bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traveler Response to Damaged Freeways and Transportation System Changes following Northridge Earthquake
Authors: Wesemann Larry , Hamilton Tijana , Tabaie Steve
Published: August 2018

When four key freeways in Southern California were damaged on January 17, 1994, by the Northridge earthquake, state and local agencies implemented a variety of emergency measures to the transportation systems in damaged corridors to ensure some degree of mobility during reconstruction. Travelers who had used damaged routes were faced with a variety of travel choices, such as using primary roadway detours, ridesharing, diverting to other roads, using transit, avoiding travel, telecommuting, or changing time of travel. On the basis of comprehensive travel surveys, traffic monitoring, and data collection, it was determined that travelers responded in significantly different ways in each of the four damaged corridors. In the very heavily traveled I-10 (Santa Monica) Freeway Corridor, even though primary roadway detours could only carry approximately 40 percent of normal freeway capacity, virtually all travelers still drove their automobiles because numerous parallel streets exist in this corridor as alternatives to the freeway. By contrast, research showed that some 7,000 users of the I-5 (Golden State) and SR-14 (Antelope Valley) freeways shifted to commuter trains because parallel roadways were limited. In addition, although most travelers quickly returned to their original trip making choices and mode of travel after damaged freeways were opened, other travelers (including many train riders) chose to remain with the new travel choices for a variety of behavioral reasons, including reliability. Further research indicated that when travelers in Southern California were forced to choose from a variety of new travel choices, their decision making followed a logical hierarchy based on specific trip making requirements and travel time thresholds, as well as their perceptions of the suitability of each choice for their own particular travel needs.
Residential Location, Employment Location, and Commuter Responses to Parking Charges
Authors: Peng Zhongren , Dueker Kenneth J. , Strathman James G.
Published: August 2018

The effect of parking prices on mode choice for urban work travel is investigated, controlling for access to transit and residential and employment location. The analysis uses a nested multinomial logit model and is based on travel-activity data from the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. Parking prices are estimated to have a significant influence on commuters' mode choices. Parking prices are also found to have divergent impacts on commuters using different modes or living in different areas. Suburban transit users are more responsive to parking price changes than central city transit users. Persons ridesharing are less sensitive to parking prices than those who drive alone. For suburban residents, those driving alone and ridesharing to work are less sensitive to parking prices than are central city residents. Employment location plays an important role in mode choice; those working in suburban areas tend to drive more and use transit less. Increased transit service alone has a fairly small effect on transit use. Increasing parking price and improving transit service at the same time provides an effective means of reducing solo driving and increasing transit use.
Comparison of Simulation Modules of TRANSYT and INTEGRATION Models
Authors: Rakha Hesham A. , Van Aerde Michel W.
Published: August 2018

The TRANSYT simulation/optimization model serves as an unofficial international standard against which many measure the efficiency of other methods of coordinating networks of traffic signals that operate at a constant and common cycle length. However, dynamics due to traffic rerouting, the simultaneous operation of adjacent traffic signals at different cycle lengths, the effect of queue spillbacks on the capacity of upstream links, and various forms of real-time intersection control cannot be modeled using a static model such as TRANSYT. This has created a unique niche for a more dynamic signal network simulation tool. Before modeling such special dynamic scenarios, there first exists a need to validate the static signal control features of such a model and to determine if its unique dynamic features still permit it to yield credible static results. This study has two objectives. First, it attempts to illustrate the extent to which estimates of vehicle travel time, vehicle delay, and number of vehicle stops are related when a standard static signal network is examined using both TRANSYT and INTEGRATION. Second, it strives to illustrate that the types of more complex signal timing problems, which at present cannot be examined by the TRANSYT model, can be examined using the dynamic features of INTEGRATION. The results are intended to permit a better appreciation of both their differences and similarities and permit a more informed decision as to when and where each model should be used. Also demonstrated is that INTEGRATION simulates traffic-signalized networks in a manner that is consistent with TRANSYT for conditions in which TRANSYT is valid. Specifically, the difference in total travel time and percentage of vehicle stops is within 5 percent. In addition, it is also shown that INTEGRATION can simulate conditions that represent the limitations to the current TRANSYT model, such as degrees of saturation in excess of 95 percent and adjacent signals operating at different cycle length durations. This analysis of the simulation features of TRANSYT and INTEGRATION is intended to be a precursor to a comparison of their respective optimization routines.
Evaluation of SCATSIM–RTA Adaptive Traffic Network Simulation Model
Authors: Nguyen V. Ngoc
Published: August 2018

The traffic network simulation model, SCATSIM, was developed by the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales, Australia, as an aid to the development and improvement of the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS). It is capable of simulating traffic under different control techniques (such as fixed-time and SCATS adaptive control). Other traffic control systems, with known control algorithms, can also be simulated by SCATSIM. This paper is aimed at evaluating SCATSIM performance against a well-accepted analytical model, TRANSYT. Test runs demonstrate that SCATSIM is capable of simulating comprehensive traffic conditions derived from real world situations. It indicates that SCATSIM can simulate (a) traffic delay, vehicle stops, and fuel consumption within 11 percent of those predicted by TRANSYT; and (b) vehicle pollution emission (carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen) within 5 percent of what is derived from TRANSYT results.
Comparison of NETSIM, NETFLO I, and NETFLO II Traffic Simulation Models for Fixed-Time Signal Control
Authors: Taori Sunil , Rathi Ajay K.
Published: August 2018

This paper documents a comparative analysis of the NETSIM, NETFLO I, and NETFLO II traffic simulation models when simulating traffic networks with fixed-time signal control. The objective was to find out whether the results of simulating the same traffic network with the three models were compatible. The three models employ different approaches to simulate traffic flow on urban street networks. Four different scenarios with varying network configurations and intersection geometries were simulated for three volume levels. The average speed and delay measures of effectiveness generated by the three models were compared for each scenario. Analysis of variance techniques were used for statistical analyses of the simulation output data. The execution speeds of the models were also compared. The quickness of simulation will be very important in the ITS applications, real-time traffic adaptive systems, and so forth. The results of this study indicated that the estimated measures of effectiveness from the three models were statistically significantly different at each level of comparison. The speed values generated by NETSIM were found to be the lowest; NETFLO II values were highest. NETFLO I values in all cases were between NETFLO II and NETSIM values. In most cases, NETFLO I values were closer to NETFLO II than to NETSIM values. Identical results were obtained from the analysis of delay values, with NETSIM delay estimates always being highest and NETFLO II values lowest. The program execution time for NETSIM and NETFLO I increased significantly as the volume level increased, whereas it practically did not change for NETFLO II. The execution times for NETSIM were found to be about 20 to 45 times higher than for NETFLO II. Even NETFLO I was found to be about 5 to 10 times faster than NETSIM.
Traffic Flow Simulation through Parallel Processing
Authors: Chronopoulos Anthony Theodore , Wang Gang
Published: August 2018

Numerical methods for solving traffic flow continuum models have been studied and efficiently implemented in traffic simulation codes in the past. Explicit and implicit methods have been used in traffic simulation codes in the past. Implicit methods allow a much larger time step size than explicit methods to achieve the same accuracy. However, at each time step a nonlinear system must be solved. The Newton method, coupled with a linear iterative method (Orthomin), is used. The efficient implementation of explicit and implicit numerical methods for solving the high-order flow conservation traffic model on parallel computers was studied. Simulation tests were run with traffic data from an 18-mile freeway section in Minnesota on the nCUBE2 parallel computer. These tests gave the same accuracy as past tests, which were performed on one-processor computers, and the overall execution time was significantly reduced.
Age-Dependent Patellofemoral Pain: Hip and Knee Risk Landing Profiles in Prepubescent and Postpubescent Female Athletes
Authors: Galloway Ryan T. , Xu Yingying , Hewett Timothy E. , Barber Foss Kim , Kiefer Adam W. , DiCesare Christopher A. , Magnussen Robert A. , Khoury Jane , Ford Kevin R. , Diekfuss Jed A. , Grooms Dustin , Myer Gregory D. , Montalvo Alicia M.
Published: August 2018

Background:

Female athletes are at an increased risk of developing patellofemoral pain (PFP) relative to male athletes. The unique effects of maturation may compound that risk.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

The purpose was to evaluate the neuromuscular control mechanisms that are adaptive to pubertal maturation and determine their relative contribution to PFP development. It was hypothesized that aberrant landing mechanics (reduced sagittal-plane and increased frontal- and transverse-plane kinematics and kinetics) would be associated with an increased risk for PFP.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

There were 506 high school female athletes who completed a detailed medical history, the Anterior Knee Pain Scale, and a knee examination for the diagnosis of PFP and attended follow-up appointments. Athletes performed a drop vertical jump task instrumented with force plates, and biomechanical measures generated from standard 3-dimensional biomechanical analyses were used to classify participants into high- or low-risk knee and hip landing profiles for the development of PFP. The biomechanical measures used in the knee landing profile included sagittal-plane knee range of motion, peak knee abduction angle, peak knee abduction moment, and peak-to-peak transverse-plane knee moment. The biomechanical measures used in the hip landing profile included sagittal-plane hip range of motion, peak hip extensor moment, peak abductor moment, and peak hip rotator moment. Testing was conducted at sport-specific preseason appointments over the course of 2 years, and changes in pubertal status, landing profile, and PFP development were documented.

Results:

Female athletes with high-risk hip landing profiles experienced increased hip flexion and decreased abductor, rotator, and extensor moments. Participants with high-risk hip landing profiles who transitioned to postpubertal status at follow-up had higher odds (odds ratio, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.1-4.0]; P = .02) of moving to a low-risk hip landing profile compared with those who had not reached postpubertal status at follow-up. Participants with high-risk knee landing profiles experienced decreased knee flexion and increased knee abduction, external abductor, and external rotator moments. Pubertal maturation was not associated with a change in the high-risk knee landing profile at follow-up.

Conclusion:

The progression from prepubertal to postpubertal status may have a protective effect on high-risk hip mechanics but no similar adaptations in high-risk knee mechanics during maturation. These data indicate that before puberty, maladaptive hip mechanics may contribute to PFP, while aberrant knee mechanics associated with PFP are sustained throughout the maturational process in young female athletes.
Safety of a 2-Day Antibiotic Regimen After Delayed Chest Closure Post Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Philip Joseph , Kegg Christian , Lopez-Colon Dalia , Kelly Brian J. , Lawrence Robert M. , Robinson Matthew A. , Samraj Ravi S. , Bleiweis Mark S.
Published: August 2018

Background:

There is no consensus for the length of prophylactic antibiotics after delayed chest closure (DCC) postcardiac surgery in pediatrics. In September 2014, our institution’s pediatric cardiac intensive care unit changed the policy on length of prophylactic antibiotics after DCC from 5 days (control) to 2 days (study group). The objective of the study was to determine whether a 2-day course of antibiotics is as effective as a 5-day course in preventing blood stream and sternal wound infections in pediatric DCC.

Methods:

Retrospective and prospective study. Primary end points included incidence of sternal wound infections and positive sternal imaging for infection. Surrogate markers of infection were collected at 4 time points.

Results:

During the study period, 139 patients had DCC postcardiac surgery of which 110 patients were included for analysis, 54 patients in the control and 56 in the study group. There was no difference in total number of positive wound cultures/chest computed tomography (CT) findings (4/54 [7.5%] control vs 5/56 [8.9%] study group, P = .3), positive blood cultures ( P = .586), median postsurgical length of stay ( P = .4), or readmissions within 30 days postsurgery ( P = .6). All secondary end points were similar in both groups except peak heart rate between weeks 2 and 4 ( P = .041).

Conclusion:

Two days of prophylactic antibiotics is not inferior to 5 days of prophylactic antibiotics after DCC following pediatric cardiac surgery.
Surface modification of polyurethane with a hydrophilic, antibacterial polymer for improved antifouling and antibacterial function
Authors: Xie Dong , Howard Leah , Almousa Rashed
Published: August 2018

Antimicrobial surface is important for the inhibition of bacteria or biofilm formation on biomaterials. The objective of this study was to immobilize a novel hydrophilic polymer containing the antibacterial moiety onto polyurethane surface via a simple surface coating technology to make the surface not only antibacterial but also antifouling. The compound 3,4-dichloro-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone was derivatized, characterized and incorporated onto polyvinylpyrrolidone containing succinimidyl functional groups, followed by coating onto the polyurethane surface. Contact angle, antibacterial function and protein adsorption of the modified surface were evaluated. The result shows that the modified surface exhibited significantly enhanced hydrophilicity with a 54–65% decrease in contact angle, increased antibacterial activity to Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a 24–57% decrease in viability, and reduced human serum albumin adsorption with a 64–70% decrease in adsorption, as compared to the original polyurethane.
The effect of copolymer composition, gas content, and temperature on the bubbles nucleation and growth of styrene–methyl methacrylate copolymer/n-pentane foaming process
Authors: Salehi Mostafa , Rezaei Mostafa , Hosseini Mahdi Salami
Published: August 2018

The foaming process involves three important steps: nucleation, bubble growth, and stability. In the present work, the foaming dynamics of styrene–methyl methacrylate (St-MMA) copolymer/ n-pentane batch foaming system was studied at nonpressurized condition using rapid temperature increasing method. Synthesized copolymers with different compositions were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and rheological measurements. An in situ foaming observation apparatus was designed, and the foaming dynamics (nucleation and bubble growth behavior) was studied. Dissolved n-pentane contents in all synthesized copolymer compositions at saturation temperatures, near their glass transition temperatures, were determined. The effects of foaming temperature, copolymer composition, and n-pentane content on the foaming dynamics of St-MMA copolymer/ n-pentane system were investigated. The foaming results revealed that the nucleation rate was increased with the increasing foaming temperature, while two other aforementioned parameters were kept constant. The nucleation and bubble growth rate were decreased with increasing MMA units in copolymer composition and increased with dissolved n-pentane content increment in copolymer matrix.
Impact of Tunisian clay nanofillers on structure and properties of post-consumer polypropylene-based nanocomposites
Authors: Zdiri K , Elamri A , Hamdaoui M , Khenoussi N , Harzallah O , Brendle J
Published: August 2018

This study investigates the influence of clay nanofiller on morphological, thermal, and mechanical behaviors of post-consumer polypropylene (PCPP)-based nanocomposites. Waste polypropylene was mixed with 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% of Tunisian clay nanoparticles using twin-screw extruder. The structure and morphology of raw, purified, and organo-modified clays were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influence of clay nanoparticles content on the thermal behavior of waste polypropylene was studied by means of thermogravimetric analysis. The effect of nanoclay on morphology and properties of PCPP/clay nanocomposites was also studied. It was found from transmission electron microscopy and XRD analysis that clay nanoparticles are well dispersed into PCPP matrix and the addition of organo-modified Tunisian clay did not change the crystal structure of the PCPP polymer. Thus, organically modified Tunisian clay can be used for preparing organic–inorganic hybrids by melt processing with waste PP polymers. In dead, by varying the nanofiller loading, mechanical properties (Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break) and thermal stability of filled PCPP showed an increase as compared to unfilled polymer. Optimal mechanical performances were obtained with 5% clay loading.
Journalists’ Use of Social Media to Infer Public Opinion: The Citizens’ Perspective
Authors: Dubois Elizabeth , Gruzd Anatoliy , Jacobson Jenna
Published: August 2018

Journalists increasingly use social media data to infer and report public opinion by quoting social media posts, identifying trending topics, and reporting general sentiment. In contrast to traditional approaches of inferring public opinion, citizens are often unaware of how their publicly available social media data are being used and how public opinion is constructed using social media analytics. In this exploratory study based on a census-weighted online survey of Canadian adults ( N = 1,500), we examine citizens’ perceptions of journalistic use of social media data. We demonstrate that (1) people find it more appropriate for journalists to use aggregate social media data rather than personally identifiable data, (2) people who use more social media are more likely to positively perceive journalistic use of social media data to infer public opinion, and (3) the frequency of political posting is positively related to acceptance of this emerging journalistic practice, which suggests some citizens want to be heard publicly on social media while others do not. We provide recommendations for journalists on the ethical use of social media data and social media platforms on opt-in functionality.
Offline correction of tool path deviations for robot-assisted ultrasonic nondestructive testing
Authors: Zhang Hanming , Xu Chunguang , Xiao Dingguo
Published: August 2018

Introducing industrial robots into ultrasonic nondestructive testing systems makes it possible to test more complex structures. However, the tool path planned in offline programming software may not fit with the actual path in practice, reducing the detection resolution of the system. This paper describes a robot-assisted ultrasonic nondestructive testing system and presents an approach to correct tool path deviations. A feature contained in normal vector angles is used to describe three-dimensional point clouds, in which a matching algorithm is used to calculate the deviations between two point clouds. In this system, the point cloud is measured by an ultrasonic probe, based on the time-of-flight principle. A metal part is used in experiment to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. Distance deviations of 0.3–3.0 mm can be corrected. With a detection resolution of approximately 0.3 mm, artificial defects 1.0 mm in diameter and 15.0 mm in depth can be seen more clearly in C-scan images after correction.
Coupled orbital and attitude control in spacecraft rendezvous and soft docking
Authors: Yang Yaguang
Published: August 2018

This paper discusses coupled orbital and attitude control in spacecraft rendezvous and soft docking. The target spacecraft orbit can be either circular or elliptic. The high-fidelity model for this problem is intrinsically a nonlinear system but can be viewed as a linear time-varying system. Therefore, a model predictive control-based design is proposed to deal with the time-varying feature of the problem. A robust pole assignment method is used in the model predictive control-based design because of the following merits and/or considerations: (a) no oscillation crossing the horizontal line for the relative position and relative attitude (between the target and the chaser spacecraft) to achieve soft docking by placing all closed-loop poles in the negative real axis of the complex plan, which will avoid collision between the target and the chaser in the docking stage, (b) fast online computation, (c) measurement and control error tolerance, and (d) disturbance rejection. This paper will discuss these considerations and merits and use some design examples to demonstrate that the desired performance is indeed achieved.
The Paradox of Viral Outrage
Authors: Sawaoka Takuya , Monin Benoît
Published: August 2018

Moral outrage has traditionally served a valuable social function, expressing group values and inhibiting deviant behavior, but the exponential dynamics of Internet postings make this expression of legitimate individual outrage appear excessive and unjust. The same individual outrage that would be praised in isolation is more likely to be viewed as bullying when echoed online by a multitude of similar responses, as it then seems to contribute to disproportionate group condemnation. Participants ( N = 3,377) saw racist, sexist, or unpatriotic posts with accompanying expressions of outrage and formed impressions of a single commenter. The same commenter was viewed more negatively when accompanied by a greater number of commenters (i.e., when outrage was viral vs. nonviral), and this was because viral outrage elicited greater sympathy toward the initial offender. We examined this effect and its underlying processes across six studies.
Youthful mothering? Exploring the meaning of adulthood and youthfulness within the maternal identity work of young Swedish mothers
Authors: Sjöberg Magdalena , Bertilsdotter-Rosqvist Hanna
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we explore meanings of adulthood and youthfulness in relation to notions of life course, good motherhood, and girlhood among young mothers in Sweden. Our analysis was informed by a discursive psychological approach and was based on interview conversations with 17 mothers who were 13–25 years old at the birth of their first child. In our analysis, we identified two repertoires – the ‘social age’ repertoire and the ‘chronological age’ repertoire. The interviewees invoked the two repertoires to position themselves and others as either responsible adult mothers or as responsible youthful mothers. Meanings of adulthood are central within the idea of motherhood, and by deviating from their expected life course young mothers are often understood as non-adults who are incapable of fulfilling the developmental task of motherhood. Our work suggests that the maternal identity work of young mothers takes place within discourses of both adulthood and youthfulness.
Coyote (Canis latrans) use of marine resources in coastal California: A new behavior relative to their recent ancestors
Authors: Reid Rachel EB , Gifford-Gonzalez Diane , Koch Paul L
Published: August 2018

Coyotes ( Canis latrans) are known to consume marine foods, but the importance and persistence of marine subsidies to coyotes is unknown. Recent access to a marine subsidy, especially if gained following apex predator loss, may facilitate coyote expansion along coastal routes and amplify the effects of mesopredator release. Our goal was to quantify and contextualize past and present marine resource use by coyotes on the central coast of California via stable isotope analysis. We measured δ13C and δ15N values in coyotes, their competitors, and their food resources at two modern sites, seven archaeological sites spanning in age from ~3000 to 750 BP, and from historical (AD 1893–1992) coyote and grizzly bear hair and bone sourced from coastal counties. We found evidence for marine resource use by modern coastal California coyotes at one site, Año Nuevo, which hosts a mainland northern elephant seal ( Mirounga angustirostris) breeding colony. Seals and sea lions account for ~20% of Año Nuevo coyote diet throughout the year and this marine subsidy likely positively impacts coyote population size. Isotopic data suggest that neither historic nor prehistoric coyotes consumed marine-derived foods, even at sites near ancient mainland seal rookeries. Marine resource use by some contemporary California coyotes is a novel behavior relative to their recent ancestors. We hypothesize that human alteration of the environment through extirpation of the California grizzly bear and the more recent protection of marine mammals likely enabled this behavioral shift.
Book Review: David B. Audretsch and Albert N. Link (Eds.), Universities and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Authors: Shankar Raj K.
Published: August 2018

David B. Audretsch and Albert N. Link (Eds.), Universities and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017, 224 pp.
Book Review: Zellweger T., Managing the Family Business: Theory and Practice
Authors: Mishra Subhendu Kumar
Published: August 2018

Zellweger T., Managing the Family Business: Theory and Practice, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2017, 527 pp.
Predicting Market Betas
Authors: Saji T.G.
Published: August 2018

This research, using firm-level data on NSE listed stocks for the period of 2008–2015, seeks empirical evidence on the significance of company characteristics in prediction of market betas in Indian context. The empirical methodology involves two-stage statistical procedure where an exploratory factor framework determines the historical relationship between firms’ fundamentals and systematic risk at first, and a generalized least square (GLS) technique of panel regression modelling estimates their predictive power thereafter. The search process discovers debt ratios and returns on investment predict market betas in Indian stock market. The study strongly suggests that the use of 1-year lagged historical betas along with the measures of financial leverage and overall profitability produces better predictions than the benchmark predictions solely based on historical betas. However, the analysts need to consider the industry differences in systematic risk to enhance the predictive power of the model.
Evaluation of tissue computed tomography number changes and dosimetric shifts after conventional whole-breast irradiation in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery
Authors: Lee Joo Hwan , Lee Dong Soo , Park So Hyun , Lee Young Kyu , Kim Jeong Soo , Kim Yong Seok
Published: August 2018

The aim of this study was to assess tissue computed tomography (CT) number changes and corresponding dosimetric shifts in repeatedly performed simulation CT (re-sim CT) scans after conventionally fractionated irradiation in breast cancer patients. A total of 28 breast cancer patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery were enrolled in this study. All the patients had received 50.4 Gy of conventional whole-breast irradiation (WBI) and underwent re-sim CT scans for tumor bed boost. For evaluation of dosimetric shifts between initial and re-sim CT scans, electron boost plans in the same field size with the same monitor unit with source-to-skin distance of 100 cm were conducted. Dosimetric parameters (V105%, V103%, V100%, V98%, V95%, V90%: Vx% indicates volumes which receive X% of prescribed doses) between initial and re-sim CT scans were compared. The CT number data (CTmean, CTmax, CTmin) of the original and irradiated CT (re-sim CT) scans from each representative structure (lung, rib bone, soft tissue, muscle, etc.) were examined and recruited. CT numbers showed highly variable changes. Soft tissue CTmean and muscle CTmax/CTmin showed statistically and significantly increased values in the CT (re-sim CT) compared to the original CT scans. Rib bone CTmean/CTmin showed statistically and significantly decreased values in the re-sim CT compared to the original CT scans. Other CT number values showed no statistically significant changes. Among the dosimetric parameters, only V105% (p = 0.015, mean = 3.07 cc versus 1.63 cc) and V103% (p = 0.017, mean = 13.8 cc versus 11.9 cc) exhibited statistically increased values in the re-sim CT compared to the original CT scans. CT number changes after conventional WBI were different according to tissue component. For electron boost plans, the implementation of a re-sim CT might be helpfully considered because significant dosimetric factor changes were observed especially in the high-dose areas (hot spots: V105% and V103%).
Association ofDFNA5, SYK, andNELL1variants along with HPV infection in oral cancer among the prolonged tobacco-chewers
Authors: Kundu Sharbadeb , Ramshankar Vijayalakshmi , Verma Akalesh Kumar , Thangaraj Soundara Viveka , Krishnamurthy Arvind , Kumar Rajeev , Kannan Ravi , Ghosh Sankar Kumar
Published: August 2018

Southeast Asia, especially India, is well known for the highest use of smokeless tobacco. These products are known to induce oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, not all long-term tobacco-chewers develop oral squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, germline variants play a crucial role in susceptibility, prognosis, development, and progression of the disease. These prompted us to study the genetic susceptibility to oral squamous cell carcinoma among the long-term tobacco-chewers. Here, we presented a retrospective study on prolonged tobacco-chewers of Northeast India to identify the potential protective or risk-associated germline variants in tobacco-related oral squamous cell carcinoma along with HPV infection. Targeted re-sequencing (n = 60) of 170 genetic regions from 75 genes was carried out in Ion-PGM™ and validation (n = 116) of the observed variants was done using Sequenom iPLEX MassARRAY™ platform followed by polymerase chain reaction–based HPV genotyping and p16-immunohistochemistry study. Subsequently, estimation of population structure, different statistical and in silico approaches were undertaken. We identified one nonsense-mediated mRNA decay transcript variant in the DFNA5 region (rs2237306), associated with Benzo(a)pyrene, as a protective factor (odds ratio = 0.33; p = 0.009) and four harmful (odds ratio > 2.5; p < 0.05) intronic variants, rs182361, rs290974, and rs169724 in SYK and rs1670661 in NELL1 region, involved in genetic susceptibility to tobacco- and HPV-mediated oral oncogenesis. Among the oral squamous cell carcinoma patients, 12.6% (11/87) were HPV positive, out of which 45.5% (5/11) were HPV16-infected, 27.3% (3/11) were HPV18-infected, and 27.3% (3/11) had an infection of both subtypes. Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis showed that the interactions among HPV and NELL1 variant rs1670661 with age and gender augmented the risk of both non-tobacco- and tobacco-related oral squamous cell carcinoma, respectively. These suggest that HPV infection may be one of the important risk factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma in this population. Finally, we newly report a DFNA5 variant probably conferring protection via nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway against tobacco-related oral squamous cell carcinoma. Thus, the analytical approach used here can be useful in predicting the population-specific significant variants associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma in any heterogeneous population.
When intellectuals fail? Brexit and hegemonic challenge
Authors: Salter Brian
Published: August 2018

Drawing on a Gramscian understanding of hegemony and the role of intellectuals, the paper examines the contribution of British academics to the politics of Brexit. Why and how did they fail to predict the scale of the challenge to the European Union manifest in the Leave vote of the referendum? Mainly supportive of the hegemony of the European Union and its vision of social progress, social scientists have propagated a view of normality which legitimizes that hegemony through the interpretation of its cultural opposition as irrational, emotional and populist. While the cultural tensions driving the Leave victory have been extensively documented, the implications of this long-standing divide for the UK state, the party system and democratic citizenship have received only limited attention from university intellectuals. In their commitment to the European Union hegemony, they have interpreted the cultural challenge in ways likely only to increase its strength.
The chaotic dynamics and multistability of two coupled Fitzhugh–Nagumo model neurons
Authors: Shim Yoonsik , Husbands Phil
Published: August 2018

In this short article, we present a detailed analysis of the dynamics of a system of two coupled Fitzhugh–Nagumo neuron equations with tonic descending command signals, suitable for modelling circuits underlying the generation of motor behaviours. We conduct a search of possible attractors and calculate dynamical quantities, such as the largest Lyapunov exponents (LLEs), at a fine resolution over the areas of parameter space where complex and chaotic dynamics are most likely, to build a more detailed picture of the dynamical regimes of the system, focusing on the most complex solutions. By building a precise LLE map, we identify a narrow region of parameter space of particular interest, rich with chaotic and multistable dynamics, and show that it is on the border of criticality. This allows us to draw conclusions about possible neural mechanisms underlying the generation of chaotic dynamics. We illustrate the detailed ecology of multiple attractors in the system by listing, characterising and grouping all the stable attractors in the parameter range of interest. This allows us to pinpoint the regions with complex multistability. The greater understanding thus provided is intended to help future studies on the roles of chaotic dynamics in biological motor control, and their application in robotics, particularly by giving a deeper insight into how input signals and control parameters shape the system’s dynamics which can be exploited in chaos-driven adaptation.
Transformation of a non-secretory neuroendocrine tumor to insulinoma after treatment with Sunitinib: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Clover Todd , Abdelkader Amrou , Guru Murthy Guru Subramanian
Published: August 2018

We report a case of a non-secretory neuroendocrine tumor which transformed into an insulin secreting tumor after treatment with Sunitinib. To our knowledge, this has only been described in three other cases worldwide. Previously reported case series find transformation of non-secretory neuroendocrine cancers into secretory lesions occurs in 3.4–6.8% of cases. Sunitinib is known to have the potential to lower blood glucose and induce epigenetic changes in cells of various types. We hypothesize that the mechanism for Sunitinib-induced transformation in cancer phenotype is through epigenetic changes in DNA expression within the tumor cells.
Adaptation in a dialogical perspective—From acculturation to proculturation
Authors: Gamsakhurdia Vladimer
Published: August 2018

This article aims to provide a reconsideration of the adaptive processes unfolding while meeting novel cultural elements in a dialogical perspective. The mainstream acculturation studies are criticized for seeing sociocultural transformations in a mechanistic and essentialist way and the term of proculturation is proposed instead, to emphasize constructive and subjective nature of human adaptation to novelties. Proculturation develops when a person faces any kind of novelties. It is a continuous process. Each proculturative experience inevitably makes imprint on personality, as any meeting with new ideas is interpreted subjectively and becomes part of a cognitive and affective experience. Proculturation can be initiated even without leaving home as globalization and modern mass media spread cultural elements from culture to culture easily throughout the whole world. Cultures overlap and constitute worldwide web of meanings. I propose ways for the integration of dialogical self theory (DST) and social representation theory (SRT). The term of social representation should be integrated in DST by replacing the term of meta-position as they serve essentially the same meaning in their theories respectively. In this way, dialogical self (DS) obtains processual dimension mediating through the personal and societal processes. Human subjectivity is contemplated as the stem of a semiotically mediated system of persons, cultures, and societies.
Beyond two worlds: Identity narratives and the aspirational futures of Alaska Native youth
Authors: Trout Lucas , Wexler Lisa , Moses Joshua
Published: August 2018

Indigenous communities across the Alaskan Arctic have experienced profound revisions of livelihood, culture, and autonomy over the past century of colonization, creating radical discontinuities between the lives of young people and those of their parents and Elders. The disrupted processes of identity development, access to livelihoods, and cross-generational mentorship associated with colonialism have created complex challenges for youth as they envision and enact viable paths forward in the context of a rapidly changing Arctic home. In this study, we consider the meanings associated with different constructions of culture and selfhood, and the ways in which these identity narratives position Inupiaq Alaskan Native youth in relation to their personal and collective futures. Through an intergenerational and participatory inquiry process, this study explores how representations of shared heritage, present-day struggles, resilience, and hope can expand possibilities for youth and thus impact individual and community health.
Migration, Identity, and Threatened Mental Health: Examples from Contemporary Fiction
Authors: Wigand Moritz E. , Wiegand Hauke F. , Altintas Ertan , Jäger Markus , Becker Thomas
Published: August 2018

In 2015, the world saw 244 million international migrants. Migration has been shown to be both a protective and a risk factor for mental health, depending on circumstances. Furthermore, culture has an impact on perceptions and constructions of mental illness and identity, both of which can be challenged through migration. Using a qualitative research approach, we analysed five internationally acclaimed and influential novels and one theatre play that focus on aspects of identity, migration, and threatened mental health. As a mirror of society, fiction can help to understand perceptions of identity and mental suffering on an intrapsychic and societal level, while at the same time society itself can be influenced by works of fiction. Fiction is also increasingly used for didactic purposes in medical education. We found that the works of fiction discussed embrace a multifaceted biopsychosocial concept of mental illness. Constructs such as unstable premigration identity, visible minority status (in the host country) and identity confusion in second-generation migrants are conceptualised as risk factors for mental illness. Factors portrayed as protective comprised a stable premigration identity, being safe with a family member or good friend, (romantic) love, therapeutic writing, art, and the concept of time having an element of simultaneousness. This literature challenges the idiocentric model of identity. Analysing fictional texts on migration experiences can be a promising hypothesis-generating approach for further research.
The dialectic of recognition: A post-Hegelian approach
Authors: Canivez Patrice
Published: August 2018

This article aims to make two points. First, seeking and granting recognition is an ambivalent process that may lead to results completely the opposite from what was intended. Certain social pathologies, including reification, develop because of the way the desire for recognition is expressed and satisfied. Nevertheless, the concept of recognition remains central to critical theory. A normative concept of recognition is needed in order to identify these pathologies. Second, a critical theory of society that understands itself as praxis must justify the possibility of its ‘reception’ by members of society. The theory’s addressees must ‘recognize themselves’ in the theory. They must recognize in it the conceptual expression of their own experience of society. Therefore, social theory must account for the emergence of a critical standpoint on society. These two main points are addressed by means of a ‘dialectical’ approach. The tensions and interactions between global society, states, and value-communities – the dialectic within and between these spheres – account for the diverse and conflicting meanings of the concept of recognition. At the same time, such a dialectic makes it possible to understand the emergence of a critical viewpoint on society.
Effect of hysteresis properties of shape memory alloy-tuned mass damper on seismic control of power transmission tower
Authors: Tian Li , Gao Guodong , Qiu Canxing , Rong Kunjie
Published: August 2018

Statistics from past strong earthquakes revealed that electricity transmission towers were vulnerable to earthquake excitations. It is necessary to mitigate the seismic responses of power transmission towers to ensure the safety of such structures. In this research, a novel shape memory alloy-tuned mass damper is proposed, and seismic vibration control of power transmission tower using shape memory alloy-tuned mass damper based on three types of shape memory alloy materials (i.e. NiTi, M-CuAlBe, P-CuAlBe) is analyzed. The detailed three-dimensional finite element model of a power transmission tower incorporated with shape memory alloy-tuned mass damper is developed using numerical simulation software ANSYS. The control effects of shape memory alloy-tuned mass damper on the seismic vibration of power transmission tower are assessed using nonlinear time history analysis method. The interested seismic performance indices include displacement, acceleration, and base shear force. In addition to the shape memory alloy materials, the influence of seismic intensity and frequency ratio are conducted for the optimal design. It is shown that installing shape memory alloy-tuned mass damper well reduced the seismic responses of power transmission tower. The comparison between different shape memory alloys indicated that the damping of the shape memory alloy-tuned mass damper is beneficial to mitigate the vibrations.
The preference for Europe: Public opinion about European integration since 1952
Authors: Anderson Christopher J , Hecht Jason D
Published: August 2018

To determine how public opinion matters for the politics of European integration, we need to know what Europeans say about Europe. Yet, despite a proliferation of analyses of public support for Europe, fundamental questions remain. First, does aggregate opinion reflect a single preference for Europe? Second, is the content of opinions similar across countries? Third, have opinions about Europe become more structured over time? Finally, what are the long-term dynamics in opinions about Europe? To answer these questions, we construct a new dataset of historical public opinion since 1952 in France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Over the long run, aggregate opinion toward Europe reflects one dominant underlying dimension and its content is similar across countries. We examine the trends in support for Europe.
Visual experimental investigations of string cavitation and residual bubbles in the diesel nozzle and effects on initial spray structures
Authors: Guo Genmiao , He Zhixia , Zhang Zhengyang , Duan Lian , Guan Wei , Duan Xiongbo , Jin Yu
Published: August 2018

In this article, optical experiments on string cavitation and residual bubbles inside the real-size transparent tapered diesel nozzle and near-nozzle spray structures were performed based on a high-pressure common rail fuel injection system with a high-speed camera. The tapered nozzle which has high flow efficiency with weak or even no geometric cavitation has been widely used in commercial injectors, while there still exists string cavitation which may also influence the in-nozzle flow and subsequent spray. This article put focus on the tapered nozzle and the result indicated that the in-nozzle string cavitation provided a reasonable explanation for the two bumps of spray cone angles during the opening and closing stages of needle of real diesel engine injection processes. The suction and compression of air bubbles at the start and end stages of injection processes, and the various shot-to-shot near-nozzle spray patterns were captured and analyzed. These different near-nozzle spray patterns were attributed to the distribution of residual bubbles inside the nozzle orifice. The residual bubbles were survived from the last injection or sucked into the nozzle during needle opening stages. Stagnant bubbles were compressed and then accelerated the residual fuel which was close to the injector tip, leading to the formation of mushrooms. This study confirmed that the initial mushroom and the tail were generated by the interactions between the residual/sucked bubbles and the residual/initial fuel, and the leading mushroom was incurred by the combination of the transverse expansion of the jet and the laminar layer theory. This work pointed out and analyzed the new sources of the cycle-to-cycle variation of air/fuel mixture and spray.