bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Perception of Distance in Simulated Visual Displays:A Comparison of the Effectiveness and Accuracy of Multiple Depth Cues Across Viewing Distances
Authors: Surdick R. Troy , Davis Elizabeth T. , King Robert A. , Hodges Larry F.
Published: December 2015

The ability effectively and accurately to simulate distance in virtual and augmented reality systems is a challenge currently facing R&D. To examine this issue, we separately tested each of seven visual depth cues (relative brightness, relative size, relative height, linear perspective, foreshortening, texture gradient, and stereopsis) as well as the condition in which all seven of these cues were present and simultaneously providing distance information in a simulated display. The viewing distances were 1 and 2 m. In developing simulated displays to convey distance and depth there are three questions that arise. First, which cues provide effective depth information (so that only a small change in the depth cue results in a perceived change in depth)? Second, which cues provide accurate depth information (so that the perceived distance of two equidistant objects perceptually matches)? Finally, how does the effectiveness and accuracy of these depth cues change as a function of the viewing distance? Ten college-aged subjects were tested with each depth-cue condition at both viewing distances. They were tested using a method of constant stimuli procedure and a modified Wheat-stone stereoscopic display. The perspective cues (linear perspective, foreshortening, and texture gradient) were found to be more effective than other depth cues, while effectiveness of relative brightness was vastly inferior. Moreover, relative brightness, relative height, and relative size all significantly decreased in effectiveness with an increase in viewing distance. The depth cues did not differ in terms of accuracy at either viewing distance. Finally, some subjects experienced difficulty in rapidly perceiving distance information provided by stereopsis, but no subjects had difficulty in effectively and accurately perceiving distance with the perspective information used in our experiment. A second experiment demonstrated that a previously stereo-anomalous subject could be trained to perceive stereoscopic depth in a binocular display. We conclude that the use of perspective cues in simulated displays may be more important than the other depth cues tested because these cues are the most effective and accurate cues at both viewing distances, can be easily perceived by all subjects, and can be readily incorporated into simpler, less complex displays (e.g., biocular HMDs) or more complex ones (e.g., binocular or see-through HMDs).
Humans in Large-scale, Networked Virtual Environments
Authors: Pratt David R. , Pratt Shirley M. , Barham Paul T. , Barker Randall E. , Waldrop Marianne S. , Ehlert James F. , Chrislip Christopher A.
Published: December 2015

This paper examines the representation of humans in large-scale, networked virtual environments. Previous work done in this field is summarized, and existing problems with rendering, articulating, and networking numerous human figures in real time are explained. We have developed a system that integrates together some well-known solutions along with new ideas. Models with multiple level of details, body-tracking technology and animation libraries to specify joint angles, efficient group representations to describe multiple humans, and hierarchical network protocols have been successfully employed to increase the number of humans represented, system performance, and user interactivity. The resulting system immerses participants effectively and has numerous useful applications.
EEG Measurements in a Virtual Reality Headset
Authors: Strickland Dorothy , Chartier Dan
Published: December 2015

While virtual reality systems are used in training and in mental health treatment to simulate real-world environments, understanding the mental processing differences between artificial and real scenes has been difficult to substantiate. The ability to compare brain processing in virtual and real exposures could provide an objective quantitative comparison. In this paper, we demonstrate that verifiable EEG measurements of mental activity can be obtained while subjects are immersed in a virtual reality headset. Using standard commercial EEG measuring equipment, we recorded EEG activity in similar virtual and real scenes for 14 people encountering four different test conditions. We discuss the systematic exploration of the recording problems and the steps taken to verify the data. This data is further analyzed to conclude that differences do exist between real and virtual image processing, with variations affected more by subject and task than by which area of the brain is processing the image. We discuss some possible reasons for these findings.
Thermal Feedback in Virtual Environments
Authors: Bergamasco Massimo , Alessi A.A. , Calcara M.
Published: December 2015

This work refers to the study of thermal contact phenomena modeling for tactile feedback in virtual environments applications. The results of the modeling aspects for thermal replication are collected in specific functions that are used by the renderer of a virtual application. The finger temperature distribution versus time and contacted object temperature are the fundamental ways to approach, according to a specific modeling technique, the computation of the contact temperature occurring at the interface between the virtual hand and virtual object. Finger temperature distribution is then used for the control of thermal effectors. The modeling of the spatial and temporal distribution of the temperature in the human finger, when contact occurs with an external object at a defined temperature, is carried out in two phases: (a) determination of the temperature distribution in the finger when no contact is detected; and (b) determination of the temperature distribution in the finger when contact is detected. Results of the modeling are given and a procedure describing how these results can be used in the framework of a real application is presented.
An Evaluation of Level of Detail Degradation in Head-Mounted Display Peripheries
Authors: Watson Benjamin , Walker Neff , Hodges Larry F. , Reddy Martin
Published: December 2015

A paradigm for the design of systems that manage level of detail in virtual environments is proposed. As an example of the prototyping step in this paradigm, a user study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of high-detail insets used with head-mounted displays. Ten subjects were given a simple search task that required the location and identification of a single target object. All subjects used seven different displays (the independent variable), varying in inset size and peripheral detail, to perform this task Frame rate, target location, subject input method, and order of display use were all controlled. Primary dependent measures were search time on trials with correct identification, and the percentage of all trials correctly identified. ANOVAs of the results showed that insetless, high-detail displays did not lead to significantly different search times or accuracies than displays with insets. In fact, only the insetless, low-detail display returned significantly different results. Further research is being performed to examine the effect of varying task complexity, inset size, and level of detail.
Managing Level of Detail in Virtual Environments: A Perceptual Framework
Authors: Reddy Martin , Watson Benjamin , Walker Neff , Hodges Larry F.
Published: December 2015

In the companion paper, Watson et al. (1997), we demonstrated the effectiveness of using perceptual criteria to select the amount of detail that is displayed in an immersive virtual reality (VR) system. Based upon this determination, we will now attempt to develop a principled, perceptually oriented framework to automatically select the appropriate level of detail (LOD) for each object in a scene, taking into consideration the limitations of the human visual system. We apply knowledge and theories from the domain of visual perception to the field of VR, thus optimizing the visual information presented to the user based upon solid metrics of human vision. Through a series of contrast grating experiments, a user's visual acuity may be assessed in terms of spatial frequency (c/deg) and contrast. The results of these tests can be modeled mathematically using a contrast sensitivity function (CSF). Therefore, we can use the CSF results to estimate how much visual detail the user can perceive in an object at any instant. Then, if we could describe this object in terms of its spatial frequencies, this would enable us to select the lowest LOD available without the user being able to perceive any visual change.
Speech-based Multimodal Interaction in Virtual Environments: Research at the Thomson-CSF Corporate Research Laboratories
Authors: Normand Véronique , Pernel Didier , Bacconnet Béatrice
Published: December 2015

The Thomson-CSF Corporate Research Laboratories are investigating the issues of user-interface design, spoken and multimodal interaction design and realization in virtual environments. This paper describes our technical approach to speech-enabled multimodal virtual environments, based on our past achievements in the multimodal interaction domain, and presents our main supporting projects in this area. These projects involve augmented reality for maintenance, military situation building and assessment, and collaborative virtual environments.
Understanding the Essex Junto: Fear, Dissent, and Propaganda in the Early Republic
Authors: Mayo-Bobee Dinah
Published: December 2015

Historians have never formed a consensus over the Essex Junto. In fact, though often associated with New England Federalists, propagandists evoked the Junto long after the Federalist Party’s demise in 1824. This article chronicles uses of the term Essex Junto and its significance as it evolved from the early republic through the 1840s.
Holistic morphometric analysis of growth of the sand dollar Echinarachnius parma (Echinodermata:Echinoidea:Clypeasteroida)
Authors: ZACHOS LOUIS G.
Published: December 2015

Holistic morphometrics is a term implying complete shape characterization of all of the structural parts of an organism. The skeleton of an echinoid is comprised of hundreds of individual plates arranged in a closed 3-dimensional mosaic forming the test. GIS software and techniques were used to generate topologically correct digital models of an ontogenetic series of specimens of the sand dollar echinoid Echinarachnius parma. Plate growth can be considered in proportion to overall skeleton growth, resulting in a linear model of relative growth. Alternatively, separate logistic equations can be fit to the ontogenetic series of homologous plate areas using nonlinear least squares regression to result in a model for instantaneous growth. The linear and logistic parameters of the models describe the allometric growth of plates from different viewpoints. Growth is shown to fall into characteristic patterns defining distinct plate growth domains associated with development of the imago (larval) skeleton just prior to metamorphosis, early growth associated with expansion of the corona and fold-over (forming the flattened body form), juvenile growth and formation of petals, and adult growth. Functions of growth, plate translocation, plate juxtaposition between aboral and oral surfaces, and relationships with internal buttressing are quantified. Results offer explanations for general skeletal symmetry, distinction between ambulacral and interambulacral growth, the relationship of growth to internal buttressing, existence of a distinct petalodium, and anterior-posterior asymmetry during development. The parametric values of growth functions derived from the results are a basis for computational modeling of growth and development in sand dollars.
A review of Chinese tribe Achilini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Achilidae),
with descriptions of Paracatonidia webbeda gen. & sp. nov.
Authors: LONG JIAN-KUN , YANG LIN , CHEN XIANG-SHENG
Published: December 2015

Planthoppers of the tribe Achilini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Achilidae) from China, are reviewed. A key to the three genera of Chinese Achilini is given. A new genus and species of the tribe from southwestern China: Paracatonidia webbeda gen. & sp. nov., is described. A new genus and species record for China, Cixidia kasparyani Anufriev, is also given.
An annotated checklist of the aquatic Adephaga (Coleoptera) of Egypt III. Noteridae, Haliplidae and Gyrinidae
Authors: SALAH MOHAMED , CUETO JUAN ANTONIO RÉGIL
Published: December 2015

Data from previous literature were used to compile a checklist of the Egyptian fauna of families Noteridae, Haliplidae and Gyrinidae. A total of 17 species are cited for Egypt, distributed among 8 genera Neohydrocoptus Satô, 1972, Canthydrus Sharp, 1882 and Synchortus Sharp, 1880 (Noteridae); Haliplus Latreille, 1802 (Haliplidae); Dineutus MacLeay, 1825, Gyrinus Geoffroy, 1762, Orectochilus Dejean, 1833 and Orectogyrus Régimbart, 1884 (Gyrinidae). The checklist provides information for each recorded species on the type localities, type specimens, descriptors, distribution and previous published records. The checklist presented here provides a summary that can serve as the basis for future progress in the knowledge of these coleopteran families in Egypt.
Margelopsis gibbesii (McCrady, 1859) (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa): taxonomic review, and conservation of usage by designation of a lectotype
Authors: CALDER DALE R. , JOHNSON WILLIAM S.
Published: December 2015

The binomen Nemopsis gibbesii McCrady, 1859, originally applied to a species of hydromedusa and its supposed hydroid from South Carolina, USA, has been known for more than a century to encompass two species. The medusa stage is conspecific with that of Nemopsis bachei L. Agassiz, 1849, while the hydroid stage is referable to the genus Margelopsis Hartlaub, 1897. Both that hydroid, and the medusa stage now subjectively linked to it, are commonly assigned to M. gibbesii. With no type having ever been designated for McCrady’s species, a lectotype is designated to stabilize nomenclature of the species and serve as the standard for application of the name. In the absence of type specimens, an illustration of the hydroid of N. gibbesii by McCrady is chosen as lectotype, thereby conserving the name Margelopsis gibbesii in its accustomed usage. Hydroids and medusae of the species are re-described from new material, the cnidome of both stages is characterized, and a taxonomic review is given. The hydroid stage is reported for the first time since its original description in the mid-19th century. Medusae of M. gibbesii are also seen infrequently, having been reported only six times earlier.
New species of Hemilophini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) from Colombia and Ecuador
Authors: MONNÉ MARCELA L. , MONNÉ MIGUEL A.
Published: December 2015

Three new species of Hemilophini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) are described: Chrysaperda mimica sp. nov. and Malacoscylus nearnsi sp. nov. from Ecuador, and Eulachnesia boteroi sp. nov. from Colombia.
Psephenops panamaensis sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea: Psephenidae) from Panama
Authors: ARCE-PÉREZ ROBERTO , NOVELO-GUTIÉRREZ RODOLFO , CORNEJO AYDEÉ
Published: December 2015

To date, the genus Psephenops Grouvelle (= Xexanchorinus) is comprised of ten described species with an apparent fragmentary distribution: P. smithi Grouvelle (Antillean, with two subspecies (Bameul 2001)); P. grouvellei Champion (Guatemala); P. haitianus Darlington (Haiti); P. maculicollis Darlington (Costa Rica and Colombia); P. argentinensis Delève (Argentina); P. prestonae Spangler (Costa Rica); P. lupita Arce-Pérez and P. mexicanus Arce-Pérez and Novelo-Gutiérrez (Mexico); P. spiniparameri and P. shepardi Arce-Pérez and Novelo-Gutiérrez (Belize) (Arce-Pérez & Novelo-Gutiérrez 2013). We now extend the number of species known to eleven with the description of a new species from Panama, and the first record of the subfamily Psepheninae for this Central American country (Arce-Pérez & Shepard 2001).
Two new species of minute land snails from Madagascar: Boucardicus monchenkoi sp. nov. and B. ambindaensis sp. nov. (Caenogastropoda: Cyclophoridae)
Authors: BALASHOV Igor , GRIFFITHS OWEN
Published: December 2015

Boucardicus Fischer-Piette & Bedoucha, 1965 is considered to be a very diverse group of the land caenogastropods endemic to Madagascar and consisting 197 recognized species and 5 subspecies. Except two species described by Edgar Albert Smith (1892, 1893), all these taxa were introduced by Édouard Fischer-Piette and Kenneth Emberton with coauthors, mainly since 1993 (Fischer-Piette & Bedoucha, 1965; Fischer-Piette et al., 1993; Emberton, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2009; Emberton & Pearce, 1999; Emberton et al., 2010). Fischer-Piette & Bedoucha (1965) placed 6 species in Boucardicus, the snails with conic shell, mainly moderately small (height and width are about 10 mm in type species). They also established one more new genus with a single new species—Madecataulus Fischer-Piette & Bedoucha, 1965, of the moderately small snails with fusiform shell (height about 10 mm, width—5 mm). Two more new species were placed in Madecataulus later (Fischer-Piette et al., 1993, Emberton, 1994), but this genus was rejected and united with Boucardicus by Emberton & Pearce (1999). At the same time since 1999 several minute snails with pupilloid-like shell (height 1.5–3.5 mm) and mostly with specific apertural structures were placed in Boucardicus together with much larger snails that are quite different also in the shape of shell and structure of aperture (Emberton & Pearce, 1999; Emberton, 2002; Emberton et al., 2010). Two new species related to these Boucardicus pupilloid-like forms were revealed recently during our studies and described here—B. monchenkoi sp. nov. and B. ambindaensis sp. nov.
Exploring the Tropically Excited Arctic Warming Mechanism with Station Data: Links between Tropical Convection and Arctic Downward Infrared Radiation
Authors: Flournoy Matthew D. , Feldstein Steven B. , Lee Sukyoung , Clothiaux Eugene E.
Published: December 2015

The Tropically Excited Arctic Warming (TEAM) mechanism ascribes warming of the Arctic surface to tropical convection, which excites poleward-propagating Rossby wave trains that transport water vapor and heat into the Arctic. A crucial component of the TEAM mechanism is the increase in downward infrared radiation (IR) that precedes the Arctic warming. Previous studies have examined the downward IR associated with the TEAM mechanism using reanalysis data. To corroborate previous findings, this study examines the linkage between tropical convection, Rossby wave trains, and downward IR with Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) downward IR station data. The physical processes that drive changes in the downward IR are also investigated by regressing 300-hPa geopotential height, outgoing longwave radiation, water vapor flux, ERA-Interim downward IR, and other key variables against the BSRN downward IR at Barrow, Alaska, and Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen.

Both the Barrow and the Ny-Ålesund station downward IR anomalies are preceded by anomalous tropical convection and poleward-propagating Rossby wave trains. The wave train associated with Barrow resembles the Pacific–North America teleconnection pattern, and that for Ny-Ålesund corresponds to a northwestern Atlantic wave train. It is found that both wave trains promote warm and moist advection from the midlatitudes into the Arctic. The resulting water vapor flux convergence, multiplied by the latent heat of vaporization, closely resembles the regressed ERA-Interim downward IR. These results suggest that the combination of warm advection, latent heat release, and increased cloudiness all contribute toward an increase in downward IR.
Dominant Modes of Interannual Variability in Eurasian Surface Air Temperature during Boreal Spring
Authors: Chen Shangfeng , Wu Renguang , Liu Yong
Published: December 2015

This study investigates interannual variations of surface air temperature (SAT) over mid- and high latitudes of Eurasia during boreal spring and their association with snow, atmospheric circulation, and sea surface temperature (SST) changes. The leading mode of spring SAT variations is featured by same-sign anomalies over most regions. The second mode features a tripole anomaly pattern with anomalies over the central part opposite to those over the eastern and western parts of Eurasia. A diagnosis of surface heat flux anomalies suggests that snow change contributes partly to SAT anomalies in several regions mainly by modulating surface shortwave radiation but cannot explain SAT changes in other regions. Atmospheric circulation anomalies play an important role in spring SAT variability via wind-induced heat advection and cloud-induced surface radiation changes. Positive SAT anomalies are associated with anomalous westerly winds from the North Atlantic Ocean or with anomalous anticyclone and southerly winds. Negative SAT anomalies occur in regions of anomalous cyclone and northerly winds. Atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the first mode have a close relationship to spring Arctic Oscillation (AO), indicating the impact of the AO on continental-scale spring SAT variations over the mid- and high latitudes of Eurasia. The atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the second mode feature a wave pattern over the North Atlantic and Eurasia. Such a wave pattern is related to a tripole SST anomaly pattern in the North Atlantic Ocean, signifying the contribution of the North Atlantic Ocean state to the formation of a tripole SAT anomaly pattern over the mid- and high latitudes of Eurasia.
Reducing Social Vulnerability to Environmental Change: Building Trust through Social Collaboration on Environmental Monitoring
Authors: Arias Paola A. , Villegas Juan Camilo , Machado Jenny , Serna Angélica M. , Vidal Lina M. , Vieira Catherine , Cadavid Carlos A. , Vieira Sara C. , Ángel Jorge E. , Mejía Óscar A.
Published: December 2015

The occurrence of natural and socially driven catastrophic events has increased in the last few decades in response to global environmental changes. One of the most societally relevant challenges in managing the effects of these events is the establishment of risk management strategies that focus on managing vulnerability, particularly in disfavored countries, and communities among them. Most cases of enhanced vulnerability occur in, but are not limited to, developing countries, where the combination of social inequity, inappropriate use of natural resources, population displacement, and institutional mistrust, among other factors, make risk management particularly challenging. This paper presents a vulnerability-centered risk management framework based on social cohesion and integration principles that, combined with scientific, technical, and popular knowledge, lead to the development of social networks of risk reduction. This framework is intended as a strategy to strengthen early warning systems (EWS), where the human-related factor is among their most challenging components. Using water-related hazards as a case study, this paper describes the experience of the conformation of a social network for environmental monitoring using this model example on vulnerability reduction in the rural areas of the central Andes in Colombia. This experience allowed the effective conformation of a social network for environmental monitoring in 80 municipalities of Colombia, where communities developed a sense of ownership with the instrumentation and the network, strengthening links with local authorities and contributing to more efficient EWS. More generally, the authors highlight the need to develop vulnerability-centered risk management via community-building strategies, particularly for areas where little can be done to decrease the occurrence of catastrophic events.
Authentic Leadership Perception, Trust in the Leader, and Followers’ Emotions in Organizational Change Processes
Authors: Agote Laida , Aramburu Nekane , Lines Rune
Published: December 2015

Despite the increasing interest in emotions at work, there is still a need for more research that focus on the antecedents of emotions in organizational change contexts. Moreover, literature on the subject considers leadership and trust to be fundamental when dealing with change processes. Taking into account both ideas, it is proposed here that authentic leadership (AL) perception can influence followers’ trust and emotions during change. To test these hypotheses, we gathered and analyzed the experience of 102 Spanish human resource managers using structural equation modeling based on partial least squares. Findings show that AL is directly and positively related to followers’ trust in the leader and the experience of positive emotions. Furthermore, we found that trust mediates the relation between AL perception and the experience of negative emotions. Based on these findings, some practical implications are proposed, such as the implementation of training initiatives in order to provide human resource managers with a better understanding of the AL concept and facilitate different actions that could be carried out by them so as to contribute to trust building.
Failure load prediction of adhesively bonded pultruded composites using artificial neural network
Authors: Balcıoğlu H Ersen , Seçkin A Çağdaş , Aktaş Mehmet
Published: December 2015

Mechanical joining and adhesive bonding provide convenience for manufacturing of complex structures, which made of composite materials. Failure load is directly related with process parameters of mechanical joining or adhesive bonding. In this study, the effects of bonding angle, patching type (single side and double side) and patching structure on the failure load were investigated in the pultruded composite specimens. For this aim, the pultruded composite specimens, which bonded with five different bonding angles (45°, 51°, 59°, 68° and 90°) and five different bonding types as unpatched, single-side woven patch, single-side knitting patch, double-side woven patch and double-side knitting patch were exposed to tensile loads at room temperature. In the view of experimental results, the failure loads of bonded pultruded composite specimens were predicted by training six different artificial neural network algorithms. The only three best prediction results of Bayesian regularization, Levenberg–Marquardt and scaled conjugate gradient were given in the figures for better understanding.
Synthesis of 2, 3-dibromo-succinic anhydride and application on cotton, polyester and polyester/cotton blended fabric
Authors: Lin Liyun , Zhou Xiang , Xing Zhiqi , Wu Yarong
Published: December 2015

For a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/cotton blended fabric, a reactive-type flame retardant 2, 3-dibromo-succinic anhydride (DBSA) was used to endow durable flame retardancy via the pad-dry-cure method. DBSA was synthesized via the addition reaction of maleic anhydride and bromine in ethyl acetate solution and extracted by solventing-out crystallization. DBSA was used to finish a cotton fabric firstly with sodium hypophosphite as the catalyst. Thermal behaviors and amount of DBSA that esterified with the cotton was determined. Pyrovatex CP new was applied as a comparison. It was speculated from the thermogravimetric analysis result that esterification of cellulose with DBSA worked similar to phosphate-ester at the initial stage of thermal decomposition. DBSA was also applied to PET and PET/cotton blended fabrics. Flame retardancy, thermal behaviors and durability of the finished fabrics were investigated. Evidence of the condensed phase effect of DBSA was also observed on PET and PET/cotton.
Gregor Mendel, Franz Unger, Carl Nägeli and the magic of numbers
Authors: Dröscher Ariane
Published: December 2015

This paper aims to illustrate the influence of Franz Unger’s (1800–1870) and Carl Wilhelm Nägeli’s (1817–1891) anatomical and developmental works on Gregor Mendel’s (1822–1884) use of numerical ratios in biological inquiry. All hypotheses concerning Mendel’s sources of inspiration have hitherto overlooked the cytological teaching of Unger, his professor of botany. In the 1830s and 1840s, he was a pioneer of cell theory. His publications, including his university textbooks, are characterised by a particulate and quantifying approach towards vital phenomena. Special attention will be paid to Unger’s and Nägeli’s ‘law of plant growth’, which shows some striking basic correspondences with Mendel’s approach. This demonstrates, firstly, that mathematical thinking was not alien to mid-nineteenth century botany, and secondly, that Mendel’s conceptions were influenced by an even greater variety of ideas circulating around 1850.
The once and future language: Communication, terminology and the practice of science in nineteenth and early twentieth century Greece
Authors: Tampakis Kostas
Published: December 2015

Science appeared in modern Greece in the first decades after its establishment as a sovereign state in 1828. The University of Athens, the Royal Observatory, the Botanical Garden, and the Natural History Museum were quickly established as spaces of scientific activity. Greek scientists were enthusiastic participants in the emerging Greek public sphere, often not only as science experts, but also as poets, intellectuals and political personae. In a space whose cultural, intellectual and historical boundaries were still being negotiated, the choice of language was not a given but a pressing, sensitive national desideratum. This article examines how Greek scientists used languages to communicate with their peers and with their publics, how they handled terminology and nomenclature, and how the issues surrounding the Greek language in particular affected their practice as scientists. The article aims to show that, in nineteenth-century Greece, languages were not passive, neutral vehicles of communication, but rather integral (though tacit) components of the practice of science.
Knowledge management performance measurement in micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises
Authors: Lee Cheng Sheng , Wong Kuan Yew
Published: December 2015

Knowledge management (KM) is recognized as an important means for attaining competitive advantage and improving organizational performance. The evaluation of KM performance has become increasingly vital, as it provides the direction for organizations to enhance their performance and competitiveness. A survey was carried out to test the applicability of 14 constructs based on knowledge resources, KM processes, and KM factors in measuring the KM performance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. This article intends to further explore the effects of company size (micro, small, and medium) and KM maturity on knowledge management performance measurement (KMPM). Two-way analysis of variance results indicate that company size and KM maturity do affect some aspects of KMPM in SMEs.
Why is information the elephant asset? An answer to this question and a strategy for information asset management
Authors: Leming Reynold
Published: December 2015

Information is a vital asset for any organization, but information does not often appear in definitions or descriptions of asset management. This article addresses the development of information asset management techniques and strategies and the various issues and problems that impact on that development.
Poor youths and ‘pacification’: Dilemmas between discourse and practice from the perspective of young people about policing in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas
Authors: Corrêa Juliana , Cecchetto Fátima , Farias Patrícia , Fernandes Fernando Lannes
Published: December 2015

This article explores the social representations of youngsters from favelas in Rio de Janeiro on police practices in the context of the implementation of ‘Pacifying Police Units’. Drawing from fieldwork, participant observation and interviews, the authors analyse the narratives and practices which influence relations between young people and the police in the Complexo do Alemão area of the city. The interviewees expressed a demand for further public security and social services. Young people noted some progress in police practices, although these changes appear to be unstable. The permanence of violent practices and prejudice by the police was verified in youngsters’ narratives. Any change in this scenario should be based on the replacement of the war logic of ‘pacification’ for another logic, that of participation.
Is Subchondral Acetabular Edema or Cystic Change on MRI a Contraindication for Hip Arthroscopy in Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement?
Authors: Krych Aaron J. , King Alexander H. , Berardelli Rebecca L. , Sousa Paul L. , Levy Bruce A.
Published: December 2015

Background:

The outcome for arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) can worsen with increasing arthritis. However, there remains a subset of hips with relatively maintained joint space but with acetabular subchondral edema and cystic change with unknown outcome on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Purpose:

(1) To correlate MRI findings of subchondral acetabular edema/cystic change with arthroscopy grading of articular cartilage and (2) to determine whether postoperative outcome was worse for patients with subchondral edema/cystic change compared with a matched control group.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

The records of all patients who underwent arthroscopic hip surgery for FAI at a single institution between 2007 and 2013 were reviewed for subchondral edema/cyst on preoperative MRI. Lesions were characterized by grade using an established classification system and were correlated with arthroscopic articular cartilage changes. A matched cohort of patients without evidence of subchondral edema or cyst was identified. Minimum 2-year outcomes were compared using prospectively collected Hip Outcome Score (HOS) activities of daily living and sport subscales as well as the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS).

Results:

Overall, 104 patients were included. Thirty-six patients (18 men, 18 women) with a mean age of 41 years (range, 19-67 years) had subchondral edema, with or without the presence of cystic acetabular changes, at minimum 2-year follow-up (range, 24-60 months). Two patients who underwent total hip replacement were excluded in the outcome score comparison. Thirty-one of 34 patients (91%) had a grade 4 full-thickness cartilage lesion at the time of diagnostic arthroscopy. The mean mHHS was inferior for all patients with subchondral edema/cystic change (79.9 ± 18.7 vs 86.6 ± 12.5; P = .03), and the HOS was also lower (69.1 ± 27.0 vs 79.5 ± 21.4; P = .02). The overall success rate was 67% for all patients with subchondral edema/cystic change compared with 85% in the control group ( P = .04).

Conclusion:

The presence of a subchondral edema with an acetabular cyst on MRI is indicative of a full-thickness cartilage lesion at the time of arthroscopy. These patients have inferior outcomes for arthroscopic treatment of FAI compared with patients with similar age and activity level without MRI subchondral cystic changes.
Is Knee Separation During a Drop Jump Associated With Lower Extremity Injury in Adolescent Female Soccer Players?
Authors: O’Kane John W. , Tencer Allan , Neradilek Moni , Polissar Nayak , Sabado Lori , Schiff Melissa A.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Knee injuries are common in older adolescent and adult female soccer players, and abnormal valgus knee appearance characterized by low normalized knee separation (NKS) is a proposed injury risk factor. What constitutes normal NKS in younger adolescents and whether low NKS is an injury risk factor are unknown.

Purpose:

To determine the normal range of NKS using a drop-jump test in female perimenarchal youth soccer players and whether low NKS contributes to lower extremity injuries or knee injuries.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

From 2008 to 2012, a total of 351 female elite youth soccer players (age range, 11-14 years) were followed for 1 season, with complete follow-up on 92.3% of players. Baseline drop-jump testing was performed preseason. Lower extremity injuries during the season were identified using a validated, Internet-based injury surveillance system with weekly email reporting. Normalized knee separation at prelanding, landing, and takeoff was categorized 2 ways: as ≤10th percentile (most extreme valgus appearance) compared with >10th percentile and as a continuous measure of 1 SD. Poisson regression modeling with adjustment for clustering by team estimated the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the association between the NKS and the risk of lower extremity and knee injury, stratified by menarche.

Results:

Of the study participants, 134 players experienced 173 lower extremity injuries, with 43 (24.9%) knee injuries. For postmenarchal players (n = 210), those with NKS ≤10th percentile were at 92% increased risk of lower extremity injury (RR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.17-3.15) and a 3.62-fold increased risk of knee injury (RR, 3.62; 95% CI, 1.18-11.09) compared with NKS >10th percentile at prelanding and landing, respectively. Among postmenarchal players, there was an 80% increased risk of knee injury (RR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.01-3.23) with a decrease of 1 SD in landing NKS and a 66% increased risk of knee injury (RR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.04-2.64) with a decrease of 1 SD in takeoff NKS. Among premenarchal players (n = 141), there was no statistically significant association between the NKS at prelanding, landing, and takeoff and the risk of lower extremity or knee injury.

Conclusion:

Low NKS was associated with increased risk of lower extremity and knee injury only among postmenarchal players.
Effect of cabon fiber-reinforced polymer layout on mechanical properties of expansive concrete beams
Authors: Cao Qi , Jiang Haibo , Ma Zhongguo John , Wang Xiaofeng
Published: December 2015

Due to restrained shrinkage, concrete usually cracks and it leads to corrosion of steel subsequently. It adversely influences the function and duability of concrete structures. Using concrete mixed with expansive agent known as expansive concrete brings a solution to this problem. Hybrid FRP wrapping shrinakge compensating concrete (SHCC) structure has shown benefit of delaying cracking and eliminating the corrosion compared to steel-reinforcd concrete structures. In this research, FRP-restrained expansive concrete beams under symmetrical and unsymmetrical FRP layout were tested to explore the effect of reinforcement arrangement on mechanical performance of beams. Results indicate that the eccentric self-prestressing can improve the cracking resistantce as well as flexural capacity of beam specimens compared to symmetrical prestress. In the mean time, it is validated that SHCC specimen not only has a higher stiffness but also shows a prominent advantage on delaying cracking, ultimate capacity as well as cracking control compared to portland cement concrete (PCC) specimen.
Examining Clinical Predictors of Change in Recreational Preference Congruence Among Nursing Home Residents Over Time
Authors: Heid Allison R. , Van Haitsma Kimberly , Kleban Morton , Rovine Michael J. , Abbott Katherine M.
Published: December 2015

Objective: There remains a significant gap in the field regarding the measurement of preference-based care over time in nursing homes (NHs). This study discusses the use of a quality indicator that tracks recreational preference congruence (PC; that is, the match between NH residents’ important preferences in recreational activities and their weekly attendance in these preferred activities). Method: Using a sample of 199 older adults, we examine the change in PC over 52 weeks using multilevel-mixed effects regression analyses. Results: PC over time is highly variable and residents with greater functional limitations (vision, language comprehension, incontinence) and no diagnoses of mental health or neurological disorders have lower PC over time. Discussion: Certain clinical characteristics have greater impact on resident PC over time. Particular attention needs to be given to the recreational attendance of residents with incontinence, and visual and language comprehension difficulties.
Adult Education as a Heterotopia of Deviation
Authors: Sandberg Fredrik , Fejes Andreas , Dahlstedt Magnus , Olson Maria
Published: December 2015

We argue that municipal adult education (MAE) can be seen as a place for displaced and abnormal citizens to gain temporary stability, enabling their shaping into desirable subjects. Drawing on a poststructural discursive analysis, we analyze policy texts and interviews with teachers and students. Our analysis illustrates how two distinct but interrelated student subjectivities are shaped: the rootless, unmotivated, and irresponsible student; and the responsible, motivated, and goal-oriented student. The difference is that the latter of these subjectivities is positioned as desirable. MAE provides a temporary place in time, a heterotopia of deviation, allowing students to escape precarious employment. The heterotopia places the students in a positive utopian dream of the future. A utopia is not a real place, and what is to become of the students after finishing MAE is not determined; the students themselves should shape it. If they fail, in line with a neoliberal governmentality, it is their own fault.
Emotionally Abusive Behavior in Italian Middle School Teachers as Identified by Students
Authors: Longobardi Claudio , Settanni Michele , Prino Laura Elvira , Gastaldi Francesca Giovanna Maria
Published: December 2015

The aim of this article was to estimate the prevalence of psychological maltreatment in Italian middle school students by their teachers, and to test the applicability of surveying instruments for this phenomenon in Italian educational settings. The sample consisted of 105 teachers and 128 middle school students, who were asked about their experiences with emotionally abusive behaviors (i.e., demeaning, discriminating, dominating, destabilizing, distancing, and diverse) in the Italian school system. Teachers did not tend to perceive their behavior as abusive, while the students showed a very high perception of abuse (98%). Males were more likely to be victims of abuse, and they also reported lower scores in the Achievement scale. Emotional child abuse is highly present in Italian educational settings, and there is a strong need for interventions aimed at supporting teacher education, in the hopes of increasing the general well-being in schools.
Factors Related to the Intention of Israelis to Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Authors: Ben Natan Merav , Perelman Maayan , Ben-Naftali Gal
Published: December 2015

Purpose: Despite the significant rise in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Israel, the factors affecting the decision to do so remain unclear. Thus, the purpose of the study was to explore factors that affect Israelis’ intention to use CAM, using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design: A quantitative correlational study. Method: A convenience sample of 200 Hebrew-speaking Israelis aged 21+ completed a questionnaire based on the TPB. Findings: Respondents expressed moderate intention to use CAM. The TPB predictability of this intention was 57% ( R2 = .57), with behavioral beliefs being the most influential factor. The family was identified as another significant factor. Previous experience with CAM was also found to raise the intention to use it in the future. Conclusions: When referring a patient for services of CAM, it is important to provide in-depth explanations emphasizing positive anticipated outcomes of these services in order to effect a change in the patient’s behavioral beliefs. Patient’s family should be considered as a possible resource to promote usage of CAM.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mobile care: A participant-focussed and human rights-based evaluation
Authors: Ranjbar Vania , Hjalmarsson Anna , Ascher Henry , Ekberg-Jansson Ann
Published: December 2015

To reduce healthcare costs associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vacate hospital beds without compromising patient satisfaction with healthcare, alternatives for hospital treatment have been developed; however, few studies have qualitatively investigated patients’ experiences of these alternatives. This study aimed, first, to explore patients’ experiences of Sweden’s first COPD mobile care programme through semi-structured interviews with twelve patients, and, second, to evaluate if a human rights-based analysis could provide additional information. Data were, first, analysed using latent content analysis, resulting in three themes: security (effective follow-up, positive encounters), availability (convenience), and suggestions for improvement (increased amount of personnel, longer enrolment period, continued follow-up upon discharge from the programme). Security and availability contributed to high acceptability of and satisfaction with the programme; COPD mobile care can, thus, constitute an acceptable alternative to inpatient care for COPD patients. Findings were then further analysed using the AAAQ framework (availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality) to determine how the COPD mobile care programme corresponds to the Right to health. This human rights-based analysis enabled the uncovering of certain groups being excluded from the programme, thereby generating valuable information for improving the programme by ensuring equal access and care for all COPD patients.
The influence of fiber-crack angle on the crack tip parameters in orthotropic materials
Authors: Fakoor M , Rafiee R , Sheikhansari M
Published: December 2015

Identification of the critical angle between fiber and crack direction in orthotropic materials for avoiding catastrophic failure is necessary. Recognition of the optimum regions for creating notches in orthotropic materials for creation of maximum load-bearing capability is an important parameter in structural design. In this paper, the critical angles between crack and fiber direction are predicted, extracting crack tip parameters in orthotropic materials using stress series expansion and numerical method. The variations of crack tip parameters with respect to the angle between crack and fiber for modes I and II are presented. The presented functions for these variations can be used in the optimum design procedure of orthotropic structures. The obtained results are validated using experimental study.
Quasi-static analysis of a compliant tripod stage with plane compliant lever mechanism
Authors: Huaxian Wei , Wei Li , Yufei Liu , Yuqiao Wang , Xuefeng Yang
Published: December 2015

In nanopositioning system, the compliant tripod stages have proved to have enormous advantages for out-of-plane (z/tip/tilt) positioning in turns of compactness, simplicity in structure, and economic cost. However, most of the present-day compliant tripod stage undergo manufacturing problems due to a complicate structure, and little study has been carried out to formulate the tri-inputs and tri-outputs relationship, which is essential for precise positioning. Accordingly, this paper presents the quasi-static analysis of a novel compliant tripod stage with an equivalent plane model to achieve precise position analysis for nanopositioning. Three-plane compliant lever mechanisms and cylindrical flexure hinges with high length–diameter ratio are employed, which mitigate couple influence and enable easy fabrication via planar manufacturing processes. The spatial output motions of the compliant tripod stage are first split among inputs of the three-plane compliant lever mechanisms, where the lateral translations of the compliant tripod stage are included. Then the displacement equations of the plane compliant lever mechanism are formulated through Castigliano’s second theorem. The model is further verified by finite element analysis. Finally, an experimental test system is set up and the test results validate the proposed approach.