bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rule Extraction Model Based on Decision Dependency Degree
Authors: Chen Xinying , Li Guanyu , Sun Yunhao
Published: November 2019

Rule extraction is the core in rough set. Two procedures are contained in rule extraction: one is attribute reduction and another is attribute value reduction. It was proved through computational complexity perspective that obtaining all the reduction, minimum attribute reduction, and minimum attribute value reduction is an NP problem. So, generally, a heuristic reduction method is used to solve attribute reduction and attribute value reduction. However, for most heuristic methods, it is hard to put into practice and has high cost on computational complexity. Moreover, part of the methods extracted redundant rules. To approach a quick and effective model for rule extraction in decision systems, against the concept of distinguishable relation, relevant concepts and basic theorems of rule extraction are proposed. In order to get concise and accurate rules quickly, algorithms for finding conflict object set, finding duplicate object set, and finding redundant rules are given. After that, using decision dependency degree as attribute importance to determine the importance of each attribute in rule object, a new rule extraction model based on decision dependency degree is proposed in this paper. Compared with the previous models, this model does not generate matrix; instead, it finds conflict object set and duplicate object set by equivalence class, and consequently, improves the time performance to max{O(|C||U|), O(|C|2|U/C|), and O(|RED||(U/C)/RED|2)}. The theoretical analysis and experimental research show that the new model more accurately and effectively reduces the redundant data and extracts more concise decision rules from dataset.
The Mathematical Modeling, Simulation, and Practice of a Multipoint Synchronous Lifting Control Case Study for Bridges
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Zhao Jingyi , Li Wenlei
Published: November 2019

In the combined transportation of multiple girder transport vehicles, the lifting of multiple hydraulic cylinders must ensure a certain synchronization accuracy, otherwise the bridge structure will be damaged, and even serious construction accidents will occur. The synchronous lifting of a large prefabricated bridge is studied. According to the requirements of synchronous lifting of the bridge, the appropriate control strategy is selected and the hydraulic system of synchronous lifting device is designed. The mathematical model of the synchronous lifting hydraulic system is established, and the fuzzy PID controller is applied. The simulation of the fuzzy adaptive PID control system for the synchronous lifting device is carried out by using MATLAB simulation software, and the simulation results indicate that the rationality of the control system is verified. The experimental results show that the control of the system is convenient and the synchronization accuracy is high, which can provide a reference for the synchronous lifting control.
Characteristics of A6061/(Glass Fibre + AL2O3 + SiC + B4C) Reinforced Hybrid Composite Prepared through STIR Casting
Authors: Nanjan Subramani , Janakiram Ganesh Murali
Published: November 2019

In this article, A6061 and its reinforcement particles like aluminium oxide/glass fibres/SiCp/B4C (4% and 5%) with mixed composite and aluminium oxide/SiCp/B4C mixed without glass fibre composite are produced with different proportions using the stir casting method. Here, some experimental study is carried out on the composite layer through scanning electron microscopy and XRD test to show the influence of the reinforcement on A6061, and the percentage of gold-silver-copper (AuAgCu), aluminium-zinc (ZA), and palladium deuteride is increased in this composition and justified through the graphical representation of the XRD image. Mechanical properties of the stir casting composites were evaluated through microhardness, wear test under 200 rpm and 300 rpm and 20 N and 50 N, and tensile tests. The results were compared with the properties of the base metal, with glass fibre reinforcement specimen and without adding glass fibre specimen; this will help us to check the strength and weakness of the glass fibres in A6061.
An Electro Breakdown Damage Model for Granite and Simulation of Deep Drilling by High‐Voltage Electropulse Boring
Authors: Li Changping , Duan Longchen , Tan Songcheng , Chikhotkin Victor , Wang Xiaohui
Published: November 2019

Electropulse rock breaking has wide application prospects in hard rock drilling and ore breaking. At present, there are no suitable physical mathematical models that describe electropulse boring (EPB) processes under confining pressures. In this paper, a high‐voltage electropulse breakdown damage model is established for granite, which includes three submodels. It considers electric field distortions inside the rock, and an electric field distribution coefficient is introduced in the electro‐breakdown model. A shock‐wave model is also constructed and solved. To simulate the heterogeneity of rocks, EPB rock breaking in deep environments is simulated using the two‐dimensional Particle Flow Code (PFC2D) program. The solved shock wave is loaded into the model, and confining pressure is applied by the particle servo method. An artificial viscous boundary is used in the numerical simulation model. Using this approach, a complete numerical simulation of electropulse granite breaking is achieved. Breakdown strength and the influences of physical and mechanical parameters on it are also obtained. Time‐varying waveforms of electrical parameters are obtained, and the effect of confining pressure on EPB is also described.
Weekend-Based Parent-Group Intervention to Reduce Stress in Parents of Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ferrito Lucia , Predieri Barbara , Pjetraj Dorina , Alessandrelli Maria Cristina , Pagnini Manuela , Iannilli Antonio , Marino Monica , Tombolini Stefano , Pintaudi Basilio , Lucisano Giuseppe , Zani Fabiana , Iughetti Lorenzo , Nicolucci Antonio , Cherubini Valentino
Published: November 2019

Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a child is often associated with anger, denial, fear, and depression from the parents. The aim of the study was to improve parents’ adaptation to the diagnosis of diabetes of their child. Sixty-two parents (29 mothers, 33 fathers) of 36 children with type 1 diabetes (mean age=11.3‐3.3 years; diabetes duration>1 year; HbA1c=57±11 mmol/mol) participated in a three-day educational working group pilot intervention study. Intervention was based on the reexamination of the traumatic event of diagnosis of T1D through spatial and time-line anchorage, retracing of the future, emotional awareness, and interactive discussion. Relaxing technique, diaphragmatic breathing, and guided visualization were used by 2 psychologists and 1 pediatric endocrinologist. The study was approved by EC and participants filled a consent form. At baseline and after intervention, parents filled in a questionnaire including Diabetes-Related Distress (DRD), Parent Health Locus of Control Scale (PHLOC), Parent Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF), Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-Parents (HFS-P) and Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-Parents of Young Children (HFS-P-YC), and Health Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36). Three months after the intervention, both parents reported a reduction in the “difficult child” subscale of the PSI-SF (p<0.05) and increased scores of social functioning of the SF-36 (p<0.05). DRD score was significantly reduced in mothers (p=0.03), while the “parental distress” subscale of the PSI-SF was significantly improved in fathers (p=0.03). This weekend-based parent group intervention seems to reduce stress and improve social functioning of parents of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
Cement‐Lime‐Fly Ash Bound Macadam Pavement Base Material with Enhanced Early‐Age Strength and Suppressed Drying Shrinkage via Incorporation of Slag and Gypsum
Authors: Ju Cheng , Liu Yushi , Yu Zhenyun , Yang Yingzi
Published: November 2019

In this study, a novel cement‐lime‐fly ash bound macadam (CLFBM) as pavement base material was designed by incorporating Portland cement, dihydrate gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) into the lime‐fly ash bound macadam (LFBM) for the purpose of the early opening to traffic. The multifactors orthogonal test method was used to evaluate the effects of Portland cement, dihydrate gypsum, and GGBS on the early‐age strength of CLFBM. Moreover, the compressive and flexural strengths at 28 days as well as the drying shrinkage development in 56 days were investigated. By conducting the comprehensive analysis for the better mechanical properties and the lowest drying shrinkage, Portland cement : dihydrate gypsum : lime : fly ash : GGBS : gravels = 2 : 1 : 6 : 5.6 : 8.4 : 80 is determined as the optimal mix proportion of CLFBM. In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) results confirmed the formation of a large number of ettringite and C‐S‐H gels, providing a powerful support for the enhanced early‐age strength and suppressed drying shrinkage of CLFBM.
The Status of the Acupuncture Mechanism Study Based on PET/PET-CT Technique: Design and Quality Control
Authors: He Zhaoxuan , Hou Likai , Sun Ruirui , Yin Tao , Ma Peihong , Chen Li , Cheng Shirui , Liu Xiaoyan , Hong Xiaojuan , Hou Jian , Zeng Fang
Published: November 2019

PET/PET-CT is an important technique to investigate the central mechanism of acupuncture in vivo. This article collected original research papers with keywords of “Acupuncture,” “PET,” “PET/CT,” and “Positron emission tomography” in PubMed and CNKI databases from January 2003 to December 2018. As a result, a total of 43 articles were included. Based on the literature analyses, we found that (1) reasonable arrangement of the operation process and the choice of appropriate acupuncture intervention time is conducive to a better interpretation of acupuncture-PET/PET-CT mechanism and (2) the selection of participants, sample size, acupuncture intervention, and experimental conditions would affect study results. Therefore, effective quality control is an important way to ensure the repeatability of research results.
Migration and Proliferation Effects of Thymoquinone-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (TQ-NLC) and Thymoquinone (TQ) on In Vitro Wound Healing Models
Authors: Alexander Henna Roshini , Syed Alwi Sharifah Sakinah , Yazan Latifah Saiful , Zakarial Ansar Fatin Hanani , Ong Yong Sze
Published: November 2019

Wound healing is a regulated biological event that involves several processes including infiltrating leukocyte subtypes and resident cells. Impaired wound healing is one of the major problems in diabetic patients due to the abnormal physiological changes of tissues and cells in major processes. Thymoquinone, a bioactive compound found in Nigella sativa has been demonstrated to possess antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Today, the rapidly progressing nanotechnology sets a new alternative carrier to enhance and favour the speed of healing process. In order to overcome its low bioavailability, TQ is loaded into a colloidal drug carrier known as a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC). This study aimed to determine the effect of TQ-NLC and TQ on cell proliferation and migration, mode of cell death, and the antioxidant levels in normal and diabetic cell models, 3T3 and 3T3-L1. Cytotoxicity of TQ-NLC and TQ was determined by MTT assay. The IC10 values obtained for 3T3-L1 treated with TQ-NLC and TQ for 24 hours were 4.7 ± 3.3 and 5.3 ± 0.6 μM, respectively. As for 3T3, the IC10 values obtained for TQ-NLC and TQ at 24 hours were 4.3 ± 0.17 and 3.9 ± 2.05 μM, respectively. TQ-NLC was observed to increase the number of 3T3 and 3T3-L1 healthy cells (87–95%) and gradually decrease early apoptotic cells in time- and dose-dependant manner compared with TQ. In the proliferation and migration assay, 3T3-L1 treated with TQ-NLC showed higher proliferation and migration rate (p<0.05) compared with TQ. TQ-NLC also acted as an antioxidant by reducing the ROS levels in both cells after injury at concentration as low as 3 μM. Thus, this study demonstrated that TQ-NLC has better proliferation and migration as well as antioxidant effect compared with TQ especially on 3T3-L1 which confirms its ability as a good antidiabetic and antioxidant agent.
Hysteretic Behavior of Beam‐to‐Column Joints with Cast Steel Connectors
Authors: Xue Guofeng , Bao Wei , Jiang Jin , Shao Yongsong
Published: November 2019

This study proposed a beam‐to‐column joint equipped with a new type of cast steel connector. The cast steel connector concentrated the primary portion of the deformation and energy dissipation of the joint and was installed with full bolted connections, rendering it a replaceable energy dissipation component and facilitating the rapid repair of the joint after an earthquake. Three full‐scale specimens were fabricated and tested to investigate the hysteretic behaviors of the proposed joints under cyclic loadings. The results showed that the proposed cast steel connector exhibited reliable ductility and energy dissipation capacity. The beam‐to‐column joints with cast steel connectors under appropriate configuration can limit the deformation to the cast steel connector and protect the remaining joint components from plastic deformation. A more detailed finite element analysis was performed to investigate the hysteretic behavior of the joint further. The FEM results illustrated that the thickness of the vertical leg of the cast steel connector can significantly influence the stiffness and bearing capacity of the joint. Meantime, it would improve the hysteretic behavior effectively. The proposed beam‐to‐column joints with cast steel connectors can achieve the requirement of stiffness and load‐bearing capacity and can be widely applicable in practical engineering.
A Comparison of Characterization and Its Actions on Immunocompetent Cells of Polysaccharides from Sijunzi Decoction
Authors: Gao Beibei , Peng Ying , Peng Chongsheng , Zhang Yulong , Li Xiaobo
Published: November 2019

Sijunzi decoction (SJZD) is a classic recipe in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with strong immune-enhancement activity. To further understand the characterization and immunomodulatory effect of polysaccharides from SJZD, the monosaccharide compositions of crude polysaccharide (SJZDP), polysaccharide fraction (S-3), and homogeneous polysaccharide (S-3-AG) from SJZD were compared by GC analysis, as well as their immunomodulatory effects on Peyer’s patch cells, splenocytes, and macrophages which are related to intestinal immunity, specific immunity, and nonspecific immunity. The results showed that S-3-AG mainly contained Ara with a proportion of 38.9%, while Glc accounted for the largest proportion in S-3 (55.6%) and SJZDP (87.6%). The SJZDP, S-3, and S-3-AG all showed strong capability to stimulate Peyer’s patch cells to proliferate and produce IgA and promoted the proliferation and IFN-γproduction of splenocytes and increased the NO production and TNF-αproduction of macrophages. However, S-3 and S-3-AG were able to stimulate splenocytes to secret IL-4, SJZDP had no effect on IL-4 production of splenocytes in the tested concentrations. In addition, S-3 could stimulate the phagocytic activity of macrophages, and S-3-AG restrained the proliferation of macrophages at the concentration of 50–200 µg/mL. These results suggested that SJZDP, S-3, and S-3-AG might have different immunomodulatory effects on intestinal immunity, specific immunity, and nonspecific immunity due to their different monosaccharide compositions. It will provide references for the material basis and mechanism of SJZD immunomodulation activity.
Macular Structure Recovery after Surgery for Optic Disc Pit Maculopathy
Authors: Nishiyama Yuri , Yoshikawa Yuji , Shibuya Masayuki , Kanno Junji , Ozaki Kimitake , Sakaki Yu , Katsumoto Takeshi , Makita Jun , Shoji Takuhei , Shinoda Kei
Published: November 2019

The present report aimed to describe the macular structure’s recovery process in a case of optic disc pit maculopathy (ODP-M) with outer layer hole following pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with juxtapapillary laser treatment (JPL). We performed repeated optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations to evaluate the macular structural changes. An 80-year-old man presented with distorted vision and decreased visual acuity (VA) in his left eye, experienced for 1 year, prior to presentation. Fundus examination and OCT showed intraretinal fluid (IRF) in the inner and outer retinal layers. Serous retinal detachment (SRD) with an outer layer hole in the macula was also evident. The IRF was connected to the optic disc; however, the SRD was isolated. Best-corrected VA was 20/100. PPV combined with JPL was performed. Posterior vitreous detachment creation and tamponade with sulfur hexafluoride was performed. Postoperatively, the inner retinal IRF at the fovea disappeared. The outer layer hole gradually closed and had completely disappeared 1 month postoperatively. After resolution of the outer layer hole, SRD reduced gradually and disappeared 8 months postoperatively, although the macular outer retinal IRF remained. The outer retinal IRF had partially resolved by the 18th postoperative month. Macular structure was completely recovered 31 months postoperatively, with an improved VA of 20/20. In conclusion, SRD might be associated with outer retinal IRF and outer layer holes. In cases of ODP-M, outer layer holes might induce optic disc-isolated SRD.
Unaccompanied Migrant Minors at the Frontier of Human Rights. The Spanish Case
Authors: Rinaldi Patrizia
Published: November 2019

Protecting children is paramount for upholding the European values of respect for human rights, dignity and solidarity. It is also about enforcing European Union law and respecting the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and international human rights law on the rights of the child. The existing EU legislation provides a framework for the protection of the rights of the child in migration, including reception conditions, dealing with their applications and integration. This article elaborates on provisions concerning the international protection system for minor migrants. It examines entry strategies put into place by young migrants facing the Spanish migration system. The first part examines the guidelines of the reception system for unaccompanied migrant minors arriving in Spain. An assessment of the Spanish arrangements for the reception of umms is carried out in the second part, focussing on three key aspects: refoulement at the border (pushback), age determination and guardianship.
From the Indicators of General Comment No. 7 to GlobalChild
Authors: Vaghri Ziba , Krappmann Lothar , Doek Jaap
Published: November 2019

Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) hinges on appropriate data collection to clarify actors’ accountability and the impact of this on children. In spite of widespread ratification and revised legislation, most State Parties have not adequately implemented the crc. The evidence demonstrates that indicators can assist with implementing and monitoring human rights. We present an account of a decade of work conducted under the auspices of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, towards developing indicator sets which map the degree of rights implementation. The work started with the rights of young children, outlined in the Committee’s General Comment No. 7. It will culminate in a comprehensive monitoring platform, called GlobalChild, to improve State Parties’ accountability to children through pointing at crucial aspects of the process of compliance with the crc for which the State Party and its administration are accountable.
Religion, Law and Politics: the “Trickle-Down” Effects of ECtHR Judgments on Turkey’s Headscarf Battles
Authors: Gülalp Haldun
Published: November 2019

Building on and extending Marc Galanter’s classic thesis on the “radiating effects” of courts, this paper proposes the concept of “trickle-down effects” in order to account for the complex ways in which court judgments may impact political processes, often taking place through the ideological manipulation of the judgments and leading to unintended and unforeseen consequences. The paper specifically examines the headscarf battles in Turkey and the pivotal role that the ECtHR judgments played in it. While the short-term legal impact was the confirmation of the ban on the use of headscarves, presumably supporting the principle of secularism, the long-term impact has been the exact opposite.
Pragmatism and Historicity
Authors: Margolis Joseph
Published: November 2019

This paper provides a straightforward argument that demonstrates the irreconcilability of pragmatism and transcendentalism, by way of Darwin’s failure to account for the emergence of the human self or person and the existential and historied import of the human invention and mastery of language. On the Darwinian issue, I examine the implications of Darwin’s having neglected the most important phase of the evolution of Homo sapiens – the invention and mastery of natural language, which account for the self-transformation of the human primate into a self or person (with the acquisition of competences that appear nowhere else in the animal world); and which signify a novel transformation of the evolutionary process itself – the hybrid entwining of biological and cultural forces in the formation of the self. It’s a consequence of the invention of language that accounts for the historied nature of the human form of life. I treat history and historicity as existential constraints on the human form of cognition, which introduces an ineliminable but benign form of skepticism, which I show to be incompatible with Husserl’s transcendentalism and his attempt to accommodate historicity. I take pragmatism to be committed to an existential treatment of history and historicity, in the context of reviewing George Herbert Mead’s analysis of history and historical time. The two arguments converge on the incompatibility of pragmatism and transcendentalism.
Appropriation, Dialogue, and Dispute: Towards a Theory of Philosophical Engagement with the Past
Authors: Gazit Yael
Published: November 2019

This article suggests a change of perspective on philosophy’s engagement with its past. It argues that rather than the putative purport of giving life to the past philosopher’s work, philosophical engagement with the past gives life to one’s own. Drawing on the neo-pragmatist thesis of Robert Brandom, it suggests looking to what philosophers do when they attribute meaning to concepts and considering their engagement with the past as appropriation in consequence. By scrutinizing Robert Pippin’s opposing thesis of philosophical engagement with the past as dialogue, and carefully examining Brandom’s, the article suggests an account for appropriation that shows it to be non-dialogical, and hence unable to yield the fruits associated with this conception, but also insightful and rich with other philosophical values. Brandom and John McDowell’s dispute over the interpretation of Wilfrid Sellars provides an illustration of the proposed perspective and of those values.
The Primacy of Economic Power: State-Led Privatization and the Dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, 1990–1992
Authors: Guzman Marco Antonio
Published: November 2019

This historical and comparative analysis shows that neoliberal economic policy creating a domestic private sector triggered a series of events that culminated with the dissolution of post-communist Czechoslovakia in 1992. Placing primary emphasis on neoliberal economic reform, this research departs from existing accounts of the breakup positing ideological differences between Czech and Slovak elites or preexisting regional economic structures as the primary factors behind the dissolution. As neoliberal policies took place through the entire federation, an unexpected boom in tourism in Prague fostered the creation of a service sector catering to visitors, lowering the capital’s unemployment rate. Outside of Prague, neoliberal policy failed to alleviate the economic crisis. As federal economic policies failed to resolve mounting economic problems in Slovakia, particularly unemployment, the perception that federal policies did not fit regional needs gained salience. By 1992, whereas parties calling for the perpetuation of the federation lost popular support, separatist political parties gained the majority of seats in both regional parliaments, leading to the dissolution of the federation.
New Perspectives on Socialism and Human Rights in East Central Europe since 1945
Authors: Richardson-Little Ned , Dietz Hella , Mark James
Published: November 2019

In recent years, the study of human rights history has expanded beyond Western-centered narratives, though the role of Eastern European state socialism and socialists in the evolution of human rights concepts and politics has not received sufficient attention. This introductory essay synthesizes recent research of the role of Eastern Bloc socialist states in shaping the emergence of the post-war human rights system and the implications of this new research for the history of the Cold War, dissent as well as the collapse of state socialism in 1989/91. Ultimately, state socialist actors were not merely human rights antagonists, but contributed to shaping the international arena and human rights politics, motivated both strategically as well as ideologically. And the Eastern Bloc was not merely a region that passively absorbed the idea of human rights from the West, but a site where human rights ideas where articulated, internationalized and also contested.
Debate on Pieter M. Judson’s The Habsburg Empire: A New History
Authors: Szívós Erika , Surman Jan , Beneš Jakub , Medved Mladen , Scheer Tamara , Healy Maureen , Judson Pieter M.
Published: November 2019

Since its publication, Pieter M. Judson’s history of the Habsburg Empire: A New History has sparked discussion and debate as a result of its novel reframing of the relationship between nationalism and empire in the Central European polity. Judson offers a new narrative of a vibrant and adaptive state that had the ability to balance empire and nationality, and thus was not doomed to fail, as has been one of the well-worn interpretations of the empire. The contributors to this debate come to the book from different regional and academic standpoints, and take on a number of key issues raised by the book: the role of nationality in the empire; the nature of Habsburg imperial rule within the broader context of European empire building; the relationship of Hungary within the larger empire; and the position of the Habsburg Empire within European history as a whole. Together, these perspectives shed light on core issues raised by the book as well as offer reflections on the future of Habsburg studies.
Lived Theologies of Place: Finding a Home in the City
Authors: Rogers Andrew P.
Published: November 2019

This article opens up what place contributes to our understanding of lived theology through drawing on a two-year case study of diaspora churches in central London. Diaspora churches, especially African majority, have grown in urban centres across Europe and particularly intensely in London meaning that space for places of worship has become highly contested. Lived theologies of place took form through narratives about places of worship, particularly the struggle to find and make a congregational home. In conversation with Michel de Certeau, the contestation of these narratives is understood through the interplay of strategy and tactics, indicating the significance of power(lessness) for lived theologies and how that interplay generates public theologies. Conclusions are drawn about the nature and scope of lived theologies and what they can contribute to the study of urban religion.
What is Kiranti?
Authors: Gerber Pascal , Grollmann Selin
Published: November 2019

This paper challenges the conventional views on the phylogeny of the bundle of languages of Eastern Nepal subsumed under the name ‘Kiranti’. Contrary to the widespread belief that the group constitutes a stable, monophyletic subgroup of the Trans-Himalayan language family, the empirical evidence for the coherence of a Kiranti branch is remarkably limited. Additionally, the internal structure of the alleged Kiranti branch is to a large degree unclarified, despite a number of contributions to this topic. This paper aims to critically review the different subgrouping proposals and the potential shared innovations defining a coherent Kiranti subgroup within Trans-Himalayan. Furthermore, it will be shown that certain languages outside the Kiranti speaking area may be more closely related to certain Kiranti languages than those are to other Kiranti languages. The Kiranti branch constitutes a largely unsubstantiated subgroup and its phylogenetic coherence should not be taken for granted in work on Trans-Himalayan historical linguistics.
Uncovering the Grylloidea and Tettigonioidea (Orthoptera: Ensifera) in the Forest Research Center (Sepilok) Entomological Collection
Authors: TAN MING KAI , JAPIR RAZY , CHUNG ARTHUR Y.C.
Published: November 2019

Type specimens carry valuable information that can facilitate biodiversity research, especially in an era of mass extinction and unprecedent anthropogenic climate change. For Orthoptera, a few initiatives, including the Orthoptera Species File and digitization of collections by numerous museums, have helped to make images and information about the type specimens available on the World Wide Web. However, many local collections, especially those from the poorly studied regions of Southeast Asia, are still not available to the public. The collection of Grylloidea and Tettigonioidea gathered at the Forest Research Center, Sepilok in Sandakan, Sabah (Borneo) is one such example. We examined, identified, and imaged 12 and 45 species of Grylloidea and Tettigonioidea respectively from the collection (deposited as of October 2019) to facilitate taxonomic research by making the species in the collection accessible for everyone.
Seasonal and temperature effect on serum lithium concentrations
Authors: Cheng Sonia , Buckley Nicholas A , Siu William , Chiew Angela L , Vecellio Elia , Chan Betty S
Published: November 2019

Background:

Lithium remains the gold standard treatment for bipolar disorder. However, it has a very narrow therapeutic index (0.6–0.8 mmol/L). It has been suggested that high environmental temperature can lead to dehydration, elevated plasma lithium concentration and then lithium toxicity.

Objectives:

We aimed to investigate the effect of seasonal and short-term changes in temperature on serum lithium concentrations in Sydney, Australia.

Methods:

We retrospectively analysed data from all patients who had serum lithium concentrations taken from the Prince of Wales and Sutherland Hospitals between 2008 and 2018. Temperature data came from the Bureau of Meteorology. We examined correlations between lithium concentrations and the preceding 5 days maximum temperatures, month and season. We also performed a longitudinal analysis of the effect of temperature and seasons within selected patients who had repeated levels.

Results:

A total of 11,912 serum lithium concentrations from 2493 patients were analysed. There was no significant association between higher lithium concentration and preceding higher temperatures ( r = –0.008, p = 0.399). There was also no important seasonal or monthly variation, across all patients or in the smaller cohort with longitudinal data ( n = 123, r = 0.008, 95% confidence interval: [–0.04, 0.06]).

Conclusion:

There were no clinically important differences in serum lithium concentration related to seasons, months or temperatures, which suggests that patients on lithium are able to adequately maintain hydration during hot weather in Sydney.
Do welfare benefit reassessments of people with mental health conditions lead to worse mental health? A prospective cohort study
Authors: Stuart Ruth , Campbell Sanchika , Osumili Beatrice , Robinson Emily J , Frost-Gaskin Mary , Pacitti Richard , McCrone Paul , Henderson Claire
Published: November 2019

Background:

There have been cases of suicide following the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), a questionnaire and interview for those claiming benefits due to ill health or disability in the United Kingdom.

Aims:

To examine whether experiencing problems with welfare benefits, including WCA, among people with pre-existing mental health conditions was associated with poorer mental health and wellbeing and increased health service use and costs.

Methods:

A prospective cohort study of an exposed group ( n = 42) currently seeking help from a Benefits Advice Service in London and a control group ( n = 45) who had recently received advice from the same service. Questionnaires at baseline and 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups.

Results:

The exposed group had higher mean scores for anxiety ( p = .008) and depression ( p = .016) at baseline and the control group higher mean scores for wellbeing at baseline ( p = .034) and 12 months ( p = .035). However, loss to follow-up makes overall results difficult to interpret. The control group had higher incomes throughout the study, particularly at the 12-month follow-up ( p = .004), but the differences could have been accounted for by other factors. Health service costs were skewed by a few participants who used day-care services intensively or had inpatient stays. Over the study period the proportion of exposed participants engaged in benefits reassessment ranged from 50% to 88%, and 40% to 76% of controls.

Conclusion:

The hardship of living with financial insecurity and a mental health condition made it difficult for our participants to sustain involvement in a 12-month study and the frequency of benefit reviews meant that the experiences of our controls were similar to our exposed group. These limitations limit interpretation but confirm the relevance of our research. The control data raise the question of whether people with mental health conditions are being disproportionately reassessed.
Investigating the relationship between indoor environment and workplace productivity in naturally and mechanically ventilated office environments
Authors: Gupta Rajat , Howard Alastair , Zahiri Sahar
Published: November 2019

This paper uses a case study-based approach to empirically investigate the relationship between indoor environment and workplace productivity in two contrasting office environments: one naturally ventilated, the other mechanically ventilated. Environmental parameters were continuously monitored over 19 months. Transverse and longitudinal surveys recorded occupants’ perception of their working environment and self-reported productivity, while performance tasks (numerical and proofreading) measured cognitive capability as proxy for measured productivity. Indoor temperatures and CO2 concentrations were found to be higher and more variable in the naturally ventilated office. However, the correlation between occupant perception of their indoor environment and perceived productivity was stronger in the mechanically ventilated office. Occupants of the naturally ventilated office were found to be more tolerant of their environment than their counterparts in the mechanically ventilated office. Task performance was affected by indoor environmental conditions such as indoor temperature and CO2 concentration. Interestingly in the naturally ventilated office, the median scores were up to 12% higher for tests conducted at CO2 concentrations <1400 ppm, compared to those conducted above 1400 ppm, whereas in the mechanically ventilated office, this threshold was only 1000 ppm.

The study showed that higher concentrations of CO2 were associated with lower task scores and longer task durations, reinforcing the need for good levels of ventilation in workspaces. It was found that occupants in NV workspaces were able to adapt to a broader range of environmental conditions. Therefore, controlling the indoor environment within narrow ranges (expending significant amounts of energy in the process) may not always be necessary to improve comfort and productivity. On the other hand, controlling indoor environment within a narrow range – as is common in MV workspaces – may be counterproductive, creating occupants who are less tolerant of small changes in their environmental conditions. The study also demonstrates occupant surveys can provide useful feedback on perceived comfort and productivity at relatively low cost. Insights from such surveys can be used to improve indoor environment in workspaces.
The creation of new states through interim agreements: Ambiguous compromises, intra-communal divisions, and contested identities
Authors: Caspersen Nina
Published: November 2019

For some separatist movements, interim agreements offer a possible route to recognized statehood. However, such agreements require these movements to compromise on their demand for immediate independence and risk the preservation of the joint state. How is this reconciled with their claim to self-determination and how is it received by the community they claim to represent? This article examines four post-Cold War cases where an interim agreement has been accepted (New Caledonia, Bougainville, Montenegro and South Sudan). It finds that interim agreements are more easily accepted when the community is significantly divided on the issue of independence and when an inclusive and flexible construction of the community predominates. Somewhat paradoxically, this suggests that new states are more likely to emerge in cases without a determined, cohesive, ethnically defined demand for independence.
Promoting Information Communication Technology Adoption and Acceptance for Aging-in-Place: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Arthanat Sajay
Published: November 2019

The prevailing digital divide along with barriers to information communication technology (ICT) adoption among older adults is well elucidated. To contribute evidence on ICT education, a 2-year randomized controlled trial verified the long-term effect of a novel individualized ICT training program for older adults in demographic cohorts who are known to underutilize ICT ( n = 42 in the training and n = 43 in a control group). Mixed-model repeated measures analysis of data was conducted from baseline and 6-month intervals ( df = 4, 1) post training. Older adults in the training group engaged in a wide range of leisure ( p = .03), health management ( p = .006), and instrumental activities of daily living ( p = .02) significantly more than those in the control group. They also reported significantly enhanced technology acceptance and sustained sense of independence in key ICT-based activities. The study supports the implementation of one-on-one ICT training programs to promote access and utilization of digital resources for aging-in-place.
Taiwan as ghost island? Ambivalent articulation of marginalized identities in computer-mediated discourses
Authors: Li Yao-Tai , Song Yunya
Published: November 2019

This study examines the conflicting self-presentations when using the term ‘ghost island’ in Taiwan, a self-mocking way to belittle the homeland. While some view this term as a form of social critique, others consider it to be suggestive of a social malaise affecting contemporary Taiwanese. Drawing on online posts and comments from the most popular bulletin board system in Taiwan, this study combines topic modeling with a discourse-historical approach (DHA) to critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine the constructions of ‘ghost island’ by Taiwanese netizens. A computer-aided content analysis was implemented using Structural Topic Modeling (STM) to identify discourse topics associated with netizens’ discourses on ghost island. Our findings suggest that the images of ‘us’ (the ordinary people) are presented as victims as against powerful ‘others’ (e.g. mainland China and local elites). Specifically, self-mockery was often invoked to project a loser image and marginalized status living on the island, whereas self-assertive narratives were invoked to affirm Taiwanese society’s democracy and freedom. The conflicting narratives – with a mixture of grudge, helplessness, pessimism, hope and pride – point to Taiwanese netizens’ ambivalent articulation of marginalized identities that operates to strengthen affective connectedness and virtual bonding.
The Prevalence and Risk Factors for Antenatal Depression Among Pregnant Immigrant and Native Women in Spain
Authors: Marcos-Nájera Rosa , Rodríguez-Muñoz María de la Fe , Soto Balbuena Cristina , Olivares Crespo María Eugenia , Izquierdo Méndez Nuria , Le Huynh-Nhu , Escudero Gomis Ana
Published: November 2019

Introduction: The aim was to examine the risk factors of anternatal depression among immigrant and native pregnant women in Spain. Method: A total of 1,524 pregnant women completed the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory–Revised form. Results: The native group reported a lower prevalence (15.2%) compared with immigrant group (25.8%). For immigrants, primiparity, moving, and perceived lack instrumental support from friends or emotional support from partners and family members were significant risk factors. Discussion: The study identified risk factors that can be used for preventive interventions during pregnancy. Significance: Screening and interventions for depression during pregnancy should take migration status into account to maximize effective health care. Also, health providers should consider how migration status can result in different risk factors that affect depression during pregnancy.
Mitigation of nonlinear rub-impact of a rotor system with magnetorheological damper
Authors: Wang Jun , Ma Liang , Zhang Junhong , Lu Xin , Yu YangYang
Published: November 2019

In this work, a new method of using a magnetorheological damper to improve the self-adaptive ability of a rotor system to rub-impact is developed. To validate the feasibility of this method, a finite element model of the rub-impact rotor system with magnetorheological damper is investigated. A revised formula describing the relationship between the yielding shear stress and magnetic field intensity is proposed. Focusing on the mitigation effect of magnetorheological damper on the nonlinear dynamic response of the rotor system, numerical simulation is conducted. The results show that magnetorheological damper has a considerable effect on the vibration and stability of a rub-impact rotor system. When a suitable current is applied, magnetorheological damper can effectively mitigate the vibration of the rotor system to prevent rub-impact. If contact of the rotor/stator is inevitable, magnetorheological damper can further stabilize heavy rub-impact to slight rub-impact by adjusting the current to an appropriate value. This research reveals the influence mechanisms of magnetorheological damper on normal and rub-impact rotor systems and is helpful for vibration control and fault self-healing of rotating machinery.
Assessing the Quality and Prestige of Disciplinary Social Work Journals: A National Study of Faculty Perceptions
Authors: Hodge David R. , Yu Mansoo , Kim Anna
Published: November 2019

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the overall quality and prestige of all currently active disciplinary social work periodicals and (2) determine whether perceptions of quality among the top 10 journals varied by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and academic rank.

Method:

To perform this cross-sectional study, we used a national sample of tenure-track faculty ( N = 307) affiliated with PhD granting social work programs.

Results:

Journals ( N = 64) were rank ordered based upon perceptions of overall quality and prestige. Analysis revealed overall quality and prestige scores were highly correlated ( rs = .93, p < .001). Race/ethnicity was unrelated to perceptions of quality among top-tier journals, but age, gender, and academic rank were significantly associated with perceptions of quality in some cases, although the effect sizes were relatively small.

Discussion:

The results provide guidance for faculty seeking to disseminate their work in highly regarded disciplinary periodicals, especially junior faculty seeking tenure and promotion.
The effect of ginger rhizome and refrigerated storage time on the quality of pasteurized canned meat
Authors: Draszanowska Anna , Karpińska-Tymoszczyk Mirosława , Olszewska Magdalena A
Published: November 2019

The effect of ginger rhizome, in comparison with sodium ascorbate and butylated hydroxytoluene, and storage time at 5℃ on the quality of pasteurized canned meat was studied. Ginger rhizome was as effective as sodium ascorbate in inhibiting lipid oxidation. The canned meat with ginger rhizome was characterized by a lighter color and a lower contribution of redness than the remaining products. It was also characterized by the lowest hardness, springiness, and chewiness. In a sensory evaluation, meat with ginger rhizome was evaluated as juicier and softer than the remaining meat products. The results of this study indicate that ginger rhizome could be used in the place of synthetic antioxidants in pasteurized canned meat.
Patient selection, education, and cannulation of percutaneous arteriovenous fistulae: An ASDIN White Paper
Authors: Wasse Haimanot , Alvarez Alejandro C , Brouwer-Maier Debbie , Hull Jeffrey E , Balamuthusamy Saravanan , Litchfield Terry F , Cooper Randy I , Rajan Dheeraj K , Niyyar Vandana Dua , Agarwal Anil K , Abreo Kenneth , Lok Charmaine E , Jennings William C
Published: November 2019

End-stage kidney disease patients who are candidates for surgical arteriovenous fistula creation commonly experience obstacles to a functional surgical arteriovenous fistula, including protracted wait time for creation, poor maturation, and surgical arteriovenous fistula dysfunction that can result in significant patient morbidity. The recent approval of two endovascular devices designed to create a percutaneous arteriovenous fistula enables arteriovenous fistula creation to be placed in the hands of interventionalists, thereby increasing the number of arteriovenous fistula providers, reducing wait times, and allowing the patient to avoid surgery. Moreover, current studies demonstrate that patients with percutaneous arteriovenous fistula experience improved time to arteriovenous fistula maturation. Yet, in order to realize the potential advantages of percutaneous arteriovenous fistula creation within our hemodialysis patient population, it is critical to select appropriate patients, ensure adequate patient and dialysis unit education, and provide sufficient instruction in percutaneous arteriovenous fistula cannulation and monitoring. In this White Paper by the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology, experts in interventional nephrology, surgery, and interventional radiology convened and provide recommendations on the aforementioned elements that are fundamental to a functional percutaneous arteriovenous fistula.