bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Warning System on Interactive Driving Behavior at Unsignalized Intersection under Fog Conditions: A Study Based on Multiuser Driving Simulation
Authors: Zhang Yunfan , Yan Xuedong , Wu Jiawei , Duan Ke
Published: December 2020

The intersection collision warning system (ICWS) is an emerging technology designed to assist drivers in avoiding collisions at intersections. ICWS has an excellent performance in reducing the number of collisions and improving driving safety. Previous studies demonstrated that when visibility was low under fog conditions, ICWS could help drivers timely detect hazardous conflicting vehicles. However, the influences of ICWS on interactive driving behavior at unsignalized intersection between different vehicles have barely been discussed. This study aimed to investigate the patterns of drivers’ interactive behaviors with the assistance of a new kind of ICWS under fog conditions based on Multiuser Driving Simulation. The Multiuser Driving Simulation allowed multiple drivers to operate in the same simulation scenario at the same time, and it could capture drivers’ interactions preferably. Forty-eight licensed drivers completed the driving simulation experiment in three fog conditions (no fog, light fog, and heavy fog) and two warning conditions (warning and no warning), in which the drivers drove in a straight-moving situation at unsignalized intersection with potential collision risks caused by the encounter of two vehicles. The results verified that warning and fog conditions were significant factors that affected the interactive driving behavior in the unsignalized intersection collision avoidance process, including the driver’s decision, TTC of action point, average acceleration (deceleration) rate, and postencroachment time. Compared to conditions without ICWS, the ICWS could help drivers make collision avoidance actions earlier and change the speed more smoothly. In addition, with the help of Multiuser Driving Simulation, associations between decision driving behaviors of vehicles were discussed with caution. The results revealed the decision-making mechanism of drivers in the process of interaction with other drivers. Under the influence of fog, interactive driving processes were fraught with increased risk at unsignalized intersection. However, the ICWS helped drivers interact more harmoniously, safely, and efficiently. The findings shed some light on the further development of ICWS and the study on interactive driving behavior.
Selenium Nanoparticles Induce Potent Protective Immune Responses against Vibrio cholerae WC Vaccine in a Mouse Model
Authors: Raahati Zahra , Bakhshi Bita , Najar-peerayeh Shahin
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of selenium nanoparticle (an immune booster) and naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist) as a new adjuvant in increasing immune responses against killed whole-cell Vibrio cholerae in a mouse cholera model. The Se NPs were synthesized and characterized by UV-visible, DLS, and zeta potential analysis. The SEM image confirmed the uniformity of spherical morphology of nanoparticle shape with 34 nm in size. The concentration of the Se NPs was calculated as 0.654 μg/ml in the ICP method. The cytotoxic activity of Se NPs on Caco-2 cells was assessed by the MTT assay and revealed 82.05% viability of cells after 24 h exposure with 100 μg/ml of Se NPs. Female BALB/C mice were orally immunized three times on days 0, 14, and 28, and challenge experiments were performed on immunized neonates with toxigenic V. cholerae. Administration of Se NP diet led to significant increase in V. cholerae-specific IgG and IgA responses in serum and saliva and caused protective immunity and 83.3% survival in challenge experiment against 1 LD50 V. cholerae in a group receiving diet of Se NPs compared with other groups including Dukoral vaccine. The IL-4 and IL-5 were significantly increased in response to WC+daily diet of Se NPs with or without naloxone. Naloxone proved no effect on IL-4 and IL-5 increase and is proposed as null in the cytokine and antibody production process. These results reveal that daily diet of Se NPs could efficiently induce immune cell effectors in both humoral and mucosal levels.
Identification of Risk Factors Associated with Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis for Sentinel Lymph Node-Positive Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: He Zhen , Lan Xiaowen , Tan Yuting , Lin Xiao , Wen Ge , Wang Xicheng , Huang Xiaobo , Yang Fan
Published: December 2020

Objective. This study aimed to identify clinicopathological factors related to the extent of axillary lymph node (ALN) involvement in early-stage BC patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). Methods. This was a retrospective analysis of 566 patients in cT1-2N0M0 with 1-2 positive SLNs that underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital. The clinical and pathologic data from these patients were analyzed. Results. Of these 566 patients, 235 (41.5%) exhibited NSLN metastases. Multivariate analysis revealed that the number of positive SLNs (odds ratio (OR) = 1.511;

P
=
0.038

), the ratio of metastatic/dissected SLNs (SLN metastasis rate) (OR = 2.124;

P
<
0.001

), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (OR = 1.503;

P
=
0.022

) were all independent predictors of NSLN metastasis. Patients with 0, 1, 2, or 3 of these risk factors exhibited NSLN metastases in 29.3%, 35.7%, 50.8%, and 68.3% of cases, respectively. We additionally found that the number of positive SLNs (OR = 3.582;

P
<
0.001

), SLN metastasis rate (OR = 2.505;

P
=
0.001

), LVI (OR = 2.010;

P
=
0.004

), and HER2 overexpression (OR = 1.774;

P
=
0.034

) were all independent predictors of N2 disease. When individuals had 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 of these risk factors, they had four or more involved ALNs in 5.2%, 10.8%, 21.1%, 37.5%, and 70.6% of cases, respectively. Conclusion. These results suggest that the number of positive SLNs, the SLN metastasis rate, and LVI are all significant predictors of ALN status in BC patients that have 1-2 positive SLNs and that have undergone ALND. In addition, HER2 overexpression was a significant predictor of N2 disease.
Multiparameter Space Decision Voting and Fusion Features for Facial Expression Recognition
Authors: Wang Yan , Li Ming , Wan Xing , Zhang Congxuan , Wang Yue
Published: December 2020

Obtaining a valid facial expression recognition (FER) method is still a research hotspot in the artificial intelligence field. In this paper, we propose a multiparameter fusion feature space and decision voting-based classification for facial expression recognition. First, the parameter of the fusion feature space is determined according to the cross-validation recognition accuracy of the Multiscale Block Local Binary Pattern Uniform Histogram (MB-LBPUH) descriptor filtering over the training samples. According to the parameters, we build various fusion feature spaces by employing multiclass linear discriminant analysis (LDA). In these spaces, fusion features composed of MB-LBPUH and Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) features are used to represent different facial expressions. Finally, to resolve the inconvenient classifiable pattern problem caused by similar expression classes, a nearest neighbor-based decision voting strategy is designed to predict the classification results. In experiments with the JAFFE, CK+, and TFEID datasets, the proposed model clearly outperformed existing algorithms.
Acorn Oil: Chemistry and Functionality
Authors: Taib Mehdi , Bouyazza Lahboub , Lyoussi Badiaa
Published: December 2020

Acorn oil has been receiving increasing attention due to its nutritional potentials. However, its application as a novel food ingredient has not yet been fully explored. This paper summarizes chemical composition, extraction methods, potential health benefits, and current applications of acorn oil, with the aim of providing suggestions for its exploitation. Acorn oil is an excellent source of essential fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, α-linolenic, and palmitic acids). Acorns are a rich source of tocopherols, with γ-tocopherol being the most abundant. It also contains various bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and sterols (mainly β-sitosterol). Diets enriched with acorn oil can be beneficial in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and type 2 diabetes as well as offer antioxidant activity. Further studies should focus on producing better quality acorn oil such as the application of more innovative and optimized techniques that can increase its health benefits and hence utilization.
VP2 Gene-Based Molecular Evolutionary Patterns of Major Circulating Bluetongue Virus Serotypes Isolated during 2014–2018 from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States of India
Authors: Thota Ravali , Ganji Vishweshwar Kumar , Machanagari Sharanya , Yella Narasimha Reddy , Buddala Bhagyalakshmi , Yadlapati Krishnajyothi , Rao P. P. , Maan Sushila , Maan Narender S. , Hemadri Divakar , Singh Karam Pal , Putty Kalyani
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Bluetongue disease is an economically important viral disease of livestock caused by bluetongue virus (BTV) having multiple serotypes. It belongs to the genus Orbivirus of family Reoviridae and subfamily Sedoreovirinae. The genome of BTV is 10 segmented dsRNA that codes for 7 structural and 4 nonstructural proteins, of which VP2 was reported to be serotype-specific and a major antigenic determinant. Objective: It is important to know the circulating serotypes in a particular geographical location for effective control of the disease. The present study unravels the molecular evolution of the circulating BTV serotypes during 2014–2018 in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states of India. Methods: Multiple sequence alignment with available BTV serotypes in GenBank and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the partial VP2 sequences of major circulating BTV serotypes during the study period. Results: The multiple sequence alignment of circulating serotypes with respective reference isolates revealed variations in antigenic VP2. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the major circulating serotypes were grouped into eastern topotypes (BTV-1, BTV-2, BTV-4, and BTV-16) and Western topotypes (BTV-5, BTV-12, and BTV-24). Conclusion: Our study strengthens the need for development of an effective vaccine, which can induce the immune response for a range of serotypes within and in between topotypes.
The Role of Cell Metabolism in Innate Immune Memory
Authors: Ferreira Anaisa Valido , Domiguéz-Andrés Jorge , Netea Mihai Gheorghe
Published: December 2020

Immunological memory is classically attributed to adaptive immune responses, but recent studies have shown that challenged innate immune cells can display long-term functional changes that increase nonspecific responsiveness to subsequent infections. This phenomenon, coined trained immunity or innate immune memory, is based on the epigenetic reprogramming and the rewiring of intracellular metabolic pathways. Here, we review the different metabolic pathways that are modulated in trained immunity. Glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid, and lipid metabolism are interplaying pathways that are crucial for the establishment of innate immune memory. Unraveling this metabolic wiring allows for a better understanding of innate immune contribution to health and disease. These insights may open avenues for the development of future therapies that aim to harness or dampen the power of the innate immune response.
“História da Gata Borralheira” – a moral entre o bem e o mal na relação entre classes sociais
Authors: Nahas Nathália Macri
Published: December 2020

Na releitura do célebre conto infantil da Cinderela, Sophia Andresen apresenta sua visão sobre a relação entre as classes socioeconômicas no cenário português dos anos 1960. Por meio da história da protagonista Lúcia, observamos a crítica da autora sobre o desejo de ascensão social às classes favorecidas da sociedade, que são associadas a características negativas como superficialidade, maldade. No conto, o mundo que vive das aparências é problematizado, ressaltando o conflito entre o ser e o ter. Assim, a questão socioeconômica se coaduna a valores caros à poética andreseniana, como a busca pela justiça e pelo equilíbrio nas relações entre o homem e sua realidade.
"Arroz de telhados": os gestos autorais de/em Adília
Authors: Sales Paulo Alberto da Silva
Published: December 2020

A poesia performática de Adília Lopes causa nos leitores estranhamentos diversos pelo hibridismo típico de sua poética. São poemas que se servem de inúmeras referências, sejam relacionadas à vida da poeta e/ou a elementos intertextuais de fontes diversas. Nesses amálgamas, a questão da autoria fica latente, uma vez que não se constata uma “originalidade” em/de seus textos. No intuito de verificar como a figura autoral da poeta se esmaece no entrecruzamento de discursos diversos, apoiados nos estudos seminais de Barthes, Foucault, Agamben, dentre outros, apresentamos a leitura de alguns poemas presentes no livro Manhã, publicado em 2015, nos quais os processos de escrituras múltiplas evidenciam a ascensão de uma poética da leitura.
Ca
2+
-CaM Dependent Inactivation of RyR2 Underlies Ca
2+
Alternans in Intact Heart
Authors: Wei Jinhong , Yao Jinjing , Belke Darrell , Guo Wenting , Zhong Xiaowei , Sun Bo , Wang Ruiwu , Paul Estillore John , Vallmitjana Alexander , Benitez Raul , Hove-Madsen Leif , Alvarez-Lacalle Enrique , Echebarria Blas , Chen S.R. Wayne
Published: December 2020

Rationale:

Ca
2+
alternans plays an essential role in cardiac alternans that can lead to ventricular fibrillation, but the mechanism underlying Ca
2+
alternans remains undefined. Increasing evidence suggests that Ca
2+
alternans results from alternations in the inactivation of cardiac RyR2 (ryanodine receptor 2). However, what inactivates RyR2 and how RyR2 inactivation leads to Ca
2+
alternans are unknown.

Objective:

To determine the role of CaM (calmodulin) on Ca
2+
alternans in intact working mouse hearts.

Methods and Results:

We used an in vivo local gene delivery approach to alter CaM function by directly injecting adenoviruses expressing CaM-wild type, a loss-of-function CaM mutation, CaM (1–4), and a gain-of-function mutation, CaM-M37Q, into the anterior wall of the left ventricle of RyR2 wild type or mutant mouse hearts. We monitored Ca
2+
transients in ventricular myocytes near the adenovirus-injection sites in Langendorff-perfused intact working hearts using confocal Ca
2+
imaging. We found that CaM-wild type and CaM-M37Q promoted Ca
2+
alternans and prolonged Ca
2+
transient recovery in intact RyR2 wild type and mutant hearts, whereas CaM (1–4) exerted opposite effects. Altered CaM function also affected the recovery from inactivation of the L-type Ca
2+
current but had no significant impact on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
content. Furthermore, we developed a novel numerical myocyte model of Ca
2+
alternans that incorporates Ca
2+
-CaM-dependent regulation of RyR2 and the L-type Ca
2+
channel. Remarkably, the new model recapitulates the impact on Ca
2+
alternans of altered CaM and RyR2 functions under 9 different experimental conditions. Our simulations reveal that diastolic cytosolic Ca
2+
elevation as a result of rapid pacing triggers Ca
2+
-CaM dependent inactivation of RyR2. The resultant RyR2 inactivation diminishes sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
release, which, in turn, reduces diastolic cytosolic Ca
2+
, leading to alternations in diastolic cytosolic Ca
2+
, RyR2 inactivation, and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
release (ie, Ca
2+
alternans).

Conclusions:

Our results demonstrate that inactivation of RyR2 by Ca
2+
-CaM is a major determinant of Ca
2+
alternans, making Ca
2+
-CaM dependent regulation of RyR2 an important therapeutic target for cardiac alternans.
Knowing How You Know: Toddlers Reevaluate Words Learned From an Unreliable Speaker
Authors: Dautriche Isabelle , Goupil Louise , Smith Kenny , Rabagliati Hugh
Published: December 2020

There has been little investigation of the way source monitoring, the ability to track the source of one’s knowledge, may be involved in lexical acquisition. In two experiments, we tested whether toddlers (mean age 30 months) can monitor the source of their lexical knowledge and reevaluate their implicit belief about a word mapping when this source is proven to be unreliable. Experiment 1 replicated previous research (Koenig & Woodward, 2010 ): children displayed better performance in a word learning test when they learned words from a speaker who has previously revealed themself as reliable (correctly labeling familiar objects) as opposed to an unreliable labeler (incorrectly labeling familiar objects). Experiment 2 then provided the critical test for source monitoring: children first learned novel words from a speaker before watching that speaker labeling familiar objects correctly or incorrectly. Children who were exposed to the reliable speaker were significantly more likely to endorse the word mappings taught by the speaker than children who were exposed to a speaker who they later discovered was an unreliable labeler. Thus, young children can reevaluate recently learned word mappings upon discovering that the source of their knowledge is unreliable. This suggests that children can monitor the source of their knowledge in order to decide whether that knowledge is justified, even at an age where they are not credited with the ability to verbally report how they have come to know what they know.
Idealized Aquaplanet Simulations of Tropical Cyclone Activity: Significance of Temperature Gradients, Hadley Circulation, and Zonal Asymmetry
Authors: Zhang Gan , Silvers Levi G. , Zhao Ming , Knutson Thomas R.
Published: December 2020

Earlier studies have proposed many semiempirical relations between climate and tropical cyclone (TC) activity. To explore these relations, this study conducts idealized aquaplanet experiments using both symmetric and asymmetric sea surface temperature (SST) forcings. With zonally symmetric SST forcings that have a maximum at 10°N, reducing meridional SST gradients around an Earth-like reference state leads to a weakening and southward displacement of the intertropical convergence zone. With nearly flat meridional gradients, warm-hemisphere TC numbers increase by nearly 100 times due particularly to elevated high-latitude TC activity. Reduced meridional SST gradients contribute to a poleward expansion of the tropics, which is associated with a poleward migration of the latitudes where TCs form or reach their lifetime maximum intensity. However, these changes cannot be simply attributed to the poleward expansion of Hadley circulation. Introducing zonally asymmetric SST forcings tends to decrease the global TC number. Regional SST warming—prescribed with or without SST cooling at other longitudes—affects local TC activity but does not necessarily increase TC genesis. While regional warming generally suppresses TC activity in remote regions with relatively cold SSTs, one experiment shows a surprisingly large increase of TC genesis. This increase of TC genesis over relatively cold SSTs is related to local tropospheric cooling that reduces static stability near 15°N and vertical wind shear around 25°N. Modeling results are discussed with scaling analyses and have implications for the application of the “convective quasi-equilibrium and weak temperature gradient” framework.
A Multidecadal-Scale Tropically Driven Global Teleconnection over the Past Millennium and Its Recent Strengthening
Authors: Feng Xiaofang , Ding Qinghua , Wu Liguang , Jones Charles , Baxter Ian , Tardif Robert , Stevenson Samantha , Emile-Geay Julien , Mitchell Jonathan , Carvalho Leila M. V. , Wang Huijun , Steig Eric J.
Published: December 2020

In the past 40 years, the global annual mean surface temperature has experienced a nonuniform warming, differing from the spatially uniform warming simulated by the forced responses of large multimodel ensembles to anthropogenic forcing. Rather, it exhibits significant asymmetry between the Arctic and Antarctic, with intermittent and spatially varying warming trends along the Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitudes and a slight cooling in the tropical eastern Pacific. In particular, this “wavy” pattern of temperature changes over the NH midlatitudes features strong cooling over Eurasia in boreal winter. Here, we show that these nonuniform features of surface temperature changes are likely tied together by tropical eastern Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs), via a global atmospheric teleconnection. Using six reanalyses, we find that this teleconnection can be consistently obtained as a leading circulation mode in the past century. This tropically driven teleconnection is associated with a Pacific SST pattern resembling the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO), and hereafter referred to as the IPO-related bipolar teleconnection (IPO-BT). Further, two paleo-reanalysis reconstruction datasets show that the IPO-BT is a robust recurrent mode over the past 400 and 2000 years. The IPO-BT mode may thus serve as an important internal mode that regulates high-latitude climate variability on multidecadal time scales, favoring a warming (cooling) episode in the Arctic accompanied by cooling (warming) over Eurasia and the Southern Ocean (SO). Thus, the spatial nonuniformity of recent surface temperature trends may be partially explained by the enhanced appearance of the IPO-BT mode by a transition of the IPO toward a cooling phase in the eastern Pacific in the past decades.
The 5-Factor Modified Frailty Index in the Geriatric Surgical Population
Authors: Subramaniam Sneha , Aalberg Jeffrey J. , Soriano Rainier P. , Divino Celia M.
Published: December 2020

Background

The modified frailty index (mFI-11) is a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP)–based 11-factor index that has been proven to adequately reflect frailty and predict mortality and morbidity. In the past years, certain NSQIP variables have been removed from the database; as of 2015, only 5 out of the original 11 factors remain. While the predictive power and usefulness of this 5-factor index (mFI-5) has been proven in previous work, it has yet to be studied in the geriatrics population. The goal of our study was to compare the mFI-5 to the mFI-11 in terms of value and predictive ability for mortality, postoperative infection, and unplanned 30-day readmission for patients aged 65 years and older.

Methods

Spearman’s Rho was calculated to compare the value, and unadjusted and adjusted logistic regressions were created for three outcomes in nine surgical subspecialties. Correlation coefficients were above .86 across all surgical specialties except for cardiac surgery. Adjusted and unadjusted models showed similar C-statistics for mFI-5 and 11.

Results

Overall predictive values of geriatric mFI-5 and mFI-11 were lower than those for the general population but still had effective predictive value for mortality and post-operative complications (C-Stat ≥ .7) and weak predictive value for 30-day readmission.

Conclusions

The mFI-5 is an equally effective predictor as the mFI-11 in all subspecialties and an effective predictor of mortality and postoperative complication in the geriatric population. This index has credibility for future use to study frailty within NSQIP, within other databases, and for clinical assessment and use.
Enhanced Recovery Programs for Colorectal Surgery and Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury: Results From a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Zorrilla-Vaca Andrés , Mena Gabriel E. , Cata Juan , Healy Ryan , Grant Michael C.
Published: December 2020

Background

Enhanced recovery programs (ERPs) for colorectal surgery bundle evidence-based measures to reduce complications, accelerate postoperative recovery, and improve the value of perioperative health care. Despite these successes, several recent studies have identified an association between ERPs and postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the association between ERPs for colorectal surgery and postoperative AKI.

Methodology

After conducting a search of major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect), we conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies that reported on the association between ERPs and postoperative AKI.

Results

Six observational studies (n = 4765 patients) comparing ERP (n = 2140) to conventional care (n = 2625) were included. Overall, ERP patients had a significantly greater odds of developing postoperative AKI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-3.00, P = .001) than those who received conventional care. There was no evidence of publication bias (Begg’s test P = 1.0, Egger’s P value = .95).

Conclusions

Based upon pooled results from observational studies, ERPs are associated with increased odds of developing postoperative AKI compared to conventional perioperative care. The mechanism for this effect is likely multifactorial. Additional research targeting high risk patient populations should evaluate the role of restrictive fluid administration, hemodynamic goals, and scheduled nephrotoxic agents in ERP protocols.
Predictors of Mortality Among Very Low Birth Weight Infants With Gastrointestinal Perforation
Authors: Reppucci Marina L. , Hersh Eliza H. , Khetan Prerna , Coakley Brian A.
Published: December 2020

Background

Gastrointestinal (GI) perforation is a risk factor for mortality in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Little data exist regarding pretreatment factors and patient characteristics known to independently correlate with risk of death.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective review of all VLBW infants who sustained GI perforation between 2011 and 2018 was conducted. Birth, laboratory, and disease-related factors of infants who died were compared to those who survived.

Results

42 VLBW infants who sustained GI perforations were identified. Eleven (26.19%) died. There were no significant differences in birth-related factors, hematological lab levels at diagnosis, presence of pneumatosis, or bacteremia. Portal venous gas ( P = .03), severe metabolic acidosis ( P < .01), and elevated lactate at diagnosis ( P < .01) were statistically more likely to occur among infants who died.

Discussion

Portal venous gas, severe metabolic acidosis, and elevated lactate were associated with an increased risk of mortality among VLBW infants who develop a GI perforation. Further research is required to better identify risk factors.
Degradation of hybrid aramid/glass/epoxy composites hydrothermally aged in distilled water
Authors: Oguz Zeynal Abidin , Erklig Ahmet , Bozkurt Ömer Yavuz
Published: December 2020

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of distilled water on the flexural and impact properties of glass/aramid fibers reinforced epoxy resin hybrid laminated composites. Four different groups of composite samples ([G6]S, [A6]S, [G3A3]S, [A3G3]S) were produced by the vacuum infusion method (VARIM), and treated with the distilled water at a temperature of 25 and 70°C for 1000 h. Mechanical tests were carried out under three different conditions, dry, wet, and re-dried. The mass gain ratio of the samples was examined for different periods. The fracture surfaces of the samples were examined using SEM. Results indicated that water intake of all composite samples followed as Fickian-like behavior. The stacking sequence of hybrid composite showed a major effect on water absorption features. The distilled water treatment caused a significant decrease in flexural strength, impact strength of all groups. Reduction of flexural strength and impact strength were increased as the temperature was increased for both impact tests.
Comparative Analysis of Majority Language Influence on North Sámi Prosody Using WaveNet-Based modeling
Authors: Hiovain Katri , Suni Antti , Kakouros Sofoklis , Šimko Juraj
Published: December 2020

The Finnmark North Sámi is a variety of North Sámi language, an indigenous, endangered minority language spoken in the northernmost parts of Norway and Finland. The speakers of this language are bilingual, and regularly speak the majority language (Finnish or Norwegian) as well as their own North Sámi variety. In this paper we investigate possible influences of these majority languages on prosodic characteristics of Finnmark North Sámi, and associate them with prosodic patterns prevalent in the majority languages. We present a novel methodology that: (a) automatically finds the portions of speech (words) where the prosodic differences based on majority languages are most robustly manifested; and (b) analyzes the nature of these differences in terms of intonational patterns. For the first step, we trained convolutional WaveNet speech synthesis models on North Sámi speech material, modified to contain purely prosodic information, and used conditioning embeddings to find words with the greatest differences between the varieties. The subsequent exploratory analysis suggests that the differences in intonational patterns between the two Finnmark North Sámi varieties are not manifested uniformly across word types (based on part-of-speech category). Instead, we argue that the differences reflect phrase-level prosodic characteristics of the majority languages.
Eating Behavior of Brazilian College Students: Influences of Lifestyle, Negative Affectivity, and Personal Characteristics
Authors: Martins Bianca G. , da Silva Wanderson R. , Marôco João , Campos Juliana A. D. B.
Published: December 2020

In this study we proposed to estimate the impact of lifestyle, negative affectivity, and college students’ personal characteristics on eating behavior. We aimed to verify that negative affectivity moderates the relationship between lifestyle and eating behavior. We assessed eating behaviors of cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE), and emotional eating (EE)) with the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-18. We assessed lifestyle with the Individual Lifestyle Profile, and we assessed negative affectivity with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. We constructed and tested (at p < .05) a hypothetical causal structural model that considered global (second-order) and specific (first-order) lifestyle components, negative affectivity and sample characteristics for each eating behavior dimension. Participants were 1,109 college students ( M age = 20.9, SD = 2.7 years; 65.7% females). We found significant impacts of lifestyle second-order components on negative affectivity (β = −0.57–0.19; p < 0.001–0.01) in all models. Physical and psychological lifestyle components impacted directly only on CR (β=−0.32–0.81; p < 0.001). Negative affectivity impacted UE and EE (β = 0.23–0.30; p < 0.001). For global models, we found no mediation pathways between lifestyle and CR or UE. For specific models, negative affectivity was a mediator between stress management and UE (β=−0.07; p < 0.001). Negative affectivity also mediated the relationship between thoughts of dropping an undergraduate course and UE and EE (β = 0.06–0.08; p < 0.001). Participant sex and weight impacted all eating behavior dimensions (β = 0.08–0.34; p < 0.001–0.01). Age was significant for UE and EE (β=−0,14– −0.09; p < 0.001–0.01). Economic stratum influenced only CR (β = 0.08; p = 0.01). In sum, participants’ lifestyle, negative emotions and personal characteristics were all relevant for eating behavior assessment.
Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of text printed with flexography on woven labels
Authors: Elesini Urška Stanković , Pančur Sara , Možina Klementina
Published: December 2020

Even though textile labels are not often the subject of research, their quality must not be neglected. Printed typographic elements (i.e. letters and texts) must be visible regardless of textile ribbons and typeface or type size to be printed. Thus, the aim of the research was to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze and evaluate the text printed with flexography in two different typefaces (Helvetica and Verdana) in three different type sizes (4, 6 and 8 point) on five textile ribbons made of polyester and polyester/cotton mixture in two different weaves (plain and satin). The results of our research showed that the quality of printed letters is influenced by the properties of textile ribbons as well as by the chosen typographic features. When textile ribbons were composed of polyester filaments, the quality of prints was better than in the case of the mixed composition with cotton fibers. The coating and previously dyed textile ribbons had a positive influence on the quality of printed letters. The typeface Verdana gave more distinct and contrasted printed letters than Helvetica. The quality of printed letters (measured by the cover factor) decreased with the reduced type size; letters (and text) in a smaller type size (4 point) were hence, depending on the properties of textile ribbons, less visible.
Tourism Marketing Stimulus Characteristics: A Self-Validation Analysis of Iran
Authors: Hadinejad Arghavan , Kralj Anna , Scott Noel , Moyle Brent D. , Gardiner Sarah
Published: December 2020

Prior self-validation hypothesis studies suggest that an individual’s attitude toward advertising is affected by the cognitive processing of the message and the valence of emotion. Yet, the effect of emotional arousal and stimulus credibility on attitudes toward a destination has not been discerned. This study employs the self-validation hypothesis to investigate the effect of the three dimensions of thinking on attitudes toward Iran. Participants (N = 416) were randomly assigned to a two (high vs. low arousal) × two (high vs. low source credibility) experiment. The partial least squares multigroup analysis results indicated that the emotionally arousing stimulus led to a greater influence of the amount and confidence of thought on attitudes. The effect of the amount of thought on attitude was greater in response to a credible stimulus. This research advances knowledge by revealing that emotional arousal has a significant positive impact on three dimensions of thinking and positive attitudes.
Mortal Democracy and Plato’s Apology
Authors: Barringer Elizabeth
Published: December 2020

The Apology is often read as showing a conflict between democracy and philosophy. I argue here that Socrates’s defense critically engages deeply political Athenian conventions of death, showing a mutual entanglement between Socratic philosophy and democratic practice. I suggest that Socrates’s aporetic insistence within the Apology that we “do not know if death is a good or a bad thing” structures a critical space of inquiry that I term “mortal ignorance;” a space from which Socrates reapproaches settled questions of death’s appropriate place in political life, ultimately prompting a partial transformation of Athenian democracy. I argue here that Socratic mortal ignorance supports a self-reflective politics of death, one which produces many potential responses and accepts the impossibility of closing off death’s meaning in any final sense—an aporia suitable for the unending, precarious work of democratic politics.
A Latent Transition Analysis of Self-Reported Reasons for Marijuana Use During Young Adulthood
Authors: Bray Bethany C. , Berglund Patricia A. , Evans-Polce Rebecca J. , Patrick Megan E.
Published: December 2020

Individuals’ reasons for marijuana use have been linked to their risk for continued use and development of disordered use. Although individuals tend to have multiple reasons for use, co-occurrence of reasons is not always accounted for in analytic approaches. Latent transition analysis (LTA) is ideal for modeling transitions in co-occurring reasons. Using longitudinal panel data from Monitoring the Future, LTA was used to identify profiles of self-reported reasons for marijuana use among young adults, examine transitions between profiles, and determine whether cohort, gender, race/ethnicity, parent education, grade of first marijuana use, and 4-year college attendance predicted transitions between profiles. Data included senior year cohorts from 1976–2009 and were collected at ages 19/20, 21/22, and 23/24 (weighted n = 7,294; 55.9% female; 79.3% White). Five latent classes were identified: Non-Users and individuals with Experimental, Typical, Get High + Relax, and Escape + Coping Reasons. Transitions among Non-Users, Experimental Reasons, and Typical Reasons were common; generally, those with earlier cohort membership, early initiation, college non-attending parents, and college attendance were more likely to make transitions to higher-risk classes. As the legalization of recreational marijuana use continues to expand, change over time in reasons for use should be considered carefully as interventions are developed and implemented.
Searching for Something Positive in Future Negative: The Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory–Time Attitudes Scale
Authors: McKay Michael T. , Worrell Frank C. , Cole Jon C.
Published: December 2020

The Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory–Time Attitudes Scale (AATI-TA) measures emotional engagement with the past, present, and future, and scores have been shown to relate meaningfully to health outcomes. For past, present, and future, five items are used to assess both positive and negative attitudes. Although evidence for the hypothesized six-factor solution has been widely reported, some studies have indicated problems with the Future Negative items. Given that a large and growing literature has emerged on the six-factor AATI-TA, and that AATI-TA scores have shown much better and more consistent fit than other temporal psychology measures, we sought to investigate the future negative factor in detail. Secondary analyses were performed on two datasets. The first was a University convenience sample ( N = 410) and the second was an adolescent sample ( N = 1,612). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the fit for the five Future Negative items was poor. Modification indices suggested that a correlated error term between Items 4 and 10 would result in good fit, and this was indeed the case. Models without Item 4 or Item 10 also yielded acceptable fit. Analyses using all four operationalizations of Future Negative (original scale, without Item 4 or Item 10, or with the correlated error between Items 4 and 10) to predict symptoms of anxiety and depression, and emotional self-efficacy revealed minor differences in the predictive validity coefficients. Potential ways forward, including a correlated error term or the dropping or replacement of Item 10, are discussed.
Coproduction, participation and empowerment: A participatory evaluation of a young care leavers project in prison
Authors: Hartworth Christopher , Simpson Dawn , Attewell Helen
Published: December 2020

This practice note presents the results of a participatory evaluation of a coproduced project for care leavers at two young offenders institutions in the North East of England. The project has been delivered by Nepacs, a North East charity that provides family support to those affected by imprisonment and evaluated by Barefoot Research, a social research organisation. We think reporting on our experiences is worthy of sharing because both coproduction and participatory evaluation are unusual in criminal justice settings, particularly custodial ones. Our practice note shows that both approaches have yielded interesting findings relating to the development of young people’s own intrinsic capabilities, their ability to access their entitlements and their feelings of empowerment.
Family Socioeconomic Status, Educational Expectations, and Academic Achievement Among Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Adolescents: The Protective Role of Subjective Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Ren Yi , Zhang Feng , Jiang Ying , Huang Silin
Published: December 2020

The adverse impact of a low family socioeconomic status (SES) on rural-to-urban migrant children’s academic achievement has been widely demonstrated. However, knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying this relationship is limited. The current study aimed to examine the potential mediating effects of educational expectations and the moderating effects of subjective SES on the relationship between family SES and academic achievement among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. A sample of 321 rural-to-urban migrant adolescents (48.2% girls; mean age = 11.73 years, SD = 1.16 years) was recruited in China. The results indicated that migrant adolescents’ educational expectations mediated the relationship between family SES and academic achievement. In addition, the link between family SES and educational expectations was weak among adolescents with higher levels of subjective SES. These findings suggest that subjective SES serves as a protective factor buffering the negative effects of a low family SES on migrant adolescents’ academic achievement through educational expectations.
Maternal Care Utilization in Primary Healthcare Centers in Nigerian Communities
Authors: Ahuru Rolle R.
Published: December 2020

This study investigated maternal care utilization in Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in four rural communities in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State, Nigeria. The study is a cross-sectional household survey that used a structured questionnaire to elicit information from 398 women within the reproductive ages. The data were analyzed with descriptive and multivariate statistical methods. The data revealed that 67.1% of currently pregnant women utilized ANC in PHCs, 55.7% of women who reported recent birth delivered in PHCs and 30.9% delivered outside health institutions. The odds for delivery care utilization in PHCs were significantly lower for women who reported at least secondary education [aOR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.22[Formula: see text]1.16] and those on the highest income bracket N(15,000–99,000) [aOR: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.00[Formula: see text]0.82]. Poor quality of care accounts for the highest proportion of the reasons why some women refrained from utilizing maternal care in PHCs despite proximity. Delta State government should put in place measures to upgrade PHCs in the rural part of the State.
Sanctions for Intimate Partner Sexual Violence: Is the Law on the Books the Law in Action?
Authors: Bielen Samantha , Dimitrova-Grajzl Valentina , Grajzl Peter
Published: December 2020

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is common, yet in many jurisdictions the law still does not adequately recognize it. In those jurisdictions that have formally criminalized IPSV, little is known about the extent to which IPSV-related law on the books is implemented in practice. Especially scarce is systematic quantitative evidence on the processing of IPSV cases by the justice system. We investigate unique case-level court data on the processing and sanctioning of violent sex crime cases in Belgium, a jurisdiction where the law adequately criminalizes IPSV, but where criminal judges are afforded broad sentencing discretion. Our data allow us to observe both the conviction and the sentencing decision. Consequently, we are able to address the endogenous sample selection concerns that arise in the assessment of IPSV-related sentencing disparities by estimating a full-fledged sample selection model. Upon inclusion of a broad range of defendant, victim, and other case controls, we show that defendants who are the victims’ spouses or partners receive statistically significantly shorter prison sentences than defendants who are unrelated to the victims, in the sense that they are neither the victims’ current or former spouses nor family. The documented extralegal disparity is quantitatively noteworthy and survives a series of robustness checks as well as alternative model specifications. Our analysis thus lends empirical credibility to the perspective that while national legislatures have often been slow to address IPSV, the justice systems may be even slower at internalizing the corresponding law. Our evidence-based insight into de facto legal responses to IPSV is of direct relevance to many jurisdictions globally.
Self-Efficacy, Perceived Barriers to Care, and Health-Promoting Behaviors Among Franco-Americans Across Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Mszar Reed , Buscher Sara , McCann Dervilla , Taylor Heidi L.
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To assess the prevalence of perceived barriers to accessing health care services, self-efficacy, and health-promoting behaviors among Franco-Americans as a higher-risk group for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), stratified by cardiovascular risk factors.

Design:

Cross-sectional survey based on components of the Health Belief Model

Setting:

Administered in-person at a Franco-American cultural center and online through mailing lists and social media platforms in the Northeastern United States

Sample:

Franco-Americans and French Canadians (n = 170)

Measures:

Demographic and clinical characteristics (i.e. high cholesterol, prior heart attack or stroke, family history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), diagnosis of FH), perceived barriers to accessing health care services, self-efficacy, and health-promoting behaviors (i.e. taking lipid-lowering medications, seeing a cardiovascular specialist).

Results:

In a cohort of Franco-Americans, 42 (25%) had both high cholesterol and family history of ASCVD. Among Franco-Americans with both cardiovascular risk factors, 22% had low self-efficacy and only 16% had discussed FH with their physician. Individuals with both risk factors were significantly more likely to report a concern over a future diagnosis as a barrier to accessing health care services when compared with those with neither risk factor (36% vs. 15%, p = 0.014). Overall, other prominent barriers to care included knowledge of when to seek help (27%) and a distrust in medicine (26%).

Conclusion:

Franco-Americans report significant barriers to accessing health care services. Our findings strengthen the case for developing focused public health strategies to raise awareness for FH, particularly among high-risk subpopulations with unmet cardiovascular needs.
A tailored heating element for resistance welding of complex shaped joining surfaces
Authors: Dahl Erik , Schürmann Helmut , Mittelstedt Christian
Published: December 2020

To obtain a larger freedom of design for structural components, a single wire heating element which is capable of welding large and complex shaped surfaces has been developed. The processing window for welds of endless-carbon-fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 (CF-PA6) using the developed heating element is investigated, varying the main process parameters electrical power, electrical energy and joining pressure. The influence of these process parameters on the quality of the welded joints is judged by single and double lap shear tests and by the analysis of micrographs. As a result, recommendations for the processing parameters are derived. The climate conditions of the specimens are varied to analyze the impact of moisture on the shear-transmitting joints whereby an accelerated method for conditioning of PA6 specimens is used. Furthermore, a sensor-free method for monitoring the temperature of the welding process is presented and compared with a classical measuring method.
Study on characteristics of vortex structures and irreversible losses in the centrifugal pump
Authors: Yuan Zhiyi , Zhang Yongxue , Wang Cong , Lu Bohui
Published: December 2020

The development of flow control methods in the centrifugal pump relies on further understanding of the characteristics of vortex structures and their irreversible losses. In this paper, the detached eddy simulation is conducted on a model centrifugal pump, which shows a good agreement with the experiment. Combining with three generations of vortex identification methods (vorticity, Q criterion, omega and Liutex methods) and entropy production analysis, the results show omega and Liutex methods are highly recommended to analyze the vortex structures. Vorticity is the key factor to promote the energy dissipation, and the irreversible losses of vortex areas can be lower than their surroundings when there exists smaller vorticity or higher rotation strength. Concerning the pressure pulsation induced by vortex shedding, it is unreasonable to analyze this unsteady process via vortex structures identified by iso-surface because of the restriction of the threshold. In comparison, the change of integral length is more related to the pressure pulsation.