bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Industry Ties in Otolaryngology
Authors: Rathi Vinay K. , Samuel Andre M. , Mehra Saral
Published: March 2015

Objective

To characterize nonresearch payments made by industry to otolaryngologists in order to explore how the potential for conflicts of interests varies among otolaryngologists and compares between otolaryngologists and other surgical specialists.

Study Design

Retrospective cross‐sectional database analysis.

Setting

Open Payments program database recently released by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Subjects

Surgeons nationwide who were identified as receiving nonresearch payment from industry in accordance with the Physician Payment Sunshine Act.

Methods

The proportion of otolaryngologists receiving payment, the mean payment per otolaryngologist, and the standard deviation thereof were determined using the Open Payments database and compared to other surgical specialties. Otolaryngologists were further compared by specialization, census region, sponsor, and payment amount.

Results

Less than half of otolaryngologists (48.1%) were reported as receiving payments over the study period, the second smallest proportion among surgical specialties. Otolaryngologists received the lowest mean payment per compensated individual ($573) compared to other surgical specialties. Although otolaryngology had the smallest variance in payment among surgical specialties (SD, $2806), the distribution was skewed by top earners; the top 10% of earners accounted for 87% ($2,199,254) of all payment to otolaryngologists. Otolaryngologists in the West census region were less likely to receive payments (38.6%, P <. 001).

Conclusion

Over the study period, otolaryngologists appeared to have more limited financial ties with industry compared to other surgeons, though variation exists within otolaryngology. Further refinement of the Open Payments database is needed to explore differences between otolaryngologists and leverage payment information as a tool for self‐regulation.
Bringing Academic and Corporate Worlds Closer
Authors: Panda Abinash
Published: March 2015

I have shared my learning from my professional stints with both academic world and the world of practice. My stint with the corporate world has significantly shaped my thinking, behaviour and attitude to a significant extent. I developed empathy for both the communities and appreciated the viewpoints and perspectives of both an academic scholar and a practitioner. I started thinking both like an academic scholar as well as a practitioner. I do not claim myself to be a pracademic. But, I am sure a group of pracademics would help bridge the gaps between the worlds of theory and practice as they embody the merged role, carved out of two independent and differentiated roles of an academic scholar and a practitioner. In this article, I have presented an approach for grooming a group of pracademics with ambidextrous mindset, who would act as boundary spanners to bring both the worlds closer. This article also throws light on how is a pracademic different from a full-fledged practitioner or an academic scholar, how does a pracademic help bridge the gaps and how to groom pracademics. Grooming pracademics has its own challenges, when both corporate India and the Indian academic community are not ready yet for pracademics. These challenges and some of the ways of dealing with them are presented in this article.
Changing Workforce and Transforming Industrial Relations Scenario
Authors: Venkataraman Anuratha , Balasubramanian Girish , Sarkar Santanu
Published: March 2015

India has witnessed rapid growth and development in the employment and industrial relations landscape post the liberalization of the Indian economy in the 1990s, which has had far reaching implications on Industrial Relations. These cumulative changes have implied that there is a lacuna in our understanding of the aspirations of the Indian workforce and the subsequent changes that the field of Indian Industrial Relations is undergoing. Forum for Industrial Relations at XLRI (FIRE@X) organised the 6th Bi-annual National Industrial Relations conference organized at XLRI, Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur on 11–12 January 2014 on the theme “Changing workforce and transforming IR Scenario”. This conference served as the meeting point of leading industrialists, academics and trade union leaders to share their ideas and experiences and debate on the practices and policies. This article is a commentary on the conference that was organized.
Growing Corruption
Authors: Tudu Preshita Neha , Pathak Pramod
Published: March 2015

In this age of globalization, where economic motives precede over all virtues and traditions, protection of larger public interest from great corporate scandals has become matter of great concern. Faced with cut-throat competition, fraudulent conduct, illegitimate dealings and corrupt practices have become the norm. The exposes that have surfaced recently in the public and corporate domain have made a serious dent into the country’s image and in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, 2012, India ranked 94 out of 176. The issue, then, is one of the biggest challenges facing the country. What can be done? The political class has failed to tackle the issue, the complicity of the bureaucracy is an open secret and the corporate houses seem to be hand in glove with the unscrupulous. The answer has to come from the lesser mortals, the ordinary people who are the real stakeholders. Against this backdrop there is need to understand and strengthen the framework of whistle blowing.

The paper attempts to understand a typical whistle blowing pattern and develop a model based on empirical studies. It also underscores the need to encourage and protect whistle blowers, thereby facilitating the creation of a whistle blower-friendly organizational culture.
Education, Empowerment and Communication (EEC) as Drivers of Managing Change
Authors: Sharma Rohini , Sahoo Chandan Kumar
Published: March 2015

Although corporate jargons like employee education, empowerment and communication are frequently used by the top management, it rarely translates into an inherent part of change management. Using organizational-level data from single site case study, an attempt has been made to impress upon the fact that these popular jargons when applied in true sense can become potent tools in managing people side of change successfully. On the basis of collection of responses from 516 respondents through a well-structured questionnaire, both executives and non-executives, a model for successfully managing change has been proposed and validated through structured equation modelling to indicate that people’s skill and competencies developed consistently through education to meet the emerging technological changes and challenges; their alignment, involvement and empowerment in respective areas of work and persistent communication significantly affect the outcome of change initiatives.
Applying Theory of Constraints to the Indian Administrative Services
Authors: Mishra Soumya , Palo Sasmita
Published: March 2015

This paper attempts to identify constraints faced by Indian Administrative officers using the Theory of Constraints (ToC). Results show that despite its origins as a manufacturing methodology, Goldratt’s ToC can be applied to identify constraints in the Indian administrative system, the most likely cause-and-effect relationships leading to such constraints, and the courses of action that are generally taken by officers to eliminate them. Three categories of constraints clearly emerged as inhibitors to the efficiency of the system. These are structural, policy and resources related. Lack of adequate training and insensitivity of officers towards the ground realities of the public are identified as some of the other constraints. It is observed that most of the respondents offered institutional arguments to characterize constraints in the system. Institutional arguments are not about assemblage of individual actions, but higher order factors above the individual level that influence the processes and outcomes and tend to sire regular patterns or inertia.
How have I come to recognise and develop my talents which are my gift to my colleagues and pupils
Authors: Kemp Kate
Published: March 2015

Using a Living Theory approach to action research I explore ‘Gifts, Talents and Education’ by considering what my ‘unique talent’ is, and I use my response as a lens through which to examine literature on the subject and my own professional and personal experience. I have used narratives, written over time, as data to which I have added commentaries, which show what I have learned and what use I make of the learning.
Deep learning for detecting robotic grasps
Authors: Lenz Ian , Lee Honglak , Saxena Ashutosh
Published: March 2015

We consider the problem of detecting robotic grasps in an RGB-D view of a scene containing objects. In this work, we apply a deep learning approach to solve this problem, which avoids time-consuming hand-design of features. This presents two main challenges. First, we need to evaluate a huge number of candidate grasps. In order to make detection fast and robust, we present a two-step cascaded system with two deep networks, where the top detections from the first are re-evaluated by the second. The first network has fewer features, is faster to run, and can effectively prune out unlikely candidate grasps. The second, with more features, is slower but has to run only on the top few detections. Second, we need to handle multimodal inputs effectively, for which we present a method that applies structured regularization on the weights based on multimodal group regularization. We show that our method improves performance on an RGBD robotic grasping dataset, and can be used to successfully execute grasps on two different robotic platforms.
A biologically inspired soft exosuit for walking assistance
Authors: Asbeck Alan T. , De Rossi Stefano M.M. , Holt Kenneth G. , Walsh Conor J.
Published: March 2015

We present the design and evaluation of a multi-articular soft exosuit that is portable, fully autonomous, and provides assistive torques to the wearer at the ankle and hip during walking. Traditional rigid exoskeletons can be challenging to perfectly align with a wearer’s biological joints and can have large inertias, which can lead to the wearer altering their natural motion patterns. Exosuits, in comparison, use textiles to create tensile forces over the body in parallel with the muscles, enabling them to be light and not restrict the wearer’s kinematics. We describe the biologically inspired design and function of our exosuit, including a simplified model of the suit’s architecture and its interaction with the body. A key feature of the exosuit is that it can generate forces passively due to the body’s motion, similar to the body’s ligaments and tendons. These passively generated forces can be supplemented by actively contracting Bowden cables using geared electric motors, to create peak forces in the suit of up to 200 N. We define the suit–human series stiffness as an important parameter in the design of the exosuit and measure it on several subjects, and we perform human subjects testing to determine the biomechanical and physiological effects of the suit. Results from a five-subject study showed a minimal effect on gait kinematics and an average best-case metabolic reduction of 6.4%, comparing suit worn unpowered versus powered, during loaded walking with 34.6 kg of carried mass including the exosuit and actuators (2.0 kg on both legs, 10.1 kg total).
Slip classification for dynamic tactile array sensors
Authors: Heyneman Barrett , Cutkosky Mark R.
Published: March 2015

The manipulation of objects held in a robotic hand or gripper is accompanied by events such as making and breaking contact and slippage, between the fingertips and the grasped object and between the grasped object and external surfaces. Humans can distinguish among such events, in part, because they excite the various mechanoreceptors in the hands differently. As part of an effort to provide robots with a similar capability, we propose two features that can be extracted from dynamic tactile array data and used to discriminate between hand/object and object/world slips. Both features rely on examining how slippage affects an array of dynamic tactile sensors compared with the way it affects individual elements of the array. In comparison with approaches that require extensive training with particular combinations of objects and skin, the features work for a wide range of frequencies and grasp conditions. The performance and generalizability of the features are verified with testing on three different kinds of sensors and for a range of object textures, grasp forces and slip conditions. Both features demonstrate greater than 85% accuracy in identifying the location of slip.
A concept for an electrohydraulic brake system with adaptive brake pedal feedback
Authors: Farshizadeh Emad , Steinmann David , Briese Hermann , Henrichfreise Hermann
Published: March 2015

This paper describes a control concept for an electrohydraulic brake system for electric vehicles. The concept offers the possibility of generating any brake pedal feedback to the driver, so that the driver’s perception of the brake pedal can be influenced and adapted to actual driving conditions. With this brake system, disturbances from the hydraulic part acting on the brake pedal are rejected by the control and do not affect the brake pedal feel. Such disturbances occur, for example, when the anti-lock system is active or, in electric and hybrid vehicles, when changing between recuperative braking and friction-based braking. Two examples are presented to show how different brake pedal feedback characteristics can be implemented. The developed control concept is analysed in simulations with a detailed non-linear model of the brake system in an electric vehicle environment. The simulation results show a very good performance for recuperative braking together with friction-based braking and for anti-lock system braking without affecting the pedal feedback negatively.
Anthropogenically driven decline and extinction of Sapotaceae on Nuku Hiva (Marquesas Islands, East Polynesia)
Authors: Huebert Jennifer M
Published: March 2015

The native forests of the central and eastern Pacific Islands were extensively modified by Polynesian settlers, but our understanding of these processes is generalised. In the first large study of anthropogenic forest change in the Marquesas Islands, the identification of two members of the Sapotaceae family in prehistoric archaeological charcoal assemblages was notable. Extant species from this family are poorly represented in East Polynesia, and the findings of Planchonella and another taxon (cf. Sideroxylon) indicate their geographical distribution was once more extensive than it is today. They further suggest some Sapotaceae may have been common elements of the indigenous lowland forests of the eastern high islands of Polynesia. Charcoal from the aforementioned taxa were found in early cultural contexts at archaeological sites in three Marquesan valleys, but were almost undetectable in late prehistoric contexts. These declines could be attributed to overexploitation of the wood, forest clearance and seed predation by introduced rats. Data from another archaeological site in the archipelago also suggest that links with reductions in native frugivorous bird populations should be explored. This study has informed on a group of plants that are not well-represented in pollen spectra in the region, and further highlights the usefulness of archaeobotanical data in studying palaeoecological processes in the Holocene.
A nonlinear piezoelectric shell model: Theoretical and numerical considerations
Authors: Pasquali Michele , Gaudenzi Paolo
Published: March 2015

A nonlinear piezoelectric shell model capable of accurately expressing the direct and the converse piezoelectric effect is discussed here with the support of numerical simulations. The theory under investigation is meant to be able to encompass a complete coupling between the mechanical and the electrical fields in the frame of geometrically exact shell formulations. To this aim, warping functions characterized by an ad hoc polynomial expansion in the shell through-the-thickness coordinate are considered to describe the shear and the extensional deformability of transverse fibers. The governing equations of motion are numerically implemented for the cases of a rectangular semi-cylinder and for a multilayered 90° rectangular cylinder. Numerical results show the effects of key geometric parameters and of the nature of the loading on the system response, evidencing that significant misrepresentations of the system behavior are possible if lower-order kinematics are taken into account.
Reducing Lead in Air and Preventing Childhood Exposure Near Lead Smelters
Authors: Sullivan Marianne
Published: March 2015

Childhood lead exposure and poisoning near primary lead smelters continues in developed and developing countries. In the United States, the problem of lead poisoning in children caused by smelter emissions was first documented in the early 1970s. In 1978, Environmental Protection Agency set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead. Attainment of this lead standard in areas near operating lead smelters took twenty to thirty years. Childhood lead exposure and poisoning continued to occur after the lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards were set and before compliance was achieved. This article analyzes and discusses the factors that led to the eventual achievement of the 1978 lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards near primary smelters and the reduction of children’s blood lead levels in surrounding communities. Factors such as federal and state regulation, monitoring of emissions, public health activities such as blood lead surveillance and health education, relocation of children, environmental group and community advocacy, and litigation all played a role.
Occupational Health and Safety for Agricultural Workers in Thailand
Authors: Kaewboonchoo Orawan , Kongtip Pornpimol , Woskie Susan
Published: March 2015

Over 16.7 million workers in Thailand (42 percent of the working population) are engaged in agriculture, disproportionately from the lower socioeconomic strata of Thai society. Most agricultural workers (over 93 percent) work in the informal sector without the protections of regulations or enforcement of labor or health and safety laws or enrollment in a social security system. Although Thailand’s use of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides is growing, there is little regulation of the sale, use, or application of these potentially toxic chemicals. This paper summarizes the research to date on occupational health and safety for Thai agricultural workers, identifies gaps in pesticide regulations and the current systems for occupational health and safety and social support for Thai agricultural workers, and makes recommendations for future policy and research initiatives to fill the identified gaps.
Does the American Dream Matter for Members of Congress?
Authors: Grumbach Jacob M.
Published: March 2015

Do legislators from upper-class backgrounds behave differently from those from humble beginnings? Scholars of representation have made progress understanding the effects of a legislator’s social class on roll-call votes, but ideology is also understood to be shaped during adolescence. Using data from Nicholas Carnes’ White-Collar Government, I find that upper-class members of Congress with working-class parents are significantly more liberal than upper-class members with upper-class parents. This trend is particular to the Democrats; Republican voting records do not significantly differ with respect to parental class. Findings are robust to potential confounders, including race, gender, and district characteristics.
High Rate of Recurrence Following Proximal Medial Opening Wedge Osteotomy for Correction of Moderate Hallux Valgus
Authors: Iyer Sravisht , Demetracopoulos Constantine A. , Sofka Carolyn M. , Ellis Scott J.
Published: March 2015

Background:

The proximal medial opening wedge (PMOW) osteotomy has become more popular to treat moderate to severe hallux valgus with the recent development of specifically designed, low-profile modular plates. Despite the promising results previously reported in the literature, we have noted a high incidence of recurrence in patients treated with a PMOW. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical and radiographic outcomes of an initial cohort of patients treated with a PMOW osteotomy for moderate hallux valgus.

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed prospectively gathered data on a cohort of 17 consecutive patients who were treated by the senior author using a PMOW osteotomy for moderate hallux valgus deformity. Average time to follow-up was 2.4 years (range, 1.0-3.5 years). The intermetatarsal angle (IMA), the hallux valgus angle (HVA), and the distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA) were assessed on standard weightbearing radiographs of the foot preoperatively and at all follow-up visits. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) was collected on all patients preoperatively and at final follow-up.

Results:

Despite demonstrating good correction of their deformity initially, 11 of the 17 patients (64.7%) had evidence of recurrence of their hallux valgus deformity at final follow-up. Patients who recurred had a greater preoperative HVA ( P = .023) and DMAA ( P = .049) than patients who maintained their correction. Improvement in the quality-of-life subscale of the FAOS was noted at final follow-up for all patients ( P = .05). There was no significant improvement in any of the other FAOS subscales.

Conclusions:

There was a high rate of recurrence of the hallux valgus deformity in this cohort of patients. Recurrence was associated with greater preoperative deformity and an increased preoperative DMAA. The PMOW without a concomitant distal metatarsal osteotomy may be best reserved for patients with mild hallux valgus deformity without an increased DMAA.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Making Music as Embodied Dialogue
Authors: Phalen Steve
Published: March 2015

This essay explores music’s value as a meaningful modality of self-expression that makes possible dialogic relationships with implications for the conduct of qualitative inquiry. To perform music’s dialogic contours, I draw from my experiences making music with members of a non-profit drop-in center for persons living with mental illness. Specifically, I share two vignettes that perform autoethnographically the musical relationship that unfolded between one member, Jordan, and myself. Through our act of making music together, we were able to dwell in the spirit of edifying individuation and edifying participation that created the possibility for the outward sharing of consequential life experiences. Finally, the implications of music’s capacity to voice embodied meanings for qualitative inquiry are discussed.
“You’re Going to Do What?” Challenges of Autoethnography in the Academy
Authors: Forber-Pratt Anjali J.
Published: March 2015

This story presents three main challenges faced with creating an autoethnography as a dissertation at a prestigious university. These challenges include (a) finding the author’s voice, (b) negotiating university policies and procedures, and (c) addressing validity concerns for autoethnography. The resulting autoethnographic account captures vulnerable moments and incidents to produce an evocative story about becoming a pioneer. A fusion between social science and screenplay yields a compelling story where effects of reality and human experience come together. These struggles with university’s policies and creating a form of member-checking contribute to the field of “autoethnography” with regard to qualitative methodology. Embarking on the path less traveled while navigating the political system and bureaucracy gives hope to others seeking to publish and/or write their autoethnography.
The Altered Brain Activation of Phonological Working Memory, Dual Tasking, and Distraction Among Participants With Adult ADHD and the Effect of the MAOA Polymorphism
Authors: Ko Chih-Hung , Hsieh Tsyh-Jyi , Wang Peng-Wei , Lin Wei-Chen , Chen Cheng-Sheng , Yen Ju-Yu
Published: March 2015

Objective: The present study aimed to reveal the brain correlates of phonological working memory (WM), dual tasking, and distraction in adult ADHD combined with the effect of polymorphisms of monoamine oxidase A ( MAOA rs1137070 Asp470Asp). Method: A total of 29 participants with adult ADHD and 21 controls were recruited. They completed 0-back and 2-back tasks, as wells as 2-back tasks with a dual-task effect or a distracting effect, during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Results: The brain activation of WM in the bilateral inferior frontal lobe, pars opercularis, was higher among the adult ADHD group. The genotype of MAOA significantly interacted with the ADHD effect in the left inferior frontal lobe, pars opercularis. Adults with ADHD had higher activation in the left lingual area in response to the dual-tasking effect. Conclusion: The MAOA polymorphism moderated the altered activation in pars opercularis for WM among adults with ADHD. The higher lingual gyrus activation might indicate that higher attention resources are demanded to sustain the dual-task function of adults with ADHD.
Negative Consequences of Poor Driving Outcomes Reported by Adolescents With and Without ADHD
Authors: Narad Megan E. , Garner Annie A. , Antonini Tanya N. , Kingery Kathleen M. , Tamm Leanne , Calhoun Heather R. , Epstein Jeffery N.
Published: March 2015

Objective: Although adolescents with ADHD report less driving experience, a greater proportion of adolescents with ADHD report receiving at least one ticket; however, no study has examined the severity of infractions committed by adolescent drivers with ADHD. Method: A total of 61 adolescents (28 ADHD, 33 controls) aged 16 to 17 with a valid driver’s license completed a self-report Driving History Questionnaire (DHQ), which asked about months of driving experience, negative driving outcomes, and severity of consequences. Results: A greater proportion of adolescents with ADHD reported receiving fines, points on their driver’s license, and remedial driving class. Furthermore, adolescents with ADHD reported attending a greater number of hours in remedial driving class, and a greater expense associated with fines. Conclusion: Importantly, ADHD-related negative driving outcomes manifest early in driving careers. Furthermore, increased negative consequences of poor and/or risky driving among adolescents with ADHD were evident despite having fewer months of independent driving.
Non-melanoma Skin Cancer in Canada Chapter 2: Primary Prevention of Non-melanoma Skin Cancer
Authors: Barber Kirk , Searles Gordon E. , Vender Ronald , Teoh Hwee , Ashkenas John
Published: March 2015

Background

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including basal and squamous cell carcinoma (BCC and SCC), represents the most common malignancy.

Objective

To provide guidance to Canadian health care practitioners regarding primary prevention of NMSC.

Methods

Structured literature searches were conducted, using search terms including prevention, sunscreen, and sun prevention factor. All recommendations concern guidance that physicians should regularly discuss with their patients to help establish photoprotection habits. The GRADE system was used to assign strength to each recommendation.

Results

Ultraviolet exposure is the major modifiable risk factor for NMSC. Aspects of photoprotection, including effective sunscreen use and avoidance of both the midday sun and artificial tanning, are discussed. Several widespread misunderstandings that undermine responsible public health measures related to sun safety are addressed.

Conclusions

Photoprotection represents both an individual priority and a public health imperative. By providing accurate information during routine patient visits, physicians reinforce the need for ongoing skin cancer prevention.
When the kingmaker stays home
Authors: Rodon Toni
Published: March 2015

After reviewing the theoretical underpinnings behind the ‘conventional wisdom’ that voters on the left abstain more, this article critically assesses the traditional approach of the so-called ideological bias on turnout. By compiling a new large dataset (197 country elections in Europe), this paper shows that centrist abstention is higher than leftist or rightist abstention. The analysis reveals that a society’s ideological turnout bias reflects its socioeconomic context (traditional explanation), but also that party strategies play a key role. Most importantly, results show that convergence towards the centre triggers a higher centrist abstention. Additionally, this article demonstrates that both socioeconomic and partisan factors have heterogeneous effects across ideological positions. These findings critically challenge prior understanding of the ideological bias on turnout and the impact of parties’ election strategies when pursuing the key centre voter.
Early lexical expression in children exposed to mixed input: A case of monolingual or bilingual development?
Authors: Gatt Daniela , Grech Helen , Dodd Barbara
Published: March 2015

Aims and objectives:

This study documents early lexical expression in children whose language input in the home was predominantly Maltese, accompanied by regular exposure to English lexical mixing. Bilingualism and language contact were also present at the societal level. The study attempts to determine whether the children’s pattern of vocabulary growth corresponded to a monolingual or bilingual mode of development.

Methodology:

The expressive vocabularies of 60 children aged 1;0 to 2;6 years were measured using caregiver reports and language sampling.

Data and analysis:

Expressive scores representing total vocabulary, Maltese and English words as well as translation equivalents were derived from the language samples and caregiver-completed vocabulary checklists.

Findings and conclusions:

Both Maltese and English words were identified in the children’s expressive vocabularies. Higher translation equivalent proportions were reported across daily settings than were sampled. Participants seemed to introduce new equivalents for words previously used in one language according to the needs of the communicative context. These findings demonstrate a basic level of bilingualism in the participants and suggest selective use of equivalents in response to environmental demands. The latter would imply the presence of a double lexical system, indicating a more refined bilingual status, although insufficient contextual evidence made this a tentative proposition. Fragmented exposure to English appeared unable to support the participants’ bilingual development beyond the lexical domain.

Originality:

While documenting lexical development in children exposed to a distinctive language-learning context that is as yet under-researched, this study adds to the limited evidence on lexical expression in young children exposed to substantial lexical mixing in their input.

Significance:

These findings highlight the development of bilingual proficiency as a process that spreads across linguistic levels in accordance with input variables. They also suggest that Maltese children’s bilingual lexicons may have the potential to kick-start their sequential bilingual development once systematic exposure to integral English is introduced through schooling.
Learning from mistakes: Using audio-recorded transcription errors to probe the sociocognitive paradigm in language processing
Authors: Barajas Elías Domínguez
Published: March 2015

This article argues that errors in audio data processing should be (re)examined to explore and expose the underlying components that enable linguistic communication and cross-cultural understanding. Examples of errors in the transcription of a Mexican social network’s conversations are analyzed to demonstrate the potential of such data in the development of sociocognitive language-processing theories (those that combine formal and pragmatic approaches). It is suggested that researchers working with audio-recorded data should expand the scope of what is considered useful data for the sake of both methodological reflexivity and identifying the underlying cognitive processes enabling linguistic understanding.
Design and baseline characteristics of the CARdiovascular Outcome Trial of LINAgliptin Versus Glimepiride in Type 2 Diabetes (CAROLINA®)
Authors: Marx Nikolaus , Rosenstock Julio , Kahn Steven E , Zinman Bernard , Kastelein John J , Lachin John M , Espeland Mark A , Bluhmki Erich , Mattheus Michaela , Ryckaert Bart , Patel Sanjay , Johansen Odd Erik , Woerle Hans-Juergen
Published: March 2015

CARdiovascular Outcome Trial of LINAgliptin Versus Glimepiride in Type 2 Diabetes (NCT01243424) is an ongoing, randomized trial in subjects with early type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk or established complications that will determine the long-term cardiovascular impact of linagliptin versus the sulphonylurea glimepiride. Eligible patients were sulphonylurea-naïve with HbA1c 6.5%–8.5% or previously exposed to sulphonylurea (in monotherapy or in a combination regimen <5 years) with HbA1c 6.5%–7.5%. Primary outcome is time to first occurrence of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke or hospitalization for unstable angina. A total of 631 patients with primary outcome events will be required to provide 91% power to demonstrate non-inferiority in cardiovascular safety by comparing the upper limit of the two-sided 95% confidence interval as being below 1.3 for a given hazard ratio. Hierarchical testing for superiority will follow, and the trial has 80% power to demonstrate a 20% relative cardiovascular risk reduction. A total of 6041 patients were treated with median type 2 diabetes duration 6.2 years, 40.0% female, mean HbA1c 7.2%, 66% on 1 and 24% on 2 glucose-lowering agents and 34.5% had previous cardiovascular complications. The results of CARdiovascular Outcome Trial of LINAgliptin Versus Glimepiride in Type 2 Diabetes may influence the decision-making process for selecting a second glucose-lowering agent after metformin in type 2 diabetes.
The Indirect Effect of Alcohol Use on GPA in First-Semester College Students
Authors: Conway James M. , DiPlacido Joanne
Published: March 2015

This study focused on first-semester college students, investigating (a) indirect effects of aggregate alcohol use on grade point average (GPA) through academic effort (skipping class and time on schoolwork) and (b) daily effects of alcohol use on reduced effort. Eighty students reported daily alcohol use and academic effort (skipping class and hours spent on schoolwork) during five selected weeks of their first semester; the university provided GPAs. We found strong evidence of an indirect effect of aggregate alcohol use on GPA through skipping class; there was weaker evidence for time on schoolwork as a mediator. Daily analyses showed increased skipping and reduced schoolwork on days during which students used alcohol. Intervention to increase persistence may focus on reducing alcohol use and on dealing with low effort (e.g., skipping class).
Targeting Structural Change for HIV Prevention
Authors: Willard Nancy , Chutuape Kate , Stewart-Campbell Rachel , Boyer Cherrie B. , Ellen Jonathan
Published: March 2015

To address the persistent HIV epidemic in the United States, prevention efforts are focusing on social determinants related to HIV risk by targeting systems and structures, such as organizational and institutional policies, practices and programs, and legislative and regulatory approaches to modify features of the environment that influence HIV risk. With limited evidenced-based examples, communities can benefit from strategic planning resources that help them consider developing structural-level changes that target root causes of HIV risk. In this article, we present the Connect to Protect® project that outlines a process and a tool to move from general ideas to specific structural changes. Examples from 14 coalitions are also provided. Using the process and tools presented here can provide a launching pad for other coalitions seeking to build an HIV prevention agenda and for practitioners seeking to incorporate structural changes for community health promotion.
Banalities Turned Viral
Authors: Pal Joyojeet
Published: March 2015

Narendra Modi’s social media presence is among the most extensive for any politician in the world, including on Twitter where he currently stands second in following only to Barack Obama. With a mix of “feel good” messages, shout-outs to other celebrities, and well-timed ritualized responses, as well as a careful strategy of “followbacks” for a small selection of his most active followers, Modi has been able to grow his following dramatically especially since 2013. Twitter helps Modi directly reach a significant constituency of listeners, and use it as a channel to talk to the main stream media. In addition, the very appearance of his using social media effectively is in itself valuable in reshaping his public image as a technology-savvy leader, aligned with the aspirations of a new Indian modernity.
Efficiency enhancement of the ocean thermal energy conversion system with a vapor–vapor ejector
Authors: Lee Ho-Saeng , Yoon Jung-In , Son Chang-Hyo , Ha Soo-Jung , Seol Sung-Hoon , Ye Byung Hyo , Kim Hyeon-Ju , Jung Gun-Joo
Published: March 2015

In this article, 20 kW ocean thermal energy conversion with a vapor–vapor ejector is newly proposed. As a vapor–vapor ejector is installed in the system, the pressure difference between the turbine inlet and outlet increases. Therefore, the amount of the working fluid required for the total turbine work of 20 kW is less than when no vapor–vapor ejector is installed. Therefore, installing a vapor–vapor ejector in the system decreases the evaporation capacity and the pump work. The performance analysis considered the outlet pressure of the high-stage turbine, the mass flow ratio of the working fluid at the outlet of a separator just after the high-stage turbine, and the nozzle diameters of the vapor–vapor ejector. As the outlet pressure of high-stage turbine becomes lower, the turbine gross power of high-stage turbine and system efficiency increase although lower outlet pressure of high-stage turbine results in lower ejector performance. Similarly, in terms of mass flow ratio, the highest system efficiency was shown at mass flow ratio of 0.4 at the outlet of a separator just after the high-stage turbine. On the other hand, the performance of the ejector at mass flow ratio of 0.5 at the outlet of a separator was largest. When the nozzle diameters of the vapor–vapor ejector are properly designed, the vapor–vapor ejector shows the highest performance. After the optimization of the operation parameters, system efficiency of the proposed ocean thermal energy conversion power cycle was 2.47%, relatively 15% higher than that of the basic ocean thermal energy conversion power cycle (2.2%).
A web-based, collaborative modeling, simulation, and parallel computing environment for electromechanical systems
Authors: Yin Xiaoliang , Wu Yizhong , Liu Qi , Wang Shuting
Published: March 2015

Complex electromechanical system is usually composed of multiple components from different domains, including mechanical, electronic, hydraulic, control, and so on. Modeling and simulation for electromechanical system on a unified platform is one of the research hotspots in system engineering at present. It is also the development trend of the design for complex electromechanical system. The unified modeling techniques and tools based on Modelica language provide a satisfactory solution. To meet with the requirements of collaborative modeling, simulation, and parallel computing for complex electromechanical systems based on Modelica, a general web-based modeling and simulation prototype environment, namely, WebMWorks, is designed and implemented. Based on the rich Internet application technologies, an interactive graphic user interface for modeling and post-processing on web browser was implemented; with the collaborative design module, the environment supports top-down, concurrent modeling and team cooperation; additionally, service-oriented architecture–based architecture was applied to supply compiling and solving services which run on cloud-like servers, so the environment can manage and dispatch large-scale simulation tasks in parallel on multiple computing servers simultaneously. An engineering application about pure electric vehicle is tested on WebMWorks. The results of simulation and parametric experiment demonstrate that the tested web-based environment can effectively shorten the design cycle of the complex electromechanical system.
Numerical simulation of heat transfer in microchannel using energy conservative dissipative particle dynamics
Authors: Xie Yelei , Chen Shuo
Published: March 2015

Dissipative particle dynamics is a particle-based mesoscopic simulation method. Classic dissipative particle dynamics cannot be used to simulate heat transfer in fluids since the total energy of the system is not conserved. In this article, two-dimensional unsteady heat conduction is first investigated using dissipative particle dynamics with energy conservation. The energy conservative dissipative particle dynamics results are compared with the FLUENT simulation data, and it demonstrates that they are in good agreement with each other. Then, forced convection heat transfers in microchannel of the same wall temperature and different wall temperatures are simulated, respectively, by using periodic boundary condition of dimensionless temperature. The results show that the velocity, temperature, and dimensionless temperature distributions are consistent with theoretical results. Finally, we give a qualitative analysis about the applicability of the energy conservative dissipative particle dynamics approach in simulating flow and heat transfer in rough microchannel.
Uncertainty analysis of torque-induced bending deformations in ball screw systems
Authors: Xiangsheng Gao , Min Wang , Qi Li , Tao Zan
Published: March 2015

In order to study the torque-induced bending deformation in ball screw systems with uncertain-but-bounded parameters, uncertainty analysis of torque-induced bending deformations in ball screw systems based on an numerical method combined second-order Taylor series expansion with difference of convex functions algorithm is conducted in this research. The maximum torque-induced bending deformation in ball screw systems with certain parameters is solved by modeling the ball screw as a simple Euler–Bernoulli beam. On the basis of the model, the general expression of maximum deformation of ball screw systems in terms of uncertain parameters is derived based on the second-order Taylor series expansion. Then the problem of determining bounds of the maximum deformation of uncertain systems is transformed into a series of box constrained quadratic programming problems. Box constrained quadratic programming problems are solved by difference of convex functions algorithm. The effectiveness of the analysis is validated by Monte Carlo simulation method. Through demonstration, the conclusion can be drawn that the torque-induced bending deformation in ball screw systems with uncertain-but-bounded parameters can be analyzed explicitly by the numerical method combined second-order Taylor series expansion with difference of convex functions algorithm, which offers a new approach for estimating the torque-induced bending deformation in ball screw systems.
Double-diffusive mixed convection in the slot ventilated enclosure with different arrangements of supplying air flow ports
Authors: Cheng Heng-Sheng , Liu Di , Hu Jiang-Tao , Zhao Fu-Yun , Wang Han-Qing
Published: March 2015

Steady double-diffusive mixed convection in an enclosure with side venting and discrete heat and contaminant sources is numerically studied under supplying upside and returning downside (STRB) mode and returning upside and supplying downside mode (RTSB), respectively. The parameters governing the fluid flow include the Grashof number Gr (102–106), Reynolds number Re (100–500), supplying or returning distance H1/ HT (0–2), Prandtl number Pr (0.7), buoyancy ratio N, and Schmidt number Sc. Effects of Gr, Re, and H1/ HT on the flow patterns, thermal, and species transports were numerically investigated concerning STRB and RTSB modes. Fluid flow, heat, and species transports in the enclosure are visualized and analyzed by the contours of stream function, heat function, and mass function, respectively. Air age was also presented to evaluate the freshness of the enclosed fluid. Averaged Nusselt number of the heat source and Sherwood number of the contaminant source are power-law correlated with Gr, Re, and H1/ HT for two ventilation modes, respectively. The correlations demonstrate that the ratio of averaged Nusselt number to Sherwood number was approximately approaching unity, independent of ventilation modes and values of H1/ HT. This investigation could benefit the future design of room ventilation and thermal removals from the electronic chips.
Modal analysis of a truck cab using the least squares complex exponent test method
Authors: Fan Pingqing , Wang Yansong , Zhao Linlin
Published: March 2015

This article introduces the basic theory of modal analysis. The modal testing system is established for a developing truck body. Using a pseudo-random excitation signal along the x, y, and z directions, the modal test is carried out to obtain the dynamic performance by multi-point excitations. The transfer function set is obtained by averaging all transfer functions, and the set is processed by order selection to get 28 order modes. Fitting modal parameters and normalizing modal mass can gain natural frequencies and vibration modes of cab. Then, the modal analysis of truck cab is calculated based on the finite element method, and the results are compared with the test results. The improved measures are put forward to enhance the local stiffness, avoid modal coupling, and reduce vibration noise. So, this article supplies a reference for the dynamic test for the large body.
Study on lattice Boltzmann method/large eddy simulation and its application at high Reynolds number flow
Authors: Si Haiqing , Shi Yan
Published: March 2015

Lattice Boltzmann method combined with large eddy simulation is developed in the article to simulate fluid flow at high Reynolds numbers. A subgrid model is used as a large eddy simulation model in the numerical simulation for high Reynolds flow. The idea of subgrid model is based on an assumption to include the physical effects that the unresolved motion has on the resolved fluid motion. It takes a simple form of eddy viscosity models for the Reynolds stress. Lift and drag evaluation in the lattice Boltzmann equation takes momentum-exchange method for curved body surface. First of all, the present numerical method is validated at low Reynolds numbers. Second, the developed lattice Boltzmann method/large eddy simulation method is performed to solve flow problems at high Reynolds numbers. Some detailed quantitative comparisons are implemented to show the effectiveness of the present method. It is demonstrated that lattice Boltzmann method combined with large eddy simulation model can efficiently simulate high Reynolds numbers’ flows.