bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sanctions and Preventive War
Authors: McCormack Daniel , Pascoe Henry
Published: January 2016

In this article, we demonstrate that through their use as tools of military containment, sanctions play an unappreciated role in international politics. We show that sanctions can be used to smooth shifts in relative power that would otherwise lead to preventive war. After presenting a model of shifting relative power and sanctions, we discuss two cases in which sanctions were imposed to destroy an adversary’s military capability. We also explore the implications of this argument for the evaluation of sanctions’ effectiveness. Because sanctions may be deployed as a mechanism to lock in the status quo rather than revise it, the outcome of a sanctions episode must be compared to its counterfactual rather than the status quo ante. Our argument suggests that sanctions may be effectively deployed in response to expected adverse shifts in relative power; therefore observed outcomes disadvantageous to the sanctioning state are insufficient proof that sanctions have failed.
Empirical Implications of Matching Children With Specific Language Impairment to Children With Typical Development on Nonverbal IQ
Authors: Earle F. Sayako , Gallinat Erica L. , Grela Bernard G. , Lehto Alexa , Spaulding Tammie J.
Published: January 2016

This study determined the effect of matching children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their peers with typical development (TD) for nonverbal IQ on the IQ test scores of the resultant groups. Studies published between January 2000 and May 2012 reporting standard nonverbal IQ scores for SLI and age-matched TD controls were categorized into those that matched and did not match children with SLI and TD on nonverbal IQ. We then compared the nonverbal IQ scores across matching criterions within each diagnostic category. In studies that matched children on nonverbal IQ, children with SLI scored significantly higher on nonverbal IQ tests relative to children with SLI in studies that did not match on this criterion. Therefore, it appears that the nonverbal IQ performance of children with SLI is not comparable across studies that do and do not match samples on nonverbal IQ. This suggests that the practice of nonverbal IQ matching may have unintended consequences for the generalization of research findings to the broader SLI population.
The Effects of a Comprehensive Reading Program on Reading Outcomes for Middle School Students With Disabilities
Authors: Hock Michael F. , Brasseur-Hock Irma F. , Hock Alyson J. , Duvel Brenda
Published: January 2016

Reading achievement scores for adolescents with disabilities are markedly lower than the scores of adolescents without disabilities. For example, 62% of students with disabilities read below the basic level on the NAEP Reading assessment, compared to 19% of their nondisabled peers. This achievement gap has been a continuing challenge for more than 35 years. In this article, we report on the promise of a comprehensive 2-year reading program called Fusion Reading. Fusion Reading is designed to significantly narrow the reading achievement gap of middle school students with reading disabilities. Using a quasi-experimental design with matched groups of middle school students with reading disabilities, statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and comparison conditions on multiple measures of reading achievement with scores favoring the experimental condition. The effect size of the differences were Hedges’s g = 1.66 to g = 1.04 on standardized measures of reading achievement.
‘Does the mirror speak my language?’ A Comparison of L1 and L2 Student Reflections on Their Experiences in a Small-group Writing Tutorial
Authors: Kelly Lauren J.
Published: January 2016

Reflection has often been considered a powerful tool for students in composition, helping them develop rhetorical awareness and the ability to transfer their knowledge to future writing tasks. However, the methods that promote reflection have often been debated, and students have considered the process both puzzling and difficult. Furthermore, few studies have directly compared the reflections of native (L1) and non-native (L2) speakers to determine if they are likely to reflect in the same ways and if methods to improve reflective writing would be effective for both groups. To assist in this endeavour, the current study builds on work by Krol (1996) and Kathpalia and Heah (2008) to categorize student reflections and the developments they select to discuss in the small-group tutorial program for L1 and L2 speakers at a large, research university. The aim of this work is to better understand how and to what extent these students are reflecting to help guide the program and offer suggestions that could be more widely applied to peer review groups and composition classrooms in general. This study also indicates future areas of inquiry, including analysing how the number of guiding questions provided influences reflection, assessing student reflections before and after modelling, and comparing the reflections of L2 students with different native languages.
If a trauma patient is tachycardic, should we call for a counsellor?
Authors: Sutherland AG , Senthilkumaran S , Alexander DA , Hutchison JD
Published: January 2016

Background

It has been suggested in the literature that raised heart rate in the early period after trauma is associated with the development of post-traumatic psychopathology, but little account has been taken of the potential confounding effect of injury severity.

Materials and methods

A cohort of 154 patients, studied as part of a wider investigation of trauma outcomes, was included. Initial heart rate in the accident & emergency department, and injury severity score and new injury severity scores were recorded. Patients completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) as a measure of psychopathology at presentation and again at two- and six-month follow-up.

Results

There was no relationship between psychopathology at presentation and initial heart rate or injury severity. Raised heart rate was associated with post-traumatic psychopathology at two months but not at six months. When the potential confounding effect of injury severity was controlled for, there was no independent correlation between heart rate and post-traumatic psychopathology. Injury severity score and new injury severity scores were strongly associated with GHQ-28 caseness.

Conclusion

Post-traumatic tachycardia is not associated with development of psychopathology, but injury severity is. Previous studies that have suggested a link between tachycardia and development of psychopathology are flawed because they have not considered the confounding effect of severity of injury.
Modeling pedestrian behavior with Cell-DEVS: theory and applications
Authors: Al-Habashna Ala’a , Wainer Gabriel
Published: January 2016

In this work, we provide an approach for Modeling and Simulation (M&S) of crowds using Cellular Discrete EVent System Specification (Cell-DEVS). We present many examples of Cellular Discrete EVent System Specification entity-based crowd models, and we show how to use Cellular Discrete EVent System Specification for entity-based modeling and simulation of crowds. We provide an approach for using Cellular Discrete EVent System Specification theory in modeling and simulation of crowds, and we propose Cellular Discrete EVent System Specification entity-based models for modeling and simulation of one-, two-, and three-dimensional movement of crowds. We extend the models above, and propose a more advanced model for crowd movement in multi-level building. Furthermore, we use this model for simulation of building evacuations. We propose another advanced model for crowd modeling, and deploy the model in occupancy analysis of buildings. Simulation results verify the usability of the proposed models.
Computer simulation for warp-knitted brushed fabric with patterned piles
Authors: Xiong Ying , Miao Xuhong , Zhang Aijun , Jiang Gaoming
Published: January 2016

Warp-knitted brushed fabrics are special pile fabrics with uneven and declining piles that consist of broken filament ends. It is difficult to predict the finial pattern of the pile surface in the process of the design of patterned fabric. There are few researches on computer simulation of the fabric because of their complicated and fuzzy characteristic. This paper focuses on computer simulation of this group of pile fabrics. Firstly, the characteristics of warp-knitted brushed fabric and the factors that influence the pile are discussed. Secondly, a simplified line model is proposed to represent the shape of the pile by some lines in a certain titling angle, radial angle and length. A two-dimensional matrix is used to describe the position and color of piles in one pattern repeat. Finally, based on the mathematic model, a program is developed by VC++.NET to realize the simulation of the brushed fabric with a patterned pile. By the input of some parameters that were adjusted according to the craft, the two-dimensional computer simulation of the pile surface was found to be similar to the actual patterned pile fabric. It is proved that the method is feasible and contributes to the development of a computer-aided design system to realize the design and simulation of the warp-knitted brushed fabric.
Effects of foaming parameters on sized-foam properties
Authors: Zhu Bo , Song Qinjie , Liu Jianli , Liu Jianli , Gao Weidong , Li Liangxu
Published: January 2016

Foaming parameters are the foundations of foam-sizing technology. The impacts of foaming parameters, including temperature, agitator speed, quality fraction of the foaming agent, size recipe and concentration, on foam properties are remarkable. Aiming at optimizing the foaming parameters, foam height, foaming ratio, foam half-life and foam viscosity were chosen for testing and analysis. The experimental results indicated that the comprehensive indexes of the foam achieved the optimal properties at 50℃ with the agitation speed of 1200 r/min and the foaming agent of 2.5%, the oxidized starch and polyacrylic acid ratio of 50:50 and the size concentration of 9%. Compared with the yarn properties with the traditional process, foam-sizing can achieve the same results.
Employing Resistance and Resilience in Pursuing K-12 Schooling and Higher Education: Lived Experiences of Successful Female First-Generation Students of Color
Authors: Portnoi Laura M. , Kwong Tiffany M.
Published: January 2016

Drawing upon standpoint theory and phenomenology, this study chronicles the lived experiences of 16 successful female first-generation students of color as they pursued K-12 schooling and accessed higher education. Findings indicate that a complex set of school, family, peer, and personal factors affected students’ lived experiences in their urban environments; three holistic student profiles illustrate the interconnectedness of these factors. Stories of successful female first-generation students of color demonstrate how they, despite facing numerous challenges, used resistance and resilience during their K-12 urban schooling and when accessing higher education.
Understanding Disciplinary Disproportionality: Stereotypes Shape Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs About Black Boys’ Behavior
Authors: Kunesh Claire E. , Noltemeyer Amity
Published: January 2016

The disproportionate discipline of Black male students is a pervasive problem in U.S. schools. To examine the role of stereotypes in disciplinary disproportionality, pre-service teachers were randomly assigned to read a vignette about a defiant student. Those who read a vignette about a Black student believed that the student was more likely to misbehave in the future, compared with those who read a vignette about a White student. These findings suggest that some teachers attribute the misbehavior of Black male students to more stable causes, which may lead them to alter their behavior toward these students.
Predictors of Faculty–Student Engagement for Black Men in Urban Community Colleges: An Investigation of the Community College Survey of Men
Authors: Wood J. Luke , Newman Christopher B.
Published: January 2016

This research focuses on factors predicting faculty–student engagement for Black male collegians. In this study, the authors investigated whether students’ perceptions of racial/gender stereotypes had a moderating effect on the determinants of engagement with faculty. The sample population was derived from 16 urban community colleges located across four states. A total of 340 Black men participated in the Community College Survey of Men. Degree utility and intrinsic interest were both found to be positive determinants of faculty–student engagement. The variable with the most significant contribution to the model was faculty validation.
“We’re Still Here . . . We’re Not Giving Up”
Authors: Bukoski Beth E. , Hatch Deryl K.
Published: January 2016

Objective: This study examines masculinity in a manner commensurate with established feminist frameworks to deconstruct a patriarchal system that ill-serves both men and women. Method: We utilized standpoint theory and narrative analysis to examine longitudinal, qualitative data from first-year Black and Latino males as they transition into community college through their second semester. Findings: Positionality is critical to understanding the success of Black and Latino males and their response to institutional structures. In many instances, men leveraged normative constructions of masculinity as aids to their success, and their resilience and confidence were filtered through their perceived development into adults. Conclusion: Implications for practice include the creation of spaces for men to talk about what it means to be a man in college and ways to influence men to make the most of resources when proffered, even if they tend to avoid seeking them out on their own. Further research should seek to understand how men develop and evolve their concepts of masculinity as well as how and to what extent spaces for men actually work to dismantle hegemonic masculinity.
Disaster Recovery Service Delivery: Toward a Theory of Simultaneous Government and Voluntary Sector Failures
Authors: O’Donovan Kristin
Published: January 2016

This article introduces a theory of government and voluntary sector failure in the context of disaster relief and recovery. It theorizes that government and voluntary sectors will fail based on the amount of demand. This implies that the supply of public services is fixed and demand for public services varies to a greater degree than previously considered. This article argues that government, formal nonprofit organizations, and informal voluntary groups will simultaneously fail (or partially fail) to supply public services. Furthermore, limited supply of services and varying levels of demand predict failure to deliver relief and recovery services.
Performance Audits and Supreme Audit Institutions’ Impact on Public Administration: The Case of the Office of the Auditor General in Norway
Authors: Reichborn-Kjennerud Kristin , Johnsen Åge
Published: January 2016

Performance audit is widespread but contested. The “audit society” proposition holds that audits are rituals producing comfort, whereas the “mandatory audit” proposition in public policy presumes that audits have positive impacts. Common to both propositions is the lack of empirical evidence of audit impact. This article analyzes survey data of the auditees’ tendency to make changes as a consequence of Supreme Audit Institutions’ performance audits. Civil servants who had experienced performance audits responded that ministries and agencies tend to make changes, but instrumental, institutional, and political factors have an effect on the institution’s propensity to make changes.
From State Predation to Market Extraction
Authors: Zhou Li , Feng Hui , Dong Xuan
Published: January 2016

Despite some progress in the past three decades, China’s rural economy still suffers from a lack of sound financial intermediation in terms of the coverage, quantity, and quality of financial services. This article offers a study of the political economy of rural finance in China, a historical and political analysis of the reform process on a systemic level, as well as an assessment of China’s reform strategies and programs. We argue that the path of China’s rural finance reforms has been a transition from state predation that centered on the state’s extraction of rural financial resources to finance its industrialization program, to market extraction that saw the market system continue to drain rural funds into the urban economy. Given the failure of the existing strategies, we suggest that policy makers look beyond the market-centered framework and establish a system of vertical cooperation that can systematically integrate policy, cooperative, and commercial elements of both formal and informal institutions.
A new method for the redundancy analysis of Petri net-based liveness enforcing supervisors
Authors: Gelen Gökhan , Uzam Murat , Li ZhiWu
Published: January 2016

The deadlock control of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) has been widely studied in the literature. Petri nets (PNs) are extensively used as a tool for modelling, analysis and controller synthesis of such systems. In general, Petri-net-based liveness enforcing supervisors (LESs) include control places ( CPs) together with their input/output arcs. It is well known that the methods proposed for computing CPs may provide redundant and necessary CPs. In this paper, a new method is proposed for redundancy test of CPs by means of supervisory control theory (SCT). The proposed method is based on the idea that after the removal of a CP from an LES, if the controlled model is still live, then the removed CP is redundant. The proposed method makes use of the TCT implementation tool of SCT. It is applicable to a PN-based LES consisting of a set of CPs. The applicability of proposed method is demonstrated by means of examples from the relevant literature. For some examples, the redundancy test provides more permissive behaviour with structurally simpler supervisors.
Adaptive smooth second-order sliding mode control method with application to missile guidance
Authors: Wang Zheng
Published: January 2016

This paper proposes an adaptive smooth second-order sliding mode control law for a class of uncertain non-linear systems. The key point of this control law is ensuring a smooth control signal considering parametric uncertainty and disturbances with unknown bounds. The proposed control method is obtained by introducing a continuous function under the integral and using adaptive gains. The switching function and its derivative are forced to zero in finite time. This is achieved using a smooth control command and without the prior knowledge of upper bound parameters of uncertainties. The finite-time stability is proved based on a quadratic Lyapunov approach and the reaching time is estimated. This structure is used to create a homing guidance law and the efficiency is evaluated via simulations.
Novel control structure of single-phase active power filter using recursive least squares estimator considering a distorted environment
Authors: Fallah M , Madadi H , Tavakoli Bina M , Ajami A
Published: January 2016

In this paper, a new reactive power and harmonic compensation procedure based on the variable forgetting factor-recursive least squares (VFF-RLS) estimator and new phase-locked loop is proposed. For this purpose, the fundamental harmonic component of load current is estimated with VFF-RLS. Independence on order and amplitude of harmonics, fast dynamic and high accuracy are the remarkable features of the designed estimator. As in the case of load changes, the sag/swell and phase jump in grid voltage, optimal compensation is performed in less than half a cycle with a low total harmonic distortion value. In addition, to compensate for an infected power system by varied frequency, a second-order general integrator-frequency-locked loop (SOGI-FLL) control system based on wavelet transform (WT) has been proposed. This phase detector can track the reference phase of a grid in the best manner in the presence of frequency variations. The effectiveness of the proposed method in a single-phase power system has been validated using both simulation and experimental results.
Mobile phone for empowerment? Global nannies in Paris
Authors: Kim Youna
Published: January 2016

Feminization of migration has emerged as a common livelihood strategy to alleviate poverty and escape difficult socio-economic, cultural, and familial situations. Mobile phones have become the most crucial and pervasive communication device that enables migrants to be simultaneously mobile and connected, anytime and anywhere. Is the mobile phone empowering or disempowering as a new form of social control? Based on a long-term ethnographic research on global nannies in Paris, this study presents a case for the importance of the detailed investigation of everyday contexts and power relations to better understand the complexities of mobile phone use in work life. This study will argue that, far from an instrument of empowerment, the mobile phone can work to reinforce already existing power relations and mundane social structures, leading to more unequal and enslaving relationships in work life.
Parental Leave Use Among Disadvantaged Fathers
Authors: Pragg Brianne , Knoester Chris
Published: January 2016

The United States lags behind other industrialized countries in its lack of inclusive parental leave policy after the birth or adoption of a child. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 2,233), this study examines the patterns and predictors of fathers’ parental leave use, as well as its association with father–child engagement. Our findings indicate that the vast majority of employed fathers take parental leave, but they rarely take more than one week of leave. Fathers who have more positive attitudes about fatherhood and who live with the birth mothers are especially likely to take leave, and to take more weeks of leave, than other fathers. Finally, we find that taking parental leave, and taking more weeks of parental leave, is positively associated with fathers’ engagement levels at one year and five years after the birth of their children.
Fathers’ Participation in Parenting and Maternal Parenting Stress: Variation by Relationship Status
Authors: Nomaguchi Kei , Brown Susan , Leyman Tanya M.
Published: January 2016

The growing diversity in mother–father relationship status has led to a debate over the role of fathers in parenting. Little is known, however, about how fathers’ participation in parenting is linked to maternal well-being across different mother–father relationship statuses. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 2,062), fixed-effects as well as random-effects regression models show that overall fathers’ engagement with children and sharing in child-related chores are negatively related to maternal parenting stress. Fathers’ cooperative coparenting is negatively related to maternal parenting stress only in the random-effects model, suggesting that the association is driven by selection factors. There is little variation in these associations by mother–father relationship status, once selection factors are controlled for. These findings extend support for the current cultural emphasis on benefits of fathers’ active participation in parenting for mothers and children even after the mother–father relationship dissolved.
Who Is in Charge of Family Finances in the Russian Two-Earner Households?
Authors: Ibragimova Dilyara , Guseva Alya
Published: January 2016

Using a recent representative survey and supplemental interviews, we investigate household money management and domestic power dynamics in contemporary Russian two-partner families. During the Soviet period, it was women who typically managed household money. Today, while 45.6% of contemporary Russian two-partner households pool money and manage it jointly, and in about a quarter of families women are in charge, families with men in control of domestic money are on the rise among more affluent spouses who have been married for less than 20 years. While previous work finds evidence for the feminization of poverty in the postcommunist region, we underscore the otherwise hidden aspects of inequality—gendered access to household money among the relative “winners” of the transition: Younger and more affluent families. We place these changes in the context of neoliberal market reforms, including labor market and welfare policy changes and the rise of neoconservative gender ideology.
Long‐term Results of Endoscopically Assisted Pediatric Cholesteatoma Surgery
Authors: Sarcu David , Isaacson Glenn
Published: January 2016

Objective

Routine endoscopic examination during primary surgery decreased the rate of residual cholesteatoma to 18% in our early experience. Based on this, we stopped performing routine second‐look surgery in children who were endoscopically free of cholesteatoma at the end of primary surgery. We sought to investigate if second‐look procedures after endoscopic‐assisted surgery could safely be performed only in children at a high risk of residual disease (extensive inflammation, spontaneously ruptured or fragmented cholesteatoma, residual disease intentionally left).

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary pediatric otolaryngology practice.

Subjects and Methods

Children aged 1 to 16 years who were treated for cholesteatoma over 15‐year period by a single surgeon. Extent of disease and endoscopic findings were compared with rates of residual disease. Time to diagnosis of residual disease and prognostic factors were analyzed.

Results

Forty‐two children underwent endoscopically assisted middle ear surgery for cholesteatoma. Of 42 children, 7 (17%) had additional disease found by endoscopy that was missed by microscopy alone. Twelve children at high risk had second looks; 5 (42%) had residual disease. Of 30 children, 2 (7%) presented with macroscopically evident residual cholesteatoma after no planned second look on office follow‐up and subsequently underwent reoperation and were cured.

Conclusions

Selective second‐look surgery in high‐risk children did not adversely affect outcome as compared with the low‐risk group. Cholesteatoma was identified endoscopically in 7 of 42 (17%) children thought to be microscopically free of disease at initial surgery. The endoscope may aid in visualization of difficult middle ear recesses when used to complement microscopy. Further investigation with multicenter data is needed.
Let Them Talk
Authors: Karaliova Tatsiana
Published: January 2016

This comparative analysis examined how the presidents of Russia, Belarus, and Poland, the three countries with different political regimes, used the New Year’s addresses to rhetorically construct social reality in terms of national identity and the positions of the countries in the world. Specifically, the study looked at how presidents used rhetorical means to build and reinforce solidarity and civil sphere, to appeal to the nations’ historical consciousness, to include or exclude certain groups, to define the relationship of the state and society, and to rhetorically construct the image of conformity. The differences in how the presidents rhetorically constructed and reinforced solidarity and civil sphere were revealed in how the speakers stressed active role of either the government or the community in overcoming crises. It was observed that the image of solidarity and conformity could be rhetorically constructed not only with the help of unifying rhetoric but also by blaming and social exclusion of “enemies” to build sense of connectedness and conformity against “the other.” The way the presidents spoke about status quo in their countries demonstrated how institutionalized uncertainty could be rhetorically constructed in democratic regimes and how stability could serve as an argument in sustaining regime legitimacy in nondemocratic regimes.
Effect of conductor expressivity on ensemble evaluations by nonmusic majors
Authors: Price Harry E. , Mann Alison , Morrison Steven J.
Published: January 2016

This study continues research that examines effects that conductors have on the assessment of ensemble performances. The current study used the same four recordings orders of two strict and two expressive examples by two conductors with a single repeated recording used in previous research, but the participants were not music majors. In addition to assessing the conductor and ensemble performances, they were asked to list one item each for each excerpt regarding the conductor and ensemble being evaluated. Results similar to those from the previous research were found in this study: there was a difference in the conductors’ evaluations. However, there was a difference in the ensemble ratings, depending on the conductor style, even though it was the identical audio performance. The eta-squared values for the four orders ranged from .444 to .567. Effect sizes for the ensembles were smaller, as expected, but still consequential, .121 to .450. Comments provided by students indicate a strong relationship of strict and expressive conducting to involvement/leadership and gesture. We need to consider what effect conductors might have on our perception of musical quality or the effect the performance has on assessment of the conductor.
Behavioral characteristics and instructional patterns of expert teaching, and the transfer of those behaviors into a musical setting: Two case studies
Authors: Johnson Christopher , Williams Lindsey , Parisi Joseph , Brunkan Melissa
Published: January 2016

The purpose of the present investigation was to analyze the teaching characteristics and instructional patterns of an expert teacher, and then to examine whether those observed teaching aspects could transfer into a musical setting. A teacher of swimming was videotaped giving the first four swim lessons to a 2-year-old child. Recordings were analyzed, and a list of instructional techniques and behaviors were made. Though a rather lengthy list, three key aspects to her instructional effectiveness seemed to relate to: the use of short, but intense lessons separated by 23 hour and 45 minute time intervals; an explicit awareness of exactly what goals were set for the series of lessons; and absolute consistency in behavioral management. In a second investigation, a music teacher viewed all the swim lesson videos, discussed their content, and incorporated those techniques and behaviors into his instruction of the first four trumpet lessons to a 10-year-old child. Several aspects of success were noteworthy. Certainly all three of the “key” behaviors transferred easily and effectively to the trumpet instruction. Conclusions from these two instrumental case studies imply that the identified “key” pedagogical elements might inform instruction on a much broader level.
Musical preference and music education: Musical preferences of Turkish university students and their levels in genre identification
Authors: Gürgen Elif Tekin
Published: January 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate if there is any relationship between musical preference, genre identification and frequency of listening to music genres, and whether musical training and gender played a role in these factors. A total of 205 college music and non-music majors recorded their preference for 13 music excerpts in popular, non-popular and Turkish Music genres. Results suggested that students’ musical preference, frequency of listening to music genres and their levels of accuracy in genre identification showed significant differences by gender and musical training. Music students favored Rock and Metal music more, whereas students not studying music enjoyed excerpts of the Traditional Turkish Art Music and Reggae. Furthermore, results also suggested that while female students preferred Jazz, Latin, Reggae and Western music more, male students favored the excerpts of Rock and Metal music more. As a result of the correlation analysis, a statistically significant relationship was found between the students’ musical preferences and the frequency with which they listened to that music.
Understanding the experiences of women in jazz: A suggested model
Authors: Wehr Erin L.
Published: January 2016

Jazz has long been recognized as a male-dominated field, with females traditionally having only limited acceptance, often in the roles of singer and pianist. Researchers have explored sources of the gender imbalance in the field of jazz and jazz education, but there is no theory or framework to organize such findings. This directed content analysis of the journal Jazz Changes, the official magazine of the International Association of Schools of Jazz published from 1994 to 2000, analyzed published answers to the following question posited by the journal editors, “Women in Jazz: Why aren’t there more women in jazz education?” Analysis suggests a model including three social-psychological theories to describe the female experience in jazz. The theories include Rosabeth Kanter’s theory of tokenism, which describes a learning environment that females might perceive or experience in jazz; Claude Steele and Joshua Aronson’s theory of stereotype threat, which offers insight into why female musicians might make a choice to not participate, or discontinue participation, in the jazz idiom; and Albert Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, which is offered as a possible guide to providing instruction in jazz that fosters female participation. These theories are offered together as a model framework for future study of both historical and present experiences in gender and jazz.
New legislation in Brazilian music education: Studying the law and its implementation
Authors: Manning Dwight , Kamil Marilia
Published: January 2016

In 2008, Brazilian legislators approved a law that added music on a mandatory basis to the basic national school curriculum. Despite the possibilities afforded by this legislation, music educators affirm that many questions remain due to its ambiguity. Given the 2012 deadline for the implementation of this law, there is a need to understand how it was enacted across diverse settings. This study considers the implementation from the perspective of music teachers. Thus, in this interview study, we seek to understand the status of music education throughout the country according to the perspectives of music educators from private and public schools. Such perspectives are situated within reviews of educational history, legislation, policy, and research. Findings point toward the need to (a) address a shortage of music teachers; (b) better define the preparation of professional music educators; and (c) identify pedagogies which are likely to have the greatest impact in implementing this new law.
Levels of music performance anxiety and test anxiety of Turkish prospective music teachers in piano exams
Authors: Guven Elif
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine the anxiety of prospective music teachers ( N = 129) during piano exams and to examine the effects of peer and self-assessments on anxiety and exam achievement of individuals with high performance and test anxiety ( n = 5). Female students were more anxious compared to males, students of the fourth class were the most anxious, and students who had graduated from fine arts high schools had lower anxiety levels. There was a positive and significant relation between test anxiety and music performance anxiety. No significant relation was determined between piano course achievement scores and test or performance anxiety. Despite awareness of coping recommendations, students with high levels of anxiety experienced anxiety that could influence performance during exams.
Professional orchestral conductors’ use of selected teaching behaviors in rehearsal
Authors: Whitaker Jennifer A.
Published: January 2016

This descriptive study examined professional conductors’ use of rehearsal time in sequential pattern components, discussing task presentation targets, and using verbal imagery and modeling techniques. Commercially available videos of 15 professional conductors rehearsing prominent orchestras were scripted, coded, and timed for selected teaching behaviors. Results revealed that professional conductors spent a large amount of rehearsal time allowing the ensemble to perform, presenting musical information, and focusing on interpretational aspects of the music (especially dynamics and style). All the conductors used verbal modeling to some extent, and most used verbal imagery at some point in rehearsal. Preservice and practicing music educators/conductors may find these results to be beneficial when reflecting on and refining their own teaching skills.
When you can’t talk about it
Authors: Boardman Liz , Crichton Catriona , Butterworth Stephen
Published: January 2016

Studies suggest that speech, language and communication difficulties are more prevalent in the prison population than in the general population. This paper details the use of Talking Mats with a man on probation who struggled to talk about his offence. It explores how this approach enabled him to communicate more effectively about his index offence and thus inform a more thorough risk management plan. It is proposed that Talking Mats can be a way of working with people in the criminal justice system who might otherwise be labelled as ‘hard to reach’.
Incorporating and adapting shared experience of mindfulness into a service for men who have committed serious offences and who have significant personality difficulties
Authors: Baker Vikki , Young Karen , Wolfe Sarah
Published: January 2016

This article describes an ongoing mindfulness group offered as part of an intensive sociotherapeutic programme for men with personality difficulties, all of whom are subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). A mindfulness group was incorporated into the programme following service user feedback and has been creatively adapted to suit this complex client group. Attention is drawn to the flexible and trauma-focused nature of the group which offers tailored opportunities to develop an appreciation of the mind−body connection. Insight obtained through this service innovation is shared to inform future applications of mindfulness approaches to therapeutic intervention and risk management in the community.
Daytime and nighttime urban heat islands statistical models for Atlanta
Authors: Chun Bumseok , Guhathakurta Subhrajit
Published: January 2016

In this study, we empirically model the interactions between 2D and 3D geospatial information and both daytime and nighttime urban heat islands, and estimate the relative importance of various urban heat islands drivers. While previous studies have explored the relationship between the urban heat islands and 2D urban features, the interactions with 3D urban features and neighboring surface characteristics have not been adequately explored. This paper specifies the impacts of these urban features on the urban heat islands intensity during daytime and nighttime, which tend to be quite different. The empirical evidence from this study suggests that while vegetation is the dominant factor for urban heat islands intensity during daytime, the urban canyon has stronger impacts on the urban heat islands than vegetation at night. In addition, adjacent surfaces are more likely to influence nighttime surface temperatures. These results could be used to develop urban design solutions for mitigating the urban heat islands.
The spatial configuration of urban crime environments and statistical modeling
Authors: di Bella Enrico , Corsi Matteo , Leporatti Lucia , Persico Luca
Published: January 2016

The aim of this paper is to discuss the representation of space in statistical models of urban crime. We argue that some important information represented by the properties of space is either lost or hardly interpretable if those properties are not explicitly introduced in the model as regressors. We illustrate the issue commenting on the shortcomings of the two standard approaches to modeling the dispersion of crime in a city: using local attributes of places as regressors, and defining a catch-all spatial component to neutralize the effect of latent spatial factors from the model. As an alternative to the current methods, the metrics of spatial configuration, including those devised by the technique called Space Syntax Analysis, provide useful variables that can be introduced as regressors. Such regressors offer interpretable information on space, behavior, and their interactions, that would otherwise be lost. We therefore consider a set of three configurational variables that represent different forms of centrality and that are thought to have influence on a wide range of human activities. We propose an innovative procedure to adapt these variables to most urban graphs and then, using data from a large area in the city of Genoa (Italy), we show that the three variables are well defined, consistent, noncollinear indicators, with evident spatial meanings. Then we build two sets of Hierarchical Bayesian count models of different urban crime types (“property crime” and “arson and criminal damage”) around some known covariates of crime and we show that the overall quality of the models is improved (with the size of improvement depending on the type of crime) when the three configurational variables are included. Furthermore, we show that what the three variables explain of the overall variability of crime is a sizeable part of what would be the spatial error term of a traditional spatial model of urban crime. While the configurational variables alone cannot provide a goodness of fit as high as the one obtained with a generic spatial term, they have a relevant role for the interpretation of the results, which is ultimately the objective of urban crime modeling.
An analysis of the factors affecting the adoption of cloud consumer relationship management in the machinery industry in Taiwan
Authors: Fu Hsin-Pin , Chang Tsung-Sheng
Published: January 2016

In recent years, cloud computing services have developed rapidly and are being widely used, but most applications focus on consumers. However, a few successful cases of enterprise application systems have been constructed and adopted by companies. To understand the factors that affect the adoption by a company of cloud Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which is an enterprise application system, this study used a Technology Organization Environment Framework (TOE) as a theoretical framework, reviewed related literature on the relevant factors affecting the adoption of a cloud service, and then constructed a three-level hierarchical table of the factors. A pairwise comparison questionnaire was then designed and issued to top managers of firms in the machinery industry in Taiwan that have adopted cloud CRM. A fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) was then used to calculate the weights of the factors, based on the returned questionnaires. The results show that enterprises in the machinery industry gave priority to the factor, ‘support of senior managers’, followed by the factors ‘organizational policies’ and ‘system information security’. Some implications of the findings are discussed, which can serve as a guide for the successful adoption of cloud CRM in machinery industry if firms allocate their resources appropriately to these important factors. These results can also be used by the service providers of cloud CRM to devise effective marketing strategies.
The contested trajectory of applied local economic development in South Africa
Authors: Nel Etienne , Rogerson Christian M
Published: January 2016

Local economic development is one of the key development strategies pursued by localities in South Africa. Local economic development is a core local government mandate and one which is notionally conceptualised as allowing for the pursuit of both socio-economic redress and economic development. Despite the significant support put into applied local economic development for nearly 20 years, results have been modest and concerns about a potential over-focus on pro-poor local economic development, at the expense of simultaneously working with the private sector on pro-market interventions, have been identified as a stumbling block to the potential success of this developmental approach. This paper charts the development of local economic development policy and practise in the country before focussing on the findings of a detailed analysis of the local economic development strategies adopted by all of the country’s 278 local authorities. Findings show that most local governments are choosing a narrow band of pro-poor interventions to focus their attention on, with little support, except in the larger centres, being given to more market-focussed interventions.
A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility of the Wii Fit for improving walking in older adults with lower limb amputation
Authors: Imam Bita , Miller William C , Finlayson Heather , Eng Janice J , Jarus Tal
Published: January 2016

Objective:

To assess the feasibility of Wii.n.Walk for improving walking capacity in older adults with lower limb amputation.

Design:

A parallel, evaluator-blind randomized controlled feasibility trial.

Setting:

Community-living.

Participants:

Individuals who were ⩾50 years old with a unilateral lower limb amputation.

Intervention:

Wii.n.Walk consisted of Wii Fit training, 3x/week (40 minute sessions), for 4 weeks. Training started in the clinic in groups of 3 and graduated to unsupervised home training. Control group were trained using cognitive games.

Main Measures:

Feasibility indicators: trial process (recruitment, retention, participants’ perceived benefit from the Wii.n.Walk intervention measured by exit questionnaire), resources (adherence), management (participant processing, blinding), and treatment (adverse event, and Cohen’s d effect size and variance). Primary clinical outcome: walking capacity measured using the 2 Minute Walk Test at baseline, end of treatment, and 3-week retention.

Results:

Of 28 randomized participants, 24 completed the trial (12/arm). Median (range) age was 62.0 (50-78) years. Mean (SD) score for perceived benefit from the Wii.n.Walk intervention was 38.9/45 (6.8). Adherence was 83.4%. The effect sizes for the 2 Minute Walk Test were 0.5 (end of treatment) and 0.6 (3-week retention) based on intention to treat with imputed data; and 0.9 (end of treatment) and 1.2 (3-week retention) based on per protocol analysis. The required sample size for a future larger RCT was deemed to be 72 (36 per arm).

Conclusions:

The results suggested the feasibility of the Wii.n.Walk with a medium effect size for improving walking capacity. Future larger randomized controlled trials investigating efficacy are warranted.