bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence of acrylamide- and glycidamide-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in Leydig and Sertoli cells
Authors: Yilmaz BO , Yildizbayrak N , Aydin Y , Erkan M
Published: January 2017

Acrylamide (AA) is a common chemical, produced during food processing and widely used in various industries and laboratory processes. Thus, AA causes a significant risk for human and animal health. Recently published studies have suggested that reproductive toxicity of AA and glycidamide (GA) was mainly due to the oxidative stress which can lead to cell apoptosis. The present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of oxidative stress on the apoptosis of mouse Leydig (TM3) and Sertoli (TM4) cells induced by AA and its metabolite GA. TM3 and TM4 cells were exposed to AA (10 µM and 1 mM) and GA (1 µM and 0.5 mM) for 24 h. Following the exposure time, the Leydig and Sertoli cells were evaluated for measurement of cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase activity, lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide levels, apoptosis/necrosis rate, and mRNA expression levels of apoptotic genes (caspase3, Bcl-2, Bax, and p53). The present study showed that AA and GA exposure caused decrease in cell viability and increase in excessive oxidative stress and apoptosis in both cell types. In conclusion, our in vitro results demonstrate that oxidative stress probably plays a major role in AA- and GA-induced apoptosis of Leydig and Sertoli cells.
Mediation analysis for count and zero-inflated count data
Authors: Cheng Jing , Cheng Nancy F , Guo Zijian , Gregorich Steven , Ismail Amid I , Gansky Stuart A
Published: January 2017

Different conventional and causal approaches have been proposed for mediation analysis to better understand the mechanism of a treatment. Count and zero-inflated count data occur in biomedicine, economics, and social sciences. This paper considers mediation analysis for count and zero-inflated count data under the potential outcome framework with nonlinear models. When there are post-treatment confounders which are independent of, or affected by, the treatment, we first define the direct, indirect, and total effects of our interest and then discuss various conditions under which the effects of interest can be identified. Proofs are provided for the sensitivity analysis proposed in the paper. Simulation studies show that the methods work well. We apply the methods to the Detroit Dental Health Project’s Motivational Interviewing DVD trial for the direct and indirect effects of motivational interviewing on count and zero-inflated count dental caries outcomes.
Jointly determining significance levels of primary and replication studies by controlling the false discovery rate in two-stage genome-wide association studies
Authors: Jiang Wei , Yu Weichuan
Published: January 2017

In genome-wide association studies, we normally discover associations between genetic variants and diseases/traits in primary studies, and validate the findings in replication studies. We consider the associations identified in both primary and replication studies as true findings. An important question under this two-stage setting is how to determine significance levels in both studies. In traditional methods, significance levels of the primary and replication studies are determined separately. We argue that the separate determination strategy reduces the power in the overall two-stage study. Therefore, we propose a novel method to determine significance levels jointly. Our method is a reanalysis method that needs summary statistics from both studies. We find the most powerful significance levels when controlling the false discovery rate in the two-stage study. To enjoy the power improvement from the joint determination method, we need to select single nucleotide polymorphisms for replication at a less stringent significance level. This is a common practice in studies designed for discovery purpose. We suggest this practice is also suitable in studies with validation purpose in order to identify more true findings. Simulation experiments show that our method can provide more power than traditional methods and that the false discovery rate is well-controlled. Empirical experiments on datasets of five diseases/traits demonstrate that our method can help identify more associations. The R-package is available at: http://bioinformatics.ust.hk/RFdr.html .
Musicians body sway embodies musical structure and expression: A recurrence-based approach
Authors: Demos Alexander P. , Chaffin Roger , Logan Topher
Published: January 2017

Musicians’ sway during performance seems to be related to musical structure. However, it has yet to be shown that examples of the relationship are not simply due to chance. Progress has been impeded by three problems: the assumption that musical structure is constant across performances; the complexity of the movements; and the inability of traditional statistical tests to accurately model the multilevel temporal hierarchies involved. We solved these problems in a study of the side-to-side postural sway of two trombonists as they each recorded two performances of each of two solo pieces in each of three different performance styles (normal, expressive, non-expressive). The musicians reported their phrasing immediately after each performance by marking copies of the score. We measured the rate and stability (mean line) of recurrence (self-similarity) and assessed the effect of serial position within a phrase, using mixed linear models to model the nesting of phrases within pieces, within performances, across expressive styles and musicians. Recurrence and stability of recurrence changed systematically across the course of a phrase, producing sinusoidal-like and arch-shaped phrasing contours that differed with the performance style and length of phrase. As long suspected, musicians’ expressive movements reflect musical structure.
The effective music teacher: The influence of personal, social, and cognitive dimensions on music teacher self-efficacy
Authors: Biasutti Michele , Concina Eleonora
Published: January 2017

The profile of an effective instrumental and vocal music teacher includes many personal and professional dimensions. Among them, teacher self-efficacy plays a key role and influences the evaluation of music teachers’ effectiveness. Recent studies have identified several factors that affect one’s self-assessment of efficacy. However, a comprehensive model of the predictors of music teachers’ self-efficacy still does not exist. The aim of the current study was to identify factors that affect music teacher self-efficacy using a quantitative approach. Three self-report questionnaires were administered to 160 instrumental and vocal music teachers in Italy. Data about their beliefs on musical ability, teacher self-efficacy, and social skills were collected to define a predictive model of teachers’ self-efficacy using a stepwise regression analysis. In addition, an ANOVA was performed to examine group differences in music teacher self-efficacy and intercorrelations among questionnaire scales were computed. The findings have shown that a general score of music teacher self-efficacy can be predicted by a multidimensional model, including music teachers’ personal and professional traits, such as social skills, beliefs about musical ability, teaching experience, and gender. Moreover, differences in specific aspects of teacher self-efficacy emerged in relation to participants’ gender and level of expertise. The impact of these results on music teachers’ education is discussed.
Use of hyaluronidase in the comparison between manual and automated hematology analysis with the ADVIA 120 to improve analysis of feline body cavity effusions
Authors: Lee Sei Ming , Williamson Kenneth , Weir William , Hulme-Moir Lisa , Haining Hayley
Published: January 2017

Classification of body cavity effusions is an important step in the investigation and diagnosis of disease in cats. Feline inflammatory effusions are often highly proteinaceous and viscous, which can cause clumping of white cells and subsequently inaccurate nucleated cell counts (NCCs) using automated and manual methods. Microscopic assessment of cellularity can also be difficult given the variable thickness of smears and cell clumping, which skews white cell distribution. The ADVIA 120 uses 2 white cell–counting channels, the basophil/lobularity (WBC/baso) and differential/peroxidase channels, which can provide quite different results in highly viscous feline samples and often disagree with smear assessment of cellularity. We investigated the effects of pre-incubation of feline effusion samples with hyaluronidase and its effects on NCCs and cellularity assessment. NCCs were obtained by automated analysis using the ADVIA 120 and by manual counting methods. Agreement was assessed using a Bland–Altman chart. Pretreatment of samples with hyaluronidase resulted in good agreement between the ADVIA basophil channel and manual counting methods in all samples in the study. However, improvements in NCCs after hyaluronidase treatment were significantly greater in clumped samples, and cell distribution of these samples on direct smears was also improved. Therefore, when nucleated cell clumping is observed on a direct smear, pretreatment of the sample with hyaluronidase prior to analysis on an automated analyzer is advised, with the WBC/baso channel displaying the most accurate NCC.
Diagnostic approach to catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses
Authors: Diab Santiago S. , Stover Susan M. , Carvallo Francisco , Nyaoke Akinyi C. , Moore Janet , Hill Ashley , Arthur Rick , Uzal Francisco A.
Published: January 2017

Catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries are the most common cause of euthanasia or spontaneous death in racehorses, and the most common cause of jockey falls with potential for serious human injury. Horses are predisposed to the vast majority of these injuries by preexisting lesions that can be prevented by early diagnosis and adequate bone injury management. A thorough examination of the musculoskeletal system in racehorses often determines the cause of these injuries and generates data to develop injury prevention strategies. We describe the diagnostic approach to musculoskeletal injury, review the methodology for the examination of racehorse limbs, and provide anatomy and pathology tools to perform an organized and thorough postmortem examination of the musculoskeletal system in equine athletes.
On the stability of decentralized AVC/ASAC for large-scale structures
Authors: Algermissen Stephan , Monner Hans Peter
Published: January 2017

Promising results have been achieved in controlling vibration and noise emission/transmission of single panel structures using active vibration control (AVC) and active structural acoustic control (ASAC). In most cases the contributed work has focused on a single panel or a section of the fuselage/lining. However, an AVC/ASAC system can only be effective when it is expanded to the entire fuselage structure. This expansion inevitably leads to a large number of sensors and actuators. For model-based control approaches especially, the system identification and the proof-of-stability would be challenging and probably not realizable. In this article a strategy for such large-scale problems is investigated. A decentralized control approach with collocated actuator–sensor pairs is proposed. Since adjacent control loops are highly coupled by the underlying structure, special attention has to be given to the global stability of the entire control system. Instead of proving local stability and setting a global master gain, a method for the tuning of the single collocated control loops is developed that takes the cross-couplings into account. Based on data of DLR’s experimental aircraft Dornier 728, it can be shown that the new method increases the performance of the control system compared to the master-gain method.
Effect of a Special Examination Gown and Nature-Based Sounds on Anxiety in Women Undergoing a Gynecological Examination
Authors: Aktas Demet , Kumas Meliha Burcu , Odabasıoglu Betül Sultan , Kaya Ayten
Published: January 2017

Many women feel anxiety about gynecological examination. The purpose of this semi-experimental study was to investigate the effect of a special examination gown and nature-based sounds on anxiety in women undergoing a gynecological examination. This study was conducted with three experimental groups and one control group. The randomized sampling method was used. The sample size was determined as 30 women for each group. Data were collected over 4 months from February 2015 to May 2015. Anxiety levels were assessed using the Status Anxiety Inventory Form (STAI, A-State). The STAI (A-State) score after the gynecological examination was quite low in the women in the experimental groups in comparison with the women in the control group ( F = 3.672, p = .001). It is remarkable that the anxiety levels of the women in the special examination gown + nature-based sounds group were especially lower than the women in the control group.
Nonlinear vibration analysis of a membrane based on large deflection theory
Authors: Liu Xiang , Cai Guo-ping , Peng Fu-jun , Zhang Hua , Lv Liang-liang
Published: January 2017

This paper investigates nonlinear vibration of a simply supported rectangular membrane based on large deflection theory. Dynamic stress caused by transverse displacement of the membrane is considered in modeling the membrane. The assumed mode method and the nonlinear finite element method (FEM) are both used as discretization methods for the membrane. In the assumed mode method, an approximate analytical formula of the natural frequency is derived. In the nonlinear FEM, a three-node triangular membrane element is proposed. The difference between the membrane’s dynamical characteristics obtained by these two discretization methods is revealed. Simulation results indicate that natural frequency of the membrane will rise along with the increasing of the vibration amplitude of the membrane, and the natural frequency obtained by the nonlinear FEM is larger than that obtained by the assumed mode method. When the membrane vibration is small, the assumed mode method may achieve a reasonable result, but it may lead to a big error when the membrane vibration is large.
Engaged Learning Through Online Collaborative Public Relations Projects Across Universities
Authors: Smallwood Amber M. K. , Brunner Brigitta R.
Published: January 2017

Online learning is complementing and even replacing traditional face-to-face educational models at colleges and universities across the world. Distance education offers pedagogical and resource advantages—flexibility, greater access to education, and increased university revenues. Distance education also presents challenges such as learning to create effective online assignments that engage students, especially in public relations, where team-based learning and collaboration are key. Instructors from two U.S. universities—one comprehensive university and one research university—evaluated student performance on and feedback from a cross-university online team-based project. Emergent themes from student performance and feedback reflect research in scaffolding and engagement theory.
Assessing a 10-Year Experiment in Community Journalism Education
Authors: Lowrey Wilson , Daniels George L.
Published: January 2017

This study assesses the degree to which graduates of a 10-year-old master’s program in community journalism have been aiding the “process of community” by helping citizens negotiate community structures and processes, by listening to citizens, and by helping lead their communities. Findings from a survey of graduates and from a content analysis of graduates’ news stories reveal that graduates value all three of these community journalism dimensions, particularly listening to citizens. However, there is a gap between graduates’ aspirations on the one hand and the actual work produced and career paths on the other, consistent with harsh workplace realities.
To Post or Not to Post
Authors: Craig David , Ketterer Stan , Yousuf Mohammad
Published: January 2017

This study investigates the ethical dimensions of data journalism, an area of growing public importance in journalistic practice, by examining journalists’ discussion related to controversies over handling of gun permit data. Three discussion threads on the listserv of the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting were analyzed. Frames were freedom versus responsibility, privacy and verification, consequences, and alternatives. The findings highlight the benefits of pooling the practical wisdom of participants in an evolving practice. They also suggest recommendations for evaluating the ethics of data journalism.
Increasing Collaboration Self-Efficacy to Improve Educational Programming for Students With Autism
Authors: Emmons Christine L. , Zager Dianne
Published: January 2017

Collaborative teaming among specialists can enhance educational success by leveraging resources and building capacity to maximize effectiveness. Special educators’ change in perceptions of their efficacy as collaborators in the education of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was studied before and after completing a year-long federally funded graduate certificate program in autism. Self-perceptions of collaborative expertise were examined in eight cohorts of educators over 7 years. Analysis of the results indicated a significant increase in perceptions of efficacy level in six of the cohorts at ≤ .006. The size of the effect of the program on participants’ self-perceptions of their efficacy in working collaboratively with other school personnel was large for seven of the cohorts and medium for one. Most importantly, results from Greenhouse–Geisser analysis showed that the posttest scores on collaboration efficacy level were significantly higher than the pretest scores across all cohorts, and that the pattern of change in pretest to posttest scores was similar across all eight cohorts.
Short segment myelitis as a first manifestation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders
Authors: Huh So-Young , Kim Su-Hyun , Hyun Jae-Won , Jeong In Hye , Park Min Su , Lee Sang-Hyun , Kim Ho Jin
Published: January 2017

Background:

Some patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) present with spinal cord lesions extending fewer than three vertebral segments (short transverse myelitis, STM), hindering an early diagnosis.

Objective:

We investigated the frequency and imaging characteristics of STM lesions in patients presenting with myelitis as an initial manifestation of NMOSD.

Methods:

Patients seen at three referral hospitals in Korea between June 2005 and March 2015 who met the following inclusion criteria were recruited for review: seropositivity for aquaporin-4 antibody, initial presentation with myelitis and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed within 1 month of initial myelitis onset.

Results:

Of the 76 enrolled patients, 65 (85.5%) collectively had 69 longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis lesions, while the remaining 11 (14.5%) had a total of 15 STM lesions. Of the 15 STM lesions, 5 spanned 2.5 vertebral segments, 6 were continuous over two segments, 3 showed a length of 1.5 segments and 1 was confined to a single segment. On axial imaging, all of the STM lesions involved the central grey matter.

Conclusion:

These MRI findings suggested that STM does not preclude the possibility of an NMOSD diagnosis.
Casting for a sovereign role: Socialising an aspirant state in the Scottish independence referendum
Authors: Beasley Ryan K. , Kaarbo Juliet
Published: January 2017

This article examines international reactions to Scotland’s 2014 bid for independence as an instance of socialisation of an aspirant state, what we term ‘pre-socialisation’. Building on and contributing to research on state socialisation and role theory, this study proposes a nexus between roles and sovereignty. This nexus has three components: sovereignty itself is a role casted for by an actor; the sovereign role is entangled with the substantive foreign policy roles the actor might play; and the sovereign role implicates the substantive foreign policy roles of other actors. The Scottish debate on independence provides an effective laboratory to develop and explore these theoretical dimensions of pre-socialisation, revealing the contested value and meaning of sovereignty, the possible roles that an independent Scotland could play, and the projected implications for the role of the UK and other international actors. Our analysis of the Scottish case can provide insights for other cases of pre-socialisation and is more empirically significant following the UK’s 2016 referendum to leave the European Union.
Challenging mass incarceration in the City of Care: Punishment, community, and residential placement
Authors: Brown Elizabeth , Smith Amy
Published: January 2017

Challenges to mass incarceration often come from places seeking to bolster “community” sanctions and community-based alternatives to punishment. In the City of Care, local community activists challenged growing rates of juvenile incarceration and the overrepresentation of youth of color in juvenile detention by advocating for a community-based “circle of care”. These efforts resulted in the local juvenile court embracing the “least restrictive interventions”. In cases where juveniles could not be helped “in the community”, residential placement replaced the practices of sending young people to juvenile hall or the California Youth Authority. This article examines how the use of placement sought to unseat the ethos of punishment, but inadvertently incentivized young people to stay in juvenile hall. Thus, in the City of Care the extension of “community-based” services is often no different from practices of punishment, and must be interrogated as part of the state repertoire of control and exclusion.
Entertainment-education effectively reduces prejudice
Authors: Murrar Sohad , Brauer Markus
Published: January 2017

We show that entertainment-education reduces prejudice and does so more effectively than several established prejudice reduction methods. In Experiment 1, participants exposed to an educational television sitcom with diverse, yet relatable Arab/Muslim characters had lower scores on implicit and explicit measures of prejudice than participants exposed to a control sitcom featuring an all White cast. The prejudice reduction effect persisted 4 weeks after exposure. In Experiment 2, viewing of a 4-minute music video that portrayed Arabs/Muslims as relatable and likable resulted in a larger reduction in prejudice against Arabs/Muslims than two established prejudice reduction methods ( imagined contact exercise and group malleability article), which produced no improvements. In both experiments, increased identification with target group members was associated with greater prejudice reduction. Entertainment-education, in addition to being scalable, is likely to be one the most effective methods for improving intergroup relations and promoting diversity.
Experimental evaluation of precast concrete sandwich wall panels with steel–glass fiber–reinforced polymer shear connectors
Authors: Zhi Qing , Guo Zhengxing
Published: January 2017

A new shear connector is proposed in this article. The shear connector is made of steel–glass fiber–reinforced polymer material. Twelve full-scale precast insulated concrete sandwich panels were tested under flexure to analyze their flexural behavior subjected to pressure. The test program was composed of eight sandwich panels with steel–glass fiber–reinforced polymer connectors and four panels for comparison that were panels using stainless steel truss connectors, pure glass fiber–reinforced polymer pin connectors, and no connectors, respectively. Their load–deflection relationships, load–slip relationships, concrete strain profiles along the wythes cross section, as well as the strains in the steel–glass fiber–reinforced polymer W-shaped connectors were investigated in this article. The panels exhibited a composite action in terms of strength exceeding 85% with steel–glass fiber–reinforced polymer connectors and 40 mm insulation thickness. In addition, the other panels with more than 40 mm insulation layer and different diameter connectors only exhibited 26%–62% composite action. When evaluating the degree of the composite action in terms of stiffness, all sandwich panel values ranged from 6% to 26%. But the compared specimens with pure glass fiber–reinforced polymer connector and smaller diameter steel truss connector had lower level composite action less than 10%. Reasonable design of steel–glass fiber–reinforced polymer W-shaped connectors may provide high composite action for panels and prevent the strength from dropping rapidly due to the steel inner core in the connectors.
Parametric study for post-tensioned composite beams with external tendons
Authors: El-Zohairy Ayman , Salim Hani
Published: January 2017

Strengthening of bridge superstructures composite beams with external post-tensioned tendons is a good technique for strengthening the existing structures. In this study, a numerical model is illustrated to study the nonlinear simulation of composite beams stiffened with externally post-tensioned tendons. The accuracy of the developed numerical model is validated using comparisons between the numerical and existing test data. The influence of various strengthening parameters is investigated, which include draped versus straight tendons, tendon length, the effect of post-tensioning on reinstating the flexural behavior of an overloaded beam, tendon eccentricity, and the degree of shear connection. A good agreement between the proposed model and the test data is obtained. The results demonstrate that at the same tendon eccentricity, the trapezoidal profile shows better behavior for the strengthened beams. However, more ductility is obtained when using the straight tendon profile. Applying post-tensioning through the beam of full length helps to reduce the creation of fatigue cracks, which always start at stress raisers, and subsequently increases the fatigue life of the composite beam. Also, the external post-tensioning effectively maintains the flexural behavior of the overloaded strengthened beam after unloading in comparison to the un-strengthened beam. It is observed that 80% degree of shear connection or higher is recommended to obtain the desired performance of the external post-tensioning force for strengthening composite beams.
Stochastic long-term behavior of a reinforced concrete arch bridge
Authors: Yang Cheng , Xiang Tianyu , Du Bing
Published: January 2017

Beipanjiang Bridge, a railway-reinforced concrete arch bridge with span of 445 m, is located in Guizhou, China. The self-shored technology with a frame of concrete-filled steel tube is applied in this construction, in which the frame performs as the falsework for casting concrete into arch ring and also serves as the major reinforcement of the permanent structure. The time-variant behaviors of long-span concrete arch bridge may be sensitive to the creep and shrinkage of concrete, especially when the staged construction is applied. Owing to the random property of concrete creep and shrinkage, the stochastic analysis is necessary to be employed in order to give a more rational and objective evaluation about the structural long-term behaviors. A hybrid approach including Monte Carlo sampling based on response surface method is developed in this study, based on which the statistical results of long-term deflection and time-variant stress are discussed. Finally, the stochastic contributions of input variables to structural responses are investigated with the sensitivity analyses.
Fuel formulation effects on the soot morphology and diesel particulate filter regeneration in a future optimized high-efficiency combustion system
Authors: Bhardwaj Om Parkash , Lüers Bernhard , Heuser Benedikt , Holderbaum Bastian , Pischinger Stefan
Published: January 2017

The focus of research is shifting toward development of new engine fuels for optimized combustion systems. The altered chemical structure of these new fuels may impact their thermal decomposition chemistry during the ignition process and hence the in-cylinder conditions for particulate formation and post oxidation. This work fundamentally focuses on the influence of the fuel properties on particulate matter morphology and, thereby, the regeneration behavior of diesel particulate filters. The experiments for particulate analysis were conducted with a single-cylinder diesel research engine designed for future passenger car applications. A detailed analysis of soot characteristics and its consequences on diesel particulate filter behavior were studied at part-load engine operation at EU 6 engine-out nitrogen oxide level. Next to standard EN590 diesel, a paraffinic fuel was investigated as non-oxygenated biofuel candidate. A blend of the 2-methyltetrahydrofuran and di-n-butylether was studied as tailor-made oxygenated biomass-derived fuel candidate. With all fuels, samples of state-of-the-art diesel particulate filter were loaded at the research engine. In succession, the regeneration of the filters was investigated at a laboratory gas bench. Furthermore, the primary particle size, the total number concentration, and size-based number distribution were investigated in detail by means of a transmission electron microscope, condensation particle counter, and Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer™, respectively. Furthermore, the graphitic character of the soot structure was analyzed by optical measurements such as absorption coefficient. It was found that the soot oxidation temperature was decreased by ∼10 °C and ∼65 °C with the paraffinic fuel and the blend of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran and di-n-butylether, respectively, compared to conventional diesel fuel. Overall, the results indicate that with specific tailored fuels not only the total particle mass and number could be reduced but, with altering the soot structure and composition, also the energy requirement for diesel particulate filter regeneration can be reduced.
Transparent choices: communicating packaged food content to children
Authors: Brierley Meaghan , Elliott Charlene
Published: January 2017

Focusing on how children make food choices, this article presents research to support efforts to meet children’s information needs when it comes to food packaging. Using focus groups, the authors examine children’s perspectives on ‘most healthy’ and ‘least healthy’ packaged food. Findings reveal that children understand whole foods as ‘healthy’ foods, use the Nutrition Facts label to guide their decisions, and interpret package visuals as literal descriptions of what a food contains. These findings provide evidence-based support to improve food packaging design regulations. Finally, the authors call for transparent visual communication strategies, which aim to improve the critical thinking skills of children, and provide a foundation for informed decision-making across a lifetime.
Why should we demand equality of educational opportunity?
Authors: Meyer Kirsten
Published: January 2017

This paper reveals how equal educational opportunities, equal job opportunities and equality of opportunity for welfare are related to each other, and how they are related to other demands for justice. There are several important objections to the emphasis on equal educational opportunities. Nevertheless, this paper shows that demanding equal educational opportunities is unavoidable when advocating greater educational justice. Neither demands for equal educational resources nor demands for equal educational outcomes can adequately replace the demand for equal educational opportunities. For this reason, equality of opportunity in education remains an important ideal, even though it has the potential to cause damage and should therefore be taken with great caution. First, the demand for equal educational opportunities can lead to prematurely attributing unequal educational outcomes, which could have been avoided, to unequal talent and effort. Second, this demand creates the tendency to justify social inequalities by saying that, after all, measures were taken to realize equal educational opportunities. Third, it can lead to limiting all efforts in the educational system to merely realize equal educational opportunities. This demand, however, is incomplete, since those who have difficulties in learning should receive more attention and more resources for their education than others. A stronger focus on educational outcomes instead of equal educational opportunities would counter these dangers. Nevertheless, it is implausible to fully replace the demand for equal educational opportunities with the demand for equal educational outcomes.
Fair equality of opportunity in our actual world
Authors: Sachs Benjamin
Published: January 2017

Fair equality of opportunity, a principle that governs the competition for desirable jobs, can seem irrelevant in our actual world, for two reasons. First, parents have broad liberty to raise their children as they see fit, which seems to undermine the fair equality of opportunity–based commitment to eliminating the effects of social circumstances on that competition. Second, we already have a well-established principle for distributing jobs, namely meritocracy, thereby leaving no theater in which fair equality of opportunity can operate. I argue that we can solve both of these problems by conceding, in contrast to previous fair equality of opportunity defenders, that there’s no unique good associated with the right job, while insisting that there is a unique bad associated with the wrong job and holding that fair equality of opportunity should govern the competition to avoid that bad by attaining the right job. This move enables new responses to the two problems previously mentioned. In response to the meritocracy problem, I propose simply accepting that that principle should guide the distribution of jobs and all the associated goods while maintaining that there is room for a separate, non-consequentialist principle whose function is to ensure a fair distribution of chances to avoid the unique bad just identified. In response to the parental liberty problem, I argue that, for any given person, which job will deliver the unique bad I identify is contingent on her skills, and therefore, the way she is raised determines what would constitute a bad employment outcome for her, but doesn’t affect her chances of avoiding that outcome.
Affirmative action, diversity, and racial justice: Reflections from a diverse, non-elite university
Authors: Blum Lawrence
Published: January 2017

In this article, I argue (1) affirmative action diverts attention from more urgent needs of racial justice in education – better quality K-12 education, and better quality and more accessible public higher education; (2) the increasing wealth of students at affirmative action institutions is a sign of diminished quality of those students compared to those at less selective institutions, who are comparatively disproportionately black and Latino; and (3) aligning the standard rankings of colleges with the quality of student (and quality of instruction at the different kinds of institution) would benefit black and Latino students as a group much more than affirmative action does.
A Model for Precise and Uniform Pelvic- and Limb-Sparing Abdominal Irradiation to Study the Radiation-Induced Gastrointestinal Syndrome in Mice Using Small Animal Irradiation Systems
Authors: Brodin N. Patrik , Velcich Anna , Guha Chandan , Tomé Wolfgang A.
Published: January 2017

Background and Purpose:

Currently, no readily available mitigators exist for acute abdominal radiation injury. Here, we present an animal model for precise and homogenous limb-sparing abdominal irradiation (LSAIR) to study the radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (RIGS).

Materials and Methods:

The LSAIR technique was developed using the small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) with image guidance capabilities. We delivered LSAIR at doses between 14 and 18 Gy on 8- to 10-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Histological analysis was performed to confirm that the observed mortality was due to acute abdominal radiation injury.

Results:

A steep dose–response relationship was found for survival, with no deaths seen at doses below 16 Gy and 100% mortality at above 17 Gy. All deaths occurred between 6 and 10 days after irradiation, consistent with the onset of RIGS. This was further confirmed by histological analysis showing clear differences in the number of regenerative intestinal crypts between animals receiving sublethal (14 Gy) and 100% lethal (18 Gy) radiation.

Conclusion:

The developed LSAIR technique provides uniform dose delivery with a clear dose response, consistent with acute abdominal radiation injury on histological examination. This model can provide a useful tool for researchers investigating the development of mitigators for accidental or clinical high-dose abdominal irradiation.
Sampled-data active disturbance rejection output feedback control for systems with mismatched uncertainties
Authors: You Jun , Sun Jiankun , He Shuaipeng , Yang Jun
Published: January 2017

This article investigates the sampled-data disturbance rejection control problem for a class of non-integral-chain systems with mismatched uncertainties. Aiming to reject the adverse effects caused by general mismatched uncertainties via digital control strategy, a new generalized discrete-time extended state observer is first proposed to estimate the lumped disturbances in the sampling point. A disturbance rejection control law is then constructed in a sampled-data form, which will lead to easier implementation in practices. By carefully selecting the control gains and a sampling period sufficiently small to restrain the state growth under a zero-order-holder input, the bounded-input bounded-output stability of the hybrid closed-loop system and the disturbance rejection ability are delicately proved even the controller is dormant within two neighbor sampling points. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed method.
Identification of an optimum control algorithm to reject unwanted yaw effect on wheeled armored vehicle due to the recoil force
Authors: Aparow Vimal R , Hudha Khisbullah , Kadir Zulkiffli A , Amer Noor H , Abdullah Shohaimi , Megat Ahmad Megat MH
Published: January 2017

This article presents an active safety system for a wheeled armored vehicle to encounter the effect of the firing force. The firing force which acts as an external disturbance causes unwanted yaw moment occurred at the center of gravity of the wheeled armored vehicle. This effect causes the wheeled armored vehicle lose its handling stability and the traveling path after the firing condition. In order to overcome the stability problem, a Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering system is proposed in this study. This system is developed based on two established systems, namely, Firing-On-the-Move and Active Front Wheel Steering systems. The proposed system is designed to improve the handling and directional stability performances of the armored vehicle while fires in dynamic condition. Four types of control strategies are designed and investigated in this study to identify the most optimum control strategy as the Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering system using optimization tool, genetic algorithm. The control strategies for the Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering are evaluated using various types of vehicle speeds and firing angle in order to obtain an appropriate control structure as the Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering system for the wheeled armored vehicle.
Friction factor of annular Poiseuille flow in a transitional regime
Authors: Ishida Takahiro , Tsukahara Takahiro
Published: January 2017

Annular Poiseuille flows in a transitional regime were investigated by direct numerical simulations with an emphasis on turbulent statistics including the friction factor that are affected by the presence of large-scale transitional structures. Five different radius ratios in the range of 0.1–0.8 and several friction Reynolds numbers in the range of 48–150 were analyzed to consider various flow states accompanied by characteristic transitional structures. Three characteristic structures, namely, turbulent–laminar coexistence referred to as “(straight) puff,”“helical puff,” and “helical turbulence” were observed. The selection of the structures depends on both the radius ratio and the Reynolds number. The findings indicated that despite the transitional state with a turbulent–laminar coexistence, the helical turbulence resulted in a friction factor that was as high as the fully turbulent value. In contrast, with respect to the occurrence of streamwise-finite transitional structures, such as straight/helical puffs, the friction factor decreased in a stepwise manner toward a laminar level. The turbulent statistics revealed asymmetric distributions with respect to the wall-normal direction wherein the profiles and magnitudes were significantly influenced by the occurrence of transitional structures.
Pedestrian count estimation using texture feature with spatial distribution
Authors: Hu Hongyu , Gao Zhenhai , Sun Yiteng
Published: January 2017

We present a novel pedestrian count estimation approach based on global image descriptors formed from multi-scale texture features that considers spatial distribution. For regions of interest, local texture features are represented based on histograms of multi-scale block local binary pattern, which jointly constitute the feature vector of the whole image. Therefore, to achieve an effective estimation of pedestrian count, principal component analysis is used to reduce the dimension of the global representation features, and a fitting model between image global features and pedestrian count is constructed via support vector regression. The experimental result shows that the proposed method exhibits high accuracy on pedestrian count estimation and can be applied well in the real world.
Tailored design of top-tensioned composite risers for deep-water applications using three different approaches
Authors: Wang Chunguang , Shankar Krishnakumar , Morozov Evgeny V
Published: January 2017

Risers with high-grade steel are widely used in offshore oil and gas industry at present. The extreme weight, lower fatigue and corrosion resistance of steel risers significantly limited the exploitation depths and the production capacity. Nowadays, it is acknowledged that using fibre-reinforced polymer composites to manufacture risers can be a better option. The prototypes of composite risers fabricated and tested confirm that fibre-reinforced polymer composites have an obvious advantage over steel risers on weight saving. Three different approaches are developed here to minimise composite risers’ weights: (1) enhancing the riser with only axial-direction and hoop-direction fibre; (2) off-axis reinforcements are included using an iterative approach of manual inspection and selection and (3) employing the optimisation technique of surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithm. These design approaches have been applied to eight different material combinations to achieve the minimum structural weight by optimising their laminate configurations. The designs are conducted in accordance with the Standards, considering both local load cases and global – functional as well as environmental loads using ANSYS 15.0. The results show that comparing with steel risers, weight savings achieved by different design approaches and material combinations are different.
Experimental evaluation of the parameter-based closed-loop transfer function identification for electro-hydraulic servo systems
Authors: Liu Guang-Da , Li Ge , Shen Gang
Published: January 2017

Closed-loop systems of an electro-hydraulic servo system including position, acceleration, and force closed-loop systems and their closed-loop transfer functions based on parameter model are adaptive identified using a recursive extended least-squares algorithm. The position and force closed-loop tracking controllers are designed by a proportional–integral–derivative controller and are tuned by the position and force step signals. The acceleration closed-loop tracking controller is designed by a three-variable controller and the three states include position, velocity, and acceleration. Experimental results of the estimated position, acceleration, and force closed-loop transfer functions are performed on an actual electro-hydraulic servo system using xPC rapid prototyping technology, which clearly demonstrate the benefit of the adaptive identification method.
Sensorless interior permanent magnet synchronous motor control with rotational inertia adjustment
Authors: Mao Yongle , Yang Jiaqiang , Yin Dejun , Chen Yangsheng
Published: January 2017

Mechanical model is generally required in high dynamic sensorless motor control schemes for zero phase lag estimation of rotor position and speed. However, the rotational inertia uncertainty will cause dynamic estimation errors, eventually resulting in performance deterioration of the sensorless control system. Therefore, this article proposes a high dynamic performance sensorless control strategy with online adjustment of the rotational inertia. Based on a synthetic back electromotive force model, the voltage equation of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor is transformed to that of an equivalent non-salient permanent magnet synchronous motor. Then, an extended nonlinear observer is designed for interior permanent magnet synchronous motor in the stator-fixed coordinate frame, with rotor position, speed and load torque simultaneously estimated. The effect of inaccurate rotational inertia on the estimation of rotor position and speed is investigated, and a novel rotational inertia adjustment approach that employs the gradient descent algorithm is proposed to suppress the dynamic estimation errors. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is demonstrated by experimental tests.
A time–frequency analysis based internal leakage detection method for hydraulic actuators
Authors: Yao Zhikai , Tang Jian , Rui Ting , Duan Jinhui
Published: January 2017

Internal leakage in the hydraulic actuators is concerned in this article, which is caused by seal damage, resulting in the limited performance of the system. To study the issue, this article proposes a method based on time–frequency analysis for the detection in hydraulic actuators. First, the pressure signal after filtering of the actuator in one side is collected when the control valve is affected by sinusoidal-like inputs. Second, the time–frequency image of pressure signal in a period at different leakage levels is obtained after continuous wavelet transform. Third is the sum of pixels in the time–frequency image. It is shown that the feature pattern is established by the sum of pixels in the time–frequency image that internal leakage and its severity could be detected effectively. The proposed method required two baselines and premeasured the pressure signal at 11 leakage levels. Once the sum of pixels in the time–frequency image values, obtained from the time–frequency image by continuous wavelet transform based on wavelet Cmor1-1 in subsequent offline tests, are greater than the first baseline, a leakage alarm is triggered. Furthermore, a severe leakage alarm is triggered when the value is greater than the second baseline. Experimental tests show the accuracy of the proposed scheme at different mother wavelets, and it is done without knowing the model of actuator or leakage.