bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Depressive Symptoms in Sichuan, China: Are There Gender Variations?
Authors: Xu Xiaohe , Zheng Li , Xu Ting , He Mingjie
Published: July 2020

An emerging body of research has linked intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization with negative mental health outcomes among women in postreform China. However, limited scholarly attention has been given to the independent effects of multiple types of IPV victimization on depressive symptoms among men and women. Little is known if these independent effects will vary by gender in China where research on the association between IPV victimization and mental health did not emerge until fairly recently. Given this research paucity, this study aims to (a) examine the independent effects of different types of lifetime IPV victimization among married men and women in Sichuan province on their self-reported past 30-day depressive symptoms and (b) explore possible gender variations in these effects. The data utilized in this study came from a subsample of married men ( N = 1,083) and women ( N = 1,185) from the Third Survey of Chinese Women’s Social Status 2010, a representative sample of adults aged 18 to 64 in Sichuan province. Statistical analyses indicate that all types of lifetime IPV victimization are significantly and positively associated with past 30-day depressive symptoms for women, whereas for men lifetime experiences of general controlling behavior and sexual IPV were not statistically associated with depressive symptoms. Moreover, the effects of multiple types of IPV victimization on depressive symptoms do not significantly vary by gender. Bearing this gender-neutral pattern in mind, health professionals, governmental officials, and researchers are strongly encouraged to focus on both married men and women in their IPV and mental health intervention, prevention, and treatment endeavors in postreform China.
Financial Dependents and Sentencing Outcomes in Federal District Courts: Variation by Race, Ethnicity, and Sex
Authors: Testa Alexander , Hartley Richard D.
Published: July 2020

A voluminous literature has detailed disparities in punishment related to extra-legal characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and sex. However, less research has investigated the specific contexts and conditions under which disparities in punishment emerge. Specifically, limited research to date has examined whether family characteristics influence sentencing both directly, and in interaction with race, ethnicity, and sex. The current study investigates this question using data on federal criminal sentences from the United States Sentencing Commission for fiscal years 2015–2017. Findings demonstrate that providing support for dependents generally has a positive association with the likelihood of being incarcerated and overall sentence length. Moreover, the positive association between support for dependents and punishment severity is concentrated among Black male and Hispanic male defendants. Among minority females and White defendants, having dependents has either a negative or null association with sentencing outcomes. Findings are discussed in the context of contemporary theoretical perspectives of punishment.
Worker and Community Ownership as an Economic Development Strategy: Innovative Rebirth or Tired Retread of a Failed Idea?
Authors: Spicer Jason S.
Published: July 2020

A generation ago, American state and local experiments with worker and community ownership appeared unsuccessful. Does their current revival offer anything new to the field of economic development or is this merely a tired retread of a failed idea? Using historical analysis, case studies, and interview data from three U.S. regions, the author analyzes the current range of initiatives that seek to remove impediments, stimulate development, and provide direct technical and financial support to worker and community-owned enterprises. The author also identifies how these efforts differ from those in the past, with respect to scope, scale, and success orientation. Collectively, these differences suggest a focus on engaging with, rather than escaping from, market-based economic development. Key challenges are also identified: popular education, community capacity, competitive pressure, early-stage financing, and managing political content. While too early to assess outcomes, these differences suggest the possibility of more substantial results than in the past.
Laboratory investigation of modified bitumen for interlayer in rigid–flexible composite pavement
Authors: Shafabakhsh Gholamali , Ahmadi Saeed
Published: July 2020

Adhesion of composite pavement plays a significant role in the durability and maintenance of this type of pavement. The present research aims to assess the bonding and fatigue performance of rigid–flexible composite pavements through laboratory testing at different tack coat application rates. Three types of modified bitumen, crumb rubber-modified bitumen containing hydrated lime (CR/HL), crumb rubber-modified bitumen containing natural zeolite (CR/NZ), and crumb rubber-modified bitumen (CRMB), were selected as the tack coat. Shear fatigue and direct shear tests were utilized to assess the bonding properties of tack coats. The study also examines the behavior of modified bitumen by examining its viscosity, rheological properties, and performance grade. The results show that CR/NZ exhibits better performance in rheological behavior and at various temperatures compared to CR/HL and CRMB. Also, depending on the type of tack coat, shear strength tests show a range of 0.6–0.9 l m−2 as the optimal tack coat dosage. Finally, based on the optimal tack coat, shear strength ratings for various bitumen types may be classified as CRMB < CR/HL < CR/NZ.
SMEs and HEIs: Observations from Brunei Darussalam and Germany
Authors: Heilmaier Jana , Ling Mayyer
Published: July 2020

This paper explores the role of higher education institutions in enhancing the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) ecosystem in Brunei Darussalam, particularly with regard to improving the spirit of entrepreneurship and the motivation to seek opportunities independently to propel the country’s transition economy forward. A qualitative methodology was adopted for data collection, using semi-structured interviews with Bruneian and German SME owner/managers and sales representatives. The economics perspective of the institutional framework was employed to identify the formal and informal constraints faced by SMEs in Brunei Darussalam. Recommendations are offered to inform the relevant stakeholders about the key issues faced by SMEs so that appropriate forms of guidance and benchmarking can be provided to facilitate the country’s economic development.
Steering control to balance a motorcycle at low speeds based on riders’ input
Authors: Singhania Sharad , Kageyama Ichiro , Karanam Venkata M
Published: July 2020

Motorcycles are a primary mode of daily transportation in many developing countries, especially in towns and cities. The increased traffic congestion constrains the average speed of the motorcycle, causing stability and safety concerns for the riders. A controller that assists the riders can improve this scenario. This paper presents a new controller developed using an experimental study that improves the low-speed stability of a motorcycle. The experiments were conducted on a motorcycle with the riders of three experience levels: beginner, intermediate and expert. The input parameters: steering angle and steering torque; the output parameters: roll angle, yaw angle, roll rate and yaw rate were measured. Critical input and output parameters were identified statistically from the experimental measurements and used for the controller modelled in Simulink. The controller model was co-simulated with a multi-body dynamics model of the motorcycle. The co-simulation results showed the controller developed herein stabilises the motorcycle model at low speeds.
On Intersectionality: How Complex Patterns of Discrimination Can Emerge From Simple Stereotypes
Authors: Hester Neil , Payne Keith , Brown-Iannuzzi Jazmin , Gray Kurt
Published: July 2020

Patterns of discrimination are often complex (i.e., multiplicative), with different identities combining to yield especially potent discrimination. For example, Black men are disproportionately stopped by police to a degree that cannot be explained by the simple (i.e., additive) effects of being Black and being male. Researchers often posit corresponding mental representations (e.g., intersectional stereotypes for Black men) to account for these complex outcomes. We suggest that complex discrimination can be explained by simple stereotypes combined with threshold models of behavior—for example, “if someone’s threat level seems higher than X, stop that person.” Simulations provide proof of this concept. We show how gender-by-race discrimination in both promotions and police stops can be explained by simple stereotypes. We also explore race-by-age discrimination in police stops, in which racial disparities are greater for young adolescents. This work suggests that complex behaviors can sometimes arise from relatively simple cognitions.
Social-Structure Learning
Authors: Gershman Samuel J. , Cikara Mina
Published: July 2020

Social-structure learning is the process by which social groups are identified on the basis of experience. Building on models of structure learning in other domains, we formalize this problem within a Bayesian framework. According to this framework, the probabilistic assignment of individuals to groups is computed by combining information about individuals with prior beliefs about group structure. Experiments with adults and children provide support for this framework, ruling out alternative accounts based on dyadic similarity. More broadly, we highlight the implications of social-structure learning for intergroup cognition, stereotype updating, and coalition formation.
Association between serum soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) deficiency and severity of clinicopathologic evidence of canine chronic inflammatory enteropathy
Authors: Cabrera-García Angela Isabel , Suchodolski Jan S. , Steiner Jörg M. , Heilmann Romy M.
Published: July 2020

Innate immunity plays a central role in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory enteropathies (CIE) in dogs, and further evaluation of the innate immune receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is warranted. We measured serum concentrations of decoy receptor soluble RAGE (sRAGE) in 102 dogs diagnosed with CIE, and evaluated relationships with clinical disease severity, histologic lesion severity, concentrations of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum and fecal calprotectin, S100A12, and alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (α1PI). Serum sRAGE levels were not associated with clinical disease activity, serum CRP, serum and fecal α1PI, calprotectin, or S100A12 concentrations. Microscopic lesions in the duodenum were more severe in dogs with serum sRAGE concentration ≤ 340 ng/L ( p = 0.013). Serum sRAGE levels were weakly and inversely correlated with the severity of lymphoplasmacytic infiltration in the gastric antrum and duodenum, and with crypt dilation and the neutrophilic infiltrate in the duodenum, in univariate analysis (all p < 0.05), but none of the correlations remained statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Our study confirms that CIE in dogs is associated with decreased serum sRAGE concentrations, suggesting a dysregulated sRAGE/RAGE axis.
Fish Cells, a new zero Poisson’s ratio metamaterial—part II: Elastic properties
Authors: Zadeh Mohammad Naghavi , Dayyani Iman , Yasaee Mehdi
Published: July 2020

Fish Cells as a new metamaterial with zero Poisson’s ratio in two planar directions is introduced with application in morphing aircraft skin. In order to tailor the design of this metamaterial for arbitrary loadings, equivalent elastic properties of the Fish Cells metamaterial are derived and analyzed using analytical and numerical methods. The admissible range of geometric parameters is presented and variation of elastic properties with parameters is studied. The effective elastic modulus of the metamaterial is derived analytically and verified with finite element models. The in-plane and transverse shear modulus of the metamaterial are evaluated using finite element analysis where accurate periodic boundary conditions for in-plane shear loading are investigated. The lower and upper bounds of the transverse shear modulus are derived based on strain and complementary energy relations which are verified with finite element results. As zero Poisson’s ratio behavior of the Fish Cells topology is proved, derivative geometries from this topology with zero Poisson’s ratio behavior are also presented.
Sentence-Level Gist: Literacy Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities in Co-Taught Classrooms
Authors: Pollack Marney S. , Shelton Alexandra , Clancy Erin , Lemons Christopher J.
Published: July 2020

Several strategies that demonstrate promise are available for educators to improve reading comprehension outcomes for students. However, some students, including students with and at risk for learning disabilities, require more intensive supports to develop proficiency in reading comprehension. To support these students, teachers must intensify instruction. This article describes an intensive main idea identification strategy, sentence-level gist, for teachers to use with students with persistent reading comprehension difficulties in the co-taught classroom. The sentence-level gist strategy requires students to determine the subject and important words in each sentence and then synthesize this information to write a main idea statement for a section of a text.
Analytical model for determining effective stiffness and mechanical behavior of polymer matrix composite laminates using continuum damage mechanics
Authors: Onodera Sota , Okabe Tomonaga
Published: July 2020

The present paper proposes a new analytical model for predicting the effective stiffness of composite laminates with fiber breaks and transverse cracks. The model is based on continuum damage mechanics and the classical laminate theory. We derived damage variables describing stiffness reduction due to fiber breaks and its maximum value during ultimate tensile failure from the global load-sharing model. Furthermore, a simplified analytical model is presented for obtaining two damage variables for a cracked ply subjected to transverse tensile loading or in-plane shear loading. This model was developed assuming that the displacement field of the longitudinal direction can be expressed in the form of a quadric function by loosening the boundary condition for the governing differential equation. For verifying the developed model, the elastic constants of damaged composite laminates were predicted for cross-ply and angle-ply laminates and compared with the finite element analysis results. As for the appropriate expression of the effective elastic stiffness matrix of the damaged ply, we verified four types of effective compliance/stiffness matrices including the Murakami, Yoshimura, Li, and Maimí models. We found the Maimí model to be the most appropriate among these four models. Moreover, we successfully simplified the expressions for damage variables in the complicated infinite series obtained in our previous study. We also proved that this could contribute toward improving the accuracy of our analysis. After verifying the present model, the stress–strain response and failure strength of carbon- or glass-fiber-reinforced plastic cross-ply laminates were predicted using Maimí’s compliance model and the simplified damage variables.
A Clinical Review of Biosimilars Approved in Oncology
Authors: Ngo Dat , Chen Jason
Published: July 2020

Objective

To summarize and review the clinical data of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biosimilars for use in treatment of cancer and the current challenges health care institutions face when implementing a newly approved biosimilar.

Data Sources

A literature search of the following databases was performed between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2019: PubMed, Google, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Search terms included the words biosimilar, bevacizumab, rituximab, and/or trastuzumab.

Study Selection and Data Extraction

Only primary literature on biosimilars with an ongoing or completed phase 3 trial and/or FDA approval were included in the final analysis. Primary literature consisted of peer-reviewed publications, published abstracts, and any results posted on the ClinicalTrials.gov database.

Data Synthesis

Clinical trials of FDA-approved biosimilars for bevacizumab, rituximab, and trastuzumab showed no significant differences with respect to efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics when compared with their reference products.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice

The anticipated growth of biologics in oncology and the recent introduction of biosimilars over the past few years have placed a lot of emphasis on biosimilars as a significant source of cost savings for the health care system. Our article compiles and analyzes existing data on biosimilar efficacy, safety, and financial impact.

Conclusions

The major concerns of biosimilars revolve around their long-term efficacy and safety. Even with many questions to be answered, biosimilars have the potential for significant cost savings in the US health care system.
Migraine and Two-Pore-Domain Potassium Channels
Authors: Verkest Clément , Häfner Stephanie , Ávalos Prado Pablo , Baron Anne , Sandoz Guillaume
Published: July 2020

Migraine is a common, disabling neurological disorder with a genetic, environmental, and hormonal component with an annual prevalence estimated at ~15%. It is characterized by attacks of severe, usually unilateral and throbbing headache, and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and photophobia. Migraine is clinically divided into two main subtypes: migraine with aura, when it is preceded by transient neurological disturbances due to cortical spreading depression (CSD), and migraine without aura. Activation and sensitization of trigeminal sensory neurons, leading to the release of pro-inflammatory peptides, is likely a key component in headache pain initiation and transmission in migraine. In the present review, we will focus on the function of two-pore-domain potassium (K2P) channels, which control trigeminal sensory neuron excitability and their potential interest for developing new drugs to treat migraine.
A Validity-Based Framework for Understanding Replication in Psychology
Authors: Fabrigar Leandre R. , Wegener Duane T. , Petty Richard E.
Published: July 2020

In recent years, psychology has wrestled with the broader implications of disappointing rates of replication of previously demonstrated effects. This article proposes that many aspects of this pattern of results can be understood within the classic framework of four proposed forms of validity: statistical conclusion validity, internal validity, construct validity, and external validity. The article explains the conceptual logic for how differences in each type of validity across an original study and a subsequent replication attempt can lead to replication “failure.” Existing themes in the replication literature related to each type of validity are also highlighted. Furthermore, empirical evidence is considered for the role of each type of validity in non-replication. The article concludes with a discussion of broader implications of this classic validity framework for improving replication rates in psychological research.
Mortality following surgery for geriatric hip fractures: is it the timing or the co-morbidities?
Authors: Yaacobi Eyal , Marom Omer , Gutman Nadav , Zabarqa Shatha , Brin Yaron , Ohana Nissim
Published: July 2020

Background:

Hip fractures are prevalent in the elderly population and present serious health, social and economic problems, with an impact on morbidity and mortality. Today, it is common practice to surgically repair these fractures as early as possible, preferably within 48 hours of hospital admission. However, there is conflicting evidence in the literature about the effect of the timing of surgery on postoperative mortality.

Objectives:

To assess the association between surgery delay and other demographic and clinical variables with an increased mortality rate after surgical treatment of hip fractures in the elderly.

Methods:

A retrospective study was conducted on patients aged ⩾65 years with a primary diagnosis of hip fracture. All patients underwent surgery in our Medical Center from 2015 to 2017. A multivariate model of logistic regression, Cox regression model and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between various variables and mortality rates at 3- and 12-month follow-ups.

Results:

A total of 877 patients were included, 30% were men and 70% women; the mean age was 83.3 years. Multivariate analysis showed that mortality was significantly higher among patients who underwent late surgery, after adjusting for gender, age, co-morbidity, age of surgeon, duration of surgery and duration of hospitalisation ( p = 0.030). Surgical delay was significantly associated with higher mortality rates both at 3 month ( p = 0.041) and at 12 months after surgery ( p = 0.013). The presence of ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and chronic renal failure, as well as male gender and older age, were also significantly associated with higher early and late mortality.

Conclusions:

In elderly patients, hip fracture surgery should be performed within 48 hours of admission. Male and older patients, as well as patients with the aforementioned co-morbidities, are at higher risk of mortality at 3 and 12 months after surgery.
Generation of Cry11 Variants of Bacillus thuringiensis by Heuristic Computational Modeling
Authors: Pinzón-Reyes Efraín Hernando , Sierra-Bueno Daniel Alfonso , Suarez-Barrera Miguel Orlando , Rueda-Forero Nohora Juliana , Abaunza-Villamizar Sebastián , Rondón-Villareal Paola
Published: July 2020

Directed evolution methods mimic in vitro Darwinian evolution, inducing random mutations and selective pressure in genes to obtain proteins with enhanced characteristics. These techniques are developed using trial-and-error testing at an experimental level with a high degree of uncertainty. Therefore, in silico modeling of directed evolution is required to support experimental assays. Several in silico approaches have reproduced directed evolution, using statistical, thermodynamic, and kinetic models in an attempt to recreate experimental conditions. Likewise, optimization techniques using heuristic models have been used to understand and find the best scenarios of directed evolution. Our study uses an in silico model named HeurIstics DirecteD EvolutioN, which is based on a genetic algorithm designed to generate chimeric libraries from 2 parental genes, cry11Aa and cry11Ba, of Bacillus thuringiensis. These genes encode crystal-shaped δ-endotoxins with 3 conserved domains. Cry11 toxins are of biotechnological interest because they have shown to be effective as biopesticides for disease-spreading vectors. With our heuristic model, we considered experimental parameters such as DNA fragmentation length, number of generations or simulation cycles, and mutation rate, to get characteristics of Cry11 chimeric libraries such as percentage of population identity, truncation of variants obtained from the presence of internal stop codons, percentage of thermodynamic diversity, and stability of variants. Our study allowed us to focus on experimental conditions that may be useful for the design of in vitro and in silico experiments of directed evolution with Cry toxins of 3 conserved domains. Furthermore, we obtained in silico libraries of Cry11 variants, in which structural characteristics of wild Cry families were observed in a review of a sample of in silico sequences. We consider that future studies could use our in silico libraries and heuristic computational models, as the one suggested here, to support in vitro experiments of directed evolution.
Tribological and mechanical characterization of epoxy/graphite composite coatings: Effects of particles’ size and oxidation
Authors: Gafsi Nedia , Smaoui Imen , Verdejo Raquel , Kharrat Mohamed , Manchado Miguel ÁL , Dammak Maher
Published: July 2020

The present study investigates the mechanical and tribological properties of an epoxy matrix filled with different graphitic particles deposited on an aluminum substrate by the electrostatic spray technique. Three different particles added to the epoxy matrix were the received graphite, the crushed graphite obtained by crushing the natural flake graphite particles using a ball mill, and graphite oxide obtained by oxidation treatment. Nanoindentation tests were conducted on the different coatings in order to evaluate the surface hardness and the contact elastic modulus. The effect of the oxidation treatment and the loading content on the tribological behavior of the above composites were also evaluated under dry-friction conditions. As expected, the smaller the particle size, the greater the reduction in the dynamic friction. The experimental findings showed that adding 5 wt % of crushed graphite (10 µm) provided a similar dynamic friction as the addition of 10 wt % of received graphite (20 µm). The epoxy filled with received graphite showed a lower wear rate than that filled with graphite oxide and crushed graphite. Moreover, both hardness and elastic modulus increased in the case of the epoxy filled with graphite oxide and crushed graphite.
Molecular dynamics simulation of grain size effect on friction and wear of nanocrystalline zirconium
Authors: Zhu Kehao , Zhang Xiaoyu , Yuan Xinlu , Li Gen , Ren Pingdi
Published: July 2020

In this study, molecular dynamics simulation was conducted to investigate the frictional behaviors between diamond tool and zirconium (Zr) substrates at the nanoscale. The effects of grain size on friction and wear were discussed under different sliding velocities. The simulation results showed that the friction forces had similar variation tendencies under different sliding velocities. Besides, the friction responses were stronger at high sliding velocities because of the atomic adhesion while the ploughing effect was more obvious at slower sliding velocity. Moreover, both the friction forces and the wear amounts increased with the decrease in the average grain sizes of the substrates. To explain this phenomenon, the internal mechanism was investigated by using the dislocation extract algorithm and the atomic displacement analyses. The results showed that the [0001]-oriented single crystalline substrate was prone to form continuous dislocation structures moving tangentially along the sliding direction due to the characteristic of Zr's slip systems, whereas grain boundaries conducted the deformation further into the polycrystalline substrates, increasing the contact areas and causing atomic accumulation in front, both resulted in stronger friction responses and wear. Accordingly, with the decrease in average grain sizes, the substrates experienced more severe subsurface damage and the deformation mechanism of nanocrystalline Zr had evolved from dislocation emission to grain boundary rotation and sliding.
Tribological performance of textured parallel sliding contact under mixed lubrication condition by considering mass conservation condition and couple-stress parameter
Authors: Reddy Annadi Ramana , Ismail Syed
Published: July 2020

To enhance the tribological performance of mechanical parts, one of the reliable methods is surface topography modification, in which the surface of one/both interacting contacts were to be modified. Surface texturing is one of the surface modification techniques. In the present work, a numerical code is developed to address the effect of texture shape (elliptical and triangular), size and distribution (parallel and zigzag) on the tribological performance parameters (minimum film thickness, percentage of hydrodynamic load from the total generated pressure and frictional coefficient) under mixed lubrication regime for a known value of load support. In the present analysis, the mass conservative, i.e. Jakobson-Floberg-Ollson (JFO) cavitation condition and couple stresses of lubricant are considered. In addition, surface irregularities are considered by using the flow factors of Patir-Cheng model. The results show that texture shape has a significant effect, whereas the texture distribution has a slight effect on the tribological performance parameters. Moreover, the couple stress of lubricant has a prominent effect on the tribological performance.
Estimation of loss factor based on the load share model in improved bending strength spur gear drive system
Authors: Ravivarman R , Prabhu Sekar R
Published: July 2020

This paper demonstrates the prediction of loss factor for non-standard gear drives with equal stresses in the root region of the pinion and wheel. This implementation of equal stresses in the root region is achieved in the described model of a spur gear drive with higher transmission ratio using non-standard rack cutter. The aim is to discover the optimal modification point in the tooth profile by varying values of tooth thickness with at most balanced stresses in the gear pair considered for the study. A loss factor is predicted along the path of contact for a complete meshing cycle using finite element method. This paper studies and compares the distinct models and thereby identifies the suitable and appropriate models. The predicted loss factor includes the distribution of load sharing effect during the meshing which is excluded in the compared models. The gear pair is analyzed, and the loss factor is predicted for influence over the major drive parameters. It was observed that the approach employed facilitate substantial enhancement in the efficiency which is confined by the detailed parametric study and numerical simulation of the balanced stresses in the drive.
The effects of different task sequences on novice L2 learners’ oral performance in the classroom
Authors: Kim Nayoung
Published: July 2020

This study investigated the optimum task sequence for second language (L2) novice learners of English. One set of task sequences was manipulated using a deductive and theoretical SSARC (simplify–stabilize–automatize–restructure–complexify) model, and two sets of task sequences were manipulated based on a teacher’s inductive classroom observations. A total of 76 undergraduates at a private university in Korea were divided into three groups for the task sequences: task complexity (TC), guided planning with vocabulary (GPV), and guided planning with content (GPC). While the four oral tasks were sequenced according to the resource-directing dimensions [± elements] and [± reasoning] in all three groups, the TC group received pretask planning, the GPV group received teacher-led guided planning with words, and the GPC group received teacher-led guided planning with content for the resource-dispersing dimensions. Pretest and posttest of syntactic complexity, accuracy, and fluency were used as the main data. The analysis showed that the TC group outperformed the GPV and GPC groups significantly in increasing overall syntactic complexity, and the GPV group outperformed the GPC group significantly in improving speed fluency. Both sequencing TC and GPV tasks significantly increased syntactic complexity and speed fluency. Sequencing TC tasks decreased accuracy and increased dysfluency, whereas sequencing GPV tasks increased accuracy and decreased dysfluency. Meanwhile, sequencing GPC tasks did not produce overall positive effects on oral performance compared with the two other groups.
Experimental test for mechanical properties of new tenon composite wall using thermal self-insulation block
Authors: Wu Dongyue , Su Hui , Wang Shilin , Chen Wei
Published: July 2020

Concrete hollow blocks have the advantages of simplified construction, reduced construction time, and better thermal performance, and can thereby achieve energy conservation in building engineering and significantly improved thermal and mechanical performance. A new tenon composite block is presented to achieve better self-thermal insulation and mechanical performance by integrating thermal materials into blocks. The tenon composite block application requires satisfying mechanical and seismic performance. Therefore, to prove the mechanical and seismic performance of the tenon composite block, a low cyclic loading test was performed on two self-thermal insulation wall specimens: the tenon composite block and the “Martha” block (used as the comparison specimen). The crack distributions, failure modes, force–displacement data expressed using hysteresis and skeleton curves, mechanical parameters of strengths, displacements, ductility coefficients, stiffness degradations, and equivalent viscous damping coefficients of the two specimens were analyzed in the low cyclic loading test. By analyzing the specimen crack distributions and failure modes, the tenon composite block was proven capable of effectively connecting the heat insulation and loading bearing parts. The differences in the force–displacement data and the mechanical parameters between the tenon composite block and “Martha” block specimens, such as the higher strength and stiffness of the tenon composite block specimen and similar ductility performance with the widely applied “Martha” specimen, were mainly caused by the size differences between the tenon composite block and “Martha” specimens. Finally, suggestions for tenon composite block applications are proposed to overcome the limitations of the tenon composite block’s ability to consume seismic energy.
Assessing measurement equivalence of the Danish and Dutch Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire using differential item and test functioning analysis
Authors: Terluin Berend , Hoff Andreas , Falgaard Eplov Lene
Published: July 2020

Aims: The Dutch Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) measures distress, depression, anxiety and somatisation, facilitating the distinction between stress-related problems and psychiatric disorder in primary and occupational health care. The aim of the study was to examine the measurement equivalence across the Danish and Dutch 4DSQ. Methods: Danish 4DSQ data were obtained from a cohort of Danish citizens on sick leave for mental-health problems. Dutch 4DSQ data were obtained from a cohort of Dutch employees on sick leave and a cohort of general practice attenders suspected of having mental-health problems. The study samples were matched on age and sex. The 4DSQ scales were assessed for essential unidimensionality using confirmatory factor analysis. Measurement equivalence of the 4DSQ across the groups was assessed using differential item and test functioning (DIF and DTF) analysis. Results: The study groups each consisted of 1363 people (63% female, Mage=42 years). The 4DSQ scales proved essentially unidimensional. DIF was detected in 20 items. In terms of Cohen’s effect size, DIF was mostly small or moderate. In terms of effect size, the mean effect on the scale score (DTF) was negligible. Nevertheless, it is recommended to adjust some of the cut-off points for two Danish 4DSQ scales to retain the meaning of these cut-off points in Dutch respondents. Conclusions: The Danish version of the 4DSQ measures the same constructs as the original Dutch questionnaire. Twenty items functioned differently in Danish respondents than in Dutch respondents, but this had only a small impact on the scale scores.
Noncontact super-resolution guided wave array imaging of subwavelength defects using a multiscale deep learning approach
Authors: Song Homin , Yang Yongchao
Published: July 2020

Subwavelength defect imaging using guided waves has been known to be a difficult task mainly due to the diffraction limit and dispersion of guided waves. In this article, we present a noncontact super-resolution guided wave array imaging approach based on deep learning to visualize subwavelength defects in plate-like structures. The proposed approach is a novel hierarchical multiscale imaging approach that combines two distinct fully convolutional networks. The first fully convolutional network, the global detection network, globally detects subwavelength defects in a raw low-resolution guided wave beamforming image. Then, the subsequent second fully convolutional network, the local super-resolution network, locally resolves subwavelength-scale fine structural details of the detected defects. We conduct a series of numerical simulations and laboratory-scale experiments using a noncontact guided wave array enabled by a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer on aluminate plates with various subwavelength defects. The results demonstrate that the proposed super-resolution guided wave array imaging approach not only locates subwavelength defects but also visualizes super-resolution fine structural details of these defects, thus enabling further estimation of the size and shape of the detected subwavelength defects. We discuss several key aspects of the performance of our approach, compare with an existing super-resolution algorithm, and make recommendations for its successful implementations.
What Motivates Engagement in a Community-Based Behavior Change Strategy for Overweight Children?
Authors: Enright Gemma , Gyani Alex , Hyun Karice , Allman-Farinelli Margaret , Innes-Hughes Christine , Chen Lily , Redfern Julie
Published: July 2020

Introduction. The success of family-based community programs for childhood obesity may be increased by promoting social-cognitive factors that influence motivation and participant engagement. Incentivizing behavior can potentially enhance engagement and encourage behavior change. This research investigated motivators to engagement with a multicomponent incentive-based strategy to improve attendance and health-related behavior change in a family community-based weight management program for overweight and obese children. Method. Qualitative analysis combining; demographic data ( n = 512), survey of parents ( n = 273), and stakeholder ( n = 10) and family interviews ( n = 24). Participants were selected from program providers and families participating in an Australian community weight management program during a randomized controlled trial ( n = 512 children). Maximum variation sampling (demographics and group characteristics) and inductive thematic analysis were used. Results/Conclusion. Four factors influencing engagement were (1) personal value, (2) achievement, (3) support, and (4) overwhelm. These themes corroborated with social-cognitive factors, fostered by a combination of behavior change components in the program that increased participant accountability and intrinsic motivation. Focusing on autonomous goal planning with parental involvement, tracking of goals, and reviewing of goals may complement existing strategies in child-focused treatment programs. Low-value noncash incentives linked to goal setting for encouraging healthy eating and physical activity were well accepted and may enhance family engagement and attendance.
The Sociological Imagination and Media Studies in Neoliberal Times
Authors: Orgad Shani
Published: July 2020

To date, media and communication studies have mostly examined narratives either as stories that circulate in public discourse or as people’s personal narratives. In the context of deepening inequalities, the cementing of neoliberal rationality and the intensifying centrality of media and communication technologies in public and everyday life, connecting the two realms is a vital task. Drawing on The Sociological Imagination, I argue for and demonstrate the value of connecting what C. Wright Mills famously called “personal troubles” and “public issues of social structure” in the study of current media and narrative. Analysis of how contemporary cultural narratives furnish and condition our most intimate personal troubles highlights that our lives are shaped by social forces not of our own making. Yet, the intersection between media and cultural discourses and individuals’ sense-making of their experiences can open up possibilities for change and even resistance.
Data Civics: A Response to the “Ethical Turn”
Authors: Andrejevic Mark
Published: July 2020

In addition to the recent proliferation of approaches, programs, and research centers devoted to ethical data and Artifiical Intelligence, it is becoming increasingly clear that we need to directly address the political question. Ethics, while crucial, comprise only an indirect response to recent concerns about the political uses and misuses of data mining, AI, and automated processes. If we are concerned about the impact of digital media on democracy, it will be important to consider what it might mean to foster democratic arrangements for the collection and use of data, and for the institutions that perform these tasks. This essay considers what it might mean to supplement ethical concerns with political ones. It argues for the importance of considering the tensions between civic life and the wholesale commercialization of news, information, and entertainment platforms—and how these are exacerbated by the dominant economic model of data-driven hyper-customization.
Pursuing “Wellness”: Considerations for Media Studies
Authors: O’Neill Rachel
Published: July 2020

In this short piece, I discuss the necessity of employing more-than-textual methods to understand more-than-textual phenomena. My case study is the feminized world of wellness, where stylish young entrepreneurs sell strategies of health-enhancement. While existing commentary typically frames wellness as the exclusive and somewhat risible preserve of wealthy white women—a framing enabled by the prominence of figures such as Gwyneth Paltrow—this narrative risks obscuring a more complicated story about the desire for health and well-being in an era of heightened precarity. Against this backdrop, I argue that the rise of wellness as a novel cultural formation and new commercial development must be situated within the broader social, economic, and political terrain of contemporary Britain. Methodologically, this means grappling with the glamorous trappings of wellness media and excavating the psychic investments and embodied experiences that animate this movement-market.
Vernacular Feminism: Gendered Media Cultures and Historical Perspectives on Postdiscourse
Authors: Tasker Yvonne
Published: July 2020

Although media studies as a discipline has long been involved in various theoretical elaborations of the “post,” it has been concerned far less often with the past that is purportedly posted. In this piece, the concept of postfeminism provides a useful case to highlight how thoughtful engagement with the past has immense value for contemporary media scholarship. I suggest that postfeminist scholarship has typically tackled history only obliquely—via generational tropes—and that a more direct engagement with media history allows an understanding that reaches past the “now” with which postdiscourse tends to concern itself. Patterns of continuity and change have been brought into view through the access to historical media formats facilitated by digital archives. I propose a concept of vernacular feminism as a tool for analyzing historical postfeminism, pointing to the broader relevance for postdiscourses that involve an evocation of the past in the present.
The Media (Studies) of the Pandemic Moment: Introduction to the 20th Anniversary Issue
Authors: Ong Jonathan Corpus , Negra Diane
Published: July 2020

Television & New Media commemorates its 20th year anniversary with this diverse collection of short reflection pieces on the “intellectual and institutional turbulence” facing media studies and the ways our colleagues have taken up these challenges in their work. Our introduction to the anniversary issue specifically addresses the role of media and media studies in the COVID-19 pandemic moment. On the one hand, our discipline has the opportunity to reinforce and reflect on its long-held arguments as we see how the pandemic reveals key insights of the field with uncanny clarity. On the other hand, for some, there is the nagging sensation we will have to do more and better if we are to adequately account for all the features of the current crisis.
Chemokine-like factor 1: A promising therapeutic target in human diseases
Authors: Cai Xiaopeng , Deng Jingwen , Ming Qianqian , Cai Huiqiang , Chen Zhi
Published: July 2020

Chemokines are a family of small molecular-weight proteins, being well-known with their important roles in the process of allergic response, immune regulation, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Almost two decades ago, a novel member of this family, chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1) was identified. In recent years, it draws much attention of researchers because of its key roles in many types of tissues and its potential implications in a large number of diseases. Up to now, CKLF1 has been shown to have two main functions: broad-spectrum chemotactic activity, and proliferation- and differentiation-promoting abilities. In this review, we would introduce the basic structural features of CKLF1 and its biological functions, and then elaborate the relationships between CKLF1 and human diseases. The cell signaling pathways CKLF1 may be involved in would be discussed and summarized in details. Furthermore, we present the trials of CKLF1-targeted treatments in animal disease models, hoping to provide a few important insights about CKLF1 to both medical researchers and pharmacy, and finally conclude that CKLF1 is a potent, and very promising, therapeutic target.

Impact statement

CKLF1, a recently identified chemokine, has been reported by a number of studies to play important roles in quite many diseases. However, the potential pathways that CKLF1 may be involved are not manifested well yet. In our review, we showed the basic molecular structure and major functions of this novel chemokine, and implication in human diseases, such as tumors. To attract more attention, we summarized its signaling pathways and clearly present them in a set of figures. With the overview of the experimental trial of CKLF1-targeting medicines in animal models, we hope to provide a few important insights about CKLF1 to both medical researchers and pharmacy.
Size and History Combine in Allometry Relation of Technology Systems
Authors: West Bruce J. , West Damien , Kott Alexander
Published: July 2020

Complex systems often exhibit amazingly regular behavior through allometry relations (ARs) between their functional attributes and their size. An empirical allometry relation (EAR) between two properties of a complex system relates the average functionality [Formula: see text] and the average size [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] = a[Formula: see text] where the allometry coefficient a and allometry exponent b are empirical constants fit to data. This EAR is a static relation and is found in every sub-discipline of Natural History. Herein we establish, both empirically and theoretically, that for some classes of evolving technology systems, the empirical allometry coefficient a is not constant, but is strongly dependent on the historical time at which the technology system originated. Specifically, we construct an EAR with a time-dependent coefficient, using the evolution of a broad class of military systems, over the last ten centuries, ranging from a medieval bowman to a modern rifleman, from a horse-drawn cannon to a tank. This time-dependent EAR is derived from fundamental considerations involving complexity, scaling, and renormalization group theory. The theory entails an information as well as complexity generalization of the traditional allometry coefficient that combines system size with the technology knowledge of the new system’s developers (time-dependence). It relates technology ARs to technology evolution relations, such as Moore’s Law, with implications for technology drawn from biological evolution analysis.