bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visualization of the posterior surface of the lens nucleus with triamcinolone acetonide in phacoemulsification
Authors: Mizuguchi Tadashi , Horiguchi Masayuki , Tanikawa Atsuhiro
Published: November 2020

Purpose:

We report a novel technique for visualizing the posterior surface of the lens nucleus during phacoemulsification.

Surgical Technique:

Hydro-dissection was performed using a solution of 20 mg triamcinolone acetonide powder without preservatives mixed with 3 ml BSS-plus, and triamcinolone acetonide was clearly identifiable underneath the posterior surface of the lens nucleus. Using a phaco-tip, the nucleus was shaved to the level of the triamcinolone acetonide and could be easily divided. The remnant triamcinolone acetonide was aspirated as much as possible from the lens cortex with an infusion/aspiration tip.

Subjects and Evaluation Technique:

Twenty-eight eyes in 28 patients with cataracts were enrolled in this study. Triamcinolone acetonide-assisted phacoemulsification was performed in 13 eyes in 13 patients (triamcinolone acetonide-phacoemulsification group), and normal phacoemulsification was performed in 15 eyes in 15 patients (phacoemulsification group). Intraocular pressure was measured in all patients pre-operatively, 1 day after, and 1 week after surgery. Corneal endothelial cell density was measured pre-operatively and 1 month after surgery. The time of surgical phacoemulsification (surgical phaco time) was measured from the video of the surgery.

Results:

Surgery was successively performed in all eyes. Pre-operative and post-operative intraocular pressures and cell densities did not significantly differ between the two groups. Surgical phaco time was shorter in the triamcinolone acetonide-phacoemulsification group than in the phacoemulsification group (157.1 ± 51.7 s vs 225.3 ± 45.1 s; p = 0.006).

Conclusion:

The triamcinolone acetonide-assisted phacoemulsification procedure is safe and useful for visualizing the posterior surface of the lens nucleus and facilitates removal of the lens nucleus by phacoemulsification.
Development and utility of the Family-Centered Autism Navigation interview
Authors: Pizur-Barnekow Kris , Lang Amy C , Barger Brian
Published: November 2020

Navigating various systems, resources, and supports available for families of children with autism spectrum disorder is challenging. Family navigation is a potentially important support system for families of children with autism spectrum disorder. Family navigators are professionals who engage with families to enhance access to early identification and intervention services via shared navigation plans that help meet the family’s priorities and goals when navigating systems of support. Systematic processes and tools facilitating the development of a shared navigation plan with families following diagnosis are currently limited. This short report describes product development of the Family-Centered Autism Navigation using quality improvement methods including Lean Launch and qualitative methodology.

Lay abstract

When a parent learns of their child’s autism diagnosis, they may be overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated. Family navigation services are designed to improve access to care. While these services are a promising intervention to enhance well-being and developmental outcomes, there are limited tools that can systematically facilitate the development of a shared navigation plan that prioritizes the concerns of the family. The Family-Centered Autism Navigation semi-structured interview guide is designed for family navigators to triage and prioritize caregiver’s needs to coordinate and navigate systems of care after learning of their child’s autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. The goals of the Family-Centered Autism Navigation interview are to (1) identify family and child strengths; (2) identify family/caregiver concerns regarding navigation of services and systems following their child’s diagnosis of autism; (3) measure change in caregiver knowledge, ability and skill as it relates to understanding, remembering, and evaluating information they receive; and (4) assist with the development of a shared navigation plan. When using the Family-Centered Autism Navigation guide, family navigators and caregivers co-create a family-centered, prioritized action plan that supports and prepares caregivers as they navigate systems of care. This short report describes the development process of the Family-Centered Autism Navigation semi-structured interview guide. We utilized brief interviews ( n = 42), expert feedback ( n = 13), and quality improvement strategies ( n = 2 family navigators) to develop the questions and determine the usability of the Family-Centered Autism Navigation interview in practice.
Grieving Parents’ Meaning-Making Narration in Relation to Value Orientations: A Cross-Cultural Study
Authors: Xiu Daiming , Maercker Andreas , Killikelly Clare , Yang Yuting , Jia Xiaoming
Published: November 2020

This study investigated the association between prolonged grief (PG) severity and meaning-making narration in a cross-cultural context, and specifically aimed to illustrate the role of value orientation in shaping the grieving process. 30 Chinese and 22 Swiss parents who lost their child were asked to narrate and appraise specific memories to reflect their self-evaluation of traditional and modern values. The self-reported Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale (ref ICD-11) assessed PG severity. Compared with the Swiss sample, the Chinese sample provided more elaborated memories, which was not associated with symptom severity. Both Chinese and Swiss bereaved parents with more severe PG provided more narratives of loss-related memories, particularly in response to modern values. They also provided more appraisals of negative meanings for self-defining memories, particularly in relation to their traditional values. These findings indicate that, despite cultural differences in narration tendency, PG severity in bereaved parents was associated with the maladaptive integration of autobiographical memories across different cultures, in relation to value orientations. A clinical implication is the potential value of facilitating narrations of grieving clients that center on value orientations to mitigate the hardship of the personal loss.
An intergroup approach to collective narcissism: Intergroup threats and hostility in four European Union countries
Authors: Guerra Rita , Bierwiaczonek Kinga , Ferreira Marina , Golec de Zavala Agnieszka , Abakoumkin Georgios , Wildschut Tim , Sedikides Constantine
Published: November 2020

Although it is known that collective narcissism is associated with problematic intergroup relations, its predictors are less well understood. Two studies, conducted in four European Union countries (Germany, Greece, Portugal, the United Kingdom [UK]), tested the hypotheses that integrated (i.e., realistic and symbolic) threat (Study 1, N = 936) as well as distinctiveness threat (Study 2, N = 434) positively predict national collective narcissism and national ingroup satisfaction, but that only national collective narcissism predicts problematic intergroup relations in reference to threatening outgroups. The results were consistent with those hypotheses. The two types of threat predicted increased national collective narcissism and national ingroup satisfaction. However, only national collective narcissism was associated with negative emotions and hostile behavioral intentions toward the threatening outgroups, when its overlap with national ingroup satisfaction was partialled out. These cross-national findings advanced knowledge of predictors, as well as consequences, of collective narcissism.
Neighbourhood characteristics as a predictor of adherence to dietary recommendations: A population-based cohort study of Finnish adults
Authors: Lagström Hanna , Halonen Jaana I. , Suominen Sakari , Pentti Jaana , Stenholm Sari , Kivimäki Mika , Vahtera Jussi
Published: November 2020

Aims: To investigate the association of six-year cumulative level of socioeconomic neighbourhood disadvantage and population density with subsequent adherence to dietary recommendations, controlling for preceding dietary adherence, in adults in Finland. Methods: Population-based Health and Social Support (HeSSup) study participants from four age groups (20–24, 30–34, 40–44 and 50–54 years at baseline in 1998). Data on diet and alcohol consumption were obtained from the 2003 and 2012 surveys and information on neighbourhoods from Statistics Finland Grid database ( n = 10,414 men and women). Participants diet was measured as adherence to Nordic Nutrition recommendation (score range 0–100). Neighbourhood disadvantage was measured by median household income, proportion of those with primary education only and unemployment rate, and population density by the number of adult population between years 2007 and 2012. Linear models were used to assess the associations of neighbourhood characteristics with the score for adherence to dietary recommendations in 2012. Results: Cumulative neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with slightly weaker (1.49 (95% confidence interval (CI) −1.89 to −1.09) point decrease in dietary score) adherence while higher population density was associated with better (0.70 (95% CI 0.38−1.01) point increase in dietary score) adherence to dietary recommendations. These associations remained after controlling for prior dietary habits, sociodemographic, chronic cardio-metabolic diseases, and severe life events. Conclusions: These longitudinal findings support the hypothesis that neighbourhood characteristics affect dietary habits.
Greta Thunberg’s iconicity: Performance and co-performance in the social media ecology
Authors: Olesen Thomas
Published: November 2020

Greta Thunberg’s meteoric rise from lonely school striker in August 2018 to global icon is one of the most remarkable political phenomena in recent decades, and one full of paradoxes. Thunberg started out with no resources, a child of 15 with limited experience and a history of Asperger’s. Thunberg’s iconic performance seems to have been able to turn these weaknesses into strengths. To understand how this happened, we must situate her analysis within the social media ecology. Two things distinguish this environment from previous phases: iconic protagonists now have wide degrees of control over their own performance, and audiences are no longer mere receptors of iconic performance, but active co-performers. Greta Thunberg is one of the first major political icons to have been fully formed within the new social media ecology. This article provides the first systematic analysis of this dynamic.
The interplay of complexity and subjectivity in opinionated discourse
Authors: Ehret Katharina , Taboada Maite
Published: November 2020

This paper brings together cutting-edge, quantitative corpus methodologies and discourse analysis to explore the relationship between text complexity and subjectivity as descriptive features of opinionated language. We are specifically interested in how text complexity and markers of subjectivity and argumentation interact in opinionated discourse. Our contributions include the marriage of quantitative approaches to text complexity with corpus linguistic methods for the study of subjectivity, in addition to large-scale analyses of evaluative discourse. As our corpus, we use the Simon Fraser Opinion and Comments Corpus (SOCC), which comprises approximately 10,000 opinion articles and the corresponding reader comments from the Canadian online newspaper The Globe and Mail, as well as a parallel corpus of hard news articles also sampled from The Globe and Mail. Methodologically, we combine conditional inference trees with the analysis of random forests, an ensemble learning technique, to investigate the interplay between text complexity and subjectivity. Text complexity is defined in terms of Kolmogorov complexity, that is, the complexity of a text is measured based on its description length. In this approach, texts which can be described more efficiently are considered to be linguistically less complex. Thus, Kolmogorov complexity is a measure of structural surface redundancy. Our take on subjectivity is inspired by research in evaluative language, stance and Appraisal and defined as the expression of evaluation and opinion in language. Drawing on a sentiment analysis lexicon and the literature on stance markers, a custom set of subjectivity and argumentation markers is created. The results show that complexity can be a powerful tool in the classification of text into different text types, and that stance adverbials serve as distinctive features of subjectivity in online news comments.
Dementia families: Relinquishing home care to aged care services: Guilt, traumatic loss and growth
Authors: Walmsley Bruce D , McCormack Lynne
Published: November 2020

Background and Objectives

Few studies explore both negative and positive perspectives of family members who relinquish home care of a family member with dementia for systemic aged care.

Research Design and Methods

This phenomenological study sought the ‘lived’ experience of relinquishing the role of home carer for a family member with mild to severe dementia to others within care home settings, by seeking to understand the impact of aged care on family members’ psychological well-being. Using semi-structured interviews, positive and negative subjective interpretations from 17 families (27 individuals) provided data for analysis, following the protocols of interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

One superordinate theme, mistrust/integrity, overarched oscillation between mistrust of the aged care system and a struggle for personal integrity in caring for these participants. Two sub-themes emerged: intrinsic trauma and extrinsic trauma. Intrinsic trauma explained feelings of helplessness and guilt, and internally directed responses that triggered a retreat into submission ultimately reducing the participant’s role in advocacy. Extrinsic trauma represented externally directed responses such as anger and frustration, where family members became more engaged and watchful and recognised a need for vigilance and advocacy. Paradoxically oscillating between these personal struggles, participants exhibited growth, a third theme that defined assertive/advocacy utilised to nurture hope, gratitude, courage and change.

Discussion and Implications

Family members experienced complex distress as they relinquished home care to others within systemic aged care for a member with dementia. By developing adaptive responses as appropriate, for example, advocating for their family member or accepting compliance with treatment, collaborative care between family and staff created better outcomes for the family member with dementia.
Everyday experiences of post-diagnosis life with dementia: A co-produced photography study
Authors: Dooley Jemima , Webb Joe , James Roy , Davis Harry , Read Sandy
Published: November 2020

There has been surprisingly little research capturing people’s everyday lives in the early years following a diagnosis of dementia. This project was co-produced by three people with dementia and two university researchers. The co-researchers with dementia formulated the aims of this project as: (1) to explore post-diagnosis life with dementia and (2) to use data collection methods as a form of peer support and confidence building for the participants. The intent was to provide the opportunity to learn new skills and support participants to share their experiences without putting them on the spot. Five participants with recent diagnoses received a photography lesson and cameras to take photographs of their everyday lives. This was followed with a focus group in which the photographs were discussed. The participants used their photographs to explain: (1) the differences between their past and present with dementia, (2) how dementia affected their thought processes, (3) pets and grandchildren as facilitators of reciprocal joy and support, (4) the emotional effects of living with a dementia diagnosis, and (5) the solace and stability of nature in a changing world. The participants’ creative use of photography supported them to express the complex emotions felt after a diagnosis of dementia and they reported the benefit of doing this in an environment with peers going through the same experiences. The role of the co-researchers with dementia was the key to the success of this project, drawing on their own experiences to design the project and support the participants. Future research should draw on the experiences of people with dementia to design research projects and care interventions.
An adaptive and efficient variational mode decomposition and its application for bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Jiang Xingxing , Wang Jun , Shen Changqing , Shi Juanjuan , Huang Weiguo , Zhu Zhongkui , Wang Qian
Published: November 2020

Variational mode decomposition has been widely applied to machinery fault diagnosis during these years. However, it remains difficult to set proper hyperparameters for the variational mode decomposition, including number of decomposed modes, initial center frequencies, and balance parameter. Moreover, the low efficiency of the existing variational mode decomposition methods hinders their applications to practical diagnostic task. This article proposes an adaptive and efficient variational mode decomposition method after thoroughly investigating its convergence property characteristic. A convergent tendency phenomenon is discovered and is explained mathematically for the first time. Motivated by the convergent tendency phenomenon, the proposed method rapidly and adaptively determines the number and the optimal initial center frequencies of signal latent modes with the guidance of the convergent tendencies of the initial center frequencies changing from small to large. In the proposed method, the number of decomposed modes and initial center frequencies are not hyperparameters that require to be set in advance any more, but are parameters learned from the analyzed signals. The determined parameters enable efficient extraction of the main latent modes contained in the analyzed signals. Therefore, the proposed variational mode decomposition method represents a major improvement in parameter adaption and decomposition efficiency over the existing variational mode decomposition methods. In the application for bearing fault diagnosis, the faulty modes are selected adaptively and the corresponding balance parameters are further optimized efficiently. Two experimental cases validate the proposed method and its superiority over the existing variational mode decomposition methods and the classical fast spectral kurtosis in bearing fault diagnosis.
Confronting medication scarcity in the era of COVID-19
Authors: Unguru Yoram
Published: November 2020

Over the past decade, US patients and clinicians have endured medication shortages of nearly every class, including many lifesaving medications. These shortages have persisted despite determined efforts by federal, academic, and professional organizations. Medication shortages have resulted in lost lives, medication errors, and substantial financial cost. Economic drivers are the primary cause for drug shortages, exacerbated by manufacturing and quality problems, and unreliable and uncertain sources for many raw materials required to synthesize these drugs. Drug shortages force clinicians to make untenable choices and decide which of their patients should receive a lifesaving scarce medication. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed many hospitals’ ability to provide basic care and aggravated existing drug shortages. The influx of patients suffering from COVID-19 has exposed flaws in the fractured manner in which essential medications reach patients. The unique nature of COVID-19, often requiring prompt and decisive clinical decision-making, challenges the accepted approach for ethical analysis adopted by clinical ethicists. The author, a clinician and bioethicist, notes the ethical challenges he and other frontline providers have faced in deciding which patients are “more deserving” of a scarce medication.
Water absorption behavior of cellulosic fibres polymer composites: A review on its effects and remedies
Authors: Sahu Parul , Gupta MK
Published: November 2020

Recently, researchers and scientists are trying to overcome the environmental burden by using biocomposites in engineering applications as far as possible. The main source of biocomposites is cellulosic fibres which is a class of natural fibres. Instead of many advantages of cellulosic fibres, they and their polymer composites suffer from some limitations as well. The environmental conditions are one of the most important issues to degradation behavior of the cellulosic fibres polymer composites (CFPCs). Among the environmental conditions, water absorption is an important ground to degradation in the mechanical performance of the CFPCs, which resists them to be used in outdoor applications. Several studies have been presented on water absorption characteristics of cellulosic fibres and its polymer-based biocomposites. Further, the consequence of water uptake on the mechanical performance of biocomposites was also reported in many studies. In most of the cases, a negative effect of water absorption was observed, whereas in a few cases a positive effect was also seen. In the present study, mechanics and kinetics of water absorption for CFPCs are discussed. Further, a detailed literature review on water absorption of cellulosic fibres and their different types of polymer-based biocomposites has also been carried out. Furthermore, studies reported on the effect of water absorption on the mechanical properties were also systematically presented. Moreover, all the possible remedies to lower the water absorption capacity were also discussed in the present review paper.
Epidermal Growth Factor and Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction Cream Formulation Accelerates Burn Healing Process Based on Its Gene Expression Pattern in Deep Partial-Thickness Burn Wound Model
Authors: Guo Hui-Fang , Mohd Ali Razana , Abd Hamid Roslida , Chang Sui Kiat , Rahman Mohammed Habibur , Zainal Zaida , Khaza’ai Huzwah
Published: November 2020

Our previous study has demonstrated that epidermal growth factor (EGF) with tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) cream formulation accelerating postburn wound healing with deep partial-thickness burn in rats. Current study was conducted to determine the gene expression levels related to burn wound healing process. A total of 180 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: untreated control, treated with Silverdin cream, base cream, base cream with 0.00075% EGF, base cream with 3% TRF or base cream with 0.00075% EGF, and 3% TRF, respectively. Burn wounds were created and the above-mentioned creams were applied once daily. Six animals from each group were sacrificed on days 3, 7, 11, 14, and 21 postburn. RNA was extracted from wound tissues and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze the 9 wound healing-related genes against time postburn. Results demonstrated that topically applied EGF + TRF formulation downregulated the expression levels of IL-6 ( interluekin-6), TNF-α ( tumor necrosis factor-α) and iNOS ( inducible nitric oxide synthase) throughout the whole healing process. TGF-β1 ( transforming growth factor-β) and VEGF-A ( vascular endothelial growth factor-A) were reduced on day 14 postburn. On the contrary, increased expression of Collagen-1 in the early stage of wound healing was observed with no effects on epidemal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The results showed beneficial application of EGF + TRF cream in the treatment of burn wound since it accelerated wound healing by relieving oxidative stress, decreasing inflammation, and promoting proper tissue modelling in the burn wound.
Elevated RUNX1 is a prognostic biomarker for human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Feng Xiaodong , Zheng Zhiwei , Wang Yi , Song Guanghui , Wang Lu , Zhang Zhijun , Zhao Jinxia , Wang Qing , Lun Limin
Published: November 2020

Runt-related transcription factors regulate many developmental processes such as proliferation and differentiation. In this study, the function of the runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) was investigated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Our results show that RUNX1 expression was elevated in HNSCC patients, which was greatly correlated with the N stage, tumor size, and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage. Cox proportional hazard models showed that RUNX1 could be used as a prognostic indicator for the overall survival of HNSCC patients (hazard ratio, 5.572; 95% confidence interval, 1.860–9.963; P <  0.001). Moreover, suppression of RUNX1 inhibited HNSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Using the HNSCC xenograft nude mouse model, we found that the shRUNX1-transfected tumor (sh-RUNX1) was significantly smaller both in size and weight than the control vector-transfected tumor (sh-Control). In conclusion, our results show that the elevated RUNX1 expression was correlated with tumor growth and metastasis in HNSCC, indicating that RUNX1 could be used as a biomarker for tumor recurrence and prognosis.
Ethical and Methodological Considerations for Evaluating Participant Views on Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research
Authors: Benson Clark , Friz Amanda , Mullen Shannon , Block Laura , Gilmore-Bykovskyi Andrea
Published: November 2020

The urgent need to expand enrollment in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) research has synergized calls for an empiric science of research recruitment, yet, progress in this area is hindered by challenges to measuring views toward ADRD research. This paper reports ethical and methodological considerations identified through a prospective qualitative study investigating ADRD patient and caregiver views on research recruitment and participation surrounding acute illness. Ethical and methodological considerations were identified through a combination of memoing, collaboration with a Community Advisory Board (CAB), and analysis of interview data from ADRD patients ( N = 3) and/or caregivers ( N = 28). These included risk for undue influence attributable to role ambiguity/motivational misconceptions, divergent decision-making preferences, bias contributing to low referrals of ADRD participants, and difficulty answering abstract/hypothetical questions. Many considerations were successfully addressed with multifaceted, proactive strategies, and CAB input. Findings have implications for recruitment science research and the validity of inferences regarding research preferences.
Relationship Between Health-Promoting Lifestyle and Body Mass Index in Male Nurses Based on Demographic Variables
Authors: Hossein Abbasi Nahid , Aghaamiri Maryam
Published: November 2020

Behaviors such as an appropriate diet, physical activities, health responsiveness such as attending diagnoses and treatment recommendations, preventing from known health risks such as smoking, allocating time to rest and peace and managing stress are related to health-promoting lifestyles (HPLs). The objective of the current study was to determine the relationship between HPL and body mass index (BMI) of male nurses based on demographic variables. A descriptive correlation survey was conducted among 108 male nurses using the nonprobability sampling technique. Data were gathered through a questionnaire consisting of two parts: demographic characteristics and Pender’s health promotion questionnaire. Data were analyzed by presenting measures, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, Pearson’s coefficient correlation, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), using SPSS version 22. The mean score for male nurses’ HPL was good (3.13). The highest mean was from spiritual growth (3.48) and the lowest was from physical activity (2.69). Approximately 24.07% participants were overweight and obese. The mean of HPL in normal-weight people was better than that of obese ones. Participants did not pay much attention to their family’s health-promoting behaviors. They also were exposed to occupational hazards, including psychological (47.2%), ergonomic (21.7%), physical (20.8%), and biological hazards (10.4%). There was no significant relationship between age ( p = .14), educational level ( p = .95), marital status ( p = .32), job experiences ( p = .17), and HPL variables. As health providers, nurses should both provoke patients to attain their health and to strive to maintain and sustain their own health, especially for obesity prevention. From society’s perspective, a nurse is one who knows more and acts better; therefore, paying attention to nurses’ HPL is a professional and social expectation.
Application and research status of concrete canvas and its application prospect in emergency engineering
Authors: Jun Zhang , Wei Xu , Xingzhong Weng , Peiwei Gao , Zhihua Yao , Lihai Su , Jiang Wang
Published: November 2020

Concrete Canvas (CC) is a 3D spacer fabric-reinforced cement-based composite, prepared through filling cement-based composite powder into fabric via the porous surface of 3D spacer fabric. When hardened by water, CC forms a water-proof, fire-resistant, and durable concrete layer with outstanding mechanical properties. So far, CC has been applied in inflatable tents, slope protection, structure reinforcement and repair, ditch lining, and other engineering projects, as well as furniture and artwork design. Existing studies on CC primarily focus on the modification and optimization of its component materials, and CC reinforcement using externally bonded FRP and aluminum flakes. CC has a broad application and an enormous application potential in emergency engineering, such as the protection of emergency tents and shelters, emergency repair and construction of airport pavement and positional projects; however, it is necessary to improve the compressive strength, flexural strength, wear resistance, anti-penetration performance, and base course bond performance of CC. To that end, research from the perspectives of modifying CC component materials, reinforcement of CC by externally bonded FRP, the improvement of the anchorage method, and the optimization of anchoring primers can be carried out.
State services, fortuitous marriages, and conspiracies: Trans-territorial family strategies between Madrid, Brussels, and Vienna in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Authors: Hyden-Hanscho Veronika
Published: November 2020

Early modern composite monarchies functioned by maintaining local rights and traditions and the successful accommodation of noble elites in the army, diplomatic corps, and regional governments. Scholars commonly focus on the integration of nobles from the core lands in order to implement a faithful civil service and reliable institutions for government. Yet noble families from peripheries or border regions have been disregarded either as supporters or as opponents of royal power. This article explores the differing strategies of the Carrettos from Imperial Italy and the Arenbergs from the Southern Netherlands, two noble families from the border regions of the Habsburg realms and how they responded to integrative measures offered by the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs. It analyses four important aspects of noble family strategies. First, the article examines how vassalage, loyalty, and sovereignty created important bonds between noble families in the western border regions of the Holy Roman Empire and the emperor or sovereign. Second, it establishes how families became members of competitive Habsburg court societies via court honours, titles, and interregional marriage alliances. Third, the article looks at how these families supported the early modern state with successful performances of state service and how they utilized the vast career possibilities of composite monarchies. Fourth and finally, it analyses how the failed integration of noble elites from border regions resulted in governmental crisis and uprisings. This article demonstrates how nobles in the border regions could be integral to state power.
DRNN-based shift decision for automatic transmission
Authors: Ye Kai-Qiang , Gao Hong , Xiao Ping , Shi Pei-Cheng
Published: November 2020

In research on intelligent shift for automatic transmission, the neural network selected has no feedback and lacks an associative memory function. Thus, its adaptability needs to be improved. To achieve this, an automatic shift strategy based on a deep recurrent neural network (DRNN) is proposed. First, a neural network framework was designed in combination with an eight-speed gearbox that matches a particular type of vehicle. Then, the working principle of the DRNN was applied to the shifting process of an automatic gearbox, and the implementation model of the shift logic was established in MATLAB/Stateflow. A data sample obtained from the model was used to train the DRNN. Training and evaluation of the DRNN were accomplished in Python. Finally, a simulation comparison of the DRNN with a back-propagation (BP) neural network proved that after the epochs have been increased, the DRNN has higher precision and adaptation than a BP neural network. This research provides a theoretical basis and technical support for intelligent control of automatic transmission.
Exact analytical solution of the influence of an external centrifugal field and the heat transfer on a confined gas between two plates in the unsteady state
Authors: Abdel Wahid Taha Zakaraia
Published: November 2020

This paper aims to study the non-stationary situation of the effectiveness of an external centrifugal force (ECF) and the heat transfer (HT) on the manner of neutral gas (NG). We solve a system of non-linear non-stationary partial differential equations, which represents an enormous task. Our model is examined to follow the manner of the macroscopic properties of the NG that bounded between two parallel horizontal rigid fixed plane plates (HRFPPs). The moment method and the traveling wave method are utilized. The draw an analogy among the perturbed distribution function (DF), and the equilibrium DF with time is studied. The thermodynamic predictions are calculated. System internal energy change (IEC) is investigated. We applied the results for laboratory helium NG. We detected that in specific conditions, we could compensate for the decreasing of particles’ number adjacent to the lower HRFPP because of the centrifugation process, with other particles adjacent to the higher heated HRFPP. We did that with the help of the reverse heat current from the heated upper HRFPP, which gave us a considerable enhancement and development of gases isotope separation processes. Furthermore, we approved that our model is compatible with the second law of thermodynamics, the rule of Le Chatelier, and the H-Theorem of Boltzmann. Those investigations were done with a non-restricted range of the temperatures ratio factor, the centrifugal Mach number, and the Knudsen numbers. The significance of this study was due to its vast applications in numerous fields, such as in physics, engineering, biomedical, and various commercial and industrial applications.
Caring leadership as Nietzschean slave morality
Authors: Tomkins Leah
Published: November 2020

In this paper, I respond to calls for more critical reflection on the power dynamics of caring leadership. I consider how a combination of care and impotence might unfold as Nietzsche’s ‘slave morality’, crystallised in the phenomenon of ressentiment. At the heart of slave morality is an inversion of values in which everything represented by the Other is denigrated so that the slave can find meaning and solace in his own place in the world. The Nietzschean inversion transforms impotence, inferiority and submission into virtue, identity and accomplishment. In contrast to recent elaborations of ressentiment in followers, I argue that slave morality is something to which leaders, especially caring leaders, are also vulnerable. When caring leadership awakens or exposes the slave-within, we are unable to take charge of – or responsibility for – ourselves, because we have ceded control of the self to forces beyond the self. This is the risk of ‘care ethics’ as a systemic inversion of values which constructs an ideology out of letting others define who and what we are. It creates a breeding ground for ressentiment, feeding off unspoken and unspeakable grievances about the injustices of one’s lot, especially those involving a clash between the rhetoric of empowerment and the experience of impotence. The Nietzschean warning is: Be wary of leadership models which might look and even feel nice, but which turn self-sacrifice into virtue and silence into necessity.
Bioinformatics analysis of long non-coding RNAs involved in nerve regeneration following sciatic nerve injury
Authors: Jia Yuanyuan , Zhang Ming , Li Pei , Tang Wenbo , Liu Yao , Hu Yiwen , Cui Qingjun , Liu Ming , Jiang Jingjing
Published: November 2020

Little is known about the role of epigenetic modification in axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the regulation of axon regeneration. We used bioinformatics to perform microarray analysis and screened total 476 lncRNAs and 129 microRNAs (miRNAs) of differentially expressed genes after sciatic nerve injury in mice. lncRNA-GM4208 and lncRNA-GM30085 were examined, and the changes in lncRNA expression in the L4–L6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following sciatic nerve crush injury were analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression of lncRNAs in the DRG changed, indicating that they might be related to nerve regeneration in the DRG following peripheral nerve injury.
Adolescent football players’ sleep, wellness and school physical activity over different phases of the year
Authors: Brown Georgia A , Veith Stella , Sampson John A , Whalan Matthew , Fullagar Hugh HK
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to examine differences in sleep and perceived wellness between a group of adolescent academy football (soccer) players from sport high schools (SHS) and regular high schools (RHS) during different phases of the year, with a secondary focus on their school physical activity (s-PA) levels. Data were collected from 51 adolescent football players from one youth Australian academy in two blocks of two weeks (four weeks total). Subjective sleep quantity and quality, wellness and s-PA were assessed through validated daily questionnaires and weekly surveys. MANOVAs and ANOVAs for repeated measures were conducted to assess sleep and wellness variables across different weeks (school vs. holidays, early vs. late season) and between groups (SHS vs. RHS). No differences in sleep or muscle pain were found between players at SHS and RHS (p > 0.05). No effect of week (school vs. holidays, early season vs. late season) on sleep quality or wellness was found, nor did hours of s-PA affect sleep duration (all p > 0.05). Total sleep time was within recommended guidelines and significantly longer sleep times were experienced during the holidays compared to school term (p = 0.002). Overall, adolescent academy football players reported sleep quantities within recommended ranges and had greater sleep volumes during the holidays rather than during school. School type (SHS vs. RHS) and hours of s-PA had no effect on the players sleep within our cohort. Additionally, it appears perceptual wellness in this population is unaffected by time of season, or school compared to holidays.
Law and virtue in a post-sovereign “Commonwealth:” Neil MacCormick and the political theory of constitutional pluralism
Authors: Canihac Hugo
Published: November 2020

This paper reconstructs the political thought of the Scottish legal philosopher, and eventually MEP, Sir Neil MacCormick (1941–2009), the founder of “constitutional pluralism,” one of the most influential legal theories of the European union today. It argues that his legal theory is underpinned by a coherent and original political theory of post-sovereignty. But, contrary to many current interpretations, this article argues that normatively, constitutional pluralism is not a purely liberal theory. Neither is it inherently illiberal, as has been contended. Instead, this article spells out the hybrid institutional design imagined by N. MacCormick and inspired by the thought of D. Hume, as well as the lineaments of an ethical theory of post-sovereignty he developed. So doing, while I will argue that it ultimately leads to a kind of republican cosmopolitanism, the political theory of constitutional pluralism is shown to open up an important, if not fully developed, avenue to escape some shortcoming commonly associated with post-sovereignty.
Synovial sarcoma of the elbow presenting with painful stiffness: a case report
Authors: Nevin Jennifer L , King Graham JW
Published: November 2020

Elbow stiffness is a challenging problem for the upper extremity surgeon to treat. It can significantly impact the patient’s function in activities of daily living. While the most common etiologies are post-traumatic or secondary to arthritis, a large variety of etiologies should be considered with atypical presentations. It is important that the upper-extremity surgeon have a systematic approach to the diagnosis and management of elbow contracture in order to ensure malignant processes are considered. We present an unusual case of a young patient with atraumatic, non-arthritic elbow stiffness whose underlying diagnosis was a synovial sarcoma, as well as a review of the literature and differential for elbow stiffness.

Level of evidence: IV.
Who Wants Peace? Predicting Civilian Preferences in Conflict Negotiations
Authors: Montoya Ana María , Tellez Juan
Published: November 2020

Efforts to end civil wars via negotiations often generate sharp divisions in public opinion. A large, quantitative literature has found evidence for numerous variables serving as potential drivers of public support of and opposition to conflict negotiations. Yet the formation of policy preferences is a complex process, and while many factors might make small contributions to an individual’s conflict termination preferences, we lack a sense of which factors matter most or how to adjudicate among competing explanations. In this article, we leverage a large amount of nationally representative survey data from Colombia (2004–2015) and use machine learning tools to systematically explore which variables are the strongest predictors of public support for negotiations with Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). We find that certain aspects of conflict exposure, individual values bearing on justice and punishment, and belief in the efficacy of the state are among the strongest predictors of negotiation preferences, while many conventionally important variables in the literature have little predictive power. The results have implications for scholars seeking to understand broad drivers of (dis)satisfaction with negotiations and shed light on the polarising Colombian peace process.
Decentralised Governance in Indonesia’s Disadvantaged Regions: A Critique of the Underperforming Model of Local Governance in Eastern Indonesia
Authors: Shoesmith Dennis , Franklin Nathan , Hidayat Rachmat
Published: November 2020

This article investigates the challenges facing decentralised governance in poor and underdeveloped areas in Eastern Indonesia. The Timor Tengah Selatan (TTS) regency in West Timor in Nusa Tenggara Timur province is taken as a case study. Indonesia’s radical decentralisation programme applied a national model of decentralised governance, not taking into account the different conditions applying to disadvantaged regions ( daerah tertinggal, DRs). In the TTS regency, decentralised governance is underperforming in two core areas – administration and fiscal viability – while making some progress in political decentralisation. Governance is restricted by limited social capacity, a poor resource base, and a lack of investment capital and infrastructure. The question then arises: if the uniform model of decentralisation is not performing adequately in TTS, is there a more appropriate model of local governance and central subnational relations that can better perform in DRs? While not detailing the features of a new model, this article identifies the areas requiring policy development.
The Emerging Regional Citizenship Regime of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Authors: Weinrich Amalie Ravn
Published: November 2020

This article analyses the citizenship regime of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Current literature on ASEAN regionalism has refrained from examining the link between community-building and citizenship building, and the prevailing assumption remains that ASEAN lacks a citizenship regime. This assumption derives from the premises that a regional citizenship regime is the result of the reconfiguration of national citizenship rights and that it is a legally defined status. By deploying the concept of citizenship regime based on the dimensions of rights, access, belonging, and responsibility mix, the article argues that there is an emerging citizenship regime in ASEAN built on citizenship-related policies. This citizenship regime is informal, developing, and atypical – and the unintentional outcome of ASEAN trying to fulfil its agenda on community-building. The analysis contributes to citizenship studies and ASEAN regionalism by offering a nuanced understanding of how citizenship regimes are built through citizenship-related policies and practices.
Metabolic Analysis of Carotenoids and Phenolic Compounds Found in Green and Purple Kenaf
Authors: Park Chang Ha , Kwon Soon-Jae , Kim Nam Su , Baek Seung-A , Yeo Hyeon Ji , Park Ye Eun , Chung Yong Suk , Kim Jae Kwang , Park Sang Un
Published: November 2020

The chemical composition of the different plant parts of green ( Hibiscus cannabinus L. cv. Jangdae) and purple ( H. cannabinus L. cv. Jeokbong) kenaf cultivars were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography. Ten carotenoid and phenolic compounds were quantified in the different parts of green and purple kenaf. The accumulation of carotenoids and phenolic compounds in the different parts of both cultivars was slightly different. The total carotenoid content in all parts of purple kenaf was higher than that in green kenaf. In particular, lutein, β-carotene, and 9Z-β-carotene were found in all the plant parts of both purple and green kenaf. Most levels of these 3 carotenoids were higher in all parts of the purple cultivar than those found in the green cultivar. According to the detected phenolic compound content, the leaves of the green cultivar contained a higher level of total phenolics, even though the most levels of the individual phenolic compounds were higher in the purple cultivar due to the level of kaempferitrin, a major compound found in kenaf, being much higher than the levels observed for the other phenolic compounds. However, the flowers and stems of the purple cultivar had a higher level of total phenolics. Among the 10 different phenolic compounds, 7 (4-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, benzoic acid, rutin, and kaempferol) were present in all the plant parts of both kenaf cultivars. Purple kenaf leaves contain higher levels of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, and rutin, whereas the purple cultivar flowers have higher levels of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and benzoic acid. This study provides valuable information on the chemical composition of different plant parts of green and purple kenaf cultivars.