bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shape memory polymer composite coatings with enhanced mechanical and antimicrobial properties
Authors: Wang Xin , Xu Xiaoling , Zhou Zuowan , Gou Jihua 
Published: October 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to exploit shape memory polymer (SMP) composite as multifunctional coatings for protecting substrates from surface wear and bacterial. The efficiency of added nano or micro-sized particles in enhancing the properties of SMP was investigated. This study also attempts to use a low-cost and effective spraying approach to fabricate the coatings. The coatings are expected to have good conformability with the substrate and deliver multi-functional performance, such as wrinkle free, wear resistance, thermal stability and antimicrobial property.

Design/methodology/approach
High-performance SMP composite coatings or thin films were fabricated by a home-made continuous spray-deposition system. The morphologies of the coatings were studied using the scanning electron microscope and the transmission electron microscope. The abrasion properties were evaluated by Taber Abraser test, and thermo-gravimetric analysis was carried out to investigate the thermal properties of prepared composites. The antimicrobial property was determined by the inhibition zone method using E. coli. The thermally responsive shape memory effect of the resulting composites was also characterized.

Findings
The morphology analysis indicated that the nanoclay was distributed on the surface of the coating which resulted in a significant improvement of the wear property. The wear resistance of the coatings with nanoclay was improved as much as 40 per cent compared with that of the control sample. The thermo-gravimetric analysis revealed that the weight loss rate of composites with nanoclay was dropped over 40 per cent. The SMP coating with zinc oxide (ZnO) showed excellent antimicrobial effect. The shape recovery effect of SMP/nanoclay and SMP/ZnO composites can be triggered by external heating and the composites can reach a full shape recovery within 60 s.

Research limitations/implications
This study proposed a continuous spray-deposition fabrication of SMP composite coatings, which provides a new avenue to prepare novel multi-functional coatings with low cost.

Originality/value
Most studies have emphasized on the sole property of SMP composites. Herein, a novel SMP composite coating which could deliver multi-functionality such as wrinkle free, wear resistance, thermal stability and antimicrobial property was proposed.
Autonomy support, need fulfilment and job performance in lean implemented textile and apparel firms
Authors: Wickramasinghe Vathsala , Wickramasinghe G.L.D. 
Published: October 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate conditions that facilitate shop-floor operators to fulfil their needs to carry out job roles and whether the need fulfilment affects their job performance in lean-implemented textile and apparel firms in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 922 shop-floor employees and their immediate supervisors. Statistical methods were used for the data analysis.FindingsThe results of the analysis imply the importance of managerial autonomy support and need fulfilment for enhanced job performance; the duration of lean production in operation moderates job performance in such a way that the longer the duration, the higher will be job performance.Originality/valueIt could be expected that academics and practitioners alike are motivated by a desire to clearly apprehend work systems in lean-implemented textile and apparel firms.
Designing an educational tool to revitalise woven textile mending
Authors: Sakalyte Viktorija , Cassidy Tom , Holroyd Amy 
Published: October 2017

Purpose
Because of advances in woollen woven textile manufacture, the occurrence of industrial textile mending has diminished. While the demand for the skill is still present in certain settings, the availability of learning resources is limited relating to this particular craft. The purpose of this paper is to design and produce an effective educational learning tool to teach mending skills.

Design/methodology/approach
To address the aims of this dissertation project, bricolage methodology and qualitative research methods have been used. Using the findings from primary and secondary research, the educational, instructional video was developed to document and display the mending craft practice in a format that would endure and be accessible to anybody who wished to learn. After determining that the ability to understand woven pattern structures was key in learning mending skill, the visual tool was developed using two-dimensional woven structure diagrams and animations to train pattern comprehension and recognition.

Findings
The results of educational video tool testing confirmed that using two-dimensional animated diagrams of woven structures was an effective method to teach pattern comprehension. Also, it was found that the trainee’s participation in the instructional video was effective in helping to teach other learners mending skills. The structure of the educational video made the learning more organised and comprehensible, as it assisted in the learning process through the combined media that reiterated the same information in different formats.

Originality/value
Design technology was applied to provide a comprehensible educational resource that could be used to learn and revitalise mending skills. The principles and methods applied in this resource could be adapted to teach different textile disciplines or other craft practices.
Seam efficiency of woven linen shirting fabric: process parameter optimisation
Authors: Datta Mallika , Nath Devarun , Javed Asif , Hossain Nabab 
Published: October 2017

PurposeThe focus of this research is to identify the optimum commercial grade sewing thread and stitch density to be used with woven linen shirting fabric used in making men’s formal shirt. Maximum seam efficiency and interaction between the process parameters were assessed.Design/methodology/approachThe classical method of optimisation involves varying one variable at a time and keeping the others constant. This is often useful, but it does not explain the effect of interaction between the variables under consideration. In this study, the response surface methodology was used for securing a more accurate optimisation of seam quality (seam efficiency) of woven linen shirting fabric. The response surface method is an empirical statistical technique used for multiple regression analysis of quantitative data obtained from statistically designed experiments by solving the multivariate equations simultaneously. Through this system, the input level of each process parameter, i.e. variable and the level of the selected response (seam efficiency), can be quantified. The central composite, Box–Behnken, is the common design used here.FindingsThe maximum seam efficiency is 79.62 per cent and 83.13 per cent in warp and weft direction, respectively, with optimum areal density (G) of 110 g/m2of woven linen shirting fabric. The most suitable stitch density and ticket number of commercial grade sewing thread for woven linen shirting fabric are 13-13.5 and 40, respectively.Practical implicationsThis study could help apparel manufacturers to evaluate seam quality, i.e. seam efficiency of woven linen fabric for men’s shirting, more effectively from the proposed regression model. The optimisation of the commercial grade sewing thread size and stitch density used in this study for woven linen shirting fabric within the range of 110-150 g/m2will facilitate apparel engineers in production planning and quality control.Originality/valueThere is dearth of research on seam quality for woven linen shirting fabric using commercial grade sewing thread and engineering of prediction regression model for the estimation of seam efficiency by using process parameters, namely, fabric G, thread size and thread density and their interaction.
Evaluation of body geometry and symmetry for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with 3D body scanning system
Authors: Lu Lu , Yick Kit-Lun , Ng Sun Pui , Yip Joanne , Tse Chi Yung 
Published: October 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively assess the three-dimensional (3D) geometry and symmetry of the torso for spinal deformity and the use of orthotic bracewear by using non-invasive 3D body scanning technology.

Design/methodology/approach
In pursuing greater accuracy of body anthropometric measurements to improve the fit and design of apparel, 3D body scanning technology and image analysis provide many more advantages over the traditional manual methods that use contact measurements. To measure the changes in the torso geometry and profile symmetry of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, five individuals are recruited to undergo body scanning both with and without wearing a rigid brace during a period of six months. The cross-sectional areas and profiles of the reconstructed 3D torso models are examined to evaluate the level of body symmetry.

Findings
Significant changes in the cross-sectional profile are found amongst four of the patients over the different visits for measurements (p < 0.05), which are consistent with the X-rays results. The 3D body scanning system can reliably evaluate changes in the body geometry of patients with scoliosis. Nevertheless, improvements in the symmetry of the torso are found to be somewhat inconsistent among the patients and across different visits.

Originality/value
This pilot study demonstrates a practical and safe means to measure and analyse the torso geometry and symmetry so as to allow for more frequent evaluations, which would result in effective and optimal treatment of spinal deformation.
A context-aware frequency estimation method for wireless passive resonant SAW sensors
Authors: Liu Boquan , Tang Pinghua 
Published: October 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to present an context evaluation and frequency measurement method for surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonant sensor.

Design/methodology/approach
This method is based on a signal subspace construction, which, along with assembling optional value set, provides the results.

Findings
The method can assess the application context and improve the resolution and accuracy of the passive wireless SAW resonator sensor system.

Originality/value
Passive wireless SAW resonators have been used as sensor elements for different physical parameters such as temperature, pressure and force in a number of industrial and medical applications. Various wireless channel environments introduce different application contexts.
From 'A Frontier Land' to 'A Piece of North Africa in Italy': The Changing Politics of 'Tunisianness' in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily
Authors: Giglioli Ilaria 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis article analyzes the conditions leading to the ‘ethnic packaging' of the Casbah neighborhood in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, and the economic and political struggles that ensued. By studying the changing relationship between the neighborhood's built environment, the racialization of Tunisian migrants and the town's transitioning economy, it analyzes transformations of the Casbah from a working‐class Sicilian neighborhood, to an ‘insanitary' Tunisian ghetto, to a showcase of the town's Mediterranean multiculturalism. Through this analysis, the article makes three arguments. Firstly, by showing that ‘ethnic packaging' does not always lead to gentrification but may engender other types of conflict, it argues that the ‘marketization' of urban diversity has a variety of consequences tied to cities' positions in broader geographies of uneven development. Secondly, by showing that the changing racialization of Tunisian migrants was produced both through changes to Mazara's built environment and through shifting territorial relations within Italy and across the Mediterranean, it develops a multi‐scalar analysis of racialization. Thirdly, by showing that Sicilian depictions of Tunisian migrants changed according to shifting understandings of Sicilian modernity vis‐à‐vis the north of Italy, it argues that Italian immigration discourses develop in relation to internal forms of ‘othering' of southern Italians.
‘It is the People that Have Made Glen Innes’: State‐led Gentrification and the Reconfiguration of Urban Life in Auckland
Authors: Gordon Renee , Collins Francis L. , Kearns Robin 
Published: October 2017

AbstractPublic or state housing has ordinarily been viewed as an impediment to the forces of gentrification, as private property owners or developers are limited in their ability to purchase, renovate or redevelop houses in otherwise desirable areas. As a result, neighbourhoods with significant proportions of state‐housing and low‐income residents have often been able to establish unique identity and character, sense of place and belonging and strong social support networks. This article examines changes underway in Glen Innes, a central suburb of New Zealand's largest city, Auckland. Here, established norms around community and urban life are being rapidly and radically reworked through a wave of state‐led gentrification. We focus on experiences of displacement, the disruption of long‐established community forms, and the reconfiguration of urban life. Our particular contribution is to consider the speed and trauma of gentrification when the state is involved, the slippage between rhetoric and reality on the ground, and the challenges of researchers seeking to trace the impacts of gentrification in the lives of those who have been displaced.
Diffusion tensor imaging determines three‐dimensional architecture of human cervix: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Nott JP , Pervolaraki E , Benson AP , Bonney EA , Pickering JD , Wilkinson N , Simpson NAB 
Published: October 2017

ObjectiveTo determine the microarchitecture of the cervix using high‐resolution diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingLeeds, UK.SampleWomen undergoing hysterectomy for benign pathology.MethodsEx‐vivo DT‐MRI measurements were obtained using a 9.4‐T Bruker nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer on seven fixed human cervices obtained at hysterectomy. A deterministic fibre‐tracking algorithm was used to indirectly visualise underlying fibre organisation. Inter‐regional differences in tissue structure were sought using quantitative measurements of diffusion.Main outcome measureThe identification of an occlusive structure in the region corresponding to the internal cervical os.ResultsFibre tracking demonstrated two regions: an outer circular and inner longitudinal layer. The total circumferential tract volume (TV) was greatest in the proximal region of the cervix (TV: proximal, 271 ± 198 mm3; middle, 186 ± 119 mm3; distal, 38 ± 36 mm3). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements were significantly different between regions in all samples (P < 0.0005), indicating greater tract density and organisation towards the internal os.ConclusionFibre tracking infers a system of dense, well‐defined, encircling fibres in the proximal region of the cervix, corresponding to the location of the internal os. These findings may provide evidence of specific anatomic microarchitecture within the cervix able to resist intrauterine forces associated with pregnancy.Tweetable abstractDiffusion‐tensor MRI derived tractography identified well‐defined encircling fibres at the internal os.
Assessing Parameter Uncertainty of a Semi‐Distributed Hydrology Model for a Shallow Aquifer Dominated Environmental System
Authors: Samadi S. , Tufford D.L. , Carbone G.J. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis paper examines the performance of a semi‐distributed hydrology model (i.e., Soil and Water Assessment Tool [SWAT]) using Sequential Uncertainty FItting (SUFI‐2), generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE), parameter solution (ParaSol), and particle swarm optimization (PSO). We applied SWAT to the Waccamaw watershed, a shallow aquifer dominated Coastal Plain watershed in the Southeastern United States (U.S.). The model was calibrated (2003‐2005) and validated (2006‐2007) at two U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations, using significant parameters related to surface hydrology, hydrogeology, hydraulics, and physical properties. SWAT performed best during intervals with wet and normal antecedent conditions with varying sensitivity to effluent channel shape and characteristics. In addition, the calibration of all algorithms depended mostly on Manning's n‐value for the tributary channels as the surface friction resistance factor to generate runoff. SUFI‐2 and PSO simulated the same relative probability distribution tails to those observed at an upstream outlet, while all methods (except ParaSol) exhibited longer tails at a downstream outlet. The ParaSol model exhibited large skewness suggesting a global search algorithm was less capable of characterizing parameter uncertainty. Our findings provide insights regarding parameter sensitivity and uncertainty as well as modeling diagnostic analysis that can improve hydrologic theory and prediction in complex watersheds. Editor's note: This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.
Modifications of the National Early Warning Score for patients with chronic respiratory disease
Authors: Pedersen N. E. , Rasmussen L. S. , Petersen J. A. , Gerds T. A. , Østergaard D. , Lippert A. 
Published: October 2017

BackgroundThe National Early Warning Score (NEWS) uses physiological variables to detect deterioration in hospitalized patients. However, patients with chronic respiratory disease may have abnormal variables not requiring interventions. We studied how the Capital Region of Denmark NEWS Override System (CROS), the Chronic Respiratory Early Warning Score (CREWS) and the Salford NEWS (S‐NEWS) affected NEWS total scores and NEWS performance.MethodsIn an observational study, we included patients with chronic respiratory disease. The frequency of use of CROS and the NEWS total score changes caused by CROS, CREWS and S‐NEWS were described. NEWS, CROS, CREWS and S‐NEWS were compared using 48‐h mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission within 48 h as outcomes.ResultsWe studied 11,266 patients during 25,978 admissions; the use of CROS lowered NEWS total scores in 40% of included patients. CROS, CREWS and S‐NEWS had lower sensitivities than NEWS for 48‐h mortality and ICU admission. Specificities and PPV were higher. CROS, CREWS and S‐NEWS downgraded, respectively, 51.5%, 44.9% and 32.8% of the NEWS total scores from the ‘mandatory doctor presence’ and ‘immediate doctor presence and specialist consultation’ total score intervals to lower intervals.ConclusionCapital Region of Denmark NEWS Override System was frequently used in patients with chronic respiratory disease. CROS, CREWS and S‐NEWS reduced sensitivity for 48‐h mortality and ICU admission. Using the methodology prevalent in the NEWS literature, we cannot conclude on the safety of these systems. Future prospective studies should investigate the balance between detection rate and alarm fatigue of different systems, or use controlled designs and patient‐centred outcomes.
Attitudes of physicians towards the care of critically ill elderly patients – a European survey
Authors: Guidet B. , De Lange D. W. , Christensen S. , Moreno R. , Fjølner J. , Dumas G. , Flaatten H. 
Published: October 2017

BackgroundVery elderly patients are one of the fastest growing population in ICUs worldwide. There are lots of controversies regarding admission, discharge of critically ill elderly patients, and also on treatment intensity during the ICU stay. As a consequence, practices vary considerably from one ICU to another. In that perspective, we collected opinions of experienced ICU physicians across Europe on statements focusing on patients older than 80.MethodsWe sent an online questionnaire to the coordinator ICU physician of all participating ICUs of an recent European, observational study of Very old critically Ill Patients (VIP1 study). This questionnaire contained 12 statements about admission, triage, treatment and discharge of patients older than 80.ResultsWe received answers from 162 ICUs (52% of VIP1‐study) spanning 20 different European countries. There were major disagreements between ICUs. Responders disagree that: there is clear evidence that ICU admission is beneficial (37%); seeking relatives’ opinion is mandatory (17%); written triage guidelines must be available either at the hospital or ICU level (20%); level of care should be reduced (25%); a consultation of a geriatrician should be sought (34%) and a geriatrician should be part of the post‐ICU trail (11%). The percentage of disagreement varies between statements and European regions.ConclusionThere are major differences in the attitude of European ICU physicians on the admission, triage and treatment policies of patients older than 80 emphasizing the lack of consensus and poor level of evidence for most of the statements and outlining the need for future interventional studies.
Antipsychotic plasma levels in the assessment of poor treatment response in schizophrenia
Authors: McCutcheon R. , Beck K. , D'Ambrosio E. , Donocik J. , Gobjila C. , Jauhar S. , Kaar S. , Pillinger T. , Reis Marques T. , Rogdaki M. , Howes O. D. 
Published: October 2017

ObjectiveTreatment resistance is a challenge for the management of schizophrenia. It is not always clear whether inadequate response is secondary to medication ineffectiveness, as opposed to medication underexposure due to non‐adherence or pharmacokinetic factors. We investigated the prevalence of subtherapeutic antipsychotic plasma levels in patients identified as treatment‐resistant by their treating clinician.MethodBetween January 2012 and April 2017, antipsychotic plasma levels were measured in 99 individuals provisionally diagnosed with treatment‐resistant schizophrenia by their treating clinicians, but not prescribed clozapine. Patients were followed up to determine whether they were subsequently admitted to hospital.ResultsThirty‐five per cent of plasma levels were subtherapeutic, and of these, 34% were undetectable. Black ethnicity (P = 0.006) and lower dose (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with subtherapeutic/undetectable plasma levels. Individuals with subtherapeutic/undetectable levels were significantly more likely to be admitted to hospital (P = 0.02).ConclusionA significant proportion of patients considered treatment‐resistant have subtherapeutic antipsychotic plasma levels, and this is associated with subsequent admission. The presence of subtherapeutic plasma levels may suggest a need to address adherence or pharmacokinetic factors as opposed to commencing clozapine treatment. While antipsychotic levels are not recommended for the routine adjustment of dosing, they may assist with the assessment of potential treatment resistance in schizophrenia.