bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple Methods for Identifying Outcomes of a High Challenge Adventure Activity
Authors: Davidson Curt , Ewert Alan , Chang Yun
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this study was to provide insight into what occurs in moments of high challenge within participants during an outdoor adventure education (OAE) program. Given the inherent risk and remote locations often associated with OAE programs, it has remained challenging to measure selected psychological constructs while the program is taking place. This study utilized qualitative methods including in situ data collection techniques and quantitative inquiry methods to identify and determine what is happening to participants before, during, and after a high challenge activity—rappelling. The results of this study identified five salient themes that emerged as important constructs for OAE participants and are useful to consider as researchers and OAE practitioners design and implement high challenge activities. Further analysis and discussion about the importance of these themes are discussed at length.
Cross-Cultural Validation of the Modified Practice Attitudes Scale: Initial Factor Analysis and a New Factor Model
Authors: Park Heehoon , Ebesutani Chad K. , Chung Kyong-Mee , Stanick Cameo
Published: March 2016

Objective: The objective of this study was to create the Korean version of the Modified Practice Attitudes Scale (K-MPAS) to measure clinicians’ attitudes toward evidence-based treatments (EBTs) in the Korean mental health system. Method: Using 189 U.S. therapists and 283 members from the Korean mental health system, we examined the reliability and validity of the MPAS scores. We also conducted the first exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis on the MPAS and compared EBT attitudes across U.S. and Korean therapists. Results: Results revealed that the inclusion of both “reversed-worded” and “non–reversed-worded” items introduced significant method effects that compromised the integrity of the one-factor MPAS model. Problems with the one-factor structure were resolved by eliminating the “non–reversed-worded” items. Reliability and validity were adequate among both Korean and U.S. therapists. Korean therapists also reported significantly more negative attitudes toward EBTs on the MPAS than U.S. therapists. Conclusions: The K-MPAS is the first questionnaire designed to measure Korean service providers’ attitudes toward EBTs to help advance the dissemination of EBTs in Korea. The current study also demonstrated the negative impacts that can be introduced by incorporating oppositely worded items into a scale, particularly with respect to factor structure and detecting significant group differences.
Evaluating the Construct Validity of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in China
Authors: Shou Yiyun , Sellbom Martin , Han Jin
Published: March 2016

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) scale is an efficient measure of psychopathy with promising psychometric properties. However, the cross-cultural utility of the LSRP has not been well documented, and no study has explored measurement invariance of the LSRP across East Asian and North American samples. We translated the LSRP into Chinese (Study 1) and investigated the validity and reliability of the Chinese LSRP using a sample of 226 university students in China (Study 2). Confirmatory factor analyses supported Brinkley, Diamond, Magaletta, and Heigel’s (2008) three-factor model (Egocentricity, Callousness, and Antisocial). Evidence for configural and partial metric (but not scalar) invariance of the factor structure was observed when comparing Chinese and U.S. university samples. However, response thresholds were significantly different between the two samples. The Chinese LSRP scores also demonstrated encouraging convergent and discriminate validity in terms of their associations with external criteria. We discuss the implications for cross-cultural assessment of psychopathy.
The Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Pan Weihong , Kastin Abba J.
Published: March 2016

Sleep and its disorders are known to affect the functions of essential organs and systems in the body. However, very little is known about how the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is regulated. A few years ago, we launched a project to determine the impact of sleep fragmentation and chronic sleep restriction on BBB functions, including permeability to fluorescent tracers, tight junction protein expression and distribution, glucose and other solute transporter activities, and mediation of cellular mechanisms. Recent publications and relevant literature allow us to summarize here the sleep-BBB interactions in five sections: (1) the structural basis enabling the BBB to serve as a huge regulatory interface; (2) BBB transport and permeation of substances participating in sleep-wake regulation; (3) the circadian rhythm of BBB function; (4) the effect of experimental sleep disruption maneuvers on BBB activities, including regional heterogeneity, possible threshold effect, and reversibility; and (5) implications of sleep disruption-induced BBB dysfunction in neurodegeneration and CNS autoimmune diseases. After reading the review, the general audience should be convinced that the BBB is an important mediating interface for sleep-wake regulation and a crucial relay station of mind-body crosstalk. The pharmaceutical industry should take into consideration that sleep disruption alters the pharmacokinetics of BBB permeation and CNS drug delivery, being attentive to the chrono timing and activation of co-transporters in subjects with sleep disorders.
Finite-time tracking control for extended nonholonomic chained-form systems with parametric uncertainty and external disturbance
Authors: Chen Hua , Zhang Binwu , Zhao Tiebiao , Wang Tingting , Li Kui
Published: March 2016

In this paper, the finite-time tracking control problem is discussed for extended nonholonomic chained-form systems with parametric uncertainty, unmodeled nonlinear dynamics and external uncertain time-varying disturbances. Two decoupled subsystems are considered, for which an anti-interference controller is proposed by combining finite-time stability control theory and chattering-free sliding-mode design strategy in the presence of the uncertainty, nonlinearity and perturbation. Moreover, for the corresponding closed-loop systems under the given control law, rigorous finite-time stability analysis is presented at the origin equilibrium point. Finally, the main conclusions are applied to the trajectory tracking control of dynamic nonholonomic mobile robots with visual servoing feedback, and the simulation results show the effectiveness of our control design approach.
Identification of representative anisotropic material properties accounting for friction and preloading effects: A contribution for the modeling of structural dynamics of electric motor stators
Authors: Millithaler Pierre , Sadoulet-Reboul Émeline , Ouisse Morvan , Dupont Jean-Baptiste , Bouhaddi Noureddine
Published: March 2016

Simulating the dynamic behavior and determining equivalent material properties for anisotropic models, superelements or structures subjected to preloads or friction remains a challenging issue. Amongst other practical applications, modeling interactions between the steel sheets in industrial magnetic cores of electric motor stators is a complex task, as it requires anticipating behavioral heterogeneities in the structure, and possibly represents significantly costly operations for performing modal or dynamic response simulations. In this article, a method for identifying equivalent material properties to anisotropic structures is developed, which is able to take into account the influence of preloads and friction on the material properties, later used in structural dynamics simulations. The proposed approach can be used with superelements, converting stiffness matrices into elasticity matrices. The method is first applied to a triclinic model, and recreates its elasticity matrix with little derivation. Then, an equivalent linear material is computed for a continuous structure under preloading. Compared at low frequencies, the vibration behavior of the preloaded structure and its equivalent effective media are in good agreement. The operation is repeated with a laminated stack under preloading. Again, the dynamic behavior of the equivalent structure shows good accuracy compared to the initial preloaded stack. Finally, the magnetic core of an electric machine stator is modeled with equivalent anisotropic material properties, accounting for friction and preload in the yoke's and the teeth's steel sheets. The simulation of the structure's low-frequency radial vibration modes is satisfying, and shows improvement compared to orthotropic properties.
Fault diagnosis of rolling element bearing compound faults based on sparse no-negative matrix factorization-support vector data description
Authors: Wang Hongchao
Published: March 2016

The bispectrum of rolling element bearing compound faults contains abundant fault characteristic information, and how to extract the fault feature effectively is a key problem. The fault diagnosis method of rolling element bearing compound faults based on Sparse No-Negative Matrix Factorization (SNMF)-Support Vector Data Description (SVDD) is proposed in the paper. The figure handling method SNMF is used firstly in fault feature extraction of the bispectrums of rolling element bearing different kinds of compound faults and the sparse coefficient matrices of the bispectrums are obtained. The sparse coefficient matrices are used as training and test input vectors of SVDD. At last, the three kinds of rolling element bearing compound faults (inner race outer race compound faults, outer race rolling element compound faults and inner race outer race rolling element compound faults) are classified correctly. In order to verify the advantages of the proposed method, the diagnosis results of the same three kinds of rolling element bearing compound faults based on No-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF)-SVDD is used as comparison. The proposed method provides a new idea for fault diagnosis of rolling element bearing compound faults.
Feline politics in organization: The nine lives of Olly the cat
Authors: O’Doherty Damian P.
Published: March 2016

The appearance of ‘Olly the cat’ on the doorsteps of a major UK international airport provides occasion to reconsider the role of the animal in organization and offers suggestive insight into how we might have to learn new ways of being within extended multi-species or interspecies ontologies. Olly is found to lead multiple lives that cannot be reduced to the status of object or media of human intentionality. Her increasing political involvement in the management and organization of the airport challenges orthodox understanding of agency and organizational action. As the ethnography becomes progressively more implicated in the entanglements between human and animal, the concept of ‘feline politics’ is proposed and deployed. This allows research to retain focus on actions and behaviour and modes of thinking that would ordinarily be occluded by conventional modes of organizational representation. In these ways the ethnography moves beyond the interpretative and symbolic treatment of organization analysis and finds resource in the recent ‘ontological turn’ in the social sciences. Embracing what is the inevitable participation of the social sciences in the reflexive and recursive enactment of its phenomena, the ethnography discovers new potentialities and new capacities for action as emergent properties of ‘the human’ and ‘the animal’ were mutually learnt, exchanged and acquired. This article adds to what we know about the limits of management as it confronts a radical undecidability characterized by the co-existence of multiple and interacting ontological becomings.
Observations on acoustic emissions from a line contact compressed into the plastic region
Authors: Fuentes Ramon , Howard Thomas P , Marshall Matthew B , Cross Elizabeth J , Dwyer-Joyce Rob S
Published: March 2016

Some observations from acoustic emissions recorded during a yield test of a bearing raceway compressed into plasticity using a rolling element are presented. The general objective of the study is to establish whether there is enough evidence of the onset of sub-surface plasticity in the acoustic emissions signature. It is discussed here how acoustic emissions monitoring during compression could indicate the onset of subsurface plasticity as a precursor to damage propagation to the surface. Some comparisons are drawn between the acoustic emissions activity levels and time-frequency response during elastic deformation and at yield loads.
Photos of the Day galleries: Representing a more nuanced world
Authors: Midberry Jennifer
Published: March 2016

This content analysis investigated whether Photos of the Day online galleries from The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post present the world outside the United States in a negative manner. This study compared the results to previous content analyses of the winning images of the Pulitzer Prize and Pictures of the Year International contests. A composite month sample of 738 photographs from all three papers was coded according to themes. The findings were that Photos of the Day galleries depicted more feature and general news photos and fewer images of war and social problems than the Pulitzer Prize–winning and Pictures of the Year International–winning images. Therefore, it is argued that Photos of the Day galleries expand the newsworthiness criteria for pictures of events abroad, redefine excellent international photojournalism, and are a rare space in US photojournalism where international news is presented in a more balanced and nuanced manner.
The Journalist and the Murderer revisited: What interviews with journalism subjects reveal about a modern classic
Authors: Palmer Ruth A
Published: March 2016

Do journalism subjects invariably feel betrayed and misrepresented by journalists, as Janet Malcolm claims in her seminal 1990 book The Journalist and the Murderer? If not, what explains the ongoing appeal of her now famous conclusion? Based on interviews with 83 people who were named in newspapers in the New York City–area and a southwestern city, this article takes up these questions by putting journalism subjects’ own descriptions of their experiences with the journalistic process in dialogue with Malcolm’s central argument. I conclude that Malcolm’s conman–victim model for the journalist–subject relationship fails, in some key ways, to describe journalism subjects’ experiences; and yet, Malcolm does capture important emotional truths at the heart of the journalist–subject encounter. In the end, the hyperbolic versions of the journalist and subject she portrays may continue to resonate not because they are strictly accurate, but because they play a role in journalistic boundary work, simultaneously probing and reinforcing the boundaries of acceptable journalistic practice.
The diversity of tactics: Anarchism and political power
Authors: Frazer Elizabeth J.
Published: March 2016

This review essay focusses on Gelderloos's normative theory of diversity of tactics. The book is worth serious attention by political theorists because of its sustained analysis of violence, nonviolence, tactics and strategy, but the normative theory fails. The essay endorses Gelderloos's nuanced analysis of the violence-nonviolence distinction and aspects of his account of tactics-strategy-goals. But the concepts ‘state' and ‘politics' are both treated by him in an overly simple way. Although aspects of his account show how complex any state-society distinction is, in other contexts he suggests that it is easy for actors to divide state enemies from oppressed society friends. He rejects politics as the capture of state power for dominating and self-interested purposes, and dismisses all other aspects of political power, institutions and relationships. He thereby denies any role for politics in the sustainability of the anarchist activism he wishes to defend and endorse. In particular his disavowal of any political power base to coalitions, means that coalitional action can only be depicted as evanescent and episodic, while anarchist action is premissed on putting fellow actors who are not comrades beyond the realm of care of concern.
Anarchist ambivalence: Politics and violence in the thought of Bakunin, Tolstoy and Kropotkin
Authors: Frazer Elizabeth , Hutchings Kimberly
Published: March 2016

There appear to be striking contradictions between different strands of anarchist thought with respect to violence – anarchism can justify it, or condemn it, can be associated with both violent action and pacifism. The anarchist thinkers studied here saw themselves as facing up to the realities of violence in politics – the violence of state power, and the destructiveness of instrumental uses of physical power as a revolutionary political weapon. Bakunin, Tolstoy and Kropotkin all express ambivalence about violence in relation to political power. Instead of reading this ambivalence as a mark of inconsistency, or of abdication of responsible judgement, we argue that it signals a profound recognition of the dynamics of violence in both repressive and resistant politics. Kropotkin and Bakunin seek a cooperative collective political effort which is negated by individual acts of violence although it cannot be committed to non-violence as such. Tolstoy by contrast in his recognition of the organised violence of political power, turns from politics to morality, from organisation to individual renunciation. Tolstoyan non-violence is the opposite of Kropotkin’s mutual aid, and paradoxically Tolstoyan renunciation has effects only when it is underpinned by violence. Tolstoy leaves violence in its place, in his renunciation of it; and Bakunin and Kropotkin leave violence in its place in their plans for its undoing.
New and emerging technologies for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Dixon Louise C , Ward Derek J , Smith Joanna , Holmes Steve , Mahadeva Ravi
Published: March 2016

There is a need for straightforward, novel diagnostic and monitoring technologies to enable the early diagnosis of COPD and its differentiation from other respiratory diseases, to establish the cause of acute exacerbations and to monitor disease progression. We sought to establish whether technologies already in development could potentially address these needs. A systematic horizon scanning review was undertaken to identify technologies in development from a wide range of commercial and non-commercial sources. Technologies were restricted to those likely to be available within 18 months, and then evaluated for degree of innovation, potential for impact, acceptability to users and likelihood of adoption by clinicians and patients with COPD. Eighty technologies were identified, of which 25 were considered particularly promising. Biomarker tests, particularly those using sputum or saliva samples and/or available at the point of care, were positively evaluated, with many offering novel approaches to early diagnosis and to determining the cause for acute exacerbations. Several wrist-worn devices and smartphone-based spirometers offering the facility for self-monitoring and early detection of exacerbations were also considered promising. The most promising identified technologies have the potential to improve COPD care and patient outcomes. Further research and evaluation activities should be focused on these technologies.
Bleeding Risk Profile in Patients With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Baumann Frederic , Husmann Marc , Benenati James F. , Katzen Barry T. , Del Conde Ian
Published: March 2016

Purpose: To assess the bleeding risk profile using the HAS-BLED score in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD). Methods: A post hoc analysis was performed using data from a series of 115 consecutive patients (mean age 72.4±11.4 years; 68 men) with symptomatic PAD undergoing endovascular revascularization. The endpoint of the study was to assess bleeding risk using the 9-point HAS-BLED score, which was previously validated in cohorts of patients with and without atrial fibrillation. For the purpose of this study, the low (0–1), intermediate (2), and high-risk (≥3) scores were stratified as low/intermediate risk (HAS-BLED <3) vs high risk (HAS-BLED ≥3). Results: The mean HAS-BLED score was 2.76±1.16; 64 (56%) patients had a HAS-BLED score ≥3.0. Patients with PAD Rutherford category 5/6 ischemia had an even higher mean HAS-BLED score (3.20±1.12). Logistic regression analysis revealed aortoiliac or femoropopliteal segment involvement, chronic kidney disease, as well as Rutherford category 5/6, to be independent risk factors associated with a HAS-BLED score ≥3. Conclusion: Patients with PAD, especially those presenting with Rutherford category 5/6 ischemic symptoms, have high HAS-BLED scores, suggesting increased risk for major bleeding. Prospective clinical validation of the HAS-BLED score in patients with PAD may help with the risk-benefit assessment when prescribing antithrombotic therapy.
Top Ten+ List
Authors: Lather Patti
Published: March 2016

This article presents a “top ten+ list” of lessons learned from the ontological turn. Across various terms and insistences, the article surveys theories of social change, the subject and agency, the canons constructed, the methodologies materialized, the “more and other than reflexivity” researcher subjectivity endorsed, and the edges of both policy analysis and quantitative research that already instantiate such lessons. It concludes with a meditation on how to think this latest turn within something other than a temporality of successor regimes, end-isms, and apocalyptic breaks.
Visual Profiling as Biopolitics
Authors: Craig Byron B , Rahko Stephen E.
Published: March 2016

This essay examines the crisis of American policing through a close reading and critique of the visual rhetoric that circulated in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s untimely death in Ferguson, Missouri. By drawing on recent work in visual and media criticism, Black Studies, and Foucault, we analyze and critique what we call “vernacular visuality” as a site in the unfolding politics of racial representation. Because practices of policing cannot be divided from visual culture and the politics of representation, we argue that the vernacular visuality of race can deepen our understanding of late capitalist policing because it illustrates how the racial logics of late capitalism operationalize it as a mode of biopolitical intervention on the racialized body.
Critical Negotiations and Black Lives
Authors: Gaines Rondee
Published: March 2016

In the wake of the killings of Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Mike Brown, and Eric Garner, mass protests continue to emerge. Across the country, blacks and non-blacks, men and women, rich and poor are seeking justice. Responding to the cultural and political climate recent scholarship address several key areas, ranging between reform and radical activism. However, there are several limitations to the current discussions. One of the most critical concerns is the need for a more nuanced understanding about race, class, and gender dynamics and the interplaying enactment of these critical dimensions, particularly involving power, state violence, patriarchy, and prescriptive inscriptions of masculinity. In response to the limitations of the current discourse surrounding these injustices, I suggest that using an Africana womanist perspective as a tool to raise consciousness is a more effective approach to broaden and deepen understanding about the state-sanctioned violence against black Americans. Africana womanism, problematizing racialized manhood in these cases, provides a communal focus, though primarily focusing on masculinity but also opening the critical possibilities to understand womanhood. Unpacking the bodily situatedness of black manhood also helps to open pathways to illuminate the interconnectedness of gender, class, and race, and how the black body, whether male or female, is an embodied critical site, symbolically signifying the interlocking race-class-gender prevalence in both black manhood and womanhood.
Breathe, Baby, Breathe
Authors: Grills Cheryl N. , Aird Enola G. , Rowe Daryl
Published: March 2016

The BlackLivesMatter movement has rightly pointed to the dehumanization of people of African ancestry as the driving force behind the wanton killing of Black people by the police and vigilantes. This article identifies and addresses the root cause of the dehumanization of people of African ancestry, the lie of Black inferiority (and its correlate, the lie of White superiority), examines the damaging effects of the psychological, cultural, and historical trauma caused by the lies, and introduces Emotional Emancipation Circles, a promising intervention for helping Black people overcome, heal from, and overturn the lies.
Social Isolation, Strain, and Youth Violence
Authors: Niño Michael , Ignatow Gabe , Cai Tianji
Published: March 2016

This article examines the relationship between types of social isolation and violent delinquency. Deriving hypotheses from elements of general strain theory, we test whether the isolation–violence relationship varies across different types of isolated youth when compared to sociable youth. We also test whether other negative experiences and circumstances (types of social strain) associated with adolescence moderate the relationship between isolation types and violent delinquency. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we find that different types of social isolation had varying effects on violent delinquency. Socially disinterested youth show a greater capacity for violent behavior, but other types of marginalized youth showed no difference in violence when compared to sociable youth. Results also demonstrate that some types of strain moderate the isolation–violence relationship. The implications of these findings for research on peer relations, adolescent strain, and violence are discussed.
A Novel Ultrasound-Based Registration for Image-Guided Laparoscopic Liver Ablation
Authors: Fusaglia Matteo , Tinguely Pascale , Banz Vanessa , Weber Stefan , Lu Huanxiang
Published: March 2016

Background. Patient-to-image registration is a core process of image-guided surgery (IGS) systems. We present a novel registration approach for application in laparoscopic liver surgery, which reconstructs in real time an intraoperative volume of the underlying intrahepatic vessels through an ultrasound (US) sweep process. Methods. An existing IGS system for an open liver procedure was adapted, with suitable instrument tracking for laparoscopic equipment. Registration accuracy was evaluated on a realistic phantom by computing the target registration error (TRE) for 5 intrahepatic tumors. The registration work flow was evaluated by computing the time required for performing the registration. Additionally, a scheme for intraoperative accuracy assessment by visual overlay of the US image with preoperative image data was evaluated. Results. The proposed registration method achieved an average TRE of 7.2 mm in the left lobe and 9.7 mm in the right lobe. The average time required for performing the registration was 12 minutes. A positive correlation was found between the intraoperative accuracy assessment and the obtained TREs. Conclusions. The registration accuracy of the proposed method is adequate for laparoscopic intrahepatic tumor targeting. The presented approach is feasible and fast and may, therefore, not be disruptive to the current surgical work flow.
Gender Politics and The Walking Dead: Gendered Violence and the Reestablishment of Patriarchy
Authors: Garland Tammy S. , Phillips Nickie , Vollum Scott
Published: March 2016

Given that the acclaimed comic book series The Walking Dead allows readers to confront our greatest fears, as civilization has collapsed and zombies proliferate and prey upon the living, the paucity of literature addressing the gender dynamics in such a lawless society is disconcerting. In our analysis of 96 issues of the series, we explore the social construction of gender roles and the context of gendered violence and victimization in this post-apocalyptic world. Moving beyond a narrative analysis, we consider how comic art conveys that even in the zombie apocalypse, the patriarchal structure remains, the realities of sexism and gendered violence endure, and, sometimes, women literally pay with their flesh for trying to break out of stereotypical gendered constructs.
Theoretical and experimental studies on in-plane stiffness of integrated container structure
Authors: Zha Xiaoxiong , Zuo Yang
Published: March 2016

This article presents analytical, numerical, and experimental studies on the in-plane stiffness of container buildings. First, based on diaphragm theory, parallel corrugated direction stiffness of corrugated sheet has been deduced, and based on energy method, shear modulus of two elastic principal directions of orthotropic plate has been deduced, and through stiffness conversion method, the stiffness relationship between parallel corrugated direction and vertical corrugated direction has been obtained. Combined with container frame, the container stiffness of loading end and non-loading end, as bottom side beam fixed, has been obtained. Second, through the software Abaqus, full-scale container model has been established. The loading–displacement curve of finite element model has been compared with theoretical analysis and has a good agreement. Third, through 20 and 40 ft container, corresponding experimental verification has been done, and by comparison of container stiffness, the theoretical analysis and finite element simulation have been verified. Finally, based on verified finite element model, parametric analysis of corrugated sheet size, corrugated sheeting cross section, elasticity modulus of top side beam, and every plate action for container stiffness have been given. Research result has made feasible in design and construction of container buildings and can provide some references to corresponding specification preparation.
Algebraic expression and characteristics of static wrench-closure workspace boundary for planar cable-driven parallel robots
Authors: Li Tiemin , Tang Xiaoqiang , Tang Lewei
Published: March 2016

This article proposes a deduction method of algebraic expression of static wrench-closure workspace boundary for planar 3-degree-of-freedom cable-driven parallel robots based on the antipodal theorem. Different from interval method and discretization approach, a more precise algebraic expression of workspace boundary can be obtained without undetermined region or costly computation burden to make the design process and optimization easy and feasible. In order to illustrate and study the conic characteristics of workspace boundary, a case study is conducted on a four-cable-driven 3-degree-of-freedom parallel robot. Simulation results show that the type of conic of boundary depends on the determinant of the specific deduced matrix and corresponds to which cable is collinear with the intersection line. In addition, the results also demonstrate that the boundary of workspace consists of the same type of two conics (i.e. ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola), and the region surrounded by these two quadratic curves is the smallest when the type of the border equation is parabola.
Improved non-dimensional dynamic influence function method for vibration analysis of arbitrarily shaped plates with clamped edges
Authors: Kang Sang-Wook , Atluri Satya N
Published: March 2016

A new formulation for the non-dimensional dynamic influence function method, which was developed by the authors, is proposed to efficiently extract eigenvalues and mode shapes of clamped plates with arbitrary shapes. Compared with the finite element and boundary element methods, the non-dimensional dynamic influence function method yields highly accurate solutions in eigenvalue analysis problems of plates and membranes including acoustic cavities. However, the non-dimensional dynamic influence function method requires the uneconomic procedure of calculating the singularity of a system matrix in the frequency range of interest for extracting eigenvalues because it produces a non-algebraic eigenvalue problem. This article describes a new approach that reduces the problem of free vibrations of clamped plates to an algebraic eigenvalue problem, the solution of which is straightforward. The validity and efficiency of the proposed method are illustrated through several numerical examples.
Use of an embedded, micro-randomised trial to investigate non-compliance in telehealth interventions
Authors: Law Lisa M , Edirisinghe Nuwani , Wason James MS
Published: March 2016

Background/aims:

Many types of telehealth interventions rely on activity from the patient in order to have a beneficial effect on their outcome. Remote monitoring systems require the patient to record regular measurements at home, for example, blood pressure, so clinicians can see whether the patient’s health changes over time and intervene if necessary. A big problem in this type of intervention is non-compliance. Most telehealth trials report compliance rates, but they rarely compare compliance among various options of telehealth delivery, of which there may be many. Optimising telehealth delivery is vital for improving compliance and, therefore, clinical outcomes. We propose a trial design which investigates ways of improving compliance. For efficiency, this trial is embedded in a larger trial for evaluating clinical effectiveness. It employs a technique called micro-randomisation, where individual patients are randomised multiple times throughout the study. The aims of this article are (1) to verify whether the presence of an embedded secondary trial still allows valid analysis of the primary research and (2) to demonstrate the usefulness of the micro-randomisation technique for comparing compliance interventions.

Methods:

Simulation studies were used to simulate a large number of clinical trials, in which no embedded trial was used, a micro-randomised embedded trial was used, and a factorial embedded trial was used. Each simulation recorded the operating characteristics of the primary and secondary trials.

Results:

We show that the type I error rate of the primary analysis was not affected by the presence of an embedded secondary trial. Furthermore, we show that micro-randomisation is superior to a factorial design as it reduces the variation caused by within-patient correlation. It therefore requires smaller sample sizes – our simulations showed a requirement of 128 patients for a micro-randomised trial versus 760 patients for a factorial design, in the presence of within-patient correlation.

Conclusion:

We believe that an embedded, micro-randomised trial is a feasible technique that can potentially be highly useful in telehealth trials.
The cosmopolitan subject and the question of cultural identity: The case of Crime and Punishment
Authors: Spector Hannah
Published: March 2016

Though contemporary discourse on cosmopolitanism has celebrated a cosmopolitan subject’s “rootedness” in two worlds – i.e. the polis and the cosmos – this emphasis has evaded analysis of the historical and damning term “rootless cosmopolitan.” Under the totalitarianisms of Nazism and late Stalinism, a “rootless cosmopolitan” was a life-threatening epithet aimed at those people, namely “the Jews,” criminalized for supposedly lacking national allegiance and affiliating with foreign cultures. This paper argues that an ethical problem arises when cosmopolitanism is understood in cultural terms. To illuminate this problem in the particular, this paper interprets Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, specifically the novel’s nationalistic themes and its cosmopolitan villain, Peter Petrovich Luzhin. In the unfolding analysis that draws from scholarship in cultural criminology, it is revealed that the Russian writer’s designated masterful genius helped fuel one of the greatest crimes in history (the Holocaust) perpetrated against a people accused of cosmopolitanism. It is argued that interpreting the criminalization of Luzhin provides an allegorical occasion to gain conceptual clarity on present articulations of cosmopolitanism as a cultural construct. Attending to Dostoevsky’s anti-cosmopolitanism, and those whom he has in/directly influenced on this subject, provides a rationale for critiquing cultural cosmopolitanism – a construct that is conceptually and materially dangerous.
Dorsal root ganglion transcriptome analysis following peripheral nerve injury in mice
Authors: Wu Shaogen , Marie Lutz Brianna , Miao Xuerong , Liang Lingli , Mo Kai , Chang Yun-Juan , Du Peicheng , Soteropoulos Patricia , Tian Bin , Kaufman Andrew G. , Bekker Alex , Hu Yali , Tao Yuan-Xiang
Published: March 2016

Background

Peripheral nerve injury leads to changes in gene expression in primary sensory neurons of the injured dorsal root ganglia. These changes are believed to be involved in neuropathic pain genesis. Previously, these changes have been identified using gene microarrays or next generation RNA sequencing with poly-A tail selection, but these approaches cannot provide a more thorough analysis of gene expression alterations after nerve injury.

Methods

The present study chose to eliminate mRNA poly-A tail selection and perform strand-specific next generation RNA sequencing to analyze whole transcriptomes in the injured dorsal root ganglia following spinal nerve ligation. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay was carried out to verify the changes of some differentially expressed RNAs in the injured dorsal root ganglia after spinal nerve ligation.

Results

Our results showed that more than 50 million (M) paired mapped sequences with strand information were yielded in each group (51.87 M–56.12 M in sham vs. 51.08 M–57.99 M in spinal nerve ligation). Six days after spinal nerve ligation, expression levels of 11,163 out of a total of 27,463 identified genes in the injured dorsal root ganglia significantly changed, of which 52.14% were upregulated and 47.86% downregulated. The largest transcriptional changes were observed in protein-coding genes (91.5%) followed by noncoding RNAs. Within 944 differentially expressed noncoding RNAs, the most significant changes were seen in long interspersed noncoding RNAs followed by antisense RNAs, processed transcripts, and pseudogenes. We observed a notable proportion of reads aligning to intronic regions in both groups (44.0% in sham vs. 49.6% in spinal nerve ligation). Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we confirmed consistent differential expression of selected genes including Kcna2, Oprm1 as well as lncRNAs Gm21781 and 4732491K20Rik following spinal nerve ligation.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that next generation RNA sequencing can be used as a promising approach to analyze the changes of whole transcriptomes in dorsal root ganglia following nerve injury and to possibly identify new targets for prevention and treatment of neuropathic pain.
Increased expression of αv integrin as a regulator of fibrosis in Dupuytren’s nodules
Authors: Matsui Y. , Kon S. , Funakoshi T. , Miyashita T. , Matsuda T. , Iwasaki N.
Published: March 2016

Although Dupuytren’s contracture is characterized by increased transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and fibrosis in the palmar fascia, the relationship between TGF-β1 and integrins, which are considered to be related to fibrosis, remains unclear. We investigated the involvement of TGF-β1 and integrins in the pathological palmar fascia of Dupuytren’s contracture. Seven patients underwent partial fasciectomy for treatment of this disease. The nodule and cord were isolated from the fascial tissues of the patients. Control fasciae were obtained from seven patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to detect the fibrosis marker α-smooth muscle actin and integrins in the fascial tissues. The expression of TGF-β1 and integrins was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results suggest that nodules may be areas involved in activation of fibrosis in the fascia, associated with increased expression of TGF-β1 and αv integrin. Thus, αv integrin may contribute to fibrosis in Dupuytren’s contracture by activating TGF-β1.

Level of Evidence: IV
Ramucirumab in metastatic colorectal cancer: evidence to date and place in therapy
Authors: Verdaguer Helena , Tabernero Josep , Macarulla Teresa
Published: March 2016

Colorectal cancer is the third most frequent cancer worldwide. Overall survival rates have improved greatly over the last few years due, at least in part, to the addition of targeted therapies to standard of care chemotherapy. Angiogenesis plays an important role in colorectal cancer, and therapies directed against the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) axis have contributed significantly to improving the outcome of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Over the past few years, several new targeted antiangiogenic agents have been approved for this patient population, confirming the value of inhibiting tumour angiogenesis. The most recent among them is ramucirumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the extracellular domain of VEGF receptor 2. It has proven valuable in multiple tumour types including colorectal cancer. Several phase I and II clinical trials showed a favourable toxicity profile and promising clinical antitumour efficacy in colorectal cancer patients. In the phase III RAISE clinical trial, the addition of ramucirumab to FOLFIRI-based chemotherapy resulted in an improvement of overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had been previously treated with bevacizumab, oxaliplatin and a fluoropyrimidine. On the basis of these results, ramucirumab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for this setting. We present an overview of the key preclinical and clinical studies in the development of ramucirumab in the context of metastatic colorectal cancer.
Phase II study of gemcitabine plus S-1 chemotherapy in recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy
Authors: Peng PeiJian , Ou XueQing , Liao Hai , Liu YuMeng , Wang SiYang , Cheng ZhiBin , Lin Zhong
Published: March 2016

Purpose:

No standard salvage regimen has been established for patients with recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and disease progression after prior platinum-based chemotherapy. This phase II study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine plus S-1 (GS) chemotherapy as a remedial regimen in this setting.

Methods:

In this multicenter phase II study, 49 patients with recurrent and metastatic NPC who failed previous platinum-based chemotherapy received gemcitabine (1.0 g/m2 on days 1 and 8) plus oral S-1 chemotherapy (twice daily from day 1 to 14). Each cycle was repeated every 3 weeks for two cycles at least. The dose of S-1 was determined according to the body surface area (BSA): 40 mg twice a day for BSA <1.25 m2; 50 mg twice a day for 1.25 m2 ⩽ BSA <1.5 m2; and 60 mg twice a day for BSA ⩾1.5 m2.

Results:

Treatment was generally well-tolerated. A total of seven patients (14.3%) had grade 3 toxicities and the main toxicity was myelosuppression, whereas the nonhematology adverse events were minimal. There were 3 complete responses (6.4%), 17 partial responses (36.2%), and the overall response rate was 42.6% (95% confidence interval: 27.3–61.2). Median time to progression was 5.8 months and median survival was 14.8 months. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 64% and 30%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Gemcitabine plus S-1 offers a satisfactory clinical activity and an acceptable safety profile for recurrent and metastatic NPC patients after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy.
Is Psychological Stress a Factor for Incorporation Into Future Closed-Loop Systems?
Authors: Gonder-Frederick Linda A. , Grabman Jesse H. , Kovatchev Boris , Brown Sue A. , Patek Stephen , Basu Ananda , Pinsker Jordan E. , Kudva Yogish C. , Wakeman Christian A. , Dassau Eyal , Cobelli Claudio , Zisser Howard C. , Doyle Francis J.
Published: March 2016

Background:

The relationship between daily psychological stress and BG fluctuations in type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is unclear. More research is needed to determine if stress-related BG changes should be considered in glucose control algorithms. This study in the usual free-living environment examined relationships among routine daily stressors and BG profile measures generated from CGM readings.

Methods:

A total of 33 participants with T1DM on insulin pumps wore a CGM device for 1 week and recorded daily ratings of psychological stress, carbohydrates, and insulin boluses.

Results:

Within-subjects ANCOVAs found a significant relationship between daily stress and indices of BG variability/instability ( r = .172 to .185, P = .011 to .018, r2 = 2.97% to 3.43%), increased % time in hypoglycemia ( r = .153, P = .036, r2 = 2.33%) and decreased carbohydrate consumption ( r = –.157, P = .031, r2 = 2.47%). Models accounted for more variance for individuals reporting the highest daily stress. There was no relationship between stress and mean daily glucose or low/high glucose risk indices.

Conclusions:

These preliminary findings suggest that naturally occurring daily stressors can be associated with increased glucose instability and hypoglycemia, as well as decreased food consumption. In addition, findings support the hypothesis that some individuals are more metabolically reactive to stress. More rigorous studies using CGM technology are needed to understand whether the impact of daily stress on BG is clinically meaningful and if it is a behavioral factor that should be considered in glucose control systems for some individuals.
Psychological Reactions Associated With Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Youth
Authors: Patton Susana R. , Clements Mark A.
Published: March 2016

Glucose monitoring is prerequisite to all other diabetes self-care behaviors and helps patients to reduce their risk for diabetes-related complications due to elevated glycemia. Because of the amount of information available and the ability to deliver glucose results in real-time, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has the ability to improve on self-monitoring blood glucose. However, epidemiologic data demonstrate slow uptake of CGM by patients, especially among youth. Several new diabetes therapies rely on CGM for feedback on patients’ glucose levels to optimize treatment (eg, the low-glucose suspend insulin pump) and there are new technologies currently in development that will also need this information to work (eg, the artificial pancreas). To help patients to realize the potential benefits of these new treatments, it is essential to explore patients’ psychological and behavioral reactions to CGM and then target device enhancements and/or the development of behavioral therapies to minimize negative reactions and to improve patients’ CGM adoption rates. Limited research is available examining the psychological and behavioral reactions of CGM use in youth exclusively, but there are more studies examining these reactions in mixed samples of youth, parents, and adults. The purpose of this review is to summarize the available literature examining psychological and behavioral reactions to CGM use in young people with diabetes and to highlight how the results of past and future studies can inform device updates and/or behavioral intervention development to minimize barriers.