bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid nanoparticles embedded polyvinyl butyral nanocomposites for improved mechanical, thermal and microwave absorption performance
Authors: Akman Erdi , Sonmezoglu Savas , Yigit Enes , Eskizeybek Volkan , Avci Ahmet
Published: August 2021

Polymer-based nanocomposites have been broadly investigated to improve its specific properties such as thermal and mechanical properties to use in different application areas. In this study, we aimed to ameliorate the desired physical properties of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) by introducing various amounts of silver (Ag) and cobalt (Co) nanoparticles (NPs) in the polymer matrix. The arc-discharge method submerged in liquid nitrogen was performed to synthesize the metal NPs. To produce hybrid nanocomposites, we demonstrated embedding Ag:Co nanoparticles in the PVB matrix via easy/low-cost solution casting process without any additional materials. In the results of analysis for nanocomposites, it was observed that there were improvements in thermal, mechanical and microwave absorption characteristics of the PVB polymer with interaction of NPs with the polymer. As a result of these interactions, the hybridization of PVB with the metal NPs resulted in the improved thermal stability since the glass transition temperature was increased from 45.6 to 55.1 °C. Besides, while the tensile strength (σ) of the bare PVB film was calculated as 20.52 MPa, the strength of the corresponding tensile strength (σ) of 1.0 wt.% Ag:Co nanocomposite film was improved to 43.41 MPa. Moreover, in order to determine the effect of these changes on the radar absorption feature of nanocomposites, one-dimensional A-Scan measurements were performed on 2–18 GHz frequency band. In the results, it was observed that 1.0%.wt Ag:Co nanocomposite film absorbed approximately 90% of the incoming energy. The characterization results revealed that a positive synergetic effect raised in the case of the modification of the PVB matrix with both Ag and Co NPs. In the light of these data, it was understood that the characteristics of PVB were improved with the NPs combining, and the usage area of that will also increase thanks to this improvement. These regenerated properties made the hybrid nanocomposite a promising substrate material with considerable potential applications for various transparent, flexible, and portable surface coatings.
Mission Reborn in the COVID Crisis
Authors: Erdek Michael A.
Published: August 2021

The COVID crisis continues to affect many in ways which have led to health, economic, and personal loss of no small consequence. All of us have a unique and personal perspective on the pandemic. I share my experience as a front-line attending physician caring for critically ill COVID patients in the intensive care unit, and how it relates to the call of mission we receive as Catholic physicians.
The Intersection of Sexual and Racial/Ethnic Identity Centrality and Mental Well-Being among Black and Latinx Sexual Minority Adults
Authors: Oyarvide Tuthill Zelma
Published: August 2021

Studies document how identity related processes, including identity centrality, shape mental well being. More research, however, is needed that considers how identity centrality impacts well being for people with more than one marginalized identity. Drawing from data from 1,571 black and Latinx sexual minorities included in the Social Justice Sexuality Project, I apply an intercategorical intersectional approach to examine the association between the intersection of sexual and racial/ethnic identity centrality and mental well being. Ordinary least squares regression models show three key findings. First, I found a significant association between both racial/ethnic and sexual identity centrality and mental well being. Second, my results highlight a significant interaction effect between sexual and racial/ethnic identity centrality, indicating the relationship between centrality and well being varies across different levels of centrality. Finally, my results indicate that after adjusting for identity centrality, other predictors remain significantly associated with well being.
Efficacy and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation for post-stroke spasticity: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Huang Jiapeng , Qu Yun , Liu Lini , Zhao Kehong , Zhao Ziqi
Published: August 2021

Objectives:

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation for post-stroke spasticity and to assess its evidence using a meta-analysis.

Methods:

We searched the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE (via PubMed), PEDro, CBM, CNKI and Wan Fang Data from their inception to June 2021 for randomised clinical trials published in English or Chinese, which aimed to explore the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on post-stroke spasticity. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and evaluated the methodological quality and overall evidence quality.

Results:

Thirteen randomised clinical trials comprising 924 patients were included, 12 of which were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that anodal stimulation (standard mean difference = −0.91; [95% CI; −1.63 to −0.19]) combined with other therapies was more effective in improving upper limb spasticity. More than 20 minutes of stimulation were found to be effective in improving spasticity. Transcranial direct current stimulation was superior to the control treatments for subacute (standard mean difference = −1.16; −1.75 to −0.57) and chronic stroke (standard mean difference = −0.68; −1.13 to −0.22) patients aged under 60 (standard mean difference = −1.07; −1.54 to −0.60). No severe adverse events were reported in any of the included studies.

Conclusions:

Low-quality evidence demonstrates that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation as an adjunct is effective and safe in reducing upper limb post-stroke spasticity when applied for more than 20 minutes in subacute and chronic stroke survivors aged under 60. Further high-quality studies are needed to explore its long-term efficacy and safety.
Learning constraints from demonstrations with grid and parametric representations
Authors: Chou Glen , Berenson Dmitry , Ozay Necmiye
Published: August 2021

We extend the learning from demonstration paradigm by providing a method for learning unknown constraints shared across tasks, using demonstrations of the tasks, their cost functions, and knowledge of the system dynamics and control constraints. Given safe demonstrations, our method uses hit-and-run sampling to obtain lower cost, and thus unsafe, trajectories. Both safe and unsafe trajectories are used to obtain a consistent representation of the unsafe set via solving an integer program. Our method generalizes across system dynamics and learns a guaranteed subset of the constraint. In addition, by leveraging a known parameterization of the constraint, we modify our method to learn parametric constraints in high dimensions. We also provide theoretical analysis on what subset of the constraint and safe set can be learnable from safe demonstrations. We demonstrate our method on linear and nonlinear system dynamics, show that it can be modified to work with suboptimal demonstrations, and that it can also be used to learn constraints in a feature space.
Detour-Impact Index Method and Traffic Gathering Algorithm for Assessing Alternative Paths of Disrupted Roads
Authors: Pucci Alessandro , Puppio Mario Lucio , Sousa Hélder Silva , Giresini Linda , Matos José Campos , Sassu Mauro
Published: August 2021

Infrastructure plays a key role in society. Recent collapses of bridges have underlined their importance for road functionality, causing disruptions to commuters and emergency vehicles. Major issues arise on rural roads, where the lack of redundancy leads to the isolation of entire communities. Actual approaches to assess the resilience of countryside roads rely on the availability of specific datasets, limiting their practical application; this issue is typically related to traffic data. This research aims to propose innovative algorithms to assess the road network’s vulnerability in rural areas, including a novel traffic data collection process and its calibration. The aggregate metric is called Detour-Impact Index (DII) and compares user costs before and after a disruptive event. The method uses traditional network-impact metrics in combination with a new algorithm that allows us to gather quantitative traffic data starting from qualitative information. User travel time showed good agreement between the proposed procedure and traditional web-based methods. Furthermore, the paper provides user delay costs functions accounting for traffic composition, trip purposes, vehicle operative costs, nonlinear volume–capacity relation, and average daily traffic. A significant aspect is the adaptability of this framework, as it is designed to be coupled with existing approaches. The method is demonstrated on a case study in Tuscany (Italy).
Analysis of Fatal Truck-Involved Work Zone Crashes in Florida: Application of Tree-Based Models
Authors: Gupta Rajesh , Asgari Hamidreza , Azimi Ghazaleh , Rahimi Alireza , Jin Xia
Published: August 2021

This paper presents the results of an analysis focusing on large truck-involved work zone fatal crashes using seven-year crash data in the State of Florida. Decision tree/random forest models were applied to specifically detect critical crash patterns that result in a fatality outcome. Because of the imbalanced nature of crash severity data (very low frequency of fatal crashes compared with property damage only or injury), data were treated using random and systematic over-sampling techniques. Marginal effects were addressed using Shapley values to increase model explainability. From a methodological perspective, results showed that the combination of over-sampling techniques with ensemble random forests could significantly improve model performance in predicting fatal crashes (compared with conventional logistic regression models). Primary contributors included pedestrian involvement, lighting conditions, safety equipment, driver condition, driver age, and work zone locations. For pedestrian crashes, factors such as dark-not lighted conditions, distracted truck driver, and driver’s age (young drivers outside city limits, senior drivers inside city limits) were highly likely to be fatal. For non-pedestrian crashes, the combination of front airbag deployment with any restraint system other than shoulder and belt was quite likely to be fatal. Also, abnormal driver conditions increased the risk of a fatal outcome. Additionally, the presence of female drivers (as the second driver in multiple vehicle crashes) highly decreased crash severity, probably because females typically drive more carefully than males. Interestingly, truck driver actions and maneuvers as well as roadway design and other physical environment features (i.e., number of lanes, median type, roadway grade, and alignment) did not show significant contribution to the model.
Learning-Based Stochastic Driving Model for Autonomous Vehicle Testing
Authors: Liu Lin , Feng Shuo , Feng Yiheng , Zhu Xichan , Liu Henry X.
Published: August 2021

In the simulation-based testing and evaluation of autonomous vehicles (AVs), how background vehicles (BVs) drive directly influences the AV’s driving behavior and further affects the test results. Most existing simulation platforms use either predetermined trajectories or deterministic driving models to model BV behaviors. However, predetermined BV trajectories cannot react to AV maneuvers, and deterministic models are different from real human drivers because of the lack of stochastic components and errors. Both methods lead to unrealistic traffic scenarios. This paper presents a learning-based stochastic driving model that meets the unique needs of AV testing (i.e., interactive and human-like stochasticity). The model is built based on the long short-term memory architecture. By incorporating the concept of quantile regression into the loss function of the model, the stochastic behaviors are reproduced without prior assumption of human drivers. The model is trained with the large-scale naturalistic driving data (NDD) from the Safety Pilot Model Deployment project and compared with a stochastic intelligent driving model (IDM). Analysis of individual trajectories shows that the proposed model can reproduce more similar trajectories of human drivers than IDM. To validate the ability of the proposed model in generating a naturalistic driving environment, traffic simulation experiments are implemented. The results show that traffic flow parameters such as speed, range, and time headway distribution match closely with the NDD, which is of significant importance for AV testing and evaluation.
Evaluation and modelling of methane production from corn stover pretreated with various physicochemical techniques
Authors: Fernández-Rodríguez María José , Mushtaq Maryam , Tian Li , Jiménez-Rodríguez Antonia , Rincón Bárbara , Gilroyed Brandon H , Borja Rafael
Published: August 2021

Lignocellulosic by-products from agricultural crops represent an important raw material for anaerobic digestion and clean renewable, which is a key component of the circular economy. Lignocellulose is recalcitrant to biodegradation and pretreatments are required to increase methane yield during anaerobic digestion. In this work, the efficacy of different physicochemical pretreatments was compared using corn stover biomass as substrate. Anaerobic digestion of untreated and pretreated corn stover was performed in batch mode at mesophilic temperature (38°C) and organic matter solubilization of pretreated substrates was also investigated. The highest organic matter solubilization occurred in autoclave pretreatment (soluble chemical oxygen demand = 5630 ± 42 mg O2 L−1). However, the highest methane yield was obtained using alkaline pretreatment (367 ± 35 mL CH4 g−1 VSadded). Alkaline pretreatment increased methane yield by 43.3% compared to untreated control (256 ± 15 mL CH4 g−1 VSadded). Two mathematical models (i.e. first-order kinetics and transfer function) were utilized to fit the experimental data with the aim of assessing anaerobic biodegradation and to obtain the kinetic constants in all cases studied. Both models adequately fit the experimental results. The kinetic constant, k, of the first-order model increased by 92.8% when stover was pretreated with sulphuric acid compared with control. The transfer function model revealed that the maximum methane production rate, Rm, was obtained for the sulphuric acid treatment, which was 63.5% higher compared to control.
A Life Course Approach to Understanding Volunteering Practices Among Ethnic-Racial Minority Immigrants on the US-Mexico Border
Authors: Paat Yok-Fong
Published: August 2021

Drawing insights from the life course perspective, this study examined individual and contextual factors that shaped volunteering practices among ethnic-racial minority immigrants across their life course. Using purposive sampling, 40 ethnic-racial minority immigrants at various stages of adulthood (18–65 years old) were recruited from a southwestern U.S. state on the US-Mexico border in 2018 to participate in an in-depth interview to better understand how their personal experiences, ecologies, and life histories influenced their volunteering practices. Grounded Theory Method was used to analyze the data. Overall, the participants’ volunteering propensities were influenced by (1) significant life events that served as turning points that motivated their desire to help, (2) linked lives in connection with their personal and professional life domains, (3) human capital and agency that served as their resources in volunteering and access to volunteering opportunities, and (4) the context that made volunteering conducive.
Mind-Body Practices and Self-Enhancement: Direct Replications of Gebauer et al.’s (2018) Experiments 1 and 2
Authors: Vaughan-Johnston Thomas I. , Jacobson Jill A. , Prosserman Alex , Sanders Emily
Published: August 2021

Mind-body practices such as yoga and meditation are often believed to instill a “quiet ego,” entailing less self-enhancement. In two experiments, however, Gebauer et al. (2018) demonstrated that mind-body practices may actually increase self-enhancement, particularly because such practices become self-central bases for self-esteem. We conducted preregistered replications of both of Gebauer et al.’s experiments. Experiment 1 was a field study of Canadian yoga students ( N = 97), and Experiment 2 was a multiwave meditation intervention among Canadian university students ( N = 300). Our results supported Gebauer et al.’s original conclusions that mind-body practices increase self-enhancement. Although the self-centrality effects were not clearly replicated in either experiment, we found evidence that measurement and sampling differences may explain this discrepancy. Moreover, an integrative data analysis of the original and the replication data strongly supported all of Gebauer et al.’s conclusions. In short, we provide new evidence against the ego-quieting perspective and in support of the self-centrality interpretation of mind-body practices.
Scott Joplin: A Guide for Music Educators Part III—Ragtime Spaces
Authors: Friar Kendra Kay
Published: August 2021

Scott Joplin was an African American composer and pianist of singular merit and influence. This article is the final entry in a three-part series considering the biographical, artistic, and cultural contexts of Joplin’s life and work and their use in K–12 general music education. “Ragtime Spaces” focuses on cultural globalization and the modernist entertainment aesthetic which supported Joplin’s work. Scott Joplin’s creative and entrepreneurial activities embodied humanism, racial uplift, and craftsmanship at a time when society became increasingly racially segregated and dehumanized. The discussion is followed by suggested student activities written in accordance with National Association for Music Education’s 2014 National Music Standards.
Psychometric Properties of the High-Need Community-Dwelling Older Adults Screening Scale
Authors: Chen Kuei-Min , Chen Meng-Chin , Hsu Hui-Fen , Belcastro Frank , Chang Wei-Yun
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to verify the factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity of the High-need Community-dwelling Older Adults Screening Scale (HCOASS). A 20-item HCOASS covering five domains was used with a systematic random sample of 818 community-dwelling older adults. After the analyses, the Exploratory Factor Analysis suggested a removal of two items, resulting in 5 domains with 18 items, and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis yielded satisfactory results with Goodness of Fit Index of .98. The HCOASS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 α = .75) and excellent test-retest reliability (0.94; 95% CI [0.91, 0.97]). The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.90 (95% CI [0.84, 0.95]) and the optimal cut-off score was 4/5. The HCOASS is a valid and reliable screening tool. It has the potential for consistent and efficient administration to be used by non-healthcare professionals in the community.
Radiographic Outcomes of Proximal vs Distal Syndesmotic Low Tibial Osteotomy
Authors: Choi Jun Young , Cho Jin Ho , Song Tae Hun , Suh Jin Soo
Published: August 2021

Background:

We aimed to determine whether the location of tibial osteotomy affects the outcome during low tibial osteotomy (LTO) with fibular osteotomy for varus ankle arthritis by comparing proximal syndesmotic (PS) and distal syndesmotic (DS) tibial osteotomy.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the radiographic findings of 50 cases (among 47 patients) who underwent LTO with fibular osteotomy for varus ankle arthritis. The enrolled patients were divided into 2 groups according to the location of the tibial osteotomy: the PS group (25 cases, 24 patients) and the DS group (25 cases, 23 patients). Radiographic parameters were compared between the 2 groups.

Results:

There were no significant differences in tibial anterior and lateral surface angles, tibiomedial malleolar angle, talar center migration, and intermalleolar distance correction between the 2 groups (all P > .05). However, the decreases in talar tilt (TT) and talocrural angle (TCA) were more pronounced in the DS group than in the PS group (both P < .05). Among patients with TT ≥8 degrees, a greater decrease in TT (+1.0 degrees vs –2.8 degrees) and TCA was observed in the DS group, whereas the PS group demonstrated greater increases in TCA and intermalleolar distance (all P < .01).

Conclusion:

In this series, DS tibial osteotomy combined with fibular osteotomy was a more effective operative option than PS tibial osteotomy to correct both extra- and intra-articular deformity for varus ankle arthritis.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Combining PD-L1 Expression and Standardized Uptake Values in FDG-PET/CT Can Predict Prognosis in Patients With Resectable Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Miyazawa Tomoyuki , Otsubo Kanji , Sakai Hiroki , Kimura Hiroyuki , Chosokabe Motohiro , Morikawa Kei , Furuya Naoki , Marushima Hideki , Kojima Koji , Mineshita Masamichi , Koike Junki , Saji Hisashi
Published: August 2021

Background

This study aimed to determine the relationship of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and standardized uptake values in fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) with prognosis in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 328 NSCLC patients who underwent lobectomy/segmentectomy with lymph node dissection. PD-L1 expression was detected by immunohistochemically stained using the murine monoclonal antibody clone 22C3. The preoperative maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of FDG-PET/CT at the primary lesion; pathological factors including histological type, microscopic lymphatic, venous, and pleural invasion; and lymph node metastases in resected specimens was determined. Significant prognostic clinicopathologic factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

PD-L1 expression was higher in men, smokers, squamous cell carcinoma, advanced pathologic stages, positive venous invasion, positive pleural invasion, and high preoperative SUVmax (≥3). Postoperative survival analysis showed that both PD-L1 expression and preoperative SUVmax were significantly negative prognostic factors in univariate analysis for overall survival (OS) ( P = 0.0123 and P < 0.0001) and relapse-free survival (RFS) ( P = 0.0012 and P < 0.0001). Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that the OS and RFS were the best in patients with negative PD-L1 expression and SUVmax < 3, intermediate in patients with positive PD-L1 expression and SUVmax < 3 and those with negative PD-L1 expression and SUVmax ≥ 3, and poor in patients with positive PD-L1 expression and SUVmax ≥ 3.

Conclusion

Combining PD-L1 expression and preoperative FDG-PET/CT SUVmax in primary tumor might help in accurate prediction of postoperative prognosis in NSCLC patients.
Cognitive and Executive Contributions to Trail-Making Task Performance on Adolescents With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Harvie Grace , Braund Taylor A. , Kohn Michael R. , Korgaonkar Mayuresh S. , Clarke Simon , Williams Leanne M. , Griffiths Kristi R.
Published: August 2021

Objective:

The trail making task is used to assess executive functioning in ADHD youth, yet has only been validated in adult populations. We compare the relative contributions of various cognitive measures to performance on a trail making task analog, the Switching of Attention (SoA) task, in typically-developing and ADHD adolescents.

Method:

Participants were 160 adolescents with ADHD from the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment—in ADHD, assessed at pretreatment baseline and 6-week medicated follow-up, and 160 matched typically-developing peers. Attention, processing speed, working memory, impulsivity, and motor speed were assessed using a cognitive battery.

Results:

Processing speed and working memory significantly contributed to SoA performance in ADHD, regardless of medication status. While medicated, motor speed also underpinned the prediction of most task measures. For typically-developing adolescents, sustained attention and working memory contributed to SoA performance.

Conclusion:

Typically-developing, unmedicated and treated ADHD adolescents recruit different aspects of cognition during SoA completion.
Associations Between Glucose Tolerance, Insulin Secretion, Muscle and Fat Mass in Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Nielsen Bibi Uhre , Faurholt-Jepsen Daniel , Oturai Peter Sandor , Qvist Tavs , Krogh-Madsen Rikke , Katzenstein Terese Lea , Shaw James , Ritz Christian , Pressler Tacjana , Almdal Thomas Peter , Mathiesen Inger Hee Mabuza
Published: August 2021

Background:

A frequent comorbidity in cystic fibrosis (CF) is CF related diabetes (CFRD) caused by a gradual decline in insulin secretion. The reduction in the anabolic hormone, insulin, might explain the weight loss that precedes onset of CFRD. We investigated the association between muscle and fat mass in relation to glucose tolerance and insulin function.

Methods:

In a cross-sectional study with CF patients (⩾18 years), we conducted an oral glucose tolerance test and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (DXA). Based on plasma glucose, glucose tolerance was defined as normal (NGT): 1-hour <11.1 mmol/L and 2-hour <7.8 mmol/L, impaired (IGT): 2-hour ⩾7.8 and <11.1 mmol/L or CFRD: 2-hour ⩾11.1 mmol/L. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was derived from fasting levels of plasma glucose and plasma insulin, and fat-free and fat mass index (kg/m2) from DXA. Associations were evaluated using linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and pancreas insufficiency.

Results:

Among 79 CF patients with exocrine pancreas insufficiency, impairment of glucose tolerance corresponded to reduced insulin secretion. In the IGT group the fat-free mass index (FFMI) was 1.2 kg/m2 (95% CI: [−2.3, −0.03] kg/m2, P = .044) lower compared to the NGT group. FFMI increased insignificantly by 0.4 kg/m2 (95% CI: [−0.6, 1.5] kg/m2, P = .422) among the insulin-treated CFRD group compared to IGT. Fat mass index (FMI) was not different between groups but tended to decrease with glucose tolerance impairment. For each 100 pmol/L increase in fasting insulin FFMI increased by 1.77 kg/m2 (95% CI: [0.21, 3.33] kg/m2/pmol/L/100) and FMI increased by 6.15 kg/m2 (95% CI: [3.87, 8.44] kg/m2/pmol/L/100). In multivariate analyses, HOMA-IR was positively associated with FFMI (β = 0.5 kg/m2/HOMA-IR, 95% CI: [0.08, 0.92] kg/m2/HOMA-IR, P = .021) and FMI (β = 1.5 kg/m2/HOMA-IR, 95% CI: [0.87, 2.15] kg/m2/HOMA-IR, P < .001).

Conclusions:

Muscle mass was significantly lower among participants with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), while muscle mass was normalized among those treated with insulin.
In the mood for disconnection
Authors: Karppi Tero , Chia Aleena , Jorge Ana
Published: August 2021

The needs and desires to disconnect, detox, and log out have been turned into commodities and found their expressions in detox camps, self-help books, and “offline” branded apparel. Disconnection studies have challenged the power of commodified disconnective practices to create real social change. In this article, we build on the notion of affective attunement to explore how disconnection commodities provide differential ways for individuals to respond to the challenges of connectivity, and how they can form larger patterns of resistance that cannot be dismissed as futile. We examine the ambiguity of disconnection commodities through three examples: a smartwatch kill switch and stealth mode features, detox floatation tank therapy, and make-up lines. Our approach turns the perspective from ends to the means of disconnection. We argue that these commodities do not offer hard breaks but they do let users attune to connectivity.
Patterns and perspectives shape perceptions: Epistemological and methodological reflections on the study of small-scale multilingualism
Authors: Lüpke Friederike
Published: August 2021

Aims and objectives:

This paper captures social dimensions of language in highly diverse small-scale multilingual contexts that appear to pose challenges for (socio)linguistic description and documentation. I focus on the seeming contradiction of monolingual imaginations of places with heterogeneous and multilingual inhabitants, on great fluidity and variability of language use and the concomitant limits of reification-based identification of codes, and on personalised repertoires shaped by individual trajectories and relational, rather than categorical, stances.

Approach:

I propose patterns and perspectives as two interrelated dimensions to guide research in configurations of this kind, illustrating epistemological and methodological points through data from multilingual settings in Casamance, Senegal.

Data and analysis:

I focus on data collected in the village of Agnack Grand and its surroundings, but also include data from across the Lower Casamance and adjacent regions of Guinea-Bissau, discussing patterns of multilingual organisation and extracts from conversation and how their speech forms are categorised.

Findings:

The paper brings sociohistorical dimensions of small-scale multilingualism to the fore and identifies their lasting influences on spatial representations of language regimes. Linguistic spaces influence perspectives on speech events taking place in them and circumscribe speech participants’ and observers’ choices in describing repertoires, producing and analysing speech forms. Beyond the selection of language modes, perspective also determines how speech forms are categorised. I demonstrate that the patterns speakers and observers have experienced and the perspectives they assume are decisive in shaping their perception.

Originality:

My central observation is that there is no objective, neutral viewpoint on (multilingual) speech, but that positionality frames it at all levels. I develop new epistemologies for studying these dimensions.

Significance:

Putting the categorisation processes employed by speakers and observers and their underlying motivations centre stage and integrating sociolinguistic and anthropological linguistic methods and historical knowledge into linguistic description and documentation constitutes an innovative research programme.
Journalism ethics with Foucault: Casually employed journalists’ constructions of professional integrity
Authors: Gollmitzer Mirjam
Published: August 2021

This article examines how journalists in non-permanent employment respond to their growing precarity. It is based on in-depth interviews with freelance journalists and interns who find that their working lives increasingly require entrepreneurial efforts. To work towards continuous access to journalistic work, these casually employed journalists engage in self-management and self-branding. To be able to make a living, they subsidize their income with work for clients outside of journalism that frequently offer better working conditions than news organizations but pursue narrow, strategic goals. The article develops a typology of non-journalistic work that illustrates that some non-journalistic jobs, but not others, cause these precarious news workers to defend their journalistic professional integrity. Furthermore, the study introduces Michel Foucault’s notions of the ‘entrepreneurial self’ and the ‘ethical self’ to interpret the different registers of professionalism between which journalists move today, identified as counter-, conforming and coping subjectivity. Thereby, the article uses a novel conceptual lens to make sense of resilience and change in journalistic professional identities under conditions of precarity.
A feature learning-based method for impact load reconstruction and localization of the plate-rib assembled structure
Authors: Chen Tao , Guo Liang , Duan Andongzhe , Gao Hongli , Feng Tingting , He Yichen
Published: August 2021

Impact load is the load that machines frequently experienced in engineering applications. Its time-history reconstruction and localization are crucial for structural health monitoring and reliability analysis. However, when identifying random impact loads, conventional inversion methods usually do not perform well because of complex formula derivation, infeasibility of nonlinear structure, and ill-posed problem. Deep learning methods have great ability of feature learning and nonlinear representation as well as comprehensive regularization mechanism. Therefore, a new feature learning-based method is proposed to conduct impact load reconstruction and localization. The proposed method mainly includes two parts. The first part is designed to reconstruct impact load, named convolutional-recurrent encoder–decoder neural network (ED-CRNN). The other part is constructed to localize impact load, called deep convolutional-recurrent neural network (DCRNN). The ED-CRNN utilizes the one-dimensional (1-D) convolutional encoder–decoder to obtain low-dimension feature representations of input signals. Two long short-term memory (LSTM) layers and a bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) layer are uniformly distributed in this network to learn the relationship between input features and the output load in time steps. The DCRNN is constructed mainly by two 1-D convolutional neural network (CNN) layers and two BiLSTM layers to learn high-hidden-level spatial as well as temporal features. The fully connected layers are placed at the end to localize an impact load. The effectiveness of the proposed method was demonstrated by two numerical studies and two experiments. The results reveal that the proposed method has the ability to accurately and quickly reconstruct and localize the impact load of complex assembled structure. Furthermore, the performance of the DCRNN is related to the number of sensors and the architecture of the network. Meanwhile, the strategy of alternating layout is proposed to reduce the number of training locations.
Ethics Audits in Cross-National Research: Experiences from Correspondence Study Field Experiments with National Politicians in Four European Democracies
Authors: Pedersen Helene Helboe , Louwerse Tom , Zittel Thomas
Published: August 2021

This essay contemplates experiences from four national ethics audits designed to facilitate correspondence study field experiments with national politicians in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The experimental study aims to reveal possible biases in legislators’ responsiveness to distinct types of constituents such as non-partisans, lower-class constituents, ethnic minorities, and women, and to unveil possible unsubstantiated fears or misperceptions in this regard. The national research teams proposed the same experimental design but received three different ethical evaluations. Specifically, the relevant Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in the UK and Denmark asked for two different de-briefing procedures. In the Danish case, this led to withdrawal of the experiment due to severe costs with regard to research quality. In the UK case, it led to increased risk of backlash. Our experiences imply a need for more consistent ethics regimes in the European research community designed to facilitate comparative social science research.
Dynamic, Time-Resolved Computed Tomography Angiography Technique to Characterize Aortic Endoleak Type, Inflow and Provide Guidance for Targeted Treatment
Authors: Berczeli Marton , Lumsden Alan B. , Chang Su Min , Bavare Charudatta S. , Chinnadurai Ponraj
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

To illustrate dynamic, time-resolved CTA (d-CTA) imaging technique in characterizing aortic endoleak type/inflow using quantitative parameters and its value in providing image guidance for targeted treatment approach.

Technique:

Dedicated endoleak protocol involved acquiring multiple time-resolved contrast enhanced scans using third-generation CT scanner (Somatom Force®, Siemens Healthineers). Parameters such as scan field of view (FOV), kV, number/timing of scans were customized based on patient’s body-mass-index, timing bolus, and prior imaging findings. D-CTA image datasets were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively using time-attenuation curves (TAC) analysis after motion correction using a dedicated software ( syngo.via®, Siemens). D-CTA findings from 4 illustrative cases demonstrating type I, type II (inferior mesenteric and lumbar artery inflow), and type III endoleak were illustrated. TAC analysis with time to peak parameter enabled better characterization of endoleak type and inflow. During endoleak intervention, target vessels from d-CTA images were electronically annotated and overlaid on fluoroscopy using 2D−3D image fusion to provide image guidance for targeted treatment.

Conclusion:

D-CTA imaging with TAC analysis characterizes aortic endoleak type and inflow, in addition to providing image guidance for targeted endoleak treatment. Such dynamic, time-resolved imaging techniques may provide further insights into understanding aortic endoleak that remains an Achilles heel for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.
From the Editors
Authors: Ray Rashawn , Rojas Fabio
Published: August 2021

Contexts editors Rashawn Ray and Fabio Rojas introduce the summer issue, focusing on sex and sexuality.
How Driver’s Licenses Matter for Undocumented Immigrants
Authors: Cheong Amanda R.
Published: August 2021

In this article, the authors present findings from a community action research partnership to investigate what obtaining a driver’s license would mean to undocumented immigrants in Central New Jersey.
Not all Asians End up on Third Base
Authors: Gavigan Brenda Gambol
Published: August 2021

Scholars generally treat Asians as a homogenous, high-performing population. However, for Filipino Americans, this is not always the case. The analysis of why Filipino Americans are less likely than those in other large hyper-selected Asian groups to get to “third base” demonstrates the need to avoid treating Asians as a homogenous group.
Princessing: The Magic of Impression Management
Authors: Newvine Kristin C.
Published: August 2021

A firsthand account of “princessing,” the social practice where people enact, or cosplay, hyper-feminine princess characters from Disney films.
Race and School Rezoning Criteria
Authors: Siegel-Hawley Genevieve , Castro Andrene J. , Bridges Kimberly , Taylor Kendra
Published: August 2021

This article shines a light on the dialogue around how redrawing school attendance boundaries has played out during an era of rapid racial change and growing inequality in Richmond, VA.
Sources of prejudice among police cadets toward foreigners: A test of intergroup threat theory
Authors: Demirkol Ismail Cenk , Nalla Mahesh K
Published: August 2021

Literature in policing has mostly overlooked the antecedents of prejudice, especially those who choose a police career. Such a choice is important given the results of prejudice that might cause police misconduct toward regular migrants, irregular migrants, and refugees. This study aims to examine the factors that explain prejudice among police cadets toward other ethnic groups. This study’s data come from a survey of 725 police cadets in three police vocational schools in Turkey. We employed structural equation modeling to examine the antecedents of prejudice toward foreigners within the framework of intergroup threat theory. More specifically, in this study, we included factors such as anomie, authoritarianism, and nationalism and participants’ symbolic and realistic threat perceptions in shaping prejudice toward foreigners. The findings suggest that police cadets’ realistic threat perception was the most salient antecedent of prejudice toward foreigners.
Factors associated with early and late digital revascularization and replantation failure: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Florczynski Matthew , Khan Shawn , Retrouvey Helene , Solaja Ogi , Baltzer Heather
Published: August 2021

Factors associated with failure of digital revascularization and replantation procedures have been well characterized, but studies have not investigated failures occurring beyond the early postoperative period. A single-centre retrospective chart review included 284 patients (434 digits) who underwent digital revascularization or replantation. Patient-, injury- and surgery-related characteristics were compared among successful procedures, digits that failed while in hospital (early failure), and initially viable digits that failed after hospital discharge (late failure). Overall, 202 patients had successful procedures (71%). There were 51 early failures (18%) and 31 late failures (11%). Crush injuries and vein grafting were associated with early failure only. Complete amputations and leeching were strongly associated with both early and late failure. This study revealed that a substantial proportion of initially viable digits fail after discharge from hospital. Patients with signs of venous congestion may benefit from longer observation periods in hospital to avoid late failure.

Level of evidence: IV
The Importance of Nasal Provocation Testing in the Diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-Induced Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Xiao Hao , Jia Qiaoru , Zhang Hongting , Zhang Li , Liu Guo , Meng Juan
Published: August 2021

Background

Allergen identification is the first step for allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) of allergic rhinitis (AR). Currently, the diagnosis of AR is based mainly on the positive results of the skin prick test (SPT) and/or serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) measurement. However, the results of these two tests may not always directly correlate with AR.

Objective

To investigate the importance of nasal provocation testing (NPT) in the diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p)-induced AR.

Methods

Rhinitis patients willing to undergo AIT (n = 171) were enrolled. The correlations of Der p SPT, sIgE, NPT, and clinical symptom severity were assessed.

Results

NPT-positive responses were more common in patients with higher SPT and sIgE levels. The optimal cut-off value for a NPT-positive response for SPT was 5.5 mm and for sIgE was 2.77 kUA/L, based on the respective receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROCs was 0.814 (SPT only) and 0.794 (sIgE only) and increased to 0.828 with the combination of SPT and sIgE. The Der p-NPT concentration was inversely correlated with SPT and sIgE levels ( r = −0.477, P < .001, and r = −0.461, P < .001, respectively), but none was correlated with the total nasal symptom score.

Conclusion

For patients who are willing to receive Der p AIT, NPT is a useful and safe test to confirm diagnosis prior to treatment initiation, especially in patients with lower levels of Der p SPT (< 5.5 mm) or sIgE (< 2.77 kUA/L).
Criminalisation as a response to low wages and labour market exploitation in Sweden
Authors: Sjödin Erik
Published: August 2021

It is hard to determine when adverse labour conditions become exploitation. As of July 1, 2018, ‘human exploitation’ is criminalised in Sweden, with penalties up to ten years prison. The crime of ‘human exploitation’ occurs when someone, through unlawful coercion, misleads, exploits another person’s position of dependence, lack of protection, or difficult situation, or exploits another person in forced labour, work under obviously unreasonable conditions or begging. This article describes how disputes concerning low wages are to be handled within the Swedish model for labour market regulation, and contrasts this with the novel crime that adds a criminal law element to this otherwise civil law-oriented model.
A Conspiracy of Data: QAnon, Social Media, and Information Visualization
Authors: Hannah Matthew N.
Published: August 2021

Seeing is believing, so goes the cliché. In our extremely online world, the particular nexus between visual information and political belief has become one of the thorniest challenges to truth. We live in an extremely visual world in which we navigate social media, search engines, platforms, interfaces, icons, memes, and smartphones. Despite the fact that we navigate visual information at an astounding rate, we have not nationally developed literacies to debunk bad information. I argue that we are witnessing a confluence between extremely online, crowd-sourced conspiracies, whose adherents possess a high capacity for online information gathering, and visualization, meant to communicate data about our world effectively and accurately through optical means which has been co-opted for information warfare. Deploying such informatics further legitimates bizarre, unhinged theories about political reality. QAnon, the extremely online conspiracy theory that has cast its shadow over the Internet, relies exclusively on information visualization to communicate its message and is symptomatic of our inability to combat misinformation that mimics the methods of data analysis and information literacy. I argue that QAnon’s success—indeed, its very existence—relies on (at least) two principal factors: (1) QAnon relies, intentionally or no, on a slippage between data and information that obscures the interventions by Q and Q’s anons in leveraging information warfare, and (2) QAnon supports such a slippage with complex and interactive visualizations of bad information, thereby accelerating apophenia, the tendency to see linkages between random events and data points.
Living in a Material World: Sponsored Instagram Posts and the Role of Materialism, Hedonic Enjoyment, Perceived Trust, and Need to Belong
Authors: Kim Eunjin (Anna) , Shoenberger Heather , Sun Yuan
Published: August 2021

Previous studies have mainly demonstrated negative consequences for content labeled as sponsored. Despite this, recent industry findings indicate a growing trend for sponsored content on social media. In addition, an increasing number of users suggest that such paid content would increase their likelihood of purchasing items from social media. Nonetheless, little attention has been paid to what drives consumers’ purchase intention and engagement with sponsored content with a clear disclaimer such as “Paid Partnership.” Therefore, the present research seeks to provide insights into what drives consumer engagement and purchase intention with sponsored content and when and why such effects are observed. Conducted with an online survey, the results showed that individuals with high materialism showed greater purchase intent and higher engagement with sponsored content through hedonic enjoyment. The results also showed that the mediating role of hedonic engagement for the positive effect of materialism on purchase intent was only significant under high influencer trust. Furthermore, the mediating role of hedonic enjoyment was amplified when the need to belong was high.