bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying Regional Environmental and Sustainability Issues: Adoption of an Interdisciplinary Design Charrette Approach
Authors: Dirrigl Frank J. , Chavez Anita M. , DeYoe Hudson R.
Published: June 2021

Charrettes are a useful tool to facilitate stakeholder discussion and generate useful end products to address regional issues. To identify regional environmental and sustainability issues, we held a series of interdisciplinary charrettes with stakeholders that shared a similar concern toward protecting the region. Outcomes included distinguishing exemplary sites representative of the issues on a base map and developing initial action items to address them. We present our lessons learned and provide recommendations to assist others in planning and implementing interdisciplinary charrettes.
Traveling a Hard Road: Rites of Passage to Adulthood for Females of Haitian Descent Living in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Salusky Ida
Published: June 2021

This article examines the rites of passage for poor girls of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican context, preparation for and the transition to wife and mother historically served as an important rite of passage to an adult identity. Industrialization and the global discourse surrounding young motherhood increasingly challenges this culturally sanctioned practice. No research has examined how perceptions around rites of passage to an adult female identity are evolving across generations within the Spanish Caribbean. The author conducted an ethnographic project that included the use of in-depth life history interviews with 42 participants. She interrogates the narratives of three generations of adolescent girls and women of Haitian descent using modified grounded theory to (a) describe current culturally acceptable pathways to becoming an adult woman and (b) examine shifts taking place across time regarding acceptable pathways to womanhood. Findings suggest that, increasingly, younger generations no longer perceive marriage and motherhood as the singular rite of passage to adulthood. Yet, additional skills and characteristics that the participants identified as important to effectively transition to an adult role are either very difficult for the poor to attain, or are acquired through the experience of marriage and motherhood.
Ultrasound of the Optic Nerve Does Not Appear to Be a Consistently Reliable or Generalizable Method to Monitor Changes in Intracranial Pressure
Authors: Butts Christine , Wilson Jason , Lasseigne Lindsay , Oral Evrim , Kaban Nicole
Published: June 2021

Objective:

Invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is the gold standard, but is not always readily accessible or practical. Ultrasound of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) has been proposed for detecting both elevation and change in the ICP. Our study is a prospective observational trial that seeks to determine if ultrasound can be reliably used to identify changes in ICP with naturally occurring variations in patient care.

Methods:

A convenience sample of patients with invasive ICP monitoring were enrolled. Patients were identified prior to interventions that were suspected to cause a change in ICP. Measurement of ICP and ONSD was obtained prior to the intervention, with repeated measurements of both variables obtained immediately following the intervention.

Results:

36 total patients were enrolled. There was a positive correlation between the ICP and the right ONSD (r = 0.255, P = 0.0003) and the ICP and the left ONSD (r = 0.274, P < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant relationship between the change in either the ICP and the right ONSD (r −0.2 P = 0.282) or left ONSD (r 0.05 P = 0.805). The location of the lesion in the brain appears to significantly affect discordance between the ONSD and the ICP.

Conclusions:

Ultrasound of the ONSD has shown promise as both a marker of elevated ICP and as a method to identify changes in pressure. Although the size of the ONSD and the measurement of ICP were correlated in our study, the ability to follow changes in ICP was not statistically significant. This indicates that use of ultrasound to track changes in ICP cannot be generalized and may be limited to specific circumstances. The location of the intracranial pathology appears to be a significant factor in discordance between the ICP and ONS diameter.
Health Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence and Help-seeking Among Unauthorized Immigrant Women
Authors: Shuman Sara , Pollitt Amanda M. , O’Brien Matthew , Ibrahim Jennifer , Gupta Jhumka
Published: June 2021

Intimate partner violence (IPV) research on immigrant women who are unauthorized is particularly scarce, despite unique vulnerabilities associated with their documentation status that may impact help-seeking and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to document the frequency of lifetime IPV and related help-seeking behaviors, and examine the relationship between IPV, major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among a community health center-based sample of unauthorized, Spanish-speaking immigrant women in Philadelphia. A clinic-based sample of unauthorized Spanish-speaking women ( N = 200, ages 18-65) completed an anonymous, cross-sectional survey on IPV experiences, help-seeking behaviors, and self-reported health in 2013-2014. Chi-square tests assessed associations between sociodemographic variables and IPV. Multivariable logistic regression investigated whether IPV predicted mental health outcomes. Approximately one in three (34.5%) women reported lifetime IPV experiences. Of these, half (56.6%) sought help (formal n = 22; informal n = 25) because of the violence. Women identified not knowing where to go, believing that help was not necessary, and embarrassment as barriers to help-seeking. Symptoms consistent with MDD and PTSD were reported by 40.5% and 16% of the sample, respectively. In unadjusted logistic regression models, IPV survivors were more likely to endorse MDD and PTSD, and report low mental health HRQL scores than counterparts without IPV. In fully adjusted models, only the association between IPV and PTSD remained significant (OR: 3.80, p =.01). Study findings document high frequencies of IPV, MDD, and PTSD among this clinic-based sample of unauthorized immigrant women. Women who reported IPV also had a greater likelihood of reporting symptoms consistent with PTSD. Findings highlight the need for clinic-based mental health and trauma-informed services tailored to unauthorized immigrant women as well as interventions to decrease IPV.
Transnational Far Right and Nazi Soft Power in Eastern Europe: The Humboldt Fellowships for Romanians
Authors: Nastasă-Matei Irina
Published: June 2021

Foreign students and researchers in Germany became, after 1933, a tool of Nazi propaganda. Those receiving financial support from the Germans, such as the recipients of the Humboldt fellowships, were further compromised. This article aims to shed light on the role played by Humboldt fellowships in the political and ideological transfer between Nazi Germany and Romania. It aims to re-create the profile of the fellows and the influence of the fellowship on the Romanian fellows’ political and ideological development, in order to establish how they functioned as Nazi propaganda tools. Throughout the 1930s, the number of young Romanians going to study and carry out research in Nazi Germany increased considerably, while the financial support they received from the Germans became more significant—including a larger number of Humboldt fellowships. This shows not only that Nazi Germany had a special interest in developing its relations with Romania but also that Romania was embarked on a path of far-right radicalization, with students and youth becoming sympathizers of Nazi Germany and sometimes members of the Iron Guard. The Romanian Humboldt fellows were politically instrumentalized by the Third Reich: they were engaged in far-right political activism, were influenced in their professions and writings by the Nazi ideology, and sometimes they even went on to occupy various positions in the Romanian bureaucratic or diplomatic apparatus.
Postsocialist and Postcapitalist Questions? Far-Right Historical Narratives and the Making of a New Europe
Authors: Pasieka Agnieszka Maria
Published: June 2021

Despite a growing number of novel approaches to the far right and new explanatory models, one feature appears to persist in the scholarship: namely, a tendency to discuss the developments in Western Europe and in postsocialist countries separately. Bucking this trend, this article investigates the similarities between the activism of Italian and Polish far-right movements, focusing on the field of historical politics. More specifically, it investigates the ways in which the memories of World War II and accounts of victims of communism are mobilized in the two countries, as well as the question of “censorship” and “mainstreaming” of far-right historical narratives. Apart from comparing the developments in these countries, the article discusses various forms of cooperation between Polish and Italian far-right movements, which reveal their mutual influences but also the limits of transnational networking.
The Dark Side of Transnational Mobility: Croatian Travel Writers in Hitler’s New Europe
Authors: Yeomans Rory
Published: June 2021

This article analyses the use of Europeanizing discourses in the travel writing of Croat visitors to the Third Reich. Situating these visits in the context of transnational exchanges in Hitler’s new Europe and the war against the Soviet Union, it considers a number of specific case studies of travel between Croatia and Nazi Germany. It argues that the European discourse of writers, journalists, and youth activists in the Ustasha-led Independent State of Croatia served a number of specific purposes. First, they created a space of normality in an extremely violent state, providing an illusion of stability. By bringing the sights, sounds, and pleasures of travel to the near abroad back to Croatia in the form of books, magazine articles, and mobile film reels, they also gave citizens a glimpse of the good life, consumption, and materiality. As such, these travelogues and accounts of journeys overseas also aimed to persuade intellectuals and members of the cultural elite who did not support the Ustasha regime of the various material and professional “club goods” that might accrue to them by becoming active supporters of the regime. Furthermore, they served to create an impression of mobility in a surveillance state in which even internal travel was extremely restricted. Finally, in depicting Nazi-led war in the East and the struggle against the “East within”—in the form of the campaign of genocide against Serbs, Jews, Roma and so-called “asocials”—to building European brotherhood, modernization, and becoming an essential member of the new Europe, they became a source of regime legitimation, thereby telling us important things about the subjectivity of both the state and ideological tourists in a time of terror, war, and occupation.
How Collective Action Problems Suppress Participation in Nonprofit Trade Associations
Authors: Frasier Clifford W.
Published: June 2021

In seeking to understand how nonprofits participate in policymaking at the state level, scholars of the third sector tend to overlook or assume a barrier to this activity: collective action problems. I show that such problems suppress charter school participation in their trade associations. An analysis of original survey data and informant interviews combined with Internal Revenue Service data for the complete set of charter membership associations in the United States demonstrates that schools’ participation in these collectives follows a classic pattern of collective action problems: In states where the number of potential members is high, participation rates are lower. Across states, the size of the population of schools eligible for membership better explains variation in participation than other factors typically deemed important by scholars, such as organizational resources and policy environments. The finding supports the argument that large numbers inhibit participation in associations that pursue collective goods for their industry.
Validation of variable helix milling instability islands
Authors: Ureña Mendieta Luis Enrique , Ozturk Erdem , Sims Neil D
Published: June 2021

During machining, it is well-known that unstable self-excited vibrations known as regenerative chatter can limit productivity. There has been a great deal of research that has sought to understand regenerative chatter, and to avoid it through modifications to the machining process. One promising approach is the use of variable helix tools. Here, the time delay between successive tooth passes is intentionally modified, in order to improve the boundary of instability. Previous research has predicted that such tools can offer significant performance improvements whereby islands of instability occur in the stability lobe diagram. By avoiding these islands, it is possible to avoid regenerative chatter, at depths of cut that are orders of magnitude higher than for traditional tools. However, to the authors’ knowledge, these predictions have not been experimentally validated, and there is limited understanding of the parameters that can give rise to these improvements. The present study seeks to address this shortfall. A recent approach to analysing regenerative chatter stability is modified, and its numerical convergence is shown to outperform alternative methods. It is then shown that islands of instability only emerge at relatively high levels of structural damping, and that they are particularly susceptible to model convergence effects. The model predictions are validated against detailed experimental data that uses a specially designed configuration to minimise experimental error. To the authors’ knowledge, this provides the first experimentally validated study of unstable islands in variable helix milling, whilst also demonstrating the importance of structural damping and numerical convergence on the prediction accuracy.
An assembly precision prediction method for customized mechanical products based on GAN-FTL
Authors: Li Heng , Qiu Lemiao , Wang Zili , Zhang Shuyou , Tan Jianrong , Zhang Lichun
Published: June 2021

Reliable prediction of assembly precision is important for quality control of customized mechanical products characterized by individual customization, small batch size, and multiple varieties, resulting in insufficient samples for predicting assembly performance. A customized mechanical product assembly precision prediction method based on generative adversarial networks and feature transfer learning (GAN-FTL) is proposed in this paper. A GAN is built based on high quality data (source domain) to generate auxiliary samples with high fidelity and large sample size. A support vector machine is used to generate pseudo-tags for auxiliary samples. Features of source domain, target domain and auxiliary samples from different distributions are transferred to the same distribution to achieve multi-source fusion of measured and simulated data using FTL. Data after FTL is used to train the assembly precision prediction model. The elevator guide rail assembly is taken as the case study. T70/B and T90/B guide rail assembly are selected as the source and target domains, respectively. FTL was performed between the source and target domains, with different sample sets for comparison and compared with five different methods. Experimental results show that the prediction accuracy of the target domain is improved when the auxiliary sample size is 300, 400, and 500, and the accuracy improvement of the five methods are 15.37%, 12.17%, 9.68%, 6.29%, and 4.31%, respectively, which verified the effectiveness and usability of the proposed assembly precision prediction method based on GAN-FTL.
Research on loads applied on powered wheels and struts of civil aircraft at touchdown
Authors: Huang Mingyang
Published: June 2021

Pre-rotating aircraft wheels is a valid method to reduce the drag loads applied on such wheels by the ground at touchdown. The drag loads have the probability to cause landing strut binding, which has negative effects on the landing gear and requires further analysis. To analyse the probability of the binding of the landing struts, a novel friction triangle model of the landing strut is established in a two-dimensional configuration. This paper builds a 6-degree-of-freedom aircraft dynamic model, consisting of an aircraft fuselage, landing struts, nose and main wheels. On the basis of such model, a set of dynamic analysis is performed to output the forces applied on the landing struts and wheels during spin-up and spring back processes. The maximum values of such forces are studied considering different pre-rotation speeds of the wheels. Through the new models applied in this paper, three conclusions are obtained. The first is that the main landing struts have the highest probability of strut binding at the moment of the first touchdown. The second is that the wheel pre-rotation decreases the probability of landing strut binding when the aircraft initially touches the ground. The third is that the multi-body dynamic model considering the flexible deformation of landing struts outputs drag loads with more and higher-frequency vibrations than the rigid strut model.
LMI-based hybrid temporal-spatial differential control design for a class of Euler-Bernoulli beam system
Authors: Zhong Jiaqi , Chen Xiaolei , Yuan Yupeng , Tan Jiajia
Published: June 2021

This paper addresses the problem of active vibration suppression for a class of Euler-Bernoulli beam system. The objective of this paper is to design a hybrid temporal-spatial differential controller, which is involved with the in-domain and boundary actuators, such that the closed-loop system is stable. The Lyapunov’s direct method is employed to derive the sufficient condition, which not only can guarantee the stabilization of system, but also can improve the spatial cooperation of actuators. In the framework of the linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) technology, the gain matrices of hybrid controller can obtained by developing a recursive algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by applying a numerical simulation.
Effects of nozzle hole size and rail pressure on diesel spray and mixture characteristics under similar injection rate profile – experimental, computational and analytical studies under non-evaporating spray condition
Authors: Safiullah  , Nishida Keiya , Ogata Youichi , Oda Tetsuya , Ohsawa Katsuyuki
Published: June 2021

In the present work, effects of nozzle hole size and rail pressure under non-evaporating spray condition are demonstrated. Three single hole injectors with the bore size of 0.101, 0.122, and 0.133 mm are experimented with injection pressures of 140, 45, and 38 MPa respectively to achieve similar injection rate profile. Diesel spray experiments implement Diffused Backlight Illumination Technique where diffused background is obtained for the High Speed Video camera imaging. Experimental results are then validated with computational and analytical studies. The CFD simulation requires the injection rate profile and spray cone angle as a primary input; thus, based on the High Speed Video Camera start of injection frame the 5 kHz Butterworth low-pass frequency filter is applied to the injection rate raw data. While, the spray cone angle is predicted using a simple model obtained from the relationship between the injection velocity, fluctuating velocity at the nozzle exit and total pressure loss factor of the injector. The experimental spray tip penetration of all three injectors is almost identical as the similar injection rate profile is adopted. Although, the mixture characteristics are better for 0.101 mm hole diameter since the smaller hole diameter with highest injection pressure depicts larger spray angle and better atomization. The computational study agrees with experiments qualitatively; however, the quantitative and qualitative agreements are seen in the analytical study.
Radial basis function neural network–based adaptive sliding mode suspension control for maglev yaw system of wind turbines
Authors: Cui Guodong , Cai Bin , Su Baili , Chu Xiaoguang
Published: June 2021

The maglev yaw system of wind turbines adopts maglev-driving technology instead of traditional gear-driving technology. It has many advantages, such as no lubrication, simple structure, and high reliability. However, the stable suspension control of maglev yaw system is difficult to achieve due to the unknown disturbance caused by crosswind in a practical environment. In this article, an adaptive sliding mode cascade controller based on radial basis function neural network is proposed for the stable suspension control of maglev yaw system. First, the dynamic mathematical model of maglev yaw system is established. Second, an adaptive sliding mode robust controller using radial basis function neural network is designed as the outer loop air gap tracking controller for precise position control, where radial basis function neural network is employed to estimate the unknown parameter containing disturbance. To eliminate the limitation of the traditional exponential approach law based on sign function in the sliding mode control, an exponential reaching law based on hyperbolic tangent function is introduced to guarantee the smooth suspension control of maglev yaw system. Third, an adaptive controller as the inner loop current tracking controller is designed. Finally, the corresponding simulations and analysis are carried out. The simulation results show that the proposed controller can guarantee the suspension stability of maglev yaw system and suppress the disturbance effectively. Compared with the cascade proportional–integral–derivative controller and improved double power reaching law integral sliding mode controller, the proposed controller has a faster dynamic response and stronger robustness in the presence of unknown external disturbance.
A Decade of Impact of Monetary Policy on Food Inflation: An Overview and Future Direction
Authors: Kaur Simranjeet
Published: June 2021

This article presents a systematic literature review spanning the decade of 2010–2020 in a thematic fashion. It provides an in-depth analysis of how monetary policy regimes are responding to food inflation. It discusses about factors driving food inflation and the manner in which efficiency of financial markets facilitate policy transmission. Further, it explains how food insecurity is exacerbated by rise in food prices and the way high-income countries protect their farmers through input subsidies, indirectly contributing to global food price hike. It also argues that a strong monetary policy credibility can lend stationarity and mean-reversion to inflation rates. Next, it discusses the issues faced by central banks in measurement of inflation such as conflict of choice in different inflation measures and supply side constraints ranging from high farm-to-fork mark-ups to cartelization and hoarding. In subsequent section, it deals with the question whether to target headline or core inflation. After that, it presents a snapshot of various advanced and emerging countries operating their monetary policy in the presence of fiscal policy. It illustrates that the degree of fiscal intervention should be decided according to individual threshold of every country, taking into account the proportion of Ricardian and non-Ricardian population.
Comparison of glucose concentrations in canine whole blood, plasma, and serum measured with a veterinary point-of-care glucometer
Authors: Suchowersky Natalie D. , Carlson Elizabeth A. , Lee Hollie P. , Behrend Ellen N.
Published: June 2021

Previous studies have determined that, compared to whole blood, serum or plasma used in a portable blood glucometer (PBG) may provide more accurate results. We investigated the accuracy of a veterinary PBG (AlphaTRAK 2; Zoetis) for the measurement of glucose concentrations in serum, plasma, and whole blood compared to plasma glucose concentration measured by a biochemical analyzer. Blood samples from 53 client-owned dogs were collected. Lin concordance correlation coefficient (ρc) and Bland–Altman plots were used to determine correlation and agreement between the results obtained for the different sample types. Glucose concentration in whole blood measured by the veterinary PBG was more strongly correlated with the glucose concentration measured by the biochemical analyzer (ρc = 0.92) compared to plasma and serum glucose concentrations (ρc = 0.59 and 0.57, respectively). The mean differences between the glucose concentrations in whole blood, plasma, and serum measured by the veterinary PBG and the glucose concentration determined by the biochemical analyzer were 1.0, 6.3, and 6.7 mmol/L (18, 113, and 121 mg/dL), respectively. Our findings suggest that, when using this veterinary PBG, the accuracy of a glucose measurement obtained is higher when using whole blood compared to plasma or serum. Use of whole blood allows for more correct assessment and diagnosis, which are necessary for appropriate therapeutic intervention.
Acceptance and Strategic Resilience: An Application of Conservation of Resources Theory
Authors: Bardoel E. Anne , Drago Robert
Published: June 2021

The definition of individual resilience remains ambiguous. This article responds to that ambiguity by first deriving a definition of individual resilience from conservation of resources (COR) theory. Accordingly, to the extent individuals have sufficient resources and behave according to two key principles of COR theory, they will exhibit resilience in response to significant adversity. A second development builds upon the COR distinction between resources deployed in response to adversity which are resource-preserving as distinct from resource-enhancing, which generate what are here labeled acceptance resilience and strategic resilience, respectively. It is proposed that behaviors associated with acceptance resilience support relative continuity of environments, relationships, and life goals, with strategic resilience behaviors often involving changing environments, relationships, or life goals. Acceptance resilience is related to earlier COR understandings of resilience and relevant resources, while strategic resilience requires distinct or additional resources. Individuals demonstrating the two types of resilience will diverge in terms of openness to new experiences, persistence, loss aversion, and the valuation of future resources. It is further proposed that acceptance resilience is more common than strategic resilience and that organizations which find resilience valuable will tend to support acceptance resilience, in part because strategic resilience may generate turnover in response to adversity. The analysis addresses related issues, including coping, career change, burnout, as well as teams and organizations. Implications for theory, practice, and future research conclude the work.
Sedation Usage in COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Tapaskar Natalie , Colon Hidalgo Daniel , Koo Grace , Shingada Krupa , Rao Swathi , Rodriguez Raul , Alcantar Daniel , Espinoza Barrera Diana , Lee Raymond , Rameshkumar Naveen , Amine Mukarram , Rodrigues Shelden , Giron Fanny , Chaugule Akshata , Rech Megan A.
Published: June 2021

Background

Patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have been shown to have high sedation requirements.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare sedative use between patients with COVID-19 ARDS and non-COVID-19 ARDS.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of patients with COVID-19 ARDS compared with historical controls of non-COVID-19 ARDS who were admitted to 2 hospitals from March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2020, and April 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, respectively. The primary outcome was median cumulative dose of propofol (µg/kg) at 24 hours after intubation.

Results

There were 92 patients with COVID-19 ARDS and 37 patients with non-COVID-19 ARDS included. Within the first 24 hours of intubation, patients with COVID-19 ARDS required higher total median doses of propofol: 51 045 µg/kg (interquartile range, 26 150-62 365 µg/kg) versus 33 350 µg/kg (9632-51 455 µg/kg; P = 0.004). COVID-19 patients were more likely receive intravenous lorazepam (37% vs 14%; P = 0.02) and higher cumulative median doses of midazolam by days 5 (14 vs 4 mg; P = 0.04) and 7 of intubation (89 vs 4 mg; P = 0.03) to achieve the same median Richmond Analgesia-Sedation Scale scores. COVID-19 ARDS patients required more ventilator days (10 vs 6 days; P = 0.02). There was no difference in 30-day mortality.

Conclusion and Relevance

Patients with COVID-19 ARDS required higher doses of propofol and benzodiazepines than patients with non-COVID-19 ARDS to achieve the same median levels of sedation.
Oncocytic Lipoadenoma: Report of 3 Rare Cases Involving the Parotid Gland, Including a Synchronous Presentation With Paraganglioma of the Right Carotid Bifurcation and Literature Review
Authors: Cunha John L.S. , Peñalonzo Marco A. , Soares Ciro D. , Andrade Bruno A.B. de , Romañach Mário J. , Almeida Oslei Paes de , Carlos Roman
Published: June 2021

Oncocytic lipoadenoma (OL) is a rare salivary gland tumor characterized by the presence of oncocytic cells and mature adipose tissue. To date, only 30 cases of OL have been reported in the English-language literature. We present 3 additional OL cases involving the parotid, including a synchronous presentation with paraganglioma of the right carotid bifurcation. Microscopically, both the OLs were composed of a mixed population of oncocytes and adipocytes in varying proportions surrounded by a thin, connective tissue fibrous capsule. Oncocytes were positive for pan-cytokeratins (CKs) AE1/AE3, epithelial membrane antigen, CK5, CK7, CK14, CK18, and CK19. Calponin, p63, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and carcinoembryonic antigen were negative. Vimentin and S-100 protein were positive only in adipose cells. Despite distinctive morphologic features, OL is often misdiagnosed, given its rarity. We hope to contribute to surgeons’ and pathologists’ awareness and knowledge regarding the existence of this tumor and provide adequate management through conservative surgical excision.
Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Violence Experienced by Female Sex Workers in Iran: Results from a National HIV Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Survey
Authors: Hosseini-Hooshyar Samira , Mirzazadeh Ali , Karamouzian Mohammad , Sharifi Hamid , Khajehkazemi Razieh , Haghdoost Ali-Akbar , Shokoohi Mostafa
Published: June 2021

Sexual violence increases the risk of adverse health outcomes among female sex workers (FSWs). Using data from the 2015 national bio-behavioral survey, we explored the experience of sexual violence and its associated factors among Iranian FSWs. Lifetime and recent sexual violence were reported by 40.1% and 16.9%, respectively. History of substance use, ever engaging in anal sex, engaging in group sex within the last year, a high number of clients, recent unstable housing, and incarceration increased the likelihood of experiencing recent sexual violence. These findings underscore the need for community-empowerment and policy-level interventions to address violence among FSWs in Iran.
Exploring Help Seeking Patterns for Emerging Adult Victims Using the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
Authors: Addington Lynn A.
Published: June 2021

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period and a particularly important one for studying responses to interpersonal victimization as they can shape future coping patterns. This study focuses on non-college-attending emerging adults to explore their use of help seeking and satisfaction with resources. Comparisons are made with their college-attending counterparts. The findings highlight (a) the importance of friends across gender and education levels as a common resource and one perceived as helpful and (b) the large proportion of victims of interpersonal violence who do not seek any help. These results are discussed in connection with future research and policy implications.
Effectiveness of ultrasonography for peripheral catheter insertion and catheter failure prevention in visible and palpable veins
Authors: Abe-Doi Mari , Murayama Ryoko , Komiyama Chieko , Tateishi Ryosuke , Sanada Hiromi
Published: June 2021

Background:

The increase in the success rate of peripheral intravenous catheterization against a difficult intravenous access (DIVA) using ultrasonography is reported; however, reports related to the effectiveness of using ultrasonography in increasing the success rate for visible and palpable veins is limited. Furthermore, according to a previous study, first attempt success in catheterization contributes to low catheter failure incidence. Thus, we developed a catheterization method using ultrasonography for peripheral veins including visible and palpable veins. This study investigates the effectiveness of ultrasonography use in improving the success rate of catheterization and preventing the catheter failure for peripheral veins including visible and palpable veins.

Methods:

Adult inpatients were recruited. Trained nurses inserted intravenous catheters using ultrasonography. Ultrasonography was used for all vein assessment, target vein selection, and puncturing (i.e. target point selection and/or needle guidance), regardless of the target vein’s visibility or palpability. Catheters with over a 24-h dwelling time were followed for catheter failure incidence.

Results:

Thirty-one patients were recruited, and they required 34 catheterizations. Total number of catheterization attempts were 39. Of the peripheral veins, 51.3% (20/39) were visible and palpable, 48.7% (19/39) were DIVA. The rate of successful intravenous cannulation was 29 of 34 (85.3%) after one attempt and 4 of 34 (total 97.0%) after two attempts. The catheterization failure incidence was 3.2% (1/31) in the catheter that had an over 24-h dwelling time.

Conclusions:

Using ultrasonography to all target veins might have contributed to higher success rates of catheterization and extremely low incidence of catheter failure based on objective findings. Selecting the vein with larger diameters and healthy tissue as puncture point and showing center of vessel lumen clearly using ultrasonography might have been contributed the results.
Bioinformatics Analysis Unveils Certain Mutations Implicated in Spike Structure Damage and Ligand-Binding Site of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
Authors: Aktas Emre
Published: June 2021

There are certain mutations related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In addition to these known mutations, other new mutations have been found across regions in this study. Based on the results, in which 4,326 SARS-CoV-2 whole sequences were used, some mutations are found to be peculiar with certain regions, while some other mutations are found in all regions. In Asia, mutations (3 different mutations in QLA46612 isolated from South Korea) were found in the same sequence. Although huge number of mutations are detected (more than 70 in Asia) by regions, according to bioinformatics tools, some of them which are G75V (isolated from North America), T95I (isolated from South Korea), G143V (isolated from North America), M177I (isolated from Asia), L293M (isolated from Asia), P295H (isolated from Asia), T393P (isolated from Europe), P507S (isolated from Asia), and D614G (isolated from all regions) (These color used only make correct) predicted a damage to spike’ protein structure. Furthermore, this study also aimed to reveal how binding sites of ligands change if the spike protein structure is damaged, and whether more than one mutation affects ligand binding. Mutations that were predicted to damage the structure did not affect the ligand-binding sites, whereas ligands’ binding sites were affected in those with multiple mutations. It is thought that this study will give a different perspective to both the vaccine SARS-CoV studies and the change in the structure of the spike protein belonging to this virus against mutations.
Experimental research on the wall-wetting effects on the frictional property of the cylinder liner–piston ring pair
Authors: Xu Bo , Yin Bifeng , Jia Hekun , Wei Mingliang , Shi Kunpeng
Published: June 2021

The application of novel injection strategies (high-pressure injection, early injection, retarded injection, etc.) in combustion engines has made the wall-wetting problem severer. As the splashed fuel dilutes the lubricating oil, the tribological performance of the cylinder liner–piston ring pair will be affected. In this research, the viscosity and wettability tests were conducted firstly by mixing diesel into lubrication oil. It was found that the dynamic viscosity of the mixture drops with more fuel diluting the oil, and a small quantity of diesel mixed will cause a remarkable decline in lubricant viscosity; also, the contact angle shows a downward trend with the increasing diluting ratio. Then based on several typical diluting ratios, the reciprocating friction tests were carried out to measure the instantaneous friction force of the production ring/liner pair. The experimental results showed that under a mixed lubrication state, the peak friction force of the ring/liner pair occurs around the dead centers, while the minimum force occurs at the middle position of the reciprocating stroke; with more fuel diluting the oil, the bearing capacity of oil film degrades, resulting in the increase of friction force. In addition, the average friction coefficient of the ring/liner pair shows an upward trend with the increasing diluting ratio, and the Stribeck curve moves toward the upper-left, which means the lubrication condition of this pair tends to transit from mixed lubrication to boundary lubrication, causing negative effects on the frictional property of the cylinder liner–piston ring pair. Therefore, the diluting ratio should be controlled under 20%.
Class Incorporated: Stratified Patterns of Academic Engagement at a Highly Selective University
Authors: Thiele Megan , Leisenring Amy
Published: June 2021

This research examines the influence of social class stratification on students’ self-reported academic engagement. Drawing from 44 interviews with students from the three major class groups at an elite university, we show how social class patterns academic engagement. We analyze academic engagement along the following four domains: strategies for academic achievement, beliefs in personal ability, connections to academics, and the alignments between academic activities and career plans (Wang and Castenada-Sound, 2008). Counterintuitively, compared to both upper class and students from the lower class, middle-class students reported the lowest levels of academic engagement. We discuss possible explanations for these non-linear findings. We conclude by recommending that our traditional conceptions of academic engagement need to take social class into account, and further, that policy makers consider scaffolding for all non-upper class students within elite spaces.
A strength and deformation model for prestressed lightweight concrete slabs under two-way shear
Authors: Deifalla A
Published: June 2021

Prestressed concrete slabs (PCS) are one of the top choices in many applications, which is due to their significantly improved performance compared to conventional normal-weight concrete slabs (NCS). However, very limited models exist for the two-way shear behavior of PCS, in particular, lightweight ones (PLCS). In this study, a two-way shear mechanical behavior model is developed for PCS, that accounts for all effective parameters and capable of predicting both strength and deformation. An experimental database of PCS was compiled from the literature with emphasis on lightweight concrete. A mechanical model developed by the author for lightweight concrete slabs (LCS) was adapted and modified in order to include the effect of prestressing in terms of the following components: (1) the membrane compression stress; (2) the prestressing eccentricity; and (3) the prestressing vertical component. The extended model was used to predict the behavior of PLCS and prestressed normal-weight concrete slabs (PNCS), which was compared to that using selected design codes and models. The model predicted the rotation accurately and consistently compared to the experimentally measured rotation. The strength predicted using the proposed model was better than existing ones concerning experimentally measured strength, yet it was found to be reasonably safe. However, conclusions are limited to the experimental database.
“Pay for your choices”: Deconstructing neoliberal choice through free-to-play mobile interactive fiction games
Authors: Kim Do Own (Donna)
Published: June 2021

This article studied the neoliberal ideas of choice and agency manifested in the structures of two interactive fiction or “choose-your-own-adventure” games, Choices: Stories you Play and Episode—Choose Your Story, and their free-to-play profit system to explore the hegemonic operation of neoliberalism and participatory resistances to it. Neoliberal choice was approached as a strategy that operates by encouraging an actualization of one’s best self yet inscribing what it should entail. Despite the rhetoric of agency and fictitious simulation, the “best” choices and endings in the games were visible and accessible only with cultural, economic, and temporal capitals. “Right” choices required legitimate taste which needs savviness in dominant readings or time investment, and the “right est” choices required monetary investment. However, players’ subversive choices such as intentionally choosing “(not) rightly” to pursue negotiated readings and collective participation hinted at the potential of tactical practices in creating new strategies.
Advocacy journalism in the 21st century: Rethinking entertainment in digital Black press outlets
Authors: Williams Fayne Miya
Published: June 2021

The Black press is often conceptualized as an advocacy press, but in the current digital environment, in which there are numerous entertainment-focused outlets, what exactly constitutes advocacy is fraught. Perceptions of advocacy, which have previously been associated with hard news content, are broadening to accommodate the entertainment content on Black news websites. Informed by interviews with journalists and focus groups with readers, this research finds that there are two different categorizations of advocacy journalism – hard advocacy and soft advocacy. Some editors and consumers believe the Black press should contain hard advocacy content, such as political activism coverage, while others perceive entertainment in the Black press, which provides positive coverage of African Americans and additional representation of Black life, as soft advocacy. Expanding advocacy conceptions provides further nuance and insight into how the Black press functions in the new media age.
Book review: Conway, G., Badiane, O. and Glatzel, K. 2019: Food for All in Africa: Sustainable Intensification for African Farmers
Authors: Sage Nick
Published: June 2021

Conway, G., Badiane, O. and Glatzel, K. 2019: Food for All in Africa: Sustainable Intensification for African Farmers. New York: Cornell University Press. 322 pp. £19.99 paperback. ISBN: 978-1501743887 (paperback).
Book review: Chopra, D. and Sweetman, C., editors, 2018: Gender, Development and Care
Authors: Mntambo Betty
Published: June 2021

Chopra, D. and Sweetman, C., editors, 2018: Gender, Development and Care. Rugby: Practical Action Publishing Ltd. viii + 156 pp. £47.95 hardback, £18.95 paperback. ISBN: 978-178853-008-8 (hardback), 978-78853-009-5 (paperback).
The Return of Pink Bollworm in India’s Bt Cotton Fields: Livelihood Vulnerabilities of Farming Households in Karimnagar District
Authors: Najork Katharina , Gadela Susheel , Nadiminti Padmarao , Gosikonda Sreeramulu , Reddy Raghava , Haribabu Ejnavarzala , Keck Markus
Published: June 2021

Since its introduction in India, Bt ( Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton technology has been the object of controversial scholarly and non-academic debate. The recent return of pink bollworm ( Pectinophora gossypiella) pests in several Indian states has provided cause for concern about widespread resistances in Lepidopteran pests towards the endotoxins produced in Indian Bt cotton plants as well as about severe setbacks in regard to cotton farmers’ livelihood security. This study is the first to provide empirical evidence on the socio-economic consequences of recent bollworm attacks in India based on an exploratory study conducted in Karimnagar district, Telangana, India. It analyses the changed vulnerabilities that smallholders currently face and identifies the reasons why some peasant farmers can only deal with the consequences of this technological failure to a limited extent.
Are Emotions Natural Kinds After All? Rethinking the Issue of Response Coherence
Authors: Sznycer Daniel , Cohen Adam Scott
Published: June 2021

The synchronized co-activation of multiple responses—motivational, behavioral, and physiological—has been taken as a defining feature of emotion. Such response coherence has been observed inconsistently however, and this has led some to view emotion programs as lacking biological reality. Yet, response coherence is not always expected or desirable if an emotion program is to carry out its adaptive function. Rather, the hallmark of emotion is the capacity to orchestrate multiple mechanisms adaptively—responses will co-activate in stereotypical fashion or not depending on how the emotion orchestrator interacts with the situation. Nevertheless, might responses cohere in the general case where input variables are specified minimally? Here we focus on shame as a case study. We measure participants’ responses regarding each of 27 socially devalued actions and personal characteristics. We observe internal and external coherence: The intensities of felt shame and of various motivations of shame (hiding, lying, destroying evidence, and threatening witnesses) vary in proportion ( i) to one another, and ( ii) to the degree to which audiences devalue the disgraced individual—the threat shame defends against. These responses cohere both within and between the United States and India. Further, alternative explanations involving the low-level variable of arousal do not seem to account for these results, suggesting that coherence is imparted by a shame system. These findings indicate that coherence can be observed at multiple levels and raise the possibility that emotion programs orchestrate responses, even in those situations where coherence is low.