bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Meaning of Writing Modern Poetry in a/the New Century
Authors: Marković Bojan
Published: December 2015

The paper deals with the sense of writing poetry as a form of text immanence that is antinomous to the contemporary age, which is also an alternative system of thought, of transformation, of imitation and of critical redefinition of the reality of that contemporary age. At the same time, poetry is a neglected, peripheral literary genre, but also a hyperbolized fictional form that opens the way to an alternative victory of opinions and feelings. Essayistic in structure, the paper discusses several poems and the poetics of three 20th century Serbian and Yugoslav Modernists (Kosovel, Dis, Crnjanski), in order to show, on the basis of their developing and differentiated poetic self-consciousness, what sense the writing of poetry might have in the 21st century. In these instances of poetics, paradigmatic of poetic self-consciousness in general, not all the possibilities of the sense of creativity and action have been exhausted, nor the poetic solutions leading to it.
Translation of Byzantium to the Other Continent
Authors: Gromović Milan
Published: December 2015

The issue of “creative” translation and interpretation between English and Serbian literary expression, based on the correspondence of two poets, is the starting point for this essay. The basis of the discussion are the lyrics about Byzantium by Ivan V. Lalić, translated and prepared by Charles Simic. Examples of the letters are taken from the book “A view across the ocean: The correspondence of Ivan V. Lalić and Charles Simic 1969–1996,” edited by Svetlana Šeatović Dimitrijević. In preparing this correspondence, a private and authentic world has come to light, and a “surplus of meaning” as the key for understanding the relation between the two poets, who built a friendship in a “scarce time” and kept their presence of mind. This essay presents a critical review of a dialogue about creativity, which forges a bond between Serbian and American literature through the letters of the two poets. The second part of the essay provides a cultural and literary analysis of Simic’s critical interpretation of the reconstructed Byzantium myth in the poetry of Lalić.
Introduction
Authors: Douw Leo
Published: December 2015

This special issue contains a selection of articles, produced from papers presented at a workshop under the title Border Societies, Chinese descendants in East Asia under Japanese colonialism, 1895–1945, convened in Macao on 25 June 2013. Its purpose is to contribute to the writing of a global history of East Asia, as a counterpoise to the contestations over historical issues, which at present dominate the public debate in the region and keep the involved nations divided. To achieve this purpose, the historical exploration of controversial themes is required such as the existence and uses of multiple identities, the apparent dividedness of state institutions, and the possibility of ambiguous loyalties among citizens when these have vital interests in more than one national state. The Chinese cross-border business networks and the migrations of people in the region provide the vantage point for such a study in this issue. It tackles on questions as, how did commodities, people, capital and ideas flow transnationally during the Japanese occupation period, and how did these flows become embedded in the local societies? They thoroughly transformed the relationships among the nations involved, and contributed to the region’s rise in the modern world. (This article is in English.)
Private Trade from Fujian to Taiwan in Taiwan’s Early Colonial Era: A Study Based on Private Trade Letters of the Shi Family in Yongning, Quanzhou
Authors: Huang (黃俊淩) Jun-ling
Published: December 2015

During the years when Japan colonized Taiwan, Japan laid out the economic policy that set up obstacles to hinder the trade across the Taiwan Strait. In spite of these constraints, private trade between Taiwan and Fujian continued to operate. At the end of Qing dynasty, the Shi family traded with Taiwan from Fujian. The Shi family exported different kinds of groceries including some daily necessities to Taiwan. Although the colonial authority raised tariffs and changed the foreign exchange rates to discourage trading activities across the Taiwan Straits, which challenge the trade of the Shi family, the family strove to sustain the business under these circumstances. (This article is in Chinese.)
The Relationship between the Strategic Expulsion of the Douglas Steamship Company by the Japanese Colonial Governor-General of Taiwan and the Transportation of Mainland Chinese Workers during the Japanese Colonial Period in Taiwan
Authors: Wang (王學新) Hsueh-hsin
Published: December 2015

In the early days of Taiwan’s occupation by Japan, Douglas Lapraik & Co monopolized the nautical route between Tamshui and Xiamen across the Taiwan Strait, on which passengers and cargo transports were frequent. For Japan as a new colonial power, this undoubtedly was not something to be happy about. So Governor Kodama issued a secret order to osk to start the South China shipping route in March 1899, in order to drive out Douglas Co. from Taiwan.

Owing to a subsidy from the Government-General of Taiwan, Ōsaka merchant shipping companies could cut down ticket fees to extreme depth, snatch away the customers of Douglas Co. and purchase her stocks secretly. This strategy made Douglas Co. suffered badly.

People would have thought that Douglas Co. would go down all the way, but from the tea-manufacturing period of 1901 onwards, she drew up a new approach of Armageddon to snatch tea workers from the Mainland and transport them to Taiwan. Although this strategy seems to have been very successful, Douglas quit shipping around Taiwan since 1904.

Why did Douglas Co. quit? According to the author’s research, the real cause is not long-term losses, but the implementation of the system of managing Chinese workers from October 1904 onwards. It seems clear, that the post of Chinese worker’s manager was set up to deal with the new approach of Douglas Co., because it facilitated the establishment of a monopoly for Douglas Co.’s main competitor, osk, so that the former lost the last glimmer of hope and could not but quit. (This article is in English.)
Lectotypifications in the genera Bulnesia (Zygophyllaceae)
Authors: GODOY-BÜRKI ANA CAROLINA
Published: December 2015

Zygophyllaceae Brown (1814, add literature) is distributed in arid and semiarid regions in the tropics and subtropics of the world, comprising 22 genera and 230–240 species of trees, shrubs, sub shrubs and annual or perennial herbs (Sheahan 2007). The family was first divided by Engler (1931) into seven subfamilies and 8 tribes and 4 subtribes. Nonetheless, recent molecular studies only support the recognition of three subfamilies (see Sheahan & Chase 1996, 2000), Larreoideae being the major representative of the family in South America.
New taxa of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from Madagascar VII. Two new species of Impatiens from Mt. Marojejy, Madagascar
Authors: Fischer Eberhard , Rahelivololona Marie Elisette
Published: December 2015

Two new species, Impatiens susan-nathansoniae and I. hendrikii, from Mt. Marojejy, Madagascar, are described. Impatiens susan-nathansoniae is related to I. humblotiana from eastern central Madagascar, but differs in the shape of the lower sepal with spur, the dorsal petal and the lateral united petals. Impatiens hendrikii is related to I. fuchsioides, but differs in the straight stem, the larger leaves, the broader lateral sepals, the broader lateral united petals with different shape, and the glabrous lower sepal gradually tapering into a short, saccate, whitish red spur.
„My tu nie mówimy, ino godumy i jesteśmy z tego dumni”. O tym, dlaczego gwary wielkopolskie przetrwały (na przykładzie języka mieszkańców wsi powiatu międzychodzkiego)
Authors: Cemborowski Bartosz
Published: December 2015

On why have the dialects of the Province of Greater Poland survived (an example, the language of Międzychodzki district inhabitants)

The aim of this article is to respond to the question: Why have the dialects of the Province of Greater Poland survived while the dialects from other parts of Poland are in decline? The analytical material relates to the statements of the users of this dialect who live in the western parts of Greater Poland (Międzychodzki district). It was collected during fieldwork in the villages of the Międzychodzki district between 2012 and 2015. The research methodology was based on autobiographical interviews, questionnaires and participant observations. Three important factors which contributed to the survival of the dialects of Greater Poland are: the history of this region, the identity of its people and the fashion for dialect use among the younger generation of Greater Poland’s inhabitants.

„My tu nie mówimy, ino godumy i jesteśmy z tego dumni”. O tym, dlaczego gwary wielkopolskie przetrwały (na przykładzie języka mieszkańców wsi powiatu międzychodzkiego)

 Celem artykułu jest odpowiedź na pytanie, dlaczego gwary wielkopolskie przetrwały, podczas gdy w innych regionach Polski zauważalna jest tendencja do ich zaniku. Materiałem wykorzystanym w analizie są wypowiedzi mieszkańców wsi powiatu międzychodzkiego, którzy posługują się gwarą. Materiał został zebrany podczas badań terenowych w latach 2012–2015 za pomocą takich metod, jak wywiad autobiograficzny, ankiety i obserwacja uczestnicząca. Trzema istotnymi czynnikami, które wpłynęły na to, że gwary przetrwały w języku respondentów, są: historia, identyfikacja i narastająca wśród młodego pokolenia moda na mówienie gwarą.
Transforming feminicidio: Framing, institutionalization and social change
Authors: García-Del Moral Paulina
Published: December 2015

This article analyses the transformation of femicide from an academic concept into a frame for political struggle, and into a crime in the context of Mexican feminist activism against the murders of women, or feminicidios, in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua City. Through analysis of interviews with Mexican activists, the author argues that the implications of the transformations of feminicidio for social change are tied to the interplay between the transnational and the local impacts of feminist human rights advocacy. Drawing on Myra Marx Ferree’s work on the ‘resonance’ and ‘radicalism’ of feminist frames, the article’s findings challenge the straightforward association of radical social change to transnational advocacy and its attendant framing of social problems in terms of international human rights norms. Contrary to existing scholarship on transnational human rights advocacy, the article shows that feminicidio constitutes a resonant frame transnationally, but operates as a radical frame domestically. The dissonance between the transnational and national framing of feminicidio has complicated the ways in which Mexican feminists can engage with the state after the institutionalization of feminicidio as a crime to produce radical social change for women’s everyday experiences of violence and their access to justice.
Vieillir au couvent : stratégies des congrégations et paradoxe des laïcités
Authors: Anchisi Annick , Amiotte-Suchet Laurent , Toffel Kevin
Published: December 2015

In Switzerland as in France, religious communities are aging, and where aging involves loss of independence, the customary support of the elderly by the young is no longer feasible. This article is based on a sociological study that analyses the transformation of Catholic nuns convents into nursing homes for the elderly in Switzerland and in France. This reveals differences between one country and the other in the mode of regulation between the congregations and the States as well as inequalities of treatment. Needing recognition by the State in order to benefit from state pensions while preferring to spend their last years at home, the nuns are innovating in an attempt to re-appropriate their future – however long it may be.
Liminal practice: Pierre Bourdieu, madness, and religion
Authors: Willey Robin D
Published: December 2015

This article uses conceptions of liminality as found in the works of French social theorist and philosopher Georges Bataille and anthropologist Victor Turner to resolve limitations in Pierre Bourdieu’s functionalism. The concept of ‘liminal’ religious fields (e.g., charismatic effervescence) helps to account for the affective, irrational, heterogeneous, and/or sacred aspects of social life, while maintaining the explanatory power of Bourdieu’s theoretical framework. In particular, this critical revision to Bourdieu allows a better understanding of religious events that obscure the lines between religious practice and madness, such as the Toronto Blessing.
An approach to estimate and control SEIG voltage and frequency using CORDIC algorithm
Authors: Dalei Jyotirmayee , Mohanty Kanungo Barada
Published: December 2015

In wind energy generation, self-excited induction generators (SEIGs) are playing a vital role in isolated areas where the extension of the grid is not feasible. But the major problem with such generators are their inability to maintain the terminal voltage and frequency constant with the load. Many SEIG systems require the computation of peak voltage and frequency for the subsequent feeding to a voltage and frequency controller for processing. In this paper, a new technique for computing the peak voltage of a SEIG using the COordinate Rotation DIgital Computer (CORDIC) algorithm is proposed. The proposed peak voltage estimation scheme requires only one voltage sensor. The SEIG voltage and frequency is controlled using a generalized impedance controller. To validate the simulation results obtained from MATLAB/Simulink, an experiment is also carried out using a TMS320F2812 DSP processor.
Smart systems commissioning for energy efficient buildings
Authors: Noye Sarah , North Robin , Fisk David
Published: December 2015

The gap between as-designed and as-operating energy consumption of new buildings has been widely recognized. Commissioning for optimal energy performance should be a key process to remedy this but in practice, due to shortages of time and budget, commissioning is often limited to ensuring ‘practical completion’ and minimum year-round energy consumption may not be achieved. Commissioning implementation suffers, historically, from poor availability of real time data. Portable wireless sensor networks offer substantial opportunities to support energy-efficient seasonal commissioning by giving temporary access to additional, continuously and simultaneously monitored data points. This paper describes a strategy to implement ‘smart commissioning’ through portable wireless sensor networks for air conditioning systems. Key requirements for delivering seasonal commissioning strategies of multi-modal systems are discussed.

Practical application: The importance of post-occupancy commissioning in delivering good energy and environmental performance of new buildings is now widely recognised through practices such as soft landings. However, troubleshooting can be difficult when the building is occupied and budget to do this limited. The building management system may identify that there is a problem but is very unlikely to be collecting the necessary forensic data to solve it. Portable wireless sensor networks specifically designed for analysing building services can overcome this problem in a convenient and economical way and can help development of new industry tools to close the performance gaps and demonstrate in-use building performance.
Paradoxical Infrastructures
Authors: Howe Cymene , Lockrem Jessica , Appel Hannah , Hackett Edward , Boyer Dominic , Hall Randal , Schneider-Mayerson Matthew , Pope Albert , Gupta Akhil , Rodwell Elizabeth , Ballestero Andrea , Durbin Trevor , el-Dahdah Farès , Long Elizabeth , Mody Cyrus
Published: December 2015

In recent years, a dramatic increase in the study of infrastructure has occurred in the social sciences and humanities, following upon foundational work in the physical sciences, architecture, planning, information science, and engineering. This article, authored by a multidisciplinary group of scholars, probes the generative potential of infrastructure at this historical juncture. Accounting for the conceptual and material capacities of infrastructure, the article argues for the importance of paradox in understanding infrastructure. Thematically the article is organized around three key points that speak to the study of infrastructure: ruin, retrofit, and risk. The first paradox of infrastructure, ruin, suggests that even as infrastructure is generative, it degenerates. A second paradox is found in retrofit, an apparent ontological oxymoron that attempts to bridge temporality from the present to the future and yet ultimately reveals that infrastructural solidity, in material and symbolic terms, is more apparent than actual. Finally, a third paradox of infrastructure, risk, demonstrates that while a key purpose of infrastructure is to mitigate risk, it also involves new risks as it comes to fruition. The article concludes with a series of suggestions and provocations to view the study of infrastructure in more contingent and paradoxical forms.
Frontal Sinus Malignancies
Authors: Bhojwani Amit , Unsal Aykut , Dubal Pariket M. , Echanique Kristen A. , Baredes Soly , Liu James K , Eloy Jean Anderson
Published: December 2015

Objective

Primary neoplasms originating in the frontal sinus are rare. As such, existing literature describing frontal sinus malignancies (a subset of frontal sinus neoplasms) is limited. Prognostic implications of these malignancies are difficult to determine. This study seeks to analyze trends in epidemiology, clinicopathology, incidence, and survival for these rare malignancies.

Study Design

Retrospective database analysis.

Methods

The SEER 18 database (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results; 1973‐2012) was searched for frontal sinus malignancies from 1973 to 2012 and analyzed for demographic and clinicopathologic trends. The Kaplan‐Meier model was utilized for survival analysis.

Results

A total of 171 cases of frontal sinus malignancies were identified. Incidence was 0.011 per 100,000 individuals. The mean age at diagnosis was 61.1 years, with males constituting the majority of cases (61.4%). 80.1% of patients were white, 9.4% Asian, and 8.2% black. The average tumor size was 3.8 cm. The most common histology encountered was squamous cell carcinoma (39.8%). Overall 5‐year disease‐specific survival was 44.2%. Five‐year disease‐specific survival was highest for mature B‐cell non‐Hodgkin’s lymphomas (72.3%) and lowest for adenocarcinomas (15.4%).

Conclusions

Malignant tumors of the frontal sinus are rare and are more common in males. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common entity encountered. Of the 4 most common histologies, survival is best for mature B‐cell non‐Hodgkin’s lymphomas and worst for adenocarcinomas.
A political ecology of home: Attachment to nature and political subjectivity
Authors: Wood Patricia Burke , Young Julie EE
Published: December 2015

At the Joint Review Panel (JRP) for Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline across northern British Columbia, many participants presenting oral statements situated themselves as decidedly ‘ordinary’ people, with rich connections to the land and landscape. Without speaking of ownership, they nevertheless made claims to the area as their home through highly detailed articulations of knowledge and experience of its natural features. For some, it was also connected to a collective, indigenous territorial claim. In all cases, we argue that it is an articulation of ‘home,’ and that this formed the basis for the political subjectivity that led to their participation in the JRP hearings. Linking the scholarly literature on home with that of political ecology, in this paper we explore the significance of the assertion of experience and knowledge of the physical environment as the basis to claim it as ‘home’ and to assert a political right to defend it from perceived intrusion.
Tactile and acoustic teaching material in inclusive mathematics classrooms
Authors: Leuders Juliane
Published: December 2015

In this article, touch and hearing are analysed regarding their use in inclusive mathematics education of children who are blind, focussing on the development of the number concept in primary school. Relevant publications from different psychological and educational disciplines were compiled resulting in a research synthesis. This review shows that acoustic teaching material is a viable option to supplement tactile material for representing number. In practice, decisions have to be made about the most valuable resources regarding the individual needs of the child with visual impairment, the situation in the inclusive classroom and the concrete learning objectives for all children. To facilitate decisions in choosing or designing teaching material, an evaluation procedure is proposed and explained with examples.
Emotion expression, avoidance and psychological health during reintegration
Authors: Marini Christina M. , Wadsworth Shelley MacDermid , Christ Sharon L. , Franks Melissa M.
Published: December 2015

We evaluated the extent to which military service members’ and their significant others’ coping strategies (i.e., individual use of emotion expression and avoidance) were independently associated with their own—and each other’s—psychological health during reintegration using an actor–partner interdependence model. We simultaneously evaluated actor associations (e.g., associations between service members’ own coping and psychological health) and partner associations (e.g., associations between service members’ coping and their significant others’ psychological health) with a sample of 175 National Guard couples who recently experienced deployment. We further evaluated (1) whether there were interactive associations among partners’ coping strategies and (2) whether service members’ level of combat exposure moderated any of these associations. Results indicated that, for both service members and significant others, psychological health was positively associated with one’s own emotion expression and negatively associated with one’s own avoidance. Moreover, there was a significant partner association between service members’ psychological health and their significant others’ emotion expression but only in the context of high combat exposure. Implications for intervention and prevention efforts are discussed.
The Ghost Matrix
Authors: Penna Carla
Published: December 2015

This article will discuss the challenges of psychodynamic work in health care organizations, through exploring shifts around the idea of death faced in western societies—and relating them to unconscious cultures and defences erected against the fear of death and fear of annihilation in medical organizations. It will also present the vicissitudes of an inpatient group analytic group conducted in the cardiology ward of a general hospital in Brazil, and introduce discussion on the presence of a ‘ghost matrix’ in these traumatized, regressed and haunted settings.
Synthesis of a novel self-intumescent flame retardant with spiro and triazine structure and its performance for polypropylene
Authors: Li Hongcheng , Liu Jiping , Zhao Wei , Wang Xiaojun , Wang Dong
Published: December 2015

A novel self-intumescent flame retardant, tris(2-hydrooxyethyl), isocyanurate spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphonate ester (THECP), was synthesized through solution polycondensation by tris(2-hydroxyethyl) isocyanurate and spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphorate disphosphoryl chloride. The product was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results of limiting oxygen index and UL-94 test demonstrated that the THECP effectively improved flame retardancy to polypropylene. Moreover, with the addition of ammonium polyphosphate, limiting oxygen index value increased to 33.9 and passed the UL-94 V-0 rating simultaneously. Their combustion, performance, and thermal properties were evaluated by CONE, thermogravimetric analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The morphology and chemical structure of the residual chars were observed by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results illustrated that THECP can greatly increase residual chars and delay the decomposition rate of matrix. THECP and ammonium polyphosphate contributed to fully exerting both gaseous and condensed phase effects.
Study on the friction torque test and identification algorithm for gimbal axis of an inertial stabilized platform
Authors: Yang Hui , Zhao Yan , Li Min , Zhou Yong-Jun
Published: December 2015

To reduce the influence of nonlinear friction on the dynamic and static performance of gimbal axis for inertial stabilized platform, a novel method based on steady-state error response to identify LuGre friction parameters is proposed in this paper, and a kinetic friction torque testing system using the proposed method is developed. On account of the introduction of structure and electromechanical model for inertial stabilized platform, the relation among the input signals, interfering signals and steady-state error are analyzed. And then the torque ripple compensation function is identified and introduced into the control loop to eliminate the effects of torque ripple on parameter identification of friction model. Based on the friction torque testing system designed, the parameters of LuGre friction model for gimbal axis are got by the method of Two-step identification and dynamic parameter optimization. According to the identified friction model, the tracking process of the framework is compensated. The tracking performance is verified through both simulation and experimental results.
Autocovariance least-squares based measurement error covariance estimation for attitude determination of lunar lander
Authors: Park Young Bum , Park Chan Gook
Published: December 2015

In this paper, the autocovariance least-squares (ALS) method for a linear time-varying system is proposed for estimating both the process noise covariance and the measurement noise covariance associated with the measurement sensor to mitigate the performance degradation caused by an incorrect information of the sensor errors or by a large change of errors in sensor measurement. To verify the efficiency of the proposed method, simulations were performed for the attitude determination of the lunar lander which combines a gyro and a star tracker measurements assuming that the star tracker errors are increased by fault during the lunar descent and landing. The simulation results show that the attitude error of the proposed method is smaller than the conventional Kalman filter by adaptively tuning the noise covariance of the star tracker measurement errors. Also, the relationship between the ALS estimation accuracy and the innovation sample size and the time lag is discussed.
On a dimensionless alternative to the ICAO target level of safety
Authors: Campos LMBC , Marques JMG
Published: December 2015

The paper introduces a dimensionless alternative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) target level of safety (TLS) of collision frequency less than [Formula: see text] per flight hour. The method used is to calculate the collision probability ensuring that the ICAO TLS is met, and to find an alternative dimensionless metric that gives the same result. The collision probability depends on separation and position accuracy, so that improving the latter increases capacity for the same level of safety. Thus, the dimensionless alternative to the ICAO TLS provides an alternative safety metric to allow a trade-off between airspace capacity and navigation accuracy. The new metric is applied to aircraft flying in parallel paths along air corridors, as in the North Atlantic. The aim is to enable the growth of air transport that requires more capacity, hence smaller separation, while preserving safety, by increasing position accuracy. The distinguishing feature is that the new dimensionless safety metric is equivalent to the ICAO TLS, while being independent of the unit measurement, such as time or distance.
The effect of end wall boundary layer on matching and corresponding flow control technique for multistage axial compressor
Authors: Zhihui Li , Xinqian Zheng , Yanming Liu , Qiushi Li , Baohua Ji
Published: December 2015

The development pattern of the end wall boundary layer (BL) in whole conditions and its effect on the matching of multistage compressor have been studied in detail in this paper. Moreover, one method of end wall zone blade modification is carried out, using computational fluid dynamics, to improve the stage matching by re-camber. It is found that the pitch-averaged thickness of end wall BL gradually increases along streamline direction and the BL is highly skewed in the pitchwise direction. In addition, the value of BL thickness, mainly depends on the stage pressure rise coefficient [Formula: see text]. For a fixed rotating speed, the axial BL displacement thickness is changed dramatically from choked condition to near surge operating point. However, this thickness shows insensitive to the change of rotating speeds. On the other hand, BL degrades the pressure-rise characteristics of stages with low efficiency, and it results in mismatching of the compressor stage. Furthermore, the deviation angle of the blades is strongly affected by the end wall BL. Finally, two rows of stators are re-cambered on the leading edge to improve the matching near the hub region where it is influenced by end wall BL. The results show that the total pressure loss coefficient of the stators is reduced by 0.6 points and 1.73 points each. Moreover, the overall isentropic efficiency of multistage compressor is enhanced by 0.39 points without compromising pressure-rise capability and surge margin.
Determinants of usage of communal sanitation facilities in informal settlements of Kisumu, Kenya
Authors: Simiyu Sheillah
Published: December 2015

Residents of informal settlements in developing countries are faced with various challenges, including a lack of household sanitation facilities, which leads to use of alternative methods such as open defecation. The lack of household sanitation facilities and consequent use of improper methods necessitated the introduction of communal sanitation facilities in informal settlements as a way of increasing access to and use of sanitation facilities. However, little is known about their use and effectiveness, particularly in Africa’s informal settlements. This study used a number of quantitative and qualitative methods to assess determinants of use of communal sanitation facilities in informal settlements of Kisumu, a city in Kenya. Findings reveal that factors such as location/siting, inadequate maintenance, economic aspects, and gender issues influence the use of communal facilities, and they should therefore be included in future sanitation interventions.
Trajectory tracking for robotic airships using sliding mode control based on neural network approximation and fuzzy gain scheduling
Authors: Yang Yueneng , Yan Ye
Published: December 2015

The robotic airship is a unique and promising light-than-air platform, which has attracted worldwide developing interests for its broad applications. This article addresses the control problem of trajectory tracking for robotic airships. A neural network fuzzy sliding mode controller is proposed to steer a robotic airship along a referenced trajectory precisely. First, the dynamics model of a robotic airship is presented, and the problem of trajectory tracking is formulated. Second, a sliding mode controller is designed to track a time-varying trajectory. The neural network is employed to approximate the uncertain model of the airship, with the tracking error and its derivatives and the trajectory and its derivatives as neural network inputs and the approximation of the uncertain model as neural network output. And a fuzzy logic system is adopted to reduce the chattering results from the sliding mode controller. The control gains are tuned synchronously with the sliding surface according to fuzzy rules, with switching sliding surface as fuzzy logic inputs and control gains as fuzzy logic outputs. The stability and convergence of the closed-loop controller are proven using the Lyapunov stability theorem. Finally, the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller are demonstrated via simulation results. Contrasting simulation results indicate that the neural network fuzzy sliding mode controller reduces the chattering effectively and has better performance against the sliding mode controller.
Temporality as Value: Ethnography and the Question of Time
Authors: Kumar Ratheesh
Published: December 2015

How does the question of temporality get translated into the register of values in the process of constructing knowledge through ethnography? Is there a possibility of critical ethnography that tracks politics of time in the accounts of the other? By centring these questions to the domain of ethnographic endeavours in Indian anthropology, this article takes a look into the shifting locations of self and the other in the practice of ethnography with reference to the notion of temporality as value. Ethnography, once a key device of anthropological research, has become one of the significant approaches in almost all social science disciplines today and even in certain domains of humanities, management and market research. Ethnography itself has been reimagined and reshaped under different terrains of interdisciplinary approaches. But one would rarely find accounts of political and ideological manoeuvring of temporal concepts and value orientations which inform the theories and rhetoric in it. It pronounces upon the knowledge gathered from such research a discourse which construes the other in terms of a distance from the self, both spatial and temporal. Drawing upon this register of ‘time’ from the writing of Johannes Fabian, the article transposes the framework to understand the currents in contemporary Indian anthropology.
Negotiating Values in Modern India: A Theoretical Exploration
Authors: Vinod Renu
Published: December 2015

This article explores the influence of modernity in India, within the larger framework of state-led modernity and its impact on identity and locality. The discourse on modernity has retained the common thread of transience and reflexivity as two constitutive features, both of which are taken up to explain the uncertain and provisional influence of modernity on the Indian society and identity, and the radical engagement of social movements with modernity. The article studies the complex functioning of modernity in India (i) by presenting a theoretical outline on the contested nature of the concept, with an emphasis on the discussion around reflexivity, which forms one of the core attributes for the creation of multiple and alternative modernities, (ii) by reviewing state-led modernity in India and its impact on identity formation as a consequence of the numerous and variable cultural and value systems that confront individuals and (iii) by looking at the local appropriation of contested spaces to enter into a radical, value-based engagement with global modernity.
Quantification of bovine immunoglobulin G using transmission and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Elsohaby Ibrahim , McClure J. Trenton , Riley Christopher B. , Shaw R. Anthony , Keefe Gregory P.
Published: December 2015

In this study, we evaluated and compared the performance of transmission and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared (IR) spectroscopic methods (in combination with quantification algorithms previously developed using partial least squares regression) for the rapid measurement of bovine serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration, and detection of failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in dairy calves. Serum samples ( n = 200) were collected from Holstein calves 1–11 days of age. Serum IgG concentrations were measured by the reference method of radial immunodiffusion (RID) assay, transmission IR (TIR) and ATR-IR spectroscopy-based assays. The mean IgG concentration measured by RID was 17.22 g/L (SD ±9.60). The mean IgG concentrations predicted by TIR and ATR-IR spectroscopy methods were 15.60 g/L (SD ±8.15) and 15.94 g/L (SD ±8.66), respectively. RID IgG concentrations were positively correlated with IgG levels predicted by TIR ( r = 0.94) and ATR-IR ( r = 0.92). The correlation between 2 IR spectroscopic methods was 0.94. Using an IgG concentration <10 g/L as the cut-point for FTPI cases, the overall agreement between TIR and ATR-IR methods was 94%, with a corresponding kappa value of 0.84. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for identifying FTPI by TIR were 0.87, 0.97, 0.91, 0.95, and 0.94, respectively. Corresponding values for ATR-IR were 0.87, 0.95, 0.86, 0.95, and 0.93, respectively. Both TIR and ATR-IR spectroscopic approaches can be used for rapid quantification of IgG level in neonatal bovine serum and for diagnosis of FTPI in dairy calves.
African American Elders’ Serious Illness Experiences
Authors: Coats Heather , Crist Janice D. , Berger Ann , Sternberg Esther , Rosenfeld Anne G.
Published: December 2015

The foundation of culturally sensitive patient-centered palliative care is formed from one’s social, spiritual, psychological, and physical experiences of serious illness. The purpose of this study was to describe categories and patterns of psychological, social, and spiritual healing from the perspectives of aging seriously ill African American (AA) elders. Using narrative analysis methodology, 13 open-ended interviews were collected. Three main patterns were “prior experiences,” “I changed,” and “across past, present experiences and future expectations.” Themes were categorized within each pattern: been through it . . . made me strong, I thought about . . . others, went down little hills . . . got me down, I grew stronger, changed priorities, do things I never would have done, quit doing, God did and will take care of me, close-knit relationships, and life is better. “Faith” in God helped the aging seriously ill AA elders “overcome things,” whether their current illness or other life difficulties.
Advance Care Planning
Authors: Tan Laurence , Sim Lai Kiow , Ng Lynnette , Toh Hui Jin , Low James Alvin
Published: December 2015

There has been a growing trend in addressing spiritual needs in caring for the person, especially nearing the end of one’s life. Advance care planning (ACP) facilitates understanding of preferences and explores the spiritual and existential aspects of care. This study explores the views and preferences of a group of Catholic nuns in Singapore, specifically looking at what was meaningful and valuable to them when determining treatment options at the end of life. Twenty-three nuns were purposively recruited in July 2012. A focus group discussion was conducted after administration of a questionnaire and attendance at a 1-hour talk on ACP. Slightly more than half had heard of ACP prior to the talk. The majority agreed that ACP was not against their religious beliefs” and that quality of life was important to them. The themes that emerged from this study were autonomy and freedom, spirituality and quality of life, and the meaning of ACP. The findings of this study suggested that spirituality and faith define the way the participants lived their lives, including their views and preferences on end-of-life care. Integrating spirituality into an essential domain of care will help the spiritual community honor a crucial part of end-of-life discussions and afford a greater discernment of the deep meaning that ACP holds.
Steady-state energy release rate for fiber/matrix interface debond growth in unidirectional composites
Authors: Pupurs Andrejs , Varna Janis
Published: December 2015

Analytical closed form solution is derived for energy release rate due to steady-state debond growth along a broken fiber in unidirectional composite. The problem is represented by a three concentric cylinder model, where the broken and partially debonded fiber is embedded in resin and this unit is surrounded by homogenized effective composite. Parametric analysis shows that parameters in the very simple quadratic expression for energy release rate dependence on temperature change and mechanical strain are rather insensitive with respect to changes in constituent elastic properties and fiber content. The importance to have a large outer radius of the effective composite phase in the concentric cylinder model is demonstrated.
Oncocytic Carcinoma of the Submandibular Gland
Authors: Tamai Masamitsu , Inoue Kyoko , Itoh Shinya , Kambara Rumi
Published: December 2015

Oncocytic carcinoma (OC) of the submandibular gland is extremely rare. A 76-year-old man complained of a painless tumor of the right neck. Ultrasonography demonstrated swelling in the lymph nodes of the neck, and fine-needle aspiration cytology of a node showed metastatic carcinoma with oncocytic features. Radical surgery revealed infiltrating carcinoma of the right submandibular gland with lymph node metastases (19/23). Tumor cells showed less atypia and had abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, which stained deep blue with phosphotungstic acid–hematoxylin stain. The cells were immunohistochemically positive for cytokeratin 7 but negative for p63 and SOX10. We diagnosed the tumor as OC. Chemoradiotherapy was performed after surgery. The patient showed no sign of recurrence until 42 months after the operation, when lymph node swelling was detected in the mediastinum by computed tomography scanning. With no further treatment, the patient is alive with lymph node swellings in the mediastinum and pulmonary hilum 80 months after surgery.
Evaluation of a handheld point-of-care analyser for measurement of creatinine in cats
Authors: Reeve Jenny , Warman Sheena , Lewis Daniel , Watson Natalie , Papasouliotis Kostas
Published: December 2015

Objectives

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a handheld creatinine analyser (StatSensor Xpress; SSXp), available for human patients, can be used to measure creatinine reliably in cats.

Methods

Analytical performance was evaluated by determining within- and between-run coefficient of variation (CV, %), total error observed (TEobs, %) and sigma metrics. Fifty client-owned cats presenting for investigation of clinical disease had creatinine measured simultaneously, using SSXp (whole blood and plasma) and a reference instrument (Konelab, serum); 48 paired samples were included in the study. Creatinine correlation between methodologies (SSXp vs Konelab) and sample types (SSXpwhole blood vs SSXpplasma) was assessed by Spearman’s correlation coefficient and agreement was determined using Bland–Altman difference plots. Each creatinine value was assigned an IRIS stage (1–4); correlation and agreement between Konelab and SSXp IRIS stages were evaluated.

Results

Within-run CV (4.23–8.85%), between-run CV (8.95–11.72%), TEobs (22.15–34.92%) and sigma metrics (⩽3) did not meet desired analytical requirements. Correlation between sample types was high (SSXpwhole blood vs SSXpplasma; r = 0.89), and between instruments was high (SSXpwhole blood vs Konelabserum; r = 0.85) to very high (SSXpplasma vs Konelabserum; r = 0.91). Konelab and SSXpwhole blood IRIS scores exhibited high correlation ( r = 0.76). Packed cell volume did not significantly affect SSXp determination of creatinine. Bland–Altman difference plots identified a positive bias for the SSXp (7.13 μmol/l SSXpwhole blood; 20.23 μmol/l SSXpplasma) compared with the Konelab. Outliers (1/48 whole blood; 2/48 plasma) occurred exclusively at very high creatinine concentrations. The SSXp failed to identify 2/21 azotaemic cats.

Conclusions and relevance

Analytical performance of the SSXp in feline patients is not considered acceptable. The SSXp exhibited a high to very high correlation compared with the reference methodology but the two instruments cannot be used interchangeably. Improvements in the SSXp analytical performance are needed before its use can be recommended in feline clinical practice.
Work engagement and intercultural adjustment
Authors: Selmer Jan , Lauring Jakob
Published: December 2015

While engagement seems to have promising prospects for predicting organizational behavior in domestic organizations, few scholars have included this in cross-cultural management research. We use survey results from 640 self-initiated expatriate academics in Greater China to study the relation between work engagement and intercultural adjustment. We focus on expatriates in Greater China because in terms of economy, this is a fast-growing area and because, with regard to language and culture, this region deviates substantially from the Western countries that most expatriates there come from. This is not least in relation to age perceptions. Contrary to the dominating theoretical position, we found that the different dimensions of work engagement, namely, vigor, dedication, and absorption, have different effects on intercultural adjustment. Moreover, we found that the effect of job dedication on reducing time to proficiency was stronger for older expatriates.
Black mothers' ethnotheories of moral development: A client-centered approach
Authors: Bibbs Tonya
Published: December 2015

Child development research has engaged the concept of parental ethnotheories as a theoretical framework for understanding and analyzing how culture shapes child development. It assumes that a child's environment is organized in part by a cultural system that forms a three component developmental niche including (1) the physical and social settings, (2) the customs and practices of child rearing, and (3) the psychology of caregivers. Despite its use in child development research, the ethnotheory framework has been less prevalent in social work research. This paper presents a study whose findings describe parental ethnotheories related to Black mothers' beliefs about the moral development of their daughters. This research is relevant to increasing concerns regarding the development of conduct problems amongst Black girls. Rather than viewing Black mothers as a deficit, knowledge of a child's developmental niche enables social work practitioners and scholars to engage an emic understanding of Black parenting. It also furthers our knowledge about the process and mechanisms that characterize their mothers' parenting, thereby facilitating client-centered practice.
‘There’s so much data’: Exploring the realities of data-based school governance
Authors: Selwyn Neil
Published: December 2015

Educational governance is commonly predicated around the generation, collation and processing of data through digital technologies. Drawing upon an empirical study of two Australian secondary schools, this paper explores the different forms of data-based governance that are being enacted by school leaders, managers, administrators and teachers. These findings illustrate a range of routinized ways in which digital data is being used within schools as a means of accountability. Alongside data regimes associated with the ‘governing by numbers’ enforced by state and federal governments, are smaller-scale accountability procedures and practices initiated ‘in-house’ by school managers and/or teaching staff. While digital technologies are clearly reinforcing wider trends in educational managerialism, the paper also considers the subtle ways that local enactments of such governance are shaped by schools’ relatively unsophisticated data processing technologies and techniques.