bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Auditory Oddball Responses in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, Basolateral Amygdala, and Auditory Cortex of Macaque
Authors: Camalier Corrie R. , Scarim Kaylee , Mishkin Mortimer , Averbeck Bruno B.
Published: March 2019

The mismatch negativity (MMN) is an ERP component seen in response to unexpected “novel” stimuli, such as in an auditory oddball task. The MMN is of wide interest and application, but the neural responses that generate it are poorly understood. This is in part due to differences in design and focus between animal and human oddball paradigms. For example, one of the main explanatory models, the “predictive error hypothesis”, posits differences in timing and selectivity between signals carried in auditory and prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, these predictions have not been fully tested because (1) noninvasive techniques used in humans lack the combined spatial and temporal precision necessary for these comparisons and (2) single-neuron studies in animal models, which combine necessary spatial and temporal precision, have not focused on higher order contributions to novelty signals. In addition, accounts of the MMN traditionally do not address contributions from subcortical areas known to be involved in novelty detection, such as the amygdala. To better constrain hypotheses and to address methodological gaps between human and animal studies, we recorded single neuron activity from the auditory cortex, dorsolateral PFC, and basolateral amygdala of two macaque monkeys during an auditory oddball paradigm modeled after that used in humans. Consistent with predictions of the predictive error hypothesis, novelty signals in PFC were generally later than in auditory cortex and were abstracted from stimulus-specific effects seen in auditory cortex. However, we found signals in amygdala that were comparable in magnitude and timing to those in PFC, and both prefrontal and amygdala signals were generally much weaker than those in auditory cortex. These observations place useful quantitative constraints on putative generators of the auditory oddball-based MMN and additionally indicate that there are subcortical areas, such as the amygdala, that may be involved in novelty detection in an auditory oddball paradigm.
Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex, Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, and Hippocampus Differentially Represent the Event Saliency
Authors: Jafarpour Anna , Griffin Sandon , Lin Jack J. , Knight Robert T.
Published: March 2019

Two primary functions attributed to the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) network are retaining the temporal and spatial associations of events and detecting deviant events. It is unclear, however, how these two functions converge into one mechanism. Here, we tested whether increased activity with perceiving salient events is a deviant detection signal or contains information about the event associations by reflecting the magnitude of deviance (i.e., event saliency). We also tested how the deviant detection signal is affected by the degree of anticipation. We studied regional neural activity when people watched a movie that had varying saliency of a novel or an anticipated flow of salient events. Using intracranial electroencephalography from 10 patients, we observed that high-frequency activity (50–150 Hz) in the hippocampus, dorsolateral PFC, and medial OFC tracked event saliency. We also observed that medial OFC activity was stronger when the salient events were anticipated than when they were novel. These results suggest that dorsolateral PFC and medial OFC, as well as the hippocampus, signify the saliency magnitude of events, reflecting the hierarchical structure of event associations.
Hearing through Your Eyes: Neural Basis of Audiovisual Cross-activation, Revealed by Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation
Authors: Fassnidge Christopher , Ball Danny , Kazaz Zainab , Knudsen Synøve , Spicer Andrew , Tipple Anthony , Freeman Elliot
Published: March 2019

Some people experience auditory sensations when seeing visual flashes or movements. This prevalent synaesthesia-like visually evoked auditory response (vEAR) could result either from overexuberant cross-activation between brain areas and/or reduced inhibition of normally occurring cross-activation. We have used transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to test these theories. We applied tACS at 10 Hz (alpha band frequency) or 40 Hz (gamma band), bilaterally either to temporal or occipital sites, while measuring same/different discrimination of paired auditory (A) versus visual (V) Morse code sequences. At debriefing, participants were classified as vEAR or non-vEAR, depending on whether they reported “hearing” the silent flashes. In non-vEAR participants, temporal 10-Hz tACS caused impairment of A performance, which correlated with improved V; conversely under occipital tACS, poorer V performance correlated with improved A. This reciprocal pattern suggests that sensory cortices are normally mutually inhibitory and that alpha-frequency tACS may bias the balance of competition between them. vEAR participants showed no tACS effects, consistent with reduced inhibition, or enhanced cooperation between modalities. In addition, temporal 40-Hz tACS impaired V performance, specifically in individuals who showed a performance advantage for V (relative to A). Gamma-frequency tACS may therefore modulate the ability of these individuals to benefit from recoding flashes into the auditory modality, possibly by disrupting cross-activation of auditory areas by visual stimulation. Our results support both theories, suggesting that vEAR may depend on disinhibition of normally occurring sensory cross-activation, which may be expressed more strongly in some individuals. Furthermore, endogenous alpha- and gamma-frequency oscillations may function respectively to inhibit or promote this cross-activation.
Independent Components of Neural Activation Associated with 100 Days of Cognitive Training
Authors: Simmonite Molly , Polk Thad A.
Published: March 2019

Some cognitive training studies have reported working memory benefits that generalize beyond the trained tasks, whereas others have only found task-specific training effects. What brain networks are associated with general training effects, rather than task-specific effects? We investigated this question in the context of working memory training using the COGITO data set, a longitudinal project including behavioral assessments before and after 100 days of cognitive training in 101 younger (20–31 years) and 103 older (65–80 years) adults. Pre- and postassessments included verbal, numerical, and spatial measures of working memory. It was therefore possible to assess training effects on working memory at a general latent ability level. Previous analyses of these data found training-related improvements on this latent working memory factor in both young and old participants. fMRI data were collected from a subsample of participants (24 young and 15 old) during pre- and post-training sessions. We used independent component analysis to identify networks involved in a perceptual decision-making task performed in the scanner. We identified five task-positive components that were task-related: two frontal networks, a ventral visual network, a motor network, and a cerebellar network. Pre-training activity of the motor network predicted latent working memory performance before training. Additionally, activity in the motor network predicted training-related changes in working memory ability. These findings suggest activity in the motor network plays a role in task-independent working memory improvements and have implications for our understanding of working memory training and for the design and implementation of future training interventions.
Introducing User-Prescribed Constraints in Markov Chains for Nonlinear Dimensionality Reduction
Authors: Dixit Purushottam D.
Published: March 2019

Stochastic kernel-based dimensionality-reduction approaches have become popular in the past decade. The central component of many of these methods is a symmetric kernel that quantifies the vicinity between pairs of data points and a kernel-induced Markov chain on the data. Typically, the Markov chain is fully specified by the kernel through row normalization. However, in many cases, it is desirable to impose user-specified stationary-state and dynamical constraints on the Markov chain. Unfortunately, no systematic framework exists to impose such user-defined constraints. Here, based on our previous work on inference of Markov models, we introduce a path entropy maximization based approach to derive the transition probabilities of Markov chains using a kernel and additional user-specified constraints. We illustrate the usefulness of these Markov chains with examples.
Inhibition and Excitation Shape Activity Selection: Effect of Oscillations in a Decision-Making Circuit
Authors: Bose Thomas , Reina Andreagiovanni , Marshall James A. R.
Published: March 2019

Decision making is a complex task, and its underlying mechanisms that regulate behavior, such as the implementation of the coupling between physiological states and neural networks, are hard to decipher. To gain more insight into neural computations underlying ongoing binary decision-making tasks, we consider a neural circuit that guides the feeding behavior of a hypothetical animal making dietary choices. We adopt an inhibition motif from neural network theory and propose a dynamical system characterized by nonlinear feedback, which links mechanism (the implementation of the neural circuit and its coupling to the animal's nutritional state) and function (improving behavioral performance). A central inhibitory unit influences evidence-integrating excitatory units, which in our terms correspond to motivations competing for selection. We determine the parameter regime where the animal exhibits improved decision-making behavior and explain different behavioral outcomes by making the link between accessible states of the nonlinear neural circuit model and decision-making performance. We find that for given deficits in nutritional items, the variation of inhibition strength and ratio of excitation and inhibition strengths in the decision circuit allows the animal to enter an oscillatory phase that describes its internal motivational state. Our findings indicate that this oscillatory phase may improve the overall performance of the animal in an ongoing foraging task and underpin the importance of an integrated functional and mechanistic study of animal activity selection.
Pycnogonids (Arthropoda, Pycnogonida) from the Southwest Indian Ridge
Authors: STAPLES DAVID A.
Published: March 2019

This report addresses sixty-two deep-sea pycnogonid specimens collected by the Southwest Indian Ocean Seamounts Expedition, November 7 to December 21, 2011 on-board the British research vessel R.S.S. James Cook (voyage numbers JC066, JC067). Pycnogonids were collected from four of six geological features sampled along the central section of the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) in an area approximately 1500 km south-south east of Madagascar. Specimens were mostly gathered utilizing a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and tethered video-sediment grab platforms. Additional specimens were gathered from sediment cores or hand-picked from whale bone and wood-fall experiment nets and mooring buoy ropes. Fifteen new species are described, illustrated and compared with their nearest relatives. Two previously described species belonging to the genera Colossendeis and Austrodecus are recorded. A specimen of Austrodecus bamberi represents the first record of the female and is the only species in the collection previously known from the SWIR. One species of Colossendeis remains unnamed pending further analysis. One subadult specimen of Sericosura showing strong morphological affinity with a specimen previously recorded from the Walvis Ridge remains undescribed pending availability of further material. One subadult specimen is tentatively assigned to Nymphon. Specimens are assigned to six families and eight genera. Colossendeis rostrata is synonymised with C. melancholicus. The methodology of counting palp segments in the genera Austrodecus and Rhynchothorax is reviewed.
First record of Pherbellia shatalkini Rozkošný (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) from Mongolia, with a redescription of the male genitalia
Authors: KURINA OLAVI , KNUTSON LLOYD
Published: March 2019

Following examination of type material of Pherbellia shatalkini Rozkošný, two specimens of snail-killing flies (Sciomyzidae) from Mongolia that initially had been determined as an undescribed species were confirmed as P. shatalkini, the first documentation of this species from Mongolia. The male genitalia are illustrated and redescribed in great detail.
Review of the fossil record of Bolitophilidae, with description of new taxa and discussion of position of Mangas Kovalev (Diptera: Sciaroidea)
Authors: GREENWALT DALE E. , BLAGODEROV VLADIMIR A.
Published: March 2019

The dipteran family Bolitophilidae, with the single extant genus Bolitophila, is a small family of mycophagous flies. In marked contrast to related families such as Sciaridae and Mycetophilidae, the family has a poor fossil record with no definite species assigned to the genus. In addition, the position of the extinct Cretaceous subfamily Mangasinae Kovalev, 1986 (described in Bolitophillidae) has been controversial and it has been suggested that species in this clade may belong to other sciaroid families. This situation is made worse by misplacement of the type specimen. We herein describe two new species of Bolitophila, Bolitophila warreni sp. nov. from the 46-million-year-old Kishenehn Formation in Montana, USA and Bolitophila rohdendorfi sp. nov. from Baltic amber. Bolitophila pulveris Lewis, 1969 is reassigned to Sciaroidea incertae sedis. The subfamily Mangasinae is reviewed and its position within the Bolitophilidae confirmed. Two new species of Mangas, M. kovalevi sp. nov. and M. brevisubcosta sp. nov., both from the Lower Cretaceous of Khasurty in Western Transbaikalia, are described.
Writing Gender with Sexuality: Reflections on the Diaries of Lou Sullivan
Authors: González Francisco J.
Published: March 2019

In contemporary psychoanalytic writing, gender tends to be disarticulated from sexuality. While this has been a theoretically useful approach, especially as regards the critical appraisal of early traditional literature (which often assumed a facile coherence between sex, sexuality, and gender), this position too often leaves gender stripped of one of the most compelling forces in psychoanalytic theorizing, namely, its relation to the sexual. Here the diaries of Lou Sullivan (1951–1991)—a transsexual man who began writing long before considering sexual transitioning—are used to present an extended example of the intimate linkage between gender and sexuality. The diaries stand as a unique historical archive: a fairly comprehensive, prospective, first-person account of transsexuality, begun before the subject self-identified as transsexual, which documents a complex and candid subjective evolution. Situated historically during a time of enormous upheaval in both psychoanalysis and the culture at large on questions of gender and sexuality, the diaries offer an additional opportunity to consider the nexus of individual psyche and social forms.
School-to-Work Linkages, Educational Mismatches, and Labor Market Outcomes
Authors: Bol Thijs , Ciocca Eller Christina , van de Werfhorst Herman G. , DiPrete Thomas A.
Published: March 2019

A recurring question in public and scientific debates is whether occupation-specific skills enhance labor market outcomes. Is it beneficial to have an educational degree that is linked to only one or a small set of occupations? To answer this question, we generalize existing models of the effects of (mis)match between education and occupation on labor market outcomes. Specifically, we incorporate the structural effects of linkage strength between school and work, which vary considerably across industrialized countries. In an analysis of France, Germany, and the United States, we find that workers have higher earnings when they are in occupations that match their educational level and field of study, but the size of this earnings boost depends on the clarity and strength of the pathway between their educational credential and the labor market. The earnings premium associated with a good occupational match is larger in countries where the credential has a stronger link to the labor market, but the penalty for a mismatch is also greater in such countries. Moreover, strong linkage reduces unemployment risk. These findings add nuance to often-made arguments that countries with loosely structured educational systems have more flexible labor markets and produce better labor market outcomes for workers. An institutional environment that promotes strong school-to-work pathways appears to be an effective strategy for providing workers with secure, well-paying jobs.
Title IX and School Employee Sexual Misconduct: How K-12 Schools Respond in the Wake of an Incident
Authors: Grant Billie-Jo E. , Wilkerson Stephanie B. , Pelton L. deKoven , Cosby Anne C. , Henschel Molly M.
Published: March 2019

Purpose: To help protect students from school employee sexual misconduct, this qualitative case study examines implementation of school employee sexual misconduct policies in five geographically and demographically diverse school districts that experienced incidents of school employee sexual misconduct in 2014. Method: Data were collected from 92 school employees and county officials from five school districts from January 2016 to September 2017 via interviews ( N = 41) and 10 focus groups ( N = 51), as well as through document and policy reviews. Findings: This article outlines findings with regard to the key elements of Title IX guidance including: (a) policies and procedures; (b) prevention; (c) training for staff, students, and parents; (d) reporting; (e) investigations; and (f) response. Although participants reported improvements in these areas after incidents, various challenges, including a lack of understanding of Title IX requirements, continue to affect district-level approaches to sexual misconduct policies. Implications: Recommendations are that school districts review their policy and implementation efforts to determine if they are compliant with Title IX guidance. Researchers also recommend that the federal and state departments of education establish accountability measures to track policy implementation and ensure school districts comply with Title IX guidance and provide high-quality low-cost training options. Further examination of how often these cases occur, victim and offender characteristics, effects on victims and school communities, criminal justice responses, and the effectiveness of prevention efforts are also recommended.
Exploring the puzzle of civility: Whether and when team civil communication influences team members’ role performance
Authors: Liu Yihao , Vashdi Dana R , Cross Thomas , Bamberger Peter , Erez Amir
Published: March 2019

Does ‘being nice’ to each other always improve employee performance? Although research on workplace incivility has been growing, little is known about the flip side of it – workplace civility. In fact, different theoretical perspectives have suggested that civility could have positive (i.e. the flexibility perspective) or negative (i.e. the heuristics perspective) cognitive implications. In the current research, we examined whether and when workplace civility (operationalized as team civil communication) influences team members’ role performance in two studies. In Study 1, we recorded team civil communication among 108 teams of students who participated in a team-based simulation, and found that team civil communication enhanced team members’ role performance. In Study 2, we observed and coded 186 real-time surgeries conducted by surgical teams from a health-care center. Results showed a more nuanced and complex pattern regarding the influence of team civil communication, insofar as it enhanced team members’ role performance in teams with less complex tasks, but the effect decreased or even flipped to negative when team task complexity increased. These findings suggest that civility can have both positive and negative influences on performance, with the net effect being contingent upon the broader environmental demands faced by the team.
Profile of transcultural patients in a regional Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Gippsland, Australia: The need for a multidimensional understanding of the complexities
Authors: Basu Soumya , Isaacs Anton N
Published: March 2019

Background:

Several childhood stressors related to immigration have been documented, and it is important for clinicians to understand and address the various factors that may lead to or act as maintaining factors of mental disorders in children and adolescents.

Aims:

To describe the cultural profile of transcultural patients presenting to a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in regional Victoria and identify the most common disorders and psychosocial stressors they presented with.

Method:

Descriptive analysis was applied to 101 case records of patients with a transcultural background who attended the CAMHS of Latrobe Regional Hospital in Gippsland Victoria from 2013 to 2017. The Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire was retrospectively applied to capture psychosocial stressors such as ‘bullying’, ‘racism’ and ‘family conflict’, sexual abuse, physical violence, parents with mental illness and parental substance use.

Results:

Almost 60% of patients were male and over 46% Aboriginal. Those from a non-Aboriginal background belonged to 19 different cultural entities, the most common of which was a mixed Asian and European heritage. The most common diagnoses were disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (38.6%), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (32.7%) and developmental trauma disorder (26.7%). The most common psychosocial stressors were conflict and death in the family (44.6%), domestic violence (41.6%) and emotional abuse (34.7%). ‘Parent in jail’ and ‘domestic violence’ were associated with having an Aboriginal background ( p < .005). ‘Cultural differences with parent’ was associated with a non-Aboriginal background ( p < .005).

Conclusion:

This study provides a snapshot of challenges faced by children from different cultural backgrounds while adjusting in a rural area in Australia. A broad-based formulation and cultural awareness by clinicians can enable a better understanding of the complexities, guide management plans and inform public health policies for primary prevention and early intervention.
Supporting Others Through Stressful Organizational Change
Authors: Smollan Roy K. , Morrison Rachel L.
Published: March 2019

The purpose of the article is to explore the nature of support given to staff undergoing stressful organizational change and to determine the forms, antecedents, targets, and consequences of this support. Interviews in a wider study of changes in a New Zealand public health care authority produced the surprising finding that although 31 participants were asked about receiving support, 17 volunteered information on giving support to others. Various forms of support were given to different targets for various reasons and produced positive and negative outcomes for those providing support. Given that studies focusing on offering support during organizational change are extremely rare, our article, and the model it contains, makes a contribution to the literature on change, well-being, and support. The implications for practice are that organizations need to be aware of change’s potentially stressful impacts and make an extra effort to provide support without draining the resources of its employees.
Reader Self-Perceptions of Secondary Students With and At Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Garwood Justin D.
Published: March 2019

Perception of one’s ability as a reader is a key construct for improving adolescent literacy outcomes, but this research has not yet been extended to students with disabilities. The current study attempted to address this research gap with a sample of 152 secondary students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Results include a description of these students’ reader self-perceptions, a comparison to a larger sample of students without EBD, and exploration of variables associated with self-perceptions of reading ability. Demographic variables (e.g., sex, race), degree of behavior problems, and physiological states were significant predictors of self-perceptions. Discussion focuses on how practitioners can assess students’ self-perceptions to guide their instruction and on future directions for research.
Reinforcing uneven development: The financialisation of Brazilian urban redevelopment projects
Authors: Mosciaro Mayra , Pereira Alvaro
Published: March 2019

The entrepreneurial city discourse has been adopted around the globe by policymakers, with the urban redevelopment project as one of its most representative symbols. The predominantly favourable discourse revolving around this new political economy of urban space is supported by claims that newly regenerated areas bring multiple benefits to the city and its citizens. These narratives have been used in Brazil to justify increasing reliance on an urban planning tool known as Urban Operations. This planning tool, developed in the 1990s, seeks to facilitate cooperation between public and private actors in the production of new urban spaces. While projected by some as a ‘magic formula’ that enables major urban redevelopment projects without public expenditure, the outcomes of Urban Operations often differ significantly from expectations. The cases of Água Espraiada (São Paulo) and Porto Maravilha (Rio de Janeiro) are used to demonstrate that regenerated areas, as preferred spaces for the penetration of financialised practices into the built environment, have brought forward new dynamics that are serving to reinforce pre-existing social inequalities and to exacerbate uneven development in Brazil’s main cities.
Theorising indirect coercion: The logic of triangular strategies
Authors: Smetana Michal , Ludvik Jan
Published: March 2019

This article deals with the concept of indirect coercion as a distinct type of coercive strategy involving three actors. We introduce a taxonomy of triangular strategies commonly employed in international politics: ‘hostage-taking’, ‘patron-client’ and ‘composite’ strategies. These three types of indirect coercion cover different ways in how the coercer draws the intermediary actor in the process of coercive bargaining to enhance his leverage over the target. For each type, we conduct a plausibility probe to study these dynamics on short empirical case studies. We argue that our conceptualisation of indirect coercion opens new avenues for research into deterrence and compellence in contemporary world politics.
What’s in It for Them? Teens’ Differential Preferences for Types and Contexts of Televised Aggression
Authors: van der Wal Amber , Fikkers Karin M. , Valkenburg Patti M.
Published: March 2019

The effect of teens’ exposure to televised aggression depends on the characteristics of the viewer and the portrayed aggression. However, few studies have investigated which teens prefer what forms of televised aggression. Therefore, this study investigated how teens’ trait aggression and sex guide their preferences for types (physical, verbal, and indirect) and contextual features of televised aggression (reward, punishment, justification, graphicness, realism, and humor). A linkage analysis combined survey data of 156 teens (balanced for trait aggression and sex, age 10-14 years) with a content analysis of 4,839 scenes from their favorite television programs. Aggressive teens preferred more physical aggression than less aggressive teens. Trait aggression was not related to preferences for contextual features of aggression. Boys preferred more physical aggression than girls, as well as more realistic, graphic, justified, rewarded, and punished aggression. This study underscores the importance of distinguishing between different viewers and forms of televised aggression.
Dr. Joseph L. White: Translational Scholar, Career Developer, and Mentor
Authors: Franklin Anderson J.
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this article is to commemorate and highlight the impact and the legacy of Dr. Joseph L. White on the field of Black psychology through the lens of Dr. A. J. Franklin, a mentee, colleague, and friend. Dr. White, as one of the founders of Black psychology, laid the foundation of the field through scholarship, his interpersonal style, and community engagement. He advanced the field of Black psychology to be a psychology of the Black community and provided an exemplar for other scholars to translate psychology to be viable for everyday Black people and to culturally contextualize the strengths of Black people. Recounting Dr. White’s impact highlights for future Black psychologists of what is needed to continue to advance the field.
Who Gets to Have a DREAM? Examining Public Support for Immigration Reform
Authors: Wallace Geoffrey P. R. , Wallace Sophia Jordán
Published: March 2019

This article assesses how different notions of citizenship shape mass attitudes toward immigration reform. We examine the underpinnings of the military service and college education provisions that were at the center of the 2010 DREAM Act, which sought to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrant youth in the United States. Employing a survey experiment on a nationally representative US sample, we unpack the extent to which the mass public is willing to support immigration reform based on criteria tied to undocumented immigrants’ educational attainment or enlistment in the armed forces. While education has little effect on its own, military service significantly increases public support for a pathway to citizenship. The positive effect of military service endures when it is paired with less popular provisions, suggesting that a military criterion can serve as a basis of support for broader immigration legislation. Moreover, the effects are strongest for those groups who are traditionally viewed as being most opposed to immigration reforms that expand access to citizenship. The results of this study have implications for public attitudes toward immigration, the persistence of the citizen-soldier ideal, and the importance of framing in the policy-making process.
Social representations of climate change and pro-environmental behavior intentions in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Mei-Fang
Published: March 2019

To explore how people attribute meanings to climate change in Taiwan, this study applied social representations theory (SRT) to develop a self-report semi-structured questionnaire that was used to collect data. To fill a research gap, structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to examine the determinants of social representation factors that may affect the public’s intentions to engage in pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). Exploratory factor analysis results obtained from 180 valid online responses indicated four factors for social representations of climate change, namely Emerging Climate Change Risk, Media Coverage and Influence, Psychological Distance, and Pro-environmental Behavior Intentions. The results of SEM analysis obtained from the total of 245 valid online and paper-and-pencil responses revealed that Emerging Climate Change Risk and Media Coverage and Influence helped explain the public’s PEBs intentions, but Psychological Distance did not. This exploratory study provides preliminary knowledge of public understanding of and response toward climate change in the Taiwanese society and demonstrates a novel application of SEM analysis to test the direct effects of social representations of climate change on PEB intentions.
Hearty Lives (Liverpool): a case study-based evaluation of a project designed to promote healthy eating and lifestyles in looked after young people
Authors: Medforth Nicholas , Evans James , Hills Melanie , Madden Hannah , Oyston Jane
Published: March 2019

This article discusses the growing body of evidence on the importance of health for looked after children and young people and evaluates a project, Hearty Lives (Liverpool), designed to produce positive results. Unhealthy weight and lifestyles are significant issues for young people in care, whether living at home with parents under the supervision of social services, with foster carers or in residential homes, as there is a close relationship between food, nutrition and family connectedness. Following the principles of Appreciative Inquiry, the evaluation uses a case study approach to explore the learning and experiences of those involved in the intervention. The learning gained provides useful insights for practitioners and organisations who are interested in developing similar projects elsewhere.
The educational aspirations and psychological well-being of adopted young people in the UK
Authors: Brown Andrew , Waters Cerith S , Shelton Katherine H
Published: March 2019

Much is hypothesised but little is known about the effects of early adversity on school experience, academic attainment and career aspiration for children and young people adopted from care. Drawing on data from Wave 1 of the Youth (10‒15 years old) Questionnaire (n = 4899) from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS), also known as Understanding Society, this study explored differences between young people adopted (n = 22) and a matched comparison group (n = 110) on measures of educational and occupational aspirations and psychological well-being. Adopted young people reported higher externalising and total difficulties scores (based on the SDQ, Goodman, 1997 ) than the general population comparison group, but equivalent internalising symptoms. Adopted children were more likely to show an intention to seek full-time work at the end of compulsory schooling. These findings align with previous research regarding the psychological well-being of adopted children, contribute new knowledge about the aspirations of young people adopted from care and highlight methodological issues when utilising large-scale panel survey data for narrowly defined sub-groups.
Kinetic Viscoelasticity of Crosslinking Epoxy Asphalt
Authors: Apostolidis Panos , Liu Xueyan , van de Ven Martin , Erkens Sandra , Scarpas Tom
Published: March 2019

Epoxy modification of asphalt binders has been recognized as a very effective technology to alter the chemistry of asphaltic materials in such a way that long-lasting pavement structures can be designed. However, the phenomena that are involved to build up the physico-mechanical properties of epoxy asphalt systems are still unknown. The focus of this paper is on understanding the link between chemistry and the mechanical properties of epoxy asphalt binders during the thermo-irreversible process of chemical hardening. For this purpose, a constitutive model for predicting the evolution of cure-induced stresses in epoxy asphalt binders is proposed, and an experimental program was developed to determine the model parameters. The cure dependency of physico-mechanical parameters of modified binder was obtained and imported into the model to simulate the build-up of material properties during (non-)isothermal hardening of epoxy asphalt binder. The model is implemented in a commercially finite element tool by coupling the chemical, thermal, and mechanical phenomena with multi-physics strategies, and the results are analyzed to identify the influence of different heating conditions on the crosslinking density and subsequently on stress build-up. It was found that the amount of stress build-up during curing was strongly dependent on the heating conditions, and a higher rate of stress build-up was observed at higher applied temperatures. In other words, the processing conditions during in-plant material production or in-field manufacturing of structures made by epoxy asphalt systems affect the material hardening and subsequently the desired functionalities of pavement structures.
The Effects of IMF Loan Condition Compliance on GDP Growth
Authors: Hackler Lauren , Hefner Frank , Witte Mark D.
Published: March 2019

Since beginning operations in 1947, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has evolved from its original purpose of overseeing the world’s monetary system to becoming a loan administrator for member nations facing extreme economic crises. Today, the IMF provides conditional lending programs to catalyze economic recovery and growth in recipient countries. Critics of these programs cite various reasons for conditional loan program failures, naming the borrowing countries, creditor countries, and/or the IMF itself as responsible. Using data from 8,377 loan conditions associated with 93 countries’ IMF loan arrangements from 2000 to 2014, this article studies the effects of complying with individual conditions on the borrowing countries’ real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate. Our results suggest that real GDP growth rates are directly affected by meeting the compliance standards of select loan conditions.

JEL Classifications: 019, F35
Sleep Problems in Children With Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities: A Brief Report
Authors: Valicenti-McDermott Maria , Lawson Katharine , Hottinger Kathryn , Seijo Rosa , Schechtman Merryl , Shulman Lisa , Shinnar Shlomo
Published: March 2019

Sleep problems in children with autism and the association with child behavioral problems was studied in an ethnically diverse population, in a cross-sectional study with structured interview. Sample included 50 families of children with autism and 50 families of children with other developmental disabilities, matched by age/gender. Interview included Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire and Aberrant Behavior Checklist. In this ethnically diverse sample, at least 78% of families of children with autism reported significant sleep problems compared to 34% of families of children with other developmental disabilities. Specifically, children with autism reported more frequent bedtime resistance, sleep anxiety, and night wakings than children with other developmental disabilities. Across groups, sleep problems were related to child behavioral difficulties, including irritability and hyperactivity, although this association did not reach significance for the group with autism. Specifics in terms of the nature of sleep disorders will help our understanding and design of effective treatment options.
The Homeland and the Legitimation of the Diaspora: Egyptian Jewish Origin Stories in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods
Authors: Trotter Jonathan
Published: March 2019

How diasporans tell the story of their origin in the homeland and how they came to their new home abroad is just as important as the historical context(s) in which the diaspora community was created. This study draws attention to one common strategy employed by Egyptian Jews in the Hellenistic and Roman periods (in the Letter of Aristeas, the writings of Philo of Alexandria, and 3 Maccabees) when remembering and (re)creating accounts of their origins in the diaspora in ways that legitimized life abroad: the use of diaspora-homeland connections and comparisons.
Active camber system for lateral stability improvement of urban vehicles
Authors: Ataei Mansour , Tang Chen , Khajepour Amir , Jeon Soo
Published: March 2019

A suspension system with the capability of cambering has an additional degree of freedom for changing camber angle to increase the maximum lateral tire force. This study investigates the effects of cambering on overall vehicle stability with emphasis on applications to urban vehicles. A full vehicle model with a reliable tire model including camber effects is employed to investigate the vehicle dynamics behavior under cambering. Besides, a linearized vehicle model is used to analytically study the effects of camber lateral forces on vehicle dynamics. Vehicle behavior for different configurations of camber angles in front and rear wheels is studied and compared. Then, an active camber system is suggested for improvement of vehicle lateral stability. Specifically, performances of active front camber, active rear camber, and their combination are investigated. The results show that a proper strategy for camber control can improve both yaw rate and sideslip angle, simultaneously. Finally, the active front camber system is compared with the well-known active front steering. It is shown that, utilizing more friction forces at the limits, active front camber is more effective in improving maneuverability and lateral stability than active front steering.
Fixing the Growth Illusion: New Directions for Research in Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth
Authors: Infurna Frank J. , Jayawickreme Eranda
Published: March 2019

The literature on resilience and posttraumatic growth has been instrumental in highlighting the human capacity to overcome adversity by illuminating that there are different pathways individuals may follow. Although the theme of strength from adversity is attractive and central to many disciplines and certain cultural narratives, this claim lacks robust empirical evidence. Specific issues include methodological approaches of using growth-mixture modeling in resilience research and retrospective assessments of growth. Conceptually, limitations exist in the examination of which outcomes are most appropriate for studying resilience and growth. We discuss new research intended to overcome these limitations, with a focus on prospective longitudinal designs and the value of integrating these disciplines for furthering our understanding of the human capacity to overcome adversity.
The Prevalence of E-Cigarette Use Among Adults in Malaysia
Authors: Ab Rahman Jamalludin , Mohd Yusoff Muhammad Fadhli , Nik Mohamed Mohamad Haniki , Mahadir Naidu Balkish , Lim Kuang Hock , Tee Guat Hiong , Mohamad Maria Safura , Kartiwi Mira , Draman Samsul , Ab Rahman Norny Syafinaz , Aris Tahir
Published: March 2019

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a new method for the consumption of nicotine. A nationwide survey among 4288 Malaysian adults was conducted in 2016 to measure the prevalence and to describe the population characteristics of e-cigarette users. A complex sampling design was used, and data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire. The overall prevalence of current, ever, former, and dual users of e-cigarettes in Malaysia were 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.5-4.1), 11.9% (95% CI = 10.5-13.5), 8.6% (95% CI = 7.5-9.8), and 2.3% (95% CI = 1.8-3.1), respectively. The prevalence of all type of e-cigarette use was higher in urban than in rural areas. Current e-cigarette users were likely to be younger, males, and with higher education level. Among current e-cigarette users, 74% (95% CI = 64-82) also smoked conventional cigarettes (dual user). E-cigarette use is prevalent in Malaysia. It is common among younger adults, males, and cigarette smokers.
Emotion Cycles in Services: Emotional Contagion and Emotional Labor Effects
Authors: Liu Xiao-Yu , Chi Nai-Wen , Gremler Dwayne D.
Published: March 2019

Service organizations encourage employees to express positive emotions in service encounters, in the hope that customers “catch” these emotions and react positively. Yet customer and employee emotions could be mutually influential. To understand emotional exchanges in service encounters and their influences on customer outcomes, the current study models the interplay of emotional contagion and emotional labor, as well as their influence on customer satisfaction. Employees might catch customers’ emotions and transmit those emotions back to customers through emotional contagion, and employee emotional labor likely influences this cycle by modifying the extent to which emotional contagion occurs. Data from 268 customer-employee dyads, gathered from a large chain of foot massage parlors, confirm the existence of an emotion cycle. Deep acting, as one type of emotional labor used by employees, hinders the transmission of negative emotions to customers, whereas surface acting facilitates it. Both customer emotions and employee emotional labor thus have critical influences on service encounters. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the potential influence of customer preservice emotions and the presence of an emotion cycle during service delivery.
Strength and Temporal Variance of the Default Mode Network to Investigate Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Service Members with Psychological Trauma
Authors: Dretsch Michael N , Rangaprakash D , Katz Jeffrey S , Daniel Thomas A , Goodman Adam M , Denney Thomas S , Deshpande Gopikrishna
Published: March 2019

Background:

There is a significant number of military personnel with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) who suffer from comorbid posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS). Although there is evidence of disruptions of the default mode network (DMN) associated with PTS and mTBI, previous studies have only studied static connectivity while ignoring temporal variability of connectivity.

Objective:

To assess DMN disrupted or dysregulated neurocircuitry, cognitive functioning, and psychological health of active-duty military with mTBI and PTS.

Method:

U.S. Army soldiers with PTS (n = 14), mTBI + PTS (n = 25), and healthy controls (n = 21) voluntarily completed a cognitive and symptom battery. In addition, participants had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess both static functional connectivity (SFC) and variance of dynamic functional connectivity (vDFC) of the DMN.

Results:

Both the PTS and mTBI + PTS groups had significant symptoms, but only the comorbid group had significant decrements in cognitive functioning. Both groups showed less stable and disrupted neural signatures of the DMN, mainly constituting the cingulate-frontal-temporal-parietal attention network. Specifically, the PTS group showed a combination of both reduced contralateral strength and reduced unilateral variability of frontal- cingulate- temporal connectivities, as well as increased variability of frontal- parietal connectivities. The mTBI + PTS group had fewer abnormal connectives than the PTS group, all of which included reduced strength of frontal- temporal regions and reduced variability frontal- cingulate- temporal regions. Greater SFC and vDFC connectivity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) ↔ precuneus was associated with higher cognitive scores and lower symptom scores.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that individuals with PTS and mTBI + PTS have a propensity for accentuated generation of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and/or images while in a resting state. Compared with controls, only the PTS group was associated with accentuated variability of the frontal- parietal attention network. While there were no significant differences in DMN connectivity strength between the mTBI + PTS and PTS groups, variability of connectivity was able to distinguish them.
On Pain as a Distinct Sensation: Mapping Intensities, Affects, and Difference in ‘Interior States’
Authors: Paterson Mark
Published: March 2019

A recent widely reported study found that some participants would prefer to self-administer a small electric shock than be bored. This flawed study serves as a departure point to diagram pain and sensation beyond the boundaries of the individual body, consisting of four sections. First, in terms of laboratory-based experimentation and auto-experimentation with pain, there is a long history of viewing pain and touch through introspective means. Second, later theories of pain successively widened the scope of the physiological mechanisms and external influences on the organism, such as Melzack and Wall’s cybernetics-influenced gate control theory. Third, we briefly consider the nervous system as a homeostatic system, which finds an historical parallel in explanations of the milieu intérieur of the organism, via Claude Bernard and Kurt Goldstein. Fourth, pain helps tip the organism as a whole from perception to action, but also operates beyond the organism as a biopsychosocial phenomenon.