bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid-Scan, Polarimetric Observations of Central Oklahoma Severe Storms on 31 May 2013
Authors: Tanamachi Robin L. , Heinselman Pamela L.
Published: October 2015

On 31 May 2013, a polarimetric WSR-88D located in Norman, Oklahoma (KOUN), was used to collect sectorized volumetric observations in a tornadic supercell. Because only a fraction of the full azimuthal volume was observed, rapid volume update times of ~1–2 min were achieved. In addition, the number of pulses used in each radial was larger than is conventional, increasing the statistical robustness of the calculated polarimetric variables. These rapid observations serve as a proxy for those of a future dual-polarized phased-array radar. Through comparison with contemporaneous observations from two nearby dual-polarized WSR-88Ds [Twin Lakes, Oklahoma (KTLX), and near University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport in Norman (KCRI)], a number of instances in which the rapidly scanned KOUN radar detected or better resolved (in a temporal sense) features of severe convective storms are highlighted. In particular, the polarimetric signatures of merging updrafts, a rapidly descending giant hail core, an anticyclonic tornado, and a dissipating storm cell are examined. These observations provided insights into the rapid evolution of severe convective storms that could not be made (or would have been made with much lower confidence) with current, operational WSR-88D scanning strategies. Possible implications of these rapid updates for the warning decision process are discussed.
Short message service (SMS) as an educational tool during pregnancy: A literature review
Authors: Lamont Kim , Sliwa Karen , Stewart Simon , Carrington Melinda , Pretorius Sandra , Libhaber Elena , Wiysonge Charles S , Adebayo Esther F , Klipstein-Grobusch Kerstin
Published: October 2015

Background:

In many low- and middle-income countries, access to health information during pregnancy is poor. The rapid adoption of mobile phones in these countries has created new opportunities for disseminating such information.

Objective:

This paper reviews existing information on the use of short message services (SMSs) as a feasible tool to transmit health education information.

Methods:

The PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE and Google scholar databases were searched for studies in which mobile phone SMSs were used to promote health education during pregnancy. Studies of adult women, from any setting, who received SMS health education messages during their pregnancy, were included, irrespective of study design.

Results:

The analysis of results followed a narrative synthesis approach, a textual approach involving a synthesis of findings from multiple studies. The synthesis was developed manually, based on the extraction of data. All studies demonstrated use or interest in SMS technology to facilitate health information messaging. Findings from several studies showed that pregnant women were both receptive and willing to use SMS technology to enhance their health. In Zanzibar, the effect of SMS on skilled delivery rates and access to emergency healthcare was assessed. The effects SMS alerts had on hospital deliveries and SMS interventions had on facility use during pregnancy were assessed in Rwanda.

Conclusion:

The review highlights the practicality and willingness of utilising SMS technology to promote or enhance health education.
The evolving EU accountability landscape: moving to an ever denser union
Authors: Wille Anchrit
Published: October 2015

This article aims to bring the accountability of the EU executive out of the shadows by tracing the development of the current accountability landscape around the main EU’s executive actors. It looks at the development and the diversification of accountability forums (and mechanisms) in the EU: what forums and arrangements have come into being for holding the EU executive powers accountable? Instead of focusing on single individual accountability branches, this article examines the development of accountability in the EU by treating it as a complex landscape. And rather than assuming equilibrium, a starting point is the evolving nature of this landscape. On the basis of this exploration, the article seeks to understand the way in which the EU's institutional accountability framework has evolved through a patchwork of arrangements, and how this contributes to the emergence of a complex, multilayered governance landscape in order to fit within today’s presumptions about how power should be controlled and accountability achieved.

Points for practitioners

The landscape of accountability institutions in the EU is slowly becoming denser. The shift from national, state-based policy-making to the EU level and the continuous expansion of the executive sphere in the EU is accompanied by a growing concern about how to organize democratic accountability in the complex multi-level web of European governance. The establishment of new watchdog institutions (such as an ombudsman, an anti-corruption office, ethical committees, auditors, a whistleblower protection act) and strengthened scrutiny points to the increased relevance of accountability and control over the EU executive.
Calendar Structures for Venus in Mesoamerican Divinatory Books: Common Approaches to Commensuration and Correction
Authors: Henderson John S
Published: October 2015

Long-recognized similarities in representations of Venus, its movements, and associated supernatural forces in pre-Columbian books from central Mexico and the Maya lowlands point strongly to the value of a comparative approach. A new analysis of Venus records in the western Mesoamerican Borgia group shows that their calendar structures relate the periodicity of Venus to other calendar cycles in much the same way as the Venus table in the Maya Dresden Codex. Conversely, proposals for ways in which users of the central Mexican books may have corrected for discrepancies between canonical cycles of the calendar framework and what was actually observable in the sky reveal a novel way in which correction could have been effected in the Dresden Codex. These insights show that shared structural principles go deeper than related iconography and metaphors.
Copernicanism in the Classroom: Jesuit Natural Philosophy and Mathematics after 1633
Authors: Raphael Renée J.
Published: October 2015

This article examines presentations of the Copernican system in courses of natural philosophy and mathematics at the Jesuit Collegio Romano during the seventeenth century. Using printed and manuscript teaching materials, it documents how the introduction of Copernicanism, especially following Galileo’s condemnation, prompted subtle modifications to the types of questions and evidence presented to students and led professors to appropriate topics from mathematics into their philosophical curriculum and vice versa. These patterns offer insight into the local context and circumstances in which Jesuit professors both interpreted the Catholic Church’s condemnation and were impelled to innovate their curriculum in response to new intellectual currents.
“Solar Spot Mania”: The Origins and Early Years of Solar Research at Kew Observatory, 1852–1860
Authors: Macdonald Lee T
Published: October 2015

The building of the photographic solar telescope or “photoheliograph” at Kew Observatory near London in the 1850s and the successful programme of solar photography carried out with it have generally been taken as a direct response to Sir John Herschel’s well-publicised 1854 call for collaborative studies of sunspots. This paper uses archival evidence to show that the story of the photoheliograph’s origins and how it came to Kew in the first place is much more complex than has hitherto been acknowledged and that it was really the work of several individuals. I also argue that the photoheliograph and the work carried out with it were largely directed and financed by the wealthy Warren De La Rue and that so as far as the photoheliograph was concerned, Kew was not a public observatory, as has been asserted.
Reflections on Life Changes Resulting From a Parent’s Losing Independence
Authors: Chapin Martha H.
Published: October 2015

If we are lucky, we will have the opportunity to enjoy our parents as they age, but there are challenges that come with the blessings. This article provides insights and recommendations regarding the personal responsibilities of a caregiver, the rehabilitation and case-management requirements of ensuring effective care, and a parent’s struggle when she can no longer live independently.
Truro Cathedral: Spires of hope on the Duchy peninsula
Authors: Barley Lynda
Published: October 2015

A case-study is offered of a modern English cathedral set in a predominantly rural and less prosperous region of Britain. The author seeks to highlight the distinctiveness of this particular cathedral ministry as well as experiences in common with many other English cathedrals from the perspective of a participant observer. The unique social and religious inheritance in the Duchy of Cornwall leads to a diverse mix of local cultures strongly influenced by Celtic traditions that serve to emphasize its independence from its English neighbours.

Truro Cathedral’s role as a community utility beyond the Church of England in giving voice to the role of the established church in this region is explored. This discussion refers to the challenges of responding to implicit and explicit expressions of contemporary religion. Generational differences, in particular, focus the cathedral’s attention on offering a generous hospitality to individual spiritual and religious exploration while maintaining its core values and purpose that have come to be summarized as ‘Sacred Space, Common Ground’. The growing diversity of ministry of this English cathedral at the heart of regional life is an encouragement to the continuing life of the Church of England in this extremity of the South West.
Difficult Texts: The sacrifice of Isaac – Genesis 22
Authors: Phillips Anthony
Published: October 2015

The sacrifice of Abraham is an example of the shadow side of God which is the ultimate test of faith. It is a recurrent theme in the Hebrew Scriptures culminating in Jesus’ cry from the cross against his inexplicable abandonment.
A Sense of Injustice Loosens the Moral Bind of Law
Authors: McLean Kyle , Wolfe Scott E.
Published: October 2015

Existing literature demonstrates a clear connection between perceptions of procedural injustice and offending behaviors. Despite this connection, the mechanisms through which procedural injustice influences offending remain theoretically underdeveloped. To address this gap, the current study proposes that techniques of neutralization can be used to further develop our understanding of the connection between procedural injustice and criminal behavior. Using longitudinal data from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program, the links between procedural injustice, techniques of neutralization, and offending are explored. Results show that the effect of procedural injustice on offending is partially mediated by individuals’ neutralization attitudes. This finding expands the scope of procedural justice theory by demonstrating that procedural injustice is associated with attitudes conducive to criminal behavior rather than only the behavior itself.
Assessing Risk for Recidivism in Individuals Convicted of Stalking Offenses
Authors: Foellmi Mélodie C. , Rosenfeld Barry , Galietta Michele
Published: October 2015

This study examined the internal validity and predictive accuracy of the Guidelines for Stalking Assessment and Management (SAM), a structured professional judgment risk assessment tool for stalking. Interviewers rated 89 stalking offenders on the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) and SAM Nature (N) and Perpetrator (P) subscales. Researchers obtained stalking and violence outcomes prospectively from several sources, for an average follow-up period of 2.5 years. Cox Proportional Hazard analyses including SAM and PCL:SV scores demonstrated a significant positive relationship between SAM total and subscale scores in predicting stalking recidivism, whereas PCL:SV scores were negatively associated with recidivism. However, the SAM clinical risk ratings did not significantly predict stalking reoffending. There were also no significant associations between SAM scores and violent outcomes. These findings provide mixed support for the use of the SAM as a risk assessment tool for stalking offenders.
Alone and Far from Home
Authors: Greefs Hilde , Winter Anne
Published: October 2015

On the basis of nominal data from local foreigners’ files, this article examines gender differences in the trajectories of more than 3,000 single foreign newcomers to Antwerp between 1850 and 1880. The data demonstrate an overall expansion, ruralization, and feminization of the migration field over time, attuned to the evolution of the port town’s dual labor market. Foreign single women were less specialized than their skilled male counterparts and immigrated in large numbers only toward the end of the period under study, supported by the facilitation of travel via rail. Engaged in a catch-up process as well as in the founding of new patterns of migration, single female migrants emerge from this study as both followers and pioneers. By highlighting the latter’s dual role, the results shed new light on gender stereotypes in migration research and on the oft-assumed connection between migration distance and occupational specialization.
Research and teaching PA
Authors: van der Meer Frans-Bauke , Marks Peter
Published: October 2015

Research and teaching are core business of academic institutions. The research context is thought to be fruitful for teaching and learning, and students may contribute to research. But how exactly does the interplay between research and teaching take place and how, in what respects and under which conditions, does this contribute to the quality of research and teaching? The article makes an inventory of functions of research in teaching in public administration curricula. It elaborates on conditions and mechanisms for effective realization of these functions, based on the contributions to this special issue, literature and our own insights and experiences. We evaluate and reflect on different functions and modes of linking research and teaching and to explore relevant conditions for their use.
A parametric sensitivity study on preforming simulations of woven composites using a hypoelastic computational model
Authors: Khan Muhammad A , Saleem Waqas , Asad Muhammad , Ijaz Hassan
Published: October 2015

Preforming simulation for structural composite processing can significantly assist in the development of forming tools, prediction of manufacturing issues, optimization of process parameters and structural design analysis. The present study is aimed at investigating the influence of some important parameters in composite forming using a hypoelastic computational model developed for simulating the deformation behaviour of fibrous materials. The process parameters considered within this numerical work investigate the effects of binder force, coefficient of friction and forming speed. The study is conducted using two most commonly used double-curvature geometries for analysis of woven composites: double dome and hemisphere. It has been shown with this comprehensive study that the forming simulations are greatly affected by the choice of process parameters, and models based on finite element approach, such as the proposed hypoelastic model, can only predict its effects.
Structure and properties of kaolinite intercalated with potassium acetate and their nanocomposites with polyamide 1010
Authors: Jiang Shengling , Mi Ran , Yun Rongping , Qi Shicheng , Zhang Xiaoa , Lu Yafei , Matějka Vlastimil , Peikertová Pavlína , Tokarský Jonáš
Published: October 2015

The intercalation complex marked as KAA was a modified kaolinite (KA) with potassium acetate as an intercalating agent, which was used as a reinforcement to prepare polyamide 1010 (PA1010) matrix nanocomposites (PKAA) by melt compounding. X-Ray diffraction results indicated that the interlayer basal spacing increased from 0.720 nm (KA) to 1.411 nm (KAA), after an intercalation process with an intercalation ratio of 99.7%. The nanocomposite with 2 wt% KAA exhibited the best comprehensive mechanical properties, including tensile strength, elongation at break, and notched impact strength. Furthermore, the thermal performance of these nanocomposites could be effectively improved, which manifested as the elevated glass transition temperature and thermal decomposition temperature in the test results of the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The melting point and crystallization behavior of PKAA were also increased due to results from the differential scanning calorimetry. Besides, the bilayer inserting model was simulated by Materials Studios software to further understand the structure-function relationship of PKAA.
Determinants of conflict on Wisconsin School Boards
Authors: Ford Michael , Ihrke Douglas
Published: October 2015

In this article, we use original survey data from Wisconsin school board members to determine the extent of conflict present on Wisconsin school boards and the determinants of different types of perceived board conflict. School boards, by virtue of overseeing a public good with readily measurable performance variables, offer an ideal case for testing a relationship between board governance performance and conflict. Using multivariate regression analysis, we find that that the perceived level of conflict on Wisconsin school boards is dependent on the quality of superintendent–board relations, the demographic profile of the school district overseen by the school board, and the age and experience level of school board members. Notably, we do not find a clear relationship between conflict and measures of school district academic performance.
Calculation of elastic deformation error of thermoplastic polyurethane flexible couplings in computer numerical control devices
Authors: Biglar Mohammad Yusef , Payganeh Gholamhasan , Shirafkan Ali
Published: October 2015

Determining the movement errors due to mechanical parts in computer numerical control devices is an important part of studying manufacturing and production. The propelling mechanical system of a computer numerical control device consists of engine, coupling, bearing, knot and leading rail. Each of these parts has an error value which causes manufacturing error in producing industrial parts. Although using closed-loop system has helped to solve this problem, still there are systems that use open loop. In this study, using Mooney–Rivlin model for flexible couplings, we calculated the errors due to the deformation of elastomeric medium, which is made of thermoplastic polyurethane. Using the ANSYS software, we simulated the three-dimensional model of medium to obtain elastic deformation. The loading type was chosen in terms of torque and stepper revolution of engine. At fixed 500 r/min, the effect of torque and engine stepper on the deformation was investigated, and the results obtained were compared with the simulations from experimental work on a computer numerical control desk with stepper 1.8 and 2.4 N m and ABBA coupling of model SRG-40C and ball screw of milled diameter 25 pitch 5 class C which showed a good confirmation.
A scheduling procedure for a flow shop–like knowledgeable manufacturing cell with self-evolutionary features
Authors: Yan Hong-Sen , Li Wen-Chao
Published: October 2015

As a component of knowledgeable manufacturing systems, the structure of flow shop–like knowledgeable manufacturing cells is similar to that of a flow shop, thus representing an NP-hard issue. Here, we propose a self-evolutionary algorithm that exhibits learning ability and is composed of learning and scheduling modules. Unlike traditional scheduling algorithms, whose performances remain unchanged when the procedure is coded, the performance of the algorithm proposed in this study gradually improves as the learning process continues. The self-evolutionary ability is realized through the training of a hybrid kernel support vector machine. The hybrid kernel support vector machine was designed to approximate the value of the Q-function to select the appropriate action for the scheduling module and thus to obtain the optimal solution. An iterative process of value based on the Q-learning was adopted to train the hybrid kernel support vector machine to gradually enhance the algorithm’s efficiency and accuracy. The extracted state features of the flow shop–like knowledgeable manufacturing cells serve as inputs to hybrid kernel support vector machine for easy generalization of the learning results. The action exerted on a feasible solution is also defined as the input of the hybrid kernel support vector machine. The computational results show that the performance of the proposed procedure improves as the learning process progresses. Data from the computation and comparisons with other algorithms verify the validity and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
Cross-generational companionship: Representations of ageing in contemporary French cinema
Authors: Günther Renate
Published: October 2015

French cinema has consistently represented ageing in terms of a series of well-worn stereotypes which portray older people as ‘the enemy other’, to use Simone de Beauvoir’s phrase. Such negative images reflect a pervasive fear of ageing which is perceived as a threat to social models of adult identities. However, as this article shows, a number of recent French films have begun to question such dominant constructions of ageing. A detailed analysis of three films – Rue du Retrait (2000), La Tête en friche (2010) and Paulette (2012) – focuses on the significance of intergenerational relationships in the formulation of a positive and empowering vision of ageing. The article begins by exploring the films’ critical representations of ageing in the context of a society that is deeply hostile towards its older citizens. I argue in the subsequent sections that, in all three films, cross-generational companionship becomes a means of counteracting the social exclusion of elders and of constructing different models of ageing identities.
Parody of political correctness or allegory of ‘immaterial labour’? A second look at Francis Veber’s Le Placard (2001)
Authors: Lane Jeremy F.
Published: October 2015

This article questions whether readings of Francis Veber’s Le Placard (2001) as simply a parody of political correctness have tended to overlook the allegorical significance of its depiction of a middle-aged executive forced to pretend to be gay, simulating libidinal investments he does not in fact possess, in order to protect his job. It argues that the film merits reinterpretation as being not only a parody of political correctness but also a powerful allegory for the increasing demands placed on employees to invest their most personal affects and aptitudes in their work. Drawing on the work of Yann Moulier Boutang, the article interprets such demands as symptomatic of a regime of ‘cognitive capitalism’, in which ‘immaterial’ forms of labour represent the primary source of surplus value. The article thus offers an alternative reading of the film’s treatment of questions of work, gender, sexuality, family and nation, before situating Le Placard in the context of a broader range of recent French filmic representations of the contemporary workplace.
Thruster fault feature extraction for autonomous underwater vehicle in time-varying ocean currents based on single-channel blind source separation
Authors: Zhang Mingjun , Yin Baoji , Liu Weixin , Liu Xing
Published: October 2015

This article presents a novel thruster fault feature extraction method for autonomous underwater vehicle in time-varying ocean currents. The novel method is based on the combination of ensemble empirical mode decomposition and independent component analysis, which is a universal single-channel blind source separation method. When using ensemble empirical mode decomposition to decompose the autonomous underwater vehicle surge speed signal into a set of intrinsic mode functions, the original number of intrinsic mode functions is big, making the independent components that are separated and reconstructed from the intrinsic mode functions based on independent component analysis contain many false components. To reduce the original number of intrinsic mode functions, a method combining wavelet decomposition with empirical mode decomposition is proposed. When extracting fault feature value from independent components based on modified Bayes’ classification algorithm, the results show that the difference of fault feature value and noise feature value is small, and the ratio of fault feature value and noise feature value is small as well, which make it difficult to distinguish fault feature value from noise feature value. To increase the difference and the ratio, a wavelet detail component–assisted feature extraction method is proposed. The method combining wavelet decomposition with empirical mode decomposition and the wavelet detail component–assisted feature extraction method together constitute a novel thruster fault feature extraction approach which is suitable for autonomous underwater vehicle in time-varying ocean currents. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by the pool experiments of the experimental prototype.
Fuzzy control strategy for hypersonic missile autopilot with blended aero-fin and lateral thrust
Authors: Yang Peng-fei , Fang Yang-wang , Chai Dong , Wu You-li
Published: October 2015

An aerodynamic force and lateral thrust blended control autopilot is designed for the near-space air-breathing hypersonic missile with low overload cruise phase due to angle of attack restriction. The nonlinear longitudinal short-period motion model of a hypersonic missile is built, and several fuzzy control strategies are applied in overload command allocation, so as to decouple the aerodynamic and direct force subsystems. The adaptive sliding mode control approach is proposed for aerodynamic subsystem to handle the model uncertainties and atmospheric environment disturbances. A two-dimensional fuzzy controller is designed for direct force subsystem to reduce the dependence of the accurate model. The simulations show that the proposed blended controller can overcome the effects of disturbances and improve the delay effect by reason of weak aerodynamic to realize satisfied tracking performance. The simulations are also given to illustrate the validity of the blended control law in long period. The results show that the blended controller can achieve a good tracking performance throughout the cruise phase. The maneuverability of this dual-controlled hypersonic missile, with blended aero-fin and divert-control lateral jets, is enhanced obviously in cruise phase.
Constitution of Mutual Knowledge in Telecopresence: Updating Schutz’s Phenomenological Theory of the Lifeworld
Authors: Zhao Shanyang
Published: October 2015

In 1932, phenomenological sociologist Alfred Schutz provided a theory of mutual knowledge that explains how individuals come to understand one another in the increasingly differentiated lifeworld. Schutz’s main argument was that the contemporaneous lifeworld consists of two distinct realms and human mutual knowledge is constituted differently in each realm: in the realm of consociates, people get to know each other by way of growing older together in corporeal copresence; and in the realm of mere contemporaries, people come to know each other based on ideal types constructed through generalized typification. This article extends Schutz’s theory to an emergent realm of the lifeworld brought about by the advent of the Internet—the realm of consociated contemporaries. In this new realm, which is spatially divergent but temporally convergent, anonymous individuals become intimately familiar with one another through mutual biographical disclosure in telecopresence. This analytic extension not only expands the scope of Schutz’s theory but also deepens our understanding of the essence and purpose of human mutual knowledge.
Discursive Leadership: Harmonious and Discordant Framing-to-Sensemaking Outcomes
Authors: Minei Elizabeth M.
Published: October 2015

Changes in the business world come from many different unfamiliar organizational events, including mergers and acquisitions, leadership takeovers or company-wide expansion. When these unfamiliar organizational events occur, employees feeling the negative effects (e.g. confusion, anger, anxiety) often need to make sense of the event in a way that is meaningful (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2007). Whatever the cause of change, leadership must take a proactive role in managing the meaning of organizational events in a way that makes sense for employees. Using framing (Fairhurst, 2010), sensegiving (Gioia & Chittipeddi, 1991) and sensemaking (Weick, 1995), this study explores the successful and unsuccessful framing attempts of small business leaders to manage the meaning of organizational events for employees during a turning point in the organizations development. Data for this study were collected via 27 in-depth interviews, ethnographic participant observation data collection and through archival data collection. Leaders’ attempts to frame fell into two categories: harmonious framing-to-sensemaking endeavours; and discordant framing-to-sensemaking endeavours.
Communication at Farmers’ Markets: Commodifying Relationships, Community and Morality
Authors: Garner Benjamin
Published: October 2015

Consumers are increasingly using their purchasing power to enact their politics and activism. I examine how consumption at farmers’ markets fits into this trend. The consumption of local and organic food and the number of farmers’ markets have drastically increased in recent years. This research examines the ways interpersonal relationships, community ties and morality (ethical consumption) relate to commodification at local farmers’ markets. Specifically, this research is framed through Marx’s understanding and critique of capitalism, including his concept of commodity fetishism. Using Radin’s (1996) indicia of commodification, I explore the degree to which relationships, community and morality either are commodifiable or resist commodification. Using a combination of extant literature as well as interview and observational data from a 2011–2012 market study, I discovered that relationships and community ties resist commodification but morality is commodifiable in this space. Specifically, I argue that the contingent and voluntary nature of human communication as a two-way process is one of the key reasons that interpersonal relationships and community ties resist commodification.
Negotiating Violence in the Context of Transphobia and Criminalization
Authors: Lyons Tara , Krüsi Andrea , Pierre Leslie , Kerr Thomas , Small Will , Shannon Kate
Published: October 2015

A growing body of international evidence suggests that sex workers face a disproportionate burden of violence, with significant variations across social, cultural, and economic contexts. Research on trans sex workers has documented high incidents of violence; however, investigations into the relationships between violence and social-structural contexts are limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to qualitatively examine how social-structural contexts shape trans sex workers’ experiences of violence. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 33 trans sex workers in Vancouver, Canada, between June 2012 and May 2013. Three themes emerged that illustrated how social-structural contexts of transphobia and criminalization shaped violent experiences: (a) transphobic violence, (b) clients’ discovery of participants’ gender identity, and (c) negative police responses to experiences of violence. The findings demonstrate the need for shifts in sex work laws and culturally relevant antistigma programs and policies to address transphobia.
Sleep Quality in Family Caregivers of Individuals With Dementia
Authors: Peng Hsi-Ling , Lorenz Rebecca A. , Chang Yu-Ping
Published: October 2015

Poor sleep quality in family caregivers may impact their health status and cause quality of life to decline. Nurses are conducting an increasing number of studies that use sleep quality or related concepts as a main indicator to assess caregiver’s sleep. Therefore, a clear understanding of sleep quality and how it is different from other relevant sleep domains is essential. This article aimed to analyze the concept of sleep quality using the steps outlined by Walker and Avant. Findings include (a) attributes of sleep quality including subjective perception of sleep, sleep hours, and evaluation of activity after awaking; (b) antecedents of sleep quality including the ability to get naturally into the sleep cycle and status of conscious state; and (c) consequences of sleep quality including bio-psycho-social and global dimensions of health. This article intends to help clinicians and researchers better understand and define sleep quality in dementia caregivers.
Learning programs is better than learning dynamics: A programmable neural network hierarchical architecture in a multi-task scenario
Authors: Donnarumma Francesco , Prevete Roberto , de Giorgio Andrea , Montone Guglielmo , Pezzulo Giovanni
Published: October 2015

Distributed and hierarchical models of control are nowadays popular in computational modeling and robotics. In the artificial neural network literature, complex behaviors can be produced by composing elementary building blocks or motor primitives, possibly organized in a layered structure. However, it is still unknown how the brain learns and encodes multiple motor primitives, and how it rapidly reassembles, sequences and switches them by exerting cognitive control. In this paper we advance a novel proposal, a hierarchical programmable neural network architecture, based on the notion of programmability and an interpreter-programmer computational scheme. In this approach, complex (and novel) behaviors can be acquired by embedding multiple modules (motor primitives) in a single, multi-purpose neural network. This is supported by recent theories of brain functioning in which skilled behaviors can be generated by combining functional different primitives embedded in “reusable” areas of “recycled” neurons. Such neuronal substrate supports flexible cognitive control, too. Modules are seen as interpreters of behaviors having controlling input parameters, or programs that encode structures of networks to be interpreted. Flexible cognitive control can be exerted by a programmer module feeding the interpreters with appropriate input parameters, without modifying connectivity. Our results in a multiple T -maze robotic scenario show how this computational framework provides a robust, scalable and flexible scheme that can be iterated at different hierarchical layers permitting to learn, encode and control multiple qualitatively different behaviors.
Evolutionary models for the retention of adult–adult social play in primates: The roles of diet and other factors associated with resource acquisition
Authors: O’Meara Brian C , Graham Kerrie Lewis , Pellis Sergio M , Burghardt Gordon M
Published: October 2015

What factors in animal life history facilitate or reduce the probability that a species will perform play behavior? While some relationships are known within species and across individuals, it is not obvious that such relationships can be used to explain differences and similarities in amount and type of play across large taxonomic groupings of animals, let alone transitions among them. Primates encompass a relatively large assemblage of species that differ in numerous dietary, habitat, reproductive, and physiological processes. While all juvenile primates engage in social play, far fewer primate species engage in social play as adults. Here, derived from theory and more small-scale comparisons, we explore several biological and behavioral phenomena that differ among nonhuman primates and which may explain differences in the occurrence of adult–adult social play. We used phylogenetic logistic regression to assess the correlation of adult play with various life-history, metabolic and socioecological variables. Although the main contribution of our paper is demonstrating use of phylogenetic methods in the context of play evolution, suggestive but not significant evidence was found that adult sexual and nonsexual social play is influenced by diet, habitat, reproductive, and metabolic factors, sometimes in opposite directions, that we discuss along with needed future analyses involving improved data and interactions among traits.
The Burden of ADHD in Older Adults: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Michielsen M. , de Kruif J. Th. C. M. , Comijs H. C. , van Mierlo S. , Semeijn E. J. , Beekman A. T. F. , Deeg D. J. H. , Kooij J. J. S.
Published: October 2015

Objective: To explore how ADHD may have affected the lives of older adults who meet the diagnostic criteria of ADHD, but are unaware of their diagnosis. Our second aim was to examine whether the reported symptoms change over the life span. Method: A qualitative study was conducted. Seventeen Dutch older people (>65 years) diagnosed in this study with ADHD participated in in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed according to techniques of thematic approach. Results: Seven themes emerged from the analyses. Four themes correspond to ADHD symptoms: “being active,” “being impulsive,” “attention problems,” and “mental restlessness.” In addition, the themes “low self-esteem,” “overstepping boundaries,” and “feeling misunderstood” emerged. The impact of ADHD symptoms seems to have declined with age. Conclusion: ADHD has a negative impact on late life, and older adults with the disorder may benefit from treatment. Moreover, this study’s findings call for early detection and treatment of ADHD in children and adults.
Social Support in Children With ADHD: An Exploration of Resilience
Authors: Mastoras Sarah M. , Saklofske Donald H. , Schwean Vicki L. , Climie Emma A.
Published: October 2015

Objective: This study investigated the role of perceived social support in promoting emotional well-being among children with ADHD. Specifically, it examined how children with ADHD perceive support from key individuals in their lives and the relationships between this support and aspects of emotional well-being. Main versus buffering models of social support in the context of social preference status were also explored. Method: Participants were 55 school-age children with ADHD–combined or hyperactive/impulsive (ADHD-C/HI). Parent and child ratings evaluated source-specific social support, social status, and aspects of self-concept, anxiety, and depression. Results: Children with ADHD reported lower social support than normative samples. Social support had moderate positive associations with self-concept, with source-specific differences, but was not associated with internalizing symptoms. Regression models with social preference status supported a main effect model of perceived social support. Conclusion: Social support may provide a target for resilience-based interventions among children with ADHD in promoting their self-concept and well-being.
Cross-Cultural and Gender Differences in ADHD Among Young Adults
Authors: Gómez-Benito Juana , Van de Vijver Fons J. R. , Balluerka Nekane , Caterino Linda
Published: October 2015

Objective: This study explored the effect of cultural and gender differences in ADHD among Spanish, African American, Hispanic American, and European American young adults. Method: Structural equivalence between the four groups was examined by Tucker’s phi coefficient. A MANCOVA was carried out with cultural groups and gender as factors and age as covariate. Results: Structural equivalence was observed across all groups, and no differential item functioning was found. No significant effect was found for gender, although, with the exception of the Hispanic group, males scored higher than females. Furthermore, small, though significant, cultural differences were found. The lowest levels of ADHD were observed in the European American group and the highest in the Hispanic American group. ADHD symptoms, notably inattention, showed some decline with age. Conclusion: Findings extend existing data and suggest a relationship between culture and the development of ADHD, which might be mediated by parenting style.
Change in autoantibody and cytokine responses during the evolution of neuromyelitis optica in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A preliminary study
Authors: Kovacs Katalin T , Kalluri Sudhakar Reddy , Boza-Serrano Antonio , Deierborg Tomas , Csepany Tunde , Simo Magdolna , Rokusz Laszlo , Miseta Attila , Alcaraz Nicolas , Czirjak Laszlo , Berki Timea , Molnar Tihamer , Hemmer Bernhard , Illes Zsolt
Published: October 2015

Background:

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO)–systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) association is a rare condition characterized by multiple autoantibodies.

Objective:

To examine if, during the evolution of NMO, anti-AQP4 responses are part of polyclonal B cell activation, and if T cell responses contribute.

Methods:

In 19 samples of six patients who developed NMO during SLE, we examined the correlation of AQP4-IgG1 and IgM with (i) anti-MOG IgG and IgM, (ii) anti-nuclear, anti-nucleosome and anti-dsDNA IgG antibodies, (iii) cytokines and chemokines in the serum and (iv) longitudinal relation to NMO relapses/remission.

Results:

AQP4-IgG1 was present 1–2–5 years before the first NMO relapse. During relapse, AQP4-IgG1, ANA, anti-dsDNA and anti-nucleosome antibodies were elevated. Anti-MOG IgG/IgM and AQP4-IgM antibodies were not detected. AQP4-IgG1 antibodies correlated with concentration of anti-nucleosome, IFN-γ,interferon-gamma-induced CCL10/IP-10 and CCL17/TARC ( p<0.05, respectively). CCL17/TARC correlated with levels of anti-nucleosome and anti-dsDNA ( p<0.05, respectively). Compared to healthy subjects, concentration of IFN-γ and CCL17/TARC was higher in NMO/SLE ( p<0.05).

Conclusions:

AQP4-IgG1 antibodies are present in the sera years before the first NMO attack in patients with SLE; elevation of anti-AQP4 is part of a polyclonal B cell response during NMO relapses; in spite of multiple autoantibodies in the serum, MOG antibodies were not present; Th1 responses accompany autoantibody responses in NMO/SLE.
The ‘knowledge-based economy’ and the relationship between the economy and society in contemporary capitalism
Authors: Caruso Loris
Published: October 2015

According to the main theories of the knowledge-based economy (KBE), the recent transformations of capitalism are the origins of a general societal change. Managerial theories consider KBE to be a series of win-win mechanisms that simultaneously favour firms, workers and consumers. The cognitive capitalism theory perceives in the development of cognitive capitalism signs of the formation of a post-capitalist economy. This article discusses the main features of these two theoretical orientations and identifies some core ambivalences in KBE. The relationship between the market and society in KBE is marked by a dialectical process. The former incorporates mechanisms of potential economic valorization generated by informal social relationships. To this end, it must internalize actors, practices and cultures that are partially in conflict with it, given that it must make ever greater attempts to bring the overall process back within the ownership regime. One thus witnesses a reduction of the barriers between firms and society, that can simultaneously engender a more subtle dominance of the former over the latter, or the growth of autonomy, self-organization and peer cooperation among social actors. This second possibility relies entirely upon politics and collective action.
Archaeologies of instability: Order and disorder in colonial Barbados
Authors: Reilly Matthew C
Published: October 2015

Instability can be experienced and observed in myriad forms including the social, economic, political, familial, mental, and environmental. Some forms of instability register in the depths of an individual’s psyche while others are blatantly observable on the physical landscape. Archaeologically, an analysis of the unstable necessitates an approach that operates on multiple scales, from intimate domestic experiences to broader realms of coloniality. This article addresses how “poor white” tenants in Barbados experienced instability on the plantation landscape. As the occupants of peripheral acreage, they coped with an unstable physical environment prone to destructive rockslides. Derided as socioeconomic outcasts on an island defined by sugar and slavery, “poor whites” largely lacked economic stability. Despite colonial efforts to ameliorate “poor white” conditions and impose order, tenantry residents along the island’s east coast developed their own strategies for coping with their precarious circumstances. On the other hand, the presence and actions of the “poor whites” draws attention to the fragile state of the underlying principles of colonial rule that sought to project an air of order and stability.
Measuring Preference for Supernormal Over Natural Rewards
Authors: Goodwin B. C. , Browne M. , Rockloff M.
Published: October 2015

Supernormal (SN) stimuli are artificial products that activate reward pathways and approach behavior more so than naturally occurring stimuli for which these systems were intended. Many modern consumer products (e.g., snack foods, alcohol, and pornography) appear to incorporate SN features, leading to excessive consumption, in preference to naturally occurring alternatives. No measure currently exists for the self-report assessment of individual differences or changes in susceptibility to such stimuli. Therefore, an anticipatory pleasure scale was modified to include items that represented both SN and natural (N) classes of rewarding stimuli. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution, and as predicted, N and SN items reliably loaded on separate dimensions. Internal reliability for the two scales was high, ρ =.93 and ρ =.90, respectively. The two-dimensional measure was evaluated via regression using the N and SN scale means as predictors and self-reports of daily consumption of 21 products with SN features as outcomes. As expected, SN pleasure ratings were related to higher SN product consumption, while N pleasure ratings had either negative or neutral associations to consumption of these products. We conclude that the resulting two-dimensional measure is a potentially reliable and valid self-report measure of differential preference for SN stimuli. While further evaluation is needed (e.g., using experimental measures), the proposed scale may play a useful role in the study of both trait- and state-based variation in human susceptibility to SN stimuli.