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In order to improve the working characteristics of the scroll compressor, according to the scroll profile of the compressor, the energy efficiency ratio (EER) of the scroll compressor is taken as the objective function, and the number of scroll turns N and knots are determined based on the genetic annealing algorithm. The distance p, the height of the scroll body h, and the thickness of the scroll profile t are optimized. In the optimized solution set, three sets of optimized profile and initial profile are selected for theoretical calculation of thermodynamic characteristics and volume characteristics, and the specific influence of scroll compressor profile parameters on compressor characteristics is explored in detail, and compared with the unoptimized scroll. The initial parameters of the rotary compressor are compared with the theoretical performance. The results show that the pitch p has a significant effect on the energy efficiency ratio and discharge volume of the scroll compressor, and the number of scroll turns N has a significant effect on the characteristic of suction volume. Three kinds of optimized scroll profile parameters S2, S3, S4 are selected in the optimal solution set. Compared with the initial value S1, the working characteristics are improved. The energy efficiency ratio was increased by 38.10%, 42.58%, and 50.26%; the suction volume was increased by 66.1%, 82.3%, and 73.9%; the exhaust volume was increased by 21.1%, 29.6%, and 50%; the internal volume ratio was increased by 36.4%. 40.9%, 27.3%. It is proved that the use of genetic annealing algorithm achieves the purpose of improving the compressor's operating characteristics.

Background The interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) is a commonly used nerve block technique for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy surgery; however, it is associated with potentially serious complications. The use of suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) has been described as an alternative strategy with fewer reported side effects for shoulder arthroscopy. This review aimed to compare the impact of SSNB and ISB during shoulder arthroscopy surgery. Methods A meta-analysis was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials involving SSNB and ISB during shoulder arthroscopy surgery. Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Cochrane Library, Highwire, CNKI, and Wanfang database were searched from 2010 through March 2021. Results We identified 1255 patients assessed in 17 randomized controlled trials. Compared with the ISB group, the SSNB group had higher VAS at rest in PACU (P = 0.003), 1 h after operation (P = 0.005), similar pain score 2 h (P = 0.39), 3-4 h (P = 0.32), 6-8 h after operation (P = 0.05), then lower VAS 12 h after operation (P = 0.00006), and again similar VAS 1 day (P = 0.62) and 2 days after operation (P = 0.70). As for the VAS with movement, the SSNB group had higher pain score in PACU (P = 0.03), similar VAS 4-6 h after operation (P = 0.25), then lower pain score 8-12 h after operation (P = 0.01) and again similar VAS 1 day after operation (P = 0.3) compared with the ISB group. No significant difference was found for oral morphine equivalents use at 24 h (P = 0.35), duration of PACU stay (P = 0.65), the rate of patient satisfaction (P = 0.14) as well as the rate of vomiting (P = 0.56), and local tenderness (P = 0.87). However, the SSNB group had lower rate of block-related complications such as Horner syndrome (P < 0.0001), numb (P = 0.002), dyspnea (P = 0.04), and hoarseness (P = 0.04). Conclusion Our high-level evidence established SSNB as an effective and safe analgesic technique and a clinically attractive alternative to interscalene block with the SSNB’S advantage of similar pain control, morphine use, and less nerve block-related complications during arthroscopic shoulder surgery, especially for severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and morbid obesity. Given our meta-analysis’s relevant possible biases, we required more adequately powered and better-designed RCT studies with long-term follow-up to reach a firmer conclusion.

BackgroundDuring the posterior approach, it has been shown that a significant reduction in dislocation rate can be achieved with the repair of the posterior soft tissue. However, no consensus exists about the best way to perform this repair. This review aimed to compare the transosseous with transmuscular repair of the posterior soft tissue in total hip arthroplasty (THA).MethodsWe conducted a meta-analysis to identify studies involving transosseous versus transmuscular repair of the posterior soft tissue in THA in electronic databases, including Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Cochrane Library, Highwire, CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang database, up to July 2020. Finally, we identified 1417 patients (1481 hips) assessed in seven studies.ResultsCompared with transmuscular repair, transosseous repair resulted in less incidence of dislocation (P= 0.003), less blood loss during operation (P< 0.00001) and lower VAS score within 3 months (P= 0.02). There were no significant differences in terms of trochanteric fracture rate (P= 0.56), Harris hip score at 3 months (P= 0.35) and 6 months (P= 0.89), VAS score within 6 months (P= 0.53), and operation time (P= 0.70) between two groups.ConclusionThe lower dislocation rate, less blood loss, and lower VAS scores after operation supported transosseous repair's superiority to transmuscular repair. Besides, no additional medical cost and operating time were associated with transosseous repair compared with transmuscular repair. Hence, we recommend that transosseous repair be chosen first by orthopedists when performing reconstruction of the posterior soft tissue in THA via a posterolateral approach. Given the relevant possible biases in our meta-analysis, we required more adequately powered and better-designed RCT studies with long-term follow-up to reach a firmer conclusion.

Background The infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) or Hoffa’s fat pad is often resected during total knee arthroplasty in order to improve visibility. However, the management of the IPFP during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the subject of an ongoing debate that has no clear consensus. The purpose of this review was to appraise if resection of the IPFP affects clinical outcomes. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis to identify relevant randomized controlled trials involving infrapatellar fat pad resection and infrapatellar fat pad preservation during total knee arthroplasty in electronic databases, including Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Cochrane Library, Highwire, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang database, up to March 2020. Results Nine randomized controlled trials, involving 783 TKAs (722 patients), were included in the systematic review. Outcome measures included patellar tendon length (PTL), Insall-Salvati ratio (ISR), rate of anterior knee pain, Knee Society Scores (KSS), and knee range of motion. The meta-analysis identified a trend toward the shortening of the patellar tendon with IPFP resection at 6 months (P = 0.0001) and 1 year (P = 0.001). We found no statistical difference in ISR (P = 0.87), rate of anterior knee pain within 6 months (p = 0.45) and 1 year (p = 0.38), KSS at 1 year (p = 0.77), and knee range of motion within 6 months (p = 0.61) and 1 year (0.46). Conclusion Based on the available level I evidence, we were unable to conclude that one surgical technique of IPFP can definitively be considered superior over the other. More adequately powered and better-designed randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies with long-term follow-up are required to produce evidence-based guidelines regarding IPFP resection.

Reflective learning is a fundamental part of human learning and development and has attracted attention from management scholars as well as practitioners. In this study, we build on trait activation theory and investigate how proactive personality and team task support jointly influence employee reflective learning. Using a questionnaire survey, we collected data at two-time points from 154 participants nested in 37 teams in five organizations in the UK. The results from multilevel analyses showed that proactive personality had a positive effect on reflective learning up to a certain point. Over and above this inflection point, this positive effect ceased to further increase. In addition, the nonlinear effect of proactive personality on reflective learning was much stronger when team task support was weak than when it was strong. The finding regarding the nonlinear relationship extends our understanding of the effect of proactive personality. The cross-level moderating effect of team task support suggests a complementary perspective to appreciate the interactions between proactive personality and its relevant situational characteristics. Practitioners can use these findings to design effective intervention plans and facilitate employee reflective learning in specific settings and in workplace learning in general.

Manganese doped aluminum nitride (AlN:Mn) nanowires were fabricated by direct nitridation of Al and Mn mixed powders. The as-synthesized AlN:Mn nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The measurements reveal the successful incorporation of Mn2+ ions into AlN nanowires. The magnetic and optical properties of the AlN:Mn nanowires were studied using vibrating sample magnetometer and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The AlN:Mn nanowires exhibit room temperature ferromagnetic behavior and a red emission band centered at 597 nm corresponding to the 4T1(4G)-6A1(6S) transition of Mn2+. The abnormal thermal quenching behavior and long afterglow feature are investigated through the temperature dependent emission and the afterglow spectrum. The thermoluminescence curve shows that AlN: Mn nanowires have a wide trap distribution, which leads to the abnormal thermal quenching behavior and persistent luminescence. Multifunctional AlN:Mn nanowires with magnetic and luminescence properties are expected to be used in spintronic and optoelectronic nanodevices.

Previous studies have revealed changed functional connectivity patterns between brain areas in chess players using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). However, how to exactly characterize the voxel-wise whole brain functional connectivity pattern changes in chess players remains unclear, which could provide more convincing evidence for establishing the relationship between long-term chess practice and brain function changes. In this study, we employed newly developed whole brain functional connectivity pattern homogeneity (FcHo) method to identify the voxel-wise changes of functional connectivity patterns in 28 chess master players and 27 healthy novices. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was used to identify the alteration of corresponding functional couplings. FcHo analysis revealed significantly increased whole brain functional connectivity pattern similarity in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), anterior middle temporal gyrus (aMTG), primary visual cortex (V1), and decreased FcHo in thalamus and precentral gyrus in chess players. Resting-state functional connectivity analyses identified chess players showed decreased functional connections between V1 and precentral gyrus. Besides, a linear support vector machine (SVM) based classification achieved an accuracy of 85.45%, a sensitivity of 85.71% and a specificity of 85.19% to differentiate chess players from novices by leave-one-out cross-validation. Finally, correlation analyses revealed that the mean FcHo values of thalamus were significantly negatively correlated with the training time. Our findings provide new evidences for the important roles of ACC, aMTG, V1, thalamus and precentral gyrus in chess players and indicate that long-term professional chess training may enhance the semantic and episodic processing, efficiency of visual-motor transformation, and cognitive ability.

Dog bites are a health risk in a number of workplaces such as the delivery, veterinary and dog rescue sectors. This study aimed to explore how workers negotiate the risk of dog bites in daily interactions with dogs and the role of procedures in workplace safety. Participants who encounter dogs at work were recruited using snowball sampling. Ethnographic methods (interviews, focus group discussions, participant-observations) were used for data collection. All data were coded qualitatively into themes. Six themes describing dog bite risk management were identified: ‘Surveillance of dogs’, ‘Communicating risk, ‘Actions taken to manage perceived risk’, ‘Reporting bites and near-misses’, ‘Investigating bites and near-misses’, and, ‘Learning and teaching safety’. While the procedures described dog bite risk as objective, when interacting with dogs, participants drew on experiential knowledge and subjective judgment of risk. There was a discrepancy between risks that the procedures aimed to guard against and the risk participants were experiencing in the course of work. This often led to disregarding procedures. Paradoxically, procedures generated risks to individual wellbeing and sometimes employment, by contributing to blaming employees for bites. Dog bite prevention could be improved by clarifying definitions of bites, involving at risk staff in procedure development, and avoiding blaming the victim for the incident.

Dog bites affect the health and wellbeing of the victims and impact the organisations whose employees are injured. However, bites in the course of work or measures used by the employers to remedy them have not been previously explored. This study used the Health and Safety Executive’s database (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation) to understand: (1) The occupational and demographic characteristics of bite victims; (2) Circumstances in which they were bitten; and (3) The remedial actions listed by the employers. Between April 2011- March 2018, 1812 dog bites were reported; middle-age men were most often bitten demographic. Dog bites occurred in two distinct scenarios. Firstly, entering or leaving a private property, typically whilst delivering mail with a dog owner often present and the victim usually not interacting with or aware of the dog before the bite. In the second scenario, the victim was usually a female, dog professional, familiar with the dog and interacting with them before the bite. The remedial actions used by the employers focused on reducing the risk by acting pre- or during the bite event (e.g. euthanizing the offending dog, restricting dog access to employees or providing protective equipment). Post-event counter-measures were rare, but included counselling to the victims. Risk was addressed primarily through administrative measures (e.g. policies), which commonly targeted changing individuals’ behaviour, which may limit effectiveness of prevention. Drawing on injury prevention models we suggest novel ways of preventing bites, e.g. equipment re-design and addressing social norms.

Background: Spine surgeons in particular face the most hostile liability environment among the surgical specialties. Systemic studies related to spine surgery litigation in China is absent. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of medical malpractice litigation involving spine surgery in Beijing for the past 6 years.Methods: Two online legal databases, Wusong and Weike, were queried for court verdicts involving spine surgery from Jan 2013 to Dec 2018 in Beijing. For all included cases, data pertaining to defendants, plaintiffs, case outcomes, allegations, and verdicts were abstracted, and descriptive analyses were performed. Results: A total of 186 legal cases were examined, 122 cases were excluded due to irrelevance or insufficient information. Of the 64 cases included in this investigation, 40.6% of them were male. The mean age of the plaintiffs was 53.2 ± 18.6 years. The most common complaint addressed in this study is dissatisfaction with consent (53.1%, n=34), followed by additional surgery required (40.2%, n=26), unsatisfactory outcome to surgery (17.6%, n=11), postoperative paralysis (15.6%, n=10) and postoperative infection (15.6%, n=10). The most common primary disease among all the cases is lumbar spinal stenosis (28.1%, n=18), followed by spinal tumor (18.8%, n=12), cervical spondylosis (17.2%, n=11), vertebral fracture (14.1%, n=9), deformity (12.5%, n=8) and others (9.3%, n=6). Spine surgeons successfully defended themselves in 13 cases (20.3%), which resulted in no indemnity payment. The rest 51 cases (79.7%) were closed with an average verdict payout of 155,562 Yuan, which was significant lower than the average compensation claimed by the plaintiff (783,172 Yuan) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Identifying the most common reasons for litigation and summarizing their characteristics may help decrease litigation rate and improve the patient experience. Further investigations with larger sample size and more complete database are needed.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Background: The efficacy and safety of oral tranexamic acid (TXA) remain controversial because of the small number of clinical studies. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of oral TXA with intravenous TXA in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving oral and intravenous TXA in total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty up to December 2019 by searching databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Library China Biology Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database and Wanfang. The mean difference or standard mean difference was used to assess continuous outcomes such as hemoglobin (Hb) drop, total blood loss, drain blood loss, and length of hospital stay, with a 95% confidence interval. Relative risks with a 95% confidence interval were used to assess dichotomous outcomes such as transfusion rate and the incidence of deep venous thrombosis and calf muscular vein thrombosis. Review Manager was used for the meta-analysis. Results: Ten RCTs containing 1080 participants met the inclusion criteria. We found no significant differences in terms of the average Hb drop (P = .60), total blood loss (P = .60), transfusion rate (P = .99), drain blood loss (P = .91), length of hospital stay (P = .95), and the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (P = .55) and calf muscular vein thrombosis (P = .19) between oral and IV TXA. Conclusions: Compared with the IV TXA, oral TXA has similar effects on reducing the Hb drop, total blood loss, transfusion rate, drain blood loss, and length of hospital stay without increasing the risk of calf muscular vein thrombosis and deep venous thrombosis. Furthermore, oral TXA is easy to access and administer, which decreases the workload of nurses and even delivers cost-saving benefits to the health care system. We thus conclude that oral TXA may be an optimal approach in total joint arthroplasty. However, more high-quality and multicenter RCTs are still needed to confirm our conclusions. Registration: The current meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews), and the registration number was CRD42018111291.

In the additive manufacturing of metal materials, powder bed fusion 3D laser printing is the most widely used processing method. The density of the packed bed is another important parameter that can affect the part quality, however, it is the least understood parameter and needs further study. Aiming at addressing the problem of the powder packing density in the powder tank before powder spreading, which is neglected in the existing research, a combination of numerical simulation and experimental research was used to analyze the powder particle size distribution, powder stiffness coefficient, and vibration condition. Considering the van der Waals forces between the powders, a discrete element model suitable for fine metal powders for 3D printing is proposed. At the same time, a mathematical model that takes into account the vibration state is proposed, and the factors affecting the density of the powder were analyzed. A self-designed and manufactured three-dimensional vibration test rig was used to conduct physical experiments on spherical metal powders with approximately Gaussian distributions to obtain the maximum densities. The results obtained by the numerical simulation analysis method proposed in this paper are in good agreement with the experimental results. The influence of the amplitude and vibration frequency on the powder packing density is the same, that is, it increases with an increase in amplitude or frequency, and then decreases with a further increase in amplitude or frequency after reaching the maximum. It is unreasonable to discuss the packing densification only relying on the vibration intensity. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the amplitude and frequency to analyze the factors that affect the packing density of powders.

Background： Pneumatic tourniquets are widely used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Some surgeons prefer a uniform tourniquet inflation pressure (UTIP)for all patients; others use personalized tourniquet inflation pressures (PTIP). However, no consensus exists regarding the optimal mode of inflation pressure during TKA. This review aimed to appraise if personalized tourniquet inflation pressures are better than uniform tourniquet inflation. Methods：The databases (Web of Science，Embase，PubMed，Cochrane Controlled Trials Register,、Cochrane Library、Highwire、CBM、CNKI、VIP、Wanfang) were searched on August 2020 to systematically identify and screen the literature for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving PTIP and UTIP during total knee arthroplasty.Results: Nine randomized controlled trials, involving 840 TKAs (837 patients) were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis identified a trend toward less Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score at rest with PTIP group at one day（P＜0.00001），2-3day（P=0.01）, and less VAS score at activity 1day (P＜0.0001 ),2-3 days after the operation (P＜0.00001 )and discharge (P＜0.0001). No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of VAS score at rest when discharge (P=1.0), intraoperative blood loss（P=0.9）, total blood loss（P=0.3）, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score （P=0.05）, lower limb vein thrombosis （P=0.42）and thigh bullae（P=0.17）. However, in the PTIP group, we found a significant broader knee Range of motion(ROM)（P=0.02）and a reduction in the rate of thigh ecchymosis（P=0.0003）and thigh circumference at one day(P=0.006), 2-3day (P=0.0005), and discharge(P=0.02). Conclusion: PTIP provides a similar bloodless surgical field compared with the conventional UTIP. Furthermore, PTIP provides less pain intensity, thigh circumference, rate of thigh ecchymosis, and better initial recovery of knee flexion in total knee arthroplasty. Therefore, we recommend using a PTIP method during TKA. More adequately powered and better-designed randomized controlled trials （RCTs）studies with long-term follow-up are required to produce evidence-based guidelines regarding the PTIP method.

In the fields of agriculture, medical treatment, food, and packaging, polymers are required to have the characteristics of self-cleaning, anti-icing, and anti-corrosion. The traditional preparation method of hydrophobic coatings is costly and the process is complex, which has special requirements on the surface of the part. In this study, fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology with design and processing flexibility was applied to the preparation of hydrophobic coatings on polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) parts, and the relationship between the printing process parameters and the surface roughness and wettability of the printed test parts was discussed. The experimental results show that the layer thickness and filling method have a significant effect on the surface roughness of the 3D-printed parts, while the printing speed has no effect on the surface roughness. The orthogonal experiment analysis method was used to perform the wettability experiment analysis, and the optimal preparation process parameters were found to be a layer thickness of 0.25 mm, the Grid filling method, and a printing speed of 150 mm/s.

Third parties often react to an interpersonal conflict by taking sides. However, under the assumption that third parties are to help disputants resolve their problems, the topic of side-taking has been overlooked in the literature of conflict management. In this theoretical paper, we propose self-interest, moral, and relationship motives to explain the psychological mechanism of side-taking. We then discuss how disputant-related factors (in terms of the effects of status differences between third parties and disputants), dispute-related factors (in terms of conflict types), and contextual factors (in terms of individualism/collectivism) have an influence on the three types of side-taking motives to gain a deeper and broader understanding of side-taking. By focusing on side-taking and analyzing its motives, our theoretical framework connects and extends the literatures on third-party intervention and coalition formation. It also bridges the gap between individuals, dyads, groups, and organizations at different levels of conflict processes.

HR professionals are expected to become more involved in knowledge management and facilitate knowledge sharing among employees in the knowledge economy. In this study, we investigated the relationship between perceived organizational support and knowledge sharing by taking account of employees’ interdependent and independent self-construal. Our hypotheses were examined using a 2-wave survey data-set from 145 teachers working at 4 Dutch vocational education and training schools. The results showed that perceived organizational support was positively related to knowledge sharing for employees either with a high interdependent self or with a low independent self. However, this positive relationship disappeared for employees either with a low interdependent self or with a high independent self. Overall, the moderating effect of self-construal revealed a new avenue towards a better understanding of the relationship between organizational support and employees’ knowledge sharing. It provided a tentative answer to the question of why organizational support does not often succeed in motivating employees to share their knowledge in the workplace.

Surface trap defects limit application of quantum dots (QDs) in solar cells. The trapping states can be efficiently suppressed by modifying small molecular and atomic ligands on the core QDs. In this paper, octa-aminopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OA-POSS) was coated on CdTe QDs as capping agent to decrease surface defect density and to increase power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the CdTe QDs. POSS-CdTe QDs were prepared by conjugating OA-POSS to CdTe QDs through condensation reaction utilizing EDC. The light absorption region of CdTe QDs remains unchanged and the fluorescence intensity increases after the OA-POSS modification. The PCE of the POSS-CdTe QDs sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) is enhanced by 40% in comparison with that of CdTe QDSCs, which increase from 1.46% to 2.05% under 1.5 G one full sun illumination. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements confirmed the suppressed charge recombination process in internal QDs and TiO 2 /QDs/electrolyte interfaces with the modification of OA-POSS around CdTe QDs.

Background: The interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) is a commonly used nerve block technique for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy surgery; however, it is associated with potentially serious complications. The use of suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) and axillary Nerve Block (ANB) has been reported as an alternative nerve block with fewer reported side effects for shoulder arthroscopy. This review aimed to compare the impact of SSNB and ANB with ISB during shoulder arthroscopy surgery. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to identify relevant randomized or quasirandomized controlled trials involving SSNB and ISB during shoulder arthroscopy surgery. We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Cochrane Library, Highwire, CNKI, and Wanfang database from 2010 through August 2021. Results: We identified 641 patients assessed in 10 randomized or quasirandomized controlled trials. Compared with the ISB group, the SSNB+ANB group had higher visual analog scale or numerical rating scale in PACU (P = .03), 4 hour (P = .001),6 hour after the operation (P = .002), and lower incidence of complications such as Numb/Tingling (P = .001), Weakness (P

Accurate measurement of particle size distribution using electrical-mobility techniques requires knowledge of the charging state of the sampled particles. A consistent particle charge distribution is possible with bipolar diffusion chargers operated under steady-state condition. Theoretical steady-state charge distributions for bipolar charging are well established but recent studies have shown that the performance of particle chargers is a strong function of particle size, particle concentration, ion source, and charger operating conditions. Most of these studies have focused on particles smaller than 100 nm and the applicability of these results for particles larger than 100 nm must be investigated. In this study, experimentally obtained singly-charged and doubly-charged fractions are compared against theoretical predictions for particles in the size range of 100 to 900 nm. The experimental results show that the commercial soft X-ray charger performs as theoretically-predicted over the range of ...

HR attributions relate to employees’ beliefs about why HR practices are implemented in their organization. Although research shows that HR attributions influence employees’ attitudes, behaviors and performance, there is little understanding of the antecedents of HR attributions. To examine the relationships between perceptions of high-performance work systems (HPWS) and power distance orientation (PDO) on the one hand and two types of HR attributions (quality-enhancement and cost-reduction) on the other, we conducted two studies. The results of Study 1 (an experimental study, N = 171 students) and Study 2 (a field study, N = 255 employees from China) showed that PDO weakened the relationships between HPWS perceptions and both types of HR attributions. Our studies fill an important theoretical gap regarding how employees’ cultural orientation changes the effect of HPWS perceptions on HR attributions.

Objective The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of different bone cement distributions along the fracture line on clinical and imaging outcomes of vertebral augmentation. Methods In total, 84 patients who underwent vertebral augmentation for a single osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture from January 2016 to August 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were divided into two groups according to the relationship between the bone cement distribution and the fracture line: the unilateral group (n = 23) and the bilateral group (n = 61). Postoperative clinical and imaging parameters were compared between the two groups. Results Statistical analyses showed no significant difference in postoperative pain relief, bone cement leakage, nerve injury, or new vertebral fracture between the two groups. Significant recovery from vertebral compression was observed in the bilateral group after surgery, but there was no significant difference in vertebral compression after surgery in the unilateral group. Conclusions Pain relief was similar for different types of cement distributions along the fracture line, but a bilateral cement distribution exhibited better recovery from vertebral compression and did not increase bone cement leakage in the vertebral augmentation procedure.

Accurate measurement of particle size distribution using electrical-mobility techniques requires knowledge of the charging state of the sampled particles. A consistent particle charge distribution is possible with bipolar diffusion chargers operated under steady-state condition. Theoretical steady-state charge distributions for bipolar charging are well established but recent studies have shown that the performance of particle chargers is a strong function of particle size, particle concentration, ion source, and charger operating conditions. Most of these studies have focused on particles smaller than 100 nm and the applicability of these results for particles larger than 100 nm must be investigated. In this study, experimentally obtained singly-charged and doubly-charged fractions are compared against theoretical predictions for particles in the size range of 100 to 900 nm. The experimental results show that the commercial soft X-ray charger performs as theoretically-predicted over the range of conditions studied while the performance of other commonly used radioactive chargers (85Kr and 210Po) are dependent on source strengths, flowrates, particle charge polarities, and particle sizes. From measurements of particle residence times and ion concentrations in different test bipolar chargers, prior observations of flowrate-dependent charging fractions can be explained. Additionally, the results from this study are used to determine an acceptable time period for usage of the commercial TSI 3077A 85Kr chargers for steady-state charging as a function of flowrate. Copyright © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research

Objective Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and primary or acquired resistance do not respond to targeted drugs. We explored whether cancer cells can be cultured from liquid biopsies from patients with primary resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We aimed to predict patients’ responses to drugs according to in vitro drug testing results. Methods Cancer cell cultures were established from the pleural effusion of a patient with TKI-resistant NSCLC using a conditional reprogramming technique. Phenotypic drug sensitivity tests were performed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. We tested individual drugs and compared the synergistic and inhibitory effects of drug combinations. Results The results of our in vitro sensitivity test using the combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed were correlated with the patient’s response. Conclusion This represents the first successful report of predictive testing for combination therapy in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant NSCLC and primary TKI resistance. This strategy should be applicable to both chemotherapies and targeted therapies, and it will significantly improve the clinical treatment and management of patients with NSCLC and primary or acquired resistance to targeted therapies, as well as patients lacking targetable mutations.

This volume offers a broad-based treatment of autonomous learning to advance our understanding of learner-driven approaches and how organizations can support them.

Linear spectral unmixing is a widely used technique in hyperspectral remote sensing to quantify materials present in an image pixel. In order to produce accurate estimates of abundances, nonnegativity constraint and sum-to-one constraint must be imposed on the abundances of materials. Under these two constraints, linear spectral unmixing is often formulated as a convex optimization problem that requires more advanced optimization technology, leading to excessive computational complexity. In this paper, a novel geometric method is presented for solving the fully constrained linear spectral unmixing problem. Specifically, abundances are first expressed as the ratios of signed volumes of simplexes. Then, Laplace expansion is applied in the process of determinant calculation, which derives a new low-complexity abundance estimation method. Furthermore, the mixed pixel outside the simplex is iteratively projected onto the facet planes through the endmember vertices for making the abundances satisfy the nonnegativity constraint. This process is continued until one finds a projected point lying inside the simplex. The proposed method is in line with the least squares criterion. Experimental results based on simulated and the AVIRIS Cuprite data sets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm with respect to other state-of-the-art approaches.

Abundance estimation is an important step of quantitative analysis of hyperspectral remote sensing data. Due to physical interpretation, sum-to-one and non-negativity constraints are generally imposed on the abundances of materials. This paper presents a geometric approach to fully constrained linear spectral unmixing using variable endmember sets for the pixels. First, an improved method for selecting per-pixel candidate endmember set is presented, which is suitable for dealing with hyperspectral image with large number of endmembers. To determine the optimal per-pixel endmember set from the entire endmembers present in the hyperspectral scene, an iterative partially constrained geometric unmixing is then performed, in which subspace projection is used for fully constrained least square estimation. The performance of the resulting unmixing algorithm is evaluated by comparison with benchmark unmixing algorithm on synthetic and real hyperspectral data.

A still unsolved question is why humans create collectivism. A new theory proposes that poorer populations coping with more demanding winters or summers become more collectivist. Preliminary support comes from a province-level analysis of survey data from 1,662 native residents of 15 Chinese provinces. Collectivism is weakest in provinces with temperate climates irrespective of income (e.g., Guangdong), negligibly stronger in higher income provinces with demanding climates (e.g., Hunan), and strongest in lower income provinces with demanding climates (e.g., Heilongjiang). Multilevel analysis consolidates the results by demonstrating that collectivism at the provincial level fully mediates the interactive impact of climato-economic hardships on collectivist orientations at the individual level, suggesting that culture building is a collective top-down rather than bottom-up process.

Fouling is an important performance degradation factor of axial flow compressor. Proper fouling sensitive parameter is crucial to more effectively monitor the fouling severity. Currently fouling level and cleaning necessity are judged by the decrease degree of thermodynamic performance parameter from macro point. But simulation research of NASA rotor 37 finds that tip clearance increase also causes the decrease of thermodynamic parameters such as pressure ratio, mass flow, efficiency and output power, so these parameters can’t distinguish fouling and other failure modes. Contaminated particles within air deposited on the blade surface to cause the change of blade shape and surface roughness. But from the definition of roughness, fouling and erosion can’t be distinguished by surface roughness. Finally, blade profile parameters are chosen as sensitive parameter of fouling. At the same time, with the rapid development of measure technology, profile parameter can be measured by combination of laser triangulation method and CMM (coordinate measuring machine). Based on reverse engineering, measure point clouds are reconstructed into three dimensional solid model of fouled compressor. Quantitative research shows that fouling cause increase of total temperature, total pressure and surface friction coefficient, simultaneously effective flow area is decreased, thus thermodynamic performance is degraded.

In an experimental study and a field study, we studied whether high‐commitment human resource management (HC‐HRM) is more effective when employees can make sense of HRM (attribute HRM to management). In the experimental study (n = 354), employees’ HC‐HRM perceptions were evoked by a management case, and their attributions were manipulated with an information pattern based on the three dimensions of the covariation principle of the attribution theory: distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus. As expected, the results showed that the effect of HC‐HRM on affective organizational commitment was stronger when employees understood HRM as was intended by management. This experimental finding was confirmed in a cross‐level field study (n = 639 employees within 42 organizations): the relationship between HC‐HRM, on one hand, and affective organizational commitment and innovative behavior, on the other hand, was stronger under the condition that employees could make sense of HRM. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Changing employer demands, new technological and pedagogical insights are examples of developments which urge Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutes to continually renew and innovate their educational programmes. This, in turn, requires teachers to show innovative behaviour. Our study focuses on the effects of task interdependence on VET teachers’ innovative behaviour. In addition, the mediating roles of learning goal orientation and occupational self-efficacy in this relationship are examined. A two-wave survey study among 342 teachers, from 54 teams of 6 Dutch VET institutes, showed that task interdependence enhanced teachers’ learning goal orientation, which enhanced their engagement in innovative behaviour over time. Task interdependence also increased teachers’ occupational self-efficacy, which in turn increased their engagement in innovative behaviour. This effect, however, appeared short lived. Apparently, once teachers exceed a certain level of occupational self-efficacy, other variables, like learning goal orientation, play a more important role in sustaining innovative behaviour.

This study examines conflict parties’ preferences for different types of third-party help and how this may be influenced by cultural differences in terms of individualism/collectivism. We focus our analysis on process-related nonsubstantive help and identify three types of thirdparty help in interpersonal conflict situations: relational help, procedural help, and emotional help. In a pilot study with Chinese and Dutch students (N = 93), we first developed and validated three new scales to measure preferences for the three types of third-party help. To further test specific hypotheses we used another sample of Dutch and Hong Kong Chinese bank employees (N = 71). In line with our expectations, Chinese employees report a higher preference for relational help, while Dutch employees report a higher preference for emotional help. In terms of procedural help, there was no significant difference between Dutch and Chinese employees. Furthermore, additional analyses revealed a gender effect on the preference for emotional help, showing that—regardless of their cultural background—females prefer this type of third-party help more, presumably because they experience more conflict stress.