bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comorbidity of Arithmetic and Reading Disorder
Authors: Raddatz Julia , Kuhn Jörg-Tobias , Holling Heinz , Moll Kristina , Dobel Christian
Published: January 2016

The aim of the present study was to investigate the cognitive profiles of primary school children (age 82–133 months) on a battery of basic number processing and calculation tasks. The sample consisted of four groups matched for age and IQ: arithmetic disorder only (AD; n = 20), reading disorder only (RD; n = 40), a comorbid group ( n = 27), and an unimpaired control group ( n = 40). Multiple 2 (RD vs. No RD) × 2 (AD vs. No AD) factorial ANCOVAs showed that children with RD had selective impairments in counting and number transcoding efficiency. In contrast, children with AD performed poorly in most tasks, including symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitude comparisons, subitizing, number line estimation, number sets, number transcoding accuracy, and calculation. These findings provide further support that AD is characterized by multiple, heterogeneous underlying deficits. In contrast, RD is associated with specific number processing impairments only if tasks require verbal processing. Taken together, the results fully support the assumption of comorbid additivity of AD and RD.
Mega-project meltdown: Post-politics, neoliberal urban regeneration and Valencia’s fiscal crisis
Authors: Tarazona Vento Amparo
Published: January 2016

Drawing on the literature of post-politics and post-democracy, the literature of neoliberalism as mode of governance and the study of the city of Valencia’s long-standing emphasis on the development of prestige mega-projects of iconic architecture as a means to achieve economic regeneration and urban revitalisation, this paper evaluates the social and economic effects of urban mega-projects and analyses them as conduits of neoliberal globalisation and de-politicisation of the public sphere.

On the one hand, an urban policy based on the use of mega-projects represents a turn from welfarism to entrepreneurialism which, beyond the evident urban transformation and re-imaging, results in an increase in social inequality, the creation of precarious jobs, and an underinvestment in social services.

On the other hand, the mechanisms used to implement mega-projects – including both exceptionality measures and privatisation of management through the creation of semi-public delivery bodies – result in a lack of transparency and democratic control, which in turn lead to more authoritative and privatised forms of decision-making. Moreover, mega-projects – through their focus on expertise and technocracy and a populist politics and discourse constructed around them – play a crucial role in the erosion of democracy and the establishment of a consensual politics where ideological struggle does not exist.
Helicobacter pylori infection in dyspeptic patients in an industrial belt of India
Authors: Satpathi Parthasarathi , Satpathi Sanghamitra , Mohanty Sanjib , Mishra Saroj K , Behera Prativa K , Maity Amit Bikram
Published: January 2016

The present study is done to study different aspects of Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) such as its prevalence, association with upper gastrointestinal pathology, diagnosis and treatment outcome. Gastric antral biopsy and serology for H. pylori was done for all dyspeptic patients. Histopathology, gram stain and biopsy urease test was done from the gastric biopsy specimen. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 58.8%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for histopathology was 96.9%, 100%, 100% and 95.8%, respectively; for biopsy urease test 80.4%, 100%, 100% and 78.2%, respectively; for gram stain 85.6%, 97.1%, 97.6% and 82.5%, respectively, and for serology 94.8%, 77.9%, 86% and 91.4%, respectively. Mostly peptic ulcer and duodenitis cases followed by chronic active gastritis were associated with H. pylori infection. Repeat biopsy revealed eradication of H. pylori in 90.7% cases. In dyspeptic patients, endoscopic biopsy not only detects H. pylori infection, but also reveals different gastric pathologies.
Poignancy and Mediated Wisdom of Experience: Narrative Impacts on Willingness to Accept Delayed Rewards
Authors: Slater Michael D. , Oliver Mary Beth , Appel Markus
Published: January 2016

Research on the impact of eudaimonic narrative has begun to identify a variety of psychologically and socially important outcomes. In the present study, we conceptually and operationally distinguish three distinctive responses to eudaimonic narrative: moral elevation, being emotionally moved, and poignancy. We, following work by Hershfield and colleagues (Ersner-Hershfield, Mikels, Sullivan, & Carstensen, 2008), suggest that poignancy, or a combination of sadness and happiness in response to life or narrative events, represents a recognition and acceptance of life’s transience and mixed joys and sorrows. Evocation of poignancy by eudaimonic narrative, then, should elicit responses associated with age, life experience, and maturity, which we refer to as “mediated wisdom of experience.” We find that brief eudaimonic video clips, compared with similar non-eudaimonic clips, increase acceptance of delayed rewards (i.e., reduced delay discounting, which has been found to be associated with maturity and negatively associated with risky and unsafe behavior in prior research), indirectly via the impact of these clips on poignant responses. In contrast, being emotionally moved showed an indirect path leading to decreased acceptance of delayed rewards, whereas moral elevation had no mediating effect.
Risk of Secondary Injury in Younger Athletes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Wiggins Amelia J. , Grandhi Ravi K. , Schneider Daniel K. , Stanfield Denver , Webster Kate E. , Myer Gregory D.
Published: January 2016

Background:

Injury to the ipsilateral graft used for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or a new injury to the contralateral ACL are disastrous outcomes after successful ACL reconstruction (ACLR), rehabilitation, and return to activity. Studies reporting ACL reinjury rates in younger active populations are emerging in the literature, but these data have not yet been comprehensively synthesized.

Purpose:

To provide a current review of the literature to evaluate age and activity level as the primary risk factors in reinjury after ACLR.

Study Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

A systematic review of the literature was conducted via searches in PubMed (1966 to July 2015) and EBSCO host (CINAHL, Medline, SPORTDiscus [1987 to July 2015]). After the search and consultation with experts and rating of study quality, 19 articles met inclusion for review and aggregation. Population demographic data and total reinjury (ipsilateral and contralateral) rate data were recorded from each individual study and combined using random-effects meta-analyses. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for the total population data as well as the following subsets: young age, return to sport, and young age + return to sport.

Results:

Overall, the total second ACL reinjury rate was 15%, with an ipsilateral reinjury rate of 7% and contralateral injury rate of 8%. The secondary ACL injury rate (ipsilateral + contralateral) for patients younger than 25 years was 21%. The secondary ACL injury rate for athletes who return to a sport was also 20%. Combining these risk factors, athletes younger than 25 years who return to sport have a secondary ACL injury rate of 23%.

Conclusion:

This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that younger age and a return to high level of activity are salient factors associated with secondary ACL injury. These combined data indicate that nearly 1 in 4 young athletic patients who sustain an ACL injury and return to high-risk sport will go on to sustain another ACL injury at some point in their career, and they will likely sustain it early in the return-to-play period. The high rate of secondary injury in young athletes who return to sport after ACLR equates to a 30 to 40 times greater risk of an ACL injury compared with uninjured adolescents. These data indicate that activity modification, improved rehabilitation and return-to-play guidelines, and the use of integrative neuromuscular training may help athletes more safely reintegrate into sport and reduce second injury in this at-risk population.
Industrial Seigniorage: The Other Face of Competition
Authors: Melmiès Jordan
Published: January 2016

This paper presents a novel perspective on industrial practices in modern competitive capitalist economies, questioning, in particular, the link between prices, competition, and the quality of goods and services. It tries to characterize a business practice that consists in reducing prices and maintaining (or increasing) profit margins by reducing the quality of goods and services while still presenting them as the same as before. The paper is primarily concerned with the practice of producing inferior quality goods by reducing the quantity of inputs used in the production process, or mixing inputs with cheaper constituents. The proposed term for this practice, “industrial seigniorage,” is based on the historical privilege of feudal lords (from Old French seigneur), who—possessing the right to mint gold coins—made a profit by adding cheaper base metals to the bullion. The present, essentially exploratory investigation attempts to delineate the widespread existence of such practices in various industrial sectors. It strives to explain the fundamental elements of consumer behavior that enable this practice to exist and discusses the effects of industrial seigniorage on several social issues. The attempt of the paper is finally to show that contrary to the ideology of capitalism, competition does not necessary lead to benefits for consumers or to an increase in product quality.
Melamine/monoammonium phosphate complex as the polyphosphate substitute in flame retardant coatings
Authors: Korotkov Anton S.
Published: January 2016

Synthesis of the melamine–monoammonium phosphate complex and its application for fireproof intumescent paints are reported. The experimental intumescent liquid samples appear smooth with excellent rheology and thixotropicity; they produce good expanded chars with satisfactory time of fire resistance in the case of a simulated cellulose fire. In this study, the influence of mineral foam cementing agents was also established. Talc (MgSiO3) and kaolin (Al2(SiO3)3) seem to be preferable cementing agents due to their soft influence on the expanded char structure.
Preventing Online Victimization: College Students’ Views on Intervention and Prevention
Authors: White Wendi E. , Carmody Dianne
Published: January 2016

Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites have changed the way we interact online. Technological advances have also facilitated the emergence of cyberstalking and online harassment, a growing issue on college campuses. This study utilizes focus group data to examine college students’ experiences with online harassment and cyberstalking. Students voiced concerns with online tracking, falsifying identities, and harassment. They also noted that incoming first-year students and those negotiating some of their first romantic relationships are especially vulnerable. In addition, students were asked to propose appropriate prevention, education, and intervention strategies at the college level. Surprisingly, many students recommended offline programs to battle this online problem.
Control, Norms, and Attitudes: Differences Between Students Who Do and Do Not Intervene as Bystanders to Sexual Assault
Authors: Hoxmeier Jill C. , Flay Brian R. , Acock Alan C.
Published: January 2016

Sexual assault is a major concern on the U.S. college campus. Engaging students as pro-social bystanders has become more common as a potentially effective mechanism for reducing the incidence of sexual assault and mitigating the harm of assaults that have already occurred. Understanding the influences of pro-social bystander behavior is imperative to developing effective programs, and the use of an evidence-based theoretical framework can help identify the differences between students who intervene and those who do not when presented with the opportunity. A sample of 815 undergraduate university students completed the Sexual Assault Bystander Behavior Questionnaire, a survey based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) that investigates students’ perceived behavioral control to intervene, subjective norms that support intervening, attitudes toward intervening, and intent to intervene in the future. Two-tailed t tests revealed interveners reported significantly greater perceived behavioral control than non-interveners for eight of the 12 intervention behaviors, more supportive subjective norms than non-interveners for seven of the 12 intervention behaviors, more positive attitudes than non-interveners for only one of the 12 intervention behaviors, and greater intent to intervene in the future for six of the 12 intervention behaviors. Differences in the four TPB variables were not consistent for the 12 intervention behaviors. The use of a theoretical framework found to be effective in explaining—and changing—other health-related behaviors, and the inquiry into students’ opportunities to intervene to compare against their reported intervention behaviors, is new to this body of literature and contributes to the understanding of the influences of pro-social bystander behavior.
How Do Men Construct and Explain Men’s Violence?
Authors: Dagirmanjian Faedra Backus , Mahalik James R. , Boland Justin , Colbow Alexander , Dunn Joseph , Pomarico Anthony , Rappaport Daniel
Published: January 2016

In this study, we examine men’s constructions of violence and their explanations of their own violent behavior. Interviews were conducted with 12 adult men, employed in industrial and manual labor, regarding their associations with violence, their reasons for engaging in violent behavior, and their reasons for not engaging in violent behavior. Utilizing consensual qualitative research methodology, our findings indicated that men’s constructions of violence and their justifications for engaging in violence were linked to their constructions of masculinity and what it meant to them to be a man. Results are discussed through the lenses of multiple gender-based theories and ultimately, deemed to demonstrate the most support for the notion of precarious manhood. Specifically, violence was viewed as necessary in particular situations to assert or maintain one’s social status and sense of self as masculine when faced with threats to manhood status. Implications for psychological intervention and practice with men are discussed, including identifying positive alternatives to violence that preserve one’s sense of self as masculine.
Exit Tales: How Precarious Workers Navigate Bad Jobs
Authors: Sallaz Jeffrey J.
Published: January 2016

Why do some workers quit undignified “bad jobs,” while others persist in them? We know a great deal about how people find employment, along with what they do at work. But we have few studies documenting the lived experience of quitting a bad job. Recent structural transformations, such as the demise of Fordism and the curtailment of welfare, have surely recalibrated the strategies by which precarious individuals navigate the labor market. This article, an ethnography that follows a single cohort of call center employees over nine months, documents four main pathways through which such workers leave versus stay in their jobs. It argues that the emergent class of precarious workers is not homogenous. Gender, race, and age intersect with class to shape how one experiences a given bad job.
Another Paradox? The Life Satisfaction of Older Hispanic Immigrants in the United States
Authors: Calvo Rocío , Carr Dawn C. , Matz-Costa Christina
Published: January 2016

Objective: To investigate disparities in life satisfaction among older Hispanic immigrants in the United States relative to their native-born Hispanic and non-Hispanic White counterparts, and to identify factors associated with such disparities. Method: Cross-sectional data from 9,798 individuals age 60 and above from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used to estimate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models. Results: Hispanic immigrants reported the highest levels of life satisfaction of all groups. Wealthier older adults, who were socially engaged, had social support, and experienced fewer functional limitations and lower exposure to discrimination, were more satisfied with their lives in the overall sample. Interaction effects revealed that although education was associated with greater life satisfaction only among non-Hispanic Whites, co-residing with children was associated with greater life satisfaction only among Hispanics. Discussion: Although older Hispanic immigrants had the least amount of socioeconomic resources of all groups in our study, they were the most satisfied with their lives. Possible explanations and directions for future research are discussed.
Fruitful Areas of Further Inquiry
Authors: Lockwood O’Donovan Joan
Published: January 2016

Building on the papers and discussions in this project, my concluding comments indicate fruitful lines of further inquiry into the common and distinctive features of the Christian and Islamic political inheritances and their contemporary appropriation in the two communities. Topics for further exploration include: the hermeneutic approaches to diversity within the authoritative traditions of Christianity and Islam; the extent and nature of the service rendered by political rule to the natural and soteriological goods of moral community; the theological/anthropological underpinnings of the moral limitations and ambiguities of political order and justice; and alternative political modes of accommodating religious plurality in society.
A poly(arylene ether sulfone) hybrid membrane using titanium dioxide nanoparticles as the filler
Authors: Yu Yunwu , Pan Wenhao , Guo Xiaoman , Gao Lili , Gu Yaxin , Liu Yunxue
Published: January 2016

Poly(arylene ether sulfone) (PES)–titanium dioxide (TiO2) hybrid membranes were prepared via solution blending method using TiO2 nanoparticles as inorganic filler. The chemical structure and thermal stability of the matrix polymer were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The crystal structure, morphology, mechanical properties, and gas separation performance of hybrid membranes were characterized in detail. As shown in scanning electron microscopic images, TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed homogeneously in the matrix. Although the mechanical properties of hybrid membranes decreased certainly compared to the pure PES membranes, they are strong enough for gas separation in this study. All gas permeability coefficients of PES-TiO2 hybrid membranes were higher than pure PES membranes, attributed to the nanogap caused by TiO2 nanoparticles, for instance, oxygen and nitrogen permeability coefficients of Hybrid-3 (consists of PES with 4-amino-phenyl pendant group and hexafluoroisopropyl (Am-PES)-20 and TiO2 nanoparticles, 5 wt%) increased from 2.57 and 0.33 to 5.88 and 0.63, respectively. In addition, the separation factor increased at the same time attributed to the stimulative transfer effect caused by the interaction of hydroxyl groups on the TiO2 nanoparticle and polar carbon dioxide molecules.
Determination of the stability lobes with multi-delays considering cutter’s helix angle effect for machining process
Authors: Guo Qiang , Sun Yuwen , Jiang Yan , Yan Yanyan , Ming Pingmei
Published: January 2016

As a common phenomenon, chatter is one of the most important factors that inhibit the improvement of productivity and deteriorate the machined surface quality in milling process. In this article, the mathematical model of the dynamic machining process is first constructed with multi-delays, in which the effect of the cutter’s helix angle on the chatter is considered. And a new integral interpolation method is proposed to predict the stability lobes. Based on this method, the mathematical model which is divided into two parts is calculated respectively with an interpolation method and an integration method. Using the Floquet theory, the stability limits of the dynamic milling system for an arbitrary point can thus be precisely predicted. Subsequently, the convergence rate of this integral interpolation method is analyzed. In order to verify the mathematical model, the stability lobes with uniform and variable cutter pitch angle are computed and the results show a good agreement with published experimental data; also one experiment is conducted to validate the proposed model and the method. Simultaneously, the simulation of a stability lobe with non-zero helix angle is also performed and the results validate the fact that the proposed method is capable of predicting stability limits with high accuracy. Finally, the influences of the cutter and process parameters such as helix angle, pitch angle, down-milling or up-milling and radial cutting depth on the milling chatter are analyzed.
Extracting the manufacturing information of machining features for computer-aided process planning systems
Authors: Manafi D , Nategh MJ , Parvaz H
Published: January 2016

An integrated manufacturing system needs automated conversion of design information into its manufacturing counterpart. This is partly dealt with in the present study for extracting the manufacturing information for computer-aided process planning systems, including the identification of tool approach direction, attributing the dimensional and geometric tolerances to the machining features, and identification of the reference faces. In spite of extensive study conducted on computer-aided process planning systems, further investigation is still needed to develop automation in attributing tolerances to machining features and identifying the reference faces. The authors have proposed new methods to implement these tasks. A detailed case study has been used to illustrate the application of the developed algorithms.
A solution to detect and avoid conflicts for civil remotely piloted aircraft systems into non-segregated airspaces
Authors: Migliaccio Giovanni , Mengali Giovanni , Galatolo Roberto
Published: January 2016

The capability to “detect and avoid” potential collisions is one of the main technical challenges restricting widespread operations of unmanned aircraft into non-segregated airspaces. In fact, to operate into prescribed environments, an unmanned aircraft needs an onboard technology to replace the capability of the human pilot to “see and avoid” collision hazards. Such a technology is a “sense and avoid” system. This article focuses on the “avoid function” of such a system and proposes a suitable solution. The approach to the problem is to schematize a generic obstacle through a moving ellipsoid that represents the region of space the unmanned aircraft must not violate. The obtained solution enables situations of potential conflict to be detected and avoided through a set of possible actions such as speed changes in magnitude and/or direction. Thousands of test cases have been considered to validate this solution. Simulations show that the proposed algorithm is able to detect and avoid situations of potential conflict in the three-dimensional space and in real-time, even without the assistance of a human operator. As such, it can be considered as a fundamental step for the development of a prototype of “sense and avoid” system for promoting the integration of unmanned aircraft into non-segregated airspaces.
Adaptive estimation of attitude and angular velocity of malfunctioned satellites for on-orbit servicing
Authors: Yu Feng , He Zhen , Wu Yunhua , Hua Bing
Published: January 2016

Estimating the attitude and angular velocity of a malfunctioned satellite is one of the key technologies to achieve robotic on-orbit servicing, which is a challenging space activity. In this paper, a new method of estimating attitude parameters for target satellite by using stereo-vision system is proposed. First, two sets of vectors are constructed according to the feature point coordinates in target frame and stereo-vision system frame respectively, and then the relative attitude between the target and the servicer is determined through QUEST algorithm. Secondly, a new nonlinear estimator is proposed to estimate the attitude and inertial angular momentum of the target and the angular velocity is computed according to the estimated angular momentum and attitude. The stability of the estimator is proved by using the LaSalle’s invariance principle. Thirdly, a switch rule and an adaptive regulating rule are proposed to improve the estimation performance. The former decides when to switch from the rough estimator to the precise one. The latter regulates the gain dynamically in order to reduce the influence of the varying stereo-vision noise in the precise estimating procedure. Finally, numerical simulations and an experiment are carried out to verify the validity of the proposed method.
Challenge and relief: A Foucauldian disciplinary analysis of retirement from professional association football in the United Kingdom
Authors: Jones Luke , Denison Jim
Published: January 2016

The aim of this study was to consider the retirement experiences of British male professional association footballers by utilising Foucault’s analysis of discipline discussed in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Specifically, we drew upon Foucault to consider how, through the various techniques and instruments of discipline, the professional football context produces ‘docile footballing bodies’ and how this might influence a player’s experiences in retirement. We gathered our empirical material using a Foucauldian-informed interview framework with 25 former professional male football players between the ages of 21 and 34. Our analysis suggested that retirement from football was both a challenge and a relief for our participants, and that their extended period of time within football’s strong disciplinary apparatus significantly influenced how they experienced their retirement.
The mental health benefits of employment: Results of a systematic meta-review
Authors: Modini Matthew , Joyce Sadhbh , Mykletun Arnstein , Christensen Helen , Bryant Richard A , Mitchell Philip B , Harvey Samuel B
Published: January 2016

Objective:

The literature on mental health in the workplace largely focuses on the negative impacts of work and how work may contribute to the development of mental disorders. The potential mental health benefits of employment have received less attention.

Method:

A systematic search of reviews or meta-analyses that consider the benefits of work in regards to mental health was undertaken using academic databases. All relevant reviews were subjected to a quality appraisal.

Results:

Eleven reviews were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria, with four deemed to be of at least moderate quality. The available evidence supports the proposition that work can be beneficial for an employee’s well-being, particularly if good-quality supervision is present and there are favourable workplace conditions. The benefits of work are most apparent when compared with the well-documented detrimental mental health effects of unemployment.

Conclusions:

The potential positive effects of good work and the role work can play in facilitating recovery from an illness and enhancing mental well-being need to be highlighted and promoted more widely. Future research should aim to further investigate what constitutes a ‘good’ workplace or a ‘good’ job in terms of mental health outcomes.
Subgroup analysis in MS trials
Authors: Sormani Maria Pia
Published: January 2016

Subgroup analysis is often conducted as a post-hoc evaluation of clinical trials. The aim of a subgroup analysis is the evaluation of the treatment effect that was tested in the trial, in a specific subgroups of patients. It can be run both on positive trials (to provide information about patients receiving the highest benefit from the treatment) and on negative trials (to test whether the treatment that had no effect on the overall population can be of any benefit in a specific subset of patients). A subgroup analysis is aimed at generating hypotheses for future research. Subgroup analyses have statistical challenges involving multiple testing and unplanned and low powered analyses; however the main issue, at least in subgroup analysis conducted so far in MS studies, seems to be related to the reporting and interpretation of results. In this viewpoint I will try to show the misleading ways of reporting subgroup analysis in MS trials, along with the correct approach based on an interaction test.
Trading zones, boundary objects, and the pursuit of news innovation
Authors: Lewis Seth C , Usher Nikki
Published: January 2016

Amid growing calls for greater collaboration between journalism and computer programming, this article examines a salient case study that reveals processes of communication, exchange, and work production at the intersection of these social and occupational worlds. We focus on a key stage of the Knight-Mozilla News Technology partnership – namely, an online ‘Learning Lab’ through which 60 individuals sought to coordinate around a shared interest in the innovation of journalism through open-source software. Drawing on the science and technology studies concepts of trading zones and boundary objects, we explore how distinct understandings about news and technology converged, diverged, and ultimately blended around three thematic ambitions: making news more process-oriented, participatory, and socially curated. This window onto boundary negotiations in journalism provides a glimpse into the future development of news and its norms and values, as programmers and their ethics assume a greater role in the journalistic field – in the very heart of some of its leading institutions.
“In our stories”: The perspectives of women living with HIV on an evidence-based group intervention
Authors: Dale Sannisha K , Grimes Tiffany , Miller Lauren , Ursillo Alyssa , Drainoni Mari-Lynn
Published: January 2016

A qualitative study among women living with HIV assessed the aspects of an evidence-based intervention targeting HIV transmission risk reduction (Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women [WiLLOW]) that women valued and how their lives were impacted. Thirty-one women (80.6% African American) completed interviews. Women valued the personal stories and positive group dynamics (i.e. safety, trust, openness, getting feedback, bonding, and socializing). As a result of WiLLOW, women embraced a strong woman image, joined groups, changed behaviors, accepted their HIV status, became optimistic, and spoke up/advocated in their relationships and communities. Interventions for HIV-positive women may benefit from incorporating the sharing of stories in their curricula and factors that build positive group dynamics.
Book Review: Messier, Christian, Puetmann, Klaus J. and Coates, K. David. 2014: Managing Forests as Complex Adaptative Systems: Building Resilience to the Challenge of Global Change
Authors: Alfranca Oscar
Published: January 2016

Messier, Christian, Puetmann, Klaus J. and Coates, K. David. 2014: Managing Forests as Complex Adaptative Systems: Building Resilience to the Challenge of Global Change. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. 368 pp. £90.00 hardback, £33.24 paperback. ISBN: 978-0415519779 (hardback). ISBN: 978-1138779693 (paperback).
Book Review: Brockington, D. 2014: Celebrity Advocacy and International Development
Authors: Reid Thomas
Published: January 2016

Brockington, D. 2014: Celebrity Advocacy and International Development. Oxon: Routledge. xxii + 210 pp. £90.00 hardback, £20.19 paperback, £19.18 ebook. ISBN: 978 0 415 70719 0 (hardback). ISBN: 978 0 415 70721 3 (paperback). ISBN: 978 1 315 88697 8 (e-book).
A perspective on the range of gasoline compression ignition combustion strategies for high engine efficiency and low NOx and soot emissions: Effects of in-cylinder fuel stratification
Authors: Dempsey Adam B , Curran Scott J , Wagner Robert M
Published: January 2016

Many research studies have shown that low temperature combustion in compression ignition engines has the ability to yield ultra-low NOx and soot emissions while maintaining high thermal efficiency. To achieve low temperature combustion, sufficient mixing time between the fuel and air in a globally dilute environment is required, thereby avoiding fuel-rich regions and reducing peak combustion temperatures, which significantly reduces soot and NOx formation, respectively. It has been demonstrated that achieving low temperature combustion with diesel fuel over a wide range of conditions is difficult because of its properties, namely, low volatility and high chemical reactivity. On the contrary, gasoline has a high volatility and low chemical reactivity, meaning it is easier to achieve the amount of premixing time required prior to autoignition to achieve low temperature combustion. In order to achieve low temperature combustion while meeting other constraints, such as low pressure rise rates and maintaining control over the timing of combustion, in-cylinder fuel stratification has been widely investigated for gasoline low temperature combustion engines. The level of fuel stratification is, in reality, a continuum ranging from fully premixed (i.e. homogeneous charge of fuel and air) to heavily stratified, heterogeneous operation, such as diesel combustion. However, to illustrate the impact of fuel stratification on gasoline compression ignition, the authors have identified three representative operating strategies: partial, moderate, and heavy fuel stratification. Thus, this article provides an overview and perspective of the current research efforts to develop engine operating strategies for achieving gasoline low temperature combustion in a compression ignition engine via fuel stratification. In this study, computational fluid dynamics modeling of the in-cylinder processes during the closed valve portion of the cycle was used to illustrate the opportunities and challenges associated with the various fuel stratification levels.
Aca-fans and fan communities: An operative framework
Authors: Cristofari Cécile , Guitton Matthieu J.
Published: January 2016

Fan communities represent a major interest for researchers of consumer culture. However, their study has confronted scholars with a fundamental problem: how can one reconcile critical distance with being sufficiently integrated within a given fan community to gather reliable information? The phrase ‘aca-fan’ has become a familiar designation for scholars who are also fans. However, while the theoretical implications of the aca-fan’s posture have been widely discussed, conceptual, practical and methodological modalities remain to be unified. Shifting the focus away from strictly theoretical debates, we propose an operative framework for the role of the aca-fan. We consider the position of aca-fans as a node between academic and fan communities, familiar with both languages and therefore facilitating the process of integration of knowledge and take into account the relations that the aca-fans can have with the field, models and materials they collect, as well as the hierarchy between academic and fan sources of knowledge, providing practical suggestions to acknowledge various degrees of authority of fan voices. Finally, since aca-fans have an important control of, and responsibility for, the fields, models and data they study and the discourses they cite, the implications of aca-fans’ works for the perception of fan communities by society will be analysed. This article supports the fact that a rationalised position of aca-fans could not only be an optimal method to study communities of fan but also an intrinsically ethical way to approach these large communities of consumers.
Becoming ecological citizens: connecting people through performance art, food matter and practices
Authors: Roe Emma , Buser Michael
Published: January 2016

Engaging the interest of Western citizens in the complex food connections that shape theirs’ and others’ personal wellbeing around issues such as food security and access is challenging. This article is critical of the food marketplace as the site for informing consumer behaviour and argues instead for arts-based participatory activities to support the performance of ecological citizens in non-commercial spaces. Following the ongoing methodological and conceptual fascination with performance, matter and practice in cultural food studies, we outline what the ecological citizen, formed through food’s agentive potential, does and could do. This is an ecological citizen, defined not in its traditional relation to the state but rather to the world of humans and non-humans whose lives are materially interconnected through nourishment. The article draws on the theories of Berlant, Latour, Bennett and Massumi. Our methodology is a collaborative arts-led research project that explored and juxtaposed diverse food practices with artist Paul Hurley, researchers, community partners, volunteers and participants in Bristol, UK. It centred on a 10-day exhibition where visitors were exposed to a series of interactive explorations with and about food. Our experience leads us to outline two steps for enacting ecological citizenship. The first step is to facilitate sensory experiences that enable the agential qualities of foodstuffs to shape knowledge making. The second is to create a space where people can perform, or relate differently, in unusual manners to food. Through participating in the project and visiting the exhibition, people were invited to respond not only as ‘ethical consumers’ but also as ‘ecological citizens’. This participatory approach to research can contribute to understandings of human-world entanglements.
Knowledge asymmetry and brokerage: Linking network perception to position in structural holes
Authors: Hahl Oliver , Kacperczyk Aleksandra “Olenka” , Davis Jason P.
Published: January 2016

Although brokers who span structural holes have been shown to occupy a valuable position in organizations, emerging research suggests that the returns to these brokers can vary depending on whether alters can credibly threaten to disintermediate the broker and close the structural hole. Yet, the factors that shape the likelihood of disintermediation have not been extensively explored. In this article, we build from the premise that an alter’s knowledge about the structural hole is a necessary condition for disintermediation. Without this knowledge, the alter will not know with whom to disintermediate. Drawing on research about cognitive social structures, we argue that individuals are most likely to be in a structural hole under the condition of knowledge asymmetry—that is, when brokers know about the structural hole, but alters do not—which reduces the likelihood of disintermediation by alters and increases the benefits for brokers. Using advice network data from a high-tech organization, we find evidence of knowledge asymmetry in existing structural holes, and moderation of this relationship by two factors also related to disintermediation: (1) broker’s reputation and (2) alter’s position as a provider (vs. acquirer) of resources. We also show that knowledge asymmetry is related to higher returns for brokers. The broader theoretical contribution is a better understanding of how network perceptions are related to positions across structural holes, an important structure from which power is derived in organizations and markets.
Effects of academic and non-academic instructional approaches on preschool English language learners’ classroom engagement and English language development
Authors: Markova Ivana
Published: January 2016

This research compared the relative impact of different preschool activities on the development of bilingual students’ English-language skills. The study investigated whether bilingual preschool children would engage more, and use more of their second language (English), during free-play (non-academic) versus teacher-structured (academic) activities. The researcher utilized both quantitative and qualitative research approaches; data sources included 285 preschool observations made in three classrooms in Northern California. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics (e.g. frequencies/percentages, mean values, and standard deviations). In addition, children’s observed scores were also analyzed by normative scales using standardized z-scores. The findings of this study indicated that bilingual children engaged and interacted significantly more during free-play (non-academic) preschool classroom activities than during teacher-structured (academic) activities. Specific free-play activities enabling optimal engagement and second language acquisition were pretend play, free play, and monkey bars. The study’s major implication is that free-play (non-academic) activities may be much more helpful in developing bilingual preschoolers’ English-language skills than teacher-structured (academic) activities. Free-play activities are an affordance for making language available, which helps with building academic skills and cultural capital. This study proves that free-play activities are an affordance for language learning because bilingual children have shown dramatically greater engagement in non-academic activities (vs academic activities). The importance of free-play activities may extend beyond preschool classrooms (e.g. greater English-language development in early preschool may subsequently positively impact student performance in kindergarten). Thus, unstructured, social-based activities should be implemented for bilingual students in K-12 classrooms. Free-play (i.e. non-academic) activities should be implemented in preschool.
Examining the oral language competency of children from Korean immigrant families in English-only and dual language immersion schools
Authors: Choi Jane Younga , Lee Jin Sook , Oh Janet S
Published: January 2016

In this study, we examined the bilingual language development among Korean American first-graders in two southern California cities and explored the opportunities for language use available to them in various spaces: at school (one dual language immersion school and one traditional English-only public school), at home, and in the community. Data collected over 15 months included three oral language proficiency assessments in Korean and English; interviews with parents and children; and fieldnotes based on observations at home, at school, and during extracurricular activities. All of the children, regardless of school setting, showed increases in English proficiency; however, their Korean development varied. We found that English opportunities were widely accessible for all of the participants; however, opportunities to use Korean were starkly different between the two cities. The families who resided in communities with few Korean resources needed more financial and temporal resources to attain regular exposure to Korean, which suggests that supporting the development of a less-commonly spoken heritage language in the United States (e.g. Korean) may not be accessible to all immigrant families. Finally, we found that for children in the developmental stages of bilingualism, purposeful and deliberate instruction (particularly in vocabulary and grammar) and diverse opportunities to practice both languages are continuously needed.
Embracing risk in the Canadian woodlands: Four children’s risky play and risk-taking experiences in a Canadian Forest Kindergarten
Authors: Coe Heather A
Published: January 2016

Children are born with an intrinsic drive and natural curiosity to explore the world around them. Just as young children are attracted to the natural world, they too are enticed by the physical challenges and risk-taking experiences that such environments provide. Based on research conducted at one of Canada’s first Forest Kindergartens and using Sandseter’s conceptualization of risk, this article aims to explore the safe risk-taking and risky play experiences of four children at a nature-based early years programme in rural Ontario. Not only does this research add to the growing body of empirical evidence surrounding risk and nature-based learning in the early years but also provides a unique Canadian perspective not often discussed in the literature. An incidental outcome of this work is exposing researchers and practitioners to the types of safe risk-taking and risky play experiences that may occur within an early years Canadian context.
‘Minds Were Forced Wide Open’: Black adolescents’ identity exploration in a transformative social justice class
Authors: Harrell-Levy Marinda K , Kerpelman Jennifer L , Henry Daniel
Published: January 2016

Theories imply that transformative teaching influences positive identity development, but empirical studies of this relationship are sparse. It is clear that good teaching can positively influence youth; however, it is less clear how good teachers influence positive identity outcomes in youth, and in particular Black youth. We examined the identity exploration of 13 former Black students of a high school transformative social justice class. Drawing from a larger qualitative study that addressed transformative social justice and adolescent development, the current analysis focused on the subset of factors that contributed to identity exploration and beliefs about civic responsibility in one’s career and personal life. Results revealed an emphasis on civic and career identity exploration, feeling agentic and self-assured, and reconsidering privilege. Findings are discussed in terms of transformative social justice enhancing Black youths’ investment in their development.
Remaking the elite university: An experiment in widening participation in the UK
Authors: McLellan Josie , Pettigrew Richard , Sperlinger Tom
Published: January 2016

This article analyses and critiques the discourse around widening participation in elite universities in the UK. One response, from both university administrators and academics, has been to see this as an ‘intractable’ problem which can at best be ameliorated through outreach or marginal work in admissions policy. Another has been to reject the institution of the university completely, and seek to set up alternative models of autonomous higher education. The article presents a different analysis, in which the university is still seen as central and participation is seen as an aspect of pedagogy rather than as an administrative process. This is illustrated through a description of how a Foundation Year in Arts and Humanities was conceived, designed and implemented at the University of Bristol. This model is used to consider the problems, risks and successes in challenging received notions of how (and whether) widening participation can be achieved, and whether it can reach those who are currently most excluded from elite universities, such as those without qualifications. The article suggests how academics can utilise their expertise to solve key challenges faced by universities and reclaim autonomy in central aspects of university administration. At the same time, it demonstrates how change to the current model of student recruitment can also bring welcome – and transformative – change to the nature of elite higher education institutions in the UK and elsewhere.
The changing roles of early childhood care and education in Aotearoa New Zealand: A shifting policy landscape
Authors: Haggerty Maggie , Alcock Sophie
Published: January 2016

This article examines the strengthening policy impetus in Aotearoa New Zealand towards bringing children, families and teachers into conformity with a view of children as commodities and the role of early childhood care and education as preparation for school, the workforce and market-oriented social futures. Through critically examining government website activity and key policy documents, we argue that the new norms and accountabilities introduced in recent policies, foster an instrumentalist approach to children and families, impacting on early childhood care and education in narrowing and damaging ways. We call for local and international re-examining of the place, purpose and principles of early childhood care and education.