bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Group Work with the Aged Blind Japanese in the Nursing Home and in the Community
Authors: Mummah Hazel R.
Published: March 2020

A nurse views the problems of multiple losses affecting aged blind persons in a long-term care facility. Cultural differences complicate the attempted solutions, hence the search for answers is extended into the community. It is noted that the Japanese blind in the community, because of feelings of shame and reluctance to be seen, are an “invisibile minority” needing assistance much as do the hospitalized aged blind. The use of “group work” in the community and in the convalescent hospital was found to be an effective means of resocializing and rehabilitating aged blind Japanese clients.
Meeting the Vocational Needs of the Older Blind Person
Authors: Dickey Thomas W.
Published: March 2020

The vocational placement of blind persons who are 65 years of age or older presents the counselor with an unusual challenge. The statistical data on the desirability of hiring older workers is reviewed, along with pointers on responding to employers’ objections. Older blind persons who desire remunerative employment fall into four groups, each requiring a different level of placement services: minimal, average, sheltered, and special. The relationship of past work experience to new job possibilities is also explored.
Training Prospective Teachers of Multiply Handicapped Blind Children
Authors: Maron Sheldon
Published: March 2020

The proposed program for the training of teachers of multiply handicapped blind children at Florida State University involves the development of their competency in classroom and home teaching, administering and supervising, and consulting and advocating. The program includes core coursework in visual disabilities, allied and/or generic coursework, core coursework in multiple disabilities, other special education coursework, and practica. Underlying the program is the belief that to work effectively with abnormal behavior requires a solid understanding of the growth and development of nonhandicapped children.
The Assessment of Older Visually Impaired Adults by a Psychologist
Authors: Freedman Saul
Published: March 2020

A psychologist's role in a specific rehabilitation facility for older visually impaired people is described. The uses of the assessment process for this population and the participation in the process by the student (client, patient), his family, other staff members, as well as the psychologist, are detailed. Specific tests that have been used with this population effectively are mentioned.
Stage Development of Blind Children: A Piagetian View
Authors: Gottesman Milton
Published: March 2020

Gottesman conducted a study of stage development of cognitive processes in blind and sighted children, utilizing the concepts and research techniques of Jean Piaget. The experiments concentrate on haptic perception as a means towards recognizing objects and gaining the concept of mass conservation. Criteria for the careful selection of subjects are delineated, and testing procedures described. Results are expressed in charts of mean score percentages.
Devereux Scales as Behavioral Measures of Visually Impaired Residential Students
Authors: Ross Linda J. , Gallagher Patricia A.
Published: March 2020

This study examines how well Devereux behavior rating scales perform as sensitive and reliable instruments for delineating inappropriate behavior among visually impaired children at a residential school. Three Devereux scales were administered: the Child Behavior Rating Scale; the Adolescent Behavior Rating Scale; and the Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale. Students were rated on the scales, from which obviously inappropriate items had been deleted by houseparents and teachers. One week later, a random sample of students was selected for re-evaluation, as a measure of test-retest reliability. The results suggest that the scales could be viable evaluation instruments, though the Child Behavior Rating Scale showed unacceptable test-retest reliability.
Improving Children's Attitudes toward Blind Peers
Authors: Siperstein Gary N. , Bak John J.
Published: March 2020

Examines the effects of a classroom program designed to improve fifth- and sixth-grade students’ attitudes toward blind peers. The results indicated that children who received the lessons had better feelings about blind children, but were less inclined to engage in activities with them than those who received no lessons. All children responded more favorably to an academically competent blind child than an incompetent one.
Differences in Coverbal Behavior between Blind and Sighted Persons during Dyadic Communication
Authors: Parke Kathy Levai , Shallcross Robin , Anderson Richard J.
Published: March 2020

Three nonverbal (or coverbal) behaviors that accompany interpersonal communication—nodding the head, smiling, and raising the eyebrows—were investigated during interviews with 60 blind and sighted school children. The interviews were videotaped, and the frequency and duration of each behavior was measured. Differences between the two groups and the study's implications for kinesic training of blind individuals are discussed.
Reading, Writing and Drawing in Relief: The IPO Relief-Drawing Set
Authors: Melotte H.E.M. , Engel F.L.
Published: March 2020

Describes an improved relief-drawing set that allows durable, tangible, and visible embossed images to be made with a ball-point pen.
The Significance of the 1978 Rehabilitation Act Amendments for Educators of Deaf-Blind Children
Authors: Schein Jerome D.
Published: March 2020

The “Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Services, and Developmental Disabilities Amendments of 1978” (P.L. 95-602) should have a great impact on the welfare of deaf-blind children. This legislation mandates the removal of communication barriers to handicapped people through better quality and availability of interpreter and reader services. Research possibilities have been expanded with the formation of the National Institute for Handicapped Research. The Act also authorizes new facilities and programs for independent living. It mandates cooperation between agencies at the State and Federal levels of government, which should promote effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery. The Act removes upper and lower age limits and drops the requirement that clients be feasible for employment, making clear the intention of Congress that rehabilitation be considered a life-long process. In order to realize the worthy objectives of P.L. 95-602, adequate funds must be appropriated for its administration. Those concerned with the welfare of handicapped persons must keep pressure on Washington to turn these ideas into actualities.
Parenting Styles and the Depressive Syndrome in Congenitally Blind Individuals
Authors: Lambert Robert , West Malcolm
Published: March 2020

This article discusses the effect on congenitally blind children of three types of parents: those who are over-protective, those who push the child toward independence too soon, and those who are “good enough.” The authors focus on how the three styles of parenting affect the blind child's ability to give and receive and develop a sense of competence. These effects are discussed in the context of the ego ideal. The authors also examine the depressive core that is often the result of the blind child's inability to live up to the dictates of the ego ideal. Finally, they suggest a fourth style of parenting that would prepare blind children better for the problems they will encounter in the sighted world.
Group Mobility Seminar
Authors: Blakeslee Raymond J.
Published: March 2020

A special forum for individuals to respond in detail to material published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness or elsewhere, to present new ideas, or to raise issues which relate to the specialized field of work with blind and visually handicapped persons. Contributions should be 350–1000 words in length.
Physical Education for the Visually Impaired: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Depauw Karen P.
Published: March 2020

A search of the literature published during the 1970s revealed only six articles providing empirical evidence for the value of physical education and physical fitness among blind or visually impaired children and adults. The author reviews these articles and concludes that far more research is needed on the differences in physiological functioning between visually impaired and sighted populations to substantiate long-standing claims about the inherent usefulness of physical education and physical fitness programs for blind and visually impaired individuals. Articles on physical education and physical fitness programs for this population are listed in a bibliography.
Crowding Perceptions among Legally Blind Adults in Los Angeles
Authors: Graff Herbert C.
Published: March 2020

Reports a study that used blind individuals in order to discover the nonvisual aspects of crowding. The findings indicated that individual personality is the primary influence in the blind person's perception of crowding.
A Head-Mounted Telescope for a Deaf-Blind Man
Authors: Leja James A.
Published: March 2020

A special forum for individuals to respond in detail to material published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness or to raise issues which relate to the specialized field of work with blind and visually handicapped persons. Contributions should be 350-100 words in length.
Factors Affecting the Learning of Braille
Authors: Newman Slater E. , Hall Anthony D. , Ramseur Charles J. , Foster Darryl J. , Goldston David B. , Decamp Burney L. , Granberry-hager Suellen P. , Lockhart Jackie L. , Sawyer Wilson L. , White James E.
Published: March 2020

In three experiments, the subjects’ task was to learn the names of the first 10 symbols of the braille alphabet. In Experiments 1 and 2, visual examination of the symbols during the study trials and during the test trials enhanced learning. Of particular interest was the finding that subjects who studied the items visually but were tested haptically learned faster than did those who studied the items haptically and were also tested haptically. In Experiment 3, similar results were obtained when standard-size braille symbols were used during the study trials. When large braille symbols were used, visual study of the symbols had no effect. The authors discuss some implications of these results for braille training.
The Development of Sighted People's Understanding of Blindness
Authors: Conant Susan , Budoff Milton
Published: March 2020

In a study of sighted peoples understanding of blindness, 103 subjects in five age groups (preschool through adult) were asked questions in open-ended interviews. The interview data were summarized using four indexes: of realism and richness in discussion of blindness, of unrealistic beliefs, of negative beliefs about blindness, and of negative beliefs about blind people. Although there were no statistically significant main effects by sex, significant age-group effects were found. That is, the older subjects expressed more accurate and detailed knowledge about blindness, but they also expressed more unrealistic and more negative beliefs than did the younger subjects.
Teaching Route Travel to Multiply Handicapped Blind Adults: An Auditory Approach
Authors: Uslan Mark , Malone Steve , De L'Aune William
Published: March 2020

The editors invite readers to submit manuscripts for review for publication in Short Reports. Papers submitted to this section should be 750-1,000 words in length and include an abstract. This section will include—but not be limited to—pilot studies, innovative teaching and rehabilitation techniques, new programs, short legislative analyses, descriptions of prototypes, short surveys and research reports, etc. For other submission procedures, see the Journal's Guildelines for Contributors.
Verbalism in Young Blind Children
Authors: Civelli Ester Monti
Published: March 2020

This article discusses differences in language development between blind and sighted children and adolescents. The first part provides a review of the literature on the subject. The second part describes a study the author conducted at the Institute for the Blind in Milan, Italy. When 10 blind and 10 sighted 13- to 17-year-olds were asked to define 28 words representing objects, movements, animals, and facial expressions, the two groups performed equally well on the words for material objects. The blind group performed better than the sighted group on the other three categories of words.
Constructing Cognitive Maps from Partial Information: A Demonstration Study with Congenitally Blind Subjects
Authors: Herman James F. , Herman Therese G. , Chatman Steven P.
Published: March 2020

Congenitally blind subjects (mean age = 17:2) explored haptically a subset of spatial relations among four objects on a table top. They were then asked to walk all the paths connecting the objects in a large-scale environment. Subjects were able to deduce the overall arrangement of locations from any point in the large-scale environment with a fair degree of accuracy. It is argued that tactual maps could be used to introduce visually impaired individuals to the general rather than specific relationships among objects in a large-scale environment.
Improving the Quality of Life through Rehabilitation Research
Authors: Graves William H.
Published: March 2020

A special forum for individuals to respond in detail to material published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness or to raise issues which relate to the specialized field of work with blind and visually handicapped persons. Contributions should be 350-1000 words in length.
Sensory Compensation in Blind Persons: A Comparison of Visual and Tactual Recognition
Authors: Cronin Virginia , Mclaren Jennifer , Campbell Elaine
Published: March 2020

The theory of sensory compensation was examined in a recognition task with blind and sighted subjects. Free-form shapes were explored visually and tactually, with recognition trials conducted 48 hours later. Blind subjects recognized the shapes tactually as well as sighted subjects did visually, and better than normally sighted and partially sighted with tactual exploration. Blind subjects spend a significantly longer time exploring the objects in the recognition session, supporting the idea that compensation takes place through increased attention.
Development of an Assessment Unit: An Australian Experience
Authors: Verlander Don , Stott Alan
Published: March 2020

This article describes an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team that was developed to assess and provide orientation and mobility training to handicapped people who have additional impairments.
The Socioeconomics of the Blind Male Breadwinner
Authors: Wacker Charles H.
Published: March 2020

This paper cites the need for comprehensive data on the socioeconomic impact of blindness on the adventitiously blinded male adult regarding either his continuing role of self-sufficient family provider or his new role of dependency. The author examines the social and economic forces affecting such men in terms of goal setting, family life, attitudes, status, and income. From his examination of case records, the author concludes that the adventitiously blinded male must set realistic employment goals and make personal and social adjustments or risk facing a life of dependency. The author also provides estimates of income versus cost for the adventitiously blinded male household head, ages 40–65, as a basis for comparing self-sufficiency and dependency.
Increasing Recognition Distance and Assessing Generalized Effects in Visually Impaired Persons
Authors: Lagrow Steven J. , Matson Johnny L.
Published: March 2020

Earlier studies with behavioral procedures demonstrated increased recognition efficiency after training at distances greater than initially obtained on visual acuity tests. These changes have been regarded as improved acuity and attributed to increased control over accommodation. This study investigated these assumptions. Improved acuity was investigated by observing the generalization of effects in recognition efficiency from trained to untrained stimuli. Control over accommodation was investigated by observing the effects of training on recognition efficiency at increased distances with individuals who were physically incapable of accommodating. Neither hypothesis was supported. However, increased efficiency at increased distances was demonstrated with subjects who had had the physical mechanism for accommodation surgically removed. Implications for training are discussed.
A Survey of Approaches to Teaching Reading to Visually Impaired Students in Residential Schools
Authors: LaSasso Carol J. , Jones Thomas W.
Published: March 2020

A survey of 44 residential schools for the visually impaired indicated that the most widely used approach for teaching reading is the basal reader approach, the most prevalent standardized achievement test is the Stanford Achievement Test, and the formal procedure used most frequently to determine the grade level of printed materials is the Fry formula. On the whole, teachers seem to choose reading materials for their students on the basis of subjective judgment.
Modification of Head Droop during Conversation in a 3-Year-Old Visually Impaired Child: A Case Study
Authors: Raver Sharon
Published: March 2020

This study demonstrates a systematic teaching procedure for eliminating head droop in a 3-year-old congenitally visually impaired child. Training consisted of physical prompting and the use of physical and social reinforcement within a game format designed to increase proper head orientation. Results indicated successful amelioration of head droop in training and a high degree of generalization to untrained settings. A high level of maintenance was recorded two weeks following completion of the study. Implications of early intervention in all aspects of social training for the visually impaired are discussed.
Mobility Strategies for Icy Conditions
Authors: Larson Richard W.
Published: March 2020

Techniques involving knee-bending, balancing, establishing a line of travel and using the cane are presented for pedestrian negotiation of sidewalks, street crossings, steps, slopes and other areas when they are likely to be slippery. Special features of ice, packed snow, thawing, and skidding are pointed out, with reference both to the blind traveler and to vehicular traffic.
Applications of Microcomputers by Visually Impaired Persons
Authors: Goodrich Gregory L.
Published: March 2020

Many educational and vocational opportunities require access to computers and microcomputers. This article discusses the uses of microcomputers by sighted users and blind and visually impaired users, and the strengths and weaknesses of adaptive aids and their specific applications. The author also cites the need for additional resources for training and equipping visually impaired computer users, and calls upon agencies to make a cohesive, sustained effort to help ensure equal computer access for visually impaired users, as evolving technologies have the potential to deny such access.
The Microcomputer as a Laboratory Aid for Visually Impaired Science Students
Authors: Morrison Robert C. , Lunney David
Published: March 2020

Visually impaired college students have been hampered in their efforts to pursue careers in science and technology because few adaptations have been developed to help them perform laboratory experiments without the help of a sighted assistant. This article discusses the general importance of instruments in science and technology, specifically the use of computers in the laboratory. It then describes the development, operations, uses, and software of the Universal Laboratory Training and Research Aid (ultra). The ultra is a portable talking laboratory computer that can be used as an instructional laboratory aid, a talking computer terminal, a professional tool, and a personal computer. In addition to its many general-purpose functions, it will enable visually impaired students, as well as professionals, to perform independently important instrumental measurements and other laboratory experiments.
Working with Hispanic Parents of Visually Impaired Children: Cultural Implications
Authors: Correa V.I.
Published: March 2020

Teachers of visually impaired children face two types of problems in working with Hispanic families: the difficulties associated with accepting the impairment and those that involve cultural and linguistic differences. To work effectively with these families, teachers must be sensitive to the Hispanic culture. This article describes the critical issues involved in working with Hispanic families who have visually impaired children and the ways in which teachers can plan appropriate educational interventions.
An Outreach Program at the Braille Institute Library
Authors: Amaya R.D.
Published: March 2020

This paper summarizes outreach programs of the Braille Institute Library serving the Hispanic community in the ten southern counties of California. The intention is to outline the program objectives and the experiences and results obtained since the program's inception early in this decade.
A Program in Orientation and Mobility for Visually Impaired Persons over Age 60
Authors: Straw L.B. , Harley R.K. , Zimmerman G.J.
Published: March 2020

This article reports on the development of an assessment instrument and a training curriculum in orientation and mobility, to be used by families or friends of older blind and visually impaired adults, as well as by professionals in vision and related fields. A field test of the materials was conducted, using the assessment instrument in a pretest-posttest design, with the training curriculum and a structured control activity administered during intervention. Although the materials received enthusiastic support from the project's consultants and participants, no significant treatment or interaction effects were found. Future revisions of the materials are required to deal with methodological and design issues.
Spatial Mapping of Familiar Locations in Blind Children
Authors: Bigelow A.
Published: March 2020

This article reports on a 15-month study of the spatial mapping skills of totally blind, visually impaired, and normally sighted children. The children were asked to point to familiar locations in four areas (conditions) in and around their homes. The blind children never mastered all the conditions; the visually impaired children mastered them, but one of them did so over a year after the sighted children did so; and the sighted children easily mastered all the conditions. The results suggest that blindness interferes with the development of spatial knowledge in which Euclidean directions between locations are known.
Fears of Visually Impaired Children
Authors: Wiemer S.A. , Kratochwill T.R.
Published: March 2020

The study reported here examined the number, content, and intensity of fears of 42 visually impaired children, aged 5–18. All children were administered the Fear Survey for Children with and without Mental Retardation. To obtain a different perception of children's fears, the authors also asked residential child care counselors to complete the survey for the children. Although the children had many fears, there was little difference between the number of mild and severe fears. The children reported more fears of potentially physically dangerous and harmful situations than of psychologically harmful situations. The counselors’ reports generally disagreed with the children's. Methodological implications of assessing fears in handicapped populations are presented, along with future research directions.
Teaching Mobility to a Bilaterally Hand-Amputated Blind Person
Authors: Poss D.
Published: March 2020

This article describes the methods used to train a severely disabled student. It concentrates on the writer's and student's feeling during the course of instruction.
Use of the Blind Learning Aptitude Test with Children in England and Wales and the United States
Authors: Mason H.L.
Published: March 2020

An 18-month study of the use of the Blind Learning Aptitude Test was conducted in schools for visually impaired children in England and Wales to determine if it is a suitable assessment procedure and is “culturally fair.” The results were compared to standardization data for visually impaired children in the United States.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Blind Persons: The Experience of Sibling Twins
Authors: Hale L. , Smith D.H. , Gandy M.J.
Published: March 2020

Twin sisters, legally blind since birth, were provided services through Mississippi Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind. Their recollections of vocational rehabilitation indicate that their reactions and choices throughout this period were dissimilar, despite their close proximity. This article discusses the role of rehabilitation counselors, how they work with demanding clients, and how funding decisions are made. The results of the joint interview appear to substantiate the importance of variables such as personality, over which the rehabilitation agency has no control, and suggest that the rehabilitation process is an individual experience.
Peer Sampling: Developing Individualized Mobility Goals to Orient Visually Impaired Persons to a New Environment
Authors: LaGrow S.J. , Prochnow-LaGrow J.E. , Brine C. , Ericson K.
Published: March 2020

This report discusses the use of peer sampling and its application in planning individualized instructional programs. The procedures are illustrated by a plan to familiarize an incoming student to a university campus and community. The plan is formulated for two potential residences to illustrate the environmental specifity of the procedure.
Visual Deficits and Improvements in Children after Perinatal Hypoxia
Authors: Groenendaal F. , Van Hof-Van Duin J.
Published: March 2020

This article reports on a study of the visual development of 38 infants, children, and youths who were neurologically impaired following perinatal hypoxia. All children showed impairments of one or more visual functions, indicating that perinatal hypoxia can have severe detrimental effects on visual development. However, in most patients visual development continued and visual improvements could be demonstrated up to age 16. The implications of these findings and suggestions for treatment are presented.
Training Teachers of Visually Impaired Children in Rural Tennessee
Authors: Trent S.D.
Published: March 2020

This article describes a model for training teachers of visually impaired children in Tennessee that has significantly increased the number of teachers of visually impaired children in rural school districts since 1981. Teachers are awarded stipends to attend both classes and a practicum over two or three summers and earn 18 hours of credit. They are recruited from across the state and must have assurance from their superintendents that they will teach visually impaired students in their school systems when they are endorsed.
Meeting Personnel Training Needs: The Deaf-Blind Self-Study Curriculum Project
Authors: Huebner K.M. , Kirchner C. , Prickett J.G.
Published: March 2020

The federal Office of Special Education Programs funded a consortium-based project that produced a self-study manual, a videotape and discussion guide, a reprints collection, annotated bibliographies, and an in-service training manual. This article highlights the field-test evaluation of these materials by teachers, which provides a glimpse into the professional situation of the primary target group—teachers without specific training for teaching students who are deaf-blind. The teachers’ pre- and posttest knowledge and attitudes about teaching these students are also analyzed.
Using a Color CCTV to Teach Children with Deaf-Blindness
Authors: Peck F.R.
Published: March 2020

A research project was developed to evaluate the use of a color closed-circuit television (CCTV) for teaching students who are deaf-blind. This article presents an overview of the proposal for using the CCTV, the project design, and the outcome of the project.
An Infant Sonicguide Intervention Program for a Child with a Visual Disability
Authors: Hill M.-M. , Dodson-Burk B. , Hill E.W. , Fox J.
Published: March 2020

The purpose of the study reported here was to teach a preschool child with a visual impairment and significant developmental delay to reach out and locate objects systematically and accurately from a sitting position and to locate and move toward given objects in the environment using the Infant Sonicguide. Although the child achieved the first goal, time constraints prevented him from reaching the second goal.
Perceptual-Motor Performance and the Social Development of Visually Impaired Children
Authors: Sleeuwenhoek H.C. , Boter R.D. , Vermeer A.
Published: March 2020

This article presents a literature survey and conceptual model of the perceptual-motor performance of visually impaired children in relation to their social development. It examines the relationships between visual impairment and orientation, visual impairment and mobility, and motor performance and social integration.
The Elevation of Tympanomeatal Skin Flap Could Not be Necessary for Endoscopic Cartilage Myringoplasty
Authors: Lou Zhengcai
Published: March 2020

Endoscope provide the excellent view and observe the entire perforation edges, endoscopic cartilage myringoplasty doesn’t require the lateral circumferential incision and the elevation of tympanomeatal skin flap in most cases. The cartilage graft may be pushed through the perforation and place medial to the remnant tympanic membrane and annulus.
Ethnic diversity and social welfare provision in non-democracies: Evidence from China
Authors: Guan Yichen
Published: March 2020

A large body of literature suggests that ethnic diversity matters to social welfare provision in democracies by lowering the demand for public projects, but it does not look at the impact of ethnic diversity on social welfare provision in authoritarian regimes. By analyzing county-level data on ethnic composition and public spending on social welfare in China, this study finds that in an authoritarian settings, ethnic diversity is correlated with a higher share of social welfare spending. Despite the divergent preferences people may have for social welfare provision due to ethnic diversity, local Chinese government tends to provide a larger share of social welfare spending in ethnically fragmented places to improve the general well-being of the population and maintain regime stability. This finding extends our understanding of the relationship between ethnic diversity and social welfare provision in non-democratic settings, shedding new light on how regime type affects the shaping of local fiscal policy.
Spontaneity, Coalition Structure, and Strategic Choice
Authors: Pullum Amanda
Published: March 2020

Following the Great Recession, austerity programs and restrictions on the public sector were introduced worldwide. In this article, I ask how and why labor coalitions in two states used differing organizational structures to respond to “shock politics” that severely restricted public-sector unions in 2011. I find the availability or lack of a citizen-initiated veto referendum shaped but did not completely explain differences in strategic choices between unions in Wisconsin and Ohio. Rather, tensions among allies and lack of time for strategic planning also contributed to a nonhierarchical coalition in Wisconsin, while Ohio unions had ample time to create a bureaucratic coalition and plan a successful veto referendum campaign. I argue that given sufficient time to respond to political threats, hierarchical organizations can promote efficient, effective deployment of some political tactics.
Neighborhood Composition and Community Garden Locations: The Effect of Ethnicity, Income, and Education
Authors: Butterfield Katie L.
Published: March 2020

Community gardens provide food, health, and sustainability benefits to surrounding communities. Research demonstrates that low-income or ethnic minority communities develop gardens to resist divestment and provide access to healthy food, whereas white or highly educated communities develop gardens to address local sustainability concerns. Missing from this discussion is a comprehensive picture of the relationship between neighborhood composition and community garden locations. Using GrowNYC and GreenThumb’s 2014 survey of New York City community gardens, this study employs negative binomial and spatial regression methods to examine this relationship. Findings reveal increased numbers of gardens in communities with higher aggregate concentrations of (1) black and/or Latino residents, (2) lower income residents, and (3) well-educated residents, regardless of ethnicity or income. In keeping with qualitative research on motivations for garden development, this study provides crucial quantitative metrics suggesting the diversity of neighborhoods with community gardens and supports their inclusion in urban public policy and city planning.
The emergence of port towns in pre-colonial Sub-Saharan Africa, 1450-1850: What kind of development did they entail?
Authors: Saupin Guy
Published: March 2020

This article analyses the economic and political functions of port towns in Sub-Saharan Africa during the early modern age. It focuses on the relative impact of slavery on social and economic structures and the way in which it promoted the consolidation of extraction-based economic activities. In addition, this paper presents a basic typology of port towns, introducing a number of specific features for each one.
Stress to the ultimate degree: Coping with danger on U.S. submarines during the Second World War
Authors: Sturma Michael
Published: March 2020

Despite the extreme stress faced by submariners on patrol during the Second World War, the incidence of mental breakdown appears to have been very low. Contemporary researchers identified a number of factors that contributed to the mental health of crew members, including their selection, training, rest between patrols and confidence in their leaders. Based largely on the reminiscences of submarine veterans, this article argues that men’s attitudes also played a significant role in coping with danger on patrols. Many submariners adopted a fatalistic attitude that allowed them to accept or deny the likelihood of their deaths. At the same time, they often practiced beliefs and rituals in an attempt to balance the odds of survival in their favour.
Weasel Words and the Analysis of “Postcommunist” Politics: A Symposium
Authors: Bernhard Michael , Ganev Venelin I. , Grzymała-Busse Anna , Hanson Stephen E. , Herrera Yoshiko M. , Kofanov Dmitrii , Shirikov Anton
Published: March 2020

A weasel word is a term used in academic or political discourse whose meaning is so imprecise or badly defined that it impedes the formulation of coherent thought on the subject to which it is applied, or leads to unsubstantiated conclusions. In this symposium we consider several key terms central to the study of postcommunist politics and discuss the extent to which they fall into this category. The terms discussed here include regime terminology, the notion of postcommunism, the geographic entity “Eurasia,” socialism, populism, and neoliberalism. While the authors come to different conclusions about the extent to which these terms are weasel words, they also provide pointers for how to deploy terms in ways that are consistent with the underlying concept and thus aid in the cumulation of knowledge about the region.
Design, modeling, and pressure control of a 300-kW-class hydraulic pump/motor loading system with energy regeneration
Authors: Zhang Jingren , Wang Qingfeng , Wang Tao
Published: March 2020

Energy consumption and temperature rise are challenging in traditional high-power hydraulic pump/motor loading systems. This study develops a novel loading system configuration where energy can be regenerated by mechanical compensation. A compound loading method is proposed to implement static loading with displacement control and dynamic loading with valve control, respectively. This method combines the high energy-regeneration capability of the displacement control and the fast dynamic response of the valve control. Pressure controllers are designed based on system modeling and characteristics analysis. For static loading, a proportional–integral–derivative controller is employed, and the variation of rotational speed is taken into consideration to reduce overshoot and oscillation. For dynamic loading, an off-line learning method is developed by using least square calibration to keep the relief flow rate at a low level without flow meters. An experimental setup of a 300-kW-class loading system is manufactured, and experiments in various loading modes are performed. The results show that the designed system and controllers have accurate pressure tracking performance and low energy consumption.
Late-Holocene climatic record from a glacial lake in Ladakh range, Trans-Himalaya, India
Authors: Phartiyal Binita , Singh Randheer , Joshi Priyanka , Nag Debarati
Published: March 2020

A multi-proxy study using mineral magnetism, sediment texture, total organic content, palynofacies and diatoms was conducted in one of the highest proglacial lake situated at North Pulu (5098 m a.s.l.) of Ladakh sector of NW Himalaya – a high-altitude cold arid desert. This study presents climatic variations that occurred between 5412 and 419 cal. yr BP (14C AMS chronology). Directly recharged by meltwater from Khardung glacier, this proglacial lake provides a complete record of past climatic variability due to continuous sedimentation and this attribute makes it an exceptionally important geochronological archive for climatic studies. This first high-resolution palaeolimnology record from Karakoram Himalayas shows intermittent warm and cold periods in which the cold events are short but sudden events recorded at 5700, 4600, 4400, 4200, 3800, 3500, 3000, 1800–1700, 1200, 910, 840 and 770–710 cal. yr BP. Between 5412 and 4840 cal. yr BP, an oxic lake condition existed with freeze–thaw action, prominent weathering, more sediment generation and less organic productivity. The following period till 4410 cal. yr BP was cold and dry, a transition phase to the next warmer phase. Between 4410 and 2064 cal. yr BP, climate ameliorated to somewhat moderate warm climate and relatively high lake levels. Glacial melting due to a warm climate resulted in high TOC%, and well-preserved OM indicating reducing conditions in the lake system. From 2064 to 1711 cal. yr BP cold conditions and from 1272 to 1182 cal. yr BP warmer conditions are seen with large appearance in Amphora ovalis indicating increased nutrients input and moderate water levels. This was followed by warmer climatic conditions between 1182 and 958 cal. yr BP. LIA in the region is experienced between 958 and 644 cal. yr BP with anoxic condition. Between 644 and 419 cal. yr BP, climatic condition was again warmer comparatively. However, this warming was not so severe and only had a regional impact.
Critical Success Strategies for Competitive Advantage of Indigenous Construction Firms in Developing Countries: A Ghana Study
Authors: Somiah Matthew Kwaw , Aigbavboa Clinton Ohis , Thwala Wellington Didibhuku
Published: March 2020

Though a plethora of studies have suggested indigenous construction firms in developing countries are competitively disadvantaged and risk being marginalized in the competition posed by their foreign counterparts, there is lack of empirical study that identifies the critical success strategies for competitive advantage of indigenous construction firms in developing countries to adduce empirical findings towards policy direction and formulation. Thus, this study identifies the critical success strategies for competitive advantage of indigenous construction firms in developing countries using Ghana as a case study and suggests strategies for competitive advantage of indigenous construction firms. The use of principal component analysis and varimax rotation in data analysis aided in reducing the large set of success strategies to four principal components. Using a questionnaire survey, 667 respondents were invited to rate 21 success strategies identified from literature based on their knowledge and experience. Correlations between the 21 variables showed that four key components underlay the critical success strategies for competitive advantage of indigenous construction firms in developing countries, namely tendering, contract, client-centred and branding strategies. Findings and recommendations of this study may be useful to construction stakeholders who are seeking innovative ways to enhance indigenous construction firms’ competitive advantage and policy direction.
Performance-based seismic loss assessment of isolated simply-supported highway bridges retrofitted with different shape memory alloy cable restrainers in a life-cycle context
Authors: Li Shuai , Hedayati Dezfuli Farshad , Wang Jingquan , Alam M Shahria
Published: March 2020

Shape memory alloy cables have emerged as an alternative to conventional steel cable restrainers for preventing the bridge spans from unseating during an extreme earthquake. Feasibility of high-cost NiTi shape memory alloy restrainers in retrofitting the bridges has been numerically investigated, and promising results have been published; however, considering the economic impacts, the effect of different types of shape memory alloy such as Cu-based and Fe-based shape memory alloy restrainers has not been discussed yet. The objective of this study is to address this problem in detail in order to propose the most cost-effective shape memory alloy restrainer suitable for bridge engineering applications. Seismic fragility and life-cycle loss (both direct and indirect) assessments are analytically performed on an isolated simply-supported highway bridge retrofitted by four types of shape memory alloy restrainers (i.e. NiTi, FeNiCoAlTaB, CuAlMn, and FeMnAlNi). Results showed that for all retrofitted bridges performed in the range of design displacement, the effect of type of shape memory alloy is significant on the damage probability and long-term seismic loss of the bridges. All the bridges retrofitted with shape memory alloy restrainers have a very low probability of collapse (less than 7%). It is also found that the bridge retrofitted with Fe-based shape memory alloy restrainers (SMA-II and SMA-IV) performed better as compared to the other cases. Compared to the bridge without restrainers and with NiTi shape memory alloy restrainers, Fe-based shape memory alloy restrainers can reduce the long-term loss by about 87% and 11%, respectively, at the design earthquake event specified in CHBDC-2014. The probabilistic risk analysis of highway bridges retrofitted with shape memory alloy restrainers can aid in paving the way toward widespread application of such smart materials in structural applications.
Transthoracic echocardiography as bedside technique to verify tip location of central venous catheters in patients with atrial arrhythmia
Authors: Iacobone Emanuele , Elisei Daniele , Gattari Diego , Carbone Luigi , Capozzoli Giuseppe
Published: March 2020

Introduction:

Transthoracic echocardiography with bubble test is an accurate, reproducible, and safe technique to verify the location of the tip of the central venous catheter. The aim of this study is to confirm the effectiveness of this method for tip location in patients with atrial arrhythmia.

Methods:

Transthoracic echocardiography with bubble test was adopted as a method of tip location in patients with atrial arrhythmia requiring central venous catheter. If bubbles were evident in the right atrium in less than 2 s after simple saline injection, tip placement was assumed as correct. In cases of uncertain visualization of the bubble effect, the test was repeated injecting a saline–air mixture. Tip location was also assessed by post-procedural chest X-ray.

Results:

In 42 patients with no evident P-wave at the electrocardiography, we placed 34 centrally inserted central catheters and 8 peripherally inserted central catheters. Transthoracic echocardiography with bubble test detected two centrally inserted central catheter malpositions. In four patients with peripherally inserted central catheter, transthoracic echocardiography with bubble test was positive only when repeated with the saline–air mixture. When the transthoracic echocardiography was positive, the mean (±standard deviation) time for onset of the bubble effect was 0.89 ± 0.33 s in patients with centrally inserted central catheter and 1.1 ± 0.20 s in those with peripherally inserted central catheter; such time difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Tip location of central venous catheter by transthoracic echocardiography with bubble test is feasible, safe, and accurate in patients with atrial arrhythmia. This method can also be applied in peripherally inserted central catheters; however, further studies may be needed to confirm its use in this type of catheters.
Changing the syringe pump: A challenging procedure in critically ill patients
Authors: Elli Stefano , Mattiussi Elisa , Bambi Stefano , Tupputi Serena , San Fratello Salvatore , De Nunzio Angela , D’Auria Salvatore , Rona Roberto , Fumagalli Roberto , Lucchini Alberto
Published: March 2020

Introduction:

In the literature, the change of a syringe pump is described as a dangerous situation, especially in the case of vasoactive drug administration.

Methods:

Different variables have been studied (central venous pressure, pump displacement in relation to the patient position, utilization of a stopcock, or a neutral displacement needle-free connector between the syringe and the infusion tubing) to understand their influence on medication administration in terms of backflow or bolus creation when changing the syringe.

Results:

We performed 576 measurements with different combinations. With respect to all the observations, in comparison with “time zero,” we found the following differences expressed in microliters: 0 (±1) at the plunger opening; 0 (±3) at the syringe extraction from the pump; 0 (±7) at the syringe disconnection from the infusion tubing; 0 (±11) at the syringe reconnection to the infusion tubing; 1 (±7) at the syringe insertion in the pump; 3 (±23) at the plunger closing; 8 (±33) at the stabilization at the maneuver end.

Conclusion:

The syringe change can be a very critical moment given different influencing variables. Syringe pump position, displaced higher than the patient level, always generates a medication bolus that is higher at the lowering of the central venous pressure value. The presence of a neutral displacement needle-free connector reduces the incidence of boluses. When the pump is placed at the patient level, the presence of neutral displacement needle-free connector reduces the establishment of boluses, even in a central venous pressure of −5 mmHg simulations.