bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new species of the axiid shrimp genus Manaxius Kensley, 2003 (Decapoda: Axiidea) from shallow coral reefs of the western Pacific
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , ANKER ARTHUR
Published: October 2020

Manaxius paullus, a new species of axiid burrowing shrimp, is described on the basis of a female holotype from the Society Islands, French Polynesia, and a female paratype from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Both specimens were collected on shallow coral reefs. The new species is morphologically closest to five of 17 congeners, viz., M. euophthalmus (de Man, 1905), M. izuensis (Komai, 2011), M. mimasensis (Sakai, 1967), M. poupini (Komai, 2016) and M. supia Poore, 2020, but can be separated from all of them by the rostrum being relatively broad and with one pair of lateral spines, in addition to a pair of supraocular spines; the presence of a subdistal spine on the dorsal margin of the cheliped ischium; the presence of additional three or four small spines on each cheliped palm, adjacent to the dorsal margin; and the lack of a spine near the base of the fingers of each cheliped palm.
Phylogeny of dracunculoid nematodes (Chromadorea: Rhabditida: Spirurina: Dracunculoidea) from some Eurasian freshwater fishes
Authors: SOKOLOV SERGEY G. , KALMYKOV ALEXANDER P. , MALYSHEVA SVETLANA V.
Published: October 2020

Sets of small ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) and large ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) sequences were obtained for Philometroides moraveci Vismanis & Yunchis, 1994, Philometra kotlani (Molnár, 1969), Philometra rischta Skrjabin, 1923, Philometra cf. obturans (Prenant, 1886) (Philometridae), Sinoichthyonema amuri (Garkavi, 1972), Agrachanus scardinii (Molnár, 1966), Kalmanmolnaria intestinalis (Dogiel & Bychowsky, 1934) and Skrjabillanus tincae Shigin & Shigina, 1958 (Skrjabillanidae). Phylogenetic analysis of SSU rDNA data shows that dracunculoid nematodes are divided into two well-supported clades designated as Clade I and Clade II, respectively. Clade I includes the type species of the genus Philonema Kuitunen-Ekbaum, 1933, some species from the family Daniconematidae Moravec & Køie, 1987 and two subfamilies of skrjabillanids, Skrjabillaninae Shigin & Shigina, 1958 and Esocineminae Moravec, 2006. Clade II unites species from the families Dracunculidae Stiles, 1907, Micropleuridae Baylis & Daubney, 1926 and Philometridae Baylis & Daubney, 1926. Within the Philometridae, there are several well-supported groups of species, one of which unites freshwater Philometra spp. from the Palearctic cyprinids, identified as P. kotlani, P rischta, P. ovata (Zeder, 1803) and P. cyprinirutili (Creplin, 1825). However, the phylogenetic relationships of most philometrids are unresolved. An analysis of partial SSU and LSU rDNA sequences indicates that there is no direct phylogenetic relationship between Agrachanus Tikhomirova, 1971 (type species Skrjabillanus scardinii Molnár, 1966) and Skrjabillanus Shigin & Shigina, 1958 (type species Sk. tincae), which means that the genus Agrachanus can be resurrected. Our study confirms that Philonematinae Ivashkin, Sobolev & Khromova, 1971 should be elevated to the family rank. We formally establish the family Philonematidae Ivashkin, Sobolev & Khromova, 1971 stat. nov. We also suggest combining the superfamilies Dracunculoidea Stiles, 1907 and Camallanoidea Railliet & Henry, 1915 into the infraorder Camallanomorpha Roberts, Janovy & Nadler, 2013.
3D Printed Hydroxyapatite/Silk Fibroin/Polycaprolactone Artificial Bone Scaffold and Bone Tissue Engineering Materials Constructed with Double-Transfected Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Repair Rabbit Radial Bone Defects
Authors: Li Xu , Ye Fang , Li Guoliang , Cui Jun , Liu Yixiu , Yang Liqun , Cong Lin , Li Bing
Published: October 2020

To examine the effect of bone tissue engineering material constructed via 3D printed nanohydroxyapatite/silk fibroin/polycaprolactone (nHA/SF/PCL) artificial bone scaffolds and doubletransfected BMP-2/VEGF mesenchymal stem cells in repairing rabbit radial bone defects, 60 New Zealand
rabbits were randomly selected, and with the establishment of a 15 mm bone defect model upon the middle of the anterior right radius bone. The rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups, with each group composed of 15 rabbits: Group A (nHA/SF/PCL BMP-2/VEGF), Group B (simple nHA/SF/PCL),
Group C (simple BMP-2/VEGF), Group D (blank control). Our team recorded the eating, movement, redness, exudation, and so forth across each sample group following the operation. The bone protein expression levels were measured via western blotting following 12 weeks post-operation. Histological
observation was carried performed via tissue sections. Following the operation procedure, the wound healed healthily across the 4 experimental groups, no serious infections occurred, only a few rabbits exhibited redness, exudation, pus, and other phenomena, and there was no significant difference
present in each group (P > 0.05). The A group took the shortest time to recover its autonomous activity ability, followed by the B group, and the D group took the longest time to recover its autonomous activity ability. From western blotting tests, the A group possessed the highest
BMP-2 and OCN expression levels, and have significant difference existed with the B, C, and D group (P < 0.05). The order of expression level of BMP-2 and OCN across the other three groups were group C > group B > group D, respectively. The results of a histological section
performed at 12 weeks post-operation revealed that there was no immune response present and no adverse inflammatory reaction occurring within each experimental group. Among the rabbits, the A group exhibited an apparent plate layer new bone formation, bone trabeculae were arranged regularly,
and there was no obvious space within the new bone tissue; furthermore, the repair of the bone defect was completed. The B group still exhibited some bone scaffold remaining within the implantation area, and there was a small gap between the new bone tissue, and several bone defects had not
been repaired. The C group of bone defects presented only a small number of new bone formation, and bone defect repair effect was not obvious. The D group still possessed large bone defects and exhibited poor repair of bone defects. The nHA/SF/PCL composite of artificial bone scaffold and
double-transfected BMP-2/VEGF mesenchymal stem cells was effective in repairing radial bone defects within rabbits, and was superior to using nHA/SF/PCL bone scaffolds alone.
Newborn Clinic: A Novel Model to Provide Timely, Comprehensive Care to Newborns Following Nursery Discharge
Authors: Glassman Melissa E. , Diamond Rebekah , Won Sharon K. , Johal Jasmyn , Sirota Dana R.
Published: October 2020

Ensuring safe and timely follow-up after well baby nursery (WBN) discharge is an ongoing challenge. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a novel model for follow-up, the Newborn Clinic (NBC), in reducing time to outpatient follow-up after WBN discharge. Our retrospective chart review of 17 952 newborns found that time to follow-up visit decreased significantly following NBC establishment. Emergency department visits, a marker of infant morbidity, were slightly increased in the post-establishment cohort. There was no difference, however, in hospital readmissions. Analysis within the post-establishment cohort showed that newborns with jaundice, a high-risk group, were much more likely to have early follow-up if their visit was scheduled with NBC. Our study demonstrates that NBC is an effective model for decreasing time from WBN discharge to follow-up visit. It should be considered as an initiative to run concurrently with expedited newborn discharge initiatives so that safe follow-up need not be sacrificed.
Exploring Afrocentricity: An Analysis of the Discourse of Oprah Winfrey
Authors: Stewart Felicia R.
Published: October 2020

Oprah Winfrey is a world recognizable icon, having achieved success in many different arenas. Her ongoing accomplishments have global influence, and she is known for consistently using her powerful voice. As a skilled orator, Winfrey is often sought after for speaking engagements, including commencement ceremonies, and she has delivered numerous graduation speeches to diverse audiences. This article is the third in a series on exploring Afrocentricity in the rhetoric of recognizable black leaders. Specifically, through applying the tenets of Afrocentricity by Molefi Asante, this study examines two of Winfrey’s commencement speeches to examine the Afrocentric nature of her discourse.
Scalable Target Marketing: Distributed Markov Chain Monte Carlo for Bayesian Hierarchical Models
Authors: Bumbaca Federico (Rico) , Misra Sanjog , Rossi Peter E.
Published: October 2020

Many problems in marketing and economics require firms to make targeted consumer-specific decisions, but current estimation methods are not designed to scale to the size of modern data sets. In this article, the authors propose a new algorithm to close that gap. They develop a distributed Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for estimating Bayesian hierarchical models when the number of consumers is very large and the objects of interest are the consumer-level parameters. The two-stage and embarrassingly parallel algorithm is asymptotically unbiased in the number of consumers, retains the flexibility of a standard MCMC algorithm, and is easy to implement. The authors show that the distributed MCMC algorithm is faster and more efficient than a single-machine algorithm by at least an order of magnitude. They illustrate the approach with simulations with up to 100 million consumers, and with data on 1,088,310 donors to a charitable organization. The algorithm enables an increase of between $1.6 million and $4.6 million in additional donations when applied to a large modern-size data set compared with a typical-size data set.
Social movement and the failure of car-friendly city projects: East and West Berlin (1970s and 1980s)
Authors: Engler Harald
Published: October 2020

The second half of the twentieth century was marked by predominantly car-friendly urban planning, provoking also resistance. This article will analyse the urban social movement against the car-friendly city, using the case of Berlin. The main aim is to define how modern urban societies on both sides of the Iron Curtain competed over their urban mobility infrastructures. The analysis will focus on two case studies: for West Berlin, the citizens’ initiative “Westtangente” formed against urban highways, as well as the broader protest movement against the marginalisation of non-automobile forms of mobility, will be analysed; For East Berlin, a socialist type of car-friendly urban planning failed to realise a number of major motorways that would have passed through a Jewish cemetery, together with the emergence of a small protest movement that formed under the umbrella of the Protestant Church.
Comparison of transhiatal esophagectomy using a mediastinoscope with transhiatal esophagectomy by the classic method
Authors: Rezaei Reza , Masuom Seyed Hossein Fattahi , Soroush Navid , Zehi Vahid
Published: October 2020

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the results of transhiatal esophagectomy using a mediastinoscope in comparison with conventional transhiatal esophagectomy.

Methods

Sixty-two esophageal cancer patients who were referred to our thoracic surgery clinic between April 2015 and March 2017, and met the inclusion criteria, were randomly divided into two groups of 31 each. In the first group, patients were operated on by conventional transhiatal esophagectomy. In the second group, only release of the thoracic esophagus through a neck incision (mediastinal esophagolysis) was performed using a mediastinoscope. The other surgical procedures were similar to those in the first group.

Results

The mean age of the patients was almost the same in both groups (57.7 years in the first group versus 56.7 years in the second group). There was no significant difference in sex ratio. The mean volume of blood loss during the operation, mean operative time, and intensive care unit stay as well as cardiopulmonary complications and early postoperative complications were lower in the group that had esophagectomy using a mediastinoscope, and the number of resected mediastinal lymph nodes was greater.

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study, it can be expected that use of a video mediastinoscope for esophagolysis of the thoracic esophagus in a transhiatal esophagectomy procedure is safe and it will reduce the morbidity and mortality in these patients.
Telepsychiatry Netiquette: Connect, Communicate and Consult
Authors: Kumar Mohan Sunil , Krishnamurthy Sharmitha , Dhruve Nitya , Somashekar Bettahalasoor , Gowda Mahesh R
Published: October 2020

Globally, telepsychiatry has been around since the 1950s. It is in the COVID era that it has gained the relevance and much-needed momentum amongst mental health care professionals. Given the restrictions imposed by the global lockdown owing to the fear of contracting the virus, the ease of access and safety offered by telepsychiatry makes it both appealing and “the new normal.” Despite some hesitation from mental health professionals, there is adequate research to support the role of telehealth services in the management of various mental health disorders. As with any formal system, the practice of telepsychiatry is regulated by professional guidelines to show the way forward to both health provider and seeker. The manuscript examines the ways telepsychiatry is redefining our virtual conduct. It emphasizes the evolving “netiquette” needed to navigate online consultations. It also elucidates the challenges faced by health professionals, and possible ways of maneuvering and circumventing the same. Telepsychiatry, a dynamic process which is interactive and personalized, adds a third dimension to the practice of modern medicine. It is here to stay. So, it is not a question of “if” instead “how soon” we can adapt to and get conversant with this revolutionary mode of connection, communication, and consultation, which will make all the difference.
Initial examination of social compensation and honing frameworks for sexual minority social life and well-being
Authors: Robbins Megan L. , Karan Alexander , Randall Ashley K.
Published: October 2020

The present study used an ecologically-valid approach to address the lack of understanding of similarities and differences in social network size and social interaction quality, and links to affect, among same- and different-gender couples. People in couples who self-identified as a woman with a woman ( n = 48), man with a man ( n = 40), woman with a man ( n = 33), and man with a woman ( n = 33) completed a single measure of social network size, and momentary assessments of social interaction quality and affect throughout their days over two weekends. Women reported lower interaction quality, less positive, and more negative affect (actor effects); similar results were also found for those who were partnered with a woman (partner effects). However, results showed an interaction of actor and partner gender, such that people in different-gender couples experienced lower interaction quality, less positive, and more negative affect than same-gender couples. Overall, results provide preliminary evidence of a honing framework, where people in same-gender couples hone their social networks down to high-quality interaction partners, more than people in different-gender couples, and experience similar links between social interactions and affect compared to people in different-gender couples.
Quantifying the Impact of Acute Stroke System of Care Transfer Protocols on Patient Outcomes
Authors: Lee Min K. , Yih Yuehwern , Griffin Paul M.
Published: October 2020

Background

We quantify the impact of implementing a stroke system of care requiring transport of individuals believed to have stroke to a primary stroke center, in rural and urban settings, based on time from symptom recognition to treatment, probability of receiving treatment within 3 hours of stroke onset, and probability of overcrowding. We use Indiana as an example.

Methods

We used discrete-event simulation to estimate outcomes for 2 scenarios: stroke system of care with enabling technology (mobile stroke unit, stroke team expansion) and stroke system of care with no enabling technology, as compared with the status quo. We considered patient flow from symptom recognition to treatment. Patient locations and stroke events were generated for the 92 Indiana counties in Indiana, subdivided into 1009 locations. We considered time from emergency medical service (EMS) arrival at onset to treatment, probability of tissue plasminogen activator administered within 3 h of onset, and percentage of patients admitted beyond the occupancy level at the comprehensive stroke center.

Results

Results varied by urbanicity. Under no enabling technology, having a stroke system of care improved outcomes for individuals in urban and suburban settings. However, in rural settings, the implementation of stroke system of care guidelines decreased the average rate of treatment within 3 h of stroke onset and increased the EMS arrival to treatment times compared with sending the individual to the closest provider. Enabling technologies improved outcomes regardless of setting.

Discussion

Geographic disparities tend to increase the number of transfers, decrease the rate of treatment within 3 h of onset, and increase transit time. This could be overcome through federal and state initiatives to reduce quality gaps in stroke care in rural settings and promote care with dedicated stroke wards.
Multimodal interaction-aware motion prediction for autonomous street crossing
Authors: Radwan Noha , Burgard Wolfram , Valada Abhinav
Published: October 2020

For mobile robots navigating on sidewalks, the ability to safely cross street intersections is essential. Most existing approaches rely on the recognition of the traffic light signal to make an informed crossing decision. Although these approaches have been crucial enablers for urban navigation, the capabilities of robots employing such approaches are still limited to navigating only on streets that contain signalized intersections. In this article, we address this challenge and propose a multimodal convolutional neural network framework to predict the safety of a street intersection for crossing. Our architecture consists of two subnetworks: an interaction-aware trajectory estimation stream ( interaction-aware temporal convolutional neural network (IA-TCNN)), that predicts the future states of all observed traffic participants in the scene; and a traffic light recognition stream AtteNet. Our IA-TCNN utilizes dilated causal convolutions to model the behavior of all the observable dynamic agents in the scene without explicitly assigning priorities to the interactions among them, whereas AtteNet utilizes squeeze-excitation blocks to learn a content-aware mechanism for selecting the relevant features from the data, thereby improving the noise robustness. Learned representations from the traffic light recognition stream are fused with the estimated trajectories from the motion prediction stream to learn the crossing decision. Incorporating the uncertainty information from both modules enables our architecture to learn a likelihood function that is robust to noise and mispredictions from either subnetworks. Simultaneously, by learning to estimate motion trajectories of the surrounding traffic participants and incorporating knowledge of the traffic light signal, our network learns a robust crossing procedure that is invariant to the type of street intersection. Furthermore, we extend our previously introduced Freiburg Street Crossing dataset with sequences captured at multiple intersections of varying types, demonstrating complex interactions among the traffic participants as well as various lighting and weather conditions. We perform comprehensive experimental evaluations on public datasets as well as our Freiburg Street Crossing dataset, which demonstrate that our network achieves state-of-the-art performance for each of the subtasks, as well as for the crossing safety prediction. Moreover, we deploy the proposed architectural framework on a robotic platform and conduct real-world experiments that demonstrate the suitability of the approach for real-time deployment and robustness to various environments.
Scaling Up Innovative Participatory Design for Public Transportation Planning: Lessons from Experiments in the Global South
Authors: Zegras Chris , Leape Jonathan , Carrasco Juan Antonio , Navas Cristian , Venter Christo , Vergel-Tovar Erik
Published: October 2020

New data, new technologies, and greater computational power are changing the possibilities for involving stakeholders in transportation planning. This article explores these possibilities by comparing deployments of an interactive web-based public transportation mapping system in four cities of the Global South. Structured workshops focused on different public transportation improvement projects and involved different types of stakeholders. Despite the differences across the workshops, they allow for some comparison of the effects. In relation to the technology itself, participants broadly agreed about its usefulness and usability. Pre-/post-workshop surveys suggest that participants learned about the transportation projects presented but reveal modest evidence in relation to other impacts, such as learning about the concept of accessibility, and gaining an appreciation for the potential broader urban system impacts of public transport projects. Knowledge among the participants tended to converge, and the tool helped promote dialog among participants and generated some empathy for others. The workshop experiences provide some hope for such tools in enhancing public transportation planning processes, globally, but “scaling up” the technology would need to overcome institutional, technical, and procedural challenges.
Immersive Work Zone Inspection Training using Virtual Reality
Authors: Aati Khaled , Chang Daeyeol , Edara Praveen , Sun Carlos
Published: October 2020

Can virtual reality tools be used to train engineers that inspect work zones? In this paper, we share the findings of a research project that developed an interactive and immersive training platform using virtual reality to train state department of transportation (DOT) staff that inspect work zones for compliance. Virtual reality offers an immersive platform that closely replicates the actual experience of an inspector driving through a work zone, but in a safer, cheaper, and quicker way than field visits. The current training practice involves reviewing temporary traffic control procedures, and reports and pictures from previous inspections. The developed platform consists of a learning module and an immersive module. The learning module is founded on the historical knowledge gained by DOT staff from inspections dating back at least 5 years. This knowledge incorporated representative inspection reports from previous years from all DOT districts including photographs of deficiencies. The synthesized knowledge was converted into a concise easy-to-consume format for training. The immersive module places the trainee in a vehicle moving through a work zone, thus providing a realistic experience to the engineer before inspecting a real work zone. The research team developed and tested two immersive scenarios of a freeway work zone. The training platform was tested by 34 individuals that worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation. An overwhelming majority (97%) agreed that virtual reality offered a realistic and effective way to train inspectors.
State entrepreneurship in New South Wales’ trawl fishery, 1914-1923
Authors: Jacobsen Lif Lund
Published: October 2020

In 1914, the New South Wales (NSW) Government decided to alter its fisheries policy, with the development of an offshore trawling industry supplanting support for inshore fishing as its key development objective. Accordingly, between 1915 and 1923 the NSW Government operated a commercial trawling industry designed to fish previously unexploited fish stocks on the state’s continental shelf. The State Trawling Industry (STI) was designed to meet a mix of social and economic policy goals, with the NSW Government controlling all parts of the production line from catching to selling produce. This article examines the business structure of the enterprise to reveal the reasons for its economic failure. It argues that government entrepreneurship created a new consumer market and unintentionally paved the way for the rise of a modern private trawling industry.
Admiral Nelson’s illnesses and injuries
Authors: Mason Fleur , Mason Robert
Published: October 2020

Horatio Nelson is one of the greatest English heroes. His key exploits at the battles of the Nile and Trafalgar, which led to Britain’s maritime supremacy, are well known and celebrated in the 5.5m statue at the summit of Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square, London. The statue also showcases his most famous injuries, the injury to his right eye and arm amputation. However, as well as these he had a number of other battle injuries and afflictions including recurrent malaria, yellow fever, scurvy, tuberculosis and dysentery, which, although he bore with stoicism, may have affected his professional performance at different times in his career. The exact cause of his death was probably a combination of blood loss, lung injury and spinal shock.
Mechanical, thermal and physico-chemical behavior of virgin and hydrothermally aged polymeric pipes
Authors: Jemii Houcine , Hammiche Dalila , Boubakri Abid , Haddar Nader , Guermazi Noamen
Published: October 2020

In this paper, an experimental study was conducted to characterize industrial PVC pipes and to investigate the effect of hydrothermal aging on their physico-chemical, thermal, and mechanical behavior. Three temperature (25°C, 60°C and 90°C) and full immersion in distilled water were retained as accelerated hydrothermal conditions. Kinetic of water absorption was examined and Fickian behavior was observed. The aging temperature was found to influence the water uptake behavior of PVC samples. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) has proved that the pipe material is not pure, while it consists of PVC reinforced with calcium carbonate (CaCO3). After exposure to accelerated aging, TGA and FTIR analysis exhibit preliminary signs of degradation of PVC samples under the retained conditions. Changes affecting the shape and the color of aged samples were examined. Mechanical properties have been characterized, after immersion of 30 days, with an improvement of strength and stiffness of the aged samples, in particular at elevated aging temperature. However, the aging response is accompanied by a loss of ductility for the aged material. These results, even for brief exposure, could help to understand the behavior of PVC composite pipes under hydrothermal conditions.
Successfully treating three patients with acute kidney injury secondary to COVID-19 by peritoneal dialysis: Case report and literature review
Authors: Al-Hwiesh Abdullah K , Mohammed Abdelgalil Moaz , Elnokeety Mahmoud , Al-Hwiesh Amani , Al-Audah Nadia , Esam Syed , Abdul-Rahman Ibrahiem Saeed
Published: October 2020

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease that increased the burden on health-care system. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 74,795 cases have been reported until 26 May 2020 and the number of cases is rapidly increasing. The mortality rate of COVID-19 worldwide is 6.37%. Here we report three cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) secondary to pneumonia of severe COVID-19; they were treated with automated peritoneal dialysis (PD) with full recovery. To the best of our knowledge, few reports in the literature have discussed the use of PD in AKI secondary to COVID-19.
Influence of braking on dynamic stability of car-trailer combinations
Authors: Zhang Ning , Wu Jian-hua , Li Tian , Zhao Zi-qian , Yin Guo-dong
Published: September 2020

The influence of braking on dynamic stability of a car-trailer combination (CTC) is studied in this paper. The braking is simply modeled and integrated into a single-track model (STM) with a single-axle trailer. On this basis, some fundamentals and analysis results related to system dynamic stability are given through simulation. Furthermore, it is found that the axle load transfer and braking force distribution have a great influence on system dynamic stability. In order to further analyze the influence of these two factors, both of the braking force distribution and the pitch motion are considered in the modeling. Finally, the ideal braking force distribution domain is proposed. Results can be adopted to explain the experimental phenomenon and serve as a guideline for the differential braking strategy in stability control of the CTC.
Ballasted track aerodynamic optimization by wind tunnel test and CFD simulation
Authors: Jing Guoqing , Ding Dong , Fang Le
Published: September 2020

Ballast flight problem sets back high-speed railway development, which causing damages to train and rail. The present paper puts forward wind tunnel tests and CFD simulation to study ballast flight mechanisms and ballasted track aerodynamics. A 1:1 scale ballasted track model was set up to analyze ballast flight phenomena, where aerodynamics influencing factors and impacts on ballast bed were investigated. A numerical model of CRH3 train-ballast bed was built by combining the Realizable k- ϵ viscous model and sliding mesh technique. CFD model with the above method was used to investigate aerodynamic effects as well as the mechanism of ballast flight, thus providing the theoretical basis for optimizing ballast bed profile and preventing ballast flight. Results show that pressure distribution exhibits large value at the center of the ballasted track and decreases at track edge. The head, tail and bogie area of the train result in large fluctuation of wind pressure, which has a great probability of ballast flight. Appropriate countermeasures should be taken, such as reduce shoulder ballast height and crib ballast could be effective methods to decrease the probability of ballast flight.
Alignment of PrEP use and effective contraceptive use among East African women in HIV serodiscordant partnerships
Authors: Ngure Kenneth , Velloza Jennifer , Patel Rena C , Mugo Nelly R , Bukusi Elizabeth A , Haberer Jessica E , Odoyo Josephine , Celum Connie , Baeten Jared M , Heffron Renee
Published: October 2020

Women who have a prevention mindset may opt for concurrent use of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and all forms of contraception; we therefore assessed how contraception may influence PrEP use or vice versa. We analyzed data from Kenyan and Ugandan HIV-uninfected non-pregnant women in sero-discordant partnerships who were participating in the Partners Demonstration Project. Using multivariable generalized estimating equation models, we estimated the associations between effective contraceptive use and 1) PrEP dispensation 2) high effective PrEP use. Among the 311 women (93.1% of all those followed in the Partners Demonstration Project) median age was 29 years (interquartile range [IQR] 24.0–35.0) and 115 (37.0%) reported using effective contraception at baseline. All the women initiated PrEP during the study and moderately high PrEP adherence was recorded at 73.1% of visits over an average 7.5 months following PrEP dispensation. Women (14.8%) consistently used an effective contraceptive throughout study follow-up. PrEP dispensation was more frequent among those concurrently using effective contraception, (adjusted relative risk [aRR] = 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08–1.32) and contraceptive use was more common among those on PrEP (aRR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.18–2.25). Among East African women at high risk of HIV infection, PrEP dispensation was more frequent among women using effective contraception, indicating that family planning outlets may be efficient locations to deliver PrEP.
Future conditional: From just transition to radical transformation?
Authors: Clarke Linda , Lipsig-Mummé Carla
Published: October 2020

Within the context of an accelerating climate emergency, the introduction frames the strategies and actions adopted by labour and unions to reduce carbon emissions that are presented in the articles contributing to this special issue. Industrial relations scholarship, which has been slow to address the climate emergency, has focussed on the jobs versus environment dilemma, the role of unions, technical innovation versus social unionism, and just transition approaches. While labour and union approaches in different sectors across Europe are largely confined to variants of ecological modernization, a more proactive transformative strategy opening up an alternative eco-socialist vision for the future is emerging. The issue highlights the contradictions in union strategies, the drivers of change and the way forward in pursuance of a green economy through a focus on the roles of government and the public sector, the organization of labour and the labour process, and education and training.
Trade union strategies on climate change mitigation: Between opposition, hedging and support
Authors: Thomas Adrien , Doerflinger Nadja
Published: October 2020

This article aims to provide a better understanding of trade unions’ climate change strategies. Using a qualitative methodology based on an analysis of interviews and documents, the article sets out the three ideal-typical strategies of unions towards climate change mitigation policies: opposition, hedging and support. Our analysis finds that current trade union strategies on climate change are primarily rooted in sectoral interests mediated by union identities and conceptions of union democracy. At a theoretical level, the article contributes to broader debates on interest representation and collective bargaining behaviour by trade unions, in particular to the much-discussed tendency of organized groups to pursue private gains at the expense of common goods.
Unions and the green transition in construction in Europe: Contrasting visions
Authors: Clarke Linda , Sahin-Dikmen Melahat
Published: October 2020

The construction industry, responsible for 40 percent of European Union (EU) end-use emissions, is targeted as a major area of transformation particularly through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requiring nearly zero energy building (NZEB). Through a case study approach, union responses to EU strategy on the implementation of energy efficiency standards are evaluated in Denmark, Germany, Italy and UK (Scotland), presenting a varied picture, from minimal acknowledgement to broad support along the lines of ecological modernization to radical transformation. Radical appraisals of the industry and its exploitative and high-carbon practices are rare, though engaging with the employment and vocational education and training (VET) implications. The article presents a labour-centred alternative to a technical-driven transition agenda, focusing on how the labour process needs to change in a sector dominated by small firms, self-employment, a fragmented labour process and often low levels of VET.
In-hospital mortality and its predictors in a cohort of SLE from Northern India
Authors: Pattanaik Sarit Sekhar , Muhammed Hafis , Chatterjee Rudrarpan , Naveen R , Lawrence Able , Agarwal Vikas , Misra Durga P , Gupta Latika , Misra Ramnath , Aggarwal Amita
Published: October 2020

Background

Mortality in SLE has a bimodal peak with early deaths mainly related to disease activity and infection. Although mortality has reduced over years, it is still two to three folds compared to the general population. In India due to increased burden of infection and limited access to health care, the causes may be different.

Methods

Retrospective, review of records of all adult SLE patients fulfilling ACR 1997 criteria, who died in hospital between 2000-2019 at a teaching hospital in India was done. In addition, baseline clinical features were extracted for all adult SLE patients seen during this period. Infections were either bacteriologically proven or based on clinicradiological or serologic evidence. Active disease was defined as SLEDAI 2k ≥ 5. Logistic regression was performed to ascertain risk factors for mortality.

Results

A total of 1337 (92% females) patient records were reviewed .The mean age at presentation was 29.9 ± 9 years.60–75% of patients had fever, mucocutaneous disease and arthritis, while nephritis, hematologic, serositis and neurologic involvement was seen in 48.6%, 43.2%, 16% and 10.3% respectively as presenting mainfestations. There were 80 in hospital deaths .Infection was the most common cause of death, with 37 due to infection alone and in 24 disease activity also contributed. Only 18 deaths were due to active disease. Among bacterial infections lung was the most common site and gram negative organism were the most common pathogens. There were 10 deaths due to Tuberculosis(TB) and half of them had disseminated disease. Patients with disease activity had a SLEDAI of 14.8 ± 6.4, with neurological, renal and cardiovascular involvement being the major contributors to mortality in 11, 7 and 6 cases respectively. Higher age at onset, male gender, fever, myositis, neurological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal involvement, vasculitis, elevated serum creatinine at baseline were independent predictors of death.

Conclusion

Infections are the most common cause of in-hospital mortality in SLE and TB still accounts for 15% of deaths related to infection. Vasculitis, myositis, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal involvement emerged as novel predictors of mortality in our cohort.
The Outbreak of COVID-19 and Stock Market Responses: An Event Study and Panel Data Analysis for G-20 Countries
Authors: Singh Bhanwar , Dhall Rosy , Narang Sahil , Rawat Savita
Published: October 2020

This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the stock markets of G-20 countries. We use an event study methodology to measure abnormal returns (ARs) and panel data regression to explain the causes of ARs. Our sample consists of indices in G-20 countries. The observed window comprises 58 days post the COVID-19 outbreak news release in the international media, and the estimation window consists of 150 days before the event date. We find statistically significant negative ARs in the four sub-event windows during the 58 days. Negative ARs are significant for developing as well as developed countries. The findings of this study reveal that cumulative average abnormal return (CAAR) from day 0 to day 43, ranging from –0.70 per cent to –42.69 per cent, is a consequence of increased panic in the stock markets resulting from an increased number of COVID-19 positive cases in the G-20 countries. From day 43 to day 57, CAAR ranging from –42.69 per cent to –29.77 per cent indicates the recovery of stock markets after a major stock price correction due to COVID-19. Additionally, the results of panel data analysis confirm the recovery of stock markets from the negative impact of COVID-19.
The relationship between career adaptability and job outcomes via fit perceptions: A three-wave longitudinal study
Authors: Kaur Harleen , Kaur Rajpreet
Published: October 2020

Drawing on the career construction theory and person–environment fit theory, the current research aimed to investigate whether career adaptability could enhance job outcomes. Further, the study examined the role of person–job fit as an underlying mechanism explaining the relationship between career adaptability and job outcomes. The data were collected in three waves from 239 Indian banking employees. The results suggest that possessing psychosocial meta-capacities in the form of career adaptability stimulates employees’ self-regulation in achieving a work–environment fit, consequently leading to favourable job outcomes. The current study is the first to validate the psychological pathways linking career adaptability and job outcomes via person–job fit. Study findings carry implications for career practitioners/counsellors to acknowledge the role of career adaptability in regulating individual capacities for career development. Elaborating the interconnection between domains of career and jobs, the study encourages organizations to consider career adaptability for improving fit and job outcomes.
Challenges in obtaining employment in China: Lived experiences of Australian Chinese graduates
Authors: Nachatar Singh Jasvir Kaur
Published: October 2020

Previous scholarly work has elaborated on challenges faced by Chinese international returnees at Chinese workplaces. However, limited research has captured to what extent such challenges have involved Chinese Australian graduates in gaining employment in China. Hence this study investigates the challenges involved in obtaining successful employment in China. Drawing on a qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 Chinese graduates who studied at one Australian university and returned to China upon graduation. The study results highlight significant barriers to employment. Challenges include limited prior working experience, graduation in Australia that is not synchronised with employment months in China and lack of guanxi. This study provides important insights into barriers of employment in China for Chinese returnees from Australia and, potentially, for graduate returnees from other countries to China. It also discusses implications for Australian universities and for Chinese international students in Australia.
Measuring career shocks: A study of scale development and validation in the Chinese context
Authors: Ali Zulqurnain , Ghani Usman , Islam Zia U , Mehreen Aqsa
Published: October 2020

The emergence of self-career management has pushed individuals to manage their careers proactively and evade unexpected events. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a career shocks scale for use in Chinese organizations. In doing so, we developed a comprehensive scale of career shocks to cover a significant gray area of career management and enhance a deeper understanding of the emergence of career shocks among Chinese employees. Using the mixed-method approach, we recruited multiple samples to validate the item structure and assess construct validity and internal consistency of the career shocks scale. The findings of a confirmatory factor analysis suggested two dimensions of career shocks (positive and negative), having nine items. Moreover, a strong inter-item structure indicated that this research measure would be valuable for future research endeavors in the domain of career management.
Distributed Leadership in Collegiate Esports
Authors: Falkenthal Evan , Byrne Andrew M.
Published: October 2020

Background.

Current research supports the use of recreational games in higher education settings for student development. Team-based esports in collegiate settings offer leadership experiences analogous to other organizational contexts. Distributed leadership reflects leader roles shared dynamically with multiple points of salience and dynamic or absent hierarchy.

Aim.

This study looked at elements of distributed leadership claimed among collegiate esports teams and whether esports play contributed to distributed leadership development.

Methods.

This phenomenological deductive qualitative research study used themes from distributed leadership theory to examine the experiences of focus groups composed of competitive collegiate esports participants on three teams from three different popular esport games, respectively.

Results.

Researchers found that ample comparisons across respondent team interviews corresponded with the leadership theory and found that the more static influence of credibility seemed to mediate team-based communications and behaviors.

Conclusion.

Implications for distributed leadership both in esports and in other organizations include considerations for intentionality behind how hierarchies are enacted and how credibility may inform an understanding of power distribution within teams.
Breast Specimen Measurement Methodology and Its Potential Major Impact on Tumor Size
Authors: Haddad Moreen , Xu Bin , Pun Cherry , Lu Fang-I , Parra-Herran Carlos , Nofech-Mozes Sharon , Slodkowska Elzbieta
Published: October 2020

Objective

Pathologic tumor size assessment highly depends on the gross specimen size once microscopic cancer size exceeds its macroscopic size, in particular if the dimension along the plane of sectioning is the greatest. We hypothesize that the method by which the specimen size is estimated can yield significantly different tumor size measurements and thus affect breast cancer staging and treatment.

Methods

The size in the plane of sectioning of 50 lumpectomies over 4 cm was examined by 5 methods: measured grossly in the fresh state and postfixation, and calculated from the gross measurements by 3 different methods. For 15 mastectomies, we measured and calculated the span of the middle 4 and 6 slices using 3 methods.

Results

For all 50 lumpectomies, fresh measurement yielded the largest size. The difference in size of lumpectomies was greater with increasing specimen size ( P < .001). Using the method of adding 0.4 cm per each submitted sequential section yielded the smallest size in most cases. In mastectomies the span of the middle 4 and 6 slices was significantly larger if calculated from the average slice thickness based on the specimen size.

Conclusion

The method of specimen size measurement has implications in estimation of tumor size and patient management. It is essential that pathologists be aware of the technique used and its limitations. For individual slice thickness, we highly recommend using the measurements obtained at the time of grossing rather than calculating the average slice thickness from the specimen size.
‘Just notes’: Young musicians’ perspectives on learning expressive performance
Authors: Meissner Henrique , Timmers Renee , Pitts Stephanie E
Published: October 2020

Expressiveness is an important aspect of an excellent music performance as it adds quality and interest to the playing and listening experience. Although several studies have investigated tertiary students’ learning of expressiveness, little is known about effective approaches for teaching children to perform expressively. In the present project, 16 young musicians (aged 9–16, with performance levels at Pre-Grade 1 – Grade 8) took part in a video-stimulated recall interview after an experimental investigation which had featured methods for teaching and facilitating expressiveness. The interviews explored pupils’ perspectives on that instruction, which included practice of difficult sections, scales practice, improvisation, and questions and dialogue regarding musical character. Participants who had been taught via dialogic teaching indicated that the questions relating to musical character and expressive tools had been helpful for their understanding of the ‘musicality’ of their pieces and thus for their learning of performance expression. The questions regarding musical character were seen as helpful, as this had facilitated pupils’ reflection on, and understanding of the interpretation, thus contributing to their learning of expressiveness. This demonstrates the importance of teachers’ enquiry and pupils’ reflection for young musicians’ learning of expressive performance.