bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrometeorological factors controlling the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in the highlands of south Ecuador
Authors: Zhiña Darío X. , Mosquera Giovanny M. , Esquivel-Hernández Germain , Córdova Mario , Sánchez-Murillo Ricardo , Orellana-Alvear Johanna , Crespo Patricio
Published: April 2022

Knowledge about precipitation generation remains limited in the tropical Andes due to the lack of water stable isotope (WSI) data. Therefore, we investigated the key factors controlling the isotopic composition of precipitation in the Páramo highlands of southern Ecuador using event-based (high frequency) WSI data collected between November 2017 and October 2018. Our results show that air masses reach the study site preferentially from the eastern flank of the Andes through the Amazon basin (73.2%), the Orinoco plains (11.2%), and the Mato Grosso Massif (2.7%), whereas only a small proportion stems from the Pacific Ocean (12.9%). A combination of local and regional factors influences the δ18O isotopic composition of precipitation. Regional atmospheric features (Atlantic moisture, evapotranspiration over the Amazon Forest, continental rain-out, and altitudinal lapse rates) are what largely control the meteoric δ18O composition. Local precipitation, temperature, and the fraction of precipitation corresponding to moderate to heavy rainfalls are also key features influencing isotopic ratios, highlighting the importance of localized convective precipitation at the study site. Contrary to δ18O, d-excess values showed little temporal variation and could not be statistically linked to regional or local hydrometeorological features. The latter reveals that large amounts of recycled moisture from the Amazon basin contributes to local precipitation regardless of season and predominant trajectories from the east. Our findings will help to improve the isotope-based climatic models and enhance paleoclimate reconstructions in the southern Ecuador highlands.
Deconstructing the soil moisture-latent heat flux relationship: the range of coupling regimes experienced and the presence of nonlinearity within the sensitive regime
Authors: Hsu Hsin , Dirmeyer Paul A.
Published: April 2022

The control of latent heat flux (LE) by soil moisture (SM) is a key process affecting the moisture and energy budgets at the land-atmosphere interface. SM:LE coupling relationships are conventionally examined using metrics involving temporal correlation. However, such a traditional linear approach, which fits a straight line across the full SM:LE space to evaluate the dependency, leaves out certain critical information: nonlinear SM:LE relationships and the long-recognized thresholds that lead to dramatically different behavior in different ranges of soil moisture, delineating a dry regime, a transitional regime of high sensitivity, and a wet (energy-limited) regime. Using data from climate models, reanalyses, and observationally-constrained datasets, global patterns of SM:LE regimes are determined by segmented regression. Mutual information analysis is applied only for days when SM is in the transitional regime between critical points defining high sensitivity of LE to SM variations. Sensitivity is further decomposed into linear and nonlinear components. Results show discrepancies in the global patterns of existing SM regimes, but general consistencies among the linear and nonlinear components of SM:LE coupling. This implies that although models simulate differing surface hydroclimates, once SM is in the transitional regime, the locations where LE closely interacts with SM are well-captured and resemble the conventional distribution of “hot spots” of land-atmosphere interactions. This indicates that only the transitional SM regime determines the strength of coupling, and attention should focused on when this regime occurs. This framework can also be applied to investigate extremes and the shifting surface hydroclimatology in a warming climate.
Resection for Chronic Hepatic Abscess due to Infected Embolization Coils After Liver Injury
Authors: Heidorn Elise F. , Xiao Gary , Sacks David , Moshkovsky Filip
Published: April 2022

Liver injuries after blunt abdominal trauma are very common. Non-operative approaches to management are now the standard of care for many patients with up to and including grade V liver injuries. However, the long-term complications associated with coil embolization can be challenging to manage. We present the case of a 29-year-old male who presented with a chronic liver abscess which contained the coils following embolization of a grade IV liver injury and the subsequent transhepatic embolization of the pseudoaneurysm. In addition, the patient developed a fistula draining the abscess through the previously placed drain site that traversed the diaphragm. A multidisciplinary discussion was held between trauma surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, thoracic surgery, and interventional radiology to discuss the best treatment plan. The patient subsequently underwent liver resection, fistula tract resection, and diaphragm repair. This case presents a definitive management strategy for these complex patients.
Design and test of electromechanical disc brake controller for mine hoist
Authors: Jin Huawei , Xu Huwei , Wang Shun
Published: April 2022

Electromechanical braking technology is an effective way to improve the braking response of mine hoist. Through the analysis of the mine hoist electromechanical mechanical disc brake, a mathematical model including the motor, reducer and thread pair is established. The control process is analyzed in detail, and then the control strategy is obtained. An automatic control system based on linear quadratic regulator and PI controller is proposed. The braking goal of self-adaptive adjustment of braking clearance and on-line adjustment of braking force is realized. Compare the simulation and test results, discuss the performance of the controller. The results of the experiment indicate that the brake gap adjustment time is less than 10 s, stable within 1±0.2 mm, and the steady-state error is less than 2%. The positive pressure of the brake has a linear relationship with the motor voltage, with a slope of 920.4 and an intercept of −1298.88. It can replace the existing hydraulic brakes without the problem of low degree of automation and high pollution, which provides a new way for the control system of electromechanical brake.
Loneliness, Social Support Level, Quality of Life and Symptom Management Among Turkish Oncology Patients
Authors: Çamlıca Tuğçe , Koç Zeliha
Published: April 2022

This cross-sectional and correlational study was performed in order to determine the relationships between the perceived loneliness and social support levels of Turkish oncology patients, as well as their quality of life and symptom management. A total of 370 oncology inpatients participated in this study. Data were collected using, the FACT-G Quality of Life Scale, the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the UCLA-Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS), and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. A negative advanced significant relationship was found between the MSPSS total scores ( r = −0.754, p < 0.01) and the UCLA-LS total scores. As the social support levels of the patients increased, their loneliness levels were seen to decrease and their quality of life was seen to increase. The patients were found to experience the symptoms of fatigue, worry, and feeling unwell more often as their loneliness levels increased and social support levels decreased.
“Would you like me to take your hand?”: Introduction to End of Life Doulas
Authors: Hahn Sarah , Ogle Kimberly
Published: April 2022

End-of-life (EOL) doulas are care providers and companions that offer spiritual, emotional, psychosocial, or psychological care to a person who is dying as well as their family and loved ones (Fukuzawa & Kondo, 2017). However, much like other options for EOL care (e.g., hospice, palliative care), their practice is often underutilized and misunderstood. There is limited research on EOL doulas, including who they are and what they do, leaving an opening for future studies to explore the topic (Krawczyk & Rush, 2020). As part of a larger investigation to gather information on EOL doulas, 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with certified doulas regarding their experiences. Three themes emerged from this project: motivations to become an EOL doula, roles of an EOL doula, and challenges of an EOL doula. In this article, only two themes, motivations to become an EOL doula and roles of an EOL doula are discussed.
The need for psychosocial oncology research in sub-Saharan Africa: a review of the terrain
Authors: Kagee Ashraf
Published: April 2022

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in many sub-Saharan African countries, but the field of psycho-oncology is underdeveloped. This article reviews the literature on psychosocial oncology in sub-Saharan African with a view to developing a research and practice agenda in the field. The search engines used were Google Scholar, Psych Info, Web of Science, and PubMed and articles were focused on but not limited to the past 10 years. The search terms were ‘Africa, psycho-oncology, psychosocial oncology, mental health, and cancer’. The review is structured as follows: cancer surveillance in sub-Saharan African, behavioural risk factors, cancer screening, and psychosocial issues related to various types of cancers. Psychological reactions in the context of cancer including adjustment, depression, and anxiety disorders are also discussed. It is suggested that sub-Saharan African countries require appropriate funding to support improved systems of surveillance and implementation of cancer registries. Public health and behavioural interventions are needed to increase the awareness of cervical cancer and preventive health-seeking behaviour among high-risk women. Restrictive laws on opioids need to be reconsidered and behavioural health campaigns to control obesity, limit salt intake, and increase awareness of the risks of ultra-violet light are necessary to reduce the incidence of various cancers. Psychosocial support is necessary to ameliorate depressed mood, anxiety, and anticipation and fear of death among persons living with cancer and their families in sub-Saharan Africa. To this end, the training of practitioners to strengthen psychosocial aspects of care, especially palliative care, is a priority.
To Lead, or to Follow? How Self-Uncertainty and the Dark Triad of Personality Influence Leadership Motivation
Authors: Guillén Laura , Jacquart Philippe , Hogg Michael A.
Published: April 2022

Under uncertainty, leaders who possess dark triad personality traits seem able to attain leadership positions. We draw on uncertainty-identity theory and dark triad research to explore the effect of self-uncertainty on leadership motivation. Uncertainty-identity theory predicts that people can reduce self-uncertainty by identifying with groups and following their leaders, which suggests that self-uncertainty reduces people’s own leadership motivation. However, individuals high in dark triad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) have such a powerful drive for dominance over others that their leadership motivation may be unaffected by self-uncertainty. To test these predictions, we conducted four studies ( Ns = 2,641, 421, 513, and 400). We found that self-uncertainty reduced leadership motivation for individuals low in the dark triad. In contrast, those high in the dark triad had an elevated leadership motivation that remained unaltered when they were self-uncertain. These effects were mediated by participants’ negative affect. We discuss the implications of these findings.
People See Political Opponents as More Stupid Than Evil
Authors: Hartman Rachel , Hester Neil , Gray Kurt
Published: April 2022

Affective polarization is a rising threat to political discourse and democracy. Public figures have expressed that “conservatives think liberals are stupid, and liberals think conservatives are evil.” However, four studies ( N = 1,660)—including a representative sample—reveal evidence that both sides view political opponents as more unintelligent than immoral. Perceiving the other side as “more stupid than evil” occurs both in general judgments (Studies 1, 3, and 4) and regarding specific issues (Study 2). Study 4 also examines “meta-perceptions” of how Democrats and Republicans disparage one another, revealing that people correctly perceive that both Democrats and Republicans see each other as more unintelligent than immoral, although they exaggerate the extent of this negativity. These studies clarify the way everyday partisans view each other, an important step in designing effective interventions to reduce political animosity.
The ethics and politics of data sets in the age of machine learning: deleting traces and encountering remains
Authors: Thylstrup Nanna Bonde
Published: April 2022

Individuals and communities increasingly depend on, and fill their lives with, machine cultures, in the form of both interfaces and infrastructures. This global push for machine cultures has given rise to an increasing demand for data and engendered a proliferation of public, private and public-private dataset repositories. While datasets form a foundational element of machine cultures, they rarely come into focus as objects of critical study. But in recent years a critical discursive formation on datasets has begun to emerge, which disturbs the idea of datasets as operational instruments of digital knowledge production and seek to instead ‘bring people back in’. The present article identifies these preliminary explorations as ‘critical dataset studies’ and draws on critical archival studies to articulate the ethico-political surfaced by these studies. Specifically it argues that critical dataset studies shows the need for an expanded ethical and conceptual approach to datasets that not only relies on linear notions of deletion and accountability but also on iterative frameworks of remains and response-ability.
Learning the two translations of translation-ambiguous words: Simultaneous vs. consecutive presentation
Authors: Tokowicz Natasha , Rice Caitlin A , Ekves Zachary
Published: April 2022

Some words have more than one translation across languages. Such translation-ambiguous words are harder to learn, recognize, and produce for individuals across the language learning spectrum. Past research demonstrates that learning both translations of translation-ambiguous words on consecutive trials confers an accuracy advantage relative to learning them on separate sessions. We tested the proposal that presenting the two translations of translation-ambiguous words simultaneously on the screen could facilitate the formation of a more integrated mapping, because this would enable learners to make direct comparisons between them, whether implicitly or explicitly. We predicted that this facilitation would especially hold for translation-ambiguous words with related translations. Fifty native English speakers learned 48 German words with one or two translations that varied in the meaning similarity of their translations. Paired associate training took place on a Monday, and a first language (L1) to second language (L2) translation production test took place on Wednesday and Friday. Generally, higher translation similarity facilitated translation speed. In accuracy, training condition interacted with the similarity of the translations; translation accuracy was more affected by translation similarity in the simultaneous condition and went up as similarity increased. Overall, the consecutive condition demonstrated higher accuracy and faster reaction times than the simultaneous training condition, suggesting that learners may have been unable to successfully divide their study time between multiple words on the screen without explicit instruction.
Efficacy and safety of FOLFIRINOX as second-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer after gemcitabine-based therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lu Wenjie , Wang Lantian , Li Xiawei , Tang Kezhong
Published: April 2022

Objective

To undertake a meta-analysis of the treatment effects of different second-line chemotherapy regimens compared with FOLFIRINOX (FOL [folinic acid], F [fluorouracil], IRIN [irinotecan], OX [oxaliplatin]) after failure of gemcitabine-based first-line therapy in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods

This meta-analysis searched electronic databases, including Embase®, Medline, PubMed® and the Cochrane library, for eligible studies that reported the use of FOLFIRINOX and other drug regimens as second-line chemotherapy after failure of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Pooled analyses for progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (TRAEs) were undertaken.

Results

The analysis included six studies with a total of 858 patients. Compared with the three other second-line regimens, FOLFIRINOX had a significantly longer PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52, 0.89) and OS (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59, 0.86); and a significantly better ORR (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.23, 0.80) and DCR (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.58, 0.88). However, grade 3/4 adverse events were more frequently reported in patients administered FOLFIRINOX compared with the other three regimens.

Conclusion

FOLFIRINOX is recommended as a second-line chemotherapy regimen for patients with pancreatic cancer that have failed on gemcitabine-based first-line therapy. Research Registry number: reviewregistry1300
Possibilities and challenges in digital personal identification using teledentistry based on integration of telecommunication and dental information: a narrative review
Authors: Matsuda Shinpei , Yoshimura Hitoshi
Published: April 2022

Personal identification using dental evidence is decisive in the case of unidentified bodies because dental features, including decayed, missing and filled teeth, are unique to every individual. This review explored the possibilities and problems associated with personal identification through digital methods by the integration of telecommunications and dentistry, also known as teledentistry. Establishment of a global, objective personal identification method using dental evidence through teledentistry is desirable. However, the review reports that there are various problems that need to be resolved first, in aspects such as changes in dentition over time, technology, individual privacy and ethics. It is suggested that solving such problems and constructing a worldwide dental database for personal identification from dental images, using teledentistry, as part of social services, is a new challenge for researchers in forensic odontology and dentistry.
Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS) right lower lobectomy for a giant T4 squamous cell lung tumour
Authors: Essa Rawand Abdulrahman , Ahmed Sirwan Khalid , Bapir Dunya Hars
Published: April 2022

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is one of the unique methods that have revolutionized the discipline of minimally-invasive thoracic surgery in the last two decades. Previously, double-port VATS lobectomy has been used for the resection of T4 tumours. This current case report presents a 68-year-old male that presented with a productive cough of 3 months' duration, associated with fever, chest pain and loss of body weight. He was haemodynamically stable. The patient underwent surgery under general anaesthesia using a uniportal VATS (UVATS) approach. A 2-cm incision was made in the mid-axillary line through the right 5th intercostal space with no rib spreading. The tumour was put into a specimen bag, cut into pieces and then removed via the mouth of the bag using a grasper. After good haemostasis, a single chest drain was placed and the small incision was sutured in layers. The postoperative course was uneventful and no complications were observed. On the 6th day postoperative, the patient was discharged home. This current case demonstrated that UVATS resection for T4 tumours might be a viable approach in the hands of skilled surgeons. It should also provide decreased postoperative pain, faster recovery and shorter hospitalization.
Causes and Effects of Autonomous Vehicle Field Test Crashes and Disengagements Using Exploratory Factor Analysis, Binary Logistic Regression, and Decision Trees
Authors: Houseal Lucas A. , Gaweesh Sherif M. , Dadvar Seyedehsan , Ahmed Mohamed M.
Published: April 2022

Autonomous vehicles (AV) are being widely tested around the world. California is one of the jurisdictions permitting extensive AV testing. Field testing resulted in approximately 0.02 AV crashes per 1,000 AV miles traveled, as well as incidents leading to driver disengagement of the AV systems. Factors related to human error, system failure, surrounding vehicles, and roadway features could cause an AV-involved crash to occur or result in pre-crash disengagement. This study focuses on AV crashes in which the AV was operating in active AV mode or shortly after the test operator had disengaged the AV to resume conventional control. AV crash data were extracted for the years 2017 to 2021 from California’s AV crash database maintained by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to account for the rapid pace of AV development and focus on current causes of incidents. This paper utilized multiple statistical approaches to quantitatively investigate AV crashes and disengagement events. Investigation of latent manifest using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted and ordinal logit models and decision trees were employed in this study. EFA clarified latent variables that could identify an AV crash, in which operator involvement, incorrect maneuver decision, crash severity, and environmental conditions were the manifests obtained from the analysis. Results from the logistic regression and the decision trees showed that collision type, AV movement type, and other vehicle movement type are significant factors contributing to AV crashes.
Developing Network Slurry Seal Performance Models Using Pavement Management Systems Data
Authors: Cheng DingXin , Smith Roger E. , Tan Sui G , Jaquiz Mario , Chang Carlos M.
Published: April 2022

As a popular pavement preservation treatment, a slurry seal is typically included in agencies’ maintenance and rehabilitation toolboxes, in decision trees of pavement management systems (PMS), or both. However, performance prediction models for slurry seals are mostly anecdotal or at undertaken at project level. The goal of this paper is to illustrate a method of developing data-driven performance models for slurry seal applications for use at a network level. A total of 537,891 pavement condition records were collected from 18 different agencies in the United States using the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s PMS program, StreetSaver®. Of these records, 1,195 slurry seal projects met the requirements to be utilized in the development of slurry seal performance models. The development of slurry seal performance models includes grouping project-level modeling results into functional classes, and testing and validating the slurry seal performance models with test cases as well as on actual data produced by agencies. The performance models for slurry seals placed on an asphalt concrete pavement vary depending mainly on the existing pavement’s performance, the timing of the slurry seal application, the functional class, and surface type. The data-driven slurry seal models improved the accuracy of predicting slurry seal performance using PMS. The models could also be used to develop beneficial area curves, which are useful in estimating the cost-effectiveness of slurry seals constructed at various pavement condition index values and in identifying the optimal timings for slurry seal applications at a network level.
Surgical repositioning of Jarvik 2000 LVAD power supply pedestal following fall trauma
Authors: Juhasz Boglarka , Tamas Robert , Szabo Zoltan J , Takacs Peter , Maklari Akos , Andreka Peter , Szolnoky Jeno
Published: April 2022

Advanced heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. With an aging population, its prevalence is expected to rise further. Although orthotopic heart transplantation (HTX) remains the gold standard in therapy, there is a significant deficiency in the ratio of donor organs to recipient patients. Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) could relieve this problem either as a bridge-to-transplant (BTT) or as a destination therapy (DT). Despite the widespread implantation of ventricular assist devices, their efficacy may be limited by some serious adverse events, while infection is a major issue. A longer period of LVAD support significantly increases the risk of driveline infections (DLI). The Jarvik 2000® ventricular assist device (Jarvik Heart, New York, NY, USA) offers prolonged infection-free survival. In our report, we present the case of a 61-year-old female patient with a driveline pedestal that has become fully detached from the skull following a fall trauma. We describe how the traumatized pedestal was surgically replaced by removing the previous, damaged unit and inserting a repositioned new one. The surgical procedure presented in our case has not been performed before and we have not found any similar one in the literature. It requires individual surgical planning and a multidisciplinary surgeon’s team to ensure the procedure is safe and feasible.
Using Federal Reserve Economic Data® Data to Address Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom
Authors: Mendez-Carbajo Diego
Published: April 2022

This article describes 30 instructional resources produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis suitable to address topics related to diversity and inclusion in the undergraduate economics classroom. These resources employ FRED® data to broach a wide range of topics in the areas of gender, race, and inequality. The resources take the form of FRED Blog Reading Questions and Answers, Page One Economics essays, and Lesson Plans. Borrowing from the science, technology, mathematics, and engineering literature, we argue for the use of examples and demonstrations that draw connections between formal instruction and the social context of the learning process itself. To that end, we put forward examples for leveraging economics data from FRED® in instructional settings emphasizing active learning and the development of practical data-related skills.

JEL codes: A10, A22
Do Dimensions of Perfectionism Predict Dimensions of Test Anxiety While Controlling for Depression?
Authors: Lowe Patricia A.
Published: April 2022

The present study examined whether cultural differences in different dimensions of perfectionism exist and whether different dimensions of perfectionism (i.e., rigid and self-critical perfectionism) predicted different dimensions of test anxiety while controlling for depression in a sample of Canadian and Singapore higher education students. In addition, culture was examined to determine whether it served as a moderator variable in the relationship between different dimensions of perfectionism and different dimensions of test anxiety. The present study was grounded in DiBartolo and Rendón’s cross-cultural framework for conducting intra- and intercultural research in the area of perfectionism. The sample for the study included 1,095 undergraduate students. Perfectionism, test anxiety, and depression measures were administered to the students online. The results of mean and covariance analyses found the perfectionism measure was invariant across Canadian and Singapore students. In addition, the results of latent mean analyses found no significant differences on the different dimensions of perfectionism between Canadian and Singapore students. The results of analyses of variance also found no significant differences in different ethnic groups on the different dimensions of perfectionism in Canada and Singapore. Furthermore, the results of five hierarchical regression analyses found self-critical perfectionism explained unique variance in the five different test anxiety dimensions while controlling for depression, and culture did not serve as a moderator variable in the relationship between the different dimensions of perfectionism and test anxiety. Implications of the findings are discussed.
New polyimide ionomers derived from 4,4′-diamino-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,2′-disulfonic acid for fuel cell applications
Authors: Kononova Svetlana V , Sapegin Denis A , Gubanova Galina N , Afanas’eva Nadezhda V , Didenko Andrei N , Popova Elena N , Vlasova Elena N , Svetlichnyi Valentin M , Volkov Anatoliy Y , Vylegzhanina Milana E , Zakharova Natalya V , Nechitailov Andrey A , Zelenina Natalia K
Published: April 2022

The set of important properties of polymers necessary for their use as fuel cell membranes, such as film-forming properties, stability in acidic aqueous media, thermal stability, proton conductivity, is determined by their chemical structure, which provides not only basic and fragmentary mobility of the polymer chain but also complex supramolecular structural features (in particular, phase separation). The effect of the chemical structure of aromatic polyimide sulfonic acids, containing a fragment of 4,4′-diamino[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,2′-disulfonic acid (BDSA), on their membrane-forming properties is discussed, as well as the membrane stability under the conditions of a hydrogen-air fuel cell. The research is aimed at investigating sulfonated polyimides based on the commercially available rigid monomer - BDSA and flexible dianhydrides with an electron donor in their structure. As a model for this study, two aromatic anhydrides with flexible -O- bonds were chosen for investigating the potential of corresponding polyimide films in application to proton exchange membranes. The synthesized sulfonic acid polyimide BDSA-SPI-4(H) is of interest as a proton-conducting membrane polymer for direct energy conversion electrochemical devices and has shown to be a promising material for this group of devices. It is suggested that the presence of the flexible electron donor bonds in the structure of dianhydride should increase the stability of the membranes prepared from BDSA. The properties of polyimide sulfonic acids from the aforementioned diamine and dianhydrides of different fragmentary flexibility implemented in this work could help the understanding of the connection between chemical structure and properties of the material in application to proton exchange membranes development.
Influence of asymmetric inflow on the transient pressure fluctuation characteristics of a vertical mixed-flow pump
Authors: Zheng Yunhao , Li Yanjun , Zhu Xingye , Sun Danghang , Meng Fan
Published: April 2022

In order to investigate the influence of asymmetric inflow on the internal flow fields of a vertical mixed-flow pump, numerical simulation of unsteady flow was carried out under four inflow angles ( θ = 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30°). The reliability of the calculation results was validated through an external characteristic experiment. The fluctuation value of the pressure was defined to obtain the transient pressure fluctuation intensity distribution. Three monitoring points were arranged to compare pressure fluctuation characteristics under different inflow angles. The results suggested that the increase in the inflow angle caused the design operation points to deviate to the over-load flow rate. When the inflow angle increased from 0° to 30°, the axial velocity distribution coefficient and weighted average angle at the inflow runner outlet both decreased. The overall transient pressure fluctuation intensity inside the impeller increased, especially on the pressure side of the blade. Additionally, the transient pressure fluctuation intensity on the pressure side of the guide vane also increased significantly. As a result, the amplitude of pressure fluctuation at the dominant frequency of each monitoring point increased. Relatively speaking, the negative influence of asymmetric inflow on the operational stability of the pumping station was further extended under the part-load flow rate.
Sustainability in times of disruption: engaging with near and distant futures in practices of food entrepreneurship
Authors: van der Gaast Koen , van Leeuwen Eveline , Wertheim-Heck Sigrid
Published: April 2022

The sustainability transformation of the food system involves imagining a sustainable future whilst functioning within the current unsustainable food system. Some argue there is a difference between the goal-oriented and comfort seeking form in which the near future is engaged, and the reflexive, imaginary way in which the distant future is engaged. This begs the question, how is engagement with near and distant futures balanced, and what does this mean for the overall sustainability transformation of the food system? We studied future engagement in practices of food entrepreneurship in the Dutch province of Flevoland during the disruption caused by the covid-19-induced lockdowns. This disruption posed a challenge and an opportunity to study near and distant future engagement in depth. Through an online survey and offline semi-structured interviewing, we questioned practitioners of sustainable food entrepreneurship during the first and second lockdown, respectively. The findings show near future engagement is mostly associated with immediate change in practices enforced by the covid-19 lockdown, whereas distant future engagement primarily was visible in continuous change in practices as associated with sustainability. However, this does not mean near and distant future were perfectly balanced. Therefore, we argue pre-existing trends with regards to sustainability can be accelerated or obstructed when they meet the immediate effects of disruption. Our paper concludes by stating the need for more research to the interaction of near and distant futures in different contexts and circumstances.
Interactions and performance analysis of epoxidized palm oil/unsaturated polyester resin: Mechanical, thermal, and thermo-mechanical properties
Authors: Mustapha Siti Noor Hidayah , Rahmat Abdul Razak , Mustapha Rohani
Published: April 2022

In this work, an alternative of bio-thermoset resin for composite applications was synthesized using unsaturated polyester resin (UPE) and epoxidized palm oil (EPO). The main purpose of this study is to reduce the dependency on petroleum and improve the toughness properties of UPE by partially introduced renewable source triglyceride, EPO in the UPE chain. The UPE resin blends with 10, 20, and 30 wt% EPO oil were synthesized by using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. The samples were cured in an oven at 100°C and 160°C for 4 h. The interaction of the blend was studied by the FTIR test supported by the SEM test. The effects of EPO loadings in UPE on the mechanical, thermal, and thermo-mechanical properties were also being studied. The addition of EPO physically interacted in the system and acted as a lubricant. The higher the addition of EPO in UPE has increased the elongation at break and impact strength of the UPE resin, which indicated an increase in mobility and toughness of the UPE chain. The developed UPE/EPO blends resin also exhibited higher thermal stability than the neat UPE, thereby showing potential to be used in a wide range of composite applications.
Effectiveness of Online Teaching Learning Process
Authors: Jhawar Nidhi , Nandedkar Tarika
Published: April 2022

Pandemics bring changes all over the world. These changes not only impact at a personal level but also at a professional level. All businesses and organizations are facing challenges of its own due to the enforced COVID-19 lockdown; so is the education sector as well. As we know that “education is key to success,” the sector designed its path during this pandemic. Online learning has become a significant tool to some extent to overcome the problem of education created during the pandemic. Every education institute, right from schools to colleges, adopted online learning. But this online learning is a very new concept in India at every level of education. This article tries to identify the effectiveness of online learning. It tries to identify whether online learning succeeds in achieving the goal of learning and mentoring of students or not. This article tries to identify whether the objective of knowledge enrichment was fulfilled with the online learning or was it just a betrayal. The article also tries to identify the factors which are very much responsible for the effectiveness of online learning. Primary data from 147 management undergraduate and postgraduate students has been used to answer all these questions. Data were analyzed with the help of Smart PLS and SPSS software. With the help of factor analysis, a total of six factors were identified which play a significant role in the effectiveness of online learning. The overall impact of all the factors on the “effectiveness of online teaching” was obtained with the help of structural equation modeling and regression analysis.
An Evaluation of Turkish Nurses’ Cultural Intelligence Levels and Intercultural Communication Apprehension
Authors: Coşkun Erçelik Hamide , Çamlica Tuğçe , Özkan Ali
Published: April 2022

Introduction:

This study aims to discuss cultural intelligence levels and intercultural communication apprehension of nurses.

Method:

This study was designed as a descriptive and cross-sectional study, and it was conducted with 252 nurses working in a hospital in a south city of Turkey. The research data were collected via a “Personal Information Form” designed by the researchers, “The Cultural Intelligence Scale,” and “The Intercultural Communication Apprehension Scale.”

Results:

It was concluded that nurses had moderate levels of cultural intelligence and intercultural communication apprehension, which were positively correlated ( p < .001). Cultural intelligence levels and intercultural communication apprehension were further correlated with certain variables such as age, gender, job duration, foreign language proficiency, and their experiences in foreign countries ( p < .05).

Discussion:

In light of the results, it was suggested that moderate levels of intercultural communication apprehension can be a supportive factor in developing cultural intelligence. It was also added that preventing excessive intercultural communication apprehension and supporting nurses to improve language skills and to have abroad experience may be beneficial in developing cultural intelligence.
Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as Marker of Platelet Activation in Patients on Potent P2Y12 Inhibitors
Authors: Wadowski Patricia P. , Pultar Joseph , Weikert Constantin , Eichelberger Beate , Tscharre Maximilian , Koppensteiner Renate , Panzer Simon , Gremmel Thomas
Published: April 2022

A high platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has recently been associated with ischemic outcomes in cardiovascular disease. Increased platelet reactivity and leukocyte-platelet aggregate formation are directly involved in the progress of atherosclerosis and have been linked to ischemic events following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In order to understand the relation of PLR with platelet reactivity, we assessed PLR as well as agonist-inducible platelet aggregation and neutrophil-platelet aggregate (NPA) formation in 182 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients on dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and prasugrel (n = 96) or ticagrelor (n = 86) 3 days after PCI. PLR was calculated from the blood count. Platelet aggregation was measured by multiple electrode aggregometry and NPA formation was determined by flow cytometry, both in response to ADP and SFLLRN. A PLR ≥91 was considered as high PLR based on previous data showing an association of this threshold with adverse ischemic outcomes. In the overall cohort and in prasugrel-treated patients, high PLR was associated with higher SFLLRN-inducible platelet aggregation (67 AU [50-85 AU] vs 59.5 AU [44.3-71.3 AU], P = .01, and 73 AU [50-85 AU] vs 61.5 AU [46-69 AU], P = .02, respectively). Further, prasugrel-treated patients with high PLR exhibited higher ADP- (15% [11%-23%] vs 10.9% [7.6%-15.9%], P = .007) and SFLLRN-inducible NPA formation (64.3% [55.4%-73.8%] vs 53.8% [44.1%-70.1%], P = .01) as compared to patients with low PLR. These differences were not seen in ticagrelor-treated patients. In conclusion, high PLR is associated with increased on-treatment platelet reactivity in prasugrel-treated patients, but not in patients on ticagrelor.
Nonlinear modal analysis of rotor systems considering gyroscopic and dry friction effects
Authors: Yang Donglai , Huang Xingrong
Published: April 2022

Part looseness is a common fault in rotor systems, which may lead to serious dynamic problems. Rotor system with part looseness turns to be a complicated nonlinear problem, with gyroscopic and dry friction effects occurring simultaneously. The analysis of nonlinear systems is in general confronted with two key challenges: complicated calculation method and long calculation time. This work has developed a fast and efficient numerical scheme based on nonlinear modal analysis. By employing the proposed nonlinear modal analysis strategy, the essential gyroscopic effect, as well as the dry friction influence caused by part looseness, are both taken into account when analyzing the dynamic behavior of rotor systems. First, the theoretical aspects and the analysis approach considering the nonlinear force and the gyroscopic effect are proposed for a general rotor system. Second, by employing the proposed nonlinear modal strategy, simulations are conducted on a general rotor system considering the gyroscopic effect and dry friction caused by part looseness. Third, modal parameters such as resonance frequencies and modal damping ratios are carefully investigated as functions of rotation speed and modal amplitude. In the realization of a nonlinear modal analysis of a rotor system, the key point is to establish the relationship between modal parameters with both modal amplitude and rotation velocity. The proposed strategy can help better analyzing and interpreting the dynamic characteristics of rotor systems from the modal overview.
Apprenticing for Equity Literacy Teaching: A Needed Change in Teacher Education
Authors: Lazar Althier M.
Published: April 2022

Grounded by critical race and landscapes of practice perspectives, this study examined teacher candidates who were asked to use equity as a lens to describe students’ literacy learning opportunities in their practicum sites. Analysis of this writing revealed wide variation in candidates’ participation, including a group who regularly noticed equitable/inequitable literacy teaching practices and structures and discussed how they would resist/change those they considered inequitable and a group that primarily overlooked these reflective opportunities. Follow-up interviews with two candidates revealed their different equity stances. Study findings can be used to reconceptualize literacy practice to help candidates identify and challenge policies and ideas that sustain inequity.
Dietary 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 effects on vitamin D status, plasma metabolites and urine mineral excretion in adult cats
Authors: Corugedo Janelle C , Backus Robert C
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation with dietary 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25[OH]D3) in adult cats.

Methods

Three levels of dietary 25(OH)D3 concentrations (4.9, 8.4, 11.8 µg/kg as fed) were received by five adult cats for 9 weeks, each in a randomized complete block design. Effects were determined on plasma or serum concentrations of 25(OH)D3, 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, calcitriol, parathyroid hormone, ionized calcium, urinary excretions of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, and clinical hematology and chemistry panels.

Results

The lowest concentration of dietary 25(OH)D3 supported elevation of vitamin D status, with no adverse effects. Supplementation of 8.4 µg/kg 25(OH)D3 had significant effects on the urinary magnesium: creatinine ratio. Increasing supplementation up to 11.8 µg/kg 25(OH)D3 had significant effects on plasma concentrations of calcium and magnesium, and vitamin D metabolites.

Conclusions and relevance

Dietary supplementation with approximately 5.0 µg/kg of 25(OH)D3 or the ingested equivalence of 0.09 µg of 25(OH)D3 per metabolic body weight (kg0.67) is a safe, potent and effective means for raising vitamin D status in cats. A higher dose with approximately 11.8 µg/kg of 25(OH)D3 resulted in elevation in C-3 epimers of 25(OH)D3 and slight elevation in plasma magnesium and calcium concentrations above their respective reference intervals.
Parinaud syndrome due to cofirmed neurotuberculosis in a lupus eritematosis systemic patient
Authors: Tavares-Júnior José Wagner Leonel , Teles Júnior José Newton , Magalhães Samir Câmara , Cavalcante Thiago Toscano , Coimbra Pablo Picasso de Araújo , Luiz Roberta dos Santos Silva
Published: April 2022

Introduction

This article aims to describe a patient with Parinaud syndrome due to neurotuberculosis confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid analysis.

Case Report

Initially, patient sought medical care, performed a chest x-ray and later a chest CT scan, with a probable diagnosis of miliary tuberculosis. In addition, she presented binocular diplopia worse at right lateral gaze, paresis of vertical gaze, light near-dissociation and convergent retraction nystagmus and presence of mycobacterium tuberculosis on PCR Xpert MTB/RIF. The treatment of miliary tuberculosis was interrupted due to pharmacodermia, but after diagnosis of neurotuberculosis, it was restarted with isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol with partial visual symptoms improvement.

Discussion

This case demonstrates the importance of pursuing diagnosis through more accurate techniques, especially in a patient with previous treatment pharmacoderma, whose absence of proper diagnosis and treatment would be extremely deleterious.
Low vitamin D levels among children and adolescents in an Arctic population
Authors: Malyavskaya Svetlana , Kostrova Galina , Kudryavtsev Alexander V. , Lebedev Аndrey
Published: April 2022

Aims:

We aimed to study the vitamin D status of the population of Arkhangelsk, a city in northwestern Russia.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate serum 25(OH)D concentrations in Arkhangelsk residents, including 55 neonates and their mothers, 214 children <3 years, 191 schoolchildren (7–8 years), 403 adolescents (13–17 years), 260 university students (18–22 years) and 85 adults (24–60 years). The data were collected from March 2013 to November 2014 and from January 2016 to May 2016.

Results:

Normal levels of 25(OH)D (>30 ng/ml) were found in 5% of neonates, 43% of their mothers, 43% of children <3 years, 9% of schoolchildren, 1% of adolescents, 17% of students and 26% of adults. There was a moderate positive correlation ( rs = 0.563, p = 0.001) between 25(OH)D levels in mother’s blood and umbilical cord blood.

Conclusions:

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the population of Arkhangelsk, particularly in neonates, schoolchildren and adolescents.