bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parallel Robot for Lower Limb Rehabilitation Exercises
Authors: Rastegarpanah Alireza , Saadat Mozafar , Borboni Alberto
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study is to investigate the capability of a 6-DoF parallel robot to perform various rehabilitation exercises. The foot trajectories of twenty healthy participants have been measured by a Vicon system during the performing of four different exercises. Based on the kinematics and dynamics of a parallel robot, a MATLAB program was developed in order to calculate the length of the actuators, the actuators’ forces, workspace, and singularity locus of the robot during the performing of the exercises. The calculated length of the actuators and the actuators’ forces were used by motion analysis in SolidWorks in order to simulate different foot trajectories by the CAD model of the robot. A physical parallel robot prototype was built in order to simulate and execute the foot trajectories of the participants. Kinect camera was used to track the motion of the leg’s model placed on the robot. The results demonstrate the robot’s capability to perform a full range of various rehabilitation exercises.
Paired High-Content Analysis of Prostate Cancer Cells in Bone Marrow and Blood Characterizes Increased Androgen Receptor Expression in Tumor Cell Clusters
Authors: Carlsson Anders , Kuhn Peter , Luttgen Madelyn S. , Keomanee-Dizon Kevin , Troncoso Patricia , Corn Paul G. , Kolatkar Anand , Hicks James B. , Logothetis Christopher J. , Zurita Amado J.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

Recent studies demonstrate that prostate cancer clones from different metastatic sites are dynamically represented in the blood of patients over time, suggesting that the paired evaluation of tumor cells in circulation and bone marrow, the primary target for prostate cancer metastasis, may provide complementary information.

Experimental Design:

We adapted our single-cell high-content liquid biopsy platform to bone marrow aspirates (BMA) to concurrently identify and characterize prostate cancer cells in patients' blood and bone and thus discern features associated to tumorigenicity and dynamics of metastatic progression.

Results:

The incidence of tumor cells in BMAs increased as the disease advanced: 0% in biochemically recurrent (n = 52), 26% in newly diagnosed metastatic hormone-naïve (n = 26), and 39% in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC; n = 63) patients, and their number was often higher than in paired blood. Tumor cell detection in metastatic patients' BMAs was concordant but 45% more sensitive than using traditional histopathologic interpretation of core bone marrow biopsies. Tumor cell clusters were more prevalent and bigger in BMAs than in blood, expressed higher levels of the androgen receptor protein per tumor cell, and were prognostic in mCRPC. Moreover, the patterns of genomic copy number variation in single tumor cells in paired blood and BMAs showed significant inter- and intrapatient heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

Paired analysis of single prostate cancer cells in blood and bone shows promise for clinical application and provides complementary information. The high prevalence and prognostic significance of tumor cell clusters, particularly in BMAs, suggest that these structures are key mediators of prostate cancer's metastatic progression. Clin Cancer Res; 23(7); 1722–32. ©2016 AACR.
Non-Invasive Haemodynamic Monitoring in Pregnancy: A Comparative Study Using Ultrasound and Bioreactance
Authors: Vinayagam Dimuthu , Bowe Sophie , Sheehan Elaine , Thilaganathan Basky , Khalil Asma
Published: October 2016

Background: Due to the importance of cardiovascular dysfunction and advances in the development and use of non-invasive cardiac output (CO) monitoring devices, there is a growing interest in their use in the obstetric population. The aim of this study was to compare two commercially available, non-invasive CO monitors in the assessment of heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), CO, cardiac index (CI) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) in an obstetric population. Methods: This was a prospective, comparative study including two groups. A normotensive group, which consisted of uncomplicated healthy pregnancies, and a hypertensive group, which consisted of those complicated by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Non-invasive cardiovascular assessments were performed using two methodologies. USCOM® is an operator-dependent Doppler ultrasound device which obtains velocity time integrals of transaortic blood flow at the left ventricular outflow tract, while NICOM® provides an operator-independent haemodynamic profile by assessing thoracic voltage changes (bioreactance) which reflect pulsatile blood flow in the thorax. Correlation coefficients were derived, and Bland-Altman analysis was performed to derive the mean percentage difference (MPD) between the devices. Results: 598 women were recruited for this study. In the normotensive group, 524 paired results were analysed, while 74 paired results were analysed in the hypertensive group. In the normotensive group, we found excellent correlation between USCOM® and NICOM® for HR (r = 0.885, p < 0.05), and moderate correlations for SV (r = 0.445, p < 0.05), CO (r = 0.529, p < 0.05), CI (r = 0.385, p < 0.05) and TPR (r = 0.524, p < 0.05). In the hypertensive group, we obtained similar correlations (HR: r = 0.877, p < 0.05; SV: r = 0.575, p < 0.05; CO: r = 0.601, p < 0.05; TPR: r = 0.589, p < 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis found that the agreement between both methodologies improved as gestation advances, with an MPD of 34% for CO estimation in the third trimester of uncomplicated pregnancies, and 39% in pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the two methodologies perform similarly in both uncomplicated pregnancies and in pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders. The study findings do not preclude the use of USCOM® and NICOM® devices in pregnancy, but indicate that these platforms cannot be used interchangeably. Our findings demonstrate an improvement in MPD as gestation advances and, therefore, questions the validity of previous longitudinal studies investigating maternal haemodynamics using these methodologies. Our work also highlights the need to construct reference ranges for each device and for validation of each methodology against a reference method before their use in research or clinical practice.
Interaction with the MAPT H1H1 Genotype Increases Dementia Risk in APOE ε4 Carriers in a Population of Southern India
Authors: Jairani P.S. , Aswathy P.M. , Gopala Srinivas , Verghese Joe , Mathuranath P.S.
Published: October 2016

Background: This study delineates the role of the interaction of apolipoprotein E (APOE) and MAPT alleles in contributing to disease risks of dementia in a southern Indian population. Methods: A sample of 419 patients comprising Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 156), mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 87), frontotemporal dementia (FTD; n = 127), vascular dementia (VD; n = 37), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB; n = 12) was analysed in comparison with a control group (n = 138). APOE genotyping and MAPT haplotyping were performed on all study subjects. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that variability on the APOE locus influenced the relative risk of dementia in the study population. The APOE ε4 allele increased the disease risk most significantly for AD (OR = 3.468, p < 0.0001) and MCI (OR = 2.901, p < 0.0001). The APOE ε2 allele remained protective for AD (OR = 0.205, p < 0.05). For FTD, VD, and DLB, the APOE ε4 allele was ineffectual in modulating disease risk. The MAPT H1 haplotype was not an overrepresented marker of neurodegenerative diseases. The H1H1 genotype had an additive effect in contributing to either disease risk in combination with the APOE ε4 allele or protection in combination with the APOE ε2 or ε3 allele. Conclusions: This study is a reappraisal of the strong association of APOE variability with AD in southern India when compared to other dementia groups, while the transcriptional differences between MAPT haplotypes have a limited role in Indian dementia patients.
Evaluating the Utility of a ‘N-of-1' Precision Cancer Medicine Strategy: The Case for ‘Time-to-Subsequent-Disease Progression'
Authors: Markman Maurie , Kramer Kim , Alvarez Ricardo H. , Weiss Glen J. , Ahn Eugene , Daneker George William
Published: October 2016

It is increasingly recognized that cancer is a highly heterogeneous group of illnesses even within a particular organ site (e.g., breast, lung, colon, etc.). This observation presents a serious challenge to the traditional concept of phase 3 randomized trials designed to define therapeutic efficacy of a novel treatment strategy. For while 10% of the patients with a common malignancy (e.g., non-small-cell lung cancer) may be sufficient to consider such an effort, enrolling a sufficient number of patients into a clinical trial in a timely manner to define clinical utility would be extremely difficult if the population in question represented only 1% of this population, and essentially impossible if one wished to explore the benefits of treatment in a rarer neoplasm (e.g. ovarian cancer). Therefore, in the new era of precision cancer medicine, alternative research designs are imperative. One option would be to compare the time-to-disease progression of an individual cancer patient following treatment with a novel therapeutic to the time-to-disease progression for that specific patient on her/his immediately preceding treatment. The rationale for this strategy and early experience with this innovative approach to evaluating the efficacy of anticancer therapy is highlighted in this report.
Procedimentos de tradução em HQs digitais envolvendo a cultura pop
Authors: Nóbrega Glauber Lopes da
Published: October 2016

Este artigo tem como objeto a tradução de webcomics, tiras em quadrinhos digitais que lidam com o texto das HQs, sob o viés da cultura pop. O arcabouço teórico envolve os procedimentos de tradução propostos por Vinay e Darbelnet em 1958 e revisados por Barbosa em 1990. Além disso, foram utilizados exemplos de elementos da cultura pop para ilustrar cada procedimento apresentado. Houve, posteriormente, a análise de tiras que foram traduzidas conforme tais procedimentos.
Especificidades da tradução de histórias em quadrinhos: abordagem inicial
Authors: Assis Érico Gonçalves de
Published: October 2016

A tradução de histórias em quadrinhos (HQs) constitui um campo dosEstudos da Tradução ainda pouco explorado, de forma que não há um fundamento teórico específico relacionado à prática. A produção mundial recente de quadrinhos – particularmente das chamadas graphics novels ou novelas gráficas –, contudo, promove um status à mídia comparável ao da literatura, o que gera sua maior aceitabilidade como produto cultural relevante e objeto de estudo acadêmico. Dado deste contexto, o artigo almeja construir linhas-guia para entendimento específico da tradução de HQs no que esta difere da tradução de outras mídias. Para isto, propõe cinco especificidades desta modalidade de tradução: (1) ingerência do tradutor reduzida às unidades de material linguístico; (2) indissolubilidade da mancha gráfica; (3) indissolubilidade das quebras verbais; (4) documento de tradução = roteiro para letreirista; (5) o letreirista como cotradutor.
Labour Rights and the Impact of Human Dignity, Religious Belief and Perception of Society
Authors: Ziebertz Hans-Georg , Ziebertz Carla M.
Published: October 2016

The present study was part of a large research project on human rights. This paper focuses on attitudes towards labour rights of German adolescents (N = 2244) The labour rights under investigation are the right to work for everyone, the right to equal pay for equal work, the right to working hour limitations, the right to paid holidays, and the right to support for the unemployed. Although human rights in general are considered as universal, egalitarian and indivisible, attitudes towards these rights can be positive, negative or ambivalent, and may depend on the context. The aim of this study is to investigate adolescents’ attitudes towards labour rights, and to examine whether and which contextual factors are related to their attitudes towards labour rights. The contextual factors under examination were: human dignity, religious beliefs, the socio-political perception of society, and socio-demographic characteristics. The findings show that labour rights are very positively valued, except support for the unemployed. From all predictors the strongest is the understanding of human dignity as inherent to humans, followed by dignity through moral behaviour.
Developments in the Arctic Council
Authors: Loukacheva Natalia
Published: October 2016

The Arctic Council is currently going through fundamental changes. Despite some criticism since its establishment by the Ottawa Declaration in 1996, the Council has evolved towards an efficient body able to address the emerging challenges and issues posed by the great transformation taking place within and outside the Arctic rim. The Council’s recent reforms have brought important changes to its architecture and jurisdictional capacity. The scope of this article is limited to the analysis of the key areas of the Council’s recent developments and its future in light of current realities.
Ta Non Referentiel
Authors: Dan Xu
Published: October 2016

This article purports that non-referential TA could have come from referential ta. Different dialects seem to prove this point. Two types of construction with non-referential, TA are studied :

1. V+TA+Num+Cl,

2. V+TA+GE+SV/SA

In Type 1, the constituent "Num+Cl" always refers to a frequency of action. For type 2, it is claimed that the original construction was probably "V+GE+SV/SA" and TA must have been inserted later.
Origin and evolution of question-words in Archaic Chinese: A cognitive approach
Authors: PEYRAUBE Alain , WU Fuxiang
Published: October 2016

This paper examines and explains how the various forms of question words arose in the Archaic period (11th-2nd c. BC) as well as their evolution. Four main claims are made: 1) The appearance and diffusion of the disyllabic ruhe, naihe, "how", "why" are due to a lexicalization process; 2) The specific forms for "when" (he) tend to disappear towards the end of the Late Archaic period; 3) The general pronoun/adverb he expands its territory as time goes by; 4) During the Archaic period, the system became more and more complex, with the increase of polysem and synonyms. Conclusions are drawn concerning the cognitive contours of the conceptual categories of the interrogative words: PERSON> OBJECT> PROCESS / QUALITY> SPACE> TIME. The transfer of meanings from one domain to another suggests that reduction in semantic complexity is far from being criteria!.
Les Éthai Du Vietnam
Authors: Ferlus Michel
Published: October 2016

The Thai spoken in Vietnam comprises a large number of dialects and uses several systems of writing which can be classified into three sets: (I) the Black Tay, the White Tay and the Tay Dèng: (2) the Tay Yo and (3) the Lai Pao. Their common origin allows an historical and comparative study which sets up the correspondence between the written symbols with the phonemes of proto-Thai, the only way to understand the development of these writing systems and the connections between the written forms and their sounds. The loans and the phonetic changes have led to the invention, the deletion and the transfer of the phonetic values for these graphie symbols.
Characters and Words in Middle Chinese: Lexical Data of the Middle Chinese Rime Dictionaries
Authors: Boltz William
Published: October 2016

In addition to their use as sources for Middle Chinese phonological data, the
Qie yun [Chieh yunn] and its Song [Sonq] recension, the Guang yun [Goang yunn], open an irnportant window on the lexical nature of the Middle Chinese language. Examination of the individual entries in the dong 冬 rirne, chosen more or less arbitrarily for the present experiment, shows that the salient question is how we map the data of the rime in question (or of
any rirne) to the lexicon of the actual language or languages represented. Or, phrased slightly differently, how many "real words" are represented in the sixty-six single-character entries of the dong 冬 rime?
QUELQUES CHANGEMENTS PHONETIQUES DANS LES CONSONNES INITIALES DES DIALECTES GAN
Authors: Sagart Laurent
Published: October 2016

This article is a study of some of the sound changes which have affected the initial consonants in the Gan dialects. The changes are studied from the points of view of conditioning, geography, motivation and relative chronology. A distinction between northern and southern Gan is proposed.
Deliberative Rhetoric and Ethical Deliberation
Authors: Garver Eugene
Published: October 2016

Central to Aristotle’s Ethics is the virtue of phronēsis, a good condition of the rational part of the soul that determines the means to ends set by the ethical virtues. Central to the Rhetoric is the art of presenting persuasive deliberative arguments about how to secure the ends set by the audience and its constitution. What is the relation between the art and the virtue of deliberation? Rhetorical facility can be a deceptive facsimile of virtuous reasoning, but there can be more fruitful connections as well. In particular, the experience of judging rhetorical arguments can aid in the development of phronēsis through exercising those aspects of phronēsis that are not so intimately tied to the ethical virtues. Judging the advice given by others leads to excellence in reasoning practically for oneself.
Functional and symptomatic assessment of medico-legal claims after upper limb injuries
Authors: Belcher H J C R
Published: October 2016

A consecutive group of 250 patients underwent medico-legal assessment at a mean of 24 (±13) months following upper limb injuries. Each had completed questionnaires to assess function (Quick-DASH) and cold intolerance (CIQ36) before clinical assessment following which their whole limb impairment percentage was calculated. The mean(±SD) whole limb impairment, QDASH and CIQ36 scores were 9(±14)%, 43(±24) and 17(±10), respectively. There was a significant correlation between whole limb impairment and QDASH, although some patients reported surprisingly high disability levels despite minimal or no objective functional impairment. Whilst useful qualitative information can be obtained from questionnaires, the correlation between subjective and objective scores is weak albeit statistically significant. Individual patients can show marked discrepancies between objective and subjective functional scores. The results of questionnaires in individual medico-legal patients should be treated with caution.
Multivariate Associations Among Health-Related Fitness, Physical Activity, and TGMD-3 Test Items in Disadvantaged Children From Low-Income Families
Authors: Burns Ryan , Brusseau Tim , Hannon James
Published: October 2016

Motor skills are needed for physical development and may be linked to health-related fitness and physical activity levels. No studies have examined the relationships among these constructs in large samples of disadvantaged children from low-income families using the Test for Gross Motor Development–3rd Edition (TGMD-3). The purpose of this study was to examine the multivariate associations among health-related fitness, physical activity, and motor skills assessed using the TGMD-3. Participants included 1460 school-aged children (730 boys, 730 girls; M age = 8.4 years, SD = 1.8 years) recruited from the K to sixth grades from three low-income schools. Health-related fitness was assessed using the FITNESSGRAM battery, physical activity was assessed using accelerometers and pedometers, and motor skills were assessed using the TGMD-3. Canonical correlations revealed statistically significant correlations between the Ball Skills and health-related fitness variates (Rc = 0.43, Rc2 = 17%, p < 0.001). Significant canonical coefficients in the Ball Skills variate included two-handed striking, dribbling, and catching, and significant canonical coefficients in the health-related fitness variate included body mass index and the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run ( p < 0.01). Locomotor skills did not significantly correlate with health-related fitness or physical activity. Ball skills are related to health-related fitness in disadvantaged children from low-income families.
The vulnerability of quasi-professional experts: A study of the changing character of US airline pilots’ work
Authors: Fraher Amy L
Published: October 2016

This article contributes to ‘sociology of professions’ theory through the study of changes that occurred in US airline pilots’ work. Findings reveal that airline pilots are quasi-professional experts who developed specialized skills based on talent and experience which allowed them to work autonomously and enjoy a correspondingly high sense of trust and prestige for which they were often well compensated. However, results of this study suggest high labour costs and weak professional communities leave quasi-professional experts vulnerable to managerial cost-cutting and work intensification agendas, particularly during periods of merger, downsizing and other forms of industry restructuring. Findings signal a deprofessionalization of some elite fields in which experts’ specialized skills become devalued and the industry-specific nature of their expertise reduces career options and job mobility. Although the present study identifies this trend in aviation, recent changes in a wide range of industries from healthcare to high-tech portend applicability in a variety of domains.
Informing Estimates of Program Effects for Studies of Mathematics Professional Development Using Teacher Content Knowledge Outcomes
Authors: Phelps Geoffrey , Kelcey Benjamin , Jones Nathan , Liu Shuangshuang
Published: October 2016

Mathematics professional development is widely offered, typically with the goal of improving teachers’ content knowledge, the quality of teaching, and ultimately students’ achievement. Recently, new assessments focused on mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) have been developed to assist in the evaluation and improvement of mathematics professional development. This study presents empirical estimates of average program change in MKT and its variation with the goal of supporting the design of experimental trials that are adequately powered to detect a specified program effect. The study drew on a large database representing five different assessments of MKT and collectively 326 professional development programs and 9,365 teachers. Results from cross-classified hierarchical growth models found that standardized average change estimates across the five assessments ranged from a low of 0.16 standard deviations ( SDs) to a high of 0.26 SDs. Power analyses using the estimated pre- and posttest change estimates indicated that hundreds of teachers are needed to detect changes in knowledge at the lower end of the distribution. Even studies powered to detect effects at the higher end of the distribution will require substantial resources to conduct rigorous experimental trials. Empirical benchmarks that describe average program change and its variation provide a useful preliminary resource for interpreting the relative magnitude of effect sizes associated with professional development programs and for designing adequately powered trials.
City of Potentialities: An Introduction
Authors: Simone AbdouMaliq
Published: October 2016

This introduces a series of articles in a themed section entitled City of Potentialities: Race, Violence and Invention. The section concerns how we might think more specifically about how to act in domains where complexity is both a resource for the imagination and an impediment to action. What kinds of dilemmas do residents face and what kinds of practices do they engage in in order to continuously gather up the tools and possibilities to endure in volatile urban conditions, where volatility seems a critical force in the simultaneous undoing and remaking of life, as well as in providing assets and opportunities to inhabitants? How does violence obscure the various manoeuvres and practices that keep things together or apart?
Earworms, Daydreams and Cognitive Capitalism
Authors: Priest Eldritch
Published: October 2016

Although the cognitive neurosciences are currently conducting research to determine the brain networks that are implicated in the production of ‘earworms’, my project seeks to address the technical nature of these abstract parasites that hears their spontaneous irruption in thought as both a product and source of contemporary capitalism’s aim to draw value from involuntary nervous activities. In this respect, I approach the earworm from a deliberately speculative perspective in order to conceptualize its appearance as a technical matter expressive of the way historically ‘useless thinking’ (daydreaming, mind-wandering) is being imaginatively recuperated as a passive technology of the self. However, the earworm is a peculiar case of useless thinking, for its redundancy not only implicates it in the broader process of recuperation, but seems to realize a fatal tendency in sonic technics in ways that at once rely on, advance and disturb contemporary capitalism’s encroachment on human cognitive capacities.
Supporting knowledge exchange in rural business—A case story from Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Authors: Hill Anne , Scott Joan , Moyes David , Smith Robert
Published: October 2016

This study arose from a knowledge exchange project whereby business support and knowledge exchange opportunities were provided to rural small businesses as an academic outreach programme. We review how academic support to small businesses in rural Southwest Scotland was delivered. Academic support for micro-business in Southwest Scotland is an under-researched topic. The owners volunteered to share their experiences of this support with the wider business community and university staff acted as consultants and researchers, mentoring the businesses and developing insights into rural business support. The article describes the processes and outcomes of the project, and the factors which affected the ability of the businesses to take advantage of academic business support. We utilised a case-study approach, in-depth interviews and follow-ups over a one-year period, later adding a longitudinal perspective. Our findings indicate that rural factors, business life cycle stage, sectoral skills availability along with the specific market and organisational context combine to create challenges for small business owners and impact on their ability to access and benefit from business support services. The results are significant for business engagement strategies of universities and for business support policy for small and micro-businesses in geographically isolated regions. The participant-consultant roles of the researchers facilitated the development of rich, ‘insider’ insights into this neglected topic.
An Examination of the Quality of Discipline Policies in NAEYC-Accredited Early Care and Education Programs
Authors: Garrity Sarah M. , Longstreth Sascha L. , Linder Lisa K.
Published: October 2016

The purpose of this study was to expand the knowledge base regarding discipline policies in early care and education (ECE) programs by examining the extent to which programs utilize policies that reflect the implementation of evidence-based practices to prevent and address challenging behaviors in the early years. Discipline policies were gathered from 282 programs accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and were scored using the Teaching and Guidance Policy Essentials Checklist. Overall, policies failed to address evidence-base practices, and findings are situated within the discourse on the prevalence of challenging behaviors and the troubling date on preschool suspension and expulsion rates and the current ECE context.
Functional assessment of cerebral artery stenosis: A pilot study based on computational fluid dynamics
Authors: Liu Jia , Yan Zhengzheng , Pu Yuehua , Shiu Wen-Shin , Wu Jianhuang , Chen Rongliang , Leng Xinyi , Qin Haiqiang , Liu Xin , Jia Baixue , Song Ligang , Wang Yilong , Miao Zhongrong , Wang Yongjun , Liu Liping , Cai Xiao-Chuan
Published: October 2016

The fractional pressure ratio is introduced to quantitatively assess the hemodynamic significance of severe intracranial stenosis. A computational fluid dynamics-based method is proposed to non-invasively compute the FPRCFD and compared against fractional pressure ratio measured by an invasive technique. Eleven patients with severe intracranial stenosis considered for endovascular intervention were recruited and an invasive procedure was performed to measure the distal and the aortic pressure ( Pd and Pa). The fractional pressure ratio was calculated as [Formula: see text]. The computed tomography angiography was used to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) arteries for each patient. Cerebral hemodynamics was then computed for the arteries using a mathematical model governed by Navier–Stokes equations and with the outflow conditions imposed by a model of distal resistance and compliance. The non-invasive [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and FPRCFD were then obtained from the computational fluid dynamics calculation using a 16-core parallel computer. The invasive and non-invasive parameters were tested by statistical analysis. For this group of patients, the computational fluid dynamics method achieved comparable results with the invasive measurements. The fractional pressure ratio and FPRCFD are very close and highly correlated, but not linearly proportional, with the percentage of stenosis. The proposed computational fluid dynamics method can potentially be useful in assessing the functional alteration of cerebral stenosis.
The Effects of Leadership and Job Autonomy on Vitality: Survey and Experimental Evidence
Authors: Tummers Lars , Steijn Bram , Nevicka Barbara , Heerema Madelon
Published: October 2016

Vitality refers to the experience of having energy available to one’s self. Vital employees are full of positive energy when they work, and feel mentally and physically strong. Such employees often show higher job performance and lower stress than their less vital colleagues. Despite the importance of vitality, few public administration studies have studied vitality. More generally, by focusing on vitality, we aim to bring a “positive psychology” perspective into the domain of public administration. We analyze whether two important job characteristics (leader’s task communication and job autonomy) affect vitality. We use a multi-method design. A large-scale survey ( N = 1,502) shows that leader’s task communication and job autonomy are positively related to vitality. A lab experiment ( N = 102) replicated these findings, showing cause-and-effect relationships. In conclusion, public organizations can potentially increase employee vitality (a) by increased task communication from leaders and (b) by providing employees with greater job autonomy.
Analysis on slot-type casing treatment injection flow in an axial transonic compressor
Authors: Zhu Mingmin , Qiang Xiaoqing , Yu Wensheng , Teng Jinfang
Published: October 2016

The purpose of this work is to understand the properties of the injection flow through slots opening surfaces with steady and unsteady simulations. The feasibility of evaluating slot effectiveness by steady results is demonstrated. Transient features of injection flow are detailed investigated. Numerical investigations are carried out in a 1.5 axial transonic compressor stage at a specified rotating speed with seven kinds of slot-type casing treatments. Comparisons between steady/unsteady results show that differences of overall performance and injection mass flow rate are dependent on simulation methods, rather than slot configurations. Thus, correlation analysis by steady results of seven slot configurations is considered valid and reveals strong linear correlation between injection mass flow and stall margin improvements/efficiency drops. Therefore, it is practical to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific slot configuration in this compressor with steady results by calculating injection mass flow rate. Afterwards, unsteady simulations are performed with a specific configuration of arc-curve skewed slots. It is clarified that the dividing locations between suction/injection regions moves along the axial direction based on the relative rotor/slots location. Exchanging flow through slots opening surfaces displays periodic variations over time. The variation cycle for one single slot equals blade passing period T. For summation of mass flow through all slots, the cycle equals to T divided by slots number in one passage. The net flow rate through all opening surfaces is always less than zero during a blading passing period, i.e. injection mass flow rate is larger than suction flow all the time.
Subjective Temporalities at Play
Authors: Gandolfi Enrico
Published: October 2016

Background. Despite the increasing attention given by scholars and designers to time as a game variable, an overlooked topic is subjective temporality in play.

Aim. This article addresses the issue of subjective temporality in play, with a focus on gaming simulations. The purpose of this article is to shed light on how different ludic elements can influence players’ diachronic identities.

Method. The related concepts of sameness and selfhood are applied in analyzing CITIES: SKYLINES, EUROPA UNIVERSALIS IV and PILLARS OF ETERNITY. A quantitative survey was distributed online among users of the three case studies (n:387 participants). Instrument items included playing habits, sameness and selfhood and the triggering gaming traits.

Results. Specific categories of features are able to foster selfhood and sameness experiences with various outcomes in terms of the subjects’ satisfaction, interpretation and autonomy.

Conclusions. Implications of the study are noteworthy for a) practitioners interested in deepening time routines in games through an audiences’ lens and b) researchers, who may take inspiration to stress and expand the topic with further focuses and research designs.
Bearing strength and failure analysis on the interference-fit double shear-lap pin-loaded composite
Authors: Zou Peng , Zhang Kaifu , Li Yuan , Liu Ping , Xie Huanhuan
Published: October 2016

Interference-fit technology has a wide effect on the strength and fatigue life of composite structures. The damage around the hole may accelerate the structure failure. In this paper, a progressive damage model is developed to predict the response of interference-fit pin-loaded composite laminates during the installation and loading process with the ABAQUS subroutine user-define-field (USDFLD). The model takes contact at the pin–hole interface, the nonlinear shear stress–strain relationship and the property progressive damage into consideration. The loading procedure is separated into two parts: (a) installing the Hi-Lok pin. (b) Applying the tensile load. To predict progressive failure, the mixed failure criteria combining Hashin criteria and the maximum stress failure criteria, and the Camanho and Matthews degradation rules are conducted. The insertion load, stress and damage around the hole, load–displacement curve, and the bearing strength are predicted. A series of experiments have also been performed and the rationality of the model is testified. The parametric study is also made to analyze the effect of fit conditions on insertion load, damage, and load–displacement curve.
Neuroscience-Inspired Design: From Academic Neuromarketing to Commercially Relevant Research
Authors: Spence Charles
Published: October 2016

Companies and organizations the world over wish to understand, predict, and ultimately change the behavior of those whom they interact with, advise, or else provide services for: be it the accident-prone driver out on the roads, the shopper bombarded by a myriad of alternative products on the supermarket shelf, or the growing proportion of the population who are clinically obese. The hope is that by understanding more about the mind, using recent advances in neuroscience, more effective interventions can be designed. But just what insights can a neuroscience-inspired approach offer over-and-above more traditional, not to mention contemporary, behavioral methods? This article focuses on three key areas: neuroergonomics, neuromarketing, and neurogastronomy. The utility of the neuroscience-inspired approach is illustrated with a number of concrete real-world examples. Practical challenges with commercial neuromarketing research, including the cost, timing, ethics/legality and access to scanners (in certain countries), and the limited ecological validity of the situations in which people are typically tested are also discussed. This commentary highlights a number of the key challenges associated with translating academic neuroscience research into commercial neuromarketing applications.
Understanding outcome-based contracts
Authors: Böhm Eva , Backhaus Christof , Eggert Andreas , Cummins Tim
Published: October 2016

Increasingly complex industrial services rely on outcome-based contracts (OBCs); however, there is a dearth of research in this area of growth. The present research examines the benefits, risks, and overall contract performance of OBCs when they are based on a payment for availability (aOBC) versus a payment for economic results (eOBCs) logic. We offer a conceptual model that not only takes the perspectives of both the buyer and the seller into account, but also the role of product innovativeness and market turbulence as potential moderators. Results obtained from a multi-industry survey among 259 buyers and sellers using OBCs in complex industrial services show that both buyers and sellers attach higher benefits to eOBCs as opposed to aOBCs. With regard to perceived risk and overall performance, both forms of OBCs are found to perform equally well, both from the buyer and the seller perspective. However, when technological turbulence is high, buyers perceive significantly more benefits, making eOBCs more attractive from the buyer’s perspective. In contrast, when product innovativeness is high, aOBCs emerge as the better option because of the sellers’ higher risk for eOBCs compared to aOBCs. In sum, these findings help managers to better decide which type of OBC promises to be most beneficial under the given contextual conditions.
The meaning of encounters with health professionals in primary health care as reported by patients with medically unexplained symptoms
Authors: Lidén Eva , Yaghmaiy Kimia Sahba
Published: October 2016

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) afflict up to 30% of patients who visit primary health care (PHC) services. The approach of health professionals is most important in encounters with these patients to accomplish a caring and effective treatment. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the meaning of patients’ lived experiences of encounters with PHC professionals when suffering from MUS. The study was based on ten narrative interviews with informants aged 24–61 years. Phenomenological hermeneutics was used as the method of analysis. Three themes emerged: Striving for understanding, Expecting to be taken seriously and Fear of being abandoned. The result can be seen as a call for health professionals to invite patients into an interpreting process to create a joint understanding of the patient’s body experiences and life situation. Thus the patient might also become reconciled with suffering and move on in life.
Development of a Control Method for Conduction and Magnetism in Molecular Crystals
Authors: Naito Toshio
Published: October 2016

This study concerns development of a non-destructive method to control conduction and magnetism of molecular solids such as single crystals of charge-transfer complexes. The method is named “optical doping”, where appropriate irradiation is utilized under ambient conditions. Owing to this feature, it can be applied to a wide range of substances while measuring the properties during the control. In addition, the method adds unique conduction and magnetic properties to common insulators. Unlike other doping methods, optical doping only affects the properties and/or structures of the irradiated part of a sample while leaving the rest of the sample unchanged. There are two patterns in the optical doping. Irreversible optical doping produces junction-structures on the single molecular crystals, which exhibit characteristic behavior of semiconductor devices such as diodes and varistors. Reversible optical doping produces “giant photoconductors” and “photomagnetic conductors” by realizing unprecedented metallic photoconduction. In the latter case, localized spins are also excited to produce a Kondo system, where carriers and localized spins interact with each other. Not only the control of conduction and magnetism, the optical doping has realized the observation of physical properties in molecular crystals hardly observed under any thermodynamic condition.
Small AnimalReview
Authors: Tennant Bryn
Published: October 2016

Introduction:

Animal neglect is a significant issue and veterinary surgeons may be required to carry out post-mortem examinations to determine whether cachexia is due to disease or starvation.
When does a pet's sound sensitivity become a welfare problem?
Authors: Hargrave Claire
Published: October 2016

Sound sensitivity is an adaptive survival technique, and any animal with normal aural function will be aware of, and alert to, sudden, loud or novel noises and in response to them, when possible, will initiate behaviour associated with avoidance. It is this author's opinion that when studies show that 49% of the canine population are affected by ‘sound sensitivity’, it is likely that this figure refers to the number of dogs whose responses to sounds are sufficiently obvious for owners to notice them. Consequently, this figure represents a percentage of the canine population that are not just ‘sound sensitive’ but that have already started to develop an enhanced sensitivity to at least one sound within their domestic environment. For these animals, exposure to specific sounds constitutes a depletion in their state of welfare. Yet with very little extra effort, practices can enable clients to prepare companion animals to tolerate, and even relax during, exposure to such sounds. In addition, practices can now enable the free monitoring of the progression of the development of sound sensitivities and aid in their resolution.
Making evidence-based management decisions in practice
Authors: Jackson Elizabeth L
Published: October 2016

This paper focuses on two key issues of veterinary practice that are all too often overlooked: team engagement and client relations. In terms of team engagement, a case is made for the commercial benefits of engaged employees, and the knowledge that veterinary managers can utilise to develop an engaged workforce. Such knowledge includes recognising the power of the employee voice, and managers having the integrity to align behaviours with that of the shared practice vision for success. Client relations are discussed with respect to the power of using an evidence base to make decisions about investments, pricing and marketing strategies. Success stories from the food retailing industries are reflected upon as a case for support. The paper concludes with an example of combining strategies for improving team engagement and client relations for the benefit of the practice, staff and clients.
Diurnal Rhythm of Cardiac Troponin: Consequences for the Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Klinkenberg Lieke J J , Wildi Karin , van der Linden Noreen , Kouw Imre W K , Niens Marijke , Twerenbold Raphael , Rubini Gimenez Maria , Puelacher Christian , Daniel Neuhaus Jean , Hillinger Petra , Nestelberger Thomas , Boeddinghaus Jasper , Grimm Karin , Sabti Zaid , Bons Judith A P , van Suijlen Jeroen D E , Tan Frans E S , ten Kate Joop , Bekers Otto , van Loon Luc J C , van Dieijen-Visser Marja P , Mueller Christian , Meex Steven J R
Published: October 2016

BACKGROUND

Interpretation of serial high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) measurements for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) assumes random fluctuation of hs-cTn around an individual's homeostatic set point. The aim of this study was to challenge this diagnostic concept.

METHODS

Study 1 examined the presence of a diurnal hs-cTn rhythm by hourly blood sampling, day and night, in 24 individuals without a recent history of AMI. Study 2 assessed morning vs evening diagnostic accuracy of hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI in a prospective multicenter diagnostic study of 2782 unselected patients, presenting to the emergency department with acute chest pain.

RESULTS

In study 1, hs-cTnT, but not hs-cTnI, exhibited a diurnal rhythm, characterized by gradually decreasing concentrations throughout daytime, rising concentrations during nighttime, to peak concentrations in the morning (mean 16.2 ng/L at 8:30 AM and 12.1 ng/L at 7:30 PM). In study 2, the hs-cTnT rhythm was confirmed by higher hs-cTnT concentrations in early-morning presenters compared to evening presenters with an adjudicated diagnosis of noncardiac disease. The diagnostic accuracy [area under the receiver-operation characteristics curve (AUC)] of hs-cTnT at presentation, 1 h, and for the combination of absolute changes with presenting concentration, were very high and comparable among patients presenting early morning as compared to evening (all AUC >0.93). hs-cTnI exhibited no diurnal rhythm with no differences in AUC among early-morning and evening presenters.

CONCLUSIONS

Rhythmic diurnal variation of hs-cTnT is a general phenomenon that is not seen with hs-cTnI. While the diurnal hs-cTnT rhythm does not seem to affect the diagnostic accuracy of hs-cTnT for AMI, it should be considered when using hs-cTnT for screening purposes.

Clinical Trial Registration

1. Circadian Variation of Cardiac Troponin, NCT02091427, www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02091427. 2. Advantageous Predictors of Acute Coronary Syndrome Evaluation (APACE) Study, NCT00470587, www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00470587.
Characterization of the adsorption properties of a phosphorylated kraft lignin-based polymer at the solid/liquid interface by the QCM-D approach
Authors: Xiong Wenlong , Qiu Xueqing , Zhong Ruisheng , Yang Dongjie
Published: October 2016

Phosphorylated kraft lignin (PKL), a novel lignin polymer, has potential application in the preparation and modification of inorganic materials. In this article, the adsorption characteristics of PKL at the solid/liquid interface were investigated under different pH conditions. Quartz crystal microbalance combined with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), UV spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were applied for monitoring the adsorption. The adsorbed amount of PKL gradually decreased as a function of pH increment on the gold covered QCM-D crystals, which were pretreated with an adsorbed layer of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDAC). This was also the case for quartz slide substrates pretreated with PKL/PDAC multilayers by the method relying on the layer-by-layer (LBL) electrostatic self-assembly. The hydrophobicity of adsorbed PKL films increased with increasing pH from 3 to 12. In the course of this process, the adsorption morphology changed from a compact rigid state to a less compact soft state. Under acidic conditions, the adsorption is governed mainly by cation-π interaction between PKL and PDAC, and the adsorption configuration is mushroom-like. Under neutral and alkaline conditions, the cation-π interaction is less relevant owing to the longer distances between the anionic groups in PKL and the cation in PDAC. This causes stretching of the molecular chains in PKL, while the adsorption configuration changes to a planar pancake structure so that the electrostatic interaction dominates. The knowledge on adsorption characteristics of PKL at different pH values is helpful to prepare some lignin-based composite materials.