bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Centaurea kirikkalensis (Asteraceae), a new species from Turkey
Authors: Özbek Mehmet Ufuk
Published: July 2021

A new species, Centaurea kirikkalensis from the Kırıkkale Province of Turkey is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to C. nallihanensis and C. drabifolia subsp. floccosa from which it differs mainly in the indumentum of stem and leaves, shape of involucre and appendages and pappus features. Detailed diagnostic characters, descriptions, taxonomic comments, ecology, IUCN conservation status, pollen and achene morphologies are given and the geographical distribution of the new species and its allied taxa is mapped.
Financial stress and financial management roles: Trajectories of couples' financial disagreements
Authors: Morgan Preston , Lim HanNa , Washburn‐Busk Michelle
Published: July 2021

Using the family stress model and marital bargaining theory, we aimed to investigate how financial stress and financial management roles are associated with both partners' (men's and women's) initial levels and rates of changes in financial disagreements over time. To test this, we used dyadic latent growth curve analyses obtained from 2158 German heterosexual couples over four waves or a 6‐year time span from the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics dataset. Financial stress and discrepant or unclear financial management roles were associated with higher initial financial disagreements in both partners. Only discrepant financial management roles were associated with lesser declines in women's financial disagreement trajectories. Additionally, in the context of greater financial stress, discrepant financial roles were associated with ever higher initial financial disagreements in women. Practitioners working with couples in financial distress should consider exploring the couple's level of financial stress as well as specialized and discrepant views on financial role division.
Self‐reported physical activity and lack of association with health‐related quality of life in a pediatric solid‐organ transplant population
Authors: Lui Samantha , Hind Tatsuma , Moon Erin , de Souza Astrid , Broad Katherine , Fairbairn Julie , Schreiber Richard , Armstrong Kathryn , Blydt‐Hansen Tom D.
Published: July 2021

Background

Physical activity (PA) has been shown to have benefits, including improving health‐related quality of life (HRQOL). However, there are few and conflicting studies assessing PA and its relationship with HRQOL in a pediatric solid‐organ transplant (SOT) population. The aim of this study was to assess whether overall HRQOL was associated with PA and to determine whether that association was independent of other baseline and contemporaneous clinical and demographic indicators.

Methods

A retrospective cross‐sectional review was performed on 55 pediatric transplant patients (13 heart, 27 kidney, and 15 liver transplant). PA was measured by PAQ‐C/PAQ‐A, and HRQOL was measured using PedsQL. Demographics, baseline, and contemporaneous data were collected.

Results

There were no significant differences in baseline and contemporaneous characteristics between heart, kidney, and liver transplant recipients. SOT recipients were 15.0 (11.0–18.0) years old at completion of surveys. Median PAQ score was 2.3 (1.6–3.2), PedsQL total score was 77 (65–91), and PedsQL physical functioning score was 88 (72–97). The PedsQL total score was not significantly associated with PAQ score. The PAQ score was significantly associated with physical functioning subscore of the PedsQL (r = 0.37, p < 0.01). Higher physical functioning score was associated with time since transplant (r = 0.29, p = 0.031).

Conclusion

Our SOT cohort has a HRQOL similar to other chronic conditions and higher than previous reported HRQOL in pediatric SOT populations. Higher levels of PA and longer time since transplant are associated with higher physical functioning scores.
Lacking, needing, and wanting
Authors: Hunter David
Published: July 2021

I offer a novel conception of the nature of wanting. According to it, wanting is lacking something one needs. Lacking is not a normative notion but needing is, and that is how goodness figures in to wanting. What a thing needs derives from what it is to be a good thing of its kind. In people, wanting is connected to both knowledge and the will. A person can know that she wants something and can act on that knowledge. When she does, she is acting in light of that want and her want is a reason why she acted. There is a close connection between wanting and our wills, not just because we can sometimes choose how to get what we need, but because our choices can determine what we want. We can't simply choose to want something, but in deciding how to live our lives, who to be, and what to pursue, we are free to settle what we want, at least within limits. These connections to knowledge and the will make human wanting rich and morally relevant, but they don't transform human wanting into something special. Wanting is everywhere just a matter of lacking something one needs.
Beauty as risk for Karen girls: Expulsion and early marriage at an upland Thai school
Authors: O’Meara Dayne
Published: July 2021

Female adolescent sexuality is highly policed at upland Thai schools, particularly for students who teachers identify as ‘beautiful’. While Northern Thai cultural ideals of masculinity glorify the ‘wandering’ of male youth, girls are told that it is especially important that they postpone sexual activity until after completion of their schooling. For Karen students, this ideal may clash with personal and family decision making in a cultural context where early marriage has historically been relatively common. Using a case study of expulsion following suspected student sexual activity, this article argues that rather than teachers approaching certain students as at risk of early departure from schooling, their personhood comes to be seen as a risk to the disruption of other students’ progress and to the moral community of the school.
Digital light processing of liquid crystal elastomers for self-sensing artificial muscles
Authors: Li Shuo , Bai Hedan , Liu Zheng , Zhang Xinyue , Huang Chuqi , Wiesner Lennard W. , Silberstein Meredith , Shepherd Robert F.
Published: July 2021

Digital light processing 3D prints liquid crystal elastomers for artificial muscle-like actuation and optomechanical self-sensing.
Graphene-mediated ferromagnetic coupling in the nickel nano-islands/graphene hybrid
Authors: Gao Min , Han Xiaowen , Liu Wenjing , Tian Ziao , Mei Yongfeng , Zhang Miao , Chu Paul K. , Kan Erjun , Hu Tao , Du Yongping , Qiao Shan , Di Zengfeng
Published: July 2021

An ideal 2D ferromagnetism is formed in the Ni nano-islands/graphene hybrid via graphene-mediated ferromagnetic coupling.
Picrite-basalt complex in the Baoshan-Gongshan Block of northern Sibumasu: Onset of a mantle plume before breakup of Gondwana and opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean
Authors: Su Li , Song Shuguang , Wang Chao , Allen Mark B. , Zhang Hongyu
Published: July 2021

Mantle plumes are thought to play key roles in Earth's geodynamics, including mantle convection, continental formation, and plate tectonics. The connection between plume activity and continental dispersion, as exemplified by the breakup of Gondwana and the generation of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, is a key question for the geosciences. Here, we present detailed investigations for the picrite-basalt sequence in the Baoshan-Gongshan Block of the northern Sibumasu terrane, southwest China. Field relations and petrological and geochemical data reveal that these volcanic rocks are continental flood picrites and basalts, consistent with a mantle plume origin. The estimated mantle potential temperatures range from 1527 ± 86 °C to 1546 ± 98 °C, and melting depths vary from the spinel to garnet stability fields (1.1–5.3 GPa), similar to Cenozoic Hawaiian picrites. Zircon geochronological data show that the mantle plume activity started at ca. 335 Ma and lasted to 280 Ma; this range is earlier than the breakup of the Gondwana continent and opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean (270–260 Ma). We conclude that the long-lived mantle plume impacted the continental lithosphere but it did not drive continental breakup and the opening of Neo-Tethys Ocean, which took place because of the subduction-induced stress generated by initial subduction of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean.
South African speleothems reveal influence of high- and low-latitude forcing over the past 113.5 k.y.
Authors: Chase Brian , Harris Chris , de Wit Maarten J. , Kramers Jan , Doel Sean , Stankiewicz Jacek
Published: July 2021

Variation in δ18O and δ13C values in a speleothem from the Cango Caves in southernmost South Africa enable the construction of coherent regional composite records spanning the past 113,500 yr. Novel for the region in terms of both their length and detail, these records indicate environmental and climatic changes that both are consistent with records from the wider region and show a clear evolution from low- to high-latitude forcing dominance across the last glacial period. Prior to ca. 70 ka, the influence of direct low-latitude insolation forcing is expressed through increases in summer rainfall during austral summer insolation maxima. With the onset of Marine Isotope Stage 4, cooler global conditions and the development of high-latitude ice sheets appear to have supplanted direct insolation forcing as the dominant driver pacing patterns of environmental change, with records from the Southern and Northern Hemisphere tropics exhibiting a positive relationship until after the Last Glacial Maximum. These results highlight the complexity of South African climate change dynamics as a response to changing global boundary conditions and provide a critical reference for regional and global comparisons.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of effects of acupuncture on pain and function in non-specific low back pain
Authors: Li Yun-xia , Yuan Su-e , Jiang Jie-qiong , Li Hui , Wang Yue-jiao
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture for non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) through systematic review of published randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods:

Studies were identified in electronic databases from their inception to February 2018, and were grouped according to the control interventions. The outcomes of interest were pain intensity and disability. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) checklist. The review was reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.

Results:

25 trials (n=7587 participants) were identified and included in a meta-analysis. The results showed that acupuncture was more effective at inducing pain relief than: no treatment (standardised mean difference (SMD) −0.69, 95% CI −0.99 to −0.38); sham acupuncture in the immediate term (SMD −0.33, 95% CI −0.49 to −0.18), short term (SMD −0.47, 95% CI −0.77 to −0.17), and intermediate term (SMD −0.17, 95% CI −0.28 to −0.05); and usual care in the short term (SMD −1.07, 95% CI −1.81 to −0.33) and intermediate term (SMD −0.43, 95% CI −0.77 to −0.10). Also, adjunctive acupuncture with usual care was more effective than usual care alone at all time points studied. With regard to functional improvement, the analysis showed a significant difference between acupuncture and no treatment (SMD −0.94, 95% CI −1.57 to −0.30), whereas the other control therapies could not be assessed.

Conclusion:

We draw a cautious conclusion that acupuncture appears to be effective for NSLBP and that acupuncture may be an important supplement to usual care in the management of NSLBP.
Efficacy of dry needling as an adjunct to manual therapy for patients with chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Gallego-Sendarrubias Gracia M. , Rodríguez-Sanz David , Calvo-Lobo Cesar , Martín Jose Luis
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Chronic mechanical neck pain is associated with musculoskeletal tissue alterations. Active trigger points in the trapezius and levator scapulae muscles are common in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain. In this study, we compared the effect of dry needling (DN) combined with manual therapy (MT) to sham dry needling (SDN) combined with MT on pain, pain pressure threshold, cervical range of motion and neck disability in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain.

Methods:

A randomised, single-blind clinical trial was carried out involving 101 participants with chronic mechanical neck pain, divided into an intervention group (DN+MT, n=47) and a control group (SDN+MT, n=54). Participants received two treatment sessions. The intervention group received MT in conjunction with DN of the most mechano-sensitive myofascial trigger point (MTrP). The control group received MT plus SDN. Outcomes measures were: pain intensity (numeric pain rating scale, NPRS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), cervical range of motion (ROM) and neck disability (neck disability index, NDI).

Results:

This study found that between-group differences in pain intensity were statistically significant (P<0.01). Pain decreased after the first intervention in the DN+MT group (3.47±0.25 points on the NPRS) and even more so after the second intervention (4.76±0.24 points on the NPRS). After 4 weeks, pain intensity differed from baseline by 4.89±0.27 points on the NPRS. Statistically significant differences (P<0.001) in PPT were also found between the intervention group and the control group. After the first intervention, a significant increase in PPT within the DN+MT group (3.09±0.8 kg/cm2) was observed. Cervical ROM also showed highly statistically significant differences. After 4 weeks, a statistically significant reduction (P<0.001) in NDI was observed between the two groups.

Conclusion:

Our results show that DN+MT is efficacious and significantly better than SDN+MT at reducing pain intensity, PPT, neck disability and cervical ROM in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain.

Level of evidence:

1b.
Health and well-being of rotation workers in the mining, offshore oil and gas, and construction industry: a systematic review
Authors: Asare Bernard Yeboah-Asiamah , Kwasnicka Dominika , Powell Daniel , Robinson Suzanne
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Rotation work, characterised by travelling long distances to work in isolated areas where workers typically rotate consecutive days working and living on-site with periods at home, is increasingly used in the resources and construction sectors globally. Such employment practices may have an impact on workers’ health and well-being. This systematic review explores the impact rotation work has on mental and physical outcomes in rotation workers in the resources and construction sectors.

Method

The PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were systematically searched on 1 May 2020 to identify quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method studies addressing the health of rotation workers published in peer-reviewed journals. Findings from the studies were summarised narratively.

Results

Of 6268 studies retrieved, 90 studies were included in the review. Studies suggested higher prevalence of psychological distress in onshore rotation workers and higher overweight/obesity rates among rotation workers as compared with the general population. We found more sleep problems and higher levels of smoking during work periods compared with off-site days; and higher alcohol intake during off-site days compared with on-site days. Workers generally perceived their physical health status as good. High-perceived job demands (such as workload, repetitive work) were associated with mental distress and exhaustion, sleep problems and perceived poor physical health status, while high-perceived job resources (such as job clarity/control, support) were associated with low mental distress and exhaustion, less smoking and alcohol intake, and better sleep.

Conclusion

Rotation work is associated with several poorer health behaviours and outcomes, such as sleep problems, smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity. Interventions needed to improve rotation workers’ health should include maximising available job resources and reducing job demands. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the long-term health effects of rotation work and the short-term contextual effects of the different aspects of rotation work.
3 Damage control surgery in a regional trauma centre – defining the population: a pilot study
Authors: Burton Matthew J
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Trauma has a major disease burden, by causing physiological disruption.1 Damage Control Surgery (DCS) minimises physiological disruption.2 3 The demographics of patients who undergo DCS surgery within our institution are unknown. This study aims to characterise our DCS cohort and potential for prospective study.

Methods

Our hospital has a DCS protocol.4 This ensures the appropriate patients are safely and promptly transferred to a prepared operating theatre. All ORSOS data were captured from Nov 2017 – Sep 2019. Data was reviewed, and demographics analysed.

Results

The DCS protocol was put on stand-by 42 times and activated in 21. Patient data was held for 38 cases, 30 male and 8 female, median age 37 years.

Median Injury Severity Score was 29, with patients sustaining injuries from a range of mechanisms, figure 1. Median inpatient stay was 12 days, with a 29% 30-day mortality.

Abstract 3 Figure 1

Together this shows that despite prompt surgical intervention, a young patient cohort carries a significant mortality.

Conclusions

We have established the demographics of those who trigger DCS protocol use in a regional trauma centre. The resultant database enables prospective data collection for future DCS patients. Such data will afford our region a greater understanding of the DCS population.

References

Polinder S, Haagsma JA, Toet H, van Beeck EF. Epidemiological burden of minor, major and fatal trauma in a national injury pyramid. British journal of surgery 2012 Jan;99(S1):114–20.

Schreiber MA. Damage control surgery. Critical Care Clinics 2004 Jan 1;20(1):101–18.

Rotondo MF, Schwab CW, McGonigal MD, Fruchterman TM, Kauder DR, Latenser BA, Angood PA. ‘Damage control’: an approach for improved survival in exsanguinating penetrating abdominal injury. The Journal of Trauma 1993 Sep;35(3):375–82.

Moor P, Droog S, Adams S. Damage Control Surgery (Online). Peninsula Trauma Network. University Hospital Plymouth. 2016 Feb [2019 December]. Available from: https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n3410.pdf&ver=4326
Ethical frameworks in clinical research processes during COVID-19: a scoping review
Authors: Kasherman Lawrence , Madariaga Ainhoa , Liu Qin , Bonilla Luisa , McMullen Michelle , Liu Shiru (Lucy) , Wang Lisa , Fazelzad Rouhi , Karakasis Katherine , Heesters Ann M , Oza Amit M
Published: July 2021

Objectives

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic there have been significant developments in research, its conduct and the supporting ethical framework. While many protocols have been delayed, halted or modified, other research efforts have been accelerated, generating controversy. The goal of this paper is to determine the rates of references surrounding the ethical oversight of research as reported in current COVID-19-related research publications.

Design

Scoping review.

Setting

Population-based observational or interventional studies from December 2019 to May 2020 with sample size of two or more. Studies were searched through electronic databases including Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials.

Participants

Eligibility criteria included participants within published studies who tested positive for COVID-19.

Main outcomes and measures

Data were extracted and charting methods included taking note of references to ethical frameworks, institutional review board (IRB), ethics committee (EC) or research ethics board (REB) involvement, consent processes, and other variables.

Results

11 556 articles were screened, with 656 included in the final analysis. References to ethics were present in 530 (80.8%) studies, with 491 (74.8%) involving IRB/ECs/REBs and 126 (19.2%) not referencing ethics. Consent processes were outlined in 201 (30.6%) studies, with 198 (30.2%) reporting that they obtained consent waivers, however, 257 (39.2%) did not mention consent at all. Differences (p<0.001) in ethics-related references were apparent when analysed by continent, publication type, sample size and IF.

Conclusions

The majority of published articles pertaining to COVID-19 research made mention of ethical considerations, however, national and regional variations in research ethics review requirements introduce heterogeneity between studies and raise important questions about the conduct of scientific research during global public emergencies.

Trial registration number

Open Science Framework:https://osfio/z67wb.
Application of the PRECEDE–PROCEED model in the development of evidence-informed interventions for drowning prevention: a mixed-methods study protocol
Authors: Guevarra Jonathan P , Peden Amy E , Franklin Richard Charles
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Drowning is a global public health threat, disproportionately impacting low-income and middle-income countries. In the Philippines, it is estimated that more than 5200 people die from drowning per annum. This number is likely to be higher than currently estimated with the inclusion of disaster-related and transportation-related drowning. Drowning is preventable if appropriate preventive interventions are put in place which redress known risk factors.

Methods and analysis

This study uses the PRECEDE–PROCEED model (PPM), an eight-step health promotion planning and evaluation model for building and improving intervention programmes. This mixed-methods study, which can be used in any location, will be implemented in Los Baňos, Laguna, Philippines, identified as an area of concern for drowning. Using the PPM, data on drowning will be collected from death records, community observation, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and community survey. A range of analytical methods will be used to explore drowning data including univariate and χ2 analyses, analysis of variance, relative risk and calculating rates using population data. The quantitative data and themes drawn from qualitative data will be used to populate the first four phases of the PPM. Following the data collection, the remaining stages of the PPM will be designed and implemented in the barangay (village) with the highest drowning rate.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has obtained ethical clearance from the University of the Philippines Manila Research Ethics Board (UPMREB 2017-425-01). Study findings will be disseminated through workshops and presentations to the local community as well as through peer-reviewed literature and conference presentations. The PPM has rarely been applied to drowning prevention and it is the aim that the study described in this protocol is expanded across other areas of the Philippines and to other countries with a high drowning burden to inform prevention efforts.
Physician visits and medication prescriptions for major chronic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: retrospective cohort study
Authors: Osawa Itsuki , Goto Tadahiro , Asami Yuko , Itoh Noriharu , Kaga Yasuyuki , Yamamoto Yuji , Tsugawa Yusuke
Published: July 2021

Objectives

There have been concerns that patients with chronic conditions may be avoiding in-person physician visits due to fear of COVID-19, leading to lower quality of care. We aimed to investigate changes in physician visits and medication prescriptions for chronic diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic at the population level.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Nationwide claims data in Japan, 2018–2020.

Participants

Working-age population (aged 18–74 years) who visited physicians and received any prescriptions for major chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia) before the pandemic.

Outcome measures

The outcomes were the monthly number of physician visits, the monthly proportion of physician visits and the monthly proportion of days covered by prescribed medication (PDC) during the pandemic (April–May 2020, as the first state of emergency over COVID-19 was declared on 7 April, and withdrawn nationally on 25 May).

Results

Among 10 346 patients who visited physicians for chronic diseases before the pandemic, we found a temporary decline in physician visits (mean number of visits was 1.9 in March vs 1.7 in April; p<0.001) and an increase in the proportion of patients who did not visit any physicians during the pandemic (15% in March vs 24% in April; p<0.001). Physician visits returned to the baseline in May (the mean number of visits: 1.8, and the proportion of patients who did not visit any physicians: 9%). We observed no clinically meaningful difference in PDC between before and during the pandemic (eg, 87% in March vs 87% in April; p=0.45). A temporary decline in physician visits was more salient in seven prefectures with a larger number of COVID-19 cases than in other areas.

Conclusions

Although the number of physician visits declined right after the COVID-19 outbreak, it returned to the baseline one month later; patients were not skipping medications during the pandemic.
New ways of working: COVID-19 as a catalyst for change in acute mental health services
Authors: Tong Kezanne , Crudden Genevieve , Tang Wen Xi , McGuinness David , O'Grady Margaret , Doherty Anne M
Published: July 2021

Background

A need arose to divert patients with psychiatric complaints from the emergency department to alternative settings for psychiatric consultations to reduce footfall during COVID-19. We assessed the effectiveness of alternative referral pathway in reducing COVID-19 infection in our service and its effect on service quality: response time and number of patients leaving before the review. We evaluated the satisfaction of patients, general practitioners (GPs) and mental health service staff with the pathway.

Methods

All patients referred to the mental health service over a 2-month period following the introduction of the pathway were included. Findings were compared against the cohort referred for emergency assessment during the same period in 2019. Feedback surveys were distributed to patients, staff and GPs. χ2and independent sample t-test were used to compare the variables.

Results

Over 2 months, 255 patients received an emergency assessment via the pathway, representing a 22.3% decrease in the volume of presentations from the same period in 2019. There were no COVID-19 cases among our patients or staff on the roster for assessing patients. In comparison to 2019, response times were improved (p<0.001), and the numbers of patients who left the hospital before the review were reduced by 3.2% during the study period (p<0.001). Patients and GPs were highly satisfied with the referral pathway and believed that the pathway should be retained post-COVID-19. Mental health service staff were divided in their opinions about its sustainability.

Conclusion

The pathway was successful in reducing the spread of infection, improving response times and reducing the numbers of patients who left without an assessment. Given the improved outcomes and acceptability, this is a preferable pathway for emergency referrals into the future.
Comparison of Dartos flap and spongioplasty in Snodgrass urethroplasty in distal penile hypospadias
Authors: Verma Anju , Murtaza Shahid , Kundal Vijay Kumar , Sen Amita , Gali Divya
Published: July 2021

Background

Hypospadias surgery has been continuously evolving, although there is no single technique which can be said to be perfect and suitable for all types of hypospadias. Tubularized incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty (Snodgrass procedure) is presently the most common surgical procedure performed for distal penile hypospadias (DPH). The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of TIP urethroplasty using Dartos flap (DF) and spongioplasty as second layer in DPH.

Methods

A total of 30 patients of DPH were repaired using TIP urethroplasty with DF or spongioplasty as second layer from January 2017 to June 2018. Out of 30 patients, TIP with DF was done in 15 patients (group A) and TIP with spongioplasty was done in the remaining 15 patients (group B). Preoperative mean age and weight were comparable in both groups. Postoperative complications, namely, postoperative edema, residual chordee, urethrocutaneous fistula (UCF), meatal stenosis and final cosmesis, were recorded.

Results

In both groups, complications included postoperative edema (Gp A-1Gp B-1), residual chordee (Gp A-1, Gp B-1), UCF (Gp A-3, Gp B-4), meatal stenosis (Gp A-1, Gp B-5) and poor cosmesis (Gp A-3, Gp B-4). Wound infection was managed with appropriate antibiotics, and meatal stenosis responded to calibration in five patients.

Although it seems that DF has a better outcome clinically, the difference between the two techniques was statistically not significant.

Conclusion

DF as an additional cover to TIP is associated with an acceptable complication and has good cosmesis compared with spongioplasty; however, the difference is not statistically significant.
Modulational instability and multiple rogue wave solutions for the generalized CBS–BK equation
Authors: Gang Wang , Manafian Jalil , Benli Fatma Berna , İlhan Onur Alp , Goldaran Reza
Published: July 2021

An integrable of the generalized Calogero–Bogoyavlenskii–Schiff–Bogoyavlensky–Konopelchenko (CBS–BK) equation is studied, by employing Hirota’s bilinear method the bilinear form is obtained, and the multiple-soliton solutions are constructed. The modified of improved bilinear method has been utilized to investigate multiple solutions. In addition, some graphs including 3D, contour, density, and [Formula: see text]-curves plots of the addressed equation with specific coefficients are shown. Finally, under certain conditions, the asymptotic behavior of the linearization solution is analyzed to prove that the modulation instability is stable for some points.
How Far Have We Progressed in Identifying Self-admitted Technical Debts? A Comprehensive Empirical Study
Authors: Guo Zhaoqiang , Liu Shiran , Liu Jinping , Li Yanhui , Chen Lin , Lu Hongmin , Zhou Yuming
Published: July 2021

Background.
Self-admitted technical debt (SATD) is a special kind of technical debt that is intentionally introduced and remarked by code comments. Those technical debts reduce the quality of software and increase the cost of subsequent software maintenance. Therefore, it is necessary to find out and resolve these debts in time. Recently, many automatic approaches have been proposed to identify SATD.
Problem.
Popular IDEs support a number of predefined task annotation tags for indicating SATD in comments, which have been used in many projects. However, such clear prior knowledge is neglected by existing SATD identification approaches when identifying SATD.
Objective.
We aim to investigate how far we have really progressed in the field of SATD identification by comparing existing approaches with a simple approach that leverages the predefined task tags to identify SATD.
Method.
We first propose a simple heuristic approach that fuzzily Matches task Annotation Tags (
MAT
) in comments to identify SATD. In nature,
MAT
is an unsupervised approach, which does not need any data to train a prediction model and has a good understandability. Then, we examine the real progress in SATD identification by comparing
MAT
against existing approaches.
Result.
The experimental results reveal that: (1)
MAT
has a similar or even superior performance for SATD identification compared with existing approaches, regardless of whether non-effort-aware or effort-aware evaluation indicators are considered; (2) the SATDs (or non-SATDs) correctly identified by existing approaches are highly overlapped with those identified by
MAT
; and (3) supervised approaches misclassify many SATDs marked with task tags as non-SATDs, which can be easily corrected by their combinations with
MAT
.
Conclusion.
It appears that the problem of SATD identification has been (unintentionally) complicated by our community, i.e., the real progress in SATD comments identification is not being achieved as it might have been envisaged. We hence suggest that, when many task tags are used in the comments of a target project, future SATD identification studies should use
MAT
as an easy-to-implement baseline to demonstrate the usefulness of any newly proposed approach.
Co-design Techniques for and with Children based on Physical Theatre Practice to promote Embodied Awareness
Authors: Schaper Marie-Monique , Pares Narcis
Published: July 2021

Research in Full-Body Interaction suggests the benefits of activities based on using embodied resources to strengthen the sensorimotor, cognitive and socio-emotional aspects of the user experience. However, scholars in this field have been often primarily concerned with the comprehension of and design for the user's mind. Little attention has been drawn on its connection to the bodily experience. The scarcity of adequate co-design methods with and for children to raise an awareness of their body during design risks of deriving interaction design decisions only from the perspective of adult designers. In this article, we present our research on novel co-design techniques to elicit children's embodied awareness. These techniques were analysed in the context of a design workshop series with a local theatre school. For the analysis, we used the Think4EmCoDe research framework, a tool to foreground key aspects of an embodied co-design technique for children. Results indicate the benefits of techniques based on physical theatre practice that (1) help children understand their body and space as mediators of ideas and meaning making processes; (2) allow them to incorporate the specific features of Full-Body Interaction in their co-design.
Specifying with Interface and Trait Abstractions in Abstract State Machines: A Controlled Experiment
Authors: Paulweber Philipp , Simhandl Georg , Zdun Uwe
Published: July 2021

Abstract State Machine (ASM) theory is a well-known state-based formal method. As in other state-based formal methods, the proposed specification languages for ASMs still lack easy-to-comprehend abstractions to express structural and behavioral aspects of specifications. Our goal is to investigate object-oriented abstractions such as interfaces and traits for ASM-based specification languages. We report on a controlled experiment with 98 participants to study the specification efficiency and effectiveness in which participants needed to comprehend an informal specification as problem (stimulus) in form of a textual description and express a corresponding solution in form of a textual ASM specification using either interface or trait syntax extensions. The study was carried out with a completely randomized design and one alternative (interface or trait) per experimental group. The results indicate that specification effectiveness of the traits experiment group shows a better performance compared to the interfaces experiment group, but specification efficiency shows no statistically significant differences. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study studying the specification effectiveness and efficiency of object-oriented abstractions in the context of formal methods.
PLIERS
Authors: Coblenz Michael , Kambhatla Gauri , Koronkevich Paulette , Wise Jenna L. , Barnaby Celeste , Sunshine Joshua , Aldrich Jonathan , Myers Brad A.
Published: July 2021

Programming language design requires making many usability-related design decisions. However, existing HCI methods can be impractical to apply to programming languages: languages have high iteration costs, programmers require significant learning time, and user performance has high variance. To address these problems, we adapted both formative and summative HCI methods to make them more suitable for programming language design. We integrated these methods into a new process, PLIERS, for designing programming languages in a user-centered way. We assessed PLIERS by using it to design two new programming languages. Glacier extends Java to enable programmers to express immutability properties effectively and easily. Obsidian is a language for blockchains that includes verification of critical safety properties. Empirical studies showed that the PLIERS process resulted in languages that could be used effectively by many programmers and revealed additional opportunities for language improvement.
Replicated Computational Results (RCR) Report for“A Practical Approach to Subset Selection for Multi-Objective Optimization via Simulation”
Authors: Andelfinger Philipp
Published: July 2021

In “A Practical Approach to Subset Selection for Multi-Objective Optimization via Simulation,” Currie and Monks propose an algorithm for multi-objective simulation-based optimization. In contrast to sequential ranking and selection schemes, their algorithm follows a two-stage scheme. The approach is evaluated by comparing the results to those obtained using the existing OCBA-m algorithm for synthetic problems and for a hospital ward configuration problem. The authors provide the Python code used in the experiments in the form of Jupyter notebooks. The code successfully reproduced the results shown in the article.
Around-the-Head Tactile System for Supporting Micro Navigation of People with Visual Impairments
Authors: Kaul Oliver Beren , Rohs Michael , Mogalle Marc , Simon Benjamin
Published: July 2021

Tactile patterns are a means to convey navigation instructions to pedestrians and are especially helpful for people with visual impairments. This article presents a concept to provide precise micro-navigation instructions through a tactile around-the-head display. Our system presents four tactile patterns for fundamental navigation instructions in conjunction with continuous directional guidance. We followed an iterative, user-centric approach to design the patterns for the fundamental navigation instructions, combined them with a continuous directional guidance stimulus, and tested our system with 13 sighted (blindfolded) and 2 blind participants in an obstacle course, including stairs. We optimized the patterns and validated the final prototype with another five blind participants in a follow-up study. The system steered our participants successfully with a 5.7 cm average absolute deviation from the optimal path. Our guidance is only a little less precise than the usual shoulder wobbling during normal walking and an order of magnitude more precise than previous tactile navigation systems. Our system allows various new use cases of micro-navigation for people with visual impairments, e.g., preventing collisions on a sidewalk or as an anti-veering tool. It also has applications in other areas, such as personnel working in low-vision environments (e.g., firefighters).
Explicit Modeling of Personal Space for Improved Local Dynamics in Simulated Crowds
Authors: Hesham Omar , Wainer Gabriel
Published: July 2021

Crowd simulation demands careful consideration in regard to the classic trade-off between accuracy and efficiency. Particle-based methods have seen success in various applications in architecture, military, urban planning, and entertainment. This method focuses on local dynamics of individuals in large crowds, with a focus on serious games and entertainment. The technique uses an area-based penalty force that captures the infringement of each entity's personal space. This method does not need a costly nearest-neighbor search and allows for an inherently data-parallel implementation capable of simulating thousands of entities at interactive frame rates. The algorithm reproduces personal space compression around motion barriers for moving crowds and around points of interest for static crowds.
NemFi
Authors: Mishra Abhishek kumar , Ayoubi Sara , Grassi Giulio , Teixeira Renata
Published: July 2021

This paper presents NemFi: a trace-driven WiFi emulator. NemFi is a record-and-replay emulator that captures traces representing real WiFi conditions, and later replay these traces to reproduce the same conditions. In this paper, we demonstrate that the state-of-the-art emulator that was developed for cellular links cannot emulate WiFi conditions. We identify the three key differences that must be addressed to enable accurate WiFi record-and-replay: WiFi packet losses, medium-access control, and frame aggregation. We then extend the existing cellular network emulator to support WiFi record-and-replay. We evaluate the performance of NemFi via repeated experimentation across different WiFi conditions and for three different types of applications: speed-test, file download, and video streaming. Our experimental results demonstrate that average application performance over NemFi and real WiFi links is similar (with less than 3 percent difference).
What Is Cultural Cognition, and Why Does It Matter?
Authors: Rachlinski Jeffrey J.
Published: July 2021

By all accounts, we currently live in a polarized political state in which virtually every fact is contestable. From climate change to vaccine efficacy, people feel free to choose their own facts to support politically charged arguments. Partisans in every area of American life are unable to agree on the basic assumptions underlying political debate. Research on cultural cognition demonstrates that people's political and cultural commitments shape how they process information from news sources, scientists, and public officials, thereby dictating which policies they support and which ones they oppose. When partisan loyalties determine what evidence people will accept, political compromise becomes difficult or even impossible. All is not lost, however. Cultural cognition has a powerful influence, but facts are stubborn things. In some areas of public debate, facts and evidence have overcome political divides. Furthermore, an understanding of the influence of cultural cognition can facilitate remedies to partisanship. This article examines the research that demonstrates the extent of cultural influences on people's understanding of public debates, identifies the limits of cultural cognition, and describes the extent to which cultural cognition itself provides keys to breaking down partisan divides.
Patients with New-Onset Tumor of Severe Coronary Artery Disease May be at a Higher Risk of Arrhythmia
Authors: Alimu Palisha , Yang Dezhi , Zhou Huatao , Wu Yan , Guo Huiping
Published: July 2021

Background. Arrhythmia is one of the causes of death in severe coronary artery disease patients who also suffered from cancer. Our research aims to compare the incidence of arrhythmia between severe coronary artery disease patient with and without new-onset tumor. Methodology. We enrolled 79 patients (December 2019–December 2020) with severe coronary artery disease in this study, and 40 of them were complicated with new-onset tumor. The details of all subjects were thoroughly obtained; the laboratory tests were implemented including creatinine before coronary angiography. The appraisal of the severity of coronary artery disease was applied by Gensini score. The cardiac inspection includes UCG, 12-lead ECG, and Holter monitor. Results. Among them, there were 40 patients in the experimental group and 39 patients in the control group. The difference at the baseline between the two sets of figures was not statistically significant (

P
>
0.05

). The incidence of arrhythmia between the two groups was statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusions. The incidence of arrhythmia in severe coronary artery disease patients who were complicated with new-onset tumor was higher than that in patients with severe coronary artery disease alone, and attention should be paid to arrhythmia before tumor treatment.
Weldability Investigation and Optimization of Process Variables for TIG‐Welded Aluminium Alloy (AA 8006)
Authors: Sathish T. , Tharmalingam S. , Mohanavel V. , Ashraff Ali K. S. , Karthick Alagar , Ravichandran M. , Rajkumar Sivanraju
Published: July 2021

Aluminium and its alloys play a significant role in engineering material applications due to its low weight ratio and superior corrosion resistance. The welding of aluminium alloy is challenging for the normal conventional arc welding processes. This research tries to resolve those issues by the Tungsten Inert Gas welding process. The TIG welding method is an easy, friendly process to perform welding. The widely applicable wrought aluminium AA8006 alloy, which was not considered for TIG welding in earlier studies, is considered in this investigation. For optimizing the number of experiments, the Taguchi experimental design of L9 orthogonal array type experimental design/plan was employed by considering major influencing process parameters like welding speed, base current, and peak current at three levels. The welded samples are included to investigate mechanical characterizations like surface hardness and strengths for standing tensile and impact loading. The results of the investigation on mechanical characterization of permanent joint of aluminium AA8006 alloy TIG welding were statistically analyzed and discussed. The 3D profilometric images of tensile‐tested specimens were investigated, and they suggested optimized process parameters based on the result investigations.
Feature Design Assessment of the Ship Fire Alarm System
Authors: Han Haoyang , Zhang Jundong , Jiang Ruizheng
Published: July 2021

Damages and misfortunes caused by fire on ships have recently accelerated the creation of new approaches, development, and building the security and unchanging quality of the fire detection framework. Simultaneously, with the growing interest in better early fire detection and prevention, numerous frameworks are being created for the detection of progress, with control calculations having the task of carefully preparing and identifying true/false signals from fire or flames or the true alarm from false alarms. By utilizing the assistance provided by innovation, transport owners are more likely to service groups and fleets of ships and reduce potential fire accident costs. This article provides an overview of recent methodologies and technology for early detection of ship fires, as well as an enhanced approach for evaluating the Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) function of an alarming ship using a machine operating simulator called DMS-2017B. The DMS-2017B machinery operation simulator can unify the noise environment to avoid the influence of environmental differences on cabin experimental results. Compared to conventional Binomial Testing, a ship simulator coupled with the theory of affordance that provides a more realistic and operable way to assess the feature design of ship fire alarm and the threshold of some influence factors can also be used. According to the quantitative analysis of experimental results based on the ordered logit model, the function of the ship fire alarm would be improved significantly by adding recorded broadcasting and replacing static symbols with flashing symbols. Increasing sound pressure is also an effective way of doing this, but an auditory threshold is present. Above 75 dB, this effect will fade down, along with noise pollution. However, the effect difference between continuous alarm and square wave pulse alarm is negligible. The conclusion can provide some guidance for the design of a ship fire alarm. An appropriate design is expected to facilitate the efficiency of handling accidents and guiding evacuation.