bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching practice reform on color courses in colleges and universities
Authors: Haozhang Sun , Feng Wang
Published: April 2021

Taking professional emphasis of disciplines as the benchmark, this paper takes diversified integration of disciplines as the train of thought and direction of teaching reform in higher education, and selects the specific color teaching in colleges and universities as its research object. Based on the analysis of the status and problems of color courses and the exploratory practice on the reform of color teaching in higher education, this paper, promoting the formation of an effective and complete system of education as the goal, puts forward ideas and methods on the teaching reform of color courses in colleges and universities, and makes an in-depth study and discussion on teaching from the guiding ideology, teaching contents and teaching methods. It is expected to provide valuable references for solving the problem of teaching’s incompatible with professional needs in colleges and universities and forming an effective and complete system of professional fundamental education.
Introduction to microelectronic design in a distance learning program
Authors: Kuzmicz Wieslaw
Published: April 2021

This paper describes observations and experiences collected during 14 years of running the “Integrated circuits” course in the framework of a distance learning program. The main objective of the “Integrated circuits” course is to raise the interest in microelectronics, convince the students that IC design is not a “secret science” requiring extraordinary talent and prepare the students for continuation toward M.Sc. degree. The course includes a mixture of teaching materials available online for self-studying, short video files, interactive self-tests, two “hands on” exercises and educational software needed for these exercises. E-mail and/or phone consultations, face-to-face or online meetings with the instructor are possible. About 1/3 of all students enrolled for the distance learning course perceive the “Integrated circuits” course as interesting, praise the design exercises and ask if it would be possible to continue education in microelectronic design at a more advanced level. Unfortunately distance learning at advanced level is not possible, mainly because professional design software can be used only on site, not remotely.
Extension Agents’ Perception on Suitability of Climate Change Information Disseminated to Smallholder Farmers
Authors: Zikhali Zafezeka Mbali , Mafongoya Paramu L , Mudhara Maxwell , Jiri Obert , Mudaniso Blessing
Published: April 2021

This study examined gaps in climate information within public agricultural extension in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It assessed extension officers’ climate change perceptions, knowledge and climate education. Lastly, the study examined the extension approaches for overall suitability of climate information disseminated to rural smallholder farmers. The results indicated that participants were predominately male, with tertiary education. Education levels had an influence on exposure to climate education and extension approaches in disseminating agricultural information to farmers. There is a need to retool extension officers in climate change extension work, integrating indigenous knowledge to increase suitability and acceptability of information by smallholder farmers.
Correlation of structural and mechanical properties for Al-Al2O3-SiC hybrid metal matrix composites
Authors: Ahamad Naseem , Mohammad Aas , Rinawa Moti Lal , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar , Gupta Pallav
Published: April 2021

The aim of the present paper is to examine the outcome of Al2O3-SiC reinforcements on structural and mechanical behavior of Al matrix based hybrid composites. Al-Al2O3-SiC hybrid composite has been developed through stir casting with addition of ceramics i.e. Al2O3-SiC (2.5 wt.%, 5.0 wt.%, 7.5 wt.% and 10.0 wt.%) in relative and symmetrical proportion. The structural characteristics, i.e. phase, microstructure, EDS; physical property i.e. density and the mechanical properties, i.e. hardness, impact strength and tensile strength of fabricated specimens have been investigated. XRD represents the transitional phase formation among Al base material and Al2O3-SiC ceramic phases with inter-atomic bonding between them. SEM reveals that the Al2O3-SiC fragments has distributed symmetrically in Al matrix. EDS spectrum of various samples are in confirmation with the XRD results. Density of hybrid composite reduces with increase in weight percentage of ceramic reinforcements i.e. Al2O3-SiC because ceramic particle gains low density after preheating. Hardness of hybrid composites increases upto 5 wt.% variation of ceramic reinforcements i.e. Al2O3-SiC after that it decreases. Impact strength of hybrid composite has been increased with an increase in weight percentage of ceramic. Al-2.5 wt.% Al2O3-2.5 wt.% SiC shows maximum ultimate tensile strength. It is expected that the prepared hybrid composites will be useful for fastener studs.
Creating Destinations for a Better Tomorrow: UN Development Aid for Cultural Tourism in the 1960s
Authors: Huber Marie
Published: April 2021

Tourism is today considered as a crucial employment sector in many developing countries. In the growing field of historical tourism research, however, the relationships between tourism and development, and the role of international organizations, above all the UN, have been given little attention to date. My paper will illuminate how during the 1960s tourism first became the subject of UN policies and a praised solution for developing countries. Examples from expert consultancy missions in developing countries such as Ethiopia, India and Nepal will be contextualized within the more general debates and programme activities for heritage conservation and also the first UN development decade. Drawing on sources from the archives of UNESCO, as well as tourism promotion material, it will be possible to understand how tourism sectors in many so-called developing countries were shaped considerably by this international cooperation. Like in other areas of development aid, activities in tourism were grounded in scientific studies and based on statistical data and analysis by international experts. Examining this knowledge production is a telling exercise in understanding development histories colonial legacies under the umbrella of the UN during the 1960s and 1970s.
Women’s Antifascist Resistance on German-Occupied Territory Through the Lens of Soviet Leaflets, 1941–5
Authors: Kazyulina Regina
Published: April 2021

During the Second World War, approximately 28,500 Soviet women fought in the ranks of the partisans on Soviet territory temporarily occupied by the Wehrmacht. Although Soviet propaganda destined for the home front often spoke about their contributions, they eschewed direct appeals for others to follow in their footsteps. In contrast, partisan leaflets distributed across occupied territory overtly called on local women to join the partisan movement and fight alongside men. This essay explores how Soviet propagandists attempted to engage with local women on occupied territory through partisan leaflets and the kinds of expectations they sought to convey. Partisan leaflets not only exploited the image of the self-sacrificing partizanka to encourage women to sacrifice themselves but also vividly and graphically detailed crimes committed against women and children in order to inspire hatred. Such depictions were meant to steal the resolve of local civilians, while simultaneously discouraging behavior that was thought to aid the enemy. The representations conveyed in partisan leaflets encouraged a duality that saw women portrayed either as Soviet-style amazons or victims of sexual violence and rape. While promoting partisan recruitment, such representations encouraged unrealistic expectations and foreshadowed the violence that awaited women who failed to live up to them.
Confronting Nationalism and the Recurring Crisis of Liberal Democracies: Mosse’s Contribution to the Public Debate
Authors: Aramini Donatello
Published: April 2021

George L. Mosse was one of the greatest historian of fascism. However, his works clearly reveal that he was a true 20th century intellectual. This article aims at highlighting Mosse's thought on how to defend individual freedom and liberal democracies from the assaults of irrationalism, myths and intolerance in the second half of 20th century. In the midst of a western world dealing with the spreading of illiberal movements, Mosse's research offers tools for understanding the appeal of antidemocratic politics. Worried about the power of the States during the fifties, Mosse underlined the necessity of transforming the political action of democracies into a drama. The only way to prevent mass politics from being captured during the times of crisis by nationalism and by the demand for new forms of more direct democracy (including the desire for a leader) was both to adopt and to make tolerant the new politics diffused by nationalist mass movements. In Mosse's opinion, the antidote to the spread of exclusionary nationalism and the crisis of liberalism were the concept of Bildung and, following the first nationalists and Zionists, the humanisation of nationalism, by transforming the greatest ideological force of the 20th century, just as happened to socialist and Christian ideologies, into a liberal force.
‘The Battle for Abu Simbel’: Archaeology and Postcolonial Diplomacy in the UNESCO Campaign for Nubia
Authors: Hill Adam C.
Published: April 2021

This essay examines the role and agency of British archaeologists in the discussions surrounding Egypt’s construction of the Aswan High Dam beginning in the late 1950s. The dam was conceived as a grand engineering project that would create new farmland and make Egypt self-sufficient in terms of its energy needs, but flooding caused by the dam threatened to destroy numerous archaeological sites along the Nile River on the border of Egypt and Sudan. With the blessing of the Egyptian and Sudanese governments, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched a complex rescue operation in 1960 with the goal of surveying the affected sites, in some cases removing entire structures to safe locations. Despite Britain’s initial reluctance—four years after the Suez crisis—to participate in a program that would benefit an avowedly hostile regime, British scientific expertise and private fundraising soon came to play an important role in UNESCO’s ‘Campaign for Nubia’. Using diplomatic papers and the records of various scientific bodies, I will argue that British participation in the UNESCO archaeological program was a crucial avenue for Anglo-Egyptian rapprochement during the 1960s and 1970s.
Disease-Induced Changes in Salivary Gland Function and the Composition of Saliva
Authors: Proctor G.B. , Shaalan A.M.
Published: April 2021

Although the physiological control of salivary secretion has been well studied, the impact of disease on salivary gland function and how this changes the composition and function of saliva is less well understood and is considered in this review. Secretion of saliva is dependent upon nerve-mediated stimuli, which activate glandular fluid and protein secretory mechanisms. The volume of saliva secreted by salivary glands depends upon the frequency and intensity of nerve-mediated stimuli, which increase dramatically with food intake and are subject to facilitatory or inhibitory influences within the central nervous system. Longer-term changes in saliva secretion have been found to occur in response to dietary change and aging, and these physiological influences can alter the composition and function of saliva in the mouth. Salivary gland dysfunction is associated with different diseases, including Sjögren syndrome, sialadenitis, and iatrogenic disease, due to radiotherapy and medications and is usually reported as a loss of secretory volume, which can range in severity. Defining salivary gland dysfunction by measuring salivary flow rates can be difficult since these vary widely in the healthy population. However, saliva can be sampled noninvasively and repeatedly, which facilitates longitudinal studies of subjects, providing a clearer picture of altered function. The application of omics technologies has revealed changes in saliva composition in many systemic diseases, offering disease biomarkers, but these compositional changes may not be related to salivary gland dysfunction. In Sjögren syndrome, there appears to be a change in the rheology of saliva due to altered mucin glycosylation. Analysis of glandular saliva in diseases or therapeutic interventions causing salivary gland inflammation frequently shows increased electrolyte concentrations and increased presence of innate immune proteins, most notably lactoferrin. Altering nerve-mediated signaling of salivary gland secretion contributes to medication-induced dysfunction and may also contribute to altered saliva composition in neurodegenerative disease.
Role of Mechanotransduction in Periodontal Homeostasis and Disease
Authors: Dieterle M.P. , Husari A. , Steinberg T. , Wang X. , Ramminger I. , Tomakidi P.
Published: April 2021

Novel findings broaden the concept of mechanotransduction (MT) in biophysically stimulated tissues such as the periodontium by considering nuclear MT, convergence of intracellular MT pathways, and mechanoresponsive cotranscription factors such as Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1). Regarding periodontal disease, recent studies have elucidated the role of bacterial gingipain proteases in disturbing the barrier function of cadherins, thereby promoting periodontal inflammation. This leads to dysregulation of extracellular matrix homeostasis via proteases and changes the cell’s biophysical environment, which leads to alterations in MT-induced cell behavior and loss of periodontal integrity. Newest experimental evidence from periodontal ligament cells suggests that the Hippo signaling protein YAP1, in addition to integrin-FAK (focal adhesion kinase) mechanosignaling, also regulates cell stemness. By addressing mechanosignaling-dependent transcription factors, YAP1 is involved in osteogenic and myofibroblast differentiation and influences core steps of autophagy. Recent in vivo evidence elucidates the decisive role of YAP1 in epithelial homeostasis and underlines its impact on oral pathologies, such as periodontitis-linked oral squamous cell carcinogenesis. Here, new insights reveal that YAP1 contributes to carcinogenesis via overexpression rather than mutation; promotes processes such as apoptosis resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, or metastasis; and correlates with poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Furthermore, YAP1 has been shown to contribute to periodontitis-induced bone loss. Mechanistically, molecules identified to regulate YAP1-related periodontal homeostasis and disease include cellular key players such as MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase), Rho (Ras homologue) and ROCK (Rho kinase), Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2), AP-1 (activator protein 1), and c-myc (cellular myelocytomatosis). These findings qualify YAP1 as a master regulator of mechanobiology and cell behavior in human periodontal tissues. This review summarizes the most recent developments in MT-related periodontal research, thereby offering insights into outstanding research questions and potential applications of molecular or biophysical strategies aiming at periodontal disease mitigation or prevention.
Industrial legislation in Australia, 2020
Authors: Schofield-Georgeson Eugene
Published: April 2021

In 2020, the Federal Morrison Liberal Government scrambled to respond to the effects of the international coronavirus pandemic on the Australian labour market in two key ways. First, through largescale social welfare and economic stimulus (the ‘JobKeeper’ scheme) and second, through significant proposed reform to employment laws as part of a pandemic recovery package (the ‘Omnibus Bill’). Where the first measure was administered by employers, the second was largely designed to suspend and/or redefine labour protections in the interests of employers. In this respect, the message from the Federal Government was clear: that the costs of pandemic recovery should be borne by workers at the discretion of employers. State Labor Governments, by contrast, enacted a range of industrial protections. These included the first Australia ‘wage theft’ or underpayment frameworks on behalf of both employees and contractors in the construction industry. On-trend with state industrial legislation over the past 4 years, these state governments continued to introduce industrial manslaughter offences, increased access to workers’ compensation, labour hire licensing schemes and portable long service leave.
Levels of Physical Activity and Their Relationship With Motivational Determinants, Self-Regulation, and Other Health-Related Parameters in University Students
Authors: Faílde-Garrido José María , Ruiz Soriano Laura , Simón Miguel A.
Published: April 2021

Motivational processes and emotional self-regulation are relevant factors for predicting the practice of physical exercise and for certain health-related parameters. The aim of the present work, developed along two different phases, was, on the one hand, to determine the prevalence of physical inactivity and, on the other hand, to carry out a comparative analysis between physically active and inactive university students in relation to their motivational determinants, emotional self-regulation, physical condition, health-related quality of life and other health parameters. The results obtained showed a prevalence of physical inactivity of 12.78%. Physically inactive participants showed significantly lower scores in intrinsic motivation, emotion regulation, and in some dimensions of health-related quality of life, as well as significantly high levels of body fat mass. Lastly, logistic regression analysis identified low scores in Emotional Clarity ( p= .009) and Identified Regulation ( p = .011), and high scores in Amotivation ( p = .006) as reliable predictors of a physically inactive lifestyle. These results are useful for the design and implementation of programs aimed at promoting health and physical activity, with special attention on physically inactive youth populations.
In Conversation with Ernesto Macaro on English Medium Instruction
Authors: Sahan Kari
Published: April 2021

Ernesto Macaro is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, UK. He was the founding director of the EMI Oxford Research Group (formerly the Centre for Research and Development in English Medium Instruction) in the Department of Education. His research focuses on second language learning strategies and on the interaction between teachers and learners in second language classrooms and in classrooms where English is the medium of instruction. He has published widely on these topics, including in journals such as Language Teaching, Modern Language Journal, Language Learning Journal, Language Teaching Research and International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. He is also the author of English Medium Instruction: Content and Language in Policy and Practice (2018). Before becoming a teacher educator and researcher, he worked as a language teacher in secondary schools in the UK. His most recent work explores certification programmes for English medium instruction teachers in higher education and the transition from secondary to tertiary English medium instruction programmes.
Advanced models for centroidal particle dynamics: short-range collision avoidance in dense crowds
Authors: Hesham Omar , Wainer Gabriel
Published: April 2021

Computer simulation of dense crowds is finding increased use in event planning, congestion prediction, and threat assessment. State-of-the-art particle-based crowd methods assume and aim for collision-free trajectories. That is an idealistic yet not overly realistic expectation, as near-collisions increase in dense and rushed settings compared with typically sparse pedestrian scenarios. Centroidal particle dynamics (CPD) is a method we defined that explicitly models the compressible personal space area surrounding each entity to inform its local pathing and collision-avoidance decisions. We illustrate how our proposed agent-based method for local dynamics can reproduce several key emergent dense crowd phenomena at the microscopic level with higher congruence to real trajectory data and with more visually convincing collision-avoidance paths than the existing state of the art. We present advanced models in which we consider distraction of the pedestrians in the crowd, flocking behavior, interaction with vehicles (ambulances, police) and other advanced models that show that emergent behavior in the simulated crowds is similar to the behavior observed in reality. We discuss how to increase confidence in CPD, potentially making it also suitable for use in safety-critical applications, including urban design, evacuation analysis, and crowd-safety planning.
Optimizing effects on airway pressure and minute volume during closed endotracheal suctioning: a simulated lung model
Authors: Jung Fang , Chou Shang-Shing P , Yang Shih-Hsing , Lin Jau-Chen , Jow Guey-Mei
Published: April 2021

A closed suction system is used to remove endotracheal secretions without interrupting the patient’s ventilation. Closed suctioning may reduce adverse effects associated with suctioning with, for example, decreased clinical signs of hypoxemia and limited environmental, personnel, and patient contamination. However, it is not clear whether ventilation is maintained during the procedure. We aimed to determine the effects of endotracheal tube (ETT) size, suction catheter (SC) size, and SC length in the ETT on ventilation parameters measured during suction. Suction was performed on a test lung, ventilated with either volume-controlled continuous mandatory ventilation (VC-CMV) or pressure-controlled continuous mandatory ventilation (PC-CMV) using ETT sizes of 6.0–8.5 mm paired with SC sizes of 8–16 French gauge (Fr = 0.33 mm). Airway resistance ( Raw), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), and expiratory minute volume ( Vexp) were recorded for each ventilation episode by a HAMILTON-G5 ventilator. Here, Raw was considerably increased by insertion of the SC into the ETT. This Raw effect altered the PIP and Vexp. PIP was increased in VC-CMV because the ventilation area of the ETT was reduced, and Vexp was decreased in PC-CMV in relation to the size of the SC. PEEP decreased with application of the 16 Fr SC and 30 L/min flow rate in VC-CMV. We conclude that airway pressure and minute volume are not maintained during closed endotracheal suctioning with VC-CMV and PC-CMV, respectively. The degree of interference to ventilation is affected through selection of appropriate SC size and ventilation settings.
Enacting community health: Obesity prevention policies as situated caring
Authors: Vogel Else
Published: April 2021

Drawing on Critical Policy Studies and feminist STS, this article conceptualizes obesity prevention activities as ongoing and precarious practices of relating – rather than as means for ‘getting results’ or vehicles through which normative discourses are instilled. It focuses on ‘community approaches’ within public health, whose aim is to stimulate healthy initiatives from what policy makers term ‘bottom-up’, emerging from the situations, concerns and abilities within neighbourhoods. Drawing on ethnographic research on the ‘Amsterdam Healthy Weight Programme’, I demonstrate that different practices of relating enact particular versions of health and community. I warn that reliance on statistics-based problem definitions, dietary advice and professional hierarchies preconfigures health promotion as a matter of ‘reaching out’ to particular ‘problem populations’ defined around class and ethnicity. I show, however, that community approaches may also foster spaces for ‘situated caring’, where health emerges in the negotiation of heterogeneous goods, including neighbourhood revival, togetherness and fun. Situated caring has effects that cannot be captured by obesity prevalence statistics. The study of health promotion policies as practices of relating highlights that policy is not a monolithic structure of plans and commitments but is continuously done and redone. The article, then, introduces a new evaluative field that critically articulates the diverse ways in which ideals such as engagement and health are enacted in practices.
The spatial reach of financial centres: An empirical investigation of interurban trade in capital market services
Authors: Hashimoto Tom , Pažitka Vladimír , Wójcik Dariusz
Published: April 2021

This article investigates the spatial patterns of interurban trade in capital market services by analysing 16,324 trade links involving advisers and clients in the Visegrád Four plus Austria and their counter-parties worldwide between 2000 and 2014. We aim to address a gap in the research on financial centres and interurban trade by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between the complexity of services and the size of market areas across which they are traded. We utilise recent contributions to Central Place Theory (CPT), which provide us with suitably general models of interurban trade applicable to financial services. The key proposition of CPT in this respect is that more complex services are traded across larger market areas, thus translating into a further spatial reach of service centres. Given that these propositions are derived at a very general level, we rely on global city theory for explaining the underlying causal mechanisms in the context of capital market services. Our analysis examines the geography of adviser–client trade links to investigate how spatial patterns of interurban trade in capital market services are shaped by the characteristics of the services traded. We uncover evidence that more complex and larger transactions are associated with higher distance between clients and financial services providers. This in turn means that more complex services are traded across larger market areas. While clients in Central and Eastern Europe can generally find suitable providers for less complex capital market services locally, they often rely on financial services providers globally for the most complex transactions.
A cross sectional study: The association between sleeping quality and stress among second and third medical students at the University of Jordan
Authors: Toubasi AA , Khraisat BR , AbuAnzeh RB , Kalbouneh HM
Published: April 2021

Objective

Medicine is considered one if not the most stressful educational field. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of stress and poor sleeping quality among medical students and the association between them.

Method

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Jordan on second- and third-year medical students. The questionnaire consisted of: 1) Demographics; 2) The assessment tools which were Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index (PSQI) and Kessler Psychological Distress Status (K10). Binary logistic regression, chi-square and linear regression were used to investigate the association between PSQI, K10, and their determinants.

Results

The mean for PSQI score was 6.76 ± 3.32. PSQI scores interpretation revealed that 61.7% of the 282 participants of this study were poor sleepers. Logistic regression results showed that only the category of not napping at all from the napping hours variable was significantly associated with sleeping quality. Furthermore, the mean of K10 scores was 24.5 ± 8.5. K10 scores revealed that 66.3% of the participants were stressed. Logistic regression results showed that gender and regular exercise were significantly associated with psychological distress. Additionally, chi-square test, logistic regression and linear regression showed that PSQI was significantly associated with K10 (P <0.01).

Conclusions

Stress and poor sleeping quality in medical students at the University of Jordan were highly prevalent and strongly associated. What determined PSQI was daytime napping, and for K10 were regular exercise and gender. Further investigations into stress and sleep quality in the Arabian region are needed.
Administrative Neutrality in the Wake of Trumpism
Authors: Box Richard C.
Published: April 2021

“Unprecedented” is a much-overworked word in recent descriptions of U.S. politics, but it is difficult to avoid in reflecting on the past 4 years in public administration. Federal civil servants whose work contradicted Trump administration ideology were sidelined, the administration introduced a new employment category that would seriously weaken civil service protections, and government at all levels now functions in an environment of widespread public belief in conspiracy theories and nonfactual disinformation. The article describes changes in the political context of the work of public professionals and examines effects on the important role characteristic of administrative neutrality.
Why People Hate Congress but Love Their Own Congressperson: An Information Processing Explanation
Authors: Lammers Joris , Pauels Eileen , Fleischmann Alexandra , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: April 2021

Citizens in Western democracies often have negative attitudes toward political bodies, yet consistently re-elect their own representatives to these same political bodies. They hate Congress, but love their own congressperson. In contrast to resource-based explanations, we propose that this Paradox of Congressional Support is partly due to the wide availability of negative information about politicians in open societies combined with basic processes of information processing. Five studies found that unrelated negative political information decreases attitudes toward political categories such as U.S. governors but has no effect on attitudes of familiar, individual politicians (e.g., one’s own governor); additional studies further identify familiarity as the critical process. Importantly, we demonstrate that this effect generalizes to all U.S. regions and remains when controlling for and is not moderated by political ideology. These results place a presumed macrolevel political paradox within the domain of cognitive mechanisms of basic information processing.
Biased Benevolence: The Perceived Morality of Effective Altruism Across Social Distance
Authors: Law Kyle Fiore , Campbell Dylan , Gaesser Brendan
Published: April 2021

Is altruism always morally good, or is the morality of altruism fundamentally shaped by the social opportunity costs that often accompany helping decisions? Across four studies, we reveal that in cases of realistic tradeoffs in social distance for gains in welfare where helping socially distant others necessitates not helping socially closer others with the same resources, helping is deemed as less morally acceptable. Making helping decisions at a cost to socially closer others also negatively affects judgments of relationship quality (Study 2) and in turn, decreases cooperative behavior with the helper (Study 3). Ruling out an alternative explanation of physical distance accounting for the effects in Studies 1 to 3, social distance continued to impact moral acceptability when physical distance across social targets was matched (Study 4). These findings reveal that attempts to decrease biases in helping may have previously unconsidered consequences for moral judgments, relationships, and cooperation.
Recruiting Persons with Dementia and Caregivers in a Clinical Trial: Dyads Perceptions
Authors: McPhillips Miranda V. , Petrovsky Darina V. , Brewster Glenna S. , Li Junxin , Gooneratne Nalaka S. , Hodgson Nancy A. , Sefcik Justine S.
Published: April 2021

Recruitment for dementia research is challenging and costly. Using Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior we explored attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control of persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers who participated in one clinical trial to better understand factors that influence dyads’ decisions to enroll. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 12 PLWD and 9 caregivers and utilized directed content analysis. Categories connected with positive attitudes about study enrollment were personal desires of wanting to learn and in-person meetings with knowledgeable staff. Additionally, participants said the money always helps in terms of the financial incentive. Participants reported enrolling to support another person (perceived norm). Study requirements were thought to be easy (perceived behavioral control). Participants highlighted the importance of flexible scheduling and study tasks being completed at their home. Findings can inform future recruitment efforts and should be investigated as effective recruitment methods in other clinical trials.
Hemodynamic and structural brain measures in high and low sedentary older adults
Authors: Maasakkers Carlijn M , Thijssen Dick HJ , Knight Silvin P , Newman Louise , O'Connor John D , Scarlett Siobhan , Carey Daniel , Buckley Anne , McMorrow Jason P , Leidhin Caoilfhionn Ní , Feeney Joanne , Melis René JF , Kenny Rose Anne , Claassen Jurgen AHR , Looze Céline De
Published: April 2021

Due to its cardiovascular effects sedentary behaviour might impact cerebrovascular function in the long term, affecting cerebrovascular regulatory mechanisms and perfusion levels. Consequently this could underly potential structural brain abnormalities associated with cognitive decline. We therefore assessed the association between sedentary behaviour and brain measures of cerebrovascular perfusion and structural abnormalities in community-dwelling older adults. Using accelerometery (GENEActiv) data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) we categorised individuals by low- and high-sedentary behaviour (≤8 vs >8 hours/day). We examined prefrontal haemoglobin oxygenation levels using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy during rest and after an orthostatic challenge in 718 individuals (66 ± 8 years, 52% female). Global grey matter cerebral blood flow, total grey and white matter volume, total and subfield hippocampal volumes, cortical thickness, and white matter hyperintensities were measured using arterial spin labelling, T1, and FLAIR MRI in 86 individuals (72 ± 6 years, 55% female). While no differences in prefrontal or global cerebral hemodynamics were found between groups, high-sedentary individuals showed lower hippocampal volumes and increased white matter hyperintensities compared to their low-sedentary counterparts. Since these structural cerebral abnormalities are associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, future work exploring the causal pathways underlying these differences is needed.
Magnetic resonance imaging-based changes in vascular morphology and cerebral perfusion in subacute ischemic stroke
Authors: Kufner Anna , Khalil Ahmed A , Galinovic Ivana , Kellner Elias , Mekle Ralf , Rackoll Torsten , Boehm-Sturm Philipp , Fiebach Jochen B , Flöel Agnes , Ebinger Martin , Endres Matthias , Nave Alexander H
Published: April 2021

MRI-based vessel size imaging (VSI) allows for in-vivo assessment of cerebral microvasculature and perfusion. This exploratory analysis of vessel size (VS) and density (Q; both assessed via VSI) in the subacute phase of ischemic stroke involved sixty-two patients from the BAPTISe cohort (‘Biomarkers And Perfusion--Training-Induced changes after Stroke’) nested within a randomized controlled trial (intervention: 4-week training vs. relaxation). Relative VS, Q, cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and –flow (rCBF) were calculated for: ischemic lesion, perilesional tissue, and region corresponding to ischemic lesion on the contralateral side (mirrored lesion). Linear mixed-models detected significantly increased rVS and decreased rQ within the ischemic lesion compared to the mirrored lesion (coefficient[standard error]: 0.2[0.08] p = 0.03 and −1.0[0.3] p = 0.02, respectively); lesion rCBF and rCBV were also significantly reduced. Mixed-models did not identify time-to-MRI, nor training as modifying factors in terms of rVS or rQ up to two months post-stroke. Larger lesion VS was associated with larger lesion volumes (β 34, 95%CI 6.2–62; p = 0.02) and higher baseline NIHSS (β 3.0, 95%CI 0.49–5.3;p = 0.02), but was not predictive of six-month outcome. In summary, VSI can assess the cerebral microvasculature and tissue perfusion in the subacute phases of ischemic stroke, and may carry relevant prognostic value in terms of lesion volume and stroke severity.
Microvascular changes associated with epilepsy: A narrative review
Authors: van Lanen Rick HGJ , Melchers Stan , Hoogland Govert , Schijns Olaf EMG , Zandvoort Marc AMJ van , Haeren Roel HL , Rijkers Kim
Published: April 2021

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is dysfunctional in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In this regard, microvascular changes are likely present. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current knowledge on microvascular changes in epilepsy, and includes clinical and preclinical evidence of seizure induced angiogenesis, barriergenesis and microcirculatory alterations. Anatomical studies show increased microvascular density in the hippocampus, amygdala, and neocortex accompanied by BBB leakage in various rodent epilepsy models. In human TLE, a decrease in afferent vessels, morphologically abnormal vessels, and an increase in endothelial basement membranes have been observed. Both clinical and experimental evidence suggests that basement membrane changes, such as string vessels and protrusions, indicate and visualize a misbalance between endothelial cell proliferation and barriergenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) appears to play a crucial role. Following an altered vascular anatomy, its physiological functioning is affected as expressed by neurovascular decoupling that subsequently leads to hypoperfusion, disrupted parenchymal homeostasis and potentially to seizures”. Thus, epilepsy might be a condition characterized by disturbed cerebral microvasculature in which VEGF plays a pivotal role. Additional physiological data from patients is however required to validate findings from models and histological studies on patient biopsies.
What Works Best: A Systematic Review of Actual Learning in Marketing and Management Education Research
Authors: Bacon Donald R. , Stewart Kim A.
Published: April 2021

After decades of research in marketing and management education, what do we now know about what educational practices work best for improving actual learning? We answer this question with a qualitative systematic literature review of every contribution published in five marketing and management education journals from inception through May 2020 that provides recommendations for evidence-based best pedagogical practice. Contributions were screened to identify empirical studies that employed measures of actual learning in an appropriate experimental design and reported analyses that met certain statistical standards. Of the 4,160 articles examined, 55 studies met our criteria. Based on the studies’ results, we developed a model for understanding the teaching methods that are most effective for achieving actual learning in marketing and management education. We provide evidence-based pedagogical recommendations for faculty and recommendations for additional research in key areas and for increasing the rigor of pedagogical research.
Identification of predictors of the ovarian response to clomiphene citrate in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Xia Hexia , Sun Xiaoli , Guan Haiyun , Zhang Ruixiu , Zhang Wei
Published: April 2021

Objective

To identify predictors of the ovarian response to clomiphene citrate (CC) in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods

We performed a prospective cohort study of infertile patients with PCOS. The participants underwent assessments of their physical, endocrine, and metabolic characteristics, and treatment with CC at an initial dose of 50 mg/day and a maximum of 100 mg/day between days 3 and 7 of their menstrual cycles. Participants who ovulated were identified as responders and those who did not as non-responders.

Results

Of the 72 participants, 48 (66.7%) were identified as responders and 24 as non-responders. Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (odds ratio 1.022, 95% confidence interval: 1.000–1.045) was found to be associated with the ovarian response to CC using logistic multivariate regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis also showed that SHBG was a significant predictor of the response to CC (area under the curve 0.799).

Conclusion

We have shown that SHBG is the best prognostic indicator of an ovulatory response to CC. However, larger prospective studies, in which more variables are assessed, are required to confirm this finding and to identify appropriate cut-off values.
Roles of preoperative and early postoperative electrodiagnosis in brachial plexus injury patients undergoing nerve transfer operations: retrospective feasibility study
Authors: Son Woo Chul , Kim Jae Kwang , Kwon Sara , Kim Dae Yul
Published: April 2021

Objective

The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to assess the feasibility of electrodiagnostic parameters, perioperatively, and to discover optimal values as prognostic factors for patients with brachial plexus injury undergoing nerve transfer operations.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 11 patients who underwent nerve transfer surgery. The patients underwent perioperative electrodiagnosis (EDX) before and approximately 6 months after surgery. We evaluated the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) ratio, motor unit recruitment, and their interval changes. To evaluate motor strength, we used the Medical Research Council (MRC) grade, 6 and 12 months after surgery. We evaluated the relationships between improved CMAP ratio, and motor unit recruitment and MRC grade changes 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

Results

All parameters increased significantly after surgery. The CMAP ratio improvement 6 months after surgery correlated with the MRC grade change from baseline to 12 months, with a correlation coefficient of 0.813.

Conclusion

EDX parameters improved significantly postoperatively, and the CMAP ratio improvement 6 months after surgery correlated with the clinical outcomes at 1 year. The results of perioperative EDX might help establish long-term treatment plans for patients who undergo nerve transfer surgery.
The Oppel–Kundt Illusion and Its Relation to Horizontal-Vertical and Oblique Effects
Authors: Landwehr Klaus
Published: April 2021

The Oppel–Kundt illusion consists in the overestimation of the length of filled versus empty extents. Two experiments explored its relation to the horizontal-vertical illusion, which consists in the overestimation of the length of vertical versus horizontal extents, and to the oblique effect, which consists in poorer discriminative sensitivity for obliquely as opposed to horizontally or vertically oriented stimuli. For Experiment 1, Kundt’s (1863) original stimulus was rotated in steps of 45° full circle around 360°. For Experiment 2, one part of the stimulus remained at a horizontal or vertical orientation, whereas the other part was tilted 45° or 90°. The Oppel–Kundt illusion was at its maximum at a horizontal orientation of the stimulus. The illusion was strongly attenuated with L-type figures when the vertical part was empty, but not enhanced when this part was filled, suggesting that the horizontal-vertical illusion only acts on nontextured extents. There was no oblique effect.
Comparative Performance of Different Warm Mix Asphalt Technologies under the Influence of High Aircraft Tire Pressure and Temperature
Authors: Garg Navneet , Kazmee Hasan , Ricalde Lia
Published: April 2021

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies allow the production and placement of asphalt concrete materials at a lower temperature than the traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA). These materials simultaneously reduce the production fuel costs, increase the available hauling distance, lengthen the paving season, are eco-friendly, and ensure safer working conditions. Airport authorities can use such materials for construction applications to minimize the downtime and user-delay costs. However, the existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) construction specifications do not provide guidance on the implementation of such technologies, especially under the conditions created by aircraft with high tire pressure. To this end, the FAA National Airport Pavement and Materials Research Center (NAPMRC) conducted accelerated pavement tests as part of Test Cycle 1 (TC-1) to study the application potential of WMA (using chemical additive) on airport pavements. TC-1 results showed WMA performance was comparable to P-401 HMA performance in rutting. Test Cycle 2 (TC-2) study investigated the rutting performance of chemical, organic, and hybrid additive-based warm mixes alongside an FAA specification P-401 HMA counterpart. Four different test lanes were constructed accordingly in the outdoor area of NAPMRC, each encompassing three different test sections. Using the sixth-generation airport heavy vehicle simulator (HVS-A), sections on the north side of the test lanes were trafficked with 61.3 kips (272.7 kN) moving wheel load at a controlled temperature of 120°F (48.9°C). The chemical additive-based warm mix appeared to exhibit comparable performance to the HMA. A laboratory characterization effort also seemed to corroborate the rutting observations from traffic tests.
Designing Crossing Islands for Speed Control and Intersection Safety on Two-Lane Collectors and Arterials
Authors: Furth Peter G. , Tahmasebi Milad , Shekari Sepehr (Steve) , Jackson Jay , Sha Zhao (Howie) , Alsharif Yousef
Published: April 2021

Crossing islands at unsignalized intersections, in addition to their pedestrian crossing safety benefits, can also serve as speed control chicanes by forcing vehicles to make a reverse curve. A method is developed for determining the chicane length (and thus, parking setback) needed for a two-lane road for a given lane width, island width, and target speed, based on models of the relationship between road geometry vehicle path radius, and speed. New data on the speed–radius relationship is presented. The concept of “informal flare” is also introduced; it is a common approach geometry that allows a left-turning vehicle to wait for a gap in opposing traffic without blocking through traffic behind it. Using informal flares can make it possible to prevent left-turn blockage without sacrificing a crossing island for a left-turn lane. Curb continuation lines at median openings are presented as a means to enhance informal flare function. Original data are presented relating informal flare function (the tendency of through vehicles to bypass a waiting left-turner) to a road’s half-width. Geometric analysis shows that intersections with crossing islands can fit on roads with right of way as narrow as 60 ft, and with curb-to-curb width as narrow as 40 ft, while still accommodating turning school buses and bike facilities and preventing left-turn blockage. Various performance measures are used to evaluate intersection geometry, including measures related to through vehicle speed, turning vehicles, and pedestrians. With crossing islands, pedestrian safety with respect to left-turning vehicles is substantially improved as the turning path becomes square to the crosswalks, making the vehicle path more predictable and reducing vehicle speed, conflict area size, and pedestrian exposure distance.