bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Left Ventricular Reverse Remodeling With Biventricular Versus Right Ventricular Pacing in Patients With Atrioventricular Block and Heart Failure in the BLOCK HF Trial
Authors: St. John Sutton Martin , Plappert Ted , Adamson Philip B. , Li Pei , Christman Shelly A. , Chung Eugene S. , Curtis Anne B.
Published: February 2015

Background—

Biventricular pacing in heart failure (HF) improves survival, relieves symptoms, and attenuates left ventricular (LV) remodeling. However, little is known about biventricular pacing in HF patients with atrioventricular block because they are typically excluded from biventricular trials.

Methods and Results—

The Biventricular versus Right Ventricular Pacing in Heart Failure Patients with Atrioventricular Block (BLOCK HF) trial randomized patients with atrioventricular block, New York Heart Association symptom classes I to III HF, and LV ejection fraction ≤50% to biventricular or right ventricular pacing. Doppler echocardiograms were obtained at randomization (after 30 to 60 days of right ventricular pacing postimplant) and every 6 months through 24 months. Data analysis comparing changes in 10 prespecified echo parameters over time was conducted using a Bayesian design. LV end systolic volume index was also evaluated as a predictor of mortality/morbidity. Of 691 randomized subjects, 624 had paired Doppler echocardiogram data for ≥1 analyses at 6, 12, 18, or 24 months. Biventricular pacing significantly reduced LV volume indices and intraventricular mechanical delay, and improved LV ejection fraction, consistent with LV reverse remodeling. These parameters showed little change with right ventricular pacing alone, indicating no systematic reverse remodeling with right ventricular pacing. LV end systolic volume index was predictive of mortality/morbidity; the estimated risk increased up to 1% for every 1 mL/m
2
increase in LV end systolic volume index.

Conclusions—

LV end systolic volume index is a significant predictor of mortality/morbidity in this population. Cardiac structure and function are improved with biventricular pacing for patients with atrioventricular block and LV systolic dysfunction.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00267098.
Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial of Peritoneal Hypothermia in Patients With ST-Segment— Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Nichol Graham , Strickland Warren , Shavelle David , Maehara Akiko , Ben-Yehuda Ori , Genereux Philippe , Dressler Ovidiu , Parvataneni Rupa , Nichols Melissa , McPherson John , Barbeau Gérald , Laddu Abhay , Elrod Jo Ann , Tully Griffeth W. , Ivanhoe Russell , Stone Gregg W.
Published: February 2015

Background—

Systemic hypothermia may reduce infarct size if established before reperfusion. The large surface area of the bowel may facilitate rapid hypothermia. We therefore examined the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of hypothermia induced by an automated peritoneal lavage system in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods and Results—

Patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction within 6 hours of symptom onset were randomized to peritoneal hypothermia before and for 3 hours after percutaneous coronary intervention versus control. The primary safety end point was the 30-day composite rate of death, reinfarction, ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization, major bleeding, sepsis, pneumonia, peritonitis, severe arrhythmia, or renal failure. The primary efficacy end point was infarct size assessed by cardiac MRI on day 3 to 5. Fifty-four patients were randomized at 7 centers to hypothermia (n=28) versus control (n=26). Hypothermia was successfully initiated in 96.3% of patients, and median [interquartile range] temperature at first balloon inflation was 34.7 [34.0–34.9]°C. Median door-to-balloon times in the hypothermia and control groups were 62 [51–81] and 47 [37–55] minutes, respectively (
P
=0.007). The primary safety end point occurred in 6 (21.4%) and 0 (0%) patients in the hypothermia and control groups, respectively (
P
=0.01), including 3 versus 0 stent thrombosis events. Infarct size was 17.2% [15.1–20.6] and 16.1% [10.0–22.2] in the hypothermia and control groups, respectively (
P
=0.54).

Conclusions—

Peritoneal hypothermia is feasible and achieves rapid cooling with only a modest increase in treatment times in the setting of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. However, in the present randomized trial, peritoneal hypothermia was associated with an increased rate of adverse events without reducing infarct size.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01655433.
Low Cardiac Index Is Associated With Incident Dementia and Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Jefferson Angela L. , Beiser Alexa S. , Himali Jayandra J. , Seshadri Sudha , O’Donnell Christopher J. , Manning Warren J. , Wolf Philip A. , Au Rhoda , Benjamin Emelia J.
Published: February 2015

Background—

Cross-sectional epidemiological and clinical research suggests that lower cardiac index is associated with abnormal brain aging, including smaller brain volumes, increased white matter hyperintensities, and worse cognitive performances. Lower systemic blood flow may have implications for dementia among older adults.

Methods and Results—

A total of 1039 Framingham Offspring Cohort participants free of clinical stroke, transient ischemic attack, and dementia formed our sample (age, 69±6 years; 53% women). Multivariable-adjusted proportional hazard models adjusting for Framingham Stroke Risk Profile score (age, sex, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, cardiovascular disease history, atrial fibrillation), education, and apolipoprotein E4 status related cardiac magnetic resonance imaging–assessed cardiac index (cardiac output divided by body surface area) to incident all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD). Over the median 7.7-year follow-up period, 32 participants developed dementia, including 26 cases of AD. Each 1-SD unit decrease in cardiac index increased the relative risk of both dementia (hazard ratio [HR]=1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11–2.47;
P
=0.013) and AD (HR=1.65; 95% CI, 1.07–2.54;
P
=0.022). Compared with individuals with normal cardiac index, individuals with clinically low cardiac index had a higher relative risk of dementia (HR=2.07; 95% CI, 1.02–4.19;
P
=0.044). If participants with clinically prevalent cardiovascular disease and atrial fibrillation were excluded (n=184), individuals with clinically low cardiac index had a higher relative risk of both dementia (HR=2.92; 95% CI, 1.34–6.36;
P
=0.007) and AD (HR=2.87; 95% CI, 1.21–6.80;
P
=0.016) compared with individuals with normal cardiac index.

Conclusion—

Lower cardiac index is associated with an increased risk for the development of dementia and AD.
Prehypertension and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Asian and Western Populations: A Meta‐analysis
Authors: Huang Yuli , Cai Xiaoyan , Liu Changhua , Zhu Dingji , Hua Jinghai , Hu Yunzhao , Peng Jian , Xu Dingli
Published: February 2015

Background

The results of studies on the association between prehypertension (blood pressure 120 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg) and coronary heart disease (
CHD
) remain controversial. Furthermore, it is unclear whether prehypertension affects the risk of
CHD
in Asian and Western populations differently. This meta‐analysis evaluated the risk of
CHD
associated with prehypertension and its different subgroups.

Methods and Results

The PubMed and Embase databases were searched for prospective cohort studies with data on prehypertension and the risk of
CHD
. Studies were included if they reported multivariate‐adjusted relative risks (
RR
s) with 95%
CI
s of
CHD
from prehypertension. A total of 591 664 participants from 17 prospective cohort studies were included. Prehypertension increased the risk of
CHD
(
RR
1.43, 95%
CI
1.26 to 1.63,
P
<0.001) compared with optimal blood pressure (<120/80 mm Hg). The risk of
CHD
was higher in Western than in Asian participants (Western:
RR
1.70, 95%
CI
1.49 to 1.94; Asian:
RR
1.25, 95%
CI
1.12 to 1.38; ratio of
RR
s 1.36, 95%
CI
1.15 to 1.61). The population‐attributable risk indicated that 8.4% of
CHD
in Asian participants was attributed to prehypertension, whereas this proportion was 24.1% in Western participants.

Conclusions

Prehypertension, even at the low range, is associated with an increased risk of
CHD
. This risk is more pronounced in Western than in Asian populations. These results supported the heterogeneity of target‐organ damage caused by prehypertension and hypertension among different ethnicities and underscore the importance of prevention of
CHD
in Western patients with prehypertension.
“Care Must be Taken”
Authors: Drott Edward R.
Published: February 2015

In Nara and Heian-period Japan (710–1185), the aged body was commonly described in ways that suggest it was seen as a source of disgust, or even a potential producer of pollution (kegare 穢), a form of defilement that carried important religious connotations, often requiring the attention of ritual specialists to remedy. Court histories, literary and religious texts—especially Buddhist didactic works—portrayed old age as a type of embodiment characterized by stagnation and decay, which violated Chinese naturalist ideas that equated health with the flow of vital pneumas, or as a liminal state in which death was possible at any moment. These texts also devoted particular attention to the forms of effluvia the aged body was seen to produce, which gave rise to the kinds of “matter out of place” that were sources of deep anxiety in pre-modern Japan. In this paper, I analyze the ways in which concepts of pollution and filth colored representations of the aged body in the eighth through eleventh centuries and show how these three models served to reinforce an image of the aged body as a repellent ‘other.’
1900
Authors: Kwok Bit-Chee
Published: February 2015

Based on a fine-grained description on Cantonese tones authored by the Chi-nese scholar Chan Sene Ch’an in 1900, this paper chiefly explores the origins and different forms of grammatical tone change in early Cantonese. This follows by a detailed comparison between the features of grammatical tone change in early Cantonese and those in contemporary Cantonese. The notion of “grammaticalization cycle” is used to conclude the development of Cantonese tone change in the last 100 years.
Phonological Features and the Grouping of Oujiang Wu
Authors: Akitani Hiroyuki
Published: February 2015

This article examines the phonological features and the internal grouping of the Oujiang subgroup of Wu. It has three sections: 1. four common phonological features of the Oujiang subgroup; 2. twelve phonological differences within the Oujiang subgroup; 3. the internal grouping of the Oujiang subgroup.
Macedonia's preparations for civilian contribution to peace operations: The next big thing after the withdrawal from Afghanistan
Authors: Bogdanovski Andreja
Published: February 2015

Macedonia is lacking a strategy for civilian contribution to peace operations. There have been initiatives and sporadic attempts to address the issue but these were never intertwined into a coherent policy. Civilian participation in peace operations remains on the radar of Macedonia's authorities and would largely benefit from external involvement in the form of provision of guidance both at strategic and operational levels. In times of austerity, blockade of EU and NATO processes and withdrawal from Afghanistan, putting an emphasis of civilian contributions to peace operations may be viewed as a natural continuation of Macedonia's input to international peace and security. This paper aims to assess the developments related to Macedonia's contribution to peace operations through civilian means by mapping its potential capacities and areas of expertise. It therefore outlines and recommends the development of civilian components for peace operations and post-conflict societies growing out of the experience that Macedonia has had in policing, crisis management and media training.
Croatian civil capacities for peace operations
Authors: Bosanac Gordan
Published: February 2015

This article gives an overview of the current Croatian policies as well as the legal and institutional framework related to the deployment of civilians in peace operations. It aims to explore the challenges and opportunities for further development of the existing framework to support the current political interest for civilian capacities that exists in Croatia. The article argues that most of the present state activities related to deployment of civilians in peace operations are a result of EU and NATO accession processes. It also explores the challenges in the mindset of decision and policy makers in understanding Croatia more as a security provider, rather than security receiver and questions to what extent, or how fast, the post-conflict state may be transformed into an important player in the peace building arena. The challenges are analysed through state implementation of international development cooperation as a foreign policy tool.
Montenegrin civilian capacities for peace operations: Will without means?
Authors: Sošić Marko
Published: February 2015

The question that this paper sets outs to answer is whether Montenegro is prepared for participation in peace support operations with civilian capacities. Montenegro currently participates in four peace support missions under UN, NATO and EU auspices, almost exclusively with armed troops. The police is starting to deploy its officers to missions, while the civil protection units have not yet been formed and the representatives of other institutions have so far not participated in any missions. The key finding of this paper is that Montenegro is at the very start of developing its policy in the area of civilian participation in the peace support missions. Political will to engage in developing CIVCAP exists. However, it does not seem to stem from an inherent need of the country or to be a choice made on the basis of evaluation of hitherto policy in this area. Montenegro has started to conduct activities aimed at establishing CIVCAP exclusively as one of the specifically outlined steps in the NATO integration process. The incentive to pursue this goal is not yet strong and the process of developing CIVCAP has not yet been institutionalized. The legal framework, though regulating the military participation in relatively elaborate detail, does not deal with civilian capacities at all. The concept of CIVCAP suitable for Montenegro is still being debated in the administration with no clear idea on what direction to take and very little knowledge about the comparative experiences in this regard. The process is quite challenging for a small state with limited capacities and strong donor support for initial steps is crucial for its success.
A review of the Strongylovelia Esaki, 1924 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from China, with descriptions of three new species
Authors: YE ZHEN , CHEN PINGPING , BU WENJUN
Published: February 2015

Five species of genus Strongylovelia Esaki are now known from China. Of these, S. formosa Esaki, 1924 is the only member of the genus previously recorded from China and S. paitooni Chen, Nieser & Sangpradub, 2006 is newly recorded from China. In addition, three species, S. balteiformis sp. n., S. fasciaria sp. n. and S. hainanensis sp. n. are described as new to science. Photographs of the female and male dorsal habitus, male abdominal segment VIII, and male genitalic structures are provided, accompanied by line drawings of the female body in lateral view, views perpendicular to the distal part of the male paramere, and a distribution map for all Chinese Strongylovelia species. A key to the all five Chinese Strongylovelia species is also provided to assist in future identification.
A review of the genus Selasia (Elateridae: Agrypninae: Drilini) in the Palaearctic Region
Authors: Trllova Sarka , Kundrata ROBIN
Published: February 2015

The six species of the soft-bodied elaterid genus Selasia Laporte (Agrypninae: Drilini) from the Palaearctic Region are reviewed: S. arabica Geisthardt, 2003 (Yemen, Oman, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), S. atriventris Pic, 1914 (India, Nepal), S. boruckae Kundrata, 2012 (Nepal), S. homhilia Geisthardt, 2003 (Yemen: Socotra), S. merkli Kundrata, 2012 (Pakistan), and S. socotrana Kundrata, 2012 (Yemen: Socotra). Selasia arabica and S. atriventris are recorded for the first time from Oman and Nepal, respectively. The variability in coloration of S. arabica is discussed. Selasia bleusei Olivier, 1913 from Rhodes is redescribed and transferred to Drilus Olivier, 1790 as D. bleusei (Olivier, 1913), comb. nov. A differential diagnosis is given and taxonomically important characters are figured. An identification key as well as data on the distributions, type depositories and bibliographic references of each Palaearctic Selasia species are provided.
Impacts of Indo-Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies on the Summer Monsoon Circulation and Heavy Precipitation over Northwest India–Pakistan Region during 2010
Authors: Priya P. , Mujumdar Milind , Sabin T. P. , Terray Pascal , Krishnan R.
Published: February 2015

Quite a few studies have documented the evolution of monsoon synoptic systems and midlatitude atmospheric blocking associated with the recent heavy precipitation and floods over northwest Pakistan during 2010. This period also witnessed a very unusual Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) evolution with a strong La Niña event in the Pacific, substantial Indian Ocean warming, and a negative Indian Ocean dipole event, together with significant enhancement of precipitation over both the equatorial western Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean.

Here, the authors perform a suite of high-resolution atmospheric general circulation model experiments to investigate the influence of Indo-Pacific SST anomalies on the South Asian monsoon circulation and heavy precipitation over Pakistan and adjoining northwest India during 2010. The realistic simulation of these rainfall anomalies using observed SSTs motivated the authors to explore the specific influence of Indian Ocean and Pacific SST anomalies through additional simulation experiments. The authors find that, in addition to strengthening of the Pacific Walker circulation, the anomalous intensification of east–west circulation over the Indian Ocean in 2010 was a key element in contributing to precipitation enhancement over the northwest India–Pakistan region. It is found that the subsiding branch of the east–west circulation over the Indian Ocean induced anomalous subsidence over the western tropical Indian Ocean and played a key role in inducing northward transport of moisture and promoting generation of strong upward motion and heavy precipitation events over the northwest India–Pakistan region.
Lawyers' experiences with fitness to plead to summary offences
Authors: O'Carroll Betheli Lin
Published: February 2015

In a number of Australian jurisdictions the approach to the determination of fitness to plead to summary offences is very unclear. The Queensland Court of Appeal has discussed the issue that in Queensland there is no general legislation that deals with deciding if a person charged with a summary offence is fit to plead. This article reports on a study that was conducted to examine legal practitioners' experiences with the issue of fitness to plead to summary offences in Queensland. This article examines the fitness to plead to summary offences literature, presents and discusses some of the key findings from the study and offers suggestions for law reform. The themes examined in this article are legal practitioners' experiences and opinions on the legislative gap, what participants believe are the effects and consequences of not having legislation in this area and participants' recommendations for law reform. This research has relevance beyond Queensland as it is highly likely that this is an issue in other Australian jurisdictions.
The prevalence and correlates of chronic pain and suicidality in a nationally representative sample
Authors: Campbell Gabrielle , Darke Shane , Bruno Raimondo , Degenhardt Louisa
Published: February 2015

Background:

Research suggests that people suffering from chronic pain have elevated rates of suicidality. With an ageing population, more research is essential to gain a better understanding of this association.

Aims:

To document the prevalence and correlates of chronic pain and suicide, and estimate the contribution of chronic pain to suicidality.

Method:

Data from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, a nationally representative household survey on 8841 people, aged 16–85 years, was analysed.

Results:

The odds of lifetime and past 12-month suicidality were two to three times greater in people with chronic pain. Sixty-five percent of people who attempted suicide in the past 12 months had a history of chronic pain. Chronic pain was independently associated with lifetime suicidality after controlling for demographic, mental health and substance use disorders.

Conclusions:

Health care professionals need to be aware of the risk of suicidality in patients with chronic pain, even in the absence of mental health problems.
Suicide-related Internet use: A review
Authors: Mok Katherine , Jorm Anthony F , Pirkis Jane
Published: February 2015

Objective:

To systematically review research on how people use the Internet for suicide-related reasons and its influence on users. This review summarises the main findings and conclusions of existing work, the nature of studies that have been conducted, their strengths and limitations, and directions for future research.

Method:

An online search was conducted through PsycINFO, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE and CINAHL databases for papers published between 1991 and 2014. Papers were included if they examined how the Internet was used for suicide-related reasons, the influence of suicide-related Internet use, and if they presented primary data, including case studies of Internet-related suicide attempts and completions.

Results:

Findings of significant relationships between suicide-related search trends and rates of suicide suggest that search trends may be useful in monitoring suicide risk in a population. Studies that examine online communications between people who are suicidal can further our understanding of individuals’ suicidal experiences. While engaging in suicide-related Internet use was associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation, evidence of its influence on suicidal ideation over time was mixed. There is a lack of studies directly recruiting suicidal Internet users. Only case studies examined the influence of suicide-related Internet use on suicidal behaviours, while no studies assessed the influence of pro-suicide or suicide prevention websites. Online professional services can be useful to suicide prevention and intervention efforts, but require more work in order to demonstrate their efficacy.

Conclusions:

Research has shown that individuals use the Internet to search for suicide-related information and to discuss suicide-related problems with one another. However, the causal link between suicide-related Internet use and suicidal thoughts and behaviours is still unclear. More research is needed, particularly involving direct contact with Internet users, in order to understand the impact of both informal and professionally moderated suicide-related Internet use.
Chronic disease health risk behaviours amongst people with a mental illness
Authors: Bartlem Kate M , Bowman Jennifer A , Bailey Jacqueline M , Freund Megan , Wye Paula M , Lecathelinais Christophe , McElwaine Kathleen M , Campbell Elizabeth M , Gillham Karen E , Wiggers John H
Published: February 2015

Objective:

Amongst people with a mental illness, modifiable health risk behaviours contribute substantially to increased chronic disease morbidity and mortality. This study examined the prevalence of and interest in changing such behaviours amongst community mental health service clients in Australia.

Method:

A telephone interview was undertaken with Australian community mental health service clients. Participants reported engagement in four health risk behaviours: tobacco smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. Participants were classified as at risk based upon Australian national guidelines. At-risk participants were asked whether they were considering improving their health risk behaviour within the next month. The association between psychiatric diagnosis and risk, and interest in improving health risk behaviours was examined.

Results:

Risk prevalence was highest for inadequate vegetable consumption (78.3%), followed by inadequate fruit consumption (60%), smoking (50.7%), physical inactivity (46.8%), short-term alcohol risk (40.3%) and chronic alcohol risk (35.3%). A majority of at-risk participants were considering improving their health risk behaviour for smoking, physical inactivity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption (65.1%, 71.1%, and 53.3%, respectively). After adjusting for demographic factors, no diagnostic categories were associated with risk for any behaviour. Those with a diagnosis of depression were more likely to be interested in quitting smoking and increasing physical activity.

Conclusions:

Regardless of diagnosis, a high prevalence of chronic disease health risk behaviours was identified, with many participants expressing an interest in improving these behaviours. Such findings reinforce recommendations that preventive care addressing the chronic disease risks of clients be provided routinely by mental health clinicians.

Trial Registration:

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12613000693729. URL: www.anzctr.org.au/
Screening for sensory impairment in older adults: Training and practice of occupational therapists in Quebec
Authors: Wittich Walter , Barstow Elizabeth A. , Jarry Jonathan , Thomas Aliki
Published: February 2015

Background.

The goal of occupational therapy education is to train generalists who can refine their knowledge after graduation according to the requirements of the professional environment. However, it is currently unclear to what extent sensory screening should be included in the educational curricula.

Purpose.

The purpose of this study was to examine the sensory screening education for and practice by occupational therapists working with older adults.

Method.

A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from members of the Quebec Order of Occupational Therapists. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis.

Findings.

Data from 102 respondents indicated that training on sensory impairment–related topics was minimal and in stark contrast to the proportion who reported serving clients with a visual (92%), hearing (84%), or combined impairment (53%).

Implications.

Occupational therapy considers numerous aspects of physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. The question remains as to what extent vision and hearing health should take their place among these priorities.
Battling the bottle: Experiments in regulating drink in late colonial Madras
Authors: Menon Nikhil
Published: February 2015

During the first half of the twentieth century numerous efforts were made in Madras to taper the consumption of liquor among the cities’ workers. Those who put their weight behind such schemes included municipal and presidency governments, employers, missionaries and labour unions. Though their motives may have been divergent, they agreed that plebian liquor consumption was unacceptably high. Their endeavours ranged from restricting access to alcohol by various means to making repeated attempts at founding recreational clubs for workers. These clubs were intended as spaces of leisure that provided counter-inducements to alcohol. This article traces the methods employed in this urban temperance agenda noting the changes they sought to effect in the culture of popular leisure. Based on an examination of these temperance schemes—worker’s clubs in particular—I suggest that the regular appearance of tea and coffee in these campaigns indicates that their use as agents of sobriety consciously dovetailed with the creation of mass markets for these hitherto niche products.
Textbook difference: Spatial history and national education in Panchayat and present-day Nepal
Authors: Bennike Rune Bolding
Published: February 2015

This article examines the transformation of the diverse imperial landscape of the Gorkha Kingdom into the more uniform and integrated space of the Nepali nation. It argues that nationalised schooling, as it was introduced under Panchayat rule (1960–90), was central to the production of national space. However, it also highlights how this schooling concomitantly extended a language of ‘anthropological’ and ‘ecological’ difference with which to organise and negotiate this space. Below the textbook surface of unity-in-diversity, remnants of imperial caste and racial hierarchies remained. And, along with novel notions of national development, new hierarchies were introduced that separated developed centres from remote and backward peripheries. Through its engagement with Nepali history, the article thus contributes to our understanding of the continued interaction between the production of national space and historical developments in governmental differentiation. Approaching ‘spatial history’ as a combined emphasis on the history of spatial production and the spatial productivity of historical representation, it highlights the contingencies of national connections between time and space. In conclusion, the article suggests how the languages of difference built up across Panchayat and present-day schooling continue to shape contemporary re-imaginings of national space, in the midst of political uncertainties.
Book Review: ARUPJYOTI SAIKIA, A Century of Protests: Peasant Politics in Assam Since 1900
Authors: Chakrabarti Upal
Published: February 2015

ARUPJYOTI SAIKIA, A Century of Protests: Peasant Politics in Assam Since 1900 (New Delhi: Routledge), 2014, pp. 480.
Book Review: KAVITA PANJABI, ed. Poetics and Politics of Sufism and Bhakti in South Asia: Love, Loss and Liberation; MADHU TRIVEDI, The Emergence of the Hindustani Tradition: Music, Dance and Drama in North India, 13th to 19th Centuries and T. K. VENKATASUBRAMANIAN, Music as History in Tamilnadu
Authors: Schofield Katherine Butler
Published: February 2015

KAVITA PANJABI, ed. Poetics and Politics of Sufism and Bhakti in South Asia: Love, Loss and Liberation (Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan), 2011, pp. 305.

MADHU TRIVEDI, The Emergence of the Hindustani Tradition: Music, Dance and Drama in North India, 13th to 19th Centuries (Gurgaon: Three Essays Collective), 2012, pp. 205.

T. K. VENKATASUBRAMANIAN, Music as History in Tamilnadu (Delhi: Primus), 2010, pp. 157.
Book Review: NITIN SINHA, Communication and Colonialism in Eastern India: Bihar, 1760s–1880s
Authors: Roy Tirthankar
Published: February 2015

NITIN SINHA, Communication and Colonialism in Eastern India: Bihar, 1760s–1880s (London: Anthem Press, Anthem Modern South Asian History), 2012, pp. 272.
Understanding the cumulative effects of learning on the quality of engineering programs
Authors: Pedroso Carlos Marcelo
Published: February 2015

The quality of engineers is an important issue in industrialised countries. This quality is commonly assured by the accreditation of engineering programs and the certification, licensure, and registration of graduates. A high-quality engineering program should be concerned with the quality of education of its graduates. This paper presents an analytical method for understanding the cumulative effects of competence acquisition in courses on the quality of engineering programs, thus allowing quality enhancement from a global perspective of the program. The proposed method was developed from a model established through the theory of Markov chains, considering the cumulative effects of acquisition of competencies over the semesters on the quality of engineering graduates. In the proposed model, the quality of engineering graduates is represented by discrete levels, numbered from 1 to 5, representing the worst to the best quality, respectively. This paper does not answer the question of how to achieve the desired quality or what learning methods could be used; however, the method can predict the quality of engineering education in a program and provide information to allow the faculty an opportunity to adjust their teaching during the program. The model explains how the heterogeneity of learning affects the average quality of engineering graduates. Understanding this process is critical to proactive quality management in engineering undergraduate programs.
Fuzzy logic and artificial neural network-based thermography approach for monitoring of high-voltage equipment
Authors: Žarković Mileta D , Stojković Zlatan
Published: February 2015

This paper presents two methods for condition monitoring of high-voltage equipment based on the thermography approach. The overheating temperature of the hot spot has been obtained using the performed thermography procedure. MATLAB® technical computing software has been used to design the fuzzy controller and artificial neural network. The age of the element, the voltage level, the overheating temperature and the temperature of the previous overheating have been used as the reference inputs for the designed controller and artificial neural network. The developed software tool has been applied for the evaluation of the urgency of intervention in the function of the input data, designed rule base and the methods of defuzzification. Real measurements were used as input data in both methods so that the results were confirmed. The results might serve as a good orientation in the high-voltage equipment condition monitoring. The educational aspects of the application of this software tool are very important for both undergraduate and master's students studying Monitoring and Diagnostics of High Voltage Substations. During the past two academic years, the software application has received favorable comments from students.
An educational tool for designing DC motor control systems through FPGA-based experimentation
Authors: Guzmán-Ramírez E , García I , Guerrero E , Pacheco C
Published: February 2015

The development of improved power semiconductor devices has allowed different methods of energy conversion to significantly improve their efficiency and be able to operate with higher power levels. These advances have helped to satisfy the growing needs of industrial applications, such as motor drives, power supplies for personal computers, office equipment, spacecraft power systems, laptop computers, and telecommunications equipment. As a result, power electronics is considered a basic subject in engineering careers with a focus on electronics, which leads to an imperative need to count on specialized tools in this area. Furthermore, it is essential to include methodologies to efficiently incorporate these tools into courses. This paper presents an educational web-based tool focused on teaching design of DC motors control systems, with emphasis on design of DC–DC converters and FPGA-based control, under a project-based learning approach. A qualitative research method was utilized in a performed experiment to evaluate this proposed tool.
Extending engineering specialty course concepts in electrical engineering education
Authors: Tao Jinsong , Zhang Shujuan , Yuan Yijia , Wen Xishan
Published: February 2015

Undergraduate electrical engineering students often fail to see the real life relevance of concepts taught in traditional lectures and classroom instruction. Our research shows how this problem can be addressed. This paper describes the process of developing an Extended Specialty Course Education (ESCE) project for teaching over-voltage courses to junior undergraduates at Wuhan University. This project included two pedagogical components: literature review skills and project-based learning (PBL). First, students are asked to search text-based literatures from electronic databases and analyze the latest over-voltage research results; secondly, students design a project using specialty software in teams to demonstrate core over-voltage concepts. Students’ feedback and a comparison of final exam scores suggest that PBL helps students become more engaged with coursework, improves the cohort’s average final scores and hopefully hones the participants’ critical thinking skills. Since open-ended general comments from participants supported this instructional method, extended educational techniques will be more widely applied in future courses. Several convincing ideas for improving specialized engineering education will be presented after discussing this project.
A battery experiment
Authors: Norian KH
Published: February 2015

Equations derived from electrical circuit theory form the basis of a laboratory technique to characterize the components of the electrical equivalent circuit of rechargeable batteries. The experiment is a useful laboratory complement to lectures on energy courses for electrical engineering students. Results for lead acid batteries are presented in this study.
Discrimination as experienced by overseas social workers employed within the British Welfare State
Authors: Tinarwo Moreblessing T
Published: February 2015

The critical realist perspective which suggests that social reality is stratified informs this article, which attempts to uncover racial discrimination as experienced by Zimbabwean social workers within the UK social services. Research findings highlight racism perpetuated by institutional policies that have remained unchallenged for years but have continuously served to undermine foreign qualifications and devalue work experience of those recruited from the Global South. Also, the majority of the Zimbabwean social workers were reluctant to pinpoint what could be regarded as everyday racism, but they still showed agency in how they responded to both subtle and blatant forms of racism.
Examining Postsecondary Education Predictors and Participation for Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Joshi Gauri S. , Bouck Emily C.
Published: February 2015

Given the history of poor postschool outcomes for students with disabilities, researchers repeatedly sought to demonstrate the links between predictor variables and postschool outcomes for students with disabilities. This secondary data analysis used the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 to examine the relationship between postsecondary education–related transition services and postsecondary education participation for students with learning disabilities. Logistic regression analyses indicated receiving core content area instruction in the general education classroom was positively related to postsecondary education participation. Frequency distributions indicated students with learning disabilities attended 2-year college at higher rates than other postsecondary education programs. The results suggest educators should consider inclusion in general education classroom for core content area instruction for students with learning disabilities with postsecondary education goals to the extent permitted by their least restrictive environment.
‘I Always Remember That Moment’: Peak Music Experiences as Epiphanies
Authors: Green Ben
Published: February 2015

The sociological study of music consumption has tended to focus on general and typical experience instead of discrete or extraordinary experiences, consistently with a wider lack of biographical analysis. However, a popular topic among music fans is the phenomenon of peak music experiences: specific experiences involving music that are especially memorable, influential and even pivotal for the individuals involved. Drawing on the results of a pilot study conducted in Brisbane, Australia, this article shows that participants in the city’s indie music scene cite peak music experiences as central to their biographical narratives of inspiration, influence, conversion and motivation. These experiences make visible the more subtle processes by which musical meaning, taste and identity are constantly made and remade, as well as showing how encounters with music can affect subjectivities in an enduring way. The listeners are conscious of these processes, reflect on them and even try to create them.
Professional Bridges: Migrants’ Ties with Natives and Occupational Advancement
Authors: Moroşanu Laura
Published: February 2015

This article examines how Romanians in London use native contacts for occupational advancement. Contrary to common associations of ‘bridging’ ties with ‘weak’ ties useful for upward mobility, it illustrates the differentiated nature, role, and resources of native contacts. Drawing on Bourdieu’s capital theory, it shows how weak bridging ties with natives facilitate migrants’ access to better jobs within lower-skilled sectors, whereas strong ties with natives generate distinct cultural resources often required for high-skilled occupations. I consider two strategies of converting strong bridging ties into cultural capital, signalling some limitations of weak ties in facilitating career advancement: mobilizing British friends to act as ‘cultural brokers’, and immersion in British professional networks to acquire and demonstrate local cultural capital. The findings enhance our understanding of bridging social capital and its variable role in enabling upward mobility.
Numerical simulation of the three-dimensional flow field in four pneumatic compact spinning using the Finite Element Method
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Liu Xinjin
Published: February 2015

Pneumatic compact spinning is one of the most widely used compact spinning systems, which is achieved by utilizing airflow condensing equipment to condense fibers in bundle and improve yarn properties. Therefore, research on flow field in the condensing zone is always the emphasis and difficulty for pneumatic compact spinning. In this paper, the three-dimensional flow field of four different kinds of pneumatic compact spinning systems, including two types of roller-type compact spinning, namely compact spinning with a perforated drum and compact spinning with a groovy drum, and two types of lattice apron-type compact spinning, namely three-line rollers compact spinning and four-line rollers compact spinning, are investigated using the Finite Element Method. Firstly, four three-dimensional physical models of the condensing zone are built by AutoCAD software respectively according to the measured geometric parameters of practical condensing zones. Then, using ANSYS software, the numerical simulations of the three-dimensional flow field in the condensing zone for four kinds of compact spinning systems are obtained. It is shown that the flow field distribution of the condensing zone of roller-type compact spinning is different from that of lattice apron-type compact spinning and the flow field distribution of the condensing zone is significantly related to yarn properties. Comparing with roller-type compact spinning, lattice apron-type compact spinning has lower negative value of the flow velocity in the X-axis direction, a higher value in the Y-axis direction and a higher value in the Z-axis direction. Combined with yarn experiments, it is shown that the flow velocity component in the X-axis direction has an assistant condensing effect and the negative value mainly increases yarn beneficial hairiness. Roller-type compact spinning has a higher negative value and more beneficial hairiness correspondingly than lattice apron-type compact spinning; the flow velocity component in the Y-axis direction has a direct condensing effect, which is of benefit mainly for improving strength and reducing hairiness. Lattice apron-type compact spinning has a higher value and higher strength and less hairiness than roller-type compact spinning; the flow velocity component in the Z-axis direction has an assistant condensing effect, which is mainly of benefit for improving yarn evenness. Lattice apron-type compact spinning has a higher value and better evenness than roller-type compact spinning.
Observations of Critical Consciousness Development in the Context of Service Learning
Authors: Rondini Ashley C.
Published: February 2015

This paper explores dynamics of students’ critical consciousness development in the context of a thematically organized service-learning sociology course titled Health, Illness, and Community. The integrated components of the course were designed to cultivate critical consciousness by framing the study of health in terms of social justice issues that were demonstrable across three community partner organization sites. Analyses of writing assignments and qualitative interviews at the end of the semester reveal that student development of critical consciousness was demonstrated through analytic engagement with structural and systemic forces framing health inequities as well as reflexive consideration of the limited extent to which well-meaning efforts and intentions of individuals can significantly impact lasting social change. The combination of these two processes simultaneously cultivated students’ ideological commitments to ongoing social justice work and subverted student self-efficacy with regard to the operationalization of those commitments.
Exposure to Immigration in the News: The Impact of Group-Level Emotions on Intergroup Behavior
Authors: Seate Anita Atwell , Mastro Dana
Published: February 2015

Numerous empirical investigations demonstrate that exposure to the stereotypic and oftentimes threatening portrayals of race/ethnicity in the media predict a wide range of unfavorable intergroup outcomes. The current study extends this work by experimentally examining the role of emotions in this process. Specifically, a 2 (Immigration Threat: Present/Absent) × 2 (Ingroup Emotion Endorsement: Present/Absent) + 1 (Control Group) experimental design tests the influence of exposure to immigration news stories on group-level emotions and intergroup behaviors. Findings indicate that exposure to threatening immigration news coverage indirectly influences intergroup outcomes through group-level emotions. Exposure to immigration news indirectly produces active and passive harming behaviors through feelings of contempt. These results provide an important first step in understanding a broader array of media-related intergroup processes and effects.
The New Orleans Lakefront
Authors: Benac David
Published: February 2015

Situated on a crescent-shaped swath of largely swampy land between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, the city of New Orleans has limited ability to expand its geographical boundaries. New Orleanians’ efforts to expand and develop the Milneberg area of its northern edge began at the end of the eighteenth century but did not reach full realization until the middle of the twentieth century. Though established as a destination for the traveling elite, the area quickly transitioned into a wide-open community with recreational opportunities for all strata of New Orleans society. By the middle of the twentieth century, governmental and private developers worked together to create an amusement park, four mixed-income neighborhoods, numerous institutional properties, and public parks on the new lakefront. The history of this development traces the interplay of public and private forces on decisions of land use and urban planning.