bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bargaining in intrastate conflicts: The shifting role of ceasefires
Authors: Sticher Valerie , Vuković Siniša
Published: May 2021

Research shows that conflict parties engage in ceasefires in pursuit of a variety of objectives, some of which reduce while others fuel violent conflict. This article provides a framework that links these objectives to a larger process. Building on bargaining theory, three distinct bargaining contexts are specified for intrastate conflicts. In the Diminishing Opponent context, leaders believe that a military solution yields a better outcome than a political settlement. In the Forcing Concessions context, they recognize the benefit of conflict settlement, but expectations about a mutually acceptable agreement still widely diverge. In the Enabling Agreement context, expectations converge, and leaders seek to pursue settlement without incurring further costs. In line with these readings, conflict party leaders adapt their strategic goal, from seeking to set up a military advantage, to boosting their bargaining power, to increasing the chances of a negotiated settlement. They may use ceasefires in the pursuit of any of these three goals, shifting the function of a ceasefire as they gain a better understanding of bargaining dynamics. A comparison of violence and ceasefire patterns in six contemporary peace processes and a congruence test conducted on the 2012–16 peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the guerilla organization FARC offer support for the theoretical framework. The findings highlight the important, and shifting, role ceasefires play in the transition from war to negotiated peace.
Displacement through development? Property turnover and eviction risk in Seattle
Authors: Ramiller Alex
Published: May 2021

Eviction is a powerful form of displacement that perpetuates and amplifies socioeconomic and racial inequalities through the rental housing market. Examining the relationship between evictions and property turnover through Neil Smith’s theories of gentrification and uneven geographical development, this article considers the argument that eviction provides a mechanism for property owners to facilitate displacement prior to property redevelopment and neighbourhood change. Models of property-level turnover in the city of Seattle reveal that evictions are more likely to occur at properties that are sold in the same year, properties where planned demolition or remodelling activity is imminent and buildings that have been recently constructed. Increased likelihood of eviction is also associated with a greater volume of remodelling and demolition permit applications filed in the surrounding neighbourhood, suggesting that evictions may be more likely to occur at the early stages of development-driven neighbourhood change. These findings highlight the multifaceted relationship between evictions and property turnover and illustrate the value of administrative microdata for displacement research.
Discoloration of green PET bottles recycled with chemical agents by reactive extrusion
Authors: Guillén-Mallette Javier , Ríos-Soberanis Carlos Rolando , Enríquez-Reyes Jazmín
Published: May 2021

This study evaluates the effect of incorporating chemical agents with green polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles on extrudate color change and other properties. First, the best type of chemical agent that decolorizes recycled green PET bottles (RGPB) with good processability was determined. RGPB-chemical agent mixtures were evaluated, reducing, photoinitiator, or oxidant, where the best one turned out to be the oxidizing agent, a dicumyl peroxide. Then new mixtures of RGPB-oxidizing agent, dicumyl or benzoyl, were made in a reactive extrusion process employing a drying hopper to avoid hydrolytic degradation. The intrinsic viscosity, crystallinity, and color change of extrudates were determined. It was determined by SEM with EDS that the dye is possibly a chlorinated copper phthalocyanine. The final results show an increase in the intrinsic viscosity of the PET handling dicumyl peroxide, a partial whitening of the extrudates, and an increase in the crystallinity of the PET, which contributed to a decrease the hue and saturation of the green color of RGPB. Where the dicumyl peroxide present in mixtures with RGPB interacts with chlorinated copper phthalocyanine to produce phthalamide or phthalic acid, which are white.
Changes in the rheometric, morphological and mechanical properties of nitrile rubber composites by the use of different concentrations of cellulose nanofibers
Authors: Celestini Vânia , Ribeiro Willian B , Damo Thamires , Lavoratti Alessandra , Zattera Ademir J , Brandalise Rosmary N
Published: May 2021

Cellulose nanofibers were produced with waste from the paper industry, in a stone grinder and were used as filler in elastomeric composites in the acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (NBR). Two different cellulose mass concentrations (0.5 and 2.0 wt%) were ground in water and incorporated in concentrations of 0, 10 and 20 phr by the coagulation of the NBR, followed by drying. The other components of the formulation were incorporated and vulcanized in an open mixer and molded by compression. Due to the proposed grinding it was possible to obtain nanocellulose, in the range of 20.5 nm to 83.6 nm at an average diameter of 42.8 nm for the solution produced with 2.0 wt% and 18.3 nm at 90.5 nm at an average diameter of 44.3 for the solution with 0.5 wt%. The composites with a 20 phr of nanofiber presented lower vulcanization times and better mechanical properties before and after accelerated aging for 7 days, as well as a superior resistance to gasoline and diesel than the NBR and the samples with 10 phr. A tear strength of 61 N.mm−2 was obtained at the concentration of 20 phr and 0.5 wt% of incorporated nanofibers in line with a shorter vulcanization time.
Stapes Surgery in Far-Advanced Otosclerosis
Authors: Luca Moscillo , Massimilla Eva Aurora , Americo Mastella , Michele Nunziata , Donadio Anna , Gaetano Motta
Published: May 2021

Introduction:

Surgical treatment of patients with far-advanced otosclerosis (FAO) has not yet been standardized. Patients with FAO are the candidates for stapes surgery or cochlear implant (CI). Although many surgeons consider stapes surgery as the first choice, other authors prefer CI because of the excellent hearing results.

Objective:

The authors discuss their experience in the treatment of patients with FAO, potentially candidates for CI, who underwent stapedotomy.

Materials and Methods:

Eleven adult patients with FAO underwent stapedotomy from 2006 to 2016. Pure-tone average (PTA) between 0.5-1-2-3 kHz and speech perception test with hearing aids were determined before and after stapedotomy.

Results:

The results show a statistically significant improvement in air condition threshold (PTA) and satisfactory results with regard to speech recognition in 9 (81.8%) cases. Postoperative results are not influenced by the type of stapedotomy prosthesis employed and do not change during follow-up (3 years).

Conclusions:

The authors suggest first performing stapes surgery in patients with FAO and reserving CI in case of failure.
Cost-Effectiveness of Hearing Screening in Older Adults: A Scoping Review
Authors: Hsu Amber K. , Bassett Sarah M. , O’Dwyer Linda C. , McHugh Megan , Heinemann Allen W. , Jordan Neil , Dhar Sumitrajit
Published: May 2021

Objectives:

Age is the most common predictor of hearing loss; however, many older adults are not screened. Hearing screening could improve healthcare access, participation, and outcomes. Establishing whether hearing screening in older adults is cost-effective could improve the availability and utilization of screening.

Methods:

We searched nine databases in January 2020. Studies with populations aged 50+ and provided data on the cost-effectiveness of hearing screening were included in the review.

Results:

Five studies met the inclusion criteria and all found hearing screening programs to be cost-effective compared to no hearing screening, regardless of screening method (i.e., instrument or strategy). The maximum number of repeated screenings, coupled with younger ages, was most cost-effective.

Discussion:

This review suggests that hearing screening in older adults is cost-effective, however, the evidence is limited. There is pressing need for research focused on economic impacts of hearing healthcare in older adults to inform research, policy and practice.
Where is the Breughel Village? Community and the radical tradition
Authors: Kaviraj Sudipta
Published: May 2021

This article notes the revival of interest in the idea of community in recent debates in political theory. It argues that one of the clearest presentations of the problem was in Hegel, taken up by the radical tradition from Marx. It analyses the further elaboration of the structure of the problem in Marx but argues that there is a baffling difficulty because the answer to the problem of community comes in the form of the state – an apparatus least likely to create communal connection among alienated individuals. Next, Toennies’s classic analysis is taken up for scrutiny. Finally, it suggests that this large question can be broken up into more manageable smaller ones if we think about the artistic representations of the community idyll.
Communities and the individual: Beyond the liberal–communitarian divide
Authors: Kaul Volker
Published: May 2021

Liberalism believes that individuals are endowed a priori with reason or at least agency and it is up to that reason and agency to make choices, commitments and so on. Communitarianism criticizes liberalism’s explicit and deliberate neglect of the self and insists that we attain a self and identity only through the effective recognition of significant others. However, personal autonomy does not seem to be a default position, neither reason nor community is going to provide it inevitably. Therefore, it is so important to go beyond the liberal–communitarian divide. This article is analysing various proposals in this direction, asks about the place of communities and the individual in times of populism and the pandemic and provides a global perspective on the liberal–communitarian debate.
Examining associations between COVID-19 stressors, intimate partner violence, health, and health behaviors
Authors: Gresham Abriana M. , Peters Brett J. , Karantzas Gery , Cameron Linda D. , Simpson Jeffry A.
Published: May 2021

The economic, social, and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to increase the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. IPV victimization may, in turn, contribute to physical and mental health, substance use, and social distancing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary objective of the current study was to understand the extent to which 1) COVID-19 stressors are associated with IPV victimization and 2) IPV victimization is associated with health and health behaviors. Participants ( N = 1,813) completed an online survey between May 15 and 28, 2020 that assessed COVID-19 stressors (financial anxiety, social disconnection, health anxiety, COVID-19-specific stress), IPV victimization, physical and mental health, substance use, and movement outside of the home. Structural equation modeling indicated that greater COVID-19-related stressors were associated with greater IPV victimization during the pandemic, even after controlling for enduring vulnerabilities associated with IPV victimization. Additionally, greater IPV victimization during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with higher levels of substance use and movement outside of the home, but not poorer physical and mental health. COVID-19 stressors may have detrimental relationship effects and health implications, underscoring the need for increased IPV intervention and support services during the pandemic. Findings from the current work provide preliminary correlational evidence for a theoretical model centered on IPV victimization, rather than perpetration.
Algorithmic pollution: Making the invisible visible
Authors: Marjanovic Olivera , Cecez-Kecmanovic Dubravka , Vidgen Richard
Published: May 2021

In this article, we focus on the growing evidence of unintended harmful societal effects of automated algorithmic decision-making in transformative services (e.g. social welfare, healthcare, education, policing and criminal justice), for individuals, communities and society at large. Drawing from the long-established research on social pollution, in particular its contemporary ‘pollution-as-harm’ notion, we put forward a claim – and provide evidence – that these harmful effects constitute a new type of digital social pollution, which we name ‘algorithmic pollution’. Words do matter, and by using the term ‘pollution’, not as a metaphor or an analogy, but as a transformative redefinition of the digital harm performed by automated algorithmic decision-making, we seek to make it visible and recognized. By adopting a critical performative perspective, we explain how the execution of automated algorithmic decision-making produces harm and thus performs algorithmic pollution. Recognition of the potential for unintended harmful effects of algorithmic pollution, and their examination as such, leads us to articulate the need for transformative actions to prevent, detect, redress, mitigate and educate about algorithmic harm. These actions, in turn, open up new research challenges for the information systems community.
Investigating the determinants of inter-organizational information sharing within criminal justice: A context-mechanism-outcome approach
Authors: Iannacci Federico , Simeonova Boyka , Kawalek Peter
Published: May 2021

Focusing on inter-organizational information sharing in criminal justice, it is found that, while poor project management leads to unsuccessful inter-organizational information sharing, a recipe for success is more demanding as it requires both compatible technologies and good project management implemented either by means of a top-down approach of strategic alignment or an emergent approach of bottom-up alignment. Though unplanned, the latter approach may lead to mistakes that are more correctable than the large mistakes stemming from top-down, deliberate planning. The study is an analysis of context-mechanism-outcome configurations of inter-organizational information sharing activities within criminal justice systems and demonstrates the causal asymmetry between positive and negative cases. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed by highlighting the causal role of different types of governance structure in a crisp set configurational fashion.
Algorithmic Pollution: Making the Invisible Visible
Authors: Marjanovic Olivera , Cecez-Kecmanovic Dubravka , Vidgen Richard
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we focus on the growing evidence of unintended harmful societal effects of automated algorithmic decision-making (AADM) in transformative services (e.g., social welfare, healthcare, education, policing and criminal justice), for individuals, communities and society at large. Drawing from the long-established research on social pollution, in particular its contemporary ‘pollution-as-harm’ notion, we put forward a claim, and provide evidence, that these harmful effects constitute a new type of digital social pollution, which we name ‘algorithmic pollution’. Words do matter, and by using the term ‘pollution’, not as a metaphor, but as a transformative redefinition of the digital harm performed by AADM, we seek to make it visible and recognized. By adopting a critical performative perspective, we explain how the execution of AADM produces harm and thus performs algorithmic pollution. Recognition of the potential for unintended harmful effects of algorithmic pollution, and their examination as such, leads us to articulate the need for transformative actions to prevent, detect, redress, mitigate, and educate about algorithmic harm. These actions, in turn, open up new research challenges for the information systems community.
Creative IDEA: Introducing a Statewide Art Therapy in Prisons Program
Authors: Soape Evie , Barlow Casey , Gussak David E. , Brown Jerry , Schubarth Anna
Published: May 2021

Education is regarded as an avenue for success while the under-educated are disproportionately more likely to be incarcerated and remain within the correctional system. Current prison reforms have focused on increasing access to educational programming. However, these programs are not designed to address the lack of control, poor self-regulation, low emotional intelligence, inadequate social skills, or lack of internal motivation that hinder progress. Art therapy has been found effective in mitigating these impediments. Recognizing this, a partnership arose between a state Department of Corrections and a State University’s graduate art therapy program out of which emerged an Art Therapy in Prisons Program, funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Two art therapists provided services to youthful male and female offenders in four institutions to assuage these obstacles. This article explores the genesis and development of this program, and the flexible adjustments required to address the impending COVID-19. We conclude how those who participated did indeed demonstrate improvement.
Critical perspectives on implementation of evidence-based practice in occupational therapy – Exemplified by Lifestyle Redesign® in a Danish context
Authors: Glasdam Stinne , Oute Jeppe , Stjernswärd Sigrid
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Evidence-based practice is an increasing demand in occupational therapy (OT), although multiple barriers can hinder the translation of research knowledge into practice. The article illuminates the transformation of results from a randomised controlled trial into a practice development project with future practice implementation in mind.

Method

A case study was carried out, consisting of a comparison of the US randomised controlled trials (RCTs) Lifestyle Redesign® and the derived Danish practice development project.

Results

The study showed how results from RCTs of Lifestyle Redesign® were transformed into a practice development project with intentions to implement the programme in a Danish context. The modifications of the US RCT into a practice development project in Denmark compromised the study’s scientific execution. The practice development project was used to legitimise the intervention within OT locally by testing an evidence-based intervention, without using associated scientific tools and without considering barriers and facilitators for implementing the project in clinical practice.

Conclusion

Research design compromises in practice development projects may have implications for the internal and external dynamics of professionalisation processes regarding OT and the recognition of OT as a scientific discipline and an autonomous profession, nationally and internationally.
Deciding how to decide: Using the Digital Preservation Storage Criteria
Authors: Schaefer Sibyl K. , McGovern Nancy Y. , Zierau Eld M. O. , Goethals Andrea L. , Wu Cynthia C. M.
Published: May 2021

The Digital Preservation Storage Criteria (hereafter, the Criteria) grew out of a community discussion at the 12th International Conference on Digital Preservation (iPRES 2015) on the evolving landscape of digital preservation storage approaches. A Working Group convened to develop guidance for organizations that either use or provide digital preservation storage. The first version of the Criteria was presented at an iPRES 2016 workshop and outlined the Working Group’s preliminary results and sought feedback. The Working Group has shared iterative versions over the last three years that have been informed by community feedback gathered through conference sessions, online review and a survey. Possible uses of the Criteria include helping organizations to develop requirements for their digital preservation storage, evaluating digital preservation storage solutions, raising awareness about digital preservation storage, and providing training materials to inform practitioners and others, including a game to demonstrate how the Criteria might be adapted for use. A Usage Guide accompanied the release of the current public iteration of the Criteria to help apply the Criteria. This iteration of the Criteria contains 61 criteria grouped into categories: Content Integrity, Cost Considerations, Flexibility, Information Security, Resilience, Scalability and Performance, Support, and Transparency. The unreleased draft, Version 4, includes an additional category: System Security. In addition to introducing the Criteria and providing background about their evolution, this article highlights new areas of development. First, the preliminary results from an ongoing effort to map the Criteria to relevant international digital preservation and information technology standards are presented. Second, updates to the Usage Guide are discussed. The Usage Guide is a supplement to the Criteria that provides the contextual information necessary for implementing the Criteria and includes sections on considerations such as risk management, cost, understanding independence and ensuring bit safety. Finally, examples of using the Criteria in various contexts are provided to encourage organizations to apply the Criteria to their own situation. The Criteria, the Usage Guide, the Criteria game and related documents are open and available for review at https://osf.io/sjc6u/ , where future additions and updates will be shared.
Indigenous knowledge in Sudan: Perceptions among Sudanese librarians
Authors: Sharief Omer Abbas El , Mudawi Mohamed Salah Eldin , Mohamed Radia Adam
Published: May 2021

Indigenous knowledge has received considerable attention in Sudan, as it is deeply rooted in the sociocultural life. Librarians, as facilitators of learning, have an essential role to play in indigenous knowledge management in the country. The objective of this article is to assess Sudanese librarians’ awareness of indigenous knowledge and to examine their roles in its management and preservation. The research also identifies the major obstacles that face indigenous knowledge management, and the role of information and communication technology in its management. Additionally, the research assesses the major changes needed to develop a successful national indigenous knowledge strategy. Structured questionnaires and four semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The findings show that Sudanese librarians believe libraries have a role to play in indigenous knowledge management. The article proposes some relevant recommendations to enhance the role of librarians in indigenous knowledge management in Sudan.
Household cooking oil use and its bearing on fire safety
Authors: Spearpoint Michael , Hopkin Charlie
Published: May 2021

Cooking oil fires present a reasonable worst-case hazard when considering thermal radiation to occupants close to a kitchen hob/cooktop. Shallow or deep frying, the activity frequency and the oil volume may contribute to the risk. A review of cooking oil use is presented via consumer purchasing habits, studies on the health effects of cooking with oil and statistics related to the disposal of cooking oil waste. An online survey provides further data on current cooking practices. Olive oil, vegetable oil or pure sunflower appear to be the most common types. Results suggest that cooking on a hob occurs 4 times per month for deep frying and 17 times per month for shallow frying. A design value of 250 mL is advocated for all frying activities with a frequency of 11 times per month. Design volumes of 2.5 L and 150 mL are proposed for deep and shallow frying, respectively.
Assessment of COVID-19 control strategies in a steel industry using a SWOT matrix
Authors: Hesami Arani Mohsen , Moslemzadeh Mehrdad , Fallahzadeh Omid , khorvash Hamidreza , Dakhilpour Mahmoud , Mohammadzadeh Mahdiyeh
Published: May 2021

According to the health regulations, industrial environments due to the gathering of people are considered as one of the highest-risk places during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, planning with regard to health concerns can decisively help in infection control and continuity of businesses during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the COVID-19 control management measures in the Sepid-farab Kavir Steel Complex (SKS complex) located in Isfahan province (Iran) using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) matrix. After a literature review and field surveys, all weak, strong, threatening, and opportunity points were collected and were listed using the internal factor evaluation (IFE) and external factor evaluation (EFE) matrices and then were prioritized and weighted. Next, given the sum of scores of IFE and EFE, the SWOT matrix was constructed, the disease prevention and control strategies in the complex was determined, and finally, experts proposed corrective measures to improve the current situation. The results of the IFE matrix (IFE) analysis showed that in terms of corona control, there are more weaknesses than strengths within the company (the score of this matrix was 201.12). Also the score of 165 on the EFE matrix indicated that external threats were predominant, compared to external opportunities of company. SWOT analysis showed that despite some external problems and challenges, the existence of a favorable internal decision-making system had an important role in developing appropriate health strategies and implementing effective prevention measures in SKS complex against the COVID-19.
Mechanical properties of melt infiltration and powder metallurgy fabricated aluminum metal matrix composite
Authors: Awad Mahmoud , Hassan Noha M , Kannan Sathish
Published: May 2021

Metal foams have drawn an increasing interest especially in applications where weight and energy absorption are critical. Despite the extensive studies available on their characterization and enhanced fabrication techniques, limited work was found on the possibility of producing a porous composite foam. The objective of this article is to investigate two new synthesis techniques for manufacturing metal matrix composite foam that is, powder metallurgy and melt infiltration. Both techniques are studied using Sodium Chloride (NaCl) as a space holder in an aluminum-based metal matrix and graphene nanoparticles as reinforcements. The effect of the quantity added of both the space holder and graphene is studied using designed experiments. Although powder metallurgy provided lower baseline hardness, experimentation results suggest the superiority of the process over melt infiltration in terms of porosity and hardness. Results suggest that baseline aluminum hardness can be increased by up to 21.5% using powder metallurgy and 15% using melt infiltration. In terms of porosity, powder metallurgy porosity increased baseline more than ten folds while melt infiltration only doubled the baseline porosity. Moreover, it is easier to control the macroscopic shape, density, and distribution of the pores using powder metallurgy. It is also easier to disperse the reinforcement homogenously. Results will support several industries such as military, automotive, medical, and aerospace in developing this innovative material with superior properties and coping with their need for advanced applications.
A user-friendly finite element model for radial mode abrasive waterjet turning
Authors: Abdelhameed Y , Hassan Ashraf I , Kaytbay Saleh
Published: May 2021

This paper aims to develop a finite element (FE) model precisely simulating the multi-particle impact in the radial mode abrasive waterjet turning (AWJT). An explicit dynamic analysis was carried out to predict the crater profile resulting from the impact of the abrasive particles along a limited segment of the jet pass over the workpiece surface. The effect of both momentum transfer loss and abrasive load ratio was taken into consideration while calculating the impact velocity of the abrasive particles. To build a user-friendly model, the scripting feature of ABAQUS was involved to automatically perform all the repetitive modeling procedures. The presented FE model considers four variable turning parameters tested at five levels each, including impact velocity, abrasive mass flow rate, traverse rate, and workpiece speed. The obtained crater profile from the simulation process was utilized to calculate the depth of cut (DOC) at different parameter combinations. A comparison between the numerical and experimental results shows a good agreement with an average absolute relative error of 9.74%.
Modular estimation of lateral vehicle dynamics and application in optimal AFS control
Authors: Chakraborty Shouvik , Sutradhar Ashoke , Sengupta Anindita
Published: May 2021

The paper introduces a novel modular estimation approach for lateral vehicle and tire dynamics using a simplified vehicle model and a non-linear estimation algorithm. A dynamics-oriented representation of lateral tire forces with a single track lateral vehicle model (STVM) has been introduced. Subsequently, extended Kalman filter (EKF) based distributed observer modules for each dynamical parameter has been designed and combined into a Unified Estimation Scheme (UES). Finally, a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) based Active Front Steering (AFS) control system has been designed using the estimated parameters. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the designed scheme has been analyzed and compared to non-modular UKF, EKF, and Particle Filter (PF) algorithms, through Monte-Carlo Simulations using the CarSim dataset for both high and low [Formula: see text] surfaces, followed by further validation using real-time dataset. The results show that the proposed system significantly improve the accuracy and speed of estimation, as well as stable performance in closed loop control.
Effects of vehicle driveline parameters and clutch judder on gearbox vibrations
Authors: Hajnayeb Ali , Fernando Joseph S , Sun Qiao
Published: May 2021

Clutch judder causes discomfort in a car. This undesirable event not only creates noise and vibrations, it also disturbs the normal functionality of other components in the driveline, especially the gearbox, which is prone to oscillating inputs. Although there are numerous separate studies on clutch judder and gearbox vibrations, a combined study is necessary in order to investigate the coupled dynamics, especially the effect of vibrations in a clutch on gearbox vibrations. In this paper, a dynamic model is presented for the driveline, including the details of a gearbox and a dry clutch. It allows us to investigate the effect of clutch parameters and to simulate conditions with and without judder. The obtained dynamical equations are then solved numerically. The influence of judder on gear dynamics and passenger comfort is investigated. The results show that judder causes loss of contact in the gearbox in most cases. In more severe cases of judder, it can cause rattle not only in the unloaded gear, but also in the loaded gears. A modal analysis and a frequency spectrum analysis are conducted as well in order to identify the frequency components of the system vibrations and to verify the obtained results. Parts of the results are compared with the theoretical and experimental data from other research studies, which show agreement and serve to validate the model in this work.
A novel deep learning network for accurate lane detection in low-light environments
Authors: Song Shuang , Chen Wei , Liu Qianjie , Hu Huosheng , Huang Tengchao , Zhu Qingyuan
Published: May 2021

Lane detection algorithms play a key role in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which are however unable to achieve accurate lane recognition in low-light environments. This paper presents a novel deep network structure, namely LLSS-Net (low-light images semantic segmentation), to achieve accurate lane detection in low-light environments. The method integrates a convolutional neural network for low-light image enhancement and a semantic segmentation network for lane detection. The image quality is firstly improved by a low-light image enhancement network and lane features are then extracted using semantic segmentation. Fast lane clustering is finally performed by using the KD tree models. Cityscapes and Tusimple datasets are utilized to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed method has an excellent performance for lane detection in low-light roads.
Challenging representations of Muslims and cultural métissage in the ethnic comedies L’Italien (2010) and Mohamed Dubois (2013)
Authors: Mielusel Ramona
Published: May 2021

In this article, I am looking at two popular ‘ethnic’ comedies, L’Italien (2010) and Mohamed Dubois (2013), that promote dialogue and conviviality between Franco-Maghrebi and Franco-French people in France while questioning the societal feasibility of legislative measures of inclusiveness, visibility and equality of chances promoted by the government in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Considering some challenges in the representations, the comedies offer, at times, a social critique of certain stereotypical views on Islam and the destiny of Muslims on French soil, but they conclude in an optimistic tone supporting the idea that there is cultural métissage in France and that Muslims and Christians do mix in today’s diverse France. The popularity of these comedies attests to the fact that there is a need to bring up the issues of Islam in France and of the cohabitation between Muslims and Christian French citizens in the public sphere. I suggest however that while the Franco-Maghrebi’s ‘essentialist identity’ is challenged in the films, there are still neo-colonialist tensions in the artistic productions that entail ambivalence towards the Muslim characters. In a Franco-French dominated film-consuming culture, the Franco-Maghrebi characters are still subject to mimicry, which consistently maintains their subordinate position in the French culture.
Reality bites: How the pandemic has begun to shape the way we, metaphorically, see the world
Authors: Abdel-Raheem Ahmed
Published: May 2021

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been thousands of articles on the use of metaphor to describe the crisis. A Google search yields more than 7000 hits. Indeed, an avalanche of metaphors has already been used to describe the Covid-19 pandemic. From war and oceanic metaphors to the dreaded phrase ‘ramping up’, the language and images used by politicians, journalists, scientific experts, commentators, artists, comedians, and meme-makers to understand the crisis are not neutral constructs. But far more disappointing than the use of inappropriate or politically incorrect metaphors is the fact that there is no single scholarly article that systematically studies the influence of the pandemic on cognition, especially metaphorical conceptualization. That is, how has the coronavirus pandemic changed the meaning of home, love, Halloween, social media platforms, and so on for us? Technically speaking, how has the crisis triggered, prompted, or simply facilitated the selection and employment of particular conceptual metaphors or their linguistic and non-linguistic manifestations? This article, based on a large-scale corpus of political cartoons, aims to answer that question – how the pandemic itself becomes a metaphor. I show that various different metaphor targets (including WAR, ISRAEL, TURKEY, DONALD TRUMP, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ARAB DICTATORS, THE KUWAITI NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, THE JORDANIAN CABINET, THE IRANIAN REGIME, MILITANT GROUPS, POVERTY, RACISM, CALENDAR, CORRUPTION, INJUSTICE, RUMORS, POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS, THE GLOBE, THE UNION JACK, THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE US FAR RIGHT, THE 50 STARS OF THE AMERCAN FLAG, US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS, HOUSEWIVES, PERSONAL BELONGINGS, LOVE, QURBAN BAYRAM, CHRISTMAS, HALLOWEEN, ARABIC DRAMA, SCHOOL BAG, AWARENESS, and SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES such as Facebook, among many others) are all explained with reference to coronavirus-related terms or the source domain of CORONAVIRUS/VACCINATION. The sheer frequency of occurrences of CORONAVIRUS metaphors (a total of 175 out of 497 relevant multimodal cartoons, that is, more than 35%) demonstrates and makes a case for the necessity to examine the effect of context, in particular topical news and physical circumstances, in the cognitive linguistic study of creative metaphor. In short, the results provide initial evidence that new viruses and diseases such as Covid-19 have a negative and significant effect on cognition (or shape societies’ worldviews).
Robust steering control for trajectory following in road traffic environments
Authors: Deshpande Parth , Devika KB , Subramanian Shankar C , Vanajakshi Lelitha Devi
Published: May 2021

The process of modelling vehicle motion in a road traffic environment requires the integration of trajectory generation with vehicle control. The steps involved here are generating a feasible trajectory based on the existing traffic and tracking the trajectory to control it with a steering angle input. Since the parameters of a physical system vary with changes in operating conditions, it is important to consider robustness when designing controllers. This article aims at developing a trajectory-following model with robust steering control strategies to accurately follow a generated trajectory. In this study, performance-based proportional, robust proportional and sliding mode control strategies are designed for trajectory following. The robustness of the proportional controller is established using Kharitonov’s theorem, which is compared with a proportional controller tuned for performance. Sliding mode control is designed for robustness and chattering elimination using two kinds of reaching laws – a constant reaching law and a novel power rate exponential reaching law. The controllers are designed using a dynamic bicycle model considering the error with respect to the trajectory. The controllers are then evaluated in IPG CarMaker®. The resulting trajectories and control inputs are compared for the considered control methodologies using the ISO double lane change and the Slalom tests. Sliding mode control with power rate exponential reaching law is concluded to be more robust as compared to the other controllers, with lower response times, up to 84% lower heading angle deviations from the trajectory and an overshoot of only 3.2% in lane changing.
A two-stage design optimization framework for multifield origami-inspired structures
Authors: Zhang Wei , Ahmed Saad , Hong Jonathan , Ounaies Zoubeida , Frecker Mary
Published: May 2021

Different types of active materials have been used to actuate origami-inspired self-folding structures. To model the highly nonlinear deformation and material responses, as well as the coupled field equations and boundary conditions of such structures, high-fidelity models such as finite element (FE) models are needed but usually computationally expensive, which makes optimization intractable. In this paper, a computationally efficient two-stage optimization framework is developed as a systematic method for the multi-objective designs of such multifield self-folding structures where the deformations are concentrated in crease-like areas, active and passive materials are assumed to behave linearly, and low- and high-fidelity models of the structures can be developed. In Stage 1, low-fidelity models are used to determine the topology of the structure. At the end of Stage 1, a distance measure [Formula: see text] is applied as the metric to determine the best design, which then serves as the baseline design in Stage 2. In Stage 2, designs are further optimized from the baseline design with greatly reduced computing time compared to a full FEA-based topology optimization. The design framework is first described in a general formulation. To demonstrate its efficacy, this framework is implemented in two case studies, namely, a three-finger soft gripper actuated using a PVDF-based terpolymer, and a 3D multifield example actuated using both the terpolymer and a magneto-active elastomer, where the key steps are elaborated in detail, including the variable filter, metrics to select the best design, determination of design domains, and material conversion methods from low- to high-fidelity models. In this paper, analytical models and rigid body dynamic models are developed as the low-fidelity models for the terpolymer- and MAE-based actuations, respectively, and the FE model of the MAE-based actuation is generalized from previous work. Additional generalizable techniques to further reduce the computational cost are elaborated. As a result, designs with better overall performance than the baseline design were achieved at the end of Stage 2 with computing times of 15 days for the gripper and 9 days for the multifield example, which would rather be over 3 and 2 months for full FEA-based optimizations, respectively. Tradeoffs between the competing design objectives were achieved. In both case studies, the efficacy and computational efficiency of the two-stage optimization framework are successfully demonstrated.
PH-sensitive hydrogel-based valves: A transient fully-coupled fluid-solid interaction study
Authors: Niroumandi Soha , Shojaeifard Mohammad , Baghani Mostafa
Published: May 2021

pH-sensitive hydrogels are promising materials to be employed in microfluidic devices, especially microvalves. In this paper, a theory of transient swelling of pH-sensitive micro-valve is presented. A transient constitutive model that captures electrical, chemical, and mechanical fields is considered to model the swelling phenomenon. The diffusion of ions into the hydrogel, the electromigration, and convection are described by implementing the Nernst-Planck equation. Assuming Gent model, hydrogel is considered as a compressible hyperelastic material and osmotic pressure is assumed as an external loading. Due to benefits of in-plane valves, a design of the micro-valve is studied. Design simplicity and great sealing are vital factors which can be considered as an advantage of this valve for fabrication. This design and modeling approach has not been used for pH-sensitive hydrogels in earlier works. Thus, we have studied the transient swelling of pH-sensitive hydrogel microvalve, when effects of fluid-structure-interaction are examined on valve performance. It is noted that in most previous studies, equilibrium conditions have been assumed. While considering transient fully-coupled fluid-structure-interaction is necessary to capture a more realistic modeling. The results illustrate that the microvalve blocks the channel much earlier than reaching the equilibrium-state, which implies importance of the transient behavior of hydrogels.
Research on an axial-mounted dual magnetostrictive material rods-based electro-hydrostatic actuator
Authors: Zhu Yuchuan , Liu Chang , Song Yunze , Chen Long , Jiang Yulei , Wu Changwen
Published: May 2021

In this paper, an electro-hydrostatic actuator driven by dual axial-mounted magnetostrictive material rods-based pumps (MMPs) with a new type of active rectification valve is designed in the current study. Based on flow distribution of the active rectification valve and driving energy provided by two MMPs, the actuator can output continuous and bidirectional displacement. By establishing a mathematical model of the actuating system, using simulation techniques, the change rule of hydraulic cylinder’s motion state caused by different driving signals are studied and analyzed. Test equipment platform is constructed in the laboratory to test the output characteristics and confirm the feasibility of the new concept. The experimental results indicate that the maximum flow rate can reach approximately 2.7 L·min−1, while the operating frequency is 180 Hz.
The Online Attention to Cleft Lip and Palate Research: An Altmetric Analysis
Authors: Badran Serene , Hassona Yazan
Published: May 2021

Objectives:

To identify research articles related to cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) that generated the highest online attention.

Methods:

Altmetric Explorer was used to identify the 100 articles with the highest Altmetric Attention Score (AAS). Descriptive and correlation statistics were performed to study the characteristics of these articles in relation to their publication data, research type and domain, number of Mendeley readers, and dimensions citations. Citation counts were extracted from Scopus and Google Scholar.

Results:

The median AAS for the top 100 outputs was 22 (range from 12 to 458). The outputs were mostly discussed on Twitter (median = 8; range = 0-131). Topics discussing treatment and care for patients with CL/P accounted for 38% of the articles with the highest AAS followed by etiology and risk factors (32%). The majority of articles originated from the USA (46%) followed by Europe (16%) and the United Kingdom (15%). No significant differences were observed in AAS among different study designs, topic domains, journals’ ranking and impact factor, and the number of citations in Scopus and Google Scholar.

Conclusions:

Researchers should consider use of social platforms to disseminate their work among scholars and nonscholars. Altmetrics can be combined with traditional metrics for a more comprehensive assessment of research impact.
Indigenous Ecological Reconstruction After Industrial Ruin in Two Iconic Sámi Catchments: Ethics of Comanagement?
Authors: Mustonen Tero
Published: May 2021

The applicability of Indigenous ethics to the evaluation of ecological restoration is explored through two case examples involving the Indigenous Sámi rivers of Näätämö and Ponoi in the European North. Six key restoration approaches are described that would have been overlooked had it not been for the use of Indigenous ethics from the start of the work. The detection of rapidly proceeding climate change impacts and species range shifts, algae blooms, documentation of gendered coastal lifestyles, and ultimately the ecological restoration of salmonid habitats were recognized as critical markers of success when these approaches were practiced, lived and cherished by all members of the cogovernance community. This article asks critical questions about the role of Indigenous knowledge and rights within comanagement and environmental evaluations and makes the case for land-based lifestyles as vehicles for maintaining distinct, culturally relevant ethics processes.
Preferential central venous catheter access with concurrent IVC filter use
Authors: Ladd Megan , Lullo Dominic , Abadin Shabir
Published: May 2021

In our aging population, there is an increased incidence of concurrent IVC filter and central venous catheter use. One of the risks of concurrent use is filter embolization, which almost always occurs due to the J-tipped guidewire. In this case, we describe the successful placement of a central venous catheter in the femoral vein in a patient with an IVC filter. Some guidelines exist concerning CVC placement in patients with IVC filters, and this case highlights the benefits of placing a CVC in the femoral vein. While little research exists regarding higher rates of IVC filter embolization in internal jugular and subclavian vein access sites, we hypothesize it is due to the conical shape of IVC filters.
Resources and resonance: Notes on patiency as world relation
Authors: Brinkmann Svend
Published: May 2021

Sociocultural psychology is now a firmly established approach to human meaning making ( Bruner, 1990 ) and meaning construction ( Valsiner, 2014 ). Its proponents rightly see culture not as a causal power but as a set of resources used by human agents ( Gillespie & Zittoun, 2010 ). However, I argue in this article that this approach needs to be balanced by the phenomenological insight from Heidegger and others that meaning is not always “made” but can also be “found.” Following Rosa (2019) , I argue that we should be careful not to reduce our relationship to the world to one of active agents that use passive resources as this easily mirrors the experiences of alienation in modernity. Humans display not only agency but also what I will call “patiency” in letting the world speak or resonate as we relate to it as more than a set of resources.