bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3D‐Printed Titanium Cage with PVA‐Vancomycin Coating Prevents Surgical Site Infections (SSIs)
Authors: Li Yuan , Li Litao , Ma Yiguang , Zhang Kuo , Li Guang , Lu Bin , Lu Chenglin , Chen Cheng , Wang Lei , Wang Hao , Cui Xu
Published: February 2020

Many coating materials have been studied to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). However, antibacterial coating on surfaces show weak adhesion using the traditional titanium (Ti) cage, resulting in low efficacy for preventing SSIs after spinal surgery. Herein, a 3D‐printed Ti cage combined with a drug‐releasing system is developed for in situ drug release and bacteria killing, leading to prevention of SSIs in vitro and in vivo. First, a 3D‐printed Ti cage is designed and prepared by the Electron Beam Melting (EBM) method. Second, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) containing hydrophilic vancomycin hydrochloride (VH) is scattered across the surface of 3D‐printed porous Ti (Ti‐VH@PVA) cages. Ti‐VH@PVA cages show an efficient drug‐releasing profile and excellent bactericidal effect for three common bacteria after more than seven days in vitro. In addition, Ti‐VH@PVA cages exhibit reliable inhibition of inflammation associated with Staphylococcus aureus and effective bone regeneration capacity in a rabbit model of SSIs. The results indicate that Ti‐VH@PVA cages have potential advantages for preventing SSIs after spinal surgery.
Highly miniaturized wideband 3‐dB branch‐line hybrid with second harmonic‐suppression
Authors: Barik Rusan K. , Cheng Qingsha S. , Pradhan Nrusingha C. , Subramanian Karthikeyan S.
Published: February 2020

In this article, a highly miniaturized second harmonic suppressed 3‐dB branch‐line hybrid (BLH) with wideband performance is developed by employing a novel transmission‐line architecture (TLA). The proposed architecture consists of a coupled‐line, a series microstrip‐line and two open‐ended stubs. The even‐odd mode technique is used to formulate the required design equations. In order to reduce the size of the BLH, the internal areas between the branches are properly utilized for accommodating the proposed TLA structures with parameter values calculated using the derived formulas. To demonstrate this technique, a wideband three‐section BLH operating at 0.9 GHz is designed and fabricated. The measurement results show the proposed technique reduces the total circuit‐area of the BLH by 90.24% compared to the traditional three‐section hybrid while maintaining a fractional bandwidth greater than 53%. In addition, the second harmonic is eliminated utilizing the spurious response produced by the open‐ended stubs.
A dance of excellence, accessibility, money and national identity: A discourse analysis of the Royal New Zealand Ballet's website
Authors: Nairn Angelique , Guinibert Matthew
Published: February 2020

This paper explores how the Royal New Zealand Ballet's (RNZB's) website is used to construct the organisation's identity. Recent changes to the New Zealand government's cultural policy regarding accessibility, accountability, and funding have seen arts organisations need to consider economic sustainability. We posit that the changing demands placed on elite arts organisations to accommodate both artistic and commercial values may create conflicting messages and tensions that impact on their identity. To explore these tensions, we applied Dryzek's discourse analysis to the RNZB's website. The study uncovered the key entities constructed on the website as the audience, sponsors, and dancers, then considered the power relationships between these entities as well as the explicit and implicit reasons the website had been constructed. The results of the study highlight that the RNZB has chosen to emphasise its normative identity as a creative arts organisation, which inevitably had to meet utilitarian needs of financial support in order to have longevity. By making money, access, excellence, and national identity a part of their overall identity, the RNZB have perhaps inadvertently created contradictions and ambiguity in their wider identity scheme. We conclude that the until the RNZB can run sustainably without government support, and the contradictions in their presented identity will most likely remain.
Optimization of the electrospinning process variables for gelatin/silver nanoparticles/bioactive glass nanocomposites for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Akturk Aysen , Erol Taygun Melek , Goller Gultekin
Published: February 2020

The current research focuses on the findings of an investigation on optimizing of an electrospun antibacterial gelatin nanocomposite membrane for bone tissue engineering applications. For this reason, soluble starch coated silver nanoparticles (Ag‐NPs) and bioactive glass particles (BG) were incorporated in to gelatin (Gt) to fabricate Gt/Ag‐NPs/BG nanocomposite membranes. Employing Box‐Behnken design, second‐order models have been successfully obtained to evaluate the statistical significance of individual and interaction effects of applied voltage, tip‐to‐collector distance (TCD), and flow rate on fiber diameter. There was a reasonable agreement between the regression R2 value (0.9542), R2 predicted value (0.8768), and the R2 adjusted value (0.9286) across the entire factor space with identical observations for the experimental and model values. Under optimum conditions (applied voltage of 26 kV, TCD of 180 mm, and flow rate of 0.5 mL/h), the nanocomposite membrane with similar fiber size of bone tissue extracellular matrix can be fabricated with the predicted value of 557 nm obtained by the proposed model. The optimized nanofiber membrane was fabricated under these conditions and average fiber diameter of this membrane was found as 472 ± 94 nm. The characterization studies of this nanofiber suggest that obtained nanocomposite is a potential candidate for bone tissue engineering applications.
Fetal lower urinary tract obstruction: What should we tell the prospective parents?
Authors: Ibirogba Eniola Raheem , Haeri Sina , Ruano Rodrigo
Published: February 2020

Fetal lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO), which often results in marked perinatal morbidity and mortality, is caused by a heterogeneous group of anatomical defects that lead to blockage of the urethra. The classic prenatal presentation of LUTO includes megacystis with hydronephrosis. While mild forms of the disease can be associated with favorable outcomes, more severe disease commonly leads to dysplastic changes in the fetal kidneys, and ultimately oligohydramnios, which can result in secondary pulmonary hypoplasia and renal failure at birth. The aim of this review is to provide practitioners with a general overview of the diagnosis and treatment of LUTO based on disease severity, along with some points to consider when counseling prospective parents of fetuses with this condition.
Mindfulness facets predict quality of life and sleep disturbance via physical and emotional distresses in Chinese cancer patients: A moderated mediation analysis
Authors: Fong Ted C. T. , Ho Rainbow T. H.
Published: February 2020

Objective

Colorectal cancer survivors are at risk of symptom burden and emotional distress. Dispositional mindfulness has been linked with better sleep quality and quality of life (QoL) in these patients. This longitudinal study aimed to examine the associations among mindfulness facets, symptom burden, emotional distress, and functional outcomes.

Methods

Study sample of this three‐wave, 2‐month survey was 127 Chinese colorectal cancer survivors. The participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and SF‐12 health survey. Moderated mediation analyses examined the direct and indirect effects of mindfulness facets on QoLs and sleep quality via symptom burden and emotional distress, using acting with awareness as a moderator.

Results

The mindfulness facets had no significant direct effects on functional outcomes 2 months later. Awareness and nonreacting showed significant and positive indirect effects on physical and mental QoL via symptom burden and emotional distress 1 month later, respectively. Awareness, nonjudging, and nonreacting significantly predicted better sleep quality indirectly via emotional distress. Nonreacting showed stronger indirect effects on the functional outcomes among patients with greater awareness.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates longitudinal linkages between dispositional mindfulness and functioning in cancer survivors via symptom burden and emotional distress. Acting with awareness and nonreacting are the two facets that displayed clinical relevance in predicting better sleep quality and QoL.
Global Proteomic Analyses of STING‐Positive and ‐Negative Macrophages Reveal STING and Non‐STING Differentially Regulated Cellular and Molecular Pathways
Authors: Aryal Uma K. , Hedrick Victoria , Onyedibe Kenneth Ikenna , Sobreira Tiago Jose Paschoal , Sooreshjani Moloud Aflaki , Wang Modi , Gürsoy Ulvi Kahraman , Sintim Herman O.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate‐adenosine monophosphate and other bacterial‐derived cyclic di‐guanosine monophosphate or cyclic di‐adenosine monophosphate trigger innate immune responses through binding to stimulator of interferon genes (STING). Thus in chronic infection, such as in periodontitis, immune cells can be exposed to bacterial DNA and/or cyclic dinucleotides, potentially activating STING to cause inflammation. Thus far the cyclic GMP‐AMP synthase‐STING‐ TANK‐binding kinase 1 pathway has been well characterized but a global perspective of how the presence or lack of STING affect the proteome is lacking. The aim of this study is to identify macrophage proteins that are affected by STING.

Experimental Design

Proteins are extracted from a macrophage cell line harboring STING (RAW‐Blue ISG) as well as a STING knockout (STING KO) cell line (RAW‐Lucia ISG‐KO‐STING) and global proteomics analyses are performed.

Results

Proteins related to kinase and phosphatase signaling, spliceosome, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, glycosylation, ubiquitination, and phagocytosis are affected by STING knock out.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

STING pathway in macrophages is related to the regulation of several proteins that are known as potent biomarkers of various cancers and autoimmune diseases. Moreover, the relation between STING and phagocytosis is demonstrated for the first time. Further validation studies will help identify molecules and pathways that may function as diagnostic or therapeutic targets.
Rare case of vascular ring with Kommerell diverticulum mimicking uncontrolled asthma
Authors: Ben Saad Ahmed , Fahem Nesrine , Ben Saad Houda , Migaou Asma , Kortas Chokri , Joobeur Samah
Published: February 2020

Anomalies of the aortic arch associated with Kommerell diverticulum (KD) are rare congenital malformations. Symptomatic thoracic vascular rings presenting in adults are rare. We report a case of a 39‐year‐old woman who was diagnosed with uncontrolled asthma. She was complaining of worsening respiratory symptoms with dysphagia. Imaging studies and preoperative findings concluded to type II congenital anomaly of the aortic arch or Neuhauser's anomaly: a right‐sided aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery, tracheoesophageal compression by KD and ligamentum arteriosum (LA). This compression was relieved by the resection of the LA and KD.
Analysis of phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations in the Great Miami and Little Miami basins in Ohio, USA from 2015 to 2017
Authors: Salas Eric Ariel L. , Subburayalu Sakthi Kumaran
Published: February 2020

Concentrations of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in the Great Miami (GM) and Little Miami (LM) basins still remain among the highest detected in the United States. The recent nutrient analysis from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency revealed slightly above average P and N for the recorded period. To assess the temporal changes of nutrient concentrations, this short communication examined datasets collected in the GM and LM basins for three consecutive years—from 2015 to 2017. Our results indicated abrupt spikes of N concentrations in 2017 for six sample sites. By mapping 3 years of data, we found high annual differences in levels of P in the middle and southeast zones of the watersheds. The concentration levels of N did not change much over 3 years, except for specific hotspots in the middle section of the region. Our results could benefit environmental scientists and watershed managers in identifying optimum conditions and adopting new strategies and tools to further mitigate the input of P and N nutrients into the river systems of the GM and LM basins.
Group sequential comparison of positive predictive value curves for correlated biomarker data
Authors: Ye Xuan , Tang Larry L. , Zhu Xiaochen
Published: February 2020

Clinical studies of predictive diagnostic tests consider the evaluation of a single test and comparison of two tests regarding their predictive accuracy of disease status. The positive predictive value (PPV) curve is used for assessing the probability of predicting the disease given a positive test result. The sequential property of one PPV curve had been studied. However, in later stages of diagnostic test development, it is more interesting to compare predictive accuracy of two tests. In this article, we propose a group sequential test for the comparison of PPV curves for paired designs when both diagnostic tests are applied to the same subject. We first derive asymptotic properties of the sequential differences of two correlated empirical PPV curves under the common case‐control sampling. We then apply these results to develop a group sequential test procedure. The asymptotic results are also critical for deriving both the optimal sample size ratio and minimal required sample sizes for the proposed procedure. Our simulation studies show that the proposed sequential testing maintains the nominal type I error rate in finite samples. The proposed design is illustrated in a hypothetical lung cancer predictive trial and in a cancer diagnostic trial.
Surface Roughness Gradients Reveal Topography‐Specific Mechanosensitive Responses in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Hou Yong , Xie Wenyan , Yu Leixiao , Camacho Luis Cuellar , Nie Chuanxiong , Zhang Man , Haag Rainer , Wei Qiang
Published: February 2020

The topographic features of an implant, which mechanically regulate cell behaviors and functions, are critical for the clinical success in tissue regeneration. How cells sense and respond to the topographical cues, e.g., interfacial roughness, is yet to be fully understood and even debatable. Here, the mechanotransduction and fate determination of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on surface roughness gradients are systematically studied. The broad range of topographical scales and high‐throughput imaging is achieved based on a catecholic polyglycerol coating fabricated by a one‐step‐tilted dip‐coating approach. It is revealed that the adhesion of MSCs is biphasically regulated by interfacial roughness. The cell mechanotransduction is investigated from focal adhesion to transcriptional activity, which explains that cellular response to interfacial roughness undergoes a direct force‐dependent mechanism. Moreover, the optimized roughness for promoting cell fate specification is explored.
Computational framework for interactive architecting of complex systems
Authors: Guenov Marin D. , Riaz Atif , Bile Yogesh H. , Molina‐Cristobal Arturo , van Heerden Albert S.J.
Published: February 2020

Presented is a novel framework for interactive systems architecture definition at early design stages. It incorporates graph‐theoretic data structures, entity relationships, and algorithms that enable the systems architect to operate interactively and simultaneously in different domains. It explicitly captures the “zigzagging” of the functional reasoning process, including not only allocated, but also the derived functions. A prototype software tool, AirCADia Architect, was implemented, which allowed the framework to be demonstrated to and tried hands‐on by practicing aircraft systems architects. The tool enables architects to effectively express their ideas when interactively synthesizing new architectures, while still retaining control over the process. The proposed approach was especially acknowledged as the way forward for rationale capture.
Deep learning–based automatic bird identification system for offshore wind farms
Authors: Niemi Juha , Tanttu Juha T.
Published: February 2020

Practical deterrent methods are needed to prevent collisions between birds and wind turbine blades for offshore wind farms. It is improbable that a single deterrent method would work for all bird species in a given area. An automatic bird identification system is required in order to develop bird species–level deterrent methods. This system is the first and necessary part of the entirety that is eventually able to automatically monitor bird movements, identify bird species, and launch deterrent measures. A prototype system has been built on Finnish west coast.

In the proposed system, a separate radar system detects birds and provides WGS84 coordinates to a steering system of a camera. The steering system consists of a motorized video head and our software to control it. The steering system tracks flying birds in order to capture series of images by a digital single‐lens reflex camera. Classification is based on these images, and it is implemented by convolutional neural network trained with a deep learning algorithm. We applied to the images our data augmentation method in which images are rotated and converted into different color temperatures. The results indicate that the proposed system has good performance to identify bird species in the test area. Aiming accuracy for the video head was 88.91 %. Image classification performance as true positive rate was 0.8688.
Combinatory effects of cereulide and deoxynivalenol on in vitro cell viability and inflammation of human Caco-2 cells
Authors: Beisl Julia , Pahlke Gudrun , Abeln Helen , Ehling-Schulz Monika , Del Favero Giorgia , Varga Elisabeth , Warth Benedikt , Sulyok Michael , Abia Wilfred , Ezekiel Chibundu N. , Marko Doris
Published: February 2020

Deoxynivalenol (DON), one of the most abundant mycotoxins in cereal products, was recently detected with other mycotoxins and the emetic bacterial toxin cereulide (CER) in maize porridge. Within a cereal-based diet, co-exposure to these toxins is likely, hence raising the question of combinatory toxicological effects. While the toxicological evaluation of DON has quite progressed, consequences of chronic, low-dose CER exposure are still insufficiently explored. Information about the combinatory toxicological effects of these toxins is lacking. In the present study, we investigated how CER (0.1–100 ng/mL) and DON (0.01–10 µg/mL) alone and in a constant ratio of 1:100 (CER:DON) affect the cytotoxicity and immune response of differentiated human intestinal Caco-2 cells. While DON alone reduced cell viability only in the highest concentration (10 µg/mL), CER caused severe cytotoxicity upon prolonged incubation (starting from 10 ng/mL after 24 h and 48 h, 2.5 ng/mL and higher after 72 h). After 72 h, synergistic effects were observed at 2.5 ng/mL CER and 0.25 µg/mL DON. Different endpoints of inflammation were investigated in interleukin-1β-stimulated Caco-2 cells. Notably, DON-induced interleukin-8 transcription and secretion were diminished by the presence of 10 and 25 ng/mL CER after short-term (5 h) incubation, indicating immunosuppressive properties. We hypothesise that habitual consumption of cereal-based foods co-contaminated with CER and DON may cause synergistic cytotoxic effects and an altered immune response in the human intestine. Therefore, further research concerning effects of co-occurring bacterial toxins and mycotoxins on the impairment of intestinal barrier integrity, intestinal inflammation and the promotion of malnutrition is needed.
Tumor proportion in colon cancer: results from a semiautomatic image analysis approach
Authors: Martin Benedikt , Banner Bettina Monika , Schäfer Eva-Maria , Mayr Patrick , Anthuber Matthias , Schenkirsch Gerhard , Märkl Bruno
Published: February 2020

The tumor stroma ratio (TSR) is a promising prognostic biomarker in colon cancer, which could provide additional risk stratification for therapy adaption. The objective of our study was the investigation of the prognostic significance of TSR at different tumor sites in a simple semiautomatic approach with the open-source program ImageJ. We investigated 206 pT3 and pT4 adenocarcinomas of no special type. According to our established thresholds, 31 tumors (15%) were classified as low tumor proportion (TP) (≤ 15% TP), 42 tumors (20%) were classified as high TP (≥ 54% TP), and 133 tumors (65%) were classified as medium TP. High and low TP were associated with an adverse overall survival in comparison to medium TP (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03). Furthermore, the TP was an independent risk factor of occurrence of distant metastasis next to T status, microsatellite status, and tumor budding. The 5-year survival rate was 49% in patients with high TP, 48% in patients with low TP, and 68% in patients with medium TP (p = 0.042, n = 160). Patients with a high TP had less often tumor budding (p = 0.012), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.049), and less harvested lymph nodes (p = 0.042) in comparison to low TP tumors. The results provide first evidence that a high tumor proportion/low stroma proportion is also associated with an adverse prognosis and that this subgroup might be difficult to identify with other classical histopathologic characteristics that are linked to an adverse prognosis.
Community perception, adaptation and resilience to extreme weather in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Authors: Metcalfe Sarah E. , Schmook Birgit , Boyd Doreen S. , De la Barreda-Bautista Betsabe , Endfield Georgina E. , Mardero Sofia , Manzón Che Maria , Medina González Roger , Munguia Gil Maria Teresa , Navarro Olmedo Santana , Perea Alejandra
Published: February 2020

Perceptions of climate change, the impacts of and responses to climatic variability and extreme weather are explored in three communities in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, in relation to livelihood resilience. These communities provide examples of the most common livelihood strategies across the region: small-scale fisheries (San Felipe) and semi-subsistence small-holder farming (Tzucacab and Calakmul). Although the perception that annual rainfall is reducing is not supported by instrumental records, changes in the timing of vital summer rainfall and an intensification of the mid-summer drought (canicula) are confirmed. The impact of both droughts and hurricanes on livelihoods and crop yields was reported across all communities, although the severity varied. Changes in traditional milpa cultivation were seen to be driven by less reliable rainfall but also by changes in Mexico’s agricultural and wider economic policies. Diversification was a common adaptation response across all communities and respondents, resulting in profound changes in livelihood strategies. Government attempts to reduce vulnerability were found to lack continuity, be hard to access and too orientated toward commercial scale producers. Population growth, higher temperatures and reduced summer rainfall will increase the pressures on communities reliant on small-scale farming and fishing, and a more nuanced understanding of both impacts and adaptations is required for improved livelihood resilience. Greater recognition of such local-scale adaptation strategies should underpin the developing Mexican National Adaptation Policy and provide a template for approaches internationally as adaptation becomes an increasingly important part of the global strategy to cope with climate change.
A drug–drug interaction study of a novel, selective urate reabsorption inhibitor dotinurad and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug oxaprozin in healthy adult males
Authors: Furihata Kenichi , Nagasawa Katsuaki , Hagino Atsushi , Kumagai Yuji
Published: February 2020

Background

Dotinurad is a novel, selective urate reabsorption inhibitor, which reduces serum uric acid levels by inhibiting the urate transporter 1. The results of nonclinical studies indicated the possibility that the concomitant use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug oxaprozin affects the pharmacokinetics of dotinurad. We evaluated drug–drug interactions with respect to the pharmacokinetics and safety of dotinurad when co-administered with oxaprozin.

Methods

This was an open-label, two-period, add-on study in healthy adult males. For a single dose of 4 mg of dotinurad with and without oxaprozin, we compared its pharmacokinetic parameters and evaluated safety.

Results

This study enrolled 12 subjects, 11 of whom completed the study. The geometric mean ratio (90% confidence interval [CI]) of the urinary excretion rate of glucuronate conjugates of dotinurad after co-administration with oxaprozin compared to administration of dotinurad alone was 0.657 (0.624–0.692), while the geometric mean ratios (90% CIs) of the maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0–inf) were 0.982 (0.945–1.021) and 1.165 (1.114–1.219), respectively. During the study, two adverse events occurred after administration of dotinurad alone and one occurred after administration of oxaprozin alone.

Conclusions

In comparison with administration of dotinurad alone, co-administration with oxaprozin was associated with a 34.3% decrease in the urinary excretion rate of the glucuronate conjugates of dotinurad, and a 16.5% increase in AUC0–inf of dotinurad. However, no clinically meaningful drug–drug interactions were observed. Administration of dotinurad alone was similar safety to co-administration with oxaprozin.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03350386.
Influence of Isothermal Holding on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Electron Beam Welded Dissimilar Inconel 718/ATI 718Plus® Joint
Authors: Dziuba Oskar , Cempura Grzegorz , Wusatowska-Sarnek Agnieszka , Kruk Adam
Published: February 2020

Microstructural changes of the Inconel 718 and ATI 718Plus® base materials and the fusion zone caused by the isothermal hold at 760 °C for up to 500 h were investigated. The evaluation was performed using a scanning electron microscope with backscattered electrons detector and scanning transmission electron microscopy supported by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Furthermore, to evaluate the effect of microstructural changes on mechanical properties Vickers microhardness measurements were performed. Exposure of welded joint at high temperature led to coarsening and/or dissolution of main strengthening phases’ particles and nucleation and growth of plate-like precipitates. In the interdendritic region of the fusion zone, the transformation of the Laves phase to a complex cluster of precipitates contained σ phase had taken place. Analysis of microstructure and microhardness measurements showed that ATI 718Plus has better mechanical properties and microstructural stability at elevated temperature than Inconel 718.
Component processes of detection probability in camera-trap studies: understanding the occurrence of false-negatives
Authors: Findlay Melanie A. , Briers Robert A. , White Patrick J. C.
Published: February 2020

Camera-trap studies in the wild record true-positive data, but data loss from false-negatives (i.e. an animal is present but not recorded) is likely to vary and widely impact data quality. Detection probability is defined as the probability of recording an animal if present in the study area. We propose a framework of sequential processes within detection – a pass, trigger, image registration, and images being of sufficient quality. Using closed-circuit television (CCTV) combined with camera-trap arrays we quantified variation in, and drivers of, these processes for three medium-sized mammal species. We also compared trigger success of wet and dry otterLutra lutra, as an example of a semiaquatic species. Data loss from failed trigger, failed registration and poor capture quality varied between species, camera-trap model and settings, and were affected by different environmental and animal variables. Distance had a negative effect on trigger probability and a positive effect on registration probability. Faster animals had both reduced trigger and registration probabilities. Close passes (1 m) frequently did not generate triggers, resulting in over 20% data loss for all species. Our results, linked to the framework describing processes, can inform study design to minimize or account for data loss during analysis and interpretation.
Train–track coupled dynamics analysis: system spatial variation on geometry, physics and mechanics
Authors: Xu Lei , Zhai Wanming
Published: February 2020

This paper aims to clarify the influence of system spatial variability on train–track interaction from perspectives of stochastic analysis and statistics. Considering the spatial randomness of system properties in geometry, physics and mechanics, the primary work is therefore simulating the uncertainties realistically, representatively and efficiently. With regard to the track irregularity simulation, a model is newly developed to obtain random sample sets of track irregularities by transforming its power spectral density function into the equivalent track quality index for representation based on the discrete Parseval theorem, where the correlation between various types of track irregularities is accounted for. To statistically clarify the uncertainty of track properties in physics and mechanics in space, a model combining discrete element method and finite element method is developed to obtain the spatially varied track parametric characteristics, e.g. track stiffness and density, through which the highly expensive experiments in situ can be avoided. Finally a train–track stochastic analysis model is formulated by integrating the system uncertainties into the dynamics model. Numerical examples have validated the accuracy and efficiency of this model and illustrated the effects of system spatial variability on train–track vibrations comprehensively.
Wenn Ethik zum Programm wird: Eine risikoethische Analyse moralischer Dilemmata des autonomen Fahrens
Authors: Schäffner Vanessa
Published: February 2020

Wie sollen sich autonome Fahrzeuge verhalten, wenn ein Unfall nicht mehr abwendbar ist? Die Komplexität spezifischer moralischer Dilemmata, die in diesem Kontext auftreten können, lässt bewährte ethische Denktraditionen an ihre Grenzen stoßen. Dieser Aufsatz versteht sich als Versuch, neue Lösungsperspektiven mithilfe einer risikoethischen Sichtweise auf die Problematik zu eröffnen und auf diese Weise deren Relevanz für die Programmierung von ethischen Unfallalgorithmen aufzuzeigen. Im Zentrum steht dabei die Frage, welche Implikationen sich aus einer Auffassung von Dilemma-Situationen als risikoethische Verteilungsprobleme im Hinblick auf die Zulässigkeit von entsprechenden Risikoübertragungen ergeben. Dabei wird zunächst eine risikoethische Interpretation des zugrundeliegenden Entscheidungsproblems skizziert, welches durch seine dilemmatische Struktur eine besondere Risikokonstellation begründet. Ausgehend von den Positionen von Sven Ove Hansson und Julian Nida-Rümelin wird für einen deontologisch-risikoethischen Ansatz argumentiert, der auf Individualrechten einerseits und einer interpersonell gerechten Verteilung der entstehenden Schadensrisiken anderseits basiert. Diese beiden Kriterien werden für den Anwendungskontext des autonomen Fahrens konkretisiert. Zum einen wird in Bezug auf das erste Kriterium argumentiert, dass individuelle Rechte genau dann als angemessen gewahrt gelten können, wenn die resultierenden Risikoübertragungen auf die Einzelnen in ihrer absoluten Höhe jeweils zumutbar sind (absolutes Prinzip). Zum anderen werden Schwierigkeiten skizziert, die sich hinsichtlich der konkreten Umsetzung des zweiten Kriteriums der Verteilungsgerechtigkeit (relatives Prinzip) ergeben. In diesem Zusammenhang werden beispielsweise ethische Herausforderungen in Bezug auf einen möglichen Vorteilsausgleich, das Prinzip der Schadensminimierung sowie individuell unterschiedliche Ausgangsbedingungen der persönlichen Schadensreduktion kritisch in den Blick genommen.
Study on applicability of two modal identification techniques in irrelevant cases
Authors: Tomaszewska A. , Szafrański M.
Published: February 2020

Study on applicability of two modal identification techniques in irrelevant cases is made in this paper. The following techniques are considered: peak picking based on correlation analysis (PP-CA), dedicated for ambient vibrations and eigensystem realization algorithm (ERA), formulated for free-decay vibrations investigation. Irrelevant cases are found when analyzed signals are different than recommended to a given technique. The study is conducted on examples of two real structures: masonry tower and steel railway bridge. Both cases are diverse in age, material, excitation and vibrations energy. The signals measured on the tower are suitable for the PP-CA technique (ambient vibrations), while the signals measured on the bridge are suitable for the ERA (free-decay vibrations). However, both methods have been applied to both systems. Natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios are identified and the effectiveness of the irrelevant technique is assessed in relation to the results obtained by the relevant method in each case.
Diverse Sexual Behaviors and Pornography Use: Findings From a Nationally Representative Probability Survey of Americans Aged 18 to 60 Years
Authors: Herbenick Debby , Fu Tsung-Chieh , Wright Paul , Paul Bryant , Gradus Ronna , Bauer Jill , Jones Rashida
Published: February 2020

Background

Convenience sample data indicate that substantial portions of adults have engaged in sexual behaviors sometimes described as rough; little is known about these behaviors at the population level.

Aim

To describe, in a U.S. probability sample of Americans aged 18 to 60 years, (i) the prevalence of diverse sexual behaviors, described here as dominant and target behaviors; (ii) the age at first pornography exposure as well as prevalence, range, and frequency of pornography use; (iii) the association between past year pornography use frequency and dominant/target sexual behaviors; and (iv) associations between lifetime range of pornography use and dominant/target sexual behaviors.

Methods

A confidential cross-sectional online survey was used in this study.

Outcomes

Lifetime engagement in dominant behaviors (eg, spanking, choking, name calling, performing aggressive fellatio, facial ejaculation, penile-anal penetration without first asking/discussing) and lifetime engagement in target behaviors (eg, being spanked, being choked, being called names during sex, having their face ejaculated on, receiving aggressive fellatio, or receiving penile-anal penetration without having discussed) were assessed; lifetime pornography use, age at first porn exposure, past-year frequency of porn viewing, and lifetime range of pornography were also assessed.

Results

Women as well as men who have sex with men were more likely to report target sexual behaviors: having been choked (21.4% women), having one's face ejaculated on (32.3% women, 52.7% men who have sex with men), and aggressive fellatio (34.0% women). Lifetime pornography use was reported by most respondents. After adjusting for age, age at first porn exposure, and current relationship status, the associations between pornography use and sexual behaviors was statistically significant.

Clinical Implications

Clinicians need to be aware of recent potential shifts in sexual behaviors, particularly those such as choking that may lead to harm.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths include U.S. probability sampling to provide population level estimates and the use of Internet-based data collection on sensitive topics. We were limited by a lack of detail and context related to understanding the diverse sexual behaviors assessed.

Conclusion

Clinicians, educators, and researchers have unique and important roles to play in continued understanding of these sexual behaviors in the contemporary United States.
Are visual PINs the next step in authentication?
Authors: Anderson Geoff
Published: February 2020

Identity has always been a crucial component in how we interact with the world. How we prove our identity is even more important. Whether it is getting permission to take money out from your bank, gaining access to your Netflix account to watch the latest Black Mirror series, or just being able to log on to Twitter to add a comment – these all require proof that we are who we say we are.
CES shows biometrics entering everyday life
Authors: Ring Tim
Published: February 2020

Last month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world's biggest tech event, showcased the rapidly growing use of biometric technology in consumer devices – and raised privacy fears over this spread of facial recognition through the home and everyday life.
The Serpent Column and the talismanic ecologies of Byzantine Constantinople
Authors: Griebeler Andrew
Published: February 2020

This study examines how the Serpent Column in Constantinople came to be recognized as a talisman against snakes and snakebites in the 1390s. It first gives a working definition of what a talisman was in Byzantium. It shows that, despite the co-existence of different ideas of what talismans were, they share the basic principle that the talisman acts within a broader network of non-human forces and entities. Second, it shows how contemporaries used this understanding of talismans when they began to recognize the Serpent Column as a talisman.
Role of Religious Institutions in Disaster Risk Management: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sheikhi Rahim Ali , Seyedin Hesam , Qanizadeh Ghader , Jahangiri Katayoun
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the relevant research on religious organizations’ participation in disasters risk management and to understand the ways in which these organizations impact on disaster management. Today, community-based disaster risk management is emphasized as a very effective approach. Religious organizations are one of the most important components of community. They have access to resources that can be critical to help government agencies to manage disasters successfully.

Methods:

This systematic review was conducted since August 2018 to investigate the role of religious institutions in disasters management and was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, Proquest, Embase, and Google scholar were the primary databases used for search of literature. Keywords used in this review were “religious institution,” “disaster management,” and their equivalents were obtained from Mesh, Emtree, or extracted from related articles. The papers from a broad range of disciplines related to keywords were included, and those articles that focus on response to disaster based on religious beliefs’ and religion rather than participation of religious institutions in disaster risk management were excluded. From the 18,071 records identified through database searching in the early stage, 22 articles were selected for this review followed by analysis of the characteristics and content analysis of the included studies to answer the study questions.

Results:

The findings of this systematic review that emerged from content analysis are summarized in 11 themes: religious institutions’ potential for disaster management, preparedness of religious institutions for disasters, response, recovery, the social capital, partnership with all stakeholders, collaboration and communication between mental health professionals and faith-based organization leaders, unity of information and message, religious institution shelters, dealing with disaster in old and new approaches, and barriers and challenges.

Conclusions:

Religious institutions have a vital role and great potential in disasters management. They often contribute in response and recovery phases of disasters, although these services are valuable but the great potential of these groups should also be recruited to participate in preparedness and mitigation efforts as part of disasters cycle. Coordination and collaboration of all stakeholders is essential in this way.
The Biographies of Bodily Ornaments from Indigenous Settlements of the Dominican Republic (AD 800–1600)
Authors: Guzzo Falci Catarina , Ngan-Tillard Dominique , Hofman Corinne L. , Van Gijn Annelou
Published: February 2020

In this study, we generate novel insights regarding bodily ornaments from indigenous societies of late precolonial Greater Antilles. Previous research has highlighted the sociopolitical role of valuable, exotic, and figurative ornaments, yet there are many gaps in our current understanding of these artifacts. Here, we focus on ornaments from five recently excavated sites in the Dominican Republic (AD 800–1600). We used microwear analysis to investigate each ornament and assess its production sequence and use life. These data permitted the definition of morpho-technical groups, which we then compared to depositional contexts and the regional availability of raw materials. We demonstrate that (1) there was small-scale production of ornaments at the sites, (2) the most recurrent morpho-technical groups were likely imported from production centers, and (3) ornaments of the same group could lead different use lives and be deposited through varied processes. We conclude that bodily ornaments had highly diverse biographies involving local and regional interaction networks.
Rebels, Revenue and Redistribution: The Political Geography of Post-Conflict Power-Sharing in Africa
Authors: Haass Felix , Ottmann Martin
Published: February 2020

Do rebel elites who gain access to political power through power-sharing reward their own ethnic constituencies after war? The authors argue that power-sharing governments serve as instruments for rebel elites to access state resources. This access allows elites to allocate state resources disproportionately to their regional power bases, particularly the settlement areas of rebel groups' ethnic constituencies. To test this proposition, the authors link information on rebel groups in power-sharing governments in post-conflict countries in Africa to information about ethnic support for rebel organizations. They combine this information with sub-national data on ethnic groups' settlement areas and data on night light emissions to proxy for sub-national variation in resource investments. Implementing a difference-in-differences empirical strategy, the authors show that regions with ethnic groups represented through rebels in the power-sharing government exhibit higher levels of night light emissions than regions without such representation. These findings help to reconceptualize post-conflict power-sharing arrangements as rent-generating and redistributive institutions.
Urbanization and the End of Black Churches in the Modern World
Authors: Evans Curtis J.
Published: February 2020

Historian Wallace Best argues in hisPassionately Human, No Less Divine: Religion and Culture in Black Chicago, 1915-1952(2005) that historically “we have been more accustomed to think of religion as spontaneous and supernatural.” Best maintains that we have seen religion as “something that happens—outside of human control and irrespective of social context.” He wants to challenge this conception of religion by emphasizing the active production of a new religious culture by black Americans in Chicago in the early twentieth century. The agency of lower- and working-class blacks is what Best emphasizes in his rich analysis of religion and culture in black Chicago. Although it is not clear who the “we” is in Best's analysis because he does not cite any sources on this point, I do not quite see things the way that he does. As I will demonstrate in this essay, the historiography on African American religion has not posited a static or “supernatural” conception of religion. What strikes me about the history of interpretations of African American religion is the way in which interpreters have asserted that peoples of African descent were “naturally religious,” which meant that their religion was a product of biology and nature rather than of the “supernatural.” Generally, white interpreters in the early twentieth century set the terms of the debate by arguing that blacks were naturally religious and thus unable to compete in a modern industrial world. The political and social force of such arguments has been keenly observed by black interpreters, who were eager to offer in response a more socially progressive notion of black religion in order to enlist black churches in social reform, to counter images of blacks as inhibited by nature or biology from contributing to the cultural vitality of the nation, and to insist that black religion changed in response to social circumstances (and hence the common claim in the 1940s that it was very much a product, if not an epiphenomenon, of their economic and political condition).
THE CASCAJAL BLOCK: NEW LINE DRAWING, DISTRIBUTIONAL ANALYSIS, AND ORTHOGRAPHIC PATTERNS
Authors: Mora-Marín David F.
Published: February 2020

This paper studies the Cascajal Block, a serpentinite artifact with an Olmec text dating to ca. 1000–900b.c.(Rodríguez Martínez et al. 2006a). It introduces a new line drawing made possible by the detailed documentation carried out by Carrasco and Englehardt, presents a distributional analysis of the inscription in order to assess the sign inventory proposed by Rodríguez Martínez et al. (2006a) and revised by Mora-Marín (2009), and, most significantly, suggests that certain irregularities in the patterns of sign co-occurrence raised by previous authors (Justeson 2012; Macri 2006) are consistent with spelling practices in logosyllabic scripts, showing that the script is linguistically motivated. The work by Carrasco and Englehardt (2015) on the identification and analysis of sign pairings as likely diphrastic kennings is highlighted as crucial to establishing semantic controls needed for any attempt at decipherment; a new, repeated pairing is proposed, consisting of the PELT-PAW signs. Finally, this paper assesses how the various models for the reading formatting and direction of the text could impact the proposed hypotheses.