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Background Studies that examined sex differences in first-episode patients consistently show that males compared to females have poor premorbid adjustment, earlier age of onset, worse clinical characteristics, and poorer outcomes. However, little is known about potential mediators that could explain these sex differences. Methods Our sample consisted of 137 individuals with first episode schizophrenia (males, n = 105; 77%) with a mean age of 22.1(s.d. = 4.1) years and mean education of 12.5(s.d. = 1.7) years. At entry, patients were within 2 years of their first psychotic episode onset. Baseline assessments were conducted for premorbid adjustment, symptoms, cognitive functioning, insight, and at 6-months for role and social functioning. Results Males as compared to females had poorer premorbid adjustment across several key developmental periods (p < 0.01), an earlier age of onset [M = 20.3(3.3) v. 22.8(5.6), p = 0.002], more negative symptoms (p = 0.044), poorer insight (p = 0.031), and poorer baseline and 6-month role (p = 0.002) and social functioning (p = 0.034). Several of these variables in which males showed impairment were significant predictors of 6-month role and social functioning. Premorbid adjustment and insight mediated the relationship between sex and role and social functioning at 6-months, but not negative symptoms. Discussion Males compared to females were at lower levels across several key premorbid and clinical domains which are strongly associated with functional outcome supporting the hypothesis that males might have a more disabling form of schizophrenia. The relationship between sex with role and social functioning was mediated through premorbid adjustment and insight suggesting pathways for understanding why females might have a less disabling form of schizophrenia.

Taking ‘the idea of the tragic’ as a point of departure, this article articulates an approach to sociology and social theory from the perspective of a ‘tragic vision’. In arguing for the relevance of ‘tragic thought’ for the analysis of contemporary crises, it suggests that ‘the tragic’ must be understood as a reflection of the long tail of the formation of a particular secular, modern ‘ethico-onto-epistemology’. In making this case, the article provides an ‘interpretive genealogy’ of tragic ethics in social thought, detailing the thought of Lucien Goldmann and Georg Lukács, and putting it in dialogue with contemporary posthumanist theory. It concludes by drawing on recent debates in the latter involving the place of ‘critique’ in contemporary social science, teasing out some implications for thinking about individual action and responsibility.

Effective trophic assessment of restoration success after the creation of an artificial habitat is essential for ecological management. In this study, to evaluate the ecological trophic function of restored kelp beds of artificial macroalgal reefs (AMRs) attached with the kelp species Eisenia bicyclis, we compared carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of organic matter sources and macrobenthic consumers and isotopic indices of functional feeding groups between artificial and reference (natural bed and barren ground, respectively) habitats. There were no significant differences in isotopic values of consumer feeding groups (except for carnivores) and their potential food sources between the artificial and natural sites, suggesting that resource diversity and resource use by consumers was similar across all sites. The isotopic data also exhibited similar or relatively higher trophic niches of feeding groups at the artificial site compared to those at the natural site, indicating that the artificial kelp bed can play important roles in similar ecological functions and services as a natural counterpart. In addition, the present study revealed that the isotopic ranges and niche indices of feeding groups were significantly wider at the artificial and natural kelp beds compared to those at the barren ground, suggesting the trophic importance of macroalgal-derived organic matter to consumer nutrition in coastal ecosystems. Overall, our results support the conclusion that the creation of an Eisenia bicyclis kelp bed by the AMRs may lead to the restoration success of the macroalgae habitat through the recovery of the ecological function of a natural food web structure.

Prediction of the clearance between the components of a rotor and casing of a gas turbine is generally based on the two-dimensional (2D) finite-element analysis of the overall layout, the three-dimensional (3D) finite-element analysis of the local parts, and the deformation of the gas turbine components caused by other, unimportant 3D effects, such as cold-build clearances and ovalization. Using this, the variation of clearance, the minimum clearance, and the contact evaluation between the components with respect to the operation time are evaluated. Detailed 3D modeling of the overall shape for transient thermal-structural analysis for the prediction of clearances between components under the operating conditions of gas turbines with complex components, including both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric shapes, is not economical in terms of computational time and cost. To address this problem, it is efficient to perform finite-element analysis by means of 2D modeling based on the crosssectional information of the gas turbine components. At this moment, the 2D finite-element modeling for the axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric structures of the gas turbine is important for predicting the correct and accurate deformation. In this paper, we show that 2D modeling can obtain results similar to those of 3D finite-element analysis for the original shape. The proposed 2D finite-element modeling method for rotor and support of a gas turbine that includes both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric shapes will enable rapid and effective prediction of the components' behavior.

Using the 2015 Korean Welfare Panel Study data and a regression discontinuity design, this study examines the effects of the National Basic Livelihood Security System (NBLSS) participation on socia...

This article encourages researchers of religion, media and culture to develop new, global, comparative conversations about the meaning and purpose of public scholarship. Key terms like “religion”, “media”, “publicness” and “scholarship” can be understood and articulated differently in different social, cultural and geographical locations, and dialogue across our academic contexts is needed to help explore these parallels and divergences. This article shares three reflections from scholars who have lived and worked in west Africa, southern Europe and south-east Asia. Each contributor has been asked to address two questions: How do religious communities engage public audiences? And how can (or should) scholars communicate with the public? The conclusion to the article identifies some of the central themes of their responses: secularity, colonial legacies, globalization, power, vulnerability, and the intended audience of our public interventions.

The effect of current stress-induced Joule heating on two different under-bump metallization (UBM) structures in Sn-Ag microbumps was investigated with current stressing at 150°C and a current density of 5 &!thinsp;× 104 A/cm2. Both Ni UBM and Cu UBM configuration microbump structures underwent extensive electromigration (EM) testing, with results revealing a longer lifetime with the Cu UBM configuration than the Ni UBM structure. The observed EM failure mechanism in the Ni UBM configuration was identified as a void formation within the bump interconnected Al trace and not due to damage accumulation inside the microbump structure. The intermetallic compound developed inside the microbump was formed and maintained its stability throughout the current stressing period. To identify the main driving force of damage accumulation in the Al trace, the current density and temperature distributions in the Sn-Ag microbumps were analyzed numerically via the finite element method. The simulation results showed higher Joule heating with the Ni UBM than the Cu UBM microbump configuration, along with the bump geometrical contribution of add-on higher Joule heating in the Ni UBM microbump structure.

The use of a nonconductive film (NCF) to establish and enhance the stability of microbumps is crucial. Even though it is normal to apply NCF to microbump interconnection layers, understanding the behavior of microbump stability without the protection from a NCF is important. A free standing structure without a NCF can be used to determine the mechanical response of a single microbump. This information can be used to design robust interconnect structures. Electromigration (EM) tests were performed at 150 ℃ and 1.3 × 105 A/cm2 to investigate the effect of a NCF on the electrical reliability of Cu/Ni/Sn-Ag microbumps. The EM test results show different failure times and failure modes for Cu/Ni/Sn-Ag microbumps with the NCF and without the NCF. The microbump test samples with the NCF had a time to failure that was three times longer than that without the NCF. At a constant current density condition, the contribution of temperature-induced accelerated degradation and mechanical deformation factors were considered. A series of finite element and electron backscattered diffraction analyses revealed that the NCF restricted solder deformation and led to an increase in the back stress, which prolonged the EM lifetime.