bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Direct and Indirect Effects of the Physical Aspects of the Environment on Mental Well-Being
Authors: Hadavi Sara
Published: December 2016

This study investigated the mediating role of neighborhood satisfaction and use of outdoor spaces in the effects of the physical environment on mental well-being. Four planning/design-related aspects of the environment were examined: perceived proximity of home to green/social spaces, open lawn with trees, and building-dominated spaces as well as perceived barriers to neighborhood use. A random sample of 434 Chicago residents participated in a photo survey. The results of linear regression modeling and mediation analyses support the hypothesis that satisfaction with quality of public space and frequency of use of green/social spaces have a significant mediating role in the relationship between nearby environmental attributes and mental well-being. Perceived barriers were also found to have both direct and indirect effects on mental well-being. Recognition of the differential roles played by environmental attributes, neighborhood satisfaction, and use patterns can help guide planners/designers to create outdoor spaces that enhance urban residents’ mental well-being.
Healing efficiency of polystyrene electrospun nanofibers with Grubbs’ catalyst in thermosetting composite
Authors: Radovic Ivana M , Stojanovic Dusica B , Kojovic Aleksandar , Petrovic Milos , Uskokovic Petar S , Radojevic Vesna J , Aleksic Radoslav R
Published: December 2016

The study presents a novel method for the protection of Grubbs’ catalyst, by incorporation in polystyrene fibres via electrospinning technique. Epoxy-glass fibre composite with embedded self-healing agents (polystyrene fibres with Grubbs’ and microcapsules with dicyclopentadiene) was processed. Fibres retained pale purple colour during processing, revealing that fibres provided good protection of the catalyst from the amine hardener. The influence of self-healing agents’ content and thermal treatment on self-healing efficiency was investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that a polydicyclopentadiene formed at the healed interface. Thermal analysis revealed that ‘bleed’ at the healing sites from different samples had similar concentration of polydicyclopentadiene, indicating that the same amount of the catalyst has been provided to dicyclopentadiene for polymerization. This finding lead to assumption that electrospun polymer fibres enabled good dispersion of the catalyst in the composites. The low energy impact tests of the samples showed a recovery of 90% after 24 h at room temperature and up to 111% after repeated heating cycles.
Sedentary Behavior During School Recess in Southern Brazil
Authors: Greca João Paulo de Aguiar , Silva Diego Augusto Santos
Published: December 2016

The aim of this study was to assess sedentary behavior during school recess in Brazilian boys and girls. The study included 455 students (233 boys and 222 girls), aged 8 to 17 years, enrolled in a public school in the city of Londrina, Brazil. All data was collected using questionnaires. Logistic regression with odds ratio and confidence interval (95%) was used to measure the relationship between sedentary behavior and sex, age, weight, screen time, and economic status. There was a high prevalence (40.7%) of sedentary behavior in this sample, with girls (aged 8 to 17 years) more likely than boys (54.5% vs. 27.5%, respectively) and older students (13–17 years) more likely than younger students (8–12 years) to engage in sedentary behavior (49.6% vs. 30.1%, respectively). These findings, and their broad implications for health and for interventions to increase physical activity, are discussed in light of past literature.
Adaptive approximate input–output linearizing control with applications to ball and beam mechanism
Authors: Kara Tolgay , Eker İlyas
Published: December 2016

This paper presents the design and implementation of adaptive control with approximate input–output linearization for underactuated open-loop unstable non-linear mechanical systems. Control of a ball and beam (BB) mechanism is selected as a benchmark problem for testing the designed control. The method of input–output linearization is reviewed and an adaptive input–output linearizing control design procedure is given. An approximate BB model is developed using Euler–Lagrange equations, and input–output linearization-based adaptive tracking control is designed for the system. The model is parameterized with respect to ball mass for adaptive tracking, and the proposed control structure is tested via computer simulations and experiments. The results present the tracking performance of designed control for various ball masses, and reveal the proposed method’s capability to cover ball mass variations over non-adaptive control. The proposed control exhibits improved error performance in the presence of parametric variations in the plant. Results of the BB control case reveal successful control of underactuated non-linear mechanisms when a system parameter is unknown or time varying.
Proxy Advisors and Shareholder Dissent: A Cross-Country Comparative Study
Authors: Sauerwald Steve , van Oosterhout J. (Hans) , Van Essen Marc , Peng Mike W.
Published: December 2016

Proxy advisors are information intermediaries that enable shareholders to exercise their voting rights. While proxy advisors’ influence is documented in market-based corporate governance systems, we know little about the corporate governance role of proxy advice in relationship-based governance systems. Drawing on agency theory and the comparative corporate governance literature, we theorize that shareholders are sensitive to the costs and benefits of monitoring by considering internal monitoring capabilities. We also theorize that relative to market-based corporate governance systems, proxy advice is both less influential and has lower predictive quality in relationship-based governance systems. We test our multilevel model using 13,497 voting results from 613 firms in 16 Western European countries and generally find support for our predictions.
Partnerships Enhancing Practice
Authors: Servilio Kathryn L. , Hollingshead Aleksandra , Hott Brittany L.
Published: December 2016

In higher education, current teaching evaluation models typically involve senior faculty evaluating junior faculty. However, there is evidence that peer-to-peer junior faculty observations and feedback may be just as effective. This descriptive case study utilized an inductive analysis to examine experiences of six special education early career faculty, from different institutions, using the partnerships that enhance practice (PEP) model for technology-based observations of teaching in higher education. PEP paired early career faculty into dyads. Each participant served as a provider and a recipient of feedback on teaching. The data were derived from semistructured interviews with each dyad and additional information was obtained from four instruments that facilitated peer-to-peer observations. Findings suggest this technology-based model has the potential to improve teaching skills and serve as a tool for developing professional partnerships among special education early career faculty across institutions.
Factors Affecting Learners With Disabilities–Instructor Interaction in Online Learning
Authors: Alamri Abdulrahman , Tyler-Wood Tandra
Published: December 2016

Little research is available documenting the success of students with various types of disabilities in online classroom environments. This study investigates which factors associated with learners with disabilities impact student outcomes in an online learning environment. Forty learners with disabilities participating in online higher education coursework were asked to respond to an electronic survey of 20 questions. Results indicated that there were two factors: (1) the teaching and social presences and (2) the facilitating and supporting of individual communication related to interaction among learners with disabilities and their instructors that impacted students’ perceived learning achievement and class satisfaction. Respondents also indicated that social interaction factors, such as social presence, were correlated with less perceived learning achievement and satisfaction. This study has potential value because it found factors related to learner–instructor control that may predict students with disabilities’ perceived learning achievement and satisfaction.
Adoption Context, Parental Investment, and Children’s Educational Outcomes
Authors: Werum Regina , Davis Tomeka , Cheng Simon , Browne Irene
Published: December 2016

Adoptive parents invest more resources into their children than comparable nonadoptive and biological parents, a pattern strongly linked to parental socioeconomic status. But important differences among families related to adoption context (international, private, foster) could affect parental investment and its impact on educational outcomes. Using the National Survey of Children’s Health, our findings indicate that parental investment strategies are contingent on adoption context and partially mitigate the negative direct association between adoption and educational outcomes. Internationally adoptive parents invest significantly more than do other adoptive and nonadoptive families. Without these parental investments, however, internationally adoptive children tend to experience the poorest educational outcomes. Even though parental investments can help mitigate internationally adoptive children’s negative educational outcomes, private domestic adoptive families seem to be more successful at mitigation. Results highlight how social stratification dynamics shape selection into adoption venues while also influencing parents’ efforts to invest and translate investments into educational gains.
Problematizing Foucauldian Ethics
Authors: Crocket Hamish
Published: December 2016

Foucault’s technologies of the self have been used by sociological scholars of sport for nearly two decades. Yet Markula’s seminal articulation of a feminist Foucauldian ethics in 2003 stands as a watershed publication, insofar as the majority of publications following this article have framed much of their analyses in relation to this work. In this article, then, I review sociological studies of sport and exercise that draw on Foucauldian ethics from Markula’s article onward, paying careful attention to how Foucault’s ethics and Markula’s Foucauldian feminism have been deployed. Although I interpret this body of work as productive and insightful, I offer a critical reading of the emphasis on explicit problematizations and, relatedly, develop a methodological critique of researchers’ reliance on interviews as a prime form of research method.
Factors Associated With Physical Activity in Latina Women: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tovar Marlene , Walker Janiece L. , Rew Lynn
Published: December 2016

The purpose of this systemic literature review is to unveil a greater understanding of Physical Activity in Latinas. We used PubMed and PsycInfo databases to search for articles published between 1991 and August 2016, examining physical activity and its correlates exclusively in adult Latinas. Only 21 primary studies met the inclusion criteria. Although physical activity derives from body movements in various domains, the leisure domain led the focus of research interest. The use of self-reports, cross-sectional design, and the ecological framework predominated. Only one study included examining the occupational domain, albeit as disaggregate in studies with a general physical activity approach. Occupational physical activity showed negative associations with education and acculturation. Positive associations were found between leisure-time physical activity, education, acculturation, and perceived health status. Despite the limited evidence to reach overall conclusions, this review uncovered methodological challenges and opportunities to advance knowledge about physical activity in Latinas.
Nurse Bullying: Impact on Nurses’ Health
Authors: Sauer Penny A. , McCoy Thomas P.
Published: December 2016

Workplace bullying has been experienced by 27% to 80% of nurses who have participated in studies. Bullying behaviors negatively impact the health of nurses. This study examined whether nurses’ resilience had an impact on the effects of bullying on the nurse’s health. This cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed licensed registered nurses in one state. The sample ( N = 345) was predominately female (89%) and Caucasian (84%), with an average age of 46.6 years. In this sample, 40% of nurses were bullied. Higher incidence of bullying was associated with lower physical health scores ( p = .002) and lower mental health scores ( p = .036). Nurses who are bullied at work experience lower physical and mental health, which can decrease the nurses’ quality of life and impede their ability to deliver safe, effective patient care.
How Transformational Leadership Influences Work Engagement Among Nurses: Does Person–Job Fit Matter?
Authors: Enwereuzor Ibeawuchi K. , Ugwu Leonard I. , Eze Onyinyechi A.
Published: December 2016

The current study examines whether person–job fit moderates the relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement. Data were collected using cross-sectional design from 224 (15 male and 209 female) hospital nurses. Participants completed measures of transformational leadership, person–job fit, and work engagement. Moderated multiple regression results showed that transformational leadership had a significant positive predictive relationship with work engagement, and person–job fit had a significant positive predictive relationship with work engagement. Simple slope analysis showed that person–job fit moderated the relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement such that transformational leadership was more positively related to work engagement for nurses with high person–job fit compared with those with low person–job fit. Thus, all the hypotheses were confirmed. The findings were discussed, and suggestions for future research were offered.
Diachronic variability in prehistoric land use in Oregon’s Warner Valley
Authors: Smith Geoffrey M , Pattee Donald D , van der Voort Madeline Ware
Published: December 2016

Pedestrian survey in northern Warner Valley, Oregon, has provided data capable of contributing to reconstructions of prehistoric land use. Such information is complementary to data generated by recent work at the stratified LSP-1 rockshelter situated in the Northern Warner Valley Study Area (NWVSA). Here, we present results of our survey and focus on when the area was visited, how it was used, and from where visitors to the area originated and/or obtained toolstone. Our results indicate that the NWVSA saw heavy use by Paleoindians before being largely abandoned during the Middle Holocene. During the Late Holocene, groups likely operating from residential bases further south in the better-watered parts of Warner Valley returned to the NWVSA. Compared to other nearby areas, the NWVSA was utilized less intensively during much of the Holocene.
Coauthors and Collaborations
Authors: Ehrenberg Ronald G.
Published: December 2016

This personal reflective essay summarizes and explains why the frequency with which I have coauthored research has varied over my career and discusses the reasons that my coauthored publications and collaborations have arisen. The reasons include research that arises from casual conversations with colleagues, the sharing of data both as a donor and as a recipient, invitations to participate in large-scale projects, the division of labor and working with people with complementary skills and personalities, educating graduate and undergraduate students and the desire to give the former a leg up in the job market and to encourage the latter to pursue doctoral study, discussions with my wife about issues she faced as a teacher and administrator in public K12 education, and efforts to magnify my impact on an area of study by convening conferences, commissioning papers, and seeing conference volumes through to publication.
Punishing Latina/o Youth
Authors: Peguero Anthony A. , Bondy Jennifer M. , Shekarkhar Zahra
Published: December 2016

Although Latina/o youth are one the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population, they face a number of educational hurdles, such as disproportionate school punishment and increased risk of dropping out of high school. This topic is particularly relevant today in the midst of the current social, political, and economic debate over the “school-to-prison pipeline.” This study draws from the Educational Longitudinal Study and utilizes multilevel modeling to analyze the relationships between school justice, fairness, order, dropping out, and gender disparities for 1,800 Latina/o and 6,300 White public school students. Findings suggest that school punishment is contributing to Latina/o youth dropping out; however, it is also evident that improving school justice and fairness can ameliorate the risk of dropping out for Latina/o youth. The significance and implications of justice, fairness, and order for Latina/o youth within the United States school system are discussed more generally.
Variability of Ponto-cerebellar Fibers by Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Diverse Brain Malformations
Authors: Rollins Nancy K. , Booth Timothy N. , Chahrour Maria H.
Published: December 2016

To describe pontine axonal anomalies across diverse brain malformations. Institutional review board–approved review of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and genetic testing of 31 children with brain malformations and abnormal pons by diffusion tensor imaging. Anomalous dorsal pontocerebellar tracts were seen in mid-hindbrain anomalies and in diffuse malformations of cortical development including lissencephaly, gyral disorganization with dysplastic basal ganglia, presumed congenital fibrosis of extraocular muscles type 3, and in callosal agenesis without malformations of cortical development. Heterotopic and hypoplastic corticospinal tracts were seen in callosal agenesis and in focal malformations of cortical development. There were no patterns by chromosomal microarray analysis in the non-lissencephalic brains. In lissencephaly, there was no relationship between severity, deletion size, or appearance of the pontocerebellar tract. Pontine axonal anomalies may relate to defects in precerebellar neuronal migration, chemotactic signaling of the pontine neurons, and/or corticospinal tract pathfinding and collateral branching not detectable with routine genetic testing.
Gender-Fluid Geek Girls
Authors: Alfrey Lauren , Twine France Winddance
Published: December 2016

How do technically-skilled women negotiate the male-dominated environments of technology firms? This article draws upon interviews with female programmers, technical writers, and engineers of diverse racial backgrounds and sexual orientations employed in the San Francisco tech industry. Using intersectional analysis, this study finds that racially dominant (white and Asian) women, who identified as LGBTQ and presented as gender-fluid, reported a greater sense of belonging in their workplace. They are perceived as more competent by male colleagues and avoided microaggressions that were routine among conventionally feminine, heterosexual women. We argue that a spectrum of belonging operates in these occupational spaces dominated by men. Although white and Asian women successfully navigated workplace hostilities by distancing themselves from conventional heterosexual femininity, this strategy reinforces inequality regimes that privilege male workers. These findings provide significant theoretical insights about how race, sexuality, and gender interact to reproduce structural inequalities in the new economy.
Poly(urethane urea)/polythiophene/carbon black composite
Authors: Kausar Ayesha
Published: December 2016

Novel segmented poly(urethane urea) (PUU) was prepared from polycaprolactone triol (soft segment), 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) (hard segment), and hexamethylenediamine (chain extender). Graphitized carbon black (GCB) was used as filler. Conducting polythiophene (PTh) was infiltrated by chemical oxidative polymerization. The structure, morphology, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and voltage-triggered shape memory effect were demonstrated. The unique network morphology was observed by scanning electron microscope due to the generation of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs). The formation of PUU-PTh IPNs was due to the interpenetrating PTh and branched polycaprolactone triol structure. The PTh-modified PUU films reinforced with GCB showed 59% increase in tensile strength and 50% enhancement in Young’s modulus relative to the pristine matrix. The presence of PTh and increase in GCB content increased the conductivity of the composites. The conductivity of 10 wt% GCB-loaded PUU/PTh/GCB composite was raised to 0.089 Scm−1, which is higher than the neat PUU (0.91 × 10−2 Scm−1). The surface temperature of PUU/PTh/GCB 10 was also found to increase with time when a higher voltage was applied (40 V). Such a conductivity of composites was enough to show electroactive shape recovery up to 94% (40 V).
Effects of alkali treatment on the poly(furfuryl) alcohol–flax fibre composites
Authors: Motaung Tshwafo E , Mngomezulu Mfiso E , Hato Mpitloane J
Published: December 2016

Flax fibre was treated with low concentrations of alkali and used to prepare poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA)-based composites through in situ polymerization of furfuryl alcohol. The properties of low concentrations of alkali-treated flax fibre and flax fibre–reinforced composites were characterized for their structure and properties by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, water absorption and flexural measurements. The alkali-treated flax fibre showed increased cellulose content and crystallinity index with smooth surfaces of the microfibres. PFA composites exhibited dispersed microfibres within PFA matrix with agglomerates. There was also a clear increase in thermal stability, storage modulus and damping factor for all treated PFA composites. Poor resistance to water uptake was also observed for the PFA composites, even though the highest alkali treatment improved the resistance compared to the untreated composite. PFA–flax biocomposites were characterized by improved flexural strength and modulus, except the untreated which showed the opposite.
Successful Reversal of Bradycardia and Dyspnea With Aminophylline After Ticagrelor Load
Authors: Minner Sarah A. , Simone Pamela , Chung Benjamin B. , Shah Atman P.
Published: December 2016

A 69-year-old male underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention requiring placement of a drug-eluting stent to the first obtuse marginal artery. Four hours following the administration of a ticagrelor loading dose, he developed dyspnea and sinus pauses. Aminophylline was administered and resulted in immediate and sustained symptom resolution. Ticagrelor has been associated with dyspnea and bradyarrhythmias, both attributed to increased adenosine exposure. Ticagrelor inhibits reuptake of intracellular adenosine. Adenosine antagonists aminophylline and theophylline have been utilized to reverse the effects of adenosine and may relieve adenosine-mediated adverse effects induced by ticagrelor therapy. Aminophylline may be considered for reversal of dyspnea and bradyarrhythmia associated with ticagrelor therapy through alterations in adenosine exposure.
‘The whole week comes down to the team sheet’: a footballer’s view of insecure work
Authors: Roderick Martin , Schumacker James
Published: December 2016

This ‘On the front line’ article focuses on the work and employment situation for an insecure, individualized sports worker whose main job task is fundamentally and publically collaborative. The narrative offers a realistic and nuanced understanding of the material conditions of work for a journeyman footballer and defies sociological ideas associated with attachment and identification to work, which are frequently and implicitly connected to this profession. So while physical and skilful dimensions are commonly foregrounded, the testimony of (now retired) professional footballer James Schumacker lays bare not only the uncertainties and instability of this job, but also specifically the constant tension between securing fixed-term employment and being selected for first team games: making the ‘team sheet’.
Feasibility enhanced particle swarm optimization for constrained mechanical design problems
Authors: Hasanoglu Mehmet Sinan , Dolen Melik
Published: December 2016

Constrained optimization problems constitute an important fraction of optimization problems in the mechanical engineering domain. It is not uncommon for these problems to be highly-constrained where a specialized approach that aims to improve constraint satisfaction level of the whole population as well as finding the optimum is deemed useful especially when the objective functions are very costly. A new algorithm called Feasibility Enhanced Particle Swarm Optimization (FEPSO), which treats feasible and infeasible particles differently, is introduced. Infeasible particles in FEPSO do not need to evaluate objective functions and fly only based on social attraction depending on a single violated constraint, called the activated constraint, which is selected at each iteration based on constraint priorities and flight occurs only along dimensions of the search space to which the activated constraint is sensitive. To ensure progressive improvement of constraint satisfaction, particles are not allowed to violate a satisfied constraint in FEPSO. The highly-constrained four-stage gear train problem and its two variants introduced in this paper are used to assess the effectiveness of FEPSO. The results suggest that FEPSO is effective and consistent in obtaining feasible points, finding good solutions, and improving the constraint satisfaction level of the swarm as a whole.
Modeling and control of rail vehicle suspensions: A comparative study based on the passenger comfort
Authors: Graa Mortadha , Nejlaoui Mohamed , Houidi Ajmi , Affi Zouhaier , Romdhane Lotfi
Published: December 2016

This paper deals with the modeling and control of rail vehicle suspensions. The analytical models of the quarter rail vehicle with a passenger seat, describing the vertical dynamic, are presented for passive and active suspensions. Three controllers, i.e. PID-ZN, LQR and a PID-LQR are designed in order to improve the passenger comfort. This comfort is evaluated in terms of the passenger displacement, acceleration and frequency as a response of a two types of rail imperfection excitations. Results show that passenger comfort can be improved up to 98%. The obtained results prove that the active suspension with a PID- LQR controller yields the best results by regrouping the advantage of both PID and LQR controllers.
Late Quaternary salinity variation in the Lake of Siebleben (Thuringia, Central Germany) – Methods of palaeoenvironmental analysis using Ostracoda and pollen
Authors: Pint Anna , Schneider Heike , Frenzel Peter , Horne David J , Voigt Marcus , Viehberg Finn
Published: December 2016

We test several methods of ostracod-based palaeoenvironmental reconstruction using indicator species approach, mutual ecological/climatic range methods, transfer functions, modern analogue technique and morphological variation within Cyprideis torosa in reconstructing the site evolution of a late Quaternary small lake basin in Thuringia, Central Germany. Sediment sections containing a diverse ostracod fauna were studied and compared with those from modern water bodies of Thuringia. Palynological investigations were executed to reconstruct the environmental conditions in the catchment area and for a obtaining a biostratigraphical framework. The brackish water ostracod Cyprideis torosa as well as the foraminifer Haplophragmoides indicate phases of saline groundwater influence, fed by salt bearing sediments of the Triassic basement. The accompanying freshwater ostracod fauna, however, reflects only low variations of salinity and temperature. Environmental changes in salinity, temperature and ecological stability indicated by microfossils and pollen are caused by an interplay of climatic shifts and the local geological and hydrological setting.
Is the classical Wald test always suitable under response-adaptive randomization?
Authors: Antognini Alessandro Baldi , Vagheggini Alessandro , Zagoraiou Maroussa
Published: December 2016

The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of response-adaptive randomization rules for normal response trials intended to test the superiority of one of two available treatments. Taking into account the classical Wald test, we show how response-adaptive methodology could induce a consistent loss of inferential precision. Then, we suggest a modified version of the Wald test which, by using the current allocation proportion to the treatments as a consistent estimator of the target, avoids some degenerate scenarios and so it should be preferable to the classical test. Furthermore, we show both analytically and via simulations how some target allocations may induce a locally decreasing power function. Thus, we derive the conditions on the target guaranteeing its monotonicity and we show how a correct choice of the initial sample size allows one to overcome this drawback regardless of the adopted target.
Use of the concordance index for predictors of censored survival data
Authors: Brentnall Adam R , Cuzick Jack
Published: December 2016

The concordance index is often used to measure how well a biomarker predicts the time to an event. Estimators of the concordance index for predictors of right-censored data are reviewed, including those based on censored pairs, inverse probability weighting and a proportional-hazards model. Predictive and prognostic biomarkers often lose strength with time, and in this case the aforementioned statistics depend on the length of follow up. A semi-parametric estimator of the concordance index is developed that accommodates converging hazards through a single parameter in a Pareto model. Concordance index estimators are assessed through simulations, which demonstrate substantial bias of classical censored-pairs and proportional-hazards model estimators. Prognostic biomarkers in a cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer are evaluated using new and classical estimators of the concordance index.
A graphical perspective of marginal structural models: An application for the estimation of the effect of physical activity on blood pressure
Authors: Talbot Denis , Rossi Amanda M , Bacon Simon L , Atherton Juli , Lefebvre Geneviève
Published: December 2016

Estimating causal effects requires important prior subject-matter knowledge and, sometimes, sophisticated statistical tools. The latter is especially true when targeting the causal effect of a time-varying exposure in a longitudinal study. Marginal structural models are a relatively new class of causal models that effectively deal with the estimation of the effects of time-varying exposures. Marginal structural models have traditionally been embedded in the counterfactual framework to causal inference. In this paper, we use the causal graph framework to enhance the implementation of marginal structural models. We illustrate our approach using data from a prospective cohort study, the Honolulu Heart Program. These data consist of 8006 men at baseline. To illustrate our approach, we focused on the estimation of the causal effect of physical activity on blood pressure, which were measured at three time points. First, a causal graph is built to encompass prior knowledge. This graph is then validated and improved utilizing structural equation models. We estimated the aforementioned causal effect using marginal structural models for repeated measures and guided the implementation of the models with the causal graph. By employing the causal graph framework, we also show the validity of fitting conditional marginal structural models for repeated measures in the context implied by our data.
An Introduction to Cognitive Archaeology
Authors: Coolidge Frederick L. , Wynn Thomas
Published: December 2016

Cognitive archaeology studies human cognitive evolution by applying cognitive-science theories and concepts to archaeological remains of the prehistoric past. After reviewing the basic epistemological stance of cognitive archaeology, this article illustrates this interdisciplinary endeavor through an examination of two of the most important transitions in hominin cognitive evolution—the appearance of Homo erectus about 2 million years ago, and the recent enhancement of working-memory capacity within the past 200,000 years. Although intentionally created stone tools date to about 3.3 million years ago, Homo erectus produced a bifacial, symmetrical handaxe whose design then persisted for nearly the next 2 million years. An enhancement in working-memory capacity may have been responsible for the relative explosion of culture within the past 50,000 years, which included personal ornamentation, highly ritualized burials, bow-and-arrow technology, depictive cave art, and artistic figurines.
Geographical Psychology
Authors: Rentfrow Peter J. , Jokela Markus
Published: December 2016

There is geographical variation in the ways in which people think, feel, and behave. How are we to understand the causes and consequences of such variation? Geographical psychology is an emerging subarea of research concerned with the spatial organization of psychological phenomena and how individual characteristics, social entities, and physical features of the environment contribute to their organization. Studies at multiple levels of analysis have indicated that social influence, ecological influence, and selective migration are key mechanisms that contribute to the spatial clustering of psychological characteristics. Investigations in multiple countries have shown that the psychological characteristics common in particular regions are respectively linked to important political, economic, and health indicators. Furthermore, results from large multilevel studies have shown that the psychological characteristics of individuals interact with features of the local environment to impact psychological development and well-being. Future research is needed to better understand the scale and impact of person-environment associations over time.
Executive Control of Actions Across Time and Space
Authors: Verbruggen Frederick
Published: December 2016

Many popular psychological accounts attribute adaptive human behavior to an “executive-control” system that regulates a lower-level “impulsive” or “associative” system. However, recent findings argue against this strictly hierarchical view. Instead, executive control of impulsive and inappropriate actions depends on an interplay between multiple basic cognitive processes. The outcome of these processes can be biased in advance. Executive-action control is also strongly influenced by personal experiences in the recent and distant past. Thus, executive control emerges from an interactive and competitive network. Main challenges for future research are to describe and understand these interactions and to put executive-action control in a wider sociocultural and evolutional context.
Hazard Perception in Driving
Authors: Horswill Mark S.
Published: December 2016

Hazard perception in driving refers to a driver’s ability to anticipate potentially dangerous situations on the road ahead and has been the subject of research for over 50 years. It is typically measured using computer-based hazard-perception tests and has been associated with both retrospective and prospective crash risk, as well as key crash-risk factors such as distraction, fatigue, alcohol consumption, speed choice, and age-related declines. It can also differentiate high- and lower-risk driver groups. The problem is that it is also a skill that appears to take decades of driving experience to acquire. This raises the question of whether it is possible and practical to accelerate this learning process via assessment and training in order to improve traffic safety. We have evidence that, in contrast to most driver education and assessment interventions, hazard-perception testing and training appear to have the capability to reduce crash risk. For example, the inclusion of a hazard-perception test in the UK driver licensing process has been estimated to reduce drivers’ non-low-speed public-road crash rates by 11.3% in the year following their test.
Threat Monitoring and Attention-Bias Modification in Anxiety and Stress-Related Disorders
Authors: Shechner Tomer , Bar-Haim Yair
Published: December 2016

Extensive research has demonstrated the effects of threat-related attentional bias on anxiety and stress-related disorders. This review summarizes recent findings from clinical affective neuroscience. It takes a multilevel analysis approach by presenting behavioral and neural findings from studies conducted in laboratories, clinical settings, and real-life situations. Building on recent findings, we propose a new working model linking individual tendencies to attend or avoid threats with the level of danger in a given context. Namely, adaptive or pathological response is determined by threat-monitoring flexibility and plasticity in an ever-changing environment. The review culminates by describing the potential therapeutic value of attention-bias modification in the treatment of anxiety and stress-related disorders.
“Gaydar”
Authors: Rule Nicholas O. , Alaei Ravin
Published: December 2016

Though many of people’s impressions about each other stem from qualities that are obvious or apparent, social perceptions also rely on a variety of subtle cues that guide judgment and behavior. For example, emerging work has increasingly elucidated the conditions and means by which individuals’ accuracy in judging others’ sexual orientation is better than chance. We discuss these here, focusing on four domains from which people draw cues to accurately perceive sexual orientation: how people adorn themselves (adornment), how they move (actions), how they sound (acoustics), and how they look (appearance). Moreover, we describe how certain factors, such as one’s own sexual orientation, can constrain or facilitate this accuracy and describe the various negative social and occupational consequences that may result from cues that someone is gay or straight.
Miranda at 50
Authors: Smalarz Laura , Scherr Kyle C. , Kassin Saul M.
Published: December 2016

In 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a controversial ruling in Miranda v. Arizona, which required police to inform suspects, prior to custodial interrogation, of their constitutional rights to silence and to counsel. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Miranda, we present a psychological analysis of the Court’s ruling. We show how the Court’s assumption that the provisions of the Miranda ruling would enable suspects to make knowing, intelligent, and voluntary decisions regarding whether to invoke or waive their constitutional rights has not been borne out by scientific research. Hence, we argue that even well-adjusted, intelligent adults are at risk of succumbing to police pressure during custodial interrogation. We conclude with policy implications and directions for future Miranda research.
Dorsal Hippocampal–Dependent Episodic Memory Inhibits Eating
Authors: Parent Marise B.
Published: December 2016

Research regarding how the brain regulates eating behavior has focused largely on homeostatic (i.e., need-based) and hedonic (i.e., pleasure-based) controls. By contrast, there is a large gap in our understanding of how brain areas involved in cognitive processes, such as memory, impact energy intake. Moreover, compared to meal size and satiety, little is known about how the brain controls meal timing and frequency. My research team and I hypothesize that dorsal hippocampal neurons, which are critical for episodic memory of personal experiences, form a memory of a meal, inhibit meal initiation during the period following that meal, and limit the amount ingested at the next meal. I review evidence supporting this hypothesis and raise the possibility that impaired dorsal hippocampal function contributes to diet-induced obesity.
Log-Logistic Proportional Odds Model for Analyzing Infant Mortality in Bangladesh
Authors: Fatima-Tuz-Zahura Most. , Mohammad Khandoker Akib , Bari Wasimul
Published: December 2016

Log-logistic parametric survival regression model has been used to find out the potential determinants of infant mortality in Bangladesh using the data extracted from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2011. First, nonparametric product-limit approach has been used to examine the unadjusted association between infant mortality and covariate of interest. It is found that maternal education, membership of nongovernmental organizations, age of mother at birth, sex of child, size of child at birth, and place of delivery play an important role in reducing the infant mortality, adjusting relevant covariates.
The Efficiency Challenge: Creating a Transformative Learning Experience in a Principles of Management Course
Authors: Durant Rita A. , Carlon Donna M. , Downs Alexis
Published: December 2016

This article describes the results of the “Efficiency Challenge,” a 10-week, Principles of Management course activity that uses reflection and goal setting to help students understand the concept of operational efficiency. With transformative learning theory as a lens, we base our report on 4 years’ worth of student reflections regarding their experiences and the evolution of the activity. The students report identifying explicit behaviors and uncovering implicit, unconscious aspects of those behaviors that they then have the opportunity to evaluate and change, if desired. We have also learned that a traditionally mechanistic, linear, causal, and rational approach can be transformed into a more holistic one by systematically introducing new experiences into the learning cycle, especially the link between student-learning-through-experience and empowerment. The goal of this article is twofold: explore the application of transformative learning activities in the classroom and provide a “road map” for instructors who opt to use an activity such as the Efficiency Challenge.
Treatment of Insertional Achilles Pathology With Dorsal Wedge Calcaneal Osteotomy in Athletes
Authors: Georgiannos Dimitrios , Lampridis Vasilis , Vasiliadis Angelos , Bisbinas Ilias
Published: December 2016

Background:

Insertional Achilles tendinopathy and retrocalcaneal bursitis is difficult to treat, and several operative techniques have been used after failure of conservative management. Dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy has been described for the treatment of insertional Achilles pathology. It was hypothesized that dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy would be an effective and safe method for the treatment of athletes with insertional Achilles pathology unrelieved by nonoperative measures.

Methods:

Fifty-two athletes (64 feet) who had painful Achilles tendon syndrome unrelieved by 6 months of nonoperative measures were treated surgically. Dorsally based wedge calcaneal osteotomy was performed through a lateral approach, and 2 staples were used for fixation. Patients were scored pre- and postoperatively with the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot and Victorian Institute of Sports of Australia-Achilles (VISA-A) scores.

Results:

At a minimum follow-up of 3 years, the patients’ AOFAS and VISA-A scores improved from 59.5 ± 15.0 and 65.9 ± 11.1 preoperatively to 95.7 ± 6.2 and 90.2 ± 8.4 postoperatively, respectively. Clinical results were considered excellent in 38 patients, good in 12 patients, and fair in 2 patients. Return to previous sports activity time was 21 (SD, 8.0) weeks. One patient necessitated a revision operation.

Conclusion:

Operative treatment of insertional Achilles pathology in athletes with dorsal closing wedge calcaneal osteotomy was a safe and effective method that allowed for a quicker return to previous level of sports activities compared with other techniques.

Level of evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series
Technique for Use of Trabecular Metal Spacers in Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis With Large Bony Defects
Authors: Kreulen Christopher , Lian Evan , Giza Eric
Published: December 2016

There are many causes of large bone defects in the tibiotalar joint that need to be definitively treated with a tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis. Some of the challenges of a large defect are its effect on leg length and the complications associated with trying to fill the defect with structural bone graft. We present an operative strategy involving the use of a trabecular metal implant, a TTC nail that utilized 2 forms of compression, and Reamer/Irrigator/Aspirator (RIA) autograft, to address limitations of previous operative approaches and reliably treat this operative challenge.
“The Church of Online Support”
Authors: Anderson Joel G. , Hundt Elizabeth , Dean Morgan , Keim-Malpass Jessica , Lopez Ruth Palan
Published: December 2016

Many individuals, including dementia caregivers, use blogs to share their experiences. These blogs contain rich narratives representing an untapped resource for understanding the psychosocial impact of caring for a person with dementia at the family level. The present study used blogs written by caregivers of persons with dementia to explore how these individuals leveraged this medium as part of the caregiving experience. Blogs written by self-identified informal caregivers of persons with dementia were identified using a systematic search method, and data were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the narratives: social support through communication and engagement, information gathering and seeking, reminiscing and legacy building, and altruism. By understanding the ways in which individuals providing care for persons with dementia use social media as part of the caregiving experience, family nurses can develop interventions and services aimed at improving caregiver burden and quality of life.
The Efficacy of Recombinant FVIII Low-Dose Prophylaxis in Chinese Pediatric Patients With Severe Hemophilia A: A Retrospective Analysis From the ReCARE Study
Authors: Yao Wanru , Xiao Juan , Cheng Xiaoling , Feng Guoshuang , Li Changgang , Zhang Xinsheng , Hu Qun , Xu Weiqun , Sun Jing , Yang Renchi , Li Xiaojing , Zhou Rongfu , Lian Shimei , Gu Jian , Wu Junde , Zhao Yongqiang , Wu Runhui
Published: December 2016

Objective:

This study explores the efficacy of recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) low-dose prophylaxis in Chinese pediatric patients with severe hemophilia A from the Retrospective Study in Chinese Pediatric Hemophilia A Patients With rFVIII Contained Regular Prophylaxis (ReCARE) population.

Methods:

This is additional analysis of the multicenter, retrospective ReCARE study, in which the annual bleeding rate (ABR), annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR), and safety of >12-week, low dose (10-30 IU/kg/wk) rFVIII prophylaxis divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary groups based on the joint status and joint bleeding history were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 57 patients (median age: 8.2 [0.4-17.3] years) from the ReCARE study receiving primary (n = 3), secondary (n = 21), and tertiary (n = 33) prophylaxes were included. Low-dose prophylaxis had significant bleeding reduction in all 3 groups compared to the baseline ( S = 408.5, P < .001), with median ABR rates of −4.0 (−8.0 to −3.1), −4.0 (−24.0 to 8.0), and −13.9 (−110.6 to 20.6) in the primary, secondary, and tertiary groups, respectively, with a significant difference between the secondary and tertiary groups ( P = .008). Median AJBR reduction rates were −2.3 (−6.3 to 8.4) and −14.9 (−61.5 to 19.1) in the secondary and tertiary groups, respectively. But there was no significant difference in AJBRs between the secondary and tertiary groups ( P = .061), which was related to damaged joint status. Hence, longer prophylaxis was associated with better prevention of joint bleeding ( P = .024).

Conclusion:

Despite significant ABR/AJBR reduction in all 3 groups, the efficacy of the primary prophylaxis was better than the secondary and tertiary prophylaxes.