bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Work-unit organisational changes and subsequent prescriptions for psychotropic medication: a longitudinal study among public healthcare employees
Authors: Jensen Johan Høy , Bonde Jens Peter , Flachs Esben Meulengracht , Skakon Janne , Rod Naja Hulvej , Kawachi Ichiro
Published: January 2019

Objectives

We examined exposure to different types of organisational changes at work as risk factors for subsequent prescription for psychotropic medication among employees.

Methods

The study population included 15 038 public healthcare employees nested within 1284 work units in the Capital Region of Denmark. Multilevel mixed-effects parametric survival models were developed to examine time to prescription for psychotropic medications (anxiolytics/hypnotics/sedatives/antidepressants) during the 12-month interval following exposure to organisational changes relative to no change from January to December 2013. Data on work-unit level organisational changes (including mergers, split-ups, relocation, change in management, employee lay-offs and budget cuts) were collected from work-unit managers (59% response).

Results

Any organisational change versus no change was associated with a higher risk of psychotropic prescription (HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.26), especially change in management (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.41). Splitting the 12-month follow-up period into two halves yielded particularly high rates of psychotropic prescription in the latter half of the follow-up, for example, any change (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.41), change in management (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.65), mergers (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.50), employee lay-off (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.46) and budget cuts (HR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.41). The associations did not vary by sex.

Conclusions

Organisational changes in the workplace, especially change in management, may be associated with increased risk of psychotropic prescription among employees regardless of sex.
Unaltered left ventricular mechanics and remodelling after 12 weeks of resistance exercise training – a longitudinal study in men
Authors: Au Jason S. , Oikawa Sara Y. , Morton Robert W. , Phillips Stuart M. , MacDonald Maureen J. , Stöhr Eric J.
Published: January 2019

Previous longitudinal studies suggest that left ventricular (LV) structure is unaltered with resistance exercise training (RT) in young men. However, evidence from aerobic exercise training suggests that early changes in functional LV wall mechanics may occur prior to and independently of changes in LV size, although short-term changes in LV mechanics and structural remodelling in response to RT protocols have not been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of RT on LV mechanics in healthy men performing 2 different time-under-tension protocols. Forty recreationally trained men (age: 23 ± 3 years) were randomized into 12 weeks of whole-body higher-repetition RT (20–25 repetitions/set to failure at ∼30%–50% 1 repetition maximum (1RM); n = 13), lower-repetition RT (8–12 repetitions/set to failure at ∼75%–90% 1RM; n = 13), or an active control period (n = 14). Speckle tracking echocardiography was performed at baseline and following the intervention period. Neither RT program altered standard measures of LV volumes (end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, or ejection fraction; P > 0.05) or indices of LV mechanics (total LV twist, untwisting rate, twist-to-shortening ratio, untwisting-to-twist ratio, or longitudinal strain; P > 0.05). This is the first longitudinal study to assess both LV size and mechanics after RT in healthy men, suggesting a maintenance of LV size and twist mechanics despite peripheral muscle adaptations to the training programs. These results provide no evidence for adverse LV structural or functional remodelling in response to RT in young men and support the positive role of RT in the maintenance of optimal cardiovascular function, even with strenuous RT.
Offset Boosting for Breeding Conditional Symmetry
Authors: Li Chunbiao , Sprott Julien Clinton , Liu Yongjian , Gu Zhenyu , Zhang Jingwei
Published: January 2019

Symmetry is usually prevented by the broken balance in polarity. If the offset boosting returns the balance of polarity when some of the variables have their polarity reversed, the corresponding system becomes conditionally symmetric and in turn produces coexisting attractors with that type of symmetry. In this paper, offset boosting in one dimension or in two dimensions in a 3D system is made for producing conditional symmetry, where the symmetric pair of coexisting attractors exist from one-dimensional or two-dimensional offset boosting, which is identified by the basin of attraction. The polarity revision from offset boosting provides a general method for constructing chaotic systems with conditional symmetry. Circuit implementation based on FPGA verifies the coexisting attractors with conditional symmetry.
A generalization of Poisson-Sujatha distribution and its applications to ecology
Authors: Shanker Rama , Shukla Kamlesh Kumar
Published: January 2019

A generalization of Poisson Sujatha distribution (AGPSD), which includes Poisson-Lindley distribution (PLD) and Poisson-Sujatha distribution (PSD) as particular cases, has been proposed and studied. Its moments and moments-based measures including coefficient of variation, skewness, kurtosis and index of dispersion have been obtained and their behaviors have been discussed. The estimation of its parameters has been discussed with maximum likelihood estimation. The applications of the proposed distribution has been explained through two examples of count data from ecology and the goodness of fit of the distribution has been compared with Poisson distribution, PLD and PSD.
Middle Miocene evolution and structural style of the Diapir Fold Zone, Eastern Carpathian Bend Zone, Romania: insights from scaled analogue modelling
Authors: Tămaș Dan M. , Schléder Zsolt , Tămaș Alexandra , Krézsek Csaba , Copoț Bianca , Filipescu Sorin
Published: January 2019

The Diapir Fold Zone of the Carpathians is the most prolific onshore hydrocarbon area in Romania. Structural complexity, mainly due to the presence of salt, combined with poor seismic quality near and below the salt lead to contrasting structural models in the area. To gain insights into the mid-Miocene tectonic evolution, structural geometries and the effects of penetrative strain, we ran dual décollement scaled sandbox models with layered brittle and ductile materials. Results of two analogue models (20 and 33% shortening) revealed that the onset of the deformation sequence was mainly characterized by layer-parallel shortening. As shortening continued, a foreland-verging sequence of supra-salt detachment folds and sub-salt duplexes evolved. The sub-salt duplexes are located directly below the crests of the detachment folds, as the development of these large wavelength anticlines was related to sub-salt deformation. Salt flow was another controlling factor of the deformation style, as salt accumulated in the anticlinal cores and increased the coupling in the supra-salt synclinal axis. Our results offer insights into the effects of salt on the kinematic evolution of this area, help to predict geometries in areas of poor seismic quality, and highlight the important contribution of penetrative strain on deformation and reservoir quality.
Predicting New Workload or CPU Performance by Analyzing Public Datasets
Authors: Wang Yu , Lee Victor , Wei Gu-Yeon , Brooks David
Published: January 2019

The marketplace for general-purpose microprocessors offers hundreds of functionally similar models, differing by traits like frequency, core count, cache size, memory bandwidth, and power consumption. Their performance depends not only on microarchitecture, but also on the nature of the workloads being executed. Given a set of intended workloads, the consumer needs both performance and price information to make rational buying decisions. Many benchmark suites have been developed to measure processor performance, and their results for large collections of CPUs are often publicly available. However, repositories of benchmark results are not always helpful when consumers need performance data for
new processors
or
new workloads
. Moreover, the aggregate scores for benchmark suites designed to cover a broad spectrum of workload types can be misleading. To address these problems, we have developed a deep neural network (DNN) model, and we have used it to learn the relationship between the specifications of Intel CPUs and their performance on the SPEC CPU2006 and Geekbench 3 benchmark suites. We show that we can generate useful predictions for
new processors
and
new workloads
. We also cross-predict the two benchmark suites and compare their performance scores. The results quantify the self-similarity of these suites for the first time in the literature. This work should discourage consumers from basing purchasing decisions exclusively on Geekbench 3, and it should encourage academics to evaluate research using more diverse workloads than the SPEC CPU suites alone.
A System-Level Simulator for RRAM-Based Neuromorphic Computing Chips
Authors: Lee Matthew Kay Fei , Cui Yingnan , Somu Thannirmalai , Luo Tao , Zhou Jun , Tang Wai Teng , Wong Weng-Fai , Goh Rick Siow Mong
Published: January 2019

Advances in non-volatile resistive switching random access memory (RRAM) have made it a promising memory technology with potential applications in low-power and embedded in-memory computing devices owing to a number of advantages such as low-energy consumption, low area cost and good scaling. There have been proposals to employ RRAM in architecting chips for neuromorphic computing and artificial neural networks where matrix-vector multiplication can be computed in the analog domain in a single timestep. However, it is challenging to employ RRAM devices in neuromorphic chips owing to the non-ideal behavior of RRAM. In this article, we propose a cycle-accurate and scalable system-level simulator that can be used to study the effects of using RRAM devices in neuromorphic computing chips. The simulator models a spatial neuromorphic chip architecture containing many neural cores with RRAM crossbars connected via a Network-on-Chip (NoC). We focus on system-level simulation and demonstrate the effectiveness of our simulator in understanding how non-linear RRAM effects such as stuck-at-faults (SAFs), write variability, and random telegraph noise (RTN) can impact an application’s behavior. By using our simulator, we show that RTN and write variability can have adverse effects on an application. Nevertheless, we show that these effects can be mitigated through proper design choices and the implementation of a write-verify scheme.
On Problems Equivalent to (min,+)-Convolution
Authors: Cygan Marek , Mucha Marcin , Węgrzycki Karol , Włodarczyk Michał
Published: January 2019

In recent years, significant progress has been made in explaining the apparent hardness of improving upon the naive solutions for many fundamental polynomially solvable problems. This progress has come in the form of conditional lower bounds—reductions from a problem assumed to be hard. The hard problems include 3SUM, All-Pairs Shortest Path, SAT, Orthogonal Vectors, and others.

In the (min ,+)-convolution problem, the goal is to compute a sequence (
c
[
i
])
n-1
i=0
, where
c
[
k
] = min

i=0,…; ,
k

{
a
[
i
] +
b
[
k
-
i
]}, given sequences (
a
[
i
])
n-1
i=0
and (
b
[
i
])
n-1
i=0
. This can easily be done in O(
n
2
) time, but no
O
(
n
2-ε
) algorithm is known for ε > 0. In this article, we undertake a systematic study of the (min ,+)-convolution problem as a hardness assumption.

First, we establish the equivalence of this problem to a group of other problems, including variants of the classic knapsack problem and problems related to subadditive sequences. The (min ,+)-convolution problem has been used as a building block in algorithms for many problems, notably problems in stringology. It has also appeared as an ad hoc hardness assumption. Second, we investigate some of these connections and provide new reductions and other results. We also explain why replacing this assumption with the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis might not be possible for some problems.
Calcium signaling and secretory granule pool dynamics underlie biphasic insulin secretion and its amplification by glucose: experiments and modeling
Authors: Pedersen Morten Gram , Tagliavini Alessia , Henquin Jean-Claude
Published: January 2019

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells is controlled by a triggering pathway that culminates in calcium influx and regulated exocytosis of secretory granules, and by a less understood amplifying pathway that augments calcium-induced exocytosis. In response to an abrupt increase in glucose concentration, insulin secretion exhibits a first peak followed by a lower sustained second phase. This biphasic secretion pattern is disturbed in diabetes. It has been attributed to depletion and subsequent refilling of a readily releasable pool of granules or to the phasic cytosolic calcium dynamics induced by glucose. Here, we apply mathematical modeling to experimental data from mouse islets to investigate how calcium and granule pool dynamics interact to control dynamic insulin secretion. Experimental calcium traces are used as inputs in three increasingly complex models of pool dynamics, which are fitted to insulin secretory patterns obtained using a set of protocols of glucose and tolbutamide stimulation. New calcium and secretion data for so-called staircase protocols, in which the glucose concentration is progressively increased, are presented. These data can be reproduced without assuming any heterogeneity in the model, in contrast to previous modeling, because of nontrivial calcium dynamics. We find that amplification by glucose can be explained by increased mobilization and priming of granules. Overall, our results indicate that calcium dynamics contribute substantially to shaping insulin secretion kinetics, which implies that better insight into the events creating phasic calcium changes in human β-cells is needed to understand the cellular mechanisms that disturb biphasic insulin secretion in diabetes.
Evaluation of Seismic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Frame Structures in the Context of Big Data
Authors: Guangqian Du , Meng Zheng , Shijie Wang
Published: January 2019

In the era of big data, the efficient use of idle data in reinforced concrete structures has become a key issue in optimizing seismic performance evaluation methods for building structures. In this paper, based on the evaluation method of structural displacement seismic performance and based on the characteristics of high scalability and high fault tolerance of the cloud platform, the open source distributed and storage features of the Hadoop architecture cloud platform are introduced as a subproject of Apache Nutch project, Hadoop cloud platform. With features such as high scalability, high fault tolerance, and flexible deployment, the storage platform is secure, stable, and reliable. From the evaluation of the seismic performance of newly‐built buildings and existing damaged buildings, according to the structural strength‐ductility theory of the structure, the building structure resists earthquakes with its strength and ductility and buildings are divided into four categories. Due to the influence of time or seismic damage on the structure of reinforced concrete frame structures, their material properties are often deteriorating. Using the distributed computing design concept to efficiently process big data, a dynamic evaluation model for the seismic performance of reinforced concrete frame structures is established. A project of a 10‐story reinforced concrete frame structure was selected for calculation and analysis; the engineering example was used to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the model, and the seismic performance of the floor was analyzed. It can be seen that the initial stiffness index of the structure is not sensitive to the damage location of the structure. The platform based on the concept of distributed computing big data processing can effectively improve the efficiency and accuracy of the evaluation of reinforced concrete frame structures.
Meteorological Data‐Based Optimal Control Strategy for Microalgae Cultivation in Open Pond Systems
Authors: De-Luca Riccardo , Bezzo Fabrizio , Béchet Quentin , Bernard Olivier
Published: January 2019

Outdoor biofuel production from microalgae is a complex dynamical process submitted to climatic variations. Controlling and optimizing such a nonlinear process strongly influenced by weather conditions is therefore tricky, but it is crucial to make this process economically sustainable. The strategy investigated in this study uses weather forecast coupled to a detailed predictive model of algal productivity for online optimization of the rates of fresh medium injection and culture removal into and from the pond. This optimization strategy was applied at various climatic conditions and significantly increased productivity compared to a standard operation with constant pond depth and dilution rate, by up to a factor of 2.2 in a Mediterranean climate in summer. A thorough analysis of the optimizer strategy revealed that the increase of productivity in summer was achieved by finding a trade‐off between algal concentration to optimally distribute light and pond temperature to get closer to optimal growth temperature. This study also revealed that maintaining the temperature as high as possible is the best strategy to maximize productivity in cold climatic conditions.
Avoiding the Inherent Limitations in Datasets Used for Measuring Aesthetics When Using a Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Carballal Adrian , Fernandez-Lozano Carlos , Rodriguez-Fernandez Nereida , Castro Luz , Santos Antonino
Published: January 2019

An important topic in evolutionary art is the development of systems that can mimic the aesthetics decisions made by human begins, e.g., fitness evaluations made by humans using interactive evolution in generative art. This paper focuses on the analysis of several datasets used for aesthetic prediction based on ratings from photography websites and psychological experiments. Since these datasets present problems, we proposed a new dataset that is a subset of DPChallenge.com. Subsequently, three different evaluation methods were considered, one derived from the ratings available at DPChallenge.com and two obtained under experimental conditions related to the aesthetics and quality of images. We observed different criteria in the DPChallenge.com ratings, which had more to do with the photographic quality than with the aesthetic value. Finally, we explored learning systems other than state‐of‐the‐art ones, in order to predict these three values. The obtained results were similar to those using state‐of‐the‐art procedures.
Effects of Compression Tights on Recovery Parameters after Exercise Induced Muscle Damage: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Study
Authors: Hettchen Michael , Glöckler Katharina , von Stengel Simon , Piechele Andrea , Lötzerich Helmut , Kohl Matthias , Kemmler Wolfgang
Published: January 2019

Introduction. Recent meta-analyses on compression garments have reported faster recovery of muscle function particularly after intense eccentric power or resistance exercise. However, due to the complex interaction between cohorts included, exercises involved and compression applied, recovery length and modalities, and outcome parameters selected, only limited practical recommendations can be drawn from these studies. Thus, our aim was to determine the effect of compression tights on recovery from high mechanical and metabolic stress monitored over a longer recovery period. Material and Methods. Using a crossover design, 19 resistance-trained 4th/5th Division German handball players (31.3±7.7 years; 24.1±3.8 kg/m2) were randomly assigned at the start of the project to the compression tight (recovery-pro-tights, cep, Bayreuth, Germany) or the control group. Immediately after a combined lower extremity resistance training and electromyostimulation, participants had to wear compression tights. Compression was applied initially for 24 h and then 12 h intermitted by 12 h of nonuse for a total of 96 h. Primary study endpoint was maximum isokinetic hip/leg-extensor strength (MIES) as determined by a leg-press. Secondary endpoint was lower extremity power as assessed by a counter movement jump. Follow-up assessments were conducted 24, 48, 72, and 96 h postexercise. Outcomes were analyzed using a linear mixed effect model with spherical symmetric within-condition correlation. Results. All 19 participants underwent their allocated treatment and passed through the project strictly according to the study protocol. MIES demonstrated significantly (p=0.003) lower overall reductions (155 N) after wearing compression tights. In parallel, lower extremity power significantly (p<0.001) varies between both conditions with lower reductions in favor of the compression condition. Of importance, full recovery for lower extremity muscle strength or power was still not reached 96 h postexercise. Conclusion. Based on our results we recommend athletes wear compression tights for faster recovery, particularly after intense exercise with a pronounced eccentric aspect.
WWOX Inhibits Metastasis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells via Modulation of miRNAs
Authors: Khawaled Saleh , Suh Sung Suk , Abdeen Suhaib K. , Monin Jonathan , Distefano Rosario , Nigita Giovanni , Croce Carlo M. , Aqeilan Rami I.
Published: January 2019

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous, highly aggressive, and difficult to treat tumor type. The tumor suppressor WWOX spans FRA16D, a common fragile site that is commonly altered in breast cancer. Despite recent progress, the role of WWOX in TNBC metastasis is unknown. Here we report that WWOX inactivation correlates with advanced stages of TNBC and that its levels are frequently altered in TNBC cells. Ectopic restoration of WWOX in WWOX-negative TNBC cells inhibited metastasis while its depletion in WWOX-positive TNBC cells promoted metastasis. WWOX was a negative regulator of c-MYC, which regulated miR-146a expression and consequently fibronectin levels, contributing to an epithelial status of the cell. Treatment of TNBC cells with anti-miR-146a rescued the WWOX antimetastatic phenotype. Moreover, overexpression of MYC in WWOX-expressing TNBC cells overrode WWOX effects on miR-146a and fibronectin levels. Altogether, our data uncover an essential role for WWOX in antagonizing TNBC progression and highlight its potential use as a biomarker for metastasis.

Significance:

These findings highlight the mechanism by which the tumor suppressor WWOX regulates metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer.

See related commentary by Sharma, p. 1746
Associations of Accelerometer‐Measured Sedentary Time and Physical Activity With Prospectively Assessed Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: The CARDIA Study
Authors: Whitaker Kara M. , Pettee Gabriel Kelley , Buman Matthew P. , Pereira Mark A. , Jacobs David R. , Reis Jared P. , Gibbs Bethany Barone , Carnethon Mercedes R. , Staudenmayer John , Sidney Stephen , Sternfeld Barbara
Published: January 2019

Background

Isotemporal substitution examines the effect on health outcomes of replacing sedentary time with light‐intensity physical activity or moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity; however, existing studies are limited by cross‐sectional study designs.

Methods and Results

Participants were 1922 adults from the
CARDIA
(Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study. Linear regression examined the associations of sedentary, light‐intensity physical activity, and moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity at year 20 (2005–2006) with waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, triglycerides,
high‐density lipoprotein
cholesterol, and a composite risk score at year 30 (2015–2016). Models then examined change in activity with change in cardiometabolic risk over the same 10‐year period. Replacing 30 min/day of sedentary time with 30 min/day of light‐intensity physical activity at year 20 was associated with a lower composite risk score (−0.01
SD
[95% CI, −0.02, −0.00]) at year 30, characterized by lower waist circumference (0.15 cm [95%
CI,
−0.27, 0.02]), insulin (0.20 μU/mL [95%
CI,
−0.35, −0.04]), and higher
high‐density lipoprotein
cholesterol (0.20 mg/dL [95%
CI,
0.00, 0.40]; all
P
<0.05). An increase of 30 min/day in
MVPA
from year 20 to year 30, when replacing an equivalent increase in sedentary time, was associated with a decrease in the composite risk score (−0.08 [95%
CI,
−0.13, −0.04]) over the same 10 years, characterized by a decrease in waist circumference (1.52 cm [95%
CI,
−2.21, −0.84]), insulin (−1.13 μU/mL [95%
CI,
−1.95, −0.31]), triglycerides (−6.92 mg/dL [95%
CI,
−11.69, −2.15]), and an increase in
high‐density lipoprotein
cholesterol (1.59 mg/dL [95%
CI,
0.45, 2.73]; all
P
<0.05).

Conclusions

Replacement of sedentary time with light‐intensity physical activity or moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity is associated with improved cardiometabolic health 10 years later.
Five new (extinct?) species of Atelopus (Anura: Bufonidae) from Andean Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
Authors: COLOMA LUIS A. , DUELLMAN WILLIAM E. , C. ANA ALMENDÁRIZ , RON SANTIAGO R. , TERÁN-VALDEZ ANDREA , GUAYASAMIN JUAN M.
Published: January 2019

We studied populations of frogs of the genus Atelopus from the Pasto Massif of the Andes in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador, and from the Huancabamba depression in southern Ecuador and northern Perú and conclude that they belong to six species, five of which are described as new to science. Atelopus angelito is recorded for the first time from Ecuador and its range is extended 183 km (airline) southwest of its type locality in Departamento del Cauca, Colombia. We distinguish the five new species from similar ones using features of coloration, skin texture, and morphometrics. We also include osteological data for four of the new species. A putative hybrid zone at Provincia Imbabura, Ecuador, is proposed to exist between the non-sister taxa A. ignescens and one of the new species. Because recent records of four of the new species and A. angelito are lacking despite search efforts, we hypothesize that they are possibly extinct, as are many other Andean Atelopus. Thus, we categorize these species, applying IUCN Red List criteria, as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). No search efforts have been carried out for one new species (from La Victoria, Colombia); thus, it is included under the Data Deficient category. The conservation of Atelopus is briefly discussed.
Leptonetid spiders from caves of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China (Araneae: Leptonetidae)
Authors: LIN YUCHENG , LI SHUQIANG
Published: January 2019

A total of 27 species of the family Leptonetidae occurring in caves of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Southwest China, are described, including two new genera, 26 new species and one new combination as follows: Guineta gigachela gen. nov. and sp. nov.; Leptonetela anshun sp. nov., L. bama sp. nov., L. curvispinosa sp. nov., L. danxia sp. nov., L. digitata sp. nov., L. furcaspina sp. nov., L. geminispina sp. nov., L. grandispina sp. nov., L. hamata sp. nov., L. hexacantha sp. nov., L. jinsha sp. nov., L. jiulong sp. nov., L. liping sp. nov., L. maxillacostata sp. nov., L. meitan sp. nov., L. oktocantha sp. nov., L. palmata sp. nov., L. pentakis sp. nov., L. reticulopecta sp. nov., L. suae sp. nov., L. tetracantha sp. nov., L. tongzi sp. nov. and L. yangi sp. nov.; Sinoneta notabilis gen. nov. and sp. nov., S. sexdigiti sp. nov. In addition, Leptonetela quinquespinata (Chen & Zhu, 2008) is transferred from Qianleptoneta Chen & Zhu, 2008. The morphology of Guineta gen. nov. and Sinoneta gen. nov. are studied. Keys to all genera from China and 27 species from YunnanGuizhou Plateau are given. All type specimens in this study are collected from caves of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, southwestern China and are deposited at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing (IZCAS).
A commentary on the taxonomic review of Sri Lankan Devario by Batuwita et al. 2017 (Teleostei: Danionidae)
Authors: SUDASINGHE HIRANYA , PETHIYAGODA ROHAN
Published: January 2019

We address several problems arising from ‘A review of the genus Devario in Sri Lanka (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), with description of two new species’, a paper authored by S. Batuwita, M. de Silva and S. Udugampola and published in 2017 in the journal FishTaxa (2(3): 156–179). The neotypes they designate for Perilampus malabaricus Jerdon and Perilampus mysoricus Jerdon are inconsistent with article 75.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (‘the Code’) and are hence invalid. Devario udenii, which they describe as a new species, is shown to be indistinguishable from D. micronema sensu Batuwita et al. The characters by which they distinguish another new species, D. annnataliae, are shown to be self-contradictory, making it impossible to distinguish from its congeners; it is treated as a species inquirendum. The diagnoses provided for D. malabaricus, D. micronema and D. monticola are ambiguous and self-contradictory, rendering them unusable. Much of the material examined, stated to be in the collection of the National Museum of Sri Lanka, is not deposited in that institution: such material as is deposited is inconsistent with the specimen data published by Batuwita et al.
Quantifying Snow Mass Mission Concept Trade-Offs Using an Observing System Simulation Experiment
Authors: Garnaud Camille , Bélair Stéphane , Carrera Marco L. , Derksen Chris , Bilodeau Bernard , Abrahamowicz Maria , Gauthier Nathalie , Vionnet Vincent
Published: January 2019

Because of its location, Canada is particularly affected by snow processes and their impact on the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Yet, snow mass observations that are ongoing, global, frequent (1–5 days), and at high enough spatial resolution (kilometer scale) for assimilation within operational prediction systems are presently not available. Recently, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) partnered with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to initiate a radar-focused snow mission concept study to define spaceborne technological solutions to this observational gap. In this context, an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) was performed to determine the impact of sensor configuration, snow water equivalent (SWE) retrieval performance, and snow wet/dry state on snow analyses from the Canadian Land Data Assimilation System (CaLDAS). The synthetic experiment shows that snow analyses are strongly sensitive to revisit frequency since more frequent assimilation leads to a more constrained land surface model. The greatest reduction in spatial (temporal) bias is from a 1-day revisit frequency with a 91% (93%) improvement. Temporal standard deviation of the error (STDE) is mostly reduced by a greater retrieval accuracy with a 65% improvement, while a 1-day revisit reduces the temporal STDE by 66%. The inability to detect SWE under wet snow conditions is particularly impactful during the spring meltdown, with an increase in spatial RMSE of up to 50 mm. Wet snow does not affect the domain-wide annual maximum SWE nor the timing of end-of-season snowmelt timing in this case, indicating that radar measurements, although uncertain during melting events, are very useful in adding skill to snow analyses.
Significant Wave Height Prediction with the CRBM-DBN Model
Authors: Zhang Xining , Dai Hao
Published: January 2019

In recent years, deep learning technology has been gradually used for time series data prediction in various fields. In this paper, the restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) in the classical deep belief network (DBN) is substituted with the conditional restricted Boltzmann machine (CRBM) containing temporal information, and the CRBM-DBN model is constructed. Key model parameters, which are determined by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, are used to predict the significant wave height. Observed data in 2016, which are from nearshore and offshore buoys (i.e., 42020 and 42001) belonging to the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), are taken to train the model, and the corresponding data in 2017 are used for testing with lead times of 1–24 h. In addition, we trained the data of 42040 in 2003 and tested the data in 2004 in order to investigate the prediction ability of the CRBM-DBN model for the extreme event. The prediction ability of the model is evaluated by the Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (CE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE). Experiments demonstrate that for the short-term (≤9 h) prediction, the RMSE and CE for the significant wave height prediction are <10 cm and >0.98, respectively. Moreover, the relative error of the short-term prediction for the maximum wave height is less than 26%. The excellent short-term and extreme events forecasting ability of the CRBM-DBN model is vital to ocean engineering applications, especially for designs of ocean structures and vessels.
Indices of Rank Histogram Flatness and Their Sampling Properties
Authors: Wilks D. S.
Published: January 2019

Quantitative evaluation of the flatness of the verification rank histogram can be approached through formal hypothesis testing. Traditionally, the familiar χ2 test has been used for this purpose. Recently, two alternatives—the reliability index (RI) and an entropy statistic (Ω)—have been suggested in the literature. This paper presents approximations to the sampling distributions of these latter two rank histogram flatness metrics, and compares the statistical power of tests based on the three statistics, in a controlled setting. The χ2 test is generally most powerful (i.e., most sensitive to violations of the null hypothesis of rank uniformity), although for overdispersed ensembles and small sample sizes, the test based on the entropy statistic Ω is more powerful. The RI-based test is preferred only for unbiased forecasts with small ensembles and very small sample sizes.
The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Voice Outcomes in Patients With Spasmodic Dysphonia Treated With Botulinum Toxin Injections
Authors: Valenzuela Dianne , Singer Joel , Lee Terry , Hu Amanda
Published: January 2019

Objectives:

To determine the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on voice outcomes for spasmodic dysphonia (SD) patients treated with botulinum toxin injections.

Methods:

This was a prospective cross-sectional study in a tertiary care, academic voice clinic in Canada. Adult SD patients returning to the voice clinic for their botulinum toxin injections were recruited from October 2017 to April 2018. Patients completed a questionnaire on demographic data, the Hollingshead Four-Factor Index for socioeconomic status (validated instrument based on education, occupation, gender, and marital status), and the Voice-Handicap Index 10 (VHI-10) (validated instrument on self-reported vocal handicap). Primary outcome was the association between VHI-10 and Hollingshead Index. Secondary variables were median household income by postal code, duration of disease, gender, age, and professional voice user. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were conducted.

Results:

One hundred and one patients (age = 62.8 ± 13.7 years, 20.8% male) were recruited with VHI-10 of 22.1 ± 8.1 (out of 40) and Hollingshead Index of 46.3 ± 11.7 (range, 8-66). Median household income was $75 875 ± $16 393, which was above the Canadian average of $70 336. About 91.1% were Caucasian, 54.4% had university degree, 86.1% spoke English, and 43.5% were employed. In multiple linear regression, there was mild to moderate negative correlation (r = −.292, P = .004) between VHI-10 and Hollingshead Index when controlling for disease duration, age, gender, and professional voice use.

Conclusion:

SD patients treated with botulinum toxin were mostly affluent, Caucasian, well educated, and English speakers. Lower self-perceived vocal handicap was associated with higher socioeconomic status.
A study of a conductive laminar jet flow in an applied magnetic field
Authors: Hsu Cheng-Hsing , Tsai Te-Hui , Chang Ching-Chuan , Chen Yi
Published: January 2019

This study investigates steady two-dimensional laminar confined jet flow in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The magnetohydrodynamic equations with the format of the stream function and vorticity formulation of the fluid flow are solved numerically. A numerical method was developed by using a first-order upwind scheme at the boundaries and a second-order finite control volume scheme in the flow field. The results show that the expansion region of the jet is moving downstream while the channel width and the Reynolds number are increasing. The vortex and the recirculation zone are stretched with increased Hartmann number, and the jet expansion region is moving upstream while the vortex and the recirculation zone are reduced. The channel width and the Reynolds number for the jet development are positive efforts and the Hartmann number has a suppressed effect in the present confined jet flow field.
The uses and abuses of class: Left nationalism and the denial of working class multiculture
Authors: Valluvan Sivamohan
Published: January 2019

This article establishes the importance of recognizing what Satnam Virdee describes as the wider racial history of ‘socialist nationalism’. Attentiveness to this formation attests to a broader attempt to resist the tendency of much contemporary analysis to attribute to today’s reconsolidated nationalism an elite, unitary and generically rightist character. It remains important to observe how racial nationalisms’ heightened contemporary appeal hinges crucially on the convergence of multiple and often contradictory ‘political rationalities’ – only some of which speak to elite machinations and/or attempts to manage the capitalist crisis. Particularly telling here is how nationalist politics ably call upon certain leftist registers: as premised on an iconography of working class plight alongside an institutional programme of welfare state entitlement as tied to exclusive visions of working class community. The second half of the article issues, in turn, an antidote to this class-coded nationalist consolidation. A renewed case for the importance of everyday multiculture, as a decidedly working class formation, is advanced. Whilst rebuking the forms of exotic romanticism and excessively upbeat vigour that characterises some multiculture research – alongside the tendency to only locate such multiculture in more fabled ‘global cities’ – the article argues here that such multiculture is a political repertoire that ably subverts the nationalist attempt to monopolize class for its own political ends.
Employment-related Experiences of Youths who are Visually Impaired: How are these Youths Faring?
Authors: Shaw Alexander , Gold Deborah , Wolffe Karen
Published: January 2019

This article describes the results in the employment domain of a larger study of the lifestyles of 328 Canadian youths, aged 15–21 and 22–30, 131 of whom were blind and 197 of whom had low vision. The youths completed a survey on their work-related experiences, including their current employment status and job-search strategies. In addition to characterizing the overall employment-related experiences of the youths, the study explored differences by visual status, gender, and age group.
Exploring Assessment Processes in Specialized Schools for Students who are Visually Impaired
Authors: Hannan Cheryl Kamei
Published: January 2019

In this qualitative study, various professionals in specialized schools for students who are visually impaired provided information on assessment tools; how information was used to plan Individualized Education Programs; and their opinions on the reliability, validity, and usefulness of various measurements. The implications of the findings for policy guidelines and high-stakes decisions are explored.
Nonvisual Route following with Guidance from a Simple Haptic or Auditory Display
Authors: Marston James R. , Loomis Jack M. , Klatzky Roberta L. , Golledge Reginald G.
Published: January 2019

A path-following experiment, using a global positioning system, was conducted with participants who were legally blind. On- and off-course confirmations were delivered by either a vibrotactile or an audio stimulus. These simple binary cues were sufficient for guidance and point to the need to offer output options for guidance systems for people who are visually impaired.
Divergent Development of Manual Skills in Children who are Blind or Sighted
Authors: Brambring Michael
Published: January 2019

This empirical study compared the average ages at which four children with congenital blindness acquired 32 fine motor skills with age norms for sighted children. The results indicated that the children experienced extreme developmental delays in the acquisition of manual skills and a high degree of variability in developmental delays within and across six categories of fine-motor skills.
The Production of Brailled Instructional Materials in Texas Public Schools
Authors: Herzberg Tina S. , Stough Laura M.
Published: January 2019

This study investigated the background of personnel who are responsible for transcribing braille in Texas. Most respondents were not certified by the Library of Congress and believed that they had begun their careers less than adequately prepared, yet they rated the quality of the materials that they produced as either excellent or good.
Coping Strategies in Reading: Multi-readers in the Norwegian General Education System
Authors: Vik Astrid Kristin , Fellenius Kerstin
Published: January 2019

This study investigated the coping strategies of 11 students for whom multiple reading media were recommended (multi-readers are those who combine braille, print, and auditory reading functionally at school and in leisure activities). These students were in Grades 5–10 in mainstream schools in Norway. Four students were identified as multi-readers. The dominant coping strategy for the students was auditory reading.
Employment Status and Predictors among People with Visual Impairments in South Korea: Results of a National Survey
Authors: Lee Ik Seop , Park Soo Kyung
Published: January 2019

This study explored the employment status and its predictors among people with visual impairments in South Korea. Factors affecting employment status were gender, education, area of residence, degree of disability, having a secondary disability, living with a partner, practical support, and the receipt of adjustment training.
The Role and Training of Paraprofessionals who Work with Students who are Visually Impaired
Authors: McKenzie Amy R. , Lewis Sandra
Published: January 2019

This survey of teachers of students with visual impairments and paraprofessionals who work with students with visual impairments found that more than 35% of the paraprofessionals were providing direct instruction in skills in the expanded core curriculum. Thus, the roles of these two groups need to clarified.
A Survey of the Academic Engagement of Students with Visual Impairments in General Education Classes
Authors: Bardin Julie A. , Lewis Sandra
Published: January 2019

General educators ( n = 79) answered a questionnaire regarding the engagement of students with visual impairments who were enrolled in their classes. These students were identified as being only moderately engaged. No difference in the perceived engagement of students who read print and students who read braille was demonstrated.
An Investigation of the Spelling Skills of Braille Readers
Authors: Clark Christine , Stoner Julia B.
Published: January 2019

This study compared the spelling skills of students who are braille readers to a normative sample. The Test of Written Spelling was administered to 23 students who are blind at various grade levels to ascertain their spelling ability. A one-sample t-test indicated no significant difference in spelling ability. Implications are discussed.
Development and Psychometric Properties of a Standardized Assessment for Adults who are Deaf-Blind
Authors: Dalby Dawn M. , Hirdes John P. , Stolee Paul , Strong J. Graham , Poss Jeff , Tjam Erin Y. , Bowman Lindsay , Ashworth Melody
Published: January 2019

The internal consistency and validity of the interRAI Community Health Assessment and Deafblind Supplement were tested with 182 persons with deaf-blindness. All subscales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency, and expected associations provided evidence of convergent validity. This instrument can facilitate standardized service planning for persons with deaf-blindness.
Physical Activity, Body Composition, and Perceived Quality of Life of Adults with Visual Impairments
Authors: Holbrook Elizabeth A. , Caputo Jennifer L. , Perry Tara L. , Fuller Dana K. , Morgan Don W.
Published: January 2019

Relatively little is known about the health and fitness of adults with visual impairments. This article documents the physical activity levels and body-composition profiles of young and middle-aged adults with visual impairments and addresses the concomitant effects of these factors on perceived quality of life.
Evaluating Training and Implementation of the Individualized Meaning-Centered Approach to Teaching Braille Literacy
Authors: Durando Julie A. , Wormsley Diane P.
Published: January 2019

This study investigated the effectiveness of training workshops in braille literacy for teachers of students who are visually impaired and have additional disabilities. Participants in the training workshops in the Individualized Meaning-Centered Approach indicated general satisfaction with the training. Most reported using the approach with students in their caseloads and overwhelmingly reported positive outcomes for students.
Factors Affecting the Successful Employment of Transition-Age Youths with Visual Impairments
Authors: McDonnall Michele Capella , Crudden Adele
Published: January 2019

The following variables were found to be associated with employment for transition-age youths with visual impairments who are served by vocational rehabilitation agencies: work experience, academic competence, self-determination, use of assistive technology, and locus of control. Self-esteem and involvement with the counselor were not associated with employment in this study.
Hand Movements and Braille Reading Efficiency: Data from the Alphabetic Braille and Contracted Braille Study
Authors: Wright Tessa , Wormsley Diane P. , Kamei-Hannan Cheryl
Published: January 2019

Using a subset of data from the Alphabetic Braille and Contracted Braille Study, researchers analyzed the patterns and characteristics of hand movements as predictors of reading performance. Statistically significant differences were found between one- and two-handed readers and between patterns of hand movements and reading rates.
Developing Authentic Online Problem-based Learning Case Scenarios for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments in the United Kingdom
Authors: McLinden Mike , McCall Steve , Hinton Danielle , Weston Annette
Published: January 2019

This article reports on the development of online problem-based learning case scenarios for use in a distance education program for teachers of students with visual impairments in the United Kingdom. Following participation in two case scenarios, a cohort of teachers provided feedback. This feedback was analyzed in relation to the relevant literature, and key areas for future development were identified.
Tactile Functioning in Children who are Blind: A Clinical Perspective
Authors: Withagen Ans , Vervloed Mathijs P. J. , Janssen Neeltje M. , Knoors Harry , Verhoeven Ludo
Published: January 2019

This study of 48 children with congenital blindness who attended mainstream schools focused on the tactile and haptic skills they needed in typical academic and everyday tasks. The results showed that, in general, the children mastered such tactile tasks, but some items posed special problems.