bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Edward H. Hon, MD (1917–2006): A scientist, inventor, academician and the pioneer for the development of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring
Authors: Modanlou Houchang D.
Published: October 2019

Aims

To describe the professional life of Edward H. Hon, MD, and the course of his academic career for the development of electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring.

Methods

Review of archives at the Loma Linda University related to Dr Hon's early education and medical school training, his postgraduate training at Yale University, his faculty appointments at Yale University, University of Southern California and his research accomplishment related to electronic FHR monitoring.

Results

Primarily, Dr Hon advanced the clinical application of the electronic FHR monitoring, particularly during labor and delivery. Dr Hon also defined significance of FHR patterns based on years of clinical studies and astute observations.

Conclusion

Currently, electronic FHR monitoring, during pregnancy and labor/delivery, has a universal application. Dr Hon's research contribution on FHR monitoring, and its impact for the welfare of mother and her unborn child, is well recognized.
High‐resolution esophageal manometry in pediatrics: Effect of esophageal length on diagnostic measures
Authors: Singendonk Maartje M. J. , Ferris Lara F. , McCall Lisa , Seiboth Grace , Lowe Katie , Moore David , Hammond Paul , Couper Richard , Abu‐Assi Rammy , Cock Charles , Benninga Marc A. , van Wijk Michiel P. , Omari Taher I. ,   In Association with the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Pediatric Motility Network
Published: October 2019

Background

High‐resolution esophageal manometry (HREM), derived esophageal pressure topography metrics (EPT), integrated relaxation pressure (IRP), and distal latency (DL) are influenced by age and size. Combined pressure and intraluminal impedance also allow derivation of metrics that define distension pressure and bolus flow timing. We prospectively investigated the effects of esophageal length on these metrics to determine whether adjustment strategies are required for children.

Methods

Fifty‐five children (12.3 ± 4.5 years) referred for HREM, and 30 healthy adult volunteers (46.9 ± 3.8 years) were included. Studies were performed using the MMS system and a standardized protocol including 10 × 5 mL thin liquid bolus swallows (SBM kit, Trisco Foods) and analyzed via Swallow Gateway (www.swallowgateway.com). Esophageal distension pressures and swallow latencies were determined in addition to EGJ resting pressure and standard EPT metrics. Effects of esophageal length were examined using partial correlation, correcting for age. Adult‐derived upper limits were adjusted for length using the slopes of the identified linear equations.

Key Results

Mean esophageal length in children was 16.8 ± 2.8 cm and correlated significantly with age (r = 0.787, P = .000). Shorter length correlated with higher EGJ resting pressure and 4‐s integrated relaxation pressures (IRP), distension pressures, and shorter contraction latencies. Ten patients had an IRP above the adult upper limit. Adjustment for esophageal length reduced the number of patients with elevated IRP to three.

Conclusions & Inferences

We prospectively confirmed that certain EPT metrics, as well as potential useful adjunct pressure‐impedance measures such as distension pressure, are substantially influenced by esophageal length and require adjusted diagnostic thresholds specifically for children.
Might smoking assuage the pro‐inflammatory effect of diabetes in periodontal sites?
Authors: Miranda Tamires Szeremeske , Almeida Mariana Linhares , Marins Letícia Macedo , da Silva Hélio Doyle Pereira , Feres Magda , Duarte Poliana Mendes
Published: October 2019

Objectives

This study evaluated the effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), smoking, and these two factors combined on gingival crevicular fluid levels and ratios of pro‐/anti‐inflammatory cytokines. Associations between cytokines with each other and with key periodontal pathogens in periodontal sites under the challenge of one or both of these risk factors were also assessed.

Methods

A total of 102 subjects with periodontitis were included in this cross‐sectional study and assigned to one of the following groups: non‐diabetic non‐smokers (control group, n = 25), non‐smokers with DM (DM group, n = 30), non‐diabetic smokers (S group, n = 26), and smokers with DM (S + DM group, n = 21). The levels of 13 pro‐inflammatory (IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, MIP‐1α, GM‐CSF, IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐7, IL‐8, IL‐12, IL‐17, IL‐21, and IL‐23) and 5 anti‐inflammatory (IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐10, IL‐13, and TGF‐β) cytokines were assessed in healthy and diseased sites, using multiplex immunoassay. Ratios of pro‐/anti‐inflammatory cytokines were obtained in all possible permutations. The levels of 7 key periodontal pathogens were evaluated by qPCR.

Results

Overall, the ratios of pro‐/anti‐inflammatory cytokines were higher in healthy and diseased sites of the DM group and in healthy sites of the S + DM group, and lower in diseased sites of the S group, compared with the control (p < .05). The proportion of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines in relation to the 18 cytokines studied was higher in the DM group and lower in the S group, whereas the proportion of the anti‐inflammatory cytokines was lower in both diabetic groups and higher in the S group, compared to the control (p < .05). A cluster of six common cytokines (IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐12, IL‐13, IL‐21, and IL‐23) was observed in the diseased sites of all groups studied. Eight common cytokines (IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐12, IL‐13, IL‐17, IL‐21, IL‐23, and IFN‐γ) grouped closely in the healthy sites of both diabetic groups. Significant associations between pathogens and cytokines occurred mainly in the diseased sites of the S + DM group (p < .05).

Conclusion

Diabetes mellitus induced an overall pro‐inflammatory state, while smoking mainly stimulated immunosuppression in periodontal sites. When the two risk factors overlapped, smoking seemed to partially assuage the hyperinflammatory effect of DM.
Medusa y el espejo cóncavo: la raigambre normativa de la violencia sobre el cuerpo
Authors: Martínez Ariel
Published: September 2019

A partir de las consideraciones de Adriana Cavarero sobre el lugar del cuerpo en las modalidades que adquiere la violencia contemporánea, se plantea un recorrido conceptual por ideas de Jacques Lacan, Judith Butler y Kaja Silverman para sostener, por un lado, un giro onto-epistemológico que entiende al cuerpo como efecto de normas sociales y, por otro lado, una reflexión ético-política respecto a los niveles de exposición violenta a los que son sometidos aquellos cuerpos excluidos de los marcos de inteli- gibilidad que tornan una vida vivible. Finalmente, como alternativa a los modos hegemónicos en que la representación opera en la configuración del cuerpo como totalidad y unicidad –que la teoría lacaniana vincula con el espejo plano– se postula el espejo cóncavo como posibilidad de otros modos, alternativos, de representación del cuerpo.
Observaciones sobre algunos aspectos de la filosofía de Ernst Tugendhat
Authors: Martínez Rincón David
Published: October 2019

En este artículo, quiero proponer la tesis de que hay un hilo conductor en la filosofía de Tugendhat que vincula el análisis conceptual con su teoría moral y su teoría de la justicia. Mi intención es reconstruir algunos aspectos de su filosofía siguiendo su tesis de que es necesaria una aclaración conceptual para explicar qué es la justicia. Para tal fin, divido el siguiente texto en cuatro partes: en la primera, expongo qué entiende el autor por aclaración o análisis conceptual; en la segunda, explico algunos rasgos de su teoría moral, el contractualismo; y, en la tercera, presento su teoría de la justicia. Finalmente, doy cuenta de algunas conclusiones que enmarcan mi trabajo en el estudio de la discusión de la teoría de la justicia de Rawls y Tugendhat.
¿Partir del Dasein o partir del judaísmo? El judaísmo como categoría filosófica en Levinas y una posible actualización del problema
Authors: Fonti Diego , Guevara Francisco
Published: October 2019

La obra de Levinas se ubica explícitamente en la herencia fenomenológica. Sin embargo, en repetidas ocasiones recupera nociones provenientes de la tradición religiosa, particularmente judía, al punto de afirmar que el judaísmo es una “categoría del ser”. Este trabajo analiza el rol del judaísmo como categoría a partir de la reconstrucción del sentido de esa noción en los autores más influyentes en la filosofía levinasiana. Finalmente, se muestra el rol y significado que esta estructura categorial asume en Levi- nas a partir de cuatro núcleos: la exposición de la alteridad como separación y gloria; la relación de responsabilidad como elección y sustitución; la comprensión de la temporalidad como creación y redención; y la exposición del lenguaje a partir del profetismo.
Extending the Modified Inertia Representation to Constrained Rigid Multibody Systems
Authors: Xu X. M. , Luo J. H. , Wu Z. G.
Published: October 2019

The inertia representation of a constrained system includes the formulation of the kinetic energy and its corresponding mass matrix, given the coordinates of the system. The way to find a proper inertia representation achieving better numerical performance is largely unexplored. This paper extends the modified inertia representation (MIR) to the constrained rigid multibody systems. By using the orthogonal projection, we show the possibility to derive the MIR for many types of non-minimal coordinates. We present examples of the derivation of the MIR for both planar and spatial rigid body systems. Error estimation shows that the MIR is different from the traditional inertia representation (TIR) in that its parameter γ can be used to reduce the kinetic energy error. With preconditioned γ, numerical results show that the MIR consistently presents significantly higher numerical accuracy and faster convergence speed than the TIR for the given variational integrator. The idea of using different inertia representations to improve the numerical performance may go beyond constrained rigid multibody systems to other systems governed by differential algebraic equations.
Failure in Two-Dimensional Materials: Defect Sensitivity and Failure Criteria
Authors: Qin Huasong , Sorkin Viachesla , Pei Qing-Xiang , Liu Yilun , Zhang Yong-Wei
Published: October 2019

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted a great deal of attention recently owing to their fascinating structural, mechanical, and electronic properties. The failure phenomena in 2D materials can be diverse and manifested in different forms due to the presence of defects. Here, we review the structural features of seven types of defects, including vacancies, dislocations, Stone-Wales (S-W) defects, chemical functionalization, grain boundary, holes, and cracks in 2D materials, as well as their diverse mechanical failure mechanisms. It is shown that in general, the failure behaviors of 2D materials are highly sensitive to the presence of defects, and their size, shape, and orientation also matter. It is also shown that the failure behaviors originated from these defects can be captured by the maximum bond-stretching criterion, where structural mechanics is suitable to describe the deformation and failure of 2D materials. While for a well-established crack, fracture mechanics-based failure criteria are still valid. It is expected that these findings may also hold for other nanomaterials. This overview presents a useful reference for the defect manipulation and design of 2D materials toward engineering applications.
Tribological Property Investigation of Self-Lubricating Molybdenum-Based Zirconia Ceramic Composite Operational at Elevated Temperature
Authors: Ghosh Kunal , Mazumder Subhrojyoti , Kumar Singh Bipin , Hirani Harish , Roy Poulomi , Mandal Nilrudra
Published: October 2019

Three mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y-TZP) with 0.5 wt% of magnesium oxide (MgO) and 6 wt% of molybdenum (Mo) were prepared by the pressureless sintering process, and the friction and wear behavior of the ceramic composite were studied against the alumina disc. Tribological tests were carried out both at room temperature as well as at an elevated temperature (500 °C). The result revealed that a substantial reduction of ∼50% in the friction coefficient and ∼31% reduction in the wear rate were achieved while 6 wt% Mo was added into the 3Y-TZP matrix operational at 500 °C. No significant tribological influence was observed with the addition of Mo at the normal operating temperature. The minimum coefficient of friction and low specific wear rate were achieved because of the formation of MoO3 in between the mating surfaces at elevated temperature. The worn surfaces were characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The formation of MoO3 phases was identified by wear debris analysis which was performed with the help of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Closed-Form Stress Intensity Factor Solutions for Surface Cracks With Large Aspect Ratios in Plates
Authors: Azuma Kisaburo , Li Yinsheng , Xu Steven
Published: October 2019

Alloy 82/182/600, which is used in light-water reactors, is known to be susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking. The depth of some of these cracks may exceed the value of half-length on the surface. Although the stress intensity factor (SIF) for cracks plays an important role in predicting crack propagation and failure, Section XI of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code does not provide SIF solutions for such deep cracks. In this study, closed-form SIF solutions for deep surface cracks in plates are discussed using an influence coefficient approach. The stress distribution at the crack location is represented by a fourth-degree-polynomial equation. Tables for influence coefficients obtained by finite element analysis in the previous studies are used for curve fitting. The closed-form solutions for the influence coefficients were developed at the surface point, the deepest point, and the maximum point of a crack with an aspect ratio a/c ranging from 1.0 to 8.0, where a is the crack depth and c is one-half of the crack length. The maximum point of a crack refers to the location on the crack front where the SIF reaches a maximum value.
A New Global Variance Reduction Technique Based on Geometry and Energy Splitting/Roulette
Authors: Zheng Z. , Li R. , Zhou Y. , Mei Q. , Deng L.
Published: October 2019

With the increase of computer resources and the application of global variance reduction (GVR) method, it is a trend to obtain global distribution using the Monte Carlo (MC) method in deep-penetration shielding calculation. GVR technique uses biased source and weight window to decrease the MC calculation tally error for deep-penetration problems. However, excessive splitting of large weight particles out of the source region is time-consuming for problems with significant fluence rate variation. A new GVR technique, which performs space and energy splitting/roulette based on the importance of the phase space, is proposed in this paper to avoid excessive splitting of large weight particles. The improved GVR technique is applied to the H. B. Robinson Unit 2 (HBR-2) benchmark and CAP1400 dose rate distribution calculation. Numerical results show that the new GVR technique shows excellent performance for deep-penetration shielding calculation.
Theoretical Development of Cross Section Uncertainty Library for Core Simulators
Authors: Huang Dongli , Abdel-Khalik Hany S.
Published: October 2019

The current regulatory process allows for the use of models employing realistic assumptions as opposed to conservative bounding approaches, requiring a concerted use of best-estimate modeling and comprehensive estimation of uncertainties, collectively referred to as best-estimate-plus-uncertainty methods. This necessitates access to an integrated and automated procedure for the propagation and understanding of key sources of uncertainties. Focusing on neutronic reactor core simulation, this paper lays the theoretical foundations for an uncertainty characterization framework that is comprehensive, informative, and efficient, implying its ability to propagate all sources of uncertainties and identify key contributors in a computationally efficient manner. This paper represents the overarching objective of our work to propagate multigroup (MG) cross section uncertainties through lattice physics calculations and core-wide simulation. This requires the evaluation of few-group parameters uncertainties in terms of a wide range of local conditions, e.g., burnup, fuel temperature, etc., which results in a very high dimensional uncertainty space. The first strategy employed to compress the few-group uncertainties is the physics-guided coverage mapping (PCM) methodology developed to assess the similarity between the branch and base uncertainties in lattice calculation. To further compress the uncertainty propagated, this paper employs an accuracy-preserving reduced order modeling (ROM) technique relying on the use of range finding algorithms to construct all few-group parameters variations to a very small preset tolerance. In a separate cosubmitted paper, this framework is demonstrated to thermal reactors including both light and heavy water systems using a number of computer codes, including NESTLE-C, SERPENT, SCALE's NEWT, and SAMPLER codes.
Lie Group Based Type Synthesis Using Transformation Configuration Space for Reconfigurable Parallel Mechanisms With Bifurcation Between Spherical Motion and Planar Motion
Authors: Wei Jun , Dai Jian S.
Published: October 2019

This paper investigates novel reconfigurable parallel mechanisms with bifurcation between planar subgroup SE(2) and rotation subgroup SO(3) based on a transformation configuration space. Having recollected necessary theoretical fundamentals with regard to compositional submanifolds and kinematic bonds, the motion representation of the platform of reconfigurable parallel mechanisms are investigated. The transformation configuration space of a reconfigurable parallel mechanism with motion branches is proposed with respect to the fact that the intersection of Lie subgroups or submanifolds is the identity element or a non-identity element. The switch conditions of the transformation configuration space are discussed, leading to establishment of a theoretical foundation for realizing a switch of motion branches. The switch principle of reconfigurable parallel mechanisms is further investigated with respect to the common motion between SE(2) parallel-mechanism motion generators and SO(3) parallel-mechanism motion generators. Under this principle, the subchains with common motion generators are synthesized and divided into two types of generators. The first type of generators generates kinematic chains with a common intersection of three joint axes, and the second type of generators generates a common intersection of two joint axes. Following this, two types of reconfigurable parallel mechanisms with three identical subchains are synthesized, resulting in 11 varieties in which platforms can be switched between SE(2) and SO(3) after passing through the singularity configuration space.
Nonlinear Energy Sinks With Piecewise-Linear Nonlinearities
Authors: AL-Shudeifat Mohammad A.
Published: October 2019

An efficient nonlinear energy sink (NES) is developed here by employing a symmetric piecewise nonlinear coupling force. The proposed piecewise NES has a symmetric clearance about its equilibrium position in which zero stiffness is assumed. However, at the boundaries of the symmetric clearance, the NES is coupled to the linear structure by either linear or nonlinear stiffness elements. The damping is assumed to be continuous linear viscous damping during the oscillation of the NES mass inside and outside the clearance zone. This design is further modified by incorporating a negative coupling stiffness within the clearance zone. Therefore, the performance of the proposed piecewise NESs in rapid vibration suppression is numerically investigated with two-degree-of-freedom spring-mass system and compared with existing NESs in the literature. Accordingly, significant improvement in vibration suppression has been achieved by the proposed piecewise NES compared with other types of existing NESs. Moreover, the numerical simulation results have shown more robustness in the piecewise NES performance for a wide range of stiffness and damping variations than the linear absorber and other types of NESs in the literature.
Prediction Equations for Marathon Performance: A Systematic Review
Authors: Keogh Alison , Smyth Barry , Caulfield Brian , Lawlor Aonghus , Berndsen Jakim , Doherty Cailbhe
Published: September 2019

Purpose: Despite the volume of available literature focusing on marathon running and the prediction of performance, no single prediction equations exists that is accurate for all runners of varying experiences and abilities. Indeed the relative merits and utility of the existing equations remain unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to collate, characterize, compare, and contrast all available marathon prediction equations. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify observational research studies outlining any kind of prediction algorithm for marathon performance. Results: Thirty-six studies with 114 equations were identified. Sixty-one equations were based on training and anthropometric variables, whereas 53 equations included variables that required laboratory tests and equipment. The accuracy of these equations was denoted via a variety of metrics; r2 values were provided for 68 equations (r2 = .10–.99), and an SEE was provided for 19 equations (SEE 0.27–27.4 min). Conclusion: Heterogeneity of the data precludes the identification of a single “best” equation. Important variables such as course gradient, sex, and expected weather conditions were often not included, and some widely used equations did not report the r2 value. Runners should therefore be wary of relying on a single equation to predict their performance.
Explaining the outcomes of the 'Clean India' campaign: institutional behaviour and sanitation transformation in India
Authors: Curtis Val
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Many less developed countries are struggling to provide universal access to safe sanitation, but in the past 5 years India has almost reached its target of eliminating open defaecation.

Objective

To understand how the Indian government effected this sanitation transformation.

Methods

The study employed interviews with 17 actors in the government’s ‘Clean India’ programme across the national capital and four states, which were analysed using a theory of change grounded in Behaviour Centred Design.

Results

TheSwachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)claims to have improved the coverage of toilets in rural India from 39% to over 95% of households between 2014 and mid-2019. From interviews with relevant actors we constructed a theory of change for the programme, in which high-level political support and disruptive leadership changed environments in districts, which led to psychological changes in district officials. This, in turn, led to changed behaviour for sanitation programming. The prime minister set an ambitious goal of eliminating open defaecation by the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2019). This galvanised government bureaucracy, while early success in 100 flagship districts reduced the scepticism of government employees, a cadre of 500 young professionals placed in districts imparted new ideas and energy, social and mass media were used to inform and motivate the public, and new norms of ethical behaviour were demonstrated by leaders. As a result, district officials became emotionally involved in the programme and felt pride at their achievement in ridding villages of open defaecation.

Conclusions

Though many challenges remain, governments seeking to achieve the sustainable development goal of universal access to safe sanitation can emulate the success of India’sSwachh Bharat Mission.
Using population-wide administrative and laboratory data to estimate type- and subtype-specific influenza vaccine effectiveness: a surveillance protocol
Authors: Scott Allison Nicole , Buchan Sarah A , Kwong Jeffrey C , Drews Steven J , Simmonds Kimberley A , Svenson Lawrence W
Published: October 2019

Introduction

The appropriateness of using routinely collected laboratory data combined with administrative data for estimating influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) is still being explored. This paper outlines a protocol to estimate influenza VE using linked laboratory and administrative data which could act as a companion to estimates derived from other methods.

Methods and analysis

We will use the test-negative design to estimate VE for each influenza type/subtype and season. Province-wide individual-level records of positive and negative influenza tests at the Provincial Laboratory for Public Health in Alberta will be linked, by unique personal health numbers, to administrative databases and vaccination records held at the Ministry of Health in Alberta to determine covariates and influenza vaccination status, respectively. Covariates of interests include age, sex, immunocompromising chronic conditions and healthcare setting. Cases will be defined based on an individual’s first positive influenza test during the season, and potential controls will be defined based on an individual’s first negative influenza test during the season. One control for each case will be randomly selected based on the week the specimen was collected. We will estimate VE using multivariable logistic regression.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Alberta’s Health Research Ethics Board—Health Panel under study ID Pro00075997. Results will be disseminated by public health officials in Alberta.
Testing the socioeconomic and environmental determinants of better child-health outcomes in Africa: a cross-sectional study among nations
Authors: Bradshaw Corey J A , Otto Sarah P , Annamalay Alicia A , Heft-Neal Sam , Wagner Zachary , Le Souëf Peter N
Published: October 2019

Objective

We sought to test hypotheses regarding the principal correlates of child-health performance among African nations based on previous evidence collected at finer spatial scales.

Design

Retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Setting

All countries in Africa, excluding small-island nations.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We defined a composite child-health indicator for each country comprising the incidence of stunting, deaths from respiratory disease, deaths from diarrhoeal disease, deaths from other infectious disease and deaths from injuries for children aged under 5 years. We also compiled national-level data for Africa to test the effects of country-level water quality, air pollution, food supply, breast feeding, environmental performance, per capita wealth, healthcare investment, population density and governance quality on the child-health indicator.

Results

Across nations, child health was lowest when water quality, improved sanitation, air quality and environmental performance were lowest. There was also an important decline in child health as household size (a proxy for population density) increased. The remaining variables had only weak effects, but in the directions we hypothesised.

Conclusions

These results emphasise the importance of continued investment in clean water and sanitation services, measures to improve air quality and efforts to restrict further environmental degradation, to promote the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3 target to ‘… end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5’ and Goal 6 to ‘… ensure access to water and sanitation for all’ by 2030.
From strategy to action: a qualitative study on salient factors influencing knowledge transfer in project-based experiential learning in healthcare organisations in Kenya
Authors: Chelagat Tecla , Onyango Joseph , Kokwaro Gilbert , Rice Jim
Published: October 2019

Objectives

Knowledge transfer is recognised as a key determinant of organisational competitiveness. Existing literature on the transfer of knowledge and skills imply diminutive return on investment in training and development due to the low application of learnt knowledge. Following devolution of health services provision to new counties in Kenya in 2013, Strathmore Business School designed an experiential facility improvement project-based leadership training programme for healthcare managers in the new counties. Selected healthcare management teams participated in the leadership training to improve health systems performance in the devolved counties in Kenya. Despite similar training, the projects implementation contexts were different, leading to different implementation completion rates. The aim of this study was to investigate the reasons for this disparity and then recommend solutions.

Design

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. A thematic framework approach was used in data analysis.

Setting and participants

Thirty-nine projects teams constituting; 33 successful and 6 unsuccessful project teams, were purposively selected based on their project implementation success rates at the end of the leadership training. The managers had undertaken a team-based institutional improvement project. The prioritised projects were housed within; 23 public, 10 faith-based and 6 private health facilities in 19 counties in Kenya.

Results

Our findings indicate projects completion rates were influenced by (training design, work environment climate, trainee characteristics, team-based coaching and leveraging on occurring opportunities). Transfer barriers were (inadequate management support, inadequate team and staff support, high staff turnover, misalignment of board’s verses manager’s priorities, missing technical expertise, endemic strikes, negative politics and poor communication). Recommendations were (need-driven curriculum, effective allocation and efficient utilisation of resources, proper prioritisation, effective communication, longitudinal coaching and work-teams recruitment).

Conclusion

The findings reveal that unless training interventions are informed by a need-driven curriculum customised to real-world work teams, the potential knowledge and skill transfer can be thwarted.
Concomitant atopic dermatitis and narcolepsy type 1: psychiatric implications and challenges in management
Authors: Chin Justin , Bearison Craig , Silverberg Nanette , Lee Wong Mary
Published: October 2019

Atopic dermatitis (AD) and narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) are two distinct diseases that have not been classically shown to be related. The potential connection between the known immunological aetiology of AD and the proposed autoimmune pathophysiology of dysregulation in NT1; however, is the subject of ongoing speculation and debate with advances in gene sequencing and technology. Here, we present a case of a patient with concomitant refractory AD and NT1 and review the current research on their immunological relationship and the challenges in management relative to disease burden and psychiatric comorbidities.
Addendum: On deformations of C∗-algebras by actions of Kählerian Lie groups
Authors: Bieliavsky Pierre , Gayral Victor , Neshveyev Sergey , Tuset Lars
Published: September 2019

We show that two approaches to equivariant deformation of C[Formula: see text]-algebras by actions of negatively curved Kählerian Lie groups, one based on oscillatory integrals and the other on quantizations maps defined by dual [Formula: see text]-cocycles, are still equivalent despite the nonunitarity of our [Formula: see text]-cocycles.
Consequences of a fiber bundle description of a lattice system
Authors: Sen Siddhartha , Gupta Kumar S.
Published: October 2019

Some observable consequences that follow from a fiber bundle description of a tight binding condensed matter system on a lattice are described. The geometrical picture can be extended to describe non-periodic lattice structures, where a single Brillouin zone is predicted.
∗-Strongly regular rings
Authors: Wang Long , Qu Yinchun , Wei Junchao
Published: September 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a ring with involution ∗. An element [Formula: see text] is called ∗-strongly regular if there exists a projection [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is invertible, and [Formula: see text] is said to be ∗-strongly regular if every element of [Formula: see text] is ∗-strongly regular. We discuss the relations among strongly regular rings, ∗-strongly regular rings, regular rings and ∗-regular rings. Also, we show that an element [Formula: see text] of a ∗-ring [Formula: see text] is ∗-strongly regular if and only if [Formula: see text] is EP. Hence we finally give some characterizations of EP elements.
Local Response of Actin Networks is Controlled by Tensile Strains in the Stress-Fibers: Insights From a Discrete Network Model
Authors: Zolfaghari Naeem , Moghimi Zand Mahdi , Dargazany Roozbeh
Published: September 2019

Using a discrete random network model of the actin cytoskeleton, we studied the effect of stretching of a stiff-fiber on the elastic response of a fibrous network. In real networks, this component can either be a stress-fiber, bundle of fibers within the network, or a microtubule. We analyze the response of this network due to shear loads while the stiff component is under or free of tensile strains. It is observed that the initial response of this network under shear loading is highly dependent on the amount of tensile strain in the stiff-fiber. In addition, the response depends on the amount and the direction of the shear loading, which is either a softening or a stiffening response depending on the loading direction. As a result, the apparent shear modulus of the network containing a preloaded stiff-fiber may become larger or smaller compared to a network with a relaxed stiff-fiber. This effect intensifies for higher levels of tensile strains in the stiff-fiber and for stiffer cross-links, and lessens for higher network densities. The results of the current research are useful in deciphering the response of soft fibrous materials such as the cell cytoskeleton or other networks comprising a random fibrous network containing a stiffer component than the main fibers of the network.
Learners’ Technological Acceptance of VR Content Development: A Sequential 3-Part Use Case Study of Diverse Post-Secondary Students
Authors: Nguyen Vinh T. , Hite Rebecca , Dang Tommy
Published: October 2019

Web-based virtual reality (VR) development tools are in ubiquitous use by software developers, and now, university (undergraduate) students, to move beyond using, to creating new and energizing VR content. Web-based VR (WebVR), among other libraries and frameworks, have risen as a low-cost platform for users to create rich and intuitive VR content and applications. However, the success of WebVR as an instructional tool relies on post-secondary students technological acceptance (TA), the intersectionality of a user’s perceived utility (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU, or convenience) with said technological tool. Yet, there is a dearth of exploratory studies of students’ experiences with the AR/VR development technologies to infer their TA. To ascertain the viability of WebVR tools for software engineering undergraduates in the classroom, this paper presents a 3-case contextual investigation of 38 undergraduate students tasked with creating VR content. In each use case, students were provided increasing freedom in their VR content development parameters. Results indicated that students demonstrated elements of technological acceptance in their selection of webVR and other platforms, and not only successfully creating rich and robust VR content (PU), but also executing these projects in a short period (PEOU). Other positive externalities observed were students exhibitions of soft skills (e.g. creativity, critical thinking) and different modes of demonstrating coding knowledge, which suggest further study. Discussed are the lessons learned from the WebVR and VR/AR interventions and recommendations for WebVR instruction. This work may be helpful for both learners and teachers using VR/AR in selecting, designing, and developing coursework materials, tools, and libraries.
Efficient Live and On-Demand Tiled HEVC 360 VR Video Streaming
Authors: Jeppsson Mattis , Espeland Håvard N. , Kupka Tomas , Langseth Ragnar , Petlund Andreas , Peng Qiaoqiao , Xue Chuansong , Johansen Dag , Pogorelov Konstantin , Stensland Håkon , Griwodz Carsten , Riegler Michael , Halvorsen Pål
Published: October 2019

360∘ panorama video displayed through Virtual Reality (VR) glasses or large screens offers immersive user experiences, but as such technology becomes commonplace, the need for efficient streaming methods of such high-bitrate videos arises. In this respect, the attention that 360∘ panorama video has received lately is huge. Many methods have already been proposed, and in this paper, we shed more light on the different trade-offs in order to save bandwidth while preserving the video quality in the user’s field-of-view (FoV). Using 360∘ VR content delivered to a Gear VR head-mounted display with a Samsung Galaxy S7 and to a Huawei Q22 set-top-box, we have tested various tiling schemes analyzing the tile layout, the tiling and encoding overheads, mechanisms for faster quality switching beyond the DASH segment boundaries and quality selection configurations. In this paper, we present an efficient end-to-end design and real-world implementation of such a 360∘ streaming system. Furthermore, in addition to researching an on-demand system, we also go beyond the existing on-demand solutions and present a live streaming system which strikes a trade-off between bandwidth usage and the video quality in the user’s FoV. We have created an architecture that combines RTP and DASH, and our system multiplexes a single HEVC hardware decoder to provide faster quality switching than at the traditional GOP boundaries. We demonstrate the performance and illustrate the trade-offs through real-world experiments where we can report comparable bandwidth savings to existing on-demand approaches, but with faster quality switches when the FoV changes.
Transformational change in the field of diffuse optics: From going bananas to going nuts
Authors: Fantini Sergio , Blaney Giles , Sassaroli Angelo
Published: September 2019

The concept of region of sensitivity is central to the field of diffuse optics and is closely related to the Jacobian matrix used to solve the inverse problem in imaging. It is well known that, in diffuse reflectance, the region of sensitivity associated with a given source–detector pair is shaped as a banana, and features maximal sensitivity to the portions of the sample that are closest to the source and the detector. We have recently introduced a dual-slope (DS) method based on a special arrangement of two sources and two detectors, which results in deeper and more localized regions of sensitivity, resembling the shapes of different kinds of nuts. Here, we report the regions of sensitivity associated with a variety of source–detector arrangements for DS measurements of intensity and phase with frequency-domain spectroscopy (modulation frequency: 140[Formula: see text]MHz) in a medium with absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of 0.1 and 12 cm[Formula: see text], respectively. The main result is that the depth of maximum sensitivity, considering only cases that use source-detector separations of 25 and 35 mm, progressively increases as we consider single-distance intensity (2.0[Formula: see text]mm), DS intensity (4.6[Formula: see text]mm), single-distance phase (7.5[Formula: see text]mm), and DS phase (10.9[Formula: see text]mm). These results indicate the importance of DS measurements, and even more so of phase measurements, when it is desirable to selectively probe deeper portions of a sample with diffuse optics. This is certainly the case in non-invasive optical studies of brain, muscle, and breast tissue, which are located underneath the superficial tissue at variable depths.
Establishing simulation model for optimizing efficiency of CNC machine using reliability-centered maintenance approach
Authors: Hussain Zahid , Jan Hamid
Published: September 2019

The objective of this work was to enhance the product’s quality by concentrating on the machine’s optimized efficiency. In order to increase the machine’s reliability, the basis of reliability-centered maintenance approach was utilized. The purpose was to establish a planned preventive maintenance strategy to identify the machine’s critical components having a noteworthy effect on the product’s quality. The critical components were prioritized using failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA). The goal of the study was to decrease the ppm time interval for a CNC machine by simulating the projected preventive maintenance time interval. For this purpose, the simulation software ProModel 7.5 was implemented for the current preventive maintenance procedure to choose the best ppm time interval which contributed better norms. Five dissimilar optimization approaches were applied, however, the first approach yielded the prominent total system cost and the shorter ppm interval. The results of the study revealed that there was an increase of USD 1878 as a result of an increase in total system cost from USD 78,365 to USD 80,243. Preventive maintenance costs were reduced from USD 4196 to USD 2248 (46%). The costs associated with good parts increased from USD 8259 to USD 8294 (0.4%) and the costs associated with defective parts reduced from USD 171 to USD 3 (98.25%), respectively.
Finite-size-effect on a very large length scale in NBT-based lead-free piezoelectrics
Authors: Mishra Anupam , Khatua Dipak Kumar , Adhikary Gobinda Das , Kumar Naveen , Shankar Uma , Ranjan Rajeev
Published: September 2019

[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]TiO3-based lead-free piezoelectrics are considered for potential replacement of the lead-based commercial piezoceramics in high-power transducer applications. We have examined the role of grain size in influencing the structural-polar inhomogeneity of stoichiometric and off-stoichiometric [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]TiO3 (NBT), and its morphotropic-phase-boundary (MPB) derivative 0.94[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (NBT-6BT). Our study reveals that size effect comes into play in these systems on a very large length scale (on the scale of microns) considerably affecting its global structure and properties.
Conceptualizing Policing and Security: New Harmscapes, the Anthropocene, and Technology
Authors: Holley Cameron , Mutongwizo Tariro , Shearing Clifford
Published: September 2019

This review explores past and future shifts in policing and criminology scholarship that have shaped, and been shaped by, what is done to enhance safety within political domains. Investigating established policing conceptualizations, the review demonstrates how the ideal of state-delivered safety as a public good was challenged by a sizeable policing industry, giving rise to debates about legal context, service provision, and conceptualizations of policing and security nodal arrangements. This review argues that these understandings are now confronted by new harms and new conceptualizations of social institutional affairs. Interrogating these claims through an examination of the Anthropocene and technologies of cyberspace, we canvass debates and show that a shared focus of attention for the future of policing will be a decentralization of security and an expansion of private security governance professionals (both human and nonhuman).
Postprandial effects on electrolyte homeostasis in the kidney
Authors: Klemens Christine A. , Brands Michael W. , Staruschenko Alexander
Published: September 2019

Insulin is known to be an important regulator of a number of different channels and transporters in the kidney, but its role in the kidney to prevent Na+and volume loss during the osmotic load after a meal has only recently been validated. With increasing numbers of people suffering from diabetes and hypertension, furthering our understanding of insulin signaling and renal Na+handling in both normal and diseased states is essential for improving patient treatments and outcomes. The present review is focused on postprandial effects on Na+reabsorption in the kidney and the role of the epithelial Na+channels as an important channel contributing to insulin-mediated Na+reclamation.
AMPK phosphorylation of the β1Pix exchange factor regulates the assembly and function of an ENaC inhibitory complex in kidney epithelial cells
Authors: Ho Pei-Yin , Li Hui , Cheng Lei , Bhalla Vivek , Fenton Robert A. , Hallows Kenneth R.
Published: September 2019

The metabolic sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibits the epithelial Na+channel (ENaC), a key regulator of salt reabsorption by the kidney and thus total body volume and blood pressure. Recent studies have suggested that AMPK promotes the association of p21-activated kinase-interacting exchange factor-β1β1Pix, 14-3-3 proteins, and the ubiquitin ligase neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein (Nedd)4-2 into a complex that inhibits ENaC by enhancing Nedd4-2 binding to ENaC and ENaC degradation. Functional β1Pix is required for ENaC inhibition by AMPK and promotes Nedd4-2 phosphorylation and stability in mouse kidney cortical collecting duct cells. Here, we report that AMPK directly phosphorylates β1Pix in vitro. Among several AMPK phosphorylation sites on β1Pix detected by mass spectrometry, Ser71was validated as functionally significant. Compared with wild-type β1Pix, overexpression of a phosphorylation-deficient β1Pix-S71A mutant attenuated ENaC inhibition and the AMPK-activated interaction of both β1Pix and Nedd4-2 to 14-3-3 proteins in cortical collecting duct cells. Similarly, overexpression of a β1Pix-Δ602–611 deletion tract mutant unable to bind 14-3-3 proteins decreased the interaction between Nedd4-2 and 14-3-3 proteins, suggesting that 14-3-3 binding to β1Pix is critical for the formation of a β1Pix/Nedd4-2/14-3-3 complex. With expression of a general peptide inhibitor of 14-3-3-target protein interactions (R18), binding of both β1Pix and Nedd4-2 to 14-3-3 proteins was reduced, and AMPK-dependent ENaC inhibition was also attenuated. Altogether, our results demonstrate the importance of AMPK-mediated phosphorylation of β1Pix at Ser71, which promotes 14-3-3 interactions with β1Pix and Nedd4-2 to form a tripartite ENaC inhibitory complex, in the mechanism of ENaC regulation by AMPK.