bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Species limits in the Tawny-crowned Pygmy-tyrant Euscarthmus meloryphus complex (Aves: Passeriformes: Tyrannidae)
Authors: FRANZ ISMAEL , ALVARES DIEGO JANISCH , BORGES-MARTINS MÁRCIO
Published: July 2020

Euscarthmus pygmy-tyrants include two species of tiny passerines that inhabit semi-open landscapes in South America. One of these, Euscarthmus meloryphus is a taxonomic complex comprising three recognized subspecies for which previously proposed splits and lumps were not founded on proper taxonomic analysis. We assessed morphology (morphometrics and plumage), distribution models, and vocalizations of a substantial dataset with the aim of evaluating species limits within the E. meloryphus complex. Our results support the recognition of two species, the widespread E. meloryphus from east-central South America, and E. fulviceps from Ecuador and Peru, which are clearly diagnosable on morphological and vocal characters. We consider that E. meloryphus paulus from Colombia and Venezuela is a synonym of the nominotypical taxon based on the absence of diagnostic vocal and morphological characters. The allopatric distribution of the two populations of E. meloryphus may be related to the savannah connections during the LGM in South America. Further, we show that Lepturus ruficeps Swainson, 1838 is a synonym of E. rufomarginatus instead of E. meloryphus as it has long been treated.
Traumatic Brain Injury in the Elderly: Can We Reduce Readmissions?
Authors: Wasfie Tarik , Maxwell Jordan , Parsons Andrea , Hille Jennifer , Yapchai Raquel , Hella Jennifer , Cwalina N , Barber Kimberly R. , Shapiro Brian
Published: July 2020

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and long-term morbidity in trauma patients, with a growing incidence among the elderly. Injury-related disability has many costs, and rehospitalization is a significant part of that. The current study was carried out in an elderly population with TBI to identify risk factors and measures associated with rehospitalization.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 299 patients with a primary diagnosis of TBI admitted between 2016 and 2018. Variables selected for analysis encompassed the following: patient age, sex, comorbidities, diagnosis, length of stay, use of anticoagulants, 6-month readmission rate, and diagnosis for readmission. Chi-square analysis was used to identify potential risk factors, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to model the relationship.

Results

209 patients met inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 69 years (SD ± 18.6 years), with (51.5%) males and (48.5%) females. 188 (62.9%) patients were on anticoagulant therapy. 120 patients were discharged to home (40.1%). 79 patients (26.4%) were readmitted within 6 months of discharge, the majority of whom (48 patients, 60.8%) presented with a subdural hematoma (SDH). 38 readmitted patients (49%) came from home, and 57 patients (80%) were on anticoagulant therapy.

Conclusion

In elderly patients with TBI, discharge to a home setting correlates with a higher risk of readmission within 6 months, a majority with a diagnosis of recurrent SDH. Anticoagulant therapy and frequent past readmissions also correlated with a higher risk of subsequent readmission.
Effects of Scent and Scent Emission Methods: Implications on Workers’ Alertness, Vigilance, and Memory under Fatigue Conditions
Authors: Lwin May Oo , Malik Shelly , Neo Jun Rong Jeffrey
Published: July 2020

Extant studies have revealed enhancing effects of scent on performance. The role of scent, and emission method, in the context of performing repetitive tasks over prolonged duration in promoting alertness, vigilance, and memory was examined. Seventy-three participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (no scent, peppermint scent emitted continuously, or peppermint scent emitted intermittently) while tasked to monitor and identify suspicious cues for close to 2 hr. Pre- and post-intervention surveys, psychomotor vigilance test, and eye tracker were used as study instruments. Results showed that scent directly enhanced information recall and mitigated the deterioration of alertness, especially as subjects became fatigued. Intermittent emission showed stronger effects over continuous emission in marginally enhancing alertness and memory. Scent did not appear to promote greater vigilance. Suggestions for future studies and implications for management of employees in fatigue situations are discussed.
On disturbance rejection control for inertial stabilization of long-distance laser positioning with movable platform
Authors: Deng Jiuqiang , Xue Wenchao , Zhou Xi , Mao Yao
Published: July 2020

This paper focuses on the disturbance rejection control problem for inertial stabilization of long-distance laser positioning with the movable platform. Due to various disturbances of the movable platform, the positioning system has significant disturbances that affect the positioning accuracy. Moreover, the nonminimum-phase property of the inertial stabilization system leads to great challenges for designing traditional disturbance-observer-based as well as rejection control methods. In this paper, a dual-compensator disturbance-observer-based control algorithm is proposed to ensure a much stronger rejection of disturbances than those of conventional methods. In particular, it is proven that the two compensators in the proposed method effectively estimate disturbances in different frequency regions. Furthermore, the analytical tuning laws for the proposed dual-compensator disturbance-observer-based control method are presented. The experimental setup including the laser positioning platform demonstrated the validity of the proposed method, which effectively rejected various disturbances.
Adaptation to an Unfamiliar Accent by Child L2 Listeners
Authors: Hu Chieh-Fang
Published: July 2020

The study examines school-aged L2 listeners’ adaptation to an unfamiliar L2 accent and learner variables predicting such adaptation. Fourth-grade Mandarin L1 learners of English as a foreign language ( N = 117) listened to a story twice in one of three accent conditions. In the single-talker condition, the story was produced by an Indian English (IE) speaker. In the multi-talker condition, the story was produced by two IE speakers. In the control condition, the story was produced by a Mandarin-accented speaker. Children’s (re)interpretation of IE words/nonwords was assessed by referent selection tests administered before and after the first and the second exposures to the story. Repeated exposure to IE-accented speech forms influenced performance: the participants demonstrated better recognition of IE words across the referent selection tests but worse (re)interpretation of IE nonwords sounding similar to existing lexical items. Exposure to an IE-accented story yielded an additional advantage in word recognition, but the advantage was limited to words heard in the story. Furthermore, children’s English phonological awareness, phonological memory, and vocabulary predicted their reinterpretation performance of the accented forms. These results suggest that school-aged L2 listeners with better phono-lexical representations develop better capacity in adapting to an unfamiliar accent of a foreign language by loosening their acceptability criteria for word recognition but the adaptation does not necessarily entail perceptual tuning to the specific phonological categories of the accent.
Recent evolution of the informal recycling sector in Argentina within the ‘popular economy’: Measuring its impact through a case study in Tandil (Buenos Aires)
Authors: Villalba Luciano
Published: July 2020

The integration of the informal recycling sector into formal waste management systems is imperative to the implementation of the circular economy in the Global South. In Argentina, after the 2001 crisis, some large cities such as Buenos Aires greatly improved their informal recycling sector integration. In medium-size cities from the rest of the province, this was not the case. However, the formation of a national coalition between different sectors of what is now called the ‘popular economy’ forced the enactment, in the context of a new crisis, of a Social Emergency Law, which includes a Complementary Social Salary equivalent to half the minimum wage, among its main features. In this paper, we recap these recent changes and we use the InteRa framework in a case study to measure how, along with academic and civil society support actions, they influenced the informal recycling sector integration in an intermediate city of Buenos Aires province. Our results show that the inclusion of the informal recycling sector improved rapidly after the availability of the Complementary Social Salary. Nevertheless, we registered a hard-to-overcome stagnation in some indicators of the InteRa framework, related to the weak engagement of the local municipal government with the informal recycling sector. Importantly, the advent of the Complementary Social Salary was not reflected in any indicator because there is no specific action related to this aspect in the InteRa framework. This may give an insight into future methodology improvement.
Research on erosion characteristics of a novel cavitation nozzle under nonsubmerged condition
Authors: Liu Huanlong , Cao Zeping , Xie Chixin , Chen Guanpeng , Li Dafa , Wang Jiawei
Published: July 2020

When a cavitating jet enters the atmosphere directly, its cavitating effect weakens rapidly, and the erosion energy it produces cannot be fully utilized. Regarding the problem that existing cavitation nozzles are only used in submerged condition, methods to improve the erosion ability of cavitation jets under nonsubmerged condition are studied. The nozzle is visually simulated using Fluent software, and the results show that the dynamic submerged environment at the outlet effectively expands the nearby low-pressure cavitation area. The enhancement effect of the annular cavitation nozzle on the jet cavitation effect in the atmosphere domain is verified by measuring the impact force curve of the jet and through erosion tests on brass surface. Cleaning and derusting tests show that the annular cavitation nozzle has stronger derusting ability than the high-pressure nozzle under nonsubmerged condition and under the same pressure, demonstrating that the cleaning and derusting effect mainly comes from the collapse of cavitation bubbles.
Bio-inspired graphene-coated ball screws: Novel approach to reduce the thermal deformation of ball screws
Authors: Guo Yueyang , Gao Xiangsheng , Wang Min , Zan Tao
Published: July 2020

To reduce the thermal deformation of ball screws, a novel approach inspired by silver ants is proposed. The Saharan silver ant maintains low body temperatures in one of the hottest terrestrial environments by radiating heat to the surrounding environment. Inspired by this, bio-inspired graphene-coated ball screws, which can enhance heat dissipation due to radiative heat dissipation of graphene coating, are designed to reduce the temperature and thermal deformation further. Finite element analysis is conducted to validate the excellent performance of the proposed bionic design in reducing thermal deformation. In order to verify the advantage of this method, comparative experiments between graphene-coated ball screws and the ordinary one are carried out on a self-designed test bed as well. The result shows that the bio-inspired design obviously reduced the temperature rise, thermal deformation, and temperature balance time. This bio-inspired approach will provide a new idea to solve the thermal issue of machine tools.
Quasi-static mechanical properties of novel generalized Resch-pattern composite foldcores
Authors: Deng Antao , Ji Bin , Zhou Xiang
Published: July 2020

A new geometric design method for foldcores based on the generalized Resch patterns that allow face-to-face bonding interfaces between the core and the skins is proposed. Based on the geometric design method, a systematic numerical investigation on the quasi-static mechanical properties of the generalized Resch-based foldcores made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) woven fabrics subjected to compression and shear loads is performed using the finite element method that is validated by experiments. The relationships between the mechanical properties and various geometric parameters as well as laminate thickness of the generalized Resch-based CFRP foldcores are revealed. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the generalized Resch-based CFRP foldcore are compared to those of the standard Resch-based, Miura-based foldcore, the honeycomb core, and the aluminum counterpart. It is found that the generalized Resch-based CFRP foldcore performs more stably than the honeycomb core under compression and has higher compressive and shear stiffnesses than the standard Resch-based and Miura-based foldcores and absorbs as nearly twice energy under compression as the Miura-based foldcore does. When compared with the aluminum counterpart, the CFRP model has higher weight-specific stiffness and strength but lower energy absorption capacity under shearing. The results presented in this paper can serve as the useful guideline for the design of the generalized Resch-based composite foldcore sandwich structures for various performance goals.
The influence of muscle fiber type on slow component of oxygen uptake kinetics
Authors: Qi Liping , Guan Shuo , Zhou Dong-Dong , Gao Feng-Shan , Liu Li-Qing
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of muscle fiber type on the slow component of oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics and electromyographic activity. Twelve sprinters and ten endurance runners participated in the study. They performed two separate treadmill running tests, the first test being conducted to determine the ventilatory threshold and maximal oxygen uptake. The second test consisted of a 6 min running bout at severe exercise intensity. A two-component exponential model was used to fit the VO2 response. Surface electromyographic signals were collected from Vastus lateralis, and processed by wavelet analysis. Sprinters and endurance runners, with their distinct anaerobic and aerobic fitness, showed a substantial difference in VO2 slow component during severe exercise. The sprinters showed a significantly higher VO2 slow component amplitude (A2: 381.0 ± 96.3 mL/min) and a significantly earlier slow component onset (TD2: 118.1 ± 16.1 s) than the endurance runners (A2: 142.2 ± 58.4 mL/min, TD2: 145.9 ± 19.9 s). The electromyographic mean power frequency of the tested muscles increased significantly during the slow component phase. There is a significant correlation between VO2 slow component and electromyographic mean power frequency for endurance runners ( r = 0.50, p = 0.003). The combined use of VO2 kinetics modeling and electromyographic measurement provides evidence of the influence of muscle fiber type on slow component of oxygen uptake kinetics during severe intensity exercise.
Low C4 as a risk factor for severe neuropsychiatric flare in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Aso Kuniyuki , Kono Michihito , Kono Michihiro , Watanabe Toshiyuki , Shimizu Yuka , Ogata Yusuke , Fujieda Yuichiro , Kato Masaru , Oku Kenji , Amengual Olga , Yasuda Shinsuke , Atsumi Tatsuya
Published: July 2020

Objective

This study aimed to explore the risk factors for ‘severe’ neuropsychiatric (NP) flare in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

This retrospective study comprised newly diagnosed 184 adult SLE patients who visited Hokkaido University Hospital between 2006 and 2017. In this study, severe NP flare was defined as the occurrence of at least one newly developed British Isles Lupus Assessment Group A score in the neurological domain. Overall severe NP flare-free survival was estimated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Clinical and demographic profiles at SLE diagnosis were assessed as potential risk items in the adjusted multivariate Cox regression model.

Results

The median follow-up period was 7.9 years (interquartile range (IQR) 4.6–12.3) years. A total of 28 (15.2%) patients had one or more severe NP flares during the observation period. The median time from patient enrolment date to severe NP flare occurrence was 3.1 years (IQR 0.9–6.3 year). The 2- and 10-year severe NP flare-free survival rates were 92.7% and 86.0%, respectively. Among the manifestations of severe NP flare, psychosis was the most frequent (19.1%). In the multivariate model, low serum levels of C4 (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.67, p = 0.013) and severe NP manifestations at SLE diagnosis (HR = 7.11, p < 0.001) emerged as independent risk factors for developing severe NP flare.

Conclusion

The first severe NP flare presented early in the course of SLE. Low C4 level and severe NP manifestations at SLE diagnosis could predict the development of severe NP flare.
Values in conflict in cross-cultural architectural encounters
Authors: Week David
Published: July 2020

In an international development assistance context, in which representatives of higher income countries and global institutions meet with people of very different cultures, values can conflict. My experience working on a Community Based Building Program in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea in the 1980s introduced me to the thinking styles, beliefs and values of another culture with traditions very different from my own. Evaluators experience this conflict when they work alongside members of another culture, while at the same time adhering to established methods and values from their own culture or professional practice. To help with this, evaluators can identify the benefits in local knowledge, and assist all parties to build an awareness of both explicit and tacit values employed – including those of the evaluators themselves – while in the process of undertaking an evaluation.
Management of skin adverse reactions in oncology
Authors: Silva Diva , Gomes Ana , MS Lobo José , Almeida Vera , Almeida Isabel F
Published: July 2020

Chemo and targeted anticancer therapies present significant skin adverse reactions, which impair the patients’ quality of life. Cutaneous toxicities lead to poor treatment adherence, drug cessation, and psychosocial distress. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge concerning the prevention and management of skin toxicity arising from these therapies. A systematic literature search on online databases was conducted. The categorization of the main preventive and treatment measures was performed according to the level of evidence. Management of skin adverse reactions of oncology treatments is very heterogeneous, which can be explained by the lack of sound evidence-based treatments. The most studied adverse effects are papulopustular eruption, xerosis, and hand–foot syndrome. Prevention of xerosis stands out as the strategy most supported by level II studies. With respect to treatment, the use of antibiotics in papulopustular eruption resulting from anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents is the most evidence-based approach. In general, the number of studies published in the literature classified with a level II of evidence (52%) is similar to the ones classified as level IV (33%), making clear the need of more randomized controlled trials regarding the effectiveness of preventive and treatment measures of skin adverse reactions of chemo and targeted anticancer therapies.
Translating translanguaging into our classrooms: Possibilities and challenges
Authors: Oliver Rhonda , Wigglesworth Gillian , Angelo Denise , Steele Carly
Published: July 2020

With a focus on Australian Aboriginal students, in this article we argue that translanguaging provides a useful resource for multilingual learners. We point out that although translanguaging is a relatively recent term, in Indigenous Australia is has been used consistently throughout the ages as people from different languages communicated with each other. We argue that through the use of translanguaging in the classroom, children can be supported to draw on the wide range of linguistic resources they bring with them to school. Using data collected from an Aboriginal school in the Northern Territory and one in Western Australia, we illustrate the ways in which this perspective can inform approaches to teaching which will both enhance these learners’ communication skills in Standard Australian English (SAE) in the classroom, and, importantly, at the same time demonstrate that the languages the children come to school with are valued.
The politics of becoming: Disidentification as radical democratic practice
Authors: Asenbaum Hans
Published: July 2020

Current radical democratic politics is characterized by new participatory spaces for citizens’ engagement, which aim at facilitating the democratic ideals of freedom and equality. These spaces are, however, situated in the context of deep societal inequalities. Modes of discrimination are carried over into participatory interaction. The democratic subject is judged by its physically embodied appearance, which replicates external hierarchies and impedes the freedom of self-expression. To tackle this problem, this article seeks to identify ways to increase the freedom of the subject to explore its multiple self. Understanding the self as inherently fugitive, the article investigates participatory, deliberative and agonistic concepts of self-transformation. As all of them appear limited, it introduces a transformative perspective in democratic thought. Enriching the transformative perspective with queer and gender theory, the article generates the concept of a politics of becoming, which, through radical democratic practices of disidentification, advances the freedom of the subject to change.
“I’m meant to be his comfort blanket, not a punching bag” – Ethnomimesis as an exploration of maternal child to parent violence in pre-adolescents
Authors: Rutter Nikki
Published: July 2020

This is the first study to use ethno-mimesis to explore the lived experiences of mothers navigating child-to-parent violence initiated by pre-adolescent children. The current child-to-parent violence research landscape is predominantly focused upon the experiences of parents of adolescent children, identifying that violent behaviours can be used as a life-long strategy. This research uses innovative methods to explore the lived experiences of mothers, and how they understand and navigate the violence of their pre-adolescent child. Using ethno-mimesis to allow for the intersection of socio-cultural theory (social roles and expectations); experience (reflection on motherhood); and practice (creating visual representations), five mother experiencing child-to-parent violence were identified and recruited from three parent support groups in the North of England. These mothers individually reflected on their experiences of violence, as mothers with young children, with responses thematically analyzed underpinned by phenomenological inquiry. Mothers in this research identified the violence as a symptom of wider structural, neurological, or mental health difficulties their child was experiencing rather than the problem itself. Participants did not believe the violence was intentional but was due to uncontrollable and overwhelming emotions. Nevertheless, there was considerable overlap between the experiences of these mothers and previous research into maternal experiences of adolescent violence; maternal experiences of adult child-to-parent violence, and intimate partner violence. By understanding the behaviours of younger children, there is opportunity to provide whole-family interventions which will prevent lifecourse trajectories, and focus upon the challenges and support needs of mothers living with this form of violence and abuse.
Experimental and numerical study on hydrodynamic impact of a disk in pure and aerated water
Authors: Hong Yao , Wang Benlong , Liu Hua
Published: July 2020

The hydrodynamic loads of a disk impacting pure and aerated water are investigated experimentally and numerically. Experiments are performed on a rigid disk with different aeration levels and focus on the spatial and temporal pressure distribution. Drop tests are conducted by a specially designed apparatus to prevent the variation of velocity during the slamming period. A specially designed bubble generator, able to adjust the void fraction, is utilized to generate uniform and tiny bubbles. A high-speed camera is utilized to record the water spray and splash curtain. A homemade compressible multiphase solver based on the reduced five equation model is adopted to evaluate the impact loads, which assumes the water and bubbles sharing the same velocity and pressure. The results show that bubbles in the water have a significant influence on the impact loads. As the void fraction increases from zero to nearly 1%, the peak impact pressure is reduced considerably and the impact duration is becoming obviously longer. In aerated water impact, the disk has a more uniform pressure distribution on the surface. However, the pressure impulse in aerated impact tests is basically unchanged compared with that in pure water.
Damage monitoring of glass/epoxy laminates with different interply fiber orientation using acoustic emission
Authors: Saravanakumar K , Suresh Kumar C , Arumugam V
Published: July 2020

This article investigates the effects of interface fiber orientation on the mode-I interlaminar fracture toughness, and the evolution of damage was monitored using acoustic emission technique. The results show that changing the interply fiber orientation improved the fracture toughness and delamination resistance significantly. The GIC initiation fracture toughness was found to increase by 87%, 71%, and 69% for 0°/45°, 0°/90°, and ±45° interfaces, respectively. The improvement in fracture toughness was attributed to the crack path diversion along the interply fiber orientation which offered more resistance to crack propagation. In addition, sentry function was also computed based on the correlation between the mechanical strain energy accumulated in the laminates, and the acoustic energy that propagates by fracture events made it possible to evaluate the delamination resistance. The results show that 0°/45° has high resistance to crack propagation followed by 0°/90°, ±45°, and 0°/0°. Finally, scanning electron microscopic analysis was used to determine the fracture surface in different interply fiber orientation of glass/epoxy laminates.
A critical review: Electromagnetic shielding for pyrrole used textile materials
Authors: Biçer Nurcan , Çelik Irem Tuğçe , Kariper Ishak Afşin
Published: July 2020

In this study, we examined the notable textile materials in the literature, which have been produced to prevent the electromagnetic waves emitted by the electronic devices that are a significant part of our lives. Nowadays, these devices and technologies that bring us many advantages in our daily life cause health problems on human beings, which leaded this type of studies to deepen. In this study, non-woven and woven products were examined. Produced tissue types found in the literature were excluded from the research. This literature review is mainly focused on the textile materials treated with pyrrole and having electromagnetic shielding property by producing via different methods either by doping metal in the fabric or yarn structure or by weaving with metal. Because it is known that the most successful studies on electromagnetic shielding were made by polypyrrole coating. In the last part of the study, suggestions have been submitted about the type of studies that should be done to provide electromagnetic shielding feature to the textile materials. We investigated 56 articles about electromagnetic shielding in the literature. 48 of 56 articles were evaluated. It seems that the researchers used to polypyrrole for electromagnetic shielding on textile surface, however they don’t investigate to advantage and disadvantage of polypyrrole for using. We discussed this issue and which material was more effective for electromagnetic shielding on the textile surface in the discussion section.
Pathology and pathogenicity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Authors: Afewerky Henok Kessete
Published: July 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a beta coronavirus that causes infectious respiratory disease, named as coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). While extensive studies have provided basic information on clinical characteristics of COVID-19, the disease pathology is not fully known. The SARS-CoV-2 virus structural studies and biochemical experiments have also indicated that the virus receptor-binding domain (RBD) binds with a high affinity to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor from humans; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Hereunder, a summary of relevant findings in the SARS-CoV-2 virus pathology and major pathogenicity mechanisms are discussed. This review of studies provides additional enlightenments on the way forward to prevent further spread or even cure for the SARS-CoV-2 virus-caused COVID-19 disease, either-or should a similar viral plague occur in the future.

Impact statement

The current survey of studies outlines the direct and indirect effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the specific body systems and summarizes the SARS-CoV-2 main pathogenicity mechanisms that require attention during patient hospitalization and for further research.
Mobile target localization based on iterative tracing for underwater wireless sensor networks
Authors: Guo Ruolin , Qin Danyang , Zhao Min , Xu Guangchao
Published: July 2020

In underwater wireless sensor networks, sensor position information has important value in network protocols and collaborative detection. However, many challenges were introduced in positioning sensor nodes due to the complexity of the underwater environment. Aiming at the problem of the stratification effect of underwater acoustic waves, the long propagation delay of messages, as well as the mobility of sensor nodes, a mobile target localization scheme for underwater wireless sensor network is proposed based on iterative tracing. Four modules are established in the mobile target localization based on iterative tracing: the data collection and rough position estimation, the estimation and compensation of propagation delay, the node localization, and the iteration. The deviation of distance estimation due to the assumption that acoustic waves propagate along straight lines in an underwater environment is compensated by the mobile target localization based on iterative tracing, and weighted least squares estimation method is used to perform linear regression. Moreover, an interacting multiple model algorithm is put forward to reduce the positioning error caused by the mobility of sensor nodes, and the two services of node time synchronization and localization assist each other during the iteration to improve the accuracy of both parties. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme can achieve higher localization accuracy than the similar schemes, and the positioning errors caused by the above three problems can be reduced effectively.
Control system of the six-axis serial manipulator based on active disturbance rejection control
Authors: Li Xing , Liu Bingyou , Wang Lichao
Published: July 2020

This study considers the problems of manipulators with high coupling, parameter uncertainties, and external disturbances. A six-axis serial manipulator control system based on active disturbance rejection control strategy is proposed without the requirement of the exact dynamic model. First, the operating circuit of the manipulator joint motor is analyzed, and the mathematical model of the direct-current torque motor is established. Second, the components of active disturbance rejection control are designed, and a new nonlinear function is selected to construct the extended state observer and nonlinear state error feedback control law. Then, Kalman filter is introduced into an extended state observer to estimate the disturbance efficiently. Finally, the proportion–integration–differentiation control, traditional active disturbance rejection control, and improved active disturbance rejection control are simulated and compared under the same input signal. The results show that the proposed control strategy has good dynamic performance and uncertain disturbance robustness, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Anaemia in patients undergoing major bowel surgery – Prevalence and current practice: A public and private institution experience
Authors: Poon Edgar , Pache David , Delaforce Alana , Abdalla Lemya , McGuire Treasure
Published: July 2020

Aim

The study aimed to compare the frequency and alignment of preoperative anaemia screening and treatment with Australian guidelines in elective bowel surgery and determine the impact on clinical outcomes.

Methods

We performed a retrospective observational study, with an audit of 559 adult patients who underwent major elective bowel surgery in an Australian metropolitan hospital, January 2016–December 2018. Outcome measures included rate of anaemia, guideline compliance, hospital length of stay, and transfusion rate.

Results

Preoperative anaemia assessment occurred in 82.6% of patients. However, only 5.2% received recommended biochemical tests at least one week before surgery. Only 25.2% of anaemic patients received preoperative treatment; they experienced a longer hospital length of stay (9.93 days versus 7.88 days, p < 0.001) and an increased rate of transfusion (OR: 3.186, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The gaps between current preoperative anaemia screening, management and national guidelines may place patients at higher risk of poor surgical outcome.
Re-thinking trauma: Local journalism, peace-building and continuous traumatic stress (CTS) on the violent margins of Colombia
Authors: Charles Mathew
Published: July 2020

The study of trauma in journalism tends to assume that trauma exposure (whether it has been a single event or a series of cumulative episodes) is past and finite. However, this article argues that the notion of trauma exposure as temporally located in the past fails to adequately capture the experiences of local, indigenous journalists living and working in contexts of protracted conflict or violence. There is a growing, if contested, acknowledgement that existing conceptualizations of traumatic stress, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have limited utility in conditions of ongoing violence and danger. In contrast, and based on a participant observation study conducted over three years, this article proposes a spectrum of continuous traumatic stressors and charts the continuous traumatic stress (CTS) of four local reporters in Colombia, living and working in a context of intractable conflict. In this setting, where local journalists have become agents for peace, CTS conjoins the mental wellbeing of individual reporters with their capacity for peace-building.
A comment on “Constant deceleration approach for the penetration analysis of rigid projectiles into concrete targets: Revisited” by D.Z. Yankelevsky and V.R. Feldgun, Int. J. Prot. Struct., pp. 1–18 (2020)
Authors: Rosenberg Zvi , Dekel Erez , Kositski Roman
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this Comment is to highlight several inaccuracies in the recently published paper of Yankelevsky and Feldgun, which criticizes our work on concrete penetration. The main subject of their criticism concerns our treatment of the entrance phase in concrete penetration, and we show here that their claims are inaccurate and misleading. We do not engage in the existing debates concerning different approaches to the penetration mechanics of rigid projectiles.
Coherence in intersectoral collaboration between psychiatric centres and community mental healthcare: A critical discourse analysis
Authors: Jørgensen Kim , Dahl Mette Bonde , Frederiksen Jesper
Published: July 2020

There is scarce research studying healthcare professionals’ and users’ perceptions in relation to creating coherence in intersectoral collaboration between psychiatric centres and community mental healthcare. Drawing on the discourse analysis framework of Fairclough, this study aimed to explore how healthcare professionals and users could perceive coherence in intersectoral collaboration between psychiatric centres and community mental healthcare. But also to explore their perception of how coherence could be maintained through an intersectoral journey, and what discourses manifested themselves within the field of mental healthcare. Data were collected through 11 focus group interviews, five of which with healthcare professionals ( n = 20) and six with users ( n = 18). Fairclough’s three-dimensional model for the studying of discourse was used to analyse the transcribed texts. This study is reported in accordance with the COREQ checklist. Coherence in intersectoral collaboration was interpreted to exist in tension between being predominantly steered by the healthcare professionals while the users had a desire to be more involved in decisions regarding their own intersectoral journey. The users were subjected to a paternalistic steering, expressed by the power of the healthcare professionals to select the right efforts as well as the purpose of the users’ journeys. The findings showed that coherence in intersectoral collaboration in general was articulated from an overall discourse of neoliberal governance, with its embedded discourses of rationality and structure, and discourses of linearity, objectivity, paternalism, biomedicine and evidence have a controlling influence on how users should guide themselves based on the discourse of self-care.
Transoral Chondrolaryngoplasty: Scarless Reduction of the Adam’s Apple
Authors: Chung Jeffson , Purnell Phillip , Anderson Sidney , Hoelke Charlotte , Bender‐Heine Adam , Lambert H. Wayne
Published: July 2020

The purpose of our study is to test the feasibility of transoral thyroid chondrolaryngoplasty using a similar approach to transoral thyroidectomy. This approach would allow for gender‐affirming surgery while avoiding an external neck scar. We carried out our cadaveric feasibility study in an anatomy laboratory at an academic center. Five fresh cadavers were used for this study. We used a lower oral vestibular incision, along with retractors and an endoscope to dissect and gain access to the laryngeal prominence of the thyroid cartilage. Portions of the laryngeal prominence were then removed using scissors to achieve a satisfactory neck contour. Endoscopic as well as extracorporeal photographs were taken to demonstrate the approach. We were able to remove the laryngeal prominence successfully in all of our cadaveric specimens with this transoral approach.
Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: from classification to therapy
Authors: Salvaterra Elena , Campo Ilaria
Published: July 2020

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare respiratory syndrome characterised by the accumulation of surfactant lipoproteins within the alveoli. According to various pathogenetic mechanisms and aetiologies, PAP is classified as primary, secondary or congenital. Primary PAP is led by a granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) signalling disruption; the autoimmune form is driven by the presence of anti GM-CSF autoantibodies and represents 90% of all the PAP cases; and the hereditary form is the result of mutations in genes encoding GM-CSF receptor. Secondary PAP is associated with various diseases causing a reduction in function and/or number of alveolar macrophages. Congenital PAP emerges as a consequence of corrupted surfactant production, due to mutations in surfactant proteins or lipid transporter, or mutations affecting lung development. The clinical manifestations are various, ranging from insidious onset to acute or progressive respiratory failure, including premature death within the first days of life in neonates with congenital surfactant production disorders. The diagnostic workup includes clinical and radiological assessment (respiratory function test, high-resolution chest computed tomography), laboratory tests (anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies dosage, GM-CSF serum level and GM-CSF signalling test), and genetic tests. Whole-lung lavage is the current gold standard of care of PAP; however, the therapeutic approach depends on the pathogenic form and disease severity, including GM-CSF augmentation strategies in autoimmune PAP and other promising new treatments.

Educational aims

To update knowledge about a rare respiratory syndrome, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, in order to promote early diagnosis and correct management.

To highlight recent treatment options based on pathogenesis and disease severity.
Bioinformatics recipes: creating, executing and distributing reproducible data analysis workflows
Authors: Aberra Natay , Sebastian Aswathy , Maloy Aaron P. , Rees Christopher B. , Bartron Meredith L. , Albert Istvan
Published: July 2020

Background

Bioinformaticians collaborating with life scientists need software that allows them to involve their collaborators in the process of data analysis.

Results

We have developed a web application that allows researchers to publish and execute data analysis scripts. Within the platform bioinformaticians are able to deploy data analysis workflows (recipes) that their collaborators can execute via point and click interfaces. The results generated by the recipes are viewable via the web interface and consist of a snapshot of all the commands, printed messages and files that have been generated during the recipe run.

A demonstration version of our software is available at https://www.bioinformatics.recipes/.

Detailed documentation for the software is available at: https://bioinformatics-recipes.readthedocs.io.

The source code for the software is distributed through GitHub at https://github.com/ialbert/biostar-central.

Conclusions

Our software platform supports collaborative interactions between bioinformaticians and life scientists. The software is presented via a web application that provides a high utility and user-friendly approach for conducting reproducible research. The recipes developed and shared through the web application are generic, with broad applicability and may be downloaded and executed on other computing platforms.
SLFinder, a pipeline for the novel identification of splice-leader sequences: a good enough solution for a complex problem
Authors: Calvelo Javier , Juan Hernán , Musto Héctor , Koziol Uriel , Iriarte Andrés
Published: July 2020

Background

Spliced Leader trans-splicing is an important mechanism for the maturation of mRNAs in several lineages of eukaryotes, including several groups of parasites of great medical and economic importance. Nevertheless, its study across the tree of life is severely hindered by the problem of identifying the SL sequences that are being trans-spliced.

Results

In this paper we present SLFinder, a four-step pipeline meant to identify de novo candidate SL sequences making very few assumptions regarding the SL sequence properties. The pipeline takes transcriptomic de novo assemblies and a reference genome as input and allows the user intervention on several points to account for unexpected features of the dataset. The strategy and its implementation were tested on real RNAseq data from species with and without SL Trans-Splicing.

Conclusions

SLFinder is capable to identify SL candidates with good precision in a reasonable amount of time. It is especially suitable for species with unknown SL sequences, generating candidate sequences for further refining and experimental validation.
Tongue microbiome of smokeless tobacco users
Authors: Halboub Esam , Al-Ak’hali Mohammed S. , Alamir Abdulwahab H. , Homeida Husham E. , Baraniya Divyashri , Chen Tsute , Al-Hebshi Nezar Noor
Published: July 2020

Background

The possibility that smokeless tobacco may contribute to oral carcinogenesis by influencing the oral microbiome has not been explored. This preliminary cross-sectional study sought to assess the effect of using shammah, a form of smokeless tobacco prevalent in Arabia, on the tongue microbiome. Tongue scarping samples were obtained from 29 shammah users (SU; 27.34 ± 6.9 years) and 23 shammah non-users (SNU; 27.7 ± 7.19 years) and analyzed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1-V3). Species-level taxonomy assignment of the high-quality, merged reads was obtained using a previously described BLASTn-based algorithm. Downstream analyses were performed with QIIME, LEfSe, and R.

Results

A total of 178 species, belonging to 62 genera and 8 phyla were identified. Genera Streptococcus, Leptotrichia, Actinomyces, Veillonella, Haemophilus, Prevotella and Neisseria accounted for more than 60% of the average microbiome. There were no differences between the two groups in species richness and alpha-diversity, but PCoA showed significant separation (P = 0.015, ANOSIM). LEfSe analysis identified 22 species to be differentially abundant between the SU and SNU. However, only 7 species maintained a false discovery rate of ≤0.2 and could cluster the two groups separately: Rothia mucilaginosa, Streptococcus sp. oral taxon 66, Actinomyces meyeri, Streptococcus vestibularis Streptococcus sanguinis and a potentially novel Veillonella species in association with SU, and Oribacterium asaccharolyticum with SNU.

Conclusion

These preliminary results indicate that shammah use induces tongue microbiome changes including enrichment of several species with high acetaldehyde production potential, which warrants further investigation.
Translation and validation of the Dutch Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale for older adults
Authors: Feenstra Marlies , Smidt Nynke , van Munster Barbara C. , Glynn Nancy W. , de Rooij Sophia E.
Published: July 2020

Background

The original Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) was developed to assess perceived fatigability in older adults. The objective of this study was to translate the PFS into Dutch and investigate its validity and reliability among hospitalized older adults aged ≥70 years.

Methods

The PFS was translated into Dutch and pretested for comprehensibility by the Three-Step Test Interview method. The factor structure underlying the final version was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analyses (EFA). Internal consistency of the identified subscales was evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha. Construct validity was evaluated by hypothesis testing. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland Altman plots.

Results

The validation sample included 233 patients. CFA of the original factor structure resulted in poor model fit in our Dutch sample. EFA of PFS physical and mental subscales resulted in a two-factor solution underlying the data with good internal consistency of the identified subscales (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.80–0.92). Five out of six hypotheses were confirmed, indicating good construct validity. Retest assessments were performed among 50 patients and showed good reliability for both the physical (ICC: 0.80, 95%CI: 0.68; 0.88) and mental subscale (ICC: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.68; 0.89).

Conclusion

The Dutch PFS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess fatigability in older hospitalized patients.
Correction to: A rare case of pericarditis and pleural empyema secondary to transdiaphragmatic extension of pyogenic liver abscess
Authors: Cho Eunae , Park Sang Woo , Jun Chung Hwan , Shin Sang Soo , Park Eun Kyu , Lee Kyo Seon , Park Seon Young , Park Chang Hwan , Kim Hyun Soo , Choi Sung Kyu , Rew Jong Sun
Published: July 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.