bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on Formation of Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide Films by Pulsed-Direct Current Sputtering for CIGS Solar Cells
Authors: Zhao Zhenqian , Ryu Hyungseok , Lee Haechang , Kwon Sang Jik , Cho Eou-Sik
Published: March 2021

Considering the relationship between thin film thickness of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) materials and the reversed pulse time in pulsed-direct current (DC) sputtering, aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were deposited on glass substrates at different reversed pulse times by
changing oxygen/argon (O2/Ar) gas ratios for window layers of large area CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) solar cells. As a result of the reduced sputtering time, the thickness of AZO film was decreased when the reversed pulsed time was increased.
The higher resistance and resistivity of the AZO film was obtained at a higher reversed pulse time. From the structural investigations of AZO such as transmittance and X-ray diffraction (XRD), it was possible to observe the relationship between the crystallinity of AZO and transmittance. Even
at the short reversed pulse time of 0.5 µs, it can be concluded that the accumulated charges on the AZO target are completely cleared and the AZO layers show the highest figure of merit (FOM) with low sheet resistance and high transmittance.
Synthesis and Physical Properties of New Violet Color Filter Dye for Image Sensors
Authors: Kim Hokyeom , Park Jongwook
Published: March 2021

New violet colorant, XPDIA was synthesized by using Acid Red 52 to develop a high-performance image sensor. Solubility of XPDIA was more than 5 wt% in PGMEA which is the main solvent in the color filter preparation process. △Eab value of XPDIA showed a very low color difference
of 2.17 after thermal treatment. In solvent resistance, transmittance was not changed and △Eab showed a low color difference of 1.55 before and after solvent dipping. As a result of the migration test, there was no change at all after dipping in the PGMEA transmittance spectrum. The
newly synthesized violet colorant, XPDIA exhibited excellent thermal-chemical stability, and good solubility and it can be applied to image sensor color filter application.
Controlled Synthesis, Mechanism and Degradation Property of Birnessite-MnO2 Nanoflowers and Nanoflakes
Authors: Hao Xin-Li , Song Yue-Hong , Li Lin-Yi , Li Lu-Feng , Chang Shuo-Shuo , Zhu Zhen-Ya
Published: March 2021

Birnessite-MnO2 nanoflakes were synthesized via an aqueous oxidation method at 90 °C using Mn(CH3COO)2, NaOH, and KMnO4. The samples’ morphology, crystalline structure, and optical property were determined by field emission scanning
electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The birnessite-MnO2 nanoflakes were converted to KxMn8O16 and Mn suboxides following a decrease in the concentration of KMnO4 in the reaction. The amount
of NaOH in the reaction determined the type of precursor. Without NaOH, the precursor was converted from Mn(OH)2 to Mn2+ (from Mn(CH3COO)2), thereby enabling the synthesis of birnessite-MnO2 nanoflowers. The formation mechanism of birnessite-MnO2
nanoflowers and nanoflakes was clarified via the corresponding simulated crystal structures. Evaluation of the synthesized samples confirmed that the birnessite-MnO2 nanoflakes and nanoflowers exhibited excellent degradation properties.
Urban Heat Islands during Heat Waves: A Comparative Study between Boston and Phoenix
Authors: Wang Liang , Li Dan
Published: March 2021

In this study, we simulate the magnitude of urban heat islands (UHIs) during heat wave (HWs) in two cities with contrasting climates (Boston, Massachusetts, and Phoenix, Arizona) using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model and quantify their drivers with a newly developed attribution method. During the daytime, a surface UHI (SUHI) is found in Boston, which is mainly caused by the higher urban surface resistance that reduces the latent heat flux and the higher urban aerodynamic resistance ra that inhibits convective heat transfer between the urban surface and the lower atmosphere. In contrast, a daytime surface urban cool island is found in Phoenix, which is mainly due to the lower urban ra that facilitates convective heat transfer. In terms of near-surface air UHI (AUHI), there is almost no daytime AUHI in either city. At night, an SUHI and an AUHI are identified in Boston that are due to the stronger release of heat storage in urban areas. In comparison, the lower urban ra in Phoenix enhances convective heat transfer from the atmosphere to the urban surface at night, leading to a positive SUHI but no AUHI. Our study highlights that the magnitude of UHIs or urban cool islands is strongly controlled by urban–rural differences in terms of aerodynamic features, vegetation and moisture conditions, and heat storage, which show contrasting characteristics in different regions.
Retrieved Thermodynamic Structure of Hurricane Rita (2005) from Airborne Multi–Doppler Radar Data
Authors: Boehm Annette M. , Bell Michael M.
Published: March 2021

The newly developed Spline Analysis at Mesoscale Utilizing Radar and Aircraft Instrumentation–Thermodynamic Retrieval (SAMURAI-TR) is used to estimate three-dimensional temperature and pressure perturbations in Hurricane Rita on 23 September 2005 from multi–Doppler radar data during the RAINEX field campaign. These are believed to be the first fully three-dimensional gridded thermodynamic observations from a TC. Rita was a major hurricane at this time and was affected by 13 m s−1 deep-layer vertical wind shear. Analysis of the contributions of the kinematic and retrieved thermodynamic fields to different azimuthal wavenumbers suggests the interpretation of eyewall convective forcing within a three-level framework of balanced, quasi-balanced, and unbalanced motions. The axisymmetric, wavenumber-0 structure was approximately in thermal-wind balance, resulting in a large pressure drop and temperature increase toward the center. The wavenumber-1 structure was determined by the interaction of the storm with environmental vertical wind shear resulting in a quasi balance between shear and shear-induced kinematic and thermodynamic perturbations. The observed wavenumber-1 thermodynamic asymmetries corroborate results of previous studies on the response of a vortex tilted by shear, and add new evidence that the vertical motion is nearly hydrostatic on the wavenumber-1 scale. Higher-order wavenumbers were associated with unbalanced motions and convective cells within the eyewall. The unbalanced vertical acceleration was positively correlated with buoyant forcing from thermal perturbations and negatively correlated with perturbation pressure gradients relative to the balanced vortex.
Perioperative Blood Transfusions or Operative Time: Which Drives Post-Hepatectomy Outcomes?
Authors: Fagenson Alexander M. , Pitt Henry A. , Lau Kwan N.
Published: March 2021

Background

Perioperative blood transfusions and operative time are surgical quality indicators. The aim of this analysis is to determine which of these variables drives post-hepatectomy outcomes.

Methods

Patients undergoing major or partial hepatectomy were identified in the 2014-2018 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program hepatectomy targeted database. Prolonged operative time was defined as ≥ 240 minutes. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed for multiple postoperative outcomes.

Results

Of 20 521 hepatectomies, 18% of patients received a perioperative transfusion, and the median operative time was 218 minutes. Patients receiving a transfusion had a significant ( P < .001) increase in mortality (5.1% vs. .7%) and serious morbidity (43% vs. 16%). Prolonged operative time was associated with significantly ( P < .001) increased mortality (2.4% vs. .8%) and serious morbidity (29% vs. 14%). Those with primary hepatobiliary cancer had the highest rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality compared to patients with metastatic and benign disease when a transfusion occurred. On multivariable regression analyses, perioperative transfusions conferred a higher risk ( P < .001) than prolonged operative time for mortality (OR 5.02 vs. 1.47) and serious morbidity (OR 2.56 vs. 1.50).

Conclusions

Perioperative blood transfusions are a more robust predictor of post-hepatectomy outcomes than increased operative time, especially in patients with primary hepatobiliary cancer.
Study on the dynamic impact of population characteristics on health costs – Empirical study based on the panel smooth transformation model
Authors: Li Liqing , Guan Mengqi , Liu Zixuan
Published: March 2021

In order to study the dynamic influence mechanism of population characteristics on health expenses, the panel data of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) from 2009 to 2016 were used to construct panel smooth transformation model with population characteristics as heterogeneous variables for empirical analysis. The results show that the population number, population structure and population distribution have significant nonlinear effects on per capita health expenses, and the threshold values of population number, population structure and population distribution are 24.6686 million people, 6.9928%, 40.707%. When the threshold is crossed, The effect of population size on per capita health costs is reduced smoothly, The effect of population structure and population distribution on per capita health cost changed from inhibition to promotion.Therefore, according to the relationship between current population characteristics and health expenses, all regions should optimize the structure of health expenses expenditure, improve the level of health services, especially expand the scale of education and training of targeted rural medical students, strengthen the education and training of rural doctors, in order to narrow the difference between urban and rural diagnosis and treatment level.
Why Asian Countries are Controlling the Pandemic Better Than the United States and Western Europe
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: March 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has shed light on the detrimental impact of neoliberal policies on public health and well-being and as a result, there have been calls for increases in public spending to rectify the lack of public health services. However, neoliberal right-wing parties have dismissed such calls, pointing instead to Asian countries as examples in successfully controlling the pandemic without high public health spending, attributing this to the entrepreneurial orientation of their governments, as opposed to their public services. This article refutes this idea, instead charting the reasons that Asian countries have better controlled the pandemic including prior experience of pandemics, cultural factors, and various successful public health policies. The article concludes by looking at the example of Trump and demonstrating the inadequacies of the business model for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
LiCl Promotes Recovery of Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis and Dysgeusia
Authors: Zhu J. , Zhang H. , Li J. , Zheng X. , Jia X. , Xie Q. , Zheng L. , Zhou X. , Wang Y. , Xu X.
Published: March 2021

Oral mucositis and taste dysfunction are frequently complained by patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy, challenging the clinical outcome of cancer treatment. Recent studies have indicated the protective role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) and its pivotal role in the development and self-renewal of taste buds. The current study hypothesizes that lithium chloride (LiCl), a potent activator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, can promote the postirradiation restoration of oral mucosa integrity and taste function. To validate this hypothesis, we established a RIOM mouse model and evaluated the treatment efficacy of LiCl on oral mucositis and taste dysfunction in comparison with keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), an agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for oral mucositis. The results showed that LiCl alleviated the weight loss and tongue ulceration of RIOM mice, promoted proliferation of basal epithelial cells, and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tongue mucosa. More important, elevated taste bud renewal and dysgeusia recovery toward sweetness were observed in RIOM mice treated with LiCl as compared to those treated by KGF. Collectively, our data demonstrate that LiCl can mitigate oral mucositis and rescue taste alteration induced by irradiation, and activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling may represent a promising therapy to improve the quality of life of patients receiving radiotherapy.
Genome editing of avian species: implications for animal use and welfare
Authors: Panda Sudeepta K , McGrew Mike J
Published: March 2021

Avian species are used as model systems in research and have contributed to ground-breaking concepts in developmental biology, immunology, genetics, virology, cancer and cell biology. The chicken in particular is an important research model and an agricultural animal as a major contributor to animal protein resources for the global population. The development of genome editing methods, including CRISPR/Cas9, to mediate germline engineering of the avian genome will have important applications in biomedical, agricultural and biotechnological activities. Notably, these precise genome editing tools have the potential to enhance avian health and productivity by identifying and validating beneficial genetic variants in bird populations. Here, we present a concise description of the existing methods and current applications of the genome editing tools in bird species, focused on chickens, with attention on animal use and welfare issues for each of the techniques presented.
Uncommon suicide methods in the detention regime in Milan (1993–2019): Forensic contribution on autopsy cases
Authors: Gentile Guendalina , Tambuzzi Stefano , Boracchi Michele , Bailo Paolo , Candia Domenico Di , Bianchi Rachele , Zoja Riccardo
Published: March 2021

We analysed the recorded cases of suicides committed other than by hanging in prison in Milan. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 25,512 autopsies performed from 1993 to 2019, selecting all the suicides in prison but our attention was focused solely on cases where an alternative mode to hanging was used. From a total of 97 suicide events in prison, 15 were consistent with the established search criteria: 6 victims died from plastic bag suffocation, 4 by direct inhalation of butane gas, 2 associated plastic bag suffocation to inhalation of butane gas, one committed suicide with an edged weapon, one by self-burning and, finally, one by voluntary ingestion of a food to which he was allergic, with the intent of inducing an anaphylactic shock. Our analysis has shown that the landscape of prison suicides is diverse, not limited solely to hanging. Therefore, it is necessary for the forensic scientific community to raise awareness of potentially unusual suicide methods in prisons and, in the same way, for the Penitentiary Administration to put adequate preventive measures and strategies in place.
Monastère et société : les échanges entre le monastère et la société dans le contexte des restitutions des biens ecclésiaux
Authors: Spalová Barbora , Jonveaux Isabelle
Published: March 2021

In 1990 the Cistercian monastery of Vyšší Brod in Czech Republic again welcomed monks within its walls after four decades of absence during the communist regime. The reestablishment of monastic life brought new negotiations about the position of the monastery in society. The Cistercian community seeks to revive the place as the place of Cistercian spirituality. Exploring the different layers of memory related to the monastery, we analyse the heterogenous aims in reasserting the monastery in its social environment.
What are the affordances of the digital music space in alternative education? A reflection on an exploratory music outreach project in rural Australia
Authors: English Helen J , Lumb Matt , Davidson Jane W
Published: March 2021

In Australia, access to music education is inequitable due to the challenges of distance, different state education systems and a lack of resources in schools. As a means to address this social justice issue, we explore here the viability and effects of a digitally based music outreach programme undertaken in collaboration with Hands on Learning (HOL), an alternative education provider. The programme was delivered over 6 weeks using GarageBand to children in a small rural town who were experiencing difficulties in upper primary and lower secondary school years. A qualitative approach was taken, holding focus groups, observing sessions and accessing HOL daily notes. The programme had a significant impact on the teachers and children involved, showing promise for a larger scale project in the future.
Mapping Logistical Capitalism
Authors: Brennan Eugene
Published: March 2021

This review article engages with a rich field of scholarship on logistics that has gathered momentum over the past decade, focusing on two new publications by Laleh Khalili and Martín Arboleda. It contextualizes how and why logistics is bound up with the militarization of contemporary political and social life. I argue that the later 20th century rise of logistics can be better understood as both a response to and symptom of capitalist crisis and I situate this scholarship on war and logistics in relationship to Giovanni Arrighi’s account of crisis and ‘unravelling hegemony’. I also show how logistics provides essential critical and visual resources that contribute to efforts to map global capitalism and to debates on totality and class composition in contemporary critical theory. Finally, contemporary events such as the ongoing Coronavirus crisis and the reemergence of Black Lives Matter are considered in light of this analysis with reference to the centrality of logistics to racial capitalism.
Collectivizing political mandates: A discursive approach to the Brazilian Bancada Ativista’s campaign in the 2018 elections
Authors: Ronderos Sebastián , Chicarino Tathiana , Segurado Rosemary
Published: March 2021

This article analyses the political campaign of the rather under-researched Bancada Ativista, a prefigurative progressive experience comprised of nine co-candidates running for a single seat in the State Chamber of Sao Paulo during the 2018 Brazilian elections. The political experience brought about by the Bancada Ativista stands as a prolific effort in its aim to transform legislative action, responding to the challenges posed by the contemporary crisis of representative democracy. By taking the Essex School’s discourse theory standpoint, this article critically explores the discursive composition of the Bancada’s political campaign and the significance of its electoral success in light of crisis-driven Brazilian politics.
Crossed cerebellar diaschisis on 18F-FDG PET: Frequency across neurodegenerative syndromes and association with 11C-PIB and 18F-Flortaucipir
Authors: Provost Karine , La Joie Renaud , Strom Amelia , Iaccarino Leonardo , Edwards Lauren , Mellinger Taylor J , Pham Julie , Baker Suzanne L , Miller Bruce L , Jagust William J , Rabinovici Gil D
Published: March 2021

We used 18F-FDG-PET to investigate the frequency of crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) in 197 patients with various syndromes associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In a subset of 117 patients, we studied relationships between CCD and cortical asymmetry of Alzheimer’s pathology (β-amyloid (11C-PIB) and tau (18F-Flortaucipir)). PET images were processed using MRIs to derive parametric SUVR images and define regions of interest. Indices of asymmetry were calculated in the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and cerebellar cortex. Across all patients, cerebellar 18F-FDG asymmetry was associated with reverse asymmetry of 18F-FDG in the cerebral cortex (especially frontal and parietal areas) and basal ganglia. Based on our operational definition (cerebellar asymmetry >3% with contralateral supratentorial hypometabolism), significant CCD was present in 47/197 (24%) patients and was most frequent in corticobasal syndrome and semantic and logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia. In β-amyloid-positive patients, mediation analyses showed that 18F-Flortaucipir cortical asymmetry was associated with cerebellar 18F-FDG asymmetry, but that cortical 18F-FDG asymmetry mediated this relationship. Analysis of 18F-FDG-SUVR values suggested that CCD might also occur in the absence of frank cerebellar 18F-FDG asymmetry due to symmetrical supratentorial degeneration resulting in a bilateral diaschisis process.
Free Transit Passes and School Attendance among High School Students
Authors: Wexler Noah , Ryan Galen , Das Kirti , Fan Yingling
Published: March 2021

In multiple U.S. cities, school districts and transit providers collaborate to provide students free public transit access, either replacing or supplementing the yellow school bus service. Although practitioners widely acknowledge these programs as a promising and innovative solution to absenteeism, there is no empirical research evidence to date confirming the benefits of these programs to individual students’ school attendance. We respond to this research gap by investigating the impacts of the Minneapolis Go-To Student Pass Program—a transportation program that began to provide student access to public transit in August 2013—on individual student school attendance. Using Poisson regression, we estimate both the traditional Difference-in-differences models and Two-Way Fixed Effects models to quantify effects of pass use and pass eligibility on student attendance. We find that student-reported pass use and pass eligibility reduce excused absences by 11.5% and 27.5%, respectively. Restricting our sample to students living in the School Walk Zone—the area within 2 mi of one’s school—we find that these effects are even more substantial, with pass use and pass eligibility reducing excused absences by 30.5% and 37.6% respectively. These findings imply that providing free access to public transit is broadly useful to improve student attendance, even for students who live within walking distance of the school and may not use transit passes regularly.
Breaking the Chain: How Arrests Reduce the Probability of Near Repeat Crimes
Authors: Wheeler Andrew P. , Riddell Jordan R. , Haberman Cory P.
Published: March 2021

Objectives:

Near repeat patterns have been identified for a host of different crimes, but effective strategies to reduce near repeats have had more variable results. This study identifies near repeat crime patterns in Dallas, TX, and examines the effects of an arrest on reducing the probability of future crime.

Method:

Using open-source crime data from the Dallas Police Department from July 2014 through June 2018, we identified near repeat patterns for shootings, interpersonal robberies, residential burglaries, and thefts from motor vehicles. Logistic regression models were used to test the effect of an arrest on reducing near repeat crimes; controls for geographic, demographic, and temporal factors were included in each model.

Results:

Near repeat calculations suggest violent crime clustered closely in time and space, with property crime dispersed over larger spatial and temporal dimensions. Across all four crime types, findings suggest arrests resulted in 20%–40% reductions in a near repeat follow-up crime.

Conclusions:

In line with past research on shootings, arrests reduced the likelihood of subsequent crimes. This suggests policing strategies to increase arrests may be a fruitful way to reduce near repeat crime patterns.
Correlates of Support Utilization After Experiencing a Sexual Assault Among College Women and Men
Authors: McGraw Lora K. , Tyler Kimberly A.
Published: March 2021

Though previous research has examined survivors’ use of formal and informal services, less research has looked at whether sexual orientation, race, and different sexual assault types (e.g., coercive) are associated with seeking support services. The purpose of this study is to examine factors associated with utilizing services or support from informal sources (e.g., telling a friend) and formal sources (e.g., psychological counseling) following a sexual assault. Data were gathered in Fall and Spring of 2019–2020 from undergraduate students at a Midwestern university. Logistic regression results showed that heterosexual students had 56% lower odds of using informal supports, while females were 2.05 times more likely to have used informal supports compared to their counterparts. Students who reported more heavy drinking had 37% lower odds of using informal supports compared to their counterparts. Those who experienced physical and incapacitated sexual assault were 2.09 times and 3.60 times more likely to have used informal supports, respectively. Additionally, older students were 1.35 times more likely to have used formal supports compared to younger students, whereas heterosexual students had 67% lower odds of using formal supports compared to sexual minority students. Those with greater PTSD symptoms were 1.07 times more likely to access formal services. Finally, students with greater depressive symptoms had 8% lower odds of using formal supports. Identifying college students who are less likely to access support services following a sexual assault has important implications for targeted prevention and intervention.
Investigation on lift characteristics of a double-delta wing pitching in various reduced frequencies
Authors: Hu Tianxiang , Zhao Yue , Liu Peiqing , Qu Qiulin , Guo Hao , Akkermans Rinie AD
Published: March 2021

The unsteady lift characteristics of a double-delta wing were studied using both experimental and numerical approaches, which were also compared with a single-delta wing with the same main wing sweep angle. It was found that by increasing the reduced frequency of pitching, the hysteresis effect of lift was magnified. Moreover, in the high reduced frequency case k = 0.48, the difference between the lift coefficients of single- and double-delta wings became rather subtle. The wing surface pressure distribution results indicated the flow phenomenon of dramatic lift losses was due to the effect of lower surface suction during the wing being pitched downstroke. It was observed that, as the reduced frequency became sufficiently high, the virtual camber effect induced by pitching could dominate the flow field, which would mitigate the impact of wing geometry on the lift characteristics.
Near-surface particle image velocimetry measurements over a yawed slender delta wing
Authors: Karasu Ilyas , Tumse Sergen , Tasci Mehmat O. , Sahin Besir , Akilli Huseyin
Published: March 2021

In this study, extensive instantaneous velocity measurements were conducted within a flow area by stereo particle image velocimetry (SPIV) to investigate the influence of the yaw angle, β, on the vortical flow structure formed on a slender delta wing. This sideslip angle, β, in the yaw plane was varied from 4° up to 20° with an interval of 4° at two critical angles of attack, α = 25° and 35°, respectively. In order to reveal the influence of the yaw angle, β over the flow structure of the delta wing, time-averaged flow statistics, and instantaneous flow data obtained by the SPIV technique in the plan-view plane close to the suction surface of the delta wing were presented. It was observed that even a low yaw angle, for instance β = 8°, becomes to be effective on the flow characteristics of the delta wing, and this effect was augmented with increasing β. The influence of β is quite high on the vortical flow structure at α= 35° compared to the angle of attack of α = 25°. The flow structure that is symmetrical with respect to the centerline of the wing in the case of no yaw has disrupted with the existence β. Furthermore, the extent of the asymmetry enlarges with increasing β. The leading-edge vortex (LEV) on the windward side broken earlier and dominated the flow on the wing surface. It is concluded that this asymmetric flow structure can deteriorate the aerodynamic performance and cause other adverse effects such as unsteady loading.
A viscous blade body force model for computational fluid dynamics–based throughflow analysis of axial compressors
Authors: Li Jian , Teng Jinfang , Zhu Mingmin , Qiang Xiaoqing
Published: March 2021

In recent years, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques have attracted enormous interest in the throughflow calculations, and one of the major concerns in the CFD-based throughflow method is the modeling of blade forces. In this article, a viscous blade force model in the CFD-based throughflow program was proposed to account for the loss generation. The throughflow code is based on the axisymmetric Navier–Stokes equations. The inviscid blade force is determined by calculating a pressure difference between the pressure and suction surfaces, and the viscous blade force is related to the local kinetic energy through a skin friction coefficient. The viscous blade force model was validated by a linear controlled diffusion airfoil cascade, and the results showed that it can correctly introduce the loss into the CFD-based throughflow model. Then, the code was applied to calculate the transonic NASA rotor 67, and the calculated results were in good agreement with the measured results, which showed that the calculated shock losses reduce the dependence of the throughflow calculation on the empirical correlation. Last, the 3.5-stage compressor P&W3S1 at 85%, 100%, and 105% of the design speed was performed to demonstrate the reliability of the viscous blade force model in a multistage environment. The results showed that the CFD-based throughflow method can easily predict the spanwise mixing due to the inclusion of the turbulence model, and predicted results were in acceptable agreement with the experimental results. In a word, the proposed viscous blade force model and CFD-based throughflow model can achieve the throughflow analysis with an acceptable level of accuracy and a little time-consuming.
Facilitating the Scholarship of Discovery: Using the Mini-Ethnographic Case Study Design
Authors: Dobbins Catherine E. , Edgar Leslie D. , Dooley Kim E.
Published: March 2021

Background: Case study is widely used in teaching and learning literature; however, the extant literature contains few examples of student-developed case studies. This study used the situated perspective of experiential education (EE) to highlight context and legitimate peripheral participation encouraging enculturation into research communities of practice. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a mini-ethnographic case study (MECS) during an international service-learning (ISL) experience to transform ISL and EE pedagogy through the inquiry-as-EL approach. The MECS design is a research method that uses an ethnographic approach bounded within case study methodology. Methodology/Approach: Working collaboratively, four students designed and implemented an MECS research project during an ISL. Using the crafted profile technique, data were analyzed to evaluate the impact of the MECS design on the students’ experience and research skill development while in country. Findings/Conclusions: The MECS approach helped students develop their own exploratory research framework and have real-world experiences with data collection, analysis, and dissemination as emerging researchers. Implications: This study describes how the MECS design can be used as a tool to enhance service-learning experiences for students, especially during graduate education.
Resources Assessment for Penicillin Allergy Testing Performed by Pharmacists at the Patient’s Bedside
Authors: Gaudreau Sophie , Bourque Geneviève , Côté Kevin , Nutu Clément , Beauchesne Marie-France , Longpré Audrey-Anne , Beloin-Jubinville Bianca , Legeleux Lorraine , Blaquière Martin , Martin Philippe , Gilbert Mélanie
Published: March 2021

Background:

False penicillin allergies lead to increased antimicrobial resistance, adverse effects, and health care costs by promoting the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends the implementation of allergy testing.

Objectives:

The primary objective of this research was to estimate the number of pharmacist full-time equivalents (FTEs) required for an intervention aimed at determining penicillin allergy in hospitalized patients. Acceptance of pharmacists’ suggestions on antibiotic therapy are described.

Methods:

A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a 712-bed university hospital involving hospitalized patients with a suspected penicillin allergy and an infection treatable with penicillin. The time required for the intervention, which included a questionnaire, penicillin allergy testing (skin-prick test, intradermal injection, and oral provocation test), and recommendations on antibiotic therapy were measured to calculate the number of pharmacist FTEs.

Results:

A total of 55 patients were included. Scarification allergy testing was performed on 37, intradermal allergy test on 33, and oral provocation test on 26 patients. The intervention ruled out penicillin allergy in 26 patients, with no serious adverse effects. The intervention was associated with a median weekly pharmacist FTE of 0.15 (interquartile range = 0.12-0.25). The acceptance of pharmacists’ suggestions was high and led to 9 patients being switched to an antibiotic with a narrower spectrum of activity.

Conclusions and Relevance:

This study describes penicillin allergy testing and the number of median weekly hospital pharmacist FTEs required, which was approximately 0.15. These data may aid in the implementation of this safe intervention that promotes narrower-spectrum antibiotherapy.
COVID-19: The Heart of the Matter—Pathological Changes and a Proposed Mechanism
Authors: Fox Sharon E. , Heide Richard S. Vander
Published: March 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has resulted in over 88 million cases worldwide of COVID-19 as of January 2021. The heart is one of the most commonly affected organs in COVID-19, but the nature and extent of the cardiac pathology has remained controversial. It has been shown that patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 can sustain type 1 myocardial infarction in the absence of significant atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. However, many patients present with small elevations of troponin enzymes of unclear etiology which correlate with overall COVID-19 disease outcome. Early autopsy reports indicated variable levels of typical lymphocytic myocarditis, while radiology reports have indicated that myocarditis can be a persistent problem after recovery from acute illness, raising concern about participation in college athletics. In this communication, we review the literature to date regarding the gross and microscopic findings of COVID-19 cardiac involvement, present the findings from over 40 cases from our academic medical center, and propose mechanisms by which patients develop small elevations in troponin.
Effect of Disability-Specific Education on Student Attitudes Toward People With Disabilities
Authors: Alahmari Khalid A. , Rengaramanujam Kanagaraj , Reddy Ravi Shankar , Silvian Samuel Paul , Ahmad Irshad , Nagaraj Kakaraparthi Venkata , Tedla Jaya Shanker
Published: March 2021

Attitude is a multidimensional and complex notion that considerably empowers or limits the major life activities of humans. Health professionals’ attitudes toward people with disabilities are significant factors in the rehabilitation process. Soon after completing their coursework, the final-year students from health science meet the patients and rehabilitate them. This study accordingly aims to assess the attitude toward disability among final-year health science students before and after administering a disability-specific structured teaching program. A total of 243 final-year undergraduate health science students from medical, dental, physical therapy, pharmacy, laboratory sciences, radiology sciences, and nursing aged between 21 and 27 years participated in this study. This work employed the Scale of Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (SADP) to measure attitudes among participants. The mean pre- and posttest SADP scores were 83.59 ± 15.45 and 107.83 ± 62, respectively ( p < .001). Students from medical, dental, physical therapy, and nursing showed significant positive attitudes toward disability compared with other students, whereas college students in the final year of health science generally had poor attitudes toward disability. The results indicate that the disability-specific structured teaching program is effective in improving the attitude toward disability among final-year health science students. Accordingly, the authors recommend modifying the disability-related content in the health sciences curriculum.
Eight Simple Guidelines for Improved Understanding of Transformations and Nonlinear Effects
Authors: Rönkkö Mikko , Aalto Eero , Tenhunen Henni , Aguirre-Urreta Miguel I.
Published: March 2021

Transforming variables before analysis or applying a transformation as a part of a generalized linear model are common practices in organizational research. Several methodological articles addressing the topic, either directly or indirectly, have been published in the recent past. In this article, we point out a few misconceptions about transformations and propose a set of eight simple guidelines for addressing them. Our main argument is that transformations should not be chosen based on the nature or distribution of the individual variables but based on the functional form of the relationship between two or more variables that is expected from theory or discovered empirically. Building on a systematic review of six leading management journals, we point to several ways the specification and interpretation of nonlinear models can be improved.
Reliability Estimates for IRT-Based Forced-Choice Assessment Scores
Authors: Lin Yin
Published: March 2021

Forced-choice (FC) assessments of noncognitive psychological constructs (e.g., personality, behavioral tendencies) are popular in high-stakes organizational testing scenarios (e.g., informing hiring decisions) due to their enhanced resistance against response distortions (e.g., faking good, impression management). The measurement precisions of FC assessment scores used to inform personnel decisions are of paramount importance in practice. Different types of reliability estimates are reported for FC assessment scores in current publications, while consensus on best practices appears to be lacking. In order to provide understanding and structure around the reporting of FC reliability, this study systematically examined different types of reliability estimation methods for Thurstonian IRT-based FC assessment scores: their theoretical differences were discussed, and their numerical differences were illustrated through a series of simulations and empirical studies. In doing so, this study provides a practical guide for appraising different reliability estimation methods for IRT-based FC assessment scores.
Mindfulness—it’s not what you think: Toward critical reconciliation with progressive self-development practices
Authors: du Plessis Erik Mygind , Just Sine Nørholm
Published: March 2021

The aim of the following paper is to nuance the way in which mindfulness meditation, understood as a set of practices aimed at moment-tomoment awareness, is generally perceived in critical management studies as well as the broader critical social sciences. According to the general consensus, self-development practices thus produce various individual pathologies and reinforce the societal status quo. Using mindfulness meditation as an example, and by exploring how it was practiced by activists during Occupy Wall Street, the paper sets out to challenge this consensus and examine the possibility of progressive selfdevelopment practices. On this basis, we introduce Hartmut Rosa’s concept of resonance as a starting point for conceptualizing the transformative potential of mindfulness without losing sight of the ambivalences and contradictions involved. The paper thus examines the criticism as well as the potential of mindfulness meditation, hoping to arrive at a critical reconciliation through a hopeful and realistic account of what taking note of the self can do.
Tensions of evaluating innovation in a living lab: Moving beyond actionable knowledge production
Authors: Dekker Rianne , Geuijen Karin , Oliver Caroline
Published: March 2021

Generative experimentation is increasingly used in public policymaking, especially in response to wicked policy problems. A policy solution is refined within its context and informed by feedback from its users. Studies reporting on these approaches, however, rarely consider the role of evaluation and the nature and goals of knowledge produced. This article addresses evaluation in such contexts. We present a case study of a living lab that combined theory-driven and developmental evaluation, and, responding to contradictory pressures, aimed to generate both actionable and academic knowledge to improve asylum seeker reception. We describe how we addressed these diverging demands and the resulting tensions in a politically charged and substantively insecure policy context. We conclude that evaluation should be an explicit part of the broader design concept, and while generative experimenting can produce actionable learning, evaluation should also aim for academic learning, in a manner that is both democratic and robust.
Pre-service Chinese language teachers’ conceptions of assessment: A person-centered perspective
Authors: Lin Lin , Li Guan Ying , Guo Xuejun
Published: March 2021

Teachers’ conceptions of assessment are a significant indicator of teacher assessment literacy. This study contextualized pre-service teachers’ conceptions of assessment in Chinese second language education. An exploratory factor analysis generated eight first-order factors and the following confirmatory factor analysis found a hierarchical model, reflecting a noticeable influence of prior learning experiences and official assessment regimes on conceptions. A follow-up latent profile analysis showed three profiles. Improvement-oriented was the most prevalent profile, but more than 40% of the participants were categorized as negative. The study substantiated the need to develop an integrative and balanced understanding of assessment in teacher education to prepare pre-service teachers for teaching in international contexts.
Splenic artery embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate in patients with blunt abdominal trauma
Authors: Sanampudi Sreeja , Raissi Driss
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Splenic artery embolization (SAE) has been shown to be safe and effective for non-operative management of patients with splenic trauma while preserving splenic function. A variety of coils, plugs, particles and liquid embolics have all been used. NBCA (n-butyl cyanoacrylate) is used less frequently than other modalities but is effective.

Methods

A retrospective review of all patients who underwent SAE with NBCA for blunt abdominal trauma at a single tertiary medical center over a six-year period.

Results

Out of 123 SAE patients, 7 utilized NBCA; 6 patients had intraparenchymal splenic artery pseudoaneurysms, 2 had intraparenchymal arteriovenous fistulas, and 5 had active extravasation from the spleen on CT imaging. There was 100% technical success rate. There were no acute post-op complications or complications at 30-day and 90-day follow up. One patient died 2 days following SAE secondary to worsening subdural hematoma unrelated to SAE.

Conclusions

NBCA is safe and effective in treating patients with splenic injury particularly in patients with high grade splenic injury demonstrating extensive intraparenchymal vascular injury and/or intraprocedural extravasation in distal locations.
Introduction: The emotional turn in journalism
Authors: Wahl-Jorgensen Karin , Pantti Mervi
Published: March 2021

In journalism studies, an interest in emotions has gathered momentum during the last decade, leading to an increasingly diverse investigation of the affective and emotional aspects of production, text and audience engagement with journalism which we describe as an “emotional turn.” The attention to emotion in journalism studies is a relatively recent development, sustained by the concurrent rise of digital information technologies that have accentuated the emotional and affective everyday use of media, as well as the increasing mobilization, exploitation and capitalization of emotions in digital media.

This special issue both builds upon research on emotion in journalism studies and aims to extend it by examining new theoretical and methodological tools, and areas of empirical analysis, to engage with emotion or affect across the contexts of journalistic production, content and consumption.

In proclaiming ‘an emotional turn’ in journalism studies, the intention of this special issue is not to suggest a paradigm shift or a major change in the prevailing research agenda in the field. Rather, against the backdrop of the increasingly diverse field of journalism studies, it is to point out that the relationship between journalism and emotion represents a rapidly developing area of inquiry, which opens up for new research agendas.
Exploring patients’ and health professionals’ perspectives on health literacy needs in the context of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Borge Christine R. , Larsen Marie H. , Osborne Richard H. , Engebretsen Eivind , Andersen Marit H. , Holter Ingrid Asbjørnsen , Leine Marit , Wahl Astrid K.
Published: March 2021

Objective

Persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require complex follow-up by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and may experience several health literacy (HL) needs. This study aimed to explore such needs in people with COPD and the HCPs who care for them.

Methods

From October 2016 to August 2017 a qualitative study with four focus groups (FG) were performed in people with COPD (n = 14) and three in multidisciplinary HCPs (n = 21). An inductive thematic analysis was used to investigate HL needs.

Results

Four HL needs emerged: 1) strengthening the feeling of security; 2) combating the burden of insufficient knowledge on COPD and lack of informational flow; 3) supporting motivation for endurance and self-management; and 4) strengthening dignity.

Discussion

This study highlights a gap between people with COPD who express important HL needs and HCPs’ capabilities to care for these needs. For HCPs to increase HL in such cases, HCPs need to improve their own HL. It is essential to find solutions on how to improve HL in HCPs who care for people with COPD and to increase the availability of interventions that increase HL in COPD. Education programs, health organizations, and governments should be aware of HL needs in such situations.