bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New taxa of Sepulcidae (Hymenoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber
Authors: LI XIAO-QIN , RASNITSYN ALEXANDR P. , GAO JIA , ZHANG YAN-JIE , SHIH CHUNG-KUN , REN DONG , ZHAO YUN-YUN , GAO TAI-PING
Published: April 2023

Three new species of the genus Prosyntexis Sharkey, 1990 in the extinct sawfly family Sepulcidae, Prosyntexis aristovi sp. nov., P. lata sp. nov. and P. antennata sp. nov., are described from five well-preserved specimens from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. These new species, the first records of the family Sepulcidae in Kachin amber, are placed in Prosyntexis (Trematothoracinae) based on the mesonotum membranous centrally with sides ridge transversely; forewing with the basally arched M+Cu; basal third or half of costal space narrowed; and 2r-m absent. The conspecific male and female of Prosyntexis lata with well-preserved genitalia are reported for the first time in the family Sepulcidae. A key to fossil species of Prosyntexis is provided. These new findings improve our understanding of Prosyntexis by adding more morphological features, such as antenna with no fewer than 16 segments, basal and distal hamuli present, tibia apical spurs 1-2-2, etc. The new taxa suggest that the Sepulcidae should range in age from at least from the Middle Jurassic to the mid-Cretaceous.
Thermal Convection of Rivlin-Ericksen Fluid Governed by the Brownian Motion and Thermophoresis of Nanoparticles with Passive Behaviour of Nanoparticles at the Parallel Boundaries
Authors: Bishnoi Jaimala , Kumar Shubham , Tyagi Reshu
Published: April 2023

Stability of Rivlin-Ericksen category of nanofluid saturated in a continuous medium bounded by infinite horizontal plates has been studied. Energy equation has been supplemented with the variables belonging to the Brownian motion and thermophoresis of nanoparticles. For the linear and
the non-linear stability analyses, other than the specific boundary conditions appraised with the physical situation, the boundary conditions for the flux of nanoparticle mass, in analogy with the passive behaviour of temperature at the boundaries have been explored. The novelty of the paper
is that the stationary convection exists for both positive as well as negative Rn (concentration Rayleigh number) and the convection sets in earlier in comparison to a porous medium. It is also shown that the non-existence of the oscillatory convection in a Newtonian nanofluid has been
ruled out for Rivlin-Ericksen nanofluid, though it exists only for negative Rn, the situation when the density of the fluid is greater than the density of nanoparticle. The viscoelastic parameter of Rivlin-Ericksen nanofluid annihilates the instability of oscillatory convection. Under
non-linear stability analysis, the truncated representation of Fourier series approach has been used and the parameters belonging to the heat and mass transfer have been evaluated. It is shown that corresponding to certain parameters, the rate of heat and mass transfer rises rapidly. The valuable
results are shown graphically and verified numerically.
Bödewadt Slip Flow of Casson Ternary Hybrid Nanofluid due to Stretching Rotating Disk
Authors: Patnaik N. , Shaw S. , Thatoi D. N. , Nayak M. K.
Published: April 2023

The main goal of the present study is to invetigate Bödewadt flow and thermal analysis of radiative ternary hybrid nanofluid over rotating disk subject to second order slip. The ternary hybrid nanofluid contains nanoparticle-1 as Al2O3(spherical), nanoparticle-2
as CNT (cylindrical), nanoparticle-3 as graphene (platelet) and base fluid as water. Casson model is adopted to show the non-Newtonian behavior of the flow of Al2O3+CNT+Graphene+Water ternary hybrid nanofluid. The transformed non-dimensional equations are solved numerically
by using bvp4c package on MATLAB. The major outcomes of the work include amplified non-Newtonian parameter upgrades the radial, azimuthal and axial velocities of mono nanofluid, binary hybrid nanofluid and ternary hybrid nanofluids. Thermal boundary layer is thickest for non-Newtonian ternary
hybrid nanofluid compared to mono nanofluid and binary hybrid nanofluid.
Entropy Generation-Based Analysis of Laminar Magneto-Convection in Different Cross-Section Channel Filled with Ferrofluid and Subjected to Partial and Full Magnetic Fields
Authors: Zitouni Kamel , Aidaoui Lakhdar , Lasbet Yahia , Tayebi Tahar
Published: April 2023

Heat transfer and entropy generation of laminar flow of a ferrofluid in different cross-section channel subjected to partial and full magnetic field are investigated in this study. A constant heat flux condition was applied on the external surface. The conservation equations (mass,
momentum, and energy) are solved numerically via the finite volume method with a second-order precision. The effects of fully or partially applying a magnetic field with different directions and intensities on thermodynamic features, heat transfer, and entropy generation have been investigated.
Analyses were carried out in four different cross-section channels, namely triangular, rectangular, circular, and elliptical. Results indicate that the circular cross-section channel provides higher heat transfer rates and lower entropy generation than non-circular cross-section channels.
Numerical Investigation of the (Mono-Hybrid) Nanofluid Thermophysical Properties for Concentrated Solar Power Plant
Authors: Boufoudi Fatah , Zouaoui Salah , Mihoub Sofiane , Benahmed Abdelillah , Tayebi Tahar
Published: April 2023

Nanofluids became an essential solution for the improvement of efficient heat transfer fluids. Thus, it’s necessary to optimize their propreties. This paper investigates the effect of the temperature and the volume fraction on the thermo-physical properties of different nanofluids
(Mono and hybrid) such as: Density, thermal conductivity, dynamic viscosity, kinematic viscosity, heat capacity and enthalpy in various nanoparticule concentrations and operating temperature. Two nanoparticles Al2O3, CuO were added to three different conventional base
fluids namely: Therminol VP-1; Sylthrem 800; Dowtherm A, with several volume fractions, and various temperatures (200–400 °C). A numerical model was developed using MATLAB software, to evaluate the behavior of each thermo-physical property of the nanofluid that can be used as a working
fluid in CSP applications and compared with their conventional fluids. The results show an improvement in thermo-physical properties compared to pure fluids for an optimal value of 4% for Al2O3. Also, the increase in temperature plays an important role in the decrease
in viscosity, and their influence on other properties has also been noticed while the addition of nanoparticles to the pure fluid allow to increase the thermal conductivity by 13%. Finally, the (Al2O3 + CuO/Dowtherm A) hybrid nanofluid sems to be attractive to use in
CSP applications.
Experimental Study for Thermophysical Properties of ZrO2/Ethylene Glycol Nanofluid: Developing an ANFIS Modeling and Proposing New Correlations
Authors: Sundar L. Syam , Mewada Hiren K.
Published: April 2023

Nanofluids are potential coolants for heat transfer applications because of their excellent thermal characteristics. Experimentally the thermophysical properties of ZrO2/ethylene glycol nanofluids are determined at 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% vol. concentrations. A two-step
method is used to prepare the stable nanofluids. The ZrO2/EG nanofluids properties were estimated over temperature ranging from 20 °C to 60 °C. From the experimental data, a multi-layer perceptron feed-forward back propagation artificial neural network was developed. Additionally,
new correlations were proposed for all the thermophysical properties. The experimental analysis showed that thermal conductivity is enhanced by 19.6% at 60 °C and viscosity is enhanced by 86.62% at 20 °C at 1.0% vol. of nanofluid, density is enhanced by 4.9%, and specific heat is decreased
by 4.2% at 1.0% vol. of nanofluid and at 60 °C, over base fluid data. The proposed ANN model succeeded in predicting the target property with minimum RMSE. The results of the developed artificial neural network and its correlation analysis perfectly agree with the experimental data.
Instability Analysis of Tri-Hybrid Nanofluid Under the Influence of Three Types of Gravity Modulation
Authors: Kumar Awanish , Bhadauria B. S. , Shilpee
Published: April 2023

The stability analysis of tri-hybrid nanofluid is examined theoretically in the presence of three types of gravity modulation. Normal mode techniques have been carried out for linear stability analysis, and the truncated Fourier series method is used for non-linear analysis. We observe
both stationary and oscillatory convection is possible in the bottom-heavy case, and the onset of convection gets delayed in stationary in comparison to oscillatory. We also observe the onset of convection is earlier in the case of top-heavy with respect to bottom-heavy. Heat and mass transport
start earlier in the day–night profile in comparison to other profiles of gravity modulation. In the graph of nusselt number, mass transfer of the first particle increases with an increase in Rn1 value while other two concentration Rayleigh numbers (Rn2,
Rn3) does not have any effect on first concentration nusselt number. If we generalize the problem for n-different types of nanoparticles, then two cases may be possible (1) Top-heavy-ordinary nanofluids will be the most stabilizing case. (2) Bottom-heavy-nanofluids with n-type
particles will be the most stabilizing case. The most stabilizing case is possible with the same ratio of Rn in the top-heavy, whereas the opposite result is found in the bottom-heavy.
Interannual Variability in the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation Modulates the Meridional Migration of Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Genesis
Authors: Zhang Shufen , Zhao Haikun , Klotzbach Philip J. , Jiang Xianan , Chen Guosen , Chen Shaohua
Published: April 2023

Prior studies have emphasized the influence of the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) on basin-scale and global-scale tropical cyclones (TCs). An improved understanding of the BSISO’s impact on TCs at various climate time scales will likely lead to improved subseasonal-to-seasonal prediction. This study explores the impact of BSISO interannual variability on western North Pacific (WNP) TCs. We find that interannual meridional variability in the BSISO modulates the meridional migration of WNP TC genesis and is related to changes in BSISO phase structure. These structural changes are characterized by occurrence frequency changes for individual BSISO phases between the equatorial region over the eastern Indian Ocean (EIO)–Maritime Continent (MC) and the subtropical region over the South China Sea (SCS)–western Pacific. This interannual north–south change of the BSISO appears to be associated with changes in sea surface temperature over the MC region and WNP mid-to-low-tropospheric moisture advection, mainly via remote forcing of a Gill-type Rossby response to BSISO convection and a large meridional asymmetry of the low-level background moisture distribution. During years with increased BSISO residence time over the subtropical SCS–western Pacific, more TCs occur over the northern WNP due to TC-favorable BSISO-associated convection and circulation. In contrast, more TCs occur over the southern WNP in years with increased BSISO convection residence time over the equatorial EIO–MC. We find that the increase in frequency of BSISO phase occurrence over the subtropical SCS–western Pacific since the late 1990s has potentially contributed to a recent poleward shift of WNP TC genesis.
Interannual Variability of the Mass-Weighted Isentropic Zonal Mean Meridional Circulation in the Northern Hemisphere Winter
Authors: Kuramochi Masaya , Ueda Hiroaki , Iwasaki Toshiki , Takaya Koutarou
Published: April 2023

The atmospheric general circulation diagnosed by the mass-weighted isentropic zonal mean exhibits an extratropical direct (ETD) circulation driven by eddy momentum transport. We investigated regional atmospheric modulations associated with the year-to-year variability of ETD circulation in boreal winter using a reanalysis dataset. Composite analyses showed that the interannual variability of ETD circulation accompanies a seesaw-like variation between the Aleutian low (AL) and Icelandic low (IL), which coincides with the Pacific–North American teleconnection pattern and North Atlantic dipole anomaly. A diagnosis using isentropic airmass fluxes representing the geographical Lagrangian mean motion indicated that the significant intensification of upper-tropospheric poleward warm airflow over the eastern North Pacific is responsible for the enhanced ETD circulation, together with the intensified equatorward lower cold airflow over East Asia and eastern North America. The resulting enhanced upward propagation of the stationary planetary waves corresponds to the intensification of the divergence of the Eliassen–Palm flux, which explains the modulated ETD circulation in view of the balance between the Coriolis force and eddy momentum flux convergence. These results suggest that the AL–IL seesaw promotes variations in the global general circulation, and the anomalous ETD circulation interacts with several teleconnection patterns involving the modulation of planetary waves through anomalous meridional heat transport by the basinwide-scale eddies.
Trust in cancer information and source preference in later life
Authors: Rosenberg Dennis
Published: April 2023

Objective:

To examine the association between older adults’ trust in cancer information and their preference for sources of this type of information.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

The USA.

Method:

The data were obtained from Health Information National Trends Survey 5 Cycle 4 (2020). The sample included older Internet users ( N = 1,223).

Results:

Higher trust in cancer information from doctors and from religious organisations and leaders, as well as lower trust in cancer information from government health agencies and charitable organisations related to a greater preference for doctors. Greater preference for the Internet was a function of lower trust in cancer information from doctors and higher trust in cancer information from government health agencies. Finally, lower trust in cancer information from doctors and higher trust in cancer information from charitable organisations were associated with greater preference for cancer organisations as a primary source of cancer information.

Conclusion:

The results imply that doctors represent an source of cancer information, trust in which plays an important role with respect to preference for other sources. The results generally suggest that the trust older adults put in cancer information from different sources appears as a major predictor of their preference for the source of this information.
Assessing the role of gender-related aspects in public budgeting debates: A view of the central level in Germany
Authors: Mueller Sarah , Saliterer Iris , Korac Sanja
Published: April 2023

The paper explores how members of parliament (MPs) address gender-related aspects in the budgeting process at the central level in Germany, a country that pursues gender equality as a global objective but has not implemented gender budgeting (GB) (yet). Nevertheless, from a budgeting perspective the German context is interesting, as parliament has unrestricted powers to amend the budget draft. The study follows approaches in performance management literature streams that have explored different types of performance information use. Building on a qualitative analysis of parliamentary budget debates, our results show that gender-related aspects matter in budgeting even when GB is not implemented. However, resources are less often referenced than programmes and policies in the budget debates. We find that MPs address gender-related aspects in a differentiated way (reflected in four types of performance information use), and that this is affected by user characteristics: the MPs’ gender, their party affiliation, committee membership and in some aspects, their age. While it may not come as a surprise that female MPs act as advocates for gender-related aspects, it is interesting that female MPs are more likely to reference resources when addressing gender-related aspects than male MPs. Further, our analysis of types of performance information use shows that a party's position as either a part of a governing coalition or opposition, as well as party lines across the opposition, affect the way in which gender-related aspects are addressed: exerting supportive use types (i.e., legitimizing, highlighting) and rather challenging use types (i.e., de-legitimizing, deflecting).

Points for practitioners

Even in a context where gender budgeting is not implemented, members of parliament (MPs) reference gender equality in budget debates.

The frequency and the way in which gender-related aspects are referenced mirrors MPs’ stance towards gender equality (rather supportive/rather challenging).

Female MPs are more likely than male MPs to draw attention to the allocation of resources for gender-related issues.

More female MPs in parliament may strengthen advocacy for gender-related aspects, particularly if budget documents do not contain gender-related performance goals.
Horizontal Referrals in B2B Markets
Authors: Hada Mahima , De Bruyn Arnaud , Lilien Gary L.
Published: April 2023

Horizontal referrals—when suppliers recommend other suppliers—are a common phenomenon in complex B2B markets. For the referring supplier, giving the best possible horizontal referral may strengthen the relationship with its customer, yet it may also threaten the referring supplier's future revenues and cross-selling opportunities. Instead, the supplier could make an obligatory referral, one that fulfills the obligations of recommending another supplier while keeping the referring supplier's own interests paramount. The authors rely on role theory and its antecedents (mutual trust and referring supplier's dependence) to determine when a referring supplier adopts the role of a friend (vs. a businessperson) and gives the best possible referral (vs. an obligatory referral). Study 1, an experiment, supports the theoretical model. Study 2, a conjoint study, links the observable antecedents of the referring supplier–customer relationship to the choice of horizontal referrals. Study 3, another experiment, looks at the consequences of the horizontal referral on the referring supplier–customer relationship and shows that providing an obligatory referral can hurt the customer's intent to continue the relationship with the supplier. This effect is mediated by the customer's perceived alignment of interest with the supplier. For B2B marketing research and practice, the authors report that the supplier's dependence is critical in predicting the quality of horizontal referrals, even though an exploratory survey showed that customers overlook that dimension and focus on mutual trust when seeking referrals.
Introducing the One-Party Membership Dataset: A dataset on party membership in autocracies
Authors: Angiolillo Fabio
Published: April 2023

Recent literature on autocracies focuses on elite politics to study ruling party stability. I focus on the lowest level of the ruling party structure, party members, to introduce new data on party-based autocracies. Party members are unique connectors between ruling party and society, and ruling parties can recur to them for policy enforcement, political control, co-optation and legitimation to secure power. I present the One-Party Membership Dataset (OPAMED), a comprehensive dataset on party membership in autocracies, covering 42 ruling parties across party-based regimes from 1945 to 2020, and introduce two new variables: party size; and party membership volatility. The first variable measures the membership-to-population ratio, while the second measures the rate of co-optation growth from one year to the other. In conclusion, the OPAMED provides a new, flexible and easy-to-use toolkit on ruling parties in party-based autocracies.
The Ongoing Business of Chinese-Language Reform: A View from the Periphery of Hong Kong in the Past Half Century
Authors: Wong John D. , Wong Andrew D.
Published: April 2023

Against the backdrop of the changing meaning of the “Chinese” language in Hong Kong, this article explores how Mandarin, once an unproblematic link to a nebulous Chinese nation for Hongkongers, now reflects anti-mainland sentiments. In the 1970s, Hong Kong Chinese who fought against English colonial oppression embraced Cantonese as their de facto Chinese language even as some conceded the broader allure of Mandarin. As the popularity of Cantonese rose, the appeal of Mandarin lingered but did not result in its higher currency. In the period leading up to the 1997 handover, while the colonial government did not mandate the study of Mandarin, its economic practicality surged, especially as the reform era engineered tremendous opportunities for Hongkongers in the mainland. Ironically, as Hongkongers have registered enhanced Mandarin proficiency, mounting resentment toward Mandarin in the city over the past two decades has come to represent a response to intensifying mainland control over Hong Kong.
The National Protection War and the Intellectual Foundations of Chinese Warlordism
Authors: Büttner Clemens
Published: April 2023

In 1915–1916, a coalition under the joint leadership of the military officers Cai E, Tang Jiyao, and Li Liejun fought the National Protection War 护国战争 to prevent Yuan Shikai from restoring the monarchy in China. Their declared goal was to defend the Republican polity, yet despite their victory, the Republic did not resurge. I argue that the actions of these men were motivated by two interdependent ideas that decisively contributed to the later rise of warlordism: the assumption that the professional soldier ought to play a prominent role in the Chinese nation-state-building project and the belief that the military man was obligated to defend the Chinese nation against all threats. By tracing the origins, implementation, and reception of these ideas, I focus on the previously neglected intellectual foundations of Chinese warlordism. The victory of Cai and his comrades-in-arms and the overwhelming public appreciation of their actions following the war would come to encourage an ever-growing number of military men—who soon were to be decried as “warlords” 军阀—to also intervene in political affairs.
“Roots with Wings”: Impacts of Tourism-Induced Mobility on Individuals and Family Ties among the Miao in China’s Individualization Process
Authors: Feng Xianghong
Published: April 2023

This article looks at the impacts of mobility on individuals and their family ties in tourist destination communities, paying attention to the individualization process among the rural, ethnic minority population in contemporary China. Based on my decade-long ethnography in Fenghuang county, Hunan province, I explore how the rapid rise of tourism-induced mobility has brought individual autonomy and collective morality under constant negotiation among previously clan-based people, and what the course and consequences of ongoing individualization are for the non-Han population in China. I argue that individuals’ greater mobility may enhance, rather than diminish, the importance of family, and that this is especially true for the rural, ethnic minority population in China. Their experience of dealing with individualization also reveals that the effect of social structure is to some extent unchanged, representing a case of “embedded individualization.”
A Descriptive Look at the Mental Health Literacy of Student-Athletes
Authors: Beasley Lauren , Hoffman Steven
Published: April 2023

Mental health literacy (MHL) is a significant component in understanding mental health disparities in vulnerable populations. Due to the unique structure and pressures of American college sport, attention to student-athletes’ MHL is critical, especially now that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is requiring member institutions to offer mental health services to their athletes. Utilizing online surveys of both athletes ( N = 205) and non-athlete students ( N = 205), this paper offers a descriptive look at the MHL of student-athletes. We found that both athletes and non-athlete students had above average levels of MHL, but high rates of mental health stigma. With a foundation in contact theory, the paper provides recommendations on how to utilize student-athletes’ mental health knowledge to decrease mental health stigma and increase MHL campus wide.
DNP-PhD Collaboration in NINR-Funded Physical Activity Trials: A Series of Case Studies
Authors: Halloway Shannon , Buchholz Susan Weber , Odiaga Janice A. , Bavis Margaret Perlia , Lemke Sally , Cygan Heide R. , Kalensky Melissa , Pelt Phyllis Powell , Braun Lynne T. , Tafini Susan , Opdycke Anita , Knudson Krista A. , Daniel Manju , Wilbur JoEllen
Published: April 2023

Collaboration between Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholars and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) scholars is crucial to efficiently advance and disseminate nursing science. Also, DNP-PhD collaboration can help achieve priorities outlined in the recent National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) Strategic Plan. The purpose of this series of case studies is to describe exemplars of ongoing DNP-PhD collaborations across three NINR-funded trials (1 completed, 2 ongoing) testing physical activity interventions for women at risk for cardiovascular disease. In our three physical activity intervention trials for women, we categorized examples of DNP-PhD collaboration by the four phases of the team-based research model (development, conceptualization, implementation, and translation). Across all three trials, DNP and PhD scholars contributed successfully to all phases of research in an iterative manner. Future work should focus on expanding DNP-PhD collaboration in behavioral trials, which can inform adapted, contemporary models of iterative DNP-PhD collaboration.
Critical discursive approaches to evaluating policy-driven testing: Social impact as a target for validation
Authors: Shin Dongil
Published: April 2023

This paper addresses the intersection of testing and policy, situating test-driven impact and validation within the context of policy-led educational reform in Korea. I will briefly review the existing validation models. Then, arguing for an expansion of the conventional conceptualization of consequential validity research, I use Fairclough’s dialectic–relational approach in critical discourse analysis (CDA), positioned in critical and poststructuralist research tradition, to evaluate social realities, such as intended and actual impact of policy-led testing, I take, as an example, the context of the development of the National English Ability Test (NEAT) in Korea, which had been used as a means of implementing government policies. Combining Messick’s validity framework for consequential evidence, Bachman and Palmer’s argument-based approach to validation (assessment use argument, AUA), and Fairclough’s dialectic–relational approach, I will illustrate how the impact of policy-led testing is performed and interpreted as a sociopolitical and discursive phenomenon, constituted and enacted in and through “discourse.” By revisiting the previous Faircloughian research works on NEAT’s impact, I postulate that the discourses arguing for and against social impact acquire their meanings from dialectical standpoints.
Insulin resistance and body mass index are associated with TSPO PET in cognitively unimpaired elderly
Authors: Ekblad Laura L , Tuisku Jouni , Koivumäki Mikko , Helin Semi , Rinne Juha O , Snellman Anniina
Published: April 2023

Metabolic risk factors are associated with peripheral low-grade inflammation and an increased risk for dementia. We evaluated if metabolic risk factors i.e. insulin resistance, body mass index (BMI), serum cholesterol values, or high sensitivity C-reactive protein associate with central inflammation or beta-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation in the brain, and if these associations are modulated by APOE4 gene dose. Altogether 60 cognitively unimpaired individuals (mean age 67.7 years (SD 4.7); 63% women; 21 APOE3/3, 20 APOE3/4 and 19 APOE4/ 4) underwent positron emission tomography with [11C]PK11195 targeting TSPO (18 kDa translocator protein) and [11C]PIB targeting fibrillar Aβ. [11C]PK11195 distribution value ratios and [11C]PIB standardized uptake values were calculated in a cortical composite region of interest typical for Aβ accumulation in Alzheimer’s disease. Associations between metabolic risk factors, [11C]PK11195, and [11C]PIB uptake were evaluated with linear models adjusted for age and sex. Higher logarithmic HOMA-IR (standardized beta 0.40, p = 0.002) and BMI (standardized beta 0.27, p = 0.048) were associated with higher TSPO availability. Voxel-wise analyses indicated that this association was mainly seen in the parietal cortex. Higher logarithmic HOMA-IR was associated with higher [11C]PIB (standardized beta 0.44, p = 0.02), but only in APOE4/4 homozygotes. BMI and HOMA-IR seem to influence TSPO availability in the brain.
A new medical imaging postprocessing and interpretation concept to investigate the clinical relevance of incidentalomas: can we keep Pandora's box closed?
Authors: Kwee Thomas C , Roest Christian , Kasalak Ömer , Pennings Jan P , de Jong Igle Jan , Yakar Derya
Published: April 2023

Background

Incidental imaging findings (incidentalomas) are common, but there is currently no effective means to investigate their clinical relevance.

Purpose

To introduce a new concept to postprocess a medical imaging examination in a way that incidentalomas are concealed while its diagnostic potential is maintained to answer the referring physician's clinical questions.

Material and Methods

A deep learning algorithm was developed to automatically eliminate liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, lungs, and bone from unenhanced computed tomography (CT). This deep learning algorithm was applied to a separately held set of unenhanced CT scans of 27 patients who underwent CT to evaluate for urolithiasis, and who had a total of 32 incidentalomas in one of the aforementioned organs.

Results

Median visual scores for organ elimination on modified CT were 100% for the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and right adrenal gland, 90%–99% for the pancreas, lungs, and bones, and 80%–89% for the left adrenal gland. In 26 out of 27 cases (96.3%), the renal calyces and pelves, ureters, and urinary bladder were completely visible on modified CT. In one case, a short (<1 cm) trajectory of the left ureter was not clearly visible due to adjacent atherosclerosis that was mistaken for bone by the algorithm. Of 32 incidentalomas, 28 (87.5%) were completely concealed on modified CT.

Conclusion

This preliminary technical report demonstrated the feasibility of a new approach to postprocess and evaluate medical imaging examinations that can be used by future prospective research studies with long-term follow-up to investigate the clinical relevance of incidentalomas.
An Intersectional Analysis of System Avoidance
Authors: Ascherio Marta
Published: April 2023

Recent work on communities of color has elaborated on the concept of system avoidance, which is the avoidance of institutions that keep formal records, such as banks, hospitals, and law enforcement. In this paper, I provide a feminist intersectional analysis of system avoidance by examining whether and how kinship structures shape crime reporting to the police within the “master” categories of race, gender, and class. Using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) 2002–2019, I show that among Latinx and white respondents, women are more likely than men to report personal experiences of violence to the police only if they have children living in the home. Among Black respondents, however, women are more likely than men to report personal experiences of violence to the police regardless of whether or not they have children. Household income and relationship to perpetrator further shape these associations, the most telling of which is that Latinas are no more likely than Latinos to report violence to the police when they know the offender. By examining crime reporting data through the lens of family structure, this study sheds light on a “paradox of protection,” the thin line in which women alternatively call the police to protect their families from violence, or refrain from calling the police to protect their families from criminalization.
The Role of Place of Birth and Residence in Puerto Rican Health Disparities: Evidence From Disability Prevalence Among Archipelago- Vs. Mainland-Born Puerto Ricans
Authors: Sheftel Mara Getz , Heiland Frank W.
Published: April 2023

Objectives: This paper provides new estimates of disability prevalence for the archipelago and mainland-residing Puerto Rican populations ages 40 and above and compares disability by place of birth and place of residence to investigate drivers of middle and older age health. Methods: Large nationally representative samples from 2013 to 2017 American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey data are used to estimate age-specific disability prevalence for archipelago-born/archipelago-residing, archipelago-born/mainland-residing, mainland-born/mainland-residing Puerto Ricans. Results: Mainland-born/mainland-residing Puerto Ricans have the lowest age-adjusted disability rates and archipelago-born/archipelago-residing Puerto Ricans have the highest rates. Differences in education explain part of this disparity. Discussion: Similarities in disability prevalence are strongest based on where one was born as opposed to current residence, pointing to early life as a critical period in the disablement process for later-life health. Early life socio-economic disadvantage on the archipelago may have an enduring impact on later-life disability prevalence for archipelago-born Puerto Ricans.
Fabrication of through-holes of different shapes using foil tool in EDM: Process development and analysis
Authors: Padhi Bibeka Nanda , Choudhury Sounak Kumar , Janakarajan Ramkumar
Published: April 2023

The use of a foil tool in the electrodischarge machining (EDM) process has been shown to be effective for slicing, fabrication of micro slots, and various other applications. EDM with a foil tool has an advantage over wire-EDM as it allows the use of a foil tool with a thickness less than the wire diameter and to use higher discharge current due to the no risk of tool breakage. This work attempted to fabricate through-holes of various shapes on the D2 steel plate by removing material only from the periphery using a Cu foil tool, rather than the entire cross-sectional area. The thin foil tools are brought into respective shapes by wrapping them around Cu blocks having a cross-sectional area of the respective shapes. Gravity assistance is preferred to be employed as it has been experimentally found that it improves the linear material removal rate (LMRR) up to 24.86% compared to EDM without gravity assistance at various discharge current levels and pulse on time. Further, for a gravity-assisted EDM process using the foil tool, the LMRR has been improved up to 54.43%, with a selection of suitable duty cycle settings. The set of process parameters with the highest LMRR was chosen to fabricate through holes of circular, elliptical, square, and triangular cross-sections. The time required to machine through holes of various shapes was found to be proportional to the perimeter of the cross-section.
Barriers to adherence to antiretroviral therapy: identifying priority areas for people with HIV and healthcare professionals
Authors: Mate Kedar K. V. , Engler Kim , Lessard David , Lebouché Bertrand
Published: April 2023

Background

Challenges to antiretroviral therapy adherence are well-known and continue to be a major hurdle in HIV care. The objective of this paper is to identify barriers to antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence that are relevant to HIV care from the perspective of people living with HIV and healthcare and social service professionals.

Methods

This study used an online survey design to collect information from the two groups. A total of 100 areas that covered six domains and 20 subdomains were administered to people living with HIV and care professionals in Canada and France. The survey asked participants to rate the importance of each area for HIV care on a four-point Likert scale. Any areas rated 3 or 4 were considered important and ranked. A Chi-square test was conducted for the difference between the groups, people living with HIV and professionals, and between women and men.

Results

A response rate of 87% (58/66) in Canada and 65% (38/58) was achieved. 15 of 43 (35%) areas were endorsed as important barriers by both groups, across countries and sex-covering subdomains — drug cost coverage, challenging material circumstances, HIV stigma, and privacy concerns, affect, motivation, beliefs, acceptance of HIV, comorbidity, side effects, and demands and organisation of daily life. People living with HIV identified two, and care professionals identified nine, additional areas as important barriers to HIV care across different domains and subdomains.

Conclusion

The study identified some common and distinct barriers to ART from the perspective of the people living with HIV and care professionals.
Overview of Polymer Composites Using Recycled PET
Authors: Rebeiz K.S. , Fowler D.W. , Paul D.R.
Published: April 2023

Recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, mainly recovered from plastic beverage bottles, can be used to produce unsaturated polyester resins. Polymer concrete (PC) made with these resins has been investigated for potential use in construction and structural applications. Resins using recycled PET offer the possibility of a lower source cost of materials for making useful PC-based products. The recycling of PET in PC would also help solve some of the solid waste problem posed by plastics and save energy.
Evaluation of Interfacial Strength for Glass Fibre Cloth Reinforced Plastics by First Fracture Detection
Authors: Morii Tohru , Tanimoto Toshio , Maekawa Zen-ichiro , Hamada Hiroyuki , Kiyoshumi Kenji , Ichihashi Hideki
Published: April 2023

This study is concerned with the detection of the initial stages of fracture of plain woven glass fibre cloth reinforced plastics. During the tensile test, the fracture process was recorded on video-tape. These images were analysed using an image analysing system in order to determine the brightness of each image. The initial fracture was identified by the change of brightness of a series of images as a result of debonding at the interface or because of matrix cracking in transverse fibre bundles. The interfacial strength was evaluated by the initial fracture stress. This technique can be applied to the estimation of the interfacial strength of woven fabric composites. The degradation behaviour of the interface was studied for the case of plain woven glass fibre cloth-reinforced vinyl ester resin, which had a strong interface, as a function of immersion in hot water (40, 60 and 80°C). The tensile strength was considerably affected by the water temperature, but the initial fracture stress was not.
Degradation Behaviour of Glass Fibre Mat Reinforced Polypropylene Immersed in Hot Water
Authors: Morii Tohru , Tanimoto Toshio , Hamada Hiroyuki , Maekawa Zen-ichiro
Published: April 2023

This paper deals with the degradation behaviour of randomly oriented continuous glass-fibre mat reinforced polypropylene (glass/PP) immersed in hot water. The weight changes and the bending properties were measured after immersion in water, and these were compared with the data for glass fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester (glass/UP). The weight changes of glass/PP were much less than those of glass/UP, and the fibre/matrix interface of glass/PP maintained its effective bonding even after immersion. As a result, the reduction in bending modulus of glass/PP was very slight. The bending strength of glass/PP decreased linearly against the net weight gain and the weight loss. The relationship between the bending strength and the weight loss was almost the same, independent of the materials used. It is suggested that the strength reduction in glass reinforced polypropylene was induced by the formation of microcracks, which also caused the weight loss.
Thermal and Viscoelastic Properties of Blends of Polypropylene with Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Copolyesters
Authors: Yazaki Fumihiko , Tsubouchi Yasushi , Yosomiya Ryutoku
Published: April 2023

The thermal and viscoelastic properties of blends of polypropylene (PP) with thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyesters (LCP) have been investigated.

(1) Thermal characteristics, change of tan δ peaks, and SEM observation on the fracture surfaces of PP-LCP blends indicate behaviour characteristic of incompatible blend systems.

(2) Ternary blend systems containing chlorinated polypropylene (Cl-PP) showed increased interfacial interaction between the LCP and the matrix in comparison with the binary blend.

(3) Blends containing dimethylglyoxine (DMG) showed further improvement in interfacial interaction between the LCP and matrix. DMG is believed to act as a crosslinking agent.
Studies on Aluminium Sheets Bonded by Ternary Blends of Poly(Vinyl Chloride), Epoxidised Natural Rubber and Carboxylated Nitrile Rubber with Respect to Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Adhesion Strength
Authors: Kalidaha Amiya K. , De P.P. , Tripathy D.K. , De S.K.
Published: April 2023

The peel strength of aluminium-aluminium joints bonded by an adhesive based on ternary 75/25/175 poly(vinyl chloride)/epoxidised natural rubber/carboxylated nitrile rubber blends was found to depend on moulding time. Dynamic mechanical studies of the Al-blend-Al composite structures provide useful information on adhesion. In addition, the composite structures were found to exhibit broad tan δ spectra from 0.093 to 0.411 over the temperature range from -2°C to 200°C. These composite structures may find use in various vibration isolation applications.
Characterisation of Silver Filled Adhesives for Attachment of Microelectronic Chips to Substrates
Authors: Bjorneklett Are
Published: April 2023

Polymer based adhesives filled with silver particles are widely used in microelectronics for bonding semiconductor chips to substrates. This paper presents results from thermal conductivity and thermal resistance measurements in such adhesives as function of the volume fraction of silver and the thickness of the bond layer. This is an increasingly important issue because the power dissipation in typical semiconductor chips is increasing rapidly due to technological developments. The thermomechanical stress caused by different thermal expansions in the chip and the substrate was also measured. Thermomechanical stress may cause cracking of the chips and subsequent failure of the microelectronic device. Crack growth in the bond layer during temperature cycling was investigated by measuring the thermal resistance in the layer. The cracks are created because of the differences in thermal expansion which causes a cyclic mechanical boding of the adhesive during temperature cycling.
Determination of the Damage Zone Size in Textile Fabric Reinforced Polypropylene Composites by Locating the Acoustic Emission
Authors: Czigany T. , Karger-Kocsis J.
Published: April 2023

The size of the damage zone was determined on modified compact tension (CT) specimens of model composites containing a single layer of different textile fabrics by locating the acoustic emission (AE) events during loading. Among the reinforcing fabrics both crimped woven (co-woven and/or hybrid clothes) and non-woven (swirl mat) structures were studied. The extent of the damage zone was linked to a circle or ellipse in which a given proportion of the AE events could be found. Its size was strongly underestimated when only the stress-whitened zone at the crack tip, resolved by light microscopy, was considered. It is therefore reasonable to distinguish a processing zone (stress-whitened region) within the damage one. The size of the damage zone depended upon the microstructure of the reinforcing fabric due to differences in the possible stress transfer, as expected.

It was also shown that the stress transfer and stress distribution capability of the fabrics strongly depend on their “wettability” by the matrix polymer; easily impregnable fabrics are loosely structured and/or hybridized ones.
Interferometric Studies on Polymer Fibres. I. Application of Multiple-Beam Fizeau Method for the Characterisation of Homogeneous Polymer Fibres
Authors: Hamza A.A. , Fouda I.M. , Sokkar T.Z.N. , Shahain M.M. , Seisa E.A.
Published: April 2023

Multiple-beam Fizeau fringes with a modified method are described for the measurement of refractive indices and birefringence of fibres. This method is used to overcome difficulties in measuring refractive indices of immersion liquids as well as the correcting for dispersion and temperature. Two fibres are used for each measurement. The first fibre is of known mean refractive index and dispersion properties. The other fibre is of unknown values of refractive indices. A mathematical formula is derived for the modified method in case of the shape of multiple-beam interference Fizeau fringes crossing a homogeneous cylindrical fibre, as well as an equation to determine the refractive indices and birefringence for fibre having irregular cross-section. This method with microstrain device is applied to determine the optical properties of “Terylene” polyester fibre dynamically with different draw ratios. Also stretched polyethylene fibre is studied using the modified method. The calculated refractive indices using this method are compared with those obtained using the normal method. Microinterferograms are given for illustration.
Blends and Composites Based on Polypropylene and a Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymer
Authors: Heino Markku T. , Vainio Tommi P. , Seppälä Jukka V.
Published: April 2023

Blends of polypropylene (PP) and liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) processed without melting the LCP were compared with conventional melt processed blends. In a first stage, PP was blended with 20 wt.% of LCP in a twin-screw extruder with the take-up speed varied to achieve blends with different LCP fibre dimensions. In the second stage these blends were processed both below and above the T m of the LCP by extrusion and injection moulding.

At lower temperatures (180–200°C), where the material was processed without melting the LCP, a real composite structure was formed with solid LCP fibres in the PP matrix. When processed above the T m of the LCP (280°C) all the material was molten during processing and a composite-like blend morphology was created in-situ during cooling of the oriented melt phase. These blends exhibited a skin/core morphology, whereas the composites contained fibres throughout the sample. Due to this difference the impact strength of the composites was significantly higher than that of the blends. The blends exhibited higher modulus than the composites. Moreover, additional drawing can greatly improve the strength and stiffness of the blends. In composites the solid LCP fibres slightly increased the viscosity of PP, while in blends the molten LCP reduced the matrix viscosity and acted as a processing aid.
New Method of Measurement of Thermodynamic Diffusion Coefficients of Electrolytes in Polymers
Authors: Polishchuk Alexandre Ya. , Zaikov Guennadii E. , Zimina Lidia A. , Lobo Victor MM. , Valente Artur J.M.
Published: April 2023

A new application of the open-ended conductimetric capillary cell for measuring thermodynamic diffusion coefficients of electrolytes in polymers of different hydrophilic character is presented. Diffusion coefficients of potassium chloride in hydrophilic (PVA) and hydrophobic (POxB) polymers have been measured and prove the applicability of the cell to measure diffusion coefficients in polymer-solvent-electrolyte systems. The theoretical basis of the method is the formulation of diffusion equations in terms of the chemical potential gradient of the diffusing species, and the validity of this approach has been justified by experimental results.