bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Simplified Speed Control of Induction Motor based on a Low Cost FPGA
Authors: Charaabi Lotfi , Jaziri Ibtihel
Published: October 2017

This paper investigates the development of a simplified speed control of induction motor based on indirect field oriented control (FOC). An original PI-P controller is designed to obtain good performances for speed tracking. Controller coefficients are carried out with analytic approach. The algorithm is implemented using a low cost Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The implementation is followed by an efficient design methodology that offers considerable design advantages. The main advantage is the design of reusable and reconfigurable hardware modules for the control of electrical systems. Experimental results carried on a prototyping platform are given to illustrate the efficiency and the benefits of the proposed approach.
A Novel Algorithm to Estimate Closely Spaced Source DOA
Authors: Hadj Irid Sidi Mohamed , Kameche Samir , Assous Said
Published: October 2017

In order to improve resolution and direction of arrival (DOA) estimation of two closely spaced sources, in context of array processing, a new algorithm is presented. However, the proposed algorithm combines both spatial sampling technic to widen the resolution and a high resolution method which is the Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) to estimate the DOA of two closely spaced sources impinging on the far-field of Uniform Linear Array (ULA). Simulations examples are discussed to demonstrate the performance and the effectiveness of the proposed approach (referred as Spatial sampling MUSIC SS-MUSIC) compared to the classical MUSIC method when it’s used alone in this context.
Reconfigurable Feeding Network with Dual-band Filter for WiMAX Application
Authors: Edward N. , Zakaria Z. , Shairi N.A.
Published: October 2017

Design and simulation for reconfigurable Wilkinson Power Divider (WPD) related to WiMAX application is proposed in this paper. This proposed design relates to dual band WiMAX frequencies at 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz. The main purpose of this design is to design a switchable feeding network that can cover the WiMAX standards by reconfiguring the microstrip line length using PIN diode switches. Besides, the power divider also can be design and develop as power combiner due to the passive component structure and hence reciprocal. In this proposed Wilkinson power divider, different band of frequencies for WiMAX application are obtained by using PIN diode. By turning ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’ the PIN diode, different frequencies are achieved between 2.5 and 3.5 GHz. This proposed design used Rogers RO4350 (er = 3.48, h = 0.508mm) as a substrate material and copper (thickness = 0.002 mm) related to patch of design. This simulation results showed that the S11 is less than -15dB; and S12 and S13 are better than -5dB. Based on these simulation results, the proposed WPD design using dual-band filter was well applied where it has better return loss (S11) with less than -15 dB for both WiMAX frequencies.
A New Approach of Iris Detection and Recognition
Authors: Biswas Rubel , Uddin Jia , Hasan Md. Junayed
Published: October 2017

This paper proposes an IRIS recognition and detection model for measuring the e-security. This proposed model consists of the following blocks: segmentation and normalization, feature encoding and feature extraction, and classification. In first phase, histogram equalization and canny edge detection is used for object detection. And then, Hough Transformation is utilized for detecting the center of the pupil of an IRIS. In second phase, Daugmen’s Rubber Sheet model and Log Gabor filter is used for normalization and encoding and as a feature extraction method GNS (Global Neighborhood Structure) map is used, finally extracted feature of GNS is feed to the SVM (Support Vector Machine) for training and testing. For our tested dataset, experimental results demonstrate 92% accuracy in real portion and 86% accuracy in imaginary portion for both eyes. In addition, our proposed model outperforms than other two conventional methods exhibiting higher accuracy.
RCS of Chiral Elliptic Cylinder Embedded in Infinite Chiral Medium
Authors: Hamid A-K. , Obaid W.
Published: October 2017

This paper presents an analytic solution to the scattering properties of chiral elliptic cylinder embedded in infinite chiral medium due to incident plane wave. The external electromagnetic fields as well as the internal electromagnetic fields are written in terms Mathieu functions and expansion coefficients. In order to obtain both the internal and external unknown field expansion coefficients, the boundary conditions are applied rigorously at the surface of different chiral/chiral material. Results are plotted graphically for the normalized scattering widths for elliptic cylinders of different sizes and chiral materials to show the effects of these parameters on scattering cross widths. It is shown numerically by adding the external chiral material to elliptic cylinder provides more parameters to control the RCS.
The Decision-making Model for the Stock Market under Uncertainty
Authors: Mohammed Almasani Siham Abdulmalik , Finaev Valery Ivanovich , Abdo Qaid Wadeea Ahmed , Tychinsky Alexander Vladimirovich
Published: October 2017

The main purpose of this research is developing methods and models of decision-making to assess the stock market state, and predict the possible changes in the RTS index value. This article shows that the analytical models for assessing the stock market state do not give reliable results. The absence of the reliable estimates associated with the high degree of uncertainty, random, nonlinear and non-stationary process with a significant degree of aftereffect. In this paper, to formalize the securities market parameters it’s proposed the fuzzy sets method. To assess the stock market current state and make decisions the fuzzy situational analysis model (situational model) is applied. The analytical prediction results of the stock market and graph of the RTS index expected return changes in 2014-2016 are showed. The model of calculating the fuzzy inference rules truth degree to predict the RTS index is developed. The market parameters linguistic definition is given and the expert’s rules construction to predict the RTS index growth is shown. The program in Matlab environment is designed to perform research. The study result showed that the model allows for the RTS index prediction in the condition of incomplete initial data with a confidence level about 90%.
Mobile Learning Technologies
Authors: Alsaadat Khalil
Published: October 2017

Technological development  have altered the way we communicate, learn, think, share, and spread information. Mobile technologies are those that make use of wireless technologies to gain some sort of data. As mobile connectedness continues to spread across the world, the value of employing mobile technologies in the arena of learning and teaching seems to be both self-evident and unavoidable The fast deployment of mobile devices and wireless networks in university campuses makes higher education a good environment  to integrate learners-centered m-learning . this paper discusses mobile learning technologies that are being used for educational purposes and the effect they have on teaching and learning methods.
Analysis of Electric Field and Current Density on XLPE Insulator
Authors: Sharif M. H. M. , Jamail N. A. M. , Othman N. A. , Kamarudin M. S.
Published: October 2017

Good condition and size of the insulator are important to ensure the excellent electric field and current density performance because of aging and degradation HVDC cable problem. At present, the existing insulator which is XLPE insulator that had been used does not meet the capabilities criteria of HVDC cable due to the problem in terms of the condition of the insulator which is the presence of a void in the insulator. A research had been made with Quickfield Software to calculate the electric field and current density in the XLPE insulator of HVDC cable. A void is created in the XLPE insulator by using Quickfield Software by varying diameter of void and distance of void from conductor. XLPE insulator is taken as main research object. The results show that largest diameter of void and nearest distance of void from conductor distorts highest electric field and lowest current density. Therefore, it is important to study both electric field and current density to ensure good capabilities and safety of HVDC cable.
Wireless Fault Detection System for an Industrial Robot Based on Statistical Control Chart
Authors: Jaber Alaa Abdulhady , Bicker Robert
Published: October 2017

Industrial robots are now commonly used in production systems to improve productivity, quality and safety in manufacturing processes. Recent developments involve using robots cooperatively with production line operatives. Regardless of application, there are significant implications for operator safety in the event of a robot malfunction or failure, and the consequent downtime has a significant impact on productivity in manufacturing. Machine healthy monitoring is a type of maintenance inspection technique by which an operational asset is monitored and the data obtained is analysed to detect signs of degradation and thus reducing the maintenance costs. Developments in electronics and computing have opened new horizons in the area of condition monitoring. The aim of using wireless electronic systems is to allow data analysis to be carried out locally at field level and transmitting the results wirelessly to the base station, which as a result will help to overcome the need for wiring and provides an easy and cost-effective sensing technique to detect faults in machines. So, the main focuses of this research is to develop an online and wireless fault detection system for an industrial robot based on statistical control chart approach. An experimental investigation was accomplished using the PUMA 560 robot and vibration signal capturing was adopted, as it responds immediately to manifest itself if any change is appeared in the monitored machine, to extract features related to the robot health conditions. The results indicate the successful detection of faults at the early stages using the key extracted parameters.
Justificativas do turnover de CEOs: estudo em companhias brasileiras investidas por fundos de pensão
Authors: Matos Ruben Mendes , Colauto Romualdo Douglas
Published: October 2017

O estudo identifica as justificativas para o turnover de CEO em companhias de capital aberto no período 2010 a 2014 e mede a intensidade da divulgação dessas justificativas. Para tanto, foi proposto um índice distribuído nas dimensões de divulgação ‘forçada e voluntária’, a exemplo do estudo de Parrino (1997). A confiabilidade do índice foi medida pelo teste KR-20. A amostra cobriu 65 companhias brasileiras de capital aberto que tinham no mínimo um Fundo de Pensão fechado como acionista. A identificação das justificativas sobre o turnover de CEO foi feita por Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados para amostra brasileira apontam uma tendência de aumento no turnover quando o desempenho é insatisfatório, corroborando resultados do estudo de Kaplan e Minton (2012). As trocas de CEOs ocorreram predominantemente em companhias com participação societária de fundos de pensão vinculados às empresas estatais. As justificativas de ‘desempenho insatisfatório’ e ‘atuação exclusiva no conselho’ (não acumulo de cargos executivos) foram as mais divulgadas na mídia especializada consultada.
Why Do Modeled and Observed Surface Wind Stress Climatologies Differ in the Trade Wind Regions?
Authors: Simpson Isla R. , Bacmeister Julio T. , Sandu Irina , Rodwell Mark J.
Published: October 2017

Global climate models (GCMs) exhibit stronger mean easterly zonal surface wind stress and near-surface winds in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) trade winds than observationally constrained reanalyses or other observational products. A comparison, between models and reanalyses, of the processes that contribute to the zonal-mean, vertically integrated balance of momentum reveals that this wind stress discrepancy cannot be explained by either the resolved dynamics or parameterized tendencies that are common to each. Rather, a substantial residual exists in the time-mean momentum balance of the reanalyses, pointing toward a role for the analysis increments. Indeed, they are found to systematically weaken the NH near-surface easterlies in winter, thereby reducing the diagnosed surface wind stress. Similar effects are found in the Southern Hemisphere, and further analysis of the spatial structure and seasonality of these increments demonstrates that they act to weaken the near-surface flow over much of the low-latitude oceans in both summer and winter. This suggests an erroneous/missing process in GCMs that constitutes a missing drag on the low-level zonal flow over oceans. This indicates either a misrepresentation of the drag between the surface and the atmosphere or a missing internal atmospheric process that amounts to an additional drag on the low-level zonal flow. If the former is true, then observation-based surface stress products, which rely on similar drag formulations to GCMs, may be underestimating the strength of the easterly surface wind stress.
A Meta-Analysis of Open-Path Eddy Covariance Observations of Apparent CO2 Flux in Cold Conditions in FLUXNET
Authors: Wang Liming , Lee Xuhui , Wang Wei , Wang Xufeng , Wei Zhongwang , Fu Congsheng , Gao Yunqiu , Lu Ling , Song Weimin , Su Peixi , Lin Guanghui
Published: October 2017

Open-path eddy covariance systems are widely used for measuring the CO2 flux between land and atmosphere. A common problem is that they often yield negative fluxes or physiologically unreasonable CO2 uptake fluxes in the nongrowing season under cold conditions. In this study, a meta-analysis was performed on the eddy flux data from 64 FLUXNET sites and the relationship between the observed CO2 flux and the sensible heat flux was analyzed. In theory, these two fluxes should be independent of each other in cold conditions (air temperature lower than 0°C) when photosynthesis is suppressed. However, the results show that a significant and negative linear relationship existed between these two fluxes at 37 of the sites. The mean linear slope value is −0.008 ± 0.001 µmol m−2 s−1 per W m−2 among the 64 sites analyzed. The slope value was not significantly different among the three gas analyzer models (LI-7500, LI-7500A, IRGASON/EC150) used at these sites, indicating that self-heating may not be the only reason for the apparent wintertime net CO2 uptake. These results suggest a systematic bias toward larger carbon uptakes in the FLUXNET sites that deploy open-path eddy covariance systems.
The Influence of Assimilated Upstream, Preconvective Dropsonde Observations on Ensemble Forecasts of Convection Initiation during the Mesoscale Predictability Experiment
Authors: Keclik Alexandra M. , Evans Clark , Roebber Paul J. , Romine Glen S.
Published: October 2017

This study tests the hypothesis that assimilating mid- to upper-tropospheric, meso- α- to synoptic-scale observations collected in upstream, preconvective environments is insufficient to improve short-range ensemble convection initiation (CI) forecast skill over the set of cases considered by the 2013 Mesoscale Predictability Experiment (MPEX) because of a limited influence upon the lower-tropospheric phenomena that modulate CI occurrence, timing, and location. The ensemble Kalman filter implementation within the Data Assimilation Research Testbed as coupled to the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model is used to initialize two nearly identical 30-member ensembles of short-range forecasts for each case: one initial condition set that incorporates MPEX dropsonde observations and one that excludes these observations. All forecasts for a given mission begin at 1500 UTC and are integrated for 15 h on a convection-permitting grid encompassing much of the conterminous United States. Forecast verification is conducted probabilistically using fractions skill score and deterministically using a 2 × 2 contingency table approach at multiple neighborhood sizes and spatiotemporal event-matching thresholds to assess forecast skill and support hypothesis testing. The probabilistic verification represents the first of its kind for numerical CI forecasts. Forecasts without MPEX observations have high fractions skill score and probabilities of detection on the meso- α scale but exhibit a considerable high bias for forecast CI event count. Assimilating MPEX observations has a negligible impact upon forecast skill for the cases considered, independent of verification metric, as the MPEX observations result in only subtle differences primarily manifest in the position and intensity of atmospheric features responsible for focusing and/or triggering deep, moist convection.
“I Don’t Take My Tuba to Work at Microsoft”: Arts Graduates and the Portability of Creative Identity
Authors: Lindemann Danielle J. , Tepper Steven J. , Talley Heather Laine
Published: October 2017

Drawing on data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project ( N = 13,581) and the Teagle Study of double majors ( N = 1,736), we examine how arts alumni and students view their creative skills as transferable across contexts. Based on these preliminary analyses, we find that people with similar training interpret the relationship between their creativity and their work differently. We postulate that variations in creative identity may be one compelling explanation for these differences, which are not attributable solely to job type or to workplace context. Our results suggest, furthermore, that creative identity has both “portable” and “salient” dimensions. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for future research on the identity dimensions of creativity.
The Five Cs of Positive Youth Development in a school context; gender and mediator effects
Authors: Årdal Elisabeth , Holsen Ingrid , Diseth Åge , Larsen Torill
Published: October 2017

The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of the Five Cs of Positive Youth Development (PYD) on the relationship between students’ perceived school empowerment and school satisfaction, as well as gender differences in these relationships. The data stemmed from a cross-sectional survey of 997 adolescents from four upper secondary schools in Norway. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using the statistical program AMOS was employed. Results showed that students’ perception of an empowering school climate predicted the Five Cs. However, only the competence, confidence, and connection factors predicted school satisfaction. Competence, confidence, and connection fully mediated the effect of school empowerment on school satisfaction. Based on significance tests according to gender, the Five Cs are more strongly related to school empowerment and school satisfaction for females than for males.
Spatial Agglomeration and Performance of Main Innovative Actors in a Metropolitan Area
Authors: Zhou Jun , Xu Jiabo , Wang Xingping
Published: October 2017

Innovative actors have been studied in both triple helix and quintuple helix framework. Their functions and interactions between each other have been demonstrated, but spatial agglomeration involving all kinds of innovative actors has rarely been deeply analyzed especially in a metropolitan area. Existing innovation theories and relevant research explain why innovative actors agglomerate and cooperate but provide few spatial evidence to support the importance of geographical proximity. Taking the Yangtze River Delta metropolitan area as an example, this study focuses on confirming the importance of geographical proximity between not only technology firms but also other different types of innovative actors on both data and spatial level. Following the triple helix model, namely, technology-, knowledge-, and service-based actors, this study traces the spatial agglomeration and growth of innovative actors since 2008. Primacy index, concentration, and spatial Gini index were used to examine the extent to which three kinds of innovative actors were concentrated in the metropolitan area and a highly centralized hierarchy system with a trend to become multicenter system was thus shown as the spatial distribution structure of innovative actors in the study area. The study also evaluates the innovative performance measured by patents before comparing the innovative capacity of different kinds of innovative actors. By assessing the innovative output structure and leading type of innovative actors, common features of innovatively well-performed cities were concluded as the simultaneous existence of high-output knowledge-based leading actors and a large number of technology-based actors.
An illustrated introduction to general geomorphometry
Authors: Florinsky Igor V
Published: October 2017

Geomorphometry is widely used to solve various multiscale geoscientific problems. For the successful application of geomorphometric methods, a researcher should know the basic mathematical concepts of geomorphometry and be aware of the system of morphometric variables, as well as understand their physical, mathematical and geographical meanings. This paper reviews the basic mathematical concepts of general geomorphometry. First, we discuss the notion of the topographic surface and its limitations. Second, we present definitions, formulae and meanings for four main groups of morphometric variables, such as local, non-local, two-field specific and combined topographic attributes, and we review the following 29 fundamental morphometric variables: slope, aspect, northwardness, eastwardness, plan curvature, horizontal curvature, vertical curvature, difference curvature, horizontal excess curvature, vertical excess curvature, accumulation curvature, ring curvature, minimal curvature, maximal curvature, mean curvature, Gaussian curvature, unsphericity curvature, rotor, Laplacian, shape index, curvedness, horizontal curvature deflection, vertical curvature deflection, catchment area, dispersive area, reflectance, insolation, topographic index and stream power index. For illustrations, we use a digital elevation model (DEM) of Mount Ararat, extracted from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 1-arc-second DEM. The DEM was treated by a spectral analytical method. Finally, we briefly discuss the main paradox of general geomorphometry associated with the smoothness of the topographic surface and the non-smoothness of the real topography; application of morphometric variables; statistical aspects of geomorphometric modelling, including relationships between morphometric variables and roughness indices; and some pending problems of general geomorphometry (i.e. analysis of inner surfaces of caves, analytical description of non-local attributes and structural lines, as well as modelling on a triaxial ellipsoid). The paper can be used as a reference guide on general geomorphometry.
Predictors of Stunting in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months: A Case–Control Study in Southwest Uganda
Authors: Bukusuba John , Kaaya Archileo N. , Atukwase Abel
Published: October 2017

Background:

Stunting affects close to 2.4 million children in Uganda, and it is among the major contributors to the annual loss in productivity of the equivalent of US$899 million.

Objective:

This study sought to identify the key underlying causes of the persistently high stunting rates in a region of Uganda known to have low poverty rates and a high agricultural output.

Methods:

A matched case–control study was conducted in Buhweju district, southwest Uganda to compare prior exposures between stunted children (cases) and nonstunted children (controls).

Results:

The sample comprised 56 cases and 112 controls, totaling 168 children aged 6 to 59 months. There were almost equal numbers of boys and girls in the sample. Boys were significantly more likely to be stunted compared to girls (odds ratio [OR]: 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-4.2; P < .05). Stunted children were significantly less likely to be introduced to complementary foods at an appropriate age and their primary caregivers lacked knowledge about stunting. The odds of stunting were 2.4 times greater for children in food-insecure households compared to those in food-secure households (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1-5.0; P < .05) and 4.5 times greater among children who resided in poor quality houses (OR: 4.5, 95% CI: 1.4-13.0; P < .05).

Conclusion:

Low access to appropriate complementary diets, sex of child, food insecurity, poor socioeconomic status, and low knowledge about stunting were the main predictors of childhood stunting in the study population.
Tissue metabolic changes for effects of pirfenidone in rats of acute paraquat poisoning by GC-MS
Authors: Ma Jianshe , Sun Fa , Chen Bingbao , Tu Xiaoting , Peng Xiufa , Wen Congcong , Hu Lufeng , Wang Xianqin
Published: October 2017

We developed a metabolomic method to evaluate the effect of pirfenidone on rats with acute paraquat (PQ) poisoning, through the analysis of various tissues (lung, liver, kidney, and heart), by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty-eight rats were randomly divided into a control group, an acute PQ (20 mg kg−1) poisoning group, a pirfenidone (20 mg kg−1) treatment group, and a pirfenidone (40 mg kg−1) treatment group. Partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) revealed metabolic alterations in rat tissue samples from the two pirfenidone treatment groups after acute PQ poisoning. The PLS-DA 3D score chart showed that the rats in the acute PQ poisoning group were clearly distinguished from the rats in the control group. Also, the two pirfenidone treatment groups were distinguished from the acute PQ poisoning group and control group. Additionally, the pirfenidone (40 mg kg−1) treatment group was separated farther than the pirfenidone (20 mg kg−1) treatment group from the acute PQ poisoning group. Evaluation of the pathological changes in the rat tissues revealed that treatment with pirfenidone appeared to decrease pulmonary fibrosis in the acute PQ poisoning rats. The results indicate that pirfenidone induced beneficial metabolic alterations in the tissues of rats with acute PQ poisoning. Rats with acute PQ poisoning exhibited a certain reduction in biochemical indicators after treatment with pirfenidone, indicating that pirfenidone could protect liver and kidney function. Accordingly, the developed metabolomic approach proved to be useful to elucidate the effect of pirfenidone in rats of acute PQ poisoning.
Cryogel scaffolds from patient-specific 3D-printed molds for personalized tissue-engineered bone regeneration in pediatric cleft-craniofacial defects
Authors: Hixon Katherine R , Melvin Alexa M , Lin Alexander Y , Hall Andrew F , Sell Scott A
Published: October 2017

Bone defects are extremely common in children with cleft-craniofacial conditions, especially those with alveolar cleft defects and cranial defects. This study used patient-specific 3D-printed molds derived from computed tomography and cryogel scaffold fabrication as a proof of concept for the creation of site-specific implants for bone reconstruction. Cryogel scaffolds are unique tissue-engineered constructs formed at sub-zero temperatures. When thawed, the resulting structure is macroporous, sponge-like, and mechanically durable. Due to these unique properties, cryogels have excellent potential for the treatment of patient-specific bone defects; however, there is little literature on their use in cleft-craniofacial defects. While 3D-printing technology currently lacks the spatial resolution to print the microstructure necessary for bone regeneration, it can be used to create site-specific molds. Thus, it is ideal to integrate these techniques for the fabrication of scaffolds with patient-specific geometry. Overall, all cryogels possessed appropriate geometry to allow for cell infiltration after 28 days. Additionally, suitable mechanical durability was demonstrated where, despite mold geometry, all cryogels could be compressed without exhibiting crack propagation. Such a patient-specific scaffold would be ideal in pediatric cleft-craniofacial defects, as these are complex 3D defects and children have less donor bone availability.
Affective communities and millennial desires: Latinx, or why my computer won’t recognize Latina/o
Authors: Guidotti-Hernández Nicole M
Published: October 2017

There is a tremendous shift in public digital discourse and the academy more broadly, about the use of Latinx, one that may appear, on the surface, as an uncritical, hip way to shift how we talk about ourselves. While there is a long history of contestation about these categories of naming, my goal in this essay is to chart out the histories of how we went from using Mexican American and Puerto Rican to Chicano and Nuyorican and then the latest iterations, like Latina/o and eventually Latinx. By drawing on specific case studies of millennial digital cultures and the creation of new-phase ethnic studies departments in the 2000s, I demonstrate how millennials use Latinx to transcend gender, racial, class, and regional constraints they see emanating from boomer-generation ethno-nationalist formations. To be a part of the affective community represents a core value for millennials because it is antiessentialist because Latinx bears the load of recognition and diversity and represents the power of inclusion without speaking for everyone. Ultimately, Latinx can carry the excessive and diverse affective load of a population in ways that other ethno-nationalist and pan-Latina/o terms cannot.
A comparative study of methods to simulate aerodynamic flow beneath a high-speed train
Authors: Soper David , Flynn Dominic , Baker Chris , Jackson Adam , Hemida Hassan
Published: October 2017

The introduction of dedicated high-speed railway lines around the world has led to issues associated with running trains at very high speeds. Aerodynamic effects proportionally increase with train speed squared; consequently, at higher speeds aerodynamic effects will be significantly greater than those of trains travelling at lower speeds. On ballasted track beds, the phenomenon in which ballast particles become airborne during the passage of a high-speed train has led to the need for understanding the processes involved in train and track interaction (both aerodynamical and geotechnical). The difficulty in making full-scale aerodynamic measurements beneath a high-speed train has created the requirement to be able to accurately simulate these complex aerodynamic flows at the model scale. In this study, the results of moving-model tests and numerical simulations were analysed to determine the performance of each method for simulating the aerodynamic flow underneath a high-speed train. Validation was provided for both cases by juxtaposing the results against those from full-scale measurements. The moving-model tests and numerical simulations were performed at the 1/25th scale. Horizontal velocities from the moving-model tests and computational fluid dynamics simulations were mostly comparable except those obtained close to the ballast. In this region, multi-hole aerodynamic probes were unable to accurately measure velocities. The numerical simulations were able to resolve the flow to much smaller turbulent scales than could be measured in the experiments and showed an overshoot in peak velocity magnitudes. Pressure and velocity magnitudes were found to be greater in the numerical simulations than in the experimental tests. This is thought to be due to the influence of ballast stones in the experimental studies allowing the flow to diffuse through them, whereas in the computational fluid dynamics simulations, the flow stagnated on a smooth non-porous surface. Additional validation of standard deviations and turbulence intensities found good agreement between the experimental data but an overshoot in the numerical simulations. Both moving model and computational fluid dynamics techniques were shown to be able to replicate the flow development beneath a high-speed train. These techniques could therefore be used as a method to model underbody flow with a view to train homologation.
Exploring the Divide between Output and Outcome Measures in Health Care
Authors: Palumbo Rocco
Published: October 2017

Performance assessment plays a crucial role in providing policymakers and governing bodies with timely and relevant information to monitor the quality of health care systems. However, scholars are not consistent in discussing the attributes and the effects of performance assessment in health care. This article aims at providing a synthesis of scientific evidence in the field of performance measurement in the health sector to explore the paradigm shift from output to outcome. The transition to outcome measurement turns out to be an unresolved issue. Nonetheless, it encourages the reconceptualization of performance measurement as a crucial communication tool between health care organizations and their stakeholders.
Exploring target-specific primer extension in combination with a bead-based suspension array for multiplexed detection and typing using Streptococcus suis as a model pathogen
Authors: van der Wal Fimme J. , Achterberg René P. , van Solt-Smits Conny , Bergervoet Jan H. W. , de Weerdt Marjanne , Wisselink Henk J.
Published: October 2017

We investigated the feasibility of an assay based on target-specific primer extension, combined with a suspension array, for the multiplexed detection and typing of a veterinary pathogen in animal samples, using Streptococcus suis as a model pathogen. A procedure was established for simultaneous detection of 6 S. suis targets in pig tonsil samples (i.e., 4 genes associated with serotype 1, 2, 7, or 9, the generic S. suis glutamate dehydrogenase gene [ gdh], and the gene encoding the extracellular protein factor [ epf]). The procedure was set up as a combination of protocols: DNA isolation from porcine tonsils, a multiplex PCR, a multiplex target-specific primer extension, and finally a suspension array as the readout. The resulting assay was compared with a panel of conventional PCR assays. The proposed multiplex assay can correctly identify the serotype of isolates and is capable of simultaneous detection of multiple targets in porcine tonsillar samples. The assay is not as sensitive as the current conventional PCR assays, but with the correct sampling strategy, the assay can be useful for screening pig herds to establish which S. suis serotypes are circulating in a pig population.
Organizational Considerations for Supporting the Safety of Home Support Workers: Results From a Scoping Review
Authors: Macdonald Marilyn , Moody Elaine , MacLean Heather
Published: October 2017

As the population ages, and more people are living at home with chronic conditions, there is an increasing need for home support workers (HSWs). Safety is a central concern for HSWs, and contributes to the recruitment and retention of HSWs and ultimately to a sustainable home care sector. This article reports on a scoping review that was conducted to assess the state of the literature related to the safety of HSWs. Studies were selected that address the central phenomenon and that were conducted from 2000 to 2015. One hundred twenty-six studies were included in the synthesis of findings. This article outlines two of the four major findings, those related to safety factors associated with home care organizations: (1) injury prevention initiatives and (2) human resource planning. The findings have important implications for developing strategies to address safety concerns for HSWs.
Marginality and the Third Space of Unadopted Plotlander Roads
Authors: Bower Richard
Published: October 2017

This article explores the characteristics and relationships of marginality in informal space and plotlander housing in the context of Homi K. Bhabha’s cultural hybridity and Third Space. To illustrate and examine the processes of marginalization that defined informal space in the United Kingdom, this article will critically analyze the previously undocumented plotlander community at Studd Hill on the North Kent coastline.1 Examining key aspects of this sites social origins and its marginal spatial context reveals the positive implications and challenges of informal space and social hybridization. In this analysis, issues of spatial vulnerability and marginality of plotlander communities are critically reframed as analogous to the sociospatial characteristics and innovative practices highlighted by Bhabha in postcolonial hybrid space. Focusing specifically on the challenges of the unadopted roads at Studd Hill, this article’s comparisons reveal how the anarchistic emergence of plotlander housing in the United Kingdom has produced innovative solutions to their social marginality that reflect the spatial values of postcolonial hybrid spaces.
From Silver Screen to Sacred Home: Transforming Places of Entertainment Into Spaces of Worship
Authors: Muster Janine
Published: October 2017

Forward Christian Community (Forward) is an evangelical church that incorporates Christendom and Jewish traditions into its worship and repurposes an unconventional/commercial space—a former movie theater. Forward started as subsidiary ministry of a larger evangelical church community before becoming its own independent church community separated from its mother church. In this article, I argue that Forward has developed a new vision of how church can take place through its founding members’ shared past and experiences at their mother church—their cultural memory. The conventional–unconventional form of church they developed is manifested through a new form of church space.
The association of race with quality of health in peripheral artery disease following peripheral vascular intervention: The Q-PAD Study
Authors: Zaitoun Anwar , Al-Najafi Saif , Musa Thaer , Szpunar Susan , Light Dawn , Lalonde Thomas , Yamasaki Hiroshi , Mehta Rajendra H , Rosman Howard S
Published: October 2017

Black patients have a higher prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) than white patients, and also tend to have a greater extent and severity of disease, and poorer outcomes. The association of race with quality of health (QOH) after peripheral vascular intervention (PVI), however, is less well-known. In our study, we hypothesized that after PVI, black patients experience worse QOH than white patients. We retrospectively assessed racial differences in health status using responses to the Peripheral Arterial Questionnaire (PAQ) at baseline (pre-PVI) and up to 6 months following PVI among 387 patients. We used the PAQ summary score (which includes physical limitation, symptoms, social function and quality of life) as a measure of QOH. We compared QOH scores at baseline and at follow-up after PVI between black ( n=132, 34.1%) and white ( n=255, 65.9%) patients. We then computed the change in score from baseline to follow-up for each patient (the delta) and compared the median delta between the two groups. Multivariable regression was used to model the delta QOH after controlling for factors associated with race or with the delta QOH. There was no significant difference in mean QOH by race either at baseline ( p=0.09) or at follow-up ( p=0.45). There was no significant difference in the unadjusted median delta by race (white 25.3 vs black 21.5, p=0.28) and QOH scores improved significantly at follow-up in both groups, albeit the improvement was marginally lower in black compared with white patients after adjustment for baseline confounders ( b = −6.6, p=0.05, 95% CI −13.2, −0.11).
Changing the World, One Website at a Time
Authors: Rank Mark
Published: October 2017

Mark Rank on a project to help everyday Americans see their risk of poverty.
Gimme Shelter
Authors: Torres Stacy
Published: October 2017

Stacy Torres on an overlooked variable in birth rates: housing shortages.
The Role of Leadership in Surviving a School Shooting
Authors: Brown Carleton H.
Published: October 2017

At a small rural middle school in the southern United States, two students murdered a teacher, four students, and injured 10 during a shooting spree. This case represents the lived experiences of a school principal, counselor, and community that survived the deadly rampage. The case highlights the challenges that school leaders may face such as making quick decisions, managing volunteers, and assisting faculty, staff, students, and parents in returning to a level of normalcy. Although the experience is based on a real event, all identifying information (i.e., location, names) has been masked with pseudonyms. The case encourages discussion and reflection among school leaders in responding to youth violence on school campuses.
What makes or breaks higher education community engagement in the South African rural school context: A multiple-partner perspective
Authors: Machimana Eugene Gabriel , Sefotho Maximus Monaheng , Ebersöhn Liesel
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this study is to inform global citizenship practice as a higher education agenda by comparing the retrospective experiences of a range of community engagement partners and including often silent voices of non-researcher partners. Higher education–community engagement aims to contribute to social justice as it constructs and transfers new knowledge from the perspectives of a wide range of community engagement partners. This qualitative secondary analysis study was framed theoretically by the transformative–emancipatory paradigm. Existing case data, generated on retrospective experiences of community engagement partners in a long-term community engagement partnership, were conveniently sampled to analyse and compare a range of community engagement experiences ( parents of student clients ( n = 12: females 10, males 2), teachers from the partner rural school ( n = 18: females 12, males 6), student-educational psychology clients ( n = 31: females 14, males 17), Academic Service-Learning ( ASL) students ( n = 20: females 17, males 3) and researchers ( n = 12: females 11, males 1). Following thematic in-case and cross-case analysis, it emerged that all higher education–community engagement partners experienced that socio-economic challenges (defined as rural school adversities, include financial, geographic and social challenges) are addressed when an higher education–community engagement partnership exists, but that particular operational challenges (communication barriers, time constraints, workload and unclear scope, inconsistent feedback, as well as conflicting expectations) hamper higher education–community engagement partnership. A significant insight from this study is that a range of community engagement partners experience similar challenges when a university and rural school partner. All community engagement partners experienced that higher education–community engagement is challenged by the structural disparity between the rural context and operational miscommunication.
Global Threats From Preventable Injuries
Authors: Phillips Jennan A.
Published: October 2017

Preventable injuries kill thousands of the world’s population every day and injure millions each year. Road traffic crashes and opioid drug misuse are major causes of these injuries. Increased efforts are needed to promote strong policies, develop new prevention strategies, and protect workers from these global public health threats.
Relationships between infection with Plasmodium falciparum during pregnancy, measures of placental malaria, and adverse birth outcomes
Authors: Kapisi James , Kakuru Abel , Jagannathan Prasanna , Muhindo Mary K. , Natureeba Paul , Awori Patricia , Nakalembe Miriam , Ssekitoleko Richard , Olwoch Peter , Ategeka John , Nayebare Patience , Clark Tamara D. , Rizzuto Gabrielle , Muehlenbachs Atis , Havlir Diane V. , Kamya Moses R. , Dorsey Grant , Gaw Stephanie L.
Published: October 2017

Background

Malaria in pregnancy has been associated with maternal morbidity, placental malaria, and adverse birth outcomes. However, data are limited on the relationships between longitudinal measures of malaria during pregnancy, measures of placental malaria, and birth outcomes.

Methods

This is a nested observational study of data from a randomized controlled trial of intermittent preventive therapy during pregnancy among 282 participants with assessment of placental malaria and delivery outcomes. HIV-uninfected pregnant women were enrolled at 12–20 weeks of gestation. Symptomatic malaria during pregnancy was measured using passive surveillance and monthly detection of asymptomatic parasitaemia using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Placental malaria was defined as either the presence of parasites in placental blood by microscopy, detection of parasites in placental blood by LAMP, or histopathologic evidence of parasites or pigment. Adverse birth outcomes assessed included low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA) infants.

Results

The 282 women were divided into three groups representing increasing malaria burden during pregnancy. Fifty-two (18.4%) had no episodes of symptomatic malaria or asymptomatic parasitaemia during the pregnancy, 157 (55.7%) had low malaria burden (0–1 episodes of symptomatic malaria and < 50% of samples LAMP+), and 73 (25.9%) had high malaria burden during pregnancy (≥ 2 episodes of symptomatic malaria or ≥ 50% of samples LAMP+). Women with high malaria burden had increased risks of placental malaria by blood microscopy and LAMP [aRR 14.2 (1.80–111.6) and 4.06 (1.73–9.51), respectively], compared to the other two groups combined. Compared with women with no malaria exposure during pregnancy, the risk of placental malaria by histopathology was higher among low and high burden groups [aRR = 3.27 (1.32–8.12) and aRR = 7.07 (2.84–17.6), respectively]. Detection of placental parasites by any method was significantly associated with PTB [aRR 5.64 (1.46–21.8)], and with a trend towards increased risk for LBW and SGA irrespective of the level of malaria burden during pregnancy.

Conclusion

Higher malaria burden during pregnancy was associated with placental malaria and together with the detection of parasites in the placenta were associated with increased risk for adverse birth outcomes.

Trial Registration Current Controlled Trials Identifier NCT02163447
Optimal damping profile ratios for stabilization of perfectly matched layers in general anisotropic media
Authors: Gao Kai , Huang Lianjie
Published: October 2017

Conventional perfectly matched layers (PMLs) can be unstable for certain kinds of anisotropic media. The multiaxial PML removes such instability using nonzero damping coefficients in the directions tangential with the PML interface. Although using nonzero damping profile ratios can stabilize PMLs, it is important to obtain the smallest possible damping profile ratios to minimize artificial reflections caused by these nonzero ratios, particularly for 3D general anisotropic media. Using the eigenvectors of the PML system matrix, we have developed a straightforward and efficient numerical algorithm to determine the optimal damping profile ratios to stabilize PMLs in 2D and 3D general anisotropic media. Numerical examples indicate that our algorithm provides optimal damping profile ratios to ensure the stability of PMLs and complex-frequency-shifted PMLs for elastic-wave modeling in 2D and 3D general anisotropic media.