bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Happiness Through Goal-Setting Training
Authors: Ehrlich Christian
Published: January 2022

This paper describes the evaluation of the Happiness through Goal-Setting Training, a multiple intervention approach which helps participants to reflect on, and modify their reasons for goal pursuit. The training is theoretically grounded in the goal-striving reasons framework. This framework captures four important reasons for goal pursuit and has received a substantial amount of empirical support for its predictive power in relation to positive psychological functioning. The four goal-striving reasons are the pursuit of goals out of pleasure, altruism, fear of self-esteem loss or necessity. The evaluation of the training, employing a before-and-after study design, is based on two data sets comprising data from a face-to-face delivery of the training ( N = 41) and an online delivery of the training ( N = 40). Overall, the findings from both studies, using paired sample t-tests, show that the Happiness through Goal-Setting Training significantly improves the quality of people’s reasons for goal pursuit as well as their positive psychological functioning measured through life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect and work-engagement. Thus, the Happiness through Goal-Setting Training complements the existing suite of well-being interventions by providing a happiness training that focusses specifically on improving people’s reasons for goal-pursuit.
Development of a Scale to Examine Responses to Bodily Sensations
Authors: Roche-Freedman Katherine E. , Brown Rhonda F. , Monaghan Conal , Thorsteinsson Einar , Brown John
Published: January 2022

Objective

Individual differences in the perception of bodily sensations is known to be associated with affective symptomatology. However, the way people psychologically respond to everyday bodily sensations has not been examined in a systematic and balanced way. Thus, we developed the Bodily Sensations Response Scale (BSRS) to evaluate participants’ self-reported cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to their bodily sensations. We investigated the scale’s factor structure and its psychometric properties in two studies.

Method

In Study 1, 297 participants completed the 50-item BSRS and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the responses. In Study 2 ( N = 284), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the factor structure of the 32-item BSRS identified in Study 1.

Results

In Study 1, the EFA identified a 32-item three-factor solution as the best fit for the data. Factor 1 described a defeat response to bodily sensations, Factor 2 described an acceptance response, and Factor 3 described a sensitization response. In Study 2, the three-factor solution was shown not to be parsimonious. Rather, CFA identified that the 27-item BSRS had two interpretable factors (Defeat and Acceptance) that explained participants’ psychological responses to bodily sensations. The Defeat subscale was moderately to strongly correlated with awareness of bodily sensations (i.e., Body Perception Questionnaire-Short Form scores) and depression, anxiety, and stress symptom severity (i.e., Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 scores), whereas the Acceptance subscale was unrelated or only slightly negatively correlated to awareness of bodily sensations and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms.

Conclusion

The 27-item BSRS provides a psychometrically robust assessment of the way in which people psychologically respond to everyday bodily sensations. The measure can assist researchers to better understand how people psychologically process their salient bodily sensations and how this is linked to psychopathology.
Do Western Sociological Concepts Apply Globally? Towards a Global Sociology
Authors: Neubert Dieter
Published: January 2022

The post-colonial debate challenges the self-certainty of sociology and the suggested universality of its theoretical premises. This has led to calls to provincialize sociological theories and concepts and include perspectives from the South. Thus, we need to ask whether sociological concepts apply globally. Burawoy’s notion of a professional ‘global sociology’ offers a starting point for provincializing sociological concepts without giving up their global applicability. The problems involved in applying the core sociological category of class to Kenya show that classical sociological concepts may be inadequate for analysing societies outside the European and North American context. For the analysis of inequality, we need a more open and empirically founded concept in which the classical notion of class describes just a particular pattern of social structure. For the development of sociological concepts, we always require a broad empirical and intercultural basis in order not to be caught in the trap of Eurocentrism.
Updating a Time-Series of Survey Questions: The Case of Abortion Attitudes in the General Social Survey
Authors: Cowan Sarah K. , Hout Michael , Perrett Stuart
Published: January 2022

Long-running surveys need a systematic way to reflect social change and to keep items relevant to respondents, especially when they ask about controversial subjects, or they threaten the items’ validity. We propose a protocol for updating measures that preserves content and construct validity. First, substantive experts articulate the current and anticipated future terms of debate. Then survey experts use this substantive input and their knowledge of existing measures to develop and pilot a large battery of new items. Third, researchers analyze the pilot data to select items for the survey of record. Finally, the items appear on the survey-of-record, available to the whole user community. Surveys-of-record have procedures for changing content that determine if the new items appear just once or become part of the core. We provide the example of developing new abortion attitude measures in the General Social Survey. Current questions ask whether abortion should be legal under varying circumstances. The new abortion items ask about morality, access, state policy, and interpersonal dynamics. They improve content and construct validity and add new insights into Americans’ abortion attitudes.
Canaan Hymns: Songs from the fields—A grassroots missiology of the Chinese church movement
Authors: Yang Xiaoli
Published: January 2022

The 21st century is marked by the exponential growth of Christianity in the Global East beyond Christendom. In the last thirty years, Canaan Hymns ( jianan shixuan, 迦南诗选), over two thousand indigenous songs composed by a rural woman named Lü Xiaomin (吕小敏, 1970–) have spread and been sung from the underground to the world. They have become a hallmark of the Chinese church and mission movement beyond the borders of the Mainland. Coined as “God’s gift to China,” Xiaomin, a junior high school drop-out without any musical training, wrote these songs inspired by the Holy Spirit from the village fields of northern China. Despite ample video clips and documentaries of Xiaomin and Canaan Hymns being made available online, scholarship on their missiology has been underheard and underdeveloped. Drawing from the methodologies of “lived theology,” “grassroots theology,” and “biography as theology,” this article studies the formation, themes, and styles of Canaan Hymns through textual analysis, literature reviews, and interviews. In conversation with missiologists and theologians of the West and Asia such as Bosch, Moltmann, and Chan, a grassroots missiology that is contextual, pneumatological, and communal is discerned and articulated. In doing so, not only voices from the margins are heard and brought into global conversations, missio Dei is also given new meanings and significance in the context of the contemporary indigenous mission movement.
How do Sociodemographic Characteristics Influence UK Civilian Opinions of UK Armed Forces Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans? A Mixed-Method Approach
Authors: Phillips Rita H. , Connelly Vincent , Burgess Mark
Published: January 2022

Evidence suggests that UK veterans are seen as victims with concern for their perceived mental health needs. This study examined sociodemographic factors that contribute to victimizing conceptualizations of British Army Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. UK participants ( N = 234) provided three word associations to “British Army Iraq Veteran” and “British Army Afghanistan Veteran” and answered sociodemographic questions. A multiple linear regression outlines that low national pride, mission opposition and higher levels of education predict elevated victimizing word associations. Narrative accounts from UK interviews ( N = 21) suggest that participants who perceived the recent conflicts as illegitimate conceptualize veterans as passive, naïve actors who had to submit to the agency of the anthropomorphic described government. This allowed holding overtly appreciative though belittling attitudes toward veterans, while opposing the missions. To dissociate veterans from victimizing perceptions, better knowledge about service and justifications for deployments need to be provided. Study limitations, including over sampling of young adult females, are discussed.
Do robots really destroy jobs? Evidence from Europe
Authors: Klenert David , Fernández-Macías Enrique , Antón José-Ignacio
Published: January 2022

While citizen opinion polls reveal that Europeans are concerned about the labour market consequences of technological progress, our understanding of the actual significance of this association is still imperfect. In this article, the authors assess the relationship between robot adoption and employment in Europe. Combining industry-level data on employment by skill type with data on robot adoption and using different sets of fixed-effects techniques, the study finds that robot use is associated with an increase in aggregate employment. Contrary to some previous studies, the authors do not find evidence of robots reducing the share of low-skill workers across Europe. Since the overwhelming majority of industrial robots are used in manufacturing, the findings should not be interpreted outside of the manufacturing context. However, the results still hold when including non-manufacturing sectors and they are robust across a wide range of assumptions and econometric specifications.
An institutional review of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland
Authors: Brar Gurmehr , Smith Sullivan , Block Alec , Borrowdale Richard , Marzo Sam J. , Thorpe Eric , Leonetti John P.
Published: January 2022

Objective

Surgical resection is standard treatment for pleomorphic adenoma (PA) of the parotid gland. A small number (2–5%) of these tumors recur. Recurrence usually necessitates reoperation, which is technically challenging and puts the facial nerve (FN) at risk. The aim of this study is to characterize the recurrent parotid PA population and compare outcomes after surgery for singly recurrent and multiply recurrent tumors.

Methods

This study was a retrospective chart review of patients at a single tertiary care academic medical center who underwent operations for recurrent PA of the parotid gland between 2007 and 2020. Demographic data, details of surgical interventions, pre- and postoperative FN function, and recurrence rates were studied. These factors were compared between patients with singly and multiply recurrent tumors.

Results

Thirty-eight patients met criteria: 4 patients presented for primary PA and subsequently recurred, 26 with a first recurrence, 7 with a second recurrence, and 1 with a fourth recurrence. Multiply recurrent PAs were more likely to require at least partial nerve sacrifice at the time of reoperation ( P = 0.0092). Significantly worse long-term FN outcomes were seen following surgery for multiply recurrent PA ( P = 0.008). There was no significant difference between the rate of re-recurrence following first revision surgery vs second-fourth revision surgery. Time to reoperation was significantly shorter between the first and second revision surgery than between the primary surgery and first revision ( P = 0.0017).

Conclusion

Surgery for recurrent PA incurs high risk to the FN, and this risk appears to increase in the setting of multiple recurrences.
Velopharyngeal Function Post Head and Neck Cancer: A Review
Authors: Kallambettu Veena , Bae Youkyung , Carrau Ricardo
Published: January 2022

Background

Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) in head and neck cancer is frequently clinically reported, affecting both speech and swallowing function. This review sought to identify the tumor subsites and treatment modalities reported in association with VPD and summarize the current reporting methodology of VPD-related speech and swallowing outcomes in patients following head and neck cancer treatment.

Methods

A literature search was conducted through December 2020 using electronic databases and a total of 15 studies were included in review.

Results

Reported VPD was largely secondary to palate resections. Large variability in reporting methodology was noted with heavy reliance on speech-related perceptual measures and swallowing-related patient-reported outcomes over imaging and instrumental evaluations.

Conclusions

This review revealed inconsistencies in evaluating and reporting VPD, which likely translates into inconsistencies in clinical management. Further attention to VPD secondary to other head and neck malignancies would provide a broader perspective on VPD through head and neck cancer treatment.
IRT-based classification analysis of an English language reading proficiency subtest
Authors: Kaya Elif , O’Grady Stefan , Kalender İlker
Published: January 2022

Language proficiency testing serves an important function of classifying examinees into different categories of ability. However, misclassification is to some extent inevitable and may have important consequences for stakeholders. Recent research suggests that classification efficacy may be enhanced substantially using computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Using real data simulations, the current study investigated the classification performance of CAT on the reading section of an English language proficiency test and made comparisons with the paper-based version of the same test. Classification analysis was carried out to estimate classification accuracy (CA) and classification consistency (CC) by applying different locations and numbers of cutoff points. The results showed that classification was suitable when a single cutoff score was used, particularly for high- and low-ability test takers. Classification performance declined significantly when multiple cutoff points were simultaneously employed. Content analysis also raised important questions about construct coverage in CAT. The results highlight the potential for CAT to serve classification purposes and outline avenues for further research.
Deliberate practice in music: Development and psychometric validation of a standardized measurement instrument
Authors: Passarotto Edoardo , Preckel Franzis , Schneider Michael , Müllensiefen Daniel
Published: January 2022

Practice is the process through which musicians improve their performance abilities and increase their level of expertise. Deliberate Practice (DP) is a theory of expertise based on the concept that interindividual differences in the level of proficiency in a specific domain can be mostly explained by interindividual differences in the amount of deliberate practice; despite its popularity, subsequent studies have demonstrated several critical issues in Ericsson’s DP concept, due to its vagueness in definitions, arbitrary measurements of expertise, and inability to account for the possible role of genes. The present project aimed at creating a new questionnaire, capable of measuring practice quality in terms of deliberate practice for the music domain, regardless of the instrument and musical genre played, at any level of expertise. Based on data from a sample of 1,558 musicians, ranging from amateurs to world-renowned soloists, the Deliberate Practice in Music Inventory (DPMI) was created, a self-report questionnaire and measurement instrument for practice quality consisting of a main DP scale and four subscales: Process improvement, Practice competences, Mindless practice (inverted scale), and Task decomposition. Results indicated that musicians who implement effective practice habits are focused on solving problems related to music playing and often refine their practice routines to increase their effectiveness. In addition, musicians who usually exhibit high amounts of DP behavior often decompose long and complex tasks into shorter and simpler elements, aiming to master them more easily and in shorter time. The DPMI instrument shows good convergent validity with measures related to expertise in music as well as good predictive validity for performance improvement. The DPMI generates new perspectives for the field of musical expertise research.
Facing Radical Digitalization: Capturing Teachers’ Transition to Virtual Classrooms Through Ideal Type Experiences
Authors: Willermark Sara , Gellerstedt Martin
Published: January 2022

In 2020, a global pandemic changed the educational landscape overnight and caused an abrupt transition to virtual classrooms. This study aims to gain increased knowledge of teachers’ experiences of facing such radical digitalization through ideal types. The data include a teacher survey with 1109 respondents from 15 high schools in Sweden, containing both fixed and open-ended response types. Educational affordances and digital competence are used as analytical lenses. The results show distinct differences regarding teachers’ perception of how teaching in a virtual classroom has worked and whether they and their students have developed their digital competence during this period. We present four ideal types: a) the enthusiast, b) the skeptic, c) the pessimist, and d) the affirmative, which capture the essence of teachers’ multifaceted experiences, actions, and affordances perceived in the transition to virtual classrooms. Contributions include theorizing about teachers’ encounters with radical cases of digitalization.
Effects of Using Game-Based Learning to Improve the Academic Performance and Motivation in Engineering Studies
Authors: Pando Cerra Pablo , Fernández Álvarez Humberto , Busto Parra Bernardo , Iglesias Cordera Paula
Published: January 2022

Game-Based Learning (GBL) is increasingly widespread as a learning technique in the engineering studies. However, this innovative methodology may be difficult to incorporate in some subjects due to their complex contents. This paper aims at combining traditional learning methodologies with game mechanics by using an ad-hoc gaming web environment and mobile devices to analyse the academic performance and motivation in engineering studies. A comparative study was carried out with 96 first-year engineering students. In this experience, the students were randomly divided into two groups: Control Group (CG) and Experimental Group (EG). The first group made use of the traditional learning methodology used, whilst the second group combined the traditional methodology with GBL and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The obtained results show that EG students significantly improve their academic performance and motivation, expressing a succinctly greater interest in the studied subject. Therefore, the integration of GBL in the teaching methodology could have a very positive impact as well as it could greatly ease the teaching-learning process in engineering studies.
The Examination of Young Mexican American Women’s Contraceptive Use
Authors: Espinoza Luis Enrique
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this paper is to review all literature on young Mexican American women’s contraceptive use practices in the U.S. to provide an overall picture of the largest Hispanic subgroup. We also discuss how sex education is important to contraceptive use and how parent-child sex communication takes place among young women of this specific population.
Use of Population Health Data and Qualitative Analysis to Guide Local Planning and Implementation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education
Authors: Caldwell Julia I. , Palimaru Alina , Cohen Deborah A. , Rizik-Baer Daniel , Shah-Patel Dipa , Kuo Tony
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose is to describe how local quantitative and qualitative data were used to assess the progress of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) interventions in Los Angeles County, California.

Approach

Data from the California Health Interview Survey informed the geographical concentration of program resources during the planning phase. At the end of the program, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders were conducted to assess factors that facilitated SNAP-Ed implementation.

Setting

Los Angeles County, California.

Participants

Twenty-four project coordinators were interviewed.

Intervention

From 2016 to 2020, 24 organizations across Los Angeles County delivered nutrition education, reaching an estimated 2 million people. Two-hundred policy, systems, and environmental change interventions reached an estimated 1.2 million people.

Method

Semi-structured interview data were analyzed using a form of both inductive and deductive content analysis. A codebook was developed based on themes identified in these interviews. Each interview was coded by 2 team members; discrepancies (if they arose) were resolved by a 5-member group.

Results

Two facilitators—support for capacity building from a local health department and presence of community partnerships—were identified as critical factors that contributed to the success of SNAP-Ed implementation.

Conclusion

A local health department can increase SNAP-Ed intervention reach and uptake by assisting funded partners with further capacity building, helping them to develop feasible work plans, foster evaluation skills, and engage in sustainability planning.
Factors Related to Water Filter Use for Drinking Tap Water at Home and Its Association With Consuming Plain Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Among U.S. Adults
Authors: Park Sohyun , Onufrak Stephen J. , Cradock Angie L. , Hecht Christina , Patel Anisha , Chevinsky Jennifer R. , Blanck Heidi M.
Published: January 2022

Objective

To examine factors associated with water filter use (WFU) for drinking tap water at home and its association with consuming plain water and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).

Design

Quantitative, cross-sectional study.

Setting

The 2018 SummerStyles survey data.

Subjects

U.S. adults (≥18 years; N=4042).

Measures

Outcomes were intake of plain water (tap/bottled water) and SSBs. Exposure was WFU (yes, no, not drinking tap water at home). Covariates included sociodemographics, weight status, Census regions, and home ownership status.

Analysis

We used multivariable logistic regressions to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for consuming tap water, bottled water, or total plain water >3 cups/day (vs. ≤3 cups) and SSBs ≥1 time/day (vs. <1 time) by WFU.

Results

Overall, 36% of adults reported using a filter for drinking tap water at home; 14% did not drink tap water at home. Hispanics had significantly higher odds of using a water filter (AOR=1.50, 95% CI=1.14-1.98) vs non-Hispanic White. Factors significantly associated with lower odds of WFU were lower education (AOR=.69, 95% CI=.55-.86 for ≤high school; AOR=.78, 95% CI=.64-.95 for some college, vs college graduate), not being married (AOR=.81, 95% CI=.66-.98, vs married/domestic partnership), and lower household income (AOR=.68, 95% CI=.68-.90 for <$35,000, vs ≥$100,000). Using a water filter was associated with higher odds of drinking >3 cups/day of tap water (AOR=1.33, 95% CI=1.13-1.56) and lower odds of SSBs ≥1 time/day (AOR=.76, 95% CI=.62-.92). Not drinking tap water at home was associated with higher odds of drinking >3 cups/day bottled water (AOR=3.46, 95% CI=2.70-4.44).

Conclusions

WFU was associated with higher tap water intake and lower SSB intake among U.S. adults. WFU was higher among Hispanics, but lower among those with lower education and income and not married adults. Although WFU was associated with healthful beverage habits, additional considerations for WFU may include source water quality, oral health, cost, and proper use.
School and Community Factors Associated With the Adoption of 100% Smoke-free Policy by California Community Colleges, 2003-2019
Authors: Lui Camillia K. , Mulia Nina , Ye Yu , Patterson Deidre , Trieu Sang Leng
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Smoke- and tobacco-free policy (SFP) is an effective strategy that can reduce tobacco-related health disparities among young adults.

Design

Longitudinal design using administrative, survey, policy data sources, and geocoded tobacco outlet and American Community Survey data

Setting

California community colleges (CC) and cities/communities where colleges are located, 2003-2019.

Sample

114 California CCs

Data

School-level (i.e., student population and demographics) and community-level data (socio-demographics, local tobacco control policy, tobacco-related norms and availability, and health resources) from 2003 to 2019.

Measures

Key outcome is the year CC adopted a 100% SFP.

Analysis

Bivariate and multivariate Cox survival models were used to analyze timing of SFP adoption.

Results

By 2019, 61 out of 114 (53.5%) CCs were 100% SFP. While community smoking prevalence and tobacco availability were not significant, CCs in rural areas were less likely to be smoke-free. CCs located in cities with stronger tobacco policies (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.08, P < .05), which reported higher student health fees (HR = 2.00, P < .05) and received technical assistance for SFP (HR = 4.59, P < .01) were significantly associated with having 100% SFP.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that key community factors (strong city tobacco policies) and school and community resources (student health fees, SFP technical assistance) are associated with the presence of 100% SFP at CCs. Resources from the community or within a college might support remaining CCs in becoming 100% smoke-free.
STEM Stories: Fostering STEM Persistence for Underrepresented Minority Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions
Authors: Jehangir Rashné R. , Stebleton Michael J. , Collins Kelly
Published: January 2022

Challenges persist in creating a diverse pipeline of STEM professionals. This study aims to understand the multifaceted experiences and needs of Underrepresented Minority (URM) college students as they navigate STEM environments and career choices. Utilizing social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this qualitative, multi-institutional study explored the varied experiences and barriers that 44 URM STEM students negotiated at two Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Implications for practice, research, and policy focus on interventions aimed at increasing persistence and fostering STEM career decision-making.
Representing Solo Self-Employed Workers: The Strengthening of Relations between Traditional and New Collective Actors in Industrial Relations
Authors: Mezihorak Petr , Murgia Annalisa , Borghi Paolo , Mondon-Navazo Mathilde
Published: January 2022

To date, the emergence of representation of hitherto under-represented workers has mainly been analysed in terms of strategic choices of traditional industrial relations actors. This study – focused on solo self-employed workers (SSE) – instead analyses the interactions between unions, employer organisations and new collective actors, namely SSE associations. More specifically, drawing on a comparative ethnography conducted in three European countries, it conceptualises the representation of SSE as a ‘subfield’ of the ‘parent field’ of employee and employer representation and shows how interactions between traditional and new collective actors consolidate the subfield of SSE representation by also shaping the industrial relations’ institutions. This article thus contributes, first, to the debate about the representation of under-represented workers by emphasising the importance of interactions between traditional and new actors in industrial relations, and second, to the theory of fields by conceptualising interactions as a central element of field-level change.
Hydrodynamic effects of the caudal fin shape of fish in carangiform undulatory swimming
Authors: Zhong Yong , Wu Jing , Wang Chao , Li Yuhan , Song Jialei
Published: January 2022

As an important structure for generating thrust, the shapes of fish tails have adaptively evolved to achieve great swimming performance through natural selection over hundreds of millions of years. The particular optimal tail shape of fish is not universal for all situations but significantly varies with other factors, such as undulatory kinematics. In this study, using a sharp-interface immersed boundary method with a self-propelled model, we investigated the hydrodynamic performance of swimmers that equipped with three different caudal fins in a common undulatory mode, carangiform locomotion, to determine the optimal shape. The three caudal fins tested are as follows: a round fin emulating that of snakehead fish ( channidae), an indented fin emulating that of saithe ( Pollachius virens), and a lunate fin emulating that of tuna ( Thunnus thynnus). At the regular undulating amplitude A = 0.1 L at the tail tip (L is the body length), the swimmer with the indented tail achieves the highest speed U = 1.45 L/s with a relatively high quasi-propulsive efficiency of η q = 0.324; at a higher undulating amplitude A = 0.15 L, the indented tail swimmer achieves slightly lower speed than the lunate fin swimmer, who has the highest speed (2.06 L/s vs. 2.07 L/s), but the efficiency of the former is higher than that of the latter. Therefore, the indented fin is believed to perform the best among the three fins tested regarding carangiform undulatory swimming. This finding is consistent with observations made on fish in nature, for example, carangiform swimming fish that have been evolving for hundreds of millions of years have a caudal fin similar to the indented caudal fin in the current study.
Dynamic response and time-variant reliability analysis of an eight-rod shock isolator
Authors: Liu Hui-Zhen , Huang Xian-Zhen , Yan Ming , Chang Miao-Xin
Published: January 2022

The operation of a warship is commonly affected by shock loads in different directions during sailing in a rough sea, which can decrease the precision of the shipboard equipment. To improve the shock resistance performance of the shipboard equipment, an isolator is usually installed to isolate it from the vibration of the ship deck. The paper proposes a method for dynamic response and time-variant reliability analysis of an eight-rod shock isolator (ERSI). ERSI has a novel symmetrical structure, which can improve the utilization of the isolation rods compared with the classical parallel mechanism. The isolator is modeled using Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) convention and screw theory. Then, Duhamel integral is employed to derive the dynamic response to the isolator after decoupling the governing equation using the modal analysis method. Considering impacts of uncertain factors, this paper also presents a practical method for time-variant reliability analysis of ERSI. Finally, a discussion of the practical example of this method along with a detailed analysis to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method is presented.
Research on Seawater Hydraulic Internal Ball Gear Pump
Authors: Yang Yousheng , Zhang Meng , Yankey Richmond Polley , Wong Pak Kin
Published: January 2022

With high demands for novel technologies in the marine mechatronic instrumentality and the limitations of the present hydraulic pumps, a novel bidirectional seawater hydraulic internal ball gear pump is proposed to accomplish the function of fluid power transmission and control. The proposed hydraulic pump can be used for hydraulic buoyancy control systems of underwater vehicles and different marine mechatronic equipment. In this paper, the model, the meshing and the flow characteristics of the internal ball gear pump are developed. The radial unbalance force of the pump, leakage, and flow pulsation are also analyzed. The new type of eccentric shaft-hole rotary sealing designed in this paper can eliminate axial leakage and is expected to improve volumetric efficiency, working pressure, and power density. Simulation and experimental results show that: (1) by using the concave/convex ball gears rather than the existing gears, the concave ball gear drives the convex ball ring to rotate, realizing energy transfer and conversion; (2) compared with the water hydraulic internal gear pump, the internal ball gear pump has excellent performance. Experimental results also show that when the speed is 1500 rpm, the maximum operating pressure can reach 7 MPa. At 2 MPa, its volumetric efficiency and flow can reach 75% and 0.189L/min, respectively. The outcomes of this study show that the proposed seawater hydraulic internal ball gear pump is effective and has a lot of potential.
Double modification of a rack cutter using a variable pressure angle and modulus
Authors: Yang Hsueh-Cheng
Published: January 2022

This study modifies the straight edge of the rack cutter into an arc shape by changing the pressure angle. Using a variable modulus, the tooth surface is longitudinally modified along the axial direction of the rack cutter to create a bulge in the rack teeth in the center of the tooth width. This rack cutter with a double-crowned tooth is used to generate a pinion. An unmodified rack cutter is used to generate a gear. An undercutting analysis of the rack cutter is used to determine the undercutting condition for the double-crowned rack cutter and to determine the limits for the parameter. The transmission error for a gear pair is calculating using a tooth contact analysis. For this study, the assembly error for six cases is used to calculate the transmission error for the gear pair and the contact points for the gear pair are placed on a gear tooth. These contact points used to determine the contact for the gear pair. A transmission error analysis of the gear pair for a double-crowned gear gives a parabolic curve for the transmission error. The distribution of the contact points shows that, regardless of assembly errors, the contact points for the gear teeth are along the center of the tooth surface, starting from the top of the tooth, and gradually moving to the flank and away from the heel. The results show that the values for the transmission error for the modified gear pair for the proposed modification of the variable pressure angle and the variable modulus on a traditional rack cutter are small and the transmission error of the assembly errors are almost similar to those for an ideal assembly.
Controllable synthesis of silver nanoparticles using an acoustofluidic micromixer based on ultrasonic vibration
Authors: Liu Guojun , Wang Meng , Zhu Duanyi , Liu Qiang , Dong Luntao , Wang Conghui , Li Xinbo , Sun Xiaodong
Published: January 2022

Combined liquid-phase reduction method and ultrasonic vibration mixing technology, a new method for controllable synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using an acoustofluidic micromixer is proposed. First, the working mechanism of the acoustofluidic micromixer and the basic principle of the liquid-phase reduction method were briefly described. Then, based on the finite element theory, the simulation software COMSOL was utilized to analyze the vibration pattern and acoustic streaming field of the device. Finally, a series of AgNPs synthesis experiments were carried out using a self-made prototype. Controllable synthesis was achieved by adjusting the control parameters of the device and changing the reagent dosage. And the synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Simulation and experimental results show that rapid and homogeneous mixing reaction inside a microchannel is demonstrated via the acoustic streaming phenomenon induced by the interdigital transducers (IDT). The driving voltage, reductant, and protectant concentration have significant effects on the synthesis of AgNPs. Ultrasonic vibration combines with a proper protectant dosage can effectively inhibit particle agglomeration and ensure that the synthesized AgNPs have good homogeneity and monodispersity. When the working voltage is 30–40 V and the concentration ratio of reductant to the precursor is 2:1, the quality of the synthesized AgNPs is better. The samples are approximately spherical, without a large number of agglomerates, and high monodispersity. At this point, the average particle size is about 24.4 nm and the deviation is below 5.01 nm. The excellent and fast mixing reaction performance makes the proposed acoustofluidic micromixer a promising candidate for a wide variety of applications.
Application of Type-1 Fuzzy Terminal and Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Controllers for tracking the Stewart Manipulator
Authors: pourmohammadi M. J. , Eftekhari M.
Published: January 2022

In this paper, Finite-time control design of the Stewart mechanism is performed using the Type-1 Fuzzy terminal and Type-1 Fuzzy fast terminal sliding mode controllers. Manipulator has six hydraulic jacks or linear actuators and top plate has six degrees of freedom. Fuzzy boundary layer and fuzzy sliding surface are defined for the controllers to decrease the chattering and oscillation of the actuators. The dynamic equations are derived using the Lagrange method by applying the uncertainties and the super-twisting observer is developed to estimate the velocity of the hydraulic jacks. For eliminating undesirable chattering phenomena using the fuzzy logic, a set of type-1 fuzzy rules is used in such a way that approximates the boundary layer of the sliding surface. Moreover for better performance tracking of the controllers, the parameters of the terminal and fast terminal sliding mode controllers are optimized using the genetic algorithm. Integral of absolute error was defined as objective function. Simulations present the good performance of the fuzzy controllers in tracking the desired path of the top plate, high robustness in the presence uncertainty and reduction of noisy sensors.
Microstructure analysis and hardness prediction based on microstructure evolution theory in multi-pass welded joint
Authors: Zhang Qingya , Zhuo Zichao , Zhou Hong , Wang Jiangchao
Published: January 2022

During multi-pass butt welding of high-strength steel (HSS) thick plate, it is difficult to estimate the hardness performance of thick weld since multithermal cycles can drive complex microstructure evolution. In this study, butt-welded joint of 75 mm-thick Q690 HSS was prepared by multi-pass shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) in advance; meanwhile, experiments were carried out to characterize microstructure and measure hardness distribution in butt-welded joint. Then, the welding temperature history of butt-welded joint was numerically examined. Based on the irreversibility of Martensite and Bainite, the microstructure evolution model was modified to predict the complicated microstructure evolution in multi-pass welded joint. Compared with experimental data, the validity of modified microstructure evolution model was verified. With the application of simulated thermal cycles and material chemical compositions as input parameters, volume fraction distribution of each phase was obtained by modified microstructure evolution model and hardness value was calculated by hardenability algorithm. Both experimental and predicted results exhibited that microstructure in weld metal (WM) is mainly composed of granular Bainite with a small amount of Ferrite and Martensite, and heat-affected zone (HAZ) consists of predominantly lath Martensite. Hardness distribution in butt-welded joint obtained by the prediction method is in accordance with the measurement. Average hardness value in WM and BM is 290 VPN and 250 VPN. A sharp decrease in HAZ hardness can be found from the fusion line to base metal (BM). The maximal value in the HAZ close to fusion line and the corresponding prediction deviation is 6%.
Topology optimization of the compliant mechanisms considering curved beam elements using metaheuristic algorithms
Authors: Mokhtari Mehdi , Varedi-Koulaei Seyyed Mojtaba , Zhu Jiaxiang , Hao Guangbo
Published: January 2022

Compliant mechanisms use the flexibility of the limbs for movement and are produced monolithic, without any conventional joint. These flexible mechanisms have wide applications in several fields such as sensors, grippers, parallel mechanisms, micro-electro-mechanical systems, high-precision devices, and biomedical and surgery robots. Topology optimization is regarded as one of the most frequently used approaches for designing compliant mechanisms. The present study aimed to develop the ground structure approach by meshing the design domain using curved beam elements. Moreover, it seeks to implement three different metaheuristic algorithms, including the genetic algorithm, the imperialist competition algorithm, and the equilibrium optimizer for the topology optimization problem. The structural analysis of the compliant mechanism is necessary for determining the values of the objective functions for the optimization process. In the present study, the finite element method was used to analyze the obtained compliant mechanism. Based on the results, an optimum compliant mechanism with both straight and curved beam elements had better performance compared with a compliant mechanism with only straight beams.
Language and style in The Gruffalo
Authors: Burke Michael
Published: January 2022

This article studies the popular children’s book The Gruffalo (1999) written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Its popularity is attested to by the fact that the book has sold over 13.5 million copies and has been translated into more than 80 different languages. The question that this article seeks to address is, to what extent has the language and style of The Gruffalo played a part in these commercial and cultural achievements? The article primarily explores the phenomena of meter, rhyme, rhythm and lexical repetition from interrelated linguistic and stylistic perspectives. It also brings these findings into a dialogue with some of the precepts and principles from both classical rhetoric and modern orality theory, especially pertaining to memory and delivery. Having weighed the linguistic evidence, the supposition is put forward that it is highly probable that the motivated language choices that have been made by the author, and the way those choices have been arranged and deployed in the story, have played a substantial role in the book’s success.
Effective interventions for reducing moral distress in critical care nurses
Authors: Emami Zeydi Amir , Ghazanfari Mohammad Javad , Suhonen Riitta , Adib-Hajbaghery Mohsen , Karkhah Samad
Published: January 2022

Moral distress (MD) has received considerable attention in the nursing literature over the past few decades. It has been found that high levels of MD can negatively impact nurses, patients, and their family and reduce the quality of patient care. This study aimed to investigate the potentially effective interventions to alleviate MD in critical care nurses. In this systematic review, a broad search of the literature was conducted in the international databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus, as well as Google Scholar search engine using keywords such as moral distress, intensive care unit, ICU, nurses, and critical care nurses from 1984, when the concept of MD was first introduced in the nursing literature, up to 29 October 2020. Studies focusing on the interventions for managing MD in critical care nurse were evaluated. The quality of eligible papers was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. A total of 8 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Three studies had RCT design and five studies had quasi-experimental design. All studies were conducted in the United States or Iran. Educational workshop, moral empowerment program, social work intervention, nursing ethics huddles, and multifaceted resiliency bundle intervention were effective interventions for managing of MD among critical care nurses. There is limited but promising research evidence evaluating the efficacy of educational interventions for managing of MD among critical care nurses. Although some positive results have been reported, there is limited generalizable evidence due to the variability of interventions. These findings highlight the need for further studies to validate the efficacy of these interventions or develop more potent and efficient interventions for reducing MD in critical care nurses.
Financial liberalization and the Indian non-financial, corporate sector
Authors: Ganguly Arpan , Vasudevan Ramaa
Published: January 2022

A distinct feature of the India’s path of financial liberalization is that it led to the emergence of the corporate, non-financial sector, rather than the financial sector as the key wedge for the penetration of global finance. Neoliberal reforms eroded the traditional role of development banks and state-directed credit and empowered a section of large corporations and non-financial companies in India. The partial, calibrated path to capital account liberalization has meant that this section of the Indian non-financial corporate sector, rather than the commercial banking system came to be the conduit integrating the Indian economy with international financial markets. Where the Indian state had earlier harnessed finance towards developmental priorities, it shifted to channeling finance in service of the internationally embedded segment of the corporate sector that enjoys disproportionate access to both the domestic financial system and international financial markets.

JEL CodesE44 G32, F65
Reported time allocation and emotional exhaustion during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Slovenia
Authors: Bartolj Tjasa , Murovec Nika , Polanec Saso
Published: January 2022

The absence of institutionalised childcare and education during the lockdowns, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, put parents who worked from home in a stressful situation in which they had to combine the roles of teacher, parent and employee. This study aims to analyse how the closure of kindergartens and schools during the March–May 2020 lockdown in Slovenia changed the reported allocation of time, and perceived emotional exhaustion of parents working from home, compared to nonparents. We also focus on the differences in the impacts of lockdown between genders, status of family-provision and employment sectors of parents. Using data from a survey carried out on cohabiting and married individuals in Slovenia and applying a difference-in-difference estimator, we find that parents incurred a significant increase in their unpaid work burden, reductions in time devoted to paid work and leisure and suffered an increase in emotional exhaustion. Namely, Slovenian parents reported roughly 2 h less of paid and 4 h more of unpaid work per day during the lockdown in comparison to nonparents. The analysis also demonstrates that females performed more unpaid work and enjoyed less leisure before the lockdown, but the lockdown adjustment did not further increase gender inequality.
Entrepreneurial Passion: A Meta-Analysis of Three Measures
Authors: Zhao Hao , Liu Qinglin
Published: January 2022

We explore how entrepreneurial passion’s effect size varies across measures and operationalizations. The role-based measure outperforms the dualistic measure on some outcomes but not on performance. The role-based measure’s IPF and IC dimensions are strongly correlated, and so are its three domains, putting its theoretical assumptions in question. Scholars often use it against the guidelines, although the obtained effect sizes do not drop. The dualistic measure is more effective when the original questions are used and when entrepreneurship-specific targets are mentioned. Yet, its focus is not positive feelings per se. The search for an ideal passion model should continue.