bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exposure to Tobacco Metabolites via Breast Milk and Infant Weight Gain
Authors: Shenassa Edmond D. , Wen Xiaozhong , Braid Susan
Published: December 2015

Background:

Although the immutable benefits of breastfeeding are well documented, information on the potential consequences of exposure to tobacco metabolites specifically via breastfeeding is sparse.

Objective:

The aim was to conduct the first study of the association between exposure to tobacco metabolites specifically through breastfeeding and infant weight gain.

Methods:

We used historical data from the US Collaborative Perinatal Project. Mothers were classified as nonsmokers, light smokers (1-19 cigarettes/day), and heavy (20+ cigarettes/day) smokers. In-hospital feeding type was observed during a nursery stay after delivery. We conducted stratified analyses among average-for-gestational-age (AGA; N = 23 571) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA; N = 2552) infants. We isolated the effect of exposure to tobacco metabolites specifically through breastfeeding.

Results:

Overall, maternal smoking was associated with change in weight-for-length z-score in a dose-response manner. Change in weight z-score was most pronounced among SGA infants of heavy smokers (breastfed: 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12-0.94; formula fed: 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.30). Exposure to tobacco metabolites specifically through breastfeeding was not associated with additional weight gain among AGA infants. Among the much smaller sample of SGA infants, exposure specifically through breastfeeding was associated with marginally significant additional weight gain (0.46; 95% CI, 0.00-0.91) among infants of heavy smokers.

Conclusion:

Our findings are in accord with recommendations by health agencies for smokers to breastfeed. However, SGA infants exposed to tobacco metabolites via breastfeeding by heavy smokers appear to gain weight more rapidly than other infants. Practical implications of our findings are discussed.
Breastfeeding and Postnatal Depression
Authors: Mohamad Yusuff Aza Sherin , Tang Li , Binns Colin W. , Lee Andy H.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Postnatal depression is a disorder that can lead to serious consequences for both the mother and infant. Despite the extensively documented health benefits of breastfeeding, its association with postnatal depression remains uncertain.

Objective:

To investigate the relationship between full breastfeeding at 3 months postpartum and postnatal depressive symptoms among mothers in Sabah, Malaysia.

Methods:

A prospective cohort study of 2072 women was conducted in Sabah during 2009-2010. Participants were recruited at 36 to 38 weeks of gestation and followed up at 1 and 3 months postpartum. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the validated Malay version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Repeated-measures analyses of variance was performed to compare the depression scores over time and between subgroups of breastfeeding mothers.

Results:

Approximately 46% of women were fully breastfeeding their infants at 3 months postpartum. These mothers had significantly ( P < .001) lower mean EPDS scores at both 1 and 3 months postpartum (mean ± SD, 4.14 ± 4.12 and 4.27 ± 4.12, respectively) than others who did not initiate or maintain full breastfeeding for 3 months (4.94 ± 4.34 and 5.25 ± 4.05, respectively). After controlling for the effects of covariates, the differences in EPDS scores remained statistically significant ( P = .001) between the 2 breastfeeding groups.

Conclusion:

Full breastfeeding appeared to be negatively associated with postnatal depressive symptoms for mothers residing in Sabah.
Passages from Marxism to Postcolonialism: A Comment on Vivek Chibber’s Postcolonial Theory and the Specter of Capital
Authors: Nilsen Alf Gunvald
Published: December 2015

The 2013 publication of Vivek Chibber’s book Postcolonial Theory and the Specter of Capital has reignited debates over the relative merits and demerits of Marxism and postcolonialism. This article reviews the debate and raises some critical questions about Chibber’s engagement with questions pertaining to universalism and capitalist development. Focusing on Chibber’s critique of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s Provincializing Europe, the article contends that whereas Chibber is right in arguing for a concept of universal history, the approach he offers towards this end pushes in the direction of Eurocentrism. As an alternative, the article proposes the possibility of crafting passages from Marxism to postcolonialism in order to move beyond Eurocentrism in the historical-sociological study of capitalist development.
Optimum end milling tool path and machining parameters for micro Laval nozzle manufacturing
Authors: Cai Yukui , Liu Zhanqiang , Shi Zhenyu , Song Qinghua , Wan Yi
Published: December 2015

Cutting tool path has significant effects on the performance of micro nozzles manufactured by micro machining. Different tool paths induced different directions of surface roughness. As for it, the manufacturers need to obtain optimal cutting tool path and cutting parameters. In this article, optimum machining parameters for the fabrication of micro Laval nozzle with two different end milling tool paths are presented. First, surface roughness models for different types of cutting tool paths are proposed. A case of machined nozzle surface is then given to verify the applicability of the developed roughness model. Second, theoretical profile geometries for the Laval nozzle to be manufactured are designed. Third, the influences of surface roughness on the nozzle performance parameters including total pressure, average outlet velocity and thrust are investigated through computational fluid dynamic analysis. Simulated performance parameters are contrasted with their theoretical values. It is found that for different tool paths, the nozzle of axial tool path has larger total pressure and average outlet velocity than that of circular tool path. Moreover, with surface roughness increasing, thrust decreases obviously when surface roughness Rz is larger than 4.8 μm. Micro end milling experiments based on axial tool path are then performed, and the optimum cutting parameters are obtained. Finally, a nozzle was manufactured with the axial tool path as well as the optimized cutting parameters.
Chatter-free cutter postures in five-axis machining
Authors: Wang Sibao , Geng Lin , Zhang Yunfeng , Liu Kui , Ng ThaiEe
Published: December 2015

In five-axis machining, stability of the machining process is determined not only by the combination of depth of cut and spindle speed but also the cutter postures (orientations). In this article, we propose to construct posture stability graphs to guide the selection of cutter postures during tool-path generation. Posture stability graph provides a partitioning of the allowable range of cutter postures, dividing it into stable and chatter zones. Using postures only from the stable zone, we can achieve chatter avoidance without the trouble of tuning other process parameters like spindle speed. Posture stability graphs are constructed by identifying the cutter orientations that would render the machining system borderline stable under the given machining conditions. These postures would make the boundaries between stable and unstable zones on the posture stability graph. Such a process is achieved by modelling the machining system as a 2-degrees-of-freedom spring-mass-damper system and applying the full-discretization method for chatter identification. Many experiments have been carried out, based on which the effectiveness of the posture stability graph approach has been verified.
Age-dependent production and replacement strategies in failure-prone manufacturing systems
Authors: Ouaret Samir , Kenné Jean-Pierre , Gharbi Ali , Polotski Vladimir
Published: December 2015

A failure-prone manufacturing system that consists of one machine producing one type of product is studied. The random phenomena examined are machine breakdowns and repairs. We assume that the machine undergoes a progressive deterioration while in operation and that the machine failure rate is a function of its age. The aging of the machine (the dynamics of the machine age) is assumed to be an increasing function of its production rate. Corrective maintenance activities are imperfect and restore the age of the machine to as-bad-as-old conditions. When a failure occurs, the machine can be repaired, and during production, the machine can be replaced, depending on its age. When the replacement action is selected, the machine is replaced by a new and identical one. The decision variables are the production rate and the replacement policy. The objective of this article is to address the simultaneous production and replacement policy optimization problem in the context of manufacturing with deterioration and imperfect repairs satisfying the customer demand and minimizing the total cost, which includes costs associated with inventory, backlog, production, repair and replacement, over an infinite planning horizon. We thoroughly explore the impact of the machine aging on the production and replacement policies. Particular attention is paid to the verification of underlying mathematical results that guarantee the existence of optimal solutions and the convergence of numerical methods. Due to imperfect repairs, the dynamics of the system is affected by the system history, and semi-Markov processes have to be used for modeling. Optimality conditions in the form of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations are developed, and numerical methods are used to obtain the optimal control policies (production (rate) and replacement policies). A numerical example is given to illustrate the proposed approach, and an extensive sensitivity analysis is presented to confirm the structure of the obtained control policies.
Assessment of delamination in composite materials: A review
Authors: Babu Jalumedi , Sunny Tom , Paul Nevin Alex , Mohan Keerthy P. , Philip Jose , Davim J Paulo
Published: December 2015

The perennial challenge for the industry is to make parts, assemblies and machinery lighter and more efficient. This has led to progressively wider application of composites due to their excellent strength, stiffness and corrosion resistance properties. Composite components are assembled predominantly by fastening, which makes drilling a common machining process for such components. Delamination of the component surface at entry and exit of the drill is a drilling defect frequently encountered. Assessment of the severity of the delamination is necessary for correction and improvement of the performance of the parts and assemblies. Over a period of time, several factors have been suggested as the index of delamination for comparison and control. Also, various techniques are being adopted to measure the extent and severity of delamination so as to calculate the assessment factor. This study aims to present and review the different means and methods for the assessment of delamination.
Ultrasonic tightening control of a screw joint: A comparison of the clamp force accuracy from different tightening methods
Authors: Persson Erik , Roloff Arne
Published: December 2015

Clamp force and its accuracy are investigated using torque, angle, gradient, and clamp force/elongation control. Phosphated, lightly oiled M14 and M10 bolts are tightened. A PowerMACS 4000 system with a QST62-350CT nutrunner is used in the experimental setup. An ultrasonic signal processing unit using a piezoelectric sensor fitted to the socket is used for signal generation and processing when evaluating clamp force. The ultrasonic clamp force control is based on a novel method for assuring correct echo and high repeatability measurements in the tightening system. Torque and angle are extracted from the tool control system. During the experiments a load cell is used to measure the clamp force in the joint. Combined head and thread friction is calculated at final torque and clamp force. The results show that the lowest scatter (3 s) in clamp force, approximately 2.9% can be obtained using ultrasonic clamp force control and the highest, approximately 18% when using torque control. The results are also compared to tightening factors described in VDI2230.
Modelling and control of an aerial manipulator consisting of an autonomous helicopter equipped with a multi-link robotic arm
Authors: Jimenez-Cano AE , Heredia G , Bejar M , Kondak K , Ollero A
Published: December 2015

This article deals with aerial manipulators consisting of unmanned helicopters equipped with robotic multi-link arms. This setup has strong potentialities for structure assembly and manipulation tasks, which makes it a valuable resource in outdoor industrial environments. The article presents an elaborate model of the entire system as well as methods for controlling the aerial platform taking into account the motion of the arm. The article presents the design and implementation of a Variable Parameter Integral Backstepping controller which clearly outperforms the results obtained with the standard helicopter controller. Realistic characterization of system sensors has been also accounted for. Simulations experiments confirm the validity of the proposed approach, and the results are also validated with a high-fidelity Modelica simulation model.
Optimal management of a solar power plant equipped with a thermal energy storage system by using dynamic programming method
Authors: Mahmoudimehr Javad , Loghmani Leila
Published: December 2015

This study employs the dynamic programming (DP) optimization approach to maximize the daily revenue of a concentrating solar power plant (CSP) equipped with a thermal energy storage system (TES). DP guarantees the optimal solution and is easy from the computer coding point of view; therefore, it can be of great importance. Two real-life case studies are considered. The first case has a simple thermal model and is mainly chosen in order to verify the present optimization program. In this case, the present work achieves 1.3% (or US$480 /day) higher daily revenue in comparison with the literature. However, the simple thermal model of the first case study cannot appropriately simulate the actual operation of a CSP. Therefore, the optimization was applied to another case with a more detailed thermal model. The findings indicate that in order to maximize revenue, the charging and discharging of the TES should be managed such that the power block works under base load conditions (whenever it is active) and during periods of high electricity prices, regardless of the level of the daily solar radiation pattern. Furthermore, quantitative investigations show the substantial influence of the TES system on the daily revenue, especially for the case of low solar radiation pattern.
Associations Between Women’s Perception of Their Husbands’/Partners’ Social Support and Pap Screening in Pacific Islander Communities
Authors: Mouttapa Michele , Park Tanjasiri Sora , Wu Weiss Jie , Sablan-Santos Lola , DeGuzman Lacsamana Jasmine , Quitugua Lourdes , Flores Preciosa , Flores Peter , Paige Ciara , Tui’one May Vanessa , Tupua Marina , Schmidt-Vaivao Dorothy , Taito Peniamina , Vaikona Elenoa , Vunileva Isileli
Published: December 2015

Pacific Islanders experience high rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality. This cross-sectional study examined the extent to which Samoan, Chamorro, and Tongan women’s perceived receipt of social support from their husbands or male partners was associated with rates of routine cancer screening- specifically Pap testing. A total of 585 Pacific Islander women who live in the United States completed a self-report survey. Women who reported having a Pap test within the past 3 years had significantly higher scores on support from their husbands/male partners. Furthermore, the relationship of emotional support and informational support with increased Pap testing was significantly stronger for Tongan women. The findings suggest that men play an important role in promoting women’s cancer prevention behaviors in Pacific Islander and potentially other collectivistic populations. Incorporating social support messages into interventions may be a simple yet effective strategy to increase women’s Pap testing.
Allostatic load mediates the impact of stress and trauma on physical and mental health in Indigenous Australians
Authors: Sarnyai Zoltán , Berger Maximus , Jawan Isabella
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

A considerable gap exists in health and social emotional well-being between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous Australians. Recent research in stress neurobiology highlights biological pathways that link early adversity and traumas as well as life stresses to ill health. We argue that the neurobiological stress response and its maladaptive changes, termed allostatic load, provide a useful framework to understand how adversity leads to physical and mental illness in Indigenous people. In this paper we review the biology of allostatic load and make links between stress-induced systemic hormonal, metabolic and immunological changes and physical and mental illnesses.

Conclusions:

Exposure to chronic stress throughout life results in an increased allostatic load that may contribute to a number of metabolic, cardiovascular and mental disorders that shorten life expectancy in Indigenous Australians.
Fifteen years of detaining children who seek asylum in Australia – evidence and consequences
Authors: Mares Sarah
Published: December 2015

Objective:

To review and summarise the evidence about and consequences of Australia’s policy of mandatory indefinite detention of children and families who arrive by boat to seek asylum.

Methods:

This paper will summarise the accumulated scientific evidence about the health and mental health impacts of immigration detention on children and compare methodologies and discuss the political reception of the 2004 and 2014 Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Inquiries into Immigration Detention of children.

Results:

The conclusions of the 2004 and 2014 Inquiries into Immigration Detention of Children are consistent with Australian and international research which demonstrates that immigration detention has harmful health, mental health and developmental consequences for children and negative impacts on parenting.

Conclusion:

The evidence that prolonged immigration detention causes psychological and developmental harm to children and families and is in breach of Australia’s human rights obligations is consistent. This is now partially acknowledged by the Government. Attempts to limit public scrutiny through reduced access and potential punishment of medical witnesses arguably indicates the potency of their testimony. These harmful and unethical policies should be opposed.
Identity Development in Personal Branding Instruction
Authors: Brooks Ann K. , Anumudu Chinedu
Published: December 2015

Increased technology, integration of the global economy, and the shift from investing in long-term employees to hiring temporary contract workers have spawned pervasive employment insecurity. This trend has led to a growing industry of career and marketing professionals, who have found a career niche in helping job seekers create personal brands and apply marketing tactics to their personal identities. This article looks critically at the use of narrative identity development activities in materials used to teach personal branding to emerging adults and some of the challenges personal branders face in marketing an extended self in virtual space.
LAND RUSH
Authors: Ansoms An , Claessens Klara , Bogaerts Okke , Geenen Sara
Published: December 2015

LAND RUSH is a board game that allows participants to critically assess the ways in which different social classes face both opportunities and constraints in securing land rights and in managing the acquired land sustainably in an extremely competitive environment. The game illustrates three characteristics of contemporary land dynamics in an altering world. First, the logics of smallholder farmers are largely oriented towards risk diversification, and often contrast with those of current agrarian policies of most international and national policy makers, oriented towards maximal production and commercialization. Second, the rules of the game in the land arena are not uniformly defined, but are characterized by a reality of legal pluralism. Third, access to or exclusion from land is the result of a negotiation process in which actors with unequal power relations interact and compete with each other. Better-off actors have a comparative advantage in negotiations over land rights. However, poorer actors still exert agency, although in constrained ways.
Understanding Complexity
Authors: Bekebrede Geertje , Lo Julia , Lukosch Heide
Published: December 2015

Complexity is increasingly tied into systems of societies, technologies and organizations. As these systems are characterized by non-linear interactions, it becomes more and more difficult to manage, educate, understand and predict their processes and outcomes. This symposium presents cases of a variety of simulation games that facilitate in these different types of systems; it also examines the theoretical challenges of the design of simulation games for such complex systems. The examples show how both computer-based and traditional board games can be used in various domains to analyze and design complex processes such as asset management, manufacturing procedures, railway infrastructure innovations, and land use development. The case studies presented in this symposium introduce simulation games as alternative solutions to complex organizational and even societal problems.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Brain
Authors: Tang Alexander , Thickbroom Gary , Rodger Jennifer
Published: December 2015

Since the development of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the early 1980s, a range of repetitive TMS (rTMS) protocols are now available to modulate neuronal plasticity in clinical and non-clinical populations. However, despite the wide application of rTMS in humans, the mechanisms underlying rTMS-induced plasticity remain uncertain. Animal and in vitro models provide an adjunct method of investigating potential synaptic and non-synaptic mechanisms of rTMS-induced plasticity. This review summarizes in vitro experimental studies, in vivo studies with intact rodents, and preclinical models of selected neurological disorders—Parkinson’s disease, depression, and stroke. We suggest that these basic research findings can contribute to the understanding of how rTMS-induced plasticity can be modulated, including novel mechanisms such as neuroprotection and neurogenesis that have significant therapeutic potential.
Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Zimbabwe
Authors: Fidan Ahmet , Bui Hoan N.
Published: December 2015

The present study examines intimate partner violence (IPV) reported by a sample of women in Zimbabwe to explore factors associated with the problem. Findings from the study indicate an important role of gender relationships in violence against women. The effects of gender inequalities on the likelihood of IPV vary with types of violence, but husband’s patriarchal behaviors increase the likelihood of all forms of violence. The study suggests the importance of improving gender equality through public education on gender relationships, increasing women’s education and economic opportunities, and eliminating customary laws that sustain gender inequality as necessary steps to combat IPV against women in Zimbabwe.
Postoperative Noninvasive Ventilation Following Cardiothoracic Surgery
Authors: Gilliland Samuel , Brainard Jason
Published: December 2015

Postoperative pulmonary complications following cardiac and thoracic surgery are common and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Noninvasive ventilation has emerged as a successful and well-validated strategy to treat various acute medical conditions. More recently, noninvasive ventilation has been studied in selective surgical patient populations with the goal of preventing postoperative complications and treating acute respiratory failure. In this clinical review, we will briefly examine the incidence of pulmonary complications following cardiothoracic surgery and the physiology and mechanics of acute respiratory failure and noninvasive ventilation. We then present a systematic review of the indications, patient selection, and current literature investigating the specific use of noninvasive ventilation in this population.
Dismembering the dead: Violence, vulnerability and the body in war
Authors: Gregory Thomas
Published: December 2015

On 15 January 2010, two soldiers killed an unarmed boy in the Afghan village of La Mohammad Kalay before dismembering his body and posing for photographs with his corpse. Although the soldiers were eventually sentenced to prison for their involvement in this attack and two other incidents, very little has been said about the nature of the violence they inflicted on the bodies of their victims. Drawing on the work of the Italian feminist philosopher Adriana Cavarero, this article will explore the violence inflicted by the so-called Afghan Kill Team, focusing particular attention on the ethical questions posed by a violence that ‘overshoots the elementary goal of taking a life and dedicates itself to destroying the living being as a singular body’ (Cavarero, 2011: 12). I will argue that this level of violence is no longer concerned with questions of life and death, but seeks to destroy the body as body, challenging the ways in which we have traditionally conceptualised the pain and suffering caused by war. This argument will refocus our attention on the constitutive vulnerability of the body, as well as the processes of dehumanisation that leave certain bodies more vulnerable than others.
A pragmatist vocation for International Relations: The (global) public and its problems
Authors: Abraham Kavi Joseph , Abramson Yehonatan
Published: December 2015

The turns to pragmatism and practice theory in recent years are indicative of a fragmented discipline searching for the ends of International Relations theory. While diverse and contested, both bring forth conceptual language — habit, habitus, field, or practice — that promises to reorient the field on different grounds, with different implications for thinking about the vocation of International Relations. This article considers the contributions made possible by pragmatism in light of the turn to practices, outlining a “pragmatic International Relations” that is tasked with a political project: constituting the public in an age of global governance. It does so through a reading of Dewey that foregrounds his political commitments to democracy as a form of publicly inclusive inquiry. Rather than severing the normativity inscribed in Dewey’s social theory, this article demonstrates how his political values were productive of his theoretical practice. As such, we argue that Dewey does not dispense with metaphysics in order to attend to political problems, but, instead, locates metaphysics as constitutive of the political problem itself: democracy in the age of expertise.
The person as the nexus of patterns of discursive practices
Authors: Harrė Rom
Published: December 2015

In this paper, I examine four roots of conversational practices that are particularly germane to the understanding how the uses of the word ‘person’ as displays of the concept of person are both products and producers of the intelligibility of such practices. These roots are empirical facts used as if they were necessary truths – Wittgenstein’s ‘hinges’; the resolutions of relevant mereological fallacies; the grammar of indexical expressions, particularly pronouns; ad finally positioning theory, the study of the conversational devices by means of which rights and duties are distributed among the members of a population of human beings.
Internalization: How culture becomes mind
Authors: Zittoun Tania , Gillespie Alex
Published: December 2015

Internalization, the process by which culture becomes mind, is a core concept in cultural psychology. However, since the 1990s it has also been the source of debate. Critiques have focused on the underlying metaphor of internal-external as problematic. It has been proposed that appropriation provides a better conceptualization, a term that focuses attention more on behavior and less on psychological processes. The present article reviews the debate and introduces the recent concepts of position exchange and symbolic resources. Position exchange focuses on the societal side of culture, on the way in which social situations shape people’s experiences. Symbolic resources focus on culture in terms of specific elements, such as books, films, and so on, which also shape people’s experiences. The key idea common to both position exchange and symbolic resources is that people move through culture, both physically and psychologically. Moving through culture shapes a series of experiences across the lifecourse, and these experiences “layer up” within individuals, forming a complex sedimentation of culture within individuals. In so far as culture is heterogeneous and fragmented, so the sedimented layers of experience will also be heterogeneous and fragmented, thus creating the tensions that underlie the dynamics of mind.
Second language education and micro-policy implementation in Canada: The meaning of pedagogical change
Authors: Arnott Stephanie
Published: December 2015

Using data from a study investigating the implementation of a popular French as a second language (FSL) teaching method in Canada (i.e. the Accelerative Integrated Method), this article presents a second language (L2) perspective on micro-policy implementation and pedagogical change. According to Fullan (2007), successful change implementation requires the establishment of ‘shared meaning’: a balanced vision of what the change represents and coordinated management of its implementation. This inquiry compared stakeholder perspectives ( n = 36) on the method and its implementation in contexts where it was mandated and optional for FSL instruction. Data from interviews and focus groups were triangulated to provide a descriptive synthesis of the shared realities and practices of these local players. Findings showed that the bias for action and utility of the method, teacher agency and lack of collaborative monitoring emerged as factors affecting the short-term implementation of this change and its potential long-term sustainability. The findings present important implications for FSL education, micro-level L2 policy implementation and ongoing research focusing on L2 pedagogical change in the Canadian context.
The role for surgery in pre-hospital care
Authors: Roberts Keith J
Published: December 2015

Pre-hospital care requires a broad skillset. One of the most challenging aspects of pre-hospital care is performing surgical procedures. The indications and evidence for performing pre-hospital surgical airway, thoracostomy, thoracotomy, caesarean section and amputation are discussed. Where evidence for the procedure is lacking from pre-hospital care, evidence from in-hospital experience is sought.
A predictive Livengood–Wu correlation for two-stage ignition
Authors: Pan Jiaying , Zhao Peng , Law Chung K , Wei Haiqiao
Published: December 2015

The Livengood–Wu correlation has been widely used to predict the state of auto-ignition in internal combustion engines, although its application to two-stage ignition processes remains unresolved. In this study, the original Livengood–Wu integral is extended to such two-stage ignition process and applied to simulations of typical operations within homogeneous charge compression ignition engines. Specifically, based on recent understanding of the global and detailed kinetics of low-temperature chemistry leading to ignition, simplified Arrhenius-based global reaction expressions were developed for both stages of constant-state auto-ignition. It is shown that the original Livengood–Wu integral works well for the first-stage ignition delay, as demonstrated in previous studies. Furthermore, by also accurately describing the cool flame temperature and pressure increment at the end of the first-stage ignition, the second-stage ignition delay can in addition be coupled with the first-stage ignition and predicted satisfactorily with a second integral. This formulation is then applied to extensive homogeneous charge compression ignition engine operation conditions, showing satisfactory predictive capability.
Techno-tourism and post-industrial neo-romanticism in Berlin’s electronic dance music scenes
Authors: Garcia Luis-Manuel
Published: December 2015

This article profiles the ‘techno-tourists’ of Berlin: music fans who return repeatedly to the city in order to participate in the local electronic dance music scenes. Based on interviews, this article sketches a profile of these music-minded voyagers, surveying their motivations, their attitudes, their patterns of travel and their strategies for making this mode of travel possible in terms of work and money. It also situates this recent wave of tourism within a broader history of tourism in Berlin, as well as considering its representation in local popular discourse. Local debates about the impact of tourism are reflected in interviewees’ ambivalence towards tourist identities, as they strive to describe the terms of their socio-cultural belonging within a sub-cultural scene that is spatially distant from house and home.
Predicting perceived medication-related hassles in dementia family caregivers
Authors: George Nika R , Steffen Ann M
Published: December 2015

Objective

This study examined predictors of medication administration hassles reported by intergenerational dementia family caregivers.

Methods

A sample of 53 women who aided a cognitively impaired older adult with healthcare and who identified as inter-generational caregivers provided self-report medication management and psychosocial data.

Results

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that six independent variables hypothesized for this model, the total number of prescription medications managed by caregivers, educational attainment, care-recipient functional impairment, care-recipient cognitive impairment, caregiver depressive symptomatology, and self-reported feelings of preparedness for the caregiving role together significantly predicted caregiver medication administration hassles scores F(1, 48) = 4.90, p = .032, and accounted for approximately 25% of the variance of self-reported hassles (adjusted R2 = .247).

Discussion

Future interventions may reduce medication-related hassles by providing psychoeducation about healthcare, medication management, and strategies for coping with care-related stressors and depressed mood.
Teaching qualitative methods to social workers: Four approaches
Authors: Munn Jean Correll
Published: December 2015

This teaching note draws on the experience of the author in teaching qualitative methods to social worker students across BSW, MSW, and doctoral levels using four different approaches. The approaches are (1) a single class session within general research class; (2) a one-semester doctoral-level class taught a research team; (3) study abroad using visual qualitative inquiry; and (4) project-based, completing a program evaluation. The four individual methods are examined. Some progress has been made in the single session format, and a suggestion for including experiential exercise is offered. Challenges and outcomes of the semester-long doctoral class are noted, including extensive time and labor burdens. The study abroad model includes specifics to teaching in another country such as allowing for reflection time to process the experience. Finally, details of the research project model indicate student responses and interactions with course work. The author describes commonalities and outcomes from all four approaches and explores some existing, though sparse, literature on teaching qualitative methods to social work students. The author, while acknowledging the limitations of these case studies, concludes that experiential learning methods are optimum and there are positive aspects to the team format when employed.
Becoming a critical narrativist: Using critical reflection and narrative inquiry as research methodology
Authors: Hickson Helen
Published: December 2015

This article explores the process of combining narrative inquiry and critical reflection as research methodology. Qualitative researchers use narrative approaches to explore the stories of participants and to understand the ways these stories were constructed and positioned. Critical reflection provides a framework for deconstructing the stories and exploring assumptions about knowledge, power and reflexivity. In this PhD research, the narrative approach was underpinned by, and combined with, a critically reflective research approach. As these approaches were amalgamated, the critical narrativist emerged. Principles of critical reflection and narrative scholarship can be intertwined; however, the separate threads may be conceptually and practically separated. This article describes how these modes of inquiry came together and discusses the implicit and explicit nature of the methodological positions. Finally, the author considers the opportunities for being more explicit about combining critical reflection with other research methodological approaches.
HIF-1α Inhibition Sensitized Pituitary Adenoma Cells to Temozolomide by Regulating Presenilin 1 Expression and Autophagy
Authors: kun Zhang , yuling Yang , dongchun Wang , bingbing Xie , xiaoli Li , bin Xu
Published: December 2015

Pituitary adenomas usually develop temozolomide resistance, which could compromise the anticancer effects of temozolomide. Suppression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α has been shown to sensitize glioblastoma cells to temozolomide treatment according to previous reports. However, whether and how the suppression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α could sensitize pituitary adenomas to temozolomide treatment are still poorly understood. In the present study, using hypoxia-inducible factor 1α knockdown strategy, we demonstrated for the first time that hypoxia-inducible factor 1α knockdown could inhibit temozolomide-induced autophagy in rat pituitary adenoma GH3 cells and thus increase antitumor efficacy of temozolomide. Furthermore, we found hypoxia-inducible factor 1α knockdown could block autophagy process through neutralizing lysosomal pH value but not inhibiting autophagy induction. Finally, we found hypoxia-inducible factor 1α could regulate lysosomal pH value through regulating full length presenilin 1 expression, and exogenous reexpression of presenilin 1could restore lysosome acidic levels. Our data indicated hypoxia-inducible factor 1α knockdown could be a potential approach to improve the efficacy of temozolomide therapy for pituitary adenomas.
A review of entropy generation in microchannels
Authors: Awad Mohamed M
Published: December 2015

In this study, a critical review of thermodynamic optimum of microchannels based on entropy generation analysis is presented. Using entropy generation analysis as evaluation parameter of microchannels has been reported by many studies in the literature. In these studies, different working fluids such as nanofluids, air, water, engine oil, aniline, ethylene glycol, and non-Newtonian fluids have been used. For the case of nanofluids, “nanoparticles” has been used in various kinds such as Al2O3 and Cu, and “base fluid” has been used in various kinds such as water and ethylene glycol. Furthermore, studies on thermodynamic optimum of microchannels based on entropy generation analysis are summarized in a table. At the end, recommendations of future work for thermodynamic optimum of microchannels based on entropy generation analysis are given. As a result, this article can not only be used as the starting point for the researcher interested in entropy generation in microchannels, but it also includes recommendations for future studies on entropy generation in microchannels.
Design of a microelectromechanical systems resonant electric field sensor with sensitivity robustness
Authors: Liu Heng , Xu Jia-qi , Xiong Feng , Meng Rui-li
Published: December 2015

Studies indicate that driving circuit and drift error in resonance frequency influence the sensitivity of micromechanical resonant electric field sensors. This study proposes an electric field sensor with a comb structure for driving and sensing. A dynamic model is built for the microsensor, which analyzes the behavior and sensitivity of the system on different closed-loop self-excited circuits using the averaging method. Theory and simulation results show that with the use of a proportional–integral controller, the sensitivity remains constant regardless of the variations in the resonance frequency of the shielding layer and Q-factor. The sensitivity is higher with a suitable proportional–integral controller than without a proportional–integral controller. If the parameters of the proportional–integral controller fail to satisfy the constraint relationship, output voltage becomes unstable, and the sensitivity is distorted.
Visualizing control systems performance: A fractional perspective
Authors: Lopes António M , Tenreiro Machado José A
Published: December 2015

This article presents a novel method for visualizing the control systems behavior. The proposed scheme uses the tools of fractional calculus and computes the signals propagating within the system structure as a time/frequency-space wave. Linear and nonlinear closed-loop control systems are analyzed, for both the time and frequency responses, under the action of a reference step input signal. Several nonlinearities, namely, Coulomb friction and backlash, are also tested. The numerical experiments demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology as a visualization tool and motivate its extension for other systems and classes of nonlinearities.
Sequential fault diagnosis for mechatronics system using diagnostic hybrid bond graph and composite harmony search
Authors: Yu Ming , Xu Juan
Published: December 2015

This article proposes a sequential fault diagnosis method to handle asynchronous distinct faults using diagnostic hybrid bond graph and composite harmony search. The faults under consideration include fault mode, abrupt fault, and intermittent fault. The faults can occur in different time instances, which add to the difficulty of decision making for fault diagnosis. This is because the earlier occurred fault can exhibit fault symptom which masks the fault symptom of latter occurred fault. In order to solve this problem, a sequential identification algorithm is developed in which the identification task is reactivated based on two conditions. The first condition is that the latter occurred fault has at least one inconsistent coherence vector element which is consistent in coherence vector of the earlier occurred fault, and the second condition is that the existing fault coherence vector has the ability to hide other faults and the second-level residual exceeds the threshold. A new composite harmony search which is capable of handling continuous variables and binary variables simultaneously is proposed for identification purpose. Experiments on a mobile robot system are conducted to assess the proposed sequential fault diagnosis algorithm.
An Interview with Peter L. Berger: Chamber Music at a Rock Concert
Authors: Vera Hector
Published: December 2015

In this interview, Peter Berger, co-author of The Social Construction of Reality, reflects on the making and reception of the book half a century after its first publication. It begins with Berger describing the plans he had with Thomas Luckmann for ultimately unwritten sections of the book and the unfulfilled project of a second book co-authored by them. He answers some questions on the intended meaning of the concept construction, on the intellectual and extra-theoretical elements that influenced the book, and on the connections between his sociology of knowledge and his later work on religion and economic development. The interview moves on to explore Berger’s current work in the development of a ‘theory of pluralism.’ Finally, Berger ponders on his long-lasting but tense relationship with the discipline of sociology.
Reporting of central airway obstruction on radiology reports and impact on bronchoscopic airway interventions and patient outcomes
Authors: Harris Kassem , Alraiyes Abdul Hamid , Attwood Kristopher , Modi Kush , Dhillon Samjot S.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Central airway obstruction (CAO) is a serious condition that affects patients with both benign and malignant diseases. Timely recognition of CAO is crucial for prompt intervention aimed at improving the symptoms and quality of life of these patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the formal radiology reporting of CAO and its impact on patients’ outcomes.

Methods:

The medical records of patients who underwent advanced therapeutic bronchoscopy for CAO from August 2013 to September 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Three researchers each reviewed 14 of the 42 formal radiology reports that were performed at 16 different medical and radiology centers. Patient characteristics were reported as means, medians, and standard deviations for continuous variables, and as frequencies and relative frequencies for categorical variables.

Results:

Out of 42 patients who underwent advanced bronchoscopy for planned therapeutic intervention, only 30 had radiology and pulmonology concordance about the airway findings of CAO. This is an agreement rate of 71.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 56.7–83.3%] or a disagreement rate of 28.6% (95% CI: 16.7–43.3%). The radiology reports did not mention 31% of CAO on CT scans. The median time from CT imaging to bronchoscopy was significantly longer in patients with CAO not reported by the radiologists (21 versus 10 days; p = 0.011). Most patients improved postoperatively with no significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions:

Findings of CAOs were not described in a significant proportion of radiology reports. This results in significant delay in bronchoscopic airway management.
Civil disobedience in the shadows of postnationalization and privatization
Authors: Scheuerman William E
Published: December 2015

Bringing together normative political theory and recent empirical research on the state, the essay examines the challenges posed by the postnationalization and privatization of state authority to conventional accounts of civil disobedience. It does so by taking a careful look at John Rawls’ influential theory of civil disobedience along with its oftentimes neglected implicit assumptions about state and society, assumptions which turn out to have reproduced commonplace postwar statist and Westphalian ideas, including the optimistic view that the liberal democratic nation state should prove up to the task of successfully regulating and perhaps civilizing capitalism. Postnationalization and privatization render those assumptions problematic. Consequently, the Rawlsian model that was partly constructed on them becomes problematic as well. However, some of its features transcend the obsolescent empirical assumptions on which it was implicitly built. Theorists of civil disobedience should not just deconstruct but also reconstruct the Rawlsian account of civil disobedience. Postnationalization and privatization may leave us with a bare-bones version of the Rawlsian original. Yet bare bones arguably remain better than no bones.