bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond the Pixel: Using Patterns and Multiscale Spatial Information to Improve the Retrieval of Precipitation from Spaceborne Passive Microwave Imagers
Authors: Guilloteau Clément , Foufoula-Georgiou Efi
Published: January 2020

The quantitative estimation of precipitation from orbiting passive microwave imagers has been performed for more than 30 years. The development of retrieval methods consists of establishing physical or statistical relationships between the brightness temperatures (TBs) measured at frequencies between 5 and 200 GHz and precipitation. Until now, these relationships have essentially been established at the “pixel” level, associating the average precipitation rate inside a predefined area (the pixel) to the collocated multispectral radiometric measurement. This approach considers each pixel as an independent realization of a process and ignores the fact that precipitation is a dynamic variable with rich multiscale spatial and temporal organization. Here we propose to look beyond the pixel values of the TBs and show that useful information for precipitation retrieval can be derived from the variations of the observed TBs in a spatial neighborhood around the pixel of interest. We also show that considering neighboring information allows us to better handle the complex observation geometry of conical-scanning microwave imagers, involving frequency-dependent beamwidths, overlapping fields of view, and large Earth incidence angles. Using spatial convolution filters, we compute “nonlocal” radiometric parameters sensitive to spatial patterns and scale-dependent structures of the TB fields, which are the “geometric signatures” of specific precipitation structures such as convective cells. We demonstrate that using nonlocal radiometric parameters to enrich the spectral information associated to each pixel allows for reduced retrieval uncertainty (reduction of 6%–11% of the mean absolute retrieval error) in a simple k-nearest neighbors retrieval scheme.
Time is on whose side? Determining the duration of collective agreements in a decentralized collective bargaining system
Authors: Jalette Patrice , Duguay Frédéric Lauzon , Laroche Mélanie
Published: January 2020

This article examines how the union and management determine the duration of the collective agreement in a decentralized bargaining system characterized by the absence of a rule establishing a maximum duration. Based on information on a population of over 5000 collective agreements and bargaining pairs from the Canadian province of Québec, our analysis reveals that establishment-level collective agreement duration is the result of general economic conditions, but also of coercive comparisons, as well as the parties’ resources and capacities and relative bargaining power, and the characteristics of their interactions. This case shows how contract duration is a strategic issue in establishment-level negotiations where the balance of power generally favours employers.
Brain Death and the Dutch Organ Donation Law
Authors: Steensma Douwe J.
Published: January 2020

According to many legal systems that regulate organ donation, such as Dutch law, a brain-dead patient is regarded as a mortal remains. In general, these systems do not take into account the fact that this definition is being heavily criticized and the far-reaching consequences thereof. In the case of organ transplantation, vital organs are procured from persons who, from a biological perspective, may not yet be dead. A government that values scientific data and wants to provide honest and reliable information to its citizens has to account for this critique of its policy as citizens have the right to be well-informed. Whoever makes the decision to donate organs performs a special act of human solidarity, but the readiness to donate organs in the case of brain death is not inherent to the demand to love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself.

According to legislation on organ donation in many countries, a brain-dead patient is regarded as a mortal remains. The law disregards the fact, however, that this definition is being heavily criticized and that it has far-reaching consequences. In the case of organ transplantation, vital organs are procured from persons who, from a biological perspective, may not yet been dead. A government that values scientific data and wants to provide honest and reliable information to its citizens has to account for this critique in its policy. Citizens have the right to be well-informed.
A Sampler of Autobiographical Memory Research: Contexts, Descriptions, Linkages, and Implications
Authors: Scherer Cory R. , Skowronski John J.
Published: January 2020

This article introduces the special issue on autobiographical memory for Psychological Reports. In this introduction, we attempt to provide a context for autobiographical memory area by highlighting the diversity in the areas of scholarship that contribute to the area. We describe our perceptions of the contributions made by the various articles and reflect on how the scholarship presented in the article links to the scholarship presented in the other articles. We also use the scholarship presented in the articles to generate some additional ideas and directions that could be pursued in future theory and research.
Between Race and Nation: Marcus Garvey and the Politics of Self-Determination
Authors: Jagmohan Desmond
Published: January 2020

This essay argues that Marcus Garvey held a constructivist theory of self-determination, one that saw nationalism and transnationalism as mutually necessary and reinforcing ideals. The argument proceeds in three steps. First it recovers Garvey’s transnationalist emphasis by looking at his intellectual debts to other diaspora struggles, namely political Zionism and Irish nationalism. Second it argues that Garvey held a constructivist view of national identity, which also grounds his argument that the black diaspora has a right to collective self-determination. Third it explicates Garvey’s further contention that the right to self-determination and the persistence of oppression give the African diaspora a pro tanto claim to an independent state, which he considered essential to vanquishing white supremacy and realizing collective self-rule.
The Southern Side of Chicago: Arnold R. Hirsch and the Renewal of Southern Urban History
Authors: Connolly N. D. B.
Published: January 2020

This essay maintains that Arnold R. Hirsch’s Making the Second Ghetto: Race and Housing in Chicago must be viewed as critical to the evolution of Southern history. The author shows how Hirsch’s handling of white anxiety, racial terrorism, and state actions in the preservation of racial segregation helped move Southern historians to adopt a comparative and structural approach to racial politics and metropolitan life. It also encouraged them to abandon interpretive frameworks that treated the South as exceptional, thus proving critical to the development of “Sunbelt” urban history. The fact of Hirsch’s own residing in the South and his collaborations with Southern historians during the publication of Making the Second Ghetto offers additional context to explain the book’s resonance in Southern historiography.
Flutter suppression of blade section based on model prediction control
Authors: Liu Ting-Rui
Published: January 2020

Flutter suppression of wind turbine blade section based on two types of model prediction control (MPC) algorithms is investigated. The pre-twist blade, exhibiting displacements of flap-wise bending and lead-lag bending, employs 2D airfoil analysis method, and is subjected to destructive divergent instability displacements. Dynamic modelling of two-dimensional (2D) blade section is based on data analysis characterized by data fitting. The MPC methods including standard MPC and terminal-weight MPC are used to realize flutter suppression for divergent instability. Vibration control and control effects of terminal-weight MPC on divergent instability are analyzed in detail, with different parameters of prediction horizon and control horizon discussed. The superiority of terminal-weight MPC can be apparently demonstrated by comparison of standard MPC and sliding mode control with disturbance observer (SMCDO). The feasibility of hardware implementation of MPC algorithm is discussed by human-computer interaction platform. The performance improvement method of the terminal-weight MPC based on offset control has been refined from the point of view of practical application, with its remarkable effect compared with the original terminal-weight MPC.
Affective and physiological synchrony in friendships during late adolescence
Authors: Cook Emily C.
Published: January 2020

Dyadic synchrony within friendships examines the reciprocal exchange that may unfold between friends, such that the individuals within the dyad may share their emotions in response to or in anticipation of another’s emotions. Researchers have not examined synchrony in response to a stressor in late adolescents’ friendship dyads. This is surprising given the important role of friends in shaping social and emotional development. The current study examined affective and physiological synchrony within 50 college students who were in the developmental period of late adolescence (70% female, M age = 18.85, SD = 0.80) and observed friendship characteristics (friendship quality and negative escalation) that might strengthen synchrony associations. Results suggested that friends shared negative and positive affect, cortisol, and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) responses across a laboratory paradigm designed to induce interpersonal stress. Characteristics associated with lower quality friendships were found to strengthen synchrony associations for sAA and cortisol responses. These findings extend previous research on the ways in which friends may be similar to one another and suggest potential interventions to strengthen social and emotional development.
Self-censorships in Ukraine: Distinguishing between the silences of television journalism
Authors: Fedirko Taras
Published: January 2020

This article builds on biographical interviews with public service broadcasting journalists, who have earlier worked for mainstream private media in Kyiv, Ukraine, to argue that journalists, according to their own understandings, engage in several different forms of self-censorship that do not necessarily have a direct relationship to external censorship. I identify and analyse three different forms of self-censorship – pragmatic, ethical and affective – that are simultaneously present in the same professional community of Ukrainian television journalists at a single historical moment, despite the fact that they operate in accordance with distinct logics. Taken together, they offer an empirical basis to challenge scholarly accounts that understand self-censorship as a singular phenomenon. The article proposes some initial analytical parameters and questions for a more nuanced analysis of the empirical heterogeneity of self-censorship.
Persistent alterations in cerebrovascular reactivity in response to hypercapnia following pediatric mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Dodd Andrew B , Lu Hanzhang , Wertz Christopher J , Ling Josef M , Shaff Nicholas A , Wasserott Benjamin C , Meier Timothy B , Park Grace , Oglesbee Scott J , Phillips John P , Campbell Richard A , Liu Peiying , Mayer Andrew R
Published: January 2020

Much attention has been paid to the effects of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) on cerebrovascular reactivity in adult populations, yet it remains understudied in pediatric injury. In this study, 30 adolescents (12–18 years old) with pediatric mTBI (pmTBI) and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent clinical and neuroimaging assessments during sub-acute (6.9 ± 2.2 days) and early chronic (120.4 ± 11.7 days) phases of injury. Relative to controls, pmTBI reported greater initial post-concussion symptoms, headache, pain, and anxiety, resolving by four months post-injury. Patients reported increased sleep issues and exhibited deficits in processing speed and attention across both visits. In grey-white matter interface areas throughout the brain, pmTBI displayed increased maximal fit/amplitude of a time-shifted end-tidal CO2 regressor to blood oxygen-level dependent response relative to HC, as well as increased latency to maximal fit. The alterations persisted through the early chronic phase of injury, with maximal fit being associated with complaints of ongoing sleep disturbances during post hoc analyses but not cognitive measures of processing speed or attention. Collectively, these findings suggest that deficits in the speed and degree of cerebrovascular reactivity may persist longer than current conceptualizations about clinical recovery within 30 days.
Evaluating the Prevalence and Patterns of Sexual Risk Behavior Among Undergraduate University Students in Ethiopia: Implication for Psychosocial Intervention
Authors: Yedemie Yordanos Y.
Published: January 2020

Risky sexual behavior is any behavior that increases the probability of negative consequences associated with sexual contact. Family environment, peer influence, community factors, and school attachment seem to be important factors affecting sexual risk behavior and decision in school/higher institution youths. This research has also been conducted to inspect the patterns of sexual risk behavior among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by using self-administered structured questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic, sexual, and associated risk behaviors among Woldia University students. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression model was carried out using SPSS version. The results revealed that 28.34% of the total study participants reported to have had sexual intercourse at least once. More proportion of male students ever had sex compared with females. One fifth of these students had their first sexual experience after they joined university. About 6% of students with sexual experience reported having had intercourse with same-sex partners. Half of the males with sexual experience had intercourse with a commercial sex worker. Regarding the use of condom, majority of the students reported to have used a condom once in a blue moon. Not using condom at the first and last sexual engagement were significant predictors of having multiple sexual partners. This study revealed risky sexual behaviors among university students. Thus, continuous and intensified public health strategies on health education and reproductive health services are required to address the sexual and reproductive health needs of the students.
Failing victims, fuelling hate: challenging the harms of the ‘Muslim grooming gangs’ narrative
Authors: Cockbain Ella , Tufail Waqas
Published: January 2020

‘Muslim grooming gangs’ have become a defining feature of media, political and public debate around child sexual exploitation in the UK. The dominant narrative that has emerged to explain a series of horrific cases is misleading, sensationalist and has in itself promoted a number of harms. This article examines how racist framings of ‘Muslim grooming gangs’ exist not only in extremist, far-right fringes but in mainstream, liberal discourses too. The involvement of supposedly feminist and liberal actors and the promotion of pseudoscientific ‘research’ have lent a veneer of legitimacy to essentialist, Orientalist stereotypes of Muslim men, the demonisation of whole communities and demands for collective responsibility. These developments are situated in the broader socio-political context, including the far Right’s weaponisation of women’s rights, the ‘Islamophobia industry’ and a long history of racialising crime. We propose alternative ways of understanding and responding to child sexual exploitation/abuse. We contend that genuinely anti-racist feminist approaches can help in centring victims/survivors and their needs and in tackling serious sexual violence without demonising entire communities.
The story of property: Meditations on gentrification, renaming, and possibility
Authors: Brahinsky Rachel
Published: January 2020

Property is a story. We assign land and resources legal status, and we narrate this as ownership and power. The interlocking loans, credit, and debt from which housing markets are compiled are built through narratives about value and its origins. The urban landscape, which is made by those markets, is produced through a confluence of human decisions, made with information about conditions and access. This information is based in stories—stories about what will sell, whether risk is viable, and what constitutes risk itself. These interlocking stories produce processes such as gentrification, one of the key contemporary challenges of booming cities in the Global North. Stories about the value of property, the primacy of growth, the role of race in valuation, and the urgency to invest in the urban landscape all shape gentrification. Meanwhile, stories from below have power too, offering important reframing. This paper examines two gentrifying neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area, analyzes the role of narrative in framing urban change there, and identifies counter-narratives that offer tangible alternatives with the potential to drive decisions around urban development. In sum, this paper foregrounds the role of narrative and storytelling in defining the economic forces such as property that shape urban places.
Short and Long-Term Field Performances and Optimal Timing of Chip Seal in Hot and Humid Climates
Authors: Mousa Momen R. , Elseifi Mostafa A. , Bashar Mohammad Z. , Zhang Zhongjie , Gaspard Kevin
Published: January 2020

Chip seal is a preventive maintenance technique typically applied on relatively low traffic roads to reduce pavement deterioration rate and to defer the need for costly rehabilitation activities. This study aims to address the common challenges with chip seal application in hot and humid climates such as Louisiana to ensure the maximum benefits are achieved. Specifically, this study evaluated the short and long-term field performances and optimal timing of chip seal by analyzing the cracking, roughness, and overall pavement conditions of 47 flexible and composite pavement sections in Louisiana. Furthermore, potential moisture damage in asphalt concrete after chip seal application was assessed. Results indicated that chip seal extended pavement service life by 4–17 years based on the pre-treatment pavement conditions and pavement type (flexible or composite). Based on the cost benefit analysis, it is recommended to use alternating cycles of asphalt overlay and chip seal on low volume roads (less than 5,300 vehicles per day) with chip seal applied when the pavement condition index (PCI) of the pavement drops to a value between 70 and 74. In this case, significant monetary savings could be achieved when compared with adding chip seals at different time periods (outside the recommended range of PCI between 70 and 74). Results also showed that the application of chip seal does not seem to contribute to moisture damage. Instead, shallow groundwater conditions present in the State seem to contribute to moisture damage in asphalt pavements owing to moisture entrapment underneath the asphalt layer.
Black Students’ Perceptions of School Ethnic-Racial Socialization Practices in a Predominantly Black School
Authors: Byrd Christy M. , Hope Elan C.
Published: January 2020

Ethnic-racial socialization describes messages and practices that teach youth about their racial and/or ethnic group membership and the role of race in society. Despite a wealth of research on families, little work has considered school socialization practices. The current article uses a framework of school racial socialization to explore six socialization messages reported in a predominantly Black public charter school in an urban area. In focus group and individual interviews, 21 African American students (71% female) discussed what they learned about race and culture at school. Responses revealed a high frequency of cultural socialization and promotion of cultural competence messages, but the content was limited to certain key figures and events. The findings illustrate the complexity of youths’ perceptions of socialization and the need for multicultural education in schools.
Preparation and characterization of Jagged1-bound fibrinogen-based microspheres and their cytotoxicity against human dental pulp cells
Authors: Manaspon Chawan , Boonprakong Lawan , Porntaveetus Thantrira , Osathanon Thanaphum
Published: January 2020

Surface immobilization of Jagged1 promotes odonto/osteogenic differentiation in human dental pulp cells. On the contrary, soluble Jagged1 fails to activate target gene expression of Notch signaling which is important for differentiation of human dental pulp cells. Hence, Jagged1 delivery system is indeed required for transportation of immobilized Jagged1 to promote odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells in vivo. The present study described the preparation and characterization of Jagged1-bound fibrinogen-based microspheres. Water-in-oil emulsion technique was employed to prepare fibrinogen microspheres and thrombin cross-linked fibrinogen microspheres. The average size of fibrinogen microspheres and thrombin cross-linked fibrinogen microspheres was 213.9 ± 35.9 and 199.9 ± 41.9 µm, respectively. These microspheres did not alter the human dental pulp cells’ cell viability. Human dental pulp cells were able to attach and spread on these microspheres. Jagged1 was conjugated on microspheres using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamino) propyl carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide. Binding capacity of Jagged1 on both fibrinogen microspheres and thrombin cross-linked fibrinogen microspheres ranged from 25.8 ± 6.0 to 35.6 ± 9.1%. There was no significant difference in the size of microspheres between before and after Jagged1 conjugation process. In conclusion, fibrinogen microspheres and thrombin cross-linked fibrinogen microspheres could be utilized as the alternative biomaterials for Jagged1 delivery for future biomedical application.
Layered hydroxide/polydopamine/hyaluronic acid functionalized magnesium alloys for enhanced anticorrosion, biocompatibility and antithrombogenicity in vascular stents
Authors: He Xiaojing , Zhang Guannan , Pei Yuliang , Zhang Hongyu
Published: January 2020

Magnesium alloys are promising cardiovascular stent materials due to the favourable physical properties and complete biodegradability in vivo. However, the rapid degradation, poor cytocompatibility and tendency of thrombogenesis hinder practical clinical applications. In order to solve these problems, a facile and highly efficient strategy of alkali treatment combined with subsequent layer-by-layer assembly was used to fabricate a multifunctional coating. A bottom layer hydroxyl (–OH) with negative charge after alkali treatment first formed a solid bond with magnesium matrix to provide a rough outer surface for the further immobilization of functional biomolecules. Afterwards, polydopamine and hyaluronic acid were successively immobilized on alkali-treated magnesium surface via strong electrostatic adsorption and covalent bonding between carboxyl group of hyaluronic acid and amine or hydroxyl of polydopamine to form magnesium/OH/polydopamine/hyaluronic acid. Hydroxyl significantly improves the corrosion resistance while polydopamine and hyaluronic acid layers act as a further barrier to provide better anticorrosion. A balance between biocompatibility and antithrombogenicity has been achieved by adjusting the content of hyaluronic acid on polydopamine surface. The multifunctional magnesium/OH/polydopamine/hyaluronic acid coating with lower hyaluronic acid concentrations expose more active sites of polydopamine molecules to promote endothelial cell proliferation while retaining the intrinsic antithrombogenic function of hyaluronic acid to offer a potential application for vascular stents.
From the Frontlines: Perceptions of Paraprofessionals’ Roles and Responsibilities
Authors: Mason Rose A. , Gunersel Adalet B. , Irvin Dwight W. , Wills Howard P. , Gregori Emily , An Zhe G. , Ingram Paul B.
Published: January 2020

The paraeducator workforce as well as the breadth of their responsibilities to serve students in special education has increased considerably in public schools. Unfortunately, research to identify the most effective methods for training paraeducators has not kept pace. Addressing this dynamic, through an implementation science framework, requires a better understanding of contextual factors. In this study, focus groups (FGs) with paraeducators and teachers were conducted to examine (a) responsibilities, training needs, and related issues of paraprofessionals; (b) training needs and related issues of teachers as supervisors of paraeducators; and (c) factors that support or impede special educators’ self-efficacy and their perception of competence of their colleagues. Four FGs, homogeneous based on role and assignment (mild vs. moderate-to-severe disabilities), were conducted utilizing a semistructured interview protocol. Qualitative content analysis revealed important challenges and training-related deficiencies experienced by both teachers and paraeducators, as well as suggestions for addressing these issues.
An Observational Assessment of Physical Activity Levels and Social Behavior During Residential Summer Camp Unstructured Time
Authors: Wahl-Alexander Zachary , Morehead Craig A.
Published: January 2020

Purpose:

To evaluate children’s physical activity (PA) levels, social play behavior, activity time, and social interactions during unstructured time.

Approach:

Systematic observation tool to record child’s PA level, social group size, activity type, and social interaction during play.

Setting:

Northeast US residential summer camp, pseudonym Forest Hills Camp.

Participants:

Fifty-nine third-grade campers (27 males and 32 females).

Method:

Observational data were obtained using the System for Observing Children’s Activity and Relationships during Play (SOCARP). Data were analyzed using independent samples t tests (with Bonferroni adjustment) to assess statistical differences between boys and girls SOCARP categories.

Results:

Both boys and girls spend over 50% of their time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Statistically significant differences between genders were observed: activity level—(a) girls sat more than boys, and (2) boys engaged in more vigorous activity; activity type—(1) boys engaged in more sport activity, girls engaged in more locomotion activity, and girls were more sedentary; and social interactions—(1) boys had more physical conflict, and (2) boys had more verbal conflict.

Conclusion:

Contrary to previous research suggesting that summer campers have increased sedentary behavior during unstructured time, our results indicate that third-grade campers engaged in MVPA over 50% of their unstructured time. This suggests that unstructured time in outdoor camp settings may provide valuable opportunities for adolescent children to choose PA.
Historical Hinterlands for Religious Freedom in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hill QC Mark
Published: January 2020

The peculiar and particular manner in which freedom of religion is promoted and protected in the United Kingdom owes much to the nation’s history. This article offers a highly selective consideration of some of the incidents of history which have shaped or foreshadowed the lived reality of freedom of religion in Britain today. It traces key episodes over past centuries, crudely categorised as the Seven Ages of Religious Liberty.
Postglacial flooding and vegetation history on the Ob River terrace, central Western Siberia based on the palaeoecological record from Lake Svetlenkoye
Authors: Amon Leeli , Blaus Ansis , Alliksaar Tiiu , Heinsalu Atko , Lapshina Elena , Liiv Merlin , Reitalu Triin , Vassiljev Jüri , Veski Siim
Published: January 2020

The hemispheric-scale climatic fluctuations during the Holocene have probably influenced the large Siberian rivers. However, detailed studies of the West Siberian Plain postglacial environmental change are scarce and the records of millennial-scale palaeohydrology are nearly absent. This paper presents the Holocene palaeoecological reconstruction based on the sedimentary record of Lake Svetlenkoye, located near the confluence of major Siberian rivers Ob and Irtysh. Postglacial history of flooding, dynamics of regional and local vegetation, sedimentation regime, geochemical changes and lake water pH were reconstructed based on multi-proxy studies. We used palaeobotanical (plant macrofossils, pollen, diatoms), geochemical (organic matter, total organic carbon and nitrogen content, carbon/nitrogen ratio) and chronological (14C dates, spheroidal fly-ash particle counts) methods. The studied sediment section started to accumulate ~11,400 cal. yr BP. The initial shallow water body was flooded by Ob River waters ~8100–8000 cal. yr BP as confirmed by a remarkable increase in the sedimentation rate and the accumulation rate of the aquatic vegetation proxies. The period of flooding coincides with the high humidity periods reconstructed from regional palaeobotanical records. About 6800–6700 cal. yr BP, the study site became isolated from the Ob River floodplain and remained a small lake until present. The diatom-based lake water pH estimates suggest fluctuations in the pH values during the Holocene, the recent decrease since 1960s being the most notable. The vegetation record revealed constant postglacial presence of tree taxa – Betula, Pinus and Picea – although in different pollen ratios and accumulation rates through time. The paludification of the surroundings occurred since ca. 8500 cal. yr BP.
Late-Holocene environmental change on the Nullarbor Plain, southwest Australia, based on speleothem pollen records
Authors: Matley Kia A , Sniderman JM Kale , Drinnan Andrew N , Hellstrom John C
Published: January 2020

Fossil pollen from two stalagmites is examined to reconstruct a c. 2400-year history of vegetation change on the Nullarbor Plain. Environmental changes are reflected by variation in chenopod species abundance, and by a peak in woody taxa between 1000 and 800 years ago which is interpreted as evidence of increased moisture conditions associated with a positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode. While no strong palynological signal is observed at the time of European colonization of Australia, a significant change occurs in the past 40 years, which is interpreted as a vegetation response to a recorded fire event. As speleothems (secondary cave carbonates including stalagmites, stalactites and flowstones) rarely contain enough fossil pollen for analysis, the taphonomic biases of speleothem archives remain poorly understood. This study, as well as being a high-resolution record of environmental change, presents an opportunity to examine these taphonomic filters. The record is shown to be sensitive to episodic deposition of presumably insect-borne pollen, but overall appears to provide a faithful representation of local and regional vegetation change. There is a need for greater research into taphonomic processes, if speleothem palynology is to be developed as a viable alternative to lacustrine sediments in the investigation of past environmental change.
The Role of Epistemic Curiosity in Game-Based Learning: Distinguishing Skill Acquisition From Adaptation
Authors: Huck Jonathan T. , Day Eric Anthony , Lin Li , Jorgensen Ashley G. , Westlin Joseph , Hardy Jay H.
Published: January 2020

Background

Videogames are emerging as increasingly popular tools for training complex skills, in part due to their potential for improving the transfer of learning to changing demands. One caveat is that training outcomes are primarily influenced by a learner’s capability and willingness to engage in adaptive learning processes. The present study examined the role of epistemic curiosity as a predisposition for seeking information and resolving gaps in knowledge.

Method

Using a game-based learning environment with strong cognitive and perceptual-motor demands, we tested the effects of interest- and deprivation-type epistemic curiosity on performance during skill acquisition and adaptation to unforeseen change. A task-change paradigm and piecewise latent trajectory model disentangled the effects on performance trajectories corresponding to skill acquisition and adaptation.

Results

Interest-type epistemic curiosity, but not deprivation-type, was positively related to baseline performance, even after controlling for cognitive ability and videogame experience. Moreover, the positive effect of interest-type epistemic curiosity on post-change performance (i.e., adaptation) was fully mediated by pre-change performance.

Discussion

These findings indicate that interest-type epistemic curiosity is particularly important in the earlier phases of learning, but explains little variability in adaptive performance beyond its direct influence on performance acquired prior to change. This research speaks to the roles of individual differences in cognition and motivation during game-based learning.
Guns, Butter, and Growth: The Consequences of Military Spending Reconsidered
Authors: Carter Jeff , Ondercin Heather L. , Palmer Glenn
Published: January 2020

How does increasing military spending affect social spending and economic growth? We argue leaders vary in their preferences over how to pay for military spending and failing to account for interdependence among methods of government finance, government spending, and economic performance limits scholars’ ability to identify the consequences of military spending. We use vector autoregressive models to estimate the relationships among military spending, social spending, economic growth, tax revenue, debt, and the money supply in the United States between 1947 and 2007. We find that increasing military spending has a nonlinear effect on economic growth that varies over time and the existence of a guns-versus-butter trade-off is conditional on the relative importance leaders place on protecting the social welfare state, borrowing money, and keeping taxes low when increasing military spending.
PARP-inhibitor potpourri: A comparative review of class safety, efficacy, and cost
Authors: Hennes Emily R , Dow-Hillgartner Elizabeth N , Bergsbaken Jason J , Piccolo Jennifer K
Published: January 2020

Purpose

To summarize similarities and differences in efficacy, safety, and cost of available PARP-inhibitors and offers pearls to distinguish subtle nuances between each agent to help guide therapy.

Currently, four PARP-inhibitors (olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, and talazoparib) are FDA-approved, with olaparib, rucaparib, and niraparib approved for treatment and/or maintenance or ovarian cancer and olaparib and talazoparib approved for the treatment of recurrent metastatic BRCA-mutant, HER2-negative breast cancer. While the PARP-inhibitor class is generally are well-tolerated, each agent does possess a unique side-effect profile. Niraparib and talazoparib have more prominent hematologic adverse event profiles, while niraparib has an increased risk of cardiac events. In patients using other medications with known drug interactions, niraparib may be the preferred option for patients with ovarian cancer, and talazoparib may be the preferred option for patients with breast cancer because neither of these agents undergo hepatic metabolism. These agents also can incur large financial toxicities for patients, and olaparib currently has the broadest range of options for financial assistance.

Conclusion

Although these agents have similar approved indications, efficacy, and toxicity profiles, there are notable differences that may help direct choice of therapy and optimize treatment for patients. It is important to incorporate patient-specific factors to optimize PARP-inhibitor therapy for patients.
Short-term changes in ocular surface signs and symptoms after phacoemulsification
Authors: Zamora María García , Caballero Eugenia Francés , Maldonado Miguel J
Published: January 2020

Purpose:

The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence, natural course, and distribution pattern of superficial punctate keratopathy and describe the changes in signs and symptoms of dry eye after cataract surgery.

Setting:

The setting of this study is University Hospital Rio Hortega and Instituto Universitario de Oftalmobiología Aplicada, Valladolid, Spain.

Design:

This is a prospective interventional study.

Materials and Methods:

In total, 55 eyes of 55 different patients with no history of dry eye underwent standard phacoemulsification through a 2.75-mm-wide corneal incision. We measured tear break-up time, Schirmer test I, and tear meniscus height, and recorded the Ocular Surface Disease Index score, fluorescein staining patterns, and photo documentation of the ocular surface before and 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively. Patients were divided into two groups (with and without superficial punctate keratopathy development, 1 day postoperatively).

Results:

Patients (mean age: 75.75 ± 7.27 years) showed an incidence of 76.3% of superficial punctate keratopathy at 24 h. Location predominated in the center of the cornea until a week (32.7%) and then began to prevail in the inferior quadrant (21.8%) at 1 month. All dry eye tests were significantly worse after surgery. Ocular Surface Disease Index increased from 10.98 ± 5.05 to 15.87 ± 6.57 at 24 h ( p < .001), to 12.80 ± 5.77 at 7 days ( p < .001), and to 11.09 ± 4.63 at 1 month ( p = .90). Fluorescein staining patterns got worse 24 h postoperatively with a score of 2.12 using the National Eye Institute/Industry–recommended guidelines staining grid. Average break-up time values were significantly lower at 1 day (6.61 ± 2.68),1 week (6.98 ± 2.79), and 1 month (7.05 ± 2.86) postoperatively than preoperatively (8.78 ± 2.97) ( p < .001). The mean postoperative first month Schirmer test I value (8.32 ± 3.58) was significantly lower than preoperative value (9.05 ± 3.63) ( p < .001).

Conclusion:

Phacoemulsification tends to induce short-term transitory ocular surface impairment manifesting as both signs and symptoms. Superficial punctate keratopathy distribution has a characteristic pattern evolution according to the postoperative time. Those patients with altered preoperative values are more likely to develop ocular surface disease and for longer time.
New Furniture for the Box Office: Computer, Ticket, Window
Authors: Kushner Scott
Published: January 2020

The arrival of the digital computer demanded a new spatial logic for performing arts ticketing. As late-20th-century box offices updated equipment, managers imagined a ticketing space that was open and airy, rather than closed and secure. Interactions between agents and audiences became collaborative, and ticket sales became central to marketing efforts. This article analyzes changes in the box office by historicizing the spaces of ticketing, drawing upon Bernhard Siegert’s notion of cultural techniques, reading a diagram from a 1993 ticketing guru’s book, and excavating archival and published materials bearing on performance spaces in Western Europe and North America. The article shows how technological, social, and political changes in the 1970s and ’80s led to a substantial shift in the interactions that inhabit paraperformative spaces. In a concluding gesture, the article shows that these changes are themselves transitory and have since been succeeded by the digital ticketing familiar to early-21st-century audiences.
Complicating factors in studio teaching dynamics: Dyad dissolution in post-secondary music studios
Authors: Ryan Gina
Published: January 2020

Relationship dynamics between students and teachers are an essential element of one-on-one teaching and learning in music schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors leading to student–teacher dyad dissolution in post-secondary music performance studios. A total of 30 students and 30 teachers were interviewed. Interview questionnaires contained closed-ended rating scales and open-ended questions. Unstructured responses were transcribed, coded by units that each represented a contributing factor to dyad dissolution, and then subjected to a frequency count to determine decisive factors leading to dyad dissolution. All factors were subjected to the Framework of Social Levels, which is based on four levels – Interpersonal, Self, Other, and Outside. The majority of students’ dissolution factors were attributed at the Interpersonal level, whereas the majority of teachers attributed dissolution to factors at the Student ( Other) level. Participants cited several factors leading to dyad dissolution including different expectations, different professional goals, poor communication, incompatible personalities, student commitment, teacher teaching abilities, lesson satisfaction, and lack of personal connection.
Assessing economic and fiscal impacts of sports complex in a small US county
Authors: Kim Sungsoo
Published: January 2020

Due to the high demand for various forms of sports tourism, destinations have used sports-related events to attract more tourists to boost the regional economy. This study examines economic impacts (EIs) and fiscal impacts of the sports complex in a small county, and further verifies that its economic and fiscal impacts are of significance. Depending on a low or high demand scenario, approximately US$10.5 or 15 million in revenue supported 703 or 919 jobs (direct) in the impact area, with value added US$12.6 or 18.1 million, respectively. More specifically, an additional 66 or 90 indirect and 53 or 76 induced jobs were created with an impact of US$3.4 or 4.8 million. In total, the sports complex can support substantial employment (822 or 1085 jobs) and EIs (US$42 or 61 million) annually for the impact area. Lastly, US$336,000 or 443,000 in fiscal impacts was also generated.
Concordance study between regular face-to-face dental diagnosis and dental telediagnosis using fluorescence
Authors: Inquimbert Camille , Hirata-Tsuchiya Shidu , Yoshii Shinji , Molinari Nicolas , Nogue Erika , Roy Clement , Morotomi Takahiko , Washio Ayako , Cuisinier Frederic , Tassery Herve , Levallois Bernard , Kitamura Chiaki , Giraudeau Nicolas
Published: January 2020

Background

Teledentistry consultations are an effective way to increase access to care. Whether it be for a screening, referral or even an adapted treatment plan for a certain number of patients whose access to care is complicated, demonstrating the reliability of remote consultations is essential in allowing the technique to become generalised.

Aim

This study aimed to determine if teledentistry consultations using fluorescence are of the same quality as regular consultations in the diagnosis of caries.

Methods

Patients were seen in consultation in the dental care centre at the Montpellier University Hospital (France) and in the centre at Kyushu Dental University Hospital (Japan). The protocol was broken down into three parts: the regular consultation, the recording of videos with the Soprocare camera and the remote consultation. The regular consultation and the remote consultation were blinded and carried out by two different dentists. The recording of videos was carried out by a third dentist. The carious diagnosis was based on the International Caries Detection and Assessment System: a clinical rating system for the detection and assessment of caries.

Results

One hundred and ninety-five patients met the predefined inclusion criteria. Most patients had at least one surface at stage 3 or higher (73%) with a higher proportion amongst French patients (81% compared to 66%). However, they had good dental hygiene, given that dental hygiene was only deemed unsatisfactory for 10.8% (19% for French patients and 2% for Japanese patients). The odontogram (presence/absence of each tooth) seemed to be correctly identified during the remote consultation (reinterpretation). Out of the 195 patients, 168 (86.2%) were identified without error.

Conclusions

Teledentistry consultations can represent acceptable diagnostic performance with regard to the detection of dental caries. The Soprocare camera enables an early diagnosis of carious lesions with optimal efficiency. Several areas still need to be improved, however, so that the use of the camera during remote consultations is as coherent and effective as possible, especially with regard to the organisational aspects of remote consultations.
The relative efficacy of input enhancement, input flooding, and output-based instructional approaches in the acquisition of L2 request modifiers
Authors: Fakher Ajabshir Zahra
Published: January 2020

This study investigates the effects of input-based and output-based instructions on the acquisition of second language (L2) request modifiers. Four intact classes were randomly assigned to textual enhancement (TE), input flooding (IF), output-based instruction (OI), and control (CO) groups. The TE group watched some captioned videos on requests and read over the video transcripts with the target features typographically highlighted. The IF group watched twice more captioned videos and read over the video transcripts with no textual manipulation. The OI group watched videos with no captions and then engaged in dialogue reconstruction tasks. Results of the pragmatic comprehension and production pre-test and post-test revealed the overall effectiveness of the treatment. TE and OI groups performed rather similarly in the comprehension test. Concerning the production test, the OI group performed best, followed by TE, IF, and CO groups. The findings suggest employing input-based and output-based practices to promote learners’ L2 pragmatic knowledge.
Compressive behavior of circular and square concrete column externally confined by different types of basalt fiber–reinforced polymer
Authors: Huang Jingting , Li Tao , Zhu Dayong , Gao Peng , Zhou An
Published: January 2020

This article studies the compressive behavior of concrete columns confined by different basalt fiber–reinforced polymers. A total of 30 columns were divided into 10 groups according to section shapes (circular and square), basalt fiber–reinforced polymer types (unidirectional basalt fiber–reinforced polymer, bidirectional basalt fiber–reinforced polymer, and hybrid basalt fiber–reinforced polymer/carbon fiber–reinforced polymers), and number of layers (0, 1, and 2). The test results showed that the compressive strengths of confined specimens increased by 20%–71% for circular columns and by 23%–41% for square columns. Similarly, the ultimate strains improved by 49%–296% for circular specimens and by 45%–145% for square specimens. The two-layer basalt fiber–reinforced polymer jacket had the best confinement effect, whereas the confining effect of bidirectional basalt fiber–reinforced polymer wrapping was relatively lower than that of unidirectional basalt fiber–reinforced polymer wrapping. Moreover, both the strength and ultimate strain of confined concrete improved with increasing number of basalt fiber–reinforced polymer layers. Finite element numerical models were also developed and verified by experimental results, and then the stress distributions of basalt fiber–reinforced polymer jackets and cross-sectional concrete were presented. Based on the test results and experimental data from several existing studies, modified strength and ultimate strain models were further developed for basalt fiber–reinforced polymer-confined circular and square columns.