bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meaningful moves: A meaning-based view of nurses’ turnover
Authors: Elangovan AR , Kar Anirban , Steinke Claudia
Published: April 2021

Nurses’ turnover is a major global problem with significant service and cost implications. Although sizeable research inquiries have been made into the antecedents, the dynamics, and the consequences of nurses’ turnover, there is still a lack of fine-grained understanding of the psychological states that reflect the cumulative impact of different antecedents and immediately precede nurses’ intentions to quit either from their unit/organization and/or their profession. This paper introduces and develops a meaning-based view of nurses’ turnover. This perspective distinguishes between meaning in work (based on the nurses’ relationship with their work) and meaning at work (based on the nurses’ relationship with their work environment) and explain the implications of high/low meaning in and at work on nurses’ turnover. This meaning-based view of nurses’ turnover offers nurses, administrators and policy makers a deeper and a more nuanced understanding of turnover and promises more tailored remedies for the turnover problem.
Electrochemical trepanning in the presence of insulating particles
Authors: Li Jiabao , Zhu Dong , Jiang Ting
Published: April 2021

Electrochemical trepanning is a highly effective and economic manufacturing technology and often used to process ruled surface parts in the aerospace field. Stray corrosion in electrochemical trepanning causes poor processing localization, large tip taper, and low machining accuracy. This paper presents an innovative approach to the reduction of stray corrosion in electrochemical trepanning in which ceramic particles are used to form an insulating protective layer on the machined surface and thereby inhibit harmful stray currents. The electric field distribution and contour changes during the machining process are simulated using the finite element method in COMSOL software. The results suggest that the presence of the insulating particles can dramatically improve the electric field distribution and reduce stray currents and the taper angle. A series of experiments are performed to verify the simulation results. The experiments show that the particles have a significant effect on the taper angle, reducing it from 4.03° to 2.00° at the same machining speed of 1.0 mm/min. Further experimental results show that the size and quantity of insulating particles both affect surface quality. When the particle diameter is reduced from 2.5 to 1.5 mm, the surface roughness Ra decreases from 1.32 to 1.16 μm. As the particle quantity varies from 250 to 900, a minimum value of Ra = 0.86 μm is obtained for 650 particles.
Collision avoidance method of autonomous vehicle based on improved artificial potential field algorithm
Authors: Feng Song , Qian Yubin , Wang Yan
Published: April 2021

Both emergency braking and active steering are possible choices for collision avoidance manoeuvres, and any obstacle avoidance strategy aims to design a control algorithm preventing accidents. However, the real-time path needs to consider the motion state of surrounding participants on the road. This work presents a collision avoidance algorithm containing the path-planning and the tracking controller. Firstly, the lateral lane-changing spacing model and the longitudinal braking distance model are presented, describing the vehicle to reactively process dynamic scenarios in real environments. Then, we introduce the safety distance into the artificial potential field algorithm (APF), thereby generating a safe path in a simulated traffic scene. Redesigning the influence range of obstacles based on the collision areas and corresponding safety distance compared with the classic APF. Besides, based on the threat level, the repulsion is divided into the force of the position repulsion and the speed repulsion. The former is related to the relative position and prevents the vehicle from approaching the obstacle. The latter is opposite to the relative speed vector and decelerates the ego vehicle. Simultaneously, the attraction is improved to apply a dynamic environment. Finally, we design a model predictive control (MPC) to track the lateral motion through steering angle and a Fuzzy-PID control to track the longitudinal speed, turning the planned path into an actual trajectory with stable vehicle dynamics. To verify the performance of the proposed method, three cases are simulated to obtain the vehicle responding curves. The simulation results prove that the active collision avoidance algorithm can generate a safe path with comfort and stability.
Effects of split ratio of diesel spray injection on mixture formation and combustion process
Authors: Ray Samir Chandra , Kim Jaeheun , Kakami Scinichi , Nishida Keiya , Ogata Yoichi
Published: April 2021

The effects of the split ratio on the mixture formation and combustion process of a diesel spray in a constant-volume chamber were experimentally investigated. A commercial seven-hole injector was used in this experiment. The effects of the mass-dependent split ratio and dwell time were observed when the total fuel injection was 5.0 mg/hole. Three split ratios were considered: 3:7, 5:5 and 7:3, while the dwell time of 120 µs was fixed for every condition. A laser absorption-scattering technique was adopted to examine the formation of mixtures with regarding to the equivalence ratio. A high-speed video camera was used to observe natural flame luminosity, and a two-colour pyrometer system was employed to evaluate the temperature and soot concentrations in the flame. Among the distribution ratios tested in this study, the 7:3 split ratio exhibited the best performance for the lean mixture formation considering the overall equivalence ratio distribution. The air entrainment wave at the end of injection timing of the first injection caused the fuel near the nozzle to lean at a rapid rate. The soot formation process for the 3:7 and 5:5 split ratios was observed because the second injection fuel caught the flame of the previous injections; this deteriorated the combustion region and influenced soot formation. The result also revealed that for the 7:3 split ratio, accelerated the soot deduction rate to the cycle of soot oxidation during the combustion period.
Towards the exact solutions of Burger’s fluid flow through arteries with fractional time derivative magnetic field and thermal radiation effects
Authors: Yakubu Dauda G , Abdulhameed Mohammed , Tahiru Adamu G , Roslan Rozaini , Issakhov Alibek , Rahimi-Gorji Mohammad , Bakouri Mohsen
Published: April 2021

We consider the unsteady flow of Burger fluid within a circular cylindrical tube, driven by a time-dependent pressure gradient, a body acceleration and a magnetic field acting normal to the flow direction. The solutions of the fractional constitutive equations governing the unsteady Burger’s fluid flow through arterial walls were obtained via the Laplace transform and the finite Hankel transform. The effects of magnetic field on parameters such as blood temperature and velocity were studied by Caputo time-fractional derivatives. We note that the solutions of many particular models such as fractional Oldroyd-B fluid, fractional Maxwell fluid, fractional second grade fluid and fractional Newtonian fluid models can be recovered from the solutions of the fractional constitutive equations governing the unsteady Burger’s fluid flow by particularizing the material coefficients (i.e. special and limiting cases of the earlier Burger’s fluid model). The numerical computations have been carried out to analyze the effects of fractional parameter α, similarity parameter β, relaxation time λ1, retardation time λ3, radius of the circular cylinder R0 and material parameter λ2 on the blood velocity and temperature. Some interesting flow and temperature characteristics are presented graphically and discussed. The study reveals that blood velocity, temperature and fractional parameters are reduced in the presence of magnetic field. The importance of this study can be found in the application fields of magnetic field control of biotechnological processes, bio magnetic device technology, biomedical engineering, medicine, etc.
A combined experimental and computational study of mechanical properties after balloon kyphoplasty
Authors: Purcell Philip , McEvoy Fiona , Tiernan Stephen , Sweeney Derek , Morris Seamus
Published: April 2021

Vertebral compression fractures rank among the most frequent injuries to the musculoskeletal system, with more than 1 million fractures per annum worldwide. The past decade has seen a considerable increase in the utilisation of surgical procedures such as balloon kyphoplasty to treat these injuries. While many kyphoplasty studies have examined the risk of damage to adjacent vertebra after treatment, recent case reports have also emerged to indicate the potential for the treated vertebra itself to re-collapse after surgery. The following study presents a combined experimental and computational study of balloon kyphoplasty which aims to establish a methodology capable of evaluating these cases of vertebral re-collapse. Results from both the experimental tests and computational models showed significant increases in strength and stiffness after treatment, by factors ranging from 1.44 to 1.93, respectively. Fatigue tests on treated specimens showed a 37% drop in the rate of stiffness loss compared to the untreated baseline case. Further analysis of the computational models concluded that inhibited PMMA interdigitation at the interface during kyphoplasty could reverse improvements in strength and stiffness that could otherwise be gained by the treatment.
Super-twisting disturbance observer–based fuzzy adaptive finite-time control for a class of space unmanned systems with time-varying output constraints
Authors: Zhang Yao , Ning Xin , Wang Zheng , Wang Kexuan , Wei Caisheng
Published: April 2021

In practical flight process, the time-varying disturbances are often encountered by the space unmanned systems, and the attitude outputs of the space unmanned systems are required to stay in the predefined intervals. Moreover, the convergence process of the space unmanned systems has to be achieved in finite time, to complete the given tasks. However, most of the existing results are difficult to be applied to give consideration to the finite-time-convergence, the constrained outputs and the suppression for the time-varying disturbances simultaneously. To address this problem, in this article, we propose a novel fuzzy adaptive finite-time anti-disturbance control scheme for the space unmanned systems. The super-twisting disturbance observer, which possess the robust and finite-time disturbance estimation ability, has been utilized to suppress the time-varying disturbances. The nonlinear signal transformation technique has been introduced, transforming the constrained outputs into a novel unconstrained auxiliary variable, and the output constrained control issue becomes an equivalent bounded control problem. To achieve the finite-time convenience of the closed-loop space unmanned system, the fractional control laws have been designed, and an important lemma has been utilized to design the update laws of the adaptive parameters. Moreover, the fuzzy logic systems have been used to improve the robustness respect to the uncertainties. The contrastive simulation results have been provided, the finite-time control ability of the proposed method and the satisfactory estimation performance of the super-twisting disturbance observer can be observed.
Older migrants’ experience of existential loneliness
Authors: Olofsson Jonas , Rämgård Margareta , Sjögren-Forss Katarina , Bramhagen Ann-Cathrine
Published: April 2021

Background:

With rapidly ageing population worldwide, loneliness among older adults is becoming a global issue. Older migrants are considered being a vulnerable population and ethical issues are often raised in care for elderly. A deeper sense of loneliness, existential loneliness is one aspect of loneliness also described as the ultimate loneliness. Making oneself understood or expressing emotions, have shown to be particularly challenging for older migrants which could lead to experience of existential loneliness. Ageing and being a migrant are potential triggers for experiencing existential loneliness. There appears to be, however, little known about being a migrant experiencing existential loneliness in old age.

Aim:

This study explored older migrants’ experience of existential loneliness.

Research design:

Qualitative study.

Participants and research context:

Data were collected through interviews (n = 15) with older (>65) migrants’ in Swedish nursing homes or senior citizen centres. A thematic analysis was performed to analyse the data.

Ethical considerations:

The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of research ethics.

Findings:

The result was described in terms of three themes: (1) Choices made in life, (2) seeking reconciliation with life and (3) thoughts about death and dying in a foreign country.

Discussion:

Ethical reflection and knowledge about how older migrants’ life story can lead to experiencing existential loneliness, could be of use in care for older migrants’.

Conclusion:

This study indicates that the experience of existential loneliness derived from being a migrant is a long-term and significant process. Migration was a hope of creating a meaningful life, the experience of existential loneliness occurred as migrants sought reconciliation with life, reflected upon their past choices, and thought about death and dying in a foreign country.
Impact of Collective Intelligence and Collective Emotional Intelligence on the Psychological Safety of the Organizations
Authors: Shankar Shardul , Tewari Vijayshri
Published: April 2021

This article critically analyses concepts and models in support of collective intelligence (CI) and collective emotional intelligence (CEI) and their potential impacts on the organizations’ teams. CI and CEI have claimed to have an effect on the substantial range of activities, including employee initiation, participation, performance, loyalty and decision-making. Review of literature confirms that people with high degrees of cognitive and emotional intelligence display a multitude of abilities. Dynamic personal relationships, successful teams, analytical expertise and higher mental health are present in people with high intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ). Thus, this research tries to examine the combination of factors that affect the psychological safety by trying to create hypotheses between its antecedents and team psychological safety and then tries to create the analytical relationship among them.
Mobility—A Bridge to Sense of Coherence in Everyday Life: Older Patients’ Experiences of Participation in an Exercise Program During the First 3 Weeks After Hip Fracture Surgery
Authors: Vestøl Irene , Debesay Jonas , Bergland Astrid
Published: April 2021

Our aim with this article was to explore the experiences of older people who participated in the evidence-based High-Intensity Functional Exercise (HIFE) Program during the first 3 weeks of rehabilitation after hip fracture surgery. Nineteen older people participated in the study. Data were analyzed using systematic text condensation. One overarching theme “Exercise is the key for regaining mobility and a sense of coherence (SOC) in everyday life” emerged from the analysis in addition to these five themes: (a) understanding the existential importance of mobility; (b) maintaining a positive self-image by regaining mobility; (c) regaining one’s old life and independence in everyday living; (d) maintaining interpersonal relationships through mobility; and (e) creating positive emotions by being able to move. The findings highlight the importance of exercise as a strategy for regaining mobility, illustrated by the essential role it played in the participants’ lives after suffering a hip fracture.
Quality of Life for Older Cancer Patients: Relation of Psychospiritual Distress to Meaning-Making During Dignity Therapy
Authors: Bluck Susan , Mroz Emily L. , Wilkie Diana J. , Emanuel Linda , Handzo George , Fitchett George , Chochinov Harvey Max , Bylund Carma L.
Published: April 2021

Background:

Nearly 500,000 older Americans die a cancer-related death annually. Best practices for seriously ill patients include palliative care that aids in promoting personal dignity. Dignity Therapy is an internationally recognized therapeutic intervention designed to enhance dignity for the seriously ill. Theoretically, Dignity Therapy provides opportunity for patients to make meaning by contextualizing their illness within their larger life story. The extent to which Dignity Therapy actually elicits meaning-making from patients, however, has not been tested.

Aim:

The current study examines (i) extent of patient meaning-making during Dignity Therapy, and (ii) whether baseline psychospiritual distress relates to subsequent meaning-making during Dignity Therapy.

Design:

Participants completed baseline self-report measures of psychospiritual distress (i.e., dignity-related distress, spiritual distress, quality of life), before participating in Dignity Therapy. Narrative analysis identified the extent of meaning-making during Dignity Therapy sessions.

Participants:

Twenty-five outpatients ( M age = 63, SD = 5.72) with late-stage cancer and moderate cancer-related symptoms were recruited.

Results:

Narrative analysis revealed all patients made meaning during Dignity Therapy but there was wide variation (i.e., 1—12 occurrences). Patients who made greater meaning were those who, at baseline, reported significantly higher psychospiritual distress, including greater dignity-related distress ( r = .46), greater spiritual distress ( r = .44), and lower quality of life ( r = -.56).

Conclusion:

Meaning-making was found to be a central component of Dignity Therapy. Particularly, patients experiencing greater distress in facing their illness use the Dignity Therapy session to express how they have made meaning in their lives.
Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among School Children in Abha-Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alshloul Mohammad N.
Published: April 2021

Oral health is a very critical component of individuals’ physical and psychological well-being. The present study aimed to investigate the dental health knowledge, attitude, and practice among schoolchildren in Abha. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted. Each student completed a questionnaire regarding oral health. The participants were 800 students: 54.8% were male and 45.2% were female. Knowledge scores showed that -59.1% of the participants have fair knowledge. Statistically significant results were found between the age, school type, and students’ educational level with the knowledge of oral health care ( p < .05). More than half of the participants had positive attitudes (57.2%) and less than half demonstrated satisfactory oral health habits (45.3%). Students’ educational level was significantly associated with attitudes and practices ( p < .05). It can be concluded that the average knowledge, attitude, and practice level was 53.9%, which is not a positive indicator and needs to be strengthened.
Effect of PARP Inhibitors as Maintenance Treatment on Restricted Mean Survival Time in Platinum-Sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Kaneko Masayuki
Published: April 2021

Background

Earlier trials on the efficacy of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer used the hazard ratio (HR) as an efficacy parameter.

Objective

The present meta-analysis was focused on improving the robustness and clinical interpretability of the efficacy evaluation of PARP inhibitors using the restricted mean survival time (RMST).

Methods

A search for relevant studies published up to July 31, 2020, was performed in electronic databases to identify eligible trials comparing PARP inhibitors with placebo. The difference in RMST was used as a PARP inhibitor efficacy parameter. Combined differences in RMST with 95% CIs across studies were calculated using a random-effects model.

Results

Four trials (6 articles) were assessed, including 1079 patients treated with PARP inhibitors and 598 with placebo. The combined RMST differences for up to 360 days (PARP inhibitors minus placebo: point estimate and 95% CI) among all patients and the patients of subgroups with BRCA mutations, homologous recombination-deficient (HRD) carcinoma, and BRCA wild-type carcinoma were 87 days (95% CI = 71, 102), 112 days (95% CI = 96, 129), 99 days (95% CI = 80, 119), and 69 days (95% CI = 47, 92), respectively. The combined RMST differences for up to 660 and 720 days were also larger among patients with BRCA mutations than among those with HRD carcinoma.

Conclusion and Relevance

Based on using the RMST difference as an alternative measure to the HR, this meta-analysis suggests that PARP inhibitors are the most effective for patients with BRCA mutations, followed by patients with HRD carcinoma.
The Fear of Being Laughed at, Social Anxiety, and Paranoid Ideation: A Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Multitrait–Multimethod Data
Authors: Torres-Marín Jorge , Carretero-Dios Hugo , Eid Michael
Published: April 2021

The GELOPH-15 is a self-report measure that assesses individual differences in the fear of being laughed at (i.e., gelotophobia), a relatively understudied but important trait that is closely related to social anxiety. Using a multitrait–multimethod (MTMM) approach, the convergent and discriminant validity of the GELOPH-15 scale was examined based on 217 self- and 651 peer ratings (of three close acquaintances per target) of the traits gelotophobia, social anxiety, and paranoid ideation. Participants completed the Spanish versions of the GELOPH-15, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and the Paranoia Scale. Applying MTMM models of multilevel confirmatory factor analyses (ML-CFA-MTMM) revealed relatively high associations between the self- and peer ratings, supporting the convergent validity of the GELOPH-15. Discriminant validity analyses confirmed the expected relationship patterns of gelotophobia with social anxiety and paranoid ideation (i.e., strong, but not perfect associations). The results showed that the ML-CFA-MTMM models might be a useful tool for analyzing the convergent and discriminant validity based on self- and peer ratings.
The Early Diagnostic Value of Serum Interleukin-8 in Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Zheng , Xu Haijie , Yu Jiaming , Liu Cantong , Zheng Chunwen , Zeng Ruijie , Xu Liyan , Li Enmin , Peng Yuhui , Xu Yiwei
Published: April 2021

Background:

Esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EJA) is one of the most common malignant tumors of digestive tract with high mortality worldwide. Given a lack of early diagnosis biomarkers, the prognosis of EJA is poor. Non-invasive biomarkers for early-stage EJA are urgently required.

Objective:

We aimed at evaluating the early diagnostic value of serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) level in EJA patients.

Methods:

The IL-8 mRNA expression data were analyzed based on the stomach cardia adenocarcinoma samples of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the concentration of serum IL-8 in 95 EJA patients and 95 normal controls enrolled from 2 different cancer hospitals. The diagnostic accuracy of serum IL-8 was evaluated by applying Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results:

The mRNA expression levels and serum levels of IL-8 in EJA group were significantly higher than those in the normal group (all P < 0.001). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.661 (95% CI, 0.583-0.740) and 0.745 (95% CI, 0.606-0.885), with the sensitivities of 43.2% (95% CI, 33.2%-53.7%) and 66.7% (95% CI, 46.0%-82.8%) and the specificities of 87.4% (95% CI, 78.6%-93.1%) in EJA group and early-EJA group, respectively, when the optimal cutoff value was 109.086 pg/mL. The clinical data analysis showed there were significant correlations between patient genders, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and the serum level of IL-8 (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Serum IL-8 represents a potential diagnostic biomarker to identify early-stage EJA.
American Scientists’ Willingness to Use Different Communication Tactics
Authors: Besley John C. , Newman Todd P. , Dudo Anthony , Tiffany Leigh Anne
Published: April 2021

The careful choice of tactics—such as specific messages, styles, channels, or sources—is how strategic science communicators ensure that the time and money going into communication results in intended changes to chosen audiences’ beliefs, feelings, and frames, as well as associated behaviors. Using a sample of scientists from American research universities ( N = 516), we assess scientists’ willingness to use 11 different communication tactics and the relationship between these tactics and potential predictors. We find that scientists are open to a range of communication tactics. Practical and theoretical implications for science communication are discussed.
Could Low Doses Acetylsalicylic Acid Prevent Thrombotic Complications in COVID-19 Patients?
Authors: Cacciapuoti Federico , Cacciapuoti Fulvio
Published: April 2021

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can induce inflammatory and thrombotic complications of pulmonary district (interstitial pneumonia), sometimes evolving toward acute respiratory failure. In adults, Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) is widely employed at low doses for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Apart their anti-thrombotic effect, low ASA doses also exert an anti-inflammatory action. So, when these are assumed for CVD prevention, could prevent both inflammatory reaction and pro-coagulant tendency of Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) infection. In addition, some patients receiving ASA are simultaneously treated with Statins, to correct dyslipidemia. But, for their pleiotropic effects, Statins can also be useful to antagonize pulmonary thrombo-inflammation induced by COVID-19. Thus ASA, with or without Statins, employed for CVD prevention, could be useful to avoid or minimize inflammatory reaction and thrombotic complications of COVID-19. But, further studies performed in a wide range are requested to validate this hypothesis.
Modeling friction effects in lubricated roller guideways using a modified LuGre model
Authors: Soleimanian Parivash , Ahmadian Hamid
Published: April 2021

Guideways accommodate tool or workpiece translations, and their dynamic behavior and associated sliding effects have great impact on the precision, stability, and performance of the machine tool. During machining, guideway rollers experience oscillatory excitations because of cutting forces, which necessitate considering their pre-sliding behavior along with the sliding characteristics to compensate for the associated tracking errors using the position control system. This study considers friction effects in pre-sliding and sliding regimes of lubricated linear roller guideway systems to provide an accurate dynamic model of the machine tool element. To model the dynamic characteristics of frictional contact in the lubricated linear roller guideway, the LuGre model, commonly used in the machine tool positioning control system to estimate the compensating drive force, is modified considering the roller-raceway contact physics and the lubricant film dynamics. The proposed model also includes coupling effects between normal and tangential forces in the contact interface. Experimental studies were performed on a lubricated linear roller guideway to verify the performance of the presented modified LuGre model. In the experimental observations, the dynamic behavior of friction in the lubricated linear guideway is well illustrated. A comparison of the experimentally measured data and proposed modified LuGre model predictions shows the model can accurately predict dynamic behaviors of the frictional contact interface.
Gender Differences in the Interrelations Among Social Support, Stressful Life Events, and Smoking Cessation in People With Severe Mental Illnesses
Authors: Alghzawi Hamzah M. , Storr Carla L.
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND:

Social support and stressful life events (SLEs) have been found to be influential factors for smoking cessation in the general population, but little is known about these factors among smokers with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) and whether their associations with smoking cessation differ by gender.

AIMS:

To examine the association between social support and smoking cessation as mediated by SLEs in people with SMI and to examine whether the interrelations among social support, SLEs, and smoking cessation differ by gender.

METHODS:

A population sample of 4,610 American lifetime adult smokers with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder were identified in a limited public use data set of the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Four mediation and moderated mediation models were used to examine gender differences in the interrelations among social support (total and three subscales of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List–12), SLEs (summative score of positive responses to 16 types experienced in past year and related to health, job, death, or legal situations), and smoking status in prior year.

RESULTS:

Total, appraisal, and tangible support among females exerted indirect effects on smoking cessation via decreasing SLE scores. Among males, only belonging support exerted an indirect effect on smoking cessation via an increased SLE score.

CONCLUSIONS:

Findings suggest that interventions focusing on improving social support should be a priority for those working with smokers with SMI.
Shelf life enhancement of guava (Psidium guajava cv. Baruipur) stored under pilot scale modified atmosphere storage system
Authors: Mangaraj S , Thakur Rajeev Ranjan , Mathangi Raja Sekhar , Yadav Ajay , Swain Sachidananda
Published: April 2021

Modified atmosphere storage (MAS) structure of 100 kg capacity has been developed for prolonging the shelf life of fresh guava. The influence of MAS on guava was investigated at 10 and 25 °C of storage temperature with unpacked guava as control. During storage study, the quality parameters of MAS stored guava, namely physiological weight loss (PWL), firmness, color (L*, a*, b*) and total soluble solids (TSS) were found to be 5.49%, 143.78 N, 76.20, 5.58, 50.81 and 12.3 ˚brix respectively, after 9 days of storage at 25 °C and were very close to that of fresh guava. The quality analysis revealed that at 10 and 25 °C, guava can be stored up to 20 and 9 days respectively under MAS as compared to control sample having 7 and 4 days at 10 and 25 °C, respectively. Therefore, the developed MAS system can be widely used for handling, transportation and retailing of guava.

Practical application

The developed modified atmosphere storage (MAS) system has increased the shelf life of Guava up to 20 and 9 days at 10 °C and 25 °C, respectively. This extended period will be very much effective for providing the buffer period to the fresh Guava and facilitate extra time to the farmers for its marketing. The uniquely developed MAS system is helpful for the farmers for on-farm storage of fresh Guava at a large scale and will provide smooth handling and transportation for retailing and marketing.
Attention Drifting In and Out: The Boredom Feedback Model
Authors: Tam Katy Y. Y. , van Tilburg Wijnand A. P. , Chan Christian S. , Igou Eric R. , Lau Hakwan
Published: April 2021

We synthesize established and emerging research to propose a feedback process model that explicates key antecedents, experiences, and consequences of the emotion boredom. The proposed Boredom Feedback Model posits that the dynamic process of boredom resembles a feedback loop that centers on attention shifts instigated by inadequate attentional engagement. Inadequate attentional engagement is a discrepancy between desired and actual levels of attentional engagement and is a product of external and internal influences, reflected in objective resources and cognitive appraisals. The model sheds light on several essential yet unresolved puzzles in the literature, including how people learn to cope with boredom, how to understand the relation between self-control and boredom, how the roles of attention and meaning in boredom can be integrated, why boredom is associated with both high- and low-arousal negative emotions, and what contributes to chronic boredom. The model offers testable hypotheses for future research.
Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous access in chronic kidney disease patients
Authors: Icken Lauren , Sharma Ellora V , Schrock Jon W , Lally Anne P , Tate Samuel J , Tabbut Matthew P , Jones Robert A
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous (USPIV) catheters are being placed in emergency department (ED) patients with increasing frequency. USPIV catheters have been shown to improve the success rates of cannulation. It is unknown what the long-term effect of USPIV placement will be on fistula creation in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients considering these ultrasound-guided peripheral lines often target the same deeper vessels used for fistulas. This study aimed to survey whether emergency medicine programs place restrictions on USPIV placement in patients with CKD stages 3–5.

Methods:

This was a survey study encompassing all 110 emergency ultrasound fellowship directors in the United States at the time the survey was conducted. Data was collected on an anonymous and voluntary basis. The primary outcome was the number of programs with restrictions on USPIV placement in patients with CKD stage 3 or greater.

Results:

Of the 56 programs that responded, 21% reported having policies limiting which patients were appropriate for USPIV. Despite this, only one program reported placing restrictions on USPIV in CKD stage 3 or greater ( p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

Emergency departments do not have or follow restrictions placed on USPIV placement in patients with CKD stage 3 or greater. The use of these veins in the ED may result in thrombosis as well as inflammation and permanent scarring which could negatively impact the ability to utilize those vessels for fistula creation. Future studies are needed to further characterize the impact of USPIV on fistula creation.
Coding for quality? Accountability work in standardised cancer patient pathways (CPPs)
Authors: Håland Erna , Melby Line
Published: April 2021

A vital part of standardised care pathways is the possibility to measure performance through different indicators – for example, codes. In this article, based on interviews with health personnel in a project evaluating the introduction of standardised cancer patient pathways (CPPs) in Norway, we explore the specific types of work involved when health personnel produce codes as (intended) signifiers of quality. All the types of work are dimensions of what we define as accountability work – work health personnel do to make the codes signifiers of quality of care in the CPP.

Codes and coding practices raise questions of what quality of care represents and how it could and should be measured. Informants in our study advocate for coding as important work for the patient more than for ‘the system’. This shows how organising for quality becomes a crucial part of professional work, expanding what it means to perform high quality care.
A medication adherence–enhancing simulation intervention in pediatric cystic fibrosis
Authors: Van Schandevyl Guy , Casimir Georges , Hanssens Laurence
Published: April 2021

Adherence to chronic pulmonary drugs in cystic fibrosis (CF) is suboptimal. We studied the feasibility and effectiveness of a multistep medication adherence–enhancing simulation intervention for pediatric CF, which was embedded in motivational interviewing and education. Product simulation experiments were performed by the children themselves, and they addressed adherence to mucolytics/hydrators and antibiotics. Dornase alfa–treated patients aged 7–13 years were included. We invited each patient and their parents to attend an interview. PowerPoint slides were presented and discussed. The final slide invited the patient to perform the simulation experiments, and, in so doing, they experienced what happens when they either do or do not take their medication. An educational film was applied as a summary tool. A patient-centered empathic counseling style was used. Two months later, the child and their parents each completed a different anonymous questionnaire. Overall, 21 patients were included. Parents rated the means of communication and improvement in their child’s motivation as very satisfactory. Children highly appreciated the experiments they performed. They often answered two questions on dornase alfa correctly and associated knowledge with adherence. Our results suggest that experiential simulation-based learning is extremely appropriate, and that this multistep intervention is feasible and effective in pediatric CF.
Development and verification of hydroelastic model experiment for the flow-induced vibration analysis of roller compacted concrete dam
Authors: Li Yijia , Hu Jianchao , Ma Bin , Liang Chao
Published: April 2021

To carry out the experimental study of flow-induced vibration for roller compacted concrete dam (RCCD), the improved hydroelastic model experiment (HEME) technology that satisfying both the hydraulic and structural dynamic similarities is presented, and an improved combinatorial method is proposed to effectively and accurately calculate the dynamic characteristics of RCCD model under natural excitation and complex environment. Due to the insufficient study on the simulation technique for the interfaces between adjacent concrete layers in RCCD, the conventional HEME technology which is frequently applied is not applicable to the RCCD dynamic analysis. Therefore, the hydroelastic simulation schemes for cold joints and ordinary interfaces in RCCD are firstly presented based on experimental and theoretical researches and numerical verification. Then, the integral RCCD model is established and its dynamic displacements under flood discharge excitation are tested. Furthermore, the proposed method that combines the advantages of natural excitation technique (NExT), singular entropy (SE) method, and eigensystem realization algorithm with data correlation (ERA/DC) method is applied to calculate the dynamic characteristics of RCCD model. The dynamic characteristics of the RCCD model calculated by the proposed theoretical method are very similar to those of the actual RCCD calculated by numerical simulation, which indicate the effectiveness and accuracy for the improved HEME technology and combinatorial method.
Evidence-based policing in Australia: an examination of the appropriateness and transparency of lineup identification and investigative interviewing practices
Authors: Cullen Hayley J. , Adam Lisanne , van Golde Celine
Published: April 2021

Psychological research has been pivotal in influencing the way police forces globally approach and undertake criminal investigations. Increasing psychological research in recent years has led to the development of best-practice guidelines for conducting police investigations, across a number of key areas of criminal investigation. For example, procedures for creating and conducting lineups as recommended by the American Psychology-Law Society, and the UK-developed PEACE model for investigative interviewing, have both been of influence in Australia. However, the extent to which these evidence-based recommendations have been incorporated into policing practice within Australia is unclear. In this article, we conducted an exploratory review of publicly available policing documents within Australian states and territories, to determine the extent to which best practice lineup identification and investigative interviewing procedures have been adopted into police practice. The review revealed that for lineup identification procedures, many of the basic recommendations for conducting lineups were not incorporated into publicly available policing manuals. For investigative interviewing, it appeared on the surface that elements of the PEACE model were implemented within most Australian jurisdictions, albeit this was often not explicitly stated within policing documents. A key issue identified was a lack of (understandable) public transparency of policing procedure, as a number of Australian jurisdictions failed to have publicly available policing manuals or handbooks against which to evaluate their procedures. Therefore, we argue that there is a need for better collaboration between researchers and law enforcement in order to achieve evidence-based, transparent policing within Australia.
Potential of reactivity-controlled compression ignition with reverse reactivity stratification (R-RCCI) fueled with gasoline and polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn)
Authors: Duan Huiquan , Jia Ming , Bai Jinpeng , Li Yaopeng
Published: April 2021

To improve the trade-off between thermal efficiency and peak heat release rate (HRR) of partially premixed combustion (PPC) and the combustion efficiency of reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI), the combustion mode with premixed high-reactivity fuel and direct-injection (DI) low-reactivity fuel, called RCCI with reverse reactivity stratification (R-RCCI), was explored at low loads in a light-duty diesel engine in this study. Compared with diesel, polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn) has better volatility, which is beneficial for the formation of premixed charge, so it was used as the premixed high-reactivity fuel for R-RCCI in this work. The gasoline and P20G80 (PODEn/gasoline blends with the volume fraction of 20%/80%) were respectively applied as the DI low-reactivity fuel. By investigating the combustion characteristics of R-RCCI, it is found that R-RCCI can break the trade-off between combustion efficiency and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. This is because the combustion efficiency of R-RCCI is dominated by the spray location of the DI fuel rather than the 50% burn point (CA50). As the start of injection (SOI) timing is retarded, the fuel injected within the piston bowl increases, and combustion efficiency, as well as indicated thermal efficiency (ITE), is considerably promoted. Meanwhile, CA50 progressively retards with delayed SOI timing, which effectively reduces NOx emissions. The soot emissions of R-RCCI are also extremely low. The maximum ITE of PODEn/P20G80 R-RCCI is significantly higher than that of PODEn/gasoline R-RCCI. This occurs because the higher reactivity of P20G80 can reduce the sensitivity of CA50 to SOI timing and improve combustion stability, so a more delayed SOI timing is allowed to improve ITE. With the same engine configurations, R-RCCI can reduce peak pressure rise rate and improve combustion stability, while enhancing combustion efficiency and ITE compared with RCCI at the low-load conditions tested in this study.
Telling visual stories of loss and hope: body mapping with mothers about contact after child removal
Authors: Collings Susan , Wright Amy Conley , Spencer Margaret
Published: April 2021

Visual research methods reduce reliance on verbal communication and offer an avenue for non-verbal storytelling. Body mapping is a visual arts-based research method with its origins in art therapy and community development. It has been successfully used to explore embodied experiences of marginalised social groups. Participants engage in sensory and multimodal storytelling by tracing a life-size body outline and adorning it with fabrics, drawings and images to symbolise their views during a guided interview. This approach was used in research to explore birth family contact experiences in New South Wales, where children have ongoing direct contact with birth relatives in long-term care, guardianship and open adoption. Twelve mothers of children in permanent care took part in body mapping to explore their feelings about contact and the support they need to nurture a relationship with their children. Immersion in the artistic process of bringing a representational body to life granted these mothers access to hidden memories about their experience of child removal. They used evocative images to depict system violence and their fight against the erasure of their mother identity as well to envision a positive future relationship with their children. Body mapping potently revealed that traumatic loss resides in the body and resurfaces in encounters with child welfare systems. This has important policy and practice implications, highlighting a need for post-removal therapeutic services to process trauma and sensitive casework to rebuild parent trust and to help carers respond with empathy to their child’s mother at contact. This lends support to the usefulness of body mapping not only for research with vulnerable parents, but to its enormous potential as a creative engagement tool for child welfare practitioners.
Perceptions and experiences of dementia and its care in rural Kenya
Authors: Musyimi Christine W , Ndetei David M , Evans-Lacko Sara , Oliveira Déborah , Mutunga Elizabeth , Farina Nicolas
Published: April 2021

Objectives

We aimed to explore the perceptions towards dementia and related care across three stakeholder groups in rural Kenya.

Methods

A total of 38 key stakeholders (carers of persons with dementia, health care providers and the general public) participated in focus group discussions. Additional five individual interviews were held with carers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Findings

Across the three participant groups, a total of four themes were identified: (i) negative stereotypes of dementia, (ii) limited knowledge about dementia, (iii) diagnostic pathway and (iv) neglect and abuse.

Conclusions

We found a general lack of knowledge of dementia amongst family carers, healthcare professionals and the general public. The combination of poor awareness and ill-equipped healthcare systems leads to stigma manifested in the form of patchy diagnostic pathways, neglect and abuse. Local governments could take advantage of the existing family- and community-based systems to improve understanding of dementia nationally.
Shooting method for linear inviscid bi-global stability analysis of non-axisymmetric jets
Authors: Sohoni Nikhil , Sinha Aniruddha
Published: April 2021

The shooting method is commonly used to solve the linear parallel-flow stability problem for axisymmetric jets, i.e., a flow having one inhomogeneous direction. The present extension to two inhomogeneous directions – i.e., a bi-global stability problem – is motivated by inviscid non-axisymmetric jets. The azimuthal direction is Fourier transformed to obtain a set of coupled one-dimensional shooting problems that are solved by two-way integration from both radial boundaries – centreline and far field. The overall problem is formulated as one of iterative root-finding to match the solutions from the two integrations. The approach is validated against results from the well-established matrix method that discretizes the domain to obtain a matrix eigenvalue problem. We demonstrate very good agreement in two jet problems – an offset dual-stream jet, and a jet exiting from a nozzle with chevrons. A disadvantage of the shooting method is its sensitivity to the initial guess of the solution; however, this becomes an advantage when the need arises to track an eigensolution in a sweep over a problem parameter – say with increasing offset in the dual-stream jet, or with downstream distance from the nozzle exit. We demonstrate the performance of the shooting method in such tracking tasks.