bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction to the Special Issue on Language in Social Media: Exploiting Discourse and Other Contextual Information
Authors: Benamara Farah , Inkpen Diana , Taboada Maite
Published: September 2018

Social media content is changing the way people interact with each other and share information, personal messages, and opinions about situations, objects, and past experiences. Most social media texts are short online conversational posts or comments that do not contain enough information for natural language processing (NLP) tools, as they are often accompanied by non-linguistic contextual information, including meta-data (e.g., the user’s profile, the social network of the user, and their interactions with other users). Exploiting such different types of context and their interactions makes the automatic processing of social media texts a challenging research task. Indeed, simply applying traditional text mining tools is clearly sub-optimal, as, typically, these tools take into account neither the interactive dimension nor the particular nature of this data, which shares properties with both spoken and written language. This special issue contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of these interactions to process social media data from a new perspective in discourse interpretation. This introduction first provides the necessary background to understand what context is from both the linguistic and computational linguistic perspectives, then presents the most recent context-based approaches to NLP for social media. We conclude with an overview of the papers accepted in this special issue, highlighting what we believe are the future directions in processing social media texts.
Interactional Stancetaking in Online Forums
Authors: Kiesling Scott F. , Pavalanathan Umashanthi , Fitzpatrick Jim , Han Xiaochuang , Eisenstein Jacob
Published: September 2018

Language is shaped by the relationships between the speaker/writer and the audience, the object of discussion, and the talk itself. In turn, language is used to reshape these relationships over the course of an interaction. Computational researchers have succeeded in operationalizing sentiment, formality, and politeness, but each of these constructs captures only some aspects of social and relational meaning. Theories of interactional stancetaking have been put forward as holistic accounts, but until now, these theories have been applied only through detailed qualitative analysis of (portions of) a few individual conversations. In this article, we propose a new computational operationalization of interpersonal stancetaking. We begin with annotations of three linked stance dimensions—affect, investment, and alignment—on 68 conversation threads from the online platform Reddit. Using these annotations, we investigate thread structure and linguistic properties of stancetaking in online conversations. We identify lexical features that characterize the extremes along each stancetaking dimension, and show that these stancetaking properties can be predicted with moderate accuracy from bag-of-words features, even with a relatively small labeled training set. These quantitative analyses are supplemented by extensive qualitative analysis, highlighting the compatibility of computational and qualitative methods in synthesizing evidence about the creation of interactional meaning.
We Usually Don’t Like Going to the Dentist: Using Common Sense to Detect Irony on Twitter
Authors: Van Hee Cynthia , Lefever Els , Hoste Véronique
Published: September 2018

Although common sense and connotative knowledge come naturally to most people, computers still struggle to perform well on tasks for which such extratextual information is required. Automatic approaches to sentiment analysis and irony detection have revealed that the lack of such world knowledge undermines classification performance. In this article, we therefore address the challenge of modeling implicit or prototypical sentiment in the framework of automatic irony detection. Starting from manually annotated connoted situation phrases (e.g., “flight delays,” “sitting the whole day at the doctor’s office”), we defined the implicit sentiment held towards such situations automatically by using both a lexico-semantic knowledge base and a data-driven method. We further investigate how such implicit sentiment information affects irony detection by assessing a state-of-the-art irony classifier before and after it is informed with implicit sentiment information.
Forgetting in Social Chains: The Impact of Cognition on Information Propagation
Authors: Drost-Lopez Jose , Coman Alin
Published: September 2018

Listening to a speaker selectively practicing previously encoded information leads to better memory for the practiced information, but at the same time results in induced forgetting of related memories. These effects have been found to occur due to the concurrent, and covert, retrieval of information on the part of the listener. Using a modified version of the method of serial reproduction (Bartlett, 1932), this study explored the degree to which rehearsal and retrieval-induced forgetting effects propagated in 64 3-person-chains of connected participants. We manipulated the degree of concurrent retrieval from the part of the listener by activating high and low relational motivations during the listening task. We showed that the degree of propagation of retrieval-induced forgetting was larger when concurrent retrieval was activated (high-relational motivation) than when concurrent retrieval was attenuated (low-relational motivation). This study provides a framework that aims to bridge between micro-level cognitive phenomena and macro-level social dynamics.
‘Misisti manum tuam ex alto’: Manichaean Imagery of Christ as God’s Hand in Augustine’s Confessions?
Authors: van Oort Johannes
Published: September 2018

The article first explores Augustine’s conspicuous references to ‘God’s Hand’ in his Confessions by presenting a fresh translation and brief commentary of the relevant texts. In the commentary special attention is given to the possible signifiance of these texts to (former) Manichaean readers. It is concluded that Augustine’s eye-catching imagery is not only inspired by biblical language and—in all likelihood—by predecessors in the Christian tradition such as Irenaeus and especially Ambrose, but also strikingly coincides with an essential metaphor of the Manichaeans. This feature once again underlines the importance of the Manichaean element in Augustine’s Confessions.
The Offence of Terrorist Financing; Why Does It Go Wrong?
Authors: Tofangsaz Hamed
Published: September 2018

The international convention on terrorist financing and Western-backed international organisations have found the financing of terrorism serious enough to criminalise it as an independent offence. While the offence has a preparatory nature, its criminalisation as an independent offence expands the boundary of criminal liability beyond existing notions of criminalisation. This article examines the justifiability of the terrorist financing offence with regard to the principles and values on which liberal criminal law is based. Liberal criminal law has been chosen because the idea of the criminalisation of terrorist financing was issued and developed mainly by Western liberal States. The article narrowly discusses the issue in the context of Anglo-American criminal law.
Leadership as Participation in the Hospitality of God
Authors: Tangen Karl Inge
Published: September 2018

This article sketches a Lukan model of leadership. It argues that the Lukan vision of the kingdom of God is that of a future eschatological banquet, yet present in the ministry of the church. The kingdom is a place of eucharistic worship and creates a community characterized by mutual service and multi-ethnic hospitality. It offers a vision of leaders as servants who are empowered by the Spirit to perform liturgical–charismatic leadership, sharing the hospitality of God. Leading followers of Jesus are empowered by the Spirit and yet are suffering servants that in childlike faith depend on God. Because the kingdom is not fully realized, they also need to confront false teaching and deceptive leadership that threatens the integrity and hospitality of the church. Christian leaders are accountable to God but will serve as co-judges in the final judgement. They will enter the eschatological banquet sharing the joy of their master.
Phylogenetic relationships of Scelimeninae genera (Orthoptera: Tetrigoidea) based on COI, 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequences
Authors: CHEN YA-ZHEN , DENG WEI-AN , WANG JIA-MIN , LIN LI-LIANG , ZHOU SHAN-YI
Published: September 2018

Scelimeninae is an important subfamily of Tetrigoidea; however, the phylogenetic relationships within Scelimeninae are poorly understood, and its generic classification has remained unstable. In this study, the COI, 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes from 24 species in 9 genera within Scelimeninae were amplified and sequenced, the base composition and inter-species genetic distance of the combined sequence of COI, 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes were analyzed, and the molecular phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. The results of sequence analysis showed that the total length of the combined COI, 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequence was 3507 bp, including 2345 conservative sites, 1144 variable sites and 901 parsimony-informative sites. The average A+T content was 63.5% and 78.1% in the COI, 16S rRNA sequences, respectively, indicating A+T bias. The average genetic distance between all species was 0.134, and the average genetic distance in the inner group (Scelimeninae) was 0.126. A phylogenetic tree based on the combined sequences of the COI, 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes showed that the phylogenetic relationships among 9 Scelimeninae genera were as follows: Criotettix + (((Zhengitettix + Hebarditettix) + (Falconius + (Scelimena + Paragavialidium))) + ((Eucriotettix + Thoradonta) + Loxilobus)). The molecular phylogenetic results generally support the morphological taxonomy; at the genus level, Criotettix, Scelimena, Paragavialidium, Thoradonta and Eucriotettix are monophyletic groups, Scelimena and Paragavialidium form sister groups, and Thoradonta and Eucriotettix also form sister groups, but the relationship between Hebarditettix and Zhengitettix needs further study. At the species level, synonyms may exist between Thoradonta spiculoba and Thoradonta transpicula and Thoradonta nodulosa and Thoradonta obtusilobata, but more studies are required to confirm this inference.
Long-Term Strategy for Assessing Carbonaceous Particulate Matter Concentrations from Multiple Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Instruments: Influence of Spectral Dissimilarities on Multivariate Calibration Performance
Authors: Debus Bruno , Takahama Satoshi , Weakley Andrew T. , Seibert Kelsey , Dillner Ann M.
Published: September 2018

Matching the spectral response between multiple spectrometers is a mandatory procedure when developing robust calibrations whose prediction is independent of instrument-related signal variations. A viable alternative to complex calibration transfer methods consists of matching the instrument spectral response by controlling a set of key instrumental and environmental parameters. This paper discusses the applicability of such an approach to three Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometers used for the routine assessment of carbonaceous particulate matter concentrations in the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) speciation network. The effectiveness of the proposed matching procedure is evaluated by comparing the spectral response for each individual instrument in order to characterize the extent, and nature, of the remaining inter-instrument spectral dissimilarities. Instrument-related contributions to the signal were determined to be small compared with the spectral variability induced by the filter type used for sample collection. The impact of spectral differences on prediction was addressed through the comparison of model performance derived from multiple calibration scenarios. A hybrid model yielding accurate and homogeneous prediction regardless of the instrument was proposed for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), two major constituents of atmospheric particulate matter. Coefficients of determination of 0.98 (OC) and 0.90 (EC) with median biases not exceeding 0.20 µg (OC) and 0.07 µg (EC) are reported. The long-term stability, assessed from weekly measurements of reference samples, shows a deviation in predicted concentrations of less than ±5% over a 2.5-year period for most of the data collected. Extending OC and EC hybrid models to the prediction of ambient samples collected during the two subsequent years provides satisfactory performance. The proposed instrument matching procedure coupled with the relative simplicity of the hybrid model is an alternative to computationally advanced calibration transfer methodologies for the characterization of carbonaceous particulate matter using multiple FT-IR instruments.
Enforcing Race: A Neighborhood-Level Explanation of Black–White Differences in Drug Arrests
Authors: Gaston Shytierra
Published: September 2018

This research investigates the source of Black–White differences in drug arrests by conducting a neighborhood-level test of the differential police scrutiny and racially discriminatory policing hypotheses. The study examines drug arrests made across 78 neighborhoods in St. Louis between 2009 and 2013. Results from the negative binomial regression analyses lend the greatest support to the racially discriminatory policing perspective. Neighborhood racial composition significantly shapes drug law enforcement practices, net of neighborhood-level violent and property crime rates, drug-related calls for service by citizens, and socioeconomic disadvantage. Specifically, findings suggest that officers engage in “out-of-place” racial profiling in drug law enforcement, as they tend to target suspects whose race is incongruent with the neighborhood racial context. Implications of the study findings are discussed.
Investigation of social support perceptions and hopelessness levels of refugee women in Turkey
Authors: Çankaya Seyhan , Alan Dikmen Hacer , Dereli Yılmaz Sema
Published: September 2018

This study aimed to investigate the perceived social support and hopelessness levels experienced by 416 Syrian refugee women coming to Konya city since 2011 and compare refugee women’s perceived social support and hopelessness levels with the duration of stay in a new country. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Beck Hopelessness Scale were used to collect the data. The mean scores of the scales were determined as 31.9 ± 11.5 and 9.1 ± 4.3, respectively. Refugee women or their husbands/partners with high school or higher education who had a profession and higher family income, those with many children, and those having social security and coming from extended families were found to have lower hopelessness and higher perceived social support levels. As the perceived social support level increased, the hopelessness level experienced by refugee women was observed to decrease. Refugee women having to live in another country for long periods were concluded to have higher hopelessness and lower social support levels due to factors such as lower educational status, unemployment, lack of social security, lower economic status, loneliness, not belonging to a nuclear family, and having no higher living standards.
Complicating our understanding of environmental migration and displacement: The case of drought-related human movement in Kenya
Authors: Willett Jennifer , Sears Jeanelle
Published: September 2018

The social work profession is increasingly concerned with human movement due to environmental changes and has issued a call to develop appropriate interventions to support the vulnerable groups that tend to migrate. However, the scholarship in this area is lacking. In this brief note, we explore a case of environmental migration that was linked to drought in Kenya. We found that their experiences tend to be different than those that are highlighted or warned about in the literature. Through considering these differences, we propose several avenues for social work to support this population appropriately and ethically.
Participating Locally and Nationally: Explaining the Offline and Online Activism of British Party Members
Authors: Bale Tim , Webb Paul , Poletti Monica
Published: September 2018

Drawing on survey data on the members of six British parties gathered in the immediate aftermath of the general election of 2015, this article addresses the question of what members do for their parties during campaigns. It identifies a key distinction between traditional forms of activity and more recent forms of online campaign participation. While the well-established general incentives theory of participation continues to offer a useful basis for explaining both types of campaign activism, we find that our understanding is significantly enhanced by considering the impact of national and local political contexts. Whereas the former chiefly adds explanatory value to the model of online participation by party members, the latter considerably improves the model of offline participation.
Accommodation or Extraction? Employers, the State, and the Joint Production of Active Labor Market Policy
Authors: Cronert Axel
Published: September 2018

Conventional wisdom among comparative political economists maintains that the participation of employers in policymaking and policy implementation, fostered by corporatist arrangements, is crucial to the successful expansion of active labor market policy (ALMP). This article introduces a transaction-oriented theory of corporatism, partisanship, and ALMP that challenges the dominant view. It argues that corporatist arrangements do not affect the overall scope of ALMP but facilitate particular types of ALMP programs, ones that require the joint participation of employers and the state and involve a transfer of public resources to employers. Corporatist arrangements facilitating such programs—which center-right parties tend to prefer over those produced unilaterally by the state—also shift the focus of partisan conflict over ALMP from the level of public expenditure to the structure. Evidence for these claims is provided by time-series cross-sectional analyses of twenty-one OECD countries since the mid-1980s.
The Eclipses Abacus, the mechanical predictor of the solar and lunar eclipses
Authors: Popkonstantinović Branislav , Miladinović Ljubomir , Obradović Ratko , Jeli Zorana , Stojićević Miša
Published: September 2018

This paper exposes and explains the synthesis of a mechanism, the Eclipses Abacus, by which the date of solar and lunar eclipses can be predicted and determined sufficiently accurately. Moreover, a three-dimensional (3D) model of this mechanical device is created by using Solid Works application and the simulation of its operation is accomplished by which the accuracy of its predictions can be demonstrated and inspected. This work is significant mainly for education in the field of 3D modeling, mechanism synthesis, and simulation. Moreover, the Eclipses Abacus is interesting for teaching courses in astronomy since it can demonstrate solar and lunar eclipses simply and clearly.
An empirical approach to urban land monopoly: A case study of the city of Barranquilla, Colombia
Authors: Garza Nestor , Lizieri Colin
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we focus on the role and economic effect of land ownership and land monopoly in emerging urban environments. Land monopoly in conventional economics is a theoretical ‘impossibility’ which, nonetheless, allows for a spatial empirical approach. We design a spatial land monopoly test of our own, understood as a pricing strategy where land prices can be ‘over and above’ those determined by city-wide location, urban regulation and externalities. We use the city of Barranquilla (Colombia) as a case study. This city offers ideal conditions for investigation of theories of land monopoly, given extreme land concentration in its highly regulated elite northern fringe. We found no evidence of land monopoly pricing using different specifications of the spatial tests, which conformed to standard urban economic expectations: the pattern of development pointing to different, political channels influencing development.
Ramp It Up
Authors: Gurung Regan A. R. , Hackathorn Jana
Published: September 2018

The introductory psychology (Intro Psych) course is the bedrock of the psychology major and the front face of our discipline. The class not only provides a foundation for students in the major but also provides a comprehensive portrait of the discipline for nonmajors. Despite a sizable body of research focused on pedagogy related to the introductory class, there are many questions that remain unanswered. We provide a comprehensive review of scholarship related to the Intro Psych course and discuss current practices and concerns related to textbook options, as well as teaching methods, course design, assignments to help students learn, and students’ learning outcomes. Finally, we provide five major suggestions for future work. We charge researchers to identify major bottlenecks to learning, design multisite studies, measure moderators of learning, assess long-term retention, and design/assess different models of teaching Intro Psych.
Reducing Mental Illness Stigma in the Classroom
Authors: Strassle Carla G.
Published: September 2018

Psychology courses present unique opportunities to reduce mental illness stigma. The literature highlights contact with people diagnosed with disorders as the best stigma reduction technique. Simple stigma education, however, is also promising and can be accomplished as part of course content coverage. Abnormal psychology students participated in one of five conditions to gauge the impact of different stigma reduction techniques. Results for overall stigma reduction indicate robust effect sizes (Cohen’s d; range = 0.77–1.52) for all interventions conditions, but no effect for the control condition. The current study supports the use of stigma reduction techniques but highlights the usefulness of stigma education as a simple but powerful tool for stigma reduction within standard course curricula.
Using Facebook Pages to Connect With Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Friends
Authors: Zickar Michael J. , Ron Tom H. , Arnold Christopher
Published: September 2018

Facebook pages have been promoted as a cost-effective way of communicating with department alumni, students, faculty, and friends. We analyzed Facebook engagement metrics across a 2-year span for the page for one department of psychology. In addition, we surveyed followers of the page to determine whether different constituency groups appreciated different types of Facebook posts. In general, posts related to current faculty accomplishments were most engaging as judged by Facebook metrics and self-report survey data. The survey data also showed that different constituencies enjoyed posts related to their particular group. These results demonstrate that a department Facebook page can be an effective tool for reaching a wide range of constituent groups. We also discuss some tips for generating and managing a department page as well as challenges.
A combined control approach for industrial process systems using feed-forward and adaptive action based on second order sliding mode controller design
Authors: Dumlu Ahmet , Ayten Kağan Koray
Published: September 2018

This paper presents a new method that uses a feed-forward adaptive second order sliding mode control (FF-ASSMC) for a coupled tank process system that is often used in industry. This proposed method is to combine a feedforward action with adaptive feedback for robust performance of the couple tank system for the first time. The reason for using this feedforward action with the feedback sliding mode control (SMC) is to reduce the effect of the measured disturbance on the coupled tank system. In addition to this, an adaptive second-order SMC proposes to track the desired tank’s level trajectories under disturbances and uncertainties. In order to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed FF-ASSMC method, the simulation and real time experimental studies have been realized. The simulation and experimental outcomes strongly verified that the proposed controller gives a quite successful trajectory tracking response and smaller magnitude overshot under external disturbances.
A non-decoupled backstepping control for fixed-wing UAVs with multivariable fixed-time sliding mode disturbance observer
Authors: Han Yang , Li Peng , Zheng Zhiqiang
Published: September 2018

This paper addresses the issue of controlling the attitude together with the airspeed of a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a vector manner. A novel vector control structure is proposed to provide an extension of the well-known conventional three single channels. The rigid body dynamics are established in the form of vectors, which are the velocity vector and angular velocity vector in a body-fixed coordinate frame. Vector backstepping control and multivariable fixed-time sliding mode disturbance observers are then proposed on the dynamics to ensure that the disturbances and uncertainties can be estimated and cancelled in a fixed time, and the states of the system are driven towards the expected manifolds, and stay there for all future times. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
M-estimator based robust unscented Kalman filter through statistical linearization
Authors: Chang Guobin , Xu Tianhe , Wang Haitao
Published: September 2018

The robust unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is revisited in this paper from a new point of view, namely the statistical linear regression (SLR) perspective of the unscented transformation (UT). When the actual distribution of the observation noise deviates from the assumed Gaussian distribution, the performance of the filter may degrade significantly owing to lacking robustness. After linearizing the nonlinear observation equation using the SLR perspective, the M-estimator is employed to replace the weighted least-squares one, resulting in the robust UKF. Besides providing new theoretical aspects, the advantageous performance of the proposed filter is re-emphasized in terms of the following three: (1) robust, the proposed filter is robust against deviations from the assumed Gaussian distribution; (2) efficient, by elaborately selecting the tuning parameter of the M-estimator, the robust filter will have a slight efficiency loss compared with the UKF when the Gaussian assumption does hold; (3) accurate, the proposed filter achieves robustness without compromising the accuracy of the UT.
Stability analysis and robust tracking control for a class of switched nonlinear systems with uncertain input delay
Authors: Pezeshki Saeed , Badamchizadeh Mohammad Ali , Ghiasi Amir Rikhtehgar , Ghaemi Sehraneh
Published: September 2018

In this paper, the stability issue and tracking control problem for a class of switched nonlinear systems with uncertain input delay and disturbance are investigated. First, it is assumed a piecewise Lyapunov function exists for the nominal system (system without input delay and disturbance), and then, under the terms of the hypothetical piecewise Lyapunov function, a new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional is constructed. By employing this new function and a switching signal which satisfies the average dwell time, the delay-dependent input-to-state stability under a certain delay bound is provided; also, a mechanism is invented to find the upper bound for input delay of switched system. In the next step, tracking control problem for this system is studied. Finally, a kind of state feedback control law which ensures conditions of aforesaid hypothetical piecewise Lyapunov function is proposed to guarantee the input-to-state stability and the robust model reference tracking performance. Simulation examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Convergence and stability analysis of active disturbance rejection control for first-order nonlinear dynamic systems
Authors: Chen Zengqiang , Wang Yongshuai , Sun Mingwei , Sun Qinglin
Published: September 2018

To quantitatively investigate the correlation between parameters, disturbance and stability of the linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) technique, this paper provides a perspective of first-order nonlinear dynamic systems, and obtains the stable region of LADRC and reduced-order LADRC according to the Lyapunov function and the Markus–Yamabe theorem, along with mathematical proofs for global stability and asymptotic regulation. To be specific, regardless of whether plant dynamics are exactly known or unknown, the control bandwidth can be chosen arbitrarily from the obtained feasible region as long as the derivative of the disturbance satisfies a Lipschitz condition, or some knowledge of the boundary is available. Moreover, simulations are presented to testify the reliability of the results for different disturbances that are probably known or unknown when designing the extended state observer. The results show the validity and feasibility of this analysis.
Iterative learning control for linear continuous-time switched systems with observation noise
Authors: Yang Xuan , Ruan Xiaoe
Published: September 2018

The paper attempts to explore the effect of an internal switching mechanism and external noise on the learning performance of a conventional proportional–derivative iterative learning control scheme for linear continuous-time switched systems. The learning behaviour is analysed by virtue of a Lebesgue- p norm and the generalized Young inequality of the convolution integral. The results convey that both asymptotic convergence and robustness of the control algorithm depend mainly on the learning gains and the dynamics of the subsystems, but less on the time-driven switching rule. Given an arbitrary time-varying switching rule, a group of learning gains may be properly chosen such that both convergence and robustness of the control algorithm are guaranteed. Numerical simulations verify the validity and the effectiveness.
Optimal impulsive control for advertising strategy problems based on a gradient-based PSO algorithm
Authors: Wu Xiang , Lin Jinxing , Zhang Kanjian , Cheng Ming
Published: September 2018

This paper considers an optimal advertising strategy problem. This is an important problem in marketing investment for new products in a free market. The main contributions of this paper are as follows. First, the problem is formulated as an optimal control problem of switched impulsive systems with the state inequality constraints, which is different from the existing nonlinear system models. As the complexity of such constraints and the switching instants are unknown, it is difficult to solve this problem by using conventional optimization techniques. To overcome this difficulty, by applying the penalty function, all the state inequality constraints are first written as non-differentiable penalty terms and imposed into the cost function. Then, the penalty terms are smoothed by using a novel smooth function, leading to a smooth optimal control problem with no state inequality constraints, and an improved gradient-based particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed for solving this problem. Error analysis results show that if the adjustable parameter is sufficiently small, the solution of the smooth optimal control problem is approximately equal to the original problem. Finally, a switched impulsive system for beer sales is established to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed algorithm.
The Causal Influence of Perceived Social Norms on Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration: Converging Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, and Experimental Support for a Social Disinhibition Model
Authors: Mulla Mazheruddin M. , Witte Tricia H. , Richardson Kyle , Hart William , Kassing Francesca L. , Coffey Christopher A. , Hackman Christine L. , Sherwood Ian M.
Published: September 2018

Across three studies, we develop a model of the direct and indirect paths through which the perceived prevalence (perceived descriptive norms [PDN]) of intimate partner violence (IPV) among peers may influence individuals’ likelihood of engaging in IPV. Study 1 replicated and extended previous cross-sectional research by demonstrating a positive longitudinal association between PDN and subsequent IPV perpetration. Study 2 further showed the influence of PDN on IPV perpetration to be mediated through its relation to perceived peer acceptance of IPV (perceived injunctive norms [PIN]), which in turn predicted personal IPV acceptance. Study 3 built on this model using an experimental paradigm to show that increasing PDN leads to corresponding increases in PIN and, in turn, personal IPV acceptance, which both predicted IPV perpetration. Furthermore, the effects of PIN on personal IPV acceptance and IPV propensity were strongest for dominance-oriented individuals. Results bear important implications for social norms–based interventions for IPV.
A model-based method to improve the quality of ranking in keyword search systems using pseudo-relevance feedback
Authors: Ghanbarpour Asieh , Naderi Hassan
Published: September 2018

Keyword search has been known as an attractive search over databases. One of the challenges in keyword search is to rank the answers (subgraphs) of a keyword query in order to their relevance to the query. Most of the previous studies in this area are highly heuristic ranking functions which were proposed based on a confined analysis of the characteristics of answers. These functions usually reveal serious effectiveness problems due to their failure in recognising the conceptual differences between relatively similar answers. In this article, we propose a novel model-based method to improve the ranking accuracy of answers to a keyword query using pseudo-relevance feedback. The proposed method is built upon a carefully designed model for an answer called Structure-Aware Relevance Model which is estimated based on the textual and structural characteristics of the answer. In this article, we also study how to effectively select from feedback answers those words that are focused on the query topic based on placement and importance of words in the nodes of feedback answers. Extensive experiments conducted on a standard evaluation framework with three real-world datasets confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
The Fourth Estate: The construction and place of silence in the public sphere
Authors: Hansen Ejvind
Published: September 2018

The main narratives of prevailing ideas of the Fourth Estate were articulated in the era of traditional mass media, and these traditional narratives are challenged by the changing media landscapes. This raises the question whether traditional narratives of the Fourth Estate should be maintained. We will argue – through a close reading of Derrida’s reflections on the relationship between communicative significance and silence, combined with a deliberative ideal for democracy – that the new structures of communication call for a Fourth Estate that focuses on creating spaces for flexible structures of silence in the public sphere. The Fourth Estate has an obvious assignment of counteracting problematic structures of silence (if certain important voices are not being heard). In this article, we will, however, bring out assignments of creating spaces of silence in the public sphere: by (a) silencing certain dominant voices, (b) making room for an increased lack of answers and (c) creating an awareness of the insufficiencies of the public spheres.
The Importance of Using Multiple Data Sources in Policy Assessments: Lessons From Two Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in New York City
Authors: Yang Edith , Hendra Richard
Published: September 2018

Background:

The high costs of implementing surveys are increasingly leading research teams to either cut back on surveys or to rely on administrative records. Yet no policy should be based on a single set of estimates, and every approach has its weaknesses. A mixture of approaches, each with its own biases, should provide the analyst with a better understanding of the underlying phenomenon. This claim is illustrated with a comparison of employment effect estimates of two conditional cash transfer programs in New York City using survey and administrative unemployment insurance (UI) data.

Objectives:

This article explores whether using administrative data and survey data produce different impact estimates and investigates the source of differential effects between data sources.

Research design:

The results of a survey nonresponse bias analysis and an analysis of characteristics of non-UI-covered job characteristics using data collected on 6,000 families who enrolled in either the Family Rewards or Work Rewards evaluation are presented.

Results:

In both evaluations, survey data showed positive employment effects, while administrative data showed no statistically significant employment effects. Family Rewards increased employment mostly in non-UI-covered jobs, while the positive survey impact estimates in Work Rewards were partially due to survey nonresponse bias.

Conclusions:

Despite cost pressures leading researchers to collect and analyze only administrative records, the results suggest that survey and administrative records data both suffer from different kinds of sample attrition, and researchers may need to triangulate data sources to draw accurate conclusions about program effects. Developing more economical data collection practices is a major priority.
Captatio Benevolentiae: Potential Risks and Benefits of Flattering the Audience in a Public Political Speech
Authors: Cavazza Nicoletta , Guidetti Margherita
Published: September 2018

Given that flattery is a form of impression management and a persuasive tool in interpersonal communication, two experiments investigated the effect of a (fictitious) political candidate praising the audience during a meeting. The flattery was addressed to the social category to which participants belong (direct flattery condition) or to another social category (observed flattery condition). The flattering message (vs. control condition) employed in the context of a public speech induced a more positive candidate evaluation on both the members of the flattered audience and the observers. The effect was not mediated by degree of message scrutiny, nor by suspicion of source ulterior motives, and it was not moderated by the level of identification with the audience. This suggests that the compliment to the audience leads the members of the flattered category to reciprocate liking and the observers to transfer the source’s attitude recursively (TAR effect). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Optimal control and parameters design for the fractional-order vehicle suspension system
Authors: You Hao , Shen Yongjun , Xing Haijun , Yang Shaopu
Published: September 2018

In this paper the optimal control and parameters design of fractional-order vehicle suspension system are researched, where the system is described by fractional-order differential equation. The linear quadratic optimal state regulator is designed based on optimal control theory, which is applied to get the optimal control force of the active fractional-order suspension system. A stiffness-damping system is added to the passive fractional-order suspension system. Based on the criteria, i.e. the force arising from the accessional stiffness-damping system should be as close as possible to the optimal control force of the active fractional-order suspension system, the parameters of the optimized passive fractional-order suspension system are obtained by least square algorithm. An Oustaloup filter algorithm is adopted to simulate the fractional-order derivatives. Then, the simulation models of the three kinds of fractional-order suspension systems are developed respectively. The simulation results indicate that the active and optimized passive fractional-order suspension systems both reduce the value of vehicle body vertical acceleration and improve the ride comfort compared with the passive fractional-order suspension system, whenever the vehicle is running on a sinusoidal surface or random surface.
No interaction between rivastigmine and citalopram on memory and novelty processing in healthy human volunteers
Authors: Heckman PRA , Blokland A , Sambeth A
Published: September 2018

Background:

Animal literature suggests an interaction between acetylcholine and serotonin on cognitive functions.

Aims:

The aim of the current study was to assess whether both neurotransmitters interact during memory and novelty processing in humans.

Methods:

We tested the interaction between acetylcholine and serotonin on cognitive functions in healthy volunteers by means of treatment with rivastigmine and citalopram, respectively.

Results:

The main result of the study showed that during the verbal learning task participants significantly recalled fewer words after citalopram treatment than after rivastigmine or placebo during both the immediate and delayed recall tasks. Rivastigmine was not able to reverse the impairing effect of citalopram.

Conclusions:

This finding is in line with previous studies in which we manipulated acetylcholine and serotonin in different manners. Taken together, these studies in humans do not support the notion from animal studies that these two neurotransmitters interact on cognitive functions.
The Promise of Electronic Health Records to Promote Shared Decision Making: A Narrative Review and a Look Ahead
Authors: Kuo Alyce Mei-Shiuan , Thavalathil Berry , Elwyn Glyn , Nemeth Zsuzsanna , Dang Stuti
Published: September 2018

Background. Shared decision making (SDM) involves the sharing of best available evidence between patients and providers in the face of difficult decisions. We examine outcomes that occur when electronic health records (EHRs) are purposefully used with the goal of improving SDM and detail which EHR functions can benefit SDM. Methods. A systematic search of PubMed yielded 1369 articles. Studies were included only if they used EHR interventions to support SDM and included results that showed impact on SDM. Articles were excluded if they did not measure the impact of the intervention on SDM or did not discuss how SDM had been supported by the EHR. Results. Five studies demonstrated improved clinical outcomes, positive lifestyle behavior changes, more deliberation from patients regarding use of imaging, and less decisional conflict about medication use among patients with use of EHRs aiding SDM. Discussion. Few EHRs have integrated SDM, and even fewer evaluations of these exist. EHRs have potential in supporting providers during all steps of SDM. The promise of EHRs to support SDM has yet to be fully exploited.
Mapping the EORTC-QLQ-C30 to the EQ-5D-3L: An Assessment of Existing and Newly Developed Algorithms
Authors: Woodcock Fionn , Doble Brett , Fox Stephen B. , Collins Ian , Hayes Theresa , Singh Madhu , Richardson Gary , Lipton Lara , Moon So-Young , Lucas Mark , Fellowes Andrew , Xu Huiling , Thorne Heather , McNeil John J. , Lorgelly Paula , Thomas David M. , James Paul A. , John Tomas , Risbridger Gail , Wright Gavin , Snyder Raymond
Published: September 2018

Objectives. To assess the external validity of mapping algorithms for predicting EQ-5D-3L utility values from EORTC QLQ-C30 responses not previously validated and to assess whether statistical models not previously applied are better suited for mapping the EORTC QLQ-C30 to the EQ-5D-3L. Methods. In total, 3866 observations for 1719 patients from a longitudinal study (Cancer 2015) were used to validate existing algorithms. Predictive accuracy was compared to previously validated algorithms using root mean squared error, mean absolute error across the EQ-5D-3L range, and for 10 tumor-type specific samples as well as using differences between estimated quality-adjusted life years. Thirteen new algorithms were estimated using a subset of the Cancer 2015 data (3203 observations for 1419 patients) applying various linear, response mapping, beta, and mixture models. Validation was performed using 2 data sets composed of patients with varying disease severity not used in the estimation and all available algorithms ranked on their performance. Results. None of the 5 existing algorithms offer an improvement in predictive accuracy over preferred algorithms from previous validation studies. Of the newly estimated algorithms, a 2-part beta model performed the best across the validation criteria and in data sets composed of patients with different levels of disease severity. Validation results did, however, vary widely between the 2 data sets, and the most accurate algorithm appears to depend on health state severity as the distribution of observed EQ-5D-3L values varies. Linear models performed better for patients in relatively good health, whereas beta, mixture, and response mapping models performed better for patients in worse health. Conclusion. The most appropriate mapping algorithm to apply in practice may depend on the disease severity of the patient sample whose utility values are being predicted.
Decision Biases and Heuristics Among Emergency Managers: Just Like the Public They Manage For?
Authors: Roberts Patrick S. , Wernstedt Kris
Published: September 2018

We present evidence that emergency managers exhibit some of the same decision biases, sensitivity to framing, and heuristics found in studies of the general public, even when making decisions in their area of expertise. Our national survey of county-level emergency managers finds that managers appear more risk averse when the outcomes of actions are framed as gains than when equivalent outcomes are framed as losses, a finding that is consistent with prospect theory. We also find evidence that the perceived actions of emergency managers in neighboring jurisdictions affect the choices a manager makes. In addition, our managers show evidence of attribution bias, outcome bias, and difficulties processing numerical information, particularly probabilities compared to frequencies. Each of these departures from perfect rationality points to potential shortfalls in public managers’ decision making. We suggest opportunities to improve decision making through reframing problems, providing training in structured decision-making processes, and employing different choice architectures to nudge behavior in a beneficial direction.
Targeting the CD47-SIRPα signaling axis: current studies on B-cell lymphoma immunotherapy
Authors: Zhang Jin , Jin Shenhe , Guo Xiaojun , Qian Wenbin
Published: September 2018

The function of the immune system in cancer initiation and progression has been widely examined. Notably, immunotherapy has become a promising approach for cancer treatment. CD47, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, plays an important role in the immune regulation of cancer by binding to SIRPα. Multiple studies have detected high CD47 expression on the surface of tumor cells, which indicates poor prognosis. Treatments that block the interaction of CD47 and SIRPα significantly suppress tumor growth and metastasis through diverse mechanisms, such as phagocytosis, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and apoptosis. Recently, several studies have reported increased CD47 expression on different types of lymphoma cells, indicating that the CD47-SIRPα pathway can be used as a therapeutic target in lymphoma. This review focuses on the role of CD47-SIRPα in B-cell lymphoma and discusses promising therapeutic strategies targeting the CD47-SIRPα axis, which yield insights into the immunotherapy of B-cell lymphoma.