bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can the universe be described by a wave function?
Authors: Mathur Samir D.
Published: June 2018

Suppose we assume that in gently curved spacetime (a) causality is not violated to leading order (b) the Birkhoff theorem holds to leading order and (c) CPT invariance holds. Then we argue that the “mostly empty” universe we observe around us cannot be described by an exact wave function [Formula: see text]. Rather, the weakly coupled particles we see are approximate quasiparticles arising as excitations of a “fuzz”. The “fuzz” does have an exact wave function [Formula: see text], but this exact wave function does not directly describe local particles. The argument proceeds by relating the cosmological setting to the black hole information paradox, and then using the small corrections theorem to show the impossibility of an exact wave function describing the visible universe.
Logarithmic correction of the BTZ black hole and adaptive model of graphene
Authors: Pourhassan Behnam , Faizal Mir , Ketabi S. Ahmad
Published: June 2018

It is known that almost all approaches to quantum gravity produce a logarithmic correction term to the entropy of a black hole, but the exact coefficient of such a term varies between the different approach to quantum gravity. Such logarithmic terms can also occur due to thermal fluctuations in both analogous and real black holes so that we will analyze the effects of logarithmic corrections term with variable coefficient on properties of analogous black hole. As these properties can be experimentally tested, they can be used to obtain the correct coefficient for such terms for an analogous black hole. We will argue that as even the real black holes can be considered as thermodynamical objects in Jacobson formalism, so such analogous black holes can be used to obtain the correct coefficient for the real black holes, and this in turn can be used to select the correct approach to quantum gravity. In that case, we use an adaptive model of graphene, which is still far from real graphene, to investigate some thermodynamics quantities of BTZ black hole.
Central limit theorem for generalized Weierstrass functions
Authors: de Lima Amanda , Smania Daniel
Published: June 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a [Formula: see text] expanding map of the circle and let [Formula: see text] be a [Formula: see text] function. Consider the twisted cohomological equation [Formula: see text] which has a unique bounded solution [Formula: see text]. We show that [Formula: see text] is either [Formula: see text] or continuous but nowhere differentiable. If [Formula: see text] is nowhere differentiable then the Newton quotients of [Formula: see text], after an appropriated normalization, converges in distribution (with respect to the unique absolutely continuous invariant probability of [Formula: see text]) to the normal distribution. In particular, [Formula: see text] is not a Lipschitz continuous function on any subset with positive Lebesgue measure.
The solutions with recurrence property for stochastic linearly coupled complex cubic-quintic Ginzburg–Landau equations
Authors: Gao Peng
Published: June 2018

Stochastic periodic type solution is a powerful tool for studying qualitative analysis of stochastic dynamical systems. In this paper, we will establish the bounded solutions, stationary solutions, periodic solutions, almost periodic solutions, almost automorphic solutions for stochastic linearly coupled complex cubic-quintic Ginzburg–Landau equations under suitable conditions. The main novelty of this paper is dealing with cubic nonlinear terms and the quintic nonlinear terms which are not Lipschitz. We overcome this difficulty by the semigroup approach, stochastic analysis techniques, energy estimate method and refined inequality technique.
Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient Methods for the Refined FEM Discretizations of Nearly Incompressible Elasticity Problems in Three Dimensions
Authors: Xiao Yingxiong , Li Zhenyou
Published: June 2018

Nearly incompressible problems in three dimensions are the important problems in practical engineering computation. The volume-locking phenomenon will appear when the commonly used finite elements such as linear elements are applied to the solution of these problems. There are many efficient approaches to overcome this locking phenomenon, one of which is the higher-order conforming finite element method. However, we often use the lower-order nonconforming elements as Wilson elements by considering the computational complexity for three-dimensional (3D) problems considered. In general, the convergence of Wilson elements will heavily rely on the quality of the meshes. It will greatly deteriorate or no longer converge when the mesh distortion is very large. In this paper, the refined element method based on Wilson element is first applied to solve nearly incompressible elasticity problems, and the influence of mesh quality on the refined element is tested numerically. Its validity is verified by some numerical examples. By using the internal condensation method, the refined element discrete system of equations is deduced into the one which is spectrally equivalent to an 8-node hexahedral element discrete system of equations. And then, a type of efficient algebraic multigrid (AMG) preconditioner is presented by combining both the coarsening techniques based on the distance matrix and the effective smoothing operators. The resulting preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) method is efficient for 3D nearly incompressible problems. The numerical results verify the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method.
The Casimir energy for scalar field with mixed boundary condition
Authors: Valuyan M. A.
Published: June 2018

In this study, the first-order radiative correction to the Casimir energy for massive and massless scalar fields confined with mixed boundary conditions (BCs) (Dirichlet–Neumann) between two points in [Formula: see text] theory was computed. Two issues in performing the calculations in this work are essential: to renormalize the bare parameters of the problem, a systematic method was employed, allowing all influences from the BCs to be imported in all elements of the renormalization program. This idea yields our counterterms appeared in the renormalization program to be position-dependent. Using the Box Subtraction Scheme (BSS) as a regularization technique is the other noteworthy point in the calculation. In this scheme, by subtracting the vacuum energies of two similar configurations from each other, regularizing divergent expressions and their removal process were significantly facilitated. All the obtained answers for the Casimir energy with the mixed BC were consistent with well-known physical grounds. We also compared the Casimir energy for massive scalar field confined with four types of BCs (Dirichlet, Neumann, mixed of them and Periodic) in [Formula: see text] dimensions with each other, and the sign and magnitude of their values were discussed.
The weak null condition and Kaluza–Klein spacetimes
Authors: Wyatt Zoe
Published: June 2018

We prove the non-linear stability of a system of non-linear wave equations satisfying the weak null condition. In particular, this includes the case of the non-linear stability of Minkowski spacetime times a [Formula: see text]-torus subject to perturbations depending only on the non-compact coordinates. Our argument closely follows the proof of the non-linear stability of Minkowski spacetime by Lindblad and Rodnianski.
FORCAST: A Mid-Infrared Camera for SOFIA
Authors: Herter T. L. , Adams J. D. , Gull G. E. , Schoenwald J. , Keller L. D. , Pirger B. E. , Henderson C. P. , Stacey G. J. , Nikola T. , De Buizer J. M. , Vacca W. D. , Ennico K.
Published: June 2018

We describe the Faint Object infraRed CAmera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST) which is presently operating as a facility instrument on the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). FORCAST provides imaging and moderate resolution spectroscopy capability over the 5–40[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m wavelength range. In imaging mode, FORCAST has a 3.4[Formula: see text] field-of-view with 0.768[Formula: see text] pixels. Using grisms, FORCAST provides long-slit low-resolution ([Formula: see text]–300) and short-slit, cross-dispersed medium-resolution spectroscopic modes ([Formula: see text]–1200) over select wavelengths. Preceded by both Spitzer and Herschel, the discovery phase space for FORCAST lies in providing unique photometric bands and/or spectroscopic coverage, higher spatial resolution and exploration of the brightest sources which typically saturate space observatories.
Slope hazards on the Ethiopian road network
Authors: Hearn G. J.
Published: June 2018

Jointed rock masses, adverse lithological sequences, often deeply-weathered soil profiles, seasonal rainfall, stream erosion and seismicity have created conditions favourable to the development of landslides in many parts of Ethiopia. Large, deep-seated landslides occupy many hillsides and some may date from the late Pleistocene–mid Holocene. Others are more recent and their activity is controlled by rainfall and, in some cases, the effects of land use change and road construction and widening schemes. The road network of Ethiopia has been expanding significantly over recent decades and has been impacted in many areas by reactivated ground movements and new, first-time failures. The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) has undertaken a number of initiatives to combat these problems, including a research programme aimed at developing mitigation designs for 118 locations on the federal road network of the country. Engineering geological mapping formed the cornerstone of the geotechnical investigations, together with targeted trial pitting, drilling and geophysical investigations, that allowed remedial options to be scheduled. Nevertheless, geotechnical uncertainty prevailed at several locations, especially where ground investigation was precluded by budget constraints. A pragmatic approach had to be applied to the construction contract documentation that made provision for confirmatory ground investigation prior to design finalization and geotechnical inspection and interpretation during construction.
FaceVR
Authors: Thies Justus , Zollhöfer Michael , Stamminger Marc , Theobalt Christian , Nießner Matthias
Published: June 2018

We propose
FaceVR
, a novel image-based method that enables video teleconferencing in VR based on self-reenactment. State-of-the-art face tracking methods in the VR context are focused on the animation of rigged 3D avatars (Li et al. 2015; Olszewski et al. 2016). Although they achieve good tracking performance, the results look cartoonish and not real. In contrast to these model-based approaches, FaceVR enables VR teleconferencing using an image-based technique that results in nearly photo-realistic outputs. The key component of FaceVR is a robust algorithm to perform real-time facial motion capture of an actor who is wearing a head-mounted display (HMD), as well as a new data-driven approach for eye tracking from monocular videos. Based on reenactment of a prerecorded stereo video of the person without the HMD, FaceVR incorporates photo-realistic re-rendering in real time, thus allowing artificial modifications of face and eye appearances. For instance, we can alter facial expressions or change gaze directions in the prerecorded target video. In a live setup, we apply these newly introduced algorithmic components.
Identification of nine novel loci related to hematological traits in a Japanese population
Authors: Yasukochi Yoshiki , Sakuma Jun , Takeuchi Ichiro , Kato Kimihiko , Oguri Mitsutoshi , Fujimaki Tetsuo , Horibe Hideki , Yamada Yoshiji
Published: June 2018

Recent genome-wide association studies have identified various genetic variants associated with hematological traits. Although it is possible that quantitative data of hematological traits are varied among the years examined, conventional genome-wide association studies have been conducted in a cross-sectional manner that measures traits at a single point in time. To address this issue, we have traced blood profiles in 4,884 Japanese individuals who underwent annual health check-ups for several years. In the present study, longitudinal exome-wide association studies were conducted to identify genetic variants related to 13 hematological phenotypes. The generalized estimating equation model showed that a total of 67 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly [false discovery rate (FDR) of <0.01] associated with hematological phenotypes. Of the 67 SNPs, nine SNPs were identified as novel hematological markers: rs4686683 of SENP2 for red blood cell count (FDR = 0.008, P = 5.5 × 10−6); rs3917688 of SELP for mean corpuscular volume (FDR = 0.005, P = 2.4 × 10−6); rs3133745 of C8orf37-AS1 for white blood cell count (FDR = 0.003, P = 1.3 × 10−6); rs13121954 at 4q31.2 for basophil count (FDR = 0.007, P = 3.1 × 10−5); rs7584099 at 2q22.3 (FDR = 2.6 × 10−5, P = 8.8 × 10−8), rs1579219 of HCG17 (FDR = 0.003, P = 2.0 × 10−5), and rs10757049 of DENND4C (FDR = 0.008, P = 5.6 × 10−5) for eosinophil count; rs12338 of CTSB for neutrophil count (FDR = 0.007, P = 2.9 × 10−5); and rs395967 of OSMR-AS1 for monocyte count (FDR = 0.008, P = 3.2 × 10−5).
Cyclophilin A Function in Mammary Epithelium Impacts Jak2/Stat5 Signaling, Morphogenesis, Differentiation, and Tumorigenesis in the Mammary Gland
Authors: Volker Sonja E. , Hedrick Shannon E. , Feeney Yvonne B. , Clevenger Charles V.
Published: June 2018

The prolyl isomerase cyclophilin A (CypA) regulates the Jak2/Stat5 pathway, which is necessary for mammary differentiation and the pathogenesis of breast cancer. In this study, we assessed the role of this isomerase during mammary gland development and erbB2-driven tumorigenesis. Genetic deletion of CypA resulted in delayed mammary gland morphogenesis and differentiation with corresponding decrease in Jak2/Stat5 activation; mammary gland cross-transplantation confirmed this defect was epithelial in nature. Analysis of mammary stem and progenitor populations revealed significant disruption of epithelial maturation. Loss of CypA in the erbB2 transgenic mouse model revealed a marked increase in mammary tumor latency that correlated with decreased Stat5 activation, associated gene expression, and reduced epithelial cell proliferation. These results demonstrate an important role for CypA in the regulation of Jak2/Stat5–mediated biology in mammary epithelium, identifying this isomerase as a novel target for therapeutic intervention.

Significance: These findings reveal cyclophilin A functions in normal mammary epithelial development and ErbB2-driven mammary tumorigenesis and suggest therapies targeting cyclophilin A may be efficacious for breast cancer treatment.

Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/78/14/3877/F1.large.jpg. Cancer Res; 78(14); 3877–87. ©2018 AACR.
LIFEx: A Freeware for Radiomic Feature Calculation in Multimodality Imaging to Accelerate Advances in the Characterization of Tumor Heterogeneity
Authors: Nioche Christophe , Orlhac Fanny , Boughdad Sarah , Reuzé Sylvain , Goya-Outi Jessica , Robert Charlotte , Pellot-Barakat Claire , Soussan Michael , Frouin Frédérique , Buvat Irène
Published: June 2018

Textural and shape analysis is gaining considerable interest in medical imaging, particularly to identify parameters characterizing tumor heterogeneity and to feed radiomic models. Here, we present a free, multiplatform, and easy-to-use freeware called LIFEx, which enables the calculation of conventional, histogram-based, textural, and shape features from PET, SPECT, MR, CT, and US images, or from any combination of imaging modalities. The application does not require any programming skills and was developed for medical imaging professionals. The goal is that independent and multicenter evidence of the usefulness and limitations of radiomic features for characterization of tumor heterogeneity and subsequent patient management can be gathered. Many options are offered for interactive textural index calculation and for increasing the reproducibility among centers. The software already benefits from a large user community (more than 800 registered users), and interactions within that community are part of the development strategy.

Significance: This study presents a user-friendly, multi-platform freeware to extract radiomic features from PET, SPECT, MR, CT, and US images, or any combination of imaging modalities. Cancer Res; 78(16); 4786–9. ©2018 AACR.
Pathology, Chemoprevention, and Preclinical Models for Target Validation in Barrett Esophagus
Authors: Urbanska Aleksandra M. , Ponnazhagan Selvarangan , Mozafari Masoud
Published: June 2018

Despite esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) being the most widespread among gastrointestinal cancers, with an 11-fold increase in the risk of cancer for patients with Barrett esophagus (BE), its prognosis is still poor. There is a critical need to better perceive the biology of cancer progression and identification of specific targets that are the hallmark of BE's progression. This review explores the established animal models of BE, including genetic, surgical and nonsurgical approaches, potential chemoprevention targets, and the reasoning behind their applications to prevent Barrett-related EAC. The key methodological features in the design feasibility of relevant studies are also discussed. Cancer Res; 78(14); 3747–54. ©2018 AACR.
A sistematização de experiências na prática: a pesquisa sobre a história da ocupação o bairro Vila Operária III, em Guarulhos (SP)
Authors: Moraes Maíra Carvalho de
Published: June 2018

O artigo irá analisar a utilização da sistematização de experiências na pesquisa de campo do projeto de pesquisa intitulado “Justiça Social e Território: A Luta do Movimento de Luta por Moradia – MLM na Vila Operária, em Guarulhos (SP)”. A partir da análise dessa metodologia participativa e das condições cotidianas da pesquisa, infere-se a necessidade de combinar uma abordagem teórica com a metodologia participativa, para que possam ser reconstruídas as histórias da ocupação desse território. E a partir dessas histórias, compreender as relações de produção das cidades da Região Metropolitana da Grande São Paulo, as organizações envolvidas nas disputas fundiárias nessa região e a luta da classe trabalhadora por justiça social.
LGBTI Rights in Indonesia: A Human Rights Perspective
Authors: Polymenopoulou Eleni
Published: June 2018

The threat of criminal punishment of same-sex relationships has revived in Indonesia. Despite the remarkable improvements that were made in recent years, such as the Yogyakarta principles in 2007 and the organisation of the Jakarta Q-film festival, homophobia has been gradually observed throughout the country. The criminal punishment of both prostitution and homosexuality in the (Islamised) region of Aceh by virtue of local laws (perdas) and incidents such as the raid of a Jakarta gay sauna in late 2017 that resulted in several prosecutions demonstrate that the struggle for non-discrimination and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities is still ongoing in this extremely diverse country. The present paper discusses this situation, highlighting the need for Indonesia to comply with its human rights obligations.
Baldus and the Limits of Representation
Authors: Rossi Guido
Published: June 2018

Most contributions on agency and representation in medieval law tend to look at collegiate offices, not individual ones: when, how and to what extent can a plurality of people be represented by a single individual. For individual offices – that is, offices not representing a collectivity – the approach was typically another. From the king to the magistrate, the office was not necessarily viewed as a different subject from that of the individual person discharging it, but rather construed as a series of powers vested in that person.
The composition and distribution of the legal profession, and the use of law in Britain and Ireland, c.1500-c.1850
Authors: Houston R.A.
Published: June 2018

The geography of the legal profession and legal culture, and the possibility that there were major regional differences in the use of law and legal institutions across historic Europe have been little studied by historians. This article compares England and Wales with Scotland, whose private law was different, and Ireland, where English common law worked alongside indigenous law traditions. Lawyers can be divided between those who pleaded and those who prepared documents, but the nomenclature and professional development of ‘men of law’ differed considerably within the component parts of Britain and Ireland. The article brings out these differences and, in so doing, hopes to provide a framework for comparing the place of the legal profession and the use of law over space and time. It is in two parts. The first explores the changing numbers of different sorts of legal practitioner in England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland: barristers, solicitors/attorneys, advocates, writers, and notaries. From an early date, England and Wales had many more lawyers per head of population than other parts of what became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the legal profession was dominated by attorneys, who far outnumbered barristers, whereas in Scotland and Ireland those who pleaded formed a significant proportion of all men of law. The second part seeks to explain this difference, by examining how different societies related to the formal practices of law and to alternative forms of dispute resolution. The component parts of the British Isles had distinctive social structures, economic compositions, religious emphases, and cultural forms, which meant that the place of law and lawyers in their societies varied considerably. The argument is that, as well as having different legal institutions and professional structures, Scottish and Irish people used the law more selectively than their English (and perhaps also Welsh) equivalents.
Understanding the Model Size Effect on SEM Fit Indices
Authors: Shi Dexin , Lee Taehun , Maydeu-Olivares Alberto
Published: June 2018

This study investigated the effect the number of observed variables ( p) has on three structural equation modeling indices: the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker–Lewis index (TLI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The behaviors of the population fit indices and their sample estimates were compared under various conditions created by manipulating the number of observed variables, the types of model misspecification, the sample size, and the magnitude of factor loadings. The results showed that the effect of p on the population CFI and TLI depended on the type of specification error, whereas a higher p was associated with lower values of the population RMSEA regardless of the type of model misspecification. In finite samples, all three fit indices tended to yield estimates that suggested a worse fit than their population counterparts, which was more pronounced with a smaller sample size, higher p, and lower factor loading.
The Spillover Effect of the Syrian Crisis on the Peace Process in Turkey
Authors: Dag Rahman
Published: June 2018

The Kurdish question has been one of the most protracted issues in the political history of Turkey. Given such a long securitization of the Kurdish question, it almost came to an end due to the peace process initiated by the AK Party government and the imprisoned leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan in 2013. Apparently it was not a solid process because it failed immediately after the June 2015 general election. There may have been many internal and external factors explaining the reason why it failed but this paper looks specifically at one of them: the influence of the Syrian crisis on the peace process in Turkey in light of spillover effects and spreading insurgency theories.
Experimental study of welding region effects on upward flame spread over textile membranes
Authors: Gao Yunji , Zhu Guoqing , Yu Mengwei , Guo Feng , Xia Yu , An Weiguang
Published: June 2018

Textile membranes are used widely as a main architectural material in membrane structure buildings. However, very few studies have been conducted to investigate the flame spread characteristics of textile membranes, especially in the case of upward flame spread. In this paper, the effects of welding region on upward flame spread were investigated experimentally using sample sheets of textile membranes 60 cm tall and 6 cm wide with and without welding region. The corresponding observations are as follows: the width of flame with welding region is narrower than that without welding region; flame height, pyrolysis height, preheating length, flame length, and pyrolysis spread rate decrease significantly in the presence of a welding region, while ignition time increases; flame temperature decreases in the presence of a welding region, and temperature along the welding region is higher than that near the edge. The welding region effects are as follows: in presence of a welding region, the thickness of welding region increases and, accordingly, ignition time shows an increase, leading to relatively low pyrolysis gas generated per unit time and relatively less heat released; in addition, a relatively larger pyrolysis gas concentration gradient over the width for welding membranes results in a relatively stronger air entrainment occurring at the sample sides, taking away part of the heat flux and narrowing the flame width. Thus, the presence of a welding region has negative effects of increasing ignition time and reducing preheating length on upward flame spread over textile membranes, eventually decreasing the pyrolysis spread rate.
Long-term impacts of parliamentary gender quotas in a single-party system: Symbolic co-option or delayed integration?
Authors: Joshi Devin K , Thimothy Rakkee
Published: June 2018

In recent years scholars have shifted their attention from the causes behind parliamentary gender quotas to their consequences for women’s descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation. We contribute to this literature by focusing on long-term effects of gender quotas in the context of an authoritarian one-party system. Here we contest dominant theoretical explanations which posit that gender quotas in authoritarian states primarily serve the goals of symbolic co-option and window-dressing. Rather, we argue that while authoritarian adaptation may motivate the introduction of gender quotas, these quotas may result over time in what we call a delayed integration process featuring a gradual rise of women into arenas of power alongside increasing professionalization and capabilities of women within parliament. This argument is tested and supported via a 72-year longitudinal analysis of over 6000 female and male representatives of the Vietnamese National Assembly, a single-party parliament with long-standing gender quotas.
Designs of Empirical Evaluations of Nonexperimental Methods in Field Settings
Authors: Wong Vivian C. , Steiner Peter M.
Published: June 2018

Over the last three decades, a research design has emerged to evaluate the performance of nonexperimental (NE) designs and design features in field settings. It is called the within-study comparison (WSC) approach or the design replication study. In the traditional WSC design, treatment effects from a randomized experiment are compared to those produced by an NE approach that shares the same target population. The nonexperiment may be a quasi-experimental design, such as a regression-discontinuity or an interrupted time-series design, or an observational study approach that includes matching methods, standard regression adjustments, and difference-in-differences methods. The goals of the WSC are to determine whether the nonexperiment can replicate results from a randomized experiment (which provides the causal benchmark estimate), and the contexts and conditions under which these methods work in practice. This article presents a coherent theory of the design and implementation of WSCs for evaluating NE methods. It introduces and identifies the multiple purposes of WSCs, required design components, common threats to validity, design variants, and causal estimands of interest in WSCs. It highlights two general approaches for empirical evaluations of methods in field settings, WSC designs with independent and dependent benchmark and NE arms. This article highlights advantages and disadvantages for each approach, and conditions and contexts under which each approach is optimal for addressing methodological questions.
Unfinished business
Authors: Leyshon Andrew
Published: June 2018

This short commentary responds to James et al.’s report on the employment of economic geographers within in departments of business and management in UK universities. An initial ambivalence about the numbers of economic geographers working outside the sub-discipline has been replaced by growing concerns over the supply of early career economic geographers, the immediate pressures of the Research Excellence Framework and the growth and financial significance of business schools within the UK university sector. Collective action and collaboration by the remaining economic geographers is encouraged to stem the tide.
Exploring the Complex Relationship between Railroad Infrastructure, Operating Constraints, Maximum Speeds, and Public Schedules
Authors: Lu Alex , Kozlowski Janek , Fahey Sean , Whitman Shaun
Published: June 2018

Outside the railroad industry, passenger trip times are often treated as a performance measure or yardstick of the industry’s health. However, many factors not known or well understood by casual observers affect trip times—indeed, some are recognized techniques utilized by infrastructure owners to deliver journey time reductions. Factors triggering running time modifications include: track (design, maintenance, layout); infrastructure (structures, signal, power, grade crossings); cant deficiency, tractive effort, braking rates; rules, operating practices, timetable speeds; and schedulers’ decisions on train performance modeling, en-route adjustments, and dwell times. Historical operating documents issued by railroads can be used to reconstruct events associated with trip timing changes, but their ephemeral nature makes it difficult. Because some information is never written down, the rationale for certain modifications may be unknowable. Public timetables offer a general sense of trends in service offerings but don’t show what was really happening. Opposing industry trends can actually give rise to similar schedule impacts, e.g. deferred maintenance and track rehabilitation both lead to longer journey times. Applying forensic analysis methodology to Penn Central’s Mohawk/Buffalo Divisions revealed that some time degradations are correlated to downgraded infrastructure and vehicle issues, but long-term changes were balanced. Metro-North’s New Haven Line case study reveals how new stations, necessary safety modifications, increasing congestion, and temporary construction delays all contributed to recent timing changes. To maximize system performance, operators must balance time, capacity, and reliability subject to an overarching constraint of safe operations.
TPACK In Situ: A Design-Based Approach Supporting Professional Development in Practice
Authors: Pareto Lena , Willermark Sara
Published: June 2018

Technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) is a well-known conceptual framework for what knowledge teachers need in order to teach successfully using technology. Most recent TPACK studies address assessment of teacher TPACK by quantitative self-reporting surveys. Such an approach provides little guidance for teachers in how to develop their everyday teaching practice. We argue for a revival of the original TPACK design-based approach and propose a design-based, operationalization of the framework that is situated in action, context specific, and integrated in practical teaching. The approach has been developed, evaluated, and validated in a school development project in a Nordic Elementary School context using design-based research. The project engaged more than 100 professionals: in-service elementary teachers, school administrators and researchers, and more than 1,000 students during 3 years. The theoretical development evolved from rich descriptions of 38 didactic design as delimited units of teaching including planning, implementation, and evaluation of specified learning tasks acted out in practice. Contributions include framing teaching practice as design activity and a TPACK in situ model and methods targeting reflective practitioners. Our proposed approach addresses current limitations of TPACK and is aligned with advocated professional development methods.
Les conseillers virtuels anthropomorphes et les réactions des internautes : une expérimentation portant sur la voix du conseiller
Authors: Cherif Emna , Lemoine Jean-François
Published: June 2018

Les conseillers virtuels se sont fortement démocratisés sur les sites marchands. Compte tenu des bénéfices qu’ils offrent aux entreprises pour améliorer la navigation et l’interaction avec le consommateur, chercheurs et praticiens s’accordent sur l’intérêt de les doter de caractéristiques anthropomorphiques. Cette recherche s’intéresse particulièrement à l’effet de la voix du conseiller virtuel. Bien qu’il existe quelques recherches en interaction homme-machine sur la question, il n’existe pas de travaux traitant le sujet d’un point de vue marketing et comparant l’effet d’une voix humaine vs une voix de synthèse. Les résultats montrent que les consommateurs qui ont interagi avec un conseiller virtuel doté d’une voix humaine éprouvent un sentiment de présence sociale plus fort que ceux interagissant avec un conseiller doté d’une voix de synthèse. La voix humaine permet également de susciter plus de confiance envers le conseiller virtuel et de générer de meilleures intentions comportementales.
Evaluation of Meropenem Extended Versus Intermittent Infusion Dosing Protocol in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Ahmed Nabeela , Jen Shin-Pung , Altshuler Diana , Papadopoulos John , Pham Vinh P. , Dubrovskaya Yanina
Published: June 2018

Extended infusion (EI) administration of β-lactams can improve target attainment in critically ill patients with altered pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. To optimize meropenem dosing in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock, our Antimicrobial Stewardship Program implemented a EI meropenem (EIM) protocol in an 18-bed Medical Intensive Care Unit in March 2014. In this retrospective study, we compared intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and clinical response in patients who received meropenem for ≥72 hours administered per EIM protocol of 1 g over 3 hours every 8 hours versus intermittent infusion (IIM) protocol of 500 mg over 30 minutes every 6 hours. Age, weight, comorbidities, severity of illness, and vasopressor use were comparable between groups (EIM protocol n = 52, IIM protocol n = 96). The IIM protocol group had higher rates of renal dose adjustment at meropenem initiation. Among 56 identified gram-negative (GN) pathogens, 94% had meropenem minimal inhibitory concentration ≤0.25 mg/L. The ICU mortality was lower (19 vs 37%; P = .032) and clinical response was higher (83% vs 46%; P < .01) in the EIM protocol versus IIM protocol group. Total vasopressor days were shorter (2 vs 3 days; P = .038), and white blood cell normalization rate was higher (87% vs 51%; P < .01) in the EIM protocol versus IIM protocol group. There was no difference in days of mechanical ventilation, duration of therapy, and ICU stay. The IIM protocol was also identified as an independent risk factor associated with ICU mortality (hazard ratio: 3.653, 95% confidence interval: 1.689-7.981; P = .001) after adjusting for Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score. In this cohort of patients with severe sepsis/septic shock and highly susceptible GN pathogens, there was improved mortality and clinical response in the EIM protocol group.
The Dual Effects of Information Technology Clusters: Learning and Selection
Authors: Fang Li
Published: June 2018

Clusters are hubs of innovation. Economic developers have initiated a great deal of policies to promote clusters and encourage technological advancement. Despite the efforts of previous studies to quantify the cluster innovation relationship, they failed to differentiate two major mechanisms, such as learning (firms improving in clusters) and selection (less innovative firms being forced out of clusters). This study differentiates and quantifies learning and selection using nonparametric estimation and quantile regression. Using employment and establishment data as well as patent data from Maryland from the years 2001 to 2012, this study detects both mechanisms in information technology clusters. Learning in clusters increases patent filing by 15.7% to 17.2% for firms that have ever filed for patents. At the same time, firms filing fewer than one patent per year are 40% less likely to survive in clusters than they are in nonclusters. Magnitudes of both effects should be considered in the design of cluster policies.
Religiosity and Health: A Holistic Biopsychosocial Perspective
Authors: Page Robin L. , Peltzer Jill N. , Burdette Amy M. , Hill Terrence D.
Published: June 2018

The resurgence of interest in the influence of religion and spirituality on health is examined within the context of the holistic paradigm and historical connection between nursing and spirituality. While nursing and spirituality often intersect with end-of-life considerations, this article presents findings from studies that demonstrate that religious involvement favors health and longevity across the life course. Examples include protective associations with stress, depression, self-rated health, and infant birth weight. Theoretical and empirical explanations for this relationship are offered, such as social and psychological resources and healthy behaviors. The effects of religion on biological functioning, including allostatic load and telomere length, are also discussed, although this area is understudied. Considerations for the “dark-side” of religious involvement are also offered. Suggestions for nurses wishing to protect and promote the health of their patients using a holistic approach include expanding knowledge of research on religion and health and advocating for patients’ spiritual needs by conducting a comprehensive spiritual assessment in primary, secondary, and tertiary clinical settings.
A realistic view on disagreement: Roots, resolutions, and the trauma of the scientist
Authors: Simon Bernd
Published: June 2018

Building on insights from social psychology and political philosophy, I develop a realistic view on disagreement. According to this view, disagreements among people can be traced back to the heterogeneity of social reality and people’s differing social positioning in it with the relativity of identities playing a mediating role. I discuss theoretical and meta-theoretical as well as practical and normative implications of such a view. I also look into the fate of the scientist when she leaves the narrow confines of academia and enters the public sphere in order to intervene in disagreements. Drawing on the vertical structuration of social reality and the corresponding hierarchical or nested nature of people’s identities, I elaborate on a promising path to the resolution of disagreement, in which both scientists and social critics can play constructive roles. This elaboration eventually puts a proceduralist slant on my realistic view on disagreements and their resolution.
Efficacy of discontinuing risedronate for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a prospective study
Authors: Ishida T , Yoshida S , Kimura Y , Fujiki Y , Kotani T , Takeuchi T , Makino S , Arawaka S
Published: June 2018

Objective

The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of discontinuation of risedronate for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with glucocorticoid (GC).

Methods

The participants were patients with SLE treated with prednisolone (PSL) ≥ 2 mg/day and risedronate for at least three years. Lumbar spine and total hip bone mineral density (BMD) measurements were taken at baseline and 24 and 48 weeks after discontinuation of risedronate, and bone turnover markers were evaluated at baseline, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks.

Results

A total of 36 patients were enrolled, 25 of whom discontinued risedronate. The mean age was 46.8 ± 11.2 years, and 23 were female. The mean duration of GC treatment was 14.8 ± 11.4 years, the mean dose of PSL was 7.8 ± 3.9 mg/day, and the mean duration of risedronate was 5.8 ± 2.4 years. Seventeen patients showed decreased lumbar spine BMD at 48 weeks after discontinuation of risedronate, with a mean lumbar spine lumbar decrease of 1.42% ± 3.20% ( p = 0.034); 17 patients (71%) showed a decreased total hip BMD at 48 weeks after discontinuation of risedronate, with a mean total hip BMD decrease of 0.99% ± 2.10% ( p = 0.021). Serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b) ≥ 309 mU/dl at baseline was a risk factor for decreased total hip BMD at 48 weeks compared with serum TRACP-5b < 309 mU/dl (56% vs 0%, p = 0.0098). One patient developed a clinical fracture of the lumbar spine at 20 weeks.

Conclusions

Discontinuation of risedronate treatment in patients with SLE who had received GC therapy led to decreases in lumbar spine and total hip BMD, particularly in patients with high baseline serum TRACP-5b levels.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Improve the Renal Microvasculature in Metabolic Renovascular Disease in Swine
Authors: Eirin Alfonso , Zhu Xiang-Yang , Jonnada Sreela , Lerman Amir , van Wijnen Andre J. , Lerman Lilach O.
Published: June 2018

Background:

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) mediate their paracrine effect, but their efficacy to protect the microcirculation of the kidney is unknown. Using a novel swine model of unilateral renovascular disease (RVD) complicated by metabolic syndrome (MetS), we tested the hypothesis that EVs would attenuate renal microvascular loss.

Methods:

Four groups of pigs ( n = 7 each) were studied after 16 weeks of diet-induced MetS and RVD (MetS+RVD), MetS+RVD treated 4 weeks earlier with a single intra-renal delivery of EVs harvested from autologous adipose tissue-derived MSCs, and Lean and MetS Sham controls. Stenotic-kidney renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured in-vivo (fast CT), whereas EV characteristics, renal microvascular architecture (micro-CT), and injury pathways were studied ex-vivo.

Results:

mRNA sequencing and proteomic analysis revealed that EVs are packed with several pro-angiogenic genes and proteins, such as vascular endothelial growth factor. Labeled EVs were detected in the stenotic kidney 4 weeks after injection internalized by tubular and endothelial cells. EVs restored renal expression of angiogenic factors and improved cortical microvascular and peritubular capillary density. Renal apoptosis, oxidative stress, tubular injury, and fibrosis were also attenuated in EV-treated pigs. RBF and GFR decreased in MetS+RVD compared with MetS, but normalized in MetS+RVD+EVs.

Conclusions:

Intra-renal delivery of MSC-derived EVs bearing pro-angiogenic properties restored the renal microcirculation and in turn hemodynamics and function in chronic experimental MetS+RVD. Our study suggests a novel therapeutic potential for MSC-derived EVs in restoring renal hemodynamics in experimental MetS+RVD.
Examining the Antecedents of Ambidextrous Behaviours in Promoting Creativity among SMEs in Malaysia
Authors: Poon Wai Chuen , Mohamad Osman , Yusoff Wan Fadzilah Wan
Published: June 2018

This study investigates the effect of organizational context and entrepreneurial orientation in facilitating ambidextrous behaviours that shape creativity in Malaysian-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A cross-sectional research design was used with a total of 183 owner-managers. Questionnaires were distributed via email and analysed using Partial Least Squares (SmartPLS). The results reveal that organizational context and entrepreneurial orientation positively predict ambidextrous behaviours. Furthermore, ambidextrous behaviours were found to be positively influencing creativity. This study recommends a possible route in developing innovative firms through ambidextrous behaviours among SMEs in Malaysia. Accordingly, several important implications for academics and industry decision-makers are formulated.
Adoption Breakdown Research Comes of Age: Introduction to the Special Section
Authors: Palacios Jesús
Published: June 2018

Adoption breakdown is not a new phenomenon, and research into adoption breakdown has existed for some decades now. However, in recent years, the existence of adoptive placements ending prematurely due to serious difficulties in the family’s life together has attracted increased attention by researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. In particular, the nature, incidence, and characteristics of the breakdown experience are the subjects of interdisciplinary research activity around the world. The multiple reasons why this occurs are considered in this article that also serves as an introduction to the remaining articles in this special section on adoption breakdown.
‘Little Islands of Empathy’: networked stories of gender diversity and multiple selves’
Authors: Vivienne Son
Published: June 2018

This article draws on a methodologically interesting case study called ‘Stories Beyond Gender’, in which a small group of trans* people collaborates in social media storytelling. Building on the possibilities manifest in other more explicitly personal-as-political genres like digital storytelling, I explore the potential of this facilitated workshop practice to establish meaningful connections across difference, forging affinities that may continue to flourish online. Furthermore, I offer some specific examples of the ways in which my own networked story-sharing online, in a zine and in an exhibition affirmed emergent complexity. I address the theme of this Special Issue by examining the ways in which social media, despite paradoxical fragmentation, can be used creatively to mobilise interest in public aspects of gender expression. However, sharing stories, especially those linked to stigmatised identities, whether online or off, is not without its complications. In the face of highly valued privacy, a lack of familiarity with ever-changing privacy settings or the affordances of specific platforms can pose an obstacle to online self-representation that stands in the way of visible civic engagement. While acknowledging that the trans-phobic consequences of online misadventures continue to be dire, I address the self-protective skills and sophisticated ways in which gender-diverse people curate emergent and past selves across intersecting social networks both on and offline. I argue that, at the intersections of post-digital and post-gender ways of being, we can observe emergent acceptance of multiple selves that are capable of being inconsistent without being incoherent. These representations exist in stark opposition to pop psychology’s premise of a singular authentic ‘inner truth’.