bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation and Analysis of Dam Operating Status Using One Clock-Synchronized Dual-Antenna Receiver
Authors: Zhang Yunlong , Yang Songlin , Liu Jiankun , Qiu Dongwei , Luo Xiaoyan , Fang Jianhong
Published: April 2018

Higher monitoring cost is the main limiting factor in the application of geodetic receivers in dam deformation monitoring, as the number of receivers applied in one dam is always too large. In this paper, an improved GNSS monitoring scheme is proposed. Firstly, three-dimensional finite element model is built to simulate the main deformation part of the dam, and only one clock-synchronized dual-antenna receiver is used to set the reference and monitoring stations; then, the dam displacement warning standard is determined based on the relationship between the corresponding surface displacement and safety factor of the different mechanical parameter combination; finally, through BDS/GPS dam deformation monitoring system for Lijiaxia in China, the operating status of dam is evaluated. Through comparative analysis, it is found that the scheme is feasible.
On Convergence of Infinite Matrix Products with Alternating Factors from Two Sets of Matrices
Authors: Kozyakin Victor
Published: April 2018

We consider the problem of convergence to zero of matrix products AnBn⋯A1B1 with factors from two sets of matrices, Ai∈A and Bi∈B, due to a suitable choice of matrices {Bi}. It is assumed that for any sequence of matrices {Ai} there is a sequence of matrices {Bi} such that the corresponding matrix products AnBn⋯A1B1 converge to zero. We show that, in this case, the convergence of the matrix products under consideration is uniformly exponential; that is, AnBn⋯A1B1≤Cλn, where the constants C>0 and λ∈(0,1) do not depend on the sequence {Ai} and the corresponding sequence {Bi}. Other problems of this kind are discussed and open questions are formulated.
Performance Analysis of a Three-Stream Adaptive Cycle Engine during Throttling
Authors: Chen Min , Zhang Jiyuan , Tang Hailong
Published: April 2018

One advantage of the adaptive cycle engine (ACE) is its ability of throttling with constant airflow by the combined control of variable geometries, resulting in an improvement of spillage drag. However, the improvement is achieved at risk of a complex technical solution and control. This article investigates the selection scheme of variable geometries and engine configuration. It focuses on the performance of a three-stream ACE during throttling, whose configuration and control schedule are simpler than other types of ACEs. Five variable geometries are selected from seven available options through comparison analysis. The uninstalled thrust decreases from 100% to 60.36% during the subsonic throttling and to 59.81% during the supersonic throttling. Benefitting from the decreased spillage drag, the installed performance of the three-stream ACE is improved to some degree during throttling. This improvement is less than the result of a three-bypass ACE, whose configuration and control schedule are more complex. Thus, the three-stream ACE is a compromise design considering the technical risk and variable cycle characteristic, which is a better platform to verify the component technology and control schedule for the further research on a more complex type of ACE.
Hyperchaos in a Conservative System with Nonhyperbolic Fixed Points
Authors: Wu Aiguo , Cang Shijian , Zhang Ruiye , Wang Zenghui , Chen Zengqiang
Published: April 2018

Chaotic dynamics exists in many natural systems, such as weather and climate, and there are many applications in different disciplines. However, there are few research results about chaotic conservative systems especially the smooth hyperchaotic conservative system in both theory and application. This paper proposes a five‐dimensional (5D) smooth autonomous hyperchaotic system with nonhyperbolic fixed points. Although the proposed system includes four linear terms and four quadratic terms, the new system shows complicated dynamics which has been proven by the theoretical analysis. Several notable properties related to conservative systems and the existence of perpetual points are investigated for the proposed system. Moreover, its conservative hyperchaotic behavior is illustrated by numerical techniques including phase portraits and Lyapunov exponents.
Prevalence and Correlates of Herbal Medicine Use among Women Seeking Care for Infertility in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Authors: James Peter Bai , Taidy-Leigh Lexina , Bah Abdulai Jawo , Kanu Joseph Sam , Kangbai Jia Bainga , Sevalie Stephen
Published: April 2018

In resource‐poor countries where access to infertility care is limited, women may turn to traditional medicine to achieve motherhood. It is unknown whether Sierra Leonean women with such condition use herbal medicine. This study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility. This was a questionnaire‐based cross‐sectional study conducted among women seeking care for infertility at various clinics within Freetown, Sierra Leone. Data analysis included Chi‐square tests and logistic regression. Out of the 167 women that participated, 36.5% used herbal medicine for infertility treatment. Women with no formal (AOR 4.03, CL: 1.38–11.76, p = 0.011), primary education (AOR: 6.23, CL: 2.02–19.23, p = 0.001) and those that visited a traditional medicine practitioner (AOR: 20.05, CL: 2.10–192.28, p = 0.009) as well as women suffering from other reproductive health problems (AOR: 2.57, CL: 1.13–5.83, p = 0.024) were more likely to use herbal medicines. Friends and family (n = 57, 96.7%) were the main influencers of herbal medicine use. Only (n = 12) 19.7% of users disclosed their status to their healthcare provider. Over half (n = 32, 52.5%) could not remember the name of the herb they used. Luffa acutangula (n = 29, 100%) was the herbal medicinal plant users could recall. Herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility in Freetown is common. Healthcare providers should be aware of the potential dyadic use of herbal and allopathic medicines by their patients and be knowledgeable about commonly used herbal remedies as well as being proactive in communicating the potential risks and benefits associated with their use.
Sensitivity Analysis Based SVM Application on Automatic Incident Detection of Rural Road in China
Authors: Liu Xingliang , Xu Jinliang , Li Menghui , Peng Jia
Published: April 2018

Traditional automatic incident detection methods such as artificial neural networks, backpropagation neural network, and Markov chains are not suitable for addressing the incident detection problem of rural roads in China which have a relatively high accident rate and a low reaction speed caused by the character of small traffic volume. This study applies the support vector machine (SVM) and parameter sensitivity analysis methods to build an accident detection algorithm in a rural road condition, based on real-time data collected in a field experiment. The sensitivity of four parameters (speed, front distance, vehicle group time interval, and free driving ratio) is analyzed, and the data sets of two parameters with a significant sensitivity are chosen to form the traffic state feature vector. The SVM and k-fold cross validation (K-CV) methods are used to build the accident detection algorithm, which shows an excellent performance in detection accuracy (98.15% of the training data set and 87.5% of the testing data set). Therefore, the problem of low incident reaction speed of rural roads in China could be solved to some extent.
Seismic Performance of Base‐Isolated Precast Concrete Shear Wall Structure with AHW Connections
Authors: Wang Wei , Li Aiqun , Wang Xingxing
Published: April 2018

To improve the seismic performance and seismic reliability of precast concrete shear wall (PCSW) structure with improved assembly horizontal wall connections (AHW connections), base isolation technology was proposed to be applied in the PCSW structure. Two 1/4‐scaled structure models using the improved AHW connections were constructed: a lead‐rubber bearing (LRB) base‐isolated PCSW structure model and a base‐fixed PCSW structure model. Shaking table tests were conducted on these two models with three strong ground motions to assess the seismic performance of the structures. It was found that the improved AHW connections in the base‐isolated PCSW structure are useful and effective and that they fulfil the requirements to be met by the connections to withstand an earthquake. In addition, the maximum absolute acceleration and base shear force of the base‐isolated PCSW structure model were less than those of the base‐fixed PCSW structure model, and the isolation effect on the absolute acceleration responses and base shear responses increased with increase in the intensity of ground motions. In a word, the seismic performance and seismic reliability of PCSW structures can be effectively improved using base isolation technology. After this investigation, the seismic responses of the base‐isolated PCSW structure model were numerically simulated using OpenSees software. There was a reasonable agreement between the numerically simulated results and test results; thus, the numerical simulation method and analysis model used for the base‐isolated PCSW structure model were verified.
A Series-Fed Linear Substrate-Integrated Dielectric Resonator Antenna Array for Millimeter-Wave Applications
Authors: Gong Ke , Hu Xue Hui , Hu Peng , Deng Bing Jie , Tu You Chao
Published: April 2018

A series-fed linear substrate-integrated dielectric resonator antenna array (SIDRAA) is presented for millimeter-wave applications, in which the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator antenna (SIDRA) elements and the feeding structure can be codesigned and fabricated using the same planar process. A prototype 4 × 1 SIDRAA is designed at Ka-band and fabricated with a two-layer printed circuit board (PCB) technology. Four SIDRAs are implemented in the Rogers RT6010 substrate using the perforation technique and fed by a compact substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) through four longitudinal coupling slots within the Rogers RT5880 substrate. The return loss, radiation patterns, and antenna gain were experimentally studied, and good agreement between the measured and simulated results is observed. The SIDRAA example provides a bandwidth of about 10% around 34.5 GHz for 10 dB return loss and stable broadside radiation patterns with the peak gain of 10.5–11.5 dBi across the band.
Measurement of Cl− : Br−Ratios in the Porewater of Clay-Rich Rocks—A Comparison of the Crush-and-Leach and the Paper-Absorption Methods
Authors: Celejewski Magda , Barton David , Al Tom
Published: April 2018

Characterization of porewater chemistry in low-permeability, clay-rich rocks provides insights into solute transport mechanisms and the origin and residence time of porewater. Extraction of porewater for chemical quantification is challenging, and several methods have been applied including squeezing, advective displacement, crush and leach, and a relatively new technique that extracts porewater by absorption into a cellulosic paper by capillary action. Here we compare porewater Cl−and Br−mass ratios from samples using the paper-absorption and crush-and-leach techniques. Samples were obtained from Upper Ordovician shales in the Michigan Basin in Ontario, the Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory in Switzerland, and the Upper Ordovician Lorraine Group shale in southern Quebec. The data display consistent and reproducible differences among methods for Cl−and Br−mass ratios, with the paper-absorption method producing systematically lower Cl− : Br−ratios. The observed differences in Cl− : Br−ratios are attributed primarily to anion exclusion effects which are stronger for Br−than for Cl−, resulting in higher Br−concentrations in the largest pores that are preferentially sampled by the paper-absorption technique. In addition, calculations suggest that Cl−is more effective than Br−in forming ion pairs and clusters with neutral or positive charge which can enter the diffuse double layer. This causes a further decrease in the Cl− : Br−ratios for the mobile water. One important message from this work is that different extraction methods should not be expected to converge on a unique porewater Cl− : Br−ratio because each method reflects different proportions of the interlayer, diffuse double layer, and mobile fractions of porewater.
Modeling and Optimization of BT and DBT Photooxidation over Multiwall Carbon Nanotube-Titania Composite by Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Barmala Molood , Behnood Mohammad
Published: April 2018

This study investigates optimization of benzothiophene (BT) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) removal via a photocatalytic process by using central composite design (CCD) method. Temperature, pH, and p-25 to MWCNT ratio (g/g) in the composite structure are considered as design factors. According to the results, temperature has the greatest impact on removal rate. In optimal condition, after being exposed to UV lamps (9 W) for 20 min, 59.8% of the solutions’ BT was removed, while DBT was completely removed. Although the generated structure band gap is 3.4, but due to the presence of MWCNTs in the structure, it is capable of absorbing visible light, and this leads to complete removal of DBT and 42% removal of BT under visible light radiation (in similar circumstances). Kinetics analysis of thiophene’s reaction showed that, in the presence of visible light, first order removal rate constants for DBT and BT are 7.98 and 0.953 1/h, respectively.
Is Human Papilloma Virus Associated with Breast Cancer? A Review of the Molecular Evidence
Authors: Malhone Carolina , Longatto-Filho Adhemar , Filassi José Roberto
Published: April 2018

Background: Although the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) with many cancers is well established, the involvement of HPV in breast cancer remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to perform a comprehensive review of the results and methods used to demonstrate that HPV markers are present in human breast cancer, and how well these studies fulfil the criteria for proving the viral etiology of a cancer. Study Design: We conducted a search for molecular studies published until November 2016 that relate human breast cancer to HPV. Results: Forty-three original molecular studies were found, some of which compared cases to nonneoplastic controls. Some investigations did not identify HPV in mammary tissue, but others identified it with different frequencies of positivity, varying between 1.2 and 86%. In most case-control studies (21/24 studies), positivity in cases was found to be higher than in controls, but odds ratios and confidence intervals were not reported. Conclusion: The results are controversial. However, they arouse a great interest in the potential participation of HPV in breast carcinogenesis, but rather as an essential cause-effect participant, at least as a co-participant in some cases. The circumstance of HPV positivity in breast cancer can be criticized, but the elements that clearly demonstrate it in a number of cases are also relevant.
Kynurenine Pathway in Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children
Authors: Bryn Vesna , Verkerk Robert , Skjeldal Ola H. , Saugstad Ola Didrik , Ormstad Heidi
Published: April 2018

Background: There is increasing evidence that altered immune responses play a role in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), together with dysfunction of the serotonergic and glutamatergic systems. Since the kynurenine (KYN) pathway that degrades tryptophan (TRP) is activated in various neuroinflammatory states, we aimed to determine whether this pathway is activated in ASD. Methods: Sixty-five pediatric ASD patients (including 52 boys) were enrolled from an epidemiological survey covering 2 counties in Norway; 30 (46.5%) of these patients were diagnosed with childhood autism, 16 (24.6%) with Asperger syndrome, 12 (18.5%) with atypical autism, 1 (1.5%) with Rett syndrome, and 6 (9.2%) with other ASD. The serum levels of the following markers were measured in the children with ASD and compared to those in 30 healthy children: TRP, KYN, kynurenic acid (KA), 3-hydroxykynurenine, and quinolinic acid. Results: The mean serum level of KA was significantly lower in the ASD group than in the healthy controls (28.97 vs. 34.44 nM, p = 0.040), while the KYN/KA ratio was significantly higher in the ASD group (61.12 vs. 50.39, p = 0.006). The same relative values were found when comparing the childhood autism subgroup with the controls. Also, the mean serum level of TRP was significantly lower in children with a subdiagnosis of childhood autism than in those with Asperger syndrome (67.26 vs. 77.79 μM, p = 0.020). Conclusion: Our study indicates that there is an increased neurotoxic potential and also a possible lower KYN aminotransferase activity in ASD.
ІНТЕГРОВАНИЙ ABC/FMR/VED-АНАЛІЗ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ПРОСТАТОПРОТЕКТОРІВ (НА ПРИКЛАДІ АПТЕЧНОЇ МЕРЕЖІ)
Authors: Gadyak I. V. , Hromovyk B. P. , Grytsyk A. R. , Popovych V. P.
Published: April 2018

Мета роботи. Здійснити наглядний розподіл простатопротекторів (ПП) за обсягом товарообігу з одночасною ідентифікацією частоти їх роздрібної реалізації залежно від важливості ПП для фармакотерапії.Матеріали і методи. Матеріалами дослідження були ЛЗ  із терапевтичної підгрупи G04C «Препарати для лікування доброякісної гіперплазії передміхурової залози». Місце дослідження – аптечна мережа ТзОВ «Іва-Фарм» (м. Івано-Франківськ), до складу якої входить 21 аптека і 10 аптечних пунктів.  Період дослідження – 2017 р. Методологія дослідження ґрунтувалася на інтегрованому АВС/FMR/VED-аналізі.Результати й обговорення. За даними реалізації ПП аптечною мережею за 2017 р. виявлено, що глибина їх асортименту становила 26 позицій або 33,3 % від зареєстрованих ПП в Україні. Шляхом ABC-аналізу встановлено 10 найважливіших ПП за обсягом реалізації у вартісному показнику (серед них 4 формулярних ПП), а за даними FMR-аналізу – 8 найважливіших ПП за обсягом реалізації у натуральному показнику (серед них 5 формулярних ПП). За допомогою формального VED-аналізу визначено, що більшість ПП є життєво необхідними. При цьому частка реалізованих неформулярних (бажаних) ПП у вартісному показнику становить менше половини, а в натуральному показнику – третину. Унаслідок інтегрованого ABC/FMR/VED-аналізу визначено три найважливіші формулярних ПП за обсягом реалізації у вартісному і натуральному показниках, а саме: Омнік капс. № 30, Флосін 0,4 мг № 30, Аводарт  0,5 мг № 90.Висновки. Результати інтегрованого АВС/FMR/VED-аналізу роздрібної реалізації ПП можуть слугувати базою для прийняття рішень щодо збалансованості асортименту ПП в аптечній мережі. Висока частка реалізації неформулярних ПП у вартісному та натуральному показниках вказує на необхідність проведення моніторингу доцільності застосування таких ЛЗ та обмеження необґрунтованих призначень неформулярних ПП шляхом підвищення ефективності інформаційної роботи серед лікарів-урологів.
Neuronal Encoding in Prefrontal Cortex during Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Chiang Feng-Kuei , Wallis Joni D.
Published: April 2018

Reinforcement learning models have proven highly effective for understanding learning in both artificial and biological systems. However, these models have difficulty in scaling up to the complexity of real-life environments. One solution is to incorporate the hierarchical structure of behavior. In hierarchical reinforcement learning, primitive actions are chunked together into more temporally abstract actions, called “options,” that are reinforced by attaining a subgoal. These subgoals are capable of generating pseudoreward prediction errors, which are distinct from reward prediction errors that are associated with the final goal of the behavior. Studies in humans have shown that pseudoreward prediction errors positively correlate with activation of ACC. To determine how pseudoreward prediction errors are encoded at the single neuron level, we trained two animals to perform a primate version of the task used to generate these errors in humans. We recorded the electrical activity of neurons in ACC during performance of this task, as well as neurons in lateral prefrontal cortex and OFC. We found that the firing rate of a small population of neurons encoded pseudoreward prediction errors, and these neurons were restricted to ACC. Our results provide support for the idea that ACC may play an important role in encoding subgoals and pseudoreward prediction errors to support hierarchical reinforcement learning. One caveat is that neurons encoding pseudoreward prediction errors were relatively few in number, especially in comparison to neurons that encoded information about the main goal of the task.
Ethnic/Racial Identity: Fuzzy Categories and Shifting Positions
Authors: Deaux Kay
Published: April 2018

Demographic changes and increasing diversity in the United States bring about changes in how people define themselves and how they categorize others. I describe three issues that are relevant to the labeling and self-definition of ethnic groups in U.S. society: (1) the creation and definition of identity categories, (2) the subjectivity of self-definition, and (3) the flexibility of identity expression. In each case, substantial research from social psychology and related disciplines supports a socially constructed definition and use of ethnic categories, wherein identities are subject to the influence of local and national norms and are amenable to change across situations and over time.
Racial and Political Dynamics of an Approaching “Majority-Minority” United States
Authors: Craig Maureen A. , Rucker Julian M. , Richeson Jennifer A.
Published: April 2018

Do demographic shifts in the racial composition of the United States promote positive changes in the nation’s racial dynamics? Change in response to the nation’s growing diversity is likely, but its direction and scope are less clear. This review integrates emerging social-scientific research that examines how Americans are responding to the projected changes in the racial/ethnic demographics of the United States. Specifically, we review recent empirical research that examines how exposure to information that the United States is becoming a “majority-minority” nation affects racial attitudes and several political outcomes (e.g., ideology, policy preferences), and the psychological mechanisms that give rise to those attitudes. We focus primarily on the reactions of members of the current dominant racial group (i.e., white Americans). We then consider important implications of these findings and propose essential questions for future research.
Politicizing Solidarity in Times of Crisis: The Politics of Alternative Action Organizations in Greece, Italy, and Spain
Authors: Zamponi Lorenzo , Bosi Lorenzo
Published: April 2018

Alternative action organizations (AAOs) are collective bodies engaged in carrying out alternatives to dominant socioeconomic and cultural practices through actions that aim to provide people with alternative ways of enduring day-to-day difficulties and challenges in hard economic times. They are often interpreted as merely “philanthropic” actors, although it is not rare to see them go beyond the provision of direct services to people in need and end up pursuing political goals through political means. This article focuses on the process of politicization, that is, the transition of issues from the private to the public sphere and thus the use of public forms of contention (e.g., protest) proposing public solutions at the collective level instead of private solutions at the individual level. We argue for the role of the crisis in the politicization of AAOs. In particular, we show that the appropriation of the context as a context of economic crisis in the discourse of AAOs has a visible effect on their politicization, in terms of both repertoire of actions and goals. Furthermore, we show that social solidarity organizations, those that are not inherently politicized, are the main protagonists of this crisis-triggered transition. The article draws on statistical analysis of the data collected through the coding of AAOs’ websites in Greece, Italy, and Spain.
Opportunities for and Barriers to Using Smartphones for Health Education Among Families at an Urban Primary Care Clinic
Authors: Real Francis J. , DeBlasio Dominick , Rounce Cesarina , Henize Adrienne W. , Beck Andrew F. , Klein Melissa D.
Published: April 2018

Mobile technology is omnipresent in society. Though studies suggest increased rates of smartphone accessibility, current access and barriers to smartphone usage at urban primary care clinics remains unclear. A self-administered survey was distributed to families presenting to an urban, underserved pediatric primary care clinic in spring 2017. Survey questions related to smartphone ownership and barriers to usage. A total of 273 parents completed the survey. Ninety-five percent of participants owned a smartphone. Fifty-eight percent of participants identified no barriers to smartphone usage. Among those who identified one or more barriers (n = 108), difficulties were primarily related to Wi-Fi access (46%), available phone memory (45%), existing phone data (28%), and discomfort with technology (11%). The majority of parents (59%) were interested in using a smartphone to learn about their child’s health. In conclusion, there is opportunity to transform health education utilizing mobile devices, though disparities to usage should be considered.
Is a Minimum Age of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction a Necessary Protection? A Case Study in the State of California
Authors: Abrams Laura S. , Barnert Elizabeth S. , Mizel Matthew L. , Bryan Isaac , Lim Lynn , Bedros Antoinette , Soung Patricia , Harris Michael
Published: April 2018

Several U.S. states are considering setting or raising a minimum age of juvenile court jurisdiction. However, there is scant evidence to suggest if a state minimum age law would protect children from developmentally inappropriate proceedings beyond existing capacity and competency statutes. To address this central question, this case study focuses on the state of California and considers (a) existing state laws, (b) state juvenile crime data, and (c) opinions of diverse juvenile justice stakeholders. Triangulated analysis found that a low number of California children below the age of 12 years are petitioned in juvenile court and most are referred for misdemeanor or status offenses. Existing legal protections are present yet inconsistently implemented. A minimum age law would address some of these policy gaps.
Religious Involvement and Marijuana Use for Medical and Recreational Purposes
Authors: Burdette Amy M. , Webb Noah S. , Hill Terrence D. , Haynes Stacy Hoskins , Ford Jason A.
Published: April 2018

In this article, we use data from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to examine the association between religious involvement and marijuana use for medical and recreational purposes in U.S. adults ( N = 41,517). We also consider whether the association between religious involvement and marijuana use varies according to personal health status. Our results show that adults who attend religious services more frequently and hold more salient religious beliefs tend to exhibit lower rates of medical and recreational marijuana use. We also find that these “protective effects” are less pronounced for adults in poor health. Although our findings confirm previous studies of recreational marijuana use, we are the first to examine the association between religious involvement and medical marijuana use. Our moderation analyses suggest that the morality and social control functions of religious involvement may be offset under the conditions of poor health.
Does School Racial Composition Matter to Teachers: Examining Racial Differences in Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Problems
Authors: Martinez Matthew J.
Published: April 2018

This study investigates how teachers’ perceptions of student problems are affected by school-level student/teacher racial compositions. Utilizing the full spectrum of student/teacher racial compositions, results from nonlinear models show that students, regardless of their individual racial background, will be evaluated partially on the racial composition of the school they attend. This conclusion holds irrespective of individual teacher race, although teacher racial identity influences the extent to which school composition matters. Findings suggest that White, but not Black or Hispanic, teachers are affected by teacher racial composition when making judgments about the severity of student problems.
Using Ego Network Data to Inform Agent-based Models of Diffusion
Authors: Smith Jeffrey A. , Burow Jessica
Published: April 2018

Agent-based modeling holds great potential as an analytical tool. Agent-based models (ABMs) are, however, also vulnerable to critique, as they often employ stylized social worlds, with little connection to the actual environment in question. Given these concerns, there has been a recent call to more fully incorporate empirical data into ABMs. This article falls in this tradition, exploring the benefits of using sampled ego network data in ABMs of cultural diffusion. Thus, instead of relying on full network data, which can be difficult and costly to collect, or no empirical network data, which is convenient but not empirically grounded, we offer a middle-ground, one combining ABMs with recent work on network sampling. The main question is whether this approach is effective. We provide a test of the approach using six complete networks; the test also includes a range of diffusion models (where actors follow different rules of adoption). For each network, we take a random ego network sample and use that sample to infer the full network structure. We then run a diffusion model through the known, complete networks, as well as the inferred networks, and compare the results. The results, on the whole, are quite strong: Across all analyses, the diffusion curves based on the sampled data are very similar to the curves based on the true, complete network. This suggests that ego network sampling can, in fact, offer a practical means of incorporating empirical data into an agent-based model.
Management Representativeness, Ethical Leadership, and Employee Job Satisfaction in the U.S. Federal Government
Authors: Moon Kuk-Kyoung , Jung Changhoon
Published: April 2018

As the proportion of women and racial minorities in managerial positions has increased in public organizations, considerable attention has been paid to how management representativeness shapes employee work attitudes and what leadership styles moderate these relationships. This study explores separate and joint effects of two types of management representativeness (gender and racial representation of management) and ethical leadership on employee job satisfaction using panel data from the U.S. federal government. The statistical results indicate that racial representation of management and ethical leadership have a positive influence on employee job satisfaction. Further analysis shows that ethical leadership significantly moderates the relationships between the two types of management representativeness and employee job satisfaction, such that gender and racial representations of management are more positively related to job satisfaction under high ethical leadership. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are addressed.
Comparing Work Engagement in People-Changing and People-Processing Service Providers: A Mediation Model With Red Tape, Autonomy, Dimensions of PSM, and Performance
Authors: Borst Rick T.
Published: April 2018

Due to the increasing demanding work environment, public managers need their employees to be proactive and dedicated and feel energetic in their work to reach high performance—that is, public organizations need engaged workers. However, there is a dearth of research examining work engagement in the public sector context in general and in different institutional contexts (e.g., education vis-à-vis central government) in particular. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between antecedents and outcomes of work engagement in the public sector in general and the within-public sector differences including institutional contexts in particular. Based on the analysis of a large data set, it can be concluded that public servants have different personalities and work in different institutional contexts, and these differences influence their work engagement. The importance of work engagement research in public administration is further confirmed because it leads to higher performance and job satisfaction across sectors.
Effect of Transmit Beamforming on Clutter Levels in Transthoracic Echocardiography
Authors: Kakkad Vaibhav , LeFevre Melissa , Roy Choudhury Kingshuk , Kisslo Joseph , Trahey Gregg E.
Published: April 2018

Transmit beamforming has a strong impact on several factors that govern image quality, field-of-view, and frame-rate in ultrasound imaging. For cardiac applications, the visualization of fine structures and the ability to track their motion is equally important. Consequently, beamforming choices for echocardiography aim to optimize these trade-offs. Acoustic clutter can dramatically impact image quality and degrade the diagnostic value of cardiac ultrasound imaging. Clutter levels, however, are closely tied to the choice of beamforming configuration. This study aims to quantify the impact of transmit beamforming on clutter levels under in vivo conditions. The performance of focused as well as plane wave transmit configurations in fundamental and harmonic modes is evaluated under matched conditions. Contrast between the cardiac chambers and the interventricular septum is used as a surrogate for the level of clutter in a given imaging scenario. Under in vivo conditions, contrast was found to improve incrementally across the four beamforming configurations in the following order: fundamental-plane, fundamental-focused, harmonic-plane, and harmonic-focused. Using the fundamental-focused configuration as a reference, the harmonic-plane and harmonic-focused cases showed improvements in median contrast of 2.97 dB and 6.1 dB, respectively, while the fundamental-plane case showed a contrast deterioration of 1.23 dB. Contrast was also found to vary systematically as a function of imaging depth. Median contrast for the right ventricle (shallow chamber) was measured to be 2.96 dB lower than that in the left ventricle (deep chamber).
The use of psychologically-informed warning letters in probation for high-risk clients with personality difficulties
Authors: Harvey David , Sefton Wendy
Published: April 2018

Warning letters may be issued to probation service users in the community on licence as an alternative action to recalling them to prison, when the risk of serious harm can be managed safely. Template-based, formalized warning letters may inadvertently increase or compound risk when working with high-risk clients with personality difficulties. As an alternative, psychologically-informed warning letters can be used. The aim of the letters is to facilitate joint meaning-making of violations and breaches of licence conditions between a client and an offender manager, whilst reinforcing boundaries in a thoughtful, empathic way. Practical guidelines are provided for writing and issuing psychologically-informed warning letters in probation when working with high-risk clients with personality difficulties, along with a case study. Finally, possible barriers to using these letters are identified and potential ways to overcome them are suggested.
Unmet Goals of Tracking: Within-track Heterogeneity of Students’ Expectations about the Future
Authors: Van den Broeck Laura , Demanet Jannick , Van Houtte Mieke
Published: April 2018

Over the last two decades, researchers in the educational field have raised concerns regarding the high educational expectations among American youth. Studies have identified the detracking movement as one of the most important causes of this college-for-all norm. The assumption is that tracked secondary education systems, in contrast to comprehensive systems, lead to realistic expectations because of students’ clear track placement. In other words, tracking creates groups of students with homogeneous expectations. Inspired by the rich literature on the unequal selection present in tracked systems, this article questions this assumption concerning students’ allocation. We examine homogeneity of expectations in a rigidly tracked system, using data from 2,354 students in 28 schools (2013–2014) in Ghent (Belgium). Results from ordinary least squares (OLS) regression show that even in a stringently tracked system, the vocational track has the lowest homogeneity of expectations. We discuss the unmet goals of tracking in view of tracking policy.
Factors That Contribute to Recovery of Community Mobility After Hospitalization Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Wells Elina U. , Williams Courtney P. , Kennedy Richard E. , Sawyer Patricia , Brown Cynthia J.
Published: April 2018

This study aimed to determine the proportion of older adults who recovered community mobility after hospitalization and identify factors associated with recovery. Using a random sample of 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries ≥65 years of age, we identified individuals with at least one hospitalization over 8.5 years of follow-up. Data were collected at baseline and every 6 months, including demographics, function, social support, community mobility measured by the UAB Life-Space Assessment (LSA), and overnight hospital admissions. Recovery was defined as a LSA score no more than five points lower than the prehospitalization LSA score at last follow-up. Overall, 339 participants ( M age = 75.4 [ SD = 6.6] years, 44% African American, 48% female) had at least one hospitalization. In the full logistic regression model, younger age ( p = .007) and religious service attendance ( p = .001) remained independently associated with recovery. An understanding of factors associated with recovery after hospitalization may provide a target for future interventions.
Prior Individual Risk Behavior Predicts Subsequent Individual and Peer Risk Behavior: A Longitudinal Examination From Fifth to Ninth Grade
Authors: Hajovsky Daniel B. , Reynolds Matthew R.
Published: April 2018

To better understand the longitudinal relations between risk and relationship variables during early to middle adolescence, we employed latent variable cross-lagged panel models using data ( N = 1,050) from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study. Results showed self-reported individual risk behavior (β = .77–.88) and mother-reported child-parent relationship quality (CPRQ; β = .59–.76) were stable, whereas the self-report of one’s peer’s risk behavior (β = .21–.27) was less stable. After controlling for previous levels of peer risk behavior and CPRQ, higher levels of individual risk behavior resulted in subsequent increases in the number of peers who demonstrated risk behavior (β = .38–.54) across early to middle adolescence. CPRQ and peer risk behavior, however, did not influence subsequent individual risk behavior. School psychologists can encourage friendship selection strategies that reduce potential risk affiliation while increasing healthy, supportive friendships and teach adolescents stress management skills.
The Factors Associated With Anxiety Symptom Severity in Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes and Other Residential Aged Care Facilities
Authors: Creighton Alexandra S. , Davison Tanya E. , Kissane David W.
Published: April 2018

Objective: This study aimed to identify the biopsychosocial factors associated with anxiety among a residential aged care sample. Method: A total of 178 residents ( M age = 85.4 years, SD = 7.4 years) with mild cognitive impairment or normal cognition participated. Participants completed the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and a set of measures assessing cognition, depression, self-perceived health, mastery, attachment, perceived social support, social engagement, functional status, the experience of a fall, and other negative life events. Results: Unique correlates of GAI scores were depression, a preoccupied attachment style, lower mastery, cognitive impairment, and lower self-perceived health. Discussion: Most correlates that were uniquely associated with anxiety had little to do with the current environment. More variance was accounted for by stable and lifelong factors. This provides new insights into the characteristics of anxiety within aged care populations, and although preliminary, provides possible targets to prevent and treat anxiety within this setting.
Application and benchmarking of a direct method to optimize the fuel consumption of a diesel electric locomotive
Authors: Macian V , Guardiola C , Pla B , Reig A
Published: April 2018

This paper addresses the optimal control of a long-haul passenger train to deliver minimum-fuel operations. Contrary to the common Pontryagin minimum principle approach in railroad-related literature, this work addresses this optimal control problem with a direct method of optimization, the use of which is still marginal in this field. The implementation of a particular direct method based on the Euler collocation scheme and its transcription into a nonlinear problem are described in detail. In this paper, this optimization technique is benchmarked with well-known optimization methods in the literature, namely dynamic programming and the Pontryagin minimum principle, by simulating a real route. The results showed that the direct methods are on the same level of optimality compared with other algorithms while requiring reduced computational time and memory and being able to handle very complex dynamic systems. The performance of the direct method is also compared to the real trajectory followed by the train operator and exhibits up to 20% of fuel saving in the example route.
Information literacy of doctoral students in engineering and the librarian’s role
Authors: Koler-Povh Teja , Turk Žiga
Published: April 2018

After a reform of the doctoral study programme at the authors’ faculty in Slovenia, an introductory course on scientific research methods became mandatory. It includes the topic of information literacy and covers its five main elements according to ALA 2000 standards. A librarian/researcher runs the practical part. As this course has been running for seven years we were interested in its impacts: (1) what are students’ subjective impressions about the course and (2) if and how such a systematic education on information literacy topics objectively impacts their publishing and citations. The paper first presents the results of the questionnaire among 120 PhD students (the response was 67.5%, i.e. 81 of them) conducted immediately after the completion of the information literacy course. Four indicators were measured to address Question 1. Question 2 was approached by examining students’ citation practices in their own PhD theses and their publishing results. The hypothesis was that the information literacy course increased students’ competence. It was tested using quantitative parameters, such as the number of references in PhD theses and the number of scientific publications written during the study and shortly after it, separately for reformed programme students who attended the information literacy course, and for pre-Bologna reform students who did not take this course. We found that although pre-reform students on average cited a few more references than their post-reform colleagues, there were smaller differences among post-reform than among pre-reform students. Also, the median/typical post-reform students cited more references, what can be attributed to the information literacy course.
Regional Processes and Geopolitics of India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan (IATU)
Authors: Mohapatra Nalin Kumar
Published: April 2018

The article attempts to examine the nature of interaction that exists among India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan (IATU) and the need to give an institutional basis to such a relationship spanning across Central and South Asia. Using some of the existing theoretical frameworks of regional cooperation, the study argues that even though such an institutional relationship looks futuristic, it has much relevance in the present context due to its functional necessity. Some of the factors such as a ‘common geo-culture’, ‘geo-strategic compulsions’, and ‘economic necessities’ are providing the basis for the emergence of such kind of cooperation among these four states.
The Management of Chronic Back Pain in Primary Care Settings: Exploring Perceived Facilitators and Barriers to the Development of Patient–Professional Partnerships
Authors: Fu Y. , McNichol E. , Marczewski K. , José Closs S.
Published: April 2018

Supporting patients in forming partnerships with health professionals is the key of effective self-management. This study aimed to explore the nature of patient–professional partnerships and its related factors that create facilitators and barriers to patients’ self-management ability. A constructivist grounded theory approach was undertaken. Three main themes emerged: interaction and communication, integrated care, and service and system. A theoretical model was generated that posits effective communication, individualized integrated care, and high-quality service as key influences on the successful development of patient–professional partnerships and patients’ ability to self-manage. Giving attention to these factors helps understand the development, implementation, mechanisms, and evaluation of building a patient–professional partnership and maximizes the opportunities for patient self-management of chronic pain. Future research and practice are needed to move beyond a simplistic focus on health outcomes to address the complex links between partnerships and treatment delivery processes, and interventions, effects, and patients’ context.
Barriers and Facilitators to Treatment Engagement Among Clients in Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment
Authors: Yang Yang , Perkins David R. , Stearns A. Elizabeth
Published: April 2018

There is a call for drawing on client voice to provide a rich, nuanced understanding of factors influencing substance treatment engagement as to maximizing treatment benefits. We interviewed 60 clients in a short-term inpatient substance treatment program and examined facilitators and barriers to treatment engagement. Thematic analysis yielded four themes, including perceived treatment needs, trust and counselor rapport, peer inspiration, and organizational factors. Perceived treatment needs serve as both a facilitator and a barrier wherein the acknowledgment of needs led to greater treatment engagement whereas a lack of perceived needs hindered treatment engagement. The establishment of trust and counselor rapport and peer inspiration facilitated treatment engagement. Clients rated several organizational factors including a lack of treatment provision, gender-responsive treatment and infrastructure, and ineffective communication with nonclinical staff as barriers to treatment engagement. Clinical implications include enhancing treatment motivation and counselor rapport, establishing gender-responsive treatment programs, and providing trainings for staff.