bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DNA taxonomy reveals two new species records of Hyalinobatrachium (Anura: Centrolenidae) for Bolivia
Authors: CASTROVIEJO-FISHER SANTIAGO , MORAVEC JIŘÍ , APARICIO JAMES , GUERRERO-REINHARD MARCELO , CALDERÓN GONZALO
Published: January 2019

We collected two specimens of the genus Hyalinobatrachium during fieldwork expeditions to the Departamento Pando—the northernmost region of Bolivia situated in the south-western Amazonian basin, within the zone of tall evergreen lowland rainforest. The specimens are deposited in the Colección Boliviana de Fauna, La Paz (CBF 6453) and in the National Museum, Prague (NMP6V 74059). Because species identification within Hyalinobatrachium based only on morphological characters is in many cases problematic (Kok & Castroviejo-Fisher 2008; Castroviejo-Fisher et al. 2009), we took advantage of published sequences of Hyalinobatrachium to identify our samples. Our results show that each specimen belongs to a different species (H. mondolfii and H. munozorum), none of them previously known to occur in Bolivia. The taxonomic implications of our discovery are briefly discussed.
On some taxonomic and nomenclatural problems in Indian species of the genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 (Squamata: Colubridae)
Authors: DAVID PATRICK , DAS INDRANEIL , VOGEL GERNOT
Published: January 2019

This paper deals with three nomenclatural and taxonomic problems affecting two species groups of the colubrid snake genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826: (i) A neotype is formally designated for Coronella cyclura Cantor, 1839, associating this specific nomen with populations from India, Bangladesh and Myanmar with 19 scale rows at midbody; (ii) Oligodon kheriensis Acharji & Ray, 1936 is shown to be a valid species of the Oligodon cyclurus group occurring in northern India and Nepal; (iii) The type-locality of Simotes multifasciatus Jan & Sordelli, 1865 is shown to be Sultanpur, India. This taxon is considered a synonym of Oligodon cinereus (Günther, 1864). The range of this species in India is extended. The status of specimens of Oligodon cinereus from India and Myanmar is briefly discussed. Specimens from Thailand identified as Oligodon cinereus multifasciatus and Oligodon cinereus swinhonis (Günther, 1864) are referred to Oligodon joynsoni (Smith, 1917). India is home to at least 21 species of the genus Oligodon, an updated list of which is provided.
Revision of the genus Alonopsis Sars, 1862 and its position within Aloninae (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Chydoridae)
Authors: SINEV ARTEM Y. , ATROSCHENKO MARGARITA M.
Published: January 2019

Taxonomic status of the genus Alonopsis was clarified by the morphological study and cladistic analysis. Morphology of both valid species, A. elongata (Sars, 1861) and A. aureolata Doolitle, 1912, was investigated. So far, generic status of the group was questioned, some authors treated Alonopsis as a part of the genus Acroperus. Our data confirm independent status of Alonopsis, and emended diagnosis of the genus is provided. According to our analysis, Acroperus and Alonopsis are the sister-groups of a monophyletic clade, each having their own autapomorphies. Both genera belong to a well-defined group of Aloninae (named here as Arthrocauda-group), which is characterized by the presence of well-developed abdominal joint and elongated narrow postabdomen. There are two parallel clades within the group, one formed by Acroperus and Alonopsis, other by Parakozhowia, Kozhowia and Camptocercus. According to our analysis, these branches have numerous homoplasies, the most significant of them is the independent appearance of the head keel in two most successful genera, Acroperus and Camptocercus.
The tadpole of Hylodes babax Heyer, 1982 (Amphibia, Anura, Hylodidae)
Authors: PIRANI RENATA MAGALHÃES , PEZZUTI TIAGO LEITE , MOTTA ANA PAULA , FEIO RENATO NEVES
Published: January 2019

Frog species from the genus Hylodes Fitzinger occur mainly in southeastern Brazil (Frost, 2010).  Of the 24 species of genus only 13 species have their tadpoles described (see Discussion below). Hylodes babax was known from the type-locality at Caparaó mountain range (Heyer, 1982), and has recently been recorded from two new localities: Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, in the Mantiqueira mountain range, and Floresta Estadual do Uaimií, in the southern Espinhaço mountain range (Pirani et al. 2010).
A cladistic analysis and reclassification of the tribe Bembicini (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Bembicinae)
Authors: NEMKOV PAVEL G. , OHL MICHAEL
Published: January 2019

A cladistic analysis of the digger wasp tribe Bembicini based on morphological characters is presented. The underlying data matrix comprises 64 terminal taxa (coded on genus-level) and 54 morphological characters. The resulting strict consensus tree was used as the basis for a revised subtribal classification of the Bembicini. Based on a previously published classification, we herewith propose a number of changes. The subtribe Spheciina Nemkov and Ohl, subtrib. nov. (comprising Ammatomus A. Costa 1859, Kohlia Handlirsch 1895, Sphecius Dahlbom 1843, and Tanyoprymnus Cameron 1905) is removed from Handlirschiina Nemkov and Lelej 1996. The subtribe Stictiellina Bohart and Horning 1971, stat. resurr. (composed of Chilostictia Gillaspy 1983, Glenostictia Gillaspy in Gillaspy, Evans, and Lin 1962, Microstictia Gillaspy 1963, Steniolia Say 1837, Stictiella J. Parker 1917, and Xerostictia Gillaspy 1963) is separated from Bembicina Latreille 1802. The subtribe Argogorytina Nemkov and Lelej 1996 (Argogorytes Ashmead 1899, Neogorytes Bohart in Bohart and Menke 1976, Paraphilanthus Vardy 1995) is synonymized with Exeirina Dalla Torre 1897, syn. nov. Finally, the subtribe Trichogorytina Nemkov and Pulawski 2009 (genus Trichogorytes Rohwer 1912 only) is synonymized with Gorytina Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau 1845, syn. nov. An updated identification key to the subtribes of the Bembicini is provided.
Adaptive Bad Pixel Correction Method for Interference-Modulated Images Based on Weighted Least Squares Support Vector Machines (WLS-SVM)
Authors: Cao Jun , Yuan Yan , Su Lijuan , Li Qian , Zhu Conghui
Published: January 2019

Temporally and spatially modulated Fourier transform imaging spectrometers (TSMFTISs) can obtain images and interference information of targets during the data acquisition process for remote sensing. Temporally and spatially modulated Fourier transform imaging spectrometers play an important role in target classification and identification, as the spectrum information of targets can be reconstructed with the theory of Fourier transform spectroscopy. However, the defect pixels absent in the planar array charge-coupled device used in imaging spectrometers have a significant impact on the accuracy of target spectral recovery information, so the preprocessing of bad pixels in remote sensing interference images is indispensable to data processing in TSMFTIS. An adaptive defect pixel correction method based on the weighted least squares support vector machine is introduced in this paper. The principle of TSMFTIS is presented to state the specialty of bad pixels and discuss the limitations of the traditional defect pixel method. Simulations based on the conventional method and the proposed method are performed to obtain bad pixel correction results for TSMFTIS. The algorithm presented in this paper is more efficient and robust. An application of the proposed method is employed.
Shipboard Characterization of Tuvalu, Samoa, and Lau Dredge Samples Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
Authors: Konter Jasper G. , Finlayson Valerie A. , Engel Jacqueline , Jackson Matthew G. , Koppers Anthony A. P. , Sharma Shiv K.
Published: January 2019

Chemical analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is well suited for field applications and was applied here for shipboard characterization of a large sample set during the RR1310 rock dredging expedition to the Tuvalu Seamounts. Although recently the most common data treatment for LIBS has consisted of a partial least squares approach to define sample groupings, we show that quantitative data of useful quality can be obtained with a univariate approach. Here, our analysis goal was a quantitative comparison of the total alkali (Na2O + K2O) versus silica (SiO2) contents of 586 representative dredge samples with known ranges in common rock types. Out of those samples, >400 form a single large group of alkalic basalts with minor basanites/tephrites (SiO2: 43–48 wt%, Na2O + K2O: 3–5 wt%), similar to known shield-stage compositions of the Rurutu and Samoa hotspots in the sampling area. In contrast, several dredge hauls contain samples with compositions that do not overlap with the majority of samples. This includes three dredges performed on the northern boundary of the Lau Basin that contain similar SiO2 compositions, but slightly higher total alkali (Na2O+K2O) content. Despite this difference, they classify as basanite/tephrite, similar to a subset of the main group. More importantly, similar compositions were previously reported from the same tectonic boundary, ascribed to hotspot mantle source material mixed into the Lau Basin back-arc. Although the quality of the compositional data suffices to enable sample selection for time-intensive analyses, higher precision is required for more in-depth petrogenetic interpretation. Error analysis based on repeat standard measurements suggests averaging 100 spectra per sample is optimal here, while use of a higher resolution spectrometer, together with better laser control, would improve results and interpretations.
Rethinking Development: India’s Cultural Ethos as Foundation
Authors: Mathur B.P.
Published: January 2019

According to the development model India has adopted, development is viewed in narrow terms of economic development and, more particularly, GDP growth. This is largely due to our blind imitation of Western philosophy, which is based on materialistic values, and has given birth to current ruling economic ideology of free markets and competition, where earning money and accumulating wealth is considered primary goal of life. In its practical operation, this model creates serious socio-economic problems, such as ecological devastation, economic inequality, culture of consumerism, unemployment and social Darwinism. In India today, most components of social and economic well-being of people, such as education, health, employment and a healthy agricultural and industrial base, are in dismal state, indicating that our existing policy has failed. This calls for a fundamental rethink of our development policy. There is a need to embrace a more human-centric model of development, based on our cultural and civilisational ethos, which is ethico-spiritual and is deeply concerned with the problem of human welfare, social good and well-being of people. There is a need to redefine our development goals as creation of a happy, healthy and prosperous society.
Control schemes for micro-grid application—A simulation and experimental approach for Electrical Engineering Project
Authors: Pathy Somashree , Subramani C , Sridhar R
Published: January 2019

The knowledge gain of micro-grid operation control schemes for micro-grid application is important for graduate and undergraduate students. In this paper, the issues on photovoltaic integrated to grid system and the control schemes are discussed from basics and the level of students’ understanding. Initially the basic photovoltaic modeling, maximum power point tracking techniques, and grid synchronization are presented. For grid synchronization, the mostly used synchronous reference frame-phase locked loop is considered here. For the understanding of the students, the control schemes are applied in three different cases with the help of MATLAB Simulink and the results are analyzed. The authors hope that the electrical engineering students may gain the knowledge about the effective use of solar energy and also grid synchronization technique for a reliable power supply to the critical loads in the topic control schemes on photovoltaic integrated grid system and proceed for their project or research work. The suggested scheme is duly simulated in MATLAB Simulink environment and also realized as a hardware prototype; the simulation and hardware results reveal that the suggested approach provides clear directions for a resilient operation of a micro-grid that embodies necessary renewable sources and storage elements.
Application of system dynamics approach in scale evolution of electric vehicles for education
Authors: Yang Xinran , Xiang Yue , Lv Lin , Liu Junyong
Published: January 2019

Due to the increasing realisation of improving the utility of energy and reducing pollutant emissions, the electric vehicle has been a hot topic in electrical engineering courses. However, it is the scale evolution of electric vehicles that is the basis for investigating their impacts on the power grid. This paper presents the main steps of designing an educational tool based on system dynamic approach to understanding the electric vehicles evolution and arouses their interests in the course named Electric Vehicle and Smart Grid. This tool is a work done by a team of students based on theory and survey, calculating the size of electric vehicles. The effectiveness of this tool is verified by the case studies in this paper, including the scale evolution, analysing the influence factors and stimulating students’ interests. In addition, this tool has been used in teaching to demonstrate the scale evolution intuitively, thus achieving better teaching.
A novel high-gain DC–DC converter with non-linear carrier controller for photovoltaic applications
Authors: Pattathurani L , Dash Shubhransu Sekhar , Vishnuram Pradeep , Sridhar R
Published: January 2019

In the era of proliferated distributed renewable energy sources, high-gain DC–DC converters dragged much attention among the researchers. But there is a concern that high-gain converters have less efficiency and high switching stresses. The converter topology has two quasi-impedance source network and a voltage multiplier cell unit to facilitate very high-gain output voltage. This work also suggests using a non-linear carrier controller which embodies two loops within it: one facilitates the input variations and the other loop assists load regulations. The input variations due to varying irradiation of photovoltaic are alleviated by employing the perturb and observe maximum power point tracking mechanism. The simulation of the work is realized in MATLAB/Simulink arena, and hardware circuits are validated using the dsPIC30F4011 controller. This paper proposes a new two-loop control embedded high-gain DC–DC converter fed by photovoltaic source which aims at encouraging the project-driven engineering education teaching and thereby inherently complying to the standards set for academic excellence through Bloom’s taxonomy.
Characterization and morphological development of polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends using polyamide 6 powder and single-walled carbon nanotube
Authors: Kang DongHo , Hwang Sung Wook , Jung Bich Nam , Shim Jin Kie
Published: January 2019

In this study, polyamide 6 and polypropylene (50/50 weight ratio) blend with 2 wt.% of single-walled carbon nanotubes was prepared by melt processing. Cryo-milling process was employed to produce the micro-sized powder form of polyamide 6. In order to evaluate the influence of polyamide 6 powder (PNPS2) on the morphology of blend, granule form of polyamide 6 (NPS2) was employed for comparison. Improvement of thermal conductivity (about 31% increase) was observed via development of fiber-like morphology of PNPS2, compared to NPS2 (co-continuous morphology). Due to small and coarse shape of polyamide 6 powder, it may hinder the coalescence of the polyamide 6 phase, resulting in the reduction of polyamide 6 nodules size, contributing to the development of fiber-like morphology. No statistical difference was found in the mechanical property of PNPS2 and NPS2. With a 60.43% of phase continuity of polyamide 6 phase in PNPS2, fiber-like morphology contributed to the increase of effective single-walled carbon nanotubes volume concentration with more filler-to-filler connection, resulting in the improvement in thermal conductivity.
Frequency and radiological characteristics of previously overlooked renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Borkmann Simon , Geterud Kjell , Lundstam Sven , Hellström Mikael
Published: January 2019

Background

A majority of renal tumors are incidentally detected and may therefore have been previously radiologically overlooked.

Purpose

To investigate the frequency of previously radiologically overlooked renal cell carcinoma (RCC), identify tumor characteristics and imaging factors that contribute to misdiagnoses and to investigate its consequences.

Material and Methods

All RCCs identified in a regional cancer registry over one year were retrieved (n = 87). All preceding radiological examinations were re-analyzed for overlooked RCCs.

Results

RCCs had been previously overlooked in 18 (21%) of the 87 patients (on 26 examinations: computed tomography [CT] = 16, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] = 5, urography = 3, ultrasound = 2) or 18 (43%) of the 42 patients who had earlier radiological examinations. Overlooked RCCs were smaller than non-overlooked RCCs (median = 23 mm; range = 10–45 mm vs. 65 mm; range = 13–207 mm) ( P < 0.0001), more frequently located in upper pole, 50% vs. 26% ( P = 0.0836), and more frequently homogenous, 50% vs. 9% ( P = 0.0003). There was no difference in exophytic growth (60% vs. 60%) ( P = 0.74). Overlooked RCCs displayed poorer visualization on CT/MRI in all image planes (axial, coronal, sagittal) compared to non-overlooked tumors ( P = 0.004, P = 0.001, P < 0.0001, respectively). Overlooked tumors had interval size progression of median 12 mm (range = 0–65 mm) to clinical detection (median = 1033 days).

Conclusions

RCCs are frequently overlooked at imaging in the clinical routine. Overlooked tumors were smaller and displayed poorer visualization in all image planes compared to non-overlooked tumors. Substantial delay to clinical diagnosis and variable size progression was noted. Careful attention to the kidneys in multiple image planes seems warranted, irrespective of clinical indication.
Incidence of rare cancers in the city of São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Bustamante-Teixeira Maria Teresa , Latorre Maria do Rosário D.O. , Guerra Maximiliano R. , Tanaka Luana F. , Botta Laura , Trama Annalisa , Gatta Gemma
Published: January 2019

Introduction:

Rare cancers are a challenge for clinical practice as well as for epidemiology and public health. Studies on this subject are few and limited to the study of cases with scarce epidemiologic information. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of rare cancers and to compare the demographic, anatomic, and histologic characteristics of rare and nonrare (common) cancers.

Methods:

Incidence data were obtained from the Population-based Cancer Registry of São Paulo, Brazil. Rare neoplasms were those defined in the RARECARE list, which takes into account an incidence lower than 6/100,000/year.

Results:

In São Paulo, 20.4% of tumors had an incidence lower than 6/100,000/year from 1997 to 2012, being therefore considered as rare tumors. We identified 11 entities with an incidence greater than 6/100,000/year (common neoplasms) and 186 entities with an incidence lower than 6/100,000/year (rare neoplasms). The mean annual incidence of all cancers was 365 per 100,000 in São Paulo between 1997 and 2012, and the incidence of all rare tumors was 74.5 per 100,000.

Conclusions:

This study presents the burden of rare cancers in Brazil. It is expected to be an incentive for further studies of these entities in order to know the epidemiologic profile of rare tumors in Brazil and to provide a more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
National Assessment of Near-Road Air Quality in 2016: Multi-Year Pollutant Trends and Estimation of Near-Road PM2.5 Increment
Authors: Seagram Annie F. , Brown Steven G. , Huang ShihMing , Landsberg Karin , Eisinger Douglas S.
Published: January 2019

Continuous monitoring of PM2.5, NO2, and other pollutants occurs at near-road air quality monitoring locations throughout the United States, as required by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Near-road monitoring sites were set up from 2014 through 2016, with 68 NO2 monitors in 2016, 31 of which also monitored PM2.5. Annual and multi-year statistics of NO2 and PM2.5 concentrations were compared with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. A PM2.5“increment”—the difference between concentrations measured in the near-road environment and those concentrations measured at nearby sites—was estimated. Several methods were used to select nearby sites from which to calculate “background” concentrations: (1) sites within 25 km, 50 km, and 100 km of the near-road site, and sites whose 24 h PM2.5 concentrations were well correlated with those at the near-road site; (2) sites within 40 km of the near-road site, where PM2.5 concentrations were interpolated using an inverse distance weighting; and (3) a site in the “upwind” direction from the near-road site. The mean PM2.5 increment across all near-road sites ranged from +0.6 to +1.1 μg/m3 (or 6–10% of the average PM2.5), depending on the method. Understanding the variation in the PM2.5 increment can be useful to assess calculations of PM2.5 background, which is required by EPA under various regulatory frameworks. The PM2.5 increment generally decreased with increasing distance from monitoring site to roadway, and increased with increasing traffic volume.
Examining Barriers and Facilitators to Delivering SNAP-Ed Direct Nutrition Education in Rural Communities
Authors: Haynes-Maslow Lindsey , Osborne Isabel , Pitts Stephanie Jilcott
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

To better understand the barriers to implementing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) direct education programming in rural communities, as well as strategies to overcome these barriers. This includes (1) barriers to implementing direct education in rural communities, and (2) facilitators to overcoming direct-education barriers in rural communities.

Design:

This was a qualitative study that included in-depth interviews.

Setting:

Fifteen states across all 7 SNAP-Ed regions.

Participants:

Participants were eligible if they (1) were SNAP-Ed staff who were involved with implementing programs; (2) implemented at least 50% of their programming in rural communities, and (3) worked in their role for at least 12 months. Twenty-seven (n = 27) staff participated in interviews.

Measures:

Online surveys ascertained if participants were interested in participating in a 60-minute interview about implementing SNAP-Ed in rural communities. Interviews were semistructured and focused on the barriers and facilitators to implementing SNAP-Ed direct-education nutrition programming in rural areas.

Analysis:

Qualitative interviews were analyzed using content analysis in Atlas.ti.

Results:

Barriers to implementing direct education in rural communities included lack of healthy food and physical activity infrastructure to reinforce messages taught in class, funding restrictions, transportation for SNAP-Ed staff and the perception that this was also a problem for participants, and SNAP-Ed staff being seen as “outsiders” (not from the community). Facilitators included partnering with other organizations to increase recruitment and retention of SNAP-Ed participants, buy-in from local leaders, and SNAP-Ed staff being from the community.

Conclusion:

Partnerships between SNAP-Ed programs and non-SNAP-Ed organizations were essential in helping to recruit and retain participants. The SNAP-Ed staff should get buy-in from local leaders before starting direct-education programming. The SNAP-Ed programs should explore innovative delivery modalities including online and text messaging due to transportation issues in widespread rural geographies. Lastly, more work should be done to complement SNAP-Ed direct education with policy, systems, and environmental change initiatives.
The Stock Performance of American Companies Investing in a Culture of Health
Authors: Goetzel Ron Z. , Fabius Raymond , Roemer Enid Chung , Kent Karen B. , Berko Jeffrey , Head Michael A. , Henke Rachel Mosher
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

We investigated the relationship between companies’ efforts to build internal (COH-INT) and external cultures of health (COH-EXT) and their stock performance.

Design:

We administered 2 surveys, which measure companies’ programs, policies, and supports for improving the health of their employees and communities. We then compared the companies’ stock performance to the Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index from January 2013 through August 2017.

Setting:

United States.

Participants:

Representatives from 17 publicly traded companies who completed the COH-INT survey, of whom 14 also completed the COH-EXT.

Measures:

Culture of health scores were dichotomized into high versus low for both surveys. Stock price data for all companies were gathered from public sources.

Analysis:

We constructed 5 stock portfolios: all 17 companies, high COH-INT, low COH-INT, high COH-EXT, and low COH-EXT companies. We examined total returns for each portfolio compared to the S&P 500.

Results:

High COH-INT companies’ stock price appreciated by 115% compared to the S&P benchmark (+69%), while low COH-INT companies appreciated only 43%. In contrast, high COH-EXT companies underperformed (+44%) when compared to the S&P 500 (+69%) and low COH-EXT companies (+89%).

Conclusion:

This study supports the view that employers’ efforts to build an internal culture of health is a sound business strategy. More research is needed, however, to establish whether a link exists between supporting healthy community initiatives and company stock performance.
After Agonistic Liberalism: Milbank and Pabst’s Relentless Pursuit of Radical Anglican Thomism
Authors: Song Robert
Published: January 2019

Milbank and Pabst’s account of liberalism as rooted in ontological violence picks out the secret commonalities of left-leaning rights-based and right-leaning market-based liberalisms with considerable shrewdness, and their elaboration of associationist and civil economic alternatives contains many strikingly expansive and novel elements. However, their totalising account of liberalism prevents them from engaging the strengths of the liberal era with sufficient generosity, and so impedes their efforts to articulate a way forward that is substantially and not just chronologically post-liberal.
‘Situational awareness’: Rethinking security in times of urban terrorism
Authors: Krasmann Susanne , Hentschel Christine
Published: January 2019

The emergence of ‘situational awareness’ as a response to the perception of a new terrorism in European cities marks a significant shift in the conceptualization of security. Focusing on a recently introduced German Federal Police programme that trains ordinary officers in their capability to handle ‘complex life-threatening situations of police operation’, the article explores how situational awareness introduces a warrior logic into policing and urban subjectivity and modifies our understanding of security at large. It points us to the limitations of preparedness and concretizes the hitherto elusive call to resilience. Three analytical dimensions – space–time, sensing and connectivity – will be developed to render the situation thinkable for empirical research as well as to grasp security as a ‘live’ mode of government.
Competitiveness Impedimental Factors of Latvian Manufacturing Companies in China
Authors: Bulis Aldis , Kabiraj Sajal , Siddik Md Nur Alam
Published: January 2019

This study seeks to investigate competitiveness of foreign manufacturing companies in the Chinese market, developing full list of competitiveness impedimental factors of foreign manufacturing companies in the Chinese market, exploring the most significant competitiveness impedimental factors of Latvian manufacturing companies in the Chinese market and developing the conceptual model for reduction of competitiveness impedimental factors of Latvian manufacturing companies in the Chinese market. The main research methods employed in this study are literature review, expert method and surveys. The conceptual model for competitiveness improvement of manufacturing companies in the foreign market developed in the study shows that it is possible to improve companies’ competitiveness in the foreign market by reducing impact of competitiveness impedimental factors for operation in the foreign market that leads to increased profit, turnover and export volume. The results of this study show that the most significant competitiveness impedimental factors of Latvian manufacturing companies in the Chinese market are as follows: logistics to China is expensive and time-consuming, lack of support from state government for exporting to China and inappropriate marketing to sell products in the Chinese market.
Do Openness and Democracy Deepen Banking Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Authors: Aluko Olufemi Adewale , Fapetu Oladapo , Ibitoye Julius Oyebanji
Published: January 2019

This article examines whether openness and democracy deepen the banking sector in sub-Saharan Africa, using a sample of 33 countries over the period 1991–2015. After controlling for the potential effects of some country characteristics, this article shows that simultaneous opening of trade and capital borders and higher levels of democratic governance deepen the banking sector. It also shows that increasing financial openness without increasing trade openness would result in a shallower banking sector but increasing trade openness alone is adequate to deepen the banking sector. This article provides evidence to support the simultaneous openness hypothesis and political economy theory of financial development.
Not Only for the (Tom) boys: Gender Variables as Predictors for Playing Motivations, Passion, and Addiction for MMORPGs
Authors: Kneer Julia , Franken Sanne , Reich Sabine
Published: January 2019

Background. Research on playing motivation and passion for MMORPGs and gender has so far mainly focused on biological sex and neglected variables related to social gender such as masculinity and femininity. As some playing motivations and obsessive passion are assumed to be related to problematic game play, problematic game play is still considered a male phenomenon, often based on mainly male samples and disregarding underlying causes in problematic tendencies that could explain or extent findings on biological sex difference.

Method. This survey based quantitative study investigated the impact of masculine and feminine personality on game play motivations, passion, and problematic game play. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) players ( N = 375, 44.3% female) were recruited via Facebook and online games. Feminine and masculine personality traits were assessed along with game play motivations, passion, and problematic game play.

Results. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that gender traits add significant value for almost all variables of interest. Negative masculine traits were positive predictors for achievement as game play motivation while positive feminine traits predicted social interaction. Harmonious passion was predicted by positive masculine traits. Negative feminine traits were found to predict immersion as well as obsessive passion and were also important for problematic game play.

Conclusion. Gender traits add valuable information to mere biological sex concerning different game related concepts such as motivation, passion, and problematic game play. Despite the idea that problematic game play is a male phenomenon, negative feminine traits seem to be linked to problematic tendencies. We suggest including gender and personality variables for future games and/or media studies.
Child Maltreatment and Mother–Child Transmission of Stress Physiology
Authors: Hibel Leah C. , Mercado Evelyn , Valentino Kristin
Published: January 2019

In the current study, we examined the attunement and transmission of mother–child diurnal cortisol among maltreating ( N = 165) and nonmaltreating ( N = 83) mothers and their preschool-aged children. Over half of the families had a substantiated child maltreatment case with the mother as the perpetrator. Mothers collected three saliva samples (waking, midday, and bedtime) on themselves and their child on two consecutive days, which were later assayed for cortisol. This design allows for the examination of concurrent attunement, as well as cross-lagged transmission, across the day. Results from actor–partner interdependence models revealed significant differences in mother–child cortisol attunement and transmission between the maltreating and nonmaltreating groups. Specifically, only maltreating mothers transmitted cortisol to their children and were attuned at first waking; only nonmaltreating dyads were attuned at midday. Implications of these results for sociocultural models of stress physiology and for our understanding of how child maltreatment affects diurnal cortisol regulation are discussed.
Treading the tightrope of femininity: Transforming gendered subjectivity in a therapeutic community
Authors: Perheentupa Inna , Salmenniemi Suvi
Published: January 2019

This article examines the therapeutic self-transformation process in a self-help group in Russia. Drawing on participant observation and interviews, and engaging with debates on therapeutic technologies and the transformation of gender relations, it explores how the self-help group shapes how participants come to understand and act upon themselves. It shows that the process of self-transformation is profoundly gendered, problematising femininity and identifying it as an object of therapeutic intervention. Rather than collectively contesting gendered power and disadvantage, participants are invited to cultivate traditional notions of femininity and masculinity and learn to draw pleasure from them. We argue that this message may be appealing to women because it speaks to their lived experience of exhaustion and precarity, and offers them the prospect of overcoming it through a mythologised heteronormative order. It offers solace and a potential escape route where room for political agency is limited and feminist discourse heavily vilified. Yet the article also shows that participants do not merely internalise the ideological messages of the group, but engage with them in contradictory and ambivalent ways.
Parameter estimation of butyl rubber aided with dynamic mechanical analysis for numerical modelling of an air-inflated torus and experimental validation using 3D-laser Doppler vibrometer
Authors: Sharma Arun K , Bhattacharya Bishakh
Published: January 2019

Over the few decades, there has been an exponential growth in the application of inflated torus system in the field of space deployable antenna design, solar propulsion, and aerodynamic deceleration system. However, such a system is inherently susceptible to mechanical vibration and hence requires precise modal analysis to produce stable inflatable structures. This paper summarizes all the necessary steps to be followed for dynamic analysis of inflatable structures. With this objective, a butyl rubber-based inflated torus system with dynamic material properties has been considered in this work. On performing mechanical tests of the rubber sample, properties like Prony series parameters, complex modulus, and damping values were obtained. Using laser Doppler vibrometry, the modal behavior of a butyl rubber-based air-inflated torus with free–free boundary condition was studied. The results achieved from experimental modal analysis and simulation involving fluid–structure interaction were found to be in close proximity. It is envisaged that the test template integrated with numerical validation can lay the foundation for designing complex inflatable torus structures.
Quasi hyperbolic function expansion method and tanh-function method for solving vibrating string equation and elastic rod equation
Authors: Tian Yi
Published: January 2019

This paper applies the quasi hyperbolic function expansion method and the modified extended tanh-function method to exactly solve the nonlinear vibrating string equation and the elastic rod equation. The obtained exact solutions can be expressed by hyperbolic functions, which can outline various vibration properties.
The impact of leader–member exchange on lodging employees’ dynamic capacities: The mediating role of job satisfaction
Authors: Eşitti Bekir , Kasap Mesut
Published: January 2019

Firms take precautions with their dynamic capacities in response to rapidly changing and volatile conditions. Leader–member exchange refers to the importance of supervisors’ role in shaping employees’ work attitudes and job satisfaction. Previous researches on the relation between leader–member exchange and dynamic capabilities obtained mixed results; a call has been made for an examination of dynamic capabilities of lodging firms from the perspective of leader–member exchange. This research predicts that leader–member exchange is associated with dynamic capabilities and higher level of job satisfaction. Thus, this study examines the impact of five-star hotel employees’ leader–member exchange on the dynamic capabilities of a hospitality organization and the mediation role of job satisfaction between leader–member exchange and dynamic capabilities. Results from five hotel teams in Istanbul with 390 employees show that job satisfaction has a meaningful and positive impact on dynamic capabilities. Leader–member exchange has a statistically significant impact on dynamic capabilities and job satisfaction partially mediating the relationship between leader–member exchange and dynamic capabilities. This study also provides valuable recommendations on how to assess the service quality of lodging firms by assessing their dynamic capabilities. Specifically, Istanbul’s lodging firms should focus on job satisfaction to improve the dynamic capability of their employees.
The world of work and the crisis of capitalism: Marx and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Authors: Hughes Carl , Southern Alan
Published: January 2019

Marx’s work on machines showed an initial clarity on where he believed technology sits in the means of production. The machine, its differentia specifica, while it consumes other forms of raw material just as the labourer consumes food, does not appear as the means of labour in the same way as that of the individual worker. How this fits in with contemporary debate around the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its re-shaping of the world of work is the focus in this article. Our examination of this is in the broader context of the crisis of capitalism, the tendency towards objectified labour and the view that automation, the ‘Uberization’ of the economy, is likely to sharpen the contradictions between capital and labour. Whether we are entering a time of post capitalism, or a post-work period, warnings of job loss associated with the convergence of robotisation, big data digitisation, bio-tech and artificial intelligence indicate that the tension and complexity of decreased labour inputs will lead to a more acute world of work. Here, we draw on the work of Marx to help stimulate ideas for investigating and analysing what the Fourth Industrial Revolution means for labour and how the neutrality of the technologies remains to be socially shaped.
Links Between Painting and Neurology: The Example of Dementia
Authors: Cipriani Gabriele , Cipriani Luca , Danti Sabrina , Picchi Lucia , Di Fiorino Mario
Published: January 2019

Art is a system of human communication arising from symbolic cognition, conveying ideas, experiences, and feelings. The goal of this review is to describe the link between painting and dementia. Individuals with neurodegenerative diseases inevitably experience cognitive dysfunction that has the potential to limit and impair the artist’s ability to realize their creative and expressive intentions through painting. The strategy to advance our understanding of the neural bases for art is to map locations and nature of neural damage to changes onto artistic production.
Continuous EEG Monitoring—The Neurologist’s Crystal Ball
Authors: Husain Aatif M.
Published: January 2019

[Box: see text]
Dravet Syndrome: A Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy
Authors: Lopez-Santiago Luis , Isom Lori L.
Published: January 2019

[Box: see text]
Denying Special Education to Students in Need: A Case of Accountability, Compliance, and Fear in a Texas Elementary School
Authors: DeMatthews David E. , Knight David S.
Published: January 2019

Accountability policies have impacted school leadership practices both positively and negatively. In Texas, the adoption of a special education accountability policy led many schools and districts to delay or denial of special education to eligible students. This article includes an undisguised case describing the Texas Education Agency’s district performance indicator that influenced districts to lower the percentage of students provided with special education. This case provides the context for a fictional scenario of a newly hired elementary school principal who is pressured to maintain low special education rates by her director supervisor and superintendent. The case explores special education law, top-down accountability, the intersectional identities of vulnerable students and families, and ethical decisions confronted by principals seeking to ensure all students are successful.
Analysis and implementation of a drag-type vertical-axis wind turbine for small distributed wind energy systems
Authors: Li Zheng , Han Ruihua , Gao Peifeng , Wang Caisheng
Published: January 2019

This article investigates a drag-type vertical-axis wind turbine that is targeted for small-scale wind energy system applications. Based on aerodynamics models, the three-dimensional simulation studies have been carried out to obtain the force distributions along blades and eventually the torque and power coefficients for different vertical-axis wind turbine configurations. An optimal vertical-axis wind turbine configuration is chosen based on the comparative analysis, and a 2 kW prototype system has been implemented based on the design. The effectiveness of the three-dimensional models and simulation results has been verified by the measured data from the actual vertical-axis wind turbine system. The wake impacts to the vertical-axis wind turbine caused by nearby objects are also analyzed. The simulation results and the actual operation experiences show that the proposed system has the characteristics of low cut-in speed, high power density, and robustness to adjacent objects (such as buildings and other wind turbines), which make it suitable for small-scale wind energy systems in populated areas including urban environment.
Jurisprudence by Aphorisms: Francis Bacon and the “Uses” of Small Forms
Authors: Geng Penelope
Published: January 2019

The belief that Francis Bacon was, from the start, a stalwart defender of royal absolutism has prevailed in scholarship despite occasional comments about Bacon’s pluralist or collaborative legal and political imagination. Building on recent revisionist work, this article questions the standard historiography. It argues that Bacon’s jurisprudential outlook – particularly with respect to the question of legal authority – changed over the course of his career. A comparative analysis of his early and late legal writing clarifies the nature of the shift. In The Maxims of the Common Law (1596/7), Bacon theorizes a collaborative model of legal interpretation. Drawing inspiration from the use, a popular legal device and precursor of the modern trust, Bacon likens himself to a grantor who invites his readers, the grantees, to “make use of” the knowledge contained in the maxims and rules. “Learned” and “sensible” readers are welcomed as trustees of the law – provided they comply with the author’s terms of use. The collaborative, game-like spirit of this Elizabethan text is conspicuously absent in his Jacobean treatises. When Bacon revisits the subject of legal aphorisms in An Example of a Treatise on Universal Justice . . . by Aphorisms (1623), he restricts the art of legal interpretation to experts: the sovereign and a handful of elite interpreters of the law (jurisconsults). The two texts and the different jurisprudential contexts they evoke, common law and Roman law, point to a hardening of Bacon’s politics and aphoristic theory over time.
Regional differences in ischemic stroke in India (north vs. south)
Authors: Venugopalan Vishnu Y , Bhatia Rohit , Pandian Jeyaraj , Khurana Dheeraj , Kaul Subhash , Sylaja P.N. , Arora Deepti , Khatter Himani , Padma M.V. , Singhal Aneesh B.
Published: January 2019

Background

India is a large country with geographically diverse populations and varying risk factors. Identification of regional differences can improve healthcare policy decisions.

Aim

To study regional differences in stroke between North and South India.

Methods

We analyzed data from the Indo-US Collaborative Stroke Project, a National Institute of Health-funded multicentre prospective study conducted in five academic centers in India with a US-based coordinating center. Risk factors, severity, mechanisms, management, complications, and outcomes among ischemic stroke patients were compared between North and South Indian centers.

Results

Of the 2066 patients enrolled from North ( n = 1060) and South India ( n = 1006), North Indian patients were significantly older with fewer men and had lower rates of diabetes (32.8% vs. 38.7%, p < 0.01), dyslipidemia (3.5% vs. 25.7%, p < 0.01), tobacco use (27% vs. 38%, p < 0.001), and alcohol use (30.1% vs. 38.6%, p < 0.01). North Indian patients had higher median National Institute of Health stroke scale scores (10 vs. 9, p < 0.01), more frequent large-artery atherosclerosis mechanism (34% vs. 25.6%, p < 0.001), intravenous thrombolysis (14.0% vs. 6.1%, p < 0.001), and lower rates of pneumonia (10.5% vs. 15.1%, p = 0.02). The three-month outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0–2, 45.8% vs. 50.3%, p = 0.08) did not differ; however, North Indian patients had higher 90-day mortality (23.5% vs. 13.5%, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The substantial regional differences in stroke risk factors and mechanisms may be partly explained by factors such as differing dietary habits and lifestyle, which can be addressed at a national level. Differences in acute and inpatient stroke care suggest a need for better adoption of national stroke management guidelines.