bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling adaptive information security for SMEs in a cluster
Authors: Yigit Ozkan Bilge , Spruit Marco , Wondolleck Roland , Burriel Coll Verónica
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This paper presents a method for adapting an Information Security Focus Area Maturity (ISFAM) model to the organizational characteristics (OCs) of a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) cluster. The purpose of this paper is to provide SMEs with a tailored maturity model enabling them to capture and improve their information security capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Design Science Research was followed to design and evaluate the method as a design artifact.

Findings

The method has successfully been used to adapt the ISFAM model to a group of SMEs within a regional cluster resulting in a model that is aligned with the OCs of the cluster. Areas for further investigation and improvements were identified.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on applying the proposed method for the SMEs active in the transport, logistics and packaging sector in the Port of Rotterdam. Future research can focus on different sectors and regions. The method can be used for adapting other focus area maturity models.

Practical implications

The resulting adapted maturity model can facilitate the creation and further development of a base of common or shared knowledge in the cluster. The adapted maturity model can cut the cost of over implementation of information security capabilities for the SMEs with scarce resources.

Originality/value

The resulting adapted maturity model can facilitate the creation and further development of a base of common or shared knowledge in the cluster. The adapted maturity model can cut the cost of over implementation of information security capabilities for the SMEs with scarce resources.
Multi-factor asset pricing models in emerging and developed markets
Authors: Lalwani Vaibhav , Chakraborty Madhumita
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the performance of various multifactor asset pricing models across ten emerging and developed markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The general methodology to test asset pricing models involves regressing test asset returns (left-hand side assets) on pricing factors (right-hand side assets). Then the performance of different models is evaluated based on how well they price multiple test assets together. The parameters used to compare relative performance of different models are their pricing errors (GRS statistic and average absolute intercepts) and explained variation (average adjustedR2).

Findings

The Fama-French five-factor model improves the pricing performance for stocks in Australia, Canada, China and the USA. The pricing in these countries appears to be more integrated. However, the superior performance in these four countries is not consistent across a variety of test assets and the magnitude of reduction in pricing errorsvis-à-visthree- or four-factor models is often economically insignificant. For other markets, the parsimonious three-factor model or its four-factor variants appear to be more suitable.

Originality/value

Unlike most asset pricing studies that use test assets based on variables that are already used to construct RHS factors, this study uses test assets that are generally different from RHS sorts. This makes the tests more robust and less biased to be in favour of any multifactor model. Also, most international studies of asset pricing tests use data for different markets and combine them into regions. This study provides the evidence from ten countries separately because prior research has shown that locally constructed factors are more suitable to explain asset prices. Further, this study also tests for the usefulness of adding a quality factor in the existing asset pricing models.
The impact of personality in recognizing disinformation
Authors: Wolverton Colleen , Stevens David
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and quantify the effects of personality traits, as defined by the five-factor model (FFM) on an individual’s ability to detect fake news. The findings of this study are increasingly important because of the proliferation of social media news stories and the exposure of organizational stakeholders and business decision makers to a tremendous amount of information, including information that is not correct (a.k.a. disinformation).

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected utilizing the snowball sampling methodology. Students in an Management Information Systems course completed the survey. Since a diverse sample was sought, survey participants were instructed to recruit another individual from a different generation. The survey questions of the FFM identify particular personality traits in respondents. Survey respondents were given a collection of nine news stories, five of which were false and four that were true. The number of correctly identified stories was recorded, and the effect of personality traits on the ability of survey respondents to identify fake news was calculated using eta-squared and the effect size index.

Findings

Each of the five factors in the FFM demonstrated an effect on an individual’s ability to detect disinformation. In fact, every single variable studied had at least a small effect size index, with one exception: gender, which had basically no effect. Therefore, each variable studied (with the exception of gender) explained a portion of the variability in the number of correctly identified false news stories. Specifically, this quantitative research demonstrates that individuals with the following personality traits are better able to identify disinformation: closed to experience or cautious, introverted, disagreeable or unsympathetic, unconscientious or undirected and emotionally stable.

Originality/value

There is scant research on an individual’s ability to detect false news stories, although some research has been conducted on the ability to detect phishing (a type of social engineering attack to obtain funds or personal information from the person being deceived). The results of this study enable corporations to determine which of their customers, investors and other stakeholders are most likely to be deceived by disinformation. With this information, they can better prepare for and combat the impacts of misinformation on their organization, and thereby avoid the negative financial impacts that result.
Oral roxadustat three times weekly in ESA‐naïve and ESA‐converted patients with anemia of chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis: Results from two phase 3 studies
Authors: Akizawa Tadao , Ueno Mai , Shiga Takanori , Reusch Michael
Published: December 2019

Roxadustat is a hypoxia‐inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor approved in China for anemia of dialysis‐dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD). Japanese hemodialysis patients with anemia of CKD previously naïve to, or converted from, erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) were enrolled in two open‐label, noncomparative studies of titrated oral roxadustat administered three times weekly. ESA‐naïve patients (n = 75) were randomized to roxadustat (initial dose, 50 or 70 mg) for 24 weeks; ESA‐converted patients (n = 164) were assigned to roxadustat (initial dose, 70 or 100 mg based on prior ESA dose) for 52 weeks. Efficacy outcomes included average hemoglobin (Hb, weeks 18‐24 or 46‐52), change of Hb from baseline to weeks 18 to 24 (ΔHb18‐24) or weeks 46 to 52 (ΔHb46‐52), and maintenance rate (proportion of patients who achieved average Hb of 10.0‐12.0 g/dL for weeks 18‐24 or weeks 46‐52). Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were monitored. Mean (SD) Hb was 10.93 (0.79) g/dL (weeks 18‐24) (ESA‐Naïve Study), and 10.93 (0.69; weeks 18‐24) g/dL and 11.11 (0.67; weeks 46‐52) g/dL (ESA‐Converted Study). Mean (SD) ΔHb18‐24 was 2.26 (1.02) g/dL (ESA‐Naïve Study) and −0.03 (0.90) g/dL (ESA‐Converted Study); mean (SD) ΔHb46‐52 was 0.12 (0.83) g/dL (ESA‐Converted Study). The overall maintenance rate was 73.0% (54/74) (ESA‐Naïve Study) (weeks 18‐24), and 79.1% (129/163; weeks 18‐24) and 71.2% (116/163; weeks 46‐52) (ESA‐Converted Study). Nasopharyngitis was the most common TEAE. Two deaths, considered unrelated to roxadustat, occurred in the ESA‐Converted Study. Roxadustat effectively corrected and maintained Hb, regardless of previous ESA treatment, in Japanese anemic CKD patients on hemodialysis.
Does it matter if those who matter don't mind? Effects of gang versus delinquent peer group membership on labeling processes
Authors: Buchanan Molly , Krohn Marvin D.
Published: December 2019

Despite renewed interests in the labeling perspective and the impact of official intervention on individuals’ future outcomes, scant attention has been given to potential conditioning factors for theorized labeling processes. We argue that, when viewed through a symbolic interactionist lens, variations in the nature of primary social groups, through which individuals filter official labels like arrest, may generate patterns for subsequent self‐concept and delinquency that are contrary to what labeling theory indicates. To test our rationale, we offer a moderated mediation model in which gang membership is expected to differentially impact the effect of arrest on future delinquency through an intermediary mechanism: self‐esteem. We test a gang–nongang dichotomy and then probe further to test whether hypothesized effects are gang specific or occur similarly for nongang youths with highly delinquent peer groups. Analyzed using Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS) data (N = 961), comparisons between gang members and nonaffiliated youths with similarly highly delinquent peer groups revealed no significant differences in conditional indirect effects of arrest on self‐esteem and future delinquency; the two groups were similarly insulated from any negative impact of arrest on self‐esteem. For nongang youths with fewer delinquent peers, however, arrest significantly reduced later self‐esteem, which in turn increased their future delinquency.
Clinical Indicators of Impaired Swallowing in Children with Neurological Disorders
Authors: Silva Renan Alves , da Silva Viviane Martins , Lopes Marcos Venícios Oliveira , Guedes Nirla Gomes , Oliveira‐Kumakura Ana Railka
Published: December 2019

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical indicators of the nursing diagnosis impaired swallowing in children with neurological disorders.

METHODS

An integrative review was performed on the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Lilacs and Cinahl databases; by crossing the terms impaired degluition, dyphagia, deglutition disorders, cerebral palsy, microcephaly, which resulted in 45 articles.

RESULTS

Eighteen indicators were identified in the oral phase, ten in the pharyngeal phase, and nine in the esophageal phase. There was a percentage of 80.4% of the indicators cited in NANDA‐International, especially those referring to the oral phase.

CONCLUSIONS

There are clinical indicators in both phases of impaired swallowing in children with neurological dysfunctions presenting heterogeneous distribution.
Anthropology and the Riddle of White Supremacy
Authors: Rana Junaid
Published: December 2019

This article considers how anthropology can grapple with white supremacy by conceptualizing it as global and in relation to religion. Drawing on the exchange published as A Rap on Race between anthropologist Margaret Mead and the writer James Baldwin, I address the connection of religion and moral belief to racism, white supremacy, and the critique of racial liberalism. In their conversation, Mead and Baldwin discuss Christianity and white supremacy revealing a complex conjuring of Islam and Muslims that I describe as racecraft. The racialization of religion and the theological components of white supremacy have a particular relevance to the construction of anti‐Muslim racism. To describe how ethnography and anthropological theory can intervene, I offer an example of the study of white supremacy and discuss the implications. [racism, religion, white supremacy, Margaret Mead, James Baldwin]
The contribution of financial well‐being, social support, and trait emotional intelligence on psychological distress
Authors: Espinosa Adriana , Rudenstine Sasha
Published: December 2019

Objectives

While financial deprivation, social isolation, and low emotional intelligence (EI) have been separately identified as important predictors of mental illness, no research has assessed the contribution of these factors together in understanding early markers of severe psychological distress. This information can have key implications for the development of comprehensive interventions and psychological treatment programmes. This study investigated the shared and unique contribution of financial well‐being, social support, and trait EI on different types of psychological distress.

Design

A total of 309 patients seeking psychological treatment at an outpatient mental health clinic in the United States provided consent to participate in this study. Patients responded to online questionnaires corresponding to symptomatology, demographic characteristics, and psychometric assessments.

Methods

Hierarchical linear regressions identified the common and unique role of each set of variables in predicting nine different symptom clusters of psychological distress.

Results

Financial well‐being, social support, and trait EI were negatively related to the majority of symptom clusters, together explaining between 20% and 53% of the variance. Whereas financial well‐being and social support uniquely captured a significant amount of the variance in all outcomes, trait EI, most notably the well‐being and self‐control dimensions, captured the most.

Conclusions

The results highlight the importance of all factors in understanding variations in mental health among help‐seeking urban individuals. Furthermore, the results identify well‐being and self‐control as emotional facets to consider in therapeutic programmes in as much as to mitigate the risk of severe psychological distress within this population.

Practitioner points

Together, financial well‐being, social support, and trait emotional intelligence (EI) can help prevent psychological distress in help‐seeking urban individuals.

Perceived social support and social contact differentially contributed to improved symptoms of psychological distress.

Studies should examine the impact of targeting well‐being and self‐control in psychological treatment.

The correlational nature of this study highlights the need to replicate findings via experimental or longitudinal designs.
The need for novel trial designs, master protocols, and research consortia in transplantation
Authors: Stegall Mark D. , Smith Byron , Bentall Andrew , Schinstock Carrie
Published: December 2019

Large multicenter, randomized controlled trials are the paradigm for determining the efficacy and safety of new therapies. However, applying this classical approach to many areas of transplantation is difficult. For most types of organ transplants, the number of transplants performed is too small for such a trial (lung, pancreas, or vascular composite transplantation are examples). In larger populations such as kidney transplantation, the major unmet needs commonly involve small subsets of patients (antibody‐mediated rejection, recurrent renal disease, etc). This issue is not unique to transplantation and has been successfully overcome in other areas of medicine. In oncology, for example, novel trial designs such as adaptive trial design and master protocols are now relatively common. In addition, the existence of multicenter, ongoing clinical research consortia have greatly enhanced the successful implementation of these novel trial designs. In this manuscript, we examine how novel trial designs, master protocols, and research consortia might enhance studies in transplantation aimed at the regulatory approval of new agents. Our premise is that more efficient approaches to clinical trials already exist and, through a coordinated effort by researchers, the pharmaceutical industry, and regulatory bodies like the FDA, they can be implemented in transplantation.
Global fern and lycophyte richness explained: How regional and local factors shape plot richness
Authors: Weigand Anna , Abrahamczyk Stefan , Aubin Isabelle , Bita‐Nicolae Claudia , Bruelheide Helge , I. Carvajal‐Hernández Cesar , Cicuzza Daniele , Nascimento da Costa Lucas Erickson , Csiky János , Dengler Jürgen , Gasper André Luís de , Guerin Greg R. , Haider Sylvia , Hernández‐Rojas Adriana , Jandt Ute , Reyes‐Chávez Johan , Karger Dirk N. , Khine Phyo Kay , Kluge Jürgen , Krömer Thorsten , Lehnert Marcus , Lenoir Jonathan , Moulatlet Gabriel M. , Aros-Mualin Daniela , Noben Sarah , Olivares Ingrid , G. Quintanilla Luis , Reich Peter B. , Salazar Laura , Silva‐Mijangos Libertad , Tuomisto Hanna , Weigelt Patrick , Zuquim Gabriela , Kreft Holger , Kessler Michael
Published: December 2019

Aim

To disentangle the influence of environmental factors at different spatial grains (regional and local) on fern and lycophyte species richness and to ask how regional and plot‐level richness are related to each other.

Location

Global.

Taxon

Ferns and lycophytes.

Methods

We explored fern and lycophyte species richness at two spatial grains, regional (hexagonal grid cells of 7,666 km2) and plot level (300–500 m2), in relation to environmental data at regional and local grains (the 7,666 km2hexagonal grid cells and 4 km2square grid cells, respectively). For the regional grain, we obtained species richness data for 1,243 spatial units and used them together with climatic and topographical predictors to model global fern richness. For the plot‐level grain, we collated a global dataset of nearly 83,000 vegetation plots with a surface area in the range 300–500 m2in which all fern and lycophyte species had been counted. We used structural equation modelling to identify which regional and local factors have the biggest effect on plot‐level fern and lycophyte species richness worldwide. We investigate how plot‐level richness is related to modelled regional richness at the plot's location.

Results

Plot‐level fern and lycophyte species richness were best explained by models allowing a link between regional environment and plot‐level richness. A link between regional richness and plot‐level richness was essential, as models without it were rejected, while models without the regional environment‐plot‐level richness link were still valid but had a worse goodness‐of‐fit value. Plot‐level richness showed a hump‐shaped relationship with regional richness.

Main conclusions

Regional environment and regional fern and lycophyte species richness each are important determinants of plot‐level richness, and the inclusion of one does not substitute the inclusion of the other. Plot‐level richness increases with regional richness until a saturation point is reached, after which plot‐level richness decreases despite increasing regional richness, possibly reflecting species interactions.
Comparison of day‐to‐day blood pressure variability in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus to those without diabetes: Asia BP@Home Study
Authors: Chia Yook‐Chin , Kario Kazuomi , Tomitani Naoko , Park Sungha , Shin Jinho , Turana Yuda , Tay Jam Chin , Buranakitjaroen Peera , Chen Chen‐Huan , Hoshide Satoshi , Nailes Jennifer , Minh Huynh Van , Siddique Saulat , Sison Jorge , Soenarta Arieska Ann , Sogunuru Guru Prasad , Sukonthasarn Apichard , Teo Boon Wee , Verma Narsingh , Zhang Yuqing , Wang Tzung‐Dau , Wang Ji‐Guang
Published: December 2019

Blood pressure variability (BPV) has been shown to be independently associated with cardiovascular (CV) mortality and morbidity. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have also been shown to have increased BPV. We aimed to compare BPV in hypertensive patients with diabetes with those without diabetes. A total of 1443 hypertensive patients measured their blood pressure (BP) twice in the morning and twice before bed at home for a week. Demographic data, history of T2DM, and anti‐hypertensive use were captured. Clinic BP was measured twice in the clinic. Control of BP was defined as clinic systolic BP (SBP) <140 mm Hg and home SBP < 135 mm Hg. BPV was based on home SBP measurements. A total of 362(25.1%) hypertensives had diabetes and 47.4% were male. Mean age was 62.3 ± 12.1 years. There was no difference in the mean clinic SBP in both groups (139.9 mm Hg vs 138.4 mm Hg P = .188). However, the mean morning home SBP was significantly higher and control rate lower in hypertensives with diabetes than those without (132.3 ± 15 mm Hg vs 129.7 ± 14.4 mm Hg P = .005, 39.4% vs 47.6% P = .007), respectively. Masked uncontrolled morning hypertension was higher in those with diabetes versus those without (12.8% vs 8.4%, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in BPV between those with and without diabetes. In summary, clinic SBP was similar in hypertensives with or without diabetes. However, control of BP based on both clinic and home SBP thresholds was poorer in hypertensives with diabetes compared to those without. Masked uncontrolled morning hypertension was higher in those with diabetes than those without. There was no difference in BPV between the two groups.
Registered nurses' perspectives on medically safe practices and sound ethical standards in aesthetic nursing: An interview study
Authors: Holmberg Christopher , Carlström Eric , Collier Helena
Published: December 2019

Aims and objectives

To explore the views of registered nurses experienced in aesthetic nursing regarding medically safe practices and sound ethical standards.

Background

Aesthetic nursing is an emerging field of modern‐day healthcare encompassed within aesthetic medicine. There is a distinct lack of research regarding how registered nurses who specialise in this area of care view medically safe practices and sound ethical standards. This is important to explore, because, in the absence of mandatory regulations within the sector, and it is the aesthetic nurse's own obligation to uphold professional, medical and ethical standards.

Design

Qualitative study.

Methods

Individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 13 registered nurses who had worked in aesthetic nursing for at least two years. The interview transcripts were categorised using qualitative content analysis. The COREQ checklist was used to report the study.

Results

A main theme was generated during the analysis: Considering my professional, the clinic's and the patient's needs. The participants described that they considered medical and ethical aspects pertinent to their professional roles as registered nurses but also undertook practices in addition to what they already did as registered nurses, such as creating professional networks using social media. They also described the importance of establishing local medical and ethical guidelines for their clinics, and that they considered patients’ individual needs such as using individual information relating to their patients’ previous experiences.

Conclusions

The study points to the positive tendencies of registered nurses in aesthetics to develop their own professional networks and create local medical and ethical guidelines until more robust mandatory regulations are in place.

Relevance to clinical practice

Considering that aesthetic nursing is a young industry, registered nurses are in an excellent position to utilise their professional networks and work with professional bodies to develop standards of professional nursing practice and education for this field.
Contribution to a public good under subjective uncertainty
Authors: Banerjee Anwesha , Gravel Nicolas
Published: December 2019

This paper examines how voluntary contributions to a public good are affected by the contributors' heterogeneity in beliefs about the uncertain impact of their contributions. It assumes that contributors have Savagian preferences that are represented by a two‐state‐dependent expected utility function and different beliefs about the benefit that will result from the sum of their contributions. We establish general comparative statics results regarding the effect of specific changes in the distribution of beliefs on the (unique) Nash equilibrium provision of the public good, under certain conditions imposed on the preferences. We specifically show that the equilibrium public good provision is increasing with respect to both first‐ and second‐order stochastic dominance changes in the distribution of beliefs. Hence, increasing the contributors' optimism about the uncertain benefit of their contributions increases aggregate public good provision, as does any homogenization of these beliefs around their mean.
An Integrated Approach for Modeling Sustainability Risks in Freight Transportation Systems
Authors: Choudhary Divya , Shankar Ravi , Choudhary Alok
Published: December 2019

Integrating sustainability into freight transportation systems (FTSs) is a complex and challenging task due to the sheer number of inherent sustainability risks. Sustainability risks disrupt the economic, social and environmental objectives of freight operations and act as impediments in the development of sustainable freight transportation systems. The area of sustainability risk management is still unexplored and immature in the operational research domain. This study addresses these research gaps and contributes in a threefold manner. First, a total of 36 potential sustainability risks related to FTSs are identified and uniquely classified into seven categories using a rigourous approach. Second, the research proposes two prominent perspectives, namely, ontological and epistemological perspectives to understand risks and develops a novel framework for managing sustainability risks in FTSs. Third, a novel approach by integrating fuzzy evidential reasoning algorithm (FERA) with expected utility theory is developed to quantitatively model and profile sustainability risk for different risk preferences, namely, risk‐averse, risk‐neutral, and risk‐taking scenarios. The proposed FERA is a flexible and robust approach, which transforms the experts’ inputs into belief structures and aggregates them using the evidence combination rule proposed in Dempster–Shafer theory to overcome the problem of imprecise results caused by average scoring in existing models. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed model. Unlike conventional perception, our study suggests that most of the high priority sustainability risks are behaviorally and socially induced rather than financially driven. The results provide significant managerial implications including a focus on skills development, and on social and behavioral dimensions while managing risks in FTSs.
Peano's Counterexample to Harmony
Authors: Ceragioli Leonardo
Published: December 2019

Harmony and conservative extension are two criteria proposed to discern between acceptable and unacceptable rules. Despite some interesting works in this field, the exact relation between them is still not clear. In this article, some standard counterexamples to the equivalence between them are summarized, and a recent formulation of the notion of stability is used to express a more refined conjecture about their relation. Then Prawitz's proposal of a counterexample based on the truth predicate to this refined conjecture is shown to rest on dubious assumptions. As a consequence, two new counterexamples are proposed: one uses the extension of logic with a small amount of arithmetic, while the other uses the extension of a small fragment of arithmetic with a problematic operator defined by Peano. It is argued that both these new counterexamples work fine to reject the conjecture and that the last one works also as a rejection of harmony as a complete criterion of acceptability of rules.
Mechanisms underlying the stimulatory effect of inhaled sulfur dioxide on vagal bronchopulmonary C‐fibres
Authors: Lin An‐Hsuan , Hsu Chun‐Chun , Lin You Shuei , Lin Ruei‐Lung , Lee Lu‐Yuan
Published: December 2019

Key points

Brief inhalation of SO2 of concentration >500 p.p.m. triggered a pronounced stimulatory effect on vagal bronchopulmonary C‐fibres in anaesthetized rats.

This stimulatory effect was drastically diminished by a pretreatment with NaHCO3 that raised the baseline arterial pH, suggesting a possible involvement of acidification of airway fluid and/or tissue generated by inhaled SO2.

The stimulation was completely abolished by pretreatment with antagonists of both acid‐sensing ion channels and transient receptor potential vanilloid type‐1 receptors, indicating that this effect was caused by acid activation of these cation channels expressed in airway sensory nerves.

This conclusion was further supported by the results obtained from studies in isolated rat vagal bronchopulmonary sensory neurones and also in the cough response to SO2 inhalation challenge in awake mice.

These results provide new insight into the underlying mechanism of harmful irritant effects in the respiratory tract caused by accidental exposure to a high concentration of SO2.

Inhalation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) triggers coughs and reflex bronchoconstriction, and stimulation of vagal bronchopulmonary C‐fibres is primarily responsible. However, the mechanism underlying this stimulatory effect is not yet fully understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the C‐fibre stimulation was caused by SO2‐induced local tissue acidosis in the lung and airways. Single‐unit activities of bronchopulmonary C‐fibres in response to inhalation challenges of SO2 (500–1500 p.p.m., 10 breaths) were measured in anaesthetized rats. Inhalation of SO2 reproducibly induced a pronounced and sustained stimulation (lasting for 15–60 s) of pulmonary C‐fibres in a concentration‐dependent manner. This stimulatory effect was significantly attenuated by an increase in arterial pH generated by infusion of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and completely abrogated by a combined pretreatment with amiloride (an antagonist of acid‐sensing ion channels, ASICs) and AMG8910 (a selective antagonist of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type‐1 receptor, TRPV1). Furthermore, in isolated rat vagal pulmonary sensory neurones, perfusion of an aqueous solution of SO2 evoked a transient increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration; this response was also markedly diminished by a pretreatment with amiloride and AMG8910. In addition, inhalation of SO2 consistently evoked coughs in awake mice; responses were significantly smaller in TRPV1−/− mice than in wild‐type mice, and almost completely abolished after a pretreatment with amiloride in TRPV1−/− mice. These results suggested that the stimulatory effect of inhaled SO2 on bronchopulmonary C‐fibres was generated by acidification of fluid and/or tissue in the lung and airways, which activated both ASICs and TRPV1 expressed in these sensory nerves.
Investigation of Numerical Evaluation Improvement for Three-Dimensional Infinite Cylindrical Heat Conduction Problems
Authors: Pi Te , Cole Kevin , Zhao Qingjun , Zhao Wei
Published: December 2019

To estimate the thermal properties from transient data, a model is needed to produce numerical values with sufficient precision. Iterative regression or other estimation procedures must be applied to evaluate the model again and again. From this perspective, infinite or semi-infinite heat conduction problems are a challenge. Since the analytical solution usually contains improper integrals that need to be computed numerically, computer-evaluation speed is a serious issue. To improve the computation speed with precision maintained, an analytical method has been applied to three-dimensional (3D) cylindrical geometries. In this method, the numerical evaluation time is improved by replacing the integral-containing solution by a suitable finite body series solution. The precision of the series solution may be controlled to a high level and the required computer time may be minimized by a suitable choice of the extent of the finite body. The practical applications for 3D geometries include the line-source method for obtaining thermal properties, the estimation of thermal properties by the laser-flash method, and the estimation of aquifer properties or petroleum-field properties from well-test measurements. This paper is an extension of earlier works on one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) cylindrical geometries. In this paper, the computer-evaluation time for the finite geometry 3D solutions is shown to be hundreds of times faster than the infinite or semi-infinite solution with the precision maintained.
Partial Differential Equation-Based Trajectory Planning for Multiple Unmanned Air Vehicles in Dynamic and Uncertain Environments
Authors: Radmanesh Mohammadreza , Kumar Manish , French Donald
Published: December 2019

This paper proposes a physics-inspired method for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) trajectory planning in three dimensions using partial differential equations (PDEs) for application in dynamic hostile environments. The proposed method exploits the dynamical property of fluid flowing through a porous medium. This method evaluates risk to generate porosity values throughout the computational domain. The trajectory that encounters the highest porosity values determines the trajectory from the point of origin to the goal position. The best trajectory is found using the reaction of the fluid in porous media by the way of streamlines obtained by numerically solving the PDEs representing the fluid flow. Constraints due to UAV dynamics, obstacles, and predefined way points are applied to the problem after solving for the best trajectory to find the optimal and feasible trajectory. This method shows near-optimality and much reduced computational effort when compared to the other typical numerical optimization methods.
Biomechanical Comparison of Real World Concussive Impacts in Children, Adolescents, and Adults
Authors: Dawson Lauren , Koncan David , Post Andrew , Zemek Roger , Gilchrist Michael D. , Marshall Shawn , Hoshizaki T. Blaine
Published: December 2019

Accidental falls occur to people of all ages, with some resulting in concussive injury. At present, it is unknown whether children and adolescents are at a comparable risk of sustaining a concussion compared to adults. This study reconstructed the impact kinematics of concussive falls for children, adolescents, and adults and simulated the associated brain tissue deformations. Patients included in this study were diagnosed with a concussion as defined by the Zurich Consensus guidelines. Eleven child, 10 adolescent, and 11 adult falls were simulated using mathematical dynamic models(MADYMO), with three ellipsoid pedestrian models sized to each age group. Laboratory impact reconstruction was conducted using Hybrid III head forms, with finite element model simulations of the brain tissue response using recorded impact kinematics from the reconstructions. The results of the child group showed lower responses than the adolescent group for impact variables of impact velocity, peak linear acceleration, and peak rotational acceleration but no statistical differences existed for any other groups. Finite element model simulations showed the child group to have lower strain values than both the adolescent and adult groups. There were no statistical differences between the adolescent and adult groups for any variables examined in this study. With the cases included in this study, young children sustained concussive injuries at lower modeled brain strains than adolescents and adults, supporting the theory that children may be more susceptible to concussive impacts than adolescents or adults.
Anisotropic Diffusivity Tensor in Articular Cartilage: Effective Medium Approach
Authors: Hashlamoun Kotaybah , Federico Salvatore
Published: December 2019

Due to the avascular nature of articular cartilage, molecular transport occurs via interstitial fluid flow as well as via diffusion. Diffusion in cartilage has been studied experimentally, but no mathematical models have been developed to interpret the experimental results and the observed isotropy or anisotropy in the different cartilage zones. Here, we propose a model for the determination of the diffusivity tensor of uncharged macromolecules in articular cartilage, accounting for the inhomogeneity and anisotropy arising from fiber arrangement, volumetric fraction, and radius. We study a representative element of volume (REV) comprising a fiber surrounded by fluid-saturated proteoglycan matrix. The REV permeability tensor is evaluated using a previously developed model, while the REV diffusivity tensor is obtained by incorporating the hydrodynamic effect and the steric effect of the fiber-reinforced matrix. Both effects are represented by anisotropic second-order tensors. The overall diffusivity tensor is obtained as the averaging integral of the REV diffusivity, weighted by the probability distribution of fiber orientation. The model's predictions of the trend of the magnitude of the diffusivity of spheroidal macromolecules as a function of molecular radius agree with published experimental results. For large linear macromolecules, the model underestimates the diffusivity magnitude (i.e., the equivalent isotropic diffusivity). The model correctly predicts the anisotropic behavior for linear macromolecules, although it underestimates the numerical value of the diffusivity anisotropy ratio of large linear macromolecules in the superficial zone, and overestimates it in the deep zone. In summary, this model constitutes a first step toward understanding the relation between diffusivity and permeability in articular cartilage.
Ankle Control in Walking and Running: Speed- and Gait-Related Changes in Dynamic Mean Ankle Moment Arm
Authors: Adamczyk Peter Gabriel
Published: December 2019

The human foot–ankle complex uses heel-to-toe ground contact progression in walking, but primarily forefoot contact in high-speed running. This qualitative change in ankle control is clear to the runner, but current measures of ankle behavior cannot isolate the effect, and it is unknown how it changes across moderate speeds. We investigated this dynamic ankle control across a range of walking and running speeds using a new measure, the dynamic mean ankle moment arm (DMAMA): the ratio of sagittal ankle moment impulse to ground reaction force impulse on a single limb. We hypothesized that DMAMA would increase with speed in both walking and running, indicating more forefoot-dominated gait with ground reaction forces more anterior to the ankle. Human subjects walked (1.0–2.0 m/s) and ran (2.25–5.25 m/s) on an instrumented treadmill with motion capture and pressure insoles to estimate DMAMA. DMAMA decreased with increasing walking speed, then increased upon the transition to running, and increased further with increasing running speed. These results provide quantitative evidence that walking becomes more hindfoot-dominated as speed increases—similar to behavior during acceleration—and that running is more forefoot-dominated than walking. The instantaneous center of pressure (COP) at initial ground contact did not follow the same trends. The discrepancy highlights the value of DMAMA in summarizing ankle control across the whole stance phase. DMAMA may provide a useful outcome metric for evaluating biomimetic prostheses and for quantifying foot contact styles in running.
Design of a Novel Locking Ratcheting Mechanism for a Body-Powered Underactuated Hand
Authors: Lee Hun Chan , Cipra Raymond
Published: December 2019

As affordable and efficient three-dimensional (3D) printers became widely available, researchers are focusing on developing prosthetic hands that are reasonably priced and effective at the same time. By allowing anyone with a 3D printer to build a body-powered prosthetic hand, many people could build their own prosthetic hand. However, one of the major problems with the current designs is the users must bend and hold their wrist in an awkward position to grasp an object. The primary goal of this work is to present the design process and analysis of a body-powered underactuated prosthetic hand with a novel ratcheting mechanism that locks the finger automatically at a desired position. To estimate how a compliant finger behaves on the actual system with the ratcheting mechanism, the preshaping analysis and the preshaping experiment were conducted. From the experiment, the presence of elastic hysteresis was observed. Additionally, the contact force analysis was performed to see the effects of joint angles and applied tension force. To test how well the hand can grasp, a cup with various weights was lifted and various objects with different shapes were grasped to prove how well the compliant finger can adapt to the shape of the objects. Based on the experiment, the hand had a higher success rate of grasping objects that are lightweight (less than 500 g) and cylindrical or circular shaped.
Sustainable Development: A Below-Knee Prostheses Liner for Resource Limited Environments
Authors: Sasaki Kazuhiko , Guerra Gary , Rattanakoch Jutima , Miyata Yusuke , Suntharalingam Sharmila
Published: December 2019

This research sought to develop a fabricable prosthetic liner that could be fabricable, intuitive, and a cost-effective means of providing advanced prosthetics in developing settings. An affordable ethyl-vinyl-acetate roll-on (AERO) liner for permitting a total surface bearing suction socket design was created and provided to a single participant for in vivo outcome measurements. The liner was fabricated from locally produced low-density ethyl-vinyl-acetate (EVA) foam. A liner fabrication process was developed and described, and one participant was provided 3 mm and 6 mm AERO liner variants for outcome evaluations. Six-minute walk test, residual limb temperature, and socket comfort score (SCS) while in AERO liner were collected. Thirty-day step counts of AERO liner with prosthesis and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) liner with prosthesis were collected. The results of in vivo evaluations indicate increased speed, slightly higher residuum temperature, and increased comfort of the 6 mm AERO liner. Pedometer tallied step counts for the AERO liner and TPE liner prostheses were similar. The 6 mm AERO liner provided the best comfort and function of the two thicknesses in liners, and step count data indicated that the volume of patient activity was similar to when wearing the TPE liner prosthesis. Roll-on fabricable low-cost liners offer an affordable means of providing total surface bearing suction prostheses for resource limited environments (RLE). A prosthetist or technician can use the existing skills and lab to create liners.
Functional Requirements and Quality Assurance Necessary for Successful Incorporation of Electroporation-Based Therapies Into Clinical Practice
Authors: Pirc Eva , Reberšek Matej , Miklavčič Damijan
Published: December 2019

Electroporation-based therapies have a huge potential for implementation into clinical practice in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Currently, the price of electroporators and electrodes is relatively high, but custom low budget devices can be developed. In the paper, we describe three most established applications in medicine, with the focus on the basic mechanisms, which should be taken into account during the development process of a clinical electroporator. Also, typical pulse parameters used in each of the described applications are defined. In the second part of the paper, we describe technical functional requirements for a clinical electroporator and safety guidelines, with the focus on medical device standard. At the end of the paper, the focus moves to a more general problematic, such as quality assurance and the importance of measurement during the pulse delivery, which we firmly believe is necessary for successful electroporation.
Experimental Analysis of Gas–Liquid Flows in a Centrifugal Rotor
Authors: Stel Henrique , Ofuchi Edgar M. , Alves Rafael F. , Chiva Sergio , Morales Rigoberto E. M.
Published: December 2019

This work presents an experimental analysis of gas–liquid flows in a centrifugal rotor prototype. Pressure rise curves are evaluated considering a wide range of liquid and gas flowrates and different rotating speeds. An innovative apparatus including a dynamic sealing system, back illumination, and filming in a rotating frame of reference is employed to visualize gas–liquid flow patterns at different operating conditions. Volume fraction measurement and bubble-size evaluation are also taken into account. The experimental apparatus allowed analyzing details of the gas-phase dynamics inside the rotor channels. That includes preferential bubble paths and zones of agglomeration, gas pocket formation, coalescence and breakup, and the effect of flow pattern transition on different degrees of performance degradation that centrifugal rotors are subject to when working with gas–liquid flows. Also, important information about the effect of the gas flowrate and the rotating speed on the performance of the assumed rotor prototype could be gathered. Discussions in this work should contribute to comprehend the behavior of gas–liquid flow in centrifugal pumps, a topic that is still far from being well understood. Qualitative and quantitative data here presented could also be valuable to guide the development of numerical models to solve this problem.
Mites associated to chile piquín (Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum) in two Protect Natural Areas in Northeastern México

Authors: Monjarás-barrera José Irving , Chacón-hernandez Julio Cesar , Silva Guilherme Liberato Da , Johann Liana , Silva Onilda Santos Da , Landeros-flores Jeronimo , Vanoye-eligio Venancio , Reyes-zepeda Francisco , Ferla Noeli Juarez
Published: December 2019

The conservation status of an ecosystem is checked by studying the composition and diversity of the organisms that interact in trophic chains. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biodiversity of mites associated to Capsicum annuum L. var glabriusculum (Solanaceae) at three sampling sites corresponding to two Protected Natural Areas (PNA) in Tamaulipas state, Mexico. Samplings were carried out in “Cañón de la Peregrina” and “Altas Cumbres” situated in the PNA "Altas Cumbres" and “Ojo de Agua”, located in the "El Cielo" Biosphere Reserve. Mite diversity was H = 1.09 ± 0.14 in Ojo de Agua, and it was H = 1.08 ± 0.08 and H = 1.11 ± 0.06 in Altas Cumbres and Cañón de la Peregrina, respectively. A total of 47 species were identified belonging to 35 genera of 18 families associated to C. annuum L. var glabriusculum in Mexico. Predatory mite richness was higher than that of generalist and phytophagous mites (31, 11 and 5 species, respectively) for the two ANP. The similarity index of Jaccard between OA–AC (IJ = 0.257; P < 0.05), CP–AC (IJ = 0.293; P < 0.05) and AC–CP (IJ = 0.324; P < 0.05) was low. Pseudopronematalus sp. 4 (Iolinidae) was predatory mite most abundant in both ANP (Pi = 9.311); followed by Metaseiulus (Metaseiulus) negundinis (Denmark) (Phytoseiidae) only for ANP “Altas Cumbres” (Pi = 1.004). While for phytophagus mite, Aculops lycopersici (Tryon) (Eriophyidae) and Tetranychus merganser Boudreaux (Tetranychidae) presented the highest abundances in all sites (Pi = 79.919 and 5.142, respectively). The high number of mites species associated to chile piquín suggests stability in the PNA despite anthropogenic activities, and that the PNA works as a mite reservoir.