bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parental Relationship Status as a Moderator of the Associations Between Mothers’ and Fathers’ Conflict Behaviors and Early Child Behavior Problems
Authors: Lee Shawna J. , Pace Garrett T. , Lee Joyce Y. , Altschul Inna
Published: August 2020

This study examines interparental conflict and associations with child behavior problems among a large, diverse sample of families with low income ( N = 2,691) using path model analyses of mothers’ and fathers’ reports of constructive interparental conflict, destructive interparental conflict, and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization at 15 months and child emotional insecurity and child behavior problems at 36 months. Multigroup models examined whether parental relationship status (i.e., married, cohabiting, and churning) moderated these associations. Fathers’ perceptions of interparental conflict behaviors showed few direct associations with child outcomes, whereas mothers’ perceptions of interparental conflict showed more robust associations with child outcomes. Specifically, mother-reported destructive conflict was associated with higher levels of child emotional insecurity and child behavior problems across parental relationship status subgroups. Mother-reported constructive conflict had a small negative association with child behavior problems in cohabiting families. Child emotional insecurity mediated the association of maternal destructive conflict on child behavior problems. Although churning families experienced higher levels of moderate and severe interparental conflict, associations linking destructive conflict to child behavior problems were consistent across parental relationship subgroups. There were few direct effects of father-reported constructive and destructive conflict on child well-being. However, the results supported the notion that fathers play an influential role in the family system via maternal reports of IPV victimization. Results of this study suggest that the mechanisms underlying emotional security theory, in which child emotional insecurity mediates the associations between maternal destructive conflict and child behavior problems, apply to a large and racially diverse sample of socioeconomically disadvantaged children.
Adaptive neural network output-feedback control of multiple Ackermann steering vehicles formation including motor dynamics with a guaranteed performance
Authors: Shojaei Khoshnam
Published: August 2020

A prescribed performance output-feedback formation control of electrically driven Ackermann steering robotic vehicles is addressed in this paper. Some constraints are imposed to relative distance and angle errors between the cars and a leader. Then, constrained errors are transformed into a new second-order Euler–Lagrange formulation of unconstrained errors via the prescribed performance function technique which inherits all structural properties of the robot dynamics. Based on dynamic surface control design, an observer-based proportional–integral–derivative virtual controller with a prescribed performance is proposed at the first step. Then, an actual controller is proposed at the actuator level to generate input voltage control signals. The proposed controller takes the following advantages: (1) the possible overshoots and controller singularities are avoided based on some predefined performances of relative distance and angle errors, (2) the controller does not require linear and angular velocity measurements, (3) the unknown nonlinearities and exogenous disturbances are effectively compensated by combining a neural network and adaptive robust controller, and (4) the actuator dynamics is compensated in the inner-loop while voltage control signals are directly generated for each robot motors. Lyapunov’s stability analysis proves the stability of the closed-loop control system. Finally, numerical simulation results will show the controller performance.
Effects of infrastructure on the aerodynamic performance of a high-speed train
Authors: Wang Ming , Li Xiao-Zhen , Xiao Jun , Sha Hai-Qing , Zou Qi-Yang
Published: August 2020

The aerodynamic characteristics of typical high-speed train can be affected by the operating infrastructure, which will affect the flow structure around train body. Five different infrastructure scenarios, including no infrastructure, flat ground, embankment, viaduct and truss bridge, are systemically studied. The purpose is to examine the uncertainties of aerodynamic coefficients caused by the infrastructure. Attention is drawn to variations of aerodynamic coefficients at certain yaw angles caused by the changes in crosswind and train speed. The middle car is chosen for quantifying the effects of five infrastructures by using wind tunnel test and numerical simulations, then followed by a detailed study on aerodynamic characteristics of three cars of train running on viaduct. Pressure distributions are also drawn for a better interpretation. Result shows that the uncertainties in aerodynamic coefficients becomes more obvious as the infrastructure gets complex and yaw angles get bigger. The aerodynamic coefficients of three cars with the viaduct scenario show the similar uncertainties, which are mostly affected by the change in crosswind rather than the train speed.
Alpha-SIM: A quick 3D geometry model simplification approach to support aircraft EWIS routing
Authors: Zhu Zaoxu , Rocca G La , Zheng Yao , Chen Jianjun
Published: August 2020

Routing design of aircraft Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) is time-consuming and error-prone. A solution, which automatically routes the EWIS inside the aircraft Digital MockUp (DMU), has been proposed and presented in the previous publications. The DMU, however, includes over-detailed features, which hardly influence the routing results but significantly increase the geometry-involved computational time thus hampering any automated routing. These features cannot be easily and efficiently suppressed. Therefore, a quick 3 D geometry simplification method, named Alpha-SIM, is proposed to enable a quick simplification of the airframe components included in the DMU and improve the benefit of the aforementioned automatic EWIS routing approach. The method is inspired by Descriptive Geometry techniques and the 3 D modelling approach using 2 D sketches, and aims at removing very detailed and/or internal features while preserving the intuitive notional shape of the given CAD model. The intuitive notional shape is represented by a 3 D point cloud of the model outer boundary and their 2 D projections on user-defined planes. These 2 D projections are then processed such to generate a set of 2 D profiles, called Alpha-Shapes, which are used, eventually, to re-build the 3 D model of the DMU components in a simplified/de-featured manner. By controlling the density of the 3 D points and the Alpha value to generate the 2 D profiles from the point projections, various geometric approximation levels can be achieved. The results of the test cases demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method on the geometry simplification for automatic EWIS routing.
Changing Social Contexts to Foster Equity in College Science Courses: An Ecological-Belonging Intervention
Authors: Binning Kevin R. , Kaufmann Nancy , McGreevy Erica M. , Fotuhi Omid , Chen Susie , Marshman Emily , Kalender Z. Yasemin , Limeri Lisa , Betancur Laura , Singh Chandralekha
Published: August 2020

In diverse classrooms, stereotypes are often “in the air,” which can interfere with learning and performance among stigmatized students. Two studies designed to foster equity in college science classrooms ( Ns = 1,215 and 607) tested an intervention to establish social norms that make stereotypes irrelevant in the classroom. At the beginning of the term, classrooms assigned to an ecological-belonging intervention engaged in discussion with peers around the message that social and academic adversity is normative and that students generally overcome such adversity. Compared with business-as-usual controls, intervention students had higher attendance, course grades, and 1-year college persistence. The intervention was especially impactful among historically underperforming students, as it improved course grades for ethnic minorities in introductory biology and for women in introductory physics. Regardless of demographics, attendance in the intervention classroom predicted higher cumulative grade point averages 2 to 4 years later. The results illustrate the viability of an ecological approach to fostering equity and unlocking student potential.
The clean vagina, the healthy vagina, and the dirty vagina: Exploring women’s portrayals of the vagina in relation to vaginal cleansing product use
Authors: Jenkins Amanda , O’Doherty Kieran C
Published: August 2020

Vaginal cleansing products such as douches, sprays, wipes, powders, washes, and deodorants are part of a growing $2 billion industry in North America. Part of the appeal of these products is supposedly attaining vaginal cleanliness, which is marketed in association with product use. Although these products are promoted as healthy, medical research indicates potential health risks for some of these products (e.g. yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and disruption of the vaginal microbiota). Despite these risks, many women use these products. In this paper, we draw on interviews with women who use vaginal cleansing products to examine the ways in which particular portrayals of the vagina are connected with broader societal messages about female genitalia and with motivations to use vaginal cleansing practices. These portrayals include the healthy vagina, the clean vagina, and the dirty vagina. We show that although participants in our study valued both a clean vagina and a healthy vagina, when tension occurred between these two portrayals, participants prioritized vaginal cleanliness over vaginal health. We argue that this prioritization of the idealized clean vagina is connected to societal pressures of needing to attain unrealistic standards of vaginal cleanliness.
Hysteresis modeling of piezoelectric micro-positioning stage based on convolutional neural network
Authors: Hu Junfeng , Zhong Yuan , Yang Mingli
Published: August 2020

The inherent hysteresis nonlinearity of piezoelectric actuator degrades the positioning accuracy of the micro-positioning stage. Prandtl–Ishlinskii model is widely used for piezoelectric hysteresis modeling, yet it is a rate-independent model with weak generalization ability. To overcome this problem, we proposed a convolutional neural network model based on the Prandtl–Ishlinskii model, which consists of a rate-dependent Prandtl–Ishlinskii model layer and convolutional network layer. The rate-dependent Prandtl–Ishlinskii model layer extends the traditional Prandtl–Ishlinskii model to describe the rate-dependent hysteresis behavior. The convolutional network layer with deep learning ability extracts the deep features of the input signal to improve the generalization ability of the hysteresis model. The experiment results indicate that the standard error of the proposed hysteresis model to predict displacement at unmodeled frequencies has been reduced by 18.74%–36.75% in comparison with the Prandtl–Ishlinskii model, which verifies that the proposed hysteresis model has not only higher accuracy but also stronger generalization ability.
In the Name of Prevention? Policing ‘Social Dangerousness’ Through Arrest in China
Authors: Li Enshen
Published: August 2020

Over the past half-century, the nexus between risk and prevention has increasingly become a constant preoccupation among many criminal justice regimes around the globe. In China, while the significant rise in crime following the marketization has been envisaged as an important source of risk, a criminal law concept of ‘social dangerousness’ has gained increasing prominence in the country’s crime control, policing and punishment systems. This article aims to shed light on how social dangerousness has been juxtaposed with and informed China’s preventative state through critical inquiry into the police power of arrest. I argue that the recent legal consolidation of social dangerousness as a prerequisite to arrest has enabled this coercive measure to become more preventive in purpose. By creating an ever-expanding purview of arrest, the police become more capable of capturing the largest possible cohort of suspects deemed ‘socially dangerous’. This is exacerbated by the legal opacity and ambiguity of social dangerousness, which allows manipulation and liberal application by police in diverse scenarios. My analysis suggests that the preventive dimension of arrest manifests itself largely as a punitive power, which runs the risk of turning arrest into a ‘punitive-preventive measure’. This will, inevitably, impose the same amount of intrusiveness and harsh treatment on suspects regardless of their risk levels. It is more concerning that the fusion of preventiveness and punitiveness has managed to circumvent close scrutiny of the justification for the preventive end of arrest by failing to see the need for periodic review.
Artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making: Rethinking liability
Authors: Smith Helen , Fotheringham Kit
Published: August 2020

This article theorises, within the context of the law of England and Wales, the potential outcomes in negligence claims against clinicians and software development companies (SDCs) by patients injured due to AI system (AIS) use with human clinical supervision. Currently, a clinician will likely shoulder liability via a negligence claim for allowing defects in an AIS’s outputs to reach patients. We question if this is ‘fair, just and reasonable’ to clinical users: we argue that a duty of care to patients ought to be recognised on the part of SDCs as well as clinicians. As an alternative to negligence claims, we propose ‘risk pooling’ which utilises insurance. Here, a fairer construct of shared responsibility for AIS use could be created between the clinician and the SDC; thus, allowing a rapid mechanism of compensation to injured patients via insurance.
Breast-cancer mortality in screened versus unscreened women: Long-term results from a population-based study in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Dunn Nathan , Youl Philippa , Moore Julie , Harden Hazel , Walpole Euan , Evans Elizabeth , Taylor Kate , Philpot Shoni , Furnival Colin
Published: August 2020

Objective

In the context of a mature mammographic screening programme, the aim of this population-based study was to estimate rates of breast-cancer mortality among participants versus non-participants in Queensland, Australia.

Methods

The Queensland Electoral Roll was used to identify women aged 50–65  in the year 2000 (n = 269,198). Women with a prior history of invasive or in situ breast cancer were excluded (n = 6,848). The study population was then linked to mammography records from BreastScreen Queensland together with the Wesley Breast Screening Clinic (the largest provider of private screening in Queensland) to establish a screened cohort (n = 187,558) and an unscreened cohort (n = 74,792). Cohort members were matched and linked to cancer notifications and deaths through the state-based Queensland Oncology Repository. Differences in breast-cancer mortality between the two cohorts were measured using Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results

After 16 years of follow-up, women in the screened cohort showed a 39% reduction in breast-cancer mortality compared to the unscreened cohort (HR = 0.61, 95%CI = 0.55–0.68). Cumulative mortality over the same period was 0.47% and 0.77% in the screened and unscreened cohorts, respectively.

Conclusions

This study found a significant reduction in breast-cancer mortality for women who participated in mammographic screening compared to unscreened women. Our findings of a breast-cancer mortality benefit for women who have mammographic screening are in line with other observational studies.
Energy Geopolitics and Pipeline Diplomacy in Central Asia: India’s Interests and Policy Options
Authors: Pradhan Ramakrushna
Published: August 2020

The global energy scenario is undergoing a tectonic shift in recent times. While energy security has been emerging as one of the cornerstones of the foreign policy of major countries, a new geological survey has the promise of new discoveries and reserves untapped. One such epic new frontier of the world geological survey has been the post-Soviet Central Asia consisting of five “Stans” of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, along with the Caspian Sea region. Sitting on huge untapped hydrocarbon potentials, the Central Asian geographical entity in recent years has offered enormous opportunity and appeal for countries adjacent to the region and far beyond. That is perhaps the reason that even after the disintegration of the USSR, the geopolitical importance of Central Asia has never waned down, instead it emerged as a grand chessboard for regional and extra-regional players for the immense opportunities it offered for the energy-crunch countries as potentially new and non-OPEC source of oil and natural gas. In the quest for energy security and diversity of supply sources by energy consumers, the heartland has witnessed a new great game in the scramble for resources. This accentuated struggle for oil and energy in the region has further led to aggressive foreign policy formulations and strategic calculation by countries such as the United States, China, the European Union, Japan, Israel, Iran, Pakistan, and India, to which many now call “the New Great Game” for not just controlling but administering energy resources of the region. The bottom line of the New Great Game, unlike the previous version, is essentially played out around petropolitics and pipeline diplomacy. To support the scramble for energy in Central Asia and the aggressive petropolitics and pipeline diplomacy by major powers, the study adopts the peak oil theory of Club of Rome thesis to understand the global tectonic shift of energy frontiers. Further, this article attempts to examine the position of India in Central Asia and its policy initiatives in the epic quest for oil and energy in the traditional bastion of Russia and the new grand chessboard of China and the United States.
Coupled thermo-mechanical swelling of a thermo-responsive hydrogel hollow cylinder under extension-torsion: Analytical Solution and FEM
Authors: Shojaeifard Mohammad , Dolatabadi Roshanak , Sheikhi Sara , Baghani Mostafa
Published: August 2020

In this article, the mechanical swelling behavior of poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel is scrutinized considering a hollow circular cylinder subjected to temperature variation-extension-torsion. Accordingly, an analytical solution is presented to consider the general combined loading on temperature-sensitive hydrogel cylinder for two approaches, considering same temperature for whole structure and solving heat equation to compute internal temperature of structure. Additionally, to evaluate the proposed solution, finite element analysis has been conducted for same problem which revealed excellent conformity for various case studies. Therefore, a user-material subroutine, UHYPER, is implemented to be employed in finite element analysis in order to define swelling of PNIPAM hydrogels. This subroutine was validated using free swelling and constraint swelling with previous and their analytical solutions. Regarding the complexity of material and loading namely, nonlinear finite behavior of hydrogel as well as combined cooling-extension-torsional loading, various factors, cross-linked density, axial stretch, torsional twist and temperature variation, were investigated to clarify the swelling behavior of hydrogel. Solving heat equation, in the second approach, enables us to apply various thermal conditions on this structure, while in previous studies, the temperature of whole structure is considered to vary simultaneously with the same function. This approach can help researchers to examine diverse thermo-mechanicals problem for temperature-sensitive hydrogels.
Grassroots Mental Health Groups’ Use of Advocacy Strategies in Social Media Messaging
Authors: Smith-Frigerio Sarah
Published: August 2020

Mental health concerns are a public health crisis. Stigma is the primary reason why individuals do not disclose or seek treatment. Stigma is constructed communicatively, and destigmatization efforts—such as advocacy messaging—are also communicative. I employ a case study approach to describe how two mental health groups use advocacy strategies in their social media messaging to help audience members mitigate mental health concerns and challenge stigma. I found content creators use a variety of advocacy strategies in their messaging, including awareness-raising, support of policy initiatives, and the promotion of diversity and inclusivity. Although not the primary goal of these groups’ messaging, advocacy strategies were important to content creators and audience members, and 80% of audience members interviewed engaged in advocacy work for the organizations. I provide a nuanced view of mental health communication advocacy strategies, make recommendations for health communication professionals, and demonstrate the need for future studies.
Provision and Utilization of Team- and Community-Based Operative Care for Patients With Cleft Lip/Palate in North Carolina
Authors: Le Elliot , Shrader Peter , Bosworth Hayden , Hurst Jillian , Goldstein Benjamin , Drake Amelia , Wood Jeyhan , David Lisa R. , Runyan Christopher M. , Vissoci Joao Ricardo Nickenig , Harker Matthew , Allori Alexander C.
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To characterize operative care for cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) based on location (ie, from American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association [ACPA]–approved multidisciplinary teams or from community providers).

Design:

Cross-sectional analysis of Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database and State Ambulatory Surgery & Services Database databases for North Carolina from 2012 to 2015.

Setting/Patients and Main Outcome Measures:

Clinical encounters for children with CL/P undergoing operative procedures were identified, classified by location as “Team” versus “Community,” and characterized by demographic, geographic, clinical, and procedural factors. A secondary evaluation reviewed concordance of team and community practices with an ACPA guideline related to coordination of care.

Results:

Three teams and 39 community providers performed a total of 3010 cleft-related procedures across 2070 encounters. Teams performed 69.7% of total volume and performed the majority of cleft procedures, including cleft lip repair, palate repair, alveolar bone grafting, and correction of velopharyngeal insufficiency. Community locations principally offered myringotomy and rhinoplasty. Team care was associated with higher guideline concordance.

Conclusions:

American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association –approved team-based care accounts for the majority of cleft-related care in North Carolina; however, a substantial volume of cleft-related procedures was provided by community providers, with 3 providers accounting for the vast majority of community cases.
Linking fatigue response of asphalt binders, mastics, and asphalt concrete mixture modified by nano-silica and synthesized polyurethane
Authors: Motamedi Mana , Shafabakhsh Gholamali , Azadi Mohammad
Published: August 2020

Asphalt concrete is composed of stone, sand, filler, and asphalt binder. Fatigue can be considered as a phenomenon affecting both the binder (asphalt binder or mastic) and the mixture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fatigue damage response in asphalt binders, mastics, and asphalt concrete mixtures modified with nano-silica and synthesized polyurethane. The continuum damage mechanics method and phenomenological approaches in this study were used to investigate the fatigue performance. Obtained results indicated that the effect of the synthesized polyurethane on improving the fatigue life was far greater than that of nano-silica. The damage process in asphalt binders differed from that in the mastic and asphalt concrete mixture. Damage intensity parameter is an appropriate criterion for evaluating fatigue performance of asphalt binders and mastics. Concerning the fatigue of asphalt concrete mixture, the results of this study indicated a better convergence between the fatigue parameters of mastics and asphalt concrete mixture compared to asphalt binders, especially with increasing aging. Also, there was greater convergence between the fatigue life of the asphalt concrete mixture and asphalt binder and mastics in the method of continuum damage mechanics as compared to the phenomenological approach.
A Single-Center Retrospective Evaluation of the Use of Oral Factor Xa Inhibitors in Patients With Cerebral Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Powell Marissa , Tremolet de Villers Kathryn , Schwarz Kerry , Case David , Trujillo Toby
Published: August 2020

Background:

Clinical practice guidelines recommend that cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) be managed with long-term anticoagulant therapy using warfarin or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for 3 to 12 months. However, oral factor Xa inhibitors may offer preferable alternative treatment options for these patients.

Objective:

The primary objective was to determine the effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban or apixaban compared with warfarin or enoxaparin as long-term anticoagulation therapy for patients with a new diagnosis of CVT.

Methods:

This was a single-center retrospective review of patients with newly diagnosed CVT who received acute and maintenance anticoagulation treatment. Study groups compared patients who received warfarin, enoxaparin, or an oral factor Xa inhibitor as their maintenance anticoagulant. The primary outcome was recurrent thrombotic events while on anticoagulation. Secondary outcomes included modified Rankin Scale, improved cerebral venous sinus opacification, duration of anticoagulant therapy, bleeding events during anticoagulant therapy, and adverse effects.

Results:

A total of 119 patients were included in the analysis: warfarin (89), enoxaparin (11), and oral factor Xa inhibitor (19). The risk of recurrent thrombotic events were 11.2%, 0%, and 10.5% in the warfarin, enoxaparin, and oral factor Xa inhibitor treatment groups, respectively ( P = 0.7635). There were no significant between-group differences observed regarding any of the secondary outcomes.

Conclusions:

Although the sample size is limited, these findings indicate that oral factor Xa inhibitors are a reasonable treatment option for patients with CVT. There was a trend toward more persistent symptoms in patients on warfarin, suggesting a potential improvement in recovery among patients that received an oral factor Xa inhibitor.
Ideology and Specific Support for the Supreme Court
Authors: Haglin Kathryn , Jordan Soren , Merrill Alison Higgins , Ura Joseph Daniel
Published: August 2020

We develop and assess an account of ideological asymmetries in public support for the Supreme Court. We find that specific support for the Supreme Court is more strongly negatively related to perceptions that the Court is overly liberal than perceptions that the Court is overly conservative. Our findings provide a more complete theoretical account of dynamics in specific support for the Supreme Court and indicate a mechanism behind the recent decline in the Supreme Court’s public standing.
Using Structural Family Therapy to Understand the Impact of Poverty and Trauma on African American Adolescents
Authors: Chappelle Noelle , Tadros Eman
Published: August 2020

Adolescence is a period in which there are many challenges due to the rapid changes in an adolescent’s mind, body, emotions, and role expectations. Living in poverty and experiencing trauma exacerbate this challenging time. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the available research surrounding African American adolescents who have experienced poverty and trauma. Additionally, the goal was to examine the literature on African American adolescents who experienced poverty and trauma conceptualized through the lens of structural family therapy. Clinical implications are provided, and additional research directions within the field of marriage and family therapy/counseling are offered with respect to the intersection of trauma, poverty, protective factors, and African American adolescents and their families.
Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Esophageal Ectopic Sebaceous Glands: Chronological Changes and Immunohistochemical Analysis
Authors: Hashimoto Hirotsugu , Horiuchi Hajime , Miura Sakiko , Takayanagi Shunya , Gunji Toshiaki , Morikawa Teppei
Published: August 2020

Esophageal ectopic sebaceous glands are very rare lesions. A series of 5 cases in a single report has been the maximum number described in the English literature to date. We conducted a clinicopathologic study of 8 cases of esophageal ectopic sebaceous glands. The median patient age at the time of diagnosis was 60 years (range, 50-71 years), and 7 of the 8 patients were male. A focal lesion was observed in 7 cases, whereas 1 case exhibited multiple lesions throughout the esophagus. Four patients had previously undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy; in 3 patients, the focal lesion had not been detected. After diagnosis, 3 cases showed spontaneous regression at least once. Immunohistochemically, sebocytes of all 8 cases were negative for the estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PgR), whereas sebocytes of 5 cases were positive for the androgen receptor (AR). Basal/parabasal cells were positive for AR, ER, and PgR in 5, 7, and 4 cases, respectively. GATA3 was expressed in the sebocytes and basal/parabasal cells of 6 out of 7 available cases, whereas all of 7 available cases were negative for mammaglobin and GCDFP15. Our report provides the basic clinicopathologic characteristics of esophageal ectopic sebaceous glands by the largest case series reported in English literature to date. Furthermore, the chronological changes, particularly spontaneous regression, and immunohistochemical expression of hormone receptors and GATA3 are compatible with lesions resulting from congenital misplacement under hormonal regulation. Therefore, they seem to be congenital misplacements detectable as a result of hormonal stimulated growth.
Introducing the Tactual Span: A New Task for Assessing Working Memory in the Teactile Modality
Authors: Heled Eyal , Rotberg Shulamit , Yavich Roman , Hoofien A. Dan
Published: August 2020

The span paradigm is commonly used to assess working memory (WM), predominantly through the visual and auditory routes and less often through the tactile modality. The current study aimed to validate the “Tactual Span”, a new task developed to evaluate WM in the tactile modality. Participants were 140 healthy young adults, who performed the Tactual Span alongside span tasks in three additional modalities (auditory, visual, and visuospatial), as well as a selective attention task and a semantic verbal fluency task. The Tactual Span and other span tasks were found to correlate, while correlations with the selective attention and semantic fluency tasks were largely nonsignificant, indicating good construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha for both stages as well as skewness and kurtosis were also adequate. An exploratory factor analysis for the forward stage showed that the Tactual Span and Visuospatial Span were loaded on one factor, whereas the Auditory and Visual Spans were loaded on another factor. In the backward stage, all span tasks were loaded on a single factor. The findings provide an initial indication that the Tactual Span task is a feasible and valid tool for assessing WM in the tactile modality.
Stability analysis in machining process by using adaptive closed-loop feedback control system in turning process
Authors: Orra Kashfull , Choudhury Sounak K
Published: August 2020

The study presents model-based mechanism of nonlinear cutting tool vibration in turning process and the strategy of improving cutting process stability by suppressing machine tool vibration. The approach used is based on the closed-loop feedback control system with the help of electro–magneto–rheological damper. A machine tool vibration signal generated by an accelerometer is fed back to the coil of a damper after suitable amplification. The damper, attached under the tool holder, generates counter forces to suppress the vibration after being excited by the signal in terms of current. The study also discusses the use of transfer function approach for the development of a mathematical model and adaptively controlling the process dynamics of the turning process. The purpose of developing such mechanism is to stabilize the machining process with respect to the dynamic uncut chip thickness responsible for the type-II regenerative effect. The state-space model used in this study successfully checked the adequacy of the model through controllability and observability matrices. The eigenvalue and eigenvector have confirmed the stability of the system more accurately. The characteristic of the stability lobe chart is discussed for the present model-based mechanism.
Development of a Predictive Algorithm to Identify Adults With Mobility Limitations Using VA Health Care Administrative Data
Authors: Eisenberg Yochai , Powell Lisa M. , Zenk Shannon N. , Tarlov Elizabeth
Published: August 2020

An estimated 31.5 million Americans have a mobility limitation. Health care administrative data could be a valuable resource for research on this population but methods for cohort identification are lacking. We developed and tested an algorithm to reliably identify adults with mobility limitation in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care data. We linked diagnosis, encounter, durable medical equipment, and demographic data for 964 veterans to their self-reported mobility limitation from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. We evaluated performance of logistic regression models in classifying mobility limitation. The binary approach (yes/no limitation) had good sensitivity (70%) and specificity (79%), whereas the multilevel approach did not perform well. The algorithms for predicting a binary mobility limitation outcome performed well at discriminating between veterans who did and did not have mobility limitation. Future work should focus on multilevel approaches to predicting mobility limitation and samples with greater proportions of women and younger adults.
Clinical pharmacy services in an ambulatory oncology clinic: Patient perception and satisfaction
Authors: Munro Lauren , Myers Glenn , Gould Odette , LeBlanc Michael
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Studies have shown that patients rate pharmacists more favourably when the pharmacist expresses interest in the patient and attends to patients’ perspectives. There is limited available evidence evaluating both patient perception and satisfaction regarding clinical pharmacy services provided in an ambulatory oncology clinic.

Methods

This was a prospective mixed methods study involving surveys and patient interviews. Consenting participants completed a survey at their first visit evaluating their perceptions of the importance of the clinical pharmacy services offered in the ambulatory oncology clinic. They completed a second survey 6-8 weeks later to re-evaluate their perceptions and to measure satisfaction ratings. The final component of this study involved semi-structured one-on-one telephone interviews to gather qualitative data regarding the study objectives.

Results

A total of 35 participants completed the survey, of which eleven completed one-on-one patient telephone interviews. Patients perceived the clinical pharmacy services assessed as important to their care before receiving treatment. The ratings of the importance of the pharmacist in managing patients’ nausea/vomiting significantly decreased when remeasured, whereas the importance of meeting the pharmacist in the clinic significantly increased. The importance of the role of the pharmacist was highlighted in patient interviews as well: patients particularly valued the pharmacist’s initiative to meet them in the clinic, the education provided by pharmacist, and the pharmacist’s accessibility throughout treatment.

Conclusions

Overall, patients in the ambulatory oncology clinic perceived the services offered as important to their care and they were highly satisfied.
Associations Between 24-Hour Time Use and Academic Achievement in Australian Primary School–Aged Children
Authors: Watson Amanda , Dumuid Dorothea , Olds Tim
Published: August 2020

Background

Previous research has examined associations between individual activity behaviors and academic achievement. Yet activity behaviors should be analyzed together because they are codependent parts of the 24-hour day.

Aims

This study aims to explore the associations between all daily activity behaviors (sleep, sedentary time, light physical activity [LPA], and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]) and academic achievement using compositional data analysis.

Method

Participants for this study were drawn from two cohorts: the Australian arm of the cross-sectional International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment ( n = 452; mean age 10.7 years ( SD = 0.4); 54% female) and CheckPoint ( n = 1278; mean age 12 years [ SD = 0.4]; 50% female), a cross-sectional study nested between Waves 6 and 7 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Objective daily activity behavior data (sleep, sedentary time, LPA, and MVPA) were collected using 8-day, 24-hour accelerometry. Academic achievement was assessed using a nationally administered standardized test in literacy (spelling, grammar and punctuation, writing and reading) and numeracy. Compositional models (adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic position, and pubertal development) regressed academic scores against isometric log ratios of activity behaviors. We used the models to estimate academic achievement for observed daily activity mixes. Estimated outcomes were plotted against time spent in each individual activity domain, and loess curves were fitted.

Discussion and conclusion

In two different cohorts using two different accelerometers, lower LPA was related to better numeracy and literacy and higher sedentary time to better literacy (relative to time spent in other domains). Discussion and conclusion. LPA likely “drains time” from other movement behaviors, which are beneficial for academic achievement.
Convolutional neural nets for estimating the run time and energy consumption of the sparse matrix-vector product
Authors: Barreda Maria , Dolz Manuel F , Castaño M Asunción
Published: August 2020

Modeling the performance and energy consumption of the sparse matrix-vector product (SpMV) is essential to perform off-line analysis and, for example, choose a target computer architecture that delivers the best performance-energy consumption ratio. However, this task is especially complex given the memory-bounded nature and irregular memory accesses of the SpMV, mainly dictated by the input sparse matrix. In this paper, we propose a Machine Learning (ML)-driven approach that leverages Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to provide accurate estimations of the performance and energy consumption of the SpMV kernel. The proposed CNN-based models use a blockwise approach to make the CNN architecture independent of the matrix size. These models are trained to estimate execution time as well as total, package, and DRAM energy consumption at different processor frequencies. The experimental results reveal that the overall relative error ranges between 0.5% and 14%, while at matrix level is not superior to 10%. To demonstrate the applicability and accuracy of the SpMV CNN-based models, this study is complemented with an ad-hoc time-energy model for the PageRank algorithm, a popular algorithm for web information retrieval used by search engines, which internally realizes the SpMV kernel.
2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines
Authors: Stone Amy ES , Brummet Gary O , Carozza Ellen M , Kass Philip H , Petersen Ernest P , Sykes Jane , Westman Mark E
Published: August 2020

The guidelines are a consensus report on current recommendations for vaccination of cats of any origin, authored by a Task Force of experts. The guidelines are published simultaneously in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (volume 22, issue 9, pages 813–830, DOI: 10.1177/1098612X20941784) and the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (volume 56, issue 4, pages 249–265, DOI: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7123). The guidelines assign approved feline vaccines to core (recommended for all cats) and non-core (recommended based on an individualized risk–benefit assessment) categories. Practitioners can develop individualized vaccination protocols consisting of core vaccines and non-core vaccines based on exposure and susceptibility risk as defined by the patient’s life stage, lifestyle, and place of origin and by environmental and epidemiologic factors. An update on feline injection-site sarcomas indicates that occurrence of this sequela remains infrequent and idiosyncratic. Staff education initiatives should enable the veterinary practice team to be proficient in advising clients on proper vaccination practices and compliance. Vaccination is a component of a preventive healthcare plan. The vaccination visit should always include a thorough physical exam and client education dialog that gives the pet owner an understanding of how clinical staff assess disease risk and propose recommendations that help ensure an enduring owner–pet relationship.
Feline leukaemia virus infection: A practical approach to diagnosis
Authors: Hofmann-Lehmann Regina , Hartmann Katrin
Published: August 2020

Practical relevance:

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is a retrovirus of domestic cats worldwide. Cats lacking strong FeLV-specific immunity and undergoing progressive infection commonly develop fatal FeLV-associated disease. Many aspects of FeLV infection pathogenesis have been elucidated, some during more recent years using molecular techniques. It is recommended that the FeLV status of every cat is known, since FeLV infection can influence the prognosis and clinical management of every sick cat. Moreover, knowledge of a cat’s FeLV status is of epidemiological importance to prevent further spread of the infection.

Clinical challenges:

Diagnosing FeLV infection remains challenging due to different outcomes of infection, which can vary over time depending on the balance between the virus and the host’s immune system. Furthermore, testing for FeLV infection has become more refined over the years and now includes diagnostic assays for different viral and immunological parameters. Knowledge of FeLV infection pathogenesis, as well as the particulars of FeLV detection methods, is an important prerequisite for correct interpretation of any test results and accurate determination of a cat’s FeLV status.

Aims:

The current review presents recent knowledge on FeLV pathogenesis, key features to be determined in FeLV infection, and frequently used FeLV detection methods, and their characteristics and interpretation. An algorithm for the diagnosis of FeLV infection in a single cat, developed by the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases, is included, and FeLV testing in specific situations is addressed. As well as increasing awareness of this deadly infection in domestic cats, the aim is to contribute diagnostic expertise to allow veterinarians in practice to improve their recognition, and further reduce the prevalence, of FeLV infection.
Feline abdominal ultrasonography: What’s normal? What’s abnormal? Renal pelvis, ureters and urinary bladder
Authors: Griffin Sally
Published: August 2020

Practical relevance:

Abdominal ultrasound plays a vital role in the diagnostic work-up of many cats presenting to general and specialist practitioners. Ultrasound examination of the urinary tract provides important information useful in the investigation of several conditions including ureteral obstruction and cystitis.

Clinical challenges:

Despite ultrasonography being a commonly used modality, many practitioners are not comfortable performing an ultrasound examination or interpreting the resulting images. Even for the experienced ultrasonographer, differentiating between incidental findings, such as lipid droplets in the bladder, and pathological changes can be challenging.

Aim:

This review, part of an occasional series on feline abdominal ultrasonography, discusses the ultrasonographic examination of the normal and diseased renal pelvis, ureters and urinary bladder. Aimed at general practitioners who wish to improve their knowledge of and confidence in feline abdominal ultrasound, this review is accompanied by high-resolution images and videos available online as supplementary material. Ultrasound examination of the kidneys and perinephric space was discussed in an article published in May 2020.

Equipment:

Ultrasound facilities are readily available to most practitioners, although the use of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool is highly dependent on operator experience.

Evidence base:

Information provided in this article is drawn from the published literature and the author’s own clinical experience.
The Australian music industry’s mental health crisis: media narratives during the coronavirus pandemic
Authors: Brunt Shelley , Nelligan Kat
Published: August 2020

How has the Australian music industry’s mental health crisis played out in the media during the coronavirus pandemic? This commentary article considers a snapshot of media reports about this issue. We survey print and online media, press releases, official websites, online seminars and social media from March to June 2020. During this time, the industry has faced financial loss, job insecurity and anxiety for the future of Australian music, thus placing unprecedented strain on an industry already characterised by poor mental health. We identify four key narratives communicated by the media, which we call (1) acknowledging grief and loss, (2) supporting creativity and well-being, (3) adapting to the new normal and (4) envisaging a post-pandemic future. These narratives illustrate overarching concern for music industry workers’ mental health and also the provision of helpful strategies for managing these issues.
The predictors, barriers and facilitators to effective management of acute pain in children by emergency medical services: A systematic mixed studies review
Authors: Whitley Gregory A , Hemingway Pippa , Law Graham R , Jones Arwel W , Curtis Ffion , Siriwardena Aloysius N
Published: August 2020

We aimed to identify predictors, barriers and facilitators to effective pre-hospital pain management in children. A segregated systematic mixed studies review was performed. We searched from inception to 30-June-2020: MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. Empirical quantitative, qualitative and multi-method studies of children under 18 years, their relatives or emergency medical service staff were eligible. Two authors independently performed screening and selection, quality assessment, data extraction and quantitative synthesis. Three authors performed thematic synthesis. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research were used to determine the confidence in cumulative evidence. From 4030 articles screened, 78 were selected for full text review, with eight quantitative and five qualitative studies included. Substantial heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Predictors of effective pain management included: ‘child sex (male)’, ‘child age (younger)’, ‘type of pain (traumatic)’ and ‘analgesic administration’. Barriers and facilitators included internal (fear, clinical experience, education and training) and external (relatives and colleagues) influences on the clinician along with child factors (child’s experience of event, pain assessment and management). Confidence in the cumulative evidence was deemed low. Efforts to facilitate analgesic administration should take priority, perhaps utilising the intranasal route. Further research is recommended to explore the experience of the child. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42017058960