bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hostile Attribution Bias as a Mediator of the Relationships of Psychopathy and Narcissism With Aggression
Authors: Law Helen , Falkenbach Diana M.
Published: November 2017

Hostile attribution bias (HAB), the tendency to perceive hostility in ambiguous situations, has been linked to aggressive outcomes, such as reactive aggression. HAB has been connected to personality types involving hostile beliefs and reactive aggression, including narcissism and psychopathy. Specifically, secondary psychopathy is associated with HAB and reactive aggression. Despite research and theory connecting these constructs, few studies have examined if HAB mediates the relationships among psychopathy, narcissism, and aggression. The current study explores this possible mediation in an urban college sample. Narcissism was associated with aggression but not hostile aggression or HAB. Reactive aggression and HAB were both associated with psychopathy, but there were no mediation relationships. The associations with aggression may be, therefore, due to underlying traits of secondary psychopathy rather than the hostile attributions to which the traits contribute; consequently, treatments focused on reducing aggressive responses by correcting interpretations of social situations may not be successful.
Intimate Partner Violence Among Low-Income Fathers: Testing a Stress-Coping Model
Authors: Gordon Derrick M. , Moore Kelly E. , Vincent Wilson , Iwamoto Derek K. , Campbell Christina , Hunter Bronwyn A. , Ward Nadia L. , Hawes Samuel W. , Albritton Tashuna , McCaulley Horace , DiTunno Dianna , Judkins Anthony
Published: November 2017

This research used a stress-coping conceptual framework to examine intimate partner violence (IPV) among men who are fathers. The current study examined how perceived stress explained associations between stressors (e.g., employment status, psychological and physical female-to-male partner violence [FMPV], substance use, criminal justice system involvement) and male-perpetrated physical and psychological IPV. Participants were 1,971 low-income, ethnically diverse fathers involved in a statewide fatherhood program. Findings indicated that, across African American, White, and Hispanic/Latino men, male-reported FMPV and criminal justice involvement were associated with psychological and/or physical IPV via perceived stress. Employment status and alcohol use were associated with psychological IPV via perceived stress among African American men only. Implications for community-based fatherhood programs are discussed.
Applying Structural Equation Modeling to Measure Violence Exposure and Its Impact on Mental Health: Malawi Violence Against Children and Young Women Survey, 2013
Authors: Fan Amy Z. , Liu Jin , Kress Howard , Gupta Sundeep , Shawa Mary , Wadonda-Kabondo Nellie , Mercy James
Published: November 2017

This study examines exposure to multiple forms of violence among Malawian children and youth and their association with mental health outcomes. The Malawi Violence Against Children and Young Women Survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of males and females aged 13 to 24 years ( n = 2,162) in Malawi in 2013. The experience of sexual, physical, and emotional violence prior to age 18 and during the past 12 months and associated health outcomes were ascertained using a comprehensive interview. Latent factors of sexual violence, physical violence, and emotional violence as well as psychological distress were constructed. We examined whether the experience of violence was related to psychological distress after controlling for age and gender. Violence exposure prior to age 18 (early life) and during the past 12 months (proximal) were valid indicators for a latent factor representing overall lifetime violence exposure. Females were more likely to experience sexual violence, whereas males were more likely to experience physical violence. Experience of any type of violence decreased with age whereas experience of psychological distress increased with age. Current psychological distress was directly associated with exposure to sexual and emotional violence recently or during childhood. Exposure to multiple forms of violence during lifetime was related to two to seven folds higher odds of experiencing psychological distress compared with those who had never experienced violence. Future intervention strategies should address three forms of violence against children simultaneously in light of the associated adverse mental health outcomes.
Men’s Reflections on Their Experiences of Gender-Based Violence
Authors: Sinacore Ada L. , Durrani Samir , Khayutin Sarah
Published: November 2017

Using Multicultural and Gender Case Conceptualization (MGCC) epistemology, the aim of this phenomenological study was to explore adult male victims’ perceptions of gender and reflections on their experiences of gender-based violence (GBV). Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results indicated that, regardless of sexual orientation, participants experienced verbal and physical abuse due to their feminine gender expression, beginning in primary school and continuing through university and into the workplace. To reduce victimization, the men developed a range of strategies, such as policing their gender and avoiding social situations. The experiences of violence affected the participants’ social relationships, choice of occupation, self-esteem, and ability to trust. However, after entering university, heterosexual, gay, and bisexual participants interpreted their experiences differently, whereby heterosexual participants linked the abuse to gender, and gay and bisexual participants viewed it as homophobia. As well, gay and bisexual participants found respite in the gay and bisexual communities, while heterosexual participants remained silent, isolated, and afraid to discuss their experiences. Implications for future research are discussed.
Abuse of Older Persons With Cognitive and Physical Impairments: Comparing Percentages Across Informants and Operational Definitions
Authors: Fang Boye , Yan Elsie
Published: November 2017

This study compared percentages of elder abuse reported by older adults and their family caregivers, using reports from attending medical professionals to triangulate the reports. Percentages were also compared using different criteria proposed in the literature. In total, 1,002 older Chinese aged 55 years or above and their primary family caregivers were recruited from three leading public hospitals in Guangdong, People’s Republic of China. Caregivers and care recipients were separately interviewed and provided information on their demographic characteristics and past year percentages of abuse. A clinical team including a chief physician, two attending physicians, three resident physicians, and two senior nurses provided observer measures through reviewing the medical records and their daily observations. Regardless of the informants and operational definitions used, caregiver neglect was the most commonly reported (35.4% to 65.0%), followed by psychological abuse (11.1% to 51.1%), financial exploitation (17.9% to 40.8%), and physical abuse (0.8% to 2.2%). This study found huge variations in percentages of elder abuse by different informants and operational definitions. Depending on the types of abuse concerned, different informants should be consulted to yield more reliable estimates.
Prime Online: Exploring Teacher Professional Development for Creating Inclusive Elementary Mathematics Classrooms
Authors: Griffin Cynthia C. , Dana Nancy F. , Pape Stephen J. , Algina James , Bae Jungah , Prosser Sherri K. , League Martha B.
Published: November 2017

Enhancing all students’ academic performance continues to be a national priority, and although achievement gains have been made overtime, shortfalls in mathematics learning for students with disabilities (SWD) remain. Research reveals that a substantial portion of the variability in students’ mathematics achievement gains is due to the teacher. To address the need for teacher professional development (PD) in mathematics for SWD and other struggling mathematics learners, we designed and studied Prime Online—a yearlong, online, PD program with support from an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Goal 2 Development and Innovation research grant. In this article, the development process and an exploratory study are discussed. Study findings suggest that Prime Online positively influenced general and special education teachers’ reported beliefs and practices, and their learning of mathematics content for teaching, and generated high teacher satisfaction ratings. No difference in the performance of SWD on a state accountability measure of mathematics was found. Implications for further research are discussed.
What Makes Business Incubation Work? Measuring the Influence of Incubator Quality and Regional Capacity on Incubator Outcomes
Authors: Harper-Anderson Elsie , Lewis David A.
Published: November 2017

To optimize public investment in business incubator programs, it is crucial to distinguish the effects of the program from the effects of the host region’s economic environment. This study measures the influence of incubator quality and regional capacity variables on incubation outcomes using survey data from program managers across the United States. Results suggest that incubator quality variables have a stronger causal influence on successful incubation outcomes than regional capacity variables. While regional capacity is a stronger predictor for graduate-firm outcomes than for tenant-firm outcomes, incubator quality matters more overall. Results suggest that quality incubation may compensate for deficiencies in regional innovative capacity, which is often associated with entrepreneurial success. This research is expected to help policy makers more effectively use business incubators to “hatch” innovation-based entrepreneurial development.
Safe and unsafe drinking situations through children’s eyes: Comparing recalled childhood emotions regarding family members’ drinking from Italy and Scandinavia
Authors: Törrönen Jukka , Rolando Sara
Published: November 2017

This article examines how people in childhood responded emotionally to family members’ drinking in Finland, Italy, and Sweden. The data consist of retrospective childhood memories told and shared in a focus group context. The results suggest that in the Mediterranean drinking cultures, children develop a neutral and safe emotional contact with drinking. In the intoxication-oriented drinking cultures, in turn, children build an ambivalent contact with drinking with more or less positive or negative emotions. However, the results also reveal that this ambivalence does not need to be per se a threatening circumstance regarding children’s safety.
Effects of initial conditions on the coalescence of micro-bubbles
Authors: Chen Rou , Yu Huidan(Whitney) , Zhu Likun
Published: November 2017

The effects of initial conditions on the coalescence of two equal-sized air micro-bubbles ( R0) in water are studied using the lattice Boltzmann method. The focus is on effects of two initial set-ups of parent bubbles, separated by a small distance d and connected with a neck bridge radius r0, on the neck bridge growth at the early stage of the bubble coalescence. A sophisticated free energy lattice Boltzmann method model based on the Cahn-Hilliard diffuse interface approach is employed. This lattice Boltzmann method model has been demonstrated suitable for handling a large density ratio of two fluids up to 1000 and capable of minimizing the nonphysical spurious current. In both initial scenarios, the neck bridge evolution exhibits a half power-law scaling, [Formula: see text] after a development time. The half power-law agrees with the recent analytical prediction and experimental results. It has been found that smaller initial separation distance or smaller initial neck bridge radius results in faster growth of neck bridge and bubble coalescence, which is similar to the effects of these two initial scenarios on droplet coalescence. The physical mechanism behind each behavior has been explored. For the initial connected case, faster neck growth and longer development time corresponding to smaller initial neck radius is due to the significant bias between the capillary forces contributed by the meniscus curvature and the neck bridge curvature, whereas in the case of initial separated scenario, faster growth and shorter development time corresponding to shorter separation distance is due to the formation of elongated neck bridge. The prefactor A0 that represents the growth of neck bridge radius at the characteristic time ti captured in each case is in good agreement with the experimental results.
An improved Laplacian Eigenmaps method for machine nonlinear fault feature extraction
Authors: Jiang Quansheng , Zhu Qixing , Liu Wei , Wang Bangfu , Xu Fengyu
Published: November 2017

In the feature extraction of mechanical fault detection field, manifold learning is one of the effective nonlinear techniques. In this paper, aiming for the situations of noise sensitivity to manifold learning algorithms, an improved Laplacian Eigenmap (I-LapEig) algorithm is proposed and applied to the process of fault feature extraction. The new method takes advantage of local principal component analysis to eliminate the influence of noise points by reconstructing the neighborhood relation amongst the samples, and maintain the global intrinsic manifold structure, which enhances the performance of the feature extraction. To determine the parameters of I-LapEig algorithm, an adaptive neighborhood choose approach is presented. The K-nearest neighbor classifier is also adopted to implement feature classification and recognition. The experimental results on S-curve, rotor bed data, and compressor fault data show that the new method can effectively improve the performance of noise reduction in the feature extraction process when compared with the conventional local linear embedding and Laplacian Eigenmaps.
Experimental and simulation studies on flexural strength of laminated glass using ring-on-ring and three-point bending test
Authors: Vedrtnam Ajitanshu , Pawar SJ
Published: November 2017

Flexural strength of laminated glass is noteworthy in architectural, glazing, automotive safety, photo-voltaic, and decorative applications. The flexural strength of laminated glass samples having polyvinyl butyral/ethyl vinyl acetate interlayer of different critical thickness (0.38/0.76/1.52 mm) was determined by ring-on-ring test following the ASTM C1499-15 and also by three-point bending test (for an interlayer of 0.38 mm thickness) following the ASTM D790-03. The effect of inter-layer type and inter-layer thickness on flexural strength is evidently reported from this brief study. The significance F-statics value during regression analysis shows the strong association of flexural strength with inter-layer types and inter-layer thickness, and P-value shows that the error in the analysis is within considerable limits. It is also concluded that the laminated glass samples with polyvinyl butyral interlayer have comparatively lower load capacity than laminated glass samples with ethyl vinyl acetate interlayer for same interlayer and glass thickness. The inter-layer thickness has more prominent role in the determination of load capacity in case of ethyl vinyl acetate laminated glass samples. There is an increment in average load capacity with an increment in critical inter-layer thickness in laminated glass. A finite element analysis is also carried out for simulating the experimentation and obtaining the variation of displacements in the laminated glass samples at their load capacity. The output of the finite element analysis fairly describes the fracture pattern (based on deformation and stress) of the laminated glass samples. The conclusions may be utilized for the selection of suitable laminated glass and predicting failure of laminated glass while used in various structural, automotive and other applications.
Fatigue life evaluation and failure analysis of light beam direction adjusting mechanism of an automobile headlight exposed to random loading
Authors: Wang Nana , Liu Jinxiang , Zhang Qing , Yang Hailin , Tang Mu
Published: November 2017

Failure of the light beam direction adjusting mechanism (LDAM) of an automotive headlight might occur after hundreds of driving hours, though the strength of components conforms to the requirement specified in the random vibration bench test standard. In order to determine the causes of the failure, fatigue life prediction and failure analysis based on numerical method of the LDAM exposed to random loading both in bench test and field experiment were carried out. In the bench test analysis, the Dirlik method was utilized to calculate the lifetime by taking the power spectrum density in the frequency domain. In the fatigue analysis for the field experimental loading, to consider the effect of nonuniform temperature distribution, a numerical process in time domain is developed to calculate the lifetime of the LDAM subjected to the random vibration caused by road surface roughness. As a result, the predicted life and failure locations are in good agreement with real life and actual failure regions, respectively.
Investigation of the physical and mechanical properties of Ni–P and Ni–P–PTFE nanocomposite coatings deposited on aluminum alloy 7023
Authors: Tajbakhsh Morteza , Yaghobizadeh Omid , Farhadi Nia Mahmood
Published: November 2017

In this study, various properties of Ni–P and Ni–P–PTFE coating fabricated by electroless process were investigated. These coatings were applied on aircraft-grade aluminum samples. The results showed that the addition of nano-PTFE particles decreases coating rate from 7.1 µm/h to 6.1 µm/h and hardness from 510 HV to 200 HV. Also by increasing the pH value, coating rate increases from 1 µm/h to 7 µm/h. Increasing the solution temperature from 75 ℃ to 90 ℃ also increases the hardness of coating from 125 HV to 210 HV. The results showed that the heat treatment at 300 ℃ for 4 h increases the hardness up to 375 HV due to formation of Ni3P hard phase in Ni–P–PTFE coating. Addition of PTFE particles have improved tribological properties due to its lubricating effects and simultaneously, have reduced corrosion resistance compared to Ni–P coatings, so that the corrosion current for Al, Ni–P, and Ni–P–PTFE coatings is −880, −550, and −770 μA/cm2, respectively.
Fault-tolerant control of a compliant legged quadruped robot for free swinging failure
Authors: Gor Mehul M , Pathak PM , Samantaray AK , Yang Jung Ming , Kwak SW
Published: November 2017

Quadruped robots are designed to work in remote or hazardous environments which are unreachable or harmful for humans. In these situations, reliability and adaptability are the most critical issues for the quadruped robot. During the failure of any actuator, the performance of quadruped robot is severely affected. The failure can lead to joint locking or free joint. In the case of free joint, leg joint loses actuator torque and also the capability to support the robot body on the ground. Leg joint also loses resistance to external load and acts as a free rotating hanging link. This article presents strategies for controlling a compliant legged quadruped robot in the presence of free swinging failure. The strategy is motivated by the natural crawling by infants and adapted crawling by persons with specific disabilities. Bond graph has been used for dynamic modeling of the system. The control strategy has been tested both through simulations and experiments conducted on a prototype quadruped robot.
Temporal changes of mixed millet and rice agriculture in Neolithic-Bronze Age Central Plain, China: Archaeobotanical evidence from the Zhuzhai site
Authors: Wang Can , Lu Houyuan , Gu Wanfa , Zuo Xinxin , Zhang Jianping , Liu Yanfeng , Bao Yingjian , Hu Yayi
Published: November 2017

Mixed millet and rice agriculture is a unique agricultural style of China, and is distributed in a broad band between the Yangtze and Yellow River basin. However, the development of this style during the Neolithic-Bronze Age has not been comprehensively clarified, owing to limited archaeobotanical data and imprecise chronology for most of the regions. Here, the Central Plain, a location where mixed agriculture may have first appeared, was selected as the area for research. Phytolith and macrofossil analyses from the Zhuzhai site, together with the accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) radiocarbon dating of samples, reveal information about the temporal changes of mixed agriculture as well as the domestication and cultivation of crops in this region. The results indicate that mixed millet and rice agriculture formed in the Central Plain about 8000 years ago. Common millet was the principal crop in the Peiligang and Yangshao periods, with the domestication process beginning in the Peiligang period and continuing up to the Shang period, at which time it was replaced by foxtail millet. Foxtail millet may have gone through a significant degree of domestication by ca. 6000 cal. BC, but its domestication process was still unclear. Rice had appeared since the Peiligang period, but its proportions were always low. Rice assigned to the Peiligang and Yangshao Cultures was the domesticated japonica, and its cultivation was always performed in dry field systems through the Neolithic-Bronze time. Within the subsistence economy, mixed agriculture was a minor component during the Peiligang period, but has been dominant since the Yangshao period.
Parents’ Experiences and Responses to an Intervention for Psychological Preparation of Children and Families During the Child’s Radiotherapy
Authors: Ångström-Brännström Charlotte , Lindh Viveca , Mullaney Tara , Nilsson Kristina , Wickart-Johansson Gun , Svärd Anna-Maja , Nyholm Tufve , Lindh Jack , Engvall Gunn
Published: November 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate parents’ experiences and responses to a systematic intervention for psychological preparation of children and families during the child’s radiotherapy (RT) treatment. In this case-control study at 3 pediatric RT centers, an intervention with a preparatory kit, including age-adjusted information on tablets, gift of a stuffed toy or a pair of headphones, a parent booklet, and toy models of the computed tomography and RT machines was implemented. For evaluation, a mixed methods data collection was conducted. A total of 113 parents of children undergoing RT were included—n = 59 in the baseline group and n = 54 in the intervention group. Health-related quality of life was rated low, but parents in the intervention group expressed less anxiety after the RT compared with the baseline group. They found information suitable for their young children, siblings, and friends were involved and the toy models were used for play. Parents expressed positive feelings due to close interaction with staff and each other within the family. The solutions developed within a human-centered design approach and shaped as a systematic family-centered strategy contributed to parents understanding and coping with the child’s RT.
Design, fabrication, and bending test of shape memory polymer composite hinges for space deployable structures
Authors: Dao Thanh Duc , Ha Ngoc San , Goo Nam Seo , Yu Woong-Ryeol
Published: November 2017

Shape memory polymers are smart materials characterized by a recoverability memory effect and a large strain, but their mechanical properties such as low stiffness need to be improved for mechanical applications with large recovering force. Researchers have reported that the characteristics of shape memory polymers can be significantly improved when the shape memory polymers are used with fiber–reinforced composite material. In this study, a carbon fiber fabric-reinforced shape memory polymer composite hinge was designed, fabricated, and characterized for space deployable structure applications. The main idea is that the carbon–epoxy composite itself and the shape memory polymer are combined, which means both epoxy resin and shape memory polymer resin are used together and the epoxy resin remains in a B-stage after curing. As such, the stiffness and shape recovery ratio are increased. The shape memory polymer composite hinge specimens with four plies of carbon fiber fabric and a shape memory polymer were prepared for the experiment. The glass transition temperature, which was 70.9°C, was determined using dynamic mechanical analyzer. The effect of temperature on shape recovery capability was investigated. We investigated the reasons of damage evolution to shape memory polymer composite tapes occurring in the folding and deploying process. To do that, damage to the hinge was observed with a USB digital microscope and a scanning electron microscopy and then explained with ABAQUS analysis. The results confirm that the shape memory polymer composite hinge is a good candidate for an antenna in spacecraft in space.
Effective mechanical properties of piezoelectric–piezomagnetic hybrid smart composites
Authors: Ye Junjie , Cai Heng , Wang Yongkun , Jing Ze , Shi Baoquan , Qiu Yuanying , Chen Xuefeng
Published: November 2017

The aim of this present article is to improve an effective model for analyzing the mechanical properties of hybrid smart composites in a fully coupled magneto-electro-elastic field. To this end, a three-dimensional micromechanical model is established by employing the displacement continuity, electric potential continuity, and magnetic potential continuity among adjacent sub-cells in a representative volume element. The numerical results of the effective elastic constants for three-dimensional smart composites, as well as continuous fiber-reinforced composites, are validated by the finite element method. On this basis, the micromechanical theory is employed at each integration point along lamina thickness for establishing the model of smart composite laminates. The numerical results revealed that the mechanical properties of piezoelectric–piezomagnetic hybrid smart composites are closely dependent on working temperature, and the internal force tends to be decreased with the raising of working temperature.
When Patients Tell Their Own Stories: A Meta-Narrative Study of Web-Based Personalized Texts of 214 Melanoma Patients’ Journeys in Four Countries
Authors: Lamprell Klay , Braithwaite Jeffrey
Published: November 2017

Malignant melanoma is an aggressive, recalcitrant disease. Its impact on people can be compounded by the physical and psychosocial consequences of medical management. Providing melanoma patients with patient-centered care that is effective, safe, and supportive throughout their journey requires knowledge of patients’ progressive experiences and evolving perspectives. With ethical approval, we undertook a meta-narrative study of 214 experiential accounts of melanoma collected from the personal story sections of melanoma and cancer support websites. Using a narrative approach, we qualitatively examined the care experiences represented in these accounts and identified needs for supportive care in a framework reflective of the personal patient journey. We differentiate these across three key periods: lead-up to diagnosis; diagnosis, treatment, and recovery; and posttreatment and recurrence, and provide a visual representation of the patient journey. This article contributes to the growing body of work that utilizes Internet content as sources of qualitative, experiential health care data.
Knowledge, Activation, and Costs of the Pharmacists’ Pneumonia Prevention Program (PPPP): A Novel Senior Center Model to Promote Vaccination
Authors: Pizzi Laura T. , Prioli Katherine M. , Fields Harris Lynn , Cannon-Dang Elizabeth , Marthol-Clark Marie , Alcusky Matt , McCoy Megan , Schafer Jason J.
Published: November 2017

Background: Vaccination is the best way to prevent pneumococcal disease (PD), but 40% of older adults remain unvaccinated nationwide, with even greater nonvaccination rates among African Americans (AAs). Prior studies suggest that insufficient knowledge contributes to low vaccination rates. The Pharmacists’ Pneumonia Prevention Program (PPPP) was designed to improve older adults’ knowledge about PD and pneumococcal vaccination (PV). Objective: To measure PPPP’s effect on knowledge and activation in a predominantly AA population and determine program costs. Methods: PPPP uses a senior center model with a pharmacist presentation, actors’ skit, and small-group action planning. Knowledge about PD risk, transmission, symptoms, and PV side effects was assessed at baseline (BL), postintervention (PT), and 3 months (M3) and analyzed using an intention-to-treat (ITT) approach. Actions taken (got vaccinated, spoke to doctor or pharmacist, discussed with family/friends) were assessed at M3. PPPP costs ($US 2013) included staff time, PV, actor, and site fees. Results: Of 276 attending PPPP, 190 consented and were included in the ITT sample, which was largely black (80.5%) and female (76.3%) and had a mean age of 74.4 years. Knowledge improved by 46.8% (BL vs PT), with significant gains in all domains. At M3, knowledge improved by 54.2% vs BL, indicating sustained gains; 37.2% of previously unvaccinated participants reported receiving PV by M3. Program cost was $119 per attendee. Conclusion: PPPP significantly improved PD and PV knowledge. It could be delivered more efficiently by holding larger events on fewer dates, staffing with volunteers where appropriate, and utilizing a local pharmacy to manage the vaccine supply.
Choosing Doctors Wisely: Can Assisted Choice Enhance Patients’ Selection of Clinicians?
Authors: Martino Steven C. , Grob Rachel , Davis Sarah , Parker Andrew M. , Finucane Melissa L. , Cerully Jennifer L. , Rybowski Lise , Shaller Dale , Schlesinger Mark
Published: November 2017

We conducted a simulated clinician-choice experiment, comparing choices and decision-making processes of participants ( N = 688) randomized among four experimental arms: a conventional website reporting only quantitative performance information, a website reporting both qualitative (patient comments) and quantitative information, the second website augmented by a decision aid (labeling of patient comments), and the decision-aided website further augmented by the presence of a trained navigator. Introducing patient comments enhanced engagement with the quality information but led to a decline in decision quality, particularly the consistency of choices with consumers’ stated preferences. Labeling comments helped erase the decline in decision quality, although the highest percentage of preference-congruent choices was seen in the navigator arm. Engagement with the quality information and satisfaction with choices available were likewise highest in the navigator arm. Findings held for high- and low-skilled decision makers. Thus, navigator assistance may be a promising strategy for equitably promoting higher quality choices in information-rich contexts.
Optimal design of sandwich panels with hybrid core
Authors: Studziński Robert
Published: November 2017

The main aim of the paper is to find optimal solutions of sandwich panels with flat steel facings and a hybrid core made of aerogel and polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam. The optimal solutions have to satisfy conflicting criteria, i.e. a maximum range of applications and minimum weight, while at the same time respecting both the principles of sustainable development in the construction industry and the limit states (ultimate and serviceability) conditions. The design vector consists of the geometrical parameters of the sandwich panel including its span length and the parameter which describes the proportion of aerogel thickness to the total thickness of the core. The mechanical properties of the hybrid core are described by mathematical functions which were obtained in laboratory tests. In optimization, an evolutionary algorithm was used. The Pareto results were obtained while respecting the inequality constraints introduced in the optimization procedure directly (box conditions) and by means of the external penalty function. The presented optimization of a sandwich panel extends the class of problems discussed in the literature by considering both the hybrid core and the thermal conductivity aspect.
Dynamic buckling of polymer–carbon nanotube–fiber multiphase nanocomposite viscoelastic laminated conical shells in hygrothermal environments
Authors: Zarei Mohammad Sharif , Azizkhani Mohammad Bagher , Hajmohammad Mohammad Hadi , Kolahchi Reza
Published: November 2017

This paper deals with the dynamic buckling of a sandwich truncated conical shell composed of polymer–carbon nanotubes–fiber multiphase nanocomposite layers. The structure is located in hygrothermal environments. The equivalent material properties of the multiphase nanocomposite layers are obtained using fiber micromechanics and Halpin–Tsai equations in hierarchy. According to Kelvin–Voigt theory, the realistic behavior of the structure is considered by considering the viscoelastic properties. The surrounding medium is simulated using visco-Pasternak model. The governing equations of the system are derived based on the classical theory by employing Hamilton’s principle. To obtain the dynamic instability region of the system, the differential quadrature method, and Bolotin’s method are utilized. The influences of various parameters such as structural damping, viscoelastic medium, number of layers, volume fraction of carbon nanotubes, temperature, and moisture changes on the analysis of the dynamic instability region of the structure are studied. The results reveal that by increasing the volume percent of carbon nanotubes, the dynamic instability region moves to higher frequencies.
Load and stiffness of a planar ferrofluid pocket bearing
Authors: Lampaert SGE , Spronck JW , van Ostayen RAJ
Published: November 2017

A ferrofluid pocket bearings is a type of hydrostatic bearing that uses a ferrofluid seal to encapsulate a pocket of air to carry a load. Their properties, combining a high stiffness with low (viscous) friction and absence of stick-slip, make them interesting for applications that require fast and high precision positioning. Knowledge on the exact performance of these types of bearings is up to now not available. This article presents a method to model the load carrying capacity and normal stiffness characteristics of this type of bearings. Required for this is the geometry of the bearing, the shape of the magnetic field and the magnetization strength of the fluid. This method is experimentally validated and is shown to be correct for describing the load and stiffness characteristics of any fixed shape of ferrofluid pocket bearing.
The effects of surface conditioning and gear oil type on friction and wear behavior under sliding condition
Authors: Tertuliano IS , Figueiredo TP , Machado GAA , Cousseau T , Sinatora A , Machado IF
Published: November 2017

Highly additized low viscous lubricants, new coatings, and surface treatments have been employed by original equipment manufacturers in several tribosystems to reduce emission and fuel consumption. In this sense, this work investigates the tribological response of four different advanced fully formulated gear oils and three different materials (coatings and topography) in terms of friction and wear using a ball-on-disc test rig under pure unidirectional sliding condition and boundary lubrication. The tested lubricants had different base oils: mineral, semi-synthetic, and synthetic with different additive packages. The ball's material was AISI 52100 bearing steel and the bulk material of the tested specimens (discs) were SAE 4320 steel with surface as follows: (i) ground; (ii) subjected to ceramic shot peening (CSP) and, (iii) coated with WC/C. Optical and scanning electron microscopy and 3D profilometry were used to evaluate the wear track and tribofilm formation. It was found that the frictional dependence on the surface topography and lubricant type is not significant, whilst the wear mechanisms were highly dependent on material and surface conditioning. The harder and rougher the contact body, the higher the wear produced in the counter body. At the harsher conditions base oil type control wear more effectively than the additive package.
Plastic masculinity: How everyday objects in plastic suggest men could be otherwise
Authors: McKay Deirdre , Perez Padmapani L
Published: November 2017

Material things always make statements about people’s identities. For indigenous Filipino men, making baskets asserts identities rich in culture and in non-market values. This article examines basketry backpacks that were part of the pre-colonial material culture of ethnic groups known as Igorot. When made from rattan, these baskets are recognized as tribal art or heritage items. When made from plastic by contemporary artisans, they are problematic objects that subvert dominant constructs of masculinity. Featuring bright colours – pink, red and yellow – from the detritus of goldmining, these basketry forms point to the plasticity of masculinity itself. By working in plastic, their makers appropriate the cultural history of plastic to subvert the constructions of authenticity, class, ethnicity and gender, suggesting how masculinity could be otherwise. Here, plastic has a cultural potency of its own, with important implications for initiatives to manage or recycle waste materials or create innovative design. Because plastic carries its problematic history and malleability into the objects made from it in ways that reshape categories of meaning and subjectivities, plastic is never just a neutral substrate for artisans’ self-expression but the active co-producer of dynamic distinctions between sacred and profane, global and indigenous, that fold back in on each other.
The long-term effect of explicit instruction on learners’ knowledge on English articles
Authors: Umeda Mari , Snape Neal , Yusa Noriaki , Wiltshier John
Published: November 2017

This study examines the role of explicit instruction in article semantics to L2 learners of English. Two types of generic sentences, expressed by different articles, were tested over time. An instruction group ( n = 21), a control group ( n = 16) and a native English speaker control group ( n = 9) participated in the study. The instruction group received nine 60-minute lessons across 9 weeks. A pre-test was administered to both groups before instruction began and four post-tests were given to both groups. The results from delayed post-tests show that the instruction group improved, but after one year little knowledge was retained. The findings suggest that explicit knowledge of articles is unlikely to be retained unless ongoing instruction is achieved.
The Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities: Assessing and understanding restricted interests in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Smerbeck A
Published: November 2017

Restricted interests are an established diagnostic symptom of autism spectrum disorder. While there is considerable evidence that these interests have maladaptive consequences, they also provide a range of benefits. This article introduces a new instrument, the Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities, and uses it to examine the nature of restricted interests in autism spectrum disorder. Respondents report substantial benefits of restricted interests as well as areas of difficulty. The Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities assesses Social Flexibility, Perseveration, Respondent Discomfort, Adaptive Coping, and Atypicality. All scales have Cronbach’s α > 0.70. Age and socioeconomic status have little effect on Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities scales; nor does gender with the exception of interest Atypicality. The expected pattern of correlations with existing scales was found. Research and clinical implications are discussed.
Usability testing of an electronic pain monitoring system for palliative cancer patients: A think-aloud study
Authors: Taylor Sally , Allsop Matthew J , Bennett Michael I , Bewick Bridgette M
Published: November 2017

Pain experienced by advanced cancer patients is often poorly controlled due to inadequate assessment. We aimed to test an electronic pain monitoring system (PainCheck) with advanced cancer patients and health professionals. In all, 29 participants (13 patients and 16 health professionals (n = 16)) used PainCheck while thinking their thoughts aloud. After the think aloud, both groups were asked about their experiences. Think-aloud and semi-structured interview data were analysed using framework analysis. Both groups were generally positive about PainCheck and found it easy to understand but they had concerns about clinical integration. Their concerns related to impact on workload, how lack of response may affect patient care and ability to engage with and use the technology. PainCheck has the capacity to be useful in clinical practice. For integration to be successful, patients and health professionals need guidance on how to use PainCheck and the expectations of users need to be clarified.
Paradox of professionalism: The professional identity of journalists who work across media cultures
Authors: Li Mei , Chitty Naren
Published: November 2017

Growing media practitioner mobility, as well as the migration of Transnational Media Corporations across borders and media cultures, gives rise to new questions about how journalistic professionalism travels. Transnational Media Corporations carrying their own organisational cultures must operate in wider national, political and cultural settings that may create dissonance for the organisation and its professional journalists. Normativisation of journalistic professional practices shapes professional identity formation and journalists’ perceived roles of professionalism in the news-making process. A degree of dissonance may be expected when practitioners who have been trained in and first worked under traditional liberal Western press cultures, take up journalistic positions in State-Owned Transnational Media Corporations belonging to countries that the West characterises as authoritarian. The case of CCTV-NEWS, 1 as a State-Owned Transnational Media Corporation that recruits Western journalists, will be investigated to find out how journalists manage the potential dissonance. The significance of this interpretive research is that it offers a glimpse into how journalism professionalism travels in the context of increasing international employment mobility for journalists. In addition, research into CCTV-NEWS, as a State-Owned Transnational Media Corporations, from the perspective of professional identity of international employees, is an innovation.
Mediatization of journalism: Influence of the media system and media organization on journalistic practices in European digital mediascapes
Authors: Peruško Zrinjka , Čuvalo Antonija , Vozab Dina
Published: November 2017

Journalism is known to be culturally specific in historical terms, while cross-country studies have demonstrated differences in journalistic milieus in different political regimes. This article applies a multilevel, cross-national comparative research design to explore the patterns and sources of influence that act on the professional practices of European journalists as well as the ways they differ across different media systems. The research is more broadly framed within the mediatization approach, and it aims to explore the relationship between increased media logic and journalistic practices within specific digital mediascapes. This study also identifies the ways in which journalistic practices are influenced by both the macro level of the structural framework of the media system and the mezzo level of media organization. The institutional framework defines the digital media system/mediascape in terms of four dimensions: contemporary multimedia markets, globalization processes, cultural industry, and institutional inclusiveness. The data concerning the influences on journalism are drawn from surveys conducted in 28 Western, Central, and Eastern European countries as part of the 2012–2015 Worlds of Journalism Study. A cluster analysis produced four digital media systems. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression confirmed the predominant influence of structural levels on the perceptions of the influences on journalism – the mezzo organizational level and macro level of the digital media system additionally explained the variance of the contextual influences on journalistic practices beyond individual differences. Variations in the different influences are shown between media system clusters. Moreover, the study introduces new questions regarding the mediatization of journalism and the mediatized condition.
Motivations and barriers for corporate social responsibility engagement: Evidence from the Tanzanian tourism industry
Authors: Melubo Kokel , Lovelock Brent , Filep Sebastian
Published: November 2017

This study explores the institutional forces behind the uptake of corporate social responsibility in the Tanzanian tourism industry. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 40 managers of tourism businesses. We identify six main motivations for businesses’ engaging in corporate social responsibility: maintaining social legitimacy; influence of the parent company; meeting community expectations; attracting tourists; caring for the environment; and the personal values of managers. Barriers to engagement with responsible practices include conflict with local communities over resource use and a tax and regulatory regime that hinders the growth of tourism businesses. Using institutional theory as our analytical framework, the paper indicates that understanding embedded local institutional conditions is critical not only in shaping the uptake of responsible tourism practices but also in enhancing businesses legitimacy and social license to operate.
Mergers, acquisitions and alliances in the cruise tourism industry
Authors: Penco Lara , Profumo Giorgia
Published: November 2017

The present paper addresses the antecedents of cruise companies’ strategy implementation, focusing on mergers, acquisitions and alliances as potential alternative choices for managers. Specifically, a model for interpreting the drivers of such decisions is proposed, based on two dimensions: (1) the level of riskiness and complexity of the industry and (2) the importance of the acquired resources and capabilities for the competitive advantage of the acquiring firm. The theoretical model is then applied to the cruise industry, through a qualitative analysis on three case studies based on the major companies: Carnival, RCCL, and Star Cruise–Norwegian Cruise Line (Genting Group). Such industry represents an ideal set for studying the issues, as, in the last few years, the growing turbulent environment has increased the number of mergers and acquisitions and strategic alliances with other partners belonging to the same supply chain. The results show that in the cruise tourism industry, the two aforementioned dimensions seem to matter in firms’ choice between the different external growth strategies, highlighting the presence of homogeneous behavioral models among the cruise companies. This contribution presents some valuable research implications, useful for researchers and academics, but also professionals and policy makers may benefit from this knowledge.