bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Face Pareidolia Recruits Mechanisms for Detecting Human Social Attention
Authors: Palmer Colin J. , Clifford Colin W. G.
Published: July 2020

Face pareidolia is the phenomenon of seeing facelike structures in everyday objects. Here, we tested the hypothesis that face pareidolia, rather than being limited to a cognitive or mnemonic association, reflects the activation of visual mechanisms that typically process human faces. We focused on sensory cues to social attention, which engage cell populations in temporal cortex that are susceptible to habituation effects. Repeated exposure to “pareidolia faces” that appear to have a specific direction of attention causes a systematic bias in the perception of where human faces are looking, indicating that overlapping sensory mechanisms are recruited when we view human faces and when we experience face pareidolia. These cross-adaptation effects are significantly reduced when pareidolia is abolished by removing facelike features from the objects. These results indicate that face pareidolia is essentially a perceptual phenomenon, occurring when sensory input is processed by visual mechanisms that have evolved to extract specific social content from human faces.
Concerns About Automation and Negative Sentiment Toward Immigration
Authors: Gamez-Djokic Monica , Waytz Adam
Published: July 2020

Across 12 studies ( N = 31,581), we examined how concerns about the rise of automation may be associated with attitudes toward immigrants. Studies 1a to 1g used archival data ranging from 1986 to 2017 across both the United States and Europe to demonstrate a robust association between concerns about automation and more negative attitudes toward immigrants. Studies 2a, 2b, 2c, and 3 employed both correlational and experimental methods to demonstrate that people’s concerns about automation are linked to increased support for restrictive immigration policies. These studies show this association to be mediated by perceptions of both realistic and symbolic intergroup threat. Finally, Study 4 experimentally demonstrated that automation may lead to more discriminatory behavior toward immigrants in the context of layoffs. Together, these results suggest that concerns about automation correspond to perceptions of threat and competition with immigrants as well as consequent anti-immigration sentiment.
Infection of Placental Extravillous Cytotrophoblasts with Human Cytomegalovirus Causes a Treg/Th17 Imbalance at the Maternal–Fetal Interface
Authors: Qiao Yuan , Kolibaba Helena , Mori Yukiko , Liu Tao , Chen Huijun , Guo Juanjuan , Xu Dan , Zhang Yuanzhen
Published: July 2020

This paper aimed to evaluate whether human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in extravillous cytotrophoblasts (EVT) could shift the balance between regulatory T (Treg) and T-helper type 17 (Th17) cells in vitro. In this study, primary EVT isolated from first trimester placental tissues were infected with HCMV, and conditional media were harvested after cultivation for 72 h. T lymphocytes were cultured in the presence or absence of HCMV-infected conditional media. The frequencies of Th17 or Treg cells from HCMV group were significantly lower or higher than those from the control group, with the expression of corresponding key cytokines at both messenger ribonucleic acid and secretion levels, respectively. The ratio of Treg to Th17 cells was significantly lower in HCMV group than that in control group ( P < 0.01). In conclusion, tiled Th17/Treg balance at maternal–fetal interface exists after HCMV infection.
Circular RNA_CNST Promotes the Tumorigenesis of Osteosarcoma Cells by Sponging miR-421
Authors: Wang Ji-Hai , Wu Xue-Jian , Duan Yong-Zhuang , Li Feng
Published: July 2020

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) act crucial roles in the progression of multiple malignancies including osteosarcoma (OS). But, the underlying mechanisms by which hsa_circ_0017311 (circCNST) contributes to the tumorigenesis of OS remain poorly understood. Our present study aimed to explore the role and mechanisms of circCNST in OS tumorigenesis. The differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The association of circCNST with clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with OS was analyzed by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation assays, and a xenograft tumor model were conducted to assess the role of circCNST in OS cells in vitro and in vivo. CircCNST-specific binding with miR-421 was confirmed by FISH, luciferase gene report, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. As a result, we found that the expression levels of circCNST were dramatically increased in OS tissues and cell lines as compared with the adjacent normal tissues, and it was associated with tumor size and poor survival in OS patients. Knockdown of circCNST repressed cell viability, colony formation, and xenograft tumor growth, while restored expression of circCNST reversed these effects. Furthermore, circCNST was colocalized with miR-421 in the cytoplasm and acted as a sponge of miR-421, which attenuated circCNST-induced proliferation-promoting effects in OS cells by targeting SLC25A3. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that circCNST promotes the tumorigenesis of OS cells by sponging miR-421, and provides a potential biomarker for patients with OS.
Toward an Integrative Model of Sources of Personality Stability and Change
Authors: Wagner Jenny , Orth Ulrich , Bleidorn Wiebke , Hopwood Christopher J. , Kandler Christian
Published: July 2020

There is now compelling evidence that people’s typical patterns of thinking, feeling, striving, and behaving are both consistent and malleable. Therefore, researchers have begun to examine the distinct sources of personality stability and change. In this article, we discuss traditional classifications of sources, review key findings, and highlight limitations and open questions in research on personality stability and change. We conclude by describing an integrative model and by outlining important directions for future research.
The BRI and Strategic Revival of the Silk Road: Implications for Asia
Authors: Mishra Vivek
Published: July 2020

Richard T Griffiths, The New Silk Road: Challenge and Response. Leiden: HIPE Publications, 2019, pp. 157, $19.22. ISBN 978-94-92439-04-8.

Nasir Raza Khan (Ed.), India and the Silk Road: Exploring Current Opportunities. New Delhi: Primus Books, 2019, pp. 269, ₹1,250.00. ISBN 978-93-5290-722-9.
Electro-elastic analysis of functionally graded piezoelectric variable thickness cylindrical shells using a first-order electric potential theory and perturbation technique
Authors: Parhizkar Yaghoobi Mohammad , Ghannad Mehdi
Published: July 2020

In this research, an analytical solution is presented for the functionally graded piezoelectric cylindrical variable wall thickness that is subjected to mechanical and electrical loading. The non-homogeneous distribution of materials is considered as a power function. The first-order electric potential theory, first-order shear deformation theory, and the energy method are used for extracting the system of governing equations. The solution is accomplished using the matched asymptotic expansion method of the perturbation technique. The effects of non-homogeneous properties on the electromechanical are discussed. Since the intensity of variations in the distribution of properties in functionally graded piezoelectric cylinders can be changed using non-homogeneity constant, the electromechanical behavior of the cylinder can be changed by non-homogeneity constant. By reducing the electric or displacement field in functionally graded piezoelectric cylinders, de-polarization or loss of piezoelectric properties may be averted. Results indicate that non-homogeneity constant has a significant effect on the electromechanical behavior. However, in some cases, the effects of non-homogeneity constant may be neglected. Comparing these results with those predicted by the plane elasticity theory and finite element method shows good agreement. In fact, the present solution can be considered as an objective function to optimize the properties and behavior.
Analytical and experimental study of shape memory alloy reinforcement on the performance of butt-fusion welded joints in high-density polyethylene pipe
Authors: Choi Eunsoo , Ostadrahimi Alireza , Youn Heejung
Published: July 2020

In this article, a shape memory alloy wire is employed as confinement to enhance the flexural rigidity of the butt-fusion welded joints in the high-density polyethylene pipes. To this end, analytical and experimental studies are considered, when the shape memory alloy wire is wrapped around a butt-fusion joint and an internal pressure is applied to the high-density polyethylene pipe. To investigate the efficiency of shape memory alloy wire jacket on the performance of butt-fusion welded joint in high-density polyethylene pipe, two cases of perfect butt-fusion joint and imperfect butt-fusion joint are tested. The influence of the number of shape memory alloy wire jacket on the high-density polyethylene pipe joints as well as the effect of different flexural rigidities of the wire and high-density polyethylene pipe, and different diameters are evaluated. The deformation is measured using linear voltage displacement transducer and digital image correlation analysis at different location of the pipe length. In addition, radial strain of the pipes due to bulging is measured by electronic resistance strain gauges. Results show that the shape memory alloy wire jacket has a significant effect (33%) on enhancing imperfect butt-fusion welded joint of high-density polyethylene pipes.
Limit state behavior and response sensitivity analysis of endplate steel connections with shape memory alloy bolts
Authors: Mohammadi Nia Majid , Moradi Saber
Published: July 2020

Shape memory alloys have been used in developing self-centering steel moment connections. This article presents a numerical study aiming at evaluating the cyclic response sensitivity and limit states of extended endplate steel connections with shape memory alloy bolts. Three-dimensional finite element models are developed and validated against a recent experimental study. Using a statistical design-of-experiment method, the effects of 21 design factors and their interactions on the cyclic response of shape memory alloy connections are assessed. The sensitivity of six response parameters is studied. In addition, four limit states for shape memory alloy connections are discussed, including beam local buckling, bolt excessive axial strain, endplate yielding, and column flange yielding. Results show that endplate thickness, shape memory alloy bolt diameter, beam web slenderness ratio, and shape memory alloy maximum transformation strain are the most influential factors. Furthermore, endplate yielding is found to be the governing limit state in almost 80% of the analyzed connections, whereas shape memory alloy bolt excessive strain and column flange yielding are observed in less than 20% and 5% of the connections, respectively. Beam local buckling is not governing in the analyzed shape memory alloy connections designed as per the AISC 358-16 and AISC 341-16 seismic design requirements for extended endplate connections and highly ductile members.
Effect of parametric uncertainties on vibration mitigation with periodically distributed and interconnected piezoelectric patches
Authors: Trindade Marcelo A , Lossouarn Boris , Deü Jean-François
Published: July 2020

This work presents an analysis of the effect of parametric uncertainties on the vibration control performance of a rod with periodically distributed piezoelectric patches that can be either independently connected to electrical shunt circuits or interconnected through an electrical line of inductors. In both cases, the capacitance of the piezoelectric patches is considered as stochastic parameters following a known probability density function distribution. Then, Monte Carlo simulations are performed to evaluate mean values and confidence intervals of the frequency response functions to assess the robustness of each solution and to compare different solutions in terms of nominal and robust performances. Results have shown that vibration amplitude reduction worsen significantly due to the mistuning between structural natural frequency and circuit resonance frequency. Yet, interconnected circuits are more robust to these uncertainties than independent shunts because they ensure a mean response that is closer to the nominal one. It was then proposed to assess the effect of modifying the circuits’ resistance. Results have shown that increased resistance decreases variability when considering both environmental and manufacturing variabilities. This also favors the use of interconnected circuits that require increased resistance for robust vibration mitigation.
A thermodynamics-based damage model for the non-linear mechanical behavior of SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites in irradiation and thermal environments
Authors: Alabdullah Mohammad , Ghoniem Nasr M
Published: July 2020

A damage model is developed and validated with experimental data for the non-linear mechanical behavior of SiC/SiC composite materials in nuclear applications. Cyclic thermal and mechanical loading associated with neutron irradiation effects of these composites leads to wide-spread and progressive micro-cracking that leads to loss of thermal conductivity and further enhancement of thermo-mechanical damage. A physics-based model of wide-spread micro-cracking is developed within the thermodynamic framework of continuum damage mechanics. Evolution equations for damage parameters that describe the growth of continuum damage are developed, where the material variables are obtained from experiments. The model novelty is in coupling mechanical, thermal, and irradiation damage through a consistent thermodynamic framework, including loss of thermal conductivity due to the evolution of mechanically induced micro-cracks. A number of thermo-mechanical experiments were conducted to confirm model assumptions. The model is shown to be validated with out-of-pile experiments, and then implemented using commercial finite element code COMSOL to the fuel cladding problem with normal and high radiation dose cases.
Structural coupling and the puzzle of surfaces: ontology of boundaries from the minimally cognitive perspective
Authors: Werner Konrad
Published: July 2020

Boundaries are prominent ingredients of reality, including—most importantly—the boundaries of organisms and the perceived boundaries of things (their surfaces). It is also customary to think of minds as kinds of bounded loci for thoughts, representations, and other internal entities, targeting the borderline between the internal domain and the external world as a genuine barrier. Therefore, not surprisingly, boundaries and surfaces have become targets of disciplined formal-ontological investigations. However, to have a boundary (or surface) is not only a purely geometrical or topological feature, for boundaries play certain roles. For that reason, this article unpacks boundaries in general, and surfaces in particular, in terms of interactions between structured entities, most importantly—living creatures capable of (minimal) cognition. It is argued that boundaries should be thought of as products of and at the same time as critical constraints imposed on structural coupling between complex beings, including the interactions between the (minimally) cognitive subjects and their surroundings.
Caregiver Report of the Utilization of School-Based Services and Supports Among Clinically Anxious Youth
Authors: LoCurto Jamie , Pella Jeffrey E. , Chan Grace , Ginsburg Golda S.
Published: July 2020

Despite the high prevalence of and documented impairment associated with pediatric anxiety disorders, less than half of youth access mental health services. This study examined (a) the utilization of eight school services and supports (e.g., seen a school counselor for a mental health reason, placement in a special class for a behavior or emotional difficulty) and (b) demographic (gender, age) child clinical (anxiety severity and impairment) and family (parent psychopathology, caregiver strain) predictors of service utilization. Participants included 208 anxious youth between ages 6 to 18 years ( M = 10.92, SD = 3.29, 51% male, 64% White) who were enrolled in a school-based randomized controlled trial for anxiety treatment; only baseline data were used for this study. Parents, children, teachers and independent evaluators completed measures of the above predictors. Results indicated that less than half (48%) of youth received school services for anxiety. Several predictors of higher total service utilization were identified. Youth with comorbid externalizing behaviors were more likely to be referred for and receive school-based services. Consistent with published data in community samples, less than half of anxious youth received needed services. Results suggest a need for improvements in school assessments and service referral mechanisms for students with anxiety.
Theoretical and experimental studies of a novel nested oscillator with a high-damping characteristic
Authors: Liu Haiping , Xiao Kaili , Zhao PengPeng , Zhu Dongmei
Published: July 2020

Stiffness and damping of a structure usually show the opposite change so that the resonant frequency and the static load bearing capacity of a mechanical system often exhibit contradiction. To solve this dilemma, a novel high-damping oscillator which is constructed by a nested diamond structure with the purpose of enhancing the damping property is proposed in this study without reducing the overall systematic stiffness. The mathematical model and geometrical relationships are established at first. And then, the steady-state solutions under base excitation are derived by using the harmonic balance method and further verified by numerical simulation. In addition, the effects of some design parameters on the equivalent damping ratio for the high-damping oscillator are studied to reveal the nonlinear characteristic. Besides, the natural frequency of the nonlinear oscillator is also presented and investigated. By using the displacement transmissibility and comparing with the traditional linear isolator with the same overall stiffness, the vibration suppression performance of the high-damping oscillator is addressed. The obtained calculating results demonstrate that the vibration control performance of the high-damping oscillator outperforms the linear counterpart around resonant frequency. Moreover, the influences of systematic parameters of the high-damping oscillator for the base excitation case on the vibration transmissibility are also discussed, respectively. Finally, an experimental campaign is conducted on an in-house-built test rig to corroborate the accuracy of the analytical solutions of the high-damping oscillation system. The results discussed in this study provide a useful guideline, which can help to design this class of high-damping oscillation system.
Child Maltreatment, Early Adult Substance Use, and Mediation by Adolescent Behavior Problems
Authors: Dubowitz Howard , Roesch Scott , Lewis Terri
Published: July 2020

The purpose of the current study was to examine the potential mediating effects of internalizing and externalizing problems at ages 14, 16 and 18 between types of childhood maltreatment and alcohol and marijuana use problems and disorders in young adulthood. Data were from 473 young adults who participated in the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Path analysis was conducted to examine pathways between maltreatment type (birth through age 12), internalizing and externalizing problems at three time points during adolescence, and alcohol and marijuana problem use in young adulthood. Findings indicated significant pathways between physical abuse and internalizing problems at 14, which was associated with alcohol-related substance use disorder in adulthood. Externalizing problems and internalizing problems at age 14 mediated the relationship between physical abuse and marijuana-related symptoms in young adulthood. Emotional and sexual abuse were not associated with substance use problems. Implications for practice are discussed.
Rejecting Labels and Colonization: In Exile From Post-Qualitative Approaches
Authors: Bhattacharya Kakali
Published: July 2020

In this paper, I trace my pathways of de/colonial ontoepistemic orientations to qualitative research. I identify the work I do without the need for post-qualitative labels, noting that post-qualitative scholars purport to open up expansive spaces by moving away from such forms of labeling, structuring, belonging, and maintaining categories. I discuss how my academic trajectories, culminating in the current moment, have always already positioned me to engage in culturally congruent inquiry that challenges western structures of superiority of knowledge construction. To discover and incorporate into my approaches to qualitative inquiry, that which I have been unable to think about or think with, I journey through a process of un/learning and self-exile.
Jottings From a Blockdown Journal
Authors: Badley Graham Francis
Published: July 2020

These jottings are a series of journal entries for the six months from December 1, 2019, until June 1, 2020. They focus mainly on my attempts to write when blocked and suffering from pneumonia during that period which also coincided with the United Kingdom’s pandemic lockdown from March 23, 2020. My “block” and their “lock” became “blockdown.” I have survived both. So far.
A Comparison of Risk Factors Among Discharged Military Veterans and Civilians Involuntarily Hospitalized Under California’s Sexually Violent Predator Act
Authors: Paden Sarah G. , Azizian Allen , Sreenivasan Shoba , McGuire Jim , Brooks Holliday Stephanie , Seto Michael C.
Published: July 2020

While military veterans have a lower overall rate of incarceration for criminal offenses than civilians, they have a higher rate of incarceration for violent sexual offenses. Despite military veteran overrepresentation among individuals adjudicated for violent sexual offenses, little is known about their risk factors for sexual offending. This study compared military veterans and civilians who had been involuntarily hospitalized and discharged pursuant to California’s Sexually Violent Predator Act. Pedophilic disorder appeared nearly twice as often among veterans than civilians (62.7% vs. 38.7%), whereas antisocial personality disorder was twice as common among civilians compared to veterans (48.1% vs. 23.9%). Consistent with the result for pedophilic disorder, veterans were more likely to target male victims age 13 and below, while civilians tended to target female victims over the age of 13. The results suggest different risk profiles for veterans compared to civilians who have been convicted of sexually violent offenses.
Association Between Exposure to Pesticides and ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Tessari Luca , Angriman Marco , Díaz-Román Amparo , Zhang Junhua , Conca Andreas , Cortese Samuele
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To conduct a systematic review of studies assessing the relationship between exposure to pesticides and ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Methods:

Based on a pre-registered protocol in PROPSERO (CRD42018107847), we searched PubMed, Ovid databases, and ISI Web of Knowledge with no date/language/document type restrictions, up to May 2019. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality.

Results:

Among the 29 retained studies, 13 focused on ADHD, 14 on ASD, and two on both disorders. Ten studies reported a significant association between exposure to pesticides and ADHD/ADHD symptoms and 12 studies found a significant association with ASD/ASD traits. The strengths of the association and the possible confounders controlled for varied substantially across studies.

Conclusion:

Whilst there is some evidence suggesting a possible link between pesticides and ADHD/ASD, heterogeneity across studies prevents firm conclusions. We provide methodological indications for future studies.
Temperament Traits Mark Liability for Coexisting Psychiatric Symptoms in Children With Elevated ADHD Symptoms
Authors: Rutter Tara M. , Arnett Anne B.
Published: July 2020

Objective: Among children with ADHD, coexisting psychiatric disorders are common and associated with greater impairment and symptom persistence. Given that temperament traits are easily measured, developmentally stable, and variable among youth with ADHD, temperament profiles may be clinically useful for predicting liability for coexisting psychiatric symptoms in this population. Methods: Eighty-three children with ADHD symptoms participated. Caregivers rated their child’s surgency, negative emotionality, and effortful control, as well as severity of internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms. Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to estimate associations between temperament traits and psychiatric symptoms, controlling for severity of ADHD. Results: Temperament ratings explained significant variance in psychiatric symptoms above and beyond ADHD symptoms alone. Symptoms of each coexisting psychiatric disorder was associated with a distinct temperament and ADHD symptom profile. Conclusion: Temperament ratings appear to have clinical utility for predicting coexisting psychiatric symptoms in children with elevated ADHD symptoms.
Prescription Stimulant Nonmedical Use Among Adolescents Evaluated for Substance Use Disorder Treatment (CHAT™)
Authors: Vosburg Suzanne K. , Faraone Stephen V. , Newcorn Jeffrey H. , Rostain Anthony L. , Findling Robert L. , Butler Stephen F. , Govoni Taryn Dailey , Green Jody L.
Published: July 2020

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to characterize prescription stimulant non-medical use (NMU) in adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) with the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool for Teens (CHAT™). Method: Adolescents being evaluated for SUD treatment between Q1 2010 and Q3 2017 ( n = 20,189) completed the CHAT™. Results: About 4.3% of the sample ( N = 867) of adolescents in SUD treatment reported past 30-day prescription stimulant NMU. Compared to those without past 30-day prescription stimulant NMU, more reported a lifetime diagnosis of learning disorder or ADHD, more took medication for emotional, behavioral, or learning disorders, received past-month inpatient treatment, or were currently not enrolled in school. Prescription stimulants were most often taken orally for NMU, however, approximately half reported using alternate routes of administration, the most prominent of which was intranasal use. Conclusion: About 4.3% of adolescents in SUD treatment evaluation reported past 30-day prescription stimulant NMU. Greater percentages of lifetime learning disorder, medication use, past-month inpatient treatment, school unenrollment, and overall substance misuse were associated with prescription stimulant NMU, as were alternate routes of administration. These data reveal an ongoing, persistent level of past-30-day NMU of prescription stimulants among adolescents being evaluated for SUD treatment.
Risk indictors in cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Ironside Vicky A , Tricklebank Philip R , Boswood Adrian
Published: July 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to identify indicators of the risk of progression of preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study following a population of cats with preclinical HCM. Cats serially underwent physical examination, blood pressure measurement, blood sampling and echocardiography. Development of congestive heart failure (CHF), arterial thromboembolism (ATE) or sudden death (SD) were considered cardiac-related events. Associations between factors recorded at baseline, and on revisit examinations, and the development of a cardiac-related event were explored using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

Forty-seven cats were recruited to the study and were followed for a median period of 1135 days. Fifteen cats (31.9%) experienced at least one cardiac-related event; six CHF, five ATE and five SD. One cat experienced a cardiac-related event per 10.3 years of patient follow-up. Cats with increased left atrial (LA) size and higher concentrations of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) at baseline were more likely to experience an event. Cats with a greater rate of enlargement of LA size between examinations were also more likely to experience an event.

Conclusions and relevance

Factors easily measured, either once or serially, in cats with preclinical HCM can help to identify those at greater risk of going on to develop clinical signs.
Stability of Skin Microbiome at Sacral Regions of Healthy Young Adults, Ambulatory Older Adults, and Bedridden Older Patients After 2 Years
Authors: Ogai Kazuhiro , Ogura Kohei , Ohgi Nozomi , Park Seohui , Aoki Miku , Urai Tamae , Nagase Satoshi , Okamoto Shigefumi , Sugama Junko
Published: July 2020

Objective:

The sacral skin of bedridden older patients often develops a dysbiotic condition. To clarify whether the condition changes or is sustained over time, we analyzed the skin microbiome and the skin physiological functions of the sacral skin in patients who completed our 2017 study.

Methods:

In 2019, we collected the microbiome on the sacral region and measured sacral skin hydration, pH, and transepidermal water loss from 7 healthy young adults, 10 ambulatory older adults, and 8 bedridden older patients, all of whom had been recruited for the 2017 study. For microbiome analysis, 16S ribosomal RNA-based metagenomic analysis was used.

Results:

No significant differences in the microbial compositions or any alpha diversity metrics were found in the bedridden older patients between the 2017 and 2019 studies; the higher gut-related bacteria were still observed on the sacral skin of the bedridden older patients even after 2 years. Only skin pH showed a significant decrease, approaching normal skin condition, in the bedridden older patients over 2 years.

Conclusion:

This study indicated that gut-related bacteria stably resided in the sacral skin in bedridden patients, even if the patient had tried to restore skin physiological functions using daily skin care. We propose the importance of skin care that focuses more on bacterial decontamination for the sacral region of bedridden older patients, in order to decrease the chances of skin/wound infection and inflammation.
Plasma Phospholipid Metabolites Associate With Functional Outcomes Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Adults
Authors: Martha Sarah R. , Chen Kuan-Fu , Lin Yvonne , Thompson Hilaire J.
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To compare differences using a metabolomics approach in older adults (≥55) with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) to control adults and to identify a signature profile related to functional outcome 3–6 months post-injury.

Methods:

We performed metabolomics analysis using LC-MS of untargeted aqueous metabolites on plasma samples taken from a parent prospective cohort study. Older adults with mTBI (n = 14) were purposively sampled to include participants with worsening (decrease in GOS-E of at least 1 level) and improved (increase in GOS-E of at least 1 level) outcomes from 3 to 6 months. The data were analyzed using PLS-DA with VIP scores, Random Forest, and spline fit between the different groups as a function of time for exposure on outcome.

Results:

Separation of comparisons were seen at 24 hours (negative ionization) and 6 months (positive ionization), revealing two metabolites of interest, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Phosphatidylcholine levels were higher in those with mTBI compared to controls ( p < 0.05), while lower concentration of phosphatidylethanolamine was seen in those with mTBI compared to controls ( p < 0.05). Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate was significant in those with mTBI compared to controls (n = 10) based on improved (n = 6) versus worsened (n = 8) outcomes from 3 to 6 months.

Conclusion:

We identified plasma metabolites related to phospholipid metabolism in older adults following mTBI and associated with long-term functional outcome. These findings may underly pathological mechanisms of outcome differences in older adults who experience mTBI.
Combined brachytherapy and vitreoretinal surgery for a large retinal capillary hemangioma with exudative retinal detachment
Authors: Barca Francesco , Vicini Giulio , Nicolosi Cristina , Pieretti Giulia , Caporossi Tomaso , Rizzo Stanislao , Giansanti Fabrizio , Mazzini Cinzia
Published: July 2020

Introduction:

We report about a large retinal capillary hemangioma (RCH) with exudative retinal detachment and a macular fold, treated with Ruthenium-106 brachytherapy (Ru-106 BT) and scleral buckling surgery, followed by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), for the removal of macular tractions.

Case description:

A 17-year-old boy was referred to our Ocular Oncology Unit for a large RCH in the left eye. BCVA was hand motion. The RCH measured 4.9 × 6.85 mm in basal diameters and 4.0 mm in thickness and was located in the mid-peripheral temporal retina. It was surrounded by extensive subretinal exudation, forming an exudative retinal detachment, with a retinal fold that extended from the lesion to the optic disc. We performed Ru-106 BT and at the moment of the plaque removal we placed a radial buckle with the aim to unbend the retinal fold. At 3-months follow-up the exudation decreased, we achieved the opening of the peripheral side of the retinal fold, but the macula was still detached. We decided to perform a lens sparing PPV, macular peeling and air tamponade, to remove the vitreoretinal tractions ab interno and to try to complete the opening of the macular fold. After 1-month BCVA was counting fingers, the retina appeared attached, also in the macular area, but the retinal fold remained partially close in the macular side. After 6 months the tumor was inactivated, the macula remained attached, unfortunately, the macular fold remained partially close.

Conclusion:

Ru-106 BT and scleral buckling concurrent approach can be an effective treatment modality in selected cases of large RCHs, followed by PPV to remove eventual vitreo-retinal tractions.
The Cause of Massive Hemoptysis After Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair May Not Always Be an Aortobronchial Fistula: Report of a Case
Authors: Ishikawa Natsuya , Hirofuji Aina , Wakabayashi Naohiro , Nakanishi Sentaro , Kamiya Hiroyuki
Published: July 2020

Hemoptysis after thoracic endovascular/open aortic repair is relatively rare but a well-known complication, and normally diagnosed with aortobronchial fistula (ABF). Here, we present a patient who suffered from recurrent massive hemoptyses even after multiple thoracic endovascular aortic repairs (TEVARs), where hemoptysis was ultimately controlled by pneumonectomy. In this case, the bleeding source was not the aorta but the lung parenchyma itself, indicating the importance of raising awareness that the cause of massive hemoptysis after TEVAR may not always be an ABF.
Gut Microbiota and Response to Immunotherapeutic Drugs in Oncology: More Questions Than Answers
Authors: Abhyankar Dhiraj , McKee Kelly T , Vukojevic Pavle
Published: July 2020

Immuno-oncology drugs (IODs) have revolutionized the treatment of some cancers. Although IODs are enabling some patients with cancer to become long-time survivors, only 30% to 40% respond to these drugs. There is experimental and clinical evidence that the gut microbiome may play a role in IOD response, leading to speculation that manipulation of the gut microenvironment might improve the response rate to IODs. We review the evidence relating to how gut microorganisms may affect response to IODs and discuss the implications of targeting the microbiome to improve IOD response, including the challenges to refine and translate the findings to practical clinical use.
Parties, movements and the 2014 Scottish independence referendum: Explaining the post-referendum party membership surges
Authors: Bennie Lynn , Mitchell James , Johns Robert
Published: July 2020

Some political parties have experienced a resurgence in membership. This article seeks to explain membership surges in the Scottish National Party and Scottish Greens following the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence and an unusually movement-like campaign. Using data from a 2016–17 survey of the parties’ memberships, we examine why large numbers joined these pro-independence parties following defeat in the referendum. We demonstrate that the new members had experienced a sense of belonging to a Yes movement during the campaign but were not intensely active; and reasons for joining the parties look more conventional than movement-based. We argue that the referendum created a unique platform for the parties to advertise their objectives on the constitution and other policy areas and thus attract new recruits, few of whom were seeking to maintain the participatory activities that flourished during the referendum. The minority that are active movement-oriented joiners look the least likely to be satisfied by party membership.
Sensing data: Encountering data sonifications, materializations, and interactives as knowledge objects
Authors: Bleeker Maaike , Verhoeff Nanna , Werning Stefan
Published: July 2020

Digital and networked media are characterized by a fundamental disconnection between the modes of operating of these media, the human sensorium and knowledge. In order for humans to consciously participate in this expanded domain of sensibility, additional mediation is required to ‘presentify’ what is not accessible to human perception. This situation has motivated the creation of manifold ‘data objects’ in the form of visualizations, soundscapes and sonifications, 3D materializations, and data-driven interactives in the neighboring domains of art, design, science, and humanities scholarship. These new knowledge objects, as we propose to call them, both produce and mediate knowledge in the process of making data experienceable. They turn that what essentially does not correlate to human sensory capacities into something that the human sensorium is capable of engaging with. As such, they can play a crucial role in providing access, and thereby modalities of critical and creative relating, to what Hansen (2015) describes as the expanded domain of sensibility. Yet, the effects and implications of the sensory specificities of these knowledge objects remain underacknowledged, as are the potentials of these modes of presentifying data. Here, we explore and compare a diversity of such knowledge objects and look at their different media modalities and different experiential qualities, and how these afford ways of knowing. By approaching several knowledge objects as ‘theoretical objects’ (Bal (2013); Damisch in Bois et al. (1998), we investigate which and how experimental sensory techniques are used for data presentification. With this, we want to draw attention to the onto-epistemological implications of the design of these knowledge objects, the main implications being relationality and performativity. Understanding the potential and implications of this performativity would benefit from what we call a creative humanities approach that combines insights from the critical and digital humanities with those from the fields of creative arts and design.
Investigation on heat and mass transfer characteristics for a zeolite-coated heat exchanger using comparatively low-temperature energy: Heating humidification mode and cooling dehumidification mode
Authors: Park Beungyong , Lee Sihwan
Published: July 2020

Desiccant-based hybrid air-conditioning technologies are currently being developed to reduce energy consumption and enhance the effectiveness of indoor thermal environmental control in buildings. The purpose of this study is to propose a compact desiccant-based outdoor air-conditioning system that directly uses heated desorption and cooled adsorption with comparatively low-temperature energy, and to propose a mathematical model for the system by investigating the heat and mass transfer characteristics of a zeolite-coated heat exchanger (ZCHE). To study the heat and mass transfer characteristics of the ZCHE, the moisture removal capacity and the moisture removal regeneration were measured at various heat source temperatures and water flow rates using an experimental model. The measured values were adopted as boundary condition for mathematical model. The results show that the air-conditioning performance of the ZCHE is strongly dependent on the water temperature under constant air conditions. The humidification capacity of the ZCHE was measured 25.0 g at 5 kW heat capacity and the humidification capacity was measured 10.2 g at 0.6 kW cooling capacity. The relative errors of mass transfer coefficient and heat transfer coefficient are ±3.6% and ±3.8%, respectively. Moreover, the proposed mathematical model fitted well with measured values.
Hidden youth? A new perspective on the sociality of young people ‘withdrawn’ in the bedroom in a digital age
Authors: Wong Mark
Published: July 2020

The complexities and changing experiences of human connections have long been debated. In the digital age, technology becomes an increasingly crucial dimension of sociality. This article critically discusses the sociality of ‘hidden’ young people who shut themselves in the bedroom and are typically assumed to be socially withdrawn. This article challenges this reclusive depiction and presents qualitative evidence from the first study of this phenomenon in the UK/Scottish context, while studying this comparatively across two sites. Thirty-two interviews were conducted with Hong Kong and Scottish youth ‘withdrawn’ in the bedroom for 3 to 48 months; hidden youth’s sociality was found to be more nuanced and interconnected than previously assumed. This article argues that young people can become especially attached to online communities to seek solace and solidarity as they experience social marginalisation. Technology and online networks play an important role in enabling marginalised young people to feel connected in the digital age.
Understanding the social in a digital age
Authors: Sujon Zoetanya , Dyer Harry T
Published: July 2020

Datafication, algorithms, social media and their various assemblages enable massive connective processes, enriching personal interaction and amplifying the scope and scale of public networks. At the same time, surveillance capitalists and the social quantification sector are committed to monetizing every aspect of human communication, all of which threaten ideal social qualities, such as togetherness and connection. This Special Issue brings together a range of voices and provocations around ‘the social’, all of which aim to critically interrogate mediated human connection and their contingent socialities. Conventional methods may no longer be adequate, and we must rethink not only the fabric of the social but the very tools we use to make sense of our changing social formations. This Special Issue raises shared concerns with what the social means today, unpicking and rethinking the seams between digitization and social life that characterize today’s digital age.
Rethinking the “social” in “social media”: Insights into topology, abstraction, and scale on the Mastodon social network
Authors: Zulli Diana , Liu Miao , Gehl Robert
Published: July 2020

Online interactions are often understood through the corporate social media (CSM) model where social interactions are determined through layers of abstraction and centralization that eliminate users from decision-making processes. This study demonstrates how alternative social media (ASM)—namely Mastodon—restructure the relationship between the technical structure of social media and the social interactions that follow, offering a particular type of sociality distinct from CSM. Drawing from a variety of qualitative data, this analysis finds that (1) the decentralized structure of Mastodon enables community autonomy, (2) Mastodon’s open-source protocol allows the internal and technical development of the site to become a social enterprise in and of itself, and (3) Mastodon’s horizontal structure shifts the site’s scaling focus from sheer number of users to quality engagement and niche communities. To this end, Mastodon helps us rethink “the social” in social media in terms of topology, abstraction, and scale.
The return of the social: Algorithmic identity in an age of symbolic demise
Authors: Kotliar Dan M.
Published: July 2020

This article explores the socio-algorithmic construction of identity categories based on an ethnographic study of the Israeli data analytics industry. While algorithmic categorization has been described as a post-textual phenomenon that leaves language, social theory, and social expertise behind, this article focuses on the return of the social—the process through which the symbolic means resurface to turn algorithmically produced clusters into identity categories. I show that such categories stem not only from algorithms’ structure or their data, but from the social contexts from which they arise, and from the values assigned to them by various individuals. I accordingly argue that algorithmic identities stem from epistemic amalgams—complex blends of algorithmic outputs and human expertise, messy data flows, and diverse inter-personal factors. Finally, I show that this process of amalgamation arbitrarily conjoins quantitative clusters with qualitative labels, and I discuss the implausibility of seeing named algorithmic categories as explainable.
Recovering critique in an age of datafication
Authors: Couldry Nick
Published: July 2020

This article starts out from the need for critical work on processes of datafication and their consequences for the constitution of social knowledge and the social world. Current social science work on datafication has been greatly shaped by the theoretical approach of Bruno Latour, as reflected in the work of Actor Network Theory and Science and Technology Studies (ANT/STS). The article asks whether this approach, given its philosophical underpinnings, provides sufficient resources for the critical work that is required in relation to datafication. Drawing on Latour’s own reflections about the flatness of the social, it concludes that it does not, since key questions, in particular about the nature of social order cannot be asked or answered within ANT. In the article’s final section, three approaches from earlier social theory are considered as possible supplements to ANT/STS for a social science serious about addressing the challenges that datafication poses for society.
Picturing the pipeline: Mapping settler colonialism on Instagram
Authors: Karsgaard Carrie , MacDonald Maggie
Published: July 2020

Through mainstream discourses that infuse all components of society, settler superiority is naturalized in Canada. This process occurs at the expense of Indigenous peoples who continue to be displaced from the land, which is conceptualized as a ‘resource’. Despite the seemingly static nature of settler colonialism, its hegemony is both contested and reinforced through the participatory social space of Instagram. Though it is primarily known for its aesthetic and visual communication properties, Instagram’s visuality contributes substantially to public discourse, enabling resistant and political expressions around specific issues. Using data collected from Instagram, this article maps the social life of Canada’s controversial Trans Mountain pipeline issue, as it develops under medium-specific affordances. Around the Trans Mountain pipeline issue, hashtags and imagery mutually inform one another on Instagram, connecting highly located and temporal experiences with national policies, as users performatively challenge and reinforce social relations as they exist under settler colonialism.