bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Is Education For? A Discussion of Nussbaum’s Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities
Authors: Lin Jing
Published: February 2016

This article provides a discussion of the book, Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities by Martha C. Nussbaum from the perspective of a visiting scholar to the United States from China. It begins by addressing two critical topics discussed by Nussbaum: consequences of focusing only on economic growth and the importance of humanistic values. The article then incorporates the voices of other scholars as it considers implications of Nussbaum’s work. The article concludes by suggesting service-learning as a means of accomplishing the educational goals proposed by Nussbaum.
Systematic review of the prevalence of mental illness stigma within the Greek culture
Authors: Tzouvara Vasiliki , Papadopoulos Chris , Randhawa Gurch
Published: February 2016

Background:

A number of primary studies have now assessed mental illness stigma within the Greek culture. A synthesis and appraisal of all available evidence is now required and will contribute to our growing understanding of the relationship between the cultural context and the formation of stigmatising attitudes.

Aim:

To systematically review the prevalence of mental illness public stigma within the Greek and Greek Cypriot culture.

Method:

Empirical articles with primary data pertaining to the prevalence of mental illness public stigma among Greek and/or Greek Cypriot populations were retrieved. Included studies were assessed for quality and extracted data were narratively synthesised.

Results:

A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was highly variable; only 1 study was adequately statistically powered, 10 studies employed at least some element of probability sampling and obtained response rates of at least 70%, while 10 and 13 studies employed reliable and validated prevalence tools, respectively. Studies sampled the general population ( n = 11), students ( n = 4), healthcare professionals ( n = 2), police officers, employers and family members (all n = 1). Stigma was consistently identified in moderate and high proportions across all of these groups, particularly in terms of social discrimination and restrictiveness, social distance and authoritarianism. However, some evidence of benevolence and positivity towards high-quality social care was also identified.

Conclusion:

The review highlights the wide-scale prevalence of mental illness stigma within the Greek culture and the need for further rigorous research including culturally tailored stigma interventions.
Local government innovation diffusion in China: an event history analysis of a performance-based reform programme
Authors: Wu Jiannan , Zhang Pan
Published: February 2016

The performance-based reform programme launched by Fujian province in 2000 has been adopted by many other Chinese provinces, including Zhejiang, Hebei, Anhui and Sichuan, over the past 12 years. This article aims to explore the antecedents of the adoption of this programme, in particular, the effects of senior figures' political promotion incentives and diffusion mechanisms. Specifically, event history analysis based on probit regression is used to examine data from 31 Chinese provinces for the 2000–2012 period. The results show that leaders' relative age and chances of being appointed to the Politburo, and distance to the general election, are significantly negatively correlated with the reform programme's adoption, but top-down diffusion is significantly positively correlated with it.

Points for practitioners

This study confirms that the nomenklatura system in China shapes the diffusion of innovations through the mechanisms of political promotion incentives and intergovernmental interactions. Thus, the dynamics of innovation diffusion are, to some extent, rooted in particular political institutions and shaped by political contexts. Furthermore, the desire for political promotions may figure as a general deep reason for decisions about whether to adopt innovations; therefore, strengthening these incentives for adopting reforms becomes a key strategy.
Parametric stability of symmetrically laminated composite super-elliptical plates
Authors: Ghaheri Ali , Nosier Asghar , Keshmiri Alireza
Published: February 2016

Static and parametric stability of thin symmetrically laminated composite super-elliptical plates resting on Winkler-type foundation and subjected to uniform in-plane harmonic loads, under clamped, simply supported and free boundary conditions, are investigated based on the classical laminated plate theory. The governing equations are obtained from a variational approach and then the classical Ritz method is used to reduce the problem into a set of coupled Mathieu–Hill equations. Hsu’s technique is utilized to determine the dynamic instability regions of principal and combination resonance frequencies. Extensive numerical data are provided to examine the effects of plate aspect ratio, super-ellipticity power, foundation stiffness parameter, stacking sequence, and fiber orientation on the vibrational, static, and parametric stability characteristics of symmetrically laminated super-elliptical composite plates. Furthermore, three-dimensional buckling mode shapes are illustrated. The accuracy of formulation is checked by performing convergence studies and the validity of results is established by comparison with the existing results in the literature, exact results obtained from the analytical approach, and as well as from FEM results.
From the city lens toward urbanisation as a way of seeing: Country/city binaries on an urbanising planet
Authors: Angelo Hillary
Published: February 2016

In recent years, three superficially distinct urban subfields have made parallel efforts to incorporate the city’s traditional ‘outsides’ into urban research. Urban political ecology, American urban sociology and postcolonial urban studies have made, respectively, ‘nature’, the ‘rural’ and the ‘not-yet’ city the objects of self-consciously urban analyses. I argue that these interventions are analogous efforts to hybridise city/nature, city/country or society/nature binaries, and that they have a common cause. Each is a response to a persistent ‘city lens’ that remains pervasive in urban practice, and whose assumptions are an increasingly poor fit for contemporary urban environments. This lens, ground in the context of the 19th century metropolis, interprets the world through a series of binary associations hung on the basic assumption that the city can be defined against a non-urban outside. I develop John Berger’s (2008 [1972]) idea of ‘ways of seeing’ as a heuristic for understanding this situation and, using the case of nature, show how the city lens encourages practitioners and some scholars to romanticise, anachronise or generalise when confronting signs of the not-city in the urban. I conclude by evaluating the limitations of hybridity as a solution to the problems of the city lens, and by outlining an alternative approach. I advocate for turning this way of seeing into a research object, and argue for the importance of an historical and process-oriented examination of the ongoing use of these categories even as critical urban scholars attempt to move beyond them.
Safety and Efficacy of Subcutaneous Parenteral Nutrition in Older Patients: A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Clinical Trial
Authors: Zaloga Gary P. , Pontes‐Arruda Alessandro , Dardaine‐Giraud Véronique , Constans Thierry ,   for the Clinimix Subcutaneous Study Group
Published: February 2016

Background: Many patients who cannot tolerate adequate enteral nutrition could benefit from parenteral nutrition support but fail to receive it due to difficult intravenous (IV) access. The objective of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of subcutaneous (SC) administration of parenteral nutrition with the peripheral IV route. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective randomized multicenter study of 121 older hospitalized patients. The primary outcome was the composite end point of major local side effects, defined as local edema, blistering, erythema, phlebitis, cellulitis, unbearable pain, or route failure requiring a switch in route. Secondary outcomes were nutrition parameters, biochemical parameters, clinical outcomes, and safety. Results: The SC route (n = 59) was noninferior to the IV route (n = 61) for major local side effects. Major local side effects trended higher in the IV group (P = .059). Local edema was more common in the SC group (P < .05), while route failure was more common in the IV group (P < .001). Nutrition and biochemical parameters, safety, and clinical outcomes were similar between groups. Conclusions: The SC route of nutrient administration was better tolerated than the peripheral IV route. SC administration of parenteral nutrition represents a safe alternative to IV nutrition.
This American Franchise: This American Life, public radio franchising and the cultural work of legitimating economic hybridity
Authors: Patterson Eleanor
Published: February 2016

This essay examines the historical formation of public radio program This American Life ( TAL) into a media franchise whose production and extension into film, television, live performances, and podcast spinoffs represent an economic hybridity of both public and commercial production cultures. However, due to the value of highbrow intellectualism often articulated with public radio and its supposed separation from commercial media, TAL’s economic hybridity occurs within a specific public radio context that encourages TAL’s producers to legitimate their collaboration with profit-driven media producers. Thus, TAL’s producers attempt to reinforce TAL’s distinction from commercial media through discourses of cinematic allusion, fundraising, and outsiderism in order to retain the cultural capital of public radio across a range of textual extensions. This study of TAL reminds us that media franchising studies needs to account for the participation of public radio within media industries, as well as the cultural tensions and negotiations associated with economic hybridity.
Between thinking and action
Authors: Petherbridge Danielle
Published: February 2016

Within contemporary debates on civil disobedience, Hannah Arendt’s work offers an alternative to both moral and legal approaches by offering a political view of disobedience based on what she terms a principle of dissent at the heart of constitutional democracies. In this sense, she separates disobedience from the moral claims of individual conscience as well as the restrictions imposed by legalistic conceptions. In this article, I first consider Arendt’s views on conscience and the arguments she makes for a Socratic notion of conscience understood as a by-product of thinking, as well as her arguments against conscience-based versions of disobedience such as that developed by Kimberley Brownlee. Second, I consider Arendt’s defence of a political notion of disobedience and her arguments against legal approaches such as those advocated by John Rawls and William Scheuerman.
Biases in multicriteria decision analysis: The case of environmental planning in Southern Nevada
Authors: Schafer Josephine Gatti , Gallemore Caleb T
Published: February 2016

Multicriteria decision analysis is a decision support aid touted for its ability to help participants overcome bias and make holistic assessments. However, few offer empirical tests of this thesis. This research examines the use of multicriteria decision analysis to implement the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. The Act called upon federal, regional, and local agencies to develop a connected system of parks, trails, and natural areas throughout Nevada. The partners used multicriteria decision analysis to make decisions about which parks, trails, and natural areas projects to fund. We assess the extent of political and cognitive biases among the participants when using the multicriteria decision analysis process. We find no strong evidence of strategic behavior, a finding that highlights many of the celebratory claims made about multicriteria decision analysis. However, we also note a preference for projects adjacent to high-income areas as well as the presence of cognitive biases in the assignment of scores to projects.
Migraine biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: van Dongen Robin M , Zielman Ronald , Noga Marek , Dekkers Olaf M , Hankemeier Thomas , van den Maagdenberg Arn MJM , Terwindt Gisela M , Ferrari Michel D
Published: February 2016

Objective

To perform a meta-analysis of migraine biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and of corresponding blood concentrations.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search for studies that measured biochemical compounds in CSF of chronic or episodic migraineurs and non-headache controls. Subsequent searches retrieved studies with blood measurements of selected CSF biomarkers. If a compound was assessed in three or more studies, results were pooled in a meta-analysis with standardised mean differences (SMD) as effect measures.

Results

Sixty-two compounds were measured in 40 CSF studies. Most important results include: increased glutamate (five studies, SMD 2.22, 95% CI: 1.30, 3.13), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (three studies, SMD: 3.80, 95% CI: 3.19, 4.41) and nerve growth factor (NGF) (three studies, SMD: 6.47, 95% CI: 5.55, 7.39) in chronic migraine patients and decreased β-endorphin (β-EP) in both chronic (four studies, SMD: –1.37, 95% CI: –1.80, –0.94) and interictal episodic migraine patients (three studies, SMD: –1.12, 95% CI: –1.65, –0.58). In blood, glutamate (interictal) and CGRP (chronic, interictal and ictal) were increased and β-EP (chronic, interictal and ictal) was decreased.

Conclusions

Glutamate, β-EP, CGRP and NGF concentrations are altered in CSF and, except for NGF, also in blood of migraineurs. Future research should focus on the pathophysiological roles of these compounds in migraine.
Effective information service delivery to rural dwellers in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Uzuegbu Chimezie P.
Published: February 2016

This paper is deliberately designed to be thought-provoking. It reiterates the importance of effective information service delivery to rural communities. Adopting the desk research method, available literature on rural information sources and services to rural dwellers in various countries in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa was extensively reviewed and descriptively analysed to showcase the effectiveness of various information delivery channels to the rural dwellers. This led to the identification of six major channels through which rural information delivery is generally anchored. These channels are made up of the mass media, information service systems, education and training programmes, change agents, personal contacts and miscellaneous channels. The strength and weaknesses of each of these channels in terms of delivering information services to rural dwellers were analysed in the light of contemporary realities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although libraries, especially public libraries, are expected to be at the centre of rural/community-based information services, these libraries and their staff contend with several challenges which, inevitably, undermine their effectiveness. Worried about the situation, the researcher calls for field experiment studies towards designing rural-oriented, practical and replicable models that will be effective for rural information delivery across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Open access repositories in India
Authors: Singh Prerna
Published: February 2016

The present study examines the development of open access repositories in India. Institutional repositories development in India dates back to the development of Eprints @IISc by TB Rajasekhar in 2002. Since then considerable development of institutional repositories has occurred. The data for the study were collected from OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories) in January 2015. OpenDOAR provides a quality-assured listing of open access repositories around the world. The findings of the study show that the Indian repositories are also represented in the Ranking of Web Repositories. It also indicates that the trends towards the development of open access repositories are increasing among higher education and research institutions. It serves as a means for the dissemination of the intellectual output of the institutions that may be a research organization or university to communities and to the public at large. It is the prime responsibility of public funded organizations to reveal the results of the research to the public.
Influence of Bony Defects on Preoperative Shoulder Function in Recurrent Anteroinferior Shoulder Instability
Authors: Wolke Julia , Herrmann Diem Anh , Krannich Alexander , Scheibel Markus
Published: February 2016

Background:

Recurrent anteroinferior shoulder dislocations are often associated with bony glenoid and humeral defects. The influence of those bony lesions on the postoperative outcomes after arthroscopic shoulder stabilization procedures has been the subject of many studies. Little is known about the influence of those lesions on preoperative function.

Purpose:

To evaluate the influence of glenoid and humeral bony defects on preoperative shoulder function in recurrent anteroinferior shoulder instability.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Included in the study were 90 patients (70 men, 20 women; mean age, 27.1 years; 24 patients with prior failed stabilization) with posttraumatic recurrent anteroinferior shoulder instability who underwent preoperative computed tomography (CT) of both shoulders. The glenoid index was used to measure glenoid defect on a 3-dimensional CT. Humeral head defect was measured on a 2-dimensional CT with evaluation of the Hill-Sachs quotient, product, sum, and difference. Preoperative evaluation also included the Rowe score, Constant score, Walch-Duplay score, Melbourne Instability Shoulder Score (MISS), Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI), and Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV).

Results:

There was a weak but significant correlation of the Hill-Sachs quotient and the glenoid index with the Rowe score ( P = .03, r = −0.22 and P = .03, r = 0.23, respectively). Furthermore, the Hill-Sachs product significantly correlated with the WOSI ( P = .02); in particular, the physical symptoms subscore showed a significant correlation ( P = .04). The glenoid index showed a significant correlation with the SSV ( P < .01). No significant correlation was found between the Walch-Duplay score, Constant score, or MISS and bony defects.

Conclusion:

The results of this study show that objective and subjective scoring systems correlate significantly with the clinical condition of patients with recurrent shoulder instability and associated bony defects. It is recommended that clinicians use the Rowe score, WOSI, and SSV for the clinical evaluation of patients with recurrent anteroinferior shoulder instability and associated bony defects. These evaluation systems may provide an early clinical indication of bony defects. Furthermore, very poor results on these evaluations could underline the necessity of a CT scan for the diagnosis of bony defects in recurrent shoulder instability and might be helpful for decision making concerning the indication of a CT.
The Medical Aspects of Soccer Injury Epidemiology
Authors: Keller Cary S. , Noyes Frank R. , Buncher C. Ralph
Published: February 2016

In this article, the six major studies of soccer injury epidemiology are reviewed. Strengths and weaknesses of each epidemiologic design are critiqued and the crucial importance of the definition of injury is emphasized. The effect of age, sex, and intensity of play on injury rates is discussed. Our present knowledge of injury rate by anatomical site, player position, and the type of playing surface are reviewed. We examined the importance of player factors such as flexibility, joint laxity, weakness, and incomplete rehabilitation from other injuries. In addition, we reviewed the role played by inadequate equipment, field conditions, and rule violations. A successful program for soccer injury prevention is described, and guidelines for future soccer injury epidemiology research are proposed.
High School Football Injuries: Identifying the Risk Factors
Authors: Halpern Brian , Thompson Nancy , Curl Walton W. , Andrews James R. , Hunter Stephen C. , Boring John R.
Published: February 2016

This epidemiologic survey of the literature on the factors contributing to the high number of high school football injuries consolidates the current information on the characteristics and risk factors associated with these injuries. To reduce the incidence of knee sprains and strains, the most common injuries to this population, the following preventive recommendations are presented: 1) optimum maintenance of playing fields; 2) use of the soccer-style shoe; 3) noncontact and controlled activities in practice sessions; and 4) increased vigilance over technique during injury-prone preseason practices. The authors conclude that more research into factors such as exposure time and activity at injury will further reduce the risk to the high school football player.
Delamination detection in composite structures based on modal flexibility curvature
Authors: Yang Tao , Li Jufeng , Du Yu
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a new non-destructive techniques method based on modal flexibility curvature matrix to detect the delamination in composite structures. The natural frequencies and the mode shapes of the composite beams are obtained using the experimental and finite element modal analysis. It has been found that the calculated modal flexibility curvature matrix [Formula: see text] can precisely identify the location and size of the delaminations in composite beam. Simultaneously, a new identification theory of delaminated composite plate is discussed, based on flexibility curvature matrix. However, Finite element analysis shows that flexibility curvature matrix, Fc can accurately identify the location and size of either single or multiple delaminations in composite plate.
Experimental and numerical investigation of flexural behavior of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminates
Authors: Dhaliwal Gurpinder S , Newaz Golam M
Published: February 2016

Fiber metal laminates (FML) combine the strength of carbon fiber composite layer with ductility of the aluminum layer for desirable mechanical characteristics. For these composites, progressive failure behavior can be complex and require attention. In this study, two carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminates (CARRAL) with a 3/2 configuration, with aluminum in the outer layer for the first case and one with carbon fiber composite layer in the outer layer were prepared using a vacuum press without any adhesive layer between the layers—a significant departure from similar aerospace materials. Epoxy from the prepreg provides adequate adhesion during consolidation in these lower cost FMLs with a pressure level of 0.35 MPa. Three-point flexural behaviors of these two material systems were evaluated under static loading and failure modes were recorded. Primary failure modes observed were crack in lower aluminum layer, carbon fiber (CFRP) layer fracture and delamination between upper aluminum and CFRP layer. A major contribution of this study was to predict the flexural response of these FMLs using LS-DYNA finite element code. Modeling the progressive damage behavior of FML by considering stress based material failure and shear stress based delamination failure between adjacent layers were key aspects of finite element modeling. Predicted mechanical behavior matches well with experimental results and the progressive nature of damage are recovered in the model.
Efficacy and Tolerability of Lacosamide in the Treatment of Children With Refractory Generalized Epilepsy
Authors: Miskin Chandrabhaga , Khurana Divya S. , Valencia Ignacio , Legido Agustin , Hasbani Daphne M. , Carvalho Karen S.
Published: February 2016

Lacosamide is FDA-approved in patients 17 years or older with partial-onset epilepsy. We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of lacosamide in children with refractory generalized epilepsy. We retrospectively reviewed records of 21 children with refractory generalized epilepsy treated with lacosamide in our institution from 2009–2013 divided into 2 subgroups- I, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, and II, other generalized epilepsies. Efficacy was defined as seizure freedom or ≥50% seizure reduction. Descriptive data analysis including seizure freedom was compared using c2 analysis. There were eleven females and ten males with a mean age, of 11.9 years. Five patients became seizure free, nine had ≥50% seizure reduction, and seven had no response. Group I: seven had ≥50% improvement, one did not respond. Group II: five became seizure free, two had ≥50% improvement, five had no response. Lacosamide is effective and well tolerated in children with refractory generalized epilepsy particularly patients with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.
Morphology and surface chemistry of bicomponent scaffolds in terms of mesenchymal stromal cell viability
Authors: Kołbuk Dorota , Guimond-Lischer Stefanie , Sajkiewicz Paweł , Maniura-Weber Katharina , Fortunato Giuseppino
Published: February 2016

Biological interaction between cells and scaffolds is mediated through events at surfaces. Proteins present in the culture medium adsorb on substrates, generating a protein adlayer that triggers further downstream events governing cell adhesion. Polymer blends often combine the properties of the individual components, for example, can provide mechanical as well as surface properties in one fibre. Therefore, mixtures of synthetic polycaprolactone and gelatin as a denatured form of collagen were electrospun at selected conditions and polymer weight ratios. Fibre morphologies and chemical properties of the surfaces were analysed. These scaffolds were seeded with human mesenchymal stromal cells and their viability was studied. Gelatin addition to polycaprolactone leads to a reduction in fibre diameter. A linear increase in gelatin at the fibre surface was observed in function of the weighed polymers, except for polycaprolactone/gelatin fibres incorporating equal weight ratios. Thereby, a depletion of gelatin at the fibre surface is stated for equally mixed polymers. The depletion of gelatin at the fibre surface is most probably due to hydrophobic interactions between hydrophobic segments of polycaprolactone and gelatin, affecting the spinning mechanism and thus fibre structure. Furthermore, polycaprolactone/gelatin blends show enhanced wettability properties compared to pure gelatin, at least partly due to molecular segregation. Results of in vitro studies reveal an increase in cellular viability and proliferation for cells cultivated on nanofibres containing gelatin, caused by the cell-attractive surface composition as well as the hydrophilic nature of the scaffolds. Contact guidance of cells seeded on parallelised fibres is observed, and DNA tests show evidently enhanced cell numbers on nanofibres containing 20 wt% of gelatin.
Combined effects of drugs and plasticizers on the properties of drug delivery films
Authors: Jennings Cheryl L , Dziubla Thomas D , Puleo David A
Published: February 2016

Formation of scar tissue may be reduced or prevented if wounds are locally treated with a combination of molecules tuned to the different healing phases, guiding tissue regeneration along a scar free path. To this end, drug delivery devices made of cellulose acetate phthalate and Pluronic F-127 were loaded with either quercetin or pirfenidone and plasticized with either triethyl citrate or tributyl citrate. Quercetin inhibits oxidative stress, and pirfenidone has been shown to reduce production of pro-inflammatory and fibrogenic molecules. The combined effects of drug and plasticizer on erosion, release, and mechanical properties of the drug delivery films were investigated. Triethyl citrate-plasticized films containing quercetin released drug at a slower rate than did tributyl citrate films. Pirfenidone-loaded films released drug at a faster rate than erosion occurred for both types of plasticizers. Higher plasticizer contents of both triethyl citrate and tributyl citrate increased the elongation and decreased the elastic modulus. In contrast, increased pirfenidone loading in both triethyl citrate and tributyl citrate films resulted in a significantly higher modulus, an antiplasticizer effect. Adding pirfenidone significantly decreased elongation for all film types, but quercetin-loaded samples had significantly greater elongation with increasing drug content. Films containing quercetin elongated more than did pirfenidone-loaded films. Quercetin is over 1.5 times larger than pirfenidone, has water solubility over 12 times lower, and has 6 times more bonding sites than pirfenidone. These differences affected how the two drugs interacted with cellulose acetate phthalate and Pluronic F-127 and thereby determined polymer properties. Drug release, erosion, and mechanical properties of association polymer films can be tailored by the characteristics of the drugs and plasticizers included in the system.
The Impact of Clinical Pharmacist Integration on a Collaborative Interdisciplinary Diabetes Management Team
Authors: Davis Courtney S. , Ross Leigh Ann R. , Bloodworth Lauren S.
Published: February 2016

Objective:

The national initiative, Project IMProving America’s Communities Together (IMPACT): Diabetes, was intended to scale a proven American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation process model, which integrates pharmacists on the collaborative health-care team, in communities greatly affected by diabetes to improve key indicators of diabetes. This article discusses the results from 1 community in Mississippi.

Methods:

This national prospective study followed patients with a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) >7% from September 2011 to January 2013. Pharmacists collaborated with providers and other health-care professionals to provide medication therapy management services for a minimum of 3 visits. Outcome measures included HbA1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), fasting cholesterol panel, body mass index (BMI), influenza vaccine and smoking status, and foot and eye examination dates.

Results:

At this site, there were statistically significant outcomes including mean HbA1c decrease of 1.2% in SBP and DBP of 8.3 mm Hg and 3.5 mm Hg, respectively, and reduction in low-density lipoprotein of 16.6 mg/dL, all of which were greater improvements compared to overall results from combined sites.

Conclusion:

Patients in this community who received care from the collaborative team, including a pharmacist, had improvement in most key indicators of diabetes, with a clinically significant reduction in HbA1c.
A Meaningful Break in a Flat Life
Authors: Meneghini Anna Maria
Published: February 2016

International Voluntary Service (IVS) is slowly becoming more popular as more and more people take breaks from their studies or careers to volunteer abroad. However, research on the motivation of volunteers is quite limited and mainly conducted by means of qualitative methods. This study attempts to analyze the motivations that prompt people to serve internationally. I used the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) plus some items that refer to specific motives gathered from literature. The results show multiple and mixed motivations that, according to the correlational analysis, can be grouped into two motivational patterns, one “outward focused” and the other “inward focused.” These patterns are variously associated with some perceived facets of the experience abroad. Finally, the importance of understanding the various motivations and how matching them to the sending program might enhance volunteer satisfaction is discussed.
A study on the impact of periodic and event-driven rescheduling on a manufacturing system: An integrated process planning and scheduling case
Authors: Jin Liangliang , Zhang Chaoyong , Shao Xinyu , Yang Xudong
Published: February 2016

The integration of process planning and scheduling is a very important problem because it proposes a new idea for improving the performance of a manufacturing system. At present, most existing studies on this problem are static, which assumes that all the jobs to be processed are available in the beginning. However, the practical processing situation is dynamic, such as new job arrivals. Since dynamic production situations are different with static cases, it is important to study the characteristics of actual production situations. In this article, the characteristics of dynamic integrated process planning and scheduling problem with job arrivals are studied. A novel mixed integer linear programming model is established to accommodate new job arrivals, and three criteria (makespan, stability, and tardiness) are considered. New periodic and event-driven rescheduling strategies are presented. In the proposed strategy, newly added jobs together with uncompleted jobs will be rescheduled by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II to obtain the optimal Pareto front when the rescheduling procedure is triggered. The entropy-based weight assigning method together with the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method is adopted to determine an appropriate schedule among the resultant non-dominated solutions. A set of well-known benchmark instances is employed to investigate the characteristics of the dynamic integrated process planning and scheduling problem with random job arrivals. Experimental results show that the length of a scheduling interval, the number of newly added jobs, and the shop utilization have an important influence on the efficiency of a manufacturing system.
Numerical simulation and experimental study of the air-cooled motorized spindle
Authors: Qiang He , Yuan Shen , Fengzhang Ren , Lili Li , Alex A Volinsky
Published: February 2016

In this study, numerical methods are used to investigate the flow and temperature fields of the air-cooled motorized spindle. The wind speed effects on the motorized spindle temperature and the relationships between the rotating speed, vibration and noise are studied experimentally. The purpose of this work is to provide the basis for optimization design of the air-cooled motorized spindle. First, the boundary conditions are defined and the wind speed in the heat sink groove, fluid field of the fan area and temperature distribution of the spindle in the thermal steady state are predicted by the finite element method. Second, the temperature, wind speed, vibration of the key points on the motorized spindle and the noise are measured experimentally. The results show that the wind speed of the fan area is high in the center and low near the wall. The spindle temperature is higher in the area of contact with the rotor and the front bearings, while changes in the heat sink section have little effect on the wind speed. It is found experimentally that the vibration, noise and temperature increase with rotating speed. The numerical and experimental results are consistent. It is suggested to improve the design of the motorized spindle through optimizing the blade structure to decrease the temperature, vibration and noise.
A new framework for intelligent simultaneous-fault diagnosis of rotating machinery using pairwise-coupled sparse Bayesian extreme learning committee machine
Authors: Wong Pak Kin , Zhong Jian-Hua , Yang Zhi-Xin , Vong Chi Man
Published: February 2016

This paper proposes a new diagnostic framework, namely, probabilistic committee machine, to diagnose simultaneous-fault in the rotating machinery. The new framework combines a feature extraction method with ensemble empirical mode decomposition and singular value decomposition, multiple pairwise-coupled sparse Bayesian extreme learning machines (PCSBELM), and a parameter optimization algorithm to create an intelligent diagnostic framework. The feature extraction method is employed to find the features of single faults in a simultaneous-fault pattern. Multiple PCSBELM networks are built as different signal committee members, and each member is trained using vibration or sound signals respectively. The individual diagnostic result from each fault detection member is then combined by a new probabilistic ensemble method, which can improve the overall diagnostic accuracy and increase the number of detectable fault as compared to individual classifier acting alone. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is verified by a case study on a gearbox fault detection. Experimental results show the proposed framework is superior to the existing single probabilistic classifier. Moreover, the proposed system can diagnose both single- and simultaneous-faults for the rotating machinery while the framework is trained by single-fault patterns only.
Numerical simulation and parameterisation of rail–wheel normal contact
Authors: Cuperus Jacobus L , Venter Gerhard
Published: February 2016

This investigation aims to find empirical equations that describe the rail–wheel normal (frictionless) contact characteristics. These equations can then be used to determine an equivalent Hertzian load to account for normal contact in the finite element analyses mandated by the Transnet RS/ME/SP/008 specification, without explicitly simulating the contact between two bodies. The standard is similar to UIC 510-5 and does not consider tangential contact. The normal contact problem is solved for the test case using nonlinear finite element methods as well as the boundary element method. Material plasticity was also investigated in finite element analyses with limited effect for contact away from the flange area. The data from boundary element analyses were fitted to a power law equation for each contact parameter. The equivalent Hertzian contact produced with the empirical equations is able to predict the normal contact parameters relatively accurately, producing a maximum error of 9.6% (excluding one area with a geometric anomaly).
A new approach for the evaluation and the improvement of the metrological characteristics of an instrumented wheelset for the measure of wheel–rail contact forces
Authors: Cazzulani Gabriele , Di Gialleonardo Egidio , Bionda Stefano , Bassetti Marco , Crosio Pietro , Braghin Francesco
Published: February 2016

The actual European regulations for the acceptance of railway vehicles prescribe the measurement of not only accelerations but also contact forces exchanged at wheel–rail interface, in order to assess the level of running safety, track loading and vibration behaviour. It is important to point out that the standards do not prescribe any specific method to measure forces, or define the measurement of forces. The aim of this paper is to investigate the metrological properties of a dynamometric wheelset in order to determine the associated measurement uncertainty and to verify its readiness in the range of frequencies where the force analysis must be performed. With reference to a specific instrumented wheelset, a method for increasing the accuracy of the measure when critical running conditions (i.e. large values of the derailment coefficient Y/Q) are detected is proposed. The proposed method can be applied to any instrumented wheelset, but it is particularly effective on non-conventional wheelsets, where only few measurements are available and the classical methods cause large estimation errors.
Computational hemodynamics of abdominal aortic aneurysms: Three-dimensional ultrasound versus computed tomography
Authors: Owen Benjamin , Lowe Christopher , Ashton Neil , Mandal Parthasarathi , Rogers Steven , Wein Wolfgang , McCollum Charles , Revell Alistair
Published: February 2016

The current criterion for surgical intervention in abdominal aortic aneurysms, based upon a maximal aortic diameter, is considered conservative due to the high mortality rate in case of rupture. The research community is actively investigating the use of computational mechanics tools combined with patient-specific imaging to help identify more accurate criteria. Widespread uptake of a successful metric will however be limited by the need for computed tomography, which is at present the primary image extraction method on account of the location and complex shape of the aneurysms. The use of three-dimensional ultrasound as the scanning method is more attractive on account of increased availability, reduced cost and reduced risk to patients. The suitability of three-dimensional ultrasound is assessed for this purpose in the present work; computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed on geometries obtained from the same patient using both ultrasound and computed tomography. The influence of different smoothing algorithms is investigated in the geometry preparation stage and Taubin’s low-pass filter was found to best preserve geometry features. Laminar, Newtonian, steady-state simulation analysis identified haemodynamic characteristics to be qualitatively similar in terms of wall shear stress, velocity and vorticity. The study demonstrates the potential for three-dimensional ultrasound to be integrated into a more accessible patient-specific modelling tool able to identify the need for surgical intervention of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Measurement outcomes from hip simulators
Authors: de Villiers Danielle , Shelton Julia C
Published: February 2016

Simulation of wear in total hip replacements has been recognised as an important factor in determining the likelihood of clinical success. However, accurate measurement of wear can be problematic with factors such as number and morphology of wear particles produced as well as ion release proving more important in the biological response to hip replacements than wear volume or wear rate alone. In this study, hard-on-hard (CoCr alloy, AgCrN coating) and hard-on-soft (CoCr alloy and CrN coating on vitamin E blended highly cross-linked polyethylene) bearing combinations were tested in an orbital hip simulator under standard and some adverse conditions. Gravimetric wear rates were determined for all bearings, with cobalt and where applicable, silver release determined throughout testing. Isolation of wear particles from the lubricating fluid was used to determine the influence of different bearing combinations and wear conditions on particle morphology. It was found that cobalt and silver could be measured in the lubricating fluid even when volumetric wear was not detectable. In hard-on-hard bearings, Pearson’s correlation of 0.98 was established between metal release into the lubricating fluid and wear volume. In hard-on-soft bearings, coating the head did not influence the polyethylene wear rates measured under standard conditions but did influence the cobalt release; the diameter influenced both polyethylene wear and cobalt release, and the introduction of adverse testing generated smaller polyethylene particles. While hip simulators can be useful to assess the wear performance of a new material or design, measurement of other outcomes may yield greater insight into the clinical behaviour of the bearings in vivo.
Video tracking for high-similarity drug tablets based on reflective lightness intensity and fuzzy recognition system
Authors: Liang Zhongwei , Liu Xiaochu , Tan Shisong , Wen Yiheng
Published: February 2016

Video tracking of drug tablet exerts important influences on the efficiency and reliability of its mass production; this topic also becomes a difficult and targeted focus for pharmaceutical production monitory in the past several years due to the high similarity and random distribution of those objectives to be searched for. By measuring the reflective lightness intensity of illumination lightness on tablet surface, reflective lightness intensity matrix was established and demonstrated in the form of grey image, presenting its shape topology and topography details in return. On this basis, a series of mathematical properties for describing reflective lightness intensity images were proposed, thereafter a set of fuzzy recognition system and its identification rules can be employed to classify those moving tablets with inputted image properties, which facilitates the determination of their instantaneous coordinate positions on given image frame accordingly. By repeating identical operations on the next frame, the real-time motions of tablet objectives were traced successfully. Orthogonal tracking experiment and performance comparisons verified the accuracy and reliability of this new method in pharmaceutical industry. With original suggestions concerning imaging arrangements, tablet descriptions and video tracking, this article provides reliable references and new research ideas for tablet tracking performance in high-yielding production domain.
Inclusion of the periodontal ligament in studies on the biomechanical behavior of fiber post-retained restorations: An in vitro study and three-dimensional finite element analysis
Authors: González-Lluch Carmen , Rodríguez-Cervantes Pablo-Jesús , Forner Leopoldo , Barjau Amaya
Published: February 2016

Endodontically treated teeth are known to have reduced structural strength. Periodontal ligament may influence fracture resistance. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of including the periodontal ligament in biomechanical studies about endodontically treated and restored teeth. Forty human maxillary central incisors were treated endodontically and randomly divided into four groups: non-crowned (with and without an artificial ligament) and crowned (with and without an artificial ligament) with glass-ceramic crowns. All groups received prefabricated glass-fiber posts and a composite resin core. Specimens were tested, under a flexural–compressive load, until failure occurred. The failure mode was registered for all specimens. The failure loads were recorded and analyzed using an analysis of variance test ( p < 0.05). These results were compared with those predicted by a finite element model. The analysis of variance did not show significant differences between the use of crown on the failure load ( p = 0.331) and the use of periodontal ligament ( p = 0.185). A cohesive mode in crown appeared in crowned teeth and in core in non-crowned groups. For non-crowned teeth, adhesive failure occurred along the cement–enamel junction with a slight tendency in specimens without periodontal ligament. Furthermore, an unfavorable failure mode affects partially the root with no differences regarding non-crown specimens. In crowned teeth, the tendency was an adhesive failure along the cement–enamel junction. The model predicted a distribution of the safety factor consistent with these results. This study showed that inclusion of periodontal ligament is not particularly important on biomechanical behavior of post-retained restorations. However, we recommend its inclusion in fatigue studies.