bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digital Manipulation of Images of Models' Appearance in Advertising: Strategies for Action Through Law and Corporate Social Responsibility Incentives to Protect Public Health
Authors: McBride Caitlin , Costello Nancy , Ambwani Suman , Wilhite Breanne , Austin S. Bryn
Published: July 2019

Context:

Widespread digital retouching of advertising imagery in the fashion, beauty, and other consumer industries promotes unrealistic beauty standards that have harmful effects on public health. In particular, exposure to misleading beauty imagery is linked with greater body dissatisfaction, worse mood, poorer self-esteem, and increased risk for disordered eating behaviors. Moreover, given the social, psychological, medical, and economic burden of eating disorders, there is an urgent need to address environmental risk factors and to scale up prevention efforts by increasing the regulation of digitally altered advertising imagery.

Methods:

This manuscript summarizes the health research literature linking digital retouching of advertising to increased risk of eating disorders, disordered weight and appearance control behaviors, and body dissatisfaction in consumers, followed by a review of global policy initiatives designed to regulate digital retouching to reduce health harms to consumers. Next, we turn to the US legal context, reporting on findings generated through legal research via Westlaw and LexisNexis, congressional records, federal agency websites, law review articles, and Supreme Court opinions, in addition to consulting legal experts on both tax law and the First Amendment, to evaluate the viability of various policy initiatives proposed to strengthen regulation on digital retouching in the United States.

Findings:

Influencing advertising practices via tax incentives combined with corporate social responsibility initiatives may be the most constitutionally feasible options for the US legal context to reduce the use of digitally alternated images of models' bodies in advertising.

Conclusions:

Policy and corporate initiatives to curtail use of digitally altered images found to be harmful to mental and behavioral health of consumers could reduce the burden of eating disorders, disordered weight and appearance control behaviors, and body dissatisfaction and thereby improve population health in the United States.
Multi-model and multi-level aluminum electrolytic fault diagnosis method
Authors: Li Jiejia , Gao Tianhao , Ji Xinyang
Published: July 2019

A multi-model and multi-level aluminum electrolytic fault prediction method is proposed. In this method, it innovatively uses the image recognition technology to predict aluminum electrolytic faults, and superimposes the chaotic neural network model to form a dual-model parallel fault prediction system for aluminum electrolysis, which can obtain more faults information from different angles. Then, it designs the decision fusion layer, which combines the prediction results of the above two models to output the final prediction results and enhances the credibility of the prediction results. In addition, the data processing stage also uses principal component analysis (PCA) to extract the main features of fault information, which reduces the data dimension and speeds up the processing. Experimental results suggest that the proposed algorithm can predict faults in an effective manner, and outperform other algorithms in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and stability.
Concentrations and modes of occurrence of some potentially valuable and toxic elements in the No. 5 coal from the Yanzishan Mine, Datong Coalfield, Shanxi Province, China
Authors: Yuan Yue , Tang Shuheng , Zhang Songhang
Published: July 2019

In this study, the mineralogical compositions, concentrations and occurrence modes of the elements in the No.5 coal from the Yanzishan Mine were investigated, using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS). The No. 5 coal is characterized by high ash yield content (mean 32.30%) and low sulfur content (mean 0.47%). The minerals are mainly composed of kaolinite, quartz and pyrite, with a small proportion of illite, apatite, siderite, sphalerite and Ti-oxide. Compared with the Chinese coals, the No. 5 coal has much higher percentages of SiO2 (mean 16.22%) and Al2O3 (mean 14.57%) than other major oxides. Compared with the world hard coals and Chinese coals, the No. 5 coal is enriched in some potentially valuable (Al2O3, Li, Ge, Zr, and Hf) and toxic (Be, As, Se, Cd, and Pb) elements. Lithium and Hf are mainly associated with clay minerals; Be, Se, and Zr mainly have both inorganically and organically affinities; As mainly occurs as a sulfide form in pyrite; Cd is incorporated in clay minerals; and Pb has an affinity for both clay minerals and organic sulfur. All the coal samples are characterized by weakly positive or no pronounced Eu anomalies, indicating that the rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) likewise originated from granite of the Yinshan Oldland together with injection of the low temperature hydrothermal fluids.
Spain! Why? Jawaharlal Nehru, Non-Intervention, and the Spanish Civil War
Authors: Ortiz Michael P.
Published: July 2019

This article analyzes British non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War through the lens of Indian anti-fascism. To date, non-intervention, Aid Spain campaigns, and appeasement have dominated the historiography of Britain and the Spanish Civil War. Prime Ministers Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain faced an impossible decision between supporting fascism or communism (as some in Britain understood it). In due course, they tried to contain the conflict. However, Indian intervention in the Spanish Civil War complicates this narrative of non-intervention. I contend that in addition to a difficult crisis for England, the Spanish Civil War was also an opportunity for Indian anti-colonialists to demonstrate their independence from the British Empire.
Systematic review of the psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures for rheumatoid arthritis in the foot and ankle
Authors: Ortega-Avila Ana Belen , Ramos-Petersen Laura , Cervera-Garvi Pablo , Nester Christopher J , Morales-Asencio José Miguel , Gijon-Nogueron Gabriel
Published: July 2019

Objective:

To identify self-reported outcome measures specific to the foot and ankle in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to investigate the methodological quality and psychometric properties of these measures.

Method:

A systematic review focusing on patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Setting:

The search was conducted in the PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PEDro and Google Scholar databases, based on the following inclusion criteria: population (with rheumatoid arthritis) > 18 years; psychometric or clinimetric validation studies of patient-reported outcomes specific to the foot and ankle, in different languages, with no time limit. Two of the present authors independently assessed the quality of the studies located and extracted the relevant data. Terwee’s criteria and the COSMIN checklist were employed to ensure adequate methodological quality.

Results:

Of the initial 431 studies considered, 14 met the inclusion criteria, representing 7,793 patients (56.8 years). These instruments were grouped into three dimensions (pain, perceived health status and quality of life and disability). The time to complete any of the PROMs varies around 15 minutes. PROMs criterias with the worst scores by COSMIN, 92.85% and 85.71% were criterion validity, measurement error, internal consistency and responsiveness. 28.57% of PROMs were compared with the measurement properties.

Conclusion:

the Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score achieved the highest number of positive criteria (according to Terwee and COSMIN), and is currently the most appropriate for patients with Rheumatoid arthritis.
Therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism of sarcosine (N-methylglycine) in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction models of schizophrenia
Authors: Pei Ju-Chun , Hung Wei-Li , Lin Bei-Xuan , Shih Min-Han , Lu Liang-Yin , Luo Da-Zhong , Tai Hwan-Ching , Studer Vincent , Min Ming-Yuan , Lai Wen-Sung
Published: July 2019

Background:

Compelling animal and clinical studies support the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction hypothesis of schizophrenia and suggest promising pharmacological agents to ameliorate negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, including sarcosine, a glycine transporter-1 inhibitor.

Aims and methods:

It is imperative to evaluate the therapeutic potential of sarcosine in animal models, which provide indispensable tools for testing drug effects in detail and elucidating the underlying mechanisms. In this study, a series of seven experiments was conducted to investigate the effect of sarcosine in ameliorating behavioral deficits and the underlying mechanism in pharmacological (i.e., MK-801-induced) and genetic (i.e., serine racemase-null mutant (SR−/−) mice) NMDAR hypofunction models.

Results:

In Experiment 1, the acute administration of 500/1000 mg/kg sarcosine (i.p.) had no adverse effects on motor function and serum biochemical responses. In Experiments 2–4, sarcosine significantly alleviated MK-801-induced (0.2 mg/kg) brain abnormalities and behavioral deficits in MK-801-induced and SR−/− mouse models. In Experiment 5, the injection of sarcosine enhanced CSF levels of glycine and serine in rat brain. In Experiments 6–7, we show for the first time that sarcosine facilitated NMDAR-mediated hippocampal field excitatory postsynaptic potentials and influenced the movement of surface NMDARs at extrasynaptic sites.

Conclusions:

Sarcosine effectively regulated the surface trafficking of NMDARs, NMDAR-evoked electrophysiological activity, brain glycine levels and MK-801-induced abnormalities in the brain, which contributed to the amelioration of behavioral deficits in mouse models of NMDAR hypofunction.
Adjunctive minocycline for major mental disorders: A systematic review
Authors: Zheng Wei , Zhu Xiao-Min , Zhang Qing-E , Cheng Gen , Cai Dong-Bin , He Jie , Ng Chee H , Ungvari Gabor S , Peng Xiao-Jiang , Ning Yu-Ping , Xiang Yu-Tao
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examined the efficacy and safety of minocycline for three major mental disorders: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods:

A systematic literature search of major electronic databases was conducted. Meta-analysis of clinical efficacy as defined by the respective studies, all-cause discontinuation, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) with standardized mean difference (SMD) and risk ratios (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) was conducted using random-effects model. Quality assessment was performed with the Jadad scale and Cochrane risk of bias.

Results:

Sixteen RCTs ( n=1357) on minocycline (50–300 mg/day) for schizophrenia (13 RCTs, n=1196), bipolar depression (1 RCT, n=49), and MDD (2 RCTs, n=112) were analyzed separately by diagnosis. Twelve RCTs mentioned randomized allocation specifically; the weighted Jadad scores were 4.0. Adjunctive minocycline outperformed placebo in improving total psychopathology [SMD: −0.45 (95%CI: −0.73, −0.16), p=0.002; I2=77%], positive [SMD: −0.15 (95%CI: −0.28, −0.02), p=0.02; I2=0%], negative [SMD: −0.62 (95%CI: −0.95, −0.28), p=0.0003; I2=85%] and general psychopathology scores [SMD: −0.28 (95%CI: −0.53, −0.03), p=0.03; I2=59%] in schizophrenia. Minocycline showed no significant effect on depressive and manic symptoms in both bipolar depression and MDD. Minocycline caused significantly less headache ( p=0.02, number-needed-to-harm=14, 95%CI=5–14) than placebo in schizophrenia. All-cause discontinuation and other ADRs were similar between minocycline and placebo in each diagnostic category.

Conclusion:

In this meta-analysis, adjunctive minocycline appeared to be efficacious and safe for schizophrenia. However, the efficacy of adjunctive minocycline for bipolar depression or MDD could not be demonstrated.

Review registration:

PROSPERO: CRD42018102483
The multiple roles of demand in new regional industrial path development: A conceptual analysis
Authors: Martin Hanna , Martin Roman , Zukauskaite Elena
Published: July 2019

This paper contributes to the literature on new regional industrial path development by highlighting the multiple roles that demand can play in regional development. We develop a conceptual framework relating different roles of demand to different types of new path development. Based on the literature on regional development, we differentiate between the role of demand as anonymous consumer, sophisticated buyer, active co-developer, public procurer and norm and value setter. These roles influence different types of new path development, including path extension, path upgrading, path importation, path diversification and path creation. New path development can be triggered by changing norms and values in the society (e.g. environmental concerns and the growing demand for cleaner technologies), public procurement for innovation (governments demand new products or services and thereby steer economic development) or by users modifying existing products or developing novel solutions that are not yet on the market (e.g. user innovations). The various roles of demand, as well as its effect on new regional industrial path development, depend on the geographical context. We argue that taking a nuanced view towards demand will add a novel dimension to the debate on new path development in regions.
Diagnostic delay of cluster headache: A cohort study from the Danish Cluster Headache Survey
Authors: Frederiksen Hans-Henrik , Lund Nunu LT , Barloese Mads CJ , Petersen Anja S , Jensen Rigmor H
Published: July 2019

Aim

To investigate the influence of clinical and demographic features on diagnostic delay in cluster headache patients, in order to discuss diagnostic pitfalls and raise disease awareness.

Methods

A large, well-characterized cohort of 400 validated cluster headache patients from the Danish Cluster Headache Survey, diagnosed according to ICHD-II, were investigated. ANOVA was applied to investigate differences in diagnostic delay between groups. Selected independent variables were assessed in relation to diagnostic delay using a gamma regression model.

Results

Diagnostic delay was significantly reduced for each decade of cluster headache onset from 1950–2010 ( p < 0.001). Onset after 1990 was associated with shorter diagnostic delay (OR = 0.28, p < 0.001), whereas attack duration > 180 minutes (OR = 1.62, p < 0.034), migraine-like features (OR = 1.30, p < 0.043) and nocturnal attacks (OR = 1.39, p < 0.021) were associated with prolonged diagnostic delay. Further, diagnostic delay decreased with age of onset (age < 20: 13.8 years, age 20–40: 5.4 years and age > 40: 2.1 years, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Diagnostic delay was reduced for every decade investigated, whereas some atypical cluster headache features were associated with prolonged diagnostic delay. Better medical education and more disease awareness are needed to prevent misdiagnosis and prolonged diagnostic delay.
Use of Topography, Weather Zones, and Semivariogram Parameters to Optimize Road Weather Information System Station Density across Large Spatial Scales
Authors: Biswas Simita , Wu Mingjian , Melles Stephanie J. , Kwon Tae J.
Published: July 2019

A road weather information system (RWIS) is a combination of advanced technologies which collect, process, and disseminate road weather and condition information. This information is used by road maintenance authorities to make operative decisions that improve safety and mobility during inclement weather events. Many North American transportation agencies have invested millions of dollars to deploy RWIS stations to improve the monitoring coverage of winter road surface conditions. The design of these networks often varies by region, however, and it is not entirely clear how many stations are necessary to provide adequate monitoring coverage under different conditions; substantial gaps remain in knowledge about optimal design. To fill these gaps, an investigation was conducted to determine how optimized RWIS station densities relate to topographic and weather characteristics. A series of geostatistical semivariogram models were constructed and compared using topographic position index (TPI) and weather severity index (WSI) to measure relative topographic variation and weather severity, respectively. The geostatistical approach was then applied to map the optimum number of RWIS stations across several topographic and weather zones. The study area captured varying environmental characteristics, including regions with flat or varied terrain and warm or cold regions. This study suggests that RWIS data collected from a specific region can be used to estimate the number of stations required for regions with similar zonal characteristics. The outcome of this study can be used as a decision-making tool for RWIS network expansion, thus maximizing monitoring capability of RWIS networks using topographic and weather-related zonal classifications.
Treatment Outcomes for Latinos and Non-Hispanic White Victims of Crime: An Effectiveness Study
Authors: Benuto Lorraine T. , O’Donohue William , Bennett Natalie , Casas Jena
Published: July 2019

This was a record review study. Data from all cases seen ( N = 121) at the Victims of Crime Treatment Center over a 7-year period were examined to collect demographic information and determine diagnoses, the intervention that was used, and whether or not the client successfully completed treatment. Results from a logistic regression revealed that ethnicity was not a predictor of treatment success in this sample. Treatment outcomes for empirically supported treatments were comparable for Latinx and non-Latinx White (NLW) victims of interpersonal violence (with 77% of Latinxs successfully completing treatment compared to 69% of NLWs). The results from this study indicate promising treatment implications for Latinx victims of interpersonal violence.
Smart Devices, Smart Decisions? Implications of Parents’ Sharenting for Children’s Online Privacy: An Investigation of Mothers
Authors: Fox Alexa K. , Hoy Mariea Grubbs
Published: July 2019

Parenthood ushers in many situations with which individuals have little experience. Given today’s technology-integrated environment, parents can instantly gain support from a large audience using social media. This support often includes “sharenting,” or regularly using social media to share information about one’s child. Using consumer vulnerability and communications privacy management theory as theoretical foundations, the authors focus on mothers’ vulnerability and how it may translate into increased children’s consumer vulnerability. The in-depth interviews in Study 1 offer insights into mothers’ expressions of vulnerability and how these expressions can be linked to their motivations for sharing children’s personally identifiable information (PII) on social media. In Study 2, the authors observed mothers of young children participating in a Twitter chat hosted by a major children’s brand, examining expressions of mothers’ vulnerability, the extent to which they posted child PII, and the extent to which mothers both expressed vulnerability and posted child PII. The authors discuss public policy and managerial implications for this understudied dimension of children’s online privacy and our increasingly technology-integrated society.
Concepts of Mental Demands at Work That Protect Against Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hussenoeder Felix S. , Riedel-Heller Steffi G. , Conrad Ines , Rodriguez Francisca S.
Published: July 2019

Objective:

Workplace-related mental demands (WPMDs) are considered to be protective factors for cognitive health in old age and are linked to delayed onset of dementia. Yet, what exactly is meant by WPMDs differs greatly between studies, putting an enormous challenge on researchers and practitioners. Aim of our study was thus to create a systematic overview on WPMD concepts and to depict their associations with dementia and cognitive decline. Thereby, we want to create a solid basis for further work and implementation.

Data Source:

PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

We included observational studies with populations older than 18 that addressed the association between WPMDs and dementia/cognitive functioning and that were published as journal articles. We excluded studies with emotional and physical demands, stress, and organizational frameworks such as exposure variables and quality of life, depressive symptoms, burnout, and Parkinson as outcome. Furthermore, we excluded study populations younger than 18 and students.

Data Extraction:

Standardized search string.

Data Synthesis:

Based on theoretical concepts.

Results:

Thirty-four studies that employed concepts of WPMDs in 5 different categories: complexity with people/data/things, cognitive demands, job control, novelty, and mental workload.

Discussion:

Challenges associated with categorizing WPMDs as well as theoretical and measurement-related implications are discussed.

Conclusion:

This review helps to better understand how workplaces can contribute to later life cognitive fitness, and it offers a conceptual overview for practitioners that want to create more protective working environments or improve existing ones.
The Janus-Face of Digitalization: The Relation Between Internet Use and Civic Engagement Reconsidered
Authors: Erhardt Julian , Freitag Markus
Published: July 2019

Research on the influence of digital technology on civic engagement debates whether Internet use leads to the decline of civic engagement or enables new social contacts and exchanges. We argue that whether Internet use has positive or negative effects on our civic engagement depends on how we use the Internet: Social Internet use and Internet use for information strengthen civic engagement, while private Internet use and Internet use for entertainment erode civic engagement. Data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social sciences (LISS) Panel and the Swiss Household Panel (SHP) allow us to employ differentiated measures of Internet use. In particular, their panel structure helps diminish the endogeneity problems of cross-sectional studies. By employing an autoregressive cross-lagged panel design, we are able to disentangle the relation between Internet use and associational participation and estimate the causal effect between the two variables in both directions. Analyzing associational participation as a pivotal pillar of the civil society, we show that social Internet use for information, in particular exchanging e-mails, but also being active on social network sites in the SHP, increases the likelihood of becoming or remaining active in an organization. At the same time, we fail to find consistent and robust evidence for the negative effects of Internet use. However, the causal relation also works the other way round: Associational participation was shown to increase the time respondents spend with writing e-mails, leading to a virtuous circle, whereby online and off-line forms of social engagement complement and enhance each other.
Compulsory vaccinations for children: Balancing the competing human rights at stake
Authors: Camilleri Francesca
Published: July 2019

Vaccination for children has been a controversial topic for decades and lately it has regained particular importance. We have seen an increase in vaccine hesitancy and decrease in vaccine confidence throughout Europe, particularly due to vaccine-safety concerns by parents. Consequently, vaccination rates for children have dropped and this in turn has led to an increased spread of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, such as measles. As a reaction to this phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy, several European countries have introduced, while others are in the process of introducing, laws making vaccinations compulsory for children for a number of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. The introduction of such laws affects and gives rise to several competing interests of the parents, the child and the State. Against this background, this article seeks to determine how the European Court of Human Rights should balance the competing human rights that are at stake in cases concerning compulsory vaccinations for children.
Friction, wear, and fatigue analysis for micro-textured cemented carbide
Authors: Tong Xin , Yang Shucai , Liu Xianli , Liu Weiwei , He Chunsheng
Published: July 2019

In the research regarding laser-processed micro-textured carbide tool surfaces, there remains a lack of research on the relationship between micro-textured preparation processes and the degree of fatigue wear experienced by micro-textured surfaces. To study the effect of a laser-textured surface on the friction and wear properties of friction pairs, it first of all conducted friction and wear tests to obtain optimal processing parameters. By using a scanning electron microscope, the fatigue wear mechanism for a micro-textured surface was observed. Experimental results based on fatigue wear theory show that a micro-textured surface phase has better fatigue resistance than a smooth surface. Under the same friction conditions and selected test parameters, a micro-textured surface phase can reduce the maximum fatigue and friction wear of a smooth surface by 38.4%. This study provides a theoretical basis and source of reference for the rational formulation of micro-texture parameters and improvements in the performance of micro-textures during cutting processes.
Minimizing synchronization time of a gear shifting mechanism by optimizing its structural design parameters
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Berbyuk Viktor , Johansson Håkan
Published: July 2019

A gear shifting mechanism is modeled in GT-Suite software. The mechanism has three main bodies: sleeve, ring, and gear. Results obtained from the simulation show that GT-Suite model can predict gear shifting process. Synchronization processes for three conditions of nominal, road grade, and vibrational motion of the master are studied in six cases by considering the sleeve and the gear as a master alternatively. The optimization based on the GT-Suite model is performed for each case to find the minimum gear shifting time based on variations of 17 structural design parameters. Minimum synchronization time is found almost same in all cases. It is concluded from closeness of the optimization results that average of the parameter values can be considered as optimized values for all cases. At the end, robustness of the optimized structural design parameters are analyzed with respect to the road grade, amplitude, and frequency of oscillatory excitation of rotational motion of the master.
Properties and pitfalls of weighting as an alternative to multilevel multiple imputation in cluster randomized trials with missing binary outcomes under covariate-dependent missingness
Authors: Turner Elizabeth L , Yao Lanqiu , Li Fan , Prague Melanie
Published: July 2019

The generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach can be used to analyze cluster randomized trial data to obtain population-averaged intervention effects. However, most cluster randomized trials have some missing outcome data and a GEE analysis of available data may be biased when outcome data are not missing completely at random. Although multilevel multiple imputation for GEE (MMI-GEE) has been widely used, alternative approaches such as weighted GEE are less common in practice. Using both simulations and a real data example, we evaluate the performance of inverse probability weighted GEE vs. MMI-GEE for binary outcomes. Simulated data are generated assuming a covariate-dependent missing data pattern across a range of missingness clustering (from none to high), where all covariates are measured at baseline and are fully observed (i.e. a type of missing-at-random mechanism). Two types of weights are estimated and used in the weighted GEE: (1) assuming no clustering of missingness (W-GEE) and (2) accounting for such clustering (CW-GEE). Results show that, even in settings with high missingness clustering, CW-GEE can lead to more bias and lower coverage than W-GEE, whereas W-GEE and MMI-GEE provide comparable results. W-GEE should be considered a viable strategy to account for missing outcomes in cluster randomized trials.
Removal of temperature effect in impedance-based damage detection using the cointegration method
Authors: Li Xiujuan , Qu Wenzhong , Xiao Li , Lu Ye
Published: July 2019

Electromechanical impedance technique has been widely used in the area of structural health monitoring. However, both damage and variation in environmental temperature can cause the changes in electromechanical impedance signature, which may cause false damage diagnosis. The temperature effect on the electromechanical impedance-based method has been one of its main drawbacks in practical application. This article proposes a new approach based on cointegration to eliminate temperature interference in the electromechanical impedance technique. The augmented Dickey–Fuller test is used to analyze the stationary characteristics of the time series and determine the degree of non-stationarity. The Johansen test is used to obtain the cointegrating residuals instead of the direct electromechanical impedance responses for damage detection. The proposed method is verified on the undamaged and damaged steel plates with the consideration of environmental temperature variations. The damage detection was based on the electromechanical impedance technique in which the peak frequency is chosen as a cointegrated variable. The experimental results show that the cointegration method can remove the temperature effect on the electromechanical impedance responses, and the cointegrating residuals are effective indices to indicate the occurrence of damage.
Strategic Sensemaking and Political Connections in Unstable Institutional Contexts
Authors: Klarin Anton , Sharmelly Rifat
Published: July 2019

Emerging economies are often characterized by pervasive institutional changes and resultant institutional voids. In the absence of strong formal institutions, firms rely on informal institutions to fill these voids. This article argues that the process of sensemaking for firms in turbulent environments is continuous and dependent on cyclical adjustments connecting performance via a feedback loop to scanning and interpretation. Far from being a one-time occurrence, environmental sensemaking is a process operating in accord with continuous environmental changes. This study’s findings derive from an in-depth analysis of a Russian pharmaceutical firm and an Indian telecommunications firm, and demonstrate that entrepreneurs make sense and gain legitimacy through political connections. The study further finds that improvements in institutional environments reduce the salience of political networks, thereby creating a choice for firms to rely on formed market mechanisms or continue along the path of political connections that evolve to public–private partnerships.
Parametric study of three-dimensional vibration of viscoelastic cylindrical shells on different boundary conditions
Authors: Mohajel Sadeghi Siamak , Alibeigloo Akbar
Published: July 2019

In this research based on theory of elasticity, free vibration behavior of a viscoelastic cylindrical shell with different boundary conditions is studied. A constitutive equation for viscoelastic material is assumed to obey the Boltzmann model and Poisson's ratio is held to be constant. Moreover, the Prony series is used to model time dependent modulus of elasticity. Governing equations of motions for simply-supported edges conditions are solved analytically using the state-space technique along the radial coordinate and the Fourier series method along the axial and circumferential directions. In the case of other edges condition a semi-analytical solution is employed by using the differential quadrature method instead of Fourier series solutions. It is worthy to note before solving the problem, that the Laplace transform is employed to convert governing differential equations from the time-domain into the Laplace domain. Then, validation of the present formulation is performed by comparing the numerical results with those published in the literature. Finally, effect of viscoelastic properties, boundary conditions, the thickness-to-radius ratio and length-to-radius ratio on the frequency behavior are studied.
Evaluation of progressive damage in structures using tensor decomposition-based wavelet analysis
Authors: Sadhu Ayan , Sony Sandeep , Friesen Peter
Published: July 2019

Effective monitoring and retrofitting of large-scale infrastructure subjected to natural hazards such as strong wind, severe earthquakes or man-made excitation are critical to ensure structural integrity and prevent any premature failure. With the aid of structural health monitoring, it is now possible to acquire rich vibration data, estimate the hidden structural information, and evaluate the existing structural performance. The nonstationary component of vibration response resulting from natural hazards poses difficulty in analysis using traditional modal identification methods that are based on the stationarity assumption of vibration response. Apart from the excitation-induced nonstationarity, inherent damages in the structure also cause frequency-dependent nonstationarity in the response. With such a combination of both amplitude and frequency-dependent nonstationary response, the modal identification becomes a significantly challenging task. In this paper, Cauchy continuous wavelet transform is integrated with the tensor decomposition to track time-varying characteristics of modal responses and detect any progressive damage. The proposed technique is validated using a suite of numerical studies as well as a laboratory experiment where the progressive damage is simulated in the members by heating them using a butane torch. Unlike detection of discrete damage, the proposed method is one of introductory approaches to assess progressive damage in structures.
Use of intravitreal dexamethasone implants in the treatment of diabetic macular edema: Expert recommendations using a Delphi approach
Authors: García Layana Alfredo , Adán Alfredo , Ascaso Francisco Javier , Cabrera Francisco , Donate Juan , Escobar Barranco José Juan , Peralta Gema , Reyes García Rebeca , Rodríguez Maqueda Mariano , Ruiz-Moreno José María , Vinagre Irene ,   MOMENTUM-D Study Group
Published: July 2019

Objective:

The aim of this study is to develop guidance on the use of intravitreal dexamethasone implants in the treatment of diabetic macular edema.

Method:

The study was performed using the modified Delphi method to obtain a consensus among a panel of experts on management of patients with diabetic macular edema and use of intravitreal dexamethasone implants in clinical practice. Thirty-seven panel members, experts on retina, from different Spanish centers were invited to participate. Individual and anonymous opinions were asked by answering a 76-item questionnaire across 11 topic areas (two rounds were done). Level of agreement was assessed using a Likert-type scale of 9 points.

Results:

Agreement on “consensus” was reached during the first round in 63 items. The 13 remaining items underwent a second round of voting. After the second round, agreement on “consensus” was reached on five items. Finally, eight items remained without consensus.

Conclusion:

Intravitreal dexamethasone implants are useful in the treatment of patients with diabetic macular edema with different profiles, for example, pseudophakic, poor-adherents, vitrectomized, candidates for cataract surgery, patients with high inflammatory component, and with a history of cardiovascular events. The use of intravitreal dexamethasone reduces the number of visits and facilitates compliance. Experts thought that the switch from anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy to intravitreal dexamethasone implants should be done preferably after three injections. Also, pro re nata treatment provides better results in diabetic macular edema patients as it helps to prevent undertreatment. Finally, experts concluded that clinical guidelines and treatment protocols for diabetic macular edema need to be updated.
Flipping the Diffusion of Innovations Paradigm: Embracing the Positive Deviance Approach to Social Change
Authors: Singhal Arvind , Svenkerud Peer Jacob
Published: July 2019

The classical diffusion of the innovations paradigm has faced criticism for reifying outside-in, expert-driven approaches to solving problems and for overlooking and rejecting local solutions. In this article, we argue that diffusion scholars should pay more attention to approaches such as positive deviance (PD) that enable communities to discover the wisdom they already have and then to act on it. PD is an asset-based approach that identifies what is going right in a community to amplify it, as opposed to focusing on what is going wrong in a community and fixing it with outside expertise. In the PD approach, the change is led by internal change agents who, with access to no special resources, present the social behavioural proof to their peers that problems can be solved. Given that the solutions are generated locally, they are more likely to sustain and be owned by potential adopters.
Listening at the local level: the role of radio in building community and trust
Authors: Nettlefold Jocelyn Ellen
Published: July 2019

This article examines the role of local radio in the contemporary media environment, specifically as a site for community engagement. Previous research finds journalistic organisations, at the local level, are critical to the functioning of society and more needs to be understood about their contemporary role amid destabilised and fragmented public discourse. In contrast to unrestrained and untrustworthy social media platforms, the mediation of local radio can assist in encouraging more inclusive, constructive, and respectful views from people from diverse sectors of society. Empirical research from a case study of a locally produced ABC Radio Community Conversation event exploring community tensions about built, heritage and environmental development in the Australian island state of Tasmania provides new insights into how the facilitation of local radio discussion can help build trust, public knowledge and enable greater participation. Listening and transparency from journalists about their practices is important, creating a space where people can connect in a civil and empathetic way not easily afforded by social media.
Unmet dental care needs in South Korea: how do they differ by insurance system?
Authors: Che Xianhua , Sohn Minsung , Park Hee-Jung
Published: July 2019

Objectives

This study aimed to analyse and compare the influence of National Health Insurance and Medical Aid coverage on the persistency of unmet dental care needs in South Korea.

Methods

This study was based on a longitudinal sample of 4461 adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the South Korea Health Panel from 2011 to 2014, using weights to make the data nationally representative. Propensity score matching was used to adjust the demographic, socioeconomic and health status information of National Health Insurance and Medical Aid groups. Panel logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between health insurance type and unmet dental needs for three consecutive years.

Results

The odds of the lowest income group reporting unmet dental care needs compared with the highest income group was 6.75 (confidence interval 5.94−7.67), which reduced to 4.19 (confidence interval 3.76−4.67) in the models including health insurance schemes. Additionally, Medical Aid recipients (odds ratio 2.49; 95% confidence interval 2.18−2.48) were more likely to have unmet needs than those covered by National Health Insurance.

Conclusions

The dental care needs of Medical Aid beneficiaries were not being met, unlike those of the National Health Insurance beneficiaries. Such evidence suggests that increasing health insurance coverage to include several essential dental services would improve the accessibility of dental care services for Medical Aid beneficiaries.
A gold mine, but still no Klondike: Nordic register data in health inequalities research
Authors: Van Der Wel Kjetil A. , Östergren Olof , Lundberg Olle , Korhonen Kaarina , Martikainen Pekka , Andersen Anne-Marie Nybo , Urhoj Stine Kjaer
Published: July 2019

Aims: Future research on health inequality relies on data that cover life-course exposure, different birth cohorts and variation in policy contexts. Nordic register data have long been celebrated as a ‘gold mine’ for research, and fulfil many of these criteria. However, access to and use of such data are hampered by a number of hurdles and bottlenecks. We present and discuss the experiences of an ongoing Nordic consortium from the process of acquiring register data on socio-economic conditions and health in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Methods: We compare experiences of data-acquisition processes from a researcher’s perspective in the four countries and discuss the comparability of register data and the modes of collaboration available to researchers, given the prevailing ethical and legal restrictions. Results: The application processes we experienced were time-consuming, and decision structures were often fragmented. We found substantial variation between the countries in terms of processing times, costs and the administrative burden of the researcher. Concerned agencies differed in policy and practice which influenced both how and when data were delivered. These discrepancies present a challenge to comparative research. Conclusions: We conclude that there are few signs of harmonisation, as called for by previous policy documents and research papers. Ethical vetting needs to be centralised both within and between countries in order to improve data access. Institutional factors that seem to facilitate access to register data at the national level include single storage environments for health and social data, simplified ethical vetting and user guidance.
Help-Seeking Behavior in Victims of Elder Abuse: A Systematic Review
Authors: Fraga Dominguez Silvia , Storey Jennifer E. , Glorney Emily
Published: July 2019

Elder abuse has become increasingly relevant for intervention and study in the context of an aging population. One of the major barriers to progress in the field is underreporting of elder abuse by victims. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize the available findings regarding victims’ help-seeking behavior to inform practice, understand the limits of the evidence, and identify research gaps. A comprehensive search of published and unpublished literature was undertaken, and studies were included if they addressed help-seeking behavior from the perspective of elder abuse victims aged 60 and older. A total of 19 studies met inclusion criteria for review. Findings are presented as a narrative synthesis organized according to help-seeking barriers, facilitators, sources of help, the responses of others, and the characteristics of victims more likely to seek help. Although barriers and sources of help received detailed attention across all studies, findings regarding victim characteristics and facilitators for and responses to help-seeking were limited. The results suggest that there are many barriers to help-seeking and that some victims only seek help when the abuse is perceived as unbearable or they fear for their safety. Results are discussed in relation to implications for intervention, including suggestions to enhance help-seeking behavior. Future research should identify facilitators of help-seeking among victims of elder abuse and victim characteristics associated with early disclosure. Research efforts should frame help-seeking as a continuing process and study ways in which the responses of others may impact future help-seeking or service engagement.
MALAT1 modulates miR-146’s protection of microvascular endothelial cells against LPS-induced NF-κB activation and inflammatory injury
Authors: Feng Lin-Lin , Xin Wei-Na , Tian Xiu-Li
Published: July 2019

To investigate the role of miR-146 and its possible relationship with MALAT1 in LPS-induced inflammation in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs), HMEC-1 cells were treated with LPS to construct an inflammatory injury cell model, and the cell viability, TNF-α and IL-6 secretion and the expression levels of VCAM-1, SELE and ICAM-1 were analysed as markers of inflammatory injury. The regulation mechanisms of miR-146 interacted with MALAT1 and the downstream NF-κB signalling were also verified by dual-luciferase assay and knockdown technology. LPS significantly decreased the cell viability, increased levels of VCAM-1, SELE and ICAM-1 and also up-regulated miR-146a/b, TNF-α and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Over-expression of miR-146a resulted in down-regulation of TNF-α and IL-6, as well as VCAM-1, SELE and ICAM-1, while inhibition of miR-146a led to opposite results. The dual-luciferase reporter assay showed both miR-146a and miR-146b directly targeted and negatively regulated the expression of MALAT1. Silencing of MALAT1 suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB activation and TNF-α and IL-6 secretion, reducing the cell inflammatory injury, but these changes were reversed after combined treatment with miR-146a inhibitor. Taken together, we demonstrate that miR-146 protects HMECs against inflammatory injury by inhibiting NF-κB activation. This process is modulated by MALAT1.
Black Intragroup Empathic Responding to Police Interracial Violence: Effects of Victim Stereotypicality and Blacks’ Racial Identification
Authors: Johnson James D. , Lecci Len , Dovidio John
Published: July 2019

Despite the public outrage in response to police violence against unarmed Black men, work on the psychological dynamics of reactions to these incidents is relatively rare. The present research examined whether empathy for a Black male victim of White police interracial violence would vary as a function of victim stereotypicality (stereotypic/counterstereotypic) and Black participant racial identity. In Study 1, 140 Black participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). As hypothesized, Black participants low in racial identification reported less empathy for the stereotypical relative to the counterstereotypical victim. Those high in racial identification showed relatively high levels of empathy regardless of the characteristics of the Black victim. Study 2 replicated these effects with 263 Black MTurk participants. This research highlights the value of considering individual differences in the Black observers (racial identification) and the characteristics of Black victims to better understand the psychological processes involved in intragroup responses to police violence.