bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of cooperative learning on preservice elementary teachers’ interest in and integration of music into core academic subjects
Authors: Egger John Okley
Published: August 2019

The author investigated the effects of a cooperative learning environment on the implementation of integrating music into core academic subjects. Using a quasi-experimental design, participants ( N = 59) were preservice generalist elementary and special education majors from four course sections of a required music methods course, where two course sections worked in a cooperative learning environment and two course sections worked individually. For six weeks, participants worked on a final project that integrated music into academic core subject lessons. At the conclusion of six weeks, each participant individually microtaught one lesson created from the music integration project. Additionally, participants completed an interest survey after the study was concluded. Results showed that participants in the cooperative learning group scored statistically significantly higher ( p < .05) on the music integration project, microteaching evaluations, and rated statistically significantly higher interest on their projects from the student interest survey. These results suggest that participants in the cooperative learning group produced work of a higher quality than participants in the control group and that the cooperative learning group also showed a higher level of interest in their own music integration projects.
Pseudowords and guessing in the Yes/No format vocabulary test
Authors: Zhang Xian , Liu Jianda , Ai Haiyang
Published: August 2019

The main purpose of this study is to investigate guessing in the Yes/No (YN) format vocabulary test. One-hundred-and-five university students took a YN test, a translation task and a multiple-choice vocabulary size test (MC VST). With matched lexical properties between the real words and the pseudowords, pseudowords could index guessing in the YN test as correlations between false alarms and real word guessing were high (> .80). This finding provides important validity evidence for correction formulas that employ false alarm information to adjust the YN test scores. Another important finding is that the neighborhood size of pseudowords was related to false alarm rates, which has useful implications for the designing of future YN tests. Finally, the corrected scores of the YN test correlated highly (> .70) with those of the translation task. In comparison, correlations between the YN corrected scores and the MC VST scores were lower, indicating a difference in guessing between the two tests.
Do foreign banks intensify borrower discouragement? The role of developed European institutions in ameliorating SME financing constraints
Authors: Mol-Gómez-Vázquez Ana , Hernández-Cánovas Ginés , Koëter-Kant Johanna
Published: August 2019

The growing activity of foreign banks in most European countries may increase financing constraints by intensifying the problem of borrower discouragement. We provide new evidence of this association by analysing a sample of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in 25 developed and developing European countries. We find that financing constraints increase with foreign banks for those SMEs operating in countries where the share of banking assets owned by foreign banks is above 34%. Our results also show that borrower discouragement may decrease, or increase less, with the presence of foreign banks for SMEs operating in countries with high income, with cheap debt enforcement mechanisms, or having a private bureau that provides credit information about firms and individuals. These results suggest that unification towards better institutions needs to occur in Europe before the banking union progresses to a more open banking system.
Bayesian Meta-analysis of Multiple Continuous Treatments with Individual Participant-Level Data: An Application to Antipsychotic Drugs
Authors: Spertus Jacob , Horvitz-Lennon Marcela , Normand Sharon-Lise T.
Published: August 2019

Modeling dose-response relationships of drugs is essential to understanding their safety effects on patients under realistic circumstances. While intention-to-treat analyses of clinical trials provide the effect of assignment to a particular drug and dose, they do not capture observed exposure after factoring in nonadherence and dropout. We develop a Bayesian method to flexibly model the dose-response relationships of binary outcomes with continuous treatment, permitting multiple evidence sources, treatment effect heterogeneity, and nonlinear dose-response curves. In an application, we examine the risk of excessive weight gain for patients with schizophrenia treated with the second-generation antipsychotics paliperidone, risperidone, or olanzapine in 14 clinical trials. We define exposure as total cumulative dose (daily dose × duration) and convert to units equivalent to 100 mg of olanzapine (OLZ doses). Averaging over the sample population of 5891 subjects, the median dose ranged from 0 (placebo randomized participants) to 6.4 OLZ doses (paliperidone randomized participants). We found paliperidone to be least likely to cause excessive weight gain across a range of doses. Compared with 0 OLZ doses, at 5.0 OLZ doses, olanzapine subjects had a 15.6% (95% credible interval: 6.7, 27.1) excess risk of weight gain; corresponding estimates for paliperidone and risperidone were 3.2% (1.5, 5.2) and 14.9% (0.0, 38.7), respectively. Moreover, compared with nonblack participants, black participants had a 6.8% (1.0, 12.4) greater risk of excessive weight gain at 10.0 OLZ doses of paliperidone. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that paliperidone is safer in terms of weight gain risk than risperidone or olanzapine for all participants at low to moderate cumulative OLZ doses.
Multiobjective Calibration of Disease Simulation Models Using Gaussian Processes
Authors: Sai Aditya , Vivas-Valencia Carolina , Imperiale Thomas F. , Kong Nan
Published: August 2019

Background. Developing efficient procedures of model calibration, which entails matching model predictions to observed outcomes, has gained increasing attention. With faithful but complex simulation models established for cancer diseases, key parameters of cancer natural history can be investigated for possible fits, which can subsequently inform optimal prevention and treatment strategies. When multiple calibration targets exist, one approach to identifying optimal parameters relies on the Pareto frontier. However, computational burdens associated with higher-dimensional parameter spaces require a metamodeling approach. The goal of this work is to explore multiobjective calibration using Gaussian process regression (GPR) with an eye toward how multiple goodness-of-fit (GOF) criteria identify Pareto-optimal parameters. Methods. We applied GPR, a metamodeling technique, to estimate colorectal cancer (CRC)–related prevalence rates simulated from a microsimulation model of CRC natural history, known as the Colon Modeling Open Source Tool (CMOST). We embedded GPR metamodels within a Pareto optimization framework to identify best-fitting parameters for age-, adenoma-, and adenoma staging–dependent transition probabilities and risk factors. The Pareto frontier approach is demonstrated using genetic algorithms with both sum-of-squared errors (SSEs) and Poisson deviance GOF criteria. Results. The GPR metamodel is able to approximate CMOST outputs accurately on 2 separate parameter sets. Both GOF criteria are able to identify different best-fitting parameter sets on the Pareto frontier. The SSE criterion emphasizes the importance of age-specific adenoma progression parameters, while the Poisson criterion prioritizes adenoma-specific progression parameters. Conclusion. Different GOF criteria assert different components of the CRC natural history. The combination of multiobjective optimization and nonparametric regression, along with diverse GOF criteria, can advance the calibration process by identifying optimal regions of the underlying parameter landscape.
80-kVp hepatic CT to reduce contrast medium dose in azotemic patients: a feasibility study
Authors: Holmquist Fredrik , Söderberg Marcus , Nyman Ulf , Fält Tobias , Siemund Roger , Geijer Mats
Published: August 2019

Background

Low peak kilovoltage (kVp) computed tomography (CT) may be used to reduce contrast medium doses in patients at risk of contrast medium-induced acute kidney injury if image noise can be controlled by increasing X-ray tube loading (mAs).

Purpose

To evaluate objective and subjective image quality in 80-kVp CT with reduced contrast medium dose and compensated mAs for unchanged image noise in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate <45 mL/min compared with the standard 120-kVp protocol.

Material and Methods

80-kVp CT with 300 mg I/kg in 40 patients (body mass index 18–32 kg/m2, glomerular filtration rate <45 mL/min) and 120-kVp CT with 500 mg I/kg in 40 patients (body mass index = 17–30 kg/m2, glomerular filtration rate ≥45 mL/min) was compared on mean hepatic attenuation, image noise, contrast medium enhancement, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, effective radiation dose, and subjective image quality.

Results

There were no significant differences regarding median hepatic post-contrast attenuation, image noise, contrast medium enhancement, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, or effective dose between the 80-kVp and 120-kVp cohorts: 114/110 HU; 14/14 HU; 57/53 HU; 8.0/7.4; 3.8/3.5; and 5.3/5.9 mSv, respectively. However, subjective image visual grading showed statistically significantly inferior scores for 80 kVp for six of eight items. After exclusion of seven inferior examinations not caused by the chosen kVp technique, only three items showed inferior scores for 80 kVp. Only 5% of gradings regarding overall image quality were <3 of 5 points.

Conclusion

Despite lower subjective image quality, objective data indicate that 80-kVp CT with reduced contrast medium doses and compensated mAs may have the potential to provide satisfactory diagnostic quality in patients with body mass index <30 kg/m2, which could benefit patients at risk of contrast medium-induced acute kidney injury.
Precentral and cerebellar atrophic changes in moyamoya disease using 7-T magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Moon Hyeong Cheol , Oh Byeong Ho , Cheong Chaejoon , Kim Won Seop , Min Kyung Soo , Kim Young Gyu , Park Young Seok
Published: August 2019

Background

Chronic repeated transient ischemic changes are one of the common symptoms of moyamoya disease that could affect cortical and subcortical atrophy.

Purpose

We aimed to assess the cortical gray matter volume and thickness, white matter subcortical volume, and clinical characteristics using 7-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MR angiography (MRA).

Material and Methods

In this case-control study, whole-brain parcellation of gray matter and subcortical volumes were manually assessed in nine patients with moyamoya disease (18 hemispheres; median age = 34 years; age range = 10–60 years) and nine healthy controls (18 hemispheres; median age = 29 years; age range = 20–62 years) matched for age and sex, who underwent both 7-T MRI and MRA. The volumes were measured using high-resolution image (<1 mm) processing based on the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville (DKT) atlas, via an automated segmentation method (FreeSurfer version 6.0).

Results

The gray matter volume of the left precentral cortex and the white matter volume of the subcortical cerebellum were lower in both hemispheres in the patients with moyamoya disease compared to the healthy controls.

Conclusion

Gray matter atrophy in the precentral cortex and cerebellar white matter were detected in this 7-T MRI volumetric analysis study of patients with moyamoya disease who experienced repeated transient ischemic changes. Cortical atrophy in precentral cortex and cerebellum could explain the transient motor weakness in patients with moyamoya disease, as one of the early findings was that patients with moyamoya disease do not have detectable infarction changes on conventional MRI images.
The Joy of Retinal Painting: A Build-It-Yourself Device for Intrasaccadic Presentations
Authors: Schweitzer Richard , Watson Tamara , Watson John , Rolfs Martin
Published: August 2019

As the eyes move, they incessantly impose motion blur on the retinal image, yet our perception of the world remains undisturbed. In fact, it is often assumed that intrasaccadic visual signals are largely eliminated from processing by a dedicated suppression mechanism. Here, we describe an easy-to-build presentation device that produces a stimulus that is highly salient and well resolvable during saccades: Using LED strips with high temporal resolution, any type of text and image stimulus can be presented in an anorthoscopic fashion—as if seen through and travelling behind a narrow slit—at very short durations. Whereas these stimuli appear as a brief flash during fixation, saccades spread them across the retina, producing spatially extended and well-resolved retinal images. In fact, retinally painted images induced by saccades across a series of anorthoscopic image presentations were correctly identified by observers in 90% of all cases. So why should we suppress intrasaccadic perception if it enables us to experience the joy of retinal painting?
The Illicit Supply of New Psychoactive Substances Within and From China: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Zhao Minqi
Published: August 2019

Although China has played a significant role in the emergence and expansion of new psychoactive substances (NPS) worldwide, little research has specifically focused on the illicit supply of NPS within China and smuggling from China. In this study, data were extracted from sentencing files obtained from closed criminal cases to develop an objective understanding of the NPS supply chain in China. The sample consisted of 341 major cases concerning the illicit supply of three groups of NPS (ketamine, synthetic cathinone, and fentanyl) and five categories of offense, including manufacturing, distributing, retailing, transporting, and manufacturing–retailing. Significant differences between these categories of offense in terms of offenders’ profiles, behaviors, and supply patterns were observed. Our results suggest the existence of a dynamic and complex supply network both in China and in terms of smuggling routes from China.
Review of Track Inspection and Maintenance Standards for Transit
Authors: Davis David D. , Dick Stephen , Wilk Stephen , Jones MaryClara , Zeng Yuqing
Published: August 2019

Transportation Technology Center, Inc (TTCI) reviewed rail transit track inspection and maintenance standards in North America. These agency standards were benchmarked against similar protocols existing in other parts of the world. In addition, transit agencies were surveyed to document inspection, maintenance, and operating practices to understand variations in inspection and maintenance standards. Approximately 30 agencies participated in the survey which establishes a significant representative sample of North American transit operations. An analysis of track-related accidents was conducted to determine where changes might be required to existing standards and/or where potential gaps may exist. From this analysis, a prioritized list of recommendations was developed. The list consists of items that can be implemented immediately and also items requiring additional research and development. This research is part of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) standards development program. The program is intended to improve the safety and efficiency of rail transit operations.
Feasibility and safety of combined cytokine adsorption and continuous veno-venous hemodialysis with regional citrate anticoagulation in patients with septic shock
Authors: Dimski Thomas , Brandenburger Timo , Slowinski Torsten , Kindgen-Milles Detlef
Published: August 2019

Introduction:

Septic shock is characterized by severe metabolic and hemodynamic alterations. It is often accompanied by acute kidney injury. A new adjunct treatment is hemoadsorption using a cytokine adsorber in line with continuous veno-venous renal replacement therapy. We studied the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of cytokine adsorption with citrate-anticoagulated continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (regional citrate anticoagulation–continuous veno-venous hemodialysis).

Methods:

In 11 patients with septic shock and acute kidney injury stage 3, we studied 12 cycles of cytokine adsorption and regional citrate anticoagulation–continuous veno-venous hemodialysis. We monitored parameters of citrate anticoagulation, circuit lifetime, laboratory parameters, hemodynamics, and vasopressor demand.

Results:

Ten out of 12 adsorber/continuous veno-venous hemodialysis circuits reached the target lifetime of 24 h for the adsorber. One system clotted and one was stopped for non-device-related reasons. Nine of the remaining continuous renal replacement therapy circuits reached 72 h lifetime. With default settings for regional citrate anticoagulation, serum ionized calcium and pH were in the normal range. Urea and creatinine were reduced significantly, and norepinephrine dose decreased from 0.47 (±0.09) to 0.16 (±0.04) µg/kg/min ( p = 0.016) after 24 h.

Discussion:

We show that combined cytokine adsorption/continuous veno-venous hemodialysis is effective to control pH, to reduce urea and creatinine, and to improve hemodynamics by reducing norepinephrine doses in patients with septic shock. It can be applied safely with standard settings of regional citrate anticoagulation rendering sufficiently long filter lifetimes for the adsorber and the continuous veno-venous hemodialysis circuit. Further studies are on the way to investigate whether these effects translate into improved outcomes in septic shock patients.
The energy-absorbing characteristics of filament wound hybrid carbon fiber-reinforced plastic/polylactic acid tubes with different infill pattern structures
Authors: Quanjin MA , M Sahat Idris , Mat Rejab Mohd R , Abu Hassan Shukur , Zhang Bo , Merzuki Mubin NM
Published: August 2019

The study aims to investigate the effect of different infill pattern structures on the energy-absorbing characteristics of single filament wound carbon fiber-reinforced plastic tubes, single polylactic acid and hybrid carbon fiber-reinforced plastic/ polylactic acid tubes under quasi-static axial compression condition, which were fabricated using filament winding and additive manufacturing techniques. Five infill pattern structures of single polylactic acid tubes and hybrid tubes were studied and compared on their energy-absorbing characteristics, which referred to normal, triangle, square, hexagonal and tetrahedral patterns. It concluded that the effect of the infill pattern structure had a significant influence on energy-absorbing characteristics of single polylactic acid and hybrid carbon fiber-reinforced plastic/polylactic acid tubes. For pure polylactic acid tubes, the triangle infill pattern tube represented the highest values of energy absorption ( EA) of 0.75 kJ, specific energy absorption ( SEA) of 28.50 J/g, compressive strength and modulus of 69.72 MPa and 1.40 GPa, yield strength of 27.80 MPa, peak crushing force ( Fpeak) of 23.13 kN and mean crushing force ( Fmean) of 18.82 kN. For the hybrid carbon fiber-reinforced plastic/polylactic acid tube, tetrahedral infill pattern tube showed the highest values of EA with 0.99 kJ, SEA with 29.66 J/g, Fpeak with 22.68 MPa and yield strength with 29.91 MPa. Energy absorption interaction ( EAinteraction) and interaction ratio ( φe) of all specimens were evaluated, which showed that the tetrahedral infill pattern tube recorded the highest of all hybrid tubes with 259.92 J and 35.72 %. The result revealed that the tetrahedral pattern displayed better crashworthiness in terms of crushing force efficiency ( CFE), EA and SEA in the hybrid structure, which had greater potential to apply as energy absorbers. Moreover, triangle and square infill patterns of hybrid tubes provided the negative interaction effect results, which conducted lower energy-absorbing characteristics compared to individual tubes, respectively.
Resilience and Socioeconomic Status as Predictors of Life Satisfaction and Psychological Well-Being in Colombian Older Adults
Authors: Reyes Maria-Fernanda , Satorres Encarnación , Meléndez Juan C.
Published: August 2019

Well-being is a complex construct related to sociodemographic and cultural aspects that vary across cultures. Latin America is a region with high social inequalities among population groups, although this varies significantly depending on the country. This article proposes a model that seeks to establish the relationship between psychosocial variables, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction in a sample of Colombian older adults. The model explores associations between resilience, socioeconomic status, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. A study with a sample of 617 Colombian older adults was conducted. A structural equation modeling technique was performed. The results showed a model in which life satisfaction is positively explained by psychological well-being and resilience, whereas psychological well-being is explained by a higher socio-economic status. The results contribute to the evidence about how well-being is determined by psychosocial and cultural factors. The evidence found represents novel information about older adults in Colombia.
How Cities Erode Gender Inequality: A New Theory and Evidence from Cambodia
Authors: Evans Alice
Published: August 2019

Support for gender equality has increased globally, and studies of this trend usually examine individual- and/or country-level factors. However, this overlooks subnational variation. City-dwellers are more likely to support gender equality in education, employment, leadership, and leisure. This article investigates the causes of rural–urban differences through comparative, qualitative research in Cambodia. The emergence of rural garment factories presents a quasi-natural experiment to test the theory that female employment enhances support for gender equality. Rural female employment may diminish rural–urban differences in gender inequalities or there may be other important aspects of city-living (beyond female employment) that amplify support for gender equality. Drawing on Cambodian fieldwork, I suggest that cities raise the opportunity costs of the male breadwinner model, increase exposure to women in socially valued roles, and provide more associational avenues to collectively contest established practices. Interests, exposure, and association reinforce a snowballing process of social change. By investigating the causes of subnational variation, I advance a new theory of growing support for gender equality.
Integrated method for performance analysis of reliability-based topologically optimized components
Authors: Javed Arshad , Raj Joshua Amrith , Rout BK
Published: August 2019

The available robust and reliable topology optimization methods provide quick and efficient design output in an uncertain environment. However, the whole domain of performance function remains hidden during this design process. In the interest of the designer, it is required to know the overall behavior of performance functions in deterministic as well as uncertain/realistic environment. The current work achieves this by proposing an integrated methodology, which combines the design of experiments approach and reliability-based topology optimization. The proposed method enables the designer to simulate performance functions in a desired design-factors space, including uncertainties, via reliability value. For this analysis, compliance, maximum deflection, mechanical advantage, and von Mises stress values are selected as performance functions. Volume fraction, applied force, and dimensions or aspect ratio are chosen as design/control factors. The uncertainties of these design factors are captured using reliability-based topology optimization. The uncertainties due to noncontrollable factors such as material property, load direction, and magnitude are incorporated using the design of experiments approach. Under these uncertainties, the performance of topologically optimized problem is simulated for different experimental combinations of the design factors. The experimental combinations for uncertainties and design factors are generated using Taguchi's orthogonal array. Simulated results are analyzed using techniques such as analysis of mean and variance, signal-to-noise ratio, and response surface method. These analyses help in identifying statistical significance of factors and uncertainties, performance variations, and equivalence relation of performance vs. factor. The proposed methodology is illustrated by selecting monolithic structures such as, on MBB, cantilever beam, and force inverter mechanism.
A new methodology for assessing the actual number of impacts due to the ballast-lifting phenomenon
Authors: Somaschini C , Rocchi D , Schito P , Tomasini G
Published: August 2019

The phenomenon of flying ballast is one of the most recent aerodynamic problems caused by the increase in train speed. This issue becomes extremely evident when the speed of the train is increased above 300 km/h. At such speed, the pressure and velocity fields of the flow generated by the train in the upper layer of the track could lift the ballast stones. Although it has been found that collisions begin to occur at speeds of 270 km/h or greater, there are no experimental evidence on the correlation between the speed and the actual number of impacts. In this work, an experimental methodology that is able to detect the number of impacts due to ballast lifting, by means of on-board microphones, is presented. It is shown how this method has been validated and then adopted to statistically analyse extensive experimental campaigns carried out with two types of trains and three different ballast conditions at speeds up to 360 km/h. Due to the copious statistical basis, the outcomes allowed to better correlate how the train speed affects the number of impacts that may occur during a run, to identify the regions of the train that are most subjected to the flying ballast and to both verify and quantify the effect of different ballast conditions.
Performance evaluation of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor using immobilized ZnO nanoparticle enhanced continuous biogas production
Authors: Ahmad Anwar , Reddy Sajjala Sreedhar
Published: August 2019

In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles immobilized by methylenebisacrylamide were used for anaerobic consortium application and were examined for biomass retention capacity characterized in terms of volatile solids and specific methanogenic activity. The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor was operated at various hydraulic retention times and was fed with palm oil mill effluent as a carbon source. The highest methane production rate of 510 mL CH4·L−1·h−1 with a methane yield of 68.3 L CH4 g−1·CODadded was obtained at palm oil mill effluent concentration of 20 g COD·L-1 and 24 h of hydraulic retention time. The average biogas (4.5 L) showed methane content and chemical oxygen demand reduction of 84.5 and 95.7%, respectively. Rmax was 570 mL L−1·POME·h−1 at 15% of zinc oxide nanoparticles, with butyrate and acetic acid in an effluent contained when operated at a hydraulic retention time of 24 h and a palm oil mill effluent concentration of 20 g COD L−1. A CO2 reduction of 93.6% was obtained at 15% w/v loading of zinc oxide nanoparticle. Experiments demonstrated that with the granule bead size of immobilized zinc oxide nanoparticle of 3.99 mm, production of CH4 and sequester of CO2 were 650 m3·d−1 and 456 m3·d−1, respectively. At 15% zinc oxide nanoparticle, granule leakage was found to be 0.065 mg·L−1. It is significant that this is the first report on immobilized zinc oxide nanoparticle granule biomass for biogas production from wastewater.
Investigation on adaptive preview distance path tracking control with directional error compensation
Authors: Liu Wei , Wang Ruochen , Xie Chenyang , Ye Qing
Published: August 2019

Path tracking control cannot effectively satisfy the stability requirements of intelligent vehicles under large curvature conditions. To solve this problem, an adaptive preview distance path tracking controller with a hierarchical structure is proposed in this study. The vehicle centroid lateral acceleration and lateral error of the preview point are taken as the inputs of the upper controller, and the optimal preview distance is obtained based on fuzzy inference. To eliminate the subjective influence of the membership function and fuzzy rule selection in the fuzzy controller design, a genetic algorithm is used for optimization. The lower controller is a sliding mode controller that aims to achieve intelligent vehicle self-tracking. Moreover, a radial basis function neural network is adopted to combine with the sliding mode controller to eliminate output chattering. However, adaptive adjustment of the preview distance deteriorates the vehicle directional tracking error, which makes controlling the vehicle at the road curvature switching point difficult. Thus, a directional error compensation controller is designed based on the iterative learning theory to compensate the front wheel steering angle. Simulations under two standard conditions are carried out to verify the control effect. The results show that, in a double lane change test, the peak centroid acceleration and coaxial load transfer rates decreased by 26.91% and 19.83% at low velocity, respectively, and the improvements at high velocity were 42.71% and 39.22%, respectively. In the pylon course slalom test, all three performance indicators decreased by more than 30%, which indicates the modified adaptive preview distance path tracking controller with a hierarchical structure can effectively improve the vehicle handling performance and roll stability and can ensure the tracking accuracy.
Editorial – Business and human rights in global value chains
Authors: Buhmann Karin , Taylor Mark B , Giuliani Elisa
Published: August 2019

Ideas about the social responsibility of business are in flux. The foundations of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ have been transformed in recent years by normative developments in the field of business and human rights. The latter norms are a direct response to the evolution of transnational modes of production, such as global value chains coordinated by multinational corporations. This special issue explores these attempts to advance respect for human rights in the context of business activity in global value chains. The special issue consists of an introduction and four articles which describe and interrogate some of the principle changes currently taking place in global value chain governance as these relate to human rights: the impact on worker power of the rise of larger emerging-market multinationals in value chains traditionally dominated by global brands; the limits of monitoring and transparency mechanisms as effective regulators of human rights in supply chains; the role of contracts in ensuring respect for human rights; and the possibility to use the courts to enforce respect for rights across fragmented production networks.
Worker-driven monitoring – Redefining supply chain monitoring to improve labour rights in global supply chains
Authors: Outhwaite Opi , Martin-Ortega Olga
Published: August 2019

In this article, we advance on ongoing debates about how global supply chain monitoring can work to improve conditions for workers in those supply chains. We propose an approach to worker-driven monitoring and introduce a set of core elements that should form the basis of this new approach to monitoring labour conditions in global supply chains. We argue that supply chain workers’ participation in labour monitoring systems cannot be confined to the moment of factory inspection. Instead it must be understood as part of a larger process which incorporates workers from the point of designing the systems that will be monitored through to the point of remediation. We conclude that such a systematic and comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure that monitoring processes are meaningful and place the rights of workers at their core.
A Centennial of Mary Richmond’s Social Diagnosis: A Celebration and Contemporary Assessment of a Seminal Work
Authors: González Manny John , Rosenthal Gelman Caroline
Published: August 2019

Mary Ellen Richmond is often credited with developing social work as a profession in the United States. In this article, we focus on Richmond’s Social Diagnosis, revisiting this hallmark of social work practice a century after its publication and tracing its foundational ideas at the root of the conceptualization and practice of subsequent giants in social work. Our aim is to recenter and retrace these formative ideas so crucial to the origins of social work as a profession and its subsequent growth and development by examining Richmond’s understanding of social diagnosis, evidence-informed practice, and the helping relationship. A full century after the publication of Richmond’s far-reaching Social Diagnosis seems the most apposite time for such a review and revisit.
Multiple transverse impact damage behaviors of 3-D-braided composite beams under room and high temperatures
Authors: Hu Meiqi , Liu Shengkai , Zhang Junjie , Wang Lei , Sun Baozhong , Gu Bohong
Published: August 2019

Three-dimensional braided composite materials have been widely applied to engineering structure manufacturing. It is of a great importance to characterize the impact damage of the three-dimensional braided composite under various temperatures for optimizing the engineering structure. Here we conducted transverse impact deformation and damage of three-dimensional braided composite beams with different braiding angles at room and elevated temperatures. A split Hopkinson pressure bar with a heating device combined with high-speed camera was employed to test multiple transverse impact behaviors and to record the impact deformation developments. The results indicated that failure load, initial modulus, and energy absorption decreased with the increase of temperature, whereas the deformation increased slightly with elevated temperatures. We found that the impact brittle damages occurred earlier and the local adiabatic temperature raised higher when the temperature is lower than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of epoxy resin. While above the Tg, the impact ductile damages occurred later and the local temperature raised lower. The thermal stress distribution along the braiding yarn leads to cracks propagation in yarn direction. Part of the impact energy absorptions converted into thermal energy. In addition, the beam with larger braiding angle has high damage tolerance and crack propagation resistance.
Regionalism in New Democracies: The Authoritarian Origins of Voter–Party Linkages
Authors: Berman Chantal E. , Nugent Elizabeth R.
Published: August 2019

We investigate the path-dependent effects of subnational variation in authoritarian state-building policies on voter–party linkages after regime change. We argue that long-term patterns of regional favoritism and marginalization produce patterned regional heterogeneity in the attitudes and preferences linking voters with parties. Postcolonial state-building policies create “winners” and “losers” from particular interventions, in turn shaping local citizens’ preferences over these policy areas and forming axes of contestation ready to be activated by democratic politics. We argue that attitudes associated with regionally consistent state-building policies should function uniformly as determinants of vote choice across regions, while attitudes associated with regionally divergent state-building policies should experience patterned regional variation in their effect on vote choice. We develop these arguments empirically with historical analysis of Tunisian state-building and an original exit survey of voters in five diverse regions conducted on the day of Tunisia’s first democratic legislative elections in 2014. Our findings contribute to a growing literature on the importance of analyzing political transformation at the subnational level.
The Reliability of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in Clinical Practice
Authors: Kopp Bruno , Lange Florian , Steinke Alexander
Published: August 2019

The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) represents the gold standard for the neuropsychological assessment of executive function. However, very little is known about its reliability. In the current study, 146 neurological inpatients received the Modified WCST (M-WCST). Four basic measures (number of correct sorts, categories, perseverative errors, set-loss errors) and their composites were evaluated for split-half reliability. The reliability estimates of the number of correct sorts, categories, and perseverative errors fell into the desirable range ( rel ≥ .90). The study therefore disclosed sufficiently reliable M-WCST measures, fostering the application of this eminent psychological test to neuropsychological assessment. Our data also revealed that the M-WCST possesses substantially better psychometric properties than would be expected from previous studies of WCST test-retest reliabilities obtained from non-patient samples. Our study of split-half reliabilities from discretionary construed and from randomly built M-WCST splits exemplifies a novel approach to the psychometric foundation of neuropsychology.
Distinct Calcium Sources Define Compartmentalized Synaptic Signaling Domains
Authors: Fawley Jessica A. , Andresen Michael C.
Published: August 2019

Nervous system communication relies on neurotransmitter release for synaptic transmission between neurons. Neurotransmitter is contained within vesicles in presynaptic terminals and intraterminal calcium governs the fundamental step of their release into the synaptic cleft. Despite a common dependence on calcium, synaptic transmission and its modulation varies highly across the nervous system. The precise mechanisms that underlie this heterogeneity, however, remain unclear. The present review highlights recent data that reveal vesicles sourced from separate pools define discrete modes of release. A rich diversity of regulatory machinery may further distinguish the different forms of vesicle release, including presynaptic proteins involved in trafficking, alignment, and exocytosis. These multiple vesicle release mechanisms and vesicle pools likely depend on the arrangement of vesicles in relation to specific calcium entry pathways that create compartmentalized spheres of calcium influence (i.e., domains). This diversity permits release specialization. This review details examples of how individual neurons rely on multiple calcium sources and unique regulatory schemes to provide differential release and discrete modulation of neurotransmitter release from specific vesicle pools—as part of network signal integration.
The design of negative stiffness spring for precision vibration isolation using axially magnetized permanent magnet rings
Authors: Zhou Zhenhua , Chen Shuhan , Xia Dun , He Jianjun , Zhang Peng
Published: August 2019

A negative stiffness element is always employed to generate high-static–low-dynamic stiffness characteristic of the vibration isolator, reduce the resonance frequency of the isolator, and improve the vibration isolation performance under low and ultra-low frequency excitation. In this paper, a new compact negative stiffness permanent magnetic spring (NSPMS) that is composed of two axial-magnetized permanent magnetic rings is proposed. An analytical expression of magnetic negative stiffness of the NSPMS is deduced by using the Coulombian model. After analyzing the effect of air-gap width, air-gap position, height difference between the inner ring and outer ring on the negative stiffness characteristic, a design procedure is proposed to realize the negative stiffness characteristic with a global minimum linear component and uniformity stiffness near the equilibrium position. Finally, an experimental prototype is developed to validate the effectiveness of the NSPMS. The experimental results show that combining a vibration isolator with the NSPMS in parallel can lower the natural frequency and improve the isolation performance of the isolator.
African American Alphabet
Authors: Bowden Tiffany
Published: August 2019

This article is a performance piece meant to explore the stressors upon the African American community. In the face of oppression and overwhelm, poetry provides an empathetic insight to overwhelm. This poem is meant to be read aloud. Its rhythmic onslaught of information is metaphoric.
Efficacy and Safety of Dasotraline in Children With ADHD: A Laboratory Classroom Study
Authors: Wigal Sharon B. , Hopkins Seth C. , Koblan Kenneth S. , Childress Ann , Kent Justine M. , Tsai Joyce , Hsu Jay , Loebel Antony , Goldman Robert
Published: August 2019

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dasotraline for treatment of ADHD in children. Method: Children (ages 6-12 years; N = 112) with ADHD were randomized, double-blind, to 14 days of once-daily evening doses of dasotraline 4 mg or placebo. ADHD symptom severity was measured at baseline and Day 15 in seven, 30-min classroom sessions using the Swanson, Kotkin, Agler, M-Flynn, and Pelham (SKAMP) and the Permanent Product Measure of Performance (PERMP) math test. Results: Significant improvement was observed for dasotraline versus placebo in the SKAMP-combined score (−3.2 vs. +2.0; p < .001; effect size = 0.85) and SKAMP and PERMP subscale scores. The three most common adverse events for dasotraline (vs. placebo) were insomnia (19.6% vs. 3.6%), headache (10.7% vs. 8.9%), and decreased appetite (10.7% vs. 3.6%). Conclusion: In this laboratory classroom study, dasotraline 4 mg was found to be an efficacious and generally well-tolerated treatment for ADHD in children aged 6 to 12 years.
Overcoming Inequities in Obesity: What Don’t We Know That We Need to Know?
Authors: Kumanyika Shiriki
Published: August 2019

Efforts to combat the U.S. obesity epidemic have been ongoing in earnest for nearly two decades, informed by a substantial body of knowledge and guided by numerous programmatic and policy recommendations. Yet, although there are some bright spots, I sense frustration in the public health community with the overall lack of clear progress in lowering high obesity prevalence. The fact that something is missing from current approaches is undeniable and must be a continued source of inquiry. This commentary focuses attention on an aspect that is especially concerning—inequities that predispose to a notably higher obesity prevalence in U.S. racial/ethnic minority populations compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Critical analyses of what we are doing now can point the way to improvements in both individually oriented and policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to overcome the epidemic. Success will require working with communities to co-design relevant and realistic interventions as well as broader social changes that address underlying causes.
The Mediating Roles of Young Residents’ Experiential Value and Sense of Community
Authors: Kim Miyoung
Published: August 2019

This study examines how differently young residents’ experiential value and sense of community mediate the perceived positive and negative effects of a convention center on levels of overall community satisfaction in an integrative model based on social exchange theory. Results show that perceived positive convention center impacts, directly and indirectly, affect experiential value, sense of community, and overall community satisfaction. However, perceived negative convention center impacts, directly and indirectly, affect overall community satisfaction only through experiential value. This study provides both theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research.
Effect of NiOx’s film thickness on the electrical properties of Ni/p–NiOx/n-Si structures
Authors: Yilmaz Mehmet , Kacus Hatice , Grilli Maria Luisa , Aydogan Sakir
Published: August 2019

In this study, non-stoichiometric NiO films were obtained by using radio frequency sputtering technique to fabricate a heterojunction p–n Schottky diode. The crystal structure and topographical features of nickel oxide (NiOx) films were evaluated by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The X-ray diffraction analysis has shown that all films have cubic polycrystalline nature, and some microstructural properties such as lattice constant, average crystallite size, micro-strain, dislocation density were changed depending on film thickness. In addition, topography of the nickel oxide films deposited with different film thickness consisted of fine nanoscale grains, showing a consistency between scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements. To evaluate electrical performance of NiOx films, high-quality vacuum evaporated silver (Ag) (ohmic) layer and nickel (Ni) (measurement electrode) dots were used. The current–voltage (I–V) measurements of Ni/p–NiOx/n-Si device indicated that all devices exhibit rectifying properties and these improve with the increasing film thickness. All electrical properties were correlated with the structural properties of the films to better understand transport mechanism of Ni/p–NiOx/n-Si device.
Long-term results of endovascular treatment for arteriovenous dialysis access thrombosis in 143 patients: A single center experience
Authors: Yilmazsoy Yunus , Ozyer Umut
Published: August 2019

Objective:

This study aimed to determine the long-term patency duration and rate of thrombosis of autologous arteriovenous fistulas and synthetic grafts treated with endovascular methods in a large patient population.

Methods:

A total of 144 arteriovenous accesses (37 radiocephalic, 51 brachiobasilic, 41 brachiocephalic, and 15 femorofemoral) from 143 patients were included in the study. A total of 304 endovascular thrombolytic treatment procedures were performed for 94 (65%) arteriovenous fistula and 50 (35%) arteriovenous graft accesses.

Results:

The procedural technical success rate was 98.7%. The mean follow-up duration was 32.5 (range, 3–132) months. The primary patency rates for arteriovenous fistulas and arteriovenous grafts were 78% and 78% at 6 months, 66% and 63% at 1 year, and 45% and 0% at 36 months, respectively. The assisted primary patency rates for arteriovenous fistulas and arteriovenous grafts were 82% and 84% at 6 months, 71% and 69% at 1 year, 51% and 29% at 36 months, and 30% and 1% at 60 months, respectively. The secondary patency rates for arteriovenous fistulas and arteriovenous grafts were 94% and 93% at 6 months, 85% and 85% at 1 year, 58% and 59% at 36 months, and 47% and 48% at 60 months, respectively.

Conclusion:

Although the primary patency durations for arteriovenous fistulas were better after endovascular thrombolytic treatment than those for arteriovenous grafts, the long-term outcomes of assisted primary and secondary patency durations after repeated procedures were similar for both types of arteriovenous accesses.