bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of an online motivational interviewing training program for rehabilitation professionals: A pilot study
Authors: Schechter Nicole , Butt Lester , Jacocks Connie , Staguhn Elena , Castillo Renan , Wegener Stephen T.
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an online motivational interviewing training program for rehabilitation professionals.

Design:

Pre-post design with two groups.

Setting:

Private rehabilitation hospital and an academic medical center

Subjects:

Group 1 included 19 motivational interviewing-experienced rehabilitation professionals. Group 2 included 25 motivational interviewing-naïve rehabilitation professionals.

Interventions:

Group 1 was exposed to an online motivational training program and Group 2 was exposed to an online motivational training program and a live booster session.

Main measures:

Motivational interviewing communication skills were measured with an adapted Helpful Responses Questionnaire. Knowledge and attitudes were measured with an adapted Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test. Confidence, importance, and feasibility for implementing motivational interviewing were measured using the Motivational Interviewing Rulers.

Results:

Group 1 showed improvement in communication skills (2.6/5–3.3/5; P < 0.05) and confidence (6.0/01–7.4/10; P < 0.01) after online training. Improvements seen in skills and confidence were maintained at three months. Group 2 showed improvement in skills (2.1/5–3.3/5; P < 0.001), knowledge (7.7/10–8.5/10; P < 0.01), confidence (6.4/10–7.5/10; P < 0.01), and importance (8.3/10–8.9/10; P < 0.05) after online training. At three-months post-booster, improvements in communication skills and knowledge were maintained.

Conclusions:

Online training can be a cost and time effective approach to improve rehabilitation professionals’ skills in motivational interviewing. Follow-up training activities are needed to maintain the level of knowledge and skill improvement.
Social Network Approach to Analyze Stability and Variability of Travel Decisions
Authors: Puhe Maike , Schippl Jens , Fleischer Torsten , Vortisch Peter
Published: April 2021

Large-scale changes are expected for urban mobility systems, triggered by digitalization and various other factors such as climate concerns or urbanization. For researchers and planners, it is therefore becoming increasingly important to understand the determinants of variability and stability of travel decisions. The motivation for the study is that, in transportation research and modeling frameworks, travel choices usually derive from individual traits and accessibility variables. What is underrepresented by such an approach is that decisions are also socially embedded. The authors postulate that mobility patterns are strongly interwoven with the way people configure their social networks. The paper introduces and discusses an empirical approach to investigate the social embeddedness of mobility decisions. The basic premise of the approach is that social network configurations provide an important setting for daily life in general and individual travel decisions in particular. Analysis is based on a three-phase interview study, conducted in Karlsruhe, Germany. The analytical approach reveals that a substantial part of travel is only loosely coupled to generalized costs of transport. Instead, the motivational degree linked to certain relationships largely influences willingness to travel and the relative stability of everyday life. Relationships that are internally satisfying or extremely familiar to people appear highly persistent. Furthermore, relationships that provide a certain degree of flexibility appear changeable, though not necessarily in all dimensions. Only a very small number of relationships appear both substitutable and changeable.
Almost Automating the Planner: Florida Department of Transportation’s Approach to Understanding Places through Context Classification
Authors: Kent Margaret , Parlow Jean , Chesna Deborah , Carver DeWayne , Hurd Patty , Lim-Yap Jane
Published: April 2021

Context-based thinking is a transportation planning and design approach that aims to create infrastructure that serves diverse places and users. In Florida, context-based design is the approach Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has taken to implement its Statewide Complete Streets policy. FDOT intends to use the context of a roadway to better tailor design and planning solutions for the roadway, thereby putting the “right street in the right place.” To this end, FDOT developed a context classification system and guidance document for project corridors and has since applied the classification effort to the entire state road network. This paper shares a method that two FDOT districts, District One and District Five, used to accomplish their districtwide context classification efforts. The method leverages geographic information systems (GIS) to appropriately segment the road network, analyze connectivity, land use, and density measures, and evaluate the context classification for all state roads within each district. The resulting database is regularly updated using a GIS-based tool and serves as a rich source of information for FDOT and partner agency planners and designers.
Effects of Pedestrian Crossing on Minor Road Capacity at Two-Way Stop-Controlled Intersections
Authors: Yue Rui , Yang Guangchuan , Zheng Yichen , Tian Zong
Published: April 2021

Two-way stop-controlled (TWSC) intersections have been used extensively in the United States and other parts of the world when traffic signal control is not warranted. However, it was found that when a major road vehicle yields to crossing pedestrians, minor road traffic could use this extra gap, which tends to improve the capacity of some minor vehicle movements. The current capacity modeling methods did not take into account the effects of the pedestrian crossing on minor road capacity. This paper proposes an analytical model to quantify the increased capacity of minor street movements contributed by minor street pedestrian crossings and validates the model using both field data collected at a three-leg TWSC intersection and through the stochastic simulation method. A sensitivity analysis was performed to reveal the impacts of various factors on minor road capacity. In general, it was found that minor road left-turn capacity at the study intersection was positively correlated to pedestrian crossing volume, yielding rate, and pedestrian crossing time. Besides, modeling results showed that under relatively heavier conflict traffic volume conditions, the effect of the pedestrian crossing on increased capacity on the minor road was more significant.
Predicting the Retroreflectivity Degradation of Waterborne Paint Pavement Markings using Advanced Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Mousa Momen R. , Mousa Saleh R. , Hassan Marwa , Carlson Paul , Elnaml Ibrahim A.
Published: April 2021

Waterborne paint is the most common marking material used throughout the United States. Because of budget constraints, most transportation agencies repaint their markings based on a fixed schedule, which is questionable in relation to efficiency and economy. To overcome this problem, state agencies could evaluate the marking performance by utilizing measured retroreflectivity of waterborne paints applied in the National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) or by using retroreflectivity degradation models developed in previous studies. Generally, both options lack accuracy because of the high dimensionality and multi-collinearity of retroreflectivity data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to employ an advanced machine learning algorithm to develop performance prediction models for waterborne paints considering the variables that are believed to affect their performance. To achieve this objective, a total of 17,952 skip and wheel retroreflectivity measurements were collected from 10 test decks included in the NTPEP. Based on these data, two CatBoost models were developed with an acceptable level of accuracy which can predict the skip and wheel retroreflectivity of waterborne paints for up to 3 years using only the initial measured retroreflectivity and the anticipated project conditions over the intended prediction horizon, such as line color, traffic, air temperature, and so forth. These models could be used by transportation agencies throughout the United States to 1) compare between different products and select the best product for a specific project, and 2) determine the expected service life of a specific product based on a specified threshold retroreflectivity to plan for future restriping activities.
Inferring the Purposes of using Ride-Hailing Services through Data Fusion of Trip Trajectories, Secondary Travel Surveys, and Land Use Data
Authors: Hossain Sanjana , Habib Khandker Nurul
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a data fusion methodology for inferring trip purposes from GPS trajectories of ride-hailing services in Toronto. The methodology has a discrete choice model at its core that predicts the most probable purpose distributions using only basic trip-related information such as approximate pick-up and drop-off locations, trip start times, and land use characteristics around the origins and destinations. The choice model is estimated using revealed trip purpose data from a small-sample travel survey augmented by land use information from an enhanced point of interest database and the census. The methodology is applied to the trajectories of commercial ride-hailing trips made in Toronto between September 2016 and September 2018. For the core choice model, multinomial, nested, and mixed multinomial logit models are compared. Validation of the inferred trip purposes using the trip purpose proportions from another independent survey (not used in choice model estimation) reveal that the multinomial logit model can infer ride-hailing trip purpose distribution with reasonable accuracy. The inferred purpose distribution explains the nature of ride-hailing trips and provides important context of travel demand generated by the services. The results indicate that although ride-hailing services are mostly used for discretionary activities, they also play important roles in daily commuter travel. A quarter of the total weekday ride-hailing trips were made for work- and school-related activities. With increasing ridership, these services may start influencing conventional travel modes and thereby adversely affect the level of traffic congestion and transit ridership in the city.
Designing Multiple Short-Turn Routes to Mitigate the Crowding on a Bus Network
Authors: Moon Sedong , Cho Shin-Hyung , Kim Dong-Kyu
Published: April 2021

On a transit route, initiating a trip beyond a transit route’s departure terminus and terminating the trip before its arrival is called “short-turn.” This study develops a method to design short-turn services to alleviate crowding on a transit network consisting of multiple overlapping routes. The proposed method consists of two processes: (i) optimizing routes, turn-back points, and fleet sizes of short-turn services by a genetic algorithm to minimize the sum of waiting, in-vehicle, operation, and social costs; (ii) assigning passenger trip demands to short-turn and existing services. These processes are performed iteratively to design multiple short-turn routes. The proposed method is applied to a real-world transit network in Seoul, Republic of Korea, to design 10 short-turn routes. The results are compared with two naïve methods that introduce short-turn services to sections with the maximum occupancy and the maximum demand divided by the section length, respectively. The comparison results show the proposed method is much superior to both of the naïve methods in reducing total costs. The result of the sensitivity analysis suggests that the value of in-vehicle time needs to be estimated accurately and site-specifically. The proposed model contributes to enhancing the convenience of transit users by effectively mitigating the crowding under budget constraints.
Construction of an Electrically Heated Asphalt Road Based on Ribbon Technology
Authors: Levenberg Eyal , Félix Adam Quentin
Published: April 2021

Although asphalt pavements are the most common pavement type worldwide, there is no accepted heating solution for this infrastructure class for melting snow and preventing ice formation at the ride-surface. This study was concerned with utilizing electric ribbon technology as a suitable heating solution. A method was proposed to introduce ribbon heaters into the typical paving process in a practical manner, causing minimal disruption to the normal paving operations, that is potentially expandable to large areas. The advocated idea was to deploy ribbons after an asphalt concrete (AC) lift has been paved and compacted, and before paving and compacting the next AC lift(s). In this context, a special grooving machine was envisioned to make shallow channels in the AC for cradling each ribbon. Thus, the system survivability is guaranteed, with all ribbons protected against the maneuvering of trucks, paving equipment, and heavy rollers. Subsequently, the method was demonstrated through the full-scale construction of a heated road that included installing ribbons in-between AC lifts. For this purpose, the protective ribbon channels were grooved with a customized milling machine. The entire construction process was described in detail, and some initial findings from activating the system were also included. An overall system survivability of 97% was achieved, and the installation concept appears practical and up-scalable.
Operational Feasibility Assessment of Battery Electric Construction Equipment Based on In-Use Activity Data
Authors: Un-Noor Fuad , Scora George , Wu Guoyuan , Boriboonsomsin Kanok , Perugu Harikishan , Collier Sonya , Yoon Seungju
Published: April 2021

Despite the significant progress in on-road vehicle electrification, the majority of construction equipment types are still using conventional diesel engines. Though there has been a steady flow of studies in this field, not all equipment types have yet been evaluated. This paper contributes to filling that data gap by analyzing real-world second-by-second activity data from 17 off-road vehicles across six equipment types to investigate their electrification potential. The collected data are used to determine real-world power and torque demands—which are then used to select currently available electric motors suited for electrification of these types of equipment. Required battery sizes for battery electric operation are also calculated considering recorded energy demands, and battery sizes are standardized across equipment types for realistic implementation. The resulting battery electric systems are simulated to determine their effectiveness in fulfilling real-world activity demands. The results show that four of the six types can be electrified to a significant extent using battery electric powertrains with a single-motor set-up, while the remaining two types are more suitable for hybridization because of their high energy needs.
Signal Stability and the Height-Correction Method for Ground-Penetrating Radar In Situ Asphalt Concrete Density Prediction
Authors: Cao Qingqing , Al-Qadi Imad L.
Published: April 2021

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has shown great potential for asphalt concrete density prediction used in quality control and quality assurance. One challenge of continuous GPR measurements is that the measured dielectric constant could be affected by signal stability and antenna height. This would jeopardize the accuracy of the asphalt concrete density prediction along the pavement. In this study, signal instability and shifting antenna height during continuous real-time GPR measurements were identified as main sources of error. After using a bandpass filter to preprocess the signal, a least-square adaptive filter, using gradient descent and least mean square methods, was developed to reconstruct the received signal to improve its stability. In addition, simulations were performed to evaluate the impact of geometric spreading caused by shifting antenna height during testing. A height correction was developed using a power model to correct the height-change impact. The proposed filter and height-correction method were assessed using static and dynamic tests. The least-square adaptive filter improved signal stability by 50% and the height-correction method removed the effect of shifting antenna height almost entirely.
Impacts of Bike Sharing Program on Subway Ridership in New York City
Authors: Ashraf Md Tanvir , Hossen Md Amdad , Dey Kakan , El-Dabaja Sarah , Aljeri Moathe , Naik Bhaven
Published: April 2021

Bike sharing programs have become increasingly popular in many cities. These services allow users to rent bikes for utilitarian and recreational trips in the urban area. Bike sharing has been considered a suitable mode to support the first- and last-mile connectivity problems of fixed-route transit services. Bike sharing has also emerged as a convenient mode for short-distance trips that previously would not have been possible without using public transit or personal bikes. This study investigated the impacts of Citi Bike—a bike sharing program—on the subway ridership in New York City (NYC), using Poisson-Gamma models. Bike sharing trips with destinations within a quarter-mile radius of a subway station were associated with subway ridership increase. A 10% increase in the number of bike trips increased the average daily subway ridership by 2.3%. However, a higher number of bike stations around a subway station decreased the subway ridership in instances where more bike trips originated (as opposed to ended) in the subway station’s service area. The presence of dedicated bike lanes and bike racks attracted more bike users and increased subway ridership. Findings from this study indicate that the development of bike-friendly infrastructure such as activities outlined in the recent NYC Department of Transport (DOT) “Green Wave” program can increase both bike sharing and subway ridership. In addition, policies and initiatives by transportation agencies to better integrate bike sharing programs with the transit system have the potential to increase the attractiveness of bike sharing programs and maximize the subway ridership.
Cost Escalation in Road Construction Contracts
Authors: Welde Morten , Dahl Roy Endre
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a study of cost escalation in unit price road construction contracts. The aim is to investigate why the final cost of contracts differs from the agreed contract cost following tendering, both to identify causes of observed discrepancies and to suggest measures that could improve the planning and delivery of future projects. Road projects often consist of several contracts and as they account for the biggest costs of the projects, cost escalation in the contracts may increase the risk of project cost overrun. Even if contract cost performance is an important indicator of project success, it may be too simplistic to equate this with project success. It is quite possible to deliver a project within budget even if contract costs escalate, as long as the project cost contingency is adequate to cover such escalations. However, escalations in contracts increase the risk of project overrun and may lead to other problems such as conflicts and delays. The results show that most of the studied contracts experienced cost escalation. The main cause of the escalation was change orders to the scope that were not covered by the original contract. In addition, the results indicate that complexity represented by contract size, duration, and urban location increases the risk and size of cost overrun. Based on these findings, the paper presents some recommendations on how contract delivery can be improved as well as some implications for future research.
Development of a Novel Convolutional Neural Network Architecture Named RoadweatherNet for Trajectory-Level Weather Detection using SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Data
Authors: Khan Md Nasim , Ahmed Mohamed M.
Published: April 2021

Driver performances could be significantly impaired in adverse weather because of poor visibility and slippery roadways. Therefore, providing drivers with accurate weather information in real time is vital for safe driving. The state-of-practice of collecting roadway weather information is based on weather stations, which are expensive and cannot provide trajectory-level weather information. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to develop an affordable detection system capable of providing trajectory-level weather information at the road surface level in real-time. This study utilized the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 Naturalistic Driving Study video data combined with a promising machine learning technique, called convolutional neural network (CNN), to develop a weather detection model with seven weather categories: clear, light rain, heavy rain, light snow, heavy snow, distant fog, and near fog. A novel CNN architecture, named RoadweatherNet, was carefully crafted to achieve the weather detection task. The evaluation results based on a test dataset revealed that RoadweatherNet can provide excellent performance in detecting weather conditions with an overall accuracy of 93%. The performance of RoadweatherNet was also compared with six pre-trained CNN models, namely, AlexNet, ResNet18, ResNet50, GoogLeNet, ShuffleNet, and SqueezeNet, which showed that RoadweatherNet can provide nearly identical performance with a significant reduction in training time. The proposed weather detection model is cost-efficient and requires less computational power; therefore, it can be made widely available mainly owing to the recent thriving of smartphone cameras and can be used to expand and update the current weather-based variable speed limit systems.
Considering Silences in Narrative Inquiry: An Intergenerational Story of a Sami Family
Authors: Blix Bodil H. , Caine Vera , Clandinin D. Jean , Berendonk Charlotte
Published: April 2021

Through coming alongside a Sami family, we open spaces to contemplate multiple forms of silence. We argue that rather than the antithesis to narrative, silence is an integral part of narrative inquiry. As narrative inquirers we need to be wakeful to what is told and also untold, often simultaneously. We believe that narrative inquiry is not necessarily about breaking silences, but it is also about honoring silences, as well as the practice of silence. By calling forward one author’s intergenerational experiences, we explore different aspects of silence such as silence as text, silence as context for living and telling, and silences following silencing. We explore how we live with, and within, silences, and how our told and untold stories are shaped by silences and, in turn, also shape silences.
Knowing when to talk? Plant genome editing as a site for pre-engagement institutional reflexivity
Authors: Smith Robert D.J. , Hartley Sarah , Middleton Patrick , Jewitt Tracey
Published: April 2021

Citizen and stakeholder engagement is frequently portrayed as vital for socially accountable science policy but there is a growing understanding of how institutional dynamics shape engagement exercises in ways that prevent them from realising their full potential. Limited attention has been devoted to developing the means to expose institutional features, allow policy-makers to reflect on how they will shape engagement and respond appropriately. Here, therefore, we develop and test a methodological framework to facilitate pre-engagement institutional reflexivity with one of the United Kingdom’s eminent science organisations as it grappled with a new, high-profile and politicised technology, genome editing. We show how this approach allowed policy-makers to reflect on their institutional position and enrich decision-making at a time when they faced pressure to legitimate decisions with engagement. Further descriptions of such pre-engagement institutional reflexivity are needed to better bridge theory and practice in the social studies of science.
Factors Affecting the Export Intensity of Chinese Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Charoenrat Teerawat , Amornkitvikai Yot
Published: April 2021

Manufacturing exports are deemed to be a significant driver of China’s economic growth. This article uses the World Bank’s Enterprise Survey in China to investigate the factors that significantly exert their effect on the export intensity of Chinese manufacturing firms. The maximum likelihood estimation, with the Tobit regression model, is adopted to capture the export intensity among Chinese manufacturers. This empirical evidence suggests that foreign direct investment (FDI), chief executive officer (CEO) gender, research and development (R&D), innovation and foreign, imported technologies significantly and positively influence Chinese manufacturing firms’ export intensity. In contrast, firm age and skilled labour are not significant factors in driving export intensity. Evidence-based policy implications and recommendations are also provided to enhance the export performance of Chinese manufacturing firms.
Mediation of Coping Strategies among Patients with Advanced Cancer
Authors: Huda Nurul , Yun-Yen  , Deli Hellena , Shaw Malissa Kay , Huang Tsai-Wei , Chang Hsiu-Ju
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study was to test the mediating effects of coping on relationships of psychological distress and stress with anxiety, depression, and quality of life. A cross-sectional and correlational research study was used to recruit a sample of 440 patients with advanced cancer in Indonesia. A bootstrap resampling procedure was used to test the significance of the total and specific indirect effects of coping. Data analysis showed that problem-focused coping (PFC) mediated relationships of psychological distress and stress on depression, anxiety and functional well-being. PFC also mediated the relationship between stress and social well-being. Emotional-focused coping (EFC) mediated the relationship of stress with physical and emotional well-being. EFC also mediated the relationships between psychological distress and physical well-being. Thus, proper assessments and interventions should be tailored and implemented for patients in order to facilitate their use of coping strategies when needed in stressful situations.
Translation, Adaptation, and Validation of Chronic Kidney Disease Self-Management and Knowledge Instruments for People at Pre-Dialysis Stage in the Arab World
Authors: Almutary Hayfa , Tayyib Nahla
Published: April 2021

Knowledge is critical for self- management, however there are no measures available in Arabic to effectively assess knowledge and self-management for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and validate Chronic Kidney Disease Self-Management Instrument-29 (CKD-SM-29) and Kidney Disease Knowledge survey (KiKs) for use by Arabic-speaking health professionals and patients. The study was carried out in two phases: translation and cultural adaptation, and validation. Instruments were translated from English to Arabic then adapted and validated using 203 pre-dialysis CKD patients. Face validity and internal consistency were demonstrated for Arabic versions of CKD-SM-29 and KiKs. Cronbach’s α for the CKD-SM-29 was .91 for KiKS was .78. Test-retest revealed good stability over a 1-week period. Intra Class Correlation coefficient for CKD-SM-29 was .90 and was .78 for KiKS. Convergent and discriminative validity were also demonstrated for the translated instruments. The validity and reliability of the Arabic CKD-SM-29 and KiKs were demonstrated. The translated instruments are culturally adapted and will support care of patients with CKD in Arabic-speaking countries.
Complications and Management of Eptifibatide-Induced Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Masood Faisal , Hashmi Saad , Chaus Adib , Hertsberg Anna , Ehrenpreis Eli D.
Published: April 2021

Background

Eptifibatide is used in acute coronary syndromes to reversibly block platelet aggregation by inhibiting the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor. A serious adverse effect of eptifibatide is a profound drop in platelet count, termed eptifibatide-induced thrombocytopenia (EIT).

Objective

To provide insight into the types of complications and management of EIT.

Methods

Cases of EIT submitted to the Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system were evaluated. Data analyses included management of EIT, complications of thrombocytopenia, initial platelets, and platelet nadir following eptifibatide.

Results

103 cases of EIT were reported from January 2010 to 2019; 57 cases met the Naranjo scale and were included. Only 37 of those cases contained information on how EIT was managed. Eptifibatide administration was withheld in all 37 of those cases. Platelet transfusions were administered in 20 cases (54%). Two cases were managed with steroids (5.4%), and 1 case used intravenous immunoglobulin G to reverse EIT (2%). The median initial platelet count prior to administration of eptifibatide was 207 000 cells/mm3 (SD = 69 000; n = 27), and median platelet nadir was 9000 cells/mm3 (SD = 19 000; n = 35) The majority of complications of EIT included bleeding events (16/28, 57%). Delayed procedures, prolonged stay, allergic reactions, and thrombosis were each reported in 3 patients (10.75%).

Conclusion and Relevance

Most cases of EIT were managed by withholding eptifibatide with platelet transfusion if necessary. The majority of complications included bleeding. However, significant procedure delays, prolonged hospital stay, thrombosis, and allergic reactions were also reported.
Effect of Vasopressin Dose on Hemodynamic Response in Obese Patients With Septic Shock: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Dubrawka Casey A. , Betthauser Kevin D. , Pope Hannah E. , Gibson Gabrielle A.
Published: April 2021

Background

No clear association between standard vasopressin doses and body mass index exists, despite potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability among patients with septic shock. It is unknown if higher doses may alter hemodynamic response.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of vasopressin dose on hemodynamic response in obese patients with septic shock.

Methods

A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted in adult, obese patients with septic shock receiving catecholamine vasopressors and vasopressin. Patients were analyzed according to vasopressin dose received: standard dose (≤0.04 U/min) and high dose (>0.04 U/min). The primary outcome was percentage change in norepinephrine equivalent (NEQ) dose.

Results

A total of 182 patients were included in the analysis, with 136 in the standard-dose vasopressin group and 46 in the high-dose vasopressin group. There was no difference in percentage change in NEQ dose at 6 hours after standard- or high-dose vasopressin attainment (−28.6% vs −19.1%; P = 0.166). A greater increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 6 hours was observed with receipt of high-dose vasopressin (23.3% vs 15.3%; P = 0.023). Duration of shock and length of stay were significantly longer in patients who received high-dose vasopressin, with no difference in in-hospital mortality.

Conclusion and Relevance

This represents the first analysis comparing standard and higher doses of vasopressin in obese patients with septic shock. Receipt of high-dose vasopressin was not associated with a difference in catecholamine requirement or improved outcomes. Further studies are warranted to provide guidance on the use of high-dose vasopressin in septic shock.
Exploring Barriers to Medication Adherence Among African American Emerging Adults With Uncontrolled Asthma
Authors: MacDonell Karen Kolmodin , Dailey Rhonda , Gibson-Scipio Wanda , Wang Bo , Dinaj-Koci Veronica , Bruzzese Jean-Marie
Published: April 2021

African American emerging adults (age 18–29 years) tend to have poor asthma outcomes, possibly due to poor adherence to medication. Few studies have explored barriers to controller adherence in this population. This study utilized electronic daily diaries to assess barriers to adherence and asthma symptoms among 141 African American emerging adults with uncontrolled persistent asthma and poor adherence. Participants reported symptoms M = 3.43 days (of 7 days). They reported unintentional (e.g., forgetting) and intentional (e.g., choosing not to take) barriers to adherence, but forgetting, being too busy, and sleeping through a dose were the most common. Significant correlations were found between symptoms and barriers, as well as asthma control and medication adherence in the expected directions. Asthma symptoms and number of barriers were significant predictors of asthma control. Existing intervention strategies such as text-messaging may prove effective to address these barriers, but measuring and addressing adherence remains complex.
‘Colonised by a rich pākehā’: the metaphorical characterisation of the Internet Mana alliance
Authors: Peters Rachel , Hocking Darryl
Published: April 2021

In 2014, the Internet Mana alliance unsuccessfully ran in the New Zealand general election gaining just 1.42% of the party vote and failing to secure an electorate seat. The leaders of the alliance attributed their poor election result to the narratives constructed by the mainstream media, which they believed negatively influenced the public’s perception of Internet Mana. This study agrees that the mainstream media was complicit in the alliance’s poor election result, and drawing upon the discourse dynamics framework for metaphor analysis, it shows how these potentially damaging public narratives were predominantly constituted through complex sets of systematic metaphors which together created broader schematic frames or conceptual scenarios and carried certain evaluative and attitudinal perceptions. This analysis shows how systematic metaphors such as the internet mana alliance is a marriage of convenience and the internet mana alliance is a colonial trade were used to construct a negative public narrative.
Academic identities and sense of place: A collaborative autoethnography in the neoliberal university
Authors: Nordbäck Emma , Hakonen Marko , Tienari Janne
Published: April 2021

Neoliberalism, precarious jobs, and control of work have multiple effects on academic identities as our allegiances to valued social groups and our connections to meaningful locations are challenged. While identities in neoliberal universities have received increasing research attention, sense of place has passed unnoticed in the literature. We engage with collaborative autoethnography and contribute to the literature in two ways. First, we show that while academic identities are put into motion by the neoliberal regime, they are constructed through mundane constellations of places and social entities. Second, we elucidate how academic identities today are characterized by restlessness and how academics use place and time to find meaning for themselves and their work. We propose a form of criticism to neoliberal universities that is sensitive to positionalities and places and offer ideas on how to build shared understandings that help us survive in the face of neoliberal standards of academic “excellence.”
Trends of differentiation and integration in UK music therapy and the spectrum of music-centredness
Authors: Lawes Martin
Published: April 2021

A long-standing trend to differentiate and even oppose psychodynamic and ecological approaches to practice can be identified in the UK music therapy literature. This is complicated by the way in which ecologically oriented thinking is associated with practice identified to be music-centred. While the trend to differentiate and separate approaches is most apparent in the literature, it is also evident that in practice, therapists have long integrated different perspectives and ways of working, this integral trend having its roots in the work of the UK music therapy pioneers. This article explores how the ecologically oriented thinking associated with the Community Music Therapy movement, and introduced soon after the turn of the 21st century, served in part to broaden the scope of UK practice in a progressive, integrally oriented way. However, the article also discusses the rejection of psychotherapeutically oriented thinking made by some ecologically oriented authors to make space for the new way of thinking. It is suggested that this rejection has been less helpful for the development of the profession as a whole, as the different ways of working in music therapy can be understood to address different types and levels of need. This means that psychodynamic, developmental, ecological, neurological and other perspectives are all potentially important. Case vignettes are used to illustrate this and an integral approach to working, with music-centredness discussed in a way that embraces the full spectrum of UK practice.
Coming to voice: Community radio production as critical pedagogy
Authors: Moylan Katie
Published: April 2021

This article argues for the pedagogical possibilities of collective community radio show production for transnational students; in particular, identifying the capacities for self-representation for students from otherwise marginalised and under-represented communities. Students are tasked in this elective module to collectively produce a community-facing show for a multilingual Leicester community radio station; in emphasising collective production alongside critical unpacking of the diverse deployments of ‘community’, the module encourages reflective approaches to community and identity. Through analysing assessment parameters and examples from student-produced shows, I suggest that the theory into practice approach of teaching the value of community cultural production alongside training in production practice by community practitioners encourages student agency, within key approaches drawn on cultural studies and media studies. At the same time, I argue the module’s assemblage of informing theories and production practice comprises a worthwhile research focus for cultural studies itself, retrieving pedagogy as a critical practice historically central to cultural studies’ disciplinary preoccupations with everyday practice, identity formation and popular culture.
Countering spectacles of fear: Anonymous’ meme ‘war’ against ISIS
Authors: McCrow-Young Ally , Mortensen Mette
Published: April 2021

In recent years, the terrorist network Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has generated what might be referred to as a ‘spectacle of fear’ through strategic dissemination of execution videos and other graphic material. In response, social media users, activists and others circulate ‘counter-spectacles’, attempting to circumvent Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s spectacle of fear. An important case in point is the global hacking network Anonymous declaring ‘war’ against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, including a global call for a ‘Troll ISIS Day’. This article develops a theoretical framework for understanding the spectacle of fear generated by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and the counter-spectacle created through Anonymous’ trolling practices and explores empirically how Anonymous uses humor to combat fear through the memes produced on ‘Troll ISIS Day’. Bottom-up, cultural forms such as memes are increasingly woven into strategies for countering the fear associated with terrorism, and they represent the potential for humor to generate public engagement. However, as these memetic counter-spectacles draw on the incongruent humor characteristic of meme culture, they both contest and adopt strategies of fear, pointing to ethical challenges inherent in the counter-spectacle.
No country for old gay men: Age and sexuality category intersection renders older gay men invisible
Authors: Carnaghi Andrea , Rusconi Patrice , Bianchi Mauro , Fasoli Fabio , Coladonato Rosandra , Hegarty Peter
Published: April 2021

Four studies analyzed how sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. gay) and age categories (young vs. elderly) referring to men are cognitively combined. In Study 1, young gay men were judged as more prototypical of gay men than adult or elderly gay men, while young, adult, and elderly heterosexual men were perceived as equally prototypical of heterosexual men. In Study 2, gay men were stereotyped more by young rather than elderly stereotypical traits, while heterosexual men were not stereotyped in terms of age. In Study 3, elderly men were stereotyped more by heterosexual than gay-stereotypical traits, while young men were not stereotyped in terms of sexual orientation. In Study 4, gay men were judged to be young rather than elderly, while elderly men were judged to be heterosexual rather than gay. Overall, elderly gay men were overlooked when processing their constituent categories, “gay” and “elderly” men. Implications for models of intersectionality are discussed.
Prediction of gaseous pollutant emissions from a spark-ignition direct-injection engine with gas-exchange simulation
Authors: Esposito Stefania , Diekhoff Lutz , Pischinger Stefan
Published: April 2021

With the further tightening of emission regulations and the introduction of real driving emission tests (RDE), the simulative prediction of emissions is becoming increasingly important for the development of future low-emission internal combustion engines. In this context, gas-exchange simulation can be used as a powerful tool for the evaluation of new design concepts. However, the simplified description of the combustion chamber can make the prediction of complex in-cylinder phenomena like emission formation quite challenging. The present work focuses on the prediction of gaseous pollutants from a spark-ignition (SI) direct injection (DI) engine with 1D–0D gas-exchange simulations. The accuracy of the simulative prediction regarding gaseous pollutant emissions is assessed based on the comparison with measurement data obtained with a research single cylinder engine (SCE). Multiple variations of engine operating parameters – for example, load, speed, air-to-fuel ratio, valve timing – are taken into account to verify the predictivity of the simulation toward changing engine operating conditions. Regarding the unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, phenomenological models are used to estimate the contribution of the piston top-land crevice as well as flame wall-quenching and oil-film fuel adsorption-desorption mechanisms. Regarding CO and NO emissions, multiple approaches to describe the burned zone kinetics in combination with a two-zone 0D combustion chamber model are evaluated. In particular, calculations with reduced reaction kinetics are compared with simplified kinetic descriptions. At engine warm operation, the HC models show an accuracy mainly within 20%. The predictions for the NO emissions follow the trend of the measurements with changing engine operating parameters and all modeled results are mainly within ±20%. Regarding CO emissions, the simplified kinetic models are not capable to predict CO at stoichiometric conditions with errors below 30%. With the usage of a reduced kinetic mechanism, a better prediction capability of CO at stoichiometric air-to-fuel ratio could be achieved.
Simultaneous NOx and NH3 slip prediction in a SCR catalyst under real driving conditions including potential urea injection failures
Authors: Pla Benjamin , Piqueras Pedro , Bares Pau , Aronis André
Published: April 2021

To reach the emission limits imposed by governments and reduce the negative impact on the environment, the use of aftertreatment systems has become essential for internal combustion engine (ICE) based powertrains. In particular, the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system is a widespread aftertreatment technology with high efficiency for [Formula: see text] abatement which shows complex dynamics and requires urea injection as reducing agent. Current urea injection strategies usually rely on the [Formula: see text] emissions feedback. This work presents a model for the on-line simultaneous prediction of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] emissions after the SCR catalyst, allowing the emissions estimation even in conditions of urea injector failure, when it is not possible to rely on the injector feedback signal. The proposed model is based on state of the art on-board after-treatment instrumentation and proposes an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to combine a data-based model and the analysis of sensor signals to provide a reliable estimation of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] slip. The proposed strategy is experimentally assessed in dynamic driving cycles, such as Worldwide harmonised Light vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) and Standardised Random Test (RTS). The proposed method is evaluated in standard conditions (without failures) and with urea injection failures of 25% and 120% of the nominal injection amount. As a result, the prediction on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] slip has been improved in all injection failure conditions, by an overall average of 47.8% and 61.8%, respectively, when compared to state-of-the-art control oriented models (physically based zero dimensional model or data-based).
Sexual Predators in Contest for Public Office: How the American Electorate Responds to News of Allegations of Candidates Committing Sexual Assault and Harassment
Authors: Stark Stephanie , Collignon Sofía
Published: April 2021

Candidate characteristics have an important impact on voter choice, and scandals are found to negatively impact a political campaign. Yet the literature, with its focus on scandals such as financial and (consensual) affairs, has failed to look into how allegations of sexual assault and harassment may impact electability. This study analyzes the effect that allegations of sexual assault or harassment have on the electoral success of American politicians. Using an original survey experiment, we find that, on average, American citizens are less likely to support a candidate accused of sexual assault or sexual harassment. However, not all voters do so to the same magnitude. We find that Democrats are significantly less likely to support a candidate that faces such allegations. Republicans do not strongly penalize candidates facing allegations of sexual assault or harassment, especially if the candidate is identified as a Republican. We analyze open-ended survey responses to offer an explanation for such variation: a propensity to disbelieve women who speak out about sexual assault and harassment explains variations in why some voters may not change their opinion of a candidate based on an allegation.
Health and Wealth: The Importance for Lifestyle Medicine
Authors: Burton Wayne N. , Schultz Alyssa , Edington Dee W.
Published: April 2021

Many people spend years dreaming about their retirement. Unfortunately, today’s workers will likely work longer, suffer greater economic uncertainty, and might have poorer health status compared with retirees in previous generations. Preserving good health during the working years is associated with a more consistent employment record, greater financial resources, and reduced risk of disease. Making smart financial decisions as a younger adult also translates to improved finances in retirement. While many people are aware of these relationships, many continue to make poor health choices. Employers and lifestyle medicine professionals can both work to improve financial well-being in retirement. Employers can offer effective worksite financial wellness programs and promote participation in retirement savings programs. Physicians and other health providers can foster healthy behaviors, encourage preventive services compliance, and help adults foster overall financial and health well-being. Adopting a healthy lifestyle as early as possible would increase the likelihood that today’s workers will enjoy financial security in retirement.