bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atherogenic Dyslipidemia and Residual Cardiovascular Risk in Statin-Treated Patients
Authors: Sirimarco Gaia , Labreuche Julien , Bruckert Eric , Goldstein Larry B. , Fox Kim M. , Rothwell Peter M. , Amarenco Pierre , Bousser Marie-Germaine , Chamorro Angel , Ford Ian , Fox Kim , Fisher Marc , Hennerici Michael G. , Mattle Heinrich , Rothwell Peter M. , Callahan Fred , Goldstein Larry B. , Sillesen Henrik , Welch K. Michael A. , Zivin Justin A.
Published: April 2014

Background and Purpose—

Treatment with statins reduces the rate of cardiovascular events in high-risk patients, but residual risk persists. At least part of that risk may be attributable to atherogenic dyslipidemia characterized by low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (≤40 mg/dL) and high triglycerides (triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL).

Methods—

We studied subjects with stroke or transient ischemic attack in the Prevention of Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Events of Ischemic Origin With Terutroban in Patients With a History of Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (PERFORM; n=19 100) and Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels (SPARCL; n=4731) trials who were treated with a statin and who had high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides measurements 3 months after randomization (n=10 498 and 2900, respectively). The primary outcome measure for this exploratory analysis was the occurrence of major cardiovascular events (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death). We also performed a time-varying analysis to account for all available high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride measurements.

Results—

A total of 10% of subjects in PERFORM and 9% in SPARCL had atherogenic dyslipidemia after ≥3 months on start statin therapy. After a follow-up of 2.3 years (PERFORM) and 4.9 years (SPARCL), a major cardiovascular event occurred in 1123 and 485 patients in the 2 trials, respectively. The risk of major cardiovascular events was higher in subjects with versus those without atherogenic dyslipidemia in both PERFORM (hazard ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.14–1.63) and SPARCL (hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–1.85). The association was attenuated after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.48 in PERFORM and hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.93–1.65 in SPARCL). Time-varying analysis confirmed these findings.

Conclusions—

The presence of atherogenic dyslipidemia was associated with higher residual cardiovascular risk in PERFORM and SPARCL subjects with stroke or transient ischemic attack receiving statin therapy. Specific therapeutic interventions should now be trialed to address this residual risk.
Localized Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Defects and Stroke
Authors: Wang Dandan , Li Yang , Wang Chunxue , Xu Liang , You Qi Sheng , Wang Ya Xing , Zhao Liang , Wei Wen Bin , Zhao Xingquan , Jonas Jost B.
Published: April 2014

Background and Purpose—

Because the blood circulation system of retina and brain are closely related to each other, we examined whether stroke is associated with localized retinal nerve fiber layer defects (RNFLDs).

Methods—

Patients with acute ischemic stroke as part of a hospital-based study group were compared with the participants of the population-based group Beijing Eye Study. The retina was imaged by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography for the detection of localized RNFLDs.

Results—

The study included 154 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 2890 subjects from the Beijing Eye Study for whom optical coherence tomographic images of the retinal nerve fiber layer and data on a previous cerebral stroke were available. In logistic regression analysis, acute stroke was significantly associated with localized RNFLDs (
P
<0.001; odds ratio, 6.23; 95% confidence interval, 4.17–9.30) after adjusting for age, male sex, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and higher concentration of the C-reactive protein. In a similar manner, previous stroke was associated with localized RNFLDs (
P
=0.04; odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.16) in multivariate analysis. In a reverse manner, presence of localized RNFLDs was associated with cerebral stroke (
P
<0.001; odds ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval, 2.68–4.67) after adjusting for age, sex, and prevalence of diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions—

Localized RNFLDs showed a strong association with previous or acute cerebrovascular stroke and vice versa after adjustment for other systemic and ocular factors. Localized RNFLDs that can be assessed by noninvasive optical coherence tomographic imaging may be added to the panoply of retinal morphological features of stroke.
Coarse-to-fine Categorization of Visual Scenes in Scene-selective Cortex
Authors: Musel Benoit , Kauffmann Louise , Ramanoël Stephen , Giavarini Coralie , Guyader Nathalie , Chauvin Alan , Peyrin Carole
Published: April 2014

Neurophysiological, behavioral, and computational data indicate that visual analysis may start with the parallel extraction of different elementary attributes at different spatial frequencies and follows a predominantly coarse-to-fine (CtF) processing sequence (low spatial frequencies [LSF] are extracted first, followed by high spatial frequencies [HSF]). Evidence for CtF processing within scene-selective cortical regions is, however, still lacking. In the present fMRI study, we tested whether such processing occurs in three scene-selective cortical regions: the parahippocampal place area (PPA), the retrosplenial cortex, and the occipital place area. Fourteen participants were subjected to functional scans during which they performed a categorization task of indoor versus outdoor scenes using dynamic scene stimuli. Dynamic scenes were composed of six filtered images of the same scene, from LSF to HSF or from HSF to LSF, allowing us to mimic a CtF or the reverse fine-to-coarse (FtC) sequence. Results showed that only the PPA was more activated for CtF than FtC sequences. Equivalent activations were observed for both sequences in the retrosplenial cortex and occipital place area. This study suggests for the first time that CtF sequence processing constitutes the predominant strategy for scene categorization in the PPA.
Motion-defined Surface Segregation in Human Visual Cortex
Authors: Vigano Gabriel J. , Maloney Ryan T. , Clifford Colin W. G.
Published: April 2014

Surface segregation provides an efficient way to parse the visual scene for perceptual analysis. Here, we investigated the segregation of a bivectorial motion display into transparent surfaces through a psychophysical task and fMRI. We found that perceptual transparency correlated with neural activity in the early areas of the visual cortex, suggesting these areas may be involved in the segregation of motion-defined surfaces. Two oppositely rotating, uniquely colored random dot kinematograms (RDKs) were presented either sequentially or in a spatially interleaved manner, displayed at varying alternation frequencies. Participants reported the color and rotation direction pairing of the RDKs in the psychophysical task. The spatially interleaved display generated the percept of motion transparency across the range of frequencies tested, yielding ceiling task performance. At high alternation frequencies, performance on the sequential display also approached ceiling, indicative of perceived transparency. However, transparency broke down in lower alternation frequency sequential displays, producing performance close to chance. A corresponding pattern mirroring the psychophysical data was also evident in univariate and multivariate analyses of the fMRI BOLD activity in visual cortical areas V1, V2, V3, V3AB, hV4, and V5/MT+. Using gray RDKs, we found significant presentation by frequency interactions in most areas; differences in BOLD signal between presentation types were significant only at the lower alternation frequency. Multivariate pattern classification was similarly unable to discriminate between presentation types at the higher frequency. This study provides evidence that early visual cortex may code for motion-defined surface segregation, which in turn may enable perceptual transparency.
Social interactions in a neotropical stream frog reveal a complex repertoire of visual signals and the use of multimodal communication
Authors: Caldart Vinícius Matheus , Iop Samanta , Cechin Sonia Zanini
Published: April 2014

Visual communication has evolved independently in several families of frogs and is complex in diurnal stream frogs. In addition to isolated visual and acoustic signals, some species may emit multimodal displays characterized by the association of these signals. Through the analysis of focal recordings obtained in situ in southern Brazil, we investigated the visual and multimodal communication in the diurnal stream frog Crossodactylus schmidti. We found a complex visual repertoire of nine signals used in intraspecific communication, of which the signal Both legs kicking was described for the first time. Males, females and juveniles emitted visual signals, but males had a larger repertoire and used most signals in agonistic interactions. The four most common visual signals, Toe flagging, Limb lifting, Body jerking and Running-jumping, were emitted predominantly upon rocks in the stream bed. The emission of isolated visual and acoustic signals, as well as audiovisual displays with simultaneous or temporally coupled components, demonstrates that the communication in C. schmidti is complex and that the multimodal displays may have different functions. We discuss the historical, behavioural, ecological factors which may have influenced the evolution of the visual repertoire of C. schmidti, and how the ritualization of derived activities similar to visual signals may have led to the evolution of part of the repertoire. This study provides novel results on visual and multimodal communication for the genus Crossodactylus and demonstrates that C. schmidti represents an appropriate model for studies of complex displays.
Adaptive plasticity in calling site selection in grey treefrogs (Hyla versicolor)
Authors: Höbel Gerlinde , Barta Timothy
Published: April 2014

Calling behaviour is an essential component of gaining access to mates, and calling site selection may be an important component of effective communication. Environmental factors like microclimate, or the presence of competitors and predators often show seasonal or spatial variation, and behavioural plasticity that allows the caller to adjust to this variation may be adaptive. Prompted by the observation of across-season variation in elevated calling site use in our grey treefrog population, we formulated three hypotheses about their calling site choice and tested them using field observations and behavioural trials in the lab. We found that calling site selection is largely determined by local temperature regimes, and suggest that this temperature-based plasticity in calling site selection is adaptive because it allows males to increase their metabolic efficiency and mate attraction effectiveness. The mere presence of heterospecific competitors and predators did not affect calling site selection at the pond, but close proximity to a predator during behavioural trials did reduce calling activity. This suggests that grey treefrog males attend to the presence of predators, that they can assess the degree of risk associated with predator proximity, and that they can adjust calling behaviour adaptively to reduce the chances of being detected by a predator.
Spatial distribution and habitat use of reed warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus during the autumn migration
Authors: Andueza Miren , Arizaga Juan , Barba Emilio , Tamayo-Uria Ibon
Published: April 2014

Spatial behaviour and habitat selection at stopover sites have a strong influence on the foraging and fuelling performance of migrating birds and hence are important aspects of stopover ecology. The aim of this study was to analyse the spatial behaviour and habitat use of reed warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus during the autumn migration. We used radio tracking data from reed warblers surveyed at a stopover site in northern Iberia and assigned to three different groups: (1) local adult birds which were still at their breeding site, (2) migrating first-year birds (originating from beyond Iberian peninsula) and (3) migrating adult birds. Overall, migrating first-year birds tended to have larger home ranges than both local and migrating adults and to move more widely in the study area. They also showed lower fat deposition rates than adults. The proportion of habitats in home ranges (reed-beds and tidal flats being the most abundant habitats) was similar amongst groups. The spatial distribution and habitat use of organisms have been theorised to follow an ideal-free or ideal-despotic distribution. However, according to our results, other complex underlying mechanisms may play an important role in shaping the spatial behaviour of birds at stopover sites.
Introduction
Authors: Gewurtz Margo S.
Published: April 2014

During most of the modern history of the expansion of Western Christendom, China, as the world’s most populous country, was the great prize. Although the results were disappointing, as the numbers of converts both Protestant and Catholic remained relatively small throughout the height of China missions in the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century, the promise of China missions never diminished. Despite the pre-eminence of China in overall mission history, very little attention has been given to the role and influence of China missions beyond the borders of China proper either to the Chinese diaspora or to the wider mission community. This special issue is a first attempt to explore the impact of “China” in missions beyond China’s borders. For our purposes, China becomes both a place where tactics and vocabulary could be invented and tried, a sort of laboratory for mission methodology, and a place of the imagination where “muscular” Christianity could be displayed and tested, or where medical practices were adapted with global implications. In more recent times, China missions, not allowed on the mainland after 1950, have once again as they did in the nineteenth century, addressed the needs of the Chinese diaspora in Europe and America. The essays in this collection challenge scholars to reflect more broadly on the variety of intercultural encounters enabled by missionary work, and ask us to think of this history trans-nationally by going beyond the borders of single nations or mission fields to embrace a global perspective.
Saving Missionary Skins Saves Patients’ Lives
Authors: Renshaw Michelle
Published: April 2014

When the first American medical missionary to China established the first western-style hospital in Guangzhou in 1834 the political and legal environment was hostile to foreigners and to missionaries in particular but, in some respects, it was conducive to safe medical practice. Given that the early nineteenth-century hospital in the West was a very dangerous place it was important to limit risk in the hospital if the evangelical mission was to survive. An analysis of Peter Parker’s (1804–1888) reports and case studies reveals not only his superior skill and patient outcomes but also the medical and administrative strategies he employed to minimize risk. The study places Parker’s medical work in a comparative frame; moving away from a mission-centric focus to draw China medical missions into a larger narrative of the history of modern medicine.
James Curtis Hepburn and the Translation of the New Testament into Japanese
Authors: Ion Hamish
Published: April 2014

This study focuses on the role of James Curtis Hepburn (1815–1911), the pioneer Presbyterian missionary doctor in Japan and a lexicographer who gave his name to the standard form of transliteration of Japanese into English, in the translation of the New Testament into Japanese. Hepburn’s earlier experiences as a medical missionary in China had a significant impact on his attitude toward language study and translation work after his arrival in Kanagawa in 1859. This study shows the importance of the Chinese language Christian tracts, and Bible translations made by China missionaries in serving as a cultural bridge to help open and to expedite the transmission of Christian and Western ideas into Japan as Hepburn and his missionary colleagues struggled to master the Japanese language and to translate the Gospels. However, after 1873 when the open propagation of Christianity among the Japanese began, the greater fluency of missionaries in Japanese and the growing desire of the Japanese to learn English and to concentrate on Western rather than Chinese learning led to the decline in the importance of Chinese language both in the evangelization of Japan and in Bible translation.
Back to the Future
Authors: Nelis Jan
Published: April 2014

Among the many ‘founding myths’ of Italian Fascism such as those regarding its relationship to the First World War, one element stood out as key to both its quest for absolute dominion over the Italian peninsula and its historically based self-concept and representation: the idea of present-day Italy as incarnating the spirit and virtuousness of Roman (late Republican and early Imperial) antiquity, creating the image of a Terza Roma, of a ‘third’, Fascist Rome. This concept was omnipresent throughout the entire period within which Mussolini dominated Italian politics. This very specific use of the historical past is discussed in this article, tracing its presence in various parts of the cultural and intellectual field, identifying the manifold ways in which history can meet contemporary, and ‘futural’, prerequisites. In so doing, it is inspired by recent scholarship underlining the futural, temporal thrust of Fascism and romanità, rather than its traditionally reactionary, backward-looking dynamic. As seems, at least to a certain extent, to have been the case in Nazi Germany, for the Fascists, antiquity indeed was no faraway, dusty past, but a lively source of inspiration and energy revealing the regime’s modernist, revolutionary ambition to build a ‘Third Rome’ which, literally and figuratively, made visible the earlier layers of Roman heritage.
Taxonomic assessment of Chirosiomima Hennig (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), with proposal of a new genus for Hylemyia curtigena Ringdahl
Authors: MICHELSEN VERNER
Published: April 2014

The four nominal species currently included in the anthomyiid genus Chirosiomima Hennig, 1966 are critically assessed and redescribed. It is shown that the type species of Chirosiomima was originally misidentified. Chirosiomima obscurinervis (Emden, 1941) is resurrected from synonymy of C. gestroi (Séguy, 1930). Chirosiomima collini Ackland, 1968 is transferred to Botanophila Lioy (comb. nov.) and C. curtigena (Ringdahl, 1935) to Ringdahlia gen. nov. (comb. nov.). The previously unknown male of C. gestroi and female of R. curtigena (Ringdahl) are described.
Assessing the Significance of Changes in ENSO Amplitude Using Variance Metrics
Authors: Russon T. , Tudhope A. W. , Hegerl G. C. , Schurer A. , Collins M.
Published: April 2014

The variance of time series records relating to ENSO, such as the interannual anomalies or bandpass filtered components of equatorial Pacific SST indices, provides one approach to quantifying changes in ENSO amplitude. Robust assessment of the significance of changes in amplitude defined in this way is, however, hampered by uncertainty regarding the sampling distributions of such variance metrics within an unforced climate system. The present study shows that the empirical constraints on these sampling distributions provided by a range of unforced CGCM simulations are consistent with the expected parametric form, suggesting that standard parametric testing strategies can be robustly applied, even in the case of the nonlinear ENSO system. Under such an approach, the sampling distribution of unforced relative changes in variance may be constrained by a single parameter τd: the value of which depends on the choice of method used to extract the ENSO-related component of time series variability. In the case of interannual anomaly records, the value of τd is also substantially dependent on the overall spectral properties of the climatic variable under consideration. In contrast, the τd value for bandpass filtered records can be conservatively constrained from the lower edge of the filter passband, allowing for the direct but robust assessment of the significance of relative changes in ENSO amplitude, regardless of the climatic variable under consideration. Example applications of this approach confirm marginally significant F-test p values for multidecadal changes in central Pacific instrumental SST variance and highly significant ones for centennial changes in central Pacific coral δ18O variance.
Evaluation of Multiple Satellite-Based Precipitation Products over Complex Topography
Authors: Derin Yagmur , Yilmaz Koray K.
Published: April 2014

This study evaluates the performance of four satellite-based precipitation (SBP) products over the western Black Sea region of Turkey, a region characterized by complex topography that exerts strong controls on the precipitation regime. The four SBP products include the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis version 7 experimental near-real-time product (TMPA-7RT) and post-real-time research-quality product (TMPA-7A), the Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH), and the Multisensor Precipitation Estimate (MPE) of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). Evaluation is performed at various spatial (point and grid) and temporal (daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual) scales over the period 2007–11. For the grid-scale evaluation, a rain gauge–based gridded precipitation dataset was constructed using a knowledge-based system in which “physiographic descriptors” are incorporated in the precipitation estimation through an optimization framework. The results indicated that evaluated SBP products generally had difficulty in representing the precipitation gradient normal to the orography. TMPA-7RT, TMPA-7A, and MPE products underestimated precipitation along the windward region and overestimated the precipitation on the leeward region, more significantly during the cold season. The CMORPH product underestimated the precipitation on both windward and leeward regions regardless of the season. Further investigation of the datasets used in the development of these SBP products revealed that, although both infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) datasets contain potential problems, the inability of MW sensors to detect precipitation especially in the cold season was the main challenge over this region with complex topography.
Baroclinic Transport Time Series of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current Measured in Drake Passage
Authors: Chidichimo María Paz , Donohue Kathleen A. , Watts D. Randolph , Tracey Karen L.
Published: April 2014

The first multiyear continuous time series of Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) baroclinic transport through Drake Passage measured by moored observations is presented. From 2007 to 2011, 19 current- and pressure-recording inverted echo sounders and 3 current-meter moorings were deployed in Drake Passage to monitor the transport during the cDrake experiment. Full-depth ACC baroclinic transport relative to the bottom has a mean strength of 127.7 ± 1.0 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) with a standard deviation of 8.1 Sv. Mean annual baroclinic transport is remarkably steady. About 65% of the baroclinic transport variance is associated with time periods shorter than 60 days with peaks at 20 and 55 days. Nearly 28% of apparent energy in the spectrum computed from transport subsampled at the 10-day repeat cycle of the Jason altimeter results from aliasing of high-frequency signals. Approximately 80% of the total baroclinic transport is carried by the Subantarctic Front and the Polar Front. Partitioning the baroclinic transport among neutral density γn layers gives 39.2 Sv for Subantarctic Surface Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water (γn < 27.5 kg m−3), 57.5 Sv for Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (27.5 < γn < 28.0 kg m−3), 27.7 Sv for Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (28.0 < γn < 28.2 kg m−3), and 3.3 Sv for Antarctic Bottom Water (γn > 28.2 kg m−3). The transport standard deviation in these layers decreases with depth (4.0, 3.1, 2.1, and 1.1 Sv, respectively). The transport associated with each of these water masses is statistically steady. The ACC baroclinic transport exhibits considerable variability and is a major contributor to total ACC transport variability.
The Role of a Polar/Subtropical Jet Superposition in the May 2010 Nashville Flood
Authors: Winters Andrew C. , Martin Jonathan E.
Published: April 2014

Contributions to the increased poleward moisture flux that characterized the second day of the 1–3 May Nashville, Tennessee, flood of 2010 are examined from the perspective of polar and subtropical jet superposition and its influence on the secondary ageostrophic circulation. Employing the Sawyer–Eliassen circulation equation, the analysis reveals that the poleward moisture flux attributed to the jet increased nearly 120% prior to the second day of the event in response to the superposed jet’s ageostrophic circulation, helping to further fuel the production of heavy rainfall. The full Sawyer–Eliassen circulation associated with the superposed jet is further partitioned into its geostrophic and diabatic components. The geostrophic forcing drove midtropospheric ascent that fueled the production of deep convection and the record rainfall. The diabatic component, through forcing lower-tropospheric ascent and vigorous lower-tropospheric poleward moisture flux, provided the link between the tropical moisture and the deep convective environment. Since superposed jets, by their nature, develop on the poleward edge of the tropical or subtropical air, it is suggested that such a mutually reinforcing interaction between these two component forcings of the secondary circulation may routinely characterize the involvement of superposed jet structures in high-impact weather events.
The Effects of Incarceration on Longitudinal Trajectories of Employment
Authors: van der Geest Victor R. , Bijleveld Catrien C. J. H. , Blokland Arjan A. J. , Nagin Daniel S.
Published: April 2014

Life-course theories expect imprisonment to negatively influence a person’s employment prospects. Incarceration not only instantaneously interrupts a number of life-course domains but may also reduce future opportunities to reconnect to them. This article analyzes the effects of incarceration on employment by using observational data on the employment careers from age 23 up to age 32 in 270 high-risk males. All men had been treated for delinquency and problematic behavior in a juvenile justice institution in the Netherlands. First, we investigate whether specific employment trajectories can be distinguished within the overall employment pattern in this sample. Second, controlling for selection into both incarceration and low-employment participation, we investigate the effect of incarceration on future employment over and above the effect of being convicted.
Middle-Class Mothers on Urban School Selection in Gentrifying Areas
Authors: Roberts Amy , Lakes Richard D.
Published: April 2014

This study examined middle-class mothers’ engagement in urban school selection as residents of two gentrifying neighborhoods in Atlanta, Georgia. Gentrifiers levy social capital when activating or exercising agency and create social networks that valorize child-rearing concerns through exchange of information. Thirty mothers with children under the age of 5 in the initial stages of school selection participated in the study. Empirical data were collected about their social networks using an open-ended interviewing technique. A four-part typology of parent-gentrifiers was created to identify levels of agency operating within networks. While the mothers expressed an equity agenda honoring educational diversity, actual school-selection outcomes belied their liberal intentions.
E-PBT—Bead foaming of poly(butylene terephthalate) by underwater pelletizing
Authors: Köppl T , Raps D , Altstädt V
Published: April 2014

Foams from engineering thermoplastics like poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) are a new generation of polymer foams and, probably, the future for lightweight, insulation and damping materials. By means of foam extrusion or bead foaming, it is possible to achieve low-to-medium density foams (< 500 kg/m3). However, foam extrusion of PBT is quite challenging due to its low melt strength and drawability combined with a small temperature-processing window, which is a characteristic of semi-crystalline thermoplastics. This work proves that the problem of cell coalescence and insufficient cell stabilisation can be reduced by choosing the right material and processing parameters in foam extrusion with underwater pelletizing. Therefore, expanded PBT beads could be realised for the first time using CO2 as supercritical blowing agent. To obtain spherical low-density PBT beads with a homogenous foam structure, different process parameters were systematically studied with two different commercial extrusion grades and different blowing agent concentrations. The influence of water pressure and cutting speed of the underwater pelletizer on foam morphology of E-PBT and bead structure was studied. It was shown that using a polymer grade with a sufficiently high-melt viscosity helps to reduce cell coalescence. The lowest achieved density was 230 kg/m3. An increase of the blowing agent concentration did not help in reducing the density. The melting range was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and yielded reasonable moulding temperatures of 205–215 ℃. This corresponds to steam pressures of 17–21 bar in a steam-moulding machine.
Bicultural Identity Integration of Transracial Adolescent Adoptees
Authors: Manzi Claudia , Ferrari Laura , Rosnati Rosa , Benet-Martinez Veronica
Published: April 2014

A number of studies have focused on Bicultural Identity Integration (BII) to explore whether and how migrants and ethnic minorities, who experience multiple cultural belongings, perceive their two cultural backgrounds as compatible (vs. conflictual) and to study the impact of these differences on their psychosocial well-being. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research on BII among transracial adoptees, who also experience unique conditions of dual cultural belonging. Relying on a sample of 170 adopted adolescents born in Latin American countries and subsequently adopted in Italy (aged between 15 and 25) and both of their parents, the aim of the present study was twofold: to explore whether and the extent to which BII is related to adoptees’ behavioral problems and to analyze the influence of specific family and social identity variables on BII. Multivariate analyses using the structural equation modeling indicated that adoptive filiation (i.e., belonging to the adoptive family) and parents’ cultural socialization strategies are significant protective factors for national identity and ethnic identity, respectively, which in turn influences adoptees’ behavioral problems, but this relation is mediated by differences in BII.
Are Guanxi-Type Supervisor–Subordinate Relationships Culture-General? An Eight-Nation Test of Measurement Invariance
Authors: Smith Peter B. , Wasti S. Arzu , Grigoryan Lusine , Achoui Mustafa , Bedford Olwen , Budhwar Pawan , Lebedeva Nadya , Leong Chan Hoong , Torres Claudio
Published: April 2014

Three dimensions of subordinate–supervisor relations (affective attachment, deference to supervisor, and personal-life inclusion) that had been found by Y. Chen, Friedman, Yu, Fang, and Lu to be characteristic of a guanxi relationship between subordinates and their supervisors in China were surveyed in Taiwan, Singapore, and six non-Chinese cultural contexts. The Affective Attachment and Deference subscales demonstrated full metric invariance whereas the Personal-Life Inclusion subscale was found to have partial metric invariance across all eight samples. Structural equation modeling revealed that the affective attachment dimension had a cross-nationally invariant positive relationship to affective organizational commitment and a negative relationship to turnover intention. The deference to the supervisor dimension had invariant positive relationships with both affective and normative organizational commitment. The personal-life inclusion dimension was unrelated to all outcomes. These results indicate the relevance of aspects of guanxi to superior–subordinate relations in non-Chinese cultures. Studies of indigenous concepts can contribute to a broader understanding of organizational behavior.
Gpr177-mediated Wnt Signaling is Required for Fungiform Placode Initiation
Authors: Zhu X. , Liu Y. , Zhao P. , Dai Z. , Yang X. , Li Y. , Qiu M. , Zhang Z.
Published: April 2014

Fungiform papillae are formed as patterned rows on the surface of the anterior tongue at early organogenesis and contain one taste bud in each papilla to form one of the important sensory organs. Despite the essential role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in controlling the development of fungiform taste papillae, the universal function of Wnt ligands in the initiation of the fungiform placode has not been completely elucidated. Here, by ShhCre -mediated oral epithelial deletion of Wntless ( Gpr177), a regulator essential for intracellular Wnt trafficking, we demonstrate that an overall function of Wnts is required for initiation of the fungiform placode. Multiple Wnts are expressed in the tongue epithelium at E11.5 before initiation of the fungiform placodes. Epithelial Gpr177 loss-of-function, associated with reduction of canonical Wnt signaling in lingual epithelium as exhibited by a loss of TopGal activity and Axin2 expression, results in the failure of fungiform placode initiation, as assessed by diminished expression of several taste placode molecular markers. Moreover, LiCl treatment of Gpr177 epithelial-deficient tongue explants at E11.5, but not at E12.5, restores tongue placode formation, demonstrating that Wnt ligands in the tongue surface prior to but not after fungiform placode initiation are responsible for fungiform papilla initiation. Epithelium-specific expression of an active β-catenin in the Gpr177-deficient tongue leads to fungiform papillae generation, suggesting that an intra-epithelial response to Wnts is required for placode initiation. Together, these results suggest that Gpr177 controls epithelial initiation of the fungiform placode through signaling via epithelial Wnt ligands.
EnergyPlus as a forensic tool: Thermal reconstruction of a crime scene using calibrated simulation
Authors: Brown Nathan , Ubbelohde M Susan , Loisos George , Philip Santosh , Santiago Ibone
Published: April 2014

This study utilized energy simulation in support of a forensic pathology time-of-death analysis for a corpse discovered in a single-family residence two years prior to the study. In order to produce an accurate estimate of the interior temperature profile at the time of death, a thermal model was constructed using EnergyPlus and calibrated using environmental monitoring data from the site. The calibration methods used in the study draw from several precedents and are presented in detail. The thermal model was able to predict the temperature in the room of interest within 1.4°C (2.5°F) with 90% confidence. This model was then altered to account for known differences between the monitoring period and the period of interest, and used to predict what the temperature profile had been at the time of death. This study adds to a small body of work that compares simulated to measured performance data for unconditioned spaces, which should have a growing relevance as building energy performance simulation tools are used to model passive strategies.
A vectorial DEVS extension for large scale system modeling and parallel simulation
Authors: Bergero Federico , Kofman Ernesto
Published: April 2014

In this article we introduce an extension to the Discrete Event System (DEVS) formalism called Vectorial DEVS (VECDEVS) that allows to represent large scale systems in a graphic block diagram way. A pure VECDEVS model basically consist in an array of identical classic DEVS models that may differ in their parameters. The interconnection of VECDEVS models with some special classic DEVS models that can handle VECDEVS events allows us to easily represent large systems of arbitrary structure. A noticeable feature of this extension is that VECDEVS models can be easily split for parallel simulation. For that purpose, we developed an algorithm that automatically splits VECDEVS models into an arbitrary number of sub-models for parallel simulation. The implementation of VECDEVS and the partitioning algorithm in a DEVS simulation tool is also described and its usage is illustrated through some application examples.
Preliminary study of relating cotton fiber tenacity and elongation with crystallinity
Authors: Liu Yongliang , Thibodeaux Devron , Gamble Gary , Rodgers James
Published: April 2014

A fundamental understanding of the relationship between cotton fiber strength (or tenacity)/elongation and structure is important to help cotton breeders modify varieties for enhanced end-use qualities. In this study, the Stelometer instrument was used to measure the bundle fiber tenacity and elongation properties of different cotton fibers. This instrument is the traditional fiber strength reference method and could be still preferred as a screening tool owing to its significant low cost and portability. Fiber crystallinity ( CIIR) and maturity ( MIR) were characterized by the previously proposed attenuated total reflection (ATR)-based Fourier transform infrared protocol that has microsampling capability and is suitable for the tiny Stelometer breakage specimens (2 ∼ 5 mg), which cannot be readily analyzed by a conventional X-ray diffraction pattern. Relative to the distinctive increase in fiber tenacity with either CIIR or MIR for Pima fibers ( Gossypium barbadense), there was an unclear trend between the two for Upland fibers ( G. hirsutum). Although fiber elongation increases with elevated CIIR and MIR for Pima fibers, it generally decreases as CIIR and MIR increase for Upland fibers. Furthermore, small sets of Upland fibers with known varieties and growth areas were examined, and their responses to both CIIR and MIR are discussed briefly.
Patterning technique for expanding color variety of Jacquard fabrics in alignment with shaded weave structures
Authors: Ng Frankie , Kim Ken Ri , Hu Jinlian , Zhou Jiu
Published: April 2014

This study aimed to enhance the capability of multiple weave color reproduction for Jacquard textiles. Today, the subtractive color mixing of CMYK color system is being widely used for rendering weave patterns and assorting filling yarn colors. However, as Jacquard color creation involves optical color mixing, the direct application of pigment mixing is limited to corresponding to an artwork that involves red, green, blue and saturated solid black. Since Jacquard colors are realized by opaque and non-blended material of yarns, it requires a different approach of light and pigment mixing to simulate colors of an original image in woven forms. Therefore, in this study, the optimization of weave color reproduction was approached to properly embrace the proposed color gamut of the CMYK model in digital Jacquard textiles. Based on the ink densities of the CMYK color scope, segmentation was applied in reflection of optical thread color mixing to attain optimal weave patterns. A pair of primary color layers was merged by defining a set of rules to classify individual primary and secondary color patterns to designate colored threads in associated regions, and weave structures were designed and aligned to generate varied levels of color shades in weaving form. The correlation between shaded weave structures and the primary color-based weave patterns were matched to present a faithful color reproduction in weaving.
Effect of raising cycles on mechanical, comfort, and hand properties of artificial suede
Authors: Roh Eui Kyung , Oh Kyung Wha , Kim Seong Hun
Published: April 2014

This study evaluated the effect of the raising condition on the mechanical, comfort, and hand properties of artificial suede made of nylon/polyester microfibers, and identified those best suited for the consumer's needs. The suede became thicker and heavier; in addition, the wale density increased by repeated raisings as the base knits contracted and naps increased after a repeated raising process. Water vapor transmission decreased, but thermal resistance and water repellency increased. The increased number of raisings caused the suede to stiffen and not readily deform by compression; however, the suede had a soft and smooth surface. The thickness, weight, wale density, thermal resistance, and perception of luxuriousness increased between one and four cycles and remained unchanged at six cycles. The hand preference, preference for jackets, and luxuriousness of the suede improved with the number of raisings, with the best performance obtained at four raising cycles.
Geometric structure model of plain woven fabric based on progressive spring-slide mechanics
Authors: Zheng Tianyong , Zhang Xiangjun , Zhao Zhixiang , Wu Zhen , Li Tingting
Published: April 2014

The geometric structure of woven fabric affects the appearance and physical properties and can be used to predict the weavability of the fabric. An accurate description of the structure is beneficial to predict the characteristics and the appearance of the woven fabric. The purpose of the study is to build an accurate, realistic, and stable three-dimensional (3D) geometric structure model based on the mechanics for plain woven fabrics. Parameters such as the initial Young's modulus of the yarn materials, thicknesses, warp density, pre-loaded tension on the yarns, and the amount of letting-off and taking-up are considered in the model. The yarns are simplified as a series of spring-sliders that are stretched in the fabric and moved along the direction of the resultant forces step by step according to the changing forces. The yarns stop moving when all the forces reach equilibrium. The tests demonstrate that the algorithm conforms to the weaving principles. The 3D images of the geometric structure of the woven fabric at different steps are displayed by B-spline surface modeling technology. A Keyence VH600 micro-measurement system is used to measure the 3D coordinates of the real fabric accurately without destroying the fabric structure. The similarity of the real geometric structure and the calculated geometric model is evaluated by calculating the discrete Fréchet distances. The result validates that the similarity of the calculated geometric structure and the measured value is more than 90% for both the warp and weft direction.
Reducing photoyellowing of wool fabrics with silica coated ZnO nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Mingwen , Tang Bin , Sun Lu , Wang Xungai
Published: April 2014

Though ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are an excellent UV absorber, their photocatalytic activity greatly limits the application areas of these particles. Under sunlight exposure, ZnO NPs used as a UV absorber can accelerate the wool yellowing process by generating free radicals. To reduce this photocatalysis effect, a physical barrier has been fabricated by coating the ZnO NPs with a silica layer (ZnO@SiO2), hence providing good UV-shielding with low photocatalytic activity. The structure and optical properties of ZnO and ZnO@SiO2 NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV–Vis spectrum. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO and ZnO@SiO2 NPs was evaluated by photo-degradation of Rhodamine B. The ZnO and ZnO@SiO2 NPs were applied to knitted wool fabrics using the dip coating method. The treated wool fabrics were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the photoyellowing level of treated fabrics after exposure under simulated sunlight was evaluated by a Datacolor Spectraflash spectrophotometer. The ZnO@SiO2 NPs demonstrated excellent protection of wool against photoyellowing.
An experimental investigation for error-cube PID control
Authors: Alagoz Baris Baykant , Ates Abdullah , Yeroglu Celaleddin , Senol Bilal
Published: April 2014

This experimental study investigates the practical benefits and drawbacks of error-cube control for closed-loop PID control structures. The error-cube control approach employs the cube power of the error signal for controllers and this causes variability in control characteristics due to the non-linearity of the cube power operation. The error-cube signal introduces attenuated and magnified error regions. These two characteristic error regions result in a tight control regime and a slack control regime, depending on magnitude of the error signal. The study presents a discussion on non-linear error signals in a practical aspect and demonstrates the effects of non-linear error signals on the step response of closed-loop PID control systems via simulation results and experimental measurements. An enhanced error-cube controller was proposed to improve the control performance of the error-cube control and results are discussed.
Matrix algorithms for solving the generalized coupled Sylvester and periodic coupled matrix equations
Authors: Hajarian Masoud
Published: April 2014

This paper is concerned with numerical solutions to the generalized coupled Sylvester matrix equations

[Formula: see text]

and the periodic coupled matrix equations

[Formula: see text]

which have many applications in several areas, such as control theory, stability theory, signal processing and perturbation analysis. By extending the bi-conjugate gradients (Bi-CG) and bi-conjugate residual (Bi-CR) methods, we obtain effective iterative algorithms for finding the solutions of the generalized coupled Sylvester and periodic coupled matrix equations. In order to compare these new algorithms with some existing methods, we present some numerical examples.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health-Related Quality of Life among Participants with Self-Reported Diabetes from NHANES 2001-2010
Authors: Zhang Lu , Ferguson T. Freeman , Simonsen Neal , Chen Liwei , Tseng Tung-Sung
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the racial/ethnic disparities in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among adults with self-reported diabetes and identify the different risk factors related to HRQOL for specific racial/ethnic groups in the United States.

Methods

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2010 participants (ages 20 years and older) who were self-identified as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, or Hispanic and with self-reported diabetes were included in the analysis (n = 2594). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HRQOL-4 was used to assess factors associated with HRQOL through multivariate logistic regression models with survey weighting. Stepwise model selection was applied to select the most significant factors for HRQOL in each racial/ethnic group.

Results

Hispanic participants were less likely to report 14 or more mentally unhealthy days and activity-limited days compared to non-Hispanic white counterparts, adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, family poverty–income ratio (PIR), body mass index, smoking status, insurance coverage, and diabetes duration. Current smoking status and obesity were significantly associated with worse HRQOL among whites and blacks. Marital status predicted better HRQOL only among Hispanics. Having insurance coverage predicted better HRQOL among both blacks and Hispanics. Increased family PIR had a favorable association with the 4 HRQOL domains consistently among all races/ethnicities.

Conclusion

Minimal racial/ethnic disparities in HRQOL were observed among US adults with self-reported diabetes. Support is offered for more individualized health care and communication with patients to target care and interventions that improve health and quality-of-life indicators.