bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New species of the leafhopper genera Kusala Dworakowska and Diomma Motschulsky (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Erythroneurini)
with description of a new subgenus
Authors: CAO YANGHUI , DMITRIEV DMITRY A. , ZHANG YALIN
Published: November 2018

Generic characteristics of the leafhopper genus Kusala Dworakowska are revised, and a new subgenus Scodela is established. A species checklist of the Kusala is provided and three new species are added: Kusala (Kusala) viraktamathi, K. (Scodela) directa and K. (S.) sinuata spp. nov.. The related genus Diomma Motschulsky is also redescribed and a new species is described: Diomma (Diomma) sangzhiensis sp. nov..
Social roles and alienation: Breastfeeding promotion and early motherhood
Authors: Smyth Lisa
Published: November 2018

This article considers whether the social institutions through which early motherhood is experienced can support non-alienating role identification. Drawing on critical theory’s conceptualization of social roles, the analysis focuses on 20 interviews with middle-class mothers in Northern Ireland, taken from a larger dual-site study of early motherhood in 2009–2010. This region has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world and has a particularly intensive promotion strategy. Considering respondent experiences of the pressure to breastfeed, the article examines the consequences of a key institutional definition of good motherhood in the early stages. The article argues that the effort to rigidly impose a moral code as the role is taken on has potentially alienating effects, as it limits the scope for the agent to appropriate and identify with it. An approach to health promotion which instead trusts women to exercise situated moral judgement about infant care, rather than subjecting them to an externally imposed moral code, would reduce the emotional strain and potential for alienation in early motherhood.
Internationalizing a national scientific community? Changes in publication and citation practices in Chile, 1976–2015
Authors: Koch Tomás , Vanderstraeten Raf
Published: November 2018

Internationalization pressures are omnipresent in the world of science. Scholars and administrators now often make use of international impact as a yardstick by which to assess the quality of national scholarship. However, little is hitherto known about the effects of the internationalization incentives at the level of specific national scientific communities. This article presents an analysis of the forms of internationalization in Chile over a period of four decades, from 1976 to 2015. Using Web of Science data, the article looks at the evolution for both publications and citations and examines the internationalization pressures on Chilean scholars and Chilean journals in relation to changes at the level of publication language and co-authorship. The article particularly focuses on the differences between the three cultures (humanities, natural sciences and social sciences). Building on the findings, the article concludes with some suggestions for research policy.
‘The more South you go, the more frankly you can speak’: Metronormativity, critical regionality and the LGBT movement in Salento, South-Eastern Italy
Authors: Ammaturo Francesca Romana
Published: November 2018

In recent times, the region of Salento in South-Eastern Italy has become one of the most popular gay-friendly tourist spots in the country and several LGBT organisations have operated in this territory over the last few years. This article seeks to map the creation, development and challenges of the LGBT movement in this Italian sub-region by looking at forms of negotiation between ‘local’ and ‘queer’ identities and beyond narratives of ‘metronormativity’ of LGBT identities and from the perspective of ‘critical regionality’ and ‘meridian thought’. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with five local LGBT activists in 2016 and ethnographic observations carried out at Pride events in 2016 and 2017, the article looks at conflicting social processes whereby local activism is rooted in situated allegiances and interactions with the territory and its population, whilst being permeated by the globalising dynamics of LGBT identity politics.
Interchangeable parents? The roles and identities of primary and equal carer fathers of young children
Authors: Hodkinson Paul , Brooks Rachel
Published: November 2018

Against the context of enduring gender inequalities in early years parental care, this article examines the experiences of UK fathers who had taken on primary or equal care responsibility for children aged three or under. Informed by qualitative interviews with 24 such fathers, the article explores a discourse of parental interchangeability that pervaded their accounts before outlining the ways that, in practice, most caregiving tasks did tend to be allocated to them or their partners primarily on the basis of factors other than gender. The men’s comfort in presenting themselves and their partners as interchangeable equivalents, along with the range of caregiving approaches they were taking on, suggests that they had begun to move beyond clearly differentiated motherly or fatherly roles. The study goes on, however, to show that certain emotional, organisational and social aspects of parenting sometimes continued to be centred on mothers. In explaining the endurance of these areas of maternal responsibility within otherwise interchangeable partnerships, mutually reinforcing sets of maternal pressures and paternal barriers are outlined.
The Occupational/Career Decision-Making Processes of Intellectually Gifted Adolescents From Economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds: A Mixed Methods Perspective
Authors: Jung Jae Yup , Young Marie
Published: November 2018

This mixed methods study investigated the occupational/career decision-making processes of intellectually gifted adolescents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In the first phase, interview data from 26 Australian adolescents, who were simultaneously intellectually gifted and of low socioeconomic status background, were analyzed using grounded theory to develop four models of occupational/career decision-making processes. In the second phase, a model that incorporated all of the constructs and relationships identified in each of the four models developed in the first phase of the study was tested and refined using structural equation modeling procedures on survey data collected from 917 economically disadvantaged intellectually gifted Australian adolescents. The resulting qualitatively developed and quantitatively refined model allowed for a clearer and a more complete understanding of the occupational/career decision-making processes of intellectually gifted adolescents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
HIV/AIDS Awareness and Knowledge Among Ghanaian Women of Reproductive Age: What Are the Correlates?
Authors: Nketiah-Amponsah Edward , Codjoe Emmanuel A , Ampaw Samuel
Published: November 2018

This paper explores the predictors of HIV/AIDS awareness and knowledge among older and younger Ghanaian women of reproductive age. Logistic regression was estimated using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data. Results indicate that older Ghanaian women are significantly different from their younger counterparts in terms of the selected socio-economic and demographic characteristics that influence awareness and knowledge of the epidemic. In all, the respondents’ age, region of residence, wealth status, education, marital status and religious affiliation were found to significantly predict knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS among women. In addition, pregnancy status and place of residence proved to be significant correlates of HIV/AIDS awareness among Ghanaian women. The study suggests that higher social status is critical in determining whether women of reproductive age are aware of and knowledgeable about the epidemic. Thus, there is the need for policies and interventions to target messages taking into account the varied socio-economic and demographic backgrounds of women in Ghana. Further, health education interventions should be sensitive to the changing technological landscape in order to develop messages that can be delivered via mobile phones, whether as reminders or ringtones, and therefore enhance health knowledge and promote behaviour that brings about desirable health outcomes.
A Novel Thermoresponsive Gel as a Potential Delivery System for Lipoxin
Authors: Wang B. , Shao J. , Jansen J.A. , Walboomers X.F. , Yang F.
Published: November 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel thermoresponsive polyisocyanopeptide (PIC)–based hydrogel as an injectable carrier for local drug delivery for periodontal applications. Three formulations of PIC gels, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1% w/w, were prepared. As controls, commercially available poloxamer 407 (P407) gels of 20% and 26% w/w were used. Lipoxin A4 (LXA4), a proresolving drug, was suspended into the gel solutions. The systems were evaluated regarding dynamic mechanical properties, injectability and stability, release and bioactivity of LXA4, and cytocompatibility. Results showed that the gelation temperatures of PIC and P407 gels were around 13°C to 23°C. PIC gels were less viscous and mechanically weaker than P407 gels due to the low polymer concentrations. However, PIC gels kept gel integrity for at least 2 wk when incubated with phosphate-buffered saline, whereas P407 gels were disintegrated totally within 1 wk. LXA4 was chemically stable in both neutral and alkaline medium for over 1 mo. The release of LXA4 from either 1% PIC or 26% P407 gels depicted an initial burst release followed by a sustained release for around 4 d. The extent of burst release was negatively correlated to the polymer concentration. LXA4 remained bioactive after release from PIC gels. No cytotoxicity was observed for 1% PIC gel. However, 26% P407 inhibited periodontal ligament cell and gingival epithelial cell growth. In conclusion, the thermoresponsive PIC gel is a potential candidate for periodontal drug delivery.
The Dragon in Turtle Bay: The Impact of China's Rise in the UN on the United States and Global Governance
Authors: Lagon Mark P. , Lou Theresa
Published: November 2018

China's role in the United Nations (UN) is steadily rising at a time the United States is seeking burden‐sharing and rethinking its multilateral leadership role. This article highlights that China's increasing role in three critical areas—(1) UN peacekeeping; (2) the work of the UN on human rights, particularly in the Human Rights Council; and (3) the governance of the digital realm and Internet freedom—has significant implications for U.S. interests and broader global governance efforts. Although China's transformation into a responsible stakeholder in various areas of the UN's work could be promising, Beijing's attempts to alter existing liberal norms bear close examination. Those seeking a larger Chinese role in the UN might best be careful what they wish for. Despite the emergence of populism and some skepticism of multilateral arrangements in their domestic politics, the United States and like‐minded nations have an interest in reinforcing liberal norms in these three areas of global governance and beyond.
Predictive Validity of Thin-Slice Nonverbal Behavior from Social Interactions
Authors: Murphy Nora A. , Hall Judith A. , Ruben Mollie A. , Frauendorfer Denise , Schmid Mast Marianne , Johnson Kirsten E. , Nguyen Laurent
Published: November 2018

We present five studies investigating the predictive validity of thin slices of nonverbal behavior (NVB). Predictive validity of thin slices refers to how well behavior slices excerpted from longer video predict other measured variables. Using six NVBs, we compared predictive validity of slices of different lengths with that obtained when coding is based on full-length (5-min) video, investigating the relative predictive validity of 1-min slices as well as of cumulative slices. Results indicate some loss in predictive validity with 1-min slices, but relatively little loss when Slices 1 and 2 were combined for five of the six NVBs. This research establishes an empirical basis on which researchers can decide how much of their recorded corpus needs to be coded for NVB. The results also provide some guidance on effect sizes in power analyses for researchers coding specific behaviors in a thin-slice design.
The Short and Longer Term Impacts of Hate Crimes Experienced Directly, Indirectly, and Through the Media
Authors: Paterson Jenny L. , Brown Rupert , Walters Mark A.
Published: November 2018

A longitudinal study ( N = 774) explored the short and longer term impacts of anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) hate crime experienced directly, indirectly, and through the media. In the short term, being a victim (direct) or personally knowing of a hate crime victim (indirect) was positively associated with vulnerability, emotional responses, and behavioral intentions after reading about a hate crime. Direct victims were also less empathic toward other victims and engaged in more victim-blaming. A structural equation model showed direct experiences (via personal vulnerability and empathy) and media experiences (via group-threat and victim-blaming) to be cross-sectionally associated with behavioral intentions. Media experiences also had lasting demobilizing impacts on actual behaviors, again serially mediated by group-threat and victim-blaming. The findings highlight the emotional and behavioral impacts of hate crimes on both direct victims and on the wider LGBT community. They also raise questions about media reporting of hate crimes and the role of victim-blaming.
Aftereffects of Self-Control on Positive Emotional Reactivity
Authors: Finley Anna J. , Schmeichel Brandon J.
Published: November 2018

According to the process model of ego depletion, exercising self-control causes shifts in motivation and attention that may increase positive emotional reactivity. In an initial study and a preregistered replication, participants exercised self-control (or not) on a writing task before reporting their emotional responses to positive, negative, and neutral images. In Study 1 ( N = 256), we found that exercising (vs. not exercising) self-control increased positive emotional responses to positive images among more extroverted individuals. In Study 2 ( N = 301), we found that exercising self-control increased positive reactivity independent of extroversion. These findings support the process model of ego depletion and suggest that exercising self-control may influence responding that does not entail self-control (i.e., positive emotional reactivity)—an outcome that is not anticipated by the limited resource model of self-control.
Age Attenuates the Negativity Bias in Reframing Effects
Authors: Sparks Jehan , Ledgerwood Alison
Published: November 2018

A growing literature on reframing effects has identified a robust negativity bias: Under many circumstances, people’s attitudes change less when framing switches from negative to positive (vs. positive to negative). Like other basic psychological biases, this one is often assumed to reflect a general human tendency, but there are theoretical reasons to expect boundary conditions on when and for whom it operates. In this article, we zero in on age as one important potential moderator, and test competing predictions from different perspectives. Using a large, highly powered data set that synthesizes across multiple past studies ( N = 2,452; aged 18-81 years), we fit multilevel models to test the moderating impact of age on reframing effects, as well as single-shot framing effects. We found that (consistent with socioemotional selectivity theory), the negativity bias in reframing attenuated as age increased. We discuss implications for the aging literature and for understanding valence biases more broadly.
The Importance of Being Useless: A Cross-Cultural Contribution to the New Materialisms from Zhuangzi
Authors: Kwek Dorothy HB
Published: November 2018

The recent ‘material turn’ focuses on materiality in two distinctive ways: one, by including nonhuman agencies, another, by mining indigenous knowledges for alternative conceptions of agency and human–thing relations. A troubling gap persists between the two endeavours. The gap insinuates an us–them dichotomy and, more importantly, curtails communication between radically different visions of thingly agency – thereby impeding the political drive of these conceptual enterprises. This article is an essay in cross-cultural transposition. Through a close reading of a story of a useless tree in an ancient proto-Daoist text, Zhuangzi (莊子), the author shows how its fabulist and oneiric form illuminates a distinctive perspective on uselessness. Conversely, the trope of uselessness lets us begin from what she calls a ‘situated affectivity’ amidst more-than-human materialities. The article concludes with a brief comparison of three modalities of uselessness from different ‘cosmologies’ of thought – a foretaste of the potentials of cross-cosmological endeavours.
Mediated Interaction in the Digital Age
Authors: Thompson John B.
Published: November 2018

In The Media and Modernity, Thompson develops an interactional theory of communication media that distinguishes between three basic types of interaction: face-to-face interaction, mediated interaction, and mediated quasi-interaction. In the light of the digital revolution and the growth of the internet, this paper introduces a fourth type: mediated online interaction. Drawing on Goffman’s distinction between front regions and back regions, Thompson shows how mediated quasi-interaction and mediated online interaction create new opportunities for the leakage of information and symbolic content from back regions into front regions, with consequences that can be embarrassing, damaging and, on occasion, hugely disruptive. The growing role of mediated quasi-interaction and mediated online interaction has reconstituted the political field so that political life now unfolds in an information environment that is much more difficult to control, creating a permanently unstable arena in which leaks, revelations and disclosures are always capable of disrupting the most well-laid plans.
Low Health Literacy and Health Information Avoidance but Not Satisficing Help Explain “Don’t Know” Responses to Questions Assessing Perceived Risk
Authors: Orom Heather , Schofield Elizabeth , Kiviniemi Marc T. , Waters Erika A. , Biddle Caitlin , Chen Xuewei , Li Yuelin , Kaphingst Kimberly A. , Hay Jennifer L.
Published: November 2018

Background. People who say they don’t know (DK) their disease risk are less likely to engage in protective behavior. Purpose. This study examined possible mechanisms underlying not knowing one’s risk for common diseases. Methods. Participants were a nationally representative sample of 1005 members of a standing probability-based survey panel who answered questions about their comparative and absolute perceived risk for diabetes and colon cancer, health literacy, risk factor knowledge and health information avoidance, and beliefs about illness unpredictability. Survey satisficing was a composite assessment of not following survey instructions, nondifferentiation of responses, haphazard responding, and speeding. The primary outcomes were whether a person selected DK when asked absolute and comparative risk perception questions about diabetes or colon cancer. Base structural equation modeling path models with pathways from information avoidance and health literacy/knowledge to DK responding for each DK outcome were compared to models that also included pathways from satisficing or unpredictability beliefs. Results. Base models contained significant indirect effects of health literacy (odds ratios [ORs] = 0.94 to 0.97, all P < 0.02) and avoidance (ORs = 1.05 to 1.15, all P < 0.01) on DK responding through risk factor knowledge and a direct effect of avoidance (ORs = 1.21 to 1.28, all P < 0.02). Adding the direct effect for satisficing to models resulted in poor fit (for all outcomes, residual mean square error estimates >0.17, all weighted root mean square residuals >3.2, all Comparative Fit Index <0.47, all Tucker-Lewis Index <0.49), indicating that satisficing was not associated with DK responding. Unpredictability was associated with not knowing one’s diabetes risk (OR = 1.01, P < 0.01). Limitations. The data were cross-sectional; therefore, directionality of the pathways cannot be assumed. Conclusions. DK responders may need more health information, but it needs to be delivered differently. Interventions might include targeting messages for lower health literacy audiences and disrupting defensive avoidance of threatening health information.
Informed, Patient-Centered Decisions Associated with Better Health Outcomes in Orthopedics: Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sepucha Karen R. , Atlas Steven J. , Chang Yuchiao , Freiberg Andrew , Malchau Henrik , Mangla Mahima , Rubash Harry , Simmons Leigh H. , Cha Thomas
Published: November 2018

Background. A goal of shared decision making (SDM) is to ensure patients are well informed and receive preferred treatments. However, the relationship between SDM and health outcomes is not clear. Objective. The purpose was to examine whether patients who are well informed and receive their preferred treatment have better health outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants. A prospective cohort study at an academic medical center surveyed new patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis, herniated disc, or spinal stenosis 1 week after seeing a specialist and again 6 months later. Main Outcomes and Measures. The survey assessed knowledge, preferred treatment, and quality of life (QoL). The percentage of patients who were well informed and received preferred treatment was calculated (informed, patient centered [IPC]). A follow-up survey assessed QoL, decision regret, and satisfaction. Regression analyses with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering tested a priori hypotheses that patients who made IPC decisions would have higher QoL.Results. Response rate was 70.3% (652/926) for initial and 85% (551/648) for follow-up. The sample was 63.9 years old, 52.8% were female, 62.6% were college educated, and 49% had surgery. One-third (37.4%) made IPC decisions. Participants who made IPC decisions had significantly better overall (0.05 points (SE 0.02) for EQ-5D, P = 0.004) and disease-specific quality of life (4.22 points [SE 1.82] for knee, P = 0.02; 4.46 points [SE 1.54] for hip, P = 0.004; and 6.01 points [SE 1.51] for back, P < 0.0001), higher satisfaction and less regret. Limitations. Observational study at a single academic center with limited diversity. Conclusions. Well-informed patients who receive their preferred treatment also had better health outcomes and higher satisfaction.
Parallel Valuation: A Direct Comparison of EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L Societal Value Sets
Authors: Law Ernest H. , Pickard A. Simon , Xie Feng , Walton Surrey M. , Lee Todd A. , Schwartz Alan
Published: November 2018

Objective. To compare and contrast EQ-5D-5L (5L) and EQ-5D-3L (3L) health state values derived from a common sample. Methods. Data from the 2017 US EQ-5D valuation study were analyzed. Value sets were estimated with random-effects linear regression based on composite time trade-off (cTTO) valuations for 3L and 5L health states with 2 approaches to model specification: main effects only and additional N3/N45 terms. Properties of the descriptive system and value set characteristics were compared by examining distributions of predicted index scores, ceiling effects, and single-level transition values from adjacent corner health states. Mean transition values were calculated for all predicted 3L and 5L health states and plotted against baseline index scores. Results. A total of 1062 respondents were included in the analysis. The observed mean cTTO values for the worst possible 3L and 5L health states were −0.423 and −0.343, respectively. The range of scale was larger with the 3L, compared to the 5L, for both main effects and N term models. Values for the mildest 5L health states (range, 0.857−0.924) were similar to 11111 for the 3L. Parameter estimates for matched dimension levels differed by <|0.07| except for the most severe level of Mobility. For the main effects model, 3L mean transition values were greater for more severe baseline 3L index scores, whereas 5L mean transition values remained constant irrespective of the baseline index score. Conclusions. Compared to the 3L, the 5L exhibited a lower ceiling effect and improved measurement properties. There was a larger range of scale for the 3L compared to 5L; however, this difference was driven by differences in preference for the most severe level of problems in Mobility.
Cost-effectiveness of Initiating an Insulin Pump in T1D Adults Using Continuous Glucose Monitoring Compared with Multiple Daily Insulin Injections: The DIAMOND Randomized Trial
Authors: Wan Wen , Skandari M. Reza , Minc Alexa , Nathan Aviva G. , Zarei Parmida , Winn Aaron N. , O’Grady Michael , Huang Elbert S.
Published: November 2018

Background. The economic impact of both continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin pumps (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion [CSII]) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) have been evaluated separately. However, the cost-effectiveness of adding CSII to existing CGM users has not yet been assessed. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the societal cost-effectiveness of CSII versus continuing multiple daily injections (MDI) in adults with T1D already using CGM. Methods. In the second phase of the DIAMOND trial, 75 adults using CGM were randomized to either CGM+CSII or CGM+MDI (control) and surveyed at baseline and 28 weeks. We performed within-trial and lifetime cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) and estimated lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) via a modified Sheffield T1D model. Results. Within the trial, the CGM+CSII group had a significant reduction in quality of life from baseline (−0.02 ± 0.05 difference in difference [DiD]) compared with controls. Total per-person 28-week costs were $8,272 (CGM+CSII) versus $5,623 (CGM+MDI); the difference in costs was primarily attributable to pump use ($2,644). Pump users reduced insulin intake (−12.8 units DiD) but increased the use of daily number of test strips (+1.2 DiD). Pump users also increased time with glucose in range of 70 to 180 mg/dL but had a higher HbA1c (+0.13 DiD) and more nonsevere hypoglycemic events. In the lifetime CEA, CGM+CSII would increase total costs by $112,045 DiD, decrease QALYs by 0.71, and decrease life expectancy by 0.48 years. Conclusions. Based on this single trial, initiating an insulin pump in adults with T1D already using CGM was associated with higher costs and reduced quality of life. Additional evidence regarding the clinical effects of adopting combinations of new technologies from trials and real-world populations is needed to confirm these findings.
Comparing the Performance of 2 Health Utility Measures in the Medicare Health Outcome Survey (HOS)
Authors: Jia Haomiao , Lubetkin Erica I. , DeMichele Kimberly , Stark Debra S. , Zack Matthew M. , Thompson William W.
Published: November 2018

Background. The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS), a nationwide annual survey of Medicare beneficiaries, includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HRQOL-4 questionnaire and Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12). This study compared EQ-5D scores derived from the HRQOL-4 (dEQ-5D) to SF-6D scores derived from VR-12. Methods. Data were from Medicare HOS Cohort 15 (2012 baseline; 2014 follow-up). We included participants aged 65+ ( n = 105,473). We compared score distributions, evaluated known-groups validity, assessed each index as a predictor for mortality, and estimated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) using the dEQ-5D and SF-6D. Results. Compared to the SF-6D, the dEQ-5D had a higher mean score (0.787 v. 0.691) and larger standard deviation (0.310 v. 0.101). The decreases in estimated scores associated with chronic conditions were greater for the dEQ-5D than for the SF-6D. For example, dEQ-5D scores for persons with depression decreased 0.456 points compared to 0.141 points for the SF-6D. The dEQ-5D strongly predicted mortality, as adjusted hazard ratios for the first to fourth quintiles, relative to the fifth quintile, were 2.2, 1.7, 1.8, and 1.5, respectively, while the association between SF-6D and mortality was weaker or nonexistent (adjusted hazard ratios were 1.3, 1.1, 1.0, and 0.6, respectively). Compared to the SF-6D, QALYs estimated using the dEQ-5D were higher overall (5.6 v. 4.9 years), higher for persons with less debilitating conditions (e.g., hypertension, 5.0 v. 4.4 years), and lower for more debilitating conditions (e.g. depression, 2.5 v. 2.8 years). Conclusions. Compared to the SF-6D, the dEQ-5D was better able to measure individuals’ overall health; detect the differential impact of chronic conditions, particularly among persons in poorer health; and predict mortality. The HRQOL-4 questionnaire may be valuable for monitoring and improving health outcomes for the Medical HOS data set.
Exploring the Factors Associated With Rejection From a Closed Cybercrime Community
Authors: Holt Thomas J. , Dupont Benoit
Published: November 2018

Research examining the illicit online market for cybercrime services operating via web forums, such as malicious software, personal information, and hacking tools, has greatly improved our understanding of the practices of buyers and sellers, and the social forces that structure actor behavior. The majority of these studies are based on open markets, which can be accessed by anyone with minimal barriers to entry. There are, however, closed communities operating online that are thought to operate with greater trust and reliability between participants, as they must be vetted and approved by existing community members. The decision to allow individuals to join a forum may reflect restrictive deterrence practices on the part of existing members, as those applicants may threaten the security or operations of the group. This study utilized a quantitative analysis to understand the factors associated with rejection for individuals who sought membership in the organized and sophisticated closed forum run by and for cybercriminals called Darkode. The findings demonstrated that individuals whose perceived engagement with the hacker community and cybercrime marketplace were considered too risky for membership. The implications of this study for our understanding of restrictive deterrence theory, as well as criminal market operations on and offline were explored in depth.
The lived experience of refractory breathlessness for people living in the community
Authors: Tieck Kezia , Mackenzie Lynette , Lovell Melanie
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Refractory breathlessness occurs at rest or on minimal exertion and persists chronically despite optimal treatment of the underlying cause. The burden and prevalence of breathlessness is high, yet symptoms remain under-treated and those affected struggle daily with the condition. This study aims to gain a greater understanding of the lived experience of refractory breathlessness and its effect on daily activities.

Method

Participants were recruited from a Sydney-based outpatient breathlessness clinic. An exploratory qualitative approach was undertaken with individual, semi-structured interviews, using NVivo software to conduct thematic analysis. The study recruited consecutive patients until thematic saturation was reached.

Results

Six participants were interviewed and four main themes identified. 1. Living on the edge, referring to the extreme feeling of breathlessness experienced by patients; 2. Social meanings of breathlessness, describing the significance of social support; 3. Reduced to the basics, referring to the effect breathlessness has on basic daily tasks; and 4. Sources of security, which describes the measures participants take to protect themselves from their own breathlessness.

Conclusion

Participants noted the importance of functional participation for improved engagement and quality of life. There is scope to develop specific interventions and occupational therapy services incorporating self-management and equipment prescription for people with dyspnoea.
The Potential for Automated Text Evaluation to Improve the Technical Adequacy of Written Expression Curriculum-Based Measurement
Authors: Mercer Sterett H. , Keller-Margulis Milena A. , Faith Erin L. , Reid Erin K. , Ochs Sarah
Published: November 2018

Written-expression curriculum-based measurement (WE-CBM) is used for screening and progress monitoring students with or at risk of learning disabilities (LD) for academic supports; however, WE-CBM has limitations in technical adequacy, construct representation, and scoring feasibility as grade-level increases. The purpose of this study was to examine the structural and external validity of automated text evaluation with Coh-Metrix versus traditional WE-CBM scoring for narrative writing samples (7-min duration) collected in fall and winter from 144 second- through fifth-grade students. Seven algorithms were applied to train models of Coh-Metrix and traditional WE-CBM scores to predict holistic quality of the writing samples as evidence of structural validity; then, external validity was evaluated via correlations with rated quality on other writing samples. Key findings were that (a) structural validity coefficients were higher for Coh-Metrix compared with traditional WE-CBM but similar in the external validity analyses, (b) external validity coefficients were higher than reported in prior WE-CBM studies with holistic or analytic ratings as a criterion measure, and (c) there were few differences in performance across the predictive algorithms. Overall, the results highlight the potential use of automated text evaluation for WE-CBM scoring. Implications for screening and progress monitoring are discussed.
When I Was a Swahili Woman: The Possibilities and Perils of “Going Native” in a Culture of Secrecy
Authors: Thompson Katrina Daly
Published: November 2018

Combining evocative and analytic autoethnography, I explore the ambiguous and ambivalent relationship between conversion, “going native,” and socialization through a case study of my own experience. I examine fieldnotes written during my two-year marriage to a Zanzibari man and audio recordings from my linguistic ethnographic fieldwork among Zanzibari women during the same period, not only revealing my own previously concealed secrets but also arguing for the value of such revelations. I demonstrate how I was lured into “becoming Swahili” because of the relationships “Swahiliness” enabled me to build with my interlocutors in the field and thus the access to ethnographic secrets it gave me. Paradoxically, doing so socialized me into a culture of secrecy that not only restricted my research but also endangered me. I conclude by drawing parallels to a culture of secrecy in academia, where norms about what is appropriate to include in scholarship prevented me, until recently, from sharing the negative aspects of “going native” through marriage and conversion.
Citizen-to-citizen connectivity and soft power: The appropriation of subcultures in ‘little freshness’ across the Taiwan Strait
Authors: Lim Song Hwee
Published: November 2018

This article takes as its object of analysis the term ‘little freshness’ ( xiao qingxin 小清新), which has been coined to describe a variety of cultural products and phenomena, mostly emanating from Taiwan but circulating across the Taiwan Strait. It argues that little freshness is a manifestation of subcultures that have been initiated, appropriated, and consumed by youths in the region. This citizen-to-citizen connectivity reworks Joseph Nye’s notion of soft power by shifting the focus away from state agents and by reversing the direction of soft power flows to claim agency at the sites of reception. The article provides two case studies to demonstrate how an imaginary about Taiwan’s cleanness, clearness, and freshness has been projected by the media in the People’s Republic of China as a form of discursive construction and by Hong Kong citizens of Taiwan as a desirable destination for emigration. Finally, the article situates the little freshness phenomenon in relation to a propensity towards miniaturization in cultural formation in the region, and suggests that this propensity is inflected in a structure of feeling about generational injustice in the face of neoliberal capitalism.
Static and dynamic performance improvement of a hydraulic feedback valve for load control by introducing force feedback and compensation orifice
Authors: Liu Jianbin , Xie Haibo , Yang Huayong
Published: November 2018

This paper presents two methods for the static and dynamic performance improvement of a hydraulic feedback valve for load control. Firstly, by introducing force feedback between the pilot and main spools, the control stroke is widened, which means the static flow control performance is enhanced. Secondly, by introducing a compensation orifice to the pilot spool, a damping effect appears and the oscillations and overshoot in the opening process of the pilot spool are eliminated, which means the dynamic performance is improved. Mathematical analysis and simulations were conducted to achieve optimized parameters of the feedback spring and compensation orifice. An actual valve was built according to the above methods and optimized parameters. The good static and dynamic performance of the valve in the tests on a specially designed test rig indicates that the proposed methods can provide theoretical guidance for hydraulic feedback valve design.
Solution for the torsional vibration of the compressor shaft system with flexible coupling based on a sensitivity study
Authors: Feng Jianmei , Zhao Ying , Jia Xiaohan , Peng Xueyuan
Published: November 2018

This paper presents the root cause analysis and solving process of the torsional vibration problem in a reciprocating compressor shaft system. The field measured data showed that the fifth-order torsional resonance occurred in the shaft system. The lumped-mass method was adopted to calculate the torsional natural frequencies (TNFs) and mode shapes of the shaft system. A sensitivity study was conducted to investigate the effect of each inertia and stiffness in the calculation model on the first TNF of the shaft system. The uncertainties of the primary data of the calculation model were discussed, and the mass-elastic model was modified by adjusting the stiffness of the flexible disc coupling. After adding an inertia of 4.68 kg·m2, torsional resonance was avoided, and the speed fluctuation of the shaft system was significantly reduced. The compressor package has been operating normally for nearly one year after modification. The analysis methods and conclusions given here can provide guidance for trouble-shooting torsional vibration problems.
Attentional Selection Mediates Framing and Risk-Bias Effects
Authors: Glickman Moshe , Tsetsos Konstantinos , Usher Marius
Published: November 2018

Humans display a number of puzzling choice patterns that contradict basic principles of rationality. For example, they show preferences that change as a result of task framing or of adding irrelevant alternatives into the choice set. A recent theory has proposed that such choice and risk biases arise from an attentional mechanism that increases the relative weighting of goal-consistent information and protects the decision from noise after the sensory stage. Here, using a divided-attention method based on the dot-probe technique, we showed that attentional selection toward values congruent with the task goal takes place while participants make choices between alternatives that consist of payoff sequences. Moreover, we demonstrated that the magnitude of this attentional selection predicts risk attitudes, indicating a common underlying cognitive process. The results highlight the dynamic interplay between attention and choice mechanisms in producing framing effects and risk biases.
Hysterical inquiry: A methodology emergent through a dutiful daughter
Authors: Rogerson Ann , Morgan Mandy , Coombes Leigh
Published: November 2018

This article theorises hysterical inquiry as an emergent methodology for feminist psychological research. Our example is based on a daughter’s experience of caring for her dying mother. During this process, it becomes apparent that she is only present as caregiver—her mother/daughter encounter has been suppressed by contemporary discourses of caregiving responsibility. Drawing on Freud, Lacan, and feminist theories of psychoanalysis, the daughter undertakes an hysterical quest to locate her missing encounter with her mother. Traversing language structure, she embarks on various journeys, disruptions, and distractions as a network of methodological strategies emerge; speaking eloquently, silently writing, rhythmically weaving her textural engagement with the terrain. As her questions and her scope of inquiry expands, we illustrate the emergence of hysterical inquiry as a viable methodology to address questions treated as invalid within traditional research methodologies.
New exponential stability criterion for switched linear systems with average dwell time
Authors: Gao Yi , Wen Jiwei , Peng Li
Published: November 2018

In this article, the partition of state space is investigated based on the average dwell time theory, and a novel switching condition is proposed. Under the switching condition and strategy, a switched system where all subsystems are unstable is globally exponentially stabilized. Compared with the existing literature, the conclusion is less conservative and more general. Consequently, the conditions appropriate for this exponential stability issue are derived and a computational procedure to solve the bilinear matrix inequality problems and admissible average dwell time is provided. Finally, two numerical examples are used to show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Zonal cortical scarring and tubular thyroidization in kidney biopsies of patients with SLE—histologic indicator for antiphospholipid antibodies
Authors: Shah R , Brodsky S V , Hebert L , Rovin B H , Nadasdy T , Satoskar A A
Published: November 2018

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is an acquired prothrombotic autoimmune disease caused by the presence of antibodies against anionic phospholipids or plasma proteins bound to phospholipids on cell membranes. It can be a primary disease or secondary to other autoimmune diseases, most commonly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Laboratory testing for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) may be only transiently positive, so APS could be missed until a catastrophic thrombotic episode or pregnancy morbidity occurs. In the kidneys, this manifests as thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), and patients present with hypertensive urgency and acute kidney injury. However, APS may not always have a catastrophic presentation but instead a more smoldering course. Kidney biopsy may not show obvious active TMA lesions but rather only chronic injury in the form of zonal cortical scarring and tubular thyroidization. Still, it may warrant anticoagulation therapy. So it is important to recognize this pattern of injury in the biopsy. Herein, we retrospectively study the correlation between presence of this histologic feature in kidney biopsies of SLE patients and positive aPL testing results (anticardiolipin antibodies and/or lupus anticoagulant). Kidney biopsies of SLE patients from 2004 to 2015 ( n = 186) were screened for presence or absence of zonal cortical scarring. Their electronic medical records were reviewed for aPL results. Our study showed low sensitivity (33%) but higher positive predictive value (62%), specificity (89%) and negative predictive value (71%). This histologic finding is therefore not a sensitive screening tool, but if present, greatly increases the likelihood of underlying aPL. We want to emphasize that recognition of this histologic feature in the biopsies of SLE patients is important so as not to miss the opportunity to treat with anticoagulation therapy and possibly slow down the chronic renal damage.
The Double Take of Expertise: Neural Expansion Is Associated With Outstanding Performance
Authors: Bilalić Merim
Published: November 2018

The performance of experts seems almost effortless. The neural-efficiency hypothesis takes this into account, suggesting that because of practice and automatization of procedures, experts require fewer brain resources. Here, I argue that the way the brain accommodates complex skills does indeed have to do with the nature of experts’ performance. However, instead of exhibiting less brain activation, experts’ performance actually engages more brain areas. Behind the seemingly effortless performance of experts lies a complex cognitive system that relies on knowledge about the domain of expertise. Unlike novices, who need to execute one process at a time, experts are able to recognize an object, retrieve its function, and connect it to another object simultaneously. The expert brain deals with this computational burden by engaging not only specific brain areas in one hemisphere but also the same (homologous) area in the opposite hemisphere. This phenomenon, which I call the double take of expertise, has been observed in a number of expertise domains. I describe it here in object- and pattern-recognition tasks in the domain of chess. I also discuss the importance of the study of expertise for our understanding of the human brain in general.
MicroRNA-23b and microRNA-27b plus flutamide treatment enhances apoptosis rate and decreases CCNG1 expression in a castration-resistant prostate cancer cell line
Authors: Pimenta Ruan CA , Viana Nayara I , Amaral Gabriela Q , Park Rubens , Morais Denis R , Pontes José , Guimaraes Vanessa R , Camargo Juliana A , Leite Kátia RM , Nahas William C , Srougi Miguel , Reis Sabrina T
Published: November 2018

The acquisition of a castration-resistant prostate cancer phenotype by prostate cancer cells is the alteration that has the worst prognosis for patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the microRNAs-23b/-27b as well as the possible CCNG1 target gene in tissue samples from patients with localized prostate cancer that progressed to castration-resistant prostate cancer and in a castration-resistant prostate cancer cell line (PC-3). The microRNAs and target gene expression levels of the surgical specimens were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The prostate cancer cell line, PC-3, was transfected with pre-miR-23b, pre-miR-27b, and their respective controls using Lipofectamine RNAiMAX and exposed or not to flutamide. After transfections, expression levels of both the microRNAs and the gene, CCNG1, were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The apoptosis and cell cycle assays were performed on the mini MUSE cytometer. MicroRNAs-23b/-27b were underexpressed in surgical specimens of prostate cancer; however, their target gene, CCNG1, was overexpressed in 69% of the cases. After transfection with the microRNAs-23b/-27b and flutamide, we observed a reduction in gene expression compared with cells that were treated only with microRNAs or only with flutamide. In the apoptosis assay, we demonstrated cell sensitization following transfection with microRNAs-23b/-27b and potentiation when co-administered with flutamide. The number of cells in apoptosis was almost three times higher with the simultaneous treatments (miR + flutamide) compared with the control (p < 0.05). In the cell cycle assay, only flutamide treatment showed better results; a higher number of cells were found in the G0-G1 phase, and a lower percentage of cells completed the final phase of the cycle (p < 0.05). We conclude that microRNAs-23b/-27b are downexpressed in prostate cancer, and their target gene, CCNG1, is overexpressed. We postulated that microRNAs-23b/-27b sensitize the PC-3 cell line and that after the addition of flutamide in the apoptosis assay, we would observe synergism in the treatments between miR and flutamide. In the cell cycle assay, the use of flutamide was sufficient to decrease the number of cells in mitosis. Therefore, we postulate that microRNAs, along with other drugs, may become very useful therapeutic tools in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer.