bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COLLISIONLESS ISOTROPIZATION OF THE SOLAR-WIND PROTONS BY COMPRESSIVE FLUCTUATIONS AND PLASMA INSTABILITIES
Authors: Verscharen Daniel , Chandran Benjamin D. G. , Klein Kristopher G. , Quataert Eliot
Published: November 2016

Compressive fluctuations are a minor yet significant component of astrophysical plasma turbulence. In the solar wind, long-wavelength compressive slow-mode fluctuations lead to changes in

and in

, where

and

are the perpendicular and parallel temperatures of the protons, B is the magnetic field strength, and

is the proton density. If the amplitude of the compressive fluctuations is large enough,

crosses one or more instability thresholds for anisotropy-driven microinstabilities. The enhanced field fluctuations from these microinstabilities scatter the protons so as to reduce the anisotropy of the pressure tensor. We propose that this scattering drives the average value of

away from the marginal stability boundary until the fluctuating value of

stops crossing the boundary. We model this “fluctuating-anisotropy effect” using linear Vlasov–Maxwell theory to describe the large-scale compressive fluctuations. We argue that this effect can explain why, in the nearly collisionless solar wind, the average value of

is close to unity.
DISKY ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES AND THE ALLEGEDLY OVER-MASSIVE BLACK HOLE IN THE COMPACT MASSIVE “ES” GALAXY NGC 1271
Authors: Graham Alister W. , Ciambur Bogdan C. , Savorgnan Giulia A. D.
Published: November 2016

While spiral and lenticular galaxies have large-scale disks extending beyond their bulges, and most local early-type galaxies with 1010 < M
*/M
⊙ < 2 × 1011 contain a disk (e.g., ATLAS3D), the early-type galaxies do possess a range of disk sizes. The edge-on, intermediate-scale disk in the “disky elliptical” galaxy NGC 1271 has led to some uncertainty regarding its spheroidal component. Walsh et al. reported a directly measured black hole mass of

for this galaxy, which they remarked was an order of magnitude greater than what they expected based on their derivation of the host spheroid’s luminosity. Our near-infrared image analysis supports a small embedded disk within a massive spheroidal component with

(using

from Walsh et al.). This places NGC 1271 just 1.6σ above the near-linear M
bh–M
sph,* relation for early-type galaxies. Therefore, past speculation that there may be a systematic difference in the black hole scaling relations between compact massive early-type galaxies with intermediate-scale disks, i.e., ES galaxies such as NGC 1271, and early-type galaxies with either no substantial disk (E) or a large-scale disk (S0) is not strongly supported by NGC 1271. We additionally (1) show how ES galaxies fit naturally in the (“bulge”-to-total)-(morphological-type) diagram, while noting a complication with recent revisions to the Hubble-Jeans tuning-fork diagram, (2) caution about claims of over-massive black holes in other ES galaxies if incorrectly modeled as S0 galaxies, and (3) reveal that the compact massive spheroid in NGC 1271 has properties similar to bright bulges in other galaxies, which have grown larger-scale disks.
DYNAMICAL MASS MEASUREMENTS OF CONTAMINATED GALAXY CLUSTERS USING MACHINE LEARNING
Authors: Ntampaka M. , Trac H. , Sutherland D. J. , Fromenteau S. , Póczos B. , Schneider J.
Published: November 2016

We study dynamical mass measurements of galaxy clusters contaminated by interlopers and show that a modern machine learning algorithm can predict masses by better than a factor of two compared to a standard scaling relation approach. We create two mock catalogs from Multidark’s publicly available N-body MDPL1 simulation, one with perfect galaxy cluster membership information and the other where a simple cylindrical cut around the cluster center allows interlopers to contaminate the clusters. In the standard approach, we use a power-law scaling relation to infer cluster mass from galaxy line-of-sight (LOS) velocity dispersion. Assuming perfect membership knowledge, this unrealistic case produces a wide fractional mass error distribution, with a width of 

. Interlopers introduce additional scatter, significantly widening the error distribution further (

). We employ the support distribution machine (SDM) class of algorithms to learn from distributions of data to predict single values. Applied to distributions of galaxy observables such as LOS velocity and projected distance from the cluster center, SDM yields better than a factor-of-two improvement (

) for the contaminated case. Remarkably, SDM applied to contaminated clusters is better able to recover masses than even the scaling relation approach applied to uncontaminated clusters. We show that the SDM method more accurately reproduces the cluster mass function, making it a valuable tool for employing cluster observations to evaluate cosmological models.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Intravenous Peramivir, Neuraminidase Inhibitor of Influenza Virus, in Healthy Japanese Subjects
Authors: Saisho Yutaka , Ishibashi Toru , Fukuyama Hidenori , Fukase Hiroyuki , Shimada Jingoro
Published: November 2016

Background

Intravenous peramivir is a potent neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor with activity against influenza A and B viruses. The early use of NA inhibitors has been shown to reduce mortality in influenza patients.

Methods

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of peramivir and confirm the safety and tolerability of multiple infusions of peramivir in healthy Japanese subjects, two Phase I, single-centre, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled studies consisting of a multiple-dose study and a high-dose study were conducted.

Results

Multiple intravenous infusions of peramivir were well tolerated up to 800 mg once a day and 400 mg twice daily for 6 days. Dose proportionalities for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) were established up to the 800 mg dose. Approximately 90% of unchanged peramivir was excreted into urine within 12 h after treatment with 800 mg of peramivir. The peramivir plasma and upper respiratory tract fluid levels were significantly higher than the 50% inhibition concentrations for NA enzyme activity (IC50) of epidemic influenza viruses, including those harbouring the H274Y mutation.

Conclusions

The pharmacokinetic properties obtained here for intravenous peramivir are consistent with the previously reported clinical efficacy and safety of this antiviral.
Comparison of the Phenotype and Outcome of Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Between UK and Japanese Cohorts
Authors: Furuta Shunsuke , Chaudhry Afzal N. , Arimura Yoshihiro , Dobashi Hiroaki , Fujimoto Shouichi , Homma Sakae , Rasmussen Niels , Jayne David R.
Published: November 2016

Objective.

There are differences in the frequencies of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)–associated vasculitis subgroups between different geographic regions, and we have reported differences in the phenotype of microscopic polyangiitis between Europe and Japan. In this retrospective observational study, we compared phenotypes and outcomes of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) between the United Kingdom and Japan.

Methods.

We identified 128 UK and 82 Japanese patients with GPA diagnosed between 2000 and 2012. We evaluated baseline characteristics including ANCA status and organ involvement, treatment, patient and renal survival, and time to first relapse.

Results.

Median age at onset was higher in Japan than in the UK (62.2 yrs vs 57.5 yrs, p < 0.01). The proportion of patients with proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA was lower in Japan than in the UK (61.0% vs 85.2%, p < 0.01), while the proportion of myeloperoxidase-ANCA was higher in Japan than the UK (34.1% vs 8.6%, p < 0.01). Serum creatinine at diagnosis was lower in Japan than the UK (68.1 μmol/l vs 101.0 μmol/l, p < 0.01). Respiratory involvement was more frequent in Japan than the UK (69.5% vs 40.6%, p < 0.01). In both countries, most patients received both glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. At 60 months the cumulative survival rates were 87.6% and 94.3% in Japan and the UK, respectively (p = 0.03). At 60 months the cumulative relapse rates were 37.1% and 68.1% in Japan and the UK, respectively (p < 0.01).

Conclusion.

Japanese patients with GPA were older at disease onset, with less PR3-ANCA positivity, milder renal dysfunction, and more frequent respiratory involvement than UK patients. The relapse-free survival rate was higher in Japan than the United Kingdom.
Rate of Comorbidities in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Population-based Study
Authors: Mohammad Aladdin J. , Englund Martin , Turesson Carl , Tomasson Gunnar , Merkel Peter A.
Published: November 2016

Objective.

To compare the rate of occurrence of comorbidities, including severe infections, in a population-based cohort of patients with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) with a reference population in Southern Sweden.

Methods.

The study included a population-based cohort of biopsy-proven GCA cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2010 from the Skåne region in Southern Sweden (population: 1.2 million). For each patient, 4 reference subjects were identified from the general population and matched for age, sex, area of residence, and date of diagnosis of GCA. Using the Skåne Healthcare Register, comorbidities and severe infections (requiring hospitalization) diagnosed after GCA onset were identified. The rate of the first occurrence of each comorbidity was the result of dividing the number of subjects with a given comorbidity by the person-years of followup. The rate ratio (RR; GCA:reference population) was also calculated.

Results.

There were 768 patients (571 women) with GCA and 3066 reference persons included in the study. The RR were significantly elevated for osteoporosis (2.81, 95% CI 2.33–3.37), followed by venous thromboembolic diseases (2.36, 95% CI 1.61–3.40), severe infections (1.85, 95% CI 1.57–2.18), thyroid diseases (1.55, 95% CI 1.25–1.91), cerebrovascular accidents (1.40, 95% CI 1.12–1.74), and diabetes mellitus (1.29, 95% CI 1.05–1.56). The RR for ischemic heart disease was elevated, but did not reach statistical significance (1.20, 95% CI 1.00–1.44).

Conclusion.

Patients with GCA have higher rates of selected comorbidities, including severe infections, compared with a reference population. Several of these comorbidities may be related to treatment with glucocorticosteroids, emphasizing the unmet need to find alternative treatments for GCA.
Development, Sensibility, and Validity of a Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease Case Ascertainment Tool
Authors: Armstrong Susan M. , Wither Joan E. , Borowoy Alan M. , Landolt-Marticorena Carolina , Davis Aileen M. , Johnson Sindhu R.
Published: November 2016

Objective.

Case ascertainment through self-report is a convenient but often inaccurate method to collect information. The purposes of this study were to develop, assess the sensibility, and validate a tool to identify cases of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD) in the outpatient setting.

Methods.

The SARD tool was administered to subjects sampled from specialty clinics. Determinants of sensibility — comprehensibility, feasibility, validity, and acceptability — were evaluated using a numeric rating scale from 1–7. Comprehensibility was evaluated using the Flesch Reading Ease and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Self-reported diagnoses were validated against medical records using Cohen’s κ statistic.

Results.

There were 141 participants [systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren syndrome (SS), inflammatory myositis (polymyositis/dermatomyositis; PM/DM), and controls] who completed the questionnaire. The Flesch Reading Ease score was 77.1 and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 4.4. Respondents endorsed (mean ± SD) comprehensibility (6.12 ± 0.92), feasibility (5.94 ± 0.81), validity (5.35 ± 1.10), and acceptability (3.10 ± 2.03). The SARD tool had a sensitivity of 0.91 (95% CI 0.88–0.94) and a specificity of 0.99 (95% CI 0.96–1.00). The agreement between the SARD tool and medical record was κ = 0.82 (95% CI 0.77–0.88). Subgroup analysis by SARD found κ coefficients for SLE to be κ = 0.88 (95% CI 0.79–0.97), SSc κ = 1.0 (95% CI 1.0–1.0), PM/DM κ = 0.72 (95% CI 0.49–0.95), and SS κ = 0.85 (95% CI 0.71–0.99). The screening questions had sensitivity ranging from 0.96 to 1.0 and specificity ranging from 0.88 to 1.0.

Conclusion.

This SARD case ascertainment tool has demonstrable sensibility and validity. The use of both screening and confirmatory questions confers added accuracy.
Influence of aggregate and supplementary cementitious materials on the properties of hydrated lime (CL90s) mortars
Authors: Pavía S. , Aly M.
Published: November 2016

Hydrated lime is a historic material currently used in conservation. It hardens slowly by carbonation slowing construction however, supplementary cementitious materials accelerate hardening enhancing strength. Hydrated-lime mortars with rice husk ash–RHA-; ground granulated blastfurnace slag–GGBS- and increasing amounts of two aggregates were studied. Increasing aggregate lowered strength as interfacial zones proliferate; it lowered hygric properties and raised water demand. Aggregate content/composition didn’t affect the high water retention. For the higher aggregate contents (90 days), limestone mortars are c.20% stronger than silica mortars while the (1:1) silica sand mortars are 56% stronger in flexion. Additions increased strength with little impact on hygric properties. GGBS increased strength c.six times. RHA increased strength with little impact on hygric properties due to its great specific surface and high water-demand increasing porosity. GGBS and RHA properties ruling hydrate production and the kinetics of the pozzolanic reaction are considered partially responsible for the mortar property variation.
Fostering a Safe Online Culture with Cyberbullying Awareness and Prevention
Authors: Seo Kay Kyeong-Ju , Ciani Joseph Alfred
Published: November 2016

The worldwide expansion of blogs, Twitter®, wikis, and virtual worlds is rapidly forming a new online culture where instant communication and virtual interaction are easily accessible at our fingertips. These powerful communication technologies are bringing global communities closer than we have ever imagined possible. While the technical affordances of these tools are holding promise to better support our diverse cultures and individual differences, the very same features can also bring in a major negative – cyberbullying. Internet aggression is more detrimental than traditional face-to-face bullying because it is often done anonymously behind computer screens. This makes human rights and equal participation more easily suppressed or violated in the cyberspace. This article focuses on raising awareness about the serious consequences of cyberbullying and suggesting innovative prevention actions, thus contributing to building a safe online culture.
Cyber-Victimization and Cyber-Aggression among Portuguese Adolescents
Authors: Martins Maria José D. , Simão Ana Margarida Veiga , Freire Isabel , Caetano Ana Paula , Matos Armanda
Published: November 2016

This study aims to clarify how the quality of the family environment is related to the involvement in cyberbullying behaviors, either as a cyber-victim or as a cyber-aggressor, via a cross-sectional research design. With this purpose a diagnostic questionnaire with questions about both the quality of family environment and cyberbullying was conceived and administered to 3525 adolescents attending 6th, 8th and 11th grades at several schools in Portugal. The results suggested that two family aspects seem to be equally important in protection against cyberbullying: perception of family support and perception of rules within the family. A hierarchical regression analysis reveals that lack of family support is more predictive of cyber-victimization and that a lack of family rules is more predictive of cyber-aggression. The authors discuss the implications for the well-being of adolescents, as well as the challenges that parents face in the supervision of adolescents' use of digital technologies.
Economic Drivers of Domestic Violence among Women
Authors: Peprah James Atta , Koomson Isaac
Published: November 2016

Violence against women seems to be more of an economic than a sociological problem. In Ghana, no study has investigated the economic causes of domestic violence against women. The chapter seeks to investigate the economic factors that are likely to drive domestic violence among married couples. The study uses a survey of 260 married women from selected communities around the University of Cape Coast. Due to the nature of the measurement of domestic violence, the study adopts the binary logit model to estimate the key economic variables that affect the likelihood of being subjected to domestic violence. Average income, property ownership, economic activities, and their interactions seem to drive domestic violence after controlling for some household covariates. It is found that income and a combination of being economically engaged and owning an asset significantly affected domestic violence at their desired level of significance. Stemming from this, the authors call on the appropriate authorities to make credit facilities available to women to enable them to be economically engaged. Empowering women through the provision of micro-credit facilities has the potential to reduce the economic dimensions of domestic violence.
The Complexity of Non-Violence Action
Authors: Maldonado Carlos Eduardo
Published: November 2016

This chapter claims that non-violent action corresponds to a political dimension in which society has become a magnificent complex organism. Moreover, non-violent action corresponds to the phase of highest complexity in a social organization. Examples are provided ranging from ecology to population biology, from ethology to swarm intelligence. At the end, several conclusions are drawn that shed new lights on the social, cultural, and political understanding of our world and to the foreseeable future. The study of non-violent action provides sufficient arguments that allow the distinction between “politics” and “policy”, i.e. “policies”, so much so that politics is highlighted as a highest and most significant dimension of the human experience, and policies are then considered as secondary or lower. The human rights provide the ground for the understanding and comprehension of non-violent actions. In the core of the text a topology of non-violent actions is provided along with its explanation.
Meaning and Concept of Peace Education
Authors: Chandra Subhash
Published: November 2016

This chapter proposes for cultivating peace values and developing peace consciousness for creating global nonviolent sustainable society in 21st century. Our World is divided and conflict-torn, socially and ecologically unsustainable. At present we are living in a violent consciousness because modern civilization is based on culture of conflicts and violence due to erosion of human values. It focuses on the global recognition of Peace as a matter of common concern to save the humanity through Peace Education. The chapter explains the human conflicts and root causes of violence, different types of violence in the society, culture of violence and Violent Social Order. Meaning of Peace - What is Peace Education? What is the need for Peace Education in 21st Century and Goals for Peace Education? Culture of Peace and Universal Peace values? The chapter concludes with a strategy of Peace Education for Living and Learning Together: Towards 21st Century” for creating global nonviolent sustainable society in 21st Century.
Understanding Terrorism
Authors: Eid Mahmoud
Published: November 2016

People all over the globe have become very familiar with the term terrorism due to its common and worldwide occurrence. Terrorism has been committed by states, governments, organizations, groups, and individuals throughout its long history. Despite the large number of definitions by governments, global institutions, academics, politicians, security experts, and journalists, there has been no single universally agreed-upon definition of terrorism so far for a variety of reasons. This chapter critically analyzes discussions and definitions of terrorism in an attempt to contribute to a fair and balanced understanding of terrorism. It discusses how subjectivity has been an obstacle in understanding terrorism due to the pejorative nature of the term. Debates around the highly contentious concept of terrorism in terms of its distinctive nature, motivations, goals, and means in comparison to other forms of violence are discussed, and several definitions of terrorism are analyzed. It is evident that obtaining public attention is the ultimate aim of terrorism in relation to communicating specific messages and both the use of and by the media. While definitions of terrorism struggle to demonstrate exhaustive lists of descriptions, traits, components, conditions, and elements of terrorism, disagreements on these definitional items and features create ambiguities in understanding terrorism. The chapter, then, concludes with discussions on eliminating controversial and subjective definitional items and features to introduce a definition that can help provide an objective understanding of terrorism.
Terrorism Manifestations
Authors: White Jonathan R.
Published: November 2016

This chapter examines the tactical aspects of terrorism. It begins by focusing on the nature of war and conflict in the 21st century, suggesting that technology, economic structures, and communication have changed the way war is waged. It argues that small groups of aggrieved people may conduct campaigns of unconventional warfare against individual nations or international alliances. Although such violence is manifested in many ways, it is typically labeled as “terrorism.” The chapter also demonstrates how large groups and nation states may participate in terrorist activities by either using terrorist tactics or supporting terrorist groups. The next part of the chapter focuses on the specific actions that constitute the tactics of terrorism, examining tactical innovations within various campaigns. The chapter concludes with an analysis of tactical force multipliers, and it introduces the role of the media within this context.
“On the Internet, Nobody Knows You're a Dog”
Authors: Shortland Neil D.
Published: November 2016

Online behaviour can provide a unique window from which we can glean intent. From an intelligence standpoint it provides an important source of open-source information. However, making inference of intent from online activity is inherently difficult. Yet elsewhere progress is being made in incorporating information online into decisions regarding risk and offender prioritisation. This chapter synthesises lessons learnt from studies of risk assessment of violent extremists, risk assessment online, and the form and function of extremist materials online in order to begin to approach the issue of online risk assessment of violent extremism. In doing so it highlights issues associated with the diversity of online extremist behaviour, the diversity of offline extremist behaviour and the general lack of understanding related to the interaction of online and offline experiences, and how this contributes to the wider psychological process of ‘radicalisation'. Implications for practitioners are discussed.
Transnational Crime and the American Policing System
Authors: Martin Starlett Michele
Published: November 2016

The 21st century US can be characterized as a period of globalization, during which countries have become increasingly interconnected. However, since the 9-11 terrorist attacks on US soil—unease about the possibility of subsequent attacks and other transnational crimes has become ever more prevalent. While traditional security agencies, such as the FBI and CIA, have changed since this phenomenon, US police have been forced to assume a greater share of the responsibility as part of a comprehensive homeland-security framework. Consequently, through an in-depth descriptive analysis of transnational crime and the strategies and methods police agencies presently have at their disposal to combat it, one can determine if US police have the tools needed to handle this salient issue. Thus, recommendations can be made of ways to improve the efficacy of US policing agencies in the pursuit of their homeland-security directives, and moreover, methods of implementing these recommendations can be devised.
Optical Head-Mounted Displays in Mass Casualty Incidents
Authors: Berndt Henrik , Mentler Tilo , Herczeg Michael
Published: November 2016

Optical head-mounted displays (OHMDs) could support members of emergency medical services in responding to and managing mass casualty incidents. In this contribution, the authors describe the human-centered design of two applications for supporting the triage process as well as the identification of hazardous materials. They were evaluated with members of emergency medical services and civil protection units. In this regard, challenges and approaches to human-computer interaction with OHMDs in crisis response and management are discussed. The conclusion is drawn that often mentioned advantages of OHMDs like hands-free interaction alone will not lead to usable solutions for safety-critical domains. Interaction design needs to be carefully considered right down to the last detail.
Video Games and Society
Authors: Ratliff Jacob A.
Published: November 2016

Video games do not exist in a vacuum; they influence and are influenced by many other factors. The factors that involve individuals or smaller groups have already been discussed, but there are many other issues that exist in society at large that impact video games or that video games impact. Two of the largest issues are how video games and violence affect each other, and how video games can be addicting, similar to gambling addiction. These and other issues regarding how video games try to interact within society as a whole are discussed in this chapter.
Flipping the Script
Authors: Painter Chad , Willis Erin
Published: November 2016

The purpose of this chapter is to examine newspaper coverage of the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin shooting and the frames of race and crime used in the context of newsworthiness. The researchers analyzed 1,177 articles in one local, six statewide, and three national newspapers. The local paper focused on the shooting and the ensuing police investigation instead of social and political issues, and local-interest stories instead of national events. There was virtually no mention of race. Coverage in the six Florida papers was mixed between details of the case and social issues such as Florida's Stand Your Ground law. There were few uses of racial descriptors. The three national papers focused on social and political issues such as Stand Your Ground, guns, and race, and referenced the shooting for context when discussing similar local incidents. Racial identifiers were used frequently, and Martin's clothing was referenced as a covert racial identifier or as shorthand for the shooting and its aftermath. The researchers then discuss the ethical implications of such coverage.
“Come on Now, I Want to See Blood!”
Authors: Hansen Laura L. , Freitag Melissa E.
Published: November 2016

Violent initiation rites directed at new members or potential members of an organization are not recent phenomena and not exclusive to joining street gangs or crews. This chapter will explore the origins of violent initiation through history and how contemporary rites used to “welcome” new members in youth gangs mirror other entries into exclusively male enclaves. These rituals include controlled, choreographed patterns of violent behavior, including participants vs. voyeurs and number of blows directed at the initiate before the rite is considered to be completed. In additional to taking a historical perspective, recognized predictive risk factors for gang recruitment are listed, including those identified by Hill et al. (1999) in their Seattle study of juvenile delinquency and how it leads down the slippery slope to gang affiliation.
Gang Violence in Schools
Authors: Daly Sarah E.
Published: November 2016

Gang-related violence in schools can have a number of negative effects on the school environment, student achievement, and perceptions of fear. Schools that report a gang presence among students often report higher rates of victimization on school property. In response, many schools have focused on both physical and procedural safety measures to enhance security and prevent violence. However, attempts at maintaining order and ensuring safety often fall short in preventing violence and may actually enhance feelings of fear at schools. As such, schools face the difficult task of addressing violence with effective safety measures while also minimizing and balancing the prison-like feeling that comes with many of the options. This chapter aims to describe the effects of violence in schools and examine a variety of safety measures in terms of cost, effect on perceptions of fear, and effectiveness.
The Reality and Myth of Weapons and Violence in Gang Life
Authors: Lauger Timothy R.
Published: November 2016

Weapons and violence are both real and mythic elements of gang life. Though violence is a real element of gang life, public perceptions about gangs may be exaggerated, invoking the idea of dangerous youth roaming the streets. The image of violent gang members is also embraced and used by youth on the streets to navigate their social world. Gang members often create personal and group-based myths by exaggerating their use of weapons and violence. This chapter examines the division between myth and reality in gang life. It reviews research to establish that weapons and violence are real elements of gang members' lives throughout the world. It further explores how myths emerge among gang members who have ample motivation for fictionalizing violence and weapons use. This chapter relies on the social psychological ideas of social constructionism, interpretive socialization, and identity to explain the existence of myths in gang life.
Sticks and Stones
Authors: Valeri Robin Maria , Borgeson Kevin
Published: November 2016

The present chapter takes a social psychological approach to understanding hate groups and how hate groups use hate as a promotional tool and as an implement of aggression. As a promotional tool, hate groups use hate to attract new members to their organizations and to promote their beliefs to the mainstream public. Hate also serves as an incendiary, to fuel the emotions of their members, to incite them into action, and to wield against their targets. In this chapter we will attempt to explain why people hate and how they justify their hatred and resulting actions through a number of social psychological theories including realistic group conflict (Bonacich, 1972; Sherif et al., 1961/1988) relative deprivation (Catalono et al., 1993; Hepworth & West, 1988; Hovland & Sears, 1940), social identity theory (Abrams & Hogg, 1990; Festinger, 1954; Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Thoits & Virshup, 1997) and terror management (Pyszczynski, Solomon, & Greenberg, 1997; 2005; Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 1991; 2004).
Learning, Development, and Training
Authors: Thoms Charlotte L.V. , Burton Sharon L.
Published: November 2016

Continuous learning is essential in academic and business environments for the 21st century learner as success, survival, and growth lean toward the educator answering the question, ‘Which educational design best facilitates educators in becoming learner-focused while producing adaptive completers in this ubiquitous learning environment?' This research team proposes a unique but growing solution around educational synergies in which all learner-focused groups drive the understanding of learning, adaptation, practice, and change. To clarify the difference between training, development, and learning, the following are discussed: 1. reviewing success in learning, as a continuum into the processes of survival and growth; 2. conceptualizing the training model situated inside learning and development; and 3. synergizing the educational epistemology that bridges the gap between training and learning. Last, grouping of key trends expanded through theory and technology to support concrete recommendations for analyzing the influence of synergies through educational evolution around training, development, and learning.
Tifinagh Printed Character Recognition through Structural Feature Extraction
Authors: Ouadid Youssef , Fakir Mohamed , Minaoui Brahim
Published: November 2016

In this paper a system for the recognition of printed Tifinagh characters is presented. It is divided into three main steps: preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification. Image quality is enhanced through preprocessing which are: binarization, normalization and thinning. Then the image is given to a proposed structural feature extracting algorithm where the character is divided into several geometrically sample shapes which are segments, then transformed into an undirected graph with unique coordinate of all nodes. The character is classified by matching the graph of the character and its counterpart graph which is generated from the images in the IRCAM database using an efficient spectral graph matching algorithm. Experimental results and analysis are accomplished by the use of 3267 random characters to test the effectiveness. The system shows good results in term of accuracy and CPU time.
Investigation on Healthcare Monitoring Systems
Authors: Manirabona Audace , Fourati Lamia Chaari , Boudjit Saâdi
Published: November 2016

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) services and applications have emerged as one of the most attractive research areas and have become more and more widespread especially for healthcare use. Lots of researches have been carried out to specify innovative services and applications using healthcare monitoring systems (HMS). However, the WBAN requirements vary from one application/service to another. Furthermore, HMSs are expected to reduce healthcare costs by enabling the continuous remote monitoring of patients' health even during their daily activities and thus reduce the frequency of the patient's visits at hospital. From a medical point of view, the WBAN will emerge as a key technology by providing real-time health monitoring and diagnosis of many life-threatening diseases. In this paper, the authors outline the WBAN applications and services requirements for healthcare and review them with emphasis on their strength, limitations and design challenges. In addition, HMS architecture and its applications are deeply studied and some case studies are discussed.
Playing with Participatory Action Research (PAR)
Authors: Gioacchino Gioel , Williams Kirsten Cheryll
Published: November 2016

A myriad of new tools have been integrated into participatory action research (PAR). This article reviews the role and effectiveness of Photovoice and Participatory Videos as tools for conducting PAR. Advocating for experimentation and innovation in research, the authors discuss the process of adapting new media and creative techniques to PAR. Although integrating new tools provides a big opportunity in PAR, the authors suggest that it is important not to get carried away by the tools, but rather maintain focus on the ethos and intention of PAR, and use any tool towards a more inclusive and profound way of understanding ‘research'.
The Application of Classical QSAR to Agrochemical Research
Authors: Fujita Toshio
Published: November 2016

Since the first paper for the QSAR procedure was published in 1962, a number of agrochemical QSAR studies have been accumulated. Among them, some studies were to construct models to design new compounds of the improved activity profiles. Others were to search for a clue for molecular mechanisms of action and/or physicochemical backgrounds for some “compulsory or favorable” substructures and substituents within the compound series. In this article, some examples of studies from these two categories are reviewed.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and erectile dysfunction (ED): Results of the BRED observational study
Authors: Lauretti Stefano , Cardaci Vittorio , Barrese Francesco , Calzetta Luigino
Published: November 2016

Most patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) share many risk factors and similar aetiological agents with erectile dysfunction (ED). Both conditions also cause serious interference with quality of life and sexual relationships. In general, ageing and chronic illness decrease sexual interest, sexual function, and testosterone levels. This observational study included 66 male patients referred to our centre with different grades of COPD. We studied the different correlations between COPD and ED. The data collected from each patient regarded the following features: demographic and social condition; smoking status; clinical status; spirometric measurements. In this group, COPD was diagnosed in 78.8% and ED was present in 83.3% with increased severity in presence of LUTS and nicotinism.
Testicular prosthesis: Patient satisfaction and sexual dysfunctions in testis cancer survivors
Authors: Catanzariti Francesco , Polito Benedetta , Polito Massimo
Published: November 2016

Purpose: We studied patient satisfaction about sexual activity after prosthesis implantation using validated questionnaires with the aim to discover if testicular prosthesis could be responsible of sexual dysfunctions (erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation). Materials and Methods: We evaluated a total of 67 men who underwent radical orchiectomy for testicular cancer and a silicon testicular prosthesis implantation from January 2008 to June 2014 at our Hospital. These patients completed 5 validated questionnaires the day before orchiectomy and 6 months after surgery: the International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF5), the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), the Body Exposure during Sexual Activities Questionnaire (BESAQ), the Body-Esteem Scale and the Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale. We also evaluated 6 months after surgery any defects of the prosthesis complained by the patients. Results: The questionnaires completed by patients didn’t show statistically significant changes for erectile dysfunction (p > 0.05) and premature ejaculation (p > 0.05). On the contrary the psychological questionnaires showed statistically significant change for the BESAQ (p < 0.001) and the Body Esteem Scale (p < 0.001), but not for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (p > 0,05). A total of 15 patients (22.37%) were dissatisfied about the prosthesis: the most frequent complaint (8 patients; 11.94%) was that the prosthesis was firmer than the normal testis. Conclusions: Testicular prosthesis implantation is a safe surgical procedure that should be always proposed before orchiectomy for cancer of the testis. The defects complained by patients with testicular prosthesis are few, they don’t influence sexual activity and they aren’t able to cause erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.
In the search of novel urine biomarkers for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Intracellular or secreted proteins as the target group? Where and how to search for possible biomarkers useful in the everyday clinical practice
Authors: Katafigioti Amalia , Katafigiotis Ioannis , Sfoungaristos Stavros , Alamanis Christos , Stravodimos Konstantinos , Anastasiou Ioannis , Roumelioti Eleni , Duvdevani Mordechai , Constantinides Constantinos
Published: November 2016

Objective: To search which category of proteins can be detected in urine in order to examine subsequently its ability to improve our accuracy for the diagnosis of Prostate Cancer (PCa) as biomarkers in clinical useful fluids like urine and serum. Material and method(s): Urine samples of 127 patients were obtained after a vigorous transrectal prostatic massage to both lobes. The patients were considered to have a high risk for PCa according to their PSA (> 4 ng/ml), their digital rectal examination (DRE) (positive for suspicious prostatic lesions) or to their abnormal PSA kinetics (PSA velocity (PSAV > 0.75 ng/mL). All patients subsequently were subjected to an extended 10-core per prostatic lobe TRUS-b (total 20 prostatic samples). The proteins that were chosen to be detected in the urine samples with Western-blot, as possible biomarkers, were Glutathione peroxidase 3 precursor (GPx3), Cofilin-1 (CFL1), Heat shock protein-90β (HSP 90β), Zinc alpha 2-glycoprotein (ZAG) and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC).These proteins have been detected previously in the prostatic tissue by proteomics proving their discriminative ability between patients with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Result(s): From the five proteins, only the secreted Zinc alpha 2-glycoprotein was detected in urine showing a promising ability in the improvement of our diagnostic accuracy for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Conclusions: From various categories of proteins that have already been detected in the tissue of prostate by proteomics, only secreted protein Zinc alpha 2-glycoprotein showed a clear signal in the urine, proving its discriminative potential for the early diagnosis of PCa.
Telerounding & telementoring for urological procedures
Authors: Sen Volkan , Aydogdu Ozgu , Yonguc Tarik , Bozkurt Ibrahim Halil , Bolat Deniz
Published: November 2016

Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status. Telemedicine includes a growing variety of applications and services using two-way video, email, smart phones, wireless tools and other forms of telecommunications technology. Starting out over forty years ago with demonstrations of hospitals extending care to patients in remote areas, the use of telemedicine has spread rapidly and is now becoming integrated into the ongoing operations of hospitals, specialty departments, home health agencies, private physician offices as well as consumer’s homes and workplaces. There’s also a current trend in the use of telemedicine in urology. In the present paper we aimed to review the recent literature about telemedicine and the use of telerounding and telementoring in urological procedures.
Metabolic evaluation in patients with infected nephrolithiasis: Is it necessary?
Authors: Cicerello Elisa , Mangano Mario , Cova Gian Davide , Merlo Franco , Maccatrozzo Luigi
Published: November 2016

Fifty-four patients with infected renal lithiasis underwent complete metabolic evaluation searching for underlying factors contributing to stone formation including urine analysis and culture. Metabolic abnormalities were significantly more present in patients with mixed infected stones (struvite+/-apatite and calcium oxalate) than in patients with pure infected stones (struvite+/-carbonate apatite): hypercalciuria in 40%, hyperoxaluria in 34% and hyperuricosuria in 28% (p < 0.05). Urinary excretion of citrate was low in both groups without statistically significant difference (238+/-117 mg/24 h vs 214+/-104 mg/24/h, t = 0.72, p = 0.5). The few metabolic abnormalities present in patients with pure infected stones should suggest that urinary tract infection could change the urine chemistry in a lithogenic direction and be only cause of stone formation.
Priapism and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency: An underestimated correlation?
Authors: De Rose Aldo Franco , Mantica Guglielmo , Tosi Mattia , Bovio Giulio , Terrone Carlo
Published: November 2016

Priapism is a rare clinical condition characterized by a persistent erection unrelated to sexual excitement. Often the etiology is idiopathic. Three cases of priapism in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency patients have been described in literature. We present the case of a 39-year-old man with glucose- 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, who reached out to our department for the arising of a non-ischemic priapism without arteriolacunar fistula. We suggest that the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency could be an underestimated risk factor for priapism.
Adenomatous hyperplasia of the rete testis: A rare intrascrotal lesion managed with limited testicular excision
Authors: Catanzariti Francesco , Servi Lucilla , Fabiani Andrea , Filosa Alessandra , Mammana Gabriele
Published: November 2016

Introduction: Testicular cancer is one of the most frequent in young men and its incidence is increasing in recent years because of incidental finding during routine ultrasound exams. Adenomatous hyperplasia of the rete testis is one of the benign and rare pathological types incidentally detected and very few cases are described in the literature. Case report: A 40 years old man come to our attention for a balanoposthitis without testicular pain. During andrological examination we performed palpation of the testes and we noticed a palpable nodule of hard consistency in the left testicle. We then performed an ultrasound exam of the testis which highlighted the presence of an intra-didymus neoformation with diameters of 1.2 x 1.6 cm and with the presence of cysts inside. We also performed blood tests to check tumor markers alpha fetoprotein, beta hCG and LDH which resulted inside the normal range. We then conducted a chest and abdomen CT scan that showed no pathological elements. Therefore, as we suspected that this tumor was benign, we performed an enucleation of the neoplasm. The definitive histological examination revealed the presence of dilated ducts lined with epithelial cubic-columnar cells with clear cytoplasm rich in glycogen and the pathologist so concluded that the tumor could be classified as adenomatous hyperplasia of the rete testis. At three months of follow up, the patient doesn’t have any recurrent lesion to either testicles. Discussion: Adenomatous hyperplasia of the rete testis is a very rare intrascrotal lesion. This histological type is the most frequent between benign lesion of the ovary, but few works in literature reported this histological type in the male gonad and, in most of these works, authors described these lesion at epididymis. Conclusion: We believe that a conservative approach must be considered mandatory in case of testicular lesions 1.5 cm in diameter. A radical approach might have alterate fertility of the patient and also have caused psychological trauma more than an enucleation. However a longer follow up is needed to understand if this was the right decision for the oncological point of view.
A magnetically shielded room
Authors: Wesemeyer H
Published: November 2016

To facilitate the test of magnetometers, a magnetically shielded room was built and its performance tested.
The development of professional character traits or soft skills of teachers through technology
Authors: Ferreira Johanna G.
Published: November 2016

The purpose of this article was to investigate the extent to which technology can be used in the training of teachers at a distance to prepare them comprehensively for their careers. Because the so called soft skills and associated character traits are part of professions such as medicine or auditing, it was necessary to determine whether teaching can even be considered a profession. However, literature confirms this and consequently teaching is regarded as a profession, requiring accompanying soft skills and character traits unique to the profession. For effective education it is necessary that these soft skills or character traits be mastered. The soft skills of the teaching profession are investigated and discussed to determine what these skills are and how they can be developed and embraced by student teachers. Finally, recommendations are proposed for the incorporation of technology to expedite the mastery of soft skills by prospective teachers through distance education.