bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coupling pattern and efficacy of organofunctional silanes in wood flour-filled polypropylene or polyethylene composites
Authors: Wang Qingwen , Xiao Zefang , Wang Weihong , Xie Yanjun
Published: February 2014

The coupling efficacies of four silanes, i.e. n-propyl-trimethoxysilane, γ-amino-propyltrimethoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane, and allyltrimethoxysilane, were investigated in wood flour-filled polypropylene or polyethylene composites. Compared to untreated composites, treatment of wood flour with these silanes alone did not cause any improvement in the mechanical strength of the ensuing composites. In the presence of dicumyl peroxide, composites treated with γ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane and allyltrimethoxysilane exhibited an increase up to 90, 60, and 50% in flexural, tensile, and impact strength, respectively. Moreover, creep deformation was inhibited during the creep recovery test. The improvement was obviously greater in polyethylene-based composites than in polypropylene-based composites. This study demonstrates that the coupling efficacy of silane depends not only on the establishment of covalent bonds between silane and the matrix, but also on the chemical structure of the matrix.
Supermax and Recidivism
Authors: Pizarro Jesenia M. , Zgoba Kristen M. , Haugebrook Sabrina
Published: February 2014

This study examines the recidivism covariates of 610 released inmates who were confined in a supermax unit in 2004. Follow-up data (an average of 66 months from prison release in 2004) were collected for each inmate to assess the recidivism covariates of those who re-engaged in crime after prison release. The findings show that when compared with ex-supermax inmates who did not recidivate, those who did were younger, more likely to be serving time for a drug offense, and had a history of prior incarcerations and disciplinary infractions while incarcerated. Time to recidivate, however, was significantly predicted by gang membership, length of sentence, and prior substance abuse history. The implications of this research are discussed.
The Relationship Between Detention Length, Living Group Climate, Coping, and Treatment Motivation Among Juvenile Delinquents in a Youth Correctional Facility
Authors: van der Helm Peer , Beunk Lotte , Stams Geert-Jan , van der Laan Peter
Published: February 2014

This study examined the relationship between detention length, living group climate, coping, and treatment motivation among 59 juvenile delinquents in a Dutch youth correctional facility. Longer detention was associated with the perception of a more open living group climate, but proved to be unrelated to coping and treatment motivation. A repressive group climate was positively associated with passive coping. A more open group climate was associated with both more active coping and greater treatment motivation. Finally, analyses showed that the relation between open group climate and treatment motivation was mediated by active coping. Thus, creating an open group climate to foster active coping and greater treatment motivation is probably one of the most important challenges for youth correctional facilities.
Religion, migration et esthétique des médias. Notes concernant la circulation et la réception des films provenant du Nigéria à Kinshasa
Authors: Pype Katrien
Published: February 2014

In Kinshasa, films originating in Nigeria have become very popular. The author shows that the triad of migration, religion and media liberalization is dialectically related to the emergence of a new social and moral imaginary that, in its turn, has facilitated the reception of « Nollywood » films in Kinshasa. These films have become an intrinsic part of Kinois charismatic Christianity, partly because of local forms of power and authority and, in particular, because of the new position of authority charismatic leaders have acquired. In fact, most of the latter obtained their position because of their familiarity with and proximity to Nigerian Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. The author thus demonstrates how migration and the Christian renewal have transformed the Kinois mediascape in different and unprecedented ways.
Interview: Rosalind Hackett reflects on religious media in Africa
Authors: Hackett Rosalind , Mélice Anne , Van Wolputte Steven , Pype Katrien
Published: February 2014

In October 2013, the editors of this special issue conducted an interview with Rosalind Hackett, one of the pioneering scholars in the field of media and religion. The interview took place via email and consisted of five questions that address the discussion in this special issue of Social Compass and attempt to look into the future of religion and technology studies. As African societies and their media production and reception are transforming at a high pace, the interview offers a unique opportunity to get acquainted with what, according to one of the pioneers in this exciting field, are the weaknesses, challenges and future themes in the study of religious mediation and mediatization.
Religion and parental values in a secularized country: Evidence from the Netherlands
Authors: Sieben Inge , Halman Loek
Published: February 2014

The authors explore the impact of religion on two key parental values – obedience and autonomy – in contemporary Dutch society, one of the most secularized countries in the world. Three main religious dimensions are investigated: belonging (religious denomination), behaving (church attendance) and believing (traditional beliefs about God). In analysing survey data from the 2008 European Values Study in the Netherlands, it was found that religious dimensions appear to be significant attributes of parental values. Furthermore, denominational differences in both autonomy and obedience can be explained by church attendance (network mechanism), whereas differences in autonomy can partly be explained by transcendental beliefs (moral mechanism). However, the heterogeneity of the religious population in the Netherlands makes conclusions anything but straightforward and sometimes contrary to theoretical expectations.
Relationship between dimensions of religiosity, authoritarianism, and moral authority
Authors: Teymoori Ali , Heydari Arash , Nasiri Hedayat
Published: February 2014

The authors’ purpose is to investigate the relationship between religiosity, authoritarianism, and moral authority by considering religiosity as a multidimensional construct and morality from its sources of influence. Religiosity, authoritarianism, and moral authority scales were applied to a sample of 109 students from one high school and one university college in Semirom city in the province of Isfahan, Iran. Results showed that religious beliefs, feelings and consequences are related to external sources but only religious beliefs and feelings correlate with the principal source of moral authority. Findings also demonstrated a significant relationship between religious consequences and authoritarianism, and that their combination significantly predicts the external source of moral authority. Findings are discussed in relation to previous studies and we argue that previous conclusions about the authoritarian tendency of religious people and their reliance on external sources of moral reasoning are mostly about the religious consequences dimension.
Peak-to-peak dynamic output feedback control for input–output quantized discrete-time system
Authors: Han Kezhen , Chang Xiaoheng
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we studied the peak-to-peak output feedback control problem for a linear discrete-time system with input and output static quantizers, which are bounded by sectors. Firstly, the quantized peak-to-peak control issues are addressed with a robust problem by two sector-bound conditions. Secondly, by using linear fractional transformation (LFT) techniques, the closed-loop control system is expressed as an uncertain system with the LFT uncertainties. Then, we present sufficient conditions to design a peak-to-peak output feedback controller to mitigate quantization effects, and ensure a prescribed peak-to-peak noise attenuation level. Finally, two numerical examples are given to verify the effectiveness of the main results.
“I” Seek Autonomy, “We” Rely on Each Other
Authors: Komissarouk Svetlana , Nadler Arie
Published: February 2014

There are two typical approaches to requesting help: autonomy-oriented help-seeking (asking in order to learn how to fix a problem) versus dependency-oriented help-seeking (asking a helper to fix it). This article presents three studies demonstrating a systematic impact of a person’s chronic or activated self-construal (interdependent vs. independent) that operates through activated regulatory focus (prevention vs. promotion) on these two help-seeking styles. The hypothesis was tested by measuring chronic self-construal, regulatory foci, and help-seeking styles (Study 3), and by priming self-construal (Study 1) and regulatory focus (Study 2). Results show that people with an independent self-construal and a promotion focus prefer autonomy-oriented help, whereas people with an interdependent self-construal and a prevention focus seek dependency-oriented help. Mediation analysis (Study 3) shows that regulatory focus is a mediator between self-construal and help-seeking styles. The conceptual and applied implications of these findings are discussed.
Climate, Medicine, and Peruvian Health Resorts
Authors: Carey Mark
Published: February 2014

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the Peruvian Andes ranked as a key international destination for those afflicted with one of the world’s most deadly diseases, tuberculosis. Physicians, scientists, policy makers, and patients believed that high-elevation mountain climates worldwide would help cure the disease. Historical processes driving the creation of Andean health resorts, which are understudied in the historiography, uncover an important story in the history of tuberculosis, and also reveal how global health initiatives and disease treatment played out within the global South, where national forces and local environmental conditions influenced the trajectory of science and medicine. Jauja, Peru, became an internationally recognized health resort for tuberculosis treatment not only through science and medicine but also through national political integration campaigns, transportation initiatives, economic development agendas, social (race and class) relations, cultural perspectives of the Andean landscape, and the impact of the physical environment. This historical case about the evolution of Jauja reveals how science and medicine are shaped by distinct spatial forces that illuminate a geography of science in the postcolonial setting, as well as the ways in which climate is culturally constructed in specific sites, by different peoples, and at distinct points in time.
Reducing HIV Stigma Among Nursing Students
Authors: Shah Shilpa M. , Heylen Elsa , Srinivasan Krishnamachari , Perumpil Sheeja , Ekstrand Maria L.
Published: February 2014

HIV stigma can be devastating and is common among health care providers, particularly nurses. The objectives of this study were to (a) assess the acceptability and feasibility of a brief stigma-reduction curriculum among a convenience sample of Indian nursing students and (b) examine the preliminary effect of this curriculum on their knowledge, attitudes, and intent to discriminate. At baseline, 57% of students had at least one misconception about HIV transmission, 38% blamed people living with HIV for their infection, and 87% and 95% demonstrated intent to discriminate while dispensing medications and drawing blood, respectively. Following the curriculum, HIV-related knowledge increased while blame, endorsement of coercive policies, and intent to discriminate decreased significantly. In addition, more than 95% of participants described the curriculum as practice changing. This brief intervention resulted in decreased stigma levels and was also highly acceptable to the nursing students. Next steps include rigorous evaluation in a randomized controlled trial.
Stressors May Compromise Medication Adherence Among Adults With Diabetes and Low Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Osborn Chandra Y. , Mayberry Lindsay Satterwhite , Wagner Julie A. , Welch Garry W.
Published: February 2014

Studies examining the impact of stressors on diabetes self-care have focused on a single stressor or have been largely qualitative. Therefore, we assessed the stressors experienced by a high-risk population with type 2 diabetes, and tested whether having more stressors was associated with less adherence to multiple self-care behaviors. Participants were recruited from a Federally Qualified Health Center and 192 completed a stressors checklist. Experiencing more stressors was associated with less adherence to diet recommendations and medications among participants who were trying to be adherent, but was not associated with adherence to other self-care behaviors. Because having more stressors was also associated with more depressive symptoms, we further adjusted for depressive symptoms. Stressors remained associated with less adherence to medications, but not to diet recommendations. For adults engaged in adherence, experiencing an accumulation of stressors presents barriers to adherence that are distinct from associated depressive symptoms.
A systematic review of factors associated with accidental falls in people with multiple sclerosis: a meta-analytic approach
Authors: Giannì Costanza , Prosperini Luca , Jonsdottir Johanna , Cattaneo Davide
Published: February 2014

Objective:

To determine whether there are demographic, clinical, and instrumental variables useful to detect fall status of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Data sources:

PubMed and the Cochrane Library.

Review methods:

Eligible studies were identified by two independent investigators. Only studies having a clear distinction between fallers and non-fallers were included and meta-analysed. Odds ratios (ORs) and standard mean differences (SMDs) were calculated and pooled using fixed effect models.

Results:

Among 115 screened articles, 15 fulfilled criteria for meta-analyses, with a total of 2425 patients included. Proportion of fallers may vary from 30% to 63% in a time frame from 1 to 12 months. No significant publication bias was found, even though 12/15 studies relied on retrospective reports of falls, thus introducing recall biases. Risk factors for falls varied across studies, owing to heterogeneity of populations included and clinical instruments used. The meta-analytic approach found that, compared with non-fallers, fallers had longer disease duration (SMD = 0.14, p = 0.02), progressive course of disease (OR = 2.02, p < 0.0001), assistive device for walking (OR = 3.16, p < 0.0001), greater overall disability level (SMD = 0.74, p < 0.0001), slower walking speed (SMD = 0.45, p = 0.0005), and worse performances in balance tests (Berg Balance Scale: SMD = −0.48, p = 0.002; Timed up-and-go test, SMD = 0.31, p = 0.04), and force-platform measures (postural sway) with eyes opened (SMD = 0.71, p = 0.006) and closed (SMD = 0.83, p = 0.01), respectively.

Conclusion:

Elucidations regarding risk factors for accidental falls in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMs) are provided here, with worse disability score, progressive course, use of walking aid, and poorer performances in static and dynamic balance tests strongly associated with fall status.
Clinical feasibility of action observation training for walking function of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Park Hye-Ryoung , Kim Jong-Man , Lee Moon-Kyu , Oh Duck-Won
Published: February 2014

Objective:

To identify the effects of action observation training (AOT) on the walking ability of subjects with post-stroke hemiparesis.

Design:

Randomized, single-blind, controlled pilot study.

Setting:

Inpatient rehabilitation hospital.

Subjects:

Twenty-one subjects with post-stroke hemiparesis were randomly allocated to either the experimental group (EG) or the control group (CG), with 11 and 10 patients, respectively.

Interventions:

The subjects in the EG and CG watched video clips demonstrating four functional walking tasks and showing different landscape images, respectively. All subjects subsequently performed the walking tasks (a total of 30 min, once a day, 3 times weekly for a 4-week period).

Main measures:

10-m walk test, figure-of-8 walk test (time and steps), dynamic gait index (DGI), and gait symmetry score (swing and stance phases, and stride length) before and after the intervention.

Results:

The changes between the pre- and post-test values of the 10-m walk test (median [interquartile range], -5.10 [-15.80–-1.60] versus 0.00 [-6.60–4.06]), figure-of-8 walk test (time: -3.50 [-12.60–-2.00] versus -1.25 [-4.98–0.25]; steps:-5.00 [-8.00–-2.00] versus 0.00 [-3.25–0.25]), and DGI (4.00 [3.00–6.00] versus 1.00 [-4.00–3.00]) showed significant differences between the EG and CG ( p < 0.05). In the EG, the 10-m walk test, time and steps of figure-of-8 walk test, DGI, and gait symmetry score in the stance phase showed significant differences between pre- and post-test ( p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that AOT can be beneficial in enhancing walking ability of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis, and may be clinically feasible as a practical adjunct to routine rehabilitation therapy. A power calculation on our data showed that 20 subjects in each group were required for further definitive studies.
The NBOMe hallucinogenic drug series: Patterns of use, characteristics of users and self-reported effects in a large international sample
Authors: Lawn Will , Barratt Monica , Williams Martin , Horne Abi , Winstock Adam
Published: February 2014

The NBOMe compounds are a novel series of hallucinogenic drugs that are potent agonists of the 5-HT2A receptor, have a short history of human consumption and are available to buy online, in most countries. In this study, we sought to investigate the patterns of use, characteristics of users and self-reported effects. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey exploring the patterns of drug use was conducted in 2012 ( n = 22,289), including questions about the use of 25B-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, and 25I-NBOMe and comparison drugs. We found that 2.6% of respondents ( n = 582) reported having ever tried one of the three NBOMe drugs and that at 2.0%, 25I-NBOMe was the most popular ( n = 442). Almost all (93.5%) respondents whose last new drug tried was a NBOMe drug, tried it in 2012, and 81.2% of this group administered the drug orally or sublingually/buccally. Subjective effects were similar to comparison serotonergic hallucinogens, though higher ‘negative effects while high’ and greater ‘value for money’ were reported. The most common (41.7%) drug source was via a website. The NBOMe drugs have emerged recently, are frequently bought using the internet and have similar effects to other hallucinogenic drugs; however, they may pose larger risks, due to the limited knowledge about them, their relatively low price and availability via the internet.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Neuromuscular Training Programs in Reducing the Incidence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes
Authors: Stevenson J. Herbert , Beattie Chad S. , Schwartz Jennifer B. , Busconi Brian D.
Published: February 2014

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are more common in female athletes because of anatomic and biomechanical factors. These injuries can have detrimental ramifications for the athlete and the health care system. Neuromuscular training programs have been designed to modify risk factors and prevent ACL injuries.

Purpose:

This systematic review evaluates studies that assess the effectiveness of neuromuscular training programs in reducing ACL injuries in female athletes and provides an update to 2 previously published reviews.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

Medline, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases were searched for relevant journal articles published from 1995 to 2011. We performed a manual review of relevant articles, authors, and journals, including bibliographies from identified articles. Ten studies were included in this review.

Results:

Only 2 studies demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in ACL injuries with neuromuscular training programs. Two additional studies showed a statistically significant decrease in subgroup analyses only. Four studies did show a trend toward reduced ACL injuries with neuromuscular training programs but were unable to achieve statistical significance. Neuromuscular training programs utilizing plyometric exercises and a preseason component were the most beneficial. Two studies actually showed an increase in injuries with intervention programs.

Conclusion:

Neuromuscular training programs may be a useful adjunct to training, but current literature precludes our universal recommendation of them.
The Social Unconscious and the Large Group Part I: The British and the Latin American Traditions
Authors: Tubert-Oklander Juan , Hernández-Tubert Reyna
Published: February 2014

In June 2013, the authors participated as staff in the International Workshop Studies of Large Groups and Social Unconscious, which took place in Belgrade. A major part of this participation consisted in delivering a lecture on the articulation of the British and the Latin American group analytic traditions, with a special reference to large groups. The present article is a development of that lecture. As the result was too long for publication, it has been divided in three parts, this being the first one. Here we compare the British and the Latin American group analytic traditions, and make a brief presentation of the latter.
Caregivers’ Interpretations of Time and Biography
Authors: Barken Rachel
Published: February 2014

Parkinson’s disease is a disabling, chronic condition with an uncertain trajectory. It disrupts taken-for-granted routines and biographical expectations among sufferers and spousal caregivers alike. Biographical disruption and biographical work are guiding frameworks among researchers studying the experiences of people with chronic illness. Time is a fundamental component of biographical trajectories, but little research explicitly engages George Herbert Mead’s nonlinear theory of time to make sense of biographies. Using qualitative interviews with eight caregivers and participant observation with a Parkinson’s support group, this paper shows how Mead’s conception of time allows for a fluid, processual understanding of biography. My research suggests that caregivers do biographical and time work when a spouse is ill. They reinterpret the past, present, and future to sustain biographical continuity and a meaningful sense of self and other.
“Two Opposite Ends of the World”
Authors: Tan Catherine D. , Eyal Gil
Published: February 2014

How do individuals maintain a sense of efficacy and purpose in the face of high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty? In research on medical uncertainty, sociologists often discuss the strategies health practitioners employ to control uncertainties relating to diagnosis and treatment. Over six months of ethnographic field work at an autism-only therapy school, we observed seventy-five students and forty-seven instructors and formally interviewed ten instructors and four parents. While other studies on medical uncertainty have focused on controls over external circumstances, we demonstrate that another management strategy is for individuals to perform ethical work on themselves in order to adjust how they conduct themselves in uncertain situations. Despite the ambiguity of both the autism diagnosis and the therapeutic method employed at the school, instructors are able to maintain a sense of efficacy and to recognize themselves as “doing floortime” by transforming themselves to become “child directed.”
Evangelical Underdogs
Authors: Kelly Kimberly
Published: February 2014

The evangelical crisis pregnancy center (CPC) movement demonstrates both low rates of success and robust support from evangelicals. I draw upon three theoretical frameworks—subcultural identity, organizational solidarity, and doing religion—to explain this seeming paradox. Data stem from a study of this pro-life/antiabortion movement and include fieldwork observations in seven CPCs, thirty-eight semistructured interviews, and analysis of primary and secondary documents. Empirically, evangelicals’ commitment to CPCs is tied to three aspects of subcultural identity: emphasis on intrinsic meanings of success, solidarity among evangelical organizations, and understandings of activism as an identity marker. These findings suggest that evangelicals are doing religion through their activism, making action and identity mutually reinforcing, and insulating activists from forces that might otherwise hinder religious identity. Theoretically, these results indicate that subcultural identity theory should be modified to acknowledge organizational solidarity as a form of religious action and the mutually reinforcing relationship between action and identity as the process of doing religion.
Exploring Narco-Sovereignty/Violence
Authors: van Dun Mirella
Published: February 2014

Often scholars identify the cocaine industry as a principal source of violence and conflict in different parts of urban and rural Latin America. As the ethnographical research in the Peruvian Upper Huallaga demonstrated, the mere presence of an illicit economy, in itself, does not always cause violence. In the Upper Huallaga’s rural areas, new Peruvian small-scale firmas established forms of power and domination. This article provides a broader understanding of the relationship within the local cocaine industry between those running it (the drugs bosses or patrones) and the population. It focuses on the realities of life in these villages, where the cocaine trade, far from being only an economical system, dominated social relationships and networks. Most incidents of violence were closely related to the diminishing cocaine industry, but were also related to the actions or the lack of actions of the state security forces.
Children’s agency and migration: Constructing kinship in Latin American and East European families living in Italy
Authors: Caneva Elena
Published: February 2014

This study explores the ways immigrant children interpret the migration of their mothers and the reunification in the host society. The research was based on 28 interviews with children of Latin American and East European origin who rejoined their mothers at different ages. The findings highlight that immigrant children are active agents in family reunifications and are able to (re)make and negotiate kin relations with their mothers. Even though the mother–child relationship is usually assumed to be ‘natural’ and biological kinship is considered the essential basis for the relationship, for reunited children social kinship is more important than the biological link. Kin relations with mothers are constructed in everyday life, and the outcomes can be more or less positive. The final aim is to underline how migrant children can influence kin relations within their reunited families and to gain a broader understanding of family reunification patterns.
Investigation of a new route for equal channel angular pressing process using three-dimensional finite element method
Authors: Ahmadi Farshid , Farzin Mahmoud
Published: February 2014

The microstructure and mechanical properties of the deformed materials obtained by equal channel angular pressing are strongly dependent on the amount of induced strain and strain homogeneity developed during history of the process. In this work, a new route for equal channel angular pressing process was proposed and investigated by finite element method. This new route consists of a combination of Routes BC and C by alternating rotations through 90° and 180° after every pass. In other words, the billet is rotated 180° after the first and the third passes around its longitudinal axis like Route C and after the second pass is rotated 90° around its longitudinal axis like Route BC. In comparison with other routes, it was shown that the strain homogeneity achieved by this proposed route is better than other conventional routes. The finite element method results for Route BC were validated by available experimental data, which can support finite element method results for the new proposed route.
Micromilling high aspect ratio features using tungsten carbide tools
Authors: Llanos Iñigo , Agirre Amaia , Urreta Harkaitz , Thepsonthi Thanongsak , Özel Tuğrul
Published: February 2014

This article presents experimental studies on micromilling thin walls to explore process capabilities in direct manufacturing of high aspect ratio features using tungsten carbide micro-end milling tools for two different materials: aluminium and brass. This study has been conducted in two phases. At first, the effects of micromilling parameters on the surface roughness have been investigated and most suitable machining conditions in obtaining highest surface quality have been identified. In the second phase, the effects of machining strategies have been explored in order to optimize final quality of the thin walls in terms of straightness of the machined thin walls, uniformity of wall thickness and burr presence. As a result of this experimental study, optimized machining parameters and strategies are presented. In the case of micromilling brass (CuZn36Pb3), a down-milling cutting direction with a Z-step milling strategy at a spindle speed of 35,000 r min−1, an axial depth of cut of 150 µm and a feed rate of 150 mm min−1 provided the best overall thin-wall quality. In the case of micromilling aluminium (Al6061-T4), a down-milling cutting direction with a ramp milling strategy, a spindle speed of 25,000 r min−1, an axial depth of cut of 150 µm and a feed rate of 200 mm min−1 yielded the best results.
Effect of different triple swirlers on the performance of a triple swirler combustor
Authors: Ding Guoyu , He Xiaomin , Zhao Ziqiang , Jin Yi , Zhu Zhixin
Published: February 2014

Broadening the stable combustion range is particularly desirable for future aircraft engines. The triple swirler is considered to be a promising solution. Experiments were conducted to study different triple swirlers on the performance of a triple swirler combustor, which includes several technology innovations at different inlet airflow velocity (40–70 m/s), temperature (296 K, 373 K, and 473 K), and combustor overall fuel–air ratio with fixed atmospheric pressure. The total pressure loss coefficient increases linearly, while the flow drag coefficient decreases nonlinearly as the inlet airflow velocity increases from 40 m/s to 70 m/s. The flow drag of the combustor assembling counter-rotating swirlers for intermediate swirler and outer swirler is less than that of co-rotating swirlers at the same inlet airflow velocity. The ignition overall fuel–air ratio and lean blowout fuel–air ratio decrease along with inlet airflow velocity and temperature increasing on the whole. The triple swirler with swirl number combination labeling “1.5-1-0.8” has better combustion performance than the other one labeling “0.7-1-1.5”. At the temperature of 473 K, the lean blowout fuel–air ratio is almost below 0.005 for the triple swirler with swirl number combination labeling “1.5-1-0.8” at different inlet airflow velocity, and from this point, it has proved the feasibility of the design rules of triple swirler combustor in this paper.
Moving beyond short-term coping and adaptation
Authors: Wamsler Christine , Brink Ebba
Published: February 2014

Throughout human history, people have coped with, and adapted to, their environment. This accumulated capacity at local level is increasingly recognized to be critical in improving resilience and transformation. Nevertheless, city dwellers’ coping and adaptive practices are little known, poorly documented and often not taken into account in the work of municipal authorities and aid organizations. Against this background, this study provides a systematic overview of urban residents’ coping and adaptive practices, presents critical insights into their risk-reducing effects and discusses their role in the development of policies and projects to increase resilience. It shows that coping should not automatically be seen as maladaptive. The success or failure of urban societies in building resilience and moving towards transformation does not necessarily depend on the effectiveness of individual coping strategies but on the flexibility and inclusiveness of coping/adaptation systems at the individual, household and community level (i.e. the combined set of strategies). Therefore, it is crucial to support the ability of urban communities to negotiate their needs and rights in order to increase the flexibility and inclusiveness of these systems and make them more viable in today’s context.
Chironomid-inferred environmental change over the past 1400 years in the shallow, eutrophic Taibai Lake (south-east China): Separating impacts of climate and human activity
Authors: Cao Yanmin , Zhang Enlou , Langdon Peter G , Liu Enfeng , Shen Ji
Published: February 2014

A sediment core from Taibai Lake, a shallow and eutrophic lake (SE China), was analysed for chironomids to track environmental changes in the lake. Nutrient dynamics over the past 1400 years were traced based on subfossil records and a regional chironomid-inferred total phosphorus (CI-TP) transfer function. Between ad 600 and 1370, the coexistence of several macrophyte-related taxa such as Dicrotendipes, Paratanytarsus and Endochironomus reflected a clear-water state with flourishing plants, and total phosphorus (TP) reconstructions ranged from 40 to 60 µg/L. For the time span from ad 1370 to 1650, the prevalence of Paratanytarsus penicillatus-type indicated a slight decline of TP to lower than 50 µg/L, but CI-TP increased to previous levels between ad 1650 and 1940. Since the 1950s, Chironomus plumosus-type dominated the chironomid community, which illustrated that the lake suffered from high nutrient loadings and CI-TP increased from 80 to 140 µg/L. The results suggest that 50–60 µg/L of TP concentration is the reference condition for Taibai Lake, and ~80–110 µg/L might be considered as the nutrient threshold range between the plant-dominated and algal-dominated status. Variance partitioning analysis (VPA) was used to determine the relative influence of climate and human factors on the lake ecosystem. The analyses revealed that long-term climate change appeared to be the main determinant regulating the chironomid assemblages; however, the impact of human activities on the aquatic ecosystem prevailed over that of climate factors since the 1950s. This study improves our understanding of complex trajectories of aquatic ecosystem development at centennial to millennial timescales, which are influenced by both anthropogenic and climatic factors in a densely populated region. The main finding also provides reference for sustainable management in this lake and other analogous floodplain lakes.
Validation of a disease-specific health-related quality of life measure in adult Italian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: LupusQoL-IT
Authors: Conti F , Perricone C , Reboldi G , Gawlicki M , Bartosiewicz I , Pacucci VA , Massaro L , Miranda F , Truglia S , Alessandri C , Spinelli FR , Teh L-S , Ceccarelli F , Valesini G
Published: February 2014

Objective

The objective of this paper is to assess the validity of a linguistically validated version of the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL©) in Italian patients affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Consecutive SLE patients completed the Italian version of the LupusQoL© and the Short Form (SF)-36. Disease activity was evaluated by the SLE disease activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2 K), and chronic damage by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College Rheumatology (ACR) Damage Index score (SDI). Internal consistency and test-retest reliability, convergent and discriminant validity were examined. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed.

Results

A total of 117 Italian SLE patients (M:F 13:104; mean age 40.6 ± 11.6 years, mean disease duration 127.5 ± 94.1 months) were recruited into the study. The Italian version of the LupusQoL© demonstrated substantial evidence of convergent validity in these patients when compared with equivalent items of the SF-36. In addition, the LupusQoL© discriminated between patients with different degrees of disease activity as measured by the SLEDAI-2 K. SLE patients with higher disease activity (SLEDAI-2K ≥4) showed poor QoL compared with those with lower disease activity (SLEDAI-2K <4), with significant differences in the domains of physical health, planning, burden to others and fatigue ( p = 0.001, p = 0.04, p = 0.03, p = 0.04, respectively). The confirmatory factor analysis using the eight domain loadings of the 34 items showed a poor fit (χ2/degree of freedom (df) 2.26, χ2 = 1128.6 ( p < 0.001), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.167; goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.606, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.649)). Screeplot analysis suggested a five-factor loading structure and confirmatory factor analysis result of which is similar to the eight-factor model. A good internal consistency was observed (Cronbach’s α 0.89–0.91). Test-retest reliability was good to excellent between baseline and day 15 (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.90–0.98).

Conclusion

The Italian version of the LupusQoL© is a valid tool for adult patients with SLE.
Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and other autonomic disorders in antiphospholipid (Hughes) syndrome (APS)
Authors: Schofield JR , Blitshteyn S , Shoenfeld Y , Hughes GRV
Published: February 2014

Background

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune hypercoagulable disorder that has been shown to cause a large number of cardiac and neurological manifestations. Two recent studies have demonstrated abnormalities in cardiovascular autonomic function testing in APS patients without other cardiovascular or autoimmune disease. However, an association between autonomic disorders such as postural tachycardia syndrome and APS has not previously been described.

Methods and results

Data were obtained by retrospective chart review. We identified 15 patients who have been diagnosed with APS and an autonomic disorder. The median age of the patients at the time of data analysis was 39 years. The autonomic disorders seen in these patients included postural tachycardia syndrome, neurocardiogenic syncope and orthostatic hypotension. The majority of patients (14/15) were female and the majority (14/15) had non-thrombotic neurological manifestations of APS, most commonly migraine, memory loss and balance disorder. Many also had livedo reticularis (11/15) and Raynaud’s phenomenon (nine of 15). In some patients, the autonomic manifestations improved with anticoagulation and/or anti-platelet therapy; in others they did not. Two patients with postural tachycardia syndrome who failed to improve with the usual treatment of APS have been treated with intravenous immunoglobulin with significant improvement in their autonomic symptoms.

Conclusion

We believe that autonomic disorders in APS may represent an important clinical association with significant implications for treatment.
Comparison of two commercial rapid in-clinic serological tests for detection of antibodies against Leishmania spp. in dogs
Authors: Athanasiou Labrini V. , Petanides Theodoros A. , Chatzis Manolis K. , Kasabalis Dimitrios , Apostolidis Kosmas N. , Saridomichelakis Manolis N.
Published: February 2014

Antibodies against Leishmania spp. are detected in most dogs with clinical signs of leishmaniasis due to Leishmania infantum. Accurate, rapid in-clinic serological tests may permit immediate confirmation of the diagnosis and implementation of therapeutic measures. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 2 commercial, rapid in-clinic serological tests for the detection of anti- Leishmania antibodies in sera of dogs, the Snap Canine Leishmania Antibody Test kit (IDEXX Laboratories Inc., Westbrook, Maine) and the ImmunoRun Antibody Detection kit (Biogal Galed Labs, Kibbutz Galed, Israel), using indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) as the reference method. A total of 109 sera collected from 65 seropositive and 44 seronegative dogs were used. The sensitivities of the Snap and ImmunoRun kits were 89.23% (95% confidence interval: 79.05–95.54%) and 86.15% (95% confidence interval: 75.33–93.45%), respectively, and the specificity of both tests was 100%. A good agreement between each of the rapid in-clinic serological tests and IFAT and between the 2 rapid in-clinic serological tests was witnessed. Both rapid in-clinic serological tests showed an adequate diagnostic accuracy and can be used for the fast detection of antibodies against L. infantum in dogs.
Effectiveness of Sweden’s Contact Family/Person Program for Older Children
Authors: Brännström Lars , Vinnerljung Bo , Hjern Anders
Published: February 2014

Objectives:

To estimate the impacts of Sweden’s Contact Family/Person Program (CFPP) for older children on participants’ long-term outcomes related to mental health problems, illicit drug use, public welfare receipt, placement in out-of-home care, educational achievement, and offending.

Method:

We analyzed longitudinal register data on more than 1,000,000 individuals born between 1973 and 1984, including 6,386 individuals who entered CFPP at 10–13 years of age, with a follow-up until 2008. The program impact was estimated by means of propensity score matching.

Results:

Outcomes for those who had received the intervention were not better than that for matched peers who did not receive the intervention.

Conclusions:

The results did not find support for CFPP effectiveness in reducing risks of compromised long-term development in older children.
A Two-Year Stretch
Authors: Haynes Kathryn , Grugulis Irena , Spring Martin , Blackmon Kate , Battisti Giuliana , Ng Irene
Published: February 2014

This article examines the way in which identity workspaces function to facilitate and stimulate transitions at mid-career. We explore our collective experience as a cohort of a mid-career management academics participating in a 2-year fellowship program, which acted as an identity workspace in which mid-career identity work took place. Using insights from our narratives, interviews, and experiences, we demonstrate how the fellowship provided rites of passage, experimentation, and social defenses, and we analyze our identity work, in relation to mid-career development, disciplinary orientation, and relationships with existing institutions. We conceptualize the identity workspace as a liminal zone in which to experiment with provisional selves, finding that identity workspaces function through alterity as well as identity, and at a communal as well as individual level. The article draws out the challenges for the academic community to facilitate mid-career identity work experienced in this identity workspace within existing institutions.
The Use of Population-Based Surveys for Prosecutions at the International Criminal Court
Authors: Lawry Lynn , de Brouwer Anne-Marie , Smeulers Alette , Rosa Juan Carlos , Kisielewski Michael , Johnson Kirsten , Scott Jennifer , Wieczorek Jerzy
Published: February 2014

Combined with traditional qualitative data and testimonies, population-based studies may assist investigators and prosecutors of international judicial institutions in the identification of perpetrator groups and in defining the types of international crimes committed by active perpetrator groups during conflict. This research—based on a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study of the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and the Ituri district in Democratic Republic of Congo—provides a case study to demonstrate how population-based surveys might have value to International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutions. These data reveal crimes committed during the conflicts constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes and identify the perpetrator groups most responsible for these crimes. Compared to current prosecutions at the ICC, this research finds that leaders of the Mai-Mai and Interahamwe among other groups not charged by the ICC, were most active in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces for perpetrating sexual and physical violence. Population-based surveys, in addition to traditional qualitative data and testimonies, may aid ICC investigators and prosecutors, particularly in the identification of perpetrator groups and in defining the types of international crimes committed by active perpetrator groups during conflict.
Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale–II in African American College Students
Authors: Weigold Ingrid K. , Weigold Arne , Russell Elizabeth J. , Drakeford Naomi M.
Published: February 2014

Personal growth initiative (PGI), an individual’s active and intentional desire to engage in the growth process, has been an important construct in studies of physical and mental health around the world. However, there is a dearth of research examining this construct in African American samples. In addition, PGI has recently undergone a revision of both its theory and measure; the resulting Personal Growth Initiative Scale–II (PGIS-II) has been validated for use only with European American and international college student samples. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the PGIS-II in a sample of African American college students. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded results consistent with previous studies, and the PGIS-II showed evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for three of its four factors. In addition, the PGIS-II was significantly related to aspects of Black racial identity, suggesting that it is a viable construct in this population.
Dynamic stabilization and rapid motion control system driven by antagonistic shape memory alloy actuators
Authors: Nakshatharan S Sunjai , Ruth D Josephine Selvarani , Dhanalakshmi K
Published: February 2014

The frequency response analysis of antagonistic shape memory alloy actuators and the influence of temperature, stress and strain on its speed of operation are studied and presented. Based on the decisive results an interesting servo control application is designed and tested such that the operating angle utilizes only partial strain of shape memory alloy (SMA) wire. The application developed is an open loop unstable, under actuated, a renowned highly dynamic ball balancing beam system driven by antagonistic SMA wires. The control scheme of proportional derivative controller cascaded with sliding mode controller is designed in order to demonstrate the tracking control capability of SMA wires under partial transformation. Experimental results show the motion control with significantly faster response of SMA under partial transformation. The robustness of the control system for disturbance rejection is also tested. The implication is that this design scheme can be extended to all other dynamic applications including robotics, automotive, aerospace, etc.