bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes Towards Cloud Computing Adoption in Emerging Economies
Authors: Alsharo Mohammad
Published: May 2017

Cloud computing is perceived to be the trend of the future as software and hardware turn into the new utility. This study aims to investigate the attitudes of IT professionals and decision makers in emerging economies towards cloud computing. The study also investigates the opportunities and concerns which IT professionals and decision makers have regarding adopting cloud computing in their organizations. This study was carried out in Jordan and the researchers used semi-structured interviews as a research methodology. The theoretical foundation for this research is found in the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The findings suggest that IT professionals and decision makers in Jordan have positive attitudes towards cloud computing and the adoption rate is increasing at a rapid pace. Relative advantage in terms of cost reduction is a major adoption driver, while compatibility with organizations policies and culture is a major concern. The findings also suggest that government and small to medium-sized enterprises are the major adopters and large enterprises are lagging behind.
Navigation Path Detection for Cotton Field Operator Robot Based on Horizontal Spline Segmentation
Authors: Li Dongchen , Xu Shengyong , Zheng Yuezhi , Qi Changgui , Yao Pengjiao
Published: May 2017

Visual navigation is one of the fundamental techniques of intelligent cotton-picking robot. Cotton field composition is complex and the presence of occlusion and illumination makes it hard to accurately identify furrows so as to extract the navigation line. In this paper, a new field navigation path extraction method based on horizontal spline segmentation is presented. Firstly, the color image in RGB color space is pre-processed by the OTSU threshold algorithm to segment the binary image of the furrow. The cotton field image components are divided into four categories: furrow (ingredients include land, wilted leaves, etc.), cotton fiber, other organs of cotton and the outside area or obstructions. By using the significant differences in hue and value of the HSV model, the authors segment the threshold by two steps. Firstly, they segment cotton wool in the S channel, and then segment the furrow in the V channel in the area outside the cotton wool area. In addition, morphological processing is needed to filter out small noise area. Secondly, the horizontal spline is used to segment the binary image. The authors detect the connected domains in the horizontal splines, and merger the isolate small areas caused by the cotton wool or light spots in the nearby big connected domains so as to get connected domain of the furrow. Thirdly, they make the center of the bottom of the image as the starting point, and successively select the candidate point from the midpoint of the connected domain, according to the principle that the distance between adjacent navigation line candidate is smaller. Finally, the authors count the number of the connected domains and calculate the change of parameters of boundary line of the connected domain to make sure whether the robot reaches the outside of the field or encounters obstacles. If there is no anomaly, the navigation path is fitted by the navigation points using the least squares method. Experiments prove that this method is accurate and effective, which is suitable for visual navigation in the complex environment of a cotton field in different phases.
PID Control Algorithm Based on Genetic Algorithm and its Application in Electric Cylinder Control
Authors: Zhang Geng , Gong Xiansheng , Chen Xirui
Published: May 2017

The traditional PID controller is simple in principle, easy to use, stable and reliable, and it is still widely used in the control field. However, for many nonlinear and lagging objects, the parameter tuning of PID controller is very important. Genetic algorithm provides a new way to optimize the parameters of PID. It uses simple coding techniques and propagation mechanisms to express complex phenomena, which is not restricted by the restriction of the search space. In this paper, the global optimization of genetic algorithm is used to optimize the parameters of PID, which can improve the performance and adaptive capability of PID controller. The mathematical model of the electric cylinder system is established, and the PID controller based on genetic algorithm is used to control the system. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.
An Efficient Spatiotemporal Approach for Moving Object Detection in Dynamic Scenes
Authors: Liu Min , Liu Yang , Liu Cong , Wang Juan , Wu Minghu
Published: May 2017

The dynamic texture (DT) which treats the transient video process a sample from the spatiotemporal model, has shown the surprising performance for moving objects detection in the scenes with the background motions (e.g., swaying branches, falling snow, waving water). However, DT parameters estimation is based on batch-PCA, which is a computationally inefficient method for high-dimensional vectors. Besides, in the realm of DT, the dimension of state space is given or set experimentally. In this work, the authors present a new framework to address these issues. First, they introduce a two-step method, which combines batch-PCA and the increment PCA (IPCA) to estimate the DT parameters in a micro video element (MVE) group. The parameters of the first DT are learned with the batch-PCA as the basis parameters. Parameters of the remaining DTs are estimated by IPCA with the basis parameters and the arriving observation vectors. Second, inspired by the concept of “Observability” from the control theory, the authors extend an adaptive method for salient motion detection according to the increment of singular entropy (ISE). The proposed scheme is tested in various scenes. Its computational efficiency outperforms the state-of-the-art methods and the Equal Error Rate (EER) is lower than other methods.
Design and Implementation of Wireless Voltage Monitoring System Based on Zigbee
Authors: Xiaohui Luo
Published: May 2017

This paper proposed a low cost wireless monitoring system based on ZigBee wireless transmission, and designed a new floating voltage sensor which is suitable for the monitoring of medium voltage and high voltage(MV/HV) public equipment. The system used TI-CC2530 as the controller, proposed a new moving average voltage sensing(MAVS) algorithm by reasonable assumptions, and adopted algorithms to perform the theoretical analysis for the single phase and three-phase voltage. At last, the author carried out a practical experiment on the wireless floating voltage sensor under the voltage up to 30kV, the experimental results showed that the proposed low cost wireless sensor can achieve a good voltage monitoring function, and the error is less than 3%.
Specialty Health Care in Rural Areas of West Bengal (India)
Authors: Biswas Ashok Kumar , Gebuis Edward , Irimia Petrica
Published: May 2017

The health care system of WB needs a massive change from every aspect. However, changing a system which is running for years is in itself a challenge. Therefore, change in the health policy needs to begin either from the foundation up or according to the importance of proposed legislation. Rural health care system without specialty care has always been the underdog of WB health system. However, most improvement can be made there. This policy document proposes a basic specialty care in rural areas of WB, intended to improve health care for a maximum possible population.
Thin Protective Layers Made out of Special Concretes
Authors: Stankiewicz Natalia , Bołtryk Michał
Published: May 2017

All concrete and reinforced concrete engineering structures degrade over time when they are exposed to the surrounding environment. In particular, the concrete protective layer of reinforcing steel is rapidly degraded, which can lead to failure of the structure. Adequate durability of concrete coatings must be taken into consideration. This property can be ensured by modifying the composition of the concrete mix. This can be done through the implementation of appropriate admixtures and additives into cement composites. This modification, called material and structural protection, can be used in the form of thin protective layers (TPL). They are intended to protect an ordinary concrete from external aggressions. Thin protective layers made out of special concrete will be presented in the article. The impact of three different thicknesses of protective layers on properties of cement composites was investigated. Special concrete was modified with silica fume, crushed granite aggregate and superplasticizer based on polycarboxylate. Thin protective layers are characterized by very good water resistance and resistance to freezing and thawing. The layer of special concrete with increased durability due to the reduced water/cement ratio, high cement content and by using additives and admixtures, should fully protect ordinary concrete against the negative influence of the aggressive environment.
Application of Precast UHPC Web Members for Long-Span Bridge Structures
Authors: Pribramsky Vladimír , Kopálová Michaela
Published: May 2017

UHPC is a modern material with great characteristics and shows all important properties for efficient structural design and construction process. Its applications lead to optimization of structures and to minimization of material consumption. The paper focuses on the application of slender precast UHPC slabs, which lighten monolithic bridges constructed by free cantilever method. The principle comes from constructed bridge: Takubogawa Bridge, Japan. The aim of this paper is to present basic theoretical background behind the structural applications of UHPC webs. Additionally, 3D bridge model of composite system with box cross section was created with application of UHPC precast webs and monolithic upper and lower slab. The behavior of the structure was analyzed and compared to conventional monolithic bridge model constructed by free cantilever method. The focus lies with detailed analysis of behavior of the UHPC webs. The paper also describes alternative approaches of lightening webs of box cross-section using steel members such as webs from corrugated steel sheet or steel truss.
Determination of Surface Roughness Parameters by Optical Profilometry and Sand Patch Test
Authors: Čairović Đorđe , Zlámal Martin , Stepanek Petr , Trčka Tomáš , Škarvada Pavel , Macků Robert
Published: May 2017

In cases when two concrete parts are cast against in different times are not connected by dowels, main contributors to the resistance are cohesion and friction. Shear resistance of the interface is highly dependent on surface treatment and its roughness. In this paper, besides the review of available methods of surface roughness determination, the optical profilometry will be introduced and described. Optical profilometry represents non-contact and non-destructive method for characterizing surface topography. Furthermore, results obtained by abovementioned method will be compared with Sand Patch Test, in order to determine its usability and limitations.
Joints of Precast Structures Using UHPC
Authors: Vitek Jan L. , Čítek David , Coufal Robert
Published: May 2017

Construction time becomes an important economical phenomenon, in last years in particular, which is comparable e.g. with consumption of materials. Construction and repair of bridges with a composite concrete slab may be accelerated by prefabrication. The joints of precast slab elements become then the weak places. Application of UHPC in joints solves this problem due to its excellent mechanical properties.
Contribution of Settlement of a High-Rise Building with Recession in a Ground Plan to Punching Shear
Authors: Nováček Jan , Zich Miloš
Published: May 2017

Construction systems with recession in their ground plan along increasing height of a building are often used in current time. This lay-out is advantageous for the global stability of a building, which acts as a vertical cantilever with a widen socle. Attention must be paid with this type of global lay-out solution, because significant shear forces appear thanks to various types of grand plan. Usually buildings with massive elements, which can bear major of shear forces, don’t have any problem with the global vertical shear forces. Contrarily buildings with slight construction system such as flat slabs supported by columns could be unsafe designed if this effect is not taken account. There is no recommendation or exact approach to this problem in current standards and therefore it only depends on the designer’s approach and their experience. In the paper different types of approaches to the analysis of vertical shear forces and their distribution are presented. They are demonstrated on models with various levels of detailing. The scope of models starts at very simple linear model of whole structure and ends by models which take account of non-linear base supports and construction stages.
Numerical Modeling of an Existing RC Frame for the Design of Strengthening through Composite Materials
Authors: Cerioni Roberto , Ferrari Lorenzo , Leurini Filippo
Published: May 2017

In recent years, different strengthening techniques adopting composite materials have been proposed. Among these, FRP strengthening technique, which adopts Fiber-Reinforced Polymers strips, has become quite popular for the rehabilitation and seismic improvement of existing buildings. In this paper, this composite material is adopted to design the strengthening of an existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame. Firstly, its behavior is considered up to failure condition by performing a Finite Element (FE) analysis that incorporates a non-linear constitutive relation for the material named 2D-PARC. Then, based on the obtained FE analysis results, a strengthening design of the frame by adopting composite materials is developed and discussed.
Structural Fiber Reinforced Concrete Elements
Authors: Novák Josef , Kohoutková Alena
Published: May 2017

The building industry offers a wide range of materials which can be used for the production of various structural elements. Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) is a material which is more frequently utilized for concrete structures. The reason is its physical and mechanical properties which contribute to traditional concrete elements and structures various economical benefits such as structure subtlety, part or full elimination of conventional reinforcement, resistance to mechanical loading and surrounding environment. Therefore, it is necessary to search for appropriate structures where the benefits of FRC could be used. First of all it is necessary to seek for structures which owing to their geometry and intended use seem to be appropriate for FRC application. It can be either new structural elements or existing structural elements made of a different material. During a material optimization there are many parameters to take into account which include production costs, manufacturing technology, structural behaviour, ultimate bearing capacity and durability of proposed member. The efficiency of material optimization is determined by comparing these parameters. While it is relatively easy and cost efficient to determine and evaluate the production costs, structure durability and manufacturing technology, to describe the structural behaviour of innovative elements is a complex task. However there are many sophisticated software which are capable to accurately simulate the behaviour of structural elements by using modern computational methods. At the end of feasibility study, experimental testing is conducted on full-scale pilot elements with the aim to verify their real behaviour as well as to optimize the computational model. As a result, many innovative FRC based structural elements have been developed at Czech Technical University in Prague in cooperation with construction companies.
Demountable Frame Structure with an Elastically Embedded Diaphragm
Authors: Witzany Jiří , Makovička Daniel , Zigler Radek , Polák Aleš
Published: May 2017

Precast reinforced concrete demountable column system
with elastically mounted diaphragms inserted into frame sections developed within the TACR grant project [1] was verified by a pseudo-dynamic tests in the UTAM AV CR experimental facility. The experimental verification and theoretical analysis was aimed at identifying the stiffness characteristics and dynamic response of the “frame” section, including the evaluation of the effect of demountable joints while mounting the diaphragm on beams using elastic (rubber) bearings. The experimental verification was performed for three different diaphragm to beam connections made by a rigid screw connection and by a connection with elastic bearings with two different stiffness values. During the first phase of the experimental verification the structure was exposed to pseudo-dynamic loading by a hydraulic jack controlled by deformation or by amplitude and corresponding frequency of the jack. The absolute deformations of the structure as well as relative deformations between individual structural elements were monitored by means of linear deformation sensors. The force necessary for reaching these deformations was also monitored. In the second phase of the experimental campaign the natural frequencies and dampening characteristics were identified. Based on the obtained values, the stiffness and dynamic characteristics of the frame structure with three different types of the stiffening diaphragm connections were identified and were compared with numerical model. Theoretical analysis and results of experimental research proved the satisfactory resistance of the proposed multi storey building system.
Construction and Static Loading Tests of Experimental Subtle Frame from High Performance Concrete for Energy Efficient Buildings
Authors: Fiala Ctislav , Hejl Jaroslav , Bilek Vlastimil , Vlach Tomáš , Ženíšek Michal , Růžička Jan , Hájek Petr
Published: May 2017

Mechanical properties of high performance concrete (HPC) enable design of subtle structural elements. Subtle HPC frame concept comes from the effort to integrate load bearing elements into building envelope in order to reduce risks of thermal bridges. Substantial advantages of subtle structural elements are material and energy savings during production, transportation, manipulation and assembling. Paper presents implementation of construction of experimental frame at University Centre UCEEB in Buštěhrad. Individual structural elements were made in prefa plant ŽPSV a.s. in Litice nad Orlicí and Čerčany, the company also assembled the experimental frame. The frame was built from February to April 2016. Within June and July, the construction was tested by static loading test, which partial results are presented in the paper. Accomplished calculations, experimental verification and analysis show that subtle HPC frame is the effective solution from reliability aspects as well as from environmental and economical parameters.
Evaluation of Three-Point Bending Fracture Tests of Selected Concrete: Mechanical Fracture Parameters
Authors: Šimonová Hana , Daněk Petr , Lehký David , Keršner Zbyněk , Pazdera Lubos
Published: May 2017

In this paper, authors focus attention on mechanical fracture parameters obtained from records of three-point bending fracture tests on concrete specimens with initial notch. Total eight sets of specimens were tested. Three specimens at the age of 28 days were tested in each set. Concrete was different in dosage of Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R and amount of used superplasticizer. The Effective Crack Model (ECM) was used to evaluate the load vs deflection diagrams to obtain modulus of elasticity and effective fracture toughness; specific fracture energy was determined using work-of-fracture method. Modulus of elasticity, tensile strength and fracture energy were also subject of identification via inverse analysis based on artificial neural network, which aim is to transfer the input data obtained from the fracture test to the desired material parameters.
Measurement of Chloride Permeability in UHPC by Accelerated Method
Authors: Dobiáš Daniel , Kouril Milan , Novakova Radka , Pokorný Petr , Pernicová Radka
Published: May 2017

The chloride permeability of concrete (UHPC) was evaluated by means of the Rapid chloride permeation test and and standard difusion test. The tests are different in the voltage applied for accelerating the transport through the concrete specimen. The permeability strongly depends on quality and curing time of the concrete.
Functionally Layered Thin Slabs Made from UHPC and ECC Composites
Authors: Rydval Milan , Čítek David , Kolisko Jiří , Nenadálová Šárka , Bittner Tomáš
Published: May 2017

Corrosion of short steel fibers is one of the limit factors for using cement based UHPC material like an architectural concrete. The steel fibers corrosion is undesirable effect. PVA fibers and TRC reinforcement are nowadays used for facade elements. Structural elements reinforced by non-conventional reinforcement have lower tensile strength, also modulus of rupture is lower, due to low tensile strengths and deformation modulus of PVA and TRC. The tensile strength is determined by properties of mixture design. The potential of functionally layered thin slabs consist on the high ductility and tensile strength of UHPC matrix reinforced by short steel fibers. The load bearing part of functionally layered slabs is made by UHPC reinforced by steel fibers and the covering part is made by ECC reinforced by PVA fibers. Ductile and durable elements should be prepared by acceptable ratio between load bearing part and covering part of functionally layered thin slab. Functionally layered slabs should be used for architectural facade elements.
A description of the naturalised Clusia rosea Jacq. (Clusiaceae) populations in South Africa
Authors: Cheek Michael D. , Lalla Reshnee
Published: May 2017

Background: Clusia rosea is an ornamental plant that has been cultivated in South Africa since the late 19th century. Ornamental plant species are known to be a source of invasive plants.Objectives: To document the current distribution of C. rosea in South Africa and its naturalisation status.Method: Reports of C. rosea were verified in the field and herbarium vouchers were collected. Coordinates were taken for each plant, their reproductive status was assessed and heights were measured. In addition, the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas database and five herbaria were checked for records.Results: A total of 284 plants were found outside of cultivation, mostly in the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland. Clusia rosea appears to be reproducing through apomixis. No records of naturalisation could be found elsewhere in Africa.Conclusion: It is recommended that C. rosea be added to the Species Under Surveillance – Possible Eradication or Containment Targets (SUSPECT) list to investigate whether it requires formal legal listing.
Professional nurses’ perceptions and experiences with the implementation of an integrated chronic care model at primary healthcare clinics in South Africa
Authors: Mahomed Ozayr H. , Asmall Shaidah
Published: May 2017

Background: An integrated chronic disease management model has been implemented across primary healthcare clinics in order to transform the delivery of services for patients with chronic diseases. The sustainability and rapid scale-up of the model is dependent on positive staff perceptions and experiences.Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the perceptions and experiences of professional nurses with the integrated chronic care model that has been implemented.Method: A cross-sectional descriptive survey utilising a self-administered questionnaire was conducted amongst all professional nurses who were involved in delivering primary healthcare services at the 42 implementing facilities in September 2014. Each facility has between four and eight professional nurses providing a service daily at the facilitiesResults: A total of 264 professional nurses participated in the survey. Prior to the implementation, 34% (91) of the staff perceived the model to be an added programme, whilst 36% (96) of the staff experienced an increased workload. Staff noted an improved process of care, better level of interaction with patients, improved level of knowledge and better teamwork coupled with an improved level of satisfaction with the work environment at the clinic after implementation of the integrated chronic disease model.Conclusion: Professional nurses have a positive experience with the implementation of the integrated chronic disease management model.
The church as a transformation and change agent
Authors: Pillay Jerry
Published: May 2017

This article traces the historical impact of the church in transforming, developing and changing society. It looks at how the church in selected periods in history, mainly in the reformation era, worked towards the transformation of society and communities. Extracting from these the author attempts to show how this can be applied to the church in the South African context. Further, the author explores the changing dynamics and characteristics of being church today and establishes that it is not so much about what the church believes, but in what it does that matters most in this day and age. The author, with the latter thought in mind, expresses that community transformation has to be an integral part of the ministry of the church today.
Metaphysical perspectives on YHWH as a fictional entity in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Gericke Jacobus W.
Published: May 2017

Within a literary ontology, YHWH in the Hebrew Bible is technically also a fictional entity or object. In Hebrew Bible scholarship, a variety of philosophical issues surrounding fiction have received sustained and in-depth attention. However, the mainstream research on these matters tends to focus on the philosophical foundations of or backgrounds to a particular literary theory, rather than on metaphysical puzzles as encountered in the philosophy of fiction proper. To fill this gap, the present article seeks to provide a meta-theoretical overview of the main contemporary philosophical perspectives on the metaphysics of fictional objects. Three views (and their sub-currents) are discussed, namely possibilism, (neo-)Meinongianism and (literary) creationism. Each view’s theory is introduced and critically appropriated with reference to what is implied to be an answer to the question of what exactly the biblical character YHWH can meaningfully be said to be in the context of the metaphysics of fictional objects. In this way, the present study also goes beyond the traditional concern with the nature of God in Old Testament theology.
‘n Historiese blik op Paulus, sy werk en sy geskrifte
Authors: Goede Hennie
Published: May 2017

No abstract avialable.
The influence of organisational rewards on workplace trust and work engagement
Authors: Victor Janine , Hoole Crystal
Published: May 2017

Orientation: In volatile and competitive business environments, organisations are faced with challenges to retain talented workers. Employees are increasingly leaving their jobs for a number of reasons, one of them being a perceived lack of adequate reward practices. Consequently, this has impacted on employee work engagement and confidence and trust in organisations.Research purpose: The study sought to determine whether there is a relationship between rewards, trust and engagement, as well as whether rewards are able to predict trust and engagement in the South African workplace.Motivation for the study: Organisations can no longer solely rely on extrinsic rewards to retain talent. Companies must draw on both extrinsic and intrinsic reward strategies to improve retention levels through endorsing higher levels of workplace trust and work engagement levels.Research design, approach and method: A quantitative, exploratory and cross-sectional research design was utilised. Non-probability sampling using questionnaires consisting of scales from the Job Satisfaction Survey, Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, Psychological Meaningfulness Scale, Basic Needs at Work Scale, Workplace Trust Survey and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were administered to a sample (N = 251) of South African employees in various industries within the Gauteng region.Main findings: Results indicated that there is a moderate-to-strong positive relationship between the three constructs, and that rewards are able to predict trust and engagement.Practical and managerial implications: The findings provide insight for behavioural practitioners to potentially draw upon when improving talent management strategies. Both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards are important factors in keeping employees engaged and ultimately retaining them.Contribution: The study provided insight into the influence that organisational rewards may have on workplace trust, work engagement and retaining employees. Findings contribute towards improving talent management strategies.
Rigidity of spreadings and fields of definition
Authors: Peters Chris
Published: May 2017

Varieties without deformations are defined over a number field. Several old and new examples of this phenomenon are discussed such as Bely˘ı curves and Shimura varieties. Rigidity is related to maximal Higgs fields which come from variations of Hodge structure. Basic properties for these due to P. Griffiths, W. Schmid, C. Simpson and, on the arithmetic side, to Y. André and I. Satake all play a role. This note tries to give a largely self-contained exposition of these manifold ideas and techniques, presenting, where possible, short new proofs for key results.
Brake Hydraulic Component Flow Rate Measurement for High Differential Pressure (>5 bar)
Authors:   Hydraulic Brake Components Standards Committee
Published: May 2017

This recommended practice provides a method, test set-up, and test conditions for brake hydraulic component flow rate measurement for high differential pressure (>5 bar) flow conditions. It is intended for hydraulic brake components which affect the brake fluid flow characteristics in a hydraulic brake circuit, that are part of a circuit for which the flow characteristics are important to system operation, and that are exposed to high operating pressure differentials (in the 5 to 100 bar range). Typical applications may include measurement of flow through chassis controls valve bodies, orifices in the brake system such as in flow bolts, junction blocks, and master cylinders, and through brake pipe configurations.
Statistical Distributions for the Corrosion Rates of Conventional and Prestressing Steel Reinforcement Embedded in Chloride Contaminated Mortar
Authors: Karuppanasamy J. , Pillai R.G.
Published: May 2017

Many concrete structures are built using plain mild (PM) and cold-twisted deformed (CTD) steel rebars. Also, quenched and self-tempered (QST) and prestressing (PS) steels are extensively used in today’s construction. For estimating the corrosion propagation period (tp) of concrete structures, the current practice is to assume that the corrosion rate (icorr) of different steels are equal to that of PM steel—leading to erroneous estimation of tp. This paper provides icorr data from a 33-month experiment on PM, CTD, QST, and PS steels embedded in chloride contaminated mortar. Linear polarization resistance test was adopted for icorr measurement. A total of 100 specimens were tested. It was found that the CTD and QST steels exhibit higher icorr than the PM and PS steels. The paper also provides statistical distributions for icorr of these four steels. For PM, CTD, QST, and PS steel embedded in chloride contaminated mortar, and exposed to wet-dry conditions, these are found to be ∼Weibull (2.5, 20.7, 0) μA/cm2, ∼Lognormal (0.45, 3.2, 0) μA/cm2, ∼Gamma (6.8, 3.5, 0) μA/cm2, and ∼Weibull 3P (1.3, 6.5, −0.02) μA/cm2, respectively. Similar distributions for dry condition are also presented. These statistical tools would help engineers in estimating residual service life and scheduling repair activities.
Building Correspondence
Authors: Ward Stephen M.
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes James and Grace Lee Boggs’s efforts to build the Correspondence organization and publish its newspaper. The newspaper reacts to events in the civil rights struggle, including the Brown v Board decision. Grace Lee Boggs works to draw attention to the fight for independence in Kenya.
Epilogue
Authors: Ward Stephen M.
Published: May 2017

Abstract and Keywords to be supplied.
Introduction
Authors: Biondi Karina
Published: May 2017

In this introduction, the author presents the conditions of her fieldwork, conducted inside the prison where her husband was waiting for a judgment. She explores the gains and consequences of her insider-outsider status as a visitor and the way she transformed her involvement into a calibrated instrument of knowledge production. This chapter presents the ethnographical questions that became the central issues of the book, as well as the theoretical problems that carry. The central question is the presence of the First Command of Capital (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) even where it is absent, or, in other words, even where it does not encounter any of its members. This matter is put in dialogue with some criticism concerning the concepts of society, culture, group and individual made by anthropology, philosophy, Melanesian and Amerindian studies, as well as the limits of this criticism.
Politics and Pedagogy
Authors: Biondi Karina
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes First Command of Capital (PCC) politics in prison. These politics are put in place by means of political positions that are not tied to those who occupy them, but that do carry with them serious responsibilities. At the center of this process are techniques aimed at directing the prison population and putting into practice the ideals of the PCC without establishing any hierarchical relation. The tension between political action and the practice of equality thus gives rise to an incessant assembly of often competing political theories that speak not simply to the goals of the PCC, but to all aspects of the existence and survival of all prisoners related to PCC. This political production is directly related to the PCC’s discipline, intrinsic to the functioning of a group that seeks to eliminate from its networks any hierarchies and thus become a Command without commanders.
Segregation Is an Economic Problem
Authors: Krochmal Max
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes the rise of Civil Rights Unionism, a combined push for racial and economic justice. It focuses on the story of how Houston’s black workers built a booming civil rights movement in the city in the 1940s.
Epilogue
Authors: Krochmal Max
Published: May 2017

The last hurrah of the statewide coalition occurred in 1966. It began in the Valley, when several hundred migrant farmworkers struck the melon harvest at La Casita Farms near Rio Grande City, in Starr County. Eugene Nelson, a Texas native who worked for the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), the predecessor to the United Farm Workers, in California, asked permission to be reassigned to his home state and returned in March of that year. He made a tour of local unions and liberal leaders in Houston to raise a few dollars and then headed west toward the fields. There he connected with a local resident who had long sought to unionize the area’s farmworkers, and, on June 1, the NFWA’s new members began what they called ...
Still Eating in the Kitchen
Authors: Harris Carmen V.
Published: May 2017

With an essay that challenges the notion that processes can ever be neutral, Carmen Harris addresses the issue of bureaucratic racism and the resultant marginalization of African American faculty in historically white colleges and universities through processes of faculty governance. The essay illuminates the consequences of tribalism and bias masquerading under the guise of professional objectivity in an environment in which overt racism is frowned upon but also one in which systems intended to thwart inequality are applied by members of the majority to the disadvantage of people of color. These purportedly neutral practices are a barrier to entry to an institution and manages opportunities not just for existing faculty but for potential new hires by establishing criteria and procedures for recruitment, hiring, advancing and terminating members.
Conclusion
Authors: Matthew Patricia A.
Published: May 2017

The anthology concludes by looking forward and considering how social media, especially Twitter, is shaping how faculty of color manage their careers. It discusses the possibilities and risks of engaging with complicated ideas and taking on the work of activism outside of academia while in full view of those who evaluate our work. With a mix of cautionary tales and strategies for success the chapter focuses on the challenges black women academics face on social media as they are targeted by right-wing student groups It also discuses how social media has shaped and influenced the career opportunities of then doctoral candidate Tressie McMillan Cottom.
Contracultura
Authors: Dunn Christopher
Published: May 2017

Christopher Dunn’s history of authoritarian Brazil exposes the inventive cultural production and intense social transformations that emerged during the rule of an iron-fisted military regime during the sixties and seventies. The Brazilian contracultura was a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that developed alongside the ascent of hardline forces within the regime in the late 1960s. Focusing on urban, middle-class Brazilians often inspired by the international counterculture that flourished in the United States and parts of western Europe, Dunn shows how new understandings of race, gender, sexuality, and citizenship erupted under even the most oppressive political conditions. Dunn reveals previously ignored connections between the counterculture and Brazilian music, literature, film, visual arts, and alternative journalism. In chronicling desbunde, the Brazilian hippie movement, he shows how the state of Bahia, renowned for its Afro-Brazilian culture, emerged as a countercultural mecca for youth in search of spiritual alternatives. As this critical and expansive book demonstrates, many of the country’s social and justice movements have their origins in the countercultural attitudes, practices, and sensibilities that flourished during the military dictatorship.
Child of the Jim Crow South
Authors: Rosen Richard A. , Mosnier Joseph
Published: May 2017

This chapter tells the story of the Depression-era, Jim Crow world from which Julius LeVonne Chambers emerged, recounting his childhood, family, and formative experiences. LeVonne Chambers (Julius Chambers's birth name) was born in October 1936, in the tiny crossroads town of Mt. Gilead, in rural Montgomery County, North Carolina. No black child born to such a time and place easily escaped the fetters imposed by the South's rigid racial segregation. Not one black child in ten in Montgomery County completed high school in those years; not one in one hundred graduated from college. Yet, by some combination of ability, effort, and good fortune, and with the unstinting support of his parents and community, Chambers set himself on a path that would lead to, at age thirty-four, to the appellant's lectern at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Taking Charge in North Carolina
Authors: Rosen Richard A. , Mosnier Joseph
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes the role of Chambers's law practice and law firm as a locus and focal point of the African American struggle for racial equality in North Carolina from the mid-1960s onward. Chambers and the firm were well known to African Americans in every corner of the state, and Chambers provided legal representation, mostly free of charge, to civil rights demonstrators and activists of every persuasion and mode of protest while also advancing the interests of black citizens in other ways. In 1968, James Ferguson managed Rev. Dr. Reginald Hawkins's gubernatorial campaign, designed to energize the state's newly enfranchised black electorate. Ferguson and Adam Stein represented and insurgent, racially-mixed delegation from North Carolina at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. Stein assisted striking black cafeteria workers at UNC-Chapel Hill, adroitly securing most of their goals despite a highly-charged political atmosphere. Ferguson convinced a disciplinary panel at Duke University to forego punishment of black students who had occupied the administration building. Working ceaselessly, Chambers and his partners encountered racist judges, endured the occasional missed paycheck, but kept on, persuaded that their work was essential to the goal of full black equality.
Opening Up the Workplace
Authors: Rosen Richard A. , Mosnier Joseph
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes the contributions of Julius Chambers and his partners, most particularly Robert Belton, to the LDF's national litigation campaign to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which new law outlawed racial discrimination in the workplace effective July 1965. In October 1965, Chambers filed the nation's first-ever Title VII suit, and soon after filed three additional cases which, when ultimately decided years later, substantially ended overt racial discrimination in American workplaces. These critical victories included Supreme Court triumphs in Griggs v. Duke Power (1971) and Albermarle Paper Co. v. Moody (1975), and the Fourth Circuit's Robinson v. Lorillard Corp. (1971). Griggs, recognized as the era's landmark employment ruling, established the "disparate impact" standard for adjudicating employers' use of "intelligence" tests and other pre-employment screening mechanisms. Together, Griggs, Moody, and Robinson did much to define the federal courts' interpretations of Title VII in a fashion that both opened workplaces to black job seekers and offered some compensatory remedy to those who had suffered under racially discriminatory workplace schemes. By these efforts, Chambers, his partners, and the LDF would leave the American workplace forever changed.
Isles of Noise
Authors: Bronfman Alejandra
Published: May 2017

In this media history of the Caribbean, Alejandra Bronfman traces how technology, culture, and politics developed in a region that was "wired" earlier and more widely than many other parts of the Americas. Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica acquired radio and broadcasting in the early stages of the global expansion of telecommunications technologies. Imperial histories helped forge these material connections through which the United States, Great Britain, and the islands created a virtual laboratory for experiments in audiopolitics and listening practices. As radio became an established medium worldwide, it burgeoned in the Caribbean because the region was a hub for intense foreign and domestic commercial and military activities. Attending to everyday life, infrastructure, and sounded histories during the waxing of an American empire and the waning of British influence in the Caribbean, Bronfman does not allow the notion of empire to stand solely for domination. By the time of the Cold War, broadcasting had become a ubiquitous phenomenon that rendered sound and voice central to political mobilization in the Caribbean nations throwing off what remained of their imperial tethers.
Receivers
Authors: Bronfman Alejandra
Published: May 2017

Picking up in the early 1920s, this chapter tracks the shift of radio technology from military to commercial uses. It follows linkages among the changing material conditions for Caribbean workers, the radio industry’s search for materials like mica and bakelite, and the generation of new markets. Having placed broadcasting in its ecological and political contexts, the chapter uses the trajectories of two amateur radio operators, John Grinan, a New Yorker/Jamaican son of a plantation owner and a member of the team which produced the first transatlantic wireless signals, and Frank Jones, an American plantation manager in Cuba, famous for his self-promoting shortwave transmissions to recover the world of the tinkerers’ romance with an ether jammed with distant sounds. It traces the creation of audiences and publics for the emerging technology, arguing that radio appealed to listeners not because it shrank distances, but because it underscored them, demarcating the Caribbean as exotic and remote. Ironically, it was the deeper technological connections that would propel the mapping of these imagined boundaries between the “tropics” and “the world.”
The Attack on Pearl Harbor and Executive Order 9066
Authors: Blankenship Anne M.
Published: May 2017

Chapter One explores the initial reactions of Japanese and white Christians to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and incarceration of coastal Japanese Americans. Progressive Christians leapt to the defense of Japanese in the United States, but the East Coast leaders of mainline Protestant and Catholic organizations instructed their constituents to cease protests when the military announced its decision to incarcerate all West Coast Nikkei. Many leaders on the West Coast agreed that dissent might limit their ability to provide aid or deemed protest during a time of national crisis inappropriate. While diversity existed within each religious group, this chapter compares the bold, decisive actions of individual Quakers and the American Friends Service Committee, the cooperative inclinations of well-intentioned but cautious Protestant leaders, the independent solutions of Catholics, and the determined perseverance of Japanese Christians. Most Catholics working with Japanese in the United States were affiliated with the Maryknoll mission society, while most Protestant workers were affiliated with Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Episcopalian organizations.
The chapter’s narrative focuses on the Christian communities of Seattle, Washington. Gordon Hirabayashi, a local college student, defied the incarceration on Christian grounds, and white Christian leaders helped the Japanese community settle their affairs before the military removed them to temporary assembly centers.
OEO Is Finished
Authors: de Jong Greta
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes how the conservative political discourse of the 1970s echoed the sentiments expressed by southern opponents of the civil rights movement and the War on Poverty in the 1960s, tracing changes in federal policy that reflected the growing acceptance of these ideas among government officials and the population at large. Citing the need to halt the trend toward federal intervention in the economy and other areas of American life, President Richard Nixon proclaimed an era of “New Federalism” that reduced funding for antipoverty programs and restored control over economic development to state and local governments. These moves neutralized the transformative potential of the War on Poverty and left existing power relations intact, leaving poor people without strong advocates in government or adequate assistance during a decade of rising unemployment and economic distress.
Sinking in Despair
Authors: Engle Stephen D.
Published: May 2017

This chapter examines the political season of 1862, and the role the emancipation proclamation and the military operations played in shaping the Democratic victories that came about. It also explores the political problems governors and Lincoln endured as a result of the October and November elections.
Just Such Affliction
Authors: Engle Stephen D.
Published: May 2017

This chapter examines the New York City draft riots and the war on the home front, the draft resistance, as well as the northern political canvass that would lead to Republican victories in the fall elections. It also describes the ongoing struggle to incentivise volunteers to enlist.
A Tub Thrown to the Whale
Authors: Engle Stephen D.
Published: May 2017

This chapter examines the impact of the draft on the fall elections and the increasing legitimacy the Lincoln-governors alliance was gaining as the Union armies began to shown signs of victory in the war in the West. It also examines the increasing occupation of southern soil by northern soldiers and the implications for Lincoln’s reconstruction of those areas. It also examines the increased optimism of the northern populace to employ more expansive war measures to win the military contest