bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bayesian inference for two-part mixed-effects model using skew distributions, with application to longitudinal semicontinuous alcohol data
Authors: Xing Dongyuan , Huang Yangxin , Chen Henian , Zhu Yiliang , Dagne Getachew A , Baldwin Julie
Published: June 2015

Semicontinuous data featured with an excessive proportion of zeros and right-skewed continuous positive values arise frequently in practice. One example would be the substance abuse/dependence symptoms data for which a substantial proportion of subjects investigated may report zero. Two-part mixed-effects models have been developed to analyze repeated measures of semicontinuous data from longitudinal studies. In this paper, we propose a flexible two-part mixed-effects model with skew distributions for correlated semicontinuous alcohol data under the framework of a Bayesian approach. The proposed model specification consists of two mixed-effects models linked by the correlated random effects: (i) a model on the occurrence of positive values using a generalized logistic mixed-effects model (Part I); and (ii) a model on the intensity of positive values using a linear mixed-effects model where the model errors follow skew distributions including skew- t and skew-normal distributions (Part II). The proposed method is illustrated with an alcohol abuse/dependence symptoms data from a longitudinal observational study, and the analytic results are reported by comparing potential models under different random-effects structures. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the performance of the proposed models and method.
Neonatal screening external quality assessment in China, 2014
Authors: Zhong Kun , Wang Wei , He Falin , Wang Zhiguo
Published: June 2015

Objective

To analyze the 2014 results of neonatal screening external quality assessment (EQA) performed by the Chinese National Centre for Clinical Laboratories.

Methods

EQA test panels consisting of five dried blood spots (three panels for phenylalanine (Phe) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), two for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and 17-alpha-hydroxy progesterone (17-OHP)) were distributed to laboratories and the results collected and evaluated. To compare the correct recognition rates, chi-square test was used.

Results

Test results were received from 170 laboratories for Phe, 176 for TSH, 65 for G6PD and 65 for 17-OHP. The total number of effective quantitative and qualitative results of Phe, TSH, G6PD and 17-OHP were 2520 and 2370, 2605 and 2450, 645 and 530, 645 and 645, respectively. The overall correct recognition rates for qualitative tests of Phe, TSH, G6PD and 17-OHP were 99.79 %, 99.67 %, 93.40 % and 99.84 %, and the proportion of acceptable quantitative results were 94.48 %, 98.31 %, 84.65 % and 99.84 %, respectively. There were significant differences in the rates of acceptable quantitative results of the two measurement systems for Phe, TSH and G6PD ( p<0.001); χ2 test showed significant differences in correct recognition or acceptable rates among programmes ( p<0.001).

Conclusion

Most of the quantitative results were acceptable and the overall correct recognition rates in qualitative results approached 100%. Distributing more challenging samples and increasing the range of concentrations of EQA samples will improve standards in future assessments.
How to Find Good Apps
Authors: Ok Min Wook , Kim Min Kyung , Kang Eun Young , Bryant Brian R.
Published: June 2015

Computers can be an effective teaching method for students with learning disabilities (LD). The use of mobile devices as education tools for students with disabilities has received considerable attention in special education recently. Parents, teachers, and professionals look for effective applications (i.e., apps) that meet the needs of their children and students. This is often challenging for them due to the large number of education apps that are available in the market. This article introduces and describes an evaluation rubric developed to help parents, teachers, and other professionals evaluate apps for students with LD.
Strategies for Developing Literacy-Focused Family–School Partnerships
Authors: Wilkins Julia , Terlitsky Amy B.
Published: June 2015

Student achievement increases when parents are involved in their child’s education. This article describes the benefits of building partnerships with parents around child literacy activities. Tips for teachers provide ideas for sustaining communication with parents, involving parents in the school community, and conducting home visits along with specific recommendations for partnering with foster parents and homeless parents to promote child literacy.
Public Opinion, Policy Tools, and the Status Quo
Authors: Haselswerdt Jake , Bartels Brandon L.
Published: June 2015

The method in which a government policy is delivered—for example, as a tax break rather than a direct payment—could potentially have significant implications for how the public views that policy. This is an especially important consideration given the importance of indirect policy approaches like tax breaks to modern American governance. We employ a series of survey experiments to test whether citizens react more favorably to tax breaks than to equivalent spending programs. We find that citizens prefer tax breaks, particularly when they are the established means of intervention. When direct intervention is the status quo, or when any government involvement on the issue is unfamiliar, the preference is reduced. We also find an interactive effect for ideology, with conservatives strongly preferring tax breaks to direct intervention, though the effect is still present among liberals. This study establishes the importance of delivery mechanism to citizens’ policy preferences and suggests that the policy status quo structures citizens’ perceptions of policy proposals.
GLUT-1 Expression in Cutaneous Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Abdou Asmaa Gaber , Eldien Marwa Mohammad Serag , Elsakka Daliah
Published: June 2015

Glucose uptake is a key regulating step in glucose metabolism and is mediated by facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs), and GLUT-1 is the predominant glucose transporter in many types of human cells. Cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represent the most common skin cancer in Egypt. The present study aimed at evaluation of the pattern and distribution of GLUT-1 in cutaneous BCC (16 cases) and SCC (16 cases) by means of immunohistochemistry. GLUT-1 was expressed in all SCC (100%) and in 62.5% of BCC. Membranous pattern of GLUT-1 was seen in 62.5% of SCC and 31.25% of BCC. Positivity ( P = .02) and percentage ( P = .000) of GLUT-1 expression were in favor of SCC in comparison to BCC. The high percentage of GLUT-1 expression was associated with high grade in SCC ( P = .03). The immunoreactivity for GLUT-1 was more in the periphery of malignant nests of SCC while it was more in the center of BCC nests. GLUT-1 is overexpressed in cutaneous non–melanoma skin cancer. Its expression in SCC is related to differentiation status, and its expression in BCC is intimately associated with squamous metaplastic areas.
Bladder Neck Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Xiao Guang-Qian , Rashid Hani
Published: June 2015

To evaluate the clinicopathology of carcinomas originating in the urinary bladder neck, 316 cystectomies for urinary bladder carcinoma performed between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2013, were analyzed. Clinicopathological parameters were compared between bladder neck carcinomas (BNCs) and non-BNCs. Among the 316 cystectomies were 19 BNCs and 297 non-BNCs. BNCs accounted for 19/316 (6%) of all the cases, with a male-to-female ratio 18:1. Bladder neck location was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage. Ninety percent and 58% BNCs presented at stage ≥T2 and ≥T3, respectively, versus 62% and 38% non-BNCs at ≥T2 and ≥T3, respectively. Significantly higher percentage of lymphovascular invasion and lymph node metastasis were also seen in BNCs (68% and 47%, respectively) than in non-BNCs (29% and 17%, respectively). In conclusion, BNCs present with a significantly higher frequency of muscle invasion and advanced tumor stage, lymphovascular invasion, as well as local and distant metastasis at diagnosis compared with the non-BNCs group. Recognition of these unique clinicopathologic features with early detection and possibly more aggressive management of BNC can potentially have a significant impact on the patient’s outcome.
Quantifying the Association of Self-Enhancement Bias With Self-Ratings of Personality and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Leising Daniel , Locke Kenneth D. , Kurzius Elena , Zimmermann Johannes
Published: June 2015

Kwan, John, Kenny, Bond, and Robins conceptualize self-enhancement as a favorable comparison of self-judgments with judgments of and by others. Applying a modified version of Kwan et al.’s approach to behavior observation data, we show that the resulting measure of self-enhancement bias is highly reliable, predicts self-ratings of intelligence as well as does actual intelligence, interacts with item desirability in predicting responses to questionnaire items, and also predicts general life satisfaction. Consistent with previous research, however, self-ratings of intelligence did not become more valid when controlling for self-enhancement bias. We also show that common personality scales like the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale reflect self-enhancement at least as strongly as do scales that were designed particularly for that purpose (i.e., “social desirability scales”). The relevance of these findings in regard to the validity and utility of social desirability scales is discussed.
Measuring Moral Injury
Authors: Bryan Craig J. , Bryan AnnaBelle O. , Anestis Michael D. , Anestis Joye C. , Green Bradley A. , Etienne Neysa , Morrow Chad E. , Ray-Sannerud Bobbie
Published: June 2015

As the construct of moral injury has gained increased conceptual and empirical attention among military personnel and veterans, preliminary attempts to operationalize and measure the construct have emerged. One such measure is the Moral Injury Event Scale (MIES). The aim of the current study was to further evaluate the MIES’s psychometric properties in two military samples: a clinical sample of Air Force personnel and a nonclinical sample of Army National Guard personnel. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses across both samples supported a three-factor solution: transgressions by others, transgressions by self, and betrayal. Transgressions-Others was most strongly associated with posttraumatic stress; Transgressions-Self was most strongly associated with hopelessness, pessimism, and anger; and Betrayal was most strongly associated with posttraumatic stress and anger. Results support the construct validity of the MIES, although areas for improvement are indicated and discussed.
Modal analysis of finite-state dynamic inflow for rotary wing systems
Authors: Fei Zhongyang , Peters David A
Published: June 2015

In this paper, the finite-state helicopter rotor inflow modes have been studied based on eigenanalysis. The inflow velocity mode shapes with node lines have been displayed with various skew angles. The eigenvalues are highly coupled especially for higher skew angles, and the mode shapes change significantly for different angles. The changing of eigenvalues with different harmonic numbers is also exhibited in the tables for axial flow of both the Peters–He and Morillo dynamic inflow models. An easy way to estimate the eigenvalues of the Peters–He inflow model is also established.
Web-Based Training for an Evidence-Supported Treatment
Authors: Heck Nicholas C. , Saunders Benjamin E. , Smith Daniel W.
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this investigation is to describe the characteristics of professional and preprofessional learners who registered for and completed TF-CBTWeb, a modular, web-based training program designed to promote the dissemination of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and to demonstrate the feasibility of this method of dissemination. Between October 1, 2005, and October 1, 2012, a total of 123,848 learners registered for TF-CBTWeb, of whom 98,646 (79.7%) initiated the learning activities by beginning the first module pretest. Of those, 67,201 (68.1%) completed the full training. Registrants hailed from 130 countries worldwide, and they had varied educational backgrounds, professional identities (both professional and preprofessional), and a range of experience working with child trauma victims. Learners who were from the United States, students, those with master’s degrees, and those with fewer years of experience working with child trauma victims tended to have the highest course completion rates. Learners displayed significant increases in knowledge about each component of TF-CBT, based on module pretest and posttest scores. The advantages and limitations of this web-based training program evaluation are discussed, while important implications for the use of web-based trainings are reviewed.
The Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener (STRESS)
Authors: Grasso Damion J. , Felton Julia W. , Reid-Quiñones Kathryn
Published: June 2015

The Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener (STRESS) is a self-report instrument for youth of age 7–18 that inventories 25 adverse childhood experiences and potentially traumatic events and assesses symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder using the revised criteria published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). The STRESS can be administered by computer such that questions are read aloud and automatic scoring and feedback are provided. Data were collected on a sample of 229 children and adolescents of age 7–17 undergoing a forensic child abuse and neglect evaluation. The purpose of the current study was to examine preliminary psychometric characteristics of the computer-administered STRESS as well as its underlying factor structure in relation to the four-factor DSM-5 model. Results provide initial support for the use of the STRESS in assessing adverse and potentially traumatic experiences and traumatic stress in children and adolescents.
Making Meaning Out of Interpersonal Victimization
Authors: Lim Ban Hong (Phylice) , Valdez Christine E. , Lilly Michelle M.
Published: June 2015

Research examining meaning-making in the aftermath of interpersonal victimization among women has been restricted by quantitative methods and a focus on single distressing event. Qualitative methods were used to inspect meaning-making cognitions among a community sample of IPV (intimate partner violence) survivors. Consensus coding resulted in eight categories of meaning-making. The most widely endorsed cognition was self-blaming. Other strategies included justification for the abuser, normalizing violence, attribution to karmic or godly intervention, minimization and social comparison, reappraisal/opportunity for growth, absence of a protective figure, and failure to make sense of abuse. Implications with respect to adaptiveness and intervention are discussed.
Postdischarge Behavioral Health Treatment and 6-Month Reattempt Rate for Veterans Hospitalized for Suicide Attempt
Authors: Bernet Alice C.
Published: June 2015

BACKGROUND: The highest risk for suicide occurs immediately after psychiatric discharge. The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs’ (VA) suicide prevention program emphasizes suicide surveillance and frequent contact after suicide attempt. OBJECTIVES: To describe the 6-month reattempt rate and appointment characteristics for veterans after VA hospitalization for suicide attempt. DESIGN: This retrospective observational study identified veterans hospitalized for suicide attempt ( N = 504). Comparisons of patient characteristics and treatment delivery were conducted between veteran groups. RESULTS: The sample ( N = 504) was predominantly White (82%) and male (91%), with a median age of 50 years. The 6-month reattempt rate was 6%. Timing of first appointment was earlier in the reattempt group ( n = 20) versus the no-reattempt group ( n = 467). Appointment intensity, especially telephone appointments, was greater in the reattempt group. CONCLUSION: The effect of postdischarge treatment on preventing suicide cannot be determined by evaluating only treatment timing and intensity. Future studies should measure the treatment quality and clinical severity.
Estimating the Elasticity of Corporate Income Tax to Output Gap in Greece
Authors: Tagkalakis Athanasios O.
Published: June 2015

Using quarterly data over the period 1999 to 2013, we estimate the elasticity of corporate income tax (CIT) revenue to output gap in Greece. The elasticity is estimated to be about 1.40 to 1.55 when we use the profit share in its construction, while it increases to 1.83 to 2.05 when profit is used in its construction. The high values of the new estimated elasticity imply substantial CIT buoyancy effects in the years to come, provided that the current reform program of the Greek economy remains on track.
Why are doctors dissatisfied? The role of origin myths
Authors: Dingwall Robert
Published: June 2015

Leaders of the medical profession are increasingly concerned about the extent to which members have become discontented with their lot. Predictably, the profession tends to look outwards for explanations, to the changing social, economic and organizational contexts of health care. Sociologists, however, have long recognized that a ‘social problem’ is not an objective state of affairs but a complaint that the world falls short of the complainant’s ideals. If we want to understand doctors’ dissatisfaction, then, another approach might be to ask what would make them content. What are the ideals of medical practice? What are new doctors – and the wider public – led to expect that professional life will be like? How do these expectations relate to the contingencies and experiences of everyday medical work?
Kallistatin as a marker of microvascular complications in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: Relation to carotid intima media thickness
Authors: El-Asrar Mohamed A , Andrawes Nevine G , Ismail Eman A , Salem Shaimaa MH
Published: June 2015

In diabetes, angiogenesis is disturbed, contributing to proliferative retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Kallistatin, a serine proteinase inhibitor, has anti-angiogenic effects. We assessed serum kallistatin in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes as a potential marker for microvascular complications and its relation to carotid intima media thickness (CIMT). Sixty patients with type 1 diabetes were divided into two groups according to the presence of microvascular complications and compared with 30 healthy controls. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), HbA1c, urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR), kallistatin levels and CIMT were assessed. Kallistatin levels were significantly higher in patients with microvascular complications (9.9 ± 2.38 ng/mL) and those without complications (5.0 ± 1.5 ng/mL) than in healthy controls (1.39 ± 0.55 ng/mL; p<0.001). Kallistatin was increased in patients with microalbuminuria compared with the normoalbuminuric group ( p<0.001). Positive correlations were found between kallistatin and disease duration, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, total cholesterol, hs-CRP, UACR and CIMT ( p<0.05). A kallistatin cut-off value at 6.1 ng/mL could differentiate patients with and without microvascular complications, with a sensitivity of 96.87% and specificity of 93.75%. Increased kallistatin levels in type 1 diabetes and its relation with CIMT may reflect vascular dysfunction and suggest a link between micro- and macro-angiopathy.
Ties of silence - Family lived experience of selective mutism in identical twins
Authors: Albrigtsen Vårin , Eskeland Benedicte , Mæhle Magne
Published: June 2015

This article is based on an in-depth interview with a pair of twins diagnosed with selective mutism and their parents 2 years after recovery. Selective mutism (SM) is a rare disorder, and identical twins sharing the condition are extremely rare. The twins developed SM simultaneously during their first year of school. The treatment and follow-up they received for several years are briefly described in this article. The interview explored the children’s and their parents’ narratives about the origin of the condition, the challenges it entailed in their daily lives, and what they found helpful in the treatment they were offered. In the interview, the children conveyed experiences that even the parents were unaware of and revealed examples of daily life-traumas for which they were unable to obtain support and help. The whole family was trapped in the silence. The twins and their parents emphasized different aspects in terms of what they believed were helpful. The implications of these findings for our understanding and treatment of children with SM are discussed, as well as the potential of service user involvement in child and adolescent mental health research.
Distress and body image disturbances in women with breast cancer in the immediate postsurgical period: The influence of attachment insecurity
Authors: Favez Nicolas , Cairo Notari Sarah , Charvoz Linda , Notari Luca , Ghisletta Paolo , Panes Ruedin Bénédicte , Delaloye Jean-François
Published: June 2015

The aim of this study was to assess, in the immediate postsurgical period, the influence of attachment avoidance and anxiety on distress and body image disturbances in women facing breast cancer. Seventy-five women participated in the study 3 weeks after surgery. Questionnaires were used to assess study variables. To predict distress and body image disturbances, we controlled for several variables known to influence adjustment to the stress of breast cancer. The results of hierarchical regression analyses show that attachment explains the outcomes above and beyond other influential variables. Insecurely attached women are especially vulnerable to the stress of the disease.
Citric acid-modified carbon chemical filtration for cleanroom air quality control: Study on N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and the interference of co-existing toluene
Authors: Tu Tse-Ting , Lee Mengshan , Kuo Shih-Tiz , Den Walter
Published: June 2015

Airborne molecular contaminants strongly affect the cleanroom air quality by severely degrading the image quality of semiconductor devices. This study aims to investigate the removal of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), an organic alkali compound that commonly appeared in cleanroom environment and used for photoresist stripping in integrated circuit fabrication processes, through adsorption by the citric acid (CA)-modified activated carbon chemical filters. Increase in CA concentration showed positive correlation to the quantity of CA coating but had negative influences on specific surface area. Immersion of carbon particles in solutions containing 3 M CA for 3 h yielded the most chemical modification according to the intensity of carbonyl and hydroxyl functional groups attached onto the carbon surface. NMP adsorption breakthrough studies demonstrated that NMP adsorption by virgin activated carbon was ineffective. Increase in the extent of CA modification resulted in greater adsorption capacity of NMP owing to increased quantity of carbonyl functional groups on its surface. Binary-component adsorption tests involving NMP and toluene vapours revealed that the CA-modified filters had little adsorption capability for toluene as compared to virgin filters. On the other hand, NMP was competitively favourable for adsorption on CA-modified filters, even when these filters were pre-saturated with toluene. The results of this research could be of value to cleanroom or building maintenance operators for technical and environmental improvements in future system design.
Assessment of radon concentration and heavy metal contamination in groundwater samples from some areas of Fazilka district, Punjab, India
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Narang Saurabh , Mehra Rohit , Singh Surinder
Published: June 2015

Groundwater samples taken from 20 villages of Fazilka district, Punjab, India were analysed for radon concentration using RAD7, which is an electronic radon detector. Radon concentration varies from (1.4 ± 1.0) × 103 Bq/m3 to (4.9 ± 3.0) × 103 Bq/m3, which is much below the safe limits proposed by US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. The mean annual effective dose calculated for these samples was also found to be within the limits provided by WHO and EU council. These samples were also analysed for concentration of certain heavy elements like As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Hg, Ni and Cd using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer. Out of these, concentrations of As and Pb were found to exceed the permissible limits suggested by US EPA.
Particle transport characteristics in indoor environment with an air cleaner
Authors: Jin Xinming , Yang Lijun , Du Xiaoze , Yang Yongping
Published: June 2015

Air cleaner is one of the viable options for particle removal in the indoor environment. Therefore, it is vital to understand the performances of air cleaners under various working conditions. In this work, the models for airflow pattern and particle transport in a room with an air cleaner were developed by combining the Lagrangian discrete trajectory model with the Eulerian fluid method. The effects of the operating conditions of the air cleaner on the particle transport characteristics were numerically investigated, including the volumetric flow rate and positioning of the air cleaner as well as the ejection orientation of the outlet air. The results show that the volumetric flow rate of the air cleaner is a key parameter affecting the particle concentration in the indoor environment. At low volumetric flow rates, the location of the air cleaner plays a significant role in the air cleaner performance. There is little difference in the removal processes of airborne particles between the horizontal and upward ejections of the air cleaner, but they are both superior to that with the downward ejection.
Sparse Bayesian modelling of underreported count data
Authors: Dvorzak Michaela , Wagner Helga
Published: June 2015

We consider Bayesian inference for regression models of count data subject to underreporting. For the data generating process of counts as well as the fallible reporting process a joint model is specified, where the outcomes in both processes are related to a set of potential covariates. Identification of the joint model is achieved by additional information provided through validation data and incorporation of variable selection. For posterior inference we propose a convenient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling scheme which relies on data augmentation and auxiliary mixture sampling techniques for this two-part model. Performance of the method is illustrated for simulated data and applied to analyse real data, collected to estimate risk of cervical cancer death.
The speculative geography of Orson Welles
Authors: Woodward Keith
Published: June 2015

Orson Welles’ experimental ‘essay film’, F for Fake (1973), captures in short form what the prodigious director’s life expressed in grander gestures: a speculative geography for an accident-prone cinema. Documenting the fakery techniques of famed 20th-century art forger Elmyr de Hory and his biographer Clifford Irving, the film has been widely read as a showcase of Welles’ own ‘charlatanism’. Indeed, even Deleuze’s philosophy of cinema claims that the ubiquitous Wellesian ‘character’ – the forger, the faker, the double-dealer – culminates in F for Fake. But, along with Welles’ other late-life essay films, it also offers a pragmatic strategy for theorizing the sites of cinematic production on the basis of their constituent contingencies. For Welles the independent filmmaker, these uncertainties unfailingly manifested in financial, technological, and geographical disasters – problems that, I argue, he harnessed to cultivate a unique cinematic ‘style’. The resulting ‘Wellesian continuum’ illuminates the conspiracy of perception, thoughts, and accident in the production of cinematic space. Offering ‘how to’ guide on forging series from the contingencies of production, Welles’ meditation on fakery models the creation of such sites and lays out the conceptual architecture for theorizing their cinematic production. Welles’ resulting ontology of cinematic seriality describes technical problematics – ‘anti-techniques’ – that give rise to speculative geographies.
A geographical biography of a nature writer
Authors: Riding James
Published: June 2015

This article writes a geographical biography of the early 20th century nature writer and poet, Edward Thomas. The reason for doing so is to question the way in which geography has dealt with the symbolic life of landscape. It arranges itself around a single day walking in the footprints of Edward Thomas, across the South Downs – a range of chalk hills in southeast England, extending from Hampshire in the west to Sussex in the east – with the Edward Thomas Fellowship – a literary society, who work to preserve the memory of the nature writer and poet, in the landscape he wrote of.
Influences of wave forcing and morphological variability on the evolution of a double-sandbar system
Authors: Gu Zhenhua , Zhang Chi , Zheng Jinhai
Published: June 2015

Double-sandbar systems are common along sandy, wave-dominated coastlines. The evolution of a double-sandbar system is a complex process and is affected not only by the time-varying wave forcing but also by the local seabed morphology itself. The influences and relative importance of both wave condition and morphological variability on the evolution of a double-sandbar system still remain unclear and are investigated in this study using a well-established operational quasi-three-dimensional coastal evolution model. Results show that these two factors contribute to the final double-sandbar morphology in different ways. For energetic waves with high angles of wave incidence, waves determine the final sandbar morphology, regardless of the antecedent bathymetry. For moderate waves with small angles of wave incidence, however, the pronounced morphological variability (crescentic pattern of sandbars) will dominate the evolution, which remarkably enhances the existing morphological pattern regardless of the changed wave condition. A nondimensional index is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the relative importance of these two mechanisms. Further quantitative analysis reveals that the relative importance of wave condition and morphological variability depends on the alongshore current velocities over the bar crests. There also appears a critical value for these alongshore current velocities, below which morphological variability tends to be dominant and wave forcing is of less importance.
Monte Carlo simulation method for behavior analysis of an autonomous underwater vehicle
Authors: Enayati Javad , Sarhadi Pouria , Rad Morteza Poyan , Zarini Mostafa
Published: June 2015

The paper presents the application of Monte Carlo simulation in the behavior analysis of an autonomous underwater vehicle. Due to the highly nonlinear dynamics and existence of uncertain parameters in the models, there is not a straightforward method to analyze the behavior of an autonomous underwater vehicle. The objective of this article is to introduce a Monte Carlo campaign for an autonomous underwater vehicle 6-degree-of-freedom model to examine the effects of uncertain parameters on the mission objectives. Uncertainties in the model are considered in several categories, consisting of hydrodynamic and added mass coefficients, control instruments (sensors and actuators), environmental conditions and initial conditions. Monte Carlo simulations are run for a typical autonomous underwater vehicle moving from the water surface to reach a predetermined depth and heading during the mission time. For this purpose, 6-degree-of-freedom software is developed in C + + which is a fast and visual programming software. Using an example, it is shown that simulation results can be used for tuning of guidance algorithm. Moreover, the proposed concept is applicable for analysis of other types of autonomous ocean systems.
Qualitatively capturing institutional logics
Authors: Reay Trish , Jones Candace
Published: June 2015

There is an ever-increasing volume of studies investigating institutional logics, and yet qualitative methods for studying this phenomenon are not clear. In this essay, we examine how qualitative scholars convince their readers that they are actually studying institutional logics. We identify three different, but non-exclusive techniques that have been employed: pattern deducing, pattern matching, and pattern inducing. For each of these approaches, we explain the ontological assumptions, methodological techniques, challenges, and benefits. In addition, we provide examples of how specific studies have analyzed and presented qualitative data to improve theory about institutional logics.
Cerebral autoregulation in pregnancies complicated by diabetes and overweight
Authors: van Veen Teelkien R , Panerai Ronney B , Haeri Sina , van den Berg Paul P , Zeeman Gerda G , Belfort Michael A
Published: June 2015

Aim:

The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of diabetes and obesity on cerebral autoregulation in pregnancy.

Methods:

Cerebral autoregulation was evaluated in women with gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or overweight (body mass index ⩾ 25 kg m−2) and compared to a cohort of euglycaemic pregnant women. The autoregulation index was calculated using simultaneously recorded cerebral blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery and blood pressure. Autoregulation index values of 0 and 9 indicate absent and perfect autoregulation, respectively.

Results:

Autoregulation index in women with either diabetes ( n = 33, 6.6 ± 1.1) or overweight ( n = 21, 6.7 ± 0.6) was not significantly different to that in control patients ( n = 23, 6.6 ± 0.8, p = 0.96).

Conclusion:

Cerebral autoregulation is not impaired in pregnant women who have non-vasculopathic diabetes or overweight. This suggests that the increased risk of pre-eclampsia in diabetic and overweight women is not associated with early impaired cerebral autoregulation.
Influence of physical activity and gender on arterial function in type 2 diabetes, normal and impaired glucose tolerance
Authors: Ring Margareta , Eriksson Maria J. , Fritz Tomas , Nyberg Gunnar , Östenson Claes Göran , Krook Anna , Zierath Juleen R. , Caidahl Kenneth
Published: June 2015

To determine whether Nordic walking improves cardiovascular function in middle-aged women and men, we included 121 with normal glucose tolerance, 33 with impaired glucose tolerance and 47 with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in a randomized controlled study. The intervention group added Nordic walking 5 h/week for 4 months to their ordinary activities. Aortic pulse wave velocity, aortic augmentation index, stiffness index, reflection index, intima–media thickness in the radial and carotid arteries, echogenicity of the carotid intima–media and systemic vascular resistance were measured. While baseline blood pressure did not differ by gender or diagnosis, aortic augmentation index was found to be higher in women in all groups. Vascular function was unchanged with intervention, without differences by gender or diagnosis. In conclusion, 4 months of Nordic walking is an insufficient stimulus to improve vascular function. Future studies should consider hard endpoints in addition to measures of vascular health, as well as larger population groups, long-term follow-up and documented compliance to exercise training.
Effects of exercise training on HbA1c and VO2peak in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease: A randomised clinical trial
Authors: Byrkjeland Rune , Njerve Ida U , Anderssen Sigmund , Arnesen Harald , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Solheim Svein
Published: June 2015

Objective:

Few exercise trials have focused on patients with both type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. We investigated the effects of 1 year of exercise training on HbA1c and VO2peak in these patients.

Methods:

Patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease ( n = 137) were randomised to combined exercise training or control group. HbA1c was measured at the beginning and end of the study. Changes in VO2peak, and also ventilatory threshold and time to exhaustion, were assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

Results:

No differences in changes between the randomised groups were observed in HbA1c and VO2peak, whereas ventilatory threshold and time to exhaustion increased significantly in the exercise group compared with the controls ( p = 0.046 and p = 0.034). In patients without previous acute myocardial infarction and diabetes microvascular complications ( n = 46), the exercise group did improve HbA1c and VO2peak compared with the controls ( p = 0.052 and p = 0.035).

Conclusion:

No significant effects of exercise training on HbA1c or VO2peak were observed in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, although improvements were seen in patients without vascular complications beyond coronary artery disease, implying that the degree of vascular disease may influence exercise responses. Ventilatory threshold and time to exhaustion did increase significantly, indicating improved exercise performance despite the minor change in VO2peak.
A Systematic Review of Research Strategies Used in Qualitative Studies on School Bullying and Victimization
Authors: Patton Desmond Upton , Hong Jun Sung , Patel Sadiq , Kral Michael J.
Published: June 2015

School bullying and victimization are serious social problems in schools. Most empirical studies on bullying and peer victimization are quantitative and examine the prevalence of bullying, associated risk and protective factors, and negative outcomes. Conversely, there is limited qualitative research on the experiences of children and adolescents related to school bullying and victimization. We review qualitative research on school bullying and victimization published between 2004 and 2014. Twenty-four empirical research studies using qualitative methods were reviewed. We organize the findings from these studies into (1) emic, (2) context specific, (3) iterative, (4) power relations, and (5) naturalistic inquiry. We find that qualitative researchers have focused on elaborating on and explicating the experiences of bully perpetrators, victims, and bystanders in their own words. Directions for research and practice are also discussed.
Image fusion method using non-subsampled shearlet transform and fuzzy and simple fuzzy neural network algorithms
Authors: Subramanian P , Alamelu N R , Aramudhan M
Published: June 2015

The methodology of combining two or more relevant images into a single highly informative image is referred to as image fusion. A new fusion methodology is introduced for combining images obtained from multiple cameras using non-subsampled shearlet transform (NSST), fuzzy logic and a simple fuzzy neural network (SFNN). The shearlet transform combines the power of multi-scale methods with a unique ability to capture the geometry of multi-dimensional information and is efficient in representing images containing edges. The unique characteristic of shearlets is the utilization of shearing to control directional selectivity, as opposed to rotation utilized by curvelets. The shearlets are not tight edges and therefore it is necessary to perform the synthesis process by iterative methods. A new method, NSST, is introduced for multi-resolution decomposition of input images is introduced. The pixel-based fusion is performed by using fuzzy logic of NSST low-pass coefficients to generate superior quality. The region-based technique is performed by using the SFNN of NSST high-frequency directional coefficients. The SFNN exquisite the set of exemplar input feature vectors and centers a Gaussian function on each remaining one and saves its output label.
Laparoscopic Choledocholithotomy With a Novel Articulating Forceps
Authors: Zhan Xiaoli , Wang Yuedong , Zhu Jinhui , Lin Xianming
Published: June 2015

Purpose. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic common bile duct (CBD) exploration with a novel articulating forceps. Methods. A retrospective analysis was carried out of 90 patients who underwent laparoscopic transcholedochal CBD exploration for choledocholithiasis between May 2006 and June 2014. Forty-five patients underwent laparoscopic choledocholithotomy using the routine instruments (group A). Forty-five patients underwent laparoscopic choledocholithotomy using the routine instruments plus the novel articulating forceps (group B). The 2 group populations were similar with regard to demographic data and clinical presentations. Results. Laparoscopic transcholedochal CBD exploration was successful in all 90 patients. The mean diameter of the CBD was 14.42 mm in group A and 14.73 mm in group B ( P > .05). The average number of stones extracted per patient was 4.22 in group A and 4.67 in group B ( P > .05). The patients in group A had a significantly longer operative time than the patients in group B (109.38 vs 80.49 minutes; P < .01). The intraoperative blood loss was minimal in both groups, and no major complications were observed in either group. The mean hospitalization stay was 6.60 days in group A and 5.58 days in group B ( P < .01). Conclusion. Laparoscopic transcholedochal CBD exploration with the novel articulating forceps is a safe and effective approach to the management of choledocholithiasis that offers a short operating time and short postoperative hospital stay.
Drag-reducing polymers increase exercise tolerance in an ischemic hind-limb rat model
Authors: Zhang Quan , Deng Yuanyan , Zhang Wenjing , Liu Yili , Zha Daogang
Published: June 2015

Objective

Drag-reducing polymers are long-chain, blood soluble macromolecules that can improve microcirculation in vivo. This study aimed to examine the effects of drag-reducing polymers on exercise tolerance in a rat model of hind-limb ischemia.

Methods

After adaptive running training, bilateral femoral artery ligation models were established in 64 Wistar rats. During an exhaustive exercise, polyethylene oxide or normal saline was intravenously injected to each group ( n = 32) at 4 mL/h for 10 min. The exhaustive exercise time was recorded, and lactic acid levels in gastrocnemius muscle and serum were measured. Serum levels of nitric oxide, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were measured as biomarkers of physical fatigue.

Results

Compared with saline-treated control group, rats in polyethylene oxide-treated group had longer exhaustive exercise time (774.7 ± 171.5 s vs. 687.6 ± 166.1 s, p = 0.043), and lower lactic acid level in gastrocnemius muscle ( p < 0.01) but no significant difference in serum lactic acid level between two groups was observed ( p > 0.05). Nitric oxide level was higher in polyethylene oxide group than in controls ( p < 0.05), but no significant differences in serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels between two groups were observed ( p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Drag-reducing polymers contribute to the enhancement of exercise endurance and exert anti-fatigue effect.
Exploring partial school autonomy
Authors: Theodorou Theodoros , Pashiardis Petros
Published: June 2015

This paper examines the school of the future, aiming to identify and aid the implementation of the most desired version of school autonomy in Cyprus. More specifically, the study initially forecasts the areas of financial decisions that the school of the future might autonomously manage, identifies the negative effects that may appear along the way and seeks support measures that could enhance an autonomous school’s efficiency and effectiveness. Moreover, after both the probable and the desired future emerge, the paper proceeds in examining the reasons causing the divergence between them, as well as ways in which the two futures may be better aligned.
Leading highly performing children’s centres
Authors: Coleman Andy , Sharp Caroline , Handscomb Graham
Published: June 2015

There is wide recognition that early childhood experiences are critical to a child’s development and their subsequent life chances. However, little research has been undertaken into leadership in early years settings, which is so influential in this regard. This article summarizes research into the leadership of Sure Start Children’s Centres, which provide support to the most vulnerable children and families. Completed by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) on behalf of NCSL, this research involved a review of literature on early years leadership and the production of 25 case studies of leaders of ‘highly effective’ children’s centres. The study identified three specific challenges faced by leaders of children’s centres. Two of these, ensuring positive outcomes for children and dealing with change, are particularly salient in light of challenges affecting leaders in times of austerity. The third, increasing the visibility and value of leadership, is a perennial challenge for the sector. The study found that leaders demonstrated eight core behaviours to address these challenges. These included engaging responsively with families, using evidence to drive improvement, motivating and empowering staff and embracing integrated working. The authors recommend that these behaviours inform the delivery of future leadership development for these leaders.
Chronic lower limb peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Forsyth James Michael
Published: June 2015

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common, but under-diagnosed, problem encountered in primary care, which can greatly affect quality of life. This article will cover the diagnosis and management of chronic lower limb PAD in primary care. The presenting symptoms and signs of lower limb PAD are described, with an emphasis on the importance of a thorough history and examination, which includes checking for limb pulses and carrying out an ankle brachial pressure index assessment. This is followed by a discussion of PAD risk factor reduction, with an emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles among patients and improving overall cardiovascular status. Finally, this article highlights when PAD patients should be referred to vascular surgery specialists.
Patient Self-Management of Diabetes Care in the Inpatient Setting
Authors: Mabrey Melanie E. , Setji Tracy L.
Published: June 2015

Patients should be allowed to manage their diabetes in the hospital. Diabetes mellitus is a common and sometimes difficult to control medical issue in hospitalized patients. Oftentimes patients who have been controlling their diabetes well as an outpatient are not allowed to continue this management on the inpatient setting, which can lead to hypo- and hyperglycemia. Involving the patient in his or her diabetes care, including self-management in select patients, may provide a safe and effective way of improving glycemic control and patient satisfaction. This may particularly benefit the dosing and coordination of meal-time