bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macromarketing and the Systems Imperative
Authors: Wooliscroft Ben
Published: December 2020

Macromarketing is definitionally concerned with systems — marketing, markets and society — and their interactions. This paper lays out a case for systems research in macromarketing, the use of methods designed to study systems. In doing so, it highlights the limitations of much micromarketing research. Macromarketing and the Journal of Macromarketing is the home of systems research in marketing. Macromarketing scholars need to increase our use of systems research methodologies. We also need to connect macromarketing to wider, particularly business, systems research. Following the calls by this Journal’s first editor George Fisk, systems research must not live in our discipline and journal alone, all social sciences need the insights of systems research and systems research needs the insights of macromarketing.
Whole-genome sequencing analysis of Y chromosome microdeletion: a case report
Authors: Gao Zhixiang , Yuan Feng , Li Qiaoqiao , Xia Renlan , Fu Kai , Xue Boxin , Liu Xiaolong
Published: December 2020

The mechanisms by which Y chromosome microdeletions cause infertility have been well described; however, the therapeutic targets remain a challenge. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing to explore the mechanism of Y chromosome deletion and potential therapeutic targets in a patient with infertility. There were no abnormalities in the patient’s medical history. Routine semen analysis showed immotile sperm and only two motile spermatozoa were occasionally see after centrifugation, indicating that the direct cause of infertility was an abnormal sperm count and motility. A Y chromosome microdeletion test revealed partial deletion of the AZFc region, including AZFc1, AZFc2, AZFc3, and AZFc4. Whole-genome sequencing showed that the patient had seven harmful mutations, with only one significant epigenetic mutation, SH3KBP1. Gene Ontology analysis of these meaningful mutations indicated involvement of cAMP signaling pathways. The patient’s wife became pregnant following in vitro fertilization, and no significant abnormalities were found during prenatal examination. This case suggests that Y chromosome microdeletion and gene mutation may affect the cAMP signaling pathway, leading to reduced sperm quality and male infertility.
Efficacy of different interventions for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: a Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors: Wen Bei , Wang Yajie , Zhang Cong , Xu Weicheng , Fu Zhijian
Published: December 2020

Objective

We aimed to perform a network meta-analysis that combined both direct and indirect evidence to compare the relative efficacy of interventional therapies to treat patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and to determine the treatments’ superiority and validity.

Method

A conventional paired meta-analysis was performed. This was followed by a network meta-analysis using the Bayesian framework.

Results

Botulinum toxin type A and pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) were the two most effective individual interventions. For combination therapy, PRF + nerve block (NB) was the best choice, followed by subcutaneous injection or local infiltration (SC) + NB + ozone (O3). However, the combination of PRF + NB + SC showed reduced the efficacy compared with each treatment and was highly invasive for patients. After a long-term follow-up, PRF was shown to be the most effective therapy for treating patients with PHN.

Conclusions

Regular anti-neuropathic drug administration that was accompanied by interventional therapies at an early stage is the best choice to treat patients with PHN. Appropriate combinations of different interventions show improved pain relief. Clinicians should manage therapeutic regimens on the basis of the patients specific condition and existing measures and strive to achieve personalized treatment.
Mobility-as-a-Service and Demand-Responsive Transport: Practical Implementation in Traditional Forecasting Models
Authors: Camargo Pedro , Pammenter Erin , Inayathusein Aliasgar
Published: December 2020

The increasing effect of Transport Network Companies (TNCs) in major US cities, allied to the expectation that connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) will become the prevailing type of automobile on the streets in the coming decades, requires such a trend to be reflected in our forecasting models. Yet, most of the efforts undertaken in the United States and elsewhere are largely focused on understanding the demand for such types of transportation and have left aside the analysis of crucial differences in envisaged systems, such as pooled versus single-occupancy vehicles, use of CAVs as access modes to mass transit, and the cost corresponding to different levels of service in citywide systems. In this paper we introduce a new algorithm for modeling pooled CAVs and a framework for integrating this into traditional forecasting models. We also present the preliminary results of an application of the proposed methodology to the metropolitan region of Vancouver, British Columbia. The results are promising, although a few implementation choices made for this study have resulted in poor computational performance.
Impact of Built Environment on Mode Choice to Major Destinations in Dhaka
Authors: Nakshi Paromita , Debnath Anindya Kishore
Published: December 2020

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in investigating the impacts of built environment on mode choice decisions. There is a consensus that built environment factors influence travel behavior, although this influence is far from being homogenous. Compared with the North American and some European countries, there has been comparatively limited research in this field in the context of the Global South, especially South Asia. In this context, this paper aims to explore the extent to which built environment influences mode choice behavior to major destinations in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. “Major destinations” refers to the statistically significant trip-attracting clusters in the city. Dhaka is a city with heterogeneous motorized and non-motorized modes. Investigating mode choice decisions, in such a setting, is vital for the planners and policymakers to realize the goals of sustainable development with measured insights. A multinomial logit model was used to estimate the effects of built environment factors on mode choice to work and non-work trips in Dhaka. The study results showed that inclusion of built environment variables had significantly improved the models. Several built environment variables, including dissimilarity index, distance to the nearest bus stop, road density, and so forth, were found to be strong predictors of mode choice, and their elasticities were higher than the elasticities of several personal and household characteristics. Down that line, the findings provided support in favor of considering land use policies intended to increase accessibility, mixed land use, density, and so forth.
Mental Health Risks after Repeated Exposure to Multiple Stressful Events during Ongoing Social Unrest and Pandemic in Hong Kong: The Role of Rumination: Risques pour la santé mentale après une exposition répétée à de multiples événements stressants d’agitation sociale durable et de pandémie à Hong Kong: le rôle de la rumination
Authors: Wong Stephanie M. Y. , Hui Christy L. M. , Wong Corine S. M. , Suen Y. N. , Chan Sherry K. W. , Lee Edwin H. M. , Chang W. C. , Chen Eric Y. H.
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

The co-occurrence of different classes of population-level stressors, such as social unrest and public health crises, is common in contemporary societies. Yet, few studies explored their combined mental health impact. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of repeated exposure to social unrest-related traumatic events (TEs), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related events (PEs), and stressful life events (SLEs) on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms, and the potential mediating role of event-based rumination (rumination of TEs-related anger, injustice, guilt, and insecurity) between TEs and PTSD symptoms.

Methods:

Community members in Hong Kong who had utilized a screening tool for PTSD and depressive symptoms were invited to complete a survey on exposure to stressful events and event-based rumination.

Results:

A total of 10,110 individuals completed the survey. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that rumination, TEs, and SLEs were among the significant predictors for PTSD symptoms (all P < 0.001), accounting for 32% of the variance. For depression, rumination, SLEs, and PEs were among the significant predictors (all P < 0.001), explaining 24.9% of the variance. Two-way analysis of variance of different recent and prior TEs showed significant dose-effect relationships. The effect of recent TEs on PTSD symptoms was potentiated by prior TEs ( P = 0.005). COVID-19 PEs and prior TEs additively contributed to PTSD symptoms, with no significant interaction ( P = 0.94). Meanwhile, recent TEs were also potentiated by SLEs ( P = 0.002). The effects of TEs on PTSD symptoms were mediated by rumination (β = 0.38, standard error = 0.01, 95% confidence interval: 0.36 to 0.41), with 40.4% of the total effect explained. All 4 rumination subtypes were significant mediators.

Conclusions:

Prior and ongoing TEs, PEs, and SLEs cumulatively exacerbated PTSD and depressive symptoms. The role of event-based rumination and their interventions should be prioritized for future research.
Trust in Multi-Level Managers and Employee Extra-Role Behavior in the US Federal Government: The Role of Psychological Well-Being and Workload
Authors: Nguyen Nhung Thi Hong , Tuan Luu Trong
Published: December 2020

Extant research on trust in public administration focuses on trust in a specific level of management, ignoring the connection of trust in different management levels and their effects on employees. Building on the trickle-down and trickle-up models, this study proposes that employee trust in senior leaders fosters their trust in direct supervisors and vice versa. Also, drawing on the job demands-resources model, we argue that trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors indirectly affects extra-role behavior through psychological well-being, and that workload moderates the above effects. Moreover, as leaders and supervisors play complementary roles, we predict that trust in senior leaders and trust in direct supervisors positively interact to enhance psychological well-being. Using the latent moderated structural model with data from the 2019 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, we find empirical support for our hypotheses. This study broadens scholarly knowledge about the connection of trust in multi-level managers and their effects on employees’ attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.
Re-evaluation of neurobehavioural toxicity of clothianidin using statistical methods for ordered alternatives assuming dose-response effect
Authors: Tanaka Toyohito
Published: December 2020

Neurobehavioural toxicity of clothianidin in previous studies was re-evaluated using statistical methods for ordered alternatives assuming a dose-response effect. In a maternal exposure study, clothianidin was added into the diet to provide levels of 0% (control), 0.002%, 0.006% and 0.018% during the gestation and lactation periods in mice. In exploratory behaviour of male offspring in the F1 generation, average speed increased significantly in a dose-related manner in the Jonckheere test. Total distance lengthened in the high-dose group and average speed increased in the high-dose group in the Shirley–Williams test. In a two-generation toxicity study, clothianidin was added in the diet to provide levels of 0% (control), 0.003%, 0.006% and 0.012% from 5 weeks of age of the F0 generation to 11 weeks of age of the F1 generation in mice. The exploratory behaviour of adult males in the F0 generation, the average time of movement, and the number of rearing and rearing time increased significantly in a dose-related manner in the Jonckheere test. The average speed increased in the middle- and high-dose groups, number of rearing increased in the high-dose group and rearing time lengthened in middle- and high-dose groups in the Shirley–Williams test. These results suggest that the use of the appropriate statistical methods adjusted to the objectives of the study and the characteristics of the data could provide more definite conclusions.
Memory Aids as a Disability-Related Accommodation? Let’s Remember to Recommend Them Appropriately
Authors: Harrison Allyson G. , Holmes Alana , Pollock Bethany
Published: December 2020

Memory aids are now frequently provided to elementary and secondary school students to increase their success in achieving provincial curriculum standards. While such an accommodation may meet the immediate goal of improved academic performance it may not be warranted based on an actual long-term memory retrieval impairment and may therefore be inequitable, providing an unfair academic advantage relative to non-disabled students. Furthermore, providing memory aid accommodations inappropriately may rob students of the opportunity to learn effective study and retrieval strategies, leading instead to dependence on an accommodation that may not be continued once they enter post-secondary education. An appropriate accommodation at the post-secondary level of education removes a disability-related barrier (functional impairment) and assists only those facing such barriers; under human rights legislation, accommodations are not implemented to guarantee success, reduce anxiety, or provide unequal access to material. Memory aids improve the retrieval of information from long-term storage for everyone. As such, the current widespread provision of this accommodation prior to post-secondary studies must be evaluated critically, with such supports offered only when justified. A six-step process for determining when memory aids are an appropriate accommodation within the post-secondary setting is provided and discussed.
Sexual Violence and Its Associated Psychosocial Effects in Ireland
Authors: Vallières Frédérique , Gilmore Brynne , Nolan Ann , Maguire Peggy , Bondjers Kristina , McBride Orla , Murphy Jamie , Shevlin Mark , Karatzias Thanos , Hyland Philip
Published: December 2020

Current data on the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of sexual violence in the Republic of Ireland is lacking, with the most recent sexual abuse and violence survey dating back to 2001. The current study sought to identify what proportion of Irish adults have experienced sexual violence, if there are sex differences in exposure to different forms of sexual violence, and to what extent different forms of sexual violence are associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes. To achieve these objectives, we carried out a nationally representative sample of Irish adults ( N = 1,020) completed self-report measures of history of sexual violence and mental health. Results suggest that approximately one-in-three (34.4%) Irish adults experienced some form of sexual violence, including 14.8% who were sexually assaulted (raped) and 31.1% who were sexually harassed. Women were significantly more likely than men to have experienced all forms of sexual violence ( ps < .001), with the exception of sexual assault by a parent or guardian. All forms of sexual violence were associated with an increased likelihood of serious mental health problems, with sexual assault by a parent/guardian associated with several other psychosocial outcomes in life, including education achievement, history of being taken into state care, salary, and employment status. Sexual violence is a common experience in the general population and women are disproportionately affected (1-in-2 women versus 1-in-5 men). Additional resources to increase mental health care among survivors of sexual violence is urgently needed. How our findings compare to Ireland’s previous sexual abuse and violence survey and the implications of our findings for policy are discussed.
From Necropraxis to Necroresistance: Transgender Experiences in Latin America
Authors: Rodríguez Madera Sheilla L.
Published: December 2020

Latin America is one of the deadliest regions for trans communities. Scientific research generated in the region has reported that trans people live through a complicated panorama shaped by multiple forms of oppression, extreme violence, and micro-aggressions. Although necropolitics, as a theoretical approach, has been useful to understand how State policies negatively affect trans individuals, it does not fully account for informal dynamics within groups and among individuals that are potentially lethal for this population in Latin America. To account for this gap, the author proposes two novel concepts: necropraxis (a pattern that manifest itself in everyday social interactions, through which gradual small doses of death are delivered to eliminate, symbolically and/or literally, trans people); and necroresistance (the ways in which trans people defy the threats imposed by necropraxis through “ordinary” acts manifested in their everyday life). The main objective of this article is to put forth definitions for these two concepts and identify how they apply in the context of trans communities in three countries of the region: Guatemala, Argentina, and Chile. To achieve the latter, the author relies on her ethnographic work in these contexts. Data were gathered through parcipant observation, in-depth interviews with trans persons ( N = 11) and informal conversations with individuals during the site visits. A deductive qualitative analysis was conducted. Results evidence how the manifestation of necropraxis and necroresistance were highly influenced by the historical, political, economic and sociocultural context of each country. This study provides valuable information to help both policymakers and other stakeholders understand the problem’s magnitude in the region and the ways necropraxis is experienced in everyday relations between trans individuals and others. Similarly, through the understanding of what constitutes necroresistance and its value, the proposed framework could help them outline prevention and management strategies to strengthen trans communities in different countries.
Process- and material-induced heterogeneities in recycled thermoplastic composites
Authors: Vincent Guillaume A , de Bruijn Thomas A , Wijskamp Sebastiaan , van Drongelen Martin , Akkerman Remko
Published: December 2020

A novel recycling solution for thermoplastic composites (TPCs) was recently implemented. The processing steps comprise shredding of TPC offcuts to flakes of a few centimetres, melting and blending of the flakes in a low-shear mixer, extrusion of a molten mixed dough and subsequent compression moulding in a press. This material and process are similar to the compression moulding of long-fibre thermoplastics (LFTs) that have been in the market for decades, such as glass mat thermoplastics (GMT) or direct-LFT. However, the input material in this recycling route consists of multi-layered woven flakes, which is very different from the pellets or chopped rovings of other LFTs. Process- and material-induced heterogeneities such as fibre orientation, percolation, variation of fibre fraction, or fibre attrition may be different for this new material. The development of this recycling technology and future industrial applications require more confidence in the material and process. The objective of this study is to characterise these heterogeneities for this recycling solution, and compare them to those generated in regular LFTs. It was found that the process- and material-induced heterogeneities of the recycled TPCs are similar to other LFTs, for the aspects listed here: fibre orientation, percolation, variation of fibre fraction and fibre attrition. In comparison to GMT, the effect of the mixing step is particularly noticeable on the local variation of fibre fraction within the panels. Industrial applications of this recycling route will benefit from this similarity, as it improves the confidence in the material and process combination.
Managing Multiple Myeloma in the Face of Drug-Induced Adverse Drug Reaction
Authors: Dougherty John A. , Elder Christopher T.
Published: December 2020

Drug-induced liver injury has been reported to cause up to 10% of adverse drug reactions in the United States. Risk factors for druginduced liver injury include female gender, older age, interacting medications and drugs that are metabolized by the liver. This case report describes a patient who was newly initiated on tizanidine, an alpha2 adrenergic agonist used for muscle spasm and musculoskeletal pain, and bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor used for multiple myeloma. Both medications are metabolized by cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 1A2. The medications were suspected of causing acute hepatitis based on the timing of their initiation and evidence to suggest that they can cause acute hepatitis. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction scale was scored as possible. In addition, the drugs’ blood levels may have been increased by acyclovir and hydralazine, both inhibitors of cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 1A2. A dilemma for the team was how to best manage bortezomib. It is part of first line treatment for multiple myeloma when combined with lenalidomide and dexamethasone. Other proteasome inhibitors are available for multiple myeloma treatment. When starting chemotherapy, it is important to be aware of medications that cause a rise in liver enzymes, potential drug interactions, and how best to manage the clinical consequences.
Cost Avoidance Analysis of Medication Conversions on the Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in a Medication Therapy Management Call Center: A Budgetary Perspective
Authors: Lai Leanne , Alvarez Goar , Aleu Aisy , Apping Caitlan
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

The burden of prescription drug prices affects patients and health system, creating a need for pharmacists to use their medication expertise to recommend the most cost-effective treatment for patients.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to analyze the cost avoidance for medication conversions related to GERD from an integrated medication therapy management call center.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental study was conducted at a call center during a 12-month intervention. Adult patients aged ≥18 years who received highercost PPIs were included. The pharmacists provided MTM services to patients telephonically to review all aspects of the patients’ medication regimen as well as conversion recommendation to lower-cost PPIs. The cost avoidance analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted.

RESULTS

Of 40 eligible patients, 9 patients accepted the medication conversion, resulting in a 22.5% acceptance rate. The total cost avoidance from medication conversions was $19,937.1 per year, which equated to $2,215.2 per patient. The adjusted cost avoidance of medication conversion was estimated by assuming the patients who accepted the conversion continued taking the medication for 365 days and resulted in a total savings of $40,370.7 per year, which equated to $4,485.6 per patient. There were no significant association between the acceptance of medication conversions and patient’s age(P = 0.15), gender(P = 0.73), and insurance status(P = 0.96).

CONCLUSION

The study results showed that the call-center MTM with medicationconversion interventions successfully demonstrated an economically advantageous impact from a budgetary perspective. Further studies should explore methods to increase acceptance of MTM services and promote awareness of the profound effect on public health and well-being.
Adaptive funnel fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode control for robotic manipulators with dynamic uncertainties
Authors: Wang Huaizhen , Fang Lijin , Hu Menghui , Song Tangzhong , Xu Jiqian
Published: December 2020

In this paper, a novel adaptive funnel fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode control for robotic manipulators with dynamic uncertainties is proposed. A modified funnel variable is utilized to transform the tracking error fall within funnel boundary, which improves the transient and steady-state tracking performance of robotic manipulators. Based on the transformed error, a novel funnel fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode surface is developed and a sliding mode control law is designed to stabilize the closed-loop system and achieve high tracking precision. An adaptive update law combined with the sliding mode surface is designed to deal with uncertainties and external disturbances where their upper bounds are unknown in practical cases. The stability and finite time convergence of the closed-loop system are proved by Lyapunov stability theorem. Simulation results and discussions are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and high-precision tracking control for robotic manipulators.
Reconstructing method for cam profile of dobby modulator using the particle swarm optimization
Authors: Yin Honghuan , Xiao Zhitao , Yu Hongbin , Shao Hongyu
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to address the non-central symmetry cam profile problem of rotary dobby modulator. Four types of classical curves are used as the motion characteristics of the heald frame, and then the non-central symmetry cam profile of each curve is obtained. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize and reconstruct these cam profiles. At the same time, the motion characteristics of the heald frame are obtained and compared according to the reconstructed cam profiles. The results demonstrate that the particle swarm optimization algorithm is useful for establishing the cam profile reconstruction method of the rotary dobby modulator. The optimal reconstruction of the non-central symmetry cam profile is successfully performed, and the degree of the central symmetry is increased by 99.74%, 99.56%, 99.65% and 99.82%, for the four classical curves. The modified mathematical functions of the heald frame motion characteristics are obtained.
Institutional logics of service provision: The national and urban governance of activation policies in three European countries
Authors: Fuertes Vanesa , McQuaid Ronald William , Heidenreich Martin
Published: December 2020

Labour market activation policies aimed at those with multiple barriers to employment require inter-agency collaboration between local organizations providing social and employment services. This local collaborative context is shaped by different institutional logics (state, markets, professions and community) that are crucial for policy implementation. Using case studies of nine German, UK and Swedish cities, it is argued that different institutional logics help shape the form and operation of local collaboration between different agencies and actors and thus the concrete support for service users at the local level. Although all three countries are characterized by centralized employment policies, each city shows a prevalence, but not exclusivity, of certain institutional logics over others. These differences, partly reflecting the local context, are likely to lead to local variations in understandings of solidarity, policy implementation, inter-agency collaboration and networks of actors and national–local tensions. The paper suggests that an institutional logics approach provides a useful framework for helping to understand local variations and potential national–local policy conflicts.
Adaptive predictive control of a novel shape memory alloy rod actuator
Authors: Hoseini S Farzaneh , MirMohammadSadeghi S Ali , Fathi Alireza , Daniali Hamidreza Mohammadi
Published: December 2020

Shape memory alloys are among the highly applicable smart materials that have recently appealed to scientists from various fields of study. In this article, a novel shape memory alloy actuator, in the form of a rod, is introduced, and an adaptive model predictive control system is designed for position control of the developed actuator. The need for such an advanced control system emanates from the fact that modeling and controlling of shape memory alloy actuators are thwarted by their hysteresis nonlinearity, dilatory response, and high dependence on environmental conditions. Real-time identification and dynamic parameter estimation of the model are addressed according to orthogonal Laguerre functions and recursive least square algorithm. In the end, the designed control system is implemented on the experimental setup of the fabricated shape memory alloy actuator. It is observed that the designed control system successfully tracks the variable step and sinusoidal control references with startling accuracy of ±1 μm.
Effects of psoralen on hepatic bile acid transporters in rats
Authors: Huang Juyang , Wang Qin , Chen Mengying , Bi Yanan , Shi Hong , Zhou Kun
Published: December 2020

Fructus Psoraleae (FP), widely used in traditional medicine, is increasingly reported to cause serious hepatotoxicity in recent years. However, the main toxic constituents responsible for hepatotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, psoralen, a main and quality-control constituent of FP, was intragastrically administered to Sprague-Dawley rats at a dose of 60 mg/kg for 1, 3 and 7 days. Blood and selected tissue samples were collected and analyzed for biochemistry and histopathology to evaluate hepatotoxicity. The results showed that psoralen could induce hepatotoxicity by enhanced liver-to-body weight ratio and alterations of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total cholesterol after administration for 3 days. In addition, histopathological examinations also indicated the hepatotoxicity induced by psoralen. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of hepatic bile acid transporters were significantly changed, in which MRP4, ABCG5 and ABCG8 were repressed, while the protein level of NTCP tended to increase in the rat liver. Taken together, psoralen caused liver injury possibly through affecting bile acid transporters, leading to the disorder of bile acid transport and accumulation in hepatocytes.
Industrial-scale continuous on-line analysis of liquid hog manure by NIRS
Authors: Williams Phil , Eising Erik , Malley Diane F
Published: December 2020

The objective of the work was to use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to identify the pattern of distribution of the manure nutrients onto a field. The paper describes what is believed to be the first application of NIRS to continuous analysis of liquid manure on an industrial scale. The on-line analysis is accomplished without the need for a sample cell to scan the sample, or the need for sampling during manure application to the land, because the entire amount of the material is analyzed. Diode array instruments were used for continuous scanning of the manure as it was being applied. Because of differences among the instruments in spectral data, four instruments were set up in line for the development of the industrial-level calibration. Spectral data were recorded as direct reflectance over the range of 11,100 cm−1 to 5,900 cm−1. Calibrations for total solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were developed using the Unscrambler, with a data pre-treatment of first derivative. No outliers were removed. Values of the RPD (ratio of SD of reference data to SEP) of between 3.1 and 4 were attained for all constituents. Interpolation of blind duplicates revealed that reproducibility of NIRS predictions for all constituents was significantly superior to that of laboratory analysis by certified laboratories. This was attributed to the enormous differences in the volume of manure scanned by the NIRS instruments, relative to the volumes used in laboratory analysis. Continuous scanning and analysis of liquid manures enable mapping of nutrients as they are being applied to the land, which provides valuable information to farmers as to the purchase, and efficiency of use of fertilizers.
Innovation for food integrity assessment and fraud detection using NIRS as a nontargeted method: Towards intelligent product and process control
Authors: Pérez-Marín Lola
Published: December 2020

This paper introduces the possibilities of using near-infrared spectral sensors as a nontargeted method, and its pivotal importance as a key tool to fight against food fraud, allowing the detection of unexpected alterations or compounds, but with a holistic approach. An example of using this nontargeted approach to determine the optimal duration of postharvest cold storage of oranges is shown. The methodology based on the use of Shewhart control charts that represent the values of spectral distances, and the critical points of this procedure to consider, are presented.
Inline biofilm monitoring based on near-infrared spectroscopy with ultracompact spectrometer technology
Authors: Zimmerleiter Robert , Leiss-Holzinger Elisabeth , Wagner Eva Maria , Kober-Rychli Kathrin , Wagner Martin , Brandstetter Markus
Published: December 2020

In this article, we demonstrate a promising inline near-infrared measurement scheme for 24/7 biofilm monitoring based on cost-effective microelectromechanical system-based spectrometer technology. The shown near-infrared spectral data, acquired at a beer-canning line during a representative time span of 10 days, are analyzed by means of principal component analysis and the performance of the monitoring system and its capability to identify biofilms on its sensor surface are investigated by comparing spectral response with results of offline polymerase chain reaction measurements of smear samples. Correlations between presence of a biofilm and its thickness with scores on PC1 and PC2, respectively, were observed.
Protothecosis and chlorellosis in sheep and goats: a review
Authors: Riet-Correa Franklin , Carmo Priscila Maria Silva do , Uzal Francisco A.
Published: December 2020

Protothecosis and chlorellosis are sporadic algal diseases that can affect small ruminants. In goats, protothecosis is primarily associated with lesions in the nose and should be included in the differential diagnosis of causes of rhinitis. In sheep, chlorellosis causes typical green granulomatous lesions in various organs. Outbreaks of chlorellosis have been reported in sheep consuming stagnant water, grass from sewage-contaminated areas, and pastures watered by irrigation canals or by effluents from poultry-processing plants. Prototheca and Chlorella are widespread in the environment, and environmental and climatic changes promoted by anthropogenic activities may have increased the frequency of diseases produced by them. The diagnosis of these diseases must be based on gross, microscopic, and ultrastructural lesions, coupled with detection of the agent by immunohistochemical-, molecular-, and/or culture-based methods.
Examining the Educational Gap for Children with ADHD and Subthreshold ADHD
Authors: Zendarski Nardia , Guo Shuaijun , Sciberras Emma , Efron Daryl , Quach Jon , Winter Leanne , Bisset Matthew , Middeldorp Christel M. , Coghill David
Published: December 2020

Objective:

The present study examined the impact of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on core educational outcomes in two large community cohorts of Australian school children.

Method:

Academic (reading and numeracy) and non-academic (school engagement, attendance, peer victimization, and parental expectations) outcomes were compared between children with ADHD, subthreshold ADHD, and controls when children were in grade 5 (M age = 10.5). Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children birth cohort (LSAC; N = 3,540) and the Children’s Attention Project (CAP; N = 356).

Results:

Both subthreshold ADHD and ADHD groups had poorer outcomes on all measures, with medium effects sizes. Differences were not evident between subthreshold ADHD and ADHD groups.

Conclusions:

Educational outcomes examined in this study highlight the educational risk for upperprimary school children with ADHD or subthreshold ADHD, in comparison to their peers. Monitoring these outcomes is necessary to inform policy, practice, and intervention.
Interactions between gut microbiota and skeletal muscle
Authors: Gizard Florence , Fernandez Anne , De Vadder Filipe
Published: December 2020

The gut microbiota is now recognized as a major contributor to the host’s nutrition, metabolism, immunity, and neurological functions. Imbalanced microbiota (ie, dysbiosis) is linked to undernutrition-induced stunting, inflammatory and metabolic diseases, and cancers. Skeletal muscle also takes part in the interorgan crosstalk regulating substrate metabolism, immunity, and health. Here, we review the reciprocal influence of gut microbiota and skeletal muscle in relation to juvenile growth, performance, aging, and chronic diseases. Several routes involving the vascular system and organs such as the liver and adipose tissue connect the gut microbiota and skeletal muscle, with effects on fitness and health. Therapeutic perspectives arise from the health benefits observed with changes in gut microbiota and muscle activity, further encouraging multimodal therapeutic strategies.
The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Changing Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Patients With Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review
Authors: Chan Melody MY , Han Yvonne MY
Published: December 2020

Background:

People with neurological disorders are found to have abnormal resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), which is associated with the persistent functional impairment found in these patients. Recently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to improve rsFC, although the results are inconsistent.

Objective:

We hope to explore whether tDCS induces rsFC changes among patients with neurological disorders, whether rsFC is clinically relevant and how different tDCS parameters affect rsFC outcome among these individuals.

Methods:

A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines (systematic review registration number: CRD42020168654). Randomized controlled trials that studied the tDCS effects on rsFC between the experimental and sham-controlled groups using either electrophysiological or neuroimaging methods were included.

Results:

Active tDCS can induce changes in both localized (ie, brain regions under the transcranial electrodes) and diffused (ie, brain regions not directly influenced by the transcranial electrodes) rsFC. Interestingly, fMRI studies showed that the default mode network was enhanced regardless of patients’ diagnoses, the stimulation paradigms used or the rsFC analytical methods employed. Second, stimulation intensity, but not total stimulation time, appeared to positively influence the effect of tDCS on rsFC.

Limitations and conclusion:

Due to the inherent heterogeneity in rsFC analytical methods and tDCS protocols, meta-analysis was not conducted. We recommend that future studies may investigate the effect of tDCS on rsFC for repeated cathodal stimulation. For clinicians, we suggest anodal stimulation at a higher stimulation intensity within the safety limit may maximize tDCS effects in modulating aberrant functional connectivity of patients with neurological disorders.
The im-/possibility of hybrid inclusion: Disrupting the ‘happy inclusion’ story with the case of the Greenlandic Police Force
Authors: Dobusch Laura , Holck Lotte , Muhr Sara Louise
Published: December 2020

The notion of uniqueness, as articulated at the centre of most organisational inclusion literature, is inextricably tied to Western-centric idea(l)s of the autonomous, individual and self-sufficient subject, stripped of historical inequalities and relational embeddedness. Following a critical inclusion agenda and seeking alternatives to this predominant view, we apply a Bhabhaian postcolonial lens to the ethnographic study of organisational efforts to include indigenous Kalaallit people in the Greenlandic Police Force. Greenland has home rule, but is still part of the Kingdom of Denmark and is subject to Danish defence policy and the police force. With Bhabha’s notion of mimicry, we explore how police officers, through performing ‘Danish’ (Western) culture and professionalism, both confirm and resist colonial stereotypes and even open up pathways towards hybridity. Building on the officers’ experiences, we introduce the term ‘hybrid inclusion’ by which we emphasise two interrelated dimensions necessary for advancing critical inclusion studies: first, a certain understanding of the to-be-included subject as fluid, emergent and thus ontologically singular but at the same time relationally embedded in a collective colonial past and present; second, organisational practices for inclusivity that address and work with the actual impossibility of a ‘happy inclusion story’, free of contradictions and conflicts.
Reclaiming the Second Phase of Life? Intersectionality, Empowerment and Respectability in Midlife Romance
Authors: Milton Sarah , Qureshi Kaveri
Published: December 2020

bell hooks has written approvingly of the ‘second phase’ of life as a time, in midlife after divorce and relationship breakdown, when women may move from a place of dependency and intimate inequalities towards stridently asserting their needs and desires. This article interrogates these claims about the ‘second phase’ of life through qualitative empirical study. The article builds on our earlier work critiquing narratives of reclaimed control and self-development in the so-called baby-boom generation, showing how the compounded forces of ageism, sexism, classism, and racism are ever-present in mid- and later life romance. We juxtapose two separate ethnographic studies of middle-aged women’s post-divorce moves towards repartnering, one with middle-class White British women and one with working-class British South Asian women, to break open questions of empowerment in mid-and later life. Narratives and practices of self-discovery and renewed independence were common in both our studies, but the motivations for and consequences of these moves were differentiated by intersecting power relations. Narratives of newfound independence did not translate evenly into intimate lives and dating practices, where respectability remained vital and obdurate. Friendship groups diffused sexual agency and worked to maintain traditional practices of femininity. At this juncture of life many types of complicated and often contradictory femininities were played out, and were refracted through differing generational, diasporic and kin moralities. Empowerment in midlife can be ambivalent, laced with continued vulnerabilites and is implicated in a range of intersectionalities.
‘To more than I can be’: A phenomenological meta-ethnography of singing groups for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Yoeli Heather , Macnaughton Jane
Published: December 2020

Anecdotal experience and qualitative accounts suggest that singing groups, classes or choirs specifically for people with COPD (henceforth referred to as COPD-SGs) are effective in improving health. However, this is not reflected in the quantitative evidence. This meta-ethnography deployed phenomenological methods to explore this discrepancy. Analysis identified the phenomena of being together, being uplifted and being involved as central benefits of COPD-SGs. When viewed through the phenomenological lens of body-social as distinct from body-subject and body-object, findings demonstrated that the qualitative effectiveness of COPD-SGs is greatest on a collective basis. Qualitative research into the effectiveness of COPD-SGs offers more favourable results because phenomenological approaches can identify collective benefits that quantitative methods cannot. COPD-SGs should seek to maximise these collective benefits by rediscovering their cultural and artistic heritage within the national and global Arts in Health (AiH) movement, which has long emphasised the radical creative and healing power of group activity.
Haplotype-based association study between PRCP gene polymorphisms and essential hypertension in Hani minority group from a remote region of China
Authors: Wu Yanrui , Pan Xingming , Jin Xiaoxiao
Published: December 2020

Objective:

Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) is both involved in the Kallikrein-Kinin system (KKS) and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). This study aimed to determine the genetic impact of PRCP gene polymorphisms on essential hypertension (EH) in an isolated population from a remote region of China.

Methods:

A haplotype-based study was investigated in 346 EH patients and 346 normal subjects and all samples were Hani minority residents in Southwest China. A total of 11 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PRCP gene were tested by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Results:

Single site analysis found that PRCP gene 3′UTR SNP rs3750931 was associated with EH. The minor allele G of rs3750931 was more prevalent in the EH patients compared to control subjects after Bonferroni correction ( p < 0.05). Moreover, the rs3750931 G allele carriers showed higher average blood pressure (BP) level among the subjects. The H2 (GAGCACTAACA) haplotype without rs3750931 G allele showed the protective effect for EH (OR = 0.68, 95 CI 0.54–0.85, p = 0.001).

Conclusion:

The present study indicated PRCP gene rs3750931 was associated with the risk of EH. This SNP G allele could be considered as one of risk markers for EH in Hani population.
Noncontact laser vibrometry-based fence-like arrays with wavefield filtering-assisted adaptive imaging algorithms for detecting multiple pits in a compact cluster
Authors: Tian Zhenhua , Ma Zhaoyun , Xiao Wenfeng , Yu Lingyu
Published: December 2020

Pitting corrosion presents challenges for ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation due to the small pit dimension. Few Lamb wave-based techniques have achieved the identification of individual pits as subwavelength wave scatterers that are densely packed in a small cluster. In this article, noncontact laser vibrometry-based fence-like arrays with wavefield filtering-assisted adaptive imaging algorithms are developed for detecting and identifying small pits in a cluster. Signals of back scattering waves induced by a cluster of subwavelength scatterers are acquired by noncontact laser Doppler vibrometry at sensing points and form a fence-like array surrounding the area of inspection. The signals are then processed by our array imaging algorithms to construct inspection images which take advantage of three techniques, including the wave mode and wave direction filters to extract single-mode back scattering Lamb waves induced by subwavelength scatterers, the pseudo-reversal propagation of back scattering waves to address the dispersion effect and improve the radial imaging resolution, and the adaptive weighting to improve the angular imaging resolution. Moreover, this work introduces the wave diffraction-related Rayleigh and Abbe limits that are conventionally used for characterizing optic lenses, for characterizing the resolution limit of Lamb wave-based arrays, and optimizing the array configuration. To validate our array imaging approach, a proof-of-concept experiment has been performed to detect a cluster of 3 × 3 pits with the pit diameter of 2 mm and the interval of 2 mm in a 3.2-mm thick aluminum plate; the experimental imaging result shows that our method can identify most pits except the one at the center of the pit cluster. We believe this study will benefit the design, characterization, and optimization of Lamb wave-based arrays for subwavelength resolution imaging and enable potential applications for the noncontact inspection of hidden pitting corrosion in civil, petrochemical, nuclear, and aerospace structures.