bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global approach of mean service satisfaction assessment
Authors: Kora Ahmed Dooguy , CISSE Ibrahima , Cances Jean‐Pierre
Published: September 2014

A theoretical expression for mobile service satisfaction assessment has been proposed. Mobile networks users’ satisfaction is a major concern for the operators and regulators. Therefore a certain level of network qualification is required to be offered to consumers by operators thanks to the decisions initiated by the regulation authority. For the assessment of the level of satisfaction, several methodologies and tools (measuring and monitoring) have emerged. Ranking in two broad categories, namely the objective and subjective methods, both have advantages as well as disadvantages. This Letter has proposed a unified approach to evaluate more objectively users’ level of satisfaction of a service based on the most common network key performance indicators (KPIs) rate following the different methods. This approach's main advantage is that it has taken advantages of the different positive aspects of the existing methods and outperformed their limitations thanks to the introduced concept of global KPI. In addition, the size of samples according to each method has been considered. A mean service satisfaction theoretical expression has been proposed to regulation authority, consumers association and operators as common base of service satisfaction assessment.
New robust iterative minimum mean squared error‐based interference alignment algorithm
Authors: Teodoro Sara , Silva Adão , Dinis Rui , Castanheira Daniel , Gameiro Atílio
Published: September 2014

Interference alignment (IA) is a promising technique for multiple input multiple output interference channels based systems, achieving the theoretical bound on degrees of freedom. However, these gains are reduced in the presence of imperfect channel state information (CSI), because of quantisation or channel estimation errors. In this Letter, the authors propose a new robust iterative IA minimum mean squared error‐based algorithm, which includes these channel errors in the IA design. The results show that the proposed robust IA algorithm outperforms the known IA‐MMSE algorithms, for low‐to‐moderate variance of CSI errors.
Improvement of 200 kHz optical beam scanner performance with multiple internal reflection
Authors: Toyoda Seiji , Sasaki Yuzo , Kobayashi Junya
Published: September 2014

The authors have realised a KTax Nb1− x O3 ‐based optical beam scanner that has three‐ and five‐pass configurations with internal reflection whose scanning angle is exactly proportional to the optical path length. They successfully increased the scanning angle to about 140 mrad with a 200 kHz modulation using a five‐pass configuration. This beam scanner will provide an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system with a spatial resolution of 7 μm and advantages over other OCT systems.
Composite mechanisms for improving Bubble Rap in delay tolerant networks
Authors: Jain Sweta , Kishore Nikhitha , Chawla Meenu , Soares Vasco N.G.J.
Published: September 2014

Delay tolerant networks (DTNs) are a subset of mobile ad hoc networks where connections are sparse and intermittent. This often results in a network graph which is rarely connected which introduces a challenge in message forwarding because of a lack of end‐to‐end connectivity towards the destination. Recently, social‐based forwarding algorithms are gaining popularity because of the social nature displayed by the node movements in a DTN, especially in application areas like the pocket switched networks. The social‐based metrics like community, similarity, centrality etc. are used to determine the carrier to which a node has to forward its message. Composite methods are used to improve the performance of Bubble Rap social‐based forwarding algorithm. In the proposed mechanism, a new social metric termed ‘friendship’ has been introduced along with a time‐to‐live (TTL)‐based ‘threshold’ and acknowledgement (ACK) IDs. Real trace data and working day movement models are used for simulations in the opportunistic network environment simulator to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm gives better delivery ratio than the original Bubble Rap algorithm.
Semi‐automatic parking slot marking recognition for intelligent parking assist systems
Authors: Jung Ho Gi
Published: September 2014

This paper proposes a semi‐automatic parking slot marking‐based target position designation method for parking assist systems in cases where the parking slot markings are of a rectangular type, and its efficient implementation for real‐time operation. After the driver observes a rearview image captured by a rearward camera installed at the rear of the vehicle through a touchscreen‐based human machine interface, a target parking position is designated by touching the inside of a parking slot. To ensure the proposed method operates in real‐time in an embedded environment, access of the bird's‐eye view image is made efficient: image‐wise batch transformation is replaced with pixel‐wise instantaneous transformation. The proposed method showed a 95.5% recognition rate in 378 test cases with 63 test images. Additionally, experiments confirmed that the pixel‐wise instantaneous transformation reduced execution time by 92%.
Outage performance of a cognitive amplify‐and‐forward relay network with primary user interference over Nakagami‐m fading channels
Authors: Wang Xinjie , Zhang Hao , Gulliver Thomas Aaron , Shi Wei
Published: September 2014

In this study, primary user (PU) interference in a cognitive amplify‐and‐forward relay network is considering over a Nakagami‐m fading channel, and the outage probability is derived for the secondary users. This PU interference has not previously been considered in the literature. Results are presented which show that PU interference can significantly degrade secondary user performance, and thus should be considered in the design of a cognitive radio network.
Compact ultra‐wideband antenna with band‐notched based on defected ground structure
Authors: Karimian Reza , Tadayon Hamed
Published: September 2014

A simple and very compact planar monopole ultra‐wideband antenna with a 3.5 GHz band rejection is proposed in this Letter. The compact antenna is etched on an FR4 substrate with the size of 14 × 16 × 1 mm3, consists of a tree‐shaped radiation patch with modified ground structure. To reject certain frequency band, a pair of parallel strip patch, acting as a parasitic element is used. Prototype of the proposed antenna was constructed and measured. The measured impedance bandwidth of the realised antenna with optimal parameters is from 2.6 to 12 GHz (128%) for voltage standing wave ratio <2 with an unwanted band notched from 3.3 to 4 GHz. Moreover, the antenna has good omnidirectional radiation patterns in the H ‐plane.
Design of a ferrite rod antenna for harvesting energy from medium wave broadcast signals
Authors: Dyo Vladimir , Ajmal Tahmina , Allen Ben , Jazani David , Ivanov Ivan
Published: September 2014

Radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting is an emerging technology that has the potential to eliminate the need for batteries and reduce maintenance costs of sensing applications. The antenna is one of the critical components that determines its performance and while antenna design has been well researched for the purpose of communication, the design for RF energy harvesting applications has not been widely addressed. The authors present an optimised design for such an antenna for harvesting energy from medium wave broadcast transmissions. They derive and use a model for computing the optimal antenna configuration given application requirements on output voltage and power, material costs and physical dimensions. Design requirements for powering autonomous smart meters have been considered. The proposed approach was used to obtain the antenna configuration that is able to deliver 1 mW of power to 1 kΩ load at a distance of up to 9 km, sufficient to replace batteries on low‐power sensing applications. Measurements using a prototype device have been used to verify the authors simulations.
Prediction formulas for a notched frequency response of a printed ultra‐wideband antenna loaded with notching resonators
Authors: Saad Ayman Ayd R. , Ali Mohamed Mamdouh M. , Khaled Elsayed Esam M.
Published: September 2014

This Letter presents closed‐form formulas for fast approximate determination of frequency band notches of ultra‐wideband (UWB) antennas loaded with nearly quarter‐/half‐ or even full‐wavelength notches resonators. The formulas are derived using the curve‐fitting technique. They describe the influences of the physical length of these notches resonators on the corresponding frequency notches in the UWB of 3.1–10.6 GHz. The calculated results obtained using these new formulas show good correlation with the reported electromagnetic simulation results elsewhere.
Improved efficient proportionate affine projection algorithm based on l0 ‐norm for sparse system identification
Authors: Zhao Haiquan , Yu Yi
Published: September 2014

A new improved memorised improved proportionate affine projection algorithm (IMIPAPA) is proposed to improve the convergence performance of sparse system identification, which incorporates l 0 ‐norm as a measure of sparseness into a recently proposed MIPAPA algorithm. In addition, a simplified implementation of the IMIPAPA (SIMIPAPA) with low‐computational burden is presented while maintaining the consistent convergence performance. The simulation results demonstrate that the IMIPAPA and SIMIPAPA algorithms outperform the MIPAPA algorithm for sparse system identification.
Super wideband characteristics of monopolar patch antenna
Authors: Chen Xi , Fu Guang , Xi Li , Zhang Simin
Published: September 2014

A simple method of acquiring super wideband characteristics for monopolar patch antenna is proposed. Through adopting a modified cone as feeding and radiating structure, the monopolar patch antenna can reach the impedance bandwidth of more than 1:23.4 for voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) ≤ 2. In the whole operating band, the antenna has the like‐monopole omnidirectional radiation patterns and the peak gains of 3.8–8.7 dB. Meanwhile, the height of the antenna is just 0.074λ c, and the diameter of the radiated body is 0.205λ c, which is smaller than other ultra‐wideband omnidirectional antenna.
Coplanar waveguide fed 9‐point star shape monopole antennas for worldwide interoperability for microwave access and wireless local area network applications
Authors: Mandal Tapan , Das Santanu
Published: September 2014

In this Letter, a coplanar waveguide fed monopole antenna with a band stop characteristic is proposed for worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) and wireless local area network (WLAN) applications. The antenna has a small size of 30 × 45 mm2. The antenna consists of a 9‐point star radiating patch. The band rejection characteristic is realised by introducing a pair of L‐shaped slots in the ground plane. The prototype and proposed antennas have been constructed and experimentally studied. The measured return loss shows a reasonable agreement with the simulated one. Impedance and radiation characteristics of the antenna are studied. It is found that the results are suitable for 3.05–3.84 GHz WiMAX and 5.15–5.825 GHz WLAN applications. The antenna exhibits omni‐directional radiation pattern and appreciable gain across the operating bands. It is suitable for portable wireless communication systems.
Terrain dependant hop count selection for transparent relay transmissions
Authors: K. Kanjirathumkal Cibile , Saheerudeen Mohammed Sameer , Jacob Lillykutty
Published: September 2014

In this Letter, the selection of the best hop count for a particular topography, in the context of enhanced connectivity using multi‐hop transparent relay communication is addressed. Based on the coefficient of variation and the terrain specific fading severity factor of the distribution, it is possible to estimate the optimal hop count that can provide the required performance at detector. Two distribution models, which can adequately characterise the terrain fading effects on empirical data are considered for performance comparison. The results are useful in selecting branches, with low variability and optimal hop count for connectivity, in multi‐stream switched diversity combining systems.
Energy detection UWB system based on pulse width modulation
Authors: Cui Song , Xiong Fuqin
Published: September 2014

A new energy detection ultra‐wideband system based on pulse width modulation is proposed. The bit error rate (BER) performance of this new system is slightly worst than that of a pulse position modulation (PPM) system in additive white Gaussian noise channels. In multipath channels, this system does not suffer from cross‐modulation interference as PPM, so it can achieve better BER performance than PPM when cross‐modulation interference occurs. In addition, when synchronisation errors occur, this system is more robust than PPM.
Generation of equivalent forms of operational trans‐conductance amplifier‐RC sinusoidal oscillators: the nullor approach
Authors: Senani Raj , Gupta Manish , Bhaskar Data Ram , Singh Abdhesh Kumar
Published: September 2014

It has been shown in two earlier papers published from this study that corresponding to a given single‐operational trans‐conductance amplifier (single‐OTA)‐RC and dual‐OTA‐RC sinusoidal oscillators, there are three other structurally distinct equivalent forms having the same characteristic equation, one of which employs both grounded capacitors (GC). In this study, an earlier nullor‐based theory of generating equivalent op‐amp oscillator circuits, proposed by the first author, is extended to derive equivalent OTA‐RC circuits which discloses the existence of an additional number of equivalent forms for the same given OTA‐RC oscillators than those predicted by the quoted earlier works, and thereby considerably enlarging the set of equivalents of a given OTA‐RC oscillator. Furthermore, the presented nullor‐based theory of generating equivalent OTA‐RC oscillators results in three additional interesting outcomes: (i) the revelation that corresponding to any given OTA‐RC oscillator there are two ‘both‐GC’ oscillators (and not merely one, as derived in the quoted earlier works); (ii) the availability of explicit current outputs in several of the derived equivalents and (iii) the realisability explicit‐current‐output ‘quadrature oscillators’ in some of the generated equivalent oscillators. The workability of the generated equivalent OTA‐RC oscillators has been verified by SPICE simulations, based on CMOS OTAs using 0.18 µm CMOS technology process parameters, and some sample results are given.
Q‐switched thulium‐doped fibre laser operating at 1900 nm using multi‐walled carbon nanotubes saturable absorber
Authors: Saidin Norazlina , Zen Dess I.M. , Ahmad Fauzan , Haris Hazlihan , Ahmad Muhammad T. , Latiff Anas A. , Ahmad Harith , Dimyati Kaharudin , Harun Sulaiman W.
Published: September 2014

Simple, low‐cost and stable passive Q‐switched thulium‐doped fibre lasers (TDFLs) operating at 1892.4 and 1910.8 nm are demonstrated using 802 and 1552 nm pumping schemes, respectively, in conjunction with a multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) saturable absorber (SA). The MWCNTs composite is prepared by mixing the MWCNTs homogeneous solution into a dilute polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer solution before it is left to dry at room temperature to produce thin film. Then the film is sandwiched between two FC/PC fibre connectors and integrated into the laser cavity for Q‐switching pulse generation. The pulse repetition rate of the TDFL configured with 802 nm pump can be tuned from 3.8 to 4.6 kHz, whereas the corresponding pulse width reduces from 22.1 to 18.3 μs as the pump power is increased from 187.3 to 194.2 mW. On the other hand, with 1552 nm pumping, the TDFL generates optical pulse train with a repetition rate ranging from 13.1 to 21.7 kHz with a pulse width of 11.5–7.9 μs when the pump power is tuned from 302.2 to 382.1 mW. A higher performance Q‐switched TDFL is expected to be achieved with the optimisation of the MWCNT‐SA saturable absorber and laser cavity.
Graphics processing unit implementation and optimisation of a flexible maximum a‐posteriori decoder for synchronisation correction
Authors: Briffa Johann A.
Published: September 2014

In this paper, the author presents an optimised parallel implementation of a flexible maximum a‐posteriori decoder for synchronisation error correcting codes, supporting a very wide range of code sizes and channel conditions. On mid‐range GPUs the author demonstrates decoding speedups of more than two orders of magnitude over a central processing unit implementation of the same optimised algorithm, and more than an order of magnitude over the author's earlier GPU implementation. The prominent challenge is to maintain high parallelisation efficiency over a wide range of code sizes and channel conditions, and different execution hardware. The author ensures this with a dynamic strategy for choosing parallel execution parameters at run‐time. They also present a variant that trades off some decoding speed for significantly reduced memory requirement, with no loss to the decoder's error correction performance. The increased throughput of their implementation and its ability to work with less memory allow us to analyse larger codes and poorer channel conditions, and makes practical use of such codes more feasible.
SimCommSys: taking the errors out of error‐correcting code simulations
Authors: Briffa Johann A. , Wesemeyer Stephan
Published: September 2014

In this study, we present SimCommSys, a simulator of communication systems that we are releasing under an open source license. The core of the project is a set of C + + libraries defining communication system components and a distributed Monte Carlo simulator. Of principal interest is the error‐control coding component, where various kinds of binary and non‐binary codes are implemented, including turbo, LDPC, repeat‐accumulate and Reed–Solomon. The project also contains a number of ready‐to‐build binaries implementing various stages of the communication system (such as the encoder and decoder), a complete simulator and a system benchmark. Finally, SimCommSys also provides a number of shell and python scripts to encapsulate routine use cases. As long as the required components are already available in SimCommSys, the user may simulate complete communication systems of their own design without any additional programming. The strict separation of development (needed only to implement new components) and use (to simulate specific constructions) encourages reproducibility of experimental work and reduces the likelihood of error. Following an overview of the framework, we provide some examples of how to use the framework, including the implementation of a simple codec, the specification of communication systems and their simulation.
Full‐space diversity and full‐rate distributed space–time block codes for amplify‐and‐forward relaying networks
Authors: El Astal Mohammed‐Taha O. , Salmon Brian P. , Olivier Jan Corné
Published: September 2014

In this study, the authors propose a full‐rate distributed space–time block code (D‐STBC) that can operate on an arbitrary number of available relaying nodes which generates minimal network overhead when incorporating additional relaying nodes into transmission stream. The proposed D‐STBC also does not require any coordination among participating relaying nodes to share any information among each other. The design of the code allows for single‐symbol decoding complexity which is not always possible in other D‐STBC's when the number of relaying nodes increases. The proposed D‐STBC requires a minimum of two participating relaying nodes and because of anonymity among the relaying nodes to each the addition or removal of relaying nodes can be done with ease without disrupting the transmission. They present empirical results in this study to support these claims of the proposed code.
Time reversal time‐domain synchronisation orthogonal frequency division multiplexing over multipath fading channels with significant tap delays
Authors: Esmaiel Hamada , Jiang Danchi
Published: September 2014

Time‐reversed orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (TR‐OFDM) has recently received attention as a promising spectral efficient scheme for single‐input multiple‐output communications over time‐dispersive fading channels. For TR‐OFDM, passive time reversal processing is used as a simple means for channel time dispersion reduction. In particular, pseudorandom noise (PN)‐sequence padding time‐domain synchronisation OFDM (TDS‐OFDM) transmission scheme has been reported as an appealing alternative to the traditional cyclic prefix (CP) OFDM technology as it can provide significant improvement in the spectrum efficiency. In this study, a new correlation based coder for inter‐block and inter‐symbol interference removing in time‐reversed TDS‐OFDM, which is denoted TR‐TDS‐OFDM briefly is proposed. Such a coder is, then, tested for multipath channels with significant tap delays. A Zadoff–Chu sequence with perfect autocorrelation property is adopted as a training sequence (TS) for a TDS‐OFDM system. Simulation results show that, by using TR‐TDS‐OFDM with correlation‐based coder, a TS with length shorter than channel order can be used without introducing notable inter‐block interference. The other merits of the proposed design are also supported by both theoretical analysis and numerical simulations.
Integrated motor drive and non‐isolated battery charger based on the split‐phase PM motors for plug‐in vehicles
Authors: Haghbin Saeid , Carlson Ola
Published: September 2014

A novel integrated motor drive and non‐isolated battery charger based on a split‐phase permanent magnet (PM) motor is presented and described for a plug‐in vehicle. The motor windings are reconfigured by a relay for the traction and charging operation. In traction mode, the motor is like a normal three‐phase motor, whereas in the charging mode, after windings reconnection, the system is a three‐phase Boost rectifier. One important challenge to use the motor as three inductors in charger circuit is to have it in standstill during the battery charging. Based on the presented mathematical model of a split‐phase PM motor, the zero‐torque condition of the motor is explained which led to a proper windings reconnection for the charging. Simulation and experimental results of two separate practical systems are provided to verify the proposed integrated battery charger. Some practical limitations and design recommendations are provided to achieve a more realistic practical system.
Development of a new prototype system for measuring the permittivity of dielectric materials
Authors: Jiang Jiajia , Geyi Wen
Published: September 2014

A simple prototype for measuring the properties of dielectric materials is introduced in this Letter. A homogeneous dielectric sample placed in a field produced by a nearby antenna will affect the input impedance of the antenna. The permittivity and the loss of the dielectric sample can then be determined from the change of the input impedance of the antenna. The prototype has been validated by experiments.
Towards good practice guidelines for the contour method of residual stress measurement
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Foroogh , Kowal Jan , Bouchard Peter John
Published: September 2014

Accurate measurement of residual stress in metallic components using the contour method relies on the achievement of a good quality cut, on the appropriate measurement of the deformed cut surface and on the robust analysis of the measured data. There is currently no published standard or code of practice for the contour method. As a first step towards such a standard, this study draws on research investigations addressing the three main steps in the method: how best to cut the specimens; how to measure the deformation contour of the cut surface; and how to analyse the data. Good practice guidance is provided throughout the text accompanied by more detailed observations and advice tabulated in Appendix.
Performance evaluation of a transformerless multiphase electric submersible pump system
Authors: Hakeem Ahmed A. , Elserougi Ahmed Abbas , Abdel‐Khalik Ayman Samy , Ahmed Shehab , Massoud Ahmed Mohamed
Published: September 2014

Using of low‐voltage variable‐frequency drive followed by a step‐up transformer is the most preferable way to feed an electrical submersible pump motor. The existence of long feeder between the motor and drive systems usually causes over‐voltage problems because of the travelling wave phenomenon, which makes the employment of filter networks on the motor or inverter terminals mandatory. The so‐called boost‐inverter inherently can solve this problem with filter‐less operation as it offers a direct sinusoidal output voltage. As boost inverters have voltage boosting capability, it can provide a transformer‐less operation as well. This study investigates the performance of a five‐phase modular winding induction machine fed from a boost‐inverter through a long feeder. A simulation study using a 1000 Hp system and experimental investigation on a 1 Hp prototype machine are used to support the presented approach.
Grain yield and physiological traits of rice lines with the drought yield QTL qDTY12.1 showed different responses to drought and soil characteristics in upland environments
Authors: Henry Amelia , Dixit Shalabh , Mandal Nimai P. , Anantha M. S. , Torres Rolando , Kumar Arvind
Published: September 2014

To improve yield in upland conditions, near-isogenic lines (NILs) of the major-effect drought yield quantitative trait locus qDTY12.1 in rice (Oryza sativa L.) were developed in the background of the upland variety Vandana. These NILs have shown greater water uptake a larger proportion of lateral roots, and higher transpiration efficiency under drought than Vandana, and one NIL (481-B) was selected as having the highest yield. In this study, the NILs were assessed in two greenhouse and 18 upland field trials for their response to drought and different soil textures. Performance of qDTY12.1 NILs was not affected by soil texture but showed a notable response to drought stress severity. The yield advantage of 481-B over Vandana was highest in field trials with intermittent drought stress, in which the mean trial yield was greater than 0.5 t ha–1, and in the least favourable well watered trial. The effects of qDTY12.1 on water uptake were most apparent under mild to moderate stress but not in very severe drought or well watered treatments, whereas the lateral root and transpiration efficiency responses were observed under a range of conditions. These results highlight the varying response of qDTY12.1 across upland environments and the complexity of multiple mechanisms acting together to confer an effect on rice yield under drought.
Moral Epistemology
Authors: Zimmerman Aaron
Published: September 2014

Moral epistemology is the study of moral knowledge and related phenomena. The recorded history of work in the field extends (at least) 2,500 years to Socrates’s inquiries into whether virtue and expertise in governance can be taught. Every major moral theorist since then has advanced theses about the possibility of moral knowledge and those modes of thinking, feeling, and reasoning that are most conducive to improvements in moral outlook. Though the study of moral language and the metaphysics of morality received more attention by Western philosophers in the 20th century, interest in moral epistemology has grown in recent years as theorists have turned to advances in the scientific study of moral development and moral judgment—and their origins in biological and cultural evolution—in the hopes of shedding new light on the old questions. By further understanding the processes that give rise to our moral beliefs, and the critical evaluation and consequent evolution of moral frameworks, we hope to gain further insight into what distinguishes those rational, reasonable, or well-considered moral views that would seem to comprise moral knowledge from those irrational, false, or unduly biased judgments that fall short. This article begins by describing general overviews of moral epistemology, moves on to consider historically important accounts of moral knowledge, and then addresses contemporary scientific accounts of moral judgment, moral development, and the foundations of moral response in our evolved biology. With these elements in place, it moves on to moral skepticism and the question of whether we have any moral knowledge; moral nihilism, or the view that there are no moral truths to be known; and the extent and nature of fundamental moral disagreement: perhaps the most common route to skepticism about morality. The “special” topics that follow these core concerns demonstrate the breadth and richness of the field. We would seem to have “intuitions” of the morality of certain actions, people, or institutions. Some (non-skeptical) theorists liken these intuitions to perceptions of color or beauty. Others argue that desires provide non-inferential knowledge of value, that basic moral principles are self-evident, or that we can directly infer “ought” from “is.” Theorists discuss, among other things, the reliability of ordinary processes of moral judgment, the role of coherence and reflection in augmenting the rationality of folk moral views, the possibility of theoretical moral knowledge akin to scientific knowledge, and the rationality of basing one’s moral views on testimony.
English Poetry
Authors: Bednarz James P.
Published: September 2014

The English Renaissance, the age of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Philip Sidney, Ben Jonson, John Donne, and John Milton, was one of the most brilliant periods in Western literary history for the production of great poetry. Yet the scope of its achievement is so varied that any effort to account for its multiplicity is inordinately challenging. Between 1509, with the reign of Henry VIII, until the end of the Commonwealth in 1660, nondramatic poetry of the most varied kind—from epic to ballad—found a voice and an audience in recitation, manuscript circulation, and print. The period’s ideals were inscribed in the heroic narratives of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene and John Milton’s Paradise Lost, in a culture that embraced the epic as a means of political and theological reflection. But just as Renaissance poets looked outward at the turbulent world of early modern history, which they measured in terms of a mythic glorious past, they simultaneously gazed inward to focus on basic issues of identity and subjectivity, being especially attentive to the intricate trajectories of human desire. Beginning with the lyric poetry of John Skelton and Sir Thomas Wyatt, the blending of native, classical, and Continental influences added richness to verse that easily moved from the high to low, from earnest self-scrutiny and entreaty to mockery, play, disdain, and detachment. These qualities would mature in Shakespeare’s Sonnets. English Renaissance poetry is customarily divided chronologically in two ways. Scholars distinguish between either the 16th and 17th centuries or between Tudor (1485–1603) and Stuart (1603–1649) periods. The division between Tudor and Stuart poetry is useful, for instance, in tracing how different poetic concerns, such as satire and religious poetry, challenged sonnet and epic. It helps account for how a growing insistence on “strong lines” of condensed poetic thought found expression in both the measured Augustan style of Ben Jonson and the mannered wit of John Donne. But these divisions can also obscure significant similarities as well between writers such as Spenser and Jonson or Sidney and Milton, who share surprisingly similar attitudes on a variety of literary, political, and social issues. For quality, rhetorical genius, emotional complexity, depth, and variety, the poetry of the English Renaissance is unsurpassed.
Evolutionary Studies of Childhood
Authors: Crittenden Alyssa N. , Pretelli Ilaria
Published: September 2014

Current research on the evolution of childhood is largely interdisciplinary, highlighting the significance of biosocial perspectives that integrate cross-cultural variation, growth and development, ecology, and adaptation. Evolutionary studies of childhood are integral to understanding how this life history stage compares to that of other mammals, in general, and to that of nonhuman primates, in particular. An understanding of how human childhood differs across primate taxa and fossil hominin species can inform our understanding of the evolution of growth and development, cognition, prosociality, and many other notable hallmarks of human evolution. Increasingly, evolutionary studies of childhood view this developmental phase as culturally diverse and biologically based. The evolution of childhood has been explored most notably within the domains of anthropology, psychology, and human development, and the readings selected here reflect those academic traditions. Much of the most relevant work in the evolutionary study of childhood focuses on the intersection between biological processes and social dynamics. For further discussions, not explicitly evolutionary in their approach, see Oxford Bibliographies in Childhood Studies articles Archaeology of Childhood and Anthropology of Childhood.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Authors: Vaidis David C. , Bran Alexandre
Published: September 2014

Appearing for the first time in the mid-20th century, the term “cognitive dissonance” appears nowadays about eight hundred times in PsycINFO and the original book has been cited more than forty-five thousand times in scientific publications: that is more than twice a day for about sixty years. The theory of cognitive dissonance was molded by Leon Festinger at the beginning of the 1950s. It suggests that inconsistencies among cognitions (i.e., knowledge, opinion, or belief about the environment, oneself, or one’s behavior) generate an uncomfortable motivating feeling (i.e., the cognitive dissonance state). According to the theory, people feel uncomfortable when they experience cognitive dissonance and thus are motivated to retrieve an acceptable state. The magnitude of existing dissonance depends on the importance of the involved cognitions. Experiencing a higher level of dissonance causes pressure and motivation to reduce the dissonance. Findings from several studies show that dissonance occurs when people do not act in accordance with their attitude (e.g., writing supportive arguments in favor of a topic that they do not agree upon; performing a task they disapprove). Festinger 1957 (cited under Core Historical Sources) considers three ways to cope with cognitive dissonance: (a) changing one or several involved elements in the dissonance relationship (e.g., moving an opinion to fit a behavior), (b) adding new elements to reduce the inconsistency (e.g., adopting opinions that fit a behavior), and (c) reducing the importance of the involved elements. Early theorists in this field suggested improvement to the cognitive dissonance theory by adding restrictions for the emergence of the phenomena. Three major developments have to be considered: the commitment purpose and freedom, the consequence of the act purpose, and the self-involvement. Since the 2010s, the theory has been refined with new integrative models and methodological breakthrough. Mostly studied in human beings, several studies shift paradigms to other animals such as nonhuman primates, rats, and birds. The cognitive dissonance theory has been applied to a very large array of social situations and leads to original experimental designs. It is arguably one of the most influential theories in social psychology, general psychology, and cross-discipline sciences more generally.
North Africa
Authors: Simon Rachel
Published: September 2014

Jewish communities have existed in North Africa (comprising Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco) since Antiquity. This article focuses on the period since the introduction of Islam to the region in the seventh century. The indigenous Jews were later joined mainly by those exiled from the Iberian Peninsula, mostly since the late fifteenth century. Jews lived mainly in the urban centers, often in their own neighborhoods, but they also lived in the rural countryside, performing important roles in the economic life as craftsmen, peddlers, and merchants (even in international trade), and at times fulfilling political and diplomatic roles. The condition of the Jews was influenced by their status under Islam as “Protected People,” as well as by specific political, social, and economic conditions. External political developments in the modern era also had an impact on the Jews of North Africa, starting with the colonial ambitions of France, Britain, and Italy in the region since the early nineteenth century, followed by the region’s states gaining independence, mostly in the 1950s to early 1960s, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Transgenerational left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertension in offspring after uteroplacental insufficiency in male rats
Authors: Master Jordanna S , Zimanyi Monika A , Yin Kom V , Moritz Karen M , Gallo Linda A , Tran Melanie , Wlodek Mary E , Black Mary J
Published: September 2014

Epidemiological studies have shown an association between low birthweight and adult disease development with transmission to subsequent generations. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of intrauterine growth restriction in rats, induced by uteroplacental insufficiency, on cardiac structure, number, size, nuclearity, and adult blood pressure in first (F1) and second (F2) generation male offspring. Uteroplacental insufficiency or sham surgery was induced in F0 Wistar‐Kyoto pregnant rats in late gestation giving rise to F1 restricted and control offspring, respectively. F1 control and restricted females were mated with normal males, resulting in F2 control and restricted offspring, respectively. F1 restricted male offspring were significantly lighter at birth (P < 0.05), but there were no differences in birthweight of F2 offspring. Left ventricular weights and volumes were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in F1 and F2 restricted offspring at day 35. Left ventricular cardiomyocyte number was not different in F1 and F2 restricted offspring. At 6 months‐of‐age, F1 and F2 restricted offspring had elevated blood pressure (8–15 mmHg, P < 0.05). Our findings demonstrate the emergence of left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertension, with no change in cardiomyocyte number, in F1 restricted male offspring, and this was transmitted to the F2 offspring. The findings support transgenerational programming effects.
A Hospital‐Specific Template for Benchmarking its Cost and Quality
Authors: Silber Jeffrey H. , Rosenbaum Paul R. , Ross Richard N. , Ludwig Justin M. , Wang Wei , Niknam Bijan A. , Saynisch Philip A. , Even‐Shoshan Orit , Kelz Rachel R. , Fleisher Lee A.
Published: September 2014

Objective

Develop an improved method for auditing hospital cost and quality tailored to a specific hospital's patient population.

Data Sources/Setting

Medicare claims in general, gynecologic and urologic surgery, and orthopedics from Illinois, New York, and Texas between 2004 and 2006.

Study Design

A template of 300 representative patients from a single index hospital was constructed and used to match 300 patients at 43 hospitals that had a minimum of 500 patients over a 3‐year study period.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

From each of 43 hospitals we chose 300 patients most resembling the template using multivariate matching.

Principal Findings

We found close matches on procedures and patient characteristics, far more balanced than would be expected in a randomized trial. There were little to no differences between the index hospital's template and the 43 hospitals on most patient characteristics yet large and significant differences in mortality, failure‐to‐rescue, and cost.

Conclusion

Matching can produce fair, directly standardized audits. From the perspective of the index hospital, “hospital‐specific” template matching provides the fairness of direct standardization with the specific institutional relevance of indirect standardization. Using this approach, hospitals will be better able to examine their performance, and better determine why they are achieving the results they observe.
Study of methanogen communities associated with different rumen protozoal populations
Authors: Belanche Alejandro , de la Fuente Gabriel , Newbold Charles J.
Published: September 2014

Protozoa-associated methanogens (PAM) are considered one of the most active communities in the rumen methanogenesis. This experiment investigated whether methanogens are sequestrated within rumen protozoa, and structural differences between rumen free-living methanogens and PAM. Rumen protozoa were harvested from totally faunated sheep, and six protozoal fractions (plus free-living microorganisms) were generated by sequential filtration. Holotrich-monofaunated sheep were also used to investigate the holotrich-associated methanogens. Protozoal size determined the number of PAM as big protozoa had 1.7–3.3 times more methanogen DNA than smaller protozoa, but also more endosymbiotic bacteria (2.2- to 3.5-fold times). Thus, similar abundance of methanogens with respect to total bacteria were observed across all protozoal fractions and free-living microorganisms, suggesting that methanogens are not accumulated within rumen protozoa in a greater proportion to that observed in the rumen as a whole. All rumen methanogen communities had similar diversity (22.2 ± 3.4 TRFs). Free-living methanogens composed a conserved community (67% similarity within treatment) in the rumen with similar diversity but different structures than PAM (P< 0.05). On the contrary, PAM constituted a more variable community (48% similarity), which differed between holotrich and total protozoa (P< 0.001). Thus, PAM constitutes a community, which requires further investigation as part of methane mitigation strategies.
Absence of protective effect of oral contraceptive use on the development of rheumatoid arthritis: a meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Chen Qi , Jin Zhichao , Xiang Chun , Cai Qing , Shi Wentao , He Jia
Published: September 2014

Aim

To investigate the association between oral contraceptive (OC) use and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Method

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis based on observational studies. Summary estimates were obtained using fixed‐ or random‐effects models as appropriate. Dose‐response meta‐analysis, subgroup analysis, cumulative meta‐analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests were performed.

Results

Our meta‐analysis of 28 studies included 18 case‐control, three nested case‐control, and seven cohort studies. In case‐control studies, the risk of RA of ever, current and past OC users was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53–0.89), 0.71 (95% CI, 0.48–1.06) and 0.67 (95% CI, 0.44–1.01), respectively, compared to that of never OC users. In prospective studies, the corresponding odds ratios (ORs) of ever, current and past OC use were 1.00 (95% CI, 0.87–1.15), 0.93 (95% CI, 0.70–1.23) and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.78–1.12), respectively. A cumulative meta‐analysis showed that the pooled ORs moved to the midline with an increase in sample size as years passed. There was an inverse association between OC use and severity of RA (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22–0.78). Dose‐response meta‐analysis of the study data revealed that the association between OC use and risk of RA was independent of duration of OC use.

Conclusion

OC use has no protective effect on RA onset, but appears to prevent progression to severe RA. In addition, OC use has a lower protective effect on the risk of RA with change in OC composition. Finally, no cumulative effect was found between OC use and risk of RA.
A case with rheumatod arthritis and atraumatic odontoid fracture: disappearence of bony landmarks
Authors: Findikoglu Gulin , Ardic Fusun , Akkaya Nuray , Sahin Fusun , Sabir Nuran , Cirak Bayram
Published: September 2014

We aim to draw attention to occult, atraumatic fractures of the odontoid process in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to underline difficulties encountered during clinical and radiological diagnosis. A forty‐seven years old man with RA for 4 years had occipital pain for 1 year without any history of trauma. Later, he developed weakness in the upper extremities, but he did not realize weakness in the lower extremities due to deformities. Contrast magnetic resonance imaging revealed a linear fracture of odontiod process and myelopathy. Cervical computed tomography scan revealed an old fracture border with separated and almost disappeared remnant of the tip of the odontoid without free particles in the cord. It was impossible to evaluate atlantoaxial and vertical subluxations with craniometric measurements due to destruction of the tip of odontoid. Following occipitocervical fusion and decompression and a rehabilitation program, his muscle strength improved; however, functional myelopathy stage did not change. Atraumatic fractures of the odontoid process may be more common than reported and may cause compression of the spinal cord or brain stem. Surgery is the treatment of choice but functional recovery is limited once neuronal damage has occurred. Erosion of the critical landmarks makes it difficult to diagnose and follow up atlantoaxial subluxation and/or vertical subluxation, therefore clinicians should consider radiographical follow‐ups during the course of the disease.
Quality of life in non‐melanoma skin cancer
Authors: Gaulin Charles , Sebaratnam Deshan F , Fernández‐Peñas Pablo
Published: September 2014

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common malignancies and are classified under the umbrella of non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).NMSCexerts a small but appreciable decrement in quality of life (QOL). The impact posed may arise from the tumour itself or as a result of treatment, and through symptoms, functional limitations, cosmetic burden and auxiliary considerations such as cost and disturbance to the activities of daily living. Researchers have evaluated this burden using a variety of outcome measures including generic, dermatology‐specific and disease‐specific instruments. The skin cancer index represents a promising disease‐specific patient‐reported outcome measure in this setting. To overcome some of the constraints inherent to disease‐specific instruments, and to allow comparisons with other diseases, utility weightings have been developed. Utility weightings represent a cardinal measure for a specific health status and are established through methods such as the standard gamble, willingness‐to‐pay and time trade‐off, and have also been employed to generate utility weightings forNMSC. Utilities are becoming increasingly important as a means of comparing health states across medicine and are of particular importance from a health‐care policy perspective as they are used for resource allocation. The small but definite impact on the individual'sQOLposed byNMSCshould be a clinical consideration for physicians and it should be recognised by researchers as a potential outcome measure.