bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Roles of Shallow Convective Moistening in the Eastward Propagation of the MJO in MIROC6
Authors: Hirota Nagio , Ogura Tomoo , Tatebe Hiroaki , Shiogama Hideo , Kimoto Masahide , Watanabe Masahiro
Published: January 2018

This study examines the roles of shallow convection in the eastward propagation of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) using new and old versions of the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate, versions 6 and 5 (MIROC6 and MIROC5), respectively. A major modification of MIROC6 from its previous version, MIROC5, is the implementation of the shallow convection scheme following Park and Bretherton. The MJO representation in MIROC6 is improved compared to MIROC5. The MJO convective envelopes that occur over the Indian Ocean, which decay too early over the western Pacific in MIROC5, propagate farther into the eastern Pacific in MIROC6. In the initial stage of the MJO development, the shallow convection transports boundary layer moisture upward forming an important moisture source for the lower free troposphere in MIROC6. In the mature stage of the MJO, the deep convection becomes increasingly active with the large amount of moisture in the free troposphere. Accordingly, the moisture anomalies associated with the MJO show an upward- and westward-tilted structure, as in the observations. Conversely, MIROC5 exhibits a dry bias in the lower free troposphere, suggesting that the shallow convective activity is underestimated. A parameter perturbation experiment, modifying the intensity of shallow convection, confirms that enhanced shallow convection reduces the moisture bias in the lower free troposphere and improves the simulation of the MJO in MIROC6.
Trends in U.S. Hourly Precipitation Variance 1949–2009
Authors: Canel L. M. , Katz J. I.
Published: January 2018

Drawing from a NOAA database of hourly precipitation data from 5995 stations in the contiguous United States over the period 1949–2009, the authors investigate possible trends in the variance of the hourly precipitation, averaged over the diurnal and annual cycles and normalized by the square of the mean precipitation at that site. This normalized variance is a measure of storminess, distinct from increases in precipitation attributable to warming. For the 1722 stations surviving quality control with data on at least 80% of days in at least 30 years, the authors compute the rate of change of the logarithm of the normalized variance at each station and set bounds on its mean (over stations) trend. The logarithmic function weights the trends at calm stations equally to those at stormy stations and enhances the statistical power of the mean. The authors find a logarithmic rate of change of the mean normalized variance of yr−1 (). The upper bounds on any continentally averaged trend, increasing or decreasing, are about 0.001 yr−1 (doubling or halving times > 1000 years). It is found that the normalized variance in the Los Angeles basin has increased at a statistically significant rate. This may be attributable to a decrease in the number of aerosol condensation nuclei. Upper bounds are set on any effect of the 11-yr solar cycle.
Comparison of the Vertical Distributions of Cloud Properties from Idealized Extratropical Deep Convection Simulations Using Various Horizontal Resolutions
Authors: Huang Wei , Bao J.-W. , Zhang Xu , Chen Baode
Published: January 2018

The authors coarse-grained and analyzed the output from a large-eddy simulation (LES) of an idealized extratropical supercell storm using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model with various horizontal resolutions (200 m, 400 m, 1 km, and 3 km). The coarse-grained physical properties of the simulated convection were compared with explicit WRF simulations of the same storm at the same resolution of coarse-graining. The differences between the explicit simulations and the coarse-grained LES output increased as the horizontal grid spacing in the explicit simulation coarsened. The vertical transport of the moist static energy and total hydrometeor mixing ratio in the explicit simulations converged to the LES solution at the 200-m grid spacing. Based on the analysis of the coarse-grained subgrid vertical flux of the moist static energy, the authors confirmed that the nondimensional subgrid vertical flux of the moist static energy varied with the subgrid fractional cloudiness according to a function of fractional cloudiness, regardless of the box size. The subgrid mass flux could not account for most of the total subgrid vertical flux of the moist static energy because the eddy-transport component associated with the internal structural inhomogeneity of convective clouds was of a comparable magnitude. This study highlights the ongoing challenge in developing scale-aware parameterizations of subgrid convection.
Is Insider Control Good for Environmental Performance? Evidence From Dual-Class Firms
Authors: Seaborn Paul , Olsen Tricia D. , Howell Jason
Published: January 2018

Corporate environmental performance has become a key focus of business leaders, policy makers, and scholars alike. Today, scholarship on environmental practice increasingly highlights how various aspects of corporate governance can influence environmental performance. However, the prior literature is inconclusive as to whether ownership by insiders (officers and directors) will have positive or negative environmental effects and whether insider voting control or equity control is more salient to environmental outcomes. This article leverages a unique empirical data set of dual-class firms, where insiders have voting rights disproportionate to their equity rights, to shed light on this question. We find that, on average, dual-class firms underperform their single-class peers on environmental measures and that the discrepancy comes from dual-class firms where insiders have more voting control, relative to their equity stake. While small increases in voting control are associated with improved environmental performance, too much (relative to insiders’ equity stake) worsens firms’ environmental performance. Insider equity control alone has no impact on environmental outcomes. Our findings have important implications for agency theory and environmental scholarship by identifying contingencies on the impact of voting and equity-based incentives. This research casts doubt on the idea that providing insiders with significant voting control will aid environmental performance.
Disruptive Technology as an Enabler of the Circular Economy: What Potential Does 3D Printing Hold?
Authors: Garmulewicz Alysia , Holweg Matthias , Veldhuis Hans , Yang Aidong
Published: January 2018

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been widely identified as an emerging disruptive technology. This study examines how this technology could enable the circular economy by disrupting the existing materials value chain. Specifically, could this novel technology be used to locally manufacture new goods from local sources of recycled plastic waste, thereby offering benefits for the efficiency and effectiveness of materials cycling? This article uses the London metropolitan area—where system conditions already exist in the form of material flows, technology policy, and facilities—in order to assess 3D printing’s viability as an enabler of a circular economy at the local level. An analysis of stakeholder perceptions identifies economic, technological, social, organizational, and regulatory barriers to mainstream implementation, and their likelihood of being overcome.
Power Moderates the Effects of Social Dominance Orientation on Punishment: An Experimental Analysis
Authors: Heering Maria Sophia , Leone Luigi
Published: January 2018

In this study, it was hypothesized that experimentally manipulated levels of power would moderate the association of dispositional social dominance orientation (SDO) with preferences for harsh punishment. In particular, we expected to detect a stronger effect for dispositional SDO in the low-power condition, relying on the notion that low power enhances sensitivity to threats to the status quo, and that high SDO individuals are particularly motivated to enforce hierarchy-enhancing measures as punishment. SDO scores were measured two months prior to the experiment, and then immediately after the experimental session. As expected, preexperimental SDO interacted with the power manipulation. We found stronger preexperimental SDO effects on punishment among low-power participants. We also anticipated and found that individuals high in SDO increased further their postexperimental SDO scores if assigned to a high-power condition. The discussion focuses on the importance of SDO effects among low-status groups and on how situational roles shape dispositional self-descriptions.
Comparing accuracy of the methods of polytetrafluoroethylene fiber linear density measurement
Authors: Xu YuKang , Zhu Shang , Zhang YinJiang , Zhao Yi , Huang Chen , Jin XiangYu
Published: January 2018

There are various test methods applied to measure mean linear density of PTFE split-film fibers. The measured results vary with respect to computation mechanisms, measurement parameters, and morphology and inherent properties of fibers. Five test methods and an assumption calculation were introduced to evaluate the linear densities of PTFE fibers. The experimental results show that the gravimetric method generated the highest linear density, followed by the cross-section method, theory calculation, airflow measurement, assumption calculation, and vibration method. Statistical analyses indicated that actual mean linear density of the PTFE split-film fibers is in the effective range between the maximum and minimum fineness obtained from the theory and assumption calculation, respectively. Linear density of the PTFE split-film fiber tested via the gravimetric method, cross-section method, and vibration operation were significantly different to the effective range. In the case of the airflow experiment, mean linear densities measured at high porosities are in high accordance with the actual fineness. The airflow method offers a short time to reliably measure mean linear density of PTFE split-film fibers under appropriate test conditions.
Behavioral Adjustment Moderates the Link Between Neuroticism and Biological Health Risk: A U.S.–Japan Comparison Study
Authors: Kitayama Shinobu , Park Jiyoung , Miyamoto Yuri , Date Heiwa , Boylan Jennifer Morozink , Markus Hazel R. , Karasawa Mayumi , Kawakami Norito , Coe Christopher L. , Love Gayle D. , Ryff Carol D.
Published: January 2018

Neuroticism, a broad personality trait linked to negative emotions, is consistently linked to ill health when self-report is used to assess health. However, when health risk is assessed with biomarkers, the evidence is inconsistent. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the association between neuroticism and biological health risk is moderated by behavioral adjustment, a propensity to flexibly adjust behaviors to environmental contingencies. Using a U.S.–Japan cross-cultural survey, we found that neuroticism was linked to lower biological health risk for those who are high, but not low, in behavioral adjustment. Importantly, Japanese were higher in behavioral adjustment than European Americans, and as predicted by this cultural difference, neuroticism was linked to lower biological health risk for Japanese but not for European Americans. Finally, consistent with prior evidence, neuroticism was associated with worse self-reported health regardless of behavioral adjustment or culture. Discussion focused on the significance of identifying sociocultural correlates of biological health.
Pierre-Marie-Bamberger syndrome and solitary fibrous tumor: a rare association
Authors: Boyer-Duck Estefanía , Dajer-Fadel Walid Leonardo , Hernández-Arenas Luis Ángel , Macías-Morales Marco Polo , Rodríguez-Gómez Adriana , Romo-Aguirre Catalina
Published: January 2018

A solitary fibrous tumor originates in the pleura with variable degrees of invasion. Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, known as Pierre-Marie-Bamberger syndrome, is characterized by clubbing of the fingers due to bone surface and soft tissue calcification, historically known as a bronchogenic carcinoma paraneoplastic syndrome; however, a few cases have been associated with solitary fibrous tumors. We describe the case of a 38-year-old woman who presented with clubbing of the fingers. Studies revealed an intrathoracic fibrous tumor that was successfully treated with improvement in symptoms.
Partisan values and gay rights: Public opinion about employment nondiscrimination
Authors: Rhodebeck Laurie , Gainous Jason , Gray Tricia
Published: January 2018

Partisan elites justify policy positions by invoking underlying values, and political parties are associated with value reputations that connect particular values to specific policy positions. Value recruitment theory explains the relationship between value framing and policy positions. Newspaper content analysis and statistical analysis of survey data show that Democrats are more likely to frame employment nondiscrimination against gay rights as an equality issue, while Republicans are more likely to frame it as morality- and capitalism-based values. Surprisingly, however, equality framing has a stronger effect on Republicans. The study extends research on nondiscrimination in employment with an empirical test of value recruitment theory. The results largely confirm expectations that the application of values can be shaped through citizen attachment to parties, generate insights into value recruitment in policy debates, and point to other questions for further analysis.
Bio-inspired controller achieving forward speed modulation with a 3D bipedal walker
Authors: Van der Noot Nicolas , Ijspeert Auke Jan , Ronsse Renaud
Published: January 2018

Despite all the effort devoted to generating locomotion algorithms for bipedal walkers, robots are still far from reaching the impressive human walking capabilities, for instance regarding robustness and energy consumption. In this paper, we have developed a bio-inspired torque-based controller supporting the emergence of a new generation of robust and energy-efficient walkers. It recruits virtual muscles driven by reflexes and a central pattern generator, and thus requires no computationally intensive inverse kinematics or dynamics modeling. This controller is capable of generating energy-efficient and human-like gaits (both regarding kinematics and dynamics) across a large range of forward speeds, in a 3D environment. After a single off-line optimization process, the forward speed can be continuously commanded within this range by changing high-level parameters, as linear or quadratic functions of the target speed. Sharp speed transitions can then be achieved with no additional tuning, resulting in immediate adaptations of the step length and frequency. In this paper, we particularly embodied this controller on a simulated version of COMAN, a 95 cm tall humanoid robot. We reached forward speed modulations between 0.4 and 0.9 m/s. This covers normal human walking speeds once scaled to the robot size. Finally, the walker demonstrated significant robustness against a large spectrum of unpredicted perturbations: facing external pushes or walking on altered environments, such as stairs, slopes, and irregular ground.
Mapping and determining the center of mass of a rotating object using a moving observer
Authors: Setterfield Timothy P , Miller David W , Leonard John J , Saenz-Otero Alvar
Published: January 2018

For certain applications, such as on-orbit inspection of orbital debris, defunct satellites, and natural objects, it is necessary to obtain a map of a rotating object from a moving observer, as well to estimate the object’s center of mass. This paper addresses these tasks using an observer that measures its own orientation, angular rate, and acceleration, and is equipped with a dense 3D visual sensor, such as a stereo camera or a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor. The observer’s trajectory is estimated independently of the target object’s rotational motion. Pose-graph mapping is performed using visual odometry to estimate the observer’s trajectory in an arbitrary target-fixed frame. In addition to applying pose constraint factors between successive frames, loop closure is performed between temporally non-adjacent frames. A kinematic constraint on the target-fixed frame, resulting from the rigidity of the target object, is exploited to create a novel rotation kinematic factor. This factor connects a trajectory estimation factor graph with the mapping pose graph, and facilitates estimation of the target’s center of mass. Map creation is performed by transforming detected feature points into the target-fixed frame, centered at the estimated center of mass. Analysis of the algorithm’s computational performance reveals that its computational cost is negligible compared with that of the requisite image processing.
The braking car problem: A challenging and stimulating test bench for beginning mechanical engineering students
Authors: Mantegna Michele
Published: January 2018

Introductory courses of physics should provide engineering students – especially mechanical engineering students – with a working knowledge of the laws of conservation of mechanical quantities, plus the capability of analyzing the kinematics and dynamics of simple mechanical systems (for instance, rolling wheels, which are a basic component of innumerable machines). Moreover, introductory courses of physics should teach the principle of relativity of classical mechanics which – within limits – allows to switch from an inertial reference frame to another. Experience proves that this is not always the case. The braking car problem is a challenging exercise which stimulates the ingenuity of beginning mechanical engineering students with its paradoxical nature. At the same time, the problem stress-tests their understanding of the basic tenets of mechanics and thermodynamics, preparing them for more advanced technical topics such as gears, cams, hydraulic machines, jet propellers.
E-environments in the Gulf Cooperation Council States
Authors: Alajmi Mohammad A. , Rorissa Abebe
Published: January 2018

The digital revolution led to, among other things, the emergence of electronic environments, or e-environments. They have also substantially altered the manner in which individuals and institutions interact, deliver services, and accomplish daily activities effectively. This, in turn, resulted in an increase in the amount of research and literature on e-environments, albeit unevenly. However, a systematic analysis of this body of literature in the context of non-western countries is lacking. The purpose of this study was to address this gap with respect to the Gulf Cooperation Council States. Data retrieved from citation and publishers’ databases and content analysis produced reliable results that are encouraging for some, though not all, countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council when it comes to the level of e-environment research, range of topics addressed, use of appropriate and robust research methods, and whether the research was informed by theory. Specific recommendations for future research are also suggested.
Paying Attention to the Trees in the Forest, or a Call to Examine Agency-Specific Stories
Authors: Rubin Ellen V. , Baker Keith P.
Published: January 2018

Public administration scholarship needs to strike a better balance between large sample studies and in-depth case studies. The availability of large data sets has led us to engage in empirical research that is broad in scope but is frequently devoid of rich context. In-depth case studies can help to explain why we observe particular relationships and can help us to clarify gaps and inconsistencies in theory. Our argument for more case studies aims to encourage researchers to bridge insights from qualitative and quantitative research through triangulation. We describe the value of case study research, and qualitative and quantitative design options. We then propose opportunities for case study research in public personnel scholarship on patronage pressures, performance management, and diversity management.
Enhancing and Modeling Teachers’ Design Beliefs and Efficacy of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge for 21st Century Quality Learning
Authors: Chai Ching Sing , Hwee Ling Koh Joyce , Teo Yiong Hwee
Published: January 2018

This study proposed a new conceptualization of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) that focuses exclusively on the intersection of technology, pedagogy, and content specifically for selected dimensions of 21st century learning. In addition, teachers’ design beliefs were investigated with the teachers’ TPACK. Given the conceptualization, a new instrument was designed and validated. An associated intervention program to enhance the preservice teachers' TPACK was designed and the pre- and post-course surveys were conducted. To unpack the relationships between teachers’ design beliefs and their TPACK, structural equation models were constructed and validated. The findings indicate that the instrument possesses good construct, discriminant and convergence validity, and reliabilities. The intervention enhanced the teachers’ TPACK efficacies and their design beliefs significantly, and the structural equation models indicate that the teachers’ design beliefs are significant predictors of the teachers’ TPACK. The implications of this study suggest that TPACK may be conceived differently and this may promote new intervention programs to foster preservice teachers’ TPACK and design beliefs.
Psychopathic Traits and Sexual Coercion Against Relationship Partners in Men and Women
Authors: Hoffmann Amy M. , Verona Edelyn
Published: January 2018

The present study examined the relationships between psychopathic traits, gender, and sexual coercion perpetration in the specific context of intimate partner relationships. Community-dwelling adult men and women with recent criminal or substance-use histories ( N = 300) completed self-report measures of psychopathic personality traits (interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial facets), sexual coercion perpetrated within their most recent relationship, and other relevant behaviors including physical intimate partner violence perpetration and sexual coercion victimization. Results of regression analyses showed that the relationship between psychopathic trait facets and sexual coercion was moderated by gender, with effects varying based on level of coercion severity. Specifically, women who showed high levels of interpersonal psychopathic traits (superficial charm, social dominance) were more likely to engage in any sexual coercion and minor severity sexual coercion than women with low levels of interpersonal traits. For severe coercion, women who showed low levels of affective psychopathic traits (coldness, lack of empathy) or high levels of antisocial psychopathic traits (aggressiveness, criminality) were more likely to be sexually coercive than other women. Relationships between the four psychopathic trait facets and sexual coercion were more modest and nonsignificant for men at any level of coercion severity. Results are discussed in the context of sociocultural factors that may influence the role of psychopathic traits on sexual coercion as a function of gender and relationship contexts, including traditional sexual scripts, the cultural role of women as sexual gatekeepers, and beliefs about token resistance.
Policy transfer in a corporatist context: Agents, adjustments and continued innovation
Authors: Walker Christopher K
Published: January 2018

This article examines a case of collaborative policy transfer from Australia to Sweden involving a three-year project of structured analysis, piloting and system modification. The influential role of agency and the manner in which formal mechanisms established to manage engagement impact upon policy analysis and transfer are explored. The analysis finds that agency mobilised with the supplementation of institutional resources becomes a highly motivating and powerful force underpinning collaborative policy transfer processes. The nuances and challenges of policy transfer from a predominantly neoliberal administrative domain into a characteristically corporatist environment are analysed demonstrating that domestic policy processes are critical for defining avenues for actor participation and the manner through which policy adjustments are progressed. A key finding of the work is that policy transfer is more than the one-way transmission of ideas, systems and practices from one jurisdiction to another but can also act as an iterative process, more evidently linked into each jurisdictions’ domestic policy cycles of problem analysis, action and review. Under collaborative policy transfer the resources and interest from two distinct locations are mobilised around a policy concern and this effectively enhances the level of critical thinking and reflective practice that contributes to problem solving and solution development. The findings of this study confirm that cross-country collaboration and transfer is an increasingly important pathway in the ongoing development of policy reform and innovation.
Infrared small target detection and tracking algorithm based on new closed-loop control particle filter
Authors: Chen Zhimin , Tian Mengchu , Bo Yuming , Ling Xiaodong
Published: January 2018

The problem of particle impoverishment could be always found in standard particle filter, additionally a large number of particles are required for accurate estimation. as it is difficult to meet the demand of modern infrared search and tracking system. To solve this problem, an improved infrared small target detection and tracking method based on closed-loop control bat algorithm optimized particle filter is proposed. Firstly, bat algorithm is introduced into the particle filtering in this method. Particles are used to simulate the process that an individual bat hunts and avoids obstacles so that particles move towards the high-likelihood region. Meanwhile, the improved algorithm takes the proportion of particles accepting a new state as the feedback quantity and proposes to conduct dynamic control on global and local search ability of particle filtering by closed-loop control strategy, which further improves the overall quality of particle distribution. The performance of the improved detection and tracking algorithm is tested in simulation scene and real scene of infrared small target. Experimental results show that the improved algorithm improves the performance of the infrared searching and tracking system.
Time as sociology’s basic concept: A perspective from Alfred Schutz’s phenomenological sociology and Niklas Luhmann’s social systems theory
Authors: Tada Mitsuhiro
Published: January 2018

This paper aims to clarify the proper position of time as sociology’s basic concept in relation to meaning ( Sinn). In sociology, the inseparable relationship between time and meaning has been clearly shown by Schutz’s phenomenological sociology and Luhmann’s social systems theory. Referring to the respective theories of Bergson and Husserl, Schutz argued that the problem of meaning in Weber’s interpretative sociology is a problem of time. The meaning of an action that an actor subjectively thinks of is determined not by a common normative value for example, but rather through her/his own inner time: the meaning of an ongoing action ( Handeln) is the act ( Handlung) projected as an aim in the stream of consciousness. Similarly, Luhmann considered self-referential social systems as temporal subjects that cognize their own reality of the external world. Phenomena appearing to a social system through communicative intentionality are weighted by the system’s own past and future, and are thereby selectively (not randomly) actualized as meaningful units in the present. System order (or social order) is thus temporally organized in the atemporal, chaotic world of meaning. “Self-reference” is to refer to a system’s own eigen time ( Eigenzeit), which provides the basis for a system’s autonomy or freedom.
A note on estimating income inequality across countries using PPP exchange rates
Authors: Ghosh Jayati
Published: January 2018

The use of exchange rates based on Purchasing Power Parities to compare incomes across countries and over time has now become standard practice. But there are reasons to believe that this could lead to excessively inflated incomes for poorer countries and in some cases also inflate the extent of real changes over time. Estimates of gross domestic product growth in the Chinese and Indian economies in recent years provide examples of this.
Developing an analytical solution for photo-sensitive hydrogel bilayers
Authors: Kargar-Estahbanaty Arash , Baghani Mostafa , Arbabi Nasser
Published: January 2018

In this article, a new conceptual design of light-sensitive switches made of a soft bilayer is introduced. The bilayer structure consists of a photothermal-sensitive hydrogel strip attached to another neutral incompressible elastomeric layer. The bilayer is assumed to be initially flat under a uniform light irradiation. Decreasing the light intensity causes the bilayer to bend due to the inhomogeneous swelling of hydrogel layer and results in the switch actuation. To enlighten the actuation mechanism and investigate the influence of various parameters on the switch’s photomechanical response, an analytical method is developed to study the bilayer deformation due to the light-intensity variation under plane-strain condition. Additionally, the finite element analysis of the bilayer is conducted, implementing the relevant constitutive model into a finite element code. The deformation and stress inside the layers are studied both analytically and numerically for several cases. The numerical results verify the accuracy of the presented analytical method in this work. The influence of various material and geometrical parameters including each layer’s modulus, the thickness ratio of the layers, and the aspect ratio of the bilayer is investigated. The analytical method is found to be useful for proper design of the light-sensitive hydrogel-based switches.
Enhancing Social Inclusion of Children With Externalizing Problems Through Classroom Seating Arrangements: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: van den Berg Y. H. M. , Stoltz S.
Published: January 2018

Inclusive education has brought new challenges for teachers, including the search for a suitable place in the classroom for children with externalizing problems. In the current study, we examined whether a careful rearrangement of the classroom seats could promote social acceptance and more prosocial behaviors for children with externalizing problems, and limit the potential negative consequences for classmates sitting next to them. The sample of this randomized controlled trial consisted of 64 classrooms with 221 fourth- to sixth-grade children selected by their teachers because of elevated levels of externalizing behavior. Results showed that over time children with externalizing behavior were better liked by their seatmates and showed fewer externalizing problems according to the teacher. This was particularly the case when students sat next to a well-liked and prosocial buddy, or when they were initially disliked. Classmates who sat next to a child with externalizing problems did not become more aggressive or less prosocial over time. Yet their social status did decrease slightly over time as a result of the rearrangement. We discuss implications and future directions for research on classroom seating arrangements to support children with externalizing problems.
Reducing Ethical Complaints Through Professional Counselor Competency in Court Testimony
Authors: Francis Joshua D. , Oswald Gina R. , Flamez Brandé
Published: January 2018

Professional counselors experience increasing levels of ethical complaints when they provide opinions in child custody cases; the complaints question their competency levels. The purpose of the study was to examine competencies and ethical considerations for 277 counselors and 66 psychologists. The study used a new, validated professional competence standards instrument through a closed-ended survey. Data analysis included a t test and found that psychologists had higher levels of competency than did counselors, a Mann–Whitney U test found that psychologists had higher levels of complaints than did counselors, and factorial analyses of variance showed a main effect between experience and ethical complaints. Recommendations for future research include studying factors influencing levels of competency among counselors when providing testimony. These findings may assist the counseling profession with a greater understanding of competency in custody matters, resulting in counselors better serving children and families embroiled in conflicted divorce and custody disagreements, and minimizing the negative impact on the mental health of all involved.
The Gestalt of functioning in autism spectrum disorder: Results of the international conference to develop final consensus International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health core sets
Authors: Bölte Sven , Mahdi Soheil , de Vries Petrus J , Granlund Mats , Robison John E. , Shulman Cory , Swedo Susan , Tonge Bruce , Wong Virginia , Zwaigenbaum Lonnie , Segerer Wolfgang , Selb Melissa
Published: January 2018

Autism spectrum disorder is associated with diverse social, educational, and occupational challenges. To date, no standardized, internationally accepted tools exist to assess autism spectrum disorder–related functioning. World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health can serve as foundation for developing such tools. This study aimed to identify a comprehensive, a common brief, and three age-appropriate brief autism spectrum disorder Core Sets. Four international preparatory studies yielded in total 164 second-level International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health candidate categories. Based on this evidence, 20 international autism spectrum disorder experts applied an established iterative decision-making consensus process to select from the candidate categories the most relevant ones to constitute the autism spectrum disorder Core Sets. The consensus process generated 111 second-level International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health categories in the Comprehensive Core Set for autism spectrum disorder—one body structure, 20 body functions, 59 activities and participation categories, and 31 environmental factors. The Common Brief Core Set comprised 60 categories, while the age-appropriate core sets included 73 categories in the preschool version (0- to 5-year-old children), 81 in the school-age version (6- to 16-year-old children and adolescents), and 79 in the older adolescent and adult version (⩾17-year-old individuals). The autism spectrum disorder Core Sets mark a milestone toward the standardized assessment of autism spectrum disorder–related functioning in educational, administrative, clinical, and research settings.
Simulation nations: Nation brands and Baudrillard’s theory of media
Authors: Kaneva Nadia
Published: January 2018

This article outlines a new perspective on the role of media in nation branding, drawing on Jean Baudrillard’s post-structuralist media theory. I argue that, following Baudrillard, we can see nation brands in a new light, namely, as simulacra which exist within a transnational media system for the creation, circulation and consumption of commodity-signs. In this capacity, nation brands shed their representational burden of standing in for the nation and, instead, operate as self-referential entities. I use the example of Brand Kosovo to provide illustrations for my theoretical points. However, while the case of Kosovo has its specificities, I propose that the theoretical claims presented here hold beyond its parameters. This article forms part of the Theorizing Media in Nation Branding Special Issue.
Irbesartan prevents sodium channel remodeling in a canine model of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Wang Xuewen , Li Guangping
Published: January 2018

Introduction:

Activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in atrial electrical remodeling (AER). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of irbesartan on cardiac sodium current (INa) in a canine model of atrial fibrillation.

Materials and methods:

Eighteen dogs were randomized into sham, pacing or pacing+irbesartan groups ( n = 6 in each group). The dogs in the pacing and irbesartan group were paced at 500 bpm for two weeks. Irbesartan (60 mg·kg−1·d−1) was administered orally in the pacing+irbesartan groups. INa was recorded using the whole-cell patch clamp technique from canine atrial myocytes. The expressions of cardiac Na+ channels (Nav1.5) mRNA were semi-quantified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

Our results showed that INa density and Nav1.5 mRNA expression in the pacing group decreased significantly ( p < 0.05 vs. sham). However, rapid atrial pacing had no effects on the half-activation voltage (V1/2act) and half-inactivation voltage (V1/2inact) of INa ( p > 0.05 vs. sham). Irbesartan significantly increased INa densities and gene expression and hyperpolarized V1/2act without concomitant changes in V1/2inact.

Conclusions:

Irbesartan significantly increased INa densities, which contributed to improving intra-atrial conduction and prevented the induction and promotion of AF in atrial pacing dogs.
The Routing Structure of Questionnaires
Authors: Bethlehem Jelke
Published: January 2018

Increasingly, survey data are collected by means of computer-assisted interviewing (CAI) systems. The expanding capacities of computer hardware and software have made it possible to develop very large and complex electronic questionnaires. Unfortunately, it has also become more and more difficult for developers, interviewers, supervisors and managers to keep control of the content and structure of CAI instruments. Therefore, tools are needed for producing a readable and understandable presentation of an electronic questionnaire. One aspect of such documentation is the routing structure of questionnaires. This paper discusses a number of ways to document the routing structure.
The Relationship between Customer and Supplier Perceptions of the Manufacturer's Market Orientation and It's Business Performance
Authors: Langerak Fred
Published: January 2018

This study is designed to test the relationship between the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market orientation and the manufacturer's business performance, using self-reports and customer (supplier) reports of the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market-oriented behaviours. The findings from a sample of 72 matched sets of suppliers, manufacturers and customers in the Netherlands reveal that the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market orientation has a positive effect on its business performance, regardless of whether self-reports or customer (supplier) reports are used. The results also reveal that customer reports and self-reports of the manufacturer's downstream market-oriented behaviours are consistent. However, the results show a discrepancy between supplier reports and self-reports of the manufacturer's upstream market-oriented efforts. Of interest to marketers is to what extent this discrepancy affects the manufacturer's long-term business performance.
A Critical Exploration of Face-to Face Interviewing vs. Computer-Mediated Interviewing
Authors: Curasi Carolyn Folkman
Published: January 2018

Since the early 1990s, the internet has dominated the attention of the media, academics and business organisations. It has the potential of being a revolutionary way to collect primary and secondary data, although much more research is needed to learn how to better harness its strengths. This project compares depth interviews collected online with depth interviews conducted face-to-face. Advantages and disadvantages are highlighted, as well as suggested strategies for successfully collecting online data. Major points are illustrated using data from a project in which both data collection techniques are employed. The online interview dataset included some of the strongest and some of the weakest interviews in the investigation. This paper argues that under some conditions online depth interviews can provide a useful complement to the traditional face-to-face interview. Sampling frame problems of non-representativeness, endemic in quantitative online data collection, is not problematic if the researcher is conducting an interpretive investigation. When the researcher's goal is not to quantify or generalise but instead to better understand a particular population, online data collection can complement other datasets, allow data triangulation and strengthen the trustworthiness of the findings.
Applying Business-to-Business Evidence: The Client's View
Authors: Marshall Bill , Ritchie Louise
Published: January 2018

A paper from a major client company (British Telecom) describes how B2B research is used and fed into BT's strategic thinking: how it is turned into actionable insights. A detailed case study is described showing how BT Retail ensures that research is neither too general to be actionable nor too specific to see the bigger picture. It also shows how each piece of research is set in the context of other related information. Covers: the management structure, customer satisfaction modelling, monitoring the CS programme, communicating effectively, detailed research programmes underpinning the main evaluation.
Egotists, Idealists and Corporate Animals - Segmenting Business Markets
Authors: Dexter Andy
Published: January 2018

Over the years, much has been written concerning good practice in identifying, sampling and classifying businesses from what we may term the ‘traditional’ business-to-business perspective. In addition, over the past decade we have seen a shift from the old-style industrial business-to-business mode of small-scale desk research and qualitative decision studies, to what were considered as recently as 1987 to be primarily ‘consumer’ techniques: wider-ranging quantitative surveys and business Omnibus methods. Thus, the marketing industry has come to recognise the existence of the business mass market, but, at the same time, good practice has evolved in examining and classifying larger businesses where understanding more complex and diverse decision-making units comes into play. This review paper examines the issues that face researchers in segmenting this wide-ranging spectrum of business markets in ways that meet the modern needs of marketers. Case studies are used to illustrate the key points.
Attitudes towards Customer Satisfaction Measurement in the Retail Sector
Authors: Wilson Alan
Published: January 2018

Reports a research study to assess corporate attitudes to customer service measurement (CSM), following criticism of CSM in the literature. Findings are based on a survey among marketing managers in 86 large UK retail and retail service organisations. Results include: 1) CSM is generally agreed to be inadequate on its own, so is often supplemented with mystery shopping and staff surveys; 2) most managers do not agree with the published criticisms of CSM, although some are dissatisfied with their CSM programmes. In particular, more needs to be done in provision of feedback to dissatisfied customers and benchmarking customer satisfaction against competitors.
Repositioning Research: A New MR Language Model
Authors: Valentine Virginia
Published: January 2018

The author uses semiotic analysis to look at the language and imagery used by the market research industry to market itself, and argues that it needs to change if research is to be taken seriously at board level. For instance, research literature tends to focus on ‘knowledge’, whereas clients are more interested in what can be done with information when they get it. Unless the industry changes its discourse, it will fail to break out of its limiting image of ‘backroom technician’ towards the more desirable image of strategic thinker and boardroom action-maker. Some of the difficult areas are illustrated, and pointers given as to how these might change. Winner of the Best New Thinking and Best Technical Paper Awards at the 2002 Market Research Society Conference.
Small Sample Market Research
Authors: Bock Timothy , Sergeant John
Published: January 2018

Discusses the dangers of drawing inferences from small samples of data, such as is typically done in qualitative research projects. The problem of ensuring representativeness is discussed: the dangers of convenience samples and the value of purposive sampling. Four ‘rules of thumb’ are proposed for inferences that may be safely drawn from small samples (30 or less), when one is satisfied that they are representative.
Citizenship outside the Classroom
Authors: Harwood Penny , Davey Caroline
Published: January 2018

In the context of an increasingly pluralist and in some ways troubled society, work was undertaken to investigate the role of formal education and non-educational organisations in building good citizenship in girls and young women (9-19 years old). Different stages in the developmental process are identified, and the paper describes a number of ways in which experiential and attitudinal information was obtained from the range of respondents: these included a Citizen's Forum and quantitative omnibus research. Methodologies to involve the young people in focused and relevant debate during the one-day Forum were developed and are discussed.
Demystifying Semiotics: Some Key Questions Answered
Authors: Lawes Rachel
Published: January 2018

The paper explores the nature, language, methods and applications of semiotics. It is necessary to understand, for example, a piece of advertising in terms of its visual signs, linguistic signs, aural signs, the implied communication situation, structure, genre, etc. Examples are given to illustrate the methodology. Thus gold had traditionally been shorthand for riches and wealth but is currently (2002) becoming somewhat down-market in, for example, the biscuit sector. Upmarket biscuits are being marketed in corrugated cardboard packaging and subdued colours. The paper concludes with a glossary of semiotics terms.
Pharmaceuticals: The New Brand Arena
Authors: Owen Mike , Chandler Jon
Published: January 2018

This paper looks at the rapidly advancing recognition of the importance of brands within the international pharmaceutical arena. It explores what ramifications recent developments in our understanding of mind, culture and brands have for the whole business of brand development. The paper looks at how and in what ways qualitative research has to be built into this process, in particular exploring the issues of how qualitative research is structured and analysed.
The Role of Pricing Research in Assessing the Commercial Potential of New Drugs in Development
Authors: Luery David , Hanlon David
Published: January 2018

Pricing research has an important role to play in the go/no-go decisions taken to finance the progress of new drugs in development. There is a hierarchy in decision-making when it comes to determining the price of new drugs. Many different audiences (government, HMOs/insurance companies, formulary committees, physicians and patients) play a role in determining the price of new drugs. The questions then are when should we start pricing research, who should we talk to and what techniques should be used? This paper explores the role of pricing research throughout the eight- to ten-year development life cycle of new drugs. We examine the various pricing research approaches tailored to suit the different decision-marking audiences at the appropriate milestones in assessing the clinical and commercial potential of new drugs.