bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Comparison of Color Stability of Aloe Vera Gel and Chlorhexidine Solution on Acrylic Teeth
Authors: Mahboub Farhang , Nourizadeh Amin , Izadpanah Armin
Published: October 2022

Background. There is insufficient knowledge about aloe vera color change property on acrylic teeth compared to other denture cleaners, especially chlorhexidine solution (CHX). Objective. The present study aimed to compare the color change property of the aloe vera and chlorhexidine solution on denture acrylic teeth. Methods. This study was experimental in vitro study design conducted in the dental laboratory of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2021. The sample size in each group was 21 acrylic teeth which were randomly divided into aloe vera gel 100% and chlorhexidine solution 2% groups. Tooth colors were measured by a spectrophotometer (Spectro Shade Micro, MHT S.P.A., Milan, Italy). The immersion time in both groups was 36 hours. Data analyzed using an independent t-test was used at a 95% of confidence level. Results. The comparison of the total color differences (ΔE) between the two groups was not statistically significant after 36 hours of immersion (P=0.440). In the chlorhexidine group, the brightness of teeth was lower than that in the aloe vera group (P=0.002). Conclusions. Clinicians should be aware that aloe vera gel does not change the color of denture acrylic teeth after 36 hours of immersion similar to the chlorhexidine solution. For patients who cannot use chlorhexidine, aloe vera gel is a good cleaner for denture acrylic teeth without worrying about the color change of the denture. It can be considered an acceptable cleaner for denture acrylic teeth.
Guillain–Barré Syndrome Associated with COVID-19 in a Japanese Male
Authors: Esa Yoshiki , Kajiyama Yuta , Kaido Misako , Watanabe Yushi , Fujimura Harutoshi , Gohma Iwao , Takahashi Kenichi , Kobayashi Junya
Published: October 2022

April 2021 saw a widespread outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Osaka, Japan. We encountered the case of a 52-year-old man who had Guillain–Barré syndrome associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). After the relief of the respiratory symptoms owing to COVID-19, the patient experienced muscle weakness, which spread from his fingers to his extremities, and was unable to walk. Further examinations revealed mild protein elevation in the cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, nerve conduction studies showed demyelinating polyneuropathy, leading to the diagnosis of Guillain–Barré syndrome. After the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin and intravenous methylprednisolone, his symptoms drastically improved, and he was able to walk unaided 21 days after the onset of symptoms. On day 40, the patient was discharged with minimal muscle fatigue. Because Guillain–Barré syndrome associated with COVID-19 is expected to have a good prognosis, early diagnosis and treatment are important. Therefore, Guillain–Barré syndrome should be considered as a possible factor for muscle weakness during and after COVID-19 treatment.
High Level Bioaerosol Protection against Infective Aerosols: How Medical Face Masks Compare against Respirators
Authors: Sterr Christian M. , Dick Aline , Schellenberger Lena , Zirbes Julian , Nonnenmacher-Winter Claudia , Günther Frank
Published: October 2022

Face masks and respirators are commonly used to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases that spread by respiratory droplets and aerosols. However, there is still uncertainty about the protective effect of the different types of masks against virus containing aerosols. To determine the as-worn bioaerosol protection efficacy of different face coverings and estimate the possible protective function against airborne diseases, we challenged different respirators and medical masks on a standardized dummy head with a bioaerosol containing MS2 bacteriophages as virus surrogates. In our experiments, FFP2 respirators showed the highest filtration efficacy 94 ± 4 (SD) % followed by medical masks 93 ± 3 (SD) % and KN95 respirators 90 ± 7 (SD) %. Nevertheless, we found no statistically significant difference between respirators and medical masks in terms of provided protection against infective aerosols. Our findings indicate that both respirators and medical masks provide a high as-worn bioaerosol protection efficacy against virus containing aerosols, and therefore, a very high protection against airborne diseases. Considering the higher comfort, better availability, and lower price of medical masks in contrast to respirators, it is recommendable to use medical face masks especially in low risk situations and in general public.
GloVe-CNN-BiLSTM Model for Sentiment Analysis on Text Reviews
Authors: Xiaoyan Li , Raga Rodolfo C. , Xuemei Shi
Published: October 2022

Nowadays, social media networks generate a tremendous amount of social information from their users. To understand people’s views and sentimental tendencies on a commodity or an event timely, it is necessary to conduct text sentiment analysis on the views expressed by users. For the microblog comment data, it is always mixed with long and short texts, which is relatively complex. Especially for long text data, it contains a lot of content, and the correlation between words is more complex than that in short text. To study the sentiment classification of these mixed texts composed of long-text and short-text, this research proposes an optimized GloVe-CNN-BiLSTM-based sentiment analysis model. In this model, GloVe is used to vectorize words, and CNN is given to represent part space character. BiLSTM is used to build temporal relationship. Twitter’s comment data on COVID-19 is used as an experimental dataset. The results of the experiments suggest that this method can effectually identify the sentimental tendency of users’ online comments, and the accuracy of sentiment classification on complete-text, long-text, and short-text can achieve to 0.9565, 0.9509, and 0.9560, respectively, which is obviously higher than other deep learning models. At the same time, experiments show that this method has good field expansion.
New Rayleigh Flexible Weibull Extension (RFWE) Distribution with Applications to Real and Simulated Data
Authors: Javed Muneeb , Asim Syed Muhammad , Khalil Alamgir , Shah Said Farooq , Almaspoor Zahra
Published: October 2022

The Rayleigh flexible Weibull extension (RFWE) distribution, a new three-parameter model introduced in this paper, is a generalization of the flexible Weibull extension. This model produces best fit for failure time of electronic device obtained from power-linkage voltage spikes during electronic storms. We derive the statistical properties of the RFWE distribution. The parameters of this new distribution are estimated using the maximum likelihood method, which also yielded asymptotic confidence bounds. This model is examined using both real and simulated data. Under various priors, an additional Bayesian estimate is also carried out. The Bayes estimates and other posterior results are calculated using simulations.
Acupuncture Inhibits Morphine Induced-Immune Suppress via Antioxidant System
Authors: Zhao Rong Jie , Lee Dae Geon , Park Chan Sik , Yang Chae Ha , Kim Hee Young , Lee Mi Young , Song Chang-Hyun , Cho Il Je , Chan Kim Sang , Ku Sae Kwang , Lee Bong Hyo
Published: October 2022

Objectives. A powerful analgesic called Morphine causes addiction behaviors and immune suppression as a potential oxidative stressor. Acupuncture showed to inhibit oxidative stress-induced hepatic damage, regulate reactive oxygen species, and attenuate morphine addiction behaviors. Therefore, we investigated the potential effects of acupuncture on morphine-induced immune suppression. Materials and Methods. Rats received morphine intravenously through implanted catheters for 3, 7, or 21 days to determine the optimal condition for morphine-induced immune suppression. Second, we examined whether intravenous (iv.) or intraperitoneal (ip.) administration produced different results. Third, the effects of acupuncture in rats who received morphine for 21 days were investigated. Spleen and submandibular lymph node (S-LN) weights and natural killer (NK) cell activity were measured, and the white pulp diameter, total and cortical spleen thicknesses, and the number of lymphoid follicles in S-LNs were examined. The number of immunoreactive cells was also measured. Results. Decreased organ weights and increased atrophic changes were observed as morphine-induced immune suppression. However, dose-dependent increased immune suppression was not observed between 5.0 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg of morphine. And, 3-day withdrawal did not affect. Similar histopathological findings were observed in 5.0 and 10.0 ip. rats when compared to equal dosages of iv., respectively. The morphine induced-immune suppression evidenced by spleen and left S-LN weights, splenic NK cell activities, histopathological findings, and the immunoreactive cell number were normalized by acupuncture. Conclusion. These results indicate that acupuncture inhibits morphine-induced immune suppression, maybe via antioxidative action.
Computing some Laplacian Coefficients of Forests
Authors: Ghalavand Ali , Ashrafi Ali Reza
Published: October 2022

Let

G

be a finite simple graph with Laplacian polynomial

ψ

G
,
λ

=

∑

k
=
0

n

−
1

n
−
k

c

k

λ

k

. In an earlier paper, the coefficients

c

n
−
4

and

c

n
−
5

for forests with respect to some degree-based graph invariants were computed. The aim of this paper is to continue this work by giving an exact formula for the coefficient

c

n
−
6

.
Combined AGADESN with DBSCAN Algorithm for Cluster Target Motion Intention Recognition
Authors: Xue Xirui , Huang Shucai , Wei Daozhi
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we consider the problem of motion intention recognition for cluster targets with splitting behaviour and lack of motion prior information. This is a challenge to the classical Bayesian inference based intention recognition algorithms because they rely heavily on a priori knowledge. In order to solve these problems, a joint algorithm of deep echo state network optimized by adaptive genetic algorithm (AGADESN) and DBSCAN clustering algorithm is proposed in this paper. We use improved Olfati-Saber model with direction noise to generate cluster motion and use the cluster motion data to drive AGADESN algorithm to predict cluster destination, which achieves higher destination prediction accuracy than DESN algorithm. We innovatively design the motion similarity distance (MSD) and take the destination prediction output as one of the distance inputs, alleviating the lack of differentiation among different cluster targets caused by only relying on speed and position distance at the early stage of cluster motion. Based on the MSD, DBSCAN clustering algorithm is used to identify clusters in the field of view to determine whether splitting behaviour occurs. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in cluster target motion intention recognition and its superiority over DESN algorithm and DBSCAN algorithm only based on speed and position distance.
Gualou Guizhi Decoction Improves Glucose Metabolism and Alleviates Microglia-Associated Inflammation after Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Zhang Jizhou , Han Jing , Zou Jun , Jiang Chang , Zhou Chunquan
Published: October 2022

Background. The classical prescription Gualou Guizhi decoction (GL), a mixture of Radix Trichosanthis, Ramulus Cinnamomi, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, and Fructus Ziziphus Jujuba, was clinically used in the treatment of limb spasms after stroke and has achieved remarkable therapeutic effects. However, the underlying mechanism still needs to be further explored. Methods. Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) in Sprague-Dawley rats was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by filament removal. GL was intragastrically administered once daily for 7 or 14 consecutive days. The effect of GL on neurobehavioral impairment was evaluated. 18F-FDG micro-PET imaging was used to detect the effects of GL on glucose utilization in neural cells after CI/R. Immunohistochemical staining of glucose transporter 1 (Glut-1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule-1 (Iba-1) was further performed to show the effects of GL on cerebral glucose transport and the activation of inflammatory-related glial cells. Markers related to the microglial subtype were also assessed to investigate the effects of GL on microglia polarization. Results. Neurological deficits induced by CI/R were significantly improved by GL administration. GL restored the glucose uptake in the ischemic hemisphere. Glut-1, the major glucose transporter in the brain, was significantly increased after GL treatment. Moreover, GL mitigated the activation of astrocytes and microglia after CI/R. Furthermore, GL significantly decreased proinflammatory M1-type microglial markers TNF-α and iNOS, while increasing anti-inflammatory M2 microglial markers CD206 and Arg-1. Conclusion. GL enhanced the uptake and utilization of glucose in neural cells after CI/R. It exerted significant anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the polarization of microglia. These results provided further evidence supporting the clinical application of GL in the treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke.
View of the Renin-Angiotensin System in Acute Kidney Injury Induced by Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Karimi Farzaneh , Maleki Maryam , Nematbakhsh Mehdi
Published: October 2022

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI) is a sequence of complicated events that is defined as a reduction of the blood supply followed by reperfusion. RIRI is the leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Among the diverse mediators that take part in RIRI-induced AKI, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role via conventional (angiotensinogen, renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin (Ang) II, and Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R)) and nonconventional (ACE2, Ang 1-7, Ang 1-9, AT2 receptor (AT2R), and Mas receptor (MasR)) axes. RIRI alters the balance of both axes so that RAS can affect RIRI-induced AKI. In overall, the alteration of Ang II/AT1R and AKI by RIRI is important to consider. This review has looked for the effects and interactions of RAS activities during RIRI conditions.
Extraction and Characterisation of Avocado Seed Starch, and Its Blend with Enset Cellulosic
Authors: Alemu Negese , Balakrishnan Subramanian , Debtera Baru
Published: October 2022

Avocado seed starch was extracted to prepare a biodegradable plastic film with enset cellulosic reinforcement and glycerol plasticiser. The characterisations were made in detail. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), rheometer, and Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) techniques were employed to characterise the physicochemical properties of avocado seed starch, enset cellulosic, and the blend. Starch and enset cellulosic extraction yields are 18.3 ± 0.02% and 67.5 ± 0.08%, respectively. As a result, avocado seed starch and enset cellulosic blend can be used as alternative raw materials to develop biodegradable plastics.
Imaging of Alternobaric Facial Palsy: An Etiologic Hypothesis
Authors: Lovin Benjamin D. , Page Joshua Cody , Vrabec Jeffrey T.
Published: October 2022

Objective:

To report a case of alternobaric facial palsy (AFP) with a hyperpneumatized temporal bone and to review the relevant literature in order to propose a new facet of AFP pathogenesis.

Methods:

A patient with a hyperpneumatized temporal bone was found to have recurrent episodes of facial palsy associated with air travel. Systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase characterized all articles related to transient facial palsy associated with altitude changes or diving with a focus on demographics and imaging findings.

Results:

A 25 year-old male was referred for recurrent facial palsy associated with commercial air travel. Imaging demonstrated a hyperpneumatized and well-aerated temporal bone. Total air cell volume was calculated to be 8.59 cc on the affected side. A systematic review of the literature identified 49 cases of AFP. Mean age was 34 years old and 80% were male. Twelve cases had imaging of the temporal bone for evaluation, of which 85% demonstrated at least 1 area of hyperpneumatization. Hyperpneumatization was most frequently encountered in the mastoid, zygomatic root, and inferior petrous apex.

Conclusion:

Hyperpneumatization of the temporal bone is critical to AFP etiology as it predicts higher middle ear pressure, if atmospheric pressure changes cannot be equilibrated, via reduced efficacy of normal tympanic membrane pressure buffering. This hypothesis helps to better account for the rarity of the condition and male preponderance.
Procedural Pain Management During Tenotomy for Congenital Talipes Equinovarus
Authors: Moss Kate N. , Hennessy Pamela A. , McCormick Marianne , Doumit Michael A.
Published: October 2022

The majority of infants with congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) require tenotomy of the tendoachilles. The pain response of this procedure in the awake infant has not been previously reported. In this observational study, multimodal pain management strategies, including oral sucrose, oral paracetamol, topical anesthetic, local anesthetic, a pacifier (dummy), and swaddling, were used. Physiological responses and pain were recorded. Pain was rated out of 10 at regular intervals, using the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scale. Ninety-one infants (65 men, mean age = 53 days, range = 19-217 days) were observed. At baseline, median FLACC, heart rate (HR), and oxygen saturation (Spo2) were 1, 159, and 97% respectively. Peak median FLACC and HR were 9 and 200, respectively, and lowest median Spo2 was 92%. The median (interquartile range) time for FLACC to return to 3 or less was 2 (2-5) minutes. Achilles tenotomy for CTEV in the awake infant is associated with high pain levels despite provision of multimodal pain relief measures.
Examining Avoidance, Victimization Risk, and Perceptions of Community Safety in Latinx Communities
Authors: Yohros Alexis , Geisler Isabel , Lockwood Sarah , Miller Emelyn , Wills Candence , Farrell Amy , Cuevas Carlos
Published: October 2022

Latinx adults are increasingly avoiding formal authorities, local services, and community engagement out of fear of victimization and deportation. Increased distrust and fear of authorities threaten to erode individual and community feelings of safety. While crime prevention scholarship identifies community efficacy, local engagement, and bonds to formal institutions as critical components to creating safety within local communities, there is little research to date on how avoidance in response to victimization impacts these processes. This study utilized data from 53 qualitative interviews of Latinx adults to understand the ways that bias victimization and discrimination alter feelings of community safety. Participants expressed distrust of formal institutions and decreased community engagement. They also leveraged informal networks like friends and family, emphasizing the nuanced impact of avoidance on community organization.
Honor Killings in the United States From 1990 to 2021: Primary Victims and Corollary Victims
Authors: van Baak Carlijn , Hayes Brittany E. , Freilich Joshua D. , Chermak Steven M.
Published: October 2022

Although honor killings often include multiple fatalities in the U.S., the situational circumstances of why these offenders target corollary victims remain unknown. We used open-source data from the U.S. Extremist Crime Database to qualitatively examine 66 primary and corollary victims of 26 honor killings in the U.S. between 1990 and December 2021. One third of the cases involved corollary victims, and half of all victims were corollary victims. Corollary victims were especially common when the primary victim was the offender’s (ex-)partner. These findings add to the growing body of knowledge that recognizes similarities between IPHs and honor killings.
The Temporal (In)Stability of Violent Crime Hot Spots Between Months and The Modifiable Temporal Unit Problem
Authors: Deckard Mica , Schnell Cory
Published: October 2022

Research on the concentration and stability of crime patterns at micro-places primarily examines years as the temporal unit of observation. This study examines temporal patterns between months to explore the impact of the modifiable temporal unit problem (MTUP). We analyzed 26,555 violent crime incidents reported to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department from a 60-month observation period and geocoded these incidents to 14,106 street segments. Street segments with crime experienced these incidents across a small number of months and there is much variability in which locations are hot spots between months. Only a small number of street segments experienced a seasonal pattern between months with most locations having complete instability or unpredictability in the months when crime does occur.
Si-based self-programming neuromorphic integrated circuits for intelligent morphing wings
Authors: Nathan Dhruva , Deo Atharva , Haughn Kevin , Yi Suin , Lee Jungmin , Gao Dawei , Shenoy Rahul , Xu Mingjie , Tran Ich C , Zheng Jian-Guo , Rong Zixuan , Wang Mingyu , Shaffer Christopher M , Wu Chen , Topac Tanay , Chen Xiyuan , He Lei , Chang Fu-Kuo , Williams R Stanley , Inman Daniel J , Chen Yong
Published: October 2022

Unlike artificial intelligent systems based on computers, which must be programmed for specific tasks, the human brain can learn in real-time to create new tactics and adapt to complex, unpredictable environments. Computers embedded in artificial intelligent systems can execute arbitrary inference algorithms capable of outperforming humans at specific tasks. However, without real-time self-programming functionality, they must be preprogrammed by humans and will likely to fail in unpredictable environments beyond their preprogrammed domains. In this work, a Si-based synaptic resistor (synstor) was developed by integrating Al2Ox/TaOy materials to emulate biological synapses. The synstors were characterized, and their operation mechanism based on the charge stored in the oxygen vacancies in the Al2Ox material was simulated and analyzed, to understand the inference, learning, and memory functions of the synstors. A self-programming neuromorphic integrated circuit (SNIC) based on synstors was fabricated to execute inference and learning algorithms concurrently in real-time with an energy efficiency more than six-orders of magnitudes higher than those of standard digital computers. The SNIC dynamically modified its algorithm in a real-time learning process to control a morphing wing, thus successfully improving its lift-to-drag force ratio and recovering the wing from stall in complex aerodynamic environments. The synaptic resistor circuits can potentially circumvent the fundamental limitations of computers, thus providing a platform analogous to neurobiological network with real-time self-programming functionality for artificial intelligent systems.
Weave technologies and impact performance of varied shaped cellular textile composites
Authors: Gong Xiaozhou , Qin Zhuo , Hu Han , Lin Zhiqiang , Lin Fushen , Xie Junbo
Published: October 2022

Cellular structural composites have been widely used in aerospace, radar satellite, rocket missile, automobile, ship, rail transit, construction, and packaging engineering etc. Textile reinforced composite is a niche market of the composites family with its advantages of light weight and good mechanical properties. In this article, textile reinforced cellular composites are fabricated and tested under low velocity impact to investigate their energy absorption performances by experimental method. Cellular structure fabric with internal tunnels of triangle, hexagon, trapezoid, and mixed shapes are weaved and consolidated by epoxy resin. The cellular structure composites are impacted under low velocity impact and it is verified that the four types of composites are show different impact performances. The triangle cell composite is sensitive to the out-coming penetration, while the trapezoid cell material is flexible to deform to absorb the energy. The other two structure cell composites are easily damaged by the output impact. The outcomes of this research study provide experimental results for the future investigation of similar composite materials.
Thermal property evaluation of the multilayer bionic tree-like woven fabric by mathematic model
Authors: Zhang Shengyu , Li Yaping , Huang Dongwei , Fan Jie
Published: October 2022

The thermal property of the functional bionic fabric is affected significantly by the asssembly of the yarns aggregation and the thermal property of the yarns that constructed the fabric. In this study, a thermal resistence model of the n-layer bionic fabric was proposed based on the geometrical configuration of yarns in each fabric layer. According to the Fourier law, thermal resistance equation and the effective thermal resistance equation of the n-layer bionic fabric were obtained as a function of the yarn diameter, the number of fabric layers, and the thermal conductivity of yarn. The results suggested that the aggregation of yarn in the fabric has a great effect on the thermal property of the fabric. In comparison with the control fabric, the bionic fabric with continuous yarn that constructed the tree-like structure in the thickness direction of the fabric presents a much lower thermal resistence with less than four fabric layers, and a higher thermal resistance when the number of fabric layers is greater than four. Moreover, the results revealed the analytical relationship between the bionic fabric and the thermal conductivity of yarn, the thickness of yarn, and the number of fabric layers. Experimental results agreed well with the theoretical prediction. This model provides a convenient method for thermal property prediction and optimization of the fabrics with complex configuration, and this method could equally well apply to investigate the thermal property of other woven fabrics.
Needle selector failure detection based on piezoelectric sensor and driver co-location characteristics
Authors: Peng Laihu , Qi Yubao , Zhong Yaosen , Sun Yuan , Ru Xin
Published: October 2022

Aiming at the problem of the malfunction of knitting machines caused by the unstable operation of the piezoelectric needle selector during the jacquard process, a state detection scheme for the piezoelectric needle selector that integrates the sensor and drive function co-located is proposed. The motion state of bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beam and its bi-directional piezoelectric effect in the jacquard process of piezoelectric needle selector are analyzed. Electrical and dynamic models were established for the electrical characteristics inside the bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beam and the dynamic characteristics of the cutter head and baffle of the needle selector. The signal detection circuit is designed to realize the real-time detection of the piezoelectric needle selector state by analyzing the time domain and frequency domain characteristics of the electrical signal. The results show that in the normal working state of the piezoelectric needle selector, the internal electric signal of the piezoelectric driver has two characteristic frequencies, which are between 155 and 180 and between 1630 and 1670 Hz, and the time for the piece to swing to the limit position is relatively long under abnormal working conditions.
Sparse Data Reconstruction, Missing Value and Multiple Imputation through Matrix Factorization
Authors: Sengupta Nandana , Udell Madeleine , Srebro Nathan , Evans James
Published: October 2022

Social science approaches to missing values predict avoided, unrequested, or lost information from dense data sets, typically surveys. The authors propose a matrix factorization approach to missing data imputation that (1) identifies underlying factors to model similarities across respondents and responses and (2) regularizes across factors to reduce their overinfluence for optimal data reconstruction. This approach may enable social scientists to draw new conclusions from sparse data sets with a large number of features, for example, historical or archival sources, online surveys with high attrition rates, or data sets created from Web scraping, which confound traditional imputation techniques. The authors introduce matrix factorization techniques and detail their probabilistic interpretation, and they demonstrate these techniques’ consistency with Rubin’s multiple imputation framework. The authors show via simulations using artificial data and data from real-world subsets of the General Social Survey and National Longitudinal Study of Youth cases for which matrix factorization techniques may be preferred. These findings recommend the use of matrix factorization for data reconstruction in several settings, particularly when data are Boolean and categorical and when large proportions of the data are missing.
Insights From the Health Profession Opportunity Grant Program’s Three-Armed, Multi-Site Experiment for Policy Learning and Evaluation Practice
Authors: Peck Laura R. , Bruck Hilary , Constance Nicole
Published: October 2022

Administered by the Office of Family Assistance in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program provided education and training to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other adults with low incomes for occupations in the healthcare field. The impact evaluation for the first cohort of grantees (HPOG 1.0) leveraged the program’s implementation across many locations, using a three-armed evaluation design (including a second treatment arm) in some places, as a way to examine whether any of three selected program components, or enhancements, contributed to the program’s overall impact. This article tells the story of the evaluation and draws lessons from that experience, discussing implications for future implementation of multi-armed experiments in a multi-site evaluation.
Emergency Responses Under COVID-19: Development Assistance, ‘Structural Violence’, and ‘Interpretive Labour’ in Samoa
Authors: Blunt Peter , Escobar Cecilia , Missos Vlassis
Published: October 2022

Data gathered in Samoa before and after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020 compare and contrast the nature and extent of ‘structural violence’ perpetrated by ‘egoistic’ bilateral development assistance. Despite much higher risks and costs to aid recipients than under normal circumstances, during the pandemic, donor control in ‘increasingly detailed and encompassing ways’ and donor use of ‘technical discourse’ to conceal ‘hidden purposes of bureaucratic power or dominance’ both increased significantly. Pandemic-induced opportunistic abandonments by donor governments of neoliberal policy principles did not ameliorate such structural violence. Individual differences among donor officials affected how control was exercised and whether host-government ‘ownership’ and ‘leadership’ of development assistance was flouted peremptorily, or denied more subtly and politely (with ‘warm regards’); and they influenced the volume and complexity of ‘interpretive labour’ required of resistance. But donor domination and control were undiminished by any of this. ‘Bullshit’ jobs and the blind allegiance of their (donor) incumbents were crucial to the realisation of such ends. The findings reconfirm the embeddedness of the neoliberal order and shed light on the character of its deep-seated bureaucratic resistance to change.

JEL: F35, F54, F55, O19, O20, O22, P48
Sleep efficiency and naturalistically-observed social behavior following marital separation: The critical role of contact with an ex-partner
Authors: Coppola Andrea M. , Mehl Matthias R. , Tackman Allison M. , Dawson Spencer C. , O’Hara Karey L. , Sbarra David A.
Published: October 2022

Marital disruption is associated with increased risk for a range of poor health outcomes, including disturbed sleep. This report examines trajectories of actigraphy-assessed sleep efficiency following marital separation as well as the extent to which daily social behaviors and individual differences in attachment explain variability in these trajectories over time. One hundred twenty-two recently-separated adults ( N = 122) were followed longitudinally for three assessment periods over 5 months. To objectively assess daily social behaviors and sleep efficiency, participants wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) during the day (for one weekend at each assessment period) and an actiwatch at night (for 7 days at each assessment period). Greater time spent with an ex-partner, as assessed by the EAR, was associated with decreased sleep efficiency between participants ( p = .003). Higher attachment anxiety was also associated with decreased sleep efficiency ( p = .03), as was the EAR-observed measure of “television on.” The latter effect operated both between ( p = .004) and within participants ( p = .005). Finally, study timepoint moderated the association between EAR-observed television on and sleep efficiency ( p = .007). The current findings deepen our understanding of sleep disturbances following marital separation and point to contact with an ex-partner and time spent with the television on as behavioral markers of risk.
Ketamine infusion for sedation in a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
Authors: Farrokh Salia , Kim Bo Soo , Cho Sung-Min
Published: October 2022

Introduction: we sought to explore the efficacy of ketamine in a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) receiving ketamine for sedation by investigating the utility of plasma ketamine concentrations.

Case report: retrospective chart review of one critically ill patient on ECMO

Discussion: This was a descriptive review of serial plasma ketamine concentrations in an ECMO patient. Although no reference plasma concentrations exist in ECMO patients, ketamine levels appeared to be lower than those seen in surgical patients not on ECMO.

Conclusion: At this point, no reference plasma concentrations exist for ketamine in ECMO patients, further research may help understand the effects of ECMO on ketamine disposition and that lower ketamine concentrations may be used for effective analgesia or sedation.
Advances in the Technical Adequacy of the Early Problem-Solving Indicator Progress Monitoring Measure for Infants and Toddlers
Authors: Walker Dale , Buzhardt Jay , Jia Fan , Schnitz Alana , Irvin Dwight W. , Greenwood Charles R.
Published: October 2022

Engaging, focusing, and persisting in the completion of tasks are among the skills needed for school success. Tracking whether a child is learning cognitive problem-solving skills is essential in knowing if they are acquiring skills important for development and school readiness; and if not, how they are responding to early intervention. Use of the Early Problem-Solving Indicator (EPSI) was documented by data for 2,614 children (6–42 months of age) collected by the early childhood staff from 45 programs. Results indicated that the EPSI was (a) scalable across programs, assessors, and assessment occasions, (b) reliable, (c) sensitive to growth over months of age, (d) comprised a dynamic continuum of skills within and across skills over time, and (e) moderated by children’s disability status but not gender or home language. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Congenital esophageal stenosis caused by tracheobronchial remnants: a case report
Authors: Gao Zhihong , Wang Lingyan , Liu Huaijun , Zhang Xia
Published: October 2022

We describe a case of congenital esophageal stenosis in which the patient underwent ineffective balloon dilatation twice and eventually required surgery. The case was initially misdiagnosed as achalasia. Pathological findings revealed tracheobronchial remnants (TBRs) in the muscular layer of strictured esophageal tissue. Most TBR strictures are located in the middle and lower thirds of the esophagus. Esophagography is the main examination method for esophageal stricture, and the appearance of the “rat tail sign” is a key diagnostic indicator. Endoscopic ultrasonography can reveal hypoechoic cartilaginous structures. The gold standards for TBR treatment include esophageal stricture resection, end-to-end esophageal anastomosis, and the construction of structures to prevent reflux. At present, endoscopic longitudinal resection and transverse anastomosis of the anterior esophageal wall with partial cartilage resection without pyloroplasty are novel and practical TBR procedures. To avoid further complications, patients with congenital esophageal stenosis should be promptly treated surgically if balloon dilatation is ineffective.
Staging Paro: The care of making robot(s) care
Authors: Chevallier Martin
Published: October 2022

Paro, a baby seal robot, is arguably the best-known care robot worldwide. Its clinical effects on people with special needs have been studied for more than twenty years by multidisciplinary teams. However, there are very few studies of Paro ‘in the wild’, inserted in the routines and pressures of a care home, which is supposed to be Paro’s natural environment. Based on fieldwork in a French public nursing home, this article relocates Paro’s psychosocial effects – asserted by its corporate and academic advocates to stem from the robot’s software and user-friendly design – in the situated practice of care deployed by the nursing staff. Although it is commonly assumed that the robot can interact autonomously, thanks to its AI, it took considerable efforts to enable ‘patient-robot’ interactions, and interactions were always mediated by care staff. The supervision of the interaction between Paro and its user(s) by at least one care worker, prescribed by its sales representative to prevent the seal robot from being harmed or monopolized by a resident, thus framed the very course and meaning of the interaction, through an entanglement of verbal and tactile guidance. Staging Paro often meant awakening and maintaining interest from confused or passive users, and playing with its ontological flexibility to meet the preferences of its elderly interlocutors.
Label-Less Learning for Urban Railway Transit Driver Fatigue Detection with Heart Rate Variability
Authors: Jiao Yubo , Tan Yifan , Zhang Xiaoming , Sun Zhiqiang , Fu Liping , Wen Chao , Jiang Chaozhe
Published: October 2022

Driver fatigue has a direct impact on urban railway transit (URT) drivers’ driving behavior and can cause driver error. The existing methods for fatigue detection mainly train the models with supervised learning, relying heavily on the annotation of recorded data. However, labeled data are unobtainable in some environments, especially for URT driver fatigue levels during actual driving. Therefore, this study proposes a fatigue detection method using unlabeled heart rate variability data to monitor URT driver fatigue in actual working conditions. By utilizing the existing conclusions with regard to factors contributing to fatigue and physiological changes, this study annotated a small number of samples and then used a novel positive and unlabeled learning algorithm based on nearest neighbors and random forest to divide samples into different fatigue levels. The proposed method was evaluated using the URT driver fatigue data sets collected in the lab. Binary classification achieved an accuracy of 79.0%. However, the accuracy of three-class classification was only 55.7%. In addition, the proposed method performed as well using the field data set as it did using the lab data set. The results show the high generalization performance of the proposed method, which could contribute to addressing the issue of lack of labeled training data for fatigue detection in actual working conditions.
Tribute and Tribute Missions Revisited
Authors: Togan Isenbike
Published: October 2022

The term “tribute” had a strong presence in Western literature on China, as a result of Sino-European encounters in the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. In these studies tribute was examined from the China angle. When views of the neighboring peoples are taken into consideration, it becomes evident that the smaller states in Inner Asia had not adopted the notion of China. A comparison with the practices of the Ottoman empire reveals that they also were using a strategy similar China. The paper suggests examining the practices of the smaller states in their own terms rather than in the shadow of the larger states.
Analysis of laminated composites composed of coupled layers by polar method
Authors: Kazemi Masoud
Published: October 2022

Composite laminated plates are made of two or more unidirectional plies (or layers) stacked together at various orientations, the layers are composed of two phases: the fibers and the matrices. The material property and orientation of the fibers inside of the matrix determines the elastic characteristics of the layers. If the conventional layers used to fabricate laminate, there is no elastic coupling between bending and extension, other types of layers (the satins for example) have coupled behaviors. The classical lamination theory (CLT) formulates the elastic behavior of a laminate composed of classical layers, but it should be modified to be able to include these coupled layers that is the aim of the first part of this article. The second aspect of coupled layers must be considered: when they turned over, some of their elastic characteristics change, this phenomenon is studied in a second part and a method is proposed, including the reversal into the CLT equations, give more useful equations describing the laminates made of coupled layers. Finally, some cases of uncoupled and quasi-homogeneous stacking sequences are studied.
Can Technology-Based Social Memory Aids Improve Social Engagement? Perceptions of a Novel Memory Aid for Persons With Memory Concerns
Authors: Horn Brenna L. , Albers Elizabeth A. , Mitchell Lauren L. , Jutkowitz Eric , Finlay Jessica M. , Millenbah Ashley N. , Seifert Gregory J. , Hedin Daniel S. , Knutson Matthew J. , Kramer Kevin M. , Mikal Jude P.
Published: October 2022

Social withdrawal and isolation are frequently experienced among people with cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias. Few assistive technologies exist to support persons with memory concerns’ (PWMC) continuing social engagement. This study aimed to understand PWMC and family caregivers’ initial perspectives on the feasibility and utility of a wearable technology-based social memory aid. We recruited 20 dyads, presented the memory aid, and conducted semi-structured interviews from June to August 2020 over Zoom video conferencing. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall, participants anticipated the technology could reduce socializing-related stress now and in the future for both members of the care dyad. However, certain features of the memory aid (e.g., visitors must have the app), could limit utility, and participants provided recommendations to enhance the tool. Our findings will inform future technology-enabled social memory aid development for PWMC and family caregivers.
Positive Criminology and Positive Psychology
Authors: Olson Jeremy
Published: October 2022

Welcome to our Special Issue on Positive Criminology and Positive Psychology. It is our hope that this issue will help generate critical reflection about American criminal justice policy and the possibility of moving the system towards a happier and more prosocial perspective. To begin, this editorial introduction briefly frames positive criminology and positive psychology for the readers, and then reviews the content of the special issue.
Activating Worksites to Implement Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes: Outcomes and Overcoming Challenges
Authors: Seiler Melanie , Crosier Veronica , Vance James , O’Hara Tompkins Nancy
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Although workplaces are prime settings for health promotion, little is known about the implementation of policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes focused on chronic disease. PSEs have broader reach and are more sustainable than individual level strategies.

Design

non-experimental, one group design with no control. Setting: West Virginia, a state with significant chronic disease-related health disparities

Subjects

Convenience sample of 27 workplaces, representing 6 industry types.

Intervention

$1000 in micro funding awarded to workplaces to participate in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Work@Health®/ScoreCard, and implement PSEs.

Measures

ScoreCard baseline results; post project survey results

Analysis

Descriptive analysis of ScoreCard; survey responses coded into PSE and I (individual level strategies) categories; frequencies were calculated.

Results

63% of the workplaces were very small (1-100 employees). Chronic disease-related organizational practices (ScoreCard) were minimal: nutrition (5/24), physical activity (7/22), diabetes (5/15), cholesterol (4/13), and high blood pressure (6/16). Workplaces reported a total of 95 PSEs: P-8, S-55, and E−32.

Conclusion

Policy change was the least frequently attempted and reported PSE strategy. More research with a stronger study design is needed to determine if (1) baseline organizational practices (Scorecard scores) improve, (2) PSEs (especially P) can be implemented without micro funding/TA, (3) workplace-type is related to use of the funds/TA, and (4) enacting PSE changes leads to healthier employees.
Mujeres Guerreras: Negotiating Women’s Empowerment in Colombia
Authors: Thomas Zareen
Published: October 2022

This research is based on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork with a formalized youth hip-hop organization in Colombia whose broad work with youth included a mission of women’s and girls’ empowerment. Throughout this article, I show how young women, through their affiliation with this professionalized organization, utilized city spaces to articulate opposition to gender-based inequalities and marginalization, within a larger context of protracted armed conflict and everyday violence. In these spaces, women configured themselves as hip-hop “ guerreras” (warriors) and “ luchadoras,” (fighters) to convey their fortitude while minimizing risk. I argue that they balanced “uncivic” modalities of hip-hop with a civic language of empowerment to garner support for their labor and causes. By examining women’s NGO affiliations and their creative performances, I show how women simultaneously reinforced sanctioned rhetoric of empowerment while strategically carving spaces to craft media intended to challenge dominant ideologies.
Contextualising co-production and complex needs: Understanding the engagement of service users with severe and multiple disadvantages
Authors: Broadhurst Kate
Published: October 2022

Much has been written about co-production in mainstream services but less is known about its applicability to service users with severe and multiple disadvantages (SMD). Given the sometimes-precarious relationship between providers and users with SMD, the paper argues that co-production should not be approached in the same way as conventional user engagement because of the degree of marginalisation, stigma and exclusion users with SMD face. Through a thematic analysis of evidence systematically collated via a rapid evidence assessment, the author proposes a co-production framework comprising a series of organisational principles to create an enabling environment for co-production with vulnerable service users. The application of the model is encouraged across a range of sectors and settings so that all service users can become empowered participants in the design and delivery of services that affect their lives.