bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CFS: An effective statistical texture descriptor
Authors: Akoushideh Alireza
Published: May 2020

Coarseness is an effective description for texture analysis and many approaches capture this property of texture in different methods. In this research, we propose a new texture descriptor (CFS) that works based on coarseness and the fineness similarity score. For tuning of its configuration, we collect coarse and fine textures based on human visual perception at first. After that, we relabel the "coarse" and "fine" categories of the gathered textures during the configuration of the operator in a proposed framework. We concatenated the features of two pyramid representations with the CFS information of the original texture (PCFS). In addition, we combine the PCFS information with our last proposed feature selection approach to improve the efficiency of the CFS. We evaluated the proposed feature extraction method with classification of one of the well-known data set, Outex. Experimental results depict satisfactory performance of the CFS with very low-dimensional feature length.
Position control of ball and beam system using robust h∞ loop shaping controller
Authors: Ali Shahad Sami
Published: May 2020

Laboratory Ball and Beam prototype (B&B) is a system designed to implement the controlling of space application studies such as aircraft flight and land. In this paper, to control the position of the rolling ball on the beam, MATLAB program will be used to design and implement PID and robust H∞ Loop Shaping controllers. The open loop response of the system is unstable, because the ball continuously rolling on the beam when a constant input applied. To stabilize the system, a PID controller used first to achieve the desired position. Then, robust H∞ Loop Shaping controller was used to achieve performance requirement for system with uncertainties. Results for the step response shows that robust H∞ Loop Shaping controller response have no over shoot, faster about 80 times when compared to step response of PID controller, it's more effective and had better performance compared to other controllers in the control of B&B system.
Ação formativa para o desenvolvimento de competências no setor de referência
Authors: Farias Maria Giovanna Guedes , Silva Andreza Conceição da
Published: May 2020

Apresenta resultados de pesquisa em andamento no setor de referência de duas bibliotecas universitárias. Na primeira fase desta investigação, atuou-se dentro do campo de pesquisa, visando descobrir quais competências os bibliotecários das bibliotecas pesquisadas já possuem, quais precisam ser desenvolvidas e quais precisam ser potencializadas para atuação no setor de referência. Utilizou-se a abordagem qualitativa e os princípios da pesquisa participante. Para coletar os dados fez-se uso dos seguintes instrumentos: roteiros de entrevista, formulários de prospecção e diário de campo. Os dados foram analisados a partir da técnica de análise do conteúdo. Os resultados conduziram a segunda fase da pesquisa, foco desta comunicação, a qual se refere à montagem de uma ação formativa (capacitação) com a finalidade de impulsionar os sujeitos da pesquisa a refletirem acerca do que vivenciam no dia a dia no ambiente de trabalho, quais as competências que utilizam e quais poderiam ser desenvolvidas para melhor atender ao usuário. Para tal, o foco da capacitação será nas etapas do processo de referência e seus desdobramentos na realidade cotidiana dos bibliotecários. Conclui-se que a partir desta ação nas bibliotecas pesquisadas, os bibliotecários compreenderão a importância de atuar como protagonistas do seu ambiente de trabalho, promovendo a autorreflexão sobre suas ações junto aos usuários e também sobre as possibilidades de melhorar o atendimento, pensando nas competências em informação que já detêm e as que precisam ser desenvolvidas ou aprimoradas, a fim de proporcionar a ampliação de seus repertórios de competências com foco na melhoria dos serviços prestados.
Análise de correlação entre as IES brasileiras e a participação de sua comunidade acadêmica em redes sociais científicas
Authors: Córdula Flavio Ribeiro , Araújo Wagner Junqueira de , Silva Alzira Karla Araújo da
Published: May 2020

Em um contexto em que o uso de redes sociais para a comunicação e disseminação de dados e informações científicas é uma realidade, as redes sociais científicas surgem como um tipo específico de rede social, disponibilizada para o público acadêmico, intelectual e envolvido em projetos de pesquisas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi introduzir uma análise de correlação entre a qualidade das IES brasileiras e a participação e a interação de suas comunidades em redes sociais científicas. A rede social científica escolhida para essa análise foi a ResearchGate. Para analisar essa possível correlação foram utilizados dados disponibilizados por organizações e instituições governamentais que realizam avaliações do ensino superior brasileiro. Esses dados foram confrontados com os dados estatísticos disponibilizados pela ResearchGate. Trata-se de um trabalho quantitativo que usa cálculos estatísticos para verificar a correlação. A análise dos dados coletados demonstrou haver uma tendência de que a participação dos pesquisadores das IES estudadas nas redes sociais científicas influencie positivamente a dinâmica da produção acadêmica por eles apresentada, esta, por sua vez, influencia nas avaliações destas IES.
18
F-Sodium Fluoride (
18
F-NaF) for Imaging Microcalcification Activity in the Cardiovascular System
Authors: Tzolos Evangelos , Dweck Marc R.
Published: May 2020

Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that calcification is one of the body’s primary responses to injury and a key pathological feature of cardiovascular disease. Calcification activity can now be imaged using
18
F-sodium fluoride (
18
F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) in combination with either computed tomography or magnetic resonance. These techniques allow visualization of calcification activity and, therefore, provide different information to the established macroscopic calcium imaged with computed tomography. Indeed,
18
F-NaF PET has been used to investigate a wide range of valvular conditions, including aortic stenosis, mitral annular calcification, and bioprosthetic valve disease, as well as vascular conditions, including abdominal aortic aneurysm disease, coronary, and carotid atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, and erectile dysfunction. In this brief review, we will focus on how
18
F-NaF PET has improved our pathophysiological understanding of cardiovascular calcification and how it can be used as a marker of vascular calcification, providing a useful tool that can be utilized in clinical trials investigating the prediction of both disease progression and clinical events. Finally, we will discuss how
18
F-NaF might be employed clinically to improve patient assessment and to guide decision-making.
Gene Therapy for the Heart Lessons Learned and Future Perspectives
Authors: Cannatà Antonio , Ali Hashim , Sinagra Gianfranco , Giacca Mauro
Published: May 2020

While clinical gene therapy celebrates its first successes, with several products already approved for clinical use and several hundreds in the final stages of the clinical approval pipeline, there is not a single gene therapy approach that has worked for the heart. Here, we review the past experience gained in the several cardiac gene therapy clinical trials that had the goal of inducing therapeutic angiogenesis in the ischemic heart and in the attempts at modulating cardiac function in heart failure. Critical assessment of the results so far achieved indicates that the efficiency of cardiac gene delivery remains a major hurdle preventing success but also that improvements need to be sought in establishing more reliable large animal models, choosing more effective therapeutic genes, better designing clinical trials, and more deeply understanding cardiac biology. We also emphasize a few areas of cardiac gene therapy development that hold great promise for the future. In particular, the transition from gene addition studies using protein-coding cDNAs to the modulation of gene expression using small RNA therapeutics and the improvement of precise gene editing now pave the way to applications such as cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction and gene correction for inherited cardiomyopathies that were unapproachable until a decade ago.
Heart Failure Risk Associated With Rheumatoid Arthritis–Related Chronic Inflammation
Authors: Ahlers Michael J. , Lowery Brandon D. , Farber‐Eger Eric , Wang Thomas J. , Bradham William , Ormseth Michelle J. , Chung Cecilia P. , Stein C. Michael , Gupta Deepak K.
Published: May 2020

Background

Inflammation may contribute to incident heart failure (
HF
). Rheumatoid arthritis (
RA
), a prototypic inflammatory condition, may serve as a model for understanding inflammation‐related
HF
risk.

Methods and Results

Using the Vanderbilt University Medical Center electronic health record, we retrospectively identified 9889 patients with RA and 9889 control patients without autoimmune disease matched for age, sex, and race. Prevalent
HF
at entry into the electronic health record or preceding
RA
diagnosis was excluded. Incident
HF
was ascertained using
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD‐9),
codes and medications. Over 177 566 person‐years of follow‐up, patients with
RA
were at 21% greater risk of
HF
(95% CI, 3–42%) independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Among patients with
RA
, higher CRP (C‐reactive protein) was associated with greater
HF
risk (
P
<0.001), while the anti‐inflammatory drug methotrexate was associated with ≈25% lower
HF
risk (
P
=0.021). In a second cohort (n=115) of prospectively enrolled patients with and without
RA
, we performed proteomics and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to discover circulating markers of inflammation associated with cardiac structure and function. Artemin levels were higher in patients with RA compared with controls (
P
=0.009), and higher artemin levels were associated with worse ventricular end‐systolic elastance and ventricular‐vascular coupling ratio (
P
=0.044 and
P
=0.031, respectively).

Conclusions

RA
, a prototypic chronic inflammatory condition, is associated with increased risk of
HF
. Among patients with
RA
, higher levels of CRP were associated with greater
HF
risk, while methotrexate was associated with lower risk.
Prediction of Residual Risk by Ceramide‐Phospholipid Score in Patients With Stable Coronary Heart Disease on Optimal Medical Therapy
Authors: Hilvo Mika , Wallentin Lars , Ghukasyan Lakic Tatevik , Held Claes , Kauhanen Dimple , Jylhä Antti , Lindbäck Johan , Siegbahn Agneta , Granger Christopher B. , Koenig Wolfgang , Stewart Ralph A. H. , White Harvey , Laaksonen Reijo ,   the STABILITY Investigators
Published: May 2020

Background

Identification of patients with stable coronary heart disease who are at significant residual risk could be helpful for targeted prevention. Our aim was to determine the prognostic value of the recently introduced ceramide‐ and phospholipid‐based risk score, the Cardiovascular Event Risk Test (
CERT
2), in patients with stable coronary heart disease on optimal medical therapy and to identify biological processes that contribute to the
CERT
2 score.

Methods and Results

Plasma samples (n=11 222) obtained from the
STABILITY
(Stabilization of Atherosclerotic Plaque by Initiation of Darapladib Therapy) trial were analyzed using a tandem liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry method.
STABILITY
was a trial in patients with stable coronary heart disease randomized to the lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 inhibitor darapladib or placebo on optimized medical therapy at baseline, with a median follow‐up of 3.7 years. Hazard ratios per
SD
for the
CERT
2 risk score were 1.32 (95% CI, 1.25–1.39) for major adverse cardiovascular event, 1.47 (95% CI, 1.35–1.59) for cardiovascular death, 1.32 (95% CI, 1.16–1.49) for stroke, 1.23 (95% CI, 1.14–1.33) for myocardial infarction, and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.39–1.76) for hospitalization due to heart failure, when adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
CERT
2 showed correlation (
P
<0.001,
r
>0.2) with inflammatory markers high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, interleukin 6, the heart failure marker N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol. After also adjusting for levels of other prognostic biomarkers, the
CERT
2 score was still independently related to the risk of cardiovascular death but not to nonfatal events.

Conclusions

The
CERT
2 risk score can detect residual risk in patients with stable coronary heart disease and is associated with biomarkers indicating inflammation, myocardial necrosis, myocardial dysfunction, renal dysfunction, and dyslipidemia.

REGISTRATION

URL
:
https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
00799903.
The Lasting Legacy of Double Standards: The International Criminal Court and the UN Security Council Referral Mechanism
Authors: Lentner Gabriel M.
Published: May 2020

Common narratives in international criminal law give the impression that the arc of international criminal law is long but bends towards justice. In this article, I wish to challenge this and show that we actually see more of the same. I adopt a consequentialist approach for analysing these issues: what are the real outcomes of the structural changes that happened via the involvement of the UN Security Council (unsc) and are they driven more by power or principle? Through case studies of the two existing referrals of the situations of Darfur and Libya I challenge the progress narrative often implied in international criminal law discourse. I show that through the institutional structure and limitations in practice, the unsc referral mechanism operates as a continuation of double standards by other means and that power influences accountability much more than principle even without direct unsc intervention.
Mediated Identity of Catholic Internet Forum Users in Poland
Authors: Kołodziejska Marta
Published: May 2020

The paper analyses the emic conceptualisations of “religious identity” among the users of two online Catholic forums in Poland, dyskusje.katolik.pl and forum.wiara.pl, with the use of computer-mediated discourse analysis (cmda). This study aims to contribute to the debates on online religious identity construction, in particular within heteronomous and/or contentious communities (Abdel-Fadil, 2017; Davidson & Farquhar, 2014; Kimmons et al., 2017). The paper argues that religious identity on the forums has an individual and collective dimension, and that the fillings of the term “religious identity” often involve non-verbatim, covert references to religion and faith, which makes them similar to a division into “us” vs. “them.” It will be argued that the mediatised religious identities of forum users, while flexible and transformable, are also grounded in non-media contexts, for instance a church or a religious community, or a certain understanding of religion and religiosity.
Motor Timing as a Predictor of Attention, Working Memory and Impulsivity in Alcohol and/or Cocaine Use Disorders
Authors: Young S.Y. , van Hoof J.J.M. , Kidd M. , Seedat S.
Published: May 2020

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in neuropsychological deficits in patients with Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Besides deficits in working memory (WM), impulsivity and attention, chronic alcohol and cocaine use have neurotoxic effects on frontostriatal areas in the brain. Individuals with deficits in these brain regions experience motor-timing deficits. It is unclear whether observed temporal processing deficits, in fact, reflect increased sustained attention or WM demands (which are required by timing tasks), or whether motor-timing deficits reflect some other process. The main questions of this

were: (i) Can attention and WM be explained by motor-timing performance, and (ii), is impulsivity related to motor timing performance, in an inpatient SUD population? The study sample consisted of 74 abstinent patients who completed selected neuropsychological and motor-timing tasks. No significant correlation was found between performance on motor tasks and impulsivity. With regard to visual and auditory WM, motor timing was a significant predictor but only under conditions that required increased cognitive demands. Motor-timing performance contributed to a small portion of the variance in attention, but only for spatial abilities and only at increased cognitive demands. These preliminary findings suggest that, in line with the literature, millisecond timing engages other cognitive functions, but only minimally. As such motor timing should be regarded as a separate neurocognitive concomitant. Impulsivity was not associated with millisecond motor timing. More research is needed to further investigate these preliminary findings.
A global regionalisation based on the present-day distribution of broad plant lineages

Authors: PROCHEŞ ŞERBAN , RAMDHANI SYD
Published: May 2020

Although world’s zoogeographical regions have been repeatedly confirmed using various clustering techniques, this has not yet been done in the case of world’s floral kingdoms, due to the absence of complete and accurate distributional data sets. Here we use the distribution of 65 broad seed plant lineages across 37 regions to test for global relationships. We find support for the existence of distinct Austral, Holotropical, and Holarctic clusters. The existence of an Austral kingdom has long been considered to be one of the major differences between plant and animal regionalisation patterns. However, the homogeneity of the Holotropical cluster can be viewed as a relatively novel result.
Habenaria rangatensis (Orchidaceae), a new species from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India

Authors: PRASAD KOTHAREDDY , NAIK MUDAVATH CHENNAKESAVULU
Published: May 2020

A new species of Habenaria (Orchidaceae), H. rangatensis is described from stunted evergreen forest of Middle Andamans, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. This new species is morphologically similar to Habenaria acuifera but differ in certain characters, which are discussed below. A detailed description and photographs are provided for identification of the present novel species.
Notes on an overlooked Paepalanthus (Eriocaulaceae) from central Brazil: identity, taxonomic placement, and morphological details

Authors: DA SILVA LUCAS ESPINDOLA FLORÊNCIO , TROVÓ MARCELO
Published: May 2020

Paepalanthus canescens var. atratus was described from a single collection of juvenile individuals. We have recently rediscovered new populations of this taxon, and here describe the flowers for the first time. The vegetative and floral morphology of this taxon does not fit the P. canescens concept, nor does the taxon share the characters defining P. subsect. Actinocephaloides, to which P. canescens belongs. Here, we raise the taxon to species level, as P. atratus, and provide a revised description for it. We critically evaluate the taxonomy and morphology of the species, and compare it to Paepalanthus trichophyllus, the most similar species morphologically. Comments on distribution and conservation, as well as details of morphological variation, a distribution map, and photos, are provided.
Second-step lectotypification of Fimbristylis alboviridis (Cyperaceae)

Authors: KUMAR ANAND , BHARATI KUMAR AVINASH
Published: May 2020

Fimbristylis alboviridis C.B. Clarke (1893: 638) was described based on the collections of Griffith, Hooker and Jenkins from East Bengal, River Megna and Upper Assam, respectively. The species is mainly distributed in West & West Central tropical Africa, tropical Asia, Indo-China and Malesia (Govaerts et al. 2020). In India, it is confined to Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh (Patil & Prasad 2009, Anitha 2011, Prasad 2017, Kumar et al. 2017). The species is often confused with F. dichotoma (Linnaeus 1753: 50) Vahl (1805: 287). Fimbristylis alboviridis is characterized by nutlets bearing 10 to 16 vertical rows on either side while the latter has 5 to 10 rows (Prasad 2017).
Kalanchoe ×gildenhuysii (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), a new nothospecies derived from K. millotii and K. tomentosa

Authors: SMITH GIDEON F. , FIGUEIREDO ESTRELA
Published: May 2020

The majority of the species of Kalanchoe Adanson (1763: 248) in cultivation in, especially, mild-climate parts of the world originates from Madagascar, a present-day centre of high species diversity for the genus (Gehrig et al. 2001; Descoings 2003; Smith & Figueiredo 2018). Of 45 species, hybrids, and cultivars of Kalanchoe listed by Springate (1995: 178–185) as being cultivated in Europe, both out-of-doors and under glass, 29 (~64%) are either from Madagascar or are based on material originally collected from that country, with the remaining 16 being mainly from eastern and southern Africa, as well as from the Middle East, Socotra, India, and east Asia.
Caridina jeani, a replacement name for Caridina typus var. brevirostris J. Roux, 1911 from Eastern Indonesia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae)
Authors: CAI YIXIONG
Published: May 2020

Caridina typus var. brevirostris Roux is shown to be specifically different from Caridina typus H. Milne Edwards, 1837. A new name Caridina jeani is thus proposed for the species as the name Caridina brevirostris is preoccupied by C. brevirostris Stimpson, 1860. The species is re-described and illustrated in detail based on syntypic specimens. It differs markedly from Caridina typus by possessing sexual dimorphism on the third and fourth pereiopods. A lectotype is designated.
Ancylomenes kuboi and A. okunoi spp. nov. (Decapoda: Pontoniinae), from the Australian Northwest Shelf, Vietnam and the Philippines
Authors: BRUCE A. J.
Published: May 2020

Two new species of Ancylomenes (Decapoda: Pontoniinae), A. kuboi sp. nov. (Australian northwestern shelf and Vietnam, from 9.2–82 m) and A. okunoi sp. nov., (Australian north-western shelf and the Philippines, from 80–134 m, are described and illustrated. Both are most closely related to A. tosaensis (Kubo, 1951), also found on the Northwest Shelf, and a key for their separation is provided.
Two new species of the “Heterocarpus gibbosus Bate, 1888” species group (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pandalidae) from the western Pacific and north-western Australia
Authors: YANG CHIEN-HUI , CHAN TIN-YAM , CHU KA HOU
Published: May 2020

The widely distributed deep-sea caridean shrimp Heterocarpus gibbosus Bate, 1888 was previously believed to exhibit considerable variations in the development of the basal rostral crest. Based on the comparison of abundant material from the western Pacific, combined with a molecular genetic analysis using partial sequences of the mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes, three distinct species could be recognized. The true H. gibbosus has a moderately high basal rostral crest and appears to have a more eastern distribution from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean. Both forms with a very low or very high basal rostral crest are currently undescribed and mainly distributed along the western coast of the Pacific from Japan to Fiji. The low basal rostral crest form, H. abulbus sp. nov., is unique in the genus by lacking a distinct abdominal boss and appears to be restricted to Japan, Taiwan and NE Philippines. The very high basal rostral crest form, H. corona sp. nov., occurs in the western Pacific down to NW Australia.
A review of the genus Engystenopus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Stenopodidea) Juxtastenopus, gen. nov. , a new combination for E. spinulatus Holthuis, 1946, and transfer of E. palmipes Alcock & Anderson, 1894 to the family Spongicolidae Schram, 1986
Authors: GOY JOSEPH W.
Published: May 2020

A review of the genus Engystenopus is presented. A new genus, Juxtastenopus, is created for the rare deepwater stenopodid shrimp, Engystenopus spinulatus based on a series of specimens from the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Philippines. The genus Engystenopus is now restricted to E. palmipes, its range is extended to Australian, Indonesian, and Madagascan waters, a new diagnosis of the genus is presented, and the genus is transferred to the family Spongicolidae.
Eupontonia oahu sp. nov., a second species of the genus Eupontonia Bruce, 1971, (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pontoniinae) from Oahu, Hawai’ian Islands
Authors: BRUCE A. J.
Published: May 2020

A new species of the pontoniine shrimp genus Eupontonia Bruce, 1971. E. oahu sp. nov., from the Hawai’ian island of Oahu, is described and illustrated. Eupontonia oahu is the second species of the genus and was found in association with Pocillopora meandrina L., confirming the association of this genus with scleractinian corals.
Allopontonia alastairi sp. nov., a second species of the genus Allopontonia Bruce, 1972 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pontoniinae), from the Australian Northwest Shelf
Authors: BRUCE A. J.
Published: May 2020

The pontoniine genus Allopontonia Bruce, 1972 has so far been represented by only a single species, A. iaini Bruce, 1972, a shallow water echinoderm associate (Bruce, 1972). First described from Zanzibar, it is one of the relatively few pontoniine species found in both the Indo-West Pacific and the Eastern Pacific regions (Wicksten 2000; Bruce 1987). The discovery of a second species is therefore of interest and an illustrated description is here provided. The single specimen was collected in the course of a CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (CMAR) survey of the benthic fauna of the Australian Northwest Shelf region, Western Australia, by the fisheries research vessel Southern Surveyor and is held in the collection of the Museum Victoria. I am most grateful to Anna McCallum for the opportunity to study this specimen. Felicity McEnnulty provided the identification of the host echinoid.
Atydina, a new genus for Caridina atyoides Nobili, 1900, from Indonesia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae)
Authors: CAI YIXIONG
Published: May 2020

Atydina, new genus, is established for Caridina atyoides Nobili, 1900, so far known only from two islands in Indonesia. It is characterized by the robust third and fourth pereiopods, and an inflated cylindrical appendix masculina on the male second pleopod. The new genus is compared to the related genera Atyopsis Chace, 1983 and Caridina H Milne Edwards, 1837. The monotypic genus is here described and illustrated in detail.
Description of a new Agraecina species from Tunisia (Araneae: Liocranidae), with a review of all species of the genus
Authors: BOUBAKRI ABIR , BOSMANS ROBERT , PÉTILLON JULIEN , ACHOURI MOHAMED SGHAIER
Published: May 2020

While Liocranidae is a family encompassing 283 species distributed in 32 genera (World Spider Catalog 2019), the genus Agraecina Simon, 1932 currently counts only six described species: Agraecina canariensis Wunderlich, 1992 from the Canaries, A. cristriani (Georgescu, 1989) from Romania, A. hodna Bosmans, 1999 from Algeria, A. lineata (Simon, 1878) from Europe and Kazakhstan, A. rutilia (Simon, 1897) from Sierrra Leone, and A. scupiensis Deltshev, 2016 from Macedonia. During an ecological survey in the north of Tunisia, a new Agraecina species was discovered and is described here. Spiders were collected using pitfall traps in a salt marsh.
Multimodel Ensemble Forecasts of Precipitation Based on an Object-Based Diagnostic Evaluation
Authors: Ji Luying , Zhi Xiefei , Simmer Clemens , Zhu Shoupeng , Ji Yan
Published: May 2020

We analyzed 24-h accumulated precipitation forecasts over the 4-month period from 1 May to 31 August 2013 over an area located in East Asia covering the region 15.05°–58.95°N, 70.15°–139.95°E generated with the ensemble prediction systems (EPS) from ECMWF, NCEP, UKMO, JMA, and CMA contained in the TIGGE dataset. The forecasts are first evaluated with the Method for Object-Based Diagnostic Evaluation (MODE). Then a multimodel ensemble (MME) forecast technique that is based on weights derived from object-based scores is investigated and compared with the equally weighted MME and the traditional gridpoint-based MME forecast using weights derived from the point-to-point metric, mean absolute error (MAE). The object-based evaluation revealed that attributes of objects derived from the ensemble members of the five individual EPS forecasts and the observations differ consistently. For instance, their predicted centroid location is more southwestward, their shape is more circular, and their orientation is more meridional than in the observations. The sensitivity of the number of objects and their attributes to methodological parameters is also investigated. An MME prediction technique that is based on weights computed from the object-based scores, median of maximum interest, and object-based threat score is explored and the results are compared with the ensemble forecasts of the individual EPS, the equally weighted MME forecast, and the traditional superensemble forecast. When using MODE statistics for the forecast evaluation, the object-based MME prediction outperforms all other predictions. This is mainly because of a better prediction of the objects’ centroid locations. When using the precipitation-based fractions skill score, which is not used in either of the weighted MME forecasts, the object-based MME forecasts are slightly better than the equally weighted MME forecasts but are inferior to the traditional superensemble forecast that is based on weights derived from the point-to-point metric MAE.
Counselors’ Attitudes Towards Working With Clients With Substance Use Disorders
Authors: Cornfield Zachary A. D. , Hubley Anita M.
Published: May 2020

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a significant and growing problem in all walks of life in Canada and the United States. Counselors are increasingly likely to have clients with SUDs regardless of their area of expertise. There is limited research on counselors’ attitudes towards working with such clients, or the factors that contribute to these attitudes. In an online survey of 263 Canadian counselors, we found attitudes were mostly positive, although statistically significantly less positive than toward working with clients with major depression. Numerous variables showed significant bivariate relationships with attitudes towards working with clients with SUDs, but only more frequent contact with such clients, fewer workplace situational constraints, and less frequent feelings of anger towards such clients remained as significant predictors of more positive attitudes in a regression analysis. Our research highlights the importance of providing more support for counselors to ensure better service to clients with SUDs.
Exploring Factors That Helped Adolescents Adjust and Continue With Life After the Death of a Parent
Authors: Ludik Dane , Greeff Abraham P.
Published: May 2020

The aim of this study was to explore factors that helped adolescents to adjust and continue with life after the death of a parent. A qualitative research design was utilized, in which 12 participants participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed according to thematic analysis. The following categories and themes emerged from the data: family support—supportive remaining parent, parent has a supportive partner and supportive extended family; social support—child has supportive friends and supportive community; religion––religion as a coping mechanism and religion as means of communicating with the deceased parent; and a strong personal sense of coherence (the ability to relate to and make sense of the world) as an intrapersonal coping mechanism. In addition, the following themes also emerged: exercising, allowing time to prepare for the death of a terminally ill parent, tangible reminders of the deceased, and journal writing. The findings can be used to design interventions for adolescents whose parent has passed away.
Normal and Maladaptive Personality Traits as Predictors of Motives for Social Media Use and Its Effects on Well-Being
Authors: Perugini María Laura Lupano , Solano Alejandro Castro
Published: May 2020

This study aimed to identify the motives for social media sites use in the general population and determine what personality traits (normal and maladaptive) predict different motives for social media sites use. Another objective was to analyze which motives for SMSs use are related to well-being. The sample consisted of 420 subjects (211 men, 209 women), mean age 40.29 years ( SD =  14.93). Data were gathered using the Big Five Inventory, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form -Adult, the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, and a scale designed ad hoc to evaluate the motives for social media sites use. The results showed that the most frequent motives were Personal relationship maintenance/Search for information, Pastime/Exhibitionism, and Search for companionship. In addition, it was found that normal and, especially, maladaptive personality traits increased the explained variance for the three motives for social media sites use, beyond age and gender. Predictors of relationship initiation and pastime/exhibitionism motives were related to more negative features (e.g., antagonism and disinhibition) than predictors of personal relationship maintenance/search for information. Finally, personal relationship maintenance/search for information was positively related to all the components of well-being, while the other motives for social media sites use were negatively associated with well-being.
Book review: Irfan Habib (ed.), Inquilab: Bhagat Singh on Religion and Revolution
Authors: Sekhon Jagrup S.
Published: May 2020

Irfan Habib (ed.), Inquilab: Bhagat Singh on Religion and Revolution, 2018. Delhi: Yoda Press, SAGE, 192 pp., ₹295 (paperback). ISBN 978-93-528-0837-3.
Building Inclusive Learning Environments With 1:1 Devices
Authors: Nieves Kathryn
Published: May 2020

With emphasis placed on the least restrictive learning environments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are often placed in general education classrooms. As a result, the discussion of inclusion strategies has increased in special education. The rise in 1:1 device initiatives offers the inclusionary practice of giving all students within a school access to their own device, with Google’s Chromebook and Apple’s iPad being among the most common device choices. This article explains the potential uses of 1:1 devices for students in inclusion settings, including built-in accessibility features and implementation strategies for educators.
The ebb and flow of sexual well-being: The contributions of basic psychological needs and autonomous and controlled sexual motivation to daily variations in sexual well-being
Authors: Gravel Emilie E. , Reissing Elke D. , Pelletier Luc G.
Published: May 2020

Why do people have better sexual experiences on certain days but not others? In this study, we used self-determination theory (SDT) to examine whether sexual motives that are autonomous (i.e., genuinely self-endorsed) as opposed to controlled (i.e., pressured) were associated with variations in daily sexual well-being. We also sought to identify circumstances associated with changes in the quality of sexual motivation by considering the extent to which daily interactions with a partner satisfied the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In a 21-day study of daily experiences ( N = 113), findings from multilevel analyses suggested that on days when sexual motives were more autonomous and less controlled, people experienced higher sexual well-being (i.e., higher sexual satisfaction, more positive sexual affect, and less negative sexual affect). Furthermore, on days when interactions with the partner were more positive, as evidenced by better needs satisfaction, sexual motives were more autonomous and this, in turn, was associated with higher sexual well-being. These associations held above the contributions of gender, relationship length, frequency of sexual activities, and relational satisfaction. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of SDT as a framework for the motivational underpinnings of sexual well-being.
Developing a level-specific checklist for assessing EFL writing
Authors: Lukácsi Zoltán
Published: May 2020

In second language writing assessment, rating scales and scores from human-mediated assessment have been criticized for a number of shortcomings including problems with adequacy, relevance, and reliability (Hamp-Lyons, 1990; McNamara, 1996; Weigle, 2002). In its testing practice, Euroexam International also detected that the rating scales for writing at B2 had limited discriminating power and did not adequately reflect finer shades of candidate ability. This study sought to investigate whether a level-specific checklist of binary choice items could be designed to yield results that accurately reflect differential degrees of ability in EFL essay writing at level B2. The participants were four language teachers working as independent raters. The study involved the task materials, operational rating scales, reported scores, and candidate scripts from the May 2017 test administration. In a mixed-methods strategy of inquiry, qualitative data from stimulated recall, think-aloud protocols, and semi-structured interviews informed statistical test and item analyses. The results indicated that the checklist items were more transparent, led to increased variance, and contributed to a more coherent candidate language profile than scores from the rating scales. The implications support the recommendation that checklists should be used for level-specific language proficiency testing (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 189).
Converging on a nativist core? Comparing issues on the Facebook pages of the Pegida movement and the Alternative for Germany
Authors: Puschmann Cornelius , Ausserhofer Julian , Šlerka Josef
Published: May 2020

Computational methods offer a new perspective on the evolving agendas of right-wing movements and parties online. This article showcases computational approaches to text analysis (specifically so-called topic models) to diachronically investigate nativist right-wing issues in social media by comparing comments posted on the Facebook page of the Pegida movement to those of the Alternative for Germany. After describing topic modelling as an increasingly popular method and drawing on the literature on right-wing nativism online, we investigate a set of shared issues relevant to the mobilization of commentators, including opposition to Islam, migration, the government and the media. We furthermore show contrastively how issue prevalence differs between the two groups, and how issue shares change over time, in some instances converging on a shared nativist core. We close with a series of suggestions on the utility of computation content analysis for the study of rapidly evolving political agendas.
Stochastic Thermal Demand and Resulting Capacity Loss of Concrete Tunnel Liners Subjected to Vehicle Fires
Authors: Guo Qi , Carlton Aerik , Quiel Spencer E. , Naito Clay J.
Published: May 2020

Fire resistant design of both structural and non-structural components in road tunnels is predicated on the determination of fire demand intensity. Current practice typically uses a conservative, deterministic fire curve that does not necessarily provide a representative evaluation of the spatial and temporal distribution of thermal demands in tunnels that are caused by large vehicle fires. This paper proposes a tunnel-specific probabilistic framework for evaluating vehicle fire frequency and intensity based on tunnel geometry and traffic information. The framework leverages a fast-running computational tool that has been previously developed by the authors for calculating fire-induced heat flux exposure on tunnel liners because of enclosed vehicle fires. The likelihood of a vehicular fire and the associated fire size distribution are used to generate probabilistic distributions of total fire exposure for the reinforced concrete tunnel liner. Critical heat flux values according to these probabilistic distributions are then used to assess reductions in concrete material strength and resulting losses in the structural performance of the system. A case study of the Fort Pitt Tunnel in Pittsburgh, PA, is included for demonstration. The proposed framework enables decision making regarding design and renovation of tunnels for fire resistance as well as post-fire inspection by quantifying the risk of capacity reduction in the concrete liner because of a realistic range of fire hazard intensities.
Crash Data-Based Investigation into How Injury Severity Is Affected by Driver Errors
Authors: Shaon Mohammad Razaur Rahman , Qin Xiao
Published: May 2020

Unsafe driving behaviors, driver limitations, and conditions that lead to a crash are usually referred to as driver errors. Even though driver errors are widely cited as a critical reason for crash occurrence in crash reports and safety literature, the discussion on their consequences is limited. This study aims to quantify the effect of driver errors on crash injury severity. To assist this investigation, driver errors were categorized as sequential events in a driving task. Possible combinations of driver error categories were created and ranked based on statistical dependences between error combinations and injury severity levels. Binary logit models were then developed to show that typical variables used to model injury severity such as driver characteristics, roadway characteristics, environmental factors, and crash characteristics are inadequate to explain driver errors, especially the complicated ones. Next, ordinal probit models were applied to quantify the effect of driver errors on injury severity for rural crashes. Superior model performance is observed when driver error combinations were modeled along with typical crash variables to predict the injury outcome. Modeling results also illustrate that more severe crashes tend to occur when the driver makes multiple mistakes. Therefore, incorporating driver errors in crash injury severity prediction not only improves prediction accuracy but also enhances our understanding of what error(s) may lead to more severe injuries so that safety interventions can be recommended accordingly.
A Randomized Sham-controlled Trial of 1-Hz and 10-Hz Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) of the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Civilian Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Un essai randomisé contrôlé simulé de stimulation magnétique transcrânienne repetitive (SMTr) de 1 Hz et 10 Hz du cortex préfrontal dorsolatéral droit dans le trouble de stress post-traumatique chez des civils
Authors: Leong Kawai , Chan Peter , Ong Larry , Zwicker Amy , Willan Sharon , Lam Raymond W. , McGirr Alexander
Published: May 2020

Objective:

Despite effective psychological and pharmacological treatments, there is a large unmet burden of illness in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive intervention and a putative treatment strategy for PTSD. The evidence base to date suggests that rTMS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), in particular the right DLPFC, leads to improvements in PTSD symptoms. However, optimal stimulation parameters have yet to be determined. In this study, we examine the efficacy of high- and low-frequency rTMS of the right DLPFC using a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled design in civilian PTSD.

Methods:

We conducted a 2-week single-site randomized sham-controlled trial of rTMS targeting the right DLPFC. We recruited civilians aged 19 to 70 with PTSD and randomized subjects with allocation concealment to daily 1-Hz rTMS, 10-Hz rTMS, or sham rTMS. The primary outcome was improvement in Clinician Administered PTSD Scale–IV (CAPS-IV). Secondary outcomes included change in depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Results:

We recruited 31 civilians with PTSD. One 1-Hz-treated patient developed transient suicidal ideation. Analyses revealed significant improvement in CAPS-IV symptoms in the 1-Hz group relative to sham (Hedges’ g = −1.07) but not in the 10-Hz group. This was not attributable to changes in anxious or depressive symptomatology. Ten-Hz stimulation appeared to improve depressive symptoms compared to sham.

Conclusion:

Low-frequency rTMS is efficacious in the treatment of civilian PTSD. Our data suggest that high-frequency rTMS of the right DLPFC is worthy of additional investigation for the treatment of depressive symptoms comorbid with PTSD.
Negative and Engaged: Sentiments towards the 2016 Migrant Quota Referendum in Hungarian Online Media
Authors: Tóth János
Published: May 2020

The 2016 migrant quota referendum and the preceding anti-migrant and anti-EU campaign in Hungary led to a milestone in manipulating public fear of societal change by new East-Central European populism. This article maps and analyzes sentiments toward the referendum in Hungarian-language online media, using software-supported sentiment analysis of mentions of the quota referendum published online between 1 September and 31 October 2016. Results show a preponderance of negative sentiments over positive ones in both pro-government and independent media and the dominance of independent media in the coverage of the event. Coverage of the referendum received more weight in pro-government media compared to their lesser online presence, but this was fueled by astroturfed online discussion communities and content disseminated from at least one Russian state propaganda source.
Now We’re Talking? Understanding the Interplay Between Online Selective and Incidental Exposure and Their Influence on Online Cross-Cutting Political Discussion
Authors: Kwak Nojin , Lane Daniel S. , Weeks Brian E. , Kim Dam Hee , Lee Slgi S.
Published: May 2020

This study examines how two distinct patterns of online political information exposure—pro-attitudinal selective exposure and counter-attitudinal incidental exposure—can work together to influence engagement in online cross-cutting political discussion. Using panel data from a two-wave national survey conducted in 2012, we test two competing theoretical accounts. Findings suggest that incidental exposure affects selective exposure’s contribution to cross-cutting discussion in a curvilinear way. Incidental exposure strengthens the impact of selective exposure on cross-cutting discussion up until a certain point, after which it begins to attenuate its impact. Results emphasize the need to account for the multiple ways people encounter political information online.
Victor Segalen’s 1914 archaeological mission in Sichuan: The untold story
Authors: Bai Yunfei
Published: May 2020

This essay challenges the French poet, naval doctor, archaeologist and sinologist Victor Segalen’s established image as a literary modernist who broke with colonial exoticism. I use a set of previously understudied primary sources, including Segalen’s own travel journals, archaeological accounts, letters and photo albums, as well as Chinese gazetteers and a stele inscription documenting his excavation of a tomb associated with Bao San Niang 鮑三娘 – the supposed daughter-in-law of the famous Chinese general Guan Yu 關羽. Through a study combining both textual and field investigations, this article not only points out the disjuncture between Segalen’s progressive theory and his actual practice, but also questions the tendency among critics – both Western and Chinese – to overstate Segalen’s contribution to East–West cross-cultural representation, while intentionally omitting his exploitative deeds.