bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transient probabilistic solutions of stochastic oscillator with even nonlinearities by exponential polynomial closure method
Authors: Wang Kun , Zhu Zhihui , Xu Lei
Published: February 2021

The current work is devoted to analyze the transient probability density function solutions of stochastic oscillator with even nonlinearities under external excitation of Gaussian white noise by applying the extended exponential polynomial closure method. Specifically, the Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov equation which governs the probability density function solutions of the nonlinear system is presented first. The residual error of the Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov equation is then derived by assuming the probability density function solution as the type of exponential polynomial with time-dependent variables. Finally, by making the projection of the residual error vanish, a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is established and solved numerically. Numerical analysis show that the extended exponential polynomial closure method with polynomial order being six is both effective and efficient for solving the transient analysis of the stochastic oscillator with even nonlinearities by comparing the numerical results obtained by the proposed method with those obtained by Monte Carlo simulation method. Numerical results also show that the transient probability density function solutions of the system responses are not symmetric about their nonzero means due to the existence of even nonlinearities.
Scattering analysis of nonlinear Lamb waves at delaminations in composite laminates
Authors: Soleimanpour Reza , Ng Ching-Tai
Published: February 2021

This study investigates the higher harmonic generation of the Lamb wave at a delamination due to contact acoustic nonlinearity, which is a clapping phenomenon between sublaminate surfaces due to the Lamb wave interaction with the delamination. In this study, higher harmonics of the Lamb wave induced at the delamination in composite laminates are studied in detail. This study performs both numerical and experimental studies. A three-dimensional finite element model is proposed for predicting the propagation of nonlinear Lamb waves in composite laminates and is verified using experimentally measured data. The results show the proposed numerical model can reasonably predict higher harmonic generated by contact acoustic nonlinearity. It is found that the delamination is the major source of contact acoustic nonlinearity in the composite laminates. A mode conversion study is also carried out to gain further physical insight into the higher harmonic generation of the Lamb wave at the delamination.
Adaptive boundary iterative learning vibration control using disturbance observers for a rigid–flexible manipulator system with distributed disturbances and input constraints
Authors: Zhou Xingyu , Wang Haoping , Tian Yang
Published: February 2021

In this article, an adaptive boundary iterative learning vibration control is developed for a class of the rigid–flexible manipulator system under distributed disturbances and input constraints. With the help of the virtual work principle, the dynamics of the rigid–flexible manipulator are modeled and described by coupled ordinary differential equations and partial differential equations. Based on the original infinite dimension system model, three compounded adaptive boundary iterative learning vibration control laws are constructed with disturbance observers and adaptive vibration laws, aiming to track the desired joint angular positions and achieve vibration suppression simultaneously. Three disturbance observers are proposed to determine the upper bounded approximation of the unknown external disturbances. Hyperbolic tangent and saturation functions are incorporated into adaptive vibration laws to handle input constraints. It is proved by Lyapunov–Krasovskii-like composite energy functions that elastic vibrations and tracking errors can asymptotically converge to zero along the iteration axis. Finally, the efficacy of the developed adaptive boundary iterative learning vibration control approach is illustrated by the simulation results under distributed disturbances and input constraints.
Fuzzy set theory for optimal design in controlling underactuated dynamical systems with uncertainty
Authors: Qin Wu , Liu Feifei , Ge Pingzheng , Yin Hui
Published: February 2021

The fuzzy set theory for optimal control design of underactuated dynamical systems with uncertainty is proposed. The uncertainty is (possibly fast) time varying whose bound is unknown and lies in a prescribed set expressed by a fuzzy set. Control goals of uncertain dynamical systems are formulated as a series of constraints, which may be holonomic and nonholonomic. From the view of constraint-following control, we design an adaptive robust control based on a creative uncertainty decomposition, which divides the uncertainty into matched and mismatched terms. This decomposition renders the mismatched term to “disappear” in the stability analysis. The proposed control is able to drive the system to approximately follow the constraints and guarantee system performance (uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness), in the presence of the uncertainty. It is in deterministic form and not “if–then” fuzzy rules based. Because of the expressed fuzzy set of the uncertainty bounds, a performance index, which balances the conflict between system performance and control cost, can be constructed. An optimal design gain can be obtained by minimizing the performance index whose solution is guaranteed to always exist. Numerical results on a planar vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are presented for demonstration.
An evaluation method of conditional deep convolutional generative adversarial networks for mechanical fault diagnosis
Authors: Luo Jia , Huang Jinying , Ma Jiancheng , Li Hongmei
Published: February 2021

Generative models have been applied in many fields and can be evaluated with many methods. In the evaluation of generative models, the proper evaluation metric varies with the application field. Therefore, the evaluation of generative adversarial networks is inherently challenging. In this study, conditional deep convolutional generative adversarial networks were applied in mechanical fault diagnosis and then evaluated. We proposed three evaluation metrics of conditional deep convolutional generative adversarial networks: Jensen-Shannon divergence, kernel maximum mean discrepancy, and the 1-nearest neighbor classifier which were used to distinguish generated samples from real samples, test mode collapsing and detect overfitting based on the dataset of Electronic Engineering Laboratory of Case Western Reserve University and the planetary gearbox dataset measured in the laboratory. The Jensen-Shannon divergence could not well distinguish generated samples from real samples. However, the two metrics (maximum mean discrepancy and 1-nearest neighbor classifier) well-distinguished generated samples from real samples, thus verifying the applicability of conditional deep convolutional generative adversarial networks in the field of mechanical diagnosis.
Moving Into the Media World: The Moral Psychology of Emerging Adults in Journalism and Communication
Authors: Craig David A. , Plaisance Patrick Lee , Schauster Erin , Thomas Ryan J. , Roberts Chris , Place Katie R. , Sun Yuan , Chen Jin , Yetter Casey , Thomas Randi Leigh
Published: February 2021

A growing body of psychology-based scholarship identifies emerging adulthood as a distinct, transitional stage of life and work characterized by several features, wherein relatively little is known regarding moral development. This study is part of a 3-year, longitudinal project involving recent graduates across six U.S. universities who studied journalism and media-related fields. Guided by emerging adulthood, moral psychology, and media exemplar research, this study analyzes results for 110 graduates who completed an online survey regarding their personality traits, virtuous character, moral reasoning, and ethical ideology. It constitutes the first detailed portrait of moral identity of emerging adults in media-related fields.
Accessing Rights and Mitigating Revictimization: The Role of the Victim’s Legal Counsel in the Swedish Criminal Justice System
Authors: Carroll Caitlin P.
Published: February 2021

Rape victims often face secondary victimization by the criminal justice system, prompting their advocates to promote a variety of procedural changes, including the provision of an independent legal counsel for victims. Sweden implemented a legal counsel for victims of sexual assault and rape in the late 1980s, yet research about their role remains limited. This article draws upon interviews with victim-lawyers in Sweden and suggests that having access to an independent legal counsel can mitigate the risks for secondary victimization by empowering victims to access their rights and providing emotional support and connectedness in the criminal justice system.
Optimization of ohmic heating-assisted osmotic dehydration as a pretreatment for microwave drying of quince
Authors: Kutlu Naciye
Published: February 2021

In this study, the ohmic heating system was used as a novel application for osmotic dehydration of quince. After osmotic dehydration, samples were dried by microwave. In this regard, the effects of process variables such as electrical field strengths (20, 30 and 40 V/cm), holding time (10, 20 and 30 minutes), microwave power (90, 180 and 270 W) and sucrose concentration (0%, 25% and 50%) on dielectric constant, dielectric loss factor, rehydration ratios, total phenolic compounds and color values were investigated by response surface methodology (RSM). Optimum conditions were found as 40 V/cm electrical field strength, 30 min holding time, 16.67% sucrose concentration and 270 W microwave power. Total phenolic content, rehydration ratio, color differences and dielectric properties of the novel method were found to be higher than that of control. Moreover, Midilli and Wang & Sing models gave the superior fit to the moisture ratio data obtained during drying.
Production of grape pekmez by Ohmic heating-assisted vacuum evaporation
Authors: Tunç Merve Tuçe , Akdoğan Arda , Baltacı Cemalettin , Kaya Zeliha , Odabaş Halil İbrahim
Published: February 2021

Pekmez is a concentrated syrup-like food conventionally produced by vacuum evaporation process from sugar-rich fruits. In this study, the applicability of grape pekmez production by ohmic heating assisted vacuum evaporation (ΩVE) method was investigated. Conventional vacuum evaporation (CVE) and ΩVE methods were compared in terms of physicochemical properties, HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) contents, rheological properties, and energy consumptions. ΩVE was run at four different voltage gradients (17.5, 20, 22.5, and 25 V/cm). Total process times for grape pekmez production were determined as 57, 28.5, 32, 39, and 50 minutes for CVE, ΩVE (25 V/cm), ΩVE (22.5 V/cm), ΩVE (20 V/cm) and ΩVE (17.5 V/cm), respectively. Energy consumption of CVE method was higher than ΩVE method for all voltage gradients. Energy efficiency increased as the voltage gradient increased. There was no significant difference between CVE and ΩVE methods for HMF contents. The results show that the ΩVE method could be an alternative to the CVE process for grape pekmez production.
Detection and pathogenic potential of Clostridium difficile in commercial meat and meat products in Brazil
Authors: Tsuchiya Ana Claudia , Gomes Erika Santos , Kuaye Arnaldo Yoshiteru , Kabuki Dirce Yorika
Published: February 2021

The aims of this study were to evaluate the occurrence of Clostridium difficile in commercial raw meat and meat products commercialized in Brazil, and to determine the pathogenic potential and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. After selective enrichment, the isolation of C. difficile involved plating with and without an alcohol shock treatment onto C. difficile moxalactam agar (CDMNA). The toxigenic profile was determined through PCR for detection of tcdA, tcdB, cdtA and cdtB genes and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for toxin A/B. C. difficile was isolated from 8.9% (17 out of 192) of analyzed samples. Plating without alcohol treatment (sensitivity of 88.23%) was more efficient than with alcohol treatment (sensitivity of 29.41%) in C. difficile isolation. The profile A + B+CDT- was observed in 35.0% (28/80) of the isolates. The A/B toxin was tested in 44 isolates and 15.9% of them were positive. Resistance to clindamycin, ceftizoxime tetracycline, metronidazole, vancomycin, and ceftriaxone were observed among isolates. Multi-drug resistance was detected in 36.4% (8/22) of the isolates evaluated.
Superheroes Social Skills: A Comparison of Video Only and Full Curriculum on Social Skill Use
Authors: Radley Keith C. , Helbig Kate A. , Schrieber Stefanie R. , Ware Mary E. , Dart Evan H.
Published: February 2021

A substantial number of multicomponent interventions have been developed to address social functioning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For multicomponent interventions, identifying critical elements of the intervention related to behavior change is critical and may potentially improve the social validity of interventions. Such an analysis of the Superheroes Social Skills program was conducted. Three participants with ASD and one participant without a diagnosis participated in a 4-week intervention in which three target social skills were taught. Participants were first exposed to only the video-based elements of intervention, followed by participation in the full curriculum. Results of the study indicated that exposure to video elements often resulted in limited increases in skill accuracy, but the largest increases were observed during training with the full curriculum. Limitations and future directions are discussed with respect to multicomponent interventions for individuals with ASD.
Conjunctival and uveal melanoma: Survival and risk factors following orbital exenteration
Authors: Baum Sven Holger , Westekemper Henrike , Bechrakis Nikolaos Emmanouel , Mohr Christopher
Published: February 2021

Purpose:

This study aims to analyse disease-free survival, overall survival and risk factors after orbital exenteration in patients with conjunctival and uveal melanoma.

Methods:

Patients who underwent orbital exenteration due to conjunctival and uveal melanoma were included in this retrospective study (March 2000 to March 2018).

Results:

A total of 76 patients were enrolled in this study: 60 patients had a conjunctival melanoma and 16 had a uveal melanoma. In conjunctival melanoma, the mean age was 68.4 years. The overall survival rate was 82% after 1 year and 52% after 5 years. Univariate analysis of overall survival found that the following parameters were predictive of a worse prognosis: gender, extent of the primary tumour, lymph node metastases, distant metastases, adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy and relapse. In multivariate analysis, relapse and adjuvant radiotherapy appeared to contribute to a significantly worse prognosis. In uveal melanoma, the mean age was 63.6 years. Eleven patients died during follow-up (mean follow up 30.7 months). The overall survival and disease-free survival rates after 1 year were 62% and 57%, respectively. An analysis of risk factors was not possible due to the small number of cases.

Conclusion:

Orbital exenterations in conjunctival and uveal melanoma are rarely necessary, but can be performed as an ultima ratio treatment with curative intent. Disease-free survival and overall survival are significantly lower for both groups due to the advanced stage of the disease compared to patients treated without exenteration in the literature. If a recurrence occurs after exenteration, the prognosis is poor in both groups.
Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes are at greater risk for perioperative adverse outcomes following total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Webb Matthew L , Justen Marissa A , Kerbel Yehuda E , Scanlon Christopher M , Nelson Charles L , Grauer Jonathan N
Published: February 2021

Background:

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to increase among patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). It is unclear how insulin use is correlated with risk for adverse outcomes.

Methods:

A cohort of 146,526 patients undergoing primary THA were identified in the 2005–2017 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients were classified as insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM), non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM), or not diabetic. Multivariate analyses were used.

Results:

Compared to patients without diabetes, patients with NIDDM were at increased risk for 4 of 17 perioperative adverse outcomes studied. Patients with IDDM were at increased risk for those 4 and 8 additional adverse outcomes (12 of the 17 studied).

Conclusion:

These findings have important implications for preoperative risk stratification and quality improvement initiatives.
A systematic review of the optimal drainage technique for septic hip arthritis in children
Authors: Donders Cornelia Maria , Spaans Anne J , Bessems Johannes H J M , van Bergen Christiaan J A
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

The hip is one of the most commonly affected joints in paediatric septic arthritis. Drainage can be performed using arthrocentesis (articular needle aspiration), arthroscopy or arthrotomy. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the most effective drainage technique for septic hip arthritis in the paediatric population.

Materials and methods:

The electronic MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for original articles that reported outcomes of arthrocentesis, arthroscopy or arthrotomy for septic arthritis of the paediatric hip. Outcome parameters were additional drainage procedures, clinical outcomes and radiological sequelae. The quality of each of the included studies was assessed with the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) score.

Results:

Out of 2428 articles, 19 studies with a total of 406 hip joints were included in the systematic review. Additional arthroscopy or arthrotomy was performed in 15% of the hips treated with arthrocentesis, in 14% after arthroscopy and in 3% after arthrotomy. Inferior clinical outcomes and more radiological sequelae were seen in patients treated with an arthrotomy. A meta-analysis could not be performed due to the diversity and low quality of the studies (MINORS median 4 [range 2–15]).

Conclusions:

This systematic review gives a comprehensive overview of the available literature on treatment for septic hip arthritis in children. Arthrocentesis and arthroscopic procedures may have a higher risk of additional drainage procedures in comparison with arthrotomy. However, arthrotomy might be associated with inferior outcomes in the longer term. The included studies are diverse and the scientific quality is generally low.
Evaluation of a new cemented highly cross-linked all-polyethylene cup: a prospective and randomised study assessing wear and fixation characteristics using radiostereometric analysis
Authors: Otten Volker , Wästerlund Daniel , Lindbjörn John , Mertens Carl , Mukka Sebastian , Crnalic Sead , Nilsson Kjell G
Published: February 2021

Background and purpose:

The aim of this prospective, randomised and controlled study was to evaluate the wear and fixation properties of a new cemented highly cross-linked all-polyethylene (HXLPE) cup in comparison with a conventional cemented ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (ConvPE) cup using radiostereometric analysis (RSA).

Patients and methods:

A total of 58 patients (58 hips) with primary osteoarthritis (OA) were enrolled in a randomised controlled trial to receive either a ConvPE cup (control) or HXLPE cup (intervention) with identical geometry. The subjects were randomised in a 1:1 ratio. The primary endpoint was proximal wear measured as femoral head penetration into the cup, secondary outcomes were 3D-wear and annual proximal wear from 1 to 5 years. Cup fixation was measured as movement of the cup in relation to the acetabular bone with proximal migration being the primary outcome measure, 3D-migration and change in inclination as secondary outcomes. The patients were followed for 5 years with RSA performed postoperatively, at 3, 12, 24, and 60 months.

Results:

The HXLPE displayed a lower median proximal femoral head penetration compared to ConvPE, with a median difference at 2 years of –0.07 mm (95% CI, –0.10 to –0.04 mm), and –0.19 mm (95% CI, –0.27 to –0.15 mm) at 5 years. Annual proximal wear between 1 and 5 years was 0.03 mm/year for HXLPE and 0.06 mm/year for ConvPE (mean difference 0.05 mm, [95% CI, 0.03–0.07 mm]). Proximal migration, 3D migration and change in inclination was numerically slightly higher for HXLPE, albeit not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

Compared to ConvPE, the HXLPE cup displayed significantly lower polyethylene wear. Cup migration was not statistically significant different.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:

NCT04322799.
The evaluation of eye gaze using an eye tracking system in simulation training of real-time ultrasound-guided venipuncture
Authors: Tatsuru Kaji , Keisuke Yano , Shun Onishi , Mayu Matsui , Ayaka Nagano , Masakazu Murakami , Koshiro Sugita , Toshio Harumatsu , Koji Yamada , Waka Yamada , Makoto Matsukubo , Mitsuru Muto , Kazuhiko Nakame , Satoshi Ieiri
Published: February 2021

Purpose:

Real-time ultrasound (RTUS)-guided central venipuncture using the short-axis approach is complicated and likely to result in losing sight of the needle tip. Therefore, we focused on the eye gaze in our evaluation of the differences in eye gaze between medical students and experienced participants using an eye tracking system.

Methods:

Ten medical students (MS group), five residents (R group) and six pediatric surgeon fellows (F group) performed short-axis RTUS-guided venipuncture simulation using a modified vessel training system. The eye gaze was captured by the tracking system (Tobii Eye Tacker 4C) and recorded. The evaluation endpoints were the task completion time, total time and number of occurrences of the eye tracking marker outside US monitor and success rate of venipuncture.

Result:

There were no significant differences in the task completion time and total time of the tracking marker outside the US monitor. The number of occurrences of the eye tracking marker outside US monitor in the MS group was significantly higher than in the F group (MS group: 9.5 ± 3.4, R group: 6.0 ± 2.9, F group: 5.2 ± 1.6; p  = 0.04). The success rate of venipuncture in the R group tended to be better than in the F group.

Conclusion:

More experienced operators let their eye fall outside the US monitor fewer times than less experienced ones. The eye gaze was associated with the success rate of RTUS-guided venipuncture. Repeated training while considering the eye gaze seems to be pivotal for mastering RTUS-guided venipuncture.
Mindful organizing as a healthcare strategy to decrease catheter-associated infections in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. A systematic review and grading recommendations (GRADE) system
Authors: Rosati Paola , Saulle Rosella , Amato Laura , Mitrova Zuzana , Crocoli Alessandro , Brancaccio Matilde , Ciliento Gaetano , Alessandri Valeria , Piersigilli Fiammetta , Nunziata Joseph , Cecchetti Corrado , Inserra Alessandro , Ciofi degli Atti Marta , Raponi Massimiliano
Published: February 2021

Purpose:

To explore the clinical evidence available on mindful organizing (MO) that will improve teamwork for positioning and managing central venous catheters in patients admitted to neonatal intensive care and other pediatric intensive care units to decrease central-line-associated and catheter-related bloodstream infections (CLABSI and CRBSI).

Methods:

We searched several databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) up to June 2018. We included studies investigating the effectiveness of MO teamwork in reducing CLABSI and CRBSI. The systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. We used validated appraisal checklists to assess quality.

Results:

Seven studies were included: only one was a non-randomized case-controlled trial (CCT). All the others had a pre-post intervention design, one a time-series design and one an interrupted time-series design. The methodological heterogeneity precluded a meta-analysis. Despite the low certainty of evidence with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, three studies including thousands of participants provided numerical data for calculating risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing MO with no intervention for decreasing the CLABSI rate in neonatal and pediatric ICUs. The one CCT disclosed no significant difference in the CLABSI rate decrease between groups (RR = 0.96; 95%CI 0.47–1.97). Nor did the pre- and post-intervention interrupted time-series design disclose a significant decrease (RR = 0.80; 95%CI 0.36 1.77). In the study using a before-after study design, the GRADE system found that the CLABSI rate decrease differed significantly in favor of post-intervention (RR = 0.13; 95%CI 0.03 0.57; p = 0.007).

Conclusions:

Despite the decreased CLABSI rate, the available evidence is low in quality. To reduce the unduly high CLABSI rates in neonatal and pediatric intensive care settings, custom-designed clinical trials should further define the clinical efficacy of MO to include it in care bundles as a new international standard.
Utilization of the autologous vein on the ulnar side of the dorsal hand for arteriovenous fistula creation
Authors: Takashima Tsuyoshi , Yamashita Yuki , Hiromatsu Satoru , Mizuta Masato , Ikeda Yuki , Fukuda Makoto , Rikitake Shuichi , Rikitake Kazuhisa , Miyazono Motoaki
Published: February 2021

We previously described the success and usefulness of two operative techniques for creating a radial artery-first or second dorsal metacarpal vein arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the first interdigital space of the dorsal hand using the most distal site and autologous veins in the upper limb. These techniques utilize the dorsal metacarpal veins on the radial side of the dorsal hand. Developing these ideas, we devised a novel operative technique for creating a transposed radial artery-third metacarpal vein AVF in the first interdigital space of the dorsal hand using the most distal vein on the ulnar side of the upper limb and most distal site in the upper limb. The distinctive advantage of this technique is that it can be applied to patients whose cephalic vein in the forearm and the dorsal metacarpal veins on the radial side of the dorsal hand are of a poor quality. We herein report the steps of this technique and describe its successful performance in a patient who has been on hemodialysis for 14 months without any additional vascular access interventions or postoperative complications. We consider this technique to be a valuable option in select patients who meet the applicable conditions. The creation of the first AVF as distally as possible is ideal, and it offers a further viable option of distal native vascular access that may be overlooked.
Exploration of Prognostic Biomarkers among Replication Factor C Family in the Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Deng Jianxiong , Zhong Fangyan , Gu Weiguo , Qiu Feng
Published: February 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the common cancers with a high incidence and mortality. The human replication factor C (RFC) family contains 5 subunits that play an important role in DNA replication and DNA damage repair. RFCs are abnormally expressed in a variety of cancers; some of them are differentially expressed in HCC tissues and related to tumor growth. However, the expression, prognostic value, and effect targets of the whole RFC family in HCC are still unclear. To address these issues, we performed a multidimensional analysis of RFCs in HCC patients by Oncomine, UALCAN, GEPIA, Human protein atlas, Kaplan-Meier plotter, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, String, and LinkedOmics. mRNA expression of RFCs was significantly increased in HCC tissues. There was a significant correlation between the expression of RFC2/3/4/5 and tumor stage of HCC patients. Besides, high mRNA expression of RFC2/4 was associated with worse overall survival (OS). Moreover, genetic alterations of RFCs were associated with worse OS in HCC patients. We found that genes co-expressed with RFC2/4 were mainly involved in biological processes, such as chromosome segregation, mitotic cell cycle phase transition, and telomere organization and they activated the cell cycle and spliceosome pathways. The gene set is mainly enriched in cancer-related kinases AURKA, ATR, CDK1, PLK1, and CHEK1. E2F family members were the key transcription factors for RFCs. Our results suggest that differentially expressed RFC2 and RFC4 are potential prognostic biomarkers in HCC and may act on E2F transcription factors and some kinase targets to dysregulate the cell cycle pathway. These efforts may provide new research directions for prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC.
Systematic Review of Interventions to Increase Awareness of Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Harm and Protective Behaviors in Post-Secondary School Adults
Authors: Asai Yuka , Armstrong Dawn , McPhie Meghan L. , Xue Chao , Rosen Cheryl F.
Published: February 2021

College and university students are a group known for excessive sun exposure and indoor tanning. Health education campaigns for avoidance of ultraviolet (UV) radiation have been relatively unsuccessful in this population. This systematic review examines interventions aimed at post-secondary school young adults on college and university campuses for skin cancer awareness, photoprotection, and change in UV-exposure-related behavior. Fifty-nine studies were identified for inclusion according to predetermined criteria. Study heterogeneity was high; methods of intervention were individual or group-based, and were mostly visually delivered and/or passive learning. Most interventions occurred at a single time point. Intervention success was assessed by evaluating subject behavior, intention, attitudes, knowledge, and emotion. Multicomponent interventions, generally consisting of UV photography and a passively delivered educational component, may be more effective than a single component alone. Overall, study quality was poor. Sample size of the majority of studies was <150 subjects. Most studies used self-report of behavior and had a short follow-up time. Generalizability of findings may be impacted as women, particularly white/Caucasian women, were overrepresented in the studies identified by this systematic review. For this specific target population, themes arising from the review include the importance of self-relevance and message framing. Self-affirmation was identified as a potential challenge in designing interventions for this target group, which can lead to defensiveness and a negative reaction to the health message. The findings of this systematic review may inform future research in this field, as well as guide planning of effective interventions in this target population.
Safety of Systemic Medications Among Older Adults With Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies
Authors: Tang Evan , Maqbool Talha , Lam Megan , Adam Gaelen P. , Tadrous Mina , Rochon Paula A. , Drucker Aaron M.
Published: February 2021

Background

Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are common among older adults (≥65 years old), but clinical trials often exclude that population.

Objective

To synthesize evidence from observational studies on the safety of systemic therapies (conventional or biologic) for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis among older adults in a systematic review.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (inception to October 31, 2019) and included observational studies reporting adverse events among older people treated with systemic therapy for psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. Outcomes were death, hospitalization, emergency department visits, infections, major cardiovascular events, renal toxicity, hepatotoxicity, and cytopenias. We assessed study quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Results

We included 22 studies on treatment for psoriasis and 2 for atopic dermatitis. Most studies were small and non-comparative and 20 of 24 were low quality. Studies comparing safety between medications or medication classes or between older and younger adults did not show apparent differences but had wide confidence intervals around relative effect estimates. Heterogeneity of study design and reporting precluded quantitative synthesis.

Conclusions

There is scant evidence on the safety of conventional systemic and biologic medications for older adults with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis; older adults and their clinicians should be aware of this evidence gap.
Clinical Profile of Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome/Orofacial Granulomatosis: A Review of 51 Patients
Authors: Gavioli Camila FB , Florezi Giovanna P , Lourenço Silvia V , Nico Marcello MS
Published: February 2021

Background

Melkersson–Rosenthal syndrome (MRS) is a rare disease characterized by the triad of granulomatous cheilitis, fissured tongue, and facial paralysis. Publications concerning large series are rare in the literature.

Objectives

To describe the clinical and histopathological characteristics of patients with complete and oligosymptomatic forms of MRS.

Methods

A retrospective records review was performed for the diagnoses of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, granulomatous cheilitis, and orofacial granulomatosis at oral Diseases Clinic of the Department of Dermatology, University of São Paulo, Brazil (2003, 2017).

Results

A total of 51 patients were included, mean age at presentation 35.69 years. Four patients were younger than 18 years. The complete triad of was observed in 10 patients. The rare findings of granulomatous blepharitis, gingivitis and palatitis are presented. Comorbidities included Crohn’s disease (5 patients), migraine headaches (1 patient) and convulsions (2 patients). Granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate was detected in 31 biopsies. Medical therapies included included oral and intralesional steroids, thalidomide, dapsone, azathioprine, tetracycline, methotrexate, and surgery, with variable responses.

Conclusions

Our report meant to draw attention to the clinical spectrum of this rare disorder, mainly to oligosymptomatic forms and rarer presentations.
Commodification of the Egyptian New Capital: A Semio-Foucauldian Landscape Analysis
Authors: Fawzy Rania Magdi
Published: February 2021

Signs in the urban landscapes are never neutral; they always enact connections to power relations and social hierarchies. By examining the New Administrative Capital of Egypt’s (NAC) advertising billboards, the current study relates itself to the literature of Linguistic Landscape (LL). The study examines the NAC from a semio-discursive perspective. More specifically, it relies on the tools of Semiotic Landscape (SL) to discuss how the landscape of Cairo is represented as a heterogeneous contested space, and how the semiotic resources of its real-estate billboards epitomize Foucauldian principles of heterotopia. The study maintains that the different semiotic resources deployed in the NAC billboards commodify urban space by indexing heterotopic power relations. It is found that spatial commodification of the New Capital is embodied in two heterotopic tropes: “silent” space and “carnival” space. That is, the NAC billboards promote the consumption of the urban space by selling the heterotopic experiences of silence, and carnival-like tempo-spatiality. The study has found that the space of the NAC is semiotically presented in the landscape of Cairo as heterotopic through promoting “different” spatial experiences. To put it differently, the NAC billboards are perceived as antithesis to their landscapes of emplacement, the landscape of Cairo.
Digital labour in the Philippines: emerging forms of brokerage
Authors: Soriano Cheryll Ruth R
Published: February 2021

This article examines and theorises the relationships across three distinct forms of labour brokerage emerging in the digital platform labour economy: platform intermediation, ‘skill-making’, and ‘re-outsourcing’. Drawing from a 4-year digital ethnography on online freelancing and platform labour in the Philippines, one of the largest labour supplying countries globally, I pay special attention to how platform labour control emerges as a process that is constituted in the brokerage relationships at multiple scales between global capital, local capital, community, and family units, and emerging organised networks of workers and influencers on social media. The article examines the materiality of platform labour and the local informal economy that give rise to these forms of brokerage. I also describe how brokerage processes set norms and standards in this largely unregulated sector, thereby playing a role in how labour mobility or precarity are made possible and organised. The article seeks to contribute to the knowledge about the digital work system involving a significant number of Filipinos by capturing the situated dialectical power relations of the global spread of platform-mediated labour management.
‘You can’t pick up a phone and talk to someone’: How algorithms function as biopower in the gig economy
Authors: Walker Michael , Fleming Peter , Berti Marco
Published: February 2021

This paper asks why there is so little collective dissent and mobilised resistance in the gig economy, especially when labour-based digital platforms are used. We suggest part of the answer lies with ‘management by algorithm’. Drawing on an empirical study of Uber drivers in Australia, we found that algorithms function as a form of biopower, a concept introduced by Michel Foucault. As Uber drivers ‘life processes’ are put to work, fragmentation, isolation and resignation ensue. We explore the implications that our findings have for appreciating how biopower operates within platform capitalism and beyond.
Machine learning-based performance analysis of two-axial-groove hydrodynamic journal bearings
Authors: Roy Biswajit , Dey Sudip
Published: February 2021

The precise prediction of a rotor against instability is needed for avoiding the degradation or failure of the system’s performance due to the parametric variabilities of a bearing system. In general, the design of the journal bearing is framed based on the deterministic theoretical analysis. To map the precise prediction of hydrodynamic performance, it is needed to include the uncertain effect of input parameters on the output behavior of the journal bearing. This paper presents the uncertain hydrodynamic analysis of a two-axial-groove journal bearing including randomness in bearing oil viscosity and supply pressure. To simulate the uncertainty in the input parameters, the Monte Carlo simulation is carried out. A support vector machine is employed as a metamodel to increase the computational efficiency. Both individual and compound effects of uncertainties in the input parameters are studied to quantify their effect on the steady-state and dynamic characteristics of the bearing.
Clinical predictors of driving simulator performance in drivers with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Krasniuk Sarah , Classen Sherrilene , Morrow Sarah A , Alvarez Liliana , He Wenqing , Srinivasan Sivaramakrishnan , Monahan Miriam
Published: February 2021

Background:

Drivers with multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience visual–cognitive impairment that affects their fitness to drive. Due to limitations associated with the on-road assessment, an alternative assessment that measures driving performance is warranted. Whether clinical indicators of on-road outcomes can also predict driving performance outcomes on a driving simulator are not fully understood.

Objective:

This study examined if deficits in immediate verbal/auditory recall (California Verbal Learning Test–Second Edition; CVLT2-IR) and/or slower divided attention (Useful Field of View™; UFOV2) predicted deficits in operational, tactical, or strategic maneuvers assessed on a driving simulator, in drivers with and without MS.

Methods:

Participants completed the CVLT2-IR, UFOV2, and a driving simulator assessment of operational, tactical, and strategic maneuvers.

Results:

Deficits in immediate verbal/auditory recall and slower divided attention predicted adjustment to stimuli errors, pertaining to tactical maneuvers only, in 36 drivers with MS (vs 20 drivers without MS; F(3, 51) = 6.1, p = 0.001, R2 = 0.3, [Formula: see text]).

Conclusion:

The CVLT2-IR and UFOV2 capture the visual and verbal/auditory recall, processing speed, and divided attention required to appropriately adjust to stimuli in a simulated driving environment. Clinicians may use the CVLT2-IR and UFOV2 as precursors to driving performance deficits in drivers with MS.
Conceptualising Augmented Reality: From virtual divides to mediated dynamics
Authors: Heemsbergen Luke , Bowtell Greg , Vincent Jordan
Published: February 2021

Although Augmented Reality (AR) scholarship is largely defined through technocentric boundary work that delineates the virtual from the real, it is nevertheless vital to consider experiential conceptualisations of AR as mediating the human–physical environment, as this makes visible for analysis specific properties that afford specific dynamics of augmented publics. We consider how AR mediates the environment in ways previous media could not, identifying four affordances of note. We name visual (dis)integrity, environmental activation, contextual pointalisation and four-dimensional place(ment), as well as reliance on digital infrastructures as sets of properties and dynamics that speak to what AR affords its users. The article first traces how the conceptualisation of AR in scholarship has yet to move past technocentric metaphors of description, adopted from the Virtuality Continuum (Milgram et al., 1995) that separates reality from mediating technologies. It then pushes media critique conceptualising AR in ways that more accurately account for lived experiences of perception. Doing so updates the metaphors used to understand AR and exposes first- and second-order affordances of AR media, which define but are not definitive of the constraints and potentials present in how the properties and dynamics of AR mediate perceptions of life. The article concludes by noting how future research can now consider definitions of AR media that centre on how perceptible spatial computation augments relations between objects, whether these are conjured from electrons, atoms or humans.
The dark footprint of state violence: A synthetic approach to the American crime decline
Authors: Roussell Aaron , Sexton Lori , Deppen Paul , Omori Marisa , Scheibler Esther
Published: February 2021

This project combines the conversation on the national crime rate with emerging discussions on the violence that the state perpetrates against civilians. To measure US lethal violence holistically, we reconceptualize the traditional definitional boundaries of violence to erase arbitrary distinctions between state- and civilian-caused crime and violence. Discussions of the “crime decline” focus specifically on civilian crime, positioning civilians as the sole danger to the health, wealth, and safety of individuals. Violence committed by the state—from police homicide to deaths in custody to in-prison sexual assault—is not found in the traditionally reported crime rate. These absences belie real dangers posed to individuals which are historical and contemporary, nonnegligible, and possibly rising. We present Uniform Crime Report data side-by-side with data on police killings, deaths in custody, and executions from sources such as Fatal Encounters, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and the Center for Disease Control to produce a robust discussion of deaths produced through the criminal legal system. We ground this empirical analysis in a broader conceptual framework that situates state violence squarely within the realm of US crime, and explore the implications of this more holistic view of crime for future analyses.
Habermas on people-building in the European Union
Authors: Queiroz Regina
Published: February 2021

Habermas maintains that neoliberalism precludes the building of a European demos and entails a regression towards the exclusionary but still democratic nation state. Although this article agrees with Habermas’s claim regarding the regressive impact of neoliberalism, it argues that this regression is best described as moving not towards an exclusionary but still democratic national people but rather towards an illiberal, anti-democratic nation state.
An improvement of direct displacement-based design approach for steel moment-resisting frames controlled by fluid viscous dampers
Authors: Noruzvand Mahsa , Mohebbi Mohtasham , Shakeri Kazem
Published: February 2021

Direct displacement-based design (DDBD) method is one of the most effective methods for performance-base design of structures that has been also employed to design structures controlled by fluid viscous damper (FVD). In previous studies, a modified DDBD has been developed to apply the higher mode effects as well as difference between spectral velocity and pseudo-spectral velocity on the design velocity of FVD. To this end, two constants were defined to correct the damping coefficient of FVD that these correction constants had been determined in a non-classical and iterative manner. In this study, a new classical method is proposed for determining these constant such that no iteration is required in DDBD. In order to be able to introduce this design approach as a reliable framework, its performance is validated under different sets of earthquake records and this design approach is also developed for structures controlled by nonlinear FVD. Steel moment-resisting frames with different numbers of stories have been designed using this method. For comparison, structures have been also designed based on DDBD proposed in previous researches. The results show that DDBD approach improved in this study is capable to achieve the design performance level under different sets of earthquake records and this design approach has more effective performance than previous design methods. Performance of steel moment-resisting frames equipped with nonlinear FVD also shows excellent performance of this design approach in achievement of desirable performance level. Therefore, DDBD approach proposed in this study can be introduced as a new classical and reliable framework because of its simplicity and excellent performance under different sets of earthquakes.