bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Upper-Ocean Observing System in the Equatorial Pacific: The Role of Argo in Resolving Intraseasonal to Interannual Variability
Authors: Gasparin Florent , Roemmich Dean , Gilson John , Cornuelle Bruce
Published: July 2015

Using more than 10 years of Argo temperature and salinity profiles (2004–14), a new optimal interpolation (OI) of the upper ocean in the equatorial Pacific is presented. Following Roemmich and Gilson’s procedures, which were formulated for describing monthly large-scale anomalies, here every 5 days anomaly fields are constructed with improvements in the OI spatial covariance function and by including the time domain. The comparison of Argo maps with independent observations, from the TAO/TRITON array, and with satellite sea surface height (SSH), demonstrates that Argo is able to represent around 70%–80% of the variance at intraseasonal time scales (periods of 20–100 days) and more than 90% of the variance for the seasonal-to-longer-term variability. The RMS difference between Argo and TAO/TRITON temperatures is lower than 1°C and is around 1.5 cm when the Argo steric height is compared to SSH. This study also assesses the efficacy of different observing system components and combinations, such as SSH, TAO/TRITON, and Argo, for estimating subsurface temperature. Salinity investigations demonstrate its critical importance for density near the surface in the western Pacific. Objective error estimates from the OI are used to evaluate different sampling strategies, such as the recent deployment of 41 Argo floats along the Pacific equator. Argo’s high spatial resolution compared with that of the moored array makes it better suited for studying spatial patterns of variability and propagation on intraseasonal and longer periods, but it is less well suited for studying variability on periods shorter than 20 days at point locations. This work is a step toward better utilization of existing datasets, including Argo, and toward redesigning the Tropical Pacific Observing System.
Improving Precipitation Forecasts by Generating Ensembles through Postprocessing
Authors: Shrestha Durga Lal , Robertson David E. , Bennett James C. , Wang Q. J.
Published: July 2015

This paper evaluates a postprocessing method for deterministic quantitative precipitation forecasts (raw QPFs) from a numerical weather prediction model. The postprocessing aims to produce calibrated QPF ensembles that are bias free, more accurate than raw QPFs, and reliable for use in streamflow forecasting applications. The method combines a simplified version of the Bayesian joint probability (BJP) modeling approach and the Schaake shuffle. The BJP modeling approach relates raw QPFs and observed precipitation by modeling their joint distribution. It corrects biases in the raw QPFs and generates ensemble forecasts that reflect the uncertainty in the raw QPFs. The BJP modeling approach is applied to each lead time and each forecast location separately. The Schaake shuffle is then employed to produce calibrated QPFs with appropriate space–time correlations by linking ensemble members generated by the BJP modeling approach.

Calibrated QPFs are produced for 10 Australian catchments that cover a wide range of climatic conditions and hydrological characteristics. The calibrated QPFs are bias free, contain smaller forecast errors than that of the raw QPFs, reliably quantify the forecast uncertainty at a range of lead times, and successfully discriminate common and rare events of precipitation occurrences at shorter lead times. The postprocessing method is able to instill realistic within-catchment spatial variability in the QPFs, which is crucial for accurate and reliable streamflow forecasting.
Medical Virtual Instrumentation for Ambient Assisted Living: Part 1 Concepts
Authors: Adeluyi Olufemi , Lee Jeong-A
Published: July 2015

Ambient Assisted Living has become a cost-effective option for coping with the rapid aging of society. Personalized health monitoring is an important aspect of Ambient Assisted Living, and it depends on the availability and use of appropriate medical devices. Medical virtual instruments provide a viable option for such devices. They refer to a hardware/software co-design of medical instruments that provides the dependability of hardware as well as the flexibility of software. In this paper, we discuss the concept of medical virtual instruments and their use as an effective option for Ambient Assisted Living. The discussion covers the enablers of this technology, the main challenges, and the hardware, software and connectivity options for such instruments.
Medical Virtual Instrumentation for Ambient Assisted Living: Part 2 Practice and Case Studies
Authors: Adeluyi Olufemi , Lee Jeong-A
Published: July 2015

In this article, we discuss how medical virtual instruments are used for ambient assisted living technologies. Ambient assisted living technologies enable seniors to age well in the comfort of their homes. Case studies are used to describe some ways that medical virtual instruments are being used to support ambient assisted living in the key disease domains of cardiovascular, neurologic, hormonal and musculoskeletal health. The article also discusses the open research issues and future perspectives relating to the use of medical virtual instruments in these domains.
Technological Design Considerations for Home-based Health care
Authors: Ing William JZ , Summers Ron
Published: July 2015

The aim of this paper is to investigate the technological feasibility of integrating e-health solutions as an aid to the health monitoring of patients in their own homes. The approach taken to this task is based on system engineering from which models are produced to indicate how home-based health care may be envisaged. The model outputs indicate that electronic health methods and its associated technologies offer a future where health care remains affordable.
Distinguishing Afrocentric Inquiry From Pop Culture Afrocentrism
Authors: Yehudah Miciah Z.
Published: July 2015

The mainstream publicity garnered from Molefi Kete Asante’s Afrocentric paradigm has led to an often anti-intellectual and nonacademic misappropriation of its constructs. This approach fashioned out of mainstream sound bytes, commonly characterized as “Pop Culture Afrocentrism,” suggests that a discourse need only feature or mention people of African descent to be considered Afrocentric. Such an approach has often led to the application of base intellectual offerings by scholars claiming to utilize Afrocentric methodology. This article discusses how mainstream media sound byte–type approaches toward Afrocentricity has (a) led to a dearth of understanding of the concept and (b) created the need for contemporary intellectuals to produce research that critically applies the Afrocentric paradigm in alignment with Asante’s conceptualization in order to prevail over typical anti-Black mainstream contributions. To distinguish pop culture Afrocentrism from the Afrocentric paradigm, focus is placed on Asante’s location theory as one of the most essential aspects of Afrocentric inquiry.
Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence—Have We Got the Balance Right?
Authors: Bessant Claire
Published: July 2015

That states should act to prevent domestic violence and protect victims is clearly acknowledged in international law. Yet international law confirms also that victims, perpetrators and their families have rights to privacy, to a family life and to a home. The extent to which rights to respect for private and family life should be interfered with in order to protect victims remains in dispute. With the aim of improving the protection afforded to domestic violence victims in England and Wales, in 2011–2012 the police and courts piloted the use of two new short-term protective measures; domestic violence protection notices and orders. Between 2012 and 2013 the police also piloted the domestic violence disclosure scheme, which saw prospective victims provided with information about their partner’s previous violent behaviour. The disclosure scheme and the domestic violence protection orders and notices were rolled out nationally in March 2014. In this article, consideration is given to the impact these two initiatives will have on the privacy of victims and perpetrators, an issue not considered in government evaluations of the pilots. This article analyses whether the roll-out of these new initiatives is justified, given their potential for interference in private and family life.
Exploring the Defensive Actions of Drug Sellers in Open-air Markets
Authors: Piza Eric L. , Sytsma Victoria A.
Published: July 2015

Objectives:

The current study contributes to the literature through a systematic social observation of the defensive actions of drug sellers within open-air retail markets. The study expands upon previous literature by incorporating a novel data collection and coding method.

Methods:

Video footage of narcotics transactions was extracted from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system of the Newark, NJ Police Department. Researchers transcribed and coded the footage to measure the frequency of defensive actions incorporated by drug sellers. Fisher’s exact tests measured whether the frequency of each defensive action significantly differed across geographic setting or time of day.

Results:

The frequency of many defensive actions was significantly related to geographic setting and time of day. The strongest relationship was observed between the use of stash spots and setting. Overall, the findings suggest that drug sellers adopt tenets of Opportunity Theory to protect themselves from law enforcement, specifically by acting as guardians and place managers on their own behalf.

Conclusions:

This study extends prior techniques and provides an additional case study on the use of CCTV footage in the study of street-level crime. This methodology can be used in concert with more traditional ethnographic techniques in the study of the drug trade and in crime-and-place research in general.
Unpacking the impacts of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program on nearby property values
Authors: Woo Ayoung , Joh Kenneth , Van Zandt Shannon
Published: July 2015

Most existing research on the impacts of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) on neighbouring property values is limited in terms of providing causal attribution and uncovering nuances in the role of housing market and neighbourhood composition. This article addresses these shortcomings by investigating the impacts of the LIHTC program in Charlotte, North Carolina and Cleveland, Ohio. Levels and trends in housing prices before and after LIHTC developments in neighbourhoods are examined based on parcel-level housing sales data from 1996 to 2007. The Adjusted Interrupted Time Series-Difference in Differences (AITS-DID) model is used to clarify the causal direction of impacts of LIHTC developments. The results show that LIHTC developments have negative impacts in Charlotte, while having upgrading effects in Cleveland. Also, these impacts vary across neighbourhoods’ income heterogeneity. Thus, care should be taken when siting LIHTC developments to minimise negative impacts and enhance its use for community revitalisation across different housing market conditions.
Old Wounds, New Warriors
Authors: Riley John , Gambone Michael D.
Published: July 2015

American overseas military operations have become dependent upon private contractors. Thousands of these individuals have suffered casualties as a consequence of employment in high-risk parts of the world. American policy has consistently failed to meet the medical needs of hundreds of thousands of contractors. The root source of this problem is the nature of contracting itself. It is a system defined by a commercial transaction rather than the common bond shared between a citizen and the state. The current and future of costs of this basic disconnect are significant. Contractor casualties have risen at exponential rates. More broadly, policy makers must also confront the state’s obligations to employees who are assuming the risks of outsourced citizenship, a question that pertains to American contractors returning home as well as the vast majority of local national workers left to their own devices once Washington declares its mission complete.
Hierarchy, Dominance, and Deliberation
Authors: Van Berkel Laura , Crandall Christian S. , Eidelman Scott , Blanchar John C.
Published: July 2015

Hierarchy and dominance are ubiquitous. Because social hierarchy is early learned and highly rehearsed, the value of hierarchy enjoys relative ease over competing egalitarian values. In six studies, we interfere with deliberate thinking and measure endorsement of hierarchy and egalitarianism. In Study 1, bar patrons’ blood alcohol content was correlated with hierarchy preference. In Study 2, cognitive load increased the authority/hierarchy moral foundation. In Study 3, low-effort thought instructions increased hierarchy endorsement and reduced equality endorsement. In Study 4, ego depletion increased hierarchy endorsement and caused a trend toward reduced equality endorsement. In Study 5, low-effort thought instructions increased endorsement of hierarchical attitudes among those with a sense of low personal power. In Study 6, participants’ thinking quickly allocated more resources to high-status groups. Across five operationalizations of impaired deliberative thought, hierarchy endorsement increased and egalitarianism receded. These data suggest hierarchy may persist in part because it has a psychological advantage.
Hacking with Chinese Characteristics
Authors: Lindtner Silvia
Published: July 2015

From the rising number of hackerspaces to an increase in hardware start-ups, maker culture is envisioned as an enabler of the next industrial revolution—a source of unhindered technological innovation, a revamp of broken economies and educational systems. Drawing from long-term ethnographic research, this article examines how China’s makers demarcate Chinese manufacturing as a site of expertise in implementing this vision. China’s makers demonstrate that the future of making—if to materialize in the ways currently envisioned by writers, politicians, and scholars of the global tech industry—rests on taking seriously the technological and cultural fabrics of professional making outside familiar information technology innovation hubs like Silicon Valley: making-do, mass production, and reuse. I trace back to China’s first hackerspace, documenting how a collective of makers began to move away from appropriating Western concepts of openness toward promoting China as source for knowledge, creativity, and innovation. This article demonstrates that when China’s makers set up open hardware businesses and articulate a unique culture of “hacking with Chinese characteristics,” they draw boundaries between the professional making they saw embodied in Chinese industrial production and the hobbyist making embodied in Western histories and cultures of hacking. In so doing, they position China as site of both technological and cultural expertise, intervening in dominant conceptions of computing that split manufacturing and innovation along geographical lines. This article contributes to critical scholarship of innovation and making cultures, technological expertise, and authorship.
A Model of Twice-Exceptionality
Authors: Ronksley-Pavia Michelle
Published: July 2015

The literature on twice-exceptionality suggests one of the main problems facing twice-exceptional children is that there is no consensus on the definition of the terms disability or giftedness and, consequently, the term twice-exceptional. Endeavoring to define these specific terms loops back on itself to legislation based on the medical model of disability and the defining of giftedness in a limited way, frequently through high achievement and performance, which contradicts the generally accepted notion of giftedness in Australia. It appears that a model is needed to define the apparent paradoxical term, not only for scholars within the field but also for educators and the wider community of students and parents/guardians. This article examines the contextual contributing factors in the creation of a model of twice-exceptionality, creating a preliminary point for discourse on disability, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality on which it is anticipated that future research can be grounded.
Trajectories and Determinants of Elder Care in Rural China During an 8-Year Period
Authors: Guo Man , Chi Iris , Silverstein Merril
Published: July 2015

Using 8-year panel data for 1,355 older adults in rural Anhui province, China, this study examined the trajectories and determinants of elder care provided by adult children to their older parents. The results of two-level latent variable growth models showed that trajectories of elder care differed by the gender of children, with an increase in care from sons but a decrease in care from daughters over time. Children’s life stages influenced their care provision but differed by gender. Functional impairment of parents and care provided by siblings in the family also affected the care provided by each child. The findings reflect the patrilineal nature of Chinese family systems and demonstrate the linkages between critical life events and caregiving behaviors of adult children. Findings of this study can inform the formulation of elder care policies that meet the needs of families with different structures and at different life stages.
Urgent transcatheter arterial embolization for the treatment of ruptured renal angiomyolipoma with spontaneous hemorrhage
Authors: Duan Xu-Hua , Zhang Meng-Fan , Ren Jian-Zhuang , Han Xin-Wei , Chen Peng-Fei , Zhang Kai , Jia Zi-Ling
Published: July 2015

Background

The rich neovascularization of renal angiomyolipoma (AML) has a tendency for spontaneous rupture with subsequent hemorrhage. Nephrectomy or nephron-sparing surgery has rarely been used as a primary treatment in urgent situations.

Purpose

To evaluate the safety and long-term outcomes for patients treated by urgent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for spontaneous ruptured renal AML with severe hemorrhage.

Material and Methods

A retrospective evaluation was performed of 25 renal AML cases with spontaneous hemorrhage confirmed by imaging. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles and coils of multiple sizes were used to embolize the spontaneous renal AML ruptures.

Results

The technical success rate of TAE was 96% (24/25). One week post-TAE, 1 patient with recurrent hemorrhage underwent emergency nephrectomy. Minor complications affected 16 patients with post-embolization syndrome; 15 patients resolved using conservative measures and one patient received nephrectomy post TAE 1 week later. All patients were followed up for 24–72 months (median, 50.2 months). Surgical treatment was avoided for 92% (23/25) of patients, and the re-embolization rate was 0% at 2 years post TAE. In the 23 patients without surgical treatment, the mean maximum diameter of renal AML was reduced from 12.4 ± 5.5 cm to 6.3 ± 2.5 cm and no hemorrhage occurred during follow-up.

Conclusion

Urgent TAE is a technically feasible and minimally invasive procedure for controlling severe hemorrhage and preservation of renal function following spontaneous ruptured renal AML.
Openness to experience and auditory discrimination ability in music: An investment approach
Authors: Thomas Karen S. , Silvia Paul J. , Nusbaum Emily C. , Beaty Roger E. , Hodges Donald A.
Published: July 2015

Why do people vary in how well they discriminate musical sounds? The present research explored personality traits as predictors of auditory discrimination ability, a cornerstone of many popular musical aptitude tests. According to investment-theory approaches, personality traits can shape the growth of cognitive abilities by affecting the kinds of activities and experiences people select. It thus seems likely that Openness to Experience – a broad trait associated with aesthetic and creative interests – would predict variation in auditory abilities because it is associated with greater engagement with music. A sample of 183 young adults completed an auditory discrimination task (the Musical Ear Test), the HEXACO personality inventory, and items measuring past music training. As expected, Openness to Experience significantly predicted auditory ability (β = .28 [.14, .42]). Mediation models indicated that this effect was fully mediated by music training: people high in Openness had significantly more formal training in music, and music training in turn significantly predicted auditory ability. The findings thus strongly support an investment-theory approach to understanding the role of personality in musical auditory abilities.
Utilization of the Swedish version of the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills
Authors: Kjellberg Anette , Haglund Lena
Published: July 2015

Introduction

The Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills, which is based on the Model of Human Occupation, is used when observing a client’s skills to communicate and interact with others while performing an occupation. The utility and psychometric status of an assessment is critical for treatment planning in occupational therapy. The aim of the current study was to examine the utility of the Swedish version of the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills from the perspective of occupational therapists working in the field of mental health, considering its clinical relevance and potential for implementation.

Method

Eight occupational therapists performed 116 assessments. Most of the 58 clients had affective or anxiety disorders. Descriptive and qualitative analysis were performed.

Results

In 76% of the assessments, the occupational therapists perceived that they had obtained a deeper knowledge of the client’s communication and interaction skills. This supports the clinical relevance of the assessment. Concerning the implementation potential and time required for using the assessment, all occupational therapists considered it reasonable.

Conclusion

The Swedish version of the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills is appropriate to use in the field of mental health for supporting occupational therapists in the treatment planning process.
Changing everyday activities and technology use in mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Hedman Annicka , Nygård Louise , Malinowsky Camilla , Almkvist Ove , Kottorp Anders
Published: July 2015

Introduction

Knowledge of the conditions under which older adults facing cognitive decline engage in everyday activities is of major importance for occupational therapists in designing supportive interventions. This study aimed to investigate perceived activity involvement over time and its longitudinal relationship to perceived ability to use everyday technology in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Method

Thirty-seven older adults with mild cognitive impairment at inclusion were assessed over 4 years. Overall and item-specific activity involvement were analyzed using mixed-linear-effect modeling and differential item functioning. Furthermore, overall activity involvement and ability in everyday technology use were correlated.

Results

Overall activity involvement decreased significantly over time. When adjusting for declining ability in the sample, actual differential item functioning indicated descending involvement in seven of 15 activities, while eight activities were stable. All leisure activities descended. The positive correlations between activity involvement and ability in everyday technology use became stronger over time.

Conclusion

Variations across activities and time-points suggest that occupational therapists should repeatedly monitor the increasingly associated aspects of activity involvement and ability to use everyday technology in persons with cognitive decline.
Hiroshima
Authors: Tester Keith
Published: July 2015

Is it possible to remember Hiroshima and, if it is, what exactly is being remembered? This paper uses Resnais’s film Hiroshima Mon Amour as a way of asking this question. The problem of remembering is identified as being due to how nuclear explosions are beyond the human capacity to understand. The paper draws on the work of Günther Anders to explore the implications of Hiroshima for the human understanding of human possibilities.
The effect of silica nanotubes on mechanical performance of polymethyl methacrylate nanocomposites: Comparison to spherical nano-silica
Authors: Yu Zongzhi , Wang Xiang , Su Qiang , Shan Jiahui , Zheng Junping
Published: July 2015

Silica nanotubes (SNTs) were synthesized via sol–gel method using ammonium tartrate as template, and then spherical nano-silica (SiO2) and SNTs which have different geometric morphology were introduced into polymer matrix to obtain polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/SiO2 and PMMA/SNTs microspheres via in situ suspension polymerization, respectively. The morphology of synthesized SNTs and microspheres were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), while the structure of SiO2 and SNTs, as well as the interaction between PMMA and SiO2 or SNTs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The dispersion of SiO2 in the PMMA/SiO2 nanocomposites was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The molecular weight of the extracted PMMA was measured by gel permeation chromatograph. Finally, the mechanical properties were studied in detail and the tensile fracture surface was studied by SEM. The result indicated that, SNTs with uniform size and high aspect ratio were prepared successfully, and the mechanical properties of PMMA/SNTs nanocomposites were improved greatly due to the introducing of SNTs. However, the mechanical properties of the PMMA/SiO2 nanocomposites decreased overall. Due to the special tubular structure of SNTs, it is much easier for them to be dispersed in polymer matrix compared with spherical SiO2. This work reveals the potential application of SNTs in polymer-based nanocomposites.
A Psychometric Analysis of Hope, Persistence, and Engagement Among Reengaged Youth
Authors: McDermott Elana R. , Donlan Alice E. , Zaff Jonathan F. , Prescott Jennifer E.
Published: July 2015

Youth who have disengaged from and subsequently returned to school are qualitatively different from students with continual educational enrollment. In this study, we examined the validity for two measures: the Adult Hope Scale (AHS) and Persistence in Goal Striving (PGS) Scale, among two samples of reengaged students (i.e., students who have dropped out of high school and returned to finish their degrees). Results from the AHS indicated that among reengaged students, a new factor structure may fit better than what has been used previously. Results from the PGS replicated a factor structure from previous research. Finally, we examined whether we could find support for criterion validity by assessing associations with measures of engagement, and found a positive relation between the AHS, PGS, and measures of cognitive and emotional engagement. Implications and future directions are discussed.
A Longitudinal Study of Reading Comprehension Achievement From Grades 3 to 10
Authors: Kwiatkowska-White Bozena , Kirby John R. , Lee Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2015

This longitudinal study of 78 Canadian English-speaking students examined the applicability of the stability, cumulative, and compensatory models in reading comprehension development. Archival government-mandated assessments of reading comprehension at Grades 3, 6, and 10, and the Canadian Test of Basic Skills measure of reading comprehension administered at Grade 10 were used. The probabilities of later-grade reading achievement based on earlier-grade reading achievement were computed, and tests of regression to the mean were conducted. Most changes in relative achievement were attributed to regression toward the mean. Overall, results suggest considerable stability across time.
Arguing to Agree
Authors: Felton Mark , Crowell Amanda , Liu Tina
Published: July 2015

Research has shown that novice writers tend to ignore opposing viewpoints when framing and developing arguments in writing, a phenomenon commonly referred to as my-side bias. In the present article, we contrast two forms of argumentative discourse conditions (arguing to persuade and arguing to reach consensus) and examine their differential effects on my-side bias in writing. Our data reveal that when asked to write an essay to support their opinions on capital punishment, individuals who had argued to reach consensus were more likely to cite claims that challenge their position, reconcile these claims with their position, and make use of claims that had originally been introduced by their dialogue partners. We discuss these findings in light of educational policy and practice and caution against an overemphasis on using persuasive discourse as a means of teaching argumentative reasoning and writing.
The Experience of Ethnic and Racial Group Membership Among Immigrant-Origin Adolescents
Authors: Tummala-Narra Pratyusha , Sathasivam-Rueckert Nina
Published: July 2015

Immigrant-origin adolescents in the United States face a number of stressors across different social contexts (e.g., home, school), and yet, distress related to these stressors often goes unnoticed and access to resources is limited. This study examined how racial minority immigrant-origin adolescents in an urban setting construct and negotiate experiences of their ethnic and racial group membership, acculturative stress, and approaches to coping with acculturative stress. Guided by an integrative contextual framework of minority youth development, semistructured group interviews were conducted with 64 adolescents (35 girls and 29 boys) at an urban public high school located in the Northeastern part of the United States. Participants were either immigrants or children of immigrants from Afro-Caribbean (e.g., Haitian), Asian, Latino/a, and South Asian backgrounds. Analyses of the group interview data revealed four major domains related to experiences of ethnicity and race: (a) pride in and connection with heritage culture and language, (b) difficulties in cultural adjustment, (c) stereotypes and discrimination, and (d) coping and relational contexts, along with several themes within each of these domains. The implications of the findings are discussed with a consideration to adolescents’ desire to develop a bicultural identity, challenges to forming such an identity, and the importance of informal sources of support in coping with acculturative stress. Recommendations for future research and for clinical and community-based interventions with immigrant-origin adolescents are provided.
School Adjustment and Friendship Quality of First- and Second-Generation Adolescent Immigrants to Spain as a Function of Acculturation
Authors: Alvarez Valdivia Ibis M. , Schneider Barry H. , Carrasco Cecilia Villalobos
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine the links between school adjustment, friendship, and identification with both the cultures of origin and with the host culture. Our overriding hypothesis was that integration in Berry’s terms, that is, simultaneous identification with both the culture of origin and the majority Spanish/Catalan culture, would predict better school adjustment. We also expected the same integrated acculturative stance to be linked with closer and less conflictual friendships. The participants were 682 students, in six public high schools in Catalonia, Spain. Of these, 226 were first- and second-generation immigrants, and this subset was used in most of the analyses reported herein. The results showed that acculturation to the host culture and acculturation to the culture of origin are both adaptive but in different ways. These results applied to both first- and second-generation immigrants. Identification with the culture of origin was a significant predictor of closeness in friendship. In contrast, identification with the host culture is linked with school adjustment. Integrated adolescents, who identify simultaneously with host culture and culture of origin, do best at school according to teachers but not significantly better than assimilated students, who identify primarily with the host culture.
Making research integral to home care services
Authors: Lang Ariella , Shamian Judith , Goodwin Sharon
Published: July 2015

Home care is the fastest growing segment of the Canadian healthcare system, yet research on patient safety has been conducted predominantly in institutional settings. This is a case example of how Victorian Order of Nurses Canada, a national not-for-profit home and community care provider, embedded a nurse researcher to create an environment in which health services research flourished. This model strategically propelled important issues such as home care safety on to the national research and policy agendas and helped leverage change in multiple levels of the healthcare system. This is a call to action for building partnerships to have a researcher as an integral team member in organizations providing home care services.
Study on the design and the shaping of the pitch surface of a multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear
Authors: Lv Gang , Fan Shouwen , Zhang Xin
Published: July 2015

In order to extend the type of multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear, some curves such as an Archimedes spiral, a quadratic curve and a Pascal curve are applied to the design of the pitch surface of a multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear. With the aim of studying the design defects of a multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear which has a pitch surface with a concave cusp or a convex cusp, a novel pitch-surface-shaping method is presented to shape the concave cusp or the convex cusp of the pitch surface of a multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear. A section of the pitch surface of the cutter is used to replace the concave or convex pitch surface of the multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear by using the above shaping method. Mathematical models of the pitch surface with multi-stage space curves for a multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear are established. Numerical examples demonstrate that the shaping method is beneficial for improving the machining quality of the teeth profile as well as the transmission performance of a multi-lobed non-circular bevel gear.
What motivates use of community-based human immunodeficiency virus testing in rural South Africa?
Authors: Upadhya Devesh , Moll Anthony P , Brooks Ralph P , Friedland Gerald , Shenoi Sheela V
Published: July 2015

Despite substantial progress in implementing HIV testing, challenges remain in achieving widespread uptake particularly in rural resource-limited settings. We sought to understand motivations for HIV testing in a community-based HIV testing programme in rural South Africa. We conducted a questionnaire survey in participants undergoing voluntary HIV testing within an ongoing community-based integrated HIV/tuberculosis intensive case finding programme at congregate rural settings. Participants responded to a six-item non-mutually exclusive motivations survey which included the topics of feeling ill, recent HIV exposure, risky lifestyle, illness in a family member, and pregnancy. Among 2068 respondents completing the survey, 1393 (67.4%) were women, median age was 40 years (IQR 19–56), and 1235 (59.7%) were first-time testers. Among all testers, 142 (6.9%) were HIV-positive with median CD4 count was 346 cells/mm3 (IQR 218–542). Community-based testing for HIV is acceptable and meets the needs of community members in rural South Africa. Motivations for HIV testing at the community level are complex and differ according to gender, age, site of community testing, and HIV status. These differences can be utilised to improve the focus and yield of community-based HIV screening.
Computer Game Play Reduces Intrusive Memories of Experimental Trauma via Reconsolidation-Update Mechanisms
Authors: James Ella L. , Bonsall Michael B. , Hoppitt Laura , Tunbridge Elizabeth M. , Geddes John R. , Milton Amy L. , Holmes Emily A.
Published: July 2015

Memory of a traumatic event becomes consolidated within hours. Intrusive memories can then flash back repeatedly into the mind’s eye and cause distress. We investigated whether reconsolidation—the process during which memories become malleable when recalled—can be blocked using a cognitive task and whether such an approach can reduce these unbidden intrusions. We predicted that reconsolidation of a reactivated visual memory of experimental trauma could be disrupted by engaging in a visuospatial task that would compete for visual working memory resources. We showed that intrusive memories were virtually abolished by playing the computer game Tetris following a memory-reactivation task 24 hr after initial exposure to experimental trauma. Furthermore, both memory reactivation and playing Tetris were required to reduce subsequent intrusions (Experiment 2), consistent with reconsolidation-update mechanisms. A simple, noninvasive cognitive-task procedure administered after emotional memory has already consolidated (i.e., > 24 hours after exposure to experimental trauma) may prevent the recurrence of intrusive memories of those emotional events.
Experimental characterization of stall phenomena in a single-stage low-pressure axial compressor
Authors: Dell’Era G , Habotte N , Desset J , Brouckaert J-F , Hiernaux S
Published: July 2015

The experimental characterization of the rotating stall phenomena appearing in a single-stage high-speed low-pressure axial compressor is presented in this paper. The compressor design is representative of an advanced direct drive turbofan booster. The stage is equipped with both fast response and steady instrumentation. Fast response pressure sensors are placed in the rotor casing and in the hub at the outlet of each row. The former are employed to perform a detailed survey on the tip leakage flows, and the latter allow to determine the extension of the stall cells across the stage. A fast response aerodynamic pressure probe is located at the rotor outlet to detect the size of the stall cells. The global performances of the machine are recorded by time-averaged measurements at the inlet and at the outlet of the stage. Tests recording the stall inception and the complete stall transients are performed at different speed lines in the VKI-R4 closed loop compressor test rig. The inception mechanism is determined by the comparison between the time mean and the time-resolved data. In terms of stall inception, the compressor exhibits long length scale at lower rotational speed and an abrupt stall at higher rotational speed. The characterization of the stall cells is performed in terms of number, size, and speed by using the unsteady data acquired with the fast response instrumentation. The compressor presents a single full span stall cell in all the speed lines investigated.
Diachronous evolution of sea surface conditions in the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay since the last deglaciation
Authors: Gibb Olivia T , Steinhauer Sarah , Fréchette Bianca , de Vernal Anne , Hillaire-Marcel Claude
Published: July 2015

Assessing changes in sea surface conditions due to the effects of past freshwater outflow through Baffin Bay and Davis Strait to the Labrador Sea, hereafter referred to as the Baffin Bay corridor, is relevant in understanding the variability in Labrador Sea Water (LSW) formation. Here, regional changes in oceanographic circulation and sea surface conditions are reconstructed based on organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblages from four cores collected from deep, central sites of the Baffin Bay corridor. All cores exhibit a major shift in dinocyst assemblages since the late glacial period. This shift consists of a change from a polar–subpolar heterotrophic species assemblage tolerating cold and near permanent ice-covered conditions, to assemblages characterized by a higher diversity and the occurrence of phototrophic taxa associated with mild conditions. Sea surface reconstructions from the modern analogue technique display a shift from harsh, quasi-perennial ice cover to warmer summer sea surface temperatures and a seasonal sea ice. South of the Davis Strait sill, this regime shift occurred at ca. 11.9 cal ka BP due to the influence of North Atlantic waters. Baffin Bay, however, remained densely sea ice covered until about 7.4 cal ka BP, when these warmer waters penetrated into Baffin Bay and mixed with the West Greenland Current (WGC). This mixing was facilitated by the retreat of the Greenland and Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) margins. A major change in Labrador Sea surface conditions occurred nearly at about the same time (~7.6 cal ka BP) when the strong stratification of surface waters weakened because of the reduction in meltwater supplies from the LIS that allowed winter convection and the inception of LSW formation. All these new records demonstrate large amplitude fluctuations in sea surface conditions tightly controlled by the relative strengths and shifts of the warmer WGC and colder Baffin Island Current.
Evidence of a higher late-Holocene treeline along the Continental Divide in central Colorado
Authors: Carrara Paul E , McGeehin John P
Published: July 2015

Using a combination of 23 radiocarbon ages and annual ring counts from 18 Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine ( Pinus aristata) remnants above the local present-day limits, a period of higher treeline has been determined for two sites near the Continental Divide in central Colorado. The highest remnants were found about 30 m above live bristlecone pines of similar size. The majority of the remnants, consisting of standing snags, large logs, and smaller remains, are highly eroded, such that the innermost annual rings of all but one are missing. The radiocarbon ages obtained from the oldest wood recovered from each remnant indicate that the majority were established above the present-day limit of bristlecone pine from prior to 2700 cal. yr BP to no later than about 1200 cal. yr BP. These radiocarbon ages combined with the annual ring count from the corresponding remnant indicate that the majority of the sampled remnants grew above the present-day limit of bristlecone pine from sometime before 2700 cal. yr BP to about 800 cal. yr BP. Evidence of recent climatic warming is demonstrated at one of the sites by young bristlecone pine saplings growing next to the highest remnants; the saplings were established after AD 1965 and represent the highest advance of treeline in at least 1200 years.
Islands of change vs. islands of disaster: Managing pigs and birds in the Anthropocene of the North Atlantic
Authors: Brewington Seth , Hicks Megan , Edwald Ágústa , Einarsson Árni , Anamthawat-Jónsson Kesara , Cook Gordon , Ascough Philippa , Sayle Kerry L , Arge Símun V , Church Mike , Bond Julie , Dockrill Steve , Friðriksson Adolf , Hambrecht George , Juliusson Arni Daniel , Hreinsson Vidar , Hartman Steven , Smiarowski Konrad , Harrison Ramona , McGovern Thomas H
Published: July 2015

The offshore islands of the North Atlantic were among some of the last settled places on earth, with humans reaching the Faroes and Iceland in the late Iron Age and Viking period. While older accounts emphasizing deforestation and soil erosion have presented this story of island colonization as yet another social–ecological disaster, recent archaeological and paleoenvironmental research combined with environmental history, environmental humanities, and bioscience is providing a more complex understanding of long-term human ecodynamics in these northern islands. An ongoing interdisciplinary investigation of the management of domestic pigs and wild bird populations in Faroes and Iceland is presented as an example of sustained resource management using local and traditional knowledge to create structures for successful wild fowl management on the millennial scale.
Perceived new demands associated with socioeconomic change: A challenge to job security?
Authors: Krause Alexandra , Obschonka Martin , Silbereisen Rainer K
Published: July 2015

Our study focuses on everyday manifestations of contemporary socioeconomic change. For a sample of young- and middle-aged German employees gathered in 2008 ( N = 281), we investigate the relationship of perceived rising demands regarding (a) the labor market and (b) the workplace context with subjective job insecurity. Regression analyses reveal a positive effect of rising labor market demands on job insecurity, which is buffered by education. The effect of education on job insecurity is mediated by rising labor market demands. Rising workplace demands show no effect on job insecurity for West German employees. In contrast, East Germans who experience rising workplace demands report lower levels of job insecurity. Results are discussed with a particular focus on rising demands in employment relationships.
CrossFit: Fitness cult or reinventive institution?
Authors: Dawson Marcelle C
Published: July 2015

Branded as ‘the sport of fitness’, CrossFit is a burgeoning exercise regime that has surpassed the growth of well-known fitness franchises. In addition to its comprehensive fitness regime, it claims to offer a supportive community, which aims to ensure that people do not exercise ‘together alone’. The tight-knit – almost insular – nature of this community, as well as some of its more extreme practices, have led followers and detractors alike to characterise CrossFit as a cult. This article argues that the ‘cult’ label is too parochial and, instead, applies Susie Scott’s notion of ‘reinventive institutions’ to explain why CrossFit is so polarising. With its emphasis on voluntarism, performative regulation and mutual surveillance, the concept of the ‘reinventive institution’ offers a more useful and expansive theoretical tool that allows us to understand how power, identity construction and self-transformation operate in CrossFit.
Relationships between performers’ daily social skills, social behaviors in ensemble practice, and evaluations of ensemble performance
Authors: Kawase Satoshi
Published: July 2015

Prior studies have demonstrated that appropriate social behaviors during ensemble practice enhance performance quality. Thus, do social behaviors during ensemble practice reflect performers’ daily (i.e., non-musical) social skills? The purpose of the present study was to investigate correlations among daily social skills, social behaviors during ensemble practice, and the evaluation of ensemble music performance. A total of 68 female music majors responded to performance questionnaires created for this study and to five scales measuring daily social skills: two scales for social skills, one for the style of handling interpersonal conflict, one for nonverbal behavior, and one for leadership. To assess the causal model of the relationship among social skills, social behaviors during ensemble practice, and the evaluation of ensemble performance, this work employed structural equation modeling. With respect to the scores for social skills, styles of handling interpersonal conflicts, and leadership, the scores and social behaviors during ensemble practice revealed significant positive correlations. An analysis of the causal model suggested that a performer’s daily social skills, an integrating style of handling interpersonal conflict (namely, the win–win style), and leadership in daily communication affect the evaluation of ensemble performance via social behaviors during ensemble practice. Overall, the main findings are as follows: (1) daily social skills are correlated with behaviors during ensemble practice; (2) performers with a high evaluation of their ensemble performance might employ two types of social behaviors during performance; (3) the causal sequence in which daily social skills influence the evaluation of ensemble performance via social behaviors during ensemble practice is likely to be valid; and (4) no correlation was observed between nonverbal skills in daily communication and the evaluation of ensemble performance.