bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cumulative Disadvantage and Health: Long-Term Consequences of Obesity?
Authors: Ferraro Kenneth F. , Kelley-Moore Jessica A.
Published: August 2023

Drawing from cumulative disadvantage theory, the health consequences of obesity are considered in light of the accumulation of risk factors over the life course. Two forms of compensation are also examined to determine if the risk due to obesity is persistent or modifiable. Analyses make use of data from a national survey to examine the consequences of obesity on disability among respondents 45 years of age or older, tracked across 20 years (N = 4,106). Results from tobit models indicate that obesity, especially when experienced early in life, is consistently related to lower-body disability. The results also show that obesity has long-term health consequences during adulthood, altering the life course in an enduring way. Compensation was not manifest from risk-factor elimination (weight loss), but rather through regular exercise. Although there is evidence for long-term consequences of risk factors on health, the findings suggest that more attention should be given to compensatory mechanisms in the development of cumulative disadvantage theory.
The Global Institutionalization of Geological Science, 1800 to 1990
Authors: Schofer Evan
Published: August 2023

Historical and quantitative examination of one scientific field—geology—provides the basis for exploring how Western science became institutionalized worldwide during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Prior research emphasizes the importance of industrialization, Protestantism, and the legacy of colonial rule. An alternative perspective is offered here—one rooted in sociological neoinstitutionalism. Mechanisms are examined that linked non-Western colonies and nations to “world society,” serving as conduits for the diffusion of Western science. The relevant mechanisms have changed over time as world society has become more organized and structured. Direct ties among nations were important early on, but links to international organizations became important in the postwar era. Historical examples and a quantitative analysis of the spread of professional geological associations from 1800 to 1990 provide evidence in support of several theories. Results suggest that the institutionalization of geology was very much an international process. Societies strongly linked to world society institutionalized geological science rapidly, supporting neoinstitutional predictions. Finally, Protestantism had a positive effect on the institutionalization of geological science, while the effects of colonization and industrialism were mixed and fluctuated over time.
Toward a Theory of Panethnicity: Explaining Asian American Collective Action
Authors: Okamoto Dina G.
Published: August 2023

This analysis extends theoretical models of ethnic boundary formation to account for the shifting and layered nature of ethnic boundaries. It focuses on the underlying structural conditions that facilitate the expansion ofethnic boundaries or the construction of a pan-national identity, and explores how organizing along an ethnic boundary affects collective efforts at the panethnic level. Two processes could be occurring: (I) Competition with other ethnic or racial groups could lead groups with different national origins to engage in collective action based on a pan-national boundary, or (2) occupational segregation could foster pan-national interests and networks that lead groups to participate in pan-national collective action. Using a new longitudinal data set ofcollective action events involving Asian Americans, the analyses indicate that the segregation ofAsians as a group raises the frequency of pan-national collective action, while the segregation among Asian subgroups depresses the rate ofpan-Asian collective action. The results also show that intragroup competition discourages pan-Asian collective action, and organizing along ethnic lines generally facilitates it. Overall, these findings are consistent with the cultural division oflabor theory, which suggests that segregation processes influence panethnic collective action due to intragroup interaction, common economic interests, and membership in a community of fate.
Identity Theft, Trust Breaches, and the Production of Economic Insecurity
Authors: Brensinger Jordan
Published: August 2023

Across various domains of social life, organizational reliance on personal data and exposure to unanticipated financial hardship have transformed Americans’ life chances and access to opportunities. This article examines an area where they intersect: the hardship caused by breakdowns in information systems. I focus on the case of identity theft, showing how that event—experienced by tens of millions of Americans annually—contributes to economic insecurity. To do so, I first develop a theory of insecurity that links feelings of precariousness to breaches of trust at three levels: interpersonal, organizational, and systemic. Drawing on an original qualitative study of identity theft resolution, I find that most victims worried about their financial lives because they could no longer count on certain people, organizations, or systems. Beneath this commonality, race and class informed feelings of insecurity and associated coping strategies following identity theft. Low-income people and people of color tended to direct suspicion at personal networks and report ending relationships and informal assistance. In contrast, middle- and upper-income and White individuals disproportionately blamed organizations and demanded their protection. These findings—along with the trust-based theory that helped make them visible—have important implications for the study of insecurity, inequality, and trust in the information age.
How Much Injustice is There in the World? Two New Justice Indexes
Authors: Jasso Guillermina
Published: August 2023

This paper explores the possibility of constructing justice indexes—measures that would quantify the amount of perceived injustice in a society and thus enable comparison of the amount of injustice across societies and over time. I develop a framework, addressing six issues that arise in formulating a justice index, and present two (families of) justice indexes. The first, called JI1, distinguishes between two qualitatively different kinds of injustice—unjust underreward and unjust overreward; the second, called JI2, combines both underreward and overreward into a single type of injustice. The paper describes properties and relations of the two indexes and begins the task of assessing them by providing theoretical and empirical illustration. In the theoretical illustration, I use probability distributions to investigate, a priori, operation of the justice indexes in diverse societies and groups, which may differ in the kinds of goods and bads their members value and in the distributional patterns of those goods and bads. In the empirical illustration, I present estimates of the two justice indexes in a large 13–country microdata set, which provides information on respondents’ assessments about the justice of their own earnings in 1991–1992. An important property of one of the indexes is that it enables decomposition of the total amount of perceived injustice into injustice due to scarcity and injustice due to inequality.
Genre Memories and Memory Genres: A Dialogical Analysis of May 8, 1945 Commemorations in the Federal Republic of Germany
Authors: Olick Jeffrey K.
Published: August 2023

Commemorative images of the past not only reflect the commemorated event and the contemporary circumstances, but are path-dependent products of earlier commemorations as well. Drawing on the work of Mikhail Bakhtin, I specify the central mechanism of this path-dependency—genre memory—and reconceptualize commemoration dialogically. In a case study of May 8, 1945 anniversaries in the Federal Republic of Germany, I take an integrated approach that includes the politics of commemoration (context-dependence), the history of commemoration (long-term development of commemorative forms), and most important, the memory of commemoration (prosaic path-dependence), illuminating a subtle yet crucial feature of the 50th anniversary commemoration of May 8 1945: its response to the memory of the 40th anniversary.
Beyond Social Capital: Spatial Dynamics of Collective Efficacy for Children
Authors: Sampson Robert J. , Morenoff Jeffrey D. , Earls Felton
Published: August 2023

We propose a theoretical framework on the structural sources and spatially embedded nature of three mechanisms that produce collective efficacy for children. Using survey data collected in 1995 from 8,782 Chicago residents, we examine variations in intergenerational closure, reciprocal local exchange, and shared expectations for informal social control across 342 neighborhoods. Adjusting for respondents’ attributes, we assess the effects of neighborhood characteristics measured in the 1990 census and the role of spatial interdependence. The results show that residential stability and concentrated affluence, more so than poverty and racial/ethnic composition, predict intergenerational closure and reciprocal exchange. Concentrated disadvantage, by contrast, is associated with sharply lower expectations for shared child control. The importance of spatial dynamics in generating collective efficacy for children is highlighted—proximity to areas high in closure, exchange, and control bestows an advantage above and beyond the structural characteristics of a given neighborhood. Moreover, spatial advantages are much more likely to accrue to white neighborhoods than to black neighborhoods.
The Social Inheritence of Divorce: Effects of Parent's Family Type in Postwar Germany
Authors: Diekmann Andreas , Engelhardt Henriette
Published: August 2023

The social inheritance of divorce is one factor contributing to the upward trend in marriage dissolution rates during the last few decades. Several studies confirm the transmission hypothesis for U.S. marriages. We investigate the intergenerational transmission of divorce risk among German first marriages using multivariate event-history techniques. Our data are from the 7,200 respondents of the German Family Survey. The historical circumstances of postwar Germany allow a comparison between families dissolved by war and families dissolved by divorce. Respondents whose parental families dissolved by the death of a parent have only slightly higher divorce risks than respondents who grew up in two-parent families. There is, however, a large gap in marital instability for respondents from divorced-parent families compared with respondents from two-parent families and families with a widowed parent. Hence, the inheritance of divorce cannot be explained simply by the absence of a parent. The data suggest that differences in personal investments in the marriage partnership may partially explain the transmission effect.
The Effect of Marriage and Divorce on Women's Economic Well-Being
Authors: Smock Pamela J. , Manning Wendy D. , Gupta Sanjiv
Published: August 2023

Some social commentators and social scientists have called for the strengthening of divorce laws, a call based, in part, on the apparently strong economic advantage marriage holds for women and their children. We focus on the question of whether divorced women would experience the same absolute levels of economic well-being by staying married as women who remain married experience. We also examine the argument that all women are economically vulnerable once marriage ends by examining whether the average married woman would, if she were to divorce, experience the same low levels of economic well-being as divorced women do. Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Families and Households, we estimate endogenous switching regression models that simultaneously predict the odds of divorce and subsequent economic well-being for women who divorce and for those who remain married. Our calculations show that if divorced women were to remain married, their economic well-being would improve substantially but would not attain the level of women who remain married. We also find that if married women were to divorce, their average level of economic well-being would be about the same as that of divorced women, supporting the view that women's economic vulnerability outside of marriage is ubiquitous.
A Historical Note on Whites’ Beliefs about Racial Inequality
Authors: Schuman Howard , Krysan Maria
Published: August 2023

Beliefs about sources of the socioeconomic disadvantage suffered by blacks have been investigated by major continuing surveys since the 1970s. Results indicate that most whites tend to place responsibility mainly on blacks themselves, with the primary emphasis on a presumed lack of motivation on the part of blacks. Drawing on two survey questions used by the Gallup organization, we show that at the height of the civil rights movement in 1963, white respondents tended to blame whites and blacks equally for racial disadvantages, but that this changed sharply in the late 1960s. The change, which may well have been a reversion to pre-1960s beliefs, was probably a result of both the enactment of civil rights legislation, which supposedly ended racial discrimination, and the eruption of riots in Detroit, Newark, and other cities, which differed drastically from the earlier nonviolent protests in the South. This shift in public beliefs indicates that attributions of blame for socioeconomic disadvantage are not as fixed as later data suggest. Our analysis makes strategic use of a split-sample experiment to distinguish substantive change over time from change resulting from variations in the wording of survey questions.
Mobilization and Strategies: Comparing Trade Lobbying in the US and Canada
Authors: Lee Jieun , Stuckatz Jan
Published: August 2023

Do US lobbying patterns extend to other countries? To date no study has systematically compared US lobbying patterns with those of other countries using observational data. Taking advantage of similar lobbying disclosure rules in the US and Canada, we create a cross-country lobbying dataset. We focus on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to control for timing, salience, and issue scope. This helps us attribute differences in firm mobilization and trade lobbying strategies across the two countries to differences in political institutions. Strikingly different USMCA lobbying patterns emerge. Within the same industry, trade associations, the executive branch, and in-house lobbyists play a larger role in Canada. Meanwhile, well-established determinants of US lobbying fail to explain patterns of mobilization and the use of external lobbyists in Canada. These findings provide insights into comparative lobbying studies and indicate that some stylized facts about lobbying are unique features of the US political system.
Maximizing the Potential of Twice-Exceptional Learners: Creating a Framework of Stakeholder Supports
Authors: Speirs Neumeister Kristie L.
Published: August 2023

Through a qualitative case study approach, this study sought to understand how an independent school for gifted learners supports parents, teachers, and students in maximizing the potential of twice-exceptional learners. Findings indicated that the school’s success in working with twice-exceptional learners could be attributed to a triangular framework of supports created for all three stakeholder groups—twice-exceptional learners, their parents, and their teachers—that facilitated both academic achievement and social and emotional well-being. The framework of support arose from the school’s cultivation of a culture of acceptance of twice-exceptionality coupled with a belief in a team approach to problem-solving. A detailed discussion of the framework of supports is provided, and implications for working with twice-exceptional learners and avenues for future research are discussed.
Investigation of dynamic micromechanical properties of biodegradable elastic material by continuous stiffness measurement analysis
Authors: Ali Mohsin , Istif Emin , Bathaei Mohammad Javad , Beker Levent
Published: August 2023

Micromechanical properties of polymeric materials play a critical role in various biological applications in terms of their biocompatibility and mechanical durability. Apart from material properties such as modulus and density, viscoelastic properties play a crucial role during the design and fabrication of devices. Here, we investigated the viscoelastic properties of poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS), a widely used bioresorbable elastic material, through the nanoindentation technique, configured by the continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) method at frequencies from 10 Hz to 50 Hz. The results revealed that the storage modulus (E’) depends on the test frequency and cannot be ignored as the results showed significant changes. Additionally, increasing the curing temperature of PGS specimens between 150 to 170°C allows modifying the storage modulus of samples between 0.52 MPa and 1.05 MPa at 10 Hz. The results were also confirmed using the dynamic mechanical measurements to validate the reliability of the CSM nanoindentation technique.
Functional nutrition for the health of exercising individuals and elite sportspersons
Authors: Kali Venkata Rajasekhar , Meda Sandhya Sree
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Elite sportspersons who are involved in high-intensity physical sports indulge in severe training and competition schedules, which exposes them to high levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress, hence it may hamper their health sometimes. Disturbance in the health of sportspersons also induces compromised performances.

The premise for functional nutrition

Functional nutrition is essential for elite sportspersons training for securing both rest and recovery to have proper health and anticipated performance. Apart from serving the energy needs of the sportspersons, the nutrition strategies should provide them with certain metabolic advantages, which provide greater health and immunity, to ensure proper training and competition. The diet of the sportspersons needs to contain appropriate anti-inflammatory and antioxidative nutrients, to ensure to reduction and control of the physiological stress of tissues during high-intensity physical sports, especially during marathon running. Preserving anabolic valence among sportspersons for muscle myokine optimization is an essential aspect of sports nutrition, which secures health and provides excellent performance potential. Preservation and optimization of gut microbiome among sportspersons enhance immune health and performance, through proper gut integrity and enhanced metabolic cascades. As the genes are to be properly expressed for excellent manifestation in protein synthesis and other metabolic signaling, achieving genetic valance through proper nutrition ensures the health of the sportspersons.

Conclusion

Functional nutrition seems a very necessary and potent factor in the training and competition aspects of elite sportspersons since nutrition not only provides recovery but also ensures proper health for elite sportspersons.
Effects of Image Features and Personal Traits on Within- and Across-Participant Visual Aesthetic Consistencies
Authors: Wu Yi-Fan , Yan Fang-Fang , Huang Chang-Bing
Published: August 2023

Whether aesthetic perception is stable over time for individuals and among individuals remains to be elucidated. In the current study, we investigated the effects of physical properties and categories of image features, and personal traits, on within- and across-participant visual aesthetic consistencies. We constructed an image library that consisted of 598 pictures and covered nine different categories. Forty-three adults without previous experience in art training conducted aesthetic evaluations of all images with a 7-point Likert scale twice on two consecutive days. The results mainly indicated that (a) complexity of images had a negative correlation on both within- and across-participant consistencies, while average hue had a positive effect; (b) concreteness of images contributed greatly to consistencies, with abstract images being associated with lower consistencies; (c) personal traits did not correlate with visual aesthetic consistencies. Our findings suggest that some stimulus-related, rather than person-related factors have effects on visual aesthetic consistency.
Use of minimal working memory in visual comparison: An eye-tracking study
Authors: Li Yijing , Zhuang Xiangling , Ma Guojie
Published: August 2023

In this study, we used a novel application of the previous paradigm provided by Pomplun to examine the eye movement strategies of using minimal working memory in visual comparison. This paradigm includes two tasks: one is a free comparison and the other is a single sequential comparison. In the free comparison, participants can freely view two horizontally presented stimuli until they judge whether the two stimuli are the same or not. In the single sequential comparison, participants can only view the left-side stimuli one time, and when their eyes cross the invisible boundary at the center of the screen, the left-side stimuli disappear and the right-side stimuli appear. Participants need to judge whether the right-side stimuli are the same as the disappeared left-side stimuli. Eye movement data showed significant differences between the single sequential comparison and free comparison tasks that suggests the use of minimal working memory in free comparison. Moreover, when the number of items was more than three, an average of 2.87 items would be processed in each view sequence. Participants also used the alternating left-right reference strategy that made the shortest scan path with the use of minimal working memory. The typical eye movement strategy in visual comparison and its theoretical significance were discussed.
Incendiary assets: Risk, power, and the law in an era of catastrophic fire
Authors: Schmidt John
Published: August 2023

In California, wildfires caused by electrical infrastructure have left the state’s investor-owned power utilities with major and growing liabilities. But even in such an incendiary environment, the financial industry has demonstrated that it can profit from disaster. This paper uses the 2019-2020 bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric to explain how. In it, I show how “risk” in California’s electricity industry is legally constituted, mediated, and allocated. First, I explain how financial perceptions of wildfire risk in California’s electricity industry are shaped by the state’s legal and regulatory environment, and how the law is used to manage this risk. I then turn to PG&E’s bankruptcy to show how litigation functions as a financial strategy. In court, risk is endogenous to legal-financial practice. I develop the concepts of “legal arbitrage” and “leverage” to explain how law mediates the relationship between risk and finance. I adapt the concept of legal arbitrage to show how financial assets (like those in a utility with unprecedented wildfire liabilities) can possess both legal and market value, which can and often do diverge in circumstances of distress. I use the term leverage to refer to a particular kind of legal-financial power which enables actors to transfer risk away from themselves and onto others. In working through these concepts, I argue that that mainstream perceptions of risk in the financial industry are inadequate, especially in an era of increasing climate insecurity.
Effects of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems on Impact Velocity and Injury Severity: An Exploration of Data from the Crash Investigation Sampling System
Authors: Schoner Jessica , Sanders Rebecca , Goddard Tara
Published: August 2023

This paper presents an exploratory analysis of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) features and safety outcomes using National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS) database. In this database, we found improved safety outcomes associated with the presence of three ADAS features: lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and blind spot detection. In particular, vehicles with ADAS features were less likely to be involved in fatal and severe crashes than vehicles of a similar age and body style. Additionally, vehicles with ADAS features had a lower rate of change in velocity pre- and postcrash, a key proxy for injury severity. Vehicles with ADAS were also less likely to be involved in head-on and rear-end crashes than similar vehicles without ADAS and were less likely to experience a severe outcome than vehicles without ADAS when involved in sideswipe collisions. Despite these promising findings, however, small sample sizes precluded robust within-category and multivariate analysis. More robust data are urgently needed to disentangle the safety effects of ADAS features from those related to confounding variables such as vehicle age and body type for vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and bicyclists. We conclude the paper with recommendations for improvements to the CISS database that could support future investigations. We hope this work provides a baseline for scholars and practitioners to deepen our understanding of the effects of ADAS features on transportation safety.
Mass transfer efficiency of a commercial hollow fibre oxygenator during six-hour in vitro perfusion with steady and with pulsatile blood flow
Authors: Pennati G. , Fiore G.B. , Inzoli F. , Mastrantonio F. , Galavotti D. , Fini M.
Published: August 2023

Detailed data about the behaviour of commercial membrane oxygenators with pulsatile blood flow are rarely available. This work deals with an experimental evaluation of the effects induced on gas transfer efficiency by pulsatile perfusion of a hollow fibre oxygenator (Monolyth Sorin Biomedica). The oxygenator was subjected to two in vitro trials both carried out with identical experimental protocols except for the flow type, steady and pulsatile. A roller pump with pulsatile module (Stockert Instrument) was used to generate both flow types. Three different mean blood flow rates (3.2, 4.0 and 4.8 Umin) were tested. The experiments lasting six hours were carried out using bovine blood with inlet conditions according to AAMI standard requirements. Blood samples were withdrawn every hour and the calculated gas transfer obtained in the two sessions were compared. The device proved to be well-designed for steady flow and to be liable to similar gas transfer performance when used in pulsatile conditions. Furthermore, the use of pulsatile flow rather than steady flow provided more consistent conditions and resulted in a higher eventual oxygen transfer efficiency (final mean difference = 6.2%, p < 0.05), proving to be able to avoid any performance decays. (Int J Artif Organs 1998; 21:97–106)
Mechanical effects of heart pulse propagation on a vessel-graft suture line stress
Authors: Selezov I. , Avramenko O. , Fratamico G. , Pallotti G. , Pettazzoni P. , Sanctis L.B. DE , Coì L. , Stefoni S. , Bonomini V.
Published: August 2023

The effects of vessel joint where the both sides have different wall properties on the heart pulse propagation are investigated. Such a local disturbance can influence post-transplantion pathology and evolution of the organ inconsistence.

Using a mathematical model, developed in a previous article, we perform analytical analysis and present some qualitative and quantitative estimations. The effects of jointed vessels with different thicknesses and radii on the local concentration of the pressure, radial wall displacement, bending moment and shear force are analyzed in detail. In particular, it is obtained that the bending and shear stresses at a joint sharply and strongly increase in comparison with the uniform vessel ones. (Int J Artif Organs 1998; 21: 114–8)
European research and commercialisation activities in the field of tissue engineering and liver support in world wide competition
Authors: Marx U. , Bushnaq H. , Yalcin E.
Published: August 2023

Tissue engineering is seen as an interesting field of technology which could improve medical therapy and could also be considered as a commercial opportunity for the European biotechnological industry.

Research in the state of the art of science using the Medline© and the Science Citation Index© databases, in the patent situation and of the industry dealing with tissue engineering was done. A special method, based on the Science Citation Index© Journal Citation Report 1993, for evaluating scientific work was defined. The main countries working in the field of tissue engineering were evaluated in regard to their scientific performance and their patents. The R&D of German industry was investigated as an exemplary European country.

Out of all activities, different tissues were rated with respect to the attention received from research and industry and with regard to the frequency in which patents were applied for. USA, Germany and Japan rank first in most tissues, especially liver. After comparing German patents with the German scientific and industrial work, it seems that the potential in German patents and research is underestimated by German industry and inefficiently exploited. (lnt J Artif Organs 1998; 21:119–26)
Patterns of Social Isolation and Low Social Support and Frailty Trajectories Among Chinese Older Adults
Authors: Pan Chaoping , Cao Na
Published: August 2023

Objectives: This study aims to identify patterns of social isolation and low social support, and discover their associations with frailty trajectories among Chinese older adults. Methods: The paper used five waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS, 2005–2018). The latent class analysis, multi-trajectory modeling, and the multinomial logistic regression approaches were used to perform the analysis. Results: The paper identified five types of social isolation and low social support, and three typical frailty trajectories. Patterns of social isolation and low social support were associated with frailty trajectories among older adults. Conclusions: Distinct patterns of social isolation and low social support were significantly correlated with frailty trajectories. To improve frailty trajectories among older adults, interventions such as Healthy China 2030 should prioritize addressing the interplay between social isolation and low social support.
Intensive Care Physician-Led Clearance of the Cervical Spine: A Retrospective Review of the Utility of a Normal Cervical CT Scan for Safe Removal of Hard Collars by Critical Care Physicians
Authors: Hasandarras Abdalla K. H. , Strandvik Gustav F. , Faramawy Ahmed El , Areibi Noreddin Nasereldin , Younis Basil , Mekkodothil Ahammed , El-Menyar Ayman , Rizoli Sandro , Al-Thani Hassan
Published: August 2023

Background: Cervical spine clearance in intubated patients due to blunt trauma remains contentious. Accumulating evidence suggests that a normal computed tomography (CT) cervical spine can be used to clear the cervical spine and remove the collar in unconscious patients presenting to the emergency department. However, whether this strategy can safely be employed by critical care physicians with intubated patients admitted to the trauma intensive care unit (TICU) with cervical collars in situ, has not been definitively studied. Methods: A retrospective review of 730 intubated victims of trauma who presented to the Level 1 Trauma center of a tertiary hospital was conducted. The rates of missed cervical injuries in patients who had their cervical collars removed by intensive care physicians based on a normal CT scan of the cervical spine, were reviewed. Secondary outcomes included rates of collar-related complications. Results: Three hundred and fifty patients had their cervical collars removed by Trauma ICU doctors based on a high-quality, radiologist-interpreted normal CT cervical spine. Seventy percent of patients were sedated and/or comatose at the time of collar removal. Fifty-one percent of patients had concomitant traumatic brain injury. The average GCS at time of collar removal was 9. The incidence of missed neurological injury discerned clinically at time of both ICU and hospital discharge was nil (negative predictive value 100%). The rate of collar-related complications was 2%. Conclusion: Cervical collar removal by intensive care physicians on TICU following normal CT cervical spine, is safe, provided certain quality conditions related to the CT scan are met. Not removing the collar early may be associated with increased complications. An algorithm is suggested to assist critical care decision-making in this patient cohort.
Synthesis and application of a halogen-free epoxy resin flame retardant curing agent
Authors: Liu Hengyang , Liang Bing , Long Jiapeng
Published: August 2023

In this study, the intermediate of SPDPC flame retardant curing agent was successfully synthesized through the reaction between phosphorus oxychloride and pentaerythritol under the catalysis of 4-dimethylaminopyridine. Using 1,2-propylenediamine and the prepared SPDPC, a novel phosphorus and nitrogen flame retardant curing agent named poly1,2-propylenediamine pentaerythritol diphosphate (PDS) was successfully synthesized. The target product was subjected to characterization using infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, hydrogen NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The molecular structure of the product was determined and its decomposition temperature curve obtained, leading to the conclusion that it could be cured at high temperatures. DDS was selected as the curing agent for epoxy E-51, the specific curing conditions were obtained by DSC test. Subsequently, E-51, DDS and PDS were mixed for high temperature curing resulting in obtaining test spline of PDS-E-51 flame retardant composite material. Then, the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the spline were tested. It was observed that pure EP cured by DDS had an LOI of only 19.5%, indicating its flammability. However, upon addition of PDS as a flame retardant, the LOI significantly increased with 20 parts resulting in an LOI of 29.7%. The addition of 25 parts results in an increase in limiting oxygen index to 30.3%, while the tensile strength and impact strength are measured at 38.27 MPa and 5.087 kJ/m2 respectively. The CCT test shows that the addition of PDS can significantly reduce the HHR and THR of the system. CCT digital photos show that the addition of PDS can make the combustion residue of the system expand obviously, showing a good expansion and flame retardant effect. TG-FTIR gas phase infrared absorption indicates that the addition of PDS can reduce the concentration of combustible gas in the combustion process. Test results indicate that the mechanical properties of PDS-E-51 flame retardant composites experience a certain degree of decline, but with increasing amounts of PDS curing agent added, their flame retardancy is significantly enhanced.
Experimental study of rotary ultrasonic high-quality hole processing of Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic with a new diamond trepanning bit
Authors: Zheng Lei , Liu Ziwen , Dong Xianglong , Wei Wendong , Sun Xiaohan , Zhu Zhuozhi , Jiang Ruiyu
Published: August 2023

Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic is widely used in manufacturing and other fields because of its high specific strength and high specific modulus. Since the workpiece requires secondary hole processing during assembly, machining defects are prone to occur during hole making, which seriously affects the service life of the workpiece. A novel type of thin-walled diamond trepanning bit was fabricated and combined with ultrasonic processing technology to conduct a pilot study on hole processing. Compared with conventional twist drill hole processing, the novel diamond trepanning bit grinding hole-making method can significantly reduce the axial force when drilling, and effectively reduce the delamination and tearing damage at the exit of the hole, so that the delamination ratio at the exit is reduced by 9.6%. Combined with ultrasonic machining technology, hole machining experiments were carried out, and the results showed that: spindle speed increase or feed rate reduction can make axial force, hole wall surface roughness, and exit delamination damage all show a decreasing trend. Compared with conventional machining, the rotary ultrasonic hole machining technology can effectively reduce the axial force by 20.1% and effectively reduce the exit delamination problem by 7.3% in the delamination ratio. At the same time, considering the hole-making quality and efficiency, rotary ultrasonic processing can better reflect the advantages of the process and obtain better hole-making quality at the speed of 3000–4000 r/min and the feed rate of 14–20 mm/min. The above research can provide theoretical and technical support for the hole processing problems of Fiber Reinforced Plastic, which has important engineering application value.
Irreversibility analysis of hydromagnetic viscoelastic Ag-Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid over a stretching sheet
Authors: Kumar Mahesh , N Naresh Kumar , Mondal Pranab Kumar
Published: August 2023

In many practical applications, magnetic field is applied in modulating underlying flow over a stretching sheet. In the present study, effort has been taken to analyse thermodynamic irreversibility associated with the magnetically actuated flow of viscoelastic fluid over a stretching sheet. The viscoelastic fluid chosen here constitutes aqueous solution of carboxymethyl cellulose containing modest concentration (0.0–0.4%) of Al2O3-Ag nanoparticle. For the description of flow field and thermal transport of energy, the transport equations are solved numerically. Obtained results, primarily focused on parametric variation, are portrayed graphically for different cases pertaining to this analysis. As seen, increasing the magnitude of viscoelastic parameter (K), and Hartmann number (Ha), has significant impact on the flow velocity, convective transport of heat, and consequently, on the thermodynamic irreversibility of the system. Albeit the presence of nanoparticles seems to decrease the flow velocity by yielding more drag to the underlying flow, the same effect on the velocity is found to be insignificant in this analysis, attributed primarily to the accumulation of the nanoparticles in the working fluid.
Analysis of thermal additive centrifugal abrasive flow machining process with improved electrode geometry
Authors: Bhardwaj Anant , Srinivas Krovvidi , Chaudhary Rajiv
Published: August 2023

Thermal additive centrifugal abrasive flow machining (TACAFM) is a recent hybrid of abrasive flow machining to cater for its limitation of low material removal (MR) through spark formation and centrifugal action of centrifugal force generating (CFG) electrode. The geometry of the CFG electrode is a crucial parameter in determining the centrifugal action on media and spark formation. The present investigation proposed a novel triangular-shaped electrode for improving the efficiency of the TACAFM process. The validation of spark and flow parameters with the proposed electrode was analysed using ANSYS FLUENT@. The simulation results were further validated by experimentation and artificial neural network modelling. The effect of supply current, rotational speed of CFG electrode and number of cycles were analysed for MR and on percentage improvement in the surface finish (%ΔRa) on the brass workpiece by the proposed electrode. The experimental results show the average cumulative percentage absolute error obtained for MR is 0.33% and that for %ΔRa is 0.96%. The scanning electron microscopy images justify the machining performance through spark generation. The experimental results are in good confirmation of simulation results and highlight the suitability of the proposed electrode for the TACAFM process.
Comparative analysis of triboelectric behavior of natural waste biomaterials and green energy harvesting
Authors: Kaur Jaspreet , Sawhney Ravinder Singh , Singh Harminder , Sandhu Manjit , Sohal Rajdeep Singh , Singh Amandeep , Singh Maninder , Kaur Sandeep
Published: August 2023

This study examines the triboelectric behavior of fibers that are readily available and were obtained from the bombax ceiba tree (BOM) and the calotropis plant (CALO). A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is fabricated from these fibers as charge-generating layers that produce a charge by contact electrification. The properties of these fibers which include surface morphology and crystallographic nature are examined using different characterization techniques. Scanning electron microscopy images reflect more roughness in CALO as compared to BOM whereas both materials show an almost amorphous nature in X-ray diffraction data. Further, both materials show tribopositive nature when tested against polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon. While examining their electrical performance, the CALO–PTFE pair produced 11.1 V while 10.7 V is generated from the BOM–PTFE pair. These combinations are capable of illuminating multiple light-emitting diodes of the green spectrum and can derive one digital calculator. Lastly, the dependency of TENG performance on the contact area of active layers is analyzed. From the results obtained, it is concluded that these materials can potentially power small electronic gadgets and can contribute to the growth of a sustainable civilization.
Legal Frameworks to Prevent Harm In-Utero
Authors: Bewley Susan
Published: August 2023

Assuming that the moral obligation of a pregnant woman to her fetus is to take reasonable steps to ensure that it is born in good health, society rightly has some form of legal framework to deal with harmful maternal behaviour during pregnancy. There is an increasing trend towards legal actions against pregnant women especially in America. However, the use of incentives is morally preferable to legal threats. An alternative legal framework, such as that found in the UK where the fetus has no legal standing, might facilitate the use of incentives to encourage healthy maternal behaviour. There is a problem when pregnant women still continue harmful behaviour or refuse medical help that would prevent harm. Although the UK legal framework is morally and practically preferable there is a legal lacuna that could be filled with an intentional crime of prenatal injury supplemented by differential penalties for supplying the pregnant with harmful substances. There are cogent reasons to keep a “hands-off pregnant women” legal framework.
Distinctive Pay-off of Packing Credit and Alternate Bank Credits for Large and Small Exporters of India: A Non-linear Approach
Authors: Sanati Gargi , Bhandari Anup Kumar , Roy Rudra Prosad
Published: August 2023

Considering uneven access to bank finances, our study empirically examines the asymmetrical contribution of the large and small exporters to India’s export growth. Employing the panel threshold model of Hansen (1999) , our study examines the relative role of packing credit (PC), short-term bank loans (BLs) and other alternate bank finances on export growth considering the period from 2002–2003 to 2018–2019. We conclude that though all the bank finances, the relative importance of the PC is more conducive than the others in terms of India’s export growth. Interestingly, our non-linear estimation shows that not only the small exporters are more sensitive to the usage of PC, but are more dependent on other alternate bank credits. On the contrary, the large exporters significantly rely only on the usage of subsidized PC and do not depend on other alternate bank credits. We conclude with a skewed preference for lending practices of the banking sector the benefits from such an export promotion scheme might remain unachieved on a broader scale.
The Role of Reflection in Learning with Simulation Games – A Multi-Method Quasi Experimental Research
Authors: Alf Tobias , de Wijse Marieke , Trautwein Friedrich
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The role of reflection in experience-based learning is discussed widely. This paper researches the effects of a reflection assignment as part of debriefing with qualitative and quantitative methodology in five simulation game-based seminars.

Research Design and Methods

The intervention (reflection assignment) used in this study consists of three reflective questions that are discussed in groups. We aim to find out the effects of adding this intervention to the regular in-between-debriefings (three times during the whole seminar). The methodological setup is quasi-experimental and so, consisted of a test group and a control group. Two different types of simulation games were used, one a general management game and the other a change management game. Data used in this study is gathered from three different sources: First, we used in-game-performance data from both games. Second, we used two types of questionnaires to evaluate game experience and self-reported learning (MEEGA+ and ZMS inventory). Third, the reflection notes from the treatment-teams were used for qualitative analysis.

Results

In several dimensions (game-success, game-experience and self-reported learning) significant differences were found between treatment and non-treatment students. Qualitative data show a deep level of reflection for treatment teams differentiating for the two simulation games evaluated.

Discussion

Supported by the qualitative reflection data we assume that the better results for treatment-students are routed in the repetitive reflection. The permanent circular reflection helps treatment students to understand the games better and gain deeper insights.
Conceptualising Silence in External Corporate Communication: A Case Study of Pakistan
Authors: Yusuf Fatima , Yousaf Amna , Ishaque Maria , Umrani Waheed Ali
Published: August 2023

Although existing research has extensively explored corporate disclosure, a very little is known about why corporate organisations may remain silent while communicating with their external audiences. This study offers a definition of corporate silence and develops a conceptual framework for the study of silence in the narrative communication of corporate organisations. We develop a typology based on the forms and motivations for corporate silence in written corporate documents. Data was gathered from 26 interviews with senior managers from regulatory bodies, audit firms and listed companies in Pakistan and a grounded theory approach was used for data analysis. We postulate that self-protection from fear and discomfort, cooperation, managerial opportunism, apathy, and resistance are the prime motivators of corporate silence. The analysis also leads to the development of five different forms of silence: (1) defensive; (2) prosocial; (3) opportunistic; (4) authoritative; and (5) counteractive.
In Search of a Meaningful Story Art Psychotherapy and Adopted Children
Authors: Ioannides Elisabeth
Published: August 2023

Due to its nature, art psychotherapy can offer adopted children the capacity and opportunity to face problems that might occur at a young age. This paper examines what adoption means to children and how it impacts their mental, social, and emotional well-being. It goes on to provide an insight into how art psychotherapy can address emotional conflict, foster coping mechanisms, reduce anxiety, improve problems solving skills, and integrate traumatic experiences in ways that are not feasible through verbal therapy. A series of guidelines and activities are proposed in order to stimulate the creative therapeutic process. The conclusion is that art psychotherapy, together with the safety of a stable home and caring family, can allow adopted children to face past problems and live a more balanced life.