bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does it help to train attention in dyslexic children: pilot case studies with a ten-session neurofeedback program
Authors: Au Alma , Ho Gladys S.M. , Choi Elizabeth W.M. , Leung Patrick , Waye Mary M.Y. , Kang Kenneth , Au Kit-yee 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Neurofeedback is a biofeedback training of electroencephalogram (EEG) activity through operant conditioning where an individual is trained to increase or inhibit the brain activity in specific frequency ranges. Studies have demonstrated its efficacy to reduce inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with the mostly used training protocols on modulation of θ/β ratio. Given the comorbidity and common cognitive deficits between ADHD and developmental dyslexia, this study aimed to explore the effects of θ/β neurofeedback on cognitive deficits in Chinese dyslexic children. In the present case study, a multiple-baseline design was adopted, and the effects of training were investigated from both neurophysiological and neuropsychological levels. Four dyslexic children completed 10 weekly sessions of θ suppression and β enhancement neurofeedback training in the sensorimotor cortex. Pre- and post-assessments consisted of neurophysiological measures, neuropsychological assessments, and parental reports. Neurofeedback training reduced θ/β ratios in all participants. All participants also improved in measures of auditory vigilance and phonological awareness.
Educational options, difficulties, and barriers for vision, hearing, and mobility impaired persons living in Bangkok
Authors: Thianthai Chulanee 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Widening educational inequality can easily be made by dismissing the problem holistically and not noticing diversity among each group of disabled people. This research aims to strive for an in-depth understanding of the entire educational experiences in integrated education and the significance of education for disabled people, through the voice of the vision, hearing, and mobility impaired living in Bangkok, Thailand. The research aims to answer the following objectives: (i) factors related to Thai parents’ decision-making in choosing the type of school for their disabled children; (ii) problems occurring in the Thai integrated educational system for vision, hearing, and mobility impaired students regarding challenges, obstacles in certain subjects, and negative social attitudes that pertain to education; (iii) perceptions on what the Thai education system lacks; and (iv) importance of education in the lives of disabled Thai people. A variety of ethnographic methodology, namely, participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group interviews were employed in order to capture the relevant and repeated emerging themes of the findings.
A Comprehensive Overview of Different Protection Schemes in Micro-Grids
Authors: Mirsaeidi Sohrab , Mat Said Dalila , Wazir Mustafa Mohd. , Habibuddin Mohd. Hafiz , Miveh Mohammad Reza 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in applying micro-grid systems not only to improve reliability but also to enhance power quality. One of the major challenges associated with the implementation of micro-grids is to design an appropriate protection scheme which has the ability to protect micro-grids in both grid-connected and islanded mode. In order to overcome this challenge, different approaches have recently appeared in the literatures. This paper aims to provide an introspective review of the available protection schemes used for addressing micro-grid protection issues in both grid-connected and islanded mode. In addition to description of existing protection schemes to date and categorizing them into specific clusters, a comparative analysis is done in which the merits and demerits of each methodology are evaluated.
Event-Based Communication in Distributed Model Predictive Control
Authors: Groß Dominic , Jilg Martin , Stursberg Olaf 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
We investigate a scheme for event-based communication in distributed model predictive control (DMPC) of dynamically coupled linear discrete-time systems. In DMPC, a key issue is to determine how and when to communicate information between local controllers. Instead of considering a given and static communication scheme, we propose an approach to balance communication load and performance. First-order sensitivities of the local MPC solutions with respect to communicated information are used to decide whether communication between controllers may lead to improved performance.
Student Laptop Use and Scores on Standardized Tests
Authors: Kposowa Augustine J. , Valdez Amanda D. 
Published: July 2013

Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between ubiquitous laptop use and academic achievement. It was hypothesized that students with ubiquitous laptops would score on average higher on standardized tests than those without such computers. Methods: Data were obtained from two sources. First, demographic and computer usage information was obtained through face-to-face interviews of 4th and 5th grade students enrolled in an ethnically diverse elementary school in Southern California. Student achievement and related data were obtained from existing school records. An unmatched case-control group design was implemented. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate techniques were performed on the data. Results: Overall English/Language Arts and Mathematics scores for the entire sample were 359 and 396 respectively in 2008. Students who were given 24/7 laptop computers, however, had higher scores in English/Language Arts ( M = 392.7, SD = 34.98) than students without laptops ( M = 338.54, SD = 39.69). In Mathematics, students with laptops had a mean of 448.1 ( M = 448.1, SD = 56.83), whereas those without laptops had an average of 365.05 ( M = 365.05, SD = 52.64). Independent sample t-tests showed that these differences between cases and controls were statistically significant. Conclusions: Results showed that, in general, ubiquitous laptop computers improve student performance in English Language/Arts, Mathematics, and Science. These findings contradict other studies that have shown that 24/7 laptops have no effect on student achievement. It is suggested that policy makers continue judicious use of technology in the education curriculum.
Overview of Highly Flexible, Deployable Lattice Structures Used in Architecture and Civil Engineering Undergoing Large Displacements
Authors: Friedman Noemi , Ibrahimbegovic Adnan 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
In this article an extensive but not exhaustive review on different transformable systems - retractable roofs, deployable and retractable pantographic lattice systems, pop-up and snap-through type structures, tensegrity structures - used in architecture and civil engineering will be given. This study was carried out to explore earlier and current researches and technologies to demonstrate the available systems and their potential. However, the main goal of this article is to expose the wild range of structural systems requiring elaborate dynamical analysis, divers of them are still lacking profound calculation procedure.
The reviewed systems are herein categorized in two groups: 1) multibody systems having additional controlling and stabilizing elements and 2) systems undergoing large deformation, and instability phenomena. The article will pan out about the applicable joint types, some of them involving friction and damping effects. For a better outline, simplified analysis of elementary segments of some reviewed systems is annexed.
Graphical Processing Unit accelerated Poisson
equation solver and its application for calculation of
single ion potential in ion-channels
Authors: Simakov Nikolay A. , Kurnikova Maria G. 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Poisson and Poisson-Boltzmann equations (PE and PBE) are
widely used in molecular modeling to estimate the electrostatic
contribution to the free energy of a system. In such
applications, PE often needs to be solved multiple times for a
large number of system configurations. This can rapidly become
a highly demanding computational task. To accelerate
such calculations we implemented a graphical processing unit
(GPU) PE solver described in this work. The GPU solver performance
is compared to that of our central processing unit
(CPU) implementation of the solver. During the performance
analysis the following three characteristics were studied: (1)
precision associated with the modeled system discretization
on the grid, (2) numeric precision associated with the floating
point representation of real numbers (this is done via comparison
of calculations with single precision (SP) and double
precision (DP)), and (3) execution time. Two types of example
calculations were carried out to evaluate the solver performance:
(1) solvation energy of a single ion and a small
protein (lysozyme), and (2) a single ion potential in a large
ion-channel (α-hemolysin). In addition, influence of various
boundary condition (BC) choices was analyzed, to determine
the most appropriate BC for the systems that include a membrane,
typically represented by a slab with the dielectric constant
of low value. The implemented GPU PE solver is overall
about 7 times faster than the CPU-based version (including all
four cores). Therefore, a single computer equipped with multiple
GPUs can offer a computational power comparable to that
of a small cluster. Our calculations showed that DP versions
of CPU and GPU solvers provide nearly identical results. SP
versions of the solvers have very similar behavior: in the grid
scale range of 1-4 grids/Å the difference between SP and DP
versions is less than the difference stemming from the system
discretization. We found that for the membrane protein, the
use of a focusing technique with periodic boundary conditions
in rough grid provides significantly better results than using a
focusing technique with the electric potential set to zero at the
boundaries.
The Atlantic spiny lumpsucker Eumicrotremus spinosus: life history traits and the seemingly unlikely interaction with the pelagic amphipod Themisto libellula
Authors: Berge Jørgen , Nahrgang Jasmine 
Published: July 2013

AbstractDuring a cruise to Svalbard in September 2012 a unique collection of the little known but widely distributed Atlantic spiny lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus spinosus) was made in the Hinlopen Strait. A total of 140 individuals (36-101mm total length) were collected using a bottom trawl. All individuals were sexed and 26 of these were also analysed for gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and stomach content. The sex ratio of the entire sample showed a strong bias towards females (75% of all examined specimens). The GSI ranged from 1.4 to 5.8% except for one female with a GSI of 20%. All females carried gonads in which eggs were clearly visible, independent of size, indicative of an early sexual maturation and an iteroparous life cycle of females. All examined specimens had almost an exclusively pelagic diet, with Themisto libellula constituting 100% of the stomach content in 80% of the examined fishes. The results are discussed in relation to diel vertical migration of Arctic zooplankton and deep migrating layers.
Influence of Rhizobacteria Inoculation and Lead Stress on the Physiological and Biochemical Attributes of Wheat Genotypes
Authors: Janmohammadi M. , Bihamta M.R. , Ghasemzadeh F. 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Contamination of soils by lead (Pb) is of widespread occurrence as result of human, agricultural and industrial activities. A pot study was carried out to evaluate physio-biochemical responses (chlorophyll content, soluble protein, proline content and activities of enzymatic antioxidants) of 10 bread wheat genotypes to inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (combination of Azospirillum brasilense and Azotobacter chroococcum) under Pb stress (0 and 65 mg kg-1). Result revealed that lead stress averagely decreased grain yield of wheat cultivars by 41.4 %. Lead stress increased lipid peroxidation and induced a significant accumulation of proline in leaves. Protein content decreased from 8-25.4% in different cultivars in Pbcontaminated soils. Activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly increased in the presence of lead. An increase in total hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content was noticed under lead stress in all cultivars, which was similar to production of malondialdehyde (MDA). However, promotion of growth was evident in most cultivars as a consequence of rhizobacterial inoculation, since plant growth promoting rhizobacteria could improve grain yield, proline content and membrane integrity, while significantly reduced the production of MDA and H2O2. Total chlorophyll content considerably declined with Pb stress. Between cultivars the best performance under lead stress was observed in Sardari, Shahriyar and Gaspard which had the highest yield and antioxidants activity. Obtained results showed that inoculation with Azotobacter and Azospirillium possibly through bioremediation strategy can stimulate plant growth under adverse environmental conditions, such as heavy metal contamination.
Soil Physical Properties and Grain Yield of Spring Maize (Zea Mays L.) as Influence by Tillage Practices and Mulch Treatments
Authors: Javeed H.M.R. , Zamir M.S.I. , Tanveer A. , Yaseen M. 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Soil provides suitable media for plant growth and development during the whole crop life cycle. The agronomic management practices can improve the soil fertility and crop productivity on sustainable basis. To explore the effects of some agromanagement practices on the spring maize, an experiment was conducted at the Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during spring season 2010 and 2011, using randomized complete block design with split block design arrangements. The experiment comprised of four tillage treatments viz: zero tillage (T1), minimum tillage (T2), conventional tillage (T3) and deep tillage (T4) in the main plots, while the four mulch treatments i.e. control (M1), black plastic mulch (M2), wheat straw mulch 10 Mg ha-1 (M3) and grass mulch 10 Mg ha-1 (M4) in the sub plots. Irrigation was provided according to crop requirement and herbicides were applied to control the weeds. All the tillage practices significantly affected (p<0.05) the different soil physical properties i.e. soil bulk density, soil total porosity, water infiltration rate and root penetration resistance. Deep tillage practice and black plastic mulch significantly increased the grain yield (m-2) of spring maize than the zero tillage, minimum tillage, conventional tillage, no mulch, wheat straw mulch and rice straw mulch in both years of study. The two years field results suggested that the mulches improved soil aeration and water infiltration rate, lower the soil bulk density and root penetration resistance than the control treatments.
Research on the Flight Evolution of Melolontha Melolontha L. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) Species in the Central of Moldavia Conditions, Romania
Authors: Trotuş Elena , Naie Margareta , Buburuz Alexandra-Andreea 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
The cockhafer (Melolontha melolontha L.) is the most widespread and best known bug. It is a polyphagous bug, being harmful both in adulthood and in larva stage. The researches were conducted at Agricultural Research and Development Station (A.R.D.S.) of Secuieni, Neamţ county, Romania, and followed the evolution of adult flight, during 1993 - 2012 with a light trap help. The gatherings and records were made daily from 1 April to 31 October every year, during the observation period. Dividing the observation period into four stages of five years each, it was found that the largest number of specimens, 38059, was collected in the second stage (1998 - 2002), followed by the third stage (2003 - 2007) with 18167 specimens, first stage with 12173 specimens, and the lowest number of 286 specimens was recorded in the fourth stage (2008 - 2012). The adults flight started in all the years in the second or the third decade of April and lasted until the second or the third decade of May, with the exception of 1995 şi 2009 when he finished in the first decade of June. The average duration of the flight was 39 days. The maximum flight curve was reached, in all years of observation, in the third decade of April and first decade of May. The maximum intensity of flight curves was recorded every three years, as follows: 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012. This shows that, in Secuieni conditions, the insect has one generation at 3 years. Highest intensity of flights has been in the years 2000, when the top flight was conducted by 38059 specimens, 2003 with 13912 specimens/flight and 1997 with 10221 specimens/flight.
ErasureandThe Water Cure: A Possible Suture?
Authors: Amfreville Marc 
Published: July 2013

Abstract:This paper endeavours to find a guiding thread through two very different novels by Percival Everett: Erasure and The Water Cure. In spite of obvious differences in plots and subjects, they both, in fact, deal with memory, loss, and fiction writing. Moreover, they stage narrators who feed on their depression over the death or physical degradation of loved ones to promote the readers’ reflection on creativity and the power of language. Thus, while resorting to the expression of trauma-related predicaments that engage the reader’s empathy, they both proceed to question the very nature of representation, and bring about a recognition of the creative power of mourning. Starting with Erasure and more radically in The Water Cure, the very possibility of circumscribing the gaping wound inflicted by language, possibly through the lure of illegibility, constitutes the suture that both texts seem to pronounce impossible.
Writing (Fat) Bodies: Grotesque Realism and the Carnivalesque in Percival Everett’sZulus
Authors: Mitchell Keith B. 
Published: July 2013

Abstract:Percival Everett’s novel Zulus (1989) is a dark and deeply engrossing post-apocalyptic meditation on the ravages of war and its tyrannical effect on human communication, connections, and understanding. It is also a satire and a foray, both comic and deadly serious, into the grotesque realism of the tradition of Rabelais and Swift. The article examines aspects of grotesque realism and the carnivalesque through a Bakhtinian lens and explores Zulus in light of current theory concerning fat, embodiment, and what Mark Graham coins as lipoliteracy; that is, the way we “read” fat as conveying intelligible messages about bodies and food. Thus, the article embraces, yet moves beyond, standard readings of the grotesque body by exploring the materiality of the fat body as it is affected and as it affects societal standards of the corporeal.
The Honeypot Randomized Controlled Trial Statistical Analysis Plan
Authors: Pascoe Elaine Mary , Lo Serigne , Scaria Anish , Badve Sunil V. , Beller Elaine Mary , Cass Alan , Hawley Carmel Mary , Johnson David W. 
Published: July 2013

Background The HONEYPOT study is a multicenter, open-label, blinded-outcome, randomized controlled trial designed to determine whether, compared with standard topical application of mupirocin for nasal staphylococcal carriage, exit-site application of antibacterial honey reduces the rate of catheter-associated infections in peritoneal dialysis patients. Objective To make public the pre-specified statistical analysis principles to be adhered to and the procedures to be performed by statisticians who will analyze the data for the HONEYPOT trial. Methods Statisticians and clinical investigators who were blinded to treatment allocation and treatment-related study results and who will remain blinded until the central database is locked for final data extraction and analysis determined the statistical methods and procedures to be used for analysis and wrote the statistical analysis plan. The plan describes basic analysis principles, methods for dealing with a range of commonly encountered data analysis issues, and the specific statistical procedures for analyzing the primary, secondary, and safety outcomes. Results A statistical analysis plan containing the pre-specified principles, methods, and procedures to be adhered to in the analysis of the data from the HONEYPOT trial was developed in accordance with international guidelines. The structure and content of the plan provide sufficient detail to meet the guidelines on statistical principles for clinical trials produced by the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. Conclusions Making public the pre-specified statistical analysis plan for the HONEYPOT trial minimizes the potential for bias in the analysis of trial data and the interpretation and reporting of trial results.
Mieux gérer les incidences de l'automatisation des services : le cas des caisses libre-service
Authors: Ba Amadou , Vignon Christophe 
Published: July 2013

L’introduction des caisses libre-service entraîne beaucoup de changements dans les relations entre les caissiers et les clients. Ces derniers perdent leur statut de « client-roi » et deviennent exécutants du travail. Pour les caissiers, les relations avec les clients changent radicalement de nature. Le travail repose désormais essentiellement sur la qualité de l’accueil, la formation et le contrôle des clients. Tirant des leçons d’un cas d’échec dans une enseigne, nous proposons des conditions à respecter afin d’optimiser les retombées de l’automatisation des services pour les dirigeants des magasins, les employés et les clients.
Training Residents in Obesity Counseling: Incorporating Principles of Motivational Interviewing to Enhance Patient Centeredness
Authors: Burton Amy M , Agne April A , Lehr Stephanie M , Davis Nichola J , Willett Lisa L , Cherrington Andrea L 
Published: July 2013

Abstract

Background
The US Preventive Services Task Force and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that physicians screen patients for obesity and practice counseling interventions to achieve modest (4%–8%) weight loss. Despite this, physicians frequently do not document obesity and/or counsel on weight loss. Our goal was to develop an innovative, easily disseminated workshop to improve resident physicians' skills and confidence in weight-loss counseling.

Methods
We developed a tailored 3-hour interactive Obesity Counseling Workshop. The approach incorporates principles of motivational interviewing, a set of listening and counseling skills designed to enhance patient centeredness and promote behavior change. Adult learning theory served as the foundation for program delivery. The half-day session is administered monthly to internal medicine and pediatric residents on outpatient rotations.

Key Results
To date 77 residents (44 internal medicine and 33 pediatric) have completed the workshop, with approximately even distribution of postgraduate year (PGY)–1, PGY-2, and PGY-3 level residents. Forty-two were women and less than half planned to pursue a primary care–oriented career. Residents completed a 10-item workshop evaluation, with each category scoring an average of 3.5 or greater on a 4-point Likert scale. Residents reported the workshop was well organized and addressed an important topic; they enjoyed the role-playing with observation and feedback.

Conclusions
Residents welcomed the opportunity to participate in an interactive workshop focused on obesity counseling and behavior change, and particularly liked putting new skills into practice with role-playing and receiving real-time feedback. Future analyses will determine the workshop's effect on knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy.