bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward Standard Radiosonde Observations of Waves and the Mean State in the 30–40-km Altitude Range Using 3-kg Balloons
Authors: Kinoshita Takenari , Ogino Shin-Ya , Suzuki Junko , Shirooka Ryuichi , Sugidachi Takuji , Shimizu Kensaku , Hitchman Matthew H.
Published: April 2022

Observations of temperature and wind velocity in the 30–40-km altitude layer have been sparse since elimination of the standard rocketsonde sounding network in the 1990s. In an effort to extend the vertical range of radiosonde observations into the upper stratosphere, experiments were conducted with a 3-kg balloon at Tsukuba, Japan, on 5 November 2019. Using this relatively inexpensive balloon technology, four radiosondes were launched, with two reaching above 40-km altitude. These profiles were compared with satellite and reanalysis data in the 30–40-km layer, which showed an overall good agreement and an ability of radiosondes to capture shorter vertical-scale variations. The ability to quantify gravity wave parameters from the data is described, with application to wave events detected near 38–40 km. This type of balloon will be deployed extensively in an upcoming intensive observation campaign over the Maritime Continent, which will contribute toward achieving standard radiosonde observations in the 30–40-km altitude range. This system extends the ability to provide information regarding gravity wave and planetary wave activity upward to ∼40 km.
Africa's Middle Classes
Authors: Melber Henning
Published: April 2022

Since the early 21st century, the middle classes of the Global South became a focus of attention. However, a precarious minimum income was all it took to be considered middle class. But who exactly is middle class? As the term is applied, it should certainly not be confused with Marxist theories of class. It refers to a socio-economic status somewhere between the highest and lowest echelons of society. What constitutes middle class remains all too nebulous. This article casts doubt on the positive political and economic impact and role ascribed to the declared growth of African middle classes. It argues that middle classness is a construct, which stresses the continued vagueness and fragility of this social segment in societies and cautions of too optimistic assessments when it comes to its role.
Subjective cognitive complaints and subjective cognition following electroconvulsive therapy for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Semkovska Maria , Knittle Hannah , Leahy Janet , Rasmussen Johanne Raasø
Published: April 2022

Background:

Subjective cognitive complaints represent a leading reason for suboptimal prescription of electroconvulsive therapy, the most acutely effective treatment for depression. However, research findings regarding their presentation are conflicting.

Objective:

To describe, quantify and explain the variability in subjective cognitive complaints and subjective cognition following electroconvulsive therapy for depression.

Methods:

We searched systematically PubMed, Embase, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL and relevant reviews for research published from 1 January 1972 to 31 August 2020. We included all independent studies of patients whose subjective cognition was assessed following brief-pulse electroconvulsive therapy for depression. Three meta-analyses were conducted to quantify: (1) the prevalence of patients presenting with cognitive complaints following electroconvulsive therapy; (2) the pre–post electroconvulsive therapy change in subjective cognition and (3) the association between change in depressive symptoms and change in cognitive complaints. Effect sizes were calculated using random-effects models. Eight prespecified demographic and clinical moderators of between-study variability were assessed using sub-group analyses and meta-regressions.

Results:

Data from 72 studies including 5699 participants were meta-analysed. Weighted mean prevalence of patients with cognitive complaints was 48.1% (95% confidence interval = [42.3%, 53.9%]). The type of subjective measure used significantly impacted the pre–post electroconvulsive therapy change in subjective cognition, showing, respectively, large improvement ( g = 0.81; 95% confidence interval = [0.59, 1.03]) after electroconvulsive therapy with the Squire Self-Rating Scale of Memory and small worsening (g = –0.48; 95% confidence interval = [–0.70, –0.26]) with 1-item memory scales. The strongest predictors of improved post-electroconvulsive therapy subjective cognition were increased age and larger post-electroconvulsive therapy decrease in depressive symptoms. The weighted mean correlation between pre–post electroconvulsive therapy decrease in depressive symptoms and pre–post electroconvulsive therapy decrease in cognitive complaints was 0.46 (95% confidence interval = [0.39, 0.53]).

Conclusion:

Variability in subjective cognition following electroconvulsive therapy is mostly explained by the degree of post-treatment persisting depression and by the subjective assessment used. Scales measuring exclusively subjective worsening present limited clinical utility and instruments allowing the detection of both improvement and worsening in subjective cognition should be preferred.
Evaluation of the Nairobi-Thika Road Improvement Project in the Context of Inclusive Development
Authors: K’Akumu Owiti A. , Gateri Catherine W.
Published: April 2022

This paper converts the six reasons for inclusive development proposed by Gupta into a heuristic device for evaluation of inclusive development in road infrastructure projects in Nairobi. The Gupta Rationale entails six key evaluative elements of, that is, whether the project has achieved: Welfare of the poor and marginalized, Human rights, Economic Sustainability, Human security and livelihood support, Inclusive decision-making and Non production of poverty. This study subjected the Nairobi-Thika Road Improvement Project to this evaluative criterion as case study. The results of the evaluation are that the project mainly focused on enhancing the comfort of the private motorist, no serious violations except on few occasions when structures used by informal SMEs were demolished without offers of viable alternatives, the project led to improved infrastructure with significant economic benefits, densification and crowding occasioned by high land prices has led to overstretched infrastructural services thereby threatening the human security in the neighbourhoods along the corridor, the project was not inclusive in terms of decision-making but was a top-down outfit that did little to incorporate local governments and communities, and that it caused production of poverty by destroying livelihoods of petty traders and employees of SMEs that were operating along the corridor. The paper demonstrates that the Gupta Rationale can clearly assess the extent of inclusive development in a project and help to reach the conclusion as to whether a particular project’s processes and outcomes engender inclusive development. In the case of Nairobi, for instance, the device has helped reach a rational decision that development is not inclusive. Recommendation is made that the Gupta Rationale should be used in the ex-ante and ex-post evaluation of road improvement projects or any other urban development project for that matter. This would help mainstream inclusive urban development.
Teachers’ Use and Modification of Genre-based Reading and Writing Strategies After the Completion of Experimental Research Studies
Authors: Traga Philippakos Zoi A.
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study was to follow-up primary-grades teachers who had participated in experimental studies on genre-based strategy instruction to examine whether they continued to teach the strategies they learned, and how they adapted them. Participants were three primary grades’ teachers who participated in interviews and shared instructional videos. Results showed that teachers modified the time allotted to instruction, and the font/size of the materials, but did not eliminate components of the approach. Further, they incorporated writing in response to reading and problem solving in mathematics. Implications for practice, research, and professional development are discussed.
From Ritual Mourning to Solitary Grief: Reinterpretation of Hindu Death Rituals in India
Authors: Ghosh Banhishikha , BK Athira
Published: April 2022

This paper considers the way the outbreak of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown has egregiously impeded the Hindu death ceremonies and mourning rituals in India. It makes a comparative analysis of how Hindu death rituals get renegotiated, modified and reinterpreted across two vastly different regions of India, both of which have their local customs. Whilst death rituals in India are contingent on the deceased’s caste, community, class, gender and age, the impediment to the major death rituals creates a central conundrum for all mourners. It results from the substitution of ‘sacred’ ritual guidelines with new ‘profane’ ones for the ‘disposal’ of deceased COVID-19 patients. Departure from many significant pre-liminal rites, specific transition rites, and post-liminal rites has eschatological, ritual and cultural ramifications. The inability to grieve in unison during a Shraddh ceremony denies mourners any scope to quell distressing feelings about mortality which serves as a source of consolation.
Towards a complex conception of progress
Authors: Lundy Craig
Published: April 2022

For many decades, scholars working within the broad paradigm of complexity studies/theory have explored the nonlinear dynamics that contour physical and social systems. In doing so, radical theories that contest both Newtonian and neo-Darwinian understandings of reality have been posited, augmenting how we think about processes of change. But throughout these developments, the modern idea of progress has arguably remained insufficiently contested. This article seeks to show how the framework of complexity can offer conceptual resources for rethinking progress. Key characteristics of complexity are articulated and critically examined with the aim of pinpointing how they might contribute to a conception of progress that is worthy of the name yet divergent from its dominant ‘modern’ form.
La Liturgie comme Poïétique Fondamentale
Authors: Cassingena-Trévedy François
Published: April 2022

Argumentaire: Au-delà d'une simple mobilisation des diverses expressions artistiques au service de son exercice ordinaire, la liturgie chrétienne se manifeste essentiellement comme une poïétique de la foi. Cette poïétique ne fait pas seulement système avec la dogmatique et l'éthique chrétiennes: à bien des égards, elle transcende ces deux autres versants. Au milieu de toutes les interrogations contemporaines qui concernent le croire et le vivre, la poïétique multiséculaire du célébrer représente une ressource inestimable. La vérité seule ne peut s'imposer, pas davantage qu'elle ne le doit. Plus que jamais la traduction symbolique de la foi, autrement dit la médiation esthétique, mise en pratique communautaire, apparaitra comme digne de foi.
The Labor Force Trajectories of Immigrant Women in the United States: Intersecting Individual and Gendered Cohort Characteristics
Authors: Florian Sandra , Flippen Chenoa , Parrado Emilio
Published: April 2022

Research on immigrant women's labor market incorporation has increased in recent years, yet systematic comparisons of employment trajectories by national origin and over time remain rare. Likewise, the literature on immigrant assimilation remains dominated by attention to men, with little focus on larger gendered migration dynamics. Using US Census and ACS data from 1990 to 2016, we construct synthetic migration cohorts by national/regional origin, period, and age at arrival to track immigrant women's labor force participation (LFP) over time. We propose and model a typology of workforce incorporation, adjusting for individual characteristics and gendered migration-cohort characteristics (i.e., the gender ratio, share of women arriving single, and share of men arriving with a college education). Results indicate that immigrant women gradually join the workforce over time, though with significant variation in starting employment levels and growth rates. We classify the observed patterns into a five-group typology: Gradual incorporation (cohorts from Europe, Canada, Africa, China, and Vietnam), delayed incorporation with low entry LFP level (cohorts from Mexico), delayed incorporation with moderate entry LFP level (cohorts from Central America, South America, and Cuba), accelerated incorporation (cohorts from India, Korea, and other Asian countries), and continuous intensive employment (cohorts from the Philippines and the Caribbean). We show that gendered migration cohort characteristics explain a substantial share of national/regional origin variation in immigrant women's workforce participation, highlighting the importance of broader cultural and structural forces shaping gendered patterns of immigrant labor market incorporation.
Regular classroom teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about inclusion of students with visual impairment in government secondary schools of Wolaita Zone
Authors: Dea Paulos , Mohajer Sohayl , Negassa Dawit
Published: April 2022

General education teachers’ self-efficacy is often identified as the main factor for the successful implementation of inclusion for students with visual impairment (SVI), yet limited research has been conducted in this area. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the general education teachers’ self-efficacy toward including SVI in the government secondary schools of Wolaita Zone. In this study, a mixed-methods approach with convergent design was employed. The target population included teachers, SVI, and principals. The sample consisting of 440 participants was selected using purposive and multistage sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaire, semi-structured interview, and focus group discussion (FGD). One-sample t-test and thematic analysis were used for analyzing the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The findings revealed that, in general, teachers showed positive self-efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management of inclusion for SVI.
Platformed distinction work: Rethinking the migration and integration of food delivery workers in China
Authors: Sun Ping , Zhao Yuchao
Published: April 2022

This article describes how Chinese rural migrant workers are subject to the contradictory integrated regimes of capitalist advocates of migration and urbanisation, which are, in reality, distinctive integrating constraints. Online platform work has become a key site for rural migrant workers in China to experience and experiment with obfuscating sets of promotions and disciplines about labour, migration and urbanness. We propose the concept of platformed distinction work to explain how platforms have played a complex and multifunctional role that enhances migrant workers’ participation in the digital economy while concurrently defining and conditioning their labour as disadvantaged distinct work. This dual process of migrant workers’ social integration and distinction in platform work reveal the multilayered, complicated relations between migration and platformisation.
Incidence and Clinical Features of Pneumomediastinum and Pneumothorax in COVID-19 Pneumonia
Authors: Muhammad Ambreen Iqbal , Mehta Meera , Shaw Michael , Hussain Nafisa , Joseph Stephen , Vancheeswaran Rama
Published: April 2022

Background

Pneumothorax (PTX) and pneumomediastinum (PM), collectively termed here “air leak”, are now well described complications of severe COVID-19 pneumonia across several case series. The incidence is thought to be approximately 1% but is not definitively known.

Objectives

To report the incidence and describe the demographic features, risk factors and outcomes of patients with air leak as a complication of COVID-19.

Methods

A retrospective observational study on all adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to Watford General Hospital, West Hertfordshire NHS Trust between March 1st 2020 and Feb 28th 2021. Patients with air leak were identified after reviewing both chest radiographs (CXRs) and axial imaging (CT Thorax) with confirmatory radiology reports inclusive of the terms PTX and/or PM.

Results

Air leak occurred with an incidence of 0.56%. Patients with air leak were younger and had evidence of more severe disease at presentation, including a higher median CRP and number of abnormal zones affected on chest radiograph. Asthma was a significant risk factor in the development of air leak (OR 13.4 [4.7-36.4]), both spontaneously and following positive pressure ventilation. CPAP and IMV were also associated with a greater than six fold increase in the risk of air leak (OR 6.4 [2.5-16.6] and 9.8 [3.7-27.8] respectively). PTX, with or without PM, in the context of COVID-19 pneumonia was almost universally fatal whereas those with alone PM had a lower risk of death.

Conclusion

Despite the global vaccination programme, patients continue to develop severe COVID-19 disease and may require respiratory support. This study demonstrates the importance of identifying that deterioration in such patients may be resultant from PTX or PM, particularly in asthmatics and those managed with positive pressure ventilation.
Rape Culture, Revictimization, and Social Representations: Images and Discourses on Sexual and Violent Crimes in the Digital Sphere in Mexico
Authors: Reyes-Sosa Hiram , Martínez-Cueva Sonia , Idoiaga Mondragón Nahia
Published: April 2022

The digital sphere has become a space in which misogyny-laden discourses are constantly presented. In fact, in Mexico persists a rape culture that justifies violent acts against women and blames the victims of the crimes through social opinions. The present study proposed an approach based on the Theory of Social Representations. In this sense, this study aimed to analyze the discourses that emerge in the digital sphere when users give their opinion on five types of crimes against women: femicide, rape, enforced disappearance, abuse, and sexual harassment. The results revealed that there are four types of discourse (representations) framed within rape culture: disbelief of rape, blaming the victim, revictimization, and disempowering women. It is concluded that Mexican society maintains a representation that stereotypes and devalues the image of women, which allows us to understand the aggressions that women suffer in their daily lives.
Openness to experience is stable following adversity: A case-control longitudinal investigation
Authors: Forgeard Marie , Roepke Ann Marie , Atlas Sara , Bayer-Pacht Elana , Björgvinsson Thröstur , Silvia Paul J.
Published: April 2022

Although many people retrospectively report feeling more open-minded after experiencing highly stressful events, relevant longitudinal studies are scarce and have yielded contradictory findings. The present study used a 12-month longitudinal case-control design to test whether growth in openness (assessed every 4 months using multiple methods) occurs following major stressors, and whether changes relate to clinical symptoms of depression and/or posttraumatic stress. To do so, we compared participants (a) with a recent major stressor and with low symptoms ( n = 66), (b) without a recent major stressor and with low symptoms ( n = 76), and (c) with a recent major stressor and with significant symptoms ( n = 76). Overall, growth curve models showed that group membership was not associated with changes in openness over 12 months for most outcomes. Other variables (e.g., education) predicted changes in openness. This study provides robust evidence that openness to experience is mostly stable following major stressors.
Fabrication and tribological behavior of MnO2/epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Hussain Md Z , Khan Sabah
Published: April 2022

Tribology is the study of moving surfaces, and it has a variety of effects on our lives. From an economic point of view, wear is one of the most important aspects of an industry’s viability. Parts of the machine can wear out, and they need to be replaced. This is especially important for polymer-based materials. Therefore, it is important to reduce maintenance costs and improve machine reliability in a variety of engineering applications through proper material selection. The present investigation deals with the fabrication of manganese dioxide (MnO2)/epoxy nanocomposite and investigates its tribological properties. The MnO2/epoxy nanocomposites were fabricated via a solution mixing technique. The phase identification and surface morphology of the sample was examined by X-ray diffractometer and field emission scanning electron microscope, respectively. The mass density, micro-hardness, and specific wear rate data of samples revealed that the mass density, micro-hardness, and wear resistance of the samples increased with the addition of MnO2 in the epoxy matrix. The nanocomposite sample containing 0.5 wt. % MnO2 loading in the epoxy matrix shows higher density, micro-hardness, and wear resistance compared to other samples. The result also shows that with the addition of MnO2 in the epoxy matrix, the coefficient of friction of the samples is increased. The percentage reduction in specific wear rate due to the addition of 0.5 wt. % MnO2 in neat epoxy is 68.10%, whereas the percentage increase in the coefficient of friction is 19.30%. The results of the analysis of variance show the effect of adding wt. % of MnO2 in the epoxy matrix is significant in the tribological responses. The worn surface analysis shows that the fatigue wear mode seems to be the dominating mode of wear for all samples as compared to the other modes of wear. The properties of MnO2/epoxy nanocomposite data revealed that the developed material may be used in the automotive industry as a structural material, fabrication of snow sled, ball bearing housing, or plastic gear materials with adequate lubrication.
Positions on science and religious beliefs across societies: Development of a research instrument and testing of its validity among high school students
Authors: Wolfs Jose-Luis , Delhaye Coralie , Leys Christophe , Altepe Cansu , Dini Kevin , Gauthier Laurence , Bertrand Lucie
Published: April 2022

Science education inclusive of learners’ cultures requires understanding how students position scientific knowledge with regard to identity-laden beliefs, such as religions. To address this need, we developed a research tool administered across linguistic and societal contexts. In this article, we present the conceptual frameworks the instrument articulates and draws upon. We then test the construct validity and internal consistency of its dimensions based on data collected from a main sample of 238 English-speaking American, Dutch and Norwegian students, all in their final year of compulsory school education, as well as from a secondary sample of 372 French-speaking Belgian students that we use to further discuss the results from the main sample. The results obtained through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and by Cronbach’s alpha analysis are consistent with our theoretical model. We discuss implications for the use of this instrument by researchers, as well as formal or informal science educators.
The Conjoint Effect of Workplace Spirituality and Emotional Labour on Service Providers’ Wellbeing: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Gabay Nadav , Weinstein Smadar
Published: April 2022

Is emotional labour a burden or a boon to service providers who have greater workplace spirituality (WS)? We test a moderated mediation model in which emotional exhaustion mediates the conjoint effect of WS and emotional labour on job satisfaction. Linking conservation of resources (COR) theory with the mechanism of ‘value congruence’ in person–environment fit theory, we theorize that spiritual values are a key factor in generating necessary resource gains for deep acting (DA) due to the value fit of these two motivational vectors. As a boundary condition for use of the benefits of DA, WS can bridge the gap between theoretical assumptions concerning the benefits of DA and the lack of empirical evidence that DA mitigates emotional exhaustion. Concurrently, we challenge the perception of WS as universally beneficial to employees’ wellbeing by proposing that WS amplifies the detrimental effects of surface acting because the externalized and inauthentic nature of this type of emotional regulation transgresses basic spiritual values. Our hypotheses find support in a study of 196 Israeli service providers at inbound call centres.
Development of an Automated Hospital Infection Control Surveillance Toolkit
Authors: Avina K. , Sinha Rajesh Kumar
Published: April 2022

Background:

Infection control systems allow the healthcare facility to detect, manage, prevent and control the infection or risk of infection. It helps to improve healthcare quality by allowing hospital infection control (HIC) team to focus on prevention and intervention efforts during the outbreaks.

Objectives:

To design, develop and implement an automated HIC surveillance Toolkit for Infection Prevention and Control Department based on user requirements.

Methods:

This study was carried out in a multi-speciality hospital in Southern India. The study was carried out in four phases; the first phase included the observation of current documentation practice of Infection Prevention and Control Department. During the second phase, a formal discussion was conducted with the infection control team to collect the data to add to the HIC surveillance toolkit. The third phase included the design and development of the toolkit using ASP.NET and Standard Query Language (SQL) database server. During the fourth phase, a prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the end-user satisfaction towards the Toolkit using a structured and validated checklist based on 5-point Likert scale from extremely satisfied to not satisfied (score 5–1).

Results:

Based on the observation of existing documentation and reporting practice, a discussion was carried out with the infection control team to identify the templates to be added to the toolkit. Once identified, a web-based toolkit was designed and developed using ASP.NET and stored using SQL database server. The developed toolkit was implemented in the hospital and provided to the HIC team to use. The finding of the assessment of 15 features of HIC surveillance toolkit indicated that the end-users were very satisfied with the support of toolkit in documenting and reporting of infection-related data.

Conclusion:

HIC surveillance toolkit, allows the HIC team to capture, store, manage data, compare, and calculate the infection control rate and compliance rate. It also increases the ease of surveillance and reporting. It aids in reducing hospital-acquired infection (HAI) rates, simplifies the workflow of HIC and improves healthcare quality.
Delhivery: Fulfilling E-commerce Delivery
Authors: Parameswar Nakul , Dhir Sanjay
Published: April 2022

Delhivery started in 2011 and was a key player in the Indian e-commerce logistics industry. It was ranked number one in terms of the number of shipments handled. The brainchild of Sahil Barua and Suraj Saharan, Delhivery began as a last-mile delivery partner of restaurants in Gurugram and, over the years, grew along with the e-commerce boom in India. The case provides a detailed note of Delhivery’s evolution from 2011 to 2019, especially focusing on the multifaceted development of Delhivery not limited to e-commerce delivery but also its initiative in building an ecosystem for e-commerce firms to operate in India. The competition was intensifying in the e-commerce logistics industry, and Delhivery was contemplating how it should sustain its competitive advantage, contain its losses and break-even at the earliest.
Severity, Risk Factors and Quality of Life of Patients associated with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Srivastava Saumya P. , Sinha Aditi Prashant , Sharma Kamlesh Kumari , Malik Prabhat Singh
Published: April 2022

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) refers to numbness, tingling, and burning sensation caused by chemotherapy that can cause impairment in Quality of Life (QoL) of the patients. Study assesses severity, risk factors, and quality of life of patients associated with CIPN. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at day care ward, tertiary care hospital India. Total of 98 patients receiving paclitaxel for ≥4 months were enrolled by convenient sampling. Data regarding demographics and clinical characteristics, CIPN severity, risk factors, and QoL were collected by structured questionnaires. Study revealed that median score of autonomic symptoms was higher than sensory and motor symptoms. Mean score of FACT/GOG-Ntx sub-domain was 99.05 ± 20.87on a scale of 0 to 152. ECOG Performance status, current exercise behavior, and fruit and vegetable intake was found to be significantly (at p < .05) associated with sensory, motor, and autonomic symptom score. Therefore, CIPN was found to have debilitating effect on QoL.
Synergistic Impact of the Symptom Cluster on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Secondary Data Analysis
Authors: Fei Fei , Koffman Jonathan , Zhang Xiaohan , Gao Wei
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to quantify the synergistic impact of symptom clusters on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We conducted a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional data collected via convenience sampling from patients with COPD. Multiple linear regressions were used to quantify the relationships between symptom clusters and HRQoL. The sample included 106 COPD patients from whom three symptom clusters were identified comprising of dyspnea depression, anxiety-sleep, and depression-anxiety. Depression-anxiety (psychological symptom cluster) was significantly associated with poorer HRQoL (β = 13.88, 95% CI [7.94, 19.82]), while no significant associations were detected with HRQoL for either depression or anxiety alone (β = 6.66, 95% CI [−2.99, 16.31]; β = 7.29, 95% CI [−0.78, 15.35]). Assessment and early intervention led by nurses targeting the psychological symptom cluster may represent an initial approach to improve HRQoL. Understanding the phenomenon of symptom clusters that are present in patients with COPD provides a breakthrough insight to devise strategies for their management.
Optimal robust constraints-following control for rail vehicle virtual coupling
Authors: Zhang Xinrong , Yang Dengke , Zhang Wei , Huang Jin
Published: April 2022

This paper puts forward the robust control problem of rail vehicle virtual coupling platoon that is subject to nonlinear and time-varying uncertainties. The uncertainties are caused by external disturbances and parameter variations. To this end, this paper designs a robust controller based on the Udwadia-Kalaba (UK) equation. First, we introduce the concept of virtual coupling and establish the longitudinal dynamics model of the rail vehicle. In order to ensure the control objective of the virtual coupling process, the spatial constraint on position and bidirectional inequality constraints for the spacing error between the marshalling trains are established. After changing the bounded state into the unbounded state through the state transformation, the UK approach can be used. Then, the constraint-following robust controller design is based on the UK approach and Lyapunov stability theory. The controller can render the unbounded state eventual uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness, which also satisfies the spatial constraint and the bidirectional restriction for the spacing error. Moreover, an optimized design scheme for the tunable parameter of this controller is proposed, which minimizes the control cost and comprehensive index of system performance. Finally, numerical simulations are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Acute macular neuroretinopathy as the first stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Capuano Vittorio , Forte Paolo , Sacconi Riccardo , Miere Alexandra , Mehanna Carl-Joe , Barone Caterina , Bandello Francesco , Souied Eric H. , Querques Giuseppe
Published: April 2022

Introduction

To report two cases of Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy (AMN) presented as the first stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection in two European countries during the third wave of pandemic viral infection in the early months of 2021.

Observations

A unilateral case of type 1 AMN in a man and a bilateral case of type 2 AMN in an otherwise heathy patients were reported. Sudden onset of paracentral scotoma characterized the cases with no systemic symptoms. Structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) shows multifocal middle and inner retinal hyperreflective infarctions. OCT-Angiography showed the presence of hypoperfusion of the deep capillary plexus (DCP) corresponding to the hyperreflective lesions visible on structural OCT, confirming the diagnosis.

Conclusions and importance

Type 1 and type 2 AMN may be the first stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We suggest testing all patients with AMN for SARS-CoV-2. In our cases, the natural history of AMN associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection was similar to already described cases of AMN.
Smearing in full complement roller bearings: Parameter study and damage analysis
Authors: Stuhler Patrick , Nagler Nadine
Published: April 2022

This paper discusses the adhesive wear type “smearing” in small radial cylindrical roller bearings with combined axial and radial load. A reference test with high radial and axial static load leads to reproducible smearings. The impact of speed, starting oil temperature, axial and radial load as well as running-in is investigated with a seperate parameter variation. The measurement of the roller and roller set slip together with the damage analysis enables the distinction between roller-roller and roller-ring smearing.
Eighteen-month safety analysis of offspring breastfed by mothers receiving glatiramer acetate therapy for relapsing multiple sclerosis – COBRA study
Authors: Ciplea Andrea Ines , Kurzeja Anna , Thiel Sandra , Haben Sabrina , Alexander Jessica , Adamus Evelyn , Hellwig Kerstin
Published: April 2022

Background:

Safety data on disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) during breastfeeding are limited.

Objective:

Assess safety outcomes for offspring breastfed by mothers undergoing glatiramer acetate (GA; Copaxone®) treatment.

Methods:

This non-interventional, retrospective study used German Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy Registry data. Participants had RMS, a live birth, and received GA or no DMT during breastfeeding.

Results:

GA cohort: 58 mothers/60 offspring; matched controls: 60 mothers/60 offspring; 86.7% (GA) and 25% (control) of offspring were born to mothers who had GA at some point during pregnancy. Maternal demographics and disease activity were comparable. Annualized number of hospitalizations was similar for breastfed offspring: 0.20 (95% confidence interval: 0.09–0.31; GA) and 0.25 (0.12–0.38, controls). Proportion of offspring requiring hospitalization was comparable between cohorts (18.33% vs. 20.00%). Annualized number of antibiotic uses was similar in both cohorts (0.22, 0.10–0.33 (GA) vs. 0.17, 0.06–0.27 (controls)) The proportion of offspring requiring antibiotics was 15.00% (both cohorts). More developmental delays were identified in controls versus the GA cohort (3 (5.36%) vs. 0). Growth parameters were comparable between cohorts.

Conclusion:

Maternal intake of GA during breastfeeding did not adversely affect offspring safety outcomes assessed during the first 18 months of life.
Experiences of living and coping with spinal cord disability due to road traffic injuries: A phenomenological study
Authors: Hashemiparast Mina , Sheydaei Hajieh , Chattu Vijay Kumar , Gharacheh Maryam
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Globally, people living with spinal cord disability experience more limitations in an individual and social life. In many cases, this leads to complex psychological and social problems that may also affect the adaptation to the conditions. The aim of the study was to explore the experience of living and coping with disability in people with spinal cord disability due to road traffic accidents in Iran’s cultural context.

Methods

This is a qualitative study with a phenomenological approach on 10 Iranian people with spinal cord disability due to road traffic injuries. Data collection and analysis were performed from September to March 2019. Data were collected through individual, face-to-face in-depth interviews, and the experience of living with disability and adaptation strategies were explored. Van Manen’s methodical activities were used to guide the study’s process.

Results

“Victim of destiny” was the main theme extracted from three themes and nine sub-themes. The disabled people viewed life as a prison that destiny had ordained for them and trapped them in the fences of isolation, anger, regret, anxiety, sorrow, pity, and futility such that they require assistance from others as dependent individuals. The participants’ coping strategies to adjust to their difficulties were religious recourse, satisfaction with God’s expediency, and change of life values.

Conclusions

Spinal cord disability imposed irreversible restrictions on the participants’ lives. Providing social support, empowering disabled people to overcome their limitations, and adopting religious recourse can help them to recover their mental health and better cope with their conditions.
A web-based comprehensive head and neck cancer patient education and support needs program: Usability testing
Authors: Jabbour Joe , Dhillon Haryana M , Shepherd Heather L , Sundaresan Puma , Milross Chris , Clark Jonathan R
Published: April 2022

Background: With increasing accessibility of the World Wide Web, patients are using it to obtain patient education materials (PEM). With this in mind, our group (surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, nursing, allied health professionals and academic researchers) developed a comprehensive information resource for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), the Head and Neck Cancer Australia, formerly Beyond Five website. The aim of this study was to determine patient usability of the Head and Neck Cancer Australia website. Methods: Usability testing (Cognitive walkthrough & Think-Aloud) in 18 patients treated for HNC was undertaken at a Cancer centre (anonymous for reviewers). Results: The tasks rated easiest by patients were finding information on psychological well-being (mean time spent: 66 s, range: 10–565), health and well-being effecting quality of life (mean time spent: 36 s, range 9–117) and carer information (mean time spent: 10 s, range 3–35). Patients indicated the website contained a lot of information, covers most topics, was a trusted source of information and a springboard to other information. Conclusions: The Head and Neck Cancer Australia website provides a wide range of information and support in multiple formats available to HNC patients. Further refinements in design, navigation and website instructions are needed to allow effective patient interaction.
The fetish economy of sex and gender activism: transnational appropriation and allyship
Authors: Hassanein Saffaa , Wynn L.L.
Published: April 2022

This article examines what happens when local gender rights activism is taken up by international allies and appropriators, using case studies of activism in Saudi Arabia and India. The relationship between local and transnational activists is shaped by histories of Euro-Americans writing about the gendered organisation of Eastern societies. In an economic system where nongovernmental activist groups compete for donor support, political causes are commodities with value, and value is generated through representations (e.g. of patriarchal oppression). These representations of the sexuality and gender organisation of other societies are fetishes in the Marxian sense, essential to the commodity-cause that generates value in circulation. These representations gain value through the accretion of cultural images and texts that adhere to the cause, e.g. the stereotype of the violent brown man and oppressed woman. Such images in the cultural repository allow transnational consumers to make sense of issues they are called to support. But such images also reify stereotypes that activists seek to undermine, even at the same time that these representations generate an international audience. We analyse this process and identify strategies for how transnational allies can show solidarity without overshadowing or devaluing the voices of local activists, with primary focus on the case of activism against male guardianship laws in Saudi Arabia.
How to tackle the conceptual inconsistency of audience engagement? The introduction of the Dynamic Model of Audience Engagement
Authors: Gajardo Constanza , Costera Meijer Irene
Published: April 2022

Scholars repeatedly argue that ‘audience engagement’ as a concept and, consequently as a practice, remain inconsistent and ambiguous. Such conceptual inconsistency is in tension with the relevance that the phenomenon of audience engagement has gained in contemporary discussions about journalism. In this article, we tackle the conceptual inconsistency of audience engagement by conducting a qualitative examination of all academic peer-reviewed publications (217) that dealt with ‘audience engagement’ and interrelated terms such as ‘user engagement’, ‘news engagement’ and ‘engaged journalism’, published between 2007 and 2018. Grounded in this empirical examination, we found that, first, definitions and operationalisations of audience engagement emphasised the production context of journalism over that of reception, yielding relatively unbalanced insights into the phenomenon. Second, we offer a Dynamic Model of Audience Engagement composed of four dimensions: normative, habitual, spatio-temporal and embodied. By grasping the complexity and multidimensionality of audience engagement and by aligning audience engagement with the notion with journalism’s democratic goal of informing the citizenry and more concretely its audience, our Dynamic Model of Audience Engagement facilitates future academic discussions in and around the topic of audience engagement.
A market failures approach to justice in health
Authors: Horne L. Chad , Heath Joseph
Published: April 2022

It is generally acknowledged that a certain amount of state intervention in health and health care is needed to address the significant market failures in these sectors; however, it is also thought that the primary rationale for state involvement in health must lie elsewhere, for example in an egalitarian commitment to equalizing access to health care for all citizens. This paper argues that a complete theory of justice in health can be derived from a commitment to correcting market failure, or in other words promoting Pareto-efficiency, in the domain of health. This approach can address familiar problems around access to care, as well as problems related to resource allocation and rationing (including resource allocation between generations), the control of health care costs, and the foundations of public health. Egalitarian theories of justice in health cannot make sense of the depth and pervasiveness of state involvement in health and health care; only a theory rooted in the need to correct market failure can.
Nonlinear damage identification method of transmission tower structure based on general expression for linear and nonlinear autoregressive model and Itakura distance
Authors: Zuo Heng , Guo Huiyong
Published: April 2022

Fatigue cracks and bolt looseness are two kinds of common nonlinear damage in a transmission tower structure. However, due to the complexity of the transmission tower structure, it is difficult to identify the nonlinear damage accurately by using traditional damage identification methods. To solve this problem effectively, a time domain damage identification method based on general expression for linear and nonlinear autoregressive model (GNAR model) and Itakura distance is proposed. To describe the stochastic characteristics of time series more concisely and accurately, the optimized structure of GNAR model was selected by the stochastic pruning algorithm based on greedy strategy. And Itakura distance was used as a damage indicator for nonlinear damage identification. The nonlinear damage experiment of three-story frame model in Los Alamos laboratory was used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, and this method was applied to the nonlinear damage identification experiment of a transmission tower steel frame model. In the transmission tower model experiment, two kinds of nonlinear damage types are considered: component breathing cracks and joint bolt loosening. The results show that the proposed nonlinear damage identification method can easily identify the nonlinear damage of the frame model and the transmission tower model effectively. The change of floor mass barely has effects on the damage identification results. The damage probability of the damaged stories calculated by the proposed method is significantly higher than that of the undamaged stories, so that it is helpful to find the location of the nonlinear damage source efficiently. And the proposed method is a damage identification method based on sub-structure story, which can identify the transmission tower model with two nonlinear damage sources at the same time.
All Runs Are Created Equal: Labor Market Efficiency in Major League Baseball
Authors: Pinheiro Ryan , Szymanski Stefan
Published: April 2022

Moneyball ( Lewis, 2003 ) claimed that data analytics enabled savvy operators to exploit inefficiencies in the market for baseball players. The economic analysis of Hakes and Sauer (2006) appeared to show that the publication of Moneyball represented a watershed, after which inefficiencies had been competed away. In both cases analysis focused on composite statistics such as on base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG). This paper relies on a more structural approach, associated with the statistical analysis of Lindsey (1963) which identifies the run value of each individual event in a game. Using a dataset of every event in every game from 1996 to 2015, we show that run value of each event can be accurately calculated, as can the run value contribution of each player. We show that the compensation of free agents reliably reflects the run value contribution of each player, regardless of the source of those contributions (walks, singles, and home runs). We find this was true both before and after the publication of Moneyball, suggesting that the labor market for batters in Major League Baseball operated efficiently across our entire sample period.
Care and Treatment for an Antiphospholipid Syndrome-Related Lower Limb Skin Ulcer Unhealed for 7 Years: A Case Report
Authors: Wei Min , Xu Yan , Xia Dongyun , Li Jian , Dong Shan
Published: April 2022

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a group of rare autoimmune diseases caused by antiphospholipid antibodies that is mainly associated with arterial or venous thrombosis and/or complications during pregnancy. Skin lesions occur in approximately 30% of APS patients as initial manifestations. However, previous studies have primarily focused on the treatment of APS rather than the management of skin lesions. Here, the authors report a case of an APS-related lower limb skin ulcer that had remained unhealed for more than 7 years. The difficulties in this case were the diagnosis of APS, the risk of bleeding during debridement, wound infection, biofilm formation, reduced venous return from the lower limbs, and compliance with compression therapy and follow-up. A three-step wound care regimen based on a multidisciplinary team approach resulted in effective control of APS and healing of the ulcer to the lower leg in 95 days. Over two follow-ups, there was no recurrence of the ulcer.