bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
People, Place, and Connections: Black Cultural Center Staff as Facilitators of Social Capital
Authors: Hypolite Liane I.
Published: December 2019

Black cultural centers (BCCs) have served students on college campuses across the country for over 50 years, but empirical research about the benefits they offer Black students, beyond examples referenced in the conceptual and historical literature, remains limited. As the relevance of BCCs has come into question given financial constraints, more diverse student bodies, and a shift to discontinuing race-specific cultural centers in favor of multicultural centers, rigorous studies about their contributions are needed. Through an ethnographic approach, this investigation explores how a BCC site and its staff act as institutional, cultural, and entrepreneurial agents by facilitating the development of social capital among Black undergraduate students. They do this by (a) serving as conduits for campus services that struggle to reach Black undergraduate students, (b) strategically coordinating resources and relationships among Black organizations to meet the needs of the Black community, and (c) collaborating with peer cultural/identity centers to streamline efforts.
Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-George and the Problem With Black Mozart
Authors: Ledford Julian A.
Published: December 2019

This article discourages the implementation and use of the term Black Mozart as a popular descriptor for, arguably, the most influential Black composer, violinist, and fencer in 18th-century France: Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-George. By theorizing the term Black Mozart in the discursive frameworks of Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, Sartre’s Black Orpheus, and Ter Ellingson’s Myth of the Noble Savage, I reveal the epistemological and ontological problems that the term presents. I find that, while Black Mozart is a clever way of drawing attention to Saint-George’s music and, subsequently, his life, the term occludes the critical treatment of the Black subject to the point of erasure: Saint-George is replaced by a mythicized inferior of the status quo’s perfect symbol of 18th-century classical music. I conclude that by removing the yoke of Mozart’s influence on the reception of Saint-George, we expose him to the fullness of our critical reasoning and restore to him the name he earned for all his talents, trials, and triumphs.
Low-velocity impact behavior of glass fiber epoxy composites modified with nanoceramic particles
Authors: Kallagunta Harish , Tate Jitendra S
Published: December 2019

The introduction of new type of nanomaterials has provided challenges in a deeper level understanding of mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, a comparison of low-velocity impact behavior of E-Glass epoxy composites modified with 10 wt% nanosilica and 2.5 wt% Nafen™ alumina nanofibers manufactured using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding is reported. Low-velocity impact tests at three impact energies of 29 J, 39 J, and 50 J are conducted and impact responses, such as impact strength, absorbed energy, and damage area are determined and compared for the two nanoparticles. The damage sustained by composite samples is evaluated by optical microscopy and infrared thermography. Nanosilica-incorporated composites showed rigid behavior, whereas alumina nanofiber-modified composites showed increased stiffness at increased energy of impact as observed from the initial stiffness and deflection of samples. The degree of damage in case of 10 wt% nanosilica-modified composites is reduced by 7.04%, 3.96%, and 7.92% for energy levels of 29 J, 39 J, and 50 J respectively when compared to nonmodified composites, whereas 2.5 wt% alumina nanofiber-modified composites showed 1.66%, −7.35%, and 26.39% for energy levels of 29 J, 39 J, and 50 J, respectively.
Carbohydrate Metabolism Regulated by Antisense vicR RNA in Cariogenicity
Authors: Lei L. , Zhang B. , Mao M. , Chen H. , Wu S. , Deng Y. , Yang Y. , Zhou H. , Hu T.
Published: December 2019

Streptococcus mutans is a major cariogenic pathogen that resides in multispecies oral microbial biofilms. The VicRK 2-component system is crucial for bacterial adaptation, virulence, and biofilm organization and contains a global and vital response regulator, VicR. Notably, we identified an antisense vicR RNA (AS vicR) associated with an adjacent RNase III–encoding ( rnc) gene that was relevant to microRNA-size small RNAs (msRNAs). Here, we report that ASvicR overexpression significantly impeded bacterial growth, biofilm exopolysaccharide synthesis, and cariogenicity in vivo. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the AS vicR RNA mainly regulated carbohydrate metabolism. In particular, overproducing AS vicR demonstrated a reduction in galactose and glucose metabolism by monosaccharide composition analysis. The results of high-performance gel permeation chromatography revealed that the water-insoluble glucans isolated from AS vicR presented much lower molecular weights. Furthermore, direct evidence showed that total RNAs were disrupted by rnc-encoded RNase III. With the coexpression of T4 RNA ligase, putative msRNA1657, which is an rnc-related messenger RNA, was verified to bind to the 5′-UTR regions of the vicR gene. Furthermore, AS vicR regulation revealed a sponge regulatory-mediated network for msRNA associated with adjacent RNase III–encoding genes. There was an increase in AS vicR transcript levels in clinical S. mutans strains from caries-free children, while the expression of AS vicR was decreased in early childhood caries patients; this outcome may be explored as a potential strategy contributing to the management of dental caries. Taken together, our findings suggest an important role of AS vicR-mediated sponge regulation in S. mutans, indicating the characterization of lactose metabolism by a vital response regulator in cariogenicity. These findings have a number of implications and have reshaped our understanding of bacterial gene regulation from its transcriptional conception to the key roles of regulatory RNAs.
Performance and Priorities: A Cross-sectional Study of Local Health Department Approaches to Essential Public Health Services
Authors: Wallace Megan , Sharfstein Joshua , Lessler Justin
Published: December 2019

Objectives:

Despite a push for increased local public health capacity, no clear baseline for performance of local health departments (LHDs) exists. The objectives of this study were to quantify the self-reported performance of LHDs on the 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHSs) and describe the relationships between performance and characteristics of LHDs.

Methods:

We used data on 2000 LHDs from the 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments survey to develop principal components analysis–based scores to evaluate each LHD on the performance of EPHSs. Scores ranged from 0 to 100. LHDs that performed no activities within an EPHS had a score of 0, and LHDs that performed all activities within an EPHS had a score of 100. We explored the relationships between EPHS scores and LHD characteristics by using multivariate linear regression and cluster analysis.

Results:

Performance scores varied greatly by LHDs and EPHSs; however, LHDs typically scored <50, indicating that they performed fewer than half of the activities evaluated. LHDs that served larger populations (vs smaller populations) and LHDs that had higher per-capita funding (vs lower per-capita funding) had higher EPHS scores. We identified 6 EPHS performance score–based LHD clusters, which suggests similarities in which EPHSs LHDs focused on.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest weaknesses in many LHDs’ fulfillment of the EPHSs, particularly in low-population and low-funding settings. LHDs should be given the resources to increase capacity and ensure the EPHSs are met in communities.
Quantifying Overinsurance Tied to the Tax Exclusion for Employment-Based Health Insurance and Its Variation by Health Status
Authors: Herring Bradley , Trish Erin
Published: December 2019

The exclusion of employment-based health insurance from income and payroll taxes is thought to increase the generosity of insurance coverage and, in turn, increase the overutilization of low-value health care services. We examine this inefficiency of overinsurance by quantifying the change in expected utility across 4 benchmark plans varying in actuarial value (AV) and focus on the distribution of each of these estimates across different groups of people varying in health status. Specifically, we quantify the changes in health care spending due to moral hazard and the changes in uncertainty tied to risk aversion using data from the nationally representative sample of adults with employment-based coverage from the 2007-2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and produce estimates of expected utility for 24 groups of people based on their age, gender, and preexisting conditions. Our model suggests an average preferred AV of 78% without the tax exclusion, with 29.0% of the population preferring a 60% AV, 6.5% preferring a 70% AV, 18.1% preferring an 80% AV, and 46.4% preferring a 90% AV. When incorporating the distortionary effect of the employment-based tax exclusion, the preferred plan increases to an 83% AV for low-income people (with 71.0% of the population preferring a 90% AV) and an 84% AV for high-income people (with 76.0% of the population preferring a 90% AV). We estimate that policy changes to make subsidies independent of a plan’s AV could result in increases in utility equal to about 2.7% of total health care spending, but with those net gains concentrated among the healthy.
Compact of Free Association Migrants and Health Insurance Policies: Barriers and Solutions to Improve Health Equity
Authors: McElfish Pearl A. , Purvis Rachel S. , Riklon Sheldon , Yamada Seiji
Published: December 2019

This commentary outlines the health insurance disparities of Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants living in the United States. Compact of Free Association migrants are citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau who can live, work, and study in the United States without a visa. Compact of Free Association migrants make up a significant proportion of the rapidly growing Pacific Islander population in the United States. This article describes the historical and current relationships between the United States and the Compact nations and examines national policy barriers constraining health insurance access for COFA migrants. In addition, the commentary describes the state-level health policies of Arkansas, Hawai’i, and Oregon, which are the states where the majority of COFA migrants reside. Finally, policy recommendations are provided to improve health equity for COFA migrants.
Juror Perceptions of Intoxicated Suspects’ Interrogation-Related Behaviors
Authors: Mindthoff Amelia , Evans Jacqueline R. , Perez Gissel , Woestehoff Skye A. , Olaguez Alma P. , Klemfuss J. Zoe , Vallano Jonathan P. , Woody William Douglas , Normile Christopher J. , Scherr Kyle C. , Carlucci Marianna E. , Carol Rolando N. , Hayes Timothy , Meissner Christian A. , Michael Stephen W. , Russano Melissa B. , Stocks Eric L.
Published: December 2019

Alcohol-intoxicated suspects’ confessions are admissible in U.S. courts; however, it is unknown how jurors evaluate such confessions. Study 1 assessed potential jurors’ perceptions of intoxication in interrogative contexts. Many respondents were unaware that questioning intoxicated suspects and presenting subsequent confessions in court are legal, and respondents generally reported they would rely less on intoxicated than sober confessions. In Study 2, potential jurors read a case about a defendant who had confessed or not while sober or intoxicated. Participants who read about an intoxicated defendant perceived the interrogation as more inappropriate and the defendant as more cognitively impaired than did participants who read about a sober defendant, and as a result, they were less likely to convict. Furthermore, intoxicated confessions influenced conviction decisions to a lesser extent than did sober confessions. Findings suggest that investigators might consider abstaining from interrogating intoxicated suspects or else risk jurors finding confessions unconvincing in court.
The Making of Music Venues: Inquiries into Global Urban History
Authors: Escher Cornelia , Rempe Martin
Published: December 2019

Music venues form nodal points around which to explore networks of people and the materialization of styles, trends, and ideas. Moreover, they work as condensers, bringing together the domain of aesthetic experience with social, political, and economic factors. Our special section takes these observations as a starting point to study these particular urban spaces, with a special focus on the first half of the long twentieth century. By highlighting agency, the interplay between music and architecture, and the human experience and use of music venues, we will address the making of such venues and their entanglement with urban cultures. Examples include a wide range of venues that provided high culture as well as mass entertainment in Nashville, Montreal, Ankara, and Havana. On a methodological level, the section broadens the field of urban history and at the same time points to some empirical limits of a global urban history. The focus on music venues thus serves as a means to inquire into the transformations of taste, experience, agency, and style in urban cultures, which, in some respects, withstand a “global” explanation.
Demystifying One’s Chances of Acceptance into Clinical PhD Psychology Programs
Authors: Golding Jonathan M. , McGavran Mary Beth , Susman David , Wright Raymond
Published: December 2019

The present study investigated the commonly accepted view from various sources (e.g., American Psychological Association [APA]), which indicates the significant difficulty in being accepted into a PhD in clinical psychology program. Data were collected (total number of applicants, applicants accepted, and number of accepted students who matriculated) from 100 APA-accredited PhD in clinical psychology programs that are also members of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology. These data were used to examine why the probability of acceptance into at least one clinical PhD program may be higher than previously thought. The results showed an acceptance–matriculation discrepancy—the overall number of individuals accepted into clinical psychology PhD programs is higher than that of matriculated students. In addition, being accepted into a clinical PhD program is a function of the number of applications per applicant. The article concludes with a discussion of how applicants to clinical PhD programs should approach the application process.
Caught in the Crunch: School District Financial Condition and Performance
Authors: Kim Youngsung , Sorensen Lucy C.
Published: December 2019

The ability of public organizations under fiscal stress to achieve their goals and maintain public service delivery warrants attention. Using an eleven-year panel of school-district data from New York State, this study examines how different dimensions of financial condition affect district performance. The findings indicate that increasing debt burdens have immediate negative impacts on school-district performance. These adverse impacts may be driven by the cutback strategies that districts choose in response to declining financial conditions. These findings have practical implications for how public organizations can best cope with rising debt while maintaining high performance.
Double-outlet extension for narrowed retroaortic space
Authors: Tarui Suguru , Miyahara Yoshinori , Oyama Nobuo , Fujii Takanari , Ishino Kozo , Tomita Hideshi
Published: December 2019

In cyanotic congenital heart disease, an enlarged aorta often compresses the retroaortic space, resulting in pulmonary artery narrowing. We experienced a case of a 10-year-old boy with severe pulmonary artery stenosis resulting from a narrowed retroaortic space after a Rastelli operation. The right pulmonary artery was closely aligned with the left coronary artery, which made pulmonary artery stenting difficult. We performed surgical repair including aortic extension with an interposition graft and elongation of the right ventricular outflow tract (double-outlet extension). This procedure was effective for enlargement of the retroaortic space and separation of the pulmonary artery from the coronary artery.
Long-term antithrombotic therapy after venous stent placement
Authors: Lin Chenyu , Martin Karlyn A , Wang Mei , Stein Brady L , Desai Kush R
Published: December 2019

Objectives

To examine the prescribing patterns and outcomes of antithrombotic regimens after venous stent placement.

Methods

A total of 87 patients who received inferior vena cava or iliofemoral venous stents were included in the study. A retrospective review was performed to determine the antithrombotic regimens and the subsequent rates of in-stent restenosis, stent thrombosis, and bleeding.

Results

The prescribing patterns of specific antithrombotic regimens were highly variable. In-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis events were observed in 13 of 63 patients (21%) with available follow-up imaging, while major bleeding events were noted in 6 of 87 patients (7%). Triple therapy appeared to reduce the odds of in-stent restenosis/ stent thrombosis when compared to dual antiplatelet therapy (OR = 0.07, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Substantial variability exists in antithrombotic therapy following venous stenting at our institution. This study demonstrated a reduction of in-stent restenosis/thrombosis events when utilizing triple therapy compared to antiplatelet-only regimens. However, larger prospective trials are needed to more accurately determine the relative risks and benefits of each antithrombotic regimen.
Does Government Punish Nonprofits for High Administrative Costs in Contracting Decisions?
Authors: Zhao Jianzhi , Lu Jiahuan
Published: December 2019

As government financing of nonprofit organizations to deliver services and implement policies has become a common practice in the public administration landscape, the question of what factors affect government’s source selection has emerged as a significant one. Within this strand of research, how nonprofits’ administrative costs affect their receipt of government contracts is still not fully understood. This article explores that relationship using a large panel data set of U.S.-based international development nonprofits from 1967 to 2014. Different model specifications consistently demonstrate an inverted U-shaped relationship between a nonprofit’s level of administrative costs and its amount of government contracts. In particular, as a nonprofit’s level of administrative costs increases, its amount of government contracts will initially increase, but after its level of administrative costs reaches approximately 16% to 18% of total expenses, further increases in the nonprofit’s level of administrative costs will reduce its amount of government contracts. These findings have implications for both public and nonprofit management.
Effect of Spatial Structure Defined by Binocular Disparity with Uniform Luminance on Lightness
Authors: Kanari Kei , Kaneko Hirohiko
Published: December 2019

We examined whether lightness is determined based on the experience of the relationship between a scene’s illumination and its spatial structure in actual environments. For this purpose, we measured some characteristics of scene structure and the illuminance in actual scenes and found some correlations between them. In the psychophysical experiments, a random-dot stereogram consisting of dots with uniform distribution was used to eliminate the effects of local luminance and texture contrasts. Participants matched the lightness of a presented target patch in the stimulus space to that of a comparison patch by adjusting the latter’s luminance. Results showed that the matched luminance tended to increase when the target patch was interpreted as receiving weak illumination in some conditions. These results suggest that the visual system can probably infer a scene’s illumination from a spatial structure without luminance distribution information under an illumination–spatial structure relation.
History and philosophy of geography I: Decolonising the discipline, diversifying archives and historicising radicalism
Authors: Ferretti Federico
Published: December 2019

Starting from the conclusion of the previous report by Innes Keighren on the history and philosophy of geography, this report assesses the ‘state of the art’ of current attempts to make this field of studies more inclusive and to foster the increasing acknowledgement of geography’s plural pasts. It does so by analysing scholarship published this year (including contributions from outside the Anglosphere), which rediscovers geographical traditions other than Northern ones, diversifies archives and places by including feminist, decolonial and subaltern outlooks, and addresses geographical traditions in radicalism and activism, increasingly connecting this field of studies with wider scholarly and political debates.
Soil erosion characteristics of three-dimensional overburdened stockpiles
Authors: Luo Han , Lv Jiaorong , Rong Yubo , Xie Yongsheng , Han Jianqiao
Published: December 2019

Overburdened stockpiles, a kind of typical loose mixture composed of different proportions of soil and gravel that are created by various production and construction projects, are one of the main sources of man-made accelerated erosion. Because of their specific source of production and unique three-dimensional shape, overburdened stockpiles often present a peculiar erosion process given rainfall conditions. To study this erosion process, a stockpile platform device was designed and used to simulate three-dimensional overburdened stockpiles. A series of indoor artificially simulated rainfall experiments at different precipitation intensities were conducted using loessial soil with different gravel contents. The following key results were obtained: (a) the runoff rate and flow velocity had the same trend over time – that is, a rapid increase, followed by a slower increase and stabilization, while the three-dimensional shape resulted in smaller numerical values of the Reynolds number and Froude number than a rectangular slope; (b) the sediment yield increased exponentially in response to the increasing rainfall intensity and decreased with increasing gravel content in a logarithmic manner; and (c) stream power could be the optimal factor describing soil erosion because it produced the strongest correlation and fitting degree for soil detachment rate. These findings improve our understanding of the hydraulic characteristics and erosion processes of overburdened stockpiles and also have implications for predictive soil and water loss models.
National and international trends in library and information science research: A comparative review of the literature
Authors: Dora Mallikarjun , Kumar H. Anil
Published: December 2019

The study is an attempt to understand the trends in LIS research by analyzing published literature on the topic. The study identifies and analyses 39 research papers on LIS research trends in various countries, three papers on LIS research trends in regional countries and 13 papers on LIS research trends with an international perspective. The findings of the study reveal that there is a similarity among various countries as far as the LIS research topics are concerned but with a different focus at different periods. While understanding international research trends in LIS, it was interesting to note that the research trend in China was similar to the worldwide research trend while the pattern in other countries differed.
Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Cardiogenic Shock: Lifeline of Modern Day CICU
Authors: Rali Aniket S. , Chandler Jonathan , Sauer Andrew , Solomon Michael A. , Shah Zubair
Published: December 2019

Cardiogenic shock (CS) portends an extremely high mortality of nearly 50% during index hospitalization. Prompt diagnoses of CS, its underlying etiology, and efficient implementation of treatment modalities, including mechanical circulatory support (MCS), are critical especially in light of such high predicted mortality. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) provides the most comprehensive cardiopulmonary support in critically ill patients and hence has seen a steady increase in its utilization over the past decade. Hence, a good understanding of VA-ECMO, its role in treatment of CS, especially when compared with other temporary MCS devices, and its complications are vital for any critical care cardiologist. Our review of VA-ECMO aims to provide the same.
Inferior Vena Cava Volume Is an Independent Predictor of Massive Transfusion in Patients With Trauma
Authors: Chien Chih-Ying , Yan Jiun-Lin , Han Shih Tsung , Chen Jin-Tang , Huang Ting-Shuo , Chen Yu-Hsien , Wang Chih-Yuan , Lee Yueh-Lin , Chen Kuan-Fu
Published: December 2019

Objectives:

Early adequate resuscitation of patients with trauma is crucial in preventing shock and early mortality. Thus, we aimed to determine the performance of the inferior vena cava (IVC) volume and other risk factors and scores in predicting massive transfusion and mortality.

Methods:

We included all patients with trauma who underwent computed tomography (CT) scan of the torso, which included the abdominal area, in our emergency department (ED) from January 2014 to January 2017. We calculated the 3-dimensional IVC volume from the left renal vein to the IVC bifurcation. The primary outcome was the performance of IVC volume in predicting massive transfusion, and the secondary outcome was the performance of IVC volume in predicting 24-hour and 30-day in-hospital mortality.

Results:

Among the 236 patients with trauma, 7.6% received massive transfusions. The IVC volume and revised trauma score (RTS) were independent predictors of massive transfusion (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.79 vs 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.89 vs 1.4-2.47, respectively). Both parameters showed the good area under the curve (AUC) for the prediction of massive transfusion (adjusted AUC: 0.83 and 0.82, 95% CI, 0.74-0.92 vs 0.72-0.93, respectively). Patients with a large IVC volume (fourth quartile) were less likely to receive massive transfusion than those with a small IVC volume (first quartile, ≥28.29 mL: 0% vs <15.08 mL: 20.3%, OR: 0.13, 95% CI, 0.03-0.66).

Conclusions:

The volume of IVC measured on CT scan and RTS are independent predictors of massive transfusion in patients with trauma in the ED.
Prevalence and Factor Structure of PTSD in DSM-5 Versus DSM-IV in a National Sample of Sexual Minority Women
Authors: Kaysen Debra , Rhew Isaac C. , Bittinger Joyce , Bedard-Gilligan Michele , Garberson Lisa A. , Hodge Kimberley A. , Nguyen Amanda J. , Logan Diane E. , Dworkin Emily R. , Lindgren Kristen P.
Published: December 2019

The impact of changes to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic criteria from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) within diverse communities is unclear. Young adult sexual minority women are at high risk for interpersonal violence and other forms of trauma exposure compared with heterosexual populations and sexual minority men. They are also at heightened risk of PTSD. As a result, young adult sexual minority women are a key population of interest when examining the impact of diagnostic criteria changes. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the impact of changes to PTSD diagnostic criteria in sexual minority women. Using an online survey, we administered both the original PTSD Symptom Checklist-S (based on DSM- IV criteria) and a version adapted to assess DSM-5 criteria to a national, nonclinical sample of young adult sexual minority women ( N = 767). The DSM-5 symptom criteria fit the data well in confirmatory factor analysis. Current PTSD prevalence was higher under the DSM-5 diagnostic algorithm compared with DSM- IV (18.6% vs. 22.9%; d = 0.15). Compared with DSM- IV, associations between PTSD and depression were stronger using DSM-5 criteria, whereas associations between PTSD and high-risk drinking were reduced. Findings suggest that changes to PTSD diagnostic criteria do not have a major impact on prevalence of PTSD among sexual minority women but may have some impact on observed comorbidities.
Beyond the In-Person Interview? How Interview Quality Varies Across In-person, Telephone, and Skype Interviews
Authors: Johnson David R. , Scheitle Christopher P. , Ecklund Elaine Howard
Published: December 2019

Conducting qualitative interviews in-person is usually presented as the gold standard, with other modes being seen as inferior. There have been arguments, however, that remote interviews, such as those conducted using the telephone or videoconference technologies, should be seen as equivalent to or even superior to in-person interviews. Evaluations of these claims have been limited by the small number of interviews used to compare modes. We analyze over 300 interviews conducted using three modes: in-person, telephone, and Skype. Our analyses find that in-person interviews have clear advantages when it comes to producing conversation turns and word-dense transcripts and field notes but do not significantly differ from the other two modes in interview length in minutes, subjective interviewer ratings, and substantive coding. We conclude that, although remote interviews might be necessary or advantageous in some situations, they likely do often come at a cost to the richness of information produced by the interviews.
Comparative analyses of experimental and simulated performance of a mixed-mode solar dryer
Authors: Abubakar S , Anafi FO , Kaisan MU , Narayan S , Umar S , Umar UA
Published: December 2019

Agricultural produce upon harvesting have high moisture content which makes it unsafe for storage as the moisture in the crops attracts microorganisms which result in deterioration of the products. A solar dryer was developed, simulated and tested under the weather conditions of Zaria, Nigeria. TRANSYS 16.0 software was used to simulate the collectors’ outlet air temperature. A MATLAB code was written to compute the weight losses of yam slices present in a drying chamber. The computed Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficient of Efficiency values and its corresponding root means square errors between the modelled collector air temperature, and the experimental collector air temperatures confirm the validity of TRANSYS 16 model owing to the good quality of fit between the experimental and the simulated results. Similarly, the computed Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficient of Efficiency values and its corresponding root means square errors between the modelled weight loss of yam slices, and the observed weight loss of yam slices follows the same trend.
New combinational active control strategy for improving aerodynamic characteristics of airfoil and rotor
Authors: Ma Yi-yang , Zhao Qi-jun , Zhao Guo-qing
Published: December 2019

In order to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of rotor, a new active flow control strategy by combining a synthetic jet actuator and a variable droop leading-edge or a trailing-edge flap has been proposed. Their control effects are numerically investigated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The validated results indicate that variable droop leading-edge and synthetic jet can suppress the formation of dynamic stall vortex and delay flow separation over rotor airfoil. Compared with the baseline state, Cdmax and Cmmax are significantly reduced. Furthermore, parametric analyses on dynamic stall control of airfoil by the combinational method are conducted, and it indicates that the aerodynamic characteristics of the oscillating rotor airfoil can be significantly improved when the non-dimensional frequency ( k*) of variable droop leading-edge is about 1.0. At last, simulations are conducted for the flow control of rotor by the combinational method. The numerical results indicate that large droop angle of variable droop leading-edge can better reduce the torque coefficient of rotor and the trailing-edge flap has the capability of increasing the thrust of rotor. Also, the synthetic jet could further improve the aerodynamic characteristics of rotor.
A new curvature-controlled stacking-line method for optimization design of compressor cascade considering surface smoothness
Authors: Zhang Xinyi , Qiang Xiaoqing , Teng Jinfang , Yu Wensheng
Published: December 2019

The paper presents an advanced parametric method of blade stacking lines in terms of sweep and lean based on controlled curvature. To the knowledge of the authors, there is no related approach reported in open literature that uses Bezier spline as the radial curvature distribution to improve the smoothness of the blade surface; most previous studies ignored the discontinuous slopes of curvature of the parametric curves. The parametric method called curvature-controlled stacking-line method (CCSLM) is performed by changing the magnitude of the sweep or lean. A fourth Bezier spline is adopted to define the curvature of spanwise stacking line directly ensuring surface smoothness. Then, the redesign cascades are created by sectional profiles stacked along the radial stacking lines which are obtained by twice integrating the Bezier spline. Then, the advanced method is conducted to optimize a high-subsonic controlled diffusion airfoil at design point, where the blade shape is generated in terms of lean. A single-objective optimization is performed using Kriging model and genetic algorithm to optimize total pressure loss, and the optimized geometry is obtained. The optimization results show that the blade design CCSLM has significant effects on the endwall flow vortex as well as radial loading distribution. The reduction of total pressure loss and secondary flow is also observed, and the aerodynamic performance is well improved compared with the original cascade.
Identification of differential gene expression related to epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy in breast cancer patients
Authors: Peng J , Wang Z , Li Y , Lv D , Zhao X , Gao J , Teng H
Published: December 2019

Background:

Epirubicin is a potent chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer. However, it may lead to cardiotoxicity and cardiomyopathy, and no reliable biomarker was available for the early prediction of epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.

Methods:

Global gene expression changes of peripheral blood cells were studied using high-throughput RNA sequencing in three pair-matched breast cancer patients (patients who developed symptomatic cardiomyopathy paired with patients who did not) before and after the full session of epirubicin-based chemotherapy. Functional analysis was conducted using gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis.

Results:

We identified 13 significantly differentially expressed genes between patients who developed symptomatic epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy and their paired control who did not. Among them, the upregulated Bcl-associated X protein was related to “apoptosis,” while the downregulated 5′-aminolevulinate synthase 2 (ALAS2) was related to both “glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism” and “porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism” in pathway enrichment analysis.

Conclusions:

ALAS2 and the metabolic pathways which were involved may play an important role in the development of epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy. ALAS2 may be useful as an early biomarker for epirubicin-induced cardiotoxicity detection.
Preparation and characterization of hexamethylenediamine-modified graphene oxide/Co-polyamide nanocomposites
Authors: Wang Huixin , Liu Xin , Yang Zhe , He Haifeng , Shao Xiaoyu , Bai Ruiqin
Published: December 2019

The hexamethylenediamine-modified graphite oxide/Co-polyamide (GO-HMD/CO-PA) nanocomposites were successfully produced by solution blending method. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy analyses revealed that GO with a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups was successfully obtained by a modified Hummer’s method. For GO-HMD, the amino and amide bonds were introduced into the GO sheets, making the sheets more incompact, fluffy, and irregular. GO-HMD with a content of less than 1 wt% could be uniformly dispersed in the CO-PA matrix. A series of analysis indicated that the tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation at break of 0.4 wt% GO-HMD/CO-PA increased by 73.4%, 185.9%, and 42.3%, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that GO-HMD played the role of the heterogeneous nucleation in the matrix and could change the crystal type of the polyamide. The T 50% and Td , max of nanocomposites were 14.3°C and 11.8°C higher than pure polyamide, respectively. The nanofiller GO-HMD contributes to the increase of the thermal diffusivity at low temperature.
The Geography of Research Funding: Semantics and Beyond
Authors: Skupien Stefan , Rüffin Nicolas
Published: December 2019

The research on cross-national research cooperation, including the categories of Global South/North, tends to leave out the issue of research funding. However, research funders are no neutral infrastructure by and for the scientific community, but represent societal, political, or economic stakeholders, whose expectations shape funding policy goals and practices. In consequence, funders need to be integrated as intermediary organization when discussing the ideology and effects of geographic pairing. In our article, we develop and sustain the proposition that an analysis of funders’ views is imperative to understand the ways international research collaborations of unequally equipped participants are perceived, maintained, and sometimes reframed over time. Building on interview data and policy documents from six countries, we analyze the semantics employed to make sense of North–South relationships. We find that narratives from development cooperation complement and sometimes supersede the traditionally liberal meta-narrative of scientific collaborations.
Performance of tapered cantilever piezoelectric energy harvester based on Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko Beam theories
Authors: Hajheidari Peyman , Stiharu Ion , Bhat Rama
Published: December 2019

The cantilever beam configuration plays an important role in the power extracted from the vibration-based piezoelectric energy harvesters. Although it has already been proven that triangular and trapezoidal shapes optimize and improve the electrical output of the piezoelectric energy harvesters, the impact of other shapes has not been considered. It is necessary to figure out which shape can provide the maximum amount of power and efficiency, as well. In this article, a complete study regarding the influence of non-uniform theories using both Timoshenko and Euler–Bernoulli beams for both unimorph and bimorph states is carried out. The width and height of the cantilever beams are changed based on the degree of the polynomial function. To solve the equations, finite element method with the application of two different elements including 4-degree-of-freedom model and 8-degree-of-freedom model is adopted. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that by increasing the degree of non-uniformity and slenderness ratio, the amount of harvested electrical output rises. Moreover, the difference between two beam theories is significant for thick beams with small slenderness ratios. In addition, the effects of non-uniformity including the tapering ratio described by polynomial functions on the efficiency of piezoelectric energy harvesters are studied.
“Anything Is Better than Nothing!” Inservice Teacher Preparation for Teaching Students with Disabilities
Authors: Grimsby Rachel
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to examine three elementary music teacher’s perceptions of preparation to work with students with disabilities. Research questions included the following: How do elementary general music teachers define preparedness for working with students with disabilities? What challenges do elementary general music teachers face in their work with students with disabilities? What resources do general music teachers identify as helpful? Based on major themes that emerged from the analysis, I concluded general music teachers need more preservice preparation and ongoing professional development focused on students with disabilities, more time to collaborate with special education professionals, more consistent communications and recommendations about how to work with students who have disabilities, and access to assistive technologies.
Dynamics modeling and control of active track tensioning system for tracked vehicle
Authors: Wang Pingxin , Rui Xiaoting , Yu Hailong , Li Bo
Published: December 2019

Track assemblies are widely used to reduce vehicles’ ground pressure and improve their off-road performance. During off-road, the track tension has a significant effect on the performance of the crawler driving system. Previous control strategies only make use of the motions of partial road wheels. This paper develops a logical improvement to govern the motion of the track tensioner by using all road wheels. First, a dynamic model of the hydraulic-mechanism coupling system is established using the transfer matrix method for multibody systems and pressure-flow equations. Then, in order to get the angle of the idler arm, a modeling method of wheel envelope perimeter is developed, which is based on the locations of all wheels. Simulation results indicate that the control system maintains the wheel envelope perimeter almost constant while road wheels swing and decrease the possibility of peel-off and breakage of the track. It alleviates the track repeated stretch and keeps the tension in a stable range to reduce the fatigue damage. The control strategy can effectively reduce the peak value of the upper track tension during a vehicle passing through obstacles. This study suggests that the active track tensioning system can be implemented to improve the driving properties of tracked vehicles.
Cartilaginous Metaplasia Involving the Atrioventricular Node and Bundle of His Contributing to Sudden Early Neonatal Death
Authors: Szymanski Linda J , Ernst Linda M
Published: December 2019

Cartilaginous metaplasia involving the atrioventricular (AV) node is an uncommon entity that may cause sudden cardiac death secondary to dysrhythmias. We report 2 autopsy cases of full-term male newborns: 1 stillborn and 1 live-born, with antemortem bradycardia who died in the peripartum period. An examination of the cardiac conduction system in both cases demonstrated extensive cartilaginous metaplasia of the central fibrous body and involvement of the AV node and bundle of His. The cases highlight the recognition of cardiac conduction system anomalies as a cause of sudden perinatal death. In cases of perinatal death with preceding arrhythmia, postmortem sections of the cardiac conduction system are recommended to examine for cardiac conduction system anomaly.
Seasonal Variation of Chronic Villitis of Unknown Etiology
Authors: Freedman Alexa A , Goldstein Jeffery A , Miller Gregory E , Borders Ann , Keenan-Devlin Lauren , Ernst Linda M
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Chronic villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) is a chronic inflammatory lesion of the placenta. VUE is hypothesized to result from an alloimmune response or as response to an unidentified infection. Lack of a seasonal trend is thought to support VUE as an alloimmune response, though data on seasonal VUE trends are limited.

Methods

Data were obtained from a hospital in Chicago, Illinois, from 2011–2016. Placentas sent to pathology were reviewed using a standardized protocol, and VUE cases were identified based on an automated text search of pathology records. We used monthly VUE prevalence estimates to investigate the annual trend, and we used Poisson regression to evaluate seasonal variation in the number of VUE cases.

Results

There were 79 825 deliveries within the study period. Pathologists evaluated 12 074 placentas and identified 2873 cases of VUE. Regression results indicate that the risk of VUE is 16% to 17% higher in the fall and winter as compared to the summer (fall relative risk [RR]: 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06–1.29; winter RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05–1.29).

Discussion

Our results suggest that there may be seasonal variation in VUE prevalence, particularly for low-grade VUE. Future studies should evaluate seasonal variation in a representative sample rather than relying on pathology reports to estimate prevalence.
Nano Zero-Valent Aluminum (nZVAl) Preparation, Characterization, and Application for the Removal of Soluble Organic Matter with Artificial Intelligence, Isotherm Study, and Kinetic Analysis
Authors: Mahmoud Ahmed S , Farag Rabie S , Elshfai Maha M , Mohamed Lameas A , Ragheb Safaa M
Published: December 2019

Zero-valent metals proved high reactivity to adsorb and degrade various contaminants removal. The chemically prepared nZVAl was characterized using UV-Vis spectrum, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). This investigation explores the adsorption effect of nZVAl powder toward soluble organic compounds exemplified by chemical oxygen demand (COD) standard solution. The effect of different operating parameters was studied to identify the best removal conditions. All variable and covariable data were introduced to build statistical models. The effect of the operating parameter was studied at different pH (3-10), nZVAl dosages (0.1-0.8 g), at different times (5-120 minutes), stirring rate (50-400 RPM), and initial COD concentration (100-800 mg/L). The obtained results displayed that nZVAl is effective in the removal of standard COD solutions, where the removal percentages were 56% and 96% for 800 ± 18.0 and 100 ± 11.8 mg/L COD, respectively, at 10 minutes after using nZVAl dry dosage 0.6 g/L, pH 8, and rate 100 rpm. Also, the effect of nZVAl on other wastewater contaminants removal was studied and compared with Egyptian law for draining wastewater into nonfresh water (drainage-lakes-ponds) No. 48 of 1982 limits. The results of adsorption isotherm and kinetic model of COD fitted well to Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second order, respectively. Nonlinear artificial intelligence neural network (ANN) importance data agree with linear response surface methodologies (RSM) in simulating the adsorption of COD onto nZVAl indicating that the most significant coverable is adsorbent dose. Finally, this study appropriates using nZVAl in highly contaminated wastewater rather than other chemical and biological processes.
Left Main Coronary Artery Thrombus Diagnosed and Managed With Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography and Fractional Flow Reserve Derived From Computed Tomography
Authors: Almeida Shone O , Ahmed Nasih M , Karlsberg Ronald P
Published: December 2019

Left main coronary artery thrombus (LMCA-T) is a rare disease state and diagnosed with invasive coronary angiography (ICA). We present a case of LMCA-T diagnosed with coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and treated without ICA in a patient who presented to a hospital in the middle of war zone in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. Coronary CTA performed 1 month later demonstrated resolution of the thrombus. Fractional flow reserve computed from computed tomography (FFR-CT; HeartFlow, Redwood City, CA) performed retrospectively confirmed that the clot was not hemodynamically significant at the time of diagnosis. This case demonstrates the diagnostic capabilities of coronary CTA and FFR-CT when ICA is not readily available.