bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Political Attitudes and the Processing of Misinformation Corrections
Authors: Ecker Ullrich K. H. , Ang Li Chang
Published: October 2018

Misinformation often continues to influence people’s memory and inferential reasoning after it has been retracted; this is known as the continued influence effect (CIE). Previous research investigating the role of attitude‐based motivated reasoning in this context has found conflicting results: Some studies have found that worldview can have a strong impact on the magnitude of the CIE, such that retractions are less effective if the misinformation is congruent with a person’s relevant attitudes, in which case the retractions can even backfire. Other studies have failed to find evidence for an effect of attitudes on the processing of misinformation corrections. The present study used political misinformation—specifically fictional scenarios involving misconduct by politicians from left‐wing and right‐wing parties—and tested participants identifying with those political parties. Results showed that in this type of scenario, partisan attitudes have an impact on the processing of retractions, in particular (1) if the misinformation relates to a general assertion rather than just a specific singular event and (2) if the misinformation is congruent with a conservative partisanship.
Rousing the Partisan Combatant: Elite Incivility, Anger, and Antideliberative Attitudes
Authors: Gervais Bryan T.
Published: October 2018

The claim that elite political incivility can rouse partisan, antideliberative attitudes has many adherents, but the empirical record demonstrating a relationship is surprisingly limited. Yet the extant research suggests that incivility can stimulate aversive feelings, of the sort that discrete and dimensional theories of emotion predict should induce a partisan, antideliberative mode of citizenship among those exposed. Leveraging two online experiments, I address the questions of whether elite incivility provokes anger, rather than enthusiasm and anxiety, and whether the affective reactions induced by incivility yield the changes in deliberative attitudes that theories of emotion predict. I find that elite incivility, when counterattitudinal, rouses anger, which in turn can provoke an active and combative form of partisan citizenship. Despite claims to the contrary, the link between proattitudinal incivility, anger, and antideliberative attitudes is less clear. The results provide insight into the dynamics of discourse in the digital age, when affective polarization is the norm and elites commonly employ uncivil rhetoric.
Decreased perfusion of the posterior cingulate gyri shown by a cingulate island score is a possible marker of vulnerability to behavioural and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study
Authors: Yasuno Fumihiko , Matsuoka Kiwamu , Miyasaka Toshiteru , Takahashi Masato , Kitamura Soichiro , Yoshikawa Hiroaki , Hattori Hideyuki , Kichikawa Kimihiko , Kishimoto Toshifumi
Published: October 2018

Background

The cingulate island score (CIScore), which indicates the Z‐score ratio of the posterior cingulate gyri to the medial occipital area, has been shown to be useful for differentiating dementia with Lewy bodies from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our aim was to investigate associations between the clinical symptoms of AD and the CIScore as an index of the relative decrease in perfusion of the posterior cingulate gyri that occurs in the early stages of AD.

Methods

Seventeen patients with early‐stage AD and 13 patients with amnesic mild cognitive impairment were examined. Z‐score maps of technetium‐99m ethyl cysteinate dimer single‐photon emission computed tomography images acquired from the patients were converted, and the CIScore was determined by using the easy Z‐score imaging system. The relationships between the CIScore and clinical symptom scores were tested.

Results

A significant correlation was identified between the CIScore and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire score. No significant correlations were identified between the CIScore and other measures of cognitive function. Based on a CIScore of 0.39, we correctly differentiated patients with and without behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), with a sensitivity of 72.2% and specificity of 75.0%.

Discussion

Using technetium‐99m ethyl cysteinate dimer single‐photon emission computed tomography, we observed that decreased posterior cingulate gyri perfusion, relative to the medial occipital area, in prodromal and early AD was closely associated with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Therefore, our findings suggest that CIScore is not only useful for discriminating dementia with Lewy bodies from AD, but it can also be clinically used as a specific indicator of the vulnerability to behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in the early stages of AD.
Distress financing of out‐of‐pocket health expenditure in India
Authors: Sangar Shivendra , Dutt Varun , Thakur Ramna
Published: October 2018

In the absence of a universal health insurance mechanism, the increasing burden of out‐of‐pocket (OOP) health expenditure has become a growing concern in India. To cope with the cost of illness, people use either their savings and income, or they have to rely upon distress means of finance such as depletion of household assets, borrowings from banks and moneylenders, and contributions from family and friends. This paper analyses the changes that have taken place in the incidence and covariates of distress financing in India by using data from National Sample Survey Organisation for the years 2004 and 2014. Results indicate that during this period the incidence of distress sources as a means to finance OOP health expenditure has hovered around 50%. Further, the results reveal a significant socioeconomic gradient in the incidence of distress financing. Socioeconomic and health‐related covariates significantly impact the likelihood of distress financing as a means to cope with OOP health expenditure. The results indicate the need for government action to formulate a comprehensive plan through an increase in public spending on health care that will improve the quantity and quality of the public health‐care system and enhance the scope of health insurance in India.
Land rental markets and rural poverty dynamics in Northern Ethiopia: Panel data evidence using survival models
Authors: Ghebru Hosaena , Holden Stein
Published: October 2018

There is growing interest in understanding the links between land reforms, land markets, and poverty reduction in Africa. The study uses four‐wave panel data from the northern highlands of Ethiopia to assess the dynamics of rural poverty taking into account the status of participation of rural households in the land rental market. Applying both nonparametric (Kaplan–Meier estimator) and semi‐parametric survival models that control for duration dependence of poverty transition, results show participation and degree of participation on the supply side of the tenancy market (landlords) have highly significant and positive effect on the chances of escaping poverty while the same cannot be said about the demand side of the tenancy market (tenants). The empirical evidence also confirms that households headed by older and literate people have relatively larger exit rates from poverty as compared with households headed by younger and illiterate ones. Though transacting farmers may engage themselves in win–win rental arrangements by the time they join the tenancy market, results indicate that gains are unequal as those tenants who enter the markets from low economic leverage (were poor) are liable to face a lower margin of net gains, which may limit their ability to move out of poverty.
Monitoring population levels of physical activity and sedentary time in Norway across the lifespan
Authors: Hansen Bjørge Herman , Kolle Elin , Steene‐Johannessen Jostein , Dalene Knut Eirik , Ekelund Ulf , Anderssen Sigmund Alfred
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The pandemic of physical inactivity is recognized globally but there is a scarcity of studies employing valid and reliable assessment methods of physical activity (PA) across the lifespan. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive description of objectively measured PA, sedentary time, and prevalence of meeting PA recommendations, in a population‐based sample of Norwegian children, adolescents and adults.

Methods

Children and adolescents (6, 9 and 15‐year‐olds) were surveyed in 2011, and adults and older people (20‐85‐year‐olds) were surveyed in 2014/15, including more than 8000 individuals. Anthropometric data were measured in children and adolescents and self‐reported in the adult sample. PA was assessed by ActiGraph accelerometers for seven consecutive days, and PA indices include total PA (counts per minute), intensity‐specific PA, and adherence to PA recommendations.

Results

Six‐year‐olds are 21% and 70% more active than 9‐ and 15‐year‐olds, respectively (P < 0.001). Nine‐year‐olds are 40% more active compared to 15‐year‐olds (P < 0.001). Moving from adolescence (15‐year‐olds) into adulthood (20‐65 years) yields a further reduction in total PA by 18%. Among six‐, nine‐ and 15‐year olds, 90%, 77%, and 48% meet the current PA recommendations, respectively, while adherence among adults and older people are 33% and 31%, respectively. Overweight and obese individuals had lower odds of meeting PA recommendations.

Conclusions

The results from the Norwegian surveillance system indicate a strong association between age and indices of physical activity. The vast majority of Norwegian adults do not meet the PA recommendations and public health action are needed to increase PA in Norway.
Technology and the endless “cat and mouse” game: A review of the interpersonal cybervictimization literature
Authors: Clevenger Shelly L. , Navarro Jordana N. , Gilliam Mia
Published: October 2018

As technology has rapidly advanced, so have the opportunities for perpetrators to leverage these improvements for nefarious purposes with interpersonal cybercrimes where the intent is to harm a person by making them fearful, upset, or vulnerable. In this review of the literature, the state of knowledge about interpersonal cybercrimes will be explored. This will include cyberbullying and cyber aggression, cyberstalking, and cybersexual exploitation. Within this review, definitions of these crimes will be provided, along with knowledge regarding prevalence rates and incident characteristics, along with issues confronting each subfield of cybervictimization and responses and initiatives that have been taken to combat these crimes. Although this review will undoubtedly become dated in only a few years given the rapid advancement of these crimes, it serves as a call that academics and stakeholders alike must keep pace with those seeking to harm others through technology.
Phosphorus sorption capacity and availability along a toposequence of agricultural soils: effects of soil type and a decade of fertilizer applications
Authors: Nobile C. M. , Bravin M. N. , Tillard E. , Becquer T. , Paillat J.‐M.
Published: October 2018

Soil type and changes in soil properties due to long‐term fertilizer application are each known to alter phosphorus (P) availability. Our aim was to determine the respective effects of soil type and fertilizer application on the available P content and proportion of inorganic P (Pi) vs. organic P (Po). Five field trials where mineral and organic fertilizers were applied for a decade along a toposequence (two andosols, one andic cambisol, one nitisol and one arenosol) were investigated. Legacy P (i.e. P accumulated in soil with fertilizer applications minus P lost by plant uptake, erosion and leaching) was used to study the effect of fertilizer application rate. P availability was determined by classic extractions and by the diffusive gradients in thin films technique (Pi‐DGT). The solid‐solution Pi (Kd) partitioning coefficient was determined to assess the soil Pi sorption capacity. Kd decreased from the andosol (median: 3231 L/kg) to the arenosol (median: 103 L/kg), suggesting a decrease in Pi sorption with the soil evolution. In addition, Kd decreased with increasing pH for all soil types and with increasing content of organic carbon for the arenosol, showing that Pi sorption capacity changed with the changes in soil properties induced by fertilizer application. Pi‐DGT (from <0.01 to 0.27 mg/L) and Pi‐water (from <0.1 to 40.7 mg/kg) changed with the soil type and fertilizer application rate. Our study suggests that advice for P fertilizer management should integrate the effects of repeated fertilizer application on soil pH and organic carbon content, which change soil P availability.
The receptor tyrosine kinase HIR-1 coordinates HIF-independent responses to hypoxia and extracellular matrix injury
Authors: Vozdek Roman , Long Yong , Ma Dengke K.
Published: October 2018

A receptor tyrosine kinase may coordinate responses to hypoxia-associated losses in extracellular matrix integrity.
The LKB1–AMPK-α1 signaling pathway triggers hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction downstream of mitochondria
Authors: Moral-Sanz Javier , Lewis Sophronia A. , MacMillan Sandy , Ross Fiona A. , Thomson Adrian , Viollet Benoit , Foretz Marc , Moran Carmel , Hardie D. Grahame , Evans A. Mark
Published: October 2018

Perfusion-ventilation matching in the lungs requires AMPK-α1 and AMPK-α2 activation downstream of LKB1.
Miliary tuberculosis and herpes pharyngitis after a trip to a developing country: dangers of biologics
Authors: Patel Sanket , Weaver Martin Douglas , Roy Satyajeet
Published: October 2018

The use of biologic drugs has expanded since its introduction in the late 1990s. With growing medical use and newer biologic drugs in development, opportunistic infections likeMycobacterium tuberculosisremain important adverse effects. It carries major public health concerns, yet evidence-based clinical guidelines for more routine interval screening in patients taking immunosuppressants and exposed to tuberculosis (TB) are lacking. We illustrate a case of an elderly Indian-born man living in the USA with psoriatic arthritis who was on adalimumab for 10 years. He presented with disseminated TB and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) pharyngitis, a year after an innocuous trip to India. Our case draws attention to the adverse effects of biologic drugs and highlights the importance of regular rescreening for a high-risk population. As the use of biologic treatment increases, physicians must be vigilant in more frequent screening, monitoring and identifying related opportunistic infections, notablyM. tuberculosisinfections.
Diabetic ketoalkalosis: misnomer or undiagnosed variant of diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: Nanavati Sushant , Kumar Vinod , Melki Gabriel , Singhal Monisha
Published: October 2018

Usually, hyperglycaemia crisis presents with acidotic pH, but ketoalkalosis is a rare and unheard entity presenting in diabetic ketoacidosis. We describe three unique cases where the patients present with hyperglycaemia >250 mg/dL, normal or alkalotic pH, and bicarbonate >20 meq/L, which does not meet criteria for diabetic ketoacidosis. However, once these patients were supplemented with intravenous fluids, diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis was evident in laboratory analysis. These case series provide a learning opportunity in diagnosing and management of this rare phenomenon.
Meeting the need for corrective spectacles in visually impaired Chinese school children: the potential of ready-made spectacles
Authors: Zhu Zhuoting , Ellwein Leon B , Wang Sean K , Zhao Jialiang , He Mingguang
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To assess the potential of ready-made (spherical) spectacles (RMS) in meeting the need for refractive correction in visually impaired children in China.

Methods

Eligible children aged 5–17 years were identified from the three study sites in China. Distance visual acuity was measured with a retroilluminated logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution chart with tumbling E optotypes. Cycloplegic autorefraction was performed on all children using a handheld autorefractor. If uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was ≤20/40 in either eye, best corrected visual acuity was measured with subjective refractive error.

Results 

A total of 13 702 children were enumerated from the three studies, with 12 334 (90.0%) having both reliable visual acuity measurements and successful cycloplegia. Among the 12 334 study children, the prevalence of UCVA ≤20/40 in the better seeing eye was 16.4% (95% CI 15.0% to 17.8%), with 91.1% (1843) of these improving by ≥3 lines of visual acuity with refractive correction. Prevalence was 12.7% (95% CI 11.5% to 13.9%) for UCVA <20/50 with 97.4% (1521) improving by ≥3 lines, and 9.38% (95% CI 8.39% to 19.4%) for UCVA ≤20/63 with 98.4% (1138) improving by ≥3 lines. Depending on the severity of visual impairment, 62.8%–64.0% of children could be accommodated with RMS if not correcting for astigmatism of ≤0.75 dioptres and anisometropia of ≤0.50 spherical equivalent dioptres. Approximately 87% of children could be accommodated with RMS if astigmatism and anisometropia limits were increased to ≤1.25 and ≤1.50 dioptres, respectively.

Conclusions

RMS could substantially alleviate visual morbidity in two-thirds or more of visually impaired schoolchildren in China. This cost-effective approach to refractive correction might also be useful in low/middle-income countries with poor access to optometric services.
Impact of oral anticoagulants on 30-day readmission: a study from a single academic centre
Authors: Bhattarai Mukul , Hudali Tamer , Robinson Robert , Al-Akchar Mohammad , Vogler Carrie , Chami Youssef
Published: October 2018

Researchers are extensively searching for modifiable risk factors including high-risk medications such as anticoagulation to avoid rehospitalisation. The influence of oral anticoagulant therapy on hospital readmission is not known. We investigated the impact of warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) on all cause 30-day hospital readmission retrospectively in an academic centre. We study the eligible cohort of 1781 discharges over 2-year period. Data on age, gender, diagnoses, 30-day hospital readmission, discharge medications and variables in the HOSPITAL score (Haemoglobin level at discharge, Oncology at discharge, Sodium level at discharge, Procedure during hospitalisation, Index admission, number of hospital Admissions, Length of stay) and LACE index (Length of stay, Acute/emergent admission, Charlson comorbidity index score, Emergency department visits in previous 6 months), which have higher predictability for readmission were extracted and matched for analysis. Warfarin was the most common anticoagulant prescribed at discharge (273 patients) with a readmission rate of 20% (p<0.01). DOACs were used by 94 patients at discharge with a readmission rate of 4% (p=0.219). Multivariate logistic regression showed an increased risk of readmission with warfarin therapy (OR 1.36, p=0.045). Logistic regression did not show DOACs to be a risk factor for hospital readmission. Our data suggests that warfarin therapy is a risk factor for all-cause 30-day hospital readmission. DOAC therapy is not found to be associated with a higher risk of hospital readmission. Warfarin anticoagulation may be an important target for interventions to reduce hospital readmissions.
Heart rate variability following youth concussion: how do autonomic regulation and concussion symptoms differ over time postinjury?
Authors: Paniccia Melissa , Verweel Lee , Thomas Scott G , Taha Tim , Keightley Michelle , Wilson Katherine E , Reed Nick
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Following youth concussion, objective physiological indicators are needed to corroborate changes in subjective clinical measures. The objectives of the current study were to: (1) explore the effect of concussion on heart rate variability (HRV) across days postinjury in youth athletes aged 13–18 years old, compared with healthy age-matched and sex-matched controls and (2) examine the relationship between postconcussion symptom domains (physical, cognitive, fatigue and emotional) and HRV.

Methods

Prospective, longitudinal, case-control study (N=44). This study comprised 29 concussed athletes between the ages of 13 and 18 years old (21 females, 8 males) and 15 age-matched and sex-matched controls). All participants completed baseline testing, which included demographic information (age, sex, concussion history), self-reported concussion symptoms (Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory [PCSI]) and a 24-hour heart rate recording via the Polar RS800CX system. The PCSI and HRV were collected weekly while the participant was symptomatic and then 1, 3 and 6 months following symptom resolution. HRV variables included time and frequency domain measures. Data visualisations and mixed effects modelling were used to derive parsimonious models.

Results

HRV increased across days postinjury. Concussion symptom domains (physical, cognitive, fatigue and emotional) all had a significant main effect on HRV; concussed participants who reported more symptoms had higher HRV compared with those who reported fewer symptoms. Visualisations of HRV depict the recovery trajectory as non-linear across time. No significant differences on HRV measures were found between concussed and control participants.

Conclusion

These preliminary findings provide the foundation to understand the varied trajectory and relationship between objective physiological measures and subjective symptom reporting.
Positioning of the femoral tunnel in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: functional anatomical reconstruction
Authors: Jorge Pedro Baches , Escudeiro Diego , Severino Nilson Roberto , Santili Cláudio , de Paula Leite Cury Ricardo , Junior Aires Duarte , Guglielmetti Luiz Gabriel Betoni
Published: October 2018

The aim of this study was to review and update the literature in regard to the anatomy of the femoral origin of the ACL, the concept of the double band and its respective mechanical functions, and the concept of direct and indirect fibres in the ACL insertion. These topics will be used to help determine which might be the best place to position the femoral tunnel and how this should be achieved, based on the idea of functional positioning, that is, where the most important ACL fibres in terms of knee stability are positioned. Low positioning of the femoral tunnel, reproducing more of the posterolateral band, and positioning the tunnel away from the lateral intercondylar ridge, that is, in the indirect fibres, would theoretically rebuild a ligament that is less effective in relation to knee stability. The techniques described to determine the femoral tunnel’s centre point all involve some degree of subjectivity; the point is defined manually and depends on the surgeon’s expertise. The centre of the ACL insertion in the femur should be used as a parameter. Once the centre of the ligament in its footprint is marked, the centre of the tunnel must be defined, drawing the marking toward the intercondylar ridge and anteromedial band. This will allow the femoral tunnel to occupy the region containing the most important original ACL fibres in terms of this ligament’s function.
Microglia activation in the offspring of prenatal Poly I: C exposed rats: a PET imaging and immunohistochemistry study
Authors: Li Xue , Tian Xin , Lv Luxian , Hei Gangrui , Huang Xufeng , Fan Xiaoduo , Zhang Jinming , Zhang Jianjiang , Pang Lijuan , Song Xueqin
Published: October 2018

Background

The well-known ‘pyrotherapy’ of Julius Wagner-Jauregg might be the beginning of the study on the immunological concepts of schizophrenia. As the primary immune effector cells in the brain, microglia play a pivotal role in neuroinflammatory processes. Maternal viral infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for psychiatric disorders with presumed neurodevelopmental origin, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. The present study was to quantify microglia activation in vivo in the mature offspring of rats exposed to polyriboinosinic–polyribocytidilicacid (Poly I:C) during pregnancy using 11C-PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) and immunohistochemistry.

Objective

The study aimed to quantify microglia activation in vivo in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in mature offspring of prenatal Poly I:C exposed rats.

Methods

Offspring of Poly I:C-treated dams were the model group, offspring of saline-treated dams were the control group. Behavioural test for two groups was taken by spontaneous activity, prepulse inhibition (PPI) and latent inhibition (LI) test (including active avoidance conditioning task and passive avoidance conditioning task). Randomly selected successful model rats were assessed by behavioural test in the model group and control group rats. 11C-PK11195 micro-PET/CT and immunohistochemistry were performed on the selected rats to measure microglia activation.

Results

The treatment group showed hyperlocomotion and deficits in PPI and LI compared with the control group. The treatment group also showed an increased 11C-PK11195 uptake ratio in the prefrontal cortex (t=−3.990, p=0.003) and hippocampus (t=−4.462, p=0.001). The number of activated microglia cells was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (hippocampus: t=8.204, p<0.001; prefrontal: t=6.995, p<0.001). Within the treatment group, there were significant correlations between the behavioural parameters and the activation of microglia as measured by PET and immunohistochemistry.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated microglia activation in vivo in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in mature offspring of prenatal Poly I:C exposed rats. This study suggests that microglia activation may play a possible or potential role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
Low salivary cortisol levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis exposed to oral glucocorticoids: a cross-sectional study set within UK electronic health records
Authors: Joseph Rebecca M , Ray David W , Keevil Brian , van Staa Tjeerd P , Dixon William G
Published: October 2018

Background

Glucocorticoids (GCs) suppress endogenous cortisol levels which can lead to adrenal insufficiency (AI). The frequency of GC-induced AI remains unclear. In this cross-sectional study, low morning salivary cortisol (MSC) levels were used as a measure of adrenal function. The study aim was to investigate the prevalence of low MSC in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) currently and formerly exposed to oral GCs, and the association with potential risk factors.

Methods

Sample collection was nested within UK primary care electronic health records (from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink). Participants were patients with RA with at least one prescription for oral GCs in the past 2 years. Self-reported oral GC use was used to define current use and current dose; prescription data were used to define exposure duration. MSC was determined from saliva samples; 5 nmol/L was the cut-off for low MSC. The prevalence of low MSC was estimated, and logistic regression was used to assess the association with potential risk factors.

Results

66% of 38 current and 11 % of 38 former GC users had low MSC. Among former users with low MSC, the longest time since GC withdrawal was 6 months. Current GC dose, age and RA duration were significantly associated with increased risk of low MSC.

Conclusion

The prevalence of low MSC among current GC users is high, and MSC levels may remain suppressed for several months after GC withdrawal. Clinicians should therefore consider the risk of suppressed cortisol and remain vigilant for symptoms of AI following GC withdrawal.
Drug–DNA interaction, a joint DFT-D3/MD study on safranal as an anticancer and DNA nanostructure model
Authors: Azarhazin Ebrahim , Izadyar Mohammad , Housaindokht Mohammad Reza
Published: October 2018

In this research, using a combination of quantum mechanics and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, the interaction of safranal (2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-dien-1-carboxaldehyde) as an anti-cancer drug and Dickerson B-DNA was studied. MD simulations were executed for 35 ns in water. Binding energy analysis in three definite parts of the B-DNA and comparison between different contributions of the binding energy shows that the van der Waals energy part of the interaction is impressive among the standard molecular mechanic energy terms. On the basis of Gibbs energies, it is confirmed that the most important interactions in the safranal complex are related to the A–T and C–G rich regions, which is in agreement with the experimental data. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules and natural bond orbital analyses were applied. A diminution in the electronic chemical potential of the safranal–DNA complex in comparison with the isolated DNA, 0.026 and 0.022 au for the S1 region and 0.012 and 0.017 au for the S2 region, was obtained in the gas phase and water, respectively, which increases the complex stability. An enhancement in the electrophilicity character, during the complexation process, shows the electron charge flux between the safranal and DNA, especially in water. The strengths of the CH⋯O bonds at the center of safranal–DNA interaction were also evaluated. A mean value of 0.06 au for the electron density of the bond critical point of the H⋯O in the complex confirms the H-bond formation during the complexation.
Characteristic parameter change of circuit breaker under closing spring fatigue
Authors: Dou Longjiang , Wan Shuting
Published: October 2018

Closing spring fatigue faults of high voltage circuit breakers affect the timing parameters in closing operations and reduce the closing performance of the circuit breaker. Traditional tests of timing parameter based on travel curve cannot be applied online, and sensor installation is complicated. In this paper, a new method to extract key circuit breaker timing parameters from the vibration signal under closing spring fatigue fault is proposed. First, the travel curve of the circuit breaker under closing spring fatigue is simulated in Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems (ADAMS). Results indicate that the time intervals between key points of the travel curve can be used as fault features. Then, according to the working principle of the circuit breaker’s spring operating mechanism, the vibration event caused by component impact in the closing operation is analyzed. The corresponding timing parameters are extracted from the vibration signal using the double threshold method based on the short-time energy to entropy ratio. Finally, comparison of experimental measurements with ADAMS simulation results and vibration extraction provides the change law of the fault feature. The correctness of the proposed method is verified. This paper presents a new method for online monitoring of circuit breaker closing spring fatigue.
The study of a high-isolation single-pole-double-throw RF MEMS switch
Authors: Han Lei , Xiao Shen
Published: October 2018

In this paper, design, fabrication and measurements of a novel single-pole-double-throw three-state RF MEMS switch based on silicon substrate are presented. The RF MEMS switch consists of two UV-shaped beam push–pull thermal actuators which have three states of ON, OFF and Deep-OFF by using current actuation. When the switch is at Deep-OFF state, it can provide a higher isolation. The switch is fabricated by MetalMUMPs process. The measurement results show that, to the proposed single-pole-double-throw RF MEMS switch, when Switch I is at the ON state and Switch II is at the OFF state, the return loss is better than −16 dB, the insertion loss of Port1 and Port2 is less than −0.9 dB and the isolation of Port3 and Port1 is better than −22 dB at the frequency range from 8 GHz to 12 GHz. When Switch I is at the ON state and the actuator of Switch II is pulled back, which is called the Deep-OFF state, the return loss of Port1 is better than −15.5 dB, the insertion loss of Port1 and Port2 is better than −0.8 dB, and the isolation of Port3 and Port1 is better than −23.5 dB can be achieved at the frequency range from 8 GHz to 12 GHz.
Resistorless Frequency Locked On-Chip Oscillator with Proportional-to-Absolute Temperature References
Authors: Han Peiqing , Mei Niansong , Zhang Zhaofeng
Published: October 2018

A 36-kHz frequency locked on-chip oscillator is proposed, the proportional-to-absolute temperature (PTAT) current and voltage generator is presented to eliminate conventional temperature-compensated resistors. The resistorless approach reduces the process variation of frequency and the chip area. The oscillator is fabricated in 0.18-[Formula: see text]m standard CMOS process with an active area of 0.072[Formula: see text]mm2. The temperature coefficient of frequency is 48[Formula: see text]ppm/∘C at best and 82.5[Formula: see text]ppm/∘C on average over [Formula: see text]–70∘C and the frequency spread is 1.43% ([Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] without calibration. The supply voltage sensitivity is 1.8%/V in the range from 0.65[Formula: see text]V to 1[Formula: see text]V and the power consumption is 95[Formula: see text]nW under the supply voltage of 0.65[Formula: see text]V.
A mixed virtual element method for the Navier–Stokes equations
Authors: Gatica Gabriel N. , Munar Mauricio , Sequeira Filánder A.
Published: October 2018

A mixed virtual element method (mixed-VEM) for a pseudostress-velocity formulation of the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations with Dirichlet boundary conditions is proposed and analyzed in this work. More precisely, we employ a dual-mixed approach based on the introduction of a nonlinear pseudostress linking the usual linear one for the Stokes equations and the convective term. In this way, the aforementioned new tensor together with the velocity constitute the only unknowns of the problem, whereas the pressure is computed via a postprocessing formula. In addition, the resulting continuous scheme is augmented with Galerkin type terms arising from the constitutive and equilibrium equations, and the Dirichlet boundary condition, all them multiplied by suitable stabilization parameters, so that the Banach fixed-point and Lax–Milgram theorems are applied to conclude the well-posedness of the continuous and discrete formulations. Next, we describe the main VEM ingredients that are required for our discrete analysis, which, besides projectors commonly utilized for related models, include, as the main novelty, the simultaneous use of virtual element subspaces for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in order to approximate the velocity and the pseudostress, respectively. Then, the discrete bilinear and trilinear forms involved, their main properties and the associated mixed virtual scheme are defined, and the corresponding solvability analysis is performed using again appropriate fixed-point arguments. Moreover, Strang-type estimates are applied to derive the a priori error estimates for the two components of the virtual element solution as well as for the fully computable projections of them and the postprocessed pressure. As a consequence, the corresponding rates of convergence are also established. Finally, we follow the same approach employed in previous works by some of the authors and introduce an element-by-element postprocessing formula for the fully computable pseudostress, thus yielding an optimally convergent approximation of this unknown with respect to the broken [Formula: see text]-norm.
INVESTIGATION OF FRACTAL CHARACTERISTICS AND METHANE ADSORPTION CAPACITY OF THE UPPER TRIASSIC LACUSTRINE SHALE IN THE SICHUAN BASIN, SOUTHWEST CHINA
Authors: CHEN LEI , JIANG ZHENXUE , LIU KEYU , YANG WEI , JIANG SHU , TAN JINGQIANG
Published: October 2018

To better understand the nanopore characteristics and their effects on methane adsorption capacity of shales, we performed fractal analysis of nine shale samples collected from the fifth member of Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the Sichuan Basin, southwest China. [Formula: see text] adsorption results show that shales have different adsorption characteristics at relative pressure of 0–0.5 and 0.5–1. Two fractal dimensions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were calculated using the Frenkel–Halsey–Hill (FHH) equation. Results show that the methane adsorption capacity increases with the increase of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], of which [Formula: see text] has a more significant influence on adsorption capacity than [Formula: see text]. Further studies indicate that [Formula: see text] represents the pore surface fractal characteristics caused by the irregularity of shale surface, whereas [Formula: see text] represents the pore structure fractal characteristics, which is mainly affected by shale components (e.g. TOC, clay minerals) and pore parameters (e.g. average pore diameter, micropores content). A higher [Formula: see text] corresponds to a more irregular pore surface, which provides more space for methane adsorption. While a higher [Formula: see text] indicates a more complex pore structure and a stronger capillary condensation action on the pore surface, which in turn enhances the methane adsorption capacity.
Existence and Lipschitz stability for α-dissipative solutions of the two-component Hunter–Saxton system
Authors: Grunert Katrin , Nordli Anders
Published: October 2018

We establish the concept of [Formula: see text]-dissipative solutions for the two-component Hunter–Saxton system under the assumption that either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, we investigate the Lipschitz stability of solutions with respect to time by introducing a suitable parametrized family of metrics in Lagrangian coordinates. This is necessary due to the fact that the solution space is not invariant with respect to time.
Human values in a digital society
Authors: Winter Simon
Published: October 2018

In a period of rapid technological change, there is a risk of ethics taking a back seat.
The arbitrary nature of computing curricula
Authors: Clear Tony
Published: October 2018

Computing is still a young discipline with new topics emerging daily, spawning an extended family of disciplines, which makes negotiating a curriculum an inherently fraught process that will not meet everybody's needs.
Mapping the complex context(s) of use
Authors: St. Amant Kirk
Published: October 2018

Usability involves connecting design to need. Individuals need to achieve an objective; if the design of an item meets that need, the item is usable. If not, it is not. So, usability depends on how well the design of an item addresses the need of the user. The need to hold two items together, for example, can prompt individuals to design a fastener in order to meet that need. The usability of the resulting design, however, is a matter of how effectively the individual can use it to hold items in place.
Participatory video methods in UX
Authors: Rose Emma , Cardinal Alison
Published: October 2018

As technologies proliferate into all aspects of daily life, UX practitioners have the ability and responsibility to engage in research to help organizations better understand people's needs. We argue that UX practitioners have an ethical commitment to deploy methods that consciously shift power to create a more equitable relationship between researcher and participants. This article offers participatory video as a method for UX practitioners that democratizes the design process and creates rich visual data. We detail two cases of participatory video methods and how they were used to explore the potential of participatory methods in UX.
Promoting inclusive and accessible design in usability testing
Authors: Hutter Liz , Lawrence Halcyon M.
Published: October 2018

Drawing on an analysis of a usability teaching case with users who are deaf and who communicate using American Sign Language, we argue that there is a need for industry and the academy to refocus on more accessible testing practices, situated more decidedly within the social, cultural, and historical contexts of users. We offer guidelines for more inclusive practices for testing with users who are deaf prompting designers, developers, and students to think about systems of behavior, such as audism, cultural appropriation, and technological paternalism that undermine accessibility in their design and practices. More broadly, we propose ways in which instructors of technical communication can leverage usability tools and research methods to help students better understand their users for any artifact they design and create.
Not a cape, but a life preserver
Authors: Richards Daniel P.
Published: October 2018

Interactive sea level rise viewers (ISLRVs) are an increasingly popular risk communication technology designed to help users visualize the effects of water inundation on their region so as to facilitate more prudent decision-making. Designed by and for a variety of stakeholders, these viewers generally have as their goal affording users a more "localized" experience with climate change and sea level rise data, allowing users to explore as specific as street-level the effects of rising waters in coastal regions. While the rise of these tools mirrors the trend in risk communication scholarship towards more localized messaging, there is still more work to be done in terms of providing a more localized user experience for a broader public audience. This article presents the results of a user experience study conducted with 12 residents of a coastal region, the results of which formulate an attempt to develop more insight into techniques for designer localization. The article concludes with concrete recommendations for scholars and practitioners concerned with designing more effective interactive risk communication technologies that respond to the public need for localized information for decision-making.
Contextual cropping, collateral data
Authors: Reimer Cody
Published: October 2018

This article presents a novel method for data collection. It relies on a larger case study of the game
League of Legends
to forward the concepts of contextual cropping and collateral data. Contextual cropping gives researchers recommendations for gathering data with screenshots while respecting the in situ ecology of that data. Contextual cropping complements screenshot data with contextual metadata and offers potential collateral data with which to further texture research.
Multimodal conversation analysis and usability studies
Authors: Clinkenbeard Mary
Published: October 2018

This article examines conversation analysis (CA) as a methodology for usability research for technologies used in multiparty contexts. Current laboratory-based usability practices often cannot account for how technologies are used in multi-participant interactions outside of the laboratory. In this article, I review new materialist approaches to usability and consider how CA might be integrated into this theoretical perspective. To do so, I present an example transcript of CA and review CA research on telemedicine in multiparty environments. I use this approach to argue that incorporating CA into a new materialist approach can help usability researchers to reconfigure the technical design of and the socio-material practices surrounding technologies.
R
eal
c
ertify
Authors: Magron Victor , Din Mohab Safey El
Published: October 2018

Let Q (resp. R) be the field of rational (resp. real) numbers and
X
= (
X
1
, ... ,

X
n

) be variables. Deciding the non-negativity of polynomials in Q[
X
] over R

n

or over semi-algebraic domains defined by polynomial constraints in Q[
X
] is a classical algorithmic problem for symbolic computation.

The Maple package R
eal
C
ertify
tackles this decision problem by computing sum of squares certificates of non-negativity for inputs where such certificates hold over the rational numbers. It can be applied to numerous problems coming from engineering sciences, program verification and cyber-physical systems. It is based on hybrid symbolic-numeric algorithms based on semi-definite programming.
A Terahertz Spectroscopy Nondestructive Identification Method for Rubber Based on CS-SVM
Authors: Yin Xianhua , Mo Wei , Wang Qiang , Qin Binyi
Published: October 2018

A method is proposed for rubber identification based on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and support vector machine (SVM). In order to improve the accuracy, the cuckoo search algorithm (CS) is used to optimize the penalty factor C and kernel function parameter g of SVM. The SVM model optimized by the cuckoo search algorithm is abbreviated as CS-SVM. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to decrease the dimension of the spectral data. The top ten principal component factors, whose accumulated variance contribution rate reaches 93.93%, are extracted from the original spectra data and then are applied to CS-SVM. The identification rate of testing sets for CS-SVM is 100%, which is significantly higher than 96.67% identification rate of testing sets for PSO-SVM and Grid search. Experimental results show that CS-SVM can accomplish nondestructive identification for different rubber. This method lays a theoretical foundation for the application of terahertz spectroscopy in rubber classification and identification.
Prevalence of Antenatal Depression and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Dubti Hospital: A Case of Pastoralist Region in Northeast Ethiopia
Authors: Belay Yihalem Abebe , Moges Nurilign Abebe , Hiksa Fetuma Feyera , Arado Kassahun Ketema , Liben Misgan Legesse
Published: October 2018

Background. Globally, depression affects an estimated 10 % to 20% of women during pregnancy. There is limited evidence on antenatal depression in Northeast Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess prevalence of antenatal depression and associated factors among Dubti Hospital Antenatal care attendants. Methods. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 363 Antenatal care attendants at Dubti Hospital from March 07 to May 07, 2016. Beck’s Depression Inventory tool was used to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-Data 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS 20. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were fitted. Variables having p value < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results. A total of 357 pregnant women were interviewed. The prevalence of antenatal depression was 17.9% [95% CI (14.0, 22.0%). Pregnancy planning [AOR: 0.04; 95% CI (0.014, 0.114), social support [AOR: 0.21; 95% CI (0.07, 0.66), and marital conflict [AOR: 6.45; 95% CI (2.1, 17.9)] were significantly associated with antenatal depression. Conclusions. Nearly one in five pregnant women had depression. Marital conflict, pregnancy planning, and social support were significant predictors of antenatal depression. Dubti Hospital should strengthen its effort on prevention of unplanned pregnancy. Healthcare workers in antenatal care unit have to deal with marital conflict and social support as part of their routine investigation to avoid complications through early detection of antenatal depression.