bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel unit mechanism for serial head-tail alternatively supported robot
Authors: Tao Guanghong , Liu Zijing , Ye Changlong
Published: December 2020

Multi-unit serial mobile robot designed for obstacle avoidance, inspection or rescue task, should ideally be able to switch the head and tail as supporting stand to move forward wriggly, be lightweight and low energy consumption, aiming at adapting to complex application environment. This paper proposes a novel robot pitching unit based on a parallelogram mechanism, and a robot with the proposed units taking the task of power transmission line inspection as application background. To reduce unit motor number and weight, a single motor and cable driving(SMCD) method is proposed. The unit architecture and robot prototype are designed. The kinematic model is developed and the supporting stand switch process is presented. According to the force analysis of the unit mechanisms, the driving motor energy consumption calculating methods of the proposed unit and the conventional serial unit are presented respectively. The low energy consumption characteristic of the proposed unit is demonstrated through applications respectively on a 4-unit serial immobile robot model and an inspection robot model for power transmission line. Experiments of unit supporting stand switch and robot prototype crossing obstacles are conducted to verify the unit feasibility. The results of analysis and experiments show that comparing with the conventional units, the whole energy consumption of the robot can be reduced clearly by applying the proposed units, the novel unit is capable of switching the supporting stand, based on which the inspection robot meets the application requirements on overhead power transmission line.
Identification of the factors associated with post-treatment asymptomatic neurosyphilis in HIV-negative patients with serological non-response syphilis: a retrospective study
Authors: Weng Wenjia , Hou Jiahua , Song Bingbing , Zhang Ming , Zhang Tong , Gao Yanqing
Published: December 2020

Some syphilis patients do not exhibit an appropriate serological response after treatment despite the absence of any clinical evidence of treatment failure or reinfection. This condition is called “serofast syphilis” or “serological non-response syphilis.” This study explored the incidence of asymptomatic neurosyphilis (ANS) and related factors in 324 asymptomatic patients with serological non-response syphilis. We analyzed descriptive statistics stratified by the presence of asymptomatic neurosyphilis for the basic characteristics of samples. Bivariate analysis was conducted to assess correlations between outcomes and potential predictors. Variables significant in the bivariate analysis (p<0.1) were entered into multivariable logistic regression models. All p-values were two-sided with a significance threshold of p<0.05. The results indicated that 89 of 324 patients had ANS (incidence of 27.5%), and the greatest risk factors were a < fourfold decrease in serum rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titers after treatment and current serum RPR titers >1:32. Our findings suggest that ANS is common among syphilis patients, and patients with a fourfold decrease in serum RPR titers after treatment and current serum RPR titers >1:32 are more likely to develop ANS.
Unintended consequences: the potential impacts of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) 2019 gonorrhoea guidelines
Authors: Burton Rachel , Duncan Sarah , Wardle Elizabeth , Patel Chandni , Clarke Emily
Published: December 2020

In 2019 the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) guidelines for the management of gonorrhoea were updated. Epidemiological treatment was reserved for sexual contacts presenting within 14 days of exposure only. The aim of this evaluation was to review the potential implications of the new guidelines on the management of gonorrhoea contacts. For this retrospective service evaluation, all gonorrhoea contacts presenting to two UK sexual health services in 2018 were identified using the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD) code Partner notification: gonorrhoea contact (PNG). Demographics, clinical characteristics and outcome data were collected from the electronic patient records. The 2019 guidelines were retrospectively applied to evaluate impact. For 436 patients seen as gonorrhoea contacts, gonorrhoea prevalence was 36% (159/436), and chlamydia prevalence 19% (83/429). Gonorrhoea prevalence varied with sexual risk: women 57% (61/107), heterosexual men 20% (28/143), men who have sex with men (MSM) 38% (69/183, p < .001); and with time since exposure: prevalence 43% (114/267) in those presenting within 14 days, 28% (42/149) after 14 days (p = .003). Epidemiological treatment of contacts presenting within 14 days would result in the treatment of 73% (114/156) of confirmed cases, with 37% (153/416) contacts unnecessarily treated. The BASHH gonorrhoea guideline changes represent an opportunity to improve antibiotic stewardship by reducing unnecessary treatment of gonorrhoea negative contacts.
Re-defining gender as a heinous crime: A case study from the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies
Authors: Persson Janaina Negreiros
Published: December 2020

In this article, we explore how the discourses around gender are evolving at the core of Brazilian politics. Our focus lies on the discourses at the public hearing on the bill 3.492/19, which aimed at including “gender ideology” on the list of heinous crimes. We aim to identify the deputies’ linguistic representation of social actors as pertaining to in- and outgroups. In addition, the article analyzes through Critical Discourse Analysis how the terminology gender is represented in this particular hearing. The analysis shows how some of the conservative parliamentarians give a clearly negative meaning to the term gender, by labeling it “gender ideology” and additionally connecting it with heinous crimes. We propose that the re-signification of “gender ideology,” from rhetorical invention to heinous crime, is not only an attempt to undermine scientific gender studies but also a way for conservative deputies to gain more political power.
What does Theory & Psychology have to offer community-orientated psychologists?
Authors: Hodgetts Darrin , Sonn Christopher , Li Wendy , Groot Shiloh
Published: December 2020

Psychology is awash with different understandings and enactments of relations between theory and action. This article explores coverage in Theory & Psychology of such relations from the perspective of four community psychologists who are seeking insights into how to further integrate our theory, research, practice, and teaching activities. We first consider a dedicated special issue on Theory in Action that exemplifies some of the mental gymnastics evident in efforts to work participatively to address practical problems in theoretically informed ways. Our focus then shifts to what we see as a form of disciplinary reflexivity that we detected regarding issues surrounding theory and action across the broader content of Theory & Psychology. We conclude with further reflections on how insights from the scholarly papers cited resonate with our own critical praxis and efforts to engage with and address complex social problems, and the importance of cultural considerations in such community scholar activism.
Beyond the oversocialized conception of the subject in psychology: Desire, conflict, and the problem of social order
Authors: Kirschner Suzanne R.
Published: December 2020

The question of how individual human beings achieve stable and collaborative social relations, given that they also have diverging desires and interests, remains important for any psychology or psychological metatheory concerned with the study of individuals in social life. Yet, many influential sociocultural psychologies have, in effect, denied that question’s validity. Discursive, hermeneutic, relational, and some critical psychologies overemphasize the constitutive force of social interactivity and cultural meanings for individual subjectivity, emotion, and other putative psychological phenomena. Using the case of positioning theory, I argue that sociocultural approaches, while of great value, take those “oversocialized” assumptions too far and do not adequately account for the moral complexities and tragic existential realities of human individual and social life. Those dimensions can be more fully theorized and studied using a cultural psychology that retains cultural–phenomenological and symbolic interactionist elements but also includes a set of broadly psychodynamic assumptions and methods.
Theoretical dialogue and interdisciplinary relevance: Thirty years of Theory & Psychology
Authors: O’Doherty Kieran C.
Published: December 2020

The 30th year of publication of Theory & Psychology has coincided with local and global disruption and upheaval. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone, and in so doing has reemphasized (and in some instances reinforced and exacerbated) systemic inequities. The year has also been characterized by a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and antiracism protests, as well as counter protests from the far right. There has been a dramatic upsurge in public disagreement about knowledge claims in what some have been calling a post-truth world. Given this, it is worth reexamining the role of theoretical psychology in the discipline and beyond. The occasion of the 30-year anniversary of Theory & Psychology is used to reaffirm the vibrancy and relevance of theoretical work in psychology. The question is raised to what degree we have an obligation to make our theoretical work intelligible beyond the specific scholarly communities engaged in work similar to our own. Ten articles featured in this anniversary issue are introduced.
Identification of critical moving characteristics in high speed on/off valve based on time derivative of the coil current
Authors: Gao Qiang , Zhu Yuchuan , Wu Changwen , Jiang Yulei
Published: December 2020

This article focuses on accurate identification of the critical moving characteristics of the high speed on/off valve. Typically, there are two strategies for identifying the critical moving characteristics, including calculation strategy based on force balance and strategy for detecting the coil current’s certain points. However, the accuracy of the two above strategies needs to be improved. Therefore, to improve the identification accuracy of the high speed on/off valve’s critical moving characteristics, an identification strategy for detecting the time derivative of the coil current is proposed. First, a mathematical model of the high speed on/off valve (including electromagnetic sub-model and mechanical-fluid sub-model) is established. And on this basis, relationship between the coil current’s derivative and the valve’s critical moving characteristics is analyzed which reveals the changing rule of the coil current’s derivative causing by the ball valve’s moving. Finally, the changing rule of the coil current’s derivative is verified by the comparative simulations and experiments, which also indicate that, with the proposed identification strategy, the maximum identification error of the critical opening/closing time is only within 6%, and the maximum identification error of the total opening/closing time is still small (2.9%), compared to other identification strategies in the previous literatures.
Climate-human-landscape interaction in the eastern foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro (equatorial East Africa) during the last two millennia
Authors: van der Plas Geert W , Rucina Stephen M , Hemp Andreas , Marchant Robert A , Hooghiemstra Henry , Schüler Lisa , Verschuren Dirk
Published: December 2020

The Mt. Kilimanjaro region is known for its long history of intensive agriculture, but the temporal extent of human activity and its impact on the regional ecosystem are not well known. In this study, climate-human-landscape interactions during the past ~2200 years were examined using climate and vegetation proxies extracted from the continuous and high-resolution sediment record of Lake Chala. Ancient-to-modern regional human activity is documented against a backdrop of long-term vegetation dynamics in the low-elevation savanna woodland southeast of Mt. Kilimanjaro and riparian forest within Chala crater. During prolonged dry periods (~1170–1300 CE), succulent dry crater forest expanded relative to the moist lakeshore forest. The savanna landscape surrounding Chala crater was relatively stable through time, except that savanna grasses were stimulated by higher precipitation, consistent with the fuel-limited fire regime evidenced in the charcoal record. Expansion of subalpine ericaceous vegetation and a general decline in Afromontane forest taxa on Mt. Kilimanjaro after 550 CE may reflect a lowering of its upper forest line. The earliest robust signature of human influence on regional vegetation involves an increase in ruderal (weedy) plant taxa around 1100 CE, possibly associated with the development of Chagga homegardens and associated agroforestry in the submontane forest zone. A first hint of cereal agriculture (likely sorghum) is observed around 1550 CE, followed by a more robust signature from 1780 CE onwards which likely reflects the start of lowland irrigation agriculture. From 1780 CE we also find the first undisputed appearance of maize, introduced to East Africa about a century earlier.
Foucault and the birth of psychopolitics: Towards a genealogy of crisis governance
Authors: Prozorov Sergei
Published: December 2020

The article contributes to the genealogy of current tendencies in crisis governance by reconstructing Michel Foucault’s analysis of the application of the notion of crisis in 19th-century psychiatry. This analysis complements and corrects Reinhart Koselleck’s history that viewed crisis as originally a medical, judicial or theological concept that was transferred to the political domain in the 18th century. In contrast, Foucault highlights how the psychiatric application of the concept of crisis was itself political, conditioned by the disciplinary power of the psychiatrist. Unlike the ancient medical concept of crisis that emphasized the doctor’s judgement in observing the event of truth in the course of the disease, psychiatric crisis is explicitly forced by the doctor in order to elicit the desired symptoms in the patient and convert their power of disciplinary confinement into medical diagnosis. The article argues that this notion of crisis resonates with the tendencies observed in contemporary crisis governance in Western societies. While these tendencies are often addressed in terms of ‘psychopolitics’ that presumably succeeds Foucault’s ‘biopolitics’, we suggest that Foucault’s own work on psychiatric power offers a valuable genealogical perspective on the contemporary governance of crises.
Testing Times: The Social Life of Non-invasive Prenatal Testing
Authors: Thomas Gareth M. , Rothman Barbara Katz , Strange Heather , Latimer Joanna E.
Published: December 2020

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a genomic technology used to predict the chance of a foetus having a genetic condition. Despite the immediacy of this technology’s integration into clinical practice, there is a dearth of evidence outlining how both patients and professionals experience NIPT on the ground. In this article, we draw upon our collective empirical research—specifically on earlier screening technologies (BKR), Down syndrome screening (GT), genetic screening/testing (JL) and NIPT (HS)—to outline the most pressing and often controversial issues which, we argue, remain unresolved and vital to consider regarding NIPT. We begin with a brief introduction to NIPT as a prenatal technology and the bodies of literature which unpack its ‘social life’. In what follows, BKR discusses NIPT within the context of her research on ‘the tentative pregnancy’ and diagnostic testing in the USA. In the following sections, GT, HS and JL identify different, but related, concerns with respect to NIPT, particularly around routinisation, commercialisation, choice, abortion, and configurations of disability and ‘normalcy’.
Public Works and Children’s School Attendance: Evidence from Rural India
Authors: O’Brien James
Published: December 2020

Rural public works programmes offer a guarantee of temporary employment to any household upon request. This article examines household survey data from India and measures the effect of public works participation on the school attendance of children in workers’ households. Since schooling and public works are determined simultaneously, it relies on an econometric technique that exploits heteroscedasticity in the public works decision rather than requiring an instrumental variable or exclusion restriction. It is found that higher public works intensity is associated with a small but significant decrease in the likelihood of full-time school attendance and that this effect does not appear to be driven disproportionately by women or girls specifically. It is important to consider intergenerational effects when evaluating the effectiveness of rural public works for long-term poverty alleviation.
In schizophrenia, are lack of capacity and lack of insight more usefully understood as anosognosia?
Authors: Little John D.
Published: December 2020

Objective:

To argue that lack of capacity, lack of insight and anosognosia represent different facets of an interconnected, underlying process.

Methods:

Electronic and manual literature search.

Results:

There is demographic, clinical, neurocognitive and possible neuroanatomical overlap between lack of capacity, lack of insight and anosognosia.

Conclusion:

The use of different terms may reflect the background of the authors and their investigative methodologies rather than unrelated phenomena. Anosognosia is preferred as it progresses research and usefully informs clinical and legal practice.
Exploring Elementary Student Perceptions of Experiential Learning Within Critical Service-Learning
Authors: Gartland Sara
Published: December 2020

Background: Critical service-learning provides an opportunity for culturally sustaining and experiential learning across a variety of contexts. This study took place alongside a larger study examining the implementation of a year-long community-based critical service-learning initiative at an underresourced elementary school. While the larger study focused on the ways in which the teachers engaged with the framework, this study focuses on the students. Purpose: This study sought to explore third graders’ perceptions of their participation in developing, planning, and implementing a critical service-learning project. Methodology/Approach: Fieldnotes from classroom observations, co-planning and co-teaching sessions, transcripts from student focus groups, and other lesson artifacts were analyzed qualitatively. Findings/Conclusions: A case study of two third-grade students found that amplification of student voice associated with engaging in the critical service-learning fostered a sense of community within the classroom and increased student self-efficacy. Implications: These findings add to the literature on critical service-learning in K–12 public schools while also providing impetus to continue studying student perceptions of experiential learning.
23.4% Sodium Chloride Versus Mannitol for the Reduction of Intracranial Pressure in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Tatro Hayley A. , McMillen James C. , Hamilton Leslie A. , Rowe A. Shaun
Published: December 2020

Background

Intermittent doses of mannitol or hypertonic saline are recommended to treat elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). However, it is unclear if one agent is more effective than the other. Previous studies have compared mannitol and hypertonic saline in reduction of ICP, with conflicting results. However, no study thus far has compared 23.4% sodium chloride with mannitol.

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine the difference in absolute reduction of ICP 60 minutes after infusion of 23.4% sodium chloride versus mannitol.

Methods

This was a single-center retrospective cohort study that included patients at least 16 years old admitted to the trauma/surgical intensive care unit between August 8, 2016, and August 30, 2018, who received either 23.4% sodium chloride 30 mL and/or mannitol 0.5 g/kg and had an ICP monitor or external ventricular drain in place. The primary outcome was absolute reduction in ICP 60 minutes after infusion of hyperosmolar therapy.

Results

In all, 31 patients and 162 doses of hyperosmolar therapy were included in the analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in the primary end point of absolute reduction of ICP 60 minutes after infusion of hyperosmolar therapy comparing 23.4% sodium chloride 30 mL with 0.5 g/kg mannitol ( P = 0.2929). There was no statistically significant difference found for any secondary end points.

Conclusion and Relevance

No difference was found for absolute reduction of ICP at 30, 60, and 120 minutes, respectively, after infusion of hyperosmolar agent or time to next elevated ICP. Patient-specific parameters should be used to guide the choice of hyperosmolar agent to be administered.
Extramammary Borderline Phyllodes Tumor Presenting as an Umbilical Mass
Authors: Jackson John , Walker Eleanor , Bethune Robert , Bracey Tim , Mason Chris , Mandalia Trupti
Published: December 2020

Phyllodes tumors (PTs) represent a spectrum of rare, fibroepithelial neoplasms of the breast, which can be subcategorized as benign, borderline, or malignant based on their histological appearance. Accessory breast tissue may present anywhere along the embryological mammary ridge, and at distant locations as aberrant breast tissue. We present the case of a 56-year-old lady with an umbilical mass, thought to represent a strangulated hernia. Sections showed a fibroepithelial tumor with leaf-like ducts, conspicuous mitotic activity (up to 8 per 10 high-power fields), and focal infiltration into fat. Immunohistochemical studies showed diffuse positivity of epithelial cells for estrogen receptor, mammaglobin, GCDFP-15, and CK7. These findings were consistent with a borderline PT. This is the first case report of PT presenting as an umbilical mass, and the first extramammary borderline PT described.
Development and Psychometric Properties of a New Self-Report Questionnaire Measuring Attachment in School-Age Children: The Attachment in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (AMCQ)
Authors: Marci Tatiana , Moscardino Ughetta , Santona Alessandra , Lionetti Francesca , Pastore Massimiliano , Altoè Gianmarco
Published: December 2020

Although conscious aspects of attachment representations can be effectively assessed in middle childhood, the few available self-reports are based on different operationalizations of attachment and do not always show adequate psychometric properties. The current study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Attachment in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (AMCQ). Using three independent samples of Italian children ( Mage = 10 years, 52% = girls), in three interrelated studies we (1) selected a pool of items from existing questionnaires, adapted them to the same response format, and subjected them to exploratory factor analysis; (2) performed confirmatory factor analyses on the retained items; and (3) used structural equation modeling to assess the factor structure, external validity, and invariance across gender and age groups. The final 15-item questionnaire comprised two dimensions (anxiety and avoidance) and a supplementary scale (security). Overall, results supported the reliability and validity of the AMCQ for Italian children.
Race, Ethnicity, and Punishment for Federal Sex Offenses: Changing Composition in Child Pornography and Sex Abuse Cases and Temporal Disparity in Sentencing Over Time
Authors: Hartley Richard D. , Testa Alexander , Martinez Erika
Published: December 2020

In response to several high-profile violent offenses against children over the past two decades, Congress has enacted several pieces of legislation aimed at increasing punishment for those convicted of federal sex offenses. Coinciding with these enhanced penalties was a demographic shift in the composition of those prosecuted for these offenses. In the federal criminal justice system, sex offenses fall into two main categories: child pornography and sexual abuse. The racial and ethnic makeup of individuals charged for federal sex offenses has significantly changed over the past 15 years. The current study utilizes federal sentencing data from the United States Sentencing Commission for the years 2006 to 2017 to explore the nature of punishment for these offenses over time. We also employ multivariate analyses to examine differences in punishment for the two types of offenses and employ disaggregated analyses by offense type to examine temporal change in racial/ethnic disparities in sentence length and departures from the federal sentencing guidelines. Findings demonstrate that convicted individuals who are Black and Hispanic are receiving harsher sentences over time net of controls for other key predictors such as age, sex, criminal history, and presumptive sentence length. Implications for how legislatively enhanced penalties and changing demographic makeup of those convicted for these offenses may have introduced extra-legal disparity into federal sentencing are further discussed.
Donor Designation Among Mature Latinas and Lay Health Educators (Promotoras): A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Gordon Elisa J. , Gardiner Heather , Siminoff Laura A. , Kelly Patrick J. , Agu Chidera , Urbanski Megan , Alolod Gerard P. , Benitez Amanda , Hernandez Ilda , Guinansaca Nancy , Ramos Winther Lori , Bergeron Caroline D. , Kim Rachel , Montalvo Antonette , Gonzalez Tony
Published: December 2020

Background

Despite positive public attitudes toward solid organ donation in the United States, some of the lowest rates of donor designation persist among older adults and Latinx populations.

Aims

To identify barriers and facilitators to organ donation and donor designation among lay health educators ( promotoras) and mature Latina (50+ years).

Methods

An explanatory sequential mixed-method design was employed, with telephone surveys followed by focus group interviews, to assess and understand the nuances of organ donation and donor designation knowledge, attitudes, and practices among promotoras and mature Latinas in Chicago (IL), Philadelphia (PA), and San Antonio (TX). Descriptive statistics summarized quantitative survey data; thematic content analysis was performed on qualitative data.

Results

Twenty-nine promotoras and 45 mature Latina participated in both the surveys and focus groups ( N = 74). Most participants (90%) had limited knowledge of organ donation but reported being “somewhat” or “strongly” in favor of donation (70%); 40.5% were registered donors. Participants lacked knowledge about the registration process and its legal standing and upheld concerns that registered donors would be vulnerable to organ traffickers or targets for murder. Themes emerging from the group interviews revealed additional barriers to designation including distrust of the medical establishment, perceptions of inequities in organ allocation, and family resistance to discussing death.

Discussion

Low donor designation rates are primarily driven by concerns about organ trafficking and the fairness of the allocation system, particularly for undocumented immigrants.

Conclusions

The results informed development of a culturally targeted educational and communication skills intervention to increase donor designation in Latinx communities.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04007419.
Proposal for the management of myopic traction maculopathy based on the new MTM staging system
Authors: Parolini Barbara , Palmieri Michele , Finzi Alessandro , Frisina Rino
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To propose the Myopic Traction Maculopathy (MTM) management Table, based on the MTM Staging System (MSS).

Methods:

A retrospective review of 157 eyes affected by MTM, operated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), or macular buckle (MB) or combined surgery (MB + PPV). Each case was classified according to the MSS. Anatomical results were evaluated with OCT at an intermediate follow-up (3–6 months) and at a final follow-up (2–8 years), considering changes both in the foveal and in the retinal pattern. The number and type of operations needed were noted. The surgical complications were reported.

Results:

Primary surgery was MB for 83 eyes (52%), PPV for 36 (23%) and MB + PPV for 38 (24%). At intermediate follow-up, the retinal pattern was restored in 55.41% and foveal in 42.68%. Further surgery was indicated as PPV in 25.48%, MB in 14.65%. At the final follow-up, the retinal pattern was restored in 96.16% and the foveal pattern in 87.90%. BCVA improved at the final follow-up ( p < 0.05). The complications of MB were not sight-threatening. The complications of PPV were FTMH in 67% cases in stages 2, 3, and 4. Cataract developed in 60% of phakic eyes. The complications of combined MB+PPV were cataract (56%) and PVR (5%).

Conclusions:

Both PPV and MB may be used to treat MTM. PPV addresses the changes in the foveal pattern while MB addresses the changes in the retinal pattern. The MTM management table offers a proposal for the choice of type and timing of treatment customized per each stage of MTM.
Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders among Individuals Enrolled in an Emergency Response Program for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder
Authors: Bakos-Block Christine , Langabeer James R , Yatsco Andrea , Cardenas-Turanzas Marylou , Champagne-Langabeer Tiffany
Published: December 2020

Background:

Psychiatric co-occurring disorders among individuals with opioid use disorder has primarily focused on epidemiological surveys of patients in continuous or long-term treatment, yet little is known about the socio-economically vulnerable who are non-treatment seeking prior to an emergency response.

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed data from patients who had enrolled in a study involving home outreach to patients referred from police, emergency medical services (EMS), or hospital emergency departments following an emergency response. The sample is largely socio-economically vulnerable with high rates of unemployment and uninsured. Eligible consenting patients received an intervention consisting of medication (buprenorphine), behavioral counseling, and peer support. Participants completed semi-structured, psychological instruments to assess current and prior history for both substance use and mental health disorders. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate rates of co-occurring mental health comorbidity.

Results:

Among 102 patients (average age = 36.5 years old), approximately 61 (59.8%) reported a prior mental health diagnosis, with 31 (30.3%) currently on medications for their diagnoses. Mood and anxiety disorders were most frequently recorded. Just over half (51%) had received any prior treatment for their substance use. Of those with dual disorders, 67.2% had experienced prior suicidal thoughts, and 63.7% reported polysubstance use of 5 or more substances.

Conclusion:

Co-occurring psychiatric disorders, and specifically mood and anxiety disorders, appear to be prevalent in vulnerable populations at an increased rate. Mental health assessments should routinely be performed in the emergency setting and in early stages of treatment.
Temporal Aspects in Air Quality Modeling—A Case Study in Wrocław
Authors: Kamińska Joanna , Lucena-Sánchez Estrella , Sciavicco Guido
Published: December 2020

Anthropogenic environmental pollution is a known and indisputable issue, and the importance of searching for reliable mathematical models that help understanding the underlying process is witnessed by the extensive literature on the topic. In this article, we focus on the temporal aspects of the processes that govern the concentration of pollutants using typical explanatory variables, such as meteorological values and traffic flows. We develop a novel technique based on multiobjective optimization and linear regression to find optimal delays for each variable, and then we apply such delays to our data to evaluate the improvement that can be obtained with respect to learning an explanatory model with standard techniques. We found that optimizing delays can, in some cases, improve the accuracy of the final model up to 15%.
Predictors of Adherence Toward Specific Domains of Diabetic Self-Care Among Type-2 Diabetes Patients
Authors: Degefa Girma , Wubshet Kindie , Tesfaye Sisay , Hirigo Agete Tadewos
Published: December 2020

Background:

Adequate knowledge, awareness, and adherence to diabetic self-care practices are vital tools to protect patients from risks of disease complications, developing comorbidity and mortality. Therefore, this study aimed to assess specific domains of diabetic self-care practice and associated factors among patients with type-2diabetes in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Sidama regional state.

Materials and methods:

A hospital-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 217 patients with type 2 diabetes from January 01 to April 30, 2020. A structured questionnaire and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) tool were used to collect relevant data through interviewer administration. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23.

Results:

A total of 207 patients with type-2 diabetes were participated in the study with a 95% response rate. Overall 47.8% (95%CI: 41.2-55) of patients adhered to diabetic self-care practice. Concerning the specific domain of self-care practice, 54.6%, 39.1%, 28%, and 65.2% of patients adhered to a healthy diet, physical exercise, self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG), and diabetic foot care practices, respectively. Besides, all patients received at least 80% of the prescribed doses and frequency of anti-diabetic agents and 60.4% had good glycemic control. Receipt of advice from treating physicians and having no familial history of diabetes were significantly associated with adherence toward eating a healthy diet, diabetic foot care, and SMBG. While male sex was associated with adherence toward healthy diet management. Moreover, having glucometer, age, male sex, diabetes duration ⩾ 5 years, and anti-diabetic treatment modality were associated with adherence toward SMBG.

Conclusion:

This study indicates 52.2%, 72%, and 60.1% of diabetes patients did not adhere to diabetic self-care, SMBG, and physical exercise, respectively. Improving awareness and regular diabetic education is imperative to scale up patients’ adherence toward diabetic self-care practice.
Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Under Anti-TNFα Treatment: A Case Report
Authors: Iovino Aniello , Aruta Francesco , Dubbioso Raffaele , Ruggiero Lucia , Tozza Stefano , Spina Emanuele , Manganelli Fiore , Iodice Rosa
Published: December 2020

Antagonists of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) are a common therapeutic choice for autoimmune diseases. Although they are effective and relatively safe, an increasing number of immune-mediated adverse events have been reported. Among these, neurological adverse effectsm such as consisting of demyelinating events in the central and peripheral nervous system were described. Demyelination of the central nervous system is a rare complication after treatment with TNFα antagonists. Here, we report a case of multiple sclerosis under treatment with TNFα antagonists and discuss its etiopathogenesis. This 45-year-old female patient developed signs and symptoms suggestive of primary progressive multiple sclerosis during treatment with adalinumab for nodular cystic acne, and magnetic resonance imaging of the patient showed typical lesions of demyelinating disease.
The Fuzzy Side of Publicness: Visualizing Street Politics of Everyday life through the Lens of Distance
Authors: Saleh Mohamed , Roo Gert de , Shim David
Published: December 2020

The description of public space usually hinges on two narratives of publicness: one narrative criticizes the State’s attempts to condition publicness on the basis of functionality, and the other denotes publicness with space that can be appropriated by ordinary people. However, there are no “pure” moments in which either narrative is neatly differentiated since they are simultaneously active, or fuzzy, in situations of everyday life. Exploring this fuzziness, we propose a visibility framework for studying the physical and social embodiment of publicness as a lived experience. The framework employs socio-spatial distance as a variable for interpreting the emergence of situations that promote urban justice. Based on visual ethnography in public spaces in Cairo and Alexandria, the framework allows us to interpret the multi-valence and uncertainty characterizing the fuzzy side of publicness. The article concludes with reflections on the tense interface of control and self-organization that animates the dynamics of street politics.
Australian feature film production: a zero sum game
Authors: Hambly Glenda
Published: December 2020

Cultural relevance is constantly cited as the key reason for maintaining a government supported film and television industry in Australia, but when it comes to local feature films this is empty rhetoric. Independent producers making features that express an Australian sensibility face huge obstacles. The challenges begin in script development, continue through financing and end in a distribution and exhibition system that stymies profitability and access to Australian audiences. Since it was founded in 2007, Screen Australia, the country’s premier film funding agency, has played an instrumental role in systematizing and entrenching these obstacles with policies and programs that promote global and commercial goals. Given current government and film agency policy settings, the future of the local arm of the feature industry dedicated to telling Australian stories looks increasingly bleak.
The Prevent Duty in UK higher education: Insights from freedom of information requests
Authors: Whiting Andrew , Campbell Ben , Spiller Keith , Awan Imran
Published: December 2020

Drawing upon 157 responses to Freedom of Information Requests sent to Higher Education Institutions across England, Scotland and Wales, this article explores how the Prevent Duty has been enacted within UK higher education. The article shows how the duty has seen considerable repositioning and restructuring across the sector, conflated counterterrorism with safeguarding and introduced further bureaucracy. The article also explores the low number of Channel referrals, the justifications provided for these and the several instances in which institutions refused to disclose this information. We argue that these disproportionate developments have brought harmful depoliticising effects while also enhancing the mechanisms of surveillance and governance. Furthermore, we argue that our findings demonstrate the value in Freedom of Information Requests as a means of approach and suggest a continued need for critical researchers to explore the specific functioning of the duty to complement the broader critiques that are levelled at the policy as a whole.
Votes and violence: Electoral vote share and international conflict in democratic states
Authors: Haynes Kyle
Published: December 2020

This article argues that the effect of a democratic leader’s electoral margin of victory on their conflict behaviour once in office is highly dependent upon the state’s institutional structure. I show that, uniquely in parliamentary democracies, governments that win a larger share of the vote are significantly less likely to initiate disputes abroad. Such governments entail broad coalitions that, combined with the ever-present possibility of governmental collapse and new elections, require leaders to pursue a more cautious, lowest-common-denominator foreign policy. This effect is significantly stronger for right-wing governments. Conversely, in presidential democracies, I find that electoral vote share has no effect on a leader’s subsequent conflict propensity. Vote shares thus function very differently in parliamentary and presidential systems, with important implications for conflict behaviour abroad.
Thermal sensation under high-intensive exercise in naturally ventilated gymnasiums in hot-humid areas of China: Taking basketball players for example
Authors: Huang Xiaodan , Zhang Qingyuan , Wang Zhangyuan , Ma Xiaoli
Published: December 2020

As a public building for exercises and entertainments, gymnasiums play an important role in people's daily life. In regions with hot-humid climate, thermal sensation in gymnasiums is directly related to the human health as well as energy consumption. However, little can be found in the systematic evaluation system reported for thermal sensation of athletes in gymnasium in hot-humid climate regions; therefore, there is a need to develop a thermal sensation model for evaluating thermal sensation of athletes partaking sports in these environments. In this study, a field survey on thermal sensation of players in a basketball game was carried out in a naturally ventilated gymnasium in Guangzhou, China. The results showed that the human physiology and thermal sensation of subjects were highly different during active sport state. Moreover, the thermal sensation vote was increased with a rise in the air temperature, the mean radiant temperature and humidity ratio, while thermal sensation vote was reduced with an increase in the air velocity. The metabolic rate, systolic blood pressure and skin temperature were shown to have a positive correlation with the thermal sensation vote. According to the analysis, a predictive thermal sensation model, which has been developed by this study to estimate the thermal sensation under high-intensive sport activities in gymnasiums in regions with a high temperature and high humidity, was evaluated and validated.
Adapting existing behaviour: Perceptions of substance switching and implementation of minimum pricing for alcohol in Wales
Authors: Livingston Wulf , Holloway Katy , May Tom , Buhociu Marian , Madoc-Jones Iolo , Perkins Andy
Published: December 2020

Aim:

Minimum Pricing for Alcohol (MPA) was enacted in Wales on March 2nd 2020. During the legislative process (i.e. consultation and parliamentary discussion), concern was expressed about the possibility of some drinkers switching to using other substances in response to any rise in the cost of alcohol. This paper reports on findings from a study which explored these pre-implementation concerns and how the policy was shaped.

Method:

The research involved surveys (n=193) and interviews (n=87) with drinkers (predominantly harmful or treatment seeking) and providers of services. Survey responses were detailed, thus when combined with the interviews, provided a wealth of qualitative data, which are drawn upon in this paper.

Results:

The findings highlight an expectation that most drinkers would respond to the new policy with adaptations of their coping mechanisms to maintain alcohol use at pre-legislative levels. This was either by switching alcohol products and adjusting their lifestyle to maintain an affordable drinking habit or developing new behaviours to manage additional costs. A small group of those with previous experience of drug use were identified as likely to switch from using alcohol to some other substances.

Conclusions:

Prior to the legislation being implemented awareness of the detail of the policy was found to be low, and the perceptions of increased potential harm for certain groups, including switching, were linked to concern about a lack of treatment capacity.
Effect of copper incorporation on phase transformation behavior of electroless nickel–phosphorous coating and its effect on the tribological behavior
Authors: Biswas Abhijit , Das Suman Kalyan , Sahoo Prasanta
Published: December 2020

The microstructural changes of electroless Ni–P–Cu coating at various heat-treatment conditions are investigated to understand its implications on the tribological behavior of the coating. Coatings are heat-treated at temperatures ranging between 200°C and 800 °C and for 1–4 h duration. Ni–P–Cu coatings exhibit two-phase transformations in the temperature range of 350–450 °C and the resulting microstructural changes are found to significantly affect their thermal stability and tribological attributes. Hardness of the coating doubles when heat-treated at 452 °C, due to the formation of harder Ni3P phase and crystalline NiCu. Better friction and wear performance are also noted upon heat treatment of the coating at the phase transformation regime, particularly at 400 °C. Wear mechanism is characterized by a mixed adhesive cum abrasive wear phenomena. Heat treatment at higher temperature (600 °C and above) and longer duration (4 h) results in grain coarsening phenomenon, which negatively influences the hardness and tribological characteristics of the coating. Besides, diffusion of iron from the ferrous substrate as well as greater oxide formation are noticed when the coating is heat-treated at higher temperatures and for longer durations (4 h).
Using tables to enhance trustworthiness in qualitative research
Authors: Cloutier Charlotte , Ravasi Davide
Published: December 2020

In this essay, we discuss how tables can be used to ensure—and reassure about—trustworthiness in qualitative research. We posit that in qualitative research, tables help not only increase transparency about data collection, analysis, and findings, but also—and no less importantly—organize and analyze data effectively. We present some of the tables most frequently used by qualitative researchers, explain their uses, discuss how they enhance trustworthiness, and provide illustrative examples to inspire readers in their use of tables in their own research.
Professional linkages at the transition to school: Boundaries and linked ecologies
Authors: Dockett Sue , Perry Bob
Published: December 2020

The transition to school brings early childhood and school educators together in the common aim of promoting a positive start to school. This transition also highlights the boundaries and professional linkages that contribute to this aim. Conceptualising boundary spaces as sites of professional identity construction and negotiation, we explore professional linkages between early childhood education and care and school educators during transitions to school, using Abbott’s linked ecologies framework. To do this, we examine data from two studies, exploring the proposition that collaboration – in the forms of professional networks and transition statements (shared documentation) – have the potential to act as linkages across the ecologies of early childhood education and care and school education. Our conclusions support this potential but note that the nature and impact of these linkages is variable. Further, we argue that contradictions and tensions in the perceived professional roles of educators are evident within these linkages.