bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nozzle dimension design for aircraft engine infrared signature and thrust active control using MOEA/D
Authors: Zhao Yu , Zheng Shijie
Published: June 2020

Aircraft infrared signature is one of the most important properties for the military aircraft survivability. In terms of military aircraft, the exhaust system is the most significant infrared radiation source. The exhaust system accounts for more than 90% of the aircraft infrared radiation, and that the exhaust nozzle contributes the most significant infrared radiation of the whole radiation energy provided by the exhaust system from the rear aspect. Low detectionable feature for military aircraft has attracted more importance to promote aircraft survivability via reducing infrared signature. The alteration of nozzle exit area affects an aircraft engine performance; meanwhile, it severely influences the engine infrared signature radiation from the rear side. The present paper is mainly focused on searching an appropriate group of nozzle exit diameter and throat to exit diameter ratio, which can reduce infrared signature radiation while cutting down the loss of thrust. Hence, objectives involve two aspects: one is minimum infrared signature level, and the other is minimum thrust loss. The multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition has been employed to solve this bi-objective optimization problem. The optimization results illustrate that dimension selection range and throat to exit diameter ratio exert more important effect on the thrust loss and infrared signature level. Furthermore, the thrust plays significant role for deciding nozzle exit diameter and throat diameter.
Group sequential monitoring based on the maximum of weighted log-rank statistics with the Fleming–Harrington class of weights in oncology clinical trials
Authors: Prior Thomas J
Published: June 2020

Clinical trials in oncology often involve the statistical analysis of time-to-event data such as progression-free survival or overall survival to determine the benefit of a treatment or therapy. The log-rank test is commonly used to compare time-to-event data from two groups. The log-rank test is especially powerful when the two groups have proportional hazards. However, survival curves encountered in oncology studies that differ from one another do not always differ by having proportional hazards; in such instances, the log-rank test loses power, and the survival curves are said to have “non-proportional hazards”. This non-proportional hazards situation occurs for immunotherapies in oncology; immunotherapies often have a delayed treatment effect when compared to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. To correctly identify and deliver efficacious treatments to patients, it is important in oncology studies to have available a statistical test that can detect the difference in survival curves even in a non-proportional hazards situation such as one caused by delayed treatment effect. An attempt to address this need was the “max-combo” test, which was originally described only for a single analysis timepoint; this article generalizes that test to preserve type I error when there are one or more interim analyses, enabling efficacious treatments to be identified and made available to patients more rapidly.
The effect of montmorillonite modification and the use of coupling agent on mechanical properties of polypropylene–clay nanocomposites
Authors: Arbelaiz A , Fernández G , Orue A
Published: June 2020

In this work, polypropylene (PP)–clay nanocomposites obtained by melt blending were investigated. Different commercial montmorillonites (MMTs), such as unmodified MMT, octadecyl ammonium-modified MMT, and dimethyl dialkyl ammonium-modified MMT, have been used. Maleic anhydride–polypropylene (MAPP) copolymer has been used as a coupling agent, and the effect of clay modification as well as MMT: MAPP ratio on final nanocomposites performance was studied. The transmission electron microscopy was used to evaluate the incorporation of clays into the PP matrix. The isothermal crystallization behavior of neat PP and different nanocomposites was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. Only nanocomposites based on organically modified MMT showed mechanical performance improvements. Nanocomposite reinforced with 5 wt% of organically modified MMT without MAPP showed modulus and strength values of 871 and 29.3 MPa, respectively, these values being higher, around 23% and 4.6%, respectively, than modulus and strength values of neat PP. The incorporation of MMT into the PP matrix produced an increment on the crystallinity rate with respect to neat PP. The half crystallization time of nanocomposites without MAPP was, at least, two times faster than for a neat PP system.
The role of the state in the commodification of urban space: The case of branded housing projects, Istanbul
Authors: Serin Bilge , Smith Harry , McWilliams Chris
Published: June 2020

Globally, cities have been experiencing neoliberal urbanization processes since the 1970s, while also contributing to the production of the neoliberal condition per se. The neoliberal state plays a core role in such processes, which have deepened the commodification of urban space via various mechanisms such as the privatization of public land and key urban infrastructure. This article critically investigates the direct involvement of the neoliberal state in the commodification of urban space by focusing on its triple role as a restructuring mechanism, a land developer and a volume housing developer in Turkey. The research develops and applies a theoretical framework based on Lefebvre’s production of space and Gramsci’s theory of hegemony. The paper examines the development of branded housing projects, which are private neighbourhoods, by analysing national legislative and organizational changes leading to the production of this type of development and illustrates this using four example projects in Istanbul. The paper contributes to the international evidence of the variegated characteristics of the neoliberal state in relation to urban development, and the neoliberal state’s role in the accumulation of capital in contemporary capitalism.
Enhancing the quality of supervision: description and initial outcomes of a blended-learning approach to RANZCP supervisor accreditation
Authors: Parker Stephen , Warren Nicola , Hamilton Sarah , Cabral Sidney , Cutbush Jimsie
Published: June 2020

Objective:

Evaluation of a blended learning adaptation of the accreditation process for supervisors in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ (RANZCP) Competency-Based Fellowship Program.

Method:

The adaption of the accreditation process is described, and a mixed-methods approach was taken in its evaluation. Descriptive statistics are presented for participant responses to and engagement with interactive workshop elements. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was applied to examine the change in participants’ confidence in their understanding of the expectations of a supervisor at the commencement and conclusion of the workshop. Free text evaluative responses were subject to qualitative content analysis.

Results:

Most participants expressed a preference for the blended learning workshop format and indicated that live polling improved the learning experience. Additionally, participants expressed greater confidence in their understanding of the expectations of the supervisor role following workshop completion.

Conclusions:

The blended learning approach to supervisor training was preferred by participants and may provide a model to be adopted by other training committees and institutions.
Numerical homogenisation based on asymptotic theory and model reduction for coupled elastic-viscoplastic damage
Authors: Bhattacharyya Mainak , Dureisseix David , Faverjon Beatrice
Published: June 2020

This article deals with damage computation of heterogeneous structures containing locally periodic micro-structures. Such heterogeneous structure is extremely expensive to simulate using classical finite element methods, as the level of discretisation required to capture the micro-structural effects is too fine. The simulation time becomes even higher when dealing with highly non-linear material behaviour, e.g. damage, plasticity and such others. Therefore, a multi-scale strategy is proposed here that facilitates the simulation of non-linear heterogeneous material behaviour in a manner that is computationally feasible. Based on the asymptotic homogenisation theory, this multi-scale technique explores the micro–macro behaviour for elasto-(visco)plasticity coupled with damage. The theory inherently segregates the heterogeneous continua into a macroscopic homogeneous structure and an underlying heterogeneous microscopic periodic unit cell. Several heterogeneous structures have been simulated using the multi-scale method along with a one-dimensional verification with respect to a reference solution. Additionally, a reduced order modelling is used to prevent large memory requirement for storing micro-structural quantities of interest.
Toward a Model of Situations and Their Context
Authors: Aunger Robert
Published: June 2020

Developing a widely accepted theory of behavior causation has been hampered by the lack of a rigorous approach to understanding the kinds of determinants at work. Interest in behavior change is also burgeoning, and requires a profound understanding of how personal and environmental determinants interact dynamically to predict changed behavioral outcomes. Behavior settings theory, a powerful naturalistic theory with a huge empirical underpinning, has long been available for describing the recurrent, everyday behavioral episodes in which many social and psychological scientists are interested. In this article, I review settings theory and update it in the light of a number of recent contributions from various quarters. I argue that this syncretic model should be seen as defining the proximate causal network surrounding these common behavioral episodes, which I call “situations.” I further propose that “contexts” should be thought of as the more distal, second-order causes circumscribing situations. I argue that these situational and contextual “spheres” of causation are a powerful way to understand behavior determination. I conclude by introducing a quasi-computational model of situations that is worthy of the further development necessary to make psychology a predictive science of behavioral causation and change.
Reducing communication in algebraic multigrid with multi-step node aware communication
Authors: Bienz Amanda , Gropp William D , Olson Luke N
Published: June 2020

Algebraic multigrid (AMG) is often viewed as a scalable [Formula: see text] solver for sparse linear systems. Yet, AMG lacks parallel scalability due to increasingly large costs associated with communication, both in the initial construction of a multigrid hierarchy and in the iterative solve phase. This work introduces a parallel implementation of AMG that reduces the cost of communication, yielding improved parallel scalability. It is common in Message Passing Interface (MPI), particularly in the MPI-everywhere approach, to arrange inter-process communication, so that communication is transported regardless of the location of the send and receive processes. Performance tests show notable differences in the cost of intra- and internode communication, motivating a restructuring of communication. In this case, the communication schedule takes advantage of the less costly intra-node communication, reducing both the number and the size of internode messages. Node-centric communication extends to the range of components in both the setup and solve phase of AMG, yielding an increase in the weak and strong scaling of the entire method.
Attitudinal Changes Toward Body-Worn Cameras: Perceptions of Cameras, Organizational Justice, and Procedural Justice Among Volunteer and Mandated Officers
Authors: Huff Jessica , Katz Charles M. , Webb Vincent J. , Hedberg E. C.
Published: June 2020

Little is known about officer perceptions of body-worn cameras (BWCs), and whether perceptions change following implementation within their agencies. BWC deployment varies, with some agencies mandating officers to wear BWCs and others using volunteers. Researchers have yet to assess attitudinal differences between volunteers and mandated officers. This study addresses these gaps using data from an evaluation of BWCs in the Phoenix Police Department to examine officer perceptions of the utility of BWCs, perceptions of organizational justice, and support for using procedural justice. We use inverse propensity weighted difference-in-difference models to examine changes in officer perceptions over time between randomly selected officers who were mandated to wear a BWC, BWC volunteers, officers who resisted BWCs, and control officers. We identified limited significant differences in perceptions of BWCs over time, though effect sizes suggest that BWC volunteers and mandated officers were more subdued in their expectations about BWCs at the posttest.
Total or subtotal full thickness recipient bed cut to repair donor–recipient curvature disparity in cases of DM rupture with manual DALK
Authors: Sarnicola Enrica , Sarnicola Caterina , Cheung Albert Y , Panico Edoardo , Panico Claudio , Sarnicola Vincenzo
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

To report how to manage a specific type of Descemet’s membrane (DM) rupture during manual DALK with a concurrent donor–recipient disparity of curvature.

Methods:

Case report of two patients that had DM rupture during manual DALK with a concurrent donor–recipient disparity of curvature; the recipient bed was flatter (post-infectious scar, case 1) and steeper (keratoglobus, case 2) than the donor. Preoperative diagnosis, clinical exam, and best spectacle correct visual acuity (BSCVA) have been reported. A subtotal full-thickness circular cut of the recipient bed was performed to resolve a persistent double AC in case 1 (recipient flatter than donor). A total full-thickness circular cut of the recipient bed, creating a graft made by a DALK allograft and a “DSEK autograft,” was performed to avoid a refractory double AC in case 2 (recipient steeper than donor). Evaluated outcomes included postoperative BSCVA, endothelial cell count (ECC), graft clarity, rejection, and presence/absence of double AC.

Results:

Surgery was successful in resolving/avoiding double AC. VA improved in both cases. No episodes of rejection were recorded. Graft remained clear at the last follow-up (6 years for case 1 and 4 years for case 2).

Conclusion:

The existence of a donor–recipient curvature disparity should be investigated as a possible underlying mechanism of refractory double AC. Total or subtotal full thickness recipient bed cut may be considered to repair donor–recipient curvature disparity in cases of DM rupture occurring during manual DALK. Repairing the DM rupture and avoiding a conversion to PK in high-risk transplant cases are crucial.
Effects of topical pilocarpine on ocular growth and refractive development in rabbits
Authors: Tong Liyang , Cui Dongmei , Zeng Junwen
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

This study aimed to investigate whether topical pilocarpine affects ocular growth and refractive development as well as the underlying biochemical processes in early eye development in rabbits.

Methods:

Twenty three-week-old New Zealand white rabbits were treated with 0.5% pilocarpine in the right eye for 6 weeks. The left eyes served as contralateral controls. The effects of pilocarpine on refractive error, corneal curvature and ocular biometrics were assessed using streak retinoscopy, keratometry, and A-scan ultrasonography, respectively. Eyeballs were enucleated for histological analysis. The ciliary body and sclera were homogenized to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of five subtypes of muscarinic receptors.

Results:

Compared to control eyes, pilocarpine-treated eyes exhibited approximately −1.63 ± 0.54 D myopia accompanied by a 0.11 ± 0.04 mm increase in axial length (AL) ( p < 0.001, respectively). The anterior chamber depth (ACD) was reduced, whereas the lens thickness (LT) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD) increased ( p < 0.001, respectively). Corneal curvature decreased over time but was not significantly different between treated and control eyes. The mRNA and protein expression levels of five subtypes of muscarinic receptors were upregulated in the ciliary body and downregulated in the sclera.

Conclusions:

Based on these results, pilocarpine can induce myopic shift, increase LT, elongate VCD and AL, and reduce muscarinic receptor expression in the sclera early in development. These changes raise the possibility that pilocarpine may promote axial elongation in ocular development and facilitate the emmetropization of hyperopic eyes.
Aerobic Exercise Interventions for Patients in Opioid Maintenance Treatment: A Systematic Review
Authors: Jake-Schoffman Danielle E , Berry Meredith S , Donahue Marissa L , Christou Demetra D , Dallery Jesse , Rung Jillian M
Published: June 2020

Background:

Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) is the standard for treatment of opioid use disorder, but some individuals on OMT experience disrupted sleep, heightened sensitivity to pain, and continued relapse to non-medical opioid use. An adjunctive treatment that has potential to address these shortcomings of OMT is aerobic exercise.

Objective:

The aim of the present review was to identify and evaluate components of aerobic exercise interventions targeting OMT patients.

Methods:

For this PROSPERO-registered review (ID CRD42020139626), studies were identified via electronic bibliographic databases, funded research ( NIH RePORTER) and clinical trials databases ( ClinicalTrials.gov), and reference sections of relevant manuscripts. Studies that evaluated the effects of an aerobic exercise intervention using a comparison condition or pretest-posttest design in adult OMT patients were included.

Results:

Of 2971 unique records, three primary studies and one supplemental manuscript comprised the final sample. All studies were randomized trials involving supervised exercise interventions enrolling small samples of middle-aged OMT patients. Exercise interventions included a variety of aerobic and non-aerobic activities (e.g. flexibility exercises), and none controlled the dose of aerobic exercise. Few studies used objective measures of physical activity or cardiorespiratory fitness and there were no significant effects of adjunctive exercise on substance use outcomes, but tests of the latter were likely underpowered.

Conclusions:

Though early in the accumulation of evidence, interventions targeting aerobic exercise for OMT patients appear feasible, acceptable to patients, and beneficial. Longer-term studies that employ larger samples, include assessments of behavioral and biological mechanisms of change, more rigorous measurement of physical activity, and controlled doses of aerobic activity are warranted.
Plasma Serotonin in Laying Hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) With and Without Foot pad Dermatitis
Authors: Alberghina Daniela , Biondi Vito , Passantino Annamaria , Giunta Fabiola , Panzera Michele
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) was associated with the presence of foot pad dermatitis (FPD) in laying hens. FPD birds (n = 20) and healthy individuals (n = 22) were included. Plasma 5-HT was investigated. FPD laying hens showed significantly higher 5-HT levels (median = 6 µmol/L) compared with healthy individuals (median = 4.28 µmol/L, P < .001). When present, FPD were scored as either 1 (n = 12) indicating mildly to moderately abnormal or 2 indicating severely abnormal (n = 8). The subjects whose lesions scored 2 had higher plasma 5-HT levels than those whose lesions scored 1. Inflammatory mechanisms seem to be related to plasma 5-HT levels in laying hens. Assessing plasma 5-HT could be useful to evaluate chicken welfare.
Health and long-term care benefits and the proposed revised coordination regulation: A brave new world or much ado about nothing?
Authors: Devetzi Stamatia , McHale Jean
Published: June 2020

This article examines the implications of the proposed Revised Coordination Regulation for long-term care benefits. First, it explores what is meant by ‘long-term care’. This sets the debate around access to long-term care in the context of developments regarding the safeguarding of fundamental human rights for those with disabilities and increasing international concern regarding the human rights of older persons. Secondly, it charts the response at the EU level to calls for safeguards in long-term care. It contrasts this with the disparate approaches taken at the Member State level. Thirdly, it examines the development of CJEU jurisprudence in this area. Fourthly, it considers the proposals for amending Regulation 883/2004 and its inclusion of long-term care. It concludes by questioning the extent to which these proposed developments will provide a radical change of approach, one which may indeed impact on expectations of long-term care at the individual Member State level and asks whether the drafting of an approach taken in relation to the proposals suggests that, ultimately, this may be little more than ‘much ado about nothing’.
Going online on behalf of someone else: Characteristics of Internet users who act as proxy users
Authors: Reisdorf Bianca C , Petrovčič Andraž , Grošelj Darja
Published: June 2020

An important contribution of digital inequalities research has been the discussion of nuances in ways that people (dis)engage with information and communication technologies (ICTs). One such practice is proxy Internet use (PIU): indirect Internet access by asking others to do things online for them or on their behalf. Whereas there is a good amount of research on those who are on the receiving end of PIU, users-by-proxy, little is known about “proxy users” who provide PIU. Analyses of nationally representative survey data from Slovenia ( N = 1047) collected in 2018 show that 51% of Internet users reported to have acted as proxy users in the past 12 months. Multivariate analyses unveil that those Internet users who report a wider array of personal, economic, social Internet uses as well as those with higher levels of operational Internet skills are more likely to act as proxy users.
Assessment of the improvement of internal combustion engines cooling system using nanofluids and nanoencapsulated phase change materials
Authors: Torregrosa Antonio Jose , Broatch Alberto , Olmeda Pablo , Dreif Amin
Published: June 2020

In recent years, due to the increasing need to reduce consumption of reciprocating internal combustion engines, new researches on different subsystems have raised. Among them, the use of nanofluids as a coolant medium seems to be an interesting alternative. In this work, the potential benefits of using nanofluids in the cooling system using an engine lumped model are studied. The methodology of the study starts with a whole description and validation of the model in both steady and transient conditions by means of a comparison with experimental results. Then, the potential benefits that could be obtained with the use of nanofluids are studied in a theoretical way. After that, the model is used to estimate the behavior of the system using different nanofluids in both stationary and transient conditions. The main results show that the advantages of using these new refrigerants are limited.
Comparison of intake and exhaust throttling for diesel particulate filter active regeneration of non-road diesel engine with mechanical fuel injection pump
Authors: Kang Wonmo , Pyo Sukang , Kim Hongsuk
Published: June 2020

Diesel particulate filter regeneration using intake and exhaust throttling is technically simple and economically efficient compared to other methods. The purpose of this study is to investigate not only the reasons for the increase in exhaust temperature during intake or exhaust throttling but also their feasibility as a diesel particulate filter regeneration technology. In this study, a non-road diesel engine having a mechanical fuel injection pump was used for experiments. The changes in exhaust temperatures were measured during intake and exhaust throttling for the no-load maximum revolutions per minute engine condition. The experimental results exhibited that both intake and exhaust throttling reduced the intake air mass flow rate and increased piston pumping, which then increased fuel consumption. These effects were the primary reasons for increasing the temperature of exhaust gases. In particular, intake throttling was more effective than exhaust throttling in terms of reducing the intake air mass flow rate. However, exhaust throttling caused larger pumping losses, resulting in higher fuel consumption. Furthermore, in case of exhaust throttling, engine combustion was possible even at high equivalence ratios because of the larger amounts of residual gases in the combustion chamber. In summary, exhaust throttling is more effective for regenerating a diesel particulate filter at a high temperature than intake throttling. In addition, this study verified the feasibility of diesel particulate filter regeneration using exhaust throttling through analyses of diesel particulate filter regeneration efficiency, fuel consumption, and exhaust concentration when regenerating the diesel particulate filter by increasing the exhaust temperature through exhaust throttling.
Taking a walk: The female tourist experience
Authors: Brown Lorraine , de Coteau Delysia , Lavrushkina Natalia
Published: June 2020

This feminist, qualitative study explores the experiences of female tourists who like to walk during their holiday. The findings highlight that women’s full access to the benefits of walking while on holiday are constrained by their feelings of vulnerability and their perceptions of possible risk if walking alone, particularly at night and in isolated spaces. In order to cope with perceived risk, participants employed a number of safeguarding and self-surveillance strategies. This study, therefore, supports other research on female tourists that highlight the differences among male and female tourist experiences, and that point to the measures women take to keep themselves safe.
Boosting functional response models for location, scale and shape with an application to bacterial competition
Authors: Stöcker Almond , Brockhaus Sarah , Schaffer Sophia Anna , Bronk Benedikt von , Opitz Madeleine , Greven Sonja
Published: June 2020

We extend generalized additive models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) to regression with functional response. This allows us to simultaneously model point-wise mean curves, variances and other distributional parameters of the response in dependence of various scalar and functional covariate effects. In addition, the scope of distributions is extended beyond exponential families. The model is fitted via gradient boosting, which offers inherent model selection and is shown to be suitable for both complex model structures and highly auto-correlated response curves. This enables us to analyse bacterial growth in Escherichia coli in a complex interaction scenario, fruitfully extending usual growth models.
Field experiment on a PSC-I bridge for convolutional autoencoder-based damage detection
Authors: Lee Kanghyeok , Jeong Seunghoo , Sim Sung-Han , Shin Do Hyoung
Published: June 2020

In this study, a field experiment was performed for damage detection on a PSC-I bridge based on a convolutional autoencoder using the damage detection approach proposed in a previous study by the authors. The field experiment measured the acceleration and strain data of the PSC-I bridge while a single vehicle passed the bridge; subsequently, these data were used to train and test the convolutional autoencoder–based damage detection model. The results of the test showed that the convolutional autoencoder–based model could perform accurate and robust damage detection. Furthermore, these findings indicate that the convolutional autoencoder–based damage detection could also perform satisfactorily in practice. The results of this study can form the basis to facilitate the adoption of the convolutional autoencoder–based damage detection method to monitor bridges in practice.
Enacting Reflection: A New Approach to Workplace Complexities
Authors: Justice Sean , Morrison Emily , Yorks Lyle
Published: June 2020

The Problem

Change has changed, and workplaces are grappling with new complexities and ambiguities. Human resource development (HRD) scholar-practitioners are called upon to help workplaces learn to navigate these changes; however, traditional approaches have limited utility when dealing with dynamic, emergent change. To address these limitations, scholars have proposed adopting enactive approaches that are rooted in systems thinking and complexity theories, but there is limited understanding of what this means in HRD practice.

The Solution

This article explores HRD responses to change from an enactive perspective. Enactivism suggests that people create their context through engagement with physical and social environments. From this perspective, reflection is not necessarily “on” experience, as if somehow separate from it. Rather, reflection is active engagement in, by, and through experience. This article aims to expand theoretical understanding and practical applications of enactivism in workplace learning.

The Stakeholders

HRD scholar-practitioners seeking new options for navigating workplace learning complexities.
An Experimental Application of the Brand Equity Pyramid Using a Healthy Movement Product Brand
Authors: Lithopoulos Alexander , Latimer-Cheung Amy E.
Published: June 2020

Background:

The brand equity pyramid is a theory that explains how people develop a relationship with a brand. Although the theory has received some support, few studies have tested it using a product brand, and no study has experimentally tested the theory.

Research Question:

The study tested whether brand equity pyramid variables pertaining to a health behavior promotion product brand (the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth) can be experimentally manipulated. The first objective was to examine whether brand equity of the guidelines would be higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. The second objective was to explore whether parental attitudes and intentions toward support, support behaviors, and parent-perceived child behavior would be higher in the intervention group compared to the control.

Method:

Using an online survey platform in Canada, all participants first viewed the guidelines. Participants in the intervention group were then presented with a video targeting key brand equity variables, whereas the control group received no video. Participants were 161 Canadian parents ( M age = 38.17, SD = 7.33 years) with a child 5–12 years of age. Measurements of brand equity and behavioral variables were taken at Time 1 (immediately post-intervention) and 2 weeks later at Time 2.

Results:

The intervention group had greater brand awareness than the control group and also showed a more positive attitude toward ensuring their child is less sedentary. However, generally, the 1-time intervention had limited effects.

Recommendations for Research or Practice:

This study indicates that a single exposure to stimuli targeting brand equity constructs can enhance awareness and some proximal cognitions. Future studies should examine whether repeated exposures to brand advertisements result in change in more important, distal variables such as brand loyalty and actual behavior.

Limitations:

This study lacked a true baseline measurement time point, there was only one exposure to brand stimuli, and parent-perceived child behavior was measured rather than behavior reported by the children themselves.
Health Economic Indicators in Patients With Diabetic Foot: Outpatient Multidisciplinary Management
Authors: Peng Min , Zhou Qiuhong , Fu Xiaoai , Yu Ling , Xu Jingcan , Wu Liaofang , Xu Rong , Yang Furong
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of an outpatient multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model on the health economic indices of diabetic foot patients. We included 142 diabetic foot patients who received treatment in 2 target hospitals from January to April 2018 in this prospective cohort study. According to their exposure factors, the patients were divided into a MDT group and a control group, with 71 patients in each group. The patients’ baseline data were collected. The follow-up period was 12 months; all patients were followed up to April 30, 2019. Health economic indicators were collected when the patients were discharged from the hospital. The prognosis of each group was followed every month. If a wound healed, a major amputation occurred, or the patient died within 12 months, the follow-up was stopped. A total of 129 patients were followed, and their baseline data were comparable. During the follow-up period, the healing rate of the 2 groups was significantly different ( P = .034). The healing rate of Wagner grade 4 patients was significantly better than Wagner grade 2 and grade 3 patients ( P = .001). Health economic indicators demonstrated significant differences in bed waiting time ( P = .038), transfer time ( P = .001), surgery waiting time ( P = .003), length of hospital stay ( P = .047), and hospitalization expenses ( P = .011). In conclusion, an outpatient multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model for diabetic foot can support cost-effective patient management.
Bacterial Isolates and Their Antibiotics Susceptibility Pattern Among Patients Admitted With Chronic Lower Limb Ulcers at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Northern Zone Referral Hospital, Tanzania
Authors: Hape Wilson Marco , Magambo Mujuni Josephat , Ngocho James Samwel , Mosha Victor , Msuya Sia E. , Leyaro Beatrice John
Published: June 2020

Objective. To identify the bacterial isolates and their antibiotics susceptibility pattern among patients with lower limb ulcers admitted at a tertiary hospital in northern Tanzania. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and July 2018 at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre. Questionnaire was used to obtain the demographics and clinical information of participants. Wound samples were collected and culture method used to identify the bacteria and their susceptibility patterns. Results. Out of 65 participants, 55 (84.6%) had positive aerobic bacterial growth. Twelve (18 %) participants had more than one bacterium. Fifty-nine (88.1%) were gram-negative bacteria. Proteus vulgaris (13, 19.9%), Pseudomonas spp (10, 14.8%), and Staphylococcus aureus (8, 11.7%) were the common isolates. Out of 59 gram-negative bacterial, 47 (78%) were sensitive to amikacin. Staph were sensitive to oxacillin (75%; n = 8) and vancomycin (50%; n = 8). Gram-negative were common isolates and were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid but sensitive to amikacin. Conclusion. The observed resistance to antibiotics calls for continuous monitoring of the resistance pattern to guide the empirical management of patients with leg ulcer.
Effectiveness and Tolerability of Natural Herbal Formulations in the Prevention of Radiation-Induced Skin Toxicity in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy
Authors: Koukourakis Georgios , Pissakas Georgios , Ganos Christos G. , Sivolapenko Gregory , Kardamakis Dimitrios
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study is to investigate the preventive role of 3 herbal formulation products on reducing the incidence of radiation-induced dermatitis in patients undergoing radiotherapy for either breast or head and neck cancer. A total of 59 patients participated in the study. The novel herbal products, a combination of beeswax, olive oil, Calendula and Hypericum oils and Aloe gel, were daily and regularly being used by the patients during radiotherapy and 2 weeks after treatment end. Acute skin toxicity was scored weekly during radiotherapy and after treatment for a further 4-week follow-up period. Demographic data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Statistical analyses of the study objectives were based on an intent-to-treat principle. Most of the patients presented with grade I (RTOG/EORTC) toxicity in the first weeks of radiotherapy, progressed to grade II but reverted to grade I toxicity up until the study end. A total of 94.9% of the patients had Dermatology Life Quality Index up to 1, and 66.1% remained in this scale. The application of the novel natural product combinations proved to be statistically significantly effective in reducing the intensity of radiation dermatitis, positively affecting the quality of life of the patients.
Maggot Debridement Therapy in Malaysia
Authors: Nair Harikrishna K. R. , Wasi Ahmad Nazni , Teh Chien Huey , Lee Han Lim , Chong Sylvia Syin Ying
Published: June 2020

Maggot therapy, also known as maggot debridement therapy, larval therapy, biodebridement, or biosurgery, is a type of biotherapy involving the intentional application of live, disinfected fly larvae or maggots into the nonhealing wound of a human or animal to debride the necrotic wound, reduce bacterial contamination of the wound as well as enhance the formation of healthy granulation tissue and stimulate healing in nonhealing wounds. In addition, van der Plas et al reported that the use of the medicinal larvae as natural remover of necrotic and infected tissue had prevented amputation in 11 selected patients. In Malaysia, Aaron et al had demonstrated prevention of amputation in 25 patients.
The Viabahn balloon expandable stent for endovascular reconstruction of the infrarenal aorta and its bifurcation in cases of severe obstructive disease
Authors: Antonello Michele , Squizzato Francesco , Piazza Michele
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The covered endovascular reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation (CERAB) represents a promising technique for the treatment obstructive lesions involving the aortic bifurcation. The aim of this report is to describe the use of a new generation balloon-expandable stent-graft (Viabahn VBX, W.L. Gore&Associates, AZ, USA), in the CERAB configuration for the treatment of aorto-iliac obstructive lesions involving the infrarenal aorta and bifurcation. Technical note: This technique was adopted in two patients with severe aorto-iliac obstructive lesions. After bilateral iliac recanalization, an 11 mm diameter VBX stent was deployed in the infrarenal aorta; a post-dilatation up to 16 mm with a non-compliant balloon was performed to adapt the proximal edge of the stent to the aortic diameter. Two 8 mm diameter VBX stents were then deployed at the aortic bifurcation in a kissing conformation, overlapping with the previously positioned aortic stent for 15 mm. A post-ballooning with two kissing 12 × 20 mm compliant balloons (Powerflex Pro PTA, Cordis, CA, USA) was performed to adapt the parallel stents to the aortic cuff. A post-operative angio-CT demonstrated optimal conformability of the aortic cuff to the aortic wall, and apposition of the kissing stents to the aortic cuff.

Conclusions

This preliminary experience shows that the VBX stent may allow an effective reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation; the conformability and flaring capability may allow to overcome the diameter mismatch between the aorta and the iliac arteries.
Creative design for sandwich structures: A review
Authors: Feng Yixiong , Qiu Hao , Gao Yicong , Zheng Hao , Tan Jianrong
Published: June 2020

Sandwich structures are important innovative multifunctional structures with the advantages of low density and high performance. Creative design for sandwich structures is a design process based on sandwich core structure evolution mechanisms, material design method, and panel (including core structure and facing sheets) performance prediction model. The review outlines recent research efforts on creative design for sandwich structures with different core constructions such as corrugated core, honeycomb core, foam core, truss core, and folded cores. The topics discussed in this review article include aspects of sandwich core structure design, material design, and mechanical properties, and panel performance and damage. In addition, examples of engineering applications of sandwich structures are discussed. Further research directions and potential applications are summarized.
Controlling Hypertension After Severe Cerebrovascular Event (CHASE): A randomized, multicenter, controlled study
Authors: Yuan Fang , Yang Fang , Zhao Jingjing , Fu Feng , Liu Yi , Xue Changhu , Wang Kangjun , Yuan Xiangjun , Li Dingan , Liu Qiuwu , Zhang Wei , Jia Yi , He Jianbo , Zhou Jun , Wang Xiaocheng , Lv Hua , Huo Kang , Li Zhuanhui , Zhang Bei , Wang Chengkai , Li Li , Li Hongzeng , Jiang Wen
Published: June 2020

Background

The optimal blood pressure lowering target in the acute phase of severe stroke is uncertain. Our aim was to compare the efficacy and safety of individualized blood pressure lowering with standard blood pressure lowering in severe stroke.

Methods

Five-hundred consecutive patients with acute severe stroke and elevated BP were recruited from 26 Chinese hospitals. Eligible patients were randomized into an individualized blood pressure lowering group (with 10–15% reduction in systolic blood pressure from admission level or standard blood pressure lowering group (with a target SBP of <200 mm Hg in acute ischemic stroke and <180 mm Hg in intracerebral hemorrhage). The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with a poor functional outcome at day 90 of enrolment.

Results

Of 483 participants included in the analysis, 242 received individualized blood pressure lowering treatment and 241 received standard treatment. The primary outcome event was observed in 71.1% of the participants in the individualized treatment group and in 73.4% of the standard treatment group (odds ratio with individualized treatment for primary outcome, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.47 to 1.19; p = 0.222). The rates of serious adverse events in the two groups were similar (27.7% vs. 28.2%).

Conclusions

In patients with acute severe stoke, individualized blood pressure lowering treatment did not significantly reduce the rate of three-month death or dependence.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02982655. Registered in 5 December 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02982655
Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on ischemic stroke admissions and in-hospital mortality in North-West Spain
Authors: Meza Herbert Tejada , Lambea Gil Álvaro , Saldaña Agustín Sancho , Martínez-Zabaleta Maite , Juez Patricia de la Riva , Martínez Elena López-Cancio , Apilánez María Castañón , Isasi María Herrera , Enguita Juan Marta , Alfonso Mercedes de Lera , Arenillas Juan F , Olaizola Jon Segurola , Fernández Juan José Timiraos , Sánchez Joaquín , Castellanos-Rodrigo Mar , Roel Alexia , Menéndez Ignacio Casado , Freijo Mar , Rodriguez Alain Luna , Portilla Enrique Palacio , López Yésica Jiménez , Castro Emilio Rodríguez , Rivas Susana Arias , García Javier Tejada , Rodríguez Iria Beltrán , Julián-Villaverde Francisco , García Maria Pilar Moreno , Trejo-Gabriel-Galán José María , Iñiguez Ana Echavarría , Juste Carlos Tejero , Lázaro Cristina Pérez , Moreno Javier Marta , on behalf of the NORDICTUS Investigators
Published: June 2020

Background and purpose

Spain has been one of the countries heavily stricken by COVID-19. But this epidemic has not affected all regions equally. We analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital stroke admissions and in-hospital mortality in tertiary referral hospitals from North-West Spain.

Methods

Spanish multicenter retrospective observational study based on data from tertiary hospitals of the NORDICTUS network. We recorded the number of patients admitted for ischemic stroke between 30 December 2019 and 3 May 2020, the number of IVT and EVT procedures, and in-hospital mortality.

Results

In the study period, 2737 patients were admitted with ischemic stroke. There was a decrease in the weekly mean admitted patients during the pandemic (124 vs. 173, p<0.001). In-hospital mortality of stroke patients increased significantly (9.9% vs. 6.5%, p = 0.003), but there were no differences in the proportion of IVT (17.3% vs. 16.1%, p = 0.405) or EVT (22% vs. 23%, p = 0.504).

Conclusion

We found a decrease in the number of ischemic stroke admissions and an increase in in-hospital mortality during the COVID-19 epidemic in this large study from North-West Spain. There were regional changes within the network, not fully explained by the severity of the pandemic in different regions.
The ghostly presence of the disappeared in Argentina
Authors: Crenzel Emilio
Published: June 2020

This article analyzes the ghostly presence of the figure of the disappeared in Argentina in the period spanning from the military dictatorship—when the crime of forced disappearance was perpetrated systematically and on a massive scale—to the present. By examining a variety of written and oral sources (memoirs, print media, interviews, radio shows, photographs, documentaries, and literary works of fiction and non-fiction), the article historicizes that presence and explains it through the crime’s liminal nature, and the different meanings that the spectral figure acquires depending on the actors who perceive it and the changing political contexts. The article reveals how the ghostly presence of the disappeared challenges the tools used internationally in the field of transnational justice to deal with experiences of extreme violence and the specific policies for processing the crime of forced disappearance and representing the disappeared in Argentina.
Containing absence, shaping presence at ground zero
Authors: Sturken Marita
Published: June 2020

This essay analyzes the dynamics of absence and presence at the 9/11 memorial and museum in New York, as elements of their design and aspects of the haunting of the site. Of the 2753 victims, 1113 have never been identified, despite a huge and expensive forensic identification process, and this absence has been a shaping force at the site. While the designs of the memorial and the museum both evoke absence, both also attempt to render the dead present, through naming at the memorial and through an array of media, most effectively audio, in the museum. This essay examines the complex forensic identification of the 9/11 dead and the effect of the disappearance of so many, and analyzes the strategies through which the memorial and museum aim to render the 9/11 dead present.
Haunting and thinking from the Utopian margins: Conversation with Avery Gordon
Authors: Gordon Avery F , Hite Katherine , Jara Daniela
Published: June 2020

Avery Gordon’s work exceeds the limits of disciplinary boundaries and so does her practice. She uses the term ‘itinerant’ to describe her strategies of inhabiting multidisciplinary spaces and of critiquing the worlds, peripheries and fractures produced by racial capitalism. Gordon moves as an intellectual itinerant, creating multidirectional and interdisciplinary dialogues as a sociology scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara, while also collaborating with artist. Since 1997, Gordon speaks as a public intellectual on her KCSB FM radio programme, ‘No Alibis’, co-hosted with Elizabeth Robinson. She is also a visiting professor at the Birkbeck School of Law, University of London. In the tradition of critical thinkers, Gordon’s work starts from a sense of urgency, exposed and developed in different ways in her major works, including her path-breaking book Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological Imagination (University of Minnesota Press), her teaching and writing on prisons and the carceral system, and her most recent book The Hawthorn Archive: Letters from the Utopian Margins (Fordham University Press).

In January 2018, we invited Gordon to Santiago, Chile’s Museum of Memory and Human Rights, to deliver the talk, ‘Pensar desde los Márgenes Utópicos/Haunted Futures: The Utopian Margins’. Gordon also took a guided visit through Chile’s Estadio Nacional Memoria Nacional/National Stadium National Memory site. Here is an extended conversation on the topics that frame her work, like ghosts, haunting and utopia, and on questions that emerge from the memory studies field and that are of concern to our special issue.