bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Power geometries of mediated care: (re)mapping transnational families and immobility of the Rohingya diaspora in a digital age
Authors: Aziz Abdul
Published: February 2022

This article provides a new direction in digital media and communication studies and develops an emergent analytical lens of digital media and immobility in the context of forced migration. Drawing on a qualitative multi-sited research approach, I shed light on digitally mediated transnational care among the Rohingya diaspora in refugee camps in Bangladesh and in Brisbane, Australia. I draw on Massey’s idea of the ‘power geometry’ with a combination ‘immobility turn’ to consider how the socio-spatial mobility is restricted and regulated, and how these immobilities are crucial to understanding family care practices. I argue that the idea of transnational families existing beyond nation-states, and the social and spatial immobilities may help us to identify the linkages, discrepancies and power asymmetries that exist in cross-cultural settings. The findings offer a critical stance on immobility, which impacts and shapes transnational caregiving practices of forced migrants in the age of digital media.
Information literacy and research support services in academic libraries: A bibliometric analysis from 2001 to 2020
Authors: Ali Nusrat , Shoaib Muhammad , Abdullah Farooq
Published: February 2022

This article attempted to examine research support services, information services, print collections, digital resources and information literacy using bibliometric analysis from 2001 to 2020. The main aim was to consolidate the published studies on the research support services in academic libraries in the Web of Science (WoS) indexed documents. However, there has been a lack of quantitative measurements on the subject. Thus, we used the bibliometric method and found a total of 4079 published documents. The study findings revealed that the topic of ‘information literacy and library’ was on top with a total number of 2168 publications, 3047 articles as a type of published documents, 3662 publications in English and a considerable increase in publications as per years were found. The top author named Fourie I was found with 106 citations and 22 articles started in 2001. Similarly, the University of Illinois found on top organisations out of 2609, United States on top out of 113 countries and information literacy as a keyword out of 6179. Furthermore, the Journal of Academic Librarianship placed at top of sources out of 726 and the National Institutes of Health NIH USA as a top funding agency.
Network Financial Transfers and Psychological Distress Among Unmarried Mothers
Authors: Radey Melissa
Published: February 2022

Almost 50% of single-mother households live below 200% of the poverty line. In addition to material needs, mothers living in poverty have higher levels of psychological distress. Although some forms of network support (e.g., perceived support, welcomed support) promote well-being, how do financial transfers relate to unmarried mothers’ levels of distress? Drawing from support mobilization, social inequity, and reciprocity theories, this study used The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) ( n = 3,117 mothers and 10,676 observations) and longitudinal mixed-effects models to examine financial transfer behavior stability and its relationship to maternal psychological distress. Results indicate that, net of extensive controls, mothers commonly participated in giving or receiving money despite their disadvantaged, volatile circumstances, and engagement, regardless of direction, related to more symptoms of distress. This connection is problematic given the weakening public cash safety net and U.S. economic uncertainty.
The Kidney Transplant Self-Management Scale: Instrument Development and Psychometric Testing
Authors: Chung Shu-Yu , Bakas Tamilyn , Rawl Susan M. , Welch Janet , Jones Josette , Ellis Rebecca , Hacker Eileen D.
Published: February 2022

This study reports the development and psychometric testing of the Kidney Transplant Self-Management Scale (KT-SMS). The instrument development phase included the following: (a) conceptual definition, item generation, and framework; (b) face validity assessment; and (c) content validity assessment. The psychometric testing phase included the following: (a) construct validity testing; (b) internal consistency reliability testing; (c) convergent validity testing; and (d) predictive power of the KT-SMS using a cross-sectional sample of kidney transplant recipients ( N = 153). Factor analysis results supported the 16-item KT-SMS as multidimensional with five domains (medication adherence, cardiovascular risk reduction, protecting kidney, ownership, and skin cancer prevention). Internal consistency reliability for the total scale and five subscales was adequate. Convergent validity was supported as the intercorrelations of the KT-SMS total score with the five subscales were significant. The KT-SMS total score and five subscales were significantly correlated with self-efficacy for managing chronic disease, patient activation, and health-related quality of life.
Barriers and facilitators for parents in end-of-life decision-making for neonates at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A qualitative study
Authors: Piette Veerle , Dombrecht Laure , Deliens Luc , Cools Filip , Chambaere Kenneth , Goossens Linde , Naulaers Gunnar , Laroche Sabine , Cornette Luc , Bekaert Eline , Decoster Pauline , Beernaert Kim , Cohen Joachim
Published: February 2022

Background:

Mortality and end-of-life decision-making can occur in newborns, especially within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. For parents, participating in end-of-life decision-making is taxing. Knowledge is lacking on what support is helpful to parents during decision-making.

Aim:

To identify barriers and facilitators experienced by parents in making an end-of-life decision for their infant.

Design:

Qualitative study using face-to-face semi-structured interviews.

Setting/participants:

We interviewed 23 parents with a child that died after an end-of-life decision at a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between April and September 2018.

Results:

Parents stated barriers and facilitators within 4 themes: 1. Clinical knowledge and prognosis; 2. Quality of information provision; 3. Emotion regulation; and 4. Psychosocial environment. Facilitators include knowing whether the prognosis includes long-term negative quality of life, knowing all treatment options, receiving information according to health literacy level, being able to process intense emotions, having experienced counseling and practical help. Barriers include a lack of general medical knowledge, being unprepared for a poor prognosis, having an uninformed psychologist.

Conclusions:

We found that clinical information and psychosocial support aid parents in decision-making. Information is best tailored to health literacy. Psychosocial support can be provided by experienced, informed counselors, social services and sibling support, distinguishing between verbal and non-verbal coping preferences, and calm, familiar architecture. Intense emotions may hinder absorption of clinical information, therefore interventions to aid emotion regulation and reduce cognitive load may be looked at in further research. Adjustment of the Situations, Opinions and Options, Parents, Information, Emotions framework based on our results can be evaluated.
Transperitoneal laparoscopic simple nephrectomy for giant hydronephrosis: Tips and tricks to make it easier
Authors: Ali Ahmed Issam , Abdel-Karim Aly M , Abdelghani Mostafa M , Eldakhakhny Amr , Fawzy Ahmed M , Hassan Ali , Rohiem Mahmoud F , Galal Ehab M
Published: February 2022

Purpose:

We report our experience with transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy (LN) for giant hydronephrosis (GH) and compare the outcome data with open nephrectomy (ON).

Patients and methods:

The retrospective data of 88 patients (52 males and 36 females) who underwent LN or ON for treatment of GH in the period between October 2015 and December 2019 were investigated. LN was performed in 38 patients, while 50 patients underwent ON. We compared the two groups for success, operative time, and intraoperative and postoperative complications.

Results:

The mean age of the patients in the LN group was 45.8 ± 11.4 years, and it was 44.7 ± 10.8 years in the ON group. The mean operative time in the LN group was statistically significantly longer when compared with the ON group195 ± 18 min versus 127 ± 22 min ( p = 0.01).The estimated blood loss was significantly greater in the ON group ( p = 0.01). However, no patients required blood transfusions in either group. The visual analog pain (VAP) scores were significantly higher on both day 1 and day 2 in the ON group 3.6 ± 0.9 and 2 ± 0.7 versus 2.7 ± 0.6 and 1.4 ± 0.5 in LN group, ( p = 0.01).

Conclusion:

LN for GH is feasible, safe, and efficacious. Compared to open surgery, the laparoscopic approach resulted in significantly shorter hospital stays, decreased morbidity, and quicker recovery. Some tips and tricks could help to do it in an easier way and reduce the operative time.
The neoliberal transformation of academia–industry relationships in India: A critical assessment
Authors: Nadh P Omkar
Published: February 2022

The nature of commercial interaction between academia and industry in India has transformed over time. This transformation is a result of several macro changes in the political-economic sphere. Dividing the postindependent Indian history into three different time periods, this article argues that the nature of interaction between 1947 and 1991 – the period after Independence and before economic liberalization – is of a different kind compared to the nature of interaction after liberalization. It is further argued that the interaction before economic liberalization is more of demand-driven in nature, while the one after liberalization is neoliberal in character. This neoliberal characterization is because of the implementation of supply-side measures such as oversupply of patents with a disproportionately lower demand, focus on entrepreneurship, and replacement of the academic value system with corporate value system. The neoliberal period is in turn characterized as conquest of innovation period and coercive innovation period. While the changes during the conquest of innovation period reflect the implementation of supply-side measures, the coercive innovation period depicts the normalization of this process through coercive measures.
Systematic Review of Correlates of Internal and External Memory Strategy Use in Older Adults
Authors: Pizzonia Kendra L. , Suhr Julie A.
Published: February 2022

Memory strategies promote independence during aging. We systematically reviewed literature on correlates and predictors of internal and external memory strategy use for older adults. Of 212 articles identified, 29 met inclusion criteria. Overall, increasing age was associated with decreasing internal but increasing external memory strategy use. Females reported more external memory strategy use, though findings were mixed regarding internal memory strategies. Clinical status appeared to alter the relationship between cognition and internal and external memory strategy use. There were mixed results regarding the relationship between memory strategy use and education, psychological functioning, and health variables. In addition to identifying areas for future research, we provide recommendations to develop primary prevention strategies for intervention and promote successful aging.
Latinos and the Pandemic: Results from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project—COVID-19 Study
Authors: Piedra Lissette M. , Howe Melissa J. K. , Francis John , Montoya Yadira , Gutwein Melissa
Published: February 2022

Pre-pandemic disparities placed Latinos at risk for COVID-19. This report describes the associations between increased viral exposure through social contact and material hardship and the uneven distribution of COVID-19 morbidity among Latino older adults using data from the recently released supplement to the National Social Life, Heath, and Aging Project (NSHAP) ( N = 2672), a population-based panel study of adults born 1920–1965. Logistic regression revealed that material hardship and reliance on outside help were significantly correlated with COVID-19 infection, which may partially explain the disproportionate burden Latinos experience during the pandemic.
Facing disruption: Learning from the healthcare supply chain responses in British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Zhang Jie , Mitchell Cheryl , Kushniruk Andre , Guitouni Adel
Published: February 2022

The healthcare supply chain crisis surrounding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique and complex challenges in achieving the primary aim of supply chain management, that is, delivering the right amount of the right supplies to the right people at the right time. This article describes the key findings from a case study on PPE supply chain responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia (BC). It highlights a set of constructive response mechanisms to potential crises along healthcare supply chain. Effective and trusted leadership, a unity of purpose, integrated and robust digital infrastructure and capabilities, consistent learning, resilience building, and environmental sensing for reliable intelligence were found to be essential for preparing, for containing, and mitigating the crisis as it evolved across various phases of crisis management.
Childhood Experiences of Companion Animal Abuse and its Co-Occurrence with Domestic Abuse: Evidence from a National Youth Survey in Norway
Authors: Muri Karianne , Augusti Else-Marie , Bjørnholt Margunn , Hafstad Gertrud Sofie
Published: February 2022

It is increasingly acknowledged that companion animal abuse often occurs in the same contexts as other types of abuse, particularly domestic abuse. However, the co-occurrence and strengths of these associations in the general population have not been well established in research. With data from a large representative sample of Norwegian adolescents, we aimed to determine 1) the extent to which Norwegian children are exposed to companion animal abuse in the family, 2) whether and how companion animal abuse is linked to other forms of domestic abuse that children experience, and 3) background factors associated with companion animal abuse. A total of 9240 adolescents aged 12–16 years ( Mage 14.7) participated in the digital school-based survey. Four percent ( n = 380) reported that they had ever witnessed a parent being violent towards a family companion animal, whereas 1% ( n = 125) had experienced that an adult in the household had threatened to harm a companion animal. There was a substantial overlap between companion animal abuse and child abuse, and it most frequently co-occurred with psychological abuse and less severe forms of physical child abuse. This resonates with conceptualizations of domestic abuse as an ongoing pattern of psychological abuse and coercive control. The risk factors identified for companion animal abuse in this representative sample of adolescents were similar to known risk factors for domestic abuse. Low socioeconomic status and parents’ substance abuse, parents’ psychiatric illness, and parents’ history of incarceration entailed a greater risk of experiencing companion animal abuse. We conclude that companion animal abuse co-occurs with other forms of domestic abuse and that it may be considered a part of the repertoire of domestic abuse that impacts children.
From Crunch to Grind: Adopting Servitization in Project-Based Creative Work
Authors: Weststar Johanna , Dubois Louis-Étienne
Published: February 2022

The digital game industry has embraced servitization – a strategic orientation toward customer centricity in production-based firms – to deeply monetize digital games. Though some note the resource-intensive nature of delivering services and suggest inherent risks in its adoption, extant literature is uncritical. This article draws on labour process theory to critique the impact of servitization on workers at the point of production. We conducted in-depth interviews at a large North American game development studio. The results show the human cost of servitization, generally overshadowed by financial considerations. Specifically, we theorize that servitization increases the indeterminacy of labour and this must be compensated for if servitization is to realize its cost-benefit potential. The result is an intensification of labour through additional control imperatives which make workers accountable to consumers through deterministic success metrics, impact the creative process and direct creative outputs in real time.
Refugee Subentrepreneurship: The Emergence of a Liquid Cage
Authors: Refai Deema , McElwee Gerard
Published: February 2022

This article conceptualises refugees’ endeavours for upward social mobility through subentrepreneurship. Subentrepreneurship refers to various self-employment forms that are undeclared to relevant authorities to escape superimposed historical, temporal, spatial, institutional and social contexts, which constrain actors’ entrepreneurial activities. Using a mixed theoretical underpinning combining Mixed Embeddedness (ME) with Weber’s Iron Cage of Rationality (ICR), we signify liquidity of refugee subentrepreneurship, which is neither linear nor long-term rational. A liquid cage is envisaged to allow more freedom as refugees become embedded within intersections between transformative journeys and Constrained Institutional Contexts (CICs). This new theorising signifies a pronounced emphasis on agency whereby refugees cleverly contemplate implicit skills (i.e. unrecognised or downgraded skills), opportunities and processes to escape CICs. The article adds clarity as to how contexts become part of the production of entrepreneurial actions through two-way interactions that promote liquidity, enabling a strong foundation for future research exploring subentrepreneurship.
Mobility improvement of wheeled military vehicles using preview controlled active ride height system
Authors: Kale Alperen , Çağlar Başlamışlı Selahattin
Published: February 2022

This study aims to provide a method to increase the mobility capabilities of wheeled military vehicles such as off-road trench and obstacle crossing by designing a preview control strategy based on model predictive control (MPC). The study is divided into three parts. The first part aims to create a vehicle dynamics model with active suspension and a co-simulation environment involving MATLAB® and MSC ADAMS/Car™. In the second part, the level of achievable improvement in the vehicle’s operational abilities is investigated. Here, it is aimed to develop a controller and optimize vehicle ride height and attitude for improving mobility operations. Measured road data is used to improve the controller performance and create an obstacle crossing algorithm. Finally, a comparison of simulation results for different land operation scenarios is given for both uncontrolled and controlled systems based on which improvement levels are determined.
Virtual subjective and objective evaluation method of traffic jam assist
Authors: Guan Xin , Zhong Zhao-Hui , Liu Rong , Zhan Jun
Published: February 2022

The virtual subjective and objective evaluation method is a significant development method to improve the performance of Traffic Jam Assist (TJA). This paper proposed a virtual subjective and objective evaluation method of TJA, including test scenarios and evaluation indices. Firstly, the paper built a virtual test and evaluation platform for intelligent vehicles based on a high-fidelity driving simulator and VTD traffic simulation software. Secondly, the paper proposed an objective evaluation system composed of evaluation indices, 11 test scenarios, and 49 test cases. Thirdly, the paper put forward a subjective evaluation system composed of three indices: acceptance, comfort, and psychological load. Finally, the paper used the platform mentioned above to conduct subjective and objective tests and evaluations of the TJA system that comes from Matlab. Meanwhile, objective and subjective evaluation scoring results were obtained. The evaluation results showed that the subjective and objective evaluation method proposed in this paper can test the objective and subjective performance of the TJA system comprehensively and systematically, which provided a guarantee for the improvement of the TJA system.
Experimental investigations of aviation kerosene spray in different ambient conditions with various nozzle diameters and injection pressures
Authors: Wang Jianping , Zhang Qiankun , Xia Jin , Yu Liang , Zhou Dezhi , Qian Yong , Lu Xingcai
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this study is to explore the spray characteristics of aviation kerosene (RP-3) under sub/trans/supercritical conditions and provide a reference for engine test research under advanced combustion mode. The experiment is carried out in a constant volume chamber. To understand the influence of nozzle diameter and injection pressure on spray characteristics of RP-3 under different critical conditions, 270 groups of spray images are collected under three nozzle diameters (100, 300, 450 μm), five injection pressures (60, 80, 100, 120, 140 MPa), and nine critical conditions. The macroscopic parameters are calculated and new empirical correlations are generated to investigate the axial and radial development of spray. The results show that kerosene spray has different spray characteristics under sub/trans/supercritical conditions. The effect of nozzle diameter on kerosene spray is stronger than that of diesel spray. The spray with a small nozzle diameter is easily affected by gas entrainment. The injection pressure has an insignificant effect on spray macroscopic characteristics, but high injection pressure is conducive to increasing the vapor phase ratio and promoting oil-gas mixing, especially under supercritical conditions. The new correlations have good agreement with kerosene experimental results.
A comprehensive lateral motion prediction method of surrounding vehicles integrating driver intention prediction and vehicle behavior recognition
Authors: Luan Zhongkai , Huang Yunfeng , Zhao Wanzhong , Zou Songchun , Xu Can
Published: February 2022

In order to solve the accuracy problem of the future motion prediction of the surrounding vehicles with different types of drivers, this paper proposes a comprehensive lateral motion prediction method that combines driver intention prediction and vehicle behavior recognition. For different drivers, different driver optimization models are established: personal optimal model and system optimal model. Then, the driver’s intention prediction probability is obtained through the game theory. Different from the traditional game theory, we apply different model for different driver on the premise of getting the type of driver instead of using the Nash equilibrium for all players. According to the results of driver intention prediction and the vehicle behavior recognition, the optimized polynomial trajectory is used to obtain the driver’s intention prediction trajectory and the vehicle behavior recognition trajectory. Next, the Nash-optimization function of the intention prediction trajectory and the behavior recognition trajectory are established respectively according to the trajectory error, and the balance between the two is our comprehensive trajectory. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conducted simulations under mandatory lane changing and discretionary lane changing conditions. The simulation results show that our algorithm can accurately predict the future motion of the vehicle under different drivers, different speeds and different gaps between vehicles. Its prediction performance is much better than other algorithms.
Analysis of characteristics about far-side occupant’s chest injury during oblique side impact
Authors: He Yaoxin , Xiao Sen , Wu Jindong , Zhang Hao , Yuan Min
Published: February 2022

The chest is one of the most frequently injured body parts during a side impact. In this study, the effects of impact angle, impact speed, and D-ring position on the occupant’s chest injury in the far-side crash were analyzed. First, a model with a sled and a Test Human Occupant Restraint (THOR) dummy was established. Second, the acceleration curves with peaks of 6.6 and 9.0 g were applied to the sled. Then 12 sets of simulations with different impact angles and D-ring positions were conducted to evaluate the occupant’s chest responses. Results indicate that the peak chest deflection at Lower Left (LL) decreased by 11.6% on average, and that at Lower Right (LR) increased by 11.7% on average when the D-ring position moved backward. Meanwhile, with the D-ring position moving upward, the peak chest deflection at LL grew by 24.8% on average, while it decreased by 14.7% at LR.
Antenatal dexamethasone retarded fetal long bones growth and development by down-regulating of insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling in fetal rats
Authors: Qiu Junlan , Fan Xiaorong , Ding Hongmei , Zhao Meng , Xu Ting , Lei Jiahui , Ji Bingyu , Zhuang Zhixiang , Gao Qinqin
Published: February 2022

Objective

Dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid, has been widely used as a medication for premature delivery. However, the side effects of antenatal DEX treatment on fetal bone development, as well as the underlying mechanisms still remain to be elucidated. Here, we aimed to explore the effects and the related mechanisms of antenatal DEX exposure during late pregnancy on fetal bone growth and development.

Methods

Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into DEX group and vehicle group from gestational day 14 (GD14). Pregnant rats in DEX group were intraperitoneally injected once with DEX (200 µg/kg body weight) on GD14, 16, 18, and 20. The vehicle group rats were administered the same amount of normal saline at the same time. Pregnant rats were anesthetized at GD21 to harvest fetal femurs for analysis.

Results

Antenatal DEX treatment delayed fetal skeletal growth via inhibiting extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and downregulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling. Several components of IGF1 signaling pathway, including IGF1 receptor, insulin receptor substrate, as well as serine–threonine protein kinase, were down-regulated in fetal growth plate chondrocytes following DEX treatment.

Conclusion

This study indicated that antenatal DEX treatment-retarded fetal skeletal growth was associated with the down-regulation of IGF1 signaling in growth plate chondrocytes, providing important information about the impact of antenatal DEX application four courses on premature infant.
Outcome-Based Imitation in Family Firms’ International Market Entry Decisions
Authors: Mazzelli Ambra , Miller Danny , Le Breton-Miller Isabelle , De Massis Alfredo , Kotlar Josip
Published: February 2022

This study examines the effects of family involvement on international market entry. Bridging theories of interorganizational imitation with the notion of socioemotional wealth protection, we argue that family-managed firms are more likely to act as “intuitive statisticians,” using the internationalization outcomes of industry peers to determine when to internationalize. An event history analysis of 2427 manufacturing firms supports this position. Family-managed firms’ likelihood to internationalize increases as prior entrants’ performance mean and variance increase. Ultimately, our study demonstrates that this imitation strategy enables family-managed firms to reduce risk and endure longer in broached international markets.
Ensuring Authentic Representation and Collaboration Along with Research to Re-Design Child Welfare
Authors: Schelbe Lisa , Geiger Jennifer M.
Published: February 2022

In this invited paper, we critique Barth and colleagues’ (2021). “Research to Consider While Effectively Re-Designing Child Welfare Services” paper that presents 10 commonly held misconceptions in child welfare to provide a foundation for child welfare system reform. We argue that research alone cannot guide the reform of the child welfare system. Rather, we argue that people with lived expertise in the child welfare system and programs must be involved in all parts of collaborations in order to re-design child welfare. Research has limitations and privileging it in setting any reform agenda and efforts is potentially dangerous. We conclude that for effective child welfare system re-design to occur, research-policy-practice partnerships must be built with people with lived expertise in the child welfare system and programs.
A Phenomenological Investigation of Trauma in 18 Adults Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Glynn Heidi , Knowles Simon R.
Published: February 2022

While trauma is recognized as being common in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) cohorts, limited research has explored how trauma impacts the lived experience of IBD. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of how trauma impacts the experience of living with IBD and its subsequent management. An interpretative phenomenological analysis with thematic analysis was conducted. Eighteen adults with IBD participated in this qualitative research study. Key themes identified included: (1) Trauma was associated with the journey of IBD; (2) the impact of IBD and trauma, and (3) coping strategies. Pre-existing non-IBD trauma was prevalent, with several participants reporting links between traumatic events and their IBD diagnosis. Experiences of IBD trauma were described by participants across all stages of their illness journey. The study can assist healthcare professionals to better understand the experience of living with IBD and trauma and the factors that can contribute to traumatic responses.
Motivators and Success Strategies Experienced by Men in Nursing: An Interpretive Description Study
Authors: Smith Christopher M. , Lane Susan H. , Brackney Dana E. , Horne Carolyn E.
Published: February 2022

Men comprise a small minority of the nursing workforce and there has been little increase in the numbers of men in nursing during the last three decades. This study investigated lived experiences of male nurses to understand reasons men remain a small percentage of the nursing workforce. Participants shared similar and diverse experiences. Findings included focused discussion on participants’ career motivations and strategies for success in nursing. Motivators included family influences, desire to care, and job benefits. Success strategies included assimilation, organizational involvement, and mentorship. This study highlights the need for nurses to be ambassadors for diversity and inclusivity and can be used to improve nursing recruitment efforts aimed at men.
An open-source implementation of a phase-field model for brittle fracture using Gridap in Julia
Authors: Rahaman Mohammad Masiur
Published: February 2022

This article proposes an open-source implementation of a phase-field model for brittle fracture using a recently developed finite-element toolbox, Gridap in Julia. This work exploits the advantages of both the phase-field model and Gridap toolbox for simulating fracture in brittle materials. On one hand, the use of the phase-field model, which is a continuum approach and uses a diffuse representation of sharp cracks, enables the proposed implementation to overcome such well-known drawbacks of the discrete approach for predicting complex crack paths as the need for re-meshing, enrichment of finite-element shape functions, and an explicit tracking of the crack surfaces. On the other hand, the use of Gridap makes the proposed implementation very compact and user-friendly that requires low memory usage, and provides a high degree of flexibility to the users in defining weak forms of partial differential equations. Tests on a single-edge notched plate under tension, an L-shaped panel, a notched plate with a hole, a notched beam under symmetric three-point bending and a notched beam with three holes under asymmetric three-point bending are considered to demonstrate how the proposed Gridap-based phase-field Julia code can be used to simulate fracture in brittle materials.
Evaluating the Effects of Modified Windscreens on Organic Vapor Monitor Performance
Authors: Jones Savannah R , Shedd Jacob S , Oh Jonghwa , Lungu Claudiu T
Published: February 2022

Passive sampling using diffusive samplers has become popular as a convenient means of occupational compliance sampling for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, diffusive samplers possess sensitivity limitations when sampling low concentrations and for short durations. To reduce these limitations, our research team has been developing a novel method of sample recovery called photothermal desorption (PTD), which uses high energy visible light pulses to desorb analytes from sampling media. Newly designed passive samplers that will use PTD will be equipped with windscreens in a similar design with the 3M OVM. In a preliminary design effort, the present work sought to find a suitable, windscreen for future use in a PTD-compatible diffusive sampler prototype that would be similar to those found in commercially available diffusive samplers. To do so, 2 stainless steel windscreens (wire diameters 0.015″ and 0.0055″ respectively) were compared to a standard windscreen by exposing modified (ie, steel mesh installed) and non-modified 3M OVM samplers to 3 analytes. To mimic in-field conditions, each sampler was exposed to analyte concentrations at their short-term and personal exposure limits (STELs and PELs). From these comparisons, it was determined that the 0.0055″ mesh was most similar to the standard windscreen in contributing to sample collection based on the uptake and concentration determinations for each analyte and concentration.
Potential Therapeutic Role for Apelin and Related Peptides in Diabetes: An Update
Authors: Palmer Ethan S , Irwin Nigel , O’Harte Finbarr PM
Published: February 2022

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an epidemic with an ever-increasing global prevalence. Current treatment strategies, although plentiful and somewhat effective, often fail to achieve desired glycaemic goals in many people, leading ultimately to disease complications. The lack of sustained efficacy of clinically-approved drugs has led to a heightened interest in the development of novel alternative efficacious antidiabetic therapies. One potential option in this regard is the peptide apelin, an adipokine that acts as an endogenous ligand of the APJ receptor. Apelin exists in various molecular isoforms and was initially studied for its cardiovascular benefits, however recent research suggests that it also plays a key role in glycaemic control. As such, apelin peptides have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance and lower circulating blood glucose. Nevertheless, native apelin has a short biological half-life that limits its therapeutic potential. More recently, analogues of apelin, particularly apelin-13, have been developed that possess a significantly extended biological half-life. These analogues may represent a promising target for future development of therapies for metabolic disease including diabetes and obesity.
Strategies to reduce waiting times in outpatient rehabilitation services for adults with physical disabilities: A systematic literature review
Authors: Dupuis Frédérique , Déry Julien , Lucas de Oliveira Fabio Carlos , Pecora Ana Tereza , Gagnon Rose , Harding Katherine , Camden Chantal , Roy Jean-Sébastien , Lettre Josiane , Hudon Anne , Beauséjour Marie , Pinard Anne-Marie , Bath Brenna , Deslauriers Simon , Lamontagne Marie-Ève , Feldman Debbie , Routhier François , Desmeules François , Hébert Luc J , Miller Jordan , Ruiz Angel , Perreault Kadija
Published: February 2022

Objective

Identifying effective strategies to reduce waiting times is a crucial issue in many areas of health services. Long waiting times for rehabilitation services have been associated with numerous adverse effects in people with disabilities. The main objective of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review to assess the effectiveness of service redesign strategies to reduce waiting times in outpatient rehabilitation services for adults with physical disabilities.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review, searching three databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE) from their inception until May 2021. We identified studies with comparative data evaluating the effect of rehabilitation services redesign strategies on reducing waiting times. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. A narrative synthesis was conducted.

Results

Nineteen articles including various settings and populations met the selection criteria. They covered physiotherapy ( n = 11), occupational therapy ( n = 2), prosthetics ( n = 1), exercise physiology ( n = 1) and multidisciplinary ( n = 4) services. The methodological quality varied ( n = 10 high quality, n = 6 medium, n = 3 low); common flaws being missing information on the pre-redesign setting and characteristics of the populations. Seven articles assessed access processes or referral management strategies (e.g. self-referral), four focused on extending/modifying the roles of service providers (e.g. to triage) and eight changed the model of care delivery (e.g. mode of intervention). The different redesign strategies had positive effects on waiting times in outpatient rehabilitation services.

Conclusions

This review highlights the positive effects of many service redesign strategies. These findings suggest that there are several effective strategies to choose from to reduce waiting times and help better respond to the needs of persons experiencing physical disabilities.
Reporting characteristics of systematic reviews in Psychology: A scoping review
Authors: Steil Andrea Valéria , Dias Natália Martins , Lopes Fernanda Machado , Silva Mariana Luíza Becker da , Bousfield Andrea Barbará da Silva , De Luca Canto Graziela
Published: February 2022

This article describes the reporting characteristics of systematic reviews (SRs) in Psychology. The inclusion criteria were self-declared SRs in all branches of Psychology, published between 2019 and 2020. The search was performed in the PsycINFO and MEDLINE databases, from which 2487 records were identified, and 305 papers selected. There were many discrepancies in the reporting of Psychology SRs. Some PRISMA items, such as self-identification as an SR, description of the aim and the inclusion criteria, specification of the databases, and the description of the search and selection process using a flow diagram were reported in more than 90% of the SRs. Other items had lower coverage, such as the specification of the PICO framework, presentation of the complete search strategies, mention of the reporting guidelines, description of the exclusion criteria, performance of a risk of bias assessment, and analysis of the quality of the evidence, among others. The study highlights the need to improve the planning, performance and reporting of SR in Psychology.
Effect of cross-ventilation channel in classrooms with interior corridor estimated by computational fluid dynamics
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Yi , Yin Wei , Wang Tian-Wen , O’Donovan Adam
Published: February 2022

Natural ventilation can cool down the indoor environment and improve the air quality of buildings without consuming energy. The configuration of an inner corridor with double-sided classrooms is widely used in school buildings because of advantages such as space-saving and compactness. However, the inner doors or windows on the corridor side of these classrooms are often closed due to the dispersion of pollution and noise between classrooms. To introduce more fresh air from the outside, this study proposes a novel design to set up a horizontal airflow channel through the building to provide cross-ventilation for classrooms on both sides. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was verified using experimental data and was employed to predict the airflow rate of the air channel by investigating different, sizes of air channels, wind directions, wind velocities and climate data, to assess the potential of the technology. The implementation of a channel area-to-floor area ratio of 2% (1.8 m2) provided an average increase in the ventilation rate of 215% on an annualized basis when applied and simulated in typical conditions from 10 different cities in China. This technology could be used to improve natural airflow rates in other buildings which use interior corridors in their design.
The politics of typographic placemaking: the cases of TilburgsAns and Dubai Font
Authors: Järlehed Johan , Fanni Maryam
Published: February 2022

This article explores typographic placemaking by comparing the design and public launch of two city fonts: TilburgsAns (2016) and Dubai Font (2017). Building on recent work on semiotic technology and graphic ideology, the authors examine how these fonts’ visual features and the promotional discourses surrounding their launch are utilized for placemaking, and how this is facilitated and constrained by technology and ideology. The results show that the two projects of typographic placemaking build on a similar repertoire of semiotic technology, but make different use of it. The authors sustain that this difference is explained by the political aims of the two projects, on the one hand, and their economic and organizational scale, on the other. A postcolonial perspective further underlines their geopolitically and historically different preconditions.
Bayesian dynamic regression for reconstructing missing data in structural health monitoring
Authors: Zhang Yi-Ming , Wang Hao , Bai Yu , Mao Jian-Xiao , Xu Yi-Chao
Published: February 2022

Massive data that provide valuable information regarding the structural behavior are continuously collected by the structural health monitoring (SHM) system. The quality of monitoring data is directly related to the accuracy of the structural condition assessment and maintenance decisions. Data missing is a common and challenging issue in SHM, compromising the reliability of data-driven methods. Thus, the accurate reconstruction of missing SHM data is an essential step for the reliable evaluation of the structural condition. Data recovery can be considered as a regression task by modeling the correlation among sensors. The Bayesian linear regression (BLR) model has been extensively used in probabilistic regression analysis due to its efficiency and the ability of uncertainty quantification. However, because of the fixed coefficients (refer to a static model) and linear assumption, the BLR model fails to accurately capture the relationship and accommodate the changes in related variables. Given this limitation, this study presents a Bayesian dynamic regression (BDR) method to reconstruct the missing SHM data. The BDR model assumes that the linear form is only locally suitable, and the regression variable varies according to a random walk. In particular, the multivariate BDR model can reconstruct the missing data of different sensors simultaneously. The Kalman filter and expectation maximum (EM) algorithms are employed to estimate the state variables (regressors) and parameters. The feasibility of the multivariate BDR model is demonstrated by utilizing the data from a building model and a long-span cable-stayed bridge. The results show that the multivariate BDR model exhibits excellent performance to rebuild the missing data in terms of both computational efficiency and accuracy. Compared to the standard BLR and linear BDR models, the quadratic BDR model owns better reconstruction accuracy.
SUPERA Stenting in the Common Femoral Artery: Early Experience and Practical Considerations
Authors: Tao Mary Jiayi , Gotra Akshat , Tan Kong Teng , Eisenberg Naomi , Roche-Nagle Graham , Mafeld Sebastian
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Endovascular therapy in the management of de novo common femoral disease remains controversial. Considerable interest has been generated in recent years due to recent technological advancement in the design of vascular stents. In particular, SUPERA (Abbot Vascular Inc, Santa Clara USA) stents are designed to offer increased flexibility and less adverse interactions with the arterial wall, thus making it potentially better suited for common femoral lesions. However, despite such theoretical advantages, there is lack of data in its use in clinical practice. This study provides illustrative examples of SUPERA stents in different clinical settings and contributes to important clinical data for the overall efficacy and safety profile of endovascular interventions in common femoral artery (CFA) disease.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective analysis of all endovascular CFA procedures between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2019, was conducted. Data collected included demographics, clinical symptoms, medical comorbidities, procedural characteristics, and immediate and short-term complications. Detailed analysis was performed on the stenting cohort.

Results

During our study period, a total of 69 patients underwent endovascular interventions involving the CFA at our institution, of which 16 patients had stenting procedures for a total of 18 stent deployments. Technical success was achieved in all stenting procedures. A total of 15 SUPERA stents were placed in 13 patients. No stent fractures were observed. Overall primary patency rate of SUPERA stents at the time of 12-month follow-up was 100% in patients who had a follow-up assessment (n = 12 stents).

Conclusion

Endovascular intervention of the CFA is an evolving topic in the interventional radiology and vascular surgery community. Recent development of newer generation of devices such as SUPERA peripheral stents offers significant potential benefits given their inherent design. Despite the theoretically promising design of the SUPERA, there is a lack of data to support its use. This study contributes important patient-level data for SUPERA stent deployments.
Recurrent Pneumothorax Following First Rib Resection and Anterior Scalenectomy
Authors: Adkins Mary Katherine , Faber Lydia , Freischlag Julie
Published: February 2022

In this report, we describe a 35-year-old female with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (NTOS) who presented with a post-pull pneumothorax following first rib resection and anterior scalenectomy (FRRAS). During the FRRAS, a large amount of scar tissue was observed surrounding the first rib, resulting in a tear in the pleura as the rib was resected. This created a pneumothorax which required chest tube placement and observation overnight. The patient was discharged 1 day post-operatively, feeling well but was then re-admitted 2 days later due to the presence of a recurrent pneumothorax. A chest tube was placed again, and the patient was monitored until symptom resolution. The occurrence of a post-pull pneumothorax has never been reported following FRRAS in TOS patients. The patient’s symptoms have improved 4 months post operation.