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Evaluating the Performance Characteristics of Pressure Monitoring Systems
Get PDFMeasuring interface pressure is currently used in a variety of settings, e.g., automotive or clinical, to evaluate pressure distribution at support surface interfaces. Commercial pressure sensing arrays are employed to monitor and visualise these pressure distributions to aid mattress or cushion selection by assessing their ability to redistribute the pressure magnitudes over vulnerable areas, e.g., the buttock. These technologies vary in configurations and measurement principles, with manufacturers supplying calibration and specifications. This study evaluated the performance of six commercial pressure sensing arrays, which differed in sensor type, configuration, and spatial resolution. Each system was subjected to mechanical compression loading on a standard cushion using a dual hemispherical ‘buttock shaped’ standard indenter. Pressure parameters were estimated, e.g., contact area, peak pressure index, from the sensing arrays and a comparison between measured and predicted pressure values was performed. The results showed that both contact area and pressures are influenced by the spatial resolution, with higher values associated with systems with the highest resolution. A high variability between systems was observed in the measured pressure, with sensor type driving difference between the observed and the predicted pressures. Further research is needed to establish standards and performance analysis of these technologies
Exploring Social Media Chatter during a Rumoring Phenomenon
Get PDFOnline rumors are unverified messages that spread on the Internet. Despite the lack of evidence, such messages spread rapidly as digital wildfires, and even some are reported on news outlets. When rumors receive significant social support and eventually turn out to be false, the consequences would be dire. Given that social media facilitate users to react to and to discuss, it is important to explore the discussions factors associated with rumoring phenomena. Hence, the aim of this paper is to identify discussion factors in a rumoring phenomenon on social media. Tweets were collected to capture the messages related to the rumoring phenomenon. A total of 1,070 tweets were admitted for the purpose of qualitative content analysis. This paper extends news value theory in the context of online rumoring. Discussion factors such as rumor acceptance, rumor refutation, aggression, facticity and uncertainty stimulated discussions among the members of the online community
Twitter activism: understanding the Twittersphere as the foremost community for activism and dragging in Nigeria
Get PDFThis article appraises the use of Twitter as the principal platform for activism in Nigeria to underscore why it is preferred above all others when it comes to the formation and operation of activist communities. Drawing from reflexive thematic analysis of interviews (n = 15), I demonstrate that four reasons explain why the Twittersphere has become the central platform for activism in Nigeria. These include the use of Twitter for activism, justice, and dragging; the functional uses made possible by Twitter’s architecture; twitter as a platform for young elite influence; and the perception of Twitter as a leveller. I expand on what these themes mean for Twitter activism and social media regulation, further arguing that research into digital activism and communities should start to recognise Twitter’s centrality as a tool of choice in the formation, coordination, and amplification of activist voices
Polar Order in a Fluid Like Ferroelectric with a Tilted Lamellar Structure – Observation of a Polar Smectic C (SmCP) Phase
Get PDFThe spontaneous polarisation of the SmCP phase is over two orders of magnitude larger than that found in conventional ferroelectric SmC phase of chiral materials used in some LCD devices. Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations faithfully and spontaneously reproduce the proposed structure and associated bulk properties; comparison of experimental and simulated X-ray scattering patterns shows excellent agreement. The materials disclosed here have significantly smaller dipole moments than typical polar liquid crystals such as RM734 which suggests the role of molecular electrical polarity in generating polar order is perhaps overstated, a view supported by consideration of other molecular systems
A reconsideration of the relationship between town size and well-being in Latin America
Get PDFIn this study, we explore the relationship between town size and subjective well-being (SWB) in Latin America. We utilize data from the Latinobarómetro survey from 2005 to 2015, employing multilevel modeling to analyze individual responses to life satisfaction as an indicator of SWB. We refine the town size categories provided in the Latinobarómetro by cross-referencing the geographic information with the United Nations Demographic Yearbook, one of our main contributions, leaving us with more refined town size categories than previous research. Given previous theories, we also explore how education moderates the town size-SWB relationship. Our findings reveal that individuals in towns with populations between 10,000 and 500,000 report lower life satisfaction compared to those in smaller or larger towns. Controlling for national macroeconomic conditions reverses the positive association between SWB and living in a very large city. Furthermore, we find some support for the notion that highly-educated individuals are more satisfied than the low-educated in large cities. This study comprehensively underscores the importance of refining town size data and suggests avenues for future research to deepen collective understanding of the ‘geography of happiness’ in Latin America
DEMPgen:Physics event generator for deep exclusive meson production at Jefferson lab and the EIC
Get PDFThere is increasing interest in deep exclusive meson production (DEMP) reactions, as they provide access to Generalized Parton Distributions over a broad kinematic range, and are the only means of measuring pion and kaon charged electric form factors at high Q2. Such investigations are a particularly useful tool in the study of hadronic structure in QCD's transition regime from long-distance interactions described in terms of meson-nucleon degrees of freedom, to short-distance interactions governed by hard quark-gluon degrees of freedom. To assist the planning of future experimental investigations of DEMP reactions in this transition regime, such as at Jefferson Lab and the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), we have written a special purpose event generator, DEMPgen. Currently, DEMPgen can generate the following reactions: t-channel p(e,e′π+)n, p(e,e′K+)Λ[Σ0], and n→(e,e′π−)p from a polarized 3He target. DEMPgen is modular in form, so that additional reactions can be added over time. The generator produces kinematically-complete reaction events which are absolutely-normalized, so that projected event rates can be predicted, and detector resolution requirements studied. The event normalization is based on parameterizations of theoretical models, appropriate to the kinematic regime under study. Both fixed target modes and collider beam modes are supported. This paper presents the structure of the generator, the model parameterizations used for absolute event weighting, the kinematic distributions of the generated particles, some initial results using the generator, and instructions for its use
Colchicine in acute myocardial infarction
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Inflammation is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. Data from recent trials suggest that colchicine reduces the risk of cardiovascular events.
METHODS: In this multicenter trial with a 2-by-2 factorial design, we randomly assigned patients who had myocardial infarction to receive either colchicine or placebo and either spironolactone or placebo. The results of the colchicine trial are reported here. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, or unplanned ischemia-driven coronary revascularization, evaluated in a time-to-event analysis. C-reactive protein was measured at 3 months in a subgroup of patients, and safety was also assessed.
RESULTS: A total of 7062 patients at 104 centers in 14 countries underwent randomization; at the time of analysis, the vital status was unknown for 45 patients (0.6%), and this information was most likely missing at random. A primary-outcome event occurred in 322 of 3528 patients (9.1%) in the colchicine group and 327 of 3534 patients (9.3%) in the placebo group over a median follow-up period of 3 years (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 1.16; P = 0.93). The incidence of individual components of the primary outcome appeared to be similar in the two groups. The least-squares mean difference in C-reactive protein levels between the colchicine group and the placebo group at 3 months, adjusted according to the baseline values, was -1.28 mg per liter (95% CI, -1.81 to -0.75). Diarrhea occurred in a higher percentage of patients with colchicine than with placebo (10.2% vs. 6.6%; P<0.001), but the incidence of serious infections did not differ between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Among patients who had myocardial infarction, treatment with colchicine, when started soon after myocardial infarction and continued for a median of 3 years, did not reduce the incidence of the composite primary outcome (death from cardiovascular causes, recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, or unplanned ischemia-driven coronary revascularization). (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others; CLEAR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03048825.)
A technology to solve the water-energy-food crisis? Mapping sociotechnical configurations of agrivoltaics using Q-methodology
Get PDF“Agrivoltaics” are solar photovoltaic panels mounted above productive farmland so that energy and food production can occur simultaneously on the same plot. Agrivoltaics are proffered as a means to reduce food-energy land use conflicts, and to ameliorate rural community opposition to ground-mounted solar farms. In this study we examine the socio-economic and environmental claims around agrivoltaics as a set of competing sociotechnical configurations, assessed through a Q-methodology and qualitative analysis of 30 responses from technical, NGO and social opposition respondents from 14 different countries. We find three emergent sociotechnical configurations, labelled: 1) Agrivoltaics for livelihood diversification and poverty alleviation; 2) Opposing agrivoltaics – asserting community control and procedural justice, and 3) Scaling up a ‘triple win’ for agrivoltaics – centring innovation and ownership models. We identify strong support for agrivoltaics in livelihood diversification across rural communities, and for meeting multiple food, energy and water security goals simultaneously. However, stakeholder opposition from technological intrusion of agrivoltaics in rural places and a lack of consensus on what role governmental authorities, landowners and community cooperatives can play are key barriers to deployment and upscaling of this niche technology. We find that agrivoltaics can stimulate diverse sociotechnical configurations of energy and agriculture, with great potential for improving energy and food security, though issues of visual intrusion and perceived ‘technology in the wrong place’, lack of clarity on funding and planning models, and improper scales of governance and procedural injustice could potentially stymie rollout for both smallholders and larger agribusiness schemes
Female zebrafish are more affected than males under polystyrene microplastics exposure
Get PDFMicroplastics are ubiquitous in freshwater and can be absorbed into fish skin and gills, accumulate in the gut, and be transported to other tissues, thus posing a risk to fish health. Further studies are needed, however, to investigate effects such as endocrine disruption and multi-tissue toxicity. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to polystyrene (PS) microplastics and health-related indicators were measured, including skin mucus, gut damage, oxidative stress, stable isotope composition and reproduction as well as an assessment of changes to metabolites using a metabolomics approach. Results showed that concentrations of PS microplastics were higher in gills than those in the gut. Minimal impact to immunoglobulin M level and lysozyme activity in mucus indicated, however, that microplastic toxicity primarily stemmed from ingestion rather than disruption of skin mucus immunity. Female zebrafish were more affected by PS microplastics. Gut microbiota dysbiosis was induced, especially in females. Significant alterations in pathways associated with lipid and energy metabolism were observed in the liver of female fish. PS microplastics also induced sex steroid hormone disorder and reduced female egg production, possibly linked to the alteration of gut microbiota and hepatic metabolism. Combined, these results highlight the gender-specific toxicity of PS microplastics to zebrafish health, potentially harming their population
Logos in Global Summitry
Get PDFThe study of international relations (IR) has undergone an ‘aesthetic turn’, placing previously marginalized visual evidence at the heart of our understanding of IR. Although researchers have embraced both moving and still images as evidence, the existing literature has almost entirely overlooked logos. This article extends this analysis by focussing on the case of one of the central mechanisms of global governance: the summit meetings of the Group of 7 (G7). We argue that the creation of annual G7 logos has become an important practice in summitry constituting a means by which this informal governance group has sought to institutionalize itself, while concurrently providing an opportunity for each year’s host to engage in nation branding. The practice of ‘logo-ing’ has become a central component of summitry that serves a performative function in the simultaneous communication of multiple identities. We thus advance the position that what is salient about global summitry is more than what is discussed in meetings or published in communiqués, but critically includes the aesthetic, performative, and practical
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