bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXX. Thelypteridaceae
Authors: SMITH ALAN R. , KESSLER MICHAEL
Published: December 2017

We provide a synopsis to the family Thelypteridaceae in Bolivia, including 106 species (several with varieties) in eight genera. Five new species are described: Amauropelta boliviana, A. glabrescens, A. lanceolata, A. subacrostichoides, and Steiropteris glabra. New combinations are made for three taxa: Christella clivalis (A.R.Sm.) A.R.Sm., Christella grandis (A.R.Sm.) A.R.Sm. var. kunzeana (C.Chr.) A.R.Sm., and Christella schizotis (Hook.) A.R.Sm. Seventeen species are endemic to Bolivia.
Review of the fish genus Epinnula Poey (Perciformes: Gempylidae), with description of a new species from the Pacific Ocean
Authors: HO HSUAN-CHING , MOTOMURA HIROYUKI , HATA HARUTAKA , JIANG WEI-CHUAN
Published: December 2017

The gempylid fish genus Epinnula is reviewed and two species are recognized. The type species E. magistralis is considered restricted to the western Atlantic Ocean and a new species from the Pacific Ocean is described. The new species, Epinnula pacifica sp. nov., can be distinguished from E. magistralis by 17 or 18 dorsal-fin rays (vs. 15 or 16 in E. magistralis), 15 or 16 anal-fin rays (vs. 13 or 14), 247–268 total scales on lower lateral line (vs. 285–330), a deeper body, relatively high dorsal fin as reflected by the relatively long fin spines and rays, longer dorsal-fin and anal-fin bases, longer pectoral fin, and longer pelvic fin and pelvic spine.
On the Connections Between Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory: A Note on True Score Evaluation for Polytomous Items via Item Response Modeling
Authors: Raykov Tenko , Dimitrov Dimiter M. , Marcoulides George A. , Harrison Michael
Published: December 2017

This note highlights and illustrates the links between item response theory and classical test theory in the context of polytomous items. An item response modeling procedure is discussed that can be used for point and interval estimation of the individual true score on any item in a measuring instrument or item set following the popular and widely applicable graded response model. The method contributes to the body of research on the relationships between classical test theory and item response theory and is illustrated on empirical data.
Learning about Democracy at Work: Cross-National Evidence on Individual Employee Voice Influencing Political Participation in Civil Society
Authors: Budd John W. , Lamare J. Ryan , Timming Andrew R.
Published: December 2017

Using European Social Survey data, this article analyzes the extent to which individual autonomy and participation in decision making at the workplace are linked empirically to individual political behaviors in civil society. The results, which are consistent with the hypothesis of a positive outward democratic spillover from the workplace to the political arena, point to the possibility of a learning effect. Much of the literature studies small samples in a single country, whereas we analyze more than 14,000 workers across 27 countries. The results do not appear to be driven by specific countries, which suggests that this spillover effect is a general phenomenon across a variety of institutional contexts, although some features of a country’s electoral system moderate some of the results.
Hungarian female migrant sex workers: Social support and vulnerability at home and abroad
Authors: Fábián Gergely , Hüse Lajos , Szoboszlai Katalin , Lawson Thomas , Toldi Andrea
Published: December 2017

An exploratory/descriptive study of 33 migrant Hungarian prostitutes who travel to Switzerland for sex work was conducted in Zurich by Hungarian social workers in cooperation with Swiss social workers. A new methodology (Hungarian Street Work Interpersonal Support) was developed to compare support networks both at home and while working abroad. Vulnerability and potential risk were mapped, finding networks at ‘home’ being supportive and non-risky with the opposite occurring ‘abroad’. Little use was made of protective relationships (police and social workers) in both locations. The primary motivation for engaging in migrant sex work was to provide for their children at home.
A class of extended time Petri nets for modeling and simulation of discrete event systems
Authors: Liu Fei , Zhang Hongmei
Published: December 2017

Time Petri nets (TPNs) have been widely used for modeling discrete event systems such as manufacturing, supply chain, and military systems. However, TPNs still have many drawbacks in some scenarios where an operation or process is associated with probability, and also lack appropriate simulation algorithms for analyzing different types of systems. In this paper, we address these two issues by proposing a class of extended time Petri nets (ETPNs) and presenting an appropriate simulation algorithm. We illustrate and validate our approach using a hypothetic command and control system, which shows that this approach could be a powerful tool for modeling and analyzing discrete event systems.
Data quality problems in discrete event simulation of manufacturing operations
Authors: Bokrantz Jon , Skoogh Anders , Lämkull Dan , Hanna Atieh , Perera Terrence
Published: December 2017

High-quality input data are a necessity for successful discrete event simulation (DES) applications, and there are available methodologies for data collection in DES projects. However, in contrast to standalone projects, using DES as a daily manufacturing engineering tool requires high-quality production data to be constantly available. In fact, there has been a major shift in the application of DES in manufacturing from production system design to daily operations, accompanied by a stream of research on automation of input data management and interoperability between data sources and simulation models. Unfortunately, this research stream rests on the assumption that the collected data are already of high quality, and there is a lack of in-depth understanding of simulation data quality problems from a practitioners’ perspective. Therefore, a multiple-case study within the automotive industry was used to provide empirical descriptions of simulation data quality problems, data production processes, and relations between these processes and simulation data quality problems. These empirical descriptions are necessary to extend the present knowledge on data quality in DES in a practical real-world manufacturing context, which is a prerequisite for developing practical solutions for solving data quality problems such as limited accessibility, lack of data on minor stoppages, and data sources not being designed for simulation. Further, the empirical and theoretical knowledge gained throughout the study was used to propose a set of practical guidelines that can support manufacturing companies in improving data quality in DES.
Sensor transmission power control in remote state estimation over a fading communication channel
Authors: Zhang Heng , Xing Zheng Wei
Published: December 2017

This paper investigates the problem of sensor power control for the scenario of remote state estimation. Most existing works mainly focus on designing sensor power scheduling schemes to minimize average estimation errors or terminal estimation errors when the sensor’s transmission capability is restrained by the energy budget. By contrast with these objectives, we aim to balance the cost of sensor power and the quality of remote estimation in this work. Specifically, we are interested in the problem that minimizes the expected weighted average sum of the remote state estimation errors and the sensor’s transmission power costs in an infinite time horizon. A Markov decision process framework is adopted to present the structure of the optimal power control strategy. However, it is not possible to find an analytical expression of the optimal solution. Thus, we further present an approximation solution and then derive a suboptimal sensor power control strategy. Finally, a simulation example is provided to show the effectiveness of our designed sensor control strategy.
Alcohol Availability and Violence
Authors: Snowden Aleksandra J.
Published: December 2017

Alcohol availability plays an important role in violence. Less is known about how spatiotemporal patterns of alcohol–violence association vary across time of day and across various crime types. This study examined whether and how the associations between on- and off-premise alcohol outlets and assaults, and between on- and off-premise alcohol outlets and robberies, vary across different times of day (morning, daytime, evening, and late night). This cross-sectional study used socioeconomic, alcohol license, and crime data from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, aggregated to US Census block groups and estimated spatially lagged maximum likelihood regression models that controlled for spatial dependence. On-premise outlets were negatively associated with evening assaults and positively associated with daytime and late-night robberies. Off-premise outlets were positively associated with evening assaults, late-night assaults, daytime robberies, and evening robberies. Spatiotemporal alcohol–violence associations vary across crime types and across time of day. On- and off-premise alcohol outlets play a unique role across four different temporal categories and across two violent crime types. These findings have the potential to inform theoretical explanations of the alcohol–violence relationship and may be beneficial when considering and designing custom-tailored local alcohol policy to reduce alcohol-related harm.
Latent state-trait modeling
Authors: Preszler Jonathan , Gartstein Maria A.
Published: December 2017

Questions concerning longitudinal stability and multi-method consistency are critical to temperament research. Latent State-Trait (LST) analyses address these directly, and were utilized in this study. Thus, our primary objective was to apply LST analyses in a temperament context, using longitudinal and multi-method data to determine the amount of trait vs. state variance, as well as convergence for measures of Distress to Limitations (DL) facets. Mothers’ ratings and independent observations of DL behaviors collected on two occasions (8 months old and 12 months old) for 148 infants (49.2% female) were utilized. Single source latent state-trait (LST) analyses indicated that parent ratings of DL behavior (PDL) contained more trait ( M = 61%) than state residual ( M = 39%) variance, whereas independent observations (IO) of DL behavior contained substantially more state residual (75%) than trait (25%) variance. A multiple source LST analysis indicated virtually zero convergence for either trait or state residual variance between PDL and IO ratings ( M = 2%). In conclusion, PDL ratings were more trait-like across the 4-month interval, whereas IO ratings of DL were more state-like in nature. Also, no convergence was found between the two methods of measurement. Results are discussed with an emphasis on implications for the utility of LST analyses in temperament research.
Living with functionally univentricular heart: beating the odds?
Authors: Alpat Safak , Demircin Metin
Published: December 2017

An unoperated 45-year-old man with double-inlet single left ventricle, transposed great arteries, ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary stenosis presented with mitral and pulmonary valvular vegetations unresponsive to antibiotic therapy. The initial diagnosis was made with echocardiography, and the morphology was delineated with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve and pulmonary valve vegetectomy. He recovered well and he is currently well two years after the operation.
Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis involving all four cardiac valves
Authors: Kawada Sachiko , Kuriyama Mitsuhito , Kotani Yasuhiro , Tsushima Shou , Tanabe Atsushi , Kioka Yukio
Published: December 2017

This report describes a case of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis caused by Waldenström macroglobulinemia, with diffuse endocardial lesions and involvement of all 4 cardiac valves. A 77-year-old man presented with heart failure due to severe regurgitation of all 4 cardiac valves; surgical repair using bioprosthetic valves was indicated. A pathological study revealed fibrin-triggered thrombus formation that confirmed the diagnosis of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis. In cases of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, the underlying cause should be investigated.
More than support to court
Authors: Hester Marianne , Lilley Sarah-Jane
Published: December 2017

This article explores the involvement of specialist sexual violence services, including Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs), in supporting victims/survivors of rape and sexual abuse to engage with the criminal justice system (CJS) in England and Wales. The underpinning research, conducted in one area of England, included referral data from the police and key specialist sexual violence services, interviews with 15 victims/survivors of sexual violence in contact with the police and specialist services, and interviews with 14 practitioners from sexual violence and related services. We examine the complex needs of victims/survivors of sexual violence (who have experienced historical child sexual abuse, acquaintance rape or rape in the context of intimate partner abuse), how their needs differ and vary over time, and the ways in which these diverse and changing needs are met by specialist sexual violence services. Non-specialist agencies, such as statutory mental health services, are unable to provide similarly targeted responses. The research found that specialist sexual violence services play particularly crucial roles through the use of approaches that can be characterised as flexible, enabling, holding and mending. However, this important work could easily be lost in the current climate of local service commissioning, to the great detriment of victims/survivors of sexual violence.
Therapeutic potential of silymarin in chronic unpredictable mild stress induced depressive-like behavior in mice
Authors: Thakare Vishnu N , Patil Rajesh R , Oswal Rajesh J , Dhakane Valmik D , Aswar Manoj K , Patel Bhoomika M
Published: December 2017

Silymarin, a plant-derived polyphenolic flavonoid of Silybum marianum, elicited significant antidepressant-like activity in an acute restraint stress model of depression. It improved monoamines, mainly 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels in the cortex, dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) in the cerebellum in mice. The present study was undertaken to explore the antidepressant potential of silymarin in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) induced depressive-like behavior in mice, and to find out its probable mechanism(s) of action, mainly neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, and/or oxidative stress. The mice were subjected to CUMS for 28 days (4 weeks) and administered with silymarin (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg), or fluoxetine or vehicle from days 8 to 28 (3 weeks simultaneously). Animals were evaluated for behavioral changes, such as anhedonia by sucrose preference test, behavioral despair by forced swim test, and exploratory behaviors by an open field test. In addition, neurobiochemical alterations, mainly monoamines, 5-HT, NE, DA, neurotrophic factor BDNF, and cytokines, IL-6, TNF-α, oxidant-antioxidant parameters by determining the malondialdehyde formation (an index of lipid peroxidation process), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in hippocampus and cerebral cortex along with serum corticosterone were investigated. Our findings reveal that mice subjected to CUMS exhibited lower sucrose preference, increase immobility time without affecting general locomotion of the animals, and reduce BDNF, 5-HT, NE, and DA level, increased serum corticosterone, IL-6 and TNF-α along with an oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Silymarin significantly reversed the CUMS-induced changes in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex in mice. Thus, the possible mechanism involved in the antidepressant-like activity of silymarin is correlated to the alleviation of monoaminergic, neurogenesis (enhancing 5-HT, NE, and BDNF levels), and attenuation of inflammatory cytokines system and oxidative stress by modulation of corticosterone response, restoration of antioxidant defense system in cerebral cortex and hippocampus.
The importance of small polar radiometabolites in molecular neuroimaging: A PET study with [11C]Cimbi-36 labeled in two positions
Authors: Johansen Annette , Hansen Hanne D , Svarer Claus , Lehel Szabolcs , Leth-Petersen Sebastian , Kristensen Jesper L , Gillings Nic , Knudsen Gitte M
Published: December 2017

[11C]Cimbi-36, a 5-HT2A receptor agonist PET radioligand, contains three methoxy groups amenable to [11C]-labeling. In pigs, [11C]Cimbi-36 yields a polar (M1) and a less polar (M2) radiometabolite fraction, while changing the labeling to [11C]Cimbi-36_5 yields only the M1 fraction. We investigate whether changing the labeling position of [11C]Cimbi-36 eliminates M2 in humans, and if this changes the signal-to-background ratio. Six healthy volunteers each underwent two dynamic PET scans; after injection of [11C]Cimbi-36, both the M1 and M2 fraction appeared in plasma, whereas only the M1 appeared after [11C]Cimbi-36_5 injection. [11C]Cimbi-36_5 generated higher uptake than [11C]Cimbi-36 in both neocortex and cerebellum. With the simplified reference tissue model mean neocortical non-displaceable binding potential for [11C]Cimbi-36 was 1.38 ± 0.07, whereas for [11C]Cimbi-36_5, it was 1.18 ± 0.14. This significant difference can be explained by higher non-displaceable binding caused by demethylation products in the M1 fraction such as [11C]formaldehyde and/or [11C]carbon dioxide/bicarbonate. Although often considered without any impact on binding measures, we show that small polar radiometabolites can substantially decrease the signal-to-background ratio of PET radioligands for neuroimaging. Further, we find that [11C]Cimbi-36 has a better signal-to-background ratio than [11C]Cimbi-36_5, and thus will be more sensitive to changes in 5-HT2A receptor levels in the brain.
Sharing, togetherness and intentional degrowth
Authors: Jarvis Helen
Published: December 2017

This article proposes a social phenomenology of intentional sharing and togetherness from a degrowth perspective: extending human relations instead of market relations; deepening democracy; defending ecosystems; and realizing a more equal global distribution of wealth. Social phenomenology looks beyond individual mutual exchange to the rich but fragile social construction of collectively negotiated ethical purpose. Intentional communities of cohousing are identified as part of a solution to dismantle privatized, conspicuous consumption. This approach challenges the tendency in popular sharing economy discourse to conflate different types of togetherness, highlighting instead the social significance of skilful cooperation and conviviality in groups and associations.
On second-order observation and genuine pretending
Authors: Moeller Hans-Georg
Published: December 2017

This paper discusses the meaning of the concept of ‘second-order observation’ used by Niklas Luhmann (1927–1998). Luhmann identifies second-order observation as a defining characteristic of modern world society. According to Luhmann, all social systems construct a social reality on the basis of the observation of observations. Rating agencies in the economy or the peer-review process in the academic system are examples of social mechanisms manifesting second-order observation. Social media also represent organized second-order observation. The paper suggests that in a society based on second-order observation, ‘genuine pretending’ is an adequate mode of existence. This notion is derived from the Daoist text Zhuangzi. It indicates a disassociation from social roles which allows their performers to exercise these roles with ease and, at the same time, maintain a state of sanity.
Functional differentiation as ideology of the (neo)colonial society
Authors: Gonçalves Guilherme Leite
Published: December 2017

This article discusses the ideological character of the notion of functional differentiation. According to Luhmann, the development of worldwide social differentiation (that is, the rise of the world society) leads to different regional developments and generates, through the inclusion/exclusion code, a division of the world between places where the functional differentiation operates appropriately and inappropriately. This paper argues, however, that functional differentiation is only readable as an ensemble of relations of power and ideological discourses. This subject is developed in light of theoretical approaches from the Marxist tradition and from postcolonial studies. Regarding the first, the functional differentiation is reread as an abstract and generic equality, which permits the material reproduction of regional inequality. This idea provides a background for discussing the ideological features of the functional differentiation which serves the dominant position of Western countries in the international arena since it enables the maintenance of a ruling ideology, according to which the world is differentiated between the ‘civilized’ West (where democracy performs positively) and the ‘uncivilized’ non-West (where democracy performs negatively).
On gambling
Authors: Wenning Mario
Published: December 2017

The gambler’s probing of luck in games of chance cannot be reduced to rational calculation. The art of gambling flourishes at the margins of societies and undermines the correlation of effort and entitlement. This paper interprets the peculiar thrill of gambling in modern times by drawing on social systems theory and critical theory. It argues that gambling is a specific mode of agency that consists in a playful engagement with risk and contingency. The gambler reveals a highly aroused and yet passive consciousness. Success in gambling depends on the art of proper timing as well as a preconscious awareness of fortune.
For Better or For Work: Dual Discourses in a Workplace Wellness Program
Authors: Dailey Stephanie L. , Burke Tricia J. , Carberry Emmalene G.
Published: December 2017

Despite the ubiquity of workplace health promotion (WHP) programs, research has yet to address how employees make sense of the various meanings surrounding free wellness time at work. Through interviews with 30 participants of a workplace wellness program, this study uncovered organizational and employee discourses surrounding health at work. In sharing their health narratives, employees drew on dual discourses, expressing multiple meanings in the program’s rationale, workers’ participation, and the results of workplace health initiatives. Our findings contribute to WHP literature by proposing workplace wellness programs as a site of struggle, drawing attention to the role of agency in WHP participation, extending managerialism in WHP outside the corporate setting, and connecting workplace wellness scholarship to the meaning of work and work–family policy research.
Increased synthetic drug abuse and trends in HIV and syphilis prevalence among female drug users from 2010–2014 from Beijing, China
Authors: Sun Yanming , Guo Wei , Li Guiying , He Shufang , Lu Hongyan
Published: December 2017

The objective of this study was to monitor the trend of addiction drug use and its relationship with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female drug users (FDUs). Serial cross-sectional surveys were conducted during 2010–2014 among FDUs in Beijing to collect information on addiction drug usage, sexual behaviors, and STI prevalence. Characteristics were analyzed and compared between traditional and synthetic drug users among FDUs by logistic regression method. A total of 3859 FDUs were surveyed during 2010–2014, with the median age being 32.7 years old. The proportion of synthetic drug users among FDUs increased from 43.7% in 2010 to 70.7% in 2014. Compared with traditional drug users, synthetic drug users were younger (P < 0.001), lacked education (P < 0.001), were unmarried (P < 0.001), and were non-local residents (P < 0.001). No significant difference was found with condom usage during sexual activity between traditional and synthetic drug FDUs. However, the engagement of commercial sexual activities (P < 0.001) and syphilis prevalence (P < 0.001) among synthetic drug users were significantly higher than traditional drug users. Synthetic drug abuse appears to be correlated with commercial sex behavior and higher syphilis prevalence among FDUs. Tailored strategies on health education to curb the prevalence of synthetic drug abuse are urgently needed in Beijing.
Young British Pakistani Muslim women’s involvement in higher education
Authors: Hussain Ifsa , Johnson Sally , Alam Yunis
Published: December 2017

This article explores the implications for identity through presenting a detailed analysis of how three British Pakistani women narrated their involvement in higher education. The increased participation of British South Asian women in higher education has been hailed as a major success story and is said to have enabled them to forge alternative, more empowering gender identities in comparison to previous generations. Drawing on generative narrative interviews conducted with three young women, we explore the under-researched area of Pakistani Muslim women in higher education. The central plotlines for their stories are respectively higher education as an escape from conforming to the “ good Muslim woman”; becoming an educated mother; and Muslim women can “ have it all.” Although the women narrated freedom to choose, their stories were complex. Through analysis of personal “I” and social “We” self-narration, we discuss the different ways in which they drew on agency and fashioned it within social and structural constraints of gender, class and religion. Thus, higher education is a context that both enables and constrains negotiations of identity.
Distributed control strategy for large-scale hydraulic synchronous lifting systems
Authors: Dong Lijing , Zhu Chaojin
Published: December 2017

Hydraulic synchronous lifting systems consisting of multiple cylinders are of great importance for lifting heavy loads. To achieve high-precision movement of heavy objects, it is necessary to control and synchronize the movements of multiple lifting points. Centralized control station is not suitable for lifting systems in which the cylinders are deployed at large-scale regions. Thus, in this article, we propose a distributed control strategy for the large-scale lifting system where the cylinders cooperate with their neighbors to achieve synchronization. The cylinder nearest to the work station is regarded as a leading cylinder and connected to the work station, while the others are not able to access the command signal from the station. In this article, all of the cylinders are assumed to be equipped with wireless communication modules and their states are accessible to the cylinders within communication range. Each cylinder has its own distributed controller, in which only the neighboring cylinders’ information are employed. Through coupling states when designing the distributed controllers, the movements of all the cylinders are driven to be synchronous. Finally, simulations with AMESim are conducted to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of proposed cooperative control strategy.
A framework for strengthening agricultural knowledge systems for improved accessibility of agricultural knowledge in Morogoro Region of Tanzania
Authors: Mtega Wulystan Pius , Ngoepe Mpho
Published: December 2017

Access to agricultural knowledge has been a serious challenge among farmers in Tanzania. To overcome this, various strategies have been implemented, but few have managed to limit the effect of the problem. The current study was set to design a framework for strengthening agricultural knowledge systems (AKS) with the view to improve access to agricultural knowledge among agricultural stakeholders in Tanzania. Furthermore, the study identified actors in agricultural knowledge systems and determined factors influencing the efficiency of AKS. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires directed to 314 farmers and 57 AKS actors among agricultural researchers, agricultural extension staff, policy makers, village executives and input suppliers. Findings indicate that individual experience and involvement of actors influence agricultural knowledge creation. Accessibility of agricultural knowledge was influenced by: awareness of knowledge and its sources, ownership of communication tools, affordability of mobile phone tariffs, level of development of knowledge infrastructure, time that radio/TV agricultural programmes were aired, membership in farmers’ groups/associations and provision of agricultural extension services. To strengthen usage of AKS, this study proposes a framework for improving the performance of agricultural knowledge processes and knowledge accessibility. It is hoped that the framework will assist in guiding agricultural actors in sharing knowledge.
The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
Authors: Douglas Karen M. , Sutton Robbie M. , Cichocka Aleksandra
Published: December 2017

What psychological factors drive the popularity of conspiracy theories, which explain important events as secret plots by powerful and malevolent groups? What are the psychological consequences of adopting these theories? We review the current research and find that it answers the first of these questions more thoroughly than the second. Belief in conspiracy theories appears to be driven by motives that can be characterized as epistemic (understanding one’s environment), existential (being safe and in control of one’s environment), and social (maintaining a positive image of the self and the social group). However, little research has investigated the consequences of conspiracy belief, and to date, this research does not indicate that conspiracy belief fulfills people’s motivations. Instead, for many people, conspiracy belief may be more appealing than satisfying. Further research is needed to determine for whom, and under what conditions, conspiracy theories may satisfy key psychological motives.
Dynamic behavior of wood chemical components under drying process measured by near infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Sugii Shiho , Fujimoto Takaaki , Tsutsumi Harusa , Inagaki Tetsuya , Tsuchikawa Satoru
Published: December 2017

This study examined the dynamic behavior of wood chemical components during the drying process using near infrared spectroscopy. Principal component analysis and generalized two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy were applied to identify significant absorption bands from the heavily overlapping near infrared spectra. The near infrared spectra were successively acquired over the moisture content range of 60–11%. The principal component analysis scores indicated that the wood–water interaction in the moisture content range of 60–46% significantly differed from that in the range of 45–11%. The synchronous 2D correlation spectrum constructed from the spectra in the moisture content range of 60–46% revealed that the cell wall components and water molecules responded to the drying process even though the wood exceeded the fiber saturation point. In the moisture content range of 45–11%, the H-bonded OH groups in the crystalline region of cellulose clearly increased with the decrease in bound water. Moreover, the sequential order of events was also clarified from the asynchronous spectrum.
Psychosocial Burden and Stigma Perception of Jordanian Patients With Epilepsy
Authors: Dalky Heyam F. , Gharaibeh Huda , Faleh Reem
Published: December 2017

Epilepsy requires long-term treatment that interferes with individuals’ social relationships. Because the effects of psychosocial burden and stigma perception on patients with epilepsy in Jordan have not been explored, the study assessed the relationship among psychosocial burden, stigma of epilepsy, and demographic variables. Subjects were adult patients with epilepsy ( N = 200) registered at hospital clinics. Two published instruments were used to measure outcomes. The participants in the study perceived the burden and stigma of epilepsy as moderate. A strong, positive correlation between psychosocial burden and stigma perception among participants was found. Stigma perception, employment, and education variables explained 31.6% of variation of the level of psychosocial burden. The results showed a relationship between stigma perception and psychosocial level, and this provides information that may assist health care providers in formulating strategic plans to improve the care, safety, and quality of life of patients with epilepsy in Jordan.
Genomic Test Results and the Courtroom: The Roles of Experts and Expert Testimony
Authors: Ramos Edward , Callier Shawneequa L. , Swann Peter B. , Harvey Hosea H.
Published: December 2017

The rapid advancement from single-gene testing to whole genome sequencing has significantly broadened the type and amount of information available to researchers, physicians, patients, and the public in general. Much debate has ensued about whether genomic test results should be reported to research participants, patients and consumers, and at what stage we can be sure that existing evidence justifies their use in clinical settings. Courts and judges evaluating the utility of these results will not be immune to this uncertainty. As scholars increasingly explore the duty of care standards related to reporting genomic test results, it is timely to provide a framework for understanding how uncertainty about genetic and genomic tests influences evidentiary considerations in the court room. Here, we explore the subtleties and nuances of interpreting genetic data in an environment of substantial discord related to the value that individuals should place on genetic and genomic tests. In conjunction, we discuss the roles courts should play in qualifying experts, expert testimony, and genetic and genomic tests given the intricate and complex nature of genetic and genomic information.
A Mediation Analysis of Mothers’ Dietary Intake: The Entre Familia: Reflejos de Salud Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Horton Lucy A. , Ayala Guadalupe X. , Slymen Donald J. , Ibarra Leticia , Hernandez Erika , Parada Humberto , Rock Cheryl L. , Arredondo Elva M. , Elder John P.
Published: December 2017

Aims. Examine intervention effects among mothers involved in a healthy eating randomized controlled trial. Furthermore, examine the mediating roles of individual and familial influences on observed outcomes. Methods. Between 2009 and 2011, 361 families were recruited; half were assigned to an 11-session community health worker–delivered family-based intervention targeting Spanish-speaking Latino families in Imperial County, California. The intervention was delivered over a 4-month period. Home visits and telephone calls were delivered approximately weekly, with tapering near the end of the intervention to promote independence from the promotora. In this article, mothers’ self-reported dietary intake was the primary outcome. Evaluation measures were taken at baseline, 4 months, and 10 months. Results. Daily servings of fruits were higher among intervention versus control mothers (mean = 1.86 vs. mean = 1.47; effect size [ES] = 0.22) at 10 months post-baseline. Mothers in the intervention versus control condition also reported consuming a lower percent energy from fat (mean = 30.0% vs. 31.0%; ES = 0.30) and a higher diet quality (mean = 2.93 vs. mean = 2.67; ES = 0.29). Mediators of improvements were behavioral strategies to increase fiber and lower fat intake, family support for vegetable purchasing, and decreased unhealthy eating behaviors and perceived family barriers to healthy eating. Discussion and Conclusion. Family-based behavioral interventions are effective for changing the skills and family system needed to improve diet among Latina mothers. Health care providers and other practitioners are encouraged to target skill development and fostering a socially supportive environment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, Mindfulness, and Yoga in Patients With Breast Cancer with Sleep Disturbance: A Literature Review
Authors: Zeichner Simon B , Zeichner Rachel L , Gogineni Keerthi , Shatil Sharon , Ioachimescu Octavian
Published: December 2017

The number of patients with breast cancer diagnosed with sleep disturbance has grown substantially within the United States over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, there have been significant improvements in the psychological treatment of sleep disturbance in patients with breast cancer. More specifically, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), mindfulness, and yoga have shown to be 3 promising treatments with varying degrees of benefit, supporting data, and inherent limitations. In this article, we will outline the treatment approach for sleep disturbance in patients with breast cancer and conduct a comprehensive review of CBT-I, mindfulness, and yoga as they pertain to this patient population.
Proliferative Synovitis of the Shoulder Bursae is a Key Feature for Discriminating Elderly Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis Mimicking Polymyalgia Rheumatica From Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Authors: Suzuki Takeshi , Yoshida Ryochi , Hidaka Yuka , Seri Yu
Published: December 2017

Semiquantitative scoring for subacromial bursa (SAB), subdeltoid bursa (SDB), and subcoracoid bursa by both gray-scale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) ultrasonography was performed in 15 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) (72.6 ± 7.7 years old) and 15 patients with elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis with PMR-like onset (pm-EORA) (70.7 ± 7.0 years old) before starting treatment. The GS grades of SAB were significantly higher in the shoulders with pm-EORA than in the shoulders with PMR. The GS and PD scores of SAB and the PD scores of SDB were significantly higher in pm-EORA than in PMR cases. The sums of GS and/or PD scores for the three bursae were significantly higher in pm-EORA than in patients with PMR. The sums of GS and PD scores for SAB were significantly higher in pm-EORA than in PMR cases. Moderate to severe proliferative synovitis of the shoulder bursae, especially in SAB, is a key feature for discriminating pm-EORA from PMR.
Development and testing of Indoor Soundscape Questionnaire for evaluating contextual experience in public spaces
Authors: Dokmeci Yorukoglu Papatya Nur , Kang Jian
Published: December 2017

An I﻿ndoor Soundscape Questionnaire aiming at the evaluation of indoor public sound environments was designed, statistically tested and presented. It was established through initial pilot studies and three main factors under contextual experience variable are established as (1) psychological factors, (2) space usage factors and (3) demographical factors. In addition to the questions on demographical and space usage factors, detailed questions on psychological factors are designed and statistically tested for expectation, perception and reaction categories of the psychological factor. The questionnaire was applied as part of a case study in enclosed library foyer environments to a group of 270 participants through non-experimental survey data sampling. The reliability and validity scores of the Indoor Soundscape Questionnaire were statistically tested and confirmed. Furthermore, statistical tests were used to derive relationships between contextual experience variables of psychological, space usage and demographical factors. Chi-square test of goodness-of-fit results showed statistical significances of demographical and space usage factors with the psychological factors.
Framing, resonance and war: Foregrounds and backgrounds of cultural congruence
Authors: Kornprobst Markus
Published: December 2017

This article addresses the communicative processes through which leaders succeed or fail to generate public support for going to war. In order to answer this question, I rely on the framing literature’s insight that cultural congruence helps make frames resonate with an audience. Yet, my argument examines this phenomenon in greater depth. There is more to cultural congruence than selecting commonplaces such as analogies and metaphors from a repertoire that the audience widely shares. Culturally congruent framing also features a genre and more general themes that are taken out of such a repertoire. My empirical analysis of Tony Blair’s communicative moves to sway the British public to fight over Kosovo and Iraq provides empirical evidence for this framework. This study makes two important contributions. First, it highlights that public contestations about going to war criss-cross the overly neat categories proposed by most scholars interested in this phenomenon. Second, in identifying different dimensions of framing, this article deepens our understandings of cultural congruence.
Weapons of mass participation: Social media, violence entrepreneurs, and the politics of crowdfunding for war
Authors: Grove Nicole Sunday
Published: December 2017

Since 2012, North American and European civilians have regularly engaged in combat operations against the Islamic State in the globalized and decentralized battlefields of Iraq and Syria. This article focuses on two aspects of this phenomenon. First, I argue that these combatants represent a different kind of fighter from both private military contractors and battlefield laborers profiled in the private security literature insofar as capital is a means rather than an end in the innovation of violence. I refer to these fighters as violence entrepreneurs. The relevance and limits of Schmitt’s writings on enmity and his theory of the partisan are examined in the context of these contemporary networks of security, mobility, and killing. My second argument centers on how online platforms for the distribution of small-scale donations to these fighters and their self-crafted missions facilitate hyper-mediated forms of patronage, where individual donors are both producers and consumers of security in ways that further distort distinctions between civilians and combatants. The imagined communities that support these combatants, both morally and financially, through the banal networks of Facebook and peer-to-peer funding platforms like GoFundMe suggest a radical deviation from conventional organizational structures and capacities for waging combat. Crowdfunding congeals these new geopolitical networks in the authorizing of individuals to determine their own singular forms of enmity, mutating the conditions of possibility for the sovereign decision.
A pilot investigation of an iOS-based app for toilet training children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Mruzek Daniel W , McAleavey Stephen , Loring Whitney A , Butter Eric , Smith Tristram , McDonnell Erin , Levato Lynne , Aponte Courtney , Travis Rebekah P , Aiello Rachel E , Taylor Cora M , Wilkins Jonathan W , Corbett-Dick Patricia , Finkelstein Dianne M , York Alyssa M , Zanibbi Katherine
Published: December 2017

We developed an iOS-based app with a transmitter/disposable sensor and corresponding manualized intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. The app signaled the onset of urination, time-stamped accidents for analysis, reminded parents to reinforce intervals of continence, provided a visual outlet for parents to communicate reinforcement, and afforded opportunity for timely feedback from clinicians. We compared this intervention with an intervention that uses standard behavioral treatment in a pilot randomized controlled trial of 33 children with autism spectrum disorder aged 3–6 years with urinary incontinence. Parents in both groups received initial training and four booster consultations over 3 months. Results support the feasibility of parent-mediated toilet training studies (e.g., 84% retention rate, 92% fidelity of parent-implemented intervention). Parents used the app and related technology with few difficulties or malfunctions. There were no statistically significant group differences for rate of urine accidents, toilet usage, or satisfaction at close of intervention or 3-month follow-up; however, the alarm group trended toward greater rate of skill acquisition with significantly less day-to-day intervention. Further development of alarm and related technology and future comparative studies with a greater number of participants are warranted.
Computer-assisted versus paper-and-pencil self-report delinquency surveys: Results of an experimental study
Authors: Baier Dirk
Published: December 2017

Self-report delinquency studies among adolescents are frequently conducted as paper-and-pencil studies. With the introduction of computers in schools, a new infrastructure for interviewing students is available. Until now only a few criminological studies deal with the question of whether paper-and-pencil and computer-assisted surveys lead to the same results. This question is analysed using a paper-and-pencil sample of 2033 adolescents and a netbook sample of 610 adolescents. In contrast to other experiments, not only are prevalence rates of delinquent behaviour compared but also prevalence rates of factors influencing delinquent behaviour, correlations between these factors and the behaviour, missing values and evaluations of the survey by the adolescents. Among others, the analyses differentiate between gender and educational groups. All in all, largely no differences were found between the two methods regarding all these topics. The netbook survey obtained the same results as the paper-and-pencil survey.
Public scholars, legitimation, and the “subject of history” predicament
Authors: Tavares Hannah M
Published: December 2017

This essay explores recent trends in contemporary educational studies that have focused on developing closer partnerships between university-based scholars and school practitioners and community-based organizers. With a focus on the antidote, as seen in the 2016 American Educational Research Association’s conference theme to recalibrate university-based education scholars as professional educational researchers in the service of the public, the author exposes how the contemporary trend, although running counter to, cannot be extricated from the Marxian problematic concerning the subject of history.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Implementing a Best Practice Guideline in Public Health
Authors: Prowd Lisa , Leach Denna , Lynn Hazel , Tao May
Published: December 2017

This article describes how one Ontario Public Health Unit implemented a best practice guideline throughout the organization and across disciplines to achieve best practice outcomes in the delivery of client-centered care. Integration of evidence-informed practice presents challenges for both implementation and sustainability. Applying a best practice guideline in the public health setting can add to the challenge. To address this, a variety of interventions were applied: building an interdisciplinary team, adapting a Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario Best Practice Guideline to reflect public health practice for nursing and other disciplines, developing a working definition of “client,” engaging staff in knowledge translation, developing policy to support practice change, and incorporating client-centered care principles into daily practice. Outcomes indicate that nursing best practice guidelines, specific to client-centered care, can be successfully adapted and applied in public health practice. Considerations include the varied definitions of a “client,” the various roles of public health professionals, and engagement of both internal and external clients. Moreover, interdisciplinary staff can apply the principles of client-centered care when working with clients and when engaging in education-, practice-, and policy-level initiatives to support evidence-informed practice.