bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reshaping the Economic Structure in Argentina: The Role of External Debt during the Macri Administration (2015–2019)
Authors: Santarcángelo Juan E. , Padín Juan Manuel
Published: March 2021

Argentina’s right-wing shift in the 2015 presidential election concluded twelve years of center-left rule. The elected president, Mauricio Macri, claimed that the economy would experience normalization of existing imbalances and recover its strength in a “new political era.” However, the new administration quickly restored the dominance of neoliberal economic policies through a comprehensive set of initiatives, which centrally included the return to international financial debt and equity markets and submission to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) rules. This article analyzes Argentina’s external-debt-growth process and discusses its objectives and long-term effects. This paper posits that the indebtedness process carried out by the Macri administration—and its modality—not only increased the relevance of financial capital in the Argentine economy but also structurally conditioned any future nonorthodox alternative path of development. This outcome cannot be understood without taking into account the deliberate role of the United States, the IMF, and the top companies that operate in Argentina, as well as the complicity of many political sectors.

JEL Classification: H63, F34, F63
Where Exactly Does the Sexist Bias in the Official Measurement of Monetary Poverty in Europe Come From?
Authors: Berthonnet Irène
Published: March 2021

This article aims to round out the well-established criticism in feminist research whereby measuring income poverty at household level tends to underestimate poverty among women. It demonstrates that while this indicator is underpinned by a conceptual bias that could be qualified as sexist, this is not only because of measurement at the household level, but rather the manner in which this is measured and because it is the only independent item of individual income factored into the measurement of poverty risk. A number of suggestions for improvements are made although, without more detailed research in liaison with Eurostat or national statistical institutes, it will be difficult to make progress in this area.

JEL classification: D31, D13, B54
Frantz Fanon and revolutionary group praxis
Authors: Burman Erica
Published: March 2021

Frantz Fanon was a political revolutionary, and he remains a key intellectual figure in decolonization debates and postcolonial studies. He was also a psychiatrist, continuing to practice, teach and explore new forms of community mental health and groupwork even in exile. In this talk, I explore convergences between Fanon’s institutional psychotherapy and group analysis, alongside his other commitments, to indicate how Fanon’s geopolitically-situated psychosocial analyses linking individual and social change can inform more politically engaged group analytic practice. More specifically, Fanon’s observations on language and power highlight how histories and legacies of colonialism infuse everyday interaction, structuring both relationships and bodily experiences. I argue that his insistence on the need to engage with power and privilege, and the ethical-political responsibilities of the therapeutic practitioner in mobilizing their own practice to acknowledge and challenge these, remain acutely relevant to current group analytic practice in these times of intensified suffering, distress and social inequalities.
On Sociological Reflexivity
Authors: Krause Monika
Published: March 2021

This article offers a critique of the self-observation of the social sciences practiced in the philosophy of the social sciences and the critique of epistemological orientations. This kind of reflection involves the curious construction of wholes under labels, which are the result of a process of “distillation” or “abstraction” of a “position” somewhat removed from actual research practices and from the concrete claims and findings that researchers produce, share, and debate. In this context, I call for more sociological forms of reflexivity, informed by empirical research on practices in the natural sciences and by sociomaterial approaches in science and technology studies and cultural sociology. I illustrate the use of sociological self-observation for improving sociological research with two examples: I discuss patterns in how comparisons are used in relation to how comparisons could be used, and I discuss how cases are selected in relation to how they could be selected.
Numerical investigation on the contribution of underbody flow-induced noise on vehicle interior noise
Authors: Wang Yiping , Du Mintao , Su Chuqi , Wu Wenguang
Published: March 2021

Aerodynamic noise transmitted through greenhouse panels and sealing often dominates the higher frequencies of the interior noise level, whereas the underbody area contributes mainly to low and middle frequencies. A method that unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for exterior airflow combined with Finite Element Method (FEM) for interior acoustic response was used. To validate the accuracy of this method, the interior wind noise of a simplified vehicle model proposed by Hyundai was computed. The comparison between the computational and experimental result showed that this method had enough accuracy to compute the interior wind noise induced by the exterior flow field. Then, the same method was used to compute the wind noise transmitted through the underbody of a passenger car. The characteristic of the noise source and noise inside the cabin was revealed, and the contribution of underbody flow-induced noise to the interior noise was also investigated. Finally, the influence of the underbody panels thicknesses on the interior wind noise was evaluated.
Optimal design of tapered composite structures with a dynamic boundary subset blending model
Authors: Zhang Zijian , Ma Xiaoping , Jin Peng
Published: March 2021

Based on the classical bending rule that the plies composing the thinner region should be a subset of the ones of the thicker region for two adjacent laminates, a genetic algorithm–based dynamic boundary subset blending model is proposed to optimize the global stacking sequence of composite structures with ply-drops. Besides the stacking sequence chromosome of the guide laminate and ply number chromosome of each panel, a chromosome of a dynamic boundary subset factor is introduced for each panel to obtain a fully blended design. The lower and upper bounds of the dynamic boundary subset factor chromosome for each panel is determined by the ply number chromosomes of the panel and its adjacent panels. The stacking sequence of each panel can be determined by selection from combinations of various stacking sequences. The proposed blending model can solve the problem that laminates with identical thicknesses have the completely same layups even when they are not adjacent to each other. The optimal feasible designs outperform other published solutions for the 18-panel horseshoe configuration problem based on the classical bending rule.
Contactless interactive control technology with a switching system based on Butterworth filter and modified strong tracking Kalman filter
Authors: Fang Yifan , Chen Zhong , Yu Lei , Fei Shumin
Published: March 2021

In the human–computer interaction field, a contactless interaction with large screens through gestures is very representative, and the recognition and filtering of gesture images are very important tasks. Aiming at solving the problems of interference and positioning drift of three-dimensional lidar sensors, this article proposes a contactless interactive control system based on switching filtering algorithm, which selects the Butterworth filtering and the modified strong tracking Kalman filter to be used in the filtering process. The proposed interactive system extracts and optimizes user gestures, maps the gestures to the screen, simulates mouse operations, and enables operations such as selection, sliding, zooming in and out, and others. This switching filtering algorithm effectively solves the accuracy problem of a single filtering algorithm and the rapidity of complex filtering algorithms in the signal processing step, and greatly improves the interaction accuracy without sacrificing too much processing time. The experimental results show that by applying the proposed switching filtering algorithm to a contactless human–computer interaction system, the system can achieve smooth gesture interaction. The proposed system can perform real-time interaction with multiple people, which fully verifies the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Quantile regression on inactivity time
Authors: Balmert Lauren C , Li Ruosha , Peng Limin , Jeong Jong-Hyeon
Published: March 2021

The inactivity time, or lost lifespan specifically for mortality data, concerns time from occurrence of an event of interest to the current time point and has recently emerged as a new summary measure for cumulative information inherent in time-to-event data. This summary measure provides several benefits over the traditional methods, including more straightforward interpretation yet less sensitivity to heavy censoring. However, there exists no systematic modeling approach to inferring the quantile inactivity time in the literature. In this paper, we propose a semi-parametric regression method for the quantiles of the inactivity time distribution under right censoring. The consistency and asymptotic normality of the regression parameters are established. To avoid estimation of the probability density function of the inactivity time distribution under censoring, we propose a computationally efficient method for estimating the variance–covariance matrix of the regression coefficient estimates. Simulation results are presented to validate the finite sample properties of the proposed estimators and test statistics. The proposed method is illustrated with a real dataset from a clinical trial on breast cancer.
Job Satisfaction and the Perception of Managers as Transformational Leaders: Examining the Role of Ethnicity and Other Demographic Characteristics of Employees in Multi-ethnic Teams
Authors: Darabant Christopher J. , Narayanan Nandini
Published: March 2021

There is a lack of consensus regarding the impact of personal factors, such as ethnicity, on job satisfaction in employees working in multi-ethnic teams. Globalization has led to an increase in the heterogeneity in team members’ characteristics. Therefore, organizations are interested in identifying effective ways to manage such teams. Transformational leadership has been proven effective in managing teams to reach organizational goals. Accordingly, the present study aimed to examine the impact of ethnicity and other demographic characteristics on employees’ job satisfaction and their perception of their manager as a transformational leader. The sample comprised 115 mid-level employees from three US-based multinational technology firms. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included the Leadership Practices Inventory, the Job Satisfaction Survey, and items on participants’ demographic characteristics. Analysis included parametric or non-parametric statistics and correlations. Findings revealed a high job satisfaction level and a high tendency to perceive one’s manager as a transformational leader. No significant differences were observed based on demographic characteristics, while job satisfaction and perception of the manager as a transformational leader were correlated positively. These findings suggest that the transformational leadership style may be conducive to the effective management of heterogeneous groups.
Music-Play in the Guided Music Setting
Authors: Yi Gina J.
Published: March 2021

Given its importance in children’s development and learning, researchers have rigorously studied play, and many teachers have used it as a classroom tool. Music researchers have observed that music regularly accompanies children’s play because music is part of their culture, and “playing with music” is the most natural form of expression of their existence as musical beings. Hence, play is at the heart of early childhood music, and music teachers design activities that are playful using manipulatives, instruments, movements, and musical sounds to engage children. However, scant research has explored the types of play enacted in guided music settings and how children construct musical understanding through play. This article discusses children’s play and related theories, illustrates how children “play with music” in the guided music setting, and offers practical applications of play in guided music activities.
The Management and Coordination of Virtual Teams in Large Classes: Facilitating Experiential Learning
Authors: O’Connor Christina , Mullane Kenneth , Luethge Denise
Published: March 2021

The management and coordination of classroom teaching continues to be a challenge, particularly as enrollment trends suggest that class sizes are growing. In the past, many faculty have divided their large classes into smaller groups to incorporate experiential exercises. In this article, we discuss the challenges of managing an experiential exercise featuring a large number of teams in a virtual setting. These challenges include (a) coordinating class communication with a large number of teams, (b) managing teams and facilitating team communication and trust, (c) managing virtual team performance and instructor feedback throughout the experiential exercise, and (d) managing and evaluating student engagement. We also provide practical suggestions for management educators on how to address each challenge based on insight gleaned from our years of experience using virtual teams in large classes. Finally, we highlight avenues for future research in the area of virtual teams and large class size teaching.
The Distribution of Posterior Malleolus Fracture Lines
Authors: Quan Yuan , Lu Hao , Xu Hailin , Liu Yijun , Xie Wenyong , Zhang Boyu , Zhang Dianying , Jiang Baoguo
Published: March 2021

Background:

The morphology and classification of posterior malleolus (PM) fractures remain controversial. An increasing number of studies have found that merely focusing on the fragment size does not lead to a satisfactory prognosis. This study aimed to demonstrate the fracture line and comminution zones of PM fractures using computed tomography (CT), in order to provide insights into the injury mechanism of PM fractures.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the data of 95 patients with PM fractures between 2013 and 2018 at a level 1 trauma center. The CT data of the PM of the patients were reconstructed using software. Images of all patients were superimposed together, and drawn as a heat map of the fragments and line distributions of PM fractures.

Results:

Our study included 66 type I, 19 type II, and 10 type III PM fractures according to the classification of Haraguchi. In the single-fragment fracture group, the fracture lines were mainly concentrated in the posterolateral tibial tubercle area (Volkmann’s tubercle) and a larger tubercle area involving the tibialis posterior groove. In the multifragment fracture group, there were 10 (43.5%) patients with a 2-fragment pattern and 13 (56.5%) patients with a compressive-fragment pattern.

Conclusion:

According to the fracture map and previous studies on the syndesmosis, our study provides a different understanding of the pathomechanisms of ankle injuries compared with previous classifications of PM fractures.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective study.
Vitrectomy for full thickness macular hole developed during the course of anti-VEGF treatment of type 1 neovascular AMD
Authors: Nawrocka Zofia Anna , Nawrocka Zofia , Nawrocki Jerzy
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To report a case of treatment of a full-thickness macular hole, which appeared after 10 months of anti-VEGF treatment in neovascular age related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods:

The patient was diagnosed as type 1 nAMD. The coexisting vitreomacular traction caused a full thickness macular hole after 10 months of treatment.

Patients:

A 68-year-old woman treated with anti VEGF.

Results:

Vitrectomy with the temporal inverted ILM flap technique succeeded in closing the hole. Further anti-VEGF treatment followed.

Conclusion:

FTMH is a rare complication or coexistence in nAMD. Vitrectomy and continuous anti-VEGF treatment might result in satisfactory anatomical and functional results.
Pan-Cancer Transcriptional Models Predicting Chemosensitivity in Human Tumors
Authors: Wells Jason D , Griffin Jacqueline R , Miller Todd W
Published: March 2021

Motivation:

Despite increasing understanding of the molecular characteristics of cancer, chemotherapy success rates remain low for many cancer types. Studies have attempted to identify patient and tumor characteristics that predict sensitivity or resistance to different types of conventional chemotherapies, yet a concise model that predicts chemosensitivity based on gene expression profiles across cancer types remains to be formulated. We attempted to generate pan-cancer models predictive of chemosensitivity and chemoresistance. Such models may increase the likelihood of identifying the type of chemotherapy most likely to be effective for a given patient based on the overall gene expression of their tumor.

Results:

Gene expression and drug sensitivity data from solid tumor cell lines were used to build predictive models for 11 individual chemotherapy drugs. Models were validated using datasets from solid tumors from patients. For all drug models, accuracy ranged from 0.81 to 0.93 when applied to all relevant cancer types in the testing dataset. When considering how well the models predicted chemosensitivity or chemoresistance within individual cancer types in the testing dataset, accuracy was as high as 0.98. Cell line–derived pan-cancer models were able to statistically significantly predict sensitivity in human tumors in some instances; for example, a pan-cancer model predicting sensitivity in patients with bladder cancer treated with cisplatin was able to significantly segregate sensitive and resistant patients based on recurrence-free survival times ( P = .048) and in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine ( P = .038). These models can predict chemosensitivity and chemoresistance across cancer types with clinically useful levels of accuracy.
Attentional shifting differences in autism: Domain general, domain specific or both?
Authors: Skripkauskaite Simona , Slade Lance , Mayer Jennifer
Published: March 2021

Atypical attention is considered to have an important role in the development of autism. Yet, it remains unclear whether these attentional difficulties are specific to the social domain. This study aimed to examine attentional orienting in autistic and non-autistic adults from and to non-social and social stimuli. We utilised a modified gap–overlap task with schematic images (Experiment 1: autistic = 27 and non-autistic = 26) and photographs (Experiment 2: autistic = 18 and non-autistic = 17). Eye-tracking data (i.e. saccadic latencies) were then compared across condition and type of stimulus (social or non-social) using multilevel modelling. Autistic adults exhibited mostly typical gap and overlap effects, as well as a bias towards social stimuli. Yet, autistic participants benefitted from exogenous disengagement when orienting to social information more than non-autistic participants. Neither a domain general nor social domain–specific account for attentional atypicalities in autism was supported separately. Yet, subtle combined domain differences were revealed in the gap condition.

Lay abstract

Previous research has shown that autistic individuals look at other people less and orient to them more slowly than others. Yet, it is still unclear if this represents general visual differences (e.g. slower looking at any new information, social or not) or a uniquely social difference (e.g. only slower looking to humans but not objects). Here, we aimed to examine how quickly autistic and non-autistic adults look to and away from social (i.e. faces) and non-social information (i.e. squares and houses). We used an attentional shifting task with two images where sometimes the first image disappears before the new image appears (makes it easier to notice the new image) and other times it stays on the screen when the new image appears. In Experiment 1, we showed schematic faces and squares to 27 autistic and 26 non-autistic adults, and in Experiment 2, we showed photographs of faces and houses to 18 autistic and 17 non-autistic adults. In general, autistic adults looked at the new non-social or social images similarly to non-autistic adults. Yet, only autistic adults looked at new social information faster when the first image disappeared before the new image appeared. This shows that autistic individuals may find it easier to notice new social information if their attention is not already occupied.
Becoming a cancer survivor: An experiment in dialogical health research
Authors: Frank Arthur W , Solbraekke Kari Nyheim
Published: March 2021

The article makes cancer survivorship the topic of an experiment in a form of writing we call dialogical response. First, in the style of autoethnography, each author presents an account of her or his long-term survivorship of cancer and the issues that involves. Less conventionally, we then respond each to the other’s story. The article seeks to contribute to an in-depth understanding of long-term cancer survivorship. More important, we offer it as an example of a form of writing rarely practiced in health research: speaking to those who participate in research, rather than speaking about those people. Among the multiple theoretical implications that could be explored, we consider Foucault’s concept of subjectification. Our argument is that recognising the discursive formulation of the subject can and should be complemented by recognition of the local, immediate dialogical formulation of subjects. Rather than presenting research findings about cancer survivors, we offer a performative enactment of survivorship as an ongoing process of dialogical exchange. We show ourselves, responding to each other, in the process of becoming the cancer survivors we are as a result of those responses.
A deliberate language policy or a perceived lack of agency: Heritage language maintenance in the Polish community in Melbourne
Authors: Romanowski Piotr
Published: March 2021

Aims:

By applying the tripartite framework of family language policy, this study seeks to gain insight into heritage language maintenance of Polish families in Melbourne. To this end, an integrative investigation of family language policy encapsulating the heritage language perceptions, practices and management will be employed.

Methodology:

Based on the data collected through the online questionnaire supplemented with in-depth interviews, quantitative and qualitative analyses have been conducted to obtain a sociolinguistic picture of the convoluted dependencies.

Data and analysis:

The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded according to the grounded theory approach. The recurrent themes were noted. The existing social patterns were conceptualised through the process of constant comparison. The excerpts selected for analysis illustrate how critical have been the informants’ beliefs and practices concerning heritage language maintenance.

Findings and conclusions:

The data analyses of the researched families disclose a wide range of practices where certain discrepancies are observed between declarations and the actual language behaviours. It also emerges that without parents’ reinforcement and establishing the heritage language as a default means of communication at home, children suffer from lower productive skills.

Originality:

This paper delves into how Polish is maintained as a heritage language by the second generation of Polish-speaking immigrants. It explores the Polish community, one of the well-established yet understudied groups that make up multicultural Australia. It unfolds an account of the dynamics of family language policy, illustrating how they are constantly negotiated, contested and formed by parents.

Significance/implications:

The findings contribute to the ongoing discussion of language policies and heritage language maintenance by demonstrating that the hardship and distress resulting from heritage language acquisition as well as language maintenance are incumbent primarily on family language policy. The researched group is an average-size immigrant community situated in the context with limited institutional support resolving down to Polish Saturday schools.
Maternal incarceration: Impact on parent–child relationships
Authors: Fowler Cathrine , Rossiter Chris , Power Tamara , Dawson Angela , Jackson Debra , Roche Michael A
Published: March 2021

Female incarceration is rising steeply in Australia and other high-income countries. The majority of incarcerated women are mothers. Their children represent a particularly vulnerable group, often subject to adverse experiences due to their family’s disadvantaged circumstances involving inadequate housing, food insecurity, poverty, poor health, a lack of personal safety due to violence and resulting trauma. This qualitative study explores parenting experiences of incarcerated mothers separated from their children. Interviews involved 65 mothers in three Australian prisons and 19 stakeholders providing correctional services and support for incarcerated women. Data were analysed using interpretive description. Mothers’ accounts highlighted frustrations resulting from trying to maintain relationships with their children, often exacerbating their separation and compounding parenting difficulties. Two major themes emerged from the data: ‘protecting their children’ and ‘at the mercy of the system’. Mothers described how they tried to protect their children from the consequences of their incarceration, yet many of the correctional system processes and procedures made it even harder to maintain connection. Incarcerated mothers need support in their parenting role. Ideally, this support should commence during incarceration. Further, changes within prison routines could enhance mothers’ efforts to keep in contact with their children, through visits and phone calls.
The agency of computer vision models as optical instruments
Authors: Smits Thomas , Wevers Melvin
Published: March 2021

Industry and governments have deployed computer vision models to make high-stake decisions in society. While they are often presented as neutral and objective, scholars have recognized that bias in these models might lead to the reproduction of racial, social, cultural and economic inequity. A growing body of work situates the provenance of bias in the collection and annotation of datasets that are needed to train computer vision models. This article moves from studying bias in computer vision models to the agency that is commonly attributed to them: the fact that they are universally seen as being able to make biased decisions. Building on the work of Bruno Latour and Jonathan Crary, the authors discuss computer vision models as agential optical instruments in the production of contemporary visuality. They analyse five interconnected research steps – task selection, category selection, data collection, data labelling and evaluation – of six widely cited benchmark datasets, published during a critical stage in the development of the field (2004–2020): Caltech 101, Caltech 256, PASCAL VOC, ImageNet, MS COCO and Google Open Images. They found that, despite all sorts of justifications, the selection of categories is not based on any general notion of visuality, but depends heavily upon perceived practical applications, the availability of downloadable images and, in conjunction with data collection, favours categories that can be unambiguously described by text. Second, the reliance on Flickr for data collection introduces a temporal bias in computer vision datasets. Third, by comparing aggregate accuracy rates and ‘human’ performance, the dataset papers introduce a false dichotomy between the agency of computer vision models and human observers. In general, the authors argue that the agency of datasets is produced by obscuring the power and subjective choices of its creators and the countless hours of highly disciplined labour of crowd workers.
The ‘tipping point’: Exploring the factors associated with entry into residential care for people with dementia in Western Australia
Authors: McGrath Thomas , Blundell Barbara , Morrisby Claire
Published: March 2021

Background

People with dementia usually prefer to live in the community. Research is needed to identify the ‘tipping point’ for residential care entry and to highlight how people with dementia can be supported to remain at home as long as possible. Few previous studies have examined caregivers’ perceptions and explanations for the reasons people with dementia need to enter residential care in Australia.

Aim

To explore the factors contributing to people with dementia entering residential care in Perth, Western Australia, from the perspectives of informal carers and care staff.

Method

This phenomenological study used purposive sampling to recruit informal and formal caregivers of people with dementia. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 family carers and 11 home care staff. Data were thematically analysed to identify individual, carer and contextual factors that impact on residential care entry.

Findings

The majority of participants identified a combination of factors as the ‘tipping point’ to residential care entry; a few also identified the cause as a sudden event or specific issue. Factors identified included deterioration related to worsening cognition, changed behaviours and a decline in the performance of activities of daily living; co-occurring health conditions; safety concerns; carer no longer able to meet care needs; impact of providing support becoming too much for the informal carer; lack of family or social support and needing assistance from services that were unavailable or inaccessible. Factors assisting people with dementia to remain living at home longer were family and social support, formal services and dog ownership.

Conclusion

This study identified individual, carer and contextual factors that contribute to people with dementia entering residential care in Australia. The ‘tipping point’ was recognised as when the needs of a person with dementia outweigh the capacity of their informal and formal carers, services and supports to care for them.
A qualitative evaluation of the impact of a Good Life Club on people living with dementia and care partners
Authors: Morris Lydia , Innes Anthea , Smith Sarah , Wilson Jack , Bushell Sophie , Wyatt Megan
Published: March 2021

Background

Research suggests there is a lack of post-diagnostic support to enable people living with dementia to fulfil social and active lives throughout their dementia journey. Gardening has been found to have many benefits for people living with dementia. Although such research is important, most research frames people with dementia as passive recipients of stimulation. Research into the impact of a community-based gardening group, where people living with dementia are active in the development of an outdoor space, is underdeveloped. Knowledge about the impact of participating in such groups is also sparse. The Good Life Club (GLC) was co-developed and evaluated to respond to these gaps.

Objectives

The primary aim of this article is to present the findings regarding the impact of attending the GLC on the self-reported well-being for people living with dementia and care partners.

Methods

Qualitative data were collected via 22 semi-structured interviews. Fourteen interviews were conducted before the GLC and eight after the GLC. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Dementia Care Mapping data were collected to supplement the interview data.

Findings

Four key themes were identified. The first was that participants considered having active participation in social life to be a key aspect of living a good life. The second was that the way that the GLC was set up and delivered gave the participants ownership of the GLC and within this they felt able to contribute. The third was the importance of social connectedness and peer support to the well-being of both people living with dementia and care partners. Fourth, positive mood and well-being was directly experienced through gardening.

Conclusions

The combination of long-term investment of time and energy to the GLC, ongoing friendships and in-session autonomy act as key ingredients in creating a group that is relaxed, full of humour and highly valued.
Theorising the deaf body: using Lefebvre and Bourdieu to understand deaf spatial experience
Authors: O’Brien Dai
Published: March 2021

In the field of Deaf Geographies, one neglected area is that of the individual deaf body and how individual deaf bodies can produce deaf space in isolation from one another. Much of the work published in the field talks about collectively or socially produced deaf spaces through interaction between two or more deaf people. However, with deaf children increasingly being educated in mainstream schools with individual provisions, and the old social networks and institutions of deaf communities coming under threat by the closure of deaf clubs and changing work practices, more research on the way in which individuals can produce their own deaf spaces and navigate those spaces is needed. In this paper, I outline two possible theoretical approaches, that of Lefebvre’s productive gestures to produce social space, and Bourdieu’s habitus, capital and hexis. I suggest that these theories can be productively utilised to better understand the individual basis of the production of deaf spaces.
Modified Gaussian convolutional deep belief network and infrared thermal imaging for intelligent fault diagnosis of rotor-bearing system under time-varying speeds
Authors: Xin Li , Haidong Shao , Hongkai Jiang , Jiawei Xiang
Published: March 2021

The vast majority of the existing diagnostic studies using deep learning techniques for rotating machinery focus on the vibration analysis under steady rotating speed. Nevertheless, the collected vibration signals are sensitive to time-varying speeds and the vibration sensors may cause structure damage of equipment after long-term close contact. Aiming at these aforementioned problems, a modified Gaussian convolutional deep belief network driven by infrared thermal imaging is proposed to automatically diagnose different faults of rotor-bearing system under time-varying speeds. First, infrared thermal images are measured to characterize the working states of rotor-bearing system to reduce the impact of changeable speeds. Second, Gaussian units are used to construct Gaussian convolutional deep belief network to well deal with infrared thermal images. Finally, trackable learning rate is designed to modify the training algorithm to enhance the performance. The comparison results verify the feasibility of the proposed method, which outperforms the other methods.
A Case Report on Treatment of Nonhealing Leg Ulcer: Do Not Forget the Underlying Disease
Authors: Sallustro Marianna , Marrone Aldo , Florio Anna
Published: March 2021

Prevalence of nonhealing ulcers of lower extremities has increased over years causing heavy health, social, and economic burdens. Chronic ulcers are difficult to treat since they require tailored multistep treatment and patient compliance. To treat chronic wounds successfully, clinicians must keep in mind the ulcer etiology as well as the underlying diseases. Several factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic skin ulcers. Leukocytoclastic vasculitis belongs to the group of immune vascular diseases and may be an extrahepatic manifestation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We describe the case of a patient with a nonhealing vasculitic leg ulcer and chronic HCV infection successfully treated with the combination of advanced dermal substitute and direct-acting antiviral therapy. An 81-year-old female presented to our unit with a 6-month history of a leg ulcer that developed from an exudating skin nodule. At presentation, the lesion was large,caused a severe pain and was unresponsive to analgesics. Skin biopsy showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis. She had a history of old untreated HCV infection, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic venous insufficiency and tibial arteriopathy. The application of porcine-derived dermal substitute achieved only initial improvement. Therefore, direct-acting antiviral therapy was started, and when HCV RNA became undetectable in blood, pain disappeared and skin ulcer improved up to healing. In conclusion vasculitic leg ulcers can be caused by HCV infection. In such cases, even the use of innovative skin therapy, may obtain only initial and partial improvement, and eradication of HCV viremiais essential to obtain wound healing.
Prone vs Supine Positioning for Femoral Derotation Osteotomy: Kinematic and Physical Examination Outcomes Suggest Both Can Achieve Desired Results
Authors: Givon Uri , Drefus Lisa , Murray-Weir Mary , Lenhoff Mark , Burket-Koltsov Jayme C. , Dodwell Emily R. , Scher David M.
Published: March 2021

Background: Femoral derotation osteotomy (FDO) for correction of internal rotation gait resulting from cerebral palsy (CP) can be performed with the patient in the prone or supine position. It is not known whether patient positioning during FDO affects the change in hip rotation. Purpose/Questions: We sought to compare the change in hip rotation following FDO performed on patients with CP in the prone or supine position through kinematic analysis. Methods: We conducted a consecutive retrospective cohort study of children with CP, ages 3 to 18 years and with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to III, who underwent prone or supine FDO and pre- and postoperative motion analysis. The prone group included 37 patients (68 limbs) between 1990 and 1995. The supine group included 26 patients (47 limbs) between 2005 and 2015. The groups were matched for gender, age, and GMFCS level. The primary outcome was hip rotation in degrees during stance phase. Secondary outcomes included temporal-spatial parameters, hip abduction, hip and knee extension, and hip and knee passive range of motion (ROM). Results: The prone group had more bilateral patients (100%) than the supine group (81%). The supine group underwent more concomitant procedures. There was no difference between the prone and supine groups in postoperative stance hip rotation; both groups had significantly improved stance hip rotation, step width, and hip rotation passive ROM, pre- to postoperatively. Prone patients had improved postoperative hip extension, pelvic tilt, velocity, and cadence. Conclusions: There was no significant different in stance hip rotation between supine and prone FDO groups. Advocates of prone positioning for FDO suggest it allows more accurate assessment of rotation. Supine positioning may be more convenient when additional procedures are required. Based on our findings, either approach can achieve the desired result.
Factors Associated With Elevated Inflammatory Markers Prior to Shoulder Arthroplasty
Authors: Kopechek Kyle J. , Cvetanovich Gregory L. , Everhart Joshua S. , Frantz Travis L. , Samade Richard , Bishop Julie Y. , Neviaser Andrew S.
Published: March 2021

Background: Preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) ranges for several shoulder arthroplasty indications are not well understood. Purpose: We sought to compare preoperative ESR and CRP values for a variety of shoulder arthroplasty indications and evaluate risk factors for elevated preoperative ESR and CRP values. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of shoulder arthroplasty cases performed at a single academic medical institution from 2013 to 2018. Preoperative ESR and CRP values for 235 shoulder arthroplasties with various indications were recorded. Independent risk factors for elevated values (CRP > 10.0 mg/L and ESR > 30.0 mm/h) were determined via multiple variable logistic regression. Results: Patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis had an ESR (mean ± SD) of 22.6 ± 17.8, with 29.8% of patients elevated, and a CRP of 6.5 ± 6.4, with 25.5% of patients elevated. Arthroplasty for acute fracture and prosthetic joint infection (PJI) had higher preoperative ESR and CRP values. Multivariate analysis identified several predictors of elevated ESR, including infection, acute fracture, diabetes, and female sex. It also identified predictors of elevated CRP, including infection, acute fracture, and younger age. Conclusions: Preoperative ESR and CRP values may be elevated in 25% to 30% of patients undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty. Arthroplasty for both acute fracture and PJI, along with several other patient factors, was associated with elevated preoperative ESR and CRP. Thus, routine collection of ESR and CRP preoperatively may not be of benefit, as elevated values are common. Further study is warranted.
Promoting Men’s Health With the “Don’t Change Much” e-Program
Authors: Oliffe John L. , Black Nick , Yiu Jeffrey , Flannigan Ryan , Hartrick Wayne , Goldenberg S. Larry
Published: March 2021

Men’s e-health promotion programs can offer end-user anonymity and autonomy that provide avenues for supporting positive health behavior change. The twofold purpose of the current study was to use a benchmark cohort as a reference group to: (1) describe associations between men’s usage levels of the e-health program Don’t Change Much (DCM) and their recent and intended health behavior changes, and (2) report an exploratory analysis of the moderating effects of demographic variables on the associations between DCM users and their recent and intended health behavior changes. Based on self-report, DCM users were classified into limited ( n = 613, 34.7%), low ( n = 826, 46.8%), and high ( n = 327, 18.5%) exposure groups. Compared with the benchmark cohort, DCM high-exposure respondents had significantly increased odds for eight of the nine recent behavior changes, with the largest effect size observed for “Made an effort to sit less and walk more” (odds ratio [OR] 2.996, 95% CI [2.347, 3.826]). Eight of the nine intended health behavior changes in the DCM high-exposure group had significantly increased odds compared to the benchmark cohort, with “Reduce stress level” (OR 3.428, 95% CI [2.643, 4.447]) having the largest effect size. Significantly greater total numbers of recent ( F(12, 2850) = 29.32; p = .001; R2 = .086) and intended health behavior changes ( F(12, 2850) = 34.59; p = .001; R2 = 0.100) were observed among high exposure respondents while adjusting for demographics. Younger age, being employed, and household income <$120,000 had an enhancing moderator effect on DCM users’ number of intended behavior changes.
Efficacy and safety of flow diverters in posterior circulation aneurysms and comparison with their efficacy in anterior circulation aneurysms: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Abdel-Tawab Mohamed , Abdeltawab Ahmed K , Abdelmonem Mohamed , Moubark Mahmoud A , Taha Mohamed AH , Morsy Abdalla , Bessar Ahmed Awad , Ahmed Ebada Mahmoud
Published: March 2021

Purpose

We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of flow-diverter stents (FDs) in the management of posterior circulation cerebral aneurysms and compare FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms.

Methods

We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for relevant studies through March 2020. Studies assessing FDs for posterior circulation aneurysms that included ≥20 treated aneurysms were included. Moreover, the studies compared FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms were included. Data regarding angiographic aneurysmal occlusion, procedural complications, mortality, and morbidity were extracted and pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis model.

Results

Fourteen studies with a total of 659 patients and 676 posterior circulation aneurysms were included. The pooled rate of aneurysmal occlusion at long-term angiographic follow-up was 78% [95% confidence interval (CI), 71–85]. The pooled rates of intraparenchymal hemorrhage, ischemia, and procedure-related mortality and neurological morbidity were 2%, 8%, 7%, and 6%, respectively. Complete occlusion occurred in 82.4% of the posterior circulation aneurysm subgroup and 77.5% of the anterior circulation aneurysm subgroup. The difference was not significant (relative risk 1.01; 95% CI, 0.86–1.19; p = 0.91). Regression analysis showed that elderly patients and females had higher morbidity.

Conclusion

Posterior circulation aneurysms can be effectively treated with FDs with comparable occlusion rates to those in anterior circulation aneurysms. However, periprocedural complications are not negligible.
How do people steer a car to intercept a moving target: Interceptions in different environments point to one strategy
Authors: Zhao Huaiyong , Straub Dominik , Rothkopf Constantin A
Published: March 2021

Which strategy people use to guide locomotor interception remains unclear despite considerable research and the importance of an answer with ramification into the heuristics and biases debate. Because the constant bearing (CB) strategy corresponds to the target-heading (CTH) strategy with an additional constraint, these two strategies can be confounded experimentally. But, the two strategies are distinct in the information they require: while the CTH strategy only requires access to the relative angle between the direction of motion and the target, the CB strategy requires access to a stable allocentric reference frame. Here, we manipulated the visual information about allocentric reference frames in three virtual environments and asked participants to steer a car to intercept a moving target. Participants’ interception paths showed different degrees of curvature and their target-heading angles were approximately constant, consistent with the CTH strategy. By contrast, the target’s bearing angle continuously changed in all participants except one. This particular participant produced linear interception paths with little change in the target’s bearing angle, seemingly consistent with both strategies. This participant continued this pattern of steering even in the environment without any visual information about allocentric reference frames. Therefore, this pattern of steering is attributed to the CTH strategy rather than the CB strategy. The overall results add important evidence for the conclusion that locomotor interception is better accounted for by the CTH strategy and that experimentally observing a straight interception trajectory with a CB angle is not sufficient evidence for the CB strategy.