bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The epistemic dimension of reasonableness
Authors: Liveriero Federica
Published: March 2015

My aim in this article is to investigate the epistemic dimension of reasonableness. In the last decades, the concept of reasonableness has been deeply analysed, and yet, I maintain that a strictly epistemic analysis of reasonableness is still lacking. The goal of this article is to clarify which epistemic features characterize reasonableness as one of the fundamental virtues in the political domain. In order to justify political liberalism through a public justification that averts the risk of falling into a dilemma, it is important to establish in advance which are the epistemic constraints that should be respected. My proposal is that a moderate approach in moral epistemology expresses the best scheme available to us – as moral agents constrained by the limit of our rationality – for establishing a normatively binding, and yet realistic, procedure of justification for political institutions and practices.
The Effects of Revenue Changes on NCAA Athletic Departments’ Expenditures
Authors: Hoffer Adam , Pincin Jared A.
Published: March 2015

This study uses a panel of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletic department revenue and expenditure data from 225 public colleges and universities to empirically investigate the behavior of athletic departments over the period 2006-2011. Three empirical relationships were explored: (a) how changes in total revenue affect disaggregated expenditure categories, (b) how disaggregated revenue streams influence total expenditures, and (c) whether changes in revenue categories change the size of the athletic department’s subsidy. The results show that additional athletic revenue increases expenditures for coaches 7.5 times more than direct expenditures for student-athletes, a ratio that increases for schools in power conferences. For every US$1 increase in ticket sale revenue, total expenditures can rise by US$0.83 and reduce a school’s athletic subsidy by US$0.19.
Inspiratory muscle training improves aerobic capacity and pulmonary function in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Drăgoi Răzvan-Gabriel , Amaricai Elena , Drăgoi Mihai , Popoviciu Horatiu , Avram Claudiu
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of inspiratory muscle training on aerobic capacity and pulmonary function in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Design:

Randomized controlled study.

Setting:

Rheumatic Rehabilitation Centre.

Subjects:

A total of 54 ankylosing spondylitis patients, all males, were randomized to a conventional exercise training associated with an inspiratory muscle training group, or to a conventional exercise training group.

Interventions:

Group 1 (27 patients) performed eight weeks of conventional exercise training (supervised weekly group sessions followed by a home-based exercise programme) associated with inspiratory muscle training sessions. Group 2 (27 patients) received eight weeks of conventional exercise training only.

Main measures:

Resting pulmonary function (forced vital capacity − FVC, forced expiratory volume in one second − FEV1); effort ventilatory efficiency (lowest ventilatory equivalent ratio for oxygen and carbon dioxide – VE/VO2 and VE/VCO2) and aerobic capacity (peak oxygen uptake – VO2peak) were assessed at baseline and after eight weeks of exercise-based intervention.

Results:

After eight weeks follow-up, patients in Group 1 had a significant increased chest expansion and VO2peak compared with Group 2 (3.6 ±0.8 cm vs. 3.2 ±0.5 cm, P = 0.032; 2.0 ±0.5 l/min vs. 1.8 ±0.3 l/min, P = 0.033). There were no significant differences of spirometric measurements, except FVC which significantly improved in patients who performed inspiratory muscle training (82.7 ±5.1% vs. 79.5 ±3.5%, P = 0.014). VE/VCO2 also improved significantly in Group 1 (26.6 ±3.6 vs. 29.2 ±4.7, P = 0.040).

Conclusions:

Ankylosing spondylitis patients who performed eight weeks of inspiratory muscle training associated to conventional exercise training had an increased chest expansion, a better aerobic capacity, resting pulmonary function and ventilatory efficiency than those who performed conventional exercise training only.
Concordance and discordance between measured and perceived balance and the effect on gait speed and falls following stroke
Authors: Liphart Jodi , Gallichio Joann , Tilson Julie K , Pei Qinglin , Wu Samuel S , Duncan Pamela W
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To ascertain the existence of discordance between perceived and measured balance in persons with stroke and to examine the impact on walking speed and falls.

Design:

A secondary analysis of a phase three, multicentered randomized controlled trial examining walking recovery following stroke.

Subjects:

A total of 352 participants from the Locomotor Experience Applied Post-Stroke (LEAPS) trial.

Methods:

Participants were categorized into four groups: two concordant and two discordant groups in relation to measured and perceived balance. Number and percentage of individuals with concordance and discordance were evaluated at two and 12 months. Walking speed and fall incidence between groups were examined.

Main measures:

Perceived balance was measured by the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence scale, measured balance was determined by the Berg Balance Scale and gait speed was measured by the 10-meter walk test.

Results:

Discordance was present for 35.8% of participants at two months post stroke with no statistically significant change in proportion at 12 months. Discordant participants with high perceived balance and low measured balance walked 0.09 m/s faster at two months than participants with concordant low perceived and measured balance ( p < 0.05). Discordant participants with low perceived balance and high measured balance walked 0.15 m/s slower than those that were concordant with high perceived and measured balance ( p ⩽ 0.0001) at 12 months. Concordant participants with high perceived and measured balance walked fastest and had fewer falls.

Conclusions:

Discordance existed between perceived and measured balance in one-third of individuals at two and 12 months post-stroke. Perceived balance impacted gait speed but not fall incidence.
Estimating the Expected Value of Sample Information Using the Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis Sample
Authors: Strong Mark , Oakley Jeremy E. , Brennan Alan , Breeze Penny
Published: March 2015

Health economic decision-analytic models are used to estimate the expected net benefits of competing decision options. The true values of the input parameters of such models are rarely known with certainty, and it is often useful to quantify the value to the decision maker of reducing uncertainty through collecting new data. In the context of a particular decision problem, the value of a proposed research design can be quantified by its expected value of sample information (EVSI). EVSI is commonly estimated via a 2-level Monte Carlo procedure in which plausible data sets are generated in an outer loop, and then, conditional on these, the parameters of the decision model are updated via Bayes rule and sampled in an inner loop. At each iteration of the inner loop, the decision model is evaluated. This is computationally demanding and may be difficult if the posterior distribution of the model parameters conditional on sampled data is hard to sample from. We describe a fast nonparametric regression-based method for estimating per-patient EVSI that requires only the probabilistic sensitivity analysis sample (i.e., the set of samples drawn from the joint distribution of the parameters and the corresponding net benefits). The method avoids the need to sample from the posterior distributions of the parameters and avoids the need to rerun the model. The only requirement is that sample data sets can be generated. The method is applicable with a model of any complexity and with any specification of model parameter distribution. We demonstrate in a case study the superior efficiency of the regression method over the 2-level Monte Carlo method.
Real-time monocular image-based 6-DoF localization
Authors: Lim Hyon , Sinha Sudipta N. , Cohen Michael F. , Uyttendaele Matt , Kim H. Jin
Published: March 2015

In this paper we present a new real-time image-based localization method for scenes that have been reconstructed offline using structure from motion. From input video, our method continuously computes six-degree-of-freedom camera pose estimates by efficiently tracking natural features and matching them to 3D points reconstructed by structure from motion. Our main contribution lies in efficiently interleaving a fast keypoint tracker that uses inexpensive binary feature descriptors with a new approach for direct 2D-to-3D matching. Our 2D-to-3D matching scheme avoids the need for online extraction of scale-invariant features. Instead, offline we construct an indexed database containing multiple DAISY descriptors per 3D point extracted at multiple scales. The key to the efficiency of our method is invoking DAISY descriptor extraction and matching sparingly during localization, and in distributing this computation over a temporal window of successive frames. This enables the system to run in real-time and achieve low per-frame latency over long durations. Our algorithm runs at over 30 Hz on a laptop and at 12 Hz on a low-power computer suitable for onboard computation on a mobile robot such as a micro-aerial vehicle. We have evaluated our method using ground truth and present results on several challenging indoor and outdoor sequences.
Online self-supervised learning for dynamic object segmentation
Authors: Guizilini Vitor , Ramos Fabio
Published: March 2015

This paper proposes a novel technique for the automatic segmentation of dynamic objects, solely using information from a single uncalibrated moving camera and without the need for manual labeling (or any human intervention, for that matter). Matching pairs of sparse features are extracted from subsequent frames, and the resulting optical flow information is divided into two classes (static or dynamic) using the RANSAC algorithm. This initial classification is then used to incrementally train a Gaussian process (GP) classifier that is then able to segment dynamic objects in new images. The GP hyperparameters are optimized online during navigation, with new data being gradually incorporated into the non-parametric model as it becomes available while redundant data is discarded, to maintain a near-constant computational cost. The result is a vector containing the probability that each pixel in the image belongs to a dynamic object, along with the corresponding uncertainty estimate of this classification. Experiments conducted using different robotic platforms, ranging from modified cars (driving at speeds of up to 50 km/h) to portable cameras (with a full six-degree-of-freedom range of motion), show promising results even in highly unstructured environments with cars, buses and pedestrians as dynamic objects. We also show how it is possible to cluster individual dynamic pixels into different object instances, and then further cluster those into semantically meaningful categories without any prior knowledge of the environment. Finally, we provide visual odometry results that testify to the proposed algorithm’s ability to correctly segment (and then remove) dynamic objects from a scene, and how this translates into a more accurate motion estimate between frames.
An overview of null space projections for redundant, torque-controlled robots
Authors: Dietrich Alexander , Ott Christian , Albu-Schäffer Alin
Published: March 2015

One step on the way to approach human performance in robotics is to provide joint torque sensing and control for better interaction capabilities with the environment, and a large number of actuated degrees of freedom (DOFs) for improved versatility. However, the increasing complexity also raises the question of how to resolve the kinematic redundancy which is a direct consequence of the large number of DOFs. Here we give an overview of the most practical and frequently used torque control solutions based on null space projections. Two fundamental structures of task hierarchies are reviewed and compared, namely the successive and the augmented method. Then the projector itself is investigated in terms of its consistency. We analyze static, dynamic, and the new concept of stiffness consistency. In the latter case, stiffness information is used in the pseudoinversion instead of the inertia matrix. In terms of dynamic consistency, we generalize the weighting matrix from the classical operational space approach and show that an infinite number of weighting matrices exist to obtain dynamic consistency. In this context we also analyze another dynamically consistent null space projector with slightly different structure and properties. The redundancy resolutions are finally compared in several simulations and experiments. A thorough discussion of the theoretical and empirical results completes this survey.
Potential of remote sensing to predict species invasions
Authors: Rocchini Duccio , Andreo Veronica , Förster Michael , Garzon-Lopez Carol Ximena , Gutierrez Andrew Paul , Gillespie Thomas W. , Hauffe Heidi C. , He Kate S. , Kleinschmit Birgit , Mairota Paola , Marcantonio Matteo , Metz Markus , Nagendra Harini , Pareeth Sajid , Ponti Luigi , Ricotta Carlo , Rizzoli Annapaola , Schaab Gertrud , Zebisch Marc , Zorer Roberto , Neteler Markus
Published: March 2015

Understanding the causes and effects of species invasions is a priority in ecology and conservation biology. One of the crucial steps in evaluating the impact of invasive species is to map changes in their actual and potential distribution and relative abundance across a wide region over an appropriate time span. While direct and indirect remote sensing approaches have long been used to assess the invasion of plant species, the distribution of invasive animals is mainly based on indirect methods that rely on environmental proxies of conditions suitable for colonization by a particular species. The aim of this article is to review recent efforts in the predictive modelling of the spread of both plant and animal invasive species using remote sensing, and to stimulate debate on the potential use of remote sensing in biological invasion monitoring and forecasting. Specifically, the challenges and drawbacks of remote sensing techniques are discussed in relation to: i) developing species distribution models, and ii) studying life cycle changes and phenological variations. Finally, the paper addresses the open challenges and pitfalls of remote sensing for biological invasion studies including sensor characteristics, upscaling and downscaling in species distribution models, and uncertainty of results.
Professional Pitchers With Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit (GIRD) Display Greater Humeral Retrotorsion Than Pitchers Without GIRD
Authors: Noonan Thomas J. , Shanley Ellen , Bailey Lane B. , Wyland Douglas J. , Kissenberth Michael J. , Hawkins Richard J. , Thigpen Charles A.
Published: March 2015

Background:

Dominant shoulder glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) has been associated with pitching arm injuries. The relationship of humeral torsion on development of GIRD is not clear.

Hypothesis:

Pitchers displaying GIRD will display greater humeral retrotorsion when compared with those without GIRD.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Humeral torsion and shoulder range of motion (ROM) were measured in 222 professional pitchers before spring training from 2009 to 2012. Shoulder external rotation (ER) and internal rotation (IR) ROM were assessed in 90° of abduction with the scapula stabilized. Humeral torsion was measured via ultrasound using previously described and validated methods. Side-to-side differences in total arc of motion (ER + IR), ER, and IR ROM and humeral torsion were calculated as nondominant minus dominant arm measures for analysis. Pitchers were classified as having GIRD if their dominant arm displayed an IR deficit ≥15° concomitant with a total arc of motion deficit ≥10° compared with their nondominant arm. A mixed-model analysis of variance (side × GIRD) was used to compare dominant and nondominant humeral torsion between pitchers with GIRD (n = 60) and those without GIRD (n = 162). Independent t tests were used to compare the side-to-side difference in humeral torsion between pitchers with GIRD and those without GIRD (α = 0.05).

Results:

Pitchers with GIRD displayed significantly less humeral torsion (ie, greater retrotorsion) in their dominant arm as compared with those without GIRD (GIRD = 4.5° ± 11.8°, no GIRD = 10.4° ± 11.7°; P = .002). Pitchers with GIRD also displayed a greater side-to-side difference in humeral torsion (GIRD = 19.5° ± 11.9°, no GIRD = 12.3° ± 12.4°; P = .001). However, pitchers with GIRD did not display an increase in dominant ER ROM (dominant ER = 131.8° ± 14.3°, nondominant ER 126.6° ± 13.1°) when compared with those without GIRD (dominant ER = 132.0° ± 14.2°, nondominant ER 122.6° ± 13.1°; P = .03). Pitchers with GIRD displayed expected alterations in ROM (IR = 28.8° ± 9.6°, total arc = 160.6° ± 15.4°; P < .01 for both) when compared with those without GIRD (IR = 39.9° ± 9.9°, total arc = 171.2° ± 15.5°).

Conclusion:

Pitchers with GIRD displayed greater side-to-side differences and dominant humeral retrotorsion as compared with those without GIRD. The greater humeral retrotorsion may place greater stress on the posterior shoulder resulting in ROM deficits. Pitchers with greater humeral retrotorsion appear to be more susceptible to developing ROM deficits associated with injury and may need increased monitoring and customized treatment programs to mitigate their increased injury risk.
The impact of coups d’état on civil war duration
Authors: Thyne Clayton
Published: March 2015

This paper considers how coups d’état influence the duration of civil wars. While previous work on civil war duration has ignored coups, grouped them alongside civil wars or considered them as a special type of conflict, this article recognizes coups as dramatic events that can quickly change the course of a conflict. Coups that take place during a civil war can shock an otherwise intractable bargaining situation, shortening the war’s duration. This shock influences both information and credibility concerns. Coups condense government preferences into a single, unified viewpoint and allow governments to efficiently translate preferences into action. They likewise combine the military with the government, effectively eliminating the military as a potential spoiler, which helps ease the commitment problem. These expectations are tested by examining the impact of successful coups on civil war duration, 1950–2009. Results suggest that coups indeed serve as peace-inducing shocks, primarily by working through the credibility mechanism.
Conflict management capabilities of peace-brokering international organizations, 1945–2010: A new dataset
Authors: Lundgren Magnus
Published: March 2015

The expectation that international organizations (IOs) can play a role in the resolution of violent conflict has spawned a process of institutional growth in the post-Second World War period. IOs at all levels have expanded existing instruments of conflict management and have gradually established new ones, such as mediation support units, early warning systems and standby military forces. Empirical research on this process has suffered from a lack of systematic, cross-temporal data. Seeking to rectify this weakness, this article introduces an original dataset on the institutional design of 21 peace-brokering IOs, organizations endowed with standing capabilities for conflict management interventions. The dataset contains yearly observations on 14 institutional variables during the 1945–2010 period, centered around three instruments of IO conflict management: mediation, economic sanctions and peacekeeping. It also includes observations on IO membership characteristics, power polarity and a set of security-related institutional features. This dataset provides scholars with a new source of variables for the study of institutional evolution, institutional heterogeneity and the impact of institutional characteristics on IO performance. A preliminary descriptive analysis shows that IOs display significant variation in terms of mandates, capabilities and rates of change. Using the data, I also perform a re-appraisal of an earlier study on IO dispute resolution, demonstrating the analytic benefits of having disaggregated measures of institutional design.
Seizure-Precipitating Factors in Relation to medical Recommendations
Authors: Stanuszek Agnieszka , Wnękowicz Emilia , Kuźniar Ewelina , Krakowska Karolina , Gergont Aleksandra , Kaciński Marek
Published: March 2015

Identification of factors precipitating epileptic seizures should always have practical implications and should always result in special recommendations given to patients. The purpose of our study is to analyze the relation between seizure-triggering factors and restrictive recommendations involving limitation of physical activity in particular. The research group consisted of 407 children hospitalized due to seizures. Their precipitants were identified in 27.5% of the patients. The most common included infection/fever, stress, and flashing lights. Although sport was documented as a precipitant in only 3.4% of all children, 8.1% of the investigated group were recommended to limit physical activity. As some episodes of epileptic seizures are reported to be provoked by sport, multiple restrictions are imposed on children. In the light of the worldwide academic literature and the present study, the recommendation of limiting sports activity is no longer supported.
Examining the Correlates of Women’s Use of Sexual Coercion
Authors: Bouffard Jeffrey A. , Bouffard Leana A. , Miller Holly A.
Published: March 2015

Research in the last few years has begun to examine the prevalence of female sexual offending as well as attempting to understand the predictors of sexually coercive behavior among women. Although women engage in sexual coercion significantly less often than men, more research on female sexual coercion is warranted. The current study provides an exploratory examination of the relationship between several attitudinal, experiential, and situational factors, and the use of various sexual coercion tactics among a sample of 582 sexually active, female undergraduate students, as well as proposing an explanatory model of female sexual coercion. Results indicate that several variables that are significant predictors of sexual aggression for men are also predictive for women. However, these variables seem to work differently in predicting sexually coercive behavior for women. Implications for theory and further study are discussed.
Same-Sex Marriage and the Future of the LGBT Movement
Authors: Bernstein Mary
Published: March 2015

In this article, I respond to queer critiques of the pursuit of same-sex marriage. I first examine the issue of (homo)normalization through a consideration of the everyday lives of same-sex couples with children, a subject about which queer critics are strangely silent. Children force same-sex couples to be out in multiple areas of their lives and recent court cases explicitly challenge the idea that same-sex couples do not make fit parents. Second, I examine whether same-sex marriage will address structural inequalities or will mainly benefit white, middle-class people. Access to marriage has disparate benefits depending on people’s structural locations, but is a movement goal supported by a broad array of LGBT people. Third, I examine the relationship between marriage, regulation, and the state. I argue for a broader understanding of the relationship between the state and different types of relationships, suggesting that it is impossible to escape regulation. If we consider marriage and family forms cross-nationally, we see a variety of possibilities for state recognition of various family forms. I conclude by assessing the impact of same-sex marriage on the future of LGBT politics, arguing that achieving marriage equality may allow the space for new political possibilities to emerge.
A new distributed cooling method for mitigating residual stress in friction stir welding
Authors: Zhou Xingguo , Mackenzie Donald , Pan Wenke
Published: March 2015

An analytical and finite element investigation of the effect of different cryogenic cooling nozzle configurations on temperature and residual stress in a model friction stir weld is presented. A new configuration adopting a distributed cooling approach is proposed based on an analytical cooling model. Finite element models are implemented to verify the effect of distributed cooling on welding temperature and longitudinal residual stress. The results presented indicate that new active cooling methods can improve mitigation of welding-induced residual stress.
Physical modelling of industrial multistage centrifugal compressors for monitoring and simulation
Authors: Cicciotti Matteo , Xenos Dionysios P , Bouaswaig Ala EF , Thornhill Nina F , Martinez-Botas Ricardo F
Published: March 2015

Currently, industrial applications to monitoring, simulation and optimization of compressors employ empirical models that are either data-driven or based on the manufacturer performance maps. This paper proposes the use of one-dimensional aerodynamic models for industrial applications such as simulation and monitoring. The physical model establishes causality relationships among input and output variables that are tuned to match the real compressor by using operation data. The application of the method is shown using data from an industrial multistage centrifugal compressor with interstage coolers and variable inlet guide vanes. This is a more complex but more relevant case study for process industry, as opposed to the single-stage variable speed compressors, which is the common example in the literature.
High-resolution magnetic and palynological records of the last deglaciation and Holocene from Lake Xiarinur in the Hunshandake Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia
Authors: Tang Ling , Wang Xisheng , Zhang Shuqin , Chu Guoqiang , Chen Yun , Pei Junling , Sheng Mei , Yang Zhenyu
Published: March 2015

High-resolution mineral magnetic and pollen records from overlapping piston cores from Lake Xiarinur (42°37′N, 115°28′E) document detailed changes in environment and vegetation since the last deglaciation in the Hunshandake Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia. The formation of Lake Xiarinur commenced during the Bølling–Allerød warming, as reflected by an abrupt shift in sedimentary facies from eolian sands to lacustrine sediments at a core depth of 3.5 m (~14.1 cal. kyr BP). The pollen records demonstrate that desert vegetation with sparse herbs occurred before 14.1 cal. kyr BP, which was succeeded by meadow grassland vegetation from ~14.1 –13.3 cal. kyr BP (the Bølling -Allerød). A dramatic decrease in pollen concentration occurred between ~13.3 and 11.7 cal. kyr BP corresponding to the Younger Dryas. The remarkable increases in pollen and Pediastrum concentrations at ~11.7 cal. kyr BP suggest that the environment began to ameliorate, and the most humid conditions prevailed until ~8.5 cal. kyr BP. The maxima of magnetic concentration–dependent and magnetic-grain-size-dependent parameters, together with high pollen concentrations, between ~10 and 9 cal. kyr BP are interpreted as a brief interval of high annual precipitation. Our results indicate a stepwise decrease in effective moisture in the mid-Holocene and an accelerated drying trend in the late Holocene, characteristics typical of an East Asian summer monsoon–influenced region. The broad similarities between our data and other lake records from central-eastern Inner Mongolia, well-dated speleothem δ18O records from southern and central China, and summer insolation at 45°N, support the idea that vegetation and climate changes in the Hunshandake Sandy Land were controlled mainly by fluctuations in the response of the East Asian monsoon to Northern Hemisphere summer insolation.
Differential experiences of time in academic work: How qualities of time are made in practice
Authors: Spurling Nicola
Published: March 2015

Increasing time pressures, an accelerating pace of work and the need to juggle an increasing number of competing demands are common experiences of academics working in contemporary universities. At the same time, notions of ‘time famine’ and ‘time squeeze’ have formed relatively long-standing topics of social science research and popular debate. This article draws together interviews with 15 academics based in sociology departments at four UK universities, with existing research on time, work and leisure to explore the social dynamics that underpinned these academics’ experiences. The paper argues that it is not only quantities of overall work, but the qualities of time made through everyday work, which are important for academics’ experiences of time. In particular, the paper identifies three key mechanisms that pull towards the fragmentation of daily and weekly schedules: work–leisure boundary making, organisational structuring of time and the intrinsic rhythms of practices. These mechanisms combined in different configurations depending on institution type and career stage, advantaging some and disadvantaging others. The paper provides an alternative to existing accounts about the effects of new managerialism and audit culture on academic practice, which focus on how increasing amounts of work ‘squeeze time’, and suggests that we should equally be concerned with how qualities of time are made in practice, and the effects of contemporary contexts on these processes.
The (in)actuality of Walter Benjamin: On the relation between the temporal and the social in Benjamin's work
Authors: Schiermer Bjørn
Published: March 2015

This paper addresses the relation between the social and the temporal. Its goal is to investigate the ways in which collective embeddedness interferes with the experience of time. To address this relation, I engage the concept of actuality in the work of Walter Benjamin. On the one hand, Benjamin's work offers a wealth of inspiring, intriguing, and elaborated reflections on the relation between actuality and temporality; on the other hand, as I will argue, it is flawed by decisive and illustrative mistakes and ambivalences. Consequently, the article has a double aim: By pointing toward fundamental theoretical problems and ambivalences at the basis of Benjamin's work, it hopes to say something new about the relation between the social and the temporal.
Disabled sportswomen and gender construction in powerchair football
Authors: Richard Rémi , Joncheray Helene , Dugas Eric
Published: March 2015

Sports and physical activities are ideal fields to study gender construction. Much research aims at shedding light on these processes. Women involved in ‘male’ sports have been extensively studied, and mixed-sex activities have sometimes been used to support these studies, but research has rarely focused on populations of disabled athletes. Yet, the phenomenon of gender construction takes on a particular meaning in the context of disability, insofar as the relations between sports, gender and disability raise the issues of production and negotiation of bodily norms in a specific way. We will try to understand this gender construction phenomenon through the study of ten French powerchair football players, with whom we conducted a participant observation over two and a half years, as well as in-depth interviews. We will pay particular attention to the case of three sportswomen who competed in an almost exclusively male champion ship. We will see that these women are confronted with a dilemma: going against the stereotype of the asexual Paralympian female athlete while performing masculinity to gain legitimacy in a men’s world. These sportswomen thus ‘play the game’ of masculinity through a set of discursive, behavioral and clothing strategies in order to find a place in powerchair football, while still preserving some of their ‘femininity.’
Dual-stiffness structures with reconfiguring mechanism: Design and investigation
Authors: Park Yong-Jai , Lee Jong-Gu , Jeon Sangwon , Ahn Heejin , Koh Jesung , Ryu Junghyun , Cho Maenghyo , Cho Kyu-Jin
Published: March 2015

To improve the multi-functionality of a structure, a foldable or deployable structure with variable stiffness is needed. This article presents dual-stiffness structures with two stiffness states: a stiff state and a flexible state for a multi-mission capability. This dual-stiffness structure is based on a hybrid structure that combines rigid and flexible segments; when the rigid segments are rearranged, the bending motion of the compliant material is constrained by the rigid segments, which varies the stiffness of the structure. Instead of continuously changing the stiffness, the dual-stiffness structure abruptly changes the stiffness state with a simple reconfiguring mechanism. We developed two reconfiguring mechanisms: a sliding mechanism and a folding mechanism. Using a layering process, the dual-stiffness structure with a two-dimensional multi-layer design was manufactured. To verify the behavior of the structure, a simplified structure with no sliding mechanism was designed and simulated using a finite element method. The ratio of the length of a rigid segment to the length of a compliant segment determined the stiffness of the structure. This dual-stiffness structure with the reconfiguring mechanism can be effective for applications that require a big change in stiffness, such as for a deployable solar panel, or flexible display.
An experimental method to design piezoelectric energy harvesting skin using operating deflection shapes and its application for self-powered operation of a wireless sensor network
Authors: Kim Hongjin , Lee Sowon , Cho Chulmin , Kim Jae Eun , Youn Byeng Dong , Kim Yoon Young
Published: March 2015

This work proposes a more practical way of designing the piezoelectric energy harvesting skin, which facilitates the application of the proposed idea to any practical engineering facilities with vibration. Unlike earlier studies to make use of analytical model for piezoelectric energy harvesting design, this work proposes an experimental method to design a piezoelectric energy harvesting skin using operating deflection shapes of a target mechanical system. This method is more practical in the sense that actual vibration of a target mechanical system can be characterized far better for the piezoelectric energy harvesting design. The key idea is to extract continuous in-plane normal strain values from discrete out-of-plane deformations of a target mechanical system. From multiple strain inflection lines, piezoelectric energy harvesting skin segments are designed to maximize a total power output. It is demonstrated that four piezoelectric energy harvesting skin segments designed by the proposed idea can generate sufficient power from the outdoor condensing unit of an air conditioning for self-powered operation of a wireless sensor network.
Rheological models of mechanical behavior of electrorheological fluids under different electric field strength
Authors: Makhaniok Alexander A , Korobko Evguenia V , Zhurauski Mikalai A
Published: March 2015

To describe the results of studies of the rheological properties of electrorheological fluids in the continuous shear flow mode under step change of the electric field strength, the mechanical model based on the parallel connection of Shvedov–Bingham and Maxwell models is proposed. In the creep mode under constant electric field, the rheological behavior of electrorheological fluids is described by the standard Burgers model including serially connected viscoelastic Maxwell and Kelvin–Voigt elements.
Scale effects of the rheological properties of electrorheological suspensions
Authors: Freyer Holger , Breitfeld Andreas , Ulrich Stephan , Schneider Steffen , Bruns Rainer , Wulfsberg Jens
Published: March 2015

The knowledge about the rheological behavior of electrorheological suspensions in all prevalent conditions is essential for the design process of applications. Of particular importance is the dependence of fluid viscosity on the electric field strength, the temperature, and the shear rate. Previous research has pointed out the difficulties in determining the relevant rheological parameters independent from the geometry and flow conditions. For example, experimental results obtained using a capillary rheometer are different from the results gained in flow channel experiments. Even the results from one flow channel could not easily be used to predict the performance of a channel with, for example, a different distance between the electrodes. Some possible effects such as wall slip, interactions of the particles with the surface of the electrodes, or scale effects based on the particle size distribution in relation to the dimension of the flow channel may complicate the determination of the rheological parameters. To investigate these effects, a flow channel test rig that allows systematic changes to the flow conditions was developed. The distance of the electrodes can continuously be changed from 0.02 to 1 mm with an apparent shear rate from 100 to 10,000 s−1. The electrodes can easily be replaced to determine the influence of surface structure. This article will first discuss the design of the flow channel followed by the experimental results obtained under different test conditions. The aim of this research is to gain insight into the scale effects of electrorheological suspensions in order to develop microfluidic applications.
The Impact of a Video Game on Criminal Thinking
Authors: Shaw Julia , Crosby Kimberly , Porter Stephen
Published: March 2015

Background

Debate regarding the potential repercussions of engaging with videogames that promote violence and crime has been part of public discourse for decades. The present study seeks to add to the debate by investigating some of the unexplored links between pro-criminal videogames and antisocial cognitive processes.

Aim

This study examined whether criminal thinking could be manipulated by exposure to common criminal stimuli: a popular North American news show and a popular antisocial videogame (GRAND THEFT AUTO IV).

Method

Participants ( N = 136) were assigned to one of four conditions (criminal news, non-criminal news, criminal gameplay, noncriminal gameplay) followed by implicit (Implicit Association Test) and explicit (questionnaires) measures of criminal thinking.

Results

Results indicated that engaging in criminal video gameplay had an immediate effect on implicit measures of criminal thinking, but not on explicit measures of criminal thinking.

Implications

This study builds on the present literature by examining sources of criminal thinking and the usefulness of virtual crime methodologies and implicit measures for experimental paradigms in this field.
Health as Submission and Social Responsibilities
Authors: Pitaloka Dyah , Hsieh Elaine
Published: March 2015

By examining women’s experiences with type II diabetes, we explore how illness can provide resources to construct meanings of everyday life in Javanese culture. We conducted in-depth interviews with 30 female participants in Central Java, Indonesia, and adopted grounded theory for data analysis. We identified four themes that diabetes serves as resources for women in Indonesia to (a) normalize suffering, (b) resist social control, (c) accept fate, and (d) validate faith. We concluded by noting three unique aspects of Javanese women’s illness management. First, through the performance of submission, our participants demonstrated spirituality and religiosity as essential elements of health. Second, diabetes empowers individuals in everyday suffering through two divergent processes: embracing submission and resisting control. Finally, diabetes provides opportunities for individuals within a social network to (re)negotiate social responsibilities. In summary, diabetes provides unique resources to empower our participants to obtain voices that they otherwise would not have had.
Alexithymia, Emotional Dysregulation, and Recovery From Alcoholism
Authors: Krentzman Amy R. , Higgins Margaret M. , Staller Karen M. , Klatt Emily S.
Published: March 2015

This study is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial that tested the effects of a gratitude intervention on well-being in a sample of individuals in outpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Follow-up qualitative interviews unexpectedly revealed that participants found the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to be helpful to their recovery in the ways that it asked them to identify and rate their emotions. Participant statements were purposively sampled and analyzed using grounded theory methods to produce a conceptual framework illustrating the process of mood identification and its sequelae. Evidence of existing alexithymia and emotional dysregulation, dominance of negative mood, and increasing ability to identify, accept, and regulate mood as part of recovery was found. Findings suggest that emotion regulation is a compelling topic for those in recovery from AUD, and may deserve a more prominent role in treatment.
Radiographic Outcomes Following Lateral Column Lengthening With a Porous Titanium Wedge
Authors: Gross Christopher E. , Huh Jeannie , Gray Joni , Demetracopoulos Constantine , Nunley James A.
Published: March 2015

Background:

Lateral column lengthening (LCL) is commonly utilized in treating stage II posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of LCL with porous titanium wedges compared to historic controls of iliac crest autograft and allograft. We hypothesized that the use of a porous titanium wedge would have radiographic improvement and union rates similar to those with the use of autograft and allograft in LCL.

Methods:

Between May 2009 and May 2014, 28 feet in 26 patients were treated with LCL using a porous titanium wedge. Of the 26 patients, 9 were males (34.6%). The average age for males was 43 years (range, 17.9-58.7), 48.7 years (range, 21-72.3) for females. Mean follow-up was 14.6 months. Radiographs were examined for correction of the flatfoot deformity and forefoot abduction. All complications were noted.

Results:

Radiographically, the patients had a significant deformity correction in the anteroposterior talo-first metatarsal angle, talonavicular coverage angle, lateral talo-first metatarsal angle, and calcaneal pitch. All but 1 patient (96%) had bony incorporation of the porous titanium wedge. The average preoperative visual analog scale pain score was 5; all patients but 3 (12%) had improvements in their pain score, with a mean change of 3.4.

Conclusion:

LCL with porous titanium had low nonunion rates, improved radiographic correction, and pain relief.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
Nonunion Risk Assessment in Foot and Ankle Surgery
Authors: Thevendran Gowreeson , Wang Calvin , Pinney Stephen J. , Penner Murray J. , Wing Kevin J. , Younger Alastair S. E.
Published: March 2015

Background:

Nonunion risk factor identification and modification are subjective. We describe and validate a predictive nonunion risk factor model to identify foot and ankle operative patients at risk for nonunion.

Materials and Methods:

One hundred international experts in foot and ankle surgery were surveyed. Nineteen nonunion risk factors were stratified into 3 categories: more significant than, as significant as, and less significant than smoking 1 pack per day. A nonunion risk assessment model was developed by assigning a weighted score to each risk factor, based on its mean score from the survey. A total nonunion risk (TNR) score was calculated for individual patients. It was retrospectively validated in 2 patient cohorts from a single center’s prospectively collected end-stage ankle arthritis patient database: 22 cases of ankle and/or hindfoot fusion nonunion and 40 sex- and procedure-matched controls with bony fusion. Analyses included descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and univariate and multivariate linear regression models.

Results:

The mean TNR score was 6.6 ± 5.6 in controls and 13.5 ± 8.2 in the nonunion group ( P < .001). Data showed excellent intraobserver and interobserver correlation coefficients. In a logistic regression model, the risk of nonunion exceeded 9% with a TNR score greater than or equal to 10. Multivariate linear regression analysis, adjusted for age and sex, suggested that lack of fusion site stability and obesity (body mass index greater than 30) were significantly predictive of nonunion.

Conclusion:

The nonunion risk assessment model provides a reliable, sensitive, and specific method for predicting nonunion based on objective patient assessment. Orthopaedic patients at risk for nonunion could benefit from targeted intervention.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective observational study.
What Sexual Recidivism Rates Are Associated With Static-99R and Static-2002R Scores?
Authors: Hanson R. Karl , Thornton David , Helmus Leslie-Maaike , Babchishin Kelly M.
Published: March 2015

Empirical actuarial risk tools are routinely used to assess the recidivism risk of adult sexual offenders. Compared with other forms of risk assessment, one advantage of actuarial risk tools is that they provide recidivism rate estimates. Previous research, however, suggests that there is considerable variability in the recidivism rates associated with the most commonly used sexual offender risk assessment tools (Static-99/R, Static-2002/R). The current study examined the extent to which the variability in the recidivism rates across 21 Static-99R studies ( N = 8,805) corresponded to the normative groups proposed by the STATIC development group (routine, treatment, high risk/high need). We found strong evidence that routine (i.e., complete) samples were, on average, less likely to reoffend with a sexual offense than offenders in the high-risk/high-need samples (i.e., those explicitly preselected on risk-relevant variables external to STATIC scales). The differences between routine/complete and high-risk/high-need samples, however, were only consistently observed for offenders with low or moderate scores; for offenders with high STATIC scores, the 5-year sexual recidivism rates for these two groups were not meaningfully different. There was only limited evidence to support treatment samples as a distinct sample type; consequently, the use of separate normative tables for treatment samples is not recommended. The current results reinforce the value of regularly updating the norms for empirical actuarial risk tools. Options are discussed on how STATIC scores could be used to inform recidivism rates estimates in applied assessments.
New Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Alpert Patricia T.
Published: March 2015

The Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) IV, the long-awaited guideline recommendation to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease (CVD), looks very different from the ATP III guideline released in 2000. The new guidelines are based on at least seven randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using statin therapy and four additional non-statin RCTs. In general, the new guidelines focus on doing a risk assessment using a newly developed calculator, and treatment involves high-, moderate-, or low-intensity statin treatment. These guidelines are not without controversy and only time will be the judge of its utility.