bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ascertaining the Critical Thinking and Formal Reasoning Skills of Students
Authors: Lim Tock Keng
Published: August 2017

Ascertaining the critical thinking and formal reasoning skills of students

With the critical thinking movement gaining momentum at all levels of education in the United States and other countries, many thinking programmes have been developed. A thinking programme that emphasises process, teaching students how to think, rather than what to think, is the Philosophy for Children (P4C) programme, currently carried out in Singapore. A child, according to Matthew Lipman, the founder of the P4C programme, can reason deductively and logically, using concrete objects. In his specially written stories for children Lipman translated the abstract formulations to reasoning in a concrete way that children could understand. To determine whether primary and secondary pupils in Singapore can reason and do philosophy, a study was set up in 1992 to ascertain their reasoning skills. Two instruments were used: the New Jersey Test of Reasoning, developed in the early 1980s to evaluate the P4C programme, and the Test of Formal Reasoning, written by P. K. Arlin to measure the stage of intellectual and cognitive level of the student: concrete, high concrete, transitional, low formal or high formal. This article reports the findings of the study concerning the relationship between critical thinking as measured by the NJTR and concrete and formal reasoning as measured by the ATFR.
Level of Performance and Low-Wealth School Districts: A Case Study of North Carolina
Authors: Jones Enid B. , Lawrence William W.
Published: August 2017

Level of Performance and low-wealth School districts: a case study of North Carolina

A major source of controversy in educational policy is the extent to which there is a demonstrable correlation between educational expenditure and the quality of education as evident in the level of achievement of students. The issue is twofold: (1) the resources available, and (2) how the resources are spent. Educational equity is a primary goal in the North Carolina school system, but, it has proved elusive. The study was designed to answer the question ‘Are there factors other than wealth that account for the variations in student achievement in twenty-seven selected districts?’ The districts were selected by their categorisation in the North Carolina Report Card as high-performing or low-performing, on the basis of the district average Scholastic Assessment Test scores. Seventeen districts were high-performing while ten were low-performing, but all twenty-seven were designated as low-wealth.
The Effect on Spelling Ability of Exposure to the Printed Word
Authors: Dougherty Sharon , Clayton Mark
Published: August 2017

The effect on spelling ability of exposure to print

This study explores the contribution of print exposure to spelling achievement. The hypothesis that exposure to print accounts for individual differences in spelling ability was tested on 129 Year 7 female students from a predominantly non-English-speaking background. A multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the relationship between spelling and the predictor variables - exposure to print (TRT), phonological processing, comprehension level and general ability. The results indicated that phonological processing ability accounted for individual differences in spelling performance regardless of general ability. However, this specific student cohort appear to reflect stages in spelling development associated with word knowledge and reading experience. The analysis also indicated that other factors not addressed in this study are implicated.
An Intervention Strategy to Enhance Spelling Performance and Social Interaction and to Decrease Inappropriate Behaviours of Students with Mild Disabilities and Typical Peers in an Inclusive Instructional Setting
Authors: Sideridis Georgios D. , Utley Cheryl A. , Greenwood Charles R. , Dawson Harriett , Delquadri Joseph , Palmer Penny
Published: August 2017

An intervention strategy to enhance spelling performance, social interactions and decrease inappropriate behaviours of students with mild disabilities and typical peers in an inclusive instructional setting

This study investigated the ability of Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) to enhance the social interactions and improve the spelling of three students with mild disabilities and three of their typical peers. Social interactions were assessed using the Multiple Option Observation System for Experimental Studies. Spelling performance was measured by weekly pre-post-tests. Using a single-subject design, the results indicated that the duration of positive social interactions emitted by the students with mild disabilities and their typical peers during the CWPT intervention were dramatically increased. In addition, CWPT produced large gains in academic achievement for both groups of students. The implications of the findings for the use of direct observation and CWPT to enhance the social interactions and spelling performance of students with mild disabilities in the regular education classroom are discussed.
Association between Snoring and High‐Risk Carotid Plaque Features
Authors: Kirkham Erin M. , Hatsukami Thomas S. , Heckbert Susan R. , Sun Jie , Canton Gador , Yuan Chun , Weaver Edward M.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Previous studies have demonstrated an association between snoring and carotid disease independent of sleep apnea. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between self‐reported snoring and high‐risk carotid plaque features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that predict stroke.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional.

Setting

Tertiary care university hospital and affiliated county hospital.

Methods

We surveyed 133 subjects with asymptomatic carotid artery disease that had been previously evaluated with high‐resolution MRI. The survey captured data on self‐reported snoring (exposure) and covariates (age, sex, body mass index, and sleep apnea via the STOP‐Bang questionnaire). A subset of patients underwent home sleep apnea testing. High‐risk carotid plaque features were identified on the high‐resolution MRI and included thin/ruptured fibrous cap and intraplaque hemorrhage (outcomes). We quantified the association between snoring and high‐risk carotid plaque features with the chi‐square test (unadjusted analysis) and multivariate logistic regression adjusting for the covariates.

Results

Of 133 subjects surveyed, 61 (46%) responded; 32 (52%) reported snoring. Significantly higher proportions of snorers than nonsnorers had a thin/ruptured fibrous cap (56% vs 25%, P =. 01) and intraplaque hemorrhage (63% vs 29%, P <. 01). In multivariate analysis, snoring was associated with thin/ruptured fibrous cap (odds ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.1‐16.6; P =. 04) and intraplaque hemorrhage (odds ratio, 8.2; 95% CI, 2.1‐31.6; P <. 01) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and sleep apnea.

Conclusion

This pilot study suggests a significant independent association between snoring and high‐risk carotid plaque features on MRI. Further study is warranted to confirm these results in a larger cohort of subjects.
Book Review: Debjani Das, Houses of Madness: Insanity and Asylums of Bengal in Nineteenth-century India
Authors: Basu Amitranjan
Published: August 2017

Debjani Das, Houses of Madness: Insanity and Asylums of Bengal in Nineteenth-century India, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 2015, 286 pp.,₹895.
Book Review: Shereen Ratnagar, Harappan Archaeology: Early State Perspectives
Authors: Guha Sudeshna
Published: August 2017

Shereen Ratnagar, Harappan Archaeology: Early State Perspectives, Primus Books, Delhi, 2016, 326 pp., ₹2195.
Partition in Bengal: Re-visiting the Caste Question, 1946–47
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Sekhar , Chaudhury Anasua Basu Ray
Published: August 2017

The essay introduces caste as a category for discussing the history of Partition of India, which until now has focused almost exclusively on the Hindus, Sikhs and the Muslims. The Dalit or the ‘untouchables’ of India are usually left out of this discussion, and whenever they are brought in, they are portrayed as either disinterested onlookers or accidental victims. On the contrary, as this essay will argue, the Dalit were deeply entangled in Partition politics, which threatened their natural habitat in eastern Bengal, where they had reclaimed land from marshes and forests, extended cultivation and set up human settlement. Their regional movement was gradually drawn into the broader subcontinental politics that led to Partition, and the movement as a result lost unity, autonomy and purpose. While one group of the Bengali Dalit leaders were opposed to Partition and believed that a Dalit–Muslim alliance was in the best interest of the Dalit, others got closer to Hindu nationalism and demanded Partition of Bengal. Many Dalit peasants were caught in this politics and became both victims and perpetrators of violence. The essay concludes that while the Dalit lacked power to influence the decision to partition, they nevertheless were forced to take positions within the political divide, which they did according to their own perceptions of caste interests and preferred political future of their physical space.
L1 Korean and L1 Mandarin L2 English learners’ acquisition of the count/mass distinction in English
Authors: Choi Sea Hee , Ionin Tania , Zhu Yeqiu
Published: July 2017

This study investigates the second language (L2) acquisition of the English count/mass distinction by speakers of Korean and Mandarin Chinese, with a focus on the semantics of atomicity. It is hypothesized that L1-Korean and L1-Mandarin L2-English learners are influenced by atomicity in the use of the count/mass morphosyntax in English. This hypothesis is tested in two experiments, one comparing Korean and Mandarin speakers in their L2 (English) and the other investigating count/mass morphosyntax in native Korean and Mandarin Chinese. In both experiments, participants are tested on their suppliance of plural marking with count and mass NPs. The findings are fully consistent with the view of atomicity as a semantic universal: learners overuse plural marking with mass atomic nouns such as furniture more than with mass non-atomic nouns such as water. Even though plural marking is associated with atomicity in Korean but not in Mandarin, the same patterns are observed in L1-Korean and L1-Mandarin L2-English learners. We conclude that learners’ performance is not due to L1-transfer, but rather to the role of the semantic universal of atomicity in L2-acquisition.
The impact of RAGE inhibition in animal models of bacterial sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhao Xin , Liao Yan-nian , Huang Qian
Published: August 2017

Objective

To evaluate the impact of inhibition of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) on the outcome of bacterial sepsis in animal models.

Methods

Relevant publications were identified by systematic searches of PubMed, ISI Web of Science and Elsevier-Scopus databases.

Results

A total of Eleven studies with moderate quality were selected for analysis. A meta-analysis of survival rates revealed a significant advantage of RAGE inhibition in comparison with controls (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52–0.86). This effect was most pronounced in polymicrobial infection (HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.14–0.55), followed by Gram positive (G+) bacterial infection (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50–0.97) and Gram negative (G−) bacterial infection (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.58–1.38). For G+ bacterial infection, RAGE inhibition decreased bacterial outgrowth and dissemination, inflammatory cell influx, plasma cytokine levels, and pulmonary injury.

Conclusions

RAGE inhibition appears to have a beneficial impact on the outcome of sepsis in animal models, although there are discrepancies between different types of infection.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae 23S rRNA A2063G mutation does not influence chest radiography features in children with pneumonia
Authors: Deng Huan , Rui Jun , Zhao Deyu , Liu Feng
Published: August 2017

Objective

To measure the rate of the A2063G mutation in the Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( M. pneumoniae) 23S rRNA domain V in children with pneumonia and to determine the correlation between radiographic findings and the presence of the A2063G mutation.

Methods

Patients who were hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of M. pneumoniae pneumonia were enrolled in this study. M. pneumoniae strains were collected for genotype analysis. Chest radiography was performed on all children prior to and following macrolide treatment. Clinical and imaging data were obtained.

Results

Of 211 patients, 195 (92.42%) harboured M. pneumoniae with the A2063G mutation. No significant differences were identified in inflammation score, chest radiography inflammation absorption grade before and after macrolide treatment, or pulmonary complications (atelectasis, hydrothorax, or pleuritis) prior to macrolide treatment when children were stratified based on the presence or absence of the A2063G mutation.

Conclusions

A high proportion of children with pneumonia harboured strains of M. pneumoniae with the A2063G mutation in the 23S rRNA domain V. However, no obvious chest radiographic features of M. pneumoniae pneumonia were associated with the A2063G variant.
‘Minding the gap’: developing mindfulness for adoption
Authors: Gurney-Smith Ben , Downing Patricia , Kidd Katherine , McMillin Rebecca
Published: August 2017

This article discusses the rationale for mindfulness as an intervention in addressing parenting stress in adoptive parents and describes the process of its implementation in a voluntary adoption agency. Burgeoning interest in mindfulness in the public and scientific domains, alongside the presenting needs of adoptive families, has led to an appreciation of this intervention to meet the particular needs of adoptive parents and their children. The theoretical and research grounds for it are outlined before a description of the service is provided and supplemented with data from staff and parent groups receiving Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). In the manner of ‘practice what you preach’, staff as well as adoptive parents participated in the training. Adoptive parents demonstrated improvements in mindfulness and compassion; staff showed positive changes in self-compassion. There were also improvements in parenting stress for adopters. These results suggest this was a promising intervention for both the families and the agency and indicate an ongoing commitment to using it alongside other treatments. Further pointers to future service delivery, implementation and research are outlined.
Full adoption in England and Wales and France: a comparative history of law and practice (1926–2015)
Authors: Mignot Jean-François
Published: August 2017

Why do the British adopt far fewer children from abroad but more domestic children than the French? To examine this question, this article compares the history of adoption law and practice in France and England and Wales. Although these countries have had similar adoption laws since the 1920s, there have long been many more adoptions in England and Wales. This is partly due to the greater numbers of abused and neglected children being put forward for adoption in the UK. In addition, memories of the forced migration of children, coupled with heated debate over transracial adoption in the 1980s, cast doubt on the idea that intercountry adoption might benefit children. Consequently, local authorities give higher priority to the placement of children born in the UK with its system of open adoption. In contrast, French prospective adopters face a dearth of domestic children available for adoption and so turn their attentions overseas.
Adult adoptees’ attitudes regarding the potential use of genetic information to fill the gap in their family health history
Authors: Strong Kimberly A , May Thomas , McCauley Michael , Pean Kirschner Alison La , Jeruzal Jessica , Wilson Samantha L , Zusevics Kaija L , Knight Carmen
Published: August 2017

Genetic testing can provide useful information related to a person’s health history. Adoptees who lack access to family health history due to inherent separation from their birth family are among those likely to benefit from this. Understanding their attitudes, including their hopes and concerns, will allow for better informed and more appropriate applications of genetic testing within this population and will help guide genetic counselling for adult adoptees. This qualitative study, involving four focus groups totalling 17 participants, examined adult adoptees’ attitudes that might influence decision-making around genetic testing. Using the NVivo 10 data analysis method, transcripts were content and thematically coded for: motivations for positive interest in genetic testing/genome sequencing; reasons for lack of interest or uncertainty about genetic testing/genome sequencing; and mixed feelings or overlapping positive and negative comments by the same individual in the same train of thought. Other studies have examined adoptive parents’ attitudes towards genetic testing, but this is the first to give voice to adoptees themselves. The results indicate that while adult adoptees’ attitudes about genetic testing appear to be similar to that of other laypeople, they reported unique concerns and perspectives regarding its potential use and their motivations and deterrents for pursuing it.
The emergence of team science: understanding the state of adoption research through social network analysis
Authors: Hamilton Catherine A , Vacca Raffaele , Stacciarini Jeanne-Marie R
Published: August 2017

The notion of team science has recently gained popularity in European and American health sciences reviewing the increasing evidence that scientific collaboration produces higher-impact research and that complex scientific problems are better investigated by interdisciplinary teams. While publication surveys indicate that adoption research is expanding, it has not been formally evaluated for collaborative and cross-disciplinary activity. This article aims to elucidate the structure, composition and dynamics of scientific relationships within adoption studies that may inform research and practice strategies, competencies and cohesion within the field. Using social network analysis, we extracted data on 2767 peer-reviewed adoption-related articles from the 1930s to 2014 and evaluated the resulting co-authorship and co-citation networks. We found that adoption research has grown substantially over the last 25 years and is conducted in varied disciplines, with increasing collaboration across geography and disciplinary areas. As a result, the co-authorship and co-citation networks are approaching numeric thresholds and structural configurations distinctive of well-established and more institutionalised fields of study. These findings reveal the maturation of adoption studies as a team science and argue for the development of institutional mechanisms that support such evolution. Implications for professional and research planning are discussed.
Migraine in mitochondrial disorders: Prevalence and characteristics
Authors: Vollono Catello , Primiano Guido , Della Marca Giacomo , Losurdo Anna , Servidei Serenella
Published: August 2017

Background

Migraine is a well-known feature of mitochondrial disorders (MDs). However, no systematic epidemiological data are available in large populations of patients.

Aims

The aim of this cross-sectional cohort study was to describe the prevalence and migraine characteristics in a large cohort of patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathies.

Methods

We studied 93 consecutive patients with characterised MDs referred to our Neuromuscular Unit during a 12-month period. All patients (age range = 16–78 years; 31 men; 58 progressive external ophthalmoplegia [PEO], 12 myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibres [MERRF], eight mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes [MELAS], two mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy [MNGIE] and 13 other MDs) underwent a structured diagnostic headache interview using an operational diagnostic tool following the IHS criteria. If they met the criteria for migraine, they were included in the ‘Migraine Group’. The other patients were counted in the ‘No Migraine Group’. Patient demographic and migraine characteristics were examined. Clinical, neuroradiological and neurophysiological data were compared between groups.

Results

Migraine was reported in 35.5% of patients. Migraine without aura was the most common headache (81.8%). The migraine group showed younger age ( P < 0.01), increased prevalence of epilepsy ( P = 0.01), myoclonus ( P = 0.03), stroke-like episodes ( P = 0.03) and decreased prevalence of muscle weakness ( P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that migraine was positively associated with absence of muscle weakness ( P = 0.04) and presence of EEG abnormalities ( P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Migraine has a higher prevalence in MDs compared with general population-based data, independently from genotype or phenotype. Migraine is not merely a phenotypic aspect of specific MDs but is rather the expression of vulnerability of the central nervous system, probably directly related with defects of the respiratory chain.
MiR-1298 affects cell proliferation and apoptosis in C6 cells by targeting SET domain containing 7
Authors: Wang Chun-Mei , Cheng Bao-Hua , Xue Qing-jie , Chen Jing , Bai Bo
Published: August 2017

Our previous high-throughput sequencing indicated that rno-miR-1298 was down-regulated in ischemia-reperfusion model of rat. However, little is known about the function and molecular mechanism of rno-miR-1298 in rat tumor cell. In this study, rno-miR-1298 was detected to be significantly down-regulated in rat tumor C6 cells. Moreover, overexpression of rno-miR-1298 obviously inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis in C6 cells. SET domain containing 7 (SETD 7) was identified to be a target of rno-miR-1298 using bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays. Overexpression of rno-miR-1298 markedly reduced the expression of SETD 7 at protein level. Knockdown of SETD 7 also suppressed proliferation and promoted apoptosis in C6 cells. It was indicated that rno-miR-1298 affected cell proliferation and apoptosis of rat tumor cells by targeting SETD 7. Thus, the newly identified miR-1298/SETD 7 expands the elaboration of the mechanisms of the development and progression of tumors and may provide therapeutic target for tumors of nervous system.
Consistency or discrepancy? Rethinking schools from organizational hypocrisy to integrity
Authors: Kılıçoğlu Gökhan
Published: August 2017

Consistency in statements, decisions and practices is highly important for both organization members and the image of an organization. It is expected from organizations, especially from their administrators, to ‘ walk the talk’ – in other words, to try to practise what they preach. However, in the process of gaining legitimacy and adapting to the organizational environment, discrepancies and even outright contradictions can arise between statements and real practice, and these paradoxical relations may lead to organizational hypocrisy in educational organizations. One of the mechanisms that eliminate the negative results of organizational hypocrisy in schools is ensuring organizational integrity. However, the number of theoretical and empirical studies on which parameters are affected by organizational hypocrisy, and what kind of outcomes it gives birth to in school contexts, are limited. In view of this, this study aims to evaluate organizational hypocrisy and organizational integrity theoretically, and make some inferences as regards schools.
Vegetation dynamics and fire history at the southern boundary of the forest vegetation zone in European Russia during the middle and late Holocene
Authors: Novenko Elena Y , Tsyganov Andrey N , Payne Richard J , Mazei Natalia G , Volkova Elena M , Chernyshov Viktor A , Kupriyanov Dmitry A , Mazei Yuri A
Published: July 2017

Climate and human activity affected significantly the Eurasian on the forest vegetation zone through the Holocene. This paper presents new multi-proxy records of environmental changes at the southern boundary of the mixed coniferous broadleaved forest zone in the east-central part of the East European Plain during the middle and late Holocene. Palaeoecological analyses of a peat core for pollen, charcoal, peat humification, plant macrofossils and testate amoebae with dating using radiocarbon have shown that climate appears to have been a dominant control on vegetation. There is strong evidence for a reduced precipitation–evapotranspiration ratio and high fire frequency during the Holocene thermal maximum (6.9–5.3 ka BP), leading to dominance of Betula–Pinus forests. By contrast subsequent climatic cooling led to the expansion of broadleaved forests and establishment of Picea. Human activities influenced vegetation from the Neolithic onwards but played a role which was secondary to climate until the recent past. Over the last century, human impacts considerably increased because of harvesting of broadleaved trees and contributed to the formation of the current mixed coniferous broadleaved forests.
Graphic Bodies: Picturing Feminised Pathology, Narrating Resistance
Authors: Sundaram Neeraja
Published: August 2017

This article studies three graphic memoirs by women, Marisa Acocella Marchetto’s Cancer Vixen, Sarah Leavitt’s Tangles and Leah Hayes’ Not Funny Ha-Ha, to explore the use of the graphic form in the narrating of an experience of illness. I argue here that these writers engage the graphic form to visualise female embodiment as always already pathologised, even prior to the onset of illness. By making explicit the medical and socio-cultural scrutiny of female bodily practices, these texts interrogate the unequal structural relationship between the sign of gender female and the healthy/sick binary set up by mainstream illness narratives. This article also proposes that these graphic memoirs of illness by women perform a resistant femininity in narrative by refusing a linear progression from diagnosis to cure. The texts instead make visible their myriad sources, in the form of incoherent speech, unedited data, photographs and letters among others, thus refusing unity and coherence in the narrating self.
TP53 gene expression levels and tumor aggressiveness in canine mammary carcinomas
Authors: Oliveira Táya F. , Maués Tábata , Ramundo Mariana S. , Figueiredo Agnes Marie S. , de Mello Marcela F. V. , El-Jaick Kênia B. , Ferreira Maria de Lourdes G. , Ferreira Ana Maria R.
Published: July 2017

The protein p53 is considered to be one of the most important tumor suppressor factors. Despite this importance, a potential association between TP53 messenger (m)RNA levels and tumor aggressiveness has not been well defined in animal cancer. We assessed and correlated TP53 gene expression in 40 canine mammary carcinomas with histologic grade, tumor size, and aggressiveness. The tumors were subjected to histologic analysis and the TP53 mRNA levels determined by RT-rtPCR. Statistical analysis revealed no correlation between levels of TP53 mRNA and tumor aggressiveness ( r = 0.00) or tumor growth ( r = 0.06). Histologic grades ( r = 0.17) and mitosis count ( r = 0.12) showed a weak correlation with TP53 mRNA expression levels. These findings are consistent with molecular studies that revealed heterogeneous expression of TP53 in canine and human mammary tumors. Hence, TP53 gene expression alone cannot be considered a marker for tumor aggressiveness in canine mammary carcinomas.
Detection of Mycoplasma spp., herpesviruses, topiviruses, and ferlaviruses in samples from chelonians in Europe
Authors: Kolesnik Ekaterina , Obiegala Anna , Marschang Rachel E.
Published: July 2017

We tested samples from 1,015 chelonians in Europe for Mycoplasma spp., herpesviruses, ranaviruses, picornaviruses, and ferlaviruses by PCR. Mycoplasma spp. were detected in 42.1% and herpesviruses were detected in 8.0% of tested chelonians. Differentiation of the herpesviruses revealed that 46.9% of the detected chelonian viruses were testudinid herpesvirus 1 (TeHV-1) and 54.3% were TeHV-3, including co-detections of TeHV-1 and -3 in 3 tortoises. TeHV-4 was detected in a leopard tortoise ( Stigmochelys pardalis), and a herpesvirus that could not be further characterized was found in a pond slider ( Trachemys scripta). Picornaviruses (topiviruses) were detected in 2.2% of the tested animals; ferlaviruses were found in 0.6%; no ranaviruses were detected in any of the animals tested. Mycoplasma spp. were detected significantly more often in Horsfield’s tortoises ( Testudo horsfieldii), leopard tortoises, and Indian star tortoises ( Geochelone elegans) than in other species. Horsfield’s tortoises were also significantly more often positive for TeHV-1. Mycoplasma and TeHV-1 were co-detected in 3.0%, and mycoplasma and TeHV-3 in 2.3%. The TeHV-4–positive tortoise was also positive for mycoplasma. Mycoplasma and picornaviruses were co-detected in 1.2% of the tortoises. A spur-thighed tortoise ( Testudo graeca) was positive for mycoplasma and a ferlavirus. In some cases, >2 pathogens were detected. A significant correlation between mycoplasma and herpesvirus detection was found. Of all tested animals, 47.6% were positive for at least one pathogen, demonstrating the importance of pathogen detection in captive chelonians.
Aerothermoelastic flutter analysis and active vibration suppression of nonlinear composite laminated panels with time-dependent boundary conditions in supersonic airflow
Authors: Chai Yuyang , Li Fengming , Song Zhiguang , Zhang Chuanzeng
Published: July 2017

Aerothermoelastic flutter properties of nonlinear composite laminated panels in supersonic airflow are studied, and investigations on active flutter and aerothermal postbuckling suppression for the panels with time-dependent boundary conditions are also carried out using macro fiber composite actuator and sensor. The von Karman strain–displacement relation in conjunction with the supersonic piston theory is applied in structural modeling. Nonlinear dynamic equations of motion for the structural system are established using Hamilton’s principle and the assumed mode method. Frequency- and time-domain methods are used to investigate the aerothermoelastic characteristics and active flutter and aerothermal postbuckling suppression of the panels. Effects of aspect ratio and ply angle on the nonlinear aerothermoelastic behaviors are studied. The displacement feedback control is used to conduct the active flutter and postbuckling suppression. The nonlinear output controller consisting of a linear quadratic regulator and a nonlinear state estimator of extended Kalman filter is also used in designing the controller. Controlled vibration responses of the structural system under the two different controllers are compared. The results show that the developed linear quadratic regulator/extended Kalman filter controller is more effective than the displacement feedback control controller in flutter and postbuckling control of the panels with time-dependent boundary conditions in supersonic airflow.
Toward an adaptive vibration absorber using shape-memory alloys, for civil engineering applications
Authors: Santos Filipe Amarante dos , Nunes João
Published: August 2017

This article explores the capabilities of a novel adaptive vibration absorber for civil engineering structures, with regard to frequency self-tuning, based on the temperature modulation of shape-memory alloy restitution elements. This real-time temperature modulation of shape-memory alloys, through Joule effect, enables to control the elastic modulus of these elements, by inducing thermal martensitic transformations, and allows for the adaptation of the stiffness of the absorber, in order to be continuously tunable for a wide frequency range. A series of simulations are performed, using numerical models of a lively footbridge, to give an additional insight into the high potentialities of this adaptive control approach in the mitigation of vibrations in civil engineering structures.
Size-dependent free vibration analysis of three-layered exponentially graded nanoplate with piezomagnetic face-sheets resting on Pasternak’s foundation
Authors: Arefi M , Zamani MH , Kiani M
Published: August 2017

This work is devoted to the free vibration nonlocal analysis of an elastic three-layered nanoplate with exponentially graded graphene sheet core and piezomagnetic face-sheets. The rectangular elastic three-layered nanoplate is resting on Pasternak’s foundation. Material properties of the core are supposed to vary along the thickness direction based on the exponential function. The governing equations of motion are derived from Hamilton’s principle based on first-order shear deformation theory. In addition, Eringen’s nonlocal piezo-magneto-elasticity theory is used to consider size effects. The analytical solution is presented to solve seven governing equations of motion using Navier’s solution. Eventually, the natural frequency is scrutinized for different side length ratio, nonlocal parameter, inhomogeneity parameter, and parameters of foundation numerically. The comparison with various references is performed for validation of our analytical results.
Characterization of the pyroelectric coefficient of a high-temperature sensor
Authors: Sarker Md Rashedul H , Silva Jorge L , Castañeda Mariana , Wilburn Bethany , Lin Yirong , Love Norman
Published: August 2017

Temperature is one of the most important thermodynamic properties measured and controlled in energy generation systems. To operate the energy system at optimum operating conditions for lower emission and higher efficiency, it is important to measure real-time temperatures. Furthermore, temperature sensing in intense environments is necessary since most sensors in energy systems get exposed to elevated temperatures, corrosive environments, and elevated pressures. One of the solutions for developing harsh environment sensors is to use ceramic materials, especially functional ceramics such as pyroelectrics. Pyroelectric ceramics could be used to develop active sensors for both temperature and pressure due to their capabilities in coupling energy among mechanical, thermal, and electrical domains. In this study, Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) pyroelectric ceramic material was used to develop a temperature sensor for high-temperature applications. LiNbO3 has high Curie temperature (1210°C) compared to other pyroelectric ceramic materials. A high Curie temperature material is important since the polarization properties of the material break down above the Curie temperature. Hence, the use of a material with a higher Curie temperature, such as LiNbO3, makes it promising to be used as a sensing material for high-temperature applications. A study was performed to actively measure the temperature up to 500°C using a pyroelectric ceramic lithium niobate (LiNbO3) as a sensor material. Due to the non-linear pyroelectric response of LiNbO3, the temperature-dependent pyroelectric coefficient of LiNbO3 was measured with a dynamic pyroelectric coefficient technique in temperature ranges up to 500°C. Temperature-dependent pyroelectric coefficient of LiNbO3 was found to increase from −0.5 × 10−5 to −3.70 × 10−5 C/m2°C from room temperature to 500°C. The LiNbO3 sensor was then tested for higher temperature sensing at 220°C, 280°C, 410°C, and 500°C and has shown 4.31%, 2.1%, 0.4%, and 0.6% deviation, respectively, compared with thermocouple measurements.
Killer Apps: Developing Novel Applications That Enhance Team Coordination, Communication, and Effectiveness
Authors: Buengeler Claudia , Klonek Florian , Lehmann-Willenbrock Nale , Morency Louis-Philippe , Poppe Ronald
Published: July 2017

As part of the Lorentz workshop, “Interdisciplinary Insights into Group and Team Dynamics,” held in Leiden, Netherlands, this article describes how Geeks and Groupies (computer and social scientists) may benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration toward the development of killer apps in team contexts that are meaningful and challenging for both. First, we discuss interaction processes during team meetings as a research topic for both Groupies and Geeks. Second, we highlight teamwork in health care settings as an interdisciplinary research challenge. Third, we discuss how an automated solution for optimal team design could benefit team effectiveness and feed into team-based interventions. Fourth, we discuss team collaboration in massive open online courses as a challenge for both Geeks and Groupies. We argue for the necessary integration of social and computational research insights and approaches. In the hope of inspiring future interdisciplinary collaborations, we develop criteria for evaluating killer apps—including the four proposed here—and discuss future research challenges and opportunities that potentially derive from these developments.
Content and Intensity of Pride and Regret Among Asian American Immigrant Elders
Authors: Lee Othelia E. , Ryu Seungah
Published: August 2017

Pride and regret are self-conscious emotions that develop later in life and become a source of emotional struggle. This study examines the content of regret and pride among Asian American elders. Among a convenience sample of 118 Asian American older adults, the researchers examined the contents and intensities of both regret and pride felt over events in life. Across three groups of Asian American immigrants, older adults in this study reported a variety of regrets and pride in the areas of college education, marital relationship, children’s problems, career aspirations, financial difficulty, immigration, and grief or losses that they have experienced in life courses. Findings further explored culture-specific sources of self-conscious emotions, and the intensities of regrets may be strongly influenced by cultural context.
Multiple Testing in the Context of Gene Discovery in Sickle Cell Disease Using Genome-Wide Association Studies
Authors: Kuo Kevin H.M.
Published: August 2017

The issue of multiple testing, also termed multiplicity, is ubiquitous in studies where multiple hypotheses are tested simultaneously. Genome-wide association study (GWAS), a type of genetic association study that has gained popularity in the past decade, is most susceptible to the issue of multiple testing. Different methodologies have been employed to address the issue of multiple testing in GWAS. The purpose of the review is to examine the methodologies employed in dealing with multiple testing in the context of gene discovery using GWAS in sickle cell disease complications.
Retroperitoneal Bleeding: An Experience During Prophylactic Anticoagulation in a Patient With Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Okada Mari , Akimoto Tetsu , Kawamata Mutsumi , Imai Toshimi , Hishida Erika , Kohara Marina , Miki Atsushi , Murakami Takuya , Sugase Taro , Masuda Takahiro , Ono Yuko , Ueda Yoshihiko , Saito Osamu , Muto Shigeaki , Nagata Daisuke
Published: August 2017

The association between nephrotic syndrome (NS) and a hypercoagulable state has been demonstrated. Controlling the blood clotting activity may therefore be attractive for patients with nephrosis in terms of thromboembolism prophylaxis. We herein report a 75-year-old woman with minimal change disease who developed pains in the right back, groin, and thigh because of retroperitoneal bleeding during prophylactic anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin. Although this procedure has not been accepted as the standard of care for patients with nephrosis, pharmacologic prophylaxis may already be practiced empirically, as in the present patient. We believe that our experience highlights the pitfalls of such a management in patients with nephrosis, implying the need for a diagnostic strategy for identifying those patients with NS who can benefit from prophylactic anticoagulation. Several concerns that emerged in this case are also discussed.
Myths of military revolution: European expansion and Eurocentrism
Authors: Sharman J.C.
Published: August 2017

This article critiques explanations of the rise of the West in the early modern period premised on the thesis that military competition drove the development of gunpowder technology, new tactics, and the Westphalian state, innovations that enabled European trans-continental conquests. Even theories in International Relations and other fields that posit economic or social root causes of Western expansion often rely on this “military revolution” thesis as a crucial intervening variable. Yet, the factors that defined the military revolution in Europe were absent in European expeditions to Asia, Africa, and the Americas, and conventional accounts are often marred by Eurocentric biases. Given the insignificance of military innovations, Western expansion prior to the Industrial Revolution is best explained by Europeans’ ability to garner local support and allies, but especially by their deference to powerful non-Western polities.
University Spanish Heritage Language Coursework: Meeting the Needs of All Heritage Learners
Authors: Torres Kelly M. , Arrastia Meagan Caridad , Tackett Samantha
Published: August 2017

The structure and instruction of foreign language classrooms have changed to meet the needs of the growing number of Hispanic heritage language learners (HLLs) entering university settings. To understand the impact of these reforms, interviews were conducted with 11 HLLs about their experiences in Spanish classrooms designed for their unique learning needs. Although participants were divided in their beliefs of heritage coursework offered, all the students valued being within a community of shared life experiences.
Diagnostic experience of patients with fibromyalgia – A meta-ethnography
Authors: Mengshoel Anne Marit , Sim Julius , Ahlsen Birgitte , Madden Sue
Published: August 2017

Objective

To examine how individuals experience the process and consequences of receiving a diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome.

Methods

A systematic literature search of qualitative studies up to May 2016 was performed. Twenty-eight reports including information on patients’ diagnostic experiences were subjected to an interpretive analysis in accordance with the principles of meta-ethnography.

Results

Years were normally spent consulting specialists in an attempt to confirm the reality of symptoms and make sense of the illness. Great relief was felt at finally achieving the fibromyalgia syndrome diagnosis. However, relief waned when therapies proved ineffective. Health professionals and others questioned whether individuals were genuinely ill, that the illness had a psychological nature, and whether they were doing their best to recover. The diagnosis did not provide a meaningful explanation of individuals’ suffering and had limited power to legitimate illness. Patients felt blamed for their failure to recover, threatening their personal credibility and moral identity.

Conclusion

The fibromyalgia syndrome diagnosis has limitations in validating and making sense of patients’ illness experiences and in providing social legitimation of their illness. Social relationships are strained during the diagnostic process and in the course of ineffective therapies.
A new system for nursing specialisation: the thoughts and opinions of nurses
Authors: Adibelli Derya , Turan Gökçe S , Çınar Halise
Published: August 2017

Nurses have experienced various difficulties due to the lack of nursing specialisation. This study was conducted in order to determine opinions and suggestions of nurses on nursing specialisation. The population of this research consists of all nurses working at public hospitals and the sample includes 458 nurses. Data were collected by a questionnaire and analysed using percentages, frequencies, the chi-square test and logistic regression. In terms of the ways to achieve specialisation, more than half of the nurses suggested a speciality examination of nursing after graduation (51.7%). According to the logistic regression analysis result, nurses with less length of service, in other words those who had more recently begun working (1–5 years), considered limited authority and responsibilities and non-participation of academics in clinical practice as problems in the context of specialisation ( p < 0.05). In order to provide adequate and qualified nursing services, nurses should be allowed the option to specialise after graduation and should be employed in their fields of expertise.
Retention of early career registered nurses: the influence of self-concept, practice environment and resilience in the first five years post-graduation
Authors: Mills Jane , Woods Cindy , Harrison Helena , Chamberlain-Salaun Jennifer , Spencer Ben
Published: August 2017

Health care systems depend on viable health professional workforces. Nurse workforce projections for Australia indicate that by 2030 the demand for nurses will exceed supply. Retaining nurses is an ongoing problem both in Australia and globally. This study investigates nurse self-concept, practice environment and resilience, and how these three factors influence the retention of early career registered nurses (ECRNs). ECRNs are defined as RNs in the first 5 years of practice post-graduation. The researchers used a cross-sectional design for the study. Survey responses were elicited from 161 ECRNs in one Australian hospital and health service using four survey instruments: The Nurse Self-Concept Questionnaire, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale and the Nurse Retention Index. Study findings demonstrate correlations between ECRN retention intentions and nurse self-concept, practice environment and resilience. The significance of these factors at different points during the first five years of practice emphasises the need for judicious and well-timed use of strategies to positively influence nurse retention. Longitudinal research investigating the significance of influencing factors over time would further contribute to our understanding of ECRN retention intentions.
An efficient variable ordering heuristic for binary decision diagram–based reliability analysis of network with imperfect nodes
Authors: Pan Zhusheng , Xing Liudong , Mo Yuchang , Li Wenbai
Published: August 2017

While most of the research efforts on network reliability analysis have focused on networks with imperfect links but perfectly reliable nodes, binary decision diagram–based methods have recently been developed to determine reliability of networks with imperfect links and imperfect nodes. The smaller the binary decision diagram size is, the better the performance of the binary decision diagram–based algorithm will be. The binary decision diagram size heavily depends on the chosen variable ordering. As finding the optimal variable ordering is a nondeterministic polynomial time-complete problem, a heuristic is typically used. Various heuristics based on depth-first search, breadth-first search, and network-driven search have been developed for network reliability analysis. However, they often assume the networks have perfectly reliable nodes. This article advances the state-of-the-art by proposing a new ordering heuristic for the binary decision diagram–based reliability analysis of networks with imperfect links/edges and nodes. Empirical studies show that the proposed new ordering heuristic can generate significantly smaller binary decision diagram size for a wide variety of network structures than the traditional depth-first search–based, breadth-first search–based, network-driven search–based heuristics for most cases, enabling efficient binary decision diagram–based reliability analysis of large-scale networks considering both link and node failures. Robustness of the proposed heuristic is also investigated through empirical studies.