bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can tourism support resource circularity in small islands? On-field analysis and intervention proposals in Madagascar
Authors: Ferronato Navarro , Mertenat Adeline , Zurbrügg Christian , Torretta Vincenzo
Published: July 2023

Open dumping and burning of solid waste are common practices in low-income countries. On small and touristic islands, the problem is exacerbated due to the additional volume of waste amount generated by tourists. This article presents how, using Nosy Be island in Madagascar as a case study, waste recovery and recycling can be fostered by tourism to tackle the waste challenge. About 95% of the waste of Nosy Be is openly dumped, discarded to sea or openly burned. Field analysis, interviews with local stakeholders and waste flow analysis served as methodological tools to assess the current solid waste management (SWM) system of Nosy Be. Stakeholder mapping and involvement as well as first exchange among local and international actors provided the basis to identify key practice and opportunities. Research findings highlight the importance of active participation and involvement of local partners supported by international experts, to suggest how touristic centres can serve as core of circular approaches. The article presents potential circular models to be implemented in Nosy Be, taking tourism as the entry point including the aspects of financial support, separated waste flows and the interest in ‘green tourism marketing’. This case study underlines how international cooperation, touristic activities and common efforts can potentially help low-income communities improve their SWM practices.
Management insights for reuse of materials in a circular built environment
Authors: Mhatre Purva , Gedam Vidyadhar V , Unnikrishnan Seema
Published: July 2023

India, being a developing economy, has ensured a significant contribution of the gross domestic product for the development of the infrastructure. This growth in infrastructural development has fostered social and economic development across the nation. However, the increasing number of construction projects lay a huge stress on the availability of raw materials. Also, the wastes generated during construction, as well as at the end-of-life of infrastructural projects and buildings, are usually disposed of in landfills or on open earth without treatment, thereby causing pollution. The idea of circular economy (CE) is known as a sustainable approach for the efficient use of resources across different sectors. CE encompasses the facets of the repair, maintenance, refurbishment, reuse and recycle. This research article, using exploratory survey research, is to analyse the factors which act as determinants for the reuse of construction materials in the Indian subcontinent. The respondents for the survey include academia, practitioners, industry experts and policymakers. The research categorizes the identified factors into eight dimensions: economic, environmental, social, technical, infrastructural, legal, behavioural and temporal factors. The research further gives a framework for determinants of reuse of construction materials based on the different life cycle stages of construction. Finally, based on this research, the article develops policy suggestions for promoting the reuse of construction materials.
Caregivers’ Perspectives on the Impact of Cannabidiol (CBD) Treatment for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut Syndromes: A Multinational Qualitative Study
Authors: Marshall Jade , Skrobanski Hanna , Moore-Ramdin Lisa , Kornalska Klaudia , Swinburn Paul , Bowditch Sally
Published: July 2023

Objective

To increase understanding of the impact of cannabidiol (CBD) on outcomes beyond seizure control among individuals with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with caregivers of individuals with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome treated with plant-derived, highly purified CBD medicine (Epidiolex in the USA; Epidyolex in Europe; 100 mg/mL oral solution). Symptoms and impacts of Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome on individuals were explored, as were the effects of CBD. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Twenty-one caregivers of individuals with Dravet syndrome (n = 14) and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (n = 7) aged 4-22 years participated. Health-related quality of life improvements associated with CBD included cognitive function, communication, behavior, mobility, and participation in daily activities. Seizure frequency reduction was commonly reported (n = 12), resulting in caregivers having greater freedom and family life being less disrupted. Adverse events were reported by 10 caregivers.

Conclusion

In addition to reduced seizure frequency, CBD may have a wide range of beneficial effects beyond seizure control that warrant further investigation.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension Who Undergo Endotracheal Intubation and Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Gopalratnam Kavitha , Odeyemi Yewande , del Valle Kathryn T. , Frank Ryan D. , Jentzer Jacob C. , Gajic Ognjen , DuBrock Hilary M.
Published: July 2023

Background: Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) who undergo endotracheal intubation have an increased risk of adverse outcomes, but little is known regarding prognostic factors and there is limited evidence to guide management. We sought to define characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcomes of critically ill patients with PH who underwent intubation. Study Design: We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of critically ill patients with group 1, 3 or 4 PH who underwent intubation. Results: Eighty-one patients were included. Patients had a median age of 56 years (interquartile range 44-65) and were predominantly female (n = 53, 65%) and Caucasian (n = 71, 88%). Forty-five (56%) had group 1 PH while 25 (31%) had group 3 PH and 11 (14%) had group 4 PH. Patients were admitted to the hospital for right ventricular failure (n = 21, 25.6%), sepsis (n = 18, 22.2%), and respiratory failure (n = 19, 23.1%). Hypoxemic respiratory failure (n = 54, 66.7%) was the most common indication for intubation. In-hospital mortality was 30.9% and 1-year mortality was 48.2% . All patients (11 of 11, 100%) intubated electively for intensive care unit procedures survived to hospital discharge while only 1 of 6 (16.7%) intubated in the setting of a cardiac arrest survived. After adjusting for right ventricular systolic pressure, pre-intubation PaO2 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-1.00, P = .02) and postintubation PaO2 (OR = 0.97 per 1mm Hg, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.99, P = .003), pH (OR = 0.49 per 0.1 increase, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.80, P = .005) and PaCO2 (OR = 1.08 per 1mm Hg, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.14, P = .005) were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. Results were similar when we excluded patients intubated electively or in the setting of cardiac arrest. Conclusions: Intubation in critically ill patients with PH is associated with significant in-hospital mortality and nearly 50% 1-year mortality. Potentially modifiable factors, such as peri-intubation gas exchange, are associated with an increased risk of death while other demographic and hemodynamic variables are not.
Profiling and Benchmarking Central Nervous System Infections in an Infectious Diseases Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Andrade Hugo Boechat , Rocha Ferreira da Silva Ivan , Espinoza Rodolfo , da Silva Mayara Secco Torres , Theodoro Pedro Henrique Nascimento , Ferreira Marcel Treptow , Soares Jesus , Belay Ermias D. , Sejvar James J. , Bozza Fernando Augusto , Cerbino-Neto José , Japiassú André Miguel
Published: July 2023

Background

There is little information comparing the performance of community acquired central nervous system infections (CNSI) treatment by intensive care units (ICUs) specialized in infectious diseases with treatment at other ICUs. Our objective was to reduce these gaps, creating bases for benchmarking and future case-mix classification.

Methods

This is a retrospective observational cohort of 785 admissions with 82 cases of CNSI admitted to the ICU of an important Brazilian referral center for infectious diseases (INI) between January 2012 and January 2019. Comparisons were made to data retrospectively collected from the 303,500 intensive care admissions from the Brazilian state health care system included in the Epimed Monitor database. Clinical, epidemiologic, and performance indicators: the standardized mortality rate (SMR) and the standardized resource use rate per ICU surviving patient (SRU) were collected.

Results

Case-mix infections profile and SMR/SRU data. SUS Mixed medical/surgical ICUs: SMR = 1.26, SRU = 1.59; SUS Neurological ICUs: SMR = 1.17, SRU = 2.23; INI ICU: SMR = 1.1, SRU = 1.1; INI ICU CNSI patients: SMR = 0.95, SRU = 1.01.

Conclusions

Severe patients with CNSI can be efficiently and effectively treated in an ICU specialized in infectious diseases when compared to mixed medical/surgical and neurological ICUs from the public health system. At the same time, we provided profiling and a case-mix that can help and encourage benchmarking by other institutions and other countries.
Help-Seeking From Websites and Police in the Aftermath of Technology-Facilitated Victimization
Authors: Colburn Deirdre A. , Finkelhor David , Turner Heather A.
Published: July 2023

This study looked at experiences of help-seeking from websites and police following an episode of technology-facilitated abuse. It used data from a nationally representative online panel of adults aged 18 to 28, sampled from Ipsos Knowledge Panel. A total of 1,952 unique victimization episodes from childhood and adulthood were identified and used in analyses. Participants were asked about whether they experienced 11 different types of technology-facilitated abuse (TFA), whether the incident was reported to the website or police, barriers to reporting, and features of the website’s or law enforcement’s response. Other follow-up information included victim gender, age, relationship to the perpetrator, and negative emotional impact (NEI) associated with the incident. Results found very low rates of reporting to both websites (7.3%) and law enforcement (4.8%). Image-based offenses had higher rates of reporting. A greater NEI significantly increased the odds of reporting to each source. Participants were largely unsatisfied with response from websites and police. Only 42.2% said the website did something helpful and only 29.8% found police helpful. Our findings suggest a need for major improvements in how websites and law enforcement respond to victims of technology-facilitated offenses. They need to have more helpful information and more ways of offering support. Websites need more specifics about the types of violations that warrant reporting, clearer signposts, and encouragement about how to get help and a better publicized commitment to a rapid and serious review. Law enforcement needs more education and training to avoid dismissive and judgmental reactions and to ensure sympathetic and respectful responses.
The Discursive Work of “Bottom-Shaming”: Sexual Positioning Discourse in the Construction of Black Masculinity
Authors: Winder Terrell J. A.
Published: July 2023

This article uses ethnographic data and interviews with young Black gay cisgender men to illustrate how masculinity is interactionally created and policed within gay communities. Here, I specifically highlight the ways Black masculinity is constructed against Latino and white men’s masculinity, discursively situating this masculinity within a racial hierarchy celebrating hypermasculinity among Black men. Black masculinity is further policed within Black gay communities through what I term sexual positioning discourse. Through the use of sexual positions within gay relationships (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “versatile”), peers shame the act of bottoming to interactionally shore up their own masculinity through a ritualistic emasculation of other men, which simultaneously denigrates the social position of women and femininity. Building on prior empirical and theoretical work examining the use of homophobic discourse among straight men as playing a critical role in their constructions of masculinity, I show similarities and differences through an examination of gender and sexual discourse mobilized within gay communities and by Black gay cis men. Sexual positioning discourse is integral to masculinity boundary work among gay men, yet when employed by heterosexual men, this discourse calls their sexuality into question. Specifically, when Black gay men mobilize sexual positioning discourse, it serves to assert their claims to Black masculinity relative to one another; whereas when straight men use the same discourse it serves to cast doubt on their claims to “straight” sexual identities.
Influence of welding residual stress and welding method on fracture properties of welded joints
Authors: Luo JiaYuan , Tan Chao , Li Xin , Tang Yuhang
Published: July 2023

To investigate the influence of residual stress on the fracture performance of T-joint welded joints in 6063 aluminum alloy, ABAQUS simulation was utilized to obtain the post-weld residual stress fields for different welding methods. A finite element model for toughness fracture of T-joints was established using the Johnson-Cook constitutive and damage models, aiming to analyze the impact of welding residual stress on fracture performance. The results indicate that under the same tensile rate, residual stress can lead to earlier fracture occurrence in the welded joints, thereby reducing the overall fracture performance. Among the different welding methods, the double-sided corner weld exhibits the best fracture performance, while the butt joint with a backing plate can effectively mitigate the influence of post-weld residual stress on fracture performance. Through the comparison of experiments and simulations, the material constitutive and damage parameters of each welding zone are verified, and the hardness test is carried out. The results indicate that the average hardness in the weld zone is approximately 63.8 HV, which is higher than the average hardness of 60.2 HV in the heat-affected zone. However, both the weld zone and the heat-affected zone have lower hardness values compared to the average hardness value of 81.5 HV in the base metal zone. Furthermore, it is observed that residual tensile stresses are predominantly distributed in the weld zone, which is one of the reasons contributing to the lower hardness at the center of the weld.
A framework for simulating snow accumulation and ice accretion on high-speed trains
Authors: Zhao Fanzhou , Chen Dawei , Liu Jiali , Wang Weibin , Vahdati Mehdi
Published: July 2023

A simulation framework for three-dimensional particle trajectory tracking, snow accumulation and ice accretion modelling on solid bodies in high-speed air flow is presented. The framework, named HADICE, solves the aerodynamic flow field as Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS), with optional hybrid RANS/LES capabilities for modelling complex turbulent flows. Particle trajectory tracking is performed in an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach and wall collision is modelled using a hard collision model with reflect condition and a momentum based trap condition. A novel accurate and robust iterative evaluation method for the local collection efficiency is proposed for arbitrary 3D geometry and flow. Ice accretion is modelled in a multi-step approach and iced geometry is updated through mesh deformation using a radial basis function (RBF) interpolation method. Snow accumulation and ice accretion predictions based on the framework are validated against climatic wind tunnel experimental measurements. A full 3D simulation is demonstrated for snow accumulation and ice accretion on a 1:8 scaled high-speed train model. Using the presented framework, snow accumulation and icing simulation for high-speed trains can be conducted in an accurate and efficient manner, which is of great importance for physical investigations and the design of anti-snow and ice protection systems.
Holocene geomorphodynamics of a rural catchment in the Pergamon micro-region (eastern Mediterranean)
Authors: Yang Xun , Becker Fabian , Nykamp Moritz , Ludwig Bernhard , Doğan Mehmet , Schütt Brigitta
Published: July 2023

The Pergamon micro-region (western Türkiye) has experienced several phases of increased geomorphodynamics during the Holocene. However, the role of local–regional human activities during a transformation between Hellenism and the Roman Imperial period and supra-regional climate fluctuations is still under discussion. Five sediment profiles from the alluvial fan of the rural Deliktaş catchment are analyzed and radiocarbon-dated to provide a sedimentological record covering the Holocene. Our results indicate seven phases of changing sediment dynamics. Five Holocene cycles of coarse- and fine-textured fan sediment deposition covered the paleochannel deposits of the Çaylak creek, and the floodplain sediments of the receiving Geyikli river which aggraded toward the piedmont during the Mid-Holocene. The landscape became stable on the Deliktaş fan and Geyikli floodplain at least ca. 4–3.4 cal ka BP as indicated by paleosols. These paleosols were again buried by fan sediments marking the first phase of accelerated geomorphodynamics during the Late Holocene. Both the local onset of human activities and the regional Mid-Holocene aridization with rapid climate changes play a role. The increased number of archeological sites and high human pressure on the environment during the Hellenistic–Roman transformation in the Deliktaş area and Pergamon micro-region were hypothesized to contribute to a phase of increased geomorphodynamic activity during the last 2.5 ka. This, however, is less apparent in our record. Our study emphasizes the importance of both, the climatic system and rural-urban cultural history, on landscape development, suggesting potential responses of locally diverse geomorphodynamics on regional-scale transformation in the eastern Mediterranean.
Interval cancer after two rounds of a Swedish population-based screening program using gender-specific cut-off levels in fecal immunochemical test
Authors: Ribbing Wilén Hanna , Blom Johannes
Published: July 2023

Objective

To evaluate interval cancer (IC) after two screening rounds of the Swedish population-based screening program of Stockholm–Gotland applying gender-specific cut-off levels in the fecal immunochemical test (FIT).

Methods

All 60- to 69-year-olds invited to screening 2015–2019 were included. The cut-off level for a positive test was 40 µg/g in women and 80 µg/g in men. Screening-detected colorectal cancers (SD CRCs) and ICs were verified in the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Register, and the follow-up time was two years from invitation. The test sensitivity, the IC rate (ICs per 10,000 screening negatives) and the IC incidence (ICs per 100,000 person-years) relative to the background CRC incidence were assessed by gender and age. The FIT levels were compared in men and women for CRCs diagnosed within one year of the sample.

Results

In the second screening round, 229,187 were invited, and SD CRCs and ICs were diagnosed in 193 and 144, respectively. The IC rate was 8.9 (7.4–10.3) and test sensitivity 0.61 (0.55–0.66), and was similar in men and women. For two screening rounds, the IC rate was significantly higher in men than in women, but the IC incidence/ background CRC incidence was similar in both genders. The FIT levels in female participants with CRC were significantly lower overall, and in early-staged CRCs as compared to men, and proximal localization was more common in women. In multivariable analysis, FIT levels were significantly lower in proximal CRCs.

Conclusion

Over two rounds, the IC incidence relative to the background CRC incidence was similar in men and women supporting a gender-specific screening strategy. The results could be explained by lower FIT levels in women due to proximal CRC localization.
Psychotherapies for the Youth: Evolution, Progress, and On Way to Eclecticism
Authors: Pradhan Basant , Sahoo Madhusmita
Published: July 2023

Psychotherapies for the youth have resulted from the confluence of 3 major disciplines: adult psychology and psychiatry, developmental neurology and pediatrics, and developmental psychology and ethology. Since their humble origins in the psychoanalytically oriented play therapy and the related theories in the pre-War Germany, over more than a century, they have embraced diverse theoretical views that include but not limited to the integration of developmental issues, evolution of the child guidance movement, and the various influences of institutional and social policies. Such a rich journey has eventually resulted in evidence-based practices (EBPs)—powerful interventions for children and families for complex behavioral problems. In this chapter, we attempt to trace the blooming field of youth psychotherapies in their historical contexts, provide an account of the existing gaps of knowledge, briefly narrate the modern-day developments, mostly regarding the multimodal/eclectic treatment aspects and finally, given their rapid growth, we speculate about their (positive) future.

Child and adolescent therapies have progressed considerably, as reflected in the number of controlled studies, their methodological quality, and identification of evidence-based treatments. Despite the methodological difficulties in outcome studies, the field has witnessed major advances regarding the efficacy of selected treatments in child and adolescent psychotherapy and good quality meta-analyses do suggest that 75% of children and young people who attend therapy benefit from it. However, despite the comforting data related to efficacy, major challenges still remain, especially in regard to patient engagement and dropout rates, gap in knowledge about what works and why it works, cultural sensitivity, and data of cost- effectiveness—just to quote a few. Several key areas have been neglected in research, such as the mechanisms of change, the moderators of treatment outcome, and the generalizability of the research findings to the clinical practice arena—this has greatly limited what we know about treatment and partly explains the relative lack of personalized psychotherapies and scarcity in their dissemination/generalization despite the documented evidence on their efficacy. Tailoring treatment more specifically to each patient may be necessary to reduce this nonresponsiveness and dropping outs, as one treatment does not fit all. This necessitates the need for eclecticism—to combine youth psychotherapies with other modes of treatments, such as medications, neuromodulation interventions, and Yoga and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Future practice for treatment of mental health conditions in the youth will likely adapt to this huge need for development of eclectic modalities and also reflect cost effectiveness and cultural sensitivity to an increasingly diverse population.
The Role of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Chinstraps in the Development of Neonatal Suppurative Parotitis
Authors: Ridore Sharanah G. , Labib Jennifer , Szitanko Rena , Patella-DiRienzo Robyn , Karwowska Helen , Torine Ilana
Published: July 2023

Neonatal suppurative parotitis is a rare entity in the neonatal period that typically presents with unilateral parotid swelling, tenderness, erythema, and purulent drainage of Stensen’s duct. We present a 6-week-old male with a history of prematurity who exhibited physical exam findings suspicious for a suppurative parotitis. We propose that the extended use of continuous positive airway pressure chinstraps may be a contributing factor to the development of suppurative parotitis in our neonates. This case accentuates a unique presentation of neonatal suppurative parotitis.
Congenital Methemoglobinemia: Thinking Out of a Blue Box
Authors: Vaghela Prakash C. , Gabani Chirag , Mangukiya Hiral , Lakum Manish
Published: July 2023

Though cyanosis in a new-born baby is very common in many congenital heart diseases, one of the causes of congenital cyanosis is congenital methemoglobinemia, which is a very rare entity. We are reporting a case of a 19-day-old male newborn who presented with complaints of increased frequency of stool, irritability, cyanosis, and tachypnea. Eventually, he was diagnosed with congenital methemoglobinemia based on his blood methemoglobin level, which was 6.5% of total hemoglobin, and successfully treated with intravenous methylene blue at 2 mg/kg. We discuss the importance of this rare case in the differential diagnosis of congenital cyanosis.
Sectoral Employment Shares Shape Economic Complexity: Empirical Evidence from African Countries
Authors: Ketu Isaac , Ningaye Paul
Published: July 2023

Since the physiocrats, agriculture has been seen as a panacea for economic development. However, studies suggest that manufacturing and, recently, advanced service industries are the engine of economic growth. This study analyzes how employment structure contributes to economic complexity (EC) in African countries. To achieve this objective, it uses data spanning 1996–2017 on 27 African countries and applies the ordinary least squares, fixed effects, and system generalized method of moments estimators. Results suggest that due to its inability to admit many divisions or develop production linkages, agriculture’s employment growth is negatively associated with EC. Thus, there are better fits for enhancing complex output in Africa than a more significant share of agricultural employment. On the contrary, employment growth in industry and services enhances the production of sophisticated goods. These findings are robust after several sensitivity checks. Among policy implications from these findings, agriculture should shift from subsistence to mechanized farming, allowing excess workers to reallocate to more productive sectors of industry and advanced services.

JEL Classification

C26, J21, O1, O55
Perspectives and trends for minimally invasive surgery for hallux valgus deformity in the Asia Pacific region
Authors: Tan Chin Yik , Thevendran Gowreeson
Published: July 2023

Background

Evolving evidence and improved instrumentation have led to increasing importance of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) surgery in the treatment of hallux valgus deformity. This study aims to investigate the current trends of the practice of MIS hallux valgus surgery in the Asia Pacific region.

Method

A survey was sent via email to 30 fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons in 11 Asia Pacific countries, all registered with their respective national orthopaedic societies. The survey consisted of 8 questions and was designed to assess surgeon experience with MIS hallux valgus surgery, including common contraindications, satisfaction levels, learning curves and post-operative rehabilitation after MIS hallux valgus surgery.

Results

The vast majority of surgeons (63%) performed MIS hallux valgus surgery. However, only 18% of surgeons performed MIS surgery in more than half of their hallux valgus cases. A severe deformity was the most common contraindication (81%), followed by the instability of the first tarsometatarsal joint (50%), and abnormal DMAA (Distal Metatarsal Articular Angle) (38%). There was no statistically significant difference between the satisfaction score of MIS versus open surgery ( p-value 0.1). The median number of cases the surgeons needed to perform before they considered themselves comfortable performing the surgery was 10 cases (range 1–100). Most surgeons allowed full weight bearing at 4–6 weeks after surgery.

Conclusions

MIS hallux valgus surgery is gaining popularity in the Asia Pacific region, with the majority of surgeons adopting this practice. The fact that severe deformity is seen as the most frequent contraindication and that MIS surgery is still not the most popular alternative demonstrates that surgeons are still circumspect when it comes to MIS surgery. Surgeons can use the findings of this study to guide their adoption of MIS practices in hallux valgus surgery and gauge well they perform in comparison to their counterparts in the Asia Pacific region.
Scarcity Appeals in Cross-Cultural Settings: A Comprehensive Framework
Authors: Khoso Ubedullah , Tafani Eric , Qazi Asim
Published: July 2023

Scarcity appeals in marketing have long captured the attention of scholars and practitioners, yet we know little about their effectiveness across different cultures. Drawing on cultural differences (i.e., self-concept, need for uniqueness, and susceptibility to normative influence), the authors investigate the impact of culture on the effectiveness of (demand- vs. supply-based) scarcity appeals. The authors also study the impact of product visibility while considering the moderating effect of culture on the effectiveness of scarcity appeals (demand- vs. supply-based). To do so, the authors conducted experimental research with participants from Pakistan and France. The authors find that (1) demand-based scarcity appeals were more effective than supply-based scarcity appeals in Eastern cultures, whereas the reverse was found in Western cultures; (2) such moderating role of culture was stronger for high-visibility products than for low-visibility products; and (3) the respective prevalence of interdependent (vs. independent) self-construal and its subsequent impact on susceptibility to normative influence and need for uniqueness mediated the moderating role of culture. The authors conclude by discussing the key theoretical contributions and managerial implications of these findings and suggesting future research directions.
Modified locally joint sparse marginal embedding and wasserstein generation adversarial network for bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Zhou Hongdi , Zhang Hang , Li Zhi , Zhong Fei
Published: July 2023

Rolling bearings are essential parts for manufacturing machines. Vast quantities of features are often extracted from measured signals to comprehensively reflect the conditions of bearings, which may cause high dimensionality, information redundancy, and time consumption. In addition, it is extremely difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to collect samples with label information during the bearing fault diagnosis in real-world scenarios. In this study, a novel bearing defect diagnosis method for small sample size is proposed based on modified local joint sparse marginal embedding (MLJSME) and Wasserstein generative adversarial networks (WGANs). MLJSME can effectively extract intrinsic sparse discriminant features of high-dimensional dataset by preserving both global and local structures. Graph embedding and Gaussian kernel function are adopted to preserve the locality structure of dataset. The global structure and discriminate information are preserved by maximum margin criterion which can also avoid small sample-size problem. Moreover, joint sparsity is applied to preserve the sparse property and improve the robustness to noise and outliers. An abundance of artificial samples can be obtained with WGAN and a few labeled samples. Firstly, a high-dimensional feature dataset consisting of time-domain and frequency-domain features is extracted from original vibration signals, then MLJSME is utilized to extract sensitive low-dimensional features, and a small number of low-dimensional features are fed into WGAN to generate a large number of artificial samples that used to train the classifier, and the bearing fault types can be finally identified. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method is validated by analyzing the different experimental cases.
Integrating Compassion and Theoretical Premises of Caring Science into Undergraduate Health Professions Education
Authors: Hooper Erica , Horton-Deutsch Sara
Published: July 2023

Compassion and caring are critical foundational concepts for the education of health professions students. Yet many curricula emphasize skill-based learning and test-taking preparation, which often limits the opportunities for students to practice compassionately caring for themselves and others. In 2019, an elective wellness course was introduced into a School of Nursing and Health Professions curriculum to provide students with the knowledge, understanding, and practice of self-compassion and caring as the foundation for holistically caring for others. The goal of the course is to use ethics, values, and ontological competencies of self-compassion and Caritas literacy to awaken students to their being, not just doing, and how it evolves throughout their professional careers. Narrative feedback from students demonstrated a deeper understanding of the necessity for compassion and caring for self to provide compassionate care to others.
Consumer Awareness and Health Risk Perceptions of Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables in Kampala Metropolitan Area in Uganda
Authors: Ssemugabo Charles , Bradman Asa , Ssempebwa John C , Guwatudde David
Published: July 2023

Consumer awareness of the presence of pesticides in fruits and vegetables and associated health risks influences the actions they undertake to reduce their exposure. This study was carried out to explore consumers’ awareness of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and perceptions towards associated health effects in Kampala Metropolitan Area (KMA) in Uganda. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were done with fruit and vegetables consumers in KMA. The FGDs consisted of females and males living in urban and rural areas. Discussions were recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were coded inductively and analysed using conventional content analysis. Consumers were aware of the presence of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. Non-compliance to good agricultural practices, desire to produce good quality fruits and vegetables, and conflict of interest were thought to be the underlying reasons for the contamination. Consumers thought that their health is at risk of chronic and acute health effects, and that this risk is unavoidable. They emphasized that long term exposure to the pesticide residues puts them at risk of conditions like reproductive defects and noncommunicable diseases like cancer, hypertension, obesity, kidney and heart diseases among others. To reduce the risk, consumers were aware of and relied on mitigation measures including washing, peeling, drying and cooking or applied them in combination. Consumers were aware of the presence of pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables, potential short and long term health risks due to exposure, and domestic processing methods to reduce health risks. There is need for authorities to ensure adherence to good agricultural practices and ensure that farmers and consumers understand that pesticide are used to control pests and disease but not to primarily increase shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Capitalized rallies: Why campaign costs are rising and rallies are hybridizing in Tanzania
Authors: Paget Dan
Published: July 2023

Campaign costs have risen in Africa. I ask: what has driven this cost inflation? Studies of Western parties attribute it to campaign modernization as mediatization. Studies of African parties do not recognize this campaign advancement. They attribute these it to another cause: spiraling clientelism. I argue that there is a third, hitherto overlooked driver of such inflation and adaptation: the hybridization of rallies with capital-intensive practices. This capitalization of rally production amounts to an alternative form of campaign modernization which diverges from those found in the global north. I trace this process in Tanzania, but this theory has wider reach. Many African campaigns are rally-intensive and have fewer authoritarian retardants of party competition than Tanzania. This makes it likely that other countries’ experiences resembled or surpassed Tanzania’s in Africa and beyond. Altogether, I demonstrate that there is ongoing innovation at rallies which is driving significant rises in campaign costs.
Endovenous thermal ablation in the treatment of large great saphenous veins of diameters > 12 mm: A systematic review meta-analysis and meta-regression
Authors: Bontinis Vangelis , Bontinis Alkis , Koutsoumpelis Andreas , Potouridis Anastasios , Giannopoulos Argirios , Rafailidis Vasileios , Chorti Angeliki , Ktenidis Kiriakos
Published: July 2023

Background:

We sought to assess the safety and efficacy of endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) in treating large great saphenous veins (GSV) > 12 mm in diameter.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 for comparative and noncomparative studies depicting EVTA in the treatment of GSV > 12 mm. Primary endpoints included GSV occlusion, technical success, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and endovenous heat-induced thrombosis (EHIT). We conducted a comparative analysis between GSV > 12 mm and < 12 mm and a meta-regression analysis for two sets of studies, one including the whole dataset, containing treatment arms of comparative studies with GSV < 12 mm and one exclusively for GSV > 12 mm.

Results:

Seven studies, including 2564 GSV, depicting radiofrequency (RFA) and endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) were included. GSV > 12 mm occlusion, technical success, DVT, and EHIT estimates were 95.9% (95% CI: 93.6–97.8), 99.9% (95% CI: 98.9–100.0), 0.04% (95% CI: 0.0–3.4), and 1.6% (95% CI: 0.3–3.5). Meta-regression revealed a negative association between GSV diameter and occlusion for both the whole dataset ( p < 0.01) and the > 12 mm groups ( p = 0.04), GSV diameter and technical success for both groups ( p < 0.01), ( p = 0.016), and GSV diameter and EHIT only for the whole dataset ( p = 0.02). The comparative analysis between GSV < 12 mm and GSV > 12 mm displayed an occlusion estimate of OR 1.79 (95% CI: 1.25–2.56) favoring small GSV.

Conclusion:

Whereas we have displayed excellent occlusion and technical success results for the EVTA of GSV > 12 mm, our analysis has illustrated the unfavorable impact of GSV diameter on occlusion, technical success, and EHIT outcomes regardless of the 12 mm threshold. Potential parameter or device adjustments in a diameter-oriented fashion could further enhance outcomes.
A phenomenological study on the lived experience of men with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Authors: Snell Gracie Elizabeth , Seage Catherine Heidi , Mercer Jenny
Published: July 2023

Whilst chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been widely researched amongst women, studies investigating how men experience a CFS diagnosis is limited. This study utilised an interpretative phenomenological approach to interview five men who have a medical diagnosis of CFS. Six themes emerged to demonstrate the participants’ experiences prior to, during and after obtaining their CFS diagnosis. Findings revealed that participants were initially reluctant to accept their condition, confounded by their perception that symptoms compromised their sense of masculinity. They also felt that healthcare professionals had limited recognition of CFS leading them to seek social support and legitimisation from other sources. The struggle to come to terms with a different lifestyle and sense of masculinity prevailed. Such knowledge could be effectively utilised by researchers, practitioners and employers to facilitate an increased understanding of male accounts of the condition and more bespoke interventions where required.
Safety and Security Battles: Unpacking the Players and Arenas of the Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2022)
Authors: Turner Mark , Lee Ludvigsen Jan Andre
Published: July 2023

This article advances recent debates on social movement (relational) fields, outcomes, and successes by suggesting that the analysis of such fields as a whole must be temporal. The relational interpersonal and intersubjective choices made by interdependent actors in social life take place in fields of interaction, but these interactions and their networks of social relations have a history. Hence, the social movement field is characterised by multiple temporal periods through which the actions of activists both shape and are shaped by the long-term socio-political environments in which they are embedded. To develop this analysis, we identify a football supporter-movement in England, ‘Safe Standing’, revealing the complex interplay of cultural and technological patterns of interaction across the compelling timeframes and orientations of a 30-year movement field. Adopting a theoretical framework which synthesises research on the strategic interactions of movement ‘players’ and ‘arenas’, and sport-focused security fields, we identify a series of compound and sub-players across the political, symbolic, mediatised, technological, and legislative arenas which constitute the security field of contention, in what is an under-researched lifeworld in sociology.
Experimental study of pump-driven chip-level two-phase cooling system for data centres
Authors: Wang Leixin , Cheng Hao , Yang Tongzhi , Yuan Weixing , Ren Kexian
Published: July 2023

In this study, we proposed and designed a pump-driven chip-level two-phase cooling system (PCTCS) and experimentally demonstrated that it can directly cool central processing units in data centres (DCs). The operation of the PCTCS involves an internal refrigerant cycle (IRC) and an external water cycle (EWC). Within the IRC, multiple mini-channel evaporators enable the dissipation of heat from the CPUs in the servers through a plate heat exchanger to initiate the EWC, which is followed by the dissipation of the heat to the environment. We performed experiments to systematically analyze the effects of key operation parameters on PCTCS performance of the IRC. The results indicated that the average and the highest core temperature of the CPUs were 76.3°C and 79.0°C, respectively, under extremely harsh heat dissipation conditions. The key driving component of the PCTCS is a refrigerant pump with high energy efficiency ratio (EERp) defined as ratio of heat dissipated by the power of the refrigerant pump. The EERp was 17–18 when the CPUs were at 0% load and 38–42 and 68–76 when the CPUs were at 50% and 100% loads, respectively. Moreover, optimizing the flow resistance of the IRC can improve the performance of the PCTCS.
Optimization of laser irradiation process parameters for 40Cr steel based on back propagation neural network and genetic algorithm
Authors: Li Chang , Deng Shuangjiu , Sun Han , Han Xing
Published: July 2023

40Cr is a significant material in the manufacturing of gears. However, this process is plagued by uneven distribution of quenching layers and excessive residual stress, leading to a decline in the precision of the workpiece, deformation, and cracking. Relying solely on the trial-and-error method in experiments is inadequate for effectively revealing the evolution mechanism of the laser quenching process. This approach is detrimental to improving research and development efficiency. In this study, a multi-field coupled numerical model for the multi-track overlapping laser quenching of the 40Cr gear steel is established. This model quantitatively reveals the coupling evolution laws of the temperature field, stress field, and phase transformation field during the laser quenching. The focus is on calculating the size of the tempering zone under different overlapping rates and conducting correlation analysis between parameters. Based on the artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms, the width and depth of the tempering zone are selected as target values for parameter optimization. The aim is to find the nonlinear relationship between the laser power, spot diameter, scanning speed, laser overlapping rate, and the size of the tempering zone, which can accurately predict the size of the tempering zone. The material microstructure of 40Cr gear steel was characterized by the scanning electron microscope, microhardness tester and friction and wear tester. The results show that the training error and testing error of the output parameters in genetic algorithm optimized back propagation network can accurately predict the size of the tempering zone. It is found that the higher the lap rate, the more uniform the hardness of the phase transformation hardening layer surface, and the tempering softening zone becomes larger. The parts surface is easy to produce defects, which can provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the laser quenching process parameters.
Mechanical and corrosion performance of biodegradable iron porous structures
Authors: Salama MC , Alves F , Reis L , Deus AM , Silva MB , Santos C , Carmezim MJ , Vaz MF
Published: July 2023

Biodegradable metals have gained attention in the field of bone repair, to be used as temporary bone implants. Among those metals, iron shows good biocompatibility properties, but has high stiffness when compared to bone and exhibits a low degradation rate. There are several approaches that may be applied to overcome those disadvantages. Porous materials have become important in the design of bone substitutes, since the porosity allows for a decrease in strength and for an increase in the degradation rate, due to their high surface areas. The aim of this work is to develop iron porous structures that lead to a mechanical and corrosion performance adequate for temporary implants. Three types of structures, with different relative densities and geometries, were studied: porous graded, cellular graded truss-lattices and a sort of random distribution of pores. The mechanical properties were evaluated through a finite-element analysis using the software NX Nastran. The degradation behaviour of the iron porous samples in a simulated body fluid environment was simulated using the software COMSOL. Results show that both mechanical and corrosion properties depend on the relative density and on the arrangement of pores. Moreover, structures with low relative density exhibit compressive strength values similar to the ones of human trabecular bone, showing degradation rates in the range established for ideal bone substitutes. This means that it is possible to match the iron properties to the ones required for biodegradable devices, by choosing adequate porous arrangements that tailor the mechanical and the corrosion behaviour.
Performance degradation assessment for mechanical system based on semi-analytical solution of self-similar stable distribution process
Authors: Li Qiang , Li Hongkun , Ma Zhenhui , Liu Xuejun , Guan Xichun , Zhang Xiaoli
Published: July 2023

To more accurately predict remaining useful life (RUL) and quantitatively evaluate the uncertainty of the predicted results, a performance degradation assessment framework based on semi-analytical solution of self-similar stable distribution process is proposed. The established performance degradation model based on adaptive fractional Lévy stable motion (AFLSM) is more flexible in revealing the long-range dependence, non-Gaussian, and heavy-tailed distribution properties of the incremental behavior. The corresponding stable distribution parameters are estimated through characteristic function method, and Hurst exponent is calculated based on the generalized Hurst exponent approach with narrower confidence interval. Aiming at the difficulties in solving the exact analytical solution and the excessive computation of the numerical solution in the whole process, based on Mellin-Stieltjes transform and direct integration, a semi-analytical solution of RUL distribution function is proposed, which can be readily implemented in practical equipment operations. The proposed performance degradation assessment framework is validated by the novel truck transmission dataset and the benchmark rolling bearing dataset. Experimental results indicate that the developed framework is more effective and superior than other state-of-the-art approaches in terms of RUL prediction.