bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Research of Fault Diagnosis of Nuclear Power Plant Based on ELM-AdaBoost.SAMME
Authors: Li Cheng , Yu Ren , Wang Tianshu
Published: December 2020

A fault diagnosis framework based on extreme learning machine (ELM) and AdaBoost.SAMME is proposed in a nuclear power plant (NPP) in this paper. After briefly describing the principles of ELM and AdaBoost.SAMME algorithm, the fault diagnosis framework sets ELM algorithm as the weak classifier and then integrates several weak classifiers into a strong one using the AdaBoost.SAMME algorithm. Furthermore, some experiments are put forward for the setting of two algorithms. The results of simulation experiments on the HPR1000 simulator show that the combined method has higher precision and faster speed by improving the performance of weak classifiers compared to the BP neural network and verify the feasibility and validity of the ensemble learning method for fault diagnosis. Meanwhile, the results also indicate that the proposed method can meet the requirements of a real-time diagnosis of the nuclear power plant.
Insight into the Pore Structures and Its Impacts on Movable Fluid in Tight Sandstones
Authors: Ren Dazhong , Yang Fu , Li Rongxi , Zhou Desheng , Liu Dengke , Li Ying
Published: December 2020

Both the characteristics of pore structure and movable fluid are significant properties in controlling the flow regularity in pores in tight sandstones. However, the governing factors that affect the fluid flow features will still be a myth. In our research, the western area of the Sulige gas field was chosen as the research region, and various kinds of experiments were conducted. Three reservoir groups, including intergranular-dissolved pore type, dissolved-intercrystalline pore type, and pore plus microcracks type were identified on the basis of pore development features. The results suggest that the intergranular-dissolved pore type has a more prominent influence on the high movable fluid saturation and larger pores. Both large throat sizes and homogeneous pore-throat degree demonstrate high movable fluid saturation. The increment of the thickness of water-film resulted from hydrophilic enhancement, indicating that an increased hydrophilic will decrease the movable fluid saturation and block the throats. The reservoirs of different pore combination types are closely related to the gas content of the reservoir.
Prototype of an Expert System for the Selection of Aircraft Structural Materials
Authors: Hao Xuelong , Wen Chen , Zhao Ning , Lu Lu , Zhang Kai , Zhang Donghui
Published: December 2020

Expert systems (ES) are widely used for engineering and manufacturing applications nowadays. In order to solve the problems in material selection in the aviation field, an aircraft material expert system (AMES) was developed. This expert system is based on the knowledge of multiple experts and aviation data. A decision support system (DSS) was designed for selecting the materials used in aviation fields. The flows of material selection were designed, and the models of AMES were established. A data base system was also designed to implement AMES.
COVID-19: Internationale Kooperation für standardisierte Therapieempfehlungen und Forschungsprioritäten
Authors: Knoch Johannes
Published: December 2020

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2. Consensus suggestions can standardise care, thereby improving outcomes and facilitating future research. Methods: An International Task Force was composed and agreement regarding courses of action was measured using the Convergence of Opinion on Recommendations and Evidence (CORE) process. 70% agreement was necessary to make a consensus suggestion. Results: The Task Force made consensus suggestions to treat patients with acute COVID-19 pneumonia with remdesivir and dexamethasone but suggested against hydroxychloroquine except in the context of a clinical trial; these are revisions of prior suggestions resulting from the interim publication of several randomised trials. It also suggested that COVID-19 patients with a venous thromboembolic event be treated with therapeutic anticoagulant therapy for 3 months. The Task Force was unable to reach sufficient agreement to yield consensus suggestions for the post-hospital care of COVID-19 survivors. The Task Force fell one vote shy of suggesting routine screening for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Conclusions: The Task Force addressed questions related to pharmacotherapy in patients with COVID-19 and the post-hospital care of survivors, yielding several consensus suggestions. Management options for which there is insufficient agreement to formulate a suggestion represent research priorities.
Structural and Functional Characterization of a Na
v
1.5-Mitochondrial Couplon
Authors: Pérez-Hernández Marta , Leo-Macias Alejandra , Keegan Sarah , Jouni Mariam , Kim Joon-Chul , Agullo-Pascual Esperanza , Vermij Sarah , Zhang Mingliang , Liang Feng-Xia , Burridge Paul , Fenyo David , Rothenberg Eli , Delmar Mario
Published: December 2020

Rationale:

The cardiac sodium channel Na
V
1.5 has a fundamental role in excitability and conduction. Previous studies have shown that sodium channels cluster together in specific cellular subdomains. Their association with intracellular organelles in defined regions of the myocytes, and the functional consequences of that association, remain to be defined.

Objective:

To characterize a subcellular domain formed by sodium channel clusters in the crest region of the myocytes and the subjacent subsarcolemmal mitochondria.

Methods and Results:

Through a combination of imaging approaches including super-resolution microscopy and electron microscopy we identified, in adult cardiac myocytes, a Na
V
1.5 subpopulation in close proximity to subjacent subsarcolemmal mitochondria; we further found that subjacent subsarcolemmal mitochondria preferentially host the mitochondrial NCLX (Na
+
/Ca
2+
exchanger). This anatomic proximity led us to investigate functional changes in mitochondria resulting from sodium channel activity. Upon TTX (tetrodotoxin) exposure, mitochondria near Na
V
1.5 channels accumulated more Ca
2+
and showed increased reactive oxygen species production when compared with interfibrillar mitochondria. Finally, crosstalk between Na
V
1.5 channels and mitochondria was analyzed at a transcriptional level. We found that
SCN5A
(encoding Na
V
1.5) and
SLC8B1
(which encode Na
V
1.5 and NCLX, respectively) are negatively correlated both in a human transcriptome data set (Genotype-Tissue Expression) and in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes deficient in
SCN5A
.

Conclusions:

We describe an anatomic hub (a couplon) formed by sodium channel clusters and subjacent subsarcolemmal mitochondria. Preferential localization of NCLX to this domain allows for functional coupling where the extrusion of Ca
2+
from the mitochondria is powered, at least in part, by the entry of sodium through Na
V
1.5 channels. These results provide a novel entry-point into a mechanistic understanding of the intersection between electrical and structural functions of the heart.
Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet and Sodium Reduction on Blood Pressure in Persons With Diabetes
Authors: Tseng Eva , Appel Lawrence J. , Yeh Hsin-Chieh , Pilla Scott J. , Miller Edgar R. , Juraschek Stephen P. , Maruthur Nisa M.
Published: December 2020

Elevated blood pressure and blood pressure-related morbidity are extraordinarily common in persons with diabetes. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary pattern and dietary sodium reduction are recommended as lifestyle interventions in individuals with diabetes. However, these recommendations have largely been based on studies conducted in persons without diabetes. In this review, we summarize available evidence from trials that tested the effects of these 2 dietary interventions on blood pressure in people with diabetes. Overall, of the 3 trials (total n=151) that tested the effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary pattern in persons with diabetes, 2 trials documented that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary pattern lowered blood pressure. While 16 trials (total n=445) tested the effects of sodium reduction in persons with diabetes, results were inconsistent, likely because of design limitations, for example, brief duration, small sample size, and low baseline blood pressure levels, as well as differences in the mode of intervention delivery (behavioral interventions, feeding studies, and sodium supplements). In conclusion, there is a substantial need for additional research on the blood pressure lowering effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and sodium reduction in people with diabetes and hypertension, given the high prevalence of hypertension and the dearth of high-quality trials in this population.
Photo Elicitation and Photovoice: How Visual Research Enables Empowerment, Articulation and Dis-Articulation
Authors: Hopkins Linda , Wort Eleanor
Published: December 2020

Photo elicitation and photovoice are valuable tools for researchers of churches and congregations. Photo elicitation and photovoice empower participants, turning them from passive objects of study into emancipated co-creators of research and empowered co-creators of data. We used photo elicitation and photovoice in our separate studies of understandings of communion among young Baptists and understandings of culture among church leaders in Hull. Although our research areas were very different, we found similarities in the way that images can empower participants and in doing so, enable them to be both articulate and dis-articulate, arguing that this dis-articulation is valuable in discussions of belief and experience.
Honoring Judith S. Trent’s Contributions to American Behavioral Scientist
Authors: Kendall Kathleen E.
Published: December 2020

Since 1988, when I edited the first American Behavioral Scientist issue on the presidential campaign—for that issue, and for every presidential campaign cycle up to 2020, the first article of my American Behavioral Scientist issues has been Judi’s “Ideal Candidate,” based on the research she, you, and your colleagues collected surrounding the New Hampshire Primary. This year is different—there will be no article from Judi, given her health situation. As a tribute to Judi, I would like her colleagues to provide their recollections and stories about her leadership and impact on our discipline.
Effect of Margin Status on Survival After Resection of Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma in the Modern Era of Adjuvant Therapies
Authors: Watson Michael D. , Baimas-George Maria R. , Passeri Michael J. , Sulzer Jesse K. , Baker Erin H. , Ocuin Lee M. , Martinie John B. , Iannitti David A. , Vrochides Dionisios
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Studies have shown that for patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC), survival is associated with negative resection margins (R0). This requires increasingly proximal resection, putting patients at higher risk for complications, which may delay chemotherapy. For patients with microscopically positive resection margins (R1), the use of modern adjuvant therapies may offset the effect of R1 resection.

Methods

Patients at our institution with HC undergoing curative-intent resection between January 2008 and July 2019 were identified by retrospective record review. Demographic data, operative details, tumor characteristics, postoperative outcomes, recurrence, survival, and follow-up were recorded. Patients with R0 margin were compared to those with R1 margin. Patients with R2 resection were excluded.

Results

Seventy-five patients underwent attempted resection with 34 (45.3%) cases aborted due to metastatic disease or locally advanced disease. Forty-one (54.7%) patients underwent curative-intent resection with R1 rate of 43.9%. Both groups had similar rates of adjuvant therapy (56.5% vs. 61.1%, P = .7672). Complication rates and 30 mortality were similar between groups (all P > .05). Both groups had similar median recurrence-free survival (R0 29.2 months vs. R1 27.8 months, P = .540) and median overall survival (R0 31.2 months vs. R1 38.8 months, P = .736) with similar median follow-up time (R0 29.9 months vs. R1 28.5 months, P = .8864).

Conclusions

At our institution, patients undergoing hepatic resection for HC with R1 margins have similar recurrence-free and overall survival to those with R0 margins. Complications and short-term mortality were similar. This may indicate that with use of modern adjuvant therapies obtaining an R0 resection is not an absolute mandate.
Differential Vascular Responses to New-Generation Drug-Eluting Stenting According to Clinical Presentation: Three-Month Optical Coherence Tomographic Study
Authors: Lee Seung-Jun , Hong Sung-Jin , Kim Byeong-Keuk , Ahn Chul-Min , Kim Jung-Sun , Ko Young-Guk , Choi Donghoon , Hong Myeong-Ki , Jang Yangsoo
Published: December 2020

We evaluated early vascular responses after new-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. From 2 randomized trials, we identified 471 patients (138 patients with acute myocardial infarction [AMI] vs 333 patients with stable angina or unstable angina [SA/UA]) treated by DESs who underwent serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) from postprocedure to 3 months. At 3-month follow-up OCT, malapposed strut percentage was higher in AMI than in SA/UA (5.3% vs 0.7%, P < .001); it was markedly increased from postprocedure in AMI (2.0%-5.3%, P < .001), whereas it decreased in SA/UA (1.7%-0.7%, P < .001). Patients with AMI showed a higher risk of persistent (59% vs 37%; P < .001) or late-acquired malapposition (15% vs 8%; P = .04). Uncovered strut percentage at 3 months was also higher in AMI than in SA/UA (13.1% vs 6.7%, P < .001). The AMI presentation was the significant risk factor for both significant stent malapposition (SM, ≥200 μm; odds ratio [OR] = 3.45, CI = 1.85-7.14, P < .001) and uncovered stent (% uncovered struts >6.0%; OR = 2.44, CI = 1.35-4.76, P = .004), together with malapposed distance and postprocedural thrombi. Further, AMI presentation was the predictor for the occurrence of early period late-acquired and persistent malapposition. Serial OCT comparison analyses showed that patients with AMI compared with patients with SA/UA showed more delayed strut coverage, more severe degree SM or uncovered stents, and higher incidences of early period persistent or late-acquired SM.
Celebrating Greg Donaghy
Authors: Bothwell Robert , English John , Hillmer Norman
Published: December 2020

Three colleagues pay tribute to Greg Donaghy, who at the time of his death on 1 July 2020 was the co-editor of International Journal and Director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto. Dr Donaghy’s imaginative international history expanded the canvas of Canadian foreign policy beyond the traditional limits of the North Atlantic Triangle. As an author, editor, and mentor, he redefined the way that Canada’s world looks to its scholars.
Characterization of physical and mechanical properties of aluminium based composites reinforced with titanium diboride particulates
Authors: Dey Dipankar , Bhowmik Abhijit , Biswas Ajay
Published: December 2020

Particulate reinforced aluminium matrix composites are one of the most attractive approaches for applications where high strength and hardness combinations are necessary. The aspiration of this study is to investigate the effect of titanium diboride addition on physical and mechanical properties of Al2024-TiB2 composites manufactured using stir casting route, by varying the weight percentages (wt.%) (0, 3, 6 and 9 percent) of titanium diboride particulates. During the casting process, stirring time and speed were kept constant and same for all the composites. Microstructural analysis demonstrates uniformity in TiB2 distribution and also strong matrix-reinforcement bonding which can be as a result of magnesium addition and preheating of titanium diboride particles before incorporating into the molten aluminium. With an increment in the wt.% of TiB2 particulates, hardness and tensile strength of the prepared composites improved, a significant improvement in hardness as well as tensile strength is encountered in Al2024-9% TiB2 composite, which is 44.94% and 35.49% higher than Al2024 matrix alloy, respectively. SEM analysis of the fractured surfaces revealed that the mode of fracture of unreinforced material is purely ductile but reinforced material fractured by nucleation of cracks and plastic deformation.
A Preliminary Assessment of Stigma in Law Enforcement Officers’ Responses to Opioid Overdoses
Authors: Kruis Nathan E. , Merlo Alida V.
Published: December 2020

Prior work has suggested that provider-based stigma of substance use disorders may be one barrier to fighting the opioid epidemic. However, to date, provider-based stigma has been afforded little attention in the context of the criminal justice system. The goal of the current study was to extend this line of research by examining the impact of provider-based stigma toward opioid using persons to beliefs about help that should be provided to persons experiencing an overdose among a sample of 208 police officers working in departments in the Northeastern Region of the United States. In addition, this study explores the relationship between provider-based stigma and the anticipated on-duty behavioral responses to opioid overdoses. Results from multivariable analyses indicate that certain dimensions of social stigma are significantly related to officers’ perceptions of help in varying directions, along with officers’ experiences with naloxone administration and departmental policy pertaining to the use of naloxone.
Contesting narratives of repression: Experimental evidence from Sisi’s Egypt
Authors: Williamson Scott , Malik Mashail
Published: December 2020

Authoritarian regimes frequently attempt to justify repression by accusing their opponents of violent behavior. Are such claims successful at persuading the public to accept state-sponsored violence, and can these claims be contested effectively by human rights organizations seeking to publicize evidence contradicting the regime’s narrative? To evaluate these questions, we conducted a survey experiment in Egypt using Facebook advertisements to recruit respondents safely. The experiment evaluates the persuasiveness of competing information provided by a human rights organization and the Egyptian security forces in shaping attitudes toward an incident of state-sponsored violence in which security forces killed several leaders of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. We find evidence for the ability of Egyptian security forces to increase support for this repression when they control the narrative about why violence was used. However, we also find that the effects of this propaganda disappear when paired with information from Human Rights Watch that counters the security forces’ justifications. These findings provide experimental evidence that propaganda can help authoritarian regimes to increase public support for repression, but they also indicate that human rights organizations can play some role in mitigating this support when they succeed at disseminating countervalent information in these contexts.
Exploring Correlates of Preschool-Aged Children’s Locomotor Skills: Individual and Parent Demographics and Home Environment
Authors: Szeszulski Jacob , Lorenzo Elizabeth , O’Connor Teresia , Hill Jennie L. , Shaibi Gabriel Q. , Buman Matthew P. , Vega-López Sonia , Hooker Steven P. , Lee Rebecca E.
Published: December 2020

We examined individual and parental demographics and home environment factors associated with locomotor skills in predominantly Hispanic preschool-aged children. We used questionnaires to survey parents, included inquiries regarding parenting practices, parents’ physical activity levels, and home-based physical activity resources; and we administered the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) and the CHAMPS Motor Skills Protocol (CMSP) to children to measure the quantity and quality of their locomotor skills. Participants were 144 parents and their children (78.9% Hispanic, 49.3% girls) recruited from urban, community-based childcare and education centers. We examined the relationship between survey measures and PACER and CMSP scores with forward-selection stepwise linear regression models. Overall, 142 children completed the PACER, and 91 completed the CMSP. At the individual level, a child’s age was positively associated with both PACER and CMSP scores, and girls had lower PACER scores than boys. In the home environment, parental promotion of more screen time was associated with a higher children’s PACER score. In addition, higher parent concern for children’s safety was associated with a lower PACER score. We identified several physical activity promoting parent practices as new home environment factors related to the preschool-aged children’s locomotor development. Additional studies are needed to test new hypotheses generated from these data. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03261492 (date of registration 8/25/17)
The Soft Skills Inventory: Developmental procedures and psychometric analysis
Authors: Jardim Jacinto , Pereira Anabela , Vagos Paula , Direito Inês , Galinha Sónia
Published: December 2020

When attending and participating in Higher Education, students face a multitude of personal, social, and work-related challenges, which may increase the risk of developing psychopathological symptomatology. To date, there is no instrument that grasps the non-technical skills that may help prepare students to respond to these challenges. This paper presents the development and psychometric properties of the Soft Skills Inventory (SSI). The inventory was developed based on theoretical and empirical findings on the skills associated with academic and professional success, and on students’ perception. The SSI was tested with 2030 Portuguese students (of which 77.1% were female) using a two-stage approach: item calibration and model generation (n = 1033), followed by model validation (n = 997). Item calibration analyses led to retaining 49 items that were organized into six-factors: self-determination, resilience, empathy, assertiveness, social support, and teamwork. This measurement model was further validated and proved to be an invariant, and thus credible, tool to compare male and female students on those relevant skills. All measures attained good internal consistency, with alphas ranging from .76 to .88. Female students scored significantly higher than males on self-determination, empathy, social support and teamwork. On the other hand, male students scored significantly higher on resilience. No significant differences were found between men and women for assertiveness. Psychometric analysis showed that the SSI is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate students intra and interpersonal skills. The SSI may help identify gaps in soft skills and guide targeted interventions to support a more positive student experience in Higher Education.
Work Flow Experience in the Light of Leader-Member Exchange and Person-Job Fit Theories
Authors: Aydin Kucuk Burcu
Published: December 2020

Based on the positive psychology approach, the present study claims that Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Person-Job Fit Theory could be significant antecedents of flow experience in the workplace, as individuals living in the 21st century spend most of their lives at work. Flow experience is a source of high motivation for employees in terms of both cognitive and emotional functions. Therefore, the concept can cause many psychological states of well-being, such as having fun, feeling happy, or optimism. For this reason, it is quite important for the organizational behavior discipline to define the concept in detail and to focus on possible antecedents. In accordance with this purpose, a cross-sectional research study has been performed in Turkey with the participation of 711 white-collar employees from various companies in the service sector in Istanbul, Turkey. The findings of the research show that high quality manager–employee relationships had significant positive impacts on employees’ flow experience (β = 0,801; t = 35,664; p = ,000). In addition, a good match between person and job had significant positive impacts on employees’ flow experience (β = 0,559; t = 17,968; p = ,000). Thus, the proposed hypothesis 1 and hypothesis 2 of the study were supported. The results indicated that leader-member exchange and person-job fit are antecedents of flow experience in the workplace (p < 0,05). In the present study, all study variables are reviewed and the possible relationships among the study variables are discussed in the literature review part. Finally, the implications of the study for both the individual and the organization are presented in the conclusion and discussion section.
“Raw Intelligence Does Not Help You”: Exploring Teachers’ Conceptualizations of Success at One “No-Excuses” Charter School
Authors: Marsh L. Trenton S.
Published: December 2020

This paper explores the ways in which success in school is constructed by a majority White teaching staff during day-to-day classroom practices and schoolwide policies, such as the disciplinary systems at a “no-excuses” charter school in one of the largest urban districts in the U.S. Stakeholders were assessed by interviews and observations during a year-long situated ethnography with an analysis of teachers’ dispositions and actions. As “no-excuses” public charters are proliferated across the country due to purported students’ success, it is important to understand how success in school is conceptualized and measured by teachers.
The Use of Money in Society: Friedrich Hayek’s Social Work
Authors: Swanson Jacob
Published: December 2020

Recent studies of Friedrich Hayek have focused on his theorization of spontaneous order and its relationship to his views on freedom and market individualism. For many scholars, the impersonal nature of Hayek’s spontaneous order, which optimally coordinates human action without human coordination, and/or Hayek’s contention that freedom consists of the exercise of individual choice in a market, reveals Hayek’s neoliberal project to replace or erase the social domain of human life and activity. This article makes the claim that two different, but related, versions of the social exist in Hayek’s writings. The logic of his first and prominent view of social order as spontaneous order depends, I argue, upon a second account of the social, found in Hayek’s writings on money, which consists of forms of conscious and collective social integration and subject formation that the first view requires but cannot account for. In this way, Hayek’s social order is sustained not spontaneously but by money-based collective activities and social(ized) subjectivities that make it possible, and his neoliberal project thus depends on fundamental, if disavowed, connections between the social and the political.
The Impact of a Community Supervision Officer Training Program on Client Outcomes: A Propensity Score Modeling Analysis by Officer Training Dosage
Authors: Labrecque Ryan M. , Viglione Jill
Published: December 2020

A growing body of research indicates officer training in correctional supervision programs is associated with improved use of evidence-based practices and lower rates of client recidivism. This scholarship also suggests larger reductions in recidivism can be achieved when officers implement program skills with higher quality. Despite their potential, research has shown standard training regiments alone are not sufficient in making all participants proficient users of skills. There is a need to determine what intensity of training produces the best results. In response, this study assessed the impact of federal probation officer training dosage in the Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Re-arrest (STARR) program on the outcomes of their clients. The results indicated clients of STARR-trained officers had fewer probation revocations and new arrests but more technical violations and positive drug tests. We also found clients supervised by officers with more versus less exposure to the STARR model had better outcomes.
A near-optimal decentralized control approach for polynomial nonlinear interconnected systems
Authors: Attia Mohamed Sadok , Bouafoura Mohamed Karim , Benhadj Braiek Naceur
Published: December 2020

This article tackles the decentralized near-optimal control problem for the class of nonlinear polynomial interconnected system based on a shifted Legendre polynomials direct approach. The proposed method converts the interconnected optimal control problems into a nonlinear programming one with multiple constraints. In light of the formulated NLP optimization, state and control coefficients are used to design a nonlinear decentralized state feedback controller. Overall closed-loop system stability sufficient conditions are investigated with the help of Grönwall lemma. The triple inverted pendulum case is considered for simulation. Satisfactory results are obtained in both open-loop and closed-loop schemes with comparison to collocation and state-dependent Riccati equation techniques.
The Impact of CBT on Sick Leave and Health
Authors: Hägglund Pathric , Johansson Per , Laun Lisa
Published: December 2020

This article analyses the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for individuals with mild or moderate mental illness. We study the effects on sick leave, health care consumption, and drug prescriptions. We find that CBT improved health and prevented sick leave for individuals who were not on sick leave when treatment was initiated but had no effect for individuals who were on sick leave when the treatment was initiated.
‘Give Me Some Rail’: An Enquiry into Puzzle of Declining Female Labour Force Participation Rate
Authors: Gupta Rajesh , Bhamoriya Vaibhav
Published: December 2020

Female labour force undeniably constitutes half of the human capital that drives the growth and development of emerging economies. Probing into determinants of female labour force participation decline has gathered momentum in recent past, but there has been no significant breakthrough in resolving the puzzle. Using World Bank’s database of female labour force participation rate of India and China, and the state-wise database for India, this article juxtaposes the intermodal transport trend to examine if the former can be explained by the latter. Decline of female labour force participation in India is a concern from both the demographic dividend aspect and the social inclusion aspect. Twenty-five years’ data of both China and India and 3 year’s data of 18 Indian states show this trend, and this article probes the mobility constraint as the reason behind this phenomenon. Results of this study indicate that lower rail-to-road ratio is exclusionary for women. The findings regarding gendering of mobility and employment would influence important policy towards planning intermodal transport and its share of total transport for a nation.

JEL Classification: C25, J12, J16, J21, J22, J130, J220, I38, I180, R48
Client experience of street-level activation practices: Implementation of discourage policy in the Czech Republic
Authors: Gřundělová Barbora
Published: December 2020

Despite the fact that the unemployment rate in the Czech Republic is one of the lowest in Europe, the country suffers from stagnating long-term unemployment. At the same time, there is a large number of people who fall out of the system as a result of harsh sanctions. The article aims to examine how the activation policy is implemented from the perspective of job seekers and to identify street-level activation practices using a micro-institutionalist perspective. To meet the objective, we used a qualitative research strategy and in-depth interviews. The results of the study show how particular levels of activation intertwine and how they strengthen and create a comprehensive normative system around work, unemployment, and financial support, thus enabling the implementation of the street-level activation practices. Street-level bureaucrats pursue formal policy goals that seek to discourage people from entitlement to benefits and services to cut down expenditures and improve statistics.
A polymorphism in the 3′-untranslated region of the matrix metallopeptidase 9 gene is associated with susceptibility to idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis in the Chinese population
Authors: Bu Qiang , Zhu Yu , Chen Qiao-yun , Li Hao , Pan Yan
Published: December 2020

Objective

To investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of the matrix metallopeptidase 9 gene ( MMP9) are associated with susceptibility to calcium oxalate stones.

Methods

A total of 428 patients with kidney stone disease (KSD) and 450 control individuals were enrolled. Three MMP9 SNPs (rs20544, rs9509, and rs1056628) were genotyped, and MMP9 mRNA and protein expression was determined in patients and controls. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay was conducted by transfecting HEK293 cells with miR-491-5p mimics and plasmids containing MMP9 with rs1056628 AA/CC genotypes.

Results

The rs1056628 CC genotype was significantly increased in KSD patients compared with controls (CC vs AA: odds ratio [OR] = 2.279, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.048–4.956). The rs1056628 C allele frequency was higher in KSD patients than controls. The increased KSD risks associated with rs1056628 were more evident in individuals aged <30 years (OR = 3.504, 95% CI = 1.102–11.139) and men (OR = 2.522, 95% CI = 1.004–6.334). mRNA and protein levels of MMP9 were significantly higher in KSD patients with the CC genotype than in those with the AA genotype.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that MMP9 SNP rs1056628 is associated with a significant KSD risk in Chinese Han individuals.
Efficacy of chemotherapy combined with toripalimab in PD-L1–positive and high tumor mutation burden pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma: case report
Authors: Xu Huanji , Wang Xin , Zhou Sheng , Hu Qiancheng , Cao Dan
Published: December 2020

Background:

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC) is a rare tumor, accounting for about 1% of all pancreatic exocrine cancers. Consensus on the management of metastatic PACC remains unclear.

Case presentation:

Starting from April 2019, a patient first received chemotherapy with two cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel and two cycles of SOX regimen. After progression of disease evaluated based on RECIST 1.1, toripalimab and SOX regimen was administered because of PD-L1–positive expression, high tumor mutation burden (TMB), and somatic FANCA deletion in the tumor. Both the primary and metastatic tumor mass shrank significantly after two courses. The patient exhibited sustained partial response for at least six courses with well-controlled toxic effects. Then the treatment had to be stopped for 2 months because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Computed tomography scan in March 2020 showed disease progression. Time from initiating treatment to tumor progression on toripalimab and SOX regimen treatment took up to at least 8 months.

Conclusions:

We present the first case report where a PD-L1 positive, high TMB, and FANCA-deleted pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma was treated using chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy, in which the patient exhibited satisfactory response and tolerance.
Examining Risk Factors of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization in Central America: A Snapshot of Guatemala and Honduras
Authors: Meeker Katherine A. , Hayes Brittany E. , Randa Ryan , Saunders Jessica
Published: December 2020

The current study examines country-specific risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among Guatemalan and Honduran women. More specifically, we examine if (in)equality between partners, experience of controlling or emotionally abusive behavior, and components of the intergenerational transmission of violence significantly affect the risk of lifetime IPV victimization for Guatemalan ( N = 5,645) and Honduran women ( N = 9,427). We address this by analyzing both the 2014 to 2015 Guatemala Demographic and Health Survey and the 2011 to 2012 Honduras Demographic and Health Survey. Results suggest that equality between partners operates differently across the two nations, which is likely related to social norms in each country. In particular, having more decisional input is a protective factor against IPV victimization for Guatemalan women. Increased educational attainment, however, is a risk factor for IPV victimization among Honduran women. Implications, especially as they pertain to social service agencies and programming, are discussed.
Overcoming Challenges of Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing for Highway Traffic Monitoring
Authors: Narisetty Chaitanya , Hino Tomoyuki , Huang Ming-Fang , Ueda Ryusuke , Sakurai Hitoshi , Tanaka Akihiro , Otani Takashi , Ando Toru
Published: December 2020

This work presents a wide-area highway monitoring system based on distributed fiber-optic sensing (DFOS) as a cost-effective way of gathering traffic information at numerous sensing points along a fiber cable. The primary advantage of our proposed DFOS system is that it utilizes an existing fiber cable buried beneath the highway to detect and localize the vibrations of passing vehicles. Each section along the fiber cable acts as a sensing point and registers the vibration of nearby vehicles. The amplitude and location of vibrations as measured by DFOS can supplement the information obtained from existing point sensor systems (traffic camera, inductive loop detector) which are typically installed hundreds of meters apart. We trained a neural network for speed estimation ( SpeedNet) and also proposed novel solutions to some of the challenges posed when using DFOS to monitor traffic. To demonstrate the potential of DFOS, we conducted a field test for two days on a 45-km section of the Tomei expressway in Japan. Our proposed SpeedNet model estimated average traffic speeds every minute for an overall accuracy of over 90% as compared with existing loop detector-based sensors. As cameras suffer from weather and intensity changes, and loop detectors can be difficult to install at multiple locations, monitoring traffic using DFOS over an existing fiber-optic cable shows tremendous potential.
Assessing Drivers’ Compliance with Restrictive Yellow Traffic Lights in a Developing Country
Authors: Choupani Abdoul-Ahad
Published: December 2020

Driving rules adopt permissive or restrictive policies concerning yellow light running (YLR). In a restrictive policy, vehicles behind the stop line are not allowed to enter the intersection on yellow no matter how close they are to the stop line. YLR policy affects driving risks, safety, and operation. There is limited knowledge about the restrictive policy and drivers’ compliance with this rule. Previous studies on YLR are limited in scope since they tended to use binary stop/go decision models without considering red light running decisions. This potentially results in the loss of information about drivers’ conformity to red signals. This paper examines whether drivers are only non-compliant with yellow lights or whether non-conformity to any prohibitive yellow/red signal emerges as a wider behavioral issue. This study develops regression choice models to predict drivers’ illegal yellow-light passing decisions in a developing country with a poor safety record and explores reasons for drivers’ non-compliance. The results obtained show that the restrictive policy is ineffective in relation to driver compliance, especially in cases where drivers’ non-conformity to any restrictive rule emerges as a behavioral issue of concern. Drivers make their stop/go decisions according to the time needed to cross the intersection, and they consider the yellow light as an opportunity for crossing. Yellow (red) light running rates were 101 (31) per 1,000 vehicles per hour (vph) for the restrictive policy, whereas these rates for the U.S.A., with a permissive policy, were at most 29 (6) per 1,000 vph.
Evaluation of the Response Analysis Approach Used in the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
Authors: Fu Guozhi , Zhao Yanqing , Liu Wanqiu , Zhou Changjun
Published: December 2020

Asphalt concrete (AC) is a typical viscoelastic material exhibiting rate-dependent behavior. The rate-dependency of AC should be properly taken into consideration in pavement response analysis to accurately evaluate pavement performance and life. In the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), the dynamic modulus master curve is used to account for the rate-dependency of the dynamic modulus of AC. However, the rate-dependent phase angle is ignored and a constant phase angle of 0 is assumed. The partial characterization of rate-dependent properties of AC in the MEPDG may lead to inaccurate results. This study compares the pavement responses computed using the MEPDG approach and the layered viscoelastic theory (LVET) which utilizes the complex modulus master curve to fully characterize the rate-dependent properties of AC. Typical three-layer pavement structures were analyzed at three temperatures (−10°C, 20°C and 50°C) and four speeds (10, 40, 80 and 120 km/h). The results show that the horizontal tensile stresses at the bottom of cement-treated base layer obtained from the two approaches are almost the same, and for other responses analyzed, the results obtained from the MEPDG approach are larger than those from the LVET approach, especially for the responses in the AC layer. The normalized difference of the vertical compressive strain at the mid-depth of the AC layer between the two approaches can be up to 100% and that for the horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of the AC layer can be more than 50%.
“Goodbye … Through a Glass Door”: Emotional Experiences of Working in COVID-19 Acute Care Hospital Environments
Authors: Lapum Jennifer , Nguyen Megan , Fredericks Suzanne , Lai Sannie , McShane Julie
Published: December 2020

Background

The severity of the COVID-19 health crisis has placed acute care nurses in dire work environments in which they have had to deal with uncertainty, loss, and death on a constant basis. It is necessary to gain a better understanding of nurses’ experiences to develop interventions supportive of their emotional well-being.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore how nurses are emotionally affected working in COVID-19 acute care hospital environments. The research question is: What is the emotional experience of nurses working in COVID-19 acute care hospital environments?

Methods

We employed a narrative methodology that focused on participants’ stories. Twenty registered nurses, who worked in six hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada, participated in interviews. A narrative analysis was conducted with a focus on content and form of stories.

Results

We identified three themes about working in COVID-19 acute care hospital environments: the emotional experience, the agency of emotions, and how emotions shape nursing and practice.

Conclusion

In moving forth with pandemic preparations, healthcare leaders and governments need to make sure that a nurse’s sacrifice is not all-encompassing. Supporting nurses’ emotional well-being and resilience is necessary to counterbalance the loss and trauma nurses go through.
Radiology in the Era of Value-Based Healthcare: A Multi-Society Expert Statement From the ACR, CAR, ESR, IS3R, RANZCR, and RSNA
Authors: Brady Adrian P. , Bello Jaqueline A. , Derchi Lorenzo E. , Fuchsjäger Michael , Goergen Stacy , Krestin Gabriel P. , Lee Emil J. Y. , Levin David C. , Pressacco Josephine , Rao Vijay M. , Slavotinek John , Visser Jacob J. , Walker Richard E. A. , Brink James A.
Published: December 2020

Background:

The Value-Based Healthcare (VBH) concept is designed to improve individual healthcare outcomes without increasing expenditure, and is increasingly being used to determine resourcing of and reimbursement for medical services. Radiology is a major contributor to patient and societal healthcare at many levels. Despite this, some VBH models do not acknowledge radiology’s central role; this may have future negative consequences for resource allocation.

Methods, findings and interpretation:

This multi-society paper, representing the views of Radiology Societies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, describes the place of radiology in VBH models and the health-care value contributions of radiology. Potential steps to objectify and quantify the value contributed by radiology to healthcare are outlined.
Plant based cross-linkers for tissue engineering applications
Authors: Indurkar Abhishek , Pandit Ashish , Jain Ratnesh , Dandekar Prajakta
Published: December 2020

Utility of plant-based materials in tissue engineering has exponentially increased over the years. Recent efforts in this area have been focused on substituting synthetic cross-linkers with natural ones derived from biological sources. These cross-linkers are essentially derived from the vegetative components of plants therefore suitably categorised as ‘green’ and renewable materials. Utilization of plant based cross-linkers in scaffolds and hydrogels offers several advantages compared to the synthetic ones. Natural compounds, like ferulic acid and genipin, when incorporated into scaffolds can promote cellular proliferation and growth, by regulation of growth factors. They participate in crucial activities, thus providing impetus for cell growth, function, differentiation and angiogenesis. Several natural compounds inherently possess anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which enhance the inherent characteristics of the scaffolds. Versatility of natural cross-linkers can be exploited for diverse applications. Integrating such potent molecules can enable the scaffold to display relevant characteristics for each function. This review article focuses on the recent developments with plant based cross-linkers that are employed for scaffold synthesis and their applications, which may be explored to synthesize scaffolds suitable for diverse biomedical applications.
“Two Hours on a Sunday”: Fatherhood Following an Intimate Partner Violence Incident—A Theory of Excision
Authors: Stephens Tricia N.
Published: December 2020

Fathers who are arrested after an intimate partner violence (IPV) incident must navigate multiple systems, including child welfare, criminal justice and family court, that regulate their interactions with their family members post-arrest. Contact between fathers and their children is highly regulated in the name of safety, often creating lengthy separations and putting strain on already frayed parent-child relationships. While concerns for the safety of victims and survivors of IPV are warranted, there is increased acknowledgement of the important role that fathers, including those with a history of IPV, play in their children’s lives. This exploratory study used grounded theory methodology to interrogate how fathers seeking treatment at an abusive partners’ program maintained a relationship with their child(ren) and their identities as fathers. Fourteen fathers with experience in the phenomenon of interest completed in-depth qualitative interviews, focus groups, and demographic questionnaires. These data were analyzed along with observational memos to develop a four-stage theory of excision which captured the four stages of routine and effective separation of fathers from their children’s lives observed: (a) extraction; (b) re-assignment of identity; (c) exclusion; and (d) what remains. The presence of a single negative case in this study allowed for a discussion of this excision appearing to operate differently along racial lines. The urgent need to redress the institutional racism within these systems that has resulted in extraordinary burden and injustice to families of color is detailed. Implications for policies and practice with families living with IPV are discussed.