bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population-based incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors in Puglia
Authors: Cuccaro Francesco , Burgio Lo Monaco Maria Giovanna , Rashid Ivan , Bisceglia Lucia , Caputo Enrico , Melcarne Anna , Palma Fernando , Tanzarella Margherita , Cozzi Emma , Coviello Vincenzo
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

This study presents the incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in an Italian region of over 4 million inhabitants monitored for 10 years and is the largest incidence study of this type of cancer conducted so far in Italy.

Methods:

In order to ensure the registration of all GISTs, including those with nonmalignant behavior, a cancer list was integrated with the cases found through an ad hoc data mining process that covered all the pathologic reports of Puglia. Case distributions by sex, age groups, site, and prognostic groups according to Miettinem and Lasota classification and crude and age-standardized incidence rates were produced.

Results:

In the 10-year period 2006 to 2015, 708 cases of GIST were recorded in Puglia. The average crude incidence rate was 1.7 per 100,000 person-years and the age-standardized incidence rate, using 2013 European standard population, was 1.8 per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6–1.9). Incidence was higher in men than in women: crude incidence rate was 2.0 per 100,000 person-years and age-standardized incidence rate 2.2 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 2.0–2.4) in men and 1.5 per 100,000 person-years and 1.4 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 1.2–1.6) in women.

Discussion:

Our incidence rates are comparable with those of other international studies and they are located in the medium to high end of the range. The comparisons are affected by a different capacity of the cancer registries to intercept and record GISTs with nonmalignant behavior. Distribution of cases for sex, age groups, sites, and prognostic risk groups are consistent with previous results.
Transcending enclosures by bus: Public transit protests, frame mobility, and the many facets of colonial occupation
Authors: Griffin Maryam S
Published: June 2020

In this article, I investigate three public transit-centered Palestinian political actions in the West Bank and argue that the activists’ framing choices facilitate particular forms of global solidarity. The bus-centered political actions I examine are the Palestinian Freedom Rides of 2011, the Freedom Bus of 2014, and the bus sabotage of 2013. I demonstrate that the activists and participants in each of these cases dexterously move among a collection of terminological frames, invoking racial segregation, racism, and apartheid alongside occupation and colonialism. This rhetorical movement parallels the physical movement that the bus enables and represents. In turn, both forms of movement carry Palestinian political messages beyond the Israeli enclosures in order to connect with diverse solidarity audiences and educate them about Palestinian experiences of im/mobilization.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Rutting of Warm-Mix Asphalt Utilizing Long-Term Pavement Performance Specific Pavement Studies
Authors: Bairgi Biswajit K. , Rahman A.S.M. Asifur , Tarefder Rafiqul A. , Larrain Matias M. Mendez
Published: June 2020

Warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies allow binder softening for compaction benefits. Lower production temperature also causes reduced short-term aging in WMA. Considering the long-term implication of the reduced aging and binder softening, WMA is being questioned about its rutting characteristics. As such, this study evaluates different WMA technologies for rutting characteristics in comparison to traditional hot-mix asphalt (HMA) through laboratory and field investigation. The study utilized the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) project in the state of New Mexico called Specific Pavement Study-10 (SPS-10), which was designed to evaluate the WMA performances. The LTPP SPS-10 section includes: (i) control HMA, (ii) foaming, (iii) Evotherm, (iv) Cecabase 1, and (v) Cecabase 2 mixtures. Cecabase 2 mixture consists of a polymer-modified binder (PG 70-28+), whereas other mixtures consist of PG 70-28 binder. The aggregate type, properties, and gradations are the same in all the sections. Laboratory evaluation of rutting was conducted through the Hamburg wheel tracking test. Long-term field rutting was evaluated through Mandli’s pavement profile scanner, a laser-based distress evaluation technology. The study found that WMA with foaming, Evotherm, or Cecabase shows slightly higher rutting compared with the control HMA; however, all the sections satisfied laboratory and field rutting criteria. The use of a polymer-modified binder in WMA significantly improves the rutting characteristics.
Investigation on Identifying Road Anomalies using In-Vehicle Sensors for Cooperative Applications and Road Asset Management
Authors: Padarthy Moksheeth , Sami Mohammed , Heyns Emiliano
Published: June 2020

One of the main challenges for road authorities is to maintain the quality of the road infrastructure. Road anomalies can have a significant impact on traffic flow, the condition of vehicles, and the comfort of occupants of vehicles. Strategies such as pavement management systems use pavement evaluation vehicles that are equipped with state-of-the-art devices to assist road authorities in identifying and repairing these anomalies. The quantity of data available is limited, however, by the limited availability and, therefore, coverage of these vehicles. To address this problem, several investigations have been conducted on the use of smartphones or equipping vehicles with additional sensors to identify the presence of road anomalies. This paper aims to add to this arsenal by using sensors already available in production vehicles to identify road anomalies. If production vehicles could be used to identify road anomalies, then road authorities would be equipped with an additional fleet of mobile sensors (vehicles traveling on a particular road) to receive initial insights into the presence of anomalies. This information could then be used to assist road authorities to deploy their staff and equipment more precisely at these locations, such that appropriate equipment reaches the right place at the right time. In this paper, an algorithm that uses lateral acceleration and individual wheel speed signals, which are commonly available vehicular variables, was developed to detect potholes using machine learning techniques. The results of the algorithm were validated with real life test scenarios.
Friction plug repair welding of glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 6: Investigation of morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties
Authors: Yan Yinfei , Shen Yifu , Shi Keyu , Wu Jiaxin , Hu Jinpeng
Published: June 2020

Friction plug repair welding technology has been demonstrated to be effective to repair the glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 sheets in the present paper. Influences of repair hole geometries and parameters on joint morphology and mechanical performance were investigated. Results showed that defect-free repaired joints were produced with the utilization of tapered holes rather than cylindrical holes. Process parameters exerted significant influences on the cross-sectional profile and morphology of the joints. Defect-free repaired welds with larger stir zone thicknesses were produced with the proper increase of rotational speeds, but excessive rotational speeds caused the formation of cavities along the plug boundary and the reduction of stir zone thicknesses. The fluctuation of the wavy bottom interface increased under larger plunge rates and incomplete connections between stir zone and base material were observed under plunge rate of 25 mm/min. Extended dwell time led to larger stir zone thickness and improved joint morphology. Tensile tests showed that the strength of the repaired joints increased and then decreased with the enlargement of rotational speeds. Decreased plunge rate and extended dwell time led to promoted joint mechanical performance. Three failure modes were observed, which corresponded to low, middle, and high repaired weld strengths.
Association of arsenic-related AS3MT gene and antioxidant SOD2 gene expression in industrial workers occupationally exposed to arsenic
Authors: Khalid Nayab , Mahjabeen Ishrat , Kayani Mahmood Akhtar , Akram Zertashia
Published: June 2020

Increasing anthropogenic activities related to industrialization and exposure to different toxicants increases the health hazards of industrial workers. Arsenic (As) exposure induces DNA damage and generates reactive oxygen species, which may result in many disease phenotypes. Present study explores the expression variation of As 3 methyltransferase ( AS3MT) and superoxide dismutase ( SOD2) genes in blood samples of industrial workers of different industries (brick kiln, paint, welding, pesticide, and furniture) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. A total of 250 blood samples of industrial workers were collected along with age- and gender-matched controls. Relative expression of AS3MT ( p < 0.05) and SOD2 ( p < 0.01) genes was found significantly downregulated in exposed workers compared to controls. Significant low levels of AS3MT and SOD2 gene expression were observed in workers in the paint and pesticide industry compared to other industries. Similarly, reduced expression of AS3MT ( p < 0.05) and SOD2 ( p < 0.01) was observed in smokers of industrial workers compared to smokers of the control group. Workers with >10 years of exposure had less AS3MT expression compared to workers with <10 years of exposure. Additionally, a positive Spearman correlation was observed between AS3MT versus SOD2 ( r = 0.742; p < 0.0001) in industrial workers. This study suggests that decreased AS3MT and SOD2 expression levels may lead to bioaccumulation of As in the body accompanied by increased oxidative stress ultimately inducing DNA damage.
Genotoxic risk in health-care professionals occupationally exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation
Authors: Silva-Júnior Flávio Manoel Rodrigues da , Tavella Ronan Adler , Fernandes Caroline Lopes Feijo , Mortola Alexandra Silveira , Peraza Gianni Goulart , Garcia Edariane Menestrino
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential influence of occupational ionizing radiation (IR) exposure on health professionals, assessing DNA damage using the comet and micronucleus (MN) assays and analyzing relative risks, correlations, and associated factors between outcomes and socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Blood and buccal samples were collected from 36 workers, who actively participated in an imaging sector of a hospital, who were either exposed to IR directly or indirectly (9 internal control and 27 exposed), and 27 individuals living in the same city but with no occupational exposure (external control, unexposed/healthy). All radiation dosages performed on the 36 workers were less than 20 mSv/y, not exceeding the effective dose limit for occupational exposure. A questionnaire identified socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with the outcomes. The results of the MN assay showed a significant difference between both internal control and the exposed group when compared to the external control. For the comet assay, there were significant differences between the percent of tail DNA of the exposed group and external controls, but no difference was found between the exposed group and internal controls. Relative risk associations were found in time of exposure, hours worked per week, and perceived stress. Correlations were found between the outcomes and age, consumption of alcohol, and frequencies of X-rays during life. Variables that showed to be significant in the adjusted analysis were skin color and recent exposure to radiation. Albeit limited, the findings of this study suggest genotoxicity in both blood and buccal mucosa cells of workers exposed directly or indirectly to IR and that lifestyle and socioeconomic factors are associated and correlated with the risk of developing these outcomes.
Women Professors across STEMM and Non-STEMM Disciplines: Navigating Gendered Spaces and Playing the Academic Game
Authors: Fagan Colette , Teasdale Nina
Published: June 2020

Women remain poorly represented in the highest positions in academia, despite their increasing participation. This article seeks to understand how women who have reached senior occupational positions in Higher Education Institutions have navigated their organisational and disciplinary settings. In the process we explore how experiences compare across male and female-dominated spaces, integrating field theory with Acker’s work on ‘gendered organisations’ to develop the idea of academic disciplines as ‘gendered spaces’. Empirically we draw upon a qualitative study of women professors working across science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) and non-STEMM disciplines in a large research-intensive university in the UK. Utilising Bourdieu’s concept of ‘the game’, we show how they navigate the academic game within the context of differing ‘gendered spaces’; complicit in the game yet recognising it as unfair, and thus (inadvertently) reproducing gendered structures and practices.
The prioritization of failures within the automotive industry: The two-step failure mode and effect analysis integrated approach
Authors: Banduka Nikola , Aleksić Aleksandar , Komatina Nikola , Aljinović Amanda , Tadić Danijela
Published: June 2020

Traditionally, in the automotive industry, the risk posed by failures in manufacturing is based on the conventional process failure mode and effect analysis. The market changes, as well as limited financial resources dedicated to business improvement, induce the need for employment of advanced management tools. The rating of failures is derived from the research using the suggested fuzzy classification method based on the Pareto analysis. It is assumed that the classification criterion should be determined as the product of the overall product choice and the risk priority numbers given by applying the traditional process failure mode and effect analysis. All the uncertainties that exist in the problem under consideration are represented by linguistic expressions that are modeled on the interval type-2 triangular fuzzy numbers. The overall product choice is based on a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process with interval type-2 triangular fuzzy numbers. The execution of management initiatives based on the priority of failures can result in the improvement of the manufacturing process and overall business efficiency. The proposed model is tested using real-life data from a single vehicle manufacturer operating in the Western Balkans and representing a part of a global automotive supply chain.
Evaluation of drawing force by a new dimensionless method in deep drawing process
Authors: Hajiahmadi Saeed , Elyasi Majid , Shakeri Mohsen
Published: June 2020

In this research, geometric parameters were given in dimensionless form by the Π- Buckingham dimensional analysis method in the dimensionless group for deep drawing of a round cup. To find the best group of dimensionless parameters and the fittest dimensionless relational model, three scales of the cup are evaluated numerically by a commercial finite element software and stepwise regression modeling. After analyzing all effective geometric parameters, a fittest relational model among dimensionless parameters is found. In addition, the results of the new dimensionless model were compared with the simulation process and experimental tests. From the results, it is inferred that the geometric qualities of a large scale can be predicted with a small scale by the proposed dimensionless model. Comparing the results of the dimensionless model with experimental tests shows that the proposed dimensionless model has fine precision in the determination of geometrical parameters and drawing force estimation. Moreover, to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed dimensionless model, the predicted value of the model has been compared by the experimental results. It is shown that the dimensionless ratios of geometrical parameters can significantly affect the estimation of the drawing force by the proposed dimensionless model, but based on similarity law, because of the constant value of these dimensionless parameters in different scales, they could not be used for dimensionless analysis separately. It is also inferred that because of the effect of contact area on the coefficient of friction, which is changed by scale changing, the only dimensionless parameter that can significantly change the drawing force is the coefficient of friction. Finally, it is shown that the dimensionless geometrical parameter and the coefficient friction should be combined for dimensionless analysis.
New method to enhance the mechanical characteristics of Al-5052 alloy weldment produced by tungsten inert gas
Authors: Abbasi Mahmoud , Givi Mohammad , Bagheri Behrouz
Published: June 2020

Tungsten inert gas welding method is widely used to weld aluminum alloys. However, the development of some defects such as porosity and undercutting which form during tungsten inert gas welding may decrease the quality of the weld. Processing of the joint by friction stir processing is a method to enhance weld quality. In the current work, the weld area produced by tungsten inert gas is processed by friction stir processing as well as a novel processing method entitled “friction stir vibration processing.” In friction stir vibration processing, the specimen is vibrated while friction stir processing is carried out. The results show that both processing methods lead to grain refinement in the weld region and increase the strength and ductility of the tungsten inert gas–welded specimen. The stir zone grain sizes of friction stir vibration–processed samples are less than those of friction stir–processed ones. It is believed that workpiece vibration in friction stir vibration processing increases the material straining and intensifies the dynamic recrystallization. By application of friction stir processing on tungsten inert gas–welded specimen, ultimate tensile strength and ductility increase by about 10% and 22%, respectively. They increase by about 17% and 33%, respectively, as friction stir vibration processing is applied. The results also indicate that the effect of friction stir vibration processing on the microstructure of the weld region and its mechanical properties increases as vibration frequency increases. Friction stir vibration processing is a good alternative for friction stir processing, and it is recommended for application in industry.
The influence of ultrasonic elliptical vibration amplitude on cutting tool flank wear
Authors: Khajehzadeh Mohsen , Boostanipour Omid , Amiri Soheil , Razfar Mohammad Reza
Published: June 2020

In this article, the effect of vibration amplitude during ultrasonic elliptical vibration–assisted turning on cutting tool flank wear ( VBmax) and tool diffusion wear mechanism has been experimentally studied in machining of AISI 4140 hardened steel. To achieve this goal, an ultrasonic elliptical vibration–assisted turning setup was designed and manufactured. This device was then used in both ultrasonic-assisted tuning and ultrasonic elliptical vibration–assisted turning tests (i.e. one-dimensional and two-dimensional ultrasonic-assisted machining). According to the achieved results, ultrasonic elliptical vibration–assisted turning is more effective than ultrasonic-assisted tuning in reducing tool flank wear; at an amplitude of 13 μm, work velocity of 180 mm/s and feed of 0.09 mm/rev, VBmax were decreased 30.3% and 54.3%, respectively, in case of ultrasonic-assisted tuning and ultrasonic elliptical vibration–assisted turning. It was also observed that increasing the amplitude of ultrasonic vibrations reduces VBmax; at work velocity of 180 mm/s and feed of 0.09 mm/rev, the reduction of VBmax in ultrasonic elliptical vibration–assisted turning with amplitudes of 5 and 13 μm is, respectively, 39.3% and 54.3%, compared with that of conventional machining. The results also show that the application of ultrasonic vibrations weakens the cutting tool diffusion wear mechanism. This attenuation is much higher for ultrasonic elliptical vibration–assisted turning in comparison to ultrasonic-assisted tuning. Besides, the amount of attenuation in cutting tool diffusion wear mechanism decreases with increasing vibration amplitude.
Principal component analysis in the linear theory of vibrations: Continuous mechanical systems driven by different kinds of external noise
Authors: Awrejcewicz J , Krysko VA , Mitskievich SA , Kutepov IE , Papkova IV , Krysko AV
Published: June 2020

In this study, an analysis of mechanical vibrations influenced by external additive white Gaussian noise and colored noise is conducted using the principal component analysis. The principal component analysis is widely employed for encoding images in image processing, biology, economics, sociology, and political science. However, it is hereby applied to analyze nonlinear dynamics of continuous mechanical systems for the first time. A rich class of objects, including straight beams, beams on Winkler foundations and spherical shells, is investigated in the present paper. The basic differential equations are obtained based on the Bernoulli–Euler hypothesis, and solutions of the linear PDEs are analyzed by means of the principal component analysis. Results obtained with the principal component analysis are compared with those for the method of empirical modal decomposition and the wavelet-packet decomposition.
Fault-tolerant control based on 2D game for independent driving electric vehicle suffering actuator failures
Authors: Zhang Bohan , Lu Shaobo , Zhao Lin , Xiao Kaixing
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes a cooperative game-based actuator fault-tolerant control strategy for a four-wheel independent drive electric vehicle with an active front steering system. For achieving fault-tolerant control and targets cooperation, a two-dimensional game strategy is proposed to balance the stability and economy. The first-dimensional game is utilized to determine the dominant control target of the actuator, then the second-dimensional game is employed to assign the fault-tolerant control task for the remaining healthy actuators. The two dimensions are integrated based on the linear quadratic differential game theory, and a hybrid weighted Pareto frontier is thus established. A Shapley value based weight calculation method is proposed to obtain a set of fair and unique weights according to the importance of each player, which makes the solution of the optimal control problem more easily obtained. The effectiveness and real-time performance of the control strategy are tested under different scenarios. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can balance the stability and economy well, outperforms the traditional method in terms of target tracking performance. For special case, the response of the yaw rate could be improved up to 39.83% comparing to that of the linear quadratic regulator method.
A Malaysian retrospective study of acupuncture-assisted anesthesia in breast lump excision
Authors: Ang Ju-Ying , Bhojwani Kavita , Chan Huan-Keat , Chan Ai-Chen
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture-assisted anesthesia (AAA) in breast lump excision.

Methods

The medical records of all patients who underwent breast lump excision under AAA in combination with electrical stimulation at traditional acupuncture points in 2016 were examined. All of them (n = 17) received electrostimulation (2–4 Hz) using single needles inserted at bilateral LI4 and PC6. They also underwent insertion of four acupuncture needles at the lump site, which were electrically stimulated at 30 Hz frequency.

Results

All surgical procedures were successful with minimal use of analgesics and local anesthetic. The median pain score reported was 1/10 (interquartile range (IQR) = 2/10) at the first hour, and slightly increased to 2/10 (IQR = 2/10) between 24 and 48 h of the surgery. No major postoperative adverse events were documented, except for drowsiness in one case.

Conclusion

AAA was found to be generally safe and effective for anaesthesia and analgesia in breast lump excision. However, a large-scale randomized controlled study is required to verify the findings.
Book review: Anna Morcom, Illicit Worlds of Indian Dance: Cultures of Exclusion
Authors: Chakraborty Aishika
Published: June 2020

Anna Morcom, Illicit Worlds of Indian Dance: Cultures of Exclusion. Hurst and Company, 2013. 320 pages,. £.45 (Hardback) and £.20 (Paperback)
Book review: Devaki Jain, The Journey of a Southern Feminist and Devaki Jain, Close Encounters of Another Kind: Women and Development Economics
Authors: Lingam Lakshmi
Published: June 2020

Devaki Jain, The Journey of a Southern Feminist. SAGE Publications, 2018, 270 pages, ₹795.00. ISBN: 9789352806218.

Devaki Jain, Close Encounters of Another Kind: Women and Development Economics. SAGE Publications, 2018, 398 pages, ₹1,095.00. ISBN: 9789352807710.
Personal Cognitive Factors Affecting Career Aspirations of Women Working in Financial Sector in India
Authors: Kang Lakhwinder Singh , Kaur Gurpreet
Published: June 2020

Although much has been researched on the external contextual forces as barriers to women’s career development, there is a need to assess the role of women’s internal forces (personal cognitive) in determining their aspirations for advancement in career. The study aims at investigating the direct linkages among several personal cognitive factors in shaping up the career aspirations of working women. AMOS-based ‘structural equation modelling’ was performed and the results revealed a significant influence of occupational self-efficacy, proactive personality, work role salience and gender role attitude as cognitive factors in explaining the aspirations of working women for advancement in career. The findings present important implications for women as individuals, families, supervisors and organizations.
Televisual Tales From Across the Border: Mapping Neo-Global Flows in Media Peripheries
Authors: Pant Ritika
Published: June 2020

Foreign programming on Indian television was largely dominated by American and British TV programmes until 2014, when a Hindi entertainment channel Zindagi, owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, began broadcasting syndicated television content from Pakistan. The channel’s tagline Jodey Dilon Ko (uniting hearts) shaped the possibility for peaceful reconciliation between the two political rivals, India and Pakistan, by offering ‘ sarhad paar ki kahaaniyaan’ (stories from across the border) to Indian audiences. The popularity of Pakistani serials in India may be observed against the backdrop of a television industry inundated with formulaic saas–bahu (mother-in-law/daughter-in-law) plotlines over the last decade. While Indian television and films have been a part of Pakistani popular culture for years, Pakistani serials like Humsafar (life partner, 2011) and Zindgai Gulzar Hai (life is a bed of roses, 2012) broadcast on Zindagi gave Indian audiences a peek into their neighbours’ socio-cultural environment. These serials dismantled the conventional mediatised image of the distanced ‘other’ and redefined the former perception of ‘foreign’ as essentially ‘Western’ in Indian television programming. Through an analysis of new trajectories of flows between media peripheries that I term ‘neo-global’ flows, this article argues that Pakistani dramas broadcast on Zindagi between 2014 and 2016 offered a ‘mediating space’ to Indian audiences by maintaining a balance between Indian tradition and Pakistani modernity.
The Regulator Regulated: A Genealogy of the Pakistani Broadcast Media and its State of ‘Double Capture’ in the Post-Musharraf Era
Authors: Akhtar Asif
Published: June 2020

This article traces a genealogy of regulatory and other tactics through which the Pakistani broadcast media is controlled, comparing the colonial context of the development of these tactics with the postcolonial circumstances of their re-deployment. Archival research into the East India Company’s documents from the turn of the nineteenth century uncovers the development of regulatory regimes referred to as Censorship, Self-Regulation, and Licensing, in addition to extra-legal techniques. The article argues that colonial tactics still form key components of Pakistan’s postcolonial broadcast regulations. However, in the past, one regime was replaced by another in a linear progression; today these regulatory techniques appear concomitantly stacked, selectively deployable and enfolded within an expanding array of extralegal techniques. The article seeks to move beyond conceptions of ‘regulatory capture’ or ‘media capture’ by applying the Deleuzian concept of ‘double capture’: in the case of the Pakistani broadcast media, the government regulator (and to some extent the government itself) is captured by ‘media power’ in the same instance that the media assemblage itself becomes subject to ‘state capture’ through extralegal means. Part one focuses on the decades when the colonial state first regulated newsprint (1780–1823), tracing the development from extralegal controls to a succession of legal regulations through which Company administrators could regulate – rather than be regulated by – colonial newsprint. Part two considers the paradoxical situation in Pakistan’s contemporary broadcast regulations (2002–2018), where PEMRA seems powerless to regulate the media, yet the media is subject to a ‘double capture’ through a combination of legal and extralegal modes of control.
Pursuing Impactful Entrepreneurship Research Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Lévesque Moren , Obschonka Martin , Nambisan Satish
Published: June 2020

It is time for the entrepreneurship field to come to terms with leading-edge artificial intelligence (AI). AI holds great promise to transform entrepreneurship into a more relevant and impactful field, but it must overcome conflicts between the AI-driven research approach and that of the traditional, theory-based research process. We explore these opportunities and challenges and suggest concrete approaches that entrepreneurship researchers can use to harness the power of AI with rigor and enhance research relevance. We conclude that incorporating the power of AI in entrepreneurship research and managing the associated risks offer a new and “grand challenge” for the field.
Community Engagement in the Liberal Arts: How Service Hours and Reflections Influence Course Value
Authors: Painter David Lynn , Howell Courtney
Published: June 2020

Background:

In response to critics’ charges that the liberal arts lack practical value, most colleges have incorporated service-learning in their curricula. Ideally, these service-learning activities not only benefit the community but also enhance the course’s (a) pedagogical effectiveness as well as the students’ (b) civic engagement and (c) professional development.

Purpose:

This investigation uses a survey to measure the extent to which service-learning in community engagement courses at a liberal arts college achieved these three outcomes.

Methodology/Approach:

Specifically, we parsed the influence of service hours and reflection activities on 740 students’ ratings of pedagogical effectiveness, civic engagement, and professional development.

Findings/Conclusions:

The results suggest students in community engagement courses that included at least 15 service hours and three different types of reflections reported significantly greater outcome achievement than those with fewer hours or reflections. Moreover, class discussions and individual conversations were rated the most effective types of reflection activities.

Implications:

Based on these findings, we provide some best practice suggestions for service hours and reflection activities in liberal arts community engagement courses.
Just a Joke? The Thin Line between Teasing, Harassment and Violence among Teenage Boys in Lower Secondary School
Authors: Odenbring Ylva , Johansson Thomas
Published: June 2020

The present article, addresses and discusses thin line between teasing, and violence in lower secondary school. The main aim of the study is to highlight and explore different types of “joking cultures” and lad cultures. This study draws from interviews with ninth grade students conducted at three schools in various geographic locations in Sweden. The results indicate that jokes and fighting for “fun” are recurrent in everyday school life and part of how boys conform in masculinity and homosocial relations. As part of conforming masculinity, boys are not expected to show pain and are expected to take part in homophobic teasing.
Positive Predictors of Career Adaptability Among Diverse Community College Students
Authors: Gregor Margo A. , Weigold Ingrid K. , Wolfe Ginelle , Campbell-Halfaker Devynn , Martin-Fernandez Javier , Pino Heather V. Ganginis Del
Published: June 2020

Career Construction Theory (CCT) posits that an individual’s vocational development occurs as a product of their readiness, resources, and responses to the environment in which they are situated. Thus, an individual’s ability to adapt to environmental demands is predicated on a number of complex and interwoven inter- and intrapersonal factors. This is particularly relevant to the community college student population who, relative to their 4-year university counterparts, experience disparate rates of educational barriers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use CCT as a theoretical framework for investigating the relations among agentic characteristics (personal growth initiative and grit), barriers (perceptions of academic and educational barriers and coping with barriers), and career adaptability in a sample of diverse community college students. Data from a sample of 309 community college students indicated that perceptions of barriers significantly predicted career adaptability through coping with barriers, grit, and personal growth initiative. Serial mediation was supported for the effect of perceptions of barriers on career adaptability through personal growth initiative and coping with barriers. Results also indicated that the proposed model accounted for 55% of the variance in career adaptability. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Return to Sport and Patient Satisfaction at 5-Year Follow-up After Nonoperative Treatment for Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture
Authors: Lerch Till D. , Schwinghammer Andreas , Schmaranzer Florian , Anwander Helen , Ecker Timo M. , Schmid Timo , Weber Martin , Krause Fabian
Published: June 2020

Background:

There is controversy whether nonoperative or operative treatment for Achilles tendon rupture is superior. It is unknown if patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture return to previous sports activity. The purpose of this study was to assess 5-year return to sport and subjective satisfaction, minimum 1-year functional outcomes, and complications in patients following nonoperative treatment of Achilles tendon rupture with early weightbearing rehabilitation.

Methods:

An institutional review board–approved, retrospective observational study involving 89 patients was performed. Out of 114 consecutive patients, 89 (78%) responded to questionnaires for sports activity. Nonoperative treatment consisted of an equinus cast and rehabilitation boot that enabled early weightbearing. Sports activity at 1-year and 5-year follow-up was compared to the prerupture status. Based on the prerupture Tegner Activity Scale (TAS), patients were divided into low-level (<6) and high-level (≥6) activity groups. Clinical assessment at minimum 1-year follow-up was performed with the Thermann score. Mean clinical follow-up was 34 ± 23 months.

Results:

Overall, >70% of the patients returned to their previous sports activity level after a nonoperative early weightbearing treatment. Return-to-sport rate was significantly ( P = .029) higher for patients in the low-level activity group (91%) compared to patients (67%) in the high-level activity group at 5-year follow-up. Subjective satisfaction with treatment was good in both groups (93% and 96%, respectively). The mean Thermann score did not differ between the 2 groups at 1-year follow-up. There were 11 reruptures, 5 deep venous thromboses, and 1 case of complex regional pain syndrome.

Conclusion:

Nonoperative treatment for Achilles tendon rupture yielded good functional outcome and high patient satisfaction. For patients with a high preinjury activity level, return to previous sporting level (assessed by TAS) was possible in 67% of the patients compared to >90% of patients with low preinjury activity level.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative series
Identification of target small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors that need monitoring and clinical application of protocol for early detection of cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction using signal detection: An investigation of real world data
Authors: Mizuno Takahito , Sakai Takamasa , Tanabe Kouichi , Kozaki Koji , Umemura Takumi , Higashikawa Mariko , Kimura Tomoki , Yamada Tetsuya , Goto Nobuyuki , Ohtsu Fumiko
Published: June 2020

Purpose

In order to detect cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) early, we identified which drugs were to be monitored using signal detection and the package insert, and created and applied a protocol to address this.

Methods

Adverse event data recorded in the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database between April 2004 and January 2018 were used. Among small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are not described in the serious side-effects section of the package insert despite signal detection, tyrosine kinase inhibitors with severe side-effects in the background of cases reported by JADER database were selected to be monitored in clinical practice. We applied our findings clinically by creating a protocol to detect CTRCD early. All cases at Tosei General Hospital where the target tyrosine kinase inhibitors were administered from when they were first released in November 2019 were included. We compared the results from before and after we began the protocol to clarify its effects.

Results

We found that CTRCD was not described in the serious side-effect section of the package inserts for Bosutinib, Alectinib, and Osimertinib even though CTRCD signals were detected for them. Therefore, it is possible that we may have previously overlooked CTRCD. When we applied our protocol using Osimertinib as the target drug, we were able to detect CTRCD early in 5/21 (24%) patients.

Conclusions

It was clarified that the drug identification method used in this study for early detection of adverse events leads to early detection of adverse events when applied clinically.
Nonlinear dynamic response of a sandwich structure with flexible core in thermal environments
Authors: Li Jin-ming , Zhao Banghua , Cheng Hao , Kardomateas George , Liu Liu
Published: June 2020

Nonlinear dynamic response with stability analysis of a sandwich structure with flexible core are investigated by integration of variational asymptotic method (VAM) and the first-order shear deformation theory. A simply supported sandwich structure is subjected to an harmonic transverse excitation in thermal environments. Generalized 2 D Reissner-Mindlin type stiffness matrices including an equivalent transverse shear matrix are obtained based on through-the-thickness analysis using VAM without invoking any ad hoc kinematic assumptions. The governing equation is derived using Hamilton’s principle taking into account von K[Formula: see text]rm[Formula: see text]n geometric nonlinearity. Galerkin’s method is employed to develop a nonlinear differential equation of the problem with quadratic and cubic nonlinearities, which are associated with the coupling of the in-plane stretching and transverse deflection due to thermal moments. Periodic solutions are determined using the incremental harmonic balance (IHB) method and incremental arc-length technique. The stability is evaluated by Routh-Hurwitz theory. The effects of the temperature variation, geometric parameters and material properties on the resonance as well as amplitude of steady state vibration are investigated through a detail parametric study.
Vascular effects of cancer treatments
Authors: Campia Umberto
Published: June 2020

Chemotherapy, alone or in association with radiation therapy, has represented the cornerstone of cancer treatment for decades. However, in the last several years, an unprecedented progress in the understanding of cancer biology and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets have led to a paradigm shift in the management of patients with neoplastic diseases. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, vascular endothelial growth factor pathway inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, proteasome inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells, among others, has been associated with prolonged survival in many forms of cancer. A common feature of both chemotherapy and novel cancer treatments is the frequent occurrence of vascular toxicity, mainly mediated by injury to the endothelium. While the mechanisms may vary between agents, the clinical manifestations may overlap and range from hypertension, vasospastic and thrombotic arterial events (myocardial ischemia and infarction, peripheral ischemia, and limb gangrene), venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) to capillary leak syndrome. Therefore, the effective management of patients with cancer requires a multidisciplinary team approach in which oncologist and cardiovascular medicine specialists work together to prevent, detect, and minimize acute vascular toxicity and long-term consequences of cancer therapy.
Shear strength prediction of short circular reinforced-concrete columns using soft computing methods
Authors: Ketabdari Hesam , Karimi Farzad , Rasouli Mahsa
Published: June 2020

In this article, it has been aimed to predict the shear strength of short circular reinforced-concrete columns using the meta-heuristic algorithms. Based on the studies conducted so far, the parameters dominantly affecting the shear strength include axial force, longitudinal and transverse reinforcement, column dimension ratio, concrete compressive strength and ductility. In this respect, first, 200 numerical models of the short circular reinforced-concrete column incorporating various effective parameters so that a sufficient number of outputs could be provided, are analyzed by ABAQUS software to compute their shear strengths. Then, the gene expression programming and particle swarm optimization algorithms are employed to predict the shear strengths and by means of each algorithm, a relation was proposed accordingly. Then, using the experimental data, these relations are evaluated by comparing with those specified in ACI 318 and ASCE-ACI 426. The results indicate that the percentage of relative error between the experimental data and the values obtained from ACI 318 and ASCE-ACI 426 is respectively equal to 25% and 30%, which have been reduced to 13% and 9% through the gene expression programming and particle swarm optimization algorithms implying the satisfactory performance of these two algorithms. Finally, a comparison of the gene expression programming and particle swarm optimization is investigated in terms of convergence rate, degree of accuracy, and performance mechanism.
Modal parameter identification of structures based on short-time narrow-banded mode decomposition
Authors: Zhou Wei , Feng Zhongren , Liu Dongsheng , Wang Xiongjiang , Chen Baiben
Published: June 2020

The accurate estimation of natural frequencies and damping ratios is critical for civil structures. In this article, a method based on short-time narrow-banded mode decomposition is proposed to analyze the modal parameters of civil structures. In this approach, short-time narrow-banded mode decomposition is applied to identify time-varying structures with free vibration responses. On the contrary, by analysis of the weighting factors α and β, short-time narrow-banded mode decomposition is improved to estimate the parameter of time-invariant systems. In the case of enhanced short-time narrow-banded mode decomposition, the original short-time narrow-banded mode decomposition approach is modified in two ways. First, the instantaneous frequency term of the objective function is removed, and one weighting factor remains, that is, α in the objective function. Second, a technique is provided to automatically detect the optimum value of α. Two numerical examples, that is, a three-degree-of-freedom time-variant system and a simple model of the Lysefjord bridge are provided. In addition, an experiment with a real-life pedestrian bridge located at Tufts University, United States, is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. The analysis results indicate that the proposed method can easily identify high-quality natural frequencies and damping ratios.
Compressive behavior of steel spiral confined engineered cementitious composites in circular columns
Authors: Hou Wei , Lin Guan , Li Xiaomeng , Zheng Pandeng , Guo Zixiong
Published: June 2020

Extensive research has been conducted on the uniaxial tensile and compressive behavior of engineered cementitious composites. Despite the high tensile ductility and high toughness of engineered cementitious composites, transverse steel reinforcement is still necessary for high-performance structural members made of engineered cementitious composites. However, very limited research has been concerned with the compressive behavior of steel-confined engineered cementitious composites. This article presents the results of axial compression tests on a series of circular engineered cementitious composite columns confined with steel spirals. The test variables included the engineered cementitious composite compressive strength, the spiral pitch, and the spiral yield stress. The test results show that steel-confined engineered cementitious composites in the test columns exhibited a very ductile behavior; the steel spiral confinement contributed effectively to the enhancement of both strength and ductility of engineered cementitious composites. The test results were then interpreted by comparing them with the predictions from some existing models. It was found that the existing models previously developed for confined concrete failed to predict the compressive strength of steel-confined engineered cementitious composites with sufficient accuracy. New fitting equations for the compressive properties of steel-confined engineered cementitious composites were then obtained on the basis of the test results of this study as well as those from an existing study.
Modelling and simulation of the urban heat island effect in a tropical seaside city considering multiple street canyons
Authors: Haizhu Zhou , Neng Zhu , Qingqin Wang
Published: June 2020

For tropical seaside cities, the net advection heat flux plays a significant role in local urban heat island (UHI) formation during the nocturnal time. However, the net advection heat flux is usually neglected in conventional modelling methods. An improved urban canopy model (UCM) has been developed to simulate the UHI effect in the tropical seaside cities. The model was proposed by introducing an adaptive approach to estimate the airflow rate inside a street canyon. Furthermore, the airflows in multiple connected street canyons were also considered. The improvements of the proposed model were validated with experiments conducted in a typical tropical seaside city, Sanya, China. In summer, the maximum error between the measured data and the simulation result of the conventional model was 0.68°C, which was reduced to 0.21°C with the proposed model. In winter, the maximum error was reduced from 0.84°C with the conventional model to 0.49°C with the proposed model. The experimental studies also showed that the UHI in summer (0.5–1.1°C) was greater than that in winter (0.4–0.5°C). On summer nights, wind flow along the streets had a greater mitigation effect on UHI formation than that in the daytime.