bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of ultrasonic vibration assisted turning of Inconel 825 using TiAlN/TiAlCrN coated WC cutting tool insert
Authors: Sahoo Ananda Kumar , Sahoo Susanta Kumar , Pattanayak Suvranshu , Moharana Manoj Kumar
Published: November 2022

Modern manufacturing processes require materials like Inconel 825 that have high strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance for applications in aerospace, biomedical, and marine industries. But their low thermal conductivity and higher affinity towards cutting tools limit their machining through conventional turning due to high cutting force and excessive tool wear. Here, the UVAT process is employed during the turning of Inconel 825, and its turning characteristics are analysed through grey relational analysis methodology to determine the optimum turning condition. TiAlN/TiAlCrN-coated WC insert has been adopted during UVAT to identify the effect of coating on turning performances. Also, an attempt has been made to develop a feed-forward artificial neural network model to simulate the turning process and predict the surface roughness, cutting force and temperature at work–tool interface. The proposed 4-16-3 model is reliable and accurate while estimating the turning characteristics for an actual machining condition because of the low error rate and nearer to one regression score. UVAT process substantially reduces the surface roughness, cutting force and interface temperature due to the intermittent cutting action. Whereas, multilayer TiAlN/TiAlCrN coating reduces the intensive friction at the work–tool interface by enhancing the lubricity action at the interface due to the formation of complex alumina and chromia-like tribo-film. It provides a highly finished surface with low cutting force and temperature while improving the cutting tool life. Tool wear and chip morphology is analysed through a scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction analysis is also performed on the workpiece and chip to identify the crystallographic phases, crystallite size, and lattice strain.
Noise contribution and coherence analysis of high-speed train head shape under moving slab track
Authors: Li Qi-liang , Li Zhuo-ming , Yang Zhi-gang
Published: November 2022

Aerodynamic noise generated by 1:8 scale three carriages high-speed train was investigated by numerical simulation and wind tunnel test. The difference of far-field noise below 1600 Hz between simulation based on dense mesh and test is less than 3 dB(A), which indicates that the current simulation method has reasonable accuracy. It is found that dipole source can be used as the only sound source to calculate the far-field noise because its intensity is more significant than that of the quadrupole source. The subdomain method is applied to investigate the noise contribution and coherence analysis of full-scale head shape. It is found that the far-field noise contributions of the frame, bogie cavity and wheel set are significant, and the peak frequency occurs at the frequency of 630 Hz. Coherence analysis indicates that the far-field noise with the train body as the sound source has a relatively high correlation with the pressure pulsation caused by the vortex structure generated at the wiper housing and the bogie. Also, the side vortex near the front wheel has a higher correlation with the far-field noise at a higher frequency, while a stronger correlation between that near the rear wheel and the far-field noise occurs at a lower frequency.
Anatomic anterior talofibular ligament repair augmented with suture-tape for chronic ankle instability with poor quality of remnant ligamentous tissue
Authors: Kim Seok-Won , Cho Byung-Ki , Kang Chan , Choi Seung-Myung , Bang Seung-Min
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Because modified Broström procedure provides a restoration of mechanical stability by reinforcing attenuated host tissue, poor quality of remnant ligamentous tissue is considered as a prognostic factor for ligament repair surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the intermediate-term clinical results after anatomic anterior talofibular ligament repair augmented with suture-tape for chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI) with poor quality of ligament remnants.

Methods

64 patients with the insufficient anterior talofibular ligament confirmed by preoperative magnetic resonance image and intraoperative inspection were followed for ≥3 years after the augmented anterior talofibular ligament repair. The clinical outcomes were assessed with the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, Foot and Ankle Ability Measure. Measurements on stress radiographs were performed to assess the changes of mechanical instability. To identify the changes of functional ankle instability, postural control ability was analysed with single leg stance test.

Result

Foot and Ankle Outcome Score and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure scores improved from preoperative mean 58.3 and 53.6 points to 90.2 and 88.7 points at final followup, respectively ( p < 0.001). Talar tilt angle and anterior talar translation improved from preoperative mean 16.5° and 13.4 mm to 3.2° and 4.4 mm at final followup, respectively ( p < .001). Two patients (3.1%) showed a recurrence of instability. Although balance retention time improved from preoperative mean 3.9–6.2 seconds at final followup ( p < .001), a significant side-to-side difference was found.

Conclusion

Anatomic anterior talofibular ligament repair augmented with suture-tape appears to be a useful surgical option for CLAI with poor quality of ligament remnants at intermediate-term followup. Through anatomic repair of attenuated ligaments and suture-tape augmentation, this combined procedure can provide the reliable restoration of mechanical stability and advantages of the anatomic ligament repair. Postural control deficit compared to the uninjured ankle supports a necessity of continuous proprioceptive-oriented rehabilitation.
System identification of Karun IV Dam using balanced stochastic subspace algorithm considering the uncertainty of results
Authors: Pourgholi Mehran , Tarinejad Reza , Khabir Mohammad Esmaeil , Mohammadzadeh Gilarlue Mohsen
Published: November 2022

Uncertainty in modal characteristics due to output-only system identification methods has been a challenge in operational modal analysis. The present study aims to extract modal parameters of Karun IV Dam (the highest arch dam in Iran) using the balanced stochastic subspace identification (B-SSI) and investigate the influence of user-defined parameters (i.e., columns and block rows of Hankel Matrix) on the uncertainty of the results. The effects of noise caused by numerical instabilities were first filtered using the inverse process by the condition number. Subsequently, the modal properties were homogenized with spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) to remove the outlier and spurious characteristics. Then, the physical modes were validated by inspecting the complexity of the mode shapes based on the mode complexity factor criterion. Finally, the coefficient of variation (CV) of the validated clusters was employed to conduct a sensitivity analysis performed concerning the dimensions of the Hankel matrix to find the optimal models (with the minimum error in estimating the modal characteristics). The results indicated that the proposed method prevented the emergence of computational and noisy modes by regulating the extracted models, such that the first model of the structure was extracted with an error of less than 10% compared to the numerical model.
Effect of an axial pre-load on the flexural vibrations of viscoelastic beams
Authors: Pierro Elena
Published: November 2022

Polymers are ultra-versatile materials that adapt to a myriad of applications, as they can be designed appropriately for specific needs. The realization of new compounds, however, requires the appropriate experimental characterizations, also from the mechanical point of view, which is typically carried out by analyzing the vibrations of beams, but which still have some unclear aspects, with respect to the well-known dynamics of elastic beams. To address this shortcoming, the paper deals with the theoretical modeling of a viscoelastic beam dynamics and pursues the elucidation of underlying how the flexural vibrations may be affected when an axial pre-load, compressive or tensile, is applied. The analytical model presented is able to shed light on a peculiar behavior, which is strongly related to the frequency-dependent damping induced by viscoelasticity. By considering as an example a real polymer, that is, a synthetic rubber, it is disclosed that an axial pre-load, in certain conditions, may enhance or suppress the oscillatory counterpart of a resonance peak of the beam, depending on both the frequency distribution of the complex modulus and the length of the beam. The analytical model is assessed by a finite element model, and it turns out to be an essential tool for understanding the dynamics of viscoelastic beams, typically exploited to experimentally characterize polymeric materials, and which could vary enormously simply through the application of constraints and ensued pre-loads.
Intergenerational (Dis)continuity of Child Maltreatment: Variation by Parents’ Childhood Victimization Experiences and Sex
Authors: McKenzie Emma F. , Thompson Carleen M. , Hurren Emily , Tzoumakis Stacy , Stewart Anna
Published: November 2022

This longitudinal population-based study examines the association between maltreatment victimization experiences and the likelihood of intergenerational (dis)continuity of maltreatment. Our data include all individuals born in 1983/1984 in Queensland (QLD), Australia who are registered as parents via birth records and who experienced system contacts for maltreatment victimization in childhood ( n = 2906). Child safety data on system contacts as a child victim and person responsible for harm to a child were obtained from the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs. Out-of-home care experiences and maltreatment frequency, timing, and type were examined. Results indicated that childhood maltreatment experiences significantly differed between parents who were not subsequently responsible for harm to a child (cycle breakers) and parents who were subsequently responsible for harm to a child (cycle maintainers). Different patterns of association were observed across sex. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing the heterogeneity of victim maltreatment experiences and associated risk of maltreatment for their children, and can inform effective and targeted interventions by tailoring these by sex and developmental period.
Stretching immersion in virtual reality: How glitches reveal aspects of presence, interactivity and plausibility
Authors: Ryan Bengtsson Linda , Van Couvering Elizabeth
Published: November 2022

Virtual reality (VR) immerses users in others’ lives, creating empathy and understanding long after the VR scenario has finished. As VR technology has matured, VR scenarios have begun to be used in complex real-world areas such as education, health and organisational change. These scenarios can be of variable technical quality, with limited interactive capacity, unrealistic environments and clunky or absent avatars. In this study, three scenarios related to gender inequality training were constructed with glitches in the core immersive qualities of presence, interactivity and plausibility in order to understand their effect on the immersive experience. Using a multi-step in-depth series of qualitative interviews to examine the whole immersive process, the results show that immersion is not compromised but changed by glitches. Limited interactivity led to uncomfortable interactions that allowed participants to process difficult emotions; implausible situations surfaced buried norms and prejudices; and avatar variation gave rise to a sense presence that also included distance, which gave the user opportunities for critical reflection. These results point towards immersion as a robust and richly textured concept, while interactivity, plausibility and presence can best be understood as dimensions rather than goals. Totally seamless and immersive experiences may not only be utopian but also unnecessary. The glitches in low-end productions can produce powerful communication without expensive technology.
Retaining talented employees during COVID-19 pandemic: The leverage of hotel pandemic response strategies
Authors: Salem Islam Elbayoumi , Aideed Hassan , Alkathiri Nasser A , Ghazi Karam Mansour
Published: November 2022

This study aims to examine the impact of hotels' pandemic response strategies (service automation, downsizing, restructuring, health protection, and training) on talent retention intentions with the mediation of talent satisfaction and moderation of job insecurity in 4- and 5-star hotels. The sample was composed of 357 talented hotel employees. Findings reveal that automation services, health and safety, and training support were found to positively affect talents' satisfaction with response strategies and favourably enhance talents' retention intention through the mediating role of talents' satisfaction. The findings also suggest that high job insecurity would undermine the positive impact of talent satisfaction on retention intentions. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing theoretical and practical implications in the hotel context and directions for future research.
Experimental study of the impact of scavenging efficiency on diesel combustion in an opposed-piston two-stroke engine
Authors: Gainey Brian , Bhatt Ankur , O’Donnell Patrick , Prucka Robert , Filipi Zoran , Redon Fabien , Lawler Benjamin
Published: November 2022

The opposed-piston two-stroke (OP2S) engine is a promising alternative powertrain technology that can offer thermal and brake efficiency improvements over conventional four-stroke engines. In recent years, many of the technical barriers of the OP2S engine architecture have been overcome. However, there is still a need for fundamental studies to provide insight into the scavenging and combustion processes of the OP2S engine to help design and operate the most efficient combustion systems using this engine architecture. This work aims to provide such insights by analyzing experimental data collected on a 3-cylinder, 4.9 L OP2S engine. Specifically, a scavenging efficiency sweep, an engine speed sweep with a constant scavenging efficiency, and an engine speed with a constant pressure differential across the engine were studied in detail. It was found that in diesel combustion, as the scavenging efficiency decreased, the increase in temperature of the hot, internal residuals resulted in a significant increase in heat transfer. Despite lowering pumping losses, this resulted in an overall decrease in brake efficiency. When the bulk thermodynamic conditions of two different scavenging efficiency cases (67% and 72%) were matched at port closing, the lower scavenging efficiency case still displayed a 0.7 percentage point penalty in net thermal efficiency and an increase in engine-out indicated specific emissions of NOx of 18% due to residual stratification in the cylinder. The results presented in this work show that the optimal breathing strategy in diesel combustion on an OP2S engine architecture is one that results in a slightly under-scavenged environment at port closing. However, the results did show potential system-level efficiency benefits of decreasing scavenging efficiency, meaning that alternative fuels and combustion strategies without the constraints of diesel combustion could achieve system-level efficiency gains by running significantly under-scavenged.
Effect of modified combustion chamber configuration and enhanced squish flow on improving thermal efficiency in jet-plume-controlled direct-injection near-zero emission hydrogen engines
Authors: Oikawa Masakuni , Mogi Yuki , Horiguchi Mami , Goma Keisuke , Takagi Yasuo , Mihara Yuji
Published: November 2022

In direct injection hydrogen engines, the Plume Ignition and Combustion Concept (PCC) developed by the authors has been applied to improve thermal efficiency and reduce NOx emissions under high-load operation. The PCC combustion method burns an optimized hydrogen jet plume that is ignited immediately upon completion of injection in the latter half of the compression stroke. In addition to optimizing the hydrogen jet configuration, this basic combustion concept was applied to burn a lean mixture and supercharging was used to recover the decline in power output due to combustion of a diluted mixture. As a result, a near-zero emission engine has been achieved that simultaneously provides high thermal efficiency, high power output and low NOx emissions at a single-digit ppm level. Various techniques have been applied to improve thermal efficiency further and achieve much lower NOx emissions close to a zero-emission target. These included the adoption of a re-entrant combustion chamber to reduce unburned hydrogen emissions, enhanced squish flow to promote better mixing of air and the hydrogen jet injected into the combustion chamber, and a narrower nozzle hole diameter to promote entrainment of air into the hydrogen jet. In this study, the effect of each of these measures was made clear experimentally and by analysis. This paper presents the results obtained.
‘C’est grave’: Raw, cannibalism and the racializing logic of white feminism
Authors: Galt Rosalind , van der Zaag Annette-Carina
Published: November 2022

This article addresses the racializing logic of white feminism and its alignment with white heteronormative registers of human life. It does so by considering Julia Ducournau’s (2017) film Raw in relation to cannibalism’s intersections of gender, sexuality and race. The film invokes feminist pleasures, centring on female desire and pitting Justine’s compulsive appetites against an inflexible social hierarchy of gender and species. However, its articulation of cannibal consumption and female subjectivity is dangerously ambivalent. By focusing on the colonial history and racializing logic of the cannibal, this article reads Raw as symptomatic of the subjective formations and social violence of white feminism. Raw portrays cannibalism as a feminist practice of posthuman resistance, but its seductive appeal also produces a troubling ambivalence around non-white and queer bodies, which resonates with black critiques of posthumanism’s reproduction of whiteness. The film invites us to inhabit our raw desires as a monstrous resistance, but what genres of human and nonhuman haunt this politics of monstrosity?
ZIF-8 modified poly (m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) hybrid membrane for dye wastewater treatment
Authors: Yang Kailu , Liu Xibo , Wang Xinya , Hao Tianxu , Zhang Wei , Chen Mingxing
Published: November 2022

The separation of dye/salt through the separation membranes is a great significance for the treatment of dye wastewater. In this study, a novel PMIA hybrid membrane was fabricated via nonsolvent induce phase separation (NIPS) method, in which porous zinc imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) was utilized as a filler. The effect of ZIF-8 content on the structure and performance of PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane was investigated. The results showed that the structure and performance of the PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane could be controlled by changing the content of ZIF-8. The proper content of ZIF-8 was 0.45 wt% in this study. To further enhance the water flux of PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane, the concept of creating nanovoids within the ZIF-8 nanoparticle via wet-chemical etching method was explored in this study. The additional pore of ZIF-8 nanoparticles after wet-chemical etched endows PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane with additional pathways for water molecules. Hence, the PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane after wet-chemical etching showed higher separation performance for dye wastewater. The optimized PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane showed a water permeance of 104.7 L·m−2·h−1 and Congo red rejection of 98% at 0.1 MPa. The water permeance was about 1.5 times than that of the pristine PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane while the Congo red rejection was well maintained. Moreover, the PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane showed good thermal stability during the filtration process. These results indicated that PMIA/ZIF-8 membrane has potential application in dye wastewater treatment.
Analysis and prediction of woven fabric design impact on fabric/polymer composite drilling energy
Authors: El Messiry Magdi , Youssef El-Tarfawy Shaimaa , El Deeb Rania
Published: November 2022

Damage, generated during drilling processes, will affect the material integrity and further delamination through the fiber-reinforced composite cross-section. Drilling is necessary for the assembly processes of composite parts. This article deals with the effect of the weave parameters on the drilling mechanism. The mechanism of the yarn shearing ring drilling was investigated, and the quality of the drilled hole was carefully examined for different drilling conditions. Set up for measuring the power consumption during the drilling of different samples as well as the value of the thrust force was constructed. In the drilling of fabric-reinforced polymer composite, the torque, thrust force, and delamination factor are depending directly on fabric design parameters. It was shown that both, drilling power and drilling thrust force, are proportional to the total specific fabric stiffness. Delamination caused by drilling thrust is one of the most problematic defects after drilling laminate composite. A drilling Index was developed and could be used to evaluate the effect of the fabric design of laminate on its composite drilling performance. It was revealed that significantly higher drilling power is needed for the plain weave fabric design than for the other fabric designs of the same unit repeat as well as for the laminates of high fiber volume fraction and high total flexural rigidity. Analysis of the delamination factor and the drilling power showed a high correlation with total fabric flexural rigidity.
Female representation in Netflix Global Original programming: A comparative analysis of 2019 drama series
Authors: Pietaryte Kristina , Suzina Ana Cristina
Published: November 2022

This article investigates the equality of female representation in 2019 Global Original Netflix drama series by identifying trends of female representation across 82 series sample, assessing the quality of female representation in the most watched 2019 drama series and comparing analysis across British, American and International series. Overall, female representation in 2019 Netflix drama series conforms the existing literature on television studies concluding that women are underrepresented on-screen and behind-the-scenes.
The Role of Legacy Media and Social Media in Increasing Public Engagement About Violence Against Women in Turkey
Authors: Bas Ozen , Ogan Christine L. , Varol Onur
Published: November 2022

Evidence that women have paid the price of what has been labeled the “shadow pandemic” is found in the increase in violence against them. The rates of femicide and lack of trust in the Turkish judicial system of the authoritarian government are worrisome. Protests have been made in the streets and through social media in response. Our goal was to determine the role of legacy news media and social media in bringing awareness of the femicide issue to the public and how affective publics function surrounding a relatively unaddressed societal problem using datasets created by women’s organizations. We conducted a content analysis on 150 sampled femicide cases in Turkey before and during the pandemic taken from online news sources. We investigated the quality of traditional news media coverage and the volume of social media users expressing emotional reactions to individual femicides over time. Results suggest that the journalistic performance of covering the issue of femicide fails to detail essential facts, and awareness and concern for the issue are evident in the Likes, retweets, shares, and expressions of emotional engagement provided to the victims, while online reactions to femicide have increased substantially since 2019, contributing to the formation of affective publics. The study makes a conceptual contribution to the understanding of legacy media and social media’s roles in spurring public engagement about serious social problems in autocratic political contexts while advancing the methodological tools of combining social scientific techniques with computational ones.
Benefits of Implementing an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Ambulatory Surgery
Authors: Hampton Hailey , Torre Matthew , Satalich James , Pershad Prayag , Gammon Lee , O’Connell Robert , Brusilovsky Ilia , Vap Alexander
Published: November 2022

Background:

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in orthopaedic surgery have garnered significant focus due to their ability to control pain adequately in the immediate postoperative window, allowing for earlier mobilization, shorter hospital stays, and fewer complications. Virginia Commonwealth University created a multimodal pain management approach in which patients receive a preoperative femoral nerve block followed by periarticular intraoperative local injection anesthesia consisting of bupivacaine, ketamine, and ketorolac.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that implementation of the ERAS protocol will decrease postoperative pain scores, decrease recovery time in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and decrease opioid use in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Two patient cohorts were involved: before ERAS implementation (pre-ERAS) and after (post-ERAS). Patients with ACL reconstruction only and patients with ACL reconstruction with meniscal repair were analyzed separately. Post-ERAS patients received an intraoperative periarticular injection of bupivacaine, ketamine, and ketorolac and a postoperative multimodal pain regimen. Outcomes included time spent in the PACU, short-term and long-term opioid consumption, and pain score at discharge from the PACU.

Results:

Compared with pre-ERAS patients, post-ERAS patients had decreased pain (2.1 vs 0.84 out of 10, respectively), spent less time in the PACU (79.4 vs 62.8 minutes, respectively), and had less opioid consumption in the immediate postoperative period (4.55 vs 2.26 total morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs], respectively) ( P < .001 for all). After ERAS implementation, long-term MME use decreased from 410 to 321 between 0 and 2 weeks postoperatively, 92.6 to 1.69 between 2 and 6 weeks, and 494.5 to 323 between 0 and 6 weeks ( P < .001 for all). All domains showed significant improvements for both the ACL and the ACL plus meniscal repair cohorts, with the exception of pain at discharge in the ACL plus meniscal repair group.

Conclusion:

The study findings suggest that an enhanced recovery pathways protocol that includes a standardized intraoperative periarticular bupivacaine, ketamine, and ketorolac injection improves pain scores in the immediate postoperative window, decreases opioid consumption, and reduces recovery time in the PACU for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.
Communication Apprehension in the Workplace: Focusing on Inclusion
Authors: Cardon Peter , Okoro Ephraim A. , Priest Raigan , Patton Greg
Published: November 2022

Communication apprehension can lead to professional challenges for individuals, teams, and organizations. This is the first study of communication apprehension that involved a randomized national survey of working adults in the United States and captured broad representation in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, managerial status, and other factors. The study showed that communication apprehension is common, including in group discussions, meetings, interpersonal situations, and public speaking. It is significantly more common among early-career professionals, women, introverted professionals, and professionals with anxiety. Interpersonal situations appear to be the situations in which contemporary professionals are most likely to experience high communication apprehension. This study suggests more attention is needed to address communication apprehension in interpersonal and group situations. It also frames communication apprehension as a matter of inclusion and team performance.
The Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan and Security Paradox
Authors: Sakhi Nilofar
Published: November 2022

After years of prolonged armed conflict and fighting with the United States and NATO, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on 15 August 2021, by overthrowing a 20-year-old republic system and declaring it an Islamic Emirate. Without a process that legitimised the Taliban’s power and ideological assertions, Afghanistan is now controlled by a militant group that operates out of a totalitarian ideology. A new version of security threats and concerns has been introduced. The question is, what kind of security issues will emerge under such circumstances, and how will these issues impact Afghanistan? This article provides an assessment of Afghanistan’s political and security situation under the current Taliban regime. While the recent Taliban takeover in Afghanistan means different things to different people—and depends mainly on their social class within Afghan society or where they are from—the months since the Taliban took power have provided us with evidence of how they are operationalising their belief systems to run the country. It has also demonstrated how this has and will impact the safety and security of individuals, groups and Afghanistan as a whole. This article aims to explain how the Taliban’s fundamental ideology, networks, governance composition and nature will exacerbate the security crisis in Afghanistan and beyond. The article explores the theoretical framework of a totalitarian system to help understand the context of the Taliban’s political system. It then looks specifically at the resistance movement and the growing gender apartheid that the Taliban is reinstating. Finally, it dives into the meaning of security, its complexity, how it’s changing, and the implications it will have for Afghanistan and its people. The evidence for this analysis is based on events that had taken place through March 2022. It is important to emphasise that today’s circumstances and context will likely change and impact analysis for tomorrow. However, one thing has remained constant—the Taliban’s undergirding totalitarian framework and their ability to be tactical and strategic in how they present themselves.
A Visualization of U.S. Couples’ Money Arrangements
Authors: Pepin Joanna R.
Published: November 2022

Using newly available nationally representative U.S. data from the National Couples’ Health and Time Study, this visualization presents 2020–2021 estimates of couples’ ( n = 3,396) money arrangements by marital and parental status, by age group, and for different-gender and same-gender couples. It shows that cohabiting couples continue to be much less likely than married couples to pool all their money, and the gap is apparent across key demographic characteristics. Among married couples, 66 percent of different-gender couples put all their money together, compared with 45 percent of women partnered with women and 50 percent of men partnered with men. Young couples are as likely as older couples to put all money together when legally married.
Effect of Test Parameters on Sensitivity of Tensile Test Results for Greige Cotton Hydroentangled Nonwoven Fabric
Authors: Yu Weijie , Lou Lihua , Reynolds Michael , Sawhney Paul , Ramkumar Seshadri
Published: November 2022

This research is an in-depth study into the tensile properties of hydro-entangled nonwoven fabrics made of greige cotton. The effect of five different testing parameters or sample characteristics, weight, gauge length, speed of testing, angle to machine direction, and specimen width, of hydro-entangled nonwoven fabrics made of greige cotton were correlated with load at break, extension at break, tensile stress at break, tensile strain at break, Young’s modulus, and energy at break. The regression equations with an average r2 of 0.82 demonstrated parameters’ positive and effective influence on tensile properties. The influence order of all testing parameters is gauge length = specimen width > speed. This analysis aims to study the effects of testing parameters or sample characteristics on tensile properties. It is hoped that this study can contribute a better understanding of the relationship between hydro-entangled nonwoven fabric mechanical performance and web formations, potentially promoting greige cotton applications.
A Multilevel Governance Model for Interorganizational Project Networks
Authors: Unterhitzenberger Christine , Müller Ralf , Vaagaasar Anne Live , Ke Yongjian , Alonderiene Raimonda , Minelgaite Inga , Pilkiene Margarita , Wang Linzhuo , Zhu Fangwei , Drouin Nathalie , Chmieliauskas Alfredas , Šimkonis Saulius , Mongeon Mylene
Published: November 2022

This study operationalizes and tests a multilevel governance model for interorganizational project networks. Results of a qualitative multicase study are used to develop a framework model with three levels of governance, namely metagovernance, governance of networks, and network governance. This framework is validated through a global survey with 225 responses. Type I and Type II governance are confirmed as the organizational elements of network governance, and the relationships between the different levels are established. Metagovernance directly impacts network governance and this relationship is mediated through governance of networks for Type I governance and moderated through governance of networks for Type II governance.
The temporal and spatial endophytic fungal community of Huperzia serrata: diversity and relevance to huperzine A production by the host
Authors: Shen Zhuhui , Liu Xubing , Yang Jia , Wang Yanli , Yao Kai , Huo Qingmiao , Fu Yanping , Wei Yahui , Guo Bin
Published: November 2022

Background

Plants maintain the steady-state balance of the mutually beneficial symbiosis relationship with their endophytic fungi through secondary metabolites. Meanwhile endophytic fungi can serve as biological inducers to promote the biosynthesis and accumulation of valuable secondary metabolites in host plants through a variety of ways. The composition and structure of endophytic fungal community are affected by many factors, including tissues, seasons and so on. In this work, we studied the community diversity, temporal and spatial pattern of endophytic fungi detected from the roots, stems and leaves of Huperzia serrata in different seasons. The correlation between endophytic fungi and huperzine A (HupA) content in plants was analyzed.

Results

A total of 7005 operational taxonomic units were detected, and all strains were identified as 14 phyla, 54 classes, 140 orders, 351 families and 742 genera. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the diversity of endophytic fungi in stem and leaf was higher than that in root, and the diversity in summer (August) was lower than that in other months. NMDS analysis showed that the endophytic fungal communities of leaves, stems and roots were significantly different, and the root and leaf communities were also different between four seasons. Through correlation analysis, it was found that 33 genera of the endophytic fungi of H. serrata showed a significant positive correlation with the content of HupA (p < 0.05), of which 13 genera (Strelitziana, Devriesia, Articulospora, Derxomyces, Cyphellophora, Trechispora, Kurtzmanomyces, Capnobotryella, Erythrobasidium, Camptophora, Stagonospora, Lachnum, Golubevia) showed a highly significant positive correlation with the content of HupA (p < 0.01). These endophytic fungi may have the potential to promote the biosynthesis and accumulation of HupA in plant.

Conclusions

This report is the first time to analyze the diversity of endophytic fungi in tissues of H. serrata in different seasons, which proves that there is variability in different tissues and seasonal distribution patterns. These findings provide references to the study of endophytic fungi of H. serrata.
Training and retention effects of paced and music-synchronised walking exercises on pre-older females: an interventional study
Authors: Wang Yi , Guo Xian , Wang Hongchu , Chen Yinru , Xu Naxin , Xie Minghao , Wong Duo Wai-Chi , Lam Wing-Kai
Published: November 2022

Background

Physical activity at pre-older ages (55–64 years) can greatly affect one’s physical fitness, health, physical-activity behaviour, and quality of life at older ages. The objective of this study was to conduct a 24-week walking-exercise programme among sedentary pre-older females and investigate the influence of different walking cadences on cardiorespiratory fitness and associated biomarkers.

Methods

A total of 78 pre-older sedentary female participants were recruited and randomly assigned to normal (n = 36), paced (n = 15), music-synchronised (n = 15) walking, and no-exercise control (n = 12) groups, respectively. The normal, paced, and music-synchronised walking groups walked at a cadence of 120 steps/min, 125 steps/min, and 120–128 steps/min, respectively, under supervised conditions. Anthropometric characteristics, step length, nutrient intake, blood pressure and composition, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured at baseline, the 12th week of the programme, the 24th week of the programme (completion), and after a 12-week retention period, which began immediately upon completion of the programme and did not feature any supervised exercises.

Results

All walking conditions improved high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, step length, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), and oxidative capacity at anaerobic threshold (all P < 0.001); however, after the 12-week retention period only the training effects of HDL-C (P < 0.05) and VO2max (P < 0.05) remained robust. Additionally, music-synchronised walking was found to reduce the fat ratio (P = 0.031), while paced walking was found to reduce body mass (P = 0.049).

Conclusions

The significant pre–post changes in health-related outcomes across the 24-week walking intervention, including improved blood composition, longer step length, and better cardiorespiratory capacity, show that this intervention is promising for improving health and fitness. When, during the retention period, the participants resumed their usual lifestyles without supervised exercise, most physiological biomarkers deteriorated. Thus, for sedentary middle-aged females, persistent behavioural change is necessary to retain the health benefits of physical exercise.
Association between serum homocysteine and sarcopenia among hospitalized older Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lu Bing , Shen Lingyu , Zhu Haiqiong , Xi Ling , Wang Wei , Ouyang Xiaojun
Published: November 2022

Objective

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is considered to increase the risk of sarcopenia (S) and remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of S among older Chinese adults and explore whether homocysteine (Hcy) was independently associated with S.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed among older adults hospitalized in the Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between June 2017 and December 2021. We measured all participants’ serum Hcy levels, hand grip strength, gait speed and appendicular skeletal muscle index(ASMI) using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). S was defined based on the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2 (AWGS2), which included muscle mass (ASMI< 7.0 kg/m2 for men and ASMI< 5.7 kg/m2 for women by BIA) and low muscle strength (handgrip strength < 28 kg for men and < 18 kg for women), and/or gait speed < 1.0 m/s. HHcy defined as Hcy ≥10 μmol/L. The strength of the association between Hcy and the risk of S was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression using three models that adjusted for possible confounding variables to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Among the 441 subjects, 161 (36.5%) were diagnosed with S, and 343 (77.8%) were diagnosed with HHcy. A significant association was detected between S and serum Hcy per 1-μmol/L increase after adjustment for age, gender, education, smoking, body mass index (BMI), Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), C-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin (Hb), albumin (ALB), diabetes, kidney disease, and statin use (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03–1.12, P = 0.002). The OR for S in the HHcy group (≥10 μmol/L) was nearly 5-fold that in the normal Hcy group (OR 4.96, 95% CI 2.67–9.24, P < 0.001). In a gender-based subgroup analysis that adjusted for age, education, smoking, BMI, MNA-SF, ALT, CRP, Hb, and ALB, female subjects with HHcy had an increased risk of S (OR 10.35, 95% CI 2.84–37.68, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that elevated Hcy levels have an independent association with S in older adults. This suggests that the downward adjustment of HHcy (cutoff value < 10 μmol/l) might decrease the risk of S.
Structural interventions that affect racial inequities and their impact on population health outcomes: a systematic review
Authors: Clark Emily C. , Cranston Emily , Polin Tionné , Ndumbe-Eyoh Sume , MacDonald Danielle , Betker Claire , Dobbins Maureen
Published: November 2022

Structural racism is the historical and ongoing reinforcement of racism within society due to discriminatory systems and inequitable distribution of key resources. Racism, embedded within institutional structures, processes and values, perpetuates historical injustices and restricts access to structural factors that directly impact health, such as housing, education and employment. Due to the complex and pervasive nature of structural racism, interventions that act at the structural level, rather than the individual level, are necessary to improve racial health equity. This systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effects of structural-level interventions on determinants of health and health outcomes for racialized populations. A total of 29 articles are included in this review, analyzing interventions such as supplemental income programs, minimum wage policies, nutrition safeguard programs, immigration-related policies, and reproductive and family-based policies. Most studies were quasi-experimental or natural experiments. Findings of studies were largely mixed, although there were clear benefits to policies that improve socioeconomic status and opportunities, and demonstrable harms from policies that restrict access to abortion or immigration. Overall, research on the effects of structural-level interventions to address health inequities is lacking, and the evidence base would benefit from well-designed studies on upstream policy interventions that affect the structural determinants of health and health inequities and improve daily living conditions.
MRI-assessed diaphragmatic function can predict frequent acute exacerbation of COPD: a prospective observational study based on telehealth-based monitoring system
Authors: Wei Shuoshuo , Lu Rong , Zhang Zhengping , Wang Faxuan , Tan Hai , Wang Xiaohong , Ma Jinlan , Zhang Yating , Deng Ning , Chen Juan
Published: November 2022

Background

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) have considerably high mortality and re-hospitalisation rate. Diaphragmatic dysfunction (DD) is common in COPD patients. However, whether diaphragmatic dysfunction is related to acute exacerbation is yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the diaphragm function by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in COPD patients and assess whether the impact of DD may help predict AECOPD.

Methods

20 healthy adult volunteers and 80 COPD patients were enrolled. The diaphragms function parameters were accessed by MRI. Patients were guided to start self-management by the Telehealth-based monitoring system following the enrolment. Events of acute exacerbation of COPD were recorded by the system and confirmed by healthcare providers. Binary univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the factors associated with the frequency of AECOPD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were further used to assess the value of prediction indexes.

Results

Fifty-nine COPD patients completed a one-year follow-up based on the Telehealth-based monitoring system. The clinical outcomes showed that the diaphragm function parameters at the end of maximal breathing were lower in the COPD group than in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). ANOVA showed significant differences among Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages for diaphragm function parameters, including chest wall motion, lung area, upper-lower diameter, and the diaphragm thickening fraction at the end of maximal breathing (P < 0.05). Moreover, significant differences in diaphragm function parameters were observed between patients with infrequent AECOPD (n = 28) and frequent AECOPD (n = 31) based on the frequency of AECOPD (P < 0.05). The diaphragm thickening fraction and the chest wall motion were associated with AECOPD after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and lung functions, and the combination of predictions showed better accuracy in predicting the frequency of AECOPD.

Conclusions

In COPD patients, diaphragm function parameters correlate with the severity of airflow limitation. The diaphragm thickening fraction and the chest wall motion were associated with the frequency of AECOPD and can predict it.
Levels of whole salivary advanced glycation end products and interleukin-17 and peri-implant clinical and radiographic status in patients with osteoporosis at 6-years’ follow-up
Authors: Al-Qahtani Fawaz , Alqhtani Nasser , Divakar Darshan Devang , Alkhtani Fahad , Alqarawi Firas K.
Published: November 2022

Background

There are no studies that have assessed advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and interleukin 17A (IL-17A) levels in whole saliva (WS) of patients with dental implants. The aim was to compare levels of AGEs and IL-17A in WS and peri-implant clinical and radiographic status of patients with and without osteoporosis at 6-years’ follow-up.

Methods

Osteoporotic (Group-1) and systemically healthy controls (Group-2) having undergone dental implant therapy at least 5 years ago were included. A questionnaire was used to collect information about age, gender, duration and treatment of osteoporosis, number and duration of implants in function, and frequencies of toothbrushing, flossing and hygiene visits. Modified bleeding and plaque indies (mBI and mPI), peri-implant probing depth (PD) and crestal bone loss (CBL) were recorded. WS was collected and levels of AGEs and IL-17A were determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Sample-size estimation was done and statistical analyses were doing using the independent t- and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Statistical significance was marked for P-values that were below 0.01.

Results

In patients with (n = 24) and without (n = 27) osteoporosis, implants were in function for 6.3 ± 0.27 and 6.6 ± 0.5 years, respectively. There was no significant difference in peri-implant mBI, PD, mPI and CBL in both groups. Levels of AGE in patients with (119.6 ± 26.5 μg/ml) and without (91.5 ± 14.6 μg/ml) osteoporosis were comparable. Levels of whole salivary IL-17A in patients without and with osteoporosis were 4.6 ± 0.3 and 5.1 ± 0.8 pg/ml, respectively. Flossing of full mouth interproximal spaces once and twice daily toothbrushing daily was reported by 100% patients with osteoporosis. Among patients with osteoporosis 75% and 25% individuals were receiving professional dental prophylaxis every 4 and 6 months, respectively.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of the present study osteoporotic patients are not at an increased risk of peri-implant diseases and can demonstrate salivary AGE and IL-17A levels comparable to non-osteoporotic individuals as long as oral hygiene is stringently maintained.