bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Support and Coping Strategies in Patients with Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury
Authors: Sachar Ryan , Landau Andrew J. , Ray Wilson Z. , Brogan David M. , Dy Christopher J.
Published: November 2020

Background

Emotional and social characteristics may influence rehabilitation and recovery after traumatic brachial plexus injury.

Purposes

We sought to investigate if traumatic brachial plexus injury patients have different levels of social support and employ distinct coping strategies from uninjured control subjects. In addition, we studied which coping strategies are more commonly used among traumatic brachial plexus injury patients.

Methods

Questionnaires for social support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List and Social Support Questionnaire) and coping strategies (Brief-Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) were administered to traumatic brachial plexus injury patients and an age- and sex-matched volunteer cohort (without brachial plexus injury).

Results

There were no differences in interpersonal support (mean [SD] = 26.0 [8.6], 26.5 [6.8]), number of persons available for emotional support, and satisfaction with support between traumatic brachial plexus injury patients ( n = 36) and volunteers ( n = 43). The following coping strategies were more common among traumatic brachial plexus injury patients: active coping, self-distraction, denial, behavioral disengagement, venting, planning, self-blame, and acceptance.

Conclusion

Patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury have similar levels of social support as healthy volunteers but are more likely to use an array of coping strategies. Surgeons and other clinicians should be aware of coping strategies favored by patients, particularly the potential for behaviors detrimental to recovery such as behavioral disengagement, self-blame, and denial. This work will inform future investigations into the influence of social support and coping strategies on clinical outcomes after traumatic brachial plexus injury.
A strategic framework for artificial intelligence in marketing
Authors: Huang Ming-Hui , Rust Roland T.
Published: November 2020

The authors develop a three-stage framework for strategic marketing planning, incorporating multiple artificial intelligence (AI) benefits: mechanical AI for automating repetitive marketing functions and activities, thinking AI for processing data to arrive at decisions, and feeling AI for analyzing interactions and human emotions. This framework lays out the ways that AI can be used for marketing research, strategy (segmentation, targeting, and positioning, STP), and actions. At the marketing research stage, mechanical AI can be used for data collection, thinking AI for market analysis, and feeling AI for customer understanding. At the marketing strategy (STP) stage, mechanical AI can be used for segmentation (segment recognition), thinking AI for targeting (segment recommendation), and feeling AI for positioning (segment resonance). At the marketing action stage, mechanical AI can be used for standardization, thinking AI for personalization, and feeling AI for relationalization. We apply this framework to various areas of marketing, organized by marketing 4Ps/4Cs, to illustrate the strategic use of AI.
Radiation mitigating activities of Psidium guajava L. against whole-body X-ray-induced damages in albino Wistar rat model
Authors: Kumar Amith , Kumarchandra Reshma , Rai Rajalakshmi , Kumblekar Vasavi
Published: November 2020

In the present study, we investigated radiation mitigating activities ofPsidium guajavaL. (P. guajava) against whole-body X- ray induced damages in albino Wistar rat model. The animals were orally administered with 200 mg/kg bodyweight of hydroalcoholic leaf extract ofP. guajavafor five consecutive days and on the fifth day, after the last dose of extract administration, animals were exposed to 4 Gy of X-rays. Rats were sacrificed 24 h post X–ray irradiation. The radiomitigating activity of the herb extract was assessed by micronucleus assay, histopathology of the small intestine and hematological parameters. Hepatic cyclooxygenase–2 (COX-2), interleukin–6 (IL-6) and interleukin –10 (IL-10) levels were assayed to validate the anti-inflammatory property. Biochemical estimations were also performed in RBC lysates to corroborate antioxidant properties in the leaf extract. HPLC analysis of crude extract confirmed the presence of standard flavonoid quercetin. Our results indicated that radiation elevated COX-2, IL-6 and decreased IL-10 levels and also induced micronucleus formation in polychromatic erythrocytes, simultaneously impairing hematological parameters along with erythrocyte antioxidants. The animals pre-treated withP. guajavaexhibited a significant decrease in the COX-2 (P ≤ 0.01), IL-6 levels (P ≤ 0.05) and also displayed significant increase in the hepatic IL-10 levels (P ≤ 0.01). Pre-treatment with plant extract improved antioxidant enzyme activities, hematological parameters and reduced the intestinal damage by recovering the architecture of the small intestine. Moreover, extract also rendered protection against radiation induced DNA damage, as evidenced by the significant (P ≤ 0.01) decrease in the percentage of radiation-induced micronucleus in polychromatic erythrocytes. Furthermore, the herb extract treatment increased radiation LD50/30from 6.6 Gy to 9.0 Gy, offering a dose reduction factor (DRF) of 1.36. Our findings for the first time propose the beneficial use ofP. guajavaas a radioprotector against X-ray induced damage.
Small mammal assemblage in beaver-modified habitats
Authors: Sundell Janne , Liao Wenfei , Nummi Petri
Published: November 2020

One of the less studied positive interactions among organisms is facilitation. Facilitation may have significant impact on diversity of species especially in low productive environments. We studied the effects of well-known facilitator and ecosystem engineer, the North American beaver (Castor canadensis), on small mammal assemblages in the boreal zone. The small mammals, namely voles, mice, and shrews, were trapped over 2 years in ten beaver-modified habitats and in ten control sites. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe any differences between species or individual numbers between beaver-modified and control sites. However, there were differences in species composition between sites; grass-eating field voles (Microtus agrestis) and invertebrate-eating shrews (Sorex araneus,Neomys fodiens) tended to be more common in beaver sites while forest-dwelling wood lemmings (Myopus schisticolor) and yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) were only captured in control sites. The most common species in both habitats was the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), which is a generalist in its habitat requirements. The bank vole’s population structures were similar between the two habitat types. The actions of beavers in water bodies within boreal forests seem to have no effect on the small mammal diversity and their numbers at the regional scale but may have positive effect on them at the larger landscape level as beavers are increasing the overall habitat diversity in the landscape.
Moments in Pearson's Four-Step Uniform Random Walk Problem and Other Applications of Very Well-Poised Generalized Hypergeometric Series
Authors: McCrorie J. Roderick
Published: November 2020

This paper considers the representation of odd moments of the distribution of a four-step uniform random walk in even dimensions, which are based on both linear combinations of two constants representable as contiguous very well-poised generalized hypergeometric series and as even moments of the square of the complete elliptic integral of the first kind. Neither constants are currently available in closed form. New symmetries are found in the critical values of theL-series of two underlying cusp forms, providing a sense in which one of the constants has a formal counterpart. The significant roles this constant and its counterpart play in multidisciplinary contexts is described. The results unblock the problem of representing them in terms of lower-order generalized hypergeometric series, offering progress towards identifying their closed forms. The same approach facilitates a canonical characterization of the hypergeometry of the parbelos, adding to the characterizations outlined by Campbell, D'Aurozio and Sondow (2020,The American Mathematical Monthly127(1), 23-32). The paper also connects the econometric problem of characterizing the bias in the canonical autoregressive model under the unit root hypothesis to very well-poised generalized hypergeometric series. The confluence of ideas presented reflects a multidisciplinarity that accords with the approach and philosophy of Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
Conformal Invariants in Simply Connected Domains
Authors: Nasser Mohamed M. S. , Vuorinen Matti
Published: November 2020

This paper studies the numerical computation of several conformal invariants of simply connected domains in the complex plane including, the hyperbolic distance, the reduced modulus, the harmonic measure, and the modulus of a quadrilateral. The used method is based on the boundary integral equation with the generalized Neumann kernel. Several numerical examples are presented. The performance and accuracy of the presented method is validated by considering several model problems with known analytic solutions.
Interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy AHP method-based supply chain performance evaluation by a new extension of SCOR model: SCOR 4.0
Authors: Ayyildiz Ertugrul , Taskin Gumus Alev
Published: November 2020

Supply chain operations reference (SCOR) is a combined benchmarking, business process reengineering, and best practices, and it also references a model that is intended to be an industry standard. SCOR model is one of the best models to describe supply chain activities in operations management for research and practice alike. There are radical changes in the structure of supply chains as well as developing technology in today’s information age. The purpose of this paper is to extend the SCOR model with new metrics related to Industry 4.0 and digitalization to understand and evaluate the performance of supply chains. New metrics added to the SCOR model and a novel SCOR 4.0 model is proposed. The novel performance evaluation model is structured as a three-level hierarchical structure to evaluate the supply chain. This problem is handled as a multi-criteria decision-making problem. This study uses the hybrid Best worst method and Pythagorean fuzzy AHP method to determine the weights of metrics. SCOR model is adapted to performance evaluation of the supply chain in the globalizing world. The most important metrics on the supply chain performances are determined and classified. Level 1 metrics are evaluated by Best worst method and their inner levels are evaluated by the Pythagorean fuzzy AHP method and the importance weights of each level 2 and level 3 metrics are obtained. A real application for the oil supply chain is presented to show the applicability of the proposed model. It is aimed to show the SCOR 4.0 model can be used by both public and private sectors to improve their supply chain strategies in globalizing world.
Investigation of Illumination Effects on the Electrical Properties of Au/GO/p-InP Heterojunction with a Graphene Oxide Interlayer
Authors: Lambada Dasaradha Rao , Yang Shuming , Wang Yiming , Ji Peirui , Shafique Shareen , Wang Fei
Published: November 2020

In this work, the electrical property of Au/graphene oxide/p-InP hetero-structure has been evaluated byI–VandC–Vmeasurements in dark and illuminated conditions (visible light). The diode exhibited significant rectifying behavior, thus indicating the heterojunction-type diode. The key electrical parameters of heterojunction diode including ideality factor (n), series resistance (Rs), shunt resistance (Rsh), and barrier height (Фb) are estimated fromI–Vdata based on the theory of thermionic emission. The modified Norde and Cheung’s methods were utilized to evaluate the electrical parameters and compared the results. The current conduction mechanism at different voltage regions ofI–Vhas also been investigated. The variation of 1/C2versus voltage signifies linearity at high frequency (1 MHz), indicating that the type of heterojunction can be abrupt. The experimental outcomes of this study revealed that the performance of heterojunction diode in dark is considerably good as compared to the illumination condition with respect to the lower values ofФb,n,Rs, and interface state density (Nss).
Decadent Developmentalism
Authors: Taylor Matthew M.
Published: November 2020

Brazil features regularly in global comparisons of large developing economies. Yet since the 1980s, the country has been caught in a low-level equilibrium, marked by lackluster growth and destructive inequality. One cause is the country's enduring commitment to a set of ideas and institutions labelled developmentalism. This book argues that developmentalism has endured, despite hyperactive reform, because institutional complementarities across economic and political spheres sustain and drive key actors and strategies that are individually advantageous, but collectively suboptimal. Although there has been incremental evolution in some institutions, complementarities across institutions sustain a pattern of 'decadent developmentalism' that swamps systemic change. Breaking new ground, Taylor shows how macroeconomic and microeconomic institutions are tightly interwoven with patterns of executive-legislative relations, bureaucratic autonomy, and oversight. His analysis of institutional complementarities across these five dimensions is relevant not only to Brazil but also to the broader study of comparative political economy.
PREDICTIVE CLAIM SCORES FOR DYNAMIC MULTI-PRODUCT RISK CLASSIFICATION IN INSURANCE
Authors: Verschuren Robert Matthijs
Published: November 2020

It has become standard practice in the non-life insurance industry to employ generalized linear models (GLMs) for insurance pricing. However, these GLMs traditionally work only with a priori characteristics of policyholders, while nowadays we increasingly have a posteriori information of individual customers available across multiple product categories. In this paper, we therefore develop a framework to capture this a posteriori information over several product lines using a dynamic claim score. More specifically, we extend the bonus-malus-panel model of Boucher and Inoussa (2014) and Boucher and Pigeon (2018) to include claim scores from other product categories and to allow for nonlinear effects of these scores. The application of the proposed multi-product framework to a Dutch property and casualty insurance portfolio shows that customers’ individual claims experience can have a significant impact on the risk classification. Moreover, it indicates that considerably more profits can be gained by accounting for their multi-product claims experience.
The need for a community-led, holistic service response to Aboriginal young people with cognitive disability in remote areas: a case study
Authors: McCausland Ruth , Dowse Leanne
Published: November 2020

There are multiple structural and practical barriers to Aboriginal young people with cognitive disability in remote areas receiving the support and services they need. Multidisciplinary mixed-methods research over the past decade has provided evidence of the ways that many such young people end up with complex support needs and being ‘managed’ by police and justice agencies in the absence of appropriate early intervention, transition support and community-based options. This article presents and synthesises knowledge generated by this body of work and contextualises it within the experiences and trajectory of a young Aboriginal woman with cognitive disability and complex support needs from a remote town. This case study is drawn from a New South Wales linked administrative dataset containing data from health, housing, disability, human services, police, legal, court and justice agencies on a cohort of people who have been incarcerated. The article draws out key principles and strategies to suggest what a community-led, holistic service response could have looked like for Casey.
Potential damage threats to downstream optics caused by Gaussian mitigation pits on rear KDP surface
Authors: Yang Hao , Cheng Jian , Liu Zhichao , Liu Qi , Zhao Linjie , Tan Chao , Wang Jian , Chen Mingjun
Published: November 2020

To determine whether a potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) surface mitigated by micro-milling would potentially threaten downstream optics, we calculated the light-field modulation based on angular spectrum diffraction theory, and performed a laser damage test on downstream fused silica. The results showed that the downstream light intensification caused by a Gaussian mitigation pit of 800 μm width and 10 μm depth reached a peak value near the KDP rear surface, decreased sharply afterward, and eventually kept stable with the increase in downstream distance. The solved peak value of light intensification exceeded 6 in a range 8–19 mm downstream from the KDP rear surface, which is the most dangerous for downstream optics. Laser damage sites were then induced on the fused silica surface in subsequent laser damage tests. When the distance downstream was greater than 44 mm with a downstream light intensification of less than 3, there were no potential damage threats to downstream optics. The study proves that a mitigated KDP surface can cause laser damage to downstream optical components, to which attention should be paid in an actual application. Through this work, we find that the current manufacturing process and the mitigation index still need to be improved. The research methods and calculation models are also of great reference significance for related studies like optics mitigation and laser damage.
Pyrus calleryana allometric equations and stand structure in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky
Authors: Boyce Richard L. , Ocasio Miciah
Published: November 2020

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana Decne.), a native of eastern Asia, has recently emerged as an important woody invader in much of the eastern United States. Little is known about its ecology in its new range. Its shade tolerance may be an important indicator of areas it is likely to invade. In this study, allometric equations were first developed to predict aboveground biomass components, including wood, branches, bark, leaves, and fruit, from diameter at stump height (dsh; 25 cm), by destructively harvesting 13 trees, ranging from 0.1 to 19.3 cm dsh. Then, a total of 23 wild-grown stands in the northern Kentucky/southwestern Ohio region were surveyed, with diameters of all woody stems sampled. Pyrus calleryana density, basal area, aboveground biomass, stand density index, size distribution inequality, and importance value were calculated for each site. Two-factor Weibull distributions were fit to diameter distributions. Allometric equations provided good fits for total aboveground biomass as well as individual components. Aboveground biomass levels fell below mean levels of native forest stands found in the United States. Stand density indices yielded values typical of shade-intolerant or midtolerant species. Stands with smaller trees generally had steeply declining monotonic diameter distributions, while stands with larger trees trended toward positively skewed monotonic distributions. These findings are consistent with a species that is either shade-intolerant or midtolerant. Thus, while this species is expected to invade open or disturbed areas, it is not expected to be an important invader under forest canopies. However, its extended deciduous habit is one shared by other understory woody invaders, and so this may allow it to survive under forest canopies.
The impact of tandem redundant/sky-based calibration in MWA Phase II data analysis
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Pober Jonathan C. , Li Wenyang , Hazelton Bryna J. , Morales Miguel F. , Trott Cathryn M. , Jordan Christopher H. , Joseph Ronniy C. , Beardsley Adam , Barry Nichole , Byrne Ruby , Tingay Steven J. , Chokshi Aman , Hasegawa Kenji , Jacobs Daniel C. , Lanman Adam , Line Jack L. B. , Lynch Christene , McKinley Benjamin , Mitchell Daniel A. , Murray Steven , Pindor Bart , Rahimi Mahsa , Takahashi Keitaro , Wayth Randall B. , Webster Rachel L. , Wilensky Michael , Yoshiura Shintaro , Zheng Qian
Published: November 2020

Precise instrumental calibration is of crucial importance to 21-cm cosmology experiments. The Murchison Widefield Array’s (MWA) Phase II compact configuration offers us opportunities for both redundant calibration and sky-based calibration algorithms; using the two in tandem is a potential approach to mitigate calibration errors caused by inaccurate sky models. The MWA Epoch of Reionization (EoR) experiment targets three patches of the sky (dubbed EoR0, EoR1, and EoR2) with deep observations. Previous work in Li et al. (2018) and (2019) studied the effect of tandem calibration on the EoR0 field and found that it yielded no significant improvement in the power spectrum (PS) over sky-based calibration alone. In this work, we apply similar techniques to the EoR1 field and find a distinct result: the improvements in the PS from tandem calibration are significant. To understand this result, we analyse both the calibration solutions themselves and the effects on the PS over three nights of EoR1 observations. We conclude that the presence of the bright radio galaxy Fornax A in EoR1 degrades the performance of sky-based calibration, which in turn enables redundant calibration to have a larger impact. These results suggest that redundant calibration can indeed mitigate some level of model incompleteness error.
Absolute -band magnitudes and mass-to-light ratios of Galactic globular clusters
Authors: Baumgardt H. , Sollima A. , Hilker M.
Published: November 2020

We have usedHubble Space Telescopeand ground-based photometry to determine totalV-band magnitudes and mass-to-light ratios of more than 150 Galactic globular clusters. We do this by summing up the magnitudes of their individual member stars, using colour-magnitude information,GaiaDR2 proper motions, and radial velocities to distinguish cluster stars from background stars. Our new magnitudes confirm literature estimates for bright clusters with$V<8$, but can deviate by up to two magnitudes from literature values for fainter clusters. They lead to absolute mass-to-light ratios that are confined to the narrow range$1.4<M/L_V<2.5$, significantly smaller than what was found before. We also find a correlation between a cluster’s$M/L_V$value and its age, in agreement with theoretical predictions. The$M/L_V$ratios of globular clusters are also in good agreement with those predicted by stellar isochrones, arguing against a significant amount of dark matter inside globular clusters. We finally find that, in agreement with what has been seen in M 31, the magnitude distribution of outer halo globular clusters has a tail towards faint clusters that is absent in the inner parts of the Milky Way.
Local News, Information, and the Nationalization of U.S. Elections
Authors: MOSKOWITZ DANIEL J.
Published: November 2020

Has the decline in traditional sources of local news contributed to the nationalization of U.S. elections? I hypothesize that local news coverage mitigates nationalization by providing voters with information that allows them to assess down-ballot candidates separately from their national, partisan assessment. The geography of media markets places some voters in a neighboring state’s market and others in in-state markets. I demonstrate that residents of in-state markets have access to vastly more local television news coverage of their governor and U.S. senators, and this increased coverage translates into greater knowledge of these officeholders. Further, access to in-state television news substantially increases split-ticket voting in gubernatorial and senatorial races. Supplementary analyses provide strong evidence that the estimated effects are not the result of unobserved differences between residents of in-state and out-of-state media markets. These results imply that local news coverage attenuates the nationalization of elections even in the present polarized context.
Chinese visceral adiposity index, a novel indicator of visceral obesity for assessing the risk of incident hypertension in a prospective cohort study
Authors: Han Minghui , Qie Ranran , Li Quanman , Liu Leilei , Huang Shengbing , Wu Xiaoyan , Zhang Dongdong , Cheng Cheng , Zhao Yang , Liu Dechen , Guo Chunmei , Zhou Qionggui , Tian Gang , Zhang Yanyan , Wu Yuying , Li Yang , Yang Xingjin , Zhao Yang , Feng Yifei , Qin Pei , Hu Fulan , Zhang Ming , Hu Dongsheng
Published: November 2020

The present study aimed to investigate the association of the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) and its 6-year change with hypertension risk and compare the ability of CVAI and other obesity indices to predict hypertension based on the Rural Chinese Cohort Study. Study participants were randomly recruited by a cluster sampling procedure, and 10 304 participants ≥18 years were included. Modified Poisson regression was used to derive adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI. We identified 2072 hypertension cases during a median of 6·03 years of follow-up. The RR for the highest v. lowest CVAI quartile were 1·29 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·59) for men and 1·53 (95 % CI 1·22, 1·91) for women. Per-sd increase in CVAI was associated with hypertension for both men (RR 1·09, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·16) and women (RR 1·14, 95 % CI 1·06, 1·22). Also, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value for hypertension was higher for CVAI than the four other obesity indices for both sexes (all P < 0·05). Finally, per-sd increase in CVAI change was associated with hypertension for both men (RR 1·26, 95 % CI 1·16, 1·36) and women (RR 1·23, 95 % CI 1·15, 1·30). Similar results were observed in sensitivity analyses. CVAI and its 6-year change are positively associated with hypertension risk. CVAI has better performance in predicting hypertension than other visceral obesity indices for both sexes. The current findings suggest CVAI as a reliable and applicable predictor of hypertension in rural Chinese adults.
Interplay between productive traits, the social rank and the cow's stability in the order of entrance to the milking parlour
Authors: Vargas-Bello-Pérez E. , Bastías-Ruz J. , Toro-Mujica P. , Teixeira D.L. , Enriquez-Hidalgo D.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate whether social rank (SR) and stability in the order of entrance to the milking parlour are associated with production traits. The study was conducted on a dairy farm where cows (n= 215) were managed in three groups according to lactation stage (group 1: 78 cows, 0–100 days in milk (DIM); group 2: 65 cows, 101–200 DIM and group 3: 72 cows, >200 DIM). SR was calculated from observations made from agonistic behaviour performed at the water troughs and feed bunks of each pen (n= 3). The animals were classified into three levels of dominance based on at least five clear interactions, resulting in: 61 dominant, 75 intermediate and 69 subordinate cows based on SR. Stability in the order of entry was estimated as the standard deviation of the entry position. SR was weakly correlated with milk yield, urea and protein content in milk. The results showed that stable cows had higher milk production and entered the milking parlour after the non-stable animals. Stability in the order of entry to the milking parlour was not affected by SR. Overall, the use of milking facilities appears to be associated with production traits rather than SR.
Endonasal surgery in the coronavirus era – Birmingham experience
Authors: Naik P P , Tsermoulas G , Paluzzi A , McClelland L , Ahmed S K
Published: November 2020

Background

The World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 a pandemic on 11th March 2020. There is concern regarding performing endonasal surgical procedures because of a high viral load in the nasopharynx. This paper describes our experience in conducting emergency and urgent endonasal operations during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the UK.

Objectives

To show the outcome of endonasal surgery during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and to assess the post-operative rate of nosocomial coronavirus disease 2019 infection.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all patients who underwent high priority endoscopic nasal surgery or anterior skull base surgery between 23rd March and 15th June 2020 at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust.

Results

Twenty-four patients underwent endonasal surgery during the study period, 12 were males and 12 were females. There was no coronavirus-related morbidity in any patient.

Conclusion

This observational study found that it is possible to safely undertake urgent endonasal surgery; the nosocomial risk of coronavirus disease 2019 can be mitigated with appropriate peri-operative precautions.
Contesting colonial (hi)stories: (Post)colonial imaginings of Southeast Asia
Authors: Supartono Alexander , Moschovi Alexandra
Published: November 2020

This article seeks to explore the impact of digital technologies upon the material, conceptual and ideological premises of the colonial archive in the digital era. This analysis is pursued though a discussion of creative work produced during an international, multidisciplinary artist workshop in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, that used digital material from colonial photographic archives in the Netherlands to critically investigate the ways national, transnational and personal (hi)stories in the former colonies in Southeast Asia have been informed and shaped by their colonial past. The analysis focuses on how the artists’ use of digital media contests and reconfigures the use, truth value and power of the colonial archive as an entity and institution. Case studies include: Thai photographer Dow Wasiksiri, who questions the archive's mnemonic function by substituting early twentieth-century handcrafted association techniques with digital manipulation; Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann, who compresses onto the same picture plane different historical moments and colonial narratives; and Indonesian photographer Agan Harahap, who recomposes archival photographs into unlikely juxtapositions disseminated through social media. By repurposing colonial archival material and circulating their work online such a re-imag(in)ing of Southeast Asia not only challenges the notions of originality, authenticity, ownership and control associated with such archives, but also reclaims colonial-era (hi)stories, making them part of a democratic, expanding, postcolonial archive.
Development of a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA-EXO) and lateral flow assay (RPA-LFA) based on the ITS1 gene for the detection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in gastropod intermediate hosts
Authors: Jarvi Susan I. , Atkinson Elizabeth S. , Kaluna Lisa M. , Snook Kirsten A. , Steel Argon
Published: November 2020

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode known to infect humans through the ingestion of third stage larvae which can cause inflammation and damage to the central nervous system. Currently, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most reliable diagnostic methods for detecting A. cantonensis in humans as well as in gastropod hosts, but requires expensive and specialized equipment. Here, we compare the sensitivity and accuracy of a recombinase polymerase amplification Exo (RPA-EXO) assay, and a recombinase polymerase amplification lateral flow assay (RPA-LFA) with a traditional quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay currently available. The three assays were used to test 35 slugs from Hawai‘i for the presence of A. cantonensis DNA. Consistent results among the three tests were shown in 23/35 samples (65.7%), while 7/35 (20%) were discordant in low infection level samples (<0.01 larvae per mg tissue), and 5/35 (14.3%) were equivocal. To evaluate sensitivity, a partial ITS1 gene was cloned, and serial plasmid dilutions were created ranging from 100 copies μL−1 to ~1 copy μL−1. All three assays consistently detected 50–100 copies μL−1 in triplicate and qPCR was able to detect ~13 copies μL−1 in triplicate. RPA-EXO was able to detect 25 copies μL−1 in triplicate and RPA-LFA was not able to amplify consistently below 50 copies μL−1. Thus, our RPA-EXO and RPA-LFA assays do not appear as sensitive as the current qPCR assay at low DNA concentrations; however, these tests have numerous advantages that may make them useful alternatives to qPCR.
Does providing personalized depression risk information lead to increased psychological distress and functional impairment? Results from a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang JianLi , Eccles Heidi , Nannarone Molly , Schmitz Norbert , Patten Scott , Lashewicz Bonnie
Published: November 2020

Background

Multivariable risk algorithms (MVRP) predicting the personal risk of depression will form an important component of personalized preventive interventions. However, it is unknown whether providing personalized depression risk will lead to unintended psychological harms. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of providing personalized depression risk on non-specific psychological distress and functional impairment over 12 months.

Methods

A mixed-methods randomized controlled trial was conducted in 358 males and 354 females who were at high risk of having a major depressive episode according to sex-specific MVRPs, and who were randomly recruited across Canada. Participants were assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months.

Results

Over 93% of participants were interested in knowing their depression risk. The intervention group had a greater reduction in K10 score over 12 months than the control group; complete-case analysis found a significant between-group difference in mean K10 change score (d = 1.17, 95% CI 0.12–2.23) at 12 months. Participants in the intervention group also reported significantly less functional impairment in the domains of home and work/school activities, than did those in the control group. A majority of the qualitative interviewees commented that personalized depression risk information does not have a negative impact on physical and mental health.

Conclusions

This study found no evidence that providing personalized depression risk information will lead to worsening psychological distress, functional impairment, and absenteeism. Provision of personalized depression risk information may have positive impacts on non-specific psychological distress and functioning.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02943876
Towards a Collaborative Ergonomics: From Strangers to Symbiotic Community through Boundary Traversal in Performance
Authors: LIANG PEILIN
Published: November 2020

In the globalized twenty-first century, the relevance of intercultural performance is to forge supporting infrastructures between collaborators of divergent sociocultural backgrounds and disciplinary training. Fostering such infrastructures is vital for reconfiguring existing social relations and redistributing resources in the face of increasing sociocultural asymmetry. However, I argue that transforming collaborating ‘strangers’ into interdependent components of a sustainable symbiotic community necessitates the implementation of a collaborative ergonomics. It is an ergonomics concerned with the efficiency and efficacy of collaboration that actively seeks to traverse boundaries and borders. Linguistic translation, lexical translation and the transference and co-production of embodied knowledge are the crucial steps for effecting a collaborative ergonomics. Signs of an emerging symbiosis include the increasingly collaborative relationships between the collaborators and the transformation of embodied practices into highly reflexive and rigorous praxis.
Mei Lanfang and Stanislavsky: The (De)construction of an Intercultural Myth on the International Stage
Authors: TIAN MIN
Published: November 2020

Mei Lanfang's contact with Stanislavsky during his 1935 tour in the Soviet Union and the latter's often-cited ‘appraisal’ of the acting of traditional Chinese theatre have exerted a profound and lasting influence on the Chinese understanding and evaluation of the art of their traditional theatre. Through extensive research into the related archival material, as well as contemporary records, this article investigates the historical facts and circumstances that underlie this historic intercultural moment on the twentieth-century international stage. It unweaves the historical construction of this remarkable intercultural phenomenon and exposes its political and ideological underpinnings as well as its theatrical and artistic placements and displacements. It underscores the necessity of deconstructing the creation of such an intercultural myth for today's historical understanding of the art of traditional Chinese theatre and, by implication, in a larger context, of the global making of twentieth-century intercultural theatre.
A debris-covered glacier at Kerguelen (49°S, 69°E) over the past 15 000 years
Authors: Charton Joanna , Jomelli Vincent , Schimmelpfennig Irene , Verfaillie Deborah , Favier Vincent , Mokadem Fatima , Gilbert Adrien , Brun Fanny , Aumaître Georges , Bourlès Didier L. , Keddadouche Karim
Published: November 2020

Debris-covered glaciers constitute a large part of the world's cryosphere. However, little is known about their long-term response to multi-millennial climate variability, in particular in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we provide first insights into the response of a debris-covered glacier to multi-millennial climate variability in the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Archipelago, which can be compared to that of recently investigated debris-free glaciers. We focus on the Gentil Glacier and present 13 new 36Cl cosmic-ray exposure ages from moraine boulders. The Gentil Glacier experienced at least two glacial advances: the first one during the Late Glacial (19.0–11.6 ka) at ~14.3 ka and the second one during the Late Holocene at ~2.6 ka. Both debris-covered and debris-free glaciers advanced broadly synchronously during the Late Glacial, most probably during the Antarctic Cold Reversal event (14.5–12.9 ka). This suggests that both glacier types at Kerguelen were sensitive to abrupt temperature changes recorded in Antarctic ice cores, associated with increased moisture. However, during the Late Holocene, the advance at ~2.6 ka was not observed in other glaciers and seems to be an original feature of the debris-covered Gentil Glacier, related to either distinct dynamics or to distinct sensitivity to precipitation changes.
Neurodevelopmental evaluation for school-age children with congenital heart disease: recommendations from the cardiac neurodevelopmental outcome collaborative
Authors: Ilardi Dawn , Sanz Jacqueline H. , Cassidy Adam R. , Sananes Renee , Rollins Caitlin K. , Ullman Shade Catherine , Carroll Gretchen , Bellinger David C.
Published: November 2020

In 2012, the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Paediatrics released a scientific statement with guidelines for the evaluation and management of the neurodevelopmental needs of children with CHD. Decades of outcome research now highlight a range of cognitive, learning, motor, and psychosocial vulnerabilities affecting individuals with CHD across the lifespan. The number of institutions with Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Programmes and services for CHD is growing worldwide. This manuscript provides an expanded set of neurodevelopmental evaluation strategies and considerations for professionals working with school-age children with CHD. Recommendations begin with the referral process and access to the evaluation, the importance of considering medical risk factors (e.g., genetic disorders, neuroimaging), and the initial clinical interview with the family. The neurodevelopmental evaluation should take into account both family and patient factors, including the child/family’s primary language, country of origin, and other cultural factors, as well as critical stages in development that place the child at higher risk. Domains of assessment are reviewed with emphasis on target areas in need of evaluation based on current outcome research with CHD. Finally, current recommendations are made for assessment batteries using a brief core battery and an extended comprehensive clinical battery. Consistent use of a recommended assessment battery will increase opportunities for research collaborations, and ultimately help improve the quality of care for families and children with CHD.
Re-examining the effect of phonological similarity between the native- and second-language intonational systems in second-language speech segmentation
Authors: Tremblay Annie , Kim Sahyang , Shin Seulgi , Cho Taehong
Published: November 2020

This study investigates how phonological and phonetic aspects of the native-language (L1) intonation modulate the use of tonal cues in second-language (L2) speech segmentation. Previous research suggested that prosodic learning is more difficult if the L1 and L2 intonations are phonologically similar but phonetically different (French–Korean) than if they are phonologically different (English–French/Korean) (Prosodic-Learning Interference Hypothesis; Tremblay, Broersma, Coughlin & Choi, 2016). This study provides another test of this hypothesis. Korean listeners and French-speaking and English-speaking L2 learners of Korean in Korea completed an eye-tracking experiment investigating the effects of phrase tones in Korean. All groups patterned similarly with the phrase-final tone, but, unlike Korean and French listeners, English listeners showed early benefits from the phrase-initial tone (signaling word-initial boundaries in English). Importantly, French listeners patterned like Korean listeners with both tones. The Prosodic-Learning Interference Hypothesis is refined to suggest that prosodic learning difficulties may not be persistent for immersed L2 learners.
Unhealthy food options in the school environment are associated with diet quality and body weights of elementary school children in Canada
Authors: Sim Shannon , Veugelers Paul J , Prowse Rachel , Nykiforuk Candace IJ , Maximova Katerina
Published: November 2020

Objective:

Increasing evidence links unhealthy food environments with diet quality and overweight/obesity. Recent evidence has demonstrated that relative food environment measures outperform absolute measures. Few studies have examined the interplay between these two measures. We examined the separate and combined effects of the absolute and relative densities of unhealthy food outlets within 1600 m buffers around elementary schools on children’s diet- and weight-related outcomes.

Design:

This is a cross-sectional study of 812 children from thirty-nine schools. The Youth Healthy Eating Index (Y-HEI) and daily vegetables and fruit servings were derived from the Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire for Children and Youth. Measured heights and weights determined BMI Z-scores. Food outlets were ranked as healthy, somewhat healthy and unhealthy according to provincial paediatric nutrition guidelines. Multilevel mixed-effects regression models were used to assess the effect of absolute (number) and relative (proportion) densities of unhealthy food outlets within 1600 m around schools on diet quality and weight status.

Setting:

Two urban centres in the province of Alberta, Canada.

Participants:

Grade 5 students (10–11 years).

Results:

For children attending schools with a higher absolute number (36+) of unhealthy food outlets within 1600 m, every 10 % increase in the proportion of unhealthy food outlets was associated with 4·1 lower Y-HEI score and 0·9 fewer daily vegetables and fruit.

Conclusions:

Children exposed to a higher relative density of unhealthy food outlets around a school had lower diet quality, specifically in areas where the absolute density of unhealthy food outlets was also high.
Services Trade Policies and Economic Integration: New Evidence for Developing Countries
Authors: Hoekman Bernard , Shepherd Ben
Published: November 2020

This paper applies machine learning to recreate to a high degree of accuracy the OECD's Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) to provide quantitative evidence on the restrictiveness of services policies in 2016 for a sample of developing countries, using regulatory data collected by the World Bank and WTO. Resulting estimates are used to extend the OECD STRI approach to 23 additional countries, producing what we term a Services Policy Index (SPI). Converting the SPI to ad valorem equivalent terms shows that services policies are typically much more restrictive than tariffs on imports of goods, in particular in professional services and telecommunications. The SPI has strong explanatory power for bilateral trade in services at the sectoral level, as well as for aggregate goods and services trade.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is positively associated with both healthy and western dietary pattern in Iranian middle-aged
Authors: Shahinfar Hossein , Djafari Farhang , Babaei Nadia , Davarzani Samira , Ebaditabar Mojdeh , Clark Cain C. T. , Djafarian Kurosh , Imani Hossein , Shab-Bidar Sakineh
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Background: The association between dietary patterns and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is not well established. Objective: We sought to investigate association between a posteriori dietary pattern and CRF in middle-aged adults. Design: Adults (n = 276), aged 20–74 years, who were residents of Tehran, Iran were recruited. Diet was assessed by using a validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Principal component analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. Socio-economic status, anthropometric measures, body composition, and blood pressure were recorded. CRF was assessed by using a graded exercise treadmill test. Analysis of variance and linear regression models were used to discern the association between dietary patterns and CRF. Results: Higher scores of the healthy dietary pattern had no association with VO2max(p = 0.13 ). After controlling for potential confounders, VO2maxwas positively associated across tertiles of healthy dietary patterns (p < 0.001). Higher adherence to the “mixed” dietary pattern was inversely related to VO2max(p < 0.01). After adjusting for confounders, the significant association disappeared (p = 0.14). Higher scores of the “Western” dietary pattern was not associated with VO2max(p = 0.06). However, after controlling for potential confounders, VO2maxwas positively associated with the “Western” dietary pattern (p = 0.01). A positive linear association between the “healthy” dietary pattern and CRF for the total sample (R2 = 0.02; p < 0.01) were presented. Conclusions: Overall, our findings suggest that higher adherence to a “healthy” and “Western” dietary pattern was positively associated with CRF. However, further studies are required to examine and clarify the causal relationship between dietary patterns and CRF.