bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust FOPID controller design for fractional‐order delay systems using positive stability region analysis
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Liu Lu , Cui Xinshu
Published: July 2019

In this paper, a robust fractional‐order PID (FOPID) controller design method for fractional‐order delay systems is proposed based on positive stability region (PSR) analysis. Firstly, the PSR is presented to improve the existing stability region (SR) in D‐decomposition method. Then, the optimal fractional orders λ and μ of FOPID controller are achieved at the biggest three‐dimensional PSR, which means the best robustness. Given the optimal λ and μ, the other FOPID controller parameters kp, ki, kd can be solved under the control specifications, including gain crossover frequency, phase margin, and an extended flat phase constraint. In addition, the steps of the proposed robust FOPID controller design process are listed at length, and an example is given to illustrate the corresponding steps. At last, the control performances of the obtained robust FOPID controller are compared with some other controllers (PID and FOPI). The simulation results illustrate the superior robustness as well as the transient performance of the proposed control algorithm.
Stein‐type shrinkage estimators in gamma regression model with application to prostate cancer data
Authors: Mandal Saumen , Arabi Belaghi Reza , Mahmoudi Akram , Aminnejad Minoo
Published: July 2019

Gamma regression is applied in several areas such as life testing, forecasting cancer incidences, genomics, rainfall prediction, experimental designs, and quality control. Gamma regression models allow for a monotone and no constant hazard in survival models. Owing to the broad applicability of gamma regression, we propose some novel and improved methods to estimate the coefficients of gamma regression model. We combine the unrestricted maximum likelihood (ML) estimators and the estimators that are restricted by linear hypothesis, and we present Stein‐type shrinkage estimators (SEs). We then develop an asymptotic theory for SEs and obtain their asymptotic quadratic risks. In addition, we conduct Monte Carlo simulations to study the performance of the estimators in terms of their simulated relative efficiencies. It is evident from our studies that the proposed SEs outperform the usual ML estimators. Furthermore, some tabular and graphical representations are given as proofs of our assertions. This study is finally ended by appraising the performance of our estimators for a real prostate cancer data.
Is your playing field unleveled? U.S. defense contracts and foreign firm lobbying
Authors: Kim Jin Hyung
Published: July 2019

Research Summary

Prior research in political strategy shows that political capital is critical in achieving desirable nonmarket strategy outcomes. Less attention has been paid to the fact that firms vary in their ability to acquire political capital. Foreign firms, which typically suffer from the liability of foreignness, have difficulty acquiring and strengthening political capital in a host country. Drawing on the literatures on political capital, the liability of foreignness, and certification, I argue that relying on outside political capital—that is, hiring outside lobbyists—helps foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs) achieve better nonmarket outcomes, thanks to outside lobbyists' certifying role as political insiders. Empirically, the study examines U.S. Department of Defense weapons‐system prime contracts awarded to 20,301 U.S. and foreign‐owned defense contractors from 1998 through 2006. This study has theoretical and practical implications for studies on political capital, international business, and nonmarket strategies.

Managerial Summary

Political capital is assumed to be critical in nonmarket strategy to achieve positive firm outcomes, particularly in industries where political and regulatory players play an important role. However, due to certain industry or firm characteristics, some firms are at a disadvantaged position in acquiring and consolidating the political capital they need. In this research, I argue that one of the factors creating such disadvantage is foreignness. The results indicate that for those foreign firms with a liability of foreignness, relying on outside lobbyists is beneficial to overcome the disadvantages and to achieve better nonmarket outcomes because outside professional lobbyists can ease information flows between political and regulatory players and foreign firms through their trustworthiness as political insiders.
Under pressure: Reputation, ratings, and inaccurate self‐reporting in the nursing home industry
Authors: Ody‐Brasier Amandine , Sharkey Amanda
Published: July 2019

Research Summary

This paper examines firms' strategic responses to reputational pressures in a critical healthcare domain—the U.S. nursing home industry. We investigate whether organizations improved in terms of care quality following an exogenous change in the required number of nursing hours associated with star‐based ratings to which nursing homes are subject. We show that although firms at risk of losing a star tended to self‐report higher staffing levels after the policy change, these reported increases were not associated with improvements in an important patient outcome—bedsores. These findings are consistent with false reporting of staffing data, or insufficient or ineffective hiring practices. Although we cannot definitively establish the existence of false reporting, supplementary analyses offer little support for the latter two possibilities.

Managerial Summary

Third‐party ratings systems often stipulate that firms meet certain standards to attain a favorable evaluation. Firms must make strategic decisions about whether and how to comply with these. This paper examines firms' strategic responses to changes in the required number of nursing hours associated with star‐based ratings in the nursing home industry. Our results indicate that firms at risk of losing a star responded by reporting staffing increases. However, we find no concurrent improvement in a patient outcome that previous research suggests should change as a result of increased staffing. We investigate whether the lack of improvement may be due to insufficient or ineffective hiring, and find scant evidence of either one. Although we lack direct evidence of false reporting, our findings suggest this as a strong possibility.
S‐Doped Carbon Fibers Uniformly Embedded with Ultrasmall TiO2 for Na+/Li+ Storage with High Capacity and Long‐Time Stability
Authors: Chen Changmiao , Li Pengchao , Wang Taihong , Wang Shuangyin , Zhang Ming
Published: July 2019

Building a rechargeable battery with high capacity, high energy density, and long lifetime contributes to the development of novel energy storage devices in the future. Although carbon materials are very attractive anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), they present several deficiencies when used in sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). The choice of an appropriate structural design and heteroatom doping are critical steps to improve the capacity and stability. Here, carbon‐based nanofibers are produced by sulfur doping and via the introduction of ultrasmall TiO2 nanoparticles into the carbon fibers (CNF‐S@TiO2). It is discovered that the introduction of TiO2 into carbon nanofibers can significantly improve the specific surface area and microporous volume for carbon materials. The TiO2 content is controlled to obtain CNF‐S@TiO2‐5 to use as the anode material for SIBs/LIBs with enhanced electrochemical performance in Na+/Li+ storage. During the charge/discharge process, the S‐doping and the incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles into carbon fibers promote the insertion/extraction of the ions and enhance the capacity and cycle life. The capacity of CNF‐S@TiO2‐5 can be maintained at ≈300 mAh g−1 over 600 cycles at 2 A g−1 in SIBs. Moreover, the capacity retention of such devices is 94%, showing high capacity and good stability.
Analytical techniques for Nizatidine: A review
Authors: Rathore Seema S. , G. A. Navyashree , Doijode Manyatha , Sathyanarayana Sunil
Published: July 2019

Nizatidine is a histamine H2receptor antagonist. This compound belongs to the class of organic compounds known as 2,4‐di‐substituted thiazoles. These are the compounds containing a thiazole ring. It inhibits the action of histamine mediated by H2receptors such as gastric acid and pepsin output and the drug is used for the treatment of duodenal ulcers. This review presents an overview about the different analytical methods for the analysis of Nizatidine and its metabolite in biological fluids, commercial products, and simultaneous estimation of other H2receptor antagonist in commercial products. The most commonly used analytical method for Nizatidine is high‐performance liquid chromatography. This review also gives information about pharmacokinetics, its application and susceptibility of H2receptor antagonist to metabolism by gastrointestinal flora.
The Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework ZIF‐4 under Low Hydrostatic Pressures
Authors: Vervoorts Pia , Hobday Claire L. , Ehrenreich Michael G. , Daisenberger Dominik , Kieslich Gregor
Published: July 2019

The zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF‐4 has recently been shown to exhibit large structural flexibility as a response to hydrostatic pressures, going from an open pore phase (ZIF‐4(Zn)‐op) to a closed pore phase (ZIF‐4(Zn)‐cp). The use of diamond anvil cell (DAC) setups has so far restricted thorough experimental insight into the evolution of lattice parameters at pressures below p < 0.1 GPa. Here we revisit the high‐pressure properties of ZIF‐4(Zn) by applying a new high‐pressure powder X‐ray diffraction setup that allows for tracking the evolution of lattice parameters in pressure increments as small as Δp = 0.005 GPa in the pressure range p = ambient – 0.4 GPa; a pressure resolution that cannot be achieved by using traditional DACs. We find ZIF‐4(Zn) has a bulk modulus of K(ZIF‐4(Zn)‐op) = 2.01 ± 0.05 GPa and K(ZIF‐4(Zn)‐cp) = 4.39 ± 0.20 GPa, clarifying and confirming some ambiguous results that have been reported previously.
UV completion on the worldline
Authors: Abel Steven , Dondi Nicola Andrea
Published: July 2019

Abstract

A framework for UV completing particle theories is proposed, based on the worldline formalism, which is equivalent to weighting all sums over histories with a proper-time dependent measure that has a smallest proper-time. We deduce a criterion to avoid ghosts, and find that the ghost-free theories have the (string-theory inspired) infinite-derivative model of Siegel as a special case, but represent a significant generalisation. Generically, the UV of such theories is dominated by a saddle-point in the proper-time, leading to simplification in the computation of amplitudes. We focus on a particularly attractive option which is to mimic the regulating properties of modular invariance with a worldline “inversion symmetry”.
Persistence of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor or conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug monotherapy or combination therapy in psoriatic arthritis in a real-world setting
Authors: Mease Philip J. , Accortt Neil A. , Rebello Sabrina , Etzel Carol J. , Harrison Ryan W. , Aras Girish A. , Gharaibeh Mahdi M. F. , Greenberg Jeffrey D. , Collier David H.
Published: July 2019

This study described treatment patterns in a psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patient registry for new or ongoing tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) monotherapy, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARD) monotherapy, or TNFi/csDMARD combination therapy. This retrospective analysis included adults with PsA who enrolled in the Corrona PsA/spondyloarthritis registry between March 21, 2013 (registry initiation), and January 31, 2017, and received an approved TNFi and/or csDMARD as “existing use” starting before registry entry or “initiated use” starting on/after registry entry. Therapy persistence was defined as index therapy use for ≥ 12 months without a treatment gap of ≥ 30 days. Among the evaluable patients with existing TNFi monotherapy (n = 251), csDMARD monotherapy (n = 225), and combination therapy (n = 214), 93, 87, and 87% were persistent for ≥ 12 months, and another 6, 5, and 5%, respectively, had no change with < 12 months of follow-up after first use. Among evaluable patients who initiated use of TNFi monotherapy (n = 26), csDMARD monotherapy (n = 35), and combination therapy (n = 15), 50, 43, and 53% were persistent for ≥ 12 months, and another 27, 20, and 20%, respectively, had no change with < 12 months of follow-up after first use. After initiation of index therapy, most changes (19–27% of patients) were discontinuation; 4–13% switched biologic therapy during follow-up. The results of this analysis of real-world treatment patterns in a PsA patient registry suggest that nonpersistence for TNFi monotherapy, csDMARD monotherapy, or TNFi/csDMARD combination therapy occurs more commonly after initiation of therapy than in patients with existing therapy. Trial registration: NCT02530268.
The Art Experience
Authors: McCallum Kate , Mitchell Scott , Scott-Phillips Thom
Published: July 2019

Art theory has consistently emphasised the importance of situational, cultural, institutional and historical factors in viewers’ experience of fine art. However, the link between this heavily context-dependent interpretation and the workings of the mind is often left unexamined. Drawing on relevance theory—a prominent, cogent and productive body of work in cognitive pragmatics—we here argue that fine art achieves its effects by prompting the use of cognitive processes that are more commonly employed in the interpretation of words and other stimuli presented in a communicative context. We describe in particular how institutional factors effectively co-opt these processes for new ends, allowing viewers to achieve cognitive effects that they otherwise would not, and so provide cognitivist backing for an Institutional Theory of Art, such as that put forward by Arthur Danto (1964). More generally, we situate and describe the Western fine art tradition as a phenomenon that is a consequence of both the cognitive processes involved in communication, and of cultural norms, practices and institutions.
Too tough at the top: Using latent class growth analysis to assess cool status during middle school
Authors: Yun Hye‐Young , Graham Sandra
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Obtaining and maintaining high social status in one's peer group is often a critical developmental goal during adolescence. The present study investigated factors that predict trajectories of cool status for middle school adolescents as well as how different cool status trajectories affect depressive symptoms.

Methods

The participants were 5,991 adolescents (52% girls) from 26 urban middle schools in California. Using latent class growth analysis, baseline assessment occurred in the fall of sixth grade, and repeated assessments occurred in the spring of sixth, seventh, and eighth grades.

Results

Three cool status trajectories were identified: (1) a high ascending cool status group (5% of the sample); (2) a decreasing cool status group (25%); and (3) a maintaining low cool status group (70%). Differences in the three groups were explained by GPA and having a reputation as aggressive at the beginning of middle school and the level of depression at the end of middle school. Those in the high ascending cool status group experienced the most depressive symptoms at the end of 8th grade.

Conclusions

The findings suggest the need for a more nuanced perspective on maintaining cool status during adolescence that considers both its risks and benefits.
The Development of Cognitive and Affective Skills Through a Sexual and Reproductive Health Medical Education Unit
Authors: de Oliveira Renato , Montagna Erik , Zaia Victor , Torres Bayardo Baptista , Barbosa Caio Parente
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Although better medical training on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an unquestionable global need, and recent research has emphasized the importance of SRH education, few studies have presented alternative teaching models to conventional approaches.

Aim

To examine the structure and evaluation of a curricular unit that uses an active teaching and learning strategy, and to evaluate both the cognitive and affective student learning outcomes.

Methods

This study used retrospective and cross-sectional analyses of a curricular unit with 8 weekly lessons structured into individual activities before the class, group activities monitored in class, feedback, and the development of medical empathy.

Main Outcome Measure

Student performance was evaluated through summative and formative activities. The process was evaluated quantitatively by a questionnaire containing Likert-type and open-ended questions with speech analysis and with categorical evaluation.

Results

The final average of the analyzed group was 7.95 ± 0.5 on a scale of 10. Likert-type assessment (Cronbach's α = 0.86) revealed strong student adherence and, through responses to open-ended questions, positive evaluations of the proposed SRH teaching model. The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy showed a high index of self-reported general empathy (117.3 ± 11), with a significantly higher index for female students (P = .019) than male students; however, this gender difference disappeared after the intervention (P = .086).

Conclusions

The curriculum model was developed and continuously adjusted based on grounded theory for teaching SRH and included both cognitive and affective stimuli; the results showed favorable student evaluation of the unit, and it proved feasible to implement in the time available.
Reserve and Alzheimer's disease genetic risk: Effects on hospitalization and mortality
Authors: Filshtein Teresa Jenica , Brenowitz Willa D. , Mayeda Elizabeth Rose , Hohman Timothy J. , Walter Stefan , Jones Rich N. , Elahi Fanny M. , Glymour M. Maria
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Cognitive reserve predicts delayed diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and faster postdiagnosis decline. The net impact of cognitive reserve, combining both prediagnosis and postdiagnosis risk, on adverse AD‐related outcomes is unknown. We adopted a novel approach, using AD genetic risk scores (AD‐GRS), to evaluate this.

Methods

Using 242,959 UK Biobank participants age 56+ years, we evaluated whether cognitive reserve (operationalized as education) modified associations between AD‐GRS and mortality or hospitalization (total count, fall‐related, and urinary tract infection–related).

Results

AD‐GRS predicted mortality and hospitalization outcomes. Education did not modify AD‐GRS effects on mortality, but had a nonsignificantly (interaction P = .10) worse effect on hospitalizations due to urinary tract infection or falls among low education (OR = 1.07 [95% CI: 1.02, 1.12]) than high education (OR = 1.01 [0.95, 1.07]) individuals.

Discussion

Education did not convey differential survival advantages to individuals with higher genetic risk of AD, but may reduce hospitalization risk associated with AD genetic risk.
Study protocol of the self‐monitoring activity program: Effects of activity on incident dementia
Authors: Shimada Hiroyuki , Lee Sangyoon , Doi Takehiko , Bae Seongryu , Makino Keitaro , Chiba Ippei , Arai Hidenori
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Numerous studies have focused on nonpharmacological interventions on cognitive function and the effects of cognitive function on daily living. However, effects of behavior change techniques that promote physical, cognitive, and social activities on cognitive function and incident dementia in the elderly are yet to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to design a single‐blind, randomized controlled trial to study dementia prevention effects of behavior change techniques, using an accelerometer and a newly developed daily activity booklet in community‐living older adults.

Methods

The study cohort comprised 5390 individuals aged 65 years and older who were randomized into one of the following three groups: accelerometer group (n = 1508), accelerometer and daily activity booklet group (n = 1180), or a control group (n = 2702; vs. accelerometer group [n = 1509] vs. accelerometer and daily activity booklet group [n = 1193]). Incident dementia was diagnosed based on the Japanese Health Insurance System data. The participants without dementia at baseline, who are diagnosed with dementia over a 36‐month follow‐up period, are considered to have incident dementia. The participants of the accelerometer group were asked to wear the accelerometer everyday and visit a site having data readers to download the accelerometer data every month. The subjects of the booklet group were requested to not only wear the accelerometer but also record the physical, cognitive, and social activities. The participants receive a feedback report from the data of the accelerometer and booklet.

Discussion

The study has the potential to provide the first evidence of effectiveness of the self‐monitoring tools in incident dementia. In case our trial results suggest a delayed dementia onset upon self‐monitoring interventions, the study protocol will provide a cost‐effective and safe method for maintaining a healthy cognitive aging.
Difficult training improves team performance: an empirical case study of US college basketball
Authors: KAPPES HEATHER BARRY , ALTER ADAM L. , EDWARDS GRIFFIN S. , BERRI DAVID J.
Published: July 2019

One major challenge facing policy-makers is to design education and workplace training programs that are appropriately challenging. We review previous research that suggests that difficult training is better than easy training. However, surveys we conducted of students and of expert sport coaches showed that many prescribed easy rather than difficult training for those they coached. We analyzed the performance of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball teams in postseason tournaments to see whether the existing research, largely on individuals in short-term situations, would generalize to teams in the long run. Indeed, playing difficult nonconference (training) games modestly improved performance for NCAA teams in the postseason. Difficult training particularly benefitted teams that lost many nonconference games, and the effect of difficulty was positive within the range of difficulty NCAA teams actually encounter, making it clear that difficult training is superior. We suggest that our results can be generalized beyond sports, although with careful consideration of differences between NCAA basketball teams and other teams that may limit generalizability. These results suggest that policy-makers might consider amplifying the difficulty of team training exercises under certain conditions.
A randomized controlled pilot study of the University of Minnesota mentoring excellence training academy: A hybrid learning approach to research mentor training
Authors: Weber-Main Anne Marie , Shanedling Janet , Kaizer Alexander M. , Connett John , Lamere Michelle , El-Fakahany Esam E.
Published: July 2019

Introduction:

Research mentor training is a valuable professional development activity. Options for training customization (by delivery mode, dosage, content) are needed to address the many critical attributes of effective mentoring relationships and to support mentors in different institutional settings.

Methods:

We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate a hybrid mentor training approach consisting of an innovative, 90-minute, self-paced, online module (Optimizing the Practice of Mentoring, OPM) followed by workshops based on the Entering Mentoring (EM) curriculum. Mentors (n = 59) were randomized to intervention or control arms; the control condition was receipt of a two-page mentoring tip sheet. Surveys (pre, post, 3-month follow up) and focus groups assessed training impact (self-appraised knowledge, skills, behavior change) and participants’ perceptions of the blended training model.

Results:

The intervention (∼6.5 hours) produced significant improvements in all outcomes, including skills gains on par with those reported previously for the 8-hour EM model. Knowledge gains and intention-to-change mentoring practices were realized after completion of OPM and augmented by the in-person sessions. Mentors valued the synergy of the blended learning format, noting the unique strengths of each modality and specific benefits to completing a foundational online module before in-person engagement.

Conclusions:

Findings from this pilot trial support the value of e-learning approaches, both as standalone curricula or as a component of hybrid implementation models, for the professional development of research mentors.
Effect of inertial lift on a spherical particle suspended in flow through a curved duct
Authors: Harding Brendan , Stokes Yvonne M. , Bertozzi Andrea L.
Published: July 2019

We develop a model of the forces on a spherical particle suspended in flow through a curved duct under the assumption that the particle Reynolds number is small. This extends an asymptotic model of inertial lift force previously developed to study inertial migration in straight ducts. Of particular interest is the existence and location of stable equilibria within the cross-sectional plane towards which particles migrate. The Navier–Stokes equations determine the hydrodynamic forces acting on a particle. A leading-order model of the forces within the cross-sectional plane is obtained through the use of a rotating coordinate system and a perturbation expansion in the particle Reynolds number of the disturbance flow. We predict the behaviour of neutrally buoyant particles at low flow rates and examine the variation in focusing position with respect to particle size and bend radius, independent of the flow rate. In this regime, the lateral focusing position of particles approximately collapses with respect to a dimensionless parameter dependent on three length scales: specifically, the particle radius, duct height and duct bend radius. Additionally, a trapezoidal-shaped cross-section is considered in order to demonstrate how changes in the cross-section design influence the dynamics of particles.
Geophysical turbulence dominated by inertia–gravity waves
Authors: Thomas Jim , Yamada Ray
Published: July 2019

Recent evidence from both oceanic observations and global-scale ocean model simulations indicate the existence of regions where low-mode internal tidal energy dominates over that of the geostrophic balanced flow. Inspired by these findings, we examine the effect of the first vertical mode inertia–gravity waves on the dynamics of balanced flow using an idealized model obtained by truncating the hydrostatic Boussinesq equations on to the barotropic and the first baroclinic mode. On investigating the wave–balance turbulence phenomenology using freely evolving numerical simulations, we find that the waves continuously transfer energy to the balanced flow in regimes where the balanced-to-wave energy ratio is small, thereby generating small-scale features in the balanced fields. We examine the detailed energy transfer pathways in wave-dominated flows and thereby develop a generalized small Rossby number geophysical turbulence phenomenology, with the two-mode (barotropic and one baroclinic mode) quasi-geostrophic turbulence phenomenology being a subset of it. The present work therefore shows that inertia–gravity waves would form an integral part of the geophysical turbulence phenomenology in regions where balanced flow is weaker than gravity waves.
Turbulent drag reduction by anisotropic permeable substrates – analysis and direct numerical simulations
Authors: Gómez-de-Segura G. , García-Mayoral R.
Published: July 2019

We explore the ability of anisotropic permeable substrates to reduce turbulent skin friction, studying the influence that these substrates have on the overlying turbulence. For this, we perform direct numerical simulations of channel flows bounded by permeable substrates. The results confirm theoretical predictions, and the resulting drag curves are similar to those of riblets. For small permeabilities, the drag reduction is proportional to the difference between the streamwise and spanwise permeabilities. This linear regime breaks down for a critical value of the wall-normal permeability, beyond which the performance begins to degrade. We observe that the degradation is associated with the appearance of spanwise-coherent structures, attributed to a Kelvin–Helmholtz-like instability of the mean flow. This feature is common to a variety of obstructed flows, and linear stability analysis can be used to predict it. For large permeabilities, these structures become prevalent in the flow, outweighing the drag-reducing effect of slip and eventually leading to an increase of drag. For the substrate configurations considered, the largest drag reduction observed is ${\approx}$20–25 % at a friction Reynolds number $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}=180$.
Penal (Ant)Agonism
Authors: Koehler Johann
Published: July 2019

In Breaking the Pendulum, Goodman, Page, and Phelps (2017) advance an “agonistic” perspective that contends struggle drives penal change, and that it does so through perpetual conflict. Yet studying only manifest struggles, when an actor made their resistance to a penal status quo known, presents thorny problems in conceptualizing conflict. One such problem is that conflict among agonists advocating competing penal policies presupposes consensus between those who threaten penal order’s basic conditions. Understanding penal agonism’s corollary, penal antagonism, offers a more complete starting point from which to theorize penal history and penality.
Consensus in the Penal Field? Revisiting Breaking the Pendulum
Authors: Page Joshua , Phelps Michelle , Goodman Philip
Published: July 2019

This Essay responds to thoughtful analyses from Ashley Rubin, Johann Koehler, Geoff Ward, and Fergus McNeill on our book Breaking the Pendulum: The Long Struggle Over Criminal Justice (2017). In particular, we revisit our claim that consensus within the penal field is illusory. Drawing inspiration from our interlocutors, we argue that while recognized actors constantly struggle over the character and scope of criminal justice, they agree (at least implicitly) that certain positions are “unthinkable” and certain actors must remain outside the field. This “conflictual consensus” limits radical transformations of criminal justice. Our revised perspective encourages scholars to analyze how marginal positions and actors become part of the field, as well as the effects they produce while trying to reshape its boundaries. We conclude by sketching out how scholars have extended and revised the agonistic perspective we advance in Breaking the Pendulum and where we might turn next.
INTERSECTIONS OF SUBGROUPS IN VIRTUALLY FREE GROUPS AND VIRTUALLY FREE PRODUCTS
Authors: KLYACHKO ANTON A. , PONFILENKO ANASTASIA N.
Published: July 2019

This note contains a (short) proof of the following generalisation of the Friedman–Mineyev theorem (earlier known as the Hanna Neumann conjecture): if $A$ and $B$ are nontrivial free subgroups of a virtually free group containing a free subgroup of index $n$, then $\text{rank}(A\cap B)-1\leq n\cdot (\text{rank}(A)-1)\cdot (\text{rank}(B)-1)$. In addition, we obtain a virtually-free-product analogue of this result.
THEFABERAND THESAGA. PYGMALION BETWEEN THEEBVRNEA VIRGOAND THETRVNCVS INERS
Authors: Starnone Viola
Published: July 2019

Approaching the Ovidian story of Pygmalion, scholars mainly focus on the moment in which the artist carves his ideal woman out of ivory. But the reasons that led him to sculpt the statue tend to remain in the background. Ovid informs us that, before giving toeburthe shape of auirgo, the ‘Paphian hero’ (Met. 10.290), shocked by the lascivious conduct of the Propoetides, had declared war on the whole of womankind (Met. 10.238–46):sunt tamen obscenae Venerem Propoetides ausaeesse negare deam; pro quo sua numinis iracorpora cum forma primae uulgasse feruntur;utque pudor cessit, sanguisque induruit oris,in rigidum paruo silicem discrimine uersae.quas quia Pygmalion aeuum per crimen agentesuiderat, offensus uitiis, quae plurima mentifemineae natura dedit, sine coniuge caelebsuiuebat thalamique diu consorte carebat.
An introduction to the Rhynie chert
Authors: Garwood Russell J , Oliver Heather , Spencer Alan R T
Published: July 2019

The terrestrialization of life has profoundly affected the biosphere, geosphere and atmosphere, and theGeological Magazinehas published key works charting the development of our understanding of this process. Integral to this understanding – and featuring in one of theGeological Magazinepublications – is the Devonian Rhynie chert Konservat-Lagerstätte located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Here we provide a review of the work on this important early terrestrial deposit to date. We begin by highlighting contributions of note in theGeological Magazineimproving understanding of terrestrialization and Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems. We then introduce the Rhynie chert. The review highlights its geological setting: the Caledonian context of the Rhynie Basin and its nature at the time of deposition of the cherts which host its famous fossils. There follows an introduction to the development of the half-graben in which the cherts and host sediments were deposited, the palaeoenvironment this represented and the taphonomy of the fossils themselves. We subsequently provide an overview of the mineralization and geochemistry of the deposit, and then the fossils found within the Rhynie chert. These include: six plant genera, which continue to provide significant insights into the evolution of life on land; a range of different fungi, with recent work starting to probe plant–fungus interactions; lichens, amoebae and a range of unicellular eukaryotes and prokaryotes (algae and cyanobacteria); and finally a range of both aquatic and terrestrial arthropods. Through continued study coupled with methodological advances, Rhynie fossils will continue to provide unique insights into early life on land.
Review of recent developments in aeolian dust signals of sediments from the North Pacific Ocean based on magnetic minerals
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Liu Qingsong , Sun Youbin
Published: July 2019

The North Pacific Ocean (NPO) has received abundant aeolian dust transported by westerlies from the Asian inland. The aeolian components preserved in NPO sediments record information on palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes in Asian source areas at different timescales. Previous studies have systematically investigated the source–sink effect of aeolian dust using the sedimentology, geochemistry, isotope and magnetic methods. In this study, we focus more on recent developments of aeolian signals in NPO sediments obtained by magnetic approaches. Generally, aeolian components contain a mixture of magnetite, maghemite, hematite and goethite of different origins. Magnetic properties (mineral category, concentration and particle size) of these minerals are modulated primarily by climatic/environmental conditions in source areas and sorting effects during the transportation process. Compared with the other methods, magnetic measurements have the advantages of non-sample destruction, high sensitivity and high efficiency. Finally, future studies are also discussed to address the importance of magnetism for tracing the dynamic transportation processes of the aeolian dust.
From syndrome X to cardiometabolic risk: clinical and public health implications
Authors: Després Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2019

Although the first description of a syndrome defined by the co-existence of atherogenic and diabetogenic metabolic abnormalities is debated in the literature, it was Gerald Reaven who proposed, in his landmark 1988 Banting award lecture, that a significant proportion of individuals (with diabetes or not) were characterised by insulin resistance causing prejudice to cardiovascular health. However, Reaven was influenced by seminal observations made more than 50 years earlier by Himsworth who proposed that there were two forms of diabetes (insulin resistant v. insulin sensitive). Reaven went further in proposing the theory that insulin resistance was the most prevalent cause of CVD associated with metabolic abnormalities that he named syndrome X. Because there was a syndrome X documented in cardiology, the term evolved to insulin resistance syndrome. As Reaven could also find insulin-resistant individuals in non-obese subjects, he did not include obesity as a feature of syndrome X. Imaging studies then revealed that excess adipose tissue in the abdominal cavity, a condition described as visceral obesity, was the form of overweight/obesity associated with insulin resistance and its related abnormalities. As obesity risk assessment and management remain largely based on body weight (BMI) and weight loss, it is proposed that our clinical approaches and public health messages should be revisited. First, patients should be educated about the importance of monitoring their waistline as a crude index of abdominal adiposity. Secondly, public health approaches focussing on ‘lifestyle vital signs’ including achieving healthy waistlines rather than healthy body weights should be developed.
Online representations of nursing-home life in Sweden: perspectives from staff on content, purpose and audience
Authors: Carlstedt Elisabeth , Jönson Håkan
Published: July 2019

The article is based on a study of how social media and other types of online representations of nursing homes are described by staff. The study proceeds from a qualitative thematic analysis of 14 interviews with nursing-home representatives. The article addresses a key finding that was apparent in the interviews: the online representations’ form and content were adjusted to fit the demands of residents’ relatives. Given the peripheral role attributed to relatives in official Swedish eldercare policies, the motives for the online representations are systematically examined. Two motives are found to be central: marketing and assurance. Residents’ relatives, specified as adult children, were perceived pre-admission as customers in charge of the process of choice and placement; post-admission, relatives requested proof that social activities were provided for their parents. The article discusses how online representations strategically construct a version of ‘reality’ by adjusting to relatives’ unrealistic expectations, only showing residents as involved in social activities. Finally, the need to examine the actual role of relatives in Swedish eldercare is discussed.
Wounds of the Past: the Chuanju Performance of Qingtan (Sighing)
Authors: Chen Lin
Published: July 2019

In this article Lin Chen seeks to locate the experimental chuanju production Qingtan (Sighing), directed by and starring Tian Mansha, in its special socio-political context. Based on a detailed performance analysis, she explores the aesthetics of the production and how it interweaves different performance cultures while referring continually to the deep wound of the Cultural Revolution, still felt by a significant number of ordinary people in mainland China. But while the production fully intends to present the trauma of the Cultural Revolution, it barely touches the wound of the past that it evokes. This is so because of the pervading presence of the xiqu idea of beauty, current dualistic political discourse, institutional difficulties, and, most of all, the fact that the collective cultural trauma at issue has not yet been properly articulated in Chinese culture and society. Lin Chen is an assistant professor of the Qingdao Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shandong University. She completed her doctorate at the Freie Universität, Berlin. Her research interests include the aesthetic ideas of Leibniz and their far-reaching influence, the aesthetics of performativity, interweaving performance cultures and cultural studies.1
On the Researcher’s/Reviewer’s Bodily Presence in Theatre
Authors: Krpič Tomažz
Published: July 2019

In this article Tomaž Krpič discusses two specific types of creative theatregoer: the theatre researcher and the theatre reviewer (researcher/reviewer). He stresses the influence of the theatre researcher’s/reviewer’s bodily presence in the theatre on the results of their professional work: the scholarly article and the review. Becoming a researcher or a reviewer involves going through a long complex process of personal embodiment to gain the skills associated with the learning, participative, and writing body to achieve and to maintain specific theatre bodily habitus, the physical and cultural capital necessary for fulfilling the roles of the researcher/reviewer. Tomaž Krpič is a sociologist of the body in performance studies, particularly in the spectator’s body in postdramatic theatre. He has published widely on various social, political, and cultural aspects of theatre and art performance. He is a member of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Ljubljana University.
The Path to Woolf Works and the Language of Design
Authors: Deepres Ravi
Published: July 2019

Film technology has become an increasingly prominent component of theatre design. In the practice of Robert Wilson and Robert Lepage it may support what has been described as a ‘pizza style’ of presentation, in which disparate techniques and modes of presentation are used to disturb conventional ideas of narrative, context, and textual authority, while in the work of Motionhouse it creates a language of dance as circus. The longstanding collaboration between film designer Ravi Deepres and choreographer Wayne McGregor presents an alternative model, at once highly composed as narrative and based on meticulous research into textual evidence. In this interview with David Roberts, Deepres charts the evolution of his work with McGregor up to their award-winning Woolf Works, showing how a genuinely collaborative artistic process and attention to the graphic possibilities of different film technologies have transformed our understanding of the role of design in devised performance. Ravi Deepres is Professor of Moving Image and Photography at Birmingham City University. For the past nineteen years he has designed shows in collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor. Their most recent success, Woolf Works, won the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production and re-opened at La Scala Milan in April 2019. David Roberts is Professor of English at Birmingham City University. His recent publications include George Farquhar: A Migrant Life Reversed (Bloomsbury, 2018), and he is currently working on a new edition of Congreve's The Way of the World.
Theory of Mind and Parental Nurturance as Predictors of Peer Relationships After Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: A Test of Moderated Mediation
Authors: Deighton Stephanie , Durish Christianne Laliberté , Taylor H. Gerry , Rubin Kenneth , Dennis Maureen , Bigler Erin D. , Vannatta Kathryn , Gerhardt Cynthia A. , Stancin Terry , Yeates Keith Owen
Published: July 2019

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained in childhood is associated with poor social outcomes. This study investigated the role of theory of mind (ToM) as a mediator of the relation between TBI and peer rejection/victimization and reciprocated friendships, as well as the moderating effect of parental nurturance on those relationships. Method: Participants were children of 8–13 years old (M = 10.45, SD = 1.47), including 13 with severe TBI, 39 with complicated mild/moderate TBI, and 32 children with orthopedic injuries. Data on peer rejection/victimization and friendship were collected in school classrooms using the Extended Class Play and friendship nominations. Parents rated parental nurturance using the Child-Rearing Practices Report. Finally, ToM was measured based on children’s average performance across three tasks measuring different aspects of ToM. Results: Severe TBI was associated with poorer ToM, greater peer rejection/victimization, and fewer reciprocated friendships. ToM mediated the relation between severe TBI and peer rejection/victimization (i.e., severe TBI predicted poorer ToM, which in turn predicted greater rejection/victimization). Parental nurturance significantly moderated this relation, such that the mediating effect of ToM was significant only at low and average levels of parental nurturance, for both severe and complicated mild/moderate TBI groups. Neither the mediating effect of ToM nor the moderating effect of parental nurturance was significant for reciprocated friendships. Conclusion: High parental nurturance may mitigate the negative effects of ToM deficits on risk of peer rejection/victimization among children with TBI. Interventions designed to increase parental nurturance or ToM may promote better social outcomes among children with TBI.
Wearables and the internet of things: considerations for the life and health insurance industry
Authors: Spender A. , Bullen C. , Altmann-Richer L. , Cripps J. , Duffy R. , Falkous C. , Farrell M. , Horn T. , Wigzell J. , Yeap W.
Published: July 2019

The aim of this research was to look at the emergence of wearable technology and the internet of things (IoT) and their current and potential use in the health and care area. There is a wide and ever-expanding range of wearables, devices, apps, data aggregators and platforms allowing the measurement, tracking and aggregation of a multitude of health and lifestyle measures, information and behaviours. The use and application of such technology and the corresponding richness of data that it can provide bring the health and care insurance market both potential opportunities and challenges. Insurers across a range of fields are already engaging with this type of technology in their proposition designs in areas such as customer engagement, marketing and underwriting. However, it seems like we are just at the start of the journey, on a learning curve to find the optimal practical applications of such technology with many aspects as yet untried, tested or indeed backed up with quantifiable evidence. It is clear though that technology is only part of the solution, on its own it will not engage or change behaviours and insurers will need to consider this in terms of implementation and goals. In the first weeks of forming this working party, it became evident that the potential scope of this technology, the information already out there and the pace of development of it, is almost overwhelming. With many yet-unanswered questions the paper focuses on pulling together in one place relevant information for the consideration of the health and care actuary, and also to open the reader’s eyes to potential future innovations by drawing on use of the technology in other markets and spheres, and the “science fiction–like” new technology that is just around the corner. The paper explores:

an overview of wearables and IoT and available measures,

examples of how this technology is currently being used,

data considerations,

risks and challenges,

future technology developments and

what this may mean for the future of insurance.

Insurers who engage now are likely to be on an evolving business case model and product development journey, over which they can build up their understanding and interpretation of the data that this technology can provide. An exciting area full of potential – when and how will you get involved?