bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Bayesian approach to improving measurement precision over multiple test occasions
Authors: Van Moere Alistair , Hanlon Sean
Published: June 2020

In language assessment and in educational measurement more broadly, there is a tendency to interpret scores from single-administration tests as accurate indicators of a latent trait (e.g., reading ability). Even in contexts where learners receive multiple formative assessments throughout the year, estimates of student ability are determined based on the most recent assessment. This paper demonstrates a technique that incorporates prior test scores with current scores for learners who re-test periodically, in order to arrive at an estimate closer to the learners’ true score. Over 21,000 learners from two separate studies (EFL and native speaker) were tested for reading proficiency between three and five times each, over a one- to two-year period, on a multiple-choice reading test which reported reading ability in Lexile® measures. Applying Bayes theorem, prior scores and the most recent test score were combined with uncertainty parameters (i.e., measurement error) to produce new estimates of student ability. This is advantageous as prior administration data is re-used rather than discarded. The approach is recommended in the context of periodic low-stakes tests designed to measure proficiency gains over time, as well as for high-stakes tests as an alternative to allowing candidates to cherry-pick their highest score for university applications.
Early aortic repair and decompressive hemicraniectomy in aortic dissection with ischaemic stroke
Authors: Mohamed Walid , Zaheer Aneel , Deshpande Ranjit
Published: June 2020

The presence of stroke in patients with type A acute aortic dissection confers worse clinical outcomes and represents a therapeutic dilemma. While emergency surgical repair is the ideal management strategy, the risk of further cerebral insult is a cause of concern, especially in the elderly moribund patient, where delayed repair or a conservative approach may be considered. A 67-year-old female presented with chest pain and left-sided hemiparesis and was diagnosed with extensive type A acute aortic dissection and ischaemic stroke secondary to right common carotid artery stenosis. She underwent two major operations (emergency dissection repair and hemicraniectomy) and sustained several complications. Despite her eventful postoperative recovery, she was discharged after 6 weeks to a neurorehabilitation unit with a mild neurological deficit. Due to subsequent pulmonary complications, the patient died 5 weeks later. The present report appraises the current evidence on the management of patients with type A acute aortic dissection presenting with neurological sequelae.
Effectiveness of four types of bandages and kinesio-tape for treating breast-cancer-related lymphoedema: a randomized, single-blind, clinical trial
Authors: Torres-Lacomba María , Navarro-Brazález Beatriz , Prieto-Gómez Virginia , Ferrandez Jean Claude , Bouchet Jean Yves , Romay-Barrero Helena
Published: June 2020

Objective:

To compare the effects of four types of bandages and kinesio-tape and determine which one is the most effective in women with unilateral breast cancer-related lymphoedema.

Design:

Randomized, single-blind, clinical trial.

Setting:

Physiotherapy department in the Women’s Health Research Group at the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.

Subjects:

A total of 150 women presenting breast-cancer-related lymphoedema.

Interventions:

Participants were randomized into five groups ( n = 30). All women received an intensive phase of complex decongestive physiotherapy including manual lymphatic drainage, pneumatic compression therapy, therapeutic education, active therapeutic exercise and bandaging. The only difference between the groups was the bandage or tape applied (multilayer; simplified multilayer; cohesive; adhesive; kinesio-tape).

Main measurements:

The main outcome was percentage excess volume change. Other outcomes measured were heaviness and tightness symptoms, and bandage or tape perceived comfort. Data were collected at baseline and finishing interventions.

Results:

This study showed significant differences between the bandage groups in absolute value of excess volume ( P < 0.001). The most effective were the simplified multilayer (59.5%, IQR = 28.7) and the cohesive bandages (46.3%, IQR = 39). The bandages/tape with the least difference were kinesio-tape (4.9%, IQR = 17.7) and adhesive bandage (21.7%, IQR = 17.9). The five groups exhibited a significant decrease in symptoms after interventions, with no differences between groups. In addition, kinesio-tape was perceived as the most comfortable by women and multilayer as the most uncomfortable ( P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Simplified multilayer seems more effective and more comfortable than multilayer bandage. Cohesive bandage seems as effective as simplified multilayer and multilayer bandage. Kinesio taping seems the least effective.
Reflections about Professor Robert F. Lusch: Friend, Co-author and Marketing Visionary
Authors: Laczniak Gene R.
Published: June 2020

This personal commentary offers some brief reflections about the late Professor Robert F. Lusch. These insights are offered by someone who knew him for many decades as a friend, colleague and co-author.
Epileptic Spasms in Patients With Down Syndrome: Experiences From Caregivers
Authors: Kats Daniel J. , Patsiogiannis Vasiliki , Skotko Brian G.
Published: June 2020

Epileptic spasms are the most common type of seizure in infants with Down syndrome; however, the scope of current literature is largely limited to treatment options. We performed a chart review of patients seen at a Down syndrome specialty clinic to identify potential developmental sequelae of Down syndrome and epileptic spasms. We further interviewed parents of the children with Down syndrome and epileptic spasms to identify areas for improvement in counseling, diagnosis, and follow-up. Persistent developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder were highly prevalent in our patients. Caregivers attributed delays in treatment to insufficient counseling and awareness of epileptic spasms. They also identified inadequate emotional support after the diagnosis of the spasms. When counseling parents of infants with Down syndrome, pediatricians should educate about epileptic spasms. If spasms are diagnosed, providing emotional support with frequent follow-up is important. Furthermore, clinicians should monitor for signs of epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder.
Visa Stamps for Injections: Traveling Biolabor and South African Egg Provision
Authors: Pande Amrita
Published: June 2020

In this article, I discuss cross-border egg provision by young South African women as a form of traveling biolabor that is critically about embodiment, and aspirations for mobility and cosmopolitanism. The frame of biolabor challenges the frames of altruism/commodification, and choice/coercion, and instead highlights the desires of egg providers, fundamental to the creation and maintenance of the global fertility market. When biolabor crosses borders as traveling biolabor, the analysis can focus on the specificities of inequalities embedded within such reproductive mobility. Traveling or mobility is often a privileged decision and connotes freedom and cultural capital. Yet, when applied to young white egg providers from South Africa, this traveling biolabor relies on a particular kind of biopolitics wherein the reproductive potential of ova/egg is fundamental in facilitating women’s cross-border mobility. I divide the findings sections into three key themes—“cosmopolitan competency,” “alternatives to maternity,” and “productive pain”—to argue that, on the one hand, from recruitment of traveling egg providers to their (self) management, this biolabor is built on the young women’s aspirations for cosmopolitanism. Traveling biolabor becomes a way to escape the normative expectations of their (primarily rural, conservative) families and the (Afrikaner) national project of the volksmoeder (mother of the nation). On the other hand, the pursuit of these aspirations is critically contingent on management successfully reframing the embodied pain of egg provision as well as the biolaborer’s own maternity. Laborers’ desires and management disciplining tactics converge to sustain the global fertility market.
Performance evaluation of microsurfacing with rubber powder
Authors: Hesami Ebrahim , Ataollahi Abolfazl , Sadeghi Vahid
Published: June 2020

With the rapid increase in the number of vehicles, the use of worn tires that are increasing everyday grows environmental problems. On the other hand, one of the fundamental issues for road agencies is the management and maintenance of the roads. The preeminent practice in this area is to carry out preventive maintenance by methods such as using protective asphalt layers by means of microsurfacing. However, there has not been a study regarding microsurfacing with rubber, the mix design, and its field performance indicators. In this study, the performance of microsurfacing mixtures with different amounts of crumb rubber has been investigated under the ISSA A143 requirement set by the International Slurry Surfacing Association. For this purpose, 0.5–3% of crumb rubber with a grain size of maximum 0.33 mm as a replacement of aggregates has been used. The results from wet track abrasion test excess asphalt by loaded wheel test (LWT), multilayer LWT showed that the best performance among different amounts of rubber powder is obtained at the 14% bitumen emulsion and 0.5% crumb rubber, and the use of this amount of crumb rubber reduced the amount of optimum emulsion needed. Moreover, the rutting on the specimen also decreased compared to the control specimen.
Urban Solidarity: Perspectives of Migration and Refugee Accommodation and Inclusion
Authors: Bauder Harald
Published: June 2020

The concept of solidarity and related policies and practices are central to many urban initiatives throughout the global north that support vulnerable migrants and refugees. In this paper, I unpack various meanings of the concept of solidarity within urban migrant- and refugee-supporting initiatives and campaigns. Drawing on expert interviews with activists, community leaders, and municipal administrators and politicians in Berlin and Freiburg, Germany, and Zurich, Switzerland, I show the complexity and contradictory manner in which urban solidarity is understood and practiced. While urban solidarity may appeal to a wide political spectrum and incorporate top–down policies and bottom–up practices and approaches, urban actors also embrace various terminologies, such as Solidarity City and urban citizenship, in response to local circumstances and political strategies.
Exploring the contribution of universities to labour market requirements in South Africa: An employer’s perspective
Authors: Mobarak Kaashiefa
Published: June 2020

Organisations function in a flexible and changing environment that requires dynamic responses to diverse forces influencing their sustainability and growth. Employers wish to recruit graduates who can capably and successfully transfer their university-acquired skills and knowledge to the workplace. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the contribution of universities to labour market requirements in South Africa from an employer’s perspective. Signalling theory assists as the theoretical framework to establish: (1) whether the skills and knowledge required by labour markets are reflected in the advertised degree programmes of universities; and (2) whether skills and knowledge shortcomings could have been addressed sufficiently by universities.
The effect of process parameters and cutting tool shape on residual stress of SAE 52100 hard turned steel by high speed machining
Authors: Paschoalinoto Nelson Wilson , Bordinassi Ed Claudio , Bortolussi Roberto , Leonardi Fabrizio , Delijaicov Sergio
Published: June 2020

This study focused on determining the residual stress of SAE 52100 hard-turned steel. The objective was to evaluate and compare the effects of the cutting-edge geometry and cutting parameters (cutting speed, feed rate, and cutting depth) on the residual stresses of three different conventional inserts: S-WNGA08 0408S01020A 7025, T-WNGA08 0408T01020A 7025, and S-WNGA432S0330A 7025. Tests were performed on 60 samples of SAE 52100 hardened steel with an average hardness of 58.5 HRC. The circumferential residual stresses of the samples were measured by X-ray diffraction. A full factorial design of experiments with three factors and two levels each with two central points and a replicate was used for a statistical analysis. The most significant results were as follows: For all inserts, the measured residual stresses were compressive, which extended the tool lifespan. The residual stresses of the Type-S inserts were significantly influenced by the cutting speed and depth, and those of the Type-T insert were significantly influenced by the feed rate and cutting depth. In addition, the residual stresses of the insert 3 were more compressive than those of the other two types of inserts. In other words, residual stresses are more compressive for inserts with larger chamfer angles even as the principal residual stress profiles were all compressive. This work has also shown that it is possible to determine a significant statistical relationship between cutting forces and residual stresses, allowing force measurements to predict the residual stress without any information on process parameters.
Application of ground vibration testing in small manned or unmanned aircraft prototyping
Authors: Olejnik Aleksander , Kachel Stanisław , Rogólski Robert , Szcześniak Michał
Published: June 2020

The article describes the vibration measurement technology used in experimental investigation of light aircraft and some series of exemplary results obtained during the prototyping process. The aim of investigations presented herein was to determine the resonant frequencies and natural modes of an aircraft or its selected structural components. Ground vibration testing is an essential dynamic structural test necessary to carry out before the aircraft certification. This test should be performed on the aircraft example which is predicted to be tested in flight. The measuring system used for ground vibration testing in the Institute of Aviation Technology of the Military University of Technology consists of a multi-channel LMS SCADAS analyzer, a set of piezoelectric accelerometers, two vibration exciters equipped with impedance heads and a computer with the Test.Lab Software. The aim of the article was to present the methodology of performing ground vibration testing tests. Having applied the equipment to measure an airplane or its airframe component, key vibration characteristics corresponding to specific resonant points can be determined. Not only completed aircraft can be tested but also its isolated fragments (wings, stabilizers, tail units) or just empty airframe. Testing separately supported components allows examining their aeroelastic properties at early stage of prototyping. Ground vibration testing technology applied in various stages of the prototyping process was demonstrated in four peculiar research cases. The testing examples presented herein were the following: the isolated strut-braced wing of a light reconnaissance airplane, the light drone imitating an aerial target for some on-ground anti-aircraft artillery sets, the empty airframe of a very light jet and the miniature UAV. Some exemplary results obtained from testing these objects were presented. At the end, some observations and conclusions were noted in the context of usefulness of conducted researches.
Long-Term Liraglutide Administration Induces Pancreas Neogenesis in Adult T2DM Mice
Authors: Deng Hongjun , Yang Fengying , Ma Xiaoyi , Wang Ying , Chen Qi , Yuan Li
Published: June 2020

In vivo beta-cell neogenesis may be one way to treat diabetes. We aimed to investigate the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on beta-cell neogenesis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Male C57BL/6J mice, 6 wk old, were randomly divided into three groups: Control, T2DM, and T2DM + Lira. T2DM was induced using high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg/d for 3 d). At 8 wk after streptozotocin injection, T2DM + Lira group was injected intraperitoneally with GLP-1 analog liraglutide (0.8 mg/kg/d) for 4 wk. Apparently for the first time, we report the appearance of a primitive bud connected to pancreas in all adult mice from each group. The primitive bud was characterized by scattered single monohormonal cells expressing insulin, GLP-1, somatostatin, or pancreatic polypeptide, and four-hormonal cells, but no acinar cells and ductal epithelial cells. Monohormonal cells in it were small, newborn, immature cells that rapidly proliferated and expressed cell markers indicative of immaturity. In parallel, Ngn3+endocrine progenitors and Nestin+cells existed in the primitive bud. Liraglutide facilitated neogenesis and rapid growth of acinar cells, pancreatic ducts, and blood vessels in the primitive bud. Meanwhile, scattered hormonal cells aggregated into cell clusters and grew into larger islets; polyhormonal cells differentiated into monohormonal cells. Extensive growth of exocrine and endocrine glands resulted in the neogenesis of immature pancreatic lobes in adult mice of T2DM + Lira group. Contrary to predominant acinar cells in mature pancreatic lobes, there were still a substantial number of mesenchymal cells around acinar cells in immature pancreatic lobes, which resulted in the loose appearance. Our results suggest that adult mice preserve the capacity of pancreatic neogenesis from the primitive bud, which liraglutide facilitates in adult T2DM mice. To our knowledge, this is the first time such a phenomenon has been reported.
A Synopsis of Incubators in Non-hub Cities in the Southeast United States
Authors: Brivio Eleonora , Cousa Erica Negro , Heboyan Vahé , Beltrame Francesco , De Leo Gianluca
Published: June 2020

Business incubators are organisations that support the growth of small companies, including start-ups, by providing various resources and services. The aims of this article were to assess the characteristics of business incubators in non-hub cities located in Georgia and South Carolina and to describe the major differences between incubators located in non-hub and hub cities. We surveyed 5 non-hub incubators and visited and analysed qualitatively 10 incubators, 5 in hub cities and 5 in non-hub cities. Results showed that incubators in non-hub cities have less focus and less access to funding capital compared with incubators in hub cities. The implementation of a mesh network among incubators in non-hub cities may help sharing resources, know-how, talents and investments with the goal of being able to compete with incubators in hub cities. While currently incubators in non-hub cities cannot offer the same services to their members, they can still play an important role in giving the people in their communities an opportunity to start a new business, find jobs and increase their income. Business incubators in non-hub cities can ultimately positively impact the overall quality of life of the population they serve. Finally, we proposed that a focus on public health innovation may help incubators in non-hub cities to be successful.
Book review: K. Kalpana, South Asia Edition, Women Microfinance and the State in Neo Liberal India
Authors: Matharu Sukhjeet
Published: June 2020

K. Kalpana, South Asia Edition, Women Microfinance and the State in Neo Liberal India, New York: Routledge, 2019, 244 pp., ₹995 (Hardcover). ISBN 9781138219663.
State Systemic Improvement Planning: Impact on System and Student Outcomes
Authors: Rowe Dawn A. , Fowler Catherine H. , D’Agord Cesar , Horiuchi Frank , Kawatachi Miles , Norbert Genee C. , Avoke Selete K.
Published: June 2020

In the wake of reports of continued gaps between youth with and without disabilities in regard to graduation rates and postschool outcomes, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) began examining their process for monitoring state implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). OSEP’s revised accountability system, known as Results-Driven Accountability, better aligns accountability systems to support states in improving results for infants, toddlers, and youth with disabilities and their families. Currently required from states, is a comprehensive multiyear State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) focused on improving results for students with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to describe the phases of the SSIP and provide an example of how this new accountability system is working in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). As with all other states, territories, and freely associated states, RMI is required to develop and implement an SSIP.
Latinxs in La Migra: Why They Join and Why It Matters
Authors: Cortez David
Published: June 2020

Once an exclusively white enterprise, the last forty-five years have witnessed the emergence of a disproportionately Latinx immigration law enforcement workforce. This article addresses the question of why Latinxs elect to work for agencies that have systematically targeted the ethnic communities to which they belong. Where existing scholarship has often implied Latinxs may self-select into immigration law enforcement due to a lack of identification with the immigrant-experience, a dissociation with ethnic identity, and generally restrictionist immigration attitudes, this article finds little empirical evidence to support such an assumption. Analysis of interviews with sixty-one Latinx Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across Arizona, California, and Texas reveals, instead, Latinxs elect to work in immigration law enforcement in service of economic self-interest and survival, with “money,” “a good job,” and “benefits” cited as the primary motivation(s) behind applying for and accepting a job in immigration. This pattern holds irrespective of individual agents’ levels of identification with the immigrant-experience and particular attitudes toward immigration, and suggests a diversity in the demographics of immigration law enforcement agencies that extends beyond mere race and ethnicity, to include a diversity of perspective and potential for empathy.
Transarterial Infusion of Epirubicin and Cisplatin Combined With Systemic Infusion of 5-Flurouracil Versus Sorafenib for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Refractoriness of Transarterial Chemoembolization Using Doxorubicin
Authors: Yoo Sun Hong , Kwon Jung Hyun , Nam Soon Woo , Lee Jong Yul , Kim Young Woon , Shim Dong Jae , Lee Sung Won , Jang Jeong Won
Published: June 2020

Transarterial chemoembolization using doxorubicin (TACE-DOX) is an effective therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there are limited options for patients with TACE refractoriness. We compared the effectiveness between sorafenib and transarterial chemolipiodolization using epirubicin and cisplatin combined with systemic infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; TACL-ECF) in patients with previous TACE-DOX refractoriness. We retrospectively analyzed 742 consecutively enrolled cohort patients who received TACE-DOX as the first-line therapy for HCC. Among the 94 patients who failed with TACE-DOX, 49 patients were treated with TACL-ECF and 45 patients were treated with sorafenib as a rescue therapy. The TACL-ECF regimen comprised transarterial infusion of epirubicin and cisplatin combined with systemic infusion of 5-FU. Of the 94 patients, 22 and 72 patients were in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages B and C, respectively; 66% patients were classified as having Child-Pugh class A (CPC A). Overall survival (OS) after rescue therapy did not differ between the sorafenib and TACL-ECF groups (4.1 months vs 6.4 months, P = .355). Progression-free survival (PFS) did not differ between the sorafenib and TACL-ECF groups (2.8 months vs 3.5 months, P = .629). Adverse events of CTC grade 3/4 occurred more frequently in the sorafenib group than in the TACL-ECF group ( P = .024). The present study showed that the OS and PFS did not differ between patients given rescue TACL-ECF therapy and those given sorafenib therapy. The TACL-ECF treatment was better tolerated than sorafenib. The TACL-ECF might be considered as an alternative therapy for the patients with TACE-DOX refractoriness, especially CPC B and sorafenib-intolerant patients.
Why Can’t Orphans Play Baseball? Writing Into the Primal Wound
Authors: Dann Mig , Fulton Laura , Rogers Christine , Harris Anne
Published: June 2020

This article explores the loss, legacy, and liberatory possibilities of addressing adoption through collaborative autoethnographic writing. We invite readers, through critical autoethnographic narratives and scholarship, to engage with our lived experiences as both cultural and familial histories. The return to the pre-adoption place of origin will not give us the closure we seek, so here we explore the future-making potential of collective adoptee narratives. If home may be less of an origin and more of a destination, each of the four authors engages in this autoethnographic research as a creative and collaborative means of finding a way toward becoming-home.
Can Sustainable Investing Save the World? Reviewing the Mechanisms of Investor Impact
Authors: Kölbel Julian F. , Heeb Florian , Paetzold Falko , Busch Timo
Published: June 2020

This article asks how sustainable investing contributes to societal goals, conducting a literature review on investor impact—that is, the change investors trigger in companies’ environmental and social impact. We distinguish three impact mechanisms: shareholder engagement, capital allocation, and indirect impacts, concluding that the impact of shareholder engagement is well supported in the literature, the impact of capital allocation only partially, and indirect impacts lack empirical support. Our results suggest that investors who seek impact should pursue shareholder engagement throughout their portfolio, allocate capital to sustainable companies whose growth is limited by external financing conditions, and screen out companies based on the absence of specific environmental, social, and governance practices that can be adopted at reasonable costs. For rating agencies, we outline steps to develop investor impact metrics. For policy makers, we highlight that sustainable investing helps diffuse good business practices, but is unlikely to drive a deeper transformation without additional policy measures.
Optimizing parallel particle tracking in Brownian motion using machine learning
Authors: Nikolić Srđan , Stevanović Nenad , Ivanović Miloš
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we present a generic, scalable and adaptive load balancing parallel Lagrangian particle tracking approach in Wiener type processes such as Brownian motion. The approach is particularly suitable in problems involving particles with highly variable computation time, like deposition on boundaries that may include decay, when particle lifetime obeys exponential distribution. At first glance, Lagranginan tracking is highly suitable for a distributed programming model due to the independence of motion of separate particles. However, the commonly employed Decomposition Per Particle (DPP) method, where each process is in charge of a certain number of particles, actually displays poor parallel efficiency due to the high particle lifetime variability when dealing with a wide set of deposition problems that optionally include decay. The proposed method removes DPP defects and brings a novel approach to discrete particle tracking. The algorithm introduces master/slave model dubbed Partial Trajectory Decomposition (PTD), in which a certain number of processes produce partial trajectories and put them into the shared queue, while the remaining processes simulate actual particle motion using previously generated partial trajectories. Our approach also introduces meta-heuristics for determining the optimal values of partial trajectory length, chunk size and the number of processes acting as producers/consumers, for the given total number of participating processes (Optimized Partial Trajectory Decomposition, OPTD). The optimization process employs a surrogate model to estimate the simulation time. The surrogate is based on historical data and uses a coupled machine learning model, consisting of classification and regression phases. OPTD was implemented in C, using standard MPI for message passing and benchmarked on a model of 220 Rn progeny in the diffusion chamber, where particle motion is characterized by an exponential lifetime distribution and Maxwell velocity distribution. The speedup improvement of OPTD is approximatelly 320% over standard DPP, reaching almost ideal speedup on up to 256 CPUs.
Predictors of Client Satisfaction Among Recent Users of Health Services in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Akinyinka Modupe Rebekah , Oluwole Esther Oluwakemi , Odusanya Olumuyiwa Omotola
Published: June 2020

Client satisfaction is an important measure of quality of care as it provides information on how well health service providers meet clients’ values and expectations. The study was cross-sectional and analytical in nature. Data were obtained with the use of an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Respondents (n = 994) were a subset of a larger group of community members recruited for a study on quality of health care who had used a health facility for care within 3 months prior to data collection. A total of 94% of clients were satisfied with services received although client satisfaction rates were higher with private than public health facilities. Waiting time of less than 20 minutes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 9.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.08-41.67), cheap cost of all services received (AOR = 7.58, 95% CI = 1.95-29.41), and the ability of the health care provider to offer explanations clearly to clients (AOR = 6.21, 95% CI = 1.90-20.41) were predictors of client satisfaction. However, the use of a government-owned hospital (AOR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.08-0.63) was predictive of client dissatisfaction. Only service characteristics were predictive of client satisfaction. Improvement in service delivery is recommended.
Discrimination, perceived control, and psychological health among African Americans with hypertension
Authors: Vargas Emily A , Chirinos Diana A , Mahalingam Ramaswami , Marshall Riley A , Wong Mandy , Kershaw Kiarri N
Published: June 2020

Hypertensive individuals represent a “vulnerable” population regarding psychological health. While African Americans are disproportionally burdened with hypertension, pathways predicting their psychological health remain understudied. We examine if discrimination is associated with psychological health, through an indirect effect of perceived control within a sample of African American individuals with prevalent hypertension ( n = 990). Discrimination was significantly associated with an increase psychological distress and a decrease in psychological well-being through a reduction in perceived control, supporting Minority Stress Theory. Cardiovascular disease risk factor management implications are discussed.
UN Women’s feminist engagement with governance by indicators in the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Rose Taylor Sara
Published: June 2020

The rise of evidence-based policy has brought with it an increase in the use of indicators and data-driven global projects. The United Nations System has used the indicator-based Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) projects to govern policy from above. Of particular interest in this article is how indicators are used to govern gender equality initiatives within the Goals. By using ‘governance by indicators’ as a framework for understanding global policy processes, we can better understand how the power of indicators can help or hinder progress towards gender equality depending on the extent to which it renders gendered concerns visible. Studying indicators in this forum also illuminates spaces of contestation, where policy actors can debate indicators and reshape meaning. Based on this framework, this article explores UN Women’s feminist critique of measurement and knowledge production in the MDGs and SDGs. Looking through their feminist lens applied to this form of knowledge production can yield a better understanding of the use of indicators in shaping evidence-based policy from the global level. In recognizing the value of quantification and data-driven evidence in policy, this article speaks to the tension between feminist critique of quantitative knowledge production and the feminist approach’s welcoming of multiple ways of knowing.
Photovoice, emergency management and climate change: a comparative case-study approach
Authors: Russo Samantha , Hissa Kylie , Murphy Brenda , Gunson Bryce
Published: June 2020

Photovoice aims to enable people to record and reflect their community’s strengths and challenges, to encourage group dialogue and knowledge about important issues through group discussions and to inform policymaking. While primarily utilized in the health field, an emerging area of focus is to use photovoice in an emergency management or climate change context. Through work conducted in two rural areas recovering from natural disasters in Ontario, Canada, this research, focused on critical infrastructure disaster recovery, underscores the value of undertaking a comparative case-study approach and offers a detailed reporting of the fieldwork methodology. We argue that photovoice has the potential to solicit poorly understood rural and Indigenous community member perspectives, thereby augmenting locally relevant, place-based information and, ideally, empowering voices that are often under-represented in municipal and provincial decision-making processes. We offer lessons learned related to the project’s processes and outcomes, and outline the applicability of photovoice for emergency management and climate change research.
Integrated analysis of flow-induced noise from submarine under snorkel condition
Authors: Yeo Sang-Jae , Hong Suk-Yoon , Song Jee-Hun , Kwon Hyun-Wung , Seol Han-Shin
Published: June 2020

Accurate evaluation of the underwater radiated noise under the snorkel operating condition is critical as submarines are frequently exposed to danger under this condition. In this article, the procedures of an integrated simulation to estimate the flow-induced noise considering the submarine operating condition are described. These procedures evaluate both the bubble noise from breaking waves occurring at the free surface and turbulent flow noise from the underwater flow field. To simulate the flow field around a submarine, a two-phase hydrodynamic analysis based on the modified volume-of-fluid model, including air entrainment, was performed. The results of the free-surface shape and activated regions of air entrainment were compared with the experimental observations and showed very good agreement. The hydrodynamic results, including the rate of air entrainment and flow-field data, were applied to the bubble noise model and the permeable forms of the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation to calculate the flow-induced noise of the submarine. Further, the numerical results of the flow-induced noise were validated through a comparison with the experimental result obtained at the large cavitation tunnel in Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering. The result reveals that bubble noise dominated below 500 Hz, whereas turbulent flow noise dominated above 500 Hz. Finally, the estimation of the underwater radiated noise of the flow-induced noise under the far-field condition was performed. The developed procedures can be effectively used to analyze the flow-induced noise from a submarine under snorkel condition and indicate its usability through the quantitative assessment tool in the design stage or risk management of a submarine.
Acquisitions of non-controlling equity stakes: Agency conflicts and profitability
Authors: Pinelli Michele , Cappa Francesco , Peruffo Enzo , Oriani Raffaele
Published: June 2020

While past research on minority acquisitions has ignored how agency conflicts could prevent acquirers from realizing value creation opportunities, this study investigates whether principal–agent and principal–principal conflicts with the target’s managers and controlling shareholder hinder acquirers’ ability to capture value from acquisitions of non-controlling equity stakes. Using archival data from a global sample of 443 minority acquisitions announced between 2011 and 2019, we found that cumulative abnormal returns are positively associated to minority shareholder protection and negatively associated to the presence of a strong controlling shareholder in the target firm. We also found that acquisitions of small non-controlling equity stakes amplify the negative effect of the strong controlling shareholder, which instead weakens if acquirers purchase large non-controlling equity stakes. This study contributes to the development of our understanding of the conditions that expose acquirers to value losses from minority acquisitions by examining the intricate bundle of agency conflicts with the target’s managers and controlling shareholder. In so doing, this study also provides useful insights to business practice.
Planned hooligan fights: Contributing factors and significance for individuals who take part
Authors: van Ham Tom , Adang Otto M.J. , Ferwerda Henk B. , Doreleijers Theo A.H. , Blokland Arjan A.J.
Published: June 2020

Several European countries have recently been confronted with mutually arranged confrontations between hooligan groups in a predesignated setting. This article explores the significance of this form of collective violence for those involved and how this relates to existing collective violence theory. In addition to international and national questionnaires and subsequent in-depth interviews with police officials, two case studies were conducted and compared with a ‘regular’ (not mutually arranged) hooligan confrontation. We also assessed the criminal history and psychological traits of individuals participating in mutually arranged fights ( n = 38) and individuals taking part in a regular confrontation ( n = 76). Our results indicate that the meaning of mutually arranged confrontations differs importantly from that of spontaneous collective violence. Furthermore, data indicate that criminal career measures differ between individuals who are involved in mutually arranged confrontations and spontaneous collective violence. Theoretical implications are discussed.
‘Dudes Are Meant to be Tough as Nails’: The Complex Nexus Between Masculinities, Culture and Health Literacy From the Perspective of Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Males – Implications for Policy and Practice
Authors: Smith James A. , Merlino Anthony , Christie Ben , Adams Mick , Bonson Jason , Osborne Richard , Judd Barry , Drummond Murray , Aanundsen David , Fleay Jesse
Published: June 2020

Health literacy is generally conceptualized as skills related to successfully navigating health – ultimately linked to well-being and improved health outcomes. Culture, gender and age are considered to be influential determinants of health literacy. The nexus between these determinants, and their collective relationship with health literacy, remains understudied, especially with respect to Indigenous people globally. This article presents findings from a recent study that examined the intersections between masculinities, culture, age and health literacy among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males, aged 14–25 years in the Northern Territory, Australia. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to engage young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males. The qualitative components included Yarning Sessions and Photovoice using Facebook, which are used in this article. Thematic Analysis and Framework Analysis were used to group and analyse the data. Ethics approval was granted by Charles Darwin University Human Research Ethics Committee (H18043). This cohort constructs a complex interface comprising Western and Aboriginal cultural paradigms, through which they navigate health. Alternative Indigenous masculinities, which embrace and resist hegemonic masculine norms simultaneously shaped this interface. External support structures – including family, friends and community engagement programs – were critical in fostering health literacy abilities among this cohort. Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males possess health literacy abilities that enable them to support the well-being of themselves and others. Health policymakers, researchers and practitioners can help strengthen and expand existing support structures for this population by listening more attentively to their unique perspectives.
Experimental investigation on wake flow structures of Motor Industry Research Association square-back model
Authors: Zhang Yingchao , Wang Ruidong , Yang Chao , Wang Zijie , Zhang Zhe
Published: June 2020

Since the oil crisis of the last century, drag reduction for vehicles has become the focus of researchers. Currently the world’s major car brands have to seize the sport utility vehicle market. However, the sport utility vehicle models usually have a larger frontal area which brings challenges to drag reduction. This requires a better understanding of flow around sport utility vehicle models. The Motor Industry Research Association square-back vehicle model is similar to the sport utility vehicle geometry and can reflect the typical characteristics of aerodynamics of sport utility vehicle models. In this article, the wake flow structures of a 1/8 Motor Industry Research Association model is measured by particle image velocimetry. The results indicate that there is an obviously “n” type backflow vortex behind the vehicle. In the vertical direction, the vortex rotates from the outside to the inside, meanwhile the vortex rotates from the inside to the outside in the longitudinal direction. There is a velocity deficit region between the vortex and the back of the model which is an important source of drag force. This article summarizes the results of particle image velocimetry measurements from the model tests and obtains a picture of the structures of the wake vortex finally which can provide a theoretical basis for the drag reduction research in the future.
Microglia-mediated chronic psoriatic itch induced by imiquimod
Authors: Xu Zhehao , Qin Zhiqiang , Zhang Jingcheng , Wang Yue
Published: June 2020

Activation of glial cells has been shown to play an important role in chronic itch. However, whether glial cells play an important role in the development of psoriasis-induced chronic itch has not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the role of spinal glial cells in psoriasis-induced chronic itch. To develop a mouse model of psoriasis-induce chronic itch, we used 5% imiquimod cream to receive a daily topical application on the shaved back skin for seven consecutive days. The results showed that the expression of microglial marker ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 was significantly increased after 5% imiquimod treatment in cervical spinal cord dorsal horn (C3–C4), and the intrathecal microglial inhibitor minocycline or PLX5622 diet suppressed both spontaneous itch and microglial activation. Furthermore, we found that the number of scratches and alloknesis score in female mice was significantly greater than in male mice after 5% imiquimod treatment. Our results indicate that microglia mediate chronic psoriatic itch induced by imiquimod.
Current status of white coat hypertension: where are we?
Authors: Nuredini Gani , Saunders Alec , Rajkumar Chakravarthi , Okorie Michael
Published: June 2020

White coat hypertension (WCH) is characterised by an elevated clinic blood pressure (BP) with normal ambulatory or home BP. It is well recognised in clinical practice and occurs in approximately one-third of untreated patients with elevated clinic BP. Current evidence suggests that WCH is associated with cardiovascular risk factors, including the development of sustained hypertension and the presence of target organ damage. However, its effects on cardiovascular outcomes remain a matter of debate. There is also insufficient evidence from randomised controlled trials to determine whether WCH warrants treatment. This narrative review aims to provide an update on the current understanding of WCH. It focuses on the clinical characteristics and potential implications of WCH, its relationship to cardiovascular risk and the evidence regarding treatment. Gaps in existing research are also highlighted.
The role of mucin cell-free DNA detection as a new marker for the study of acellular pseudomyxoma peritonei of appendicular origin by liquid biopsy
Authors: García-Olmo Damián , Olmedillas-López Susana , Cortés-Guiral Delia , Villarejo Pedro , López Rojo Irene , Guadalajara Héctor , García Gómez-Heras Soledad , García-Arranz Mariano
Published: June 2020

Background:

Acellular pseudomyxoma peritonei ( aPMP) is a rare peritoneal malignancy characterized by the accumulation of large amounts of mucin (lacking tumor cells) in the peritoneum. Many cases account for several kilograms of mucin to be screened by the pathologist. This is a comprehensive study of three patients with aPMP, whose tumors showed KRAS mutation, allowing for the tracking of this marker by liquid biopsy.

Methods:

Pre and post-surgery plasma, and mucin removed during cytoreductive surgery were collected from the patients. KRAS mutations were analyzed using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR). Mucin was injected in mice. KRAS and cytokine levels were measured in plasma of the mice using ddPCR and a magnetic bead-based assay. Mucin microbiome was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Results:

KRAS mutations were detected in mucin cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from the three patients but not in the pre or post-surgery plasma. Electron microscopy detected microparticles (diameter <0.4 µm) in mucin. Mucin from one patient grew up inside the peritoneal cavity of mice and human KRAS was identified in mucin cfDNA, but not in plasma. All mucins showed the same bacterial profile. Cytokine levels were slightly altered in mice.

Conclusions:

The three aPMP patients included in this study shared some common aspects: the absence of tumor cells in mucin, the presence of KRAS mutated cfDNA in mucin, and the absence of this tumor-derived mutation in the bloodstream, providing additional information to the routine pathological examinations and suggesting that mucin cfDNA could potentially play a role in aPMP recurrence and prognosis.
Useful or Useless? Principal Perceptions of the Texas Principal Evaluation and Support System
Authors: DeMatthews David E. , Scheffer Max , Kotok Stephen
Published: June 2020

Principal evaluations can be important tools for improving leadership practice, but evaluations have often described by principals and researchers as unsystematic and lacking timely and actionable feedback. This study examines principal perceptions of the Texas Principal Evaluation and Support System (T-PESS). Survey data and interviews of principals in one pilot district are used to answer two primary research questions: (a) How did veteran principals understand and experience the T-PESS? and (b) What aspects of the evaluation tool and process did principals find most useful and as barriers to their professional growth? Findings reveal that positive evaluator–principal relationships and goal-setting activities can support professional growth.