bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Child Sacrifice, Conquest and Cosmic War: On the Harmful Habitation of Biblical Texts
Authors: Rowley Matthew Patrick
Published: March 2016

Killing in the name of God is complex and someone could arrive at the conclusion that God participates in their actions through a variety of channels. This article examines one common practice among many who believe their killing pleases or is willed by God—inhabiting biblical texts. Focusing on the Abrahamic and Mosaic narratives and on eschatology, I will explain part of the process whereby individuals and groups come to believe that they are participating in killing patterned on or prophesied in scripture. Finally, this article will suggest a scripture-based approach aimed at moving an individual or group away from the harmful habitation of sacred texts.
Joining in with the Spirit in the 21st Century: Response to Dana Robert
Authors: Yung Hwa
Published: March 2016

How would representatives of World Christianity respond to the key issue which Dana Robert has posed? Allow me to speak as one such representative, and whose view is probably shared by a substantial majority from the Global South.
A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of endovenous thermal ablation with or without polidocanol endovenous microfoam treatment in patients with great saphenous vein incompetence and visible varicosities
Authors: Vasquez Michael , Gasparis Antonios P ,   on behalf of the Varithena® 017 Investigator Group
Published: March 2016

Objectives

* Varithena 017 Investigator Group: Michael Vasquez, MD, Venous Institute of Buffalo, Amherst, NY; Antonios Gasparis, MD, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY; Kathleen Gibson, MD, Lake Washington Vascular, Bellevue, WA; James Theodore King, MD, Vein Clinics of America, Oakbrook Terrace, IL; Nick Morrison, MD, Morrison Vein Institute, Scottsdale, AZ; Girish Munavalli, MD, Dermatology, Laser & Vein Specialists of the Carolinas, Charlotte, NC; Eulogio J. Sanchez, MD, Batey Cardiovascular Center, Bradenton, FL. Varithena® is a trademark of Provensis Ltd, a BTG International group company. To determine the efficacy and safety of polidocanol endovenous microfoam (PEM 0.5%, 1.0%) and placebo each administered with endovenous thermal ablation.

Methods

A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study was conducted in patients with great saphenous vein incompetence and symptomatic and visible superficial venous disease. Co-primary endpoints were physician-assessed and patient-assessed appearance change from Baseline to Week 8.

Results

A total of 117 patients received treatment (38 placebo, 39 PEM 0.5%, 40 PEM 1%). Physician-rated vein appearance at Week 8 was significantly better with PEM ( p = 0.001 vs. placebo); patient-assessed appearance trended similarly. Polidocanol endovenous microfoam provided improvements in clinically meaningful change in patient-assessed and physician-assessed appearance ( p < 0.05), need for additional treatment ( p < 0.05), saphenofemoral junction reflux elimination, symptoms, and QOL. In PEM recipients, the most frequent adverse event was superficial thrombophlebitis (35.4%)

Conclusions

Endovenous thermal ablation + PEM significantly improved physician-assessed appearance at Week 8, increased the proportion of patients with a clinically meaningful change in appearance, and reduced need for additional treatment. www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01197833)
What Is a “Good” Treatment Decision? Decisional Control, Knowledge, Treatment Decision Making, and Quality of Life in Men with Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer
Authors: Orom Heather , Biddle Caitlin , Underwood Willie , Nelson Christian J. , Homish D. Lynn
Published: March 2016

Objective. We explored whether active patient involvement in decision making and greater patient knowledge are associated with better treatment decision-making experiences and better quality of life (QOL) among men with clinically localized prostate cancer. Localized prostate cancer treatment decision making is an advantageous model for studying patient treatment decision-making dynamics because there are multiple treatment options and a lack of empirical evidence to recommend one over the other; consequently, it is recommended that patients be fully involved in making the decision. Methods. Men with newly diagnosed clinically localized prostate cancer ( N = 1529) completed measures of decisional control, prostate cancer knowledge, and decision-making experiences (decisional conflict and decision-making satisfaction and difficulty) shortly after they made their treatment decision. Prostate cancer–specific QOL was assessed at 6 months after treatment. Results. More active involvement in decision making and greater knowledge were associated with lower decisional conflict and higher decision-making satisfaction but greater decision-making difficulty. An interaction between decisional control and knowledge revealed that greater knowledge was only associated with greater difficulty for men actively involved in making the decision (67% of sample). Greater knowledge, but not decisional control, predicted better QOL 6 months after treatment. Conclusions. Although men who are actively involved in decision making and more knowledgeable may make more informed decisions, they could benefit from decisional support (e.g., decision-making aids, emotional support from providers, strategies for reducing emotional distress) to make the process easier. Men who were more knowledgeable about prostate cancer and treatment side effects at the time that they made their treatment decision may have appraised their QOL as higher because they had realistic expectations about side effects.
Youth perceptions of positive mental health
Authors: Hall Samantha , McKinstry Carol , Hyett Nerida
Published: March 2016

Introduction

Positive mental health underpins individual well-being and occupational participation. Internationally, youth mental health services are expanding to include interventions that promote positive mental health and prevent mental illness, to reduce the growing burden of disease caused by mental illness across the lifespan. Policy initiatives have increased the funding of early intervention initiatives, and evidence is required to inform changes in practice.

Method

This study aimed to explore youths’ perceptions of positive mental health. An interpretive descriptive qualitative study design was utilized, which involved purposive sampling to recruit three adolescent community mental health service users. Data were collected using the digital storytelling method within a series of three individual interviews. The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement was used as a lens to guide thematic analysis.

Findings

Five main themes emerged, including: Components of spirituality; Occupational factors; Aspirations; Social influences; and Challenges and barriers. Positive mental health was developed through experiences with adversity, primarily mental illness, and being able to increase adequate coping strategies and resilience. Spirituality was expressed through experiences with identity formation and positive mental health was linked with a strong sense of self, being able to accept oneself and embracing one’s identity. Equally important were aspirations and hope, engagement in leisure occupations, role models and positive relationships with family and friends.

Conclusion

Using the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement, personal, occupational and environment factors were demonstrated as being important in how youth perceive positive mental health, with spirituality being particularly influential. Further exploration of positive mental health for adolescents is required to inform policy and practice for community youth mental health services, and more broadly for preventative public health campaigns. Research, such as through the use of digital storytelling method, should actively engage young people in developing definitions, to ensure that they are meaningful to youth and that services understand their unique developmental needs.
A Cognitive Approach to Copying Errors: Haplography and Textual Transmission of the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Vroom Jonathan
Published: March 2016

The copying of a manuscript involves a number of complex cognitive processes that are important for understanding the nature of ancient textual transmission. Although the cognitive sciences have been productively applied to a number of other areas in biblical and classical studies, this cognitive dimension of copying has received almost no attention in textual scholarship of the Hebrew Bible. This article provides an example of how basic concepts from the cognitive sciences can be applied to aspects of ancient textual transmission. Using a well-known variant in Exod. 22.4 as an example, it explores the implications that cognitive psychology can have for understanding the copying error of haplography; it identifies two previously unknown constraints on this phenomenon: (1) haplography is caused by the repetition of words, not single letters; (2) haplography does not result in the loss of large portions of text.
From Bane to Blessing: The Food Leitmotif in Genesis 37–50
Authors: Heffelfinger Katie M.
Published: March 2016

The story of Joseph and his brothers is peppered with references to food and drink. These recurrent images are not incidental details. Instead, as this article argues, they are a literary leitmotif that signals the imbalance of favor and power in the story and the resulting rivalry that drives the plot. This analysis helps to explain the apparently passing comments the narrator makes about the brothers sitting down to ‘eat bread’ after imprisoning Joseph in the pit (Gen. 37.25), and in the notice that Potiphar ‘knew nothing but the bread which he ate’ (Gen. 39.6). In addition, the seemingly anti-climactic resolution of the plot's crisis following the meal in Joseph's house is explained by the shift in imagery that accompanies the movement away from the table. While food imagery is heavily associated with favor, power, and rivalry; the cup is paired with restoration and it is the cup that provokes the reunification of the family.
Review of dependence modeling in hydrology and water resources
Authors: Hao Zengchao , Singh Vijay P.
Published: March 2016

Various methods have been developed over the past five decades for dependence modeling of multivariate variables in hydrology and water resources, but there has been no overall review of techniques commonly used in the field. This paper, therefore, introduces several methods focusing on dependence structure modeling, including parametric distribution, entropy, copula, and nonparametric. Recent advances in modeling dependences mainly reside in nonlinear dependence modeling (including extreme dependence) with flexible marginal distributions, and in high-dimension dependence modeling via the vine copula construction with flexible dependence structures. Strengths and limitations of different methods and avenues for future research, such as dependence modeling in a changing climate, are discussed to aid water resource planners and managers in the selection and application of suitable techniques.
Effects of curcumin on synapses in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice
Authors: He Yingkun , Wang Pengwen , Wei Peng , Feng Huili , Ren Ying , Yang Jinduo , Rao Yingxue , Shi Jing , Tian Jinzhou
Published: March 2016

Significant losses of synapses have been demonstrated in studies of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but structural and functional changes in synapses that depend on alterations of the postsynaptic density (PSD) area occur prior to synaptic loss and play a crucial role in the pathology of AD. Evidence suggests that curcumin can ameliorate the learning and memory deficits of AD. To investigate the effects of curcumin on synapses, APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice (an AD model) were used, and the ultra-structures of synapses and synapse-associated proteins were observed. Six months after administration, few abnormal synapses were observed upon electron microscopy in the hippocampal CA1 areas of the APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice. The treatment of the mice with curcumin resulted in improvements in the quantity and structure of the synapses. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses revealed that the expressions of PSD95 and Shank1 were reduced in the hippocampal CA1 areas of the APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice, but curcumin treatment increased the expressions of these proteins. Our findings suggest that curcumin improved the structure and function of the synapses by regulating the synapse-related proteins PSD95 and Shank1.
Reading Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Walker Melodee A. , Stevens Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2016

This article synthesizes observation studies investigating reading instruction for students with learning disabilities (LD) in Grades K–12. A systematic search of the literature between 1980 and 2014 resulted in the identification of 25 studies. In addition to replicating and extending E. A. Swanson’s synthesis, the research questions of studies from 1980 to 2014 were analyzed for trends and gaps in the research. Findings related to both E. A. Swanson’s replicated questions and several new research questions revealed that (a) only four observation studies met inclusion criteria between 2006 and 2014, (b) greater detail in observation data related to five critical components of reading were reported in studies since 2005, (c) the most frequently used grouping structure was whole-group instruction, and (d) the research questions and purposes of observation studies tend to be related to examining prevailing practices following legislative reform.
Discovering Biology in Periodic Data through Phase Set Enrichment Analysis (PSEA)
Authors: Zhang Ray , Podtelezhnikov Alexei A. , Hogenesch John B. , Anafi Ron C.
Published: March 2016

Several tools use prior biological knowledge to interpret gene expression data. However, existing enrichment tools assume that variables are monotonic and incorrectly measure the distance between periodic phases. As a result, these tools are poorly suited for the analysis of the cell cycle, circadian clock, or other periodic systems. Here, we develop Phase Set Enrichment Analysis (PSEA) to incorporate prior knowledge into the analysis of periodic data. PSEA identifies biologically related gene sets showing temporally coordinated expression. Using synthetic gene sets of various sizes generated from von Mises (circular normal) distributions, we benchmarked PSEA alongside existing methods. PSEA offered enhanced sensitivity over a broad range of von Mises distributions and gene set sizes. Importantly, and unlike existing tools, the sensitivity of PSEA is independent of the mean expression phase of the set. We applied PSEA to 4 published datasets. Application of PSEA to the mouse circadian atlas revealed that several pathways, including those regulating immune and cell-cycle function, demonstrate temporal orchestration across multiple tissues. We then applied PSEA to the phase shifts following a restricted feeding paradigm. We found that this perturbation disrupts intraorgan metabolic synchrony in the liver, altering the timing between anabolic and catabolic pathways. Reanalysis of expression data using custom gene sets derived from recent ChIP-seq results revealed circadian transcriptional targets bound exclusively by CLOCK, independently of BMAL1, differ from other exclusive circadian output genes and have well-synchronized phases. Finally, we used PSEA to compare 2 cell-cycle datasets. PSEA increased the apparent biological overlap while also revealing evidence of cell-cycle dysregulation in these cancer cells. To encourage its use by the community, we have implemented PSEA as a Java application. In sum, PSEA offers a powerful new tool to investigate large-scale, periodic data for biological insight.
Development and Validation of the Rappel Indicé-24
Authors: Park Soowon , Kim Inhye , Park Hyun Gyu , Shin Seong A. , Cho Youngsung , Youn Jung-Hae , Kim Yu Kyeong , Lee Jun-Young
Published: March 2016

The primary goals of the present study were to develop and validate the Rappel Indicé 24 (RI-24), a shorter version of the original Rappel Indicé, which includes 48 items (RI-48), and to identify the specific brain regions that were correlated with scores on the RI-24. Using these clinical scales, the present study evaluated 91 elderly Korean participants who were classified into 3 groups: normal control (NC; n = 34), patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 29), and patients with Alzheimer disease (AD; n = 28). Of the 91 participants, 77 also underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans. The RI-24 delayed cued recall (DCR) scores significantly differed among the NC, MCI, and AD groups. A receiver–operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the RI-24 was very sensitive (89%) and specific (91%) for the detection of AD. Furthermore, although the time needed to administer the RI-24 was half that needed for the RI-48, the 24-item version showed a high correlation ( r = .85 for the DCR score) with the 48-item version. In terms of brain morphological characteristics, voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between DCR score and gray matter volume in the parahippocampal gyrus ( r = .468), which plays a role in cued recall. Taken together, the present findings indicate that the RI-24 is a sensitive and reliable test for the detection of memory impairments in patients with MCI and AD despite its brief administration time.
Mechanics of metallic nanoparticles inside lipid nanotubes: Suction and acceptance energies
Authors: Sadeghi F , Ansari R , Darvizeh M
Published: March 2016

Lipid nanotubes with well-designed cylindrical structures, tunable dimensions and biocompatible membrane surfaces have found potential applications such as templates to create diverse one-dimensional nanostructures and nanocarriers for drug or gene delivery. In this regard, knowing the encapsulation process is of crucial importance for such developments. The aim of this paper is to study the suction and acceptance phenomena of metallic nanoparticles, and in particular silver and gold, inside lipid nanotubes using the continuum approximation and the 6–12 Lennard-Jones potential function. The nanoparticle is modelled as a perfect sphere and the lipid nanotube is assumed to comprise six layers, namely two head groups, two intermediate layers and two tail groups. Analytical expressions are derived through undertaking surface and volume integrals to evaluate van der Waals potential energy and interaction force of a nanoparticle entering a semi-infinite lipid nanotube. These expressions are then employed to determine the suction and acceptance energies of system. To ascertain the accuracy of the proposed analytical expressions, the multiple integrals of van der Waals interactions are evaluated numerically based on the differential quadrature method. A comprehensive study is conducted to get an insight into the effects of different geometrical parameters including radius of nanoparticles, innermost radius of lipid nanotube, head group and tail group thicknesses on the nature of suction and acceptance energies and van der Waals interactions. Numerical results show that maximum suction energy increases by enlarging the nanoparticle size, while it decreases by increasing the head group thickness or the tail group thickness. It is further found that gold nanoparticle experiences higher maximum suction energies inside lipid nanotubes compared to silver nanoparticle.
Thermal enhancement of triangular fins based on spanwise distance of vortex generators
Authors: Akcayoglu Azize , Nazli Celal
Published: March 2016

In this study, the influence of spanwise positions of vortex generators on the fin performance is determined numerically by considering global and local flow and heat transfer fields. The vortex generators are located on the inclined surfaces of equilateral triangular fins and the spanwise distances between them are altered as much as possible depending on the extents of the triangular duct. “RNG k-ɛ” turbulence model with “Enhanced wall treatment” option is determined as the best turbulence model to predict the flow fields inside the triangular fins with built-in vortex generators, for Reynolds number of 5000. It is found that the best performance is achieved when the spanwise distance between the common flow up and common flow down type vortex generator pairs and the triangular duct base are equal to 0.23 and 1.11 times the vortex generator length, respectively. The optimum spanwise distance between the vortex generators is determined as 0.88 times the vortex generator length. The determined values reinforced the secondary flow interactions including mixing of hot and cold fluids, generation of turbulence, swirling motion of vortices, and interaction of vortices with the main flow. The obtained results are useful in designing triangular heat exchangers with built-in delta-winglet type vortex generators.
Dynamic Engagement of Cognitive Control Modulates Recovery From Misinterpretation During Real-Time Language Processing
Authors: Hsu Nina S. , Novick Jared M.
Published: March 2016

Speech unfolds swiftly, yet listeners keep pace by rapidly assigning meaning to what they hear. Sometimes, though, initial interpretations turn out to be wrong. How do listeners revise misinterpretations of language input moment by moment to avoid comprehension errors? Cognitive control may play a role by detecting when processing has gone awry and then initiating behavioral adjustments accordingly. However, no research to date has investigated a cause-and-effect interplay between cognitive-control engagement and the overriding of erroneous interpretations in real time. Using a novel cross-task paradigm, we showed that Stroop-conflict detection, which mobilizes cognitive-control procedures, subsequently facilitates listeners’ incremental processing of temporarily ambiguous spoken instructions that induce brief misinterpretation. When instructions followed incongruent Stroop items, compared with congruent Stroop items, listeners’ eye movements to objects in a scene reflected more transient consideration of the false interpretation and earlier recovery of the correct one. Comprehension errors also decreased. Cognitive-control engagement therefore accelerates sentence-reinterpretation processes, even as linguistic input is still unfolding.
Systemic lupus erythematosus in Nepal: A review
Authors: Kafle MP , Lee VWS
Published: March 2016

Nepal is a small country that is landlocked between India and China. Several ethnic groups live within the 147,181 km2 of this country. Geographic diversity ranges from the high Himalayas to the flatlands of the Ganges plains. Lupus nephritis (LN), a complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a common kidney problem in Nepal; but the real incidence and prevalence of SLE in Nepal is largely not known. Here, it more commonly affects people (mostly women) living in the southern flatlands, but SLE is reported to be uncommon further south in India. Even though the disease appears to be common, good quality research is uncommon in Nepali literature. This article was written to provide a review of the articles published to date about SLE in Nepal and to discuss the gaps in knowledge that require further evaluation.
The Role of Presumed Influence and Emotions on Audience Evaluation of the Credibility of Media Content and Behavioural Tendencies
Authors: Wang Xiao , Hickerson Andrea
Published: March 2016

We propose that emotional responses to a media stimulus (e.g., a news article), in addition to presumed influence, can help explain one’s evaluation of the media stimulus. Our model was evaluated using data collected from 261 college students who read a news article discussing the harmful effects of multitasking. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis revealed that the participants’ emotional feelings (i.e., anger, guilt and happiness) after reading the message and perceptions of how professors and administrators’ perceived the researchers interviewed in the article directly predicted the evaluation of the news article. Presumed influence of the news article on neutral Americans and professors and administrators on campus did not directly predict participants’ evaluation of the news article, the influence of which was mediated by anger. Message evaluation and select emotions explained 58 per cent and 26 per cent of the variance in supporting publication of the article and intentions to avoid multitasking, respectively. Results support the inclusion of emotional responses in news evaluation research.
The Effectiveness of Permission-based Email Marketing for Non-profit Organizations: A Case Study of National Public Radio (KTEP-FM) in El Paso, Texas
Authors: Garland Caroline Staub , Yang Kenneth C. C. , Kang Yowei
Published: March 2016

Email advertising has evolved from simple text, untargeted mass mailings to visually sophisticated, highly targeted, permission-based interactive communication for non-profit organizations. This study employed a self-administered survey method to collect data from 400 participants, randomly selected from 1,806 supporters of a National Public Radio (NPR; KTEP-FM) station in El Paso. A total of 106 responses was received. Several linear regression models were run and showed that NPR members’ innovativeness variables significantly predicted their attitudes towards email advertising ( F = 5.86, p < 0.01). β coefficients further demonstrated that the more technologies and online activities NPR members adopt, the more positive their attitudes towards email advertising will be. Results also showed that NPR members’ innovativeness (measured by their online activities) negatively predict their attitudes towards postal direct mail advertising. β coefficient demonstrated that the more online activities NPR members undertook, the less favourable their attitudes towards postal direct mail advertising were. Similar results were found for NPR members’ preference of postal direct mail advertising ( F = 3.76, p < 0.05). Online activities also negatively predicted NPR members’ preference of direct mail postal advertising as shown by β coefficient in the regression model. The study also discussed managerial implications for non-profit organizations to better use email advertising.
Midlevel analysis of monophonic jazz solos: A new approach to the study of improvisation
Authors: Frieler Klaus , Pfleiderer Martin , Zaddach Wolf-Georg , Abeßer Jakob
Published: March 2016

We present a novel approach to the analysis of jazz solos based on the categorisation and annotation of musical units on a middle level between single notes and larger form parts. A guideline during development was the hypothesis that these midlevel units (MLU) correspond to the improvising musicians’ playing ideas and action plans. A system of categories was devised, comprising nine main categories ( line, lick, theme, quote, melody, rhythm, expressive, fragment, void), 19 subcategories, and 41 sub-subcategories as well as syntactical rules to encode motivic relationships between units. A set of 140 monophonic jazz solos from various jazz styles (traditional, swing, bebop, hardbop, cool jazz, postbop, free jazz) was annotated manually, resulting in 4939 units in total. The median number of midlevel units is 32 per solo and 13.75 per chorus. The average duration is 2.25 s ( SD = 1.57 s), in good agreement with the duration of the subjective present. Overall, the most common main category is lick (45.7% of all units), followed by line (31.5%), but distributions of the main MLU types differ significantly between styles and performers. About one quarter ( M = 25.1%, SD = 15.3%) of the annotated units have motivic relations to preceding units. The mean length of consecutive motivic chains is 2.8 ( SD = 1.4). The amount of motivic relations varies considerably between performers, but not between styles. Based on these first results, we discuss implications for jazz research and options for further applications of the proposed method.
Learning How to Speak Like a “Native”
Authors: Hart Tabitha
Published: March 2016

This article examines the oral communication training that took place in Eloqi, a virtual language-learning community. Eloqi (a pseudonym) was a for-profit start-up that built and operated a proprietary Web-based, voice-enabled platform connecting English-language learners in China with trainers in the United States. While it existed, Eloqi’s unique platform was used to deliver short, one-on-one lessons designed to improve students’ oral English communication skills. Using the ethnography of communication and speech codes theory, a theoretical–methodological approach, the author presents an analysis of the speech code, or code of communicative conduct, employed at Eloqi. This code of English logic, which Eloqi’s community members associated with native English speech, comprised six locally defined rules for oral English speech; namely, speech had to be organized, succinct, spontaneously composed rather than rehearsed, original and honest, proactively improved, and positive. This article discusses the significance of this code, particularly as it pertains to cultural communication, and concludes with some implications for researchers and practitioners in business and technical communication.
The Impact of Individual Difference Factors on Men’s Competitive Intent Against a Female Confederate Following Social Stress
Authors: Pickett Scott M. , Parkhill Michele R. , Kirwan Mitchell , Aho Kristin M. , Nguyen David
Published: March 2016

The perpetration of violence against women by men is an important social issue. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that particular individual factors increase risk of perpetration; however, much of the research occurs outside of social contexts. The current study examined the manipulation of feedback valence on male participants’ competitive intent, conceptualized as a precursor to aggression, against a female confederate following a social stress task. It was expected that negative feedback (i.e., experimental condition) would elicit greater increases in competitive intent compared with positive feedback (i.e., control condition). However, it was also expected that this increase in competitive intent would be moderated by individual difference factors (i.e., physical aggression, hostility, emotion regulation difficulties, and psychological symptoms). The results suggest differential responding between the experimental and control conditions for competitive intent. Physical aggression, emotion regulation difficulties, and depression symptom severity moderated the differences in competitive intent in the experimental condition.
Model-based control of a third-order nonholonomic system
Authors: Jarzębowska Elżbieta , Sanjuan Szklarz Paweł
Published: March 2016

This paper addresses dynamics modelling and control of mechanical systems subjected to constraints due to the tasks they are to perform. The researched problem refers to the control of a manipulator end-effector motion subjected to a constraint on an acceleration change, that is, jerk. In the presented approach, the acceleration and jerk constraints are incorporated into a system constrained dynamics and then passed to its control dynamics using a unified approach, which is based on an advanced dynamics modelling method, that is, on the generalized programmed motion equations method. This enables one to derive motion equations for systems subjected to high-order constraints. The novelty of this approach consists of the formulation of a unified representation of constraints by differential equations, merging them into system constrained dynamics and then using nonlinear control theory techniques to design controllers for tracking motions along the pre-specified constraints.
Social Validity of Evidence-Based Practices and Emerging Interventions in Autism
Authors: Callahan Kevin , Hughes Heather L. , Mehta Smita , Toussaint Karen A. , Nichols Susan M. , Ma Phoenix S. , Kutlu Metehan , Wang Hui-Ting
Published: March 2016

Although social validation of the goals, methods, and outcomes of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in autism treatment is a significant factor in their selection and effective use, EBPs are typically identified on the basis of the technical soundness of research without consideration of social validity. The authors investigated EBPs and emerging treatments identified by the National Autism Center (NAC) and National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC) to determine which interventions have evidence of social validity, and the types of social validation addressed. A review of 828 articles cited by the NAC and NPDC determined that only 221 articles (26.7%) demonstrated direct evidence of the measurement of social validation. Of seven social validity categories analyzed, only consumer satisfaction, clinically significant behavioral change, and socially important dependent variables were consistently reported. A list of EBPs with varying levels of social and empirical validation is presented, and implications for future research are discussed.
Bringing Evidence-Based Sexual Health Programs to Adolescents in Black Churches
Authors: Weeks Fiona H. , Powell Terrinieka W. , Illangasekare Samantha , Rice Eric , Wilson James , Hickman Debra , Blum Robert W.
Published: March 2016

Previous studies have documented Black churches’ receptivity to implementing adolescent sexual health programs within their congregations. Some authors have argued for new sexual health programs to be designed specifically for churches, similar to the development of school- and community-based interventions. However, strategies and curricula used in secular settings may also be effective in influencing sexual behaviors among youth in churches. The current study examined the ways in which the phases of two theorized intervention adaptation frameworks were reflected in the desired key components of a church-based sexual health program. Participants in this community-based participatory research project were youth, parents, and faith leaders from nine Black churches in Baltimore, Maryland. Our findings suggest that the priorities of church stakeholders are consistent, rather than discordant, with the current paradigms of evidence-based sexual health programs and intervention adaptation. Future research and practical implications are discussed.
Gene Expression Profiling of Evening Fatigue in Women Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
Authors: Kober Kord M. , Dunn Laura , Mastick Judy , Cooper Bruce , Langford Dale , Melisko Michelle , Venook Alan , Chen Lee-May , Wright Fay , Hammer Marilyn , Schmidt Brian L. , Levine Jon , Miaskowski Christine , Aouizerat Bradley E.
Published: March 2016

Moderate-to-severe fatigue occurs in up to 94% of oncology patients undergoing active treatment. Current interventions for fatigue are not efficacious. A major impediment to the development of effective treatments is a lack of understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying fatigue. In the current study, differences in phenotypic characteristics and gene expression profiles were evaluated in a sample of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (CTX) who reported low ( n = 19) and high ( n = 25) levels of evening fatigue. Compared to the low group, patients in the high evening fatigue group reported lower functional status scores, higher comorbidity scores, and fewer prior cancer treatments. One gene was identified as upregulated and 11 as downregulated in the high evening fatigue group. Gene set analysis found 24 downregulated and 94 simultaneously up- and downregulated pathways between the two fatigue groups. Transcript origin analysis found that differential expression (DE) originated primarily from monocytes and dendritic cell types. Query of public data sources found 18 gene expression experiments with similar DE profiles. Our analyses revealed that inflammation, neurotransmitter regulation, and energy metabolism are likely mechanisms associated with evening fatigue severity; that CTX may contribute to fatigue seen in oncology patients; and that the patterns of gene expression may be shared with other models of fatigue (e.g., physical exercise and pathogen-induced sickness behavior). These results suggest that the mechanisms that underlie fatigue in oncology patients are multifactorial.
Invasive evaluation of plaque morphology of symptomatic superficial femoral artery stenoses using combined near-infrared spectroscopy and intravascular ultrasound
Authors: Zacharias Sibin K , Safian Robert D , Madder Ryan D , Hanson Ivan D , Pica Mark C , Smith James L , Goldstein James A , Abbas Amr E
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this study is to characterize the plaque morphology of severe stenoses in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) employing combined near-infrared spectroscopy and intravascular ultrasound (NIRS-IVUS). Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. Plaque composition of SFA stenoses has been characterized as primarily fibrous or fibrocalcific by non-invasive and autopsy studies. NIRS has been validated to detect lipid-core plaque (LCP) in the coronary circulation. We imaged severe SFA stenoses with NIRS-IVUS prior to revascularization in 31 patients (46 stenoses) with Rutherford claudication ⩾ class 3. Angiographic parameters included lesion location and stenosis severity. IVUS parameters included plaque burden and presence of calcium. NIRS images were analyzed for LCP and maximum lipid-core burden index in a 4-mm length of artery (maxLCBI4mm). By angiography, 38 (82.6%) lesions were calcified and 9 (19.6%) were chronic total occlusions. Baseline stenosis severity and lesion length were 86.0 ± 11.0% and 36.5 ± 46.5 mm, respectively. NIRS-IVUS identified calcium in 45 (97.8%) lesions and LCP in 17 (37.0%) lesions. MaxLCBI4mm was 433 ± 244. All lesions with LCP also contained calcium; there were no non-calcified lesions with LCP. In conclusion, this is the first study of combined NIRS-IVUS in patients with PAD. NIRS-IVUS demonstrates that nearly all patients with symptomatic severe SFA disease have fibrocalcific plaque, and one-third of such lesions contain LCP. These findings contrast with those in patients with acute coronary syndromes, and may have implications regarding the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis in different vascular beds.
Gender differences in psychological factors shaping smoking decisions of Chilean adolescents
Authors: Elmore Kristen , Delva Jorge , Andrade Fernando
Published: March 2016

This study examined gender differences in how internalizing and externalizing symptoms affect adolescents’ decisions about smoking in Chile, where girls smoke at some of the highest rates in the world. In multivariate logistic regression analyses with 607 adolescents, internalizing symptoms, such as depressed mood and anxiety, predicted smoking among girls more than boys, with girls who were low in internalizing symptoms being more likely to smoke than those who were high in internalizing symptoms. In Chile’s high-risk context, internalizing symptoms may be indirectly protective for girls by decreasing their exposure to peer pressure and related influences that encourage cigarette use.
Experimental and numerical studies on the seismic behavior of steel reinforced concrete compression-bending members with new-type section steel
Authors: Wang Qiuwei , Shi Qingxuan , Tao Yi
Published: March 2016

There has been no significant improvement on the seismic performance of the ordinary steel reinforced concrete columns compared with the reinforced concrete columns mainly because I- and H-shaped section steel cannot provide sufficient confinement for core concrete. This article presents a study on the seismic behavior of two improved steel reinforced concrete columns by constructing with new-type section steel, a cross-shaped steel whose flanges are in contact with concrete cover by extending the geometry of webs, and a rotated cross-shaped steel whose webs coincide with diagonal line of the column’s section. Seismic behavior of the developed steel reinforced concrete columns, mainly including the failure patterns, hysteretic loops, skeleton curves, energy dissipation capacity, and ductility, was experimentally investigated by testing five specimens subjected to low reversed cyclic loading. The test results indicate that both types of steel reinforced concrete columns exhibit bending failure and improved seismic behavior: increased vertical bearing capacity could keep better stability, although yielding of the longitudinal reinforcement and local bucking of flanges happen, and the strength degradation becomes slow and the deformation capacity improves. A finite element model has been established to predict the seismic performance of the developed steel reinforced concrete compression-bending members. The numerical model is validated by the test data, and the numerical results are in close agreement with the experimental ones. A parametric study has been conducted to analyze the effects on the seismic behavior from the axial compression ratio, stirrup spacing, and concrete strength of the developed columns. Eventually, limited values of axial compression ratio for three seismic grades are proposed for the potential design guidance revision and promotion of in situ application.
Seismic response and design method of single large span structures to spatially random ground motions
Authors: Bo Zhao , Yuanqing Wang , Zhihua Chen , Yang Jiang , Yongjiu Shi
Published: March 2016

This article aims at studying the seismic response rules and design method of single large span structures to spatially varying ground motions. A corrected earthquake power spectral density model is first proposed and applied to the following solution process. The practical solution form of the multi-support pseudo excitation method is put forward and used to analyze the seismic response. The total response is divided into the pseudo-static and relative dynamic response. A simplified single large span structural model is used as the research object to study the response law when both the wave-passage effect and incoherence effect are considered. The result shows that the wave-passage effect and incoherence effect can both increase the pseudo-static response. The relative dynamic response is influenced by the form of trigonometric function, while wave-passage frequency influences the period and coherence function results in amplitude attenuation. When the ratio of natural frequency to wave-passage frequency equals to 0.5  n ( n = 0, 1, 2,…), the structural seismic response reaches extreme value. Based on the derived response law, a method of quickly determining the most unfavorable conditions of the multi-support excitation effect is proposed for seismic design of single large span structures.
Suction-based active aerodynamic control of wind loads on super high-rise buildings
Authors: Xin Dabo , Duan Zhongdong , Zhang Hongfu , Li Hui , Ou Jinping
Published: March 2016

This article introduces a new method, active flow field control through steady suction, to reduce wind loads on buildings. To test its effect, suction equipment was developed and installed on a Commonwealth Advisory Aeronautical Research Council super high-rise model. A series of experiments were then conducted in a wind tunnel. The effectiveness of this method for reducing wind loads is discussed through comparison of the suction bottom moment ratio under different wind incidence angles and different positions of steady suction. The results of the experiment demonstrate that steady suction reduces wind loads effectively.
Development of assembled permanent formwork using ultra high toughness cementitious composites
Authors: Li Qing-Hua , Huang Bo-Tao , Xu Shi-Lang
Published: March 2016

The present investigation shows new development on assembled permanent formwork using ultra high toughness cementitious composites with low permeability and high crack resistance. A bidirectional keel formwork is designed to act as surface cover to prevent corrosion of steel reinforcements for structures under aggressive environment. Main attention is focused on mechanical aspects of a reinforced concrete specimen made with permanent formwork in this article. The flexural behavior of specimen is measured with four-point bending test and experimental results are then presented. A method is proposed to predict the load capacity and displacement of specimen and theoretical prediction shows a coincidence with test results. Furthermore, a series of design details and suggestions are discussed. The results of this investigation show that specimen made by ultra high toughness cementitious composite assembled permanent formwork presents higher load-carrying capacity and more ductile behavior compared with reinforced concrete specimen.
Writing on the assembly line: Informal labour in the formalised online literature market in China
Authors: Zhao Elaine Jing
Published: March 2016

Emerging as a non-commercial, grassroots alternative to the state-controlled publishing businesses, online literature in China has formalised based on the freemium business model and with the influx of capital. However, little is known about the informality in the formal market and their mutually shaping relationship. This article approaches online literature production in China as case study of the interconnection and interactions between the formal and informal in the wider context of the creative labour debate. It begins with an analysis of the inception of online literature in the context of Chinese literary system before unpacking the formalisation process. It then examines precarity associated with the informal labour, particularly the augmented precarity under the sway of capital. Then, it focuses on surrogate writing as a new form of informality arising from the formalised market, reveals the formality therein and its economic and socio-cultural implications including its impact on the formal market.
Women’s experiences with general and sexual harassment in online video games: Rumination, organizational responsiveness, withdrawal, and coping strategies
Authors: Fox Jesse , Tang Wai Yen
Published: March 2016

Online video games can be a toxic environment for women. A survey assessed women’s ( N = 293) experiences with general harassment and sexual harassment in online video games, including frequency of harassment, rumination about the harassment, perceptions of organizational responsiveness (i.e. efforts the gaming company made to address harassment), and withdrawal from the game. Women reported coping strategies to mitigate harassment, including gender bending or gender neutralization through screen name or avatar choice, avoiding communication with other players, and seeking help or social support inside and outside the game. Both general and sexual harassment predict women’s withdrawal from online games. Sexual harassment, but not general harassment, leads to rumination and subsequent withdrawal. The path from sexual harassment to withdrawal was also mediated by organizational responsiveness, indicating the video game industry plays a key role in whether women continue to participate after harassment occurs.