bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Phase Discrimination Methods and Snow Fraction Perturbations in Arid Regions of Northwest China
Authors: Saydi Muattar , Tang Guoping , Qin Yan , Fang Hong , Chen Xiaohua
Published: November 2020

Snow fraction has a direct impact on water resources in arid regions. The selection of proper methods for estimating snow fraction is thus essential. Two temperature-based and two humidity-based approaches to discriminate precipitation phase were evaluated using daily meteorological observations over the past six decades in Xinjiang in arid northwest China. The main findings included that 1) the finest discrimination was achieved by the wet-bulb temperature (Tw) method whereas the single temperature threshold at 0°C produces the poorest result; the performances of the Dai and humidity-dependent empirical method (TRH) methods were between them, with slightly lower error using the Dai method. Also, the Tw method is the least sensitive to regional heterogeneity and less affected by distinct changes in elevation; the other three methods, however, are biased mostly toward underestimating snow and show larger variations due to the regional discrepancies. Careful adjustment of snow discrimination thresholds based on the local properties of observation spots is needed for these methods. 2) Despite widespread warming, snow fraction perturbations in Xinjiang are characterized mainly by insignificant changes plus pronounced reductions at high mountain sites. Proxy drivers of such changes can be better explained by considering the hydrothermal diversity and changing climatic factors. Across the wetter subregions, snowfall has been significantly increasing, and the positive impact of which on snow fraction was hindered by significant warming, particularly in winter, and summer rainfall; across the drier subregions, however, insignificant change in snow fraction corresponds to a slow and insignificant increase in snowfall joined by the negative impacts of significant winter warming and summer rainfall.
Early Detection of Convective Echoes and Their Development Using a Ka-Band Radar Network
Authors: Yoshida Syo , Misumi Ryohei , Maesaka Takeshi
Published: November 2020

Cumulonimbus clouds, which cause local heavy rainfall and urban floods, can develop within 20 min after being detected by operational centimeter-wavelength (X-, C-, or S-band) weather radars. To detect such clouds with greater lead times, Ka-band radars at a wavelength of 8.6 mm together with operational X-band radars were used in this study. The vertically averaged radar reflectivity (VAR) of convective echoes detected by the Ka-band and X-band radars were defined as mesoscale cloud echoes (MCEs) and mesoscale precipitation echoes (MPEs), respectively. The time series of each echo was analyzed by an echo tracking algorithm. On average, MCEs that developed into MPEs (denoted as developed MCEs) were detected 17 min earlier than the MPEs and 33 min earlier than the peak time of the area-averaged VAR (VARa) for MPEs. Some MCEs dissipated without developing into MPEs (denoted as non-developed MCEs). There were statistically significant differences between the developed and non-developed MCEs in terms of the maximum VARa values, maximum MCEs areas, and increase amounts of the VARa values and MCE areas for the first 6–12 min after their detection. Among these indicators, the maximum VARa for the first 9 min showed the most significant differences. Therefore, an algorithm for predicting MCE development using this indicator is discussed.
The Expansion of Regulation in Welfare Governance
Authors: Benish Avishai , Levi-Faur David
Published: November 2020

This article provides an historical and theoretical account of the emerging regulatory welfare state, which is greatly understudied in contemporary regulatory and welfare research. We analyze the interplay between the welfare state and the regulatory state in an age in which regulation is expanding through liberalization, privatization, and the new public management of social services. We then provide a multi faceted framework for understanding the regulatory welfare state and discuss its implications in terms of 1) the normative social goals of the state; 2) the ways in which social policy is delivered through institutions; and 3) the implications of the framework for individuals’ rights and duties.
Measuring and Comparing the Regulatory Welfare State: Social Objectives in Public Procurement
Authors: Hartlapp Miriam
Published: November 2020

This article constructs an index that translates the substance of policy documents into numeric values across three dimensions of regulation—a qualitative assessment of policy substance, its potential impact, and enforcement of regulation—which aims to capture the strength of social objectives in the economy. It draws on theories of economic regulation and literature on the welfare state to develop a general understanding of social objectives. The use of the index is illustrated through public procurement regulation in two European countries (France and Germany) and shows an overall increase in the strength of social objectives. It also highlights systematic differences in country priorities in the regulation of their economy. The index demonstrates that social regulation can be measured and compared in a meaningful way within and across countries.
Missing in Action: Bridging Capital and Cross-Boundary Discourse
Authors: Lee Sora , Braithwaite Valerie
Published: November 2020

The regulatory welfare state illuminates path dependencies and tendencies to mutual growth in markets, welfare, and regulation. This article uses two specific welfare-to-work programs, one in Korea and one in Australia, to illustrate the institutional interconnections that are in play within the regulatory welfare state. Governance of these programs is hampered by lack of discursive capacity to identify where problems exist and how they can be fixed. When faced with new programs, implementers look to higher authorities to make sense of and to solve the problems on the ground, but authorities are blinded by old institutional categories that pit market mentalities against welfare mentalities with regulation as an ideological tool, rather than an integral part of solutions. Transparency and cross-boundary listening are necessary to create the bridging capital to make these programs work and reconnect democratically elected governments with their citizens.
Listening to formerly homeless youth
Authors: Edwards Earl J.
Published: November 2020

More than 1.5 million students experienced homelessness in the 2017-18 school year, but teachers receive little guidance on how to support them. Earl Edwards provides K-12 (particularly high school) teachers with an overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and concrete recommendations for how to better support youth experiencing homelessness in their pursuit to graduate high school. The recommendations are derived from a study that analyzed the experiences of 10 youth who experienced homelessness as high school students in Los Angeles County.
A Window into the Classroom: How Teachers Integrate Pronunciation Instruction
Authors: Darcy Isabelle , Rocca Brian , Hancock Zoie
Published: November 2020

This project analyzes teacher behavior using a corpus of 110 hours of recorded instruction in order to document the realities of second-language pronunciation instruction. Teachers of six intact classes were recorded during a seven-week oral communication course. Four classes implemented a focus on pronunciation that was integrated into the syllabus in one of two ways: form-focused (only) instruction (‘explicit’), or form-focused and communicative at the same time (‘communicative’). The other two did not have a specific focus on pronunciation (‘NSP’) and serve as the baseline. Our goal was to establish how much more time was spent on pronunciation when integrated compared to the NSP baseline, and to document how teachers implement various pedagogical choices while doing so. Our findings show that in the NSP groups, pronunciation instruction happened for a very short time and was mostly reactive. In comparison, the proportion of time with a pronunciation focus was 10 times greater in the integrated groups, where pronunciation-related episodes covered a quarter to a third of class time. Furthermore, a large portion of the integrated instruction was pre-planned, unlike in the NSP groups. The analysis of how this time was spent in the integrated groups further shows that aside from a core number of dedicated pronunciation lessons, a pronunciation focus was achieved by integrating activities with the course materials in variable ways and to varying degrees. This dataset shows that integrating pronunciation into existing syllabi is possible and does not happen at the expense of the other course goals. Therefore, integration appears to be a successful approach from a pronunciation instruction standpoint since the time accumulated also led to measurable improvements in comprehensibility after seven weeks for the observed students. We outline an integration model to help guide instructors towards implementing integrated pronunciation instruction even in courses without explicit pronunciation goals.
The Moral Burden on Economists: Darrick Hamilton’s 2017 NEA Presidential Address
Authors: Hamilton Darrick
Published: November 2020

In his 2017 presidential address to the National Economic Association (NEA), Professor Darrick Hamilton warned that treating economics as a morally neutral “science,” and the discipline’s limited attention to structural barriers and overemphasis individual agency, has resulted in bad economics, and bad policy particularly as it relates to racial disparity.
Design and experimental study of a novel 7-DOF manipulator for transrectal ultrasound probe
Authors: Zhang Yongde , Liang Dexian , Sun Liyi , Guo Xiaowei , Jiang Jingang , Zuo Sihao , Zhang Yanhua
Published: November 2020

Traditional hand-held ultrasound probe has some limitations in prostate biopsy. Improving the localization and accuracy of ultrasound probe will increase the detection rate of prostate cancer while biopsy techniques remain unchanged. This paper designs a manipulator for transrectal ultrasound probe, which assists doctors in performing prostate biopsy and improves the efficiency and accuracy of biopsy procedure. The ultrasound probe manipulator includes a position adjustment module that can lock four joints at the same time. It reduces operating time and improves the stability of the mechanism. We use the attitude adjustment module designed by double parallelogram RCM mechanism, the ultrasound probe can realize centering and prevent its radial motion. The self-weight balance design helps doctors operate ultrasound probe without weight. Using MATLAB to analyze the manipulator, the results show that the workspace of the mechanism can meet the biopsy requirements. And simulate the centering effect of the ultrasound probe when the attitude is adjusted at different feeding distances, the results show that the ultrasound probe is centering stability. Finally, the centering and joint interlocking tests of the physical prototype are completed. In this paper, a 7-DOF manipulator for transrectal ultrasound probe is designed. The mechanism is analyzed for kinematics, workspace analysis, simulation of centering effects, development of a physical prototype and related experimental research. The results show that the surgical demand workspace is located inside the reachable workspace of the mechanism and the joint locking of the manipulator is reliable.
A Pitfall in Prenatal Ultrasonic Detection of Submucous Cleft Palate
Authors: Hu Jia-Qi , Zhang Yu-Guo , Feng Wei , Shi Hua
Published: November 2020

Objective:

We present a case with prenatal diagnosis of submucous cleft palate (SMCP) which was described using 2- and 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography in utero.

Case Report:

A 25-year-old pregnant woman was referred to our department for fetal ultrasound screening. After the detection of cardiac and spinal malformations of fetal, further detailed examination detected SMCP, which showed a gap within the hard palate on axial transversal view with the soft palate visible on sagittal view. The imaging of a defective hard palate in prenatal 3D ultrasonography is similar to that in postmortem 3D computed tomography reconstruction.

Conclusion:

A gap within the hard palate and verification of the visibility of the soft palate should be key points in the prenatal diagnosis of SMCP. Three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging is helpful for displaying the shape and extent of the bony defect in SMCP.
From asymmetric dependency to discursive disengagement: How social movements and the media/public talked past each other
Authors: Cao Hao
Published: November 2020

Social movement-media/public interaction has been largely examined from the lens of “asymmetric dependency” in which both movements’ representation and self-understanding are mainly shaped by their media and public opinion environment. The introduction of digital technologies, however, has diversified this discursive environment and seemed to reverse the uneven dynamics. Using a case study of a protest campaign organized by Chinese American immigrants, this study demonstrates a new pattern of movement-media/public dynamics that goes beyond the “asymmetric dependency” model or its obverse. In the aftermath of a Chinese American police officer who shot a black man to death, Chinese immigrants stood with him and deliberated on WeChat, a China-based digital platform engineered like a “walled garden.” The technolinguistic enclosure of the platform facilitated the development of a separate interpretative universe in the WeChatsphere vis-à-vis the one in the mediasphere. Later, even when immigrant protesters confronted the public in the Twittersphere, they continued talking past each other. By unpacking the decoupling processes between movements and the media/public, this study shifts the research focus from understanding their interaction to examining their disengagement, as well as the “filter bubble” effects that contribute to contemporary fragmentation and polarization in political and civic engagements.
In the wake of logistics: Situated afterlives of race and labour on the Magdalena River
Authors: Zeiderman Austin
Published: November 2020

Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted aboard a cargo boat on Colombia’s Magdalena River, and on historical accounts of fluvial transport, this article examines the racial formations on which logistics depends. Logistics is organized around flows at the heart of capitalist modernity, which are made possible by labour regimes whose racial underpinnings have both persisted and changed over time. Tracking continuities and divergences in riverboat work along the Magdalena River, I propose that our understanding of logistics is enriched by attending to historical articulations of race and labour. Inspired by scholars who reckon with the afterlives of racial slavery as well as by those who track precisely how that legacy unfolds in geographically and historically situated ways, I propose the analytic of situated afterlives, which focuses attention on the persistence of racial hierarchies and on their perpetual instability.
Can’t you see I’m trying to help? Relationship satisfaction and the visibility and benefit of social support in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Kent de Grey Robert G. , Berg Cynthia A. , Tracy Eunjin L. , Kelly Caitlin S. , Lee Juwon , Lichtman Michelle L. , Butner Jonathan , Munion A. K. , Helgeson Vicki S.
Published: November 2020

Whether visible and invisible social support are beneficial depends on contextual factors, such as relationship satisfaction. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether differences in support provision are impactful in type 1 diabetes (T1D), which involves frequent opportunities for partners to provide support. We hypothesized that invisible support may be beneficial only when relationship satisfaction is high and also that relationship satisfaction may relate to greater visibility of provided support. We tested these hypotheses in a sample of 199 adult persons with T1D (PWD) and their spouses. Using a 14-day diary, PWD reported diabetes support from partners. Partners reported support provided. Invisible support was coded when PWD reported receiving no support, but partners reported providing it. If both PWD and their partner indicated support received/provided, the day was coded as visible support. Glucometers measured daily blood glucose. Participants reported baseline relationship satisfaction and daily positive and negative affect. Results indicated there were no main effects of support visibility on blood glucose or affect. Analyses showed invisible support was associated with lower mean blood glucose, smaller standard deviation of mean blood glucose, and lower average daily risk only when partner relationship satisfaction was high. Both spouses’ greater relationship satisfaction was associated with more visible and less invisible support. The results contribute to the literature on invisible support, by indicating that it may yield beneficial outcomes primarily when partners are more satisfied. Overall, however, invisible support might occur more in less satisfied relationships.
Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with transcranial direct current stimulation on motor function and cortex excitability in subacute stroke patients: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gong Yan , Long Xian-Ming , Xu Ying , Cai Xiu-Ying , Ye Ming
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To explore effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor function and cortex excitability in subacute stroke patients.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Inpatient hospitals.

Subjects:

Sixty-five participants were randomly assigned to four groups: sham, 1Hz rTMS, cathodic tDCS combined with 1Hz rTMS (tDCS-/rTMS-) and anodic tDCS combined with 1Hz rTMS (tDCS+/rTMS-).

Interventions:

Four interventions were used, including sham, 1Hz rTMS, and cathodal or anodal tDCS, followed by 1Hz rTMS over contralesional motor cortex, which continued for four weeks.

Main measures:

Outcome measures were motor function and cortical excitability, evaluated by Fugl-Meyer Assessment, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Barthel Index, resting Motion Threshold, Motor Evoked Potentials and Central Motor Conduction Time, assessed at baseline, four weeks and eight weeks.

Results:

At four weeks after interventions, Fugl-Meyer Assessment lower limb change score in tDCS+/rTMS- group was significantly larger than other three groups ( P < 0.001). There were significant differences in bilateral Motor Evoked Potentials changes between tDCS+/rTMS- group and sham group ( P < 0.05). At eight weeks, compared to other groups, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ( P = 0.003), Barthel Index ( P = 0.002), FMA lower limb score ( P < 0.001), and bilateral resting Motion Threshold, Motor Evoked Potentials ( P < 0.05) showed significant changes in tDCS+/rTMS- group. Furthermore, Fugl-Meyer Assessment lower limb change score was associated with increased ipsilesional Motor Evoked Potentials ( r = 0.703 P < 0.001) in tDCS+/rTMS- group.

Conclusion:

1Hz rTMS combined with anode tDCS stimulation protocol could be a preferable rehabilitative strategy for motor recovery in subacute stroke patients.
The East–Freeman Automatic Vent: An interesting footnote in the history of mechanical ventilation
Authors: Morris Richard W , Cooper Michael G
Published: November 2020

An example of the East–Freeman Automatic Vent from Oxford was found in the early anaesthesia equipment collection at St George Hospital, Sydney. It weighs less than 200 g and is representative of a group of miniature ventilators that were described in the 1960s, including the Minivent from South Africa and the Microvent from Canada. All relied on a pressure-operated inflating valve that was described in 1966 by Mitchell and Epstein from Oxford. The ventilators were compact, portable and were powered by the gas supply from the anaesthesia machine or other driving source that distended a reservoir bag. The main problem was that they could stick in the inspiratory phase. This led to pressure in the lungs rising towards the driving pressure. There was a risk of barotrauma to the patient if the system was not promptly disconnected. While theyhad provided an alternative to hand bagging, they were superseded, as more sophisticated and safer ventilators became widely available.
Blind intubation through an i-gel® in the prone position: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Dijck Maarten van , Houweling Bernard M , Koning Mark V
Published: November 2020

Accidental extubation in the prone position is a medical emergency in which quick and low resource demanding airway management is required. Regaining oxygenation is the primary goal, but sometimes intubation may be required to regain oxygenation. Blind intubation through an i-gel® (Intersurgical Ltd, Wokingham, Berkshire, UK) may be a quick and low resource demanding method. However, the success rate of the use of an i-gel as an intubation conduit in the prone position is unknown. This was a prospective study in patients scheduled for lumbar surgery. General anaesthesia was induced in the prone position and an i-gel was inserted. After successful ventilation, up to three attempts at intubation using a VivaSight-SL single-lumen tube (Ambu A/S, Ballerup, Denmark) were performed. The first attempt was blinded for the operator and the patient’s head was in a neutral position. The second attempt was blinded for the operator with the patient’s head rotated laterally. The third attempt was on-screen and allowed various manoeuvres to facilitate intubation. A success rate of 70% was deemed clinically acceptable. The study was terminated early after 14 subjects because the success rate of 70% was not achievable. However, ventilation using the i-gel in the prone position was successful in 13 patients (93%). Intubation was successful in only one patient at the first attempt, one patient at the second attempt and three patients at the third attempt. Overall, the success rate was 36%. Blind intubation using an i-gel as an intubation conduit in the prone position is not recommended.

Netherlands Trial Register number NL6387 (NTR7659).
Partnerships for sustainable cities as options for improving solid waste management in Nairobi city
Authors: Ogutu Florence A , Kimata Dennis M , Kweyu Raphael M
Published: November 2020

Partnerships as enshrined in policies are vital for achieving sustainable cities under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Indeed the SDGs recognize the importance of partnerships in solid waste management (SWM) as a way of developing workable and reliable waste management systems. SWM in Nairobi city continues to be a great challenge, and poor practices threaten environmental and public health. Ineffective waste management in Nairobi city has been linked to inefficient policy implementation and enforcement by different stakeholders. To effectively address the challenge of sustainable waste management in Nairobi city, amalgamation of strategies amongst several segments, including stakeholders, private and public sectors (formal and informal), non-governmental organizations and communities, is important, through partnerships to implement improved policies, in terms of capacity, financial prudence, and technical and institutional factors. The paper seeks to analyse existing policy framework on SWM and its effectiveness in addressing SWM in Nairobi city. The study is based on a descriptive research design which involved interrogating the stakeholders included in the implementation of the policy frameworks in place. Data were acquired through semi-structured questionnaires administered to 385 respondents and interviews with 10 key informants. The theoretical framework is based on institutional theory and capacity building theories that expound the gaps in policy implementation and the role of partnerships. Policies in SWM should be interlinked for sustainable cities.
La conversation de marque : pratiques linguistiques sur les médias sociaux selon la théorie du face-work
Authors: Andriuzzi Andria , Michel Géraldine
Published: November 2020

L’essor des médias sociaux a favorisé les échanges entre les internautes et les représentants des marques. Pour mieux comprendre comment cette « conversation de marque » se déroule, notre recherche mobilise la théorie du face-work et explore les perceptions ambivalentes des consommateurs vis-à-vis des pratiques linguistiques des marques. En particulier, nos résultats montrent comment des messages « menaçants » (selon la théorie du face-work) peuvent être acceptés par les consommateurs, tandis que des messages « valorisants » peuvent être rejetés. Ces situations paradoxales peuvent être expliquées par la nature de la relation à la marque, la dimension symbolique de la marque et le contexte commercial des échanges. En identifiant les spécificités des interactions marques-consommateurs à la lumière du face-work, nous proposons un outil d’aide à la décision dans les domaines de la gestion de la marque et du community management.
Persistent colonization of exit site is associated with modality failure in peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Nadarajah Luxme , Yaqoob Muhammed M , Fan Stanley
Published: November 2020

Exit-site infections (ESIs) increase the risk of developing peritoneal dialysis (PD) peritonitis and PD technique failure. There are no clear guidelines on how to monitor exit site (ES) after ESI with Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas. We report on a 1-year observational study of 23 patients who developed an ESI with one of these serious pathogens. After completing initial antibiotic treatment, swabs were taken every month for 3 months. Primary treatment cure occurred in 19/23 (83%). Colonization of ES after primary cure occurred in 8/19 (42%) patients. In the eight colonized patients, five had subsequent PD technique failure due to infections. By contrast, during an average follow-up period of 7.2 months, none of the 11 patients who were proven noncolonized developed PD technique failure from infections; HR (colonized vs. noncolonized) = 10.89, 95% CI 2.6–45.43, p < 0.05. In conclusion, colonization significantly increased the risk of catheter loss. Increased surveillance and aggressive treatment may ameliorate this risk.
A new method for performance map prediction of automotive turbocharger compressors with both vaneless and vaned diffusers
Authors: Li Xiaojian , Zhao Yijia , Liu Zhengxian , Yao Huadong , Chen Hua
Published: November 2020

A new approach to predict the performance maps of automotive turbocharger compressors is presented. Firstly, a polynomial equation is applied to fit the experimental data of flow coefficient ratios for the centrifugal compressors with both vaneless and vaned diffusers. Based on this equation, the choke and surge flow coefficients under different machine Mach numbers can be quickly predicted. Secondly, a physically based piecewise elliptic equation is used to define compressors’ characteristic curves in terms of efficiency ratio. By introducing the flow coefficient ratio into the efficiency correlation, the empirical coefficients in the piecewise elliptic equation are uniquely calibrated by the experimental data, forming a unified algebraic equation to match the efficiency maps of the compressors with both vaneless and vaned diffusers. Then, a new universal equation, which connects the work coefficient, the impeller outlet flow coefficient and the non-dimensional equivalent impeller outlet width, is derived by using classical aerothermodynamic method. The off-design pressure ratio is predicted based on the equivalent impeller outlet width with less knowledge of the compressor geometry and no empirical coefficients. Finally, three state-of-the-art turbocharger compressors (one with vaneless diffuser, two with vaned diffusers) are chosen to validate the proposed method, and the results show a satisfactory accuracy for the performance map prediction. This method can be used for the preliminary design of turbocharger compressors with both vaneless and vaned diffusers, or to assess the design feasibility and challenges of the given design specifications.
Antishock Characteristics of Erythrocyte-mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Macrophages in Severe Hemorrhagic Shock Environment Based on TLR9-cGAS-STING-IFN Signal Axis
Authors: Kang Yi-Qun , Yuan Xiao-Hong , Li Zhen-Zhou , Wang Huan , Zhou Xiao-Fang , Wang Xiao-Xiao , Zhang Zi-Wei , Feng Yu-Feng , Guo Jian-Rong
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of erythrocyte-mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in macrophages in hemorrhagic shock. An hemorrhagic shock model was established in male BALB/c mice. Animals were randomly divided into three groups ( n = 8): control group (A), erythrocyte reinfusion group (B), and TLR9 inhibition group (C). Eight healthy BALB/c mice were also included as group N ( n = 8). Mice in group A were not treated, while mice in groups B and C were transfused with red blood cells separated from the blood of mice in group N. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of erythrocyte surface protein TLR9 in each group. Immunofluorescence assay was used to analyze the distribution and relative expression of protein STING in macrophages. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the expression of STING, ATF6, and IRE1 in macrophages. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze the levels of inflammatory signal molecules, including IFN-α, IFN-β, IL-6, CCL4, CCL5, and IL-6. FITC-Annexin V was used to analyze the apoptosis of immune cells (macrophages) in mouse blood samples and to detect the concentration of calcium ions in erythrocyte cytoplasm. The results showed that the expression of erythrocyte surface protein TLR9; the distribution of STING-positive cells in macrophages; the expressions of STING, ATF6, and IRE1 in macrophages; the levels of inflammatory signal molecules; the apoptosis rate of macrophages; and the intracellular calcium concentration in erythrocytes in group B were higher than those in group A, followed by group C. These results suggest that TLR9 regulates ER stress in macrophages of mice with hemorrhagic shock through the TLR9-cGAS-STING-IFN signaling pathway. Increased expression of TLR9 enhanced macrophage activity, reduced apoptosis, enhanced inflammatory response and immune response, and restored electrolyte level, which might be a therapeutic option for the treatment of hemorrhagic shock.
Attention Control: A Cornerstone of Higher-Order Cognition
Authors: Burgoyne Alexander P. , Engle Randall W.
Published: November 2020

For years, psychologists have wondered why people who are highly skilled in one cognitive domain tend to be skilled in other cognitive domains, too. In this article, we explain how attention control provides a common thread among broad cognitive abilities, including fluid intelligence, working memory capacity, and sensory discrimination. Attention control allows us to pursue our goals despite distractions and temptations, to deviate from the habitual, and to keep information in mind amid a maelstrom of divergent thought. Highlighting results from our lab, we describe the role of attention control in information maintenance and disengagement and how these functions contribute to performance in a variety of complex cognitive tasks. We also describe a recent undertaking in which we developed new and improved attention-control tasks, which had higher reliabilities, stronger intercorrelations, and higher loadings on a common factor than traditional measures. From an applied perspective, these new attention-control tasks show great promise for use in personnel selection assessments. We close by outlining exciting avenues for future research.
The Culture of Emergency in Italy and Spain: State Antiterrorism
Authors: Ubasart-González Gemma
Published: November 2020

After nearly six decades, on May 2, 2018, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) announced its dissolution. This announcement brought an end to the last ripples of the wave of political violence in Europe that began in the sixties, which coincided with a cycle of protests during the sixties and seventies. In response to serious political conflict and its drift toward armed violence, some liberal-democratic states established an antiterrorism framework involving legislative and practical transformations at every level of the criminal justice system. From a critical criminology perspective, the concept of a ‘culture of emergency’ was developed in the field of il garantismo in order to analyze the phenomenon. The present article explores the construction of this exceptionalism in two cases: that of Italy (‘revolutionary wave’) and of Spain (ETA). While attempting to identify a common pattern of emergency, this study also identifies the specificities of each conflict.
Anti-CD71 antibody immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, subtype acute erythroid leukemia with erythroid dominance (AML M6-Er), in a retrovirus-negative cat
Authors: Suzuki Satoshi , Ogino Naotaka , Mitsui Ikki , Ito Hiroyuki , Kariya Takuro
Published: November 2020

CD71 is an immunohistochemical marker used in diagnosing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) M6-Er in humans; however, to our knowledge, it has not been reportedly used for immunohistochemistry in veterinary medicine. We evaluated the pathologic features of AML M6-Er in a retrovirus-negative cat and used CD71 to support the diagnosis. A 4-y-old spayed female Scottish Fold cat was presented with lethargy, anorexia, and fever. Whole-blood PCR assay results for pro feline leukemia virus/pro feline immunodeficiency virus and feline vector-borne diseases were negative. Early erythroid precursors were observed in the peripheral blood smear. Fine-needle aspiration of the enlarged spleen and splenic lymph node showed many early erythroid precursors. Bone marrow aspirate smears revealed erythroid hyperplasia with 68.4% erythroid lineage and 3.6% rubriblasts. Dysplastic cells infiltrated other organs. The patient was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, progressing to the early phase of AML M6-Er. The patient died on day 121 despite multidrug treatments. Postmortem examination revealed neoplastic erythroblasts infiltrating the bone marrow and other organs. Neoplastic cells were immunopositive for CD71 but immunonegative for CD3, CD20, granzyme B, von Willebrand factor, CD61, myeloperoxidase, and Iba-1. Although further studies are necessary for the application of CD71, our results supported the morphologic diagnosis of AML M6-Er.
The effects of tire dynamics on the performance of finite spectrum assignment of vehicle motion control
Authors: Vörös Illés , Várszegi Balázs , Takács Dénes
Published: November 2020

The lateral position control of the vehicle is analyzed in the presence of time delay. To compensate the negative effects of dead time, the predictor control approach called finite spectrum assignment is applied. This controller includes a linear model of the plant and uses the solution of this model over the delay interval to predict the current system states. The focus of the article is whether to include tire dynamics in the predictive model of the controller. Although the more detailed model should improve control performance, the additional parameters (e.g., tire stiffnesses and yaw moment of inertia) are difficult to determine accurately. The effects of parameter mismatches are analyzed in detail, and recommendations are given to ensure safe control of the vehicle. It is shown that the inclusion of tire dynamics in the predictive model vastly improves control performance even in the presence of large parameter errors, but in certain cases, the inaccuracies may lead to instability.
Social and Psychological Readiness to Take Collective Action Against Violence Against Women: A Mixed Methods Study of Informal Settlements in Mumbai, India
Authors: Gram Lu , Chakraborty Proshant , Daruwalla Nayreen , Osrin David
Published: November 2020

Past failures to mobilize communities in collective action against violence against women (VAW) have been ascribed to contextual challenges, but researchers have not systematically mapped community capacity for collective action against VAW. We conducted a mixed methods study in Mumbai, India using quantitative data from a household survey ( n = 2,642) and qualitative data from 264 community meetings. We found attitudes supporting gender inequality and violence coexisted with significant enthusiasm and support for collective action against VAW. These findings open up avenues for policymakers to treat communities as less vulnerable and more capable of changing situations and problems that affect them.
Does obesity lead to lower rates of clinically meaningful improvement or satisfaction after total hip arthroplasty? A propensity score-matched study
Authors: Goh Graham S , Zeng Gerald J , Tay Darren K-J , Lo Ngai-Nung , Yeo Seng-Jin , Liow Ming Han Lincoln
Published: November 2020

Background:

Current literature lacks consensus regarding the impact of obesity on clinical outcomes of total hip arthroplasty (THA). The variability of results may reflect the lack of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) analysis, which helps to standardise the interpretation of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). We compared the PROMs, patient satisfaction and survivorship between obese and non-obese patients after THA.

Methods:

Prospectively collected registry data of 192 obese patients and 192 propensity score-matched controls who underwent primary THA at a single institution were reviewed. Clinical outcomes and satisfaction rates were assessed at 6 months and 2 years. Reoperations for surgical complications and revision rates were analysed.

Results:

Obese patients had a significantly poorer Oxford Hip Score (OHS) at 6 months and WOMAC-Function at 2 years. However, there was no difference in overall WOMAC, WOMAC-Pain, WOMAC-stiffness, SF-36 mental and physical component summary (PCS). A similar proportion of patients in each group achieved the MCID for OHS, WOMAC and SF-36 PCS. At 2 years, 90.3% of obese patients and 91.7% of controls were satisfied ( p = 0.755). At a mean follow-up of 9 years, there were 5 reoperations (2.6%) for surgical complications in the obese group and 1 (0.5%) in the control group; whereas 12 revisions (6.3%) were recorded in the obese group and 3 (1.6%) in the control group ( p = 0.021).

Conclusions:

Despite a higher revision rate, obese patients undergoing THA may experience a similar level of clinical meaningful improvement and satisfaction as their non-obese counterparts. This study provides valuable prognostic information for obese patients and guides preoperative counselling.
Is your vision blurry? A systematic review of home-based visual acuity for telemedicine
Authors: Samanta Anindya , Mauntana Shielah , Barsi Zahra , Yarlagadda Bina , Nelson Patricia C
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Visual acuity (VA) testing is a vital screening tool for the assessment of ocular function. The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has caused an immediate need for synchronous telemedicine in all specialties, including ophthalmology. While a plethora of mobile VA applications exist, there is no consensus as to what technology can accurately and reproducibly measure a patient’s vision at home.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in April 2020 using PubMed, Embase and Medline, identifying English publications from 2010 to 2020 on remote VA tests: 4338 articles were identified and 14 were ultimately included in the review.

Results

Of those 14, the highest quality studies, best reproducibility and correlation with in-clinic acuities measured were found using the Peek Acuity application. The studies included patients throughout the world aged 3–97, with and without correction, with known ocular pathology. The Peek Acuity studies measured distance vision on a Samsung Galaxy S3 with a mean difference of 0.055 Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution (LogMAR) for home testing compared with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS). Test–retest variability was ±0.029 LogMAR for 95% confidence interval limits.

Discussion

There can be one or more lines of variability in vision testing in a clinical setting using reference standard ETDRS and clinical standard Snellen charts. Test–retest reliability is not perfect even on standard clinical charts (variation up to 0.48 LogMAR). Of the technologies reviewed, Peek Acuity home testing had the greatest correlation with ETDRS clinical vision and high test–retest reliability. Peek Acuity performed no worse than Snellen and ETDRS charts.
Dynamics modeling and analysis of a four-wheel independent motor-drive virtual-track train
Authors: Yin Zhonghui , Zhang Jiye , Lu Haiying , Zhang Weihua
Published: November 2020

Due to urbanisation and the economic challenges of traffic, it is urgently necessary to develop an environmentally friendly virtual-track train with suitable speed, high load capacity and low construction cost in China. To guide the design and evaluate this train’s dynamic behaviour, a spatial-dynamics model has been developed based on the dynamics theory and tyre-road interaction. The proposed dynamics model comprises mechanical vehicle systems, traction and braking characteristics and tyre-road dynamic interactions. The coupling effects amongst those systems of virtual track train are derived theoretically for the first time. The nonlinear characteristics of the tyre are modelled by the transit tyre-magic formula with consideration of road irregularities. Based on a designed PID controller and the comprehensive dynamics model, the dynamic performance of the system can be revealed considering motion coupling effects and complicated excitations, especially under traction and braking conditions. The dynamic responses of whole virtual track train can be obtained by numerical integration under different conditions. The vibration characteristics of such train are assessed under running at a constant speed and during the traction/braking process. The results show that the vibrations of the vehicle system are significantly influenced by road irregularities, especially at high speed ranges. The motions and vibrations of different components are intensive coupled, which should not to be neglected in the dynamics assessment of the virtual track train. Besides, the dynamics model can also be applied to dynamics-related assessment (fatigue, strength and some damage conditions, et al.) and parameter optimisation of the virtual-track train.
Microstructure and micro-hardness of Ni-based surfacing coating on the Cr12MoV die steel
Authors: Wei Zhicheng , Wang Juan , Li Yajiang
Published: November 2020

Ni-based surfacing coating was fabricated on the Cr12MoV die steel utilizing the ENiCrFe-2 alloy. The defect-free surfacing coating was obtained with a good metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate. The microstructure, element distribution, and micro-hardness were analyzed. Results showed that the microstructure was composed of planar crystals at the bottom of coating, and it consisted of columnar crystals at the middle region. There existed a diffusion layer with a width of about 100 μm at the ENiCrFe-2–Cr12MoV interface. Three regions were formed in the heat-affected zone with various microstructure morphologies. The average micro-hardness of coating was 275 HV0.5, which was more than that of Cr12MoV. Micro-hardness was dramatically increased (765 HV0.5) in the middle of the heat-affected zone. This was caused by the combined effect of grain refinement, solid solution strengthening, second-phase strengthening, and primary carbide strengthening. Moreover, the formation mechanism of middle heat-affected zone was discussed in this paper in detail.
Emotion regulation and decision-making in persons with dementia: A scoping review
Authors: Perach Rotem , Rusted Jennifer , Harris Peter R. , Miles Eleanor ,   for the DETERMIND team
Published: November 2020

Background and Objectives

Emotion is integral to decision-making, and emotion regulation is associated with improved well-being in older age. Persons with dementia are likely to experience impairments in emotion regulation processes that can potentially contribute to differential decision-making and well-being outcomes. To promote the development of theoretical models of well-being in dementia, we review the quantitative evidence concerning the associations between emotion regulation and decision-making in dementia.

Methods

Scoping review.

Results

Seven studies of persons with dementia met our criteria. In persons with frontotemporal lobar degeneration, emotion regulation processes that precede the emotional experience were associated with decision-making in a moral (but not uncertainty) context. Independent of type of dementia, evidence concerning the associations between emotion regulation processes that occur after emotion is experienced and decision-making was mixed and drew on different methodologies. No studies relating to the associations between decision-making in dementia and several emotion regulation processes and strategies were found.

Conclusions

In this review, we sought to clarify the concept of everyday decision-making in dementia and map the current state of evidence concerning its associations with emotion regulation. Our findings show that emotion regulation processes are associated with decision-making in dementia, depending on type of decision-making assessment and emotional experience. We outline the gaps in the literature to set a research agenda for promoting our understanding of how emotion regulation processes can shape the various decisions that are made by persons with dementia on a daily basis.
Immigration Attitudes and White Americans’ Responsiveness to Rising Income Inequality
Authors: Macdonald David
Published: November 2020

Despite decades of rising inequality, there has been little observed increase in American public support for redistribution. This is puzzling because majorities of Americans profess to be aware of and opposed to high inequality. I argue that this lack of responsiveness is not due to public ignorance of, nor apathy toward, inequality but rather, in part, to negative feelings toward immigrants, a growing, politically salient, and negatively stereotyped “out-group” that is widely viewed as a target of redistributive spending. To test this, I combine data on state-level income inequality with survey data from the 1992 to 2016 Cumulative ANES. I find that growing inequality can prompt support for redistribution but that this depends, in part, on peoples’ immigration attitudes. Overall, these results suggest that immigration has important implications for economic redistribution in an era of high, and rising inequality.
Late Nonanastomotic Pseudoaneurysm From the Prosthetic Graft: A Successful Transcatheter Arterial Embolization Using Coils
Authors: Saiga Atsushi , Hashiba Jun , Koizumi Jun , Ueda Hideki , Kubota Yoshihiro , Wada Takeshi , Akutsu Akira , Uno Takashi
Published: November 2020

A 71-year-old man who received a total arch replacement with a knitted Dacron® graft presented aneurysmal sac re-expansion due to leakage at the distal anastomotic site of the graft. He did not tolerate the stress of general anesthesia due to severe pulmonary function impairment. Therefore, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in zone 3 was performed under epidural anesthesia. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed another leakage into the aneurysmal sac in zone 1 after performing TEVAR. Because open surgical repair and debranching TEVAR were contraindicated, transcatheter arterial embolization was performed with careful consideration of his comorbidities. Follow-up contrast-enhanced CT performed 2 weeks after embolization indicated no opacification of the aneurysmal sac, and noncontrast-enhanced CT a year after embolization showed no dilatation of the aneurysmal sac.