bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Covid-19: Globalization—Will the Course Change?
Authors: Thangavel Packiaraj , Pathak Pramod , Chandra Bibhas
Published: January 2021

The year 2020 will go down in world history as a time of great struggle. The Covid-19 pandemic has put a screeching halt to economic activities and movement of people across the globe. The difficulties associated with detecting and isolating asymptotic carriers, who are otherwise unaware that they are infected, undoubtedly facilitate the spread of virus in manifold. This article focuses on the speculations the pandemic caused on the future of globalization. The current movements, which were triggered by Covid-19, have given legitimate reasons to mistrust globalization. Many countries around the globe began to realize their over-dependence on other countries and struggle to meet their local customer needs now. Many are emphasizing the grave dangers associated with over-dependence on global value chains especially those controlled by China, leading to criticizing globalization. And the national leaders too followed suit to propagate protectionism and self-reliance.

Globalization has given way to recent frustrations and concerns which cannot be quietened by reminding the benefits it brought. And crying for de-globalization is also not going to solve the issues the humanity faces. Isolation is a strategy that works only to stop the spread of a pandemic, but collectivism can help in counter and emerge from it stronger. The 2001 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan had rightly said once that ‘arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity’. Collective actions of the countries only can meet global challenges such as climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation and cyber-attacks. No single nation on its own can make itself secure and self-reliant. Nobody can predict the next crisis. But the most reliable and efficient insurance by far is to build strong international exchange cooperation to safeguard the humanity.
Preschooling in India: Readying Children for a Race?
Authors: Majumdar Manabi , Mukhopadhyay Rahul , Das Baidehi
Published: January 2021

Drawing on field-based research in selected government-run and private preschool centres in three selected districts of the Indian state of West Bengal, this article makes four basic arguments. First, there is a need to both defend public provisioning of early childhood education for equity goals and demand its major improvement on quality grounds. Second, an early start to education often turns out to be an unfitting start, as it already mimics a full school with its excessive focus on formal instruction and readiness for competition. Third, to assess early-years learning, therefore, we need to focus on children’s cognitive diversity rather than taking a restrictive and test-centric view of cognition. Fourth, we need a democratic framework of thought to collectively address some of these vexed issues and re-examine our current imagination of education, even preschool education, as a race.
Establishing a Corporate Responsibility Ombudsman: Enhancing remedy through state-based non-judicial mechanisms?
Authors: Saloranta Juho
Published: January 2021

This article assesses the efficiency of non-judicial grievance mechanisms in providing victims of corporate human rights violations with improved access to remedy. As no such mechanism is currently available, this article formulates a proposal for a new mechanism in the form of a corporate responsibility ombudsman, which would offer a great deal of flexibility as well as being an inexpensive, expeditious and informal manner of dealing with such issues.

The article argues in favour of utilizing states’ regulatory arsenal to improve victims’ access to remedy extraterritorially. Based on recent international developments, I elaborate approaches to human rights due diligence regulation and export credit financing by means of two corporate responsibility ombudsman proposals.

In relation to these proposals, I divide the effectiveness criteria of Principle 31 of the United Nations Guiding Principles into three main categories: empowerment, investigation and enforcement. Since obtaining sufficient evidence is of paramount to those seeking remedies for violations of corporate responsibility, states should bestow quasi-judicial powers on corporate responsibility ombudsmen to achieve efficiency, which could also create legitimacy.

This article provides decision-makers and scholars with insights into how access to remedy could be synchronized with the momentum of human rights due diligence legislation in the European Union and beyond.
Beyond Virtual Classrooms: Exploring Feelings in the Social World
Authors: Liu Chiao-Wei
Published: January 2021

In this column, I continue to focus on creating supportive relationships in the virtual classroom amid the pandemic and growing social unrest. As many schools continue to shift between hybrid and remote learning, I ask, how do we address our own and students’ emotional well-being to promote active learning during the pandemic? How can we as teachers help students cope with this chronic stressor, be it the COVID-19 pandemic or the racial inequality? I share my own personal experiences and argue that affect/feelings/emotions are embodied thoughts imbricated with social values and often involved in the preservation of social expectations and power relations. I suggest that educators recognize affect/feelings/emotions as a critical part of students’ embodied experiences, encourage students to attend to their surrounding world and live their life with heightened consciousness and reflectiveness. I end this column with a few curriculum ideas for readers to consider.
Improving Student Presentation Skills Using Asynchronous Video-Based Projects
Authors: Namin Aidin , Ketron Seth C. , Kaltcheva Velitchka D. , Winsor Robert D.
Published: January 2021

Given the central role that excellent presentation skills plays in management, methods for better developing these skills represent an important area of focus in business education. Rapidly evolving distributed (distance) technologies have compelled businesses to reimagine practices in most areas, and presentations are no exception. In the present study, we examine the potential advantages of video presentations—not from the perspective of the audience, but rather from the perspective of the student as immersed in the process of developing individual presentation skills. We crafted a course project where students collaborate to create a video presentation, replacing a more traditional in-class presentation. To test the effectiveness of this new approach, we conducted a study in which measures from multiple course sections using either the new video creation approach or the traditional presentation approach were compared. For the former, we found a significant improvement in students’ presentation skills on five dimensions (central message, supporting material, language, organization, and delivery) as evaluated with the authoritative Oral Communication VALUE Rubric developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. We describe the project and the study, and end the article with lessons learned and recommendations for expanding the project’s applications to other courses.
Effect of Metformin on Circulating Levels of Inflammatory Markers in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Karbalaee-Hasani Amir , Khadive Tooka , Eskandari Mahsa , Shahidi Shabnam , Mosavi Maryam , Nejadebrahimi Zivar , Khalkhali Lida , Sangdari Amirhossein , Mohammadi Davoud , Soltani Ali , Khodabandehloo Hadi , Hosseini Hossein , Koushki Mehdi
Published: January 2021

Background:

Emerging evidence indicates that metformin has anti-inflammatory effect; however, the results differ concerning randomized controlled trails of the effect of metformin on inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients.

Objective:

This study reassessed the data on the effect of metformin treatment on inflammatory markers in T2D patients through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

A systematic search was performed in the PubMed, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases to collect relevant published data up to September 2020. Data of each study was combined using random-effects model. Subgroup analysis was performed based on subgroups of the treatment duration, dose and target population.

Results:

Thirteen RCTs including 1776 participants with T2D were analyzed. Although CRP levels significantly decreased [SMD: –0.76 mg/L; 95% CI (–1.48, –0.049); P = 0.036] in patients with T2D following metformin treatment, circulating levels of TNF-α [SMD: –0.17 pg/mL; 95% CI (–0.55, 0.20); P = 0.37] and IL-6 [SMD: –0.06 pg/mL; 95% CI (–0.38, 0.25); P = 0.69] were insignificant after metformin treatment. Compared to treatment duration of less than 24 weeks, longer treatment duration (more than 24 weeks) was associated with reduced level of CRP.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice:

Based on available evidence from RCTs in this meta-analysis, metformin decreased CRP level. However, strategies for the treatment of inflammation should focus on metformin in patients with T2D.

Conclusion:

The present study evidences that therapy with metformin can reduce CRP level significantly in T2D patients compared to other inflammatory markers.
Nuclear Insulinoma-Associated Protein 1 Expression as a Marker of Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Neoplasms of the Breast
Authors: Seijnhaeve Elsa , Galant Christine , Van Bockstal Mieke R.
Published: January 2021

Insulinoma-associated protein-1 (INSM1), a transcription factor encoded by the insulinoma associated-1 gene, is a second-generation biomarker of neuroendocrine differentiation. Its sensitivity and specificity in comparison with chromogranin-A and synaptophysin have been extensively validated in several organs, but evidence regarding its expression in mammary neoplasms is limited. In this study, INSM1 immunohistochemistry was validated in a cohort of 22 mammary neoplasms, enriched with special type breast carcinomas with known neuroendocrine differentiation as determined by immunohistochemistry for synaptophysin and chromogranin-A. Subsequently, INSM1 expression was evaluated in a consecutive series of 66 invasive breast cancer biopsies. In the validation cohort, 14 tumors were synaptophysin-positive, of which all but one showed INSM1 immunoreactivity. Eight tumors were synaptophysin-negative, of which 3 showed focal nuclear INSM1 expression. Six tumors were chromogranin-A-positive, of which one was INSM1-negative. When compared with synaptophysin, INSM1 seems more sensitive but less specific than chromogranin-A. In the biopsy cohort, only one invasive carcinoma of no special type showed substantial INSM1 immunoreactivity (ie, 25% of the tumor cells). Three more cases showed 1% nuclear INSM1 staining. We conclude that neuroendocrine differentiation in invasive breast carcinoma of no special type is a rare finding. Immunohistochemical biomarkers, comprising INSM1 as well as the first-generation biomarkers chromogranin-A and synaptophysin, are useful to distinguish neuroendocrine differentiation in breast neoplasms. The identification of neuroendocrine differentiation can be helpful to establish the diagnosis of special type breast carcinomas such as solid papillary carcinoma.
Cross-Study, Cross-Method Associations Between Negative Urgency and Internalizing Symptoms
Authors: King Kevin M. , Halvorson Max A. , Kuehn Kevin S. , Feil Madison C. , Lengua Liliana J.
Published: January 2021

There is a small body of research that has connected individual differences in negative urgency, the tendency to report rash actions in response to negative emotions, with self-report depressive and anxiety symptoms. Despite the conceptual overlap of negative urgency with negative emotionality, the tendency to experience frequent and intense negative emotions, even fewer studies have examined whether the association of negative urgency with internalizing symptoms hold when controlling for negative emotionality. In the current study, we estimated the bivariate association between negative urgency and internalizing symptoms, tested whether they remained significant after partialling out negative emotionality, and tested whether these effects generalized to real-time experiences of negative emotions. We used data from five independent samples of high school and college students, assessed with global self-report ( n = 1,297) and ecological momentary assessment ( n = 195). Results indicated that in global self-report data, negative urgency was moderately and positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and the partial association with depressive symptoms (but not anxiety symptoms) controlling for negative emotionality remained significant and moderate in magnitude. This pattern was replicated in ecological momentary assessment data. Negative urgency may convey risk for depressive symptoms, independent of the effects of negative emotionality.
The Impact of Restaurant Innovativeness on Consumer Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Perceived Quality
Authors: Kim Eojina , Nicolau Juan L. , Tang Liang (Rebecca)
Published: January 2021

Although hospitality industry has consistently invested resources in innovation, the path by which a brand’s innovativeness influences consumers’ loyalty remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to establish a research model that represents the relationships of customers’ perceived restaurant’s innovativeness at brand level, perceived quality, and levels of loyalty. Specifically, five subdimensions (differentiation, dynamic brand, innovativeness brand, new leader, and idea generator) measure restaurant’s innovativeness at brand level. Perceived quality consists of the food and service aspects. The result shows that among brand innovativeness, differentiation predicts better loyalty whereas dynamic brand, innovativeness brand, new leader, and idea generator are less effective, with mediating effects of food quality and service quality. This outcome potentially expands the theoretical foundation of brand innovativeness in the hospitality discipline, while providing a promising marketing approach that empowers patrons with brand innovativeness through differentiation.
International Virtual Collaboration in Advertising Courses: Building International and Intercultural Skills From Home
Authors: Mundel Juan
Published: January 2021

This article describes how an international education component for an Advertising and Society course was developed and taught for undergraduate students through a virtual collaboration between American and Dutch universities. The creation and implementation of a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project for a major requirement course in the Public Relations and Advertising sequence is described. The project was implemented in a 4-week time frame and consisted of three different phases: an empathy-building phase, development of the core assignment, and a reflection stage. These phases are summarized in the article, and an overview of the course materials is provided and recommendations for educators interested in developing similar efforts are discussed.
All Guest Speakers Are Not Created Equal: Diverse Students Require Diverse Speakers
Authors: Craig Clay M. , Bergstrom Andrea M. , Buschhorn Jenny
Published: January 2021

The importance of staying relevant when teaching advertising courses is hardly a new concept, nor is the use of inviting guest speakers to achieve this goal. However, empirically assessing advertising students’ perceptions of guest speakers is an underexplored area. To address this gap and consider the perspectives of diverse student populations, this article analyzes data collected from an introductory advertising course at a large southern Hispanic-serving university ( N = 263). Results indicate students find value in having guest speakers, but not all speakers are created equal, and faculty need to strategically select who they invite and guide the presentation styles. Students prefer knowledgeable and passionate industry professionals as well as alumni who can share personal and industry examples. Gender and racial differences indicate women and Hispanic students have greater interest in learning from guest speakers. Additionally, first-generation (FG) college students demonstrated greater investment in guest speakers than non-FG college students.
Common and rare complications following filtering surgery for children with congenital glaucoma; a5 years study
Authors: Sayed Khulood Muhammad
Published: January 2021

Purpose:

To determine the incidence of postoperative complications following combined trabeculotomy trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (CTTM) for congenital glaucoma (CG), in addition to documentation of some unusual complications and possible ways to manage these complications safely with minimal morbidity.

Methods:

A retrospective observational study was performed on 190 eyes with CG had a CTTM procedure. Included eyes were operated upon between February 2015 and February 2020 in Sohag University Hospitals. Medical records were reviewed and postoperative complications were reported. Incidence of postoperative complications and their management were the main outcome measures

Results:

Early complications developed the form of shallow anterior chamber (AC) (16.3%), hyphema (10.5%), serous choroidal detachment (2%), hemorrhagic choroidal detachment (2%). Unusual and rare complications occurred in the form of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome, unilateral toxic keratopathy developed, vitreous hemorrhage (VH), intercalary staphyloma and decompression retinopathy Late complications included: high postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) (16.5%), thin cystic blebs (13.1%), hypotony disc edema (2%), cataract (3.2%), one eye developed blebitis and one eye developed endophthalmitis.

Conclusion:

Surgical management of CG is full of complications in early and late postoperative periods such as shallow AC, hyphema and thin cystic blebs. Some unusual and rare complications developed such as iatrogenic Cushing syndrome, unilateral toxic keratopathy, vitreous hemorrhage, intercalary staphyloma and decompression retinopathy. If identified early; all these complications could be managed properly leading to a successful and favorable outcome.
Tying multiple installments in a single storyworld: Visiting worldbuilding through Power Sphera Universe in Malaysian animation franchise, BoBoiBoy
Authors: Mohd Hasri Umar Hakim , Md Syed Md Azalanshah
Published: January 2021

This article examines the implementation of worldbuilding in the Malaysian animation franchise, BoBoiBoy, through the portrayal of ‘Power Sphera Universe’ across various installments. Worldbuilding refers to the creation of a fictional storyworld in which a set storyline(s) take place. Within the scope of storytelling, worldbuilding plays an integral role as it enables a storyworld to sustain or encompass multiple storylines that were produced for various media platforms. This study will argue that the portrayal of ‘Power Sphera Universe’ in various installments across the BoBoiBoy animation franchise ensures that the encapsulated and uniquely developed stories remain interrelated to one another, allowing the audience to enhance their understanding and comprehension over the overall transmedia storyworld. The discussion will visit the utilization of contextualizing devices as a primary means of worldbuilding across several storylines within the BoBoiBoy animation franchise
Utilization of waste vegetable oil methyl esters as lubricant oil
Authors: Öncü Güler , Durak Ertuğrul
Published: January 2021

Increasing environmental awareness and threats to the environment have made the recycling of biomass products necessary. The goal of this paper is to study the tribological properties of fatty acid methyl esters derived from waste frying oils under different lubrication conditions. For this purpose, the performance of candidate fatty acid methyl esters was compared with a mineral base oil. For the determination of tribological properties, a pin-on-disc wear tester was used. The experiments were carried out in three replications at different loads (5, 10, and 15 N) and different sliding speeds (100, 300, and 600 r/min) and a 1000 m sliding distance under dry, boundary-mixed, and fluid lubrication conditions. After the wear amount of the test specimens was determined by the mass loss method, their Archard wear indexes were calculated. Scanning electron microscopy surface images were used for visual analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy images for chemical analysis. The surface contact angles and surface tensions of the lubricant test specimens were also measured experimentally. In all experimental results, it has been found that the tribological properties of used frying oil fatty acid methyl esters such as friction, wear, and surface adhesion are generally better than the base oil under all lubrication conditions. Fatty acid methyl esters is a biodegradable, recycling, and environmentally friendly product and can be confirmed as a lubricant and/or an oil additive candidate.
Portraits of courage: Caught in the sovereign’s gaze
Authors: Wagner-Pacifici Robin
Published: January 2021

Reversing the normal vector of sovereign representation, former US President George W. Bush is engaged in an ongoing project of painting his former subjects, hundreds of portraits of wounded US veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This article explores what it means to have a sovereign observe and render in oil the very subjects he sent to war. It will track the politically vexed communicative exchanges of deference, recognition, power, and identity in such portrait making. Furthermore, assessing the meaning of the invitation to wounded veterans to be painted by one’s former Commander in Chief, the article raises complex issues of victimhood and responsibility. Asking the questions, ‘Who gets to look at whom?’ and ‘Who gets to render whom?’, the article takes as its model Foucault’s analysis of the troubled ‘reciprocal visibility’ in Velazquez’s painting, Las Meninas.
Beyond the core: Do ethnic parties ‘reach out’ in power-sharing systems?
Authors: Murtagh Cera , McCulloch Allison
Published: January 2021

While power-sharing arrangements are often commended for establishing peaceful relations between major ethnic groups, they are also criticised for excluding ‘Others’. Nevertheless, more complex forms of party competition can emerge in power-sharing systems, including parties representing the dominant communities (‘ethnic parties’) seeking to engage Others (‘non-dominant’ groups). Drawing on semi-structured interviews with parties from Northern Ireland, we examine the extent to which dominant parties reach beyond their core ethnic constituencies, how and why. We consider increasingly salient non-sectarian issues, such as marriage equality and abortion, and explore how ethnic parties have sought to respond to these debates. We consider whether liberal forms of power-sharing influence the willingness of dominant parties to advance inclusion of non-dominant groups. Our findings suggest that under favourable conditions, flexible power-sharing can create space for incremental moves by ethnic parties to reach out to constituencies beyond their core, gradually moving the system towards more inclusive representation.
Managing volatile asymmetry: China’s emergence from the Korean dilemma
Authors: Ren Xiao
Published: January 2021

Among the most complicated issues in contemporary Chinese foreign policy is that of the Korean Peninsula and North Korea in particular. Critics have long complained, often internally, that China dare not use, and did not know how to use, the leverage it possessed. Why was this the case given that the relationship with North Korea is an asymmetric one with China the much more powerful side? Has China managed this asymmetry better more recently, and why? This article tries to address these questions. The relationship changed significantly in recent years when the Xi Jinping leadership decided to take unprecedented measures. Those actions have been consequential. China has emerged from being embarrassed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile development to re-establishing itself as central to Korean and Northeast Asian security.
China and southeast Asia in the 2000s: Tension management in the maritime space
Authors: Daojiong Zha , Gong Lina
Published: January 2021

Viewed through the standard prisms of international politics, escalation of security tensions is the definitive feature in the evolution of relations between China and Southeast Asia over the last decade. Disagreements over territorial ownership of and rights to the South China Sea sharpened and arguably became the defining feature of regional geopolitics. Yet, China and Southeast Asia have also managed to prove predictions of fateful conflict to be premature. In this article, we study Chinese and Southeast Asian strands of security discourse, which provide political and diplomatic cover for cooperative interaction in parallel with little or no compromise on security principles. Then we select interactions between China and the Philippines and China and Vietnam as cases to illustrate our observations. We conclude by postulating that, at least in the maritime space, tension management rather than conflict resolution is more likely to be the continuing feature into the future.
Approximate analysis of quadrilateral slabs having various cases of boundary conditions and aspect ratios
Authors: Alhassan Mohammad A , Al rousan Rajai Z , Hejazi Moheldeen A , Amaireh Layla K
Published: January 2021

This paper provides an approximate analysis of quadrilateral slabs having various cases of aspect ratios and boundary conditions based on actual two-way action. Nine slabs with different boundary conditions, each having 11 aspect ratios were analyzed using SAP2000 software, thereafter, robustly validated against mathematical solutions. In this article, the hydrostatic point phenomenon was established as a reference point for identifying the slabs with actual two-way action and as a growth reference for other cases. This allows for the use of growth models for the hydrostatic and deviatoric moment tensors. The innovative selection of the extreme positive point moment facilitates the introduction of materials nonlinearity into the design. The plate shorter dimension was used for moment normalization in both directions to preserve the directional influence of the dimensions and to isolate the hydrostatic phenomenon. Through starting at a point of hydrostatic phenomenon occurrence and via fixing one of the plate’s dimensions and extending the other (for any boundary conditions), the extreme point’s Mohr circle develops from the hydrostatic point phenomenon as a growth in the hydrostatic component and drastic growth in the deviatoric component. Subsequently, the largest principal moment develops a higher magnitude as the aspect ratio increases. Furthermore, the non-identical boundary conditions on two perpendicular directions result in a deviation of the two-way action.
A fractal micro-electromechanical system and its pull-in stability
Authors: Tian Dan , He Chun-Hui
Published: January 2021

Pull-in instability occurs in a micro-electromechanical system, and it greatly hinders its normal operation. A fractal modification is suggested to make the system stable in all operation period. A fractal model is established using a fractal derivative, and the results show that by suitable fabrication of the micro-electromechanical system device, the pull-in instability can be converted into a novel state of pull-in stability.
Mapping #MeToo: A synthesis review of digital feminist research across social media platforms
Authors: Quan-Haase Anabel , Mendes Kaitlynn , Ho Dennis , Lake Olivia , Nau Charlotte , Pieber Darryl
Published: January 2021

A tweet by Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano using Tarana Burke’s phrase “me too” sparked a global movement. Despite the media attention #MeToo has garnered, little is known about how scholars have studied the movement. Through a synthesis review covering sources from 2006 to 2019, we learned that in this time period only 22 studies examined participation on social media such as Twitter and Facebook. We conclude that more research needs to be conducted, particularly to fill a gap in qualitative studies that directly engage individuals, to learn about their experiences with the movement. While #MeToo is a global movement, the omission of any reference to geography or a lack of geographic diversity suggests a narrow focus on scholarship based in the Global North. There is a need for more cross-cultural analysis to gain a better understanding of the movement as it evolves over time and moves into different spaces.
Establishing a clinical psychology team within the orthognathic service: A triad model of orthodontic, maxillofacial and psychological care
Authors: Casey Christine , Sharma Pratik K , Ali Nayeem , Taylor Nicola , Priestley Charlotte , Kingsley Marc , Royan Lindsay
Published: January 2021

The importance of psychological support for orthognathic patients has taken an increasing precedence over recent years and is embedded in orthognathic commissioning guidelines. Furthermore, attention towards mental health-related conditions and their management is of prime importance and continues to be a key area of focus within healthcare settings. With this in mind, this paper aims to outline our experience of establishing a need for and subsequently securing funding to establish a clinical psychology service within an existing orthognathic service in the NHS. The information outlined may be of benefit to orthognathic teams seeking to secure such psychological support within their respective units.
‘Lasses are much easier to get on with’: The gendered labour of a female ethnographer in an all-male group
Authors: Haddow Kate
Published: January 2021

This article addresses the complexities of being a female ethnographer studying an all-male group, as well as the advantages and the effects this had on the researcher. It draws on research undertaken for a doctoral research project, employing ethnography and semi-structured interviews to explore ‘hidden’ food insecurity in the town of Middlesbrough, with predominantly male participants. The existing literature surrounding research and gender addresses the problems associated with gender differences in the field such as fitting in, sexualisation and sexist treatment and confinement to traditional gender roles. This research highlighted many problems associated with being a female ethnographer but that ultimately gender was beneficial in gaining and maintaining access to the field. It concludes by arguing for academia to develop the notion of ‘hidden ethnography’, alongside a recognition that researchers should be supported emotionally in problems they face in the field.
Establishing priorities for psychosocial supports and services among family carers of people with dementia in Ireland
Authors: Teahan Áine , Carney Patricia , Cahill Suzanne , O’Shea Eamon
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Many family carers, particularly those caring for people with dementia, report significant personal and social challenges associated with caring. The aim of this article is to identify the range of challenges experienced by family carers of people with dementia and to ascertain their preferences for various supports and services that address those challenges.

Method

Three modified nominal group technique (NGT) focus groups were conducted with family carers of people with dementia. The NGT groups were conducted with 17 participants in two stages, focusing separately on personal and social domains. Family carers identified challenges and individually ranked preferences for both existing and new services and supports. Data analysis consisted of qualitative content analysis and summative scoring of individual rankings.

Findings

Family carers identified the following personal-level challenges: needing a break, social isolation and relationship changes. Family carers’ combined preferences for personal-level supports and services to overcome these challenges were day care, family care support groups, short-term respite, long-break respite and social activities. Social challenges referenced by family carers included finances, rights and entitlements and stigma and awareness. Preferences for supports and services to address these social challenges were non–means-tested carer’s allowance, legal recognition, carer’s support grant, monthly wage and community awareness programmes.

Conclusion

Participants ranked day care and non–means-tested carer’s allowance as their top priorities under personal and social headings. Increased government investment in these two areas would not only help to maintain family carers’ contributions to community-based care in dementia but would also facilitate social inclusion, social connectedness and economic sustainability.
Cruising landscape-objects: inland waterway guidebooks and wayfinding with them
Authors: Duggan Mike
Published: January 2021

This article introduces inland waterway guidebooks as cultural objects that deserve further attention from cultural geographers who have begun to shed light on inland waterway cultures in recent years. It contributes to the wider disciplines long-standing interests in representations and representational objects, and more recently the interest in studying representations and their relations to everyday forms of practice. Focusing on a popular series of waterway guide, the Collins/Nicholson Waterways guides, I employ textual and visual analysis alongside an autoethnographic account of using these guides to examine what waterway guidebooks are, how they represent waterway spaces and how they are used in the practices of wayfinding on a narrowboat. By doing so I argue that waterway guides are powerful objects of representation that can tell us much about how waterway spaces are represented and how they are experienced with a guide in hand from the perspective of boat users. In laying out these arguments, I build on the notion of the travelling landscape-object to develop a theory of cruising landscape-objects, which I define as waterway guides that both represent, (re)produce and circulate waterway spaces at the same time as they are representational and material objects that can co-constitute wayfinding practices on the water.
Virtual HRD’s Role in Crisis and the Post Covid-19 Professional Lifeworld: Accelerating Skills for Digital Transformation
Authors: Bennett Elisabeth E. , McWhorter Rochell R.
Published: January 2021

The Problem.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented crisis to a world already undergoing digital transformation. Millions of people began working virtually to prevent the spread of disease and to maintain business continuity, suddenly participating in virtual human resource development (VHRD) and alternative work strategies that helped organizations adapt to current challenges and prepare for future disruption. The purpose of this article is to analyze VHRD’s role in the crisis and the transition to a new era marked by further disruption and change.

The Recommendation.

This article provides a primer for understanding the environmental perspective of VHRD, analyzes reskilling and upskilling trends during the pandemic and for early stages of the fourth industrial revolution, and addresses learning, adaptation, cultural, workplace, and economic implications. We argue that many of the changes to the workplace were already underway, but the pandemic has accelerated transformation. For this reason, organizations must anticipate more digital transformation, strategize VHRD, and leverage learning assets to prepare for the future.

The Stakeholders.

This article is of interest to those helping their organizations to not only recover from crisis, but to thrive in a new era of work that is being fundamentally transformed by technology. The audience includes organizational leaders, HRD professionals, workers, scholars, as well as school personnel seeking to prepare learners for future career conditions.
Comparative studies on the effect of fabric structure on mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites
Authors: Ma Zhenyu , Zhang Pingze , Zhu Jianxun
Published: January 2021

The application of carbon fiber/epoxy composites places more requirements on the selection of fabrics to meet the needs of structural components. Due to the large design space for reinforced fabric patterns, the relationship between the reinforcements and properties is essential to further understand. Four typical fabrics were manufactured in this research, named non-interlaced bidirectional fabrics, plain weave laminated fabrics, angle-interlock fabrics and bidirectional angle-interlock fabrics. The structural features of fabrics were analyzed by using representative geometric unit, and the symmetry properties were discussed based on group theory. Vacuum assistant resin transfer molding was adopted to obtain the corresponding resin matrix composite specimens. Quasi-static tensile and bending tests were conducted on these specimens. The stress-strain curves of specimens were illustrated, and the failure characterizations were also analyzed in mesoscopic scale. The results showed that the high crimp of yarns reduced the stability of composites. Both the tensile and flexural properties were affected by the curvature of yarns. The research results provided a theoretical basis for the selection of fabric structure and the application of carbon fiber/epoxy composites.
Identification of Circ_001569 as a Potential Biomarker in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Shen Xianbo , Chen Yun , Li Jibin , Huang Huaiyin , Liu Chuping , Zhou Ning
Published: January 2021

Emerging evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) serve as a promising biomarker in different malignancies. Specifically, circ_001569 has been found to be upregulated in some types of human gastrointestinal cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate clinical significances, diagnostic and prognostic values of circ_001569 in pancreatic cancer (PC), and identify its effects on the malignant behaviors of PC cells. The expression of circ_001569 was determined in 26 tissues samples and 97 plasma samples from PC patients by qRT-PCR. Relationship between circ_001569 expression and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed by Chi-square test. Diagnostic and prognostic values of circ_001569 were evaluated by ROC curves, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox regression analysis. The effects of circ_001569 on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of PC cells were assessed by MTT, wound healing, Transwell invasion assays, and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. Results showed that the expression of circ_001569 was upregulated in tissues and plasma of PC patients. High circ_001569 level was positively correlated with lymphatic metastasis, clinical stage, and venous invasion. Circ_001569 level was an independent prognostic indicator for overall survival rates of PC patients, and patients with high circ_001569 level had a poor prognosis. The AUC of circ_001569 was 0.716 (95% CI: 0.642-0.790) with a sensitivity and specificity of 62.76% and 74.29%, respectively. In vitro, circ_001569 silencing decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but promoted cell apoptosis of PC cells. Our data demonstrate that high circ_001569 level associates with tumor malignant behaviors, and may serve as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of PC.
Identification of crack development in granite under triaxial compression based on the acoustic emission signal
Authors: Wang Tianzuo , Wang Linxiang , Xue Fei , Xue Mengya
Published: January 2021

To explore the development mechanism of cracks in the process of rock failure, triaxial compression tests with simultaneous acoustic emission monitoring were performed on granite specimens using the MTS rock mechanics test system. The frequency-domain information of the acoustic emission signal was obtained by the fast Fourier transform. The Gutenberg–Richter law was used to calculate the acoustic emission signals and obtain the b-value dynamic curve in the loading process. Combined with the stiffness curve of granite specimens and acoustic emission signal in the time domain and frequency domain, the crack development characteristics in different stages were analyzed. The results showed that the acoustic emission signals of granite samples under triaxial compression can be divided into four stages: quiet period 1, active stage 1, quiet period 2, and active stage 2. b-value attained its maximum value in the active phase 2 when it is close to the sample loss, and then drops rapidly, which means the propagation of cracks and the formation of large cracks. The acoustic emission signal’s dominant frequency was not more than 500 kHz, mostly concentrated in the medium-frequency band (100–200 kHz), which accounted for more than 80%. The proportion of signals in each frequency band can reflect the distribution of the three kinds of cracks, while the change in low-frequency signals can reflect the breakthrough of microcracks and the formation time of macrocracks in granite samples. By fully analyzing the characteristics of acoustic emission signals in the time domain and frequency domain, the time and conditions of producing large cracks can be determined accurately and efficiently.
New Biparietal Bipolar Catheter Prototype for Hybrid Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
Authors: Matteucci Francesco , Maesen Bart , De Asmundis Carlo , Parise Gianmarco , Micali Linda Renata , Tuijthof Gabrielle , Gerits Peter , Vernooy Kevin , Maessen Jos G. , La Meir Mark , Gelsomino Sandro
Published: January 2021

Objective

To evaluate the size and depth of linear lesions by in vitro testing with a custom-made radio frequency biparietal bipolar ablation catheter in a single-stage setting.

Methods

A custom-made catheter was created to generate linear lesions around the left atrium and pulmonary veins of an ex vivo pig. Two frames were made, 1 epicardial and 1 endocardial. A continuous copper braid electrode and an alignment system consisting of 2 parallel rows of neodymium magnets were embedded in a flexible plastic support. After 24 hours of formalin conservation, samples of the left atrium of a freshly slaughtered pig were sliced in a cryotome, thus obtaining a sequence of 100-µm thick layers extending from the endocardial to the epicardial side. After being digitized through a scanner, these layers were evaluated using morphometric computer software. For each slice, we evaluated the maximum length of the lesions, the maximum epicardial length, the maximum endocardial length, the total area of the lesion, and the total volume.

Results

Forty transmural lesions from 40 specimens were obtained. The results were the following (the number in parenthesis is the interquartile range in mm): lesion maximum length ( L MAX) was 7.297 mm (0.006), epicardial maximum length ( L EPI) was 7.291 mm (0.014), and endocardial maximum length was 7.291 mm (0.018). The total area and total volume were 1018.50 ± 36.51 mm2 and 101.85 ± 3.65 mm3, respectively.

Conclusions

Our prototype showed very promising results. The next step will be to enhance the design for clinical application.
Courting Justice: Tracing the Evolution and Future of Domestic Violence Courts
Authors: Gover Angela R. , Boots Denise Paquette , Harper Shannon B.
Published: January 2021

Specialized domestic violence courts (DVCs) have been a popular judicial option for processing domestic violence (DV) offenders since the 1990s. While DVCs vary in structure, common core components for programming have emerged across courts in the United States concerning courtroom features and processes. This article reviews the etiology and history of specialty courts for intimate partner violence, discusses the common programming components implemented by courts nationwide, and provides an assessment of the efficacy of DVCs in holding offenders accountable while simultaneously protecting victim safety. Finally, the article discusses the ongoing challenges and implications with regard to community response to DVCs.
He awa whiria—A “Braided River”: An Indigenous Māori Approach to Mixed Methods Research
Authors: Martel Rhiannon , Shepherd Matthew , Goodyear-Smith Felicity
Published: January 2021

While literature on mixed methodology predominantly focuses on North American and European philosophical stances, non-Eurocentric worldviews and indigenous philosophies are also relevant to mixed methods research. This article aims to present the indigenous Māori worldview ( te ao Māori) and how this lends itself to mixed methods research, in a New Zealand European and Māori partnership, to conduct bicultural research. The authors use the Māori metaphor He awa whiria (braided river) to describe combining the strengths of two distinct worldviews into a “workable whole.” A framework brings together these two different paradigms as equals, incorporating both numerical and opinion-driven results. The authors illustrate this with a research example of creating a bicultural research framework, underpinned by mixed methods research philosophy.
Single Versus Dual Headless Compression Screw Fixation of Scaphoid Nonunions: A Biomechanical Comparison
Authors: Nicholson Luke T. , Sochol Kristen M. , Azad Ali , Alluri Ram Kiran , Hill J. Ryan , Ghiassi Alidad
Published: January 2021

Background:

Management of scaphoid nonunions with bone loss varies substantially. Commonly, internal fixation consists of a single headless compression screw. Recently, some authors have reported on the theoretical benefits of dual-screw fixation. We hypothesized that using 2 headless compression screws would impart improved stiffness over a single-screw construct.

Methods:

Using a cadaveric model, we compared biomechanical characteristics of a single tapered 3.5- to 3.6-mm headless compression screw with 2 tapered 2.5- to 2.8-mm headless compression screws in a scaphoid waist nonunion model. The primary outcome measurement was construct stiffness. Secondary outcome measurements included load at 1 and 2 mm of displacement, load to failure for each specimen, and qualitative assessment of mode of failure.

Results:

Stiffness during load to failure was not significantly different between single- and double-screw configurations ( P = .8). Load to failure demonstrated no statistically significant difference between single- and double-screw configurations. Using a qualitative assessment, the double-screw construct maintained rotational stability more than the single-screw construct ( P = .029).

Conclusions:

Single- and double-screw fixation constructs in a cadaveric scaphoid nonunion model demonstrate similar construct stiffness, load to failure, and load to 1- and 2-mm displacement. Modes of failure may differ between constructs and represent an area for further study. The theoretical benefit of dual-screw fixation should be weighed against the morphologic limitations to placing 2 screws in a scaphoid nonunion.