bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Book review: Brahma Prakash. 2019. Cultural Labour: Conceptualizing the ‘Folk Performance’ in India
Authors: Bose Chandan
Published: June 2021

Brahma Prakash. 2019. Cultural Labour: Conceptualizing the ‘Folk Performance’ in India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. xvi + 332 pp. Bibliography, index. Rs 1195 (hardback).
Professional identities and servile realities: Aspirational labour in Delhi malls
Authors: Bardalai Keya
Published: June 2021

The article explores how retail workers envision and pursue aspirations for social mobility through employment in Delhi malls. Based on 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork and participant observation, this study examines how retail store employees cultivate professional occupational identities as a way of distancing themselves from informal and manual workers and claim a new class identity. The article also shows how workers come to view the job as dhoka (deceit), once they experience humiliation and disrespect at the hands of customers and managers and realise that such employment does not allow them to transcend their social class positions. However, they continue to stay on in these demeaning jobs because they believe that employment in the new service economy is their best option. By exploring retail workers’ narratives of majboori (constraint or compulsion) in this context, the article unpacks their contradictory experiences of work in the service sector and sheds light on youth aspirations and mobility strategies in post-liberalised India.
I: COVID-19 pandemic and the politics of risk: Perspectives on science, state and society in India
Authors: Sujatha V.
Published: June 2021

Health behaviour of the people is said to be shaped by market forces, scientific or religious institutions or the state. It is pertinent to examine the dominant institutions that shape health cultures in any society, at any given point in time. While public health has not been a priority for the Indian state, the COVID-19 pandemic created an unmistakable opportunity for state regulation. It is the argument of this article that the state has been central to the framing of the COVID-19 pandemic and the identification of relevant interventions, such that the borderline between the political and medical is blurred. The influence of these institutional decisions on the health behaviour of the people indicates that compliant health behaviour is a symbolic resource for the state in societies like India, irrespective of whether the government actually delivers on its health care delivery.
Gender, Geography, and Justice: Behavioral Health Needs and Mental Health Service Use Among Women in Rural Jails
Authors: Comartin Erin B. , Burgess-Proctor Amanda , Harrison Jennifer , Kubiak Sheryl
Published: June 2021

This multi-jail study examines the behavioral health needs and service use in a sample of 3,787 individuals in jail, to compare women in rural jails to their gender and geography counterparts (that is rural men, urban women, and urban men). Compared to urban women (17.9%, n = 677), rural men (18.2%, n = 690), and urban men (56.1%; n = 2,132), rural women (7.6%, n = 288) had significantly higher odds of serious mental illness and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Rural woman were nearly 30 times more likely to receive jail-based mental health services; however, a discrepancy between screened mental health need (43.1%, n = 124) and jail-identified mental health need (8.4%, n = 24) shows rural women are severely under-identified compared to their gender/geography counterparts. These findings have implications for the changing nature of jail populations and suggests the need to improve behavioral health identification methods.
‘I feel like I’m in poverty. I don’t do much outside of work other than survive’: In-work poverty and multiple employment in the UK
Authors: McBride Jo , Smith Andrew
Published: June 2021

This article argues for the need to reconsider the changing nature of in-work poverty (IWP). In doing so, the authors present evidence not included in current debates or statistics, of people working in more than one job, yet still experiencing IWP. Using the dynamic theory of poverty and a qualitative approach, the authors identify various structural constraints that sustain cycles of IWP. This highlights the multidimensionalities of poverty, incorporating the temporalities, types and depths of IWP. The evidence demonstrates how poverty is experienced and individualised and also how it is created and sustained through paid work, rather than being challenged by it.
Does Independent Director Experience Improve Individual Auditors’ Audit Quality?
Authors: Guo Yingwen , Li Jingjing , Mo Phyllis Lai Lan
Published: June 2021

This study examines whether individual auditors with experience as independent directors provide better audit performance than those without independent directorship experience. Using the Chinese setting where audit partners’ names are publicly disclosed, we find that audit partners with independent director experience provide higher audit quality for clients that operate in the same industries as the companies where they concurrently hold or have previously held directorships. However, directorship experience at companies in different industries has an insignificant effect on audit quality. These findings suggest that independent director service enables audit partners to gain industry-specific knowledge. This leads to knowledge spillovers on the audits of clients in the same industries. This study contributes to the literature by identifying an alternative channel through which auditors gain industry-specific knowledge which enhances their performance.
A review on h-index and its alternative indices
Authors: Bihari Anand , Tripathi Sudhakar , Deepak Akshay
Published: June 2021

In recent years, several scientometrics and bibliometrics indicators were proposed to evaluate the scientific impact of individuals, institutions, colleges, universities and research teams. The h-index gives a breakthrough in the research community for assessing the scientific impact of an individual. It got a lot of attention due to its simplicity, and several other indicators were proposed to extend the properties of the h-index and to overcome its shortcomings. In this literature review, we have discussed the advantages and limitations of almost all scientometrics and bibliometrics indicators, which have been categorised into seven categories based on their properties: (1) complement of h-index, (2) based on total number of authors, (3) based on publication age, (4) combination of two indices, (5) based on excess citation count, (6) based on total publication count and (7) based on other variants. The primary objective of this article is to study all those indicators which have been proposed to evaluate the scientific impact of an individual researcher or a group of researchers.
Effect of Chinese characters on machine learning for Chinese author name disambiguation: A counterfactual evaluation
Authors: Kim Jinseok , Kim Jenna , Kim Jinmo
Published: June 2021

Chinese author names are known to be more difficult to disambiguate than other ethnic names because they tend to share surnames and forenames, thus creating many homonyms. In this study, we demonstrate how using Chinese characters can affect machine learning for author name disambiguation. For analysis, 15K author names recorded in Chinese are transliterated into English and simplified by initialising their forenames to create counterfactual scenarios, reflecting real-world indexing practices in which Chinese characters are usually unavailable. The results show that Chinese author names that are highly ambiguous in English or with initialised forenames tend to become less confusing if their Chinese characters are included in the processing. Our findings indicate that recording Chinese author names in native script can help researchers and digital libraries enhance authority control of Chinese author names that continue to increase in size in bibliographic data.
Bring yourself back online, Old Bill: Westworld’s media histories, or six degrees of separation from Shakespeare
Authors: O’Neill Stephen
Published: June 2021

This article explores the polysemous intertextuality of Westworld, an example of ‘complex television’, and focuses particularly on its Shakespearean coordinates. In this futuristic show about sentient androids who quote Shakespeare is a deep web of connections to other Shakespeare adaptations in film, digital cultures, and popular music. Through the perspectives of fan studies and media studies, the article argues that what unfolds out of the show’s discourses and those of its fans, who engage with it through digital platforms and technologies, is a micro media history of Shakespeare. In turn, the show advances an understanding of Shakespeare as posthuman.
Precarious life: cinema, ontology and the digital turn in Julie Taymor’s Shakespeare films
Authors: Lehmann Courtney
Published: June 2021

After analysing the debates on the move towards digitalisation in the cinema, this article explores how Julie Taymor’s The Tempest frames digital modalities in negative terms by conflating their power to disembody with the will to de-humanise. Based on the subtle but persistent ways in which Taymor’s Shakespeare films deflect gender precarity onto race, the article argues that The Tempest ultimately encodes Taymor’s own precarity as an industry outsider and female director and becomes an elegy for the analogue production of ‘the human’.
Evaluation of Adrenal Cortical Function in Neonatal and Weanling Laboratory Beagle Dogs
Authors: Petruska Janet M. , Adamo Maria , McCartney Jeffrey , Aboulmali Ahamat , Rosol Thomas J.
Published: June 2021

The most common target organ for toxicity in the endocrine system is the adrenal gland, and its function is dependent upon the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Histopathologic examination of the adrenal glands and pituitary gland is routinely performed in toxicity studies. However, the function of the adrenal gland is not routinely assessed in toxicity studies. Assessment of adrenal cortical function may be necessary to determine whether a histopathologic finding in the adrenal cortex results in a functional effect in the test species. As juvenile toxicity studies are more commonly performed in support of pediatric indications for pharmaceuticals, it is important to establish historical control data for adrenal gland function. In this study, adrenal cortical function was assessed in control neonatal and weanling beagle dogs as part of an ongoing juvenile toxicology program. Measurements of serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol prior to and following administration of exogenous ACTH, and aldosterone were conducted beginning at 2 weeks of age continuing through 26 weeks of age. Serum electrolyte concentrations were determined at 4, 13, and 26 weeks of age. Dogs as young as 2 weeks of age synthesize and secrete adrenal cortical hormones and exhibit a functional hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.
Problem-solving for problem-solving: Data analytics to identify families for service intervention
Authors: Edwards Rosalind , Gillies Val , Gorin Sarah
Published: June 2021

The article draws on Bacchi’s ideas about problematisation (2020) and links to technological solutionism as governing logics of our age, to explore the double-faceted problem-solving logic operating in the UK family policy and early intervention field. Families with certain characteristics are identified as problematic, and local authorities are tasked with intervening to fix that social problem. Local authorities thus need to identify these families for problem-solving intervention, and data analytics companies will solve that problem for them. In the article, we identify discourses of transmitted deprivation and anti-social behaviour in families and the accompanying costly public sector burden as characteristics that produce families as social problems, and discursive themes around delivering powerful knowledge, timeliness and economic efficiently in data analytic companies’ problem solving claims for their data linkage and predictive analytics systems. These discursive rationales undergird the double-faceted problem-solving for problem-solving logic that directs attention away from complex structural causes.
Oguchi's disease: two cases and literature review
Authors: Dai Ying , Sun Tao
Published: June 2021

Oguchi's disease is a rare form of congenital stationary night blindness, associated with light-dependent golden fundus discoloration. In this report, we describe two cases of Oguchi's disease, both of which had two characteristic features: congenital stationary night blindness and fundoscopic manifestation of the Mizuo–Nakamura phenomenon. In both patients, fundus examination revealed a metallic sheen throughout the retina, which disappeared after 2.5 hours of dark adaptation, suggestive of the Mizuo–Nakamura phenomenon. The characteristic electroretinogram (ERG) changes (i.e., un-recordable rod response and reductions of maximal response, oscillatory potentials, and flicker response) in these patients confirmed the clinical diagnosis of Oguchi's disease. Furthermore, we discuss the results of our literature search for evidence concerning the diagnosis and pathogenesis of this rare disease. Further studies regarding the genes involved in phototransduction and light adaptation are needed to determine the pathogenesis of this rare disease.
Is Criminal Expertise a Feature of Unsolved Sexual Assault Involving Theft?
Authors: Reale Kylie S. , Beauregard Eric , Chopin Julien
Published: June 2021

Past studies on criminal expertise showed that some sexual offenders possess skills related to avoiding detection. An important question that remains unaddressed in the literature, however, is whether unsolved cases can be used as a “proxy” for expertise. The present study sought to provide the first empirical examination of criminal expertise in a sample of solved ( n = 732) and unsolved ( n = 309) stranger sexual assault cases involving theft. We used binary logistic regression to determine whether behavioral indicators of criminal expertise predicted case status. Findings showed that the most relevant factors related to case solvability were not related to detection avoidance strategies used by the offender, but rather, whether semen evidence was found at the crime scene and the number of sexual acts performed against the victim. Interestingly, cases involving fetish theft were also more likely to remain unsolved. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
(More) On the Precative Qatal in Lamentations 3.56-61: Updating the Argument
Authors: Stone Mark Preston
Published: June 2021

The rhetorical movement throughout Lamentations 3 is difficult to describe and scholars disagree on how to characterize the acrostic poem. Much hinges on how we interpret the sequence of qatal verbs throughout 3.56-61. Most scholars understand this section as a Danklied, and so translate the qatal forms in the past tense. Another option is to understand the qatal verbs as precatives, expressing a wish or command. However, this is a contested form in the linguistic study of classical Hebrew. Many Lamentations scholars cite this uncertainty in arguments against a precative reading of Lam. 3.56-61. This article builds a fresh case for understanding the precative qatal as rhetorically and linguistically plausible. After working through the rhetorical arguments that support this reading, special attention is given to a recent argument in favor of the precative hypothesis from linguist Alexander Andrason. Brief comments are also offered on the oral-performative dimension of this interpretation.
A prospective observational study on oral administration of Ellagic Acid and Annona Muricata in patients affected by non-muscle invasive bladder cancer not undergoing maintenance after 6-week intravesical prophylaxis
Authors: Serretta Vincenzo , Berardinis Ettore De , Simonato Alchiede , Guarneri Alessio , Dispensa Nino , Pavone Carlo , Busetto Gian Maria , Del Giudice Francesco , Sanfilippo Chiara
Published: June 2021

Introduction:

BCG and MMC shortage and Covid-19 pandemic, more recently, limit accessibility to maintenance regimen in intravesical prophylaxis against recurrence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Ellagic acid (EA) and Annona muricata (AM) exert antitumor activity against different human tumours. An observational prospective study on the prophylactic effect of oral administration of EA+AM in patients avoiding maintenance regimen is presented.

Materials and methods:

Patients affected by NMIBC and not undergoing maintenance after a 6-week course of intravesical prophylaxis with MMC or BCG were entered. Tis and very high-risk tumours were excluded. After informed consent, the patients were subdivided in relation to the oral assumption or not of EA (100 mg) plus AM (100 mg), daily for 6 months. All patients were submitted to 3-month cytology and cystoscopy.

Results:

162 (90%) of 180 entered patients are evaluable, 90 and 72 receiving or not EA+AM. No difference emerged in patients’ characteristics between the two groups. BCG was given in 86 (54%) and chemotherapy in 74 (46%) patients. The recurrence free rate at 3, 6 and 12 months in patients assuming or not EA was 96.5% versus 84.6% ( p = 0.003), 85.4% versus 64.8% ( p = 0.005) and 74.2% versus 60.6% ( p = 0.246), respectively. The recurrence free survival at 12 months in patients assuming or not EA was 63.0% versus 34.5% ( p < 0.0001).

Discussion and conclusions:

Our study suffers several limits: not randomized trial although prospective, limited number of patients and short follow-up, nevertheless it shows the prophylactic effect of oral EA+AM in absence of maintenance after intravesical chemotherapy or immunotherapy induction.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions to Optimize Treatment of Infections in Nursing Home Residents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Aliyu Sainfer , Travers Jasmine L. , Heimlich S. Layla , Ifill Joanne , Smaldone Arlene
Published: June 2021

Effects of antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) interventions to optimize antibiotic use for infections in nursing home (NH) residents remain unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess ASPs in NHs and their effects on antibiotic use, multi-drug-resistant organisms, antibiotic prescribing practices, and resident mortality. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using five databases (1988–2020). Nineteen articles were included, 10 met the criteria for quantitative synthesis. Inappropriate antibiotic use decreased following ASP intervention in eight studies with a pooled decrease of 13.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: [4.7, 23.0]; Cochran’s Q = 166,837.8, p < .001, I2 = 99.9%) across studies. Decrease in inappropriate antibiotic use was highest in studies that examined antibiotic use for urinary tract infection (UTI). Education and antibiotic stewardship algorithms for UTI were the most effective interventions. Evidence surrounding ASPs in NH is weak, with recommendations suited for UTIs.
Effects of a Manualized Teacher-Led Coaching Intervention on Paraprofessional Use of Behavior-Specific Praise
Authors: Sallese Mary Rose , Vannest Kimberly J.
Published: June 2021

Paraprofessionals are an essential part of special education. School districts increasingly rely on paraprofessional support to meet students’ needs, but formal professional development opportunities vary. A lack of training in effective instructional strategies is potentially problematic for the efficacy of support staff. A multiple-baseline across participants single-case research design examined the effects of a manualized teacher-to-paraprofessional coaching intervention to increase the rate of behavior-specific praise by paraprofessionals. Participant dyads (paraprofessionals and special education teachers) taught in a rural public elementary school serving third- through fifth-grade students. The collaborative multicomponent training program included self-monitoring, performance feedback, goal setting, modeling, and action planning. Analyses encompassed primary author visual analysis, masked visual analysis by three independent raters, and nonparametric statistical analysis. The intervention resulted in increased use of behavior-specific praise across all four paraprofessionals and participants indicated good social validity. Discussions include implications for future research and practice.
The Toolkit of Nationalist Populism in Contemporary Hungary: Symbols, Objects, and Modalities of Circulation
Authors: Molnár Virág
Published: June 2021

This article belongs to the special cluster, “National, European, Transnational: Far-right activism in the 20th and 21st centuries”, guest edited by Agnieszka Pasieka.

Research on populism attributes great significance to mapping the distinctive discursive logic of populist reasoning (e.g., the trope of pitting corrupt elites against the people). This article aims to move beyond the primary focus on discursive structures to stress the role of symbols, objects, and different modalities of circulation in the political communication of populist ideas, using the case of Hungary. By tracing the history of one of the key symbols of nationalist populism—the image of “Greater Hungary”—from its emergence in the interwar period to its present-day use, the article shows how the meanings and material forms this symbol assumed in political communication that evolved under different political regimes. The analysis builds on extensive archival, ethnographic, and online data to highlight how the diversity of material forms and the conduits through which this image circulated have contributed to its endurance as a key political symbol. Symbols, like the Greater Hungary image, condense complex historical narratives into a powerful sign that can be easily objectified, reproduced, and diffused. Today’s differentiated consumer markets provide convenient conduits for this kind of material circulation. These symbols carry meaning in and of themselves as signs, and once they are turned into everyday objects, they facilitate the normalization of radical politics by increasing their salience and broad visibility.
Social Media and Romantic Relationship: Excessive Social Media Use Leads to Relationship Conflicts, Negative Outcomes, and Addiction via Mediated Pathways
Authors: Bouffard Skye , Giglio Deanna , Zheng Zane
Published: June 2021

Social media provides a useful platform for people to share information, develop networks, and connect with each other online. While social media allows one to foster relationships with ease, it may pose challenges for individuals in a romantic relationship. Mounting evidence suggests that social media use may have an adverse impact on relationship dynamics, largely due to reduced time and attention for relationship partners. However, it remains unclear (1) how the increased use of social media may lead to negative consequences of relationship quality; (2) how the increased use of social media and negative relationship consequences together may trigger social media addiction; and (3) whether there are psychological factors that may contribute to the mitigation of the negative consequences. Here, we explored these issues by selecting Instagram (IG) as the target platform because the unique feature of tracking objective time of usage within the IG app allowed us to more accurately determine the length of IG usage. Using a structural equation modeling approach, we found that increased IG usage reduced relationship satisfaction, which led to an increase in both conflicts and negative outcomes. The sequential effects of reduced relationship satisfaction and increased conflicts then triggered addictive use of IG. In contrast, tendency to make sacrifice for the relationship partner in everyday life produced a positive effect on relationship satisfaction, which in turn reduced the likelihood of conflicts, negative outcomes, and addiction. Taken together, we have delineated pathways through which excessive social media use may detrimentally affect both relationship and personal well-being and identified sacrifice as a possible psychological factor to mitigate the detrimental effects. We believe that these findings add to our understanding of the processes by which social media influences romantic relationship and highlight the interactive effects of social media and relationship on causing unexpected, adverse consequences.
Measures of Burnout and Empathy in United States Doctor of Pharmacy Students: Time for a Change?
Authors: Jacoby Jeanne L. , Cole Jaclyn D. , Ruble Melissa J. , Smith Amy B. , Laubach Lexis T. , Greenberg Marna Rayl , Macfarlan Jennifer E. , DeWaay Deborah J. , Barraco Robert D. , Shigo Erin , Crowley Lauren , Quinn Joann Farrell
Published: June 2021

Purpose:

To review interim data regarding longitudinal burnout and empathy levels in a single Doctor of Pharmacy class cohort.

Methods:

Students were emailed an electronic survey during their first semester and annually at the end of each academic year for a total of 3 years (2017-2020). Validated survey tools included the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) student version. The JSE survey consists of 20 questions, with higher scores denoting more empathy. The MBI student version contains 3 subscales: exhaustion (higher scores are worse), cynicism (higher scores are worse) and professional efficacy (higher scores are better).

Results:

The median JSE score at the end of the third academic year (PY3) was 110, with females scoring significantly higher (114.5 vs. 103.5; p<0.02). A majority of the 62 students reported burn out (82.3%), scoring in the highest category for either exhaustion (76%) or cynicism (55%). A majority (66%) also reported a low or moderate professional efficacy score, a negative finding. Measures of student burnout increased after the start of the program and remained at the higher level each subsequent year (p<0.0001). In the Spring of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly every student had moderate or high levels of emotional exhaustion (97%) and cynicism (78%) as measured by the MBI.

Conclusion:

This interim data suggests high degrees of pharmacy student burnout. Empathy levels remained stable throughout the duration of the study. Pharmacy schools may need to focus on reform regarding well-being and prevention of burnout.
A two-parameter model for predicting thermal contact resistance between crystal and aluminum alloy based on turning morphology
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Sun Fuzhong
Published: June 2021

Thermal contact resistance (TCR) is a key factor in thermal engineering which affects the thermal-structural design of precision instruments. To reveal the influence of turning morphology on the TCR between potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal and aluminum alloy, a novel simplified model considering two parameters of wavelength and slope is proposed. Meanwhile, the TCR of KDP crystal and aluminum alloy are experimentally investigated to validate this two-parameter model, where the effects of different wavelengths and slopes on Mises stress distribution, temperature distribution, heat flux and TCR can be analyzed. By incorporating the theory of plane turning, the TCR can be reduced by controlling the feed rate and cutting thickness under a certain roughness. This research provides a theoretical basis for the thermal-structural design of crystal modules and the turning of aluminum alloy.
Determination of collapse moment of different angled pipe bends with initial geometric imperfection subjected to in-plane bending moments
Authors: Kumar Manish , Roy Pronab , Khan Kallol
Published: June 2021

From the recent literature, it is revealed that pipe bend geometry deviates from the circular cross-section due to pipe bending process for any bend angle, and this deviation in the cross-section is defined as the initial geometric imperfection. This paper focuses on the determination of collapse moment of different angled pipe bends incorporated with initial geometric imperfection subjected to in-plane closing and opening bending moments. The three-dimensional finite element analysis is accounted for geometric as well as material nonlinearities. Python scripting is implemented for modeling the pipe bends with initial geometry imperfection. The twice-elastic-slope method is adopted to determine the collapse moments. From the results, it is observed that initial imperfection has significant impact on the collapse moment of pipe bends. It can be concluded that the effect of initial imperfection decreases with the decrease in bend angle from 150∘ to 45∘. Based on the finite element results, a simple collapse moment equation is proposed to predict the collapse moment for more accurate cross-section of the different angled pipe bends.
Machining quality of high speed helical milling of carbon fiber reinforced plastics
Authors: Abidi Adel , Ben Salem Sahbi , Yallese Mohamed Athmane
Published: June 2021

Among advanced cutting methods, High Speed Milling (HSM) is often recommended to improve the productivity and to reduce the costs of machining parts. As every cutting process, HSM is characterized by some defects like surface roughness and delamination are the main defects generated in composite materials. The aim of this experimental work is the studying of the machining quality of woven Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) using the HSM technology. Experiments were done using different machining parameters combinations to make opened holes in CFRP laminates. This study investigated the effect of cutting speed, orbital feed speed, hole diameter on the delamination defect and surface roughness responses generated in the drilled holes. The design of experimental tests was generated using the approach of Central Composite Design (CCD). The characterization of these responses was treated with the Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Response surface methodology (RSM). Results showed that the surface roughness is highly affected by the orbital feed speed (F) with contribution of 22.45%. The delamination factor at entry and exit of holes is strongly influenced by the hole diameter D (25.97% and 57.43%) respectively. The developed model equations gave a good correlation between the empirical and predicted results. The optimization of the milling parameters was treated using desirability function to minimize the surface roughness (Ra) and the delamination factor simultaneously.
Electromagnetic performance analysis of the rim electromagnetic direct-driven propeller
Authors: Zhang Jian
Published: June 2021

Propellers are a crucial part to drive underwater vehicles. A rim electromagnetic direct-driven propeller (REDP) had been presented to meet some specific requirements of the underwater vehicle in this paper. It had many advantages compared to classical propellers and could improve the performance of the underwater vehicle. The composition and working mode of REDP were introduced here. In addition, the paper also introduced the working characteristics of REDP and somethings needed to be improved. The energy method was utilized to calculate the distribution of magnetic fields. A three-dimensional model of REDP was built. Then the influence of the propeller’s parameters on performance was analyzed, including the number, pattern, surface radian of the permanent magnet and the stator cogging skew, by finite element computing models. The performances of REDP were tested under several parameters. Some valuable conclusions were obtained according the test results and could provide a reference for the design and performance optimization of REDP utilized on the underwater vehicle.
Optimal design of multi-blade centrifugal fan based on partial coherence analysis
Authors: Zhou Shuiqing , Dong Haobing , Zhang Kai , Zhou Huaxin , Jin Weiya , Wang Chihu
Published: June 2021

Considering that there are many design variables in multi-blade centrifugal fans, the complicated design parameters and internal flow uncertainty increase the difficulty of studying fan noise mechanisms. This study adopted the impact noise between the airflow at the impeller outlet inside the fan and the volute tongue as the research object. Based on the influence of mutual interfering noise sources on the system noise, a partial coherence function was introduced to establish a system noise model. The correlation between the static pressure of the impeller outlet in the volute tongue area of the centrifugal fan and far-field noise of the fan was analyzed and obtained. The peak values of fundamental frequency and average sound pressure level of a far-field noise receiving points were selected as the optimization goals, taking the volute tongue placement angle θ1, volute tongue radius R, and center distance L1 as the optimization objects. The Latin hypercube sampling was used to select 35 groups of sampling points and a Kriging agent model was established. The NSGA-II genetic algorithm was used to optimize the volute tongue profile. The results showed that the flow rate was increased by 1.2 m3/min, the far field noise of the centrifugal fan was reduced by 1.9 dB, while the fan efficiency increased by 3%, static pressure increased by 27 Pa, and peak values of fundamental frequency reduced by 8%.
The Effect of Prediction Error on Belief Update Across the Political Spectrum
Authors: Vlasceanu Madalina , Morais Michael J. , Coman Alin
Published: June 2021

Making predictions is an adaptive feature of the cognitive system, as prediction errors are used to adjust the knowledge they stemmed from. Here, we investigated the effect of prediction errors on belief update in an ideological context. In Study 1, 704 Cloud Research participants first evaluated a set of beliefs and then either made predictions about evidence associated with the beliefs and received feedback or were just presented with the evidence. Finally, they reevaluated the initial beliefs. Study 2, which involved a U.S. Census–matched sample of 1,073 Cloud Research participants, was a replication of Study 1. We found that the size of prediction errors linearly predicts belief update and that making large errors leads to more belief update than does not engaging in prediction. Importantly, the effects held for both Democrats and Republicans across all belief types (Democratic, Republican, neutral). We discuss these findings in the context of the misinformation epidemic.
East Asian winter monsoon variation during the last 3000 years as recorded in a subtropical mountain lake, northeastern Taiwan
Authors: Lin Tsai-Wen , Kaboth-Bahr Stefanie , Yamoah Kweku Afrifa , Bahr André , Burr George , Chang Yuan-Pin , Dietze Elisabeth , Li Hong-Chun , Su Chih-Chieh , Yam Rita SW , Löwemark Ludvig
Published: June 2021

The East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) is a fundamental part of the global monsoon system that affects nearly one-quarter of the world’s population. Robust paleoclimate reconstructions in East Asia are complicated by multiple sources of precipitation. These sources, such as the EAWM and typhoons, need to be disentangled in order to understand the dominant source of precipitation influencing the past and current climate. Taiwan, situated within the subtropical East Asian monsoon system, provides a unique opportunity to study monsoon and typhoon variability through time. Here we combine sediment trap data with down-core records from Cueifong Lake in northeastern Taiwan to reconstruct monsoonal rainfall fluctuations over the past 3000 years. The monthly collected grain-size data indicate that a decrease in sediment grain size reflects the strength of the EAWM. End member modelling analysis (EMMA) on sediment core and trap data reveals two dominant grain-size end-members (EMs), with the coarse EM 2 representing a robust indicator of EAWM strength. The downcore variations of EM 2 show a gradual decrease over the past 3000 years indicating a gradual strengthening of the EAWM, in agreement with other published EAWM records. This enhanced late-Holocene EAWM can be linked to the expansion of sea-ice cover in the western Arctic Ocean caused by decreased summer insolation.
Late-Holocene: Cooler or warmer?
Authors: Wanner Heinz
Published: June 2021

Early studies on the evolution of glaciers argue that the warm Early Holocene transitioned into a Late-Holocene Neoglacial, with numerous glacial advances due to decreasing solar forcing in the boreal summer. The assumption of decreasing temperatures based on the glacier studies was supported by several proxy-based reconstructions as well as by simulations. Under the keyword “Holocene temperature conundrum” this fact is questioned. In particular, it is argued that the proxy studies are biased on time series dominated by a seasonal bias in the form of predominant summer temperatures (mainly marine). After a presentation of the facts, the weaknesses of both hypotheses (cooler or warmer) are briefly presented.
Lobetyolin inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells via ASCT2 down-regulation-induced apoptosis
Authors: Chen Yansong , Tian Ye , Jin Gongsheng , Cui Zhen , Guo Wei , Zhang Xiaojing , Liu Xianfu
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effect of lobetyolin on breast cancer cells. Lobetyolin was incubated with MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells for 24 h. Glucose uptake and the mRNA expression of GLUT4 ( SLC2A4), HK2 and PKM2 were detected to assess the effect of lobetyolin on glucose metabolism. Glutamine uptake and the mRNA expression of ASCT2 ( SLC1A5), GLS1, GDH and GLUL were measured to assess the effect of lobetyolin on glutamine metabolism. Annexin V/PI double staining and Hoechst 33342 staining were used to investigate the effect of lobetyolin on cell apoptosis. Immunoblot was employed to estimate the effect of lobetyolin on the expression of proliferation-related markers and apoptosis-related markers. SLC1A5 knockdown with specific siRNA was performed to study the role of ASCT2 played in the anti-cancer effect of lobetyolin on MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. C-MYC knockdown with specific siRNA was performed to study the role of c-Myc played in lobetyolin-induced ASCT2 down-regulation. Myr-AKT overexpression was performed to investigate the role of AKT/GSK3β signaling played in lobetyolin-induced down-regulation of c-Myc and ASCT2. The results showed that lobetyolin inhibited the proliferation of both MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. Lobetyolin disrupted glutamine uptake via down-regulating ASCT2. SLC1A5 knockdown attenuated the anti-cancer effect of lobetyolin. C-MYC knockdown attenuated lobetyolin-caused down-regulation of ASCT2 and Myr-AKT overexpression reversed lobetyolin-caused down-regulation of both c-Myc and ASCT2. In conclusion, the present work suggested that lobetyolin exerted anti-cancer effect via ASCT2 down-regulation-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells.
A supervised clustering MCMC methodology for large categorical feature spaces
Authors: Ramírez Simón , Quiroz Adolfo J , Riascos Alvaro J
Published: June 2021

There is a well-established tradition within the statistics literature that explores different techniques for reducing the dimensionality of large feature spaces. The problem is central to machine learning and it has been largely explored under the unsupervised learning paradigm. We introduce a supervised clustering methodology that capitalizes on a Metropolis Hastings algorithm to optimize the partition structure of a large categorical feature space tailored towards minimizing the test error of a learning algorithm. This is a general methodology that can be applied to any supervised learning problem with a large categorical feature space. We show the benefits of the algorithm by applying this methodology to the problem of risk adjustment in competitive health insurance markets. We use a large claims data set that records ICD-10 codes, a large categorical feature space. We aim at improving risk adjustment by clustering diagnostic codes into risk groups suitable for health expenditure prediction. We test the performance of our methodology against common alternatives using panel data from a representative sample of twenty three million citizens in Colombian Healthcare System. Our results outperform common alternatives and suggest that it has potential to improve risk adjustment.
Effect of Real Earnings Management on Firm Performance: Evidence from India
Authors: Kumar Manish , Vij Madhu , Goswami Rishabh
Published: June 2021

This study investigates the effect of real earnings management (REM) on firms’ future performance in India. The sample comprises a balanced panel of 108 non-financial firms belonging to 21 industries (as per the two-digit NIC classification code) from 2006 to 2018. The proxy for REM given by Roychowdhury (2006) is used to measure REM, and the firm’s performance is measured through return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and price-to-earnings (PE) ratio. While ROA and ROE are measures of accounting performance, PE captures market performance. To explore the impact of REM activities on firms’ future performance, a Generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator is used in a dynamic panel setting. Since the proxy variables for performance is measured on a lead year basis, the analysis is restricted to the period 2006–2017. We also control for firm size, financial stability and growth. Our research reflects that Indian firms usually manipulate earnings by reducing discretionary expenditures. Regression results indicate that REM activities affect both accounting and market performance negatively.
Delays in the Pathway to Cancer Diagnosis in Samoa: A Qualitative Study of Patients’ Experiences
Authors: Cuesta-Briand Beatriz , Hansell Dyxon , Burich Shelley , Loimata Terri
Published: June 2021

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Samoa, with cancer patients presenting late and experiencing poor outcomes. Barriers to early diagnosis are complex, and cultural factors play an important part. This qualitative study explored the barriers to cancer diagnosis in Samoa through semistructured interviews conducted with 19 Samoan patients. Thematic data analysis was informed by socioecological theory and yielded 4 themes: knowledge and beliefs about cancer; pain as a trigger for health care–seeking behavior; follow-up issues; and communication and trust. Cancer knowledge and attitudes toward pain were strongly influenced by culture and community beliefs. Lack of follow-up resulted in significant delays, and ineffective patient-doctor communication triggered feelings of uncertainty and mistrust in the health care system. Efforts to address knowledge gaps will not be effective unless they are accompanied by broader strategies addressing local health care capacity issues. Adopting a socioecological framework lens within a regional collaborative approach provides a way forward.
I Keep Looking at What I’m Doing to My Organs: Samoans’ Responses to Adapted Anti-Tobacco Television Advertisements
Authors: Umali Elaine , Tanielu Helen , Whittaker Robyn , Sugden Cam , McCool Judith
Published: June 2021

There has been an increase of adapted tobacco control media campaigns in low- and middle-income countries. Adapting existing material offers many benefits especially to countries with limited resources. We adapted 3 television advertisements for the Tu’u Nei Loa Le Ulaula Tapa’a (Stop Smoking Now) campaign in Samoa. Adaption included rigorous efforts to ensure advertisements were culturally appropriate. To determine audiences’ perception of anti-tobacco television advertisements to promote smoking cessation, we conducted 8 talanoa, a Pacific Islands research methodology, among 54 smokers and nonsmokers in Apia, Samoa. The talanoa were transcribed, translated, and thematically coded. Results suggest that the advertisements raised awareness on the negative health impacts of tobacco use, especially to the internal organs. Graphic and emotionally evocative advertisements, especially those that have an impact on the family, have greater potential to motivate Samoans to quit.
Institutional Development and Participation on House Roll-Call Votes, 1819–1921
Authors: Baughman John , Nokken Timothy P.
Published: June 2021

An emerging body of literature seeks to understand the determinants of roll-call participation in the early U.S. House of Representatives. A multitude of factors—electoral, institutional, and partisan—exerted significant influence over members’ participation decisions during the time we analyze. We analyze roll-call abstention rates from the 16th to 66th Congress (1819 to 1921) to determine whether electorally at-risk members differed in their attentiveness to their congressional responsibilities than members who faced less or no risk. By examining a century of congresses, we compare both the post-Civil War era immediately prior to adoption of the Australian ballot as well as the pre-Civil War congresses to identify those factors that affected members’ decision to participate on roll-call votes. The time series encompasses important electoral and institutional reforms, including the emergence of strong party caucuses and the enhanced agenda setting prerogatives of the majority party. Our results show that members responded to changes in the political environment, including to electoral concerns, and this effect is present prior to the Civil War. We also find that during the era of the strong Speaker, majority party members significantly increased their roll-call participation rates.
Prescribing Errors With Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Their Impact on the Risk of Bleeding in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Raccah Bruria Hirsh , Erlichman Yevgeni , Pollak Arthur , Matok Ilan , Muszkat Mordechai
Published: June 2021

Introduction:

Anticoagulants are associated with significant harm when used in error, but there are limited data on potential harm of inappropriate treatment with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). We conducted a matched case-control study among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients admitting the hospital with a chronic treatment with DOACs, in order to assess factors associated with the risk of major bleeding.

Methods:

Patient data were documented using hospital’s computerized provider order entry system. Patients identified with major bleeding were defined as cases and were matched with controls based on the duration of treatment with DOACs and number of chronic medications. Appropriateness of prescribing was assessed based on the relevant clinical guidelines. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the potential impact of safety-relevant prescribing errors with DOACs on major bleeding.

Results:

A total number of 509 eligible admissions were detected during the study period, including 64 cases of major bleeding and 445 controls. The prevalence of prescribing errors with DOACs was 33%. Most prevalent prescribing errors with DOACs were “drug dose too low” (16%) and “non-recommended combination of drugs” (11%). Safety-relevant prescribing errors with DOACs were associated with major bleeding [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-4.12].

Conclusion:

Prescribers should be aware of the potential negative impact of prescribing errors with DOACs and understand the importance of proper prescribing and regular follow-up.