bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting the Early Stage of Phaeosphaeria Leaf Spot Infestations in Maize Crop Using In Situ Hyperspectral Data and Guided Regularized Random Forest Algorithm
Authors: Adam Elhadi , Deng Houtao , Odindi John , Abdel-Rahman Elfatih M. , Mutanga Onisimo
Published: March 2017

Phaeosphaeria leaf spot (PLS) is considered one of the major diseases that threaten the stability of maize production in tropical and subtropical African regions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of hyperspectral data in detecting the early stage of PLS in tropical maize. Field data were collected from healthy and the early stage of PLS over two years (2013 and 2014) using a handheld spectroradiometer. An integration of a newly developed guided regularized random forest (GRRF) and a traditional random forest (RF) was used for feature selection and classification, respectively. The 2013 dataset was used to train the model, while the 2014 dataset was used as independent test dataset. Results showed that there were statistically significant differences in biochemical concentration between the healthy leaves and leaves that were at an early stage of PLS infestation. The newly developed GRRF was able to reduce the high dimensionality of hyperspectral data by selecting key wavelengths with less autocorrelation. These wavelengths are located at 420 nm, 795 nm, 779 nm, 1543 nm, 1747 nm, and 1010 nm. Using these variables (n=6), a random forest classifier was able to discriminate between the healthy maize and maize at an early stage of PLS infestation with an overall accuracy of 88% and a kappa value of 0.75. Overall, our study showed potential application of hyperspectral data, GRRF feature selection, and RF classifiers in detecting the early stage of PLS infestation in tropical maize.
Resting-State Functional Connectivity Changes Associated with Visuospatial Cognitive Deficits in Patients with Mild Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Balachandar Rakesh , Bharath Srikala , John John P. , Joshi Himanshu , Sadanand Shilpa , Saini Jitender , Kumar Keshav J. , Varghese Mathew
Published: March 2017

Background/Aims: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive disconnection of various brain networks leading to neuropsychological impairment. Pathology in the visual association areas has been documented in presymptomatic AD and therefore we aimed at examining the relationship between brain connectivity and visuospatial (VS) cognitive deficits in early AD. Methods: Tests for VS working memory, episodic memory and construction were used to classify patients with AD (n = 48) as having severe VS deficits (n = 12, female = 4) or mild deficits (n = 11, female = 4). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and structural images were acquired as per the standard protocols. Between-group differences in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) were examined by dual regression analysis correcting for age, gender, and total brain volume. Results: Patients with AD having severe VS deficits exhibited significantly reduced rsFC in bilateral lingual gyri of the visual network compared to patients with mild VS deficits. Conclusion: Reduced rsFC in the visual network in patients with more severe VS deficits may be a functional neuroimaging biomarker reflecting hypoconnectivity of the brain with progressive VS deficits during early AD.
Impact of Laser Power and Firing Angle on Coagulation Efficiency in Laser Treatment for Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: An ex vivo Placenta Study
Authors: Akkermans Joost , van der Donk Loes , Peeters Suzanne H.P. , van Tuijl Sjoerd , Middeldorp Johanna M. , Lopriore Enrico , Oepkes Dick
Published: March 2017

Objective: To assess the impact of laser power and firing angle on coagulation efficiency for closing placental anastomoses in the treatment of twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Methods: We used an ex vivo blood-perfused human placenta model to compare time to complete coagulation using 30 vs. 50 W of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser power and using a firing angle of 90° vs. 45°. Placentas were perfused with pig blood at 5 mL/min. Differences were analyzed using independent-samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test as appropriate. Results: Coagulation took less time and energy using 50 W (n = 53) compared to 30 W (n = 52), 11 vs. 22 s (p < 0.001), and 557 vs. 659 J (p = 0.007). Perpendicular coagulation (n = 53) took less time and energy compared to a 45° angle (n = 21), 11 vs. 17 s (p = 0.004), and 557 vs. 871 J (p = 0.004). Bleeding complicated 2 (3%) measurements in the 50-W group, 5 (10%) in the 30-W group, and 3 (14%) in the 45° group. Discussion: In a highly controlled model, a 50-W laser power setting was more energy efficient than 30 W in coagulating a placental vein. A more perpendicular laser firing angle resulted in more efficient coagulation. Furthermore, bleeding due to vessel wall disruption occurred more often with lower power and a more tangential approach.
Baicalein, a Natural Anti-Cancer Compound, Alters MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Bel-7402 Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Bie Beibei , Sun Jin , Li Jun , Guo Ying , Jiang Wei , Huang Chen , Yang Jun , Li  Zongfang
Published: March 2017

Background/Aims: Baicalein has been shown to possess significant anti-hepatoma activity by inhibiting cell proliferation. Whether the anti-proliferative effect of baicalein is related to its modulation of miRNA expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. Methods: The anti-proliferative effects of baicalein on HCC cell line Bel-7402 was assessed by detecting the proliferation activity, cell cycle distribution, expression changes of p21/CDKN1A, P27/CDKN1B, total Akt and phosphoryted AKT. Microarray analysis was conducted to determine the miRNA expression profiles in baicalein-treated or untreated Bel-7402 cells and then validated by qRT-PCR in two HCC cell lines (Bel-7402 and Hep3B). The gain-of-function of miR-3127-5p was performed by detecting anti-proliferative effects after transfecting miRNA mimics in cells. Finally, the expression level of miR-3127-5p in different HCC cell lines was determined by qRT-PCR. Results: Baicalein was able to inhibit the proliferation of Bel-7402 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phase via up-regulating the expression of p21/CDKN1A and P27/CDKN1B and suppressing the PI3K/Akt pathway. Baicalein could alter the miRNA expression profiles in Bel-7402 cells. Putative target genes for differentially expressed miRNAs could be enriched in terms of cell proliferation regulation, cell cycle arrest and were mainly involved in MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Wnt, Hippo and mTOR signaling pathways. MiR- 3127-5p, one of up-regulated miRNAs, exhibits low expression level in several HCC cell lines and its overexpression could inhibit cell growth of Bel-7402 and Hep3B cell lines by inducing S phase arrest by up-regulating the expression of p21and P27 and repressing the PI3K/Akt pathway. Conclusions: Modulation of miRNA expression may be an important mechanism underlying the anti-hepatoma effects of baicalein.
Dose–Response Association Between Physical Activity and Incident Hypertension
Authors: Liu Xuejiao , Zhang Dongdong , Liu Yu , Sun Xizhuo , Han Chengyi , Wang Bingyuan , Ren Yongcheng , Zhou Junmei , Zhao Yang , Shi Yuanyuan , Hu Dongsheng , Zhang Ming
Published: March 2017

Despite the inverse association between physical activity (PA) and incident hypertension, a comprehensive assessment of the quantitative dose–response association between PA and hypertension has not been reported. We performed a meta-analysis, including dose–response analysis, to quantitatively evaluate this association. We searched PubMed and Embase databases for articles published up to November 1, 2016. Random effects generalized least squares regression models were used to assess the quantitative association between PA and hypertension risk across studies. Restricted cubic splines were used to model the dose–response association. We identified 22 articles (29 studies) investigating the risk of hypertension with leisure-time PA or total PA, including 330 222 individuals and 67 698 incident cases of hypertension. The risk of hypertension was reduced by 6% (relative risk, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.92–0.96) with each 10 metabolic equivalent of task h/wk increment of leisure-time PA. We found no evidence of a nonlinear dose–response association of PA and hypertension (
P
nonlinearity
=0.094 for leisure-time PA and 0.771 for total PA). With the linear cubic spline model, when compared with inactive individuals, for those who met the guidelines recommended minimum level of moderate PA (10 metabolic equivalent of task h/wk), the risk of hypertension was reduced by 6% (relative risk, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.92–0.97). This meta-analysis suggests that additional benefits for hypertension prevention occur as the amount of PA increases.
Identifying and Avoiding Confusion in Dialogue with People with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Chinaei Hamidreza , Currie Leila Chan , Danks Andrew , Lin Hubert , Mehta Tejas , Rudzicz Frank
Published: March 2017

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly prevalent cognitive disorder in which memory, language, and executive function deteriorate, usually in that order. There is a growing need to support individuals with AD and other forms of dementia in their daily lives, and our goal is to do so through speech-based interaction. Given that 33% of conversations with people with middle-stage AD involve a breakdown in communication, it is vital that automated dialogue systems be able to identify those breakdowns and, if possible, avoid them.

In this article, we discuss several linguistic features that are verbal indicators of confusion in AD (including vocabulary richness, parse tree structures, and acoustic cues) and apply several machine learning algorithms to identify dialogue-relevant confusion from speech with up to 82% accuracy. We also learn dialogue strategies to avoid confusion in the first place, which is accomplished using a partially observable Markov decision process and which obtains accuracies (up to 96.1%) that are significantly higher than several baselines. This work represents a major step towards automated dialogue systems for individuals with dementia.
New Tree-Ring Evidence from the Pyrenees Reveals Western Mediterranean Climate Variability since Medieval Times
Authors: Büntgen Ulf , Krusic Paul J. , Verstege Anne , Sangüesa-Barreda Gabriel , Wagner Sebastian , Camarero J. Julio , Ljungqvist Fredrik Charpentier , Zorita Eduardo , Oppenheimer Clive , Konter Oliver , Tegel Willy , Gärtner Holger , Cherubini Paolo , Reinig Frederick , Esper Jan
Published: March 2017

Paleoclimatic evidence is necessary to place the current warming and drying of the western Mediterranean basin in a long-term perspective of natural climate variability. Annually resolved and absolutely dated temperature proxies south of the European Alps that extend back into medieval times are, however, mainly limited to measurements of maximum latewood density (MXD) from high-elevation conifers. Here, the authors present the world’s best replicated MXD site chronology of 414 living and relict Pinus uncinata trees found >2200 m above mean sea level (MSL) in the Spanish central Pyrenees. This composite record correlates significantly ( p ≤ 0.01) with May–June and August–September mean temperatures over most of the Iberian Peninsula and northern Africa ( r = 0.72; 1950–2014). Spanning the period 1186–2014 of the Common Era (CE), the new reconstruction reveals overall warmer conditions around 1200 and 1400, and again after around 1850. The coldest reconstructed summer in 1258 (−4.4°C compared to 1961–90) followed the largest known volcanic eruption of the CE. The twentieth century is characterized by pronounced summer cooling in the 1970s, subsequently rising temperatures until 2003, and a slowdown of warming afterward. Little agreement is found with climate model simulations that consistently overestimate recent summer warming and underestimate preindustrial temperature changes. Interannual–multidecadal covariability with regional hydroclimate includes summer pluvials after large volcanic eruptions. This study demonstrates the relevance of updating MXD-based temperature reconstructions, not only back in time but also toward the present, and emphasizes the importance of comparing temperature and hydroclimatic proxies, as well as model simulations for understanding regional climate dynamics.
The Northern Hemisphere Extratropical Atmospheric Circulation Response to ENSO: How Well Do We Know It and How Do We Evaluate Models Accordingly?
Authors: Deser Clara , Simpson Isla R. , McKinnon Karen A. , Phillips Adam S.
Published: March 2017

Application of random sampling techniques to composite differences between 18 El Niño and 14 La Niña events observed since 1920 reveals considerable uncertainty in both the pattern and amplitude of the Northern Hemisphere extratropical winter sea level pressure (SLP) response to ENSO. While the SLP responses over the North Pacific and North America are robust to sampling variability, their magnitudes can vary by a factor of 2; other regions, such as the Arctic, North Atlantic, and Europe are less robust in their SLP patterns, amplitudes, and statistical significance. The uncertainties on the observed ENSO composite are shown to arise mainly from atmospheric internal variability as opposed to ENSO diversity. These observational findings pose considerable challenges for the evaluation of ENSO teleconnections in models. An approach is proposed that incorporates both pattern and amplitude uncertainty in the observational target, allowing for discrimination between true model biases in the forced ENSO response and apparent model biases that arise from limited sampling of non-ENSO-related internal variability. Large initial-condition coupled model ensembles with realistic tropical Pacific sea surface temperature anomaly evolution during 1920–2013 show similar levels of uncertainty in their ENSO teleconnections as found in observations. Because the set of ENSO events in each of the model composites is the same (and identical to that in observations), these uncertainties are entirely attributable to sampling fluctuations arising from internal variability, which is shown to originate from atmospheric processes. The initial-condition model ensembles thus inform the interpretation of the single observed ENSO composite and vice versa.
Political Independence, Accountability, and the Quality of Regulatory Decision-Making
Authors: Koop Christel , Hanretty Chris
Published: March 2017

Recent decades have seen a considerable increase in delegation to independent regulatory agencies, which has been justified by reference to the superior performance of these bodies relative to government departments. Yet, the hypothesis that more independent regulators do better work has hardly been tested. We examine the link using a comprehensive measure of the quality of work carried out by competition authorities in 30 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries, and new data on the design of these organizations. We find that formal independence has a positive and significant effect on quality. Contrary to expectations, though, formal political accountability does not boost regulatory quality, and there is no evidence that it increases the effect of independence by reducing the risk of slacking. The quality of work is also enhanced by increased staffing, more extensive regulatory powers, and spillover effects of a more capable bureaucratic system.
Leadership Turnover and the Durability of International Trade Commitments
Authors: Gray Julia , Kucik Jeffrey
Published: March 2017

Under what conditions do states uphold their formal trade commitments? While recent work focuses on the formation and design of trade agreements, we know comparatively little about the durability of agreements over time. We argue that government turnover undermines states’ commitments to liberalization, even if they have already signed an international agreement meant to constrain their behavior. We test this argument using data on realized trade in the presence of around 300 preferential trade agreements (PTAs) since 1970. Even in the presence of an international agreement, ideological turnover is associated with increased political barriers to trade, especially when the shift is toward left-wing leaders. These findings have important implications for our understanding of international cooperation: If new leaders do not adhere to their predecessors’ commitments, international agreements may not have lasting economic consequences.
Direct Tax Incentives to Power Sector in India: A Case Study
Authors: Shankar Sanjiv
Published: March 2017

The article examines in detail, as a test case, the impact of direct tax incentives on the power sector in India. The Indian power sector is regulated and has been the greatest beneficiary of the various tax incentives. Direct taxes foregone to the power companies alone are estimated to be ₹700,000 million during the fiscal year 2006–2007 to 2014–2015. The power companies in India have enjoyed profit-linked tax holidays (Section 80 IA), accelerated depreciation (Section 32), easy accessibility of external commercial borrowings and a low withholding tax of 5 per cent on overseas borrowing. The study does a ‘three-way examination’ of the impact of the tax incentives by examining: (i) macroeconomic indicators, (ii) firm level data and (iii) micro-indicators. The findings are that (i) there is no evidence of any real benefits accruing to the economy either in the form of increased foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the sector, gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) in the sector or commensurate growth in electricity sector vis-à-vis other sectors of the economy or in the economy as a whole due to the several decades of direct tax incentives to the power sector in India; (ii) clearly, the loss of revenue from the tax incentives is real and substantial and (iii) the financial ratios of the three power companies (National Thermal Power Corporation [NTPC], Tata Power and Reliance Energy) indicate that they are capable of raising resources on their own and the theory of market failure may not apply to them.
Governor in Indian Federalism—II: Hiatus between Constitutional Intents and Practices
Authors: Pankaj Ashok
Published: March 2017

In this second part of the article, the first part deals with the Constituent Assembly (CA) debates on power, position and role of Governor in the Indian constitution, the profiles of the incumbents of Raj Bhavans, their average tenures and their role as envisaged in the constitution have been examined. It explains that as against the intentions of the constitution-makers, the majority of Governors (52.3 per cent) appointed between 1950 and April 2015 have been from active political backgrounds including former chief ministers who constituted 12.9 per cent. Only 18 per cent of the tenures of Governors have been of full 5-year term and another 8 per cent of between 4 and 5 years. Except for a few who rose above partisan considerations, Governors have often obliged on the political demands of the union government and worst on the ruling party at the centre. This hiatus between constitutional intents and practices has widened since 1967. While there have been many course corrections in Indian federalism in recent years, the role of Governor continues to be largely on uncorrected path, except one major improvement—a judicial check on the misuse of Article 356 following the Bommai judgment.
Book Review: Y. Dabhalkar and Rishikeshika T. Krishan, 8 Steps to Innovation: Going from Juggad to Excellence
Authors: Bansal P.C.
Published: March 2017

Y. Dabhalkar and Rishikeshika T. Krishan, 8 Steps to Innovation: Going from Juggad to Excellence. Noida, Uttar Pradesh: Collin Business— An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2013, xx + 3016 pp., ₹399 (paper back).
The role of perceived social support after psychiatric hospitalisation: Post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a transitional intervention
Authors: Hengartner Michael P , Passalacqua Silvia , Andreae Andreas , Rössler Wulf , von Wyl Agnes
Published: March 2017

Background:

The association between social support, readmissions and psychopathology following discharge from psychiatric hospitals is not clear.

Aims:

To examine the prospective effects of perceived social support on rehospitalisation rates and psychopathology and to focus on the moderators of a transitional intervention.

Method:

This post hoc analysis of a multisite randomised controlled trial included 151 patients with no more than three hospitalisations within the last 3 years, a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score ≤60 and aged 18–64 years, assessed at two psychiatric hospitals from Zurich, Switzerland, between September 2011 and February 2014. Participants received either a transitional intervention aimed at improving social support during the transition from inpatient to outpatient care provided by a social worker or treatment as usual.

Results:

Lack of perceived social support at discharge significantly predicted subsequent rehospitalisation rates and increased psychopathological impairment across 12-month follow-up. Significant interaction effects between patient characteristics and the intervention on perceived social support comprised living at parent’s home, having no children and being of younger age.

Conclusion:

Perceived social support at discharge from inpatient care may reduce rehospitalisation rates and psychopathological impairment in the long term. A transitional intervention aimed at improving social support may negatively impact on the perceived social support in some patient groups.
Medieval Miracle Accounts as Stories
Authors: Bartlett Robert
Published: March 2017

Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of miracle accounts were recorded in the Middle Ages, and recent generations of scholars have analysed them to illuminate the social realities of the medieval cult of the saints. Another approach is to explore these accounts as narratives, and this article suggests three ways of doing this: by placing them on a scale between the more literary, which are intended to celebrate the saint generally, and the more determinedly probative or forensic, which are concerned to demonstrate the veracity of the miracle by formal means, such as the naming of witnesses; by looking at the narrative motifs which recur in miracle accounts; and by subjecting such accounts to close readings of the kind employed when analysing fiction.
Are There Two Consciousnesses in Christ? Transposing the Secondary Act of Existence
Authors: Doran Robert M.
Published: March 2017

Bernard Lonergan has proposed an original thesis concerning two consciousnesses, divine and human, on the part of the incarnate Word Jesus of Nazareth. But he has not specified how these are related to each other precisely as consciousnesses. He has also retrieved from Aquinas the notion of a secondary act of existence bestowed on the assumed human nature of Christ. The article draws on but also modifies Hans Urs von Balthasar’s correlation of person and mission as a way of transposing the secondary act of existence into the condition of possibility, or ontological ground, of Jesus’ mission consciousness, and then uses this transposition to begin to answer the question of how the divine and human consciousnesses are related to each other.
Church and State in Ireland: Perspectives of Vatican II
Authors: Hannon Patrick
Published: March 2017

This paper argues that Irish Bishops’ Conference interventions in the public square since the Council have accorded well with the Declaration on Religious Freedom but have lacked an adequate awareness of key themes of the two Constitutions on the Church. It shows how attention to these themes may enrich the bishops’ future contributions to debate on socio-legal issues in the changed context in which Irish Catholicism now finds itself. It maintains that public discussion of secularization has been on the whole superficial and unhelpful, and in the light of observations by Owen Chadwick and a proposal by Charles Taylor it offers some suggestions for its improvement.
A Theology of Feasting: Encountering the Kingdom of God
Authors: Morrison Glenn
Published: March 2017

Central to a theology of feasting is the nearness and newness of the Kingdom of God. Engaging Levinas’s philosophy, this article develops a theology of feasting to portray the intimacy of encountering the risen Christ’s word of goodness, mercy, and joy in the poor one’s face. Such intimacy relates the joy of being children of God, seeking to know the Father’s forgiveness and prophetic call not to forget ‘the least of these who are members of my family’ (Mat 25:40), namely, ‘the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame’ (Lk 14:3), chosen by God to feast in the Kingdom of God. In the small goodness of being-for-the-other, especially for those on the margins of society, a theology of feasting signifies the hope for Parousia and the resounding of a theological and creative imagination of faith.
The Rhetoric of Shared Grief: An Analysis of Letters to the Family of Michael Brown
Authors: Stewart Felicia R.
Published: March 2017

The Black Lives Matter Movement is alive and growing as the media capitalizes on the killings of Black men. Amid the marches, protests, funeral services, television appearances, political rallies, and other symbolic gestures that have allowed those touched by the tragedies to express themselves emotionally, one might wonder how, in particular, the mothers of these young Black men respond, cope, and move forward with their lives. With an understanding of this type of loss, two women decided to reach out to a family in order to share in their grief and offer words of support. This article examines the letters written by Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant III, and Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, to the family of Michael Brown. It seeks to uncover the rhetoric of their grief and highlight the necessity of their words as a part of the grieving and healing process.
Viscoelastic modeling of fiber preform compaction in vacuum infusion process
Authors: Yenilmez Bekir , Caglar Baris , Sozer E Murat
Published: March 2017

A woven fabric’s compaction was modeled by using five viscoelastic models – Maxwell, Kelvin-Voigt, Zener, Burgers, and Generalized Maxwell – to reveal the capabilities and limitations of the models. The model parameters were optimized by minimizing the deviation between the model results and experimental data collected in our previous material characterization study mimicking different compaction stages (loading, fiber settling, wetting, unloading, and fiber relaxation) that a fiber structure undergoes during vacuum infusion process. Although Burgers and Generalized Maxwell models have the highest performance due to their almost equal coefficient of determination values, they have diverse characteristics in terms of modeling different stages of compaction. Burgers model allowed modeling the permanent deformation in relaxation stage, but failed in modeling permanent deformation in settling stage. Generalized Maxwell model could do the opposite, i.e. failed in the former and could handle the latter. This study’s major contribution is a holistic numerical approach and its conclusions by modeling all stages of the vacuum infusion process instead of one stage at a time, and thus optimizing only one set of model parameters (constants of springs and dampers) since they do not change with time. The numerical results of different models were fit to the results of a specially designed compaction characterization experiments conducted in our complementary study.
Light emitting composite beams during matrix cracking
Authors: Joshi Kunal , Mishra Spandan , Campbell Chris , Dickens Tarik , Vanli Arda
Published: March 2017

Defects in fiber-reinforced composite structures tend to initiate unpredictably and unalarmed due to local stress concentrations within a composite structure; this has given rise to active monitoring techniques that can quantify the mechanical stress within composites in order to evaluate the structural health. In this paper, triboluminescent mechanisms are used for damage monitoring of composite matrix under flexural loading. Vinyl ester resin is doped with ZnS:Mn phosphors and reinforced with glass fiber whiskers, were subjected to flexural loading while observing both the triboluminescent and acoustic response using a photo multiplier tube (PMT) and micro-mic respectively. Validity of triboluminescent emissions for determining structural integrity of glass fiber / vinyl ester resin composites through individual waveform analysis was examined. Understanding the failure modes through the captured waveform and observed triboluminescent emissions shows that the matrix cracking failure mode tends to lie in the natural frequency range of 2691–2813 Hz. High correlation between the triboluminescent and acoustic signals at matrix cracking at a frequency of 2800 Hz were found. Future research will discuss the triboluminescent and acoustic emissions behavior for delamination and fiber breakage failure modes.
A comparative study on the interlaminar shear strength of carbon, glass, and Kevlar fabric/epoxy laminates filled with SiC particles
Authors: Alsaadi Mohamad , Ugla Adnan A , Erklig Ahmet
Published: March 2017

The present article investigates the interlaminar shear strength of the woven carbon, glass, and Kevlar fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE, GFRE, and KFRE) composites filled with SiC particles. The work covers the samples preparation, testing, and analyzing. The samples were fabricated using the regular addition of the SiC particles as 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% of the total weight of epoxy resin. Samples of the short beam shear test were cut using CNC machine. The experiments were conducted according to the ASTM-D-2344 standard. The fracture surfaces of the laminate samples were observed by scanning electron and optical microscopy. The major benefits of the current study are that the modification process by adding a certain amount of the SiC particles significantly enhanced the interlaminar shear strength of CFRE, GFRE, and KFRE composites as the comparison to the conventional ones.
Cultural Differences in Spontaneous Trait and Situation Inferences
Authors: Lee Hajin , Shimizu Yuki , Masuda Takahiko , Uleman James S.
Published: March 2017

Previous findings indicated that when people observe someone’s behavior, they spontaneously infer the traits and situations that cause the target person’s behavior. These inference processes are called spontaneous trait inferences (STIs) and spontaneous situation inferences (SSIs). While both patterns of inferences have been observed, no research has examined the extent to which people from different cultural backgrounds produce these inferences when information affords both trait and situation inferences. Based on the theoretical frameworks of social orientations and thinking styles, we hypothesized that European Canadians would be more likely to produce STIs than SSIs because of the individualistic/independent social orientation and the analytic thinking style dominant in North America, whereas Japanese would produce both STIs and SSIs equally because of the collectivistic/interdependent social orientation and the holistic thinking style dominant in East Asia. Employing the savings-in-relearning paradigm, we presented information that affords both STIs and SSIs and examined cultural differences in the extent of both inferences. The results supported our hypotheses. The relationships between culturally dominant styles of thought and the inference processes in impression formation are discussed.
Use of Multichannel Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Study Relationships Between Brain Regions and Neurocognitive Tasks of Selective/Divided Attention and 2-Back Working Memory
Authors: Tomita Nozomi , Imai Shoji , Kanayama Yusuke , Kawashima Issaku , Kumano Hiroaki
Published: March 2017

While dichotic listening (DL) was originally intended to measure bottom-up selective attention, it has also become a tool for measuring top-down selective attention. This study investigated the brain regions related to top-down selective and divided attention DL tasks and a 2-back task using alphanumeric and Japanese numeric sounds. Thirty-six healthy participants underwent near-infrared spectroscopy scanning while performing a top-down selective attentional DL task, a top-down divided attentional DL task, and a 2-back task. Pearson’s correlations were calculated to show relationships between oxy-Hb concentration in each brain region and the score of each cognitive task. Different brain regions were activated during the DL and 2-back tasks. Brain regions activated in the top-down selective attention DL task were the left inferior prefrontal gyrus and left pars opercularis. The left temporopolar area was activated in the top-down divided attention DL task, and the left frontopolar area and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were activated in the 2-back task. As further evidence for the finding that each task measured different cognitive and brain area functions, neither the percentages of correct answers for the three tasks nor the response times for the selective attentional task and the divided attentional task were correlated to one another. Thus, the DL and 2-back tasks used in this study can assess multiple areas of cognitive, brain-related dysfunction to explore their relationship to different psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Citizens’ Attitudes towards Institutional Change in Contexts of Political Turbulence: Support for Regional Decentralisation in Ukraine
Authors: Chaisty Paul , Whitefield Stephen
Published: March 2017

Most studies of public opinion regarding constitutional change focus on ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in consolidated democracies, but in comparative terms most institutional change takes place in unstable political contexts. We contend that mass preferences towards institutional choices are likely to differ significantly in turbulent contexts as compared to stable polities. In this article, we consider the issue of public preferences towards proposals for regional decentralisation in the context of post-Soviet Ukraine, a society that has been in the throes of political change for the last decade. Using surveys conducted in war-torn Ukraine in 2014, we find that under conditions of political uncertainty, the institutional preferences of citizens are connected to group identities and ideological orientations rather than instrumental concerns.
Improving Readability in an Explicit Genre-based Approach: The Case of an EFL Workplace Context
Authors: Albino Gabriel
Published: March 2017

The present study investigates how learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) improve the readability of their texts in an explicit genre-based approach that is utilized in an oil and gas exploration workplace in Angola. By drawing on the English for Specific Purposes and Systemic Functional Linguistics genre traditions, the study engages 18 intermediate learners (14 males and 4 females) in an explicit instruction of an email making a request and assesses how learners’ written products improve in terms of genre and linguistics choices. The study also explores how learners notice the features that render their texts readable. The results shed light on the features that should require attention in helping learners with readability, and inform on the way an explicit genre-based approach should be utilized to maximize learners’ ability to notice readability features.
General English Proficiency or English for Teaching? The Preferences of In-service Teachers
Authors: Thi Hong Nhung Pham
Published: March 2017

At the implementation level of the national project ‘ Teaching and Learning Foreign Language in the Public-Sector Educational System for the 2008–2020 Period’, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) provided large-scale general English proficiency training for key English teachers and classroom English training for a pilot group of teachers. This research explores in-service teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness of the training and of the changes which occurred in their classrooms as a result of the training. The findings have shown that although in-service teachers across different levels of proficiency appreciate both sets of training, they found classroom English training more relevant and practical to their teaching context. The results of the study also suggest that in contexts with insufficient numbers of qualified foreign language teachers, high proficiency standards for teachers compared with their current level of proficiency, and limited support for in-service teachers to achieve and maintain the required proficiency, classroom English training can be considered as a strategic choice and hence, should be prioritized.
Structure and properties of ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene fibers fabricated by melt spinning
Authors: Sun Lele , Xiao Changfa , Zhao Jian , An Shulin , Zhang Shichao
Published: March 2017

Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) fibers were fabricated by a single-screw melt spinning machine at different drawing roll speed ratios and different drawing roll temperatures. Thermogravimetric analyzer, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), digital fiber sound velocimeter and single fiber strength testers were used to discuss the impacts of spinning processes on the structure and performance of ETFE fibers. The results indicated that four different fibers showed a similar melting temperature at around 257℃. XRD results revealed that the largest crystallinity of four ETFE fibers was 41.1%. As the drawing temperature increased, the crystallinity of ETFE fibers decreased and the grain size increased. The breaking strength of four as-spun ETFE fibers reached up to 1.12 cN/dtex. The minimum shrinkage of ETFE fibers at 200℃ was 7%, and it was only 1% at most below 150℃. The maximum creep strain of ETFE fibers was 6% when the loading capacity was 20% of the breaking strength at room temperature and ETFE fibers had a high recovery ratio of >90% after the load was removed. Moreover, ETFE fibers showed exceptional corrosion resistance and good performance of irradiation resistance.
Conceptual description of the llama fleece structure and the potential of classing and dehairing
Authors: Brodtmann Lilian I , Hick Michel H , Castillo Maria F , Frank Eduardo N
Published: March 2017

For an overall description of llama fiber, its fleece structure and differences between fleece types are illustrated schematically, defined through a resumed evaluation, and determined as a compound of different fiber types. A dissection method is described and 252 samples of llama fleeces were dissected forming three fiber groups, within which fine, medium, and coarse fibers are gathered separately and, therefore, a dehairing process is simulated. Taking the group of fine fibers as a reference for the product to be obtained by dehairing, an average dehairing yield of 69% was calculated, which varies depending on the fineness of the fleece. The following fiber attributes were analyzed: fiber diameter, fiber length, crimp frequency, and crimp type. These were evaluated within fiber groups and among fleece types. The process of fleece classing regarding fineness is simulated through successively excluding coarse fleeces when evaluating the results. As a step previous to dehairing, and in order to assemble the most homogenous raw material, the necessity of fleece classing regarding fineness and type was confirmed. Fleece classing regarding fineness including only fleeces with a total mean fiber diameter lower than 28 µm and a subsequent dehairing process resulted in a mean of 21.6 µm for the group of fine fibers, with 96% of the fleeces with a mean fiber diameter of the group of fine fibers lower than 25 µm and 61% lower than 22 µm. We conclude that this segment of fine fibers reflects the potential of llama fiber as a textile raw material.
Critical mass matters: The long-term benefits of retail agglomeration for establishment survival in downtown Detroit and The Hague
Authors: Kickert Conrad , vom Hofe Rainer
Published: March 2017

This paper explores the long-term sensitivity of street-level retailers to agglomeration to corroborate its theorised benefits under current economic modelling. It does so by studying the annualised chance of closure of retailers as a function of the number of surrounding retailers, as well as how different types of retailers respond differently to agglomeration. A time fixed effect model is used to study the mortality rate of retailers over the period of a century. The study draws from a self-created database of retail establishment locations and types in Detroit, Michigan and The Hague, Netherlands between 1911 and 2011. The case study cities have been selected for their combination of similarities and differences. While downtown Detroit is infamous for its high vacancy and The Hague has been praised as a vibrant Dutch urban core, both cities have in fact suffered significant loss of retail activity over the past century, allowing for the study of retail closure under different socio-economic and cultural circumstances. The study demonstrates a significant sensitivity of retailers to agglomeration in both cities. The study also indicates a specifically high sensitivity to agglomeration in the case of comparison shops. Without a critical mass of peers, these retailers will face a significantly higher than average chance of closure. The sensitivity to agglomeration is remarkably similar between both case studies, urban cores which at first sight have experienced rather different fates over the past century. This cross-cultural similarity may point to a generalisability of the underlying mechanism of sensitivity to agglomeration.
Effects of Web Interactivity: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Fan , Shen Fuyuan
Published: March 2017

Over the last few years, significant research has been conducted to examine the impact of web interactivity. However, mixed results have been found regarding why and how web interactivity could affect users’ attitudes and other psychological responses. This meta-analysis reviewed prior research that examined the extent to which web interactivity could affect various psychological outcomes and how such effects would differ due to several moderating variables. Our analysis of the results in 63 studies ( N = 13,484) suggested that across studies, web interactivity was significantly correlated with user enjoyment, positive attitudes, and desirable behavioral intentions. However, interactivity did not necessarily increase cognitive elaboration, knowledge acquisition, and information recall. While modality interactivity appeared to be more effective than source interactivity and message interactivity, perceived interactivity was significantly more effective than objective interactivity. Furthermore, extremely high levels of web interactivity were not as effective as have been anticipated.
Drawing on Religion in the Desistance Process: Paying Attention to Race and Ethnicity
Authors: Stansfield Richard
Published: March 2017

Religion is important in the lives of many ex-offenders. This study uses data from the Pathways to Desistance Study data set to examine the impact of religiosity on criminal desistance and drug use among delinquent White, Black, and Hispanic youth. Results from mixed-effects longitudinal analyses revealed that religiosity was a significant predictor of lower criminal offending and substance use for White youth postconviction, controlling for changes in employment, social support, and delinquent peer association. Although religiosity was associated with lower substance use among Black youth, it was not associated with lower criminal offending among Black or Hispanic youth. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and policy, particularly the need for resources.
Welfare State Regimes and Caseworkers’ Problem Explanation
Authors: Møller Marie Østergaard , Stensöta Helena Olofsdotter
Published: March 2017

In frontline bureaucracy research, the dominant view holds that frontline workers resist managerial pressure to “blame the poor” by bending the rules based on moral considerations, a practice labeled “citizen agency.” We suggest that frontline responses to managerial pressure are filtered through welfare state regime type. Based on in-depth study of caseworker reasoning in Sweden and Denmark, we find a “structural problem explanation” that sees reasons for clients seeking support as rooted in the structures of society—not in the individual client. We find and present two narratives hitherto not problematized in frontline bureaucracy research: the “statesperson” and the “professional.”
Treatment of Obesity Among Youth With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: An Emerging Role for Telenursing
Authors: Bennett Elizabeth Anne , Kolko Rachel Pearl , Chia Lichun , Elliott Jennifer Padden , Kalarchian Melissa Ann
Published: March 2017

Childhood obesity is a serious health issue, associated with medical comorbidity and psychosocial impairment that can persist into adulthood. In the United States, youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to be obese than youth without disabilities. A large body of evidence supports the efficacy of family-based treatment of childhood obesity, including diet, physical activity, and behavior modification, but few interventions have been developed and evaluated specifically for this population. We highlight studies on treatment of obesity among youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including both residential/educational settings as well as outpatient/hospital settings. All interventions were delivered in-person, and further development of promising approaches and delivery via telenursing may increase access by youth and families. Nursing scientists can assume an important role in overcoming barriers to care for this vulnerable and underserved population.
The Role of the Away Rotation in Otolaryngology Residency
Authors: Villwock Jennifer A. , Hamill Chelsea S. , Ryan Jesse T. , Nicholas Brian D.
Published: March 2017

Objective

To determine the availability and purpose of away rotations during otolaryngology residency.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional survey.

Setting

Otolaryngology residency programs.

Subjects and Methods

An anonymous web‐based survey was sent to 98 allopathic otolaryngology training program directors, of which 38 programs responded. Fisher exact tests and nonparametric correlations were used to determine statistically significant differences among various strata of programs. A P value of <.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Thirty‐nine percent (n = 38) of queried programs responded. Mandatory away rotations and elective away rotations were both present in 6 of 38 programs (16%). Neither number of faculty (P =. 119) nor residents (P =. 88) was predictive of away rotation. Away rotations were typically >151 miles from the home institution and typically used to address deficiencies in clinical exposure (67%) or case volume (50%). Participants of mandatory away rotations were universally provided housing, with other consideration such as stipend (33%), relocation allowance (33%), or food allowance (16%) sometimes offered. In contrast to mandatory rotations, half of elective rotations were to obtain a unique international mission trip experience. Nearly one‐third of surveyed program directors (29%) would consider adding an away rotation to their curriculum in the next 3 years.

Conclusions

Mandatory and elective away rotations play a role in a small, but not insignificant, number of training programs. The rationale for these rotations is variable. Given that nearly one‐third of program directors would consider adding an away rotation in the near future, further research into components of a meaningful away rotation and how to optimize the away rotation experience is warranted.