bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on hierarchical pedestrian detection based on SVM classifier with improved kernel function
Authors: Zhang Yin , Xu Lunhui , Zhang Yikuan
Published: August 2022

The research of pedestrian target detection in complex scenes is still of great significance. Aiming at the problem of high missed detection rate and poor timeliness of pedestrian target detection in complex scenes. This paper proposes an improved classification method. First, Haar features were extracted from the images to be detected, and the candidate areas of pedestrians were determined by Adaboost classifier. Then, the traditional SVM classifier was improved by using the combined kernel function instead of the single kernel function, and the optimal proportion of each function in the combined kernel function was found by using the adaptive particle swarm optimization algorithm. Finally, the improved SVM classifier was combined with the fusion feature to further detect the candidate area to accurately locate the pedestrian’s position. Experimental results show that compared with the traditional detection framework, the proposed method can effectively improve the detection speed and the detection accuracy. This method has certain practical significance for pedestrian target detection in complex scenes.
Mechanically adaptive composites through piezoelectricity
Authors: Omar Mostafa M. , Sun Bohan , Kitchen Grant , Kang Sung Hoon
Published: August 2022

Continuous technological advances resulted in an ever-growing need for novel materials. In conventional engineering materials, cyclic loadings weaken materials by initiating cracks or degrading materials, which leads to premature failure. Contrarily, natural materials such as bones address the issue elegantly. Stress is utilized as a stimulus for material synthesis to strengthen the material. The salient difference between these natural material systems and their synthetic counterparts is their adaptive behavior. Adaptive materials can self-tune their properties in response to stimuli from the environment. Recently, growing attention has been directed towards adaptive materials owing to their autonomous “smart” behavior and multifunctionality. The goal of this article is to discuss the recent efforts in adaptive materials with a focus on mechanically adaptive materials based on piezoelectricity. The rationale behind these material systems is explained as well as an overview of different material systems and their implications. Lastly, we will discuss the challenges to overcome and prospects for future studies.
Receiving Visits and the Relative Timing of Inmates’ Infractions: Investigations into how Inmates’ Behavior Change Before and After Visits in Dutch Prisons
Authors: Berghuis Maria , Sentse Miranda , Palmen Hanneke , Nieuwbeerta Paul
Published: August 2022

Objectives

This study tests the relative timing of inmate infractions in the weeks before and after a visit.

Method

Our sample is a cohort of 823 male inmates who participated in the Dutch Prison Visitation Study (DPVS) (2017) and had visitation and misconduct data. Using two-level random effects logistic regression models, we examined week-to-week associations between infractions and prison visits, including visits from partners, family, friends, and official visitors.

Results

The probability of an infraction is comparable to average levels in anticipation of visits, increases up to 18 percent in the weeks immediately following visits, and then returns to baseline levels. This pattern is found for contraband infractions, but no effects were found for aggressive infractions. Strongest effects were found for family and official visits. When inmates are visited frequently, the risk of infractions postvisit is similar to average levels.

Conclusions

The findings show that visits can have harmful effects on inmate infractions. These effects seem to stem from increases in contraband infractions. More research is needed to further understand the mechanism behind visits’ effects.
A University-Led Contact Tracing Program Response to a COVID-19 Outbreak Among Students in Georgia, February–March 2021
Authors: Harrington Kristin R.V. , Siira Meron R. , Rothschild Elizabeth P. , Rabinovitz Sharon R. , Shartar Samuel , Clark David , Isakov Alexander , Chamberlain Allison , Gelaye Enku , Cegielski J. Peter , Gandhi Neel R.
Published: August 2022

Few reports have described how university programs have controlled COVID-19 outbreaks. Emory University established a case investigation and contact tracing program in June 2020 to identify and mitigate transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Emory community. In February 2021, this program identified a surge in COVID-19 cases. In this case study, we present details of outbreak investigation, construction of transmission networks to assess clustering and identify groups for targeted testing, and program quality metrics demonstrating the efficiency of case investigation and contact tracing, which helped bring the surge under control. During February 10–March 5, 2021, Emory University identified 265 COVID-19 cases confirmed by nucleic acid testing in saliva or nasopharyngeal samples. Most students with COVID-19 were undergraduates (95%) and were affiliated with Greek life organizations (70%); 41% lived on campus. Network analysis identified 1 epidemiologically linked cluster of 198 people. Nearly all students diagnosed with COVID-19 (96%) were interviewed the same day as their positive test result. Of 340 close contacts, 90% were traced and 89% were tested. The median time from contact interview to first test was 2 days (interquartile range, 0-6 days); 43% received a positive test result during their quarantine. The surge was considered under control within 17 days, after which new cases were no longer epidemiologically linked. Early detection through systematic testing protocols and rapid and near-complete contact tracing, paired with isolation and quarantine measures, helped to contain the surge. Our approach emphasizes the importance of early preparation of adequate outbreak response infrastructure and staff to implement interventions appropriately and consistently during a pandemic.
COVID-19 Mortality Rates in Los Angeles County Among People Experiencing Homelessness, March 2020–February 2021
Authors: Chang Alicia H. , Kwon Jennifer J. , Shover Chelsea L. , Greenwell Lisa , Gomih Ayodele , Blake Jerome , Del Rosario Aubrey , Jones Padma S. , Fisher Rebecca , Balter Sharon , Brosnan Hannah K.
Published: August 2022

Objective:

Understanding COVID-19–related mortality among the large population of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in Los Angeles County (LA County) may inform public health policies to protect this vulnerable group. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on PEH compared with the general population in LA County.

Methods:

We calculated crude COVID-19 mortality rates per 100 000 population and mortality rates adjusted for age, race, and sex/gender among PEH and compared them with the general population in LA County from March 1, 2020, through February 28, 2021.

Results:

Among adults aged ≥18 years, the crude mortality rate per 100 000 population among PEH was 20% higher than among the general LA County population (348.7 vs 287.6). After adjusting for age, the mortality rate among PEH was 570.7 per 100 000 population. PEH had nearly twice the risk of dying from COVID-19 as people in the general LA County population; PEH aged 18-29 years had almost 8 times the risk of dying compared with their peers in the general LA County population. PEH had a higher risk of mortality than the general population after adjusting for race (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.6) and sex/gender (SMR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.5).

Conclusions:

A higher risk of COVID-19–related death among PEH compared with the general population indicates the need for public health policies and interventions to protect this vulnerable group.
Ideal technologies, ideal women: AI and gender imaginaries in Redditors’ discussions on the Replika bot girlfriend
Authors: Depounti Iliana , Saukko Paula , Natale Simone
Published: August 2022

There is extensive literature on how expectations and imaginaries about artificial intelligence (AI) guide media and policy discussions. However, it has not been considered how such imaginaries are activated when users interact with AI technologies. We present findings of a study on how users on a subreddit discussed ‘training’ their Replika bot girlfriend. The discussions featured two discursive themes that focused on the AI imaginary of ideal technology and the gendered imaginary of the ideal bot girlfriend. Users expected their AI Replikas to both be customizable to serve their needs and to have a human-like or sassy mind of their own and not spit out machine-like answers. Users thus projected dominant notions of male control over technology and women, mixed with AI and postfeminist fantasies of ostensible independence onto the interactional agents and activated similar scripts embedded in the devices. The vicious feedback loop consolidated dominant scripts on gender and technology whilst appearing novel and created by users. While most research on the use of AI is conducted in applied computer science to improve user experience, this article outlines a media and cultural studies lens for a critical understanding of these emerging technologies as they become embedded in communication and meaning-making.
Modeling social interaction dynamics measured with smartphone sensors: An ambulatory assessment study on social interactions and loneliness
Authors: Elmer Timon , Lodder Gerine
Published: August 2022

More and more data are being collected using combined active (e.g., surveys) and passive (e.g., smartphone sensors) ambulatory assessment methods. Fine-grained temporal data, such as smartphone sensor data, allow gaining new insights into the dynamics of social interactions in day-to-day life and how these are associated with psychosocial phenomena – such as loneliness. So far, however, smartphone sensor data have often been aggregated over time, thus, not doing justice to the fine-grained temporality of these data. In this article, we demonstrate how time-stamped sensor data of social interactions can be modeled with multistate survival models. We examine how loneliness is associated with (a) the time between social interaction (i.e., interaction rate) and (b) the duration of social interactions in a student population (Nparticipants = 45, Nobservations = 74,645). Before a 10-week ambulatory assessment phase, participants completed the UCLA loneliness scale, covering subscales on intimate, relational, and collective loneliness. Results from the multistate survival models indicated that loneliness subscales were not significantly associated with differences in social interaction rate and duration – only relational loneliness predicted shorter social interaction encounters. These findings illustrate how the combination of new measurement and modeling methods can advance knowledge on social interaction dynamics in daily life settings and how they relate to psychosocial phenomena such as loneliness.
Parents’ views on facilitating and inhibiting factors in the development of attachment relationships with their children with severe disabilities
Authors: Vandesande Sien , Steegmans Dorien , Maes Bea
Published: August 2022

Being confident as attachment figures is not self-evident for parents of children with severe or profound intellectual disabilities (SPID) given the children’s limited clear communicative responses. The current study drew upon the Attachment Strengths and Needs Interview to get an overview of factors that parents identify as influencing their parent-child attachment relationships.

Inductive semantic thematic analysis was conducted on 23 semi-structured interviews (including responses of 35 parents). These were the parents of children (1–9 years) with a severe or profound intellectual (or multiple) disability.

The results showed that parents mentioned a large number of inhibiting and facilitating factors related to developing attachment relationships with their children. Adopting an ecological systems perspective, these influences were organised in a micro-, meso-, macro-, exo- and chrono-level. This implies that not only factors related to the child (and his/her disability) were mentioned, but also factors related to (amongst others) the parents, the parent-child and family interactions, the broader environment and policy.

Concluding, from parents’ perspectives, it seemed that the factors influencing the (development of) attachment relationships can be positive and negative, are versatile, layered in different levels, interconnected and not necessarily linked to their children’s disability. Both generic factors across parents and specific factors, related to individual families, should be taken into account to provide tailored support.
Neurologic complications after cardiopulmonary bypass – A narrative review
Authors: Gilbey Tom , Milne Benjamin , de Somer Filip , Kunst Gudrun
Published: August 2022

Neurologic complications, associated with cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in adults, are common and can be devastating in some cases. This comprehensive review will not only consider the broad categories of stroke and neurocognitive dysfunction, but it also summarises other neurological complications associated with CPB, and it provides an update about risks, prevention and treatment. Where appropriate, we consider the impact of off-pump techniques upon our understanding of the contribution of CPB to adverse outcomes.
Assessment of Running Safety of Developed Train–Bridge–Wave Model Under One-Direction and Two Bidirectional High-Speed Train Passing Subjected to Rail Irregularities
Authors: Razzaghi Kalajahi Amin , Esmaeili Morteza , Ali Zakeri Jabbar
Published: August 2022

A study about the running safety of trains moving over bridges subjected to hydrodynamic loads under one-direction and two bidirectional high-speed train passing is presented. Dynamic performance of the developed 3D train–bridge–wave system (TBW model) subjected to different hydrodynamic loads and applying Association of American Railroads track irregularities is established in this study. The dynamic responses of the bridge, which is under one-direction and two bidirectional high-speed train passing and subjected to several hydrodynamic loads and rail irregularities, are analyzed. The dynamic responses of the bridge and the running safety indices of the trains on the bridge under several types of sea states in one-direction and two bidirectional train passing are analyzed. Results of developed TBW’s sensitivity analyses have shown the importance of sea-state conditions for safe train running. Irregularities have an obvious effect on the dynamic responses of the bridge. Between comparing one-direction and two bidirectional high-speed train passing modes, bidirectional train passing has a greater effect on vertical acceleration and displacement than horizontal ones in the presence of a hydrodynamic load. Therefore, the combination of wave forces, rail irregularities, and bidirectional train passing jeopardizes the running safety of high-speed trains by increasing both lateral and vertical displacements and accelerations. Furthermore, the effect of wave force on the running safety indices of the train is investigated by considering different train speeds. As expected, the tendency observed in all the derailment criteria is similar, indicating that the risk of derailment increases with the increasing of the running speed and wave height.
Driver Response to a Dynamic Speed Feedback Sign at Speed Transition Zones Along High-Speed Rural Highways
Authors: Mahmud Md Shakir , Megat Johari Megat Usamah , Bamney Anshu , Jashami Hisham , Gates Timothy J. , Savolainen Peter T.
Published: August 2022

Research was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a dynamic speed feedback sign (DSFS) as a speed reduction strategy at speed transition zones along five high-speed rural highways in northern Michigan. The DSFS was positioned on the shoulder in advance of the reduced speed limit at each community and was programmed to display speeds of approaching vehicles alternating with the upcoming reduced speed limit. Using handheld LIDAR guns, vehicle speeds were tracked through each speed transition area before and after installation of the DSFS. The DSFS was found to have a significant speed reduction effect throughout each of the five speed transition zones. The speed reductions generally began when the DSFS came into the motorists’ view, and the speed reduction effect increased as motorists approached DSFS. The greatest speed reduction effects were observed at the DSFS location itself, where speeds were 3.2 to 7.8 mph lower with the DSFS present, and these reductions were sustained on entry to the community. Similarly, drivers were 78.8 to 92.4% less likely to exceed the reduced speed limit with the DSFS present. Positioning the DSFS further upstream typically resulted in earlier speed reductions, although this effect became negligible once vehicles reached the reduced speed zone entering the community. Based on the study findings, continued use of DSFS for speed management at speed transition zones entering communities on high-speed rural roadways is recommended. When used in this context, the DSFS should be positioned 250 to 650 ft upstream of the reduced speed limit.
Critical Role of Docking Bay Assignment in the Performance of a Bus Rapid Transit System
Authors: Uribe-Laverde Miguel Ángel , Oquendo-Patiño William Fernando
Published: August 2022

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are a cost-effective public transportation solution moving millions of passengers every day. To optimize their operation, it is usual to implement macroscopic models that ignore the microscopic details of bus motion. In this work we show that docking bay assignment (DBA) for bus services at stations, one of those disregarded microscopic details, has a large impact on the overall BRT performance. To evaluate the variations in the system’s performance from changes to DBA, we have simulated the entire operation of a simplified BRT system using a cellular automaton microsimulation scheme. We find that the critical service frequency, above which bus queues appear, strongly depends on the DBA at the busiest stations in the system, leading to significant performance differences. Smaller critical frequencies, and poorer performance, are observed as the service demand for the services sharing a docking bay increases. By approximating the frequency optimization problem, we show that, given the limitations imposed on the optimal frequencies by the critical frequency, the service frequencies that minimize total cost depend on the DBAs at the busiest stations. This correlation becomes stronger as the passenger demand increases and as more importance is given to the passenger time in the total cost. Our results suggest that the frequency optimization problem in BRT systems must include DBA at the busiest stations as an additional operation variable.
Use of Pavement–Vehicle Interaction-Related Models to Estimate Excess Fuel Consumption of Pavement Alternatives During the Design Stage
Authors: Mohanraj Kiran , Merritt David K.
Published: August 2022

The need to quantify the effect of various pavement characteristics on pavement–vehicle interactions (PVI) and the associated excess fuel consumption (EFC) has been identified by practioners of pavement life cycle assessment (LCA), particularly for the use phase. With the current need to reduce carbon emissions, if found to be significant, these effects might also need to be considered by agencies when making investment decisions or when evaluating pavement design and rehabilitation strategies. Several studies have evaluated rolling resistance factors such as pavement roughness, macrotexture, and structural response (SR) to loading to generate models to predict EFC. Available PVI models consider either the effects of pavement surface characteristics (PSC) or SR only, and it is not possible to estimate the total PVI-related EFC using just one model. This paper summarizes a study demonstrating the use of select PVI models for estimating EFC during the pavement design stage for a new construction or reconstruction project and attempts to combine the results of PSC models with SR models to calculate the total contribution of PVI to EFC. The results from the analysis may be helpful for evaluating alternative pavement design strategies, materials, or surface textures for inclusion in the final design and project specifications, provided the gaps and limitations of the models are well understood and considered. The study also identified challenges that might be encountered by agencies in performing such analyses, such as availability of high-quality data for longer analysis periods and lack of measurement methods for ground truth.
Coverage and Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Pregnant Women: An Experience From a Low-Income Country
Authors: Nazzal Zaher , Mohammad Ahmad , Qub Lama , Masri Hadeel , Abdullah Ibtesam , Qasrawi Hala , Maraqa Beesan
Published: August 2022

Purpose

to determine COVID-19 vaccination coverage among pregnant women and investigate the factors affecting vaccine uptake.

Design

Analytical cross-sectional study.

Setting

Palestinian health care facilities. Between October and November 2021 – eight months after the country’s first COVID-19 vaccination.

Sample

We needed 820 people to estimate vaccination coverage among pregnant women with a precision rate of 3%. Therefore, we invited 950 pregnant Palestinian women who were eligible and had a response rate of 91.6%.

Measures

An interviewer-administered questionnaire examined vaccination uptake, attitudes, and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Analysis

Bivariable and multivariable analysis using SPSS.

Results

vaccination uptake was reported by 219 pregnant women [25.5%, 95% CI: 22.6% −28.5%]. Knowledge (aOR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.1), perceived benefits (aOR=1.1; 95% CI: 1.06-1.16), employment (aOR=5; 95% CI: 3.1-8.1), and underlying medical condition (aOR=2.1; 95% CI: 1.1-4.1) predicted uptake. Reporting vaccine barriers reduces vaccine uptake (aOR=.92; 95% CI: .89-95).

Conclusions

Pregnant women’s COVID-19 vaccination rates are low. Concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine for infants affected their decision. COVID-19 vaccination regulations and legislative nudges drove maternal vaccination. Vaccine fears and misconceptions among pregnant women should be addressed.
Neither Employee nor Contractor: A Case Study of Employment Relations between Riders and Platform-Based Food-Delivery Firms in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Bo-Yi
Published: August 2022

There have been numerous legal battles in Western countries concerning employment relations between platform-based food delivery firms and their riders; however, no such legal battles have occurred in Taiwan. This qualitative case study applies the theory of institutional logics to examine the reason such legal action is absent in Taiwan, focusing on how different stakeholders apply different logics to employment relations in Taiwan’s platform-based food-delivery sector. Through this investigation, this article shows that most stakeholders in this sector quickly came to a consensus that the ‘quasi-employee’ hybrid logic should be applied to riders, and that this was due to a convergence of worker and capitalist theories of profit, motivation to maintain the profitability of these platform firms (who are regulatory entrepreneurs performing symbolic compliance) and the techno-developmentalism of the Taiwanese government.
Advancing Workers’ Rights in the Gig Economy through Discursive Power: The Communicative Strategies of Indie Unions
Authors: Però Davide , Downey John
Published: August 2022

Finding limited representation in established unions, a growing number of precarious and migrant workers of the gig economy have been turning to self-organization. Yet little is known about how these workers can compensate for their lack of material resources and institutional support and negotiate effectively with employers. Drawing on interviews, frame, and content analysis grounded in ethnographic research with the precarious and migrant workers of British ‘indie’ unions, we examine the significance of self-mediation practices in facilitating effective negotiations. We find that the effectiveness of campaigns can be enhanced by strategically integrating vibrant direct action of workers and allies with self-mediated messages, which are framed to resonate with the general public and mainstream media – a practice that we call communicative unionism. These findings extend labour movement scholarship by showing the analytical importance of considering workers’ discursive power-building practices. They also contribute to addressing social movement studies’ historical neglect of workers’ collective engagements with employers.
Making war safe for capitalism: The World Bank and its evolving interventions in conflict
Authors: Dolan-Evans Elliot
Published: August 2022

The World Bank has asserted a dominant role in post-conflict peacebuilding and during war itself. This article critiques the World Bank’s evolving approach to war and peace through both a qualitative analysis of recent strategic documents and a case study of the Bank’s engagement in Ukraine during the war in Donbas. I identify three prominent themes that inform the World Bank’s evolving strategy for engaging in conflict-affected conditions, which may impact the possibilities for peace, whether conceptualized as negative, positive or a feminist peace. First, the rhetorical importance of governance is concretized to emphasize business solutions to economic and political problems; second, the conflict-affected population is reimagined in terms of human capital, emphasizing entrepreneurship and resilience; and third, private capital is presented as a saviour. I argue that, in practice, these imperatives lead to a further withdrawal of the state when social assistance and protection are most needed, the instrumentalization of the conflict-affected populace as receptacles of resilience and vassals of economic growth, and an emphasis on private capital as the principal social group to the exclusion of real people. I conclude by questioning whether World Bank reforms during conflict can positively contribute to peace.
Detecting preload degradation of a ball screw feed system using high-frequency reconstruction and support vector machine
Authors: Zhou Chang-Guang , Gu Yi-Cheng , Nie Cong-Hui , Ou Yi , Feng Hu-Tian
Published: August 2022

Ball screws need to be applied with different preloads in most applications, however, very few studies had paid attention to preload detection, which is one of the most common failure modes of ball screws. To detect the preload of a ball screw, we propose a novel approach using vibration signals and ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) combined with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and a support vector machine (SVM). The vibration signals under different preloads are obtained for the same ball screw through degradation experiments, and decomposed and reconstructed by EEMD. Statistical features are extracted from the reconstructed signals in the time and frequency domains. Linear discriminant analysis is used to reduce the dimensionality of the original feature space. Finally, the preload can be identified by the SVM, in which the identification accuracy can be higher than 90%. Further analysis showed that the high-frequency signal has a stronger correlation with preload degradation than the low-frequency signal, and the proposed method can be more effective than other existing methods, especially when the degradation of preload is more than 300N.
Bleeding Complications from Transesophageal Echocardiography for Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Dunkman W. Jonathan , Williams David A. , Manning Michael W.
Published: August 2022

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for liver transplant has historically been avoided due to concern it may cause bleeding from esophageal varices. However, several recent studies, as well as increasing clinical experience, have indicated that it may be safe in many circumstances. We performed a systematic review of the literature to identify and summarize studies reporting complications in patients having TEE during liver transplant. Studies were identified by searching relevant key terms on PubMed as well as citation searching in relevant reviews. We identified 6 studies between 1996 and 2015 which evaluated complications of TEE during liver transplant. They reported an overall bleeding complication rate between .3% and 2.8% and a major bleeding complication rate between .0% and .8%. Most of the major bleeds had identifiable high-risk features such as recent variceal bleeding or banding. Review of the literature suggests that TEE may be safely used in patients undergoing liver transplantation, even with known varices, with a complication rate similar to that of all patients undergoing TEE. However, the risks of TEE may outweigh the potential benefits among patients undergoing liver transplant with particular high-risk features.
Childhood Gender Segregation in Context: A Cultural Sociocontextual Approach
Authors: Mehta Clare M. , Smith Kelly
Published: August 2022

Childhood gender segregation, the tendency for children to form acquaintanceships and friendships with those of the same gender (Mehta & Smith, 2019), has been proposed to be a universal phenomenon (Maccoby, 1998; Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974). However, as socialization and peer culture vary cross-culturally (Munroe & Romney, 2006), gender segregation may vary according to cultural context. This paper uses a sociocontextual framework to review cross-cultural comparative research on childhood gender segregation, considering cultural similarities and variations in correlates of gender segregation, including behavioral compatibility, age, the homosocial norm, availability of playmates, familiarity with peers, and gendered societal norms and constraints. In closing, the paper reflects on what cross-cultural research tells us about gender segregation and offers recommendations for future research.
Numerical modeling of flatwise energy absorption behavior of 3D woven honeycomb composites with different cell structures
Authors: Tripathi Lekhani , Behera Sameer K , Behera Bijoya K
Published: August 2022

Numerical simulation along with experimental validation are used to investigate the flatwise compression behavior in the out-of-plane direction of several 3D woven honeycomb composites with varied cell geometry such as hexagonal (HX), triangular, and rectangular structures. For all the structures, the perimeter of the unit cell was kept constant. Edgewise compression and three-point bending behavior were compared experimentally for all three configurations. The flatwise compression behavior of honeycomb structures has been predicted using FEM on the LS-DYNA platform, and the results have been validated using experimental data. The predicted values are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Hexagonal honeycomb shows better results as compared to other cell structures as revealed by both experimental and numerical analysis.
Biological Computation and Compatibility Search in the Possibility Space as the Mechanism of Complexity Increase During Progressive Evolution
Authors: Kozlov AP
Published: August 2022

The idea of computational processes, which take place in nature, for example, DNA computation, is discussed in the literature. DNA computation that is going on in the immunoglobulin locus of vertebrates shows how the computations in the biological possibility space could operate during evolution. We suggest that the origin of evolutionarily novel genes and genome evolution constitute the original intrinsic computation of the information about new structures in the space of unrealized biological possibilities. Due to DNA computation, the information about future structures is generated and stored in DNA as genetic information. In evolving ontogenies, search algorithms are necessary, which can search for information about evolutionary innovations and morphological novelties. We believe that such algorithms include stochastic gene expression, gene competition, and compatibility search at different levels of structural organization. We formulate the increase in complexity principle in terms of biological computation and hypothesize the possibility of in silico computing of future functions of evolutionarily novel genes.
Enhancing the classroom acoustic environment in Badr University, Egypt: A case study
Authors: Selim Ahmed M , Saeed Doha M
Published: August 2022

The acoustic environment of the classroom is deemed significant to enhance the learning quality and the learning outcomes. Noise exposure levels and reverberation are the main acoustic parameters to consider in the classroom because it affects speech intelligibility. As a result of the modern teaching methods especially in the practical faculties. Workgroup activities have become a common tool for learning, it has a higher noise level than independent work. Therefore, the specialists become face a great challenge to achieve acoustic comfort in classrooms. In spite of that, in Egypt, acoustic conditions are rarely implemented into classroom design practice. This study evaluated the acoustic performance of a typical classroom in Badr University, Egypt in unoccupied condition for four cases. Unoccupied ambient noise level (ANLs) and reverberation time (RTs) were measured by using Testo 815 device, and Ecotect software. Additionally, the measurements were compared with the standards and norms. Acoustic treatments using absorbent materials were suggested by simulation in Ecotect for three cases (four scenarios).
Social-emotional and behavioural issues after very preterm birth: Parental and teachers experiences
Authors: Jansen Lisette , Steggerda Sylke , Rijken Monique , van Steenis Andrea , de Vries Linda , Peeters-Scholte Cacha , Vermeiren Robert , van Klink Jeanine
Published: August 2022

Preterm infants are at risk of developing social-emotional and behavioural difficulties. To understand the experiences of their caregivers in day-to-day life, parents (at 2 and 10 years) and teachers (at 10 years) completed a behavioural questionnaire and answered two open-ended questions addressing their concerns and the most positive aspects regarding their child and/or pupil (born <32 weeks gestation). Their answers were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Parental concerns at two years related equally to themes in the clusters Developmental Milestones, Physical Development and Development in Relation to the Self and Others. At 10 years, both parents and teachers reported mainly within the cluster Development in Relation to the Self and Others, but the underlying themes differed. While parents more often mentioned their child’s emotional development, teachers were more concerned about their pupils’ difficulties interacting with their peers, due to a lack of social skills. In-depth qualitative analysis of what parents and teachers experience from day-to-day improves our understanding of the social-emotional and behavioural development of children born very preterm, revealing important topics that should be addressed during follow-up.
Study of the design and flexural performance of an innovative Fiber Reinforced Polymer/steel-concrete composite beam
Authors: Li Yunyu , Chen Jing , Shi Shuyan , Hu Longyong , Xu Xun
Published: August 2022

A novel FRP/steel-concrete composite beam consisting of concrete slab and innovative hybrid FRP/steel hollow box shell takes full advantage of inherent and complementary properties of FRP, steel and concrete. To facilitate the practical application of this novel FRP/steel-concrete composite beam, preliminary design concepts were offered while analytical equations were derived to evaluate the flexural performance of the composite beam based on analysis of typical failure modes. Three FRP/steel-concrete composite beams with different steel volume fraction had been devised by the proposed design method, and four-point bending tests were conducted to investigate the failure mode, ultimate flexural capacity, deflection and interface slip. The practical composite beams exhibited satisfying structural behavior during the tests, while a fairly good agreement with the experimental results and the estimated values confirmed the reliability and feasibility of the preliminary design method.
Highly time-resolved heat flux measurement in a combustion engine
Authors: Huber Konstantin , Gackstatter Felix , Rödiger Tim , Wensing Michael
Published: August 2022

In this study a fast-response Atomic Layer Thermopile (ALTP) based heat flux measurement system is used for wall heat-flux determination in the combustion chamber of a commercially available SI-gasoline combustion engine. The ALTP system provides further process variables that supplement conventional cylinder pressure data with data that are highly resolved in time and location. The newly developed sensor modules were precisely calibrated and compared with other measurement techniques with radiation- and convection-based procedures. Quantitative highly time-resolved measurements with frequency resolutions up to 1 MHz are performed in the engine from low to full load and up to full speeds. Single-cycle and cycle-to-cycle measurements display the quality and high temporal resolution of the measurement system. The comparison of pressure and the heat-flux measurements shows the benefits of ALTPs for detection of engine, combustion and flow characteristics. The time progression of the heat flux curves and their autocorrelated signals show only minor noise interference. The measured results display significantly higher local peak heat flux densities with values up to 1250 Wcm−2 for certain measurement points and engine conditions than reported previously in literature for SI engines. A regression analysis suggests that the high peak heat flux densities obtained are caused by the significant higher engine power-levels per cylinder. The measured data compare well with regressions extrapolated from reported literature data. A provided uncertainty analysis revealed significant influencing parameters. The variation of thermal wall parameters with 20%–30% uncertainty are playing an essential role in particular.
“They never told us that Black is beautiful”: Fostering Black joy and Pro-Blackness pedagogies in early childhood classrooms
Authors: Williams Michelle Grace
Published: August 2022

Black Art in various forms has long been used by people in the African Diaspora to promote Black joy and Pro-Blackness yet it is often not included in language and literacy early childhood pedagogies to uplift Black children in North American schools. Likewise, many anti-racist early childhood research studies focus on the challenges faced by Black people with little emphasis on Black joy and Pro-Black narratives and the ways they are central to our psychic preservation and survival in the fight against anti-Black racism (Dunn D and Love B, 2020; Ladson-Billings, 2019b). As a child, Nina Simone’s Young Gifted and Black song lyrics rang true as the source of my Black joy was knowing the brilliance of Black people and being proud of our resistance to anti-Black racism. Growing up in the Jamaican context I heard the reggae version of her song rendered by Reggae artistes Marcia Griffiths and Bob Marley also Pro-Black advocates who contributed to my racial pride. Contemporary Jamaican Reggae artists like Chronixx with his song Black is Beautiful continue to promote these racial affirming messages. In this article, I focus on ways teachers can learn to promote Black Joy and Pro-Blackness in the early years as I introduce the notion of an African Diaspora Racial Literacy pedagogy that celebrates and fosters racial pride using Black music and poetry. By coining African Diaspora Racial Literacy, I refer to an instructional approach that draws from positive affirming racial messages from the African Diaspora to promote Black joy and racial pride, raise children’s critical consciousness, and prepare children to be able to take action against anti-Black racism. Through the lenses of Pro-Black Jamaican Intellectual Thought, critical race, Black Feminist, and decolonizing perspectives, I explore Jamaican Black Art literacies (e.g. song and poetry) and provide recommendations for teachers of children of African descent that center Black joy and Pro-Blackness as resistance to anti-Black racism in early childhood pedagogy and practice.
Navigating the dynamics of trust, rapport and power while conducting social health research with people in prison
Authors: Lafferty Lise
Published: August 2022

This paper critically reflects on conducting research with people in prison, including gaining trust and building rapport, and the power imbalances of conducting research in the prison setting. Navigating trust and power is key to successful prison-based research, but these navigations are not confined to the researcher–participant interaction and extend to include researcher entry into the prison and earlier processes such as the ethics application submission. Existing ‘how-to’ guides for prison-based research often draw on ethnographic studies which allow substantial time for the interviewer to build rapport with key prison contacts, including officers, as well as opportunity for people in prison to become familiar with the ethnographer’s presence prior to data collection. Drawing on prison-based research experience from three qualitative health studies pertaining to people in prison living with hepatitis C and/or history of injecting drug use (the primary risk factor for hepatitis C transmission), I consider challenges of access and strategies for on-the-spot rapport building with people in prison. The approaches outlined may be applicable to research with other population groups in which power imbalances may exist.
The Relationship Between Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Dysfunction in Adults: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Shao-Jie , Chang Jun-Jie , Cao Lei-Lei , Li Yong-Han , Yuan Meng-Yuan , Wang Geng-Fu , Su Pu-Yu
Published: August 2022

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been recognized as a risk factor for sexual dysfunction and has attracted increasing attention. However, controversies remain regarding related research. The aim is to calculate the pooled effect size estimate for the correlation between CSA and sexual dysfunction in adults by meta-analysis. Five bibliographic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO) were comprehensively searched to clarify the association between CSA and sexual dysfunction in adults. We used a fixed-effects model to determine the total pooled effect size estimate and reported odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analysis, publication bias analysis, and sensitivity analysis were conducted. Adults who had a history of CSA experienced a higher proportion of sexual dysfunction than adults with no history of CSA (OR = 1.68, 95% CI [1.49, 1.87]). Subgroup analysis showed that women with a history of CSA reported a higher proportion of sexual dysfunction than men with a history of CSA (men: OR = 1.45, 95% CI [1.05, 1.84]; women: OR = 1.62, 95% CI [1.42, 1.83]). The estimates of the effect sizes differed substantially depending on the CSA and sexual dysfunction instruments that were used in each study and the region of each sample. This meta-analysis provides conclusive evidence of an association between CSA and sexual dysfunction in adults. Currently known interventions for the treatment of sexual dysfunction after CSA have only been evaluated in women, so specific interventions should be designed for men CSA survivors who experience sexual impairment.
Lessons Learned From Blue Zones, Lifestyle Medicine Pillars and Beyond: An Update on the Contributions of Behavior and Genetics to Wellbeing and Longevity
Authors: Kreouzi Magdalini , Theodorakis Nikolaos , Constantinou Constantina
Published: August 2022

Blue Zones are regions of the world that have a higher number of individuals who live longer than the expected average. The current paper revisits principles previously identified to be common in Blue Zones and to be contributing to longevity ( move naturally, eat wisely, improve resilience to stress, get adequate sleep, keep strong family ties, stimulate strong community support, respect for the planet and having a purpose in life’), compares these to the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine ( healthy eating, exercising, avoidance of smoking and other risky substances, stress management, restorative sleep, and forming and maintaining relationships) and reviews new studies investigating the association between behavioral factors and longevity. In addition to the role of behavior, the review also discusses the important role of genetics and emphasizes the importance of conducting further research to understand how behavioral and genetic factors may affect molecular pathways with consequent effects on wellbeing and longevity.
Counter measures study on train swaying on the bridge induced by sudden change of wind force with wind barrier
Authors: Tian Zhang , Qianwen Xu , Xinjia Cui , Pengfei Li , Yunfeng Zou
Published: August 2022

In order to guarantee the running safety of the train on the bridge in the wind field the wind-proofing barrier is generally installed on the bridge, however, in the transition section where a train enters or exits the wind-proofing barrier the wind load on the car-body will suddenly change because of a sudden change of wind field. This will cause the train swaying, reduce the driving comfort, and even endanger the driving safety in severe cases. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the wind barrier design in the transition section. Firstly the dynamic interaction model of vehicle-bridge-wind barrier coupling system under wind load is established, and the influence of sudden change of wind forces acting on the train on the driving safety is analyzed, then some concrete measures are proposed with respect to improving the driving comfort and safety and the effect of the optimizing measures is evaluated. Taking 12-span simply supported box girder bridges installing single-side 3.5 m wind barrier as an example, and optimizing the design of wind barriers in the transition section, the dynamic response and the driving safety indices of the train are obtained according to the above calculation model. The results before and after the optimization design of the wind barrier in the transition section are compared. It can be found that the sudden change of wind forces on the train induced by wind barrier has a significant effect on the lateral acceleration of the train, especially when the train is moving in and out of the wind barrier. The driving safety indices with gradual wind barriers are smaller than those without optimization design in the transition section of wind barrier.