bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Newcomers and Locals. Invisible Boundaries Among Inhabitants of the Divided City in the Balkans
Authors: Maciulewicz Marzena Anna
Published: December 2019

Newcomers and Locals. Invisible Boundaries Among Inhabitants of the Divided City in the BalkansResearch on divided cities in the Balkans focuses mostly on ethnic/national divisions. Is this perspective, however, truly viable and sufficient for the description of post-conflict cities in the Balkans? The question is posed not only because of the fact that every city is somehow divided or fragmented. More noteworthy, and not widely known, is the fact that the unstable structure of a city’s population is much more complex with its intergroup relations becoming much more complicated – a fact commonly disregarded due to the importance assigned to ethnic/national rifts which have dominated the narrative of the divided city. Underestimating the importance of other relations within society and the dynamics of a highly changeable social structure, one cannot uncover the actual nature of intergroup relations in a divided city.The main objective of this paper is to briefly present the state of contemporary inter- and intragroup relations in a divided city, with a special focus on inhabitants’ residential status. The article is based mainly on the case study of Mitrovica supplemented with references to other cities in the Balkans considered as divided. The paper is based on selected outcomes of qualitative and quantitative field research conducted in Mitrovica in 2017 and 2018 as well as results of other studies devoted mostly to Mitrovica but also to Mostar, Vukovar, Skopje and Sarajevo. Przybysze i miejscowi. Niewidoczne granice wśród mieszkańców podzielonego miasta na BałkanachBadania nad podzielonymi miastami na Bałkanach koncentrują się głównie na podziałach etnicznych/narodowych. Jednak, czy ta perspektywa jest odpowiednia i wystarczająca do opisania miast pokonfliktowych na Bałkanach? To pytanie nie wynika tylko z faktu, że każde miasto jest w jakiś sposób podzielone lub rozdrobnione. Bardziej istotny, a jednocześnie mniej znany jest fakt, że niestabilna struktura populacji tych miast jest znacznie bardziej złożona, a relacje międzygrupowe – znacznie bardziej skomplikowane, niż przedstawiają to dominujące narracje o podzielonych miastach przypisujące kluczowe znaczenie rozłamom etnicznym/narodowym. Tymczasem, nie doceniając znaczenia innego rodzaju relacji w społeczeństwie oraz dynamiki wysoce zmiennej struktury społecznej, nie można odkryć rzeczywistej natury relacji międzygrupowych w podzielonym mieście.Głównym celem artykułu jest przedstawienie współczesnego stanu między- i wewnątrzgrupowych relacji w podzielonym mieście, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem statusu mieszkańców Mitrowicy. Artykuł jest przede wszystkim studium przypadku miasta Mitrowica (Kosowo) uzupełnionym o odniesienia do innych podzielonych miast na Bałkanach. Artykuł opiera się na wybranych wynikach jakościowych i ilościowych badań terenowych przeprowadzonych w Mitrowicy w 2017 i 2018 roku, jak również na wynikach innych badań poświęconych głównie Mitrowicy, ale także Mostarowi, Vukovarowi, Skopje i Sarajewu.
"Limes Slavicus": A Project of the Department of History and Theory of Literature at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen (Bulgaria)
Authors: Chavdarova Dechka
Published: December 2019

Limes Slavicus: A Project of the Department of History and Theory of Literature at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen (Bulgaria)The text presents the three volumes of the Limes Slavicus series of the Faculty of Humanities at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen. It gives an idea of the main concepts of the articles featured in the issues, while putting forth the question of what the "Slavic cultural concept" means as a notion, and discussing the problems facing research of the Slavic cultural community (the danger of ideologization, the "Slavification" of universal concepts). Limes Slavicus – Проект на Факултета за История и Теория на Литература в Шуменския Университет Константин Преславски (България)Текстът представя трите книги от поредицата „Limes Slavicus“ на факултета по хуманитарни науки при Шуменския университет „Епископ Константин Преславски“. Той дава представа за основните идеи на включените в изданията статии, но също така поставя въпроса за съдържанието на понятието „славянски културен концепт“ и дискутира проблемите пред изследването на славянската културна общност (опасността от идеологизация, „славизирането“ на универсални концепти). Limes Slavicus – Projekt Wydziału Historii i Teorii Literatury Uniwersytetu Konstantyna Presławskiego w Szumen (Bułgaria)Artykuł prezentuje trzy tomy serii „Limes Slavicus”, wydawanej przez Wydział Humanistyczny Uniwersytetu Biskupa Konstantyna Presławskiego w Szumen. W artykule zaprezentowano podstawowe tezy tekstów włączonych do serii, ale także poruszono problem zawartości semantycznej tytułowego pojęcia „słowiańskich konceptów kulturowych”, jak również kwestie wymagające ponownego zbadania ze strony słowiańskiej wspólnoty kulturowej: strach przed ideologizacją, slawizacja idei uniwersalnych.
The Seasonal Cycle of Upper-Ocean Mixing at 8°N in the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Cherian D. A. , Shroyer E. L. , Wijesekera H. W. , Moum J. N.
Published: December 2019

We describe the seasonal cycle of mixing in the top 30–100 m of the Bay of Bengal as observed by moored mixing meters (χpods) deployed along 8°N between 85.5° and 88.5°E in 2014 and 2015. All χpod observations were combined to form seasonal-mean vertical profiles of turbulence diffusivity KT in the top 100 m. The strongest turbulence is observed during the southwest and postmonsoon seasons, that is, between July and November. The northeast monsoon (December–February) is a period of similarly high mean KT but an order of magnitude lower median KT, a sign of energetic episodic mixing events forced by near-inertial shear events. The months of March and April, a period of weak wind forcing and low near-inertial shear amplitude, are characterized by near-molecular values of KT in the thermocline for weeks at a time. Strong mixing events coincide with the passage of surface-forced downward-propagating near-inertial waves and with the presence of enhanced low-frequency shear associated with the Summer Monsoon Current and other mesoscale features between July and October. This seasonal cycle of mixing is consequential. We find that monthly averaged turbulent transport of salt out of the salty Arabian Sea water between August and January is significant relative to local E − P. The magnitude of this salt flux is approximately that required to close model-based salt budgets for the upper Bay of Bengal.
Comparison of the Relationship Between Inflammatory Markers and Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome After Coronary Angiography
Authors: Zorlu Cagri , Koseoglu Cemal
Published: December 2019

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is one of the most important complications after invasive cardiovascular procedures. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) may be markers of the risk of CIN. We aimed to investigate the association of these indices with the development of CIN in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation-acute coronary syndrome who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. We retrospectively collected the data of patients with ACS after coronary angiography (CA); 564 patients were included (mean age, 62.3 ± 13.0 years; 41.1% female). We compared 62 (10.9%) patients who developed CIN and 502 patients who did not, after CA in terms of NLR, PLR, and MPVLR. Patients who developed CIN had significantly higher MPVLR, NLR, and PLR; the MPVLR ( P ≤ .001) was an independent predictor of CIN. NLR, MPVLR, and PLR are simple, cheap, and easily accessible tests that can predict CIN; the MPVLR was the strongest of these predictors.
‘It’s really good…why hasn’t it happened earlier?’ Professionals’ perspectives on the benefits of communication assistance in the New Zealand youth justice system
Authors: Howard Kelly , McCann Clare , Dudley Margaret
Published: December 2019

Communication assistance is a form of specialist support for witnesses and defendants in justice settings who have been identified as having communication difficulties. This new role in New Zealand is modelled on the role of the intermediary in England and Wales. To date however, there has been no published review or evaluation on how communication assistance is functioning and being viewed by professionals in practice. This study provides a qualitative analysis of professionals’ perspectives (n = 28 participants) on the benefits of communication assistance for young people facing criminal charges in the New Zealand youth justice system. The main finding is that professionals are overwhelmingly in support of this new role. Professionals considered that communication assistance helps put the young person at the centre of youth justice, brings new knowledge and a fresh perspective, and helps the system to function as it ideally should.
Does Using Multiple Computer Monitors for Office Tasks Affect User Experience?
Authors: Gallagher Kaitlin M. , Cameron Laura , De Carvalho Diana , Boulé Madison
Published: December 2019

Objective

To compare the impact of multiple computer monitor configurations on health and performance outcomes compared to the use of a single monitor.

Background

Multiple monitor configurations are used in office settings to promote increased productivity by providing more screen space; however, it is unknown if there are health-related trade-offs to increased productivity.

Method

A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement guidelines and adapted the best evidence synthesis.

Results

Eighteen studies were included in our review. There was strong evidence that implementing dual monitors is in line with users’ preference. There was also moderate evidence for controlled laboratory studies demonstrating that multiple monitors may increase task efficiency with decreased desktop interaction; however, implementing multiple monitors may also result in nonneutral neck postures for users.

Conclusion

More research needs to be conducted on biomechanical exposures when using larger displays. Longitudinal field studies should be conducted to determine the influence of monitor interventions on health, productivity, and well-being. All studies must consider task complexity and user positioning and should measure health and productivity outcomes together. Researchers must also consider up-to-date purchasing trends when choosing the monitor configurations and sizes for their studies.

Application

Regulatory bodies and practitioners can use the results to develop evidence-based monitor guidelines and inform decision-making in practice, respectively. Researchers can use this information to design future studies on monitor configurations that incorporate current purchasing trends.
The Impact of Income-Related Medicare Part B Premiums on Labor Supply
Authors: Ayyagari Padmaja , Sloan Frank A.
Published: December 2019

The 2003 Medicare Modernization Act introduced income-related premiums on Medicare coverage for professional services (Part B) for the first time. Beginning in 2007, higher-income households were required to pay higher premiums for Part B coverage, which raises the price of Medicare relative to employer-sponsored health insurance for these households. The authors exploit this exogenous change in Medicare policy to examine the impact of Part B premiums on the labor supply decisions of older adults. They find that higher Medicare premiums delay retirement. Findings have important implications for Medicare policy and labor markets.
Lights On: How Transparency Increases Compliance in Cambodian Global Value Chains
Authors: Robertson Raymond
Published: December 2019

This article evaluates the implementation of a transparency policy in garment factories in Cambodia through the Better Factories Cambodia program. Using a difference-in-difference approach that is often applied to control for endogeneity, the author finds that compliance improved following the implementation of the transparency policy. Compliance increased in a group of 21 critical compliance areas that represent fundamental worker rights relative to relevant comparison groups. Compliance among the least-compliant factories, however, did not increase relative to other factories, possibly reflecting limited access to resources.
Cystic echinococcosis: a 10-year experience from a middle-income country
Authors: Butt Ayesha , Khan Javaid Ahmed
Published: December 2019

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), or hydatid disease, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) afflicting one million people globally. This study aims to elucidate the presentation, treatment and outcomes of the disease in Pakistan. A review of charts of 225 patients (median age = 42.3 years) with CE admitted at Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi during 2007–2017, was carried out. Abdominal pain was present in 34.7% followed by fever in 26.2%. There were 142 (63.1%) cases of hepatic cysts and 55 (24.4%) of pulmonary hydatid cysts. Combined surgical and medical therapy was given to 130 (57.8%) patients. Surgery only was performed in 23 (10.2%) patients, medical therapy only was given to 35 (15.6%) patients, and puncture, aspiration, injection and reaspiration (PAIR) with medical therapy was given to 15 (6.7%) patients. Recurrence occurred in 14 (6.2%) patients and mortality in 7 (3.1%) patients. Owing to its non-specific presentation, a high index of suspicion is required to diagnose and treat CE in a timely manner.
Theoretical investigation of dielectrophoretic effect for carbon nanotubes in optoelectronic tweezers
Authors: Hu Sheng , Cai Lv , Lv Jiangtao , Jiang Xiaoxiao
Published: December 2019

Optoelectronic tweezers (OET) utilizes the optically induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP) force to manipulate and assemble carbon nanotube (CNT) particles in an aqueous solution. This work can help us to gain exciting and promising applications in electronic devices and sensing areas. In this paper, a numerical model based on the Maxwell stress tensor (MST) method has been presented to study a single CNT particle subjected to both the ODEP force and torque in a non-uniform electric field. In addition, a single-sided OET, which is unlike traditional OET chips and enables the assembly and alignment of CNT particles, has been introduced and studied. The calculated results on the CNT particles analogy to non-spherical shapes demonstrate that the MST method can provide more accurate predictions than the effective dipole moment. Furthermore, both the DEP force and torque exerted on the CNT particle, as well as shell thickness, spatial position, and distance between CNT particle and electrode, have been studied in detail. These results are in agreement with those obtained by other researchers. This work can help us to gain new insights into the analysis of motions of the CNT particles suspended in OET chips.
A re-assessment of the Royal Canadian Navy’s 1948 northern voyages into Hudson Bay and its place in oceanographic research
Authors: Campbell Isabel
Published: December 2019

This article analyses multiple, intertwining and layered motivations for the Royal Canadian Navy’s 1948 northern voyages into Hudson Bay. Drawing upon scientific papers, it adds to the existing historical literature about this voyage, showing how some officials and scientists attempted to utilize the voyage for humanitarian, social, economic and other purposes beyond security and defence. It also critically examines how a westernized masculine faith in science and technology drove Cold War anxieties and developments, justifying military and naval invasions of the sparsely populated northern areas. The article, moreover, exposes how the bipolar dynamic influenced decision-making, taking attention away from a vital consideration of local peoples, their lifestyles and the conservation of natural resources.
Luca Martini (1547–61): A case study in the military administration and commercial exploitation of the northern Tyrrhenian in the Renaissance
Authors: Schiavone Oscar
Published: December 2019

From 1547 to his death in 1561, Luca Martini (1507–1561), a Florentine polymath and bureaucrat, was appointed superintendent of the Ufficio dei fossi in Pisa. Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici tasked him with the reorganisation of coastal Tuscany, which entailed reclaiming the Pisan plain, restoring and embellishing major and minor urban centres and reviving trade in the area. In his capacity as superintendent, however, he was also in charge of supervising Pisa’s shipyard, building a new military and commercial fleet and renovating the coastal defence system. This article will show how Martini’s unique concentration of power was instrumental in reorienting the Medici perception of the Tyrrhenian as a ‘last frontier’ to be exploited and defended.
Revealing Subgroups That Differ in Common and Distinctive Variation in Multi-Block Data: Clusterwise Sparse Simultaneous Component Analysis
Authors: Yuan Shuai , De Roover Kim , Dufner Michael , Denissen Jaap J. A. , Van Deun Katrijn
Published: December 2019

Social and behavioral studies more and more often yield multi-block data, which consist of novel blocks of data (e.g., data from wearable devices) and traditional blocks of data (e.g., survey data) collected from the same sample. Multi-block data offer researchers valuable insights into complex social mechanisms, where several influences act together. Yet such mechanisms are likely to differ among subgroups. Hence, fully revealing the composite mechanisms underlying multi-block data is challenging, since proper clustering analysis of such data requires methods that simultaneously detect the covariation of variables underlying all data blocks and the group differences therein. Additionally, the methods should be able to handle high-dimensional datasets, which might include many irrelevant variables. Here, we present Clusterwise Sparse Simultaneous Component Analysis (CSSCA), a method that groups the subjects that are driven by the same mechanisms and, at the same time, extracts cluster-specific components that model these mechanisms. By imposing structure constraints, CSSCA further distinguishes common mechanisms that underlie all data blocks from distinctive mechanisms that only underlie one or a few data blocks. In extensive simulations, CSSCA delivered convincing results in recovering the clusters and their associated component structures across various conditions. More importantly, CSSCA showed a clear advantage over existing methods when substantial cluster differences in the component structure were present. We demonstrated the usefulness of CSSCA in an application to data stemming from a study on personality.
A finite element analysis-computational fluid dynamics coupled analysis on thermal-mechanical fatigue of cylinder head of a turbo-charged diesel engine
Authors: Luo Xuwei , Zeng Xiaochun , Zou Pingping , Lin Yuxing , Wei Tao , Yuan Xiaojun , Liao Shanbin
Published: December 2019

A finite element analysis-computational fluid dynamics coupled analysis on the thermo-mechanical fatigue of cylinder head of a turbo-charged diesel engine was performed, and the complete simulation process is illustrated in this paper. In-cylinder combustion analysis and water jacket coolant flow analysis were conducted to provide heat transfer boundary conditions to the temperature field calculation of the cylinder head. Comparing with the conventional finite element analysis of cylinder head by which the heat transfer boundary conditions of the combustion and coolant sides are estimated, the present method coupled the three-dimensional combustion computational fluid dynamics and coolant computational fluid dynamics with the finite element analysis. Both computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis obtain more accurate boundary conditions on their interface from each other, and thus, the present method improves accuracy of thermo-mechanical fatigue prediction. Based on the measured material performance parameters such as stress–strain curve under different temperatures and E–N curve, creep, and oxidation data material performance, the cylinder head–gasket–cylinder block finite element transient stress–strain field was calculated using ABAQUS. The thermo-mechanical fatigue analysis of cylinder head submodel was performed by using FEMFAT software that is based on the Sehitoglu model to predict the thermo-mechanical fatigue life of cylinder head. By comparing the measured and predicted temperatures of cylinder head, the temperature results showed a good agreement, and the error is less than 10%.
Design and off-design behavior of a tandem rotor stage
Authors: Kumar Amit , Pradeep AM
Published: December 2019

With an ever-increasing focus on clean and sustainable energy for transport and power, aero-engine designers need to come up with engine designs that can meet the efficiency and thrust requirements. In this aspect, compressor/fan designers always aim at designs that can result in higher pressure ratios and maximum possible efficiency with a fewer number of stages. Compressor blades, which are designed for higher diffusion, have an inherent risk of flow separation. This, therefore, fixes the upper permissible limit in terms of diffusion. If the suction surface adverse pressure gradient can be efficiently managed to avoid flow separation, it would be possible to target higher diffusion factors. One such concept for achieving this is using tandem blading. In the present computational study, a conventional low-speed compressor stage performance is compared with a tandem stage. Both designs attempt similar levels of targeted diffusion. The computational results are simulated at the design and the off-design conditions. The computational results are validated with experimental data. A high percentage pitch and low axial overlap configuration are finalized for the design of the tandem rotor based on existing literature as well as initial parametric analyses. The study shows that it is possible to achieve higher diffusion for the tandem rotor in comparison to a single rotor. The behavior of the gap-nozzle, interaction of the tip leakage with the gap-nozzle, blockage due to the tip leakage vortex, performance of stator, and performance of both stages are discussed in detail in this paper.
Understanding and researching urban extreme poverty: a conceptual–methodological approach
Authors: Yap Christopher , McFarlane Colin
Published: December 2019

Urban extreme poverty has long been regarded as a vital challenge for policy and practice, but how might we research it? In this article, we set out a two-step approach to identifying and understanding the nature of urban extreme poverty (UEP). We experiment with an approach that does not define UEP in advance but seeks to examine it through a series of dimensions and approaches. Drawing on the long history of research on UEP, we argue that research would benefit from early scoping in context. This scoping begins by examining how UEP surfaces in relation to five dimensions: material, economic, political, spatial and emotional–subjective. From that base, we argue for a focus on the causes and form of UEP through dialogue among four epistemic approaches: political economy, political ecology, feminist urbanism and postcolonial urbanism. We illustrate this approach in relation to two quite distinct cities: Mumbai and Lima.
Multi-local and cross-border care loops: Comparison of childcare and eldercare policies in Slovenia
Authors: Hrženjak Majda
Published: December 2019

This article provides a comparative analysis of two different care systems, childcare and eldercare, in Slovenia, an Eastern-European post-transition country, with a dual-breadwinner full-time employment regime, a relatively low level of migration and a fast growing share of the 65+ population. The analysis shows that both care systems follow two different kinds of logic of egalitarianism, which means that the national care regime is internally diversified. While care for children is public, universally accessible and defamilialistic, care for the elderly follows the principles of marketization, economy-based inequality in access and familialization. Such policies also have different implications for care mobilities: while childcare demands daily transfers between multi-local sites of care, which remained confined within the state borders, eldercare increasingly demands cross-border care loops. The comparison of both care systems along with the empirical evidence on the presence/absence of migrant care workers in care support the thesis that cross-border care mobilities emerge at points where the state with its policies is failing to adequately meet care needs of the citizens.
Paid home-based childcare in Slovakia: Informal markets and care loops
Authors: Sekeráková Búriková Zuzana
Published: December 2019

Drawing on interviews conducted between 2013 and 2015 with childcare workers and their employers, this article focuses on the employment of paid home-based childcare in Slovakia, where local families prefer to employ local childcarers, rather than migrant childcarers. After a brief discussion of previous studies on home-based paid childcare and social policies, I introduce the concept of care loops and summarize family-oriented policies in Slovakia. I explain that relying on social networks and trust results in hiring local women rather than migrant childcarers. I then examine the motivations of working mothers for hiring childcare workers. I show how mothers use both structural (social policy) and cultural factors (ideals of motherhood and childrearing) to explain their childcare choices. I argue that hiring full-time childcare workers is both a way to fill the care gap and a response to a cultural preference for mother-like care for infants and toddlers. This cultural preference also results in hiring part-time childcare workers who are responsible for micromobilities of care and who help parents to manage care loops.
Student nurses’ views of right to food of older adults in care homes
Authors: Dogan Elisabeth Irene Karlsen , Raustøl Anne , Terragni Laura
Published: December 2019

Background:

Human rights are an important part of nursing practice. Although there is increasing recognition regarding the importance of including human rights education in nursing education, few studies have focused on nursing students’ perspectives and experiences in relation to human rights in nursing, especially regarding older nursing home residents’ right to food.

Objective:

To explore nursing students’ perspectives and experiences in relation to the right to food.

Research design:

The study followed a qualitative interpretative research design. Data were collected from multistage focus groups before, during and after clinical placement in a nursing home and analysed through thematic analysis.

Participants and research context:

Participants were 18 first-year nursing students; the study was conducted in 2017.

Ethical considerations:

This study was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data.

Findings:

Students’ understanding of older nursing home residents’ right to food was a dynamic process. Their perceptions evolved from a polarized perspective to a reality orientation and finally to retrospective reflection.

Discussion:

The article discusses how nursing students learn about and understand human rights within and throughout their placements.

Conclusion:

The study bridges human rights theory and practice. Findings suggest that the human right to food must be enacted in daily practice for students to learn in context. Human rights education, specifically pertaining to nutritional care, thus benefits from a practice-oriented approach preparing students to face ‘real life’ challenges and ethical dilemmas. Findings will help nurse educators tailor education in this field.
Making a Contribution to Entrepreneurship Research by Studying Crowd-Funded Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Authors: Pollack Jeffrey M. , Maula Markku , Allison Thomas H. , Renko Maija , Günther Christina C.
Published: December 2019

This editorial outlines our perspective on the state of literature as well as suggestions for new contributions to entrepreneurship research in the area of crowd-funded opportunities. Our aim is, first, to outline what we see as best practices for research on crowd-funded entrepreneurial opportunities. Second, we aim to solicit additional articles for the Virtual Special Issue (VSI) on “Crowd-Funded Entrepreneurial Opportunities” in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. In contrast to typical editorial articles associated with special issues, we take a prospective approach and outline what we hope (and expect) to see in the literature in the future. Put differently, we are not going to summarize a subset of articles that have been accepted for publication—rather, we are going to delineate the subset of articles to be written that we would, ideally, like to see submitted to top-tier entrepreneurship journals in order to advance the literature. Along the way, we will describe best practices that we anticipate can elevate research in this burgeoning area of inquiry.
Characteristics of Hospice and Palliative Care Programs in US Prisons: An Update and 5-Year Reflection
Authors: Prost Stephanie Grace , Holland Margaret M. , Hoffmann Heath C. , Dickinson George E.
Published: December 2019

Individuals with terminal illness are dying behind bars and many state prison administrators have incorporated on-site hospice and palliative care services. Little is known, however, about these programs since a 2010 study of prison hospice characteristics. We provide an updated description and reflection of current hospice and palliative care programs in state prisons serving incarcerated persons with terminal illness. A cross-sectional survey was sent to representatives of all known prisons offering hospice and palliative care programs and services (N = 113). Questions were drawn from an earlier iteration regarding interdisciplinary team (IDT) membership, training length and topics, peer caregivers, visitation policies, bereavement services, perceived stakeholder support, and pain management strategies. Additional questions were added such as estimated operational costs, peer caregiver input in patient care, and the strengths and weaknesses of such programs. Frequency distributions were calculated for all study variables. Responding representatives (n = 33) indicated IDTs remain integral to care, peer caregivers continue to support dying patients, and perceived public support for these programs remains low. Reduced enthusiasm for the programs may negatively influence administrative decision-making and program resources. Further, peer caregiver roles appear to be changing with caregivers charged with fewer of the identified tasks, compared with the 2010 study.
Numerical study of normal contact stiffness: Non-Gaussian roughness and elastic–plastic behavior
Authors: Belhadjamor Meriem , Belghith Saoussen , Mezlini Salah , EL Mansori Mohamed
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we have studied the effect of the degree of asymmetry and peakedness on the performances of a rough contact. A numerical model is proposed to evaluate the real area, the number of contacting asperities and the normal stiffness. The contact between two rough surfaces was modeled as a contact between a rigid flat and an elastic–plastic rough surface taking into account the work hardening and interaction among asperities. The Pearson system of frequency curves was used to generate non-Gaussian random surfaces. Results show that a negative skewness and/or a low kurtosis improve the contact performances by increasing the normal stiffness. This increase is governed by much more asperities into contact and more elastic behavior.
Speaker verification normalization sequence kernel based on Gaussian mixture model super-vector and Bhattacharyya distance
Authors: Xing YuJuan , Tan Ping , Wang Xin
Published: December 2019

Due to the accessibility and economy of human speech, speaker verification has become the research hotspot in the field of biometric authentication. A novel normalization sequence kernel based on Bhattacharyya distance clustering and within class covariance normalization was proposed in this paper. In this kernel, the high computation complexity and channel interference susceptibility that commonly exist in speaker verification could be restrained. In our method, we calculated the Bhattacharyya distance between pairs of Gaussian mixture models first. And then, a clustering algorithm was designed according to Gaussian mixture model’s Bhattacharyya distance to obtain clustering center models. Maximum a posteriori was applied on these clustering center models to generate super-vectors immediately following. The sequence kernel was generated based on Bhattacharyya distance transformation and super-vectors. Finally, within class covariance normalization was utilized to restrain the channel distortion in kernel space. We adopted support vector machine as classifier to decide the target speaker. The experiment results on TIMIT corpus and NIST 2008 SRE showed that our proposed kernel has superior recognition accuracy and better robustness.
The use of neural networks and nonlinear finite element models to simulate the temperature-dependent stress response of thermoplastic elastomers
Authors: Rodríguez-Sánchez Alejandro E , Ledesma Sergio , Vidal-Lesso Agustín , Ledesma-Orozco Elías
Published: December 2019

In this study, a methodology that combines artificial neural networks and nonlinear hyperelastic finite element modeling to simulate the temperature-dependent stress response of elastomer solids is presented. The methodology is verified by a discrete model of a tensile test specimen, which is used to generate stress–strain pairs of existent experimental data. The proposed method is also tested with a benchmark problem of a rubber-like cylinder under compression. Three grades of an elastomer used for diverse engineering applications are used throughout the study. On this basis, three neural network architecture with 10 hidden neurons are implemented as constitutive models to reproduce the experimental data of the materials. The validation results show that the proposed methodology can reproduce tensile tests with an error of 5% of less than regarding experimental data for elastomers that present no yielding point. The benchmark problem results were at the range expected for the elastomer materials with no yielding, where it was possible to derive force temperature-dependent responses. These results suggest that the methodology helps the prediction of the material response when only material stress–strain curves at different temperatures exist. Therefore, the presented approach in this contribution helps to simulate the temperature-dependent stress responses of elastomeric solids with no defined yielding point.
Differences between preschool children using tablets and non-tablets in visual perception and fine motor skills
Authors: Lin Ling-Yi
Published: December 2019

Background

Numerous touch-screen applications designed to support visual perceptual skills and fine motor development for young children are available.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate whether or not there were differences between children using tablets and non-tablets in visual perception and fine motor skills and to examine the association between visual perception and fine motor skills in two groups.

Methods

This study had tablet and non-tablet groups, each with 36 typically developing preschool children.

Results

Children in the non-tablet group yielded significantly higher scores in the subtests of visual discrimination, visual memory, spatial relationships, form constancy, visual figure ground, fine motor precision, fine motor integration, and manual dexterity than those in the tablet group. The association between visual perception and fine motor skills demonstrated different patterns in the two groups.

Conclusion

There are differences in visual perception and fine motor skills between children using tablets and non-using tablets. Different patterns of association relationship support the need for occupational therapists to consider the underlying mechanism.
A multifactorial comparison of Australian youth soccer players’ performance characteristics
Authors: Bennett Kyle JM , Novak Andrew R , Pluss Matthew A , Coutts Aaron J , Fransen Job
Published: December 2019

The current study aimed to investigate the performance characteristics that discriminate Australian youth soccer players according to their academy status. A total of 165 youth soccer players participated in this study and were sub-divided into either an early adolescence ( n =  92, age = 13.0 ± 0.6 years) or mid-adolescence ( n =  73 age = 14.8 ± 0.6 years) group. Players completed multifactorial assessments of anthropometry, motor competence, physical fitness, decision-making and psychological traits. Statistical significance was set at p ≤  0.05. Multivariate analysis of variance identified dynamic balancing ability (both age groups), object manipulation (mid-adolescence), lateral jumping ability (both age groups), linear speed over 5 m (both age groups), change of direction skill (mid-adolescence), intermittent aerobic endurance (mid-adolescence) and total response time on a decision-making assessment (early adolescence) to discriminate academy status. Interestingly, a binomial logistical regression showed that a 0.1 s decrease in sprint time (i.e. running faster) increased the odds of a player belonging to a tier one academy by 19% and 47% for early and mid-adolescent players, respectively. Overall, performance in the motor competence and physical fitness assessments were in favour of the tier one academy players. These findings are indicative of a potential selection bias in the Australian talent pool or a training effect whereby tier one academy programmes emphasise the development of physical attributes. However, future research is required to further substantiate this in a larger sample of youth soccer players from other playing regions within Australia.
Looking for “interesting people”: Chinese gay men’s exploration of relationship development on dating apps
Authors: Wu Shangwei , Ward Janelle
Published: December 2019

Mobile dating applications play a prominent role in Chinese gay men’s social lives. Based on in-depth interviews with 21 participants, this study explores how urban gay singles in China develop social relationships on dating apps. It reveals that relationship development is often driven by casual conversations, which are not motivated by clear pragmatic purposes. Casual conversations tend to unfold around common hobbies or experiences, serving as a source of sociability, or satisfaction in socializing itself. In contrast to casual conversations, two forms of conversations are deemed highly instrumental and undesirable: one is the sex-oriented conversation aimed at immediate sexual encounters; the other is the interrogative conversation in which people ask private questions in a nonreciprocal and rigid way. Besides craving sociability, users “relationalize” casual sex by perceiving it as a form of social connection and endowing it with the potential to foster a relationship. This is also reflected in users’ preference for sexual partners with whom they can hold a conversation. Users also exploit the affordances of different media platforms and capture the relationship potential by platform switching. They switch to the mainstream media platform WeChat for more synchronous communication and to collect more identity cues from each other. Platform switching also signals willingness for relationship development and mutual trust. Nevertheless, users keep going back to dating apps for new possibilities for social relationships.
Ali Baba, Genghis Khan, and Jimmy, who are they!? The transnational and trans-regional production of modernity in 1980s’ Chinese disco
Authors: Wang Qian
Published: December 2019

This article aims to examine the significance of modernity in Chinese disco back to the 1980s. The open-door policy allowed disco to quickly become a remarkable symbol of modernity related to the United States, where the popular culture and modern lifestyle appealed to millions of Chinese people. The Disco Fever 1985–1989 demonstrated their enthusiasm to reintegrate into the global society by consuming the “same” popular music and culture. Being drawn into the debates between tradition and fashion, communism and capitalism, and arts and commerce, the modernity of Chinese disco was not a forward or sideways or backward process theorized by Liang Shuming, but an attitude toward all directions to cope with the dilemma of materialism, exoticism, and desire triggered by the economic reform. This modernity was an imagination coproduced by global agents, each offering distinctive capitals to transform China’s society throughout the 1980s.
UK–Asia music business collaborations: Liverpool Sound City, Modern Sky and Zandari Festa
Authors: Um Haekyung
Published: December 2019

This article explores the dynamics of transnational business collaboration between UK and Asian music companies, focusing on Liverpool Sound City in the United Kingdom, Modern Sky in China and Zandari Festa in South Korea. The specificities of their music business, the nature and motivation for partnership, the respective industry infrastructure and state cultural policies give shape to the outcome of their collaborations, which in turn influence their music products, events, artists and audiences. The complexity of their business transactions and interactions also tell us how the live music sector and its ecologies continue to evolve and reposition themselves in the fast-changing environments of the global music industry. In reflection of an increased transnationalisation and diversification of the global music industries, it is argued that more attention should be given to the transnational and translocal ecologies of live music studies.
Asian Paints: Towards a Lustrous HR Future
Authors: Jaiswal Akanksha , Pande Richa , Deshpande Kirti , S. Sabhanathan
Published: December 2019

The case narrates the story of Asian Paints, an Indian organization operating in the paint industry. Although best practices were an integral part of Asian Paints from its inception, a shared language for all people decisions and processes was felt necessitated. The objective of this case is to highlight Asian Paints management’s need to professionalize the human resource (HR) processes and practices and strategize towards building the leadership pipeline.

The case describes Asian Paints’ leadership competency framework (LCF) and examines its purpose of becoming a common language across all HR processes in the organization. This LCF not only addressed the existing business exigencies but also imbibed the culture on which Asian Paints was fabricated, thus, providing shared principles for all employee-related processes. Key people practices at Asian Paints are encapsulated in the competency framework which not only guides its own leaders but also serves as a benchmark for other organizations.
Computational analysis of continuous body temperature provides early discrimination of graft-versus-host disease in mice
Authors: He Kuang , Wu Zhenke , Fujiwara Hideaki , Whitesall Steven , Zajac Cynthia K. , Choi Sung Won , Reddy Pavan , Tewari Muneesh
Published: December 2019

Key Points

Unsupervised machine learning analysis of continuous body temperature data revealed early signals of aGVHD in allo-HCT mice. Continuous measurement of body temperature is promising for early prediction of aGVHD in human allo-HCT patients.
End points for sickle cell disease clinical trials: patient-reported outcomes, pain, and the brain
Authors: Farrell Ann T. , Panepinto Julie , Carroll C. Patrick , Darbari Deepika S. , Desai Ankit A. , King Allison A. , Adams Robert J. , Barber Tabitha D. , Brandow Amanda M. , DeBaun Michael R. , Donahue Manus J. , Gupta Kalpna , Hankins Jane S. , Kameka Michelle , Kirkham Fenella J. , Luksenburg Harvey , Miller Shirley , Oneal Patricia Ann , Rees David C. , Setse Rosanna , Sheehan Vivien A. , Strouse John , Stucky Cheryl L. , Werner Ellen M. , Wood John C. , Zempsky William T.
Published: December 2019

To address the global burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) and the need for novel therapies, the American Society of Hematology partnered with the US Food and Drug Administration to engage the work of 7 panels of clinicians, investigators, and patients to develop consensus recommendations for clinical trial end points. The panels conducted their work through literature reviews, assessment of available evidence, and expert judgment focusing on end points related to: patient-reported outcomes (PROs), pain (non-PROs), the brain, end-organ considerations, biomarkers, measurement of cure, and low-resource settings. This article presents the findings and recommendations of the PROs, pain, and brain panels, as well as relevant findings and recommendations from the biomarkers panel. The panels identify end points, where there were supporting data, to use in clinical trials of SCD. In addition, the panels discuss where further research is needed to support the development and validation of additional clinical trial end points.
Clonal evolution and immune evasion in posttransplantation relapses
Authors: Vago Luca
Published: December 2019

Despite the considerable improvements witnessed over the last few decades in the feasibility and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) for hematological malignancies, disease relapse continues to represent a frequent occurrence, with largely unsatisfactory salvage options. Recent studies have shed new light on the biology of posttransplantation relapses, demonstrating that they can frequently be explained using an evolutionary perspective: The changes in disease clonal structure and immunogenicity that are often documented at relapse may in fact represent the end results of a process of selection, allowing the outgrowth of variants that are more capable of resisting the therapeutic control of allo-HCT. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms forming the basis of relapse, including clonal evolution, gain of tropism for privileged sites, genomic and nongenomic changes in the HLA asset, and enforcement of immune checkpoints. Finally, this review discusses how these mechanisms may combine in complex patterns and how understanding and untangling these interactions may provide key knowledge for the selection of personalized therapeutic approaches.
Navigating the nexus of MRD and novel agents in ALL
Authors: Advani Anjali S. , Copelan Edward A.
Published: December 2019

The landscape of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has evolved significantly over the last few years. Identification of specific recurrent genetic alterations and of minimal residual disease (MRD) guides prognostic classification and management. Novel agents (eg, blinatumomab) have demonstrated encouraging results in relapsed/refractory (R/R) and MRD+ patients and are currently incorporated into upfront treatment in specific settings. Other new strategies include the incorporation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor-based therapy for patients with Philadelphia chromosome–like ALL and the use of DOT inhibitors and bcl-2/bcl-xl inhibitors in R/R disease. These innovations promise to improve management and outcome in this disease.