bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microstructural analysis of melt-blown nonwoven fabric by X-ray micro computed tomography
Authors: Ishikawa Tatsuya , Ishii Yujiro , Ohkoshi Yutaka , Kim Kyoung Hou
Published: May 2018

The structures of melt-blown nonwoven fabric, including the fiber volume fraction and fiber orientation, are decided by the melt-blowing conditions, such as the die-to-collector distance (DCD), air suction and air flow rate. In this study, the effects of these melt-blowing conditions on the structure of melt-blown fabric was investigated by X-ray micro computed tomography with a resolution of 1 µm/voxel and a measurement area of 1 mm2. The structural profile along the thickness direction of the fabric was also analyzed. Obtained averages of fiber diameter and basis weight were almost identical to the results of scanning electron microscopy measurements and tests following the standard of International Organization for Standardization. Samples produced with insufficient air suction showed larger deviation of basis weight on the 1 mm2 scale compared with those produced with sufficient air suction. The fiber volume fraction changed steeply around the fabric surface, which was attributed to surface roughness. Insufficient DCD increased the fiber diameter and surface roughness, and decreased the thickness of the fabric. The fiber volume fraction gradually decreased from the collector side to the die side for fabrics with sufficient DCD. The fibers were oriented along the machine direction rather than the cross-machine direction for all layers and samples, and orientation profiles corresponded to the zero-span tensile strength of corresponding samples.
Not So Unorthodox: A Reevaluation of Tricephalous Images of the Trinity
Authors: Thiessen Gesa Elsbeth
Published: May 2018

Among the various iconographies of the Trinity which emerged in Christian art, the three-headed or trifrons image has a contested history. Warned about and censured by two popes, Urban VIII and Benedict XIV, this iconography, despite condemnations, was applied, however, by leading Renaissance artists and survived into the nineteenth century in folk art. This article considers its pre-Christian background, the sixteenth-century theological debates, and, finally, in a detailed engagement with a range of tricephalous images, it critically reevaluates and seeks to demonstrate the disputed orthodoxy of this iconography from a theological, artistic, and aesthetic perspective.
On the Use of Mobile Apps in Education: The Impact of Digital Magazines on Student Learning
Authors: Luna-Nevarez Cuauhtemoc , McGovern Enda
Published: May 2018

As the use of technology evolves in education, an extensive range of new smart devices and digital applications is becoming available to academics. Digital magazines are an example of such technologies, which can help educators to improve the learning experience of their students inside and outside of the classroom. Digital magazines are widely available and some can be further customized and curated by instructors using mobile apps. This article explores the impact of curated digital magazines, created and distributed via a mobile app—Flipboard, in enhancing students’ engagement, enjoyment, and learning of class-related content. Overall, students responded favorably to the adoption of this technological innovation. Students exposed to the digital magazines and mobile app displayed higher levels of enjoyment with class content and performed better on a knowledge assessment, relative to students in a control condition. The article concludes with a discussion of results and implications for future research.
Study on the effects of fracture on permeability with pore-fracture network model
Authors: Jiao Chunyan , Hu Yong , Xu Xuan , Lu Xiaobing , Shen Weijun , Hu Xinhai
Published: May 2018

Reservoir quality and productivity of fractured gas reservoirs depend heavily on the degree of fracture development. The fracture evaluation of such reservoir media is the key to quantify reservoir characterization for the purposes such as well drilling and completion as well as development and simulation of fractured gas reservoirs. In this study, a pore-fracture network model was constructed to understand the effects of fracture on permeability in the reservoir media. The microstructure parameters of fractures including fracture length, fracture density, fracture number, and fracture radius were analyzed. Then two modes and effects of matrix and fracture network control were discussed. The results indicate that the network permeability in the fractured reservoir media will increase linearly with fracture length, fracture density, fracture number, and fracture radius. When the fracture radius exceeds 80 µm, the fracture radius has a little effect on network permeability. Within the fracture density less than 0.55, it belongs to the matrix control mode, while the fracture network control mode is dominant in the fracture density exceeding 0.55. The network permeability in the matrix and fracture network control modes is affected by fracture density and the ratio of fracture radius to pore radius. There is a great change in the critical density for the matrix network control compared with the fracture network control. This work can provide a better understanding of the relationship between matrix and fractures, and the effects of fracture on permeability so as to evaluate the fluid flow in the fractured reservoir media.
Sedimentology and geochemistry of Middle–Upper Permian in northwestern Turpan–Hami Basin, China: Implication for depositional environments and petroleum geology
Authors: Song Jian , Bao Zhidong , Zhao Xingmin , Gao Yinshan , Song Xinmin , Zhu Yanzhen , Deng Jian , Liu Wei , Wang Zecheng , Ming Chengdong , Meng Qingkui , Zhang Li , Mao Shuwei , Zhang Yunlong , Yu Xiao , Wei Mingyang
Published: May 2018

Studies have found that the Permian is another important stratum for petroleum exploration except the Jurassic coal measures within Turpan–Hami Basin recently. However, the knowledge of the depositional environments and its petroleum geological significances during the Middle–Late Permian is still limited. Based on the analysis about the sedimentological features of the outcrop and the geochemical characteristics of mudstones from the Middle Permian Taerlang Formation and Upper Permian Quanzijie Formation in the Taoshuyuanzi profile, northwest Turpan–Hami Basin, this paper makes a detailed discussion on the Middle–Late Permian paleoenvironment and its petroleum geological significances. The Middle–Upper Permian delta–lacustrine depositional system was characterized by complex vertical lithofacies assemblages, which were primarily influenced by tectonism and frequent lake-level variations in this area. The Taerlang Formation showed a significant lake transgression trend, whereas the regressive trend of the Quanzijie Formation was relatively weaker. The provenance of Taerlang and Quanzijie Formations was derived from the rift shoulder (Bogda Mountain area now) to the north and might be composed of a mixture of andesite and felsic volcanic source rocks. The Lower Taerlang Formation was deposited in a relatively hot–dry climate, whereas the Upper Taerlang and Quanzijie Formations were deposited in a relatively humid climate. During the Middle–Late Permian, this area belonged to an overall semi-saline water depositional environment. The paleosalinity values showed stepwise decreases from the Lower Taerlang Formation to the Upper Quanzijie Formation, which was influenced by the changes of paleoclimate in this region. During the Middle–Late Permian, the study area was in an overall anoxic depositional environment. The paleoenvironment with humid climate, lower paleosalinity, anoxic condition, and semi-deep to deep water during the deposition of the Upper Taerlang Formation was suitable for the accumulation of mudstones with higher TOC values.
Comparative assessment between different sample preparation methodologies for PTGA CO2 adsorption assays—Pellet, powder, and fragment samples
Authors: Ramos Alessandro da S , de Araujo Gabriel E , Siviero Leonardo , Ketzer João MM , Heemann Roberto , Lourega Rogerio V , Rodrigues Luiz F
Published: May 2018

The carbon dioxide sorption process at coal seams is very important for understanding the trapping mechanisms of carbon capture and storage. The gas retention capacity of coal seams can be estimated using indirect methods based on the adsorption/desorption isotherms obtained in the laboratory. However, the gas sorption capacity can be overestimated or underestimated depending on the sample preparation. This work evaluates different sample preparations and their theoretical adsorption capacity using coal samples from the Cambui coal field (Parana Basin), southern Brazil. Experiments using a thermogravimetric balance were done to calculate the theoretical adsorption capacity, while sample characterization was done through immediate analysis, elementary analysis, and mineralogical studies. The sample preparations used in this work were powder, pellets, and fragments. While the powder form presents an average behavior, without any experimental complication, the pellet is extremely sensitive to any variation in the sample preparation, such as fractures, and the fragment requires a much longer experiment time than the other sample preparations, being impracticable for some cases.
Job-related burnout is associated with brain neurotransmitter levels in Chinese medical workers: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yao Yongcheng , Zhao Shan , Zhang Yuhong , Tang Lixia , An Zhen , Lu Lingeng , Yao Sanqiao
Published: May 2018

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between job burnout and neurotransmitter levels in medical staff.

Methods

A total of 80 medical staff were enrolled in the study and assessed for occupational burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS). The levels of neurotransmitters in the cerebral cortex were analysed using an SP03 encephalofluctuograph.

Results

The levels of the neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), glutamate, acetylcholine (Achl) and dopamine (DA) were significantly lower in men than in women. Medical staff with lower levels of exhaustion had significantly higher neurotransmitter levels than staff with moderate levels of exhaustion. However, there was no significant interaction between sex and exhaustion on neurotransmitter levels. Canonical correlation showed that exhaustion was positively associated with 5-HT and DA, but negatively associated with NE and Achl, regardless of age and sex.

Conclusion

Neurotransmitter levels in the cerebral cortex were associated with job-related burnout in medical staff. The findings suggest that long-term job-related burnout may lead to behavioural and psychiatric disorders.
Incorporation of nanoparticles into transplantable decellularized matrices: Applications and challenges
Authors: Saleh Tarek M , Ahmed Ebtehal A , Yu Lina , Kwak Ho-Hyun , Hussein Kamal H , Park Kyung-Mee , Kang Byung-Jae , Choi Ki-Young , Kang Kyung-Sun , Woo Heung-Myong
Published: May 2018

Decellularization of tissues can significantly improve regenerative medicine and tissue engineering by producing natural, less immunogenic, three-dimensional, acellular matrices with high biological activity for transplantation. Decellularized matrices retain specific critical components of native tissues such as stem cell niche, various growth factors, and the ability to regenerate in vivo. However, recellularization and functionalization of these matrices remain limited, highlighting the need to improve the characteristics of decellularized matrices. Incorporating nanoparticles into decellularized tissues can overcome these limitations because nanoparticles possess unique properties such as multifunctionality and can modify the surface of decellularized matrices with additional growth factors, which can be loaded onto the nanoparticles. Therefore, in this minireview, we highlight the various approaches used to improve decellularized matrices with incorporation of nanoparticles and the challenges present in these applications.
A Brief History of Awareness of the Link Between Alcohol and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Brown Jasmine M. , Bland Roger , Jonsson Egon , Greenshaw Andrew J.
Published: May 2018

Objective:

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a medical term used to describe a range of mental and physical disabilities caused by maternal alcohol consumption. The role of alcohol as a teratogen and its effects on the cellular growth of the embryo and the fetus were not determined on scientific grounds until the late 1960s. However, the link between alcohol use during pregnancy and its harms to offspring might have been observed frequently over the many thousands of years during which alcohol has been available and used for social and other reasons.

Methods and Results:

Using sources ranging from the biblical Book of Judges (pre-1700) up until the first public health bulletin (1977), we seek to provide an overview of the academic debate around early historical accounts ostensibly attributed to the awareness of alcohol as a prenatal teratogen as well as to describe the social and political influences that sculpted developments leading to the public recognition of FASD.

Conclusions:

Our analysis provides a brief overview of the discourse regarding historical awareness of the detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on fetal development leading to the formal recognition of FASD as a distinct clinical entity. Further research will be required to fully appreciate the scientific, medical, and societal ills associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.
All Talk and No Action? Racial Differences in College Behaviors and Attendance
Authors: Blake Mary Kate
Published: May 2018

According to the influential “oppositional culture” account, we should expect black students as a group to be less likely to engage in school than their white counterparts because they are more likely to believe and act in opposition to academics. In contrast to this prediction, qualitative and quantitative researchers have almost uniformly deduced that black students hold similar or higher educational values, attitudes, and expectations as compared with whites. I pull from the rich literature on racial differences in educational attitudes and expectations to posit that instead of black students shirking education, black students are actually more likely to act in favor of education, and that this might help explain their higher net rates of college attendance as indicated in prior research. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS), I find that black students’ higher rates of engagement in college-going behaviors mediate the relationship between race and college attendance so that race is no longer a significant predictor of attendance. Implications for how these results can address racial disparities in college attendance are discussed.
Material flow design and simulation for a glass panel recycling installation
Authors: Popa Cicerone Laurentiu , Cotet Costel Emil , Popescu Diana , Solea Mihai Florin , Şaşcîm (Dumitrescu) Simona Gheorghiţa , Dobrescu Tiberiu
Published: May 2018

The current paper presents the design of a glass panels recycling flow and the method used for establishing the optimal processing installation architecture. In the solution provided in the current research, a novel approach centred on applying digital twinning in the design of the requested processing architecture is presented. It involves designing the virtual prototype of the diffused processing architecture and modelling the glass waste flow as a hybrid material flow. Dedicated analysis and simulation software is then used for establishing installation architecture and the specific parameters for each processing and transport capacity. The assessment of different processing scenarios by virtual modelling and simulations can also be used for exploring options to increase productivity and profit for other different recycling architectures. The main practical value of the study consists of creating the means to improve the waste recycling of automotive windshields, float glass or construction glass panels with metallic meshes, all representing categories of waste insufficiently recycled in Romania. The simulation results of the study were validated by tests made on the glass panel recycling installation. Also, a recovery glass rate of minimum 85% of the amount of waste loaded into the recycling system was achieved, obtaining a waste recycling quantity three times higher than initially anticipated.
The de-emphasis of sampling error in coverage of presidential approval ratings
Authors: Reavy Matthew M. , Pavlick Kimberly
Published: May 2018

This study extends research into problems in handling sampling error within polls by examining coverage of President Obama’s approval ratings in three major newspapers over a five-year period. Results indicate support for hypotheses suggesting that, when confronted with poll results that could be explained by sampling error alone, journalists will instead emphasize those changes or differences.
Practicing Communication Skills For Responding to Emotionally Charged Questions
Authors: Patell Rushad , Gutierrez Alejandra , Lee Natalie , Neuendorf Kathleen
Published: May 2018

Objective:

To assess the impact of a 1-hour communication skills workshop highlighting the “ask more and summarize technique” (AMST) to teach residents an effective way to respond to emotionally charged questions.

Methods:

From December 2015 to January 2017, residents on an inpatient oncology or palliative medicine rotation attended a mandatory 1-hour workshop on AMST involving a short introduction to the technique followed by skills practice. A survey (S1) was administered to the residents during the first session to assess their self-reported attitudes and practices. A follow-up survey (S2) was e-mailed at the end of the rotation to assess the usefulness of AMST.

Results:

Twenty-one participants completed S1, and 12 participants completed S2. A total of 62% (13/21) reported the workshop was “very useful.” There was a reported increased frequency of “summarizing back” between surveys ( P = .01). Addressing fear and anxiety (75%, 9/12) and responding to patients who were angry/upset (67%, 8/12) were the situations where AMST was found to be the most useful. Fifty-four percent of respondents (7/12) felt they could have used AMST more.

Conclusion:

A 1-hour communication skills workshop targeting residents on an inpatient oncology or palliative rotation increased the use of summary statements in challenging situations.

Practice Implications:

A short skills practice workshop can be incorporated into a busy clinical curriculum to achieve changes in trainee behaviors and attitudes.
Peer-Mediated Pivotal Response Treatment for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Provider Perspectives on Acceptability, Feasibility, and Fit at School
Authors: Boudreau Ainsley M. , Corkum Penny , Smith Isabel M.
Published: May 2018

Few effective school-based interventions that target social-communication skills are available for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The growing gap between interventions designed for use in research settings and the school environment is concerning for researchers and clinicians alike. Research methods that incorporate relevant stakeholders (e.g., educators, early intervention providers [EIPs]) throughout the process from intervention design to implementation help to bridge this gap. This study used content analysis of interview data to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a specific peer-mediated intervention (PMI) for school use for young children with ASD. We explored educators’ and EIPs’ perspectives on evidence-based practice (EBP), the components of the proposed intervention (using Pivotal Response Treatment, PRT), and the overall acceptability and feasibility of using the intervention at school, through interviews with 29 participants (24 elementary school educators and five EIPs serving children with ASD). Results indicated that stakeholders had some knowledge of PRT and found the PMI approach to be acceptable and feasible. Several potential challenges were identified with respect to typically developing peers as intervention agents. We discuss educators’ specific recommendations for intervention adaptation and provide a model for researchers and educators to collaborate in promoting optimal use of EBPs at school.
Perceptions of Why Women Stay in Physically Abusive Relationships: A Comparative Study of Chinese and U.S. College Students
Authors: Pugh Brandie , Li Luye , Sun Ivan Y.
Published: May 2018

In both China and the United States, public attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV) have shifted from viewing IPV as a tolerable, private matter to viewing it as a matter of public concern that should be dealt with as a crime. Empirical and comparative examinations of the perceptions of why women stay in physically abusive relationships are lacking. Answering this question calls for comprehensive, methodologically rigorous research. Using survey data collected from approximately 1,000 college students from two Chinese and two U.S. universities, this study empirically compared and contrasted factors that impact U.S. and Chinese students’ perceptions as to why women remain in physically abusive relationships. Utilizing a theoretical framework of social constructionism, two common reasons were assessed: Women stay in physically abusive relationships because of learned helplessness and positive beliefs in the relationship/hope for the future. The results show that viewing IPV as a crime, gender, and beliefs of the causes of IPV were robust predictors of college students’ perceptions toward why women stay in physically abusive relationships. U.S. college students were more likely to express sympathy and understanding toward why women remain in abusive relationships than Chinese students. Directions for future research and policy implications were discussed.
Reliability analysis of the precision assembly process of a scaled stator can of the AP1000 reactor coolant pump
Authors: Jiang Wei , Liu Huahan
Published: May 2018

In this study, a reliability model for the assembly process of a stator can on the stator core in the AP1000 reactor coolant pump in a reduced scale is developed. Firstly, the tube hydroforming-based stator can assembly method is reviewed briefly. In order to extract the factors affecting the assembly results, a numerical assembly model and an assembly experiment rig are established. Assembly results are predicted by numerical analysis and validated by experiment. A reliability model with the proposed corrected-partial least squares regression-response surface method (C-PLSR-RSM)-based system reliability method is developed. The model is applied to analyze the assembly reliability of the stator can, and the effects of failure dependency on the estimation accuracy of reliability, as well as the relationships between the assembly reliabilities and different single evaluation index. The results indicate that the reliability model is able to efficiently analyze the implicit stator can assembly problem. Failure correlation brings a negative correlation relationship between the different assembly performance functions.
Quantitative comparison of 2D and 3D shock control bumps for drag reduction on transonic wings
Authors: Deng Feng , Qin Ning
Published: May 2018

In this paper, the design spaces of the 2D and 3D shock control bumps on an infinite unswept natural laminar flow wing are investigated by adopting an optimization enhanced parametric study method. The design space spanned by the design variables are explored through a series of design optimization and their landscapes around the optima are revealed. The effects of the bump spacing, bump length, and Mach number are investigated respectively around the optima. The maximum cross-sectional area, bump incident angle, and aspect ratio are found to be important design parameters. The associated flow physics is discussed in relation to these parameters. The comparative performance of the 2D and 3D bumps are explained in the context of the transonic area rule. Two types of flow separation are identified by varying the bump aspect ratio at off-design conditions. It is concluded that the 2D and 3D shock control bumps can have nearly the same performances at optimal designs with similar cross-sectional areas. Some practical design principles and guidelines are suggested.
Palliative care nursing involvement in end-of-life decision-making: Qualitative secondary analysis
Authors: Hernández-Marrero Pablo , Fradique Emília , Pereira Sandra Martins
Published: May 2018

Background:

Nurses are the largest professional group in healthcare and those who make more decisions. In 2014, the Committee on Bioethics of the Council of Europe launched the “Guide on the decision-making process regarding medical treatment in end-of-life situations” (hereinafter, Guide), aiming at improving decision-making processes and empowering professionals in making end-of-life decisions. The Guide does not mention nurses explicitly.

Objectives:

To analyze the ethical principles most valued by nurses working in palliative care when making end-of-life decisions and investigate if they are consistent with the framework and recommendations of the Guide; to identify what disputed/controversial issues are more frequent in these nurses’ current end-of-life care practices.

Design:

Qualitative secondary analysis.

Participants/context:

Three qualitative datasets including 32 interviews from previous studies with nurses working in palliative care in Portugal.

Ethical consideration:

Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Research Lab of the Instituto de Bioética (Ethics Research Lab of the Institute of Bioethics) (Ref.04.2015). Ethical procedures are thoroughly described.

Findings:

All participant nurses referred to autonomy as an ethical principle paramount in end-of-life decision-making. They were commonly involved in end-of-life decision-making. Palliative sedation and communication were the most mentioned disputed/controversial issues.

Discussion:

Autonomy was highly valued in end-of-life care and decision-making. Nurses expressed major concerns in assessing patients’ preferences, wishes, and promoting advance care planning. Nurses working in palliative care in Portugal were highly involved in end-of-life decision-making. These processes embraced a collective, inclusive approach. Palliative sedation was the most mentioned disputed issue, which is aligned with previous findings. Communication also emerged as a sensitive ethical issue; it is surprising, however, that only three nurses referred to it.

Conclusion:

While the Guide does not explicitly mention nurses in its content, this study shows that nurses working in palliative care in Portugal are involved in these processes. Further research is needed on nurses’ involvement and practices in end-of-life decision-making.
“I Would Do the Same Again”
Authors: Simić Olivera
Published: May 2018

After more than 20 years in operation, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has closed down at the end of 2017. Biljana Plavšić made history by becoming the only woman, of 161 individuals, indicted by the ICTY. She was also the highest ranking official and the first Serb leader to plead guilty to charges raised against her before the ICTY. After entering into a plea agreement and serving two thirds of her 11-year sentence in Sweden, she returned to Belgrade in 2009 where she has been living ever since. In this article, I draw on interviews I undertook with Plavšić in the course of 2017. In the first part of the article, I briefly introduce Plavšić and situate the study within the field of international criminal justice and transitional justice. I then proceed to discuss four themes that Plavšić most frequently returned to during our conversations. These themes offer an original perspective into Plavšić’s experience of being tried and sentenced by the international tribunal and her subsequent release and return home. This article aims to fill a gap in the literature by analyzing the reflections on the ICTY from its only woman defendant.
Applying Self-Determination Theory to Adolescent Sexual-Risk Behavior and Knowledge: A Structural Equation Model
Authors: Riley Bettina H. , McDermott Ryon C.
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND: National health priorities identify adolescent sexual-risk behavior outcomes as research and intervention targets for mental health. OBJECTIVE: Reduce sexual-risk behavioral outcomes by applying self-determination theory to focus on decision-making autonomy. This study examined late adolescents’ recollections of parental autonomy support/sexual-risk communication experiences and autonomy motivation as predictors of sexual-risk behaviors/knowledge. METHOD: A convenience sample ( N = 249) of 19- and 20-year-old university students completed self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling with latent variables examined direct/indirect effects in the hypothesized model. RESULTS: Parents contributed uniquely through sexual-risk communication and/or autonomy support to late adolescents’ autonomous motivation. The final model evidenced acceptable fit and explained 12% of the variation in adolescent sexual-risk behavior, 7% in adolescent autonomous motivation, and 2% in adolescent sexual-risk knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric mental health nurses should conduct further research and design interventions promoting parent autonomy support and adolescent autonomous motivation to reduce sexual risk-behavior and increase sexual-risk knowledge.
Negotiating the Modern Cross-Class “Model Home”: Domestic Experiences in Basil Spence’s Claremont Court
Authors: Costa Santos Sandra , Bertolino Nadia
Published: May 2018

This article investigates the spatial articulation of architecture and home through the exploration of current domestic experiences in Basil Spence’s Claremont Court housing scheme (1959-1962), Edinburgh. How architecture and home are both idealized and lived is the backdrop for a discussion that draws on the concept of “model home,” or physical representation of a domestic ideal. The article reads Claremont Court as an architectural prototype of the modern domestic ideal, before exploring its reception by five of its households through the use of visual methods and semistructured interviews. Receiving the model home involves negotiating between ideal and lived homes. Building on this idea, the article contributes with a focus on the spatiality of such reception, showing how it is modulated according to the architectural affordances that the “model home” represents. The article expands on scholarship on architecture and home with empirical evidence that argues the reciprocal spatiality of home.
Improving the noise reduction by green roofs due to solar panels and substrate shaping
Authors: Van Renterghem Timothy
Published: May 2018

The urban fabric largely consists of acoustically rigid materials. This not only affects sound pressure levels in streets, but also how sound propagates towards the back side of a building or to connected urban canyons. A green roof is a practical solution to have roof absorption, mitigating diffracting sound waves. Flat green roofs were shown to provide roughly 3 dBA urban road traffic noise reduction relative to a common flat rigid roof. Although already relevant, it has been numerically studied in this work how the green roof insertion loss of flat roofs can be further increased. Solar panels on green roofs were found to significantly decrease sound pressure levels at the shielded building facade, up to 5 dBA on top of the insertion loss of granular substrates. Polyurethane foam slabs as green roof substrates provide relevant shielding when placed on a series of hollow trapezium-like cores of sufficient height.
Deceleration time of projectile penetration/perforation into a concrete target: Experiment and discussions
Authors: Peng Yong , Wu Hao , Fang Qin , Gong Ziming
Published: May 2018

Deceleration time histories of the 25.3 mm diameter, 428 g projectile penetration/perforation into 41 MPa reinforced concrete slabs with thicknesses of 100, 200, and 300 mm, are discussed. An ultra-high g small-caliber deceleration data recorder with a diameter of 18 mm is employed to digitize and record the acceleration during launch in the barrel, as well as the deceleration during penetration or perforation into targets. The accelerometer mounted in the data recorder measures rigid-body projectile deceleration as well as structural vibrations. To validate these complex signals, a validation approach for the accuracy of the recorded deceleration time data is proposed based on frequency characteristic analyses and signal integrations, and three sets of whole-range deceleration time data are validated. As the deceleration of the rigid-body projectile is the main concern, a signal processing approach is further given to obtain the rigid-body deceleration data, that is, using a low-pass filter to remove the high-frequency responses associated with vibrations of the projectile case and the internal supporting structure. The first valley frequency from the spectrum analysis is determined to be the critical cutoff frequency. To verify the accuracies of the theoretical model and the numerical simulation in predicting projectile motion time histories, theoretical projectile penetration/perforation deceleration time models are given and numerical simulations are performed. The predicted projectile time histories consist well with the validated deceleration time test data, as do their corresponding velocity and displacement time curves.
Economic Growth, Structural Change and Productive Employment Linkages in India
Authors: Aggarwal Aradhna
Published: May 2018

This article presents a quantitative analysis of growth, structural change and employment linkages at the aggregate level and by sector under the state- and market-led regimes in India. The underlying objectives are: (a) to understand how economic liberalization has affected the economic and labour market structures, and linkages thereof; and (b) to analyse how these dynamics have affected the generation of productive employment in the economy. The analysis is based on Shapley decompositions. Our results suggest that the contribution of structural change in employment to growth declined drastically and secularly as the country transitioned to a high-growth regime driven by globalization. The sector-level analysis indicates that employment opportunities are not being created in high-productivity sectors and segments. Thus, despite a high-growth rate in GDP per capita and productivity-enhancing structural transformation in GDP, a vast population is still trapped in employment that cannot be qualified as productive employment. The study attributes it to trade-induced economic specialization accompanied with weakening of internal inter-sectoral linkages. The article makes a strong case for strategic government intervention to broad base structural change for generating productive employment, which is at the core of poverty reduction.

JEL codes: E24, O14, O4
Remittances and Real Effective Exchange Rate
Authors: Dutta Ujjal Protim , Sengupta Partha Pratim
Published: May 2018

Remittances in India have been growing rapidly since 1991. Most of the studies find that remittance has had a significant impact on real effective exchange rate (REER). It is imperative to evaluate the impact of a transfer such as remittance and aid on country’s competitiveness. This article is an attempt to investigate the impact of workers’ remittances and some selected macro-variables on REER of India using annual data from 1980–2015. The study conducted autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) bound test co-integration approach to explore this long-run relationship. The ARDL bound test approach confirms significant long-run relationships among the selected variables at 1 per cent level of significance. In addition to this, the ARDL short-run error correction model implies that while REER may temporarily deviate from its long-run equilibrium, the deviations adjust towards the equilibrium level in the long run.

JEL: F31, F35, F41
Depression, anxiety, and stress from substance-use disorder among family members in Iceland
Authors: Ólafsdóttir Jóna , Hrafnsdóttir Steinunn , Orjasniemi Tarja
Published: May 2018

Aims:

This research was designed to explore the extent to which the use of alcohol or drugs by one member of a family affects the psychosocial state of other family members. The study asks whether family members of substance abusers are more likely to report increased depression, anxiety and stress then the general population in Iceland? Are there significant differences between family members; e.g., spouses, parents, adult children and siblings by gender, age, education and income?

Data and methods:

The instrument used for this purpose is the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), which is designed to measure those three related mental states. It was administered to 143 participants (111 women and 32 men) with ages ranging from 19–70 years on the first day of a four-week group therapy programme for relatives of substance use disorder (SUD) at The Icelandic National Centre for Addiction Treatment (SÁÁ) from August 2015 to April 2016. Thirty participants are adult children of a parent with SUD, 47 are a spouse, 56 are parents of a child with SUD and 10 are siblings. The subscales of the DASS for depression, anxiety, and stress were utilised to examine which family member – parent, child, partner, or sibling – presented the behaviour associated with SUD.

Results:

36% or more of the respondents in all three subscales had average, serious, or very serious depression, anxiety, and/or stress. This is higher than in DASS studies of the general population in Iceland. However, the analysis indicates that it made little difference to the family’s wellbeing which family member was affected by SUD.
Motions and safety of a floating liquefied natural gas and shuttle tanker during side-by-side offloading operations
Authors: Harada Takumi , Nakashima Akira , Arai Makoto , Nishimoto Kazuo
Published: May 2018

In recent years, the use of natural gas has remarkably increased due to growth in energy demands and concerns about the environment. Generally, pipelines are used for liquefied natural gas transportation; however, there are technical problems and cost increases in constructing liquefied natural gas pipelines in the deep sea. For this reason, floating liquefied natural gas system has attracted the attention of the industries, governments and academia. One of the major issues to be overcome in realisation of floating liquefied natural gas is the motion prediction of close-proximity floating bodies including the gap resonance between the two bodies. In this article, three steps were carried out in order to understand the ship motions and the gap resonance and their effects to the side-by-side offloading operations. First, the two-dimensional gap resonance between the two bodies was investigated using a viscous flow numerical method. Second, the three-dimensional gap resonance and the floating body motions were studied using a potential flow method and validated by the experimental model test. Finally, the limits of environmental conditions for the side-by-side offloading operations were examined by the results of numerical calculation.
Parental imprisonment, child victimization and adult problems
Authors: Källström Åsa , Hellfeldt Karin , Nylander Per-Åke
Published: May 2018

This study addresses, in a Swedish sample, whether exposure to violence and/or crime during childhood, and mental health and/or behaviour problems as an adult, are overrepresented among young men and women who had a parent in prison at some time when they were a child. Results show that almost all the studied types of childhood victimization and adult problems were overrepresented, but verbal victimization, neglect, witnessing violence, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression were significantly overrepresented. Although the associations between having a parent in prison and childhood victimization as well as having mental health and behaviour problems are weak, these results indicate that it is important for practitioners who meet such children to be aware that they are more likely than other children not only to suffer from mental health and/or behaviour problems but also to have experienced violence and/or neglect.
Long-term prospective observation suggests that glomerular hyperfiltration is associated with rapid decline in renal filtration function: A multiethnic study
Authors: Low Serena , Zhang Xiao , Wang Jiexun , Yeoh Lee Ying , Liu Yan Lun , Ang Keven Kue Loong , Tang Wern Ee , Kwan Pek Yee , Tavintharan Subramaniam , Sum Chee Fang , Lim Su Chi
Published: May 2018

Aim:

Glomerular hyperfiltration usually occurs early in development of kidney complications in diabetes. To understand hyperfiltration as a marker of renal disease progression in type 2 diabetes mellitus, we aimed to examine association between glomerular hyperfiltration (estimated glomerular filtration rate ⩾ 120 mL/min/1.73 m2) and rapid renal decline (annual estimated glomerular filtration rate loss ⩾ 3 mL/min/1.73 m2).

Methods:

This was a prospective cohort comprising 1014 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending a Diabetes Centre of a regional hospital in 2002–2014. A separate prospective cohort, comprising 491 patients who attended Diabetes Centre or primary-care polyclinics, was used for validation. We performed binary mediation analysis to examine role of hyperfiltration on relationship between baseline haemoglobin A1c and rapid renal decline.

Results:

Among patients in discovery cohort, 5.2% had baseline hyperfiltration. Over mean follow-up of 6 years, 22.9% had rapid glomerular filtration rate decline. Baseline hyperfiltration was significantly associated with greater odds of rapid renal decline after adjusting for demographics, diabetes duration and clinical covariates (odds ratio: 2.57; 95% confidence interval: 1.21–5.46; p = 0.014). Similar finding was found in validation cohort (odds ratio: 2.98; 95% confidence interval: 1.06–8.42; p = 0.034). Hyperfiltration significantly accounted for 35.3% of association between increasing baseline haemoglobin A1c and rapid renal decline.

Conclusion:

Glomerular hyperfiltration is an independent risk factor of rapid renal decline. It mediates the association between increasing haemoglobin A1c and rapid renal decline.
Depression and Pain Interference Correlate With Physical Function in Patients Recovering From Hand Surgery
Authors: Crijns Tom J. , Bernstein David N. , Ring David , Gonzalez Ronald M. , Wilbur Danielle M. , Hammert Warren C.
Published: May 2018

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures vary more than expected based on underlying pathology, in part due to the substantial influence of mood and coping strategies. Methods: This study addressed the primary null hypothesis that the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function score 1 month (range, 3-8 weeks) after hand surgery is not associated with PROMIS Depression and PROMIS Pain Interference scores prior to surgery, accounting for other factors. Using an institution-wide database of routinely collected patient-reported outcomes, we identified adult patients who underwent wrist ganglion excision, trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty, hand ganglion excision, trigger digit, De Quervain, and carpal tunnel release. Measures collected included the PROMIS Physical Function Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT), PROMIS Pain Interference CAT, and PROMIS Depression CAT. We sought factors associated with postsurgical PROMIS Physical Function scores and change between preoperative and postoperative score using multivariable linear regression, accounting for age, sex, surgery type, provider, and time from surgery to postsurgical measurement. Results: Higher postoperative PROMIS Physical Function score was independently associated with lower PROMIS Pain Interference scores, lower PROMIS Depression scores, younger age, and treatment by provider team 3. Greater change in PROMIS Physical Function score was independently associated with greater PROMIS Pain Interference scores, greater time from surgery, and treatment by provider team 3. Conclusions: Mood and effective coping strategies affect the level of symptoms and limitations during recovery from hand surgery and represent important treatment opportunities for enhancing recovery.
The use of flow diverters to treat aneurysms of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery: Report of three cases
Authors: Bhogal Pervinder , Chudyk Jorge , Bleise Carlos , Lylyk Ivan , Henkes Hans , Lylyk Pedro
Published: May 2018

Objective

The objective of this study was to report our experience on the use of flow diverting stents placed within the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) as a treatment option for aneurysms of the PICA.

Methods

Three patients with aneurysms of the PICA, both ruptured and unruptured, underwent treatment of their aneurysms with placement of a single flow diverter in the PICA across the neck of the aneurysm. Adjunctive techniques such as coiling were not used. We present the angiographic and clinical follow-up data.

Results

The procedure was a technical success in all cases and there were no intraoperative complications. Follow-up data were available for two patients and this showed complete occlusion of the aneurysm with the PICA remaining patent. There was no evidence, either clinical or radiological, of medullary or pontine infarction. One patient died during the follow-up period from an unrelated medical illness (community acquired pneumonia).

Conclusion

Flow diverters can be successfully placed within the PICA to treat both ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, and they represent an alternative treatment option to endovascular coiling or microscopic neurosurgery.
Investigation of an off-road vehicle equipped with magnetorheological dampers
Authors: Makowski Michal , Knap Lech
Published: May 2018

At present, owing predominantly to advances in measurement technology, microprocessor control and development of smart materials have witnessed a widespread adoption of semi-active damping systems based on magnetorheological fluid technology into everyday life. An important class of systems which utilize magnetorheological technology is constituted by vehicle vibration systems. These systems are generally equipped with different numbers of reciprocating or rotary dampers filled with magnetorheological fluid. Dampers and their properties are controlled by an electronic controller with embedded control algorithm. In this article, a simplified model of an off-road vehicle equipped with a real-time controlled semi-active suspension system with magnetorheological dampers is presented. In addition, a simple algorithm employed to control them is described. Algorithm efficacy has been verified by means of conducting numerous road and off-road experiments employing Honker 2000 vehicle. The main goal of this article is to present simplified yet efficient methods for controlling changes in properties of suspension of an off-road vehicle with magnetorheological dampers. These properties are controlled by an optimization algorithm responsible for an optimal selection of friction in magnetorheological dampers. The algorithm allows for a substantial improvement of the performance of an off-road vehicle suspension.