bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract P249: ICV Infusion Of AgRP Modulates Feeding Behavior And Energy Expenditure In Mice
Authors: Oliveira Vanessa , Balapattabi Kirthikaa , Reho John J , Silva Sebastiao D , Patil Chetan N , Sigmund Curt D , Grobe Justin L
Published: September 2020

A subset of Agouti-related protein (AgRP) neurons within the arcuate nucleus express angiotensin type 1a receptors (AT1A), and genetic ablation of AT1A in these cells disinhibits AgRP gene expression and attenuates energy expenditure (EE) in mice. To further understand the role of AgRP in metabolic control, and to establish relevant dosing schedules in this species, here we tested the effect of intracerebroventricular infusion (icv) of recombinant AgRP on metabolic functions in C57BL/6J male mice. First, we examined the effects of AgRP(82-132) (21 days, 1 or 10 nmol/d, icv) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) using metabolic cages. High dose AgRP reduced body mass (aCSF n=12, +0.8±0.6 vs 1 nmol/d n=14, +0.6±0.6 vs 10 nmol/d n=11, -1.5±0.5 p<0.05 g/21d), without affecting food intake (15.1±1.2 vs 14.1±1.1 vs 16.3±1.1 kcal/d) or digestive efficiency (85.2±0.5 vs 84.5±0.7 vs 85.1±0.6 %), but a significant reduction in energy efficiency (+3.8±2.0 vs +2.7±2.8 vs -5.9±2.2 p<0.05 mg/kcal) indicated increased total EE. Next, we examined the effect of AgRP(82-132) (14 days, 1 nmol/d, icv) using a multiplexed system (Promethion, Sable). AgRP had no effect on body mass (25.1±1.2, n=8 vs 26.7±0.5, n=8), overall body composition (by NMR), heat production (Weir, 24h: 0.485±0.015 vs 0.490±0.022 kcal/h), or respiratory exchange ratio (0.88±0.01 vs 0.89±0.01). AgRP increased total food intake (10.1±0.6, n=8 vs 11.9±0.5, n=8, kcal/d, p=0.03) through a synergistic effect on number of meals and median meal mass. We conclude that AgRP (1-10 nmol/d, 2-3 wk, icv) infusion causes subtle changes in feeding behavior without effect on digestive efficiency. In contrast, EE is paradoxically increased by AgRP when infused at a high dose (10 nmol/d). We postulate that these differences may reflect differential accessibility of the peptide to relevant feeding vs autonomic control regions of the hypothalamus when infused into the cerebral ventricles, and/or compensatory increases in EE secondary to changes in feeding behavior. Future studies to deconvolute the role of AgRP in the control of EE in mice will require site-specific delivery of the peptide to relevant target regions or manipulation of its receptor in those regions. Funding: HL134850, HL084207
Two-Year Responses of Office and Ambulatory Blood Pressure to First Occupational Lead Exposure
Authors: Yu Yu-Ling , Yang Wen-Yi , Thijs Lutgarde , Melgarejo Jesus D. , Yu Cai-Guo , Wei Dong-Mei , Wei Fang-Fei , Nawrot Tim S. , Zhang Zhen-Yu , Staessen Jan A.
Published: September 2020

Lead exposure causing hypertension is the mechanism commonly assumed to set off premature death and cardiovascular complications. However, at current exposure levels in the developed world, the link between hypertension and lead remains unproven. In the Study for Promotion of Health in Recycling Lead (URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02243904), we recorded the 2-year responses of office blood pressure (average of 5 consecutive readings) and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure to first occupational lead exposure in workers newly employed at lead recycling plants. Blood lead (BL) was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (detection limit 0.5 µg/dL). Hypertension was defined according to the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline. Statistical methods included multivariable-adjusted mixed models with participants modeled as a random effect and interval-censored Cox regression. Office blood pressure was measured in 267 participants (11.6% women, mean age at enrollment, 28.6 years) and ambulatory blood pressure in 137 at 2 follow-up visits. Geometric means were 4.09 µg/dL for baseline BL and 3.30 for the last-follow-up-to-baseline BL ratio. Fully adjusted changes in systolic/diastolic blood pressure associated with a doubling of the BL ratio were 0.36/0.28 mm Hg (95% CI, −0.55 to 1.27/−0.48 to 1.04 mm Hg) for office blood pressure and −0.18/0.11 mm Hg (−2.09 to 1.74/−1.05 to 1.27 mm Hg) for 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. The adjusted hazard ratios of moving up across hypertension categories for a doubling in BL were 1.13 (0.93–1.38) and 0.84 (0.57–1.22) for office blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure, respectively. In conclusion, the 2-year blood pressure responses and incident hypertension were not associated with the BL increase on first occupational exposure.
Cap and Gap: The Fiscal Effects of Property Tax Levy Limits in New York
Authors: Nguyen-Hoang Phuong , Zhang Pengju
Published: September 2020

This is the first study to examine the fiscal effects of the New York property tax levy limit, using variation from the degree of fiscal stringency across school districts and over time in its first five years of implementation. Based on a difference-in-differences estimator, coupled with an event study specification, we find that the tax limit has imposed a real cap on many school districts; that is, at-limit districts’ total current expenditures per pupil are significantly lower than what they would have spent absent the limit. For those affected school districts, this expenditure gap does not come from spending on teacher salaries or fringe benefits but rather from other instructional salaries/expenses, central administration, transportation, interfund transfers, and undistributed spending. We also find heterogeneity in the constraining effects of the tax limit across different need-based groups of school districts.
Support for Progressive Reforms: Evidence from California’s 1911 Referenda
Authors: Dinan John , Heckelman Jac C.
Published: September 2020

An analysis of county-level election results in a 1911 California special election in which voters considered multiple state constitutional amendments—women’s suffrage, direct democracy, home rule, worker safety, and business regulation—finds that certain socially active Protestant denominations endorsed most of these reforms. Otherwise, support for these measures showed little group uniformity. Urban counties favored several reforms but opposed women’s suffrage. Support in counties with greater wealth, a larger proportion of immigrants, and several other religious denominations extended to certain reforms but not to others. Although many leaders and chroniclers typically claimed Progressivism to comprise a coherent movement, empirical study challenges this interpretation by showing varied patterns of electoral support for Progressive reforms and a notable divergence in support for women’s suffrage.
Omission of Data in Wrigley’s “Reconsidering the Industrial Revolution”
Authors: Kumar Manish
Published: September 2020

In “Reconsidering the Industrial Revolution: England and Wales,” Wrigley omits vital information from the section “Urban Growth and Agricultural Change.” Arguing that by 1800, English agriculture was able to provide not only food for the rising population but also raw material for the industries, he cites wool and leather as the two largest industries in terms of value added in 1801 and leaves out building and cotton entirely. Therein lies the problem.
Arenaria goekyigitii (Caryophyllaceae), a new species from Turkey

Authors: DİNÇ MUHİTTİN , DOĞU SÜLEYMAN
Published: September 2020

Arenaria goekyigitii (Caryophyllaceae) is described as a new species from Karaman-Ermenek (Turkey). The new species is morphologically similar to A. angustifolia (=Arenaria yunus-emrei) from which mainly differs by the habit (mat-forming, slender vs. mat-forming, rigid in A. angustifolia), leaf shape (oblanceolate vs. linear-spathulate to linear in A. angustifolia), and seed surface (rugose-granulatelae vs. areolate-papillate in A. angustifolia). A detailed description, ecological data, original photos, and conservation status of the new species are given.
Nomenclatural novelties in Baccharis subgen. Baccharis (Asteraceae, Astereae)

Authors: HEIDEN GUSTAVO
Published: September 2020

Four new names (Baccharis gaucha for B. axillaris var. dentata; B. neoaustralis for B. papillosa subsp. australis; B. neotruncata for B. truncata, and B. tetroica for B. tricuneata var. procumbens) and 12 new combinations at species rank (B. chaparensis, B. chrysophylla, B. fimbriata, B. integrifolia, B. kessleri, B. longipedicellata, B. minor, B. mornicola, B. pycnocephala, B. vargasii, B. viscosissima, and B. yungensis) are provided totalling 16 nomenclatural novelties for Baccharis subgen. Baccharis. Moreover, a neotype is designated for B. mornicola. Comments on the distribution of these species and their closest congeneric species are provided, as well as morphological characters to differentiate them.
Scaling Behavior of a Turbulent Kinetic Energy Closure Scheme for the Stably Stratified Atmosphere: A Steady-State Analysis
Authors: MacDonald Michael , Teixeira João
Published: September 2020

We present a turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) closure scheme for the stably stratified atmosphere in which the mixing lengths for momentum and heat are not parameterized in the same manner. The key difference is that, while the mixing length for heat tends toward the stability independent mixing length for momentum in neutrally stratified conditions, it tends toward one based on the Brunt–Väisälä time scale and square root of the TKE in the limit of large stability. This enables a unique steady-state solution for TKE to be obtained, which we demonstrate would otherwise be impossible if the mixing lengths were the same. Despite the model’s relative simplicity, it is shown to perform reasonably well with observational data from the 1999 Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study (CASES-99) using commonly employed model constants. Analyzing the scaling behavior of the nondimensional velocity and potential temperature gradients, or of the stability (correction) functions, reveals that for large stability the present model scales in the same manner as the first-order operational scheme of Viterbo et al. Alternatively, it appears as a blend of two cases of the TKE closure scheme of Baas et al. Critically, because a unique steady-state TKE can be obtained, the present model avoids the nonphysical behavior identified in one of the cases of Baas et al.
A k–ε Turbulence Model for the Convective Atmosphere
Authors: Zeng Xiping , Wang Yansen
Published: September 2020

A k–ε turbulence model for the stable atmosphere is extended for the convective atmosphere. The new model represents the buoyancy-induced increase in the kinetic energy and scale of eddies, and is consistent with the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory for convective atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs). After being incorporated into an ABL model with the Coriolis force, the model is tested by comparing the ABL model results with the Businger–Dyer (BD) relationship. ABL model simulations are carried out to reveal the sensitivity of the vertical wind profile to model parameters (e.g., the Obukhov length, friction velocity, and geostrophic wind). When the friction velocity is consistent with geostrophic wind speed (or the turbulence in the inner regime is in equilibrium with that in the outer regime), the modeled wind profile is close to the BD relationship near the ground surface. Otherwise, the modeled wind profile deviates from the BD relationship, resembling the hockey stick transition model.
Role of Equatorial Cold Tongue in Central Pacific Double-ITCZ Bias in the NCAR CESM1.2
Authors: Song Xiaoliang , Zhang Guang Jun
Published: September 2020

Warm SST bias underlying the spurious southern ITCZ has long been recognized as one of the main causes for double-ITCZ bias in coupled GCMs in the central Pacific. This study demonstrates that the NCAR CESM1.2 can still simulate significant double-ITCZ bias even with cold SST bias in the southern ITCZ region, indicating that warm SST bias is not a necessary condition for double-ITCZ bias in the central Pacific. Further analyses suggest that the equatorial cold tongue (ECT) biases play important roles in the formation of double-ITCZ bias in the central Pacific. The severe cold SST biases in the ECT region in the central Pacific may enhance the SST gradient between the ECT and southern ITCZ region, strengthening the lower-troposphere dynamical convergence and hence convection in the southern ITCZ region. The formation mechanism of excessive ECT bias is further investigated. It is shown that the cold SST biases in the ECT region can be largely attributed to the anomalous cooling tendency produced by the upper-ocean zonal advection due to overly strong zonal currents. In the ECT region, the westward ocean surface zonal current is driven by the equatorial easterly surface winds. It is shown that convection bias simulated by the atmospheric model in the equatorial Amazon region may lead to easterly wind bias in the downwind side (west) of convection region. The mean Walker circulation transports these easterly wind momentum anomalies downward and westward to the surface, resulting in the overly strong surface easterly wind in the central equatorial Pacific.
AMSR-E Snow: Can Snowfall Help Improve SWE Estimates?
Authors: Gonzalez Ryan , Kummerow Christian D.
Published: September 2020

Snowfall and snowpack are tightly coupled within the snow water cycle and careful monitoring is crucial to better understand snow’s role in Earth’s water and energy cycles. Current and future estimates of the total amount of seasonal snow on the ground are limited by the variability in the initial snowfall and uncertainties in in situ and remote sensing observations. In this study, passive microwave remote sensing estimates of snowfall and snow water equivalent (SWE) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) instrument are used to assess the consistency in the snow products. A snow evolution model, SnowModel, is employed to simulate snow processes that occur between the initial snowfall and subsequent SWE. AMSR-E is found to have significant discrepancies in both snowfall and SWE compared to MERRA-2 reanalysis and the Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) snow product. It is shown that AMSR-E snowfall is currently not a useful metric to estimate SWE without applying large corrections throughout the winter season. Regions of consistency in the AMSR-E snow products occur for reasons that pertain to underestimation in both snowfall and SWE. In addition to snow consistency, microwave brightness temperatures (TBs) are analyzed in response to the snowpack and snowfall physical properties. These experiments indicate significant sensitivity to regime-dependent scattering characteristics that must be accounted for to accurately estimate global snow properties and provide better physical consistency in the snow products from remote sensing platforms.
Numerical Investigation of Bidirectional Mode-1 and Mode-2 Internal Solitary Wave Generation from North and South of Batti Malv Island, Nicobar Islands, India
Authors: Raju N. Jithendra , Dash Mihir K. , Bhaskaran Prasad Kumar , Pandey P. C.
Published: September 2020

Strong bidirectional internal solitary waves (ISWs) generate from a shallow channel between Car Nicobar and Chowra Islands of Nicobar Islands, India, and propagate toward the Andaman Sea (eastward) and Bay of Bengal (westward). Batti Malv Island separates this shallow channel into two ridges, north of Batti Malv (NBM) and south of Batti Malv (SBM). First, this study identifies the prominent mode-1 and mode-2 ISWs emerging from NBM and SBM using synthetic aperture radar images and then explores their generation mechanism(s) using a nonlinear, unstructured, and nonhydrostatic model, SUNTANS. During spring tide, flow over NBM is supercritical with respect to mode-1 internal wave. Model simulations reveal that mode-1 ISWs are generated at NBM by a “lee wave mechanism” and propagate both in the east and west directions depending on the tidal phases. However, the flow over SBM is subcritical with respect to mode-1 internal wave. The bidirectional propagating mode-1 ISWs evolve from a long-wave disturbance induced by “upstream influence.” But, during spring tide, with an increased tidal flow over SBM, it is observed that the westward propagating ISWs are formed by a dispersed hydraulic jump observed over the ridge. Moreover, the bidirectional mode-2 waves from SBM are generated by a lee wave mechanism. An energy budget comparison reveals that the region surrounding NBM is efficient in radiating low-mode baroclinic energy (0.98 GW), while SBM is highly efficient in converting barotropic to baroclinic energy (4.1 GW).
Potential of Dual-Frequency Radar and Microwave Radiometer Synergy for Water Vapor Profiling in the Cloudy Trade Wind Environment
Authors: Schnitt Sabrina , Löhnert Ulrich , Preusker René
Published: September 2020

High-resolution boundary layer water vapor profile observations are essential for understanding the interplay between shallow convection, cloudiness, and climate in the trade wind atmosphere. As current observation techniques can be limited by low spatial or temporal resolution, the synergistic benefit of combining ground-based microwave radiometer (MWR) and dual-frequency radar is investigated by analyzing the retrieval information content and uncertainty. Synthetic MWR brightness temperatures, as well as simulated dual-wavelength ratios of two radar frequencies are generated for a combination of Ka and W band (KaW), as well as differential absorption radar (DAR) G-band frequencies (167 and 174.8 GHz, G2). The synergy analysis is based on an optimal estimation scheme by varying the configuration of the observation vector. Combining MWR and KaW only marginally increases the retrieval information content. The synergy of MWR with G2 radar is more beneficial due to increasing degrees of freedom (4.5), decreasing retrieval errors, and a more realistic retrieved profile within the cloud layer. The information and profile below and within the cloud is driven by the radar observations, whereas the synergistic benefit is largest above the cloud layer, where information content is enhanced compared to an MWR-only or DAR-only setup. For full synergistic benefits, however, G-band radar sensitivities need to allow full-cloud profiling; in this case, the results suggest that a combined retrieval of MWR and G-band DAR can help close the observational gap of current techniques.
Environmental Controls on the Climatological Scaling of Tornado Frequency with Intensity
Authors: Lepore Chiara , Tippett Michael K.
Published: September 2020

The scaling of U.S. tornado frequency with enhanced Fujita (EF)-rated intensity is examined for the range EF1–EF3. Previous work has found that tornado frequency decreases exponentially with increasing EF rating and that many regions around the world show the same exponential rate of decrease despite having quite different overall tornado frequencies. This scaling is important because it relates the frequency of the most intense tornadoes to the overall tornado frequency. Here we find that U.S. tornado frequency decreases more sharply with increasing intensity during summer than during other times of the year. One implication of this finding is that, despite their rarity, when tornadoes do occur during the cool season, the relative likelihood of more intense tornadoes is higher than during summer. The environmental driver of this scaling variability is explored through new EF-dependent tornado environmental indices (TEI-EF) that are fitted to each EF class. We find that the sensitivity of TEI-EF to storm relative helicity (SRH) increases with increasing EF class. This increasing sensitivity to SRH means that TEI-EF predicts a slower decrease in frequency with increasing intensity for larger values of SRH (e.g., cool season) and a sharper decrease in tornado frequency in summer when wind shear plays a less dominant role. This explanation is also consistent with the fact that the fraction of supercell tornadoes is smaller during summer.
Sweden before and after Social Democracy: A First Overview
Authors: Therborn Göran , Kjellberg Anders , Marklund Staffan , Öhlund Ulf
Published: September 2020

This is a first report on a research project entitled ‘Sweden Under Social Democracy (1932–76)’. It aims at probing into the effects a uniquely long Social Democratic parliamentary reign have had on the present ‘welfare state’. It is argued that a causal analysis such as this has to start from a historical study and that correlational methods have little value. Sweden is therefore compared with other Western societies before and at the end of the Social Democratic era, with a view to finding out in which areas and the degrees to which Sweden was different. Two alternative hypotheses are presented: (1) The Parliamentary Hypothesis, according to which societal development is determined by parliamentary politics and from which an increasing differentiation between Sweden and countries with other parliamentary configurations is to be expected; (2) The Class Hypothesis, according to which social development is determined by the extraparliamentary social forces reflected in parliamentary politics and reproduced rather than transformed by the latter, unless there is a rupture in the political institutions. Since no such rupture occurred in Sweden in 1932 nor after, from this hypothesis it could be expected that Sweden ought to have remained in about the same relation to other Western states. A first test is then made, with reference to aspects of the social conditions of the population, capital-labour relations, educational, social, and tax policies. No definite conclusions are reached, but the evidence casts reasonable doubt on the Parliamentary Hypothesis and indicates the fruitfulness of the Class Hypothesis as a guide to future explorations.
The Invisible Welfare State: Women's Work at Home
Authors: Wærness Kari
Published: September 2020

Analysing welfare in terms of Allardt's three dimensions – Having, Loving, and Being – women's unpaid work at home seems particularly important for securing the welfare of the children, the sick, and the old on the Loving dimension. Increasing employment outside the home is necessary for increasing women's welfare on the Being dimension and their independence on the Having dimension. This cannot be realized without reducing the amount of women's unpaid work in the home. A dilemma of the welfare state is how women's equality on the Having and Being dimensions can be realized without the dependent population becoming worse off on the Loving dimension.
The Isolation of Health Services in Society: Development and Consequences
Authors: Gannik Dorte , Launsø Laila
Published: September 2020

That there exists an isolation of health services today is a consequence of important structural changes in society, especially the structure of both the family and occupations and increased professional dominance within the health field. The crisis of the health care system is due to its demand for increased economic resources and political support, a demand which is not met by the broader society, i.e. we are dealing with a failure of legitimacy, resulting among other things from the fact that health professionals have not publicly discussed the aims and methods of their field.

Due to the failure of legitimacy we see a diversity of popular movements and activities, which can be described as individuals involved in organized protest. Some of these movements result in a certain strengthening of individual resources, thereby restraining the growing inequality of resources between professionals and patients.

The article deals with what could be called the crisis in the health care system. The general economic crisis of society adds to and sharpens this development, but we will here argue the existence of a separate and independent crisis in the health field, which would have developed anyway. The background of the health care crisis is the separation of health services from society in ways that will be described, and the increasing inequality of resources between the agents of the health care system and the people. We will describe an economic-political aspect of the crisis as well as an aspect of legitimacy bound up with it. Finally we point to the reactions of the population in the face of the health care crisis.

The authors work with analyses of the primary health care system (authorized as well as unauthorized),1 as relates to people's illness and illness behavior. This is the basis of the article. The research data available in this area are scarce, and we would like to point out that the paper as a whole aims to present a hypothesis rather than established facts. We think this has a value in itself and hope that the readers will accept the limitations of this approach. The article confines itself to the health services of Denmark, though similar tendencies could be described as regards the social services.
Concern with Redistribution as an Aspect of Post-War Norwegian Housing Policy
Authors: Gulbrandsen Lars , Torgersen Ulf
Published: September 2020

Post-war housing policy in Norway has attempted to equalize access to housing facilities. However, the criteria applied by the administrative agencies have only partially been related to need; the measures have tried to influence the relationship between economic resources and housing facilities in less direct ways. The large number of remedies applied, and the increasingly potent political goal of universal ownership, has created interest coalitions, the effects of which have been to blur the distinctions between owners of different size. A case in point is the unintended side-effect of price control efforts on tax assessment practices. The old conflict between tenant and landlord has disappeared, but no other cleavage line has taken its place, except for intermittent confrontations between the ‘authorities’ and owners.
Massive Transfusion Protocol and Subsequent Development of Venous Thromboembolism: Statewide Analysis
Authors: Bradburn Eric H. , Ho Kwok M. , Morgan Madison E. , D’Andrea Lauren , Vernon Tawnya M. , Rogers Frederick B.
Published: September 2020

Background

Massive transfusion protocols (MTP) are a routine component of any major trauma center’s armamentarium in the management of exsanguinating hemorrhages. Little is known about the potential complications of those that survive a MTP. We sought to determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following MTP. We hypothesized that MTP would be associated with a higher risk of VTE when compared with a risk-adjusted control population without MTP.

Methods

The Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database was retrospectively queried from 2015 to 2018 for trauma patients who developed VTE and survived until discharge at accredited trauma centers in Pennsylvania. Patient demographics, injury severity, and clinical outcomes were compared to assess differences in VTE development between MTP and non-MTP patients. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the adjusted impact of MTP on VTE development.

Results

176 010 patients survived until discharge, meeting inclusion criteria. Of those, 1667 developed a VTE (pulmonary embolism [PE]: 662 [0.4%]; deep vein thrombosis [DVT]: 1142 [0.6%]; PE and DVT: 137 [0.1%]). 1268 patients (0.7%) received MTP and, of this subset of patients, 171 (13.5%) developed a VTE during admission. In adjusted analysis, patients who had a MTP and survived until discharge had a higher odds of developing a VTE (adjusted odds ratio: 2.62; 95% CI: 2.13-3.24; P < .001).

Discussion

MTP is a harbinger for higher risk of VTE in those patients who survive. This may, in part, be related to the overcorrection of coagulation deficits encountered in the hemorrhagic event. A high index of suspicion for the development of VTE as well as aggressive VTE prophylaxis is warranted in those patients who survive MTP.
A BVAR Approach to the Impact of Policy Uncertainty on International Trade and Investment
Authors: Dhannur Vijaykumar , John Ashwin R.
Published: September 2020

This article investigates the impact of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on foreign trade and investment into India relative to other macroeconomic factors with reference to the Indian pharmaceutical industry. It employs the Bayesian vector autoregression (BVAR) approach to construct a model and then study the said impact by the impulse response function (IRF) analysis. In a Bayesian procedure, the parameters are treated as random variables and their posterior distribution is estimated via the imposition of prior beliefs on their distribution, which makes the analysis more robust when combined with vector autoregression. The IRF analysis shows no substantial protracted impact of policy uncertainty, inflation and interest rates on the pharma exports. Also, inflation seems to have a more pronounced impact on FDI as compared to the interest rate changes contemporaneously.
Boom motion trajectory generation approach for load sway rejection in rotary cranes considering double-pendulum effect
Authors: Ouyang Huimin , Xu Xiang , Zhang Guangming
Published: September 2020

In the control research on the rotary crane systems with double-pendulum effect, a motion trajectory with both simple structure and excellent robust performance is proposed to achieve the positioning of the boom and the suppression of the load sway. The presented trajectory consists of an anti-swing component and a boom positioning component, where the first part is used to achieve the sway angle elimination without affecting boom positioning; the second one is used to move the boom to the desired location precisely. The Lyapunov technique, LaSalle’s invariance theorem, and Barbalat’s lemma are used to prove the excellent performance of the method. Eventually, the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified through a large amount of simulation data analysis.
Preparation and applications of wettability-controlled fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomer/cellulose nanofiber composites
Authors: Sawada Hideo , Endo Yui , Oikawa Yuri
Published: September 2020

Sol-gel reaction of two fluoroalkyl end-capped vinyltrimethoxysilane oligomer [RF-(CH2CHSi(OMe)3) n-RF; RF = CF(CF3)OC3F7; n = 2, 3: RF-(VM) n-RF] in the presence of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) under non-catalytic conditions was found to provide the corresponding fluorinated oligomeric silica/CNF composites [RF-(VM-SiO3/2) n-RF/CNF]. The obtained composites were applied to the surface modification of glass to give a good oleophobic/superhydrophobic characteristic on the composite surface due to the fabrication of the roughness architecture. The RF-(VM-SiO3/2) n-RF/CNF composites were also applied to the surface modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) [PET] fabric swatch, affording a superoleophilic/superhydrophobic characteristic on the modified fabric surface. Modified PET fabric swatch thus obtained was applicable to not only the separation membrane to separate the mixture of oil/water but also the perfect adsorption of oil droplets spread on water interface. In addition, we have prepared the RF-(VM-SiO3/2) n-RF/CNF composites films by casting homogeneous aqueous methanol solutions containing the corresponding composites. Pristine CNF film afforded the superoleophilic property on the surface; however, it was demonstrated that the obtained transparent colorless CNF composite films can supply highly oleophobic characteristic on the surface.
Obtention of higher refractive index and transparent polymeric nanocomposite systems with small amounts of fillers for lenses application
Authors: de Menezes Lívia Rodrigues , Cavalcante Maxwell de Paula , Vaz Jéssica de Lima Marinho Reis , Silva Paulo Sérgio Rangel Cruz da , Tavares Maria Inês Bruno
Published: September 2020

The development of new materials for obtaining ophthalmic lenses is a subject of great interest due to the great necessity of corrective lenses uses. The application of the lenses based on polymeric material that guarantees greater lightness and less risk of breakage, ensuring greater comfort to users of glasses. The use of nanoparticles in polymer nanocomposites can generate different properties in the final material, mainly when used in hybrid systems in which synergistic effects can be produced. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate the optical properties of systems with poly(methyl methacrylate) and oxide nanoparticles (silica, zinc, zirconium, and titanium). The systems were characterized in terms of their optical behaviors (refractive index, transmittance, and color change) and mechanical behaviors (nanoindentation, and tensile strength). The results showed that silica-based systems tended to have greater transparency but generate lower refractive indexes. Systems containing zirconia, titanium, and zinc have a higher refractive index and smaller transparency than systems containing silica. Besides, the use of zirconia and titanium increases the nano-hardness and elastic modulus. The results showed that the use of these nanoparticles in binary systems leads to obtaining materials with higher refractive index, greater transparency, and best mechanical behavior. The combination of the nanoparticles also led to a better dispersion, reducing the impact on the color system and improve transparency. In this way, the materials developed using small amounts of fillers and present highly promising for the development of thinner, more resistant to scratching due to high hardness and higher transparent lenses.
Cryogenic mechanical alloying of aluminum matrix composites for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing
Authors: Hamilton Jakob D , Ramesh Srikanthan , Harrysson Ola LA , Rock Christopher D , Rivero Iris V
Published: September 2020

Cryogenic mechanical alloying (cryomilling) was employed to fabricate aluminum matrix composite powder feedstock for additive manufacturing. The high energy milling of the powder system induces a homogenous distribution of reinforcement particles in the matrix powder by recurrent fracture and cold welding. In this study, aluminum matrix composite feedstock were produced via different cryomilling techniques at varying compositions, powder charges, and milling times. As-milled powders were characterized for particle size distribution, morphology, and homogeneity. Resultant powder demonstrated varying characteristics correlated to milling parameters. Powder metallurgy samples were also fabricated to understand as-sintered reinforcement distribution and the resultant strengthening. This research provides an indication of cryomilling capabilities to become an effective method for custom alloy powder production for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing.
Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution (CSBA-P) Scale in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Goudarzian Amir Hossein , Sharif Nia Hamid , Harry Kadie M. , Jannati Yadollah
Published: September 2020

According to the studies done in Iran, there has been no study investigating self-blame attributions in patients with cardiovascular disease. Moreover, there has been no standard scale for assessing self-blame attributions available in Persian. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution (CSBA-P) Scale in patients with cardiovascular disease. In this 2019 methodological study, 400 patients with cardiovascular disease completed the Persian version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution scale. We evaluated the face, content, and construct validity (both exploratory and confirmatory) of the measure. The results of the confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis extracted a separate factor explained 56.249% of the variance. One factor fit model was confirmed according to standard measures such as RMSEA = 0.074, CMIN/DF = 2.454. The reliability of the scale was calculated and confirmed with a Cronbach coefficient of 0.938, construct reliability of 0.938, and ICC of 0.895. The Persian version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution scale (CSBA-P) yielded acceptable validity and reliability. Thus, this scale can be used in future research to assess self-blame attributions among cardiac populations who speak Persian.
“Challenging Professional Boundaries”: A Grounded Theory Study of Health Professionals’ First Experiences of End-of-Life Care in Hospital
Authors: Finotto Stefano , Artioli Giovanna , Bodecchi Simona , Mainini Carlotta , Pedroni Cristina , Di Leo Silvia , Ghirotto Luca , Hayter Mark , Tanzi Silvia
Published: September 2020

Little is known about health professionals first experiences of End-of-Life care in hospital. This study aims to understand the psycho-social process that occurs when hospital-based health professionals engage in caring for a dying patient for the first time. We conducted a Grounded Theory study, with 19 health professionals. Challenging professional boundaries is the core category which explains the overall process. The theoretical model we conceptualized evidenced three phases: 1) building a relationship between patient/family and professionals, 2) the disrupting impact and 3) the reaction phase. Our analysis highlighted the initial strong impact of this experience, which brought professionals to perceive emotional suffering and feelings of inadequacy. The new aspect our grounded theory revealed is that all the categories are pertinent to all the professionals involved, therefore they explain important aspects of interprofessional collaboration in End-of-Life care.
A Preliminary Investigation Into the Relationship Between Autistic Traits and Self-Compassion
Authors: Howes Abby , Richards Gareth , Galvin John
Published: September 2020

Self-compassion refers to the extension of kindness to oneself when faced with feelings of inadequacies, shortcomings or failures. It is possible that individuals high in autistic traits may encounter difficulties with self-compassion, and this could be particularly pronounced due to the social challenges they might face. To explore this potential relationship, we recruited university students and members of the general population to an online survey (n = 176). Participants completed measures on demographics, autistic traits, and self-compassion. We found that autistic traits were indeed negatively correlated with self-compassion in both males and females. Interestingly, a comparison of the slopes showed significantly stronger relationships in males compared to females for the negative (but not the positive) subscales of the self-compassion scale. Although speculative at this point, it is possible that self-compassion acts as a mediator between autistic traits and psychopathology. With this in mind, further work is warranted to determine whether self-compassion could be a target for therapeutic intervention.
Maintaining the Status Quo through Repressed Silences: The Case of Paid Domestic Labour in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Authors: Murray Amy Jo , Durrheim Kevin
Published: September 2020

As competent social actors, we individually and collectively leave things unsaid that might threaten to disrupt the status quo. In this article, we outline an understanding of the unsaid and extend its implications to include what we call ‘repressed silences’ or silences about which we do not speak. Drawing on a diary-interview study involving five domestic labour dyads comprised of a white employer and a black worker, we examine silences topicalised by participants, how the unsaid stands in contrast to what could/should have been said and finally how these silences constitute a form of repressed silences. We demonstrate how the topic of paid domestic labour and its labour-related roles, rights and responsibilities are silenced – and the silence itself is not spoken of – among participants, thereby (re)producing the status quo of South Africa’s (racialised) inequalities and hierarchies.
Protests and Policies: How Radical Social Movement Activists Engage with Climate Policy Dilemmas
Authors: Corry Olaf , Reiner David
Published: September 2020

How do radical movements seeking fundamental social change engage with nearer-term policy dilemmas? Disciplinary boundaries and practical obstacles have limited research into protester policy engagement. Using a hybrid method combining participant-observation and expert-led focus groups, we document activist attitudes concerning controversial climate policy options. Data gathered at ‘Climate Camps’ in six national contexts are presented alongside evidence from similar ‘participant-instigator’ events at Green Party conferences. We find activists engaged in direct action outside the established political system had policy knowledge and agendas comparable to or surpassing those active within the system. Support for radical change appears correlated with – rather than opposed to – knowledge and interest in policy agendas. As climate protests escalate it is important to understand ‘protester policy engagement’ – the processing, production and communication of changes proposed from a position outside the established political system and to theorise this with, rather than in contradistinction to, social movement identity.
Synthesis of novel coumarin-based acid vapochromic fluorescence dye showing change of both color and fluorescence emission spectrum for application to sensitive, reusable, and washable textile sensors
Authors: Lee Junheon , Kim Taekyeong
Published: September 2020

A new coumarin-based fluorescence dye, which simultaneously changes the fluorescence behavior as well as color by exposure to an acid-gas, was synthesized by modifying the dye structure so as to produce relatively long alkyl groups. The newly synthesized halochromic fluorescence dye was applied to polyethylenic fibers, such as high molecular weight polyethylene. The acid-gas sensing was functionalized not only in the solution state but also inside a matrix. A textile sensor was subsequently fabricated in this study and showed visible changes to both color and fluorescence emission properties as well as sensitivity to changes under low concentrations of gas-phase hydrogen chloride. Further, the sensing performance was sustainable and repeatable. From the washability test, it was observed that the dye did not leach out completely.
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome: a report of TB-IRIS after switching from efavirenz to dolutegravir
Authors: Zimba Stanley , Mbewe Nyuma , Chishimba Lorraine , Chomba Mashina , Saylor Deanna
Published: September 2020

In 2016, the World Health Organization adopted dolutegravir (DTG)-based antiretroviral therapy as an alternative first-line treatment of HIV after many clinical trials showed that it was more effective, better tolerated and more protective than efavirenz and boosted protease inhibitors against discontinuation of treatment from adverse drug reactions. However, there was concern that DTG would lead to increased rates of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), especially in the setting of late presentation to care. Three cases at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia highlight this concern, especially in persons living with HIV (PLWH), resulting in tuberculosis (TB) co-infection.
Simulation and experimental verification of energy saving effect of passive preheating natural ventilation double skin façade
Authors: Hou Keming , Li Shanshan , Wang Haining
Published: September 2020

In recent years, energy efficiency and energy saving strategies have become priorities for energy policy in most countries, and green energy saving buildings has attracted more attention in the worldwide. The use of passive energy saving natural ventilation strategy can improve the effect of building energy saving and improve the internal microenvironment of the building. This paper introduces and analyzes the passive preheating natural ventilation double skin facade (DSF) comprehensively. The influence of the structural parameters of the double skin facade in cold season ventilation on the preheating ventilation effect is discussed on the basis of the discussion and experiment of an actual double skin facade office building. Further, the energy-saving effect of the passive preheating natural ventilation double skin facade is simulated and verified. The effect of structural parameters of DSF in cold season on the thermal performance is summarized. These corresponding results could provide some reference for the buildings in the similar climate regions.
Volition Speaks Louder Than Action: Offender Atonement, Forgivability, and Victim Valuation in the Minds of Perceivers
Authors: Watanabe Shoko , Laurent Sean M.
Published: September 2020

On hearing of others’ offenses, people frequently intervene to encourage offenders to correct their wrongs. However, externally imposed reconciliatory behaviors may not effectively convince outside observers that offenders value victims’ welfare and deserve forgiveness. Four studies examined meta-judgments of victim valuation and offender forgivability when restitution was initiated voluntarily versus externally coerced. The same compensatory actions produced greater perceived valuation/forgivability when atonement was voluntary versus court-ordered (Experiment 1). Across multiple harm/measure types, voluntary (vs. imposed) atonement consistently yielded greater valuation/forgivability, but differences between imposed and no-atonement conditions were not captured using indirect valuation measures (Experiments 2–3). Experiment 3 also showed that voluntary (vs. imposed) atonement positively influenced perceivers’ inferences about their own valuation. In Experiment 4, observers perceived greater valuation/forgivability when restitution was made voluntarily rather than imposed by an intervener or requested by the victim. These studies highlight that beyond their compensatory acts, offenders’ volition to atone influences third-party evaluations.
Type D Personality and Myocardial Infarction: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Manoj MT , Joseph KA , Vijayaraghavan Govindan
Published: September 2020

Background:

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is an impending global pandemic in developed countries as well as developing countries and economies in transition, such as India. A significant increase in the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), one of the most common types of CHD, is being reported in India, and the incidence and severity of the disease are more among the youth in Kerala. Studies assessing the association between psychological factors and MI are few in India.

Methods:

We adopted a case-control study design. A total of 150 cases (with MI) and 150 controls (without MI and matched for age and gender) from a tertiary care hospital in Trivandrum, Kerala, India, were selected using convenient sampling method, between September 2016 and August 2017.

Results:

As compared to 33.3% of the controls, 50.7% of patients with MI had type D personality characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjusting for the confounders indicated a positive and statistically significant association between type D personality and MI: OR = 4.14, 95% CI = 2.19–8.85, P = 0.003.

Conclusion:

Type D personality is associated with MI.