bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of a developmental movement programme on the performance of rural hearing-impaired children on the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development
Authors: Bothma Jó-Marié v.d.M. , Dunn Munita , Kokot Shirley
Published: January 2014

Being hearing impaired does not only affect a child’s academic performance, but can also influence his or her overall development and ability to succeed academically. Neurodevelopmental movement programmes are generally not accepted as evidenced-based practice, and their effect on academic performance is often underrated. Movement, however, is regarded by many as being essential to learning, and there seems to be a positive interchange between the brain and the body. This article reports on research conducted on the impact of a neurodevelopmental movement programme on the development of 4- to 8-year-old hearing-impaired children. Children were selected from a special needs school in QwaQwa, a rural area in the Free State province of South Africa. Two groups of children (one an experimental and the other a comparison group) were used in this research, with both groups undergoing a pre-test and post-test phase using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales–Extended Revised. The experimental group was subjected to a 14-week neurodevelopmental movement programme. The comparison group underwent a placebo intervention. The results indicate that the children in the experimental group showed an improvement in some aspects of specific development following the intervention (locomotor functioning, performance-related abilities, and practical reasoning skills). General developmental age showed significant improvement in both the experimental group and the comparison group. This result may support the critique against movement programmes, where the placebo effect is offered as the reason for change in children participating in movement programmes. The results of this empirical investigation aid in understanding the impact of movement programmes on a hearing-impaired child’s general development.
Psychological sequelae of political imprisonment during apartheid
Authors: Nicholas Lionel J
Published: January 2014

The devastation that accompanied the implementation of apartheid necessitated extreme resilience to withstand personal loss, wide-scale imprisonment, and destruction of community. The brutality of this process has been extensively documented, but the psychological consequences of apartheid have received scant attention. This article explores the psychological injuries sustained during apartheid and the role of psychology in its amelioration and exacerbation.
Clinical, Social, and Economic Impacts of Home Parenteral Nutrition Dependence in Short Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Winkler Marion F. , Smith Carol E.
Published: January 2014

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) provides nourishment and hydration to patients with short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure and is thus a life‐sustaining therapy for these patients. However, measures of quality of life (QOL) are lower among the HPN‐dependent population than among patients with other intestinal diseases who do not require HPN. Multiple factors contribute to lower QOL in HPN‐dependent patients, including fears surrounding the increased risk of HPN‐associated adverse events, such as catheter‐related complications, parenteral nutrition−associated liver disease, and metabolic bone disease. In addition, HPN‐dependent patients report impaired sleep and daytime fatigue because of pump noises, equipment alarms, and nocturia. Psychosocial burdens on families of HPN‐dependent patients include decreased social activities, disrupted family relationships and friendships, and depression. These families also face imposing financial constraints, including decreased employment and large out‐of‐pocket expenses for insurance premiums and nonreimbursed copayments, medications, and supplies. Furthermore, HPN technology and HPN‐related complications and sequelae contribute to the rapid overall increase in the costs of healthcare systems. Additionally, family caregivers provide unpaid healthcare services for patients who require HPN, often to the detriment of their own physical and mental well‐being. Nonetheless, patients dependent on HPN and their caregivers often demonstrate considerable resilience and are frequently able to normalize their response to illness and disability. Interventions that may improve QOL among HPN‐dependent patients and caregivers include patient education, affiliation with support groups, treatment of concomitant symptoms, and pharmacotherapies that decrease HPN requirements.
Corner-based splitting: An improved node splitting algorithm for R-tree
Authors: Sleit Azzam , Al-Nsour Esam
Published: January 2014

We introduce an improved method to split overflowed nodes of R-tree spatial index called the Corner Based Splitting (CBS) algorithm. Good splits produce an efficient R-tree which has minimal height, overlap and coverage in each node. The CBS algorithm selects the splitting axis that produces the most even split according to the number of objects, using the distance from each object centre to the nearest node’s MBR corner. Experiments performed using both synthetic and real data files showed obvious performance improvement. The improvement percentage over the Quad algorithm reached 23%, while the improvement percentage over the NR algorithm reached 37%.
The universe of group representation in Germany: Analysing formal and informal party rules and quotas in the process of candidate selection
Authors: Reiser Marion
Published: January 2014

The main aim of this article is to develop a perspective on the universe of measures for group representation that goes beyond a narrow focus on gender and ethnicity. The article employs an inductive approach by analysing and comparing the formal and informal party quotas and rules applied by political parties in candidate selection processes for the German federal elections using a mixed-method design of qualitative interviews, content analysis and participant observation. The analysis reveals that parties in Germany adopt a broad range of party rules to guarantee group representation, which differ systematically by party type and ideology. Overall, there is a predominance of informal, yet highly institutionalised, quotas and rules. Also, there are clear conflicts as to the relative ranking of specific quotas and rules, leading to interaction effects between them. Based on this neo-institutionalist perspective, the article then attempts to develop a typology of quotas.
Who benefits from gender quotas? Assessing the impact of election procedure reform on Members of Parliament’s attributes in Uganda
Authors: Josefsson Cecilia
Published: January 2014

Employing a before-and-after comparison, this article exploits a reform of the Ugandan quota law to test if a change in election procedures affects the types of women elected through quotas. In Uganda, a change from indirect to direct elections was anticipated to bring in women who were more representative of female citizens at large and less loyal to the sitting regime. Using original data from 1296 biographies of Ugandan legislators spanning four mandate periods (1996–2016), this study shows that women elected before and after the 2006 reform are similar in most regards. Yet, compared with the indirectly elected women, women elected by universal suffrage in 2006 have higher levels of education and are less likely to report an interest in women’s issues. Comparisons with non-quota representatives suggest, however, that these trends are not due to the change to direct elections, but rather the effect of something that influences all legislators in a similar manner.
Playing with different cards: Party politics, gender quotas and women’s empowerment
Authors: Verge Tània , de la Fuente Maria
Published: January 2014

Although statutory quotas have considerably expanded worldwide, the bulk of gender quotas in place are party quotas used in the selection of candidates and composition of party bodies. This article aims to examine whether reforms addressing women’s representation translate into greater power for women within political parties, thus providing new insights into how transformative gender quotas may (or may not) be in promoting gender equality in politics more generally. Specifically, we look beyond the distributive logic of gender quotas and examine instead the party institutional configuration in which patterns of distribution are realised, through the daily enactment of informal institutions. Our findings suggest that while unequal patterns of office distribution can be effectively fixed through gender quotas, this ‘simple’ solution cannot automatically subvert the main informal sources of male power in the party organisation. As change and continuity coexist, gender quota reforms are layering processes in which some elements are renegotiated while others persist.
Factors Associated with Informed Decisions and Participation in Bowel Cancer Screening among Adults with Lower Education and Literacy
Authors: Smith Sian K. , Simpson Judy M. , Trevena Lyndal J. , McCaffery Kirsten J.
Published: January 2014

Background. Making informed decisions about cancer screening involves understanding the benefits and harms in conjunction with personal values. There is little research examining factors associated with informed decision making or participation in screening in the context of a decision aid trial. Objectives. To identify factors associated with informed choice and participation in fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) among lower education populations. Design. Randomized controlled trial of an FOBT decision aid conducted between July and November 2008. Setting. Socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in New South Wales, Australia. Participants. Included 572 adults aged 55 to 64 years with lower education. Measurements. Sociodemographic variables, perceived health literacy, and involvement preferences in decision making were examined to identify predictors of informed choice (knowledge, attitudes, and behavior). Results. Multivariate analysis identified independent predictors of making an informed choice as having higher education (relative risk [RR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.95; P = 0.001), receiving the decision aid (RR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.87–4.44; P < 0.001), and being male (RR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.11–1.97; P = 0.009). Participants with no confidence in completing forms and poorer self-reported health were less likely to make an informed choice (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.53–1.03; P = 0.05 and RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.36–0.89; P = 0.007, respectively). Independent predictors of completing the FOBT were positive screening attitudes, receiving the standard information, preference for making the decision alone, and knowing that screening may lead to false-positive/negative results. Limitations. We did not objectively measure health literacy. Conclusions. Participants with the lowest levels of education had greater difficulties making an informed choice about participation in bowel screening. Alternative methods are needed to support informed decision making among lower education populations.
Capt: Concurrent assignment and planning of trajectories for multiple robots
Authors: Turpin Matthew , Michael Nathan , Kumar Vijay
Published: January 2014

In this paper, we consider the problem of concurrent assignment and planning of trajectories (which we denote Capt ) for a team of robots. This problem involves simultaneously addressing two challenges: (1) the combinatorially complex problem of finding a suitable assignment of robots to goal locations, and (2) the generation of collision-free, time parameterized trajectories for every robot. We consider the Capt problem for unlabeled (interchangeable) robots and propose algorithmic solutions to two variations of the Capt problem. The first algorithm, c-Capt, is a provably correct, complete, centralized algorithm which guarantees collision-free optimal solutions to the Capt problem in an obstacle-free environment. To achieve these strong claims, c-Capt exploits the synergy obtained by combining the two subproblems of assignment and trajectory generation to provide computationally tractable solutions for large numbers of robots. We then propose a decentralized solution to the Capt problem throughd-Capt, a decentralized algorithm that provides suboptimal results compared toc-Capt. We illustrate the algorithms and resulting performance through simulation and experimentation.
Gender and Public Talk
Authors: Polletta Francesca , Chen Pang Ching Bobby
Published: January 2014

This article develops a theory of the gendered character of public talk as a way to account for women’s variable participation in the settings that make up the public sphere. Public settings for citizen talk such as radio call-in shows, social networking sites, letters to the editor, and town hall meetings are culturally coded female or male. In feminized settings, where the people who organize public talk are from feminized professions and where the favored modes of talk and action emphasize stereotypically feminine values, women are likely to be as active and influential participants as men. We test this proposition by way of an examination of the organized public deliberative forums in which many Americans today discuss policy issues. We show that women truly are equal participants in these forums. We account for this surprising development by demonstrating the female gendered character of the contemporary field of organized public deliberation.
The Social Networks of Homeless Youth Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Petering Robin , Rice Eric , Rhoades Harmony , Winetrobe Hailey
Published: January 2014

While there is a growing body of research on intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by the housed youth population, a limited amount is known about IPV experienced by homeless youth. To our knowledge, no previous studies have examined how homeless youths’ experience of IPV is related to their social network, even though the social networks of homeless youth have been shown to be significant indicators of health and mental health. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between IPV, gender, and social networks among a sample of 386 homeless youth in Los Angeles, California. Results revealed that one fifth of the sample experienced IPV in the past year. Stratified regression models revealed that IPV was not significantly related to any measure of male social networks; however, females who experienced IPV had more male friends (β = 2.03, SE = 0.89, p < .05) than females who did not experience IPV. Female homeless youth who witnessed family violence during childhood had more male friends (β = 2.75, SE = 1.08, p < .05), but those who experienced sexual abuse during childhood had fewer male friends (β = −2.04, SE = 0.93, p < .05). Although there was no significant difference in the rate of IPV victimization across genders, the context of this abuse appears to be drastically different. The results suggest that females with more male friendships are at greater risk for exposure to IPV. To date, there are few effective youth-targeted IPV prevention programs and none have been shown to be effective with homeless youth. These results provide insight into future program development.
Transnational trade union strategies towards European wage policy: A neo-institutional framework
Authors: Pernicka Susanne , Glassner Vera
Published: January 2014

This article applies sociological neo-institutionalism to help understand transnational trade union wage policy. We review existing approaches to the role of trade unions as organizational actors in wage bargaining coordination and contrast these with the concepts of organizational fields and institutional work. Besides structural and associational power, transnational institutions are also able to increase the ability and willingness of unions to act transnationally. We draw empirical evidences from existing studies on European wage bargaining coordination in metalworking.
South African Women Ministers’ Experiences of Gender Discrimination in the Lutheran Church: A Discourse Analysis
Authors: Froschauer Ursula
Published: January 2014

The aim of this research study was to uncover women ministers’ experiences of gender discrimination in the Lutheran Church by using a discourse analysis. Three female participants, who are involved in ministry in the Lutheran Church in South Africa, were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of gender discrimination. The resultant texts were analysed using Parker’s (2005) steps to discourse analytic reading. The discourses that were discovered indicate that power struggles are prevalent in the context of gender discrimination. The extent to which an individual opposes gender discrimination is informed by contextual, educational and historical factors. In addition to this, gender discrimination within the church is easily legitimized – to a large extent by women – through discourses, such as biblical texts.
Spivak, Feminism, and Theology
Authors: Vinayaraj Yahu T.
Published: January 2014

Feminism as a radical discourse has always been a challenge to Christian Theology. The contemporary deconstructive feminist social thought that signals a radical epistemic shift in transnational politics, economics and culture invokes theology to re-locate its methodology and focus. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s deconstructive feminism re-positions contemporary feminist thought in a post-Marxist, postcolonial, and postmodern epistemological context. This article tries to explore the methodological significance of the Spivakian de-constructive feminist epistemology and to sketch out its implications on the contemporary theological program. The thesis is analysed in three major sections. The first section is an introduction to the Spivakian epistemological ‘itinerary’. The second section tries to explicate the contours of Spivakian feminist epistemology by elucidating three specific categories, viz: subalternity, marginality, and planetarity. The third section explores its implications on theological methodology in conversation with some of the contemporary postcolonial feminist theologians who engage creatively with Spivak. Spivakian feminist epistemology is being signified here in order to re-imagine a feminist systematic theology in a post-globalized context.
How Feminine Participation in the Divine Might Renew the Church and Its Leadership
Authors: Shooter Susan
Published: January 2014

Patriarchal theologies which obstruct women’s leadership in the Anglican Church and impede ‘collaborative’ ministry prompt this exploration of the reluctance to relinquish male metaphors for God, even when intimate relationship rather than gender is stressed as the crucial concept of Trinitarian theology. Despite the ambiguities of using female terms for the divine and of establishing the oft-neglected Holy Spirit as female imaginary in the Godhead, Father-idolatry and sub-ordinationism in the Trinity need to be challenged. ‘Midwife’ is suggested as a feminine term for the 3rd Person, signifying non-gendered action but retaining personhood. This would creatively renew Trinitarian doctrine, the Church and its leadership as reflections of the perichoretic Godhead.
The meaning of dignity in nursing home care as seen by relatives
Authors: Rehnsfeldt Arne , Lindwall Lillemor , Lohne Vibeke , Lillestø Britt , Slettebø Åshild , Heggestad Anne Kari T , Aasgaard Trygve , Råholm Maj-Britt , Caspari Synnøve , Høy Bente , Sæteren Berit , Nåden Dagfinn
Published: January 2014

Background:

As part of an ongoing Scandinavian project on the dignity of care for older people, this study is based on ‘clinical caring science’ as a scientific discipline. Clinical caring science examines how ground concepts, axioms and theories are expressed in different clinical contexts. Central notions are caring culture, dignity, at-home-ness, the little extra, non-caring cultures versus caring cultures and ethical context – and climate.

Aim and assumptions:

This study investigates the individual variations of caring cultures in relation to dignity and how it is expressed in caring acts and ethical contexts. Three assumptions are formulated: (1) the caring culture of nursing homes influences whether dignified care is provided, (2) an ethos that is reflected on and appropriated by the caregiver mirrors itself in ethical caring acts and as artful caring in an ethical context and (3) caring culture is assumed to be a more ontological or universal concept than, for example, an ethical context or ethical person-to-person acts.

Research design:

The methodological approach is hermeneutic. The data consist of 28 interviews with relatives of older persons from Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

Ethical considerations:

The principles of voluntariness, confidentiality and anonymity were respected during the whole research process.

Findings:

Three patterns were revealed: dignity as at-home-ness, dignity as the little extra and non-dignifying ethical context.

Discussion:

Caring communion, invitation, at-home-ness and ‘the little extra’ are expressions of ethical contexts and caring acts in a caring culture. A non-caring culture may not consider the dignity of its residents and may be represented by routinized care that values organizational efficiency and instrumentalism rather than an individual’s dignity and self-worth.

Conclusion:

An ethos must be integrated in both the organization and in the individual caregiver in order to be expressed in caring acts and in an ethical context that supports these caring acts.
Skill development in the transition to a ‘green economy’: A ‘varieties of capitalism’ analysis
Authors: Stroud Dean , Fairbrother Peter , Evans Claire , Blake Joanne
Published: January 2014

Many traditional regions are being transformed as industries restructure. Paradoxically, the global economic downturn offers opportunities to innovate on policies to regenerate areas experiencing deindustrialisation, with one emerging focus being the development of ‘green skills’ to facilitate the transition of these places to ‘green economies’. In this article, we explore similar policy objectives (i.e. regeneration activity based (in part) on green economy transitions) across three deindustrialising/deindustrialised regions – Appalachia (United States), Ruhr (Germany) and the Valleys (South Wales) – to provide an account of the ways in which different regions with similar industrial pasts diverge in their approach to moving towards greener futures. Our argument is that the emphasis in such transitions should be the creation of ‘decent’ jobs, with new economic activity and employment initiatives embracing a ‘high road’ (i.e. high skill/high pay/high quality) trajectory. Utilising a ‘varieties of capitalism’ analysis, we contend that an effective, socially inclusive and ‘high road’ transition is more likely to emerge within co-ordinated market economy contexts, for example, Germany, than within the liberal market economy contexts of, for example, the United States and United Kingdom. In identifying the critical success factors leading to ‘high road’ green economy, the implications for any such transition within the liberal market economy context of Australia are highlighted.
A study on the piezoelectric actuation performance of prestressed piezoelectric unimorph actuators
Authors: Kang Lae-Hyong
Published: January 2014

The actuation performances of the prestressed piezoelectric unimorph actuators piezoelectric unimorph with mechanically prestressed substrate and thin layer unimorph driver are evaluated in terms of actuation displacement and force. During the performance tests, these prestressed piezoelectric unimorph actuators showed highly nonlinear behavior, in which their actuation performances were not proportional to the magnitude of the applied voltage, although normally they exhibit higher actuation performances at higher driving voltages. This means that the nominal piezoelectric material properties from the standard method were no longer valid for evaluating and predicting the actuation performances of the piezoelectric unimorph with mechanically prestressed substrate and thin layer unimorph driver actuators under high-voltage application. In this article, the nonlinear piezoelectric material properties, especially the elastic modulus and the piezoelectric strain coefficient, were obtained by considering the prestress, the applied voltage, and the re-poling treatment of the piezoelectric material inside the prestressed piezoelectric unimorph. Finally, actuation performance simulations were conducted using the nonlinear material properties, and the analytical results were compared and validated with the experimental results.
Acoustic emission source localization using coupled piezoelectric film strain sensors
Authors: Zhou Changjiang , Zhang Yunfeng
Published: January 2014

This article presents a method for localizing near-field acoustic emission sources in isotropic and homogeneous thick plate using coupled piezoelectric film strain sensors. This acoustic emission source localization method is based on the phase difference of the acoustic emission signals measured by two acoustic emission sensors spaced at a predetermined distance. This phase difference cancels out certain frequency contents of the measured acoustic emission signals, which can be related to the acoustic emission source direction. A theoretical formulation which predicts these trough frequency values and acoustic emission source direction angles for the coupled acoustic emission sensors is first presented. Rayleigh wave is employed since its wave speed does not change in homogeneous half space, and its amplitude is greater than other elastic wave modes. Both elastodynamic solution and experimental data are used to validate the acoustic emission source localization technique. It is seen that the theoretical predictions, elastodynamic solution, and the experimental results are in good agreement with each other. Experimental data from acoustic emission monitoring of a stiffened steel plate specimen under fatigue loading are also used to test this method. Results show that the coupled piezoelectric film strain sensors are effective in determining the acoustic emission source direction in thick steel plates.
Self-powered optimized synchronous electric charge extraction circuit for piezoelectric energy harvesting
Authors: Wu Yipeng , Badel Adrien , Formosa Fabien , Liu Weiqun , Agbossou Amen
Published: January 2014

This article presents a self-powered interface circuit for the optimized synchronous electric charge extraction technique applied to piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting. A peak detector circuit is developed to detect the maximum and minimum vibration displacements and drive the electronic switches synchronously. This approach does not require additional piezoelectric elements to power the electronic interface itself for which a detailed analysis and a simple model are proposed to give a better understanding on the working principle. Finally, the influence of the switching phase lag and the peak detector power consumption on the harvested power is studied. Experimental studies are conducted and successfully compared with the theoretical approach.
Effect of surface energy on the sensing performance of bridged nanotube-based micro-mass sensors
Authors: Wang KF , Wang B
Published: January 2014

The governing equation of a nanotube-based mass sensor is derived with consideration of surface energy, transverse shear deformation, and rotary inertia. Dependencies of the frequency shift and the sensitivity of the sensor on the attached mass are obtained in closed form. The results show that the traditional model, which neglects the surface energy, predicts a higher attached mass and lower sensitivity of the sensor. On the other hand, neglecting the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia of the sensor will result in a lower prediction of attached mass and a higher prediction of sensitivity of the sensor. It is also found that the surface energy has no effect on the mode shape of the sensor. However, the effect of the location of the attached mass on the mode shape is significant. In particular, if the attached mass is close to the midpoint of the sensor, the frequency shift and sensitivity become very significant.
Design and analyses of axial semi-active dynamic vibration absorbers based on magnetorheological elastomers
Authors: Yang Zhirong , Qin Chunyun , Rao Zhushi , Ta Na , Gong Xinglong
Published: January 2014

Magnetorheological elastomers are a new kind of magnetorheological materials mainly composed of polymer rubber and micro-sized magnetizable iron particles. Dynamic vibration absorbers based on magnetorheological elastomers are widely used in vibration systems with small amplitude since they have the advantages of no sealing equipments, good stability, and rapid response. In this article, a shear-mode semi-active dynamic vibration absorber based on magnetorheological elastomers is proposed, and the dynamic design principle of an axial semi-active dynamic vibration absorber attached to ship shafting is studied. The material preparation of magnetorheological elastomers and their properties under different magnetic fields are discussed. The structure of a single semi-active dynamic vibration absorber is designed, and theoretical analysis of shift-frequency property of a single semi-active dynamic vibration absorber is also investigated. The magnetic flux density of magnetorheological elastomers in the semi-active dynamic vibration absorber is analyzed using ANSYS software. A compact and efficient semi-active dynamic vibration absorber for shafting axial vibration control is proposed. Furthermore, a linear relationship is found between the excitation current and the natural frequency of a single semi-active dynamic vibration absorber. The results show that the designed axial semi-active dynamic vibration absorbers have better performance than classic passive dynamic vibration absorbers in terms of frequency-shift property and vibration absorption capacity.
Recovery stress of shape memory alloy wires induced by hydration heat of concrete in reinforced concrete beams
Authors: Choi Eunsoo , Hu Jong Wan , Lee Jong-Han , Cho Baik-Soon
Published: January 2014

The goal of this study is to investigate the prestressing effect of shape memory alloy bars in reinforced concrete beams; bars are prestressed by external force or recovery stress due to shape memory effect. The shape memory alloy bars are heated by hydration heat of concrete during curing to induce the shape memory effect. To achieve this goal, this study conducts bending tests of concrete beams reinforced by shape memory alloy bars as well as those reinforced by steel bars. The beams with shape memory alloy bars with recovery stress show the same or slightly larger flexural strength than those with shape memory alloy bars prestressed with external force. Thus, this study indicates that the recovery stress of shape memory alloy bars plays the same role as the prestressing force, and that the shape memory effect can be induced by hydration heat of concrete instead of heating by electronic resistance.
Understanding Integrated Environmental Assessment in a Multi-Stakeholder Negotiation via Role-Play
Authors: Kim Dong-Young
Published: January 2014

This article explains how a role-play game (RPG) can allow participants to get insights on the dynamics of incorporating scientific advice into adversarial policymaking. A RPG called GROUND-LEVEL OZONE (GLO) simulates a multi-stakeholder negotiation based on the recommendations of an integrated environmental assessment (IEA) for urban air quality management. Structured debriefing of the RPG used questionnaire survey of participants’ perceptions of IEA usefulness as well as participants’ feedback about the use of the IEA and performance of the facilitators during negotiations. By linking those perceptional and behavioral patterns to the negotiated outcomes, the debriefing drew much broader insights on the importance of upstream engagement for enhanced legitimacy of the IEA and constructive roles of a facilitator in a multi-stakeholder negotiation. This article also critically reviews the debriefing method and suggests a new design of more sophisticated debriefing method and a new RPG for more effective learning of the dynamics of the use of IEA in a multi-stakeholder negotiation in the future.
Prevalence and Correlates of Firearm Ownership in the Homes of Fifth Graders
Authors: Schwebel David C. , Lewis Terri , Simon Thomas R. , Elliott Marc N. , Toomey Sara L. , Tortolero Susan R. , Cuccaro Paula M. , Schuster Mark A.
Published: January 2014

Firearms in the home are associated with increased injury risk, especially when loaded and unlocked. In this study, 5,010 fifth-graders and their caregivers in three U.S. metropolitan areas participated in the 2004-2006 Healthy Passages study on adolescent health. Firearm ownership and storage patterns were examined by four self-reported sociodemographic characteristics (child’s race/ethnicity, child’s gender, family socioeconomic status, and study site) and reasons for ownership. Eighteen percent ( n = 880) of the families reported firearms in the home. Families with African American and Hispanic children had lower odds of owning firearms than families with non-Hispanic White children. The most common reasons for ownership were protection from crime and hunting. Six percent ( n = 56) of the families with firearms stored at least one firearm unlocked, assembled, without a trigger lock, and with unlocked ammunition. Compared with families with non-Hispanic White children, families with African American children engaged in safer storage practices. Results can inform childhood firearm injury prevention activities.
Simulated comparative investigation of the daylight and airflow of the conventional Egyptian shutter ‘sheesh’ and a proposed latticework device ‘new mashrabiyya’
Authors: Gelil M. Nermine Abdel , Badawy Nancy M.
Published: January 2014

Most urban and, recently, rural households in Egypt live in apartment buildings. Their façades typically consist of openings equipped with glass panels and wooden louvred shutters, known as sheesh. Although it blocks direct sunlight and ensures privacy, sheesh impedes entry of needed air and daylight and obstructs the view. In previous studies, a preliminary proposal concerning the replacement of the conventional sheesh has been presented. This paper reports the investigation that compared the daylight and airflow performances of the sheesh and the proposed latticework device (new mashrabiyya). A simulated comparative investigation of daylight and airflow in a southward facing room (when equipped with sheesh vs. when equipped with the new mashrabiyya) was carried out using Ecotect, Radiance, Evalglare and WinAir simulating programs. The findings show that when occupants shut the sheesh for shading or privacy purposes, no air was admitted at all and would give a very dim interior as a result. By contrast, opening sheesh for ventilation purposes would likely produce visual discomfort. On the other hand, the use of the mashrabiyya was shown to provide a favourable airflow pattern. Illuminance in most of the room was better than the case of when sheesh was used; and when adjusted, would provide comfort for the occupants.
Integrated numerical approach of computational fluid dynamics and epidemiological model for multi-scale transmission analysis in indoor spaces
Authors: Ito Kazuhide
Published: January 2014

The indoor environment can play a significant role in the airborne transmission of diseases, such as those caused by influenza virus and tuberculosis virus. The airborne route of transmission is considered to be critically important for evaluating the risk to occupants' health due to exposure to these contaminants. In this paper, an analytical procedure coupling with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based prediction has been proposed for the determination of the unsteady and non-uniform contaminant concentration distribution within an indoor environment. A basic epidemiological model (here, SIR model) is used to evaluate the health risk. This numerical procedure can be used to predict exposure risk of residents, i.e. airborne transmission in two-dimensional horizontal space in a hospital. Furthermore, an integrated simulation procedure is also proposed for prediction of the concentration of an infectious contaminant using a multi-nesting method connecting to a building space, a micro-climate around a human body, and respiratory air tract in a human body, in order to provide quantitative and qualitative information for estimating contaminant dose that could have been taken up by the residents due to indoor exposure. On the basis of this numerical simulation, detailed information on the unsteady spatial distribution of contaminant concentration, the breathing concentration of infectious contaminant, and the non-uniform distribution of contaminant adsorption/deposition in respiratory air tract could be provided to enable suitable design of a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an acceptable indoor environment fit for a particular medical provision such as in a hospital.
Testing a model to predict online cheating—Much ado about nothing
Authors: Beck Victoria
Published: January 2014

Much has been written about student and faculty opinions on academic integrity in testing. Currently, concerns appear to focus more narrowly on online testing, generally based on anecdotal assumptions that online students are more likely to engage in academic dishonesty in testing than students in traditional on-campus courses. To address such assumptions, a statistical model to predict examination scores was recently used to predict academic dishonesty in testing. Using measures of human capital variables (for example, grade point average, class rank) to predict examination scores, the model provides for a comparison of R2 statistics. This model proposes that the more human capital variables explain variation in examination scores, the more likely the examination scores reflect students’ abilities and the less likely academic dishonesty was involved in testing. The only study to employ this model did provide some support for the assertion that lack of test monitoring in online courses may result in a greater degree of academic dishonesty. In this study, however, a further test of the predictive model resulted in contradictory findings. The disparate findings between prior research and the current study may have been due to the use of additional control variables and techniques designed to limit academic dishonesty in online testing.
Theoretical foundations guiding culture change: The work of the Partnerships in Dementia Care Alliance
Authors: Dupuis Sherry , McAiney Carrie A , Fortune Darla , Ploeg Jenny , Witt Lorna de
Published: January 2014

Longstanding concerns about quality care provision, specifically in the area of long-term care, have prompted calls for changing the culture of care to reflect more client-driven and relationship-centred models. Despite an increase in culture change initiatives in both Canada and the United States, there is insufficient information about the theories and approaches that guide culture change. The purpose of this paper is to describe a culture change initiative currently underway in Canada, the Partnerships in Dementia Care Alliance, and the theoretical foundations informing our work. More specifically, we describe how the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of the Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias framework, the authentic partnership approach, participatory action research and Appreciative Inquiry have been integrated to guide a culture change process that encourages working collaboratively, thinking and doing differently and re-imagining new possibilities for changing the culture of dementia care.
What are the experiences of people with dementia in employment?
Authors: Chaplin Ruth , Davidson Ian
Published: January 2014

Statistics show that an increase in the statutory retirement age in the UK will mean that many more people will develop a dementia while still in employment. A review of the literature confirmed that there are no existing studies in the UK which examine this issue in any detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of people who develop a dementia while still in employment and to understand how they make sense of these experiences; therefore a qualitative explorative inquiry based on an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis methodology was used. Interviews with five people who had developed a dementia while still in employment were carried out, with ages ranging from 58 to 74 years. Interview transcripts were analysed and four super-ordinate themes were identified: the realization that something is wrong; managing the situation in the workplace; trying to make sense of change; and coming to terms with retirement or unemployment. The results showed that people who develop a dementia while still in employment do not always receive the ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace to which they are entitled under the Equality Act (2010) . Some of the participants felt that they were poorly treated by their workplace and described some distressing experiences. The study highlights the need for more effective specialized advice and support regarding employment issues and more research into the numbers of people in the UK that are affected by this issue.
Myrton’s Organ
Authors: Johnson John Myrton
Published: January 2014

As Head Man of the Rich Square Friends’ Meeting during the 1920s and 1930s, the author’s grandfather Myrton Lewis Johnson was at the center of a heated controversy concerning music, and whether the performance of music was consistent with Quaker beliefs. At the center of this controversy were competing ideas about how to experience “ultimate reality,” whether called God, the divine light, the inward light, the seed of truth, or the Christ within. This controversy raises important issues about the experience and meaning of music.
Basic Physical Capability Scale
Authors: Resnick Barbara , Galik Elizabeth , Boltz Marie
Published: January 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Basic Physical Capability Scale when used with older adults having moderate to severe cognitive impairment and consider the utility of the measure in establishing function-focused care (FFC) goals for these individuals. The study was a secondary data analysis using data from 2 intervention studies testing FFC interventions in older adults with moderate to severe cognitive impairment in nursing homes and assisted living settings. Participants included 96 recruited from 4 assisted living facilities and 103 older adults from 4 nursing homes. There was support for validity of the measure based on construct validity and hypothesis testing, internal consistency (Cronbach's α of .79), and utility of the measure. Recommendations are provided for additional items that might help better differentiate individuals with moderate to severe cognitive impairment who are particularly high or low in basic physical capability.
The Potential Role of Insulin on the Shank-Postsynaptic Platform in Neurodegenerative Diseases Involving Cognition
Authors: Chow Frances , Gong Yuesong , Lippa Carol F.
Published: January 2014

Loss of synaptic function is critical in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other central nervous system (CNS) degenerations. A promising candidate in the regulation of synaptic function is Shank, a protein that serves as a scaffold for excitatory synaptic receptors and proteins. Loss of Shank alters structure and function of the postsynaptic density (PSD). Shank proteins are associated with N-methyl-d-aspartate and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor loss at the PSD in AD; mutations in Shank also lead to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and schizophrenia, both of which affect cognition, suggesting that Shank may play a common pathologic role in AD, ASD, and schizophrenia. Shank protein directly associates with insulin receptor substrate protein p53 in PSD. Insulin and insulin sensitizers have been used in clinical trials for these diseases; this suggests that insulin signals may alter protein homeostasis at the shank-postsynaptic platform in PSDs; insulin could improve the function of synapses in these diseases.
Human urinary bladder regeneration through tissue engineering – An analysis of 131 clinical cases
Authors: Pokrywczynska Marta , Adamowicz Jan , Sharma Arun K , Drewa Tomasz
Published: January 2014

Replacement of urinary bladder tissue with functional equivalents remains one of the most challenging problems of reconstructive urology over the last several decades. The gold standard treatment for urinary diversion after radical cystectomy is the ileal conduit or neobladder; however, this technique is associated with numerous complications including electrolyte imbalances, mucus production, and the potential for malignant transformation. Tissue engineering techniques provide the impetus to construct functional bladder substitutes de novo. Within this review, we have thoroughly perused the literature utilizing PubMed in order to identify clinical studies involving bladder reconstruction utilizing tissue engineering methodologies. The idea of urinary bladder regeneration through tissue engineering dates back to the 1950s. Many natural and synthetic biomaterials such as plastic mold, gelatin sponge, Japanese paper, preserved dog bladder, lyophilized human dura, bovine pericardium, small intestinal submucosa, bladder acellular matrix, or composite of collagen and polyglycolic acid were used for urinary bladder regeneration with a wide range of outcomes. Recent progress in the tissue engineering field suggest that in vitro engineered bladder wall substitutes may have expanded clinical applicability in near future but preclinical investigations on large animal models with defective bladders are necessary to optimize the methods of bladder reconstruction by tissue engineering in humans.
Evaluating the Effect of Riddles on Driving
Authors: Emfield Adam , Leavens Jennifer , Mouloua Mustapha , Neider Mark
Published: January 2014

While driver distraction has become one of the most studied topics in safety and in human factors, the focus has remained on the traditional elements of driver distraction. In this study, we manipulated the difficulty level of riddles to determine whether the cognitive processing associated with solving them would affect driving performance. Twenty-eight participants completed a series of eighteen short drives while undistracted or listening to a hard or easy riddles. Frequency of pressing the brake pedal, deviation in lane position, and average speed were analyzed. The results indicated that there was a main effect of riddle difficulty on how often the brake pedal was pressed. No main effects of measures on speed maintenance and lane position were found. While these results indicate there may be some differences related to difficulty of solving a problem while driving, further work is required to better quantify the effect.
Max Brake Force as a Measure of Perceived Urgency in a Driving Context
Authors: Lewis Bridget A. , Penaranda Bello N. , Roberts Daniel M. , Baldwin Carryl L.
Published: January 2014

Participants drove a simulated vehicle while completing an n-back task of high or low cognitive demand. Concurrently, they responded via brake press to signals presented in either a single modality (auditory, visual or tactile) or a bimodal combination. Participants were asked to indicate the perceived urgency of each signal by adjusting the force applied in their brake response. Signals were designed to be of “high” or “low” urgency based on previous research for both unimodal and bimodal combinations. Participants were capable of subjectively judging perceived urgency independent of response time and responded to bimodal (relative to unimodal) and high (relative to low) urgency stimuli with significantly greater brake force. However, both factors interacted with cognitive demand indicating that the magnitude of these differential responses was reduced under high demand. Implications for warning evaluation in an in-vehicle driving context are discussed.