bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two thousand–year reconstruction of livestock production intensity in France using sediment-archived fecal Bacteroidales and source-specific mitochondrial markers
Authors: Etienne David , Destas Mathilde , Lyautey Emilie , Marti Romain , Ruffaldi Pascale , Georges-Leroy Murielle , Dambrine Etienne , Topp Edward
Published: May 2015

The reconstruction of past pastoral activities based on microscopic methods (pollen and coprophilous fungal ascospores) does not accurately identify the domestic species involved. In contrast, source-specific DNA markers, commonly employed in water quality microbial source tracking (MST) studies, may represent a promising tool for retrospectively identifying species-specific fecal contamination in sediment deposition. In the present study, molecular methods were used to quantify Bacteroidales and identify ovine and bovine mitochondrial DNA extracted from sediment cores from two forest hollows comprising 2000 years of deposition. The DNA marker abundance was contrasted with the abundance of ascospores and plant-specific pollen throughout the sediment chronosequence. The distribution of DNA markers indicated an agro-pastoral practice transition from pasture/crop production to forested landscape from the second Iron Age/classical Antiquity to the end of the Roman period/modernity, in correlation with microscopic markers. During the second Iron Age/classical Antiquity, hollows were likely used to water herds, whereas during the late Antiquity, low Bacteroidales abundances and the sporadic detection of bovine and ovine DNA markers confirm the progressive afforestation observed using pollen data. For the end of the Roman period and modern times, reforested areas are characterized by the absence of ovine and bovine DNA markers while low Bacteroidales abundances suggest the presence of wild herbivores. The present study has established that in tandem with microscopic methods, sediment-archived fecal-specific bacterial and mitochondrial DNA are extremely useful for reconstructing agricultural practice over timeframes of millennia.
A numerical investigation of freshwater and sediment discharge variations of Poyang Lake catchment, China over the last 1000 years
Authors: Gao Jian Hua , Xu Xianan , Jia Jianjun , Kettner Albert J , Xing Fei , Wang Ya Ping , Yang Yang , Qi Shuhua , Liao Fuqiang , Li Jun , Bai Fenglong , Zou Xinqing , Gao Shu
Published: May 2015

The Poyang Lake catchment, an important sub-catchment of Changjiang, experienced ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA) and accelerating intensity of human activities during the last 1000 years. As such, the area and time period serve as a perfect case to study the variations in water and sediment discharge under combined natural and anthropogenic impact. Simulation results of the model HydroTrend indicate that the annual average cumulative water discharge of the five rivers entering Poyang Lake over the last 1000 years is 103.65 ± 1.80 km3, and climate change is the dominating factor determining water discharge variations over time. Influenced by the LIA (AD 1451–1850), the total water discharge of the five rivers was reduced by 10%. Sediment load discharging into Poyang Lake by the five rivers was only 9.21 ± 0.43 Mt yr−1 between AD 1000 and 1700, when the anthropogenic impact on the landscape was still low. However, with the human activities accelerating during the past 300 years, the sediment load entering Poyang Lake underwent a drastic change. Because of intensified soil loss, the total sediment load entering Poyang Lake during AD 1800–1950 increased by 58.7%, compared with AD 1000–1700. After AD 1950, the sediment load variation is mainly reflected by the combined impact of dam emplacement and soil erosion. As sediment interception by dams continuously increased over time, the total sediment load entering Poyang Lake during AD 1990–2000 is only 60.9% of that of the highest riverine sediment flux during AD 1951–1980, which is almost equal to that of the lowest level during AD 1000–1700. The sediment load of many rivers in the world exhibited similar variation trends as that of Poyang Lake under combined impact of climate change and human activities. Better understanding the mechanisms of these variation trends is helpful to analyzing the formation and evolution of an estuary-shelf sedimentary system over the Holocene.
Opening up animal research and science–society relations? A thematic analysis of transparency discourses in the United Kingdom
Authors: McLeod Carmen , Hobson-West Pru
Published: May 2015

The use of animals in scientific research represents an interesting case to consider in the context of the contemporary preoccupation with transparency and openness in science and governance. In the United Kingdom, organisations critical of animal research have long called for more openness. More recently, organisations involved in animal research also seem to be embracing transparency discourses. This article provides a detailed analysis of publically available documents from animal protection groups, the animal research community and government/research funders. Our aim is to explore the similarities and differences in the way transparency is constructed and to identify what more openness is expected to achieve. In contrast to the existing literature, we conclude that the slipperiness of transparency discourses may ultimately have transformative implications for the relationship between science and society and that contemporary openness initiatives might be sowing the seeds for change to the status quo.
Weighing Words
Authors: Nasir Muhammad Ali
Published: May 2015

This article takes issue with those accounts of the right to freedom of expression that find a zero-sum game between power and freedom. It argues that by marking expression as a legal problematic, the right to freedom of expression regulates the force of an expression, and by doing so governs the (expressing qua juridical) subjects. When the question thus turns onto the subject, the subjects are required to be ‘free in specific ways’ in order to exercise their freedoms in an apt manner. In order to argue out these points, this article analyzes the case law of the right to freedom of expression from the theoretical lens of governmentality. The discussion begins by a reading of a set of cases brought before European Court of Human Rights: Sürek v. Turkey. Later, the dynamics of power and subjectivity are commented upon, by discussing the ways through which expressions merit a legally protected status. Finally, the article focuses on the complex interdependencies the right to freedom of expression form between an expressing subject and its juridical capacities on one hand, and between expressivity and the guarantor of this right on the other.
Women and Capitalism: The Case of the Vaccine against the Human Papilloma Virus
Authors: Forcades i Vila Teresa
Published: May 2015

The article analyses the public policy of vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) according to the three classical criteria of need, efficacy and safety as an exemplary case of how the big transnational corporations operate and how the governments serve their interests. It discusses the changes in policy in Japan and the recent developments in France and the grass-roots movements in Spain that are organizing to change this policy. The four Lacanian discourses are applied to the analysis of the rhetoric of public health authorities.
Transplant tourism and organ trafficking
Authors: Corfee Floraidh AR
Published: May 2015

Organ availability for transplantation has become an increasingly complex and difficult question in health economics and ethical practice. Advances in technology have seen prolonged life expectancy, and the global push for organs creates an ever-expanding gap between supply and demand, and a significant cost in bridging that gap. This article will examine the ethical implications for the nursing profession in regard to the procurement of organs from an impoverished seller’s market, also known as ‘Transplant Tourism’. This ethical dilemma concerns itself with resource allocation, informed consent and the concepts of egalitarianism and libertarianism. Transplant Tourism is an unacceptable trespass against human dignity and rights from both a nursing and collective viewpoint. Currently, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Royal college of Nursing Australia, The Royal College of Nursing (UK) and the American Nurses Association do not have position statements on transplant tourism, and this diminishes us as a force for change. It diminishes our role as advocates for the most marginalised in our world to have access to care and to choice and excludes us from a very contemporary real debate about the mismatch of organ demand and supply in our own communities. As a profession, we must have a voice in health policy and human rights, and according to our Code of Ethics in Australia and around the world, act to promote and protect the fundamental human right to healthcare and dignity.
Cross-cultural validation of the moral sensitivity questionnaire-revised Chinese version
Authors: Huang Fei Fei , Yang Qing , Zhang Jie , Zhang Qing Hua , Khoshnood Kaveh , Zhang Jing Ping
Published: May 2015

Background:

Ethical issues pose challenges for nurses who are increasingly caring for patients in complicated situations. Ethical sensitivity is a prerequisite for nurses to make decisions in the best interest of their patients in daily practice. Currently, there is no tool for assessing ethical sensitivity in Chinese language, and no empirical studies of ethical sensitivity among Chinese nurses.

Research objectives:

The study was conducted to translate the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire–Revised Version (MSQ-R) into Chinese and establish the psychometric properties of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire–Revised Version into Chinese (MSQ-R-CV).

Research design:

This research was a methodological and descriptive study.

Participants and research context:

MSQ-R was translated into Chinese using Brislin’s model, and the Translation Validity Index was evaluated. MSQ-R-CV was then distributed along with a demographic questionnaire to 360 nurses working at tertiary and municipal hospitals in Changsha, China.

Ethical considerations:

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Yale University and Central South University.

Findings:

MSQ-R-CV achieved Cronbach’s alpha 0.82, Spearman-Brown coefficient 0.75, significant item discrimination (p < 0.001), and item-total correlation values ranging from 0.524 to 0.717. A two-factor structure was illustrated by exploratory factor analysis, and further confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Chinese nurses had a mean total score of 40.22 ± 7.08 on the MSQ-R-CV, and sub-scores of 23.85 ± 4.4 for moral responsibility and strength and 16.37 ± 3.75 for sense of moral burden.

Discussion:

The findings of this study were compared with studies from other countries to examine the structure and meaningful implications of ethical sensitivity in Chinese nurses.

Conclusion:

The two-factor MSQ-R-CV (moral responsibility and strength, and sense of moral burden) is a linguistically and culturally appropriate instrument for assessing ethical sensitivity among Chinese nurses.
Academic dishonesty among health science school students
Authors: Oran Nazan Tuna , Can Hafize Öztürk , Şenol Selmin , Hadımlı Aytül Pelik
Published: May 2015

Background:

Academic dishonesty has become a serious problem at institutions of higher learning.

Research question:

What is the frequency of academic dishonesty and what factors affect the tendency of dishonesty among Turkish health science school students?

Research design:

This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to evaluate academic dishonesty among university nursing, midwifery, and dietetic students.

Participants and research context:

The study sample consisted of 499 health science students in Turkey. The tendency toward academic dishonesty was investigated using the Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale.

Ethical considerations:

Institutional review board approved the study. Written permission was obtained from the researcher to use Turkish version of the Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale.

Findings:

Of all the students, 80.0% claimed to refer to Internet during homework preparation and 49.1% of students reported to cite the references at the end of article on some instances. Of the students, 56.1% claimed never to have cheated in the exams. It was found that academic dishonesty was partly low (1.80–2.59) in students. For students using a library while doing their homework, mean scores were significantly lower ( p < 0.05). There were also statistically significant difference between mean scores and student’s year in school, student’s perception of school success, and frequency of Internet use while doing homework ( p < 0.05).

Discussion:

The tendency of academic dishonesty was lower among students who use Internet and library more frequently. These findings are consistent with previous studies.

Conclusion:

Measurements to take against academic dishonesty should be directed toward not only students but institutions and instructors as well.
Ethical challenges related to next of kin - nursing staffs’ perspective
Authors: Tønnessen Siri , Solvoll Betty-Ann , Brinchmann Berit Støre
Published: May 2015

Background:

Patients in clinical settings are not lonely islands; they have relatives who play a more or less active role in their lives.

Objectives:

The purpose of this article is to elucidate the ethical challenges nursing staff encounter with patients’ next of kin and to discuss how these challenges affect clinical practice.

Research design:

The study is based on data collected from ethical group discussions among nursing staff in a nursing home. The discussions took place in 2011 and 2012. The data were analysed and interpreted by using hermeneutic methodology.

Ethical considerations:

All the data have been anonymised and handled with confidentiality. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Findings:

Ethical challenges relating to patients’ next of kin were found to be an issue frequently discussed in the groups. Our findings indicate that next of kin have different characteristics, categorised as ‘the professionals’ and ‘the shadows’. In this article, we will describe the next of kin’s characteristics and the ethical challenges and practical implications that nursing staff experience in this connection.

Discussion:

We will discuss the findings in the light of the four basic principles of medical ethics and propose interventions to help nurses manage ethical challenges related to next of kin.

Conclusion:

The study reveals the need to enhance nursing staffs’ communicative and ethical skills on an individual level, but most importantly, to establish routines in clinical settings for informing and following up next of kin in a systematic and structured way.
Beyond Host Language Proficiency
Authors: Mak Anita S. , Bodycott Peter , Ramburuth Prem
Published: May 2015

As international students navigate in a foreign educational environment, having higher levels of coping or stress-resistance resources—both internal and external—could be related to increased satisfaction with personal and university life. The internal coping resources examined in this study were host language proficiency, self-esteem, intercultural social self-efficacy, and academic self-efficacy. The external resources studied were perceived social support from (a) hosts and (b) non-hosts. Survey participants were 385 Asian-born international students in Australian universities. Regression analyses revealed that academic self-efficacy and social support from hosts were significant predictors of both personal and university life satisfaction, but the effects of English language proficiency and social support from non-hosts disappeared when other resources were considered. Additional predictors of personal satisfaction were intercultural social self-efficacy and self-esteem. We discuss the implications for future research on the international student experience and for learning support provision for international university students.
Factors Associated With Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors in a Sample of Turkish Adolescents
Authors: Ardic Aysun , Esin Melek Nihal
Published: May 2015

Purpose: This was a descriptive–correlational study designed to determine factors associated with the healthy lifestyle behaviors of high school students in Turkey. Design: The study sample consisted of 812 high school adolescents. The Adolescent Lifestyle Profile scale was used to identify the healthy lifestyle behaviors of adolescents. Results: The total Adolescent Lifestyle Profile mean score of 2.75 ± 0.33 and the mean score on the Interpersonal relations subscale were found to be the highest scores while the mean score on the Health responsibility subscale was found to be the lowest. Significant predictors of healthy lifestyle behaviors of adolescents were good relationships with family and friends, having a father who was a college graduate, and good health perception. Conclusions: The study revealed similar results among adolescents of different cultures. Implications for Practice: These findings can be used as a guide in developing an adolescent health promotion program for school nurses.
Ultrasonically powered piezoelectric generators for bio-implantable sensors: Plate versus diaphragm
Authors: Christensen David B , Roundy Shad
Published: May 2015

This article is a comparative study of the design spaces of two bio-implantable acoustically excited generator architectures: the bulk-mode piezoelectric plate (plate) and the flexure-mode unimorph piezoelectric diaphragm (diaphragm). The acoustic to electrical power transducers, or generators, are part of an acoustic, or ultrasonic, power transfer system for implantable sensors and medical devices such as glucose monitors, metabolic monitors, and drug delivery systems. Scalable network equivalent models are presented and used to predict that for sub-millimeter size devices, the diaphragm architecture generates more power than the plate architecture and is less sensitive to absorption power losses with increased implant depth. The models are compared to the experimental data from centimeter-size devices. This article will present and compare the power loss mechanisms and total power generated for each of the architectures as a function of diameter, aspect ratio, and implanted depth.
Research of the influence of dissipative heating on the performance characteristics of electrorheological shock absorbers
Authors: Bilyk Viachaslau A , Korobko Evguenia V
Published: May 2015

The results of measurements (the dependences of temperature of the central part of the external surface on time; the dependences of the resistance force on the amplitude and frequency of motion of the rod of a electrorheological shock absorber) have shown that pressure drop in the annular channel and damper force of electrorheological shock absorbers are reduced on dissipative heating of an electrorheological fluid. A comparison of the performance characteristics of the developed shock absorber and a hydraulic passive shock absorber, and also with controlled shock absorbers of similar design but from two manufacturers of other countries, is carried out.
Examining DIR/Floortime™ as a Treatment for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Mercer Jean
Published: May 2015

Purpose:

To review and assess theory and research supporting DIR/Floortime™, a method proposed for treatment of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Methods:

Published materials describing the principles of DIR/Floortime™ were evaluated. Published outcome research articles were assessed for the adequacy of their design and implementation and the extent to which their conclusions were supported.

Results:

The theoretical basis of DIR/Floortime™ appears to be generally plausible. Of the 10 outcome research articles in print, all concluding that DIR™ effectively treated ASD, five provided a comparison group, or used a randomized design, or did both. These studies failed to equalize the duration and frequency of DIR™ and the comparison treatment.

Conclusions:

DIR™ can be considered by social work practitioners as a possibility for evidence-based practice (EBP), but not as an evidence-based treatment (EBT). Further outcome research needs to concentrate not only on randomized design but on other design issues.
Measuring Social Support and School Belonging in Black/African American and White Children
Authors: Wegmann Kate M.
Published: May 2015

Objective:

To determine the suitability of the Elementary School Success Profile for Children (ESSP-C) for assessment and comparison of social support and school belonging between Black/African American and White students.

Methods:

Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis and invariance testing were conducted to determine the ESSP-C’s validity for use with Black/African American and White students. Latent mean comparisons were performed to determine statistically significant differences in school belonging and social support between racial/ethnic groups.

Results:

The ESSP-C demonstrated partial measurement invariance at a level (93% invariant) that supports the validity of the measure for Black/African American and White students. Black/African American students reported a significantly higher mean level of school belonging compared to White students.

Conclusion:

The ESSP-C can be used to make valid assessments and comparisons of social support and school belonging between Black/African American and White students, which may be useful in guiding school social work practice and intervention.
Opening a Performance Dialogue With Employees
Authors: Kingsley Westerman Catherine Y. , Smith Sandi W.
Published: May 2015

This study examines how a supervisor’s delivery of negative feedback affects employees’ tendency to respond by either voicing their ideas or remaining silent. The results show that approbation, or the use of praise to soften face threat, was the most effective facework message for the supervisor to use when providing negative feedback. When employees felt more threatened, they reported that they would be less likely to use voice to help others and more likely to use silence defensively as a response, but as their perceptions of threat decreased, they generally reported that they were more likely to use voice to help others. The article discusses implications of these results, limitations of the study, and future directions of this research.
The Potential Role for Supervised Injection Facilities in Canada’s Largest City, Toronto
Authors: Jozaghi Ehsan , Reid Andrew A.
Published: May 2015

Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) or supervised consumption rooms are a component of harm reduction strategies that attempt to reduce drug overdoses and risky injection behaviors among injection drug users. The purpose of this study is to determine whether expanding SIFs into the City of Toronto, Ontario, would be a fiscally responsible decision. By analyzing secondary data gathered in 2013, this article relies on mathematical models to estimate the number of new HIV and hepatitis C virus infections prevented as a result of SIF locations in Toronto. After factoring in the costs associated with SIFs, the models produce cost–benefit and cost-effectiveness outputs. With very conservative estimates, it is predicted that establishing SIF locations in Toronto is cost effective with an average benefit–cost ratio of 1:1.2 for the first two facilities based on the sensitivity analysis at 30% sharing rate. Consequently, funding SIFs in Canada’s largest city appears to be an efficient and effective use of financial resources in the public health domain with cost savings in excess of CAN$728,620 per year for the first two facilities.
Reconciling explanations for the evolution of evolvability
Authors: Wilder Bryan , Stanley Kenneth
Published: May 2015

Evolution’s ability to find innovative phenotypes is an important ingredient in the emergence of complexity in nature. A key factor in this capability is evolvability, or the propensity towards phenotypic variation. Numerous explanations for the origins of evolvability have been proposed, often differing in the role that they attribute to adaptive processes. To provide a new perspective on these explanations, experiments in this paper simulate evolution in gene regulatory networks, revealing that the type of evolvability in question significantly impacts the dynamics that follow. In particular, while adaptive processes result in evolvable individuals, processes that are either neutral or that explicitly encourage divergence result in evolvable populations. Furthermore, evolvability at the population level proves the most critical factor in the production of evolutionary innovations, suggesting that nonadaptive mechanisms are the most promising avenue for investigating and understanding evolvability. These results reconcile a large body of work across biology and inform attempts to reproduce evolvability in artificial settings.
Mechanical cognitivization: a kinematic system proof of concept
Authors: Avigad Gideon , Li Wei , Weiss Avi
Published: May 2015

The common approach for training robots is to expose them to different environmental scenarios, training their controllers to have the best possible commands when untrained scenarios are encountered. When humans train, they do the same. They try new manipulations by performing within different environments. However, humans training also includes a type of training which, although claimed to improve cognitive capabilities, has not, to date, been adopted for the training of robots. This type of training involves the restriction of manipulation capabilities while performing different tasks, e.g. climbing with just one hand. Recently research that aims at exploring the invigorating idea that such training, termed as mechanical cognitivization (MC), would enhance the robustness of robots, has been published. However, that work has demonstrated the idea by utilizing mathematical functions. In the current paper, the first proof that such training may enhance the robustness of robots is given by using a kinematic system. Specifically, it is shown that such training improves the performances of robots when encountering the need to perform new tasks, when performing within untrained environments and when malfunctions occur. The advantages of the suggested training are highlighted through facilitating a comparison between three learning schemes that include a common neural net and two MC-based nets. These are termed here as amalgamated modes neural net and committee of modes neural net. It is shown that both MC-based schemes are superior when robustness is considered.
The Impact of an Ego Depletion Manipulation on Performance-Based and Self-Report Assessment Measures
Authors: Charek Daniel B. , Meyer Gregory J. , Mihura Joni L.
Published: May 2015

We investigated the impact of ego depletion on selected Rorschach cognitive processing variables and self-reported affect states. Research indicates acts of effortful self-regulation transiently deplete a finite pool of cognitive resources, impairing performance on subsequent tasks requiring self-regulation. We predicted that relative to controls, ego-depleted participants’ Rorschach protocols would have more spontaneous reactivity to color, less cognitive sophistication, and more frequent logical lapses in visualization, whereas self-reports would reflect greater fatigue and less attentiveness. The hypotheses were partially supported; despite a surprising absence of self-reported differences, ego-depleted participants had Rorschach protocols with lower scores on two variables indicative of sophisticated combinatory thinking, as well as higher levels of color receptivity; they also had lower scores on a composite variable computed across all hypothesized markers of complexity. In addition, self-reported achievement striving moderated the effect of the experimental manipulation on color receptivity, and in the Depletion condition it was associated with greater attentiveness to the tasks, more color reactivity, and less global synthetic processing. Results are discussed with an emphasis on the response process, methodological limitations and strengths, implications for calculating refined Rorschach scores, and the value of using multiple methods in research and experimental paradigms to validate assessment measures.
Cholinergic Mechanisms in the Cerebral Cortex
Authors: Ovsepian Saak V. , O’Leary Valerie B. , Zaborszky Laszlo
Published: May 2015

Functional overviews of cholinergic mechanisms in the cerebral cortex have traditionally focused on the release of acetylcholine with modulator and transmitter effects. Recently, however, data have emerged that extend the role of acetylcholine and cholinergic innervations to a range of housekeeping and metabolic functions. These include regulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing with production of amyloid β (Aβ) and other APP fragments and control of the phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein (MAP) tau. Evidence has been also presented for receptor-ligand like interactions of cholinergic receptors with soluble Aβ peptide and MAP tau, with modulator and signaling effects. Moreover, high-affinity binding of Aβ to the neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR) enriched in basalo-cortical cholinergic projections has been implicated in clearance of Aβ and nucleation of amyloid plaques. Here, we critically evaluate these unorthodox cholinergic mechanisms and discuss their role in neuronal physiology and the biology of Alzheimer’s disease.
Protein C Deficiency in Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Saray Aida , Mesihovic Rusmir , Vanis Nenad , Amila Mehmedović
Published: May 2015

There is accumulating evidence that the coagulation system is involved in the process of fibrogenesis in chronic liver disease. Recent studies postulated a possible connection between plasmatic hypercoagulability and progression of fibrosis. The aim of the study was to investigate disorders of the coagulation system in patients with chronic hepatitis C having different extent of hepatic fibrosis well defined by liver histology. A total of 62 patients with chronic hepatitis C were recruited and categorized into 2 groups according to their histological fibrosis stage : mild/moderate fibrosis group (F0-F3 group, n = 30) and extensive fibrosis/cirrhosis group (F4-F6 group, n = 32). The control group consisted of 31 healthy individuals. The following hemostatic assays were evaluated: antithrombin III (AT), protein C (PC) activity, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, plasma fibrinogen as well as conventional liver function test. The PC level exhibited a significant reduction in both patient groups when compared to the normal control group (89.25% ± 10.05% and 48.33% ± 15.86% vs 111.86 ± 10.90; P < .001 and P < .001). The PC was found to be the strongest associated factor to histological fibrosis stage ( r = –.834; P < .0001). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that AT ( P = .003) and PC ( P = .0001) were the most important factors associated with advanced fibrosis. The PC ( P = .001) was found to be the only predictor of mild fibrosis. In conclusion, PC deficiency occurs in an early stage of liver fibrosis. The severity of deficiency is proportional to extent of fibrosis. The PC may have a key role in linking hypercoagulability with hepatic fibrogenesis in chronic liver disease.
The effective frequency range of an active suspended handle based on the saturation effects of a piezo stack actuator
Authors: Ahmad Mazlan Ahmad Zhafran , Mohd Ripin Zaidi
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a novel approach to the design of an active suspended handle by identifying the effective frequency range, based on the saturation effects of the piezo stack actuator, in terms of the force-displacement-voltage relationship as a function of the excitation frequency. The effective range allows for proper matching between the operating speed of the machine and the suspended handle. A model of the active suspended handle was developed, which took into account the non-linear saturation effect of the piezo stack actuator. A proportional-integral-derivative controller generated the counter voltage for the piezo stack actuator, using a proportional feedback gain (P) step up method, in order to attenuate the vibration transmitted to the handle. By including the saturation effect, the Pearson’s correlation coefficient ( R2) of the model improved to 0.97, within the frequency range of 50 ∼ 500 Hz. Using this approach, we identified that the effective frequency range of isolation with transmissibility less than unity is between 250 ∼ 450 Hz. The active suspended handle was attached to a die grinder with a nominal operating speed of 25000 rpm and the vibration transmitted from the die grinder to the handle was reduced by 91%.
A novel high-frequency interpretation of a general purpose Op-Amp-based negative resistance for chaotic vibrations in a simple a priori nonchaotic circuit
Authors: Tchitnga Robert , Zebaze Nanfa'a Raoul , Pelap François Béceau , Louodop Patrick , Woafo Paul
Published: May 2015

A novel model of general purpose operational amplifiers is made to approximate, at best, the equivalent circuit for real model at high-frequency. With this new model, it appears that certain oscillators, usually studied under ideal considerations or using many existing real models of operational amplifiers, have hidden subtle and attractive chaotic dynamics that have previously been unknown. These can now be revealed. With the new considerations, a “two-component” circuit, consisting simply of a capacitor in parallel with a nonmodified (and usually presented as a linear, negative) resistance, tends to exhibit chaotic signals. P-Spice and laboratory experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Effects of gender on capecitabine toxicity in colorectal cancer
Authors: Ilich Alastair I , Danilak Melanie , Kim Christina A , Mulder Karen E , Spratlin Jennifer L , Ghosh Sunita , Chambers Carole R , Sawyer Michael B
Published: May 2015

Background

Capecitabine is a highly water soluble prodrug of 5-fluorouracil that is dosed by patient body surface area. Body surface area dosing makes no allowances for differences in body composition. There is mounting evidence that lean body mass is a better predictor of toxicity than body surface area for drugs which distribute into the lean compartment. Because women, on average, have lower lean body mass than men, we expect that women would experience a higher incidence of toxicity than men when body surface area dosing is used.

Objective

To determine whether female colorectal cancer patients experienced a higher incidence of dose-limiting toxicity than men when treated with adjuvant capecitabine.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review of colorectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant capecitabine at our institute between 2008 and 2012. Patients receiving capecitabine were identified from the pharmacy dispensing database and then screened for inclusion. Dosing and toxicity information were gathered and dose-limiting toxicity incidence (defined as a composite endpoint of dose delay, dose reduction, or discontinuation of therapy) was compared between males and females using the chi-square test. Binary logistic regression analysis was then performed to account for differences between male and female populations.

Results

A total of 299 patients (163 males, 136 females) met inclusion criteria. Females had a significantly higher dose-limiting toxicity incidence than males (67.7 vs. 52.2%, p = 0.007). Relationships between gender and dose-limiting toxicity incidence remained significant after logistic regression analysis (OR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.23–3.36).

Conclusion

Female colorectal cancer patients experience a higher dose-limiting toxicity incidence than male patients when given adjuvant capecitabine dosed according to body surface area.
Comorbidity and Factors Affecting Treatment Non-Persistence in ADHD
Authors: Park Jiung , Kim Bongseog
Published: May 2015

Objective: The aim of the study was to identify factors for treatment non-persistence in patients with ADHD. Method: Data for 100 patients with ADHD aged 5 to 16 who completed the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia–Present and Lifetime Version–Korean Version (K-SADS-PL-K) and Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (K-WISC) were obtained between 2008 and 2013. Patients were classified as treatment-persistent and treatment-non-persistent based on 6-month follow-up. Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, intelligence quotient (IQ), severity, and social/school functioning were compared. Results: Adolescence and poor parental spousal relationships significantly predicted treatment non-persistence. Although comorbid major depressive disorder and absence of transient tic disorder were associated with treatment non-persistence, there was no difference in overall psychiatric comorbidity. No differences existed for IQ, Clinical Global Impressions–Severity (CGI-S) score, peer relationships, and academic achievement. Conclusion: Lower treatment persistence was associated with adolescence, comorbid depression, absence of tics, and poor parental spousal relationships, but not with symptom severity or impairment of the disorder.
Cultural Effects on the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Latinos
Authors: Ratto Allison B. , Reznick J. Steven , Turner-Brown Lauren
Published: May 2015

The role of culture in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been too often neglected in research. The present study evaluated the implications of cultural factors for ASD screening and diagnosis by examining the parenting perceptions and diagnostic experiences of Latina and White mothers of children with ASD. The children of Latina mothers were diagnosed significantly later and were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with autism than with another ASD. Latina mothers demonstrated significantly less knowledge of developmental milestones and of ASD. Latina mothers were also significantly more likely to report early concerns about temperament. The results of this study suggest that both socioeconomic and culturally based differences likely influence the early perception and diagnosis of ASD.
Association of Genetic Factors and Gene–Environment Interactions With Risk of Developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a Case–Control Study
Authors: Tian Yali , Liu Hui , Guse Lorna , Wong Thomas K. S. , Li Jiping , Bai Yangjing , Jiang Xiaolian
Published: May 2015

Background:

The dopamine receptor D2 ( DRD2) and serotonin transporter ( 5-HTT) genes are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it remains largely unknown whether these genes interact with environmental factors to affect the development of PTSD.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of gene polymorphisms and gene–environment interactions with the risk of developing PTSD among adolescent earthquake survivors.

Method:

A total of 183 adolescent survivors from an earthquake-stricken area participated in this study. Measures included a questionnaire about demographic characteristics and earthquake exposure, the PTSD Checklist–Civilian Version and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition disorders. Genotypes were analyzed by using the polymerase chain reaction–based restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results:

The 5-HTTLPR and 5-HTTVNTR polymorphisms and earthquake exposure had statistically significant positive effects on PTSD. The interaction effects of 5-HTTLPR × Earthquake Exposure and 5-HTTVNTR × Earthquake Exposure were statistically significant.

Conclusion:

The development of PTSD is the result not only of a genetic effect and environmental factors but also of the interactive effect between gene and environment.
Unpacking the habitus: Exploring a music teacher’s values, beliefs and practices
Authors: Dwyer Rachael
Published: May 2015

There is substantial evidence in the literature to support the claim that teachers’ values and beliefs have a powerful effect on their teaching practice, and that these shape students’ experiences of music learning. However, little attention has been paid to the forces by which these values and beliefs are shaped, and, more importantly, how more positive teacher dispositions may be cultivated and developed through teacher education. Drawing on methodological devices of narrative inquiry, and Bourdieu’s concept of habitus as an interpretive tool, this article describes a case study of one music teacher’s values and beliefs and how these were shaped by personal experiences, and social and institutional forces. Specifically, the paper considers the ways in which this teacher’s values and beliefs were reshaped over the course of the research process.
On a novel solid lubricant technique: A study on the tribological characteristics under dry slide condition
Authors: Paturi Uma Maheshwera Reddy , Narala Suresh Kumar Reddy
Published: May 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the friction and wear behavior of novel electrostatic micro-solid lubricant (EMSL) bonded molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) coatings on cemented carbide tools under dry slide condition. Pin-on-disc tribological tests between titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4 V and uncoated/coated cemented tungsten carbide–cobalt alloy (WC–Co) were carried out over a range of experimental domain of sliding speeds and normal loads. Specimen wear rate and friction coefficient were investigated. Tribological tests demonstrate that EMSL bonded MoS2 coatings provide excellent anti-friction and reasonable wear performances. The mechanism of enhanced friction and wear behavior with the MoS2 coatings is discussed. This study explores the feasibility of using EMSL coatings onto tribological components and opens a new way to implement bonded MoS2 solid lubricant coatings as a new candidate for tribological operations.
A study on the stability performance of noncircular lobed journal bearings with micropolar lubricant
Authors: Zare Mehrjardi M , Rahmatabadi AD , Rashidi Meybodi R
Published: May 2015

In this paper, steady-state and stability performance characteristics of circular and noncircular two-, three-, and four-lobe journal bearings with micropolar fluids are presented. For this purpose, lubricating oil containing additives and contaminants is modeled as micropolar fluid. The modified Reynolds equation in dynamical state is obtained using the micropolar lubrication theory, and it is solved by finite element method. The bearing performance characteristics in terms of load carrying capacity, whirl frequency ratio, and critical mass parameter of journal are determined for different values of design parameters such as eccentricity and aspect ratio, preload factor, and micropolarity characteristics of lubricant in terms of material characteristic length and coupling number. Results show that in the case of noncircular bearings, the critical mass to load carrying capacity ratio decreases with increasing of preload factor, so for a constant vertical external load, the stability performance of rotating system can be improved by replacing the circular journal bearing with similar noncircular types. The results compared with Newtonian fluids indicate that micropolar lubricant exhibits better steady-state and dynamic performance. Also, results reveal that upgrading the micropolarity characteristics of lubricant causes increase in critical mass, load carrying capacity but decrease in whirl frequency ratio. It is also observed that the effect of micropolar fluids is more pronounced at high coupling numbers.
Country branding emerging from citizens’ emotions and the perceptions of competitive advantage
Authors: Che-Ha Norbani , Nguyen Bang , Yahya Wan Kalthom , Melewar TC , Chen Yeo Pei
Published: May 2015

This article aims to examine the elements of country branding from the perspectives of a country’s citizens. In this exploration, the study constructs their views toward the country using both emotion (affect) and perceptions of competitive advantage and subsequently conceptualizes and tests a framework of internal country-branding elements. Using a survey approach, the study generated a total sample of 445 respondents across Malaysia. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data and to test the hypotheses. Findings indicate that Malaysia can be portrayed favorably through export, human capital, culture and heritage, and political efforts. While some elements (human capital, culture and heritage, and politics) are important to foster positive emotions among its citizens, others (export, human capital, and politics) are considered as key tools to build competitive advantage. Implications exist for tourism marketers and policy makers, as the study highlights the importance of branding toward a country’s citizens and revealing the specific preferences affecting the citizens’ emotions and perceptions toward competitive advantage.
Air dehumidification by hollow fibre membrane with chilled water for spacecraft applications
Authors: Yang Bo , Yuan Weixing , He Xiaohan , Ren Kexian
Published: May 2015

A novel hydrophobic membrane-based dehumidification technology with chilled water is proposed to substitute the traditional dew point method for humidity control in spacecraft, which fulfils the tough tasks of air/water separation and water reuse under low gravity at the same time. A prototype hydrophobic membrane module was designed and fabricated by packing 853 hollow fibres in the shell-and-tube configuration, which could prevent the leakage of the tube-side chilled water to the air side. Theoretical models concerning conjugated heat and mass transfer have been established for the explanation and prediction of the moisture migration across the membranes. Experiments were conducted to validate the theoretical models and the feasibility of water vapour removal under various operating conditions. Although undesirable dewing occurred on the outer membrane surface due to the slow mass transfer relative to heat transfer across the membranes, it was verified by the water increase in graduated cylinder that some water vapour actually transferred through the membrane pores under partial pressure difference. A maximum net dehumidification rate (excluding dewing) of 45 g/h has been achieved by the experiment.
Analysis of vertical sky components under various CIE standard general skies
Authors: Li D.H.W. , Li C. , Lou S.W. , Tsang E.K.W. , Lam J.C.
Published: May 2015

Vertical sky diffuse illuminance data are important for architecture and daylighting designs. In 2003, the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) adopted a range of 15 standard skies representing the actual sky conditions in the world. This paper studies an approach to computing the vertical sky component (VSC) under the 15 CIE Standard Skies. Regression equations for calculating the VSC under various CIE skies based on the scattering angles (χ) were developed to estimate the vertical daylight illuminance on building façades. The performance of the proposed numerical approach and the regression equation are assessed against the results obtained by computer simulations. Our findings show that the VSC data determined by the numerical method and the regression equation are in good agreement with the simulated results. Our research has provided a simple tool for estimating the vertical daylight illuminance under various sky conditions.