bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A single dose of mirtazapine attenuates neural responses to self-referential processing
Authors: Komulainen Emma , Heikkilä Roope , Meskanen Katarina , Raij Tuukka T , Nummenmaa Lauri , Lahti Jari , Jylhä Pekka , Melartin Tarja , Harmer Catherine J , Isometsä Erkki , Ekelund Jesper
Published: November 2015

Increased self-focus is a core factor in the psychopathology of depression. Cortical midline structures (CMS) are implicated in the neurobiology of self, depression and antidepressant treatment response. Mirtazapine, an antidepressant that increases serotonin and norepinephrine release, enhances processing of positive and attenuates processing of negative emotional information in healthy volunteers after a single dose. These early changes, which are opposite to the negative information bias in depression, may be important for the therapeutic effect of mirtazapine. It nevertheless remains unresolved whether/how mirtazapine specifically influences processing of self-referential emotional information.

Half of the healthy volunteers ( n=15/30) received a single dose of mirtazapine, in an open-label design, two hours before functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the other half was scanned as a control group without medication. During fMRI the participants categorized positive and negative self-referential adjectives.

Mirtazapine attenuated responses to self-referential processing in the medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex. Mirtazapine further decreased responses to positive self-referential processing in the posterior cingulate cortex and parietal cortex.

These decreased responses of the CMS suggest that mirtazapine may rapidly improve the ability of the CMS to down-regulate self-referential processing. In depressed patients, this could lead to decreased self-focus and rumination, contributing to the antidepressant effect.
Blood lactate levels as a biomarker of antipsychotic side effects in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Elmorsy Ekramy , Shahda Mohamed , Mahmoud El-Hassanen M , Rakha Shirien A , Shoaib Mohammed
Published: November 2015

Background:

Antipsychotic drugs (APs) are widely prescribed in psychiatry primarily for the treatment of psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. An issue related to poor prognosis in patients with chronic illness relates to the accumulation of lactate levels in blood, leading to patients that become critically ill. It is suggested that haloperidol and olanzapine, as common therapy for schizophrenia, are associated with increased levels of blood lactate, which may contribute towards the extra-pyramidal side effects.

Aims and method:

In this study, 88 patients attending the psychiatry outpatient clinic of Mansoura University Hospital, under treatment with typical APs (chlorpromazine or haloperidol) or the atypical APs (risperidone, olanzapine or quetiapine) were followed over a three-month period. Blood lactate levels were assessed at diagnosis, ten days and 90 days after the start of AP treatment. Extra-pyramidal symptoms (EPSs) were studied in participants during the course of this study.

Results:

Chlorpromazine and haloperidol caused significant increases in lactate levels within the first ten days of therapy, while after 90 days, all APs showed significant increases in arterial blood lactate levels in comparison with the first baseline measurement (for all APs, p-values <0.0001). Dystonia was reported by patients on chlorpromazine, haloperidol and risperidone therapies, while Parkinsonian-like manifestations were reported with all APs tested except for quetiapine. Both dystonia and Parkinsonian-like manifestations were also observed alongside the significant increases in arterial blood lactate levels in comparison to patients on therapy not displaying EPSs.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest elevated blood lactate levels may serve as early biomarkers for occurrence of extra-pyramidal symptoms in patients on chronic APs treatment.
Redemption and Nutopia: The Scope of Nuclear Critique in International Studies
Authors: Peoples Columba
Published: November 2015

What should the scope of nuclear critique within international studies be? This article addresses that question by making two interrelated arguments. First that political programmes of international nuclear order are crucially underpinned by what is termed here as ‘nutopianism’: a mode of understanding nuclear power that is imbued with a spirit of technological optimism in relation to ‘peaceful’ nuclear power, but simultaneously qualified by an awareness of the destructive uses and catastrophic potentialities of nuclear weapons. Second, that such nutopianism is in turn predicated on the ‘saving power’ of ‘the atom’: the assumption that nuclear power has redeeming features crucial to human progress and economic prosperity, the development of which should be facilitated within the structures of international order. The article makes the case that although critical thought within international studies focuses on nuclear weapons within international order, it has tended to remain largely silent on the issue of ‘civil’ nuclear power beyond nuclear weapons and the complex imbrication between the two. On that basis the article considers whether a more holistic and expansive form of nuclear critique is both possible and necessary.
Introduction to the special issue on science fiction
Authors: Milner Andrew , Redmond Sean
Published: November 2015

This introduction to a special issue of Thesis Eleven devoted to science fiction begins by exploring the way the genre has been handled by German and French critical theory and their Anglophone equivalents. It proceeds to a discussion of the historical sociology of the genre and, thence, to an account of what it terms the dialectic of science fiction endangerment. Finally, it concludes with a brief overview of the various contributions to the issue.
Transformative Learning as a Metatheory
Authors: Hoggan Chad D.
Published: November 2015

This article addresses a significant problem with transformative learning theory; namely, that it is increasingly being used to refer to almost any instance of learning. This article offers several points of clarity to resolve this problem. First, it portrays a subtle but important evolution in the way the theory has been used in the literature and, as a solution, positions transformative learning as an analytic metatheory. It then presents a typology of transformative learning outcomes as a conceptual tool scholars can use to describe learning phenomena. Finally, this article suggests a definition and criteria for transformative learning to provide parameters around the phenomena that the metatheory of transformative learning should address.
Domestic Property Violence: A Distinct and Damaging Form of Parent Abuse
Authors: Murphy-Edwards Latesha , van Heugten Kate
Published: November 2015

This article reports on the qualitative phase of mixed method research conducted in a medium-size city in New Zealand, which examined 14 parents’ experiences of child- and youth-perpetrated domestic property violence (DPV). The research used semi-structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis, enabling parents’ perceptions of the causes and impacts of this form of family violence to be explored in depth. Three superordinate themes were identified in the analysis: damage done, the various impacts of DPV; staying safe and sane; and making sense of DPV, parents’ perspectives. An ecological meaning-making theory emerged from the data and provided an overarching interpretative framework for considering the themes both separately and together. The findings showed that DPV is a distinct form of parent abuse and one that can have serious impacts of a financial, emotional, and relational nature. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed along with ideas for further research into this problem.
Experiences of Intimate Partner and Neighborhood Violence and Their Association With Mental Health in Pregnant Women
Authors: Barcelona de Mendoza Veronica , Harville Emily W. , Savage Jane , Giarratano Gloria
Published: November 2015

Both intimate partner violence and neighborhood crime have been associated with worse mental health outcomes, but less is known about cumulative effects. This association was studied in a sample of pregnant women who were enrolled in a study of disaster exposure, prenatal care, and mental and physical health outcomes between 2010 and 2012. Women were interviewed about their exposure to intimate partner violence and perceptions of neighborhood safety, crime, and disorder. Main study outcomes included symptoms of poor mental health; including depression, pregnancy-specific anxiety (PA), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Logistic regression was used to examine predictors of mental health with adjustment for confounders. Women who experienced high levels of intimate partner violence and perceived neighborhood violence had increased odds of probable depression in individual models. Weighted high cumulative (intimate partner and neighborhood) experiences of violence were also associated with increased odds of having probable depression when compared with those with low violence. Weighed high cumulative violence was also associated with increased odds of PTSD. This study provides additional evidence that cumulative exposure to violence is associated with poorer mental health in pregnant women.
Listening to Our Patients
Authors: Signoracci Gina M. , Stearns-Yoder Kelly A. , Holliman Brooke Dorsey , Huggins Joseph A. , Janoff Edward N. , Brenner Lisa A.
Published: November 2015

Purpose: We sought to gather perspectives of veterans with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) regarding suicide risk factors, warning signs, and protective factors. We also aimed to modify an existing Veterans Health Administration tool, the Suicide Risk Assessment Guide Pocket Card, for HIV/AIDS provider use. Methods: Twenty male veterans participated in audio-recorded semistructured interviews that were transcribed and coded for themes. Findings: Veterans highlighted personally relevant psychosocial stressors (i.e., poverty, social isolation and loneliness, and physical health). Although the concept of warning signs did not seem salient to participants, they named indicators of elevated imminent risk for self-directed violence (i.e., “relapse,” “not take’n medications,” and “miss’n appointments”) and few protective factors. No themes emerged regarding recommended pocket card changes. Conclusions: This sample of veterans identified self-directed violence risks noted in the general population and others with HIV/AIDS, as well as proximal events associated with increased risk. Care providers are encouraged to explore the relevance of noted imminent and persistent indicators of increased risk with veterans seeking care.
‘Birthgasm’
Authors: Mayberry Lorel , Daniel Jacqueline
Published: November 2015

Childbirth is a fundamental component of a woman’s sexual cycle. The sexuality of childbirth is not well recognized in Western society despite research showing that some women experience orgasm(s) during labor and childbirth. Current thinking supports the view that labor and childbirth are perceived to be physically painful events, and more women are relying on medical interventions for pain relief in labor. This review explores the potential of orgasm as a mode of pain relief in childbirth and outlines the physiological explanations for its occurrence. Potential barriers to sexual expression during childbirth and labor, including the influence of deeply held cultural beliefs about sexuality, the importance of privacy and intimacy in facilitating orgasmic birth experiences, and the value of including prospective fathers in the birthing experience, are discussed. The role of midwives and their perceptions of the use of complementary and alternative therapies for pain relief in labor are examined. While there are indications of widespread use of complementary and alternative therapies such as hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, and breathing techniques for pain relief in childbirth, orgasm was not among those mentioned. Lack of recognition of the sexuality of childbirth, despite findings that orgasm can attenuate the effects of labor pain, suggests the need for greater awareness among expectant parents, educators, and health professionals of the potential of orgasm as a means of pain relief in childbirth.
Usual and Dual-Task Walking Speed
Authors: Donoghue Orna A. , Dooley Cara , Kenny Rose Anne
Published: November 2015

Objective: In many countries, pedestrian light crossings require a minimum walking speed of 1.2 m/s. This study examined the proportion of adults in a nationally representative sample whose usual and dual-task walking speeds are <1.2 m/s. Method: Community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) completed walking speed tests on a GAITRite® walkway ( N = 4,909). Results: One third of Irish adults aged 65 to 74 years and 61% of adults aged ≥75 years walked slower than 1.2 m/s. In dual-task walking, 54% of adults aged <65 years and 91% of adults aged ≥75 years walked slower than 1.2 m/s. Discussion: Based on these data, many older people would have insufficient time to cross the road at light-controlled pedestrian crossings. Increasing the time provided would be an advantage for many older pedestrians.
Which Features of the Environment Impact Community Participation of Older Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Vaughan Molly , LaValley Michael P. , AlHeresh Rawan , Keysor Julie J.
Published: November 2015

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify features of the environment associated with community participation of older adults. Method: A systematic review of studies that examined associations between environment and community participation in older adults was conducted. Environmental features were extracted and grouped using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health’s environmental categories. Meta-analysis of environmental categories was conducted by calculating combined effect size (ES) estimates. Results: Significant, small to moderate, random ESs were found for six of seven environmental categories: neighborliness (ES = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.18, 0.87]), social support (ES = 0.38, 95% CI = [0.13, 0.62]), land-use diversity (ES = 0.29, 95% CI = [0.16, 0.42]), transportation (ES = 0.29, 95% CI = [0.15, 0.43]), civil protection (e.g., safety; ES = 0.27, 95% CI = [0.0, 0.54]), and street connectivity/walkability (ES = 0.20, 95% CI = [0.15, 0.26]). Discussion: Community initiatives that address specific features of the social environment and street-level environment may increase community participation of older adults.
Maternal brain death and legal protection of the foetus in Ireland
Authors: Mulligan Andrea
Published: November 2015

Maintaining somatic support after brain death in a pregnant woman to support foetal life is a controversial and little understood treatment. International consensus indicates that this treatment may be ethical but only in certain limited circumstances. The Irish Constitution protects the right to life of the unborn. This article considers the recent case of PP v. HSE in which the Irish High Court addressed the protection of unborn life in the context of maternal brain death. Although the Court ordered the withdrawal of somatic support, this holding was largely based on the conclusion that the foetus could not survive. The decision strongly implies that maintaining somatic support may be constitutionally mandated in cases where the foetus has a chance of survival. This article argues that the effect of the Irish law is to deny doctors the ability to assess these situations using their best clinical and ethical judgement.
Bio-inspired directional sensor with piezoelectric microfiber and helical electrodes
Authors: Tao Junliang , Yu Xiong (Bill)
Published: November 2015

Inspired by the hair cells of vertebrates and aquatics, we proposed a hair sensor design that mimics the directionality and linearity of hair cells. The sensor promotes a novel use of piezoelectric microfiber with unique helical electrodes. The sensing mechanism was modeled both analytically and numerically. The analytical model explicitly illustrates the effects of the various design parameters on the performance of the sensor; the numerical model took into account the complex geometry of the sensor and elucidated the importance of the orientation of piezoelectric polarization on the piezoelectric effects. Both models provide valuable insight to optimize the sensor performance. Hair sensor prototypes were fabricated and characterized in the laboratory. The sensor output was found to be linearly dependent on the magnitude of applied displacements. Besides, at the same magnitude of deflection, the sensor responses followed a cosine function with the loading direction, which is similar to what is observed on the directionality of biological hair cells. These experimental observations were consistent with the results of model simulations. An algorithm was proposed to determine the magnitude and direction of acoustic stimuli by utilizing just a pair of orthogonally polarized and closely spaced hair cell sensors.
Outcomes of Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis Through a Posterior Achilles Tendon–Splitting Approach
Authors: Pellegrini Manuel J. , Schiff Adam P. , Adams Samuel B. , DeOrio James K. , Easley Mark E. , Nunley James A.
Published: November 2015

Background:

A number of operative approaches have been described to perform a tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis. Here we present the largest reported series of a posterior Achilles tendon–splitting approach for TTC fusion.

Methods:

With institutional review board approval, a retrospective review of the TTC fusions performed at a single academic institution was carried out. Orthopedic surgeons specializing in foot and ankle surgery performed all procedures. Eligible patients included all those who underwent a TTC fusion via a posterior approach and had at least a 2-year follow-up. Forty-one patients underwent TTC arthrodesis through a posterior Achilles tendon–splitting approach. Mean age at surgery was 56.9±15.0 years. There were 21 female and 20 male patients. Preoperative diagnoses included arthritis (n = 13 patients), failed total ankle arthroplasty (9), avascular necrosis of the talus (9), prior nonunion of the ankle and/or subtalar joint (6), Charcot neuro-arthropathy (2), and stage IV flatfoot deformity (2). In 37 patients (90.2%), a hindfoot intramedullary arthrodesis nail was used, with posterior plate or supplemental screw augmentation in 17 patients. Posterior plate stabilization alone was utilized in 4 cases (9.8%).

Results:

The fusion rate was 80.4%. Eight patients developed a nonunion of the subtalar, tibiotalar, or both joints. Complications were observed in 17 patients (41.4%). Of these, ankle nonunion (19.5%), tibial stress fracture (17%), postoperative cellulitis and superficial wound breakdown (9.7%), subtalar nonunion (4.8%), and TTC malunion (2.4%) were the most frequently identified. One patient eventually underwent amputation (2.4%).

Conclusion:

We believe that posterior Achilles tendon–splitting approach for tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis was a safe and effective method, with similar union and complications rates to some previously described techniques. We believe the posterior approach is advantageous as it provides simultaneous access to both the ankle and subtalar joints and allows for dissection to occur between angiosomes, which may preserve blood supply to the skin.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Return to Sports and Physical Activities After the Modified Lapidus Procedure for Hallux Valgus in Young Patients
Authors: MacMahon Aoife , Karbassi John , Burket Jayme C. , Elliott Andrew J. , Levine David S. , Roberts Matthew M. , Deland Jonathan T. , O’Malley Martin J. , Yu Jeanne , Mancuso Carol A. , Ellis Scott J.
Published: November 2015

Background:

The modified Lapidus procedure has successfully relieved pain and corrected deformity in patients with hallux valgus, but its effect on participation in specific sports and physical activities remains unclear. Our goals were to assess sports and physical activities in young patients following the modified Lapidus procedure and to compare these with clinical outcomes.

Methods:

Fifty-eight eligible patients were identified from a retrospective registry review. Of these, 48 (83%) were reached for follow-up at a mean of 2.8 (range, 1.0 to 6.1) years and had a mean age at surgery of 37.3 (range, 14.1 to 49.3) years. Physical activity participation was evaluated with a new sports-specific, patient-administered questionnaire. Clinical outcomes were evaluated with the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and compared to sports outcomes.

Results:

Patients participated in 26 different physical activities, consisting of 212 total physical activities preoperatively and 209 total postoperatively. The most common were walking, running, bicycling, and swimming. Compared to preoperatively, patients rated 29% of activities as less difficult, 52% as the same, and 19% as more difficult and rated participation levels as improved in 40%, the same in 41%, and impaired in 19%. Eighty-one percent of patients were satisfied with their operative outcome in regard to return to physical activity. Changes in the FAOS Pain subscore were significantly associated with improvements in physical activity difficulty ( P < .05), and changes in the Pain, Sports, and QOL subscores were significantly associated with changes in physical activity participation levels ( P < .05).

Conclusion:

Four in 5 patients were able to participate in previous sports and physical activities, including high-impact activities, at their preoperative participation level or better after the modified Lapidus procedure, and were satisfied with surgery in regard to return to previous activity. However, several patients had increased difficulty and impaired participation in physical activity postoperatively. Altogether, this suggests that the procedure is a viable treatment option for hallux valgus in young, active patients.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Increased Use of Care Management Processes and Expanded Health Information Technology Functions by Practice Ownership and Medicaid Revenue
Authors: Rodriguez Hector P. , McClellan Sean R. , Bibi Salma , Casalino Lawrence P. , Ramsay Patricia P. , Shortell Stephen M.
Published: November 2015

Practice ownership and Medicaid revenue may affect the use of care management processes (CMPs) for chronic conditions and expansion of health information technology (HIT). Using a national cohort of medical practices, we compared the use of CMPs and HIT from 2006/2008 to 2013 by practice ownership and level of Medicaid revenue. Poisson regression models estimated changes in CMP use, and linear regression estimated changes in HIT, by practice ownership and Medicaid patient revenue, controlling for other practice characteristics. Compared with physician-owned practices, system-owned practices adopted a greater number of CMPs and HIT functions over time ( p < .001). High Medicaid revenue (≥30.0%) was associated with less adoption of CMPs ( p < .001) and HIT ( p < .01). System-owned practices ( p < .001) and community health centers ( p < .001) with high Medicaid revenue were more likely than physician-owned practices with high Medicaid revenue to adopt CMPs over time. System and community health center ownership appear to help high Medicaid practices overcome CMP adoption constraints.
Impact of Medicare Part D on Racial Disparities in Adherence to Cardiovascular Medications Among the Elderly
Authors: Hussein Mustafa , Waters Teresa M. , Chang Cyril F. , Bailey James E. , Brown Lawrence M. , Solomon David K.
Published: November 2015

Medicare Part D improved medication adherence among the elderly, but to date, its effect on disparities in adherence remains unknown. We estimated Part D impact on racial/ethnic disparities in adherence to cardiovascular medications among seniors, using pooled data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2002-2010) on 14,221 Medicare recipients (65+ years) and 3,456 near-elderly controls (60-64 years). Study sample included White, Black, or Hispanic respondents who used at least one cardiovascular medication. Twelve-month adherence was measured as having an overall proportion of days covered ≥80%. Adherence disparities were defined according to the Institute of Medicine framework. Using difference-in-differences logistic regression, we found Part D to be associated with a 16-percentage-point decrease in the White–Hispanic disparity in overall adherence among seniors, net of the change among controls. Black–White disparities worsened only among men, by 21 percentage points. Increasing access and improving quality of medication use among disadvantaged seniors should remain a policy priority.
Does Gender and Professional Experience Influence Students’ Perceptions of Professors?
Authors: Tindall Natalie T. J. , Waters Richard D.
Published: November 2015

Grounded in literature stemming from higher education research, this study examines how students evaluate public relations educators by gauging their perceptions of the professors’ professional competency, professorial warmth, course difficulty, and industry connectivity. Using an experimental design, students ( N = 303) from four U.S. universities reviewed syllabi for the introductory public relations course to test whether an instructor’s gender or professional background (academic vs. practice) influenced the students’ perceptions. The findings from this study suggest that students evaluate professors on professional criteria and the professors’ ability to connect classroom experience and theory to actual practice.
Party representation across multiple issue dimensions
Authors: Dalton Russell J
Published: November 2015

Issue congruence between citizens and policy makers should be one of the central aspects of a democratic process. This study uses the 2009 European Election Study to compare the views of citizens and party elites on a diverse set of domestic policy issues and overall Left-Right identities. We find very high levels of congruence for Left-Right positions and socio-economic issues. Parties are less representative of their supporters on the newer cultural issues of immigration and authority, as well as gender issues. National political contexts have limited influence on congruence levels, although some party characteristics such as political extremism or party family are linked to citizen-voter agreement. On the whole, citizens and like-minded parties do connect through the electoral process to a high degree. However, the results also argue for a multidimensional approach to assessing representation to recognize where parties agree and deviate from their supporters.
Learning to teach data journalism: Innovation, influence and constraints
Authors: Hewett Jonathan
Published: November 2015

Journalism education has tended to respond slowly to developments in digital journalism, such as data journalism, despite or because of close links with the industry. This article examines the obstacles to innovation in journalism education with particular reference to data journalism, drawing on the literature, a review of stakeholders and course documents, and the author’s reflections on developing a data journalism module as part of a new MA programme. It highlights the complexities linked to the particular demands of data journalism, and identifies critical issues around student satisfaction; reputation and job/career outcomes; relevance, currency and appeal; programme management; and coherence. Rather than holding it back, more specialized socialization could assist journalism education to innovate effectively, the author suggests.
The power of the cover: Symbolic contests around the Boston bombing suspect’s Rolling Stone cover
Authors: Jenkins Joy , Tandoc Edson C
Published: November 2015

Rolling Stone ignited a debate in July 2013 when it published a cover featuring alleged Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The online version of the cover story drew comments expressing criticism and support of the cover. A qualitative analysis of comments posted within the first week of the cover story shed light on the image’s institutional meaning for Rolling Stone and cultural meaning for readers. Assessing this cover as a critical incident, this study shows how readers, through their comments, participated in the ongoing boundary work in the journalistic field, joining journalism’s interpretive community in defining professional roles, norms, and routines.
An analytical procedure for time domain simulation of roll motion of the warped planing hulls
Authors: Ghadimi Parviz , Tavakoli Sasan , Dashtimanesh Abbas
Published: November 2015

Prediction of the roll motion is considered as an important problem in planing hull motion, since safety of the craft highly depends on it at high speeds. Accordingly, the main aim of the present study is to analyze this motion in time domain and estimate its amplitude at various frequencies. In many of the earlier works performed for predicting the motion of planing hulls, the 2d + t theory has been used. However, in all of these studies, water entry phenomenon was modeled without considering the asymmetric condition. In order to overcome this problem, a mathematical model is hereby proposed for prediction of the roll motion which is derived by applying an analytical model of the water entry in which asymmetric condition is taken into account. The suggested method may be used for the warped planing boats. Validity of the model is examined by comparing the obtained results against different experimental results. Another objective of the present study is to examine the effects of deadrise angle, longitudinal center of the gravity and the hullform on the amplitude of motion and hull response. The response is investigated at different conditions: (1) sinusoidal exciting moment, (2) a fixed existing moment and (3) an initial roll angle without any exciting moment. The proposed model is also used to evaluate the horizontal forces and moments acting on the hull during the roll motion.
Human-centered headway control for adaptive cruise-controlled vehicles
Authors: Gao Zhenhai , Yan Wei , Hu Hongyu , Li Hongjian
Published: November 2015

Driving characteristics of human drivers, such as driving safety, comfort, handiness, and efficiency, which are interrelated and contradictory, are synthetically considered to maintain a safe inter-vehicle distance in this article. For the multi-objective coordination control problem, the safety, handiness, comfort, and efficiency indicators are established via driving states and manipulated variable. Furthermore, a multi-performance indicator coordination mechanism is proposed via the invariant set and quadratic boundedness theory. A headway control algorithm for adaptive cruise control is established under the dynamic output feedback control framework. Finally, feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are verified via closed-loop simulations under the following, cut-out, and cut-in typical operating conditions.
Modeling and analysis of the transient vibration of camshaft in multi-cylinder diesel engine
Authors: Guo Jie , Zhang Wenping , Zhang Xinyu
Published: November 2015

The dynamics and vibrations of camshaft excited by multi-follower elements are modeled and analyzed. A pushrod valve train system from a four-cylinder diesel engine is selected as the case study. The camshaft is modeled to analyze the interactions of multi-follower elements. Both the camshaft angular vibration and bending vibration are taken into consideration. Each follower element is simplified as a multi-mass system. The lumped masses are connected by the spring elements and the damping elements. The contact force model at the cam–tappet interfaces was developed based on the elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication theory of finite line conjunction. From the analysis results, it can be seen that the bending vibration of camshaft is mainly in the normal direction at the cam–tappet interfaces. Moreover, the bending vibration is mainly influenced by the overlapping of inlet cam function and exhaust cam function of each cylinder. The angular vibration of camshaft mainly focuses at the fundamental frequency and the harmonic frequency corresponding to the cylinder number.
Unsteady flow simulations of Pelton turbine at different rotational speeds
Authors: Choi Minsuk , Jung Young-Jin , Shin Youhwan
Published: November 2015

This article presents numerical simulations of a small Pelton turbine suitable for desalination system. A commercial flow solver was adopted to resolve difficulties in the numerical simulation for Pelton turbine such as the relative motion of the turbine runner to the injector and two-phase flow of water and air. To decrease the numerical diffusion of the water jet, a new topology with only hexagonal mesh was suggested for the computational mesh around the complex geometry of a bucket. The predicted flow coefficient, net head coefficient, and overall efficiency showed a good agreement with the experimental data. Based on the validation of the numerical results, the pattern of wet area on the bucket inner surface has been analyzed at different rotational speeds, and an attempt to find the connection between rotational speeds, torque, and efficiency has been made.
Clinical needs and outcomes of adults with intellectual disabilities accessing an inpatient assessment and treatment service and the implication for development of community services
Authors: Sandhu Daljit , Tomlins Rose
Published: November 2015

The role and future of assessment and treatment units for people with intellectual disabilities is once again the focus of debate and government policy. Reviewing the admissions to inpatient services can provide useful information about the characteristics, needs and clinical outcomes of clients. Data were collected retrospectively for all 36 referrals accepted to an inpatient assessment and treatment unit for people with intellectual disability, between January 2013 and April 2014. Clinical and demographic characteristics of service users were identified through descriptive analysis. Male service users, mild intellectual disability and diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder were frequent, and a high proportion of admissions had complex and multiple needs. The Health of the Nation Outcome Scale–Intellectual Disabilities was used as a clinical outcome measure. We conclude with recommendations for service development following closure of our inpatient service.
Promoting Public Health in the Context of the “Obesity Epidemic”
Authors: Mann Traci , Tomiyama A. Janet , Ward Andrew
Published: November 2015

In the battle to combat obesity rates in the United States, several misconceptions have dominated policy initiatives. We address those misconceptions, including the notion that restrictive diets lead to long-term weight loss, that stigmatizing obesity is an effective strategy for promoting weight reduction, and that weight and physical health should be considered synonymous with one another. In offering correctives to each of these points, we draw on psychological science to suggest new policies that could be enacted at both the local and national levels. Instead of policies that rely solely on individual willpower, which is susceptible to failure, we recommend those that make use of environmental changes to reduce the amount of willpower necessary to achieve healthy behavior. Ultimately, the most effective policies will promote health rather than any arbitrary level of weight.
Seven Fears and the Science of How Mobile Technologies May Be Influencing Adolescents in the Digital Age
Authors: George Madeleine J. , Odgers Candice L.
Published: November 2015

Close to 90% of U.S. adolescents now own or have access to a mobile phone, and they are using them frequently. Adolescents send and receive an average of over 60 text messages per day from their devices, and over 90% of adolescents now access the Internet from a mobile device at least occasionally. Many adults are asking how this constant connectivity is influencing adolescents’ development. In this article, we examine seven commonly voiced fears about the influence of mobile technologies on adolescents’ safety (e.g., cyberbullying and online solicitation), social development (e.g., peer relationships, parent–child relationships, and identity development), cognitive performance, and sleep. Three sets of findings emerge. First, with some notable exceptions (e.g., sleep disruption and new tools for bullying), most online behaviors and threats to well-being are mirrored in the offline world, such that offline factors predict negative online experiences and effects. Second, the effects of mobile technologies are not uniform, in that benefits appear to be conferred for some adolescents (e.g., skill building among shy adolescents), whereas risk is exacerbated among others (e.g., worsening existing mental health problems). Third, experimental and quasi-experimental studies that go beyond a reliance on self-reported information are required to understand how, for whom, and under what conditions adolescents’ interactions with mobile technologies influence their still developing social relationships, brains, and bodies.
Prioritizing Sleep Health
Authors: Barnes Christopher M. , Drake Christopher L.
Published: November 2015

The schedules that Americans live by are not consistent with healthy sleep patterns. In addition, poor access to educational and treatment aids for sleep leaves people engaging in behavior that is harmful to sleep and forgoing treatment for sleep disorders. This has created a sleep crisis that is a public health issue with broad implications for cognitive outcomes, mental health, physical health, work performance, and safety. New public policies should be formulated to address these issues. We draw from the scientific literature to recommend the following: establishing national standards for middle and high school start times that are later in the day, stronger regulation of work hours and schedules, eliminating daylight saving time, educating the public regarding the impact of electronic media on sleep, and improving access to ambulatory in-home diagnostic testing for sleep disorders.
How to Improve the Health of American Adolescents
Authors: Steinberg Laurence
Published: November 2015

The major threats to the health of American teenagers are behavioral—risky and reckless things adolescents do that threaten their well-being and that of others. The primary approach to preventing adolescent risk taking has been classroom-based health education. Yet, most systematic research indicates that even the best programs are successful mainly at changing adolescents’ knowledge but not in altering their behavior. Research on adolescent brain development has revolutionized our understanding of this stage of life, but our approach to deterring adolescent risk taking remains grounded in old, antiquated, and erroneous views of the period. Classroom-based health education is an uphill battle against evolution and endocrinology, and it is not a fight we are likely to win. Instead of trying to change teenagers into something they are not, we should try to reduce the risks they are exposed to. We should spend less money and effort trying to influence how adolescents think, and focus more on limiting opportunities for their inherently immature judgment to hurt themselves or others. Although there is evidence that some programs aimed at strengthening adolescents’ self-regulation may also deter risky behavior, our public health policies should emphasize changing the context in which adolescents live, rather than solely attempting to change adolescents themselves.
Hale and Hearty Policies
Authors: Rothman Alexander J. , Gollwitzer Peter M. , Grant Adam M. , Neal David T. , Sheeran Paschal , Wood Wendy
Published: November 2015

Strategies are needed to ensure that the U.S. Government meets its goals for improving the health of the nation (e.g., Healthy People 2020). To date, progress toward these goals has been undermined by a set of discernible challenges: People lack sufficient motivation, they frequently fail to translate healthy intentions into action, their efforts are undermined by the persistence of prior unhealthy habits, and they have considerable difficulty maintaining new healthy patterns of behavior. Guided by advances in psychological science, we provide innovative, evidence-based policies that address each of these challenges and, if implemented, will enhance people’s ability to create and maintain healthy behavioral practices.
Improving Public Engagement With Climate Change
Authors: van der Linden Sander , Maibach Edward , Leiserowitz Anthony
Published: November 2015

Despite being one of the most important societal challenges of the 21st century, public engagement with climate change currently remains low in the United States. Mounting evidence from across the behavioral sciences has found that most people regard climate change as a nonurgent and psychologically distant risk—spatially, temporally, and socially—which has led to deferred public decision making about mitigation and adaptation responses. In this article, we advance five simple but important “best practice” insights from psychological science that can help governments improve public policymaking about climate change. Particularly, instead of a future, distant, global, nonpersonal, and analytical risk that is often framed as an overt loss for society, we argue that policymakers should (a) emphasize climate change as a present, local, and personal risk; (b) facilitate more affective and experiential engagement; (c) leverage relevant social group norms; (d) frame policy solutions in terms of what can be gained from immediate action; and (e) appeal to intrinsically valued long-term environmental goals and outcomes. With practical examples we illustrate how these key psychological principles can be applied to support societal engagement and climate change policymaking.
Awareness Is Not a Necessary Characteristic of a Perceptual Effect
Authors: Witt Jessica K.
Published: November 2015

Golf holes look larger to golfers who are playing better than others, and hills look steeper to people who are fatigued from a long run—or so claims the action-specific account of perception. According to this account, spatial perception of slant, distance, and size is influenced by the perceiver’s ability to perform actions such as walking, throwing, or grasping. This claim is based on empirical findings that observers report hills as steeper, distances as farther, and objects as smaller when they are less capable of acting on the objects. Recently, Firestone (2013) challenged the claim that these reports reflect genuine differences in perception. One argument he levied against a perceptual interpretation is that people are not aware of these perceptual differences related to action, and they should be. Here, I argue that awareness is not a necessary condition for an effect to be perceptual, as evidenced by a lack of awareness in the case of a classic visual illusion. However, to make a strong claim for genuine effects in perception, the action-specific account must specify a perceptual mechanism, and it has yet to do so.
Does Oxytocin Increase Trust in Humans? A Critical Review of Research
Authors: Nave Gideon , Camerer Colin , McCullough Michael
Published: November 2015

Behavioral neuroscientists have shown that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays a key role in social attachment and affiliation in nonhuman mammals. Inspired by this initial research, many social scientists proceeded to examine the associations of OT with trust in humans over the past decade. To conduct this work, they have (a) examined the effects of exogenous OT increase caused by intranasal administration on trusting behavior, (b) correlated individual difference measures of OT plasma levels with measures of trust, and (c) searched for genetic polymorphisms of the OT receptor gene that might be associated with trust. We discuss the different methods used by OT behavioral researchers and review evidence that links OT to trust in humans. Unfortunately, the simplest promising finding associating intranasal OT with higher trust has not replicated well. Moreover, the plasma OT evidence is flawed by how OT is measured in peripheral bodily fluids. Finally, in recent large-sample studies, researchers failed to find consistent associations of specific OT-related genetic polymorphisms and trust. We conclude that the cumulative evidence does not provide robust convergent evidence that human trust is reliably associated with OT (or caused by it). We end with constructive ideas for improving the robustness and rigor of OT research.
Child Development in the Face of Rural-to-Urban Migration in China
Authors: Wang Lamei , Mesman Judi
Published: November 2015

In the last 30 years, China has undergone one of the largest rural-to-urban migrations in human history, with many children left behind because of parental migration. We present a meta-analytic review of empirical studies on Chinese children’s rural-to-urban migration and on rural children left behind because of parental migration. We examine how these events relate to children’s emotional, social, and academic developmental outcomes. We include publications in English and in Chinese to uncover and quantify a part of the research literature that has been inaccessible to most Western scholars in the field of child and family studies. Overall, both migrant children and children left behind by migrant parents in China show significantly less favorable functioning across domains than other Chinese children. It appears that, similar to processes found in other parts of the world, the experience of economic and acculturation stress as well as disrupted parent–child relations constitute a risk for nonoptimal child functioning in the Chinese context. Further, we found evidence for publication bias against studies showing less favorable development for migrant children and children left behind. We discuss the results in terms of challenges to Chinese society and to future empirical research on Chinese family life.
Outsourcing Memory in Response to an Aging Population
Authors: Ross Michael , Schryer Emily
Published: November 2015

With baby boomers entering old age and longevity increasing, policymakers have focused on the physical, social, and health needs of older persons. We urge policymakers to consider cognitive aging as well, particularly normal, age-related memory decline. Psychological scientists attribute memory decline mainly to cognitive overload stemming from age-related reductions in sensory capacities, speed of cognitive processing, and the ability to filter out irrelevant information. Even in the absence of decline, however, memory is imperfect and forgetting can be especially consequential for older adults. For example, forgetting to take prescription medicines is an age-related problem largely because older adults tend to ingest many more prescription drugs. We propose that policymakers focus on increasing environmental support for memory that can reduce the burden on cognitive resources and thus improve recall. In providing environmental support, policymakers need to pay careful attention to potential age-related changes in physical and cognitive capacity, as well as behavior.