bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Molecular Circuit Regulating Tooth Development in Crocodilians
Authors: Tsai S. , Abdelhamid A. , Khan M.K. , Elkarargy A. , Widelitz R.B. , Chuong C.M. , Wu P.
Published: October 2016

Alligators have robust regenerative potential for tooth renewal. In contrast, extant mammals can either renew their teeth once (diphyodont dentition, as found in humans) or not at all (monophyodont dentition, present in mice). Previously, the authors used multiple mitotic labeling to map putative stem cells in alligator dental laminae, which contain quiescent odontogenic progenitors. The authors demonstrated that alligator tooth cycle initiation is related to β-catenin/Wnt pathway activity in the dental lamina bulge. However, the molecular circuitry underlying the developmental progression of polyphyodont teeth remains elusive. Here, the authors used transcriptomic analyses to examine the additional molecular pathways related to the process of alligator tooth development. The authors collected juvenile alligator dental laminae at different developmental stages and performed RNA-seq. This data shows that Wnt, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathways are activated at the transition from pre-initiation stage (bud) to initiation stage (cap). Intriguingly, the activation of Wnt ligands, receptors and co-activators accompanies the inactivation of Wnt antagonists. In addition, the authors identified the molecular circuitry at different stages of tooth development. The authors conclude that multiple pathways are associated with specific stages of tooth development in the alligator. This data shows that Wnt pathway activation may play the most important role in the initiation of tooth development. This result may offer insight into ways to modulate the genetic controls involved in mammalian tooth renewal.
Clinical, Immune, and Microbiome Traits of Gingivitis and Peri-implant Mucositis
Authors: Schincaglia G.P. , Hong B.Y. , Rosania A. , Barasz J. , Thompson A. , Sobue T. , Panagakos F. , Burleson J.A. , Dongari-Bagtzoglou A. , Diaz P.I.
Published: October 2016

Tissues surrounding dental implants and teeth develop clinical inflammation in response to microbial stimuli. However, the literature suggests that differences exist in the microbial insult and inflammatory responses leading to gingivitis and peri-implant mucositis. In this pilot study, the authors use for the first time a systems biology approach to comprehensively evaluate clinical parameters, selected inflammatory markers, and the microbiome of subject-matched tooth and implant sites during native inflammation and in response to experimental plaque accumulation. Fifteen subjects with 2 posterior implants and corresponding contralateral teeth were examined at enrollment; at day 0, after reinstitution of gingival/mucosal health; at days 7, 14, and 21, during stent-mediated oral hygiene (OH) abstention; and at day 42, after resumption of OH. The subgingival microbiome was evaluated via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and 8 selected inflammatory markers measured in crevicular fluid. Comparison of teeth and implants via general linear models based on orthogonal polynomials showed similar responses in clinical parameters, inflammatory mediators, and proportions of individual microbial taxa during OH abstention. Implants, however, accumulated less plaque and underwent more heterogeneous shifts in microbiome structure. A multilevel, within-group, sparse partial least squares analysis of covariation of microbial, inflammatory, and clinical parameters throughout all study visits found inflammation around teeth and implants positively correlated with IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta and with the proportions of Selenomonas, Prevotella, and 5 species-level phylotypes. Gingivitis, however, showed a stronger positive correlation with lactoferrin and IL-1ra and a stronger negative correlation with Rothia. Peri-implant mucositis, on the contrary, correlated positively with certain microbial taxa not associated with gingivitis by a previous study or the current one. In summary, differences existed between implants and tooth sites in microbiome evolution during OH abstention and in the correlation of specific inflammatory mediators and microbial taxa with clinical inflammation. Common biological features, however, were also identified for gingivitis and mucositis.
C5L2 Receptor Represses Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Secretion in Lipoteichoic Acid-Stimulated Pulp Fibroblasts
Authors: Chmilewsky F. , About I. , Chung S.H.
Published: October 2016

The anaphylatoxin C5a constitutes a powerful fragment generated by complement system activation. Interestingly, this complement active fragment is also an important mediator of tissue regeneration. Recent findings suggest that C5a could be an initial signal orchestrating pulp nerve sprouting beneath carious injury, a critical step in dentin-pulp regeneration. Indeed, the expression and activation of the C5a active receptor (C5aR/CD88) by injured pulp fibroblasts controls the direction of neurite outgrowth toward carious injuries by modulating the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by pulp fibroblasts. A second C5a receptor, C5L2, has also been cloned but has received much less attention because its interaction with the ligand induces no signaling. This work aims to investigate the role of C5L2 in pulp nerve regeneration in the secretion of BDNF by pulp fibroblasts under sites of carious injury. Using fluorescence immunostaining on human tooth sections in vivo and on primary human pulp fibroblasts in vitro, the authors reveal that C5L2 and C5aR are co-expressed by pulp fibroblasts under lipoteichoic acid (LTA) stimulation. Moreover, silencing C5L2 significantly increases BDNF secretion by LTA-stimulated pulp fibroblasts. Finally, an analysis of the subcellular distribution of C5aR and C5L2 indicates that the negative regulation of BDNF secretion by C5L2 correlates with C5aR activation and its subsequent intracellular co-localization with C5L2. Overall, the current study sheds light on the mechanism of pulp nerve regeneration by identifying C5L2 as a negative regulator of BDNF secretion by pulp fibroblasts under carious teeth. This knowledge significantly increases the understanding of the functional mechanism linking C5aR and C5L2 in pulp nerve regeneration, which may be useful in future dentin-pulp engineering strategies that target fibroblast C5L2 to induce pulp innervation.
Investigation of energy absorption mechanisms in a soft armor panel under ballistic impact
Authors: Yang Yanfei , Chen Xiaogang
Published: October 2016

This study aims to identify different contributions of each layer to ballistic resistance and energy absorption distribution in a soft armor panel under ballistic impact. Different ballistic responses of each fabric layer and energy absorption mechanisms of a multilayer panel were investigated through finite element (FE) analysis using Abaqus. FE models were created to simulate transverse impact of a projectile onto multilayer panels before clay. FE results show that fabric layers in front, middle and back of the panel exhibit different extents of transverse deformation and stress distribution characteristics. Energy absorption in each layer is increased from the front layer to the peak value at the last perforated layer and then gradually decreased in following back layers of the panel. This pattern remains the same regardless of increasing total number of layers in the panel. When increasing the impact velocity, the position of the peak value of energy absorption with the last perforated layer is shifted towards back of the panel. These fundamental understandings contribute to the hybrid design of soft armor panel.
Mental healthcare providers’ attitudes towards the adoption of evidence-based practice in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in South Africa
Authors: Padmanabhanunni Anita , Sui Xin-Cheng
Published: October 2016

South African society is characterised by a high prevalence of exposure to traumatic events that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. In treating post-traumatic stress disorder, mental healthcare providers are tasked with ensuring that their practice is evidence based. However, existing evidence indicates that the rates of adoption of evidence-based practice are generally poor. The promotion and implementation of evidence-based practice into routine clinical settings requires an understanding of the attitudes of mental healthcare providers towards these practices. This study investigated attitudes towards evidence-based practice in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Participants were 60 mental healthcare providers (clinical/counselling psychologists, social workers, and registered counsellors) in the Western Cape Province working predominantly with trauma survivors. Participants completed a demographic survey and the Attitude Towards Evidence-Based Practice Scale, adapted to assess for attitudes towards the adoption of evidence-based practice in relation to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Overall, participants reported favourable attitudes towards evidence-based practice in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Statistical analysis revealed that occupation, age, and gender significantly correlated with attitudes. Social workers and registered counsellors were more likely to report adopting evidence-based practice for post-traumatic stress disorder compared to clinical and counselling psychologists. Older participants and women also reported more favourable attitudes towards evidence-based practice. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Engaging Students in Survey Research Projects across Research Methods and Statistics Courses
Authors: Lovekamp William E. , Soboroff Shane D. , Gillespie Michael D.
Published: October 2016

One innovative way to help students make sense of survey research has been to create a multifaceted, collaborative assignment that promotes critical thinking, comparative analysis, self-reflection, and statistical literacy. We use a short questionnaire adapted from the Higher Education Research Institute’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s Freshman Survey. In our Research Methods course, students begin by administering the brief questionnaire to a small, nonrandom sample of students at our university. They analyze the data descriptively and compare their “results” to the national trends as part of their required course homework. These data are then quantitatively analyzed throughout all homework exercises the next semester during their statistics course. This collaborative effort bridges methods, statistics, and capstone courses, helping students connect the courses and develop a deeper understanding, awareness and appreciation of the utility of preestablished instruments for collecting primary data and for assessing the meaning of secondary data.
Natural rubber grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) as compatibilizer in 50/50 natural rubber/nitrile rubber blend
Authors: Moolsin Supat , Saksayamkul Nattawud , Na Wichien Adul
Published: October 2016

The effects of graft copolymers applied as compatibilizers for natural rubber/nitrile rubber (NR/NBR) blends at 50/50 (w/w) on cure characteristics, mechanical properties, thermal properties, oil resistance, and morphology were investigated. The graft copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto NR initiated by benzoyl peroxide (NR- g-PMMA) and by potassium persulfate (NR- g-PMMA) under emulsion polymerization were synthesized and used to compatibilize the blends. The structures of the copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. NR was blended with NBR via a two-roll mill at 70°C under the compatibilizer loading ranging from 0 to 10 parts per hundred of rubber (phr). The results showed that the tensile property and tear strength of the blends increased with the increasing amount of NR- g-PMMA as a compatibilizer. Thermal aging determined in terms of tensile properties exhibited the smaller difference between before and after aging in an oven with the increasing compatibilizer loading. The morphology of the compatibilized NR/NBR vulcanizates was investigated by scanning electron microscopy of the tensile fracture surfaces, which exhibited the improvement of interfacial adhesion between the two rubber phases. The thermal properties of compatibilized NR/NBR vulcanizates were reported in terms of a glass transition temperature under differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The incorporation of an appropriate amount of the compatibilizer into the blends apparently improved the oil resistance of NR. Among them, the blend filled with 7.5 phr of NR- g-PMMA showed the lowest volume change in IRM 903 oil.
“Women and Girls in Jeopardy by His False Testimony”: Charles Dancy, Urban Policing, and Black Women in New York City during the 1920s
Authors: Harris LaShawn Denise
Published: October 2016

Troubling partnerships between the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and criminal informants during the mid-1920s adversely impacted urban African American women’s daily lives. Part of multiple hierarchies of municipal corruption, undercover surveillance operations represented one of many apparatuses law enforcers employed to criminalize black women’s ordinary behavior, to reinforce Progressive era images of black female criminality and promiscuity, and to deny women of their personhood and civil rights. Black New Yorker and criminal informant Charles Dancy, identified by local black newspapers as a vicious con artist and serial rapist, figured prominently in undercover police operations. Dancy falsely identified black women as sex workers and had them arrested, and in the process sexually assaulted women. New York blacks were outraged by some NYPD members’ use of informants as well as black women’s erroneous legal confinement. Situating informant work within the context of police brutality, racial inequity, and the denial of American citizenship, New York African American race leaders, newspaper editors, and ordinary folks devised and took part in resistance strategies that contested police surveillance operations and spoke on behalf of those who were subjected to state sanctioned violence.
Robust model predictive control synthesis for state-delayed systems with randomly occurring input saturation nonlinearities
Authors: Zhang Langwen , Xie Wei , Zhong Zhaozhun , Wang Jingcheng
Published: October 2016

In this paper, a model predictive control algorithm is presented for linear parameter varying systems with both state delays and randomly occurring input saturation. The input saturation is assumed to be occurred randomly with Bernoulli-distributed white sequences. A constant sate feedback law is designed at each time instant to ensure the robust stability of the closed-loop system with respect to polytopic uncertainties. The optimization of model predictive controller is cast into solving a linear matrix inequalities optimization problem. Then, the results are extended to gain-scheduled approach in which a set of state feedback laws are designed for each vertex of the system model. The state feedback law is scheduled by the time varying model parameters to achieve less conservatism in controller design. Finally, two examples are employed to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
The disturbance rejection of magnetically suspended inertially stabilized platform
Authors: Guo Qingyuan , Liu Gang , Xiang Biao , Liu Hu , Wen Tong
Published: October 2016

In a magnetically suspended inertially stabilized platform, the yaw gimbal is suspended by the magnetic bearing, which can effectively isolate the external vibrations and disturbances. However, coupling torques and disturbance torques among gimbals still exist. Therefore, based on the cross feedback compensation, the output angles of gimbals are introduced as feedback variables, and the inverse coordinate transformation matrix is designed to compensate for the coupling torques. Furthermore, a disturbance observer is applied to inhibit the disturbance torque and simulations indicate that the disturbance observer can accurately estimate the disturbance torque. Consequently, the experimental results demonstrate that the cross feedback compensation can inhabit the coupling torques, and the disturbance observer greatly suppresses the external disturbance torques and improves the angular displacement precision of gimbals.
Vision-based control of an underactuated flying robot with input delay
Authors: Jabbari Asl Hamed , Mahdioun Seyyed H , Yoon Jungwon
Published: October 2016

In this paper a vision-based tracking controller is designed for the quadrotor vertical take-off and landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle. An imaged-based visual servoing approach is utilised to localise the quadrotor with respect to a moving target. Perspective image moments are used to define the visual features, which are projected on a rotated image plane to simplify the image dynamics. Attitude information and angular velocities are assumed to be available and the controller uses the flow of image features as the linear velocity cue. Presence of delay in processing and communication is modelled as a constant time delay in the force input of the translational dynamics, where a controller is designed for theses dynamics to compensate the delay effect. This controller is saturated in order to meet the quadrotor model constraint. A dynamic surface control approach is utilised for the rotational dynamics to track the desired attitude, defined through the position control loop. The stability properties of the complete control scheme are analysed using a theory of nonlinear cascaded systems. Simulation examples are provided in both nominal and perturbed conditions which show the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results.
A fresh approach to the design of observers for time-delay systems
Authors: Huong Dinh Cong
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a fresh approach to the design of state observers for a class of time-delay systems with one time delay in the state and output vectors. By proposing a new coordinate state transformation, the system is first transformed into the new coordinates where all the delay terms associated with the state variables are injected into the system’s output and input. Thus, in the new coordinate system, a Luenberger-type state observer can be easily designed. Then, a backward state transformation problem is studied which allows us to reconstruct the original state vector of the system. Conditions for the existence of the state transformations and an algorithm for computing them are provided in this paper. We show that our approach works for a wider class of time-delay systems in the sense that when some existing state observer design methods fail to reconstruct the state vector, the proposed new change of coordinates and the observer scheme in this paper can still reconstruct the original state vector. Numerical examples and simulation results are given to illustrative the effectiveness of the proposed design approach.
Control of a class of multibody underactuated mechanical systems with discontinuous friction using sliding-mode
Authors: Liu Yang
Published: October 2016

This paper studies sliding-mode control of a class of multibody underactuated systems with discontinuous friction on the unactuated configuration variable taking into account parametric uncertainties. Global motion for this class system including sticking, stick-slip, and slip regimes are analysed, and their corresponding equilibria are identified. The control objective is to avoid the sticking and the stick-slip regimes while tracking a desired velocity in the slip regime. Three sliding-mode controllers which are robust to parametric uncertainties are proposed, and their stabilities are proved using the Lyapunov direct method. Two examples, a mass-spring-damping system and a drill-string system, are used to demonstrate the validity of the proposed controllers.
Modelling and stabilization of a wireless network control system with time delay
Authors: Ma Junqing , Pan Feng , Zhou Liuwei , Zhou Wuneng , Wang Zehao
Published: October 2016

This paper investigates the problem of modelling and stabilization for a wireless based network control system with time delay. A model for the discrete-time system with time-varying delay is established to describe the system, and a static controller is designed that takes the feedback from both state and output into account. Based on Lyapunov stability theory and the linear matrix inequalities method, a new criterion is presented for stabilizing the discrete-time system with time-varying delay, and the corresponding controller parameter is obtained. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Vibration control of an axially moving accelerated/decelerated belt system with input saturation
Authors: Liu Yu , Zhao Zhijia , Guo Fang , Fu Yun
Published: October 2016

This article describes an investigation of a boundary control for vibration suppression of an axially moving accelerated or decelerated belt system with input saturation. Firstly, after considering the effects of the high acceleration or deceleration and unknown distributed disturbance, an infinite-dimensional model of the belt system is described by a nonhomogeneous partial differential equation and a set of ordinary differential equations. Secondly, by synthesizing boundary control techniques and Lyapunov’s direct method, a boundary control is developed to suppress the belt’s vibration and to stabilize the belt system at its equilibrium position globally; an auxiliary system is proposed to compensate for the nonlinear input saturation characteristic; a disturbance adaptation law is employed to mitigate the effects of unknown boundary disturbance; and the S-curve acceleration/deceleration method is adopted to plan the belt’s axial speed. Thirdly, with the proposed boundary control, the wellposedness of the closed-loop belt system is mathematically demonstrated and uniformly bounded stability of the closed-loop system is achieved without any discretization of the system dynamic model. Finally, simulation results are presented to verify the validity and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
A ripple-based maximum power point tracking method for three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic inverter
Authors: Wang Xian-Bo , Yang Zhi-Xin , Wang Jun-Xiao
Published: October 2016

As a prevailing solar energy utilization equipment, the three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) inverter is widely operated in partially shaded conditions and thus tends to generate multiple local maximum power points on its power-to-voltage and current-to-voltage characteristic curves. In order to identify the global maximum power point (GMPP) quickly and precisely, this paper proposes a ripple-based maximum power point tracking method. It aims to perform the optimization of tracking using the segmented scanning of DC-side voltage. An improved adaptive perturb and observe (AP&O) method is introduced to maximize the solar conversion and to increase working stability. This method applies a hybrid model of fixed and variable step-size perturbation to restrain the fluctuation of PV-side voltage. It belongs to a two-stage GMPP tracking method. That is, when environmental factors such as irradiance and temperature change quickly PV power fluctuates sharply. Correspondingly, the AP&O method tracks the latest maximum power point (MPP) with a large fixed-step voltage reference command. When the PV power fluctuates smoothly under a slow environmental change rate, the algorithm applies multiple small and variable step-size voltage perturbations to vibrate round the location of GMPP. Simulation and experimental results show that this method improves the efficiency of the PV inverter tracking performance. In addition, the stability of DC bus voltage is guaranteed, and the operational stability of the photovoltaic power generation system is improved.
Fractional order based trajectory tracking control of an ankle rehabilitation robot
Authors: Ayas Mustafa Sinasi , Altas Ismail Hakki , Sahin Erdinc
Published: October 2016

Human–robot interaction is inherently available and used actively in ankle rehabilitation robots. This interaction causes disturbances to be counteracted on the rehabilitation robots in order to reduce the side effects. This paper presents a fractional order proportional–integral–derivative controller to improve the trajectory tracking ability of a developed 2-degree of freedom parallel ankle rehabilitation robot subject to external disturbances. The parameters of the controller are optimally tuned by using both the cuckoo search algorithm and the particle swarm optimization algorithm. A traditional proportional–integral–derivative controller, which is also tuned using both of the algorithms, is designed to test the performance of the fractional order proportional–integral–derivative controller. The experimental results show that the optimally tuned FOPID controller improves the tracking performance of the ankle rehabilitation robot subject to external disturbances significantly and decreases the steady-state tracking errors compared to the optimally tuned PID controller.
Stability of nonlinear time-delay systems satisfying a quadratic constraint
Authors: Ekramian Mohsen , Ataei Mohammad , Talebi Soroush
Published: October 2016

The stability problem of nonlinear time-delay systems is addressed. A quadratic constraint is employed to exploit the structure of nonlinearity in dynamical systems via a set of multiplier matrices. This yields less conservative results concerning stability analysis. By employing a Wirtinger-based inequality, a delay-dependent stability criterion is derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities for the nominal and uncertain systems. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed stability conditions in dealing with some larger class of nonlinearities.
A novel robust fuzzy control of an uncertain system
Authors: Bayrak Abdurrahman , Gürsoy Handan , Efe Mehmet Önder
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a robust control method combining the conventional proportional–integral–derivative (PID) scheme and the sliding mode fuzzy control scheme for a second-order non-linear system having uncertainties in the system dynamics. The goal of the proposed scheme is to force the response of the uncertain plant to follow that of the nominal model. The first phase of the design approach is to obtain a nominal PID controller for the nominal plant model. The poor performance of the sole PID scheme on the uncertain non-linear system motivates the proposal of the technique discussed here. To compensate for the deficiencies in the unit step response of the uncertain system, a fuzzy compensation scheme based on sliding mode control (SMC) is proposed and the PID loop is augmented by the proposed approach. It is shown that the performance with the proposed scheme is better than the sole PID-based control system. With the proposed technique, the response of the uncertain system converges to of the nominal system with admissible controller outputs. Furthermore, simulation results show that the proposed method produces consistent results even with noisy measurements.
Modelling for motor load torque with dynamic load changes of beam pumping units based on a serial hybrid model
Authors: Li Kun , Han Ying
Published: October 2016

Beam pumping units are the main production modes in the oilfield oil recovery process. As the power-driven equipment is driven by larger electrical power of the pumping motor, the high energy cost problem is widespread and hard to solve. The motor working efficiency is difficult to accurately match to the complex dynamic loads, as the relationship between the motor driven torque and dynamic loads is hard to master precisely, and the accurate calculation of some important variables cannot be effectively solved by the traditional mechanism modelling method. To solve this problem, in this paper, the dynamic changes of the polished rod loads are considered as the dynamic load changes of the beam pumping units and a serial hybrid model for the motor load torque is studied. Firstly, according to the working principles of the beam pumping units and the mechanism models of the pumping motor, belt pulley-gear box and four-bar linkage mechanism are respectively built. Secondly, for the underground frictions, a rough mechanism model based on the energy conservation equation is built first and then a data-driven soft sensor model is adopted to obtain the dynamic fluid levels instead of an off-line measurement, which uses a C index based on the on-line verification method to prevent the over-fitting in data-driven modelling process. Through the research of this article, a serial hybrid model is proposed to build the dynamic relationship between the pumping motor load torque and the polished rod loads, the underground frictions can be taken as a dynamic variable related to the time and the down-hole dynamic fluid level can be obtained by an on-line calculation. The proposed hybrid modelling method is applied to four normal oil wells, and comparisons between the simulation results and the actual test results verify its effectiveness.
Malnutrition Identified by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Consensus Criteria and Other Bedside Tools Is Highly Prevalent in a Sample of Individuals Undergoing Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Mulasi Urvashi , Vock David M. , Kuchnia Adam J. , Jha Gautam , Fujioka Naomi , Rudrapatna Venkatesh , Patel Manish R. , Teigen Levi , Earthman Carrie P.
Published: October 2016

Background: Using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (Academy/ASPEN) Consensus malnutrition definition, we estimated malnutrition prevalence in a sample of individuals with head and neck cancer (HNC) and compared it with the Patient‐Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG‐SGA). We also investigated the utility of the 50‐kHz phase angle (PA) and 200‐kHz/5‐kHz impedance ratio (IR) to identify malnutrition.Materials and Methods: Nineteen individuals (18 males, 1 female) scheduled to undergo chemoradiotherapy were seen at 5 time points during and up to 3 months after treatment completion. Multiple‐frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, PG‐SGA, nutrition‐focused physical examination, anthropometry, dietary intake, and handgrip strength data were collected.Results: Using the Consensus, 67% were found to be malnourished before treatment initiation; these criteria diagnosed malnutrition with overall good sensitivity (94%) and moderate specificity (43%) compared with PG‐SGA. Over all pooled observations, “malnourished” (by Consensus but not PG‐SGA category) had a lower mean PA (5.2 vs 5.9;P= .03) and higher IR (0.82 vs 0.79;P= .03) than “well‐nourished” categorizations, although the clinical relevance of these findings is unclear. PA and IR were correlated with higher PG‐SGA score (r= −0.35,r= 0.36;P< .01) and handgrip strength (r= 0.48,r= −0.47;P< .01).Conclusion: The Academy/ASPEN Consensus and the PG‐SGA were in good agreement. It is unclear whether PA and IR can be used as surrogate markers of nutrition status or muscle loss.
Attentional focus versus diffuse attention
Authors: Rivière James , Cordonnier Aurore , Fouasse Christie
Published: October 2016

How toddlers’ attention is distributed in the visual field during a magic trick was examined using three expectation conditions. Results showed that 2.5-year-old children assigned to the condition with major task-relevant information (i.e., a verbal cue to attend to one of the visual targets) (i) outperformed those who were assigned to the condition with no task-relevant information, (ii) displayed more attentional switches between visual targets than those who were assigned to the condition with no task-relevant information, and (iii) did not look significantly longer at one of the visual targets in contrast to children assigned to the condition with no task-relevant information. The findings of an additional control condition suggest that the performance by children in the condition with major task-relevant information cannot merely be the consequence of the larger quantity of auditory information that was given during the interaction prior to the magic trick. In our task, verbal cue affected the switching of attention, not the prioritization of a specific region of space. These results are discussed in terms of advantage conferred by a diffuse mode of attention.
Community Sport Events and CSR Sponsorship
Authors: Batty Rachel J. , Cuskelly Graham , Toohey Kristine
Published: October 2016

Tobacco and alcohol companies have long faced criticism regarding the unhealthy nature of their products and decisions to sponsor community sport events (CSEs). Recent public health concerns have led to additional CSE sponsor products facing similar criticism, including soft drinks, confectionary, and fast food. With CSE sponsorship increasingly utilized as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, research into the perceptions, effects, and management of CSR-based sponsorships within CSEs is opportune. This multiple case study reviews the food and beverage sponsorships of four New Zealand–based CSEs and positions resulting discourse within the sport management domain. Findings suggest that criticism of CSR-based CSE sponsorship is on the rise and predominantly stems from public health concerns. Such ongoing criticism of sponsorship decisions could be detrimental to the financial viability of CSEs.
Credit inclusion and the home credit market in post-communist member states of the European Union
Authors: Burton Dawn
Published: October 2016

Credit inclusion has emerged as an important policy issue in post-communist member states of the European Union because of reductions in state welfare. Sub-prime lenders have emerged to fill the gap left by welfare cuts for low-income consumers who do not qualify for mainstream credit. Home collected credit has become established in post-communist member states but high interest and administrative costs make this an expensive option resulting in vulnerable people becoming involved in a cycle of indebtedness. Some of the important consequences for social policy are addressed.
Low-temperature H2S removal for solid oxide fuel cell application with metal oxide adsorbents
Authors: Weinlaender Christof , Neubauer Raphael , Hochenauer Christoph
Published: October 2016

The desulfurization of biogas is essential for the successful operation of solid oxide fuel cells. H2S is one of the main components in biogas. In order to feed a solid oxide fuel cell, the contaminated gas has to be reduced to a certain degree. In this work, different parameters onto the desulfurization performance of commercially available desulfurization adsorbents were investigated. The experiments were carried out using a custom made lab-scale unit. Synthetic biogas was passed through the sorbent bed and the outlet H2S concentration was measured. Experimental runs in a fixed bed reactor were conducted to monitor H2S removal efficiency of a zinc oxide adsorbent, an adsorbent based on a mixture of manganese and copper oxide and a zeolite adsorbent. H2S removal efficiency was monitored under various operating conditions such as different temperatures, space velocities and inlet concentrations. This work provides useful data for adsorption tower design and process optimization.
Fabrication of submicrosized imprinted spheres attached polypropylene membrane using “two-dimensional” molecular imprinting method for targeted separation
Authors: Meng Minjia , Feng Yonghai , Liu Yan , Dai Xiaohui , Pan Jianming , Yan Yongsheng
Published: October 2016

The submicrosized imprinted polypropylene microfiltration membrane (SIPM) for salicylic acid (SA) was prepared by water-in-oil emulsion polymerization method and two-dimensional imprinting method based on polypropylene microfiltration membrane with salicylic acid as template molecule, 4-vinyl pyridine as functional monomer, Span 80 as emulsifier, toluene as the oil phase, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as cross-linking agent, and 2,2′-azobis (2-methylpropionitrile) as initiator. The structure, morphology, and surface wettability of SIPM were characterized by Raman spectra, contact angle, and scanning electron microscopy. Flux test shows that the submicrosized imprinted spheres on the membrane is beneficial for increasing the membrane flux. Static adsorption experiment indicates that SIPM has a selective rebinding for salicylic acid. Moreover, the adsorption amount of salicylic acid over SIPM increased with properly increasing the amount of imprinted spheres on the SIPM. Permeation experiment shows that transport mechanism for permeation of the salicylic acid and acetylsalicylic acid toward SIPM is accordance with the facilitated mechanism.
Evaluation of h and h-type Indices for Research Performance at Researcher's Level
Authors: Tahira Muzammil , Abdullah Abrizah , Alias Rose Alinda , Bakri Aryati
Published: October 2016

Various new performance evaluation indices for impact have been proposed and studied in various contexts. This study carried out a quantitative evaluation of the case of Malaysian engineering researchers at the micro level using a scientometric approach. In order to understand the behavior of new developments, a comparative performance evaluation is carried out of h-index, a set of h-type indices along with publication and citation metrics. Findings are compared with earlier major studies. We looked for institutional h-index and researchers’ h-index scores and did not find any relationship. Exploratory Factor Analysis is employed to examine the valid categorization and to study the underlying dimensions of the studied metrics and indices. The inter-correlation among h-index, its variants, and traditional metrics is probed in detail. The h, q and g-indices along with publication and citation hold the position on ‘quantity of the productive core’, while the R index showed equal loading on both cores. For the case of Malaysian engineering researchers, two conspicuous findings are observed about the total citation and g-index. These have association with the first component named as ‘quantity of the productive core.’ Our findings strengthen the point that citation count has a strong association with the ‘quantity of the productive core’ and cannot be used as sole impact evaluation measure.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for life-threatening acute severe status asthmaticus
Authors: Di Lascio Gabriella , Prifti Edvin , Messai Elmi , Peris Adriano , Harmelin Guy , Xhaxho Roland , Fico Albana , Sani Guido , Bonacchi Massimo
Published: October 2016

Introduction:

Status asthmaticus is a life-threatening condition characterized by progressive respiratory failure due to asthma that is unresponsive to standard therapeutic measures. We used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to treat patients with near-fatal status asthamticus who did not respond to aggressive medical therapies and mechanical ventilation under controlled permissive hypercapnia.

Materials and methods:

Between January 2011 and October 2015, we treated 16 adult patients with status asthmaticus (8 women, 8 men, mean age: 50.5±10.6years) with veno-venous ECMO (13 patients) or veno-arterial (3 patients). Patients failed to respond to conventional therapies despite receiving the most aggressive therapies, including maximal medical treatments, mechanical ventilation under controlled permissive hypercapnia and general anesthetics.

Results:

Mean time spent on ECMO was 300±11.8 hours (range 36–384 hours). PaO2, PaCO2 and pH showed significant improvement promptly after ECMO initiation p=0.014, 0.001 and <0.001, respectively, and such values remained significantly improved after ECMO, p=0.004 and 0.001 and <0.001, respectively. The mean time of ventilation after decannulation until extubation was 175±145.66 hours and the median time to intensive care unit discharge after decannulation was 234±110.30 hours. All 16 patients survived without neurological sequelae.

Conclusions:

ECMO could provide adjunctive pulmonary support for intubated asthmatic patients who remain severely acidotic and hypercarbic despite aggressive conventional therapy. ECMO should be considered as an early treatment in patients with status asthmaticus whose gas exchange cannot be satisfactorily maintained by conventional therapy for providing adequate gas change and preventing lung injury from the ventilation.
Managing risk during care transitions when approaching end of life: A qualitative study of patients’ and health care professionals’ decision making
Authors: Coombs Maureen A , Parker Roses , de Vries Kay
Published: October 2016

Background:

Increasing importance is being placed on the coordination of services at the end of life.

Aim:

To describe decision-making processes that influence transitions in care when approaching the end of life.

Design:

Qualitative study using field observations and longitudinal semi-structured interviews.

Setting/participants:

Field observations were undertaken in three sites: a residential care home, a medical assessment unit and a general medical unit in New Zealand. The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool was used to identify participants with advanced and progressive illness. Patients and family members were interviewed on recruitment and 3–4 months later. Four weeks of fieldwork were conducted in each site. A total of 40 interviews were conducted: 29 initial interviews and 11 follow-up interviews. Thematic analysis was undertaken.

Findings:

Managing risk was an important factor that influenced transitions in care. Patients and health care staff held different perspectives on how such risks were managed. At home, patients tolerated increasing risk and used specific support measures to manage often escalating health and social problems. In contrast, decisions about discharge in hospital were driven by hospital staff who were risk-adverse. Availability of community and carer services supported risk management while a perceived need for early discharge decision making in hospital and making ‘safe’ discharge options informed hospital discharge decisions.

Conclusion:

While managing risk is an important factor during care transitions, patients should be able to make choices on how to live with risk at the end of life. This requires reconsideration of transitional care and current discharge planning processes at the end of life.
Psychological Factors Associated With Smartphone Addiction in South Korean Adolescents
Authors: Lee Jeewon , Sung Min-Je , Song Sook-Hyung , Lee Young-Moon , Lee Je-Jung , Cho Sun-Mi , Park Mi-Kyung , Shin Yun-Mi
Published: October 2016

The smartphone has many attractive attributes and characteristics that could make it highly addictive, particularly in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of young adolescents in risk of smartphone addiction and the psychological factors associated with smartphone addiction. Four hundred ninety middle school students completed a self-questionnaire measuring levels of smartphone addiction, behavioral and emotional problems, self-esteem, anxiety, and adolescent-parent communication. One hundred twenty-eight (26.61%) adolescents were in high risk of smartphone addiction. This latter group showed significantly more severe levels of behavioral and emotional problems, lower self-esteem, and poorer quality of communication with their parents. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the severity of smartphone addiction is significantly associated with aggressive behavior (β = .593, t = 3.825) and self-esteem (β = −.305, t = −2.258). Further exploratory and confirmatory studies should consider different sites, demographics, technological mobile devices, platforms, and applications.
Confidence and choral configuration: The affective impact of situational and acoustic factors in amateur choirs
Authors: Bonshor Michael J.
Published: October 2016

This article reports a qualitative study investigating the factors affecting confidence levels amongst adult amateur choral singers. Three focus groups (involving a total of 18 participants) and 16 individual interviews were carried out with experienced choral singers, and over 40 hours of recorded verbal data were collected. The research aims were to explore the lived experience of choral singers; to examine the main influences on choral singers’ perceptions of their voices and performance ability; to identify factors affecting their confidence as choral singers; to extrapolate confidence-building strategies for amateur choral singers. One of the major emergent themes was choir configuration, which encompassed the spacing between singers, the layout of the choir, the position of the individual singer within the choir, and the position of the choir within the venue. All of these elements reportedly had effects upon the confidence of choral singers during rehearsal and performance. These findings have practical implications for leaders of amateur choral ensembles, as choir configuration may be used as one of the tools for building collective and individual choral confidence.
Broadcasting personalities: The relationship between occupation and music preferences in the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs
Authors: Knox Don , MacDonald Raymond
Published: October 2016

This research examines the music choices of interviewees on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs over a 72-year period. In the programme, individuals with a public profile related to high achievement in their chosen occupation identify several pieces of their favourite music. Publicly stated music preferences offer insights into how individuals construct and wish to communicate crucial aspects their identities. We propose that, in this context, occupation is related to music preferences. We investigate this relationship within the framework of Holland’s RIASEC model of vocational personality types, previously ignored by research into music preferences. We consider music preferences in terms of the five-dimension MUSIC model of music preferences, and preference for acoustical attributes of chosen music. Results demonstrate several significant associations between RIASEC occupation types and MUSIC preference dimensions, and also a main effect for RIASEC type on acoustical music attributes such as tempo, energy and loudness.
Knowledge practices, waves and verticality: Tracing HIV/AIDS activism from late apartheid to the present in South Africa
Authors: Powers Theodore
Published: October 2016

As the South African HIV/AIDS epidemic enters its fourth decade, universal access to treatment has begun to extend the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. While the South Africa’s ruling party – the African National Congress – has seized on improved health to bolster their political profile, the key agitators in producing this outcome were South African HIV/AIDS activists. Narrative accounts of the extended initiative have focused on the organisations that led the campaign for treatment access, such as the Treatment Access Campaign. Reflecting present trends in social movement theory, the emphasis in these accounts has been on transnational and/or ‘horizontal’ ties in alliance building. This approach obscures continuities with early South African HIV/AIDS activism during the late apartheid era. The concept of verticality is proposed as a means of highlighting the role of interpersonal relationships in the development of institutions and transmission of knowledge practices that link the waves of South African HIV/AIDS activism.