bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vein calcite dating reveals Pyrenean orogen as cause of Paleogene deformation in southern England
Authors: Parrish Randall R. , Parrish Claire M. , Lasalle Stephanie
Published: February 2018

An improved method of U–Pb dating of vein calcite formed during deformation is used to determine the age and cause of folding along the south coast of England. Fractures arising from folding of Late Cretaceous Chalk of southern England occurred 34.7 ± 1.7 myr ago. Underlying Jurassic strata have veins within fractures with ages of 55, 48–42, 39–37, 34–31 and 25 Ma, with 34–31 Ma being the tectonic culmination. Folding was slightly younger than the age of the youngest strata in the overlying Solent Group, suggesting that folding terminated basin sedimentation. This age of north–south shortening is inconsistent with attribution to intraplate forces from the mainly younger Alps, but is plausibly a result of the Pyrenean Orogen, which evolved from 50 to 28 myr ago with a late Eocene culmination. A modified method for carbonate laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U–Pb dating is presented that uses measured
232
Th and
208
Pb as a better monitor of common Pb, and it has distinct advantages over existing methods. Initial common lead determined on samples conforms closely to model compositions calculated by earlier workers, with free regressions giving the most robust dates. The modified method is applicable to structural geology, carbonate diagenesis and to dating of carbonate relevant to palaeo-environmental and archaeological studies.

Supplementary material
: Details of sample locations and characteristics, photographs of sample localities, microscopic images of veins, details of the experimental procedure and U–Pb data for all samples and reference materials are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3997086
External Auditory Canal Dimensions, Age, and Cerumen Retention or Impaction in Persons With Down Syndrome
Authors: Dy Alexander Edward S. , Lapeña José Florencio F.
Published: February 2018

Objective:

To investigate associations between age, external auditory canal (EAC) dimensions, and cerumen retention/impaction among persons with Down syndrome (DS).

Methods:

This cross-sectional study evaluated EAC dimensions, cerumen retention/impaction, and middle ear status with pneumatoscopy after extraction in 130 persons with DS. Descriptive and inferential statistics correlated age, presence of impacted/retained cerumen, and EAC diameter.

Results:

Of 260 ears in 67 males and 63 females with average age of 9.48 years, 72.3% (188) had EAC of ≤4 mm. Those ≤1 year were 4.97 times more likely to have cerumen problems than those >1 year (95% CI, 1.45-17.02, P = .011). The odds of having cerumen problems with an EAC diameter of ≤4 mm were 3.31 times higher than with a diameter of 5 mm (95% CI, 1.46-7.50, P = .004), and odds of having cerumen impaction were as much as 6.19 times higher (95% CI, 2.38-16.08, P < .001). Male gender and low-lying external ear were also associated with increased odds of cerumen problems.

Conclusion:

There is a high prevalence of cerumen retention/impaction in persons with DS compared to the general Philippine population and a higher prevalence rate for EAC stenosis than elsewhere. A canal diameter of 4 mm and below and age 1 year or less are associated with a significantly higher likelihood of cerumen retention/impaction.
The teaching of the other: Ethical vulnerability and generous reciprocity in the research process
Authors: Rhodes Carl , Carlsen Arne
Published: February 2018

How is it that researchers can engage with those they research ethically? In response to the challenge of this question, we articulate an ethics of research engagement based on vulnerability and generosity. This is explored with a special focus on the practicalities of organization studies research. Building on developments in reflexive methodology, we draw on Emmanuel Levinas’ relational ethics to consider how research can be approached as receiving a ‘teaching of the other’. Such teaching involves a radical openness to other people’s difference such that knowledge arises from being affected by those others rather than claiming to know them in any categorical sense. The possibility that emerges is that of a reflexively ethical position from which to conduct research premised on letting go of the egotistical comforts of one’s own epistemic authority. Self-reflexivity becomes rendered subservient to other-vulnerability in embodied research encounters that are open and generous. The promise for research is a deepening of our corporeal, affective and aesthetic engagement with others and an enlarged sense of the ethical meaning of research.
Autonomous audio heater car: A comprehensive project-based analog design experience
Authors: LeBoeuf Richard L , Gómez Jorge T
Published: February 2018

This paper presents a methodology for teaching analog design concepts in the context of a single conceptual design and competition. The autonomous audio heater car is a comprehensive project-based analog design experience within a conceive, design, implement, operate framework. The students participate in the overall design process with guided discovery, rather than merely conducting scripted laboratory exercises. Students develop an understanding of the analog design required for each subsystem through weekly individual pre-laboratory and laboratory exercises. The car is guided to a beacon by light and/or audio tone. In transit, the car heats water to a temperature corresponding to the beacon tone and emits a tone corresponding to the instantaneous water temperature. The project culminates with team-based system integration and a competition. The individual work serves to cross-train all of the team members such that they all contribute effectively in the teams. The project motivated students because it provided a framework for laboratory topics, which would typically be considered without the broader context of a system design introduced at the beginning of the course.
Home and belonging in Irene Sabatini’s The Boy Next Door and Andrea Eames’ The Cry of the Go-Away Bird
Authors: Mthatiwa Syned
Published: February 2018

In this article I examine how, in their novels The Boy Next Door and The Cry of the Go-Away Bird, Irene Sabatini and Andrea Eames, respectively, allow us to reflect on questions of whiteness, home, and belonging in Zimbabwe. I argue that in these novels the experiences, behaviours, and attitudes of whites towards Africa and black people contest and subvert their belonging to Zimbabwe and highlight their failure to accept the end of Rhodesia. White people’s resistance to integration into Zimbabwe, their continued racializing of space, and their attempts to maintain white power and privilege bring whiteness sharply before the scrutiny of the black gaze and provoke anti-white rhetoric as well as a discourse on white unbelonging to Zimbabwe that becomes more strident and violent from the late 1990s.
Influence of cenospheric fillers on the thermal properties, ceramisation and flammability of nitrile rubber composites
Authors: Rybiński Przemysław , Syrek Bartłomiej , Bradło Dariusz , Żukowski Witold , Anyszka Rafał , Imiela Mateusz
Published: February 2018

In this paper, the influence of cenospheric fillers of different particle sizes on the thermal properties and flammability of butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber is presented. A part of fly ash cenospheres was coated with an iron and iron (III) oxide layer. A series of examinations were conducted, these took the forms of: thermal analysis; oxygen index analysis; cone calorimeter measurements; SEM; AFM. These examinations enabled the explanation of iron-based combustion inhibition processes in terms of catalysis of char formation and elastomer cross-linking. Cenospheres itself without additional coatings or fillers provide high surface for polymer chain adsorption, and hence degradation of composite is reduced. Additionally, the results of the investigation on the effectiveness of cenospheric filler usage for ceramisation are discussed. It is proven that the durable ceramic structure is formed owing to the addition of cenospheres in the presence of an inorganic flux. Thus, replacement of silica by lightweight cenospheres is possible. Cenospheres with an iron coating and in the presence of wollastonite and an inorganic flux allow obtaining the NBR composites which are non-flammable in the air atmosphere; furthermore, the ceramic layer formed during the composite combustion has advantageous mechanical properties.
A Framework for Improvement: Analyzing Performance-Assessment Scores for Evidence-Based Teacher Preparation Program Reforms
Authors: Bastian Kevin C. , Lys Diana , Pan Yi
Published: February 2018

Teacher candidate performance assessments represent a promising source of data for evidence-based program improvement. However, teacher preparation programs (TPPs) interested in reform face a crucial question: how to identify actionable evidence in performance-assessment data. To address this concern, we propose a two-pronged empirical framework that TPPs can use to analyze performance-assessment data. The first approach, latent class analysis, creates profiles of instructional practice by grouping candidates together based on similarities in their performance-assessment scores. This can help TPPs provide targeted supports to candidates. The second approach, predictive validity analyses, estimates relationships between candidates’ performance-assessment scores and their performance as teachers-of-record. This can help TPPs identify programmatic elements significantly related to teacher outcomes. We illustrate this framework with Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) data from a Partner University and contend that the impact of performance assessments can be amplified by these common strategies for analyzing performance-assessment data.
Influence of estrogen on individual exercise motivation and bone protection in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Müller Sebastian T , Keiler Annekathrin M , Kräker Kristin , Zierau Oliver , Bernhardt Ricardo
Published: February 2018

Bone protection and metabolism are directly linked to estrogen levels, but exercise is also considered to have bone protective effects. Reduced estrogen levels lead to a variety of disorders, for example, bone loss and reduced movement drive. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of estrogen on individual voluntary exercise motivation and bone protection. We investigated sham operated, ovariectomized, and ovariectomized with estrogen supplemented Wistar rats (20 weeks old) either with or without access to exercise wheels. We selected an experimental approach where we could monitor the individual exercise of group-housed rats with ad libitum access to a running wheel with the help of a subcutaneous chip. In vivo and ex vivo microcomputed tomography analyses of the tibia were performed at two-week intervals from week 0 to week 6. Furthermore, tibial trabecular structure was evaluated based on histomorphometric analyses. We observed a significant bone protective effect of E2. For exercise performance, a substantially high intra-group variability was observed, especially in the E2 group. We presume that dominant behavior occurs within the group-housed rats resulting in a hierarchical access to the running wheel and a high variability of distance run. Exercise did not prevent ovariectomy-induced bone loss. However, lack of estrogen within the ovariectomized rats led to a drastically reduced activity prevented by estrogen supplementation. Our findings are important for future studies working with group-housed rats and exercise. The reason for the high intra-group variability in exercise needs to be investigated in future studies.
Evaluation of hydrocarbons generated from the Permo-Carboniferous source rocks in Huanghua Depression of the Bohai Bay Basin, China
Authors: Qu Xiao-Rong , Zhu Yan-Ming , Li Wu , Tang Xin , Zhang Han
Published: February 2018

The Huanghua Depression is located in the north-centre of Bohai Bay Basin, which is a rift basin developed in the Mesozoic over the basement of the Huabei Platform, China. Permo-Carboniferous source rocks were formed in the Huanghua Depression, which has experienced multiple complicated tectonic alterations with inhomogeneous uplift, deformation, buried depth and magma effect. As a result, the hydrocarbon generation evolution of Permo-Carboniferous source rocks was characterized by discontinuity and grading. On the basis of a detailed study on tectonic-burial history, the paper worked on the burial history, heating history and hydrocarbon generation history of Permo-Carboniferous source rocks in the Huanghua Depression combined with apatite fission track testing and fluid inclusion analyses using the EASY% Ro numerical simulation. The results revealed that their maturity evolved in stages with multiple hydrocarbon generations. In this paper, we clarified the tectonic episode, the strength of hydrocarbon generation and the time–spatial distribution of hydrocarbon regeneration. Finally, an important conclusion was made that the hydrocarbon regeneration of Permo-Carboniferous source rocks occurred in the Late Cenozoic and the subordinate depressions were brought forward as advantage zones for the depth exploration of Permo-Carboniferous oil and gas in the middle-northern part of the Huanghua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, China.
Symptom Profile of Psychiatric Patients With Psychosis or Psychotic Mood Disorder in Prison
Authors: van Beek J. , Vuijk P. J. , Harte J. M. , Scherder E. J. A.
Published: February 2018

There is evidence that psychiatric patients with psychotic or manic disorders who are incarcerated suffer from the same symptoms as psychiatric patients who are treated in the community. There are also indications that their symptoms might be more severe. The aim of this study was to examine the severity of psychotic and manic symptoms, as well as to collect information about the emotional functioning of patients admitted to a prison psychiatric ward. Incarcerated patients with a diagnosis of psychotic or a manic disorder were examined with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale–Expanded (BPRS-E). With the scores of 140 assessments, a symptom profile was created using the domains of the BPRS-E. This profile was compared with the clinical profile of three nonincarcerated patient groups described in literature with a diagnosis in the same spectrum. We found high scores on positive and manic psychotic symptoms and hostility, and low scores on guilt, depression, and negative symptoms. High scores on manic and psychotic symptoms are often accompanied by violent behavior. Low scores on guilt, depression, and negative symptoms could be indicative of externalizing coping skills. These characteristics could complicate treatment in the community and warrant further research along with clinical consideration.
Risk Assessment in Habitual Offenders With Substance Use Problems: A Quasi-Prospective Study of the Predictive Validity of the HKT-30
Authors: Lammers Sylvia , Kokkelink Lot , deHaan Hein
Published: February 2018

The predictive validity of the Dutch risk assessment instrument HKT-30 was investigated with a quasi-prospective design in a sample of habitual offenders with a substance use disorder (SUD). The study is reported according to RAGEE guidelines. The HKT-30 is an extension of the HCR-20. Files of 89 patients were coded and recidivism data were requested from the Ministry of Justice. Total scale scores and scores of the Clinical and Future scales were significantly predictive of recidivism for 1 and 2 years of time at risk, respectively. In contrast to earlier studies into recidivism, the H-scale had no predictive value. Regression analysis showed that the Clinical and Future scales contributed to the explanation of variance in recidivism, but not independently from each other. The conclusion is that the HKT-30 is a useful instrument for discovering risk factors and predicting recidivism for the population of habitual offenders with an SUD.
Seismic performance of FRP-reinforced concrete-filled thin-walled steel tube considering local buckling
Authors: Zhu CY , Zhao YH , Sun L
Published: February 2018

The objective of this study is to investigate the seismic performance of fiber-reinforced polymer-reinforced concrete-filled thin-walled steel tube (CFTST). Twelve specimens with different fiber-reinforced polymer types (glass fiber-reinforced polymer and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer) and reinforcing modes were tested under constant axially compressive load and cyclic lateral load. The failure mode and lateral load versus displacement relationship for each specimen were recorded during testing. The strength, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity were analyzed accordingly. Further, a stress–strain relationship and a restoring force model of the fiber-reinforced polymer confining steel tube with local buckling were proposed. A hysteretic model for the fiber-reinforced polymer-reinforced CFTST was developed subsequently. The results indicate that the seismic performance of fiber-reinforced polymer-reinforced CFTST can be effectively improved by optimizing the fiber-reinforced polymer type and corresponding reinforcing scheme. Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer and glass fiber-reinforced polymer are suitable materials for the confinement and bending reinforcement of the column, respectively. The modeling results show the energy imported into the column is mainly dissipated by the thin-walled steel tube. The energy dissipation proportion of the steel tube, concrete core, and longitudinal fiber-reinforced polymer are >80%, 10%–20%, and <8%, respectively. The energy dissipation value of the steel tube can be improved more than 40% after effectively restraining the local buckling.
Preparing Teachers to Serve English Learners With Language- and/or Literacy-Related Difficulties and Disabilities
Authors: Ortiz Alba A. , Robertson Phyllis M.
Published: February 2018

Competencies needed by teachers who provide language and literacy instruction to English learners (ELs), including bilingual education, English as a second language, general education, and special education teachers, are outlined. The competencies suggest a shared knowledge base all teachers of ELs must have to provide linguistically and culturally responsive instruction and intervention that is differentiated to meet students’ language-, literacy-, and/or disability-related needs. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in teacher preparation.
Parametric analysis of in-plane rigid-elastic coupled non-contact tire model for heavily loaded radial tire
Authors: Liu Zhihao , Gao Qinhe
Published: February 2018

Parametric analysis of in-plane vibration characteristic for unloaded heavily loaded radial tire is put forward and researched utilizing in-plane rigid-elastic coupled model. Coupled vibration characteristic between the flexible tread and circumferential sidewall is investigated with theoretical modeling and experimental modal method. In-plane analytical vibration feature is modeled with flexible beam on modified elastic foundation tire model. The rigid-elastic coupled tire model is derived with finite difference method and stiffness matrix and mass matrix are presented analytically with the geometrical and structural parameters. Structural parameters identification is implemented with genetic algorithm based on in-plane experimental modal parameter. The in-plane transfer functions with different structural parameters are compared and the parametric effect of structural parameters on in-plane transfer function is discussed. Experimental and theoretical result shows that the in-plane rigid-elastic coupled tire model can achieve the higher precision on predicting the transfer function and vibration feature of heavily loaded tire within the frequency band of 300 Hz.
Highlighting the clinical need for diagnosing Mycoplasma genitalium infection
Authors: Ison Catherine A , Fifer Helen , Gwynn Simon , Horner Paddy , Muir Peter , Nicholls Jane , Radcliffe Keith , Ross Jonathan , Taylor-Robinson David , White John
Published: February 2018

Despite Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) being increasingly recognised as a genital pathogen in men and women, awareness and utility of commercially available MG-testing has been low. The opinion of UK sexual health clinicians and allied professionals was sought on how MG-testing should be used. Thirty-two consensus statements were developed by an expert group and circulated to clinicians and laboratory staff, who were asked to evaluate their level of agreement with each statement; 75% agreement was set as the threshold for defining consensus for each statement. A modified Delphi approach was used and high levels of agreement obviated the need to test the original statement set further. Of 201 individuals who received questionnaires, 60 responded, most (48) being sexual health consultants, more than 10% of the total in the UK. Twenty-seven (84.4%) of the statements exceeded the 75% threshold. Respondents strongly supported MG-testing of patients with urethritis, pelvic inflammatory disease or unexplained persistent vaginal discharge, or post-coital bleeding. Fewer favoured testing patients with proctitis and support was divided for routinely testing Chlamydia-positive patients. Testing of current sexual contacts of MG-positive patients was supported, as was a test of cure for MG-positive patients, although agreement fell below the 75% threshold. Respondents agreed that all consultant- or specialist-led services should have access to testing for MG (98.3%). There was strong agreement for having MG-testing available for specific patient groups, which may reflect concern over antibiotic resistance and the desire to comply with clinical guidelines that recommend MG-testing in sexual health clinic settings.
Suppression of contact bounce in beam-type microelectromechanical switches using a feedforward control scheme
Authors: Godara R K , Joglekar M M
Published: February 2018

This paper presents a feedforward control strategy for suppressing the contact bounces in electrostatically driven microswitches. The mathematical model is first developed, including the effects of mid-plane stretching, fringing field capacitance, squeeze-film damping together with the effect of elastic contact with the stationary dielectric substrate. The contact between the movable and the stationary electrodes is modeled as a foundation made by a combination of nonlinear springs and dampers. To discretize the system of partial differential equations of the electrostatic switch into ordinary differential equations, the Galerkin’s method is employed. Both fixed–fixed and fixed–free configurations of the switch are investigated. A parametric study is presented to establish the robustness and efficacy of the proposed technique to mitigate the contact bounces. Additionally, the effect of variation in the extent of damping, stretching parameter and input voltage on switching time is investigated.
Rare MYC-amplified Neuroblastoma With Large Cell Histology
Authors: Matsuno Ryosuke , Gifford Andrew J , Fang Junming , Warren Mikako , Lukeis Robyn E , Trahair Toby , Sugimoto Tohru , Marachelian Araz , Asgharzadeh Shahab , Maris John M , Ikegaki Naohiko , Shimada Hiroyuki
Published: February 2018

Background

Although MYCN (aka N-myc) amplification is reported in ∼20% of neuroblastomas, MYC (aka C-myc) amplification appears to be a rare event in this disease. As of today, only 2 MYC-amplified neuroblastomas have been briefly mentioned in the literature.

Methods

We studied here the clinicopathological features of 3 MYC-amplified neuroblastomas.

Results

All 3 patients (2 females and 1 male) had stage 4 disease. One female is currently alive and well 52 months after the diagnosis, while the other female and male patients died of disease 24 and 20 months after the diagnosis, respectively. Further analysis on 2 tumors revealed unfavorable histology with MYC protein overexpression but with neither MYCN amplification nor MYCN protein overexpression. Both of these tumors exhibited “large cell neuroblastoma” histology with enlarged, uniquely open nuclei and nucleolar hypertrophy, along with “aberrant” desmin expression.

Conclusions

MYC-amplified neuroblastomas are extremely rare and seem to present with distinct clinicopathological features.
Testosterone- and Cortisol-secreting Oncocytic Adrenocortical Adenoma in the Pediatric Age-group
Authors: Al Badi Maryam K , Al-Alwan Ibrahim , Al-Dubayee Mohammed , Al-Anzi Ayed , Al Turki Maram S , Aloudah Noura , Alsaad Khaled O
Published: February 2018

Oncocytic tumors are epithelial neoplasms that occur in various organs, including adrenal glands. Oncocytic adrenocortical adenomas and carcinomas are uncommon but well-known pathological entities in adults. However, generally oncocytic tumors, particularly in the adrenal glands, are very rare in the pediatric age-group. Most oncocytic adrenal tumors are not functional. We present a rare case of right-sided, functional oncocytic adrenocortical adenoma in a 5-year-old boy, who presented with clinical manifestations of precocious puberty and Cushing syndrome. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy showed a well-defined mass weighing 8.4 g and measuring 3 cm in maximum dimension. Histological examination demonstrated no features suggestive of aggressive biological behavior. The patient showed no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease and continued to have normal serum hormonal levels 28 months following the surgery. In this report, we discuss the clinicopathological characteristics of this rare pathological entity and briefly review the literature on functional oncocytic adrenal tumors in the pediatric population.
Participation in co-design: In search of a recipe for improved cookstoves in urban Indian slums
Authors: Ghergu Cristian T , Meershoek Agnes , Sushama Preeti , van Schayck Onno CP , de Witte Luc P
Published: February 2018

This study responds to the need for participatory, context-oriented approaches to address the growing health threat of indoor air pollution faced by marginalised communities of urban India. It explored the application of the co-designing model employed by Project Exhale in two non-notified slums in Bangalore, by analysing processes and tools of multi-stakeholder collaboration, the knowledge that emerged from them, and its translation into the designing of improved cookstoves. Bringing the end-users, designers and researchers onto a common platform led to the generation of contextual, user-knowledge and technical expertise, which were transferred to the development of the prototype. In this process, stoves’ suitability concerns traditionally raised in literature are not seen as barriers to implementation, but issues that can be addressed and negotiated through participatory methods. The involved actors experienced a parting from pre-defined, traditional roles towards more flexible ones, as required by the project at different stages. Tools employed for the knowledge exchanged within this community of practice needed continuous exploration, negotiation and adjusting, as transferring the co-designing model in resource-limited settings demands higher flexibility and a grounding of activities in local experiences.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Mindfulness for Treatment of Major Depression With Anxious Distress
Authors: Mahan Rebecca M. , Swan Scott A. , Macfie Jenny
Published: February 2018

This single case study examined symptom change in the treatment of a 22-year-old Caucasian female college student presenting with anxious and depressive symptoms and maladaptive coping strategies in the context of an interpersonal dispute. The treatment integrated mindfulness skills training with interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) to treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, overall total symptoms, and relational problems across the 18-session treatment. We assessed symptoms across treatment and analyzed change in symptom severity over time. Reliable change index analyses indicated significant symptom reduction between baseline levels at the start of treatment and the final sessions in all measured symptoms (anxiety, depression, total symptoms, and interpersonal relations), with decreases in symptom severity occurring gradually over the course of treatment. A 1-month follow-up assessment of symptoms indicated sustained reductions in anxious and depressive symptoms since baseline measurements. We discuss recommendations on the importance of therapeutic flexibility in treating comorbid conditions and therapist willingness to combine multiple treatment approaches for better treatment outcomes.
On the usage of sorting networks to control greenhouse climatic factors
Authors: López Ramírez Blanca C , Guzmán Giovanni , Alhalabi Wadee , Cruz-Cortés Nareli , Torres-Ruiz Miguel , Moreno-Ibarra Marco
Published: February 2018

The goal of this article is the application of a non-adaptive classification algorithm to support the variable management process for internal climate control. The protected agriculture has given many advantages for the care and improvement in the production of almost any food. This work is focused on improving a control system for climate variables. The decision for activating an actuator for the correct care of the crop is very important. A sorting network technique with predefined compare–interchange operations and designed to order data very efficiently is proposed. This approach has been applied to the process of handling actuators within a control system. An advantage of using the sorting networks is that it has an inflexibility when processing a data list; it always takes the same units of time and is executed in the same number of operations for an input size of n. Sorting network–based applications are scarce in the state-of-the-art because there are not many techniques that are effective for sorting very small data sizes. The use of sorting networks in the process of assessing the determination of actuators is proposed. This operation is scheduled in the design of control and performed at each reading back data.
Commissioning new applications on processing machines: Part I - process modelling
Authors: Troll Clemens , Schebitz Benno , Majschak Jens-Peter , Döring Michael , Holowenko Olaf , Ihlenfeldt Steffen
Published: February 2018

The subject of this splitted article is the commissioning of a new application that may be part of a processing machine. Considering the example of the intermittent transport of small-sized goods, for example, chocolate bars, ideas for increasing the maximum performance are discussed. Starting from an analysis, disadvantages of a conventional motion approach are discussed, and thus, a new motion approach is presented. For realising this new motion approach, a virtual process model has to be built, which is the subject of this article. Therefore, the real process has to be abstracted, so only the main elements take attention in the modelling process. Following, important model parameters are determined and verified using virtual experiments. This finally leads to the possibility to calculate useful operating speed–dependent trajectories using the process model.
A multi-agent scheduling problem for two identical parallel machines to minimize total tardiness time and makespan
Authors: Yu Fei , Wen Peihan , Yi Shuping
Published: February 2018

We study an agent-based scheduling problem of two identical parallel machines: [Formula: see text]. The machines and tasks are regarded as agents. A new multi-agent scheduling model is proposed to achieve the optimum from the two task agents, agent A and agent B. The objective is divided into two classes. The objectives of agent A and agent B are to minimize the total tardiness time and minimize the makespan, respectively. In this article, we research two identical parallel machines in which one job category can be processed by one machine agent only or two machine agents and propose a new multi-agent model for two identical parallel machines, divided into two subsystems. For subsystem 1, the shortest processing time order is used to solve job priorities. A single distribution strategy is proposed to assign jobs to machine agents and is applied to the dynamic scheduling environment. For subsystem 2, a centralized distribution strategy is applied to the static scheduling environment. The proposed model performs more efficiently and is better able to handle complex and dynamic scheduling environments.
A retrospective review of the role of B-mode and color Doppler ultrasonography in the investigation of primary hyperparathyroidism: Features that differentiate benign from malignant lesions
Authors: Fang Cheng , Konstantatou Eleni , Mulholland Nicola J , Baroncini Serena , Husainy Mohammad A , Schulte Klaus-Martin , Sidhu Paul S
Published: February 2018

Purpose

To identify the variant features encountered in parathyroid abnormalities and document those suggesting malignant change.

Materials and methods

Data were collected from a cohort of patients who underwent investigation for primary hyperparathyroidism over a 10-year period. Ultrasonographic features: shape, presence of calcification, cystic changes, heterogeneous echogenicity, vascularity, capsular thickening, local invasion, and vascularity were reviewed retrospectively and were used to correlate with final histological findings.

Results

One hundred forty-seven patients with histology and concurrent ultrasonographic scans were reviewed, and divided into benign parathyroid lesions (nodular hyperplasia ( n = 44), adenoma ( n = 93)) and parathyroid carcinoma ( n = 10). Parathyroid carcinomas were significantly larger than benign parathyroid lesions ( P = 0.030). Benign parathyroid lesions showed variant sonographic features: irregular shape (16.8%), heterogenous echogenicity (24.1%), calcification (1.5%), capsular thickening (1.5%), and cystic change (19.7%). A significantly higher proportion of parathyroid carcinomas demonstrated heterogenous echogenicity ( P = 0.022), capsular thickening ( P = 0.023), and infiltrative margin ( P < 0.0001) than benign parathyroid lesions. Of the 137 benign parathyroid lesions, 38 (27.7%), 76 (55.5%), 23 (16.8%) were avascular, vascular, and hypervascular, respectively. Of the 10 parathyroid carcinomas, 4 (40%), 3 (30%), and 3 (30%) of lesions were avascular, vascular, and hypervascular, respectively. The vascularity of the lesions did not differ significantly between the parathyroid carcinoma and benign parathyroid lesions ( P = 0.281).

Conclusion

Ultrasonographic features such as irregular shape, heterogeneous echogenicity, cystic change, and vascularity are nondiscriminatory features between benign or malignant lesions. Large lesion size together with the presence of calcification, capsular thickening, or infiltrative margin strongly raises the suspicion of a malignant parathyroid lesion, and management should be altered.
Associative strength or gist extraction: Which matters when DRM lists have two critical lures?
Authors: Oliveira Helena M , Albuquerque Pedro B , Saraiva Magda
Published: February 2018

The Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) paradigm is often used in the study of false memories. This paradigm typically uses lists of words associated with one critical lure. The primary objective of our study was to understand the production of false memories using the DRM paradigm when lists of words are associated with two critical lures. Three experiments were performed, and it was observed that the critical lures associated with the first set were significantly more frequently recalled than the critical lures associated with the second set. This result was verified when the words were presented in descending order of association with the critical lure (Experiment 1), when the words of the second set were presented in ascending order of association with the critical lure (Experiment 2), and when all the words in the list had the same associative strength (Experiment 3). Results are explained by the activation/monitoring and fuzzy-trace theories.
I before U: Temporal order judgements reveal bias for self-owned objects
Authors: Constable Merryn D , Welsh Timothy N , Huffman Greg , Pratt Jay
Published: February 2018

A multitude of studies demonstrate that self-relevant stimuli influence attention. Self-owned objects are a special class of self-relevant stimuli. If a self-owned object can indeed be characterised as a self-relevant stimulus then, consistent with theoretical predictions, a behavioural effect of ownership on attention should be present. To test this prediction, a task was selected that is known to be particularly sensitive measure of the prioritisation of visual information: the temporal order judgement. Participants completed temporal order judgements with pictures of “own” and “experimenter” owned objects (mugs) presented on either side of a central fixation cross. There was a variable onset delay between each picture, ranging between 0 ms and 105 ms, and participants were asked to indicate which mug appeared first. The results indicated a reliable change in the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS) in favour of their own mug. Such a change in the PSS was not observed for two groups of participants who were exposed to a mug but did not keep the mug. A further experiment indicated that the source of the bias in PSS was more consistent with a criterion shift or top-down attentional prioritisation rather than a perceptual bias. These findings suggest that ownership, beyond mere-touch, mere-choice, or familiarity, leads to prioritised processing and responses, but the mechanism underlying the effect is not likely to be perceptual in nature.
Effects of global and local task repetition proportion on n − 2 repetition costs
Authors: Scheil Juliane , Kleinsorge Thomas
Published: February 2018

In task switching research, one of the most straightforward indications for the involvement of inhibitory processes are n − 2 repetition costs. The present study aimed at investigating effects of different types of repetition proportion on n − 2 repetition costs. In Experiments 1 and 2, repetition proportion was varied globally (i.e., equally for all tasks). The occurrence of 33% task repetitions reduced n − 2 repetition costs when varied within as well as between subjects, but no further decline was visible from 33% to 50% task repetitions. This result is interpreted in terms of a shift of balance between task inhibition and task activation due to the occurrence of task repetitions that is independent of the specific repetition proportion. In contrast, when repetition proportion was varied locally (i.e., by differentially manipulating the occurrence of task repetitions for the three tasks involved), n − 2 repetition costs were reduced monotonically from 0% to 50% task repetitions. This result indicates that when the utility inhibition is tied to individual tasks, the cognitive system is able to adjust the deployment of inhibition accordingly, possibly by modulating processes of overcoming inhibition, not releasing it.
Sparse graph-regularized dictionary learning for suppressing random seismic noise
Authors: Liu Lina , Ma Jianwei , Plonka Gerlind
Published: February 2018

We have developed a new regularization method for the sparse representation and denoising of seismic data. Our approach is based on two components: a sparse data representation in a learned dictionary and a similarity measure for image patches that is evaluated using the Laplacian matrix of a graph. Dictionary-learning (DL) methods aim to find a data-dependent basis or a frame that admits a sparse data representation while capturing the characteristics of the given data. We have developed two algorithms for DL based on clustering and singular-value decomposition, called the first and second dictionary constructions. Besides using an adapted dictionary, we also consider a similarity measure for the local geometric structures of the seismic data using the Laplacian matrix of a graph. Our method achieves better denoising performance than existing denoising methods, in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio values and visual estimation of weak-event preservation. Comparisons of experimental results on field data using traditional [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] deconvolution (FX-Decon) and curvelet thresholding methods are also provided.
Exploring team working in dentistry using a ‘process’ model of team effectiveness
Authors: Willcocks Stephen George
Published: February 2018

This article explores team working in the context of dentistry in the UK. It uses an input-process-output model of team effectiveness as a framework to analyse the key issues and determine a possible way forward. The article outlines possible barriers to effective team working revealed by the application of this model. It is argued that collaborative working is important and may be facilitated by shared leadership. It discusses the implications of this and how this may be developed.
Benefits of beet
Authors: MacLeod Clare
Published: February 2018

Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr, independent equine nutritionist and consultant to EQUIGLO, explains the benefits of feeding unmolassed sugar beet pulp
Equine weight management
Authors: Short Emma
Published: February 2018

Emma Short BSc Hons, nutritionist at Baileys Horse Feeds weighs up the advice
The role of radiography in equine foot balance
Authors: Logie Sarah
Published: February 2018

Sarah Logie FWCF discusses the use of external reference points when shoeing and trimming the hoof and, how radiography can support shoeing for soundness
Severe equine asthma – an overview
Authors: Pirie R Scott
Published: February 2018

R Scott Pirie, Professor of Equine Clinical Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies concludes his discussion on the diagnosis and treatment of this not uncommon condition
The equine melanoma
Authors: Knottenbelt Derek C , Croft Jenny
Published: February 2018

Derek C Knottenbelt OBE, BVM&S, DVM&S, DipECEIM, DACVIM, MRCVS and Jenny Croft BVMS, MRCVS of Equine Medical Solutions discuss this complicated condition
Gastric ulcers in horses: myths and speculations
Authors: Cooper-Towns Natalie , Hardy Emma
Published: February 2018

Natalie Cooper-Towns DVM and Emma Hardy PhD, R. Anim. Technol (Cert) take a look beyond the obvious causes and management regimes
Is radiology helpful in the diagnosis of bone spavin?
Authors: Biggi Marianna
Published: February 2018

Marianna Biggi, equine diagnostic imaging specialist, from Vet-CT teleradiology services, reports the radiological abnormalities to look for in case of bone spavin
An introduction to grassland management
Authors: Mitchell Briony
Published: February 2018

Briony Mitchell MSc RNutr. of Practical Equine Nutrition outlines some tips for the winter management of equine pasture
Optimization of Work Schedules Executed using the Flow Shop Model, Assuming Multitasking Performed by Work Crews
Authors: Krzemiński M.
Published: February 2018

The problem described in this paper deals with construction project scheduling for multi-object projects. The use of the flow shop model allows for quick execution through optimal, simultaneous means of production. The correct order of tasks according to assumed criteria is the subject of a lot of research. In this paper, we have focused on the aspect of multi-project work crews. In practice, we often observe cases where overburdened crews are supported by ones with downtime. This paper presents a newly developed model used to smoothe out schedules in terms of maintaining crew work continuity. A full description of the algorithm and example usage are presented.
Factors Determining Seasonal Variations in Traffic Volumes
Authors: Spławińska M.
Published: February 2018

The characteristics of seasonal variations in traffic volumes are used for a variety of purposes, for example to determine the basic parameters describing annual average daily traffic – AADT, and design hourly volume – DHV, analyses of road network reliability, and traffic management. Via these analyses proper classification of road sections into appropriate seasonal factor groups (SFGs) has a decisive influence on results. This article, on the basis of computational experiments (models of artificial neural networks, discriminatory analysis), aims to identify which factors have the greatest impact on the allocation of a section of road to the corresponding SFG, based on short-term measurements. These factors are presented as qualitative data: the Polish region, spatial relationships, functions of road, cross-sections, technical class; and quantitative data: rush hour traffic volume.
Fracture Mechanical Properties of Rocklike Materials Under Half Symmetric Loading
Authors: Wang Zhi , Zhou Jiajia , Li Long
Published: February 2018

The authors studied the fracture mechanical properties under half-symmetric loading in this paper. The stress distribution around the crack tip and the stress intensity factor of three kinds of notched specimens under half symmetric loading were compared. The maximum tensile stress σmax of double notch specimens was much greater than that of single notch specimens and the maximum shear stress τmax was almost equal, which means that the single notch specimens were more prone to Mode II fractures. The intensity factors KII of central notch specimens were very small compared with other specimens and they induced Mode I fractures. For both double notch and single notch specimens, KII was kept at a constant level and did not change with the change of a/h, and KII was much larger than KI. KII has the potential to reach its fracture toughness KIIC before KI and Mode II fractures occurred. Rock-like materials were introduced to produce single notch specimens. Test results show that the crack had been initiated at the crack tip and propagated along the original notch face, and a Mode II fracture occurred. There was no relationship between the peak load and the original notch length. The average value of KIIC was about 0.602 MPa×m1/2, and KIIC was about 3.8 times KIC. The half symmetric loading test of single notch specimens was one of the most effective methods to obtain a true Mode II fracture and determine Mode fracture toughness.
Comparative Study on Durability Properties of Engineered Cementitious Composites with Polypropylene Fiber and Glass Fiber
Authors: Ranjith S. , Venkatasubramani R. , Sreevidya V.
Published: February 2018

The durability characteristics of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) with various fibers such as polypropylene and glass were investigated in view of developing composites with high resistance to cracking. ECC offer large potential for durable civil infrastructure due to their high tensile strain capacity and controlled micro-crack width. In this study, fibre volume fractions (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) of both polypropylene and glass fibers varied and durability measures such as a rapid chloride penetration test, sorptivity, water absorption, acid attack, and sulphate attack were measured. Increasing the fiber content up to 1.5% improved the durability properties of ECC. The test results indicate that the glass fiber-reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composites have better durability characteristics than polypropylene fiber-reinforced ECC.
The Development Path of the Miskolc Agglomeration (1970–2015)
Authors: Kristóf Andrea
Published: February 2018

The historical development of the socio-economic, environmental effects of the agglomerating process in the region of Miskolc has remained an unexplored area. The economic crisis and the signs of crisis present in the Miskolc agglomeration too have changed the attitudes of settlements towards agglomerating and suburbanizing processes. These changes also affect the suburbanizing processes in the Miskolc agglomeration, i.e. the intensity of suburbanization is decreasing. The suburbs of Miskolc have become more fragmented and polarized in terms of the society and economy. The geographical separation of high- and low-status suburbs proves the ever-increasing segregation within the metropolitan area.