bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theorizing nation-building through high-speed rail development: Hegemony and space in the Basque Country, Spain
Authors: García-Mejuto Diego
Published: December 2021

Despite a variegated body of academic work on nation-building and rail infrastructures, attention to the relationship between nation-building and wider processes of economic and political restructuring and an explicit and theoretically robust consideration of space have been largely missing. This paper seeks to address both limitations by advancing a spatially sensitive conceptualization of how rail infrastructures may be used as a tool for nation-building in contemporary capitalist societies. Particularly, I draw on Jessop's strategic-relational approach to the state and on theoretical contributions on the spatiality of social relations to propose the synthetic notion of ‘spatial hegemonic vision’ to explain the legitimacy and substantive coherence of state action, argue for the inherent spatiality of nation-building projects, and facilitate a theoretically robust and nuanced understanding of such spatiality. I further distinguish between political economic and cultural dimensions in nation-building and discuss the materialization and imagining of specific configurations of territories, places, scales and networks involved in spatial hegemonic visions. This conceptualization is then applied to the development of a high-speed rail line in the Spanish region of the Basque Country. This line has been mobilized to advance two competing yet partially compatible spatial hegemonic visions, whilst becoming itself a site where they came into conflict. The paper concludes by examining the validity of the proposed conceptualization and discussing its applicability to other contemporary cases of nation-building through transport infrastructures.
Rentiers of the low-carbon economy? Renewable energy's extractive fiscal geographies
Authors: Knuth Sarah
Published: December 2021

Progressive movements today call for transformative state-led investment in renewable energy and other climate infrastructures—in the United States, a vision that confronts inherited legacies of austerity. I argue that a significant obstacle is the neoliberal toolkit through which the US federal government subsidizes renewables, an indirect, highly opaque system of tax credits and incentives. For forty years, tax subsidies have ‘paid’ private financial players to invest in renewables, via allowing them to claim legal tax shelters against their other income. In this political economic analysis, I question, first, how US renewable energy acquired this peculiar form of public finance ‘through the tax code’, unique in the global industry. Second, I explore how the model has shaped US renewables financing, development, and ownership. I center two decisive moments: the California ‘wind rush’ in the 1980s, and the ongoing renewables boom of the last fifteen years. This history articulates financial experiments and tax sheltering scandals of the Reagan Administration with exploitation returned today in more organized (and lucrative) form, as ‘tax equity’ finance. Via tax equity, a handful of major US banks dominate financing for renewables and other politically embattled public goods. They exert a troubling ability to extract rents for their capital, gatekeep what projects get built and by whom, and stall US renewables development altogether. Today, the practice is increasingly strained by these and other problems—growing public costs, private capacity ceilings, and amplification of sectoral crises. Under Biden, it faces probable reform, but may need more comprehensive reimagination.
The reality of the law of value
Authors: Nagatani Kiyoshi
Published: December 2021

In the wake of Böhm-Bawerk’s criticism that Marx’s law of value runs contrary to empirical facts, Marxian economics has developed mainly in two different directions: one based on the simple commodity production and the other on the mathematical identity of value with prices of production (the transformation problem). The author agrees with neither, arguing that Marx intended to base the law of value on the production process of capital, as in Capital Volume 1, independently of Capital Volume 3. However, the notion of this process and the law of value have not been sufficiently explained in Volume 1. Marx presents the value of a commodity as socially necessary labour objectified in Chapter 1 on the commodity, and later applies this rule to capitalist commodity products in Chapter 7. Pointing out the defects of this method, this article relocates the presentation of the dual nature of labour to the Labour Process (Chapter 7, Section 1), and the proof of the substance of value or the law of value to the Valorization Process (Chapter 7, Section 2). The Labour Process plays a key role in Volume 1, but it contains a fatal flaw. Consequently, Section 2 ends up with insufficient explanation. By reconstructing the Labour Process and the Process of Creating Value and Surplus value, the author confirms the meaning and reality of the law of value in Chapter 7, Section 2.
Age-related differences in cognition and postoperative quality of recovery after beach chair position shoulder surgery
Authors: Chuan Alwin , Tran Minh T , Sun Alice X , Amin Tajrian , Chan Yan X , Hanley Benjamin S , Quazi Shubash A , Xie Benjamin S , Trantalis John N
Published: December 2021

We examined the influence of age in beach chair position shoulder surgery and postoperative quality of recovery by conducting a single-site, observational, cohort study comparing younger aged (18–40 years) versus older aged (at least 60 years) patients admitted for elective shoulder surgery in the beach chair position. Endpoints were dichotomous return of function to each patient’s individual preoperative baseline as assessed using the postoperative quality of recovery scale; measuring cognition, nociception, physiological, emotional, functional activities and overall perspective. We recruited 112 (41 younger and 71 older aged) patients. There was no statistical difference in cognitive recovery at day three postoperatively (primary outcome): 26/32 younger patients (81%) versus 43/60 (72%) older patients, P=0.45. Rates of recovery were age-dependent on domain and time frame (secondary outcomes), with older patients recovering faster in the nociceptive domain ( P=0.02), slower in the emotional domain ( P=0.02) and not different in the physiological, functional activities and overall perspective domains (all P >0.35). In conclusion, we did not show any statistically significant difference in cognitive outcomes between younger and older patients using our perioperative anaesthesia and analgesia management protocol. Irrespective of age, 70% of patients recovered by three months in all domains.
Analysis of medication errors during anaesthesia in the first 4000 incidents reported to webAIRS
Authors: Kim Jee Young , Moore Matthew R , Culwick Martin D , Hannam Jacqueline A , Webster Craig S , Merry Alan F
Published: December 2021

Medication error is a well-recognised cause of harm to patients undergoing anaesthesia. From the first 4000 reports in the webAIRS anaesthetic incident reporting system, we identified 462 reports of medication errors. These reports were reviewed iteratively by several reviewers paying particular attention to their narratives. The commonest error category was incorrect dose (29.4%), followed by substitution (28.1%), incorrect route (7.6%), omission (6.5%), inappropriate choice (5.8%), repetition (5.4%), insertion (4.1%), wrong timing (3.5%), wrong patient (1.5%), wrong side (1.5%) and others (6.5%). Most (58.9%) of the errors resulted in at least some harm (20.8% mild, 31.0% moderate and 7.1% severe). Contributing factors to the medication errors included the presence of look-alike medications, storage of medications in the incorrect compartment, inadequate labelling of medications, pressure of time, anaesthetist fatigue, unfamiliarity with the medication, distraction, involvement of multiple people and poor communication. These data add to current evidence suggesting a persistent and concerning failure effectively to address medication safety in anaesthesia. The wide variation in the nature of the errors and contributing factors underline the need for increased systematic and multifaceted efforts underpinned by a strengthening of the current focus on safety culture to improve medication safety in anaesthesia. This will require the concerted and committed engagement of all concerned, from practitioners at the clinical workface, to those who fund and manage healthcare.
Pausing the Pandemic: Understanding and Managing Traveler and Community Spread of COVID-19 in Hawaii
Authors: Kim Karl , Yamashita Eric , Ghimire Jiwnath
Published: December 2021

In the absence of a vaccine, nonpharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing and travel reductions were the only strategies for slowing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data from Hawaii ( n = 22,200) collected in March through May of 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, the differences between traveler spreaders who brought the disease into the state and community spreaders were investigated. In addition to describing the demographic attributes and comparing them with attributes of those who were vulnerable to COVID-19, logit models explaining travel behaviors were developed and tested. Traveler spreaders were likely to be male, younger, and returning students. Community spreaders were more likely to be male, essential workers, first responders, and medical personnel at the highest risk of exposure. Using spatial statistics, clusters and hotspot locations of high-risk individuals were mapped. As transportation researchers are in a position to combine their critical analytical capabilities and experience with relevant databases on mobility and the spread of infectious diseases, this analysis could support efforts to respond to and slow the spread of the pandemic.
What Did the Pandemic Teach Us About Palliative Radiation in Head and Neck Cancer?
Authors: Ghoshal Sushmita , Singla Aditya Kumar , Ballari Nagarjun , Gupta Ankita
Published: December 2021

Objective: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of palliative radiotherapy dose regimens for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. Methods: Fifty patients of previously untreated, inoperable, stage IVA and IVB squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, deemed unfit for radical treatment, were included in the study from May 2020 to June 2020. Two palliative radiotherapy regimens were used. First was a single fraction radiation with 8 Gy for patients with limited life expectancy and poor performance status, which was repeated after 4 weeks in case of good symptom relief. The second regimen was used for patients with good performance status and consisted of fractionated radiation with 30 Gy in 10 fractions over 2 weeks, which was followed by supplementary radiation with 25 Gy in 10 fractions over 2 weeks in patients with good symptomatic response at 2 weeks. Symptoms were assessed at baseline and at the end of 4 weeks after treatment completion using the numerical rating score. Patients were followed up for a median of 4.5 months and assessed for symptom control and overall survival. Results: Forty-eight patients completed treatment and were included for analysis. Of the 24 patients who received single fraction radiation, 13 (54.2%) were given the second dose. Improvement in pain and dysphagia were reported in 57.9% and 60% patients, respectively. A total of 55.5% noted decrease in size of the neck node. Twenty-four patients received fractionated radiation and 15 (62.5%) were given the second course after 2 weeks. Relief in pain and dysphagia was reported in 68.2% and 63.6% patients, respectively. There were no grade 3/4 toxicities. Symptom control lasted for at least 3 months in 30% of the patients who received single fraction radiation and 54.2% of the patients who received fractionated radiation. The estimated 6-month overall survival of the entire cohort was 51.4%. Conclusion: Judicious use of palliative radiation in advanced incurable head and neck cancers provides effective and durable symptom relief and should be used after careful consideration of patient prognosis, logistics of treatment, and goals of care.
A Post-Structural Feminist Analysis of Eating Disorders Intervention Research
Authors: Hussain Amina , Dar Mishal , Ganson Kyle T.
Published: December 2021

Through an epistemological stance of post-structural feminism, this conceptual paper explores the use of language within eating disorders (ED) intervention articles, and the problematic narratives and power dynamics that are reinforced through this discourse. The paper begins with a vignette coupled with reflexive analysis of the authors’ experiences within a hospital-based ED unit. The authors then engage in a post-structural feminist analysis to discuss how language within ED intervention research relay problematic narratives of: (1) the individual with an ED as passively, not actively, engaged in care; (2) that their experiences can be captured and categorized; and (3) that measurement based scientific knowledge is more valuable than the lived experiences of clients. Overall, the authors argue that these narratives not only shape how social work researchers think of EDs, but also what we think of those with EDs. These themes also signal a larger power dynamic that continuously favours the epistemic value of researchers’ knowledge over that of the client’s, which runs contrary to the guiding principles of client-centered care in social work. To address these critiques, the authors recommend that social work researchers adopt an eco-social phenomenological approach informed by post-structural feminism when conducting ED intervention research.
Development and Preliminary Validation of the Gender Inclusive Rape Myth Acceptance Scale
Authors: Urban Rebekah E. , Porras Pyland Claudia
Published: December 2021

Rape myths are widespread and contribute to a rape culture that excuses and normalizes permissive attitudes surrounding rape and sexual assault. To combat rape culture and decrease sexual assault, many programs focus on reducing rape myth acceptance (RMA). To best assess outcomes of such prevention efforts, we must ensure we are accurately measuring this construct. Current RMA scales are decades old and focus almost exclusively on cisgender women. As such, they are outdated and leave out important experiences of cisgender men and gender diverse individuals. The Gender Inclusive Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (GIRMA) was developed to address such limitations in current measures. Two studies were completed to develop and establish preliminary validation of the GIRMA. Study One included 614 adults in the United States, recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk; Study Two included 414 adults in the United States, recruited in the same way. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted with an original pool of 73 items that included myths about the experiences of cisgender women, cisgender men, transgender, and gender diverse individuals. Parallel analysis indicated a single factor structure for measuring rape myths. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for Study Two, which supported the single-factor approach. These analyses resulted in a concise, robust, inclusive 18-item scale to measure rape myths. Model fit was excellent, as was reliability. Additionally, construct validity was supported through examining the relationship between the GIRMA and previously validated RMA and sexism scales. The GIRMA offers researchers the ability to fully assess the construct of rape myths in a short, psychometrically sound manner. Future research is needed to investigate the reliability of the GIRMA in other populations.
“It's Not You, It's Me”: Examining the Roles of Romantic Self-Blame and Social Support in Pathways From Peer Victimization to Emerging Adult Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Schacter Hannah L. , Ehrhardt Alexandra
Published: December 2021

Although experiences of adolescent peer victimization elevate risk for depressive symptoms during emerging adulthood, the mechanisms underlying this pathway are not well-understood. Drawing from attribution theory and models of relational schemas, the current study introduces romantic self-blame as a putative novel mechanism linking adolescent peer victimization to emerging adult depressive symptoms and evaluates perceived social support as a protective factor. A diverse sample of 350 emerging adults completed self-report measures of retrospective peer victimization, romantic characterological and behavioral self-blaming attributions, social support, and depressive symptoms. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesized two-factor structure of romantic self-blame. Additionally, conditional process models demonstrated that elevated romantic characterological—but not behavioral—self-blame partially explained the association between retrospective peer victimization and current depressive symptoms, particularly among those perceiving low social support. Results suggest that earlier peer victimization may alter emerging adults’ romantic appraisals in ways that increase distress, particularly in the absence of supportive interpersonal relationships.
Student Voice in School Improvement: A Principal in the Nuevo South Reflects on a Student-Centered Practitioner Inquiry
Authors: Chappell Susan
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this brief is to share my reflections as a practitioner-scholar conducting a student-centered inquiry. My dissertation sought to provide a channel for accessing Latinx students’ voices regarding their experiences in credit recovery programs. I share what I learned from students and how the power harnessed by the input of authentic student voice is now driving instructional change throughout the building and the district. I conclude with recommendations for other practitioners on ways they may begin to include students in school improvement efforts as co-leaders, co-researchers, and co-policy actors.
Frailty and Differences in Self-Reported Sexual Functioning Among Older Females and Males in National Social life, Health and Aging Project
Authors: Olivieri-Mui Brianne , Shi Sandra M. , McCarthy Ellen P. , Kim Dae Hyun
Published: December 2021

Objective

To understand the association of frailty with females’ and males’ self-reported sexual functioning.

Methods

Logistic regression on 5 domains of sexual function by frailty status (robust, pre-frail, frail) were analyzed from 2058 respondents to National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (2010–2011).

Results

Females had similar frailty profiles to males, but more often reported low overall sexual functioning (12.9% v. 4.0%). Compared to robust, pre-frail and frail males had higher odds of sexual function-related: anxiety (pre-frail OR 1.91 95% CI [1.33, 2.74]; frail OR 2.13 95% CI [1.03, 4.41]), negative changes (pre-frail: OR 1.40, 95% CI [1.00, 1.96]; frail: OR 2.42, 95% CI [1.51, 3.89]), and erectile dysfunction (pre-frail: OR 1.81, 95% CI [1.23,2.68]; frail: 2.00, 95% CI [1.00,4.02]); frail females had 1.69 times higher odds (95% CI [1.16,2.48]) of negative changes.

Discussion

Frailty may be a clinical indicator of sexual functioning decline for males more than females.
Explaining legal inconsistency
Authors: Duck-Mayr JBrandon
Published: December 2021

Judges, scholars, and commentators decry inconsistent areas of judicially created policy. This could hurt courts’ policy making efficacy, so why do judges allow it to happen? I show judicially-created policy can become inconsistent when judges explain rules in more abstract terms than they decide cases. To do so, I expand standard case-space models of judicial decision making to account for relationships between specific facts and broader doctrinal dimensions. This model of judicial decision making as a process of multi-step reasoning reveals that preference aggregation in such a context can lead to inconsistent collegial rules. I also outline a class of preference configurations on collegial courts (i.e., multi-member courts) in which this problem cannot arise. These results have implications for several areas of inquiry in judicial politics such as models of principal-agent relationships in judicial hierarchies and empirical research utilizing case facts as predictor variables.
Do supermajority rules really deter extremism? the role of electoral competition
Authors: Kishishita Daiki , Yamagishi Atsushi
Published: December 2021

This study investigates how supermajority rules in a legislature affect electoral competition. We construct an extensive-form game wherein parties choose policy platforms in an election. Post election, the policy is determined based on a legislative voting rule. At symmetric equilibrium, supermajority rules induce divergence of policy platforms if and only if the parties are sufficiently attached to their preferred platform. Thus, supermajority rules may not always lead to moderate policies once electoral competition is considered.
A new geometry definition and generation method for a face gear meshed with a spur pinion
Authors: Peng Xian-Long
Published: December 2021

The conventional tooth surface of a face gear is difficult to manufacture, and the cutter for the face gear cutting is not uniform even though the parameters of the pinion mating with the face gear slightly change. Based on the analysis of the geometry features of the tooth surface, a new developable ruled surface is defined as the tooth flank of the face gear, for which the most important geometry feature is that the flank could be represented by a family of straight lines, hence it could be generated by a straight-edged cutter. The mathematical models of the new ruled tooth surface, the cutter and the generation method are presented, the deviation between the ruled surface and the conventional surface, the correction of the ruled surface to reduce the deviation are investigated through numerical examples. The manufacturing process is simulated by VERICUT software, and the results demonstrate that even when the principle deviation is added to the machined deviation, the absolute deviation is on the micro-scale. The meshing and contact simulation shows that the new surface could obtain good meshing performance when the number of face gear teeth is greater than three times the number of pinion teeth. This research provides a new method for manufacturing face gears.
Investigation of consecutive two-stage hydrodynamic deep drawing of aluminum cylindrical cups
Authors: Alavi Hashemi Seyed Hassan , Seyedkashi Seyed Mohammad Hossein
Published: December 2021

In the deep drawing process, achieving a higher drawing ratio has always been considered by researchers. In this study, a new concept of hydrodynamic deep drawing with two consecutive stages without additional operations such as annealing is proposed to increase the limit drawing ratio of the cups. The effective parameters were investigated numerically and experimentally in the forming of Al1200 cylindrical cups. At first, the desired value of punch diameter ratio was determined based on finite element simulation results and was utilized to increase the cup formability. Next, the effects of pressure paths on the cup thickness, separation, and rupture were studied in each forming stage. The cup formability was investigated based on a new proposed framework to obtain the maximum possible limiting drawing ratio, and the desired conditions were determined. Finally, a cup was formed with a high drawing ratio of 3.4 which was a good achievement in comparison with the literature.
Multi-objective aerodynamic optimization design of variable camber leading and trailing edge of airfoil
Authors: Bao Nvzi , Peng Yehui , Feng Heying , Yang Chenghao
Published: December 2021

Variable camber is an effective method for improving the flight efficiency of large aircraft, and has attracted the attention of researchers. This work focused on the optimization of a variable camber airfoil. First, the influences of the variable camber of the leading and trailing edges on the airfoil aerodynamic performance were investigated using a computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation. An initial database was established for a deep neural network. Second, an iterative algorithm was constructed to optimize the variable camber airfoil in terms of the rotation angle of the leading edge, deflection position of the leading edge, rotation angle of the trailing edge, and deflection position of the trailing edge. A genetic algorithm was used in each iteration to maximize the lift coefficient and lift-to-drag ratio, as predicted using a deep neural network (DNN). The optimal results were validated using Fluent. If the DNN result approximated the Fluent results, the iterative process was stopped. Otherwise, the Fluent results were inserted into the database to update the DNN prediction model. The optimization results showed that the lift-to-drag ratio of the 2D airfoil could be increased by more than 14 when the angle of attack was less than 8° relative to the original airfoil. Furthermore, to validate the 2D optimal results, the optimized 2D airfoil was stretched into 3D, and it was discovered that the aerodynamic performance trend of the 3D airfoil with respect to the angle of attack was basically the same as that of the 2D airfoil. In addition, the corresponding 3D airfoil improved the aerodynamic performance and reduced the noise at a high frequency (by approximately 16 dB). In contrast, the noise in the low and medium frequencies remained unchanged. Therefore, the optimization method and results can provide a reference for the aerodynamic design and acoustic design of large civil aircraft wings.
Application of nanofluids on various performance characteristics of hydrodynamic journal bearing—A review
Authors: Mandal Suman K , Bhattacharjee Biplab , Biswas Nabarun , Choudhuri Kishan , Chakraborti Prasun
Published: December 2021

Bearings are designed to support the loads normally applied to the shaft, while allowing relative movement between two machine elements. Journal or sliding bearings are perhaps the most well-known sorts of hydrodynamic bearings. The journal bearings contain no rolling elements and these bearings’ design and construction are simple, but their operation and theory are complex. Due to this and other advantages, journal bearings are much preferred in engineering applications. Simultaneously, the associated research and development have resulted in reasonable progress and therefore, a thorough review of these is earnestly felt. The static and dynamic characteristics of hydrodynamic journal bearings mainly depend on the lubricant viscosity and other factors such as load, speed, friction, and eccentricity. The review analysis focused on nanofluid lubricated hydrodynamic journal bearings are one of the rare topics of interest among tribologists. The use of a nanofluid as a lubricant is very important as it significantly improves the performance characteristics of the investigated bearing. The aggregation of nanoparticles in lubricants available commercially can cause a sharp increase in pressure drop and significantly improve the lubricant viscosity, which leads to an increase in load-carrying capacity. The tribological properties of various lubricants/base oils can be augmented by nanoparticles containing the lubricant. Studies have shown that compared to other conventional engine oils the load-carrying capacity is increased with nanoparticles containing the lubricant.
Impact angle guidance law to prevent the detection degradation of a seeker
Authors: Lee Jun-Yong , Kim H Jin
Published: December 2021

An impact angle control guidance (IACG) law applicable to a homing missile equipped with a strapdown imaging seeker is investigated against a stationary target. Given an impact angle constraint, usually a detour is generated and the change of the look angle is inevitable. A rapid change of the look angle can cause a fast relative target motion in the seeker’s image plane, which can lead to a motion blur effect. The main contribution of the paper is that an IACG law is designed to minimize the look angle rate to prevent the loss of the target signal. Based on the variational approach, the optimal look angle rate that satisfies the impact angle constraint is derived, and the guidance law is designed to follow the optimal look angle rate. Using various weighting functions, a guidance law that has low sensitivity to the initial condition is also developed. Numerical simulation supports the performance of the guidance law. The result illustrates that the proposed guidance law reduces the rate of look angle in comparison with other IACG laws.
Kalman filter identification method for micro-vibration transfer paths of satellites
Authors: Shen Yan , Xu Yang , Sheng Xiaowei , Yin Xianbo
Published: December 2021

Micro-vibrations on-board a satellite have degrading effects on the performance of certain payloads like observation cameras. The major sources of vibrations include momentum wheels, solar array drives, other rotary mechanical equipment, etc. These vibrations result in loss of the pointing precision and image quality of the payload through intricate transfer paths. To improve the accuracy of a satellite system with many vibration sources and complex transfer paths, it is necessary to determine the main transfer path of vibration. In this study, a path identification method is proposed and applied to the transfer system from the momentum wheel to the camera mount. First, the observer/Kalman filter identification (OKID) algorithm is used to acquire the state-space equation of each path subsystem. Then, the subsystem order is obtained based on the slope of the singular entropy increment. In the next phase, combined with the measured disturbance force of the momentum wheel, the displacement response of the target point is predicted. Finally, the dominant transfer path of vibration is achieved by calculating the vibration contribution of each path to the response point. The results indicate that the dominant transfer path is the axial path of the horizontal momentum wheel, which contributes to the vibration of the camera mount at most. Effective vibration reduction measures should be taken to this path to suppress the vibration signal. In comparing the identified displacement response with the finite element response of the camera mount under different noise conditions, the correlation coefficients are >0.85, which proves the accuracy and anti-noise capability of the identification method.
Enhancing the differentiation of walking and standing via the ratio of plantar pressures
Authors: Shen Jing Jin , Jin Xiao Xiao , Bao Shu Xing , Zhou Zhen Yu , Xu Feng Yu , Xu Rong Qing
Published: December 2021

Differentiation of standing and walking based on plantar pressures is helpful in developing strategies to reduce health risks in the workplace. In order to improve the differentiation ability, the paper proposes a new metric for posture differentiation, that is, the pressure ratio on the two anatomical plantar regions. The plantar pressures were collected from 30 persons during walking and standing. After verifying the normal distribution of the pressure ratio by the Monte Carlo method, two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted for the pressure ratios. The advantage of the pressure ratio over two conventional pressure metrics (the average pressure and the peak pressure) is demonstrated by its much larger size effect. Furthermore, the pressure ratio permits to establish value ranges corresponding to walking and standing, which are less influenced by specific person factors, thus facilitating the design of a standardized posture recognition system. The underlying mechanism underlying the pressure ratio is discussed from the aspect of biomechanics of movement.
Rotating tip clearance asymmetry and role of endwall injection in stability desensitization of a transonic fan
Authors: Khaleghi Hossein
Published: December 2021

The current study is aimed at understanding the effect of rotating tip clearance asymmetry on the operability and performance of a transonic compressor. Another objective of this investigation is to determine the influence of tip injection on reducing the detrimental effects of clearance asymmetry. Three dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–stokes simulations have been performed from choke to stall for different arrangements of non-uniform blade heights in a transonic fan. Furthermore, numerical computations have been conducted with endwall injection of air. The numerical results have been validated against experimental data. Results show that having the same mean tip clearance, the asymmetric compressor is less stable than the axisymmetric configuration. However, the peak pressure rise is found to be almost linearly correlated to the mean tip clearance for both the axisymmetric and asymmetric compressors. It is found that tip injection can desensitize the compressor to the tip clearance asymmetry. Results further reveal that tip clearance asymmetry does not change the compressor path to instability. However, endwall injection is found to be able to change the compressor stalling mode. Investigations concerning rotating non-uniformity (caused by non-uniform blade heights) are very few in open literature. The obtained results can assist in predicting the effect of rotating tip clearance asymmetry on the stability and performance of high-speed compressor rotors. Furthermore, the results uncover how tip injection can desensitize the compressor stability and affect its path into instability, which is one of the most important questions in the turbomachinery world.
Screening for cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus: Application of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in a Greek patient sample
Authors: Papastefanakis Emmanouil , Dimitraki Georgia , Ktistaki Georgia , Fanouriakis Antonis , Karamaouna Penny , Bardos Achilles , Kallitsakis Ioannis , Adamichou Christina , Gergianaki Irini , Repa Argyro , Bertsias George , Sidiropoulos Prodromos , Karademas Evangelos , Simos Panagiotis
Published: December 2021

Background

Cognitive impairment (CI) is one of the most frequent neuropsychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Given that extensive neuropsychological testing is not always feasible in routine clinical practice, brief cognitive screening tools are desirable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool for CI in SLE.

Methods

Consecutive SLE patients followed at a single centre were evaluated using MoCA and an extensive neuropsychological test battery (NPT), including the Digits Forward and Digits Backwards, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Memory Test, Trail Making Test, Stroop Colour-Word Test, Semantic and Phonetic Verbal Fluency tests and a 25-problem version of the General Adult Mental Ability test. The criterion validity of MoCA was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses using three different case definitions: i) against normative population data, ii) and iii) against average performance of a comparison group of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, to adjust for possible confounding effects of chronic illness and inflammatory processes on cognitive performance. The effect of patient-related (age, years of education, anxiety, depression, fatigue and pain) and disease-related (activity, damage, age at diagnosis, disease duration, use of glucocorticoid, psychotropic and pain medication) parameters on the MoCA was examined.

Results

A total of 71 SLE patients were evaluated. MoCA significantly correlated with all NPT scores and was affected by education level ( p < 0.001), but not by other demographic or clinical variables. The optimal cutoff for detecting CI, as defined on the basis of normative population data, was 23/30 points, demonstrating 73% sensitivity and 75% specificity. A cutoff of 22/30 points, using neuropsychological profiles of the RA group as inflammatory disease controls, exhibited higher sensitivity (100%, based on both definitions) and specificity (87% and 90%, depending on the definition). The standard cutoff of 26/30 points displayed excellent sensitivity (91–100%) with significant expenses in specificity (43–45%).

Conclusion

The MoCA is an easily applied tool, which appears to be reliable for identifying CI in SLE patients. The standard cutoff score (26/30) ensures excellent sensitivity while lower cutoff scores (22–23/30) may, also, provide higher specificity.
Comparing pregnancy outcomes in patients with criteria and non-criteria autoimmune disease: A systematic review
Authors: Muñoz Muñoz Candido , Ahmed Kawser , Thomas Mari , Cohen Hannah , Alijotas-Reig Jaume , Giles Ian
Published: December 2021

Background

Not all patients fulfil criteria for specific autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) and are then defined as having non-criteria (nc)ARD. It is uncertain whether well-recognised associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with criteria ARD also exist in patients with ncARD or undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). Therefore, we undertook a systematic review of the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in various ncARD and UCTD compared with criteria ARD to identify whether there are increased risks and to examine for any benefits of treatment.

Methods

This study was conducted in accordance with the guidance of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standard. A systematic literature review was performed using online databases including Medline and PubMed from inception to the beginning of April 2021 using appropriate keywords for various ARD and pregnancy outcomes.

Results

After screening 665 articles, 36 articles were chosen for full text review and 15 selected for final analysis. There were eight studies of nc antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) of more than 7000 pregnancies and seven studies of UCTD of more than 1000 pregnancies. No studies of any other ncARD in pregnancy were identified. We found that patients with either ncAPS or UCTD seem to have an increased burden of poor pregnancy outcomes compared with the general population. Despite the heterogeneity and poor quality of the studies, we also noted that ncAPS and criteria APS patients may have similar rates of obstetric complications with standard and/or non-standard APS treatment regimens.

Conclusion

Our findings of increased risks of poor pregnancy outcomes in patients with ncAPS or UCTD will be helpful for pre-pregnancy counselling and management of these patients in pregnancy and support their referral to specialist obstetric-rheumatology and obstetric-haematology clinics.
Functional response regression model on correlated longitudinal microbiome sequencing data
Authors: Chen Bo , Xu Wei
Published: December 2021

Functional regression has been widely used on longitudinal data, but it is not clear how to apply functional regression to microbiome sequencing data. We propose a novel functional response regression model analyzing correlated longitudinal microbiome sequencing data, which extends the classic functional response regression model only working for independent functional responses. We derive the theory of generalized least squares estimators for predictors’ effects when functional responses are correlated, and develop a data transformation technique to solve the computational challenge for analyzing correlated functional response data using existing functional regression method. We show by extensive simulations that our proposed method provides unbiased estimations for predictors’ effect, and our model has accurate type I error and power performance for correlated functional response data, compared with classic functional response regression model. Finally we implement our method to a real infant gut microbiome study to evaluate the relationship of clinical factors to predominant taxa along time.
The Working Culture of Legal Aid Lawyers: Developing a ‘Shared Orientation Model’
Authors: Cooke Emma
Published: December 2021

This paper critically explores the working culture of legal aid lawyers and develops a novel ‘Shared Orientation’ model to better understand contemporary legal aid work and its workers. Set within a context of changing professional identities, a shrinking industry and financial constraints, the paper draws on ethnographic and interview data conducted with a high-street firm, multiple courtrooms and a law centre. It examines the emerging relevance and applicability of this new conceptual lens, refocusing the gaze on working life in fissured legal workplaces. It is argued that the ‘Shared Orientation’ model upholds multiple functions. Firstly, it captures the cultural heterogeneity of the legal aid profession, across civil-criminal and solicitor-barrister remits alike. Secondly, the model functions as a form of cohesive coping mechanism in response to the changing professional identity of the legal aid lawyers. Moreover, the ‘Shared Orientation’ offers unity as a way of functioning in an otherwise fragmented profession through its preservation of working culture ideals.
Influence of the printing parameters on the properties of Poly(lactic acid) scaffolds obtained by fused deposition modeling 3D printing
Authors: Nascimento Abraão CD , Mota Raquel CDAG , Menezes Livia RD , Silva Emerson OD
Published: December 2021

3D printing techniques are of great interest in the sector of scaffold development aiming for bone tissue regeneration mainly due to the possibility of customizing the scaffold according to the area of the bone defect to be regenerated. Among the 3D printing techniques, the fused deposition modeling (FDM) stands out as promising because it does not require the use of solvents and toxic components throughout the manufacturing process of the scaffold. In this sense, the present article aims to evaluate the influence of the printing speed and the temperature of the printing head on the properties of poly(lactic acid) scaffolds. Three speeds of the printing head (4600 mm/min, 480 mm/min, and 500 mm/min) and two different extrusion temperatures (200oC and 220oC) were evaluated, maintaining the architecture and all other printing conditions constant. After obtaining the scaffolds, they were characterized by the following techniques: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR), compressive modulus, L929 cell viability, and enzymatic degradation. The results obtained showed that the increase in printing temperature and speed was able to influence some properties of the material: increase crystallinity, compressive modulus, thermal resistance, and reduce molecular mobility and enzymatic degradation rate of the scaffolds. These findings are promising and indicate that, by altering only the basic parameters of 3D printing, it is possible to modulate the properties of the scaffolds obtained, to achieve greater crystallinity and a superior compressive modulus.
Effects of recovered brown alumina filler loading on mechanical, hygrothermal and thermal properties of glass fiber–reinforced epoxy polymer composite
Authors: Sabarinathan P , Annamalai VE , Rajkumar K , Vishal K
Published: December 2021

This study investigates the efficiency of recovered brown alumina (RBA) particles filled in epoxy glass-fiber composites. The RBA particles were obtained from grinding wheel rejects with the help of the mechanical crushing process. Recovered particles finer than 120 grit were used as particulate filler for composite preparation. Composites were processed through a hand-layup technique by varying RBA filler loading percentages (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt.%) in a glass fiber–reinforced epoxy matrix. Physical, mechanical, water absorption, and thermal properties of the composites were tested experimentally. By suitable addition of RBA, it is possible to tailor the shore-D hardness, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and maximum degradation temperature. The 20%-filled RBA composite shows the maximum flexural strength of 382 MPa, and the shore-D hardness value was 85. The fracture surface shows a failure mechanism dominated by matrix cracking and debonding of fiber/particles from the interface. Hygrothermal testing of the RBA20-filled composite reveals 9% and 4% reduction in tensile and flexural properties. The thermal stability of the glass fiber–reinforced composite improves as the filler percentage increases. Maximum thermal stability of 435°C was observed in 20%-filled RBA polymer composite.
Biotribological performance of medical-grade UHMW polyethylene-based hybrid composite for joint replacement
Authors: Hussain Omar , Ahmad Babar , Sheikh Shahid Saleem
Published: December 2021

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is widely used for articulating surfaces in total hip and knee replacements. In the present work, the tribological properties of UHMWPE-based nano composites were studied in order to meet the demands of current bearing applications. UHMWPE matrix reinforced with 0.5, 1, and 2 weight percentage of alumina nano powder were fabricated by hot pressing. The dispersion and microstructure of composite material was established by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrograph. The tests were carried out on a reciprocating sliding pin-on-disc tribometer at human body temperature (37±1°C) under dry and human serum lubricating environments for a normal load of 46 N and 52 N, a constant sliding speed of 4 mm. Under these testing conditions, it has been observed that the wear behavior of the developed composites improved with increase in weight percentage of alumina nano powder. The results show that at 52 N load, the maximum value of wear rate was 7.9x10−7 mm3/Nm and the minimum value 1.6x10−7 mm3/Nm was obtained. SEM was used to examine the worn surface and it was observed that human serum adheres to the surface of the composite pins upon sliding, resulting in the formation of a film which results in better wear resistance of the composite pins under human serum lubrication than dry sliding. This study implies that the use of nano alumina power will reduce the wear of UHMWPE based composite under human serum lubrication.
The Role of Crowdfunding for New Funding Challenges in Public Universities: An Italian Case Study
Authors: Madeo Elena
Published: December 2021

This article aims to understand how the public higher education sector is dealing with new challenges, like sustainability in services provision and delivery, which means to fulfil all the functions of a university. In order to fulfil their mission and be sustainable, the public higher education sector should start an innovation process, through which they can improve their resilience to socio-economic changes. Obviously, this involves new conditions in terms of service production, which can turn into co-production, collaboration within and outside the university’s organizational borders, and, eventually, partnerships with other organizations. This research studies in deep all these topics by investigating the case study of an Italian university, which has developed its own crowdfunding platform in order to sustain its functions. The results show some of the changes within the public universities’ fundraising culture. Moreover, though the results relate to the context of analysis, it would be interesting to develop this study by comparing public universities located in different countries.