bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Battling Crack
Authors: Wolfe Noël K.
Published: April 2015

The crack crisis of the 1980s and 1990s was a social and cultural tipping point with regards to race and the criminal justice system. The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, a ten-thousand-member, multiracial, faith-based community activist organization, was at the forefront of a local war against crack cocaine in the Bronx during the 1980s and 1990s. Their activism demonstrates that the impetus for the draconian response to crack came not only from law and order politicians but also from minority communities under siege. The Coalition demanded and aggressively lobbied for a punitive response to crack sellers and users from their own communities. These demands were made years before the passage of laws that ushered in a new age of racially discriminatory sentencing.
Network-based leader–following consensus for second-order multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics
Authors: Zhang Youjian , Yang Qiang , Yan Wenjun
Published: April 2015

This paper addresses the network-based leader–following consensus problem for the second-order multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics. Based on the Lyapunov–Krasovskii theory, a new delay-dependent sufficient condition in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) is presented to guarantee the consensus of the multi-agent system, and a sufficient condition for network-based controller design is proposed to ensure the followers reach consensus with the leader for second-order multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics. The effectiveness and applicability of the suggested solution is evaluated and verified through the simulation of two numerical examples.
Adaptation of a vocabulary test from British Sign Language to American Sign Language
Authors: Mann Wolfgang , Roy Penny , Morgan Gary
Published: April 2015

This study describes the adaptation process of a vocabulary knowledge test for British Sign Language (BSL) into American Sign Language (ASL) and presents results from the first round of pilot testing with 20 deaf native ASL signers. The web-based test assesses the strength of deaf children’s vocabulary knowledge by means of different mappings of phonological form and meaning of signs. The adaptation from BSL to ASL involved nine stages, which included forming a panel of deaf/hearing experts, developing a set of new items and revising/replacing items considered ineffective, and piloting the new version. Results provide new evidence in support of the use of this methodology for assessing signed languages, making a useful contribution toward the availability of tests to assess deaf children’s signed language skills.
Salidroside prevents cognitive impairment induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats
Authors: Yan Zhi-Qiang , Chen Jun , Xing Guo-Xiang , Huang Jian-Guo , Hou Xiang-Hong , Zhang Yong
Published: April 2015

Objective

To investigate the effects of salidroside on cognitive dysfunction induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats.

Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats ( n = 36) were divided into three groups ( n = 12 per group): sham operation; bilateral permanent occlusion of the common carotid arteries (2-VO); 2-VO + salidroside. Rats received 20 mg/kg per day salidroside or vehicle intraperitoneal injection beginning the day before surgery and continuing until 34 days postoperatively. Cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze test and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) measurement. Hippocampal neuronal apoptosis was evaluated via immunofluorescence.

Results

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion caused marked cognitive deficit and LTP inhibition. These effects were largely ameliorated by salidroside administration. Salidroside prevented caspase-3 activation, increased the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, and reversed hippocampal neuronal loss induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

Conclusions

Salidroside prevents cognitive deficits caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats, and alleviates apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 area.
America's Working Poor
Authors: Thiede Brian C. , Lichter Daniel T. , Sanders Scott R.
Published: April 2015

This article addresses measurement challenges that have stymied contemporary research on the working poor. The authors review previously used measurement schemes and discuss conceptual assumptions that underlie each. Using 2013 March Current Population Survey data, the authors estimate national- and race-specific rates of working poverty using more than 125 measures. The authors then evaluate the association between each measure and a latent construct of working poverty using factor analysis and develop a working poverty index derived from these results. Finally, the authors estimate multivariate regression models to identify key social and demographic risk factors for poverty among workers. The authors’ national estimates of working poverty range from 2% to nearly 19% and are highly sensitive to alternative assumptions. The authors’ analyses find that the latent construct is most highly correlated with empirical measures of working poverty that include part-time or part-year employment and that use poverty income thresholds that include both the poor and near poor. Crude rates and conditional risks of poverty among workers vary considerably among racial groups. This article provides a conceptual and empirical baseline for decisions about how best to estimate the magnitude and composition of America's working poor population.
Three‐in‐One Parenteral Nutrition in Neonates and Pediatric Patients
Authors: Blackmer Allison Beck , Partipilo M. Luisa
Published: April 2015

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a life‐sustaining therapy designed to deliver essential nutrients to patients unable to meet nutrition needs via the enteral route. PN may be delivered via a 2‐in‐1 system (one solution containing amino acids, dextrose, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, and fluids and one solution containing intravenous fat emulsions [IVFEs]) or via a 3‐in‐1 system (all nutrients mixed in one container). Although the use of 3‐in‐1 PN solutions is not necessarily therapeutically advantageous, certain benefits may exist such as the potential to reduce the risk of contamination due to decreased manipulations; ease of administration, particularly in the home care setting; possible cost savings; and reduced IVFE wastage. However, the incorporation of IVFE in 3‐in‐1 solutions also presents unique risks for the neonatal and pediatric population such as decreased stability, increased lipid globule size, decreased sterility and the potential for increased microbial growth/infectious complications, the need to use a larger filter size, precipitation and compatibility risks, and an increased chance of catheter occlusion. This review outlines the unique issues and challenges to be considered when formulating neonatal and pediatric 3‐in‐1 PN admixtures. While 3‐in‐1 PN solutions may be advantageous for certain pediatric populations, specifically those dependent on home PN, the risks do not outweigh the benefits in neonatal patients, and use should be avoided in this population.
Methods for Probability-Based Online and Mixed-Mode Panels
Authors: Bosnjak Michael , Das Marcel , Lynn Peter
Published: April 2015

This special issue is devoted to discussion of probability-based survey panels that collect data either solely or partly through online questionnaires. Panels of this kind have been around for a long time, though they have been few in number, but recent years have seen several new panels start up in Europe. This has led to renewed interest in the methodology of such panels and also to deeper questioning of the role of these panels. On one hand, the probability-based panels are to some extent competing against cheaper non-probability access panels. On the other hand, the probability-based panels are increasingly being seen as possible alternatives to more expensive probability-based survey methods. In both cases, clients and data users want to better understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of the probability-based panels.
Tactile Massage as Part of the Caring Act
Authors: Airosa Fanny , Falkenberg Torkel , Öhlén Gunnar , Arman Maria
Published: April 2015

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to illuminate the nursing staff’s lived experiences and meaning in giving tactile massage (TM) while caring for patients in short-term emergency ward. Method: Data were collected through individual qualitative interviews with six nurses and eight assistant nurses working with TM in short-term emergency wards in two hospitals in Sweden. The narratives were analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method. Findings: Nurses experienced providing TM to patients as a present awareness in connection with compassion for the patient. TM provided the nurses with a tool to ease patient suffering and pain. Three dimensions were found where touch became a tool of doing, was an aware presence as a mindful being, and was embodied in a human-to-human connection with a changed caregiver. Conclusion: Given the current high-tech health care system with overcrowded units and a shortage of nursing staff, TM could be included as a caring tool to improve the caring in caregiving, allowing nurses to act in aware presence by touch to encourage health and well-being for both the patient and themselves.
Mitigation of distortion in large additive manufacturing parts
Authors: Denlinger Erik R , Michaleris Pan
Published: April 2015

Distortion mitigation techniques for large parts constructed by additive manufacturing processes are investigated. Unwanted distortion accumulated during deposition is a common problem encountered in additive manufacturing processes. The proposed strategies include depositing equal material on each side of a substrate to balance the bending moment about the neutral axis of the workpiece and applying heat to straighten the substrate. Simple finite element models are used to predict the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies in order to reduce computation time and to avoid costly experiments. The strategy of adding sacrificial material is shown to be most effective and is then applied to the manufacture of a large electron beam deposited part consisting of several thousand deposition passes. The deposition strategy is shown to reduce the maximum longitudinal bending distortion in the large additive manufacturing part by 91%. It is shown that after the distortion mode of concern is identified, simple finite element models can be used to study distortion accumulation trends relevant to the large part. Experimental observations made here, as well as finite element model results, suggest that the order in which the balancing material is added significantly affects the success of the proposed distortion mitigation strategy.
Investigating the effect of the heat transfer correlation on the predictability of a multi-zone combustion model of a hydrogen-fuelled spark ignition engine
Authors: Tabatabaie Touraj , Ehteram Mohammad Ali , Hosseini Vahid
Published: April 2015

Research on the heat transfer in hydrogen-fuelled spark ignition engines indicates that the two most common heat transfer correlations, namely the Annand correlation and the Woschni correlation, cannot perfectly predict the heat flux during the engine cycle. This questions the accuracy of thermodynamic hydrogen engine models because the heat transfer is one of the important submodels in the development of a thermodynamic model. In addition, the Hohenberg correlation and the Shudo–Suzuki correlation have not been evaluated for hydrogen engines. In this study, a thermodynamic model of the closed cycle of a spark ignition engine is developed with a multi-zone combustion submodel to predict the pressure and the heat flux traces and to compare the predicted values with the available experimental results. The effects of implementing different heat transfer correlations in the prediction of the maximum pressure of the cycle, the total heat transfer and the work are presented for two different compression ratios and two equivalence ratios with different ignition timings. The results indicated that, although the implemented heat transfer correlations predicted the heat flux and the heat transfer with a large percentage error, the fractal-based combustion model implementing the Annand correlation and the Shudo–Suzuki correlations predicted the maximum pressure and the total work with less than 10% error. Finally, a modified version of the Hohenberg correlation for predicting the total heat transfer in a hydrogen spark ignition engine was presented.
Comparative study of the transient emission profiles of a light-duty vehicle powered by petrodiesel and a light-duty vehicle powered by biodiesel (Jatropha curcas)
Authors: Mei Deqing , Luo Yanqiang , Tan Wenbing , Sun Ping , Yuan Yinnan
Published: April 2015

Jatropha curcas biodiesel was produced via transesterification in the presence of acid catalysts. The fatty acid compositions of the biodiesel were determined using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. The emission features of a light-duty vehicle fuelled with Jatropha curcas methyl ester and a light-duty vehicle fuelled with petrodiesel fuel were compared in transient operating modes. In comparison with petrodiesel, under the standard test cycle, the hydrocarbon emissions, the carbon monoxide emissions and the particulate matter emissions from the vehicle fuelled with Jatropha curcas methyl ester were decreased by 57.5%, 40.8% and 42.7% respectively, owing to the 11% oxygen content in the biodiesel; however, the nitrogen oxide emissions increased by 4.9%. The regularity of the nitrogen oxide emissions in the transient operating mode are characterized by an innovative term, namely the volumetric concentration ratio of nitrogen oxide to carbon dioxide. The correlations of the transient nitrogen oxide emissions with the carbon dioxide emissions, the fuel consumptions and the operating modes are comprehensively analysed. In the constant-speed mode, the nitrogen-oxide-to-carbon-dioxide ratio becomes stabilized at a relatively low level but rises to a peak under transient conditions. This behaviour particularly occurs when the constant-speed mode shifts to an acceleration operation and when a deceleration operation shifts to a constant-speed mode. During the transient shifting stage, the nitrogen-oxide-to-carbon-dioxide ratio of the biodiesel vehicle is greater than that of petrodiesel vehicle; however, the nitrogen-oxide-to-carbon-dioxide ratios are only slightly different in the stable operating mode.
2014 UK national guideline for the management of anogenital herpes
Authors: Patel Raj , Green John , Clarke Emily , Seneviratne Kanchana , Abbt Naomi , Evans Ceri , Bickford Jane , Nicholson Marian , O’Farrell Nigel , Barton Simon , FitzGerald Mark , Foley Elizabeth
Published: April 2015

These guidelines concern the management of anogenital herpes simplex virus infections in adults and give advice on diagnosis, management, and counselling of patients. This guideline replaces the 2007 BASHH herpes guidelines and includes new sections on herpes proctitis, key points to cover with patients regarding transmission and removal of advice on the management of HSV in pregnancy which now has a separate joint BASHH/RCOG guideline.
Experimentation in humanitarian locations: UNHCR and biometric registration of Afghan refugees
Authors: Jacobsen Katja Lindskov
Published: April 2015

Amid good intentions, such as providing humanitarian assistance to refugees, the use of biometric technology in humanitarian refugee management may entail various risks for the implicated refugee populations. Drawing on insights from science and technology studies, this article introduces a distinction between risks stemming from technology failure and risks stemming from successful uses of biometric technology. The article thus departs from the literature in which technology failure has been in focus by showing that analysing the effect of technology success adds an important dimension to our analysis of the range of risks that may emerge in the context of humanitarian technology uses. The usefulness of this distinction is then illustrated through an analysis of the use by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of iris recognition in the repatriation of Afghan refugees; besides risks of failure at the implementation stage, risks also emerged once refugees had successfully registered their biometric data with UNHCR. To recognize how humanitarian refugee biometrics produces digital refugees at risk of exposure to new forms of intrusion and insecurity, we need to appreciate how successful technology can have critical implications arising from how technology is constituted in and constitutive of social phenomena.
The Indian Women’s Movement
Authors: Roy Srila
Published: April 2015

The article documents some of the transformations to the women’s movement in India in the post-independence period. Given the empirical and ideological centrality of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) in the terrain of Indian feminism, the article focuses on dominant feminist responses to ‘NGOization’ in the form of critiques of the alleged cooption and professionalization of the women’s movement and the loss of political autonomy, a key ideal amongst Indian feminists. As a response to these criticisms, I suggest that there is a need to go beyond the ‘NGOization paradigm’ in evaluating a new feminist landscape, especially after the Delhi rape of 2012. ‘NGOisation’ offers limited conceptual tools to make sense of the present moment if not entirely hiding from view the political possibilities that it offers for feminist reflection and (re)mobilization.
Migrant Narratives in State-led Development
Authors: Sengupta Mayuri
Published: April 2015

Many state-led development policies in India are formulated for tribal communities who are deemed ‘backward’. The institutionalization of such ethnic categorizations through development policies reflects a tendency to homogenize communities (especially numerically small ones) who are either regarded as ‘backward’ resisters of development or as primitive victims of modernity. The experience of migrants is one way in which the impacts of development can be explored and this propensity to homogenize may be challenged. This article uses migrant narratives to understand how development is experienced by the Reang tribal community in Tripura (north-east India). The article presents two main arguments. First, migration ruptures conventional understanding of ‘community’ among the Reangs and is crucial in challenging the dominant notion of tribal communities as homogenous groups. The article argues that examining migration among Reangs reveals the growing internal divisions within this tribal community where state-led development is often experienced in ambivalent ways. Second, despite adopting development policies, tribal minorities continue to be perceived as ‘backward’ and ‘primitive’ by the dominant ethnic group, thus illustrating how stereotyped homogenous ethnic categorizations are created and reproduced in post-colonial India.
Recapturing the musical performance data in Seashore’s published performance scores
Authors: Devaney Johanna
Published: April 2015

In the first half of the 20th century, Carl Seashore and colleagues undertook extensive work in performance analysis of a variety of instruments. Their data were embodied in so-called performance scores, which still exist as illustrations of laborious work undertaken by the early pioneers of music performance research and, in their original form, offer today’s researchers the opportunity to only visually examine the experimental data. This article describes the use of image-processing methods to accurately convert the visual data in Seashore’s performance scores into data points. This use of technology offers researchers the opportunity to directly engage with the data collected in Seashore’s laboratory, either for the purposes of validation or performing analyses for which the researchers in Seashore’s time did not have the computational facilities or algorithms to perform. This paper also presents a proof-of-concept study of the vocal performance scores in Harold Seashore’s “An Objective Analysis of Artistic Singing” (1936). Specifically, this study analyzes extracted fundamental frequency data in regards to vibrato rate and depth. Discrepancies between the statistics calculated on the digitized data and those reported in H. Seashore’s publication are discussed, as well as other types of analysis that may be performed on the extracted data.
From Themes to Hypotheses
Authors: Morgan David L.
Published: April 2015

One important category of mixed-methods research designs consists of quantitative studies that follow up on qualitative research. In this case, the themes that serve as the results from the qualitative methods generate hypotheses for testing through the quantitative methods. That process requires operationalization to translate the concepts from the qualitative themes into quantitative variables. This article illustrates these procedures with examples that range from simple operationalization to the evaluation of complex models. It concludes with an argument for not only following up qualitative work with quantitative studies but also the reverse, and doing so by going beyond integrating methods within single projects to include broader mutual attention from qualitative and quantitative researchers who work in the same field.
A methodology for high-performance operating interface design
Authors: Lo Chi-Hung , Ko Ya-Chuan , Hsiao Shih-Wen
Published: April 2015

A high-performance operating interface design method was proposed in this study. A relationship matrix for the components on the operating interface was first constructed in the proposed method, and then, a relationship network for the operating components was constructed based on the matrix which was built by using the fuzzy graph theory. The performance of the target interface was then evaluated based on the evaluation model proposed in this study. The operation panel of a real car stereo was used in the case study so as to verify the feasibility of the proposed methodology. The results indicated that the operating performance of a product interface can be correctly evaluated by the proposed method, and new high-performance operating interfaces can be developed accordingly.
Comparison of Repeated and Non-Repeated Readings on the Reading Performances of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Escarpio Raul , Barbetta Patricia M.
Published: April 2015

This study used an alternating treatments design to compare the effects of three conditions on the reading fluency, errors, and comprehension of four, sixth-grade students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) who were struggling readers. The conditions were (a) repeated readings in which participants read three times a passage of 100 or 150 words, (b) non-repeated readings in which participants sequentially read a passage of 100 or 150 words once, and (c) equivalent non-repeated readings in which participants sequentially read a passage of 300 or 450 words, equivalent to the number of words in the repeated readings condition. Also examined were the effects of the three repeated reading practice trials per sessions on reading fluency and errors. Overall, the results showed that with repeated readings, participants had the best outcomes in reading fluency, errors per minute, and correct answers to literal comprehension questions. Under an enhanced phase (i.e., increased reading levels and/or passage length), the positive effects during repeated readings were more demonstrative. During repeated readings, from Practice Trial 1 through Practice Trial 3, all participants improved their reading fluency and reduced their reading errors.
CARS Comprehensive Intervention for Secondary Students With Emotional and Behavioral Problems
Authors: Kern Lee , Evans Steven W. , Lewis Timothy J. , State Talida M. , Weist Mark D. , Wills Howard P.
Published: April 2015

Educating children and youth with significant social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) problems continues to pose significant challenges for special and general educators. The long-term effects of challenges this group of students experience include school dropout, mental health problems, unemployment, and high incarceration rates. To date, the majority of research examining the efficacy of interventions and supports has been conducted at the elementary level, creating a compelling need for comprehensive examination of interventions and supports for high school students. In this article, we provide a summary of the iterative development process the Center for Adolescent Research in Schools (CARS) undertook to develop a logic model that guided development and implementation of a multi-component intervention incorporating evidence-based practices with adaptations for high school–age students. In addition, we provide an overview of a national randomized control trial, including a review and decision structure to identify multiple outcome measures, which was designed to examine the efficacy of the developed intervention logic model.
Globally neural-adaptive simultaneous position and torque variable structure tracking control for permanent magnet synchronous motors
Authors: Hwang Chih-Lyang , Fang Wei-Li , Shih Ching-Long
Published: April 2015

A globally neural-adaptive simultaneous position and torque variable structure tracking control (GNASPTVSTC) for the permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) subjected to excess uncertainties (e.g., time-varying system parameters, friction and load torques for different operating conditions, the avoidance of zero control gain, the similar convergence of position and torque) is developed. Based on Lyapunov stability criterion, the desired torque is first derived from the mechanical subsystem. A simultaneous position and torque variable structure tracking control (SPTVSTC) with the avoidance of zero control gain and the similar convergence of position and torque is first designed to obtain acceptable performance for the PMSM with mild uncertainties. To improve the PMSM in the presence of excess uncertainties, the integration of SPTVSTC and two on-line neural network models for uncertainties is employed to construct the proposed GNASPTVSTC. For approximating these non-autonomous uncertainties, they are assumed to be absolutely bounded for time variable and relatively bounded for other variables, respectively. It not only improves the steady state performance as compared with SPTVSTC, but also enhances the system stability in the face of excess uncertainties. The compared simulation results validate the global tracking ability outside of approximated set and the excess robustness for different amplitudes of uncertainties and saturated control input.
Analytical solutions of thermoelastic interactions in a hollow cylinder with one relaxation time
Authors: Abbas Ibrahim A. , elmaboud Y. Abd
Published: April 2015

In this study, we aim to compare the optimal homotopy analysis solution with the exact solution of the thermoelastic interactions problem in an isotropic hollow cylinder. The thermoelastic interactions in a hollow cylinder in the context of the theory of generalized thermoelasticity with one relaxation time (Lord and Shulman’s theory) are considered. An application of a hollow cylinder is investigated where the inner surface is traction-free and subjected to a decaying-with-time thermal field, while the outer surface is traction-free and thermally isolated. The mathematical model is solved by analytical method and optimal homotopy analysis method (OHAM). In addition, the convergence of the obtained homotopy analysis method solution is discussed explicitly. Numerical results for the temperature distribution, displacement and radial stress are represented graphically. The accuracy of the optimal homotopy analysis method is validated by comparing the analytical and exact solutions for the field quantities.
Autologous, Noncultured Epidermal Cell Suspension Grafting in the Management of Mechanically and Chemically Induced Leukodermic Scars
Authors: Vyas Nikki S. , Lawrence Kelsey L. , Griffith James L. , Hamzavi Iltefat H.
Published: April 2015

Background:

Melanocyte-keratinocyte transplant procedure (MKTP) successfully repigments postburn leukodermic scars.

Objective:

To further investigate the efficacy and limitations of MKTP for treatment of mechanically and chemically induced leukodermic scars.

Methods:

Ten patients with mechanically or chemically induced, depigmented or hypopigmented scars were preoperatively evaluated with Wood’s light examination, treated with MKTP, and followed for at least 6 months, with monitoring of repigmentation and colour matching.

Results:

Nine patients attended at least 6 months of follow-up. Six patients showed no fluorescence of scars under Wood’s lamp. All patients whose lesions didn’t fluoresce displayed less than 50% repigmentation, with 5 of 6 attaining 0% to 24%. Of the 3 patients displaying bright or some fluorescence, more than 95% repigmentation was achieved in 2 patients (skin phototypes V and VI), while less than 24% was attained for the third (skin phototype II).

Conclusions:

In this small case series, lack of fluorescence in leukodermic scars may be a useful negative prognostic indicator for MKTP, but additional trials are needed to verify that this is not due to melanocompetency.
Singlehood in Treatment: Interrogating the discursive alliance between postfeminism and therapeutic culture
Authors: Lahad Kinneret , Shoshana Avi
Published: April 2015

This article offers a critical discourse analysis of the Israeli television series In Treatment. The series unfolds the therapy sessions of a 40-year-old single female attorney with her therapist. The main objective of the study was to identify the scripted tactics or narrative strategies that establish and maintain singlehood. The findings indicate that the therapeutic discourse plays a central role in the construction and interpretation of single women’s subjectivities, prompting a narrative that encourages the ‘discarding’ of singlehood as well as therapeutic work slanted towards a more familial and maternally oriented subjectivity. This narrative unfolds through two dominant scripted tactics: the symbolic annihilation of singlehood and the construction of feminine identity hierarchies (what the authors term ‘hierarchies of happy endings’). Moreover, it is also prompted by the discursive alliance between the therapeutic discourse and the postfeminist discourse. Consequently, long-term singlehood is portrayed as an unnatural and pathological life script characterized by its lack and deficiency. Furthermore, as opposed to childless singlehood, single motherhood by choice emerges as a preferred and desirable life option. The category of single motherhood is endowed with new forms of legitimacy, reinforcing new-old patriarchal and postfeminist conceptions of women’s reproductive potential and what is considered to be women’s primary life purpose.
Effect of journal out-of-roundness on stability of a symmetric hydrodynamic journal bearing system. Part 2: Experimental investigation
Authors: Xu Wubin , Ogrodnik Peter J , Li Bing , Zhang Hongxian , Gao Shanghan
Published: April 2015

Part 2 of the study furthers the research and aims to present evidences from an experimental investigation. The work presents the experimental research with a rig for examining the effect of journal out-of-roundness on the dynamic performance of a symmetric hydrodynamic journal bearing system. Four shafts with different magnitudes of journal out-of-roundness were fabricated for the experiment. The test rig was equipped with a date logging system to collect and process all signals provided by the displacement probes and the thermocouples. The onset speed of oil film instability was determined by analysing the spectrums of the journal vibrations. The experiments show a notable double-synchronous frequency vibration component incurred by the journal out-of-roundness, which makes the system behave as oil whirling but the mechanism is different. The results also coincide with the theoretical calculations presented in Part 1 of the study, which validates that the journal out-of-roundness may increase the overall system stability when the dimensionless out-of-roundness is below 0.4, but vibration levels increase. The study can help engineers to choose reasonable tolerances or enable systems with certain manufacturing tolerances to operate within a more stable range.
Evaluability Assessments: Reflections on a review of the literature
Authors: Davies Rick , Payne Lina
Published: April 2015

In 2012 the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) funded a review of the literature on Evaluability Assessments, which was undertaken by Rick Davies. Although the review focused on practical guidance Evaluability Assessments are not unproblematic. Evaluability Assessments involve an additional layer of cost and procedure. The diversity of evaluation approaches is a challenge to any categorical judgement about evaluability. The reach of an evaluability assessment can become over-extended. Evaluability questions asked of individual projects may not be so easily applied to larger portfolios of projects. The purpose of this article is to give more attention to the problematic aspects of Evaluability Assessments. In doing so it does not seek to revise the broad conclusions of the Working Paper, which unambiguously encouraged the wider use of Evaluability Assessments.
Interpret in context: Generalizing from the single case in evaluation
Authors: Simons Helen
Published: April 2015

This article presents an argument for how to generalize from a single case study evaluation of a social programme or policy, focusing on two essential elements of case study – context and particularity. Taking an interpretivist perspective and drawing on artistic and humanistic ways of understanding, it examines both different ways of generalizing from the case that retain a connection with the context in which they first arose and how we generalize by direct encounter with the particular. This argument is not new. It has its origins in earlier centuries and, in contemporary evaluation, dating back to the 1970s. However, in a political climate that privileges evaluation approaches stemming from large sample studies and experimental designs, it seems timely to restate the value of generalizing from the single case. Grounded in the reality of programme experience and retaining that connection with context and particulars in the case facilitates the use of evaluation knowledge.
An assessment of WISC-IIIUK on children with HIV infection
Authors: James Anu Nikitha , Ittyerah Miriam
Published: April 2015

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Third Edition UK test was administered to groups of children between the ages of 6 and 12 years with vertically transmitted HIV infection ( n = 70) and a control group who were not infected by the virus ( n = 70). The study was conducted in India. The two groups were matched for general verbal abilities, age and gender. The children were assessed for Verbal IQ, Performance IQ and Full-Scale IQ. The Verbal Comprehension Index, Perceptual Organization Index and Freedom from Distractibility Index were also obtained. A three-factor analysis of variance disclosed that school-age children with vertically transmitted HIV infection notched below in the areas of Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, Full-Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension Index, Perceptual Organization Index and Freedom from Distractibility Index when collated with normal uninfected cohorts. Findings are discussed in the light of both theoretical and clinical implications.
Does the mortality risk of social isolation depend upon socioeconomic factors?
Authors: Patterson Andrew C
Published: April 2015

This study considers whether socioeconomic status influences the impact of social isolation on mortality risk. Using data from the Alameda County Study, Cox proportional hazard models indicate that having a high income worsens the mortality risk of social isolation. Education may offset risk, however, and the specific pattern that emerges depends on which measures for socioeconomic status and social isolation are included. Additionally, lonely people who earn high incomes suffer especially high risk of accidents and suicides as well as cancer. Further research is needed that contextualizes the health risks of social isolation within the broader social environment.
To bail out or not to bail out? Crisis politics, credibility, and default risk in the Eurozone
Authors: Bølstad Jørgen , Elhardt Christoph
Published: April 2015

We examine the impact of signals regarding the Eurozone’s bail-out commitment on government bond spreads in the Eurozone’s periphery, analysing the effect of positive, negative and mixed statements and decisions by the EU, the ECB and Germany. We construct a dataset of relevant events, and estimate their effects using distributed lag models, providing a number of robustness checks. Our main argument is that investors react to statements from credible actors, but largely ignore statements from less-credible actors, awaiting actual decisions. Accordingly, positive statements from the ECB have clear effects, while those from Germany and the EU do not. Furthermore, ECB decisions appear to be anticipated and thus have no short-term effects, while we find clear effects of positive decisions by Germany and the EU.
An exploratory study of community awareness of impacts and agreement to sustainable tourism development principles
Authors: Cárdenas David A , Byrd Erick T , Duffy Lauren N
Published: April 2015

Before informed, active, full, or meaningful participation can be achieved, tourism planners need to evaluate stakeholder level of awareness and perception of tourism, the tourism process, impacts, and principles of sustainability. Framed with stakeholder theory, this study developed and piloted the Stakeholder Understanding of Sustainable Tourism Development Index (SUSTDI), a tool that assesses awareness of tourism impacts and agreement to principles of sustainable tourism development. The results produced a six-factor solution (α = .93); resource preservation, environmental education, stakeholder inclusion, economic planning, cultural awareness, and community resource identification. Differences between community groups were also examined. Though continued validation of the SUSTDI is needed, this is an initial step in providing a tool for tourism planners to assess a community’s level of awareness and agreement as a precursor to developing education and training programs to increase understanding and knowledge of sustainable tourism development.
Attitudes, efficacy beliefs, and willingness to pay for environmental protection when travelling
Authors: Doran Rouven , Hanss Daniel , Larsen Svein
Published: April 2015

Environmental sustainability may be seen as a collective challenge that can only be met if a sufficient number of individuals cooperate. Whether or not individual tourists are willing to contribute their share may thus depend not only on the degree to which they think that environmental sustainability is important (attitudes), but also on the degree to which they think that other tourists hold similar attitudes (social comparison). Other possible influences are beliefs that one's own behaviour can make a difference (self-efficacy beliefs) and that tourists as a group together can make a difference (collective efficacy beliefs). This paper reports on findings from a study ( N = 358) that investigated the role of these factors in explaining people's willingness to pay for environmental protection when travelling. Attitudes, self-efficacy and collective efficacy accounted for 30% of the variance in willingness to pay for environmental protection; social comparison did not explain additional variance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The European Schools: Perspectives of parents as participants in a learning community
Authors: Martínez María A , Hetterschijt Caroline , Iglesias Marcos J
Published: April 2015

Within the framework of schools as communities of learning and practice, the purpose of the research upon which this article is based has been to analyze the perceptions of families with respect to the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges of the European Schools. The findings of the research show that parents value highly the existence of the European Schools. However, they feel that more authentic participation and greater transparency is needed to transform the tendency toward bureaucratization and centralization in the system.
Testing the waters: Ethical considerations for including PrEP in a phase IIb HIV vaccine efficacy trial
Authors: Dawson Liza , Garner Sam , Anude Chuka , Ndebele Paul , Karuna Shelly , Holt Renee , Broder Gail , Handibode Jessica , Hammer Scott M , Sobieszczyk Magdalena E ,   for the NIAID HIV Vaccine Trials Network
Published: April 2015

Background:

The field of HIV prevention research has recently experienced some mixed results in efficacy trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis, vaginal microbicides, and HIV vaccines. While there have been positive trial results in some studies, in the near term, no single method will be sufficient to quell the epidemic. Improved HIV prevention methods, choices among methods, and coverage for all at-risk populations will be needed. The emergence of partially effective prevention methods that are not uniformly available raises complex ethical and scientific questions regarding the design of ongoing prevention trials.

Methods:

We present here an ethical analysis regarding inclusion of pre-exposure prophylaxis in an ongoing phase IIb vaccine efficacy trial, HVTN 505. This is the first large vaccine efficacy trial to address the issue of pre-exposure prophylaxis, and the decisions made by the protocol team were informed by extensive stakeholder consultations. The key ethical concerns are analyzed here, and the process of stakeholder engagement and decision-making described.

Discussion:

This discussion and analysis will be useful as current and future research teams grapple with ethical and scientific study design questions emerging with the rapidly expanding evidence base for HIV prevention.
Employers’ attitudes on hiring workers with intellectual disabilities in small and medium enterprises
Authors: Zappella Emanuela
Published: April 2015

Employers play a significant role in the process of hiring workers with intellectual disability. Through an in-depth interview, this research aims to investigate the attitudes of 30 representatives of small and medium-sized Italian companies involved in a process of recruitment. The data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The results show that attitudes toward the disabled employee are influenced by three areas, namely, personal characteristics of employers, selection process, and concerns and opinions of employers.
Mechanical factors associated with the development of training volleyballs
Authors: Ho Chin-Shan , Lin Kuo-Chuan , Chen Ke-Chou , Yan Zheng-Tong , Chang Chun-Hao
Published: April 2015

The objectives of this study were to assess volleyball speed and impact force and to analyse the differences between these properties. Three types of volleyballs were used in this study: MVA200, weighing 270 ± 10 g; Prototype Ball A (Type A), weighing 270 ± 10 g; and Prototype Ball B (Type B), weighing 340 ± 10 g. Vertically downward 3-m impact tests were conducted using a serving machine, force plate, and radar speed gun. Contact time, ball speed, mean force, peak force, total impulse, initial momentum, incident impulse, and lost momentum were calculated. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate the reliability of the data, and one-way analysis of covariance and Scheffe’s post hoc analysis were used to analyse the variables of the three ball types. The paired samples t-test was used to compare the difference between initial momentum and incident impulse. The results indicated that the intraclass correlation coefficients of the three ball types were 0.998 (MVA200), 0.997 (Type A), and 0.999 (Type B). Type B considerably surpassed Type A and MVA200 in mechanical factors, and Type A was significantly superior to MVA200 in incident impulse and lost momentum. The results indicated that different volleyballs of the same size, weight, and internal air pressure have dissimilar mechanical features and implied that slight adjustment to ball structure can cause substantial changes in the specific characteristics. In addition, the mass increased the lost momentum, which might cause the ball to bounce unpredictably.
Des agents de santé communautaires pour la promotion de la santé des pasteurs nomades au Mali
Authors: Ag Ahmed Mohamed Ali
Published: April 2015

Au Mali, les nomades (des Maures, Touaregs et Peulhs) représentent environ 1,25 million de personnes. Les services de santé leur sont peu accessibles en raison de leur mobilité, liée à leur activité d’élevage. La question que se posent plusieurs intervenants en santé publique des pays où vivent ces nomades est de savoir comment améliorer leur santé. Dans ce commentaire, après un bref exposé des problèmes liés à l’accès aux services de santé, nous proposons une approche innovante et holistique de la santé, qui soutient que des agents de santé communautaires (ASC) pourraient contribuer à améliorer la santé des nomades en offrant conjointement des services de santé aux nomades et à leurs animaux (le concept «  One Health » [d’Une Seule Santé]). Des pistes de réflexion sont dégagées, quant aux principaux défis pour leur efficacité et durabilité, qui sont la conception et gestion du programme, leur soutien par les communautés et leur intégration aux services de santé publique et vétérinaire.
The Urban School Leaders Collaborative
Authors: Merchant Betty , Garza Encarnación
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study was to analyze and report on a “different” model of leadership preparation that was customized to prepare school leaders to practice in schools where the student population is predominantly Latino and in an urban school setting. It is a preparation program designed to advance interactive collaboration between students, professors, and school district administrators. The Urban School Leaders Collaborative (USLC), now in its 12th year, is a cohort-based principal preparation program dedicated to developing leadership capacity within San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), the third largest school district in the city.