bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reason Enough? More on Parity-Violation Experiments and Electroweak Gauge Theory
Authors: Pickering Andy
Published: January 2016

In recent years a unified strategy in dealing with constructivism has been emerging in the writings of historians and philosophers of science. In my own experience, the strategy is exemplified in the long critiques of all or parts of my book, Constructing Quarks (CQ), set out by Paul Roth, Peter Galison and Allan Franklin. These critiques have two common features. First, the substance of constructivist claims is more or less ignored, in favour a fictional version that simply asserts the opposite of what the critic wants to affirm, which is, second, that the evolution of science should be grasped in terms of some relatively simple and unsituated concept of ‘reason’ (or ‘logic’ or ‘persuasive argument’).1 Allan Franklin’s discussion of the history of parity-violation experiments in atomic and high-energy physics exemplifies both of these features.2 Concerning the first, the position he attributes to CQ is summarised as a pure negative: Pickering, he says, ‘obviously doubts that science is a reasonable enterprise based on valid experimental or observational evidence’ (165).3
Computer Simulations, Idealizations and Approximations
Authors: Laymon Ronald
Published: January 2016

It’s uncontroversial that notions of idealization and approximation are central to understanding computer simulations and their rationale. So, for example, one common form of computer simulation is to abandon a realistic approach that is computationally non-tractable for a more idealized but computationally tractable approach. Many simulations of systems of interacting members can be understood this way. In such simulations, realistic descriptions of individual members are replaced with less realistic descriptions which have the virtue of making interactions computationally tractable. Such simulations can be supplemented with empirically determined correction factors which render the output produced by means of the idealizations more in accord, one hopes, with what the more realistic approach would have produced had it been computationally tractable. Another way to utilize computers is to replace an idealized but analytically tractable account of some phenomenon with a less idealized account which has no closed form or analytical solutions but where the computer can be used generate approximations to the desired solutions.
Towards an Expanded Epistemology for Approximations
Authors: Ramsey Jeffry L.
Published: January 2016

Since “one can seldom directly deduce from a speculation consequences that are even in principle testable,” a scientist must “articulate” a theory, mathematically altering a given speculation to bring it “into greater resonance with the world” (Hacking 1983, p. 214). When confronted with computational difficulties caused by analytically intractable equations, imprecise specifications of initial conditions, or the absence of required auxiliary theories, scientists commonly articulate a theory by applying approximations and idealizations to the theoretical equations they have at hand. Recognizing this, the following question immediately arises for both the scientist and the philosopher of science, “How does one judge the quality of a particular approximation? I.e., when is a given approximation valid?“
Renormalization and the Effective Field Theory Programme
Authors: Robinson Don
Published: January 2016

Quantum field theory (QFT) poses the following well-known problem. Calculations of values for certain quantities begin with a first-order approximation to which are added higher order corrections. In many cases, the calculation of even the very first higher order correction term yields infinite values. These infinite values are due to divergences in the theory. These divergences can be traced to their source in the standard fundamental assumptions defining QFT. No matter which version of the formalism we adopt, we are trying to incorporate into the mathematics certain fundamental physical constraints on the nature of the vacuum state, on the states that can be occupied by systems, on the comeasurability of observables, and so on. The resulting formalism contains divergences.
Historical Contingency and Theory Selection in Science
Authors: Cushing James T.
Published: January 2016

The central theme of this paper is that historical contingency plays an essential and ineliminable role in the construction and selection of a successful scientific theory from among its observationally equivalent and unrefuted competitors. Let me make a few clarifying remarks at the outset. It is not my claim that in all cases of theory selection there is in practice this radical type of underdetermination. Nor am I concerned with the rather trivial and philosophically uninteresting historical contingency of who did what when. For example, in response to Napoléon’s fishing for a favorable comparison between himself and Newton, Lagrange is said to have lamented (Gillispie 1960, p. 117; Moritz 1914, p. 167): “Newton was the greatest genius that ever existed, and the most fortunate, for we cannot find more than once a system of the world established.“
Austere Realism and the Worldly Assumptions of Inferential
Statistics
Authors: Trout J.D.
Published: January 2016

Inferential statistical tests—such as analysis of variance, t-tests,
chi-square and Wilcoxin signed ranks—now constitute a principal class of
methods for the testing of scientific hypotheses. In particular, inferential
statistics (when properly applied) are normally understood, for better or
worse, as warranting a theoretical (typically causal) inference from an
observed sample to an unobserved part of the population. These methods have
been applied with great effect in domains such as population genetics,
mechanics, cognitive, perceptual and social psychology, economics, and
sociology, and it is not often that scientists in these fields eschew causal
explanation in favor of the statement of brute correlations among
properties. However, the appropriateness of a particular statistical test,
and the reliability of the inference from sample to population, are subject
to the application of certain statistical principles and concepts.
The New Experimentalism, Topical Hypotheses, and Learning from
Error
Authors: Mayo Deborah G.
Published: January 2016

Following a period during which philosophers of science focused on
theory to the near exclusion of experiment, a number of philosophers,
historians and sociologists of science have, in one way or another, turned
their attention to experimentation, instrumentation, and laboratory
practices. Considerable work in philosophy of science of the last decade
reflects this surge of interest in experiment, as promoted by Ackermann,
Cartwright, Franklin, Galison, Giere, Hacking and others. Where has this
movement taken us and where do we still have to go?

In asking this question, my focus is on that subset of the
experimentalist movement whose members, following Ackermann (1989), I dub
the “New Experimentalists”. Although their agendas differ, members of this
group share the core thesis that aspects of experiment might offer an
important, though largely untapped, resource for addressing key problems in
philosophy of science.
Philosophy of Psychology Meets the Semantic View
Authors: Hardcastle Valerie Gray
Published: January 2016

Philosophers of science have much to say that could be useful to philosophers of mind, especially naturalistic philosophers of psychology. We should listen. In particular, I believe that if philosophers of mind were clearer on how explanations function in science in general, then many of their present worries would either dissolve or be altered beyond recognition. In what follows, I show you what I mean.

First, though, I shall spend a few moments recapitulating the semantic view of theories and how it applies to psychology. This section will be fairly brief since details have already been presented elsewhere (see esp. Bickle 1993). However, let me emphasize at the outset that I am not adopting the semantic view because I think it is inherently superior to the more traditional models (though I do). Indeed, everything that I claim can be translated into any view of theory you might have with greater or lesser ease.
What is Psychophysics?
Authors: Shapiro Lawrence A.
Published: January 2016

Gustav Fechner published his monumental Elemente der Psychophysik in 1860. In the years to follow the book became the object of such intense criticism and such caustic invective that Fechner, prophetically, observed: “The tower of Babel was never finished because the workers could not reach an understanding on how they should build it; my psychophysical edifice will stand because the workers will never agree on how to tear it down” (Stevens 1957, 153). Fechner was right. Here we are, 134 years later, and psychophysics is still with us. Moreover, if it's true that psychophysics thrives on disagreement then likely it will be around for another millennium, for there is currently even less accord about what psychophysics is and whether it is possible than there was when Fechner was alive. Some psychophysicists retain Fechner's view of psychophysics and so claim to be searching for laws relating our sensory experience of the world to physical magnitudes in the world.
The Vacuum in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory
Authors: Redhead Michael
Published: January 2016

Intuitively the vacuum state of the Universe is the state that would obtain if the spacetime arena were emptied of its contents. The idea is that if we removed all the material particles, such as quarks and electrons, together with all the force-carrying particles such as photons and gluons, so there was no matter or force in the Universe, then we would be left with a featureless space-time, the bare arena of physics, and this would be the vacuum.

There are many reasons why such an idea is problematic. On a strict relationist conception of space-time, the procedure envisaged would leave us, not with empty spacetime, but literally with nothing. Having removed the relata, the spatio-temporal relations would also disappear. This problem does not arise for space-time substantivalists, but general relativity now raises difficulties.
Toward a Realistic Assessment of PKU Screening
Authors: Paul Diane B.
Published: January 2016

Newborn screening for the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU) is generally considered the greatest success story of applied human genetics. Paradoxically, it is invoked both by those who stress the value and those who emphasize the limitations of genetic medicine.

PKU screening is often cited as a model for genetic medicine and as a precedent for those who favor the expansion of genetic tests (Azen 1991, 35; Scriver 1991; Bishop and Waldholz 1990, 18-19). But even those skeptical of most screening programs tend to describe this program in sunny terms (Natowicz and Alper 1991, 387-89; Nelkin and Tancredi 1989, 160). The near-consensus on the success of PKU screening is explained by the variety of interests the example serves. Untreated phenylketonuria results in severe mental retardation and behavioral disorders. But if it is identified in the newborn, the disease is treatable through a special diet.
Pluralism, Normative Naturalism, and Biological Taxonomy
Authors: Ereshefsky Marc
Published: January 2016

The discipline of biological taxonomy is rife with philosophical controversies. One of them is particularly relevant to the topic of this symposium, namely the question of taxonomic unity. Should biologists aim for a single correct classification of the world's organisms or should they allow a plurality of equally correct classifications?

For those with little or no background in evolutionary biology, the suggestion of taxonomic pluralism might seem odd. Don't introductory biology texts as well as television nature shows suggest that there is a single correct way to sort the world's organisms? They do, but that advertised agreement masks a number of controversies that have raged in biology since Darwin's time. Consider the question of how to sort organisms into species. Currently there are no less than seven prominent definitions of the species category (Ereshefsky 1992a).
Neo-Latin Studies
Authors: Grant W. Leonard
Published: January 2016

A real event in Renaissance scholarship was the publication of Bernard Weinberg's monumental History of Literary Criticism in the Italian Renaissance, already reviewed in Renaissance News [xv, 215-217], Manuscripta, Italica, and elsewhere as a work that will stand for many a long year as the definitive treatment of the subject. Of the more than 400 documents studied, not less than 89 are in unpublished manuscripts, the vast majority being in humanistic Latin and all awaiting further research.

Most of the authors discussed by Weinberg are men who were also of the first importance in the history of classical scholarship. In that particular field, by far the most important production of the year is Deno John Geanakoplos' Greek Scholars in Venice (Harvard, 1962) [RN xv, 305–306]; this is not a rehash of old material but an independent investigation of the unfamiliar.
Dynamical properties of families of holomorphic mappings
Authors: Pal Ratna , Verma Kaushal
Published: January 2016

We study some dynamical properties of skew products of Hénon maps of

C

2

\mathbb {C}^2

that are fibered over a compact metric space

M
M

. The problem reduces to understanding the dynamical behavior of the composition of a pseudo-random sequence of Hénon mappings. In analogy with the dynamics of the iterates of a single Hénon map, it is possible to construct fibered Green functions that satisfy suitable invariance properties and the corresponding stable and unstable currents. This analogy is carried forth in two ways: it is shown that the successive pull-backs of a suitable current by the skew Hénon maps converges to a multiple of the fibered stable current and secondly, this convergence result is used to obtain a lower bound on the topological entropy of the skew product in some special cases. The other class of maps that are studied are skew products of holomorphic endomorphisms of

P

k

\mathbb {P}^k

that are again fibered over a compact base. We define the fibered Fatou component and show that they are pseudoconvex and Kobayashi hyperbolic.
Early Gut Colonization of Preterm Infants
Authors: Gómez Marta , Moles Laura , Melgar Ana , Ureta Noelia , Bustos Gerardo , Fernández Leónides , Rodríguez Juan M. , Jiménez Esther
Published: January 2016

Objective:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential colonization of nosocomial bacteria in enteral feeding systems and its effect on early gut colonization of preterm neonates.

Methods:

Mother's own milk, donor milk, and preterm formula samples obtained after passing through the external part of the enteral feeding tubes were cultured. In addition, meconium and fecal samples from 26 preterm infants collected at different time points until discharge were cultured. Random amplification polymorphism DNA and pulse field gel electrophoresis were performed to confirm the presence of specific bacterial strains in milk and infant fecal samples.

Results:

Approximately 4000 bacterial isolates were identified at the species level. The dominant species in both feces from preterm infants and milk samples were Staphylococcus epidermidis, S aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, E faecium, Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. All of them were present at high concentrations independently of the feeding mode. Random amplification polymorphism DNA and pulse field gel electrophoresis techniques showed that several bacteria strains were found in both type of samples. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of a dense bacterial biofilm in several parts of the feeding tubes and the tube connectors.

Conclusions:

There is a sharing of bacterial strains between the neonates’ gastrointestinal microbiota and the feeding tubes used to feed them.
Social capital, motivations, and mobile coupon sharing
Authors: Zhao Xuefeng , Tang Qing , Liu Shan , Liu Fen
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to integrate social capital theory and motivation theory to identify the factors that affect the intention of users to share mobile coupons (m-coupons) via social network sites (SNS). Social capital includes social ties, trust, and perceived similarity, whereas motivation comprises sense of self-worth and socializing.

Design/methodology/approach

– A research model that integrates three social capital factors, two motivations, and m-coupon sharing is developed. Quantitative data from 297 users who had coupon usage experience are collected via offline and online survey. Partial least squares is used to conduct data analysis and test hypotheses.

Findings

– Social ties, trust, and perceived similarity are positively related to m-coupon sharing intention and positively affect sense of self-worth and socializing, which have significant positive effects on m-coupon sharing intention and mediate the relationships between social capital factors and sharing intention.

Originality/value

– This study highlights the integrated effects of social capital and motivations on m-coupon sharing intention in SNS. While social capital factors (i.e. social ties, trust, and perceived similarity) and motivations (i.e. sense of self-worth and socializing) positively affect m-coupon sharing, motivations are more directly associated with m-coupon sharing than social capital factors.
Optimal design of a multi-server queueing system with delay information
Authors: Yu Miao , Gong Jun , TANG Jiafu
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for the optimal design of queueing systems of call centers with delay information. The main decisions in the design of such systems are the number of servers, the appropriate control to announce delay anticipated.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper models a multi-server queueing system as an M/M/S+M queue with customer reactions. Based on customer psychology in waiting experiences, a number of different service-level definitions are structured and the explicit computation of their performance measures is performed. This paper characterizes the level of satisfaction with delay information to modulate customer reactions. Optimality is defined as the number of agents that maximize revenues net of staffing costs.

Findings

– Numerical studies show that the solutions to optimal design of staffing levels and delay information exhibit interesting differences, especially U-shaped curve for optimal staffing level. Experiments show how call center managers can determine economically optimal anticipated delay and number of servers so that they could control the trade-off between revenue loss and customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

– Many results that pertain to announcing delay information, customer reactions, and links to satisfaction with delay information have not been established in previous studies, however, this paper analytically characterizes these performance measures for staffing call centers.
Electrical parameters of solar cells with electrodes made by selective metallization
Authors: Kowalik Piotr , Wrobel Edyta , Mazurkiewicz Janusz
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to present the results of measurements of the photovoltaic structures made by electroless selective metallization technology. The developed technology provides low-cost contacts in any form, and parameters of photovoltaic cells made in this technology provide reliable results, comparable with those usually used.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, photovoltaic cells with contacts based on Nip and NiCuP alloy were performed. As a substrate, mono- and multicristaline silicon was used. After photovoltaic cells have been prepared, sheet resistance of the contact layers and electrical parameters were measured. Composition and structure of contact layers were also measured.

Findings

– Obtained results of sheet resistance and contact layers are repeatable and comparable with previously published results. Electrical parameters of the photovoltaic cells made are comparable with used substrate and technologies. The authors have also noticed that the costs of the electroless metallization which is used to make contact layers is lower than metallization made by thick film or vacuum deposition technologies.

Originality/value

– The paper presents new, unpublished results of electrical parameters of photovoltaic cells with contact layers made by electroless metallization. The original idea is the usage of metallization in an acidic solution (pH = 2). In this proposed technology, photovoltaic cells on mono- and multicrystalline silicon plates were performed.
Study of flexible organic electroluminescent devices with PEDOT:PSS anodes by impedance measurements
Authors: Aleksandrova Mariya Petrova
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– Purpose This study aims to apply the impedance spectroscopy (IS) for analyzing the electrical behavior and extracting the equivalent circuit of single-layer flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) anode.

Design/methodology/approach

– The preliminary ultraviolet (UV) treatment of the flexible substrate of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) influenced the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS anodes.

Findings

– The IS showed that the OLED with UV-treated PET/PEDOT:PSS anodes had lower values of the contact resistance and higher value of the interface capacitance.

Originality/value

– The obtained data were used for modeling of flexible OLEDs with polymeric anodes and calculation of important display parameters such as pixel refresh ratio, signal delays and energy losses due to contact resistances. These parameters were compared for PEDOT:PSS anodes deposited on PET treated and non-treated by UV.
School experiences may be important determinants of mental health problems in middle childhood – a Swedish longitudinal population‐based study
Authors: Waenerlund Anna‐Karin , Stenmark Helena , Bergström Erik , Hägglöf Bruno , Öhman Ann , Petersen Solveig
Published: January 2016

Aim

Little is known about the association between school experiences and mental health in young schoolchildren. This study explored the cross‐sectional and prospective associations between children's school experiences and mental health in middle childhood.

Methods

We gathered comprehensive population‐based data on the school experiences and mental health of 592 schoolchildren attending grades three and six in Sweden (ages approximately nine and 12 years). The KIDSCREEN questionnaire was used to measure school experiences in both age groups while the Child Behavior Checklist and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire measured mental health in grades three and six, respectively.

Results

Children with problematic school experiences in grade three had an approximately two times higher odds for concurrent total, internalised, externalised, attention–hyperactivity and social problems. They also had a 1.5–2.5 higher odds for these mental health problems three years later. Likewise, there was an association between problematic school experiences in grade three and lower levels of prosocial behaviour three years later. These associations were shown in both boys and girls, but were particularly pronounced in girls.

Conclusion

This study indicated that school experiences in young schoolchildren may be important determinants of concurrent and later mental health problems.
Longitudinal in vivo tracking of adverse effects following topical steroid treatment
Authors: Bower Andrew J. , Arp Zane , Zhao Youbo , Li Joanne , Chaney Eric J. , Marjanovic Marina , Hughes‐Earle Angela , Boppart Stephen A.
Published: January 2016

Topical steroids are known for their anti‐inflammatory properties and are commonly prescribed to treat many adverse skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. While these treatments are known to be effective, adverse effects including skin atrophy are common. In this study, the progression of these effects is investigated in an in vivo mouse model using multimodal optical microscopy. Utilizing a system capable of performing two‐photon excitation fluorescence microscopy (TPEF) of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) to visualize the epidermal cell layers and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to identify collagen in the dermis, these processes can be studied at the cellular level. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is also utilized to image intracellular NADH levels to obtain molecular information regarding metabolic activity following steroid treatment. In this study, fluticasone propionate (FP)‐treated, mometasone furoate (MF)‐treated and untreated animals were imaged longitudinally using a custom‐built multimodal optical microscope. Prolonged steroid treatment over the course of 21 days is shown to result in a significant increase in mean fluorescence lifetime of NADH, suggesting a faster rate of maturation of epidermal keratinocytes. Alterations to collagen organization and the structural microenvironment are also observed. These results give insight into the structural and biochemical processes of skin atrophy associated with prolonged steroid treatment.
College Admissions Testing: Current Understanding and Future Implications
Authors: Letukas Lynn
Published: January 2016

Although the use and significance of college admissions tests are controversial, relatively little scholarship has focused on these tests and their role in reflecting prior educational disparity. College admissions tests such as the SAT and ACT are increasingly important as they often serve the dual function of gatekeeper for access to four‐year postsecondary institutions and a benchmark for merit scholarships. This review focuses on social disparities and sociocultural factors that reflect differences in educational outcomes as measured by college admissions tests. The review concludes with an exploration of what students, postsecondary institutions, and even the college admissions test makers can do to reduce social disparities and improve opportunities to prepare and learn
Nutrients efficiency for biomass production of spruce and Beech
Authors: Bublinec Eduard , Machava Ján
Published: January 2016

The paper assesses the major contribution of Prof Ing Emil Klimo, DrSc, done as part of research into geobiochemical cycle within the International Biological Programme and the Man and Biosphere scheme. It also explain findings of studying beech and spruce ecosystems. It is noted that spruce can make better use of stock of nutrients on the oligotrophic soils to generate biomass compare with beech. As a result, spruce is much more efficient at rather poor sites, even when it grows outside its natural range.
Residents' narrative feedback on teaching performance of clinical teachers: analysis of the content and phrasing of suggestions for improvement
Authors: van der Leeuw Renée M , Schipper Mirjam P , Heineman Maas Jan , Lombarts Kiki M J M H
Published: January 2016

Objectives

High-quality teaching performance is important to ensure patient safety and encourage residents' learning. This study aims to explore the content and phrasing of suggestions for improvement that residents provide to support excellent teaching performance of their supervisors.

Methods

From February 2010 to November 2011, 577 residents were invited to evaluate 501 teachers from both surgical and medical residency training programmes from 20 hospitals. Feedback was collected through a validated formative feedback system named System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities. Two researchers independently coded the suggestions for improvement with literature-based coding schemes on (1) content and (2) linguistic characteristics. Besides these qualitative outcomes, descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS.

Results

In total, 422 residents (73%) evaluated 488 teachers (97%), yielding 4184 evaluations. Of all teachers, 385 (79%) received suggestions for improvement focusing on teaching skills (TS), 390 (80%) on teaching attitude (TA) and 151 (31%) on personal characteristics. For 13%–47% of the suggestions for improvement, residents added (1) the location or situation where the observed TS or TA had taken place, (2) concrete examples of what teachers could do to improve or (3) (expected) effects of what the change in TS or TA would mean for residents.

Conclusions

Residents provide mainly relevant suggestions for improvement that mirror important aspects of teaching performance. However, these comments often lack specific phrasing limiting their value for performance improvement. Therefore, residents are recommended to increase the specificity of the suggestions for improvement. The paper provides directions to phrase narrative feedback.
Making the most of a veterinary education
Authors: Hiestand Karen
Published: January 2016

Karen Hiestand grew up in New Zealand where the family business was dairy farming. Her desire to be a vet was fixed at the age of seven, but, after qualifying, the reality of practice wasn't quite what she expected. Having made the decision to move out of practice, she found that there are many other ways to use a veterinary education
Immune cell changes in response to a swimming training session during a 24-h recovery period
Authors: Morgado José P. , Monteiro Cristina P. , Teles Júlia , Reis Joana F. , Matias Catarina , Seixas Maria T. , Alvim Marta G. , Bourbon Mafalda , Laires Maria J. , Alves Francisco
Published: January 2016

Understanding the impact of training sessions on the immune response is crucial for the adequate periodization of training, to prevent both a negative influence on health and a performance impairment of the athlete. This study evaluated acute systemic immune cell changes in response to an actual swimming session, during a 24-h recovery period, controlling for sex, menstrual cycle phases, maturity, and age group. Competitive swimmers (30 females, 15 ± 1.3 years old; and 35 males, 16.5 ± 2.1 years old) performed a high-intensity training session. Blood samples were collected before, immediately after, 2 h after, and 24 h after exercise. Standard procedures for the assessment of leukogram by automated counting (Coulter LH 750, Beckman) and lymphocytes subsets by flow cytometry (FACS Calibur BD, Biosciences) were used. Subjects were grouped according to competitive age groups and pubertal Tanner stages. Menstrual cycle phase was monitored. The training session induced neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and a low eosinophil count, lasting for at least 2 h, independent of sex and maturity. At 24 h postexercise, the acquired immunity of juniors (15–17 years old), expressed by total lymphocytes and total T lymphocytes (CD3+), was not fully recovered. This should be accounted for when planning a weekly training program. The observed lymphopenia suggests a lower immune surveillance at the end of the session that may depress the immunity of athletes, highlighting the need for extra care when athletes are exposed to aggressive environmental agents such as swimming pools.
“I’ll Be There Next”
Authors: Yamazaki Keiichi , Yamazaki Akiko , Ikeda Keiko , Liu Chen , Fukushima Mihoko , Kobayashi Yoshinori , Kuno Yoshinori
Published: January 2016

In this article, we discuss our findings from an ethnographic study at an elderly care center where we observed the utilization of two different functions of human gaze to convey service order (i.e., “who is served first and who is served next”). In one case, when an elderly person requested assistance, the gaze of the care worker communicated that he/she would serve that client next in turn. In the other case, the gaze conveyed a request to the service seeker to wait until the care worker finished attending the current client. Each gaze function depended on the care worker's current engagement and other behaviors. We sought to integrate these findings into the development of a robot that might function more effectively in multiple human-robot party settings. We focused on the multiple functions of gaze and bodily actions, implementing those functions into our robot. We conducted three experiments to gauge a combination of gestures and gazes performed by our robot. This article demonstrates that the employment of gaze is an important consideration when developing robots that can interact effectively in multiple human-robot party settings.
Twenty-five years of ICT and society
Authors: Whitehouse Diane , Duquenoy Penny , Kimppa Kai K. , Burmeister Oliver K. , Gotterbarn Don , Kreps David , Patrignani Norberto
Published: January 2016

Celebrating achievements is an important social ritual. Tracks and themes at conferences such as ETHICOMP 2015 provide opportunities for the careful discussion of challenges facing society in terms of information and communication technology (ICT). This topic provides the underpinning rationale to the body of papers presented throughout the entire ICT and Society track at this ETHICOMP conference. The conference orientation explains this paper's focus on codes of ethics, professional ethics, organisations and the particular challenges of the cloud and virtuality over a 25-year time-period.
The invisible robots of global finance
Authors: Coeckelbergh Mark
Published: January 2016

One of the barriers for doing ethics of technology in the domain of finance is that financial technologies usually remain invisible. These hidden and unseen devices, machines, and infrastructures have to be revealed. This paper shows how the "robots" of finance, which function as distance technologies, are not only themselves invisible, but also hide people and places, which is ethically and politically problematic. Furthermore, "the market" appears as a ghostly artificial agent, again rendering humans invisible and making it difficult to ascribe responsibility. Epistemic invisibilities thus become moral invisibilities. Finally, if we want to render finance more socially and ethically responsible, we also have to reveal the hidden efforts of many individuals and communities to re-invent finance by means of alternative financial practices and technologies. Research on responsible innovation should also consider less visible innovation that happens outside academia and industry.
Alleviation of Lipopolysaccharides-Induced Acute Lung Injury by MiR-454
Authors: Tao Zhengang , Yuan Ying , Liao Qingwu
Published: January 2016

Background/Aims: Although acute lung injury (ALI) is an important and common disease in humans, its pathogenesis is poorly understood and its therapeutic outcome has not been significantly improved in the past years. Here, we examined whether application of microRNAs might inhibit the ALI-associated lung inflammatory, and subsequently reduce the injury. Methods: In vitro, we performed bioinformatics analyses to identify the miRNAs that target the most important chemo-attractive factor CXCL12, and confirmed that the binding was functional by luciferase reporter assay. We prepared adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying miRNA mimics or null control. We expressed miRNA in mouse lung through i.v. injection of AAV and then we used Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to induce ALI in mice. We analyzed the changes in permeability index and production of inflammatory cytokines in mouse lung, and we also verified the effects of virus-mediated gene expression by examining the levels of miRNAs and CXCL12 in lung by RT-qPCR and ELISA, and by quantifying the recruited inflammatory cells in mouse lung by flow cytometry. Results: We found that miR-454 targeted the 3'-UTR of CXCL12 mRNA to inhibit its protein translation in human lung epithelial cells. Overexpression of miR-454 in mouse lung significantly reduced the LPS-induced increases in permeability index and production of inflammatory cytokines CXCL1, CXCL2, IL6 and TNFα, possibly through suppression of CXCL12/CXCR4-mediated recruitment of inflammatory cells. Conclusion: Overexpression of miR-454 in lung may be a promising therapeutic approach to reduce the severity of ALI.
Preserved Pressure Autoregulation but Disturbed Cyclo-Oxygenase and Nitric Oxide Effects on Retinal Arterioles during Acute Hypoxia in Diabetic Patients without Retinopathy
Authors: Petersen Line , Bek Toke
Published: January 2016

Background: Acute hypoxia induces retinal vasodilatation, which depends on cyclooxygenase (COX) products and nitric oxide (NO) in vitro. However, it is unknown whether these mechanisms are active in diabetic patients and may contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy. Methods: The Dynamic Vessel Analyzer was used to study the diameter regulation in retinal vessels during hypoxia in type 1 diabetic patients without retinopathy. The influence of NO and COX synthesis inhibition on the diameter of larger retinal vessels was studied during hypoxia, during isometric exercise and during flicker stimulation. Results: Increased arterial blood pressure during L-NMMA infusion and isometric exercise were paralleled by constriction of the retinal arterioles suggesting normal pressure autoregulation. Hypoxia significantly reduced the diameter responses during isometric exercise and during flicker stimulation as compared to normal persons. Conclusion: The findings support that changes in metabolic autoregulation develop before changes in pressure autoregulation in diabetic patients.
The Role of DNA Methylation in Cardiovascular Risk and Disease
Authors: Zhong Jia , Agha Golareh , Baccarelli Andrea A.
Published: January 2016

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that genetic, environmental, behavioral, and clinical factors contribute to cardiovascular disease development. How these risk factors interact at the cellular level to cause cardiovascular disease is not well known. Epigenetic epidemiology enables researchers to explore critical links between genomic coding, modifiable exposures, and manifestation of disease phenotype. One epigenetic link, DNA methylation, is potentially an important mechanism underlying these associations. In the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of epidemiological studies investigating cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in relation to DNA methylation, but many gaps remain in our understanding of the underlying cause and biological implications. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the biology and mechanisms of DNA methylation and its role in cardiovascular disease. In addition, we summarize the current evidence base in epigenetic epidemiology studies relevant to cardiovascular health and disease and discuss the limitations, challenges, and future directions of the field. Finally, we provide guidelines for well-designed epigenetic epidemiology studies, with particular focus on methodological aspects, study design, and analytical challenges.
Total contact cast wall load in patients with a plantar forefoot ulcer and diabetes
Authors: Begg Lindy , McLaughlin Patrick , Vicaretti Mauro , Fletcher John , Burns Joshua
Published: January 2016

Background

The total contact cast (TCC) is an effective intervention to reduce plantar pressure in patients with diabetes and a plantar forefoot ulcer. The walls of the TCC have been indirectly shown to bear approximately 30 % of the plantar load. A new direct method to measure inside the TCC walls with capacitance sensors has shown that the anterodistal and posterolateral‐distal regions of the lower leg bear the highest load. The objective of this study was to directly measure these two regions in patients with Diabetes and a plantar forefoot ulcer to further understand the mechanism of pressure reduction in the TCC.

Methods

A TCC was applied to 17 patients with Diabetes and a plantar forefoot ulcer. TCC wall load (contact area, peak pressure and max force) at the anterodistal and posterolateral‐distal regions of the lower leg were evaluated with two capacitance sensor strips measuring 90 cm2 (pliance®, novel GmbH, Germany). Plantar load (contact area, peak pressure and max force) was measured with a capacitance sensor insole (pedar®, novel GmbH, Germany) placed inside the TCC. Both pedar® and pliance® collected data simultaneously at a sampling rate of 50Hz synchronised to heel strike. The magnitude of TCC wall load as a proportion of plantar load was calculated. The TCC walls were then removed to determine the differences in plantar loading between the TCC and the cut down shoe‐cast for the whole foot, rearfoot, midfoot and forefoot (region of interest).

Results

TCC wall load was substantial. The anterodistal lower leg recorded 48 % and the posterolateral‐distal lower leg recorded 34 % of plantar contact area. The anterodistal lower leg recorded 28 % and the posterolateral‐distal lower leg recorded 12 % of plantar peak pressure. The anterodistal lower leg recorded 12 % and the posterolateral‐distal lower leg recorded 4 % of plantar max force. There were significant differences in plantar load between the TCC and the cut down shoe‐cast for the whole foot, rearfoot, midfoot and forefoot (region of ulcer). Contact area significantly increased by 5 % beneath the whole foot, 8 % at the midfoot and 6 % at the forefoot in the shoe‐cast (p < 0.05). Peak pressure significantly increased by 8 % beneath the midfoot and 13 % at the forefoot in the shoe‐cast (p < 0.05). Max force significantly increased 6 % beneath the midfoot in the (shoe‐cast p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In patients with diabetes and a plantar forefoot ulcer, the walls of the TCC bear considerable load. Reduced plantar contact area in the TCC compared to the shoe‐cast suggests that the foot is suspended by the considerable load bearing capacity of the walls of the TCC which contributes mechanically to the pressure reduction and redistribution properties of the TCC.
Revisiting Pampa Irigoin
Authors: Vergara Angela
Published: January 2016

This essay examines urban social movements and state repression in 1960s Chile. Housing became a central political and social demand in Cold War Chile, and poor urban dwellers organized and challenged state authorities and traditional property laws. Through the history of Pampa Irigoin (Puerto Montt, 1969), a land occupation and brutal police repression in the south of the country, this essay demonstrates the growing tensions in Chilean cities and how housing demands inspired larger projects of social and political reforms. This article is also a window into the ways local elites and the political right had legitimated violence to repress social movements.
Human Rights Defense in and through the Courts in (Post) Pinochet Chile
Authors: Collins Cath
Published: January 2016

This essay discusses the origins, implications, and future of present-day trials for dictatorship-era human rights violations in Chile. It analyzes the causes, consequences, and likely future of these prosecutions and debates how use of the judicial idiom may have both negatively and positively affected social repudiation of past atrocities and their perpetrators. It argues that the formal justice process, for all its benefits, has limitations when it comes to addressing matters of social complicity or morally ambiguous victimhood. It nonetheless signals the possible social and institutional benefits of involving justice system institutions in the search for accountability for past crimes.
H-type Zeolite-Catalyzed 1,4-Addition of Benzene Derivatives to Labile Acrolein
Authors: Hayashi Daijiro , Narisawa Tomoyuki , Masui Yoichi , Onaka Makoto
Published: January 2016

The 1,4-addition of benzene derivatives to acrolein is a straightforward way to synthesize 3-arylpropanals. A survey of acid catalysts for the 1,4-addition of methoxy-substituted benzenes to acrolein revealed that H-Beta and H-Y were the most suitable catalysts. We hypothesized three side-reactions: (1) the double 1,4-addition of acrolein to the starting benzene derivatives, (2) the Friedel–Crafts-type alkylation to the desired product, and (3) the self-polymerization of acrolein. The type (3) side-reaction was inhibited by two different methods which kept the concentration of acrolein low in the reaction mixture or in the zeolite pores. First, acrolein monomers were in situ generated through the gradual monomerization of an acrolein cyclic trimer. Second, using a reaction solvent lowered the acrolein concentration in the zeolite pores due to the competitive adsorption. We discovered that the content of monomeric acrolein in a solvent was closely related to the polarity of the solvent. Actually, both methods improved the yields for the 1,4-additions of 1,3-dimethoxybenzene to acrolein. Other electron-rich benzene derivatives, such as phenol and N,N-dimethylaniline, were also applicable to the 1,4-addition reactions.
Supplementary notes on Lewis Carroll, Graeco-Latin squares and magic squares with an annexe on Maria Theresa thalers and British banknotes
Authors: Farebrother Richard William
Published: January 2016

Following a brief critique of the wording of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this article offers some supplementary remarks relating to the solution of a 3 × 3 pseudo-magic square problem posed by Lewis Carroll, a generalisation of the 3 × 3 Lo-Su or luoshu magic square, the problem of installing m2 = 25 or m2 = 36 officers of m different ranks and m different regiments in a m × m Graeco-Latin square (with apposite remarks on the military career of Leonhard Euler's third son and the recent coinage of the Empress Maria Theresa) and a list of fourteen portraits of mathematicians on banknotes paying particular attention to those of Sir Isaac Newton and Florence Nightingale.
How Indian Parties Connect Voters to Leaders
Authors: Kushner Daniel
Published: January 2016

How do political parties in developing countries, without access to accurate polling data, understand their voters? I examine the role that various sources of information play in political party platforms, and how the method of data collection affects parties’ policy and political efforts, primarily by using interview data from 2012 and 2013 with workers from four leading parties in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. I theorize the role of party workers as a key conduit for information between party leaders and the voters they represent.
Galeterias: Serving Up Ítalo-Gaúcho Heritage in the South of Brazil
Authors: Hunter Gina Louise
Published: January 2016

Galeto al primo canto is an Italian-Brazilian culinary specialty of the Gaúcho Highlands region of southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state. This ample repast of roast chicken, polenta, pasta, and other dishes is associated with nineteenth-century Italian immigration to the Gaúcho Highlands. Galeterias, restaurants that serve the meal, are today a featured part of the region’s gastronomic tourism and have been officially recognized as the intangible cultural heritage of the city of Caxias do Sul. The history of the dish and contemporary claims to cultural heritage illustrate the shifting meanings of Italian ethnic identity within the Brazilian nation-state and highlight the discursive role that tourism and heritage institutions play in the cultural production process.