bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear Visco-Poroelasticity of Gels With Different Rheological Parts
Authors: He Dongjing , Hu Yuhang
Published: April 2020

A polymeric gel contains a crosslinked polymer network and solvent. Gels can swell or shrink in response to external stimuli. Two typical kinetic processes are involved during the deformation of gels: the viscoelastic and poroelastic responses. Viscoelasticity of gels is generated from local rearrangement of the polymers, while poroelasticity is generated from solvent migration. The coupled time-dependent behaviors of gels can be formulated by coupling a spring-dashpot model with a diffusion–deformation model. Different combinations of spring and dashpot and different ways of dealing with the coupling between solvent migration and rheological models—either through the spring or dashpot—induce significantly different constitutive behaviors and characteristic time-dependent responses of gels. In this work, we quantitatively study how different rheological models coupled with solvent migration affect the transient behavior of gels. We formulate the visco-poroelastic gel theory for the Maxwell model, the Kelvin–Voigt model, and the generalized standard viscoelastic model. In addition, for generalized standard viscoelastic model, we also discuss the different coupling through the secondary spring or the dashpot. The models are implemented into finite element codes, and the transient-state simulations are performed to investigate the time-dependent deformation and frequency-dependent energy dissipation of different rheologically implemented gel models. The result shows that different combinations of spring and dashpot give the gel solid-like properties and liquid-like properties under different time scales; in addition, the coupling of solvent migration with the dashpot in the rheological model results in restrictions of solvent migration under certain length scales.
Scientific Societies Advancing STEM Workforce Diversity: Lessons and Outcomes from the Minorities Affairs Committee of the American Society for Cell Biology
Authors: Segarra Verónica A. , Blatch Sydella , Boyce Michael , Carrero-Martinez Franklin , Aguilera Renato J. , Leibowitz Michael J. , Zavala MariaElena , Hammonds-Odie Latanya , Edwards Ashanti
Published: April 2020

Promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the STEM academic workforce remains a key challenge and national priority. Scientific societies can play a significant role in this process through the creation and implementation of programs to foster STEM academic workforce diversification, and by providing mentoring and skills development training that empower scientists from under-represented minority (URM) backgrounds to succeed in their communities of practice. In this article, we provide examples of challenges met by scientific societies in these areas and present data from the American Society for Cell Biology, highlighting the benefits received by trainees through long-term engagement with its programs. The success of these initiatives illustrates the impact of discipline-specific programming by scientific societies in supporting the development of URM scientists and an increasingly diverse and inclusive academic STEM community.
Improving the Design of Undergraduate Biology Courses toward the Goal of Retention: The Case of Real-World Inquiry and Active Learning through Metagenomics
Authors: Cottone Amanda M. , Yoon Susan
Published: April 2020

Retention in science is low in undergraduate populations, especially for under-represented minority (URM) and first generation (FG) college students. Thus, educators have been called upon to design curricula to counteract this trend. This study examined variables most likely to lead to retention, such as increased achievement, improved attitudes, and self-efficacy beliefs, through participation in active learning and real-world research experiences in an introductory biology course. The research experience was embedded in metagenomics content and processes that have increasingly gained focus in microbiology. This study also investigated differences in learning outcomes when the curriculum was infused with more active learning. The active learning components included integrating interactive technology into the pre-lab lectures, providing students with authentic protocols to conduct lab work, and allowing students to rerun problematic samples. Results showed increased achievement for URM/FG students, although this was not strongly tied to the active learning elements incorporated into the three-week metagenomics research experience. However, students participating in research with more active learning did report higher frequencies of engaging in mastery experiences (an important source of self-efficacy) when compared with students engaged in research with less active learning. This analysis can aid in identifying specific curricular design features associated with promoting retention in undergraduate biology and science programs in general.
A Chance at Birth: An Academic Development Activity To Promote Deep Reflection on Social Inequities
Authors: Dewsbury Bryan M.
Published: April 2020

I describe the structure and implementation of an activity I use in academic development, aimed at introducing higher education faculty to social inequities in a profound way. The activity is structured such that previously naïve practitioners as well as those somewhat engaged in equity pedagogies are provided new ways of thinking about the role classroom practices play in social inclusion. Here I reflect on the activity’s genesis, provide suggestions for its use, and present considerations for academic developers interested in using it for their own practice.
Some Believe, Not All Achieve: The Role of Active Learning Practices in Anxiety and Academic Self-Efficacy in First-Generation College Students
Authors: Hood Suzanne , Barrickman Nancy , Djerdjian Nancy , Farr Melaney , Gerrits Ronald J. , Lawford Heather , Magner Shawn , Ott Betsy , Ross Kyla , Roychowdury Hiranya , Page Olivia , Stowe Skye , Jensen Murray , Hull Kerry
Published: April 2020

First-generation college students face a variety of barriers in higher education compared with their continuing-generation peers. Active learning practices in STEM classrooms can potentially narrow the achievement gap by increasing academic self-efficacy, or confidence in academic abilities. However, these practices can also provoke anxiety in students. Given that anxiety can impair cognitive performance, we sought to understand how first-generation students perceive active learning practices and whether these perceptions affect the anticipated benefits of active learning. As part of a larger study on pedagogical practices in anatomy and physiology courses at the community college level, we asked students to rate various active learning techniques on how much each provoked anxiety and how much each contributed to their learning. All students (N= 186) rated some techniques as more anxiety-provoking than others (e.g., cold calling); however, compared to continuing-generation students, first-generation students’ ratings tended to be higher. First-generation students anticipated doing more poorly in a course and attained lower final grades. Notably, the use of active learning practices did not improve first-generation students’ academic self-efficacy: by the end of term, academic self-efficacy decreased in non-white first-generation students whereas other students showed little change. When introducing active learning strategies, instructors may need to proactively address underrepresented minority students’ emotional reactions and ensure that all students experience success with these practices early in a course as a way to bolster academic self-efficacy.
Don’t Joke About Me: Student Identities and Perceptions of Instructor Humor in College Science Courses
Authors: Cooper Katelyn M. , Nadile Erika M. , Brownell Sara E.
Published: April 2020

Humor is a popular tool used by instructors to engage students. However, some instructor jokes may be perceived as less funny and more offensive by particular groups of students. Previous studies have shown that student gender impacts student perception of instructor humor; however, to our knowledge no studies have explored whether there are differences in how other identity groups interpret instructor humor. In this study, we surveyed 1,637 students across 25 different college science courses at a research-intensive institution in the Southwest United States. Students evaluated a set of topics that science instructors might joke about in class as to whether they were funny and offensive. Using binary logistic regression, we analyzed whether students of different identities, including race/ethnicity, political affiliation, LGBTQ+ status, religious affiliation, and native language, differentially perceived joke topics to be funny and offensive if told by an instructor in class. We identified that topics which tended to be perceived by students as funny rather than offensive were generally less likely to be perceived as funny to non-native English language speakers compared with native English speakers. We also found that students were more likely to be offended by jokes about their own identity group. This work identifies potentially humorous topics that instructors should avoid because they could be offensive to groups of students. This study also highlights topics that tend to be perceived as funny to most students, which indicates that instructors who joke about such topics may be universally benefitting college science students.
Suggestions for Improving Invited Speaker Diversity To Reflect Trainee Diversity
Authors: Hagan Ada K. , Pollet Rebecca M. , Libertucci Josie
Published: April 2020

Within the field of biomedical research in the United States, the proportion of underrepresented minorities at the Full Professor level has remained consistently low, even though trainee demographics are becoming more diverse. Underrepresented groups face a complex set of barriers to achieving faculty status, including imposter syndrome, increased performance expectations, and patterns of exclusion. Institutionalized racism and sexism have contributed to these barriers and perpetuated policy that excludes underrepresented minorities. These barriers can contribute to decreased feelings of belonging, which may result in decreased retention of underrepresented minorities. Though some universities have altered their hiring practices to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the applicant pool, these changes have not been sufficient. Here we argue that departmental invited seminar series can be used to provide trainees with scientific role models and increase their sense of belonging while institutions work towards more inclusive policy. In this study, we investigated the demographics (gender and race) of invited seminar speakers over 5 years to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan. We also investigated current trainee demographics and compared them to invited speaker demographics to gauge if our trainees were being provided with representation of themselves. We found that invited speaker demographics were skewed towards Caucasian men, and our trainee demographics were not being represented. From these findings, we proposed policy change within the department to address how speakers are being invited with the goal of increasing speaker diversity to better reflect trainee diversity. To facilitate this process, we developed a set of suggestions and a web-based resource that allows scientists, committees, and moderators to identify members of underserved groups. These resources can be easily adapted by other fields or subfields to promote inclusion and diversity at seminar series, conferences, and colloquia.
Improving the Drell–Yan probe of small x partons at the LHC via an azimuthal angle cut
Authors: Yamasaki M. Kendi , de Oliveira Emmanuel G.
Published: April 2020

Predictions for Drell–Yan lepton pair production at low dilepton mass and small x at the LHC usually have a large scale dependence. This can be decreased by determining an optimal factorization scale. In this paper, we reduce this scale by imposing a cutoff in azimuthal angle between the transverse momentum of the leptons, properly taking into account Sudakov effects. This allows one to probe the parton distributions at smaller scales eliminating most of the current theoretical uncertainty.
The Impact of Nutritional Interventions on Child Health and Cognitive Development
Authors: Bommer Christian , Mittal Nitya , Vollmer Sebastian
Published: April 2020

Despite growing policy commitment and decades of extensive research, nutritional deficiencies remain a key challenge for health systems worldwide. In addition to causing significant personal costs for those affected, indirect effects, such as reduced overall human capital accumulation or losses in labor productivity, can impose substantial obstacles for the achievement of economic development goals. This review provides an overview of the impact of key interventions aiming to improve nutritional intake in order to reach better physical health and cognitive outcomes among children in developing countries. We argue that, although promising interventions exist, malnutrition is a complex problem, likely requiring a stronger focus on multifactorial approaches. Moreover, more research is necessary to maximize compliance and sustainability if interventions are to successfully transform into large-scale policy programs. We further discuss the emerging double burden of malnutrition as a key challenge for policy makers in resource-poor settings.
Pricing Decisions in a Competitive Closed-Loop Supply Chain with Duopolistic Recyclers
Authors: Lee Doo Ho
Published: April 2020

In this study, we consider a three-echelon closed-loop supply chain consisting of a manufacturer, a collector, and two duopolistic recyclers. In the supply chain, the collector collects end-of-life products from consumers in the market. Then, both recyclers purchase the recyclable waste from the collector, and each recycler turns them into new materials. The manufacturer has no recycling facilities; therefore, the manufacturer only purchases the recycled and new materials for its production from the two recyclers. Under this scenario, price competition between recyclers is inevitable. With two pricing structures (Nash and Stackelberg) of the leaders group and three competition behaviors (Collusion, Cournot, and Stackelberg) of the followers group, we suggest six different pricing game models. In each of them, we establish a pricing game model among the members, prove the uniqueness of the equilibrium prices of the supply chain members, and discuss the effects of competition on the overall supply chain’s profitability. Our numerical experiment indicates that as the price competition between recyclers intensifies, the supply chain profitability decreases. Moreover, the greater the recyclability degree of the waste is, the higher the profits in the supply chain become.
Friction Characteristics of Post‐Tensioned Tendons of Full‐Scale Structures Based on Site Tests
Authors: Yuan Haoyun , Li Yuan , Zhou Bin , He Shuanhai , Wang Peizhi
Published: April 2020

In the design of prestressing concrete structures, the friction characteristics between strands and channels have an important influence on the distribution of prestressing force, which can be considered comprehensively by curvature and swing friction coefficients. However, the proposed friction coefficient varies widely and may lead to an inaccurate prestress estimation. In this study, four full‐scale field specimens were established to measure the friction loss of prestressing tendons with electromagnetic sensors and anchor cable dynamometers to evaluate the friction coefficient. The least square method and Bayesian quantile regression method were adopted to calculate the friction coefficient, and the results were compared with that in the specifications. Field test results showed that Bayesian quantile regression method was more effective and significant in the estimation of the friction coefficient.
Browder’s Convergence Theorem for Multivalued Mappings in Banach Spaces without the Endpoint Condition
Authors: Laokul Thanomsak
Published: April 2020

We prove Browder’s convergence theorem for multivalued mappings in a uniformly convex Banach space with a uniformly Gâteaux differentiable norm by using the notion of diametrically regular mappings. Our results are significant improvement on results of Jung (2007) and Panyanak and Suantai (2020).
Experimental Study on the Damage of Artificial Fracture Permeability in Coal during the Flow Back of Guar-Based Fracturing Fluid
Authors: Liu Shenggui , Huang Jinkuang , Tang Songlei , Shi Shixiong , Wu Xuan , Liu Xin
Published: April 2020

After the completion of fracturing operation in coalbed methane (CBM), the fracturing fluid needs to flow back to the ground in time to reduce the damage to the coal reservoir. The damage of guar-based fracturing fluid to the coal reservoir has an adverse effect on the fracturing stimulation. A series of flow experiments were carried out with the unconventional natural gas reservoir damage evaluation equipment. This paper investigates the evolution of fracture permeability in coal samples during the process of hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) fracturing fluid flow back. The experimental results show that the fracturing fluid concentration, proppant type, proppant particle size, and proppant concentration all affect fracture permeability. The high concentration of fracturing fluid caused irreversible damage to fracture permeability of coal samples. With the increase of fracturing fluid concentration, the permeability damage rate increased from 65.31% to 84.57%, and the damage degree was strong. KCL brine flushing can only decrease the damage rate of coal sample fracture permeability within a certain range. The proppant embedment and the generation of pulverized coal exacerbated the damage of fracture permeability. The research results can be beneficial for optimizing the type and performance of fracturing fluid for hydraulic fracturing in CBM reservoir.
Prognostic Implications of Resistive Reserve Ratio in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Lee Seung Hun , Lee Joo Myung , Park Jonghanne , Choi Ki Hong , Hwang Doyeon , Doh Joon‐Hyung , Nam Chang‐Wook , Shin Eun‐Seok , Hoshino Masahiro , Murai Tadashi , Yonetsu Taishi , Mejía‐Rentería Hernán , Kakuta Tsunekazu , Escaned Javier ,   the International Collaboration of Comprehensive Physiologic Assessment Investigators
Published: April 2020

Background

Resistive reserve ratio is a thermodilution‐based index which integrates both coronary flow and pressure. Resistive reserve ratio represents the vasodilatory capacity of interrogated vessels including both epicardial coronary artery and microvascular circulation. We evaluated the prognostic potential of resistive reserve ratio compared with pressure‐derived index (fractional flow reserve [
FFR
]) or flow‐derived index (coronary flow reserve [
CFR
]).

Methods and Results

A total of 1245 patients underwent coronary pressure and flow measurement using pressure‐temperature wire. Resistive reserve ratio was calculated by
CFR
adjusted using the ratio between resting and hyperemic distal coronary pressure ([resting mean transit time/hyperemic mean transit time]×[resting distal coronary pressure/hyperemic distal coronary pressure]). Clinical outcome was assessed by patient‐oriented composite outcome (
POCO
), a composite of any death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization at 5 years. At 5 years, the cumulative incidence of
POCO
was significantly different according to quartiles of resistive reserve ratio (9.9%, 11.3%, 17.2%, and 22.7% in quartiles 1 to 4, respectively, log rank
P
<0.001). Among patients with deferred revascularization, those with depressed resistive reserve ratio (<3.5) showed a significantly higher risk of
POCO
than those with preserved resistive reserve ratio (≥3.5) in patients with
FFR
>0.80 or patients with
CFR
>2.0. (
FFR
>0.80 group: 14.8% versus 6.0%; log rank
P
=0.001;
CFR
>2.0 group: 13.5% versus 7.1%; log rank
P
=0.045). Adding resistive reserve ratio into the model for 5‐year
POCO
showed significantly higher global Chi square value than
FFR
or
CFR
(
P
<0.001, respectively, for
FFR
and
CFR
). Resistive reserve ratio <3.5 was significantly associated with the risk of
POCO
at 5 years in multivariable model (adjusted hazard ratio 1.597, 95%
CI
, 1.098–2.271,
P
=0.014).

Conclusions

Resistive reserve ratio, which integrated both coronary flow and pressure, showed incremental prognostic implications in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention guided by invasive physiologic evaluation.

Registration

URL
:
https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov
; Unique identifier:
NCT
03690713.
Regionalizing Tourism through Transfrontier Conservation: Implications for Local Development in Southern Africa
Authors: Noe Christine
Published: April 2020

The term ‘region’ no longer functions to denote a strictly geographical or spatial reference (Söderbaum, 2003). Owing to the radical shift in the conception of regions, their role in promoting local development has likewise changed drastically over time. Nowadays regions are conceived as multi-dimensional networks that emerge through partnerships between states and non-state actors, linking together local and foreign individuals and companies, powerful and powerless individuals and their communities. Rather than existing as bounded spatial expanses per se, regions in this expanded sense are fluid, continually constructed and deconstructed by the practices of these different partners and therefore their parameters are in perpetual flux. This paper explores how the practices of nature conservation and the promotion of nature-based tourism have contributed to the creation of new regions in this sense. The paper applies the case of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and their constructions as cross-border regions of significance for promoting tourism. The paper draws some insights from studies that have examined transfrontier tourism to demonstrate how different actors have acquired political support and legitimacy for promoting cross-border tourism but that on-the-ground experiences have not matched the claims that tourism promotes local development. The main argument of the paper is that regional-wide conservation initiatives through which cross-border tourism is promoted by different partners have had spatial implications that are largely associated with various kinds of local livelihood (in) securities.
Ultrastructural X-ray scattering studies of tropical and temperate hardwoods used as tonewoods
Authors: Viljanen Mira , Ahvenainen Patrik , Penttilä Paavo , Help Hanna , Svedström Kirsi
Published: April 2020

The structure of hardwoods representing eight tropical and five temperate species was characterized from the atomistic level up to the cellular level using X-ray scattering, X-ray microtomography and light microscopy. The species were chosen for this study based on their popularity as tonewoods. The ultrastructure of wood cell walls, including crystallite size, orientation and close-range order of cellulose microfibrils were determined by small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, WAXS). The SAXS patterns were interpreted by using an analytical model of cylinders packed in a hexagonal close-range order with paracrystalline distortion. The values for the cylinder diameters given by this model were compared to the average crystallite widths obtained by WAXS using the Scherrer equation. In six out of 26 samples, all of these representing tropical species used especially in fretboard parts of electric guitars, large differences between these two sizes were obtained. The WAXS and microscopy results of these samples corresponded to tension wood structures. These comparisons and interpretations of SAXS results have not been previously presented for any tropical hardwoods, especially related to those containing tension wood tissue. The importance of the ultrastructural characterization was highlighted in this study in the case of tropical hardwood samples.
Philology for an Enchanted World: Motoori Norinaga and the Study of Japanese Language and Literature in Early Modern Japan
Authors: Bushelle Emi Foulk
Published: April 2020

This article focuses on a pioneering figure in the philological study of language and literature in early modern Japan, Motoori Norinaga 本居宣長 (1730–1801). In his studies of Japan’s “ancient Way,” Norinaga describes the correct understanding of the syntactical elements of the ancient Japanese language as a way to restore a lost sense of the world as enchanted, the abode of powerful presences known as kami. For Norinaga, the study of Japan’s ancient literature and language was thus situated within a broader interpretive framework. This article will show how philology contributed to the configuration of this framework as the method by which the disciplined individual was empowered to retrieve a lost sense of enchantment. As such, it takes the position that Norinaga’s philological restoration of enchantment is best understood as a re-enchantment, an attempt to transcend (early) modern disenchantment.
Mixed Bioconvective Flow Over a Wedge in Porous Media Drenched with a Nanofluid
Authors: Chamkha Ali J. , Nabwey Hossam A. , Abdelrahman Z.M.A. , Rashad A.M.
Published: April 2020

A mathematical model is accentuated the mixed bioconvective flow on a vertical wedge in a Darcy porous medium filled with a nanofluid containing both nanoparticles and gyrotactic microorganisms. Thermophoresis and Brownian motion impacts are addressed to consolidate energy and concentration
equations with passivelycontrolled boundary conditions. A mixed convective parameter for the whole regime of the mixed convective is appointed. The system of governing partial differential equations is converted into a non-similar set, which are then solved by an implicit finite difference
method. By taking the impacts of the varying pertinent parameters, namely, the bioconvection nanofluids and wedge angle parameters in the entire mixed convection regime, the numerical results are analyzed graphically for the dimensionless the velocity, temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction
and the density motile microorganisms profiles as well as the local Nusselt and motile microorganism numbers.
Predicting success in the performing arts: Ballet and music
Authors: Jankovic Marija , Bogaerts Stefan
Published: April 2020

Besides innate dancing or musical predispositions, other factors contributing to success in these highly competitive domains are important to investigate. The present study examined the role of personality and intelligence in ballet and musical school performance. Data were obtained from 155 high school ballet ( n = 75) and music ( n = 80) students in Serbia (75% females, mean age = 16.12, SD = 1.14). Personality traits were assessed with the Big Five Inventory, and intelligence was assessed with the Cybernetic Intelligence Tests Battery, which measures perceptual, verbal, and spatial abilities. A hierarchical multiple regression was computed to investigate if ballet or musical success could be predicted by personality traits and intelligence. Personality traits and intelligence explained 26% of the variance in ballet success and 35% of the variance in musical success. Conscientiousness and general intelligence predicted both ballet and musical success. Low neuroticism and perceptual abilities contributed significantly to the prediction of a successful musical performance, whereas spatial skills had an important role in successful ballet achievement. This study adds to the understanding of the role of personality and intelligence in performing arts efficacy.
Beyond intersubjectivity in olfactory psychophysics II: Troubles with the Object
Authors: Alač Morana
Published: April 2020

This article takes advantage of the sense of smell’s peculiar spatiality to reflect on how we may render our engagement with the world other than through manipulating well-defined objects. The lived spatiality associated with olfaction is not reducible to the known parameters of ‘distant observation’ and ‘reaching toward’, familiar from the visual and tactile modalities. Instead, olfactory spatiality is one of immersion: Odors ask us to give up our dominance while we continue to be involved. The article attends to this immersive quality of the sense of smell by tracing multimodal, embodied qualities of mundane events in a laboratory of olfactory psychophysics, also considering the spatial organization of laboratory chambers, and how researchers fashion their bodies while they recognize the frailty of their enterprise. To engage these complexities, the article illustrates an exercise in experimenting with re-production, re-enactment and re-experiencing. While the exercise functions as a reflection on how to orient a laboratory study to non-ocular dimensions of science, the article, in parallel, enquires into semiotic articulations of smell experiences. By pointing out how smell language, rather than being ‘mute’, speaks the spatial quality of our olfactory experiences, it concludes the argument against the olfactory ineffability, initiated in the sister essay on ‘troubles with the Subject’.
Working capital dynamics
Authors: Chauhan Gaurav Singh
Published: April 2020

We assess short-run variations in firms’ working capital allocations in light of finding persistence in these allocations in the recent literature. Specifically, we study the extent and speed of mean reversion in firms’ working capital allocations to evaluate if firms tend to follow firm-specific value-maximizing optimal allocations. Furthermore, we assess whether and to what extent firms trade off their working capital to accommodate capital expenditure shocks. While we find frequent inter-temporal offsetting movements in working capital allocations in the short run, we do not find evidence of a systematic trade-off between working capital and fixed asset investments.

JEL Classification: G30, G31, G32
Kinematic calibration of the 3-degree-of-freedom redundantly actuated spatial parallel module of a five-axis hybrid machine
Authors: Luo Xuan , Xie Fugui , Liu Xin-Jun
Published: April 2020

As a new type of manufacturing equipment, redundant hybrid machines have the theoretical advantage over the traditional serial machines in efficiently processing large structural parts with high material removal ratio and complex parts with curved surfaces. In order to solve the accuracy problem of the redundantly actuated spatial parallel module of a five-axis hybrid machine, an improved kinematic calibration method is proposed in this article. First, different from error modeling for the corresponding non-redundant parallel module, the geometric error model of the redundantly actuated spatial parallel module considers the deformations at active joints caused by actuation redundancy as an error source. Then, the applicable error model is developed using projection technique to remove the need of active joints’ stiffness measurement or modeling. Later, the practical error model is derived from model reduction method to avoid using additional sensors or gratings. Finally, three forms of relative measurement and step identification are adopted for the calibration work, and the bilinear interpolation compensation function is introduced to ensure the calibration effect. On this basis, the kinematic calibration of the redundantly actuated spatial parallel module is conducted. The max position errors are reduced from original −0.192 to 0.075 mm after RM1 and SI1, and then further reduced to 0.014 mm after bilinear interpolation compensation, while the max orientation errors are reduced from −0.017° and 0.249° to −0.005° and −0.007° after RM2 and SI2, and RM3 and SI3, respectively. A contrasting experiment is also carried out with the previous method for the corresponding non-redundant parallel module. As a result, the proposed method shows better convergence value and speed in identifying error parameters, and therefore the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method for the redundantly actuated spatial parallel module are validated.
Non-performing Assets and Profitability: Case of Indian Banking Sector
Authors: Gaur Dolly , Mohapatra Dipti Ranjan
Published: April 2020

At present, the Indian banking sector is facing an arduous time in the form of an increasing trend in non-performing assets (NPAs), which is testing its strength and resilience. The present study aims to explore the NPA–profitability relationship for the Indian banking sector, so as to determine the gravity of the impact that NPAs have on bank profitability. Further, other bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic factors impacting banking profits have been taken under consideration. A balanced panel data set comprising 37 scheduled commercial banks of India over a time frame of 14 years (2005–2018) has been used for the purpose of required analysis. Conclusions have been drawn employing fixed effect and random effect panel regression models. Due to the presence of heteroskedasticity, results for robust standard error have been reported. A highly negative correlation exists between NPA and the two profitability measures return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The results of this study have established NPA as the major detractor of banking industry’s profits because NPA carries the most negative regression coefficient which is highly significant. It implies that declining credit quality hampers banks’ performance and leads to their collapse.
Book review: Gyanendra Mani, P. K. Joshi, and M. V. Ashok (Eds.). 2017. Financing Agriculture Value Chains in India: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Choudhary Bhanu Pratap Singh
Published: April 2020

Gyanendra Mani, P. K. Joshi, and M. V. Ashok (Eds.). 2017. Financing Agriculture Value Chains in India: Challenges and Opportunities. Springer, 268 pp., €89.99. ISBN: 978-981-10-5956-8.
Culture Moderates the Normative and Distinctive Impact of Parents and Similarity on Young Adults’ Partner Preferences
Authors: Locke Kenneth D. , Barni Daniela , Morio Hiroaki , MacDonald Geoff , Mastor Khairul A. , de Jesús Vargas-Flores José , Ibáñez-Reyes Joselina , Reyes Jose Alberto S. , Kamble Shanmukh , Ortiz Fernando A.
Published: April 2020

To examine cultural, parental, and personal sources of young adults’ long-term romantic partner preferences, we had undergraduates ( n = 2,071) and their parents ( n = 1,851) in eight countries (Canada, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, Philippines, the United States) rate or rank qualities they would want in the student’s partner. We introduce and use a method for separating preference patterns into normative patterns (shared across families and generations) and distinctive patterns (that characterized particular families or individuals). We found that youth everywhere wanted partners who aligned with both their own dispositions and their parents’ preferences, and these alignments reflected both culturally normative preferences and preferences distinctive to specific individuals or families. Students also predicted their parents’ responses: Their predictions were reasonably accurate reflections of what a typical parent prefers, but also reflected distinctive assumed agreement (i.e., they overestimated the degree to which their particular parents shared their particular preferences for qualities that diverged from culturally normative ideals). Culturally normative patterns exerted a stronger influence on actual or assumed parent–child agreement and accuracy in relatively collectivistic Southeast Asia (Philippines and Malaysia) than in relatively individualistic English-speaking North America (the United States and Canada). Conversely, preferences for partners who shared one’s distinctive personal dispositions were stronger in Western than Asian countries.
Collaborative cardiovascular management of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia on tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Kondapalli Lavanya , Worth Sarah , Hawi Riem , Vachhani Pankit , Arora Garima , Bhatia Ravi , Lenneman Carrie G
Published: April 2020

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of the BCR-ABL fusion protein have dramatically changed the mortality of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) but they carry a risk of serious vascular morbidity. While TKIs do not cure CML, daily oral administration of a TKI can control CML and TKIs are chronic medications. Interestingly, vascular complications can occur at any time a patient is on a TKI. Therefore, it is imperative that all care team members and patients are aware of and watching for possible vascular complications. In the following review, a case of arterial thrombosis secondary to the TKI ponatinib is presented as well as a discussion of thrombotic and vascular adverse events reported with TKIs. TKIs are metabolized through the cytochrome P450 system and important drug interactions to consider are reviewed. Finally, we present a multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with CML on TKIs.
Neovascularization in carotid atherosclerotic plaques can be effectively evaluated by superb microvascular imaging (SMI): Initial experience
Authors: Chen Xuanjia , Wang Hongyan , Jiang Yuxin , Li Jianchu , Li Na , Kong Jing , Zhang Xiaoyan , Ye Wei , Zhao Dachun , Cai Siman
Published: April 2020

The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the amount of blood flow in the area of neovascularization within a carotid atherosclerotic plaque by superb microvascular imaging (SMI) and the microvessel density (MVD) determined by histopathological staining. Twenty-eight carotid atherosclerotic plaques were detected by SMI in 28 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. SMI was graded according to the visual methods as follows: grade I: no appearance of neovascularization within the plaque; grade II: punctate neovascularization; grade III: one or two linear neovascularizations within the plaque; and grade IV: multiple (> 2) linear neovascularizations throughout the plaque. The neovascularization density was determined by the CD31 complex staining method. There was a significant correlation between the density of neovascularization in histopathologic plaques and the blood flow grade found by SMI ( r = 0.788, p < 0.001). A significant difference was observed in SMI blood flow grade between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups (χ2 = 2.634, p = 0.036). The MVD of plaques in the symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic group ( t = 2.530, p = 0.018). The SMI-based classification was positively correlated with plaque thickness. SMI, which is a new nonultrasound contrast-enhanced imaging method, can effectively evaluate neovascularization in carotid atherosclerotic plaques and can be used as a novel method for the clinical prediction of stroke risk.
Post-traumatic growth among 5195 adolescents at 8.5 years after exposure to the Wenchuan earthquake: Roles of post-traumatic stress disorder and self-esteem
Authors: Tang Wanjie , Wang Yan , Lu Li , Lu Yi , Xu Jiuping
Published: April 2020

We evaluated the level of post-traumatic growth in a large sample of Chinese adolescent earthquake survivors ( n = 5195) and relationships among self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, and post-traumatic growth. This cross-sectional study indicated that the prevalence of post-traumatic growth among adolescent survivors was 14.8 percent. Post-traumatic growth was independently associated with self-esteem, severity of exposures, and avoidance facets of post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder was found to be partially mediated by self-esteem on post-traumatic growth; and post-traumatic stress disorder was also a mediator between earthquake exposure and post-traumatic growth. This study suggests that future longitudinal research and clinical practice should test whether promoting self-esteem can enhance post-traumatic stress disorder treatment.
Predicting perceptions of incivility across 20 news comment sections
Authors: Van Duyn Emily , Muddiman Ashley
Published: April 2020

Research on incivility has focused on individual differences or message characteristics that affect perceptions of incivility. Given the potential consequences of incivility in news spaces, it is essential to extend research on incivility perceptions to characteristics of digital news environments. We explore how the perception and availability of comment section features (i.e. comment moderation and anonymity), as well as a feeling of connection with a comment section community, relate to commenters and comment readers’ incivility perceptions. By recruiting survey respondents from a population of individuals who read or post comments on one of 20 diverse news sites, we demonstrate that features of commenting spaces, and especially the feelings of connection formed in those spaces, relate to perceptions of incivility. We find that perceptions of comment section features relate to perceptions of incivility more so than the actual availability of these features. Our findings offer implications for newsrooms looking to foster perceptions of civility in comment sections and protect the value of their journalism.
NOISY FIELD EXPOSURES, or what comes before attunement
Authors: Zhang Vickie
Published: April 2020

Before attunement comes exposure, the necessary fact of being a body. This photo essay is a play on two meanings of the word exposure: corporeal exposure and photographic exposure. I offer the latter in order to stay with moments of the former, exposing multiple scenes of misattunement from fieldwork in a small country town in regional Australia. Picking up the classic distinction in information theory between signal and noise, this piece pauses at the moment of indeterminacy before an event might be affirmed as valuable signal or discarded as unwanted static, weaving stories and images from the field with excerpts from Michel Serres’ The Parasite, Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida and Paul Harrison’s essay on Corporeal Remains. Ultimately, this essay’s suggestion is that ‘attunement’ is not primarily about attunement. Instead, as a methodological principle, I offer that attunement initially – and sufficiently – gestures towards an attempt, a vulnerability and a commitment to the event of exposure.
Utilizing personal values to explain people’s attitudes towards legal norms
Authors: Bilsky Wolfgang , Borg Ingwer , Hermann Dieter
Published: April 2020

The aim of this study is to clarify whether personal values explain delinquents’ and non-delinquents’ general attitudes towards legal norms. We expect that 10 basic personal values form a circular scale common to all individuals, both delinquents and non-delinquents, that people’s ratings of the importance of these 10 values predict their norm acceptance in a sinusoidal way, with higher predictability for delinquents, and that the correlations of personal values with norm acceptance are highest for those delinquents with a broad spectrum of offences. Finally, we expect that gender does not have an impact on these profiles, whereas controlling for age does. Our analyses are based on four studies on community crime prevention. The results are in line with the above expectations.
Trust trumps comprehension, visceral factors trump all: A psychological cascade constraining informed consent to clinical trials: A qualitative study with stable patients
Authors: Rost Michael , Nast Rebecca , Elger Bernice S , Shaw David
Published: April 2020

This paper addresses psychological factors that might interfere with informed consent on the part of stable patients as potential early-phase clinical trial participants. Thirty-six semistructured interviews with patients who had either diabetes or gout were conducted. We investigated stable patients’ attitudes towards participating in a fictitious first-in-human trial of a novel intervention. We focused on an in-depth analysis of those statements and explanations that indicated the existence of psychological factors impairing decision-making capacity. Three main themes emerged: insufficient comprehension of the inherent logic of clinical trials (actual comprehension), the recourse to trust over comprehension (prioritization of trust), and visceral factors that override deliberative process (visceral factors). Overall, our results indicate a limited psychological capacity on the part of stable patients to meet the requirements of informed consent as set by Declaration of Helsinki. A redesigned informed consent procedure should take account of these psychological realities.
A comparative analysis of children’s time use and educational achievement: Assessing evidence from China, Japan and the United States
Authors: Nakamura Ryosuke , Yamashita Jun , Akabayashi Hideo , Tamura Teruyuki , Zhou Yang
Published: April 2020

Various forms of empirical evidence suggest that parental socioeconomic status (SES) is strongly related to educational outcomes and many countries attempt to close achievement gaps among children. Parenting practice is one important mechanism through which educational inequality emerges across families with different SES. In this paper, we show that the class gap in children’s time use and academic achievements reflects parenting styles and parental practices stratified by parental SES by comparatively investigating the cases of China, Japan, and the USA, drawing on three sets of nationally representative longitudinal data. We find that for children aged 10–15 in China, parental SES has a strong impact on children's homework time and academic performance. Similar patterns are found in the results of 10–15-year-old children in Japan; however, homework time more weakly relates to the parents' education level. Moreover, restricting the samples to 14-year-old children and comparing the three countries, we find that the test score gap among parental SES is the largest in the USA; to fill the gap in math test scores between the first and fourth income quartiles, a sizable number of additional hours spent on homework are needed in the USA, compared to China and Japan.
Gender differences in educational outcomes and the effect of family background: A comparative perspective from East Asia
Authors: Akabayashi Hideo , Nozaki Kayo , Yukawa Shiho , Li Wangyang
Published: April 2020

There is wide variation in the degree of gender gap in test scores around the world, suggesting the strong influence of institutions, culture and inequality. We present comparative evidence on the gender gap in educational achievement in China, Japan, and the USA, with an emphasis on the gender-specific effect of parental income and education, and the child’s own preferences for study subjects. We used three major national representative longitudinal surveys with rich information about cognitive outcome measures of respondent children as well as educational investment and parental socio-economic status that allow us to analyze their inter-relationship. We found that low household income tends to have more adverse effects on language test scores for boys than for girls in the USA, as is consistent with previous studies. However, it does not have an impact on gender gap in test scores in China and tends to affect girls more adversely than boys in Japan.