bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nocturnal Desaturation in the Stroke Unit Is Associated With Wake-Up Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kim Tae Jung , Ko Sang-Bae , Jeong Han-Gil , Lee Ji Sung , Kim Chi Kyung , Kim Yerim , Nam Kiwoong , Mo Heejung , Joon An Sang , Choi Huimahn Alex , Yoon Byung-Woo
Published: May 2016

Background and Purpose—

Wake-up stroke (WUS) represents a quarter of all ischemic strokes and may be a specific subgroup. Nocturnal desaturation secondary to sleep-disordered breathing is an independent risk factor for stroke, but the association between nocturnal desaturation and WUS remains unclear. We investigated the relationship between nocturnal desaturation using oxygen desaturation index and WUS in patients with acute stroke in the stroke unit.

Methods—

A total of 298 patients admitted for acute ischemic stroke to the stroke unit between July 2013 and May 2015 were enrolled. The oxygen desaturation index was calculated using pulse oximetry data sampled every 1 minute during 9 hours on the first night (10:00
pm
–7:00
am
) of the stroke unit admission, and nocturnal desaturation was defined as an oxygen desaturation index of 5 at least per hour. We compared the clinical characteristics and nocturnal desaturations between patients with and without WUS.

Results—

Among all patients (age, 67.7±12.6 years; male, 54.4%), 26.5% patients had WUS. The proportion of nocturnal desaturation was significantly greater in patients admitted with WUS (29.1% versus 12.3%,
P
=0.001). The age, sex, risk factors except for hyperlipidemia, stroke severity, and stroke mechanisms were similar between the 2 groups. After adjustment for covariates, it was found that nocturnal desaturation was significantly more common in the WUS group (odds ratio, 3.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.63–6.46).

Conclusions—

Nocturnal desaturation was more frequently observed in patients admitted with WUS during the first night in the stroke unit. This suggests that nocturnal desaturation is a possible modifiable risk factor for the occurrence of WUS.
Teacher Workforce Developments: Recent Changes in Academic Competitiveness and Job Satisfaction of New Teachers
Authors: Master Benjamin , Sun Min , Loeb Susanna
Published: May 2016

Policy makers and school leaders are perennially concerned with the capacity of the nation's public schools to recruit and retain highly skilled teachers. Over the past two decades, policy strategies including the federal No Child Left Behind Act and alternative pathways to teaching, as well as changes in the broader labor market, have altered the context in which academically skilled college graduates choose whether to enter teaching, and, if so, where to teach. Using data from 1993 to 2008, we find that schools nationwide are recruiting a greater share of academically skilled college graduates into teaching, and that increases in teachers’ academic skills are especially large in urban school districts that serve predominantly nonwhite students. On the other hand, the increase in the share of academically skilled teachers coincides with the lower likelihood of nonwhite teachers being employed. Once teaching, nonwhite teachers report substantially lower job satisfaction than other teachers. The issue of how to recruit and support an academically skilled and diverse teacher workforce remains pressing.
On Curating Pain: The Sick Body in Martin O’Brien’s Taste of Flesh/Bite Me I’m Yours
Authors: Das Jareh
Published: May 2016

This article discusses the “sick body” in performance art and ethics, specifically in Taste of Flesh/Bite Me I’m Yours (2015) by London-based artist Martin O’Brien, which was commissioned by the Arts Catalyst as part of Trust Me, I’m an Artist, a Creative Europe-funded project exploring ethical issues in art that engages with biotechnology and medicine, such as medical self-experimentation, extreme body art and art practices using living materials and scientific process. It considers the bodily categorization “sick,” particularly in relation to when the markers for such categorization are rendered invisible through illnesses—in this context, cystic fibrosis. Through the performance of this illness, important ethical questions are raised for the performing sick body, including complicity, subjectivity and the situation-behavior dynamics present between a performer and an audience.
The Conundrum of Plant Life
Authors: Petrič Špela
Published: May 2016

Skotopoiesis was the first event from the series Confronting Vegetal Otherness within which the author/artist explored novel plant-human relationships beyond the limits of empathy, interfaces and language. The 19-hour performance was her attempt at intercognition with germinating cress, using her body’s shadow as a sign of human presence. Upon the conclusion of the performance, an ethical committee gathered as a part of the Trust Me, I’m an Artist series to examine the work and was challenged to consider the ethics of including plant life in artworks as well as to assess our attitude toward plants in general.
Fine-scale tertiary-road features influence wildlife use: a case study of two major North American predators
Authors: Popp Jesse N. , Donovan Victoria M.
Published: May 2016

Roads have become a major concern for wildlife managers. Determining if fine-scale features influence wildlife road use is crucial information when developing management strategies to protect species at risk or to assist in preventing negative trophic interactions. We investigated the effects of fine-scale habitat and road-related features on the tertiary-road use of two major predator groups, the American black bear (Ursus americanus) and wolves (Canis lupus, C. lycaon, and hybrids). Scat occurrence, used as a measure of a species’ intensity of use, along with several road-related features and surrounding fine-scale habitat variables, were recorded within tertiary-road segments near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. An information theoretic approach was used to determine which of several different candidate models best predicted tertiary-road use by our major predator groups. Road width and distance to primary roads were found to be the strongest predictors of occurrence on tertiary roads for both predators, with smaller road width and greater distances to primary roads leading to higher levels of occurrence. Habitat cover and cover type, expected to influence foraging opportunities, were not found to be strong predictors of tertiary-road use. Our findings highlight the importance of fine-scale studies for understanding road use.
Anabaptist Sixteenth-Century Baptism as Exponent of Christian Spirituality in a Time of Cultural, Social, and Political Breaches
Authors: de Vries Olof H.
Published: May 2016

The Reformation was the religious representative of an encompassing breach in European history. In this transition Anabaptism combats infant baptism as being a symbol of the social-religious unity of the corpus christianum that was passing by. Hence it introduces believer’s baptism as being a major symbol of a new epoch, of which persecution by church and state was the sad and existential consequence. Baptism of itself pertains to a sacrament of transition from old to new, achieved by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Non-Gaussianity and Spatial Asymmetry of Temperature Extremes Relative to the Storm Track: The Role of Horizontal Advection
Authors: Garfinkel Chaim I. , Harnik Nili
Published: May 2016

The distribution of near-surface and tropospheric temperature variability in midlatitudes is distinguishable from a Gaussian in meteorological reanalysis data; consistent with this, warm extremes occur preferentially poleward of the location of cold extremes. To understand the factors that drive this non-Gaussianity, a dry general circulation model and a simple model of Lagrangian temperature advection are used to investigate the connections between dynamical processes and the occurrence of extreme temperature events near the surface. The non-Gaussianity evident in reanalysis data is evident in the dry model experiments, and the location of extremes is influenced by the location of the jet stream and storm track. The cause of this in the model can be traced back to the synoptic evolution within the storm track leading up to cold and warm extreme events: negative temperature extremes occur when an equatorward propagating high–low couplet (high to the west) strongly advects isotherms equatorward over a large meridional fetch over more than two days. Positive temperature anomalies occur when a poleward propagating low–high couplet (low to the west) advects isotherms poleward over a large meridional fetch over more than two days. The magnitude of the extremes is enhanced by the meridional movement of the systems. Overall, horizontal temperature advection by storm track systems can account for the warm/cold asymmetry in the latitudinal distribution of the temperature extremes.
Explaining Canadian foreign policy toward Sri Lanka under the Harper government
Authors: Seligman Steven
Published: May 2016

Canada’s policy toward Sri Lanka underwent a significant shift following the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in May 2009. Originally, the Harper government viewed Sri Lanka’s war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) through the prism of the global war on terrorism. Canada listed the LTTE as a terrorist group and offered only mild and sporadic criticism of the Sri Lankan government’s human rights record. However, after winning a majority government in 2011, the Harper government has described itself as one of the world’s leading proponents of reform in Sri Lanka and has condemned the government of Sri Lanka in strong terms. This paper examines the Harper government’s foreign policy toward Sri Lanka and argues that electoral politics came to play an increasingly significant role.
Civil Resistance and Democracy in the Portuguese Revolution
Authors: Palacios Cerezales Diego
Published: May 2016

During the summer of 1975, a year after the Carnation Revolution, thousands of Portuguese men and women took to the streets in order to prevent what they feared could be a communist takeover. A military-led government had trumpeted the transition to socialism and the Armed Forces Movement was discussing the dissolution of the recently elected constitutional convention. This article offers a new account of the significance and political impact of the anti-communist rallies, demonstrations and riots during 1975 and provides an interpretation of the mechanisms by which anticommunist mobilization empowered moderate leaders and reversed the balance of power within the military, playing a crucial role in the triumph of electoral democracy.
When Average Is Not Good Enough: Students With Learning Disabilities at Selective, Private Colleges
Authors: Weis Robert , Erickson Celeste P. , Till Christina H.
Published: May 2016

Adolescents with learning disabilities disproportionately come from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds, show normative deficits in academic skills, and attend 2-year, public colleges instead of 4-year institutions. However, students with learning disabilities are well represented at the United States’ most expensive and selective postsecondary institutions. We examined the psychoeducational functioning of students receiving accommodations for learning disabilities at a private, selective, liberal arts college. We also determined whether students had objective evidence supporting their disability diagnoses and academic accommodations. Most students showed above-average cognitive abilities, average academic skills, and no evidence of impairment. Although nearly all students reported academic problems, most lacked objective evidence of academic difficulties prior to college as well as relative or normative deficits in broad academic skills or fluency. Results indicate a need for greater reliance on objective, multimethod/multi-informant data in the diagnostic process. Results also highlight limitations in the current professional guidelines for documentation decision making in higher education.
Republication of “Educational Services for the Severely and Profoundly Handicapped1”
Authors: Haring Norris G.
Published: May 2016

Editor’s Note

The middle part of the 1970s marked the beginning of an era of enhanced concern for the education, treatment, and care of individuals with severe disabilities. For our republished article in this issue of the Journal of Special Education’s ( JSE) 50th anniversary volume, we have selected a piece by Dr. Norris Haring, founding President of the advocacy organization known as TASH and one of the individuals, if not THE individual, who was at the forefront of the movement to improve the lives of people with severe disabilities. Working at the University of Washington, Haring and colleagues spearheaded efforts to develop and disseminate interventions and proven practices for this group of individuals with exceptionalities and their families. Looking back, there have been great changes from personnel preparation, parent involvement and training, and community support efforts, but despite important advances in these and other areas, great needs remain.
The racial state and resistance in Ferguson and beyond
Authors: Derickson Kate Driscoll
Published: May 2016

This virtual special issue considers the empirical and theoretical resources that the back catalogue of Urban Studies specifically, and the discipline of urban studies more broadly, has to offer our understanding of the rapidly evolving contemporary moment in the USA, usefully dubbed ‘The Age of Ferguson’ (Bernard (2015); Derickson (forthcoming). Mobilising the concept of the ‘racial state’, this article considers Ferguson in the context of state rescaling and globalisation to continue to flesh out the role that difference and its geographical expression play in smoothing out and justifying the neoliberalisation of urban governance (see Derickson (2014)), and to begin to develop ‘countertopographies’ (Katz (2001)) that link up the margins of the Global North and South. In so doing, I engage each of the papers included in the special issue to consider how they contribute to and stretch our understanding of the present racial conjuncture, and to provide a first cut at thinking the Age of Ferguson relationally (Derickson, forthcoming; Jacobs (2012), through urban governance, racialisation, territorial stigmatisation’ (Garbin and Millington (2012)), policing and urban social movements.
The Center Does Hold
Authors: Ferguson Susan J.
Published: May 2016

This article provides a critique and an addition to observations raised by Ballantine et al. in this issue. After reviewing the strengths of Ballantine et al.’s article about the need for a core in sociology, I argue that this debate has gone on long enough and needs to be reframed around areas of agreement. Three major curricular projects (that have already begun to move this discussion forward) are presented, including the American Sociological Association (ASA) High School National Standards; the ASA Task Force on Liberal Learning and the Sociology Major, Updated, Third Edition; and the Measuring College Learning (MCL) Project. A critical outcome of the MCL Project in sociology is the Sociological Literacy Framework, which is already changing conversations about sociology curricula and learning outcomes. The Sociological Literacy Framework is summarized, and use of this framework is discussed.
Evaluation of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis in Critically Ill Patients: Results of a Multicenter Prospective Study
Authors: Kuchnia Adam , Earthman Carrie , Teigen Levi , Cole Abigail , Mourtzakis Marina , Paris Michael , Looijaard Willem , Weijs Peter , Oudemans‐van Straaten Heleen , Beilman Gregory , Day Andrew , Leung Roger , Compher Charlene , Dhaliwal Rupinder , Peterson Sarah , Roosevelt Hannah , Heyland Daren K.
Published: May 2016

Background: In critically ill patients, muscle loss is associated with adverse outcomes. Raw bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameters (eg, phase angle [PA] and impedance ratio [IR]) have received attention as potential markers of muscularity, nutrition status, and clinical outcomes. Our objective was to test whether PA and IR could be used to assess low muscularity and predict clinical outcomes. Methods: Patients (≥18 years) having an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan and admitted to intensive care underwent multifrequency BIA within 72 hours of scan. CT scans were landmarked at the third lumbar vertebra and analyzed for skeletal muscle cross‐sectional area (CSA). CSA ≤170 cm2 for males and ≤110 cm2 for females defined low muscularity. The relationship between PA (and IR) and CT muscle CSA was evaluated using multivariate regression and included adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and admission type. PA and IR were also evaluated for predicting discharge status using dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry–derived cut‐points for low fat‐free mass index. Results: Of 171 potentially eligible patients, 71 had BIA and CT scans within 72 hours. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (c‐index) curve to predict CT‐defined low muscularity was 0.67 (P ≤ .05) for both PA and IR. With covariates added to logistic regression models, PA and IR c‐indexes were 0.78 and 0.76 (P < .05), respectively. Low PA and high IR predicted time to live ICU discharge. Conclusion: Our study highlights the potential utility of PA and IR as markers to identify patients with low muscularity who may benefit from early and rigorous intervention.
Tobler’s Law and Spatial Optimization
Authors: Church Richard L.
Published: May 2016

In 1970, Tobler produced a movie simulating population growth in the City of Detroit. He argued that his model did not need to include terms for faraway places like Singapore, while still being relative accurate in his forecast by invoking what he called the first law of geography. In spatial optimization, like the general warehouse location problem (GWLP), it is assumed that all possible linkages need to be included, as arbitrarily dropping potential variables may prevent optimal solutions from being identified. In this article, it is demonstrated that it may be possible to meet such exacting standards in spatial optimization, while at the same time being guided by Tobler’s argument for being simple and frugal. This article gives a demonstration of how this might be achieved using the GWLP as an example. A new model form is proposed which distinguishes between “near” (low cost) allocations and “far” (high cost) allocations and uses both explicit and implicit variables for capacity allocations. Computational experience in using this new model is given which shows that optimal solutions can be identified and verified while eliminating a substantial number of allocation/transport variables and constraints. This article ends with a challenge for the reformulation and redevelopment of other spatial optimization problems in regional science.
Magnetic resonance advection imaging of cerebrovascular pulse dynamics
Authors: Voss Henning U , Dyke Jonathan P , Tabelow Karsten , Schiff Nicholas D , Ballon Douglas J
Published: May 2016

We analyze the pulsatile signal component of dynamic echo planar imaging data from the brain by modeling the dependence between local temporal and spatial signal variability. The resulting magnetic resonance advection imaging maps depict the location of major arteries. Color direction maps allow for visualization of the direction of blood vessels. The potential significance of magnetic resonance advection imaging maps is demonstrated on a functional magnetic resonance imaging data set of 19 healthy subjects. A comparison with the here introduced pulse coherence maps, in which the echo planar imaging signal is correlated with a cardiac pulse signal, shows that the magnetic resonance advection imaging approach results in a better spatial definition without the need for a pulse reference. In addition, it is shown that magnetic resonance advection imaging velocities can be estimates of pulse wave velocities if certain requirements are met, which are specified. Although for this application magnetic resonance advection imaging velocities are not quantitative estimates of pulse wave velocities, they clearly depict local pulsatile dynamics. Magnetic resonance advection imaging can be applied to existing dynamic echo planar imaging data sets with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. It is discussed whether magnetic resonance advection imaging might have the potential to evolve into a biomarker for the health of the cerebrovascular system.
Emergence and ontogenetics: Towards a communication without agent
Authors: Choukah Sarah , Theophanidis Philippe
Published: May 2016

In the scientific community, discussions about emergence are motivated by a need to understand the process by which complex systems exhibit novel characteristics that cannot be reduced to those of their parts. The whole is thus said to be greater than the sum of the parts. We borrow from this framework in order to explore a different understanding of communication. Instead of seeing the whole as the result of a communication process between the parts, we take a step back and propose to understand communication as the process through which both parts and whole emerge. This perspective opens the possibility to think of a communication that is not the result of an exchange between pre-existing individual agents, but the very process by which individuals emerge in the first place. From the perspective of social sciences in general, and of communication studies in particular, this theoretical experimentation points towards a model that is not subordinated to the traditional opposition between parts and wholes, individuals and collectives.
From Global to Local
Authors: Wang Cheng-Tong Lir , Hosoki Ralph Ittonen
Published: May 2016

Previous research suggests that pro-environmental groups in the Global South are strongly influenced by international organizations and monetary forces. However, scholars have not systematically examined the variety of transnational linkages that affect such nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Drawing from the experiences of Taiwan’s environmental NGOs (ENGOs), this paper theorizes four possible types of transnational linkages. Interviews with and archival data on a representative sample of 30 major ENGOs in Taiwan reveal only modest effects of international financial resources and direct connections to international organizational actors. Rather, Taiwan’s ENGOs are mainly influenced by (1) the universalistic knowledge and practices carried by experts and professionals and (2) horizontal organizational learning and modeling facilitated by common organizational identities.
Who Really Bowls Alone? Cities, Suburbs, and Social Time in the United States
Authors: Morris Eric A. , Pfeiffer Deirdre
Published: May 2016

One potential consequence of suburbanization is weaker social connectedness. Based on data from the 2003 to 2013 American Time Use Surveys, this research uses difference of means t-tests, propensity score matching, and Tobit regression to assess whether suburban living is associated with less socializing than city living in mid-to-large American metropolitan areas. After controlling for personal characteristics, we find no meaningful difference in suburbanites’ and city dwellers’ time spent socializing across a wide range of social activities. Further, suburbanites and city dwellers spend a very similar amount of time traveling, and more time spent traveling is associated with more socializing, not less.
Fracture in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Perera Nadia , Sampaio Hugo , Woodhead Helen , Farrar Michelle
Published: May 2016

The present study examined the natural history of fracture and vitamin D levels in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, who are vulnerable to osteoporosis and fractures. Retrospective analysis of a cohort of 48 Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients revealed that 43% of patients experienced ≥1 fracture. Fracture probabilities at ages 6, 9, 12, and 15 years were 4%, 9%, 31%, and 60% respectively, accelerating around the time of ambulation loss (mean age 11.8 ± 2.7 years). Chronic corticosteroid therapy was utilized in 69% of patients and was associated with all vertebral fractures. A history of vitamin D deficiency occurred in 84%, and 35% were currently deficient. Despite chronic vitamin D supplementation, 38% remained deficient. These results demonstrate that osteoporosis and fracture remain major concerns in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Bone health should be optimized well before loss of ambulation, however current levels of vitamin D supplementation may be inadequate given high levels of deficiency.
Persistent Headache and Cephalic Allodynia Attributed to Head Trauma in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Markus Tal Eidlitz , Zeharia Avraham , Cohen Yishai Haimi , Konen Osnat
Published: May 2016

The aim of the study was to investigate clinical features of headache associated with minor versus moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and of posttraumatic versus primary headache in children and adolescents. Study group included 74 patients after mild (n = 60) or moderate to severe (n = 14) traumatic brain injury identified by retrospective review of the computerized files of a tertiary pediatric headache clinic. Forty patients (54%) had migraine-like headache, 23 (31.1%) tension-like headache, and 11 (14.9%) nonspecified headache. Fourteen patients (53.8%) had allodynia. In comparison with 174 control patients, the study group had a significantly lower proportion of patients with migraine-like headache and a higher proportion of male patients and patients with allodynia. There was no statistically significant correlation of any of the clinical parameters with the type or severity of the posttraumatic headache or rate of allodynia. The high rate of allodynia in the study group may indicate a central sensitization in posttraumatic headache.
What Unites Us All
Authors: Darling Sharon M. , Dukes Charles , Hall Kalynn
Published: May 2016

The theoretical base that supports human universals served as a model for proposing special education teacher education universals. The human universals model is explained and put forth as a basis for identifying special education teacher education universals. Twenty-four English language journals from different countries representing four continents were searched for special education teacher education universals, represented by four broadly defined categories: (a) policy, (b) practice, (c) pedagogy, and (d) teacher preparation/co-curricular activities. Each journal was searched from 2004 to 2015, and articles were coded using the aforementioned categories. Results indicated an overwhelming presence of teacher preparation/co-curricular descriptions, representing 51% of the total ( n = 815) articles categorized. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to defining and describing special education teacher preparation universals.
Volunteer Engagement and Retention
Authors: Harp Elizabeth R. , Scherer Lisa L. , Allen Joseph A.
Published: May 2016

The declining number of U.S. volunteers is troubling, necessitating improved understanding of drivers of volunteer retention such as volunteer engagement. We utilized the job demands-resources model to investigate the moderating role of community service self-efficacy (CSSE) on the relationships between two demands (organizational constraints and role ambiguity) and volunteer engagement. Volunteers ( N = 235) from three U.S. nonprofit organizations participated in a survey as part of a volunteer program assessment. Volunteers who encountered greater organizational constraints and role ambiguity were less engaged. In addition, CSSE attenuated the negative relationship between organizational constraints and engagement, but not the negative association between role ambiguity and engagement. When faced with organizational constraints, volunteers with higher CSSE reported greater engagement than those with lower CSSE. Organizations should therefore assess and support volunteers’ CSSE to bolster their engagement when faced with demands. Further recommendations for increasing volunteer engagement are discussed.
Book Review: Amartya Sen and Jean Drèze, An Uncertain Glory
Authors: Mathur Devasheesh
Published: May 2016

Amartya Sen and Jean Drèze, An Uncertain Glory, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2013, xii + 434 pp., ₹ 599 (Paperback) ISBN: 9780141975825
Energy harvesting for actuators and sensors using free-floating flaps
Authors: Bernhammer Lars O , De Breuker Roeland , Karpel Moti
Published: May 2016

A novel configuration of an energy harvester for local actuation and sensing devices using limit cycle oscillations has been modeled, designed and tested. A wing section has been designed with two trailing-edge free-floating flaps. A free-floating flap is a flap that can freely rotate around a hinge axis and is driven by trailing edge tabs. In the rotational axis of each flap a generator is mounted that converts the vibrational energy into electricity. It has been demonstrated numerically how a simple electronic system can be used to keep such a system at stable limit cycle oscillations by varying the resistance in the electric circuit. Additionally, it was shown that the stability of the system is coupled to the charge level of the battery, with increasing charge level leading to a less stable system. The system has been manufactured and tested in the Open Jet Wind Tunnel Facility of the Technical University Delft. The numerical results could be validated successfully and voltage generation could be demonstrated at cost of a decrease in lift of 2%.
Dynamic analysis of a piezoelectric augmented beam system with adhesive bonding layer effects
Authors: Albakri Mohammad I. , Tarazaga Pablo A.
Published: May 2016

Embedded and surface bonded piezoelectric wafers have been widely used for control and monitoring purposes. Several nondestructive evaluation and structural health monitoring techniques, such as electromechanical impedance and wave propagation–based techniques, utilize piezoelectric wafers in either active or passive manner to interrogate the host structure. The basis of all these techniques is the energy transfer between the piezoelectric wafer and the host structure which takes place through an adhesive bonding layer. In this article, the high-frequency dynamic response of a coupled piezoelectric-beam system is modeled including the adhesive bonding layer in between. A new three-layer spectral element is developed for this purpose. The formulation of this new element takes into account axial and shear deformations, in addition to rotary inertia effects in all three layers. The capabilities of the proposed model are demonstrated through several numerical examples, where the effects of bonding layer geometric and material characteristics on dispersion relations and damage detection capabilities are discussed. The results highlight the importance of accounting for the adhesive bonding layer in piezoelectric-structure interaction models, especially when the high-frequency dynamic response is of interest.
Modelling and development of a robust hybrid rotary-translational vibration energy harvester
Authors: Payne Owen R , Moss Scott D
Published: May 2016

In this article, a new hybrid rotary-translational vibration energy harvester design is investigated. The design employs two coils which increase the peak output power by ~34% compared with a previous single-coil design. Peak power is shown to increase from 167 to 223 mW under a root-mean-square host acceleration of 5.4 Hz and 500 milli- g (where g = 9.81 m/s2). The measured peak power density of the double-coil device is 7 mW/cm3, compared to 5.5 mW/cm3 for the original single-coil variant. The average power increased from 35 to 39.7 mW. Further to this, the device is made more robust through the inclusion of low loss wear resistant elastomer, and the effects of the wear-mitigation measures are examined.
Linking Spending and Quality Indicators to Measure Value and Efficiency in Health Care
Authors: Ryan Andrew M. , Tompkins Christopher P. , Markovitz Adam A. , Burstin Helen R.
Published: May 2016

Policy makers and stakeholders have reached a consensus that both quality and spending or resource use indicators should be jointly measured and prioritized to meet the objectives of our health system. However, the relative merits of alternative approaches that combine quality and spending indicators are not well understood. We conducted a literature review to identify different approaches that combine indicators of quality and spending measures to profile provider efficiency in the context of specific applications in health care. Our investigation identified seven alternative models that are either in use or have been proposed to evaluate provider efficiency. We then used publicly available data to profile hospitals using these approaches. Profiles of hospital efficiency using alternative models yielded wide variation in performance, underscoring the importance of model selection. By identifying the current efficiency models and evaluating their trade-offs within specific programmatic contexts, our analysis informs stakeholder and policy maker decisions about how to link quality and spending indicators when measuring efficiency in health care.
Transit Fare Affordability: Findings From a Qualitative Study
Authors: Perrotta Alexis F.
Published: May 2016

Low-income groups use transit in greater numbers than others. There is little scholarship, however, about how they afford the fare. Using interviews with 25 low-income residents and 15 transportation and social service professionals, this study provides a complex description of fare affordability. It finds that low-income riders are often unable to pay for trips that fulfill daily necessities and discretionary purposes. They manage to travel by evading the fare, exploiting free transfers, forgoing goods, borrowing, and using free fare cards provided by agents of the welfare state. Professionals are largely unaware of the many ways that riders regularly compensate for low funds including the large-scale interventions made by the welfare state into public transportation. Fare evasion enforcement and pricing can pose challenges to low-income riders. By incorporating knowledge on the role that welfare plays in enabling low-income ridership, policy makers can expand access to transit for low-income riders.
Retroliberalism and the new aid regime of the 2010s
Authors: Murray Warwick E , Overton John
Published: May 2016

This article coins the term ‘retroliberalism’ to describe the aid regime that has evolved out of the post-Global Financial Crisis (GFC) world order. This approach sees a partial return to the principles of classical liberalism with respect to the role of the state vis-à-vis the market, whilst also perpetuating a number of the principles of neoliberalism. At the same time, the rejuvenation of an active state harks back to modernization principles prevalent in the 1950s and 1960s. In describing this regulatory shift we suggest that a retroliberal ‘manual’ for aid practice can be discerned. Our analysis utilizes evidence from recent reforms in a range of Western aid donors that are members of the United Nation’s DAC, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Netherlands. It also offers some comment on the increasing role and influence of non-traditional donors such as China in shaping the new regime. Ultimately, we argue that this state-led post-industrial modernization that serves to facilitate and sustain the accumulation of private capital harks back to the post-War development period.
Navigational control of underwater mobile robot using dynamic differential evolution approach
Authors: Parhi Dayal R , Kundu S
Published: May 2016

This article focuses on the navigational control of underwater mobile robot. Differential evolution approach has been used to navigate the underwater robot from source to destination while avoiding various types of obstacles. Differential evolution algorithm has been employed to find out the robot’s global best pose among a set of possible solutions based on the fitness value with respect to the current sensory data about obstacles and target. Such evolutionary computation scheme can provide desirable convergence, diversity and also robustness depending on proper selection and adaptive tuning of parameters. Self-learning ability of the parameters in the path planning algorithm is crucial to deal with nonlinearities and ambiguities of hydrodynamics as created by high-frequency oscillations during underwater motion. A sequence of intermediate positions chosen by proposed dynamic differential evolution algorithm between start and goal points can be defined as a near-optimum path for underwater robot. During navigation of the robot, the path smoothness and clearance from obstacles and computational time are also considered for performance evaluation of implemented algorithm. The feasibility of the proposed underwater motion planning approach has been authenticated through the simulation and experimental results.
Circadian Melatonin Rhythm Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Grima Natalie A. , Ponsford Jennie L. , St. Hilaire Melissa A. , Mansfield Darren , Rajaratnam Shantha M.
Published: May 2016

Background: Sleep-wake disturbances are highly prevalent following traumatic brain injury (TBI), impeding rehabilitaion and quality of life. However, the mechanisms underlying these sleep disturnbances are unclear, and efficacious treatments are lacking. To investigate possible mechanisms underlying sleep disturbance in TBI, we examined characteristics of the circadian rhythm of melatonin, a hormone involved in sleep-wake regulation. We compared TBI patients reporting sleep disturbance with age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers. Methods: We conducted an overnight observational study with salivary melatonin samples collected hourly in 9 patients with severe TBI and 9 controls. Salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) as well as melatonin synthesis onset (SynOn) and offset (SynOff) were used to determine circadian timing. Total overnight salivary melatonin production was calculated as the area under the curve from melatonin synthesis onset to offset. Results: Compared with healthy individuals, TBI patients showed 42% less melatonin production overnight ( d = 0.87; P = .034). The timing of DLMO was delayed by approximately 1.5 hours in patients with TBI compared with controls ( d = 1.23; P = .003). Conclusions: In patients with TBI, melatonin production was attenuated overnight, and the timing of melatonin secretion was delayed. We suggest that disruption to the circadian regulation of melatonin synthesis is a feature of severe TBI, possibly contributing to the sleep difficulties that are commonly reported in this population.
Adaptive Flexibility
Authors: Boulton Laura , Cole Jon
Published: May 2016

Identifying the cognitive processes underlying tactical decision making is vital for two purposes: (a) reducing risk through improved training and (b) facilitating the public’s attitudes toward the legitimacy of the police and criminal justice system. Despite this, very little research has been conducted into British police decision making involving the use of firearms. This study begins to address this gap by examining the impact that expertise has on British police’s use-of-force decisions during armed confrontations. To do so, the tactical decision-making processes of 12 expert specialized firearms officers and 11 novice authorized firearms officers during armed confrontations were compared through cognitive task analysis methods. Data were coded via categories derived from theory and patterns inductively emergent within the data. The results found expert specialized firearms officers to be more flexible in adaptive responding to situational changes, while novice authorized firearms officers reported a more sequential and linear process of tactical decision making. In identifying the key features of expertise within this environment (“adaptive flexibility”), this study has theoretical and practical implications for the acceleration of authorized firearms officers’ expertise acquisition to bridge the existing gap resulting from a lack of available qualified operational force commanders.
Characteristics of pressure wave in common rail fuel injection system of high-speed direct injection diesel engines
Authors: Herfatmanesh Mohammad Reza , Peng Zhijun , Ihracska Alexis , Lin Yuzhen , Lu Lipeng , Zhang Chi
Published: May 2016

The latest generation of high-pressure common rail equipment now provides diesel engines possibility to apply as many as eight separate injection pulses within the engine cycle for reducing emissions and for smoothing combustion. With these complicated injection arrangements, optimizations of operating parameters for various driving conditions are considerably difficult, particularly when integrating fuel injection parameters with other operating parameters such as exhaust gas recirculation rate and boost pressure together for evaluating calibration results. Understanding the detailed effects of fuel injection parameters upon combustion characteristics and emission formation is therefore particularly critical. In this article, the results and discussion of experimental investigations on a high-speed direct injection light-duty diesel engine test bed are presented for evaluating and analyzing the effects of main adjustable parameters of the fuel injection system on all regulated emission gases and torque performance. Main injection timing, rail pressure, pilot amount, and particularly pilot timing have been examined. The results show that optimization of each of those adjustable parameters is beneficial for emission reduction and torque improvement under different operating conditions. By exploring the variation in the interval between the pilot injection and the main injection, it is found that the pressure wave in the common rail has a significant influence on the subsequent injection. This suggests that special attentions must be paid for adjusting pilot timing or any injection interval when multi-injection is used. With analyzing the fuel amount oscillation of the subsequent injections to pilot separation, it demonstrates that the frequency of regular oscillations of the actual fuel amount or the injection pulse width with the variation in pilot separation is always the same for a specified fuel injection system, regardless of engine speed, fuel amount, injection pulse, and injection pressure.
Steady-state thermal measurement of moist granular earthen materials
Authors: Clarke Robin E , Pianella Andrea , Shabani Bahman , Rosengarten Gary
Published: May 2016

A technique based on the heat flow meter method is proposed for measuring the thermal conductivity of moist earthen and granular loose-fill materials. Although transient methods have become popular, this steady-state approach offers an uncertainty that can be reliably estimated and a test method that is widely accepted for building certification purposes. Variations to the standard method are proposed, including the use of a rigid holding frame with stiff base and silicone sponge buffer sheets, in conjunction with difference measurement to factor out the contributions from base, buffers and contact resistance. Using this approach, results are presented for green-roof substrates based on scoria, terracotta and furnace-ash at different moisture contents. Thermal conductivity ranged from 0.13 to 0.80 W/m K and fitted well to linear regression plots against moisture content. Further comparative measurements of a single specimen showed that direct measurement was less consistent than difference measurement and thus indicated that thermal resistance was higher by 0.023 m2 K/W, attributable to the presence of contact resistance.
A model of heat and air transfer in a ventilated, rectangular space
Authors: Olenets Marianna , Piotrowski Jerzy Z
Published: May 2016

This work presents and verifies the model and air transfer in a horizontal, naturally ventilated air cavity that could be under a flat roof or under a building as a crawl space. In this article, this space is represented as a rectangular air channel with a cooled top and heated bottom and walls each either heated or cooled. Temperature of all wall surfaces varies along the attic space length. The model allows estimating temperatures of air and wall surfaces along the channel for a low velocity of airflow in the channel. The results of calculations were compared with a field experiment and agreed within estimated errors of the model, that is, <9%.
Effect of supercooling on the instantaneous freezing dilation of cement-based porous materials
Authors: Zeng Qiang , Li Kefei , Fen-Chong Teddy
Published: May 2016

This study seeks to assess the instantaneous deformation of saturated cement-based porous materials induced by supercooling of pore fluid. Thermodynamic equilibria account for the physical behaviors of the confined crystallization of ice for partially frozen porous systems. Pore pressure is built up when ice forms in pores, and this can be intimately related to the pore structure of the porous materials. To overcome the metastability of supercooled water that surpasses a normal poromechanical description, a special program for cooling has been designed. The hydraulic pressure resulting from rapid ice formation and the thermal shock caused by heat release account for an observed dilation peak. The lower the supercooled temperature, the larger the dilation peak becomes. Rapid pore pressure relaxation accounts for significant contraction following the dilation peak. The pore structure also has a significant impact on the freezing deformation of the cement-based porous materials. Results obtained in these examples are comparable with previously published data, which confirms the importance of the detrimental effects of supercooling in porous materials.
A combinational efficient algorithm for elliptic eigenvalue problems
Authors: Zhang Huirong , Cao Jianwen
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we present a combinational efficient algorithm for solving second-order elliptic ordinary differential equation eigenvalue problems on four kinds of meshes. Firstly, a combinational scheme is proposed by leveraging the linear finite element scheme and the second-order finite difference scheme based on mass lumping method. An efficient algorithm is constructed by using the combinational scheme with a constant combined parameter. Then, we improve the efficient algorithm by computing the quasi-optimal combined parameters for different eigenvalues. Finally, numerical experiments tested on both uniform and nonuniform meshes are shown to illustrate the efficiency of our algorithms.
Different Service, Same Experience: Documenting the Subtlety of Modern Racial Discrimination in U.S. Restaurants
Authors: Brewster Zachary W. , Brauer Jonathan R.
Published: May 2016

Restaurant servers’ negative sentiments toward Black customers have been well documented. Further, existing research has shown that a large proportion of waiters/waitresses confess that they sometimes discriminate against Black Americans by giving them less than their optimal service effort. However, research assessing the generalized consequences of servers’ discriminatory practices on consumers’ experiences is lacking. In response, this study analyzes survey data from a demographically diverse sample of Black and White consumers ( N = 415) to test for interracial differences in nine distinct self-reported outcomes assessing typical and recent dining experiences in full-service restaurants. Given widespread anti-Black sentiments and discriminatory actions among servers, we posit that Black Americans will on average report diminished dining experiences relative to their White counterparts. In contrast to our predictions, results indicate that Black and White respondents report similar dining experiences when visiting full-service restaurants and, where differences exist, Black respondents appear to report slightly more positive and less negative experiences compared with their White counterparts. We identify a number of interconnected factors that may account for this observed pattern and conclude by encouraging additional scholarship on the nature and downstream effects of race-based restaurant service.