bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in Intrinsic Motivation and Physical Activity among Overweight Women in a 12-Week Dragon Boat Exercise Intervention Study
Authors: McDonough Meghan H. , Sabiston Catherine M. , Sedgwick Whitney A. , Crocker Peter R.E.
Published: August 2016

Physical and psychosocial health risks are associated with both excess body weight and a sedentary lifestyle (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 1998). However, few researchers have focused on behavioral and motivational processes associated with exercise adoption and maintenance among overweight women. This study examined the efficacy of a team-based physical activity intervention on motivation and activity from a self-determination theory perspective. Overweight, inactive women (N=66) were randomly assigned to either a 12-week dragon boat program or a control condition. Participation in the dragon boat exercise was associated with increased intrinsic motivation and physical activity. Based on these data, the researchers suggest that this novel, team-based exercise intervention may improve motivation and activity levels in this at-risk population.
Coaching Qualities, Gender, and Role Modeling
Authors: Molstad Susan M.
Published: August 2016

Male (N=121) and female (N=135) high school girls’ basketball coaches responded to three forced-choice questions related to gender and role modeling. Both genders said they preferred coaching girls to boys. Male coaches thought female athletes preferred a male coach, female coaches thought they preferred a female coach. Coaches of each gender perceived themselves as equal or better role models than their counterparts. Coaches were then asked to rank order the importance of six coaching qualities previously identified as either expressive or instrumental. First they ranked the qualities in importance as they perceived them, then in the order they thought players would rank them. Coaches differed significantly by gender on the rankings of the qualities, as well as their perceptions of how athletes might rank the same qualities. Implications for modeling and young female athletes are discussed in relation to gender differences in these perceptions.
“You’re Not Allowed Body Checking in Women’s Hockey”: Preserving Gendered and Nationalistic Hegemonies in the 2006 Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament
Authors: Poniatowski Kelly
Published: August 2016

The purpose of the study was to focus on how hegemonic nationality, as well as hegemonic masculinity and femininity are expressed in the media commentaries about women’s sport. This study focused specifically on Olympic hockey broadcasts on NBC’s cable affiliates employing freelance journalists during the 2006 Olympics. Textual analyses of five U.S. and Canadian women’s games were conducted. Two hockey commentators of the Olympic Games were also interviewed. Results indicate that, in relationship to men, the women’s game is viewed as less physical. In regards to nationality, the U.S. women are viewed as legitimate athletes for embracing hockey and not traditional feminine sports such as figure skating. Canadian women are viewed as legitimate for initially having participated in female versions of hockey such as ringette before playing hockey. The U.S. women are described as having strength and power as well as being fit and still feminine, while their Canadian counterparts are mostly described by physical size.
Female Strength and Neuromuscular Response Time: A Review
Authors: Rich Nancy C.
Published: August 2016

There are an abundant number of published studies in which the authors state that post-pubertal men are stronger, faster and more powerful and therefore more proficient than women in many motor skills. The topics of strength and neuromuscular response time are phenomena that have been used in the past as bases for the rationalization that women do not have the physical characteristics that are essential requirements for front-line work as soldiers, firepersons, police officers and construction workers, and also that they are not as proficient as men in other occupations. This paper is a review of physiological and performance data that have contributed to our knowledge base in the areas of strength and neuromuscular response times of women. In addition, data regarding the deterioration of these parameters that occur with aging and the potential determent of this deterioration as a consequence of a lifetime of activity will be considered. Finally, a suggestion will be made that female and male data should be analyzed and reported in ways that eliminate genetic characteristics which bias the data.
Pregnancy and the Saber-Toothed Tiger
Authors: Wells Christine L. , Shoenhair Cynthia L.
Published: August 2016

Traditional medical advice to pregnant women in the U.S. has discouraged exercise. This restrictive attitude has denied many women an essential healthful behavior at an important period of their lives. Regular physical activity is a behavior to which the human body has adapted over millions of years of evolution. It is a behavior that is as vital, safe, and natural during pregnancy as at any other time. We maintain that healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies can perform regular upright moderate intensity exercise (50-65% VO2 max) as well as upright vigorous exercise (65-85% VO2max), without endangering themselves or compromising fetal well-being. We further maintain that they should be encouraged to do so regularly. Exercise prescription should be individualized, and not based on arbitrary standards.
Women of Endurance
Authors: Shaulis Dahn
Published: August 2016

For two centuries, women and girls have performed extraordinary feats of endurance with limited notice. Women’s individual achievements have included walking for a month with less than 10 or 15 minutes continuous rest, walking and running more than 400 miles in six consecutive days, and defeating all men contestants in endurance competitions. Ideally, these achievements should have shattered the myths of female frailty and allowed more women to participate in and manage endurance events. However, women’s endurance has often been reduced, marginalized or exploited. Using post-modern historical analysis of 1000 printed sources, the author focuses on 19th century women’s professional endurance efforts, and also shows that marginalization and exploitation of women’s endurance continues into the 21st century.
Five Years of Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal: A Content Review
Authors: Nilges Lynda M.
Published: August 2016

With its diverse coverage of topics from a variety of perspectives, the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal is a significant resource for those working toward social change and gender empowerment inside and outside the arena of sport and physical activity. This article is a review of the scholarship contained in the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal over the last five years (1992-1996). Seven broad themes are used to organize this review, (1) The Meaning of Physical Activity, (2) Female Athletes in the Visual and Print Media, (3)Transforming Sport and Physical Activity, (4) Nutrition, Weight, and Body Image, (5) Scientific Foundations of the Active Female, (6) Historical Perspectives of Women in Sport, and (7) “Others.” Suggestions are offered for future research relative to women’s sport and physical activity based on the shift that has occurred in feminism over the last century.
Transforming the Silence on Lesbians in Sport: Suggested Directions for Theory and Research in Sport Psychology
Authors: Vealey Robin S.
Published: August 2016

The provocative and dynamic interrelationships between the social organization of sport, sexual orientation of women participants, and their concomitant perceptions and behavior represent a fertile area for social psychological research. Sport psychologists have largely avoided, through scholarly discourse, examining lesbianism in sport thereby perpetuating “the silence so loud that it screams.” The purpose of this paper is to identify the harmful intellectual and social consequences of this silence and to advance suggestions for future research directions based on emerging epistemology and theory. It is argued that if the silence is broken using depoliticized functionalist approaches such as sex-role identification and liberal humanism, this will only exacerbate the homophobia and heterosexism that hinders our intellectual pursuit of knowledge in this area and reify the heteropatricarchal oppression of lesbians participating in sport. The rigid socially-constructed isomorphism between sport and masculinity coupled with the social stigma of lesbianism within sport may only be transformed via a paradigmatic shift from traditional functionalism toward a social constructionist approach.
Homophobia and Heterosexism in Women’s Sport and Physical Education: A Review
Authors: Greendorfer Susan L. , Rubinson Laurna
Published: August 2016

This review of the extant literature suggests that the examination of homophobia, heterosexism and gay/lesbian identities in sport remains a topic of analysis for very few scholars. In addition, there may be debate whether articles relative to masculinity and femininity, traditional gender role constructions, gender relations and the social construction of sport and sport as masculine culture should be included. Despite the narrowness or breadth of topics considered, homophobia, a weapon of sexism and hegemonic masculinity (and femininity) becomes a powerful resistance to patriarchy and male domination. The review begins with definitions of homophobia and moves to research and discussions that focus more directly on homophobia in sport and physical education. To present the breadth of topics that could be considered, additional sections include articles dealing with lesbianism in sport, heterosexism in sport, and a brief overview of homophobia in the popular press. Lack of theoretical frameworks, applications of theory and insufficient impirical evidence contribute to an uneveness in the literature and make it difficult to draw specific conclusions.
Gender Differences in Perceived Fitness Disappear When Exercise Activity Is Standardized
Authors: Lintunen Taru
Published: August 2016

Participation in sport is an important correlate of perceptions of physical competence, with physically active adolescents having more favorable perceptions than sedentary adolescents. Exercise activity has not, however, been standardized in earlier studies in which girls have consistently scored lower than boys in measures of perceived physical competence. The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in perceived fitness among adolescents in relation to exercise activity during a four-year follow-up. The participants (n=88) were divided into sedentary (20 girls, 15 boys), physically active (10 girls, 20 boys), and highly active (8 girls, 15 boys) groups. Perceived physical competence was measured by Lintunen’s Perceived Fitness Scale. Data were analyzed using one-and twoway analyses of variance and the least significant difference test. No differences were found in perceived fitness between the girls and boys in any activity group at any age. More physically active groups showed higher perceived fitness among both sexes than the sedentary group when measured at the ages 11,12,13,14, and 15. I concluded that physical activity level is more important than gender as a determinant of perceived physical competence. Boys are, on the average, more actively involved in exercise than girls. This may be the reason that they have consistently scored higher in measures of perceived physical competence.
Enhancing Women’s Physical Activity Involvement
Authors: Henderson Karla A.
Published: August 2016

Research reports released almost every day extol the healthful physical and mental benefits of physical activity. Many women, however, fail to participate in physical activities because of reasons that relate to personal, social, and organizational constraints. Understanding what to do to help women enhance their physical activity involvement must be considered by many people. Change in directions that will add quality to women’s lives will not happen without consciously directed effort on the part of individuals, as well as institutions, within society. A basic assumption underlying this paper is that physical activity possesses the components of leisure when it is freely chosen and found enjoyable. Therefore, I propose that change needs to occur within society, among individuals, and by activity providers if opportunities for enjoyable and beneficial physical involvement are to be enhanced for girls and women.
Life-Styles and Aging: The Hungarian Case
Authors: Földesi Gyöngyi Szabó
Published: August 2016

This paper is an analysis of the presence and the consequences of ageism and sexism in contemporary sport relative to Hungarian women. The major purposes are: (1) to consider some theoretical concerns about research on physical activity in the later years; (2) to examine how the double disadvantage of being old and female influences life-styles in connection with sport; (3) to review research relative to how and why sport is or is not an integral part of life-style of the 50+ age group of women in Hungary; (4) to present results of research carried out recently in Hungary on elderly people’s sport participation and their judgments of their own physical activity. Findings from a variety of studies were discussed, including 1987 and 1997 studies of the Budapest older population. Interview and questionnaire techniques were used to collect data relative to participation and interpretation of sport and physical activity. According to the findings, of the 1997 study, only 19% of women over 70 reported their health as satisfactory, compared with 5.6 % of the men. Lasting diseases were more frequent among women than among men (42.3 % versus 34.1 %). 38.8 % of females and 27.8 % of males aged 70-74 years cannot walk a distance of 2 kilometers; 47.1 % of females and 31.8 % of males in the same age groups are not able to ascend 10 stairsteps without taking a rest. Approximately 5 % of males over 60 and approximately 4% of females over 55 were physically active. It appears to the great majority of Hungarian older women that they are losers of the recent system change: because of growing poverty their life-chances have been worsening, their opportunities for choosing the components of their life-styles-including physical activity have narrowed and social distances within and between the individual age cohorts have increased, including sport participation. There is a need for rethinking attitudes and for increasing awareness of how physical fitness could keep Hungarians in all ages healthier, more independent and more optimistic.
A Quest for Equality : A Gender Comparison of the BBC’s TV Coverage of the 1995 World Athletics Championships
Authors: Elueze R. , Jones R.L.
Published: August 2016

The purpose of the study was to compare the televised depictions and portrayals of male and female athletes who partook in the so-called ‘masculine’ events of the marathon, shot-put and discus at the 5th World Athletics Championships in 1995. Both commentary and modes of production were analyzed in order to ascertain if women were treated equally in terms of the above modes of presentation when participating in physically challenging events that defy traditional and stereotypical notions of femininity.

Based upon the results, not only were the men’s events given greater air time, but the quality of the commentary and modes of production also favored the men’s events when compared with their female counterparts. Thus, commentators frequently framed the female athletes’ accomplishments in terms of traditional notions of femininity, through the use of negative, condescending and ambivalent descriptors and a gendered hierarchy of naming.
Raising Awareness and Commitment to Gender Equity in Athletics a Developmental Workshop
Authors: Pemberton Cynthia Lee A. , Everhart Robert B.
Published: August 2016

The purpose of the project described in this study was to develop and field-test an educational workshop designed to lower individual and organizational resistance to change relative to the issues of gender equity in intercollegiate athletics. The effectiveness of the workshop was assessed by addressing three questions: (a) Did participants believe that their participation in the workshop increased their awareness and understanding of Title IX?; (b) Did participants believe that their participation in the workshop increased their awareness and understanding of the gender specific value of sport?; and, (c) Do/did participants indicate that they intended to initiate actions to facilitate further gender equity on their own campuses?

Workshop participants included intercollegiate athletic personnel from two National Athletic Intercollegiate Association and/or National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III member institutions. The institutions and participants were selected based on their willingness to participate in the workshop fiel, d-tests.

The workshop content addressed Title IX and the gender specific value of sport using a combination lecture and small group activity format. The effectiveness of the workshop was assessed using a post-workshop survey, workshop facilitator notes and reflections, and in the case of the first workshop field-test, focus group and follow-up interviews.

The findings were: (a) Both workshop field-tests were effective in lowering change resistance as defined in this project, with the revised workshop being more effective than the original workshop; and, (b) The workshop was improved through consideration and implementation of selected education change strategies and adult learning theory.
Stress and Burnout in Female High School Athletic Directors
Authors: Martin Jeffrey , Kelley Betty , Dias Candice
Published: August 2016

In the current study we examined the relationships between stress predictors, stress, and burnout in female high school athletic directors (N = 52). Significant negative correlations between stress and hardiness and between stress and number of social support providers were found. Significant positive correlations between stress and time concerns, personnel concerns, and program success (e.g., winning) subscales of the athletic directing issues scale were also found. Subjects high in hardiness and with adequate social support networks, who also reported few athletic directing issues, were likely to report minimal stress. Significant positive correlations also indicated that stress was related to the burnout dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Based on our results we supported and extended Kelley’s (1993; 1994) model of stress and burnout with a population of female athletic directors.
See Jane Throw: Exploring a Fundamental Skill with Girls and Women
Authors: O’Reilly Ellen , Romanow Sandy , Rutledge Mamie , Covey Jamie , Mandigo James , O’Reilly Ellen
Published: August 2016

How do adolescent girls self-evaluate their ability to throw with force? Does this evaluation alter if the characteristics of their participating group vary by such factors as gender or perceived abili ty? What importance do females attach to this skill? How does self assessment concerning the ability to throw with force affect identity formation in adolescent girls? These questions guided our study on adolescent girls’ perceptions of the importance of being able to throw overhand with force. The data for this study were collected during a series of health and activity sessions available to girls from a diversity of cultures and ethnic groups attending middle-class junior and senior high schools located in a large western Canadian city. Self-evaluation questionnaires were completed by 195 adoles cent female participants as part of an activity session focused on overhand throwing. Statistical analysis of the numbered preference responses, and qualitative assessment of additional written comments enabled the research team to document the contemporary female experience of throwing, with particular consideration given to technique, attitudes, and the personal meaning adolescent girls attribute to the development of a fundamental motor skill.
Cognitive Mapping: Its Use as an Assessment Tool for Disordered Eating
Authors: Wiginton Kristin L. , Rhea Deborah
Published: August 2016

The incidence of eating disorders among female athletes continues to increase, presenting intervention challenges to athletic trainers. Additionally, a number of female athletes have disordered eating behaviors that do not yet constitute an eating disorder diagnosis, but have similar characteristics to those athletes diagonised with eating disorders. However, each athlete exhibits individual mental representations of disordered eating and the impact of those representations on important aspects of her life. The athletic trainer has the potential to offer comprehensive preventive education when all aspects of the athlete’s own understanding of disordered eating are assessed. Cognitive mapping is an assessment technique that can be used in addition to other preventive practices and can be useful in determining an athlete’s current mental representations of disordered eating.
Randomized kernel methods for least-squares support vector machines
Authors: Andrecut M.
Published: August 2016

The least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) is a frequently used kernel method for non-linear regression and classification tasks. Here we discuss several approximation algorithms for the LS-SVM classifier. The proposed methods are based on randomized block kernel matrices, and we show that they provide good accuracy and reliable scaling for multi-class classification problems with relatively large data sets. Also, we present several numerical experiments that illustrate the practical applicability of the proposed methods.
Lump-type solutions to nonlinear differential equations derived from generalized bilinear equations
Authors: Ma Wen-Xiu , Zhou Yuan , Dougherty Rachael
Published: August 2016

Lump-type solutions, rationally localized in many directions in the space, are analyzed for nonlinear differential equations derived from generalized bilinear differential equations. By symbolic computations with Maple, positive quadratic and quartic polynomial solutions to two classes of generalized bilinear differential equations on [Formula: see text] are computed, and thus, lump-type solutions are presented to the corresponding nonlinear differential equations on [Formula: see text], generated from taking a transformation of dependent variables [Formula: see text].
Linearization properties, first integrals, nonlocal transformation for heat transfer equation
Authors: Orhan Özlem , Özer Teoman
Published: August 2016

We examine first integrals and linearization methods of the second-order ordinary differential equation which is called fin equation in this study. Fin is heat exchange surfaces which are used widely in industry. We analyze symmetry classification with respect to different choices of thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient functions of fin equation. Finally, we apply nonlocal transformation to fin equation and examine the results for different functions.
Adjoint twisted Alexander polynomials of genus one two-bridge knots
Authors: Tran Anh T.
Published: August 2016

We give explicit formulas for the adjoint twisted Alexander polynomial and nonabelian Reidemeister torsion of genus one two-bridge knots.
Some topics on scale-invariant perturbations from noninflationary universe
Authors: Li Mingzhe
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we review some topics on generations of scale-invariant primordial scalar and tensor perturbations in the early universe models different from inflation. The content includes generation of scale-invariant and Gaussian scalar perturbation in the ekpyrotic/cyclic universe, and production scale-invariant tensor perturbation in contracting universe. The main property of the models reviewed in this paper is the nonminimal couplings, include nonminimal couplings between the scalar fields and those to the gravity. By introducing these couplings, it is not difficult to achieve scale-invariances for the perturbations in the early universe models alternative to inflation.
GROWTH BEHAVIOR OF INTERMETALLIC LAYER ON STAINLESS STEEL IN ALUMINUM HOT-DIPPING PROCESS
Authors: LI YUANXING , JIA QIANG , ZHU ZONGTAO , GAO WEI , CHEN HUI
Published: August 2016

A set of stainless steel plates were treated by hot-dipping into molten pure aluminum (Al) at 700[Formula: see text]C, 760[Formula: see text]C and 820[Formula: see text]C with different immersion time from 10[Formula: see text]s to 1800[Formula: see text]s. The growth behavior of the intermetallic compound layers between the substrate and Al coating is investigated. The intermetallic compounds showed a bi-layer structure consisting of FeAl3 close to Al coating and Fe2Al5 close to the substrate. The thickness of the intermetallic layers is closely related to the immersion time. Crack occurred with increasing immersion time and thickening Fe2Al5 layer. The thickness of the Fe2Al5 layers increases linearly with the square root of immersion time. Phase’s identification of each layer was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis by grinding the specimens to expose different layers. The Fe2Al5 layer exhibited a single intensive peak attributable to (002) plane. The full width half maximum ([Formula: see text]) of Fe2Al5 on stainless steel substrate is 11.99[Formula: see text] by X-ray rocking curve measurement, suggesting that the Fe2Al5 grains have a strong orientation texture but not a single crystal. For comparison, [Formula: see text] of Fe2Al5 formed on mild steel by hot-dipping is 14.12[Formula: see text]. The relationship between the [Formula: see text] of Fe2Al5 layers and the growth mechanisms of crystals is discussed for the two steel substrates.
Ramsey algebras
Authors: Teh Wen Chean
Published: August 2016

Hindman’s theorem says that every finite coloring of the natural numbers has a monochromatic set of finite sums. Ramsey algebras are structures that satisfy an analogue of Hindman’s Theorem. This paper introduces Ramsey algebras and presents some elementary results. Furthermore, their connection to Ramsey spaces will be addressed.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL FINITE ELEMENT MODEL TO STUDY THERMO BIOMECHANICS IN PERIPHERAL REGIONS OF HUMAN LIMBS DUE TO EXERCISE IN COLD CLIMATE
Authors: KUMARI BABITA , ADLAKHA NEERU
Published: August 2016

Human beings are equipped with thermo sensitivity, thermoregulation and thermo protection for maintaining the structure and function of their body organs. The thermoregulatory responses and disturbances caused by physical activity in thermo biomechanics of human body organs are not well understood. The mechanism of thermoregulation exhibits a beautiful coordination of biophysical process in order to balance distribution caused by a biothermal system due to physical exercise and other abnormal conditions. In view of above, a model has been developed to study the thermal dynamics in peripheral region of human limbs immediately after exercise under cold climatic conditions. The human limb is assumed to be of cylindrical shape. The peripheral region of limb is divided into three natural components namely epidermis, dermis and subdermal tissues. Appropriate boundary conditions have been framed based on the physical condition of the problem. Finite difference has been employed for time variable and the finite element method is employed along radial and angular direction. The numerical results have been used to obtain temperature profiles in the peripheral region immediately after continuous exercise for a two-dimensional unsteady state case. These results have been used to analyze the thermal disturbances caused by the different intensities of physical exercise in the peripheral region of human limbs. Such a model can be developed to study the generated thermal information which can be useful to biomedical science to analyze the impact of thermal stress on mechanism of thermoregulation causing thermal injuries like heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The results give the idea about the capacity of biothermo mechanisms of human limbs in counting balance. The thermal stress is caused by different intensities of physical exercise. These results can be useful for the biomedical scientists to understand the thermal discomfort caused by different intensities of physical exercise and the time period of rest required to overcome discomfort. Further, the result can be useful to biomedical scientists for developing protocols for physical exercise and rest required by the subject for different intensities of physical exercise and prevent thermal injuries in the workers and sportsmen.
A Case Study of the Mediating Role of Innovation on the Relationship Between Environmental Uncertainty, Market Orientation, and Firm Performance
Authors: Uzkurt Cevahir , Kimzan Halil Semih , Yılmaz Cengiz
Published: August 2016

In recent years, environmental uncertainty and market orientation have been considered key elements of superior firm performance. Although environmental uncertainty and market orientation may affect firm performance, innovation also mediates these effects. In this study, a conceptual model was developed to test the mediating effect of innovation on the relationships between these constructs. Data for the study were collected from Turkey’s Top 500 Companies. Hierarchical regression and multiple regression analyses were employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that the direct effects of environmental uncertainty and innovation on firm performance were statistically significant, although the effect of market orientation was not. The results obtained from the present study seem to indicate a possible “dual effect” of market orientation on firm performance. The results also indicated that innovation, especially product innovation, mediates the relationship between environmental uncertainty and firm performance. The findings indicate that innovation, especially product innovation, is critical for firm performance.
Morphology-Controlled Synthesis and Electrochemical Characteristics of Fe2O3 Nanorods
Authors: Bai Bo , Yan Xiaole , Li Gang , Li Pengwei , Hu Jie , Jiang Huabei , Zhang Wendong
Published: August 2016

In this work, highly uniform single crystal Fe2O3 nanorods have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method in the presence of dihydrogen phosphate ions. Phosphate ions were speculated capping to the sidewalls of Fe2O3 nanocrystals, and resulted in the anisotropic growth of hematite crystals along their [006] zone axis. Fe2O3 nanorods with various aspect ratios have been realized by applying different phosphate concentration of 0.1–0.4[Formula: see text]mM. The electrochemical properties of Fe2O3 nanorods showed that the samples with the smallest aspect ratio possessed superior specific capacitance and stability. It was speculated that the larger specific area of the Fe2O3 nanorods with the shortest axial length facilitated the efficient access of electrolyte ions to the electrode surface, and thus would aid in delivering the high pseudocapacitance. These results provide a promising route to obtain the desired hematite-based energy storage materials.
A note on the valuation of CDS options and extension risk in a structural model with jumps
Authors: Hüttner Amelie , Scherer Matthias
Published: August 2016

We consider the valuation of single name CDS options (CDSO) and related optionalities, particularly extension risk, in the structural default model introduced by Chen and Kou (2009). This jump-diffusion based model is able to generate realistic dynamics for CDS spreads and has decent calibration performance. Due to the European character of the considered options, they can be valued with an efficient Monte Carlo algorithm based on Brownian bridges, adapted from Ruf and Scherer (2011). In contrast to the intensity approach, structural models offer a link to the equity side of a firm’s capital structure, possibly enabling to hedge CDS options with instruments other than CDS.
A modified stochastic volatility model based on Gamma Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and option pricing
Authors: Mi Yanhui
Published: August 2016

Stochastic volatility model of the Gamma Ornstein–Uhlenbeck possess authentic capability of both capturing some stylized features of financial time series and pricing European options. In this work we modify the Gamma OU model from the viewpoint of Monte Carlo simulation, which is crucial in both model inference and exotic option pricing. We discuss topics related to the measure transformation between objective and risk-neutral measures, arbitrage-free and market incompleteness of the new model. Furthermore, we investigate the performance of this model in European options pricing and an empirical application is presented.
Effects of estrogen replacement on stress-induced cardiovascular responses via renin-angiotensin system in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Tazumi Shoko , Yokota Naoko , Kawakami Mizuho , Omoto Sayo , Takamata Akira , Morimoto Keiko
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine whether chronic estrogen replacement in ovariectomized rats inhibits the pressor response to psychological stress by attenuating the activation of the renin-angiotensin system. Female Wistar rats aged 9 wk were ovariectomized. After 4 wk, the rats were randomly assigned to be implanted subcutaneously with pellets containing either 17β-estradiol (E2) or placebo (Pla). After 4 wk of treatment, the rats underwent cage-switch stress and, in a separate experiment, a subset received an infusion of angiotensin II. The cage-switch stress rapidly elevated blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) as measured by radiotelemetry in both groups. However, the BP and HR responses to the stress were significantly attenuated in the E2 group compared with the Pla group. An angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, losartan, given in drinking water, abolished the difference in the pressor response to stress between the two groups. Moreover, the stress-induced elevation in plasma renin activity and angiotensin II concentration was significant in the Pla group, but not in the E2 group. In addition, the expression of renin mRNA in the kidney was lower in the E2 group relative to the Pla group. Finally, we found that intravenous angiotensin II infusion increased BP and decreased HR to a similar degree in both groups. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of estrogen on psychological stress-induced activation of the renin-angiotensin system could be at least partially responsible for the suppression of the pressor responses to psychological stress seen in estrogen-replaced ovariectomized rats.
Differences inRhodococcus equiInfections Based on Immune Status and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates in a Case Series of 12 Patients and Cases in the Literature
Authors: Gundelly Praveen , Suzuki Yasuhiro , Ribes Julie A. , Thornton Alice
Published: August 2016

Rhodococcus equiis an unusual zoonotic pathogen that can cause life-threatening diseases in susceptible hosts. Twelve patients withR. equiinfection in Kentucky were compared to 137 cases reported in the literature. Although lungs were the primary sites of infection in immunocompromised patients, extrapulmonary involvement only was more common in immunocompetent patients (P<0.0001). Mortality inR. equi-infected HIV patients was lower in the HAART era (8%) than in pre-HAART era (56%) (P<0.0001), suggesting that HAART improves prognosis in these patients. Most (85–100%) of clinical isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, clarithromycin, rifampin, aminoglycosides, ciprofloxacin, and imipenem. Interestingly, there was a marked difference in susceptibility of the isolates to cotrimoxazole between Europe (35/76) and the US (15/15) (P<0.0001). Empiric treatment ofR. equiinfection should include a combination of two antibiotics, preferably selected from vancomycin, imipenem, clarithromycin/azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, rifampin, or cotrimoxazole. Local antibiograms should be checked prior to using cotrimoxazole due to developing resistance.
A Different Weight Loss Experience: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Behavioral, Physical, and Psychosocial Changes Associated with Yoga That Promote Weight Loss
Authors: Ross A. , Brooks A. , Touchton-Leonard K. , Wallen G.
Published: August 2016

Yoga interventions improve obesity‐related outcomes including body mass index (BMI), body weight, body fat, and waist circumference, yet it is unclear whether these improvements are due to increased physical activity, increased lean muscle mass, and/or changes in eating behaviors. The purpose of this study is to expand our understanding of the experience of losing weight through yoga. Methods. Semistructured interviews were qualitatively analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological approach. Results. Two distinct groups who had lost weight through yoga responded: those who were overweight and had repeatedly struggled in their attempts to lose weight (55%, n = 11) and those who were of normal weight and had lost weight unintentionally (45%, n = 9). Five themes emerged that differed slightly by group: shift toward healthy eating, impact of the yoga community/yoga culture, physical changes, psychological changes, and the belief that the yoga weight loss experience was different than past weight loss experiences. Conclusions. These findings imply that yoga could offer diverse behavioral, physical, and psychosocial effects that may make it a useful tool for weight loss. Role modeling and social support provided by the yoga community may contribute to weight loss, particularly for individuals struggling to lose weight.
Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation with Polymethylmethacrylate Augmentation for the Treatment of Thoracolumbar Intravertebral Pseudoarthrosis Associated with Kummell’s Osteonecrosis
Authors: Kim Hyeun-Sung , Heo Dong-Hwa
Published: August 2016

Purpose. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of short-segment percutaneous pedicle screw fixation with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) augmentation for the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture with osteonecrosis.Methods. Osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures with avascular necrosis were treated by short-segment PPF with PMMA augmentation. Eighteen were followed up for more than 2 years. The kyphotic angle, compression ratio, visual analog scale (VAS) score for back pain, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were analyzed. In addition, radiologic and clinical parameters of PPF group were compared with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) group.Results. Vertebral height and kyphotic angle of the compressed vertebral bodies were significantly corrected after the operation (P<0.05). Further, restored vertebral height was maintained during the 2 or more years of postoperative follow-up. Compared to the PVP group the postoperative compression ratio and kyphotic angle were significantly lower in the PPF group (P<0.05). The postoperative ODI and VAS of the PVP group were significantly higher than the PPF (P<0.05).Conclusions. According to our results, short-segment PPF with PMMA augmentation may be an effective minimally invasive treatment for osteoporosis in cases of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with Kummell’s osteonecrosis.
Adaptive Multivariable Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Controller and Disturbance Observer Design for Hypersonic Vehicle
Authors: Fan Wenru , Tian Bailing
Published: August 2016

A multivariable super-twisting sliding mode controller and disturbance observer with gain adaptation, chattering reduction, and finite time convergence are proposed for a generic hypersonic vehicle where the boundary of aerodynamic uncertainties exists but is unknown. Firstly, an input-output linearization model is constructed for the purpose of controller design. Then, the sliding manifold is designed based on the homogeneity theory. Furthermore, an integrated adaptive multivariable super-twisting sliding mode controller and disturbance observer are designed in order to achieve the tracking for step changes in velocity and altitude. Finally, some simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Amomum xanthioides Exerts Antihepatofibrotic Actions via the Regulation of Fibrogenic Cytokines in a Dimethylnitrosamine‐Induced Rat Model
Authors: Lee Sung-Bae , Kim Hyeong-Geug , Kim Hyo-Seon , Lee Jin-Seok , Im Hwi-Jin , Kim Won-Yong , Son Chang-Gue
Published: August 2016

Amomum xanthioides has been traditionally used to treat diverse digestive system disorders in the Asian countries. We investigated antihepatofibrotic effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Amomum xanthioides (EFAX). Liver fibrosis is induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) injection (intraperitoneally, 10 mg/kg of DMN for 4 weeks to Sprague‐Dawley rats). EFAX (25 or 50 mg/kg), silymarin (50 mg/kg), or distilled water was orally administered every day. The DMN injection drastically altered body and organ mass, serum biochemistry, and platelet count, while EFAX treatment significantly attenuated this alteration. Severe liver fibrosis is determined by trichrome staining and measurement of hydroxyproline contents. EFAX treatment significantly attenuated these symptoms as well as the increase in oxidative by‐products of lipid and protein metabolism in liver tissues. DMN induced a dramatic activation of hepatic stellate cells and increases in the levels of protein and gene expression of transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β), platelet derived growth factor‐beta (PDGF‐β), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Immunohistochemical analyses revealed increases in the levels of protein and gene expression of α‐smooth muscle actin. These alterations were significantly normalized by EFAX treatment. Our findings demonstrate the potent antihepatofibrotic properties of EFAX via modulation of fibrogenic cytokines, especially TGF‐β in the liver fibrosis rat model.
Nociceptive and Neuronal Evaluation of the Sciatic Nerve of Wistar Rats Subjected to Compression Injury and Treated with Resistive Exercise
Authors: Antunes Juliana Sobral , Lovison Keli , Karvat Jhenifer , Peretti Ana Luiza , Vieira Lizyana , Higuchi Guilherme Hideaki , Brancalhão Rose Meire Costa , Ribeiro Lucinéia de Fátima Chasko , Bertolini Gladson Ricardo Flor
Published: August 2016

Background. To investigate the climb stairs resistance exercise on nociception and axonal regeneration in the sciatic nerve of rats.Methods. 24 Wistar rats were divided: control group (CG—no injury), exercise group (EG—no injury with physical exercise), lesion group (LG—injury, but without exercise), and treated group (LEG—injury and physical exercise). LG and LEG were subjected to sciatic nerve compression with hemostat. From the 3rd day after injury began treatment with exercise, and after 22 days occurs the removal of a nerve fragment for morphological analysis.Results. Regarding allodynia, CG obtained values less than EG(p=0.012)and larger than LG and LEG(p<0.001). Histological results showed that CG and EG had normal appearance, as LG and LEG showed up with large amounts of inflammatory infiltration, degeneration and disruption of nerve fibers, and reduction of the myelin sheath; however LEG presented some regenerated fibers. From the morphometric data there were significant differences, for nerve fiber diameter, comparing CG with LG and LEG and comparing axon diameter and the thickness of the myelin of the CG to others.Conclusion. Climb stairs resistance exercise was not effective to speed up the regenerative process of axons.
Fucofuroeckol-A fromEisenia bicyclisInhibits Inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Mouse Macrophages via Downregulation of the MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Lee Sang-Hoon , Eom Sung-Hwan , Yoon Na-Young , Kim Moon-Moo , Li Yong-Xin , Ha Sang Keun , Kim Se-Kwon
Published: August 2016

Fucofuroeckol-A (FF) isolated from an edible perennial brown seaweedEisenia bicycliswas shown to be potent anti-inflammatory agents. FF suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 dose dependently in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and cytometric bead array assay demonstrated that FF significantly reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, and that of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Moreover, FF reduced the activation of nuclear factorκB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). These results strongly suggest that the inhibitory effects of fucofuroeckol-A fromE. bicyclison LPS-induced NO and PGE2production might be due to the suppression of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway.
Sexual Behavior and Knowledge among Adolescents with Perinatally Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Compared to HIV-Uninfected Adolescents at an Urban Tertiary Center in New Jersey
Authors: Kaushik Ashlesha , Pineda Carol , Kest Helen
Published: August 2016

Background. Sexual behaviors and knowledge among PHIV-infected (PHIV+) adolescents in comparison with HIV-uninfected youths are not well understood and continue to be studied actively.Objective. To compare sexual behavior and sexual knowledge of PHIV+and HIV-uninfected adolescents at an urban, tertiary-care center in New Jersey.Study Design. Modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance questionnaire was administered to PHIV+and HIV-uninfected adolescents to assess and compare sexual behavior and knowledge over a 1-year-period.Results. Twenty-seven PHIV+and 100 HIV-uninfected adolescents were studied; 59% PHIV+and 52% HIV-uninfected adolescents were sexually active. A significantly higher proportion of PHIV+adolescents compared to HIV-uninfected adolescents reported ≥1 occasion of unprotected penetrative sex (p<0.0001) and reported multiple (>4) sexual partners (p=0.037). Significantly more PHIV+males reported receptive anal intercourse (p<0.001). About 1/3 of adolescents in both groups were unaware that sexual abstinence can prevent HIV transmission and >80% adolescents in both groups did not consider multiple sexual partners a risk factor for HIV transmission. Only 25% PHIV+adolescents reported disclosing their seropositive status to their first sexual partners.Conclusions. High risk sexual behaviors were significantly more prevalent among PHIV+youths; however both groups demonstrated considerable gaps in sexual knowledge. There is an urgent need for heightening awareness about risky behaviors, interventions for prevention, and reproductive health promotion among adolescents.
Short-Term Health Impact Assessment of Urban PM10in Bejaia City (Algeria)
Authors: Benaissa Fatima , Maesano Cara Nichole , Alkama Rezak , Annesi-Maesano Isabella
Published: August 2016

We used Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to analyze the impact on a given population’s health outcomes in terms of all-causes mortality and respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations attributable to short-term exposure to particulate matter less than 10 μm diameter (PM10) in Bejaia city, for which health effects of air pollution have never been investigated. Two scenarios of PM10reduction were considered: first, a scenario where the PM10annual mean is decreased by 5 µg/m3, and then a scenario where this PM10mean is decreased to 20 µg/m3(World Health Organization annual air quality guideline (WHO-AQG)). Annual mean level of PM10(81.7 µg/m3) was calculated from objective measurements assessedin situ. Each year, about 4 and 55 deaths could be postponed with the first and the second scenarios successfully. Furthermore, decreasing PM10annual mean by 5 µg/m3would avoid 5 and 3 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively, and not exceeding the PM10WHO-AQG (20 µg/m3) would result in a potential gain of 36 and 23 per 100000 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively. Lowering in current levels of PM10has a nonnegligible impact in terms of public health that it is expected to be higher in the case of long-term effects.