bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustained Decrease in Blood Pressure and Reduced Anatomical and Functional Reinnervation of Renal Nerves in Hypertensive Sheep 30 Months After Catheter-Based Renal Denervation
Authors: Singh Reetu R. , McArdle Zoe M. , Iudica Michael , Easton Lawrence K. , Booth Lindsea C. , May Clive N. , Parkington Helena C. , Lombardo Paul , Head Geoff A. , Lambert Gavin , Moritz Karen M. , Schlaich Markus P. , Denton Kate M.
Published: January 2019

We examined whether renal denervation (RDN) reduced blood pressure (BP), improved glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, and left ventricular mass in sheep with hypertensive chronic kidney disease (CKD). To examine whether renal nerve function returned in the long term, we examined vascular contraction to nerve stimulation in renal arteries and determined nerve regrowth by assessing renal TH (tyrosine hydroxylase), CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), and norepinephrine levels in kidneys at 30 months after RDN. RDN normalized BP in hypertensive CKD sheep such that BP was similar to that of the normotensive sheep with intact nerves. Glomerular filtration rate decreased by ≈22% in CKD sheep with intact nerves but increased ≈26% in hypertensive CKD-RDN sheep by 30 months. At 30 months, urinary albumin was ≈127% and left ventricular mass was ≈41% greater in CKD sheep with intact nerves than control. However, urinary albumin was ≈60% less and left ventricular mass was ≈40% less in the CKD sheep that underwent RDN compared with intact counterpart. At 30 months in CKD-RDN sheep, neurovascular contraction (≈56%), renal proportion of TH (≈50%), CGRP (≈67%), and norepinephrine content (≈49%) were all less than CKD-intact; all these variables were similar between normotensive-intact and normotensive-RDN groups. RDN caused a sustained reduction in BP and improvements in renal function. Regrowth of renal nerves and return of function were observed in hypertensive CKD-RDN sheep, but levels were only partially restored to levels of intact. These suggest that RDN lowers BP in the long term and is renoprotective and cardioprotective as a result of lesser nerve regrowth in CKD.
Relative Contributions of Pulse Pressure and Arterial Stiffness to Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Niiranen Teemu J. , Kalesan Bindu , Mitchell Gary F. , Vasan Ramachandran S.
Published: January 2019

Pulse pressure has been frequently used as a surrogate marker of arterial compliance. However, the prevalence and prognostic significance of mismatch between pulse pressure and arterial stiffness remains unclear. We measured carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV) and central pulse pressure (CPP) in 2119 Framingham Offspring Cohort participants (mean age, 60 years; 57% women). The participants were divided into 4 groups according to CPP and CFPWV status (categorized as high/low based on ≥age- and sex-specific median values) and followed up for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. At baseline, 832 of 2119 (39%) participants had discordant CPP and CFPWV status, 417 with low CPP and high CFPWV, and 415 with high CPP and low CFPWV. The multivariable-adjusted risk for CVD events (n=246; median follow-up, 12.6 years) in individuals with a CPP-CFPWV mismatch (hazard ratio for low CPP with high CFPWV, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.83–1.76; hazard ratio for high CPP with low CFPWV, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.49–1.19) was comparable with the CVD risk observed in the low CPP with low CFPWV (referent group). In contrast, participants with a high CPP with high CFPWV (hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.10–2.11) experienced significantly increased CVD risk. The interaction term between CPP and CFPWV status on CVD risk was borderline significant in the multivariable model (
P
=0.08). Our results demonstrate that pulse pressure-arterial stiffness mismatch is common in the community. CFPWV may modify the association of CPP with CVD risk, with the greatest risk being observed in those with elevated CPP and CFPWV.
Effects of Bariatric Surgery Versus Medical Therapy on the 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure and the Prevalence of Resistant Hypertension
Authors: Schiavon Carlos A. , Ikeoka Dimas , Santucci Eliana V. , Santos Renato Nakagawa , Damiani Lucas P. , Bueno Priscila Torres , Oliveira Juliana D. , Torreglosa Camila R. , Bersch-Ferreira Angela Cristine , Miranda Tamiris A. , Barros Silvana de , Halpern Helio , Monteiro Frederico L. J. , Cohen Ricardo V. , Noujaim Patricia M. , de Souza Marcio G. , Amodeo Celso , Bortolotto Luiz A. , Berwanger Otavio , Cavalcanti Alexandre B. , Drager Luciano F.
Published: January 2019

Bariatric surgery is an effective strategy for blood pressure (BP) reduction, but most of the evidence relies on office BP measurements. In this study, we evaluated the impact of bariatric surgery on 24-hour BP profile, BP variability, and resistant hypertension prevalence. This is a randomized trial including obese patients with grade 1 and 2 using at least 2 antihypertensive drugs at maximal doses or >2 at moderate doses. Patients were allocated to either Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) combined with medical therapy or medical therapy alone for 12 months. The primary outcome was the 24-hour BP profile and variability (average real variability of daytime and night time BP). We evaluated the nondipping status and prevalence of resistant hypertension as secondary end points. We included 100 patients (76% female, body mass index, 36.9±2.7 kg/m
2
). The 24-hour BP profile (including nondipping status) was similar after 12 months, but the RYGB group required less antihypertensive classes as compared to the medical therapy alone (0 [0–1] versus 3 [2.5–4] classes;
P
<0.01). The average real variability of systolic nighttime BP was lower after RYGB as compared to medical therapy (between-group difference, −1.63; 95% CI, −2.91 to −0.36;
P
=0.01). Prevalence of resistant hypertension was similar at baseline (RYGB, 10% versus MT, 16%;
P
=0.38), but it was significantly lower in the RYGB at 12 months (0% versus 14.9%;
P
<0.001). In conclusion, RYGB significantly reduced antihypertensive medications while promoting similar 24-hour BP profile and nondipping status. Interestingly, bariatric surgery improved BP variability and may decrease the burden of resistant hypertension associated with obesity.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01784848.
Blood-Brain Barrier Leakage and Microvascular Lesions in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
Authors: Freeze Whitney M. , Bacskai Brian J. , Frosch Matthew P. , Jacobs Heidi I.L. , Backes Walter H. , Greenberg Steven M. , van Veluw Susanne J.
Published: January 2019

Background and Purpose—

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common small vessel disease that independently effects cognition in older individuals. The pathophysiology of CAA and CAA-related bleeding remains poorly understood. In this postmortem study, we explored whether blood-brain barrier leakage is associated with CAA and microvascular lesions.

Methods—

Eleven CAA cases (median [IQR] age=69 years [65–79 years], 8 males) and 7 cases without neurological disease or brain lesions (median [IQR] age=77 years [68–92 years], 4 males) were analyzed. Cortical sections were sampled from each lobe, and IgG and fibrin extravasation (markers of blood-brain barrier leakage) were assessed with immunohistochemistry. We hypothesized that IgG and fibrin extravasation would be increased in CAA cases compared with controls, that this would be more pronounced in parietooccipital brain regions compared with frontotemporal brain regions in parallel with the posterior predilection of CAA, and would be associated with CAA severity and number of cerebral microbleeds and cerebral microinfarcts counted on ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging of the intact brain hemisphere.

Results—

Our results demonstrated increased IgG positivity in the frontotemporal (
P
=0.044) and parietooccipital (
P
=0.001) cortex in CAA cases compared with controls. Within CAA cases, both fibrin and IgG positivity were increased in parietooccipital brain regions compared with frontotemporal brain regions (
P
=0.005 and
P
=0.006, respectively). The percentage of positive vessels for fibrin and IgG was associated with the percentage of amyloid-β–positive vessels (Spearman ρ=0.71,
P
=0.015 and Spearman ρ=0.73,
P
=0.011, respectively). Moreover, the percentage of fibrin and IgG-positive vessels, but not amyloid-β–positive vessels, was associated with the number of cerebral microbleeds on magnetic resonance imaging (Spearman ρ=0.77,
P
=0.005 and Spearman ρ=0.70,
P
=0.017, respectively). Finally, we observed fibrin deposition in walls of vessels involved in cerebral microbleeds.

Conclusions—

Our results raise the possibility that blood-brain barrier leakage may be a contributory mechanism for CAA-related brain injury.
Association of Perforator Stroke After Basilar Artery Stenting With Negative Remodeling
Authors: Ma Ning , Xu Ziqi , Lyu Jinhao , Li Mingyao , Hou Zhikai , Liu Yifan , Yang Ming , Mo Dapeng , Gao Feng , Song Ligang , Sun Xuan , Liu Lian , Liu Xin , Sui Binbin , Shen Mi , Ma Lin , Wang Yilong , Wang Yongjun , Miao Zhongrong , Lou Xin
Published: January 2019

Background and Purpose—

We try to evaluate whether plaque features and perforator stroke after intracranial stenting is associated with the arterial remodeling patterns in patients with severe basilar artery stenosis.

Methods—

We studied patients with symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis who underwent high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging from September 2014 to January 2017. Among them, patients with basilar artery stenosis underwent angioplasty and stenting were recruited. Arterial remodeling patterns were divided into negative or nonnegative remodeling. Plaque features were investigated by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, which includes plaque distribution, intraplaque hemorrhage, calcification, as well as enhancement patterns. Incidence of perforator strokes after intracranial stenting was recorded. Plaque features and incidence of poststenting perforator stroke were compared between negative and nonnegative remodeling.

Results—

Two hundred ninety-eight consecutive patients were enrolled. Among them, 30 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There were 11 patients (36.7%) with negative remodeling and 19 (63.3%) with nonnegative remodeling. Twenty-six patients (86.7%) had diffuse distribution, 5 patients (16.7%) had intraplaque hemorrhage, 2 patients (6.7%) had calcification, and 17 patients (65.4%) had enhancement. Three patients had perforator stroke after stenting. Plaque features were similar between negative and nonnegative remodeling groups. Patients with negative remodeling were more likely to have perforator stroke after stenting comparing with patients with nonnegative remodeling (27.3% versus 0%,
P
=0.041).

Conclusions—

Perforator stroke after basilar artery stenting may be related to negative remodeling on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. The finding needs to be confirmed in future studies.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02705599.
A new genus and species of Apameini (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Sichuan (China)
Authors: GYULAI PETER , SALDAITIS AIDAS , ZILLI ALBERTO
Published: January 2019

A new genus of Apameini (Noctuidae) from Western Sichuan, China, Alena gen. n. with a single species (Alena alena sp. n.), are described. The new species is strikingly similar in habitus to several unrelated Noctuidae.
Two new species of Tardigrada from Ecuador (South America)
Authors: ROSZKOWSKA MILENA , GAWLAK MAGDALENA , DRAGA MATEUSZ , KACZMAREK ŁUKASZ
Published: January 2019

In two moss samples collected in El Cajas National Park (Azuay Province, Ecuador), 33 specimens and 19 eggs of a new species of Macrobiotus and 56 heterotardigrades belonging to a new Echiniscus species were extracted. Macrobiotus dulciporus sp. nov. belongs to the hufelandi group and is most similar to Macrobiotus maculatus Iharos, 1973. It differs from M. maculatus mainly based on the presence of an oral cavity armature of the patagonicus type, smooth egg chorion surface, lower number of processes on the egg circumference and some morphometric characters of the egg processes. Echiniscus hannae sp. nov. belongs to the bigranulatus group, but differs from all species in this group due to the presence of large, smooth areas on its dorsal plate.
New Galumnoidea (Acari, Oribatida) from Tanzania
Authors: ERMILOV SERGEY G. , KHAUSTOV ALEXANDER A.
Published: January 2019

Three new species of oribatid mites of the superfamily Galumnoidea are described from litter in the mixed forest of Zanzibar, Tanzania: Pergalumna hugocoetzeeae sp. nov., Pergalumna pietertheroni sp. nov. (both Galumnidae) and Galumnella paraokinawana sp. nov. (Galumnellidae). An identification key to the known species of the genus Galumnella from the Ethiopian region is presented.
Evaluation of Short-Range Precipitation Reforecasts from East Asia Regional Reanalysis
Authors: Yang Eun-Gyeong , Kim Hyun Mee
Published: January 2019

As the need for regional reanalyses emerged around the world, a short period of the East Asia Regional Reanalysis (EARR) system was recently developed based on the Unified Model (UM). In this study, the quality of the EARR is evaluated by comparing the short-range precipitation reforecasts against reforecasts of ERA-Interim (ERA-I) reanalysis and operational forecasts of the Korea Meteorological Administration (OPER). For the verification, two different periods are selected for 14 days in the summer (July 2013, denoted as 201307) and winter (February 2014, denoted as 201402). The equitable threat score (ETS) of EARR and OPER is generally greater than that of ERA-I. The frequency bias index (FBI) of EARR and OPER is overall closer to 1 than that of ERA-I for all thresholds, which indicates that EARR and OPER are much closer to the observation compared to ERA-I. For the period 201307, the ERA-I FBI is greater than 1 for lower thresholds and the probability of detection (POD) and false alarm ratio (FAR) of ERA-I are high, implying that ERA-I tends to overforecast light precipitation. In addition, using the same Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, the 6-h precipitation forecasts are integrated every 12 h (initialized from 0000/1200 UTC) for 4 months for the summer and winter season. Although the differences of ETS and FBI between EARR and ERA-I are not distinct for the summer season, overall EARR ETS is higher than ERA-I ETS, and EARR FBI is closer to 1 than ERA-I FBI. Based on several evaluations, the precipitation reforecasts of EARR are confirmed to be more accurate than those of OPER and ERA-I in East Asia.
The Effect of Foam on Waves and the Aerodynamic Roughness of the Water Surface at High Winds
Authors: Troitskaya Yu. , Sergeev D. , Kandaurov A. , Vdovin M. , Zilitinkevich S.
Published: January 2019

This paper models the impact of the presence of foam on the short-wave component of surface waves and momentum exchange in the atmospheric boundary layer at high winds. First, physical experiments were carried out in a wind-wave flume in which foam can be artificially produced at the water surface. Tests were conducted under high-wind-speed conditions where equivalent 10-m wind speed ranged from 12 to 38 m s−1, with measurements made of the airflow parameters, the frequency–wavenumber spectra of the surface waves, the foam coverage of the water surface, and the distribution of the foam bubbles. Analysis of the resulting data indicates that the surface drag coefficient correlates with the fraction of foam coverage and the mean square slope (MSS) of the water surface, and that, at a certain wind speed, the MSS decreases with an increase in the fraction of foam coverage. Based on these results, we suggest a simple model for eddy viscosity in the turbulent boundary layer over a fractionally foam-covered wave surface. The measurements in a laboratory environment are shown to be in good agreement with the predictions of a quasi-linear model of the atmospheric boundary layer over a waved water surface that adopts this eddy viscosity. Adaptation of the proposed model to field conditions is discussed, and the synergetic effect of foam at the water surface and spray in the marine atmospheric boundary layer on ocean surface resistance at high winds is estimated so as to be able to explain the observed peaking dependence of the surface drag coefficient on the 10-m wind speed.
Tropical Transition of Hurricane Chris (2012) over the North Atlantic Ocean: A Multiscale Investigation of Predictability
Authors: Maier-Gerber Michael , Riemer Michael , Fink Andreas H. , Knippertz Peter , Di Muzio Enrico , McTaggart-Cowan Ron
Published: January 2019

Tropical cyclones that evolve from a nontropical origin and undergo tropical transition (TT) play a prominent role in cyclogenesis in the North Atlantic Ocean. They pose a special challenge for predictions, as they often emerge at the end of a multiscale cascade of atmospheric processes. Here we use operational European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ensemble predictions to investigate the TT of North Atlantic Hurricane Chris (2012), whose formation was preceded by the merger of two potential vorticity (PV) maxima, eventually resulting in the cyclone-inducing PV streamer. The principal goal is to elucidate the dynamic and thermodynamic processes governing the predictability of Chris’s cyclogenesis and subsequent TT. Dynamic time warping is applied to identify ensemble tracks that are similar to the analysis track. This technique permits small temporal and spatial shifts in the development. The formation of the pre-Chris cyclone is predicted by those members that also predict the merging of the two PV maxima. The PV streamer’s shape and its position relative to the pre-Chris cyclone determine whether the cyclone follows the TT pathway. The transitioning cyclones are located inside a favorable region of high equivalent potential temperatures that result from a warm seclusion underneath the cyclonic roll-up of the PV streamer. A systematic investigation of consecutive ensemble forecasts indicates that sudden changes in ensemble statistics of cyclone metrics are linked to specific events. The present case exemplifies how a novel combination of Eulerian and cyclone-relative ensemble forecast analysis tools allow inference of physical causes of abrupt changes in predictability.
Measure of Forecast Challenge and Predictability Horizon Diagram Index for Ensemble Models
Authors: Du Jun , Zhou Binbin , Levit Jason
Published: January 2019

Responding to the call for new verification methods in a recent editorial in Weather and Forecasting, this study proposed two new verification metrics to quantify the forecast challenges that a user faces in decision-making when using ensemble models. The measure of forecast challenge (MFC) combines forecast error and uncertainty information together into one single score. It consists of four elements: ensemble mean error, spread, nonlinearity, and outliers. The cross correlation among the four elements indicates that each element contains independent information. The relative contribution of each element to the MFC is analyzed by calculating the correlation between each element and MFC. The biggest contributor is the ensemble mean error, followed by the ensemble spread, nonlinearity, and outliers. By applying MFC to the predictability horizon diagram of a forecast ensemble, a predictability horizon diagram index (PHDX) is defined to quantify how the ensemble evolves at a specific location as an event approaches. The value of PHDX varies between 1.0 and −1.0. A positive PHDX indicates that the forecast challenge decreases as an event nears (type I), providing creditable forecast information to users. A negative PHDX value indicates that the forecast challenge increases as an event nears (type II), providing misleading information to users. A near-zero PHDX value indicates that the forecast challenge remains large as an event nears, providing largely uncertain information to users. Unlike current verification metrics that verify at a particular point in time, PHDX verifies a forecasting process through many forecasting cycles. Forecasting-process-oriented verification could be a new direction in model verification. The sample ensemble forecasts used in this study are produced from the NCEP global and regional ensembles.
Ties of Solidarity and the Political Spectrum: Partisan Cleavages in Reported Solidarity Activity Across Europe
Authors: Kiess Johannes M. , Trenz Hans-Jörg
Published: January 2019

The strength of solidarity ties among individuals is often discussed in relation to membership within a community of equals. This assumes strong links between reported solidarity actions, political attitudes, and national identity. We ask, first, whether differences in solidarity engagement can be explained by party affiliation: Do adherents of political parties driven by right-identitarian politics and adherents of parties driven by left-redistributive politics differ considerably in terms of reported solidarity action? Second, we investigate whether such differences can be explained by the nationality of the supported groups, and third, we explore whether there is a salience of reported solidarity action and party affiliation across European countries. We examine these questions by looking at cleavages in reported solidarity action in support of three different target groups: unemployed, disabled persons, and refugees. Our findings indicate first of all that partisan affiliation matters: cleavages in solidarity behavior follow traditional ideological patterns. Second, and contrary to the exclusive-communitarian rhetoric that is found in party programs and statements of right-wing populist parties, their adherents are among those supporting both nationals and foreigners least, while adherents of left and radical left parties engage in support toward nationals and non-nationals. Third, from a comparative European perspective, we observe similar patterns of a divide between an inclusive, solidary, and cosmopolitan left and a non-solidary right with low interests in community commitment.
Politicization of Solidarity Toward Out-Groups: The Case of Refugees
Authors: Maggini Nicola , Fernández G. G. Eva
Published: January 2019

This study aims to explain the solidarity behavior toward a specific needy group that is not part of the national community (refugees) in comparison with vulnerable in-groups (the disabled or the unemployed), taking into account the interplay between individuals’ political orientations and their social dispositions based on the ranking preferences of solidarity beneficiaries. Through a multivariate regression analysis of survey data in eight European countries, we find that respondents’ ranking preferences have a lower impact on solidarity practices toward refugees, which are strongly fostered by progressive political orientations. This means that support for refugees relies on a universalistic conception of solidarity and entails political commitment to both leftist positions on economic issues and to libertarian stances on cultural issues. The latter only affect solidarity actions toward needy out-groups, unveiling the tensions between universalistic-particularistic concerns that are embodied in individual perceptions of deservingness between groups and in the cultural–identitarian dimension of political conflict.
Identifying Valid Measures of Reading
Authors: Deno Stanley L. , Mirkin Phyllis K. , Chiang Berttram
Published: January 2019

Three concurrent validity studies were conducted to determine the relationship between performances on formative measures of reading and standardized achievement measures of reading. Correlational analyses for five formative measures and three standardized measures provided evidence for the validity of Words in Isolation, Words in Context, and Oral Reading as indices of reading achievement. Comparisons of performance of regular and resource program students in grades one through six revealed marked differences between the two groups and across grades. The usefulness of the formative measures for continuous evaluation of student growth in reading is discussed.
The Language of Instructional Materials: A Source of Reading Problems
Authors: McCormick Sandra , Moe Alden J.
Published: January 2019

A discussion of the effects of lack of congruency between children's language and the written language of reading materials is presented. The premise that written language is simply “talk written down” is challenged. Differences between these two forms of language in sentence patterns, vocabulary, intonation, and context exist. Failure to take into account the mismatch between oral language and written language can result in inaccurate assessment of the reading abilities of children and can affect their reading performance. Implications for reading instruction of learning disabled students are suggested by the differences in these two language forms.
Matching Technology to Content and Learners: A Case Study
Authors: Friedman Susan G. , Hofmeister Alan M.
Published: January 2019

A microcomputer/videodisc-based instructional system (MCVD) that would not require extensive teacher involvement was developed to provide individualized instruction to handicapped learners. The results of the field testing and the implications of the program are addressed. The overall approach de-emphasizes direct comparison of teachers to machines and emphasizes the simultaneous use of teachers and technology to increase educationally productive time for handicapped students in individualized classrooms.
An Investigation of Mainstream Teacher Time Spent with Students Labeled Learning Disabled
Authors: Ivarie Judith , Hogue Dorothea , Brulle Andrew R.
Published: January 2019

Two naturalistic observation experiments were conducted to ascertain the extent to which mainstream teachers spent differing amounts of time with students labeled as learning disabled and with nonlabeled students. Experiment 1 was conducted in a secondary setting across an 8-week observation period; Experiment 2 was conducted across a 10-week period in an elementary setting. The results of both experiments showed that teachers do not spend significantly more time assisting students labeled as learning disabled. Possible explanations and implications are discussed.
An Analysis of Conversations among Handicapped Students and a Nonhandicapped Peer
Authors: Nisbet Jan , Zanella Kathy , Miller Jon
Published: January 2019

Integration of handicapped students into regular public schools has given these students many opportunities for communication with nonhandicapped students. The need to assess language abilities and provide instruction within specific social and environmental contexts is documented in a study involving three moderately handicapped students and a nonhandicapped peer. The moderately handicapped students in this study altered their language production as a function of the listener. With the nonhandicapped peer, all three handicapped students were less productive. Suggestions for intervention and future research are discussed.
The Department of Education's Sixth Annual Report to Congress on P;L. 94-142: Is Congress Getting the Full Story?
Authors: Gerber Michael M.
Published: January 2019

The Sixth Annual Report to Congress on implementation of P.L. 94-142 is critically reviewed. The Annual Report fails to alert Congress that students who are difficult to teach and manage appear to be at significant risk of erroneous classification and inequitable treatment. This risk is due to the variability in identification and referral procedures across states and local districts, as seven years of national “child count” data indicate. These data were analyzed and interpreted to mean that school variability may reflect rational behavior by personnel faced with resource constraints and student diversity. Thus, attempts to fine tune current special education policy, especially for individuals classified as mildly handicapped, by “tightening” eligibility standards is both illogical and ill-advised. Implications for both policy and special education research are discussed.
A Comparison of Two Types of Assessment Reports
Authors: Hoy Mary P. , Retish Paul M.
Published: January 2019

This investigation compared the data contained in the Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD) report with the information contained in a standard psychological report (SPR) for its value in educational programming. Participants were 146 students in graduate special education courses at five mid-western universities who used a 24 item Likert-scale inventory. Independent variables considered were report type, teaching position, and years of teaching experience. Special educators rated both the SPR and LPAD reports the most negatively. Teachers with no experience, or in their first years of teaching, rated both reports the most highly, while those with 2–5 years’ experience rated the reports more negatively than did teachers with 6 or more years of experience. Neither report was perceived to be valuable for program planning purposes.
Cognitive Modification for the Hearing Impaired Adolescent: The Promise
Authors: Martin David S.
Published: January 2019

A pilot study of the effects of the cognitive intervention program Instrumental Enrichment for hearing-impaired adolescents was conducted. Experimental and control groups were contrasted in regard to general cognitive functioning, problem-solving strategies, and reading comprehension. Experimental subjects were found to demonstrate improvement in: (a) systematic approaches to problems, (b) analysis of problem situations, (c) vocabulary size, (d) analysis of source-of-error in problem-solving situations, (e) completeness, organization, and planning in problem-solving situations, (f) peer cooperation in problem solving, (g) abstract thinking, (h) precision, and (i) development of multiple strategies to solve a problem. These results establish the efficacy and strong potential of systematic cognitive intervention programs for improvement of thinking skills in the hearing impaired adolescent. Additional and more comprehensive research is in process in order to examine these and other effects with larger groups under varying instructional conditions.
“Slash-and-burn ecology”: Field science as land use
Authors: Raby Megan
Published: January 2019

Historians of science can benefit from thinking more deeply about land. Scholarly emphasis on the geographies of scientific knowledge has become pervasive since the “spatial turn” of the late 1990s. At the same time, the history of science has increasingly intersected with environmental history. Despite these growing connections, historians of science have been slow to embrace a core concern of environmental history: land. While space and place now have a rich literature in the historiography of science, land appears in histories of science in more scattered, incidental ways – largely as a place where science may occur or be applied. More than just a unit of ground, land is analytically connected to a web of questions about labor, property, governance, identity, and environmental change explored by environmental historians, geographers, and political ecologists. This article examines what historians of science – particularly, but not exclusively, historians of the field and environmental sciences – have to gain by taking land more seriously. A reexamination of the Rain Forest Project (1962–1970), a radioecology study initiated by systems ecologist Howard Thomas Odum in what is today El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, serves as a case in point. Viewing this field site as land reframes ecologists’ fieldwork as a form of land use, highlighting its place within regimes of land tenure, its connections with other communities’ uses of the land, and its persistent local legacies.
Design an optimal fuzzy fractional proportional integral derivative controller with derivative filter for load frequency control in power systems
Authors: Gheisarnejad Meysam , Khooban Mohammad Hassan
Published: January 2019

In this article, a novel fuzzy proportional integral derivative (PID) controller with filtered derivative action and fractional order integrator (fuzzy PIλDF controller) is proposed to solve automatic generation control (AGC) problem in power system. The optimization task for fine-tuning parameters of the proposed controller structure is accomplished by cuckoo optimization algorithm (COA). To appraise the usefulness and practicability of proposed COA optimized fuzzy PIλDF controller, four extensively used interconnected test systems, that is, two-area non-reheat thermal, two-area multi-source, three-area thermal and three-area hydro-thermal power plants, are considered. Different nonlinearity such as generation rate constraint (GRC) and governor dead band (GDB) as a source of physical constraints are taken into account in the model of the three-area power systems to examine the ability of the proposed technique to handle practical challenges. The acceptability and novelty of COA-based fuzzy PIλDF controller to solve aforesaid test systems are evaluated in comparison with some recently reported approaches. The consequences of time domain simulation reveal that designed secondary controllers provide a desirable level of performance and stability compared with other existing strategies. Additionally, to explore the robustness of the proposed technique, sensitivity analysis is conducted by varying the operating loading conditions and system parameters within a specific tolerable range.
The World of Honor and Shame in the New Testament: Alien or Familiar?
Authors: Patterson Colin
Published: January 2019

During the last sixty or more years, analysis of the New Testament which draws on the social sciences of cultural anthropology and sociology has made great strides in elucidating the cultural assumptions behind many scriptural texts. Prominent among its themes has been the idea that the biblical world can be understood as reflecting a Mediterranean culture with the core values of honor and shame. This, it has been argued, stands in sharp contrast to modern western societies. However, more recent work on the New Testament which exploits research in cognitive science/psychology suggests that it can provide a helpful corrective and complement to anthropological and sociological approaches. In line with this work, the present essay will apply the psychological analysis of social dominance hierarchies to the theme of honor-shame in order to fill out the picture painted by the social-scientific approach and, in doing so, seek to highlight continuities between New Testament and modern cultures. It will conclude by suggesting a reason why it has been the case that scholars employing social-scientific criticism have shown less awareness of these continuities.
The Impact of Sargon & Enheduanna on Land Rights in Deuteronomy
Authors: Benjamin Don C.
Published: January 2019

Hormuzd Rassam (1826-1910) and Austen Henry Layard (1817–1894) recovered the Birth Stories of Sargon copied or composed under Sargon II (722–705 BCE). Existing studies of their intriguing parallels with the Birth Stories of Moses (Exod 1:22–2:10) emphasize shared motifs—unwanted pregnancy, secret birth. abandoned newborn, adoption by an outsider, river ordeal and protection by a divine patron. Here I am proposing that the Birth Stories of Moses parallel the Birth Stories of Sargon to compare the way Sargon and the woman Enheduanna distribute land use rights in Akkad with the way Moses and the women in Deuteronomy distribute land rights in ancient Israel.
Caregivers for the elderly in Thailand: development and evaluation of an online support system
Authors: Wongpun Sukontip , Guha Sumanta
Published: January 2019

Informal caregivers are playing a major role in helping elderly people with their activities in daily life. The purpose of this work is to develop an Online Support System for Elderly Care (OSSEC) to provide services for informal caregivers in Thailand. The system has six modules which are: patient and caregiver profile manager, elderly care recommender applying case-based reasoning, daily care plan manager, elderly care activity notifier, elderly care information resource locator and caregivers’ social interaction platform. We have established the utility of OSSEC in enhancing the knowledge and ability of informal caregivers and in reducing their stress. In particular, we measured quantitatively the usefulness of OSSEC and evaluated user satisfaction as well.
Maximizing Safety Improvement Benefits in Crash Prediction Models with Accident Modification Factors
Authors: Banihashemi Mohamadreza , Dimaiuta Michael
Published: January 2019

A linear optimization model that maximizes the safety benefits of improve-ments on an existing highway within specific budget constraints is presented. This model works in conjunction with crash prediction models that predict the expected number of crashes for highways by using a base model and productive accident modification factors (AMFs). The base model predicts the expected number of crashes for a base highway. The AMFs modify the prediction on the basis of the actual characteristics of the highway. If there were multiple alternative improvements for several highway features, then there would be many combined alternatives, each with a certain cost and a certain degree of improvement in highway safety. The proposed model uses linear optimization to find the combined alternative that has the best safety improvement within the available budget. The mathematical optimization model is studied in a general form as well as a detailed form in the context of an existing crash prediction model, the crash prediction module of the interactive highway safety design model. The procedure for building the optimization problem is described. A C programming code was developed to build the linear optimization problem. A test case study is defined, and the problem is built and solved by using the CPLEX optimization solver. The variation of the safety measures versus improvement costs is studied, and the results are discussed.
Spatiotemporal Variation of Risk Preceding Crashes on Freeways
Authors: Pande Anurag , Abdel-Aty Mohamed , Hsia Liang
Published: January 2019

Research into the application of freeway loop detector data for traffic safety has gained momentum in recent years. The incompleteness of data from loop detectors has been a common problem in both the development and the implementation of models. The effect of individual crash precursors, obtained one at a time from a series of loop detectors, on relative risk of crash occurrence was examined through within-stratum one-covariate logistic regression models. The hazard ratio (resultant change in log odds of observing a crash by changing the covariate by one unit) was used as the measure of risk. The log of coefficient of variation in speed expressed as percentage, standard deviation of volume, and average occupancy expressed as percentage were found to be the most significant individual covariates affecting the odds of crash occurrence at a crash site. It was also observed that these parameters calculated at a 5-min level (as opposed to a 3-min level) are more significantly associated with crash occurrence. Hazard ratios corresponding to these covariates observed at a series of stations during six 5-min slices were plotted as a contour variable. The location and time of measurements of these parameters with respect to the location and time of the crash were used as ordinate and abscissa, respectively, in the contour plots depicting spatiotemporal variation of crash risk. The chart corresponding to the log of coefficient of variation in speed demonstrated the most clear patterns of increasing risk as the time and location of the crash are approached. On the basis of these spatiotemporal patterns, a methodology with which to identify freeway black spots in real time is proposed. This information could be used by traffic management centers to take preventive measures to avoid crashes or to prepare law enforcement and emergency vehicles for the impending situation.
Application of Poisson Underreporting Model to Examine Crash Frequencies at Signalized Three-Legged Intersections
Authors: Kumara S. S. P. , Chin H. C.
Published: January 2019

Before effective remedial treatments can be implemented at hazardous intersections, it is often necessary to identify the causal factors affecting accident frequency. However, a problem often encountered in safety studies is the underreporting of accidents. This biased reporting may affect the selection of the parsimonious model. This study analyzes the factors affecting road accident frequency at three-legged signalized intersection approaches in Singapore, with special emphasis to underreporting. The annual accidents at 104 three-legged signalized intersections are modeled as the sum of observed Poisson outcome of accident reports. The reporting mechanism is introduced as a probit equation. The model shows that several geometric, traffic, and traffic control factors significantly affected the accident occurrence. The total approach volumes, left-turn volumes, existence of unprotected left-turn slip roads, number of signal phases per cycle, use of permissive right-turning phase, and sites with sight distances less than 100 m or greater than 300 m appear to increase accident occurrence. However, the presence of right-turn channelization, provision of an acceleration section for left turning, existence of a surveillance camera, availability of median railings, and presence of an approach gradient greater than +5% may reduce the occurrence of intersection approach accidents. Moreover, the study shows that the reporting rate may drop because current law enforcement requires that only injury accidents and accidents at intersections in a residential area be reported.
Split Models for Predicting Multivehicle Crashes during High-Speed and Low-Speed Operating Conditions on Freeways
Authors: Abdel-Aty Mohamed , Uddin Nizam , Pande Anurag
Published: January 2019

The future of traffic management and highway safety lies in proactive traffic management systems. Crash prediction models that use real-time traffic flow variables measured through a series of loop detectors are the most important component of such systems. A previous crash prediction model was developed with the matched case–control logistic regression technique. Although the model achieved reasonable classification accuracy, it remained open to improvement because of the limited study area, sample size, and transferability issues. Therefore, the previous work had been extended. Multivehicle freeway crashes under high- and low-speed traffic conditions were found to differ in severity and in their mechanism. The distribution of 5-min average speeds obtained immediately before the crash from the loop detector station closest to the crash shows two approximate mound-shaped distributions. This distribution is used as the basis to separate the models for crashes occurring under the two speed conditions. The results show that, as expected, variables that entered in the final models (for crashes under high and low speeds) were not the same. However, they were found to be consistent with the probable mechanisms of crashes under the respective speed conditions. A possible implementation of the separate models with the use of the odds ratios and with the balancing of the threshold between achieving high classification of crash potential and the false alarm situation is presented.
Speed and Road Safety
Authors: Elvik Rune
Published: January 2019

This paper presents a study evaluating the power model of the relationship between speed and road safety. The power model states that a given relative change in the mean speed of traffic is associated with a relative change in the number of accidents or accident victims by means of a power function. An extensive review of relevant literature has been made, and evidence from 98 studies containing 460 estimates of the relationship between changes in speed and changes in the number of accidents or accident victims has been synthesized by means of meta-analysis. The results are broadly supportive of the power model. It is concluded that speed has a major impact on the number of accidents and the severity of injuries and that the relationship between speed and road safety is causal, not just statistical.
Risk Analysis of Freeway Lane Closure during Peak Period
Authors: Kononov Jake , Znamenacek Zane
Published: January 2019

This paper examines risks associated with peak period lane closure during construction or maintenance work on urban freeways. In accordance with recently implemented policy by the Colorado Department of Transportation, lane closure would be allowed if reserve capacity were available. A relatively minor accident in the work zone caused substantial delays during the peak period that virtually paralyzed traffic in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area. This occurrence caused reexamination of the existing lane closure policy. Generally speaking, if a contractor is allowed greater flexibility in establishing work schedules, including the ability to work through peak periods, a lower bid can be expected. This paper compares savings in the cost of construction related to allowing lane closure during peak periods with the cost of potential incident-related delays in the framework of a quantitative risk analysis.
Calibration of Predictive Models for Estimating Safety of Ramp Design Configurations
Authors: Lord Dominique , Bonneson James A.
Published: January 2019

The goal for the calibration process is to use predictive models developed with data collected from other jurisdictions and apply them to the jurisdiction of interest by adapting the models for local conditions and characteristics. Given the large costs associated with data collection, this process is often the only method available to transportation agencies for estimating the safety of different transportation facilities. Thus, recalibrating models produced from other jurisdictions allows agencies to produce their own models at relatively low costs. The objective for the research was to recalibrate a set of crash prediction models for different ramp design configurations. The ramp design configurations addressed included diagonal ramps, non-free-flow loop ramps, free-flow loop ramps, and outer connection ramps. A total of 44 ramps located in and around Austin, Texas, were used in the calibration process. The results of the study showed that more crashes occur on exit ramps than entrance ramps by a ratio of about 6 to 4. The results also showed that the non-free-flow ramp experiences twice as many crashes as other types of ramp. Similarly, more crashes occur on rural than urban ramps.
Bayesian Reconstruction of Median-Crossing Crashes and Potential Effectiveness of Cable Barriers
Authors: Davis Gary A. , Pei Jianping
Published: January 2019

A cross-median crash occurs when a vehicle leaves its traveled way, completely crosses the median dividing the highway's directional lanes, and collides with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. As the advent of divided highways reduced head-on collisions, and the prevalence of forgiving roadsides reduced fixed-object collisions, fatalities caused by median crossings became relatively more prominent. This paper describes the reconstruction of several fatal median-crossing events; the events occurred although the medians were wider than the recommended 30-ft minimum. The impact severities generated by these events, however, were such that the median crossings probably would have been prevented by NCHRP Report 350 Test Level 3 barriers.