bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prosthetic foot design optimisation based on roll-over shape and ground reaction force characteristics
Authors: Mahmoodi P , Aristodemou S , Ransing RS , Owen N , Friswell MI
Published: April 2016

Most prosthetic foot products are adjusted by skilled prosthetists using a variety of gait analysis and information given to them by patients in terms of feel and experience. The design of prosthetic foot has traditionally focused on optimising stiffness to support the body weight and storage/release mechanisms of strain energy from heel contact to push off. As a result of this, the optimisation process of a prosthetic foot is simple and sometimes insufficient. It is proposed that the stiffness and energy release mechanisms of prosthetic feet be designed to satisfy amputee’s natural gait characteristics that are defined by an effective roll-over shape and corresponding ground reaction force combinations. Each point on the roll-over shape is mapped with a ground reaction force corresponding to its time stamp. The resulting discrete set of ground reaction force components are applied to the prosthetic foot sole and its stiffness profile is optimised to produce a desired deflection as given by the corresponding point on the roll-over shape. The robustness of this novel computational method is tested on three prosthetic designs. The mesh sensitivity results and the discretisation error resulting from applying finite number of ground reaction forces are discussed. It is shown that the proposed methodology is able to provide valuable insights in the guidelines for selection of materials for a multi-material prosthetic foot.
Investigation on an integrated approach to design and micro fly-cutting of micro-structured riblet surfaces
Authors: Jiao Feifei , Sayad Saravi Samira , Cheng Kai
Published: April 2016

Drag reduction in wall-bounded flows can be achieved by the passive flow control technique through the application of bio-inspired ribleted surfaces. In this paper, innovative design and manufacturing of serrate-semi-circular ribleted surfaces are presented with application to friction and drag reduction on engineering surfaces. Firstly, the design of the ribleted surfaces is described particularly focusing on the serrate-semi-circular shaped structures. Secondly, machining of ribleted surfaces by fly-cutting is investigated, covering the utilization of bespoke CVD diamond tools on a micro-milling machine and the corresponding micro fly-cutting processes. Metrology measurement results show good agreement achieved between the designed and machined surface features. Experiment conducted in wind tunnel shows the machined surface can produce 7% in drag reduction. Compared with conventional micro milling, the micro fly-cutting technique resulted from this research illustrates the unique advantage and industrial significance, particularly for manufacturing micro-structured surfaces in an industrial scale.
Guidance, navigation and control for autonomous R-bar proximity operations for geostationary satellites
Authors: Wen Changxuan , Gurfil Pini
Published: April 2016

R-bar refers to the local vertical axis pointing radially upward in a satellite-fixed reference frame. Approaching a satellite along the R-bar, especially for rendezvous and docking to geostationary satellites, is advantageous in terms of safety considerations and flight time compared to other options. In this paper, a specialized study on autonomous R-bar proximity operations with respect to a geostationary target from a separation of several kilometers to a few hundreds of meters, commonly referred to as the closing phase, is carried out and a comprehensive solution for both attitude and orbit control in this scenario is proposed. An integrative design of the guidance, navigation, and control for R-bar proximity operations is presented. Impulsive R-bar hopping maneuvers are developed for the trajectory guidance. This method is shown to be passively safe and time efficient. The onboard sensors provide measurements of the line-of-sight, range to the target, attitude and angular velocity in the inertial frame. Due to the sensitivity of the sensor’s pointing in the far-range phase, a sliding mode attitude control law is introduced to align the optical axis with the line-of-sight to the target. Sensor measurements are fused and processed by an extended Kalman filter. Simulation results indicate that the proposed integrative guidance, navigation, and control algorithms are robust to uncertainties and noise, and can be used as a comprehensive solution for R-bar rendezvous and docking mission design during the closing phase.
Enhanced multi-fidelity model for flight simulation using global exploration and the Kriging method
Authors: Lee Daeyeon , Van Nguyen Nhu , Tyan Maxim , Chun Hyung-Geun , Kim Sangho , Lee Jae-Woo
Published: April 2016

Using the global exploration and Kriging-based multi-fidelity analysis methods, this study developed a multi-fidelity aerodynamic database for use in the performance analysis of flight vehicles and for use in flight simulations. Athena vortex lattice, a program based on vortex lattice method, was used as the low-fidelity analysis tool in the multi-fidelity analysis method. The in-house high-fidelity AADL-3D code was based on the Navier–Stokes equations. The AADL-3D code was validated by comparing the data and the analysis results of the Onera M-6 wing and NACA TN 3649. The design of experiment method and the Kriging method were applied to integrate low- and high-fidelity analysis results. General data tendencies were established from the low-fidelity analysis results. The high-fidelity analysis results and the Kriging method were used to generate a surrogate model, from which the low-fidelity analysis results were interpolated. To reduce repeated calculations, three design points were simultaneously added for each calculation. The convergence of three design points was avoided by considering only the peak points as additional design points. The reliability of the final surrogate model was determined by applying the leave-one-out cross-validation method and by obtaining the cross-validation root mean square error. Using the multi-fidelity model developed in this study, a multi-fidelity aerodynamic database was constructed for use in the three degrees of freedom flight simulation of flight vehicles.
Money Buys Happiness When Spending Fits Our Personality
Authors: Matz Sandra C. , Gladstone Joe J. , Stillwell David
Published: April 2016

In contrast to decades of research reporting surprisingly weak relationships between consumption and happiness, recent findings suggest that money can indeed increase happiness if it is spent the “right way” (e.g., on experiences or on other people). Drawing on the concept of psychological fit, we extend this research by arguing that individual differences play a central role in determining the “right” type of spending to increase well-being. In a field study using more than 76,000 bank-transaction records, we found that individuals spend more on products that match their personality, and that people whose purchases better match their personality report higher levels of life satisfaction. This effect of psychological fit on happiness was stronger than the effect of individuals’ total income or the effect of their total spending. A follow-up study showed a causal effect: Personality-matched spending increased positive affect. In summary, when spending matches the buyer’s personality, it appears that money can indeed buy happiness.
Attention’s Accelerator
Authors: Reinhart Robert M. G. , McClenahan Laura J. , Woodman Geoffrey F.
Published: April 2016

How do people get attention to operate at peak efficiency in high-pressure situations? We tested the hypothesis that the general mechanism that allows this is the maintenance of multiple target representations in working and long-term memory. We recorded subjects’ event-related potentials (ERPs) indexing the working memory and long-term memory representations used to control attention while performing visual search. We found that subjects used both types of memories to control attention when they performed the visual search task with a large reward at stake, or when they were cued to respond as fast as possible. However, under normal circumstances, one type of target memory was sufficient for slower task performance. The use of multiple types of memory representations appears to provide converging top-down control of attention, allowing people to step on the attentional accelerator in a variety of high-pressure situations.
Human–environment interactions during the early mid-Holocene in coastal Ecuador as revealed by mangrove coring in Santa Elena Province
Authors: Pearsall Deborah M , Duncan Neil A , Jones John G , Friedel Dorothy E , Veintimilla Cesar I , Neff Hector
Published: April 2016

Coastal environments of the early mid-Holocene provided challenges and opportunities for agriculturalists living in the Santa Elena Peninsula, Ecuador (Santa Elena Province, formerly southwestern Guayas Province). Cores extracted from swamps in three river outflows, namely, the Río Verde/Río Zapotal drainage (Chanduy estuary), the Río Grande (Punta Carnero locality), and the Río Valdivia, provided pollen, phytolith, sedimentary, and elemental sequences relevant to documenting vegetation and agriculture. The Chanduy record documented maize and other cultigens from 3200 to 500 cal. BC, providing evidence for intensive cultivation of alluvial lands. The Punta Carnero core provided the first evidence for occupation of the peninsula during the ‘hiatus’ between the Vegas and Valdivia periods, as maize was present in a stratum dating to 4857 cal. BC. Records documented mid-Holocene sea-level stabilization, development of low-energy depositional environments, and variation in rainfall attributable to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) by 5000 cal. BC. There was no evidence that the region was either markedly wetter or drier in the early mid-Holocene, suggesting that climate controls similar to those of today were in place.
Mid- to late Holocene aeolian activity recorded in a coastal dunefield and lacustrine sediments on Andøya, northern Norway
Authors: Nielsen Pål Ringkjøb , Dahl Svein Olaf , Jansen Henrik Løseth
Published: April 2016

In an effort to reconstruct past aeolian activity, a foredune stratigraphy and a continuous lake sediment record from the largest dunefield on Andøya, northern Norway, have been investigated. The dunefield extends landwards in a north-eastward direction and consists of several parabolic dunes, foredunes and blowouts. The sediment record (169 cm) from the nearby lake Latjønna and the foredune stratigraphy (10 m) covers the last 6200 and 3700 cal. yr BP, respectively. Both sites possess sediments deposited after the Tapes transgression maximum (~6800 cal. yr BP), which reached a level of ~7–8 m a.s.l. at the study site. The lake sediment record consists of several units dominated by sand grains interspersed by more organic-rich beds. The core has been examined by x-ray fluorescence (XRF), magnetic susceptibility (MS) and loss-on-ignition (LOI). Mineral grains were detected by wet sieving of the ignition residue (IR), and the influx of sand grains to Latjønna was calculated based on the weight of sand grains >250 µm/cm divided by the accumulation rate determined from a radiocarbon (14C)-based age–depth model. Phases with high influx of sand to Latjønna are recorded around 4800, 4250, 3000–2000, 1850–1750, 1600–600, 450, 300 and 150 cal. yr BP, which coincides with periods of increased storminess recorded in other studies around the North-Eastern Atlantic region. The two study sites show, however, quite contrasting results; high sedimentation rates in the lake record associated with greater aeolian influx correspond to stability in the foredune stratigraphy reflected by the presence of several palaeosols. Because of this out-of-phase behaviour, it is suggested that the foredune is mainly influenced by summer climate and relative sea level (RSL) change, whereas the lake record is more influenced by niveo-aeolian processes transporting sand grains farther inland during winter.
Clinical and financial burden of active lupus in Greece: a nationwide study
Authors: Bertsias G , Karampli E , Sidiropoulos P , Gergianaki I , Drosos A , Sakkas L , Garyfallos A , Tzioufas A , Vassilopoulos D , Tsalapaki C , Sfikakis P , Panopoulos S , Athanasakis K , Perna A , Psomali D , Kyriopoulos J , Boumpas D
Published: April 2016

Analyses of the medical and economic burden of chronic disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are valuable for clinical and health policy decisions. We performed a chart-based review of 215 adult SLE patients with active autoantibody-positive disease at the predefined ratio of 30% severe (involvement of major organs requiring treatment) and 70% non-severe, followed at seven hospital centres in Greece. We reviewed 318 patients consecutively registered over three months (sub-study). Disease activity, organ damage, flares and healthcare resource utilization were recorded. Costs were assessed from the third-party payer perspective. Severe SLE patients had chronic active disease more frequently (22.4% vs 4.7%), higher average SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) (10.5 vs 6.1) and systemic lupus international collaborating clinics (SLICC) damage index (1.1 vs 0.6) than non-severe patients. The mean annual direct medical cost was €3741 for severe vs €1225 for non-severe patients. Severe flares, active renal disease and organ damage were independent cost predictors. In the sub-study, 19% of unselected patients were classified as severe SLE, and 30% of them had chronic active disease. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate the significant clinical and financial burden of Greek SLE patients with active major organ disease. Among them, 30% display chronic activity, in spite of standard care, which represents a significant unmet medical need.
Use of instrumental variables in electronic health record-driven models
Authors: Salmasi Luca , Capobianco Enrico
Published: April 2016

Precision medicine presents various methodological challenges whose assessment requires the consideration of multiple factors. In particular, the data multitude in the Electronic Health Records poses interoperability issues and requires novel inference strategies. A problem, though apparently a paradox, is that highly specific treatments and a variety of outcomes may hardly match with consistent observations (i.e., large samples). Why is it the case? Owing to the heterogeneity of Electronic Health Records, models for the evaluation of treatment effects need to be selected, and in some cases, the use of instrumental variables might be necessary. We studied the recently defined person-centered treatment effects in cancer and C-section contexts from Electronic Health Record sources and identified as an instrument the distance of patients from hospitals. We present first the rationale for using such instrument and then its model implementation. While for cancer patients consideration of distance turns out to be a penalty, implying a negative effect on the probability of receiving surgery, a positive effect is instead found in C-section due to higher propensity of scheduling delivery. Overall, the estimated person-centered treatment effects reveal a high degree of heterogeneity, whose interpretation remains context-dependent. With regard to the use of instruments in light of our two case studies, our suggestion is that this process requires ad hoc variable selection for both covariates and instruments and additional testing to ensure validity.
Reliability and validity of the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire in Turkish
Authors: Ulusoy Hatice , Güler Güngör , Yıldırım Gülay , Demir Ecem
Published: April 2016

Background:

Developing professional values among nursing students is important because values are a significant predictor of the quality care that will be provided, the clients’ recognition, and consequently the nurses’ job satisfaction. The literature analysis showed that there is only one validated tool available in Turkish that examines both the personal and the professional values of nursing students.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire in Turkish.

Design of the study:

This study was a Turkish linguistic and cultural adaptation of a research tool.

Participants and research context:

The sample of this study consisted of 627 undergraduate nursing students from different geographical areas of Turkey.

Two questionnaires were used for data collection:

a socio-demographic form and the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire. For the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire, construct validity was examined using factor analyses.

Ethical considerations:

The study was approved by the Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine Research Ethics Board. Students were informed that participation in the study was entirely voluntary and anonymous.

Results:

Item content validity index ranged from 0.66 to 1.0, and the total content validity index was 0.94. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling was 0.870, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was statistically significant (x2 = 3108.714, p < 0.001). Construct validity was examined using factor analyses and the six factors were identified. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the internal consistency reliability and the value of 0.834 was obtained.

Conclusion:

Our analyses showed that the Turkish version of Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire has high validity and reliability.
The Relation between Investment of Domestic and Foreign Institutional Investors and Stock Returns in India
Authors: Arora Ravinder Kumar
Published: April 2016

This study investigates the trading behaviour of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) in the Indian stock market and also the relation between stock returns and equity flows by FIIs and DIIs. The study uses a wider definition of DIIs that includes not only mutual funds (MFs) but also banks, domestic financial institutions and insurance companies. The results show that the trading pattern followed by FIIs and DIIs is opposite of each other. While FIIs act as positive feedback traders, DIIs act as contrarian investors and negative feedback traders. High lagged stock returns result in increased FII investment. The DIIs, on the other hand, appear to book profits when the market moves up and buy when it moves down. Contrary to findings of earlier studies that MF investment has no effect on future stock returns, the study finds that DII investment has a significant positive relation with future stock returns. The study also finds weak evidence of a negative relation between FII investment and future stock returns.
The Sacred and the Secular: Influence of Religion on George W. Bush’s Foreign Policy
Authors: Choudhury Moutusi Paul
Published: April 2016

This article makes an attempt at unraveling the influence of religion on former President George W. Bush’s foreign policy in the aftermath of the spectacular event of September 11. Along with various trends of globalization, the contemporary world also witnessed the resurgence of religious forces, making its presence felt across not only the social spectrum but also the political spectrum. This trend has been more visible in US foreign policy, particularly under the presidency of Bush Junior. After the attack, Bush’s frequent references to God resonated well with awestruck Americans, who looked upon their leader for solace and security. And the President’s personal faith went a long way in constructing the mechanism through which he intended to fight the scourge of terrorism—his policy of “War on Terrorism.” Bush also used religion as a polish to gloss over his muscular expansion of hegemonic power. Since religion played an important role in the identification and construction of the enemy as “evil,” both for Osama bin Laden and later for President Bush, Samuel P. Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” thesis found frequent references in the course of the analysis.
Politicization of Kurdish Security in Iraq Since 2003
Authors: Hama Hawre Hasan
Published: April 2016

This article focuses on Kurdish security question in Iraq from 2003 to the present. Its central argument is that the security of the Kurdish region of Iraq has only constitutionally de-securitised since 2003. However, the Kurdish security demands in Iraq have been politicized by the different Iraqi governments since 2005, and therefore, security relations between the Iraqi state and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have been fraught with distrust, tensions, and chaos since that time. The concepts derived from the Copenhagen School (CS) provide the framework for discussing security relations and the inherent security struggles between the Iraqi state and the KRG.
Using Qualitative Methods to Assess the Conceptual Equivalence of the Spanish and English Stroke Action Test (STAT)
Authors: Ramirez Mildred , Teresi Jeanne A. , Ogedegbe Gbenga , Williams Olajide
Published: April 2016

Members of racial/ethnic minorities, in contrast to majority groups, experience disparities in stroke risk factors, recognition, evaluation, and treatment. This article describes the use of qualitative methods to examine the cultural and lifestyle appropriateness, clarity of item-wording, comprehension of item intent, and conceptual equivalence of the developed Spanish and the revised English Stroke Action Test (which includes three additional atypical stroke symptoms more common in women). Thirty in-depth cognitive interviews were conducted (10 in Spanish) using concurrent structured probes. The desired ultimate outcome was to obtain conceptually equivalent measures in both languages. Four sources of variability in comprehension were identified: unfamiliar and/or idiosyncratic Spanish words used in translation; phrases in the original (English) and in the literal (Spanish) translation that were not understood; and unclear intended meaning of the original (English) items. Cognitive interviews helped identify problematic items, highlighted potential response errors, and provided insight regarding putative causes for inconsistent interpretation.
Reclaiming and Reshaping Life: Patterns of Reconstruction After the Suicide of a Loved One
Authors: Castelli Dransart Dolores Angela
Published: April 2016

The objective of this study is to identify patterns (components and processes) of reconstruction of suicide survivors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 50 survivors of suicide in Switzerland. Data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti and according to the Grounded Theory principles. Survivors of suicide face four major challenges: dealing with the impact of suicide, searching for meaning, clarifying responsibility, and finding a personal style of reaction and coping. The various ways in which survivors fare through the specific processes of the challenges result in various patterns of reconstruction: the vulnerability, transformation, commitment, and hard blow. The unique characteristics and dynamics of each of them are highlighted. Health care providers would benefit from an approach based on the dynamics of the various patterns of reconstruction in providing appropriate support to survivors of suicide.
Integrating Emotions Into the Critical Interpretive Synthesis
Authors: McFerran Katrina Skewes , Hense Cherry , Medcalf Laura , Murphy Melissa , Fairchild Rebecca
Published: April 2016

Critical interpretive synthesis is a particular form of systematic review that critically examines the decisions made by authors while conducting and publishing about their research and practices. It differs from empirical syntheses of qualitative research by emphasizing the interpreted and constructed nature of this form of secondary analysis. In this article, we extend previous literature on critical interpretive syntheses by highlighting the integration of emotional responses when developing critical questions for interrogating the literature and interpreting results. Our extension of the critical interpretive synthesis is illustrated through examples from five studies examining literature in our own field of music therapy, as well as related fields of disability studies, mental health, music psychology, and child welfare. The methodology we have refined uses an iterative and recursive method that promotes increased critical awareness of the assumptions driving the production of research in health contexts.
Toward a New Scenario in Agricultural Sustainability Certification? The Response of the Indonesian National Government to Private Certification
Authors: Wijaya Atika , Glasbergen Pieter
Published: April 2016

This article discusses a new development in the relationships between private sustainability standards and governments, one in which Southern governments reclaim the authority from mainly Northern-based businesses and nongovernmental organizations. It examines how the Indonesian government, a forerunner in this field, responds to the private certification of palm oil. The results of this in-depth study are compared with similar trends in the coffee and cocoa sectors in Indonesia. The article observes that a change takes place from a nonresponsive stance, a modest involvement in terms of sustaining the implementation of private certifications, to an active development of alternative public national standards and certifications. The article defines some factors that facilitate the development of Southern public standards as an addition or alternative to private regulations and reviews the implications for the future of private standards and certification.
Australian Home Care Workers’ Learning of Safe Manual Handling
Authors: Palesy Debra
Published: April 2016

How home care workers adapt what they learn in manual handling classroom training sessions to their workplaces (i.e., their clients’ homes) is central to their own safety, as their musculoskeletal injuries continue to occur at unacceptably high rates. For this inquiry, new workers were directly observed in their workplaces following classroom training. Findings from these observations propose three environmental considerations for supporting new workers to learn safe manual handling techniques: (1) The physical setting for manual handling is important, (2) clients and their significant others may offer a valuable form of learning support, and (c) when initially learning the requirements for their roles, new workers should be encouraged to focus only on the manual handling tasks at hand.
Don’t Forget the Items
Authors: Carpenter Nichelle C. , Son Jooyeon , Harris T. Brad , Alexander Allison L. , Horner Margaret T.
Published: April 2016

Researchers are generally advised to provide rigorous item-level construct validity evidence when they develop and introduce a new scale. However, these precise, item-level construct validation efforts are rarely reexamined as the scale is put into use by a wider audience. In the present study, we demonstrate how (a) item-level meta-analysis and (b) substantive validity analysis can be used to comprehensively evaluate construct validity evidence for the items comprising scales. This methodology enables a reexamination of whether critical item-level issues that may have been supported in the initial (often single study) scale validation process—item factor loadings and theorized measurement model fit, as examples—hold up in a larger set of heterogeneous samples. Our demonstration focuses on a commonly used scale of task performance and organizational citizenship behavior, and our findings reveal that several of the items do not perform as may have been suggested in the initial validation effort. In all, our study highlights the need for researchers to incorporate item-level assessments into evaluations of whether construct scales perform as originally promised.
Buckling analysis of the functionally graded sandwich rectangular plates integrated with piezoelectric layers under bi-axial loads
Authors: Arefi M
Published: April 2016

Mechanical stability of the functionally graded rectangular plates bonded with functionally graded piezoelectric layers is studied in the present research. Classical plate theory is employed in the description of three components of the plate displacement. Geometric nonlinearity is considered in the strain–displacement relations using the von Karman equation. The constitutive relations are developed for the functionally graded material core and functionally graded plate material layers in the general state. The top and bottom of the piezoelectric layers is assumed to be short-circuited. Three equilibrium equations as well as Maxwell equation are constituted of four governing differential equations of the problem. Some important nondimensional parameters representing the geometries of the sandwich plate incorporated with nonhomogeneous index of the material properties are considered for this analysis. The results indicate that these parameters have important effects on the buckling loads.
Interface temperature during contact sliding of two solids: Relationship between predicted flash temperature and the experimentally measured
Authors: Rahaman Mohammad Lutfar , Zhang Liangchi
Published: April 2016

This paper investigates the relationship between the predicted interface flash temperature and the experimentally measured temperature when two solids are in contact sliding. To reveal this, both pin-on-disc experiments and finite element simulations were carried out systematically. The infrared technique was used to experimentally measure the interface temperature. Bulk metallic glass was especially selected as the pin material because this material can have microstructural changes to record its temperature history experienced. Transmission electron microscopic analysis showed that nanocrystallisation occurred during the contact sliding, showing that the temperature at the real contact area must have exceeded glass transition temperature, Tg of the bulk metallic glass and reached its onset temperature of crystallisation Tx. However, the temperature measured was much less than the glass transition temperature Tg. On the other hand, the finite element analysis showed that the temperature at the pin surface was beyond Tg when the flash temperature reached Tx. The study thus concluded that there exists a thermal resistance due to the complex surface morphology of rough surfaces, which alters the thermal conductance in the neighbourhood of the contact interface.
A comparison of multiple sclerosis clinical disease activity between patients treated with natalizumab and fingolimod
Authors: Koch-Henriksen Nils , Magyari Melinda , Sellebjerg Finn , Soelberg Sørensen Per
Published: April 2016

Background:

Natalizumab and fingolimod were approved for treatment of active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Denmark in 2006 and 2011, respectively. There have been no randomized head-to-head studies comparing the two drugs.

Objective:

To compare the clinical efficacy of natalizumab and fingolimod.

Methods:

Data on all Danish RRMS patients who started their first second-line treatment with natalizumab or fingolimod from July 2011 to March 2015 were prospectively recorded in the Danish Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment Register. The two treatment arms were 1:1 propensity score matched by baseline covariates using ‘nearest neighbour’ method.

Results:

Propensity score matching left 928 of 1309 RRMS cases, 464 in each treatment group. The on-treatment annualized relapse rate was 0.296 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26–0.34) for natalizumab and 0.307 (95% CI: 0.27–0.35) for fingolimod. The adjusted relapse rate ratio was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.74–1.17; p = 0.53). Mean time to first relapse was 2.55 and 2.56 years, respectively ( p = 0.76). There was no difference in change of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Conclusion:

We found no differences in clinical disease activity between natalizumab- and fingolimod-treated RRMS patients in this real-life observational study. However, the lack of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for the propensity score matching may conceal a higher efficacy of natalizumab.
The effect of rhythmic-cued motor imagery on walking, fatigue and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Seebacher Barbara , Kuisma Raija , Glynn Angela , Berger Thomas
Published: April 2016

Background:

Motor imagery and rhythmic auditory stimulation are physiotherapy strategies for walking rehabilitation.

Objectives:

To investigate the effect of motor imagery combined with rhythmic cueing on walking, fatigue and quality of life (QoL) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods:

Individuals with MS and Expanded Disability Status Scale scores of 1.5–4.5 were randomised into one of three groups: 17 minutes of motor imagery, six times per week, for 4 weeks, with music (A) or metronome cues (B), both with verbal cueing, and (C) controls. Primary outcomes were walking speed (Timed 25-Foot Walk) and distance (6-Minute Walk Test). Secondary outcomes were walking perception (Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12), fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale) and QoL (Short Form-36 Health Survey, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29, Euroquol-5D-3L Questionnaire).

Results:

Of the 112 participants randomised, 101 completed the study. Compared to controls, both interventions significantly improved walking speed, distance and perception. Significant improvements in cognitive but not psychosocial fatigue were seen in the intervention groups, and physical fatigue improved only in the music-based group. Both interventions improved QoL; however, music-cued motor imagery was superior at improving health-related QoL.

Conclusion:

Rhythmic-cued motor imagery improves walking, fatigue and QoL in people with MS, with music-cued motor imagery being more effective.
Torrenting Game of Thrones
Authors: MacNeill Kate
Published: April 2016

This article examines the views expressed by Australians relating to unauthorized digital access to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. A detailed analysis is undertaken of the online responses to a 2013 Facebook post by the United States Ambassador to Australia, chastizing Australians for their ‘illegal’ behaviour. This analysis is used to critique the dominant framing of the activities of file-sharing, torrenting and unauthorized downloading as criminal and those involved in the activity as being influenced by sociological factors. In contrast, the research found that many of the justifications for these behaviours contained in the Facebook comments demonstrated an informed critique of the market mechanisms at work in the distribution networks.
YouTube, multichannel networks and the accelerated evolution of the new screen ecology
Authors: Cunningham Stuart , Craig David , Silver Jon
Published: April 2016

In attempting to break with a ‘fall from grace’ narrative that may structure analysis of the rapid professionalization and monetization of previously amateur online video content on the main global platform, YouTube, this article outlines histories of key institutions in the new screen ecology as outcomes of the increased interpenetration of very different, often clashing industry cultures. Google/YouTube, Apple’s iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, Yahoo! and Facebook (‘NoCal’) are largely Internet ‘pure-play’ companies, whilst Hollywood’s incumbents (‘SoCal’) practice time-honoured mass media and premium content strategies. The ‘history of the present’ of the new screen ecology is the history of the clash of these cultures. The less than 10-year history of Google’s YouTube can be written as a history of Google seeking to come to terms with the conditions of possibility for entertainment, content and talent development from its base as an IT company dedicated to scale, automation, permanent beta, rapid prototyping and iteration. These efforts reflect both continuities and contestations with traditional media models, particularly business models. As emerging intermediaries in the middle of the convergent space between NoCal and SoCal, multichannel networks’ (MCNs’) placement sees them needing to innovate on both the NoCal and SoCal side. On the former side, MCNs are attempting to provide value-added services superior to basic YouTube analytics, with programmatics and pioneering attempts at management of scale and volume. On the latter side, they are managing a quite different class of entry- to mid-level talent, who bring successful audience development and clear ideas about the roots of their success with them. The new screen ecology is a space of unimagined scale and scope of flourishing online creativity and culture, which is at the same time turbulent and precarious for creators and MCNs alike.
Challenging prime time television
Authors: Pires de Sá Fernanda , Roig Antoni
Published: April 2016

Television (TV) has always been the focus of continuous debate around its shifting social practices, involving and challenging all established main agents, from content producers to brands, corporations, regulators and audiences (Boddy, 2002; Uricchio, 2002). At the same time, the remediations of TV are at the core of broader discussions on media change, particularly since the popularization of media consumption through the Internet. TV retains a position of centrality for understanding what it means to live in a connected environment. This article contributes to this debate through the analysis of the co-viewing practices within the specific context of Brazil’s most popular cultural product, the telenovela. After an overview of the key themes and scope of the research, we will situate the practices of co-viewing in the context of some of the key issues regarding connected viewing. We will deal with the particularities of the Brazilian telenovela as a cultural product and finally we will outline our empirical research on co-viewing practices in unofficial Facebook groups surrounding the controversial prime time telenovela ‘Babilônia’.
Plastic surgery telehealth consultation expedites Emergency Department treatment
Authors: Paik Angie M , Granick Mark S , Scott Sandra
Published: April 2016

Plastic surgery is a field that is particularly amenable to a telehealth milieu, as visual exam and radiographs guide proper diagnosis and management. The goals of this study were to evaluate telehealth feedback executed through an iPad app for plastic surgery-related consultations. A Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QA/QI) study was conducted over a 1-month period during which patients with hand injuries, facial injuries, or acute wounds presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) of a level-one trauma centre and university hospital were monitored. The study utilized a commercial iPad application through which up to four images and a brief history could be sent to a remote Plastic Surgery Educator (PSE) for evaluation. The PSE would respond with best practice information, references and videos to assist ED point-of-care providers. During the 1-month period of this study, there were 42 ED consultations for plastic surgical conditions. There was a highly significant difference in overall mean response time between consultants and PSEs (48.3 minutes vs. 8.9 minutes respectively, p < 0.001). The agreement between PSEs and consultants regarding patient assessment and care was 85.7% for in-person consultations and 100% for phone consultations. In four cases of telephone consultations, the ED providers placed splints incorrectly on hand-injured patients. Our results show that telehealth consultations to a remote plastic surgeon based on digital images and a brief history were able to produce timely and accurate responses in an emergency care facility. This design may have significant impact in rural areas, underserved populations, or regions abroad.
‘Were they better today?’ Valuing a client’s individual therapeutic process within an institution’s expectation of positive progress and predictable outcomes
Authors: Roman Tara
Published: April 2016

The broad context for this article is the provision of music therapy for children and adults with learning disabilities within the current social, political and economic context. The article explores themes regarding internal and external pressures experienced by the music therapist both inside and outside the therapy room. The external pressures are identified and discussed through literature, with the focus being on the commissioning institution’s expectations of the value music therapy will add and how this value can be measured and predicted. The internal pressures the music therapists can experience concerning their desire to know and understand the client are explored through literature in relation to their professional role and their personal desires when relating to others. The anxieties that these pressures can create, and the impact that they can have on the therapist’s thinking around the work, are considered in detail through a case study with particular reference to the music therapist’s capacity to work fully with not knowing and regression.
A critical interpretive synthesis of music therapy case studies: Examining therapeutic boundary themes in the context of contemporary practice
Authors: Medcalf Laura , Skewes McFerran Katrina
Published: April 2016

This article presents the results from a critical interpretive synthesis that examined the prevalence and presentation of therapeutic boundary themes in music therapy case studies. Conventional boundary theories are often defined as the parameters of practice that encourage the clinician to perform boundary processes in a certain way. These theories pertain to practical and interpersonal elements when negotiating the therapeutic relationship and include features such as boundary crossings and boundary violations. A carefully selected set of case studies were examined and interrogated to determine the presence and type of boundary themes. These were analysed by distilling narrative descriptions from the case studies and comparing them with information about population, age of clients, theoretical approach and cultural setting. Musical intimacy emerged from the analysis as a concept that contained a myriad of boundary challenges, which often appeared to contrast conventional ideas on boundaries. The results of this critical interpretive synthesis are discussed along with recommendations for music therapy practice.
Open-trial pilot study of a comprehensive outpatient psychosocial treatment for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Lopata Christopher , Lipinski Alanna M , Thomeer Marcus L , Rodgers Jonathan D , Donnelly James P , McDonald Christin A , Volker Martin A
Published: April 2016

This study examined the feasibility and initial outcomes of a comprehensive outpatient psychosocial treatment (MAXout) for children aged 7–12 years with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. The 18-week treatment, two 90-minute sessions per week, included instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social/social communication skills, facial emotion recognition, non-literal language skills, and interest expansion. A behavioral system was implemented to reduce autism spectrum disorder symptoms and problem behaviors and increase skills acquisition and maintenance. Feasibility was supported via high levels of treatment fidelity and parent, child, and staff satisfaction. Significant post-treatment improvements were found for the children’s non-literal language skills and facial emotion recognition skills, and parent and staff clinician ratings of targeted social/social communication skills, broad social skills, autism spectrum disorder symptoms, and problem behaviors. Results suggested that MAXout was feasible and may yield positive outcomes for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder.
The effects of age of acquisition on verbal memory in bilinguals
Authors: Delcenserie Audrey , Genesee Fred
Published: April 2016

Aims and objectives:

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of age of acquisition on verbal working memory (WM) in bilinguals. In light of previous studies that have found a bilingual advantage on non-verbal WM and less consistently on verbal WM, we included participants with native-like second language (L2) proficiency who had benefited from several years of dual language use and who did not differ from the monolinguals in terms of socioeconomic status in order to control for proficiency. Very few studies have looked at bilinguals’ performance on measures of both verbal and non-verbal memory, making it difficult to know how bilingualism influences both types of abilities in the same participants. Therefore, we also compared the groups on non-verbal WM.

Methodology:

Simultaneous bilingual, early successive bilinguals, and late successive bilinguals were compared with monolingual English speakers. All bilingual participants were selected using three different criteria: self-assessment ratings of English abilities, ratings of nativelikeness by a native English speaker, and scores on a L2 Cloze test. The groups did not differ significantly with respect to their L2 proficiency, or on measures of general cognitive ability.

Data and analysis:

Fifteen simultaneous bilinguals were compared with 15 early successive bilinguals and 15 late successive bilinguals who acquired English between 4–6 years of age and 7–15 years of age, respectively. The bilinguals were compared with 15 English-speaking monolinguals. Participants were compared using verbal and non-verbal short-term memory and WM tests.

Findings:

All bilingual groups performed significantly better than the monolinguals on tests of verbal and non-verbal WM, thus supporting a bilingual advantage. The early and late successive bilinguals scored significantly lower than the simultaneous bilinguals, suggesting an age-of-acquisition effect among the bilinguals.

Originality and implications:

This is the first study to find a bilingual advantage on verbal WM in adults, but also the first study to report an age-of-acquisition effect in groups of bilingual adults carefully selected for their nativelikeness in the L2.
Public support for economic and military coercion and audience costs
Authors: Thomson Catarina P.
Published: April 2016

This article expands the concept of ‘audience costs’ from the military realm to the realm of economic coercion. ‘Audience costs’ occur when an executive publicly commits to a coercive foreign policy action and subsequently reneges as public approval will decline. An experiment specifies when the public will support economic or military coercion, and how this preference affects the evaluation of executives who renege on threats. The findings suggest that audience costs do occur when the executive threatens economic sanctions and subsequently reneges, similar to military coercion. However, I find that inconsistency is not punished when a leader reneges after threatening military intervention in a crisis that does not threaten national security.

I specify the role public support for economic and military coercion and reactions to executive inconsistencies play in generating and/or weakening approval for executives. In times of international crises, these factors may compete against each other when it comes to determining public approval. To examine this claim, I conducted a survey experiment on a representative sample of adults to determine when audiences will support economic or military coercion, and how this willingness to support specific coercive action affects their evaluation of the executive’s handling of international crises. I find that public policy preferences can have a stronger effect than a preference for having a leader behave consistently. Specifically, I find that (1) executive inconsistency is not punished when a leader backs down from a military commitment in a non-threatening crisis, (2) executive inconsistencies are not only punished in military disputes but also in cases of economic coercion (punishment is in fact more prominent in sanctions cases), and (3) executive inconsistency can be punished both in major and lesser conflicts.