bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Confessions of a Radical Eclectic
Authors: Hearn Alison
Published: August 2011

This paper explores the contributions of autonomist Marxist theory to my understanding of reality television, self-branding and social media. Autonomist Marxist ideas help to bridge the classic media studies divide between critical political economy and cultural studies, illuminating the very material connections between television’s mode of production, its texts, and its broader cultural context and impact. Concepts such as the social factory, immaterial labour, the socialized worker, and virtuosity, contributed by thinkers such as Mauricio Lazzarato, Paolo Virno, Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, have enabled me to argue that reality television is a privileged site of production in the post-Fordist era; it not only produces texts or ideologies about work and life, but also models the monetization of “being” and produces “branded selves”. While autonomist ideas are extremely useful, the field of thinking is complex and not without its internal debates. This paper also explores contributions by George Caffentzis, Massimo de Angelis and David Harvie, specifically the concept of the war over measure, arguing that this concept helps to frame some of the ways in which the public expression of opinion and feeling online and in social media are being captured, measured and put to work for capital.
A Critique of Using Civil Litigation to Suppress White Supremacist Violence
Authors: Garland Brett , Simi Pete
Published: August 2011

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has employed a litigation strategy to dismantle White supremacist organizations and reduce racist violence. Like all social control strategies, lawsuits brought against these organizations can create unintended consequences that undermine intended goals. This article explores the assumptions underlying the litigation strategy and presents several arguments that question the utility of this approach. Utilizing theory and research from a variety of academic disciplines, both perceptual and organizational consequences of litigation are addressed, with an emphasis on potential violent outcomes. In particular, the article explores how civil lawsuits against White supremacists might influence organizational form and structure, and the effect on leadership in the movement is examined. The impact of litigation on feelings of injustice and the strength of collective identity is also investigated. In addition, potential impediments posed to the lawsuit strategy by the Internet and modern technology are explored.
Dynamics of indigenous bacterial communities associated with crude oil degradation in soil microcosms during nutrient-enhanced bioremediation
Authors: Chikere Chioma B , Surridge Karen , Okpokwasili Gideon C , Cloete Thomas E
Published: August 2011

Bacterial population dynamics were examined during bioremediation of an African soil contaminated with Arabian light crude oil and nutrient enrichment (biostimulation). Polymerase chain reaction followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were used to generate bacterial community fingerprints of the different treatments employing the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene as molecular marker. The DGGE patterns of the nutrient-amended soils indicated the presence of distinguishable bands corresponding to the oil-contaminated–nutrient-enriched soils, which were not present in the oil-contaminated and pristine control soils. Further characterization of the dominant DGGE bands after excision, reamplification and sequencing revealed that Corynebacterium spp., Dietzia spp., Rhodococcus erythropolis sp., Nocardioides sp., Low G+C (guanine plus cytosine) Gram positive bacterial clones and several uncultured bacterial clones were the dominant bacterial groups after biostimulation. Prominent Corynebacterium sp. IC10 sequence was detected across all nutrient-amended soils but not in oil-contaminated control soil. Total heterotrophic and hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial counts increased significantly in the nutrient-amended soils 2 weeks post contamination whereas oil-contaminated and pristine control soils remained fairly stable throughout the experimental period. Gas chromatographic analysis of residual hydrocarbons in biostimulated soils showed marked attenuation of contaminants starting from the second to the sixth week after contamination whereas no significant reduction in hydrocarbon peaks were seen in the oil-contaminated control soil throughout the 6-week experimental period. Results obtained indicated that nutrient amendment of oil-contaminated soil selected and enriched the bacterial communities mainly of the Actinobacteria phylogenetic group capable of surviving in toxic contamination with concomitant biodegradation of the hydrocarbons. The present study therefore demonstrated that the soil investigated harbours hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial populations which can be biostimulated to achieve effective bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil.
One WEEE, many species: lessons from the European experience
Authors: Deepali Sinha Khetriwal  , Widmer Rolf , Kuehr Ruediger , Huisman Jaco
Published: August 2011

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) pervades modern lifestyles, but its quick obsolescence is resulting in huge quantities of EEE to be disposed of. This fast-growing waste stream has been recognized for its hazard potential. The European Union’s (EU) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was essentially in response to the toxicity of e-waste — to ensure that it was collected and treated in an environmentally sound manner. Since then, the WEEE Directive has expanded its aims to include recovery of valuable resources as a means to reduce raw material extraction. With these objectives in mind, the Directive sets a common minimum legislative framework for all EU member states. However, the transposition of the Directive into national legislations has meant many differences in actual implementation models. There are 27 national transpositions of the Directive with different definitions, provisions and agreements. Each legislation reflects national situations, whether they are geographical considerations, legislative history, the influence of lobby groups and other national priorities. Although this diversity in legislations has meant massive problems in compliance and enforcement, it provides an opportunity to get an insight into the possible operational models of e-waste legislation. Building on the study by the United Nations University commissioned by the European Commission as part of its 2008 Review of the WEEE Directive, the paper identifies some key features of the Directive as well as legislative and operational differences in transposition and implementation in the various members states. The paper discusses the successes and challenges of the Directive and concludes with lessons learnt from the European experience.
Competition of different methods for recovering energy from waste
Authors: Friege Henning , Fendel Ansgar
Published: August 2011

Waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities have been established worldwide as a sustainable method for the disposal of residual waste. In the present study the following competing WtE systems were compared: (1) municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) with energy recovery; (2) co-incineration of waste in old lignite or coal-fired power plants; (3) substitute [refuse-derived fuel (RDF)] incinerators with energy recovery; and (4) co-incineration of defined waste fractions in cement kilns. In general the municipal solid waste incinerators in Europe are designed for a broad range of municipal and commercial waste without a pre-treatment of the waste. All other WtE processes including the cement kilns require a pre-treatment and are more limited in terms of RDF composition; namely particle size, chlorine content, calorific value. As to Germany, the emission limit values for all facilities are similar. A sensitivity analysis of the economics of boilers using RDF and municipal solid waste leads to the conclusion that the feasibility of RDF incinerators might partially recover if the prices for primary energy increase again. On the other hand, pre-treatment of waste leads to higher costs for RDF. Incineration and recycling capacities are large enough in middle Europe to avoid landfilling of organic waste. The steep decline of gate fees observed in some national spot markets is a clear indicator of an already existing overcapacity. Considering the enormous amount of greenhouse gas emissions saved by WtE facilities in comparison with landfilling, free capacities of WtE installations should be used to incinerate waste from EU member states where waste disposal is still predominantly based on landfilling.
Effect of Jin Shin Jyutsu Energy Medicine Treatments on Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer
Authors: Searls Karen , Fawcett Jacqueline
Published: August 2011

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 10 weekly treatments of Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ), as practiced by a qualified practitioner, for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Design: A pretest, posttest exploratory evaluation project design was used. Twenty-nine women provided complete data. Method: Adaptation, social support, activities of daily living, helpfulness of JSJ, and project participation goals were measured by an investigator-developed questionnaire prior to and at the end of the 10 JSJ sessions. Findings: Nonparametric statistical analyses revealed that at the end of the JSJ sessions, women had higher levels of adaptation and performance of activities of daily living but no difference in satisfaction with social support than at the beginning of project participation. Descriptive analyses indicated that women reported that JSJ was helpful and that their goals had been met. Content analysis of goals revealed that the women wanted to feel better physically and emotionally and to live a fuller life and were seeking balance in life. Conclusions: JSJ may be an effective intervention for women with breast cancer. Although the sample size was small and a single practitioner provided treatment, the results indicate that a large-scale evaluation with multiple practitioners is warranted.
Evaluation of lubricants for electrically-assisted forming
Authors: Bunget C , Salandro W A , Mears L
Published: August 2011

The automobile and aerospace sectors are increasingly turning their attention to the opportunities created by the use of lightweight alloys with large strength-to-weight ratios, such as aluminium, magnesium, stainless steel, and titanium alloys. However, when using conventional forming processes, these light materials create processing challenges: low formability and high yield strength. Electrically assisted forming (EAF) is a method that can overcome these limitations. Specifically, EAF is a novel forming process where electricity is applied to the metallic workpiece during deformation. Previous investigations have shown that EAF creates a reduction in flow stress, an increase in formability, an ability to reduce/eliminate springback, and an improved precision. This study investigates the influence of electricity on lubricant performance and identifies lubricant candidates for EAF. When electricity is applied, besides the changes due to surface expansion at the interface that occur in conventional processes, the lubricant is exposed to high localized temperatures and current fields. Electrically assisted ring compression tests are conducted and the performance characteristics of three lubricants are evaluated. By combining the experiments and finite element simulation results, friction coefficients can be estimated, and the effect of electric current flow on friction characteristics quantified.
Experimental study on the prohibition of edge cracking of high-silicon steel strips during cold rolling
Authors: Byon S-M , Lee Y
Published: August 2011

Two sets of roll profiles were designed such that the roll surface outline is larger in the centre than at the end and vice versa (i.e. convex and concave roll profiles) to simulate positive bending and negative bending profiles in actual cold rolling. Pilot cold rolling tests were then performed to show how waviness of high-silicon steel (3.0 per cent Si) specimens occurs during cold rolling and leads to edge cracking. A finite-element analysis was carried out to examine stress distributions in the region of the specimen where edge cracking initiates during cold rolling. Results show that these specially designed roll profiles create waviness in the specimen, even though the ratio of width to thickness of the specimen used in this study is 10. (Generally, the width to thickness ratio of actual high-silicon steel strip is greater than several 100s.) It has been found that the convex roll profile, corresponding to positive bending in the actual cold rolling, generates waviness in the specimen centre and subsequently the edges of the specimen start fracturing locally due to tensile stress in the rolling direction produced by the waviness. Hence, the best way to avoid edge cracking in actual cold rolling mills is to suppress occurrence of waviness in the centre of the high-silicon steel strip by controlling the roll bending profile.
Residual life prediction of repairable systems subject to imperfect preventive maintenance using extended proportional hazards model
Authors: You M-Y , Meng G
Published: August 2011

Proportional hazards model (PHM) is a representative tool for equipment residual life (RL) prediction and preventive maintenance (PM) scheduling in a condition-based maintenance (CBM) program. However, the use of PHM in a CBM program is currently limited to irreparable systems or repairable systems receiving perfect PM acts. Motivated by the classical lifetime distribution-based imperfect PM model and the PHM, our recent study proposes an extended PHM (EPHM) for PM scheduling of systems subject to imperfect PM acts and variable operational conditions. This study further proposes the use of EPHM (with time-varying covariates) for RL prediction of repairable systems subject to imperfect PM acts. A numerical experiment based on a typical degradation model illustrates the use of the EPHM. The experimental results provide evidence that the EPHM provides reasonably accurate and reliable RL prediction after imperfect PM acts, as opposed to the overestimation by the classical PHM which does not take the effect of imperfect PM acts into account.
Multidisciplinary Design Optimization for Vibration Control of Smart Laminated Composite Structures
Authors: Honda Shinya , Kajiwara Itsuro , Narita Yoshihiro
Published: August 2011

The structure and vibration control system of smart laminated composites consisting of graphite–epoxy composites and piezoelectric actuators are designed for optimum vibration suppression. The placement of piezoelectric actuators, the lay-up configurations of laminated composite plates, and the H2 control system are employed as design variables and they are optimized simultaneously by a simple genetic algorithm. To reduce complexity, only pre-selected families of lay-up configurations are considered. An objective function is the H2 performance with respect to the controlled response for vibration suppression. A multidisciplinary design optimization is performed with the above three design variables and then the output feedback system is reconstructed with a dynamic compensator based on a linear matrix inequality approach. The validity of the modeling and calculation technique is confirmed experimentally. Optimization results show that optimized smart composites with the present approach successfully realize vibration suppression and it is confirmed that the proposed multidisciplinary design optimization technique enhances the vibration suppression of smart composites.
Design and Functional Test of a Morphing High-Lift Device for a Regional Aircraft
Authors: Pecora R. , Barbarino S. , Concilio A. , Lecce L. , Russo S.
Published: August 2011

Several flight regimes occurring during a typical aircraft mission make it impossible to define a unique optimized wing configuration able to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, maneuverability, and stability in every flight condition. Components like ailerons and flaps, in some way, guarantee a certain level of adaptability, being far from optimal. Wing morphing can strongly improve the aerodynamic efficiency of future aircraft by assuring an optimal adaptive behavior which best fits the specific flight regime requirements. Such an approach, in spite of related benefits, presents a challenging problem: the same structure rigid enough to keep its shape under the aerodynamic loads has to largely deform itself without undergoing structural collapses. In the frame of a research project funded by Alenia Aeronautica S.p.A., the authors came to the definition of a novel morphing architecture acting as high-lift device.

In this study, the design assessment of an innovative flap architecture for a variable-camber trailing edge is illustrated. The reference geometry is based on a full-scale wing of a reference civil regional transportation aircraft, where the conventional flap component has been substituted by a morphing trailing edge based on compliant ribs. The presented architecture moves toward the direction of assuring high deformability while keeping good load-sustaining capabilities: each rib is composed of multiple, suitably shaped rigid elements connected by means of hinges and linking rods. The rib’s shape changes upon the activation of a smart actuator based on shape memory alloy technology. Design process of the morphing rib and integrated actuator structure has been widely discussed as well as the functional tests performed on a technological demonstrator manufactured in order to prove the goodness of chosen design strategies and adopted numerical models.
Challenges Facing Providers Caring for HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients
Authors: Lekas Helen-Maria , Siegel Karolynn , Leider Jason
Published: August 2011

Despite the high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among injection drug users also infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the synergistic adverse effect of the two diseases on patients’ health and survival, research on the clinical management of these patients and particularly the low uptake of HCV therapy is limited. We conducted qualitative interviews with 17 HIV providers from two urban public hospitals. We discovered that the limitations of the current state of medical knowledge, the severe side effects of HIV and HCV therapies, and the psychosocial vulnerability of HIV/HCV-coinfected patients combined with their resistance to becoming informed about HCV posed significant challenges for providers. To contend with these challenges, providers incorporated key dimensions of patient-centered medicine in their practice, such as considering their patients’ psychosocial profiles and the meaning patients assign to being coinfected, and finding ways to engage their patients in a therapeutic alliance.
Effective Classroom Management
Authors: Mundschenk Nancy A. , Miner Craig A. , Nastally Becky L.
Published: August 2011

Teachers address a wide range of student behavior by teaching expectations and routines and by responding proactively and constructively to misbehavior, while simultaneously holding all students, including those with emotional or behavioral disorders, to high academic standards. It can be a challenge for educators to effectively communicate their expectations to students and provide the structure that some will need in order to function in the classroom. Using the job of an air traffic controller as an analogy may help teachers clearly communicate the strategies they will employ in the instructional environment and help students with and without disabilities remain academically engaged in meaningful learning activities. Empirically supported critical features of effective classroom management include strategies that maximize structure and predictability and fit nicely within the analogy. This article describes these strategies.
Effective Spelling Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Sayeski Kristin L.
Published: August 2011

Difficulty with spelling is a perennial challenge for students with learning disabilities. Several decades of research, however, have identified both fundamental linguistic concepts and instructional approaches that, when understood by a teacher, can be applied to teach students with learning disabilities to spell. In this article, a brief history of spelling instruction and an overview of key concepts are presented, followed by specific strategies teachers can use to improve long-term retention of accurate spelling for students with learning disabilities.
Making Informed Instructional Adjustments in RTI Models
Authors: Hoover John J.
Published: August 2011

School-based response to intervention (RTI) teams must gather, organize, chart, and interpret essential instructional information to make effective adjustments to meet the academic needs of struggling learners. Quantified data such as student proficiency scores, rate of progress trends, and achievement gap results provide the foundation for making multitiered decisions in RTI models. In addition to these quantified results, several key qualitative instructional aspects exist in every teaching and learning environment that warrant consideration when making instructional decisions. This article describes key quantitative and qualitative instructional essentials necessary to make informed academic adjustments for struggling learners. Identification of the essentials discussed is based on literature review and fieldwork completed with school-based RTI problem-solving teams in their efforts to implement RTI.
Robust control and unbalance compensation of rotor/active magnetic bearing systems
Authors: Kuseyri İ Sina
Published: August 2011

In this paper we design, analyze and compare the performance of various stabilizing robust controllers for the model of a horizontal rotor with active magnetic bearings. Rotors suspended with electromagnetic bearings are inherently unstable; therefore, feedback control is an essential part of their operation. Despite the nonlinear form of the actuator (electromagnetic bearing) dynamics, plant (rotor) model is linear and time-invariant at constant rotor speed. Actuator dynamics are linearized around an operating point using a constant bias current. Two H∞ controllers are designed for the nominal system using different structures. The uncertainties in the system dynamics due to changes in the model parameters are two-fold: gyroscopic forces due to different rotor speeds within the range of operation, and the changing spring stiffness of the electromagnetic bearings due to different conditions during the operation. To ensure robust stability of the closed-loop system for all possible values of parameters that can change during the operation, an H∞ controller based on the model incorporating uncertainty in the system is designed. The limits for the allowable parameter changes for robust stability are tested and established with μ-analysis.
Voltage and frequency control in power generating system using hybrid evolutionary algorithms
Authors: Soundarrajan A , Sumathi S , Sivamurugan G
Published: August 2011

A power generating system has the responsibility to ensure that adequate power is delivered to the load, both reliably and economically. The quality of power supply is affected due to continuous and random changes in load during the operation of the power system. Hence, a power system control is required to maintain a continuous balance between power generation and load demand. Load Frequency Controller and Automatic Voltage Regulator play an important role in maintaining constant frequency and voltage in order to ensure the reliability of electric power. In order to improve the performance and stability of these control loops, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers are normally used. But these fixed gain controllers fail to perform under varying load conditions and hence provide poor dynamic characteristics with a large settling time, overshoot and oscillations. In order to achieve a better dynamic performance, system stability and sustainable utilization of generating systems, PID gains must be well tuned. In this paper, Evolutionary Algorithms like, Enhanced Particle Swarm Optimization, Multi Objective Particle Swarm Optimization, and Stochastic Particle Swarm Optimization are proposed to find the optimum gains of the PID controller to control the voltage and frequency of the generating system within the permissible limit. These algorithms offer a more stable and faster convergence towards the best PID gains and also with minimum computational time. These algorithms are appropriate to model the uncertainties found in the power demand and improve the flexible nature of the controllers. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed controllers adapt themselves appropriately to varying loads and hence provide better performance characteristics with respect to settling time, oscillations and overshoot.
Nonlinear dynamics of a rotor-ball bearing system with Alford force
Authors: Cheng Mei , Meng Guang , Wu Bingyu
Published: August 2011

The nonlinear dynamic behaviors of an unbalanced rotor system supported on ball bearings with Alford force are investigated. In the rotor model, the rotor unbalance that varied with rotating speed, ball bearing clearance, nonlinear Hertzian contact force, varying compliance vibration, contact angle and Alford force are considered. The bifurcation of the rotor system is analyzed under different operating conditions. It is indicated that the dynamic behavior of the rotor system depends on the rotation speed and ball bearing clearance. The system state trajectory, Poincaré maps, frequency spectra and bifurcation diagrams are constructed to analyze the dynamic behavior of the rotor center. Various nonlinear phenomena in the coupled system, such as periodic motion, quasi-periodic motion and chaotic motion are investigated. The study may contribute to a further understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of such a rotor system.
Studying the effects of lumped end mass on vibrations of a Timoshenko beam using a wave-based approach
Authors: Mei C
Published: August 2011

Mast antenna structures and robot arms are often modeled as beams with lumped end masses. In this paper, bending vibrations in beams with lumped masses at boundaries are studied based on the advanced Timoshenko theory. An exact analytical solution is obtained using a wave vibration approach, in which vibrations are described as waves that propagate along a uniform waveguide (such as a beam element) and are reflected and/or transmitted at discontinuities (such as boundaries and lumped mass attachments). The reflection relation corresponding to a bending incident vibration wave at the end mass is derived, which is assembled with propagation and reflection relations at classical boundaries to obtain the modes of vibrations. The effects of lumped end mass on vibrations of a Timoshenko beam are studied in detail.
Computation of periodic solutions and their regions of attraction for flexible structures under nonlinear feedback control
Authors: Borre Michael , Flashner Henryk
Published: August 2011

A method for calculating all periodic solutions and their domains of attraction for flexible systems under nonlinear feedback control is presented. The systems considered consist of mechanical systems with many flexible modes and a relay type controller coupled with a Proportional-plus-Integral-plus-Derivative control law operating in a feedback configuration. The proposed approach includes three steps. First, limit cycle frequencies and periodic fixed points are computed exactly, using a block diagonal state-space modal representation of the plant dynamics. Then the relay switching surface is chosen as the Poincare mapping surface and is discretized using the cell mapping method. Finally, the region of attraction for each limit cycle is computed using the cell mapping algorithm and employing an error-based convergence criterion. An example consisting of a system with two modes, a relay with dead-zone, and a non-collocated Proportional-plus-Derivative controller is used to demonstrate the proposed approach.
Assessing Youth Who Sexually Offended
Authors: Chu Chi Meng , Ng Kynaston , Fong June , Teoh Jennifer
Published: August 2011

Recent research suggested that the predictive validity of adult sexual offender risk assessment measures can be affected when used cross-culturally, but there is no published study on the predictive validity of risk assessment measures for youth who sexually offended in a non-Western context. This study compared the predictive validity of three youth risk assessment measures (i.e., the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism [ERASOR], the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II [J-SOAP-II], and the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory [YLS/CMI]) for sexual and nonviolent recidivism in a sample of 104 male youth who sexually offended within a Singaporean context ( Mfollow-up = 1,637 days; SDfollow-up = 491). Results showed that the ERASOR overall clinical rating and total score significantly predicted sexual recidivism but only the former significantly predicted time to sexual reoffense. All of the measures (i.e., the ERASOR overall clinical rating and total score, the J-SOAP-II total score, as well as the YLS/CMI) significantly predicted nonsexual recidivism and time to nonsexual reoffense for this sample of youth who sexually offended. Overall, the results suggest that the ERASOR appears to be suited for assessing youth who sexually offended in a non-Western context, but the J-SOAP-II and the YLS/CMI have limited utility for such a purpose.
Cognitive Responses to Stress, Depression, and Anxiety and Their Relationship to ADHD Symptoms in First Year Psychology Students
Authors: Alexander Sandra J. , Harrison Allyson G.
Published: August 2011

Objective: To explore the relationship between levels of reported depression, anxiety, and stress with scores on the Conners’s Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS). Method: Information was obtained from 84 1st-year psychology students using the CAARS, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and the Life Experiences Survey (LES). Results: Approximately 23%, 18%, and 12% of students scored above critical values on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., DSM-IV) Inattention Symptoms, the DSM-IV ADHD Symptoms Total, and the Inattention/Restlessness subscales, respectively. CAARS scores were positively related to reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, which accounted for significant variance among the three subscales. Only 5% of participants scored above recommended critical values on the ADHD index; however, a significant amount of the variance on this measure was also attributable to the DASS. Conclusion: Mood symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress may obscure correct attribution of cause in those being evaluated for ADHD.
Does Weight Gain during Pregnancy Influence Postpartum Depression?
Authors: Cline Krista M.C. , Decker Jessica
Published: August 2011

The goal of this study was to determine if weight gain during pregnancy has an effect on postpartum depression (PPD). Data were collected in a web survey from 238 women who had recently given birth. The data were analyzed for the total sample and also by body weight category before pregnancy. Findings revealed that weight gain was inversely associated with PPD for the obese women in our sample. For these women, the less weight they gained, the more likely they were to experience PPD. History of depression, partner support, and age were also predictors of PPD.
How meaningful are data from Likert scales? An evaluation of how ratings are made and the role of the response shift in the socially disadvantaged
Authors: Ogden Jane , Lo Jessica
Published: August 2011

Likert scales relating to quality of life were completed by the homeless ( N = 75); first year students ( N = 301) and a town population ( N = 72). Participants also completed free text questions. The scale and free text data were often contradictory and the results highlighted three processes to account for these disparities: i) frame of reference: current salient issues influenced how questions were interpreted; ii) within-subject comparisons: ratings were based on expectations given past experiences; iii) time frame: those with more stable circumstances showed habituation to their level of deprivation. Likert scale data should be understood within the context of how ratings are made.
Communication, community, crisis: Mapping uses and gratifications in the contemporary media environment
Authors: Lev-On Azi
Published: August 2011

The article analyzes how community members who were evacuated from their homes use various media, and especially the internet, to keep in touch, receive and disseminate information and express their opinions. Of particular interest are the differences between members of various groups, who differ in their decision whether to relocate in Israel with the rest of the original community or not, in media usage patterns and sense of community. The findings demonstrate that evacuees use diversity and multiplicity of media, where various media are used for different purposes according to need. Small media, with a rather limited and local reach (such as pamphlets, SMS, niche websites and small-scale meetings) are predominantly used for most of the needs, overshadowing mass media usage. Correlations were found amongst various media usages, and between the usage of various media and users’ sense of community. The study demonstrates how contemporary media users use a variety of media depending on their circumstances and needs, and how media usage assists in establishing and maintaining a sense of community after the forced transition from the communities of origin.
The influences of information literacy, internet addiction and parenting styles on internet risks
Authors: Leung Louis , Lee Paul S.N.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine how demographics, addiction symptoms, information literacy, parenting styles and internet activities can predict ‘internet risks’. Data were gathered from a probability sample of 718 adolescents and teenagers, aged 9–19 in Hong Kong, using face-to-face interviews. Results show that adolescents who are often targets of harassment tend to be older boys with a high family income. They are targets probably because they spend a lot of time on social networking sites (SNSs) and prefer the online setting. Adolescents who encounter a lot of unwelcome solicitation of personal or private information online tend to be older girls. In information literacy, they are generally very competent with publishing tools but are not structurally literate, especially in understanding how information is socially situated and produced. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Migration regulation contagion
Authors: Brücker Herbert , Schröder Philipp JH
Published: August 2011

This article examines the political economy of selective immigration policy in a model where decision makers are uncertain about the characteristics of migrants. The analysis focuses on two questions: first, how does a selective immigration policy affect the number of immigrants who are admitted by the receiving country; second, how does a selective immigration policy in one country affect immigration policies in other countries. We find (i) that countries with selective immigration policies ceteris paribus tend to admit more migrants than countries without such policies, and (ii) that neighbouring countries will follow each other in implementing selective immigration policies, i.e. there is diffusion. These theoretical findings are supported by evidence from an econometric panel analysis of immigration policies in 15 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in the period from 1980 to 2005.
Abilities of candesartan and other AT1 receptor blockers to impair angiotensin II-induced AT1 receptor activation after wash-out
Authors: Kiya Yoshihiro , Miura Shin-ichiro , Matsuo Yoshino , Karnik Sadashiva S , Saku Keijiro
Published: August 2011

Angiotensin II (Ang II) binds to Ang II type 1 (AT1) receptor and evokes cell signaling, and subsequently stimulates vasoconstriction and cell proliferation, which eventually lead to cardiovascular disease. Since most AT1 receptor blockers (ARBs) have molecular (differential) effects, we evaluated the specific features of candesartan and compared the abilities of candesartan and other ARBs (olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan, irbesartan and losartan) to bind to and activate AT1 receptors using a cell-based wash-out assay. Each ARB blocked Ang II-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and inositol phosphate production to different degrees after wash-out. In addition, a small difference in the molecular structure, i.e. a carboxyl group, between candesartan and candesartan-7H was associated with a difference in the degree of this blocking effect. In addition, interaction between Gln257 in the AT1 receptor and the carboxyl group of candesartan may be partially associated with the effect of candesartan after wash-out. Although our findings regarding the molecular effects of ARB are based on basic research, these findings may lead to an exciting new area in the clinical application of ARBs.
Beyond Representation and Signification: Toward a Sonic Materialism
Authors: Cox Christoph
Published: August 2011

Why does sound art remain so profoundly undertheorized, and why has it failed to generate a rich and compelling critical literature? It is because the prevailing theoretical models are inadequate to it. Developed to account for the textual and the visual, they fail to capture the nature of the sonic. In this article, the author proposes an alternative theoretical framework, a materialist account able to grasp the nature of sound and to enable analysis of the sonic arts. He suggests, moreover, that this theoretical account can provide a model for rethinking the arts in general and for avoiding the pitfalls encountered in theories of representation and signification.
Auralizing in the Sonosphere: A Vocabulary for Inner Sound and Sounding
Authors: Oliveros Pauline
Published: August 2011

‘Auralization’ is a term coined by Architect Mendell Kleiner for acoustic simulations of rooms and buildings. This term is also apt for referring to inner sound and sounding, or sounds and sounding heard mentally. Generally the word ‘imagination’ is used with reference to all senses. Image, of course, is a visual term. So there is a cognitive dissonance when using ‘imagination’ to refer to hearing inner sound – for example a phrase of a new piece of music. This article introduces some vocabulary for discussing sound including the concept of the sonosphere.
Sharing Architecture: Space, Time and the Aesthetics of Pressure
Authors: LaBelle Brandon
Published: August 2011

Exploring acoustic space, this article aims to supplement the practice of acoustic design by exposing other perspectives on sound’s relationship to space. Following Paul Carter’s notion of sonic ambiguity, the author contends that the idealized sonic image of acoustics eliminates the potentiality inherent to sound and listening as forces of relational intensity and differentiation. To draw out this tension, the article examines alternative forms of acoustics as appearing within the practice of sound art. Through eccentric and speculative design, sound art comes to demonstrate a vital addition to notions of acoustics; by creating heightened listening experiences that exceed the traditional concepts of fidelity, it cultivates forms of noise by integrating extreme volume and frequency, building fantastical architectures for their diffusion, and incorporating a dynamic understanding of psychoacoustics and perception. Through such elements, sound and space are brought together and deliver other forms of acoustical experience while hinting at potentialities for their application in environments outside the art situation. Works by such artists as Tao G. Vrhovec Sambolec and John Wynne provide a vibrant terrain for registering how sound comes to perform as spatial material.
Acousmatic Fabrications: Les Paul and the ‘Les Paulverizer’
Authors: Kane Brian
Published: August 2011

Acousmatic sound – a sound that one hears without seeing the causes behind it – creates situations where visual contributions to auditory experience are diminished. The author theorizes that acousmatic separation unsettles the relationship of the source, cause and effect of sound. To draw out the consequences of this theory, Les Paul and Mary Ford’s multi-tracked recordings and live performances are examined, and three central claims are posited. First, Paul’s turn to multi-tracked recording was motivated by mimetic rivalry when his ‘sound’ was imitated on the radio. Second, Paul misdirected listeners of his radio program by creating scenarios that depended on false attributions of source and cause. Third, the problems that faced Paul in live performance of his multi-tracked hits resulted in Paul’s creation of the ‘Les Paulverizer’. This device afforded the maintenance of acousmatic spacing during live performance but also forced him into the unusual position of ventriloquizing his own voice.
The uncertainty of Experience: On George Brecht’s Event Scores
Authors: Ouzounian Gascia
Published: August 2011

George Brecht, an artist best known for his associations with Fluxus, is considered to have made significant contributions to emerging traditions of conceptual art and experimental music in the early 1960s. His Event scores, brief verbal scores that comprised lists of terms or open-ended instructions, provided a signature model for indeterminate composition and were ‘used extensively by virtually every Fluxus artist’. This article revisits Brecht’s early writings and research to argue that, while Event scores were adopted within Fluxus performance, they were intended as much more than performance devices. Specifically, Brecht conceived of his works as ‘structures of experience’ that, by revealing the underlying connections between chanced forms, could enable a kind of enlightenment rooted within an experience of a ‘unified reality’.
Sound Arts: An Insider’s View on Independent Experimental Music Publishing
Authors: Vivancos Valérie
Published: August 2011

In this article, the author examines the history of independent art editions, the economy of multiples and an exposure to the current experimental music and conceptual art scenes that led to the creation of vibrö/vibrofiles.com as an audio and visual chronicle of contemporary sound creation. In the second part of the article, she exposes the practicalities of such an endeavour when faced with a ‘no/parallel-economy’, as well as the project’s active relationship with contemporary artists, critical writers, curators and institutions. A brief comparison with similar ventures (labels, publishing companies, individual curators, event organizers, artists’ collectives, etc.) helps to locate this experience in the current topology of a creative domain recently labelled as ‘sound arts’. The author concludes by trying to anticipate the possible development and relevance of such a project in a wider perspective.
Musical Goals, Graphical Lure and Narrative Drive: VisualAudio in Games
Authors: d’Escriván Julio , Collins Nick
Published: August 2011

Musical computer games and their reward structures are transforming solitary and participative music making. Visuals in musical games tend to assume the role of music in video games as they become incidental to the gameplay or provide graphical aid for musical decision making. Constrained manifestations of musical skill in game software simulations point towards the development of real world musical skills. Yet, arguably, no video game so far developed requires the kind of sophisticated expression that a musician hones by training. The time-scale for mastery is an order of magnitude greater in traditional musical instruments and teaching, but we may be at the dawn of a new audiovisual musical learning paradigm.
Prelude to Live Cinema
Authors: Kahn Douglas
Published: August 2011

This article investigates the increasingly prevalent discourse of ‘live cinema’ as the name of a concrete practice and conceptual aspiration within contemporary media aesthetics. The author argues that this oxymoronic conjunction encapsulates certain fundamental questions recurring throughout the history of 20th-century art in its increasingly important intersection with both media technology and performance. Contrasting contemporary digital ‘interfaces’ with classical musical instruments, he asks how traditional forms of embodiment and virtuosity have been transformed within contemporary audiovisual performance. Finally, he explores ideas of speed and the cut from Sergei Eisenstein’s film theory to explore Abigail Child’s 1983 film Mutiny as a work that, while not itself ‘Live Cinema’, sheds important light on what such a future aesthetic might conceivably entail.
A comparison of benchmark task and insight evaluation methods for information visualization
Authors: North Chris , Saraiya Purvi , Duca Karen
Published: August 2011

This study compares two different empirical research methods for evaluating information visualizations: the traditional benchmark-task method and the insight method. The methods are compared using criteria such as the conclusions about the visualization designs provided by each method, the time participants spent during the study, the time and effort required to analyse the resulting empirical data, and the effect of individual differences between participants on the results. The study compares three graph visualization alternatives that associate bioinformatics microarray time series data to pathway graph vertices in order to investigate the effect of different visual grouping structures in visualization designs that integrate multiple data types. It is confirmed that visual grouping should match task structure, but interactive grouping proves to be a well-rounded alternative. Overall, the results validate the insight method’s ability to confirm results of the task method, but also show advantages of the insight method to illuminate additional types of tasks. Efficiency and insight frequently correlate, but important distinctions are found.

Categories: H.5.2

[Information Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces – evaluation/methodology.