bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple Functional Units in the Preattentive Segmentation of Speech in Japanese: Evidence from Word Illusions
Authors: Nakamura Miyoko , Kolinsky Régine
Published: November 2013

We explored the functional units of speech segmentation in Japanese using dichotic presentation and a detection task requiring no intentional sublexical analysis. Indeed, illusory perception of a target word might result from preattentive migration of phonemes, morae, or syllables from one ear to the other. In Experiment 1, Japanese listeners detected targets presented in hiragana and/or kanji. Phoneme migrations did occur, suggesting that orthography-independent sublexical constituents play some role in segmentation. However, syllable and especially mora migrations were more numerous. This pattern of results was not observed in French speakers (Experiment 2), suggesting that it reflects native segmentation in Japanese. To control for the intervention of kanji representations (many words are written in kanji, and one kanji often corresponds to one syllable), in Experiment 3, Japanese listeners were presented with target loanwords that can be written only in katakana. Again, phoneme migrations occurred, while the first mora and syllable led to similar rates of illusory percepts. No migration occurred for the second, “special” mora (/J/ or /N/), probably because this constitutes the latter part of a heavy syllable. Overall, these findings suggest that multiple units, such as morae, syllables, and even phonemes, function independently of orthographic knowledge in Japanese preattentive speech segmentation.
Textile touch sensors for wearable and ubiquitous interfaces
Authors: Roh Jung-Sim
Published: November 2013

The design of textile touch sensing interaction was explored with the new metal composite embroidery yarns (MCEYs) and a simple and easy fabrication technique aimed towards robust and reliable pressure sensitive position sensors for wearable tangible interfaces. In this paper, the resistive sensing method of a potentiometer as an accurate positional indicator was chosen to make simple prototypes of MCEY embroidered touch sensors. A simple structure of embroidered potentiometer to create textile switches as an input device in a smart textile system was tested. Both one- and two-point sensing method were successfully demonstrated. A complete success rate on switching was observed. These simple but ingenious embroidered touch sensors showed the possibility of a soft, lightweight, flexible, freely foldable touchpad as a ubiquitous solution. It was also shown that these minimal fabrication technologies may be highly valued in the smart textile field thanks to their simplified interconnections, customizability and tailorability on double curvature surfaces.
New approach to assessing comfort of use of protective footwear with a textile liner and its impact on foot physiology
Authors: Irzmańska Emilia , Dutkiewicz Jacek Konrad , Irzmański Robert
Published: November 2013

We propose a new approach to assessing comfort of use of protective footwear with a textile liner. All-rubber footwear with wool liner and cotton/polyamide socks were evaluated in a study involving 30 firefighters. The study was designed to comprehensively assess comfort of use of textiles in the footwear using certain known and new research tools at the same time, that is, measurement of the microclimate inside the footwear (temperature and humidity), weight gain of the footwear, socks, and liner (weighing method), measurement of blood flows in the lower extremities (impedance plethysmography), as well as evaluation of user comfort (questionnaire survey). The influence of the above-mentioned parameters on the comfort of use was analyzed statistically. Following a walk, the temperature in the foot regions was found to increase by 10%, while relative humidity of the air in the plantar region rose by 50%, and the textiles absorbed 28 g/1.5 h of sweat produced by the foot. Due to the unfavorable conditions inside the footwear and as a result of physical exercise, total blood flow in the lower extremities rose significantly (by 33%). The structure and type of the fiber used in the socks and liner influenced the subjective sensations of the subjects. We found very high correlations between the subjective sensations of temperature inside the footwear and the objective measurements of temperature and humidity, blood flow, and liner weight gain. This study is the first step towards a better understanding of the influence of various parameters on the comfort of use of a textile liner and socks in protective footwear.
The effects of traditional hand-crumpling on the performance of Manila hemp paper
Authors: Takahashi Tetsuya , Kunitake Tetsunori , Yokota Hiroshi , Abe Shinichiro , Yoshino Katsumi
Published: November 2013

Hemp paper made from Manila hemp pulp was processed by a traditional Japanese hand-crumpling technique. The applicability of the hemp paper to clothing was examined. Hand-crumpling decreased the dry tensile index of the hemp paper but increased the seam strength index of the sewn hemp paper. A scanning electron microscope was used to observe a piece of hemp paper; the results showed that pulp fibers that were not hand-crumpled suffered brittle fracture without being elongated, while pulp fibers of hand-crumpled hemp paper were elongated and broken by ductile fracture. This implies that hand-crumpling inhibits cracks generated in the stitch from propagating and produces a high stitch strength index. The air permeability and water absorbency of the hemp paper were considerably increased by hand-crumpling. Hand-crumpling considerably improves the softness of Manila hemp paper and enhances its applicability as clothing material.
Reactive and Proactive Aggression and Suicide Attempts Among Criminal Offenders
Authors: Swogger Marc T. , Walsh Zach , Maisto Stephen A. , Conner Kenneth R.
Published: November 2013

Outwardly directed aggression is associated with suicide attempts, but aggression is a heterogeneous construct. Increased specificity in our understanding of the link between aggression and suicide attempts can be attained by examining subtypes of aggression. We studied the relationships of reactive and proactive aggression to history of a suicide attempt among 96 criminal offenders in a pretrial supervision program. Consistent with prior findings in nonoffender samples, reactive aggression was associated with a history of suicide attempt after controlling for gender and depression. Proactive aggression was unrelated to suicide attempts. Results indicate that suicide risk assessments in forensic settings may be informed by the measurement of reactive aggression.
Robust optimal control for large-scale systems with state delay
Authors: Rahmani Mehdi , Sadati Nasser
Published: November 2013

Optimal control of large-scale uncertain dynamic systems with time delays in states is considered in this paper. For this purpose, a two-level strategy is proposed to decompose the large-scale system into several interconnected subsystems at the first level. Then optimal control inputs are obtained by minimization of convex performance indices in presence of uncertainties, in the form of states and interactions feedback. The solution is achieved by bounded data uncertainty problems, where the uncertainties are only needed to be bounded and it is not required to satisfy the so-called ‘matching conditions’. At the second level, a simple substitution-type interaction prediction method is used to update the interaction parameters between subsystems. An iterative two-level algorithm is proposed to coordinate their solutions and achieve the optimal solution of the overall large-scale system. Applicability and performance of the proposed algorithm is shown through simulation of a two coupled inverted pendulums.
Do Territorial Agglomerations Still Provide Competitive Advantages? A Study of Social Capital, Innovation, and Knowledge
Authors: Ruiz-Ortega María José , Parra-Requena Gloria , García-Villaverde Pedro Manuel
Published: November 2013

The emergence of new technologies together with the process of globalization and global outsourcing raise a question mark over the potential advantages of locating in an industrial district. In this context, there is a clear need for new studies to investigate whether the district effect still exists in these new circumstances. We propose that the increased availability of social capital, knowledge, and innovation would justify the firms in industrial districts obtaining competitive advantages and, therefore, greater levels of performance over the rest of the companies in an industry, allowing us to explore why the district effect is maintained in the current circumstances. The development of this study, in the footwear industry in Spain, has allowed us to analyze the existence of significant differences between industrial district firms and firms outside industrial districts. The results obtained in our study show that agglomerated firms, that is, firms located within industrial districts, achieve a greater performance than firms outside the industrial districts. With this study, we contribute to a deeper analysis of the competitive differences arising from the district effect. On one hand, we analyze if the competitive advantages of companies located in the districts will reveal differences in the obtained performance—growth, profitability, innovation performance, and general performance. We also analyze three key competitive factors in the competitive dynamics of industrial districts, with particular attention to social capital. In this sense, we look separately at the three dimensions of social capital—structural, relational, and cognitive.
Escaping the Big Brother: An empirical study on factors influencing identification and information leakage on the Web
Authors: Carmagnola Francesca , Osborne Francesco , Torre Ilaria
Published: November 2013

This paper presents a study on factors that may increase the risks of personal information leakage, owing to the possibility of connecting user profiles that are not explicitly linked together. First, we introduce a technique for user identification based on cross-site checking and linking of user attributes. Then, we describe the experimental evaluation of the identification technique both in a real setting and on an online sample, showing its accuracy to discover unknown personal data. Finally, we combine the results on the accuracy of identification with the results of a questionnaire completed by the same subjects who performed the test in the real setting. The aim of the study was to discover possible factors that make users vulnerable to this kind of technique. We found that the number of social networks used, their features and especially the amount of profiles abandoned and forgotten by the user are factors that increase the likelihood of identification and the privacy risks.
Short and amusing: The relationship between title characteristics, downloads, and citations in psychology articles
Authors: Subotic Sinisa , Mukherjee Bhaskar
Published: November 2013

The aim of this study was to conduct a unified investigation of various, previously mostly individually studied scientific article title characteristics, like: title length, type, amusement and pleasantness, and specific title ‘markers’ (e.g. colons, attention-grabbing words etc.) in relation to subsequent article citation and download rates. Based on a sample of 129 psychology ScienceDirect’s Top 25 Hottest Articles (i.e. highly downloaded articles) and 129 articles not appearing on the Top 25 list (i.e. less downloaded articles), we determined that the most relevant title characteristics were the title length and the title amusement/humour. The partial least squares model revealed that shorter titles were associated with more citations, but the effect was fully mediated by the journal impact, suggesting that the observed citational benefits of the shorter titles might be an artefact of some higher journal impact related attribute (perhaps editorial or peer review process). Title amusement level was slightly correlated with downloads, but with no association with citations. Additionally, downloads correlated positively with citations, and more amusing titles tended to be shorter. While these findings are limited to the psychology discipline only, our results suggest that the integrative structural approach is promising and that more research following this paradigm is needed before empirically grounded recommendations for good title writing can be given.
Political Contestation at the Top: Politics of Outsider Succession at U.S. Corporations
Authors: Jung Jiwook
Published: November 2013

One important trend in recent leadership transitions in major U.S. corporations has been the prevalence of outsider succession, where an executive from outside the firm is appointed CEO. Building on and extending the insights from political theories of organizations, this paper explores how the historical shift from managerial to investor capitalism has reshaped firm-level power dynamics over executive succession, contributing to the rise of outsider succession. Three developments were particularly crucial—the growth of institutional ownership, the strengthening of internal monitoring by the board, and the rise of shareholder activism. Using data on the complete histories of CEO succession at 686 large U.S. corporations between 1981 and 2005, this article shows how these new developments have pluralized firm-level power struggles over executive succession and thus have further politicized the process. The importance of firm-level power dynamics in the process suggests that a shift in the dominant institutional logic does not directly translate into a new corporate practice, but that such translation depends on the outcome of firm-level power dynamics.
Ototoxicity of Polymyxin B, Neomycin, and Hydrocortisone Suspension in Tympanoplasty Surgery
Authors: House James R. , House Laura K.
Published: November 2013

Objectives

(1) To determine the safety of using a commercially available suspension of polymyxin B, neomycin, and hydrocortisone (PNH) in tympanoplasty surgery. (2) To apply evidence‐based medicine to tympanoplasty surgery when considering potential ototoxicity.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary otology practice, single surgeon.

Methods

Approval for this study was obtained from the St. Dominic–Jackson Memorial Hospital Institutional Review Board. Data were gathered on 272 consecutive type 1, underlay tympanoplasties for which both pre‐ and postoperative audiometric data were available over a 10‐year period. In each surgery, gelatin sponge saturated in a commercially available PNH suspension was placed in the middle ear to support the graft. Patients ranged in age from 3 years to 79 years. Preoperative and postoperative bone conduction thresholds were measured at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz.

Results

The average change in sensorineural hearing as measured by bone conduction thresholds was negligible, with a slight improvement in all frequencies tested except 4000 Hz. The changes by frequencies were as follows: 500 Hz (–1.624 dB), 1000 Hz (–1.399 dB), 2000 Hz (–0.975 dB), 3000 Hz (–0.596 dB), and 4000 Hz (+0.560 dB). The 5‐frequency average change was −0.545 dB.

Conclusions

The commonly used otic solution containing polymyxin B, neomycin, and hydrocortisone demonstrates no ototoxicity in tympanoplasty surgery and is safe to use in this setting.
Morphometric study of the human mitral annulus: Guide for mitral valve surgery
Authors: Eto Masataka , Morita Shigeki , Nakashima Yutaka , Nishimura Yousuke , Tominaga Ryuji
Published: November 2013

Background

during mitral valve surgery, it is important for surgeons to understand the anatomy of the mitral valve annulus to prevent surgical complications. This study aimed to perform morphometry of the mitral annulus to facilitate secure suturing during ring annuloplasty or replacement of the mitral valve.

Methods

an anatomical study was carried out on 7 human hearts. We divided the mitral valve annulus into sections containing 8 different points. It was noted that the annulus was a complex structure which has fibrous continuity with the mitral leaflets, and with or without the aortic annulus.

Results

there was always a segment of the annular fibrous structure which was facing directly toward the left ventricular cavity. The length of the segment ranged from 1.0 to 3.4 mm. In terms of the size of the annulus, there were large variations within the subject and among the subjects. The shortest distance between the mitral annulus and left circumflex coronary artery was at the anterolateral commissure, and the length was 3.3 mm.

Conclusion

this study has improved understanding of the anatomy of the mitral annulus, which could help surgeons to avoid operative complications. Based on this study, several suggestions are made for placing sutures for mitral valve replacement and mitral ring annuloplasty.
Storytelling and Structural Incoherence in Financial Markets
Authors: Tarim Emre
Published: November 2013

This article presents a sociological–narrative approach to studying sensemaking and legitimation in financial markets, and applies this to the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE). The sociological–narrative approach taken here differs from standard economics and psychology theories on market behaviour and outcomes. It draws on the existing literature on sensemaking and legitimation in organizations and financial markets, and postulates that financial markets, as realms of meaning and practice, are prone to be structurally incoherent. The incoherence is argued to stem from positionality of market actors. By positionality, I refer to an actor’s position in division of labour in market organizations and to an investor’s place in market-specific investor classifications. These imply different epistemic resources at the disposal of different actors, and hence structural incoherence in meanings and practices in financial markets. The article demonstrates an example of this incoherence in the case of the ISE by looking at sensemaking and legitimation stories and practices of brokers, investment analysts, media figures and regulators in this market.

JEL: Z13, D81, G10, G24
Global Shapes of Preference Scaling Functions
Authors: Ranganathan Kavitha , Prakhya Srinivas
Published: November 2013

In the expected utility framework, concavity (or convexity) of the preference scaling function corresponds to risk-aversion (or risk-seeking) preferences. Friedman and Savage ( 1948 ) and Markowitz ( 1952 ) indicate that individuals may be risk-averse at some wealth levels but risk-seeking at others. Prospect theory ( Kahneman & Tversky, 1979 ) proposes an S-shaped utility function exhibiting risk-aversion in the domain of gain and risk-seeking in the loss domain. In this study, we use lottery experiments to infer global shapes of the preference scaling functions that determine risk attitudes in interaction with uncertainty. The global shapes that emerge are—fully concave, fully convex, linear, Reverse-S and S-shaped preference scaling functions. Using annual income as a proxy for wealth, we examine the relationship between global shapes and wealth. The data largely supports the Friedman–Savage hypothesis; we find that at low levels of wealth people are concave, followed by Reverse-S and then a second upper concave segment at higher levels of wealth.

JEL: C91, D81
Visual Finance
Authors: Schinckus Christophe , Christiansen Ilse
Published: November 2013

Finance is well known to be a very mathematical area of knowledge. However, a specific financial practice called technical analysis mainly uses visual patterns in order to take a position on the market. Through financial graphs, tables, charts, etc, technical analysts give a meaning to the evolution of financial prices. All these visual metaphors imply a real interpretative process in which analysts form ‘feelings’ and judgements concerning ‘bad shapes’ or ‘good trends’. While technical analysis is usually associated with the recognition of visual patterns, this article rather deals with the way of recognizing these patterns. More precisely, we show that this recognition is based on a creative and interpretative process. This interpretative dimension of technical analysis combined with its popularization can then be looked on as a source of liquidity in the market.
Microbiological contamination of radiological equipment
Authors: Giacometti M , Gualano MR , Bert F , Minniti D , Bistrot F , Grosso M , Siliquini R
Published: November 2013

Background:

Important changes have occurred in radiological departments (RDs) over the past 30 years. The procedures have become more complex and the number of patients has increased. This scenario could have important implications for public health and infection control but, to date, the scientific literature has dealt little with matters relating to microbiological monitoring in RDs.

Purpose:

To examine the level of microbiological contamination in the main RDs of Turin, a city in northern Italy, in order to analyze the presence of a possible biological risk.

Material and Methods:

We analyzed data from 12 RDs. Samples were taken from X-ray tubes, control panels, radiographic cassettes, and imaging plates. We used the French guidelines “Standards NF S 90--351” in order to obtain the threshold values of reference. Through a questionnaire we investigated the use of personal protective equipment by the chiefs of the RDs.

Results:

We found values out of limits in 41.7% of the X-ray tubes sampled, in 91.7% of the control panels and imaging plates, while only 8% of the radiographic cassettes were contaminated. A total of 58.3% of RDs reported values above the threshold for three out of four samples. In 16.7% of the RDs only one surface presented acceptable values.

Conclusion:

Healthcare-associated infections are a cogent issue for the RDs, and knowledge of how to prevent them is increasingly required by health professionals. This study is meant to be a first analysis of the issue that highlights the need of further investigations, maybe with a more detailed monitoring through the characterization of the microbial species involved. Moreover, the development of shared and maybe official standards for the evaluation of microbiological contamination in RDs is strongly suggested.
Ways of Coping and Involvement in Prison Violence
Authors: Rocheleau Ann Marie
Published: November 2013

Prison violence generates serious problems in prisons across the United States. This study examined whether prisoners’ ways of coping affected their involvement in violence. The study also examined traditional personal predictors of violence. The research used a mixed methods approach and included self-report surveys administered to a stratified random sample of 312 prisoners in medium and maximum security facilities, data from the prison system’s database, and in-depth interviews conducted with 51 staff members and prisoners. In the full model with the control variables, three of the eight ways of coping studied were directly related to violence. Prisoners who elicited both emotional and instrumental support from loved ones, fellow prisoners, and staff were less likely to be violent. Those who coped through joking and bravado, and who took direct action in response to stressors were more likely to be involved in violence. The qualitative data uncovered evidence of prisoners’ campaign for respect and impression management that could be used by prison administrators to help create initiatives and a prison environment that might result in less violence.
Outcome for headache and pain-free nonresponders to treatment of the first attack: A pooled post-hoc analysis of four randomized trials of eletriptan 40 mg
Authors: Landy Steve H , Tepper Stewart J , Schweizer Edward , Almas Mary , Ramos Elodie
Published: November 2013

Objective

The objective of this article is to evaluate, in first attack eletriptan headache and pain-free nonresponders, the efficacy of treating a second and third attack with the same dose of eletriptan 40 mg (ELE-40).

Methods

Data were pooled from four randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple attack studies of eletriptan in the treatment of migraine. The first-attack eletriptan headache (HNR) and pain-free (PFNR) nonresponder samples consisted of patients who did not achieve headache or pain-free responses at two hours, or sustained headache or pain-free responses at 24 hours. The efficacy of the same dose of eletriptan (vs placebo; PBO) in treating the second and third attacks was evaluated using a logistic regression model.

Results

Among Attack 1 eletriptan HNRs, treatment with ELE-40 (vs PBO) was associated with significantly higher two-hour headache response and pain-free rates, respectively, on both Attack 2 (48.8% vs 20.2%; 17.0% vs 3.9%; p < 0.0001 for both comparisons) and Attack 3 (37.4% vs 15.5%; 18.8% vs 3.2%; p < 0.0001 for both comparisons). Significantly higher sustained headache response and pain-free rates at 24 hours were also observed on both Attack 2 and Attack 3.

Conclusions

The results of this pooled analysis suggest that patients who have HNR or PFNR to an initial dose of eletriptan may respond when a second and third attack is treated with the same dose.
Montmorillonite-reinforced nanocomposite from off-grade plastics materials using response surface analysis
Authors: Reza Zahedi Ali , Mehdi Rafizadeh , Faramarz Afshar Taromi
Published: November 2013

Off-grade thermoplastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) of industrial manufacturers was partially depolymerized to synthesize poly(ethylene terephthalate) oligomers. Influences of reaction time, ethylene glycol/poly(ethylene terephthalate) molar ratio, catalyst concentrations and particle size of off-grade poly(ethylene terephthalate) on yield of partial glycolysis reaction were investigated based on Box–Behnken's design of experiment. Thermal analyses of glycolyzed products was carried out using differential scanning calorimetry. The optimum samples were also well characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The optimal conditions to synthesize poly(ethylene terephthalate) oligomer for a 120-min glycolysis reaction time were: using ethylene glycol/poly(ethylene terephthalate) of molar ratio of 2 with no catalyst and using granule-shaped poly(ethylene terephthalate). Then, endcapped poly(ethylene terephthalate) oligomer as a compatiblizer for preparing poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanocomposites was produced via reaction between maleic anhydride/phthalic anhydride composition and optimized poly(ethylene terephthalate) oligomers based on central composite design of experiment. The combination of reaction time of 106 min and phthalic anhydride/maleic anhydride molar ratio of 0.85 gave the best results based on d-spacing and peak intensity of nanocomposite samples. Hence, melt mixing of endcapped poly(ethylene terephthalate) with organoclay produced a good intercalation of layered silicate and good dispersion of clay in endcapped poly(ethylene terephthalate) matrix. Analysis of variance was studied for both glycolyzed products and functionalized poly(ethylene terephthalate) oligomers.
Critical factors influencing the dynamic characteristics of fibre-reinforced plastic bridges — a parametric study
Authors: Mohammed Althaf , Chakraborty Sushanta
Published: November 2013

Conventional bridge materials have certain environmental factors limiting their service life. These factors include termite or fungi attack on timber, chemical attacks on concrete and corrosion for steel. These facts point to the necessity of development of new construction materials and related technologies for use in bridges exposed to aggressive environmental conditions. Fibre-reinforced plastics have long been used in weight-sensitive applications such as aerospace, marine, biomedical and sports industries due to their high specific stiffness and strength. Its superior structural performance depends primarily upon its anisotropic and heterogeneous characteristics and can be optimized to the requirement of the user. However, its infrastructural application is somewhat recent. Since fibre-reinforced plastic can be moulded to various shapes, is corrosion resistant, has lower lifecycle cost and durability, it can be used in constructing bridges or its parts. However, the fibre-reinforced plastic bridge industry lacks simplified and practical design guidelines and specifications. A box girder bridge has been taken from available literature as an example and parametric studies have been carried out using general purpose finite element software ABAQUS to investigate the critical factors affecting the dynamic responses of such a fibre-reinforced plastic bridge.
Influence of thermal effects on mechanical properties of PVDF-coated fabric
Authors: Ambroziak Andrzej , Kłosowski Paweł
Published: November 2013

This paper describes the method of laboratory tests necessary for identification of temperature influence on mechanical properties of polyvinylidene fluoride-coated polyester fabric often used for tensile structures. Two nonlinear model descriptions are investigated. The first one is based on the piece-wise linear relations between stress and strain and the second one on the Murnaghan model of solid behavior. This paper is proposed as an introduction to the comprehensive investigation on thermal changes of material properties of coated woven fabrics.
Behavior Problems in Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Maggio Verónica , Grañana Nora E. , Richaudeau Alba , Torres Silvio , Giannotti Adrián , Suburo Angela M.
Published: November 2013

We studied behavior in a group of children with specific language impairment in its 2 subtypes (expressive and mixed receptive/expressive). After exclusion of other psychiatric conditions, we evaluated 114 children of ages 2 to 7 years using language developmental tests and behavioral screening scales. Behavior problems appeared in 54% of the children. Withdrawn was the most frequently found syndrome in preschool children, whereas anxious/depressed and social problems were the most frequent in older children. The high frequency of behavioral syndromes in children with specific language impairment is remarkable and requires the awareness of primary attendants and specialists. Anxiety, depression, social isolation, and aggressive and rule-breaking behavior can obscure identification of the language impairment. Taking into account this relationship would improve the chances of a timely and appropriate intervention.
Continuous Spike and Wave in Slow-Wave Sleep in a Patient With Rett Syndrome and in a Patient With Lhermitte-Duclos Syndrome and Neurofibromatosis 1
Authors: Bhat Sushanth , Ming Xue , Dekermenjian Rony , Chokroverty Sudhansu
Published: November 2013

Continuous spike and wave in slow-wave sleep (CSWS) is an electroencephalographic (EEG) pattern characterized by generalized spike-wave discharges occurring for at least 85% of non–rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep, with marked attenuation during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It has been described in a large number of structural and nonstructural neurologic conditions and is associated with epilepsy, behavioral disturbances, and severe neuropsychiatric impairment. We describe continuous spike and wave in slow-wave sleep in 2 patients (one with Rett syndrome and the other with Lhermitte-Duclos syndrome). To our knowledge, continuous spike and wave in slow-wave sleep has not been previously described in these conditions.
State Government Labor Market Definitions
Authors: Ernst William
Published: November 2013

A well-defined labor market allows key compensation decision makers to examine the competitiveness of the organization’s pay plan. If the market is poorly defined, estimates of competitors’ pay rates will likely not be accurate. The vast majority of research on labor market definitions has been conducted in the for-profit sector; thus, there is a high need for examining how employers within the public sector define their labor market. A short questionnaire was sent to members of the National Compensation Association of State Governments to enquire about their respective states’ labor markets. Content analysis was conducted on the responses using three main components. These include statements of differentiated markets for types of jobs, a geographic region, and criteria for including an employer within the market.
The Pay Gap in Perspective
Authors: Kilgour John G.
Published: November 2013

This article traces and evaluates the differential between men’s and women’s pay from 1979 through 2011 and the campaign to close that gap. It corrects and puts into perspective a lot of misinformation that abounds on the subject. In the not-too-distant future, the pay gap will disappear, if it has not already done so. After that, women’s earnings on average will be higher than those of men.
Studies on the effect of nano-alumina on the performance properties of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) composite films
Authors: Savadekar Niranjan R , Kadam Pravin G , Mhaske Shashank T
Published: November 2013

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/nano-alumina (NA) composite films were prepared using extrusion and compression moulding processes. The aim of this work is to improve the performance property of PBAT. Concentration of NA varied from 0.1 to 5 wt% in PBAT. The prepared films were characterised for mechanical (tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM) and elongation at break (PEB)), thermal (melting temperature (Tm) and enthalpy of melting (Hm)), rheological (viscosity vs. shear rate), morphological (SEM), barrier (water vapour permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability(OP)) and crystallinity (x-ray diffraction) properties. PEB and crystallinity decreased, whereas, TS and Tm remained unaffected on addition of NA in PBAT, as the addition of NA decreased the crystallinity of PBAT. Nevertheless, significant reduction in WVP and OP of 59 and 33% were obtained for 3 wt% addition of NA in PBAT. Hm and viscosity of PBAT decreased with increase in concentration of NA, due to the thermally conducting nature of NA. Considering the obtained properties, PBAT containing 3 wt% NA can be a potential material for food and pharmaceutical packaging applications.
Composites of polypropylene with pulque fibres
Authors: Sultan Md Tipu , Haque Md Minhaz-Ul , Maniruzzaman M , Alam Md Ashraful
Published: November 2013

The present article reports the preparation and characterization of polypropylene (PP) composite with pulque (Agave cantala) leaf fibres treated with sodium hydroxide or sodium chlorite. PP composite material of untreated fibres was also prepared for comparison. The composite samples prepared by hot press-moulding machine were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis and tensile mechanical tests. SEM analysis pointed out that in the case of PP composite with alkali-treated fibre (AF), the multi-cellular nature of fibre filament appeared more clearly, and the fibre surface became rough as compared to other composite systems that may be the cause of better interlocking between PP matrix and fibres. Consequently, the PP composite with AF (i.e. PP/AF 80/20) exhibited higher values of elastic modulus than other composite systems. The composite of PP with alkali-treated pulque fibres also displayed higher thermal resistance than the composite of PP with raw or bleached fibres.
An integrated nonlinear model-based approach to gas turbine engine sensor fault diagnostics
Authors: Lu Feng , Chen Yu , Huang Jinquan , Zhang Dongdong , Liu Nan
Published: November 2013

Aircraft engine sensor fault diagnosis is closely related technology that assists operators in managing the health of gas turbine engine assets. As all gas turbine engines will exhibit performance changes due to usage, the on-board engine model built up initially will no longer track the engine over the course of the engine’s life, and then the model-based method for sensor fault diagnosis tends to be failure. This necessitates the study of the sensor fault diagnosis techniques due to usage over its operating life. Based on our recent results, an integrated approach based on nonlinear on-board model is developed for the gas turbine engine sensor fault diagnostics in this paper. The architecture is mainly composed of dual nonlinear engine models; one is a nonlinear real-time adaptive performance model and the other a nonlinear on-board baseline model. The extended Kalman filter estimator in the nonlinear real-time adaptive performance model is used to obtain the real-time estimates of component performance, and the nonlinear on-board baseline model with performance periodically update to provide the nominal reference in flight. The novel update strategy to sensor fault threshold based on the model errors and noise level is also presented. Important results are obtained on step fault and pulse fault behavior of the engine sensor. The proposed approach is easy to design and tune with long-term engine health degradation. Finally, experiment studies are provided to validate the benefit of the engine sensor fault diagnostics.
Experimental study on the lift generated by a flapping rotary wing applied in a micro air vehicle
Authors: Zhou Chao , Wu Jianghao , Guo Shijun , Li Daochun
Published: November 2013

An experimental study was conducted to further validate whether the newly proposed flapping rotary wing is suitable for micro air vehicle design. First, the effects of two main kinematical parameters (flapping frequency and initial angle of attack) of flapping rotary wing on lift generation were discussed. It was found that a higher lift can be generated by flapping rotary wing through increasing flapping frequency at a proper initial angle of attack. Second, effect of coupled flapping motion with rotating motion on lift generation was analyzed. It is important that a larger lift was generated by flapping rotary wing than the superposition lifts from purely flapping and purely rotating motions when the initial angle of attack was less than a critical value. Finally, the comparison of the capability of lift generation from the flapping rotary wing and conventional rotary wing was given. It was indicated that the lift from flapping rotary wing was larger than that from conventional rotary wing in the range of Reynolds number from 2600 to 5000 as long as Strouhal number was determined appropriately. The present work suggests that flapping rotary wing may be a feasible and promising wing layout used in the design of micro air vehicle in terms of lift generation.
Undisturbed switching control of fuel flow-rate for a high-speed heat-airflow wind tunnel
Authors: Cai Chaozhi , Li Yunhua
Published: November 2013

According to the requirements of a high-speed heat-airflow wind tunnel experimental system, a fuel supply system based on variable frequency control technology and proportional throttle valve is designed. The mathematical model of the fuel supply system under the mode of the proportional throttle valve control and the variable frequency pump control is established. Because the fuel supply system has a pure time delay and the change of working conditions can cause the problem of time-variant parameters, a fuzzy proportion integration differentiation control strategy with Smith predictor is proposed. In addition, switching between the pump control mode and the valve control mode will bring disturbances, so two undisturbed switching methods are designed. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed control strategy can overcome effects of the pure time delay and obtain a satisfactory control performance. The two undisturbed switching control methods designed in this paper can achieve the undisturbed switching of the fuel flow-rate control.
The Thatcher Illusion Reveals Orientation Dependence in Brain Regions Involved in Processing Facial Expressions
Authors: Psalta Lilia , Young Andrew W. , Thompson Peter , Andrews Timothy J.
Published: November 2013

Although the processing of facial identity is known to be sensitive to the orientation of the face, it is less clear whether orientation sensitivity extends to the processing of facial expressions. To address this issue, we used functional MRI (fMRI) to measure the neural response to the Thatcher illusion. This illusion involves a local inversion of the eyes and mouth in a smiling face—when the face is upright, the inverted features make it appear grotesque, but when the face is inverted, the inversion is no longer apparent. Using an fMRI-adaptation paradigm, we found a release from adaptation in the superior temporal sulcus—a region directly linked to the processing of facial expressions—when the images were upright and they changed from a normal to a Thatcherized configuration. However, this release from adaptation was not evident when the faces were inverted. These results show that regions involved in processing facial expressions display a pronounced orientation sensitivity.
A comparison of cluster size distribution models in isothermal single component condensation
Authors: van Putten Dennis S , Sidin Ryan SR , Hagmeijer Rob
Published: November 2013

A review of single component condensation models is presented. The most exact model for condensation is the set of Becker-Döring equations. The first step toward reduced models is obtained by performing a Taylor series expansion on the discrete Becker-Döring equations, resulting in the Fokker–Planck equation. Further simplification of the Fokker–Planck equation leads to the stationary diffusion flux model, which is based on a steady state assumption in the region of small clusters. Discarding the small cluster size region results in the general dynamic equation, which is computationally the most attractive model. All condensation models are aimed at solving the cluster size distribution and differ in their ability to capture the physical process and their computational complexity. The assumptions needed to construct these reduced models are explained and the influences on the physical outcome are addressed. The models are applied to a nucleation pulse experiment and the computational times are compared.
A one-generation reproduction toxicity study in rats treated orally with a novel galacto-oligosaccharide
Authors: Kobayashi T , Takano M , Kaneko K , Onoue M
Published: November 2013

Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) is a naturally occurring prebiotic that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of colon bacteria to improve host health. A novel GOS was administered by gavage to male and female Sprague Dawley rats at 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day for 10 weeks. In males, administration of GOS was initiated prior to mating and continued for 91 days. Females received GOS beginning 2 weeks prior to mating through day 20 of lactation. Parents were observed daily, and body weight (BW) and feed consumption were measured. Vaginal smears, mating behavior, and observation of delivery/lactation were evaluated in parents. Effects on the reproductive function of parents including gonad function, estrous cycle, mating performance, fertility, delivery and lactation, and effects on the growth and development of pups were examined. No deaths occurred, and no general toxicological effects or abnormal reproductive functions were observed in any dose group. Pups were observed at birth and the following measurements were undertaken: BW, external differentiations, sensory functions, and reflex reactions during lactation and just prior to necropsy. No external malformations or differences in the number of pups, in the sex ratio, or BW at birth occurred in any dose group. Growth and development of pups were normal. The No Observed Effect Level for reproductive function of male and female parent animals and for the growth and development of their offspring was at least 2000 mg/kg/day.
Emerging Powers in the Climate Negotiations
Authors: Hochstetler Kathryn , Milkoreit Manjana
Published: November 2013

The BASIC countries (Brazil, China, India, South Africa) have played a major role in recent climate negotiations. We argue that a focus on identities—both their individual national identities as emerging powers and their joint identity as the BASIC coalition of emerging powers—is useful for understanding the coalition’s negotiation stances and the larger negotiation dynamics between 2009 and 2011. BASIC countries maintain a hard defining line between themselves and developed states in terms of their climate obligations but accept some differentiation between themselves and other developing countries, thus adding a destabilizing third category of countries to the climate negotiations.
Delineating Personality Traits in Childhood and Adolescence
Authors: Tackett Jennifer L. , Kushner Shauna C. , De Fruyt Filip , Mervielde Ivan
Published: November 2013

The current investigation addressed several questions in the burgeoning area of child personality assessment. Specifically, the present study examined overlapping and nonoverlapping variance in two prominent measures of child personality assessment, followed by tests of convergent and divergent validity with child temperament and psychopathology. Informant report (72.1% mother) was obtained for a community sample of 803 youth ( Mage = 11.34 years; 51.6% female). The results revealed strong convergence between two empirically based measures of child personality traits, although some discrepancies were noted. The results from analyses predicting temperament and psychopathology were complex, suggesting that higher order child personality traits account for both shared and unique variance in these constructs, relative to one another. Overall, the current investigation provides a multifaceted contribution to evidence for construct validity of child personality traits and highlights the need for subsequent research in this area.
Evacetrapib at a Supratherapeutic Steady State Concentration Does Not Prolong QT in a Thorough QT/QTc Study in Healthy Participants
Authors: Suico Jeffrey G. , Friedrich Stuart , Krueger Kathryn A. , Zhang Wei
Published: November 2013

Purpose:

To evaluate whether evacetrapib prolongs QT intervals in healthy participants.

Methods:

This was a single-center, randomized, active and placebo-controlled, 3-period, 6-sequence, and crossover study. Participants were randomized to 1 of 6 treatment sequences in which they received 1 of 3 treatments: evacetrapib 1200 mg daily for 10 days (supratherapeutic dose), moxifloxacin 400 mg for 1 day (positive control), or placebo for 10 days in each of the 3 separate treatment periods. Electrocardiographic parameters were recorded at time points specified in the protocol. The primary end point was the comparison of evacetrapib effect on the population-corrected QT interval (QTcP) to that of placebo at 7 time points following dosing on day 10. An upper limit of the 2-sided 90% confidence interval (CI) <10 milliseconds confirmed the absence of significant effect. Pharmacokinetic parameters were also calculated.

Results:

Subjects were predominantly male (73.2%) with a mean age of 43.1 years and a mean body mass index of 25.9 kg/m2. For the primary analysis, the upper bound of the 2-sided 90% CI for the mean difference between evacetrapib and placebo was <10 milliseconds at all time points on day 10. Following administration of moxifloxacin, the QTcP increased by ≥5 milliseconds at all time points (2, 3, and 4 hours postdose). Maximum plasma concentrations of evacetrapib occurred at a median time of approximately 2 hours, and the mean apparent elimination half-life was approximately 41 hours. The area under the curve and Cmax achieved in this study were both ∼5-fold the values that are expected with the dose level being studied in a phase 3 cardiovascular outcome study. A 1200-mg supratherapeutic dose of evacetrapib was considered to be well tolerated after 10 days of daily dosing in healthy participants.

Conclusions:

Evacetrapib is not associated with QT interval prolongation, even at supratherapeutic doses.