bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How (Not) to Disappear Completely: Pedagogical Potential of Research Methods in International Relations
Authors: Mutlu Can E.
Published: May 2015

The question of research methods, and their role in the field, is a major source of contention for IR scholars. We can, however, discuss method, methodology, and innovation without revising or revisiting old debates. Methods do not have to be divisive, or disciplining. A frank discussion of research design, methods, and methodological preferences is essential to innovation and reproducibility. This intervention is a call for increased transparency in IR research outputs; IR theorists should not erase their own footprints from their publications and openly admit and discuss failures as productive moments in research. The act of disappearing, which has become the norm in the name of professionalised publications, robs the field of the productive pedagogical potential of research methods. The true impact of research rests in its pedagogical potential. As researchers, our job is thus to find a sensitive balance between not determining the outcome of the research from the get-go by making it all about our preferences and opinions, but also not making the impact of our preferences and opinions disappear completely. Building on this premise, this intervention discusses the significant pedagogical potential of research methods, reproducibility and discussion of failures in International Relations.
The Ostentatious Crowd: Public protest as mass-political street theatre in Mumbai1
Authors: Björkman Lisa
Published: May 2015

An ethnographic study of two public protests in Mumbai presents an account of crowd action in contemporary Mumbai as mass political street theater. The narrative is organized around two tit-for-tat rasta-rokos (road blocks) that despite having a nearly identical form and an indistinguishable cast of characters, unfolded in strikingly divergent ways. The article demonstrates the theatrical register within which mass politics operates, with Mumbai crowds revealed neither as spontaneous hordes nor as aggregations of strategic actors, but rather as a participant-audience of discerning voters assembled as a politically mediated ‘ostentatious display.’
Peasants, academics, populists: Forward to the past?
Authors: Brass Tom
Published: May 2015

Traced here is the way peasant economy/culture has been reconceptualized in academic studies over the past three decades. The pre-war image of innate family farmers as embodiments of national identity, a populist discourse mobilized by the political right in Europe and Asia, was replaced by modernization theory during the post-war era. The object was to promote economic development, thereby challenging populist images of unchanging and unchangeable rural ‘otherness’. With the advent of neoliberalism in the 1980s, however, there has been an academic resurgence of agrarian populist interpretations and a consequent return to pre-war concepts of peasant economy/culture.
Suicide at a distance
Authors: Balayannis Angeliki , Cook Brian Robert
Published: May 2015

Knowledge of suicide is made through violent epistemologies that sever self-destruction from space, time, and place. As an inherently incomprehensible issue, efforts to make sense of suicide through abstraction have the paradoxical effect of inhibiting understanding. This paper argues that the incoherences characteristic of suicide are not an obstacle for knowing, but rather a cause to accept knowledge that is partial and indirect. Thinking with assemblage, this paper develops a relational conceptualization of distance to interrogate the knowledge that shapes pesticide suicide in India; ‘distancing-through-engagement’ brings to light the contradictions and obscured power relations through which understandings of suicide are made.
Platelet-Rich Plasma for Arthroscopic Repair of Medium to Large Rotator Cuff Tears
Authors: Jo Chris Hyunchul , Shin Ji Sun , Shin Won Hyoung , Lee Seung Yeon , Yoon Kang Sup , Shin Sue
Published: May 2015

Background:

Two main questions about the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for regeneration purposes are its effect on the speed of healing and the quality of healing. Despite recent numerous studies, evidence is still lacking in this area, especially in a representative patient population with medium to large rotator cuff tears.

Purpose:

To assess the efficacy of PRP augmentation on the speed and quality of healing in patients undergoing arthroscopic repair for medium to large rotator cuff tears.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

A total of 74 patients scheduled for arthroscopic repair of medium to large rotator cuff tears were randomly assigned to undergo either PRP-augmented repair (PRP group) or conventional repair (conventional group). In the PRP group, 3 PRP gels (3 × 3 mL) were applied to each patient between the torn end and the greater tuberosity. The primary outcome was the Constant score at 3 months after surgery. Secondary outcome measures included the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, overall satisfaction and function, functional scores, retear rate, and change in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the supraspinatus muscle.

Results:

There was no difference between the 2 groups in the Constant score at 3 months ( P > .05). The 2 groups had similar results on the VAS for pain, ROM, muscle strength, overall satisfaction and function, and other functional scores (all P > .05) except for the VAS for worst pain ( P = .043). The retear rate of the PRP group (3.0%) was significantly lower than that of the conventional group (20.0%) ( P = .032). The change in 1-year postoperative and immediately postoperative CSAs was significantly different between the 2 groups: –36.76 ± 45.31 mm2 in the PRP group versus −67.47 ± 47.26 mm2 in the conventional group ( P = .014).

Conclusion:

Compared with repairs without PRP augmentation, the current PRP preparation and application methods for medium to large rotator cuff repairs significantly improved the quality, as evidenced by a decreased retear rate and increased CSA of the supraspinatus, but not the speed of healing. However, further studies may be needed to investigate the effects of PRP on the speed of healing without risking the quality.
Using the RAI-MH to support shared decision-making in mental healthcare
Authors: Martin Lynn , Perlman Christopher , Bieling Peter
Published: May 2015

Persons with mental illness often struggle to meaningfully participate in decisions about their services. This study engaged persons with mental illness to understand how health information could empower them. Participants reported wanting information on diagnoses, medications, symptoms, and strengths as well as clinician notes and rationale. The Resident Assessment Instrument for Mental Health contains this information and is mandated in in-patient psychiatry. Its findings could be summarized and shared with individuals to promote and facilitate shared decision-making.
Gender differences in the rate of restriction to room among Ontario forensic patients
Authors: Mathias Krista , Hirdes John P.
Published: May 2015

Gender can have separate and interacting effects on mental health. Gender-based analysis provides insight into these effects on mental health, and it can provide evidence to inform policy and practice to meet these gender-specific needs among persons in forensic mental health settings. Both individual and facility-level characteristics play a role in restriction to room as a form of control intervention in forensic mental health. Understanding the gender differences associated with the factors that increase a person’s risk of restriction to room can allow for more targeted interventions and provide insight into policies that will help reduce these types of control interventions.
Identifying mental health symptoms in children and youth in residential and in-patient care settings
Authors: Stewart Shannon L. , Hirdes John P.
Published: May 2015

This study demonstrates the use of the interRAI assessment instruments to examine mental health symptoms in children and adults within residential and in-patient care settings. Regardless of service setting, children exhibited more harm to self and others than adults. Children in adult in-patient beds were more likely to exhibit suicide and self-harm and less likely to exhibit harm to others compared to children in child-specific service settings. Implications related to service system improvements are discussed.
School Performance and Neurodevelopment of Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants
Authors: Koç Özden , Kavuncuoğlu Sultan , Ramoğlu Mehmet G. , Aldemir Esin , Aktalay Ayşegül , Eras Zeynep
Published: May 2015

Very low birth weight preterm infants are under significant risk of neurologic, developmental, and somatic problems. In this study, 90 infants born with a birth weight <1500 g and/or with a gestational age <32 weeks were evaluated after the first year of elementary school to assess neurodevelopment. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised (WISC-R) test, Pediatric Symptom Checklist, and Parent Evaluation of Developmental Status were performed. Mental retardation, cerebral palsy, blindness, epilepsy, and posthemorrhagic hydrocephaly incidences were 14%, 7%, 2%, 5%, and 2%, respectively. The WISC-R score of 32 patients (35.5%) were below 85. Perinatal asphyxia, abnormal neurologic examination, and delayed or impaired speech correlated significantly with low WISC-R scores. Education and income of the father had positive impact on WISC-R scores ( P = .042 and P = .026). Parents’ concern and presence of cognitive problems were correlated ( P = .026). Environmental factors, as well as the prevention of morbidity, affected school performance positively.
Intracranial Hypertension Without Papilledema in Children
Authors: Aylward Shawn C. , Aronowitz Catherine , Roach E. Steve
Published: May 2015

This study aims to determine the frequency of intracranial hypertension without papilledema in children. Charts of patients evaluated in a pediatric intracranial hypertension clinic at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups depending on whether they had presence or absence of optic nerve edema at the time of presentation. Age, body mass index, and opening cerebrospinal fluid pressures were considered continuous variables and compared by Wilcoxon rank sum test because of non-normality. A P-value of 0.05 was considered significant. A total of 228 charts were reviewed; 152 patients met the criteria for intracranial hypertension, and 27 patients (17.8%) met the criteria of headache without optic nerve edema. There was no clinically significant difference in age, body mass index, opening pressure, and modified opening pressure between the 2 groups.
Evaluation of emulsion electrospun polycaprolactone/hyaluronan/epidermal growth factor nanofibrous scaffolds for wound healing
Authors: Wang Zhenbei , Qian Yuna , Li Linhao , Pan Lianhong , Njunge Lucy W , Dong Lili , Yang Li
Published: May 2015

Wound healing scaffolds provide cells with structural integrity and can also deliver biological agents to establish a skin tissue-specific microenvironment to regulate cell functions and to accelerate the healing process. In this study, we fabricated biodegradable nanofibrous scaffolds with an emulsion electrospinning technique. The scaffolds were composed of polycaprolactone, hyaluronan and encapsulating epidermal growth factor. The morphology and core-sheath structure of the nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The scaffolds were also characterized for chemical composition and hydrophilicity with a Fourier-transform infrared analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy and the water contact angle. An in vitro model protein bovine serum albumin and epidermal growth factor release study was conducted to evaluate the sustained release potential of the core-sheath structured nanofibers with and without the hyaluronan component. Additionally, an in vitro cultivation of human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts on polycaprolactone/hyaluronan and polycaprolactone/hyaluronan-epidermal growth factor scaffolds showed a significant synergistic effect of hyaluronan and epidermal growth factor on cell proliferation and infiltration. Furthermore, there was an up-regulation of the wound-healing-related genes collagen I, collagen III and TGF-β in polycaprolactone/hyaluronan/epidermal growth factor scaffolds compared with control groups. In the full-thickness wound model, the enhanced regeneration of fully functional skin was facilitated by epidermal regeneration in the polycaprolactone/hyaluronan/epidermal growth factor treatment group. Our findings suggest that bioactivity and hemostasis of the hyaluronan-based nanofibrous scaffolds have the capability to encapsulate and control the release of growth factors that can serve as skin tissue engineering scaffolds for wound healing.
Online Continuing Education for Expanding Clinicians’ Roles in Breastfeeding Support
Authors: Edwards Roger A. , Colchamiro Rachel , Tolan Ellen , Browne Susan , Foley Mary , Jenkins Lucia , Mainello Kristen , Vallu Rohith , Hanley Lauren E. , Boisvert Mary Ellen , Forgit Julie , Ghiringhelli Kara , Nordstrom Christina
Published: May 2015

Lack of health professional support is an important variable affecting mothers’ achievement of breastfeeding goals. Online continuing education is a recognized pathway for disseminating content for improving clinicians’ knowledge and supporting efforts to change practices. At the time we developed our project, free, accredited continuing education for physicians related to breastfeeding management that could be easily accessed using portable devices (via tablets/smartphones) was not available. Such resources were in demand, especially for facilities pursuing designation through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. We assembled a government, academic, health care provider, and professional society partnership to create such a tutorial that would address the diverse content needed for supporting breastfeeding mothers postdischarge in the United States. Our 1.5-hour-long continuing medical and nursing education was completed by 1606 clinicians (1172 nurses [73%] and 434 physicians [27%]) within 1 year. More than 90% of nurses and over 98% of physicians said the tutorial achieved its 7 learning objectives related to breastfeeding physiology, broader factors in infant feeding decisions and practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement, and breastfeeding management/troubleshooting. Feedback received from the tutorial led to the creation of a second tutorial consisting of another 1.5 hours of continuing medical and nursing education related to breast examination and assessment prior to delivery, provision of anticipatory guidance to pregnant women interested in breastfeeding, maternity care practices that influence breastfeeding outcomes, breastfeeding preterm infants, breastfeeding’s role in helping address disparities, and dispelling common myths. The tutorials contribute to achievement of 8 Healthy People 2020 Maternal, Infant and Child Health objectives.
All in the Family? An Exploratory Study of Family Member Advisors and Firm Performance
Authors: Naldi Lucia , Chirico Francesco , Kellermanns Franz W. , Campopiano Giovanna
Published: May 2015

This exploratory study investigates the relationship between family members serving in an advising capacity and family firm performance. Integrating the stewardship and agency perspectives, we predict an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of family advisors and family firm performance. We argue that the generation in control moderates this relationship such that family member advisors have a positive relationship with performance in first-generation family firms and an inverted U-shaped relationship with performance in later-generation family firms. Our empirical analysis on a sample of 128 Swedish family firms confirms our hypotheses. In the concluding section, we discuss results, contributions and future research directions.
Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and Related Assessment and Teacher Evaluation Systems
Authors: Roth McDuffie Amy , Drake Corey , Choppin Jeffrey , Davis Jon D. , Magaña Margarita V. , Carson Cynthia
Published: May 2015

In this study, U.S. middle school teachers’ perceptions of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), CCSSM-related assessments, teacher evaluation processes, and resources for implementing CCSSM were investigated. Using a mixed methods design, a national sample of 366 teachers was surveyed, and 24 teachers were interviewed. Findings indicated that teachers viewed CCSSM as including new content for their grade level. Teachers also reported using multiple curriculum resources to align with CCSSM and indicated that new assessments would serve as a proxy for CCSSM. Implications for rapidly changing policy, curriculum, assessment, instruction, and professional development related to CCSSM are discussed.
Experimental investigations into ultrasonic-assisted double-disk magnetic abrasive finishing of two paramagnetic materials
Authors: Kala Prateek , Pandey Pulak M
Published: May 2015

This article evaluates the finishing performance of ultrasonic-assisted double-disk magnetic abrasive finishing process on two paramagnetic materials (copper alloy and stainless steel) with different mechanical properties such as flow stress, hardness, shear modulus, and so on. The finishing experiments were performed based on response surface methodology. The results obtained after finishing have been analyzed to determine the effect of different process parameters such as working gap, rotational speed, and pulse-on time of ultrasonic vibration for both work materials and to study various interaction effects that may significantly affect the finishing performance by the process. The outcome of analysis for the two different work materials has been critically compared to understand the effect of the considered process parameters on the finishing performance of the process based on mechanical properties of the workpiece such as hardness. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were carried on the workpiece surface to understand the possible mechanism of material removal and the surface morphology produced after the finishing process.
Stability of the coupled vibrations of work roll and strip in cold rolling process
Authors: Ji Jinchen
Published: May 2015

Undesirable vibrations that occurred in cold rolling mills, widely known as chatter, are studied in this article by considering the interaction of three types of vibrations, namely, the longitudinal vibration of the rolled strip and the torsional and vertical vibrations of the upper work roll. The dynamic component of rolling force is determined using the quasi-static model under the assumption that the changes in roll gap and strip tension produce the variation of rolling force. The coupled vibrations of the work roll and rolled strip are mathematically governed by a set of 3-degree-of-freedom non-linear equations. Under chatter conditions, a new variable is introduced to represent the motion of the quasi-neutral point. A stability criterion for the motion of the quasi-neutral point is developed by studying the eigenvalues of the corresponding characteristic equation of the linearized parts of the non-linear equations. The chatter stability can then be examined by evaluating the determinants of five matrices. Numerical examples are given to show the stable and unstable vibrations in the cold rolling process. The unstable vibration would lead to skidding phenomenon and even break the rolled strip. The results presented in this article provide new insights into the dynamic interaction of the coupled vibrations and the dynamics of the rolling process.
An innovative investigation on the workpiece kinematics and its roundness generation in through-feed centreless grinding
Authors: Cui Qi , Cheng Kai , Chen Shijin , Ding Hui
Published: May 2015

In order to continuously improve the component roundness and productivity, an innovative investigation on through-feed centreless grinding is required particularly towards the 0.1–0.3 µm roundness accuracy of the components in the industrial production scale. In this process, the characteristics of the supporting and driving mechanism for the workpiece make the analysis of workpiece surface generation more complex than other grinding processes. This article presents an innovative approach for investigating the workpiece roundness generation in through-feed centreless grinding. Using homogeneous transformations, the geometries and the movements of the workpiece and the wheels are presented through a three-dimensional simulation model developed by the authors. This model and the associated simulations can be applied to investigate the workpiece kinematics and its rounding process under various geometric configurations and grinding parameters, and to further analyse the influences of these parameters on the workpiece roundness generation.
Study on machining mechanism of high viscoelastic abrasive flow machining for surface finishing
Authors: Dong Zhiguo , Ya Gang , Liu Jiancheng
Published: May 2015

Abrasive flow machining is a pragmatic machining process used for part finishing. This article primarily focuses on the study of machining mechanism of high viscoelastic abrasive flow machining, with the aim to understand the relation among the abrasive media’s flow pressure, the material removal rate and the machining quality. The theoretical calculation models of the normal pressure on the inner surface of a circular tube and the wall sliding velocity are established based on rheology theory. The material removal rate of abrasive flow machining with a high viscoelastic abrasive media is derived. Numerical simulations with various machining conditions were conducted using the mathematical models proposed in this research and the obtained findings are discussed. The feasibility of these models introduced for high viscoelastic abrasive machining is also investigated and verified through actual experimental tests.
Mode changes of redundantly actuated asymmetric parallel mechanism
Authors: Harada Takashi
Published: May 2015

A novel parallel mechanism which enlarges the workspace by singularity-free mode changes is proposed. The proposed mechanism has inherited the design of Linear DELTA, three translational degree-of-freedom and the moving plate driven by three linear actuators. In addition, the mechanism is extended by redundant actuation by four linear actuators and asymmetric design. New criterions about redundancy and singularity of redundantly actuated parallel mechanism using summation and product of determinants of minor matrices of the transposed Jacobian matrix are proposed. Redundant actuation and asymmetric design enables singularity-free mode changes with loss redundancy but maintains non-singularity, which is evaluated by the proposed criterions. Numerical simulations demonstrate the singularity-free mode changes of the proposed mechanism.
Assessment of friction from compression ring conjunction of a high-performance internal combustion engine: A combined numerical and experimental study
Authors: Gore M , Rahmani R , Rahnejat H , King PD
Published: May 2015

The paper presents direct measurement of in-cylinder friction from a single cylinder motocross race engine under motored conditions and compares the same with a new analytical predictive method. These conditions are encountered in piston–cylinder system with the application of cylinder deactivation (CDA) technology, which is a growing trend. The analytical method takes into account the various regions within instantaneous contact of compression ring–cylinder liner, including lubricant film rupture, cavitation zone and the subsequent lubricant film reformation. The analysis also includes the effect of boundary friction and lubricant rheology. The predictions and direct measurements of cyclic friction show good agreement and indicate dominance of viscous friction under the investigated engine running conditions. In particular, it is shown that the compression ring contribution to in-cycle friction is most pronounced in the region of high cylinder pressures because of combined Poiseuille friction and some boundary solid interactions. The combined experimental-analytical approach has not hitherto been reported in literature.
Cost of ownership-efficient hybrid electric vehicle powertrain sizing for multi-scenario driving cycles
Authors: Luján Jose Manuel , Guardiola Carlos , Pla Benjamín , Reig Alberto
Published: May 2015

During the last decade, hybrid electric vehicles have gained a presence in the automotive market. On the streets, in motorsports and in society, hybrid electric vehicles are increasingly common. Many manufacturers have become involved in hybrid electric vehicles, while others have hybrid electric vehicle projects in development. Thus, there is already a great variety of hybrid electric vehicles in production, from small microhybrid vehicles to range extenders. Although there are some hybrid electric vehicles designed for urban driving or luxury segments of the market, most of the market share is aimed to the same kind of use and driving, resulting in potentially subsized or oversized hybrid systems that could lead to inefficient use of the vehicle’s fuel-saving capabilities in many situations. The present work studies the influence of the sizes of the powertrain components (i.e. the engine, the motor and the battery) on the fuel economy under different assumptions: city driving, highway driving and mixed driving. The utilized framework permits the calculation of the theoretically optimum powertrain sizes assuming a particular target. Different drivers and different traffic conditions are also evaluated. Finally, a long-term cost evaluation is carried out to estimate the optimal sizes of the hybrid electric vehicle powertrain as functions of the type of use of the vehicle throughout its life cycle.
A case study involving continuous system methods of inverse simulation for an unmanned aerial vehicle application
Authors: Murray-Smith DJ , McGookin EW
Published: May 2015

Inverse simulation allows input time histories to be found that generate specified outputs for non-linear dynamic models in cases where analytical methods of inversion present difficulties. The two approaches considered involve continuous system simulation principles. One is an approximate differentiation method while the second involves feedback principles. These approaches are compared for a non-linear six-degrees-of-freedom flight-mechanics model of a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle incorporating actuator sub-models with saturation and rate limits. Additional insight is provided through analysis of a linearised version of the vehicle model. It is concluded that both the continuous system simulation methods for finding inverse solutions, for the type of application described in this paper, provide a useful alternative to more conventional iterative methods of inverse simulation based on discrete models. In many cases, including those involving hard non-linearities in control surface actuator sub-systems, they allow issues of vehicle handling and manoeuvrability to be addressed in a more direct fashion than is possible using conventional simulation methods alone.
Improving the UAS-S4 Éhecal airfoil high angles-of-attack performance characteristics using a morphing wing approach
Authors: Gabor Oliviu Şugar , Simon Antoine , Koreanschi Andreea , Botez Ruxandra Mihaela
Published: May 2015

In this paper, a morphing wing approach with a new methodology and its results for the high angles-of-attack optimization of the S4 unmanned aerial system airfoil are described. The boundary layer separation delay, coupled with an increase of the maximum lift coefficient, was achieved using an in-house optimization tool based on the artificial bee colony algorithm, coupled with the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm to provide a final refinement. The obtained results were validated with an advanced, multi-objective, commercially available optimizing tool. The aerodynamic calculations were performed using a two-dimensional linear panel method, coupled with an incompressible boundary layer model and a transition estimation criterion. For very small displacements of the airfoil surface, of less than 2.5 mm, lift coefficient increases of up to 18% together with relevant drag reductions have been achieved, successfully delaying separation for the high angles-of-attack range.
Perceived Partner Responsiveness Predicts Diurnal Cortisol Profiles 10 Years Later
Authors: Slatcher Richard B. , Selcuk Emre , Ong Anthony D.
Published: May 2015

Several decades of research have demonstrated that marital relationships have a powerful influence on physical health. However, surprisingly little is known about how marriage affects health—both in terms of psychological processes and biological ones. Over a 10-year period, we investigated the associations between perceived partner responsiveness—the extent to which people feel understood, cared for, and appreciated by their romantic partners—and diurnal cortisol in a large sample of married and cohabitating couples in the United States. Partner responsiveness predicted higher cortisol values at awakening and steeper (i.e., healthier) cortisol slopes at the 10-year follow-up. These associations remained strong after we controlled for demographic factors, depressive symptoms, agreeableness, and other positive and negative relationship factors. Furthermore, declines in negative affect over the 10-year period mediated the prospective association between responsiveness and cortisol slope. These findings suggest that diurnal cortisol may be a key biological pathway through which social relationships affect long-term health.
Roots and Benefits of Costly Giving
Authors: Miller Jonas G. , Kahle Sarah , Hastings Paul D.
Published: May 2015

Altruism, although costly, may promote well-being for people who give. Costly giving by adults has received considerable attention, but less is known about the possible benefits, as well as biological and environmental correlates, of altruism in early childhood. In the current study, we present evidence that children who forgo self-gain to help other people show greater vagal flexibility and higher subsequent vagal tone than children who do not, and children from less wealthy families behave more altruistically than those from wealthier families. These results suggest that (a) altruism should be viewed through a biopsychosocial lens, (b) the influence of privileged contexts on children’s willingness to make personal sacrifices for others emerges early, and (c) altruism and healthy vagal functioning may share reciprocal relations in childhood. When children help others at a cost to themselves, they could be playing an active role in promoting their own well-being as well as the well-being of others.
Life on the periphery is tough: Vegetation in Northwest Iceland and its responses to early-Holocene warmth and later climate fluctuations
Authors: Eddudóttir Sigrún D , Erlendsson Egill , Gísladóttir Guðrún
Published: May 2015

Long- and short-term climate variations in the North Atlantic have been of sufficient magnitude to leave a discernible mark on the history of vegetation and landscape stability in Iceland during the Holocene. A reconstruction of early- and mid-Holocene vegetation around Lake Kagaðarhóll, Northwest Iceland, examines how climate fluctuations have affected the terrestrial ecosystem. A thorough reconstruction has been made using pollen and plant macrofossil analyses combined with proxies for organic and inorganic matter. The record shows the development from a period of pioneer vegetation towards a woodland ecosystem. The deposition of the Saksunarvatn tephra at c. 10,300 cal. yr BP caused a 100-year period of instability, followed by a gradual trend of stabilization over several centuries while material left behind by retreating glaciers and tephra was being contained by expanding and developing vegetation. Early-Holocene warmth is indicated by high pollen production of Juniperus communis around the lake by c. 10,100 cal. yr BP and birch woodland being established around the lake by c. 9200 cal. yr BP, much earlier than previously believed for this locale. Cooling climate between c. 8700 and 8200 cal. yr BP halted woodland development, with reduced plant reproduction likely caused by cold spring and summer temperatures. Woodlands became re-established from c. 7900 cal. yr BP before entering a decline from c. 6000 cal. yr BP, with harsher environmental conditions apparent after c. 4200 cal. yr BP. The Kagaðarhóll record compares favourably with other palaeoclimatic data from the North Atlantic, demonstrating the potential of pollen and macrofossil data for reconstructions of environmental change in Iceland and as an indicator of climate variability in the North Atlantic during the Holocene.
Multi-centennial scale SST and Indian summer monsoon precipitation variability since the mid-Holocene and its nonlinear response to solar activity
Authors: Tiwari Manish , Nagoji Siddhesh S , Ganeshram Raja S
Published: May 2015

Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) shows a weak correlation with solar variability in the 20th century. However, such climatological observations on solar activity–monsoon relationship are very short and hence uncertain. A few paleomonsoon records also exhibit prominent correspondence with solar activity during early Holocene and beyond. But despite the strong recent solar minima (e.g. Maunder, Spörer, Oort, Wolf), their correlation with monsoon precipitation is weak and inconclusive. Additionally, many of the earlier studies have been from the western Arabian Sea that provides records of the ISM wind intensity instead of the ISM precipitation. We present here mid-Holocene to recent sea surface temperature (SST) reconstructed from Mg/Ca measurements of planktic foraminifera ( Globigerinoides ruber; white, sensu stricto) on a centennial-scale resolution from the southeastern Arabian. These measurements are used to correct the oxygen isotope ratios of G. ruber to reconstruct salinity related to monsoon runoff in this region more precisely than hitherto. The long-term trend indicates that the ISM precipitation has declined since the mid-Holocene similar to the solar activity. On shorter multi-centennial timescale, we show that the ISM precipitation declined concurrently with the recent periods of strong solar minima, but lagged by a couple of hundred years beyond 1300 yr BP toward the mid-Holocene – confirmed statistically using wavelet analysis. This nonstationary phase relationship between the ISM and the solar activity indicates the possible influence of the tropical coupled ocean–atmosphere phenomenon.
Factors Influencing Delayed Health Care Seeking Among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Suspects in Rural Communities in Ntcheu District, Malawi
Authors: Nyasulu Peter , Phiri Faith , Sikwese Simon , Chirwa Tobias , Singini Isaac , Banda Hastings T. , Banda Rhoda , Mhembere Tichaona , Chimbali Henry , Ngwira Bagrey , Munthali Alister C.
Published: May 2015

Delayed diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) among individuals suspected of having TB may lead to continued transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in communities, higher mortality rates, and increase in government health expenditure because of prolonged illness due to late diagnosis and treatment initiation. The study explored factors leading to delayed health care seeking among individuals living in Ntcheu District, Malawi. Two key informant interviews, 16 in-depth interviews, and three focus group discussions were conducted. Participants were aged 18 years and older and never had TB. Data were analyzed using content analysis and factors were identified: inadequate knowledge about cause and transmission of TB, low self-awareness of personal risk to TB, cultural and traditional beliefs about sources of TB, stigma, and strong belief in witchcraft as a cause of illness. The TB Control Program needs to invest in social mobilization and education of communities to mitigate early health care seeking.
“To Tell My Story”
Authors: Dreher Diane E.
Published: May 2015

Self-disclosure, telling the story of their loss to an empathic listener, helps bereaved men and women work through the pain of their grief, integrating their loss into the narrative of their lives. This article examines Shakespeare’s Hamlet in this context, describing how dramatic self-disclosure may have helped Shakespeare work through his grief after the death of his son in 1596 and his father in 1601. As we now know, writing can be an effective means of self-disclosure, helping people express and heal painful emotions. Not only did writing Hamlet in the wake of his loss enable Shakespeare to portray emotions of intense grief in his protagonist, but performing the play added the dimension of public self-disclosure, informing the play with unprecedented emotional depth.
Adult Sibling Bereavement
Authors: Wright Patricia Moyle
Published: May 2015

Adult sibling loss is a slowly growing area of bereavement research interest. The importance of the adult sibling bond is becoming more widely recognized and the consequences of this type of loss are slowly coming to light. The purpose of this article is to present a review of current literature related to adult sibling loss and then to explicate the factors that influence reactions to sibling loss and the consequences, both psychological and somatic, that befall surviving siblings. Support recommendations and avenues for future research will also be addressed.
Trauma from an enactive perspective: the collapse of the knowing-how structure
Authors: Ataria Yochai
Published: May 2015

At present, due in part to our insufficient understanding of the traumatic experience, we are unable to account for the fact that while some people develop post-traumatic symptoms following a traumatic event, others do not. This article suggests that by adopting the enactive approach to perception—according to which perceiving is a way of acting—we may be able to improve our understanding of the traumatic experience and the factors which result in the development of post-traumatic symptoms. The central argument presented in this paper is that when the options of flight or fight are unavailable as a coping/defense mechanism, one freezes (freeze response). In this situation, the ability to master one’s movements is damaged and, in radical cases, the ability to move is lost altogether; as a result the sensorimotor loop may collapse. This, in turn, leads to distorted perception and, in consequence, memory disorders may develop.
Roles of Testosterone Replacement in Cardiac Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Pongkan Wanpitak , Chattipakorn Siriporn C. , Chattipakorn Nipon
Published: May 2015

Testosterone is an anabolic steroid hormone, which is the major circulating androgen hormone in males. Testosterone levels decreasing below the normal physiological levels lead to a status known as androgen deficiency. Androgen deficiency has been shown to be a major risk factor in the development of several disorders, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and ischemic heart disease. In the past decades, although several studies from animal models as well as clinical studies demonstrated that testosterone exerted cardioprotection, particularly during ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, other preclinical and clinical studies have shown an inverse relationship between testosterone levels and cardioprotective effects. As a result, the effects of testosterone replacement on the heart remain controversial. In this review, reports regarding the roles of testosterone replacement in the heart following I/R injury are comprehensively summarized and discussed. At present, it may be concluded that chronic testosterone replacement at a physiological dose demonstrated cardioprotective effects, whereas acute testosterone replacement can cause adverse effects in the I/R heart.
Fractional-order modeling of permanent magnet synchronous motor speed servo system
Authors: Zheng WeiJia , Luo Ying , Chen YangQuan , Pi YouGuo
Published: May 2015

A fractional-order modeling approach for a permanent magnet synchronous motor speed servo system is proposed applying a method combining electromagnetic part modeling and mechanical part modeling. Based on the proposed fractional-order model and system identification scheme, system identification experiments are performed on the electromagnetic part and the mechanical part of the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed servo system, respectively. The fractional-order model parameters of these two parts are identified with these experimental results, and the fractional-order model of the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed servo system is integrated from these two parts. Simulations and experiments in open-loop and closed-loop are performed based on the obtained fractional-order model and integer-order model. The advantage of the proposed fractional-order model for the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed servo system is demonstrated by the simulation and experimental results.
Co-Viewing Effects of Ethnic-Oriented Programming
Authors: Banjo Omotayo O. , Appiah Osei , Wang Zheng , Brown Christopher , Walther Whitney O.
Published: May 2015

Entertainment consumption is often shared with others, whether friends or strangers. Whereas most co-viewing scholarship has examined parent–child viewing, few have examined viewing among in-group and out-group members. The present study explores in-group and out-group responses to racial comedy featuring disparaging information about the in-group. Findings suggest that Blacks report a more positive attitude, greater perceived similarity, and identification when viewing racially charged comedy with Black in-group members than when viewing with White out-group members. White viewers display no differences in their responses to television comedy based on whether they were viewing with in-group members or out-group members. Implications are discussed.
Why Do People Regulate Their Emotions? A Taxonomy of Motives in Emotion Regulation
Authors: Tamir Maya
Published: May 2015

Emotion regulation involves the pursuit of desired emotional states (i.e., emotion goals) in the service of superordinate motives. The nature and consequences of emotion regulation, therefore, are likely to depend on the motives it is intended to serve. Nonetheless, limited attention has been devoted to studying what motivates emotion regulation. By mapping the potential benefits of emotion to key human motives, this review identifies key classes of motives in emotion regulation. The proposed taxonomy distinguishes between hedonic motives that target the immediate phenomenology of emotions, and instrumental motives that target other potential benefits of emotions. Instrumental motives include behavioral, epistemic, social, and eudaimonic motives. The proposed taxonomy offers important implications for understanding the mechanism of emotion regulation, variation across individuals and contexts, and psychological function and dysfunction, and points to novel research directions.
Cytokines
Authors: Ramani Thulasi , Auletta Carol S. , Weinstock Daniel , Mounho-Zamora Barbara , Ryan Patricia C. , Salcedo Theodora W. , Bannish Gregory
Published: May 2015

Over the past 30 years, the world of pharmaceutical toxicology has seen an explosion in the area of cytokines. An overview of the many aspects of cytokine safety evaluation currently in progress and evolving strategies for evaluating these important entities was presented at this symposium. Cytokines play a broad role to help the immune system respond to diseases, and drugs which modulate their effect have led to some amazing therapies. Cytokines may be “good” when stimulating the immune system to fight a foreign pathogen or attack tumors. Other “good” cytokine effects include reduction of an immune response, for example interferon β reduction of neuron inflammation in patients with multiple sclerosis. They may be “bad” when their expression causes inflammatory diseases, such as the role of tumor necrosis factor α in rheumatoid arthritis or asthma and Crohn’s disease. Therapeutic modulation of cytokine expression can help the “good” cytokines to generate or quench the immune system and block the “bad” cytokines to prevent damaging inflammatory events. However, care must be exercised, as some antibody therapeutics can cause “ugly” cytokine release which can be deadly. Well-designed toxicology studies should incorporate careful assessment of cytokine modulation that will allow effective therapies to treat unmet needs. This symposium discussed lessons learned in cytokine toxicology using case studies and suggested future directions.
Mathematical equation for prediction of cat mandibular canal height dimension based on canine tooth width measurement
Authors: Santos Miguel , Carreira L Miguel
Published: May 2015

Objectives

The present study was performed in a sample of 33 cats and aimed (1) to characterise the mandible height (Mh), mandibular canal height (MCh) and the distance between the interdental alveolar margin and the mandibular canal (dIAM-MC); and (2) to develop a mathematical model for dimension prediction of MCh using the patient’s age, weight (Wg) and canine tooth width at the free gingival margin level (wCGM) that was easily accessible during the oral examination.

Methods

Age, sex, breed, weight, skull type and the wCGM were the recorded variables for each patient. Right and left lateral view skull radiographs were made followed by measurements of the mandible anatomical structures, taken between the third premolar distal root and the fourth premolar proximal root. Results were considered statistically significant for P values <0.05, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

Results

We observed a strong correlation only between wCGM and MCh, and a prediction mathematical model was developed to calculate the MCh, with a standard error of only 0.4 mm.

Conclusions and relevance

Our study allows a surgeon to establish relationships between a physical parameter, such as wCGM, evaluated in an oral examination, and the mandibular canal, which is a very important anatomical structure to consider in surgical procedures. Ideally, surgeons should always plan their mandible work only after obtaining a final diagnosis achieved through the use of complementary imaging exams, such as intra- and extra-oral radiographs. Thus, this mathematical equation offers an additional tool, providing more information on the relationships between oral anatomical structures, reducing the risk of iatrogenic lesions and promoting patient safety.