bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Military power and political objectives in armed interventions
Authors: Rapport Aaron
Published: February 2015

What effect do political objectives have on the level of force used in military interventions? Studies have found that states seeking to capture and defend territory are most likely to escalate militarized disputes. However, other research holds that conflicts over policy issues increase uncertainty about an opponent’s willingness to resist coercion, obscuring bargains both sides would prefer to fighting. These different findings yield contradictory conclusions about what types of issues should be associated with higher levels of violence. This article contends that the lower levels of force used by states seeking to coerce policy change can be accounted for by the moderating effects of military power. Powerful countries may use low levels of force as a way of gathering information about their opponent’s resolve, primarily when the value of this information offsets the costs of screening a target. This will more often be the case in disputes over policy rather than territory, providing an additional reason why such conflicts exhibit lower levels of force. Conversely, weaker powers are less likely to possess the necessary resources to use limited military operations to reduce uncertainty about opponents, and will use similar levels of force regardless of the object of contention. The preceding argument is supported by an analysis of over 170 military interventions carried out from 1945 to 2001.
Anticipating mediated talks
Authors: Ruhe Constantin
Published: February 2015

Research on mediation has shown that mediation can be an effective conflict management tool to contain intrastate conflicts, prevent escalation of low intensity conflicts, and foster de-escalation. But can ripe moments for conflict prevention effectively be anticipated? This article argues that the short-term conflict history provides a good predictor of the probability of mediation onset in low-intensity conflicts. It builds on an expected utility theory of mediation and states that conflict intensity is a primary indicator of whether a window of opportunity for mediation exists. Thereby, the article asserts that the direction of the effect is conditional on the respective probability of victory of each conflict party. The theory postulates that high conflict intensity only increases the probability of mediation onset when neither side is likely to prevail militarily. If one of the conflict parties has a high chance of a military success, then it will not regard conflict intensity as costly, since it can expect to impose these costs on its opponent. Under these circumstances the conflict parties will not be willing to engage in mediation. The article presents empirical support for this proposition. It uses temporally disaggregated data of low-intensity African conflicts from 1993 to 2004 and demonstrates that the theoretically motivated model predicts mediation onset with high accuracy. The results show that conflict dynamics are highly relevant covariates in predicting mediation. This selection process should be considered when the impact of mediation is evaluated.
The effectiveness of treaty design in addressing water disputes
Authors: Mitchell Sara McLaughlin , Zawahri Neda A
Published: February 2015

We examine the design features of treaties governing international rivers and empirically test their effectiveness in managing water disputes. We expect peaceful conflict management to be more successful and militarized conflict to be less likely in dyadic river claims when riparians share membership in treaties with mechanisms for river basin organizations, information exchange, monitoring, enforcement, and conflict resolution. To test our expectation we analyze a set of diplomatic disagreements over cross-border rivers coded by the Issue Correlates of War project. We combine this database with treaty content data from the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database. Empirical analyses suggest that information exchange and enforcement provisions in river treaties are most effective for preventing militarization of river claims and increase the chances that negotiations over river claims successfully resolve the issues at stake. Enforcement provisions also promote third-party dispute settlement attempts and increase the likelihood of compliance with agreements reached. States that share membership in river basin organizations are more likely to experience militarized disputes and less likely to be amenable to third-party dispute settlement. However, the latter states are more likely to reach agreements in peaceful negotiations over their river claims. These findings demonstrate that institutional design influences riparian states’ ability to address water disputes.
Soldiers and development aid
Authors: Kisangani Emizet F , Pickering Jeffrey
Published: February 2015

This article argues that military intervention by traditional members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) has a significant impact on the development aid given to target states. This seemingly innocuous thesis contributes to two literatures. First is the literature on foreign aid, which examines a long list of donor and recipient state variables to explain assistance patterns. It has yet to analyze the signal that DAC military intervention sends about the importance of specific recipient states, however. Second is the literature on foreign policy substitutability, which maintains that increasing the resources allotted to one change-inducing foreign policy tool often reduces the resources available for other tools. Using interrupted time-series panel-corrected standard error estimates of 120 recipient countries from 1960 to 2004, we find that aid flows from traditional DAC donors rise significantly when one or more of their members dispatch soldiers in support of a target government, but gradually recede after troops depart. The opposite pattern holds for interventions that oppose the target government. These outcomes suggest that studies of foreign aid should consider donor state military actions as an additional explanatory variable, and that policymakers may at times view foreign aid and military intervention as complementary rather than competing foreign policy tools.
Mortgage Foreclosures and the Changing Mix of Crime in Micro-neighborhoods
Authors: Lacoe Johanna , Ellen Ingrid Gould
Published: February 2015

Objectives:

The main objectives of the study are to estimate the impact of mortgage foreclosures on the location of criminal activity within a blockface. Drawing on routine activity theory, disorder theory, and social disorganization theory, the study explores potential mechanisms that link foreclosures to crime.

Methods:

To estimate the relationship between foreclosures and localized crime, we use detailed foreclosure and crime data at the blockface level in Chicago and a difference-in-difference estimation strategy.

Results:

Overall, mortgage foreclosures increase crime on blockfaces. Foreclosures have a larger impact on crime that occurs inside residences than on crime in the street. The impact of foreclosures on crime location varies by crime type (violent, property, and public order crime).

Conclusions:

The evidence supports the three main theoretical mechanisms that link foreclosure activity to local crime. The investigation of the relationship by crime location suggests that foreclosures change the relative attractiveness of indoor and outdoor locations for crime commission on the blockface.
On the Conventionalization of Mouth Actions in Australian Sign Language
Authors: Johnston Trevor , van Roekel Jane , Schembri Adam
Published: February 2015

This study investigates the conventionalization of mouth actions in Australian Sign Language. Signed languages were once thought of as simply manual languages because the hands produce the signs which individually and in groups are the symbolic units most easily equated with the words, phrases and clauses of spoken languages. However, it has long been acknowledged that non-manual activity, such as movements of the body, head and the face play a very important role. In this context, mouth actions that occur while communicating in signed languages have posed a number of questions for linguists: are the silent mouthings of spoken language words simply borrowings from the respective majority community spoken language(s)? Are those mouth actions that are not silent mouthings of spoken words conventionalized linguistic units proper to each signed language, culturally linked semi-conventional gestural units shared by signers with members of the majority speaking community, or even gestures and expressions common to all humans? We use a corpus-based approach to gather evidence of the extent of the use of mouth actions in naturalistic Australian Sign Language–making comparisons with other signed languages where data is available–and the form/meaning pairings that these mouth actions instantiate.
Learn a trade
Authors: Crawford Matthew B.
Published: February 2015

The author earned a physics degree in college and then failed to find a job in the aerospace industry. He writes of how he fell back on his training as an electrician for sustenance and from that extrapolates how the trades have become confused with work of the hands rather than of the mind. He uses the venerable debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois a century ago over whether African-Americans should direct their energies and community development toward vocational or academic goals as example of his prescription for America today. Du Bois, who championed academics, won that debate, not only for the black community, but for all of America. It is a debate that needs to be reopened the author says.
Get college- and career-ready at a vo-tech high school
Authors: Demarest Kathy K. , Gehrt Victoria C.
Published: February 2015

While talk abounds in the buzzword-happy education arena of what it means to develop students who are college and career ready, the author paints a portrait of a vocational-technical school district in northern Delaware that is actually doing both with its students, and has been for some 40 years. The vo-tech experience is not for students who can't handle rigorous college-prep courses, or just want jobs working with their hands. The author tells the stories of five vo-tech graduates who have carved out both college learning and career experience.
New CTE model is a plus for schools and students
Authors: Kantrov Ilene
Published: February 2015

The Academy of Information Technology and Robotics (AITR) in the Volusia County (Fla.) Schools district is leading students to stronger academic gains and better preparation for college and career. AITR is a beefed-up version of the career academy model that began in Philadelphia in 1969. The strengths of AITR exemplify the features of career academies within the Ford Next Generation Learning network of communities. These communities engage employers, civic organizations, school districts, and postsecondary institutions in aligning community resources to transform secondary schools and the workforce development system. Such programs have helped produce many positive outcomes for students, and the model has been widely embraced by education leaders and nonprofits.
Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards
Authors: Penuel William R. , Harris Christopher J. , DeBarger Angela Haydel
Published: February 2015

The Next Generation Science Standards embody a new vision for science education grounded in the idea that science is both a body of knowledge and a set of linked practices for developing knowledge. The authors describe strategies that they suggest school and district leaders consider when designing strategies to support NGSS implementation.
Don’t try to bridge the literacy gap alone
Authors: González Ramón M.
Published: February 2015

The author is a middle school principal who has spent a decade working on improving literacy among his largely socio-economically disadvantaged student body. Experience and research have shown, the author says, that a successful effort to bridge the literacy gap between children who live in poverty and middle-class students requires a concerted effort by multiple school agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and others to provide the academic support and extracurricular opportunities they need but otherwise won’t get.
Highlighted & Underlined
Authors: Richardson Joan
Published: February 2015

News and information from across the education world. An American Federation of Teachers survey finds that career-technical education teachers are overwhelmingly positive about the value of their programs. Another study finds that New Orleans parents, especially low-income parents, give more weight to location and extracurricular activities than academics when choosing a school for their children.
Washington View
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: February 2015

Washington has a very short attention span. Although the new Congress has been in place for just a couple months, pundits and politicos are already looking ahead to the next big thing. Like a fickle teenager, Washington has decided the new Congress is over and is instead focusing on the 2016 presidential race. If any presidential hopefuls want to earn the title of education president, columnist Maria Ferguson offers a few suggestions: Stop worrying about what your party thinks of your ideas, never claim the public education system is broken, use evidence when offering solutions to the challenges facing public education, and understand that education is a deeply personal issue for many voters.
Backtalk
Authors: Schneider Jack
Published: February 2015

Education is rife with polarization, perhaps in large measure because of the Internet. People are spending a lot of time talking only with people they agree with, while talking at or past people who disagree with them. What we really need to do, the author says, is to have a discussion in which we start talking and listening to our adversaries.
The fellowship of suffering: Reading Philippians with Stanley Hauerwas
Authors: Werntz Myles
Published: February 2015

Philippians presents us with a powerful vision of both the way in which suffering encourages churches, and how churches are called to minister to the suffering. Stanley Hauerwas’ work on the nature of suffering is instructive here, fleshing out some of the ecclesial contours of Philippians.
An atheistic sense to Stanley Hauerwas’s theology
Authors: Tran Jonathan
Published: February 2015

This essay argues that Stanley Hauerwas’ Christian ethics exemplifies a manner of speech that does not premise divine activity as necessary for theological judgment. An anti-constantinian reticence regarding divine activity sits at the heart of Hauerwas’ work, giving it an atheistic sense emblematic of secularized cultural conditions, marking his theology as decidedly baptist. The essay takes the form of a sustained engagement with Nicholas Healy’s incisive critique that Hauerwas disastrously joins together what should remain apart, what David Kelsey distinguishes as logics of belief and logics of coming to belief. After passing on a defensive response to Healy, the article advances a constructive response that would have theological speech take up residence between logics of belief and coming to belief, which the article re-imagines in terms of what Stanley Cavell calls “comedies of remarriage.”
Ransomed from every language: The church as a community of word-care
Authors: Harvey Barry
Published: February 2015

It takes unmitigated gall to say, “Thus says the Lord,” and yet for two thousand years Christians have been doing just that. The church’s concern with language is not a merely human thing, for disciples are those who, in the power of the Spirit, have been caught up in God’s self-communication to the world in Christ. In our communion with one another as members of Christ’s earthly-historical body, we have been entrusted with the ministry of the very utterance of God made flesh, through which all things were made. In honor of Stanley Hauerwas, this article explores the theme of the church as a community of word-care in terms of what could be called Hauerwasian logic. After reviewing some basic philosophical theology and examining some relevant biblical passages, it investigates the historical nature of the relationship between the church and the form of the society in which we currently live. In the process it takes a brief excursion through Roger Williams and Thomas Jefferson’s use of the metaphor of the wall of separation, and concludes an example of a woman who could speak in the name of the Lord with authority.
Analysis of induced Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System collisions in unsegregated airspace using a Colored Petri Net model
Authors: Jun Tang , Piera Miquel Angel , Nosedal Jenaro
Published: February 2015

For rigorously safe aviation, it is of great significance to conduct an analysis of the current and new operations, providing a global perspective of the scenario dynamics and a better understanding of the potential collision occurrence for risk assessment. The objective of this study is to consider a number of the difficulties that are involved when establishing a validation of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which constitutes the last resort for reducing the risk of near mid-air collisions between aircraft in a multithread scenario, and to analyze the TCAS logic using a causal model. In this paper, the causal model that is specified in the Colored Petri Net (CPN) formalism is employed as a key approach to analyze quantitatively the state space of a congested traffic scenario in which the events could transform a conflict into a potential collision. It offers a rigorous tool not only for TCAS validation but also for the analysis of a wide range of properties of the TCAS behavior. This CPN model assumes unrestrained initial positions and TCAS II-equipped aircraft; it is demonstrated to be extremely effective for generating all possible future TCAS failure end-states from the current locations, and the Interactive Collision Avoidance Simulator EuroControl simulator is used to illustrate the collision process of a three-aircraft scenario.
Governing through Prevent? Regulation and Contested Practice in State–Muslim Engagement
Authors: O’Toole Therese , Meer Nasar , DeHanas Daniel Nilsson , Jones Stephen H , Modood Tariq
Published: February 2015

In this article, we consider the implications of the ‘Prevent’ strand of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy for the UK state’s engagement with Muslims. We argue that the logics of Prevent have been highly problematic for state–Muslim engagement. Nevertheless, we suggest that the characterisation of state approaches to engaging Muslims as a form of discipline is incomplete without an analysis of: first, differences in practices, habits and perspectives across governance domains; second, variations in approach and implementation between levels of governance; and third, the agency of Muslims who engage with the state. Through this approach we show how attention to the situated practices of governance reveals the contested nature of governing through Prevent.
Geometrical modeling of honeycomb woven fabric architecture
Authors: Xiao Xueliang , Hua Tao , Li Li , Wang Jinchun
Published: February 2015

Honeycomb woven fabric is considered as a single layer fabric produced only using common weaving looms, but it forms a unique three-dimensional (3D) architecture with inverted pyramidal pits on the fabric surface and repeated tetrahedral-closed space inside the fabric, which is greatly different from the traditional 3D woven fabrics, such as angle-interlock and orthogonal fabrics, showing good prospect for various applications in fields such as geotextiles, medical textiles, air filter, tower packing and underclothing. This paper proposes an analytical model to characterize the geometrical shape and position of each yarn in a honeycomb fabric unit-cell and the volume of the internal space. The model is based on the assumption of fabric thickness in the sum of yarn height and the linear relationship of yarn position and fabric unit-cell dimensions. The model involves geometric parameters, including yarn width, height, spacing, crimp and the number of yarns in a fabric unit-cell. Six honeycomb woven fabrics were manufactured to verify the model. Based on the position and crimp prediction of each yarn node, the architectures of the six fabrics were simulated numerically, which shows close agreement with the observed manufactured fabrics, indicating good accuracy of the geometrical model. A sensitivity study shows that the volume of the internal space decreases with the increase of fabric density, and the application of the elastic yarns to the fabric reduces the volume significantly.
Synthesis and characterization of adipic acid/polyethylene glycol/poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolyester fiber
Authors: Rwei Syang-Peng , Lin Wei-Peng
Published: February 2015

A series of aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters that contained different amounts of aliphatic segments, constructed from adipic acid (AA, 0∼0.117 mole ratios), were synthesized. The structure of each copolymer was confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. The molecular weight was determined directly by gel permeation chromatography and indirectly by the intrinsic viscosity. The results of thermal tests revealed that both melting temperature ( T m) and crystallization temperature ( T c) decreased as the aliphatic segment content increased. The glass transition temperatures ( T g) that were determined by dynamic mechanical analysis followed the same trend as did T m. Moreover, the thermal stability, determined from thermogravimetric analysis, declined as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and AA were incorporated into the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) main chains. All of the polymers that were synthesized herein were spun into fibers and then physically characterized. The tenacity of the fibers decreased as the soft-segment content increased. The crystalline structures, revealed by wide-angle X-ray scattering, indicated that the crystallinity decreased with increasing AA content because of the reduction of regularity of the PET chains. Most importantly, the tests that were carried out on the knitted fabric demonstrated that the moisture regain and cool feeling ( qmax) of the copolymer fabrics were better than those of fabrics that comprised neat PET chains, owing to the incorporation of soft PEG segments. Finally, the copolymer fabric exhibited better hydrolysis and enzymatic degradation than did neat PET fabric.
Factors Influencing the Opinion of Patients Concerning the Functioning of the Polish Hospital Before and After Ownership Transformation
Authors: Krakowiak Jan , Kuzdak Mateusz , Rzeznicki Adam , Stelmach Iwona , Kowalska Alina , Stelmach Wlodzimierz
Published: February 2015

Studies of satisfaction among patients are a popular and frequently obligatory tool used in improving the quality of medical services worldwide. Becoming familiar with the opinion of the patients enables to adjust the venue to their expectations, thus contributing to the increase in its competitiveness. We aimed to study patients’ satisfaction understood as a tool used in increasing the quality of medical services; in addition, we assessed factors that affect a worse review patients gave about the functioning of this Polish hospital before and after its transformation into a commercial company. The study of satisfaction among patients was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire among 2702 respondents before and 2795 respondents after the hospital’s transformation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to statistically analyze the collected empirical material, where the dependent variable was a worse evaluation of respondents concerning the functioning of the hospital. It was demonstrated that both before and after the hospital’s transformation into a commercial company, it was education and conditions of housing of patients that determined their opinion about the functioning of the admission center and hospital wards. A higher level of education increases the risk of a worse evaluation of the admission center and hospital wards, whereas higher self-evaluation of housing conditions lowered the discussed risk. Factors that influence the opinion of patients concerning the functioning of the hospital are education, age, marital status, housing conditions of the respondents and also the number of stays at a given hospital, and a conscious choice of the facility in which a patient wished to be treated.
Gender invariance of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20)
Authors: Kootbodien Tahira , Becker Piet , Naicker Nisha , Mathee Angela
Published: February 2015

The World Health Organization 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire is a quick, low-cost screening instrument for measuring common mental disorders and has been applied in community-based health surveys in developing countries. It was originally designed as a general single factor tool for assessing mental distress associated with several common mental disorders. However, studies have also examined alternate multi-factor solutions for the Self-Reporting Questionnaire–20 across diverse study populations. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in August and September 2009 among adults living in five urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa ( n = 360). The Self-Reporting Questionnaire–20 was used to assess common mental disorders in the past month. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to compare three competing models (one-, two-, and three-factor models). All three models fit the data well. Gender invariance was tested on the one-factor model based on its extensive application in clinical and research settings. Our findings did not support gender invariance. The differences in factor loadings between male and female subgroups suggest that the application of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire–20 may be more suited to women and therefore should be used cautiously for the assessment of common mental disorders in South Africa urban populations.
Is Peer Delinquency in the Eye of the Beholder?
Authors: Meldrum Ryan C. , Flexon Jamie L.
Published: February 2015

Researchers have devoted significant attention to the measurement of peer delinquency, with recent work indicating that perceptual measures are plagued by various biases. Absent from this research is an inquiry into whether the manner in which perceptions are typically operationalized potentially contributes to these limitations. In this study, we report on a methodological quasi-experiment where the operationalization of perceptual peer delinquency was manipulated across two different versions of a survey questionnaire completed by a sample of young adults. Results indicated no significant difference in the strength of the association between perceptual peer delinquency items and self-reported delinquency items across the two survey conditions. As such, this study provides preliminary evidence that existing limitations of perceptual measures of peer delinquency cannot be overcome by altering the manner in which such items are operationalized within survey questionnaires.
Understanding the Zodiac Saga in China
Authors: Fotopoulos Annetta
Published: February 2015

The Yuanmingyuan Zodiacs, a set of twelve bronze-plated animal heads designed by Europeans for a Western-style section of the Qianlong emperor’s private gardens, sparked an international controversy in 2000 when three of them emerged for auction in Hong Kong and their sale was protested by Chinese authorities as deeply humiliating to the Chinese nation. Since then, the Zodiacs have become central figures in a national campaign for repatriation and the most widely recognized objects of China’s national cultural heritage. Many have followed the “Zodiac saga” closely and have offered diverse opinions about the Zodiacs’ meaning, whether and how they should be repatriated, and the motives of would-be repatriaters. However, no one has yet to adequately answer the question, “Why Zodiacs?” What about these pseudo-European statues enabled them to become the centerpiece of a campaign for the repatriation of Chinese cultural heritage? In this article, by situating the Zodiacs within a history of shifting values and examining them in relation to the development of two intersecting discourses, national humiliation and world cultural heritage, I address this question directly.
Demonstrating the Effectiveness of an Integrated and Intensive Research Methods and Statistics Course Sequence
Authors: Pliske Rebecca M. , Caldwell Tracy L. , Calin-Jageman Robert J. , Taylor-Ritzler Tina
Published: February 2015

We developed a two-semester series of intensive (six-contact hours per week) behavioral research methods courses with an integrated statistics curriculum. Our approach includes the use of team-based learning, authentic projects, and Excel and SPSS. We assessed the effectiveness of our approach by examining our students’ content area scores on the area concentration achievement test (ACAT) for psychology students. On average, our students scored significantly higher on the ACAT experimental methods and statistics content areas than the national norm. This intensive approach to teaching behavioral research methods and statistics is effective.
Promoting Perceived Benefits of Group Projects
Authors: Bailey Sarah , Barber Larissa K. , Ferguson Amanda J.
Published: February 2015

Group projects are often used in psychology courses to prepare students for future collaborative work. However, psychology alumni report that their education did not adequately prepare them for collaborative work. To better understand these perceptions, this study examined how instructor contributions (involvement and evaluation techniques) promote the benefits of group projects by positively influencing intragroup processes. In this study of current psychology majors, mediation analyses revealed an indirect effect of instructor involvement through goal orientation, as well as the direct effect of instructor evaluation techniques on perceptions of group projects. Moreover, instructor contributions positively predicted group cohesion, communication, goal orientation, and planning. Results suggest ways in which instructors can improve psychology majors’ collaborative experiences for experiential learning.
Teaching Social Class
Authors: Tablante Courtney B. , Fiske Susan T.
Published: February 2015

Discussing socioeconomic status in college classes can be challenging. Both teachers and students feel uncomfortable, yet social class matters more than ever. This is especially true, given increased income inequality in the United States and indications that higher education does not reduce this inequality as much as many people hope. Resources from current psychological science can inform teaching by providing insights about social class stereotypes, attributions about blame and deserving, trust, cross-class interactions, and class cultures. Implications for teaching include paying attention to the potential for class-based stereotype threat, cultural mismatch, and stigma, as well as considering relative status in addition to absolute rank. Ongoing research can provide useful and hopeful directions for coping with social inequality in college classrooms.
Closed-form solution of controller synthesis for infinitely large systems of resource sharing systems of a subclass of Petri nets
Authors: Chao Daniel Y
Published: February 2015

Little literature has dealt with infinite systems where an arbitrarily large number of resources is shared between larger systems with many stages due to the associated state explosion problem. Current most advanced controlled techniques for flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) cannot handle very large systems. We proposed earlier a method without reachability analysis to find the closed-form solutions of all reachable, forbidden, and live markings for the so-called kth-order system. This is the first reported closed-form solution of arbitrarily large systems. This paper further extends the closed-form solutions to the controller synthesis of infinite kth-order systems, which is a subclass of FMS. The place-invariant-based deadlock prevention controls are adopted to reduce the computational burden by considering only the minimal set of all first-met bad markings (FBMs). No live states are lost by considering also only the minimal set of all live markings. The above requires solving integer linear programming problems (ILPPs), which is NP-hard and quite time-consuming. By merging several monitors into a single one while not losing live states, this paper is able to achieve the same best results in the literature while avoiding the time-consuming reachability analysis and complete siphon computation which does not scale well with the size of the nets. Furthermore, closed-form solution of arbitrarily large systems can be derived, which has never been attained so far. Application to large Gadara resource allocation systems is also mentioned. Further work on handling a very large system with resources shared between more than two processes is reported. Moreover, the initial markings of the two terminal resource places are allowed to vary above one.
Identification of closed-loop non-linear systems with structure optimization
Authors: Ahmadi Salman , Karrari Mehdi , Malik Om P.
Published: February 2015

Experiments to obtain input/output data for system identification of some systems can be conducted only with the controllers in action. Estimating an open-loop system model using closed-loop data offers many difficulties, particularly when noise is present in the measurements. In this paper, a new indirect non-linear system identification technique using a non-linear auto regressive moving average with exogenous input (NARMAX) structure and employing input/output data obtained from closed-loop experiments is described for the first time. Furthermore, a new method to estimate the linear multivariable open-loop transfer function from closed-loop data using an algebraic equation set is presented. The effectiveness of the proposed linear and non-linear identification approaches is illustrated by simulation studies on a non-linear physical system.
The design of a new repetitive sampling control chart based on process capability index
Authors: Ahmad Liaquat , Aslam Muhammad , Jun Chi-Hyuck
Published: February 2015

Control charts are widely used to monitor manufacturing processes for a deterioration in stability. We propose repetitive group sampling control charts based on the process capability index Cpk for monitoring process average when the quality characteristic follows a normal distribution. The performance of the repetitive Cpk control chart is reported and compared with the existing control chart in terms of the average run length. It is found that the proposed control chart is effective for quickly detecting small shifts in the process mean.
Motives emanating from personality associated with achievement in a Finnish senior high school: Physical activity, curiosity, and family motives
Authors: Froiland John Mark , Mayor Päivi , Herlevi Marjaana
Published: February 2015

Numerous studies indicate that intrinsic motivation predicts academic achievement. However, relatively few have examined various subtypes of intrinsic motivation that predict overall achievement, such as motivation for exercise and physical activity. Based upon the 16 basic desires theory of personality, the current study examined the motives of 178 senior high school (gymnasium) students (mean age = 17.6, range = 16–20) from Finland, using the Reiss School Motivation Profile. In structural equation models that controlled for gender and age, intellectual curiosity was positively associated with achievement, whereas the family motive was negatively associated with achievement. Boys had a higher intellectual curiosity and a lower family motive than girls. The physical activity motive had a significant negative interaction with intellectual curiosity, such that youth with higher intellectual curiosity had the strongest achievement when their physical activity motive was lower. This suggests that adolescents with a strong desire for exercise may have some difficulty in selective high schools that require rigorous study and long hours of sitting, even when they enjoy learning. Implications for motivational theory, education research, physical education for promoting fitness, and school psychology practice are discussed.
Treatment acceptability of interventions published in six school psychology journals
Authors: Villarreal Victor , Ponce Christopher , Gutierrez Heveli
Published: February 2015

Treatment acceptability (TA) is critical when selecting and implementing an intervention, as TA is associated with treatment outcomes. The significance of TA is reflected in school psychology models for services that state that school psychologists should address TA during development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions. However, the understanding of TA as it pertains to issues relevant to school psychologists is limited by the lack of analyses of the reporting of TA in intervention research. This study addresses this topic, as it represents a content analysis of intervention research published in six peer-reviewed journals in the field of school psychology from 2005–2014; the search yielded 2,343 articles, of which 243 were intervention research articles that included children as target samples. Overall results suggest low assessment or monitoring of TA in school psychology intervention research. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Perceptions of a Changing World Induce Hope and Promote Peace in Intractable Conflicts
Authors: Cohen-Chen Smadar , Crisp Richard J. , Halperin Eran
Published: February 2015

The importance of hope in promoting conciliatory attitudes has been asserted in the field of conflict resolution. However, little is known about conditions inducing hope, especially in intractable conflicts, where reference to the outgroup may backfire. In the current research, five studies yielded convergent support for the hypothesis that hope for peace stems from a general perception of the world as changing. In Study 1, coders observed associations between belief in a changing world, hope regarding peace, and support for concessions. Study 2 revealed the hypothesized relations using self-reported measures. Studies 3 and 4 established causality by instilling a perception of the world as changing (vs. unchanging) using narrative and drawing manipulations. Study 5 compared the changing world message with a control condition during conflict escalation. Across studies, although the specific context was not referred to, the belief in a changing world increased support for concessions through hope for peace.
Personality, Effective Goal-Striving, and Enhanced Well-Being
Authors: Sheldon Kennon M. , Jose Paul E. , Kashdan Todd B. , Jarden Aaron
Published: February 2015

In a three-wave, year-long, large-sample dataset ( N = 755), 10 candidate “personality strengths” (Grit, Gratitude, Curiosity, Savoring, Control Beliefs, Meaning in Life–Presence, Strengths Use, and Engagement, Pleasure, and Meaning-Based Orientations Toward Happiness) were compared as predictors of 6-month increases in goal attainment, and as moderators of goal attainment effects upon boosted subjective well-being (SWB). Seeking internal replication, we tested our models twice, both during T1-T2 and during T2-T3. We also examined whether any Personality × Attainment moderator effects upon change in SWB at T2 still persisted at T3. Grit was the only candidate strength that predicted increased goal attainment from T1 to T2 and from T2 to T3, and Curiosity was the only candidate strength that moderated attainment effects on well-being from T1 to T2 and from T2 to T3. T2 Goal attainment effects on SWB were best sustained at T3 when Meaning Orientation increased from T1 to T2. Implications for identifying keystone constructs in personality (and positive) psychology are discussed.
Understanding Diversity
Authors: Chen Jacqueline M. , Hamilton David L.
Published: February 2015

Two studies investigated how people define and perceive diversity in the historically majority-group dominated contexts of business and academia. We hypothesized that individuals construe diversity as both the numeric representation of racial minorities and the social acceptance of racial minorities within a group. In Study 1, undergraduates’ (especially minorities’) perceptions of campus diversity were predicted by perceived social acceptance on a college campus, above and beyond perceived minority representation. Study 2 showed that increases in a company’s representation and social acceptance independently led to increases in perceived diversity of the company among Whites. Among non-Whites, representation and social acceptance only increased perceived diversity of the company when both qualities were high. Together these findings demonstrate the importance of both representation and social acceptance to the achievement of diversity in groups and that perceiver race influences the relative importance of these two components of diversity.
SEAsic
Authors: Huggins-Manley Anne Corinne , Whitaker Douglas
Published: February 2015

SEAsic (score equity assessment–summary index computation) is an R package for computing and graphing a variety of indices that quantify an important aspect of test fairness, that of reported score equity. Historically, test fairness has been statistically defined as a lack of differential predication and/or a presence of measurement invariance at the item level. More recent definitions of fairness include the concept of score equity, which calls for additional subpopulation analysis at the equated, reported test score level. SEAsic allows for efficient calculation and graphing of multiple score equity assessment (SEA) indices. All indices in Huggins and Penfield (2012) can be calculated and plotted in various ways given a user-provided conversion table. SEAsic is freely available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). Mac, Windows, and Linux users have access to the package via downloading the appropriate version of R or RStudio from the CRAN website. Multiple examples of each index computation, variations on each index, and plot options are provided in the package manual on CRAN.
Cross‐Sectional Study of U.S. Interns' Perceptions of Clinical Nutrition Education
Authors: Frantz David J. , McClave Stephen A. , Hurt Ryan T. , Miller Keith , Martindale Robert G.
Published: February 2015

Background. Medical students have historically perceived a lack of training in clinical nutrition. Rapid advances in medical science have compelled significant changes in medical education pedagogy. It is unclear what effect this has had on student's perceptions. Objective. To assess interns' perception of clinical nutrition education during medical school. Design. A cross‐sectional survey of medical, surgical, and obstetric interns from 6 academic hospitals across the United States during the middle of their first year in November of 2010 (n = 289). Bivariate analysis and logistic regression was used to describe interns' perceptions and evaluate for factors that determined these perceptions. Results. A total of 122 interns responded to the survey, for a response rate of 42%. These interns represented 72 different medical schools. Only 29% of interns reported they had been sufficiently trained in nutrition. On average, interns who reported being prepared reported a mean of 4 ± 3.4 weeks of training during medical school, while unprepared interns reported a mean of 2 ± 2.6 weeks of training (P = .02). Interns with prior graduate training in nutrition (n = 18) almost exclusively reported that medical school training was insufficient (94%, P = .02). After adjusting for age, gender, internship, undergraduate training, and being a foreign graduate, only the number of weeks of training remained significantly associated with perceived preparation (P = .03). Conclusion. Most interns in medicine, surgery, and obstetrics feel unprepared to handle cases requiring knowledge of clinical nutrition. Interns feel that medical school is not adequately preparing them for the needs of clinical practice.
In Vitro Assessment of Interaction Between Amino Acids and Copper in Neonatal Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Foinard Aurélie , Perez Maxime , Barthélémy Christine , Lannoy Damien , Flamein Florence , Storme Laurent , Addad Ahmed , Bout Marie‐Adélaïde , Décaudin Bertrand , Odou Pascal
Published: February 2015

Background: The repeated blackening of in‐line filters has been observed during the infusion of parenteral nutrition 2‐in‐1 mixtures (binary parenteral nutrition [BPN]) delivered in a neonatal intensive care unit. This study aimed to examine the elemental content of precipitates isolated from infused BPN bags and determine the main physicochemical interactions occurring in these bags. Materials and Methods: The infusion of BPN mixtures was simulated in vitro following hospital practices. Filter membranes were examined by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). Amino acid (AA) profiles were obtained from BPN mixtures to determine the concentrations of each AA. Results: Analyzed filter membranes revealed conglomerates of particles on filter surfaces. An EDS analysis generated spectra from isolated particles, identifying copper and sulfur as the major chemical elements. AA mean concentrations were relatively close to the expected value for each AA, except cysteine. Cysteine concentrations were very significantly lower than the expected values. Conclusion: A specific interaction was identified between 1 AA (cysteine) and a trace element (copper) in our BPN mixtures.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Regional Systems
Authors: Ramajo Julián , Márquez Miguel A. , Hewings Geoffrey J. D.
Published: February 2015

This article contributes to the recent literature in spatial econometrics that focuses on space–time data modeling implementing a multilocation time-series statistical framework to analyze a regional system. Drawing on the global vector autoregression approach introduced in Pesaran, Schuermann, and Weiner, a multiregional spatial vector autoregressive (MultiREG-SpVAR) model is formulated and then applied to study the spatiotemporal transmission of macroeconomic shocks across the regions in Spain. The empirical application analyzes the extent to which a region’s economic output growth is influenced by the growth of its neighbors ( push-in or inward growth effect), and also investigates the relevance of spillovers derived from temporary region specific output growth shocks ( push-out or outward growth effect). Our results identify some regions that perform as “growth generators” within the Spanish regional system since growth shocks from these regions spillover to a large number of regions of the country, playing a key role in the transmission of regional business cycles. The policy implications of our results suggest that national and/or regional governments should stimulate economic activity in these leading regions in order to enhance the economic recovery process of the whole Spanish economy.