bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Co-optation and Engaged Distance: Sufism, Politics and Society in Contemporary Syria and Morocco
Authors: Golfetto Marco Aurelio
Published: July 2020

The Sufis mainly aspire to the immaterial sphere, but they cannot be simply regarded as indifferent to the fate of the human societies in which they live. In recent years, Sufism has been revaluated as a political subject in the Middle East. Although it has historically had relations with power, it lacks a united and coherent attitude towards politics. Research on two contemporary Sufi orders in Syria and Morocco shows how they have taken the chance to expand their networks, endeavour to fulfil their moral and educational mission, and exert their influence on society. Within favourable political circumstances, they have also gained state recognition as ‘good’ or ‘official’ Islam and confronted their historical opponents among the Salafīs and Islamist organisations.
Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Hezārfenn and the Coffee: Texts, Documents and Translations
Authors: D’Amora Rosita
Published: July 2020

In 1683 Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili volunteered for the troops that Leopold I of Habsburg was recruiting against the army of Mehmet IV, who was about to besiege Vienna. Marsili, though, during the skirmishes preceding the siege, was wounded, captured and brought as a slave to the Ottoman camp where he learned how to prepare coffee and served as a kahveci (coffee maker).

After his ransom, in 1685, he sent to press in Vienna a short treatise entitled Historia medica del cavé (‘Medical history of coffee’). In this work, entirely dedicated to coffee, he combined, according to the empirical spirit of his time, the knowledge of scholarship, with his own personal observations and firsthand experience he had gained during his slavery.

In the central part of his work, Marsili entrusts the task of scientifically explaining the origins, the characteristics and the virtues of the coffee to the Ottoman man of letters Ḥusayn Efendi (Hezārfenn) who Marsili had meet during his stay in Constantinople in 1679. In the Historia Medica, Marsili not only recognizes the authority of Hezārfenn on coffee, but also includes in his text the entire treatise that Hezārfenn had wrote on the subject with a parallel Italian translation.

This paper will compare the multiple contexts of interaction between these two texts and their authors. In particular, it will analyze the way through which Marsili presents and uses the authority of the Ottoman text and inserts it, in its original script, into the core his treatise. By examining Marsili’s interest in Hezārfenn’s works, this paper will also emphasize his role as a cross-boundary mediator who moving back and forth from one culture to the other, as a diplomat as well as a slave, contributed significantly to building those cultural bridges through which the Muslim and the Christian world never stopped learning from each other, even in a setting of constant conflict.
Using the InsideWood web site: Potentials and pitfalls
Authors: Wheeler Elisabeth A. , Gasson Peter E. , Baas Pieter
Published: July 2020

The InsideWood web site is a freely accessible resource for research and teaching in wood anatomy and includes a multiple-entry key to aid in wood identification. Its database has over 9400 descriptions of fossil and modern woody dicots, representing over 10 000 species and 200 plant families, and is accompanied by over 50 000 images. The descriptions and the multiple key use the numbered features of the IAWA List of Hardwood Features for Wood Identification. The background for creating this web site, the rationale for how descriptions in the database were created, and the basics for using the multiple-entry key are given. The potentials of the ever-expanding and continuously edited database for microscopic wood identification are enormous. Yet many users experience problems when attempting the identification of an unknown sample. The main reasons for this are (1) erroneous or ambiguous interpretation of the IAWA Hardwood features; (2) incomplete coverage of the infraspecific wood anatomical variation in the literature for numerous entries in the InsideWood database. Against this background, we review all individual features of the IAWA Hardwood List and give their frequency in the database, and we suggest how to use their presence or absence in the multiple-entry key. All this is done with an awareness of the limitations of the IAWA Hardwood List and InsideWood. We give two examples of using InsideWood to try to identify an unknown wood. It cannot be overemphasized that it is necessary to consult reference materials (slides, literature descriptions) to verify the identification of an unknown.
Contextualizing the History of the Enslaved
Authors: Schiel Juliane , De Vito Christian G.
Published: July 2020

This introduction highlights the contribution of the special issue to a radical contextualisation of the history of the enslaved. In particular, it suggests that the conditions and circumstances that foster or hamper practices of enslavement need to be studied as part of a broader set of labor relations. And it proposes that shifts in the practices of enslavement are closely related to broader transitions in power relations. This double expansion allows connecting the history of enslavement and the enslaved with broader themes in labor and social history.
The Ragusan “Maids-of-all-Work”
Authors: Schiel Juliane
Published: July 2020

This article discusses bonded labor relations and their changes through the example of Slavic migrant workers in late medieval Ragusa (Dubrovnik). Over roughly 150 years, Ragusa changed from a site of localized, endemic labor exploitation to a commodified labor market with transregional implications. Based on a close examination of notary deeds and legislative acts, the article presents an empirically grounded approach to category formation and a careful reconstruction of the Ragusan grammar of coericon. While labels and classification systems for unskilled Slavic migrants changed over time, they remained the “maids-of-all-work”—a nonspecialist labor force that could be taken into service for a variety of tasks wherever they were needed.
Beyond the Atlantic Paradigm
Authors: Rossi Benedetta
Published: July 2020

This article investigates the causes of the resilience of slavery in the region of Tahoua in the Republic of Niger in the West African Sahel. It attributes slavery’s lingering vitality to the semi-autonomous evolution of slavery and abolitionism in this region. It illustrates the historical processes through which, following colonial legal abolition, slavery in Tahoua started being challenged, but not effectively eradicated. The article shows that slavery and abolitionism in the Nigerien Sahel are rooted in different historical processes and discursive genealogies than those that led to the development of colonial abolitionism and international law on slavery and trafficking. It advocates appropriate historical contextualization of slavery-related phenomena in regions where European abolitionism was initially tied to imperialism. In such regions different groups engaged critically with European attitudes toward local slavery. Following decolonization, the rise of Nigerien abolitionist movements was informed both by integration in international humanitarian networks and by engagement with the specific forms of slavery prevalent in local society.
The Modernization of Area-Based Marine Protection in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Chi-Ting , Hu Nien-Tzu Alfred
Published: July 2020

The main purpose of this article is to present the practices of Taiwan’s area-based management protection (abmp) through the lens of the legal modernization process of ocean governance. In particular, we divide Taiwan’s ABMP modernization process into three periods against the background of Taiwan’s democratization development. In the abmp modernization process, the laws enacted from 2010s have provided several contemporary ocean governance principles such as a citizen participatory or integrated management approach. However, we also identify three obstacles which may hinder the future of the abmp modernization process in Taiwan: lack of international and regional cooperation, lack of legal enforcement transparency and the absence of comprehensive/coherent ocean governance principles. Therefore, how Taiwan could contribute to the global and regional maritime conservation in the future, depends on these three obstacles being tackled in the long term marine policies agenda.
Viet Nam’s National System of Marine Protected Areas
Authors: Vo Diep Ngoc
Published: July 2020

In 2001, Viet Nam’s first mpa was established in Hòn Mun Island (Nha Trang). In 2010, a National mpa System Plan was officially adopted with a vision to establish 16 mpas by 2020. With an aim to report Viet Nam’s state practice concerning mpas, this article is divided into three parts. The first section will analyze the relevant legal framework on mpas, addressing the national jurisdictional basis for area-protection, authorities responsible for designating protected areas, administrative process and interaction of authorities responsible for activities within mpas. The second section will scrutinize each individual mpa project implemented in Viet Nam. The last part is an assessment of the progress of marine protection adopting marine spatial planning approach in Viet Nam by evaluating challenges and opportunities of the contemporary mpa system, identifying the gaps between legislative framework and practice, as well as the ways forward.
Where Do Those Beautiful Ladies and Wolf’s Footprints Lead Us? The Mādhyamikas on Two Cārvāka/Lokāyata Stanzas
Authors: Del Toso Krishna
Published: July 2020

This is the second part of a three-part study dealing with the Madhyamaka accounts of, and commentaries on, the Cārvāka/Lokāyata so-called “wolf’s footprint” stanza and tale, and “beautiful lady” stanza. Here Avalokitavrata’s discussion of the tale and the stanzas is dealt with, together with the Tibetan edition and English translation of the corresponding passage from his Prajñāpradīpaṭīkā.
Memory as the Continuation of Politics by Other Means. Yoshida Shigeru’s Japan’s Decisive Century
Authors: Lanna Noemi
Published: July 2020

This article analyses the role that diplomat and political leader Yoshida Shigeru (1878–1967) played in shaping postwar Japan’s politics of commemoration, with a focus on the book Japan’s Decisive Century (1967). It identifies, first, the distinctive elements characterising the historical narrative of modern Japan proposed in the book. It then explores Yoshida’s arguments in the light of the political and cultural climate of the 1960s. In particular, it investigates the influence of modernization theory and it considers the analogies and differences between the narratives of war, postwar and modernity presented in Japan’s Decisive Century and the historical interpretations underpinning the government-sponsored initiatives for commemorating the Meiji Centennial (1968). Ultimately, this article seeks to shed light on the implications of Yoshida’s proposed representation of history on the process of identity building in postwar Japan.
Scytinostroma yunnanense sp. nov. (Russulales, Basidiomycota) evidenced by morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses in China

Authors: WANG HUI , HE XIAO , ZHAO CHANG-LIN
Published: July 2020

A new wood-inhabiting fungal species, Scytinostroma yunnanense, is proposed based on morphological and molecular evidences. The species is characterized by an annual growth habit, resupinate basidiomata with cream hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with generative hyphae bearing simple septa, fusiform to cylindrical cystidia and basidiospores (4.5–5.5 × 4.2–5.2 µm) are acyanophilous, subglobose to globose, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, amyloid. The phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data of ITS sequences showed that the new species formed a monophyletic lineage with a strong support (100% BS, 100% BP, 1.00 BPP) and then was sister to S. duriusculum.
Experimental Study on Construction of Tissue Engineered Bone by Autologous Oxygen Release Nano-Bionic Scaffold Combined with Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Induced Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Wang Fei , Wei Hongfang , Hu Chengdong , Li Dongfeng , Huo Xiwei , Wang Rui , Li Haitao
Published: July 2020

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are used for bone tissue engineering. BMP-2 and autologous oxygen-releasing nano-bionic scaffolds promote bone differentiation of BMSCs. Our study intends to evaluate the role of autologous oxygen-releasing nano-bionic scaffolds combined with
BMP-2-induced BMSCs in the construction of tissue engineered bone. Rat BMSCs were isolated and transfected with NC (negative control group) and BMP-2 (BMP-2 plasmid group), respectively. Healthy male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into fracture group, negative control group and
the BMP-2 group which was implanted with autologous oxygen-releasing nano-bionic scaffolds to synthesize BMSCs and transfected with BMP-2 plasmids respectively followed by analysis of osteophytes growth, ALP activity, expression of BMP-2, type II collagen, Runx2 and OC by real time PCR, TGF-β1
secretion by ELISA and BMP-2 protein expression by western blot. BMSCs induced by autologous oxygen release nano-bionic scaffold combined with BMP-2 can significantly promote the increase of bone mineral density, increase the expression of Runx2 and OC, promote ALP activity, upregulate type
II collagen, BMP-2 mRNA and protein, and TGF-β1 secretion compared to fracture group (P < 0.05). The BMSCs induced by autologous oxygen-releasing nanobionic scaffolds transfected with BMP-2 had a more significant effect on bone repair. Autologous oxygen-releasing nano-bionic
scaffolds combined with BMP-2-induced BMSCs can promote bone healing by regulating BMP-2 and increasing osteogenesis at the bone defect.
Effects of LncRNA SNHG15 on Osteogenic/Adipogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Under Oxidative Stress by TGFβ/Smad Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Chengqiang , Fang Lihua , Liu Xiaoping , Li Rui , Nie Tingting , Gao Conghui
Published: July 2020

Oxidative stress can affect bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). LncRNA SNHG15 involves in a variety of cellular physiological and pathological processes. However, LncRNA SNHG15’s effect on osteogenesis/adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs under oxidative stress remains
unclear. BMSCs were divided into normal control group; oxidative stress group; SNHG15 group in which SNHG15 plasmid was transfected under oxidative stress condition followed by analysis of the expression of LncRNA SNHG15, RUNX2 and OPN by real-time quantitative PCR, reactive oxygen species
(ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, FABP4 and PPARγ2 mRNA expression, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and TGFβ/Smad signaling by Western blot. Under oxidative stress, the expression of SHHG15, RUNX2 and OPN mRNA was significantly decreased, ROS production
was increased, SOD activity was reduced, along with increased expression of FABP4 and PPARγ2 protein, decreased ALP activity, as well as reduced expression of TGFβ1, Smad2, and Smad7 compared to control group (P < 0.05). Transfection of LncRNA SNHG15 plasmid
significantly up-regulated the expression of SNHG15, RUNX2 and OPN mRNA, decreased ROS production, increased SOD activity, decreased expression of FABP4 and PPARγ2 mRNA, and increased ALP activity as well as increased expression of TGFβ1, Smad2, and Smad7 compared
to control group (P < 0.05). The expression of SNHG15 is decreased in BMSCs under oxidative stress. Up-regulation of SNHG15 expression can improve the redox balance through TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway, promote osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs under oxidative stress,
and inhibit its differentiation into fat.
Effect of Chordin-Like 1 on Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Through Wnt5/TGF-β Signaling Pathway
Authors: Yang Qing , Wu Lei , Liu Yang , Yuan Bing
Published: July 2020

Chordin-like 1 (CHRDL1) functions in multiple tissues and organs. However, whether CHRDL1 affects bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation remain unclear. Rat BMSCs were isolated and divided into control group, CHRDL1 group and CHRDL1 siRNA group followed by analysis
of CHRDL1 level by real time PCR and ELISA, cell proliferation by MTT assay, Caspase 3 activity, ALP activity, expression of o Runx2, OC and PPARγ2 by Real time PCR, TGF-β secretion by ELIS, and Wnt5 protein expression by Western blot. CHRDL1 expression was significantly
increased in CHRDL1 group, along with significantly promoted cell proliferation, decreased Caspase 3 activity, increased ALP activity and expression of Runx2 and OC, decreased PPARγ2 expression, increased TGF-β secretion and Wnt5 expression compared to control group
(P < 0.05). However, CHRDL1 siRNA transfection significantly decreased CHRDL1 expression, inhibited cell proliferation, increased Caspase 3 activity, decreased ALP activity and Runx2 and OC expression, increased PPARγ2 expression, decreased TGF-β secretion
and Wnt5 expression. (P < 0.05). Down-regulation of CHRDL1 expression in BMSCs promotes Wnt5/TGF-β signaling transduction, which in turn increases BMSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Up-regulation of CHRDL1 expression in BMSCs inhibited the activation
of Wnt5/TGF-β signaling pathway, promoted BMSCs apoptosis, and inhibited BMSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.
The worth of art education: Students’ justifications of a contestable educational choice
Authors: Fürst Henrik , Nylander Erik
Published: July 2020

How is art education valued in society? In Swedish public discourse the value of educational trajectories is often equated with their usefulness for employability. With competitive winner-takes-all labour markets for artists, art education is largely perceived as a worthless credential and form of education. But what kinds of worth does art education have among students themselves? This article draws on the approach of pragmatic sociology and individual and group interviews with 62 Swedish folk high school participants within the arts, to understand the meanings participants assign to post-compulsory education within the aesthetic realm. The students’ accounts belong to three broad themes, where art education is described as: (a) being a ‘stepping stone’ to becoming an artist, (b) allowing them to have ‘unique’ experiences while being in a particular state of creativity or (c) offering them a chance to regain health and general well-being after a difficult period. These results are discussed in relation to the relative institutional autonomy the folk high school possesses in the Swedish education system, as well as the possibilities of challenging the hegemonic ideas of ‘learning for earning’ that largely reject non-instrumental regimes of self-discovery and artistic creativity.
U.S. Multinationals and Human Rights: A Theoretical and Empirical Assessment of Extractive Versus Nonextractive Sectors
Authors: Vadlamannati Krishna Chaitanya , Janz Nicole , de Soysa Indra
Published: July 2020

The consequences of foreign direct investment (FDI) for human rights protection are poorly understood. We propose that the impact of FDI varies across industries. In particular, extractive firms in the oil and mining industries go where the resources are located and are bound to such investment, which creates a status quo bias among them when it comes to supporting repressive rulers (“ location-bound effect”). The same is not true for nonextractive multinational corporations (MNCs) in manufacturing or services, which can, in comparison, exit problematic countries more easily. We also propose that strong democratic institutions can alleviate negative impacts of extractive FDI on human rights (“ democratic safeguard effect”). Using U.S. FDI broken up into extractive and nonextractive industries in 157 host countries (1999–2015), we find support for these propositions.1 Extractive FDI is associated with more human rights abuse, but nonextractive FDI is associated with less abuse, after controlling for other factors, including concerns about endogeneity. We find also that the negative human rights impact of extractive FDI vanishes in countries where democratic institutions are stronger. Our results are robust to a range of alternative estimation techniques.
Affective emotion classification using feature vector of image based on visual concepts
Authors: Priya D Tamil , Udayan J Divya
Published: July 2020

Nowadays, deep learning technique becomes the most popular fast-growing machine learning method in an Artificial Neural Network. The Convolution Neural Network (CNN) is one of the deep learning architecture that has been applied in the field of image analysis and image classification. In this paper, we proposed a novel emotion learning model with a deep learning network. The aim of the learning model is to reduce the affective gap, that extracts the objects and background features of an image semantically, such as high-level and low-level features. These extracted features accompanied with few others and it is more effective in emotion prediction model based on visual concepts of image, that leads to better emotion recognition performance. For training and testing, the experiment is conducted on IAPS (International Affective Picture System) dataset, the Artistic Photos, and the Emotion-Image dataset. An experimental result shows that the proposed model combines visual-content and low-level features of the image that provides promising results for Affective Emotion Classification task.
Making Interviews Meaningful
Authors: Langley Ann , Meziani Nora
Published: July 2020

Qualitative methods have played and are likely to continue to play an important role in scholarship on organizational development and change. One key data source dominates all others, however, in the qualitative lexicon: the one-on-one interview. This has become so common as to seem almost banal and taken for granted. And yet, the interview is actually a very complex phenomenon where many different things may be going on. This essay attempts to elucidate some of this complexity by identifying five different genres of interviewing, each with its specific ontological assumptions and purposes. We identify and illustrate specific techniques and practices associated with each genre, and offer suggestions for further development, while inviting researchers to think through more carefully what interviews can and cannot deliver, and how they can be made meaningful.
Impact of Social Desirability and Common Method Variance on Two Measures of Entitlement
Authors: Miller Brian K.
Published: July 2020

Entitlement is the predisposition toward expecting or demanding more rewards than someone else regardless of one’s own contribution, effort, or performance. This study examines the impact of social desirability and common method variance on the discriminant validity of the two most popular measures of entitlement: The Psychological Entitlement Scale and the Entitlement subscale of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Data were gathered using three independent samples. In all three studies, forcing items to load on their intended and separate constructs measuring entitlement fit the data well thus providing some evidence of discriminant validity. The correlation between the two entitlement constructs was larger than in previous studies but short of that which is necessary for collinearity providing further evidence of discriminant validity in each study. In each study the amount of shared variance between the two latent entitlement constructs was more than the variance explained in either construct thus failing to provide evidence of discriminant validity. These two measures are similarly affected by socially desirable responding but not likely contaminated by common method variance. Because of their consistently and moderately strong correlation, the PES and the entitlement subscale of the NPI likely measure different but strongly related constructs.
Associating street-network centrality with spontaneous and planned subcentres
Authors: Ozuduru Burcu H. , Webster Chris J. , Chiaradia Alain J. F. , Yucesoy Eda
Published: July 2020

Scientific studies have long demonstrated how economic activities regularly distribute themselves within a city in response to geographical centrality. Following the growing interest in network geography in understanding urban dynamics, rather than measuring centrality (accessibility) by a priori knowledge of central business district (CBD) locations, in this article we measure the centrality of each link in a city’s street network, modelled as a topological graph. We use this to understand clustering behaviour of firms by industrial classification in the city of Ankara, Turkey. Our underlying hypothesis rests on the assumption that the geometry and topology of an urban grid contains accessibility information about the distribution of agglomeration economies and diseconomies, and that different types of enterprises are sensitive to this distribution in various ways. Among other things, the results of the study allow us to predict the evolution of what we call candidate centres (locations that could, by virtue of their connectivity footprint, become subcentres), actual subcentres and CBD functions in response to changes in a city’s street network. Decoding how commercial cluster locations interact with the detailed pattern of street-network-based centralities will be helpful for urban planning policy, in particular for commercial zoning decisions such as expanding CBDs and identifying locations for new subcentres that have an acceptable chance of success.
Fred Moten’s Refusals and Consents: The Politics of Fugitivity
Authors: Shulman George
Published: July 2020

This essay analyzes Fred Moten’s “antipolitical” romance with the “fugitive black sociality” that he radically opposes to “politics,” defined as inescapably tied to antiblack modernity. By comparing Moten’s argument to other voices in the black radical tradition, and by triangulating Moten with Hannah Arendt and Sheldon Wolin, this essay opens inherited conceptions of the political to risk and reworking but also complicates figurations of fugitivity and resists the antagonism Moten posits between black fugitivity and democratic politics.
The Impact of Financial Aid on Associate Degree Attainment for Rural Community College Students: A Comparison of Rural, Urban, and Suburban Patterns
Authors: Yang Lijing , Venezia Shannon
Published: July 2020

Objective: Increasing rural community college degree attainment is very important to foster rural areas’ economic and social well-being. Rural community colleges differ greatly from their suburban and urban counterparts in financial aid patterns and student bodies. However, existing literature is vacant with respect to student financial aid and degree attainment in rural community colleges. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between financial aid and associate degree attainment for rural community college students and compare the financing patterns of the three locales. Method: Using data from Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09), we performed a series of logistic regression models that include financial aid variables and control variables from psychological, sociological, organizational, and internationalist perspectives. Results: We found rural community college students exceeded other locales in degree attainment. Logistic regression results reveal insignificant roles of Pell Grants and Federal Subsidized Loans, and negative role of Federal Unsubsidized Loans in associate degree attainment for rural community college students. Contributions: The results suggest that public subsidies, such as Pell Grants, were not sufficient to cover rural students’ unmet need for financing degree attainment, and that rural students are more cost-conscious in borrowing and spending than their suburban and urban counterparts.
Native-Place Networks and Political Mobilization: The Case of Post-Handover Hong Kong
Authors: Yuen Samson
Published: July 2020

Native-place associations have played an indispensable role in the global migration of ethnic Chinese. Although there has been growing attention to their political role in advancing the Chinese state’s interests, few studies have looked into how they are organized and how they operate vis-à-vis the state. This article focuses on post-handover Hong Kong, where native-place associations, despite their long presence, are still growing in number and sophistication after the 1997 handover. It posits that native-place associations there are forming a “cultural nexus” through which the Chinese state fosters political mobilization in support of its interests and policies. Based on an original set of event and biographical data, it shows that native-place associations are consolidating into a massive network connected by power-seeking elites. It also demonstrates how these associations seek to renew the significance of native-place and national identities. The findings point to how native-place associations may serve as a powerful cultural space for the Chinese state to project its influence offshore.
Neural approximation-based adaptive variable impedance control of robots
Authors: Zhang Xuexin , Sun Tairen , Deng Dongning
Published: July 2020

Variable impedance control improves compliance and robustness in robot-environment interaction through variation of the desired stiffness and the desired damping. This paper proposes neural approximation-based variable impedance controllers for robots in robot-environment interaction. Constraints on variable impedance parameters are given to ensure the exponential stability of the desired first- and second-order variable impedance dynamics. Adaptive neural network controllers are proposed to ensure the achievement of the desired first- and second-order variable impedance dynamics through convergence of variable impedance errors. In the neural networks, deadzone modifications are utilized to enhance robustness by turning off adaptation when auxiliary tracking errors enter the constructed small neighbourhoods of zero. The proposed variable impedance control methods in this paper guarantee the stability and achievement of the desired variable impedance dynamics. Theoretical analysis and simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed variable impedance control methods.
Energy-based output feedback control of the underactuated 2DTORA system with saturated inputs
Authors: Xu Kexin , Wu Xianqing , Ma Miao , Zhang Yibo
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we consider the control issues of the two-dimensional translational oscillator with rotational actuator (2DTORA) system, which has two translational carts and one rotational rotor. An output feedback controller for the 2DTORA system is proposed, which can prevent the unwinding behaviour. In addition, the velocity signal unavailability and actuator saturation are taken into account, simultaneously. In particular, the dynamics of the 2DTORA system are given first. On the basis of the passivity and control objectives of the 2DTORA system, an elaborate Lyapunov function is constructed. Then, based on the introduced Lyapunov function, a novel output feedback control method is proposed straightforwardly for the 2DTORA system. Lyapunov theory and LaSalle’s invariance principle are utilized to analyse the stability of the closed-loop system and the convergence of the states. Finally, simulation results are provided to illustrate the excellent control performance of the proposed controller in comparison with the existing method.
Reduced-order observer-based consensus control of linear multi-agent systems over directed networks with nonuniform communication delays
Authors: Wang Qiuzhen , Hu Jiangping , Zhao Yiyi , Ghosh Bijoy Kumar
Published: July 2020

This paper considers a consensus control of a general linear multi-agent system with time-varying communication delays. Since each agent can only use the relative output information from its neighbors, a reduced-order observer-based control protocol is proposed to guarantee consensus on the directed communication network. The stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed for the cases with uniform delays and nonuniform time-varying delays, respectively. Moreover, the upper bounds of the communication delays are obtained respectively for the two cases. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the proposed theoretical results.
Fixed-time stability of positive nonlinear systems
Authors: Zhu Yunru , Zheng Yuanshi , Liu Xingwen , Wang Huaizhu
Published: July 2020

This paper studies the fixed-time stability problem for positive nonlinear systems defined by cooperative vector fields. A criterion is derived to ensure fixed-time stabilization of the positive nonlinear systems using Lyapunov method. In addition, a sufficient condition is also presented for fixed-time stability of switched positive nonlinear systems under arbitrary switching. Simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the obtained results.
Are Gifted Students Perfectionistic? A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ogurlu Uzeyir
Published: July 2020

There is a rich literature on perfectionism among gifted individuals, but the results of these individual studies are ambiguous. The present meta-analysis aimed to clarify the nature of the relationship between perfectionism and giftedness by focusing on quantitative studies that compared the perfectionism levels of gifted and nongifted students. Hedge’s unbiased g was used as the effect size metric and a three-level multilevel meta-analytic approach taken to control for dependency among the effect sizes obtained from the same study. The analyses used 63 effect sizes from 14 published studies that indicated there was no significant difference between gifted and nongifted students on perfectionism. The analyses also focused on two moderators: dimensions of perfectionism and grade level. The moderator analysis indicated that perfectionism dimensions were a significant moderator. Gifted students, although not significantly, outscored their nongifted peers on perfectionistic strivings but rated lower on perfectionistic concerns.
The Parenting Experiences of Hispanic Adolescent Fathers: A Life Course Theory Perspective
Authors: Recto Pamela , Lesser Janna
Published: July 2020

Using a life course theory perspective, this qualitative descriptive study explored how Hispanic adolescent fathers view fatherhood, and how their perception of parenthood is shaped by critical life events. Hispanics are one of the largest ethnic groups, as well as one of the populations that is overrepresented in adolescent births in the United States. Despite this, Hispanic adolescent fathers are understudied and underrepresented in research. Participants were recruited from a community-based fatherhood program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Hispanic fathers, ages 16 years to 23 years. Participants conveyed their grief over fragmented family relationships and limited interactions with their own father. Some lived in hostile environments where they frequently experienced racism, discrimination, and neighborhood violence. The cumulative impact of these events resulted in substance use and emotional distress. Becoming a father was a sentinel event that helped resolve negative perceptions about fatherhood. Fatherhood also motivated participants towards a more productive, meaningful life.
Intranasal salvinorin A improves neurological outcome in rhesus monkey ischemic stroke model using autologous blood clot
Authors: Wu Longfei , Wu Di , Chen Jian , Chen Chunhua , Yao Tianqi , He Xiaoduo , Ma Yanqin , Zhi Xinglong , Liu Renyu , Ji Xunming
Published: July 2020

Salvinorin A (SA) exerts neuroprotection and improves neurological outcomes in ischemic stroke models in rodents. In this study, we investigated whether intranasal SA administration could improve neurological outcomes in a monkey ischemic stroke model. The stroke model was induced in adult male rhesus monkeys by occluding the middle cerebral artery M2 segment with an autologous blood clot. Eight adult rhesus monkeys were randomly administered SA or 10% dimethyl sulfoxide as control 20 min after ischemia. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to confirm the ischemia and extent of injury. Neurological function was evaluated using the Non-Human Primate Stroke Scale (NHPSS) over a 28-day observation period. SA significantly reduced infarct volume (3.9 ± 0.7 cm3 vs. 7.2 ± 1.0 cm3; P =  0.002), occupying effect (0.3 ± 0.2% vs. 1.4 ± 0.3%; P =  0.002), and diffusion limitation in the lesion (−28.2 ± 11.0% vs. −51.5 ± 7.1%; P =  0.012) when compared to the control group. SA significantly reduced the NHPSS scores to almost normal in a 28-day observation period as compared to the control group ( P =  0.005). Intranasal SA reduces infarct volume and improves neurological outcomes in a rhesus monkey ischemic stroke model using autologous blood clot.
Occupational therapy training on palliative and end-of-life care: Scoping review
Authors: Talbot-Coulombe Claudia , Guay Manon
Published: July 2020

Introduction

While occupational therapists promote quality of life enabling occupation, many receive little to no training on palliative and end-of-life care. This study synthesizes relevant literature to find out what is known about training for them on this matter.

Methods

A scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework exploring literature on palliative and end-of-life care training in occupational therapy (French or English; undergraduate or graduate). The first author screened the titles, abstracts, and keywords and selected literature to be read by the teams to extract and include relevant knowledge. Corroborated thematic analysis synthesized the findings.

Result

Out of the 384 publications initially identified, 25 were included in the review. To be trained in palliative and end-of-life care, occupational therapists have to (a) be exposed to knowledge on specific (b) topics required for competent practice using (c) educational strategies supporting learning about palliative and end-of-life care.

Conclusion

Whereas introductory-level knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care should be offered to all students, advanced training should allow occupational therapists to master the philosophy of this type of care, deepen the understanding of topics such as being confronted with death, and empower them to advocate for their unique contribution.
Supporting workers with lower back injuries to return to work: a meta-ethnography
Authors: Robart Rebecca , Boyle Paul
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Lower back injuries can prevent people from engaging in the occupation of work, which is considered to be beneficial to physical and mental wellbeing. Return-to-work programmes aim to support people to re-engage with work; however, the success of these can be varied. The aim of this review was to explore what factors facilitated a return to work for those in employment, and what the factors may be in preventing others from making a successful return to work.

Method

A systematic search of the literature identified 10 qualitative research studies, and a meta-ethnographic approach was then used to critique and synthesise the findings to provide a line of argument.

Findings

Interrogation of the selected studies brought about three third-order interpretations as follows: enabling injured workers to return to work safely; challenging negative assumptions; overcoming organisational barriers.

Conclusion

The study supports previous findings that emphasise consideration of wider organisational and psychosocial factors relating to supporting people to return to work, rather than focusing solely on the injured worker. Suggestions are made for the modification of current work practices, the need for a strength-based approach to rehabilitation and for occupational therapists who might work with people living with back pain.
‘The Child Condemned’: The Imprisonment of Children in Ireland, 1850–19081
Authors: Curtin Geraldine
Published: July 2020

In the 1850s, tens of thousands of children were imprisoned in Ireland. At that time there was a growing concern internationally that incarceration of children with adult criminals was inappropriate. This concern resulted in the passage of legislation in 1858 which facilitated the opening of reformatory schools in Ireland. By 1870, ten reformatories had opened, yet, as this article argues, three quarters of children given custodial sentences in that year were sent to prison and not to the new institutions. In the second half of the nineteenth century, there were attempts to improve conditions for children in prison; however, as the century drew to a close, there was a general agreement that any form of imprisonment was unsuitable for children. New laws, culminating in the Children Act of 1908, gradually brought about the removal of children from prisons, so that by 1912 there were only five children imprisoned in Ireland.
Machine Learning Approach for Flight Departure Delay Prediction and Analysis
Authors: Esmaeilzadeh Ehsan , Mokhtarimousavi Seyedmirsajad
Published: July 2020

The expected growth in air travel demand and the positive correlation with the economic factors highlight the significant contribution of the aviation community to the U.S. economy. On‐time operations play a key role in airline performance and passenger satisfaction. Thus, an accurate investigation of the variables that cause delays is of major importance. The application of machine learning techniques in data mining has seen explosive growth in recent years and has garnered interest from a broadening variety of research domains including aviation. This study employed a support vector machine (SVM) model to explore the non-linear relationship between flight delay outcomes. Individual flight data were gathered from 20 days in 2018 to investigate causes and patterns of air traffic delay at three major New York City airports. Considering the black box characteristic of the SVM, a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the relationship between dependent and explanatory variables. The impacts of various explanatory variables are examined in relation to delay, weather information, airport ground operation, demand-capacity, and flow management characteristics. The variable impact analysis reveals that factors such as pushback delay, taxi-out delay, ground delay program, and demand-capacity imbalance with the probabilities of 0.506, 0.478, 0.339, and 0.338, respectively, are significantly associated with flight departure delay. These findings provide insight for better understanding of the causes of departure delays and the impacts of various explanatory factors on flight delay patterns.
Toward the Integration of Paratransit in Transportation Planning in African Cities
Authors: Boutueil Virginie , Lesteven Gaele , Nemett Luc
Published: July 2020

This research examines the history of transportation planning in African cities and how paratransit has been taken into account in the production of planning documents. On the rise since the 1980s, paratransit today is the most common motorized transportation mode in many African cities. The dominant approach among policymakers has been to limit paratransit, in some cases even to ban it. The question this research explores is how distrust of paratransit, and underappreciation of its intrinsic qualities, have been reflected in urban transportation plans. Having selected two cities—Cape Town, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya—we conducted an in-depth analysis of planning documents at national and local levels. South Africa has a long tradition of transportation planning, with documentation available at the national, provincial, and municipal levels. In the 1990s, paratransit was a national-level concern. It gradually became a municipal issue with the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). In Kenya, planning has a shorter history. Development agencies (e.g., Japanese International Cooperation Agency [JICA]) have played a key role in recent planning processes and encourage the formalization of paratransit. However, planning documents contain no explicit references to “matatus.” In both cities, the focus in the documents is still mainly on developing infrastructure rather than improving mobility. While the role of paratransit is increasingly recognized, this trend is still more apparent in regulation than in planning.
Formal and informal waste selective collection in developing megacities: Analysis of residents’ involvement in Bolivia
Authors: Ferronato Navarro , Portillo Marcelo Antonio Gorritty , Lizarazu Gabriela Edith Guisbert , Torretta Vincenzo
Published: July 2020

The implementation of waste selective collection (SC) schemes in low-income countries is a challenge although it is one important way for improving environmental sustainability. The inclusion of the population is necessary for gaining effective results, and social surveys are support methods for understanding citizens’ involvement and behaviour. The aim of the research is to assess the support of the citizens concerning the formal and informal recycling in a low–middle income country. The study presents a questionnaire survey conducted in 2018 in La Paz, Bolivia, where 774 citizens were interviewed for evaluating their support to the formal and informal SC systems. Two questionnaires were submitted to two different users’ categories: users of the formal recyclable waste gathering points; and citizens of the neighbourhoods. Evidence of the survey shows that about 8% of the population supports the formal SC while about 48% are used to selecting their waste at home. About 79.2% of them bring the waste to the informal recycling shops or provide it to waste pickers, throwing the waste into or nearby the mixed containers in order to facilitate their collection. This research demonstrates how social inclusion is important for planning recycling systems within a developing big city, starting from the SC. Results suggest that the informal sector can be an effective means for improving the recycling behaviour of the citizens. The study can be of interest to stakeholders involved in introducing recycling policies in developing cities where the SC rate is still low, and informal waste collection exists.
Structural Labor Precariousness in Peru
Authors: Lust Jan
Published: July 2020

The role of Peru in the international division of labor is the structural condition for the persistence of labor precariousness in the country. At a more concrete level, labor precariousness is an expression of the economic and business structure of the country. An economic structure heavily dependent on the non-tradable sectors and a business structure dominated by micro business undertakings do not permit the eradication of precarious labor conditions as economic growth hinges on economic progress abroad and precariousness is the source of profit of micro companies. Labor precariousness is not an automatic consequence of Peru’s role in the globalized capitalist world, but rather the social and economic consequence of the neoliberal policies implemented in the 1990s and, in particular, the current neoliberal development model in place.
Health and Well-Being in the Year before Death: The Association with Quality of Life and Care at the End-of-Life
Authors: Lee Hyo Jung , Small Brent J. , Haley William E.
Published: July 2020

Objective: We examined whether older adults’ health and well-being during their final year of life predicts end-of-life (EOL) quality of life (QOL) and quality of care (QOC). Methods: Using data from deceased participants ( n = 1125) in the 2011–2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study, we performed latent class analysis to identify profiles of health and well-being, and we examined the association between these classes and EOL QOL and QOC. Results: Four classes were identified: healthy/happy (20%), frail/happy (37%), cognitively impaired/moderately distressed (27%), and highly impaired/highly distressed (16%). Persons in the highly impaired/highly distressed class showed a poorer QOL at the EOL, whereas those in the healthy/happy class reported a lower level of QOC at the EOL. Discussion: The benefits of maintaining health and well-being often carry forward to EOL. Older adults with high impairment and distress merit greater attention such as assuring care and advance care plans.