bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics and Reliability of Bistable Neurons Driven with Time-Dependent Stimuli
Authors: Cogno Soledad Gonzalo , Schreiber Susanne , Samengo Ines
Published: September 2014

The reliability of a spiking neuron depends on the frequency content of the driving input signal. Previous studies have shown that well above threshold, regularly firing neurons generate reliable responses when the input signal resonates with the firing frequency of the cell. Instead, well below threshold, reliable responses are obtained when the input frequency resonates with the subthreshold oscillations of the neuron. Previous theories, however, provide no clear prediction for the input frequency giving rise to maximally reliable spiking at threshold, which is probably the most relevant firing regime in mammalian cortex under physiological conditions. In particular, when the firing onset is governed by a subcritical Hopf bifurcation, the frequency of subthreshold oscillations often differs from the firing rate at threshold. The predictions of previous studies, hence, cannot be smoothly merged at threshold. Here we explore the behavior of reliability in bistable neurons near threshold using three types of driving stimuli: constant, periodic, and stochastic. We find that the two natural frequencies of the system, associated with the two coexisting attractors, provide a rich variety of possible locking modes with the external signal. Reliability is determined by the sensitivity to noise of each locking mode and by the transition probabilities between modes. Noise increases the amount of spike time jitter, and minimal jitter is obtained for input frequencies coinciding with the suprathreshold firing rate of the cell. In addition, noise may either enhance or inhibit transitions between the two attractors, depending on the input frequency. The dual role played by noise in bistable systems implies that reliability is determined by a delicate balance between spike time jitter and the rate of transitions between attractors.
Computing with a Canonical Neural Circuits Model with Pool Normalization and Modulating Feedback
Authors: Brosch Tobias , Neumann Heiko
Published: September 2014

Evidence suggests that the brain uses an operational set of canonical computations like normalization, input filtering, and response gain enhancement via reentrant feedback. Here, we propose a three-stage columnar architecture of cascaded model neurons to describe a core circuit combining signal pathways of feedforward and feedback processing and the inhibitory pooling of neurons to normalize the activity. We present an analytical investigation of such a circuit by first reducing its detail through the lumping of initial feedforward response filtering and reentrant modulating signal amplification. The resulting excitatory-inhibitory pair of neurons is analyzed in a 2D phase-space. The inhibitory pool activation is treated as a separate mechanism exhibiting different effects. We analyze subtractive as well as divisive (shunting) interaction to implement center-surround mechanisms that include normalization effects in the characteristics of real neurons. Different variants of a core model architecture are derived and analyzed—in particular, individual excitatory neurons (without pool inhibition), the interaction with an inhibitory subtractive or divisive (i.e., shunting) pool, and the dynamics of recurrent self-excitation combined with divisive inhibition. The stability and existence properties of these model instances are characterized, which serve as guidelines to adjust these properties through proper model parameterization. The significance of the derived results is demonstrated by theoretical predictions of response behaviors in the case of multiple interacting hypercolumns in a single and in multiple feature dimensions. In numerical simulations, we confirm these predictions and provide some explanations for different neural computational properties. Among those, we consider orientation contrast-dependent response behavior, different forms of attentional modulation, contrast element grouping, and the dynamic adaptation of the silent surround in extraclassical receptive field configurations, using only slight variations of the same core reference model.
A revision of Prescottia (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae, Cranichideae)
Authors: Azevedo Cecilia O. de , Berg Cássio Van den , Barros Fábio De
Published: September 2014

This study of Prescottia is based on fieldwork, in situ observations and study of herbarium material. Fifteen species are recognised for Prescottia: P. carnosa, P. densiflora, P. ecuadorensis, P. glazioviana, P. lancifolia, P. leptostachya, P. lojana, P. montana, P. mucugensis, P. oligantha, P. ostenii, P. phleoides, P. plantaginifolia, P. spiranthophylla, and P. stachyodes. Seven lectotypifications, one neotypification, and six new synonymies are proposed. Prescottia spiranthophylla is re-established, and three nomina nuda are listed. Descriptions, a key to the species, illustrations, and distribution maps are provided.
Two new combinations in Lysiphyllum (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae)
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Subir , GHOSHAL PARTHA PRATIM
Published: September 2014

Two new combinations in Lysiphyllum (Benth.) de Wit for species earlier treated in Bauhinia L. are made. The typification of Bauhinia diptera Blume ex Miq. is explored.
A reanalysis of the morphological phylogeny of the spider genus Physocyclus Simon (Araneae: Pholcidae) with the description of a new species and description of the female of Physocyclus paredesi Valdez-Mondragón from Mexico
Authors: VALDEZ-MONDRAGÓN ALEJANDRO
Published: September 2014

A new species of spider from Michoacán, Physocyclus peribanensis sp. nov. is described. This description is based on a male holotype and one female paratype. Also, the first description of the female of Physocyclus paredesi Valdez-Mondragón from Oaxaca, Mexico is provided, as well as the redescription of the male. This paper provides a cladistic reanalysis of the spider genus Physocyclus Simon, corroborating the monophyly of the genus with morphological data. The phylogenetic reanalysis was done with 54 morphological characters (44 binary and 10 multistate) using equal and implied weighting approach. The equal weighting analysis found two most parsimonious trees, whereas the analysis with implied weighting found just one most parsimonious trees with the concavity values (K= 5–10). The genus Physocyclus is composed by two clades or species groups: the globosus and the dugesi groups. Physocyclus peribanensis sp. nov. belongs to the dugesi group composed of 21 species, and P. paredesi to the globosus group composed of 11 species. With the new species described here, the number of known species of the genus Physocyclus increases to 32 species. The globosus group has a biogeographical distribution pattern in the Mesoamerican and Mexican Mountain biotic components, whereas the dugesi group has a biogeographical distribution in the Mesoamerican and Continental Nearctic biotic components.
Checklist of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) from Germany
Authors: LEHMITZ RICARDA , RÖMBKE JÖRG , JÄNSCH STEPHAN , KRÜCK STEFANIE , BEYLICH ANNEKE , GRAEFE ULFERT
Published: September 2014

A checklist of the German earthworm fauna (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) is presented, including published data, data from reports, diploma- and PhD- theses as well as unpublished data from museum collections, research institutions and private persons. Overall, 16,000 datasets were analyzed to produce the first German checklist of Lumbricidae. The checklist comprises 46 earthworm species from 15 genera and provides ecological information, zoogeographical distribution type and information on the species distribution in Germany. Only one species, Lumbricus badensis Michaelsen, 1907, is endemic to Germany, whereas 41% are peregrine. As there are 14 species occurring exclusively in the southern or eastern part of Germany, the species numbers in German regions increase from north to south.
A new species of Riama Gray, 1858 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae)
from the Tropical Andes
Authors: AGUIRRE-PEÑAFIEL VANESSA , TORRES-CARVAJAL OMAR , NUNES PEDRO M. SALES , PECK MIKA R. , MADDOCK SIMON T.
Published: September 2014

A new species of Riama lizard from the western slopes of the Andes in northern Ecuador is described herein. Morphologically, Riama yumborum sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other congenerics by having an incomplete nasoloreal suture and a cylindrical hemipenial body with diagonally orientated flounces on its lateral aspect. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA support the monophyly of the new species and its sister taxon relationship with R. labionis, which occurs allopatrically.
Key Conclusions of the First International Urban Land Surface Model Comparison Project
Authors: Best M. J. , Grimmond C. S. B.
Published: September 2014

The First International Urban Land Surface Model Comparison was designed to identify three aspects of the urban surface–atmosphere interactions: 1) the dominant physical processes, 2) the level of complexity required to model these, and 3) the parameter requirements for such a model. Offline simulations from 32 land surface schemes, with varying complexity, contributed to the comparison. Model results were analyzed within a framework of physical classifications and over four stages. The results show that the following are important urban processes: i) multiple reflections of shortwave radiation within street canyons; ii) reduction in the amount of visible sky from within the canyon, which impacts the net longwave radiation; iii) the contrast in surface temperatures between building roofs and street canyons; and iv) evaporation from vegetation. Models that use an appropriate bulk albedo based on multiple solar reflections, represent building roof surfaces separately from street canyons and include a representation of vegetation demonstrate more skill, but require parameter information on the albedo, height of the buildings relative to the width of the streets (height to width ratio), the fraction of building roofs compared to street canyons from a plan view (plan area fraction), and the fraction of the surface that is vegetated. These results, while based on a single site and less than 18 months of data, have implications for the future design of urban land surface models, the data that need to be measured in urban observational campaigns, and what needs to be included in initiatives for regional and global parameter databases.
Thermodynamic and Radiative Structure of Stratocumulus-Topped Boundary Layers*
Authors: Ghate Virendra P. , Miller Mark A. , Albrecht Bruce A. , Fairall Christopher W.
Published: September 2014

Stratocumulus-topped boundary layers (STBLs) observed in three different regions are described in the context of their thermodynamic and radiative properties. The primary dataset consists of 131 soundings from the southeastern Pacific (SEP), 90 soundings from the island of Graciosa (GRW) in the North Atlantic, and 83 soundings from the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP). A new technique that makes an attempt to preserve the depths of the sublayers within an STBL is proposed for averaging the profiles of thermodynamic and radiative variables. A one-dimensional radiative transfer model known as the Rapid Radiative Transfer Model was used to compute the radiative fluxes within the STBL. The SEP STBLs were characterized by a stronger and deeper inversion, together with thicker clouds, lower free-tropospheric moisture, and higher radiative flux divergence across the cloud layer, as compared to the GRW STBLs. Compared to the STBLs over the marine locations, the STBLs over SGP had higher wind shear and a negligible (−0.41 g kg−1) jump in mixing ratio across the inversion. Despite the differences in many of the STBL thermodynamic parameters, the differences in liquid water path at the three locations were statistically insignificant. The soundings were further classified as well mixed or decoupled based on the difference between the surface and cloud-base virtual potential temperature. The decoupled STBLs were deeper than the well-mixed STBLs at all three locations. Statistically insignificant differences in surface latent heat flux (LHF) between well-mixed and decoupled STBLs suggest that parameters other than LHF are responsible for producing decoupling.
Initiation of a Runaway Greenhouse in a Cloudy Column
Authors: Popp Max , Schmidt Hauke , Marotzke Jochem
Published: September 2014

A one-dimensional radiative–convective equilibrium model is used to investigate the influence of clouds on the onset of a runaway greenhouse under strong solar forcing. By comparing experiments with clear-sky conditions (clouds are transparent to radiation) to experiments with full-sky conditions (clouds are radiatively active), the authors find that the critical solar irradiance that is necessary to trigger a runaway greenhouse is increased from around 1.15–1.20 times the present-day total solar irradiance (TSI) on Earth S0 for clear-sky conditions to around 1.40–1.45S0 for full-sky conditions. Cloud thickness increases with TSI, leading to a substantially higher albedo, which in turn allows the climate to remain in equilibrium for markedly higher values of TSI. The results suggest that steady states with sea surface temperatures higher than 335 K exist for a large range of TSI. The thickening clouds in these states do not reduce the outgoing longwave radiation any more, implying that the thickening of clouds increases only their shortwave effect. This mechanism allows the column to remain in balance even at high sea surface temperatures. The authors find double equilibria for both clear-sky and full-sky conditions, but the range for which they occur extends to considerably higher values of TSIs for full-sky conditions. Moreover, when clouds are included in the radiative transfer calculations, climate instabilities are no longer caused by longwave effects but by the cloud albedo effect.
Dynamic Balances in a Wavy Boundary Layer
Authors: Hristov Tihomir , Ruiz-Plancarte Jesus
Published: September 2014

The authors analyze the influence of waves on the budgets of momentum flux and kinetic energy in the atmospheric flow over sea surface waves and use the findings to reinterpret the results from the earlier empirical studies on the subject. This analysis employs the framework of wave–mean flow interaction and experimental data collected recently over the open ocean. From a minimal set of plausible assumptions, limited to small-slope waves and uncorrelated turbulent and wave-induced motions in the wind, this study demonstrates that the budgets apply separately to the turbulent and the wave-induced flows. The explicit forms of the wave-supported fluxes of momentum and kinetic energy favor wave spectra ∝ ω−β, 4 ≤ β ≤ 5 for wind–wave equilibrium. These explicit forms also show that in common conditions at heights above one significant wave height from the unperturbed surface, the wave-supported fluxes are a small fraction of the total, of the order of 5%. The wave influence on the kinetic energy budget and on the shape of the wind profile is therefore also small at these heights and thus difficult to identify experimentally next to influences from nonstationarity or horizontal inhomogeneity. Consequently, the predictions of Monin–Obukhov phenomenology show little sensitivity to wave effects. This makes the phenomenology as valid over the ocean as it is over land, but a poor instrument for studying wind–wave interaction. Describing the wind–wave interaction through the dynamics and statistics of the wave-induced motion remains a viable and productive alternative.
Community Resilience Interventions
Authors: Pfefferbaum Betty , Pfefferbaum Rose L. , Van Horn Richard L.
Published: September 2014

This article compares six interventions to enhance community resilience. In this review, underlying principles for community resilience interventions are (a) use a multihazard approach relevant to the local context, (b) utilize community assessment, (c) focus on community engagement, (d) adhere to bioethical principles, (e) emphasize both assets and needs, and (f) encourage skill development. The interventions are compared with respect to parameters that address their foundation, methodology, and implementation.
Christianisme et modernité avancée chez Berger
Authors: Nizigama Isaac
Published: September 2014

This article analyzes the question of the relationship between Christianity and late modernity. It begins with Peter L. Berger’s analyses, especially in his recent works, to then question his religious pluralism / religious uncertainty dialectic and his idea of the oscillation of the contemporary followers of religions between relativism and fundamentalism. By showing that Berger’s analyses, based on his approach in the sociology of knowledge, leave aside the aspect considered by himself as central to the religious phenomenon, this article tries to characterize this aspect, which is the mystical type of religious experience, by exploiting elements from Rudolf Otto's phenomenology of religion and John Wesley's evangelical theology.
Predictors of Autism Enrollment in Public School Systems
Authors: Boswell Katelyn , Zablotsky Benjamin , Smith Christopher
Published: September 2014

With a number of disparities present in the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders, the education system plays a crucial role in the provision of both these service elements. Based on school and federal census data, this article examines one state’s public school autism enrollment and possible predictors of enrollment within each jurisdiction. The authors’ analyses found that actual prevalence is inconsistent with expectations across jurisdictions, with socioeconomic status indicators, race, geographic location, and racial diagnostic discrepancies in special education significantly predicting enrollment. This report exemplifies how secondary analysis of educational data can allow states to better allocate funding, begin to address issues pertaining to lags and unmet standards, and find model systems within their states.
Mentoring in Action
Authors: Israel Maya , Kamman Margaret L. , McCray Erica D. , Sindelar Paul T.
Published: September 2014

The growing emphasis on teacher accountability has led to increased integration of teacher evaluation and new teacher mentoring. This study examined professional and emotional mentoring supports within an urban school district that centered its induction program on structured teacher evaluation. Five mentors and 16 new special educators participated in this study. Data included evaluation reports for the 2009–2010 school year, mentor time allocation charts, and new teacher interviews. Results indicated the following: (a) Evaluation provided guidance for mentors’ feedback; (b) emotional supports and professional supports were interrelated, wherein emotional supports occurred within the context of professional supports; and (c) the majority of the new teachers did not indicate that the evaluation adversely affected their mentoring experience.
The Developmental Relationship Between Language and Low Early Numeracy Skills Throughout Kindergarten
Authors: Toll Sylke W. M. , Van Luit Johannes E. H.
Published: September 2014

The relationship between basic oral language and early numeracy has been studied extensively, but results hardly include kindergartners’ math language, which might mediate this relationship. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of basic language skills—specifically, math language and low early numeracy. Dutch children (4–5 years old; N = 1,030) were screened for having low early numeracy skills, and low performers ( n = 199) were followed for 2 years and tested four times throughout kindergarten. The development of general language skills and early numeracy were investigated with latent growth modeling, revealing a significant mutual relationship. Further, the relationship between basic language and early numeracy was mediated by kindergartners’ specific math language, suggesting that specific math language has a key role in the early numeracy learning process.
To Wait in Tier 1 or Intervene Immediately
Authors: Al Otaiba Stephanie , Connor Carol M. , Folsom Jessica S. , Wanzek Jeanne , Greulich Luana , Schatschneider Christopher , Wagner Richard K.
Published: September 2014

This randomized controlled experiment compared the efficacy of two response-to-intervention (RTI) models—typical RTI and dynamic RTI—and included 34 first-grade classrooms ( n = 522 students) across 10 socioeconomically and culturally diverse schools. Typical RTI was designed to follow the two-stage RTI decision rules that wait to assess response to Tier 1 in many districts, whereas dynamic RTI provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions immediately according to students’ initial screening results. Interventions were identical across conditions except for when intervention began. Reading assessments included letter-sound, word, passage reading, and teacher-reported severity of reading difficulties. An intent-to-treat analysis based on multilevel modeling indicated an overall effect favoring the dynamic RTI condition ( d = .36); growth curve analyses demonstrated that students in dynamic RTI showed an immediate score advantage and that effects accumulated across the year. Analyses of standard score outcomes confirmed that students in the dynamic condition who received Tier 2 and Tier 3 ended the study with significantly higher reading performances than students in the typical condition. Implications for RTI implementation practice and future research are discussed.
The development of an Aftermath of Dietary Lapses Coping Questionnaire for weight control
Authors: Shimpo Misa , Akamatsu Rie
Published: September 2014

Objective:

This study was designed to develop the Aftermath of Dietary Lapses Coping Questionnaire (ADLCQ) for evaluating how people cope with the aftermath of dietary lapses during weight control.

Method:

Between June–July 2012, dieticians working in public health centres and city offices in Sizuoka, Japan, recruited 466 participants. They were asked to complete a 20-item self-report questionnaire pertaining to coping strategies in the aftermath of dietary lapses. The questionnaire included items regarding the stage (readiness) of weight control, the experience of weight loss and demographic characteristics. We examined the questionnaire’s construct validity by conducting confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses and investigated reliability by examining internal consistency and correlations of factors with readiness for weight control and the experience of weight loss.

Results:

Data from 411 participants were analysed. Five factors (i.e. self-reflective thoughts, compensation by healthy eating, compensation by exercising, self-monitoring and positive thoughts), collectively consisting of 17 items, reached nearly acceptable levels of validity (adjusted goodness-of-fit index [AGFI] = .919, goodness-of-fit index [GFI] = .943, comparative fit index [CFI] = .832, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .045). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from .61 to .87. Scores for coping differed with the readiness for weight control and the experience of weight loss.

Conclusion:

We developed the 17-item ADLCQ to evaluate coping with the aftermath of dietary lapses and confirmed the validity and the reliability of the questionnaire.
Has Vatican II been Hermeneutered? Recovering and Developing its Theological Achievements following Rahner and Lonergan
Authors: Dadosky John
Published: September 2014

The 50th anniversary of Vatican II (1962–65) provides a good opportunity to reflect on its theological significance. The ongoing debates surrounding the hermeneutics of the council, the plethora of historical-critical studies, and ecclesiastical resistance to its broader implementation raise the question: Has the creative Spirit and the original enthusiasm for the council been neutralized by such resistance, scholarly reluctance, and the seeming endless hermeneutic speculation? Pope Francis speaks about the resistance to Vatican II: There are those who resist it outright and those who resist it by building a monument to it. With this critique as a starting point, this paper revisits Rahner’s concise hermeneutics of the council because it presents an historical analysis but with a theological trajectory. In this context, this article articulates some of the permanent theological achievements of Vatican II taking the thought of Bernard Lonergan as a lead and speculates about two future developments.
The effect of particulate strengthening on microstructure and mechanical characterization of binary-modified composites on mild steel
Authors: Fayomi OSI , Popoola API , Loto CA
Published: September 2014

This article presents the microstructure, tribological behavior, and hardness properties of the Zn-TiO2 functional composite coating produced using electrolytic co-deposition technique. The 7.0–13.0 weight fractions of Ti particles were incorporated in a Zn bath to form Zn-TiO2 alloy in the presence of other additives. The microstructural properties of the fabricated coating were investigated using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive spectroscope, X-ray diffraction, and an atomic force microscope. The anticorrosion behavior in 3.65% NaCl medium was studied using potentiodynamic polarization technique and characterized using high-resolution optical microscope. The hardness and wear properties of the coated alloys were measured with high diamond microhardness tester and reciprocating sliding tester, respectively. From the results, the increases in hardness and wear resistance are attributed to the formation of the incorporated particulate and uniform precipitation of the metal grains at the metal lattice. The contribution of TiO2 particles especially with Zn-13Ti-0.3 V-S provides new orientation of metal–matrix-modified coated structure and decrease in friction coefficient. The anticorrosion resistance characteristics were found to improve significantly in response to concentration of additive.
Single Parents, Unhappy Parents? Parenthood, Partnership, and the Cultural Normative Context
Authors: Stavrova Olga , Fetchenhauer Detlef
Published: September 2014

Although the question of whether parenthood is generally beneficial for well-being is currently being hotly debated in the social sciences, single parents are nearly unanimously assumed to be worse off than their partnered counterparts. The present research questions this finding by demonstrating that whether single parents are actually less happy than partnered parents depends on a country’s cultural norms regarding childbearing practices. Using two large-scale international data sets (the European Values Study [EVS] and the European Social Survey [ESS]) covering altogether 43 countries, we show that only in collectivist countries and countries with a strong two-parent family norm did parenthood negatively affect the life satisfaction and the emotional well-being of single but not partnered (married or cohabiting) individuals. Most notably, the detrimental effect of a country’s social norm of a two-parent family existed even among single parents who did not share this norm themselves.
A randomised crossover trial of the acute effects of a deep-fried Mars bar or porridge on the cerebral vasculature
Authors: Dunn William G , Walters Matthew R
Published: September 2014

Introduction

The deep-fried Mars bar has been cited as ‘all that is wrong with the high-fat, high-sugar Scottish diet’. We investigated the effect of ingestion of a deep-fried Mars bar or porridge on cerebrovascular reactivity. We hypothesised that deep-fried Mars bar ingestion would impair cerebrovascular reactivity, which is associated with increased risk of ischaemic stroke.

Methods

Twenty-four fasted volunteers were randomised to receive a deep-fried Mars bar and then porridge (control), or vice-versa. We used transcranial Doppler ultrasound to calculate Breath Holding Index as a surrogate measure of cerebrovascular reactivity. Change in Breath Holding Index post-ingestion was the primary outcome measure.

Results

Twenty-four healthy adults (mean (SD) age 21.5 (1.7) years, 14 males) completed the protocol. Deep-fried Mars bar ingestion caused a non-significant reduction in cerebrovascular reactivity relative to control (mean difference in absolute Breath Holding Index after deep-fried Mars bar versus porridge −0.11, p = 0.40). Comparison of the difference between the absolute change in Breath Holding Index between genders demonstrated a significant impairment of cerebrovascular reactivity in males (mean difference women minus men of 0.65, 95% CI 0.30 to 1.00, p = 0.0003).

Conclusion

Ingestion of a bolus of sugar and fat caused no overall difference in cerebrovascular reactivity, but there was a modest decrease in males. Impaired cerebrovascular reactivity is associated with increased stroke risk, and therefore deep-fried Mars bar ingestion may acutely contribute to cerebral hypoperfusion in men.
Nominal Openness and Epistemic Endogamy in ‘Global’ and ‘Provincialized’ Sociologies
Authors: Zavala Pelayo Edgar
Published: September 2014

Calls for global and provincialized sociologies have emerged in the last decade as thoughtful projects in contemporary sociology. In this article, I criticize the rhetorical nature and epistemic endogamy of some of those calls through case studies of sociologies in Mexico and their institutional and epistemic complexity. Avoiding reductionisms, I will characterize sociologies in Mexico as both central (mainly Westernized) and (semi)peripheral. From a critical stance, I will argue that the latter are constructed upon teleological, prescriptive and pragmatic-theory logics and constitute epistemologically legitimate ( professional) sociologies, given their logics’ internal cognitive affinity and the consistency these logics present in relation to external ideological structures and socio-political discourses. I will then make explicit some of the theoretical and disciplinary challenges these overlooked professional sociologies bring to the fore. I conclude by suggesting a postcolonial theoretical-methodological strategy to address such challenges.
Imagining Identities
Authors: Tucker-Raymond Eli , Rosario Maria L.
Published: September 2014

This article uses a critical sociohistorical lens to discuss and explain examples of the ways in which young people reflect, refract, and contribute to discourses of gentrification, displacement, and racial, ethnic, and geographic community identity building in a rapidly changing urban neighborhood. The article explores examples from open-ended dialogic conversations in one seventh-grade classroom. In their conversations, youth imagine themselves and their communities as sociohistorically yet dynamically situated. We argue that such spaces allow for schools and students to bridge in and out of school worlds, amplifying young people’s relationships to enduring struggles in changing urban contexts.
Theorising Chinese urbanisation: A multi-layered perspective
Authors: Gu Chaolin , Kesteloot Christian , Cook Ian G
Published: September 2014

Urbanisation in China and its rapid increase in recent decades as a result of industrialisation and globalisation are often conceived as a simplified process. Moreover, the speed of the present day process yields the impression that the traces of previous forms of urbanisation are erased for good. Both of these assumptions are challenged in this paper. The built environment resulting from this urbanisation process is to be conceived as a series of layers that reflect different modes of productions and related logics of production of space. Hence, we try to comprehend the spatial arrangement of the city, which can be thought of as a geological metaphor. The social groups that have to be sheltered in urban residential space also radically change in each of these periods. We proceed to analyse these layers and how they combine and interact over time with the concept of socio-spatial configuration, which denotes a precise type of residential environment related to a specific social group in the city. Chinese cities are made up of five types of urbanisation, reflected in five layers and their related socio-spatial configurations: the traditional, proto-globalisation, socialist, market-led and globalisation layers.
Universities and the redevelopment politics of the neoliberal city
Authors: Bose Sayoni
Published: September 2014

This paper concentrates on universities as important actants in the neoliberal city, specifically through their engagement of development activities. The paper visualises universities as an entrepreneurial subject: a neoliberal institution which adopts the responsibility to redevelop. Towards that end, the paper situates the redevelopment activities of universities and their politics in the context of the neoliberal city. It subsequently identifies the causal structures that underpin the growth logic of universities, which form the condition for their engagement in redevelopment as entrepreneurial subjects. The paper argues that the pressures coming out of the accumulation process act as an impetus for universities to expand, for instance, to accommodate the increasing student enrolments that generate revenues for them. Given their size, specialised infrastructure and the localised logic of bringing students to campus, expansion often means expansion in situ. This puts the spotlight on universities’ politics of redevelopment and the challenges they face as it typically means destruction of existing living and workplaces. Being entrepreneurial, universities maximise their efficiency in the politics of redevelopment to produce minimal resistance. This they do through alliance-building by creating amenable subjectivities that facilitate redevelopment. This is constituted by drawing upon and exacerbating existing cleavages of class and race. The paper presents a case study of redevelopment activities of The Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The case study will illustrate why this university became an entrepreneurial subject and how, that is, through what discursive-material mechanisms the politics of persuasion unfolded, producing subjectivities that created (non)acquiescence around redevelopment.
Noble Savages, Ignoble Colleagues
Authors: Jarvie Ian
Published: September 2014

Chagnon narrates the ups and downs of his career, how he managed to document the basic ethnography of the Yanomamö of Amazonia, and the loss of scientific compass in American anthropology that brought a good deal of personal villification and the end of his research. The reviewer endorses the view that organized American anthropology is in an intellectually sorry state but argues that Chagnon’s anthropology of anthropology is lacking.
Experts within Democracy
Authors: Agassi Joseph
Published: September 2014

Stephen Turner defends the sociopolitical role that experts—mainly but not only of the scientific kind—play in modern democratic society and explores means for increasing the rationality of their employment. Laudable though this is, at times Turner goes into more detail than democratic principles require; in his enthusiasm for rationality, he aims at levels of adequacy that are not always within the grasp of democracy.
What Was the Petty Bourgeoisie? Cultural Positioning and Reification of Marxist Classes in Early PRC Discourse
Authors: U Eddy
Published: September 2014

The early PRC discourse of the petty bourgeoisie was the intellectual foundation upon which embodied petty-bourgeois subjects appeared at every level of society. The discourse features three interwoven accounts, each founded on a synthesis of Marxian ideas and conventional and contemporary thinking. The national-developmental account reframes existing notions of class, nation-state, and utopia within a Marxist narrative of class struggle and presents the petty bourgeoisie as vital to nation-building. The political-revolutionary account combines conventional views of the political order and the self with a Marxian analysis of political behavior, and highlights the petty bourgeoisie as an obstacle to the Communist revolution. Based on a traditional understanding of the connection between personal conduct and good governance and the Maoist myth of working-class virtues, the habitual-corrective account portrays the petty bourgeoisie as individuals who are afflicted with habits and dispositions harmful to socialist development. The petty bourgeoisie turns out to be a virtually elastic population. Analyzing how Mao’s regime exploited existing ways of thinking to construct the petty bourgeoisie and, more broadly, “Marxist” classes, furthers understanding of symbolic power under Chinese Communism.
Teaching About Values and Goals
Authors: Kasser Tim
Published: September 2014

In this article, I review how people organize values and goals in their minds and I suggest teaching demonstrations, exercises, and assignments to help students learn this material. I pay special attention to circumplex models, which represent the extent of conflict or compatibility between values and goals, and to the well-researched distinction between intrinsic (e.g., self-acceptance and community feeling) and extrinsic (e.g., financial success and image) goals. I also provide a brief overview of the literature regarding how both a dispositional focus on goals and the momentary activation of goals relate to people’s personal well-being and to their prosocial and proenvironmental attitudes and behavior. Finally, I discuss implications for students’ experiences with advertising messages in their day-to-day lives.
“You Can’t Tell Just by Looking!”
Authors: Lick David J. , Johnson Kerri L.
Published: September 2014

Perceivers use visual information to categorize others into social groups. That said, anecdotal reports suggest that perceivers are more comfortable making some categorizations (race, sex) than others (sexual orientation) on the basis of such limited information, perhaps because they hold differing beliefs about the diagnosticity of visual cues to those categories. The current studies tested this hypothesis empirically. We first developed a new measure—the Diagnosticity Scale—to assess beliefs about the diagnosticity of visual cues to diverse social categories. Next, we demonstrated that diagnosticity beliefs explain response tendencies in social perception, such that weak beliefs in the diagnosticity of visual cues to a given category predict biases toward the non-stigmatized, default response option. Collectively, these studies introduce the Diagnosticity Scale as a valid measure of perceivers’ beliefs in visual cues to social categories, which help to explain some noteworthy biases in social perception.
Purpose in Life as a Resource for Increasing Comfort With Ethnic Diversity
Authors: Burrow Anthony L. , Stanley Maclen , Sumner Rachel , Hill Patrick L.
Published: September 2014

Emerging demographic trends signal that White Americans will soon relinquish their majority status. As Whites’ acclimation to an increasingly diverse society is poised to figure prominently in their adjustment, identifying sources of greater comfort with diversity is important. Three studies ( N = 519) revealed evidence that purpose in life bolsters comfort with ethnic diversity among White adults. Specifically, dispositional purpose was positively related to diversity attitudes and attenuated feelings of threat resulting from viewing demographic projections of greater diversity. In addition, when primed experimentally, purpose attenuated participants’ preferences for living in an ethnically homogeneous-White city, relative to a more diverse city when shown maps displaying ethno-demographic information. These effects persisted after controlling for positive affect and perceived connections to ethnic out-groups, suggesting the robust influence of purpose. Potential benefits of situating purpose as a unique resource for navigating an increasingly diverse society are discussed.
Costs of Multidisciplinary Parenteral Nutrition Care Provided at a Distance via Mobile Tablets
Authors: Kim Heejung , Spaulding Ryan , Werkowitch Marilyn , Yadrich Donna , Piamjariyakul Ubolrat , Gilroy Richard , Smith Carol E.
Published: September 2014

Background: Determining the costs of healthcare delivery is a key step for providing efficient nutrition‐based care. This analysis tabulates the costs of delivering home parenteral nutrition (HPN) interventions and clinical assessments through encrypted mobile technologies to increase patients’ access to healthcare providers, reduce their travel expenses, and allow early detection of infection and other complications. Methods: A traditional cost‐accounting method was used to tabulate all expenses related to mobile distance HPN clinic appointments, including (1) personnel time of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, (2) supply of HPN intervention materials, and (3) equipment, connection, and delivery expenses. Results: A total of 20 mobile distance clinic appointments were conducted for an average of 56 minutes each with 45 patients who required HPN infusion care. The initial setup costs included mobile tablet devices, 4G data plans, and personnel's time as well as intervention materials. The initial costs were on average $916.64 per patient, while the follow‐up clinic appointments required $361.63 a month, with these costs continuing to decline as the equipment was used by multiple patients more frequently over time. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with cost savings in travel expenses and rated the quality of care comparable to traditional in‐person examinations. Conclusion: This study provides important aspects of the initial cost tabulation for visual assessment for HPN appointments. These findings will be used to generate a decision algorithm for scheduling mobile distance clinic appointments intermittent with in‐person visits to determine how to lower costs of nutrition assessments. To maximize the cost benefits, clinical trials must continue to collect clinical outcomes.
Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in Spouses of Cardiac Patients
Authors: Yates Bernice C. , Rowland Sheri , Mancuso Kerry , Kupzyk Kevin A. , Norman Joseph F. , Shurmur Scott , Tesina Karen
Published: September 2014

Few studies have examined risk-reducing interventions in spouses of coronary artery bypass patients. This study examined the effects of the Partners Together in Health (PaTH) intervention versus usual care on cardiovascular risk factors. Spouses in the experimental group ( n = 17/group) attended cardiac rehabilitation with patients and made the same physical activity and healthy eating changes as patients. Spouses in the usual care group attended educational classes with patients. Spouses’ 30-year cardiovascular risk was calculated using the Lifetime Risk Scale before and after cardiac rehabilitation (3 months), and at 6 months. Spouses in both groups significantly reduced 30-year risk scores at 3 and 6 months. Exercise was the key ingredient in lowering risk. There was a trend toward reduction in systolic blood pressure and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both groups. Although there were no group differences, having spouses participate in cardiac rehabilitation with the patient was effective for reducing spouses’ cardiovascular risk.
Inner Ear Protein as a Biomarker in Circulation?
Authors: Parham Kourosh , Sacks Daniel , Bixby Catherine , Fall Pamela
Published: September 2014

Serum biomarkers detect the earliest events in disease, monitor management, and provide insight into disease pathogenesis. At this time, there are no biomarkers available for otologic disorders. Otolin‐1 is a scaffolding protein exclusively expressed in otoconia and cells of the vestibule and the cochlea; therefore, it may be a biomarker candidate for assessing the health of the inner ear. As a proof of concept, we used serum samples from controls without otologic history and subjects with a history of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), performed enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for otolin‐1, and measured the optical density of the substrate. Otolin‐1 was detectable and quantifiable in all subjects, indicating that this inner ear protein crosses the blood‐labyrinthine barrier. Furthermore, subjects with BPPV had significantly higher levels, with about one‐third being above the control range. This promising preliminary result suggests that inner ear–specific proteins have the potential to serve as biomarkers for otologic disease processes.
Emotional vitality in caregivers: application of Rasch Measurement Theory with secondary data to development and test a new measure
Authors: Barbic Skye P , Bartlett Susan J , Mayo Nancy E
Published: September 2014

Objective:

To describe the practical steps in identifying items and evaluating scoring strategies for a new measure of emotional vitality in informal caregivers of individuals who have experienced a significant health event.

Design:

The psychometric properties of responses to selected items from validated health-related quality of life and other psychosocial questionnaires administered four times over a one-year period were evaluated using Rasch Measurement Theory.

Setting:

Community.

Subjects:

A total of 409 individuals providing informal care at home to older adults who had experienced a recent stroke.

Main measures:

Rasch Measurement Theory was used to test the ordering of response option thresholds, fit, spread of the item locations, residual correlations, person separation index, and stability across time.

Results:

Based on a theoretical framework developed in earlier work, we identified 22 candidate items from a pool of relevant psychosocial measures available. Of these, additional evaluation resulted in 19 items that could be used to assess the five core domains. The overall model fit was reasonable (χ2 = 202.26, DF = 117, p = 0.06), stable across time, with borderline evidence of multidimensionality (10%). Items and people covered a continuum ranging from −3.7 to +2.7 logits, reflecting coverage of the measurement continuum, with a person separation index of 0.85. Mean fit of caregivers was lower than expected (–1.31 ±1.10 logits).

Conclusion:

Established methods from the Rasch Measurement Theory were applied to develop a prototype measure of emotional vitality that is acceptable, reliable, and can be used to obtain an interval level score for use in future research and clinical settings.
Racist hate crime and the mortified self
Authors: Funnell Corinne
Published: September 2014

This article provides a unique criminological examination of the social situation of victims of racist hate crime, specifically focusing on the consequences of victimization. Based on observational and interview data gathered over two and a half years and located at an agency run by victims of racist hate crime for such victims in England, the research project investigated inter alia how victims and their caseworkers defined racist hate crimes and incidents and what meanings they gave those experiences. Ethnographic research revealed how proximate relationships were perceived to generate ‘risk’ for victims and how, in response, they developed a range of behavioural modification strategies, including isolation of themselves and significant others to avoid further hate crime encounters. A comparison is made between Goffman’s ‘inmate’ and that of the racist hate crime victim in his or her home and neighbourhood. Like inmates in total institutions, many who experience racist hate crime are effectively closed to the outside world. In consequence, they undergo processes of ‘loss and mortification’ within the home and neighbourhood context, including ‘role dispossession’, and become victims.