bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thinking with the Intimacy Contract: Social Contract Critique and the Privatization of US Empire
Authors: Brown Rachel H.
Published: January 2020

This essay considers how an “intimacy contract,” as a conceptual tool and a political reality, extends existing critiques of the social contract tradition by accounting for the privatized nature of the post-9/11 US empire. Examining critiques by Carole Pateman and Charles Mills, I argue that an intimacy contract uncovers the coercive power relations underlying neoliberal discourses of entrepreneurial freedom. Focusing on migrant labor on US military bases, I provide an overview of the racial, sexual, and settler contracts and the need to extend Mills’s and Pateman’s critiques of embodiment and spatiality. Next, I suggest how the intimacy contract generates a transnational, embodied account of the labors upholding US empire; a lens into the shifting significance of these labors under neoliberal imperialism; and a chronicling of desire and workers’ interests. In conclusion, I suggest how the intimacy contract exposes multiple resistances to US empire and neoliberal capitalism.
Preparation and properties of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer-based blend foams
Authors: Kwon Min Ji , Lim Dae Hwi , Choi In Chul , Kwon Hae-Won , Ha Chang-Sik
Published: January 2020

In this study, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer-based blend foams with polyolefin elastomers (POEs), low-density polyethylene, or styrenic thermoplastic elastomers were prepared as a potential resilient material for reducing inter-floor noise. Various properties of EVA blend foams were measured in order to reveal the effects of EVA content and types of pair polymers consisting of EVA blend foams on dynamic stiffness, which is one of the key factors of resilient materials, in relation to hardness, specific gravity, and resilience. These properties had not been introduced by the construction industry until now. When the EVA/POE ratio was 20/80 and the foaming ratio was 210%, dynamic stiffness presented the lowest value at 5.97 MN m− 3. However, when the resilience was <20%, dynamic stiffness was as high as 37.66 MN m− 3 at an expansion ratio of 210% even when the specific gravity was low.
Fourth Amendment Protections of Health Information After Carpenter v. United States: The Devil's In The Database
Authors: Knox Ryan
Published: January 2020

Every day, companies collect health information from customers and analyze it for commercial purposes. This poses a significant threat to privacy, particularly as the Fourth Amendment protection of this deeply personal information is limited. Generally, law enforcement officers do not need probable cause and a warrant to access these private health information databases; only a subpoena is required, and sometimes nothing at all. The Fourth Amendment protections for health information may, however, have changed after the Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Carpenter v. United States, which held that the Fourth Amendment protects people from warrantless searches of historical cell-site location information possessed by their cell phone providers. The Court explained that, because of the nature of historical cell-site location information, individuals retain a reasonable expectation of privacy despite the information being in the possession of a third party. In reaching its holding, the Supreme Court considered the type of data, the uniqueness of cell-site location information, the impact of technological advancement on privacy, the voluntariness of the disclosure, and the property rights associated with the records. Many of these factors could support heightened Fourth Amendment protection for health information. This Article argues that Carpenter v. United States provides additional protections for future searches of health information in private databases.
Two-dimensional obstacle avoidance control algorithm for snake-like robot in water based on immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method and improved artificial potential field method
Authors: Li Dongfang , Pan Zhenhua , Deng Hongbin
Published: January 2020

In order to study the adaptability of a multi-redundancy and multi-degree-of-freedom snake-like robot to underwater motion, a two-dimensional (2-D) obstacle avoidance control algorithm for a snake-like robot based on immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM) and improved artificial potential field (APF) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the non-linear flow field model is established under the framework of LBM, and the IB method is introduced to establish a fluid solid coupling of a 2-D soft snake-like robot. Then, the obstacle avoidance of a snake-like robot in a flow field is realized by optimizing the curvature equation of the serpentine curve and eliminating the local minimum in APF method. Finally, the effects by exerted different control parameters on a snake-like robot’s obstacle avoidance capability are analyzed via MATLAB simulation experiment, by which we can find the optimal parameter of the obstacle avoidance and testify the validity of the proposed control algorithm.
Providing Access to Immigrant Workforce Services in a Tumultuous Environment: Partnerships and Practices
Authors: Weisberg Melinda
Published: January 2020

The immigrant labor force in the United States has been under extreme pressure since the new administration took office in January 2017 and immediately began implementing policies designed to encourage deportation, negatively incent immigrants to return to their home countries, and dramatically reduce legal and unauthorized entry into the United States. This paper examines the efforts of organizations that support immigrants in their desire to gain and maintain a productive role in the U.S. workforce in the current tumultuous environment. Representatives on the front lines narrate their uphill battle to lift immigrant workers out of fear. Interviews and surveys with agencies in four counties located in the Mid-Hudson Valley region of upstate New York tell the story of an advocacy movement that has breathed new energy into the organizations and empowered workers. Key findings include the positive impact collaborations can have in providing practical support and advocating for policy change, as well as the importance of establishing trust between agencies and immigrants.
Changing Logics in Healthcare and Their Effects on the Identity Motives and Identity Work of Doctors
Authors: Martin Graeme , Bushfield Stacey , Siebert Sabina , Howieson Brian
Published: January 2020

Recent literature on hybridity has provided useful insights into how professionals have responded to changing institutional logics. Our focus is on how shifting logics have shaped senior medical professionals’ identity motives and identity work in a qualitative study of hospital consultants in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. We found a binary divide between a large category of traditionalist doctors who reject shifting logics, and a much smaller category of incorporated consultants who broadly accept shifting logics and advocate change, with little evidence of significant ambivalence or temporary identity ‘fixes’ associated with liminality. By developing a new inductively generated framework, we show how the identity motives and identity work of these two categories of doctors differ significantly. We explore the underlying causes of these differences, and the implications they hold for theory and practice in medical professionalism, medical professional leadership and healthcare reform.
Gaze the Struggle of Others: The Representations of Rural Places and People of Indonesia in Tourism Media for Australian Tourists
Authors: Murti Desideria C. W.
Published: January 2020

This study contributes to understand the representations of Indonesian rural destinations in tourism media (online and offline) and the social reproduction of the on-site experiences from Australian tourists. The study analyses qualitative data from media produced between 2016 and 2018, online reviews about rural destinations, and full-day participant observations involving Australians. The findings highlight the contested representation of tranquil rice fields and the Indonesians as the exotic locals to be gaze upon for Australians. In conclusion, the framing of Indonesia for Australians expresses the unjust reproductions of tourism media to exercise the existing power relations.
A comparison of holistic, analytic, and part marking models in speaking assessment
Authors: Khabbazbashi Nahal , Galaczi Evelina D.
Published: January 2020

This mixed methods study examined holistic, analytic, and part marking models (MMs) in terms of their measurement properties and impact on candidate CEFR classifications in a semi-direct online speaking test. Speaking performances of 240 candidates were first marked holistically and by part (phase 1). On the basis of phase 1 findings—which suggested stronger measurement properties for the part MM—phase 2 focused on a comparison of part and analytic MMs. Speaking performances of 400 candidates were rated analytically and by part during that phase. Raters provided open comments on their marking experiences.

Results suggested a significant impact of MM; approximately 30% and 50% of candidates in phases 1 and 2 respectively were awarded different (adjacent) CEFR levels depending on the choice of MM used to assign scores. There was a trend of higher CEFR levels with the holistic MM and lower CEFR levels with the part MM. Although strong correlations were found between all pairings of MMs, further analyses revealed important differences. The part MM was shown to display superior measurement qualities particularly in allowing raters to make finer distinctions between different speaking ability levels. These findings have implications for the scoring validity of speaking tests.
Engaging Communities on Health Innovation: Experiences in Implementing Design Thinking
Authors: van der Westhuizen Donné , Conrad Nailah , Douglas Tania S. , Mutsvangwa Tinashe
Published: January 2020

Design thinking is an approach gaining momentum as a strategy for promoting empathy-driven, human-centered innovation. To evaluate the implementation of design thinking for engaging with communities about health and well-being, we undertook a qualitative analysis of an engagement between students and relevant community stakeholders during a project to develop a health intervention aimed at increasing medication compliance in an elderly community in South Africa. Major findings from this research indicated that design thinking offers opportunities for enriching community–university engagements. However, given constraints on time and procedure that are associated with the academy, the fast, dynamic style of design thinking is not optimally suited for developing the level of trust and rapport that is required for engagements in communities where social-cultural differences operate as barriers. Researchers who wish to utilize design thinking will need to devise and tailor additions to tool kits to meet the specific needs of engagements related to personal health and well-being.
Musicians show greater cross-modal integration, intermodal integration, and specialization in working memory than non-musicians
Authors: Gagnon Rielle , Nicoladis Elena
Published: January 2020

Theories of working memory (WM) often distinguish between a central component and peripheral components for verbal and visual information. In the present study, we tested whether musicians differed from non-musicians on WM capacity and structure, with a particular focus on motor memory. We compared individuals with instrumental music training ( n = 91) to those without musical training ( n = 99) on seven WM tasks, measuring visual, verbal, and motor memory. The results showed that the musicians only rarely outperformed non-musicians on WM tasks. As for memory structure, a principal components analysis revealed that the seven tasks loaded onto different components for non-musicians and musicians. In musicians, scores loaded onto three components that represent motor–visual memory, verbal memory, and memory for the movements of others. In contrast, there were only two extracted components for non-musicians. These results suggest that music training leads to greater cross-modal and intermodal integration in WM, as well as specialization within motor memory.
Perceptions of Restrictiveness in Forensic Mental Health: Do Demographic, Clinical, and Legal Characteristics Matter?
Authors: Tomlin Jack , Bartlett Peter , Völlm Birgit , Furtado Vivek , Egan Vincent
Published: January 2020

Where safe, forensic mental health systems should provide care in the least restrictive environment possible. Doing so can maximize patient autonomy and empowerment while minimizing unnecessary social disconnection and stigmatization. This study investigated whether patients’ perceptions of restrictiveness were associated with demographic, clinical, and legal characteristics. The Forensic Restrictiveness Questionnaire (FRQ) was used to measure perceptions of restrictiveness in 235 patients in low-, medium-, and high-secure settings in England. The results showed that restrictiveness scores were significantly higher for patients who experienced an adverse event in the past week or were diagnosed with a personality disorder compared to those with a mental illness. A regression analysis suggested that only diagnosis was predictive of FRQ scores when controlling for perceptions of ward atmosphere and quality of life. Age, length of stay, ethnicity, level of security, legal section, and offence type were not associated with FRQ scores. Future research should investigate the roles that individual symptoms, insight into illness, mood, personality, and expectations of care have in influencing perceptions of restrictiveness.
Clinical agreement and interchangeability of TEG5000 and TEG6s during cardiac surgery
Authors: Wong Qi , Byrne Kelly P , Robinson Scott C
Published: January 2020

TEG6s® is a new device introduced by the Haemonetics Corporation and designed to provide the same information as TEG® 5000 (Haemonetics Corporation, Braintree, MA, USA) but with much greater ease of use. We tested whether using citrated TEG6s gave reaction time, maximum amplitude and percentage of clot that had lysed at 30 minutes values similar to a non-citrated TEG5000, to allow clinical interchangeability using our current thrombelastography management algorithm for cardiac surgery. We also examined the agreement between the alpha-angle and functional fibrinogen maximum amplitude in our cardiac surgical patients.

 In total, 243 paired arterial blood samples in 99 patients were tested, using TEG5000 (non-citrated) and TEG6s (citrated) after induction of anaesthesia (prior to heparin administration), following protamine administration at the end of the cardiac bypass and whenever a TEG5000 was requested after this by the attending anaesthetist. Bland–Altman plots and Lin’s concordance coefficient were used to compare agreement whereas modified Bland–Altman plots and McNemar’s test were used to illustrate the differences in management recommendations between the two thrombelastography devices.

 All 243 samples were compared for reaction time and alpha-angle; 239 samples were compared for maximum amplitude; 136 samples were compared for the percentage of clot that had lysed at 30 minutes; 16 samples were compared for functional fibrinogen maximum amplitude. Lin’s concordance coefficient for these parameters was: reaction time 0.63, alpha-angle 0.39, maximum amplitude 0.5, percentage of clot that had lysed at 30 minutes 0.09 and functional fibrinogen maximum amplitude 0.31. Differences between the two devices became more marked at more abnormal values. Significant differences in median values, suggesting a fixed bias, were found for maximum amplitude and functional fibrinogen maximum amplitude. Differences in treatment recommendation could only be calculated for reaction time and maximum amplitude. Maximum amplitude was found to have a significant difference in treatment recommendation between the two devices using our current thrombelastography management algorithm for cardiac surgery with TEG6s recommending treatment in 11.5% more patients than TEG5000.

 Using the TEG6s with our current TEG5000–based thrombelastography management algorithm for cardiac surgery would result in a change in treatment recommendation in at least 10% of our cardiac surgical patients. Agreement between the two thrombelastography devices appears to decrease with increasing patient coagulopathy. New algorithms will need to be developed and tested to validate TEG6s for cardiac surgical patients in our institution.
Non-Medicare Enrollees Aged 65 or Older: The Effects of Labor-Force Participation, Citizenship, and Age
Authors: Choi Sunha
Published: January 2020

This study investigated the relationships among age, labor force participation, and citizenship status in relation to non-Medicare enrollment among individuals aged 65 years or older. Two-level multilevel modeling (states > individuals) with a nationally representative sample of 566,003 individuals was conducted to control for state-level variations in non-Medicare enrollment rates. Among those aged 65 to 66 years, 11.2% were non-Medicare enrollees nationwide. However, analyses indicated significant differences in non-Medicare enrollment rates by age, labor force participation, citizenship status, and state of residence. Moreover, the relationship between labor force participation and age was different between U.S. citizens and noncitizens (i.e., a significant three-way interaction). Specifically, labor force participation was associated with greater probabilities of non-Medicare enrollment among U.S. citizens aged between 65 and 69 years, although the opposite was true among noncitizens. While reasons for non-Medicare enrollment appear voluntary for some older adults (i.e., employment), some associated factors indicate subpopulations of vulnerable non-Medicare enrollees (i.e., noncitizens, aged 70+).
Effect of hydrothermal pre-treatment on physical properties and co-digestion from food waste and sewage sludge mixture
Authors: Park Seyong , Han Seong Kuk , Song Eunhey , Kim Ho , Kim Moonil , Lee Wonbae
Published: January 2020

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is generally considered to be an economic and environmentally friendly technology for treating waste activated sludge, but has some limitations, such as the time it takes for the sludge to be digested and also the ineffectiveness of degrading the solids. Various pre-treatment technologies have been suggested to overcome these limitations and to improve the biogas production rate by enhancing the hydrolysis of organic matter. This paper studies the use of hydrothermal pre-treatment (HTP) for a food waste and sewage sludge mixture (FW–SS mixture) as pre-treatment of co-digestion. The results of the capillary suction time, time to filter, and particle size decreased with increasing HTP temperature. These results of the assessment that was conducted in this study confirm that the HTP process indeed modifies the physical properties of the FW–SS mixture to enhance the solubilization of organic solids. A maximum increase in biogas production of 50% is achieved with a HTP temperature of 140oC. These findings show that to achieve high conversion efficiency, an accurately designed pre-treatment step must be included in the overall AD process for wastewater treatment.
Effects of Teacher- Versus Application-Delivered Instruction on the Expressive Vocabulary of At-Risk Preschool Children
Authors: Dennis Lindsay R. , Whalon Kelly J.
Published: January 2020

A repeated acquisition (RA) design was used to compare the effectiveness of research-based instruction embedded in repeated storybook reading facilitated by an adult or tablet application (app) on the vocabulary knowledge of six preschool children. All participants selected scored below the 40th percentile on the Preschool Language Scale–Fifth Edition. Three target verbs frequently encountered in speech and text (Tier 2) from 16, age-appropriate storybooks were selected. Definitions of the target verb, multiple contextualized examples, and demonstrations of the verb action were taught. All children benefited from the intervention in both conditions, but increases were higher for four participants in the app condition, and modest for two participants in both conditions. Depth of knowledge was assessed using a scoring rubric, and four children increased their ability to provide multiple examples or a definition of the word. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Diagnostic Imaging Modalities to Assess Treatment Response of Bone Metastasis in Patients Receiving Palliative Radiotherapy: A Scoping Review of the Literature
Authors: Bala Wasif , Chiu Nicholas , Tao Mary Jiayi , Lam Henry , Chow Edward , Probyn Linda
Published: January 2020

Purpose:

Several studies have used objective radiologic data to assess the effect of palliative radiotherapy on tumor burden. The purpose of this literature review was to survey the various metrics that have been used to quantify bone tumor response to palliative radiotherapy by radiographical means and to determine whether any of these metrics were associated with clinical palliative outcomes.

Methods:

In accordance with PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, a literature search Ovid Medline and OldMedline from 1946 to February 6, 2019, Embase Classic/Embase from 1947 to 2019 week 5, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials February 2019 to extract articles related to quantified radiologic evaluation of bone metastases following palliative radiotherapy. Imaging modality, quantification metric, and association between imaging modality and clinical response were recorded.

Results:

Fourteen articles selected for full-text review utilized computed tomography (10 studies), fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (3 studies), magnetic resonance imaging (1 study), diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (3 studies), and X-ray (1 study) imaging modalities. Variables assessed included tumor volume regression, bone density, metabolic activity, and signal intensity. Studies differed both in the type of imaging modality used and metric derived to quantify the radiologic findings. Fifty percent of the included studies aimed to identify a relationship between a quantified radiologic metric and clinical palliative response. Of these studies, 86% reported a correlation.

Conclusion:

Quantified radiologic metrics can provide an objective measure of response to palliative radiotherapy and may be useful in predicting clinical palliative response. More studies are needed to validate these metrics and develop a standardized protocol for radiologic evaluation that can be implemented into a clinical workflow.
Benign or Malignant Characterization of Soft-Tissue Tumors by Using Semiquantitative and Quantitative Parameters of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Zhang Yu , Yue Bin , Zhao Xiaodan , Chen Haisong , Sun Lingling , Zhang Xuexi , Hao Dapeng
Published: January 2020

Purpose:

To evaluate the efficacy of the semiquantitative and quantitative parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in differentiating between benign and malignant soft-tissue tumors.

Methods:

A total of 45 patients with pathologically confirmed soft-tissue tumors (15 benign and 30 malignant tumors) underwent DCE-MRI. The semiquantitative parameters assessed were as follows: time to peak (TTP), maximum concentration (MAX Conc), area under the curve of time-concentration curve (AUC-TC), and maximum rise slope (MAX Slope). Quantitative DCE-MRI was analyzed with the extended Tofts-Kety model to assess the following quantitative parameters: volume transfer constant (Ktrans), microvascular permeability reflux constant (Kep), and distribute volume per unit tissue volume (Ve). Data were evaluated using the independent t test or Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results:

The TTP ( P = .0035), MAX Conc ( P = .0018), AUC-TC ( P = .0018), MAX Slope ( P = .0018), Ktrans ( P = .0018), and Kep ( P = .0035) were significantly different between the benign and malignant soft-tissue tumors. The AUC of the ROC curve demonstrated the diagnostic potential of TTP (0.778), MAX Conc (0.849), AUC-TC (0.831), MAX Slope (0.847), Ktrans (0.836), Kep (0.778), and Ve (0.638).

Conclusions:

The use of semiquantitative and quantitative parameters of DCE-MRI enabled differentiation between benign and malignant soft-tissue tumors. The values of TTP were lower, while those of MAX Conc, AUC-TC, MAX Slope, Ktrans, and Kep were higher in malignant than in benign tumors.
Pearls and Pitfalls of Interpretation in CT Colonography
Authors: Schonberger Michael , Lefere Philippe , Dachman Abraham H.
Published: January 2020

The accuracy of computed tomography (CT) colonography (CTC) requires that the radiologist be well trained in the recognition of pitfalls of interpretation. In order to achieve a high sensitivity and specificity, the interpreting radiologist must be well versed in the causes of both false-positive and false-negative results. In this article, we review the common and uncommon pitfalls of interpretation in CTC.
CT-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve (FFRCT): From Gatekeeping to Roadmapping
Authors: Huang Alex L. , Maggiore Paul L. , Brown Richard A. , Turaga Mansi , Reid Anna B. , Merkur Jacob , Blanke Philipp , Leipsic Jonathon A.
Published: January 2020

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has emerged as the preferred modality in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, but it is limited by modest specificity. By applying principles of computational fluid dynamics, flow fraction reserve, a measure of lesion-specific ischemia that is used to guide revascularization, can be noninvasively derived from CCTA, the so-called computed tomography–derived flow fractional reserve (FFRCT). The accuracy of FFRCTin discriminating ischemia has been extensively validated, and it has been shown to improve the specificity of CCTA. Compared to other stress myocardial perfusion imaging, FFRCThas superior or comparable accuracy. Clinical studies have provided strong evidence that FFRCThas significant prognostic implications and informs clinical decisions for revascularization, serving as a gatekeeper to invasive coronary angiography. In addition, FFRCT-basedtools can be used to simulate the physiological consequences of different revascularization strategies, thus providing the roadmap to achieve complete revascularization. Although challenges remain, ongoing research and randomized controlled trials are expected to address current limitations and better define its role in clinical practice.
A Soldier’s Journey: Banyamulenge Narratives of Genocide
Authors: Davey Christopher P.
Published: January 2020

This article adds to debates in genocide studies on identity by analyzing Congolese Tutsi, or Banyamulenge, soldier narratives. It discusses this group’s identities and agency through the lens of the militarized generation of the 1990s. A conception of narrative identity is proposed that captures physical and relational networks as well as experiences of genocide. It examines fieldwork interviews conducted among former Banyamulenge soldiers and participants in the Alliance des Forces Démocratique pour la Libération du Congo-Zaïre (AFDL) and Rwandan Patriotic Army/Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPA/RPF). This narrative analysis uses open thematic coding to trace emplotment around three core themes: insecurity, marginalization, and destructive crises. In these narratives, genocide is conceptually utilized as a relational and discursive concept, and, therefore, permits an assessment of how participants understood and utilized the term. Doing so demonstrates the layering of victim and perpetrator identities, making a case for fluid identities in exposure to and with experiences of genocide. In the particular case of the Banyamulenge soldiers, they were active agents in the conflicts and events addressed in this article. Actors in genocide are agentic and engaged in the formation of fluid identity.
Attempted Suicide Among Adolescents in Military Families: The Mediating Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences
Authors: Clements-Nolle Kristen , Lensch Taylor , Yang Yueran , Martin Heather , Peek Julia , Yang Wei
Published: January 2020

Research has shown that adolescents in military families have higher rates of suicidal behaviors compared to their nonmilitary peers. This is typically attributed to military-specific stressors, but exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may also play a role. Our primary research objective was to determine whether cumulative exposure to ACEs mediates the relationship between military family involvement and attempted suicide. A two-stage cluster random sampling design was used to randomly sample 5,336 students from 98 high schools. Students were asked whether a parent or other adult in their home was serving on active duty in the military and attempted suicide in the past 12 months was assessed. Six measures of childhood abuse and household dysfunction were summed, and the ACE score was categorized as 0, 1, 2, and 3–6 ACEs. Weighted logistic regression and multinomial regression were used to assess differences in ACEs and attempted suicide, controlling for sex, age, race/ethnicity, rurality, and qualification for free/reduced lunch. To investigate potential mediation effects of ACEs on the relationship between military family and attempted suicide, we conducted path analyses controlling for demographics. Compared to their peers, students in military families had higher exposure to ACEs (1 ACE: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.88, 2.53], 2 ACEs: AOR = 2.07, 95% CI = [1.23, 3.48], and 3–6 ACEs: AOR = 2.57, 95% CI = [1.54, 4.27]) and twice the odds of attempting suicide in the past 12 months (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI = [1.30, 3.61]). Mediation analyses showed that cumulative exposure to ACEs completely mediated the relationship between military family involvement and attempted suicide. The study results highlight the need for trauma-informed approaches to mental health promotion with military families.
Doing Waiting: An Ethnomethodological Analysis
Authors: Ayaß Ruth
Published: January 2020

Waiting is an activity that is virtually carried out by everybody at every time and everywhere. In contrast to other occupations, such as playing the piano, it does not require painstaking training efforts. Notwithstanding, we do possess methodically employed techniques of indicating to others that we are waiting—that is, we make our waiting recognizable as such.

Many forms of waiting in everyday life are bound to specific places: waiting shelters, waiting rooms, waiting halls. The waiting person is thus visible and frequently forms a waiting community with fellow waiting people. Moreover, many forms of waiting take a specific form (a queue). But also in situations where such recognizable social formations are not possible (e.g., when waiting alone), people make clear to themselves and to others that they are waiting. Primarily people waiting in publicly accessible spaces demonstrate to each other and to others what they are doing—that is, waiting. They do so in a methodical way and thus make their actions accountable for themselves and others as an ordered structure. Hence, there is a sense in which waiting people wait competently, making their waiting visible to others as a “doing”—a “doing waiting” in the sense of ethnomethodology.

The essay pursues the question of waiting people’s particular handling of the space they are in and the material available to them: which spatial resources are made available to them by the specific locality? Which material resources are provided? In what ways do waiting people make use of this space and the objects to which they have access? How do they use other elements of the physical environment? Which additional resources are brought along? The article addresses these questions by using empirical data of natural situations of waiting (ethnographic fieldnotes, photographs, drawings, and video recordings).
Negotiating Transgender Identity at Work: A Movement to Theorize a Transgender Standpoint Epistemology
Authors: Jones Sarah E.
Published: January 2020

The status of transgender rights presents a national crisis, and organizational communication scholars must mobilize activist scholarship in which the “T” in “LGBT” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) matters in the argument presented and changes proposed. The purpose of this study was (a) to acknowledge transgender members as worthy of focused organizational study and (b) to theorize a transgender standpoint epistemology in an organizational context—an epistemology rooted in a standpoint marginalized at the societal level, within the LGBT community, and in communication scholarship. I discuss my collaboration with a community organization called Trans*Spectrum, where I conducted 10 in-depth interviews with transgender employees. The study illustrates how gender identity, performativities, and presentation, as well as agency and privilege, coalesce within the bounds of organizational rules and norms to permit only certain bodies to navigate the workplace in particular, uniform ways. The results show how organizations could better curate spaces for acknowledgment, accommodation, and acceptance.
Remembrance and Renewal: Health Care Staff Spiritual Self-Care
Authors: Rettig Amy E. , Lambrecht-Stock Emily , Bohley Kathy , Disher Cathy , Flewellen Marla , Lee Laura Lyanna , Lindsey Amy , Rawal Varun , Brogan-Habash Diane L.
Published: January 2020

Relationship-based care (RBC), a holistic framework of caring, models partnerships in caring to permeate at levels of patient, provider–self, provider–teams, and community. Remembrance and Renewal (R&R) is a RBC practice addressing spiritual self-care. At a dedicated time and space, R&R is offered monthly, rotating through six different buildings at an academic, medical center. To date, close to 2,000 visits have occurred. Those engaging in the practice express appreciation for the space to grieve and space to renew their spirit. R&R is a RBC practice in alignment with the scope and standards of holistic nursing practice and addresses the Quadruple Aim of improving health care staff’s work–life balance.
Children’s well-being in the primary school: A capability approach and community psychology perspective
Authors: Kellock Anne
Published: January 2020

This qualitative research with UK primary school children reveals their own subjective perceptions of well-being. In an educational context, the development of a theoretical framework towards understanding well-being is provided by capturing the voices of children through creative and visual methods. The data enabled nine key themes to emerge which have been applied to the Capability Approach and Community Psychology. The flexible approach also provides a practical means for practitioners to further understand and support children in an educational context.
“It takes time to understand their soul”: The humanity of refuge and transnational solidarity in Frieder Schlaich’s Otomo (1999)
Authors: Hoffmann Claudia
Published: January 2020

This article interrogates a general tendency in migration film studies to read vulnerable migrant characters vis-à-vis national and transnational power hierarchies. It analyzes Frieder Schlaich’s 1999 film Otomo, which reconstructs the story of a Cameroonian asylum seeker in Germany, to show that (re)centering the refugee character and de-emphasizing national parameters of citizenship and belonging reveal subtle personal complexities and crucial moments of solidarity among marginalized people. Through the lens of minor transnational modes of analysis, the article argues for a more mindful scholarly engagement with fictional migrant characters as members of transnational communities and political actors rather than faceless, nameless, and victimized on-screen bodies.
The tribological properties of bearing alloys under oil lubrication
Authors: Li Hulin , Cao Jingshu
Published: January 2020

In this article, the tribological behaviors of CuPb24Sn under different load and oil lubrication conditions were studied. The worn surface, material transfer, and debris of the material were analyzed by the scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. In addition, the wear rate of CuPb24Sn was measured by means of a laser microscopic 3D and profile measurement apparatus. The results show that the soft phase lead wears preferentially from the sample surface under both light and heavy load conditions. Under the light load condition, the wear rate of the soft phase lead is low. Therefore, in this condition the samples are lubricated by oil and surface residual lead, and the wear mechanism is mainly abrasive wear. However, under heavy load conditions, the soft phase lead is quickly consumed. The lubricating oil film is thinner and the asperities contact is increased. And then the surface temperature and oxidation of samples are increased too. In this case, the main wear mechanisms of samples are adhesive wear and oxidation wear. At the same time, with the depletion of lead, cracks begin to form and propagate at the interface between lead and copper, and then peel off from the matrix to form wear debris, which further accelerates the wear of the sample.
Coordination strategy between AFS and ASB with fault-tolerant mechanism for ground vehicle
Authors: Dawei Pi , Mingshuai Yan , Yulong Liu , Yahui Liu
Published: January 2020

In order to improve the performance of ground vehicle equipped with the active front-wheel steering and active stabilizer bar, the coordination for the two systems has been researched. A layered functional framework is proposed: the upper controller coordinates yaw motion with a designed Fuzzy proportional–integral–derivative controller algorithm correcting the outputs of active front-wheel steering and active stabilizer bar; for the middle subsystems, an ideal steering ratio is designed with the Sigmoid function to achieve the active steering, and a sliding mode algorithm is designed to reduce the roll angle; the bottom actuators achieve the control target from the middle layer. In addition, the upper layer has a rebuilt fuzzy rule-based fault-tolerant mechanism that handles the failure of stabilizer bar actuators to guarantee the stability of roll and yaw motion. Finally, the simulation and rapid-control-prototype test for step steering show that the designed algorithm can ensure roll and yaw performance. In consideration of the accidental failure of active stabilizer bar actuators, by actively adjusting the coordinated rules, the system could overcome the contradiction of coupling control and still maintain yaw and roll stability, which improves the active safety.
Correlation analysis of road load fuel economy variations by energy difference for gasoline direct injection and diesel-powered vehicles
Authors: Son Jeonghun , Ko Jinyoung , Kim Kangjin , Myung Cha-Lee , Park Simsoo , Kim Charyung
Published: January 2020

Test flexibilities, such as the tire pressure, adjustment of brakes, vehicle preconditioning, test mass, and running-in period, are multiple factors that can confound vehicle emissions and fuel economy tests. The road load force is the most influential flexibility factor for a type-approval vehicle certification test. Because of these various factors, it was revealed that there was a substantial difference between the type-approval emissions and those from a real-driving emissions test. In this study, the test cycle road load energy using the road load coefficients determined by the TA coast-down procedure was the base condition. After calculating the test cycle road load power, the constant term of the road load coefficient was adjusted by the energy loss. The tolerance of the road load in domestic regulation is 15%, so the constant term of the road load coefficient was increased by 5% in the cycle road load energy loss. Then, the road load power and tractive power were calculated from the force and vehicle speed. The vehicle fuel efficiency, under the road load variation conditions, was determined for modern 2.4 L gasoline direct injection and lean NOx trap-equipped diesel vehicles on a chassis dynamometer. To assess the impact of different road load values on the FE and carbon dioxide emissions, the test cycle was performed over the combined modes of the federal test procedure-75 and the highway fuel economy test. To investigate the road load variations of the vehicle fuel economy in correlation with the energy difference, the statistical approach of the one-way analysis of variance was applied. The results showed that the variations of the road load energy of the tested cycle were closely related in a trade-off relationship with the vehicle fuel economy.
Enhanced ride comfort using nonlinear seat suspension with high-static-low-dynamic stiffness
Authors: Cheng Chun , Hu Yan , Ma Ran
Published: January 2020

To attenuate the low-frequency vibration transmitted to the driver, a nonlinear seat suspension with high-static-low-dynamic stiffness is designed. First, the force and stiffness characteristics are derived. The nonlinear suspension can achieve the quasi-zero stiffness at the static equilibrium position when the structural parameters are properly designed. Then, a car-seat-human coupled model which consists of a quarter car model, a seat suspension, and a 4 degree-of-freedom human model is established to predict the biodynamic response of the driver. Finally, the isolation performance of the high-static-low-dynamic stiffness seat suspension under two typical road excitations is evaluated separately based on the numerical method. The effects of stiffness ratio, damping ratio, and vehicle speed on the ride comfort are investigated. The results showed that the nonlinear seat suspension outperforms the equivalent linear counterpart and can achieve the best ride comfort when the quasi-zero stiffness condition is satisfied.
Eurozone Crisis and Banks’ Creditworthiness: What is New for Credit Default Swap Spread Determinants?
Authors: Ortolano Alessandra , Angelini Eliana
Published: January 2020

The article analyses banks’ credit default swap (CDS) spread determinants, in light of the Eurozone debt crisis. The attention to this aspect is due to the very linkage between banking and sovereign sectors particularly evident during the aforementioned crisis.

The study is conducted on a sample of Eurozone banks over the period 2009–2014 through a feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) linear panel data regression.

The variables adopted are both balance sheet ratios and macroeconomic factors. The main results confirm the attention pointed at the influence of public conditions to the banking sector, as proved by the significance of variables like the 10-year bond yields or the long-term sovereign rating. It is also interesting to observe the output dealing with public debt, which may suggest opportunities not only of investment but also of speculation for banks on the debt itself. Balance sheet ratios, instead, are not significant.

Our study is an additional contribution to the strand of literature that analyses the strong interconnections between the riskiness of banks and the public sector and it is a suggestion to proceed the research with a deeper analysis on systemic risk and its impact on banking CDS spread.
Negative Related Diversification, Positive Related Diversification and Firm’s Performance: Measurement and Application
Authors: Nigam Narander Kumar , Gupta C. P.
Published: January 2020

Though we have had extensive theoretical and empirical studies on diversification during the past decades, yet the impact of diversification on a firm’s financial performance remains unclear. Earlier, authors (like Arnould, 1969 ; Berry, 1971 ; Gort, 1962 ) tried to answer the fundamental question of ‘whether a firm should diversify or not’, but were unable to reach any consensus. Rumelt (1974) categorized diversification into related and unrelated and concluded that diversification in a related area is better than being undiversified. Even after the seminal work of Rumelt, empirical evidence on the impact of both types of diversification on a firm’s financial performance is still mixed ( Berger & Ofek, 1995 ; Chen & Joseph Yu, 2012 ; Duin & Hansen, 1991 ; Palepu, 1985 ; Palich, Cardinal, & Miller, 2000 ). In this study, we make an attempt to answer the same fundamental question of ‘whether a firm should diversify or not’ by including three new aspects: first, we measure the impact of diversification (and its types) on the three aspects of a firm’s financial performance, that is, risk, return and risk-adjusted return; second, we measure this impact on lag 1 of diversification; and third, we use a newly developed approach, that is, correlation-based diversification measures ( Nigam & Gupta, 2018b ) to measure different types of diversification. Initially, our results indicated insignificant impact of diversification (and its types) on all firm performance measures. Later, we segregated related diversification (RD) into positive related diversification (PRD) and negative related diversification (NRD); then we measured the impact of each type of diversification separately and found that diversification is better than being undiversified only if it is into a negative related area. It is a new finding and may have some policy implications for the management while designing its diversification strategy.
Virtual Reality for Therapeutic Recreation in Dementia Hospice Care: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Ferguson Claire , Shade Marcia Y. , Blaskewicz Boron Julie , Lyden Elizabeth , Manley Natalie A.
Published: January 2020

Objectives:

To explore acceptability, tolerability, and subjective experience of virtual reality (VR) as therapeutic recreation for hospice patients living with dementia (hPLWD).

Design:

Descriptive study setting.

Community Hospice Agency Participants:

A convenience sample of n = 25 hPLWD cared for by a local hospice agency.

Intervention:

Participants viewed a beach scene using VR headset for ≤30 minutes.

Measurements:

Tolerability was measured with Pain Assessment IN Advanced Dementia (PAINAD)scores at baseline, every 5 minutes during VR use, and 5 minutes after headset removal. Additionally, follow-up phone calls to caregivers several hours after the intervention were performed to inquire regarding any noted adverse effect after the intervention. The subjective experience was measured with qualitative semistructured interviews with the hPLWD regarding enjoyment for the VR. Descriptive statistics were performed on all collected data.

Results:

The VR was stopped early in 2 of the participants due to a ≥2-point increase in PAINAD score. Baseline behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) were reported to have worsened in 2 (8%) of the participants at follow-up. There was no significant difference between dementia type and usage time or dementia severity and usage time. Of the 25 participants, 14 (56%) reported enjoying VR and 12 (48%) would do it again.

Conclusion:

Virtual reality use was generally safe and enjoyable in hPLWD. Virtual reality can provide meaningful activity and enhance quality of life for hPLWD at the end of life. In the future, VR may be a useful intervention for BPSD in hPLWD.