bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interannual Variability of the Intraseasonal Oscillation and Its Impact on the Summertime Wave Patterns and Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific
Authors: Ko Ken-Chung , Liu Jyun-Hong
Published: May 2017

In this study, intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) and submonthly wave patterns were separated into maximal variance (MaxV) and minimal variance (MinV) years on the basis of ISO variance from July to October. The mean-state 850-hPa streamfunction for submonthly cases indicated that, in the MinV years, tropical cyclones (TCs) formed near areas southeast of those in the MaxV years. ISOs propagated northward in the MaxV years, whereas a weaker westward-propagating tendency was observed in the MinV years. Track analysis of the centers of the submonthly cyclonic anomalies suggested that the background flow dictated the propagation routes of the easterly cyclonic anomalies in the MaxV years. However, the propagation routes of the westerly cyclonic anomalies were barely affected by the background flow. Further analysis of the ISO mean flow patterns showed that in the MaxV years, the propagation routes of the westerly cyclonic anomalies were more likely controlled by the anomalous easterly flow generated by the ISO westerly cyclonic anomalies. Moreover, rainfall was heavier in Taiwan in the MaxV years because the background flow in the MinV years caused the submonthly cyclonic anomaly tracks to shift away from Taiwan. Therefore, low-frequency large-scale circulations can affect smaller-scale phenomena and local weather.
Age and sex differences in serum adiponectin and its association with lipoprotein fractions
Authors: Tomono Yoshiharu , Hiraishi Chika , Yoshida Hiroshi
Published: May 2017

Objective

The correlation of adiponectin with cholesterol concentration of fractionated lipoproteins has not been well investigated.

Methods

This study included 174 subjects (79 men and 95 women) without diabetes. The medical record data were investigated retrospectively. The study subjects with adiponectin <8.3, > 8.3 but less 13.9, and ≥ 13.9 were classified into tertile groups: Groups A ( n = 59), B ( n = 58) and C ( n = 57), respectively.

Results

In women, age and HDL-C were higher in Group C than in Groups A and B, but BMI, TG, IDL-C and VLDL-C were lower in Group C than in Groups A and B. In men, BMI was lower in Group C than in Groups A and B, and HDL-C was higher in Group C than in Groups A and B. In multiple stepwise regression analysis, BMI and HDL-C were significantly correlated with adiponectin in whole, male and female subjects, but TG-rich lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were not independently correlated.

Conclusions

HDL-C and BMI were independently correlated with adiponectin in non-diabetic men and women. These results suggest that high adiponectin may play a role in the increased HDL-C concentrations, implicated in the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk, in non-diabetic subjects.
On Some Finite Range Life Distributions
Authors: Mukherjee S. P.
Published: May 2017

Various reliability properties, including some characterization results, have been investigated for two finite range life distributions. One of these, namely, the exponentiated rectangular distribution, exhibits a bath-tub failure rate when the shape parameter has a value less than unity and, as expected, does not conform to certain results relating to ageing properties, which hold in the case of distributions with monotone failure rates. Moments as well as best percentile estimates of the shape parameter for this distribution have been worked out. Stress–strength reliability when stress and strength follow the same distribution of this type over the same range, but with different shape parameter values, has been derived and shown to be related to the Bhattacharyya distance between the two probability distributions. Distributions of parallel and standby system lives for two independent components, with this distribution having varying shape parameters, have been derived.
Symmetric Random Walks on Regular Tetrahedra, Octahedra, and Hexahedra
Authors: Sarkar Jyotirmoy , Maiti Saran Ishika
Published: May 2017

We study a symmetric random walk on the vertices of three regular polyhedra. Starting from the origin, at each step the random walk moves, independently of all previous moves, to one of the vertices adjacent to the current vertex with equal probability. We find the distributions, or at least the means and the standard deviations, of the number of steps needed (a) to return to origin, (b) to visit all vertices, and (c) to return to origin after visiting all vertices. We also find the distributions of (i) the number of vertices visited before return to origin, (ii) the last vertex visited, and (iii) the number of vertices visited during return to origin after visiting all vertices.
The Making of a Hero: Cultivating Empathy, Altruism, and Heroic Imagination
Authors: Kohen Ari , Langdon Matt , Riches Brian R.
Published: May 2017

Heroes are not born; they’re made. This article examines the commonalities in the backgrounds of people who take heroic action on behalf of others to theorize the ways in which our society can encourage citizens to prepare themselves to act heroically. In looking closely at a variety of people who have acted heroically, in a single moment or over time, we argue they have at least four crucial commonalities: They imagined situations where help was needed and considered how they would act; they had an expansive sense of empathy, not simply with those who might be considered “like them” but also those who might be thought of as “other” in some decisive respect; they regularly took action to help people, often in small ways; and they had some experience or skill that made them confident about undertaking the heroic action in question.
Hero Versus Saint: Considerations From the Phenomenology of Embodiment
Authors: Smyth Bryan
Published: May 2017

This article contributes to the conceptual clarification of “heroism” as the central idea of “heroism science,” by outlining an approach to heroic action, in its distinction from “moral saintliness,” based in a phenomenological account of embodied existence. I first address the paradoxical tension obtaining between the “exceptionalization” of heroism and what has been termed its “banality.” Through a discussion of moral supererogation, this points toward a conception of heroic action that excludes self-sacrifice. With reference to examples of “Holocaust rescuers,” I develop a view of heroic action as reflecting a prepersonal practical necessity, an anonymous incapacity to do otherwise. I then substantiate this view with considerations drawn from the phenomenology of embodied existence, relying in particular on the distinction drawn by Merleau-Ponty between the “actual” and “habitual” dimensions of embodiment. On this basis, I sketch out how heroic and saintly action can be understood as contrary ways in which the tension between these dimensions of embodiment is resolved. This approach affords conceptually clear notions of heroism, moral saintliness, and the distinction between them, and on this basis, it portends the sort of coherent and viable understanding of heroism’s “banality” that heroism science requires. By way of conclusion, I briefly address some of the theoretical advantages of this approach, along with some of the larger stakes involved.
Persistence or Reversal of Fortune? Early State Inheritance and the Legacies of Colonial Rule
Authors: Foa Roberto Stefan
Published: May 2017

This article assesses the relative merits of the “reversal of fortune” thesis, according to which the most politically and economically advanced polities of the precolonial era were subject to institutional reversal by European colonial powers, and the “persistence of fortune” view, according to which early advantages in state formation persisted throughout and beyond the colonial era. Discussing the respective arguments, the article offers a synthesis: the effect of early state formation on development trajectories was subject to a threshold condition. Non-European states at the highest levels of precolonial political centralization were able to resist European encroachment and engage in defensive modernization, whereas states closest to, yet just below, this threshold were the most attractive targets for colonial exploitation. Since the onset of decolonization, however, such polities have been among the first to regain independence and world patterns of state capacity are increasingly reverting to those of the precolonial era.
Redistributive Colonialism: The Long Term Legacy of International Conflict in India
Authors: Lee Alexander
Published: May 2017

The growth of European colonial empires occurred during a period of intense international conflict. This article examines how the international position of colonial states altered the distribution of wealth within indigenous societies. Colonial administrators favored precolonial elites only if they were militarily and financially secure, a pattern that stems from balancing the advantages of working with these groups against their higher probability of revolt. This theory is tested using data on the wealth of Indian caste groups. In areas annexed at times of European war, precolonial elites are poorer than other groups, whereas they remain richer in areas annexed at other times and in indirectly ruled areas. These results appear not to stem from preexisting differences between regions. The results highlight the variable impact of colonialism within societies, and the importance of the international system in shaping colonial and postcolonial outcomes.
Simulation of FPGA controlled Single Stage Boost Inverter for the Applications of Grid Connected Photovoltaic System
Authors: Meenakshi Sundaram B. , Manikandan B.V. , Kaliamoorthy M.
Published: May 2017

Improving the efficiency, reducing the cost and maintaining the power quality of a grid tied with Photovoltaic (PV) system are the important aspects of the present day research. The efficiency of power conversion can be improved by reducing the number of stages. In this paper, a single stage boost inverter topology fed from PV array is used and connected to a single phase grid. Less number of switching components is used in this topology compared to conventional technique and hence, the converter losses are reduced. This can also be very well extended to utility grid system. Further, the proposed topology includes battery backup unit which consists of a DC-DC converter to overcome the variations of Voltage based Maximum Power Point (VMPP) of PV array because of the variations in solar irradiance. The proposed system uses the current control approach which has zero steady state tracking error to control the single stage boost inverter. The proposed system offers many advantages such as low cost, high efficiency, compactness and high quality of output power. Design procedure and simulation results are obtained from MATLAB/SIMULINK and the experimental results are obtained from the model developed in the laboratory. The entire system is controlled by SPATRAN 3A FPGA board.
Observer-based synchronization of uncertain chaotic systems subject to input saturation
Authors: Mohammadpour S , Binazadeh T
Published: May 2017

This paper considers the synchronization between two chaotic systems (i.e. master and slave systems) in the presence of practical constraints. The considered constraints are: the unavailability of state variables of both master and slave system, the presence of non-symmetric input saturation, model uncertainties and/or external disturbances (matched and/or unmatched). Considering these constraints, an adaptive robust observer-based controller is designed, which guarantees synchronization between the chaotic systems. For this purpose, a theorem is given and, according to a Lyapunov adaptive stabilization approach, it is proved that the robust synchronization via the proposed observer-based controller is guaranteed in the presence of actuator saturation and it is shown that even if the control signal is saturated, the proposed controller leads to a robust synchronization objective. Finally, in order to show the applicability of the proposed controller, it is applied on the Van der Pol chaotic systems. Computer simulations verify the theoretical results and show the effective performance of the proposed controller.
The New Technopolitics of Development and the Global South as a Laboratory of Technological Experimentation
Authors: Fejerskov Adam Moe
Published: May 2017

Science and technology have been integral issues of development cooperation for more than sixty years. Contrary to early efforts’ transfer of established technologies from the West to developing countries, contemporary technology aspirations increasingly articulate and practice the Global South as a live laboratory for technological experimentation. This approach is especially furthered by a group of private foundations and philanthrocapitalists whose endeavors in developing countries are, like their companies, shaped by logics of the individual, the market, and of societal progress through technological innovation and experimentation. This article draws upon critical intellectual thought about the political and social ramifications of technology to reflect on the renascent role of technology in development cooperation. It traces the discourses and practices of philanthrocapitalist organizations, in particular the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to understand how their experimentalist technology aspirations influence human life and relations in the Global South. This article argues that this newfound focus on technology in development cooperation may challenge the essence of democracy, reduce participation, and have undesirable consequences for populations in the Global South.
Seven- to 11-Year-Olds’ Developing Ability to Recognize Natural Facial Expressions of Basic Emotions
Authors: Kang Kathleen , Anthoney Laura , Mitchell Peter
Published: May 2017

Being able to recognize facial expressions of basic emotions is of great importance to social development. However, we still know surprisingly little about children’s developing ability to interpret emotions that are expressed dynamically, naturally, and subtly, despite real-life expressions having such appearance in the vast majority of cases. The current research employs a new technique of capturing dynamic, subtly expressed natural emotional displays (happy, sad, angry, shocked, and disgusted). Children aged 7, 9, and 11 years (and adults) were systematically able to discriminate each emotional display from alternatives in a five-way choice. Children were most accurate in identifying the expression of happiness and were also relatively accurate in identifying the expression of sadness; they were far less accurate than adults in identifying shocked and disgusted. Children who performed well academically also tended to be the most accurate in recognizing expressions, and this relationship maintained independently of chronological age. Generally, the findings testify to a well-developed ability to recognize very subtle naturally occurring expressions of emotions.
Geographic information science I
Authors: Miller Harvey J.
Published: May 2017

Geographic information observatories (GIOs) extend the capabilities for observatory-based science to the broad geographic data associated with a place or region. GIOs are a form of scientific instrumentation that affords a holistic view of geographic data. This potentially could lead to new insights about geographic information, as well as the human and coupled human-natural systems described by this information. In this report, I discuss GIOs in light of a timely question – what new types of GIScience should we be doing with big geographic data? I argue that GIOs also allow for a new type of opportunistic geographic information science that leverages real-world events via ongoing observation, experimentation and decision-support.
Hexavalent chromium induces reactive oxygen species and impairs the antioxidant power of human erythrocytes and lymphocytes: Decreased metal reducing and free radical quenching ability of the cells
Authors: Husain Nazim , Mahmood Riaz
Published: May 2017

The toxicity of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in biological systems is thought to be closely associated with the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. These species are produced when Cr(VI) is reduced to its trivalent form in the cell. This process results in oxidative stress due to an imbalance between the detoxifying ability of the cell and the production of free radicals. We have studied the effect of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7), a [Cr(VI)] compound, on the antioxidant power of human erythrocytes and lymphocytes under in vitro conditions. Incubation of erythrocytes and lymphocytes with different concentrations of K2Cr2O7 resulted in a marked dose-dependent decrease in reduced glutathione and an increase in oxidized glutathione and reactive oxygen species levels. The antioxidant power of the cells was decreased, as determined by metal reducing and free radical quenching assays. These results show that [Cr(VI)] upregulates the generation of reactive oxygen species and, as a consequence, the cellular antioxidant defences are compromised. The resulting oxidative stress may contribute to Cr(VI)-induced cellular damage.
Family Presence in the Adult ICU During Bedside Procedures
Authors: Jakab Marnie , Day Alex Z. , Kraguljac Alan , Brown Maedean , Mehta Sangeeta
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

To understand perspectives of family members of adult patients admitted to the medical–surgical intensive care unit (ICU) regarding their presence during procedures.

Methods:

Respondents completed a questionnaire about procedures the patient had undergone, their desire to be present, and their experience. Procedures of interest were endotracheal intubation; chest compressions; vascular catheter insertion; and gastric, chest, and rectal tubes. Impact of Events Scale–Revised (IES-R) was completed at the time of questionnaire completion and again 1 month later to evaluate the psychological impact of witnessing a procedure.

Results:

Ninety-seven respondents completed the questionnaire on behalf of 72 patients. More than 90% patients had at least 1 procedure. Only 29 (30%) family members were present for at least 1 procedure, and 44% to 100% wished to be present. Of the 68 respondents not present for a procedure, 18 (26.5%) wanted to be present. The IES-R was completed by 52 (95%) of 55 respondents who witnessed any procedure at time 1 and 28 (51%) of 55 respondents at time 2; mean IES-R scores were 8.0 and 8.8 ( P = .68), respectively. Only 2 participants had IES-R >33, signifying the likely presence of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Conclusion:

Family members wish to be present for ICU procedures, and there are no adverse psychological effects.
Impact of a Plant-Based Diet and Support on Mitigating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Latinos Living in Medically Underserved Areas
Authors: Ramal Edelweiss , Champlin Andrea , Bahjri Khaled
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

To determine the impact that a high-fiber, low-fat diet, derived from mostly plant-based sources, when coupled with support has upon self-management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Latinos from medically underserved areas (MUAs).

Design:

Experimental randomized controlled community pilot study.

Setting:

Three community clinics in MUAs located within San Bernardino County, California.

Participants:

Thirty-two randomly assigned Latinos with A1C greater than 6.4: 15 control and 17 experimental.

Intervention:

Participants completed a 5-week education program. Researchers provided follow-up support for 17 randomly assigned experimental group participants through focus groups held at participating clinics—1, 3, and 6 months posteducation.

Measures:

Changes in fat and fiber consumption were measured using a modified Dietary Screener for Mexican Americans. Self-management was measured through the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale and Diabetes Quality of Life Measure.

Analysis:

Baseline characteristics for both groups were analyzed using independent t tests and χ2 tests. A 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze biometric data between baseline and 6 months for both groups.

Results:

Mean A1C levels decreased from baseline to 6 months for both groups: control, μ1 = 9.57, μ2 = 9.49; experimental, μ1 = 8.53, μ2 = 7.31.

Conclusion:

The experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in mean A1C levels ( P = .002) when compared to the control group.
Neighborhood Context, Dementia Severity, and Mexican American Caregiver Well-Being
Authors: Rote Sunshine M. , Angel Jacqueline L. , Markides Kyriakos
Published: May 2017

Objective: The current study extends research on Latino caregiving to describe the role of neighborhood-level factors and dementia severity for caregiver well-being. Method: Data are drawn from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (HEPESE 2010/2011, N = 343). We present regression analyses that describe the relationship between dementia severity in the older care recipient and neighborhood-level structural factors for caregiver mental health. Results: Mexican Americans providing care in neighborhoods characterized by a higher percent Latino report fewer depressive symptoms and greater life satisfaction. Percent Latino and percent Spanish speaking residing in the neighborhood are especially protective of caregiver depressive symptoms when care recipients display more severe dementia-related neuropsychiatric symptoms. Discussion: Neighborhood characteristics play an important role in the Latino caregiver well-being processes. Targeting neighborhoods, especially in regard to culturally competent dementia care education and services, should be the focus of intervention strategies for Mexican-origin caregivers.
Expected p-values in light of an ROC curve analysis applied to optimal multiple testing procedures
Authors: Vexler Albert , Yu Jihnhee , Zhao Yang , Hutson Alan D , Gurevich Gregory
Published: May 2017

Many statistical studies report p-values for inferential purposes. In several scenarios, the stochastic aspect of p-values is neglected, which may contribute to drawing wrong conclusions in real data experiments. The stochastic nature of p-values makes their use to examine the performance of given testing procedures or associations between investigated factors to be difficult. We turn our focus on the modern statistical literature to address the expected p-value (EPV) as a measure of the performance of decision-making rules. During the course of our study, we prove that the EPV can be considered in the context of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, a well-established biostatistical methodology. The ROC-based framework provides a new and efficient methodology for investigating and constructing statistical decision-making procedures, including: (1) evaluation and visualization of properties of the testing mechanisms, considering, e.g. partial EPVs; (2) developing optimal tests via the minimization of EPVs; (3) creation of novel methods for optimally combining multiple test statistics. We demonstrate that the proposed EPV-based approach allows us to maximize the integrated power of testing algorithms with respect to various significance levels. In an application, we use the proposed method to construct the optimal test and analyze a myocardial infarction disease dataset. We outline the usefulness of the “EPV/ROC” technique for evaluating different decision-making procedures, their constructions and properties with an eye towards practical applications.
Developing a Scale to Measure Obstetric and Gynaecology Professionals’ Attitudes towards Medical Termination of Pregnancy and Emergency Contraception Services, Kerala, India
Authors: Chowdhury Sunita
Published: May 2017

Medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) services and emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are legal in India. Despite this, there are barriers to women’s access due to provider resistance towards these services. It is important to understand the obstetrics and gynaecology professionals’ (OGPs) attitudes towards MTP and ECP services.

The Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies (AMCHSS) scale with 20 items, 16 related to MTPs and 4 related to ECPs, was developed and validated to measure the attitude of OGPs towards provisioning of MTP and ECP services in circumstances when it is legally acceptable in India. The study used a cross-sectional survey among 14 experts and 106 randomly selected OGPs in two southern districts of Kerala state, India for scale development, validation and reliability testing.

The scale was validated with a significant correlation of 0.614 ( p < 0.001) between the attitude score and the score obtained from the vignettes. Its reliability score using intra-class correlation coefficient was r = 0.906 (CIs: 0.781–0.957).
Role of Personality in the Formation of Psychological Contract
Authors: Agarwal Promila
Published: May 2017

The current research is aimed to investigate the association between personality and the formation of the psychological contract (PC) in India. A sample of 262 employees was used to test the hypotheses. The study provides the theoretical explanation beneath the association of personality and formation of the PC. It reveals how personality is associated with employee obligations and employer obligations. The findings have practical implications in managing the PC. The examination of the association of the PC (employee and employer obligations and fulfilment of obligations) and personality can have direct implications for human resource (HR) practitioners in managing their HR practices. The study adds to the theory of the PC by exploring one of the factors underlying the idiosyncratic nature of the PC.
Brief work-integrated learning opportunities and first-year university students’ perceptions of employability and academic performance
Authors: Harris-Reeves Brooke , Mahoney John
Published: May 2017

Universities are attempting to respond to recent changes in the employment sector in order to ensure graduates are job ready. One approach for preparing students for the evolving employment sector is to expose them to work-integrated learning experiences during their undergraduate degree. Traditionally, work-integrated learning experiences have been offered toward the end of students’ degrees, but there might be value in offering such opportunities as students’ transition into university. The aim of this study was to explore the outcomes of brief work-integrated learning experiences on first-year university students. A series of paired samples t-tests showed significant differences in students’ ( N = 28, Mage = 18.89 years) perceptions of employability and academic performance following exposure to 10-hours of job shadowing. The outcomes from the study suggest that students might benefit from work-integrated learning experiences in their foundation year of university. Implications for educators, universities, and the employment sector are highlighted.
Responses of rings with light-activated shape memory polymers regulated by neural network and phase shift
Authors: Li Huiyu , Guo Da , Tzou Hornsen
Published: May 2017

Light-activated shape memory polymer is able to hold the temporary shape and to change the permanent shape upon exposures of ultraviolet lights with specific wavelengths. The study aims to provide a non-contact and temperature-independent technique to suppress the vibration of rings using light-activated shape memory polymer. Forced responses of flexible rings laminated with light-activated shape memory polymer patches are evaluated. Dynamic equations of light-activated shape memory polymer–laminated rings are established first. With the modal expansion method, the modal force of light-activated shape memory polymer actuators is derived and then the modal responses (with or without control) are evaluated. A generic kth order and its simplified light-activated shape memory polymer constitutive equations are established based on the chemical kinetics. Light-activated shape memory polymer shows the dynamic stiffness when exposed to ultraviolet lights, and this feature is reflected in its constitutive equations influenced by light intensity, material constant, thickness, and so on. With these derivations, the relationship of light intensity and modal force is established and it exhibits a hysteresis phenomenon. The procedure of identifying the hysteresis model using the neural network is described. Then, the phase shift and neural network control techniques are, respectively, applied to enhance the control effects. The neural network vibration control (with a maximal reduction in 98.1%) is very effective to improve light-activated shape memory polymer’s actuation capability.
An Evaluation of Gamified Training: Using Narrative to Improve Reactions and Learning
Authors: Armstrong Michael B. , Landers Richard N.
Published: May 2017

Background and Aim.Gamification is growing in popularity in education and workplace training, but it is unclear which game elements are conducive to learning. The theory of gamified learning suggests that one type of gamification, the addition of game fiction/narrative, can be used to improve learning outcomes, and the Technology-Enhanced Training Effectiveness Model (TETEM) suggests individual differences impact the strength of this effect. From this theoretical basis, this study gamified a training module with game fiction in order to improve outcomes over the original training.

Results and Conclusion. In a study of 273 learners, trainees were significantly more satisfied with training enhanced with game fiction over the control text ( d = 0.65) but did not differ in declarative knowledge scores by condition. Further, trainees in the control condition scored higher on procedural knowledge than trainees in the game fiction condition, although the effect was smaller ( d = −0.40). Thus, the use of narrative improved reactions to training but at some cost to training effectiveness. Attitudes toward game-based learning were also tested as a moderator of the condition-outcome relationship.
Hermeneutic Constructivism: An Ontology for Qualitative Research
Authors: Peck Blake , Mummery Jane
Published: May 2017

Qualitative research is entirely an operation with language, in language, and occasionally on language. This article suggests a tension between theoretical recognition of a multiplicity of human experience on one hand and a reliance upon practices of thematic representation that prioritize the common or the general over individualized experience. The fulcrum of this tension is the nature of language itself and its role in human experience and meaning-making. This article sets out the theoretical foundations of Hermeneutic Constructivism as one proposed approach to redress this problematic within many qualitative frameworks and open up an opportunity for a deeper and more nuanced understanding of human being. Within Hermeneutic Constructivism, a Fundamental Postulate and 11 elaborative corollaries detail a cogent relationship between language and the structures and processes of mental activity that support the human comportment toward understanding. The authors argue that this theoretical position is able to inform a model for qualitative research that makes possible an exploration of a person’s experience at a deeper level of abstraction and that may provide an avenue for overcoming this identified tension.
Giving Our Daughters What We Never Received
Authors: Grigsby Sheila R.
Published: May 2017

African American girls experience disparate rates of pregnancy and acquisition of sexually transmitted infections, including human immunodeficiency virus, when compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Among African American girls, current pregnancy rates are equal to the national crisis levels of teen pregnancy reported in 1990. This qualitative elicitation study was conducted to gain insight into the ways in which African American mothers and their daughters, between the ages of 9 and 14, communicate about sexual health. Early sexual health communication between mothers and daughters is known to enhance the sexual health outcomes of girls. A series of four focus groups and three in-depth interviews were conducted between July and September 2014. The theory of planned behavior was the organizing framework. Theoretical constructs that guided this study were attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms. Results showed that what African American women share with their daughters about sexual health stems from their personal faith, values, and experiences. Findings from this study can inform interventions to provide support for this understudied population. Moreover, there are implications for health-care providers, particularly school nurses, who are in an ideal position to help increase mothers’ self-efficacy to engage in sexual health conversations with their young daughters.
Maladaptive Personality Trait Models: Validating the Five-Factor Model Maladaptive Trait Measures With the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 and NEO Personality Inventory
Authors: Helle Ashley C. , Mullins-Sweatt Stephanie N.
Published: May 2017

Eight measures have been developed to assess maladaptive variants of the five-factor model (FFM) facets specific to personality disorders (e.g., Five-Factor Borderline Inventory [FFBI]). These measures can be used in their entirety or as facet-based scales (e.g., FFBI Affective Dysregulation) to improve the comprehensiveness of assessment of pathological personality. There are a limited number of studies examining these scales with other measures of similar traits (e.g., DSM-5 alternative model). The current study examined the FFM maladaptive scales in relation to the respective general personality traits of the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised and the pathological personality traits of the DSM-5 alternative model using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5. The results indicated the FFM maladaptive trait scales predominantly converged with corresponding NEO Personality Inventory-Revised, and Personality Inventory for DSM-5 traits, providing further validity for these measures as extensions of general personality traits and evidence for their relation to the pathological trait model. Benefits and applications of the FFM maladaptive scales in clinical and research settings are discussed.
Inflammation and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Fighting Against Multiple Opponents
Authors: Khalafalla Farid G , Khan Mohammad W
Published: May 2017

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and one of the most lethal human cancers. Inflammation is a critical component in PDAC initiation and progression. Inflammation also contributes to the aggressiveness of PDAC indirectly via induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), altogether leading to enhanced resistance to chemotherapy and poor survival rates. This review gives an overview of the key pro-inflammatory signaling pathways involved in PDAC pathogenesis and discusses the role of inflammation in induction of EMT and development of chemoresistance in patients with PDAC.
A hydrodynamic flow analysis for optimal positioning of surface textures
Authors: Morris Nicholas J , Rahmani Ramin , Rahnejat Homer
Published: May 2017

The current study uses Reynolds equation and the cross-film flow velocity profile to analytically determine pertinent locations for texture feature positioning in sliding hydrodynamic contacts. The position of textures is shown to have a significant effect on the lubricant film thickness, thus the load carrying capacity and generated friction and power loss. It is shown that textures, residing after the inlet lubricant recirculation boundary and prior to the position of maximum contact pressure enhance film thickness and reduce friction in the contact of real rough sliding surfaces. The methodology is applied to partial surface texturing of a thin compression ring of a high performance race engine, with the predicted results confirming the utility of the expounded analytical technique and its conformance to the findings of others reported in literature. The time–efficient analytical and fundamental approach constitutes the main contribution of the paper to furtherance of knowledge.
Social class and the emergent organised sporting habits of primary-aged children
Authors: Wheeler Sharon , Green Ken , Thurston Miranda
Published: May 2017

This paper reports on the patterns of participation in organised sports of youngsters coming towards the end of primary school, with a view to identifying emergent sporting habits in relation to social class gradients. The data for the study were generated via 90 semi-structured interviews with parents and children from 62 families. The data revealed differences in organised activity participation (both at and beyond school) between an ‘under-class’ and combined middle-class groups of children, as well as within-class gradients among the middle-class sub-groups. There were, for example, substantial differences between the under-class group and the combined middle-class group in terms of both the average number of bouts of organised sports participation and the repertoire or variety of sports engaged with. In effect, the mid- and upper-middle-class children were already sporting and cultural omnivores by the final years of primary schooling. We conclude that while the primary school organised sporting ‘offer’ may be neither a sufficient nor even a necessary contribution to the emerging sporting habits of mid- and upper-middle-class children, for under-class children it is likely to be necessary even though it may still prove, in the longer run, insufficient.
Components of preoperative anxiety: A qualitative study
Authors: King Amy , Bartley Jim , Johanson Deborah L , Broadbent Elizabeth
Published: May 2017

Limited research has explored preoperative anxiety through qualitative methodologies. This study aimed to identify specific factors that contribute to preoperative anxiety. A total of 17 patients awaiting general, plastic reconstructive and hand, orthopaedic, or ear, nose, and throat/otorhinolaryngology surgery were interviewed about their concerns in a public hospital. Thematic analysis identified five main sources of anxiety: surgical procedures, surgical complications, symptoms, recovery process, and organisation and delivery of care. These themes support current knowledge and identify wider concerns around the hospital environment and recovery. This study may inform the development of future interventions aimed at reducing preoperative anxiety.
There are no language switching costs when codeswitching is frequent
Authors: Adamou Evangelia , Shen Xingjia Rachel
Published: May 2017

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:

There is ongoing discussion as to the cost of language switching, with some studies indicating high cost and others showing low or no cost. The main research question in this paper is whether there are language switching costs in communities in which codeswitching is frequent.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

We conducted two on-line experiments, that is, a picture choice with sentence auditory stimuli and a word recognition task in sentence context. We constructed 16 sentences with differing degrees of ecological validity (16 sentences × 4 versions = 64). The sentences included verbs with different language preferences in natural conversations (first language (L1), second language (L2) or both).

Data and Analysis:

Thirty-seven simultaneous L1-Romani L2-Turkish bilinguals participated in Experiment 1 and 49 in Experiment 2. To analyse the results, linear mixed models (lmer) were constructed using the ‘lme4’ package in R.

Findings/Conclusions:

In Experiment 1, participants responded significantly faster for the all-Turkish sentences, followed by the mixed Romani-Turkish sentences, and the two types of ecologically non-valid sentences. However, there were no processing costs for the mixed sentences when they contained Turkish verbs that are more frequently used in Turkish in the spontaneous conversations. In Experiment 2, reaction times were similar for Turkish verbs (with Turkish verb morphology) in a mixed Romani-Turkish or a unilingual Turkish sentence.

Originality:

Taken together, these findings indicate that language switching costs in comprehension depend on the frequency of codeswitching in the bilingual community, as well as on exposure to specific lexical items.

Significance/Implications:

The Romani-Turkish data support a usage-based approach to bilingual processing and confirm the need to conduct experimental research that takes into account the communicational habits of the participants.
Numerical and experimental analysis of coin minting
Authors: Alexandrino P , Leitão PJ , Alves LM , Martins PAF
Published: May 2017

This paper describes a numerical and experimental route for application and validation of finite elements in coin minting based on an industrial case study. The numerical work encompasses virtual prototyping of the dies from three-dimensional models prepared by the sculptor and finite element simulation of the coin minting process. The experimental work comprised independent determination of the stress–strain curve of the disk material by means of stack-compression tests, verification of the force values provided by the industrial coin minting press and validation of the numerical estimates of the progressive filling of the relief coin features and of the force vs. die stroke evolution. Results show that finite elements can be successfully applied to predict material flow and filling of the intricate relief coin features as well as to estimate the required coin minting forces before fabricating the actual dies.
How do things become strategic? ‘Strategifying’ corporate social responsibility
Authors: Gond Jean-Pascal , Cabantous Laure , Krikorian Frédéric
Published: May 2017

How do things become ‘strategic’? Despite the development of strategy-as-practice studies and the recognized institutional importance of strategy as a social practice, little is known about how strategy boundaries change within organizations. This article focuses on this gap by conceptualizing ‘strategi fying’ – or making something strategic – as a type of institutional work that builds on the institution of strategy to change the boundaries of what is regarded as strategy within organizations. We empirically investigate how corporate social responsibility has been turned into strategy at a UK electricity company, EnergyCorp. Our findings reveal the practices that constitute three types of strategifying work – cognitive coupling, relational coupling and material coupling – and show how, together and over time, these types of work changed the boundaries of strategy so that corporate social responsibility became included in EnergyCorp’s official strategy, became explicitly attended to by strategists and corporate executives and became inscribed within strategy devices. By disambiguating the notions of strategifying and strategizing, our study introduces new perspectives for analysing the institutional implications of the practice of strategy.
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and gendered math teaching in Kuwait
Authors: Ahmad Fatimah , Greenhalgh-Spencer Heather
Published: May 2017

This paper argues for a more complex literature around gender and math performance. In order to argue for this complexity, we present a small portion of data from a case study examining the performance of Kuwaiti students on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and on Kuwait national math tests. Westernized discourses suggest that girls have a harder time in math classes; these discourses frame and are reified by prominent literature and practices within the field of math education research that suggest that women and girls need help in order to reach their potential in math. These Westernized discourses stand in contrast to the discourses in Kuwait that normalize women and girls as outperforming boys in all subjects – including all science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. As our study shows, the reality is more complex. And, while the reality is more complex, we yet lack the discourses to understand this complexity.
Delivering Healthy Food Choice
Authors: Carins Julia E. , Rundle-Thiele Sharyn R. , Parkinson Joy E.
Published: May 2017

Introduction:

Military personnel need to eat healthfully to enable peak performance and sustain health. Poor dietary habits and a rising rate of obesity among military personnel indicate a need for programs to improve food choices. This study evaluated two programs conceived under a dual-process model (consumer-focused communications only and a broader social marketing program including communications and environmental changes).

Methods:

Programs were implemented and evaluated over a 6-week period in two military dining halls in Australia. Food selections were measured before and after program implementation using plate photography ( N = 673 meals). Outcome variables included a healthy plate index (HPI), number of selections for food types, number of selections from three healthfulness categories (most healthful, moderately healthful, and least healthful), and a measure of how diner selections differed from the proportions of each healthfulness category available on the menu. Independent t tests were used to assess the difference between diner selections before and after program implementation.

Results:

Significant differences ( p < .05) in diner selections were observed after implementation of both programs, all in a healthful direction. When communications were used in isolation, the HPI was higher, with more selections made, and more moderately healthful selections chosen. When communications and environmental changes were combined, the number of choices remained stable but the HPI increased, and more of the most healthful foods were chosen.

Conclusions:

The eating behavior of military personnel can be improved using consumer-focused communications. However, by altering the environment as well, a greater change in behavior can be realized.
Commentary on “A Microfluidic Platform to Design Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid Nanoparticles (cHANPs) for Enhanced MRI”
Authors: Russo Maria , Bevilacqua Paolo , Netti Paolo Antonio , Torino Enza
Published: May 2017

Strategies to enhance the relaxometric properties of gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), without the chemical modification of chelates, have recently had a strong impact on the diagnostic field. We have taken advantage of the interaction between Gadolinium diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and the hydrogel structure of hyaluronic acid to design cross-linked hyaluronic acid nanoparticles down to 35 nm for use in MRI applications. The proposed bioformulations enable the control of the relaxometric properties of CAs, thus boosting the relaxation rate of T1. Our results led us to identify this approach as an adjustable scenario to design intravascularly injectable hydrogel nanoparticles entrapping Gd-DTPA. This approach overcomes the general drawbacks of clinically approved CAs having poor relaxivity and toxic effects.