bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the Implementation of Project Re-Engineered Discharge for Heart Failure patients at a Veterans Affairs Hospital at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
Authors: Patel Pooja H. , Dickerson Kimberly W.
Published: December 2017

Background: Hospitalizations due to chronic diseases such as heart failure (HF) continue to increase worldwide. Fragmentation of care while transitioning from one care setting to another is an important factor contributing to hospitalizations. Fragmented discharge tools have been implemented; however, the impact of a comprehensive interdisciplinary discharge tool has not been previously studied. Objective: The goal of this study is to assess the impact of the implementation of Project Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) on the incidence of hospital readmissions, all-cause mortality, primary care physician follow-up rate, and cost savings for patients with HF. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, cohort study of patients admitted with HF exacerbation at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS). A random sample of 100 patients admitted prior to implementation of Project RED and 50 patients after Project RED intervention were included in the study. The primary end point was 30-day hospital readmission for HF exacerbation. The co-secondary end points were all-cause mortality, cost savings, and rate of primary care physician appointments scheduled as well as attended per postdischarge recommendations. Results: The 30-day hospital readmission rate was 28% in the pre–Project RED group, and it was 18% in the post–Project RED group ( P = .18). The all-cause mortality was significantly lower in the post–Project RED group as compared with the pre–Project RED group (18% vs 41%, P = .04). More patients in the post–Project RED group attended an outpatient primary care appointment as recommended per postdischarge instructions (40% vs 19%, P = .006). In addition, with the decrease in hospital 30-day readmission rate in the post–Project RED group, there was a cost savings of $1453 per patient visit for HF exacerbation. Conclusions: Coordination of care using a discharge tool like Project RED should be utilized in institutions to improve patient outcomes as well as patient safety while decrease the overall health care cost.
New Medications in the Treatment of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
Authors: Dahn Ryan , Walker Scot
Published: December 2017

Acute decompensated heart failure is a sudden worsening of heart failure symptoms, typically resulting in peripheral edema and dyspnea as a result of pulmonary congestion. Acute decompensated heart failure is responsible for over 1 million hospitalizations every year. Current pharmacologic therapy is limited in its options. Despite an improved survival rate, statistic still suggests that about 50% of patients die within 5 years of diagnosis. New pharmacologic agents aim to improve efficacy by targeting previously unexplored physiological pathways.
Why Do I Have to Drive Now? Post Hoc Explanations of Takeover Requests
Authors: Körber Moritz , Prasch Lorenz , Bengler Klaus
Published: December 2017

Objective:

It was investigated whether providing an explanation for a takeover request in automated driving influences trust in automation and acceptance.

Background:

Takeover requests will be recurring events in conditionally automated driving that could undermine trust as well as acceptance and, therefore, the successful introduction of automated vehicles.

Method:

Forty participants were equally assigned to either an experimental group provided with an explanation of the reason for a takeover request or a control group without explanations. In a simulator drive, both groups experienced three takeover scenarios that varied in the obviousness of their causation. Participants rated their acceptance before and after the drive and rated their trust before and after each takeover situation.

Results:

All participants rated acceptance on the same high level before and after the drive, independent of the condition. The control group’s trust ratings remained unchanged by takeover requests in all situations, but the experimental group showed decreased trust after experiencing a takeover caused by roadwork. Participants provided with explanation felt more strongly that they had understood the system and the reasons for the takeovers.

Conclusion:

A takeover request did not lower trust or acceptance. Providing an explanation for a takeover request had no impact on trust or acceptance but increased the perceived understanding of the system.

Application:

The results provide insights into users’ perception of automated vehicles, takeover situations, and a fundament for future interface design for automated vehicles.
Experimental study on in-plane compressive response of irregular honeycombs
Authors: Chen Youming , Das Raj , Battley Mark
Published: December 2017

Compared with regular honeycombs, irregular honeycombs are more representative of real foams, and thus more suitable for the study of foam mechanics. In this paper, the deformation and failure progression in the irregular honeycombs are investigated by analysing the images captured in order to gain an improved understanding on foam failure. Irregular honeycombs with varying cell wall thickness, cell size and cell shape were manufactured using a three-dimensional printer and tested under compression. The behaviour of irregular honeycombs is found to be different from that of regular honeycombs. In irregular honeycombs, cell walls start to fracture at some point, initially at a low speed from multiple locations. The global stress reaches its maximum value shortly after the first fracture of cell walls. Only a few cell walls buckle in the specimens with cells of irregular shape. Fracture is more likely to occur to thin and long cell walls aligned within a medium angle (around 30 to 60°) to the compressive load. However, the susceptibility of a cell wall is to fracture is also affected by its neighbouring cell walls. Strong and stiff neighbouring cell walls could shield load away and protect it from breaking. Because of this, it is better to think of a weak spot as a region, rather than an individual cell or cell wall. Overall, the more uniform cell wall size and thickness are, the better the mechanical performance of cellular solids is.
Cultural Differences in Memory for Objects and Backgrounds in Pictures
Authors: Wong Brenda Iok , Yin Shufei , Yang Lixia , Li Juan , Spaniol Julia
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate cultural differences in memory for individual objects and backgrounds that have been studied together in one picture. Thirty-six Caucasian Canadians in Toronto and 36 Han Chinese in Beijing were tested with a picture recognition paradigm. At encoding, participants viewed 60 line drawing pictures, each containing an object and a background scene. Participants then recognized these objects and backgrounds in isolation, and were asked to report subjectively whether they allocated their attention toward the objects, backgrounds, or both during encoding. In general, we did not find any cultural difference in memory for the isolated objects. However, Canadian participants showed significantly better memory for backgrounds than Chinese participants. Our supplementary data suggested that this effect appeared primarily among participants who self-reported paying attention to both objects and backgrounds. We speculated that relative to Canadian participants, Chinese participants might be more likely to engage in a holistic processing style and thus spontaneously bind background scenes with their associated focal objects when viewing both elements in pictures, which made it more difficult for them to “unbind” the information and recognize backgrounds in isolation. The results of this study add new insights into cultural differences in memory for individual elements in pictures.
Building a “Lifetime Circle”: English Education in the Age of #BlackLivesMatter
Authors: Winn Maisha T.
Published: December 2017

This article argues that, to prepare teachers in the era of #BlackLivesMatter, there must be a radical reframing of teacher education in which teachers learn to disentangle their teaching from the culture of Mass Incarceration and the criminalization of Black and Brown people in the context of the United States in their practice. Using a restorative justice paradigm, I seek to understand in what ways, if any, teacher training, specifically of English teachers, can address issues of Mass Incarceration and how teacher preparation can support preservice teachers to resist colonizing pedagogies and practices that privilege particular ways of knowing and being that isolate particular youth.
Drawing Rein: Shame and Reverence in Plato’s Law-Bound Polity and Ours
Authors: Satkunanandan Shalini
Published: December 2017

Political commentators claim that the rule of law relies, in part, on those bound by law having a sense of shame. I elucidate shame’s underlying structure and its role in law’s rule through a study of aidōs in Plato’s Laws and Phaedrus. The Greek aidōs names a feeling in which one pulls back from violating a limit. It signifies shame, but also reverence, awe, and modesty. I argue that aidōs is an affect in which we pause before limits and are invited to a perception of the whole, whether it be our lives or the polity or the cosmos, which animates and is constituted by those limits. I then identify an implicit sense of aidōs in the Laws: reverence for the law-bound polity as a fragile whole. Such reverence shares shame’s bare structure, but offers affective support for law’s rule that is less vulnerable to shame’s moralizing and exclusionary effects.
Latin America’s Domestic Market and the Maintenance of Capitalism
Authors: Ramírez López Berenice Patricia
Published: December 2017

Rodolfo Stavenhagen, in his classic essay “Seven Erroneous Theses about Latin America,” addressed the narrow domestic market, indicating that it was basically a matter of income distribution. It has become clear that the priorities of the Latin American ruling class are focused on the world market rather than the local-national one. During the past 40 years, this class has become more determined to play the role of intermediary, taking its place in the field of trade, commerce, and mainly speculative financial transactions that allow for immediate returns. It does not promote domestic productive investment or the strengthening of education, innovation, or development technology and therefore secure and protected employment. Inequality has increased across the region, along with increasing labor precarity (notably informal employment), and thus the internal market reflects productive and social segmentation and inequality.

Rodolfo Stavenhagen en su clásico ensayo acerca de las 7 tesis equivocadas sobre América Latina aborda la cuestión del estrecho mercado interno señalando que es esencialmente una cuestión de distribución del ingreso. Ha quedado claro y más en el periodo neoliberal que la prioridad de la clase dominante latinoamericana está en el mercado mundial, no en lo local-nacional. Queda demostrado que en los últimos cuarenta años ha asumido con más determinación su papel de intermediaria, interesada en situarse en el ámbito del intercambio, del comercio y de las transacciones financieras, principalmente especulativas, que le permitan rentabilidades inmediatas. No promueve en el mercado interno las inversiones productivas ni el fortalecimiento de la educación ni la innovación ni el desarrollo tecnológico y por lo tanto el empleo seguro y protegido. La región muestra que la desigualdad se ha acentuado, que se acompaña de una creciente precarización del empleo, que el empleo informal es lo que más destaca y que por lo tanto el mercado interno expresa la segmentación y desigualdad productiva y social.
Finiteness in early but-clauses in German L1-acquisition
Authors: Bittner Dagmar , Bartz Damaris
Published: December 2017

Studies on L1- and L2-acquisition of German and Dutch have shown that the particles too/also and again hamper the realization of finiteness while the particle not promotes it. In this study the authors ask whether adversative but also affects the realization of finiteness. By applying a structural-functional approach to finiteness and its acquisition they investigate the morpho-syntactic development of aber-clauses in the first 12 months of aber-production in four monolingual German children. The analysis reveals that finiteness becomes realized in aber-clauses considerably later than in auch-clauses. Syntactically well-formed aber-clauses appear when finiteness becomes realized in main clauses not containing any particle or connective. However, it takes the children two to four more months to realize finiteness in the aber-clauses. The authors argue that the information-structural properties assumed to cause the delay raised by the particles too/also and again are not fully applicable to but. Particle-specific effects also have to be taken into consideration. In case of but this includes the complexity of information-structural alignment and discourse integration of the twofold contrast established by aber-clauses. Managing this communicative task reduces the capacities for realizing primarily structural conditions which are still not automatized.
Factors Associated With Medication Engagement Among Older Adults With Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Choi Yoon Jeong , Smaldone Arlene M.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to explore the factors associated with medication engagement among older adults (≥60 years) with diabetes.

Methods

Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, and Scopus) were systematically searched to identify studies examining the association between factors and medication engagement among older diabetes patients. A study met inclusion for meta-analysis if the prevalence of medication engagement or factor was reported in ≥2 studies and the frequency or strength of association was either reported or able to be computed. Quality appraisal was performed with the Downs and Black tool.

Results

Of 538 retrieved studies, 33 (20 cohort and 13 cross-sectional) were included for systematic review; of these, 22 met criteria for meta-analysis. Findings from meta-analysis show that women (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.97), those with depression (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.87), and those with higher out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.94) were less likely to take diabetes medication when compared with men, those without depression, and those with lower out-of-pocket costs, respectively. Older age (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00-1.27) was associated with better engagement to diabetes medication.

Conclusions

Of 4 identified factors, 2 are modifiable. Recent policy efforts to decrease the cost burden of prescribed medication for older adults, such as Medicare Part D, may remove this barrier to medication engagement. Routine screening for depression among older adults with diabetes should be included as part of usual care to facilitate an integrated treatment approach.
How Does Intentional Earnings Smoothing Vary With Managerial Ability?
Authors: Demerjian Peter , Lewis-Western Melissa , McVay Sarah
Published: December 2017

We investigate if high-ability managers are more likely to intentionally smooth earnings, a form of earnings management, and when they are more likely to do so. Although prior studies provide evidence that high-ability managers report higher quality earnings, the literature does not indicate whether this behavior is common because of (or happens in spite of) high-ability managers’ intentional smoothing activities. We find that (a) high-ability managers are significantly more likely to engage in intentional smoothing, (b) their intentional smoothing is associated with improved future operating performance, and (c) their intentional smoothing is more prevalent when the smoothing either benefits shareholders, the manager, or both. We do not, however, find evidence that high-ability managers who smooth are more likely to have engaged in informed trading or are more likely to consume perquisites. High-ability managers’ intentional smoothing is also associated with increased voluntary (but not forced) executive turnover, consistent with high-ability managers being motivated, at least in part, by how the capital market consequences of smoothing are expected to benefit shareholders, thereby bolstering their reputation.
Children Without Bruised Knees: Responding to Material and Ideational (Mis)alignments
Authors: Raaijmakers Aafke , Vermeulen Patrick A.M. , Meeus Marius T.H.
Published: December 2017

Institutional theorists have predominantly focused on the symbolic and cognitive side of institutions. So far, the role of materiality has been largely overlooked in institutional studies. Material aspects of organizing can nevertheless critically shape actors’ responses to institutional pressures, not least because material and ideational aspects are often intermingled. In this paper, we extend Oliver’s (1991) conceptual framework of strategic responses. We show how managers assess and compare the material and ideational aspects of new institutional requirements with their existing material and ideational situation and balance both aspects in their strategic responses. We find that the degree of (mis)alignment subsequently shaped their evaluation of the consequences of (non)conformity and the breadth of responses available to them. In fact, we find that the nature of institutional requirements – material versus ideational – actually restricts the range of strategic response options.
Flexibility or Constraint? The Implications of Mothers’ and Fathers’ Nonstandard Schedules for Children’s Behavioral Outcomes
Authors: Leibbrand Christine
Published: December 2017

Approximately 17.7% of the U.S. workforce is employed in a nonstandard schedule. Research thus far indicates that these schedules negatively influence children’s behavioral development. However, few studies examine the roles of the child’s gender and age. To broaden understanding of the relationships between nonstandard schedules and child behavior, and how these relationships may depend on the gender and age of the child, I analyze data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 and its Child Supplement from 1992 to 2006. My findings show that some types of parental nonstandard shifts, such as evening and night shifts, are associated with fewer behavioral problems among children, though these results depend on the gender and age of the child. In contrast, parents’ rotating and split shifts are associated with more behavior problems among children, indicating that it is relatively unstable and unpredictable work schedules that may have the most harmful associations with children’s outcomes.
Real-time quantitative monitoring of cerebral blood flow by laser speckle contrast imaging after cardiac arrest with targeted temperature management
Authors: He Junyun , Lu Hongyang , Young Leanne , Deng Ruoxian , Callow Daniel , Tong Shanbao , Jia Xiaofeng
Published: December 2017

Brain injury is the main cause of mortality and morbidity after cardiac arrest (CA). Changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) after reperfusion are associated with brain injury and recovery. To characterize the relative CBF (rCBF) after CA, 14 rats underwent 7 min asphyxia-CA and were randomly treated with 6 h post-resuscitation normothermic (36.5–37.5℃) or hypothermic- (32–34℃) targeted temperature management (TTM) (N = 7). rCBF was monitored by a laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) technique. Brain recovery was evaluated by neurologic deficit score (NDS) and quantitative EEG – information quantity (qEEG-IQ). There were regional differences in rCBF among veins of distinct cerebral areas and heterogeneous responses among the three components of the vascular system. Hypothermia immediately following return of spontaneous circulation led to a longer hyperemia duration (19.7 ± 1.8 vs. 12.7 ± 0.8 min, p < 0.01), a lower rCBF (0.73 ± 0.01 vs. 0.79 ± 0.01; p < 0.001) at the hypoperfusion phase, a better NDS (median [25th–75th], 74 [61–77] vs. 49 [40–77], p < 0.01), and a higher qEEG-IQ (0.94 ± 0.02 vs. 0.77 ± 0.02, p < 0.001) compared with normothermic TTM. High resolution LSCI technique demonstrated hypothermic TTM extends hyperemia duration, delays onset of hypoperfusion phase and lowered rCBF, which is associated with early restoration of electrophysiological recovery and improved functional outcome after CA.
“Just Say It Like It Is!” Use of a Community-Based Participatory Approach to Develop a Technology-Driven Food Literacy Program for Adolescents
Authors: Wickham Catherine A. , Carbone Elena T.
Published: December 2017

FuelUp&Go! is a technology-driven food literacy program consisting of six in-person skill building sessions as well as fitness trackers, text messages, and a companion website. A community-based participatory research approach was used with adolescents who were recruited to participate in a Kid Council. Qualitative data were collected about the use of surveys, program activities, recipes, technology and text messages, and music and incentives. Changes suggested by Kid Councilmembers informed the design and development of a pilot program. Participants were recruited for the pilot program and completed pre- and postintervention surveys. The results indicated food-related knowledge remained low but increased from baseline to follow-up. Attitudes toward vegetables and physical activity increased slightly. Self-reported participation in physical activity and consumption of sugar-added beverages moved in positive directions. These findings suggest that community-based participatory research approach is an effective approach to engage adolescents in the development of a technology-driven food literacy program.
Complete follow-the-leader kinematics using concentric tube robots
Authors: Garriga-Casanovas Arnau , Rodriguez y Baena Ferdinando
Published: December 2017

Concentric tube robots offer the capability of follow-the-leader motion, which is desirable when navigating in cluttered environments, such as in minimally invasive surgery or in-situ inspections. The follow-the-leader capabilities identified in the existing literature, however, are limited to trajectories with piecewise constant-curvature segments or piecewise helical segments. A complete study of follow-the-leader kinematics is, therefore, relevant to determine the full potential of these robots, and clarify an open question. In this paper, a general analysis of follow-the-leader motion is presented, and a closed-form solution to the complete set of trajectories where follow-the-leader is possible under the assumption of no axial torsion of the tubes composing the robot is derived. For designs with constant-stiffness tubes, the precurvatures required are found to be either circumference arcs, helices, or deformed helices with exponentially varying curvature magnitude. The analysis developed also elucidates additional motions of interest, such as the combination of follow-the-leader motion in a robot segment with general maneuvers in another part. To determine the applicability of the assumption regarding the tubes’ torsion, the general equilibrium of the robot designs of interest is considered, and a closed-form solution to torsion in two-tube robots with helical precurvatures is derived. Criteria to select a desired torsional behavior are then extracted. This enables one to identify stable trajectories where follow-the-leader is possible, for potential application to minimally invasive surgery. An illustrative case study involving simulation and experiment is conceived using one of these trajectories, and the results are reported, showcasing the research.
Figure-Ground Processing: A Reassessment of Gelb and Granit
Authors: Nelson Rolf , Hebda Nicholas
Published: December 2017

In 1923, Adhemar Gelb and Ragnar Granit, two prominent researchers in early Gestalt perceptual theory, reported a lower threshold for detection of a target (a small colored dot) on the ground region of an image than on an adjacent figural region. Although their results had a wide influence on the understanding of figure-ground perception, they are at odds with more recent investigations in which figural regions appear to have a processing advantage over ground regions. The two present studies replicated Gelb and Granit’s experiment using a similar figure-ground stimulus albeit with a two-alternative forced choice procedure rather than their original method of adjustment. Experiment 1 found that, contrary to Gelb and Granit’s findings, a detection advantage was found for the figural over the ground region. Experiment 2 indicated that explicit contours might have played a role in detection.
The Limitations and Strengths of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale as a Measure of Correctional Employees’ Attitudes: A Psychometric Evaluation
Authors: Boppre Breanna , Sundt Jody , Salisbury Emily J.
Published: December 2017

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) hold tremendous potential for improving the outcomes of corrections interventions. The implementation of EBPs requires support from staff at all levels of an organization; however, the study of correctional staff attitudes toward organizational change and EBPs is in its infancy. The current study examines the psychometric properties of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS), an instrument originally designed for mental health professionals, to measure correctional employees’ readiness to implement EBPs. The results indicate mixed conclusions regarding the use of the EBPAS with correctional staff. We found that the total scale and subscales are reliable and exhibit high internal consistency. However, the results of an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis failed to replicate the factor structure from previous research with mental health providers. The findings indicate potential drawbacks regarding the construct validity of the EBPAS for use with correctional personnel.
The Uses of Ambiguity in Sociological Theorizing: Three Ethnographic Approaches
Authors: Deener Andrew
Published: December 2017

Claims of causality and generalizability are the primary means through which sociologists triumph over ambiguity. Yet ambiguity also has significant uses in the process of theorizing. This article identifies and examines three ethnographic approaches: (1) Ambiguity in shared situations highlights how subjects create and resolve disruptions in face-to-face interactions, (2) ambiguity as a transitional social form addresses certain stages and spaces as persistently ambiguous types of situations and phenomena, and (3) ambiguity as separating means from ends identifies mechanisms that conceal from subjects the risks and limitations of their own behaviors and choices in their everyday lives. Each of these approaches presents patterns in how ethnographers use analytic techniques to make sense of where ambiguities come from and how they can be turned into sociological cases. By making these approaches explicit, researchers can become better equipped at using them as provocations for sociological theorizing.
Factors Affecting Chinese English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Technology Acceptance: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Huang Fang , Teo Timothy , Zhou Mingming
Published: December 2017

This article explores Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ attitudes toward technology use and the factors that influence their technology acceptance. A qualitative study was conducted with data obtained from semistructured, in-depth interviews of 14 university teachers from six provinces. The interview data revealed that Chinese EFL teachers generally maintained a positive attitude toward technology use in teaching. Facilitating conditions driven by modernization, perceived usefulness, subjective norm, and technology mania are major factors influencing their technology acceptance. It is worth noticing that the degree of reliance on technology varied in terms of age and experience. Overall, the findings were consistent with previous studies, while leading to a broader and deeper understanding of technology acceptance theories by analyzing contextual and cultural phenomenon in China. Implications for future research and suggestions to improve Continuing Professional Development were provided in order to promote technology integration among Chinese teachers.
Perceptions of Transactional Distance in Blended Learning Using Location-Based Mobile Devices
Authors: Elyakim Nitzan , Reychav Iris , Offir Baruch , McHaney Roger
Published: December 2017

The current study demonstrates how blended learning using location-based mobile-learning experiences can be improved when student preparation is enhanced with techniques informed by the theory of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE). Our experiment used a sample of 216 junior-high students within the context of school field trips. Tablet computers were custom configured to implement mobile learning with an application dispensing both contextual content and field navigation assignments. A control group prepped for the field trips used traditional information and discussion while an experimental group prepped based on the principles of MLE. Following the experience, students’ subjective perceptions of transactional distance were examined. The findings suggested that those prepared with MLE principles experienced lower transactional distances and, hence, a better outcome. Additionally, gender and thinking style differences were found, highlighting the need to further adapt flexible teaching approaches in mobile-learning environments. Overall, the findings carry significant implications for pedagogic and technological aspects of implementing mobile technologies in education.
Sinomenine-loaded microcapsules fabricated by phase reversion emulsification-drying in liquid method: An evaluation of process parameters, characterization, and released properties
Authors: Zhang Wen , Gao Yan , Yang Ning , Zhang Hua , Zhang Feng , Chen Han Qiu , Meng Jianqiang , Zhang Shi Yu , Li Wei
Published: December 2017

Sinomenine is a natural alkaloid with important biological activities (e.g. anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic). However, the unstability and short half-life absolutely limited its application to foods. Microencapsulation technology can offer a way to solve these issues. In this study, polylactic acid microcapsules loading sinomenine hydrochloride were fabricated by phase inversion emulsification-drying in liquid technique. The results showed that microcapsules had nice spherical shape, uniform particle size, and free flowing. The encapsulation efficiency was 89.2% and drug loading was 8.9% under the optimal conditions. In vitro release assays demonstrated that release of sinomenine from microcapsules was sustained and slow. Moreover, it was found that the sinomenine release fitted Fickian diffusion mechanism. The results of cytotoxicity study showed that sinomenine-loaded microcapsules were biocompatible. Sinomenine-loaded microcapsules could inhibit the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. In summary, polylactide microcapsules exhibit excellent properties for sinomenine that can be used in drug or food industry.
ZrO2-toughened Al2O3 composites with better fracture and wear resistance properties
Authors: Ravikumar K , Sarkar Debasish , Basu Bikramjit
Published: December 2017

In view of the importance of the fracture resistance and wear properties on the performance and durability in a number of engineering applications, we have analysed such properties of sintered zirconia toughened alumina with varying zirconia content of 5 and 15 wt.%. Using micro-computed tomography, homogenous particulate distribution of zirconia is established through 3D volume rendering of the sintered pellet and by 2D orthoslice view. Depending on zirconia content and MgO addition (sintering additive), an interesting combination of strength and toughness properties was recorded with the investigated materials. While explaining the origin of cracking on worn surfaces of optimized zirconia toughened alumina, theoretical calculations revealed that the maximum tensile stress at the trailing edge of sliding contact is higher than critical damage stress. Such analysis incorporates the effect of factors such as the internal stresses due to thermal expansion anisotropy of non-cubic Al2O3 matrix, mismatch in elastic modulus/thermal expansion and athermal ZrO2 phase transformation.
Inverse wear contact problem of the friction unit
Authors: Mirsalimov Vagif M , Akhundova Parvana E
Published: December 2017

In this study, theoretical analysis for defining the function of displacements of a hub’s external contour points and microgeometry of the friction unit providing the absence of initial wear that holds to the end of running-in period, was carried out based on a rough friction surface model. A closed system of algebraic equations admitting to obtain the solution of the problem of optimal design of a friction unit depending on the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of a hub and plunger was constructed. The found function of displacements of the hub’s external contour points and microgeometry of friction surface provide wear resistance increase of friction pair. Calculations for friction units applied to the borehole sucker–rod oil pumps were considered as an example.
Three driven approaches to combinational creativity: Problem-, similarity- and inspiration-driven
Authors: Han Ji , Park Dongmyung , Shi Feng , Chen Liuqing , Hua Min , Childs Peter RN
Published: December 2017

Creativity is a crucial element of design. The aim of this study is to investigate the driving forces behind combinational creativity. We propose three driven approaches to combinational creativity, problem-, similarity- and inspiration-driven, based on previous research projects on design process, strategy and cognition. A case study involving hundreds of practical products selected from winners of international design competitions has been conducted to evaluate the three approaches proposed. The results support the three driven approaches and indicate that they can be used independently as well as complementarily. The three approaches proposed in this study have provided an understanding of how combinational creativity functions in design. The approaches could be used as a set of creative idea generation methods for supporting designers in producing creative design ideas.
Force transmission and constraint analysis of a 3-SPR parallel manipulator
Authors: Russo Matteo , Ceccarelli Marco , Takeda Yukio
Published: December 2017

This paper presents an analysis of a novel 3-SPR parallel manipulator with 3 degrees-of-freedom that is characterized by a mobile platform consisting of a single point where all the three open-loop kinematic chains converge. The constraint singularity problem of the mechanism is solved in closed form by computing the Jacobian of the manipulator. Then, the expression of the transmission index is obtained for the 3-SPR manipulator by using the pressure angle definition. In order to evaluate the influence of secondary parameters, an equivalent 6-SPS mechanism is analyzed and its transmission index is computed in the parameter space. Finally, the proposed manipulator is compared to a standard 3-SPR parallel mechanism to investigate the influence of the mobile platform radius over transmission index and workspace volume. The results are discussed in order to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed structure of parallel manipulator.
A dynamic model for the drive and electro-mechanics of a solenoid based electronic fuel injector
Authors: Lillington Richard , Chetwynd Derek , Jones R. Peter
Published: December 2017

Over recent decades, multiple iterations of emissions standards have drastically reduced the amount of polluting emissions permissible when operating commercial vehicles. Electrically controlled fuel injection systems have been crucial to achieving these standards.

To be highly effective, each of the injector’s sub-systems must perform near optimally; but how can the highest standards of performance be maintained for an extended time in an aggressive, high-temperature, high-vibration, Diesel engine environment? One way might be to implicitly monitor valve condition. As a first step towards this aim, this paper discusses models of the interactions between the electrical drive and electro-hydraulic valve sub-systems of an injector developed using Matlab-Simulink®. This is a critical element in understanding how implicit sensing procedures might be developed that could provide robust, micro-second accurate injector performance across the unit’s 1 000 000 mile lifetime.

Consideration is given to how the electronic controller generates drive current in the electro-magnetic sub-system and how this develops the Maxwell Pulling Force within the unit. The effect of this force on control valve pin displacement is then explored. To create a usefully representative model requires that feed-forward and feedback interactions between sub-systems are included. Various system models are described and demonstrated to be useful by comparison of their outputs to known data sets.
Paradoxical Empowerment and Exploitation: Virtual Ethnography on Internet Immaterial Labour in Macao
Authors: Zhongxuan Lin
Published: December 2017

Recently, the research topic of immaterial labour had become one of the most significant discussions about the changing nature of capitalism. But the previous studies mainly regard immaterial labour as a unidirectional process of capitalist exploitation in abstract sense, rather than a paradoxical dynamics of exploitation and empowerment in specific context. This article, therefore, investigates immaterial labour in digital capitalism, with a specific case study of the local practices of Internet immaterial labour in Macao, exploring the paradoxical dynamics of exploitation and empowerment through concrete case studies, rather than through abstractive and reductive theoretical discussion. This study has found that the alternative media created by Internet users’ immaterial labour helps them to resist the traditional mainstream media and the government; the affective community founded based on their immaterial labour gives them the collective sentiment of ‘family and belonging’; the individual feelings derived during their immaterial labour not only offer them positive personal feelings, but also a new way of ‘being-in-the-world’ in the age of social media.
The reform of the Dublin system and the dystopia of ‘sharing people’
Authors: Maiani Francesco
Published: December 2017

In the debate surrounding the reform of the Dublin system, the idea of distributing protection seekers among the Member States on the basis of pre-determined quotas is gaining support. This article examines the proposals currently under consideration, and offers a critical appraisal in light of the experiences garnered under the Dublin system and the 2015 relocation schemes. It advances the argument that, in pursuing fair sharing among the Member States, such proposals risk replicating the failings of the Dublin system. It also advances the broader thesis that sharing large numbers of persons among states, without their consent, is dubious from a legal perspective and practically unfeasible, and that pursuing this option ultimately precludes any hope of establishing a fair, efficient and sustainable Common European Asylum System (CEAS).
Science Without Borders’ Contributions to Internationalization of Brazilian Higher Education
Authors: Nery Matheus Batalha Moreira
Published: December 2017

The Science Without Borders (SWB) program is Brazil’s major international education initiative. Begun in 2011, the SWB program is a government-funded initiative that encourages Brazilian universities to structure international relations offices and make international education experiences accessible to Brazilian students. However, its initial stages were marked by problems. First, the author’s analysis focuses on the history of SWB’s implementation and pivotal moments in the program’s evolution with the objective of analyzing the available program data, balancing it with the author’s experience in managing international programs. In sequence, the author examines the key learning points from two international programs—European Union (EU) Erasmus Program and the U.S. 100,000 Strong initiative—with the objective of analyzing some of the best practices that could have assisted the SWB program in its initial implementation phase and in its future plans. Last, the author presents an analysis with key learning points on internationalization of higher education with the objective of analyzing the growing complexity in international education policies and the necessity of improvements in the current Brazilian strategy for internationalization. The author proposes that to ensure the SWB program’s efficacy, an independent evaluation and enhanced connection between Brazilian international education initiatives and the country’s foreign policy will be necessary. Sustainability of the program and Brazil’s international education policies will necessitate additional efforts including cross-border education, comprehensive internationalization, and internationalization at home strategies. In summary, the author presents recommendations to policymakers, scholars, and practitioners regarding transforming the SWB program into an international education national policy.
Biphasic malignant melanoma adenocarcinoma in the digit of a dog
Authors: Needle David B. , Iglikova Olga , Miller Andrew D.
Published: December 2017

A 7-y-old Black Russian Terrier dog was evaluated for chronic lameness of the right forelimb and concurrent weight loss. Clinical examination revealed a pigmented mass arising from digit 4 of the right forelimb; the digit was amputated and submitted for histologic evaluation. Histologically, the neoplasm was composed of ill-defined streams, sheets, and clusters of melanocytes admixed with a distinct population of malignant epithelial cells forming glands and nests. The diagnosis was a biphasic malignant melanoma adenocarcinoma, a rarely reported neoplasm in human medicine that has not been described in veterinary medicine, to our knowledge.
Framing Care for Planners of Education Programs
Authors: Glowacki-Dudka Michelle , Mullett Cathy , Griswold Wendy , Baize-Ward Amy , Vetor-Suits Crissy , Londt Susan Cole
Published: December 2017

Using a framework of care to design experiences in formal or informal learning does two things. It acknowledges intentions of reflective learning through open communication and meets expectations of scholars seeking knowledge within a learning community. This proposed framework was developed from programs involving popular education, community development, open communication, critical reflection, and democratic participation. It can be applied to most instructional contexts, where relationships between facilitators and participants are valued as part of an active learning environment. This framework of care builds on the work of Myles Horton, Paulo Freire, Nel Noddings, and Fergal Finnegan. When planning programs, we recommend both understanding participants’ learning goals and then being attentive to care, community, communication, critical reflection, equality, and democracy. Through these approaches, educators can create a caring experience for learners.
SES, Gender, and STEM Career Interests, Goals, and Actions: A Test of SCCT
Authors: Turner Sherri L. , Joeng Ju Ri , Sims Marcuetta D. , Dade Shari N. , Reid Monica Froman
Published: December 2017

Using social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this study examined the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in an SCCT science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) model, with gender controlled for across the model. Results showed that higher SES covaried with lower perceived career barriers, and with greater mother, father, and peer support. In turn, higher SES also predicted greater outcome expectations but not self-efficacy. Efficacy predicted STEM career interests, choice goals, and choice actions (defined as intentions to take advanced math and science courses). Outcome expectations predicted interests but not goals or actions. Barriers, as well as, father and peer support, predicted efficacy, while mother support predicted outcome expectations. Results are discussed in light of the STEM career development among higher and lower SES adolescents.
Vicarious Experiences of Unemployment Scale Development: Relationships to Mental Health and Help-Seeking Among Undergraduate Students
Authors: Nitzarim Rachel S. , Thompson Mindi N.
Published: December 2017

Vicarious experiences of unemployment (VUE), or having a primary caretaker such as a parent or legal guardian who is unemployed, have been demonstrated to impact adolescent and young adult physical and mental health, career decision-making, and educational development. This study describes the development of a new measure, the VUE Scale designed to tap the nature of stigma and struggle associated with an experience of vicarious unemployment (VU). Following results from pilot testing, 395 undergraduate students participated in the study. Results demonstrated preliminary support for the psychometric properties of the VUE. Consistent with hypotheses, results also indicated that more substantive experiences of VU related significantly and positively to heightened levels of depressive, anxiety, and stress, as well as to lower levels of self-esteem and social support. We also explored the relationship between VUE and help-seeking intentions and attitudes. These exploratory findings suggested that more impactful VU experiences relate to less positive formal help-seeking attitudes and intentions. Limitations and future directions for practice and research are described.
Understanding Career Aspirations Among Young Men
Authors: Gregor Margo , O’Brien Karen M. , Sauber Elizabeth
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of a measure of career aspirations for use with college men (i.e., the Career Aspiration Scale–Revised [CAS-R]). Two studies were conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the CAS-R with a total of 414 undergraduate men. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the three-factor solution assessing achievement, leadership, and educational aspirations had adequate model fit. Furthermore, when the CAS-R was used with undergraduate men, support for validity was demonstrated and two of the three CAS-R subscales had adequate test–retest reliability. Future directions regarding research and practice with this measure were discussed.
The Norwegian Computerized Adaptive Test of Personality Disorder–Static Form (CAT-PD-SF): Reliability, Factor Structure, and Relationships With Personality Functioning
Authors: Thimm Jens C.
Published: December 2017

The Computerized Adaptive Test of Personality Disorder–Static Form (CAT-PD-SF) is a self-report inventory developed to assess pathological personality traits. The current study explored the reliability and higher order factor structure of the Norwegian version of the CAT-PD-SF and the relationships between the CAT-PD traits and domains of personality functioning in an undergraduate student sample ( N = 375). In addition to the CAT-PD-SF, the short form of the Severity Indices of Personality Problems and the Brief Symptom Inventory were administered. The results showed that the Norwegian CAT-PD-SF has good score reliability. Factor analysis of the CAT-PD-SF scales indicated five superordinate factors that correspond to the trait domains of the alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders. The CAT-PD traits were highly predictive of impaired personality functioning after controlling for psychological distress. It is concluded that the CAT-PD-SF is a promising tool for the assessment of personality disorder traits.