bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Accentuation of Three-Word ‘ כִּי Clauses’ Ending with Silluq and Atnaḥ
Authors: Hitin-Mashiah Rachel
Published: August 2015

In several verses in the Hebrew Bible the Atnaḥ is preceded by two conjunctives. In these cases both words preceding the Atnaḥ are accented by Munaḥ. This uncommon pattern Munaḥ–Munaḥ–Atnaḥ almost always begins with the word כִּי, as can be seen in the clause כִּ֣י ט֣וֹב פָּתָ֑ר (Gen 40:16). In this paper I examine and clarify some prosodic rules concerning the uncommon as well as the common accentuation of three-word ‘כִּי clauses’ ending with Atnaḥ and Silluq.
The Daughter of a Foreign God: Wordplay as an Interpretive Key in Malachi 2:11
Authors: Lear Sheree E.
Published: August 2015

Malachi used the unique phrase בת־אל נכר “daughter of a foreign god” to create an ironic allusive pun to “Bethuel son of Nachor” of the Gen 24 narrative.
The Function of the Root śkl in Shaping the Ideal Figure of David in 1 Samuel 18
Authors: Forti Tova , Glatt-Gilad David A.
Published: August 2015

The fourfold recurrence of the root śkl in 1 Samuel 18 to describe David (vv. 5, 14, 15, 30) calls for an explanation. While David’s characterization as maśkîl would seem to refer, above all, to his success in battle, a broader analysis of śkl in wisdom-related contexts, as well as elsewhere in the Deuteronomistic History, demonstrates that maśkîl functions as an epithet, bestowing upon the holder a wider sense of “success” that is intimately linked with Divine patronage. Thus, David’s characterization as maśkîl in 1 Samuel 18 promotes a more comprehensive definition of the ideal king, in contrast to the more restricted prerequisite of military skill associated with Saul. While it is most likely that the story in 1 Samuel 18 is composed solely from pre-Deuteronomistic strands, the intensity with which the root śkl is employed with relation to David corresponds with the Deuteronomistic agenda of portraying David as the ideal king.
Religious Rights versus Sexual Orientation Discrimination: A Fair Deal for Everyone
Authors: Howard Erica
Published: August 2015

This article examines restrictions on the right to manifest one’s religion which are held to be justified for the protection of the rights of others, in particular, the right not to be discriminated against on the ground of one’s sexual orientation. Eweida and Others v. the United Kingdom is scrutinised and it is argued that this suggests three possible ways of dealing with cases where an employee refuses to carry out certain parts of their job because of their religion or belief: using the “free to resign” rule; imposing a duty of reasonable accommodation on employers; and, providing for a conscientious objection exemption. These will be analysed with particular attention for their restrictions and limitations. This should lead to a conclusion as to whether these rights can be reconciled in a way that provides a fair deal for everyone.
Russian-Backed Paradiplomacy in the ‘Near Abroad’: Gagauzia, Moldova and the Rift over European Integration
Authors: Cantir Cristian
Published: August 2015

This article seeks to make two contributions to the literature on paradiplomacy. First, it provides an account of the foreign activities of the Gagauz autonomous region in the Republic of Moldova, which expands the empirical reach of scholarship in the post-Soviet area beyond studies of Russian regions. Second, it stresses that theory-building efforts need to incorporate consideration of foreign states that support diplomatic activities by non-central governments. Such patrons can exacerbate conflict between regional and central governments when they encourage paradiplomatic activities by regional governments to pressure the central government. Moscow’s recent relationship with Gagauzia — and the Moldovan capital Chișinău’s frustration with it — is illustrative of this theoretical point.
A revision and phylogenetic analysis of the spider genus Oxysoma Nicolet (Araneae: Anyphaenidae, Amaurobioidinae)
Authors: AISEN SANTIAGO , RAMÍREZ MARTÍN J.
Published: August 2015

We review the spider genus Oxysoma Nicolet, with most of its species endemic from the southern temperate forests in Chile and Argentina, and present a phylogenetic analysis including seven species, of which three are newly described in this study (O. macrocuspis new species, O. kuni new species, and O. losruiles new species, all from Chile), together with other 107 representatives of Anyphaenidae. New geographical records and distribution maps are provided for all species, with illustrations and reviewed diagnoses for the genus and the four previously known species (O. punctatum Nicolet, O. saccatum (Tullgren), O. longiventre (Nicolet) and O. itambezinho Ramírez). The phylogenetic analysis using cladistic methods is based on 264 previously defined characters plus one character that arises from this study. The three new species are closely related with Oxysoma longiventre, and this four species compose what we define as the Oxysoma longiventre species group. The phylogenetic analysis did not retrieve the monophyly of Oxysoma, which should be reevaluated in the future, together with the genus Tasata.
State of the Climate in 2014
Authors: Blunden Jessica , Arndt Derek S.
Published: August 2015

Editors note: For easy download the posted pdf of the State of the Climate for 2014 is a very low-resolution file. A high-resolution copy of the report is available by clicking here. Please be patient as it may take a few minutes for the high-resolution file to download.
Sea Surface Temperature Thresholds for Tropical Cyclone Formation
Authors: Tory K. J. , Dare R. A.
Published: August 2015

Almost 70 years ago a sea surface temperature (SST) threshold of 26°–27°C, below which tropical cyclones (TCs) did not form, was proposed, based on a qualitative assessment of warm-season global SST and known TC formation regions. This threshold was widely accepted without further testing, until a recent study suggested a threshold of 25.5°C. That study is revisited here by reexamining the SST for all global TC formations from 1981 to 2008 using (i) a broader range of SST threshold values, (ii) an improved method for identifying subtropical storms—any storm that forms poleward of the subtropical jet (STJ), and (iii) a range of TC formation gestation periods, which refers to a time interval prior to formation in which the SST threshold is exceeded for at least one 6-h period. Consequently, thresholds reported in this paper are expressed as a combination of SST and gestation period.

Using the STJ position to identify and exclude subtropical storms, the threshold of 25.5°C SST–48-h gestation period was found to be robust, but conservative. An examination of TCs of questionable validity (e.g., weak, short lived, and/or storms that formed with baroclinic influences) revealed a further 26 storms (1.2%) that could arguably be excluded from the analysis. With these storms removed, several SST–gestation period threshold combinations were found to be valid, including 25.5°C–18 h and 26.5°C–36 h. A practical threshold combination of 26.5°C–24 h is proposed as only two additional storms failed to meet this threshold, which supports the often-quoted 26.5°C SST necessary condition for TC formation.
Statistical Downscaling of Wintertime Temperatures over South Korea
Authors: Lee Seoyeon , Kim Kwang-Yul
Published: August 2015

Reanalysis data have global coverage and faithfully render large-scale phenomena. On the other hand, regional and small-scale characteristics of atmospheric variability are poorly resolved. In an attempt to improve reanalysis data for regional use, a statistical downscaling strategy is developed based on cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis. The developed algorithm is applied to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis data and to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data in order to produce winter temperatures at 60 Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) stations over the Korean Peninsula. The developed downscaling algorithm is evaluated by predicting winter daily temperatures from 17 November to 16 March for 35 years (1979–2014). For validating the downscaling algorithm the jackknife method is used, in which winter daily temperature is predicted over a 1-yr period not used for training. This procedure is repeated for the entire data period. The mean and variance of the resulting downscaled temperatures match reasonably well with those of the KMA measurements. Validation based on correlation and error variance shows that the temperatures at 60 KMA stations are faithfully reproduced based on coarse reanalysis data. The utility of this technique for downscaling model predictions based on future scenarios is also addressed.
Effects of Horizontal Diffusion on Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change and Structure in Idealized Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulations
Authors: Zhang Jun A. , Marks Frank D.
Published: August 2015

This study examines the effects of horizontal diffusion on tropical cyclone (TC) intensity change and structure using idealized simulations of the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model (HWRF). A series of sensitivity experiments were conducted with varying horizontal mixing lengths (Lh), but kept the vertical diffusion coefficient and other physical parameterizations unchanged. The results show that both simulated maximum intensity and intensity change are sensitive to the Lh used in the parameterization of the horizontal turbulent flux, in particular, for Lh less than the model’s horizontal resolution. The results also show that simulated storm structures such as storm size, kinematic boundary layer height, and eyewall slope are sensitive to Lh as well. However, Lh has little impact on the magnitude of the surface inflow angle and thermodynamic mixed layer height. Angular momentum budget analyses indicate that the effect of Lh is to mainly spin down a TC vortex. Both mean and eddy advection terms in the angular momentum budget are affected by the magnitude of Lh. For smaller Lh, the convergence of angular momentum is larger in the boundary layer, which leads to a faster spinup of the vortex. The resolved eddy advection of angular momentum plays an important role in the spinup of the low-level vortex inward from the radius of the maximum wind speed when Lh is small.
Deep brain stimulation in mental health: Review of evidence for clinical efficacy
Authors: Fitzgerald Paul B , Segrave Rebecca A
Published: August 2015

Objective:

There is increasing interest in the use of deep brain stimulation as a treatment for psychiatric disorders. In this review, we consider the evidence for the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation for psychiatric indications, with a primary focus on obsessive compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder.

Methods:

Case reports, case series and clinical trials where deep brain stimulation was primarily utilised in the treatment of a psychiatric disorder, including obsessive compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, anorexia nervosa or an addictive disorder were identified. The evidence for the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder was reviewed with studies clustered by the site of implantation.

Results:

The majority of identified manuscripts report small case series or single cases. A limited number of studies have reported some form of randomised or blinded stimulation comparison. All of these comparative reports have included small samples of subjects (less than 20 per study in total) compromising the feasibility of making statistical comparison between outcomes in the comparison phases. The two exceptions to this have been industry-sponsored studies conducted in the treatment of major depressive disorder. However, both were stopped prematurely due to concerns about poor efficacy.

Conclusions:

There is insufficient evidence at this point in time to support the use of deep brain stimulation as a clinical treatment for any psychiatric disorder outside of research and programmes where formal outcome data are being systematically collated. While some promising initial data exist to support its potential efficacy for a number of psychiatric conditions, further research is required to establish optimal implantation targets, patient characteristics associated with positive therapeutic outcomes and optimal deep brain stimulation parameters and parameter-programming methods.
Effects of pharmacist-led patient education on diabetes-related knowledge and medication adherence: A home-based study
Authors: Chow Ee Pin , Hassali Mohamed Azmi , Saleem Fahad , Aljadhey Hisham
Published: August 2015

Objective:

Patient education is key to the management of acute and chronic conditions. However, the majority of such educational interventions have been reported from health-care settings. In contrast, this study aims to evaluate whether a home-based intervention can result in better understanding about type 2 diabetes mellitus and can increase adherence to prescribed medications.

Method:

A non-clinical randomised controlled trial was conducted whereby participants received a home-based educational intervention through a registered pharmacist. A total of 150 patients were randomly assigned to two groups (75 patients in each arm). Diabetes knowledge and medication adherence were measured by means of the 14-item Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test and the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, respectively.

Results:

No significant differences were observed in either group for demographic variables. There was, however, a significant increase in the participants’ levels of knowledge about type 2 diabetes mellitus and medication adherence in the home-based intervention group at the completion of the intervention ( p < .001). Significantly lower HbA1c levels were also observed among the home-based intervention group following the intervention ( p < .001).

Conclusion:

A pharmacist-led home-based intervention can significantly increase disease-related knowledge and medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Home-based interventional programmes offer a promising method of patient education and counselling.
The U.S. Health Care Crisis Five Years After Passage of the Affordable Care Act
Authors: Hellander Ida
Published: August 2015

Despite passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the U.S. health care crisis continues. While coverage has been expanded, the reform will leave 27 million people uninsured in 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Much of the new coverage is of low actuarial value with high cost-sharing requirements, creating barriers to access. Choice of physician is restricted to narrow networks of providers. Recent measures of uninsurance, underinsurance, access to care, and health care costs are given. Changes in Medicare, particularly privatization and the rise of specialty drug tiers that limit access to medically necessary medications, are reviewed. Data on a new wave of consolidation among hospitals, medical groups, insurers, and drug companies are presented. The rise of ultra-high-price drugs, such as Solvadi, is raising pharmaceutical costs, particularly in Medicaid, the program for low-income Americans. International health comparisons continue to show the United States performing poorly in relation to other countries. Recent polling data are presented, showing support for more fundamental reform.
Unilateral cancer-associated retinopathy: a case report
Authors: Javaid Zartash , Rehan Shahzaib M , Al-Bermani Ayad , Payne Gareth
Published: August 2015

We write to report a rare case of unilateral cancer-associated retinopathy previously undocumented in the literature. Cancer-associated retinopathy is an uncommon paraneoplastic syndrome. It is characterised by retinal antigen autoantibodies causing rod and cone dysfunction and abnormal electroretinography findings with consequent progressive visual loss.

Our patient, known to have a primary cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, presented with unilateral blurred vision as well as a disturbance in colour and night vision. Electroretinography findings of reduced a and b waves in the right eye, together with a fundoscopic appearance of a mottled retinal pigment epithelium, attenuated blood vessels and optic disc pallor were consistent with unilateral cancer-associated retinopathy. Posterior subtenon injections of triamcinolone were administered to control active disease. With periocular steroid injections, at 4 years, our patient’s visual acuity remained relatively stable and her condition persisted strictly unilaterally. Cancer-associated retinopathy may be the first presenting sign of an underlying malignancy or may indicate its recurrence. Moreover, in patients with a diagnosed gynaecological malignancy, visual symptoms could reflect cancer-associated retinopathy. In our patient visual symptoms came secondary to the diagnosis of cancer.
Reduced-order urban wind interference
Authors: Wilkinson Samuel , Bradbury Gwyneth , Hanna Sean
Published: August 2015

A novel approach is demonstrated to approximate the effects of complex urban interference on the wind-induced surface pressure of tall buildings. This is achieved by decomposition of the domain into two components: the obstruction model (OM) of the static large-scale urban context, for which a single computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is run; and the principal model (PM) of the isolated tall building under design, for which repeatable reduced-order model (ROM) predictions can be made. The ROM is generated with an artificial neural network (ANN), using a set of feature vectors comprising an input of local shape descriptors and a range of wind speeds from a training geometry, and an output response of pressure. For testing, the OM CFD simulation provides the flow boundary condition wind speeds to the PM ROM prediction. The result is vertex-resolution surface pressure data for the PM mesh, intended for use within generative design exploration and optimisation. It is found that the mean absolute prediction error is around 5.0% ( σ: 7.8%) with an on-line process time of 390 s, 27 times faster than conventional CFD simulation; considering full process time, only 3.2 design iterations are required for the ROM time to match CFD. Existing work in the literature focuses solely on creating generalised rules relating global configuration parameters and a global interference factor (IF). The work presented here is therefore a significantly alternative approach, with the advantages of increased geometric flexibility, output resolution, speed, and accuracy.
Total heat loss as a predictor of physiological response in wildland firefighter gear
Authors: DenHartog Emiel A , Walker Marika A , Barker Roger L
Published: August 2015

In most types of protective clothing heat strain is an important issue. The wildland firefighter clothing system in the USA has seen no major revision over the last decades. In this project the wildland firefighter clothing system was studied at the material and the systems level. On the sweating guarded hot plate and the sweating thermal manikin effects of different base layers (cotton and modacrylic) and meta-aramid outer layers of different fabric weights were evaluated. Then, a human subject trial was performed on a limited set of clothing systems to validate the results from materials and manikin testing. The clothing systems were composed of relevant materials for wildland firefighters with extra configurations added to explore the effects of the highest and lowest levels of protection. All measurement techniques were reverted to a calculation of the total heat loss (THL), as predicted from the hot plate and the manikin and compared to the calculated heat loss from the human subjects.

The prediction of the heat strain, based on the sweating guarded hot plate only, gives a large overestimation of the actual heat loss in humans. The currently used standard in the USA that utilizes THL values has no link to actual human heat loss. The manikin showed much better comparison to the human data in absolute terms, but in general underestimated heat loss and showed worse overall correlation to the human heat loss data than the hot plate values.
Research on 3D periodic structure velvet fabric and its frequency response characteristics
Authors: Cheng Huanhuan , Xiao Hong , Shi Meiwu , Wang Qun , Wang Ni
Published: August 2015

Frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) based on textile or textile composite materials are increasingly becoming popular due to their textile nature of high flexibility, softness, low-cost, easy fabrication, and other textile characteristics compared to the traditional metal FSS, especially the two-dimensional FSS fabrics. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) fabric periodic structure with conductive textile fabricated vertically on the common textile substrate, forming a U-shaped array, is proposed. An experimental validation has been conducted to verify whether the 3D frequency selective structure fabric has good frequency response characteristics and great design ability. The model samples of 3D periodic structure based on velvet fabric with different structure or material parameters were fabricated by hand. Through testing and analysis of transmission and reflection coefficients at 2–18 GHz using the shielding chamber method, the results show that the velvet height of the fabric model periodic structure has an obvious effect on the resonant frequency. With an increase in velvet height, the resonant peak will move towards lower frequency. With an increase of vertical velvet spacing, the resonant frequency will also move towards lower frequency. Velvet material has a slight influence on the frequency response characteristics. The frequency response characteristics of this structure are stable under different incident angles. The 3D periodic structure offers more design freedom and possibilities. Significant effects of wave absorption or selective filtering by the periodic structure can be achieved by regulating the structural parameters and material parameters together.
Comparative study of cotton, ramie and wool fiber bundles’ thermal and dynamic mechanical thermal properties
Authors: Xia Zhigang , Yao Cui’e , Zhou Jinhui , Ye Wenxiang , Xu Weilin
Published: August 2015

Wool, cotton and ramie thermal properties are qualitatively studied by temperature-dependent Fourier transform infrared (TD-FTIR) spectroscopy, and quantitatively investigated by thermogravimetry coupled with a differential thermal analyzer (TG-DSC). TD-FTIR results indicate that although cotton, ramie and wool exhibit significant water loss, they have no detected degradation within the temperature range from 25℃ to 210℃. These data are confirmed by TG-DSC analysis. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis provides comparative study of cotton, ramie and wool bundles’ dynamic mechanical thermal properties. The four-fiber-bundle has a much lower storage modulus due to its larger fiber contact surface and twisting deformation; heating reduces the storage modulus significantly for cotton and ramie instead of wool fiber bundles in the temperature range from 25℃ to 100℃. Key E′-T and tan  δ-T curve information reveals that ramie fiber bundles have the strongest temperature sensitivity, while wool fiber bundles express the weakest temperature sensitivity.
Party Government and Administrative Reform: Evidence From the German Länder
Authors: Götz Alexander , Grotz Florian , Weber Till
Published: August 2015

Administrative reorganization has become widespread practice in modern democracies. Various case studies highlight the relevance of political ideology for bureaucratic contraction, others the role of socioeconomic pressure and institutional constraints. We examine these explanations in a study of the German Länder, which have substantially contracted their bureaucracies since the 1990s. Quantitative analysis of a novel data set of 479 ministerial departments in 13 Länder over two decades suggests that the ideological complexion of governments is a stronger predictor of administrative reform than socioeconomic pressure or institutional constraints. Moreover, interaction models show how socioeconomic and institutional variables condition the effect of ideology.
The Syrian Opposition: Salafi and Nationalist Jihadism and Populist Idealism
Authors: Zuhur Sherifa
Published: August 2015

The debate over international responses to the Assad governments continued barrel-bombing and lethal use of chemical weapons centered on the dominance and agenda of ‘extremists’ in the Syrian opposition and their role in a post-Assad Syria. With 1,500 groups and significant inter-conflict, the future of the popular revolution that originated with non-violent, idealistic civilian demonstrators cannot be foreseen with any certainty. The Supreme Military Command of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was created in an effort to better coordinate its efforts. There were many tensions between the FSA and salafi-jihadist groups which were blocked from the FSA’s distribution system. These salafi-jihadist groups are stigmatized internationally due to their expansion, brutality and actions towards minorities and women in their areas of control. There were also secular or at least, anti-sectarian elements of the Syrian opposition. The Syrian population may well reject the harsh sectarianism and imposition of ‘Islamic rule’ by salafi-jihadists in a post-Assad era. Or conversely, Islamist elements might prevail.
Examining the Impact of Local Collaborative Tools on Urban Sustainability Efforts: Does the Managerial Environment Matter?
Authors: Swann William L.
Published: August 2015

Collaborative management is thought to enhance policy implementation in urban settings by overcoming governmental fragmentation, creating greater goal consensus, increasing access to resources, and facilitating policy learning. However, empirical studies of this relationship are conspicuously absent, limiting researchers’ ability to predict how collaborative tools will directly and indirectly affect local implementation outcomes. This article investigates the effects of inter- and intralocal collaboration on the implementation of urban sustainability practices, and investigates interaction relationships to test whether two managerial environmental factors—administrative capacity and stakeholder support—influence the effectiveness of collaborative tools. Drawing data from a national survey, the analysis finds evidence that the effectiveness of collaborative tools depends on the policy target, and that administrative capacity and stakeholder support influence the effectiveness of collaboration in policy implementation. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for how public managers utilize collaborative tools in urban sustainability governance.
Continuous-time batch trajectory estimation using temporal basis functions
Authors: Furgale Paul , Tong Chi Hay , Barfoot Timothy D. , Sibley Gabe
Published: August 2015

Roboticists often formulate estimation problems in discrete time for the practical reason of keeping the state size tractable; however, the discrete-time approach does not scale well for use with high-rate sensors, such as inertial measurement units, rolling-shutter cameras, or sweeping laser imaging sensors. The difficulty lies in the fact that a pose variable is typically included for every time at which a measurement is acquired, rendering the dimension of the state impractically large for large numbers of measurements. This issue is exacerbated for the simultaneous localization and mapping problem, which further augments the state to include landmark variables. To address this tractability issue, we propose to move the full Maximum-a-Posteriori estimation problem into continuous time and use temporal basis functions to keep the state size manageable. We present a full probabilistic derivation of the continuous-time estimation problem, derive an estimator based on the assumption that the densities and processes involved are Gaussian and show how the coefficients of a relatively small number of basis functions can form the state to be estimated, making the solution efficient. Our derivation is presented in steps of increasingly specific assumptions, opening the door to the development of other novel continuous-time estimation algorithms through the application of different assumptions at any point. We use the simultaneous localization and mapping problem as our motivation throughout the paper, although the approach is not specific to this application. Results from two experiments are provided to validate the approach: (i) self-calibration involving a camera and a high-rate inertial measurement unit, and (ii) perspective localization with a rolling-shutter camera.
“First Stop Dying”
Authors: Hallett Michael , Hays Joshua , Johnson Byron , Jang Sung Joon , Duwe Grant
Published: August 2015

This article offers an ethnographic account of the “self-projects” of inmate graduates of Louisiana State Penitentiary’s (aka “Angola’s”) unique prison seminary program. Angola’s Inmate Minister program deploys seminary graduates in bivocational pastoral service roles throughout America’s largest maximum-security prison. Drawing upon the unique history of Angola, inmates establish their own churches and serve in lay-ministry capacities in hospice, cellblock visitation, tier ministry, officiating inmate funerals, and through tithing with “care packages” for indigent prisoners. Four themes of positive criminology prominently emerge from inmate narratives: (a) the importance of respectful treatment of inmates by correctional administrations, (b) the value of building trusting relationships for prosocial modeling and improved self-perception, (c) repairing harm through intervention, and (d) spiritual practice as a blueprint for positive self-identity and social integration among prisoners.
Bank financing and credit rationing of Australian SMEs
Authors: McCarthy Scott , Oliver Barry , Verreynne Martie-Louise
Published: August 2015

This paper investigates two aspects of bank financing using a sample of 1,973 Australian small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). We compare the variables that explain why Australian small to medium sized enterprises seek bank finance with those that underpin bank credit rationing of loan applications. Our analysis highlights that little overlap exists between the two sets of variables. Larger small to medium sized enterprises with growth intentions, business plans, and those in the agriculture industry are significantly more likely to seek finance. In contrast, firms in agriculture that are older, and that have incremental product innovation, 40% or more of export sales, and a male Chief Executive Officer, are less likely to be credit rationed. Importantly, having business plans, whether in large or small firms, does not relate significantly to credit rationing.
Improving Care in Pediatric Neuro-oncology Patients
Authors: Fischer Cheryl , Petriccione Mary , Donzelli Maria , Pottenger Elaine
Published: August 2015

Brain tumors represent the most common solid tumors in childhood, accounting for almost 25% of all childhood cancer, second only to leukemia. Pediatric central nervous system tumors encompass a wide variety of diagnoses, from benign to malignant. Any brain tumor can be associated with significant morbidity, even when low grade, and mortality from pediatric central nervous system tumors is disproportionately high compared to other childhood malignancies. Management of children with central nervous system tumors requires knowledge of the unique aspects of care associated with this particular patient population, beyond general oncology care. Pediatric brain tumor patients have unique needs during treatment, as cancer survivors, and at end of life. A multidisciplinary team approach, including advanced practice nurses with a specialty in neuro-oncology, allows for better supportive care. Knowledge of the unique aspects of care for children with brain tumors, and the appropriate interventions required, allows for improved quality of life.
Perioperative Parenteral Nutrition in Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Schwartz Emily
Published: August 2015

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition with numerous nutrition implications, including an increased risk of malnutrition and various nutrient deficiencies. Surgical interventions are often necessary in the treatment of IBD, and patients with IBD presenting for surgery often have multiple issues, including acute inflammatory processes, malnutrition, anemia, and infections, which may increase the likelihood of poor surgical outcomes. Thus, determining adjunctive treatments that may decrease postoperative complications is paramount. Although enteral nutrition (EN) is considered the preferred nutrition support modality when the gastrointestinal tract is accessible and functional, parenteral nutrition (PN) may provide a suitable alternative when the use of EN is not feasible. The aim of this review is to evaluate the currently available literature on the impact of perioperative PN on postoperative complications, disease severity, and nutrition status in adults with IBD. Six studies within the past 10 years investigated this topic and are analyzed here. Results indicate general trends toward improvements in postoperative outcomes, disease severity, and nutrition status associated with perioperative PN use. Although results appear promising, additional, larger studies with an emphasis on PN composition will improve our understanding of the benefits of perioperative PN in adults with IBD.
Optimising contraction and alignment of cellular collagen hydrogels to achieve reliable and consistent engineered anisotropic tissue
Authors: O’Rourke Caitriona , Drake Rosemary AL , Cameron Grant WW , Jane Loughlin A , Phillips James B
Published: August 2015

Engineered anisotropic tissue constructs containing aligned cell and extracellular matrix structures are useful as in vitro models and for regenerative medicine. They are of particular interest for nervous system modelling and regeneration, where tracts of aligned neurons and glia are required. The self-alignment of cells and matrix due to tension within tethered collagen gels is a useful tool for generating anisotropic tissues, but requires an optimal balance between cell density, matrix concentration and time to be achieved for each specific cell type. The aim of this study was to develop an assay system based on contraction of free-floating cellular gels in 96-well plates that could be used to investigate cell–matrix interactions and to establish optimal parameters for subsequent self-alignment of cells in tethered gels. Using C6 glioma cells, the relationship between contraction and alignment was established, with 60–80% contraction in the 96-well plate assay corresponding to alignment throughout tethered gels made using the same parameters. The assay system was used to investigate the effect of C6 cell density, collagen concentration and time. It was also used to show that blocking α1 integrin reduced the contraction and self-alignment of these cells, whereas blocking α2 integrin had little effect. The approach was validated by using primary astrocytes in the assay system under culture conditions that modified their ability to contract collagen gels. This detailed investigation describes a robust assay for optimising cellular self-alignment and provides a useful reference framework for future development of self-aligned artificial tissue.
Influence of Parental Conflict Resolution Strategies on Hispanic College Women’s Experiences With Verbal Aggression
Authors: Oramas Laura A. , Stephens Dionne P. , Whiddon Melody
Published: August 2015

The study investigates the relation between interparental verbal aggression, parent–daughter verbal aggression, and verbal aggression in female Hispanic college student’s dating relationships ( N = 599). Results showed that mothers’ high levels of verbal conflict with fathers were predictive of having high levels of verbal conflicts with their daughters. This in turn, predicted daughters’ use of verbal conflict with their intimate partner. Similarly, fathers’ high levels of verbal conflict with mothers were predictive of having high levels of verbal conflicts with their daughters. However, this was not found to be predictive of daughters’ use of verbal conflict with their intimate partner.
Desistance From Sexual Offending: Behavioral Change Without Cognitive Transformation
Authors: Harris Danielle Arlanda
Published: August 2015

The treatment and management of sexual offenders has long been focused on risk and recidivism. As a consequence, the phenomenon of desistance from sexual offending has only recently gained research attention. Unsurprisingly, the area of theory building to account for this empirical reality has been slow. Although a number of psychological theories of behavioral change and criminological theories of desistance exist, a comprehensive theoretical understanding of desistance from sexual offending is lacking. A theme common across a number of theories of internal desistance is cognitive transformation and specifically, one’s readiness for and willingness to change. This study tested the relevance of that particular theme for a sample of 45 men convicted of sexual offenses who are living offense-free lives in the community. In contrast to this theme, long-term desistance was observed in most cases in the absence of any initial desire for intervention. The impact of current approaches such as mandatory treatment is discussed and implications for future research and practice are presented.
Reproductive Coercion by Male Sexual Partners: Associations With Partner Violence and College Women’s Sexual Health
Authors: Katz Jennifer , Poleshuck Ellen L. , Beach Brittany , Olin Rachel
Published: August 2015

Reproductive coercion (RC) involves indirect and direct partner behaviors that interfere with effective contraceptive use. RC has been identified as a correlate of intimate partner violence (IPV) among ethnically diverse women sampled from urban health clinics or shelters. Research is needed to determine whether RC is experienced more generally by young women and, if so, whether RC is associated with IPV, multiple indicators of sexual health, or both. In the present study, sexually active undergraduate women ( N = 223, 80% Caucasian/White) provided self-report data on their sexual health and behaviorally specific lifetime experiences of both RC and partner physical violence. About 30% reported experiencing RC from a male sexual partner. Most commonly, RC involved condom manipulation or refusal within an adolescent dating relationship. Experiences of RC and partner violence were not independent; half of the women who reported RC also reported experiencing partner physical violence. Women with a history of RC reported a significantly reduced rate of contraceptive use during last vaginal sex and lower contraceptive and sexual self-efficacy. Additional research on the sociocultural and relational contexts of RC is needed.
A dimensionless parametric relationship between the velocity and viscous layer thickness of streaming flow caused by an oscillating bubble
Authors: Min Min S , Kwon Yong S , Chung Sang K , Rhee Kyehan
Published: August 2015

The dimensionless velocity of steady streaming flow with small oscillation amplitude and low viscous layer thickness was assumed to be a function of one dimensionless parameter (viscous layer thickness). This functional relationship was validated by measuring the streaming velocities for bubbles on the size scale of hundreds of micrometers. The streaming velocities were computed for smaller bubbles to extend the range of viscous layer thickness applicable in the functional relationship. The dimensionless velocities were fitted well to the negative three-fourth power of the dimensionless viscous layer thickness, and a scaling law between the streaming velocity and bubble radius was proposed.
A novel approach to diagnostic and prognostic evaluations applied to railways: A real case study
Authors: Pliego Marugán Alberto , García Márquez Fausto Pedro
Published: August 2015

This paper presents qualitative and quantitative analyses of the action of points, a critical component of railway networks. They allow diagnostic and prognostic evaluations of the points using health monitoring systems, i.e. they allow the state of the system at a desired moment to be evaluated and the forecasting of the future condition of the system. The main objective is to increase the reliability, availability, safety and maintainability of these systems. A novel approach for maintenance management based on fault tree analysis is proposed. A binary decision diagram (BDD) approach is proposed for the qualitative analysis of the fault trees. The BDD obtains a Boolean expression for the fault tree. An optimal ordering of events is required in order to obtain an efficient conversion from a fault tree to a BDD, with the AND method being used for this purpose. Each event is classified based on its importance to the fault tree. It is studied using the Birnbaum and Criticality importance measures, using the Boolean expressions in order to perform accurate diagnostics and valuable prognostics on the state of the system. The presented approach allows the failure probability of the system to be determined along with importance measures obtained by considering variable time increments, e.g. shorter periods at the beginning and end of the life cycle of an event. A real case study on a set of M63 points is presented. The results provide useful information that can be used to support operations and the planning of maintenance tasks. The approach creates a methodology to establish effective maintenance planning, as it is a flexible and simple method that takes into account a nonlinear system that leads to an optimal allocation of resources. Finally, the conditions for an optimized online decision-making process are achieved.
Glacial fluctuations since the ‘Medieval Warm Period’ at Rothera Point (western Antarctic Peninsula)
Authors: Guglielmin Mauro , Convey Peter , Malfasi Francesco , Cannone Nicoletta
Published: August 2015

At a global scale, there is no evidence for synchronous multi-decadal warm (‘Medieval Warm Period’, MWP) or cold (‘Little Ice Age’, LIA) periods in the late Holocene. On the other hand, there is good correspondence globally in the timing of MWP or LIA and phases of glacier retreat and advance, respectively, with local exceptions mainly explained by the precipitation regime. Antarctica exhibits contrasting patterns, both regarding the existence of these two historical climatic periods and the glacial responses to climatic forcing. Here, we present evidence for glacial retreat corresponding to the MWP and a subsequent LIA advance at Rothera Point (67°34′S; 68°07′W) in Marguerite Bay, western Antarctic Peninsula. Deglaciation started at ca. 961–800 cal. yr BP or before, reaching a position similar to or even more withdrawn than the current state, with the subsequent period of glacial advance commencing between 671 and 558 cal. yr BP and continuing at least until 490–317 cal. yr BP. Based on new radiocarbon dates, during the MWP, the rate of glacier retreat was 1.6 m yr−1, which is comparable with recently observed rates (~0.6 m yr−1 between 1993 and 2011 and 1.4 m yr−1 between 2005 and 2011). Moreover, despite the recent air warming rate being higher, the glacial retreat rate during the MWP was similar to the present, suggesting that increased snow accumulation in recent decades may have counterbalanced the higher warming rate.
Rich-fen bryophytes in past and recent mire vegetation in a successional land uplift area
Authors: Rehell Sakari , Virtanen Risto
Published: August 2015

Most rich-fen bryophyte species are currently declining and red listed in many European countries. Little is known about their past and current occurrence. We investigated past and recent bryophyte assemblages in mires in the land uplift coast of Finland. The study areas included primary succession areas where mire development started c. 6000 BP. In total, seven mires were studied in two successional transects along the land uplift coast. The past occurrences of rich-fen and other bryophytes were studied in 45 mire stratigraphic peat profiles, and recent occurrences were collected from 158 vegetation plots of 10 m × 10 m. Bryophyte subfossils indicated that the central parts of the basins developed first to wet rich fens with groundwater influence, which developed towards intermediate fens or poorer mire types. Most mire bryophytes occurred in about the same proportion in peat profiles as in recent vegetation. Five rich-fen species ( Hamatocaulis lapponicus, H. vernicosus, Meesia longiseta, M. triquetra and Pseudocalliergon trifarium) were clearly more common in peat profiles than in the present mire vegetation, where these species were very rare and appeared only in small patches without sporophytes. These rich-fen species have had markedly wider distributions in the past, probably linked to climate fluctuations, whereas current occurrences are becoming scarce because of multiple anthropogenic factors such mire drainage and climate change.
Late Holocene climate change in the Big Belt Mountains, central Montana, USA
Authors: Travis Lauri
Published: August 2015

Carroll College and the Helena National Forest are working in a 6-year research partnership designed to investigate the relationship between paleoclimate change and human adaptation in the Big Belt Mountains of central Montana, USA. This ongoing project is designed to gather archaeological and paleoenvironmental data from three diverse ecosystems within one drainage basin: high-altitude park areas (1800–2100 m), mid-altitude conifer forests (1200–1500 m), and low-altitude locales (under 1500 m) along the Missouri River. These data will represent paleoecological and archaeological changes through time and will detect synchrony and diversity across an elevation gradient. Thus far, excavation of two mid-altitude sites, dating to 2400 and 4500 BP, and one high-altitude site, dated to 2400 BP, revealed evidence of a significant drought period about 2000 years ago. To date, the excavated sites evidence a shift in pollen to drier species, a shift to higher sedimentation rates, and changes in snail and vertebrate species.
Solar imprints on Asian inland moisture fluctuations over the last millennium
Authors: Song Mu , Zhou Aifeng , Zhang Xiaonan , Zhao Cheng , He Yuxin , Yang Wenqing , Liu Weiguo , Li Shenghua , Liu Zhonghui
Published: August 2015

Solar irradiance changes are thought to play an important role in natural climate variability. How the hydrological conditions were affected by solar irradiance in westerly-controlled arid central Asia (ACA) on decadal/centennial timescales remains poorly understood because of the lack of high-quality records. Here, we integrate 1.2-year-resolution x-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanner-derived carbonate accumulation estimates with 6-year-resolution biomarker and magnetic records in a well-preserved shoreline core from Lake Manas, northwestern China, to reconstruct lake level fluctuations and potential solar imprints over the last millennium. Besides the generally confirmed cool-wet/warm-dry climate pattern in ACA, our data also consistently show frequent and substantial lake level fluctuations, resembling solar activity changes, especially during the ‘Little Ice Age’. Wavelet spectral analyses of our XRF data indicate strong 8- to 16-year, 64- to 128-year and 128- to 256-year cycles, coinciding with the ~11-year Schwabe cycle, ~70- to 100-year Gleissberg cycle, and the ~200-year Suess-de Vries cycle. We therefore suggest the existence of solar imprints on effective moisture fluctuations in ACA over the last millennium, and the potential occurrence of the Schwabe cycle even during the solar minima.