bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new record of ahermatypic coral Paracyathus pruinosus Alcock, 1902 (Scleractinia: Caryophylliidae) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Authors: Raghuraman R. , Raghunathan C.
Published: December 2015

Paracyathus pruinosus Alcock, 1902, (Scleractinia: Caryophylliidae) was found from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, representing a new addition to the ahermatypic corals of India and the central Indian Ocean. The corallites of Paracyathus pruinosus were solitary, short, stout, elliptical and solid, mostly found under caves and slightly deep. Costae were granular, flat and equal. Septa were arranged closely and lined with granular ridges. Tentacles were found to extend only during night. The present record of P. pruinosus from Andaman and Nicobar Islands not only represents a new addition to the Caryophylliidae of the Central Indian Ocean, but also calls for conducting in-depth studies with a special emphasis to the under-studied caryophylliids of India.

 
Cognitive remediation for depressed inpatients: Results of a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Trapp Wolfgang , Engel Sinha , Hajak Goeran , Lautenbacher Stefan , Gallhofer Bernd
Published: December 2015

Objective:

Neurocognitive deficits that persist despite antidepressive treatment and affect social and vocational functioning are well documented in major depressive disorder. Cognitive training approaches have proven successful in ameliorating these deficits in other psychiatric groups, but very few studies have been conducted in unipolar depressive patients by now. In contrast to previous studies solely including outpatients, effects of a cognitive remediation intervention on neurocognitive functioning of depressed inpatients were assessed by the present study.

Method:

A randomized controlled trial was carried out with 46 depressed inpatients of a psychiatric hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to either a control group that received standard drug and non-drug (cognitive behavioural, occupational, sports, relaxation and music therapy) antidepressive treatment or a remediation group that additionally received 12 sessions of cognitive training for a total of 4 weeks (three sessions per week). An intent to treat analysis and a last observation carried forward method was used for data analyses.

Results:

Patients of the remediation group demonstrated greater improvements in neurocognitive measures of verbal and nonverbal memory, working memory and executive function (Cohen’s d effect sizes between .52 and .98).

Conclusions:

These results provide preliminary evidence that cognitive remediation interventions can be successfully applied also in psychiatric inpatients experiencing an acute depressive episode.
Public Health Adaptation to Climate Change in Large Cities
Authors: Araos Malcolm , Austin Stephanie E. , Berrang-Ford Lea , Ford James D.
Published: December 2015

Climate change will have significant impacts on human health, and urban populations are expected to be highly sensitive. The health risks from climate change in cities are compounded by rapid urbanization, high population density, and climate-sensitive built environments. Local governments are positioned to protect populations from climate health risks, but it is unclear whether municipalities are producing climate-adaptive policies. In this article, we develop and apply systematic methods to assess the state of public health adaptation in 401 urban areas globally with more than 1 million people, creating the first global baseline for urban public health adaptation. We find that only 10% of the sampled urban areas report any public health adaptation initiatives. The initiatives identified most frequently address risks posed by extreme weather events and involve direct changes in management or behavior rather than capacity building, research, or long-term investments in infrastructure. Based on our characterization of the current urban health adaptation landscape, we identify several gaps: limited evidence of reporting of institutional adaptation at the municipal level in urban areas in the Global South; lack of information-based adaptation initiatives; limited focus on initiatives addressing infectious disease risks; and absence of monitoring, reporting, and evaluation.
Credit for Agricultural Households in India: Growing Inequities
Authors: Tripathi Ashutosh Kumar
Published: December 2015

Why has the share of non-institutional finance sources for agricultural households not come down between 2002 and 2012? Is the dependency on non-institutional sources the same across farm size classes? Who are the major beneficiaries of the revival in agricultural credit in the 2000s? Are larger farmers becoming more productive and commercial thus requiring higher levels of credit? Are small farms becoming unviable, making it difficult for banks to finance them? This paper examines these issues empirically based on data from the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural households and the All India Debt and Investment Survey (AIDIS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in its 59th (i.e. 2003) and 70th round (i.e. 2013) and various publications from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Self-Regulated Strategy Development Instruction for Teaching Multi-Step Equations to Middle School Students Struggling in Math
Authors: Cuenca-Carlino Yojanna , Freeman-Green Shaqwana , Stephenson Grant W. , Hauth Clara
Published: December 2015

Six middle school students identified as having a specific learning disability or at risk for mathematical difficulties were taught how to solve multi-step equations by using the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) model of instruction. A multiple-probe-across-pairs design was used to evaluate instructional effects. Instruction was provided 4 days per week, 45 min per session, for 12 weeks as part of the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework. Results showed a functional relation between SRSD instruction and students’ ability to solve multi-step equations. All but one student were able to maintain gains. Students’ self-efficacy increased as a result of instruction, instruction was provided with high degrees of fidelity by a special educator, and student interviews revealed an overall satisfaction with SRSD instructional procedures.
Out of Adolescence and Into Adulthood
Authors: Stovall David
Published: December 2015

In commemoration of the germinal 1995 critical race theory (CRT) in education manuscript offered by Gloria Ladson-Billings and William Tate IV, the following account seeks to perform several tasks. As CRT has traveled throughout the myriad of disciplinary foci in education (curriculum, foundations, special education, educational psychology, youth development, etc.), the following pages are an effort to continue to ask deeper questions of ourselves and CRT as we continue to work with young people and families in schools and communities.
Lies, Myths, Stock Stories, and Other Tropes
Authors: Donnor Jamel K.
Published: December 2015

Despite being academically unqualified for admission to the University of Texas at Austin, Abigail Fisher, a White female, argued that she was not admitted due to the university’s diversity policy. In addition to framing postsecondary admissions as a zero-sum phenomenon, Ms. Fisher intentionally frames students of color who are admitted to the University of Texas at Austin as academically unqualified. The purpose of this article is to examine Ms. Fisher’s arguments against the University of Texas’ diversity policy as presented in Fisher v. University of Texas from a critical race theoretical perspective. In addition to obfuscating the fact that admission to the top colleges and universities in the United States has become more competitive, Ms. Fisher’s anti-diversity arguments are also consistent with a racial ideology and socially conservative agenda that frames people of color as undeserving of the opportunities traditionally associated with White people. The goal of this article is not only to situate Fisher v. University of Texas as a strategic project of Whiteness, but to also discuss what critical race theory can still teach scholars and researchers concerned with racial inequality in education.
Understanding the Relationships between Tourists’ Emotional Experiences, Perceived Overall Image, Satisfaction, and Intention to Recommend
Authors: Prayag Girish , Hosany Sameer , Muskat Birgit , Del Chiappa Giacomo
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this study is to empirically test an integrative model linking tourists’ emotional experiences, perceived overall image, satisfaction, and intention to recommend. The model was tested using data collected from domestic tourists visiting Sardinia, Italy. Results show that tourists’ emotional experiences act as antecedents of perceived overall image and satisfaction evaluations. In addition, overall image has a positive influence on tourist satisfaction and intention to recommend. The study expands current theorizations by examining the merits of emotions in tourist behavior models. From a practical perspective, the study offers important implications for destination marketers.
Anxiety Sensitivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Mindfulness Among Younger and Older Adults
Authors: Mahoney Colin T. , Segal Daniel L. , Coolidge Frederick L.
Published: December 2015

In this cross-sectional study, we examined age-related differences in anxiety sensitivity (AS), experiential avoidance (EA), and mindfulness among younger adult students ( N = 426; M age = 20.1 years) and community-dwelling older adults ( N = 85; M age = 71.8 years). Participants anonymously completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Anxiety Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Independent t tests indicated that younger adults reported significantly higher levels of AS and EA, whereas older adults reported significantly higher levels of trait mindfulness. Correlational analyses demonstrated that AS and EA were significantly associated with each other and with anxiety-related symptoms. However, trait mindfulness was significantly inversely related to AS, EA, and to trait and state anxiety. To date, these three factors have yet to be examined simultaneously within the context of age differences, and the present study illuminates these differences as well as their relationships. AS, EA, and low mindfulness appear to be significant correlates for anxiety-related symptoms in younger and older adults.
Missio-logoi and faith: Factors that influence attitude certainty
Authors: Dunaetz David R.
Published: December 2015

One of the goals of missio-logoi used by missionaries (especially missionary speech) is the development of faith in the lives of those whom the missionaries serve. From a biblical perspective, faith has both a relational (e.g., John 3:16) and a cognitive dimension (e.g., Heb 11:1). This cognitive dimension is similar to what social psychologists call attitude certainty, the degree to which an individual is certain that a particular attitude or belief is true. This study reviews the empirical research conducted to discover the factors that influence attitude certainty. These factors include support for the beliefs by peers, repeated verbal expression of the beliefs, direct experience with the object of belief, and knowledge of how to defend the belief when confronted with strong counter-arguments to the belief. Beliefs and attitudes which are more certain are likely to have more of an impact on an individual’s behavior, are more resistant to persuasion, and persist longer in an individual’s life. Missionaries can thus focus their missio-logoi so as to maximize attitude certainty among the people to whom they minister.
Korean discourse on mission: The spiritual vision for the nation of Rev. Kyung-Chik Han
Authors: Kim Kirsteen
Published: December 2015

This article takes up the theme of mission discourses by looking at how contrasting Korean Protestant mission theologies—church growth discourse and minjung theology—have been taken up to support international agendas. The context from which they come is illuminated through a critical study of the “spiritual vision for the nation” of Rev. Kyung-Chik Han, founder of Youngnak Presbyterian Church and national leader. It is argued that Han’s theology is a more mainstream discourse which arises from the period of colonization by Japan and the struggle for the nation, and that it has been distorted through being included under church growth. This investigation of Korean discourse on mission concludes with some observations about mission discourses more generally.
An inadvertent missiologist: Edward Gibbon and the science of mission
Authors: Skreslet Stanley H.
Published: December 2015

Edward Gibbon unintentionally inaugurated the science of mission ( Missionswissenschaft), when he published in 1776 the first volume of his celebrated History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Gibbon included in his groundbreaking work a new approach to mission history that emphasized social analysis and cultural change, rather than theology. Gibbon’s secular discourse on the establishment, growth and “triumph” of early Christianity over paganism is highly critical of the faith, in line with his own stance of religious skepticism, but is insightful nevertheless, as he shows how the study of mission from a sociological perspective can shed light on the social processes that often shape evangelistic outcomes. In the Decline and Fall, Gibbon also defined a style of speaking or a discourse about Christian mission that has come to dominate the secular academy today.
A Systematic Review of Function-Based Replacement Behavior Interventions for Students With and At Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: McKenna John William , Flower Andrea , Adamson Reesha
Published: December 2015

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders and students considered at risk often have social deficits. Although social skills interventions are often provided to this student population, there are some concerns regarding how these interventions are conceived and provided. One possible way to improve the effectiveness of social skills interventions is to use functional behavior assessment data to tailor the interventions to a student’s individual needs and the contexts in which social skills deficits and problem behaviors occur. This approach is commonly referred to as replacement behavior training. In this study, the literature on function-based replacement behavior interventions is systematically reviewed. In addition, studies are evaluated according to the What Works Clearinghouse design and evidence standards for single-case research. Although this research base does not meet the What Works Clearinghouse replication standards, function-based replacement behavior interventions appear to be a promising practice for addressing problem behaviors. Implications for practice, areas for future research, and study limitations are discussed.
Concentration Camp Rituals
Authors: Basic Goran
Published: December 2015

In the German camps during the Second World War, the aim was to kill from a distance, and the camps were highly efficient in their operations. Previous studies have thus analyzed the industrialized killing and the victims’ survival strategies. Researchers have emphasized the importance of narratives but they have not focused on narratives about camp rituals or analyzed postwar interviews as a continued resistance and defense of one’s self. This article tries to fill this gap by analyzing stories told by former detainees in concentration camps in the Bosnian war during the 1990s. This article aims to describe a set of recounted interaction rituals as well as to identify how these rituals are dramatized in interviews. The retold stories of humiliation and power in the camps indicate that there was little space for individuality and preservation of self. Nevertheless, the detainees seem to have been able to generate some room for resistance, and this seems to have granted them a sense of honor and self-esteem, not least after the war. Their narratives today represent a form of continued resistance.
Dramaturgical Domination
Authors: Rosino Michael L.
Published: December 2015

The history of racial domination in the United States is multifaceted and therefore cannot be explained through simple reference to ideologies or institutional structures. At the microlevel, racial domination is reproduced through social interactions. In this article, I draw on Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical approach to social interaction to illuminate the development of the racialized interaction order whereby actors racialized as white impose a set of implicit rules and underlying assumptions onto interracial interactions. I examine archetypal instances of racialized social interactions in America’s history and present-day to reveal the role of social interactions in racially structuring social institutions and everyday lives. First, I discuss the development and racialization of chattel slavery and its routinization as an interaction order. Next, I explore the dramaturgical and symbolic significance of the postbellum emergence and spread of racial terrorism such as white lynch mobs. I then analyze the contemporary discursive and performative strategies of white racial dominance and aspects of the contemporary racialized interaction order such as the de facto racialization of spatial boundaries, mass media and the digital sphere, and police violence. I conclude by discussing the significance of interactional analysis for understanding the present racialized social system.
Realism
Authors: Putnam Hilary
Published: December 2015

Sellars’s definition of the aim of philosophy, ‘to understand how things in the broadest possible sense of the term hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term’, corresponds to my aspirations for the subject. In this article I lay out a very different view of what realism should be, in the hope that it may contribute to that inspiring aim. The difference between our two versions of realism lies in the opposition between Sellars’s picture of two ‘images’, the ‘manifest image’ and the ‘scientific image’, with the scientific image being the ‘measure’ of what is, and the picture I offer, in which there are not sharply delineated ‘scientific images’ and ‘manifest images’, but forms of human discourse that interpenetrate and depend on one another.
‘The idea of a democratic ethos’
Authors: White Stephen K.
Published: December 2015

In this article I explore the character and importance of a democratic ethos. Ferrara develops such a concept around the idea of ‘openness’ as part of his broader ideal of seeking to foster exemplary expansions of political identity with the goal of better accommodating the ‘hyperpluralism’ polities face today. I argue that ‘openness’ has several drawbacks that hinder its possible functioning in such a role, contending rather that ‘presumptive generosity’ is to be preferred. The latter can contribute more effectively than the former to enhancing Ferrara’s notion of exemplarity.
Republican conception of liberty in early republican Turkey and its contemporary implications
Authors: Erozan Boğaç
Published: December 2015

Established in 1923, Turkey has been a republic without a dominant republican conception of liberty. A chance to install such a conception was missed in the early republican period and never recaptured. The republic was unable to get rid of vestiges of the authoritarian tradition of the past. Centuries-old authoritarian tradition persisted well into the recent and the contemporary periods. Presenting ample evidence, the article underlines the weight of history and the legacy of authoritarian mentality that promoted the use of authority, not liberty, in political problem-solving. The initial failure to abandon an authoritarian problem-solving approach proved fateful for the chances of the deepening of democracy in Turkey.
Dibromoacetic Acid Induces Thymocyte Apoptosis by Blocking Cell Cycle Progression, Increasing Intracellular Calcium, and the Fas/FasL Pathway in Vitro
Authors: Gao Shu-Ying , Zhou Xiao-Rong , Gong Ting-Ting , Jia Li-Ming , Li Bai-Xiang
Published: December 2015

Dibromoacetic acid (DBAA), a haloacetic acid found in drinking water as a disinfection by-product, can cause many adverse effects, including immunotoxicity. In a previous study, we confirmed that DBAA can induce obvious immunotoxicity in mice but that the underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. In our current study, we confirmed that DBAA induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in thymocytes isolated from mice by a range of DBAA concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 μM). The data showed that DBAA exposure led to a significant decrease in proliferative responses to T-cell mitogens and obvious inhibition in the production of cytokines interleukin-2 and interleukin-4. We found obvious morphological changes of apoptosis in thymocytes and observed the percentage of apoptotic thymocytes to increase significantly as the DBAA concentration increased. Further investigation showed that DBAA can cause G0/G1 arrest in cell cycle analysis, increase intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) levels, increase the expression of Fas/FasL proteins, and decrease the expression of Bcl-2 protein. It is concluded that in vitro exposure to DBAA can lead to marked cytotoxicity and apoptosis among thymocytes, and the mechanism involved is strongly related to blocking cell cycle progression, increasing intracellular calcium, and increasing Fas/FasL expressions.
Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee
Authors: Kerlin Roy , Bolon Brad , Burkhardt John , Francke Sabine , Greaves Peter , Meador Vince , Popp James
Published: December 2015

Recommendations (best practices) are provided by the Society of Toxicologic Pathology’s Adversity Working Group for making consistent interpretations of test article–related effects as “adverse” and assigning a “no observed adverse effect level” (NOAEL) in nonclinical toxicity studies. Adverse is a term indicating “harm” to the test animal, while nonadverse indicates lack of harm. Adverse findings in the study reports should be defined in relation to effects on the test species used and within the context of the given study. Test article–related effects should be described on their own merits, and decisions to consider them as adverse or nonadverse should be justified. Related effects may be discussed together; in particular, markers of toxicity that are not in and of themselves adverse ideally should be discussed in conjunction with the causal toxicity to determine adversity. Adverse findings should be identified in subreports (clinical data, pathology data, etc.) if sufficient information is available, and/or in the final study report as individual or grouped findings, but study NOAELs should be established at the level of the overall study report. Interpretations such as “not biologically relevant” or “not toxicologically important” should be avoided unless defined and supported by scientific rationale. Decisions defining adverse findings and the NOAEL in final study reports should combine the expertise of all contributing scientific disciplines. Where possible, use of NOAELs in data tables should be linked to explanatory text that places them in context. Ideally, in nonclinical summary documents, NOAELs from multiple studies are considered together in defining the most important adverse responses in the most sensitive species. These responses are then considered along with an understanding of their likely mechanisms, as well as other information such as variability in species sensitivity, comparative pathology, reversibility and progression, kinetics, and metabolism of the test substance to help assess human risk.
How do undergraduate piano students memorize their repertoires?
Authors: Gerling Cristina C. , Dos Santos Regina Antunes Teixeira
Published: December 2015

This study investigated the routine procedures employed by nine undergraduate piano students at a Brazilian university while learning and performing memorized pieces and the procedures employed using Chaffin’s performance cue (PC) protocols. The data were collected in two phases. In Phase I, each participant selected one piece that he or she had previously studied and memorized in the preceding academic semester. For Phase II, the students were introduced to Chaffin’s PC protocols, and they were allowed 10 weeks to memorize another piece of their own choosing. Thereafter, a second semi-structured interview with specific criteria was carried out, and the performance of the memorized piano piece was recorded. In Phase I, there were frequent references to structural and expressive cues. In Phase II, the employed PCs were shown to be related to the nature of the style of each piece, which in turn may indicate that explicit memory (content-addressable cues) seems to be associated with the deliberate expression of a given piece’s stylistic structure. Furthermore, tempo also seems to modulate the frequency of the PCs necessary to guarantee a successful memorized performance, for example, a faster tempo results in fewer PCs being employed.
University of Michigan North Campus long-term vision and lidar dataset
Authors: Carlevaris-Bianco Nicholas , Ushani Arash K , Eustice Ryan M
Published: December 2015

This paper documents a large scale, long-term autonomy dataset for robotics research collected on the University of Michigan’s North Campus. The dataset consists of omnidirectional imagery, 3D lidar, planar lidar, GPS, and proprioceptive sensors for odometry collected using a Segway robot. The dataset was collected to facilitate research focusing on long-term autonomous operation in changing environments. The dataset is composed of 27 sessions spaced approximately biweekly over the course of 15 months. The sessions repeatedly explore the campus, both indoors and outdoors, on varying trajectories, and at different times of the day across all four seasons. This allows the dataset to capture many challenging elements including: moving obstacles (e.g. pedestrians, bicyclists and cars), changing lighting, varying viewpoint, seasonal and weather changes (e.g. falling leaves and snow), and long-term structural changes caused by construction projects. To further facilitate research, we also provide ground-truth pose for all sessions in a single frame of reference.
Emotional Congruence With Children Is Associated With Sexual Deviancy in Sexual Offenders Against Children
Authors: Hermann Chantal A. , McPhail Ian V. , Helmus L. Maaike , Hanson R. Karl
Published: December 2015

Emotional congruence with children is a psychologically meaningful risk factor for sexual offending against children. The present study examines the correlates of emotional congruence with children in a sample of 424 adult male sexual offenders who started a period of community supervision in Canada, Alaska, and Iowa between 2001 and 2005. Consistent with previous work, we found sexual offenders against children high in emotional congruence with children were more likely to be sexually deviant, have poor sexual self-regulation, experience social loneliness, and have more distorted cognitions about sex with children. Overall, our findings are most consistent with a sexual deviancy model, with some support for a blockage model.
Performing a plant biosecurity emergency: The generation of disease absence and presence in Northern Australia banana plantations
Authors: Farbotko Carol , Maclean Kirsten , Robinson Cathy
Published: December 2015

This paper explores the generation of presences and absences of objects in plant biosecurity practices. We use praxiography to trace how multiple versions of disease were generated on a quarantined banana plantation during an emergency response to a suspected outbreak of feared Panama disease. Attending to the practices, techniques and materials that established different versions of disease presence and absence, we ask if the momentarily certain absence of disease on a particular farm necessarily indicated a favourable biosecurity outcome, thus informing enhanced policy strategies for plant health. There were, in fact, multiple objects. Not only diseases, but multiple presences of health, stress, disease and disorder were involved in confirming the absence of Panama.
Assets, livelihoods, and the ‘profile approach’ for analysis of differentiated social vulnerability in the context of climate change
Authors: Fischer Harry W , Chhatre Ashwini
Published: December 2015

It is commonly acknowledged that the world’s rural poor are vulnerable to loss and suffering from global climatic change, but there remains disagreement about how vulnerability should be defined and measured. In this paper, we advance the “profile approach” to vulnerability analysis, illustrated through a cluster analysis of livelihoods and assets of 521 households in India. Our approach focuses on household differentiation as a means to tease apart the causes and conditions that shape variegated exposures to risk. By exploring how vulnerability unfolds through specific constellations of factors on the ground, we believe that the profile approach will serve as a useful tool to build theory on the causes and conditions that shape household vulnerability in different contexts and to aid in the formulation of better-targeted interventions.
3D FE analysis of tensile behavior for co-PP/SGF composite by considering interfacial debonding using CZM
Authors: Shokrian Minoo D , Shelesh-Nezhad Karim , Soudmand Behzad H
Published: December 2015

A numerical study was performed to investigate the tensile properties of unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites containing co-polypropylene and short glass fiber (SGF) using a three-dimensional representative volume element (RVE) and finite element method (FEM). The initiation and propagation of interfacial crack were simulated based on a bilinear cohesive zone method (CZM). The FE simulation indicated that the transverse tensile strength of composite reinforced by SGF was strongly affected by the interface strength, critical fracture energy owing to interfacial debonding as well as loading direction. By increasing of SGF aspect ratio, the anisotropy of tensile strength was slightly affected; however, the anisotropy of modulus was noticeably elevated. The results of FE analysis indicated the proposed CZM can be used to simulate the crack-induced softening mechanism of reinforced thermoplastic polymers.
On recycled carbon fibre composites manufactured through a liquid composite moulding process
Authors: Shah Darshil U , Schubel Peter J
Published: December 2015

The recovery of carbon fibres from waste and end-of-life carbon fibre reinforced plastic materials is both economically lucrative and environmentally necessary. Here, we characterise the physical and mechanical properties of recycled carbon fibre reinforced plastics (rCFRPs) composed of random and oriented non-woven recycled carbon fibre mats that were impregnated with liquid epoxy matrices using a vacuum-infusion set-up. The low areal density and poor compactability of the non-woven mats implied that press-moulding upon impregnation was essential to control laminate thickness and improve fibre content; this may limit the applications of the resulting rCFRPs. Moreover, the press consolidation process is thought to degrade fibre length, and is a likely cause for the lower-than-expected tensile properties of the rCFRPs. Expectedly, the oriented rCFRPs exhibited better tensile and compressive properties than the random rCFRPs. Notably, while the tensile strength of the rCFRPs was only up to 2.5 times better than the matrix, the tensile modulus was 4–10 times enhanced. Through a comparative literature survey, we found that the liquid composite moulded rCFRPs were outperformed by rCFRPs fabricated through other manufacturing processes (e.g. prepregging), particularly those employing high compaction pressures, and utilising long fibres recovered through pyrolysis and chemical processes, rather than the fluidised-bed process.
Preservice Teachers and Self-Assessing Digital Competence
Authors: Maderick Joseph A. , Zhang Shaoan , Hartley Kendall , Marchand Gwen
Published: December 2015

This study compares matched surveys of subjective self-assessment and objective assessment on seven domains of digital competence for preservice teachers at a large Southwest public university. The results, consistent with earlier studies, confirm that the participating preservice teachers inaccurately self-assessed their digital competence. The study concluded that subjective self-assessment lacks appropriate validity and is not an accurate stand-alone predictor of digital competence among preservice teachers. However, if considered in conjunction with other means, self-assessment may prove to be useful for preservice teachers to aid in their reflection of their competence, skills, and knowledge and to aid them in adjusting their perceptions and attitudes regarding technology throughout their professional practice. In addition, self-assessment in conjunction with other means may assist teacher educators in providing opportunities to improve the competence in teacher training programs.
Effects of Prior Knowledge in Mathematics on Learner-Interface Interactions in a Learning-by-Teaching Intelligent Tutoring System
Authors: Bringula Rex P. , Basa Roselle S. , Dela Cruz Cecilio , Rodrigo Ma. Mercedes T.
Published: December 2015

This study attempted to determine the influence of prior knowledge in mathematics of students on learner-interface interactions in a learning-by-teaching intelligent tutoring system. One hundred thirty-nine high school students answered a pretest (i.e., the prior knowledge in mathematics) and a posttest. In between the pretest and posttest, they used the SimStudent, an intelligent tutoring system that follows a teaching-by-learning paradigm. The intervention period lasted for three consecutive days with 1 hour session each. SimStudent captured learner-interface interactions, such as time spent tutoring, number of quizzes conducted, and number of hints requested. It was disclosed that prior knowledge in term identification was the only skill that had a consistent, positive, and significant influence on learner-interface interaction with a SimStudent. Thus, the null hypothesis stating that prior knowledge in mathematics does not significantly influence interaction of students with a simulated student was partially rejected. It was concluded that the students may demonstrate or omit a skill, depending on their prior knowledge on identifying the terms of equations and the next step in solving equations. Recommendations and directions for future studies were presented.
Feeding the Postoperative Patient on Vasopressor Support
Authors: Bruns Brandon R. , Kozar Rosemary A.
Published: December 2015

Initiating enteral nutrition in the postoperative patient can be challenging. Postoperative ileus and bowel edema, bowel anastomosis, and intra‐abdominal pathology contribute to the reluctance and inability to achieve adequate nutrition in this patient population. The addition of vasopressors confounds the difficulties. Clinical data are sparse but suggest that most postoperative patients requiring vasopressor therapy can be safely initiated and advanced on enteral nutrition. Consideration of the vasopressor agent being utilized and its dose is imperative, as are individual patient characteristics. Temporal changes in the dosage should be closely monitored, as increasing doses may reflect worsening clinical status that can be due to intestinal ischemia. Well‐designed prospective trials are clearly necessary to address this controversial topic.
Clinical Guide for the Use of Metabolic Carts
Authors: Singer Pierre , Singer Joelle
Published: December 2015

Critically ill patients often require nutrition support, but accurately determining energy needs in these patients is difficult. Energy expenditure is affected by patient characteristics such as weight, height, age, and sex but is also influenced by factors such as body temperature, nutrition support, sepsis, sedation, and therapies. Using predictive equations to estimate energy needs is known to be inaccurate. Therefore, indirect calorimetry measurement is considered the gold standard to evaluate energy needs in clinical practice. This review defines the indications, limitations, and pitfalls of this technique and gives practice suggestions in various clinical situations.
Prevalence of Sarcopenia and Associated Outcomes in the Clinical Setting
Authors: Peterson Sarah J. , Braunschweig Carol A.
Published: December 2015

Sarcopenia refers to age‐associated decrease in muscle mass and function. The condition was originally described in the elderly, but emerging evidence suggests that it is also a concern among the chronically ill nonelderly. Currently there are a number of definitions for diagnosing sarcopenia; however, in the clinical setting, abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans completed for diagnostic purposes can be utilized to identify CT‐defined sarcopenia. Recent studies suggest that prevalence of CT‐defined sarcopenia is high among chronically ill patients, ranging from 15%–50% in patients with cancer, 30%–45% with liver failure, and 60%–70% for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. Depleted muscle mass is associated with infectious complications, prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation, longer hospitalization, greater need for rehabilitation care after hospital discharge, and higher mortality. In consideration of the growing population of older adults with multiple comorbidities, more research is needed to identify sarcopenia and develop interventions that are directed at attenuating or reversal muscle loss.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
Authors: Steenhagen Elles
Published: December 2015

Perioperative surgical care is undergoing a paradigm shift. Traditional practices such as prolonged preoperative fasting (nil by mouth from midnight), bowel cleaning, and reintroduction of oral nutrition 3–5 days after surgery are being shunned. These and other similar changes have been formulated into a protocol called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway. It is a multimodal perioperative care pathway designed to achieve early recovery after surgical procedures by maintaining preoperative organ function and reducing the profound stress response following surgery. The key elements of an ERAS protocol include preoperative counseling, optimization of nutrition, standardized analgesic and anesthetic regimes, and early mobilization. The recent literature is heavily influenced by colorectal surgery, but the principles are now being applied to a wide range of disciplines. As they challenge traditional surgical doctrine, the implementation of ERAS guidelines has been slow, despite the significant body of evidence indicating that ERAS guidelines may lead to improved outcomes.
Neurologic Emergencies in the Patients With Cancer
Authors: Lin Andrew L. , Avila Edward K.
Published: December 2015

Neurologic complications of cancer are common and are frequently life-threatening events. Certain neurologic emergencies occur more frequently in the cancer population, specifically elevated intracranial pressure, epidural cord compression, status epilepticus, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, central nervous system infection, and treatment-associated neurologic dysfunction. These emergencies require early diagnosis and prompt treatment to ensure the best possible outcome and are best managed in the intensive care unit. This article reviews the presentation, pathophysiology, and management of the most common causes of acute neurologic decompensation in the patient with cancer.
Mortality and Resource Utilization After Critical Care Transport of Patients With Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure
Authors: Wilcox Susan R. , Richards Jeremy B. , Genthon Alissa , Saia Mark S. , Waden Heather , Gates Jonathan D. , Cocchi Michael N. , McGahn Susan J. , Frakes Michael , Wedel Suzanne K.
Published: December 2015

Introduction:

We performed this study to quantify resources required by mechanically ventilated patients with hypoxemia after critical care transport (CCT) and to assess short-term clinical outcomes.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of transports of patients with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure from referring hospitals to 3 tertiary care hospitals to assess the outcomes including in-hospital mortality, ventilator days, intensive care unit length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, disposition, and reported neurologic status on hospital discharge as well as medical interventions specific to acute respiratory failure and critical care.

Results:

Of 230 patients transported with hypoxemic respiratory failure, 152 survived to hospital discharge, for a mortality rate of 34.5%, despite a predicted mortality of 64% by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score. Twenty-five percent of patients were treated with neuromuscular blockade, 10.1% received inhaled pulmonary vasodilators, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was initiated in 2.6%.

Conclusions:

In this cohort with hypoxemic respiratory failure transported to tertiary care facilities, patients had a mortality rate comparable to patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome treated with best practices and a mortality rate lower than predicted based on APACHE-II score. The risks of CCT are outweighed by the benefits of transfer to a tertiary care facility, and pretransport hypoxemia should not be used as an absolute contraindication to transport.
Beneficial Effects of Omega-3 Supplement to the Enteral Feeding in Children With Mild to Moderate Sepsis
Authors: Al-Biltagi Mohammed Abdul Moety , Abo-Elezz Ahmed Abd ElBasset , Abd-Elhafez Maher Ahmed , Mabrouk Maaly Mohamed , Suliman Ghada Abudelmomen
Published: December 2015

Objective:

The objective was to investigate the benefits of supplementing enteral feeding with omega-3 fatty acids in children with mild to moderate sepsis and its effects on acute-phase reactants and interleukin 6 (IL-6) level.

Methods:

The study was a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study from January 2012 to June 2014, which included 2 groups of children with mild to moderate sepsis tolerating enteral feeding. Group A included 60 children supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids, whereas group B included 60 children who received enteral feeding without omega-3 supplementation. Both groups had complete blood pictures, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum albumin, and IL-6 before and after 7 days from supplementation.

Results:

There was a significant improvement in hemoglobin percentage ( P < .0001), total white blood cell (WBC) count ( P < .0001), and platelet count ( P < .0001) and significant decrease in CRP ( P < .0001), ESR ( P < .0001), IL-6 ( P < .0001), and albumin level ( P < .001) in the supplemented group than the nonsupplemented group. The supplemented group also had a significantly shorter duration of stay in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU; P < .01) and decreased death rate than the nonsupplemented group.

Conclusion:

Children with mild to moderate sepsis showed significant improvement in inflammatory markers and had shorter PICU admission when enteral feeding was supplemented with omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Workplace Incivility as Modern Sexual Prejudice
Authors: Di Marco Donatella , Hoel Helge , Arenas Alicia , Munduate Lourdes
Published: December 2015

Although discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is prohibited by law in many countries, negative prejudices against Lesbian and Gay (LG) people, as a stigmatized minority, might be internalized by co-workers, being a source of a modern and subtle form of discrimination. Results from 39 in-depth semi-structured interviews with LG employees show that they are victims of workplace incivility which is manifested through jokes, use of language, stereotypes, and intrusive behaviors. Such acts are barely recognizable as a form of discrimination, due to the absence of any reference to sexual orientation, and for this reason it is more difficult to act against them at an organizational level. This is the first study that demonstrates how workplace incivility toward LG employees can be an expression of a subtle form of discrimination. It shows that discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation has not disappeared; it has simply changed its manifestations. Contributions and implications of the study are discussed from a theoretical and a practical perspective.
An Industry View of Competencies for Entry-Level Merchandising Jobs
Authors: Frazier Barbara J. , Cheek Wanda K.
Published: December 2015

University clothing and textile programs must respond to increasing pressure from stakeholders to prepare graduates for successful employment. This challenge calls for educators to connect with employers to identify competencies needed for entry level merchandising positions in order to develop strong curricula to meet industry needs. In this study, the authors explored the merchandising component through a survey of mid-level retail managers’ (n = 109) perceptions of the competencies needed by new graduates to succeed in early career positions. The International Textile and Apparel Association meta-goals served as a framework for assessing retailers’ views on the importance of knowledge, skills, and abilities for new graduates. Retail managers favored soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, and communication, over traditional clothing and textile content knowledge. The authors found support for curricular emphasis on experiential and collaborative learning, and continuing efforts to invigorate core clothing and textiles content knowledge.
Takeover Premiums and Family Blockholders
Authors: Leitterstorf Max P. , Wachter Maximilian M.
Published: December 2015

Blockholders impact strategic firm decisions because they are better at monitoring managers than dispersed shareholder groups. Nevertheless, we do not sufficiently understand how preferences of different blockholder types impact strategic firm decisions. We discuss this in the context of takeover premiums offered for publicly listed firms. Prior studies have argued that managers are often tempted to offer excessively high premiums. Consistently, blockholders might better control managers and ensure lower premiums. To better understand the impact of blockholder preferences, we focus on the special case of family firms. Specifically, drawing on the behavioral agency model, we hypothesize that bidders with family blockholders offer lower premiums than bidders with other blockholders or bidders without blockholders. Our empirical results support our hypotheses based on a sample of 149 takeover offers.
Consent and Consumption of Spectacle Power and Violence
Authors: Rothe Dawn L. , Collins Victoria E.
Published: December 2015

This article focuses on the facilitation, consent and consumption of state violence, as an aspect of the state’s hegemonic control in the current stage of neoliberal capitalism. We suggest that the commoditized symbols of state violence are a part of everyday life for millions within the United States and are embedded within ideologies of nationalism–national security, supported and reinforced through consumerism. The consumption (figuratively and literally) within the confines of neoliberalism is disconnected from the actual course of state violence, facilitating their own pacification while giving consent to hegemonic control. In this sense, the population’s consumption becomes more than pacification and consent, but rather an active constituent in the production and reproduction of state violence: making it the accepted and banal violence of the spectacle.