bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of polyamide 6 on the mechanical behavior of thermoplastic polyurethanes/polyamide 6 blends
Authors: Pham Nga Thi-Hong
Published: August 2021

Ductility and tensile strength are among the basic mechanical properties of polymers. Generally, it is difficult to enhance the ductility without significantly reducing the tensile strength. In this study, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is mixed with 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, and 12.5% polyamide 6 (PA6). The results show that the sample containing 100% TPU has the largest elongation of 690.5%. When PA6 is added, the elongation decreases gradually to 635.0%, 623.1%, 529.5%, 476.0%, 391.3%, and 242.8%, corresponding to 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5%, and 100% PA6, respectively. The tensile strengths are 36.7, 33.8, 29.4, 26.5, 23.1, and 24.9 MPa, corresponding to 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, and 12.5% PA6 samples, respectively. The tensile strength decreases gradually when the PA6 content is increased. Notably, the tensile strength of the 12.5% PA6 sample increases compared to the 10% PA6 sample. In addition, the hardness of the TPU/PA blend increases slightly as the PA6 ratio is increased. Finally, scanning electron microscope images demonstrate that PA6 particles act as particles dispersed or dissolved in TPU/PA blends.
An IMM-based POMDP decision algorithm using collision-risk function in mandatory lane change
Authors: Huang Yunfeng , Zhao Wanzhong , Xu Can , Zou Songchun , Zhang Han
Published: August 2021

In order to make safe and reasonable decisions in some high-risk environments such as the mandatory lane change, we propose an IMM-based partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) decision algorithm using the collision-risk function which combines the time-to-collision (TTC), the intervehicular time (IT), and the collision function for mandatory lane change. The newly proposed collision-risk function contains two parts: the vehicle impact factor and the collision function, which is used to assess the risk and determines whether the autonomous vehicle collides with surrounding vehicles. The IMM-base POMDP is used for decision-making and we apply the Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) to solve the problem. In the decision-making process, the belief state is obtained by the Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) algorithm. With the collision-risk function and the probability distribution of the states of surrounding vehicles in the future, the proposed POMDP decision algorithm can determine whether the autonomous vehicle accelerates lane changing or decelerates lane changing, and obtain the acceleration corresponding to each path point. Finally, in order to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm, we perform a driver-in-the-loop simulation through Prescan. We use aggressive driver and conservative driver to control the rear vehicle of the target lane, respectively. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can accurately predict the accelerations of surrounding vehicles and make safe and reasonable decisions under two scenarios, which is superior to the general POMDP.
Experimental and numerical study of turbulent flow and thermal behavior of automotive brake disc under repetitive braking
Authors: Jafari Rahim , Erkılıç Kaan T , Tekin Ozan , Akyüz Recep , Gürer Mehmet
Published: August 2021

The frictional brake system is the most safety critical equipment to decelerate or stop a vehicle. Thermal performance of the frictional region parts, disc and pads, necessitates to evaluate precisely in the design and test steps. In this study, a brake test setup was designed and fabricated with exactly the same braking components used in a common passenger vehicle as disc, pads, rim, tire, and dust shield to simulate the sequential braking. The local temperature on the disc and pads and the brake fluid pressure were measured. In addition, a three dimensional numerical model was designed to simulate the aerodynamics and thermal performance of the braking in detail. Finite element method was employed to simulate the frictional heat between the brake disc and the pads. The results showed that although the velocity of mainstream airflow reduces significantly into the rim, turbulent flow develops in the form of eddies of swirling airflow. Additionally, transient temperature distribution on the braking components was predicted. The cooling vanes in the brake disc have considerably enhanced the convection heat transfer. The amount of convective heat transfer on the inner radial vanes was more than 58% of the total amount of convective heat transfer.
Airfoil lift calculation using wind tunnel wall pressures
Authors: Oruganti Sreevishnu , Narsipur Shreyas
Published: August 2021

An experimental method to calculate lift using static pressure ports on the wind tunnel walls and its associated limits has been explored in this article. While the wall-pressure measurement (WPM) technique for lift calculation has been implemented by other researchers, there is a lack of literature on the sensitivity of the WPM method to airfoil chord length, model thickness, surface roughness, and freestream conditions. Chord sensitivity studies showed that the airfoil chord to test section length ratio plays an important role in the accuracy of the measurements. Models need to be appropriately sized for optimum performance of the WPM method. Additionally, choosing the correct scaling ratio also ensures independence of lift measurements from freestream Reynolds number conditions. Finally, a combination of symmetric and cambered airfoils with thicknesses varying from 6 % − 21 % were tested and successfully validated against reference data for a freestream chord Reynolds number range of 100,000 to 550,000. The WPM method was found to be sensitive to varying surface flow conditions and airfoil thickness and has been shown to be a viable replacement to traditional lift measurement techniques using load balances or airfoils with surface pressure ports.
Impact of recurrent sexually transmitted infections on HIV seroconversion: Results from multi-state frailty models
Authors: Wand Handan , Moodley Jayajothi , Reddy Tarylee , Naidoo Sarita
Published: August 2021

After several decades of research, South Africa is still considered to be the epicentre of HIV epidemic. The country also has the highest burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) which have been frequently linked to increasing rates of HIV transmission due to biological and behavioural associations between these two pathogeneses. We investigated the cumulative impact of recurrent STIs on subsequent HIV seroconversion among a cohort of South African women. We used the ‘ frailty’ models which can account for the heterogeneity due to the recurrent STIs in a longitudinal setting. The lowest HIV incidence rate was 5.0/100 person-year among women who had no baseline STI and remained negative during the follow-up. This estimate was three times higher among those who had recurrent STIs in the follow-up period regardless of their STI status at baseline (15.8 and 14.0/100 person-year for women with and without STI diagnosis at baseline, respectively). Besides younger age and certain partnership characteristics, our data provided compelling evidence for the impact of recurrent STI. diagnoses on increasing rates of HIV. At the population-level, 65% of HIV infections collectively associated with recurrent STIs. These results have significant clinical and epidemiological implications and may play critical role in the trajectory of the infections in the region.
Invasive Microsporum canis infection as a presenting complaint of late-diagnosed HIV infection
Authors: Xia Xiu-Jiao , Liu Ze-Hu
Published: August 2021

A 43-year-old male barber presented with 1 year history of a painful, itchy plaque on the dorsal hand. Microsporum canis was recovered from pus of the lesion. Serologic testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody was positive, with a CD4+ count of 81 cells per cubic millimeter. Invasive cutaneous Microsporum canis infection is uncommon and can be suggestive of HIV infection or other conditions of immunocompromise.
Chlamydia trachomatis anorectal infections by LGV (L1, L2 and L2b) and non-LGV serotypes in symptomatic patients in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Authors: La Rosa Luciana , Svidler López Laura , Entrocassi Andrea C , López Aquino Deysi , Caffarena Dolores , Büttner Karina A , Gallo Vaulet María L , Rodríguez Fermepin Marcelo
Published: August 2021

Background

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) can infect the anorectum producing various signs and symptoms. There is scarce literature regarding the differences between LGV and non-LGV CT anorectal manifestations. We compare the clinical spectrum of LGV and non-LGV infections.

Methods

Patients over 18 years with presumptive infectious anorectal symptoms were examined in two healthcare centres in Buenos Aires. The patients were studied and treated according to current sexually transmitted infection guidelines. Anorectal swabs were collected to detect and genotype CT.

Results

A three-year-long study on 317 patients with anorectal symptoms showed 45.11% CT infection (85% LGV strains). Of 140 samples, 92 were sequenced: 80/119 LGV (L2b 45%, L1 32.5% and L2 22.5%) and 12/21 non-LGV. Older age and HIV+ status were significantly higher in the LGV group. Anal discharge, bleeding, severe proctitis and anal ulcers were more common in the LGV group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that HIV infection, anorectal bleeding and oro-anal sex are independent predictors of LGV infection.

Conclusions

In patients with anorectal symptoms, LGV serovars predominate over non-LGV ones. Clinical manifestations are not pathognomonic of a specific biovar. If genotyping is not available, having clinical predictors may help to presume an LGV infection and define length of treatment.
Middle-class interests, redistribution and the postwar success and failure of the solidaristic welfare state
Authors: Oude Nijhuis Dennie
Published: August 2021

According to the conventional view of over three decades of research on the welfare state, the postwar success of solidaristic welfare reform depended on the left’s ability to ‘tailor’ to middle-class interests or at least ‘synthesize’ working- and middle-class demands. This article offers a different perspective on the dynamics of postwar solidaristic welfare reform. It argues that key middle-class groups such as skilled wage earners often had a strong incentive to oppose such reform but were not always well-positioned to do so. The article distinguishes between two main avenues through which they could exert political influence and argues that their ability to mobilize against solidaristic welfare reform depended primarily on the structure of the labour union movement. The article illustrates its claims by contrasting the postwar success of solidaristic old-age pension reform in Belgium and the Netherlands with its failure in Britain and Germany.
Experimental and artificial neural network approach for prediction of dynamic mechanical behavior of sisal/glass hybrid composites
Authors: Ornaghi Heitor Luiz , Monticeli Francisco M , Neves Roberta Motta , Zattera Ademir José , Amico Sandro Campos
Published: August 2021

The dynamic mechanical behavior (storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan δ) of hybrid sisal/glass composites was investigated in the temperature range of 30–210 °C, for two different volume percentages of reinforcement along with the different ratios of sisal and glass fibers. Based on the experimental outcome, an artificial neural network (ANN) approach was used to predict the dynamic mechanical properties followed by a surface response methodology (SRM). The ANN analysis showed an excellent fit with the storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan δ experimental data. In addition, the fitted curves with the ANN approach were used to propose equations based on SRM. The simulation result has shown that the ANN is a potential mathematical tool for the structure–property correlation for polymer composites and may help researchers in the development and application of their data, reducing the need for long experimental campaigns.
Missing persons and World War II: Between personal and national loss
Authors: Darmon Malka Tehila
Published: August 2021

World War II caused a significant problem of missing persons. It is estimated that it resulted in between 8 and 10 million missing in Europe alone. This article examines three categories of missing – civilians, children, and Jews – and assesses the phenomenon’s short-term effects. Facing the need to deal with the problem, the Allied armies and the humanitarian organizations came to the realization that it must be dealt with as an issue with political implications. It is suggested that missing persons should be included as a third category in the results of the war, in addition to the living and the dead.
Augmentation of low frequency damping via hydrogen-doping in a hybrid shape memory alloy composite
Authors: Nagrale Shashank , Brown Avery D , Bakis Charles E , Hamilton Reginald F
Published: August 2021

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites hybridized with hydrogen-doped NiTi wires can be used to design structures requiring high stiffness and high damping in the low frequency range, such as helicopter blades. The current work investigates aging and hydrogen-doping for high damping without hydrogen embrittlement. We establish a hydrogenation treatment that (i) results in a response that is repeatable in the martensitic phase and after exposure to composite processing temperatures and (ii) increases the loss factor in NiTi wires by nearly 470%. By embedding H-doped wires exhibiting the highest damping into the interlayers of a [0/±45]s carbon/epoxy laminate at a volume fraction of 0.1, the hybrid NiTi-CFRP composite loss factor increases by 170%. The measured dynamic properties were found to be close to micromechanical predictions based on the properties of the NiTi and CFRP.
Psychological Distress in Patients with COVID-19 During Hospitalization
Authors: Yıldırım Nazmiye , Dayılar Candan Hatice , İnan Abdurrahman Hamdi
Published: August 2021

To determine the changes in psychological distress levels of patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of COVID-19 and the characteristics of patients at risk. This longitudinal study included 76 patients. The psychological distress was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale thrice (on the 1st day of hospitalization and isolation ( t0), sixth day ( t1), and when the discharge decision was made). The prevalence of anxiety was 22.4%, 14.5%, and 9.2%, whereas the prevalence of depression was 36.8%, 42.1%, and 43.4% at t0, t1, and t2, respectively. The patients’ anxiety level decreased, whereas the depression level increased during hospitalization ( p < .001). Increasing age, a chronic physical disease, and at least one COVID-19-positive relative increased the risk of psychological distress ( p < .05). The assessment and intervention of psychological distress should not be neglected in patients with COVID-19, particularly the group determined to be at a risk.
Applying the PAI Treatment Process Index to PAI-As Completed by Adolescents in a Residential Program
Authors: Charles Nora E. , Floyd Paula N. , Bullerjahn Margaret R. , Sigurdson Lydia , Barry Christopher T.
Published: August 2021

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Treatment Process Index (TPI) is a measure of treatment amenability based on an index of factors related to poor treatment outcomes (e.g., hostility, lack of social support, and poor impulse control). In this study, the formula used to calculate the TPI for the adult PAI was applied to PAI-Adolescent (PAI-As) protoocols completed by 372 adolescents (mean age: 16.8 years; 80% male) during a 22-week residential program for at-risk youth. The number of disciplinary infractions received during the program was used as an indicator of the participants’ response to the program. Average PAI-A scale scores and TPI scores were higher than those previously reported for community samples, but lower than those found in clinical samples. TPI scores were positively associated with disciplinary infractions, particularly nonaggressive infractions, when controlling for demographic factors and other clinically relevant variables. Results suggest that the the TPI has relevance for adolescents completing the PAI-A.
Disruptions of Post-Qualitative Education Research: Tensions and Openings
Authors: Young Tracy , Crinall Sarah , Malone Karen
Published: August 2021

This article speaks up for those who are feeling unheard as post-qualitative inquirers. It also speaks with hope, helpfully, to those in positions of supervision and mentorship to help student researchers work across post paradigms, becoming allies with those who are attempting to experiment with new theory, figurative forms, and processes. Addressing some of the tensions we have experienced between traditional qualitative and emerging post-qualitative researchers enables us to specifically name disruptions that block, silence, and misalign. We also share openings as possibilities that remain with the tension and do not offer advice or recipes to follow. This is exactly the type of reductive process that post-qualitative research is trying to circumnavigate. In the hullabaloo, this article is a clarion call for the academy to open up education research and make room for researchers who are unbounded by the invented rules of humanist tradition and familiarity.
Moving Service Research Forward
Authors: Huang Ming-Hui , Malthouse Edward , Noble Stephanie , Wetzels Martin
Published: August 2021

This editorial outlines the vision that the new Journal of Service Research editorial team has about moving service research forward, which requires more than just duplicating the service research of the past. We encourage authors to be forward-looking and futuristic in their orientation. In this way, JSR can help guide the service research of the future.
Effect of concentrated Butt-Joints on flexural properties of laminated Bamboo-Timber flitch beams
Authors: Zhang Hexin , Gharavi Niaz , Wong Simon HF , Deng Yu , Bahadori-Jahromi Ali , Limkatanyu Suchart , Qiao Yao , Kuang JS
Published: August 2021

This paper presents the experimental and analytical studies to investigate the effect of concentrated butt-joints on the flexural properties of laminated bamboo-timber flitch beam (BTFB, or bio-flitch beam). The experimental results reveal that the concentrated butt-joints significantly reduce the flexural strength of the BTFB. They also suggest that the failure mechanism of the BTFB with or without concentrated butt-joints are completely different but less evidence shows an obvious effect of the butt-joints on the modulus of elasticity in bending. In addition, laminated bamboo lumber with concentrated butt-joints is found to be unsuitable for structural applications. The analytical predictions are in close agreement with the experimental results that demonstrate the potentials of the proposed analytical model as a forensic investigation instrument to estimate the strength reduction of the structure, if the butt-jointed laminated bamboo was, unfortunately, used in construction.
Central retinal thickness fluctuations in patients treated with anti-VEGF for neovascular age related macular degeneration
Authors: Ciucci Francesco , Ioele Giuseppina , Bardocci Antonio , Lofoco Giorgio , Antonelli Barbara , Gaetano Cristiano De , Polimanti Gabriele , Luca Michele De , Ragno Gaetano , Gattegna Roberto
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

This is a retrospective, single-center, non randomized interventional real life study, investigating the correlation between variability of central retinal thickness (CRT) and functional outcomes during 2 years of anti-VEGF therapy in patients treated for neovascular age related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Background:

CRT fluctuations can depend on various factors such as the correct timing of injections, the therapeutic algorithm, and the number of injections (NI) performed; it is important to understand if CRT fluctuations are responsible for worse visual outcomes and consequently to identify the correct ways to avoid or reduce them.

Methods:

Forty-one patients were treated for nAMD with aflibercept: 0.5 mg intravitreal aflibercept was administered every 4 weeks during the first 3 months, then bimonthly over the first year, and after the first year adopting a PRN regimen. Standard deviation of CRT (CRT/SD), BCVA, and NI were recorded. Correlation studies were performed by Pearson’s test, Ancova, and Principal Component Analysis.

Results:

A negative correlation was found between CRT/SD and final BCVA. In patients who lost more than 15 letters, CRT/SD mean was significantly higher in comparison with patients who lost less than 15 letters. Patients with final BCVA >65 letters showed lower CRT/SD values compared to patients with final BCVA ⩽65 letters. Multivariate analysis confirmed that in patients with higher baseline BCVA, improvement of BCVA was correlated to NI, and lower values of CRT fluctuations were observed.

Conclusions:

CRT fluctuations, even after an appropriate NI given per year, significantly influence BCVA; a proactive treatment algorithm appears crucial when treating patients with nAMD.
Histone Methyltransferases Useful in Gastric Cancer Research
Authors: Reyes Dafne Alejandra , Sarría Victor Manuel Saure , Salazar-Viedma Marcela , D’Afonseca Vívian
Published: August 2021

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most frequent tumors in the world. Stomach adenocarcinoma is a heterogeneous tumor, turning the prognosis prediction and patients’ clinical management difficult. Some diagnosis tests for GC are been development using knowledge based in polymorphisms, somatic copy number alteration (SCNA) and aberrant histone methylation. This last event, a posttranslational modification that occurs at the chromatin level, is an important epigenetic alteration seen in several tumors including stomach adenocarcinoma. Histone methyltransferases (HMT) are the proteins responsible for the methylation in specific amino acids residues of histones tails. Here, were presented several HMTs that could be relating to GC process. We use public data from 440 patients with stomach adenocarcinoma. We evaluated the alterations as SCNAs, mutations, and genes expression level of HMTs in these aforementioned samples. As results, it was identified the 10 HMTs most altered (up to 30%) in stomach adenocarcinoma samples, which are the PRDM14, PRDM9, SUV39H2, NSD2, SMYD5, SETDB1, PRDM12, SUV39H1, NSD3, and EHMT2 genes. The PRDM9 gene is among most mutated and amplified HMTs within the data set studied. PRDM14 is downregulated in 79% of the samples and the SUV39H2 gene is down expressed in patients with recurred/progressed disease. Several HMTs are altered in many cancers. It is important to generate a genetic atlas of alterations of cancer-related genes to improve the understanding of tumorigenesis events and to propose novel tools of diagnosis and prognosis for the cancer control.
Update on Biomarkers in Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Pino Megan G , Rich Kelly A , Kolb Stephen J
Published: August 2021

The availability of disease modifying therapies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has created an urgent need to identify clinically meaningful biomarkers. Biomarkers present a means to measure and evaluate neurological disease across time. Changes in biomarkers provide insight into disease progression and may reveal biologic, physiologic, or pharmacologic phenomena occurring prior to clinical detection. Efforts to identify biomarkers for SMA, a genetic motor neuron disease characterized by motor neuron degeneration and weakness, have culminated in a number of putative molecular and physiologic markers that evaluate biological media (eg, blood and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]) or nervous system function. Such biomarkers include SMN2 copy number, SMN mRNA and protein levels, neurofilament proteins (NFs), plasma protein analytes, creatine kinase (CK) and creatinine (Crn), and various electrophysiology and imaging measures. SMN2 copy number inversely correlates with disease severity and is the best predictor of clinical outcome in untreated individuals. SMN mRNA and protein are commonly measured in the blood or CSF of patients receiving SMA therapies, particularly those aimed at increasing SMN protein expression, and provide insight into current disease state. NFs have proven to be robust prognostic, disease progression, and pharmacodynamic markers for SMA infants undergoing treatment, but less so for adolescents and adults. Select plasma proteins are altered in SMA individuals and may track response to therapy. CK and Crn from blood correlate with motor function and disease severity status and are useful for predicting which individuals will respond to therapy. Electrophysiology measures comprise the most reliable means for monitoring motor function throughout disease course and are sensitive enough to detect neuromuscular changes before overt clinical manifestation, making them robust predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Finally, magnetic resonance imaging and muscle ultrasonography are non-invasive techniques for studying muscle structure and physiology and are useful diagnostic tools, but cannot reliably track disease progression. Importantly, biomarkers can provide information about the underlying mechanisms of disease as well as reveal subclinical disease progression, allowing for more appropriate timing and dosing of therapy for individuals with SMA. Recent therapeutic advancements in SMA have shown promising results, though there is still a great need to identify and understand the impact of biomarkers in modulating disease onset and progression.
Clinicopathological Examination of Metaplastic Spindle Cell Carcinoma of the Breast: Case Series
Authors: Ishizuka Yumiko , Horimoto Yoshiya , Yanagisawa Naotake , Arakawa Atsushi , Nakai Katsuya , Saito Mitsue
Published: August 2021

Background:

Spindle cell carcinoma (SpCC) of the breast is a rare histological type, a subtype of metaplastic carcinoma characterized by atypical spindle cell and epithelial carcinoma. The proportions of the spindle cell and epithelial components vary among tumours. Due to its rarity, biological characteristics of this disease have been poorly studied.

Methods:

In total, 10 patients with SpCC were surgically treated at our institution from January 2007 to December 2018. We retrospectively investigated these SpCC cases, focusing on the differences between spindle cell and epithelial components. Microsatellite status was also examined.

Results:

Nine cases were triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The rates of high tumour grade were 70% in spindle cell components and 56% in epithelial components ( P = .65), while the mean Ki67 labelling index were 63% and 58%, respectively ( P = .71). Mean programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in these components was 11% and 1%, respectively ( P = .20). All 10 tumours were microsatellite stable. Patient outcomes of triple-negative SpCC did not differ from those of propensity-matched patients with conventional TNBC.

Conclusions:

Spindle cell components showed higher values in factors examined, although there was no statistically significant difference. Our data reveal that these 2 components of SpCC may be of different biological nature.
Use of Project ECHO Telementoring Model in Continuing Medical Education for Pediatricians in Vietnam: Preliminary Results
Authors: Nhung Le Hong , Dien Tran Minh , Lan Nguyen Phuong , Thanh Pham Quoc , Cuong Pham Viet
Published: August 2021

The ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) model has been introduced and implemented in several hospitals and health programs in Vietnam since 2015. In 2018, Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (VNCH) officially implemented the ECHO model to provide continuing medical education (CME) credits on pediatrics topics for medical staff in its satellite hospitals and health centers in the Northern region of Vietnam. This paper presents preliminary results of the ECHO program at VNCH. Methods included pre- and post-program assessments of pediatricians’ clinical knowledge, self-efficacy, and professional satisfaction. The analysis compared the differences between pre/post scores descriptively. Knowledge of participants increased by 22.5% points on average. More than 90% of Project ECHO-Pediatrics participants experienced increased confidence. Overall, there was an improvement in participants’ self-efficacy in the post-training compared to the pre-training (range 14.7%-22.6% difference from pre-training). All participants improved on their results in the clinical test immediately after the training and maintained it after 3 months. The study demonstrated the ability Project ECHO to improve healthcare worker knowledge and satisfaction.
The Impact of Acne Treatment on Skin Bacterial Microbiota: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lam Megan , Hu Angie , Fleming Patrick , Lynde Charles W.
Published: August 2021

Background

Microbial strains such as Cutibacterium acnes have been examined as contributors to the pathogenesis of acne. Given the prevalence of the disease among adolescents and adults, the overutilization of antimicrobial agents may breed resistance and alter commensal microflora.

Objectives

To characterize the impact of acne treatment on the diversity and relative abundance of the cutaneous microbial community, particularly of the bacterial flora

Methods

An electronic search was conducted of Embase, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) on June 5, 2020. Interventional and observational studies examining patients receiving acne treatment with culture-independent, community-level analysis of the cutaneous microbiome were included.

Results

Nine studies with 170 treated acne patients were included. Five studies reported a significant change in alpha diversity following treatment, 3 of which examining systemic antibiotics reported significant increases in diversity. Two of 3 studies examining effects of benzoyl peroxide reported a decrease in diversity. However, trends in diversity were heterogeneous among studies.

Conclusions

While individual variability in microbiome composition, and study-level heterogeneity in study sampling techniques may limit quantitative synthesis, our results support findings that acne treatment, including those not considered to have antimicrobial properties, alters the composition of the cutaneous microbiome. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020190629
Risk of Developing Melanoma With Systemic Agents Used to Treat Psoriasis: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Semaka Amy , Salopek Thomas G.
Published: August 2021

Background

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease induced by autoimmune-like dysregulation of the immune system. Treatment options have drastically evolved in recent years, and treatment advances that target specific cytokines and other molecules involved in dysregulation have had a profound effect in controlling the disease.

Objective

We reviewed the literature to assess the risk of developing melanoma with conventional therapies and newer agents used to treat psoriasis.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search using Medline (via Ovid) and Embase was conducted.

Results

The majority of studies reviewed reported insignificant results. Potential risk for melanoma was identified for only 3 out of 15 anti-psoriatic treatments analyzed: adalimumab (relative risk 1.8, 95% CI 1.06-3.00), etanercept (relative risk 2.35, 95% CI 1.46-3.77) and infliximab (Empirical Bayes Geometric Mean 7.90, 95% CI 7.13-8.60). The confidence intervals provided are from prior studies. There are not enough collective data on newer agents to make any conclusions on risk.

Conclusions

We were unable to identify any substantial risk for developing melanoma due to the use of anti-psoriatic treatments. Until additional long-term registry data become available, it would be prudent to continue screening patients with psoriasis at baseline and periodically for melanoma when these agents are used.
Power and knowledge negotiations in a collectivity of practice: From peripheralization to epistemological suspicion
Authors: Mäkinen Elina I
Published: August 2021

Knowledge co-creation at the boundaries of communities of practice (CoPs) can lead to heightened tensions and power struggles. This study examines how power struggles among CoPs can begin to structure knowledge creation processes. Drawing on a qualitative case study of a new medical research project, the study shows how power and knowledge negotiations became manifested through conflicting discursive positioning and coercive power affecting knowledge co-creation efforts. One CoP adopted an authoritative leader role, prioritized their own problem definition and knowledge creation process, and engaged in the peripheralization of other CoPs. The power and discursive moves prevented the development of shared problems and interconnected practices contributing to epistemological suspicion among the participating CoPs. The study offers new insights to research on power dynamics in situated learning and knowing by problematizing the relationship between localized practices and emerging interconnected practices, by shedding light on how discursive positioning and coercive power operate together, and by developing peripheralization and epistemological suspicion as potential explanations for how and why knowledge workers struggle to act on opportunities for knowledge co-creation.
The disconnection turn: Three facets of disconnective work in post-digital capitalism
Authors: Fast Karin
Published: August 2021

In post-digital capitalism, digital disconnection is not merely a “luxury” but also an obligation. Aiming to re-contextualize digital disconnection outside of digital detox resorts, social media, and elitist activism, this article asks how the ongoing disconnection turn affects how we (think about) work. With cues taken from digital disconnection studies and (digital) work/labour research, I inquire three facets of disconnective work. I elaborate, firstly, what disconnection might mean for work, as I scrutinize ideals pertaining to “deep” and “slow” work. Secondly, I unveil how disconnection may materialize at work, as I inspect “the post-digital workplace” and “disconnective technologies of work.” Thirdly, using “The Post-Digital Housewife” as a rhetorical figure for grasping the daily, typically unpaid, work that the disconnection turn makes acute, I recognize disconnection as work. The article concludes by presenting four dialectics of disconnective work, which serve to remind us of the paradoxical role of disconnection in processes of empowerment and exploitation.
The impact of socio-cultural values on autistic women: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Mo Stella , Viljoen Nina , Sharma Shivani
Published: August 2021

It is well recognised that culture plays an important role in how people experience the world. However, there is limited knowledge on the impact of socio-cultural norms and values on the lives of autistic women. This qualitative study used individual semi-structured interviews to explore how eight cis-gendered autistic women, without co-occurring intellectual disabilities, describe dominant socio-cultural beliefs, values and norms and their influence on their own sense of self. Findings elucidated three interdependent themes related to the ‘pervasive influence of cultural values’, ‘individualisation as an autistic woman’ and ‘social connectivity’. Autistic women described how they experienced their environments and made choices about their place within the dominant culture and the impact of these decisions on their identities and experience. The findings of this study have implications for the continued need to shift societal and clinical attitudes towards understanding and appreciating diversity among autistic women.

Lay abstract

Autistic women with average or above intellectual abilities are often overlooked clinically or identified at older ages compared to autistic males. Their experiences can provide insight into the socio-cultural factors that impact on how they develop and are seen by others. This study asked autistic women to describe the culture around them and explore how this has influenced their lived experiences. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight autistic women without a co-occurring diagnosis of intellectual disabilities. These were used for interpretative phenomenological analysis. Overall, we found three closely connected themes on the pervasive influence of cultural values on autistic women, how autistic women define themselves and the importance of connecting with society. These findings suggest that dominant cultural beliefs, values and norms effect how autistic women are recognised by others and develop their sense of self. Broadening how people think about autistic women in society and clinically may benefit how we identify and support autistic women.
Frontera Sur: Behind and beyond the fences of Ceuta and Melilla
Authors: Queirolo Palmas Luca
Published: August 2021

Ceuta, Melilla, and the neighboring Moroccan territories can be imagined as testing grounds where different policies and acts of resistance, spectacles, and economies are assembled, configuring a borderland peculiar for the turbulence of contemporary migrations. Are these enclaves, European outpost in Africa, functioning as places of confinement and buffer zones, as theaters in which to stage the narrative of invasion? Exploring the internal logic of these borderlands is not a matter of looking only at the Great Wall, the most visible sign of the European fortress. It is worth observing the backstage, that is, the routes and informal camps in Morocco, shadow zones where policies against migration act without much regard for human rights. This article is inspired by a visual and filmic ethnography project, based on field encounters with several activists and volunteers (both in Morocco and in Ceuta–Melilla) who support the transit of migrants and asylum seekers.
Unearthing conscious intent in women’s everyday resistance to mining in Indonesia
Authors: Glynn Tracy , Maimunah Siti
Published: August 2021

Resistance to nickel mining in Sorowako, Indonesia has existed since the operation started taking land from farmers in the 1970s. However, in Sorowako and beyond, little is known about the gendered nature of everyday resistance to mining. We conducted a photovoice study with women from two Indigenous communities affected by the same mine to uncover conscious intent in everyday resistance. Some scholars call for abandoning intent and consciousness in analytical frameworks for everyday resistance, but by pairing photovoice with a conjunctural exercise, we found women’s awareness of how dispossession and exploitation for mining affects them and their responses to mining as rural Indigenous women. The participants used photovoice to show that their everyday acts, such as accessing forbidden land, intend to lessen their domination and better their conditions, a kind of quiet encroachment of the ordinary theorized by Bayat.
Determinants of memorable sightseeing bus-tour experiences: identifying and evaluating destination related attributes
Authors: Ghanem Marwa , Shaaban Khaled
Published: August 2021

The pivotal impact of memorable tourist experiences on behavioral intentions and destination competitiveness has been underscored by prior studies, which remarked how the different attributes of various types of tourist activities and services influence the memorability of the overall destination experience. However, these endeavors approached the topic of destination experience in a generic manner, and did not research the specific dynamics behind the memorability of such touristic activities in depth. This study aims to identify and evaluate destination-level attributes that contribute to the memorability of sightseeing bus-tour experiences (MBTE), as an example of destination activities. Based on a mixed-methods approach exploring the perspectives of tourists and destination professionals, the results suggest a checklist of 34 attributes arranged under six dimensions: (1) attractions, (2) accessibility, (3) amenities, (4) tourist information and tour guidance quality, (5) quality of services, and (6) other ancillary services. The results give insights into the different perspectives of tourists and decision-makers on the relative importance of MBTE determinants and elaborate on their implications.
Recognizing the never quite absent: de facto usage, ethical issues, and applications of covert research in difficult research contexts
Authors: Kluczewska Karolina , Lottholz Philipp
Published: August 2021

This article scrutinizes and reconceptualizes covert research in social science. Surveying recent literature about this research method, we reflect on the ethical and safety implications stemming from the widespread, even if well-intended, lack of transparency characterizing many research projects, especially ones conducted in difficult research contexts. While the standard definition of covert research holds that researchers deliberately do not declare to research subjects that academic research is taking place, we argue that the remoteness of Western academia from most researched contexts often a priori renders field research at least partially covert, irrespective of the researcher’s intentions. This is because its aims, utility, and expected outputs are hard to understand for research participants unrelated to academia. We illustrate this argument by analyzing our own fieldwork experiences in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. In conclusion, we emphasize the need to critically reflect on the de facto use of covert techniques by social researchers.
Unfolding joy in young children’s literacy practices in a Finnish early years classroom
Authors: Nordström Alexandra , Kumpulainen Kristiina , Rajala Antti
Published: August 2021

This article examines the unfolding joy in young children’s literacy practices in a Finnish early years classroom. We focus on the unfolding of joy in intra-action among children, adults and materials during literacy learning endeavours by thinking with new materialist theories, and the data from an early years multiliteracies project named The Storybook. Our goal is to draw attention to the material and relational dimensions of young children’s joy in its moment-to-moment unfoldings by examining how joy unfolds unexpectedly in a moment when children, adults, Storybooks and other material resources intra-act.
The Insights Industry: Towards a Performativity Turn in Market Research
Authors: Diaz Ruiz Carlos A.
Published: August 2021

While market research has been the cornerstone of the intelligence ecosystem, the emergence of ‘insights’ vendors is re-shaping the market. Adjacent practices, ranging from competitive intelligence, social listening and data science, could relegate market research to legacy status in firms. This investigation explores how expert market researchers respond to the commoditisation of market research techniques and their diminishing access to the client’s organisation to address this issue. The findings show that market researchers are adapting – effectively reinventing themselves as ‘insights’ professionals – through the following four initiatives: (1) offering solution services, (2) creating architectures that integrate organic and designed data, (3) making heroes in the client’s organisation and (4) forging performative relationships based on strategic guidance. These initiatives shift market research from ostensive (descriptive or declarative) to performative (effectual or actionable). Theoretically, the article conceptualises the changes in the market research industry through the performativity lens.
Long-term changes of forest biomass and its driving factors in karst area, Guizhou, China
Authors: Qian Chunhua , Qiang Hequn , Zhang Guangming , Li Mingyang
Published: August 2021

The spatiotemporal dynamic changes of forest biomass can provide scientific reference and scheme for improving the quality of forest resources and the ecological environment in karst areas. In this article, the China’s National Forest Continuous Inventory data (from 1984 to 2015) was used to analyze the dynamic changes of forest biomass with the univariate linear slope k, barycenter trajectory, improved hot spots detection which was applied in the analysis of forest biomass dynamic change, and geospatial detector method in Guizhou in the first time. The results showed that the total forest biomass had a steady upward trend, 29.3% unit biomass of the forest had significantly increased, while 1.4% decreased dramatically. The forest biomass gravity center shifted from Qiandongnan to Qiannan, with a total distance of 54.1 km. Thus, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) benefiting from the effective implementation of forestry-related policies, the forest biomass had significant increased in a long time series, especially for the artificial shelter forest; (2) the gravity center shifted to the northwest and the number of level 1 forest biomass hot spots increased year by year, which showed a generalized symmetric pattern along the Wujiang River mainstream; and (3) the results of geographical survey showed that the change of forest biomass was greatly affected by topography, climate and human activities, among which terrain factors had the greatest impact.
Contour control of biaxial motion system based on RBF neural network and disturbance observer
Authors: Wang Sanxiu , Jiang Shengtao
Published: August 2021

Friction is the main factor which degrades the control precisions of the servo system. In this paper, a cross coupled control method based on RBF neural network and disturbance observer is proposed for multi-axis servo system with LuGre friction, in order to implement high precision tracking and contouring control. Firstly, a feedback linearization controller is designed to realize the position stable tracking for single-axis motion; then, the disturbance observer is used to observe and compensate the friction. However, in practical application, the observation gain is difficult to select, and it is easy to cause observation error. In order to enhance the tracking accuracy and system robustness, the RBF neural network is introduced to approximate the disturbance observation error online. Finally, the cross coupled control is used to coordinate the motion between the axes to improve the contour accuracy. The simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively compensate the influence of friction on the system, has good tracking accuracy and high contour control precision.
A corner smoothing algorithm using Trajectory Pattern Method (TPM) for high-speed and high-quality machining
Authors: Li Hao , Rastegar Jahangir , Wang Baosheng , Wu Wenjiang , Yan Zhuwen
Published: August 2021

In micro-line segments machining, transition curves with high harmonic components are more prone to causing vibration issues in the feed drive system, which affects machining efficiency and quality severely. To construct low harmonic trajectories, this paper proposes a corner smoothing algorithm that uses the Trajectory Pattern Method (TPM). The transition curve construction and axial motion scheduling are performed with a specified fundamental frequency in one step, which reduces the smoothing process time and avoids excitation of natural modes of vibration of the system. The synthesized trajectories and axial kinematic profiles are all smooth and only contain the selected fundamental frequency and its first two odd harmonics, which minimizes the number of high harmonic components in the required actuation forces/torques and avoids excitation of the system modes of vibration. Linear programming is used to synthesize the trajectories. The proposed algorithm is shown to achieve near time-optimal trajectories. The provided experimental analysis and comparisons demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves smooth axial kinematic profiles with low harmonic contents, which would improve machining efficiency and quality.