bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the Airflow Distribution Within an Indirect Solar Dryer by Modifications Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Khaldi Souheyla , Korti Abdel Illah Nabil , Abboudi Said
Published: June 2017

Successful drying requires a uniform heating of the product along the trays. This condition is a real challenge in the design of solar dryers. Studies show that a conventional solar dryer provides a nonuniform temperature distribution at the trays level. This paper seeks to remedy this problem by adding a second air inlet to the cabinet dryer in order to get a more homogeneous temperature. Unsteady turbulent airflow and heat transfer through a two-dimensional model is carried out for a typical day of August under the climatic conditions of Tlemcen (Algeria). Figs fruit was selected to be dried. The effect of the proposed configuration on the dynamic and thermal behaviors of the solar dryer has been discussed. The results revealed that using two opposite inlets can improve the drying process by reducing the fluctuation of the temperature to about 67% and increasing the mass flow rate by about 18%.
Genetic Risk Factors for Folate-Responsive Neural Tube Defects
Authors: Molloy Anne M. , Pangilinan Faith , Brody Lawrence C.
Published: June 2017

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are the most severe congenital malformations of the central nervous system. The etiology is complex, with both genetic and environmental factors having important contributions. Researchers have known for the past two decades that maternal periconceptional use of the B vitamin folic acid can prevent many NTDs. Though this finding is arguably one of the most important recent discoveries in birth defect research, the mechanism by which folic acid exerts this benefit remains unknown. Research to date has focused on the hypothesis that an underlying genetic susceptibility interacts with folate-sensitive metabolic processes at the time of neural tube closure. Little progress has been made searching for risk-causative variants in candidate genes; therefore, more complex genetic and epigenetic methodologies are now being considered. This article reviews the research to date that has been targeted on this important gene-nutrient locus.
Lipocalin 2: An Emerging Player in Iron Homeostasis and Inflammation
Authors: Xiao Xia , Yeoh Beng San , Vijay-Kumar Matam
Published: June 2017

Lipocalin 2 (Lcn2), an innate immune protein, has emerged as a critical iron regulatory protein during physiological and inflammatory conditions. As a bacteriostatic factor, Lcn2 obstructs the siderophore iron-acquiring strategy of bacteria and thus inhibits bacterial growth. As part of host nutritional immunity, Lcn2 facilitates systemic, cellular, and mucosal hypoferremia during inflammation, in addition to stabilizing the siderophore-bound labile iron pool. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the interaction between Lcn2 and iron, and its effects in various inflammatory diseases. Lcn2 exerts mostly a protective role in infectious and inflammatory bowel diseases, whereas both beneficial and detrimental functions have been documented in neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndrome, renal disorders, skin disorders, and cancer. Further animal and clinical studies are necessary to unveil the multifaceted roles of Lcn2 in iron dysregulation during inflammation and to explore its therapeutic potential for treating inflammatory diseases.
Household Response to Time-Varying Electricity Prices
Authors: Harding Matthew , Sexton Steven
Published: June 2017

The diffusion of smart metering technology and intermittent renewable electricity generation capacity makes the deployment of time-varying electricity rates increasingly feasible and important to the functioning of electricity grids. Such rates, which economists advocate to more efficiently match supply and demand, remain rare, though experiments assessing consumer responses are not. This review synthesizes evaluations of these experiments in the context of a theory of consumer inattention and adjustment costs that posits a role for automation technology to boost the short-run price elasticity of demand and affect demand-side reductions that can lower generation costs.
Managing Climate Change Under Uncertainty: Recursive Integrated Assessment at an Inflection Point
Authors: Lemoine Derek , Rudik Ivan
Published: June 2017

Uncertainty is critical to questions about climate change policy. Recently developed recursive integrated assessment models have become the primary tools for studying and quantifying the policy implications of uncertainty. We decompose the channels through which uncertainty affects policy and quantify them in a recursive extension of a benchmark integrated assessment model. The first wave of recursive models has made valuable, pioneering efforts at analyzing disparate sources of uncertainty. We argue that frontier numerical methods will enable the next generation of recursive models to better capture the information structure of climate change and to thereby ask new types of questions about climate change policy.
R&D on a Nonlinear Dynamics Analysis Code for the Drop Time of the Control Rod
Authors: Lu Daogang , Wang Yuanpeng , Xie Qingyu , Zhang Huimin , Ali Muhammed
Published: June 2017

Whether the control rod can drop down in time is one of the important guarantees for the safe operation of the nuclear power plant. The drop-down process of the control rod is very complicated. For a long time, the researchers have done a lot of work on that, but it is hard to consider all the nonlinear factors. This paper considers the main factors together. Based on the theoretical analysis, we developed the nonlinear dynamics response analysis software for the nuclear power plant, which can be used to calculate the rod’s drop-down time. Compared with the results of the experiments, the software we developed proves to be applicable and reliable.
A Three-Dimensional, Immersed Boundary, Finite Volume Method for the Simulation of Incompressible Heat Transfer Flows around Complex Geometries
Authors: Badreddine Hassan , Sato Yohei , Berger Matthias , Ničeno Bojan
Published: June 2017

The current work focuses on the development and application of a new finite volume immersed boundary method (IBM) to simulate three-dimensional fluid flows and heat transfer around complex geometries. First, the discretization of the governing equations based on the second-order finite volume method on Cartesian, structured, staggered grid is outlined, followed by the description of modifications which have to be applied to the discretized system once a body is immersed into the grid. To validate the new approach, the heat conduction equation with a source term is solved inside a cavity with an immersed body. The approach is then tested for a natural convection flow in a square cavity with and without circular cylinder for different Rayleigh numbers. The results computed with the present approach compare very well with the benchmark solutions. As a next step in the validation procedure, the method is tested for Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a turbulent flow around a surface-mounted matrix of cubes. The results computed with the present method compare very well with Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) measurements of the same case, showing that the method can be used for scale-resolving simulations of turbulence as well.
Nanofibrillated Cellulose from Appalachian Hardwoods Logging Residues as Template for Antimicrobial Copper
Authors: Hassanzadeh Masoumeh , Sabo Ronald , Rudie Alan , Reiner Richard , Gleisner Roland , Oporto Gloria S.
Published: June 2017

TEMPO nanofibrillated cellulose (TNFC) from two underutilized Appalachian hardwoods, Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), was prepared to determine its feasibility to be used as template for antimicrobial metallic copper particles. In addition, a comparison of the TNFC from the two species in terms of their morphological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties was also performed. The woody biomass was provided in the form of logging residue from Preston County, West Virginia. A traditional kraft process was used to produce the pulp followed by a five-stage bleaching. Bleached pulps were then subjected to a TEMPO oxidation process using the TEMPO/NaBr/NaClO system to facilitate the final mechanical fibrillation process and surface incorporation of metallic copper. The final TNFC diameters for red oak and yellow poplar presented similar dimensions, 3.8±0.74 nm and 3.6±0.85 nm, respectively. The TNFC films fabricated from both species exhibited no statistical differences in both Young’s modulus and the final strength properties. Likely, after the TEMPO oxidation process both species exhibited similar carboxyl group content, of approximately 0.8 mmol/g, and both species demonstrated excellent capability to incorporate antimicrobial copper on their surfaces.
Cloud Computing (SaaS) Adoption as a Strategic Technology: Results of an Empirical Study
Authors: Palos-Sanchez Pedro R. , Arenas-Marquez Francisco J. , Aguayo-Camacho Mariano
Published: June 2017

The present study empirically analyzes the factors that determine the adoption of cloud computing (SaaS model) in firms where this strategy is considered strategic for executing their activity. A research model has been developed to evaluate the factors that influence the intention of using cloud computing that combines the variables found in the technology acceptance model (TAM) with other external variables such as top management support, training, communication, organization size, and technological complexity. Data compiled from 150 companies in Andalusia (Spain) are used to test the formulated hypotheses. The results of this study reflect what critical factors should be considered and how they are interrelated. They also show the organizational demands that must be considered by those companies wishing to implement a real management model adopted to the digital economy, especially those related to cloud computing.
A Mobile Application Recommendation Framework by Exploiting Personal Preference with Constraints
Authors: Zhu Konglin , Liu Zexuan , Zhang Lin , Gu Xinyu
Published: June 2017

Explosive mobile applications (Apps) are proliferating with the popularity of mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets). These Apps are developed to satisfy different function needs of users. Majority of existing App Stores have difficulty in recommending proper Apps for users. Therefore, it is of significance to recommend mobile Apps for users according to personal preference and various constraints of mobile devices (e.g., battery power). In this paper, we propose a mobile App recommendation framework by incorporating different requirements from users. We exploit modern portfolio theory (MPT) to combine the popularity of mobile Apps, personal preference, and mobile device constraints for mobile App recommendation. Based on this framework, we discuss the recommendation approaches by constraints of phone power and limited mobile data plan. Extensive evaluations show that the proposed mobile App recommendation framework can well adapt to power and network data plan constraints. It satisfies the user App preference and mobile device constraints.
Bag of Visual Words Model with Deep Spatial Features for Geographical Scene Classification
Authors: Feng Jiangfan , Liu Yuanyuan , Wu Lin
Published: June 2017

With the popular use of geotagging images, more and more research efforts have been placed on geographical scene classification. In geographical scene classification, valid spatial feature selection can significantly boost the final performance. Bag of visual words (BoVW) can do well in selecting feature in geographical scene classification; nevertheless, it works effectively only if the provided feature extractor is well-matched. In this paper, we use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for optimizing proposed feature extractor, so that it can learn more suitable visual vocabularies from the geotagging images. Our approach achieves better performance than BoVW as a tool for geographical scene classification, respectively, in three datasets which contain a variety of scene categories.
Decision-Based Marginal Total Variation Diffusion for Impulsive Noise Removal in Color Images
Authors: Deng Hongyao , Zhu Qingxin , Song Xiuli
Published: June 2017

Impulsive noise removal for color images usually employs vector median filter, switching median filter, the total variation L1 method, and variants. These approaches, however, often introduce excessive smoothing and can result in extensive visual feature blurring and thus are suitable only for images with low density noise. A marginal method to reduce impulsive noise is proposed in this paper that overcomes this limitation that is based on the following facts: (i) each channel in a color image is contaminated independently, and contaminative components are independent and identically distributed; (ii) in a natural image the gradients of different components of a pixel are similar to one another. This method divides components into different categories based on different noise characteristics. If an image is corrupted by salt-and-pepper noise, the components are divided into the corrupted and the noise-free components; if the image is corrupted by random-valued impulses, the components are divided into the corrupted, noise-free, and the possibly corrupted components. Components falling into different categories are processed differently. If a component is corrupted, modified total variation diffusion is applied; if it is possibly corrupted, scaled total variation diffusion is applied; otherwise, the component is left unchanged. Simulation results demonstrate its effectiveness.
Effects of Depilation-Induced Skin Pigmentation and Diet-Induced Fluorescence on In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Kwon Sunkuk , Sevick-Muraca Eva M.
Published: June 2017

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRFI) and far-red fluorescence imaging (FRFI) were used to investigate effects of depilation-induced skin pigmentation and diet-induced background fluorescence on fluorescent signal amplitude and lymphatic contraction frequency in C57BL6 mice. Far-red fluorescent signal amplitude, but not frequency, was affected by diet-induced fluorescence, which was removed by feeding the mice an alfalfa-free diet, and skin pigmentation further impacted the amplitude measurement. NIRFI showed minimal background fluorescence; however, skin pigmentation reduced the amplitude of fluorescent signal changes. Therefore, these effects should be taken into account when imaging mice with different states of skin pigmentation and diet-induced background fluorescence in vivo.
Mobile Device Passive Localization Based on IEEE 802.11 Probe Request Frames
Authors: Sun Lin , Chen Sinong , Zheng Zengwei , Xu Longyang
Published: June 2017

This paper presents a novel passive mobile device localization mode based on IEEE 802.11 Probe Request frames. In this approach, the listener can discover mobile devices by receiving the Probe Request frames and localize them on his walking path. The unique location of the mobile device is estimated on a geometric diagram and right-angled walking path. In model equations, site-related parameter, that is, path loss exponent, is eliminated to make the approach site-independent. To implement unique localization, the right-angled walking path is designed and the optimal location is estimated from the optional points. The performance of our method has been evaluated inside the room, outside the room, and in outdoor scenarios. Three kinds of walking paths, for example, horizontal, vertical, and slanted, are also tested.
Estimating Spectral Efficiency Curves from Connection Traces in a Live LTE Network
Authors: Toril Matías , Acedo-Hernández Rocío , Sánchez Almudena , Luna-Ramírez Salvador , Úbeda Carlos
Published: June 2017

In cellular networks, spectral efficiency is a key parameter when designing network infrastructure. Despite the existence of theoretical model for this parameter, experience shows that real spectral efficiency is influenced by multiple factors that greatly vary in space and time and are difficult to characterize. In this paper, an automatic method for deriving the real spectral efficiency curves of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system on a per-cell basis is proposed. The method is based on a trace processing tool that makes the most of the detailed network performance measurements collected by base stations. The method is conceived as a centralized scheme that can be integrated in commercial network planning tools. Method assessment is carried out with a large dataset of connection traces taken from a live LTE system. Results show that spectral efficiency curves largely differ from cell to cell.
The Link between Depression and Chronic Pain: Neural Mechanisms in the Brain
Authors: Sheng Jiyao , Liu Shui , Wang Yicun , Cui Ranji , Zhang Xuewen
Published: June 2017

Chronic pain, as a stress state, is one of the critical factors for determining depression, and their coexistence tends to further aggravate the severity of both disorders. Unfortunately, their association remains unclear, which creates a bottleneck problem for managing chronic pain-induced depression. In recent years, studies have found considerable overlaps between pain- and depression-induced neuroplasticity changes and neurobiological mechanism changes. Such overlaps are vital to facilitating the occurrence and development of chronic pain and chronic pain-induced depression. In this review, we summarized the role of neuroplasticity in the occurrence and development of the two disorders in question and explored individualized application strategies of analgesic drugs and antidepressants that have different pharmacological effects in the treatment of chronic pain-induced depression. Therefore, this review may provide new insights into the understanding of association between chronic pain and depression.
Anatomical Characteristics of Facial Nerve and Cochlea Interaction
Authors: Schart-Morén Nadine , Larsson Sune , Rask-Andersen Helge , Li Hao
Published: June 2017

Objective: The aim was to study the relationship between the labyrinthine portion (LP) of the facial canal and the cochlea in human inner ear molds and temporal bones using micro-CT and 3D rendering. A reduced cochlea-facial distance may spread electric currents from the cochlear implant to the LP and cause facial nerve stimulation. Influencing factors may be the topographic anatomy and otic capsule properties. Methods: An archival collection of human temporal bones underwent micro-CT and 3D reconstruction. In addition, cochlea-facial distance was assessed in silicone and polyester resin molds, and the association between the LP and upper basal turn of the cochlea was analyzed. Results: Local thinning of the otic capsule and local anatomy may explain the development of cochlea-facial dehiscence, which was found in 1.4%. A reduced cochlea-facial distance was noted in 1 bone with a superior semicircular canal dehiscence but not in bones with superior semicircular canal “blue line.” The otic capsule often impinged upon the LP and caused narrowing. Conclusion: Micro-CT with 3D rendering offers new possibilities to study the topographic anatomy of the human temporal bone. The varied shape of the cross-section of the LP could often be explained by an “intruding” cochlea.
МЕТОДИЧНІ АСПЕКТИ ЗВОРОТНОГО ЗВ'ЯЗКУ В ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННІ ЯКОСТІ НАВЧАННЯ В ПІСЛЯДИПЛОМНІЙ МЕДИЧНІЙ ОСВІТІ
Authors: Mintser O. P. , Kvilinska A. I. , Nikityuk D. V. , Kefeli-Yanovska O. I. , Shevtsova O. M.
Published: June 2017

It's discussed the necessity of realization of process feedback with the courses students of professional skill improvement of doctors and pharmacists with the purpose of the analysis of competence, relevance and perspectives of the conducted training. These approaches allow us to quantify the level of transfer and assimilation of knowledge by students for the further planning of training programs. It is shown that postgraduate education should be more individualized, in accordance with the results of clustering the level of basic knowledge of those who study. It is argued that monitoring the use of knowledge in the self-employment of specialists should be carried out in accordance with the level of knowledge gained in training. It is recommended to include experience in the use of knowledge modules, which students receive during the improvement in the system of postgraduate education, in the feedback form. It is also alleged that in these questionnaires there should be questions about the success of mastering «soft» and «hard» skills.
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ РОЗРОБЛЕННЯ БАЗ ДАНИХ ДЛЯ МЕДИЧНИХ УСТАНОВ
Authors: Stetsyuk V. Z. , Savytskyi A. Yo. , Ivanova T. P. , Babintseva L. Yu. , Luhovskyi Yu. O. , Luhin M. M.
Published: June 2017

Nowadays in medical departments, the main problem is to keep big amount of information and create logical connections between them to increase efficiency of medical personal. You need to store different amount of information in different columns and sometimes create new one, but without developer, it is a problem, because you need to edit structure of database.To prevent this problem developers using software package that helps them to modify database schema. Moreover, the same tool medical personal could use as well.First of all we need to understand what exactly you working with, what type of information will be worked on, also ensure on simple examples (the way it could be easy) what needs to be done. Next step consist of algorithm structure and base structure, it is the main part of development.Packages that you need could be an assembly of several languages for example: C#, SQL, Python. Any type of connection that focused on this, called «NoSQL»Main difference: NoSQL gives you more abilities than simple SQL, by using combination of languages that focused on result and efficiency.Instead of most NoSQL databases it offers a concept of «eventual consistency» in which database changes are propagated to all nodes «eventually» (typically within milliseconds) so queries for data might not return updated data immediately or might result in reading data that is not accurate, a problem known as stale reads. Additionally, some NoSQL systems may exhibit lost writes and other forms of data loss. Fortunately, some NoSQL systems provide concepts such as write-ahead logging to avoid data loss. For distributed transaction processing across multiple databases, data consistency is an even bigger challenge that is difficult for both NoSQL and relational databases. Even current relational databases do not allow referential integrity constraints to span databases. There are few systems that maintain both ACID transactions and XI Open XA standards for distributed transaction processing.
Réforme des monnaies et spéculation dans le sultanat mamlouk au début du ixe/xve siècle : al-Maqrīzī et la question de la responsabilité de l’élite mamlouk dans l’instabilité monétaire
Authors: Onimus Clément
Published: June 2017

The terrible famine that struck Egypt at the beginning of the 9th/15th century led to al-Maqrīzī’s (d. 845/1442) critique of the Mamluk government’s misadministration. Al-Maqrīzī identified the monetary reform as the main reason behind the crisis. Among the multiple causes of this reform were the opposing interests of the Mamluk elite and the sultanic household regarding the value of gold and copper coins. In all likelihood, the former speculated on a rise in the value of gold whereas the latter wanted to limit the depreciation of the copper coins. This rivalry most likely contributed to the worsening of the monetary crisis.

La terrible famine que connut l’Égypte au début du ixe/xve siècle fut l’occasion d’une analyse d’al-Maqrīzī (m. 845/1442) sur la mauvaise administration du gouvernement. L’historien tenait la réforme monétaire pour responsable de la crise. Outre les causes multiples de cette réforme, il semble qu’un conflit d’intérêt autour de la valeur des monnaies d’or et de cuivre opposait l’élite mamlouke à la maison sultanienne. La première spéculait à la hausse sur la valeur de l’or alors que la seconde cherchait à limiter la dépréciation des monnaies de cuivre. Cette rivalité a vraisemblablement contribué à l’aggravation de la crise monétaire.

This article is in French.
Noah’s Lost Son in the Qurʾān
Authors: Reynolds Gabriel Said
Published: June 2017

In Kor 11 (Hūd), 42-47 the Qurʾān has Noah address one of his sons and plead with him to enter the ark. Noah’s son refuses to do so, explaining that he plans to seek refuge from the flood on a mountain. When the son is lost in the flood, Noah turns to God in order to ask that his son be forgiven. In the present article, I discuss the relationship of this Qurʾānic episode with larger themes in the Qurʾān—seen also in the material on Abraham and his father—regarding the believer’s proper disposition towards unbelievers, and unbelieving family members in particular. After a study of earlier theories about this passage, I propose that the account of Noah’s lost son (not found in the Bible) has a particular relationship to Ezekiel 14, a passage which speaks hypothetically of an unrighteous son of Noah. In conclusion, I argue that this passage is an important example of how the Qurʾān applies, and transforms, earlier traditions in order to advance its particular religious arguments.

Dans le verset coranique 11 (Hūd), 42-47, Noah s’adresse à l’un de ses fils et le prie d’entrer dans l’Arche. Le fils de Noé refuse de s’exécuter, arguant qu’il a l’intention de trouver refuge dans une montagne contre le Déluge. Quand son fils est perdu dans le Déluge, Noé se tourne vers Dieu afin de Lui demander de pardonner à son fils. Dans le présent article, nous examinerons la relation de cet épisode coranique avec des thèmes plus importants du Coran—que l’on peut également voir dans les récits sur Abraham et son père—concernant la disposition du croyant envers les incroyants et, plus particulièrement, les membres de la famille. Après une étude des théories antérieures à propos de ce passage, nous avancerons que le récit du fils perdu de Noé (qui ne se trouve pas dans la Bible) est particulièrement lié à Ezéchiel 14, un passage qui traite, en toute hypothèse, d’un fils indigne de Noé. En conclusion, nous soutenons que ce passage est un exemple important de la façon dont le Coran emploie et transforme des traditions antérieures afin d’avancer ses propres arguments religieux.

This article is in English.
Behavioral Strategy and the Strategic Decision Architecture of the Firm
Authors: Sibony Olivier , Lovallo Dan , Powell Thomas C.
Published: June 2017

This special issue explores the impacts of behavioral strategy on management practice. Behavioral strategy can best contribute to management practice by shifting its focus from individual decision biases to the design of behaviorally informed decision processes at the level of the firm. This introduction identifies three types of organizational decision processes, shows how they interact with individual and group biases, and proposes a model showing how managers can design and deploy these processes to shape the strategy of the firm. It then introduces the articles in this special issue and discusses their contributions to the future of behavioral strategy.
“Good Intentions Can Only Get You So Far”: Critical Reflections From Teach For America Corps Members Placed in Special Education
Authors: Thomas Matthew A. M.
Published: June 2017

Research on Teach For America (TFA) continues to grow, but scant scholarship has explored the experiences of its corps members working in special education in urban schools. As teachers who require in-depth knowledge of legal and liability processes as well as effective pedagogical practices, corps members in special education positions have significant demands placed on them that often lie beyond the roles and responsibilities of other TFA teachers. This article therefore focuses on the experiences of five TFA corps members placed in special education as it explores their critical reflections about the minimal preparation and support they received from TFA. In light of recent special education initiatives launched by TFA, the article raises questions about the continued involvement of TFA in the field of special education and its ability to adequately prepare corps members for the unique responsibilities served by special education teachers in the United States.
A Demographic Paradox: How Public School Students in New Orleans Have Become More Racially Integrated and Isolated Since Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Kotok Stephen , Beabout Brian , Nelson Steven L. , Rivera Luis E.
Published: June 2017

Following the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans public schools underwent a variety of changes including a mass influx of charter schools as well as a demographic shift in the racial composition of the district. Using school-level data from the Louisiana Department of Education, this study examines the extent that New Orleans public schools are more or less racially integrated, racially segregated, and concentrated by poverty almost a decade after Katrina. The study utilizes exposure indices, inferential statistics, and geospatial analysis to examine how levels of school integration and segregation have changed over time. Our findings indicate that though a greater share of New Orleans schools are considered racially diverse than prior to Katrina, a greater share of minority students are now attending dually segregated schools, where over 90% of students are classified as minority and are receiving free/reduced lunch.
Ergonomic Benefits From a Laparoscopic Instrument With Rotatable Handle Piece Depend on the Area of the Operating Field and Working Height
Authors: Steinhilber Benjamin , Reiff Florian , Seibt Robert , Rieger Monika A. , Martus Peter , Kraemer Bernhard , Rothmund Ralf
Published: June 2017

Objective

To evaluate the effect of a laparoscopic instrument with a 360° rotatable handle piece (rot-HP) on biomechanical stress and precision in different areas of a simulated operating field at two working heights.

Background

Surgeons performing laparoscopic procedures are exposed to biomechanical stress and have an increased risk of musculoskeletal complaints.

Method

Fifty-seven healthy subjects (27 men, median age 26) without experience in laparoscopy performed a precision task in four quadrants (A–D) of the operating field using the rot-HP or a common fixed handle piece (fixed-HP) at an individually adjusted lower or higher working height. Biomechanical stress was assessed by surface EMG, wrist joint angles, and arm postures and precision by the number of mistakes.

Results

Using the rot-HP reduced muscle activity of the biceps brachii and flexor carpi radialis muscle. An interaction of flexor activity and area of the operating field occurred with the lowest activity in Quadrant C. Wrist joint angles were more neutral using the rot-HP, especially when the lower working height was applied and in Quadrants B and C. However, increased wrist dorsal flexion occurred in Quadrant A while using the rot-HP. Arm postures and precision were less affected.

Conclusion

The rot-HP allows some reductions of stresses in the arm and hand region, whereas the stress in the shoulder neck region is not modified.

Application

The instrument’s position and the working height may have to be considered as mediatory factors when describing the effectiveness of an ergonomic handle design for laparoscopic instruments.
The paradigm that dare not speak its name: Canadian Foreign Policy’s uneasy relationship with realist IR theory
Authors: Haglund David G.
Published: June 2017

This article examines the place that “realism” occupies in the debates over International Relations theory and Canadian Foreign Policy. Argued here is the claim that realism is far from being a dominant paradigm in the Canadian academy, which in itself is hardly a surprising finding. However, realism’s relative absence from the scholarship on Canadian Foreign Policy disguises a more important finding: there has been a fairly longstanding Canadian approach to foreign policy analysis bearing many of the hallmarks of structural-realist formulations, an approach that puts great emphasis on Canada’s “relative capability” as a “middle power” in the international system. Although few in the country would embrace the realist label explicitly, many have heeded the structural-realist injunction that foreign policy analysis should start with an assessment of the country’s relative standing in the international pecking order. In the Canadian case, this empirical emphasis on relative capability has become suffused with normative significance of a decidedly “non-realist” kidney, summed up in the disputed concept “middlepowermanship.” The article concludes that, to the extent realism is to continue to be a presence in Canadian Foreign Policy scholarship, it will likely be the non-structural variant known today as “neoclassical realism,” in no small measure due to the logical inconsistencies of the earlier, structuralist, paradigm.
Regimentation or Hybridity? Western Beauty Practices by Black Women in Adichie’s Americanah
Authors: Yerima Dina
Published: June 2017

The postcolonial subject is one whose life is rife with contradictions. These contradictions result from a torsion of Western and indigenous values and culture in the individual. The woman as a postcolonial subject seems to deal with more of these incongruities in almost every sphere as she negotiates life in the postcolony and other societies that facilitated colonization and still does in some aspects. Several writers have sought to capture the uniqueness of the postcolonial female in contemporary times, bringing to the fore issues that plague her. The phenomenon of “imperial aesthetics” (basically beauty in the Western sense) is the foremost of these issues and the core of this article. It is presented as it applies to the Black woman in aspects such as hair, skin color, and physique. This adoption of imperial notions of beauty is rooted in self-loathing, argued by postcolonial thinkers to arise from the psychological effects of colonization. Hence, the explication of this phenomenon will go a long way in demonstrating the forms of self-expression that the Black woman chooses and which ultimately make up her identity. Consequently, this article will focus on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s presentation of the subject in her novel, Americanah, using the postcolonial approach.
Testing the Great Lakes Compact: Administrative Politics and the Challenge of Environmental Adaptation
Authors: Merriman Ben
Published: June 2017

This article examines public involvement in the six-year administrative review of an application by Waukesha, Wisconsin, to draw water from Lake Michigan to replace its radium-contaminated local water supply. The article shows that public positions on the proposal inverted the typical relationship between partisanship and environmental attitudes, prompting both supporters and opponents to ignore scientific evidence and the central matter of water safety. In successive rounds of state and regional administrative review, these political stances induced administrators to engage in increasingly legalistic forms of assessment. Although Waukesha’s application was approved in 2016, such administrative dynamics may limit the ability of the recently enacted Great Lakes Compact to address current and prospective water safety problems in the region. The case typifies an emerging pattern in water governance in the United States: contentious administrative politics drive cooperative agreements to resemble adversarial proceedings, limiting their ability to adapt to new environmental problems.
Labor and Domination: Worker Control in a Chinese Factory
Authors: Siu Kaxton
Published: June 2017

China’s export-led manufacturing model has been built on extensive exploitation of its migrant workforce under a despotic labor regime, but the methods of control have shifted considerably during the past decade and a half. This article examines new modes of domination over Chinese factory workers, based on fieldwork conducted while the author was living with workers at a foreign-invested garment factory in southern China. The article shows how mechanisms to control the workers are embedded today not only in directly coercive practices but also in a new shop floor culture with affective personal ties and implicit bargaining in wage systems. Against the scholarly literature of management controls that emphasizes rupture and discontinuity between labor regimes, this article argues that China’s emerging labor regime, here referred to as “conciliatory despotism,” inherits despotic features of the labor regime exercised in the 1990s but adds new normative measures of soft control that seek to conciliate worker resentments. This hybrid form of management control represents a stage in China’s evolving labor-management relations in which workers possess more implicit power and can push management into greater concessions than previously.
Hydraulic flow model of plant organs in response to physical and environmental factors
Authors: Lahkar Bhrigu Kumar , Bera Tarun Kumar
Published: June 2017

A mechanistic hydraulic flow model based upon plant physiological behavior is proposed in this work to determine functionality of different plant organs in handling flows of water. The model is developed by introducing various standard elements in bond graph lexicon. Out of all the resistive elements of plants, stem xylem resistance and stomatal resistance are modeled by taking diurnal variation. The value of stem xylem resistance of the plant is the maximum value at midday ([Formula: see text]MPa s/m3) and the minimum value ([Formula: see text]MPa s/m3) in the dark period. A Jarvis–Stewart type model for stomatal conductance is implemented for developing stomatal resistance. The process of transpiration which is formulated with the help of Ohm’s law analogy is also incorporated in the model. Thermal behavior of the vegetation is introduced by taking the boundary layer, aerodynamics, ambient temperature, relative humidity and global solar radiation into account. Simulations are performed for specific kinds of plants and for specific sights. Finally, various environmental and physical influencing factors are considered to study the response of the plant model, and this modeling technique offers a novel modeling tactic alternative to field measurements. The transpirational flow at constant water potential of −0.15 MPa varies between [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]m3/s during the day period. The rate of transpiration reaches a maximum value of about [Formula: see text] m3/s during the early hours in each day while the value of solar radiation is about 700 Wm−2. Leaf water potential depletes to a minimum value of −1.5 MPa at the 5th day of the drying cycle period.
A high-fidelity three-dimensional simulation method for evaluating passenger flow organization and facility layout at metro stations
Authors: Hu Mingwei
Published: June 2017

This research proposes a high-fidelity simulation method that integrates the strengths of microscopic pedestrian modeling and three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) for the evaluation of passenger flow organization and facility layout at metro stations. Passenger flow movements, with detailed spatial–temporal information of each agent, are modeled using agent-based micro-simulation. Simulation results are then imported into a 3D VR environment for the assessment of passenger flow organization and its interactions with facility layout. Focusing on the technical implementation of the method, we discuss in detail (1) finely resolved pedestrian simulation using AnyLogic; (2) bookkeeping of spatial positions of agents at the specific temporal intervals in XML format; and (3) interactive photo-realistic 3D visualization of pedestrian movements using UC-win/Road through its micro-simulation player plug-in, OpenMicroSim. Successfully applied to case studies of three major metro stations in Shenzhen China, this methodology is demonstrated to be capable of evaluating passenger flow organization through visual and quantitative analyses for improving facility layout design.
Metacognitive Knowledge, Skills, and Awareness: A Possible Solution to Enhancing Academic Achievement in African American Adolescents
Authors: Smith Annie K. , Black Sheila , Hooper Lisa M.
Published: June 2017

The resegregation of public schools in the United States continues to place African American students at an academic disadvantage with—oftentimes—limited educational resources and fewer qualified teachers. Providing African American students with skills and strategies to succeed has never been more urgent. Metacognition, often defined simply as “thinking about thinking,” is a construct and process that may explain how students can improve and control their thinking and learning. Given the educational inequality African American students often face, providing strategies—with which they have control—may help empower students to better navigate and make the best of their daily academic experiences and environment composed of limited physical and human resources. Toward this end, recent research on metacognition looks promising and may be one viable option to enhance academic achievement among students. In this article, we consider three related areas that inform African American youth educational experiences: (a) the history of the educational context which African American youth have long faced, (b) the laws that have historically and currently buttress and inform the educational landscape for African American youth, and (c) one potential solution (i.e., metacognitive knowledge, skills, and awareness) to reduce or ameliorate some of the problems outlined in the history and laws that have been implicated in the low levels of academic achievement among some African American youth. Following the review of these related literature bases, we offer recommendations on how the extant literature bases may inform directions for future research that is focused on metacognition and that is ethically and culturally responsive.
Diabetes Knowledge, Management, and Prevention Among Haitian Immigrants in Philadelphia
Authors: Moise Rhoda K. , Conserve Donaldson F. , Elewonibi Bilikisu , Francis Lori A. , BeLue Rhonda
Published: June 2017

Purpose

Guided by the PEN-3 Cultural Model, the purpose of this study is to generate culturally framed insight into diabetes knowledge, management, and prevention among Haitians. Despite the disproportionate distribution of type II diabetes mellitus among US minorities, limited research explores outcomes within racial ethnic groups. It is particularly important to disaggregate the large racial-ethnic groups of black given the population growth among foreign-born blacks, such as Haitians, whose population has more than quadrupled in recent decades.

Methods

Focus group interviews were employed to understand diabetes knowledge, management, and prevention in the Haitian immigrant population in Philadelphia. Interviews were conducted in 2 groups: (1) people living with diabetes and (2) an at-risk sample for diabetes (defined as 30 and older with self-reported family history of diabetes). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim in preparation for content analysis.

Results

Of the 10 participants, who were recruited through a Philadelphia church-based population, ages ranged from 41 to 91, with an average of 65. Content analysis revealed 3 emergent themes across: (1) cultural identity, including person, extended family, and neighborhood; (2) relationships and expectations, including perceptions, enablers, and nurturers; and (3) cultural empowerment, including positive, existential, and negative.

Conclusions

Results may inform culturally appropriate diabetes interventions for Haitians. Future research should explore compliance with food recommendations as well as the cultural competency of health care professional’s information delivery.
Bracing Later and Coping Better: Benefits of Mindfulness During a Stressful Waiting Period
Authors: Sweeny Kate , Howell Jennifer L.
Published: June 2017

People frequently await uncertain news, yet research reveals that the strategies people naturally use to cope with uncertainty are largely ineffective. We tested the role of mindfulness for improving the experience of a stressful waiting period. Law graduates awaiting their bar exam results either reported their trait mindfulness (Study 1; N = 150) or were instructed to practice mindfulness meditation (Study 2; N = 90). As hypothesized, participants who were naturally more mindful or who practiced mindfulness managed their expectations more effectively by bracing for the worst later in the waiting period and perceived themselves as coping better. Additionally, participants who were low in dispositional optimism and high in intolerance of uncertainty benefited most from mindfulness (relative to control) meditation. These findings point to a simple and effective way to wait better, particularly for those most vulnerable to distress.
Hidden in Plain Sight: A Music Therapist and Music Educator in a Public School District
Authors: Smith Jacqueline C.
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to clarify the roles of a music educator and music therapist in a North American public school district. This case was unique because some of the students with special needs received both music instruction and music therapy services, yet there was little collaboration between the two disciplines. In an effort to learn more about each music discipline and to add to the knowledge base of the connections between music education and music therapy I posed four research questions: (1) What were the goals of the music teacher and music therapist for the students in their classrooms? (2) What were the perceptions of the music teacher regarding music therapy services in an educational setting? (3) What were the perceptions of the music therapist regarding student experiences in the music classroom? (4) In what ways did the music therapist and music educator collaborate, or not, to improve outcomes for students with special needs? I found the goals of the educator and therapist in music were unique yet complementary, and clarification of these goals is needed to assist educators who work with students with special needs.
Solidifying dust suppressant based on modified chitosan and experimental study on its dust suppression performance
Authors: Liu Yanghao , Nie Wen , Jin Hu , Ma He , Hua Yun , Cai Peng , Wei Wenle
Published: June 2017

In view of the fugitive dusts caused by wind disturbance and material handling in coal bunkers, surface plants, and open-air coal stocking yards of coal businesses, the solidifying dust suppressant based on modified chitosan is synthesized and prepared through the chemical modification of –NH2 with chitosan as a raw material and –NH2 was replaced by –CH2CH(OH)CH2N+(CH3)CI− through the technique of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. According to viscosity experiment results, the viscosity of the modified solidifying dust suppressant increased significantly. The coal particles suppressed by the dust suppressant as observed with a 50,000X scanning electron microscope were coagulated together, which indicated very good cohesion effect. In addition, wind erosion resistance experiment was conducted to analyze the wind erosion rate of coal powders before and after sprayed with the suppressant at different wind speeds, which indicated that the dust suppressant can effectively prevent fugitive dusts at a wind speed of 17 m/s.