bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Aspect Ratio Machining of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics by Electrical Discharge Machining Process
Authors: Makudapathy Cibi , Sundaram Murali
Published: December 2020

Micromachining of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) is essential for numerous applications in several industries such as aerospace, automotive, defense, shipping, sporting goods, and biomedical industries. The major challenge in machining CFRP by electrical discharge machining (EDM) is due to the nonconductivity of epoxy material which is used as a binder for manufacturing these CRFPs. This study attempts a novel, yet simple, approach to ensure the conductivity of the work piece through the entire machining process. Experiments were carried out as a part of this work to assess the feasibility of machining high aspect ratio microholes in CFRP by micro-EDM. The effect of process parameters such as voltage and feed-rate on the hole quality was studied. Using optimal process conditions, microhole of 2500 μm deep with an aspect ratio of over 11 was achieved.
Maintenance of Type IV Secretion Function During Helicobacter pylori Infection in Mice
Authors: Skoog Emma C. , Martin Miriam E. , Barrozo Roberto M. , Hansen Lori M. , Cai Lucy P. , Lee Seung-Joo , Benoun Joseph M. , McSorley Stephen J. , Solnick Jay V.
Published: December 2020

The type IV secretion system (T4SS) is the major
Helicobacter pylori
virulence factor, though its function is lost during murine infection. Loss of function also occurs in gerbils and in humans, suggesting that it is biologically relevant, but the conditions under which T4SS regulation occurs are unknown.
Effect of Crack Closure on Magnitude of Modulated Wave
Authors: Lee Sang Eon , Hong Jung-Wuk
Published: December 2020

Fatigue cracks generated by repeated loads cause structural failures. Such cracks grow continuously and at an increasing speed owing to the concentration of stresses near the crack tips. Therefore, the early detection of fatigue cracks is imperative in the field of structural-health monitoring for the safety of structures exposed to dynamic loading. In particular, the detection of those cracks subjected to compression is known as a challenging problem in the nondestructive inspection area. The nonlinear ultrasonic modulation technique is effective for the detection of microcracks smaller than the size of a wavelength because this technique uses the deformation of waves passing through the crack surfaces. However, the technique has not been thoroughly verified for detecting cracks subjected to external forces. In this study, nonlinear ultrasonic modulation tests are performed on two types of crack specimens under compressive forces. The results show that in fatigue-cracked specimens, the cracks can be detected using modulated waves even under strong compressions. With artificial cracks, buckling occurs at a relatively low compression, and the amounts of modulated waves rapidly increase due to the bending of the specimen before buckling failure takes place. In this study, the crack detection methodology under compression is proposed and experimentally verified. The proposed method might be beneficial to find cracks under compression in various structural components.
Pennington Corner: The Best in Cites
Authors: Calvo Roque J.
Published: December 2020

Benjamin Disraeli, the former British Prime Minister, once said, “The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” The purpose or mission of ECS is to advance electrochemical and solid-state science, and we have been successful in this mission for over a century through our ability to widely disseminate relevant scientific research. The Journal of The Electrochemical Society (JES) is our most important vehicle for satisfying the purpose of ECS, and recent citation data indicates that JES is excelling in this role. In 2005, JES recorded a total of 31,876 citations, which exceeded the next closest journal in electrochemistry by nearly 14,000 citations.
Frosch and Derick: Fifty Years Later (Foreword)
Authors: Huff Howard , Riordan Michael
Published: December 2020

In September 1957, Carl Frosch and Link Derick published an epochal paper in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society entitled, “Surface Protection and Selective Masking During Diffusion in Silicon.” In it they described their 1955 discovery at Bell Labs of ways to form a silicon-dioxide layer on the surface of silicon wafers during the high-temperature diffusion process.
Electrochemical Cells at Our Service
Authors: Brisard Gessie
Published: December 2020

The necessity for the development of new materials is the unceasing requirement for high energy conversion efficiencies as in fuel cells, batteries, and solar cells as well as in industrial electrosynthesis applications. For this reason, a fundamental understanding of many basic and crucial electrocatalytical reactions remains an important issue.
Hot Materials, Hotter Impact
Authors: Wuchina Eric , Wachsman Eric
Published: December 2020

The interdisciplinary nature of ECS is uniquely reflected within the High Temperature Materials (HTM) Division. Here, scientists and engineers are concerned with the chemical and physical characterization of materials, the kinetics of reactions, the thermodynamic properties and phase equilibria of systems, the development of new processing methods, and ultimately, the use of materials in advanced technology applications at high temperatures.
Electrochemical Capacitors emPOWERING the 21st Century
Authors: Long Jeffrey W.
Published: December 2020

The term “electrochemical capacitor” describes a diverse class of energy-storage devices that incorporate a variety of active materials (high surface-area carbons, electroactive polymers, and transition metal oxides and nitrides), electrolytes (conventional aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes, advanced polymer electrolytes, and ionic liquids), and device configurations (symmetric and asymmetric).
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Singhal Subhash C.
Published: December 2020

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer a clean, low-pollution technology to electrochemically generate electricity at high efficiencies; since their efficiencies are not limited by the Carnot cycle of a heat engine.
Cell-free DNA and RNA—measurement and applications in clinical diagnostics with focus on metabolic disorders
Authors: Drag Markus H. , Kilpeläinen Tuomas O.
Published: December 2020

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and RNA (cfRNA) hold enormous potential as a new class of biomarkers for the development of noninvasive liquid biopsies in many diseases and conditions. In recent years, cfDNA and cfRNA have been studied intensely as tools for noninvasive prenatal testing, solid organ transplantation, cancer screening, and monitoring of tumors. In obesity, higher cfDNA concentration indicates accelerated cellular turnover of adipocytes during expansion of adipose mass and may be directly involved in the development of adipose tissue insulin resistance by inducing inflammation. Furthermore, cfDNA and cfRNA have promising diagnostic value in a range of obesity-related metabolic disorders, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and diabetic complications. Here, we review the current and future applications of cfDNA and cfRNA within clinical diagnostics, discuss technical and analytical challenges in the field, and summarize the opportunities of using cfDNA and cfRNA in the diagnostics and prognostics of obesity-related metabolic disorders.
Chemical carcinogen-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis is a potential model of p21-activated kinase positive female breast cancer
Authors: Duderstadt Emily L. , McQuaide Sarah A. , Sanders Mary A. , Samuelson David J.
Published: December 2020

The p21-activated kinase 1 ( PAK1) gene encodes a serine/threonine kinase that is overexpressed in a subset of human breast carcinomas with poor prognosis. The laboratory rat ( Rattus norvegicus) orthologous gene is located at Mammary carcinoma susceptibility 3 ( Mcs3) QTL on rat chromosome 1. We used quantitative PCR to determine effects of Mcs3 genotype and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) exposure on Pak1 expression. There was no effect of Mcs3 genotype; however, there was a 3.5-fold higher Pak1 level in DMBA-exposed mammary glands (MGs) than in unexposed glands ( P < 0.05). Sequence variants in Pak1 exons did not alter amino acid sequence between Mcs3-susceptible and -resistant strains. Protein expression of PAK1/Pak1 in human breast carcinomas and DMBA-exposed rat mammary glands was detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Rat mammary glands from 12-wk-old females unexposed to DMBA were negative for Pak1, whereas 24% of carcinogen-exposed mammary glands from age-matched females stained positive for Pak1. The positive mammary glands exposed to carcinogen had no pathological signs of disease. Human breast carcinomas, used as comparative controls, had a 22% positivity rats. This was consistent with other human breast cancer studies of PAK1 expression. Similar frequencies of human/rat PAK1/Pak1 expression in female breast carcinomas and carcinogen-induced rat mammary glands, showing no visible pathogenesis of disease, suggests aberrant PAK1 expression is an early event in development of some breast cancers. Laboratory rats will be a useful experimental organism for comparative studies of Pak1-mediated mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis. Future studies of PAK1 as a diagnostic marker of early breast disease are warranted.
Weak Comparison Principle for Weighted Fractional
p
-Laplacian Equation
Authors: Xie Jin
Published: December 2020

The aim of this paper is to establish a weak comparison principle for a class fractional

p

-Laplacian equation with weight. The nonlinear term

f

x
,
s

>
0

is a Carathéodory function which is possibly unbounded both at the origin and at infinity and such that

f

x
,
s

s

1
−
p

decreases with respect to

s

for a.e.

x
∈
Ω

.
Gene Alterations of N6‐Methyladenosine (m6A) Regulators in Colorectal Cancer: A TCGA Database Study
Authors: Zhang Qian , Cai Yuping , Kurbatov Vadim , Khan Sajid A. , Lu Lingeng , Zhang Yawei , Johnson Caroline H.
Published: December 2020

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) plays an important role in many cancers. However, few studies have examined the role of m6A in colorectal CRC. To examine the effect of m6A on CRC, we studied the genome of 591 CRC cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The relationship between the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, copy number variation (CNVs), and mutations of m6A “Writers,” “Readers,” and “Erasers,” prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and genetic mutations in CRC cases were analyzed. CNVs and mutations were found in thirteen m6A regulators. As expected, gain and amplification of m6A regulators increased the mRNA expression of these regulators, while deletion led to reduction in the mRNA expression. Moreover, CNVs and mutation of these regulators were significantly associated with APC, TP53, and microsatellite instability (MSI) status (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.029, respectively). CNVs of m6A regulators also correlated with inferred immune cell infiltration in CRC tissues, especially in colon tissues. Additionally, alterations of RBM15, YTHDF2, YTHDC1, YTHDC2, and METTL14 genes were related to the worse overall survival and disease‐free survival (DFS) of CRC patients. Specifically, the deletion status of “Writers” was also correlated to the DFS of CRC patients (p = 0.02). Gene set enrichment analysis found that FTO was involved in mRNA 3 ′ end processing, polyubiquitin binding, and RNA polymerase promoter elongation, while YTHDC1 was related to interferon‐alpha and gamma response. In conclusion, a novel relationship was identified between CNVs and mutations of m6A regulators with prognosis and inferred immune function of CRC. These findings will improve the understanding of the relationship of m6A in CRC.
Bilateral Spontaneous Hyphema in Juvenile Xanthogranuloma: A Case Report
Authors: Al-Owaid Abdullah A. , Al-Dossari Shaikha , Maktabi Azza , Edward Deepak , Sesma Gorka
Published: December 2020

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is an idiopathic granulomatous inflammatory condition that usually affects children. Intraocular involvement, especially bilateral, is rare in JXG. Most patients with ocular lesions are typically infants and usually present with hyphema, iridocyclitis, and secondary glaucoma. We report a case of a 3-month-old baby girl who presented to our emergency department with bilateral hyphema that started 3 weeks ago. She was medically free with no history of any recent trauma or preceding febrile illness. General physical examination showed a quiet baby with multiple hyperpigmented macules over the inner thigh and right upper arm, with one pinkish nodule over the occiput. She also had high intraocular pressures. A detailed ophthalmic assessment was done under general anesthesia. The nodular lesion was excised and sent for histopathological evaluation, which confirmed the diagnosis of JXG. Treatment of JXG cases present a challenge to ophthalmologist due to rebleeding and refractory glaucoma. Our case was admitted multiple times for rebleeding and refractory glaucoma and was treated with full antiglaucoma drops, steroid drops and peribulbar injection of steroid.
Frühgeborene unter maschineller Beatmung: Immunmodulatorischer Effekt der präventiven Gabe von Azithromycin
Authors: Jorczyk Maximilian
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Macrolides have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties that give this class of antibiotics a role that differs from its classical use as an antibiotic, which opens new therapeutic possibilities. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of azithromycin in preventing mechanical ventilation (MV)-induced lung injury in very-low-birth-weight preterm neonates. Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of preterm neonates who received invasive MV within 72 h of birth. Patients were randomized to receive intravenous azithromycin (at a dose of 10/mg/kg/day for 5 days) or placebo (0.9% saline) within 12 h of the start of MV. Two blood samples were collected (before and after intervention) for measurement of interleukins (ILs) and PCR for Ureaplasma. Patients were followed up throughout the hospital stay for the outcomes of death and bronchopulmonary dysplasia defined as need for oxygen for a period of ≥28 days of life (registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03485703). Results: Forty patients were analyzed in the azithromycin group and 40 in the placebo group. Five days after the last dose, serum IL-2 and IL-8 levels dropped significantly in the azithromycin group. There was a significant reduction in the incidence of death and O2 dependency at 28 days/death in azithromycin-treated patients regardless of the detection of Ureaplasma in blood. Conclusions: Azithromycin has anti-inflammatory effects, with a decrease in cytokines after 5 days of use and a reduction in death and O2 dependency at 28 days/death in mechanically ventilated preterm neonates.
Discovery of the first species of Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from Hkamti (Myanmar) amber

Authors: OLMI MASSIMO , PERKOVSKY EVGENY E. , GUGLIELMINO ADALGISA , CAPRADOSSI LEONARDO , JOUAULT CORENTIN
Published: December 2020

The genus Ampulicomorpha Ashmead, 1893 (Hymenoptera: Embolemidae) currently includes 24 extant described species (Perkovsky et al., 2020). They are known from all the zoogeographic regions, excluding Antarctica (see Chény et al., 2020: fig. 1). Information about their biology is extremely reduced and needs further investigations. The few species whose biology has been studied parasitize nymphs of Achilidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) feeding on fungі inside rotten logs (Guglielmino & Bückle, 2013; Olmi et al., 2014b; Perkovsky et al., 2020).
The sixth species of the damselfly family Burmacoenagrionidae (Odonata) endemic to the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Authors: HUANG DI-YING , NEL ANDRÉ , NGÔ-MULLER VALÉRIE
Published: December 2020

Burmagrion azari sp. nov., sixth species of the small damselfly family Burmacoenagrionidae, is described and illustrated. This family is currently only recorded from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and is possibly endemic to this isolated island of the Tethys Ocean at that time. The presence of slender, elongate legs with very long tarsi is a putative synapomorphy of the Burmacoenagrionidae, as present in Burmagrion and Burmacoenagrion. The type specimen of the new genus and species is dislocated together with several fragments of flies, suggesting that these fossils are possibly the result of a regurgitation by a small vertebrate passing aside the fresh resin. The female of Burmagrion azari sp. nov. was probably laying its eggs inside plant cuticles. Its ovipositor is described.
Discovery of Pemphilimnadiopsis cheni (Branchiopoda: Diplostraca: Spinicaudata) from the Benxi Formation in Taiyuan, North China and its stratigraphic significance

Authors: LIAO HUAN-YU , LIAN XIN-NENG , GAO JIAN , CAI CHEN-YANG , FENG ZHUO , HUANG DI-YING
Published: December 2020

Clam shrimp (Spinicaudata) are worldwide distributed branchiopod crustaceans specialised in ephemeral freshwater habitats. The Carboniferous is an important period for the early evolution and diversification of clam shrimp. Compared with the rare and geographically confined fossil record of the Devonian, clam shrimp in the Carboniferous have a much wider geographical distribution and higher biodiversity. Over 20 genera of clam shrimp have been recorded in the Carboniferous all over the world, but they are sparse in China. To date, five records of Carboniferous clam shrimp have been reported from China (Pruvost, 1927; Zhang et al., 1976; Wang, 1987; Zheng et al., 1988; Liu & Fan, 1995; Liao et al., 2019). Among them, four species Lioestheria? mathieui Pruvost, 1927, Protomonocarina huixianensis Wang, 1987, Retrofractus lingyuanensis Liu & Fan, 1995, and Pemphilimnadiopsis cheni Liao, Shen & Huang, 2019, are found in the Pennsylvanian Benxi Formation in North China (Pruvost, 1927; Zhang et al., 1976; Wang, 1987; Liu & Fan, 1995; Liao et al., 2019).
The Role of Angioembolization in Hepatic Trauma
Authors: Cadili Ali , Gates Jonathan
Published: December 2020

The liver is one of the most commonly injured solid organs in blunt abdominal trauma. Non-operative management is considered to be the gold standard for the care of most blunt liver injuries. Angioembolization has emerged as an important adjunct that is vital to the success of the non-operative management strategy for blunt hepatic injuries. This procedure, however, is fraught with some possible serious complications. The success, as well as rate of complications of this procedure, is determined by degree and type of injury, hepatic anatomy and physiology, and embolization strategy among other factors. In this review, we discuss these important considerations to help shed further light on the contribution and impact of angioembolization with regards to complex hepatic injuries.
Surgical Outcomes of Distal Pancreatectomy in Elderly Patients
Authors: Tessman Derek , Chou Jesse , Shebrain Saad , Munene Gitonga
Published: December 2020

Background

The extent to which age impacts surgical outcomes remains poorly characterized. This study aims to evaluate the impact of age on 30-day outcomes in patients after distal pancreatectomy.

Methods

Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database (2017), distal pancreatectomy patients were identified and age-stratified, groups A (≤75 years) and B (>75 years). Outcomes included 30-day mortality, morbidity, readmissions, operative time (min), and hospital length of stay (LOS, days).

Results

Of 3042 total patients identified, 1686 (55.4%) were women. A total of 2649 patients (87.1%) were in group A. Overall, both groups had similar baseline characteristics with the exception of the following: diabetes mellitus (24.8% vs. 30.0%, P = .03), smoking (19.3% vs. 4.8%, P < .001), congestive heart failure (.5% vs. 1.8%, P = .010), hypertension (HTN) (47.9% vs. 72.5%, P < .001), bleeding disorders (3.1% vs. 5.3%, P = .036), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) (III-V) scores (67.6% vs. 85.5%, P < .001), and body mass index (29.2 [±6.7] vs. 27.4 [±5.6], P = .001). Deep surgical site infection was higher in group A (12.1% vs. 6.6%, P = .001), while acute renal failure (ARF) and postoperative myocardial infarction (MI) were higher in group B. 30-day readmissions were higher in group A (17.4% vs. 12.2%, P = .011) despite no statistically significant difference in LOS (7.10 [±6.36] vs. 7.30 [±4.93] days, P = .553) or overall morbidity (29.4% vs. 28.8%, P = .859).

Conclusion(s)

Those undergoing distal pancreatectomy experienced similar overall morbidity and mortality outcomes regardless of age. However, those older than 75 years had more cardiovascular risk factors, which may have contributed to their higher rates of postoperative ARF and MI.
Labour ward negligence
Authors: Buttigieg George G , Micallef-Stafrace Kirill
Published: December 2020

No amount of symposia and clinical meetings and formal management will make a clinical difference unless obstetric units regularly and ruthlessly self-assess to curb medical negligence. Court case, which represent a small portion of substandard outcomes, not infrequently reveal a serious lack of obstetric judgment as well as paucity of knowledge which are compatible with unsupervised responsibility of labour ward duties. One UK court case ACF 32(2): 09/2019 presents a factual picture of obstetric practice which is difficult to reconcile with modern UK practice. This article limits itself to a number of facts as presented to court by the claimant, and the comments are directed purely at the resulting implications. These facts as stated are seriously worrying in themselves as they reflect practice well below the minimum care to be expected in a modern country and are far from what is recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and indeed every day standards. The article recommends the shifting of focus from individual to collective or unit responsibility to achieve better care. In any case where gross mismanagement is found, there should be a wider check on practices within the whole obstetric unit.
The Lasting Impact of a First Impression: An Exercise for the First Day of Class
Authors: Jafar Afshan
Published: December 2020

This article details an exercise for the first day of class in an introductory sociology course. Students in two sections of Introduction to Sociology taught by the same professor and covering the same content, with the exception of the exercise on the first day of class, were surveyed at the end of the semester regarding the first day. Student responses in the section with the experiment reveal that students believe that the activity is useful in making them think deeper, recalling and applying sociological concepts to their own lives, and challenging their conceptions of roles of students and professors in the college classroom. These students also report positive recollections of the first day and of the professor. Additionally, the future trajectory of students in each section (in terms of their decision to major, minor, or take further classes in sociology) reveals surprisingly different paths.
Constructing the Sociology of Disability: An Analysis of Syllabi
Authors: Carey Allison C. , Najarian Souza Cheryl
Published: December 2020

The sociology of disability has emerged relatively recently as a subfield in sociology and has seen growing institutionalization within the field, including the establishment of a section in the American Sociological Association. The field, however, is still emerging. There is not yet an American journal dedicated to it or more than a few textbooks. The small set of professors in this field, therefore, experience both the opportunity and the challenge of constructing the essence of the field when they teach. In this study, we draw on 25 syllabi from sociologists teaching the sociology of disability and a broader set of disability courses to examine four elements of the syllabi—course description, learning goals/objectives, course topics, and readings—to assess the presence and content of an emerging core for the discipline. For each element, we analyze the thematic range and level of agreement across syllabi. We find that professors resist relying solely on sociology, instead embracing interdisciplinary scholarship and prioritizing the voices of people with disabilities. Syllabi show little overlap in readings or authors. The highest level of agreement is found among the course descriptions and topics, especially with regard to the sociological perspective and the key concepts of sociology such as social institutions, culture, theory, and inequality.
Understanding the Internal and External Communicative Drivers of Organizational Innovativeness
Authors: Fu Jiawei Sophia
Published: December 2020

Organizational and communication studies have established that communication plays a critical role in organizational innovation, because internal and external communication allows individuals, groups, and organizations to recombine existing knowledge into new ideas. In light of this, this research re-directs our attention to the specific communicative antecedents of an organization’s overall propensity for innovation. Survey data from 293 nonprofit organizations showed that interorganizational partnership diversity, knowledge sharing via the use of information communication technologies (ICTs), and entrepreneurial orientation affect organizational innovativeness, with differential effects on administrative innovativeness and technological innovativeness. Specifically, interorganizational partnership diversity promoted administrative innovativeness but had an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship with technological innovativeness. Effective ICT-mediated knowledge sharing improved technological innovativeness only. The combination of interorganizational partnership diversity and EO (i.e., proactiveness) increased administrative innovativeness. However, interorganizational partnership diversity and effective knowledge sharing indirectly influenced technological innovativeness via proactiveness. This study advances research on organizational innovation, ICTs, and interorganizational networks.
Initial Effectiveness Evaluation of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders for Homeless Women
Authors: Rodriguez-Moreno Sara , Farchione Todd J. , Roca Pablo , Marín Carolina , Guillén Ana I. , Panadero Sonia
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders adapted for homeless women (UPHW). Eighty-one homeless women participated in this single-blinded quasi-experimental clinical trial, involving up to 12 sessions of group treatment, and 3-and 6-month follow-ups. The participants received either immediate treatment with the UPHW ( n = 46) or delayed treatment, following a 12-week wait-list control period (WLC; n = 35). Primary outcomes included depression and anxiety. Secondary measures comprised positive and negative affect, psychological well-being, health perception, and social support. The UPHW resulted in significant improvement on measures of anxiety, depression and negative affect. Improvements in anxiety and depression were maintained over a 3-month follow-up period, but not at 6-month. The reliability of the clinical changes showed significant differences between UPHW and WLC for depression. Moreover, the inter-session assessment in the UPHW group showed a linear trend reduction for depression and anxiety scores along the 12 sessions. The clinical implications on the UPHW in social settings are also discussed.
Who’s Hiding in the Shadows? Organized Crime and Informal Entrepreneurship in 39 Economies
Authors: Mallon Mark R. , Fainshmidt Stav
Published: December 2020

Informal entrepreneurship represents a common mode of business formation globally and entails starting and operating a business without registering it with legal authorities. Despite the size of the informal sector in many countries, the motivations for entrepreneurs to operate nonregistered ventures are not well understood. Although formal institutions play an important role, we argue that the decision to operate a nonregistered new venture is influenced by a pervasive informal institution around the world: the practice of extortion payments to organized crime. Because criminal organizations foster the development of norms and beliefs cementing extortion payments as an institution, we posit that entrepreneurs will use nonregistration as a buffer to avoid extortion costs preemptively. We further explicate that this choice is contingent upon founders’ access to resources and ventures’ product-market strategy, which shape visibility to organized crime and the ability to resist extortion and, thus, alter the need for nonregistration as a buffer against institutionalized extortion. Our analysis of over 8,000 new ventures operating in 39 economies largely supports these arguments. This study identifies a novel causal mechanism in the nomological network of informal entrepreneurship, namely, the prevalence of organized crime, and informs a multilevel theory of how entrepreneurs choose the type of organizational form for their ventures. Finally, it illuminates the importance of shadow institutions—illegal and not widely accepted practices—which may operate as unique but often overlooked types of institutions that shape entrepreneurial and organizational decisions.
“The Unheard Voices”: Lived Experiences of Sexual Abuse in Male Survivors
Authors: Das Sarbopriya , Pramanik Soma , Ray Deepshikha , Banerjee Debanjan
Published: December 2020

Background:

Victims of sexual abuse face unique emotional challenges. Among them, the male survivors of sexual assault have largely been neglected in the literature, being traditionally considered “against the norm” and symbolic of reduced masculinity.

Methods:

Qualitative approach was used to study the lived experiences of five (three heterosexual and two homosexual) male survivors of sexual abuse. In-depth interviews were conducted with consent, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Results:

Commonality in the experiences of abuse (the identity of the abuser, nature of agony), perspectives of sharing the abuse history (lack of acceptance of “male” victimhood, the openness of the opposite gender, family reactions), and the long-term impact of abuse (withdrawal/change of interest as coping, sexual identity issues) emerged as the main superordinate theme (and subthemes).

Conclusion:

Society, with its patriarchy, often turns apathetic to male victimization in sexual abuse. Beliefs about masculinity and resultant trauma can cause a chronic social and psychosexual impact on the victims. More systematic research is needed to understand their perceptions, unmet needs, and experiences of recovery.
Effectiveness of Psychological Intervention by Videoconference for Family Members with Depression of Farmers Who Have Committed Suicide
Authors: Nayak Raghavendra B. , Bhatia Triptish , Mahadevaiah Mahesh , Bheemappa A.
Published: December 2020

Background:

In India two thirds of the population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. The suicide rate for farmers throughout the world is higher than the non-farming population with India being no exception. Family members of the household where a member has committed suicide are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety and suicide. There is a paucity of trained counsellors in India, while there is sufficient research showing counselling and therapy through videoconferencing is just as effective as in-person therapy. It is however, not commonly practiced in India, especially in rural settings. We propose to evaluate psychiatric morbidity and assess feasibility and effectiveness of videoconferencing for family members of farmers who had committed suicide.

Objectives:

The objective is to evaluate family members of farmers who have committed suicide for psychiatric morbidity and psychosocial risk factors. We aim to identify depression, anxiety and suicidal risk in family members and then administer psychological intervention through video-conferencing for depression to study its effectiveness in the cohort.

Methodology:

The data on completed farmer suicide would be collected from district authorities and police departments. Home visit would be made by research staff to assess the risk factors for the farmers who completed suicide. Family members would be screened for anxiety and depression and severity of depression and suicidal ideas would be rated. The family members having mild to moderate depression would be randomised and CBT based psychological intervention (5 sessions) over three months would be given by trained psychologist through videoconferencing. The outcome would be measured at the end of six months.

Conclusions:

Psychological interventions through video-conference might be beneficial in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in family members of the farmers who have committed suicide.
Psychometric evaluation of a newly developed measure of emotionalism after stroke (TEARS-Q)
Authors: Broomfield Niall M , West Robert , House Allan , Munyombwe Theresa , Barber Mark , Gracey Fergus , Gillespie David C , Walters Matthew
Published: December 2020

Objective:

To evaluate, psychometrically, a new measure of tearful emotionalism following stroke: Testing Emotionalism After Recent Stroke – Questionnaire (TEARS-Q).

Setting:

Acute stroke units based in nine Scottish hospitals, in the context of a longitudinal cohort study of post-stroke emotionalism.

Subjects:

A total of 224 clinically diagnosed stroke survivors recruited between October 1st 2015 and September 30th 2018, within 2 weeks of their stroke.

Measures:

The measure was the self-report questionnaire TEARS-Q, constructed based on post-stroke tearful emotionalism diagnostic criteria: (i) increased tearfulness, (ii) crying comes on suddenly, with no warning (iii) crying not under usual social control and (iv) crying episodes occur at least once weekly. The reference standard was presence/absence of emotionalism on a diagnostic, semi-structured post-stroke emotionalism interview, administered at the same assessment point. Stroke, mood, cognition and functional outcome measures were also completed by the subjects.

Results:

A total of 97 subjects were female, with a mean age 65.1 years. 205 subjects had sustained ischaemic stroke. 61 subjects were classified as mild stroke. TEARS-Q was internally consistent (Cronbach’s alpha 0.87). TEARS-Q scores readily discriminated the two groups, with a mean difference of −7.18, 95% CI (−8.07 to −6.29). A cut off score of 2 on TEARS-Q correctly identified 53 of the 61 stroke survivors with tearful emotionalism and 140 of the 156 stroke survivors without tearful emotionalism. One factor accounted for 57% of the item response variance, and all eight TEARS-Q items acceptably discriminated underlying emotionalism.

Conclusion:

TEARS-Q accurately diagnoses tearful emotionalism after stroke.
The Technological Singularity as the Emergence of a Collective Consciousness: An Anthropological Perspective
Authors: O’Lemmon Matthew
Published: December 2020

The technological singularity is popularly envisioned as a point in time when (a) an explosion of growth in artificial intelligence (AI) leads to machines becoming smarter than humans in every capacity, even gaining consciousness in the process; or (b) humans become so integrated with AI that we could no longer be called human in the traditional sense. This article argues that the technological singularity does not represent a point in time but a process in the ongoing construction of a collective consciousness. Innovations from the earliest graphic representations to the present reduced the time it took to transmit information, reducing the cognitive space between individuals. The steady pace of innovations ultimately led to the communications satellite, fast-tracking this collective consciousness. The development of AI in the late 1960s has been the latest innovation in this process, increasing the speed of information while allowing individuals to shape events as they happen.
Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma: a case report and literature review
Authors: Rao Yu-fang , Cheng Dan-ni , Qiu Ke , Song Yao , Zhao Yu , Gu Deying , Ren Jianjun
Published: December 2020

Background

Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma (SNTCS) is a highly invasive malignant tumor most frequently found in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. As a result, it can be confused with other sinonasal tumors. In addition, SNTCS progresses rapidly and often infiltrates other tissues or organs in the early phase, resulting in poor patient prognosis. The objective of this article was to report the case of a patient with SNTCS and discuss the management strategy. Furthermore, we conducted a literature review for SNTCS and summarized the findings from 107 cases. Case presentation: Here, we report a 47-year-old man diagnosed with SNTCS and treated with radiochemotherapy after an initial operation. After follow-up for 5 years, no tumor recurrence was observed.

Conclusions

As SNTCS progresses rapidly, early diagnosis and surgical treatment combined with radiochemotherapy can improve patient survival.
A Group of Unpublished Objects from a Foundation Deposit for King Thutmose III from the Temple of Amun, Djeserakhet, at Deir el-Bahari
Authors: Mekawy Ouda Ahmed M.
Published: December 2020

This paper explores 32 inscribed objects from foundation deposits of the Temple of Thutmose III, Djeserakhet, at Deir el-Bahari. They contain ointment jars, chisels, saws, axes, surveyor’s stakes, ‘Opening of the Mouth’ adzes, a grinder, and a model of a rocker. They are kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the museum database records that they were found at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna; however, the method of acquisition is unknown. This paper evaluates these pieces of information in light of the inscriptions on these objects and other objects from foundation deposits for the same king from the same site, Djeserakhet (which are scattered in different museums around the world), to reconstruct their archaeological context. This paper also notes the current museum inventory numbers of these objects to create a network of the entire group. It closely scrutinizes these objects, their inscriptions, the techniques used for engraving them, and the addressed deity.
Support Vector Machine for Short-Term Traffic Flow Prediction and Improvement of Its Model Training using Nearest Neighbor Approach
Authors: Toan Trinh Dinh , Truong Viet-Hung
Published: December 2020

Short-term prediction of traffic flow is essential for the deployment of intelligent transportation systems. In this paper we present an efficient method for short-term traffic flow prediction using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) in comparison with baseline methods, including the historical average, the Current Time Based, and the Double Exponential Smoothing predictors. To demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the SVM method, we used one-month time-series traffic flow data on a segment of the Pan Island Expressway in Singapore for training and testing the model. The results show that the SVM method significantly outperforms the baseline methods for most prediction intervals, and under various traffic conditions, for the rolling horizon of 30 min. In investigating the effect of the input-data dimension on prediction accuracy, we found that the rolling horizon has a clear effect on the SVM’s prediction accuracy: for the rolling horizon of 30–60 min, the longer the rolling horizon, the more accurate the SVM prediction is. To look for a solution for improvement of the SVM’s training performance, we investigate the application of k-Nearest Neighbor method for SVM training using both actual data and simulated incident data. The results show that the k- Nearest Neighbor method facilitates a substantial reduction of SVM training size to accelerate the training without compromising predictive performance.
Explanatory Analysis of the Safety of Short Passing Zones on Two-Lane Rural Highways
Authors: Karimi Arastoo , Boroujerdian Amin Mirza
Published: December 2020

Passing zones afford sufficient passing distance for passing vehicles on two-lane rural highways. This study aimed to assess the effects of geometric and traffic variables on the safety of short passing zones using the rate of passing maneuvers ending in the no-passing zone as a surrogate safety measure. A Poisson regression model was applied to aerial data collected by drone at seven passing zones. The findings showed that increase in the length of the passing zone corresponds to decrease in the rate of passing maneuvers ending in the no-passing zone. The passing rate is also affected by the lane width, the percentage of heavy vehicles in the subject direction, and the directional split in the subject direction. The rate of passing maneuvers ending in no-passing zones reaches a peak as the two-way traffic flow rate increases to 600 vehicles per hour regardless of the directional split, or as the absolute vertical grade increases to 4.8%–6% depending on the percentage of heavy vehicles. After the peak value, the rate decreases. The presented model can serve as a tool for evaluating and improving the safety of short passing zones.
Continued Educational Neuromyth Belief in Pre- and In-Service Teachers: A Call for De-Implementation Action for School Psychologists
Authors: Craig Heather L. , Wilcox Gabrielle , Makarenko Erica M. , MacMaster Frank P.
Published: December 2020

Despite the breadth and depth of educational neuroscience research and teachers’ interest in neuroscience, teachers often have limited access to reputable sources. As a result, neuromyths–misapplied or over-simplified claims related to brain science–have proliferated. School Psychologists have training in education, applied neuroscience, and evidence-based practices. As such, school psychologists are poised to mitigate the negative impact of teacher neuromyth endorsement. This study examined the endorsement rate of neuromyths by teachers to identify knowledge gaps to inform future training in this area. In-service and preservice teachers from grades K-12 completed an online survey of common neuromyths. Many neuromyths are pernicious and continue to be endorsed by teachers, most commonly related to learning styles and multiple intelligences. These results support the need for increased training in neuroscience for teachers and suggest a desire for factual and useful information about educational neuroscience, which school psychologists can provide in educational contexts.
Experimental investigation on the water droplet erosion characteristics of blade materials for steam turbine
Authors: Zhang Zheyuan , Yang Bin , Zhang Di , Xie Yonghui
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the water droplet erosion ( WDE) characteristics of four blade materials under different high-speed liquid-solid impingement conditions are tested with the experimental steps and data processing methods in ASTM-G73. On the basis of cumulative erosion curves, the maximum erosion rate ( ERmax) is obtained to analyze the WDE resistance of the testing materials quantitatively. The effects of target surface roughness, impact angle and impact velocity on the WDE characteristics of blade materials under specific working conditions are studied. The velocity coefficients ( n) of the testing materials under high-speed liquid-solid impact are analyzed. In order to investigate the mechanism of WDE, the material failure characteristics and shallow layer hardness ( SLH) at three characteristic moments corresponding to different WDE periods, are investigated with the SEM morphology of erosion section and hardness distribution along the depth direction at the impact position. The research results can provide reference data and technical support for the structure design and material selection of steam turbine blades.
Karl Leonhard (1904–88) and his academic influence through the ‘Erlangen School’
Authors: Braun Birgit
Published: December 2020

The Erlangen University Psychiatric and Mental Clinic was an annexe to the Erlangen Mental Asylum, so when Leonhard worked there he became acquainted with acute and chronic stages of schizophrenia. This can be viewed as a decisive impulse for his later differentiated classification of types of schizophrenia. The suspicion that Leonhard suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder cannot be supported. His reticence concerning social-psychiatric aspects is analysed in the context of his early professional contact with the ‘Erlangen system’ of open care and its Nazi perversion. Leonhard’s role in National Socialism is still uncertain. His unsuccessful attempts to retain the Erlangen Chair of Psychiatry and Mental Illness in 1951 can be viewed as his first difficulty in the tensions between West Germany and East Germany.
Metaphors of development and the development of metaphors
Authors: Zittoun Tania , Gillespie Alex
Published: December 2020

Development is a core theoretical issue for psychology. Yet, the root metaphors that guide theory and research on development have rarely been questioned, and the limitations and blind spots of these metaphors have not been made explicit. In this article, we propose an exercise in theoretical imagination. We start by reviewing the metaphors commonly used in developmental psychology. We then develop four alternative metaphors that, despite being present in the general semiosphere, have not received much theoretical attention. In order to evaluate these metaphors, we introduce a case study of the development evident in a woman’s diary. On this basis, we invite psychologists to examine new metaphors and thus expand the horizon of possible theorizing.
Disquieting experiences and conversation
Authors: Simão Lívia Mathias
Published: December 2020

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Theory & Psychology, my aim in this article is to widen the discussion about one of the issues I consider foundational in the approach of I–other–world relations in subjectivation processes, that is to say, that of the disquieting experience, which we have been developing in the ambit of semiotic–cultural constructivism in psychology. First, I will make an exposition of the main aspects that characterise the notion of disquieting experience. I shall then seek to deepen some of the relations between disquieting experience, hermeneutic inquiry, and conversation. In order to do so, I will make use of articles published in Theory & Psychology that are fundamental to this deepening, due to leading us to the role of the third party in subjectivation processes.