bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The odontocerid genera Psilotreta and Palaeopsilotreta (Insecta, Trichoptera) embedded in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber
Authors: WICHARD WILFRIED , MÜLLER PATRICK , XU CHUN-PENG
Published: August 2021

The trichopteran family Odontoceridae is reported in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber by two genera: the extant Psilotreta, with one described extinct species, P. fossilis sp. nov.; and the extinct Palaeopsilotreta, with five species, two of which are newly found and described here, P. kachini sp. nov., P. succini sp. nov. The two genera are closely related and show great similarities in the venation of the forewings and hindwings, but their males differ markedly in the shape of the antennae. In Palaeopsilotreta the males have bipectinate antennae and in Psilotreta the antennae are simple and filiform.
An Efficient Image Segmentation Using Partial Differential Equation for Image Processing Applications
Authors: Geetha P. , Nagarani S.
Published: August 2021

Different processing of the images, such as the image captured, saved and retrieved from another use of the specific image, must be restructured in various ways in the process. More methods such as image restoration, picture segmentation, improvement of the picture etc can be used when
processing images. Reconstructed in 3D picture 2D pictures are need to be proper. Including geometric wavelets and geometric analysis the structural work focused upon a variational and a selectable differential equation to test PDE’s which is a convergence of stochastic modelling and
analysis of harmonics. This paper focuses primarily on the critical reviews of the image segmentation collection with the PDE application as a mathematical method and introduces the key tool of mathematics and techniques along with the literature-based analysis.
Interpretation of Gait Supervising Mechanism Using Sensor Integrated Makeshift and Analysing Pattern by K-Means Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Shanthini J. , Arunkumar P. , Karthik S. , Karthikeyan N.
Published: August 2021

Human mobility or walking pattern(gait) is described as the interpreter movements of the rotatory body to achieve extensive range of locomotion. Gait analysis is foremost widely used technique for identifying abnormalities in the lower extremities and gait characteristics essentially
support HAT (Head, Arm & Trunk). The act of walking is unconscious when there are no dysfunctions, but for ambulated the continuous monitoring is required. The existing clinical analysis method couldn’t achieve the daily walking routine within the confinement of a room.The proposed
method focuses on developing an ambulatory system on daily routines by incorporating feasible techniques for achieving the gait pattern which is not confined to a room atmosphere where all possibilities of walking pattern can’t be reached.This system has expounded an ideology, to interpret
the gait parameters using an insole type shoe integrated sensor system. Here, a wearable gait system which is incorporated with force resistive sensors, piezo sensors, inertial sensors and IR sensors are interfaced to the ESP 32. The corresponding sensors extract the data of kinematic angles,
kinetics, foot pressure, step count and foot stride investigations.The system proved to be efficient in finding the phases and orientation of the individual by interpreting values from the device. Acquired data can be clustered together to find the abnormal and normal values by applying K-Means
clustering algorithm, later the values are utilized in biomechanics for rectifying posture or movement related problems.The device will have several applications in sports, rehabilitation medicine and post-surgery treatment.
Preparation and performance characteristics of reduced graphene oxide modified asphalt
Authors: Chen Zixuan , Li Xudong , Xie Jie , Pei Jianzhong , Wang Chengchao , Li Rui
Published: August 2021

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was self-prepared by the oxidation reduction method and then characterized by several tests known as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) test, elemental analysis,
raman measurement and thermogravimetry (TG) analysis to evaluate the properties of RGO. Additionally, RGO modified asphalt was prepared in this research to study the influence of RGO on matrix asphalt. Some of the normal performances of RGO modified asphalt were studied in terms of penetration
at medium temperature, penetration index (PI), softening point, equivalent softening point T800 at high temperature and ductility at low temperature. Results showed that the prepared RGO has obvious layer structures and good properties and the performance of RGO modified asphalt
at high temperature has increased significantly while the performance at low temperature decreased slightly. This research can provide an insight for the further study of RGO modified asphalt to enhance its road performance.
Mechanisms of Paeoniflorin against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury based on network pharmacology
Authors: Zhao Chengguo , Yin Meifang , Li Feng , Ling Wenpei , Luo Chunyu , Qin Shuzhi
Published: August 2021

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the primary reason of death of cardiovascular diseases. Paeoniflorin (PF), a monoterpene glycoside extracted from Radix Paeoniae Rubra or Paeoniae Radix Alba, can ameliorate myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI), but its mechanism is not
still defined. In this study, network pharmacology was utilized, the protein interaction network between PF and MIRI targets were screened for bioenrichment analysis. Moreover, the anti-MIRI effects of PF (30, 60 and 120 mg/kg) were investigated in vivo on rats for verification. The
myocardial infarction area was assessed by TTC/Evans blue staining and morphological changes of tissues were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The contents of myocardial enzymes and oxidation resistance were measured. The cell apoptosis was evaluated using TUNEL staining and
the expression of proteins was estimated using Western Blot. In the results, the relevant targets and the biological processes of PF against MIRI were screened out, indicating its anti-MIRI potential pharmacological effects of PF. 120 mg/kg PF can shrink infarction area after ischemia/reperfusion,
ameliorate pathological morphology in myocardial tissue, lower the levels of myocardial enzymes, and attenuate oxidative stress. Furthermore, PF could reduce the positive rate of TUNEL staining caused by MIRI. Moreover, 120 mg/kg PF could depress the protein levels of Bax, Caspase-3, Beclin-1
and Cathepsin B and increase the protein level of Bcl-2 on rats after reperfusion. In conclusion, Paeoniflorin has an anti-MIRI effect in rats via coordinate regulation of anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis and inhibition of autophagy.
Multi-wave UV-photocatalysis system (UVA+UVC+VUV/Cu-N-TiO2) for efficient inactivation of microorganisms in ballast water
Authors: Lu Zheng , Wang Yinhao , Zhang Shun , Zhang Kun , Shi Yue , Meng Chengxin
Published: August 2021

Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS) is a system designed to remove biological organisms from ballast water. However, the existing BWTSs often have problems in practical applications. In this study, a multiwave ultraviolet (UV)-modified TiO2 photocatalyst biological inactivation
system (longwave UV, UVA+shortwave UV, UVC+vacuum UV, VUV/Cu-N-TiO2) for microorganism inactivation in ballast water was established. The results showed that the UVA+UVC+VUV/Cu-N-TiO2 system improved the UV light quantum yield and catalyst activity in the photocatalytic
reaction and fully utilized the synergistic inactivation effect of Cu-N-TiO2 photocatalyst+ multiwave UV light (UVA, UVC, and VUV) on microorganisms. Compared with 8 other photocatalytic systems, the logarithmic algae removal rate and logarithmic sterilization rate of the UVA+UVC+VUV/Cu-N-TiO2
system increased to 1.78 log and 5.86 log, respectively. The turbidity of the seawater affected the microorganism inactivation to a certain extent. The humic acid concentration should be controlled below 2 mg L−1 for the UVA+UVC+VUV/Cu-N-TiO2 system to inactivate
microalgae more effectively. The multiwave UV photocatalytic system could significantly increase the lipid peroxidation products in microbial cells, rapidly reduce superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and degrade a large amount of chlorophyll within a short hydraulic residence time (HRT).
Severe damage to the microbial cell membrane can destroy the normal functions of cells, resulting in the death of microorganisms. In conclusion, the UVA+UVC+VUV/Cu-N-TiO2 system is a potential new ballast water treatment system.
Mechanical and thermodynamics properties of Al2Ca and Mg2Ca under various pressure: A first principle study
Authors: Gao Huang Zai
Published: August 2021

The mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Al2Ca and Mg2Ca in the pressure range of 0~100 Gpa were investigated using first-principles calculations. The structural parameters, such as lattice constant ratio, unit cell volume ratio, density, were investigated.
The calculated elastic constants satisfy the born’s stability criterion, indicating that they are mechanically stable at normal and high pressure. Mechanical parameters such as bulk modulus, shear modulus, and Young’s modulus of polycrystalline materials have been derived from
single-crystal elastic constants. The Poisson’s ratio and anisotropy were investigated. The results show that the B/G value of Mg2Ca is greater than 1.75, indicating it is a ductile phase under various pressures. When the pressure was equal to 40 Gpa, Al2Ca was
transferred brittle to toughness, and the bulk modulus, shear modulus, and Young’s modulus of Al2Ca were all larger than those of Mg2Ca, indicating that the comprehensive mechanical properties of Al2Ca are better than those of Mg2Ca. The constant
heat capacity obtained by the quasi-harmonic approximation indicates that the ability of Mg2Ca to release or store heat is greater than that of Al2Ca. Moreover, the coefficient of thermal expansion (α) increases exponentially at lower temperatures and linearly
at higher temperatures for both alloys.
The Effect of Rotation on Double Diffusive Convection: Perspectives from Linear Stability Analysis
Authors: Liang Yu , Carpenter Jeffrey R. , Timmermans Mary-Louise
Published: August 2021

Diffusive convection can occur when two constituents of a stratified fluid have opposing effects on its stratification and different molecular diffusivities. This form of convection arises for the particular temperature and salinity stratification in the Arctic Ocean and is relevant to heat fluxes. Previous studies have suggested that planetary rotation may influence diffusive–convective heat fluxes, although the precise physical mechanisms and regime of rotational influence are not well understood. A linear stability analysis of a temperature and salinity interface bounded by two mixed layers is performed here to understand the stability properties of a diffusive–convective system, and in particular the transition from nonrotating to rotationally controlled heat transfer. Rotation is shown to stabilize diffusive convection by increasing the critical Rayleigh number to initiate instability. In the rotationally controlled regime, a −4/3 power law is found between the critical Rayleigh number and the Ekman number, similar to the scaling for rotating thermal convection. The transition from nonrotating to rotationally controlled convection, and associated drop in heat fluxes, is predicted to occur when the thermal interfacial thickness exceeds about 4 times the Ekman layer thickness. A vorticity budget analysis indicates how baroclinic vorticity production is counteracted by the tilting of planetary vorticity by vertical shear, which accounts for the stabilization effect of rotation. Finally, direct numerical simulations yield generally good agreement with the linear stability analysis. This study, therefore, provides a theoretical framework for classifying regimes of rotationally controlled diffusive–convective heat fluxes, such as may arise in some regions of the Arctic Ocean.
Learning Forecasts of Rare Stratospheric Transitions from Short Simulations
Authors: Finkel Justin , Webber Robert J. , Gerber Edwin P. , Abbot Dorian S. , Weare Jonathan
Published: August 2021

Rare events arising in nonlinear atmospheric dynamics remain hard to predict and attribute. We address the problem of forecasting rare events in a prototypical example, sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Approximately once every other winter, the boreal stratospheric polar vortex rapidly breaks down, shifting midlatitude surface weather patterns for months. We focus on two key quantities of interest: the probability of an SSW occurring, and the expected lead time if it does occur, as functions of initial condition. Theseoptimal forecastsconcretely measure the event’s progress. Direct numerical simulation can estimate them in principle but is prohibitively expensive in practice: each rare event requires a long integration to observe, and the cost of each integration grows with model complexity. We describe an alternative approach using integrations that areshortcompared to the time scale of the warming event. We compute the probability and lead time efficiently by solving equations involving the transition operator, which encodes all information about the dynamics. We relate these optimal forecasts to a small number of interpretable physical variables, suggesting optimal measurements for forecasting. We illustrate the methodology on a prototype SSW model developed by Holton and Mass and modified by stochastic forcing. While highly idealized, this model captures the essential nonlinear dynamics of SSWs and exhibits the key forecasting challenge: the dramatic separation in time scales between a single event and the return time between successive events. Our methodology is designed to fully exploit high-dimensional data from models and observations, and has the potential to identify detailed predictors of many complex rare events in meteorology.
Discipline and Empower: The State Governance of Migrant Domestic Workers
Authors: Parreñas Rhacel Salazar
Published: August 2021

How do states manage their populations? Some scholars see the state as primarily governing through punishment, but how might the state engage in other forms of disciplining subjects? I address these questions by exploring the state management of labor migration through interviews and participant observation of compulsory government workshops. I look at the case of Filipino domestic workers in Arab states. States are said to exercise bio-power when they market and discipline migrants to be competitive and compliant workers, in the process ignoring migrant vulnerabilities. In contrast, this article establishes that sending states attend to migrant vulnerabilities. In addition to bio-power, states also exercise pastoral power, caring for the well-being of migrants through the creation of labor standards, regulation of migration, and education policies. This analysis extends our understanding of the state management of migration as well as the state management of populations as it advances Foucault’s discussion of the exercise of power.
Tumour markers in prostate cancer: The post-prostate-specific antigen era
Authors: Garrido Manuel M , Bernardino Rui M , Marta José C , Holdenrieder Stefan , Guimarães João T
Published: August 2021

Although prostate-specific antigen-based prostate cancer screening had a positive impact in reducing prostate cancer mortality, it also led to overdiagnosis, overtreatment and a significant number of unnecessary biopsies. In the post-prostate-specific antigen era, new biomarkers have emerged that can complement the information given by prostate-specific antigen, towards a better cancer diagnostic specificity, and also allowing a better estimate of the aggressiveness of the disease and its clinical outcome. That means those markers have the potential to assist the clinician in the decision-making processes, such as whether or not to perform a biopsy, and to make the best treatment choice among the new therapeutic options available, including active surveillance in lower risk disease. In this article, we will review several of those more recent diagnostic markers (4Kscore®, [-2]proPSA and Prostate Health Index, SelectMDx®, ConfirmMDx®, Progensa® Prostate Cancer Antigen 3, Mi-Prostate Score, ExoDx™ Prostate Test, the Stockholm3 test and ERSPC risk calculators) and prognostic markers (OncotypeDX® Genomic Prostate Score, Prolaris®, Decipher® and ProMark®). We will also address some new liquid biopsy approaches – circulating tumour cells and cell-free DNA – with a potential role in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and will briefly give some future perspectives, mostly outlooking epigenetic markers.
Providing Verbal Assistance When Assessing Individuals Living with a Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Gagnon-Roy Mireille , Bier Nathalie , Boulé-Riley Stéphanie , Keurentjes Heidi , Lam Wai Shun Priscilla , Le Dorze Guylaine , Bottari Carolina
Published: August 2021

Background. Occupational therapists play a major role in identifying the assistance needs of individuals living with a traumatic brain injury. However, to obtain an accurate assessment, verbal assistance should be provided only when necessary, according to the person's needs. Purpose. This study aimed to understand (1) how verbal assistance is provided during an evaluation of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and (2) why it is provided in this manner. Method. Interviews were conducted with three expert occupational therapists using their own videotaped evaluation and a “think-aloud” method to explore their clinical reasoning when providing verbal assistance. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings. The process of providing verbal assistance was recognized as flexible and nonlinear, and influenced by various factors including the participants’ level of understanding of the client's abilities. Implications. This information will help therapists better understand how and when to provide verbal assistance when assessing their clients.
CSPS: A small but stable society
Authors: LaFosse Mona Tokarek
Published: August 2021

The Canadian Society of Patristic Studies/Association Canadienne des Ètudes Patristiques (CSPS/ACÈP), founded in 1975, is dedicated to the study of early Christianity and its various contexts in Late Antiquity, drawing members from various disciplines from across Canada and internationally. The society welcomes and nurtures new scholars and seasoned members alike. Members are exposed to and discuss a broad range of patristic-related topics at the annual meeting because sessions normally run consecutively (not concurrently). Topics of particular interest in recent years include early Christian exegesis, material culture, Gnosticism (the Nag Hammadi texts, in particular), and Syrian patristics. It is a friendly, supportive, and rigorous academic environment in which to present one's work. The society strives to continue its bilingual roots as well as support new initiatives for the study of patristics in Canada.
How does trust affect help-seeking for Depression in Russia and Australia?
Authors: Cavanagh Daniel , Jurcik Tomas , Charkhabi Morteza
Published: August 2021

Background:

Depression is a major contributor to the global burden of disease that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Cross cultural studies find that culture influences levels of trust which can impact upon an individual’s likelihood to seek psychological help when experiencing Depression.

Aims:

Help seeking is essential for improved mental health outcomes. This study aims to consider how trust affects help-seeking as well as examine the differences in stigma and social distance between participants in Russia and Australia.

Method:

Participants consisted of two separate samples from Australian ( n = 229) and Russia ( n = 259) which were recruited based on a vignette of a diagnostically unlabelled psychiatric case history with Depression using a cross-cultural research design. They completed items on the level of trust in health professionals, stigma and endorsement of help-seeking.

Results:

Findings suggest that trust can predict the endorsement of seeking help from a psychologist. Moreover, trust was lower for participants in Russia compared to those in Australia for mental health professionals. Participants in Russia had higher levels of stigma and social distance than their counterparts in Australia. Overall, participants in Australia were more likely to seek professional help than those in Russia.

Conclusions:

Trust can predict the endorsement of help-seeking from mental health professionals cross culturally. Barriers to help-seeking such as stigma continue to negatively affect mental health outcomes, particularly in Russia.
Idioms of resilience: Mental health and migration in India
Authors: Raghavan Raghu , Brown Brian , Coope Jonathan , Crossley Mark , Sivakami Muthusamy , Gawde Nilesh , Pendse Tejasi , Jamwal Saba , Barrett Andy , Dyalchand Ashok , Chaturvedi Santosh , Chowdary Abhijeet , Heblikar Dhanashree
Published: August 2021

Background:

Resilience has proved to be a versatile notion to explain why people are not defeated by hardship and adversity, yet so far, we know little of how it might apply to communities and cultures in low to middle income countries.

Aim:

This paper aims to explore the notion of resilience in cross-cultural context through considering the lived experience of internal migration.

Methods:

A sample of 30 participants with experience of migration was recruited from a low-income slum dwelling neighbourhood in the city of Pune, India. These individuals participated in biographical narrative interviews in which they were encouraged to talk about their experience of migration, their adaptation to life in their new environment and making new lives for themselves.

Results:

Participants referred to a variety of intra-individual and external factors that sustained their resilience, including acceptance of their circumstances, the importance of memory, hope for their children’s futures as well as kindness from family friends and community members and aspects of the physical environment which were conducive to an improvement in their lives.

Conclusions:

By analogy with the widely used term ‘idioms of distress’, we advocate attention to the locally nuanced and culturally inflected ‘idioms of resilience’ or ‘eudaemonic idioms’ which are of crucial importance as migration and movement become ever more prominent in discussions of human problems. The nature and extent of people’s coping abilities, their aspirations and strategies for tackling adversity, their idioms of resilience and eudaemonic repertoires merit attention so that services can genuinely support their adjustment and progress in their new-found circumstances.
Multiple parameters and target optimization of splitter blades for axial spiral blade blood pump using computational fluid mechanics, neural networks, and particle image velocimetry experiment
Authors: Yu Zheqin , Tan Jianping , Wang Shuai , Guo Bin
Published: August 2021

The blood pump is an implantable device with strict performance requirements. Any effective structural improvement will help to improve the treatment of patients. However, the research of blood pump structure improvement is a complex optimization problem with multiple parameters and objectives. This study takes the splitter blade as the object of structural improvement. Computational fluid mechanics and neural networks are combined in research and optimization. And hydraulic experiments and micro particle image velocimetry technology were used. In the optimization study, the number of blades, axial length and circumferential offset are optimization parameters, and hydraulic performance and hemolytic prediction index are optimization targets. The study analyzes the influence of each parameter on performance and completes the optimization of the parameters. In the results, the optimal parameters of number of blades, axial length ratio, and circumferential offset are 2.6° and 0.41°, respectively. Under optimized parameters, hydraulic performance can be significantly improved. And the results of hemolysis prediction and micro particle image velocimetry experiments reflect that there is no increase in the risk of hemolytic damage. The results of this study provide a method and ideas for improving the structure of the axial spiral blade blood pump. The established optimization method can be effectively applied to the design and research of axial spiral blade blood pumps with complex, high precision, and multiple parameters and targets.
Liminal Participation: Young People’s Practices in the Public Sphere Between Exclusion, Claims of Belonging, and Democratic Innovation
Authors: Pitti Ilaria , Mengilli Yagmur , Walther Andreas
Published: August 2021

Existing understandings of youth participation often imply clear distinctions from non-participation and thus boundaries between “recognized” and “non-recognized” practices of engagement. This article aims at questioning these boundaries. It analyzes young people’s practices in the public sphere that are characterized by both recognition as participation and misrecognition or stigmatization as deviant and it is suggested to conceptualize such practices as “liminal participation.” The concept of liminality has been developed to describe transitory situations “in-between”—between defined and recognized status positions—and seems helpful for better understanding the blurring boundaries of youth participation. Drawing on qualitative case studies conducted within a European research project, the analysis focuses on how young people whose practices evolve at the margins of the respective societies position themselves with regard to the challenges of liminality and on the potential of this for democratic innovation and change.
Impact of Pharmacist-Led Interventions on Diabetes Management at a Community Pharmacy in Pakistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Abubakar Muhammad , Atif Muhammad
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The study aimed to determine the impact of pharmacist-led interventions on diabetes management at a community pharmacy in Pakistan.

Methods

A one-month follow-up, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out between December 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. Sampling population consisted of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The study population was randomized to a control group or an intervention group to determine the impact of a community pharmacist intervention on glycemic control fasting blood glucose (FBG) and random blood glucose (RBG), medication adherence (MMAS), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (EQ-5D-3L). Both non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventional tools were used that consist of array of charts and verbal communication by pharmacist. Outcomes for continuous variables were analyzed using paired sample t-test for time effect and one sample t-test to evaluate the study group effect. Independent sample t-test was used to compare each independent variable with dependent variable. A P-value of <.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The control and intervention groups showed significant improvement ( P-value < .05) in glycemic control, medication adherence, and HRQoL. However, the difference between the control and intervention groups was not statistically significant in terms of blood glucose levels and HRQoL (time trade off, TTO). There was a clinically significant association between pharmacist intervention and predefined glycemic control among the study participants (FBG: P-value < .001 and RBG: P-value = .04). A clinically significant association was also found between pharmacist intervention and medication adherence at the end of the trial compared with baseline values ( P-value < .001). Similarly, a clinically significant association was found between pharmacist intervention and predefined HRQoL [TTO: P-value = .002 and EQ-VAS: P-value = .001].

Conclusion

A significant proportion of T2DM patients in the intervention group achieved predefined glycemic control, medication adherence, and health related quality of life.
The Specialist in Athenian Written Rhetoric During the Classical Period: A Reconsideration of Technical Rhetoric and Rhetorical Iconography
Authors: Enos Richard Leo
Published: August 2021

This essay argues that technical rhetoric in ancient Athens is neither well nor fully understood in its present historical characterization but rather is best realized as occupying a position on a spectrum of literate skills ranging from an art to a craft. The dismissive views of technical writing advanced by Plato and Aristotle should be reconsidered and specialized literate practices be recognized as an important feature of rhetoric in Athens’ classical period. A review of discursive and material (archaeological) evidence reveals that technical writing was evolving into a craft-skill in Athens as early as the archaic period and, by the classical period, would be regarded as a respected “rhetorical” profession of artistic expression. This essay urges readers to reconsider the restrictive characterization of rhetoric advanced by some historians of rhetoric and include the specialist craft-skills of writing as a manifestation of technical rhetoric that both illustrates, and more accurately represents, the range of classical rhetoric in ancient Athens.
Tonic for Body or Soul: Fresh Air for Poor Children in Progressive Era New York City
Authors: Plater Marika
Published: August 2021

The Fresh Air Fund and the Floating Hospital were two charities that launched in Gilded Age New York City and flourished during the Progressive Era. Part of the fresh air charity movement, both organizations argued that impoverished children living in crowded tenement districts needed fresher air. But these reformers had strikingly different notions of what fresh air was and where to find it. The Floating Hospital cast fresh air as medicine that children could breathe in the city’s harbor, but urban air could never be fresh to the Fresh Air Fund. Using fresh air as a symbol of rural wholesomeness in contrast to urban deviance, the organization aimed to mold children into model citizens by exposing them to the countryside. Diverging ideas about cities and air impacted children’s experiences, determining whether charities treated them equally regardless of race or sex and whether reformers respected or tried to break familial bonds.
Automatic e-content sequencing system for personalised learning environments by using fuzzy AHP based on multiple intelligences
Authors: Yilmaz İnce Ebru , İnce Murat
Published: August 2021

The use of personalised learning environments (PLEs) and adaptive learning environments (ALEs) in education has increased during the COVID-2019 pandemic. Thus, the need of effective and high-quality PLEs and ALEs has emerged but developing such learning environments has some difficulties such as the need for a huge number of qualified e-contents. Generation of e-contents for these systems is a time-consuming and costly process. Moreover, presenting the same e-content for each student is not effective because each student can have different intelligence type. To overcome these problems, low cost, reusable and dynamic e-contents can be used for PLE and ALE systems. For this purpose, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was used to provide sequenced e-contents for PLE and ALE systems. This proposed system was used in a case study to investigate its impact on learning process. The performance of the proposed study was compared with analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which is another multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method, also further statistical analyses were investigated. The results showed that 84.6% of students showed interest in the proposed system, so the FAHP method can be used for presenting personalised e-content effectively.
Traversing Anthropocentric Horizons With Her: Trans-Corporeal Surrogacy, Enchantment, and Disenchantment in Human-Machine Assemblage
Authors: Betlemidze Mariam
Published: August 2021

This article aims to shed light on the intricacies that overturn McLuhan's vision of technologies as extensions or prosthetics of human capabilities when applied to human-machine communication (HMC). Human and nonhuman entities co-evolve on an equal agential footing, immersed in mediatized assemblages. Building on the concepts of Deleuze and Guattari, Bennett, and others, it theorizes HMC as a cycle of sonic enchantment, culminating in trans-corporeal surrogacy, disrupted by disenchantment, and started again through re-enchantment. A new materialist framework helps explain the process of posthuman HMC. It provides a close-textual and visual analysis of Spike Jonze's film Her (2013), in which a human develops a romantic relationship with his AI assistant. The aspects of vulnerability, neediness, authenticity, trust, and intimacy surpass the lure of real-time personalized audio communication. The paper argues that artificial intelligence acquires autonomous agency through the processes of enchantment and mutual surrogacy that decenter humans in mediatized assemblages.
Upholding the EU's Commitment to ‘Animal Testing as a Last Resort' Under REACH Requires a Paradigm Shift in How We Assess Chemical Safety to Close the Gap Between Regulatory Testing and Modern Safety Science
Authors: Fentem Julia , Malcomber Ian , Maxwell Gavin , Westmoreland Carl
Published: August 2021

Animal use for testing chemicals under REACH continues to increase, despite advances in non-animal safety science during the past 15 years. The application of modern science and technology, and the use of ‘next generation’ weight-of-evidence assessment approaches, are embedded in EU guidance for establishing the safety of cosmetics and foods – and of the ingredients used in these products. However, this is still not the case for the regulation of chemicals. Under the new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, thought leaders in human health and environmental protection are calling on the European Commission to quickly embrace the benefits of modern and innovative non-animal safety science, in place of outdated animal testing, if the EU is to be a leader in safe and sustainable innovation under the European Green Deal transformational change ambitions. The European Commission also needs to enable companies to meet their legal obligation to only conduct animal testing as a last resort, by providing a more flexible, science-based and consistent regulatory framework for assuring chemical safety, which supports the integration of data from different sources. We are at a tipping point for closing the gap between regulatory chemicals testing and modern safety science. It is time to join forces, across policy makers, scientists, regulators and lawyers, to lead the paradigm shift needed to deliver what EU citizens want – namely, chemicals and products that are safe and sustainable, without resorting to animal testing.
Adult pancreatoblastoma: a case report
Authors: Li Jianchun , Peng Chengzhong , Fan Xiaoming , Wang Ligang , Wang Jing
Published: August 2021

Pancreatoblastoma (PB) is a rare epithelial malignancy usually occurring in the paediatric population. Adult PB is rare, and its imaging findings are similar to those of other tumours, making preoperative diagnosis a considerable challenge. We report correlative ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography findings in a 60-year-old woman with PB. PB often presents with uncommon imaging features and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic masses. It is important for clinicians to be aware of these differences to provide effective treatment.
Chest computed tomography and chest X-ray in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Ibrahim Dima , Bizri Abdul Rahman , El Amine Mohammad Ali , Halabi Zeina
Published: August 2021

Objectives

To compare the yield of early combined use of chest X-ray (CXR) and chest computed tomography (CT) in patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) presenting to the emergency department (ED) and assess the impact of chest CT on the initial diagnosis.

Methods

The medical records of 900 patients who presented to the ED and were diagnosed with CAP over a 1-year period were reviewed, and 130 patients who underwent CXR and chest CT within 48 hours were selected. CXR findings were classified as positive, negative, or inconclusive for CAP. Chest CT findings were defined as positive, negative, inconclusive, or positive with add-on to the CXR findings. CT was classified as having no benefit, large benefit, or moderate benefit based on the chest CT and CXR findings.

Results

Chest CT results were positive in 90.7% of patients, with 41.5% being newly diagnosed after negative or inconclusive CXR and 21.5% being diagnosed with add-on to the CXR findings. CT had large, moderate, and no benefit over CXR in diagnosing or excluding CAP in 45.3%, 21.5%, and 33.1% of patients, respectively.

Conclusion

Early chest CT may be used to compliment CXR in the early diagnosis of CAP among patients in the ED.
Successful optical coherence tomography-guided treatment in a 19-year-old patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction caused by plaque erosion
Authors: Song Xuelian , Wang Fan , Zhang Feifei , Qi Xiaoyong , Dang Yi
Published: August 2021

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is a type of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, and its pathophysiological mechanism is formation of lipid plaques. We report a 19-year-old patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction caused by plaque erosion, but he did not have any common traditional risk factors of lipid plaques. His treatment was guided by optical coherence tomography. He received successful treatment and had a good prognosis. Optical coherence tomography can be used to help understand the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction and visualize the real lumen.
Importance of postural change for accidental ingestion of dental prostheses: a case report
Authors: Matsuda Shinpei , Itoi Hayato , Yoshimura Hitoshi
Published: August 2021

Accidental ingestion of dental prostheses requires immediate emergency action. The authors report a case of accidental ingestion of a dental prosthesis in a patient with a disorder of consciousness. The accidental ingestion was diagnosed by imaging examination, and the location of the dental prosthesis was explored under general anesthesia according to the preoperative examination images. However, no dental prosthesis was found in the hypopharyngeal region. The operators found a radiopaque region in the nasopharynx that was suspicious of a dental prosthesis by X-ray examination of the head and neck region. According to the X-ray examination, the dental prosthesis was removed from the nasopharynx. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful. Postural change for cases of accidental ingestion of dental prostheses may be a simple and important lifesaving step in addition to traditional methods.
Imperfect diagnosis: The truncated legacies of Zika testing
Authors: Kameda Koichi , Kelly Ann H , Lezaun Javier , Löwy Ilana
Published: August 2021

When the Zika virus burst onto the international scene in the second half of 2015, the development of diagnostic tools was seen as an urgent global health priority. Diagnostic capacity was restricted to a small number of reference laboratories, and none of the few available molecular or serological tests had been validated for extensive use in an outbreak setting. In the early weeks of the crisis, key funders stepped in to accelerate research and development efforts, and the WHO took responsibility for steering diagnostic standardization, a role it had successfully played during the West Africa Ebola virus outbreak. Yet when the WHO declared the end of the Zika Public Health Emergency of International Concern in November 2016, diagnostic capacity remained patchy, and few tools were available at the scale required in the countries that bore the brunt of the epidemic, particularly Brazil. This article analyses the limited impact of global R&D efforts on the availability of Zika diagnostic options where they were most needed and for those most vulnerable: women who might have been exposed to the virus during their pregnancy and children born with suspected congenital Zika syndrome. The truncated legacies of testing during the Zika crisis reveal some of the fault lines in the global health enterprise, particularly the limits of ‘emergency R&D’ to operate in geopolitical contexts that do not conform to the ideal type of a humanitarian crisis, or to tackle technical issues that are inextricably linked to domestic struggles over the scope and distribution of biological citizenship. Diagnostic shortcomings, we argue, lie at the heart of the stunning transformation, in less than two years, in the status of Zika: from international public health emergency to neglected disease.
Matching Model for Multiple Delivery Methods in Last-Mile Delivery for Online Shopping
Authors: Du Jianhui , Wang Xu
Published: August 2021

Against the background of e-commerce, online shopping has seen considerable growth in China, as in the rest of the world. The last mile of delivery services for online shopping is a logistics challenge that affects service performance. This study has two main aims: first, to construct an evaluation criteria system for last-mile delivery service; and second to propose a matching model, capable of ranking six delivery methods according to customer preferences in the different urban areas. The factors base is established from the literature and from questionnaires and interviews with experts. Moreover, by conducting a questionnaire with consumers and analyzing the data, this research identifies the top 15 factors. The matching model based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is constructed to compute the weight of each factor. The collection of data on customer preference was performed in distinct urban areas. Finally, to illustrate the validity of the criteria factors and the matching model, it was applied to three districts in Chongqing in China. Finally, our theoretical results from the experiments in real-life instances show that the criteria system and the matching model could help express companies to identify appropriate delivery methods in specific areas.
Automatic Identification of Roadway Horizontal Alignment Information Using Geographic Information System Data: CurvS Tool
Authors: Bartin Bekir , Demiroluk Sami , Ozbay Kaan , Jami Mojibulrahman
Published: August 2021

This paper introduces CurvS, a web-based tool for researchers and analysts that automatically extracts, visualizes, and analyzes roadway horizontal alignment information using readily available geographic information system roadway centerline data. The functionalities of CurvS are presented along with a brief background on its methodology. The validation of its estimation results are presented using actual horizontal alignment data from two different roadway types: Route 83, a two-lane two-way rural roadway in New Jersey and I-80, a freeway segment in Nevada. Different metrics are used for validation. These are identification rates of curved and tangent sections, overlap ratio of curved and tangent sections between estimated and actual horizontal alignment data, and percent fit of curve radii. The validation results show that CurvS is able to identify all the curves on these two roadways, and the estimated section lengths are significantly close to the actual alignment data, especially for the I-80 freeway segment, where 90% of curved length and 94% of tangent section length are correctly matched. Even when curves have small central angles, such as the ones in Route 83, CurvS’s estimations covers 71% of curved length and 96% of tangent section length.
Recurrent Neural Network for Estimating Speed Using Probe Vehicle Data in an Urban Area
Authors: Yang Jae Hwan , Kim Dong-Kyu , Kho Seung-Young
Published: August 2021

Urban traffic networks comprise a combination of various links. These networks are complicated as they have numerous intersections, meaning that using an analytical approach or parametric models to estimate driving speeds on arterial or highway roads results in low accuracy. In this study, a model is developed to estimate the link speed using speed data collected by a probe vehicle driven across different urban traffic links, which have interrupted flows. We discover multimodal distributions of travel speeds in each link’s probe vehicle data and use them to separate the vehicle groups and calculate the mean speed of links. This strategy makes it possible to obtain more detailed data, which are used to determine the traffic state and increase the accuracy of the model. The developed nonlinear model, suitable for low correlations of consecutive links’ speed data, is built on a recurrent neural network. Moreover, this study merges three machine-learning techniques to apply low correlations between link properties and speed states. The model developed lowered the mean absolute error by 35.9% on average when compared with the long short-term memory with raw data: 46.8% for the slow state, 55.7% for the state change, and 48.0% for the sudden change over 10 km/h.
The Performance of Performance Appraisal Systems: A Theoretical Framework for Public Organizations
Authors: Barbieri Marta , Micacchi Lorenza , Vidè Francesco , Valotti Giovanni
Published: August 2021

Performance appraisal (PA) plays a strategic role in public sector human resource management (HRM), acting as a driver for better performance. Drawing from previous theoretical research on the social context of performance appraisal systems and their effectiveness, the study develops a generalizable theoretical framework for classifying performance appraisal systems according to their structural and process proximal variables: purpose, rating source, and structured face-to-face feedback sessions. Through a multiple case study analysis, the theoretical framework has been applied to a sample of Italian PA systems for senior civil servants, aiming to explore the relationship between the structural and process proximal variables of PA systems and rating discriminability, intended as a measurement of performance effectiveness. The results show that the framework accurately represents the variation of the design of performance appraisal systems in the Italian context, highlighting the central role played by multi-source feedback and face-to-face rater-ratee interactions in promoting rating discriminability.
The Rule of Choice: Frames and Overflows in the History of New York City Roadway Planning
Authors: West John H.
Published: August 2021

Two episodes of roadway planning in New York City—the 1937 Henry Hudson Parkway construction and the 2018 congestion pricing legislation—show the dangers and productive possibilities that result when planners “frame” problems as to be resolved by the choices of either experts or individual urban residents. Framing planning as a matter of choices is a reductive dualism that ignores the intellectual, material, and networked relationships that “overflow” such narrow conceptions. Planners and advocates seeking to intervene in choice frames, from Jane Jacobs to congestion pricing advocates, have repurposed metaphors, technology, and scale to link individuals with community, mobility with environmentalism, and planning with politics.