bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How to get and keep citizens involved in mobile crowd sensing for water management? A review of key success factors and motivational aspects
Authors: Rutten Martine , Minkman Ellen , van der Sanden Maarten
Published: April 2017

Citizen science and particularly mobile crowd sourcing (MCS) has large potential in water resources management for data collection and awareness raising. Concerns about data quality, and initiating and sustaining citizen involvement hamper incorporation of citizen science in water monitoring, together with a lack of practical guidance how to set up citizen science monitoring programs. This review presents an overview of key success factors for citizen science including MCS. Specific attention is paid to motivational aspects. Success factors were organized according to project phase and motivations according to self‐determination theory. The presented overviews provide practical guidelines for setting up citizen science projects. WIREs Water 2017, 4:e1218. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1218

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Engineering Water > Planning Water

Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented
Adaptive quantum/molecular mechanics: what have we learned, where are we, and where do we go from here?
Authors: Duster Adam W. , Wang Chun‐Hung , Garza Christina M. , Miller Danielle E. , Lin Hai
Published: April 2017

Adaptive quantum‐mechanics/molecular‐mechanics (QM/MM) methods feature on‐the‐fly reclassification of atoms as QM or MM during a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, allowing the location and contents of the QM subsystem to be dynamically updated as needed. Such flexibility is a distinct advantage over conventional QM/MM, where a ‘static’ boundary is retained between the QM and MM subsystems. The ‘dynamic’ boundary in adaptive QM/MM allows a finite‐size QM to sustain simulations with an arbitrary length of time. To ensure smooth transitions between QM and MM, the energy or forces are interpolated. Special treatments are applied so that artifacts are eliminated or minimized. Recent developments have shed light on the relationship between the adaptive algorithms that describe Hamiltonian and non‐Hamiltonian systems. Originally developed to model an ion solvated in bulk solvent, adaptive QM/MM has been enhanced in many aspects, including the treatment of molecular fragments in macromolecules, monitoring molecules entering/leaving binding sites, and tracking proton transfer via the Grotthuss mechanism. Because the size of the QM region can be set as small as possible in adaptive QM/MM, the computational costs can be kept low. Small QM subsystems also facilitate the utilization of high‐level QM theory and long simulation time, which can potentially lead to new insights. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2017, 7:e1310. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1310

This article is categorized under:

Electronic Structure Theory > Combined QM/MM Methods

Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Molecular Dynamics and Monte-Carlo Methods

Software > Molecular Modeling
Crime and Deviance
Authors: Lawson Tony , Heaton Tim
Published: April 2017

What do sociologists mean when they talk about ‘crime’ and ‘deviance’? Can we use theory to explain why individuals break the law? And how do we measure criminal behaviour in modern society? This book uses key concepts and essential theory to explore these questions and explain their answers.

The second edition of this student-focused text continues to offer clear and structured guidance on the sociology of crime and deviance. With basic definitions and clear analysis of theory and statistics, this book gives its reader the tools to build their knowledge and understanding of the topic. In particular, this text:

- Explores and critiques essential sociological theory, including functionalist, feminist and postmodernist debates.

- Examines how criminal justice data and crime statistics are compiled

- Questions the reliability of social patterns of crime in terms of gender, class, age and ethnicity

- Looks at new types of crime - from surveillance to terrorism and green crime to state crime

As part of the Skills-Based Sociology series, this new edition of Crime and Deviance is packed with a variety of tasks, activities and exam practice questions. These encourage students to take an active role in their learning, whilst promoting critical thinking alongside skill development. This book is the perfect starting point for students keen to understand the sociology of crime and deviance, as well as an excellent source for revision.
Online support groups for head and neck cancer and health-related quality of life
Authors: Algtewi Eamar , Owens Janine , Baker Sarah R.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

To investigate the association between using online support groups (OSGs) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and the psychosocial factors that may influence this association among individuals with head and neck (H&N) cancer.

Method

A sample of 199 persons with H&N cancer using four OSGs completed an online questionnaire using six pre-validated measures for social network, self-efficacy, anxiety and depression, adjustment, empowerment and quality of life. In addition, socio-demographic as well as illness-related and OSGs-related information was collected.

Results

Participants who had better HRQoL had been using OSGs for a longer time than those who had worse HRQoL (B = 0.07, p < 0.05). Depression and adjustment were the only direct mediators in this association, whereas self-efficacy, anxiety and empowerment appeared as indirect mediators.

Conclusion

Participation in OSGs was found to be associated to better HRQoL either directly or indirectly through decreasing depression, anxiety and the negative adjustment behaviours and increasing self-efficacy and empowerment of the users. The study presented a potential model of pathways linking OSG use and HRQoL for those with H&N cancer. However, the model needs to be tested in future longitudinal studies and the associations proposed need to be explored in greater detail.
Cognitive subtypes of probable Alzheimer's disease robustly identified in four cohorts
Authors: Scheltens Nienke M.E. , Tijms Betty M. , Koene Teddy , Barkhof Frederik , Teunissen Charlotte E. , Wolfsgruber Steffen , Wagner Michael , Kornhuber Johannes , Peters Oliver , Cohn‐Sheehy Brendan I. , Rabinovici Gil D. , Miller Bruce L. , Kramer Joel H. , Scheltens Philip , van der Flier Wiesje M. ,   German Dementia Competence Network,   University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center,   Amsterdam Dementia Cohort
Published: April 2017

Introduction

Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show heterogeneity in profile of cognitive impairment. We aimed to identify cognitive subtypes in four large AD cohorts using a data‐driven clustering approach.

Methods

We included probable AD dementia patients from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort (n = 496), Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (n = 376), German Dementia Competence Network (n = 521), and University of California, San Francisco (n = 589). Neuropsychological data were clustered using nonnegative matrix factorization. We explored clinical and neurobiological characteristics of identified clusters.

Results

In each cohort, a two‐clusters solution best fitted the data (cophenetic correlation >0.9): one cluster was memory‐impaired and the other relatively memory spared. Pooled analyses showed that the memory‐spared clusters (29%–52% of patients) were younger, more often apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 negative, and had more severe posterior atrophy compared with the memory‐impaired clusters (all P < .05).

Conclusions

We could identify two robust cognitive clusters in four independent large cohorts with distinct clinical characteristics.
Maximum lift-drag ratio of air cushion craft
Authors: Mantle P.J.
Published: April 2017

This paper develops a method to determine the lift-drag ratio of air cushion craft and specifically the maximum value of the lift-drag ratio, its associated design speed, and related performance and economic measures. The method works from well-established equations for drag and power for air cushion craft. Such values are required to determine the performance and economic efficiency of the craft in many modes of operation. The method covers both amphibious and non-amphibious craft of the types used in both military and commercial operation. A basis is developed for an optimisation procedure to design future craft for maximum efficiency.
Back pain in the emergency department: Pathological fracture following spinal manipulation
Authors: Skappak Christopher , Saude Erik J.
Published: April 2017

Back pain is one of the most common presentations to the emergency department. Though case reports of patients presenting with increased back pain following chiropractic spinal manipulations are rare, we have identified a case rarely reported in the literature where a potential injury from chiropractic manipulation resulted in a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. We have reported a previously healthy 66-year-old male who presented with persistent lower back pain over 4 weeks. An initial evaluation with thoracolumbar radiographs revealed no significant findings. Following initial presentation to the family physician, the patient underwent three treatments of spinal manipulation from his local chiropractor, which resulted in worsening lower back pain. A re-examination and new radiographs in the hospital revealed multiple compression fractures and an underlying diagnosis of multiple myeloma. We have explored current literature examining the prevalence of lower back pain, as well as the incidence of spinal fracture following chiropractic manipulation, and have highlighted a potential complication from chiropractic manipulation in a patient with an undiagnosed underlying neoplastic disorder.
SECRECY AND CONSPIRACY
Authors: Dentith Matthew R. X. , Orr Martin
Published: April 2017

In the literature on conspiracy theories, the least contentious part of the academic discourse would appear to be what we mean by a “conspiracy”: a secretive plot between two or more people toward some end. Yet what, exactly, is the connection between something being a conspiracy and it being secret? Is it possible to conspire without also engaging in secretive behavior? To dissect the role of secrecy in conspiracies – and thus contribute to the larger debate on the epistemology of conspiracy theories – we define the concepts of “conspiracy,” “conspirator,” and “secret,” and argue that while conspirators might typically be thought to commit to keeping secrets once their conspiracy is underway, the idea that conspiracies are necessarily secretive to start with is not as obvious as previously thought.
Variation in activity levels amongst dogs of different breeds: results of a large online survey of dog owners from the UK
Authors: Pickup Emily , German Alexander J. , Blackwell Emily , Evans Mark , Westgarth Carri
Published: April 2017

Regular physical activity is an important means of promoting health, both in people and their pets. Walking is the most common method used for dogs, but there is a lack of clarity on how much daily activity different breeds of dog require. Data from an online survey of UK dog owners were collected between June and August in 2014. The University of Liverpool Ethics Committee approved the project, and owners consented to data use. The initial dataset (17 028 dogs) was first cleaned to remove erroneous data, and then edited to remove mixed breed dogs, leaving a total of 12 314 dogs from known pedigree breeds. Other information collected included sex, age, neuter status, breed, and amount and frequency of exercise. Exercise frequency and duration were estimated across different breeds, and compared with Kennel Club recommendations, usingχ2tests and binary logistic regression. The online survey data indicated differences amongst breeds in the amount of walking reported (P < 0·001). Afghan hounds were the least exercised breed, whilst breeds reportedly exercised most included: English setter, foxhound, Irish setter and Old English sheepdog. Gundogs were most likely to be walked once per d or more (P < 0·001), whilst smaller dogs were more likely to meet their UK Kennel Club guidelines for dog walking (P < 0·001). The frequency of dog walking varies both within and amongst breeds, and many do not currently receive the recommended amount of exercise. This may constitute a canine welfare problem and also have an impact on the physical activity levels of their owners.
OPERATING FUNCTIONS ON MODULATION AND WIENER AMALGAM SPACES
Authors: KOBAYASHI MASAHARU , SATO ENJI
Published: April 2017

The goal of this paper is to characterize the operating functions on modulation spaces$M^{p,1}(\mathbb{R})$and Wiener amalgam spaces$W^{p,1}(\mathbb{R})$. This characterization gives an affirmative answer to the open problem proposed by Bhimani (Composition Operators on Wiener amalgam Spaces, arXiv: 1503.01606) and Bhimani and Ratnakumar (J. Funct. Anal.270(2016), pp. 621–648).
Effects of subacute ingestion of chlorogenic acids on sleep architecture and energy metabolism through activity of the autonomic nervous system: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded cross-over trial
Authors: Park Insung , Ochiai Ryuji , Ogata Hitomi , Kayaba Momoko , Hari Sayaka , Hibi Masanobu , Katsuragi Yoshihisa , Satoh Makoto , Tokuyama Kumpei
Published: April 2017

Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are the most abundant polyphenols in coffee. Continuous consumption of CGA reduces body fat and body weight. Since energy metabolism and sleep are controlled by common regulatory factors, consumption of CGA might modulate sleep. Lack of sleep has been identified as a risk factor for obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ingesting CGA over 5 d on energy metabolism and sleep quality in humans. A total of nine healthy subjects (four male and five female) completed a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over intervention study. Subjects consumed a test beverage containing 0 or 600 mg of CGA for 5 d. On the fifth night, subjects stayed in a whole-room metabolic chamber to measure energy metabolism; sleep was evaluated using polysomnographic recording. It was found that CGA shortened sleep latency (9 (sem 2) v. 16 (sem 4) min, P<0·05) compared with the control, whereas no effect on sleep architecture, such as slow-wave sleep, rapid eye movement or waking after sleep onset, was observed. Indirect calorimetry revealed that consumption of CGA increased fat oxidation (510 (sem 84) kJ/8 h (122 (sem 20) kcal/8 h) v. 331 (sem 79) kJ/8 h (81 (sem 19) kcal/8 h), P<0·05) but did not affect energy expenditure during sleep. Consumption of CGA enhanced parasympathetic activity assessed from heart-rate variability during sleep (999 (sem 77) v. 919 (sem 54), P<0·05). A period of 5-d CGA consumption significantly increased fat oxidation during sleep, suggesting that beverages containing CGA may be beneficial to reduce body fat and prevent obesity. Consumption of CGA shortened sleep latency and did not adversely affect sleep quality.
High-resolution C-isotope chemostratigraphy of the uppermost Cambrian stage (Stage 10) in South China: implications for defining the base of Stage 10 and palaeoenvironmental change
Authors: LI DANDAN , ZHANG XIAOLIN , CHEN KEFAN , ZHANG GUIJIE , CHEN XIAOYAN , HUANG WEI , PENG SHANCHI , SHEN YANAN
Published: April 2017

The Wa'ergang section in South China has been proposed as a potential Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of Stage 10, the uppermost stage of the Cambrian System. In this study, high-resolution C-isotopic compositions are reported and we identified three large negative δ13C excursions, namely N1, N2 and N3, at Wa'ergang. The N1 is located just above the First Appearance Datum (FAD) ofLotagnostus americanus, corresponding to the possible base of theProconodontus posterocostatusconodont Zone. The N2 was identified within theMicragnostus chuishuensistrilobite Zone and theProconodontus muellericonodont Zone. The N3 is located in the lowermost part of theLeiagnostuscf.bexelli – Archaeuloma taoyuanensetrilobite Zone orEoconodontusconodont Zone. The N1 and N2 can be correlated with the negative δ13C excursions preceding the Top of Cambrian Carbon Isotope Excursion (TOCE) observed globally. The N3 can be correlated with the TOCE or the HEllnmaria–Red Tops Boundary (HERB) Event. The inter-basinal correlation of N1 andL. americanusstrongly supports that the base of Stage 10 may be best defined by the FAD ofL. americanus. We also used a box model to quantitatively explore the genesis of the negative δ13C excursions from South China. Our numerical simulations suggest that weathering of the organic-rich sediments on the platform, probably driven by intermittent sea level fall and/or the oxygenation of the Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) reservoir in seawater, may have contributed to the generation of the negative δ13C excursions observed in the Stage 10 at Wa'ergang in South China.
Impacts of on farm management factors on herd fertility of commercial beef breeding herds in Northern Ireland
Authors: TITTERINGTON F. M. , LIVELY F. O. , ASHFIELD A. , GORDON A. W. , LOWE D. E. , MORRISON S. J.
Published: April 2017

To assess the impact of farm management on herd fertility, a survey of 105 beef farms in Northern Ireland was conducted to establish the relationship between management variables and fertility. Each herd's average calving interval (CI) and the proportion of cows with a CI > 450 days (extended calving interval, ECI) was calculated to establish herd fertility. The relationship between each response variable (CI and proportion ECI) and each explanatory variable (respondents’ answers to questionnaire) was examined using univariate linear regression analyses. All response variables found to be associated with the explanatory variables were modelled against each group in turn using a fully automated multivariate stepwise regression algorithm employing the method of forward selection with backward elimination. The optimum 365-day CI and a proportion of 0 cows per hundred calved ECI targets were not widely attained in the current study. The distribution of CI and proportion ECI in the current study suggests more realistic targets would be a 379-day CI and 5 cows per hundred calved with ECI in commercial beef breeding herds. Six management factors were found to be associated with herd fertility: herd vaccination, bull selection, fertility management, breeding female management, perception of extension service (rural education provided by the government) and record keeping. It was found that respondents who vaccinated cows had a reduction of 5 cows per hundred calved in the proportion of cows with ECI, and as the number of vaccines administered to a cow increased, the CI decreased. Regular vaccination of breeding bulls was associated with a 9-day reduction in CI. Bull selection strategy had several associations with herd fertility; most notable was that respondents who used visual selection rather than estimated breeding values (EBVs) to select bulls were found to have a 15-day longer CI and 7 cows per hundred calved higher proportion of cows with ECI. For each 0·01 increase in the proportion of cows served by artificial insemination, CI increased by 0·16 days. Respondents who rated their beef breeding herd fertility as ‘very good’ had lower ECI and CI than those who rated beef breeding herd fertility as poor or satisfactory. Condition scoring of cows at weaning lowered ECI by 5 cows per hundred calved. Those who perceived the extension service to be very useful had the lowest CI and lowest ECI. Respondents who did not keep a record of CI to assess herd fertility had an 11-day longer CI and 6 cows per hundred calved higher proportion ECI than those who did not. In conclusion, the survey found a number of important variables linked to improved fertility including selecting sires based on EBVs and using a robust vaccination programme.
The effect of ensiling on variety rank of forage maize
Authors: SWANCKAERT J. , PANNECOUCQUE J. , VAN WAES J. , HAESAERT G. , DE BOEVER J. , REHEUL D.
Published: April 2017

The objective of the present study was to calculate an optimal harvest period for both fresh and ensiled samples of forage maize and to calculate a set of harvest dates (called a harvest window), for which the variety ranking of the fresh forage corresponds with the variety ranking at the optimal harvest period calculated from the ensiled forage. Forage maize is fed almost exclusively as silage, but official variety trials with silage maize determine quality parameters in fresh (i.e. non-preserved) forage. Eight silage maize varieties were monitored at six harvest dates (from 25 to 40% dry matter content) in Merelbeke (Belgium) in 2013–15. At each harvest date, fresh samples were taken and half of the sampled material was ensiled in micro silos for 20 weeks. An optimal harvest period was calculated based on frequently measuring starch concentration and organic matter digestibility for both fresh and ensiled forage. Eventually, harvesting the silage maize at a dry matter content of 32–35% guaranteed an optimal harvest period. Based on the results of eight varieties, reporting variety ranks without going through the ensiling process continues to be a scientifically justified practice in Belgian official variety trials. Varieties with a superior fresh quality keep their leading position after ensiling, but variety differences become smaller after ensiling.
Arctic systems in the Quaternary: ecological collision, faunal mosaics and the consequences of a wobbling climate
Authors: Hoberg E.P. , Cook J.A. , Agosta S.J. , Boeger W. , Galbreath K.E. , Laaksonen S. , Kutz S.J. , Brooks D.R.
Published: April 2017

Climate oscillations and episodic processes interact with evolution, ecology and biogeography to determine the structure and complex mosaic that is the biosphere. Parasites and parasite–host assemblages are key components in a general explanatory paradigm for global biodiversity. We explore faunal assembly in the context of Quaternary time frames of the past 2.6 million years, a period dominated by episodic shifts in climate. Climate drivers cross a continuum from geological to contemporary timescales and serve to determine the structure and distribution of complex biotas. Cycles within cycles are apparent, with drivers that are layered, multifactorial and complex. These cycles influence the dynamics and duration of shifts in environmental structure on varying temporal and spatial scales. An understanding of the dynamics of high-latitude systems, the history of the Beringian nexus (the intermittent land connection linking Eurasia and North America) and downstream patterns of diversity depend on teasing apart the complexity of biotic assembly and persistence. Although climate oscillations have dominated the Quaternary, contemporary dynamics are driven by tipping points and shifting balances emerging from anthropogenic forces that are disrupting ecological structure. Climate change driven by anthropogenic forcing has supplanted a history of episodic variation and is eliminating ecological barriers and constraints on development and distribution for pathogen transmission. A framework to explore interactions of episodic processes on faunal structure and assembly is the Stockholm Paradigm, which appropriately shifts the focus from cospeciation to complexity and contingency in explanations of diversity.
Visual faunistic exploration of geomorphological human-impacted deep-sea areas of the north-western Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Mecho Ariadna , Aguzzi Jacopo , De Mol Ben , Lastras Galderic , Ramirez-Llodra Eva , Bahamon Nixon , Company Joan B. , Canals Miquel
Published: April 2017

This study reports the composition and distribution of demersal megafauna from various north-western Mediterranean submarine areas such as canyons, seamounts and landslides between 60–800 m depth, based on remotely operated vehicle (ROV) observations. From a total of 30 h of video, 4534 faunistic observations were made and analysed in relationship to environmental factors (i.e. topography, substrate type and depth). In addition, anthropogenic impact was quantified by grouping observations in four categories: fishing nets, longlines, trawl marks and other litter. The different targeted environments showed similarities in faunal composition according to substrate, depth and topography. Our results also indicated the presence of anthropogenic impact in all the sampled areas in which litter and trawl marks were the most observed artefacts.
The Role of Existential Quantification in Scientific Realism
Authors: Finn Suki
Published: April 2017

Scientific realism holds that the terms in our scientific theories refer and that we should believe in their existence. This presupposes a certain understanding of quantification, namely that it is ontologically committing, which I challenge in this paper. I argue that the ontological loading of the quantifiers is smuggled in through restricting the domains of quantification, without which it is clear to see that quantifiers are ontologically neutral. Once we remove domain restrictions, domains of quantification can include non-existent things, as they do in scientific theorizing. Scientific realism would therefore require redefining without presupposing a view of ontologically committing quantification.
Hypocrisy as a challenge to Christian belief
Authors: SCHULZ J. W.
Published: April 2017

Hypocrisy challenges religious belief in two ways.Arguments to Absurditycontend hypocrisy is defeasible evidence of the irrationality of a doctrine or practice.Arguments from Betrayalcontend that hypocrisy confronts institutionally loyal believers with a tragic dilemma: that because loyalty is justified by the goodness of its object, hypocrisy requires believers to sacrifice either their conscience (to remain loyal) or their character and identity (by abandoning their loyalty). This article presents philosophical and theological reasons that both arguments are unpersuasive.
Theistic consubstantialism and omniscience
Authors: BUCKAREFF ANDREI A.
Published: April 2017

According to theistic consubstantialism, the universe and God are essentially made of the same stuff. If theistic consubstantialism is correct, then God possesses the essential power to have knowledgede seof the contents of the mind of every conscious being internal to God. If theistic consubstantialism is false, then God lacks this essential property. So either God is essentially corporeal and possesses greater essential epistemic powers than God would have otherwise or God is essentially incorporeal and has a diminished range of essential epistemic powers. In light of this dilemma, I argue that theists should accept theistic consubstantialism.
Crossing the line: Mamluk response to Qaramanid threat in the fifteenth century according to MS ar. 4440 (BnF, Paris)
Authors: Dekkiche Malika
Published: April 2017

The present article investigates the complex dynamics of the relationship between the Mamluk sultans and Qaramanid rulers in the second half of the fifteenth century. Based on the revealing of an unpublished corpus of letters (MS ar. 4440, BnF, Paris), which preserved copies of the correspondence exchanged between sultan Īnāl and Ibrāhīm II after the Qaramanids' Rebellion in 860–862/1456–58 and their capture of the Mamluk fortresses in Tarsus and Gülek. After briefly sketching the history of their contact and alliances, I then concentrate on the Qaramanid Rebellion itself, presenting the new data provided by the corpus and analysing the stakes and extent of the Qaramanids' threat to Mamluk policy in the Anatolian context.
A Hanafi law manual in the vernacular: Devletoğlu Yūsuf Balıḳesrī’s Turkish verse adaptation of theHidāya-Wiqāyatextual tradition for the Ottoman Sultan Murad II (824/1424)
Authors: Yıldız Sara Nur
Published: April 2017

This study examines how Devletoğlu Yūsuf Balıḳesrī’s versified Hanafi law manual, written in Anatolian Turkish and dedicated to the Ottoman sultan Murad II (d. 855/1451), engages in a complex relationship between the nascent vernacular, Anatolian Turkish, and the Classical Arabic religious textual tradition. Devletoğlu Yūsuf's work,Manẓūm fıḳıh,is a Turkish paraphrase of theWiqāya, a popular abridgement of the major Hanafi law handbook, theHidāya, in the form of amathnawī(verse work of rhymed couplets). Several passages from the “Book on the Affairs of the Qadi” in Devletoğlu Yūsuf's work are analysed in order to gain insight into how the work functions as a normative text in the Classical Hanafi tradition set within a localized context. Furthermore, this study explores how the work expounds upon the benefits of transmitting religious knowledge in the vernacular and justifies the use of Turkish for religious texts by drawing on Hanafi-approved Persian language practices of religious devotion. Of particular interest is how Devletoğlu Yūsuf grounds his argumentation on the rhetorical theories of the Classical Arabic grammarian, ʿAbd al-Qāhir al-Jurjānī.
THE LINEAR SYSTEMS APPROACH TO LINEAR RATIONAL EXPECTATIONS MODELS
Authors: Al-Sadoon Majid M.
Published: April 2017

This paper considers linear rational expectations models from the linear systems point of view. Using a generalization of the Wiener-Hopf factorization, the linear systems approach is able to furnish very simple conditions for existence and uniqueness of both particular and generic linear rational expectations models. To illustrate the applicability of this approach, the paper characterizes the structure of stationary and cointegrated solutions, including a generalization of Granger’s representation theorem.
Maritime Usability Study by Analysing Eye Tracking Data
Authors: Hareide Odd Sveinung , Ostnes Runar
Published: April 2017

The aim of the Integrated Navigation System (INS) on a ship bridge should be to provide the navigator with added value and aid in the complex task of conducting a safe and efficient passage at high speeds in demanding waters. This article presents a method for analysing eye tracking data to reveal sub-optimal design in the bridge layout and in the software graphical user interface on a maritime navigation display. The analysis of eye tracking data with a focus on scan path events indicates sub-optimal design, and the paper provides suggestions for improvement in design and interfaces. Pros and cons of using Eye Tracking Glasses in a maritime environment are presented. The importance of not affecting the normal behaviour of the navigator by collecting data is stressed, and how the software should provide good visualisation and interpretation of the eye tracking data.
Data Fusion for Indoor Mobile Robot Positioning Based on Tightly Coupled INS/UWB
Authors: Fan Qigao , Sun Biwen , Sun Yan , Wu Yaheng , Zhuang Xiangpeng
Published: April 2017

This paper proposes a novel sensor fusion approach using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) wireless radio and an Inertial Navigation System (INS), which aims to reduce the accumulated error of low-cost Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) Inertial Navigation Systems used for real-time navigation and tracking of mobile robots in a closed environment. A tightly-coupled model of INS/UWB is established within the integrated positioning system. A two-dimensional kinematic model of the mobile robot based on kinematics analysis is then established, and an Auto-Regressive (AR) algorithm is used to establish third-order error equations of the gyroscope and the accelerometer. An Improved Adaptive Kalman Filter (IAKF) algorithm is proposed. The orthogonality judgment method of innovation is used to identify the “outliers”, and a covariance matching technique is introduced to judge the filter state. The simulation results show that the IAKF algorithm has a higher positioning accuracy than the KF algorithm and the UWB system. Finally, static and dynamic experiments are performed using an indoor experimental platform. The results show that the INS/UWB integrated navigation system can achieve a positioning accuracy of within 0·24 m, which meets the requirements for practical conditions and is superior to other independent subsystems.
Optimal Bilateral Cooperative Slot Allocation for Two Liner Carriers under a Co-Chartering Agreement
Authors: Chen Jihong , Liu Xiang , Zhang Xiaohua , He Junliang , Luo Lihua
Published: April 2017

The container liner shipping industry has stepped into an era of international strategic alliances. Important to these liner alliances is the sharing and allocation of container slots between its member carriers. This paper optimises planning of container ship capacity sharing and co-allocation under a co-charting agreement. First, we explain the concept of this business agreement and its implications on maritime operations. Then, we identify key influencing factors that may affect the decisions of cooperative slot co-allocation. The slot co-allocation problem is modelled as an Integer Programming problem and solved using data from two routes between the United States and Asia. The model determines the optimal slot co-allocation strategies between shipping alliance carriers along allied shipping routes. Computational results indicate that the proposed method is effective in obtaining optimal, cooperative slot sharing strategies that can maximise the total system revenue.
Social Isolation in Chinese Older Adults: Scoping Review for Age-Friendly Community Planning
Authors: Syed M. Anum , McDonald Lynn , Smirle Corinne , Lau Karen , Mirza Raza M. , Hitzig Sander L.
Published: April 2017

Les adultes chinois plus âgés peuvent être exposés à un risque accru d’isolement social et de solitude; pourtant, une telle compréhension des défis auxquels ils peuvent faire face pour la participation sociale dans leurs quartiers et communautés est fragmentée. Un examen de la portée a été entrepris pour décrire les connaissances actuelles sur l’isolement social et la solitude chez les aînés chinois vivant en milieu urbain dans les sociétés occidentales afin d’éclairer les recherches, les pratiques et les politiques futures au Canada. Dix-neuf articles répondent aux critères d’inclusion. Le système des communautés conçues pour les adultes vieillisantes de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé a contextualisé les résultats de l’étude. Les études ont identifié des questions liées (1) à la participation sociale; (2) au soutien communautaire et aux services de santé; (3) au logement; (4) à la communauté et à l’information; (5) au respect et à l’inclusion sociale; (6) aux espaces extérieurs et aux édifices publics; (7) à la participation civique et à l’emploi; et (8) au transport. L’isolement social et la solitude sont des préoccupations croissantes au sein de cette population au Canada, et des recherches supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour en déterminer la portée et les interventions efficaces.
Reasons for optimism in the search for new vaccines for tuberculosis
Authors: EVANS T. G.
Published: April 2017

In the development of vaccines for tuberculosis (TB), the combination of the will, funding, scientific rigor, new tools, refined animal models and improved clinical trial designs are all converging at an opportune moment. The lack of optimism that has surrounded the likelihood for finding novel TB vaccines has resulted from a lack of correlates of vaccine-induced protection, a lack of tool candidate vaccines to probe the immunologic space, which may be needed, and the negative result of one recent trial. A vaccine for TB that can be delivered at a reasonable cost to the marketplace will have greater impact on the incidence of new cases of TB than any intervention in world history. Now is the time to increase resources, both financial and human intellectual capacity, for a global tuberculosis vaccine effort.
The burden of seasonal respiratory infections on a national telehealth service in England
Authors: MORBEY R. A. , HARCOURT S. , PEBODY R. , ZAMBON M. , HUTCHISON J. , RUTTER J. , THOMAS H. , SMITH G.E. , ELLIOT A. J.
Published: April 2017

Seasonal respiratory illnesses present a major burden on primary care services. We assessed the burden of respiratory illness on a national telehealth system in England and investigated the potential for providing early warning of respiratory infection. We compared weekly laboratory reports for respiratory pathogens with telehealth calls (NHS 111) between week 40 in 2013 and week 29 in 2015. Multiple linear regression was used to identify which pathogens had a significant association with respiratory calls. Children aged <5 and 5–14 years, and adults over 65 years were modelled separately as were time lags of up to 4 weeks between calls and laboratory specimen dates. Associations with respiratory pathogens explained over 83% of the variation in cold/flu, cough and difficulty breathing calls. Based on the first two seasons available, the greatest burden was associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, with associations found in all age bands. The most sensitive signal for influenza was calls for ‘cold/flu’, whilst for RSV it was calls for cough. The best-fitting models showed calls increasing a week before laboratory specimen dates. Daily surveillance of these calls can provide early warning of seasonal rises in influenza and RSV, contributing to the national respiratory surveillance programme.
Clinical, virological and epidemiological characterization of dengue outbreak in Myanmar, 2015
Authors: KYAW A. K. , NGWE TUN M. M. , MOI M. L. , NABESHIMA T. , SOE K. T. , THWE S. M. , MYINT A. A. , MAUNG K. T. T. , AUNG W. , HAYASAKA D. , BUERANO C. C. , THANT K. Z. , MORITA K.
Published: April 2017

Hospital-based surveillance was conducted at two widely separated regions in Myanmar during the 2015 dengue epidemic. Acute phase serum samples were collected from 332 clinically diagnosed dengue patients during the peak season of dengue cases. Viremia levels were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and plaque assays using FcγRIIA-expressing and non-FcγRIIA-expressing BHK cells to specifically determine the infectious virus particles. By serology and molecular techniques, 280/332 (84·3%) were confirmed as dengue patients. All four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV) were isolated from among 104 laboratory-confirmed patients including two cases infected with two DENV serotypes. High percentage of primary infection was noted among the severe dengue patients. Patients with primary infection or DENV IgM negative demonstrated significantly higher viral loads but there was no significant difference among the severity groups. Viremia levels among dengue patients were notably high for a long period which was assumed to support the spread of the virus by the mosquito vector during epidemic. Phylogenetic analyses of the envelope gene of the epidemic strains revealed close similarity with the strains previously isolated in Myanmar and neighboring countries. DENV-1 dominated the epidemic in 2015 and the serotype (except DENV-3) and genotype distributions were similar in both study sites.
Transcatheter closure of a residual aorto-left ventricular tunnel: report of a case with a 6-year follow-up
Authors: Djukic Milan , Djordjevic Stefan A. , Dähnert Ingo
Published: April 2017

Aorto-left ventricular tunnel is an exceedingly rare congenital cardiac defect. Early surgical closure is the treatment of choice. Residual or recurrent tunnel and aortic valve insufficiency are well-recognised complications after surgical repair. In this article, we report on successful transcatheter closure of a residual aorto-left ventricular tunnel using an Amplatzer duct occluder in a 7-year-old boy. The outcome after 6 years of follow-up is encouraging.
Pokémon Go: digital health interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk
Authors: Krittanawong Chayakrit , Aydar Mehmet , Kitai Takeshi
Published: April 2017

Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease/cardiovascular disease mortality, and current guidelines recommend physical activity for primary prevention in healthy individuals and secondary prevention in patients with coronary heart disease/cardiovascular disease. Over the last decade, playing classic video games has become one of the most popular leisure activities in the world, but is associated with a sedentary lifestyle. In the new era of rapidly evolving augmented reality technology, Pokémon Go, a well-known augmented reality game, may promote physical activity and prevent cardiovascular disease risks – that is, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Pokémon Go makes players willing to be physically active for regular and long periods of time. We report on an assessment of regular walking and playing Pokémon Go by performing data mining in Twitter.
Differences in meal patterns and timing with regard to central obesity in the ANIBES (‘Anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain’) Study
Authors: Aparicio Aránzazu , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Elena E , Aranceta-Bartrina Javier , Gil Ángel , González-Gross Marcela , Serra-Majem Lluis , Varela-Moreiras Gregorio , Ortega Rosa Maria
Published: April 2017

Objective

To study the association of meal patterns and timing with central obesity to identify the best dietary strategies to deal with the increasing obesity prevalence.

Design

A cross-sectional study performed on data from a representative sample of the Spanish population. Height and waist circumference were measured using standardized procedures and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was calculated. The sample was divided into those without central obesity (WHtR<0·5) and those with central obesity (WHtR≥0·5).

Setting

ANIBES (‘Anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain’) Study.

Subjects

Adults aged 18–64 years (n1655; 798 men and 857 women).

Results

A higher percentage of people ate more than four meals daily in the group without central obesity and those with central obesity more frequently skipped the mid-afternoon snack than those without. Breakfasts containing >25 % of total energy intake and lunches containing >35 % of total energy intake were associated with increased likelihood of central obesity (OR=1·874, 95 % CI 1·019, 3·448;P<0·05 and OR=1·693, 95 % CI 1·264, 2·268;P<0·001, respectively). On the contrary, mid-morning snacks and mid-afternoon snacks containing >15 % of total energy were associated with decreased likelihood of central obesity (OR=0·477, 95 % CI 0·313, 0·727;P<0·001 and OR=0·650, 95 % CI 0·453, 0·932;P<0·05, respectively). The variety of cereals, wholegrain cereals and dairy was higher in the population without central obesity.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that ‘what and when we eat’ should be considered dietary strategies to reduce central obesity.
Implementation, utilization and influence of a community-based participatory nutrition promotion programme in rural Ethiopia: programme impact pathway analysis
Authors: Kang Yunhee , Cha Seungman , Yeo Sarah , Christian Parul
Published: April 2017

Objective

A community-based participatory nutrition promotion (CPNP) programme, involving a 2-week group nutrition session, attempted to improve child feeding and hygiene. The implementation, utilization and influence of the CPNP programme were examined by programme impact pathway (PIP) analysis.

Design

Five CPNP programme components were evaluated: (i) degree of implementation; (ii) participants’ perception of the nutrition sessions; (iii) participants’ message recall; (iv) utilization of feeding and hygiene practices at early programme stage; and (v) participants’ engagement in other programmes.

Setting

Habro and Melka Bello districts, Ethiopia.

Subjects

Records of 372 nutrition sessions, as part of a cluster-randomized trial, among mothers (n876 in intervention area,n914 in control area) from a household survey and CPNP participants (n197) from a recall survey.

Results

Overall, most activities related to nutrition sessions were successfully operated with high fidelity (>90 %), but a few elements of the protocol were only moderately achieved. The recall survey among participants showed a positive perception of the sessions (~90 %) and a moderate level of message recall (~65 %). The household survey found that the CPNP participants had higher minimum dietary diversity at the early stage (34·0v. 19·9 %,P=0·01) and a higher involvement in the Essential Nutrition Action (ENA) programme over a year of follow-up (28·2v. 18·3 %;P<0·0001) compared with non-participants within the intervention area.

Conclusions

Our PIP analysis suggests that CPNP was feasibly implemented, promoted a sustained utilization of proper feeding behaviours, and enhanced participation in the existing ENA programme. These findings provide a possible explanation to understanding CPNP’s effectiveness.
Widening perspectives: the intellectual and social benefits of astrobiology (regardless of whether extraterrestrial life is discovered or not)
Authors: Crawford I.A.
Published: April 2017

Astrobiology is usually defined as the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the Universe. As such it is inherently interdisciplinary and cannot help but engender a worldview infused by cosmic and evolutionary perspectives. Both these attributes of the study of astrobiology are, and will increasingly prove to be, beneficial to society regardless of whether extraterrestrial life is discovered or not.
Genetic structure and diversity of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis in a French bean agroecosystem of Kenya
Authors: Hondelmann P. , Nyasani J.O. , Subramanian S. , Meyhöfer R.
Published: April 2017

Western flower thrips (WFT) (Frankliniella occidentalis) is an introduced pest that harms French bean production in Kenya and other countries. Since new WFT management approaches are being developed, a closer look at the genetic makeup of WFT populations can give new insights into source habitats, crop colonization patterns or host plant preferences, which are prerequisites for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. For this purpose, we used six microsatellite loci to analyse the genetic structure, diversity and gene flow of WFT sampled on French beans, intercrops and weeds in Kenyan French bean production areas. The results of this preliminary study indicate that the available microsatellites are sufficiently polymorphic for more detailed analyses on local dispersal patterns of WFT in Kenya. Even with the limited data set, the results reveal thatF. occidentalispopulations show considerable genetic differentiation between host plant species but not between regions, which suggests reduced gene flow and a possible development of biotypes. Possible consequences of the results on IPM are discussed.
Flexible and moon-shaped slot UWB implantable antenna design for head implants
Authors: Elyassi Roshanak , Moradi Gholamreza
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we present a novel flexible moon-shaped slot implantable antenna for neural recording systems and head implants. It covers both medical Industrial, Scientific and Medical band (2.45 GHz) and impulse ratio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) frequency range (3.1–10.6 GHz) for forward and backward telemetry applications. It has a simple and miniaturized structure in comparison with the antennas reported in the other researches. Furthermore, for adapting with natural curvature of human head, a flexible substrate is chosen with a good antenna performance under the bending. The proposed antenna is analyzed in a multi-layer box model of head tissues to speed up the antenna design procedures. On the basis of the simulation results, we achieved the good impedance matching over the desired frequency range (S11below −10 dB). Far-field characteristics are considered, as well. The directivity is in suitable range for UWB short-range communications and its mean value is 3.84 dBi. Finally, to take into account patents’ safety regulations and the effective isotropic radiated power restriction in the desired frequency range, the maximum power of transmitter has been calculated. A phantom containing a mixture of sugar and water is used to test the fabricated antenna. The measured parameters are well matched to the full-wave simulation results.