bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple biomarkers measurement to estimate the duration of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Arbault-Biton Chloé , Chenevier-Gobeaux Camille , Legallois Damien , Msadek Sonia , Boubaya Marouane , Roule Vincent , Boukertouta Tanissia , Goudot Francois-Xavier , Beygui Farzin , Meune Christophe
Published: November 2020

Background

An accurate estimation of the duration of atrial fibrillation is critical for its safe management. Recent studies suggested that copeptin, carbohydrate antigen-125, galectin-3 and growth differentiation factor-15 are increased in atrial fibrillation. We examined the ability of these markers to identify patients presenting with atrial fibrillation of ≤48 versus >48 h duration.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of a prospective study that included patients with atrial fibrillation of known duration.

Results

A total of 98 patients were analysed, 47 with atrial fibrillation ≤48 h and 51 with >48 h. In patients presenting with atrial fibrillation of ≤48 versus >48 h duration, the mean carbohydrate antigen-125 concentration was 16.9 ± 12.5 versus 30.9 ± 36.3 U/mL ( P = 0.01), and growth differentiation factor-15 concentration was 1320 ± 889 versus 2608 ±2163 pg/mL ( P < 0.001). Copeptin concentration was not independently associated with atrial fibrillation duration. The galectin-3 concentration did not differ between groups. Area under the ROC curve to identify patients with atrial fibrillation ≤48 h was 0.869 for carbohydrate antigen-125, 0.853 for growth differentiation factor-15.

Conclusion

The plasma concentrations of carbohydrate antigen-125, growth differentiation factor-15 and copeptin, but not galectin-3, are higher in patients presenting with atrial fibrillation of >48 h duration than in those with atrial fibrillation ≤48 h. The ability to discriminate recent atrial fibrillation offered by carbohydrate antigen-125 and growth differentiation factor-15 seems high.
Bounded Risk Two-stage Estimation Procedure for a U(aθ, bθ) Distribution
Authors: Kadam V. N. , Patil H.S.
Published: November 2020

In the literature, an extensive work on sequential fixed-width confidence interval for the parameter of U( q, m q) model, where m > 1 is known, is available. In this article, we propose a two-stage sampling procedure for estimating the parameter q of U( aq, bq) distribution, where a < b are positive and known. Here, the risk of an estimator [Formula: see text] of q is less than a pre-assigned number w (>0), that is, [Formula: see text], 0 < A < ∞ is known. We determine the parameter Bk of stopping variable so that the risk is uniformly bounded by a pre-assigned value w. We have also tabulated the values of the expected stopping time and its standard deviation (SD).
Control system for installation and position keeping of interconnected flexible floating bridge
Authors: Lee Dong-Hun , Kim Young-Bok
Published: November 2020

We propose an approach for floating bridge installation and operation. A floating bridge aims to carry heavy vehicles, trucks, and people over a body of water. However, bridge installation and operation are mainly performed by humans regardless of adverse conditions, such as active combat or disaster occurrence. For installing and operating floating bridges under such conditions, we devised a solution based on control system design and automatic installation. The floating bridge system is controlled and positioned by a power propulsion system that is attached to floating units of the bridge. An optimal control system based on state estimator, which is designed using a robust control framework, is applied to install and operate the bridge. A simulation analysis and experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method on a bridge system model comprising five floating units.
Pronunciation Teaching Issues: Answering Teachers’ Questions
Authors: Couper Graeme
Published: November 2020

This article reviews questions that non-native (NNEST) and native speaker (NEST) teachers, working in different contexts, have about pronunciation teaching. It draws on theory, research, and practice to answer those questions as far as possible. The data was collected across two projects that investigated teachers’ cognitions: their knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices. The first project involved semi-structured interviews with 28 NNESTs in Uruguay while the second was set in New Zealand and involved questionnaires (N=83), semistructured interviews (N=19) and classroom observations (N=6). The 19 New Zealand interviews involved 11 with New Zealand English native (L1) speakers, six with Inner Circle variety of English L1 speakers, one Outer Circle bilingual, and one Expanding Circle bilingual speaker. While a number of results from these studies have already been reported (Couper, 2016a, 2016b, 2017, 2019), this article revisits the data in order to isolate questions and issues, and compare them across the two contexts. The data from Uruguay reveal insights into NNESTs’ perspectives while the data from New Zealand provide perspectives from those teaching Asian L1 students. Questions relate to: 1. the learner; 2. what to teach; 3. how to teach; 4. dealing with curriculum, textbook, and time issues; 5. teacher’s pronunciation ability and knowledge of phonetics and phonology

There are some differences between the groups, such as NNESTs lacking confidence in their own pronunciation and NESTs lacking knowledge of phonetics and phonology. However, there are more similarities, with many questions not being specific to either context. These involve pedagogic knowledge and issues around priorities, setting goals, and space for pronunciation teaching. The questions and issues are addressed in terms of theories and what is known from the increasing body of research into pronunciation teaching. Practical examples of how this knowledge can be applied in the classroom are also suggested.
Carfree Streets as Negotiated Play Spaces in Tokyo
Authors: Njeru Anthony Murithi
Published: November 2020

In Tokyo, the traditional role of streets as children’s play spaces has been largely replaced by designated spaces such as parks. Based on two case studies, this article demonstrates how carfree streets provide an opportunity for residents to reinvent and domesticate street spaces for children’s play. The declining heterogeneity in Japanese streets and the government’s rigidity in restricting informality are explored through literature review, while participant observation and interviews with key stakeholders are used to explain the evolution of streets and street activities, and the intricacies in appropriating spaces reclaimed from cars. The article concludes that these activities give texture to the street spaces, and the emergent camaraderie produces a “placeness” that is unique to each location. Moreover, the long-standing rapport that community organizations have with residents and authorities has empowered street-based activities to transgress the boundaries that limit the heterogeneity of streets as public open spaces.
Praying for Blue Skies: Artistic Representations of Air Pollution in China
Authors: Johnson Thomas , Fürst Kathinka
Published: November 2020

This article examines how artists have engaged with the issue of air pollution in Beijing, where poor air quality has become a serious public health matter. Artists have utilized various mediums including performance art, photography, and painting to represent smog. Through generating media and online attention this work has contributed to a relatively vibrant “green public sphere” (Yang and Calhoun, 2007) of air pollution discourse. In contrast to much resistance in China that relies upon making specific claims to government officials, artistic expression bypasses the authorities and appeals instead to public opinion. Artists utilize ambiguity to portray air pollution in novel ways that subtly question the structures that produce and sustain it. In this way, artists can challenge popular perceptions of smog and raise public awareness, thus intensifying support for policies that tackle smog. Yet art can also embody deep frustration at the powerlessness that artists, and the public more widely, experience when confronted by severe air pollution. Art therefore serves both as a form of activism and as an expression of curtailed agency in a politically restrictive environment.
Bridging the Science-to-Service Gap: Service Learning in Graduate-Level Psychology Education
Authors: Grassetti Stevie N. , Solic Katie , Getz Zachary
Published: November 2020

Introduction:

The discrepancy between what is known from clinical research and what is done in applied clinical practice is called the “science-to-service gap.” Teaching students to bridge this gap must be a primary focus of graduate education in applied psychology sub-disciplines.

Statement of the Problem:

Since science is fluid, an exclusive focus on teaching current empirically supported practices is insufficient. To make a meaningful impact, graduate students need opportunities to practice scientific reasoning in community settings.

Literature Review:

Service Learning facilitates applied experiences for students to practice scientific reasoning in “real world” settings in collaboration with community partners.

Objective:

In this paper, we describe the SL pedagogy and model how to apply the pedagogy to a sample graduate-level course.

Teaching Implications:

SL courses facilitate high impact opportunities for students to practice data-driven decision-making while serving the community.

Conclusion:

SL benefits students and the community. Future work can build on the model course we describe by evaluating the outcomes of SL courses against other models of effective teaching.
Application of Lip Biopsy for the Histological Diagnosis of Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease
Authors: Tachibana Tomoyasu , Orita Yorihisa , Wani Yoji , Komatsubara Yasutoshi , Kuroda Kazunori , Naoi Yuto , Gion Yuka , Makino Takuma , Nishizaki Kazunori , Sato Yasuharu
Published: November 2020

We describe the case of a 51-year-old woman with immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) diagnosed using lip biopsy. She reported having bilateral submandibular nodules for a month. Magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse swelling in the bilateral submandibular glands (SMGs), suggesting inflammatory changes. Laboratory data revealed an elevated level of serum IgG4. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the SMG showed a considerable number of lymphocytes with degeneration but did not demonstrate specific findings for a definitive diagnosis of IgG4-RD. Lip biopsy was performed, and a biopsy specimen from the labial salivary gland showed abundant lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with a large number of IgG4-positive cells. The patient was diagnosed with IgG4-RD based on histological and laboratory findings. Findings of further examinations revealed that the patient had autoimmune pancreatitis, confirming our diagnosis. Four months after prednisolone administration, improvement of the submandibular and pancreatic lesions was observed. One year after the initial presentation, the serum IgG4 level was normalized. In cases of IgG4-RD with salivary gland involvement, lip biopsy might be one of the options for the histological diagnosis of IgG4-RD.
My Cup Runneth Over: A Daily Study of the Energy Benefits for Supervisors Who Feel Appreciated by Their Subordinates
Authors: Sheridan Sharon , Ambrose Maureen L.
Published: November 2020

In this study we make a shift from research examining factors that influence supervisors’ resource depletion to exploring how supervisors’ energy may be increased. Building from work on appreciation in interpersonal relationships, we examine if feeling appreciated by subordinates positively influences supervisors’ energy resources. We complement research on the supervisor-subordinate dyad that focuses on subordinates’ outcomes by making supervisors’ work experiences our central focus. Using Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we hypothesize feeling appreciated is positively related to supervisors’ energy and positively affects their personal and work-related outcomes. Further, we predict supervisors’ core self-evaluations (CSE) will moderate this indirect relationship. In a daily diary study of supervisors, we find support for these hypotheses. Supervisors’ felt appreciation was resource enhancing and an indirect influence on supervisors’ life satisfaction, optimism, job satisfaction, withdrawal, and helping behavior. Further, supervisors’ CSE moderated this indirect relationship.
Migration, non-use, and the ‘Tumblrpocalypse’: Towards a unified theory of digital exodus
Authors: Edwards Emory James , Boellstorff Tom
Published: November 2020

In this article, we use what we provisionally term the ‘2018 Tumblr migration’ to explore how (1) platform ‘non-use’ and (2) platform ‘migration’ are overlapping aspects of a broader phenomenon of digital ‘leaving’ or exodus. A unified analysis of this phenomenon has important consequences for understanding emergent relationships between individual agency, platform structure, and online culture. The sociotechnical practices of leaving resulting from the 2018 Tumblr adult content ban link up to fundamental questions around movement, selfhood, and power. We discuss non-use as an overlapping and interacting set of social decisions largely (and perhaps unsurprisingly) disincentivized by the technical affordances of the platform, as well as migration as a shifting and reconfiguring of platform specific social relations. Placing classic questions of social theory in conversation with scholarship on platform socialities, we explore the 2018 Tumblr purge/migration to elucidate the polyvalent technical and social actions involved in ‘leaving’.
Pre-bypass levosimendan in ventricular dysfunction-effect on right ventricle
Authors: Kumar Dhanesh , Yadava Om Prakash , Ahlawat Vikas , Kundu Anirban , Yadav Amita , Prakash Arvind
Published: November 2020

Background

Levosimendan is an effective calcium sensitizer with complementary mechanisms of action: calcium sensitization and opening of adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels, both on the sarcolemma of the smooth muscle cells in the vasculature and on the mitochondria of cardiomyocytes. Levosimendan has a long-acting metabolite with a half-life of approximately 80 h. There have been a few small studies on this drug regarding right ventricular function. In view of this, we investigated the effect of levosimendan on right ventricular function in patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods

This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind study on 50 patients with coronary artery disease and severe left ventricular dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%) undergoing elective off-pump coronary artery bypass.

Results

Levosimendan had an inotropic effect on right ventricular myocardium and a vasodilatory effect on blood vessels. It caused a decline in pulmonary vascular resistance ( p < 0.018), right ventricular systolic pressure ( p < 0.001), and pulmonary artery systolic pressure ( p < 0.001), and improved right ventricular diastolic function as shown by the decrease in right ventricular Tei index ( p < 0.001), right ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and the ratio of early diastolic tricuspid inflow to tricuspid lateral annular velocity ( p < 0.006). However, we found no beneficial effects on intensive care unit or hospital stay ( p = 0.164, p = 0.349, respectively) nor a mortality benefit.

Conclusions

Levosimendan has salutary effects on right ventricular function in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction undergoing coronary artery bypass, in terms of improved hemodynamic parameters.
Gendered Tweets: Computational Text Analysis of Gender Differences in Political Discussion on Twitter
Authors: Hu Lingshu , Kearney Michael Wayne
Published: November 2020

Politics is an area that is traditionally believed to be gender divided. According to intergroup communication theory, this gender-salient context might cause differences in political communications between genders. Moreover, the internet and social media, which creates a computer-mediated interactive context, might also impact the traditional gender discrepancies in political discourse. This study used Twitter trace-data and computational text analysis to examine such suppositions. By analyzing over one million tweets, we found that compared to men, women generally had a stronger sense of group awareness and cohesion and showed a desire to promote their tweets while avoiding addressing other users in political discussions. Women also focused on family- and home-related issues more than men did. These findings suggest that Twitter is not an ideal public sphere where differences and inequalities are eliminated, but it might be a counter-public sphere that promotes the voices and increases the publicity of marginalized groups.
Interruptive protests in dysfunctional deliberative systems
Authors: Curato Nicole
Published: November 2020

The field of deliberative democracy has long recognised the role of interruptive protests to make polities more sensitive to good reasons. But how exactly interruptive protests enhance deliberative systems remain an open question. ‘Non-deliberative acts may have deliberative consequences’ is a crucial line of argument in the deliberative systems literature, but the precise character of these consequences is yet to be spelled out. In this article, I describe three ways in which consequences of interruptive protests enhance the deliberative system. I argue that interruptive protests can redistribute (1) voice and visibility, (2) attention, and (3) deliberative agency which, in turn, can lay bare the weaknesses of a dysfunctional deliberative system. The arguments I put forward are based on interpretive case studies focusing on protest movements in the Philippines and Puerto Rico in the aftermath of record-breaking hurricanes. Overall, this paper seeks to clarify the relationship between deliberative politics and protest action, by identifying the distinctive contributions of interruptive protests in redistributing power in dysfunctional deliberative systems.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of Baduanjin exercise on cognition and memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Yu Liqiang , Liu Fang , Nie Pingying , Shen Cuiling , Chen Junying , Yao Liqun
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To determine the effectiveness of Baduanjin exercise in improving cognition and memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Data sources:

Relevant English- and Chinese-language studies published until 15th September 2020 were retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCOhost, OVID, National Knowledge Infrastructure, WANFANG DATA, VIP Information, and SinoMed databases.

Review methods:

Randomized controlled trials assessing Baduanjin exercise in patients with mild cognitive impairment were included. Two researchers independently identified eligible studies and extracted data. Risk-of-bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

Results:

This study included 16 randomized controlled trials (1054 participants) from China that used Chinese versions of standardized tests. Most studies had no significant bias, and only one study had a high risk of bias in the random allocation category. Compared with conventional therapy alone, Baduanjin plus conventional therapy significantly improved the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mini-Mental State Examination scores after 6 months of treatment ( P < 0.00001 for both), significantly decreased the tau/Aβ1–42 ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid ( P < 0.00001), and significantly improved some dimensional scores on the Wechsler Memory Scale and the auditory verbal learning test scores at 6 months ( P < 0.05 for all).

Conclusion:

Compared with conventional therapy, Baduanjin plus conventional therapy significantly improved cognitive and memory function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
Examining Personality, Interpersonal, and Symptom Correlates of Social Anhedonia in Early Adolescent Males and Females
Authors: Goldstein Brandon L. , Mumper Emma E. , Behari Kriti , Gooding Diane C. , Klein Daniel N.
Published: November 2020

Social anhedonia, a tendency toward experiencing social stimuli as less positive or pleasurable, is associated with maladaptive personality traits, poor interpersonal functioning, and psychopathology, and is typically elevated in males compared with females. However, the correlates of social anhedonia in youth have not been well defined. In this study, 275 young adolescents from a community sample completed measures of social anhedonia, personality, interpersonal functioning, and symptoms; mothers also completed personality and symptom measures. Social anhedonia was associated with low positive emotionality and, to a lesser extent, high disinhibition and negative emotionality. Social anhedonia was also correlated with several markers of poor interpersonal functioning and a wide range of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Interactions between sex variables indicated that associations were particularly strong in males. Overall, findings suggest that social anhedonia is an important construct to explore in early adolescence, with meaningful associations with psychosocial functioning, especially among males.
Transabdominal approach for renal cell carcinoma with supradiaphragmatic tumor thrombus: description of a modified technique and indications for treatment
Authors: Wang Guoliang , Bi Hai , Ye Jianfei , Zhang Hongxian , Hou Xiaofei , Liu Cheng , Qiu Min , Tian Yu , Kaushik Dharam , Ma Lulin
Published: November 2020

Objective

We investigated the safety and effectiveness of a modified transabdominal approach for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a supradiaphragmatic inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus (TT).

Methods

Eight patients underwent radical nephrectomy with removal of a supradiaphragmatic IVC-TT through an abdominal incision using a transdiaphragmatic approach in Peking University Third Hospital from April 2015 to January 2018. We modified this technique using a Foley catheter balloon to avoid piggyback liver mobilization.

Results

All patients underwent successful operations. The median operative time was 7 hours 23 minutes. The median estimated blood loss was 2963 mL. All patients received a blood transfusion with a median blood infusion volume of 2162 mL. Two patients with Budd–Chiari syndrome developed postoperative ascites and hydrothorax due to non-watertight repair of the diaphragm. During a follow-up of 11 to 44 months, only one patient died of liver metastasis and four patients developed distant metastasis without recurrence in the IVC.

Conclusions

The modified transabdominal approach described herein has an encouraging safety profile and provides a surgical option for treatment of RCC with a supradiaphragmatic IVC-TT. More evidence concerning the beneficial role of this procedure will be elucidated in further studies.
An unusual case of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding due to fungal infection
Authors: Xiao Jianchun , Zhang Ruopeng , Chen Wanqi , Niu Beizhan
Published: November 2020

A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with herpes zoster viral infection and intermittent disorder of consciousness. On day 13 of hospitalization for glucocorticoid treatment, the patient experienced seven episodes of hematochezia. She had a 2-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus and had undergone splenectomy at 40 years of age. Computed tomography and electronic endoscopy revealed bleeding and contrast agent leakage into the splenic flexure of the colon. The patient underwent an emergency exploratory laparotomy and left hemicolectomy for suspected active hemorrhaging into the digestive tract. Pathological examination revealed that the bleeding had been caused by a fungal infection. No further hemorrhaging occurred after the surgery, suggesting that intestinal fungal infection might be a potential differential diagnosis for gastrointestinal bleeding in compromised hosts.
A First Step, a Second Chance: Public Support for Restoring Rights of Individuals with Prior Convictions
Authors: Mancini Christina , McDougle Robyn , Keegan Brittany
Published: November 2020

Recent federal and state-level justice reforms have centered on “legal reintegration” (e.g., permitting expungement for a greater range of crimes and rights restoration). While scholarship has tapped public opinion of this approach, much of it predates recent reentry efforts. We see an opportunity to extend this literature by focusing on a contemporary sample ( N = 374) of residents living in Virginia, a state that recently considered such reforms. Results suggest most of the public supports expungement reform, but less than 40% support rights restoration generally, with approval levels dependent on specific type of restoration. Divides are explained by socio-demographic factors, particularly political ideology and race, as well as crime-related views. Implications are discussed.
Isolated intracranial hypertension associated with COVID-19
Authors: Silva Marcus Tulius T , Lima Marco A , Torezani Guilherme , Soares Cristiane N , Dantas Claudia , Brandão Carlos Otávio , Espíndola Otávio , Siqueira Marilda M , Araujo Abelardo QC
Published: November 2020

Background

Headache is a frequent complaint in COVID-19 patients. However, no detailed information on headache characteristics is provided in these reports. Our objective is to describe the characteristics of headache and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile in COVID-19 patients, highlighting the cases of isolated intracranial hypertension.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we selected COVID-19 patients who underwent lumbar puncture due to neurological complaints from April to May 2020. We reviewed clinical, imaging, and laboratory data of patients with refractory headache in the absence of other encephalitic or meningitic features. CSF opening pressures higher than 250 mmH2O were considered elevated, and from 200 to 250 mmH2O equivocal.

Results

Fifty-six COVID-19 patients underwent lumbar puncture for different neurological conditions. A new, persistent headache that prompted a CSF analysis was diagnosed in 13 (23.2%). The pain was throbbing, holocranial or bilateral in the majority of patients. All patients had normal CSF analysis and RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 was negative in all samples. Opening pressure >200 mmH2O was present in 11 patients and, in six of these, > 250 mmH2O. 6/13 patients had complete improvement of the pain, five had partial improvement, and two were left with a daily persistent headache.

Conclusions

In a significant proportion of COVID-19 patients, headache was associated to intracranial hypertension in the absence of meningitic or encephalitic features. Coagulopathy associated with COVID-19 could be an explanation, but further studies including post-mortem analysis of areas of production and CSF absorption (choroid plexuses and arachnoid granulations) are necessary to clarify this issue.
Food Insecurity in Tribal High Migration Communities in Rajasthan, India
Authors: Saxena Anupriya , Amin Arpita , Mohan Sanjana Brahmawar , Mohan Pavitra
Published: November 2020

Background:

The COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdown has disrupted food supplies across large parts of India, where even prior to the pandemic, food insecurity and malnutrition were widely prevalent. Tribal populations in southern Rajasthan, India, live in extreme scarcity, rely mainly on outward migration for sustenance, and have been significantly affected by the pandemic. In this study, we assess the availability of foodstuffs at the household level and community experiences about satiety and hunger during lockdown.

Methodology:

We conducted a rapid assessment of food security in rural southern Rajasthan, India, using a structured questionnaire. Trained interviewers conducted telephonic interviews using KoBoToolbox, an open-source tool. A total of 211 respondents including community volunteers, family members of tuberculosis patients and malnourished children, pregnant women, and influential members in the villages participated in the study.

Results:

A cereal was reported to be present by 97% of the respondents, two-thirds had pulses, and nearly half had milk. The amount of cereals available was adequate for about 5 months and that of pulses, oil/ ghee, and sugar for about 1 to 2 weeks. Two-thirds of the respondents reported that food in their households was sometimes not sufficient for the amount they wanted to eat, and 97% of these mentioned not having money to buy food as the reason for not having sufficient food.

Conclusion:

This study highlights widespread food insecurity among tribal communities in southern Rajasthan, and the scenario is likely to be similar in other tribal migration dependent areas of the country.
The policy implementation strategies of county cadres: Political instrument and flexible local governance
Authors: Tian Gang , Tsai Wen-Hsuan
Published: November 2020

Using the concept of ‘hedging’, we explore how local cadres in China deviate from central policies in order to serve local interests and, while doing so, avoid being called to account by their superiors. Political signals enable cadres to decide when to invest more resources into the implementation of certain policies. In this way, they optimize their performance and avoid the political risks involved in failing to carry out their designated tasks. This article uses county Y as an example in a discussion of county-level implementation of policies related to economic growth and air pollution control. We find that local cadres weaken the functions of the superior ‘special inspection team’ (专项督察组, hereafter inspection team), treating them as political instruments used by the central and local authorities to ensure a greater level of responsiveness at the grass roots. Information concerning the imminent arrival of an inspection team in their locality acts as a signal for cadres to allocate more resources to the enforcement of air pollution control measures, thus maximizing their performance in this area. Through this research, we have endeavoured to provide a deeper understanding of the operating logic of Chinese local governments and the behaviour of county cadres.
Front wheel angle tracking control research of intelligent heavy vehicle steering system
Authors: Huang Shijun , Cao Wenliang , Qian Ruochen , Liu Yulong , Ji Xuewu
Published: November 2020

This paper conducts the front wheel angle tracking compensation control of the electro-hydraulic coupling power steering system (EHCPS) of the intelligent heavy vehicle (IHV). It has been found from the results of mathematic analysis, simulation and open-loop frequency test of the EHCPS that front wheel angle slightly lags behind handwheel angle at low frequencies. In this paper, a kind of fuzzy neural network controller (FNNC) based on model reference adaptive control (MRAC) is designed. Fuzzy neural network is also used to identify the EHCPS on-line. Membership function and inference rules of the FNNC and fuzzy neural network identification (FNNI) are renewed by the self-learning function of neural network to achieve on-line regulation of controller’s parameters. Reference model with certain bandwidth and control algorithm are designed to ensure that actual front wheel angle follows desired front wheel angle. Finally, the hardware-in-the-loop experiment and simulation results indicate that the control strategy presented in this paper is effective in compensating front wheel angle tracking within certain bandwidth of EHCPS.
Further results on advanced robust iterative learning control and modeling of robotic systems
Authors: Lazarević Mihailo P , Mandić Petar D , Ostojić Srđan
Published: November 2020

Recently, calculus of general order [Formula: see text] has attracted attention in scientific literature, where fractional operators are often used for control issues and the modeling of the dynamics of complex systems. In this work, some attention will be devoted to the problem of viscous friction in robotic joints. The calculus of general order and the calculus of variations are utilized for the modeling of viscous friction which is extended to the fractional derivative of the angular displacement. In addition, to solve the output tracking problem of a robotic manipulator with three DOFs with revolute joints in the presence of model uncertainties, robust advanced iterative learning control (AILC) is introduced. First, a feedback linearization procedure of a nonlinear robotic system is applied. Then, the proposed intelligent feedforward-feedback AILC algorithm is introduced. The convergence of the proposed AILC scheme is established in the time domain in detail. Finally, simulations on the given robotic arm system confirm the effectiveness of the robust AILC method.
Emergence of tangential stiffness through the use of inclined orthotropic material
Authors: Shoyama Tadayoshi , Wada Yutaka , Matsushita Osami
Published: November 2020

A flexible bearing support structure is effective for stabilizing the self-excited vibration of a bearing, such as oil whirl. The stabilization effect is increased if the structure has static tangential stiffness, where the reaction force is perpendicular to the displacement. In this study, it is shown that a support component made of inclined orthotropic material, which exhibits shear–extension coupling, can have tangential stiffness.　The circumferential average of the tangential stiffness was found to vanish with a rotationally symmetric configuration of these components because the tangential forces of each component cancel out. However, the tangential force was recovered by allowing separation on the contact surface. A circular formation of an inclined orthotropic sheet that shows an axisymmetric stiffness matrix is proposed. Theoretical and numerical analyses clarified the effects of the friction coefficient, fitting interference, and degree of anisotropy of the material. Zero interference was found to be the best condition to maximize tangential stiffness.
Ownership Pattern and Governance–Performance Relation: Evidence from an Emerging Economy
Authors: Banik Arindam , Chatterjee Chanchal
Published: November 2020

The article examines whether different corporate governance practices and ownership patterns influence firm performance and value creation in an emerging market context. The study establishes that the governance–performance relation depends highly on the estimation tools applied. While the pooled regression or fixed effects panel model may provide spurious and biased relations, the system generalized method of moments (GMM) model provides superior and valid results by addressing all types of endogeneity problems. The results show that firms with a separate CEO and chairperson outperform firms with CEO duality. Also, higher executive salary leads to improved firm performance. Moreover, higher promoter shareholding leads to greater value creation and improved firm performance, and domestic institutional investors (DII) have a significant impact on firm performance.
What Drives the Liquidity of Industrial Firms?
Authors: Abdulla Yomna , Ebrahim Rabab , Kumaraswamy Sumathi , Junaid Muhammad
Published: November 2020

We investigate the cash management policy of Turkish industrial firms during the period 1998–2018. Our findings indicate the relative stability of cash holdings of industrial firms with a mean of 12.84 per cent of total assets, which is higher compared to other Turkish firms. Overall, cash flow, sales growth, leverage, net working capital and capital expenditures are the main drivers of cash holdings. We examine the effect of one of the indicators of asymmetric information—earnings quality score on the level of cash holdings. The results show that firms with high earnings quality score tend to hold a high level of cash due to operational use. Finally, we conclude that the drivers of cash holdings also differ in firms with high versus low earnings quality score.
Automotive Components Industry and Profitability Factors: Evidence from India
Authors: Prakash J. Vineesh , Nauriyal D. K.
Published: November 2020

Based upon the dataset drawn from Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE) Prowess database, World Bank and Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for a period 2000–2015, this article tests the persistence of profitability and checks the validity of Resource-Based View (RBV) in elucidating the variations in profitability on an industry-specific setting that is, Indian automotive components industry under a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) framework. The article finds that the persistence of profits is positive and moderate, indicating that the industry is reasonably competitive. The results further suggest that the past R&D intensity, export intensity, size, labour productivity growth, and GDP growth have a positive bearing on the current profitability, while current R&D intensity, A&M intensity, capital intensity, firm leverage and output of OEMs were found to have exercised negative effect. Since past R&D intensity is found to be positively influencing the current profitability, this article infers that RBV holds for this industry.
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases and Gastrointestinal Distress: Coping Strategies and Dietary Experiences to Relieve Symptoms
Authors: Brede Katrine K. , Wandel Margareta , Wiig Ingrid , von der Lippe Charlotte
Published: November 2020

In this article, we focus on adults with primary immunodeficiency disease (PID) and their experiences with gastrointestinal (GI) distress with the aim of exploring how they experience living with their condition and the actions they take to relieve GI distress. Twelve adults with PID and GI distress participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interviews were analyzed following the steps of thematic analysis (TA). The study revealed the complexity of the psychosocial aspects of living with PID and GI distress. Participants experienced GI distress to be highly challenging in daily life and felt they had to cope with the condition alone, without adequate help from the health care service. Participants used a wide and diverse range of coping strategies, and the search for normalcy was evident. Health care professionals should be more proactive in supporting individuals with PID in their struggle to find solutions to problems arising from GI distress.
Framing Sympathy-Worthiness: Informal Support and the Use of Disclosure Myths
Authors: Rivera-Cuadrado Wayne C.
Published: November 2020

Research on sexual violence has shown that social support sources can have both positive and negative outcomes for victims’ health. Yet few studies examine how informal supporters construct meaning from initial disclosure experiences to produce these outcomes. Using a social constructionist framework, I analyze 30 in-depth interviews with friends, family members, and partners who received disclosures of sexual violence. I examine how confidants construct meaning from initial disclosures to negotiate and construct victims’ “sympathy-worthiness”. Disclosure recipients express several facilitators and obstacles to constructing victims as sympathetic that draw on notions about their social proximity to victims, expectations of assault based on gender and sexuality, disclosure temporality, trauma visibility, and victims’ post-disclosure “recovery-work.” I argue these positionings contribute to, and draw upon, “disclosure myths” that frame confidants’ differential interpretations of victims’ narratives, resulting in both the provision and denial of support.
Creative Dance as Experiential Learning in State Primary Education: The Potential Benefits for Children
Authors: Payne Helen , Costas Barry
Published: November 2020

Background: In the United Kingdom, creative dance is classified as part of physical education rather than an important core subject. Purpose: Taking the U.K. National Curriculum as an example, the article’s primary aim is to examine literature exploring the benefits of creative dance, for children aged 3 to 11 years in mainstream state education, to evaluate whether creative dance can be categorized as experiential learning. Methodology/Approach: The literature review included key words in several databases and arrived at potential benefits which can be framed within experiential learning. Findings/Conclusions: The findings identify benefits of creative dance in socioemotional, arts-based, transferable, embodied, physical, and cognitive learning. Conceptualizing creative dance as experiential learning could support it filling a more central role in the curriculum. Implications: This article recontextualizes the role of creative dance in children’s learning through reviewing related literature. Creative dance might play a more central role in the curriculum when the benefits and its process are framed as experiential learning.
Evaluation of Lefort I Osteotomy Line and Pterygomaxillary Junction Region in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Sancar Bahadır , Duman Şuayip Burak
Published: November 2020

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the Le Fort I osteotomy line and pterygomaxillary junction via cone-beam computed tomography in individuals with cleft lip and palate (CLP).

Design:

Retrospective study. Patients and Methods: The study included individuals older than 16 years with CLP, who were scheduled for repositioning of the maxilla by Le Fort I osteotomy, and those with class III malocclusion with maxillary hypoplasia, who were scheduled for Le Fort I osteotomy. The measurements made in the area of the cleft of individuals with CLP were compared with both the side with no cleft and those with class III malocclusion with maxillary hypoplasia. A total of 11 measurements were made on the axial section parallel to the Frankfurt Horizontal plane, corresponding to the lower 1/5 of the distance between the infraorbital foramen and the anterior nasal spine.

Results:

There were significant differences both in the comparisons made between the individuals with CLP and those without CLP in terms of the canal-anterior alveolar crest (G) and sinus-anterior alveolar crest (L) measurements ( P < .05). The mean measurement values showed that the measurement results were higher in individuals with CLP in general.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we believe that there might be difficulties both in osteotomy and down fracture stages during Le Fort I osteotomies performed in individuals with CLP.
Osilodrostat: A Novel Steroidogenesis Inhibitor to Treat Cushing’s Disease
Authors: Dougherty John A. , Desai Divya Sanjaykumar , Herrera Javier Barrios
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To review data on efficacy and safety of osilodrostat (Isturisa), a novel oral steroidogenesis inhibitor for treatment of Cushing’s disease (CD), a life-threatening endocrine disorder.

Data Sources:

A PubMed/CINAHL search from inception to September 25, 2020, was performed using the following keywords: osilodrostat, 11-beta hydroxylase, pituitary, ACTH hypersecretion, and Cushing’s disease.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials and supplementary documents investigating osilodrostat were obtained from a primary literature search, the manufacturer’s website, and the Food and Drug Administration website. These articles evaluated the clinical pharmacology, efficacy, safety, adverse events, warnings, and precautions for osilodrostat.

Data Synthesis:

Osilodrostat was efficacious and safe in the treatment of CD in mostly middle-aged Caucasian women. A pivotal phase 3 study revealed a significant difference in 24-hour mean urinary free cortisol (primary end point) between osilodrostat and placebo (86% vs 29%; P < 0.001).

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice:

Osilodrostat provides a potent and consistent effect in reducing life-threatening supraphysiological levels of cortisol in patients with CD. Hypocortisolism adverse effects can be mitigated by slowly increasing osilodrostat’s dose at ≥2-week intervals. QT interval prolongation was noted; therefore, the QT interval must be monitored by the electrocardiogram. Increased levels of cortisol precursors during treatment with osilodrostat may increase the risk of hypokalemia, edema, and hypertension.

Conclusions:

Osilodrostat was efficacious in decreasing cortisol levels and safe in treating patients who have failed or are ineligible for pituitary surgery. Although risks exist, a pivotal clinical trial revealed efficacy in 86% of participants.
First Metatarsophalangeal Arthrodesis After Failed Distal Chevron Osteotomy for Hallux Valgus
Authors: Garcia-Ortiz Maria Tiscar , Talavera-Gosalbez Jose Juan , Moril-Peñalver Lorena , Fernandez-Ruiz Maria Dolores , Alonso-Montero Carolina , Lizaur-Utrilla Alejandro
Published: November 2020

Background:

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes after first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint arthrodesis for hallux rigidus between patients who underwent primary arthrodesis and those who had had a prior surgery for hallux valgus.

Methods:

Our design was a retrospective cohort study comparing 29 patients who underwent primary arthrodesis (primary group) and 34 patients with hallux rigidus after hallux valgus surgery (secondary group). The clinical assessment included the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. Radiological evaluation was also performed. Overall, the mean postoperative follow-up was 3.4 (range, 2-5) years.

Results:

At final follow-up, AOFAS and VAS pain scores significantly improved in both groups ( P = .001). However, the mean AOFAS ( P = .001) and VAS pain ( P = .008) scores were significantly better in the primary group than in the secondary group. Radiologically, there were no significant differences between the groups in any angle after arthrodesis. Revision surgeries were not required in the primary group. In the secondary group, there was 1 revision due to deep infection, and 3 other patients required dorsal plate removal. Excluding plate removal, the Kaplan-Meier survival at 3 years was not significantly different between groups ( P = .775).

Conclusion:

Although arthrodesis of the first MTP joint was an effective procedure for hallux rigidus, the clinical outcomes in patients who had prior hallux valgus surgery were worse than those for patients who underwent primary surgery for hallux rigidus.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective cohort study.
The Killing of Women in “Sex Games Gone Wrong”: An Analysis of Femicides in Great Britain 2000–2018
Authors: Yardley Elizabeth
Published: November 2020

This research investigated cases of femicide in Great Britain where perpetrators claimed that victims died in “sex games gone wrong.” Forty-three femicides that resulted in a conviction for murder, manslaughter, or culpable homicide were examined in relation to victim–perpetrator sociodemographic characteristics, victim–perpetrator relationship, homicide details, and criminal justice outcomes. Key patterns within the data were identified. The research highlights that the “sex game gone wrong” narrative has gained traction against a cultural backdrop of normalized bondage, domination, and sadomasochism (BDSM) within neoliberal political economy.