bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
L’information implicite entre économie d’effort et esquive du jugement critique
Authors: Vallauri Edoardo Lombardi , Masia Viviana
Published: February 2020

The implicit transmission of contents in a message is one of the most effective means of persuasive communication. In both commercial and political propaganda, discursive strategies such as presuppositions, implicatures and topicalisations (which we propose to recast as implicit communicative devices) are frequently used. This trend may hinge on the fact that these strategies conceal the actual communicative intention of the speaker (implicature) or his responsibility for the truth of the content conveyed (presuppositions and topicalisations). The paper proposes a reflection on the use of presuppositions, implicatures and topicalisations to achieve persuasive aims in communication. A discussion will be devoted to the cognitive constraints underlying the brain response to the processing of these categories, as well as to their influence on the receiver’s mental representation of the discourse model.
Discourse Configurationality and the Noun Phrase in Eastern Armenian
Authors: Hodgson Katherine
Published: February 2020

The subject of this paper is discourse-related word order variation associated with nominals in Eastern Armenian. Hale (1983) proposes that there are some languages which are non-configurational, i.e. lacking hierarchical syntactic structure. The properties that he proposed to be characteristic of non-configurational languages are a) free word order b) extensive use of null anaphora and c) discontinuous constituents. Armenian possesses all of these characteristics. However, since Hale’s original proposal, it has been pointed out that many apparently non-configurational languages do in fact have hierarchical syntactic structure, but that the surface patterns are determined primarily by discourse properties rather than by grammatical relations. These languages have been termed ‘discourse configurational’, defined by É. Kiss (1995) as follows: a language is discourse configurational if (discourse-) semantic functions topic (what sentence is ‘about’) and/or focus (identification) are associated with particular structural positions. It has been argued that this is indeed the case for the clause in Eastern Armenian (see e.g. Comrie (1984), Megerdoomian (2011) and Tamrazian (1994)). Making use of data from approximately 10,000 words of transcribed spontaneous speech by native speakers of Eastern Armenian discussion with native speaker consultants, and the Eastern Armenian National Corpus (www.eanc.net), I argue that the noun phrase exhibits similar discourse configurational properties to those found in the clause, and that these are responsible for word order variation within it. The interaction between noun-phrase-internal discourse-related movement and analogous discourse-related movement operations within the clause is responsible for the appearance of apparently discontinuous noun phrases. Thus the existence of Hale’s ‘non-configurational’ properties in EA does not justify the proposal that this language lacks hierarchical syntactic structure.
The Use of the Earliest Greek Scripture Fragments in Text Editions
Authors: Tov Emanuel
Published: February 2020

This article deals with the relation between the early papyri of the LXX and the presumed original text of the translation units. The assumed dates of these units can be compared with the assigned dates of the earliest preserved fragments. Do the oldest known fragments reflect the purest form of the Old Greek or had they been revised to MT? Some modern editions of the LXX tend to disregard the possible guidance of some early fragments, recording them almost always in the apparatus rather than in the reconstructed eclectic text. Due to the recognition of revisional traits in several early fragments, a prejudice developed against them, except for P.967 covering Ezekiel and Daniel. Because of their early date these papyri should have a central place in reconstructing the original text of the LXX in text edition, certainly in the Torah.
Evaluation of Acupuncture’s Efficacy Within Otolaryngology
Authors: Kahn Chase I. , Huestis Mikayla J. , Cohen Michael B. , Levi Jessica R.
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has minimal side effects, is cost-effective, can be easily administered, and may serve as a useful non-pharmaceutical therapy for certain conditions. However, studies and clinical practice guidelines are inconsistent in conclusions and recommendations about acupuncture. This qualitative review addresses the evidence available for acupuncture use in otolaryngology.

Methods:

A literature review was completed using EMBASE, PubMed, and The Cochrane Collection for conditions within otolaryngology that have used and studied the comparative effects of acupuncture. Thirty studies ultimately fit the inclusion criteria and were used for this qualitative review.

Results:

Studies included in this review contained a variety of conditions within otolaryngology, including allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, tinnitus, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, post-viral olfactory dysfunction, dysphonia, and tonsillectomies.

Conclusion:

Given its safety profile, cost, and perceived benefit, recommendations and guidelines supporting acupuncture as an alternative or adjunctive therapy are surfacing for certain conditions such as allergic rhinitis. However, stronger conclusions with specific recommendations are limited by varied methodology between majority of the studies. Additional high-quality randomized control studies with low risk of bias are required to continue to assess the effects of acupuncture in the field of otolaryngology before stronger recommendations can be made on other conditions.
The Effect of Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block on the Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Septorhinoplasty
Authors: Degirmenci Nazan , Ozdem Abdullah , Uysal Harun , Sen Pelin , Senturk Erol , Ozturan Orhan , Turkoz Ayda
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of preoperative sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPBG) on the postoperative pain (POP) in patients undergoing septorhinoplasty (SRP).

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was performed. A total of 42 patients that had received septorhinoplasty included in the study. The patients that had received SPBG before the surgery included in the Block group (n:20) and the patients that had not received SPBG before the surgery included in the Control group (n:22). POP was questioned with a numeric rating scale (NRS) at the 30th minute (t1), 1st hour (t2), 4th hour (t3), 12th hour (t4), and 24th hour (t5) and noted. The intraoperative details and the dose of the postoperative rescue analgesics were also noted.

Results:

The average dose of Paracetamol that was used in the postoperative first 24 hours was 500 mg in the Block group and 1363 mg in the Control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = .001). The average dose of Tramadol was 0 mg in the Block group and 45 mg in the Control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = .001). There was a statistically significant difference among the groups with respect to NRS in the first 24 hours postoperatively ( P < .05). The number of the patients requiring rescue analgesics was lower in the Block group than the Control group. The difference was statistically significant at the t1, t2, and t5 time intervals ( P > .05).

Conclusions:

Preoperative SPGB is an effective option to reduce POP and the need for rescue analgesics for patients undergoing SRP.

Clinical trial number:

NCT04020393
The Impact of Concentrated Affluence and Disadvantage on the Pre-Adjudication Detention Decision: A Status Characteristics Approach
Authors: Lowery Patrick G. , Smith Jessica C.
Published: February 2020

Studies of racial disparities in juvenile justice are primarily organized around four theoretical frameworks: focal concerns, racial threat, symbolic threat, and attribution theory. Moreover, juvenile justice research sometimes neglects to pay close attention to the front-end outcome of pre-adjudication detention. Therefore, the present study contends that status characteristics theory may broaden our understanding of how and why disparities in pre-adjudication detention arise. Moreover, the present study seeks to find how juvenile justice disparities in pre-adjudication detention emerge across races, among other social, legal, and community factors. Therefore, the present study focuses on the pre-adjudication detention decisions of judges and probation officers, utilizing quantitative data from the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice and merged with American Community Survey data.
Understanding Persistence Using a Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory
Authors: Ozaki C. Casey , Olson Avery B. , Johnston-Guerrero Marc P. , Pizzolato Jane Elizabeth
Published: February 2020

Objective: Despite significant enrollment in community colleges, persistence and graduation rates are quite low. This study aims to better understand how students’ person–environment relationships and self-organization together contribute to the persistence decisions of community college students. Using Spencer et al.’s phenomenological variant on ecological systems theory (PVEST) framework, we aim to clarify the psychological functioning behind students’ persistence that is impacted by diverse systems, including the community college itself, family, and the broader community. Method: This study utilized qualitative interviews with 66 participants across two community colleges. Findings: We find that when participants’ experiences were analyzed through a PVEST frame, a majority of students described having phenomenological experiences around their student/learner identities. The feedback from these experiences prompted participants to negatively or positively reorganize their self-perceptions in regard to how they saw themselves as students and learners; this reorganization led to behaviors that influenced persistence plans. When participants’ microsystems (e.g., family, work, college) intersected, patterns emerged regarding how participants processed environmental feedback that resulted in a cyclical feedback loop, suggesting a more dynamic relationship with environments than previously presented. Contributions: Using PVEST as a framework allows for a more in-depth examination of the interface between students’ psychological foundations, processing of environmental feedback, and the resulting reorganization of self in regard to how role identities (e.g., student) provide greater insight into students’ persistence decisions. This study offers PVEST as an important framework for rethinking previous models of researching and supporting community college student persistence.
Dealing With Questions of Responsiveness in a Low-Discretion Context: Offers of Assistance in Standardized Public Service Encounters
Authors: Thunman Elin , Ekström Mats , Bruhn Anders
Published: February 2020

A key theme in the research on bureaucratic encounters pertains to street-level bureaucrats’ opportunities for responsiveness when discretion is constrained by the introduction of standardized service delivery regulations, such as information communication technology (ICT). This article contributes to existing scholarship by exploring how low-discretion officials at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency Customer Center manage competing demands of making decisions that are built on regulations and simultaneously responding to the situation at hand and individuals’ needs. Analyzing real-time interactions using the conversation analytical concept of “offers of assistance” enables us to discover new aspects of interactional practices of responsiveness in standardized service encounters.
Evidence for robust abstract syntactic representations in production before age three
Authors: Foltz Anouschka , Knopf Karolin , Jonas Kristina , Jaecks Petra , Stenneken Prisca
Published: February 2020

This study investigated whether we can find reliable comprehension-to-production syntactic priming effects in children aged 2;0 to 2;11 and how phonological working memory and sentence production skills relate to the syntactic priming process. A finding of reliable syntactic priming effects would provide strong evidence that children’s syntactic representations are abstracted over individual lexical items. To test children at this young age, they were primed with simple and early-acquired transitive (e.g., tickling (a) baby) and unergative intransitive (e.g., running) syntactic structures. Children aged 2;7 to 2;11, primed with alternating prime structures, revealed a reliable syntactic priming effect. In addition, phonological working memory (moderated by age) and sentence production skills positively affected transitive productions. Children aged 2;0 to 2;6, primed either with alternating or cumulative prime structures, showed no priming effect. Together, the data indicate that children have robust abstract syntactic representations for the tested structures before age three and that both phonological working memory and production skills relate to children’s syntactic priming behavior, albeit in different ways.
Total body retrograde perfusion during hypothermic circulatory arrest is unsafe
Authors: Xiong Jiyue , Tan Zhaoxia , Liu Xinhao , Yu Xiang , Lin Jing , Du Lei
Published: February 2020

Retrograde cerebral perfusion and retrograde inferior vena cava perfusion at a pressure of 25 mmHg can protect brain and visceral organs during hypothermic circulatory arrest. Total body retrograde perfusion has been proposed as an alternative during aortic arch surgery. We describe two patients who received total body retrograde perfusion during hemi-arch replacement. The procedure had to be terminated at 8 and 15 minutes due to severe fluid retention and decline in cerebral oxygen saturation. Delirium occurred in one patient after surgery. We concluded that total body retrograde perfusion may be associated with high risk of hypoperfusion and should not be recommended.
At the Hands of Senwosret III? The Iconography and Style of the Reworked Colossi Cairo JE 45975 and JE 45976
Authors: Soliman Daniel
Published: February 2020

Two colossal quartzite statues from Ihnasya el-Medina, now Egyptian Museum Cairo JE 45975 and JE 45976, dating to the late Middle Kingdom but reworked under Ramesses II, were recently attributed to Amenemhat IV. Examining the inscriptions, iconography, and style of the statues, it is argued here that they represent Senwosret III. Remarkably, the statues depict the king with both hands lying flat on the thighs, an iconographic detail that is not attested until the reign of Amenemhat III.
Weight evolution after implantation of left ventricular assist device: Do we need to interfere?
Authors: Vandersmissen Katrien , Jacobs Steven , Fresiello Libera , Gerits Kathleen , Roppe Marieke , Van den Bossche Klaartje , Droogne Walter , Meyns Bart
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

Weight change after left ventricular assist device implantation may influence outcomes and can affect transplant candidacy. We questioned if there is a systematic weight change after left ventricular assist device implantation and examined the evolution in functional capacity.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of 84 patients who received a left ventricular assist device in Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven between 2008 and 2016 was performed. Patients were divided into four groups based on their baseline body mass index, and we also examined weight evolution for patients presenting with new-onset heart failure versus those suffering from chronic heart failure. Body mass index was assessed at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. To indicate the functional capacity, we analyzed the results of routine 6-Minute Walk Test performed at 6, 12, and 18 months.

Results:

During the first 6 months after surgery, the underweight patients evolved to normal weight and the body mass index of the obese patients reduced significantly. Afterward, all patients gained weight. The weight loss of the obese was not maintained over time. The weight of patients with normal weight and overweight evolved to overweight and obesity, respectively. No body mass index changes were demonstrated for patients presenting with new-onset heart failure, and the body mass index of patients suffering from chronic HF significantly increased. There was a significant improvement in functional capacity at 6 months, but this level remained unchanged at 12 and 18 months after surgery.

Conclusion:

Although the initial 6 months evolve beneficial, all patients gain weight in the second year and do not further improve their exercise capacity.
Left ventricular unloading during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation – Impella versus atrial septal defect: A simulation study
Authors: Di Molfetta Arianna , Adachi Iki , Ferrari Gianfranco , Gagliardi Maria Giulia , Perri Gianluigi , Iacobelli Roberta , Qureshi Athar M , Di Pasquale Luigi , Vera Rodrigo Zea , Guccione Paolo , Di Molfetta Matteo , Chiariello Giovanni Alfonso , Filippelli Sergio , Amodeo Antonio
Published: February 2020

Background:

Atrial septal defect and Impella have been proposed for left ventricular unloading in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients. This work aims at evaluating the haemodynamic changes in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients after Impella implantation or atrial septal defect realization by a simulation study.

Methods:

A lumped parameter model of the cardiovascular system was adapted to this study. Atrial septal defect was modelled as a resistance between the two atria. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and Impella were modelled starting from their pressure-flow characteristics. The baseline condition of a patient undergoing venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was reproduced starting from haemodynamic and echocardiographic data. The effects of different atrial septal defect size, Impella and venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support were simulated.

Results:

Impella caused an increment of mean arterial pressure up to 67%, a decrement in mean pulmonary arterial pressure up to 8%, a decrement in left ventricular end systolic volume up to 11% with a reduction up to 97% of left ventricular cardiac output. Atrial septal defect reduces left atrial pressure (19%), increases right atrial pressure (22%), increases mean arterial pressure (18%), decreases left ventricular end systolic volume (11%), increases right ventricular volume (33%) and decreases left ventricular cardiac output (55%).

Conclusion:

Impella has a higher capability in left ventricular unloading during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in comparison to atrial septal defect with a lower right ventricular overload.
Use of a Virtual Mock Loop model to evaluate a new left ventricular assist device for transapical insertion
Authors: Kado Yuichiro , Smith William A , Miyamoto Takuma , Adams Joseph , Polakowski Anthony R , Dessoffy Raymond , Horvath David J , Fukamachi Kiyotaka , Karimov Jamshid H
Published: February 2020

We are developing a novel type of miniaturized left ventricular assist device that is configured for transapical insertion. The aim of this study was to assess the performance and function of a new pump by using a Virtual Mock Loop system for device characterization and mapping. The results, such as pressure-flow performance curves, from pump testing in a physical mock circulatory loop were used to analyze its function as a left ventricular assist device. The Virtual Mock Loop system was programmed to mimic the normal heart condition, systolic heart failure, diastolic heart failure, and both systolic and diastolic heart failure, and to provide hemodynamic pressure values before and after the activation of several left ventricular assist device pump speeds (12,000, 14,000, and 16,000 r/min). With pump support, systemic flow and mean aortic pressure increased, and mean left atrial pressure and pulmonary artery pressure decreased for all heart conditions. Regarding high pump-speed support, the systemic flow, aortic pressure, left atrial pressure, and pulmonary artery pressure returned to the level of the normal heart condition. Based on the test results from the Virtual Mock Loop system, the new left ventricular assist device for transapical insertion may be able to ease the symptoms of patients with various types of heart failure. The Virtual Mock Loop system could be helpful to assess pump performance before in vitro bench testing.
Characterisation and utilisation of solid waste from coal combustion to modelling of sorption equilibrium in a bi-component system metal-dye
Authors: Sočo Eleonora , Kalembkiewicz Jan
Published: February 2020

It was found that the chemical enhancement of fly ash from coal combustion by tetrabutylammonium bromide treatment yields an effective and economically feasible material for the treatment of chromium and basic dye Rhodamine B containing effluents. Characterisation of coal fly ash and treatment with tetrabutylammonium bromide were done by using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, confocal three-dimensional microscope, X-ray diffraction and laser particle sizer. The studies of equilibrium in a bi-component system by means of extended Langmuir, extended Langmuir–Freundlich and Jain–Snoeyink models were analysed. The estimation of parameters of sorption isotherms in a bi-component system metal-dye has shown that the best-of-fit calculated values of experimental data for both sorbates have been the Jain–Snoeyink model and the extended Langmuir model, but only in the case of a Rhodamine B. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of the fly ash–tetrabutylammonium bromide was found to be 863 mg g−1 and 670 mg g−1 for chromium and Rhodamine B, respectively.
Valorization of agro-industry residues in the building and environmental sector: A review
Authors: Ricciardi Paola , Cillari Giacomo , Carnevale Miino Marco , Collivignarelli Maria Cristina
Published: February 2020

Environmental pollution has become a relevant issue as the population rises and resources decrease. Reuse and recycling still have the greatest potential as they turn the waste into a new resource, representing the ‘closed-loop’ step of a circular economy (CE). Looking for new applications for agro-industry waste represents both an environmental issue, as its incorrect disposal is a cause of pollution, and a chance to exploit zero-cost natural wastes. The present review, with around 200 articles examined, focuses on possible reuses of these residues in (a) building construction, as additives to produce thermal and acoustic insulation panels, and (b) in water treatments, exploited for removal of pollutants. The selected materials (coconut, coffee, corn, cotton and rice) have industry production wastes with suitable applications in both sectors and huge worldwide availability; their reuse may thus represent a new resource, with an impact based on the production rate and the possible replacement of current inorganic materials. Along with possible implementation of the selected materials in the building industry and environmental engineering, a brief description of the production and supply chain are provided.
African Union Counterterrorism Frameworks and Implementation Trends among Member States of the East African Community
Authors: Omenma J. Tochukwu , Onyango Moses
Published: February 2020

Attacks from violent extremist organisations have reached unprecedented levels in Africa. Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Islamic State and Sinai Peninsula activities account for the majority of high attacks and fatality rates. Their membership cuts across national borders; some have established a presence in local communities, while others are controlling territories in a number of states. This continues to happen despite regional measures such as the Algiers Plan of Action on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (2002) and the African Model Anti-Terrorism Law (2011) to contain the activities of violent extremist groups on the continent. The prevailing argument shows that the African Union has initiated several legislations and protocols to contain terrorism on the continent, but the Union lacks the capacity to enforce legislations. Relying on the cost–benefit theoretical explication, we conclude that member states of the East African Community prefer to partner with external organisations in counterterrorism programmes which result in conflicting cross-border rules and challenges in countering violent extremism in Africa.
Bedrails and Falls in Nursing Homes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Huynh David , Lee Olivia N. , An Phuong M. , Ens Twyla A. , Mannion Cynthia A.
Published: February 2020

Bedrail use for fall prevention in elderly clients (>65 years) is controversial. Some healthcare providers believe bedrails prevent falls, while others think they are ineffective and dangerous. A systematic review was conducted to address: “For older adults living in nursing homes, does more or less bedrail use reduce the incidence of falls?” We searched HealthStar, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Academic Search complete ProQuest and Canadian Health Research Collection using “elder*,” “bedrail*,” “fall*,” and “assisted-living*.” After filtering for primary data, English records, older adult population, relationship between bedrails and falls, fourteen studies remained. Results suggest using alternative fall prevention measures, and bedrails are either beneficial, harmful, or do not influence falls. Bedrail reduction with fall prevention interventions led to no changes in fall frequency. Ambiguity persists regarding fall frequencies and bedrail use without using other fall prevention strategies. Educating health care providers on fall prevention is key to patient safety.
Working the aporia: ethnography, embodiment and the ethnographic self
Authors: Hickey Andrew , Smith Carly
Published: February 2020

A more considered sense of the embodied nature of encounter is called for in the scholarship of ethnography. This paper argues for an ethnographic practice that accordingly moves beyond simplistic recounts of ‘highly personalised styles and their self-absorbed mandates’ (Van Maanen, 2011: 73), to more fully position an understanding of the ethnographer’s Self as an also encountered ‘site’. Taking cues from Heideggar’s (2008/1927) formulation of Dasein and the realisation of the Self through the encountered Other, this paper argues that attempts to make sense of the Other in ethnography – ultimately the raison d’etre of ethnographic practice – concomitantly require an accounting-for of the Self. This paper takes aim at the nature of embodiment as central to the experience of encounter, but will argue that this encounter of the Self functions as an aporia: a site of unknowing, but equally, of generative possibility. It is with the effects that embodiment has and the inflections it provides for the ethnography that particular attention is given.
Is hypertension in African-descent populations contributed to by an imbalance in the activities of the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas and the ACE/Ang II/AT1 axes?
Authors: Cohall Damian , Ojeh Nkemcho , Ferrario Carlos M , Adams O Peter , Nunez-Smith Marcella
Published: February 2020

Introduction:

Low plasma renin activity hypertension is prevalent in Afro-Caribbean persons. Reduced angiotensin converting enzyme 2 activity from the counter angiotensin converting enzyme 2 /angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas receptor axis of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system has been reported in people with pre-hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic renal disease. This study investigates whether an imbalance in the regulatory mechanisms between the pressor arm of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (angiotensin converting enzyme/angiotensin II/AT1 receptor) and the depressor axis (angiotensin converting enzyme 2/angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas receptor) predisposes persons of African descent to hypertension.

Methods:

In total, 30 normotensives and 30 recently diagnosed hypertensives aged 18–55 of Afro-Caribbean origin who are naïve to antihypertensive treatment will be recruited from public sector polyclinics in Barbados. Demographic and anthropometric data, clinical blood pressure readings, 24-hour urine collections and venous blood samples will be collected. Biological samples will be analysed for renin angiotensin aldosterone system peptide markers using radioimmunoassay.

Conclusion:

We describe the design, methods and rationale for the characterization of renin angiotensin aldosterone system mechanisms that may contribute to hypertension predisposition in persons of African descent. Our findings will characterize any imbalance in the counter axes of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system in hypertensive Afro-Caribbeans with a potential view of identifying novel approaches with the use of renin angiotensin aldosterone system and mineralocorticoid blockers to manage the condition.
Robust control of hydraulic tracked vehicle drive system based on quantitative feedback theory
Authors: Zhu Chenhui , Zhang Hongmei , Wang Wanzhang , Li Kang , Liu Wanru
Published: February 2020

To improve the control precision of the drive system of hydraulic tracked vehicles, we established a mathematical model of the drive system based on the analysis of structural characteristics of the high-clearance hydraulic tracked vehicles and the dual-pump dual-motor drive system and developed a control strategy based on the quantitative feedback theory. First, the mutual independence of the two motor channels was achieved through channel decoupling. Then, the loop-shaping controller and the pre-filter were designed for the two channels. The result of a simulation experiment indicates that the proposed control method is very effective in suppressing external uncertainties and smoothening the speed-switching process of the hydraulic motor. Finally, an hydraulic tracked vehicle steering experimental test was carried out. The results show that under two different steering modes, the maximum standard deviation of the output speeds of the inner and outer motors of the hydraulic tracked vehicle is only 0.42, which meets the performance requirement on the hydraulic motor speed. The average steering track radii of the geometric centers of the inner and outer tracks are 1.828 and 0.033 m, respectively, and the relative errors are 1.56% and 3.19%, respectively. This demonstrates that the proposed control method achieves satisfactory results in the robust control of the hydraulic tracked vehicle drive system. It provides some references for the future control research of the hydraulic servo drive system of the high-clearance hydraulic tracked vehicles.
Trade-offs involved in the choice of cloud service configurations when building secure, scalable, and efficient Internet-of-Things networks
Authors: Mishra Amitabh , Reichherzer Thomas , Kalaimannan Ezhil , Wilde Norman , Ramirez Ruben
Published: February 2020

This article focuses on results obtained from two cloud-based models that examine trade-offs between security, scalability, and efficiency of data collection for Internet-of-Things sensor networks. This work can provide insight for Internet-of-Things systems designers in choosing security controls and scalability features when working with cloud services. The results were obtained from a smart home Internet-of-Things prototype system in which data records from in-home sensors are transmitted wirelessly to an in-home hub, which forwards them to a cloud web service for storage and analysis. We consider different configurations and security controls on the wireless (in-home) and on the wired (home-to-web) sides. The configuration on the wireless side includes encrypted or plain-text transmission from the wireless sensors to the in-home hub for probing if software encryption of sensor data adds appreciable delay to the transmission time. The configuration on the wired side includes encryption or plain-text transmission, with or without authentication, with or without scalable cloud services. For each configuration, we measure end-to-end latency, transmission latency, and processing latency at the web service. Results of the experiments on the wired side showed much greater latencies and variability of latencies when using scalable cloud services.
Health and Economics of Lifestyle Medicine Strategies
Authors: Edington Dee W. , Burton Wayne N. , Schultz Alyssa B.
Published: February 2020

The cost of medical care in the United States is increasing at an unsustainable rate. The lifestyle medicine (LM) approach is essential to influence the root causes of the growing chronic disease burden. LM addresses health risk factors in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of developing disease rather than limiting resources and medical expenditures on acute care and reacting to illness, injury, and disease. Employers have much to gain financially from such an approach due to their status as the payer of health care costs for their employees, and as the recipient of productivity gains among their employees. This article discusses LM programs delivered at the worksite, including important findings from the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center. Examples of evidenced-based population LM interventions are summarized for physical activity, weight management, and nutrition programs that address chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes mellitus. These approaches have the potential to reduce health care cost trends, increase employee performance/productivity, and improve patient health outcomes.
Gazing past the glass ceiling: Indian and South African female journalists’ perceptions of their role and power in the newsroom
Authors: Rao Shakuntala , Rodny-Gumede Ylva
Published: February 2020

This article analyses female journalists’ perceptions of their own role, their power in the newsroom, their influence over the news agenda and the challenges they face on a daily basis in two large media-saturated countries and emerging democracies, India and South Africa. India and South Africa are both nations that are trying to overcome historical legacies of patriarchal structures and gendered attitudes about women’s role. The authors conclude that female journalists articulated their experiences of newsroom culture as hegemonically masculine. While it appears that female journalists believe that women have made some strides in covering political news, they still see their influence as limited and continue to battle pre-existing professional stereotypes.
Early intravenous administration of nutritional support (IVANS) in metastatic gastric cancer patients at nutritional risk, undergoing first-line chemotherapy: study protocol of a pragmatic, randomized, multicenter, clinical trial
Authors: Caccialanza Riccardo , Cereda Emanuele , Klersy Catherine , Brugnatelli Silvia , Borioli Valeria , Ferrari Alessandra , Caraccia Marilisa , Lobascio Federica , Pagani Anna , Delfanti Sara , Aprile Giuseppe , Reni Michele , Rimassa Lorenza , Melisi Davide , Cascinu Stefano , Battistini Luca , Candiloro Francesca , Pedrazzoli Paolo
Published: February 2020

Background:

Malnutrition is common in cancer patients, particularly in those affected by gastrointestinal malignancies, and negatively affects treatment tolerance, survival, functional status, and quality of life (QoL). Nutritional support, including supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN), has been recommended at the earliest opportunity in malnourished cancer patients. The limited available evidence on the efficacy of SPN in gastrointestinal cancer patients is positive, particularly with regards to QoL, body composition, and energy intake, but the evidence on survival is still scanty. Furthermore, studies regarding the early administration of SPN in combination with nutritional counseling from the beginning of first-line chemotherapy (CT) are lacking. We hypothesize that early systematic SPN in combination with nutritional counseling (NC), compared with NC alone, can benefit patients with previously untreated metastatic gastric cancer at nutritional risk undergoing first-line CT.

Methods:

The aim of this pragmatic, multicenter, randomized (1:1), parallel-group, open-label, controlled clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy in terms of survival, weight maintenance, body composition, QoL and feasibility of cancer therapy of early systematic SNP. This is in combination with NC, compared with NC alone, in treatment-naïve metastatic gastric cancer patients at nutritional risk undergoing first-line CT.

Discussion:

Malnutrition in oncology remains an overlooked problem. Although the importance of SPN in gastrointestinal cancer patients has been acknowledged, no studies have yet evaluated the efficacy of early SPN in metastatic gastric patients undergoing CT. The present study, which guarantees the early provision of nutritional assessment and support to all the enrolled patients in accordance with the recent guidelines and recommendations, could represent one of the first proofs of the clinical effectiveness of early intensive nutritional support in cancer patients undergoing CT. This study could stimulate further large randomized trials in different cancer types, potentially resulting in the improvement of supportive care quality.

Trial registration:

This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03949907.
Social psychological aspects of “making” economists: A review of the nature versus nurture debate
Authors: Hellmich Simon Niklas
Published: February 2020

A considerable number of empirical studies argue that economics experts differ from other groups with respect to their public policy preferences and their behavior in certain social dilemmas. Economists are more likely to regard allocation via markets as “fair” than other people and they seem to adjust their behavior and expectations to the actor-model presumed in the elementary neoclassical theory. Some trace back such observations to influences related to the economics education. An alternative view is that economics attracts individuals with preferences that differ from those of non-economists. While the literature on the matter is growing, a comprehensive picture of the nature and sources of the differences has not yet emerged. This article reviews research based on the survey, experimental, and field evidence collected since 1990 to detect, characterize, and explain the differences. It points at some problems inherent to the methodology that dominates the existing research. Primarily, it directs attention to some psychological and social-psychological aspects of training and socializing economists that have not found adequate recognition so far, but should be considered, to better understand the phenomena in question.
Acceptability and usability of smartphone-based brainwave entrainment technology used by individuals with chronic pain in a home setting
Authors: Locke Helen N , Brooks Joanna , Arendsen Laura J , Jacob Nikhil Kurian , Casson Alex , Jones Anthony KP , Sivan Manoj
Published: February 2020

Background:

Brainwave entrainment (BWE) using rhythmic visual or auditory stimulation has many potential clinical applications, including the management of chronic pain, where there is a pressing need for novel, safe and effective treatments. The aim of this study was to gain qualitative feedback on the acceptability and usability of a novel BWE smartphone application, to ensure it meets the needs and wishes of end users.

Methods:

Fifteen participants with chronic pain used the application at home for 4 weeks. Semi-structured telephone interviews were then carried out. A template analysis approach was used to interpret the findings, with an initial coding template structured around the constructs of a theoretical framework for assessing acceptability of healthcare interventions. Structured data analysis generated a final modified coding structure, capturing themes generated across participants’ accounts.

Results:

The four main themes were ‘approach to trying out the app: affective attitude and ethicality’, ‘perceived effectiveness’, ‘opportunity costs and burden’ and ‘intervention coherence and self-efficacy’. All participants were willing to engage with the technology and welcomed it as an alternative approach to medications. Participants appreciated the simplicity of design and the ability to choose between visual or auditory stimulation. All the participants felt confident in using the application.

Conclusion:

The findings demonstrate preliminary support for the acceptability and usability of the BWE application. This is the first qualitative study of BWE to systematically assess these issues.
Anatomy of a Protest: Spatial Information, Social Media, and Urban Space
Authors: Karduni Alireza , Sauda Eric
Published: February 2020

Black Lives Matter, like many modern movements in the age of information, makes significant use of social media as well as public space to demand justice. In this article, we study the protests in response to the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott by police in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 2016. Our goal is to measure the significance of urban space within the virtual and physical network of protesters. Using a mixed-methods approach, we identify and study urban space and social media generated by these protests. We conducted interviews with protesters who were among the first to join the Keith Lamont Scott shooting demonstrations. From the interviews, we identify places that were significant in our interviewees’ narratives. Using a combination of natural language processing and social network analysis, we analyze social media data related to the Charlotte protests retrieved from Twitter. We found that social media, local community, and public space work together to organize and motivate protests and that public events such as protests cause a discernible increase in social media activity. Finally, we find that there are two distinct communities who engage social media in different ways; one group involved with social media, local community and urban space, and a second group connected almost exclusively through social media.
Infrastructure Development Company Limited Solar Home System Program: A Sustainable Solution for Energizing Rural Bangladesh
Authors: Ahmed Jashim Uddin , Talukder Niza , Ahmed Asma
Published: February 2020

Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) began with a mission to generate investment for infrastructure, renewable energy (RE) and energy-efficient projects in Bangladesh through public–private partnership initiatives. IDCOL started its RE activities in 2003 with a programme named solar home system (SHS). With an installed capacity of 185 MWp, SHSs are positioned in remote areas where grid expansion is difficult and costly. The aim is to ensure access to clean electricity for power-starved off-grid rural communities, which previously relied on kerosene lamps for lighting purposes. The case starts with a depiction of the energy sector in Bangladesh and an overview of IDCOL. The four dimensions of 4A framework are applied to the SHS business model to discuss how it has enriched the lives of more than 12 per cent of the population. IDCOL is expected to face a decline in investments in the RE sector as this flagship SHS Program is currently under threat of becoming non-existent. The case broaches the subject on how IDCOL plans to position itself amidst the dilemma of Bangladesh’s changing market.

Dilemma

Due the free distribution of SHS by the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) under its safety net programme, IDCOL is expected to face a decline in investments in the RE sector as this flagship SHS Program is currently under threat of becoming non-existent. The case broaches the subject on how IDCOL plans to position itself amidst the dilemma of Bangladesh’s changing market. Theory: 4A framework applied to the Solar Home System business model Type of the Case: Problem-solving, secondary data Protagonist: NA

Options

Softer financing, expansion in other use segments, developing newer products and exploring different projects, entering markets in other countries

Discussions and Case Questions

Should IDCOL enter a new market in Bangladesh? Should they invest primarily in grid-connected solar projects and roof-top solar projects under its RE program? Should the firm diversify its portfolio by including industrial energy efficiency, power generation, shipbuilding and shipyard, IT and telecommunication, ports, social and tourism infrastructure and infrastructure backward linkage projects? International advisory service and energy from waste are also lucrative options.
The Journey of Pakistan’s Banking Industry Towards Green Banking Adoption
Authors: Bukhari Syed Asim Ali , Hashim Fathyah , Amran Azlan
Published: February 2020

Green Banking adoption has gained momentum in the past few decades in both the developed and developing economies. The green movement in the banking sector has been triggered due to its potentially adverse role in global natural environmental degradation and natural resource depletion. A number of banking operations have the potential to harm the natural environment, both directly and indirectly. Due to this, many countries have started working on greening their banking sectors. Pakistan is among the top countries threatened by climate change, environmental degradation and resource depletion. The country is currently at the initial stages of Green Banking adoption. This case study follows the Green Banking adoption journey of Pakistan’s banking industry in light of the obstacles faced, milestones achieved and the learning outcomes for the other developing countries struggling from environmental degradation. This case study can serve as a learning tool for the regulatory authorities and other concerned stakeholders of developing economies in need of Green Banking adoption.
Structural changes in sugarcane bagasse cellulose caused by enzymatic hydrolysis
Authors: Imai Makiko , Horikawa Yoshiki , Kiyoto Shingo , Imai Tomoya , Sugiyama Junji
Published: February 2020

Cellulose I is not completely saccharified to glucose at a low cellulase concentration. In this study, sugarcane cellulose saccharification residues were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy images indicated that the cellulose microfibrils became shorter in the early stages of saccharification and gradually became narrower. The degree of polymerization also decreased in the early stages of saccharification. Cellulose saccharification residues were deuterated by immersing them in deuterium oxide. Infra-red spectra of the deuterated residues indicated that the deuterated hydroxyl group ratio decreased as saccharification progressed. This indicated that cellulose microfibrils were hydrolyzed in their hydrophobic planes by cellulase as if the surfaces were scraped. The increase of hydrophobic planes caused microfibril aggregation, poor accessibility of cellulase to the microfibrils, and a low saccharification rate.
High-Performance Deep Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on NiO/β-Ga2O3 Heterojunction
Authors: Jia Menghan , Wang Fang , Tang Libin , Xiang Jinzhong , Teng Kar Seng , Lau Shu Ping
Published: February 2020

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetector has attracted extensive interests due to its wide-ranging applications from defense technology to optical communications. The use of wide bandgap metal oxide semiconductor materials is of great interest in the development of UV photodetector due to their unique electronic and optical properties. In this work, deep UV photodetector based on NiO/β-Ga2O3 heterojunction was developed and investigated. The β-Ga2O3 layer was prepared by magnetron sputtering and exhibited selective orientation along the family of ($$ \overline{2} $$2¯ 01) crystal plane after annealing. The photodetector demonstrated good performance with a high responsivity (R) of 27.43 AW−1 under a 245-nm illumination (27 μWcm−2) and the maximum detectivity (D*) of 3.14 × 1012 cmHz1/2 W−1, which was attributed to the p-NiO/n-β-Ga2O3 heterojunction.