May Not Prevent Nasal SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection and Asymptomatic Transmission
Authors: Bleier Benjamin S. , Ramanathan Murugappan , Lane Andrew P.
Published: December 2020

Current COVID‐19 vaccine candidates are administered by injection and designed to produce an IgG response, preventing viremia and the COVID‐19 syndrome. However, systemic respiratory vaccines generally provide limited protection against viral replication and shedding within the airway, as this requires a local mucosal secretory IgA response. Indeed, preclinical studies of adenovirus and mRNA candidate vaccines demonstrated persistent virus in nasal swabs despite preventing COVID‐19. This suggests that systemically vaccinated patients, while asymptomatic, may still be become infected and transmit live virus from the upper airway. COVID‐19 is known to spread through respiratory droplets and aerosols. Furthermore, significant evidence has shown that many clinic and surgical endonasal procedures are aerosol generating. Until further knowledge is acquired regarding mucosal immunity following systemic vaccination, otolaryngology providers should maintain precautions against viral transmission to protect the proportion of persistently vulnerable patients who exhibit subtotal vaccine efficacy or waning immunity or who defer vaccination.
Task Performance of Expatriates Based on Emissary Model of Global Human Resource Strategy
Authors: Kim Hyeong-Deug , Kamalanabhan T. J.
Published: December 2020

This survey study examined predictors of the task performance of Korean expatriates in India, while considering their globalization status. Task performance was significantly influenced by opportunities for career development and satisfaction of global human resource management practices. However, cultural intelligence, family adjustment and willingness to accept a global assignment did not significantly influence task performance. Using an emissary model of international HR strategy that conforms to Korean companies’ current globalization status, we explain these results and also suggest valuable insights to fast-growing companies from newly industrializing or emerging economies so that they can develop a relevant strategy for improving task performance of their expatriates.
The association between romantic competence and couple support behaviors in emerging adult couples
Authors: Zhou Jiaqi , Bhatia Vickie , Luginbuehl Tamara , Davila Joanne
Published: December 2020

This study examined the association between romantic competence and observed couple social support behaviors in a sample of 89 emerging adult mixed-gender couples ( M age = 20.65 for men, 20.16 for women). Across analyses, findings generally indicated that higher romantic competence was associated with both seeking and providing support in a more positive and less negative manner, even when controlling for attachment security, relationship satisfaction, and relationship length. The findings extend our understanding of how romantic competence affects dyadic processes, and identifies romantic competence as a novel target underlying the ability to effectively seek and provide support. Clinical implications for relationship education programs as well as psychotherapy that may be focused on improving relationship functioning is discussed.
Predictors of Failure of Return to Play in Youth Baseball Players After Capitellar Osteochondritis Dissecans: Focus on Elbow Valgus Laxity and Radiocapitellar Congruity
Authors: Sakata Jun , Miyazaki Tetsuya , Akeda Masaki , Yamazaki Tetsuya
Published: December 2020

Background:

Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral capitellum (capitellar OCD) is a common injury among youth baseball players, but there are only a few studies that report on return to play with nonoperative treatment.

Purpose:

To evaluate the medial elbow joint laxity under valgus stress and radiocapitellar congruity in patients with capitellar OCD and evaluate their relationship to predicting rehabilitation outcome.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Capitellar OCD was diagnosed in 81 patients included in our study. All patients were elementary school students who initially received rehabilitation treatment after injury. The rates of return to the same level of play or higher (RTSP) were calculated and correlated with the joint gap difference between the dominant and nondominant elbows using ultrasound and radiocapitellar congruity (proximal, lateral, and anterior radial translation length), which was assessed using plain radiographs of the dominant elbow.

Results:

The overall RTSP rates of patients with nonoperative treatment was 70.4% (57/81). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified OCD classification (stage I, odds ratio [OR], 4.076; 95% CI, 1.171-14.190) and 1 continuous variable (proximal radial translation length on anteroposterior view, OR, 0.661; 95% CI, 0.479-0.911) as the significant predictive factors for outcome after nonoperative treatment.

Conclusion:

The early stage of capitellar OCD in youth baseball players can be successfully treated nonoperatively in the majority of cases. The presence of proximal radial translation can predict the outcome of nonoperative management of capitellar OCD.
Instrumental Mentoring for Young Adults: A Multi-Method Study
Authors: Schenk Loïs , Sentse Miranda , Lenkens Margriet , Nagelhout Gera E. , Engbersen Godfried , Severiens Sabine
Published: December 2020

Closeness between mentor and mentee is previously defined as an important indicator of relationship quality in youth mentoring, but whether this is the case in instrumental mentoring for young adults remains unclear. This is an exploratory study examining how instrumental mentoring serves young adults in their instrumental needs and how relational closeness develops. We applied a mixed-methods design, using quantitative data from a study of an instrumental mentoring program in Rotterdam, The Netherlands ( N = 53), and qualitative data from a subsample of participants ( N = 10). Two statistically distinctive clusters of closeness were found; 49% of the mentees reported high levels of closeness, and 51% reported low levels of closeness in their mentor relationship. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) showed that the cluster with high levels of closeness was correlated with instrumental compatibility, satisfaction, and perceived attitude similarities. Semi-structured interviews were used to illustrate the role and development of closeness for mentees in both clusters, and three cases were presented. Experiencing closeness seemed a result of receiving instrumental support, not a precondition. Mentees’ previous experiences might in some cases explain the lower levels of closeness, but this did not always hinder mentees to profit from their mentors’ support.
Fever in the ICU: A Predictor of Mortality in Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Choron Rachel L. , Butts Christopher A. , Bargoud Christopher , Krumrei Nicole J. , Teichman Amanda L. , Schroeder Mary E. , Bover Manderski Michelle T. , Cai Jenny , Song Cherry , Rodricks Michael B. , Lissauer Matthew , Gupta Rajan
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

While fever may be a presenting symptom of COVID-19, fever at hospital admission has not been identified as a predictor of mortality. However, hyperthermia during critical illness among ventilated COVID-19 patients in the ICU has not yet been studied. We sought to determine mortality predictors among ventilated COVID-19 ICU patients and we hypothesized that fever in the ICU is predictive of mortality.

Materials and Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 103 ventilated COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU between March 14 and May 27, 2020. Final follow-up was June 5, 2020. Patients discharged from the ICU or who died were included. Patients still admitted to the ICU at final follow-up were excluded.

Results:

103 patients were included, 40 survived and 63(61.1%) died. Deceased patients were older {66 years[IQR18] vs 62.5[IQR10], ( p = 0.0237)}, more often male {48(68%) vs 22(55%), ( p = 0.0247)}, had lower initial oxygen saturation {86.0%[IQR18] vs 91.5%[IQR11.5], ( p = 0.0060)}, and had lower pH nadir than survivors {7.10[IQR0.2] vs 7.30[IQR0.2] ( p < 0.0001)}. Patients had higher peak temperatures during ICU stay as compared to hospital presentation {103.3°F[IQR1.7] vs 100.0°F[IQR3.5], ( p < 0.0001)}. Deceased patients had higher peak ICU temperatures than survivors {103.6°F[IQR2.0] vs 102.9°F[IQR1.4], ( p = 0.0008)}. Increasing peak temperatures were linearly associated with mortality. Febrile patients who underwent targeted temperature management to achieve normothermia did not have different outcomes than those not actively cooled. Multivariable analysis revealed 60% and 75% higher risk of mortality with peak temperature greater than 103°F and 104°F respectively; it also confirmed hyperthermia, age, male sex, and acidosis to be predictors of mortality.

Conclusions:

This is one of the first studies to identify ICU hyperthermia as predictive of mortality in ventilated COVID-19 patients. Additional predictors included male sex, age, and acidosis. With COVID-19 cases increasing, identification of ICU mortality predictors is crucial to improve risk stratification, resource management, and patient outcomes.
The Enactment of a “Postfeminist Sensibility”: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Teens’ Constructions of Dating Abuse Among Their Peers
Authors: Storer Heather L. , Casey Erin A.
Published: December 2020

At a societal level, postfeminist and neoliberal companion discourses have minimized structural determinants of dating abuse while elevating individual characteristics such as personal responsibility and agency. Adolescent survivors of dating abuse most frequently seek help from their peers; thus, the substance of that support is critical to reduce stigma and support survivor’s well-being. Using critical discourse analysis methodology, this article examines how postfeminism has been enacted in teens’ discursive constructions of dating violence and describes the ramifications of such constructions. Analysis used structured questions to unpack teens’ constructions and discursive formations of dating abuse. Teens participated in 11 in-person and online focus groups nationally. Results indicate that teens discursively construct abuse survivors in ways that privilege postfeminist discourses of personal choice, agency, and empowerment. Specifically, teens employed discourses of direct and indirect culpability to describe why survivors enter and remain in abusive relationships. Such framings contribute to constructing a “stigmatized identity” for abuse survivors consistent with postfeminist discourse. Multitiered interventions must be developed that both challenge postfeminist discourses and support teens in developing more empathetic responses to abuse survivors.
Risk Management in Stalking Victims: A Multi-Agency Approach to Victim Advocacy
Authors: Jerath Kritika , Tompson Lisa , Belur Jyoti
Published: December 2020

A pilot Multi-Agency Stalking Intervention Programme (MASIP), introduced in three police forces in England, provided among a range of interventions, the delivery of safety planning advice, and needs-based support for stalking victims through a bespoke advocacy service. The ultimate aim of MASIP was to equip victims with tools to manage the variety of harms caused by stalking, as well as enable them to access the criminal justice system with adequate support. This study explores the personal needs of stalking victims from the perspectives of stalking victims, advocates and stakeholders involved in the intervention program, as part of a larger evaluation study conducted by the authors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 10 stalking victims who participated in the MASIP, three advocates who directly interacted with the victims, and 19 MASIP stakeholders involved in the project. Findings revealed that overall, victims believed the advocacy service aided their ability to cope with the realities of stalking. Having a victim advocate as single point of contact made victims’ journey through the justice system easier to navigate, provided them with the emotional support that they required to deal with the harms of stalking and the practical advice offered regarding their personal safety, and allowed them to feel in control of their own risk management. Advocates reported that the multi-agency context helped in risk assessment and ability to design and deliver bespoke support plans, which uniquely improved victims’ engagement with the service. Due to the small size and possibly biased sample, our conclusions must be interpreted with caution.
Is Tax Competition Strategic? Spatial Distributions of Business Property Tax Abatements in the Chicago Suburbs
Authors: Funderburg Richard , Drucker Joshua , Merriman David , Weber Rachel
Published: December 2020

The authors analyze the locations of property tax abatements awarded to businesses in Cook County, Illinois from 2012 to 2014 to explore their spatial distribution and to examine local government motivations for awarding incentives. The authors’ analysis, which controls for the spatial distribution of businesses, reveals a clustering of abatements at intramunicipal geographic scales. They also find amplified probabilities that abatements are awarded to businesses located near tax increment financing districts or enterprise zones. These patterns suggest that local governments use abatements in a strategic fashion to advance policy goals. The authors use the same data to develop three indices of the degree of abatement clustering at the municipal scale for each of the 64 municipalities in Cook County that awarded five or more abatements. Most of the Chicago suburbs exhibit a pattern consistent with the strategic award of business tax incentives.
Integrative Nursing and Omaha System–Based Nursing Care Interventions in Older Women Feeling Loneliness (INOSEL): Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: ilgaz Ayşegül , gözüm Sebahat
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

This article presents the planned protocol for a study that investigates the effects of nursing care interventions based on Integrative Nursing (IN) and the Omaha System. The Omaha System is a nursing classification system focused on holistic care and used in determining nursing diagnoses and applying and evaluating interventions.

Design:

This study protocol describes a randomized controlled trial with a parallel group design.

Method:

Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) Statement 2013 checklist is used in this study. The CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) flowchart is used in this protocol. After the level of loneliness of older women is determined by the Loneliness Scale for the Elderly in a family health center, women with high levels of loneliness will be randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. Nursing care interventions consist of group-based (sightseeing, picnics, theater, cinema, group education, and charity activities) and person-centered interventions, according to IN and the Omaha System, for 12 weeks.

Conclusions:

This protocol will test the effectiveness of nursing care interventions that include a comprehensive (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual) evaluation. The results will help contribute to the provision of care in terms of IN and the Omaha System and guide health professionals and researchers.
Exploring the Normality of the Complexities of Later Life in Aged Homes: A Review
Authors: Chee Shi Yin , Thomas Toney K.
Published: December 2020

Dependency on aged care homes is unusually becoming a viable option for elderly couples these days, which is unconventional to the Asian way of life. The perception of the aged care home, perceived as an institution, has gradually shifted over the years and continued to evolve as elderly couples have become more open to this option to ascertain their independence. Though scholarly researchers have conducted studies on elderly life in aged care homes, there is no evidence of research on elderly couples’ mundane life in aged care homes specifically addressing the complexities of institutional interference in the togetherness, end of life, privacy, sexuality and intimacy of their physical and emotional necessities. Therefore, this article addresses this research gap. It employs an in-depth systematic literature review to address the issue and unveils important insights on the body of knowledge. The findings reveal the complexity of elderly couples’ challenges in dealing with institutional interference, as well as the importance of autonomy and privacy.
Using an Intake Form and Clinic Dashboard to Tailor and Improve the Cleft Team Clinic Visit for Families
Authors: Pfeifauf Kristin D. , Snyder-Warwick Alison K. , Scheve Sibyl , Grellner Cheryl L. , Skolnick Gary B. , Naidoo Sybill D. , Patel Kamlesh B.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Multidisciplinary cleft care protocols commonly do not incorporate family needs, concerns, and preferences.

Solution:

A family-centered model would incorporate family needs, concerns, and preferences with a view toward lessening burden of care while achieving outcomes important to families.

What We Do:

Our Intake Form helps us adapt visits to better meet families’ needs, and our Dashboard enables Team Coordinators to direct efficient patient flows, lessening wait times and care burden.
To Teach and Delight: The Varieties of Learning From Fiction
Authors: Best John
Published: December 2020

It is well known that people who read fiction have many reasons for doing so. But perhaps one of the most understudied reasons people have for reading fiction is their belief that reading will result in their acquisition of certain forms of knowledge or skill. Such expectations have long been fostered by literary theorists, critics, authors, and readers who have asserted that reading may indeed be among the best ways to learn particular forms of knowledge. Modern psychological research has borne out many of these claims. For example, readers of fiction learn cognitive skills such as mentalizing or theory of mind. Reading fiction is also associated with greater empathic skills, especially among avid or lifelong readers. For readers who are emotionally transported into the fictional world they are reading about, powerful emotional truths are often discovered that may subsequently help readers build, or change, their identities. Fiction readers acquire factual information about places or people they may not have any other access to. But reading fiction also presents opportunities to acquire inaccurate factual information that may diminish access to previously learned accurate information. If readers are provided with inaccurate information that is encoded, they have opportunities to make faulty inferences, whose invalidity the reader is often incapable of detecting. Readers of fiction use schematic world knowledge to navigate fictional texts. But if the border between fiction and reality becomes blurred, as might be the case of avid readers of fiction, there is a risk that they may export schematic knowledge from the world of fiction to the everyday world, where it may not be applicable. These and other findings suggest that the varieties of learning from fiction form a complex, nuanced pattern deserving of greater attention by researchers.
Suppression of Covid-19 outbreak among healthcare workers at the Treviso Regional Hospital, Italy and lessons for ophthalmologists
Authors: Grosso Andrea , Rigoli Roberto , Formentini Stefano , Di Perri Giovanni , Scotton Piergiorgio , Dapavo Giancarlo , Fioretto Mauro , Scarpa Giuseppe
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To describe a strategy to reduce Covid-19 spread among healthcare workers and provide ophthalmologists with recommendations useful for a possible second wave of Covid-19 in Autumn.

Methods:

Epidemiological surveillance at the Cà Foncello Hospital (Veneto, Italy) since 24 February 2020 to 24 April 2020 when the municipality of Treviso was hit by the Covid-19 outbreak. The number of naso-pharigeal (NP) swabs performed was 7010.

Results:

The number of infected among healthcare workers was 209/ 3924 (5.32%): medical doctors: 28 cases / 498 (5.6%). None among ophthalmologists; specialized nurses: 86/1294 (6.4%) None in the ophthalmic unit; intermediate care technicians: 68/463 (14.7%). The 46% of the positive tested were asymptomatic. We share key suggested actions for the reorganization in ophthalmological services: be part of a global epidemiological local strategy of containment (Testing, Tracing, Treating); protect your department: Keep on screening patients by telephone interview before entering the hospital; promote continuous and appropriate use of PPE both for doctors and for patients; make any effort to obtain a continuous flow of patients in every line of the ophthalmic service; treat appropriately any single patient with vision threatening condition; avoid unnecessary or futile testings and examinations.

Conclusion:

The Treviso model shows that it is possible and safe to keep on performing high risk hospital activities like ophthalmology, even in the epicenter of covid outbreak, if adequate actions are performed. We discuss about the value of NP swabs and serological tests as a strategy in case of a second wave of infections.
The wicked problem of teaching about wicked problems: Design thinking and emerging technologies in sustainability education
Authors: Earle Andrew G. , Leyva-de la Hiz Dante I.
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we explore the system-level challenges found in sustainability-focused education and consider how the intersections of design thinking and emerging technologies in augmented and virtual reality (AVR) can help address these. More specifically, we highlight the role of experiences across the design thinking process for generating novel solutions to the types of “wicked” problems with which students engage in sustainability education. We then use this as motivation, along with concepts from experiential learning and design thinking research, to develop a conceptual model in which AVR can integrate with more established instructional methods to help make sustainability-related challenges more salient, proximate, and tractable to students. Our conceptual model suggests that AVR holds promise for facilitating and democratizing access to the design thinking process for sustainability-related challenges, but that it is also not a standalone solution for enabling students to engage with such complex challenges.
Chinese–international intimate relations: An Australian case study of migrant marriage and divorce
Authors: Jeffreys Elaine , Wang Pan
Published: December 2020

This article analyses trends in Chinese–international marriages and divorces, using Australia, a major migrant-receiving country, as a comparative case study. In exploring the recent rise of ‘Chinese–foreign’ marriage in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), we show that Chinese–international marriage within mainland China is a small, gendered phenomenon that largely involves Chinese women marrying men from other Asian societies. By examining unique data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, we reveal that most marriages involving PRC-born people in contemporary Australia are between two people born in China. But the displacement of Chinese intimate relationships to a non-Asian country results in significant behavioural divergences from couples ‘at home’, especially regarding prior cohabitation. Marriages solely involving PRC-born couples in Australia are also typically less enduring than marriages to non-Chinese. We argue that these differences underscore the roles of country-specific immigration policies and labour mobility patterns in shaping unpredicted family formation behaviour.
Acoustic emission diagnostics of corrosion monitoring in prestressed concrete using hidden Markov and semi-Markov models
Authors: Dubuc Brennan , Sitaropoulos Konstantinos , Ebrahimkhanlou Arvin , Salamone Salvatore
Published: December 2020

This article presents a framework based on hidden Markov modeling for monitoring corrosion damage in prestressed concrete structures through acoustic emission measurements. Both hidden Markov models and hidden semi-Markov models are investigated to determine the merits of each under typical challenges encountered in real-world monitoring scenarios: an unknown initial corrosion condition and an uncertain corrosion rate. To enable hidden semi-Markov models to perform effectively, they are constructed using extended state hidden Markov models in a manner which is able to easily accommodate these scenarios. Furthermore, a framework is proposed for adopting frequency- and topological-based features of acoustic emission data as indicators of corrosion for the models. Accelerated corrosion tests were carried out on two prestressed concrete specimens; one specimen was used for training the models and the other one for testing. The testing specimen was additionally subjected to accelerated weathering to approximate certain conditions found in the field. A combination of established visual inspection, mass loss measurement, and acoustic emission activity analysis was first used to obtain a benchmark corrosion assessment of the specimens. Frequency- and topological-based acoustic emission features were then used as the basis of the hidden Markov modeling framework. The results demonstrate that both hidden Markov models and hidden semi-Markov models are highly reliable under an unknown initial condition. However, in these tests, the hidden semi-Markov model showed slightly greater reliability against error in the assumed corrosion rate. To improve accuracy in this scenario, a procedure for combining predictions from various candidate corrosion rates was also proposed. The diagnostics obtained from this work may provide useful information for established prognostic models of corrosion mechanisms in prestressed concrete.
Multidimensional data statistical processing of magnetic flow leakage signals from a Colombian gas pipeline
Authors: Mujica Luis Eduardo , Ruiz Magda , Villamizar Rodolfo
Published: December 2020

The hydrocarbon industry in Colombia is one of the principal pillars for the Colombian economy, representing around 5% of its gross domestic product. Since petroleum reserves have decreased, gas becomes one main alternative for economical growth. However, current gas pipelines have been in service for over 30 years and some of them are buried and phenomena, such as metal losses, corrosion, mechanical stress, strikes by excavation machinery, and another type of damages, are presented. The maintenance program of these structures is typically corrective type and is very expensive. To overcome this situation, the native research institute “Research Institute of Corrosion—Corporación para la Investigación de la Corrosión” recently developed an in-line inspection tool to be operated in Colombian gas pipelines to get valuable information of their current state along thousands of kilometers. A huge quantity of data is recorded (including tool movement, magnet, magnetic flow leakage, and caliper signals), which demand a high-computational cost and an adequate tool analysis to establish the current pipeline structural health condition. In this sense, authors have shown in several works that principal component analysis is an effective tool to detect and locate abnormal operational structural conditions from multidimensional data. In a previous analysis, multidimensional data were used to locate possible damages along the pipeline. However, most of the activated points belonged to weld points. Then, in this article, it is proposed to use the root mean square value of magnetic flux leakage signals to separate these points and to obtain sets of signals by sections removing the welds, and then multiway principal component analysis is applied for each set of signals of each gas pipeline section. The maximum values of damage indices ( Q and [Formula: see text]-statistics) of each section are conserved to activate the sections of the gas pipeline with more probability of damages and then, they must be evaluated by experts.
Identification of Circulating miR-762 as a Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Chen Lei , Li Yunxia , Lu Jingshu
Published: December 2020

Background:

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to play critical roles in tumorigenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and circulating miRNAs are a valuable source of biomarkers for the clinical management of NSCLC. The aim of this study was to determine the value of serum miR-762 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Methods:

We examined circulating miR-762 expression in 148 NSCLC patients and 60 healthy individuals using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effect of miR-762 downregulation on the proliferative capacity of NSCLC cells were also explored.

Results:

The serum miR-762 levels were significantly upregulated in NSCLC patients compared to the healthy individuals. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis revealed that circulating miR-762, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CYFRA21-1 and a combination of these 3 biomarkers yield the areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.874, 0.826, 0.41 and 0.969, respectively. Interestingly, circulating miR-762 identified the NSCLC patients at the clinical stage I from healthy controls with an AUC value of 0.920. In addition, serum miR-762 expression was significantly correlated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, histological grade and gefitinib-resistance. The survival analysis showed that NSCLC patients in the high serum miR-762 group suffered worse overall survival and relapse-free survival than those in the low serum miR-762 group. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed high circulating miR-762 was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor. Downregulation of miR-762 significantly suppressed the proliferative capacity of NSCLC cells in vitro, and bioinformatic analysis of the potential downstream targets of miR-762 identified many important cancer-associated pathways.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, serum miR-762 might serve as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for the NSCLC.
Curating COVID-19: A Digital Internship in a Rapid Response Archive
Authors: Kole de Peralta Kathleen
Published: December 2020

In May 2020, Arizona State University’s history department offered its first remote, digital internship to graduate students. Students completed a 180-hour internship between May and August 2020. The internship involved weekly meetings, curation, collecting, journaling, and marketing. Over the summer, the interns worked to identify a silence in the archive and address it by creating a collection plan targeting the perceived silence. The interns drew on their own networks to build the collection, created a collection plan, conducted oral history interviews, wrote a blog post, and completed a final portfolio.
Fatigue life prediction method for notched 3D woven composites based on progressive damage and field intensity
Authors: Xue Jiaming , Wen Weidong , Cui Haitao
Published: December 2020

To solve the problem of fatigue life prediction of notched 3D woven composites, a novel fatigue life prediction method based on progressive damage and field intensity theory is proposed. By analyzing the initial loading process of 3D woven composite structure based on progressive damage method, the stress field when the fatigue damage develops gently and the dangerous area where the fatigue damage occurs first are obtained. Then combining with the concept of notch field intensity function, the failure criteria of composites and the three-dimensional space vector stress field intensity method, the fatigue damage degree field intensity of the fiber yarns in the dangerous area is analyzed and the most damaged fiber yarn is found. The fatigue life of the structure is calculated with the field intensity equivalent stress and the S-N curve of this fiber yarn. In order to verify the effectiveness of this method, the fatigue life of notched 3D woven composites under several stress levels is predicted and compared with the existing experimental data. The compared results show that the fatigue life prediction values are all within the two-fold error bounds of the experimental data, which are in good agreement with experimental results. Compared with the progressive damage fatigue life prediction method of woven composites, the prediction accuracy of the method proposed in this paper is improved by 31.5% on average, and the calculation efficiency is also greatly improved.
The Prognostic Value of Body Mass Index in Patients With Urothelial Carcinoma After Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Zhiqiang , Bai Yunjin , Hu Xu , Wang Xiaoming , Han Ping
Published: December 2020

Background:

The clinical evidence of body mass index (BMI) for survival has increased in urothelial carcinoma (UC). This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of BMI on the oncologic outcomes of patients with UC after surgery.

Methods:

The systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library. We collected hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) on cancer specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) from the studies including upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and urothelial carcinoma of bladder (UCB).

Results:

A total of 13 studies comprising over 12,200 patients were enrolled in the quantitative synthesis. Compared with normal weight, overweight was associated with better CSS (HR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.79-0.95) and RFS (HR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.78-0.96). Meanwhile, we found that obese patients had worse CSS (HR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.03-1.26), OS (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.19-1.44) and RFS (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.12-1.37). We observed that underweight was associated with inferior CSS (HR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.54-2.26) in UTUC patients.

Conclusions:

Overweight was a protective factor for patients with UC after surgery, while obesity and underweight predicted unfavorable survival. Individual BMI may be considered for prognostication after surgeries and patient stratification for clinical trials.
The single-monitor trial: an embedded CADe system increased adenoma detection during colonoscopy: a prospective randomized study
Authors: Liu Peixi , Wang Pu , Glissen Brown Jeremy R. , Berzin Tyler M. , Zhou Guanyu , Liu Weihui , Xiao Xun , Chen Ziyang , Zhang Zhihong , Zhou Chao , Lei Lei , Xiong Fei , Li Liangping , Liu Xiaogang
Published: December 2020

Background:

Computer-aided detection (CADe) of colon polyps has been demonstrated to improve colon polyp and adenoma detection during colonoscopy by indicating the location of a given polyp on a parallel monitor. The aim of this study was to investigate whether embedding the CADe system into the primary colonoscopy monitor may serve to increase polyp and adenoma detection, without increasing physician fatigue level.

Methods:

Consecutive patients presenting for colonoscopies were prospectively randomized to undergo routine colonoscopy with or without the assistance of a real-time polyp detection CADe system. Fatigue level was evaluated from score 0 to 10 by the performing endoscopists after each colonoscopy procedure. The main outcome was adenoma detection rate (ADR).

Results:

Out of 790 patients analyzed, 397 were randomized to routine colonoscopy (control group), and 393 to a colonoscopy with computer-aided diagnosis (CADe group). The ADRs were 20.91% and 29.01%, respectively (OR = 1.546, 95% CI 1.116–2.141, p = 0.009). The average number of adenomas per colonoscopy (APC) was 0.29 and 0.48, respectively (Change Folds = 1.64, 95% CI 1.299–2.063, p < 0.001). The improvement in polyp detection was mainly due to increased detection of non-advanced diminutive adenomas, serrated adenoma and hyperplastic polyps. The fatigue score for each procedure was 3.28 versus 3.40 for routine and CADe group, p = 0.357.

Conclusions:

A real-time CADe system employed on the primary endoscopy monitor may lead to improvements in ADR and polyp detection rate without increasing fatigue level during colonoscopy. The integration of a low-latency and high-performance CADe systems may serve as an effective quality assurance tool during colonoscopy. www.chictr.org.cn number, ChiCTR1800018058.
Understanding stakeholder positionalities and relationships to reimagine asylum at the US–Mexico border: Observations from McAllen, TX
Authors: Glier Halley L. , Gregory Emma , Staples Temperance , Martínez Megan , Fábos Anita , Mitchell S.E.D. , Downs Timothy J.
Published: December 2020

This paper draws on observational research conducted in McAllen, Texas, during the summer of 2019, of three major stakeholder groups involved in asylum management: Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center (HRC); federal government agencies; and the McAllen community. Each group holds a unique, pluralistic perspective on migration, informing intra-group relations and exposing uneven power dynamics between them. Our analysis is contextualized by a local voice, a former long-term volunteer at the HRC, who speaks of the evolution of the McAllen border in her lifetime, as well as federal authority over McAllen and the HRC to process asylees. We dissect how this power dynamic produces a highly violent, detention-dominant immigration landscape in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), antithetical to the practiced intersectional culture of voces locales. We reimagine how the US responds to asylum seekers by offering a community action-based framework, where these pluralistic perspectives are equitably valued. Based on interactions and conversations had with each group, we advocate a paradigm shift reflective of La Frontera’s (The Border’s) intersectional identity. This can be achieved by prioritizing voces locales and building capacity for the humanitarian sector, which is already doing critical work at the southern border. We look to contemporary movements like “Defund the Police” as examples, where divesting from the status-quo system of oppression can nurture reparative justice and empowerment to the RGV. In reimagining a more adaptive, asylum justice-oriented paradigm shift, we also recognize the need to abandon the government-controlled deterrence paradigm, which repeatedly causes tremendous harm.
Decentralised Renewable Energy and Rural Development: Lessons from Odisha’s First Solar Village
Authors: Mishra Chinmayee
Published: December 2020

Energy plays an indispensable role in providing basic services for our daily lives. The perils of climate change and its impact on our environment have made accessibility of energy difficult. The burden of energy poverty falls particularly on the poor households in rural areas. Decentralised renewable energy options can be used to meet the energy requirement especially for the rural and tribal communities, which are scatteredly located. The study aims to find out the effectiveness of a renewable energy project at village level by studying the experiences of the Ho tribal community residing in Barapita village of Odisha, India. Barapita village is the first 100 per cent solar powered village of Odisha. Participatory rural appraisal method comprising tools such as transect walking, interview schedule, focus group discussion and key informant interviews has been used to find out the energy use pattern and challenges faced by the community. Although the solar project was initially a success, later on technical issues and maintenance problems led to the decline of solar energy use. This article suggests how the Gandhian model coupled with Nai Talim approach can be deployed to train the villagers as solar engineers, which will enable them to resolve issues related to the use of renewable energy.
Livelihood Options and Livelihood Security Among Tribal in South Western Plateau and Highland Region in West Bengal
Authors: Satpati Sandip , Kumar Sharma Kaushal
Published: December 2020

Livelihood resources are varying from one region to another due to natural and human factors. There are no such studies that consider a broad geographical region and tribal livelihood options and livelihood security. So the present study can fulfil such a literature gap. The present study makes an attempt to analyse livelihood options and livelihood security among the tribals. The study was carried out along the south western plateau and highland region in West Bengal. Secondary data and the primary data have been used. Purposive stratified random sampling technique was used to collect the primary data. Sustainable livelihood framework (SLF) has been used for the selection of factors and indicators. The core outcome of the research is that small landholding size and traditional technology are no longer to meet the rising demands of tribal population. Forest resources are also very rapidly declining due to the huge industrial demands and ever-increasing household needs. Now tribal people are travelling long distances to collect forest products than ever before. The better education opportunities to the younger generation could open up new occupational opportunities and economic diversification and that definitely leads to the good economic status of the tribal people.