bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the electrical contact degradation model of plug-in connectors under corrosion and wear
Authors: Wang Peng , Xu Liangjun
Published: June 2021

Failures due to corrosion are common for connectors operating under atmospheric environment. Results of previous studies lacked universal applicability and neglected the degradation process of contact resistance. Also, wear is rarely considered in studies on corrosion degradation, which
is an inevitable mechanical process for plug connectors. Considering these problems, the atmospheric corrosion process and copper dynamics were analyzed. The consistency of the atmospheric corrosion mechanism was used to study the local corrosion degradation law and its influencing factors.
The wear mechanism on corrosion degradation was determined through the analysis of the influencing factors. The corrosion model of the gold-plated parts under atmospheric wear was established. To study the degradation process of electrical contacts, a degradation model of contact resistance
based on the multi-spot contact mechanism was established combined with the previous corrosion degradation model. Experimentally, the corrosion spot density increases as a function of time and varies with plated thickness, whereas the corrosion spot size distribution is still relatively independent
of time. The skew phenomenon appears in the cumulative distribution probability of contact resistance as exposure time increases. Whereas the degradation of electrical contact resistance increases as a function of time, the median remains relatively unchanged. A brief analysis of the contact
reliability under wear and corrosive environments was also carried out.
Multi-scale characterization of the effect of saturated steam on the macroscale properties and surface changes of moso bamboo
Authors: Yuan Tiancheng , Liu Jie , Hu Shouheng , Wang Xinzhou , Liu Xianmiao , Li Yanjun
Published: June 2021

Bamboo is a woody material that has become a key substitute for wood resources in many fields. This study is aimed to analyze the effects of saturated steam (140, 160, 180 °C) on physical, crystallinity, chemical composition, mechanical properties as well as microstructures at different
periods (4, 6, 8, 10 min). Expectedly, a reduction of hemicellulose and cellulose and increment of relative content of lignin in bamboo when temperature above 160 °C was positive to reduce the equilibrium moisture content (EMC). Thus, the hygroscopicity improved and the parenchyma cells
and vascular bundles were shrunk slightly. Both temperature and time positively affected the crystallinity of bamboo samples in comparison with the control. Heat treatment parameters affect the mechanical properties of bamboo. When the treatment was carried out at 140 °C, the modulus of
rupture (MOR) and modulus of elastic (MOE) increased in comparison to no treatment; Furthermore, The MOR and MOE decreased by 40% and 19% compared with that of the untreated bamboo at 180 °C for 10 min. The temperature and time had a great influence on a*, b*, and L* of the
bamboo. The results showed that during the heat treatment, the bamboo color changed from light yellow to dark red-brown, and the overall color changed evenly. Among them, a* increased firstly and then decreased, indicating that the treated bamboo was reddish, while b* and
L* mainly showed a downward trend. The ΔE value positively corresponded to heat treatment severity.
Boosting D-carbamoylase activity of recombinantBacillus subtilisby adjusting gene dosage and central carbon metabolism
Authors: Du Yan , Ban Rui
Published: June 2021

D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-HPG) as an intermediate of semisynthetic antibiotics has an important value in the pharmaceutical industry. The high pollution and high costs of chemical synthesis make D-HPG production by biocatalysis more promising. The hydantoinase method requires D-hydantoinase and D-carbamoylase (DCase) to convert D,L-p-hydroxyphenylhydantoin (D,L-HPH) into D-HPG. The recombinantBacillus subtilisused for the whole-cell catalysis in this process needs to improve the activity and stability of DCase. The gene dosage and cell metabolism of DCase affect its activity, and this study intends to reduce the acidification effect caused by carbon catabolite repression at the genetic level. Among strains with different gene dosages, the double-copy integrated strain DN02 had the highest DCase average activity of 132 U/g dry cell weight (gDCW). When glucose was used as the carbon source, weakening glucose absorption can significantly alleviate the acidification of fermentation broth. TheglcTmutant reduced the average glucose absorption rate by about 57%, whereas the DCase activity increased to about 518 U/gDCW. In addition, modifying the CcpA-binding site incitZand the CodY-binding site incitBto increase their expression levels can also relieve the acidification of fermentation broth, which reduced the accumulation of acetate by 24% and 17%, respectively. The DCase activity of derivative strains DN16 and DN17 can reach about 615 and 641 U/gDCW. Comparing the catalytic activity of strains to dual-enzyme activities to produce D-HPG, the average whole-cell activity of strain DN17/pUBS was about fivefold higher than that of DN02/pUBS. These strategies might also be useful for other recombinant strains to express heterologous enzymes. Isolation of nucleic acids from various cells is a step of PCR. In this study, magnetic nanoparticles can be used to extract genomic DNA and total RNA due to their paramagnetism and biocompatibility. The amount and accuracy of DNA and total RNA extracted were verified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The method has the advantages of removing dangerous reagents such as phenol and chloroform, replacing inorganic coating such as silica with organic oil, and shortening reaction time.
Sodium houttuyfonate relieves acute lung injury by nano micellar carrier and inhibits mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor kappa-B activation in mice
Authors: Yang Kai , Yan Shushu , Xie Jian , Xie Fang , Zhao Zhenzhen , Zhu Keming
Published: June 2021

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by increased pulmonary vascular permeability in response to the accumulation of inflammatory cells, release of inflammatory cytokines, and activated oxidative stress. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of sodium houttuyfonate
(SH), an extract of Houttuynia cordata, on inflammatory response and oxidative stress in ALI induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated to control, LPS, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and SH groups. The ALI model was established by intratracheal LPS injection.
Lung tissue was collected 6 h after LPS injection for histopathological analysis, measurement of wet-to-dry ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and oxidative stress levels, and the p38, jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), and p65 phosphorylation levels. Bronchoalveolar
fluid (BALF) was collected for the detection of protein concentration, MPO and cytokine levels. The histopathological test showed that SH significantly alleviates damage to pulmonary tissue. Improved vascular permeability was indicated by reduced BALF protein level and lung wet-to-dry ratio
in the SH group. MPO levels were decreased in lung tissue and BALF. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses were inhibited by SH, as indicated by MDA, SOD and cytokine levels. The MAPK and NF-KB pathways were inhibited as shown by the attenuated phosphorylation of p38, JNK,
ERK and p65. Sodium houttuyfonate exhibited a protective role against LPS-induced lung injury through anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The MAPK and NF-K B pathways may be inhibited by sodium houttuyfonate. Sodium Houttuynin has a good effect on a variety of acute infectious
diseases, but its solubility and stability are insufficient, which limits its efficacy. Nano delivery system can enhance the effective ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, reduce the toxic and side effects of drugs, and improve their medicinal properties. Therefore, this paper adopts
nano delivery system to assist drug use and improve research efficiency.
Silencing of cluster determinant 36 transmitted by gold nanoparticles inhibits the occurrence and progression of breast cancer by down-regulating the peroxisome proliferative activated receptor signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Maohua , Xie Jian , Fu Yong , Zhou Yongchun , Wang Maohua
Published: June 2021

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed tumor in women worldwide. Although a range of therapeutic strategies have been developed in recent years, the outcome for patients is often poor. The purpose of this study was to explore the molecular mechanisms of the membrane glycoprotein
CD36 in breast cancer. Cells from breast cancer cell lines were transfected with gold nanoparticles protected by liposomes, as gene vectors. Cell counting kit 8 assays were performed to determine cell variability, EdU straining assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation, and colony formation
assays were performed to detect cell colony ability. The number of cells involved in migration and invasion was counted using Transwell assays. Lymphangiogenesis formation was assessed using lymphangiogenesis formation assay. Xenograft tumor mice were established, to analyze the effects of
CD36. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to estimate the expression of genes. Silencing of CD36 inhibited cell variability, proliferation, colony formation, lymphangiogenesis, and repressed cell migration
and invasion in vitro. Overexpression of PPAR reversed the effects of the silencing of CD36, and the effects of PPAR upregulation were blocked by PPAR inhibitor. In vivo, tumor growth and lymphangiogenesis and PPAR activation were suppressed by the silencing of CD36. Silencing
of CD36 also inhibited the variability, proliferation, colony formation, lymphangiogenesis, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells by suppressing PPAR signaling pathway activation. The CD36 gene was transfected with gold nanoparticles which improved the efficiency of gene transfection.
The use of gold nanoparticles provides a new way to study the effects of genes on tumor cells.
Possible impacts of December Laptev sea ice on Indian Ocean Dipole conditions during spring
Authors: Chen Ping , Sun Bo , Wang Huijun , Zhu Baoyan
Published: June 2021

This study investigates the relationship and underlying mechanisms between the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and Arctic sea ice. The results reveal that the preceding December sea ice over the Laptev Sea plays an important role in the formation of positive IOD conditions during April–June (AMJ). In years with positive December Laptev sea ice anomalies, the zonal wavenumber-1 (ZWN1) planetary wave component is stimulated at middle and high latitudes. The high-latitude ZWN1 propagates upward to the stratosphere and downward to the troposphere in December, affects the atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic, and further leads to a warm sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) that persists until the following February. The mid-latitude ZWN1 propagates upward to the stratosphere in January and downward to the troposphere in February, contributing to the positive 200-hPa geopotential height anomaly (GPHA) in the subtropical Atlantic. The ascending anomaly induced by the warm SSTA and the positive 200-hPa GPHA in the subtropical Atlantic in February are favorable for effective Rossby wave source formation and stimulate an atmospheric wave train that forms an anomalous cyclone over the northern Arabian Sea, which contributes to enhanced convection over North India, stimulating an anomalous anticyclone over East India and leading to reduced convection over the northeastern Indian Ocean in March. The reduced convection over the northeastern Indian Ocean may lead to strengthened equatorial easterly winds and further contribute to positive IOD conditions in AMJ. These findings indicate that December Laptev sea ice may contribute to AMJ IOD conditions.
What Matters? Exploring Drivers of Basic and Complex Adjustments to Tornadoes Among College Students
Authors: Huntsman David , Wu Hao-Che , Greer Alex
Published: June 2021

Scholars have produced several theories and models to explain why individuals adjust to hazards. While findings from these studies are informative, studies have not considered how threat and coping appraisals may have differential effects on varying types of hazard adjustments, or how these findings may generalize to vulnerable populations. This study expands on the Protection Motivation Theory to explore the factors that shape hazard adjustment intentions among college students, a population traditionally defined as vulnerable, in response to tornado risk. An online survey was administered to college students (n=377) at Oklahoma State University, situated in a region that experiences considerable tornado risk. While the correlations between threat appraisal and tornado hazard adjustment intentions are smaller than the correlations between coping appraisal and tornado hazard adjustment intentions, findings suggest that threat appraisals become more important for influencing college students’ adjustment intentions when adjustment activities are complex (e.g., tornado shelter, home insurance), rather than basic (e.g., flashlight, first aid kid). This suggests that while both threat appraisals and coping appraisals are important for complex hazard adjustment intentions, basic hazard adjustment intentions are almost exclusively determined by coping appraisals. These findings have several practical implications for emergency management and provide new avenues for future hazard adjustment studies.
Book review: Rita Abrahamsen, Disciplining Democracy: Development Discourse and Good Governance in Africa
Authors: Engdaw Besfat D.
Published: June 2021

Rita Abrahamsen, Disciplining Democracy: Development Discourse and Good Governance in Africa. New York: Zed Books, 2000, XV+168 pp., $22.50 (paperback), ISBN:1-85649-859-X; $65.00 (hardback), ISBN: 1-85649-858-1.
Book review: Iqbal Chand Malhotra & Maroof Raza, Kashmir’s Untold Story: Declassified
Authors: Connah Leoni
Published: June 2021

Iqbal Chand Malhotra & Maroof Raza, Kashmir’s Untold Story: Declassified. India: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019, 202 pp. £22.50 (hardback). ISBN: 9789388912853.
Immigration, Working Conditions, and Compensating Differentials
Authors: Sparber Chad , Zavodny Madeline
Published: June 2021

The large inflow of less-educated immigrants into the United States in recent decades may have affected US natives’ labor market outcomes in many ways, including their working conditions. Although the general consensus is that low-skilled immigrants tend to hold “worse” jobs than US natives, the impact of immigration on natives’ working conditions has received little attention. This study examines how immigration has affected US natives’ occupational exposure to workplace hazards and the compensating differential paid for such exposure from 1990 to 2018. Results indicate that immigration causes less-educated natives’ exposure to workplace hazards to fall, and instrumental variables results show a larger impact among women than among men. The corresponding compensating differential appears to fall among men, but not after accounting for immigration-induced changes in the financial returns to occupational skills.
International Perspectives on Understanding and Improving Teachers’ Data-Based Instruction and Decision Making: Introduction to the Special Series
Authors: Espin Christine A. , Förster Natalie , Mol Suzanne E.
Published: June 2021

This article serves as an introduction to the special series, Data-Based Instruction and Decision-Making: An International Perspective. In this series, we bring together international researchers from both special and general education to address teachers’ use (or non-use) of data for instructional decision making. Via this special series, we aim to increase understanding of the challenges involved in teachers’ data-based instructional decision making for students with or at-risk for learning disabilities, and to further the development of approaches for improving teachers’ ability to plan, adjust, and adapt instruction in response to data.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Outdoor Education Programs on Adolescents’ Self-Efficacy
Authors: Fang Bin-Bin , Lu Frank J. H. , Gill Diane L. , Liu Sean H. , Chyi Theresa , Chen Bin
Published: June 2021

While prior research has generally found Outdoor Education Programs (OEPs) to be beneficial to adolescents’ self-efficacy, we sought to conduct a meta-analytic review of prior studies in this area in order to pinpoint the key elements to OEPs’ effectiveness. Following Cooper’s guidelines for synthesis research and meta-analysis, we searched six electronic databases for relevant articles: PubMed, Sciencedirect, Medline, PsycArticles, and Behavioral Sciences Collection of EBSCO, and Eric. Selection criteria were: Populations, Interventions, Comparators, Outcomes, Study Design (PICOS), and Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS). We estimated the effect size of the selected studies with a 95% confidence interval (CI), estimated I-squared (I2) for heterogeneity analysis and analyzed publication bias by Egger's test. After excluding many studies, we reviewed 12 studies with 2,642 participants that were deemed to be eligible for final analysis. We discovered a high level of heterogeneity (I-squared value =82.474) in the findings of the selected studies. Our meta-analyses revealed that adolescents participating in OEPs enhanced their self-efficacy (medium effect size; Hedges’s g = 0.597) but this enhancement was moderated by participants’ mental health status, the length of the experiments, study groups, and the duration of the intervention. We found no evidence of publication bias (Egger: bias = 2.001, 95% CI = −0.736 to 4.739, p = .137). We discussed our research limitations and the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and made recommendations for future research.
Giving up privilege: A sermon on Philippians 2:5–11
Authors: Moore F. Timothy
Published: June 2021

The hymn in Phil 2:5–11, which may be the earliest statement about Jesus’s death on the cross, omits typical concepts of substitutionary atonement. This hymn sees the cross within the story that Jesus gave up the privilege of divinity to become human and offers a fresh way to see the intersection of Jesus’s death and Christian discipleship. Feminist and womanist theologians have rightly criticized substitutionary atonement, because the powerful inevitably place the message of sacrifice and suffering upon women and the marginalized. The hymn, however, speaks not of sacrifice and suffering, but of God’s willingness to give up privilege to create solidarity. For those with privilege to be of the same mind that was in Christ Jesus (v. 5), they must choose not to exploit that advantage, but to empty themselves of it and collectively create atonement through solidarity with one another.
God[’s] hung from a tree
Authors: Neal Anthony Sean
Published: June 2021

As Black people struggled for freedom from oppression in the United States, toward the end of the modern era of the African American freedom struggle, a reflexive moment was taken to assess Christianity and its meaning for those whom Howard Thurman referred to as the “disinherited.” This article attempts to take up the pattern of reflective thinking, which began with Howard Thurman, James Cone, and William R. Jones, extending the thought forward to its natural conclusions. In doing so, the author intimates that the concepts that lead to racism and racial aggression are bound within the signs, symbols, and frameworks of white American Christianity, which has become a secular religion or secular way to order society. These signs, symbols, and frameworks continue to do the work of setting the ground for each subsequent generation to demonstrate a similar racial attitude as the preceding one. They also set the groundwork for Black reflective thinkers to find necessary the development of a posture of rejection toward white American Secular Christianity and all its derivative forms.
Habitus in the context of transnationalization: From ‘transnational habitus’ to a configuration of dispositions and fields
Authors: Carlson Sören , Schneickert Christian
Published: June 2021

Ongoing transnationalization processes have deeply affected contemporary societies. One important aspect of this transformation is that people’s skills and dispositions change, thus the ways they think about, perceive and evaluate the world are altered. In order to capture these changes conceptually, the notion of transnational habitus has emerged, especially within migration and inequality studies. Reviewing this research literature, however, we argue that this notion only partly captures the different ways in which transnationalization impacts individuals. We therefore refer to the criticism of Bourdieu’s habitus concept by Lahire and conceive of habitus as a configuration of dispositions, which may be more or less transnationalized. Combining this conceptual discussion with a biographical case study from a research project on highly-skilled migrants, allows us to theorize how specific dispositions are activated or toned down over time in relation to specific field settings. As a result, we can highlight how different kinds of dispositions may be dissimilarly affected by transnationalization processes and how related habitual transformations may be seen as a gradual development. Rather than generally referring to the more static notion of transnational habitus, conceiving of habitus as a configuration of dispositions and contexts thus facilitates a more detailed and processual understanding of the interplay between dispositions and specific field settings in relation to transnationalization.
Prediction of yarn strength based on an expert weighted neural network optimized by particle swarm optimization
Authors: Zhang Baowei , Song Jiuxiang , Zhao Suna , Jiang Hao , Wei Jingdian , Wang Yonghua
Published: June 2021

Aiming at solving the problem that existing artificial neural networks (ANNs) still have low accuracy in predicting yarn strength, this study combines traditional expert experience and an ANN to propose a hybrid network, named the expert weighted neural network. Many studies have shown that it is reliable to predict yarn strength based on ANN technology. However, most ANN training models face with problems of low accuracy and easy trapping into their local minima. The strength prediction of traditional yarns relies on expert experience. Obvious expert experience can help the model perform preliminary learning and help the algorithm model achieve higher accuracy. Therefore, this study proposes a neural network model that combines expert weights and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The model uses PSO to optimize the weights of experts and investigates its effectiveness in yarn strength prediction.
Analyzing Safety Communication in Industrial Contexts
Authors: Digmayer Claas , Jakobs Eva-Maria
Published: June 2021

Work in industrial contexts is confronted with various risks, which are further amplified by the trend toward Industry 4.0. Approaches are needed to examine safety communication (SC) in such changing environments. Existing studies focus on individual SC means and quantitative evaluation measures. This article proposes a qualitative approach for analyzing SC with which a process chain in a metal-working company is investigated. The results reveal that SC is implemented as a complex system of communicative means. Weaknesses in this system entail several problems at the level of both workplaces and process chains. Due to a lack of digitalization, SC does not meet the requirements of Industry 4.0. Several task areas for communication professionals are identified in optimizing SC. These include content preparation for existing SC means according to work contexts and related tasks, creating digital SC content, and increasing the companies’ resilience to novel risks.
Why Nurses Are Leaving Veterans Affairs Hospitals?
Authors: Oh Dongjin , Lee Keon-Hyung
Published: June 2021

An aging veteran population with a median age of 65, their inferior health status, and the rapidly growing number of women veterans propel veterans affairs (VA) hospitals to provide a wide range of nursing services. However, despite the significant roles of nurses and chronic nurse shortages in VA hospitals, there has been little research on the determinants of nurse turnover in the VA healthcare system. This study analyzed registered nurse turnover rates at a panel of 118 VA hospitals from 2015 through 2017 and found that nurse turnover is significantly influenced by patient mortality, job satisfaction, annual salary level, and preventable hospitalizations. These findings suggest that VA hospitals should maintain proper nurse workloads and implement programs that can improve nurses’ stress level and job satisfaction.
Intravascular Papillary Endothelial Hyperplasia (Masson’s Tumor) of the Submandibular Gland: A Case Report
Authors: Cho Chin-Fang , Liu Yu-Hsi , Lin Jung-Chia
Published: June 2021

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH), a rare benign endothelial vascular lesion related to thrombosis, generally develops in fingers, trunk, head, and neck. Nevertheless, it has been rarely reported in the salivary gland. In this article, we report a case of IPEH of the right submandibular gland in a 37-year-old female whose initial impression was sialadenitis secondary to sialolithiasis. To date, our case may be the first well-documented report of IPEH in the submandibular gland. The patient underwent ablation of the submandibular gland, and no evidence of recurrence was found during follow-up.
Using a Response Time–Based Expected A Posteriori Estimator to Control for Differential Speededness in Computerized Adaptive Test
Authors: Kern Justin L. , Choe Edison
Published: June 2021

This study investigates using response times (RTs) with item responses in a computerized adaptive test (CAT) setting to enhance item selection and ability estimation and control for differential speededness. Using van der Linden’s hierarchical framework, an extended procedure for joint estimation of ability and speed parameters for use in CAT is developed following van der Linden; this is called the joint expected a posteriori estimator (J-EAP). It is shown that the J-EAP estimate of ability and speededness outperforms the standard maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of ability and speededness in terms of correlation, root mean square error, and bias. It is further shown that under the maximum information per time unit item selection method (MICT)—a method which uses estimates for ability and speededness directly—using the J-EAP further reduces average examinee time spent and variability in test times between examinees above the resulting gains of this selection algorithm with the MLE while maintaining estimation efficiency. Simulated test results are further corroborated with test parameters derived from a real data example.
Effects of Teaching Resourcefulness in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Wen Min , Liang Yaqin , Shen Qianqian , Yu Juping , He Pingping , OuYang Xinping , Zauszniewski Jaclene A.
Published: June 2021

This cluster randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effects of an intervention to teach resourcefulness on depression and coping style of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). A convenience sample of 72 patients in community settings took part. Participants in the intervention group (n = 36) received an 8-week intervention based on the concept of resourcefulness, plus routine health education. Participants in the control group (n = 36) received routine health education only. After the intervention, participants in the intervention group had significantly higher scores on resourcefulness and coping styles, and lower scores on depression than those in the control group (both ps < .001). The findings suggest that a well-developed intervention to teach resourcefulness could help patients with CHD to be more resourceful, improve their level of depression, and choose more effective strategies to cope with stress.
Long-term monitoring of chronic demyelination and remyelination in a rat ischemic stroke model using macromolecular proton fraction mapping
Authors: Khodanovich Marina Yu , Gubskiy Ilya L , Kudabaeva Marina S , Namestnikova Darya D , Kisel Alena A , Anan’ina Tatyana V , Tumentceva Yana A , Mustafina Lilia R , Yarnykh Vasily L
Published: June 2021

Remyelination is a key process enabling post-stroke brain tissue recovery and plasticity. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of demyelination and remyelination monitoring in experimental stroke from the acute to chronic stage using an emerging myelin imaging biomarker, macromolecular proton fraction (MPF). After stroke induction by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, rats underwent repeated MRI examinations during 85 days after surgery with histological endpoints for the animal subgroups on the 7th, 21st, 56th, and 85th days. MPF maps revealed two sub-regions within the infarct characterized by distinct temporal profiles exhibiting either a persistent decrease by 30%–40% or a transient decrease followed by return to nearly normal values after one month of observation. Myelin histology confirmed that these sub-regions had nearly similar extent of demyelination in the sub-acute phase and then demonstrated either chronic demyelination or remyelination. The remyelination zones also exhibited active axonal regrowth, reconstitution of compact fiber bundles, and proliferation of neuronal and oligodendroglial precursors. The demyelination zones showed more extensive astrogliosis from the 21st day endpoint. Both sub-regions had substantially depleted neuronal population over all endpoints. These results histologically validate MPF mapping as a novel approach for quantitative assessment of myelin damage and repair in ischemic stroke.
Comparing the Associated Factors on Lifestyle Between Type 2 Diabetic Patients and Healthy People: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Moradi Farideh , Ziapour Arash , Abbas Jaffar , Najafi Sahar , Rezaeian Shahab , Faraji Obeidollah , Moayeri Elham , Soroush Ali
Published: June 2021

Background

the most important way to control diabetes is to follow a preventive lifestyle and if a diabetic individual follows a preventive lifestyle which he or she has accepted. The main objective of the current study is to compare the factors affecting the lifestyle in patients suffering from Type II diabetes and the healthy individuals in Kermanshah City.

Methods

this study is based on a case-control design where using simple random sampling, 110 patients suffering from type II diabetes are selected as the case group and 111 healthy subjects among the companions of other patients are selected as the control group from the Center for Diabetics in Kermanshah City. The average age of the participants is [Formula: see text]. The questionnaires used for collecting the data included the following: the demographic information questionnaire and the lifestyle questionnaire which covers diet, physical activity, coping with stress, and smoking. Software applications including STSTA14 and SPSS23 were used for performing statistical computations and logistic regression or linear regression tests were used for analyzing the collected data.

Results

in the subscales of diet, physical activity, spiritual growth, and stress management, there was a significant difference between the diabetic and healthy groups in a wat that the average score for these subscales was higher in the healthy individuals. While the average score for “health responsibility” was higher in the diabetic group compared to the healthy subjects, the difference was not significant ([Formula: see text]). Moreover, there was a significant statistical relationship between the two groups, i.e. the diabetic and healthy groups, and the variables of age, education level, and occupation (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

healthy lifestyle including proper diet and athletic activity is effective in preventing type II diabetes. Accordingly, implementing policies in the urban transportation system such as providing a special lane for bikers in the cities, increasing the tax for harmful foods, considering subsidies for healthy food products, and self-care of individuals can be effective.
A Scoping Review of Family Focussed Interventions to Prevent Prison Violence
Authors: Day Andrew , Newton Danielle , Tamatea Armon
Published: June 2021

Violence is an ongoing concern for many people who live and work in correctional settings and yet relatively little is known about the effects of institutional violence prevention efforts. This paper reports the findings of a scoping review of recent research relevant to understanding the influence of one factor, contact with family, that potentially influences institutional violence in countries such as Aotearoa New Zealand where Indigenous peoples are over-represented in prison settings. A total of 15 different studies were identified that provided consistent evidence of an association between family contact and prison violence. The implications of this work for the development of evidence-based prison violence prevention strategies are discussed.
Approaches and Barriers to Addressing Equity in Transportation: Experiences of Transportation Practitioners
Authors: Cantilina Kaylla , Daly Shanna R. , Reed Matthew P. , Hampshire Robert C.
Published: June 2021

The importance of advancing transportation equity has become more visible as other structural inequities in our society have received increasing attention. Articulating approaches that practitioners use to address equity in their work, including experience-based strategies and research-developed equity metrics, contribute to supporting the achievement of transportation equity goals. However, a gap exists between knowing these approaches and integrating them into regular professional practice, in part because of barriers that span across different transportation-related contexts. To investigate practitioners’ approaches to transportation equity, as well as barriers they encounter in trying to achieve improved equity, interviews were conducted with 59 transportation practitioners from the public, private, non-profit, and academic sectors. Findings revealed that a majority of the transportation practitioners in the study engaged in addressing equity in their work, including through collaborating with other organizations and sectors, integrating non-transportation-related data, and considering the contextual needs of vulnerable communities. They identified key barriers to their implementation of transportation equity approaches, including the lack of sufficient and quality equity-related data, challenges with accessing and collecting data, and a lack of standards and metrics for measuring equity-related outcomes. These findings can guide work that supports the explicit integration of transportation equity approaches into practitioners’ practices.
Person-Centered Care in Nursing Homes: Potential of Complementary and Alternative Approaches and Their Challenges
Authors: Bhattacharyya Kallol Kumar , Craft Morgan Jennifer , Burgess Elisabeth O.
Published: June 2021

A person-centered approach to care shifts the mind-set of care partners from a traditional medical model to a social model in managing chronic conditions. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, this study examines the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of person-centered care (PCC) and how the integration of complementary and alternative approaches (CAA) has the potential to improve residents’ quality of life in nursing homes (NHs). Findings indicate that NHs offer a wide range of engagement activities, but these activities are not purposefully integrated into a person-centered plan of care. Factors such as turnover, “working short,” supervisor support, and rising resident care needs make it challenging to implement PCC in NHs. This knowledge of the landscape of activities will help us identify and improve strategies for supporting residents at a deeper, more meaningful level. CAA has the potential to be therapeutic for residents if integrated into collaborative approaches to care.
Closed-Loop Versus Conventional Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19 ARDS
Authors: Wendel Garcia Pedro David , Hofmaenner Daniel Andrea , Brugger Silvio D. , Acevedo Claudio T. , Bartussek Jan , Camen Giovanni , Bader Patrick Raphael , Bruellmann Gregor , Kattner Johannes , Ganter Christoph , Schuepbach Reto Andreas , Buehler Philipp Karl
Published: June 2021

Background:

Lung-protective ventilation is key in bridging patients suffering from COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to recovery. However, resource and personnel limitations during pandemics complicate the implementation of lung-protective protocols. Automated ventilation modes may prove decisive in these settings enabling higher degrees of lung-protective ventilation than conventional modes.

Method:

Prospective study at a Swiss university hospital. Critically ill, mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients were allocated, by study-blinded coordinating staff, to either closed-loop or conventional mechanical ventilation, based on mechanical ventilator availability. Primary outcome was the overall achieved percentage of lung-protective ventilation in closed-loop versus conventional mechanical ventilation, assessed minute-by-minute, during the initial 7 days and overall mechanical ventilation time. Lung-protective ventilation was defined as the combined target of tidal volume <8 ml per kg of ideal body weight, dynamic driving pressure <15 cmH2O, peak pressure <30 cmH2O, peripheral oxygen saturation ≥88% and dynamic mechanical power <17 J/min.

Results:

Forty COVID-19 ARDS patients, accounting for 1,048,630 minutes (728 days) of cumulative mechanical ventilation, allocated to either closed-loop (n = 23) or conventional ventilation (n = 17), presenting with a median paO2/ FiO2 ratio of 92 [72-147] mmHg and a static compliance of 18 [11-25] ml/cmH2O, were mechanically ventilated for 11 [4-25] days and had a 28-day mortality rate of 20%. During the initial 7 days of mechanical ventilation, patients in the closed-loop group were ventilated lung-protectively for 65% of the time versus 38% in the conventional group (Odds Ratio, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.76-1.82; P < 0.001) and for 45% versus 33% of overall mechanical ventilation time (Odds Ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.23; P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Among critically ill, mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients during an early highpoint of the pandemic, mechanical ventilation using a closed-loop mode was associated with a higher degree of lung-protective ventilation than was conventional mechanical ventilation.
Polyaniline-based nanocomposites for electromagnetic interference shielding applications: A review
Authors: Zahid Muhammad , Anum Rukhsar , Siddique Sabahat , Shakir HM Fayzan , Rehan ZA
Published: June 2021

Based on recent advancements, the emission of electromagnetic radiation has become a serious issue of electromagnetic interferences. These electromagnetic interferences comprise of various undesirable emission of radiation that can create unwanted deprivation of equipment or structure performance. If these complications remain unresolved can create extreme damage to the security operation or communication system of several electronic devices. Various studies have been made to resolve these problems. In past years, electrically conductive polyaniline has attained a unique position due to the prosperity of its features. The absorption of microwave and EMI shielding characteristics of the electrically conductive polyaniline can be described in the relation of great electrical conductivity with strong relaxation and, polarization effects due to the existence of stronger bonds or localized charges. In the present article, the advancement in electromagnetic interference shielding with the use of nanosized polyaniline particles and their derivative nanocomposites is discussed by various parameters such as the size of the particle, absorption properties, magnetic properties, reflective properties, electrical conductivities, and dielectric properties. The electromagnetic absorption performance of conducting polyaniline nanocomposites associated with dielectric nanomaterials (graphene) and magnetic materials (γ-Fe2O3) are widely discussed. The most appropriate polyaniline-based nanocomposites can be identified by this context. Due to increasing demand of electrically conductive polyaniline for shielding materials, it is considered to be review for better understanding in advancement. This article presents recent electromagnetic interference shielding materials knowledge of nanosized polyaniline and their nanocomposites as well as their possibilities and challenges.
Children as researchers: Wild things and the dialogic imagination
Authors: Lang Megan , Shelley Becky
Published: June 2021

Child-led research has arisen in response to changed perspectives on children’s rights and capabilities. However, questions remain about the implications of children participating in ways and for purposes designed by adults. This paper examines a child-led research project through the heuristic of dialogism to identify the perspectives and motivations of adults and children – the many ‘voices’ of the situation. Ontological conceptualisations of childhood, adult critical self-reflection, accommodation of children’s priorities and openness towards unexpected or challenging outcomes are discussed.
Effective film surface treatment for improving external quantum efficiency of photomultiplication type organic photodetector
Authors: Xiao Zheng , Xu Haitao , Liang Wenyue , Wu Binfang , Shi Yufeng , Deng Haidong , Lan Yubin , Long Yongbing
Published: June 2021

A simple yet effective method based on methanol treatment is proposed to enhance the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the photomultiplication type organic photodetector with a structure of Glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3H:PC71BM (100:1, wt./wt.)/Al. By modifying the PEDOT:PSS film surface with methanol, the EQE of photodetector significantly improved within a broad wavelength range of 300–700 nm. The maximum EQE of 25300% occurs at the wavelength of 350 nm in the methanol-treated device under −9 V bias, which more than doubles that (11500%) of the device without treatment. In addition, as a result of the methanol treatment, the detectivity of the device improved from 3.72 × 1012 to 7.24 × 1012 Jones at −9 V under 350 nm light illumination. The large improvement is attributed to the fact that the methanol treatment can improve the electrical performance of the PEDOT:PSS by removing the insulator PSS within the film and also result in PC71BM aggregations in the active layer. The latter can enhance the tunneling hole injection by the intensified energy-level bending, which is induced by both the trapped electrons in these aggregations and accumulated ones near Al electrode. As a result, the modification of both the PEDOT:PSS layer and the active layer increases the response current, resulting in the EQE improvement.
A concise funnel robust model-free control mechanism for hypersonic space vehicles based on error driving
Authors: Li Xingge , Zhang Shufeng , Wang Yashun , Liu Yao , Fan Zhengwei , Chen Xun
Published: June 2021

Based on non-affine models of hypersonic space vehicles, the tracking control problem of hypersonic vehicles is studied and analyzed in this article using funnel robust model-free control mechanism considering parametric uncertainty and external disturbances. First, the control system is decomposed into altitude subsystem and velocity subsystem. For altitude subsystem, we propose a concise funnel robust model-free control mechanism based on error driving, and a novel model transformation approach is applied to the controller design. The new model-free controller only contains a Hurwitz stable term and a filtering term, and does not need precise motion model and too much calculation, so it can improve the calculation speed of the system. For velocity subsystem, only a concise proportional-integral controller is needed to meet the tracking requirements. Moreover, the devised controller is capable of guaranteeing funnel performance on the altitude and velocity tracking errors. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to verify the efficiency of the design.
Active fault-tolerant control system for a swash mass helicopter using back-stepping approach
Authors: Allahverdy Davood , Fakharian Ahmad
Published: June 2021

In this article, an active fault-tolerant control system is designed and analyzed for a new model structure of unmanned aerial vehicles, which is referred to a swash mass helicopter. It consists of a double-blade coaxial shaft rotor for generating the necessary thrust and four masses that are located on the main body structure to maneuver the helicopter. The translational and rotational subsystems of the helicopter are highly coupled. Therefore, change of coordinate and feedback linearization methodologies are applied to address the problem and achieve the canonical form of the model. Next, actuator fault as a loss of effectiveness and bias faults are modeled for the dynamic. The main contribution of this article is to design an active fault-tolerant control system based on back-stepping and T-S fuzzy estimation methods for the swash mass helicopter which has never been designed in the last decades. T-S fuzzy methodology is responsible for obtaining the estimated value of the actuator faults during the flight. The Lyapunov theory illustrates that the proposed control strategy can stabilize the system despite the actuator’s fault. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme compared with another method.
Newborn screening for inherited metabolic diseases using tandem mass spectrometry in China: Outcome and cost–utility analysis
Authors: Zhao Zixuan , Chen Chi , Sun Xueshan , Zhou Duo , Huang Xinwen , Dong Hengjin
Published: June 2021

Objectives

Few studies in China have focused on the economic evaluation of newborn screening (NBS) for inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). This study assesses the total costs, benefits, benefit–cost ratio (BCR), cost–utility ratio (CUR) and incremental cost–utility ratio (ICUR) of NBS using MS/MS compared to the non-screened group.

Methods

The NBS outcomes of newborns who underwent MS/MS screening for IMDs in 2009–2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Records were extracted from a screening management system at the NBS Center of Zhejiang province. A cost–benefit analysis of screening was conducted, assessing screening costs for each subject, and direct and indirect treatment costs for IMDs detected by screening. The putative benefit of clinical outcomes related to early diagnosis was assumed to be improvement in quality of life and prolonged life expectancy in the screened group, as compared to the non-screened group.

Results

Of the 3,040,815 newborns screened, 735 (2.86%) cases were diagnosed through gene sequence analysis. The most frequently occurring types of IMD were amino acid disorders ( n = 276), then fatty acid oxidation disorders ( n = 248), followed by organic acidaemias ( n = 211). The difference in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) ranged from 0.78 to 15.4 in the screened group. The CUR was CNY¥ 116,183.89/QALY in the screened group and CNY¥ 3,078,823.65/QALY in the non-screened group. The ICUR was CNY¥ –768,428.76/QALY, and the BCR was 6.09.

Conclusions

NBS using MS/MS can be considered cost-effective in China. The nationwide promotion of NBS using MS/MS deserves priority consideration and sufficient publicity.