bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating Linear Trends: Simple Linear Regression versus Epoch Differences
Authors: Barnes Elizabeth A. , Barnes Randal J.
Published: October 2015

Two common approaches for estimating a linear trend are 1) simple linear regression and 2) the epoch difference with possibly unequal epoch lengths. The epoch difference estimator for epochs of length M is defined as the difference between the average value over the last M time steps and the average value over the first M time steps divided by N − M, where N is the length of the time series. Both simple linear regression and the epoch difference are unbiased estimators for the trend; however, it is demonstrated that the variance of the linear regression estimator is always smaller than the variance of the epoch difference estimator for first-order autoregressive [AR(1)] time series with lag-1 autocorrelations less than about 0.85. It is further shown that under most circumstances if the epoch difference estimator is applied, the optimal epoch lengths are equal and approximately one-third the length of the time series. Additional results are given for the optimal epoch length at one end when the epoch length at the other end is constrained.
Seasonal Influences upon and Long-Term Trends in the Length of the Atlantic Hurricane Season
Authors: Karloski Juliana M. , Evans Clark
Published: October 2015

Considering a subset of the North Atlantic Ocean south of 30°N and east of 75°W, Kossin found that the Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) season increased in length, at 80%–90% confidence, by about 2 days per year between 1980 and 2007. It is uncertain, however, whether the same is true over the entire Atlantic basin or when the analysis is extended to 2014. Separately, it is unclear whether meaningful subseasonal variability in the environmental factors necessary for TC formation exists between early- and late-starting (ending) seasons. Quantile regression is used to evaluate long-term trends in Atlantic TC season length. No statistically significant trend in season length exists for the period 1979–2007 when considering the entire Atlantic basin or for the period 1979–2014 independent of the portion of the basin considered. Linear regression applied to June and November monthly mean reanalysis data is used to examine subseasonal environmental variability between early- and late-starting (ending) seasons. Within an otherwise favorable environment for genesis, early-starting seasons are associated with increased lower-tropospheric relative vorticity where most early-season TCs form. Late-ending seasons are associated with La Niña, negative-phase Pacific decadal oscillation events, and environmental conditions that promote an increased likelihood of TC development along the preferred genesis pathways for late-season TCs. While confidence in these results is relatively high, they explain only a small portion of the total variation in Atlantic TC season length. More research is needed to understand how variability on all time scales influences Atlantic TC season length and its predictability.
Global Precipitation Estimates from Cross-Track Passive Microwave Observations Using a Physically Based Retrieval Scheme
Authors: Kidd Chris , Matsui Toshihisa , Chern Jiundar , Mohr Karen , Kummerow Chris , Randel Dave
Published: October 2015

The estimation of precipitation across the globe from satellite sensors provides a key resource in the observation and understanding of our climate system. Estimates from all pertinent satellite observations are critical in providing the necessary temporal sampling. However, consistency in these estimates from instruments with different frequencies and resolutions is critical. This paper details the physically based retrieval scheme to estimate precipitation from cross-track (XT) passive microwave (PM) sensors on board the constellation satellites of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Here the Goddard profiling algorithm (GPROF), a physically based Bayesian scheme developed for conically scanning (CS) sensors, is adapted for use with XT PM sensors. The present XT GPROF scheme utilizes a model-generated database to overcome issues encountered with an observational database as used by the CS scheme. The model database ensures greater consistency across meteorological regimes and surface types by providing a more comprehensive set of precipitation profiles. The database is corrected for bias against the CS database to ensure consistency in the final product. Statistical comparisons over western Europe and the United States show that the XT GPROF estimates are comparable with those from the CS scheme. Indeed, the XT estimates have higher correlations against surface radar data, while maintaining similar root-mean-square errors. Latitudinal profiles of precipitation show the XT estimates are generally comparable with the CS estimates, although in the southern midlatitudes the peak precipitation is shifted equatorward while over the Arctic large differences are seen between the XT and the CS retrievals.
Comparison of the Impacts of Momentum Control Variables on High-Resolution Variational Data Assimilation and Precipitation Forecasting
Authors: Sun Juanzhen , Wang Hongli , Tong Wenxue , Zhang Ying , Lin Chung-Yi , Xu Dongmei
Published: October 2015

The momentum variables of streamfunction and velocity potential are used as control variables in a number of operational variational data assimilation systems. However, in this study it is shown that, for limited-area high-resolution data assimilation, the momentum control variables ψ and χ (ψχ) pose potential difficulties in background error modeling and, hence, may result in degraded analysis and forecast when compared with the direct use of x and y components of wind (UV). In this study, the characteristics of the modeled background error statistics, derived from an ensemble generated from Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model real-time forecasts of two summer months, are first compared between the two control variable options. Assimilation and forecast experiments are then conducted with both options for seven convective events in a domain that encompasses the Rocky Mountain Front Range using the three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVar) system of the WRF Model. The impacts of the two control variable options are compared in terms of their skills in short-term qualitative precipitation forecasts. Further analysis is performed for one case to examine the impacts when radar observations are included in the 3DVar assimilation. The main findings are as follows: 1) the background error modeling used in WRF 3DVar with the control variables ψχ increases the length scale and decreases the variance for u and υ, which causes negative impact on the analysis of the velocity field and on precipitation prediction; 2) the UV-based 3DVar allows closer fits to radar wind observations; and 3) the use of UV control variables improves the 0–12-h precipitation prediction.
Brokers and the Earnings of Female Sex Workers in India
Authors: Brady David , Biradavolu Monica , Blankenship Kim M.
Published: October 2015

This study examines whether working with a broker increases or reduces the payment received for the last client among female sex workers. Building on research on the informal economy and sex work, we formulate a positive embeddedness hypothesis, expecting a positive association, and an exploitation hypothesis, expecting a negative association. We analyze a large survey combined with intensive interview data on female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India. These data uniquely distinguish between the amount the sex worker actually received and the amount the client paid. The analyses show that brokers are associated with significantly lower last payment received. Although brokers are associated with a greater number of clients in the past week, this does not result in significantly higher total earnings in the past week. Further analyses suggest that much of the negative relationship with earnings is due to the fact that brokers lead to a lack of control over the amount clients are charged. At the same time, the results fail to show that brokers actually provide services of value. Ultimately, the results support the exploitation hypothesis. We conclude by encouraging the refinement of theories of embeddedness and exploitation and calling for greater research on workers in the informal economy of developing countries.
Social Protection and Labor Market Outcomes of Youth in South Africa
Authors: Ardington Cally , Bärnighausen Till , Case Anne , Menendez Alicia
Published: October 2015

An Apartheid-driven spatial mismatch between workers and jobs leads to high job search costs for people living in rural areas of South Africa—costs that many young people cannot pay. In this article, the authors examine whether the arrival of a social grant—specifically a generous state-funded old-age pension given to men and women above prime age—enhances the ability of young men in rural areas to seek better work opportunities elsewhere. Based on eight waves of socioeconomic data on household living arrangements and household members’ characteristics and employment status, collected between 2001 and 2011 at a demographic surveillance site in KwaZulu-Natal, the authors find that young men are significantly more likely to become labor migrants when someone in their household becomes age-eligible for the old-age pension. But this effect applies only to those who have completed high school (matric), who are on average 8 percentage points more likely to migrate for work when their households become pension eligible, compared with other potential labor migrants. The authors also find that, upon pension loss, it is the youngest migrants who are the most likely to return to their sending households, perhaps because they are the least likely to be self-sufficient at the time the pension is lost. The evidence is consistent with binding credit constraints limiting young men from poorer households from seeking more lucrative work elsewhere.
Within- and Cross-Firm Mobility and Earnings Growth
Authors: Frederiksen Anders , Halliday Timothy , Koch Alexander K.
Published: October 2015

A widely accepted premise is that promotions within firms and mobility across firms lead to significant earnings progression. Existing research generally has examined cross-firm mobility separately from hierarchical advancement. Yet, as the authors’ descriptive evidence from Danish panel data shows, how the two types of mobility interact is important for understanding earnings growth. Cross-firm moves at the nonexecutive level provide sizable short-run earnings growth (similar to the effect of being promoted to an executive position). These gains, however, appear modest compared with the persistent impact on earnings growth of promotions (either within or across firms) and subsequent mobility at a higher hierarchy level.
“Come be off with you”: White spatial control in the representation of Aboriginality in early Australian drama
Authors: Miller Benjamin
Published: October 2015

Scholars of early Australian drama have over-emphasized the stylistic relationship between Aboriginal characters in early Australian drama and blackface characters in early American drama. Focusing on stylistic connections between early US and Australian theatre potentially overlooks the complex ideological similarities in representations of race on the American and Australian stage. This article provides a close reading of two of Australia’s first plays — David Burn’s “The Bushrangers” and Henry Melville’s “The Bushrangers; or, Norwood Vale” — in order to nuance the critical record exploring the influence of American drama on Australian drama around 1830. Looking beyond formal connections between early US and Australian theatre can reveal an ideology of white spatial control underpinning early representations of Aboriginality and blackness in Australian and American drama.
“The Black”, space, and sexuality: Examining resistance in Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners
Authors: Herald Patrick
Published: October 2015

This article argues that theoretical notions of resistance and agency prove inadequate for considering the complexities of the treatment of Sam Selvon’s Trinidadian characters. Indeed, to proceed from a binary logic of resistance and oppression carries the danger of universalizing those seen as oppressed, and smoothing over important complications in the novel. The Lonely Londoners, written at a pivotal moment of imperial decline, offers a valuable perspective on the experience of colonial immigration to England (and the accompanying complications of race and sexuality it wrought) as well as theories of resistance. By drawing on the circumspection of recent theorists, this article goes beyond the sort of analysis which might impose a binary logic of resistance and oppression on the complex intersections of race and sexuality on display in the novel. More specifically, The Lonely Londoners can be seen as grappling with and critiquing individualism, one of liberalism’s chief values; formally, the novel’s title invokes a group yet the narrative itself spends the majority of its pages detailing the individual lives of its characters, individual lives which stand in tension with their shared group identity and their daily struggles in postwar London. This tension between individualism and community reveals key moments — such as one character’s personification of the colour black — as being symptomatic of a complex field of identity categories that Selvon’s novel engages with. I argue that these categories should indeed be interrogated alongside the novel’s depictions of metropolitan geography; however, I suggest that such an analysis is best served by also treating a key concept that might be taken for granted with the same complexity and diligence: resistance.
Study on correlation between permeability and structural parameters of non-crimped fabrics
Authors: Dong Shuhua , Liu Gang , Jia Yuxi , Li Weidong , Jiao Xuejian
Published: October 2015

It is a challenge to predict the permeability due to the complex correlation between the permeability and structural parameters of fabric preform. In this paper, the correlation between the in-plane permeability and the structural parameters of the non-crimped fabrics is investigated by using the finite element method. The effect of the intra-ply structural parameters and ply orientations on the in-plane permeability of the fabric preform is investigated. In addition, the influence of four structural parameters on the in-plane permeability is analyzed by the Morris method. The results show that the in-plane permeability is most sensitive to the distance between fiber bundles, while the semi-major axis length of the ellipse section of the fiber bundle is relatively insensitive. The order of the in-plane permeability of non-crimped fabrics preform with different ply orientations is as follows: [0]2 > [0/90] > [−45/45]. The present research is helpful to predict permeability and to further simulate resin filling process.
Does a Dynamic Test of Phonological Awareness Predict Early Reading Difficulties?
Authors: Gellert Anna S. , Elbro Carsten
Published: October 2015

A few studies have indicated that dynamic measures of phonological awareness may contribute uniquely to the prediction of early reading development. However, standard control measures have been few and limited by floor effects, thus limiting their predictive value. The purpose of the present study was to examine the predictive value of a dynamic test of phonological awareness while controlling for both letter knowledge and standard phonological awareness using measures with no floor effect. We administered a dynamic test of phonological awareness along with traditional tests of phonological awareness and letter knowledge to 160 children in the fall of kindergarten. Reading outcomes were studied at three test points: at the end of kindergarten, in the first half of Grade 1, and at the end of Grade 1. The results indicated that the dynamic test of phonological awareness contributed significantly to the prediction of children’s reading development in kindergarten and the first half of Grade 1 after control for static phonological awareness and letter knowledge. However, the unique prediction value of the dynamic test of phonological awareness did not extend to the end of Grade 1.
Advice in Interaction: Quantity and Placement of Problem-Solving Behaviors
Authors: MacGeorge Erina L. , Guntzviller Lisa M. , Branch Sara E. , Yakova Liliya
Published: October 2015

Prior research has given insufficient attention to the effects of interaction behavior on responses to advice. We drew on theories of advice evaluation and supportive communication to propose hypotheses about the influence of problem-focused behavior (advice, planning, offers, and requests) and its interactional placement for advice outcomes. After naturalistic support interactions with friends, advice recipients ( N = 165) completed measures of advice quality, intention to implement advice, advisor helpfulness, and conversational satisfaction. The interactions were coded for quantity of advice, offers, plans, and requests. Advice, planning, and requests affected outcomes in theoretically relevant ways. Findings are discussed with respect to improving theory, and practical implications for advisors.
Making Up or Getting Even? The Effects of Face Concerns, Self-Construal, and Apology on Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Revenge in the United States and China
Authors: Zhang Qin , Oetzel John G. , Ting-Toomey Stella , Zhang Jibiao
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this study was to integrate the central constructs in the face-negotiation theory in the examination of the antecedents and behavioral consequences of forgiveness in relational transgressions in U.S. and Chinese cultures. Results indicated that in both cultures, transgression victims’ independent self-construal and self-face concern were negatively associated, whereas their interdependent self-construals and other-face concerns were positively associated, with forgiveness, and offender apology was positively associated with forgiveness. Forgiveness had a positive relationship with reconciliation but a negative relationship with revenge in both cultures. The hypothesized model in which forgiveness mediated the relationships of antecedents on reconciliation and revenge fit the data well in both cultural samples.
Die, Foul Creature! How the Supernatural Genre Affects Attitudes Toward Outgroups Through Strength of Human Identity
Authors: Ellithorpe Morgan E. , Ewoldsen David R. , Porreca Kelsey
Published: October 2015

The presence of non-humans in media narratives - for example, in the supernatural genre - may make salient that we are all human. According to the common ingroup identity model, the human superordinate category should influence attitudes toward lower-level outgroups. The present study examines this in the context of ethnic outgroups, specifically African Americans. Similarity of supernatural villains to humans was manipulated to influence whether “human” was a relevant superordinate group. Additionally, character race was varied to understand the influence of group diversity cues. Consistent with the common ingroup identity model, exposure to a Black human character fighting non-humans reduces prejudice toward African Americans, and this reduced prejudice generalizes to other minority groups. Results suggest a complex relationship between exposure to supernatural villains and diversity cues on attitudinal outcomes, with identity as human as one possible mechanism for reducing prejudicial attitudes.
Intergenerational Relationships and Self-Rated Health Trajectories Among Older Adults in Rural China
Authors: Lu Nan , Lou Vivian W. Q. , Zuo Dongmei , Chi Iris
Published: October 2015

The present study examined trajectory patterns of self-rated health (SRH) among older rural Chinese adults and gender differences in the relationship between intergenerational relationships and SRH trajectories. Using data from four waves of a longitudinal study on the well-being of older adults in Anhui province, a general growth mixture model was estimated to examine the SRH trajectory patterns and antecedents of SRH trajectory class memberships. A two-class model was selected to interpret the SRH trajectory patterns. The two classes were labeled remaining poor and good but declining. Intergenerational relationships were a significant antecedent of SRH trajectory class memberships among men but not women. Gender differences in the cumulative effects of intergenerational relationships on the health of older adults were identified in rural China. Policy implications regarding how to help rural families support their elderly members are discussed.
The Pathology of Aging 129S6/SvEvTac Mice
Authors: Radaelli E. , Castiglioni V. , Recordati C. , Gobbi A. , Capillo M. , Invernizzi A. , Scanziani E. , Marchesi F.
Published: October 2015

The 129 mouse strain is commonly used for the generation of genetically engineered mice. Genetic drift or accidental contamination during outcrossing has resulted in several 129 substrains. Comprehensive data on spontaneous age-related pathology exist for the 129S4/SvJae substrain, whereas only limited information is available for other 129 substrains. This longitudinal aging study describes the life span and spontaneous lesions of 44 male and 18 female mice of the 129S6/SvEvTac substrain. Median survival time was 778 and 770 days for males and females, respectively. Tumors of lung and Harderian gland were the most common neoplasms in both sexes. Hepatocellular tumors occurred mainly in males. Hematopoietic tumors were observed at low frequency. Suppurative and ulcerative blepharoconjunctivitis was the most common nonneoplastic condition in both sexes. Corynebacteria (primarily Corynebacterium urealyticum and C. pseudodiphtheriticum) were isolated from animals with blepharoconjunctivitis and in some cases from unaffected mice, although a clear causal association between corynebacterial infections and blepharoconjunctivitis could not be inferred. Polyarteritis occurred only in males and was identified as the most common nonneoplastic contributory cause of death. Eosinophilic crystalline pneumonia occurred in both sexes and was a relevant cause of death or comorbidity. Epithelial hyalinosis at extrapulmonary sites was noted at higher frequency in females. This study contributes important data on the spontaneous age-related pathology of the 129S6/SvEvTac mouse substrain and is a valuable reference for evaluation of the phenotype in genetically engineered mice obtained with this 129 substrain.
The contribution of allotment gardening to health and wellbeing: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Genter Chris , Roberts Anne , Richardson Janet , Sheaff Mike
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Allotment gardening is a popular pastime which anecdotally contributes to health and wellbeing, although the extent of supportive research evidence is unclear. This systematic review investigates the question: Does allotment gardening contribute to health and wellbeing?

Method

A systematic search was conducted, including the terms ‘allotment’, ‘garden’, ‘health’ and ‘wellbeing’. Abstracts of identified papers were compared with inclusion criteria, and 10 papers were finally selected. Critical appraisal and data extraction were conducted simultaneously. Qualitative research papers predominated and were analysed thematically. Resultant themes were compared and integrated with the findings of quantitative research papers.

Findings

Thematic analysis of the qualitative and quantitative papers’ findings revealed five distinct health and wellbeing themes. Allotment gardening provides a stress-relieving refuge, contributes to a healthier lifestyle, creates social opportunities, provides valued contact with nature, and enables self-development.

Conclusion

This review suggests that allotment gardening does indeed impact health and wellbeing. It is therefore recommended as occupational therapy for people with health problems, and as a health promoting occupation for the general population. Research particularly focused on the impact of group and therapeutic allotment gardening, so further investigations are recommended to explore the health promoting influences of everyday allotment gardening for individuals.
Impairment of Circadian Rhythms in Peripheral Clocks by Constant Light Is Partially Reversed by Scheduled Feeding or Exercise
Authors: Hamaguchi Yutaro , Tahara Yu , Hitosugi Masashi , Shibata Shigenobu
Published: October 2015

In mammals, circadian rhythms in peripheral organs are impaired when animals are maintained in abnormal environmental light-dark cycles such as constant light (LL). This conclusion is based on averaged data from groups of experimental animals sacrificed at each time point. To investigate the effect of LL housing on the peripheral clocks of individual mice, an in vivo imaging system was used to observe the circadian bioluminescence rhythm in peripheral tissues of the liver, kidney, and submandibular salivary gland in PER2::LUCIFERASE knock-in mice. Using this technique, we demonstrated that the majority of individual peripheral tissues still had rhythmic oscillations of their circadian clocks in LL conditions. However, LL housing caused decreased amplitudes and a broad distribution of peak phases in PER2::LUCIFERASE oscillations irrespective of the state of the animals’ behavioral rhythmicity. Because both scheduled feeding and scheduled exercise are effective recovery stimuli for circadian clock deficits, we examined whether scheduled feeding or scheduled exercise could reverse this impairment. The results showed that scheduled feeding or exercise could not restore the amplitude of peripheral clocks in LL. On the other hand, the LL-induced broad phase distribution was reversed, and peak phases were entrained to a specific time point by scheduled feeding but only slightly by scheduled exercise. The present results demonstrate that LL housing impairs peripheral circadian clock oscillations by altering both amplitude and phase in individual mice. The broad distribution of clock phases was clearly reversed by scheduled feeding, suggesting the importance of scheduled feeding as an entraining stimulus for impaired peripheral clocks.
Drug loading and release kinetics in polymeric micelles: Comparing dynamic versus unimolecular sugar-based micelles for controlled release
Authors: Tao Li , Chan Jennifer W , Uhrich Kathryn E
Published: October 2015

Amphiphilic macromolecules, possessing sugar-based hydrophobic and poly(ethylene glycol) hydrophilic domains, provide tunable structures that form effective polymeric micellar drug delivery systems. In this work, we compare traditional dynamic micelles and covalently bound unimolecular amphiphilic macromolecule micelles to study the effects of amphiphilic macromolecule hydrophobic domain branching, micelle architecture, and hydrodynamic volume of two drugs (triclosan and suloctidil) to elucidate the micellar structure–property relationships that govern drug loading and release kinetics. Overall, more hydrophobic micelles with either longer amphiphilic macromolecule alkyl side chains or a higher degree of hydrophobic domain branching exhibited increased triclosan loading compared to less hydrophobic micelles with smaller amphiphilic macromolecule hydrophobic domains. However, varying levels of micelle hydrophobicity did not significantly change suloctidil loading, where only minimal loading differences were seen between micelles with highly hydrophobic and less hydrophobic domains. In both dynamic and unimolecular micelles, the loading extent was primarily drug volume-dependent, where the smaller triclosan molecules demonstrated increased loading and sustained release compared to the larger suloctidil molecules. Unimolecular micelles followed a similar trend with generally higher loading capacities compared to dynamic micelles. Release characteristics for both amphiphilic macromolecule micelle types demonstrated little correlation to the amphiphilic macromolecule chemistry or micelle architecture and were instead primarily drug-dependent, with suloctidil- and triclosan-loaded micelles following the Korsmeyer–Peppas and Weibull models, respectively. The micelle structure–property relationships identified herein allow for improved drug–micelle compatibility to optimize drug delivery systems for poorly water-soluble drugs.
Sources and Components of Stigma Experienced by Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Murray Christine E. , Crowe Allison , Overstreet Nicole M.
Published: October 2015

Previous research suggests that survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience stigma, which may affect their willingness to seek help and their recovery process following the end of the abusive relationship. This article presents the Integrated IPV Stigmatization Model, which integrates previous research on the components and sources of the stigma surrounding IPV. Content analysis procedures were used to examine the applicability of the model to qualitative data from an electronic survey with 279 survivors of past abusive relationships. The results demonstrated the most common components and sources of stigma experienced by the participants, as well as the patterns of which components were most common among the various sources of stigma. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
Mediators of the Association Between Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Young Adult Men’s Life Satisfaction
Authors: Pierce Jennifer , Abbey Antonia , Wegner Rhiana
Published: October 2015

Childhood emotional maltreatment has been linked to a wide range of deleterious physical and psychological adult health outcomes. The present study extends past research by examining the effects of childhood emotional maltreatment on young adult men’s life satisfaction through its effects on hostility and perceptions of social relationships. Participants were 423 single men who completed two interviews 1 year apart. As hypothesized, the association between self-reported childhood emotional maltreatment and adult life satisfaction was mediated through general hostility, rejection sensitivity in romantic relationships, and perceptions of male friends’ social support. These findings suggest that interventions which address distorted perceptions of romantic partners and friends might reduce the negative impact of childhood emotional maltreatment.
Protected by Substitute Consent as a Human Right: A Reformed Perspective
Authors: Rheeder Riaan
Published: October 2015

In 2005, the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (UDBHR) by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was accepted unanimously by the world community, consisting of 191 member nations, which means that the declaration is currently the first and only bioethical text to which the entire world has committed itself. It must be borne in mind, though, that this document, particularly Article 7 of the UDBHR, is not of religious origin and must therefore be evaluated from a Christian point of view. This article strives to ground the ethical and human-rights issue of substitute consent from a Reformed perspective. The grounding is performed in light of the creation and salvation perspectives.
How to return to subjectivity: Natorp, Husserl, and Lacan on the limits of reflection
Authors: Feyaerts Jasper , Vanheule Stijn
Published: October 2015

This article discusses the recent call within contemporary phenomenology to return to subjectivity in response to certain limitations of naturalistic explanations of the mind. The meaning and feasibility of this call is elaborated by connecting it to a classical issue within the phenomenological tradition concerning the possibility of investigating the first-person perspective through reflection. We will discuss how this methodological question is respectively treated and reconfigured in the works of Natorp, Husserl, and Lacan. Finally, we will lay out some possible consequences of such a cross-reading for the conception of subjectivity and the concomitant effort to account for this dimension of first-person experience in response and in addition to its omission within the standard third-person perspective of psychological research.
Perceptions of Asthma Quality of Life in Children and Parent Dyads in Two Rural Counties in West Virginia
Authors: Pinto Susan , McCrone Susan , Shapiro April L.
Published: October 2015

This study examines perceived quality of life (QOL) in a convenience sample of children (aged 7–11) with asthma and their parents from two schools in rural West Virginia. Forty-nine child–parent dyads representing 25 males and 24 females completed the study. The PedsQL™ 3.0 Asthma Module was utilized to separately measure child and parent perceptions of various dimensions of pediatric, asthma-specific, health-related QOL. Dimensions of the tool were scored separately and included symptoms, treatment, worry, and communication. The mean module dimension scores for children ranged from 63.27 to 80.47 and for parents, the range was from 61.26 to 79.79, with higher scores indicating higher QOL. Parents of male children perceived their son’s QOL to be higher than that of female children in the symptoms and treatment dimensions. Strong relationships occurred between the child’s worry and the other three dimensions as well as between the symptoms and the treatment dimensions. For the dyads, the only significant relationship was between the child and the adult treatment dimensions. With the well-documented burden of asthma in school-aged populations, information regarding the QOL of child and parent dyads will enhance school nurses’ ability to improve health and educational outcomes in schools.
Ideas and Collaborative Governance
Authors: Bradford Neil
Published: October 2015

In recent years, interest has grown in collaboration in public policy. Responding to the complex issues now playing out in cities, scholars are focusing on localized governance relations that blur boundaries between public, private, and community sectors. This article introduces discursive localism as a framework to understand better collaborative urban governance. It argues that ideas play a pivotal role in motivating collective action, channeling policy resources, and shaping governance relations. Although recent urban-focused accounts of collective action suggest a role for ideas, systematic attention to their normative-philosophical and cognitive-programmatic dimensions reveals how different policy discourses frame incentives and institutions for collaboration. Applying discursive localism to Toronto, Canada, the article describes change processes across three complex policy fields. Governance arrangements are argued to flow from the operative policy discourses, especially whether their normative and cognitive dimensions are integrated, dissociated, or fragmented.
Comparison of enteral and parenteral methods of urine alkalinization in patients receiving high-dose methotrexate
Authors: Rouch Jamie A , Burton Bradley , Dabb Alix , Brown Vicky , Seung Amy H , Kinsman Katharine , Holdhoff Matthias
Published: October 2015

Purpose

Hyperhydration and urinary alkalinization is implemented with all high-dose (HD)-methotrexate infusions to promote excretion and prevent precipitation of methotrexate in the renal tubules. Our institution utilized enteral alkalinizing agents (sodium bicarbonate tablets and sodium citrate/citric acid solution) to alkalinize the urine of patients receiving HD-methotrexate during a parenteral sodium bicarbonate and sodium acetate shortage. The purpose of this study is to establish the safety and efficacy of the enteral route for urine alkalinization.

Methods

A single-center, retrospective, cohort study was conducted comparing cycles of HD-methotrexate using enteral alkalinizing agents to parenteral sodium bicarbonate. The primary objective was to compare the time, in hours, from administration of first inpatient administered dose of alkalinizing agent to time of achieving goal urine pH. Secondary objectives evaluated total dose of sodium bicarbonate required to achieve goal urine pH, time from start of urine alkalinizing agent until time of achieving methotrexate level safe for discharge, and toxicities associated with methotrexate and the alkalinizing agents.

Results

A total of 118 patients were included in this study, equally divided into two cohorts based on parenteral versus enteral routes of administration. No statistical difference was determined between the two cohorts regarding time to goal urine pH (6.5 h versus 7.9 h, P = 0.051) or regarding time to methotrexate level deemed safe for discharge (63.5 h versus 62.5 h, p = 0.835). There were no significant differences in methotrexate-induced toxicities.

Conclusion

Our study found enteral routes of urine alkalinization to be a viable alternative to the traditional parenteral sodium bicarbonate, especially during parenteral sodium bicarbonate and acetate shortages.
Glutathione S-Transferase Gene Polymorphisms
Authors: Priya Kanu , Yadav Anita , Kumar Neeraj , Gulati Sachin , Aggarwal Neeraj , Gupta Ranjan
Published: October 2015

This study investigated genetic damage in gasoline pump workers using the cytokinesis blocked micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Blood and urine samples were collected from 50 gasoline pump workers and 50 control participants matched with respect to age and other confounding factors except for exposure to benzene through gasoline vapors. To determine the benzene exposure, phenol was analyzed in urinary samples of exposed and control participants. Urinary mean phenol level was found to be significantly high ( P < 0.05) in exposed workers. The CBMN frequency was found to be significantly higher in gasoline pump workers (6.70 ± 1.78) when compared to control individuals (2.20 ± 0.63; P < 0.05). We also investigated influence of polymorphisms of GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 genes on CBMN frequency. The individuals having GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes had significantly higher frequency of CBMN ( P < 0.05). Our study indicates that chronic and long-term exposure of gasoline vapors can increase genotoxic risk in gasoline pump workers.
Effect of melatonin on the reproductive cycle in female cats: a review of clinical experiences and previous studies
Authors: Schäfer-Somi Sabine
Published: October 2015

Practical relevance

Cat breeders aim to suppress the sexual cycle for a defined period. This is a challenge as most preparations available for this intention are orally administered progestins; however, these drugs may have side effects, especially when used over a long period of time. Long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist implants have been used successfully to suppress the oestrous cycle in cats for a longer period. After removal of the implant, the duration of action was shortened; however, the re-occurrence of normal cyclicity cannot be foreseen. The search for alternatives is therefore ongoing.

Clinical challenges

Another possibility for oestrus control is orally administered melatonin preparations; however, previous studies have shown that the effect was not satisfactory. After subcutaneous application of a melatonin implant developed for induction of oestrus in sheep (Melovine; Ceva Santé Animale), duration of oestrus suppression was shown to differ highly in individuals and in some cases no effect was observed. Nevertheless, it is used for short-term oestrus suppression in female cats.

Aims

This article provides an overview of recent studies and clinical experiences of the use of melatonin as a contraceptive in cats. It explains the function of melatonin in cats, discusses previous studies, provides clinical experience with Melovine (27 cases) and elucidates advantages and disadvantages.

Evidence base

Information provided in this article is drawn from the published literature and the author’s own clinical experience.
Novel uses of SiO2 nanolubrication in end milling of medium carbon steel for higher compressive residual stress measured by high-energy X-ray diffraction data
Authors: NikPa Nik Masmiati , Sarhan Ahmed Aly Diaa , Abdelnaeim Hassan Mohsen , Hamdi Abd Shukor Mohd
Published: October 2015

Milling is a machining process that removes any desired material from the surface by using relative motion between a work piece and a rotating cutter where the cutting tool intermittently enters and leaves the work piece. The milling process operates in two modes, namely, conventional (up) mode and climb (down) mode. Both modes are known for their significant effects on surface integrity due to the entering movement of the cutting tool and the formation of the chips during cutting process. Use of flood lubrication can improve the residual stress and surface quality of the component. It controls the temperature in cutting zone, reduces the power required, washes away chips, and reduces friction between chips, tools, and workpieces. Moreover, it has a great effect on the environment too. Minimum quantity lubrication can be used as an alternative of lubrication for clean machining. With an addition of nanoparticles into the minimum quantity lubrication, it is expected to enhance the machining performance that meets the environmental friendly purposes. Residual stresses remain in a solid material in the absence of external loading or thermal gradients, which is sometimes undesirable. The presence of compressive residual stresses is beneficial, while the presence of tensile stresses is detrimental. In order to study the residual stress and its relation with the surface quality (after milling process), the effects of reduced oil consumption in minimum quantity lubrication and the addition of SiO2 nanoparticles in minimum quantity lubrication for clean machining are presented in this research. Results indicate that there is an improvement in residual stresses and surface quality especially during conventional (up) milling under minimum quantity lubrication and minimum quantity lubrication–SiO2 nanolubrication condition.
Telemedicine compared with standard care in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized trial in an outpatient clinic
Authors: Rasmussen Ole W , Lauszus FF , Loekke M
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Good metabolic control is important in type 2 diabetes mellitus to improve quality of life, work ability and life expectancy, and the use of telemedicine has proved efficient as an add-on to the usual treatment. However, few studies in type 2 diabetes patients have directly compared telemedicine with conventional outpatient treatment, and we wanted to evaluate whether telemedicine, compared with standard care, provides equivalent clinical outcomes.

Methods

Forty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus allocated from October 2011–July 2012 were randomized to either treatment at home by video conferences only or standard outpatient treatment. Primary outcomes were HbA1c and blood glucose levels and secondary outcomes were 24-hour blood pressure, cholesterol levels and albuminuria. The video-telephone was a broadband solution installed and serviced by the Danish Telephone Company (TDC).

Results

The improvements in the two treatments, given as changes in percentage of telemedicine vs standard, showed significant differences in HbA1c (−15 vs −11%), mean blood glucose (−18 vs −13%) and in cholesterol (−7 vs −6%). No differences in LDL (−4 vs −6%), weight (−1 vs 2%), diastolic diurnal blood pressure (−1 vs −7%), and systolic diurnal blood pressure (0 vs −1%) were found. Nine consultations were missed in the standard outpatient group and none in the telemedicine group.

Conclusions

In the direct comparison of home video consultations vs standard outpatient treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus, telemedicine was a safe and available option with favourable outcomes after six months treatment.
Diagramming social practice theory: An interdisciplinary experiment exploring practices as networks
Authors: Higginson Sarah , McKenna Eoghan , Hargreaves Tom , Chilvers Jason , Thomson Murray
Published: October 2015

Achieving a transition to a low-carbon energy system is now widely recognised as a key challenge facing humanity. To date, the vast majority of research addressing this challenge has been conducted within the disciplines of science, engineering and economics utilising quantitative and modelling techniques. However, there is growing awareness that meeting energy challenges requires fundamentally sociotechnical solutions and that the social sciences have an important role to play. This is an interdisciplinary challenge but, to date, there remain very few explorations of, or reflections on, interdisciplinary energy research in practice. This paper seeks to change that by reporting on an interdisciplinary experiment to build new models of energy demand on the basis of cutting-edge social science understandings. The process encouraged the social scientists to communicate their ideas more simply, whilst allowing engineers to think critically about the embedded assumptions in their models in relation to society and social change. To do this, the paper uses a particular set of theoretical approaches to energy use behaviour known collectively as social practice theory – and explores the potential of more quantitative forms of network analysis to provide a formal framework by means of which to diagram and visualise practices. The aim of this is to gain insight into the relationships between the elements of a practice, so increasing the ultimate understanding of how practices operate. Graphs of practice networks are populated based on new empirical data drawn from a survey of different types (or variants) of laundry practice. The resulting practice networks are analysed to reveal characteristics of elements and variants of practice, such as which elements could be considered core to the practice, or how elements between variants overlap, or can be shared. This promises insights into energy intensity, flexibility and the rootedness of practices (i.e. how entrenched/established they are) and so opens up new questions and possibilities for intervention. The novelty of this approach is that it allows practice data to be represented graphically using a quantitative format without being overly reductive. Its usefulness is that it is readily applied to large datasets, provides the capacity to interpret social practices in new ways and serves to open up potential links with energy modelling. More broadly, a significant dimension of novelty has been the interdisciplinary approach, radically different to that normally seen in energy research. This paper is relevant to a broad audience of social scientists and engineers interested in integrating social practices with energy engineering.
Effects of building lift-up design on the wind environment for pedestrians
Authors: Xia Qian , Liu Xiaoping , Niu Jianlei , Kwok Kenny C. S.
Published: October 2015

Low airflow or poor outdoor ventilation around building blocks can negatively influence pollutant dispersion in the surroundings and indoor air quality, and increase the risks of airborne transmission of infectious diseases. However, there have been few studies addressing the wind environment, thermal comfort and other concerns at the pedestrian level. Buildings with a lift-up design may have a number of impacts on the pedestrian-level wind and thermal environments. Three building configurations that resulted in the lowest wind speed zones were identified from a previous study. A 3.5 m high open ground floor was added to each of the three configurations, and scale models of the three designs were studied in a wind tunnel to assess their influences on airflow and ventilation around the buildings. Undesirable areas of low wind speed leading to poor air ventilation and, on the other side of extreme, areas of discomfort due to strong wind conditions were both identified, and their practical implications are discussed.