bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Somewhere Over the Rainbow: How to Make Effective Use of Colors in Meteorological Visualizations
Authors: Stauffer Reto , Mayr Georg J. , Dabernig Markus , Zeileis Achim
Published: July 2014

Results of many atmospheric science applications are processed graphically. Visualizations are a powerful tool to display and communicate data. However, to create effective figures, a wide scope of challenges has to be considered. Therefore, this paper offers several guidelines with a focus on colors. Colors are often used to add additional information or to code information. Colors should (i) allow humans to process the information rapidly, (ii) guide the reader to the most important information, and (iii) represent the data appropriately without misleading distortion. The second and third requirements necessitate tailoring the visualization and the use of colors to the specific purpose of the graphic. A standard way of deriving color palettes is via transitions through a particular color space. Most of the common software packages still provide default palettes derived in the red–green–blue (RGB) color model or “simple” transformations thereof. Confounding perceptual properties such as hue and brightness make RGB-based palettes more prone to misinterpretation. Switching to a color model corresponding to the perceptual dimensions of human color vision avoids these problems. The authors show several practically relevant examples using one such model, the hue–chroma–luminance (HCL) color model, to explain how it works and what its advantages are. Moreover, the paper contains several tips on how to easily integrate this knowledge into software commonly used by the community. The guidelines and examples should help readers to switch over to the alternative HCL color model, which will result in a greatly improved quality and readability of visualized atmospheric science data for research, teaching, and communication of results to society.
Vision Photoscreening of Infants and Young Children in a Primary Care Pediatric Office
Authors: Halegoua Jason , Schwartz Richard H.
Published: July 2014

Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of vision photoscreening a large cohort of asymptomatic children age 6 months to 6 years. Methods. Photoscreening was performed at the 6 and 18 months and annually at the 2- to 5-year scheduled pediatric health assessment visits. Results. A total of 1976 children underwent photoscreening for amblyopic risk factors during an 18-month period; 167 of them (8.5%) screened positive. Of the 94 study children who were evaluated by a pediatric ophthalmologist, 25 required intervention at their initial visit (26.6%). Ten children were diagnosed with amblyopia, representing 0.5% of all children screened. Conclusion. Vision photoscreening of 1976 young children identified 10 with previously undiagnosed amblyopia and an additional 15 with treatable pre-amblyopic risk factors. It is unlikely that any of these children with serious refractive errors would have been detected without the use of in-office vision photoscreening.
When it can be good to feel bad and bad to feel good: Exploring asymmetries in workplace emotional outcomes
Authors: Lindebaum Dirk , Jordan Peter J
Published: July 2014

Within the field of Management and Organizational Studies, we have noted a tendency for researchers to explore symmetrical relationships between so-called positive discrete emotions or emotion-infused concepts and positive outcomes, and negative emotions or emotion-infused concepts and negative outcomes, respectively. In this Special Issue, we seek to problematize this assumption (without aiming to entirely discard it) by creating space for researchers to study what we term asymmetrical relationships. In particular, we explore the topic of when it can be good to feel bad and bad to feel good. The articles presented in this forum demonstrate both theoretically and empirically that appreciating these asymmetrical relationships holds considerable promise for enhanced understanding of a range of management and organizational phenomena, ranging from leadership and followership to emotional labor and dirty work. These unique theoretical and empirical insights have important relevance for organizational practice.
The India–Pakistan rivalry and failure in Afghanistan
Authors: Mitton John
Published: July 2014

In discussions of NATO’s failure in Afghanistan, there is an increasing recognition of the damaging influence of competition between India and Pakistan. Yet, while reference to “rivalry” abounds, few authors connect Indian and Pakistani behaviour to the established literature on international rivalry. This paper corrects this explanatory gap by applying findings from the subfield of rivalry research. States engaged in rivalry behave differently; each issue of contention is fused into the broader rivalry relationship. For India, influence in Afghanistan is a component of its regional strategy, designed to maintain dominance over Pakistan in South Asia. For Pakistan, influence in Afghanistan is sought primarily for the opportunity to confront, damage, and frustrate Indian aims. The result is continued violence and instability. For policymakers, an appropriate appreciation of the strategic and political realities in a given region is a prerequisite for future international interventions in order to avoid such complications.
“Express the Real You”
Authors: Kokkoris Michail D. , Kühnen Ulrich
Published: July 2014

Prior research shows that people feel authentic when they express themselves. In this research, we examined how people from different cultures make inferences about a target person’s authenticity based on information about that person’s self-expression. Our cultural-fit hypothesis proposes that acts of self-expression enhance perceptions of authenticity when they are congruent with the culturally prevalent self-expression norms. In an experiment with Germans and Chinese reading scenarios and making inferences about a hypothetical person, we found that authenticity judgments were the highest, when the target person’s self-expression matched the culturally valued self-expression style—that is, expressing both likes and dislikes in Germany, and expressing only likes but no dislikes in China. Moreover, we found that the interactive effect of self-expression and culture had downstream effects on information processing, such that in the case of counter-cultural self-expression practices participants were more likely to seek information that would compensate for this cultural incongruence.
Spell Sequences, State Proximities, and Distance Metrics
Authors: Elzinga Cees H. , Studer Matthias
Published: July 2014

Because optimal matching (OM) distance is not very sensitive to differences in the order of states, we introduce a subsequence-based distance measure that can be adapted to subsequence length, to subsequence duration, and to soft-matching of states. Using a simulation technique developed by Studer, we investigate the sensitivity, relative to OM, of several variants of this metric to variations in order, timing, and duration of states. The results show that the behavior of the metric is as intended. Furthermore, we use family formation data from the Swiss Household Panel to compare a few variants of the new metric to OM. The new metrics have been implemented in the freely available TraMineR-package.
Calibrating Our “Inner Compass”
Authors: Biser Ashley N.
Published: July 2014

In this article, I argue that Heidegger’s political failures haunt Arendt’s complex “phenomenology of thinking,” and, in the words of Richard Bernstein, “Arendt’s most novel and striking thesis—that there is an intrinsic connection between our ability or inability to think and evil—depends on discriminating the thinking that may prevent catastrophes from the thinking that does not.” The key to doing so, I suggest, is to attend more closely to Arendt’s persistent use of the language of stabilization, orientation, and navigation: in other words, how we “take our bearings” in a world of perpetual change and motion. The ability (or inability) to locate oneself in relation to the world is a recurrent theme in Arendt’s writings, and the metaphors of (dis)orientation appear frequently in her attempts to understand totalitarianism and Heidegger’s turn to National Socialism. Whereas most theorists collapse the idea of “taking our bearings” into judging, I argue that the activity of orientation should be theorized in its own right. As such, I explore the disorientation experienced during the traversal between thinking and acting via a close reading of Heidegger’s “Conversation on a Country Path About Thinking.” My reading illustrates how certain elements of the world, crucial to maintaining our bearings, fade from view while one is thinking. I conclude by discussing representative thinking as an explicitly political mode of thought that escapes some of the difficulties inherent in pure thinking—showing how it shores up those elements of the world that enable us to take our bearings.
Internal-model-principle-based robust optimal nonlinear control for position tracking of permanent-magnet synchronous motor servo system
Authors: Ha Donghyun , Kim Rae-Young , Hyun Dongseok
Published: July 2014

This paper proposes an internal model principle (IMP)-based robust optimal nonlinear control with observer for position tracking of surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor servo systems. We provide the control method to reject offset errors and load torque for designing field-oriented control (FOC) based on an alternating current (AC) frame. The proposed method consists of a torque generator, a commutation scheme, a electrical controller, and a nonlinear observer. The torque generator consists of a mechanical controller and an IMP controller. The mechanical controller is designed to compensate for the load torque and the offset error and generate the desired torque. The IMP controller is augmented to reject the position ripple. The commutation scheme is proposed to generate the desired currents for the desired torque. The electrical controller is developed to compensate for DC offset error and to guarantee the desired currents. The nonlinear observer is designed to estimate both velocity and load torque. In order to get the robustness to parameter uncertainties and the gain-tuning guideline, the linear quadratic regulator method is embedded in the proposed method. The closed-loop stability is proven using input-to-state stability. The detailed process for FOC design and the analysis of the control method based on an AC frame are presented. The performance of the proposed method was validated via experiments.
Design, modelling and characterization of a 2-DOF precision positioning platform
Authors: Tian Yanling , Liu Chunfeng , Liu Xianping , Wang Fujun , Li Xiaochen , Qin Yanding , Zhang Dawei , Shirinzadeh Bijan
Published: July 2014

This paper presents the mechanical design, parameter optimization and experimental tests of a 2-degree-of-freedom (DOF) flexure-based precision positioning platform, which has great potential application in many scientific and engineering fields. During the mechanical design, the leaf parallelogram structures provide the functions of joint mechanisms and transmission mechanisms with excellent decoupling properties. The dynamic model of the developed positioning platform is established and analysed using pseudo rigid body model methodology. A particle swarm algorithm optimization approach is utilized to perform the parameter optimization and thus improve the static and dynamic characteristics of the positioning platform. The prototype of the developed 2-DOF positioning platform has been fabricated using a wire electric discharge machining technique. A number of experimental tests have been conducted to investigate the performance of the platform and verify the established models and optimization methodologies. The experimental results show that the platform has a workspace range in excess of 8.0×8.0 μm with a stiffness of 4.97 N/µm and first-order natural frequency of 231 Hz. The cross-axis coupling ratio is less than 0.6%, verifying the excellent decoupling performance.
Leader-following consensus with directed switching topologies
Authors: Tang Zhaojun
Published: July 2014

This paper studies the leader-following consensus problem of multi-agent systems with directed switching topologies. Some algebraic properties for a kind of digraph are derived firstly. With the assumption that all the agents are jointly linked to the considered leader across the time interval with some given length, a sufficient condition is given to make all the agents follow the considered leader by means of matrix theory and algebraic graph theory. A simulation example is given to illustrate the theoretical results.
Stepwise derivation and verification of a universal elevator round trip time formula for general traffic conditions
Authors: Al-Sharif Lutfi , Abu Alqumsan Ahmad M
Published: July 2014

The evaluation of the round trip time ( τ) still forms the basis for the design of elevator traffic systems. The elevator round trip time is the time taken for the elevator to complete a full cycle of the building, picking up passengers from their origin floors and dropping them off at their destination floors. It is assumed that the elevator car transports P passengers from their origins to their destinations during one round trip. By dividing the value of the round trip time by the target interval, the required number of elevators in the group can be found and fed into the overall traffic design. Traditionally, simplified formulae have been used to evaluate the value of the round trip time under a number of simplifying assumptions. This paper develops the formulae for the most general case of mixed traffic conditions, whereby every floor can be an occupant floor and an exit/entrance floor (i.e. every floor can have a percentage population, U( i), and a percentage arrival rate, Parr( i)). However, the formulae developed make a simplification by assuming a constant passenger arrival model, rather than the widely accepted Poisson passenger arrival model. The new developed set of formulae comprises three parts: the kinematic part ( τK), the door part ( τS) and the passenger transfer part ( τP). The kinematic part in turn comprises six components: the up journey ( UJ) time; the down journey ( DJ) time; the upper connecting journey ( UCJ) time; the lower connecting journey ( LCJ) time; the down return journey ( DRJ) time; and the up return journey ( URJ) time. The derivation process is accompanied by stepwise verification of all the different components of the round trip time using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The results of the formulae match those from the MCS to less than 0.0025%.

Practical application: Engineers usually design elevator traffic systems under up-peak traffic conditions, where only incoming traffic is assumed. It is sometimes useful to assess the design under a mixture of traffic conditions (e.g. lunchtime conditions). The formulae developed in this paper can thus be used to allow the designer to evaluate the round trip time under a mixture of traffic conditions. In practice, the formulae would not be evaluated by hand, but implemented as a software programme. Once the designer has evaluated the round trip time under the specified mix of traffic conditions (e.g. 40% incoming traffic; 40% outgoing traffic; 20% inter-floor traffic), then he/she can divide that number by the target interval to find the required number of elevators. This result can then be compared to the required number of elevators under up-peak conditions to assess the adequacy of the design for these mixed traffic conditions.
Blogging politics in Cuba: the framing of political discourse in the Cuban blogosphere
Authors: Vicari Stefania
Published: July 2014

While a growing literature is exploring blogs and blogospheres as loci for informal political engagement, the development of political discourse via specific framing dynamics in blogging practice has so far been overlooked. By investigating the content of 62 blogs from four different ideological streams, this study specifically focuses on the Cuban blogosphere to address the question of how political consciousness and potential for collective action may emerge in blogging practice. Findings show that (1) critical evaluations, personal narratives and traditional socialist rhetoric mix as the raw materials of an emerging online political debate; (2) this particular mix varies depending on the political leaning of the bloggers; (3) the potential for collective action is very limited mostly due to the lack of a strong agency component among critical bloggers and the still heavy presence of an outdated socialist rhetoric among state-aligned bloggers.
Assessing the safety of del Nido cardioplegia solution in adult congenital cases
Authors: Smigla G , Jaquiss R , Walczak R , Bonadonna D , Kaemmer D , Schwimer C , Lodge A
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

del Nido cardioplegia solution (CPS) has been successfully used for myocardial protection in the pediatric population. We propose this solution can be used safely in adult congenital patients. The proposed benefit of this solution is the avoidance of the need for repetitive interruption of the operation to administer multiple doses of standard cardioplegia.

Methods:

As part of a quality improvement initiative, 47 consecutive adult patients (mean age 40.9 years, range 18–71) undergoing congenital heart surgery were given del Nido CPS. Cardiac function was assessed pre- and post-operatively by echocardiography (ECHO). Inotrope use, troponin levels and restoration of cardiac rhythm were also evaluated.

Results:

The average duration of the longest ischemic time was 52.5 minutes ± 15.57 minutes. In patients receiving a single dose (40%, n=19) of CPS, the average ischemic time was 49.8 minutes ± 18.8 minutes. No patients demonstrated any ventricular electrical activity while the aorta was cross-clamped. Post-operative ECHO showed that 94% (n=44) had no change in ejection fraction from the pre-operative ECHO. Patients requiring inotropic support at the time of leaving the operating room (OR) was 43% (n=20). The percentage of patients requiring inotropic support twenty-four hours post-operatively was 17% (n=8). Spontaneous restoration of cardiac rhythm (without the need for defibrillation) after cross-clamp removal occurred in 91% (n=43) of patients. The average troponin T level post-op was 1.86 ± 2.9 µg/L.

Conclusions:

del Nido CPS can be used for myocardial protection during adult congenital cardiac surgery without any apparent adverse effects. In addition, we were able to change our re-dosing protocol to 45 minutes with del Nido CPS compared to 20 minutes with our adult 4:1 blood CPS.
On-Field Performance of National Football League Players After Return From Concussion
Authors: Kumar Neil S. , Chin Matthew , O’Neill Craig , Jakoi Andre M. , Tabb Loni , Wolf Michael
Published: July 2014

Background:

There are few data examining the short-term effects of concussions on player performance upon return to play. This study examined changes in on-field performance and the influence of epidemiologic factors on performance and return to play.

Hypothesis:

On-field performance is different in players who return within 7 days after concussion compared with players who miss at least 1 game.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Players in the National Football League who were active during the 2008 to 2012 seasons were considered for inclusion. Weekly injury reports identified concussed players. All players played in at least 4 games before and after the game of injury (sentinel game) within the year of injury (sentinel year). Players who had missed games secondary to another injury or had sustained a second concussion within the sentinel year were excluded. The players’ league profiles were used to determine age, position, body mass index, career experience, and games missed. ProFootballFocus performance scores determined player ratings. Statistical analysis used 2-sided t tests and both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

Results:

There were a total of 131 concussions in the 124 players who qualified for this study; 55% of these players missed no games. Defensive secondary, wide receiver, and offensive line were the most commonly affected positions. Players who missed at least 1 game were younger and less experienced. Preinjury ProFootballFocus performance scores were similar to postinjury performance in players without games missed (0.16 vs 0.33; P = .129) and players who missed at least 1 game (−0.06 vs 0.10; P = .219). Age, body mass index, experience, and previous concussion did not correlate with changes in postinjury scores ( P > .05). Older, more experienced players and players with late-season concussions were more likely to return to play without missing games ( P < .05). The odds of returning within 7 days increased by 18% for each career year and by 40% for each game before the sentinel game within the sentinel year; these same odds decreased by 85% after introduction of newer treatment guidelines in 2009.

Conclusion:

No difference in player performance after concussion was found whether the player did or did not miss games before return. Return without missing games may be associated with experience and timing of injury within a season and less likely after newer guidelines.
Exercise as a Therapeutic Strategy for Primary Mitochondrial Cytopathies
Authors: Tarnopolsky Mark A.
Published: July 2014

Patients with mitochondrial cytopathies often experience exercise intolerance and may have fixed muscle weakness, leading to impaired functional capacity and lower quality of life. Endurance exercise training increases Vo2max, respiratory chain enzyme activity, and improves quality of life. Resistance exercise training increases muscle strength and may lower mutational burden in patients with mitochondrial DNA deletions. Both modes of exercise appear to be well tolerated. Patients with mitochondrial cytopathy should consider alternating both types of exercise to derive the benefits from each (endurance = greater aerobic fitness; resistance = greater strength). Patients should start an exercise program at a low intensity and duration, gradually increasing duration and intensity. They should “listen to their body” and not exercise on days they have fever, superimposed illness, muscle pain, or cramps, and/or if they have fasted for more than 12 hours. Children often respond best to play-based exercise and tend to enjoy intermittent activity.
Children With Convulsive Epileptic Seizures Presenting to Padua Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Bergamo Silvia , Parata Francesca , Nosadini Margherita , Boniver Clementina , Toldo Irene , Suppiej Agnese , Vecchi Marilena , Amigoni Angela , Da Dalt Liviana , Zanconato Stefania , Perilongo Giorgio , Sartori Stefano
Published: July 2014

Convulsive epileptic seizures in children represent a common cause of admission to pediatric emergency department. Data about incidence, etiology, and outcome are still lacking in literature. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of children presenting to our pediatric emergency department with convulsive seizures during a 12-month period and collected their diagnoses over the following year. In all, 182 children met the inclusion criteria, for a total of 214 visits (1.2% of all attendances, n = 24 864). Seizures lasted less than 5 minutes in 76%, 5 to 30 minutes in 20%, 30 to 60 minutes in 2%, and over 60 minutes in 2% visits (“early,” “established,” “refractory,” convulsive status epilepticus, respectively). Incidence of “early” (seizure lasting 5-30 minutes) and “established” (seizure lasting 30-60 minutes) status epilepticus was 52/100 000/year and 7/100 000/year respectively. Most common causes were febrile seizures (56%) and remote symptomatic seizures (19%). Knowing the epidemiology of convulsive seizures in children is important to guide appropriate management and individualized follow-up.
Contribution of KCNJ10 Gene Polymorphisms in Childhood Epilepsy
Authors: Dai Alper I. , Akcali Aylin , Koska Safinur , Oztuzcu Serdar , Cengiz Beyhan , Demiryürek Abdullah T.
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible association between childhood epilepsy and KCNJ10 gene polymorphisms (rs61822012 and rs2486253). A total of 200 epileptic cases and 200 healthy controls enrolled to this study. Genomic DNAs from the patients and control cases were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism methods. There were significant associations between the G/T genotype of KCNJ10 gene rs2486253 polymorphism in the idiopathic generalized epilepsy group ( P = .037) and in subjects with generalized tonic-clonic seizures ( P = .0015). T allele was also increased in patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures ( P = .0158). However, no statistically significant association was found between rs61822012 polymorphism and epilepsy. Our data suggest that G/T genotype of the KCNJ10 gene rs2486253 polymorphism affects risk for development of common types of childhood epilepsy. The T allele of this polymorphism was found to be a seizure-susceptibility allele for tonic-clonic epilepsy.
Correlation Between Impulsivity and Executive Function in Patients With Parkinson Disease Experiencing Depression and Anxiety Symptoms
Authors: Fonoff Fernanda Colucci , Fonoff Erich Talamoni , Barbosa Egberto Reis , Quaranta Thais , Machado Rachael Brant , de Andrade Daniel Ciampi , Teixeira Manoel Jacobsen , Fuentes Daniel
Published: July 2014

Background:

Depression and anxiety are comorbidities often associated with Parkinson disease (PD). Recent studies debate on how affective disorders can influence the cognition of patients with PD. This study sought to investigate how depression and anxiety affect specific executive functions and impulsivity traits in these patients.

Methods:

Twenty-eight patients with advanced PD and 28 closely matched healthy volunteers (HV) were assessed for depressive and anxiety symptoms, impulsivity, executive function and control attention and behavioral response.

Results:

Compared to the HV group, the PD group showed significantly higher perseverative responses and slowness to adapt to changes in environmental stimuli and longer reaction time for inter-stimulus interval change. Depression symptoms were significantly correlated to motor impulsivity score and total Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS -11) score. Moreover, there was also significant correlation between anxiety symptoms and attentional impulsivity score and total BIS-11 score. Correlation analysis between impulsivity and control attention indicated a positive correlation in commission and a negative correlation in reaction time and detectability in the PD group.

Conclusions:

The present results suggest that depression and anxiety were highly correlated to impulsivity but not to executive functions changes in these PD patients.
Cybervetting, Online Information, and Personnel Selection
Authors: Berkelaar Brenda L.
Published: July 2014

This study examines employers’ and workers’ sensemaking about cybervetting—employers’ use of online information for personnel selection. Analysis of 89 employer and applicant interviews suggest a shift in the social contract—the implicit expectations for how personnel selection and employment relationships should work. Results suggest an extension of new proactive transparency expectations from organizations to workers, the implicit acceptance of which points to the emergence of a digital social contract. The digital social contract prescribes normative expectations for workers’ digital visibility, thereby extending the times and contexts within which employment evaluations and career management occur. Using a communicative perspective to address research gaps on everyday ethics, practices, and technologies of personnel selection, contributions include introducing and explicating the digital social contract, documenting the extension of new transparency expectations to individuals, and explicating ethical and practical implications of new technologies and information visibility on contemporary personnel selection.
Geometric accuracy allocation for multi-axis CNC machine tools based on sensitivity analysis and reliability theory
Authors: Cheng Qiang , Zhang Ziling , Zhang Guojun , Gu Peihua , Cai Ligang
Published: July 2014

Machining accuracy of a machine tool is influenced by geometric errors produced by each part and component. Different errors have varying influence on the machining accuracy of a tool. The aim of this study is to optimize errors to get a desired performance for a numerical control machine tool. Applying multi-body system theory, a volumetric error model was constructed to track and compensate effects of errors during operation of the machine, and to relate the functional specifications on volumetric accuracy to the permissible errors on the joints and links of the machine. Error sensitivity analysis was used to identify the influence of different errors (especially the errors which have large influences) on volumetric error. Based on First Order and Second Moment theory, an error allocation approach was developed to optimize allocation of manufacturing and assembly tolerances along with specifying the operating conditions to determine the optimal level of these errors so that the cost of controlling them and the cost of failure to meet the specifications is minimized. The approach developed was implemented in software and an example of the geometric errors budgeting for a five-axis machine was discussed. It is identified that the different optimal standard deviations reflect the cost-weighted influences of the respective parameters in the equations of the functional requirements. This study suggests that it is possible to determine the coupling relationships between these errors and optimize the allowable error budgeting between these sources.
Adaptive filtered x-least mean square algorithm with improved convergence for resonance suppression
Authors: Wang Yong-Qing , Huang Fu-Chang , Liu Hai-Bo
Published: July 2014

The existence of the resonance is usually a trouble causing instability for most elastic drive systems. Generally, the measurement of original resonance of load side in a drive system is a direct solution for resonance suppression, but exact data are difficult to come by, such as torsional torque, load speed and disturbance torque. Therefore, a developed method for resonance suppression based on adaptive filtered x-least mean square algorithm with improved convergence is presented in this research. The proposed method obtains the resonance iteratively and reduces the significant resonance oscillations through a finite impulse response filter adapted by the least mean square error principle. In order to tackle the convergence speed problem caused by the high dynamics of the forward path model, another finite impulse response filter is inserted into the control structure to smooth the current control reference signal and the speed error signal, so that the dynamics features of the forward path model are improved. Furthermore, a filtered x-least mean square control structure for elastic drive systems is also developed. From the simulation and experimental results, the resonance is more effectively suppressed with proposed modified filtered x-least mean square structure compared with notch filters, and the inserted finite impulse response improves the convergence speed.
Home-based screening for biliary atresia using infant stool colour cards: A large-scale prospective cohort study and cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Schreiber Richard A. , Masucci Lisa , Kaczorowski Janusz , Collet JP , Lutley Pamela , Espinosa Victor , Bryan Stirling
Published: July 2014

Objective

Biliary atresia (BA), a leading cause of paediatric liver failure and liver transplantation, manifests by three weeks of life as jaundice with acholic stools. Poor outcomes due to delayed diagnosis remain a problem worldwide. We evaluated and assessed the cost-effectiveness of methods of introducing a BA Infant Stool Colour Card (ISCC) screening programme in Canada.

Setting and Methods

A prospective study at BC Women’s Hospital recruited consecutive healthy newborns through six incrementally more intensive screening approaches. Under the baseline “passive” strategy, families received ISCCs at maternity, with instructions to monitor infant stool colour daily and return the ISCC by mail at age 30 days. Additional strategies were: ISCC mailed to family physician; reminder letters or telephone calls to families or physicians. Random telephone surveys of ISCC non-returners assessed total card utilization. Primary outcome was ISCC utilization rate expressed as a composite outcome of the ISCC return rate and non-returned ISCC use. Markov modelling was used to predict incremental costs and life years gained from screening (passive and reminder), compared with no screening, over a 10-year time horizon.

Results

6,187 families were enrolled. Card utilization rates in the passive screening strategy were estimated at 60–94%. For a Canadian population, the increase in cost for passive screening, compared with no screening, is $213,584 and the gain in life years is 9.7 ($22,000 per life-year gained).

Conclusions

A BA ISCC screening programme targeting families of newborns is feasible in Canada. Passive distribution of ISCC at maternity is potentially effective and highly cost-effective.
Personality disorders in geriatric inpatients in a tertiary hospital
Authors: Jeyasingam Neil , Jacob Kuruthukulangara S , Brodaty Henry
Published: July 2014

Objective:

To assess the prevalence of personality disorders in general medical geriatric admissions.

Methods:

Forty of 508 general medical geriatric admissions screened at a large tertiary hospital, who were eligible as defined by a Mini-Mental State Examination score of over 23 and capable of informed consent, were assessed by direct interview and discussion with the patient’s family or close contact to determine personality traits.

Results:

Eight (20%) of these patients were found to satisfy DSM-IV criteria for a personality disorder. They were found to have significantly lower global assessments of functioning, impaired overall functioning and lower quality of life compared with non-personality disordered patients. None of their personality disorders had been recognised by their treating teams.

Conclusions:

This study supports the need for systematic research into the area and the need for increased clinical awareness of the issues.
A new magnetorheological elastomer isolator in shear–compression mixed mode
Authors: Yang CY , Fu J , Yu M , Zheng X , Ju BX
Published: July 2014

A new magnetorheological elastomer isolator in shear–compression mixed mode is designed in this article. Two pieces of magnetorheological elastomer fabricated with different dimensions are utilized in the isolator. One magnetorheological elastomer operates on shear mode, and the other operates on compression mode. Next, a finite element method magnetic package is used to analyze the designed magnetic circuit system, and a test system is established to obtain the frequency response of magnetorheological elastomer isolator with mixed mode. It is found that the natural frequency of magnetorheological elastomer isolator changes greatly with variable current applied, and the amplitude of vibration is attenuated widely. Compared with the natural frequency of 0 A, the increment of natural frequency is up to 103% with applied current reaches to 1.5 A. Finally, the dynamic model of isolator system is established, and the stiffness and damping coefficients of magnetorheological elastomer isolator are identified by the experimental method. Meanwhile, the variable range for stiffness and damping of magnetorheological elastomer isolator with mixed mode is greater than that of single mode, which has been proved in theory and experiments.
Enhancing HF/E Outreach Goals Through Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Authors: Proaps Alexandra B. , Kennedy Rebecca A.
Published: July 2014

Past Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) President Eduardo Salas emphasized how important it is for human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) professionals to embrace other disciplines. As members of the HF/E community, we can reach a wider audience and increase awareness of our discipline by collaborating with others who share our vision for improving human–technology interaction. We interviewed two past recipients of HFES’s Oliver Keith Hansen Outreach Award, recognizing service and excellence in outreach in HF/E. Nancy J. Cooke and Ronald G. Shapiro each highlighted areas in which HF/E students and professionals can enhance their outreach efforts through multidisciplinary collaboration.
Performing phronesis: On the way to engaged judgment
Authors: Shotter John , Tsoukas Haridimos
Published: July 2014

Practical wisdom and judgment, rather than seen as ‘things’ hidden inside the mind, are best talked of, we suggest, as emerging developmentally within an unceasing flow of activities, in which practitioners are inextricably immersed. Following a performative line of thinking, we argue that when practitioners (namely, individuals immersed in a practice, experiencing their tasks through the emotions, standards of excellence and moral values the practice engenders or enacts) face a bewildering situation in which they do not know, initially at least, how to proceed, the judgment they exercise emerges out of seeking to establish a new orientation to their puzzling surroundings. They do so through actively trying to be in touch with their felt emotions and moral sensibilities, while attempting to articulate linguistically the feelings experienced in order to get a clearer view of relevant aspects of the situation at hand. Coming to a judgment involves moving around within a landscape of possibilities, and in so doing, being spontaneously responsive to the consequences of each move, and assessing which one (or combination of moves) seems best in resolving the initial tension aroused in one’s initial confusion.
A review of cultural adaptations of screening tools for autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Soto Sandra , Linas Keri , Jacobstein Diane , Biel Matthew , Migdal Talia , Anthony Bruno J
Published: July 2014

Screening children to determine risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders has become more common, although some question the advisability of such a strategy. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify autism screening tools that have been adapted for use in cultures different from that in which they were developed, evaluate the cultural adaptation process, report on the psychometric properties of the adapted instruments, and describe the implications for further research and clinical practice. A total of 21 articles met criteria for inclusion, reporting on the cultural adaptation of autism screening in 19 countries and in 10 languages. The cultural adaptation process was not always clearly outlined and often did not include the recommended guidelines. Cultural/linguistic modifications to the translated tools tended to increase with the rigor of the adaptation process. Differences between the psychometric properties of the original and adapted versions were common, indicating the need to obtain normative data on populations to increase the utility of the translated tool.
Making It Happen
Authors: Welsh Brandon C. , Greenwood Peter W.
Published: July 2014

This article explores the progress that state governments across the country are making in implementing the three most widely used evidence-based programs (EBPs) for delinquent youth: multisystemic therapy (MST), functional family therapy (FFT), and multidimensional treatment foster care (MTFC). Rather than rank states, this study was designed to help state policy makers and practitioners identify strategies and techniques that can help expand the quality and availability of EBPs in their jurisdictions. Its explicit focus on implementation was purposeful. Most states are not yet in a position to begin to assess if their expenditures on these programs are having an impact (or at least an impact statewide) on juvenile recidivism, placements in residential facilities, or other key outcomes. We found that there are five states that are making substantially greater progress in implementing these EBPs: New Mexico, Louisiana, Maine, Connecticut, and Hawaii. In addition to the highest availability of these programs, ranging from 9.4 to 13.0 therapist teams per million population, these states share a number of key features that demonstrate that direct and purposeful state action is behind the expansion of these programs. Some of these features include structured involvement of all key stakeholders, effective leaders who championed not just the programs but a culture of using research to improve practice, pilot testing of new EBPs, special funding for designated EBPs, and technical assistance to counties to help get programs off the ground. Gaps in knowledge are identified and implications for policy are discussed.
Establishing the characteristics for patients with chronic Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: the value of the CRPS-UK Registry
Authors: Shenker Nicholas , Goebel Andreas , Rockett Mark , Batchelor James , Jones Gareth T , Parker Richard , de C Williams Amanda C , McCabe Candida
Published: July 2014

Objective:

The long-term prognosis of patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is unknown with no reported prospective studies from the United Kingdom longer than 18 months. The CRPS-UK Network aims to study this by use of a Registry. The aims of this article are, to outline the CRPS-UK Registry, assess the validity of the data and to describe the characteristics of a sample of the UK CRPS population.

Methods:

A web-based CRPS-UK Registry was developed and made accessible to centres experienced in diagnosing and managing patients with CRPS. Pragmatic annual follow-up questions were agreed.

Results:

Up until July 2013, the Registry has recruited 240 patients. A blinded, validation study of 20 consecutive patients from two centres (10 each) demonstrated 95.6% completion and 99.4% accuracy of a random sample of the recorded data. These patients had chronic disease (median duration: 29 months); 72.5% were female (2.6:1), with a mean age at symptoms onset of 43 years, and were left-handed more than expected (21.8% versus 10% in the general population). Patients reported a delayed diagnosis, with the median time between symptom onset and diagnosis of 6 months. In all, 30 patients (12.5%) had multiple limb involvement and (83.3%) had a contiguous spread of CRPS.

Conclusion:

CRPS-UK Registry is a validated method for actively recruiting well-characterised patients with CRPS to provide further information on the long-term outcome.
Breakthrough of the Nordic Bronze Age: Transcultural Warriorhood and a Carpathian Crossroad in the Sixteenth Century BC
Authors: Vandkilde Helle
Published: July 2014

The breakthrough of the Nordic Bronze Age (NBA) c. 1600 BC as a koiné within Bronze Age Europe can be historically linked to the Carpathian Basin. Nordic distinctiveness entailed an entanglement of cosmology and warriorhood, albeit represented through different media in the hotspot zone (bronze) and in the northern zone (rock). In a Carpathian crossroad between the Eurasian Steppes, the Aegean world and temperate Europe during this time, a transcultural assemblage coalesced, fusing both tangible and intangible innovations from various different places. Superior warriorhood was coupled to beliefs in a tripartite cosmology, including a watery access to the netherworld while also exhibiting new fighting technologies and modes of social conduct. This transculture became creatively translated in a range of hot societies at the onset of the Middle Bronze Age. In southern Scandinavia, weaponry radiated momentous creativity that drew upon Carpathian originals, contacts and a pool of Carpathian ideas, but ultimately drawing on emergent Mycenaean hegemonies in the Aegean. This provided the incentive for a cosmology-rooted resource from which the NBA could take its starting point.
Female residents experiencing medical errors in general internal medicine: a qualitative study
Authors: Mankaka Cindy Ottiger , Waeber Gérard , Gachoud David
Published: July 2014

Background

Doctors, especially doctors-in-training such as residents, make errors. They have to face the consequences even though today’s approach to errors emphasizes systemic factors. Doctors’ individual characteristics play a role in how medical errors are experienced and dealt with. The role of gender has previously been examined in a few quantitative studies that have yielded conflicting results. In the present study, we sought to qualitatively explore the experience of female residents with respect to medical errors. In particular, we explored the coping mechanisms displayed after an error. This study took place in the internal medicine department of a Swiss university hospital.

Methods

Within a phenomenological framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight female residents in general internal medicine. All interviews were audiotaped, fully transcribed, and thereafter analyzed.

Results

Seven main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) A perception that there is an insufficient culture of safety and error; (2) The perceived main causes of errors, which included fatigue, work overload, inadequate level of competences in relation to assigned tasks, and dysfunctional communication; (3) Negative feelings in response to errors, which included different forms of psychological distress; (4) Variable attitudes of the hierarchy toward residents involved in an error; (5) Talking about the error, as the core coping mechanism; (6) Defensive and constructive attitudes toward one’s own errors; and (7) Gender-specific experiences in relation to errors. Such experiences consisted in (a) perceptions that male residents were more confident and therefore less affected by errors than their female counterparts and (b) perceptions that sexist attitudes among male supervisors can occur and worsen an already painful experience.

Conclusions

This study offers an in-depth account of how female residents specifically experience and cope with medical errors. Our interviews with female residents convey the sense that gender possibly influences the experience with errors, including the kind of coping mechanisms displayed. However, we acknowledge that the lack of a direct comparison between female and male participants represents a limitation while aiming to explore the role of gender.
Polyphenols profile and antioxidant activity of skin and pulp of a rare apple from Marche region (Italy)
Authors: Giomaro Giovanna , Karioti Anastasia , Bilia Anna Rita , Bucchini Anahi , Giamperi Laura , Ricci Donata , Fraternale Daniele
Published: July 2014

Background

Apples are an important source of polyphenols in the human diet and the consumption of this fruit has been linked to the prevention of degenerative diseases.

Results

Catechins, procyanidins, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonol glycosides, dihydrochalcone glycosides and one anthocyanin: cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, were identified both in the peel and pulp. Procyanidins, catechins and flavonols represent the main constituents of peel. Concerning the antioxidant activity, in the reduction of the stable DPPH radical and in the inhibition of lipid peroxidation, the ethanolic extracts of red peel and red pulp showed a good similar activity comparable to ascorbic acid in the DPPH test and about ten times more active than BHT in the lipoxygenase test, and were much more active than aqueous extracts. The ORAC value of red pulp aqueous extract resulted comparable to that of red berries: vaccinium, rubus and ribes, foods appreciated for their health value.

Conclusion

This apple contains an appreciable amount of polyphenols also in the flesh; this variety with red flesh can also be useful for researchers engaged in apples varietal innovation in addition to being used as food apple.