bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
After the deluge: new universalism and postcolonial difference
Authors: Pasha Mustapha Kamal
Published: July 2020

This article probes the promises and anomalies of a new universalism proposed by Dipesh Chakrabarty as an apparent retort to the challenge of the Anthropocene. Revising established understandings of temporality and human agency imagined within modernity, the new universalism depicts a radically different horizon shaped by interconnections produced by the subsumption of human history into natural history. A key element of Chakrabarty’s new universalism is his dramatic repudiation of the reputed postcolonial claim of difference which hurriedly dissolves the afterlife and persistence of coloniality on a global scale in favour of a yet-to-be-forged planetary consciousness. Chakrabarty’s new universalism raises profound questions for rethinking International Relations (IR). However, without due cognisance of sedimented difference, Chakrabarty ends up reciting the secular-liberal story of one-world universalism. It is argued here that a differentiated universalism organised around the notion of human finitude can simultaneously attend to postcolonial concerns and the challenge of the Anthropocene.
That Which Is Carved in Stone: Nanjing’s Monuments and Chinese Commemoration of the Second World War
Authors: Henshaw Jonathan
Published: July 2020

Chinese commemoration of the Second World War and of the Nanjing Massacre that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s has been framed as a “new remembering” in response to political change in China and Japanese denial. This periodization obscures both earlier Chinese commemorations and the multiple ways the past has been (re-)remembered. In fact, Chinese commemoration of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre began much earlier, in 1937. Nanjing and its history of building, bulldozing, and restoring wartime monuments and memorial sites offer a case study of how China’s shifting political priorities have provided frameworks that alternately enable and restrain commemoration of the wartime past. This article explores these frameworks, with particular attention to occupied territory, in order to more fully understand the war’s legacy in the People’s Republic of China.
Priority-based speed control strategy for automated guided vehicle path planning in automated container terminals
Authors: Zhong Meisu , Yang Yongsheng , Sun Shu , Zhou Yamin , Postolache Octavian , Ge Ying-En
Published: July 2020

With the continuous increase in labour costs and the demands of the supply chain, improving the efficiency of automated container terminals has been a key factor in the development of ports. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are the main means of horizontal transport in such terminals, and problems in relation to their use such as vehicle conflict, congestion and waiting times have become very serious, greatly reducing the operating efficiency of the terminals. In this article, we model the minimum driving distance of AGVs that transport containers between quay cranes (QCs) and yard cranes (YCs). AGVs are able to choose the optimal path from pre-planned paths by testing the overlap rate and the conflict time. To achieve conflict-free AGV path planning, a priority-based speed control strategy is used in conjunction with the Dijkstra depth-first search algorithm to solve the model. The simulation experiments show that this model can effectively reduce the probability of AGVs coming into conflict, reduce the time QCs and YCs have to wait for their next task and improve the operational efficiency of AGV horizontal transportation in automated container terminals.
A decentralized observer-based optimal control for interconnected systems using the block pulse functions
Authors: Ghali Soumaya , Benallegue Abdelaziz , Elloumi Salwa
Published: July 2020

The paper proposes a method to integrate numerically an interconnected system, based on an idea of orthogonal approximation of functions. Here, block pulse functions (BPFs) are chosen as the orthogonal set. The main advantage of using this technique is its ability to transform the original optimal control problem to a mathematical programming problem relatively easier to solve. The primary focus of this paper is to exploit and rigorously develop the BPFs parametrization technique for the synthesis of a decentralized observer-based optimal control for large-scale interconnected systems. In addition, we develop a mathematical model of a double-parallel inverted pendulum coupled by a spring, taking into account all possible changes of the connecting position of the elastic spring. In so doing, we conducted advanced simulations applying the new optimal control method to the studied interconnected system. Our results demonstrate the validity and the effectiveness of the developed decentralized observer-based optimal control approach.
Experimental investigation into methane production from hydrate-bearing clayey sediment by CO2/N2 replacement
Authors: Pan Dong-Bin , Zhong Xiu-Ping , Li Bing , Li Xi-Tong , Chen Chen
Published: July 2020

The replacement of gas hydrate in clayey sediment by a CO2/N2 (20:80) gas mixture injection was experimentally studied to explore the influence of clay on the gas exchange behaviours in the gas hydrate. Clay (montmorillonite) and silica sand were mixed in three different proportions (clay mass ratios of 10%, 30% and 50%) to simulate the host sediments of natural gas hydrate while pure silica sand sediment was selected for comparison. Experimental results showed that clay hindered gas diffusion during the initial replacement stage and thus reduced the methane recovery rate. In the later stage, the gas exchange between CO2/N2 and methane in the hydrate structure might be subject to thermodynamic inhibition and geometric constraints of the clay interlayer. Moreover, the CO2 sequestration ratio was lowered significantly in the sediment with a 50% clay mass ratio. Therefore, it was determined that clay has an inhibitory effect on gas hydrate replacement by CO2/N2.
The discursive hegemony of Trump’s Jacksonian populism: Race, class, and gender in constructions and contestations of US national identity, 2016–2018
Authors: Holland Jack , Fermor Ben
Published: July 2020

Contributing to burgeoning studies of populism, this article conceptualises and contextualises Trump’s language as ‘Jacksonian populism’. We explore how this style of populist discourse influenced political debates before and after Trump’s election. Ours is the first article to analyse opposition and media responses to Trump’s construction of ‘real America’ as that of a Jacksonian, White, and male working class. To do so, the article analyses 1165 texts, from the government, opposition, newspapers, television coverage, and social media. In addition to locating Trump’s reification of a mythologised White working class within a broader Jacksonian tradition, we find that the Democratic opposition and mainstream media initially reproduced this construction, furthering Trump’s cause. Even where discursive challenges were subsequently developed, they often served to reproduce a distinct – and hitherto unspoken for – White (male) working-class America. In short, early resistance actively reinforced Trump’s discursive hegemony, which centred on reclaiming the primacy of working, White America in the national identity.
Scientific evaluation models in Latin America and the criteria for assessing researchers
Authors: Delgado Rene-Manuel , Tarango Javier , Machin-Mastromatteo Juan D.
Published: July 2020

This article analyzes the importance of scientific evaluation in Latin America, by identifying the institutions regulating it in each country, reviewing their strategic objectives for recognizing researchers and analyzing the use of diverse evaluation criteria. From a documentary analysis of the models for evaluating researchers in 19 countries, we unified the activities and products that are considered in these countries and we developed a general model for evaluating researchers, which consists of six dimensions and 39 criteria that allow characterizing the ways in which researchers’ activities are evaluated in the region. Finally, we compared the model’s criteria with data from bibliometric, economic and educational indicators.
Accuracy of abbreviated multiparametric MRI-derived protocols in predicting local staging of prostate cancer in men undergoing radical prostatectomy
Authors: Giannarini Gianluca , Cereser Lorenzo , Como Giuseppe , Bonato Filippo , Pizzolitto Stefano , Valotto Claudio , Ficarra Vincenzo , Dal Moro Fabrizio , Zuiani Chiara , Girometti Rossano
Published: July 2020

Background

Abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (aMRI) protocols have emerged as an alternative to multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) to reduce examination time and costs.

Purpose

To compare multiple aMRI protocols for predicting pathological stage ≥T3 (≥pT3) prostate cancer (PCa).

Material and Methods

One hundred and eight men undergoing staging mpMRI before radical prostatectomy (RP) were retrospectively evaluated. 3.0-T imaging was performed with a 32-channel surface coil and a protocol including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), transverse T2-weighted (tT2W) imaging, coronal T2W (cT2W) imaging, sagittal T2W (sT2) imaging, and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging. Two readers independently assessed whether any MRI observation showed stage ≥T3 on each sequence (reading order: DWI, cT2W, tT2W, sT2W, DCE). Final stage was assessed by matching readers’ assignments to pathology, and combining them into eight protocols: DWI + tT2W, DWI + cT2W + tT2W, DWI + tT2W + sT2W, DWI + cT2W + tT2W + sT2W, DWI + tT2W + DCE, DWI + cT2W + tT2W + DCE, DWI + tT2W + sT2W + DCE, and mpMRI. Diagnostic accuracy and inter-reader agreement for aMRI protocols were calculated.

Results

Prevalence of ≥pT3 PCa was 31.5%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of aMRI protocols were comparable to mpMRI for R1. Sensitivity was 74.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 64.8–72.0) to 77.1% (95% CI 67.9–84.4), and NPV 86.8% (95% CI 78.6–92.3) to 88.1% (95% CI 80.1–93.3). All accuracy measures of the various aMRI protocols were similar to mpMRI also for R2, albeit all slightly lower compared to R1. On a per-protocol basis, there was substantial inter-reader agreement in predicting stage ≥pT3 (k 0.63–0.67).

Conclusion

When comparing the diagnostic accuracy of multiple aMRI protocols against mpMRI for predicting stage ≥pT3 PCa, the protocol with the fewest sequences (DWI + tT2W) is apparently equivalent to standard mpMRI.
Effect of Low-dose ColchiciNe on the InciDence of Atrial Fibrillation in Open Heart Surgery Patients: END-AF Low Dose Trial
Authors: Tabbalat Ramzi A. , Alhaddad Imad , Hammoudeh Ayman , Khader Yousef S. , Khalaf Hassan Abu , Obaidat Mohammad , Barakat Jude
Published: July 2020

Background

Studies using 1 mg of colchicine to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) reported conflicting results. Moreover, colchicine was associated with significant gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. This study examined whether low-dose colchicine effectively prevents POAF and whether low-dose therapy is associated with lower rates of colchicine-induced GI side effects.

Methods

In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, consecutive adult patients admitted for elective cardiac surgeries randomly received a 1-mg dose of colchicine (n = 81) or placebo (n = 71) orally 12 to 24 hours before surgery followed by a daily dose of 0.5 mg until hospital discharge. The primary efficacy endpoint was the development of at least one episode of POAF of ≥5 minutes. The primary safety endpoint was the development of adverse events, especially diarrhea.

Results

The in-hospital mortality rate was 3.9%. POAF occurred in 13 patients (16.1%) in the colchicine group and 13 patients (18.3%) in the placebo group (odds ratio 0.85 [95% Confidence Interval = 0.37−1.99]). Diarrhea occurred in two patients in each group and necessitated treatment discontinuation in one patient in each group.

Conclusion

Low-dose colchicine did not prevent POAF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. These results should be interpreted cautiously because of the small sample size and early study termination. ClinicalTrials.gov Unique Identifier number: NCT03015831
Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist after surgical treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage: a randomized crossover study
Authors: Yu Tao , Wu Rongrong , Yao Lin , Wang Kui , Wang Guiliang , Fan Zhen , Wu Nianlong , Fang Xinggen
Published: July 2020

Objective

We assessed the neuromechanical efficiency (NME), neuroventilatory efficiency (NVE), and diaphragmatic function effects between pressure support ventilation (PSV) and neutrally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA).

Methods

Fifteen patients who had undergone surgical treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage were enrolled in this randomized crossover study. The patients were assigned to PSV for the first 24 hours and then to NAVA for the following 24 hours or vice versa. The monitored ventilatory parameters under the two ventilation models were compared. NME, NVE, and diaphragmatic function were compared between the two ventilation models.

Results

One patient’s illness worsened during the study. The study was stopped for this patient, and intact data were obtained from the other 14 patients and analyzed. The monitored tidal volume was significantly higher with PSV than NAVA (487 [443–615] vs. 440 [400–480] mL, respectively). NME, NVE, diaphragmatic function, and the partial pressures of arterial carbon dioxide and oxygen were not significantly different between the two ventilation models.

Conclusion

The tidal volume was lower with NAVA than PSV; however, the patients’ selected respiratory pattern during NAVA did not change the NME, NVE, or diaphragmatic function. Clinical trial registration no. ChiCTR1900022861
Spatial optimization of watershed best management practice scenarios based on boundary-adaptive configuration units
Authors: Zhu Liang-Jun , Qin Cheng-Zhi , Zhu A-Xing
Published: July 2020

Spatial optimization of watershed best management practice (BMP) scenarios based on watershed modeling is an effective decision support tool for watershed management. During such optimization, existing types of BMP configuration units for configuring BMPs (or BMP configuration units, e.g. subbasins, hydrologic response units, farms) remain fixed boundaries once they have been created through spatial discretization prior to BMP scenario optimization. This sort of “boundary-fixed” method does not allow for adjustments to the spatial characteristics of BMP configuration units. Hence, it runs the risk of missing superior BMP scenarios that could have been obtained by adjusting unit boundaries and may produce less effective spatial optimization. In this article, we propose a new approach to the spatial optimization of BMP scenarios based on boundary-adaptive configuration units. The proposed optimization approach adopts slope positions (basic landform units along hillslopes inherently related to physical hillslope processes) as BMP configuration units and dynamically adjusts their boundaries by using quantitative information about their spatial gradation (i.e. fuzzy slope positions) during the optimization. A case study conducted in the Youwuzhen watershed in Fujian, China, showed that the proposed optimization approach can significantly enlarge the search space and obtain optimal BMP scenarios with better cost-effectiveness and higher optimization efficiency than with boundary-fixed units. The proposed optimization approach provides a new alternative framework for spatial optimization of BMP scenarios, in which other watershed models, intelligent optimization algorithms, and BMP configuration units available for boundary adjustment can be applied to BMP scenario optimization in a boundary-adaptive manner. This study also exemplifies the potential for transforming qualitative, vague, and empirical geographical knowledge about slope position units related to physical hillslope processes and BMPs into quantitative, explicit, and automated geospatial algorithms for effectively resolving environmental management problems in a more geographically meaningful way.
Relationship Between Newly Established Perioperative DNR Status and Perioperative Outcomes in the Elderly Population: A NSQIP Database Analysis
Authors: Brovman Ethan Y. , Motejunas Mark W. , Bonneval Lauren A. , Whang Edward E. , Kaye Alan D. , Urman Richard D.
Published: July 2020

Background: Health care practitioners have developed complex algorithms to numerically calculate surgical risk. We examined the association between the initiation of a new do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status during hospitalization and postoperative outcomes, including mortality. We hypothesized that new DNR status would be associated with similar complication rates, even though mortality rates may be higher. Methods: A retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) Geriatric Surgery Research File. Two cohorts were defined by the presence of a new DNR status during the hospitalization that was not present on hospital admission. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control for differences between the DNR and non-DNR cohorts. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included rates of postoperative complications, including returning to the operating room, reintubation, failure to wean from ventilation, surgical site infections, dehiscence, pneumonia, acute kidney injury, renal failure, stroke, cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction, transfusion requirements, sepsis, urinary tract infections, venous thromboembolisms, total number of complications for each patient, and hospital length of stay. Results: In our geriatric population with a newly established DNR status, the mortality rate was 39.29%, significantly greater than the non-DNR population after multivariable regression. Secondary outcomes also occurred at an increased rate in the DNR cohort including surgical site infections (8.29% vs 4.04%), pneumonia (18% vs 2.26%), renal insufficiency (2.43% vs 0.35%), acute renal failure (5% vs 0.19%), stroke (3% vs 0.36%), acute myocardial infarction (6.29% vs 0.95%), and cardiac arrest (5.86% vs 0.51%). Conclusions: The initiation of a new DNR status during hospitalization is associated with a significantly higher burden of both morbidity and mortality. This contrasts with prior studies that did not show an increased rate of adverse outcomes and suggests that a new DNR status in postoperative patients may reflect a consequence of adverse postoperative events. The informed consent process in older patients at risk for adverse outcomes after surgery should include discussions regarding goals of care and acceptable risk.
Canoes in context: An Ojibwa maritime cultural landscape
Authors: Knoerl T. Kurt
Published: July 2020

A birch-bark canoe often conjures up images of French and British fur traders but its most important context comes from an association with the Native communities that invented the craft. This article describes Ojibwa birch-bark canoes’ place in a culture that was influenced by the lakes, ponds, rivers and streams that made up their environment throughout the Great Lakes region and Canada. Just as importantly, Ojibwa canoes offer an excellent device for exploring the multitude of ways that water influenced identity, cosmology and day-to-day life.
The shipping losses of the British East India Company, 1750–1813
Authors: Bowen H.V.
Published: July 2020

This article establishes and examines the shipping losses of the British East India Company between the middle of the eighteenth century and 1813 when it lost its trade monopoly with India. This was the most important period in the history of the East India Company because it greatly expanded its trade with India and China and established what became a very large territorial empire on the subcontinent. It was also a time when Britain was often at war with France. This is the first publication to present full information on all of the East India Company’s shipping losses. They are set out in the Appendix, which presents details of the names of every ship lost, the date of loss, the cause, and whether the ship was sailing to or from Asia. This information, discussed in the article, shows that 105 ships were lost on 2,171 voyages, a rate of loss that stood at just under 5%. The causes were primarily wrecking, foundering and enemy action, which contributed to far higher shipping losses on voyages outward to Asia than homeward. The East India Company did little itself to rectify this situation because the ships they used were hired from private owners, but some specialists within the Company did take it upon themselves to improve some navigational aids and shipbuilding techniques, although with little overall effect upon the rate of shipping losses. This meant that the East India Company was plagued by shipping losses throughout the period, and this had a very negative effect upon its commercial affairs and profitability.
Constantly crossing borders: The international nature of maritime history
Authors: Tenold Stig
Published: July 2020

A simplified production function framework is used to identify and analyze the international aspect of the maritime industries. The article focusses on four parameters – the market, the ship, the labour force and the shipowner – to discuss the development of the shipping industry. It is suggested that with the current technology, around 170 ships and less than 600 seafarers would have been needed to transport all the world trade in 1900. Finally, the international dimension of maritime transport is discussed.
Maritime history: Contexts and perspectives
Authors: Williams David M.
Published: July 2020

This short paper considers ‘maritime history’ as a sub-discipline of history. It examines its origins and defines maritime history as the study of humankind’s relationship with the sea. It reviews that relationship and stresses the economic dimension and the need for an understanding of the business of shipping. The relevance of maritime history is examined in the contexts of the world today and historiography. In the former, the paper views the maritime dimension as crucial. On the historiographical aspect the concept of globalisation is considered in terms of a process and an outcome. In both cases, an understanding of maritime history is seen as vital.
The Black Sea Historical Statistics, 1812-1914: A Short Introduction
Authors: Papadopoulou Alexandra
Published: July 2020

This paper is an introduction to the Black Sea Historical Statistics (BSHS), a database system which includes data on the commerce and shipping of the Black Sea from 1812 to 1914. BSHS is one of the main products of a larger interdisciplinary project that brought together researchers from several universities, research centres and institutes in order to examine the social and economic development of the Black Sea, the main grain exporting market in the nineteenth century. Methodologically, BSHS transcends the traditional narrow nation-centred approach by focusing on the Black Sea as the unit of historical analysis. In this way, it fosters cross-regional comparisons and the identification of regional patterns of economic collaboration and competition in the long run. The creation of BSHS involved dealing with several challenges, emerging from the honogenization of data extracted from archival sources of 10 different countries. The main issue was the coexistence of different systems of quantification (measures, weights and currencies) in an era when the process of transition from pre-modern regionalism to the first global economy in the 1870s and 1880s was slow and uneven. While developed countries were involved actively in this process, Eastern European countries were trapped between tradition and modernity. We, therefore, consider that the ways we have dealt with these complexities might provide useful feedback for similar projects in the future.
Does Being a Visible Minority Matter? Predictors of Internationally Educated Nurses’ Workplace Integration
Authors: Covell Christine L. , Rolle Sands Shamel
Published: July 2020

Study Background

Nurses continue to migrate to Canada. Majority are visible minorities. Once employed, internationally educated nurses can struggle to integrate into their workplaces. A comprehensive understanding of factors that support internationally educated nurses’ workplace integration is lacking, limiting our ability to design appropriate policies and practices.

Purpose

The aim is to (1) examine internationally educated nurses’ perceptions of the extent to which they have integrated in their workplaces and the individual and contextual factors that supported their workplace integration, (2) explore whether internationally educated nurses’ perceptions differed by visible minority status, and (3) identify the key factors that predict internationally educated nurses’ workplace integration.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey of 1215 internationally educated nurses. All were immigrants, permanent residents, and employed as regulated nurses. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the influence of individual and contextual factors on perceived degree of workplace integration.

Results

Visible minority status had a large, statistically significant negative association with workplace integration ( ß = −0.236, p <  .001). Good relationships with coworkers ( ß =0.043, p <  .005), and continuing to develop nursing knowledge and skills ( ß =0.178, p <  .003), had statistically significant, positive associations with workplace integration.

Conclusions

Internationally educated nurses’ visible minority status can influence their workplaces. Providing education, managerial support, and mentorship fosters internationally educated nurses’ workplace integration.
Design of a pressure modulator using fast-acting bistable valves
Authors: Henderson L , Cebon D
Published: July 2020

Fast-acting pneumatic valves, combined with a slip-control braking algorithm, have recently been used to improve the straight-line braking performance of an experimental heavy goods vehicle, on low friction roads, by 16%. This paper describes how the fast-acting valves, which were central to the aforementioned research, were designed for use on a commercial vehicle. Design equations, as well as a generalized design method, are first presented for the fast-acting bistable pneumatic valve. A pressure observer is developed to predict the brake chamber pressure in cases where a pressure transducer is mounted upstream. A simple fault detection algorithm is then introduced, which utilizes some of the calculations made in the pressure observer, and is shown to correctly identify faults on a real vehicle. Performance comparisons are made between the new modulator and a conventional heavy goods vehicle electro-pneumatic brake system. Closed-loop frequency response tests show that the control bandwidth of brake chamber pressure on a heavy goods vehicle can be increased from 1.5 Hz to 10 Hz using the new hardware.
Inclusive shelter provision in Mogadishu
Authors: Bonnet Charlotte , Bryld Erik , Kamau Christine , Mohamud Mohamed , Farah Fathia
Published: July 2020

This article is based on a research project led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on shelter in East Africa. It explores Mogadishu’s history, political settlements and variations in housing to inform more inclusive, affordable shelter interventions.

MAIN FINDINGS:

• Connection between urban poverty and internal displacement. Mogadishu’s informal settlements are inhabited by people displaced from other regions and poor urban residents. As the urban poor live in areas with high tenure insecurity and can be evicted without notice, there are migration flows both into the city and within Mogadishu itself.

• Role of informal networks and relations. As access to land and shelter is governed by a complex system of formal and informal rules, having contacts with powerful actors in the informal settlements is key to finding shelter.

• Vulnerabilities of women, people with disabilities, and young single men. In Somalia’s patriarchal society, the male-headed family is the fundamental social unit; people who fall outside this category are heavily disadvantaged when accessing housing.
2019 UK National Guideline for consultations requiring sexual history taking
Authors: Brook G , Church H , Evans C , Jenkinson N , McClean H , Mohammed H , Munro H , Nambia K , Saunders J , Walton L , Sullivan A
Published: July 2020

This guideline is an update of a previous version published in 2013. In this new version, we have reflected changes in the way sexual health services are now provided by assuming an integrated Sexual Health/Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare service. There are new recommendations for online testing, female genital mutilation (FGM), chemsex and considerations for transgender (and non-binary) individuals. Previous versions rather assumed a cis-gender clientele and so we have taken a more mechanistic approach to sex and risk without assuming gender identification. We have updated our gender terminology in line with the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV ‘sexual health standards for trans, including non-binary, people’ although have retained the terminology of ‘men’ and ‘women’ in a few cases where it related to other guidelines, e.g. human papillomavirus vaccination and FGM.
Static response of functionally graded graphene platelet–reinforced composite plate with dielectric property
Authors: Wang Yu , Feng Chuang , Yang Jie , Zhou Ding , Liu Weiqing
Published: July 2020

This article investigates the nonlinear bending of functionally graded graphene platelet–reinforced composite plate with dielectric permittivity. Three functionally graded graphene platelet distribution patterns are considered in this study. Effective medium theory is adopted to determine tensile modulus and dielectric permittivity while rule of mixture is used to determine Poisson’s ratio of graphene platelet–reinforced composites. Governing equations for nonlinear bending of the functionally graded graphene platelet–reinforced composite plates are established based on Hamilton’s principle within the framework of first-order shear deformation plate theory and von Kármán geometrical nonlinearity. Through differential quadrature method, the governing equations are numerically solved and the nonlinear bending behaviors of the functionally graded graphene platelet–reinforced composite plates are obtained. The influences of functionally graded distribution pattern, graphene platelet volume fraction and the attributes of electrical loadings on the bending behaviors of the plates are comprehensively examined. It is demonstrated that the performances of the functionally graded graphene platelet–reinforced composite plates can be designed and actively tuned through adjusting several parameters, which will be helpful to develop graphene platelet–reinforced smart materials and structures.
How Should We Assess Pain: Do Patients Prefer a Quantitative or Qualitative Scale? A Study of Patient Preferences
Authors: Firdous Shagufta , Berger Andrea , Jehangir Waqas , Fernandez Carlos , Behm Bertrand , Mehta Zankhana Y. , Reddy Akhila , Davis Mellar
Published: July 2020

Background:

Pain perception is a subjective experience and is influenced by a variety of factors. Pain assessment tools, included the numeric pain rating scale (NRS) and the visual analog scale (VAS). A VAS qualitative (VASQ) scale asks patients their current pain level along a continuum of “Good Day,” “Average Day,” or “Bad Day.” We had patients complete both scales and asked them their preference and reason for their choice.

Methods:

We identified patients 18 years of age and older, seen by Palliative medicine at Geisinger, who had cancer-associated pain of at least one-month duration. Patients filled out the study questionnaire composed of 2 questions. Characteristics of patients who preferred the VASQ were compared to those who preferred the NRS using a 2-sample t tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and Pearson χ2 or Fisher exact tests. The relationship between the NRS and the VASQ used the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results:

One hundred forty-six patients completed the questionnaire, 52.1% were female; 63.7% preferred the NRS, 31.5% preferred the VASQ. Patients who preferred the NRS reported a higher NRS rating than patients who preferred the VASQ (mean NRS rating of 6.0 compared to 5.3) but the difference was not statistically significant ( P = .1531). Visual analog scale qualitative ratings were higher among patients who preferred the NRS, but the difference was not statistically different (mean rating of 5.2 vs 4.8, P = .3669).

Conclusion:

Patients preferred the NRS over VASQ for pain assessment. Patients tend to rate their pain at a higher level when using NRS compared to VASQ.
“Country Boys Spit and Dip”: Masculinity and Rural Adolescent Smokeless Tobacco Use
Authors: Helme Donald W. , Morris Edward , de la Serna Ana , Zelaya Carina , Oser Carrie , Knudsen Hannah K.
Published: July 2020

While tobacco use nationwide is declining, smokeless tobacco (SLT) use remains steady, particularly among men in rural areas. Despite the harms of SLT, researchers know little about what initiates and sustains this use. In this study, we argue that SLT persistence is encouraged by its salience as an emblem of rural manhood. Based on interviews with 64 male and 19 female rural high school students we find that SLT symbolizes rural masculinity, and that many boys “spit and dip” to perform their status as rural men. We specify several peer, family, and community mechanisms that undergird this process. Finally, we discuss implications for men’s health research and intervention efforts.
Vertical restrictive strabismus associated with proptosis: Similar clinical signs, different etiopathogenetic causes. A report of three patients
Authors: Savino Gustavo , Petrone Gianluigi , Volpe Giulio , Midena Giulia , Grimaldi Gabriela , Fiorentino Vincenzo , Maceroni Martina
Published: July 2020

Purpose:

To report the different uncommon pathogenesis of three cases of severe vertical restrictive strabismus associated with progressive unilateral proptosis with similar clinical features.

Methods:

Case series of three patients who presented to the Orbit Outpatient Service of Policlinico Gemelli with a history of left progressive unilateral proptosis, slowly worsening vertical strabismus and the left eye fixed in downward position. A thorough hematologic work up was performed. All patients underwent complete abdomen ultrasonography, orbital contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, forced duction test under general anesthesia, and orbital biopsy.

Results:

Patients were 30, 60, and 46 years old respectively. MRI showed left inferior rectus enlargement in two cases and superior rectus enlargement in one case, with contrast enhanced combined muscle belly and tendon enlargement in all cases. Patients underwent forced duction test, muscle weakening (in two cases), and muscle biopsy with histopathologic examination. The superior rectus appeared infiltrated by an undifferentiated high-grade pleomorphic sarcoma, whereas the two inferior recti were positive for idiopathic orbital inflammatory disease with fibrosis areas and neuromuscular choristoma, respectively.

Conclusion:

Although proptosis and acquired vertical restrictive strabismus are most commonly associated with thyroid associated orbitopathy (TAO), they can also be a manifestation of many other conditions and the differential diagnosis can be particularly challenging. The three reported cases presented indeed with similar clinical features but had three distinct underlying orbital etiologies, two of which were extremely uncommon.
Physical activity levels during a Sport Education season of games from around the world
Authors: Puente-Maxera Federico , Méndez-Giménez Antonio , de Ojeda Diego Martínez
Published: July 2020

Sport Education is a curriculum model designed to provide all students with authentic sport experiences, regardless of their individual characteristics. Research showing the effectiveness of the model in promoting physical activity (PA) levels is still scant. In addition, interventions have mostly included invasion games as the main content, thus suggesting the need for exploring alternative game classifications. This study aimed to objectively analyze PA levels (sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA)), counts, and metabolic equivalent of task (MET) amongst seventh-grade students after having participated in a Sport Education season (18 lessons) of games from around the world. A total of 71 seventh-grade students (mean age = 12.3 ± 0.50; boys, n = 38; girls, n = 33) from a secondary school in northern Spain participated in the study. ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers were utilized to measure PA, counts, and METS. Likewise, height and weight were measured, and body mass index was calculated. Across the entire season students averaged just over 64% of lesson time engaged in MVPA. Significant differences in relation to gender were only found in counts (higher in boys). In relation to the phases, preseason was shown to be the most active phase, significantly contributing to MVPA levels, as well as to counts, and METS. The programme could be considered to be an effective resource for the promotion of more equitable participation, since both girls and boys displayed similar MVPA levels, exceeding the recommended minimum levels for PE lessons.
Seismic performance test of rammed earth wall with different structural columns
Authors: Zhou Tiegang , Zhang Zaiyu , Su Zhifan , Tian Peng
Published: July 2020

Rammed earth wall load-bearing dwellings are widely distributed in western China. Rammed earth has the advantages of warm in winter and cool in summer, and it is a kind of sustainable construction material. In recent years, in previous earthquakes, the collapse of rammed earth buildings is serious, resulting in huge losses of personnel and property. To improve the seismic performance of rammed earth buildings and retain the characteristics of local buildings, a reinforcement measure with additional structural columns is proposed in this article. Three kinds of structural columns are designed, which are cast-in-place concrete, square steel tube, and concrete-filled square steel tube core column. Through the quasi-static experimental study on the rammed earth wall, the effects of different structural columns on the failure shape, bearing capacity, deformation capacity, and energy dissipation capacity of the wall are compared. The test results show that adding structural columns on both sides of the wall can effectively restrain the rammed earth wall, restrain its brittle failure, significantly improve the energy dissipation capacity of the wall, and obviously improve the seismic performance of the wall. This measure is applicable to rammed earth buildings and provides theoretical support for improving the seismic performance of traditional dwellings.
Sexual violence against women in Sweden: Associations with combined childhood violence and sociodemographic factors
Authors: Öberg Mariella , Skalkidou Alkistis , Heimer Gun , Lucas Steven
Published: July 2020

Aims: This cross-sectional, population-based study aimed to investigate the prevalence of violence polyvictimization during childhood and sexual violence in adulthood among women, and how childhood violence exposure and sociodemographic factors associate with women’s risk of experiencing sexual violence in adulthood. Methods: A survey regarding lifetime experiences of sexual, physical and psychological violence was sent to a national sample of 10,000 women aged 18–74 years, of which 56% participated. Data were analysed using Chi-square analyses and logistic regression. Results: Sexual violence before 18 years of age was reported by 16.3% and rape/attempted rape in adulthood by 10.2% of the women. In univariate analyses, sexual, physical, and psychological violence during childhood was associated with rape/attempted rape in adulthood (odds ratio 4.5, confidence interval 3.2–6.2; odds ratio 2.5, confidence interval 1.3–4.6; and odds ratio 2.5, confidence interval 1.8–3.2, respectively). Associations were stronger for combined exposure to sexual and physical (odds ratio 5.5, confidence interval 2.5–12.3), sexual and psychological (odds ratio 9.2, confidence interval 6.7–12.8) or sexual, physical, and psychological violence (odds ratio 14.1, confidence interval 10.4–19.2) during childhood. Rape/attempted rape after 18 years of age was more common among women who were single, those with college-level education and those who had been unemployed or had received social welfare payments. Most associations remained relatively unchanged when including all exposure and background variables in multivariate analyses. Conclusions: Although several of the sociodemographic factors studied showed significant associations, multiple exposure to violence during childhood was found to be the most potent risk factor for sexual violence in adulthood among adult women.
From teacher transmission of information to student feedback literacy: Activating the learner role in feedback processes
Authors: Carless David
Published: July 2020

For feedback processes to be effective, they need to involve students actively in generating, processing and responding to feedback information. Teacher transmission approaches are unlikely to provide a good investment of time and resources because they fail to draw sufficiently on student agency. In this conceptual article, it is argued that students need to be at the centre of feedback processes in making productive use of feedback inputs of various forms. The educator role lies in designing learning environments which provide plentiful opportunities for students to make evaluative judgments and take action in response to feedback information. The analysis is framed through the interlocking concepts of internal feedback which students generate for themselves; and students’ feedback literacy, the capacities to involve themselves productively in feedback processes. Student peer review with a written response, and using exemplars as proxies for teacher feedback are proposed as pedagogic options which stimulate the production of internal feedback and promote student feedback literacy. These two learning activities are analyzed to illustrate research-informed ways of enabling students to generate internal feedback by making comparisons between their own production and that of others. Digital affordances and possibilities are also discussed with particular emphasis on video peer feedback and annotated online exemplars. The main implications for practice are summarized in relation to educator and student roles, and related digital affordances. Challenges for implementation are discussed and addressed. An important consideration is to develop workload-friendly strategies which avoid the wastefulness of much current unproductive marking practices. The analysis suggests that shared teacher and student feedback literacy carries potential to facilitate principled research-informed ways forward for feedback processes.
Assessing importance of biomarkers: A Bayesian joint modelling approach of longitudinal and survival data with semi-competing risks
Authors: Zhang Fan , Chen Ming-Hui , Cong Xiuyu Julie , Chen Qingxia
Published: July 2020

Longitudinal biomarkers such as patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and quality of life (QOL) are routinely collected in cancer clinical trials or other studies. Joint modelling of PRO/QOL and survival data can provide a comparative assessment of patient-reported changes in specific symptoms or global measures that correspond to changes in survival. Motivated by a head and neck cancer clinical trial, we develop a class of trajectory-based models for longitudinal and survival data with disease progression. Specifically, we propose a class of mixed effects regression models for longitudinal measures, a cure rate model for the disease progression time ([Formula: see text]) and a Cox proportional hazards model with time-varying covariates for the overall survival time ([Formula: see text]) to account for [Formula: see text] and treatment switching. Under the semi-competing risks framework, the disease progression is the non-terminal event, the occurrence of which is subject to a terminal event of death. The properties of the proposed models are examined in detail. Within the Bayesian paradigm, we derive the decompositions of the deviance information criterion (DIC) and the logarithm of the pseudo-marginal likelihood (LPML) to assess the fit of the longitudinal component of the model and the fit of each survival component, separately. We further develop [Formula: see text]DIC as well as [Formula: see text]LPML to determine the importance and contribution of the longitudinal data to the model fit of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] data.
The Clinical Characteristics of Endometrial Cancer With Extraperitoneal Metastasis and the Value of Surgery in Treatment
Authors: Guo Jianbin , Cui Xiujuan , Zhang Xindong , Qian Haili , Duan Hua , Zhang Ying
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To describe the clinical and pathological features of endometrial carcinoma with extraperitoneal metastasis and examine whether surgery could improve the prognosis.

Methods:

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to analyze 730 patients who were diagnosed with extraperitoneal metastasis of endometrial cancer from 2010 to 2015, including metastasis to the lung, bone, or brain.

Results:

Of the 730 patients, 372 (50.96%) patients had single lung metastases, and 196(26.85%) patients had multiple organ metastases that included pulmonary invasion. Therefore, the lung was the most common target organ for extraperitoneal metastasis of endometrial cancer. In multivariate risk factor analysis, grade 3 tumor (odds ratio = 3.39, P < .001), positive peritoneal cytology (odds ratio = 2.02, P < .001), and cervical stromal invasion (odds ratio = 1.42, P = .030) were independent risk factors for extraperitoneal metastasis. Once metastasis occurred in the brain or multiple organs, the prognosis was often poor. Of the patients, 362 underwent surgery, and surgery was performed only for primary tumors of the reproductive organs in almost all patients (97.23%) with extraperitoneal metastasis. The median cancer-specific survival periods of patients with solitary pulmonary metastasis undergoing surgery and those without surgery were 23 (16.43-29.57) months and 9 (6.21-11.79) months, respectively ( P < .001), and survival superiority also existed in patients with bone metastasis (19 vs 8 months, P = .015) and multiple organs metastases (15 vs 4 months, P < .001). However, patients with brain metastasis had the same median survival period in the 2 groups (6 months, P = .146).

Conclusions:

The lung was the most common target organ for extraperitoneal metastasis in patients with endometrial cancer. Surgery was associated with improved survival in women with extraperitoneal metastasis, except for patients with brain metastasis.
Action Confidence as an Indicator of Transformative Change
Authors: Pomeroy Eva , Oliver Keira
Published: July 2020

This article reports on the findings from an interview-based, qualitative study of adult learners in Scotland participating in the MITx u.lab massive open online course in 2015 and 2016. It focuses on interviewees’ accounts of the impact of participating in u.lab on their work and lives. Using grounded theory as an analytical guide, we explore participants’ perceptions of the impact of their engagement in the learning process, which reflects intrapersonal, relational, and systemic learning. Through these accounts, we became particularly interested in participants’ relationship to taking action and the way this changed over the course of their participation in the learning process. We conclude that an embodied change in one’s perception of the nature and purpose of action—something we call “action confidence”—is reflective of transformative learning as it indicates a significant epistemological change for participants.