bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in Retinal and Choroidal Vascular Blood Flow after Oral Sildenafil: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study
Authors: Berrones David , Salcedo-Villanueva Guillermo , Morales-Cantón Virgilio , Velez-Montoya Raul
Published: October 2017

Purpose. To describe changes in the retina and choroidal flow by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) after a single dose of oral sildenafil. Method. A case-control study. Patients in the study group received 50 mg of oral sildenafil. Patients in the control group received a sham pill. Retinal and choroidal images were obtained at baseline (before pill ingestion) and 1 hour after ingestion. Central macular and choroidal thickness, choroidal and outer retina flow, and the retinal and choroidal vascular density were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test. Results. Twenty eyes were enrolled into the study group and 10 eyes in the control group. There was a significant difference in central choroidal thickness and outer retina blood flow between groups after 1 hour of sildenafil ingestion (p<0.01). There were no differences in central macular thickness, choroidal flow, and retinal vascular density among groups. Conclusions. A single dose of oral sildenafil increases choroidal thickness, probably due to sildenafil-induced vasodilation.
Effects of Montmorillonite on the Mineralization and Cementing Properties of Microbiologically Induced Calcium Carbonate
Authors: Chen Tao , Li Jiwei , Shi Peiheng , Li Yi , Lei Jia , Zhou Jian , Hu Zuowen , Duan Tao , Tang Yongjian , Zhu Wenkun
Published: October 2017

Carbonate mineralization microbe is a microorganism capable of decomposing the substrate in the metabolic process to produce the carbonate, which then forms calcium carbonate with calcium ions. By taking advantage of this process, contaminative uranium tailings can transform to solid cement, where calcium carbonate plays the role of a binder. In this paper, we have studied the morphology of mineralized crystals by controlling the mineralization time and adding different concentrations of montmorillonite (MMT). At the same time, we also studied the effect of carbonate mineralized cementation uranium tailings by controlling the amount of MMT. The results showed that MMT can regulate the crystal morphology of calcium carbonate. What is more, MMT can balance the acidity and ions in the uranium tailings; it also can reduce the toxicity of uranium ions on microorganisms. In addition, MMT filling in the gap between the uranium tailings made the cement body more stable. When the amount of MMT is 6%, the maximum strength of the cement body reached 2.18 MPa, which increased by 47.66% compared with that the sample without MMT. Therefore, it is reasonable and feasible to use the MMT to regulate the biocalcium carbonate cemented uranium tailings.
Knowledge of Stroke Risk Factors and Warning Signs in Patients with Recurrent Stroke or Recurrent Transient Ischaemic Attack in Thailand
Authors: Saengsuwan Jittima , Suangpho Pathitta , Tiamkao Somsak
Published: October 2017

Stroke is a global burden. It is not known whether patients who are most at risk of stroke (recurrent stroke or recurrent transient ischaemic attack) have enough knowledge of stroke risk factors and warning signs. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of stroke risk factors and warning signs in this high-risk population. We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of patients with recurrent stroke or recurrent TIA admitted to Srinagarind Hospital and Khon Kaen Hospital, Thailand. A total of 140 patients were included in the study (age 65.6±11.3 years [mean ± SD], 62 females). Using an open-ended questionnaire, nearly one-third of patients (31.4%) could not name any risk factors for stroke. The most commonly recognized risk factors were hypertension (35%), dyslipidemia (28.6%), and diabetes (22.9%). Regarding stroke warning signs, the most commonly recognized warning signs were sudden unilateral weakness (61.4%), sudden trouble with speaking (25.7%), and sudden trouble with walking, loss of balance, or dizziness (21.4%). Nineteen patients (13.6%) could not identify any warning signs. The results showed that knowledge of stroke obtained from open-ended questionnaires is still unsatisfactory. The healthcare provider should provide structured interventions to increase knowledge and awareness of stroke in these patients.
Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos of a Nonsmooth Rotor‐Stator System
Authors: Brandão André , de Paula Aline Souza , Savi Marcelo Amorim , Thouverez Fabrice
Published: October 2017

Rotor systems have wide applications in industries, including aero engines, turbo generators, and gas turbines. Critical behaviors promoted by the system unbalance and the contact between rotor and stator lead to important nonlinearities on system dynamics. This paper investigates the complex behavior presented by a rotor‐stator system’s dynamics due to intermittent contact. A four‐degree‐of‐freedom Jeffcott nonsmooth rotor/stator system is used to describe the rotor behavior, while a viscoelastic suspended rigid cylinder represents the stator. Numerical simulations are carried out showing rich dynamics that include periodic, quasiperiodic, and chaotic responses. Special attention is dedicated to chaotic behavior and the calculation of Lyapunov exponents is employed as a diagnostic tool.
A Highly Sensitive Intensity-Modulated Optical Fiber Magnetic Field Sensor Based on the Magnetic Fluid and Multimode Interference
Authors: Huang Yi , Wang Tingyun , Deng Chuanlu , Zhang Xiaobei , Pang Fufei , Bai Xuekun , Dong Weilong , Wang Liangjiang , Chen Zhenyi
Published: October 2017

Fiber-optic magnetic field sensing is an important method of magnetic field monitoring, which is essential for the safety of civil infrastructures, especially for power plant. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrated an optical fiber magnetic field sensor based on a single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) structure immersed into the magnetic fluid (MF). The length of multimode section fiber is determined based on the self-image effect through the simulation. Due to variation characteristics of the refractive index and absorption coefficient of MF under different magnetic fields, an effective method to improve the sensitivity of SMS fiber structure is realized based on the intensity modulation method. This sensor shows a high sensitivity up to 0.097 dB/Oe and a high modulation depth up to 78% in a relatively linear range, for the no-core fiber (NCF) with the diameter of 125 μm and length of 59.8 mm as the multimode section. This optical fiber sensor possesses advantages of low cost, ease of fabrication, high sensitivity, simple structure, and compact size, with great potential applications in measuring the magnetic field.
Застосування оклюзійної шини в ортопедичному лікуванні підвищеної стертості зубів
Authors: Shcherbenko A. O.
Published: October 2017

Excessive elimination of teeth infl uences on the function of all components of the dental system, so, the methods of diagnostics and treatment of this disease are very important therefore. A main event of prevention of further elimination of teeth is renewal of dental rows with the correct choice of technology of restorations and material. Treatment consists in creation of numerous even contact on all teeth overhead and lower jaws, smoothing of occlusal surface.The aim of the study – improvement of partition of masticatory load between teeth by means of interdental res.Materials and Methods. As a result of preliminary inspection of patients with the generalized form of enhanceable elimination of teeth of I–II of degree in age from 15 were 26 to selected 50 patients that needed normalization of occlusal correlations. Testimonies for realization of occlusal correction determined in obedience to complaints sick, and also on results research of diagnostic models of jaws in the managed articulator of Ivoclar Stratos 300 type of Arcon. Rehabilitation events were conducted in two stages. The fi rst consisted in the use of relaxation occlusal tires. The second stage included planning of volume of direct and indirect stomatological restorations, that envisaged realization of cereous design of crown parts of teeth after gypsuming of models of jaws in an articulator in the position set on an occlusal tire.Results and Discussion. Application of articulator for the design of tires allowed to adapt oneself to the set position of central correlation of jaws, that was not determined by interdental contacts, and only by the structure of joints. The even contact of teeth was recreated in central correlation of jaws – antagonists with a tire. After reconstructive treatment from data of questioning the greater amount of patients with enhanceable elimination of hard fabrics of teeth (84 ± 1.8 %) marked the improvement of closing of teeth and removal of the phenomena of discomfort.Conclusions. For treatment of pathological elimination of hard fabrics of teeth there must be complex approach that includes planning of all reconstructive events, both direct restorations and dental prosthesis, in the managed articulator with the use of temporal constructions for verifi cation and adaptation.
Морфо-функціональна будова нейром’язових з’єднань жувального м’яза щура в нормі.
Authors: Hrad A. O.
Published: October 2017

A number of studies indicate that synaptoarchitectonics in mature skeletal muscles is characterized by considerable variability and largely depends on the function of the muscle and the phenotype of muscle fi bers. However, quantitative and qualitative morphological studies of neuromuscular synapses of the rat chewing muscle remained outside the fi eld of view of the researchers.The aim of the study – to establish the features of the morphofunctional structure of the neuromuscular junction of the rat’s masseter in norm.Materials and Methods. The material for the study was the masticatory muscles of 10 mature male rats of the Wistar line (body weight 180–200 g). To detect neuromuscular junctions, the chewing muscles were fi xed for 25–30 days in 12 % neutral formalin. The material was washed and made a cut of 30–40 μm thick in a cryostat, which were processed by the Bilshowski-Gros method. For electronic research, the sampling was carried out according to generally accepted rules. Pieces of muscle fi bers were fi xed in a 2 % solution of osmium tetroxides, and contrasting according to the conventional method. Stimulation and interference electroneuromyography was performed on Neuro-EMG-Micro computer Neur EMG micro microcomputer manufactured by Neurosoft Company (Russia), which has low noise level, high sensitivity (10–500 μV / cm) and resistance to distortion. Computer processing of data was carried out using statistical package Stat.Soft.Inc; Tulsa, OK, USA; Statistica 6.Results and Discussion. In the masticatory muscle, neuromuscular junctions have their synaptoarchitectonics, which are characterized by: scouting of the motor axon, length and width of the active zones, the number and size of synaptic folds, the number of neurolematocytes, the peculiarity of the structure of the spinal-protective membrane. The area of the neuromuscular junction is (385.74 ± 16.63) μm 2. The neuromuscular junction includes several neuromuscular synapses, which have the following quantitative characteristics: area – (6.23 ± 1.03) μm2, the length of the synaptic junction is (2.56 ± 0.52) μm, the number of folds of the synaptic membrane is 8.6 ± 0.69, the distance between the folds is – (0.35 ± 0.002) μm, the length of the individual fold is (3.31 ± 0.03), the number of synaptic vesicles is (172.69 ± 16.03).Conclusions. Electro neuromyographic studies of masticatory muscles indicate the correct direction of nerve impulse transmission, high amplitude characteristics of excitation transfer and M-response in case of single stimulation.
Індексна оцінка стану тканин пародонта в осіб із первинним гіпотиреозом
Authors: Chornij A. V. , Shmanko V. V.
Published: October 2017

In recent decades, both in the world and in our country, thyroid gland diseases are not only widespread, but also have a tendency to constant growth. Currently, more attention is paid to diseases of the thyroid gland that are associated with endemic foci of iodine defi ciency in soil and water.The aim of the study – to investigate the state of periodontal tissues in individuals with primary hypothyroidism.Materials and Methods. We conducted a survey of 86 people with primary hypothyroidism, 16 of them with manifestation and 70 with subclinical forms. A comparison group was 45 people without thyroid gland diseases. Index assessment of periodontal tissues included the defi nition of a simplifi ed oral hygiene index of the oral cavity of the Green-Vermillion (Oral Hygiene Index-Simlifi ed, Green-Vermillion, 1964), the degree of gingival infl ammation was determined by Parma (C. Parma, 1960, Papillary-Marginal Alveolar Index)), the state of periodontal tissues in the complex periodontal index (KPI) (1987), destructive changes in the bone tissue of the alveolar appendix were determined by the Fux index.Results and Discussion. The article presents the results of the index estimation of periodontal tissues in individuals with primary hypothyroidism. An analysis of the conducted index evaluation found that they had a poor level of hygienic state of the oral cavity. This was manifested by the development of infl ammatory and, to a lesser extent, infl ammatory and dystrophic lesions of periodontal tissues, as evidenced by papillarymarginalalveolar (PMA) and complex periodontal indices (KPI).Conclusions. Even more signifi cant changes in these indicators were found in individuals with a manifestation of hypothyroidism. So, we can conclude that in persons with primary hypothyroidism metabolic processes ofthe organism are violated, which leads through a number of pathophysiological changes to the activity of parodontopathogenic microfl ora and the development of infl ammatory and infl ammatory and dystrophic periodontal diseases.
Para documentar a história da moda: de James Laver às blogueiras fashion
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Comunicações e Artes, Viana Fausto Roberto Poço
Published: October 2017

A obra é a uma investigação sobre as fontes de estudo da indumentária e da moda, transitando pelo passado, presente e futuro das possibilidades de pesquisas de trajes, percorrendo registros de informações e indagações que contam uma trajetória a abarcar desde múmias a redes sociais e blogs, tudo isso ilustrado com um farto material iconográfico.
Cydninae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Cydnidae) in Brazil: updated checklist, new records, and description of Tominotus ondulatus sp. nov.
Authors: AVENDAÑO JOSÉ MAURICIO , GRAZIA JOCELIA , SCHWERTNER CRISTIANO FELDENS
Published: October 2017

Cydninae is the largest subfamily among burrower bugs all around the world and for Brazil the genera Cyrtomenus, Dallasiellus, Ectinopus, Melanaethus, Onalips, Pangaeus, Prolobodes and Tominotus were reported with a total of 39 species, so far. Basing on the material of nine entomological collections, we updated the list to 47 species including new records and a new species, Tominotus ondulatus sp. nov. described from Restinga, Rio Grande do Sul. Distribution maps and photos of dorsal habits for several species are also provided.
New data on the genus Domene (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) of mainland China
Authors: PENG ZHONG , LIU SHENG-NAN , XIE GUO-GUANG , LI LI-ZHEN , ZHAO MEI-JUN
Published: October 2017

Material of the genus Domene Fauvel, 1873 from the Chinese provinces Heilongjiang, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guizhou, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Guangdong and Guangxi was examined. Twelve species were identified, seven of them described previously, and five are newly described: D. aqiang Peng and Li, sp. n. (Guangdong: Nanling); D. jiangi Peng and Li, sp. n. (Fujian: Tanshan Park); D. jini Peng and Li, sp. n. (Guangxi: Jiuwan Shan); D. nanlingensis Peng and Li, sp. n. (Guangdong: Nanling); D. tui Peng and Li, sp. n. (Guizhou: Sanchahe). The genus is now represented in mainland China by 21 species. A key to the Domene species of mainland China is provided.
Two new species of the genus Plusiodonta Guenée, 1852 from Southeast Asia (Lepidoptera, Erebidae: Calpinae)
Authors: BEHOUNEK G. , KONONENKO V. S. , PELLINEN M.J.
Published: October 2017

Two new species of the genus Plusiodonta Guenée, 1852, Plusiodonta pasi sp. n. and Plusiodonta stumpfi sp. n. are described from Thailand and Philippines. The distribution of Plusiodonta calcaurea Holloway, 2005 in Southeast Asia is clarified. The adult and genitalia of referred species as well as male and female of Plusiodonta coenolota (Kollar, 1844) are illustrated. The checklist the genus Plusiodonta over the World is presented.
Wind–Flux Feedbacks and Convective Organization during the November 2011 MJO Event in a High-Resolution Model
Authors: Riley Dellaripa Emily M. , Maloney Eric , van den Heever Susan C.
Published: October 2017

The November 2011 Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) event during the Dynamics of the MJO (DYNAMO) field campaign is simulated with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) cloud-resolving model to examine the relationship between precipitation and surface latent heat flux (LHFLX) for deep convective clusters within the MJO and to discern the importance of surface LHFLX for organizing MJO convection. First, a simulation similar in size to the DYNAMO northern sounding array was run with interactive surface fluxes. Composites for precipitation, surface LHFLX, wind speed, wind vectors, and near-surface specific humidity are described for various-sized convective clusters during different MJO regimes. The precipitation–LHFLX relationship generally evolves as follows for an individual cluster. About 2 h before cluster identification, the maximum LHFLX occurs upwind of maximum precipitation. As cluster identification time is approached, LHFLX and precipitation maxima become coincident. At and after the cluster is identified, maximum LHFLXs move downwind of the precipitation maximum with a local minimum in LHFLXs behind the precipitation maximum.

Sensitivity simulations with spatially homogenized LHFLXs were then run to determine the impacts of local LHFLX feedbacks on convective organization. Using area-averaged convective versus stratiform precipitation fraction and a simple convective aggregation index to quantify organization, no systematic difference in convective organization was detected between the control and sensitivity simulations, suggesting that local LHFLX variability is not important to convective organization in this model. Implications of these results are discussed.
Coupling of Wave Data and Underwater Acoustic Measurements in a Maritime High-Traffic Coastal Area: A Case Study in the Strait of Sicily
Authors: Raffa Francesco , Ludeno Giovanni , Buscaino Giuseppa , Sannino Gianmaria , Carillo Adriana , Grammauta Rosario , Spoto Domenico , Soldovieri Francesco , Mazzola Salvatore , Serafino Francesco
Published: October 2017

Underwater acoustic monitoring combined with real-time sea surface observations and numerical model forecasts could improve the efficiency of natural and anthropogenic sound source discrimination. In this work, acoustic sound pressure levels at different frequencies were compared with significant wave heights, measured using an X-band radar system, and then matched against independent data derived from a Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model in order to confirm their reliability. The acoustic data were recorded from a fixed buoy located in the Sicilian Channel at 4.9 km from the coast and 33 km from the X-band radar system installed at Cape San Marco (in the southwest region of Sicily). All data were acquired during two different periods: 28 February–16 March 2015 and 23 April–27 May 2015. The level of noise at the 16-Hz octave band showed the best linear correlation , with in situ radar observations of significant wave height. Radar measurements of wave height coupled with in situ acoustic measurements give a characterization of the level of noise as result of sea state in a specific area. These measurements could be used to discriminate natural sources of noise (waves) from other sound sources, such as biological and anthropogenic sources. This discrimination contributes to understanding the impact of acoustic pollution on marine environments and provides a monitoring plan protocol for safeguarding biodiversity in the Mediterranean coastal areas.
Severe Convective Storm Environments in Turkey
Authors: Kahraman Abdullah , Kadioglu Mikdat , Markowski Paul M.
Published: October 2017

Severe convective storms occasionally result in loss of life and property in Turkey, a country not known for its severe convective weather. However, relatively little is known about the characteristics of Turkish severe weather environments. This paper documents these characteristics using European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data on tornado and severe hail days in Turkey from 1979 to 2013. Severe storm environments are characterized by larger convective available potential energy (CAPE) in Turkey compared to the rest of Europe, but the CAPE values are less than those in typical U.S. severe storm environments. Severe hail is associated with large CAPE and vertical wind shear. Nonmesocyclonic tornadoes are associated with less CAPE compared with the other forms of severe weather. Deep-layer vertical wind shear is slightly weaker in Turkish supercell environments than in U.S. supercell environments, and Turkish tornadic supercell environments are characterized by much weaker low-level shear than in the United States and Europe, at least in the ECMWF reanalysis data. Composite parameters such as the supercell composite parameter (SCP) and energy–helicity index (EHI) can discriminate between very large hail and large hail environments.
Social origins, relative risk aversion and track choice
Authors: Barone Carlo , Assirelli Giulia , Abbiati Giovanni , Argentin Gianluca , De Luca Deborah
Published: October 2017

This study develops and tests the hypothesis that information biases concerning the perceived extent of risk of educational options fuel social inequalities in track choice. In particular, it is argued that low-educated families are more concerned than college-educated families with the risks of dropout in the academic track, even when their children perform well at school. Moreover, they overestimate the risks of low occupational outcomes associated with academic diplomas. These information biases enhance their propensity to select vocational tracks, which are perceived as safer options, even when their children have the potential to succeed in the academic path. Survey data from Italy were used to assess these misperceptions and experimental evidence is presented concerning their causal effect on track choices. To correct these misperceptions, we designed a light information intervention, which was nested in a longitudinal survey to assess the impact of this intervention on students’ track choices. Both survey and experimental results corroborated our hypothesis that information biases contribute to social inequalities in track choice.
Retrospective Review of Comorbid Conditions in a Multidisciplinary Pediatric Weight Management Clinic
Authors: Thang Christine , Whitley Margaret , Izadpanah Nilufar , DeUgarte Daniel , Slusser Wendy
Published: October 2017

A retrospective medical chart review was conducted of patients enrolled in the Fit for Healthy Weight Clinic (Fit Clinic). At initial evaluation, comorbidities were identified by the patient and pediatrician. The number of comorbidities increased with age among patients. In reviewing the differences among the number of identified comorbidities among grade school age and adolescent patients, increases of 30% were observed in gastrointestinal-associated, 23% in psychiatric, 18% in endocrine, 16% in cardiovascular, and 14% in respiratory comorbidities. Fit Clinic patients already manifest many known obesity-related comorbidities as evidenced in identified conditions and abnormal laboratory values. The elevated blood pressures, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels raise concern for the future development of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. With an average of five obesity-related comorbidities, Fit Clinic patients already have more comorbidities than what is evidenced in large US population-based studies, demonstrating that solely addressing body mass index is not sufficient.
Utilization of Antipyretics for Nonurgent Fever in a Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Nelson Courtney E. , Ostapenko Svetlana , Zorc Joseph J. , Balamuth Fran
Published: October 2017

This retrospective cohort study aimed to describe antipyretic use among healthy patients in a pediatric emergency department (ED) with nonurgent fever defined as: triage level 4 or 5, chief complaint fever or temperature 38°C to 39°C, and otherwise normal vital signs, and determine if antipyretic administration is associated with increased ED length of stay (LOS). We compared continuous variables using Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon rank sum testing. We adjusted confounding variables using logistic regression modeling. A total of 22 169 patients were included. Of these, 52% received antipyretic: acetaminophen (38%), ibuprofen (19%), or both antipyretics (5%). ED LOS (median hours) varied by number of antipyretic types given (none, 2.2; ibuprofen, 2.7; acetaminophen, 2.7; and both 3.4, P < .001) and number of doses (0 doses, 2.2, 1 dose, 2.7; 2 doses, 3.4, P < .001). Patients who received antipyretic were more likely to have ED LOS greater than 2 hours (adjusted odds ratio 1.99, 95% CI 1.88-2.11) compared with those with no antipyretic, controlling for age, imaging studies, laboratory studies, antibiotic administration, and disposition.
Formulary Drug Review: Edaravone
Authors: Ali Zaynah K. , Baker Danial E.
Published: October 2017

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are available online to subscribers. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, contact Wolters Kluwer customer service at 866-397-3433.
Pan-Africanism and Economic Nationalism: W. E. B. Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction and the Failings of the “Black Marxism” Thesis
Authors: Anderson Patrick
Published: October 2017

In recent decades, it has become popular to read the later work of W. E. B. Du Bois through a Marxist lens. Not only is Du Bois often considered a participant in the Marxist tradition, his historiographical masterpiece Black Reconstruction is often offered up as evidence for such arguments. Here, I challenge those who have attempted to interpret Du Bois as a Marxist by situating his work in relation to the Pan-African tradition to which he dedicated decades of his life. Du Bois’s views on Reconstruction and economics are shaped by Pan-African ideas, not Marxist theory, and his theoretical and practical confrontations with both his White and Black Marxist contemporaries reveals the distance between his Pan-Africanism and their Marxism. Contrary to the prevailing interpretations, Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction is not a Marxist text but a Pan-Africanist argument against Marxism’s inability to account for the structure of modern European Empire.
Three Models of Democratic Self-Defence: Militant Democracy and Its Alternatives
Authors: Malkopoulou Anthoula , Norman Ludvig
Published: October 2017

Militant democracy relies on the idea that democracies ought to defend themselves from anti-democratic forces by constitutionalising repressive measures. We offer a criticism of this view by highlighting the exclusionary elitism on which militant democracy is built. In doing this, we consider two competing models of democratic self-defence: the procedural and the social. We suggest that the procedural model, while avoiding the exclusionary and other pitfalls of militant democracy, is detached from socio-political realities and fails to offer a comprehensive vision of democratic stability. The largely neglected social model of democratic self defence avoids this problem; it combines proceduralism’s commitment to dissensus with a social-democratic logic in the design of democratic constitutions. We argue in favour of such a social democratic self-defence and further develop this model around the guiding principle of political and social non-domination.
Simulation of pedestrian flow with evading and surpassing behavior in a walking passageway
Authors: Jia Xiaolu , Yue Hao , Tian Xin , Yin Huanhuan
Published: October 2017

The pedestrian flow with evading and surpassing behavior in a walking passageway is simulated based on a modified social force model in order to explore the influence of this behavior on evacuation efficiency, bottleneck passing capacity, and the macroscopic phenomenon. A pair of conjugated self-driven forces is introduced to enable a pedestrian to avoid a direct collision and keep a normal velocity magnitude while confronting an obstacle. The pedestrian avoiding time is used to define the triggering conditions of evading and surpassing behavior, and has been estimated through practical experiments. Simulation results show that in a passageway without spatial obstacles, the evading and surpassing behavior will increase the evacuation time under the condition that the pedestrian number is larger than a critical value. Moreover, when a spatial obstacle exists, both the rise of pedestrian numbers and the decline of bottleneck width would increase the evacuation time. Meanwhile, it is observed that compared with a bar-shaped obstacle, a circle-shaped obstacle corresponds to a larger bottleneck passing capacity and less evacuation time when the size of the spatial obstacle is above a critical value. In addition, a phenomenon of a triangle “evading region” caused by the evading and surpassing behavior also can be observed before the spatial obstacle through simulation and experiments. Furthermore, it can be concluded that a circle-shaped obstacle corresponds to a stronger guiding function and a larger area of “evading region” compared with a bar-shaped one, and induces a relatively higher bottleneck passing capacity in a walking passageway.
Gare à l’écart ! De l’importance du genre dans la religion, la spiritualité et la laïcité en Italie
Authors: Palmisano Stefania , Martino Simone
Published: October 2017

This article has a twofold aim. The first is to examine relations between women and religion in Italy in order to discover whether women contribute to the process of Italian secularisation as described in the literature. The second is to explore relations between secularisation and secularism among Italian women. Our main theme is that the women’s loosening relationship with the Catholic Church has been accompanied by their greater flexibility on moral and ethical questions. Since these questions have frequently been the object of intervention by the Catholic hierarchy, they are a valuable lens through which to examine secularism, revealing how far Italian women have distanced themselves from the Church’s mandates. With this end in view, we shall focus on Italian women’s opinions about topics (such as abortion, divorce, sexuality and reproductive rights) relating to “morality-politics” which are intrinsic to the “emancipation of women from the domestic sphere”.
Social Benefits of Reservation: Mapping Social Mobility and the ‘Paying-back’ Tendency among the Middle Class
Authors: Jogdand P. G.
Published: October 2017

India’s reservation policy targets a wide variety of groups on the periphery of Indian society. Reservations in job are intended to uplift and empower as well as provide the beneficiaries with opportunities for social and economic mobility. A closer look reveals that the policies of the state have not helped the larger Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) masses to improve their lot, but on the contrary, they engendered a microscopic class among the community itself. In this context, the question is: Has middle class been ‘paying back’ to the needy in different forms? It is found that majority of the members of the middle class were keen to extend help and bring about desired social mobility amongst the members of their community.
Striving for Positive Aging Among Chinese Older People: Effects of Life Stress and Control Beliefs in a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Lu Luo , Kao Shu-Fang
Published: October 2017

We examined effects of life stress and control beliefs on a constellation of subjective indicators of well-being for older people, including meaning in life, happiness, peace of mind, and positive aging perception. The Chinese cultural background provided the sociocultural milieu for the present study. In a longitudinal study, 301 older Chinese adults completed a questionnaire survey twice, 6 months apart. Regression analyses found that stress caused by major life-changing events (acute) and financial hardship (chronic) were consistent negative predictors of all well-being indicators. Furthermore, primary control belief (tenacious goal pursuit) amplified the negative impacts of life events on happiness and peace of mind. Secondary control belief (submitting to circumstances), in contrast, acted as a buffer that alleviated the deleterious effects of financial hardship on peace of mind and meaning in life. Noting the threats of unfavorable life circumstances and the potency of secondary control belief for older Chinese people, theoretical and cultural implications were discussed.
A self-calibration method for non-orthogonal angles of gimbals in rotational inertial navigation system based on fiber optic gyro
Authors: Liu Zengjun , Wang Lei , Wang Wei , Song Tianxiao
Published: October 2017

Rotating modulation technique is a mature method that has been widely used in the rotational inertial navigation system (RINS). Tri-axis RINS has three gimbals, and the Inertial Measurement Unit can rotate along three directions to modulate the inertial devices’ errors, so that the navigation accuracy of the system can be greatly improved. However, the outputs of attitudes are easily affected by the non-orthogonal angles of gimbals, which should be accurately calibrated and compensated. In this paper, the effects of the non-orthogonal angles on the attitudes are discussed detailed and simulations based on Matlab are conducted to verify that firstly; then, a self-calibration method based on the outputs of the fiber optic gyroscope and photoelectric encoder is proposed. Experimental results in a real tri-axis RINS show that the attitude outputs accuracy are improved from 150” to less than 10”, which verify the practicability of the calibration method proposed in this paper.
Single channel secure communication scheme based on synchronization of fractional-order chaotic Chua’s systems
Authors: Bettayeb Maamar , Al–Saggaf Ubaid Muhsen , Djennoune Said
Published: October 2017

This paper deals with the design of a fractional-order chaotic secure communication scheme. On the emitter side, a fractional-order Chua’s system is used as the drive system to generate the encrypted message signal. The input secret message is modulated in the chaotic dynamics by inclusion rather than being directly added to the chaotic signal on the transmission line. A single channel is used for transmission of the encrypted signal. At the receiver side, a step-by-step sliding mode fractional-order chaotic observer subject to unknown input is proposed as the response system to obtain robust synchronization between the emitter and the receiver. After chaos synchronization is achieved at the receiver side, an estimation of the state variables is obtained and the plaintext is recovered. Finite-time convergence of both state and unknown input estimation errors is established. The efficiency of this proposed secure communication scheme is illustrated by numerical simulations.
350 Euston Road: Improving building performances and carbon footprint with innovative heating, ventilation and air conditioning solutions – A case study
Authors: Draper Phil
Published: October 2017

This case study paper describes the advantages of how heat pumps with heat recovery worked to contribute to improving energy performance and reducing the carbon footprint of buildings, with a short payback, thus showing it is a viable technology for energy cost reduction and for improving the environmental impact of buildings within the UK. All actions were taken based on performance for both the current and the future expected needs of the building and are measured against a baseline. The research and results confirm that heat pumps with heat recovery are a viable solution for London office buildings offering an integrated approach to building heating and cooling. The project resulted in a final reduction of 62% on the base building controlled utilities (total building less occupier power). The added benefits will be around the carbon benefits that the resultant 86% reduction in gas will bring due to the gradual de-carbonisation of the electric energy production in the UK.

Practical application: This paper illustrates how to utilise an existing building’s energy use data to determine how relatively simple technology can optimise the provision of simultaneous heating and cooling for comfort. It also details how modelled data can be used to allow the correct sizing of equipment to deliver both good internal comfort and low carbon emissions.
Cross-Cultural Validation of the York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behavioral Intervention
Authors: Långh Ulrika , Cauvet Elodie , Hammar Martin , Bölte Sven
Published: October 2017

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is widely applied in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Little research has addressed the significance of adherence to EIBI practices for treatment outcomes. The York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behavioral Intervention (YMQI) was designed to assess EIBI quality delivery in Ontario, Canada. The objective of this study was to examine the cross-cultural validity of the YMQI in a clinical Swedish community sample of 30 boys and four girls with autism aged 2.5 to 6 years. Internal consistency was alpha = .87 for the full scale YMQI. Interrater reliability among three raters on 97 video-recorded therapy sequences was .71 (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]), and intrarater reliability of two raters re-scoring 15 sequences after 6 months was ICC = .87. The convergent validity of the YMQI with EIBI expert ratings was r = .49. Findings endorse the psychometric properties of the YMQI and its usability outside of Anglo-Saxon countries.
The Role of Emotion Reactivity in Health Anxiety
Authors: O’Bryan Emily M. , McLeish Alison C. , Johnson Adrienne L.
Published: October 2017

Emotion reactivity, defined as heightened sensitivity, intensity, and persistence of emotional states, has been shown to contribute to the exacerbation of anxiety. However, the association between emotion reactivity and health anxiety has yet to be examined. The aim of the present investigation was to examine the unique predictive ability of emotion reactivity in terms of health anxiety in a sample of medically healthy undergraduates ( n = 194; 59.3% female, Mage = 19.42, SD = 1.51, range = 18-26 years; 84.0% Caucasian). Findings indicated that, after controlling for the effects of gender, age, and anxiety sensitivity, greater emotion reactivity significantly predicted greater overall health anxiety (3.1% variance), as well as higher levels of affective (4.1% unique variance) and behavioral (4.8% unique variance) components. Findings suggest that experiencing emotions more frequently, intensely, and for longer durations of time prior to returning to baseline are associated with greater health preoccupations.
Supporting Giftedness in Families: A Resources Perspective
Authors: Vialle Wilma
Published: October 2017

There is ample evidence that families are important in supporting the development of giftedness in children. Although there has been a great deal of research addressing individual and school factors in promoting giftedness, the role of parents and caregivers is comparatively underresearched, particularly in Australia. This study investigated the ways in which parents supported their children’s development, drawing on the educational and learning capital framework within the Actiotope Model of Giftedness. A qualitative design was adopted and semistructured interviews were conducted with 32 parents and caregivers. The data demonstrated that parents draw on all 10 educational and learning resources in creating favorable environments to support their children’s development.
The Grotesque Protest in Social Media as Embodied, Political Rhetoric
Authors: Bivens Kristin Marie , Cole Kirsti
Published: October 2017

The grotesque protest—emboldened through social media—employs the body’s fluids to push back against attempts to legislate bodies. Although social media use is commonly understood as engaging audience members who share ideological frames, it can instead diversify protest networks and encourage discourse. Social media provides individuals opportunities to resist attempts to control bodies and to reinsert individuals’ voices in political discourse aimed to exclude those bodies. The body functions as the modality in which the communicative act occurs, and the body’s fluids function as the medium for inventing disruptive, grotesque protest strategies. Activists such as Rupi Kaur, The Satanic Temple’s Jex Blackmore, and those using Twitter hashtags #periodsforPence and #PEEOTUS use bodily fluids and tissues to emphasize resistance to political movements attempting to control and legislate bodies. The protest campaigns show that the grotesque can be an effective tool for opening space, transgressing boundaries, demanding attention, and equalizing differential political power relations.
Developing information literacy programs
Authors: Uribe-Tirado Alejandro , Pinto María , Machin-Mastromatteo Juan D.
Published: October 2017

This article summarizes the best practices framework known as ‘75 Lessons Learned from Information Literacy Programs at Ibero-American Universities’, drawn from the study of 301 information literacy experiences in Latin American countries, Spain and Portugal. This research involved analysis of 499 documents and data triangulation with 113 interviews and 135 surveys. This comprehensive framework is a useful Ibero-American guideline for developing new information literacy programs or strengthening existing ones at a worldwide level.
Will the rise of Sci-Hub pave the road for the subscription-based access to publishing databases?
Authors: Strielkowski Wadim
Published: October 2017

Sci-hub has become the new phenomenon on the academic publishing market. While its popularity is growing worldwide, large academic publishers are losing millions of dollars on paid article downloads. Perhaps the time has come to re-think the rules of the game of the publishing market and to look for novel solutions for monetizing scientific output. Subscription-based access to publishing databases, similar to the model used in online music streaming, might be one of these solutions that could secure the status quo and stabilize the market.
Culture, Memory, and Narrative Self-Making
Authors: Wang Qi , Song Qingfang , Kim Koh Jessie Bee
Published: October 2017

Narrative entails an active act of sense making through which individuals discern meaning from their experiences in line with their cultural expectations. In this article, we outline a theoretical model to demonstrate that narrative can be simultaneously used to examine cognitive processes underlying remembering on the one hand and to study the process of meaning-making that holds implications for self and well-being on the other. We argue that these two approaches, oftentimes overlapping and inseparable, provide critical means to understand the central role of culture in shaping memory and self-identity. We further demonstrate that the integration of culture in narrative research can, in turn, greatly enrich our understanding of the cognitive and social underpinnings of narrative.
Assessing Motor Imagery Ability Through Imagery-Based Learning: An Overview and Introduction to Miscreen, a Mobile App for Imagery Assessment
Authors: Boe Shaun Gregory , Kraeutner Sarah Nicole
Published: October 2017

The assessment of motor imagery (MI) ability is becoming increasingly important given the growing evidence supporting the use of MI in a wide variety of disciplines, including neurological rehabilitation, where impairment in the ability to perform MI can be common. Although many tools are available for the assessment of MI ability, each has limitations that reduce their effectiveness in accurately reflecting an individual’s ability to perform MI. Here, we propose a new assessment tool, MiScreen, which utilizes the outcome of MI-based learning to determine MI ability, and as such is both quantitative and objective. Throughout we discuss the research underlying MiScreen, as well as questions, potential limitations, and future research required for development and implementation.
Racism, fines and fees and the US carceral state
Authors: Jones Elizabeth
Published: October 2017

The size, scope, and implications of the carceral state, particularly for urban communities of colour, are currently grossly underestimated. This article suggests the need to move beyond the traditional debate about mass incarceration in the US to show how the ubiquitous imposition of fines and fees for low-level offences has wide-reaching poverty-enhancing and racially disparate effects. The author argues that local government institutions such as the police and courts, which comprise the carceral state at neighbourhood level, engage in daily practices that reflect the colourblind racism of neoliberalism, including revenue-generation, which necessarily produce and reinforce race and class inequalities. The American state has always managed and controlled black labour; the author compares the imposition of fines and fees in the wake of black Emancipation and Jim Crowism to the current practice of fines and fees functioning within the paradigm of neoliberal colourblind racism.