bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synonymy of Discotettix adenanii Mahmood, Idris & Salmah, 2007 with D. belzebuth (Serville, 1838) (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)
Authors: KOČÁREK PETR , KUŘAVOVÁ KATEŘINA , MUSIOLEK DAVID , WAHAB RODZAY ABDUL , KAHAR SITI RAFHIAH ABDUL
Published: December 2015

According to a study of type specimens of Discotettix adenanii Mahmood, Idris & Salmah, 2007 and copious specimens of D. belzebuth (Serville, 1838) collected in different parts of Borneo, we found that all species-specific morphological characters of D. adenanii, according to its original description, fall into the morphological variability of D. belzebuth. Thus, we synonymize D. adenanii with D. belzebuth. The sequence of a segment of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA of D. belzebuth was also evaluated and added to GenBank as a DNA barcode.
Description of the nymph of Anacroneuria singularis Righi-Cavallaro & Lecci (Plecoptera: Perlidae) and a new locality record for northern Brazil
Authors: RIBEIRO JOSÉ MOACIR FERREIRA , GORAYEB INOCÊNCIO DE SOUSA , BISPO PITÁGORAS DA CONCEIÇÃO
Published: December 2015

The last instar nymph of Anacroneuria singularis Righi-Cavallaro & Lecci is described and figured from reared specimens collected in Pará State, Brazil, a new locality record for Brazil. The nymphs of this species differ from other known species by the uniformly dark brown anterior of the head and the ochraceous spots of the pronotum.
A new species of Aphis Linnaeus (Hemiptera, Aphididae) living on Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae)
Authors: BARJADZE SHALVA , BLACKMAN ROGER L. , ӦZDEMIR IŞIL
Published: December 2015

Aphis polii sp. n. living on Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae) is described, based on apterous and alate viviparous females and oviparous females. It has been collected from seventeen localities in mainland France, Corsica, Italy, Ukraine, Lebanon and Iran. The new species is similar to two other Aphis species that feed specifically on plants of the genus Teucrium, but has a relatively longer ultimate rostral segment. Characters are provided to discriminate between the three Teucrium-feeding species, and to distinguish the new species from other morphologically similar Aphis species that feed on Lamiaceae. Type specimens are deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (MNHN), the UMR Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, Montpellier, France and the Natural History Museum, London, UK (BMNH).
Description of the male and redescription of the female of Agaurella mirabilis (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1891) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) with new behavioral data
Authors: MENDES DIEGO MATHEUS DE MELLO , ALVES-OLIVEIRA JOÃO RAFAEL
Published: December 2015

The description of the male of Agaurella miriabilis is provided as well as the redescription of the female with additional characters. It is recorded for the first time the geographical occurence to Brazil, within the states of Amazonas and Rondônia, and behavioral data.
Description of the immature stages of Pentacomia (Mesochila) smaragdula Dejean 1825) (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Cicindelinae), with notes on the species distribution
Authors: ROZA ANDRÉ SILVA , MERMUDES JOSÉ RICARDO M.
Published: December 2015

The Atlantic Rainforest is one of the most threatened biomes of the world, with only 11−12 % of its original cover. The Cicindelinae are present in this biome with a relatively high diversity, but data of their immature forms are few. On the basis of six larvae and four pupae of Pentacomia (Mesochila) smaragdula we describe and illustrate the third larval instar of the larva and the pupa of this species. Notes on the species distribution are also given.
Probabilistic Seasonal Forecasts in the North American Multimodel Ensemble: A Baseline Skill Assessment
Authors: Becker Emily , van den Dool Huug
Published: December 2015

The North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME) forecasting system has been continuously producing seasonal forecasts since August 2011. The NMME, with its suite of diverse models, provides a valuable opportunity for characterizing forecast confidence using probabilistic forecasts. The current experimental probabilistic forecast product (in map format) presents the most likely tercile for the seasonal mean value, chosen out of above normal, near normal, or below normal categories, using a nonparametric counting method to determine the probability of each class. The skill of the 3-month-mean probabilistic forecasts of 2-m surface temperature (T2m), precipitation rate, and sea surface temperature is assessed using forecasts from the 29-yr (1982–2010) NMME hindcast database. Three forecast configurations are considered: a full six-model NMME; a “mini-NMME” with 24 members, four each from six models; and the 24-member CFSv2 alone. Skill is assessed on the cross-validated hindcasts using the Brier skill score (BSS); forecast reliability and resolution are also assessed. This study provides a baseline skill assessment of the current method of creating probabilistic forecasts from the NMME system.

For forecasts in the above- and below-normal terciles for all variables and geographical regions examined in this study, BSS for NMME forecasts is higher than BSS for CFSv2 forecasts. Niño-3.4 forecasts from the full NMME and the mini-NMME receive nearly identical BSS that are higher than BSS for CFSv2 forecasts. Even systems with modest BSS, such as T2m in the Northern Hemisphere, have generally high reliability, as shown in reliability diagrams.
Intensification of the Western North Pacific Anticyclone Response to the Short Decaying El Niño Event due to Greenhouse Warming
Authors: Chen Wei , Lee June-Yi , Ha Kyung-Ja , Yun Kyung-Sook , Lu Riyu
Published: December 2015

Two types of El Niño evolution have been identified in terms of the lengths of their decaying phases: the first type is a short decaying El Niño that terminates in the following summer after the mature phase, and the second type is a long decaying one that persists until the subsequent winter. The responses of the western North Pacific anticyclone (WNPAC) anomaly to the two types of evolution are remarkably different. Using experiments from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), this study investigates how well climate models reproduce the two types of El Niño evolution and their impacts on the WNPAC in the historical period (1950–2005) and how they will change in the future under anthropogenic global warming. To reduce uncertainty in future projection, the nine best models are selected based on their performance in simulating El Niño evolution. In the historical run, the nine best models’ multimodel ensemble (B9MME) well reproduces the enhanced (weakened) WNPAC that is associated with the short (long) decaying El Niño. The comparison between results of the historical run for 1950–2005 and the representative concentration pathway 4.5 run for 2050–99 reveals that individual models and the B9MME tend to project no significant changes in the two types of El Niño evolution for the latter half of the twenty-first century. However, the WNPAC response to the short decaying El Niño is considerably intensified, being associated with the enhanced negative precipitation anomaly response over the equatorial central Pacific. This enhancement is attributable to the robust increase in mean and interannual variability of precipitation over the equatorial central Pacific under global warming.
Accumulation Variability in the Antarctic Peninsula: The Role of Large-Scale Atmospheric Oscillations and Their Interactions*
Authors: Goodwin Bradley P. , Mosley-Thompson Ellen , Wilson Aaron B. , Porter Stacy E. , Sierra-Hernandez M. Roxana
Published: December 2015

A new ice core drilled in 2010 to bedrock from the Bruce Plateau (BP) on the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) provides a high temporal resolution record of environmental conditions in this region. The extremely high annual accumulation rate at this site facilitates analysis of the relationships between annual net accumulation An on the BP and large-scale atmospheric oscillations. Over the last ~45 years, An on the BP has been positively correlated with both the southern annular mode (SAM) and Southern Oscillation index (SOI). Extending this analysis back to 1900 reveals that these relationships are not temporally stable, and they exhibit major shifts in the late-1940s and the mid-1970s that are contemporaneous with phase changes in the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). These varying multidecadal characteristics of the An–oscillation relationships are not apparent when only data from the post-1970s era are employed. Analysis of the longer ice core record reveals that the influence of the SAM on An depends not only on the phase of the SAM and SOI but also on the phase of the PDO. When the SAM’s influence on BP An is reduced, such as under negative PDO conditions, BP An is modulated by variability in the tropical and subtropical atmosphere through its impacts on the strength and position of the circumpolar westerlies in the AP region. These results demonstrate the importance of using longer-term ice core–derived proxy records to test conventional views of atmospheric circulation variability in the AP region.
mCLOUD: A Multiview Visual Feature Extraction Mechanism for Ground-Based Cloud Image Categorization
Authors: Xiao Yang , Cao Zhiguo , Zhuo Wen , Ye Liang , Zhu Lei
Published: December 2015

In this paper, a novel Multiview CLOUD (mCLOUD) visual feature extraction mechanism is proposed for the task of categorizing clouds based on ground-based images. To completely characterize the different types of clouds, mCLOUD first extracts the raw visual descriptors from the views of texture, structure, and color simultaneously, in a densely sampled way—specifically, the scale invariant feature transform (SIFT), the census transform histogram (CENTRIST), and the statistical color features are extracted, respectively. To obtain a more descriptive cloud representation, the feature encoding of the raw descriptors is realized by using the Fisher vector. This is followed by the feature aggregation procedure. A linear support vector machine (SVM) is employed as the classifier to yield the final cloud image categorization result. The experiments on a challenging cloud dataset termed the six-class Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) cloud demonstrate that mCLOUD consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art cloud classification approaches by large margins (at least 6.9%) under all the different experimental settings. It has also been verified that, compared to the single view, the multiview cloud representation generally enhances the performance.
Updating Perceptions of (In)Justice
Authors: Augustyn Megan Bears
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

This study evaluates the malleability of judgments of procedural justice. Drawing upon various literatures, five factors are hypothesized to be related to changes in procedural justice: (1) prior judgments of procedural justice, (2) direct experiences of arrest, (3) vicarious experiences of arrest, (4) individual arrest history, and (5) age.

Methods:

Using 11 waves of data from the Pathways to Desistance Study ( N = 1,354), multilevel models relate within-person covariates including individual, family, and peer arrests, and age to changes in procedural justice, controlling for stable, individual characteristics.

Results:

Judgments of procedural justice are anchored in prior perceptions. They are also a function of direct and vicarious experiences of arrests with the effect of individual arrests varying across individual arrest history. Evidence also suggests a developmental component. Age has a direct effect on judgments of procedural justice and conditions the effect of individual arrests on changes in procedural justice.

Conclusions:

Judgments of procedural justice are not static. Given these results, future research should continue to investigate the varying effects of other interactions with legal authorities on changes in judgments of procedural justice in order to form stronger policies aimed at increasing citizen cooperation.
Foot length in newborns small for gestational age
Authors: Chaves Mariana Vasconcelos Braga , Ximenes Camila Viana , Borba Sandra Kátia Maciel , Figueiroa José Natal , Alves João Guilherme Bezerra
Published: December 2015

Small for gestational age (SGA) newborns have increased neonatal morbidity and mortality besides having a high risk of contracting chronic diseases during adult life. We compared foot length among 700 SGA and AGA newborns. Foot length was shorter in SGA newborns, both in term and preterm babies. Fetal growth restriction may impair foot growth and this finding may contribute to identify SGA newborns.
Sequential Patterns of Health Conditions and Financial Outcomes in Late Life: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study
Authors: Kim Hyungsoo , Shin Serah , Zurlo Karen A.
Published: December 2015

The cost and prevalence of chronic health conditions increase in late life and can negatively impact accumulated wealth. Based on the financial challenges midaged and older adults face, we sought to understand the evolution of distinctive sequences of chronic health conditions and how these sequences affect retirement savings. We used 10 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and tracked the health states and changes in wealth of 5,540 individuals. We identified five typical sequences of chronic health conditions, which are defined as follows: Multimorbidity, Comorbidity, Mild Disease, Late Event, and No Disease. Wealth accumulation differed across the five sequences. Multimorbidity and Comorbidity were the most costly sequences. Individuals with these health patterns, respectively, had $91,205 and $95,140, less net worth than respondents identified with No Disease. Our findings suggest policy makers consider sequential disease patterns when planning for the health-care needs and expenditures of older Americans.
Gender as a Moderator of the Relation Between Age Cohort and Three-Dimensional Wisdom in Iranian Culture
Authors: Cheraghi Fereshte , Kadivar Parvin , Ardelt Monika , Asgari Ali , Farzad Valiollah
Published: December 2015

This study examined whether gender moderated the association between age cohort and the cognitive, reflective, and compassionate dimensions of wisdom, using an Iranian sample of 439 adults from three age cohorts: young (18–34), middle-aged (35–54), and older (55 and above). Results indicated that the interaction effect between gender and age cohort was significant for three-dimensional wisdom and all three wisdom dimensions. Compared with younger women and older men, older women tended to have less education and to score lower on the cognitive wisdom dimension, but they had similar average scores as older men on the compassionate wisdom dimension. Overall, the association between age and wisdom was only positive for men, due mainly to the positive relation between age and the reflective and compassionate wisdom dimensions for men after adjusting for education. The results are interpreted with reference to generation gaps, socialization of men versus women, and life experiences and opportunities.
Rural Single Female Migrants in Early-Nineteenth-Century Bruges
Authors: De Langhe Sofie
Published: December 2015

At the start of the nineteenth century, very few young single females migrated to the city of Bruges, and women from the surrounding countryside were particularly underrepresented among the migrant population. This is contrary to the situation in most other areas at that time, making Bruges unusual. This contribution seeks to explain why this was the case by focusing on the specific locales involved. It highlights the effects of socioeconomic differences between rural environments, which led to variations in the migration behavior of single women. In addition to that, recent research emphasizes the importance of events in the life course of an individual, rather than simple economics in explaining the decision to move. The results of this study indicate that occurrences such as the death of the father or the birth order within the family were indeed important triggers, but that they must be contextualized within the rural environment from which the women originated.
Early and Intermediate Hospital-to-Home Transition Outcomes of Older Adults Diagnosed With Diabetes
Authors: LaManna Jacqueline B. , Bushy Angeline , Norris Anne E. , Chase Susan K.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting early and intermediate hospital-to home transition outcomes of older adults with preexisting diabetes mellitus.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was used. A sample of 96 hospitalized older adults with a prior diagnosis of diabetes were recruited within 4 hours of discharge. Data reflective of general health status, diabetes status, perceived discharge readiness (Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale), hospitalization, and anticipated postdischarge support were gathered upon enrollment. Transition outcome data including unplanned care encounter occurrences, perceived transition quality (Care Transition Measure-15), and postdischarge difficulty (scale and free responses to the Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale [PDCDS]) were obtained by telephone interview 7 and 30 days after discharge. Three unique, dichotomous variables were created from recurrent subthemes that emerged during content analysis of free-response data and were used in statistical testing. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify predictive factors for an unplanned care encounter within 30 days of discharge.

Results

Multimorbidity was prevalent in participants. Difficulties managing medications, blood glucose, and chronic illnesses other than diabetes were common problems. Higher PDCDS scores 7 and 30 days following discharge and difficulty managing a nondiabetes chronic health problem were predictive of an unplanned care encounter within 30 days of discharge.

Conclusions

Multimorbidity complicates home recovery of older adults with diabetes. Diabetes adds complexity to hospital-to-home care transitions. Transition difficulties predict higher risk for an unplanned care encounter. More intensive follow-up of older adults with diabetes during the first month following discharge is recommended.
Teaching popular music: Investigating music educators’ perceptions and preparation
Authors: Springer D. Gregory
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate in-service music teachers’ perceptions of popular music in the classroom and to examine their own preparation to teach popular music. A sample of music teachers, drawn from two regional chapters of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, completed a researcher-designed survey instrument. Results suggest that these teachers perceived popular music to be an effective instructional tool in the music classroom, although their responses suggest that they perceived it to be appropriate for older students and in certain classroom settings only. In addition, the sample reported a lack of training in popular music pedagogy and responded that they generally felt unprepared to teach popular music. Among three types of preparation, they provided significantly higher preparation ratings for informal experiences, followed by performance-oriented experiences and formal educational experiences. Implications for music educators and music teacher educators are discussed.
Tax compliance over the firm life course
Authors: Stam Erik , Verbeeten Frank
Published: December 2015

This article provides a new model of tax compliance over the firm life course, focusing on the dynamics in the underlying motivations and capacities for tax compliance. We review and structure the relevant literature on the early life course of firms: the traditional stages of growth models and a less deterministic dynamic state model of developmental phases. Building on these insights on the changing nature of the firm and the role of the founder-entrepreneur, we construct a new model of tax compliance over the firm life course. We provide several potential avenues for future research as well as practical implications of our model.
Customer satisfaction using website functionality, perceived usability and perceived usefulness towards online shopping in India
Authors: Tandon Urvashi , Kiran Ravi , Sah Ash N
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this research is to understand and analyze the role of perceived usability and perceived usefulness influencing customer satisfaction towards online shopping in India. Findings of the study reveal that website functionality has a significant and positive impact on perceived usability. Additionally, perceived usefulness and perceived usability has a positive impact on customer satisfaction. The scale has been extended to include satisfaction with the ‘Cash-on-delivery’ mode of payment being adopted by Asian countries. This paper builds a foundation for researchers to extend online retailing research in developing countries where the switch over to Internet shopping is more of a recent phenomenon as compared to its adoption by developed countries.
Endovenous laser ablation of the great saphenous vein – Varying energy may not affect outcome
Authors: Nejm Carlos S , Timi Jorge RR , de Araújo Walter Boim , Caron Filipe C
Published: December 2015

Objectives

To determine great saphenous vein occlusion rate after endovenous laser ablation using the 1470-nm bare-fiber diode laser to supply either 7 W or 15 W and evaluate procedure-related complications.

Method

Patients with varicose veins of the lower extremities (CEAP class C2–C6) were randomly assigned to undergo either 7-W (18 patients, 30 limbs) or 15-W (18 patients, 30 limbs) endovenous laser ablation. Duplex ultrasound follow-up was at 3–5 days, 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

Results

Occlusion rate was 100% in both groups at 3–5 days and 1 month and 86.7% in 7-W and 100% in 15-W patients at both 6 and 12 months, with no difference between groups ( p > 0.05). Four (13.3%) 15-W and 3 (10%) 7-W patients had paresthesia at 3–5 days, with no difference between groups ( p > 0.05).

Conclusions

These preliminary data suggest that both techniques are similarly effective in the treatment of varicose great saphenous veins.
For how long can two emergency medical technicians perform high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation?
Authors: Kim Chu Hyun , Kim Gi Woon , Cha Won Chul , Kang Bo Ra , Do Han ho , Seo Jun Seok
Published: December 2015

Objective

To determine the duration and obstacles to prolonged on-scene cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and establish how long a pair of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) can provide high-quality CPR.

Method

Intermediate-level EMTs in Gyeonggi-do Province, Republic of Korea completed a survey regarding on-scene CPR. EMTs undergoing routine training took part in a simulation using mannequins. Parameters including compression depth, total number and rate of compressions; occurrence of incorrect hand position and incomplete chest recoil were collected over 16 2-min cycles of CPR (32 min total), with EMTs working in pairs.

Result

The simulation study included 43 EMTs. The median duration of on-scene CPR was 3.7 min. Fear of decrease in performance was the main obstacle to continued CPR ( n = 188/254 [74.0%]). Standards for high-quality CPR were met at each of the 16 steps of the simulation. Compression rate increased significantly with time. There were no significant changes in any other parameter.

Conclusion

Pairs of EMTs maintained high-quality CPR for 16 cycles (32 min) with no decrease in performance. Our findings could provide evidence to recommend guidelines for duration of on-scene CPR for cardiac arrest, particularly in countries where the level and number of ambulance crews are limited.
Making quality improvement stick and stay
Authors: Weaver Lynda , Bossé Isabelle , Sinclair Dionne , Blais Bernard , Pereira José
Published: December 2015

This article examines issues related to sustaining Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives in a Canadian subacute care hospital and recommends strategies to address them. The authors define two levels of sustainability, the QI project and the corporate/organizational and how they influence a LEADS (Lead Self, Engage Others, Achieve Results, Develop Coalition and System Transformation) culture. The authors then reflect on the differing factors for QI sustainability and present them under five essential categories of accountability, education, communication, monitoring and reporting, and structure and processes.
Investigation on the physical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube–polystyrene nanocomposites treated with 2,3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid
Authors: Ibrahim Sobhy S , Ayesh Ayman S , Abdel-Rahem Rami A
Published: December 2015

In continuation to our previous work, the current investigation focuses on the effect of static applied pressure on the electrical and dielectric properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)–polystyrene (PS)/2,3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (β-HNA) nanocomposites. Additionally, optical properties of the nanocomposites are also investigated together with other further electrical, dielectric, and mechanical properties. Adding fixed amount of β-HNA (1.0 wt%) to MWCNTs enhances the MWCNT dispersion, reduces the percolation threshold to about 0.8 wt%, and increases the electrical conductivity up to eight orders of magnitude. The direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) electrical properties of 1.0 wt% MWCNT–PS composites are investigated as a function of applied pressure. It is found that the current level increases while impedance values decrease with applied pressure during the cycle and the loading–unloading cycle has almost followed the same route indicating its reproducibility. Also the obtained results demonstrate that such a composite might act as pressure-sensitive conductive composite. Mechanical results show that the addition of MWCNTs (treated with β-HNA) to the neat PS increases the tensile strength and yield stress of the neat PS by about 12.39% and 12.53%, respectively, while the elastic modulus decreases by about 3.10%. However, further addition of MWCNTs decreases all mechanical parameters of prepared composites and these composites became more brittle. Besides, optical results indicate an enhancement in the neat polymer ultraviolet and visible absorption and a reduction in its optical energy gap (by about 14.1%) upon addition of 1.0 wt% MWCNTs (treated with β-HNA).
Mobile Commons and/in Precarious Spaces: Mapping Migrant Struggles and Social Resistance
Authors: Trimikliniotis Nicos , Parsanoglou Dimitris , Tsianos Vassilis S.
Published: December 2015

This article explores the constructions and dynamics of subaltern migrant subjectivities in three arrival cities, Athens, Istanbul and Nicosia. The paper draws on empirical research in three cities geopolitically located in the most south-eastern part of the Mediterranean basin and the boundary triangle connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. This is essentially a process where the will, agency and praxis of subaltern migrants in the context of social struggles are interwoven with precarious spaces. Precarity is at the core of their daily existence: precarious labour, precarious stay and precarious lives. The generation, maintenance, evolution, even erosion of mobile commons are consequential of social processes and struggles driven by subaltern and precarious subjects, migrants and non-migrants alike. The article explores how the generation of claims to rights is restructuring Lefebvre’s ‘right to the city’, as new forms of commons through mobility, resistance and digital materialities are contesting the sovereign governance and surveillance technologies in Europe and beyond. The paper contends that such perspectives from the borders of Europe, that is, in and out of Europe, are not only crucial to the understanding of what is happening in Europe, but are an advanced glimpse into potentialities of the world ahead.
The influence of weight-of-evidence strategies on audience perceptions of (un)certainty when media cover contested science
Authors: Kohl Patrice Ann , Kim Soo Yun , Peng Yilang , Akin Heather , Koh Eun Jeong , Howell Allison , Dunwoody Sharon
Published: December 2015

Controversy in science news accounts attracts audiences and draws attention to important science issues. But sometimes covering multiple sides of a science issue does the audience a disservice. Counterbalancing a truth claim backed by strong scientific support with a poorly backed argument can unnecessarily heighten audience perceptions of uncertainty. At the same time, journalistic norms often constrain reporters to “get both sides of the story” even when there is little debate in the scientific community about which truth claim is most valid. In this study, we look at whether highlighting the way in which experts are arrayed across truth claims—a strategy we label “weight-of-evidence reporting”—can attenuate heightened perceptions of uncertainty that can result from coverage of conflicting claims. The results of our study suggest weight-of-evidence strategies can indeed play a role in reducing some of the uncertainty audiences may perceive when encountering lop-sided truth claims.
Rigor Mortis: Statistical thoroughness in reporting and the making of truth
Authors: Tal Aner
Published: December 2015

Should a uniform checklist be adopted for methodological and statistical reporting? The current article discusses this notion, with particular attention to the use of old versus new statistics, and a consideration of the arguments brought up by Von Roten. The article argues that an overly exhaustive checklist that is uniformly applied to all submitted papers may be unsuitable for multidisciplinary work, and would further result in undue clutter and potentially distract reviewers from pertinent considerations in their evaluation of research articles.
Collective Intelligence and Group Performance
Authors: Woolley Anita Williams , Aggarwal Ishani , Malone Thomas W.
Published: December 2015

We review recent research on collective intelligence, which we define as the ability of a group to perform a wide variety of tasks. We focus on two influences on a group’s collective intelligence: (a) group composition (e.g., the members’ skills, diversity, and intelligence) and (b) group interaction (e.g., structures, processes, and norms). We also call for more research to investigate how social interventions and technological tools can be used to enhance collective intelligence.
Embracing the Other: A Christian response to counterterrorism legislation in Australia
Authors: Macallan Brian
Published: December 2015

This article explores the impact of Australia’s counterterrorism legislation and its resulting influence on Muslim communities in Australia. It does this by exploring Australia’s participation in the war on terrorism and how the government and society have responded. It then seeks to use Miroslav Volf’s concept of embrace as a way for the Church to begin to overcome its own cultural bias, and to present an example to the wider culture in working against these negative effects. Specific actions and proposals are offered for the Australian context at each part of the embrace.
Public Approval of Plea Bargaining in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheng Kevin Kwok-yin
Published: December 2015

Despite the prevalence of plea bargaining, few studies have endeavored to measure public support of it. The few that did neglected offender characteristics even when it is a core consideration stipulated by prosecution policy in plea bargaining decision making. This study argues that public approval toward plea bargaining is not binary but rather multifaceted and is dependent upon a variety of factors including the parties involved, the type of plea bargain reached, and the characteristics of the defendant. Telephone interviews were conducted with respondents selected randomly from Hong Kong ( N = 374) who responded to a series of hypothetical plea bargaining scenarios. Public approval was higher when there was judicial presence and when offenders were elderly, had a clean criminal record, and displayed remorse. It was lower for fact bargaining and offenders from high-income families. Policy implications and reform are discussed.
Assessment of Anti-Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator Antibodies in Patients With Prosthetic Heart Valve Thrombosis
Authors: Özkan Mehmet , Kalçık Macit , Gürsoy Mustafa Ozan , Öcal Lütfi , Griffini Samantha , Karakoyun Süleyman , Yesin Mahmut , Gündüz Sabahattin , Astarcıoğlu Mehmet Ali , Bayam Emrah , Cerşit Sinan , Aykan Ahmet Çağrı , Cugno Massimo
Published: December 2015

Background:

Thrombolysis is an effective treatment strategy for prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT). Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is widely used as a thrombolytic agent. Infusion of rt-PA may trigger the production of anti–tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antibodies (ATAs). We aimed to evaluate the possible relationship between ATA levels and PVT formation, and the role of baseline ATA levels on outcomes of thrombolytic therapy in patients with PVT.

Methods:

This prospective, single-center cohort study included 28 patients with PVT undergoing thrombolysis and 31 controls with normal prostheses. Plasma samples were collected from patients with PVT at baseline and at 15th, 30th, 90th, and 180th days after thrombolysis and from controls at baseline only. The ATA levels were assessed in human plasma by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results:

Baseline ATA-immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM were significantly higher in patients with PVT than in controls. The levels of IgM and IgG peaked at 15th and 30th days after rt-PA infusion, respectively. Subtherapeutic international normalized ratio and baseline ATA-IgM were independent predictors of PVT. Thrombolysis failed in 6 patients (21%) in whom baseline IgM levels were significantly higher than successfully lysed patients. Rethrombosis occurred in 9 patients (32%) in whom baseline IgG levels were significantly higher than those without rethrombosis. There was a moderate positive correlation between baseline and 15th-day IgM levels and the dose of rt-PA needed for successful lysis.

Conclusion:

The ATA levels tended to be higher in patients with PVT at the time of initial diagnosis compared to controls without PVT. In addition, such patients with PVT and high ATA levels may be at high risk for failed thrombolysis or rethrombosis.
The tribological behaviour of carbon fibre reinforced polyaryletherketones (PAEKs) through their glass transitions
Authors: Dyson Christopher J , Priest Martin , Fox Malcolm F , Hopkins Bill
Published: December 2015

Advanced engineering polymers of the polyaryletherketone (PAEK) family with carbon fibre reinforcement are finding application in engineering systems as tribological bearing surfaces under severe operating conditions that cyclically move the polymer into and beyond the glass transition temperature region. To support such an application, the friction in high-speed and low-load PAEK-steel sliding contacts was investigated both unlubricated and lubricated with a trinonyl trimellitate ester, a base fluid for high temperature industrial lubricants. Four polymers in the PAEK family, PEEK, PEK, PEKEKK and PEKK, with 30 wt% of carbon fibre whiskers were tested against an AISI 4140 steel disc. When unlubricated, low friction depended upon the formation of a PAEK transfer film on the steel disc and when this became unstable in the glass transition region the friction increased to much higher levels with associated polymer surface damage. Frictional heating due to the high sliding speed dominated the differences in glass transition behaviour between the four PAEKs. When lubricated, the lubricant film controlled friction and there was no significant effect of the glass transition of any of the PAEKs. The irreversible nature of the glass transition in PAEKs in such tribological applications, due to high surface damage at high temperature, means that it is essential to ensure effective lubrication in both fluid film and boundary lubrication.
Paucity of trauma literature from a highly burdened developing country
Authors: Sultan Rizwan , Zafar Hasnian
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Trauma is the leading cause of death among a younger population not only in USA but in Pakistan as well. The high prevalence of disease should result in a larger amount of data and a larger number of publications resulting in the ability to explore improvements in the field. This study aimed to review the trauma literature generated from Pakistan.

Methods

Journals indexed with PubMed from January 2010 to December 2014 were searched using the search term “Trauma AND Pakistan” filtering for relevant dates and human reports only. The abstracts and articles were reviewed by the authors to collect data on a proforma.

Results

114 articles were published from Pakistan during these five years; 64% of articles were published in international journals; 63% of articles were published in journals with an Impact Factor less than 1; 54% of articles were published from one of four provinces of Pakistan; 64% of articles provided Level 4 evidence whilst another 14% of articles provided Level 5 evidence on the topic; 55% of articles discussed epidemiology in non-representative populations.

Conclusions

Trauma literature from Pakistan is not only lacking significantly in quantity but is also of poor quality and is unable to offer conclusions on a particular trauma subject. There is huge room for improvement in the upcoming years.
Occasional decisiveness: Exception, decision and resistance in Kierkegaard and Schmitt
Authors: Löschenkohl Birte
Published: December 2015

This article explores the political potential of Kierkegaard's Repetition and develops a model of non-sovereign agency by analysing the figure of the ‘young man’, the main protagonist of the book. A curious reference in Schmitt's Political Theology serves as a cue for exploring Repetition through contrast with Schmitt's notions of sovereignty, decision and exception, as well as his critique of occasionalism in Political Romanticism. As in the case of Schmitt's sovereign, the young man's conflict is centred on the question of the exception. But by contrast to the former, the young man struggles with the exception from a position of opposition to the powers that govern. Furthermore, the exception in Repetition does not seek to stabilise a given order in the face of a threat, but, rather, to destabilise and transform order. The perspective offered facilitates a shift from thinking the exception as a state of exception, a concept that mostly concerns state politics, to an exception from the state. Kierkegaard's Repetition is thus shown to be relevant for conceptualising transformative agency from a position of marginalisation and exclusion from the hegemonic political order.
Trans, trans-farnesol as a mevalonate-derived inducer of murine 3T3-F442A pre-adipocyte differentiation
Authors: Torabi Sheida , Mo Huanbiao
Published: December 2015

Based on our finding that depletion of mevalonate-derived metabolites inhibits adipocyte differentiation, we hypothesize that trans, trans-farnesol (farnesol), a mevalonate-derived sesquiterpene, induces adipocyte differentiation. Farnesol dose-dependently (25–75 μmol/L) increased intracellular triglyceride content of murine 3T3-F442A pre-adipocytes measured by AdipoRed™ Assay and Oil Red-O staining. Concomitantly, farnesol dose-dependently increased glucose uptake and glucose transport protein 4 (GLUT4) expression without affecting cell viability. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot showed that farnesol increased the mRNA and protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a key regulator of adipocyte differentiation, and the mRNA levels of PPARγ-regulated fatty acid-binding protein 4 and adiponectin; in contrast, farnesol downregulated Pref-1 gene, a marker of pre-adipocytes. GW9662 (10 µmol/L), an antagonist of PPARγ, reversed the effects of farnesol on cellular lipid content, suggesting that PPARγ signaling pathway may mediate the farnesol effect. Farnesol (25–75 μmol/L) did not affect the mRNA level of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway. Farnesol may be the mevalonate-derived inducer of adipocyte differentiation and potentially an insulin sensitizer via activation of PPARγ and upregulation of glucose uptake.
Storying Bourdieu
Authors: Barrett Timothy
Published: December 2015

While the conceptual system developed by Pierre Bourdieu has been sporadically employed within the context of life history research, the complexity of this task has often not been appreciated. This article offers a provisional attempt to explore how Bourdieusian sociology might approach life history material, focusing specifically on conceptual interpretation rather than data collection or the practicalities of data analysis. This article is self-consciously not forwarded as a coherent or finalized “Bourdieusian theory of the life history”; rather, I offer a series of fragmented insights that may be useful to future scholars working in this context. In particular, I note the importance of methodological eclecticism to Bourdieu, the concept of the “social trajectory,” the consideration of self-narrative as strategy, the interrogation of habituated assumptions, the role of symbolic violence, and the notion of the “cleft habitus.” I conclude by contending for the importance of capturing the complexity of life history material using multiple, overlapping, and potentially conflicting heuristic paradigms.
Comparative analysis for traffic flow forecasting models with real-life data in Beijing
Authors: Rong Yaping , Zhang Xingchen , Feng Xuesong , Ho Tin-kin , Wei Wei , Xu Dejie
Published: December 2015

Rational traffic flow forecasting is essential to the development of advanced intelligent transportation systems. Most existing research focuses on methodologies to improve prediction accuracy. However, applications of different forecast models have not been adequately studied yet. This research compares the performance of three representative prediction models with real-life data in Beijing. They are autoregressive integrated moving average, neutral network, and nonparametric regression. The results suggest that nonparametric regression significantly outperforms the other models. With Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the root mean square errors and the error distribution reveal that the nonparametric regression model experiences superior accuracy. In addition, the nonparametric regression model exhibits the best spatial-transferred application effect.
AAV vector encoding human VEGF165–transduced pectineus muscular flaps increase the formation of new tissue through induction of angiogenesis in an in vivo chamber for tissue engineering: A technique to enhance tissue and vessels in microsurgically engineered tissue
Authors: Moimas Silvia , Manasseri Benedetto , Cuccia Giuseppe , Stagno d’Alcontres Francesco , Geuna Stefano , Pattarini Lucia , Zentilin Lorena , Giacca Mauro , Colonna Michele R
Published: December 2015

In regenerative medicine, new approaches are required for the creation of tissue substitutes, and the interplay between different research areas, such as tissue engineering, microsurgery and gene therapy, is mandatory. In this article, we report a modification of a published model of tissue engineering, based on an arterio-venous loop enveloped in a cross-linked collagen–glycosaminoglycan template, which acts as an isolated chamber for angiogenesis and new tissue formation. In order to foster tissue formation within the chamber, which entails on the development of new vessels, we wondered whether we might combine tissue engineering with a gene therapy approach. Based on the well-described tropism of adeno-associated viral vectors for post-mitotic tissues, a muscular flap was harvested from the pectineus muscle, inserted into the chamber and transduced by either AAV vector encoding human VEGF165 or AAV vector expressing the reporter gene β-galactosidase, as a control. Histological analysis of the specimens showed that muscle transduction by AAV vector encoding human VEGF165 resulted in enhanced tissue formation, with a significant increase in the number of arterioles within the chamber in comparison with the previously published model. Pectineus muscular flap, transduced by adeno-associated viral vectors, acted as a source of the proangiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor, thus inducing a consistent enhancement of vessel growth into the newly formed tissue within the chamber. In conclusion, our present findings combine three different research fields such as microsurgery, tissue engineering and gene therapy, suggesting and showing the feasibility of a mixed approach for regenerative medicine.
Early Diagnosis and Repair of Double Saccular Aneurysms of the Aortic Arch Associated With Aortic Coarctation in an Infant With Loeys-Dietz Syndrome
Authors: Ilyin Vladimir N. , Kornoukhov O. Ju , Khovrin Valery V. , Kryukov Vladislav A. , Valitova Asia A. , Ilina Maria V.
Published: December 2015

Multiple saccular aneurysms of the thoracic aorta in neonates and infants are exceedingly rare. An association of these aneurysms with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) in older age-groups is well known. This case report describes the diagnosis and subsequent successful repair of aortic coarctation associated with double saccular aneurysms of the thoracic aorta in patient with LDS during the first year of life.
Contextual- and Individual-Level Predictors of Alcohol-Related Consequence Aversiveness Ratings Among College Student Drinkers
Authors: Merrill Jennifer E. , Subbaraman Meenakshi S. , Barnett Nancy P.
Published: December 2015

Aversiveness of alcohol-related consequences varies across individuals and drinking occasions and predicts subsequent drinking behavior among college students. Grounded in social learning theory, the present study extends prior work by examining both within- and between-person predictors of aversiveness over 2 years. Participants ( N = 676 college drinkers) completed a baseline survey and biweekly online assessments throughout freshman and sophomore years. Hierarchical linear models revealed that, within-person, higher aversiveness ratings were associated with assessment weeks characterized by less drinking, more negative consequences, fewer positive consequences, and less positive evaluations. Between-persons, higher aversiveness ratings were associated with female gender, more weekly negative consequences, and fewer weekly drinks across the study. High school drinking behavior and peer variables were not associated with aversiveness. There was little evidence for linear change in aversiveness over freshman or sophomore year. Findings add to our understanding of the psychology of alcohol-related consequences and their subjective evaluations during emerging adulthood.
An Economist’s Perspective on Match-fixing and Self-sabotage in Contests
Authors: Saha Bibhas
Published: December 2015

In this note we provide an economist’s perspective on self-sabotage in contests. When such self-sabotage is engineered at the behest of a third party for financial gains from betting markets, we see the twin problems of self-sabotage and betting corruption, which are known as the problem of match-fixing in sporting contests. We discuss the hidden incentives that different agents face in this environment. To curb match-fixing, legalization of betting would be a positive step followed by intelligent enforcement. Further, using a simple model we demonstrate that the risk of match-fixing diminishes with the number of teams involved in the contest.