bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public sector austerity cuts in Britain and the changing discourse of work–life balance
Authors: Lewis Suzan , Anderson Deirdre , Lyonette Clare , Payne Nicola , Wood Stephen
Published: May 2016

The relative importance of economic and other motives for employers to provide support for work–life balance (WLB) is debated within different literatures. However, discourses of WLB can be sensitive to changing economic contexts. This article draws on in-depth interviews with senior human resources professionals in British public sector organizations to examine shifting discourses of WLB in an austerity context. Three main discourses were identified: WLB practices as organizationally embedded amid financial pressures; WLB practices as a strategy for managing financial pressures; and WLB as a personal responsibility. Despite a discourse of mutual benefits to employee and employer underpinning all three discourses, there is a distinct shift towards greater emphasis on economic rather than institutional interests of employers during austerity, accompanied by discursive processes of fixing, stretching, shrinking and bending understandings of WLB. The reconstructed meaning of WLB raises concerns about its continued relevance to its original espoused purpose.
Dressing scheme and process parameters analysis for bonnet tool in bonnet polishing
Authors: Wang Zhenzhong , Wang Quanjin , Yang Xu , Chen Shiping , Zhuang Xiaoming , Peng Yunfeng
Published: May 2016

Bonnet polishing is widely used in final processing of optical elements, as the bonnet tool has the characteristic of fine surface adaptability and controllable pressure. For the purpose of ensuring the stability and exact controllability of polishing process, it is necessary to make precise dressing of bonnet tool. In this paper, first a dressing scheme using cup diamond wheel is proposed for bonnet tool, and then the feasibility of the dressing scheme is verified by analyzing the trajectory and the envelope of the diamond particles on the cup wheel. After that, the influences of the dressing process parameters on the dressing efficiency and trajectory distribution are defined through theoretical analysis and MATLAB simulation, and by simulation the dressing process parameters are determined. In addition, a trimmed program with variable speed ratio is proposed to homogenize the dressing tracks. Finally, an experiment was conducted to test the simulation result. This paper provides the theoretical basis for actual dressing process of the bonnet tool.
An analysis of the 1996 Channel Tunnel fire
Authors: Santos-Reyes Jaime , Beard Alan N
Published: May 2016

On 18 November 1996, a fire on Heavy Goods Vehicle shuttle No. ‘7539’, travelling from France to England, forced the train to stop at about 19 km from the French entrance. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the accident. The analysis covers the incident train’s journey from the French terminal until it stopped in-tunnel only. The approach has been to use a tunnel fire safety management system model as a ‘template’ for comparison with the ‘system’ at the time of the tunnel fire. Some findings have been highlighted. The model is intended to represent a ‘systemic’ approach to tunnel fire safety management.
Influence of friction wedge characteristics on lateral response and hunting of freight wagons with three-piece bogies
Authors: Hazrati Ashtiani Iman , Rakheja Subhash , Ahmed AKW
Published: May 2016

In this study, the nonlinear damping characteristics of friction wedges in the secondary suspension of a freight wagon are investigated considering nonsmooth unilateral contact, multiaxis motions, slip–stick conditions, and geometry of the wedges. The parameters of the contact pairs within the suspension were identified to achieve smooth and efficient numerical solutions, while ensuring adequate accuracy. A simulation model of the friction wedge was formulated and analyzed, which revealed highly nonlinear dependence on vertical, roll, and lateral motions between the bolster and the side frames. The friction wedge model was integrated into the multibody dynamic model of a three-piece bogie to study the effects of wedge properties on hunting characteristics. The resulting 114-degrees-of-freedom wagon model incorporated constraints due to side bearings, axle boxes, and the center plates, while the wheel–rail contact forces were obtained using the FASTSIM algorithm. The simulation results were obtained to study hunting properties of the wagon in terms of critical speed and the predominant oscillation frequency, and the effects of wedge friction and geometry on stability characteristics of the freight car. The results showed subcritical Hopf bifurcation of dynamic responses of the wagon. Moreover, an increase in the wedge angle, friction coefficient, and springs free length resulted in a higher critical speed.
Numerical analysis of blood flow through an elliptic stenosis using large eddy simulation
Authors: Jabir E , Lal S Anil
Published: May 2016

The presence of a stenosis caused by the abnormal narrowing of the lumen in the artery tree can cause significant variations in flow parameters of blood. The original flow, which is believed to be laminar in most situations, may turn out to turbulent by the geometric perturbation created by the stenosis. Flow may evolve to fully turbulent or it may relaminarise back according to the intensity of the perturbation. This article reports the numerical simulation of flow through an eccentrically located asymmetric stenosis having elliptical cross section using computational fluid dynamics. Large eddy simulation technique using dynamic Smagorinsky sub-grid scale model is applied to capture the turbulent features of flow. Analysis is carried out for two situations: steady inflow as ideal condition and pulsatile inflow corresponding to the actual physiological condition in common carotid artery. The spatially varying pulsatile inflow waveforms are mathematically derived from instantaneous mass flow measurements available in the literature. Carreau viscosity model is used to estimate the effect of non-Newtonian nature of blood. The present simulations for steady and pulsatile conditions show that post-stenotic flow field undergoes transition to turbulence in all cases. The characteristics of mean and turbulent flow fields have been presented and discussed in detail.
Representations of inequality and social policy in the Russian Official Press, 2005–2012
Authors: Iarskaia-Smirnova Elena , Prisyazhnyuk Daria , Kononenko Rostislav
Published: May 2016

The central instruments of social policy include not only social programmes but also how social problems and social inequality are represented in the media. In this article, these representations are analysed, with a particular focus on the meanings attached to actors, events and phenomena in the field of social policy and how they are produced and diffused through society by means of language, symbols and images. The aim of the study is to provide an analysis of the representations of social inequality and social policy in one of modern Russia’s official state-run newspapers. The various means of explaining social inequality in the official print media will also be revealed and explained here. This is achieved through a content analysis of the articles in Rossiiskaya Gazeta [Russian Newspaper] from 2005 to 2012.
Differences in disease phenotype and severity in SLE across age groups
Authors: Ambrose N , Morgan T A , Galloway J , Ionnoau Y , Beresford M W , Isenberg D A
Published: May 2016

Objectives

Significant differences have been reported in disease phenotype and severity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presenting in different age groups. Most indicate a more severe phenotype in juvenile-onset SLE (JSLE). There have been limited studies in older patients and no large studies looking at SLE across all age groups.

Methods

We assessed the effect of age of onset of SLE on the clinical phenotype by analysing data from two large UK cohorts (the UK JSLE Cohort and the UCLH SLE cohort).

Results

A total of 924 individuals were compared (413 JSLE, 511 adult-onset SLE). A female preponderance was present, but less pronounced at either end of the age spectrum. Arthritis was more common with advancing age (93% vs 72%, p < 0.001), whereas renal disease (44% vs 33%, p = 0.001), alopecia (47% vs 23%, p < 0.001) and aphthous ulcerations (39% vs 26%, p = 0.001) were more common in the young. Neuropsychiatric lupus was less common in mature-onset SLE ( p < 0.01). JSLE was associated more commonly with thrombocytopenia (21% vs 15%, p = 0.01), haemolytic anaemia (20% vs 3%, p < 0.001), high anti-dsDNA (71% vs 63%, p = 0.009), Sm (22% vs 16%, p = 0.02) and RNP (36% vs 29%, p < 0.04) auto-antibodies. Leucopenia increased with advancing age ( p < 0.001). Mortality has been declining over recent decades. However, death rates were substantially higher than the general population. The standardized mortality ratio was 18.3 in JSLE and 3.1 in adult-onset SLE.

Conclusion

These data from the largest-ever direct comparison of JSLE with adult-onset SLE suggest an aggressive phenotype of disease with a worse outcome in patients with JSLE and emphasizes the importance of careful follow-up in this population.
Analyzing Consumer Reviews with Text Mining Approach
Authors: Dasgupta Subhasis , Sengupta Kalyan
Published: May 2016

In the era of Internet, it is not necessary to run an expensive market survey to explore what the users are saying about a product and to find out whether there are any modifications required within the product. There are several sites available where users from different parts of the world post their comments after using a product. These comments can be analyzed scientifically through text mining to understand how the users have used different words in relation to the said product. The current study has been focused at finding out the word association with Samsung Galaxy 3 (a high-end smart phone). It also deals with how a few keywords are related to other words through correlation analysis.
The Influence of Proactive Career Behaviours on Psychological Well-being among Malaysian Engineers
Authors: Rahim Norizan Baba , Siti-Rohaida M.Z.
Published: May 2016

As the key engine to support the country’s economic transformation goal, the influence of engineers on the lives of people comes with tremendous responsibilities (Abdull Rahman, 2012). Because they add values through the use of appropriate technology and processes (Malan, 2004), engineers need to be equipped with ways to build and capitalize on their strength, to keep up with changes in technology and to shorten design cycles and computerizing designs. All these are needed to maintain their excellent performance. Unfortunately, these tremendous responsibilities, such as the strong need for growth and personal development, have influenced the engineers’ psychological well-being. The lack of attention given to studying engineer’s psychological well-being has worsened the scenario, especially in the context of Asian countries. Therefore, this article reports on the influence of proactive career behaviours on engineer’s psychological well-being. In the context of this study, 387 registered professional engineers (PEs) were chosen as the sample of study. The hypotheses were investigated through a correlation and path analysis using partial least squares (PLS). The results provided useful information on the positive influence of career exploration on psychological well-being. The results further showed that there is a positive influence of career goal development on psychological well-being. On the other hand, the result also revealed the negative influence of career goal development on psychological well-being. The implications of these findings for understanding the process through which career attitudes affect individuals’ psychological well-being are discussed.
Dalit Villages in India
Authors: Velusamy M.
Published: May 2016

This paper aims to discuss the organised efforts for social, economic and political emancipation of Dalits in Tamil Nadu during the pre and post independence years. It also deals with the social status of Dalits in Tamil Nadu in the context of the implementation of the constitutional provisions.

Section 1 attempts to provide an overview of Dalit settlements in India. Section 2 gives a profile ofDalit settlements in Tamil Nadu. Section 3 presents the methodology of the micro study while Section 4 presents the findings of the micro study.
Economic Status of Scheduled Castes in Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Rao D. Pulla
Published: May 2016

Scheduled Castes (Dalits) are a diverse group, yet easily identifiable through their name, place of origin and residence, occupation, father's occupation, educational institution, clot/zing and accent. We have examined the economic status of 400 SC households from Visakhapatnam and West Godavari Districts. The own house sample households are high in West Godavari district and in Visakhapatnam district sample households living in rented houses are high. With regard to total sample respondents, 48.25 per cent are agriculture labourers, 43 per cent of them are cultivators and 8.75 per cent are non-agriculture labourers. MajorihJ of the sample households are earning income in the range of Rs. 10001-20000 and the sample households are equal in both districts who are earning in this range. Regarding credit sources of the sample households, DWCRA is the most important source for credit for the sample households in the study area. Institutional credit source which is taken from generally banks are high in West Godavari district for the sample households in the study area.
Dedication Culture
Authors: Kodoth Divya
Published: May 2016

The institution of Devadasi has been vastly studied since pre colonial era by the social scientists, social workers and policy makers. But then the debate on Devadasifinds its relevance in the present day debate in feminist and caste literature for its mere presence in the 2 1st century Modern India. This paper attempts to present a local form of dedication culture in the light ofa lternate sexuality which in the larger literature on Devadasi is located within the framework of temple culture. This paper analyses a local form of popular dedication culture and explores predicaments in understanding it as an alternative sexuality and the convolution that an alternative form of sexual culture brings out. The data used in this study is derived from an ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Northern Karnataka. The actual field work was done focussing on the institution of Devadasi and the data used in the paper is ethnographers observation by being part of people for about ten months in the field, experiences and information shared during the whole process off ieldwork.
Globalization and its Impact on Dalits
Authors: Mandal Bankim Chandra
Published: May 2016

Globalization appears to be the buzzword of 1990s which has penetrated many academic debates. The process ofg lobalization has made deep inroads into India's social, economic and cultural life. It has not only affected all aspects of human life but has also influenced the social institutions to a great extent. In order to promote socio‐economic justice many affirmative measures were introduced in the Indian Constitution and a lot of welfare schemes were initiated for the uplift of the underprivileged dalits. But globalization has not only threatened it but also made it very weak. In fact socioeconomic justice and social welfare which is an integral part of the Indian Constitution is slowly getting eclipsed because of privatization and globalization. It has created a new situation where dalits are pushed again to a state of anxiety. This paper seeks to investigate the ilfplications of globalization in the arena of education, access to land, poverty, health c~re facilities, food securities etc. from a dalit perspective.
Psychosocial Determinants of Dalit Identity: Evidence from Dalit Women of Tamilnadu in South India
Authors: Jose Justin Pallickal , C. Shanuga
Published: May 2016

Conceptualizing within the identity mediated psychosocial perspective of social exclusion, the present study examined the influence of stigma, discrimination, psychosqcial disability and quality of social life on Dalit women's social identity. Using explanatory research design, 301 Dalit women were selected using probability sampling procedure. The variables of interest were measured using psychometrically standardized scales and data were analyzed using multivariate regression procedure. Results reveal that socio‐demographic variables such as education (β=.175), rural residence (β=.142), working hours per day (β= -.404) and income per month (β=.090) have significantly influenced social identity. Negative self image (β= -.320), positive self esteem (β=-.263), social discrimination (β= -.263), relationship with colleagues (β=.184), access to, and availability of medical and other facilities (β= -.207) in society have significantly predicted social identity. Regression coefficient shows an overall variance of 54.9% ( R2=0.549) on Dalit women's positive social identity perceptions. The study concludes that aspects of stigma, discrimination, self esteem and social life have substantial influence on Dalit women's identity construction.
Macwan's the Stepchild: Caste as Tragic Flaw of Dalit Protagonists
Authors: Bharathiraja S.
Published: May 2016

Dalits are being assaulted for claiming justice in South Asia. From the history of Gujarat, Joseph Macwan's Stepchild (1930) gives us protagonists with a mission of social justice and their consequences. It also brings out bonded‐love, heroism, humiliation. revenge and death of Dalits. Teeha (a Dalit youth) represents the first of the enlightened Vankars who has the courage to stand up against the unprincipled Patels. The fraternal bond between Valji and Teeha is not an ordinary friendship; in different ways, each sacrifices his life and joys for the others. Macwan presents other major and minor Vankars ‐ the philosophical Bhavaankaka, the tender Kanku, the gentle Dano, the noble Gokal and so on ‐ as if to show that with their integrity and high ethics, the so‐called untouchables are far superior to their oppressors and exploiters. What had Teeha done? Just he saved his fellow Methi from upper caste youths' sexual exploitation at the Patel's village. Teeha wanted justice, but he was killed by upper caste people.
Theory of Dalit Literature
Authors: Biswas Manohar Mouli
Published: May 2016

‘Literature’ first comes up, thereafter comes the device of analysing it. Dalit literature has evolved in postcolonial India through the exclusive contributions of the untouchables of the country. It is unlike the other forms of literature such as national literature or mainstream literature or the progressive literature. The way of analysing it is also rather different and is unlike the western methodology such as structuralism or poststructuralism or modernism or postmodernism or the Marxian way of analysis. The caste phenomenon of the society along with its adverse effects on a large section of people is to be understood through the windows of those peoples own sufferings and that realisation of ground reality opens the doors to moving on along the way.
The Political and Economic Instability of Dilma Rousseff’s Second Government in Brazil: Between Impeachment and the Pragmatic Turn
Authors: Doval Gisela Pereyra , Actis Esteban
Published: May 2016

This article aims to describe the political and economic tensions experienced by Brazil, six months into the second term of President Dilma Rousseff. It also analyses whether the head of state can be subjected to political trial/impeachment as a result of corruption charges, and attempts to explain the government’s strategy to try to get out of the quagmire by means of a pragmatic twist, away from the premises of the electoral campaign.
Supply chain management strategies of agricultural corporations: A resource dependency approach
Authors: O'Keeffe Patrick
Published: May 2016

The Australian federal government introduced the deregulation of the wheat export market in 2008, as a means of creating a competitive wheat industry. However, this initiative did not sufficiently consider the potential for agricultural corporations to proactively seek to shape their environment. Utilizing resource dependency theory, this article analyses the strategies employed by agricultural corporations, such as acquisitions, integration and geographic expansion, to develop control of supply chains and markets, and mitigate risks associated with resource supply and competition. Despite leading to a concentration of markets and consolidation within supply chains, agribusiness corporations manipulate discourse around food to promote these strategies as necessary to enhance global food security. Furthermore, this article analyses the use of political lobbying by agricultural corporations to create a regulatory environment, which enables integration and expansion. This article enables resource dependency theory to be more directly observable, through analysing tangible examples of these associated practices, implemented by agricultural corporations. In addition, this article contends that through heightening awareness of how firms respond to deregulation, resource dependency theory provides the tools to reflect critically on the aims and methods of government deregulation initiatives.
RDoC and shift of reference
Authors: Castro-de-Araujo Luis FS , Levy Neil , Kanaan Richard AA
Published: May 2016

Objective:

This paper aims to analyse in a philosophically informed way the recent National Institute of Mental Health proposal for the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework.

Conclusion:

Current classification systems have helped unify psychiatry and the conditions that it is most concerned with. However, by relying too much on syndromes and symptoms, they too often do not define stable constructs. As a result, inclusions and removals from the manuals are not always backed by sound reasons. The RDoC framework is an important move towards ameliorating matters. This paper argues that it improves the current situation by re-referencing constructs to physical properties (biomarkers for disorders, for example), by allowing theoretical levels within the framework, and by treating psychiatry as a special case of the cognitive sciences.
The importance of taking a religious and spiritual history
Authors: Payman Vahid
Published: May 2016

Objective:

The objective of this study was to explain the reasons for taking a religious and spiritual history, which is often neglected by psychiatrists, and to introduce some religious and spiritual assessment tools to assist those psychiatrists who feel inexperienced in this area.

Conclusion:

Religious and spiritual assessment enhances quality of patient care. Training programs for psychiatry registrars need to include modules on religious and spiritual assessment of patients.
Virtual Manipulatives
Authors: Shin Mikyung , Bryant Diane P. , Bryant Brian R. , McKenna John W. , Hou Fangjuan , Ok Min Wook
Published: May 2016

Many students with learning disabilities demonstrate difficulty in developing a conceptual understanding of mathematical topics. Researchers recommend using visual models to support student learning of the concepts and skills necessary to complete abstract and symbolic mathematical problems. Virtual manipulatives (i.e., interactive visual models) can be used as tools for students while actively engaging in learning mathematics. This article discusses (a) technology trends in teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities, (b) virtual manipulatives as instructional mathematical tools for use in the classroom, (c) the benefits of using virtual manipulatives, and (d) potential challenges with using virtual manipulatives for instructional purposes.
Vitamin A Supplementation for Prevention of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Gawronski Catherine A. , Gawronski Kristen M.
Published: May 2016

Objective: To review the evidence on vitamin A supplementation (VAS) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in extremely-low-birth-weight infants. We also discuss the impact of a vitamin A shortage on BPD rates. Data Sources: A PubMed search inclusive of dates 1946 to March 2016 was performed using the search terms bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic lung disease (CLD), and vitamin A. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language studies were evaluated. Only those investigating VAS by intramuscular administration were included. Data Synthesis: A total of 6 studies were evaluated. Additionally, a report on the incidence of BPD during a national shortage was reviewed. Investigators found mixed results with VAS and incidence of CLD or death in a varying number of neonates. In the largest evaluation, investigators found a statistically significant decrease in the rate of death or BPD: 55% in the VAS group versus 62% in the placebo group. The number needed to treat to prevent 1 case of BPD was 15 infants. Few studies found an increased incidence of adverse events following VAS. A report over a 2-year shortage period found that whereas the rate of VAS declined dramatically, BPD rates remained stable. This large observational evaluation calls into question the place of vitamin A in BPD prevention. Conclusions: VAS has been identified as a strategy to decrease the incidence of BPD. Initial large-scale prospective evaluations have shown clear benefit of VAS in reducing the incidence of CLD or death. However, changing definitions of BPD and implementation of noninvasive ventilation strategies limit the application of early studies. During a drug shortage, VAS declined dramatically, but BPD rates remained stable. With concerns of sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis in small-scale studies, and in light of the recent shortage evidence, further evaluations are necessary before VAS can be recommended as a cornerstone of BPD prevention.
Service-evaluation-based resource selection for cloud manufacturing
Authors: Zhao Yan-Wei , Zhu Li-Nan
Published: May 2016

With the development of cloud computing, increasing attention has shifted from traditional manufacturing toward cloud manufacturing. The distinguishing feature of cloud manufacturing is that the resource designated for a given manufacturing service is always massive, complex, and heterogeneous. Cloud manufacturing also involves a high degree of user participation and user diversity. This article presents a method of resource selection based on service evaluation, which combines predictive evaluations and recommended evaluations. Predictive evaluations are based on the user’s historical evaluations of a given service, and these evaluations may be weighted differently depending on the time when the service occurred. Recommended evaluations are given by recommenders who are selected by a two-step process. These evaluations are weighted according to their similarities and objectivities. The results of numerical experiments show that the proposed method performs better than previous methods.
Highly-conductive energetic coherent interfaces subject to in-plane degradation
Authors: Esmaeili Ali , Javili Ali , Steinmann Paul
Published: May 2016

The presence of an interface can influence the thermo-mechanical response of a body. This influence is especially pronounced at small scales where the interface area to bulk volume ratio significantly increases. Since the thermo-mechanical properties of an interface can differ from those of the bulk, within interface continuum theory an interface is endowed with its own thermo-mechanical energetic structure. To date, the effects of interface in-plane damage on the thermo-mechanical response of a highly conductive interface have not been accounted for. Therefore in this contribution the computational aspects of thermo-mechanical solids containing highly conductive interfaces subject to in-plane degradation are studied.

To this end, the equations governing a fully non-linear transient problem are given. They are solved using the finite element method. The results are illustrated through a series of three-dimensional numerical examples for various interfacial parameters. In particular a comparison is made between the results of the intact and the degraded highly conductive interface formulation.
‘I Got to Know Myself Better, My Failings and Faults’
Authors: Enell Sofia
Published: May 2016

This article explores young people’s understandings of assessments conducted in secure accommodation. The concepts of ‘institutional identity’ and ‘text-mediated’ actions have been used in the analysis. The main empirical material is repeated interviews with assessed young people during a two-year period. In the findings, the stories of three young people display understandings of appreciation, disappointment and self-development. The assessments seem to have made the youths aware of their ‘failings and faults’. An analysis of the written assessments found institutional identities of ‘inner problems and unstructured everyday lives’. In conclusion, the young people’s understandings of the meanings and implications of the assessments are suggested to be connected to the caseworkers’ text-mediated actions and their position in the assessment process. The young people’s stories indicate the need to consider the institutional context of the assessments and to acknowledge young people’s efforts in care.
How norm violations shape social hierarchies: Those who stand on top block norm violators from rising up
Authors: Stamkou Eftychia , van Kleef Gerben A. , Homan Astrid C. , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: May 2016

Norm violations engender both negative reactions and perceptions of power from observers. We addressed this paradox by examining whether observers’ tendency to grant power to norm followers versus norm violators is moderated by the observer’s position in the hierarchy. Because norm violations threaten the status quo, we hypothesized that individuals higher in a hierarchy (high verticality) would be less likely to grant power to norm violators compared to individuals lower in the hierarchy (low verticality). In 14 studies ( Ntotal = 1,704), we measured participants’ trait verticality (sense of power, socioeconomic status, testosterone) and manipulated state verticality (power position, status, dominance). A meta-analysis revealed that higher ranked participants granted less power to norm violators than lower ranked individuals, presumably because the former support social stratification. Interestingly, these effects occurred for trait but not state verticality. Overall, negative reactions to deviants may be driven by hierarchy-maintenance motives by those in privileged positions.
Post-structuralist potentialities for studies of subjectivity and second language learning in early childhood
Authors: Bernstein Katie A
Published: May 2016

The past two decades have seen a proliferation of studies investigating, complicating, and reimagining the relationship between second language learning and identity. Yet, with only a handful of exceptions, these studies are limited to adolescent and adult second language learners. In this article, the author proposes that identity research with very young second language learners has been limited both by a tendency to see early second language learning as less problematic than that of older learners and by the conceptualization of identity itself. The author argues that a post-structuralist perspective on identity—or, rather, subjectivity—opens possibilities for research with the youngest students. In order to explore this theoretical potential, the author examines four major studies of identity and young second language learners (kindergarten and Grade 1) to analyze how their authors conceive of identity and what each affords for analysis. These studies support the idea that a post-structural analysis, through its interrogation of the concept of identity, offers possibilities for studies of subjectivity in young children. Yet they also highlight a need to interrogate traditional views of language and of language learning.
Discussion: Deterioration of performance of the lasso with many predictors
Authors: Flynn Cheryl J. , Hurvich Clifford M. , Simonoff Jeffrey S.
Published: May 2016

Oracle inequalities provide probability loss bounds for the lasso estimator at a deterministic choice of the regularization parameter and are commonly cited as theoretical justification for the lasso and its ability to handle high-dimensional settings. Unfortunately, in practice, the regularization parameter is not selected to be a deterministic quantity, but is instead chosen using a random, data-dependent procedure, often making these inequalities misleading in their implications. We discuss general results and demonstrate empirically for data using categorical predictors that the amount of deterioration in performance of the lasso as the number of unnecessary predictors increases can be far worse than the oracle inequalities suggest, but imposing structure on the form of the estimates can reduce this deterioration substantially.
Participatory design in education materials in a health care context
Authors: Smith Frida , Wallengren Catarina , Öhlén Joakim
Published: May 2016

Written patient education material, for example, discharge-information is commonly used in hospital settings. Despite following guidelines on how to best present text and using patients as consultants, improvements can still be made from a patient’s perspective.

Here, we describe the process of developing patient education material using a participatory design methodology, with patients, clinicians, researchers and designers working as co-designers following a structured process map. The method emphasises coping with conflicting interests and using this as a source of development. The philosophies behind action research and person-centred care were combined in a practical setting, enhancing both perspectives and generating actionable knowledge to be further used in patient involvement projects. The results reveal that predominant areas of tensions focused on power, organization, content and clinical usability. This study is one of the first to involve patients as co-designers of education materials in the health care context, and not only as consultants. Working as co-designers was found to be productive and in line with person-centred care philosophy, with focus on partnership and equality. The results of this study can therefore benefit both patients and other relevant stakeholders in the healthcare system in developing written patient education materials.
Electrical consequences of large-scale replacement of metal halide by LED luminaires
Authors: Hermoso-Orzáez MJ , Rojas-Sola JI , Gago-Calderón A
Published: May 2016

The recent trend for large-scale replacement of luminaires using discharge light sources with LED luminaires without any significant adjustments to the electrical installation has generated controversy. This study examines the main electrical measures in a large outdoor lighting installation before and after the replacement of a large number of metal halide floodlights with LED luminaires. The electrical parameters of both technologies are discussed in detail and compared, with special attention given to the odd-numbered harmonics of voltage and current, the generated wave deformation, currents in the neutral conductor, the wattless reactive volt amps and the peak inrush currents. At cold start-up, the LED luminaires generate large power-on currents, much larger than those generated by the metal halide lamps, despite requiring 36% less real installed power. This is a basic problem to be solved when planning a public lighting renovation with LED luminaires as the rest of electrical parameters are reduced. To address this problem, it is proposed to energise the luminaires using magneto-thermal protection circuits with slow trip curves that will tolerate the large short-term inrush currents.
Informal Virtual Mentoring for Team Leaders and Members
Authors: Hart Rama Kaye
Published: May 2016

The Problem

Leaders and members of virtual teams do not always have the opportunity to seek training and development to overcome the challenges of being culturally and geographically distant, nor the serendipitous exchanges afforded by proximity to work associates who might provide mentoring for personal or professional guidance. How then might organizations and human resource development (HRD) professionals foster relationships that are supportive in nature, considered critical for many outcomes associated with individual and leadership development and virtual team success?

The Solution

Drawing on the theoretical perspective that communication is constitutive of social, psychological and organizational realities, a conceptual model was developed through an interpretive study. The model highlights how informal developmental relationships emerge, what type of communication constitutes these relationships, and the impact they have on leaders and members of virtual work teams.

The Stakeholders

The results of this study have implications for leaders and members who work virtually and for HRD professionals seeking strategies to create and improve informal developmental relationships through the medium of virtual work team communication. Opportunities exist for researchers to explore the effectiveness and outcomes of building developmental relationships in virtual contexts.
A Qualitative Study of Leader Transition and Polarities
Authors: Manderscheid Steven , Harrower Nancy L.
Published: May 2016

The Problem

Leaders frequently transition from one organization into another. Leader transitions can be fraught with challenges as new leaders try to adapt to a new culture, team, and work processes. At no time during their career are leaders more vulnerable to failure as when they are in transition.

The Solution

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore leader transition and polarity. The researchers identified whether polarities existed during a leader’s transition from one leadership role into another and identified strategies leaders use to manage such polarities. Five polarities were identified: (a) Drive Change/Maintain Status Quo, (b) Work/Family, (c) Tradition/Innovation, (d) Action/Reflection, and (e) Task/Relationships. Furthermore, five strategies were used to manage polarities: (a) Collaborating, (b) Learning, (c) Developing Talent, (d) Reflecting (on Self), and (e) Decision-Making. By understanding the concepts and ramifications of polarities, it is hoped that newly transitioning leaders will be able to recognize and adjust to situations in which polarities may arise.

Stakeholders

The stakeholders include leaders in transition, leadership development professionals, executive coaches, and human resource management. These professionals should consider this research when they work to develop the capacity of their leadership talent.
The Electoral Determinants of State Welfare Effort in the U.S. South, 1960–2008
Authors: Terry William C.
Published: May 2016

This article examines the impact of electoral politics on state welfare policy in the post-civil rights era South. In contrast to an emerging consensus concluding that southern African Americans materially benefited from rejoining the electorate, this study suggests that higher black registration rates actually reduced states' poverty relief efforts. In the years immediately following the Voting Rights Act (VRA), when Democrats controlled state government, the significant negative relationship between the size of the black electorate and state welfare generosity was moderated to some extent by high levels of partisan competition. In such cases, Democrats ostensibly chose a “core” targeting strategy of pursuing lower-income votes and had the institutional wherewithal to purchase these votes with policy concessions. Overall, however, the liberal “Downsian” policy response to African American mobilization was dominated by an antiredistributive response. In the South, welfare policies were relatively conservative vis-à-vis the other states during Jim Crow and became more so in response to black voting.
The Biopolitical Logics of Settler Colonialism and Disruptive Relationality
Authors: Dietrich René
Published: May 2016

This essay argues that the biopolitical logics of settler colonialism function according to a naturalization in Western thought of politics as a project of hierarchically ordering life in relation to the sphere of politics. Significantly, such a mode of thinking discredits socio-political orders that operate on the basis of a non-hierarchical place-based relationality of all life forms including the land. Through a reading of Foucault and Agamben in their use of Aristotle, I want to show how hierarchy as a principle of the political is already implemented in the premise they draw upon for analyzing the biopolitical. In the same way it remains unrecognized in their analysis of biopolitics, this principle also becomes operative within settler colonial logics of life and land. Recently, however, Indigenous scholars and writers have mobilized relationality in its formative characteristic for Indigenous polities and politics as strategy to disrupt biopolitical logics and denaturalize settler colonial rule, which I want to show through engaging Daniel Heath Justice’s Indigenous fantasy trilogy The Way of Thorn and Thunder: The Kynship Chronicles as a site of disruptive relationality and political knowledge production.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery Associated Neurotoxicity
Authors: Clair William H. St. , Given Curtis A.
Published: May 2016

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an evolving therapeutic modality for well demarcated intracranial lesions. Since the inception of stereotactic radiosurgery the types of parenchymal CNS lesions addressed by this mode of treatment has increased. All modern stereotactic radiosurgical procedures employ several common features. Patients are fitted with a stereotactic head frame or fiducial markers followed by radiographic imaging which allows for external reference points and three-dimensional mapping of the intracranial lesion. Armed with this information a highly conformal treatment plan is developed to deliver a high dose of radiation to a sharply defined target, with rapid dose fall-off outside the lesion volume. While an extremely effective therapeutic option, SRS is not without risk of neurotoxicity, with radiation necrosis being the most commonly recognized complication. The neurotoxic effects of SRS are reviewed and discussed.
Extracranial Stereotactic Radiation Delivery: Expansion of Technology Beyond the Brain
Authors: Timmerman Robert , Papiez Lech , Suntharalingam Mohan
Published: May 2016

The development of improved immobilization systems, and a greater understanding of the radiobiologic considerations associated with stereotactic radiotherapy has recently led to the clinical implementation of this technology to extracranial sites. The shared principles of targeting and treatment delivery has led to a greater understanding of the potential role this therapy may have in the management of extracranial disease. This article will review, the radiobiologic considerations and the basic principles of physics and dosimetry that help govern the utilization of extracranial stereotactic radiotherapy. In addition, this article will summarize the data that exists in the literature to date, that has documented the rationale, and efficacy of this novel therapeutic approach.
Daily Stereotactic Ultrasound Prostate Targeting: Inter-user Variability
Authors: Fuss Martin , Cavanaugh Sean X. , Fuss Cristina , Cheek Dennis A. , Salter Bill J.
Published: May 2016

We analyzed the inter-user variability of patient setup for prostate radiotherapy using a stereotactic ultrasound-targeting device. Setup variations in 20 prostate cancer patients were analyzed. Users were a radiation oncologist, a medical physicist, four radiation technologists (RTT) and a radiologist. The radiation oncologist, radiologist, physicist and two RTTs were experienced users of the system (>18 months of experience); two RTTs were users new to the system. Gold standard for this analysis was a control CT acquired immediately following ultrasound targeting. For inter-user variability assessments, the radiation oncologist provided a set of axial and sagittal freeze-frames (standard freeze-frames) for virtual targeting by all users. Additionally each user acquired individual freeze-frames for target alignments. We analyzed the range of virtual setups in each patient along the principal room axes based on standard and individual freeze-frames. The magnitude of residual setup error and percentage of setup change for each user was assessed by control CT/planning CT comparison with individual virtual shifts. A total of 184 alignments were analyzed. The range of virtual shifts between users was 2.7±1.4, 3.6±1.1, and 4.4±1.4 mm (mean±SD) in x, y and z-direction for setups based on standard freeze-frames and 3.9±2.6, 6.0±4.7, and 5.4±2.7 mm for setups based on individual freeze-frames. When only virtual shifts of experienced users were analyzed, the mean ranges were reduced by up to 2.4 mm. Average magnitude of initial setup error before ultrasound targeting was 14.3 mm. Average improvement of prostate setup was 63.1±23.4% in experienced and 35.14±37.7% in inexperienced users, respectively (p<0.0001). Only 5 of 184 (2.7%) virtual alignments would have introduced new larger setup errors (mean 3.2 mm, range 0.2 to 9.5 mm) than the magnitude of the initial setup error. We conclude that ultrasound guided treatment setup for patients treated for prostate cancer can be performed with high inter-user consistency and does lead to improved treatment setup in more than 97% of attempted setups. Experienced use is correlated with a reduced range of setups between users and higher degree of setup improvement when compared with users new to the system.
Prostate Cancer Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging at 1.5 and 3.0 T
Authors: Chen Huiyou , Sutedjo Janesya , Wang Liwei , Yin Xindao
Published: May 2016

Objective:

We sought to assess the value of 1.5-T and 3-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging in the diagnosis of prostate cancer by meta-analysis.

Methods:

Prospective studies were selected from MEDLINE, PubMed, Science Direct, OVID, and Springer between January 2004 and June 2014. Studies were reviewed based on Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies criteria. Any publication bias was assessed using Deek funnel plot asymmetry test. Pooled sensitivities, specificities, positive likelihood ratios, negative likelihood ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Summary receiver–operating characteristic curves were used to assess the results.

Results:

A total of 17 articles were included in this study. The area under the curve values of 1.5-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging with the use of an endorectal coil, 1.5-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging without the use of an endorectal coil, and 3.0-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging without the use of an endorectal coil were 0.90 ± 0.03, 0.75 ± 0.03, and 0.93 ± 0.02, respectively.

Conclusion:

Three-tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging without the use of an endorectal coil and 1.5-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging with the use of an endorectal coil both had similar applied values compared to the lower applied value of 1.5-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging without the use of an endorectal coil.