bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Results on the Convergence of Braitenberg Vehicle 3a
Authors: Rañó Iñaki
Published: February 2014

Braitenberg vehicles are well-known models of animal behavior used as steering mechanisms in mobile robotics and artificial life. Because of their simplicity, they are mainly used for teaching robotics, while the lack of a quantitative theory has limited their use for research purposes. This article contributes to our formal understanding of Braitenberg vehicle 3a by presenting the convergence properties of its trajectories under parabolic-shaped stimuli. We show previously unreported features of the motion of the vehicle: the conditional stability, the oscillatory behavior, and the existence of periodic trajectories. The mathematical model used provides a theoretical relation between the environment, the internal control mechanism of the vehicle, and some morphological parameters, a link already found in experimental works. This work provides theoretical support for experimental research using Braitenberg vehicle 3a, and paves the way for further research in biology, robotics, and artificial life.
Big Heads and Buddhist Demons: The Korean Musketry Revolution and the Northern Expeditions of 1654 and 1658
Authors: Kang Hyeok Hweon
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Boosted by superior firearms and competent riverine transportation, Cossack explorers of the Muscovite empire encountered little resistance in their eastward expansion across Siberia until they reached the Amur frontiers. The Cossacks arrived in 1643 and gained notoriety as Buddhist demons (luocha羅剎) for plundering the Mongol-Tungusic tribes of the region during the latter half of the seventeenth century. There ensued an effective military counterthrust by continental East Asians, including the Manchus, a new rising power in North China; Amurian natives such as the Daurs, Juchers, and Nanais; and Korean musketeers hailing from the Chosŏn dynasty. During the battles of 1654 and 1658, disciplined Korean musketeers known as Big Heads (taeduin大頭人) outgunned the Russians and helped repulse their incursions into the inner reaches of the Amur region. These marksmen were products of the Korean Musketry Revolution during the seventeenth century, which revamped the Chosŏn army arounden masseinfantry tactics and firearms units. These tactical changes sparked broader institutional changes within and beyond the Korean military apparatus, triggering a drastic growth in army size and challenging existing practices of commerce, conscription, census taking, and taxation. These reforms, though decelerated around the mid-eighteenth century, attest to the capabilities of seventeenth-century Chosŏn to successfully adapt to the challenges of early modern warfare, which increasingly harnessed the power of firearms and disciplined soldiers. This narrative of the Big Heads and Buddhist Demons explores new ground in understanding transcultural trends of musket-based warfare and joins Korea to the burgeoning field of global military history.
Two new species of Thraulodes Ulmer, 1920 (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae) from Southeast Brazil
Authors: SOUTO PAULA MALAQUIAS , DA-SILVA ELIDIOMAR RIBEIRO , NESSIMIAN JORGE LUIZ
Published: February 2014

Two new species of Thraulodes Ulmer, 1920 are described from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, based on male and female imagos. Thraulodes luisae sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the short and wide penes spines, turning up to apex; triangular shape of styliger plate with median projection abrupt and short with rounded apex; abdominal and legs color pattern; and presence of 2–3 weakly marked cross veins basal to bullae. Thraulodes pinga sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the wide shape of styliger plate with median projection short with wide base and truncated apex; abdominal and legs color pattern; and presence of 1 weakly marked cross vein basal to bullae.
Transition to secondary school: Expectation versus experience
Authors: Waters Stacey K , Lester Leanne , Cross Donna
Published: February 2014

Adolescence is a time of great physical, emotional and social development complicated by a key organisational change in schooling. This study investigated what young people in primary school reported being worried about with their impending move to secondary school, and how their expectations of the transition experience predicted their actual experience. A sample of 2078 students aged 12–13 years enrolled to attend 20 Perth metropolitan Catholic secondary schools was invited to complete two surveys six months apart, the first at the end of Grade 7, followed by Term 1 of Grade 8. The data indicate one half of all Grade 7 students anticipate a positive transition experience, yet almost 70% of students in Grade 8 report the transition was a positive experience for them, with boys reporting a more positive transition experience overall. Moreover, students who expected a positive transition were more than three times more likely to report an actual positive transition experience. These findings and information about what boys and girls are most looking forward to or worried about at secondary school are presented and implications for future interventions explored.
Method to the madness of Chairman Kim: The instrumental rationality of North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons
Authors: Cho Youngwon
Published: February 2014

For two decades the Korean peninsula has been mired in a perilous nuclear brinkmanship with no end in sight. The paralysis is attributable in part to the widespread perception of North Korea as a “rogue” if not “mad” state, whose security concerns are seen as irrational, paranoiac, and illegitimate. Despite its eccentricities, however, Pyongyang is fundamentally a rational actor pursuing a rational strategy to deal with rational security concerns. Profound structural changes in the international system have rendered North Korea incapable of addressing its security anxiety through either internal balancing by conventional arms buildup or external balancing by alliance formation. In this context, nuclearization offers a logical and inexpensive route for Pyongyang to restore the military balance in the Korean peninsula and ensure its own survival.
Does union membership benefit immigrant workers in ‘hard times’?
Authors: Turner Thomas , Cross Christine , O’Sullivan Michelle
Published: February 2014

Immigrants experience many obstacles in obtaining jobs with comparable pay and conditions to native workers. Arguably, unionisation could offer migrant workers the mechanism to obtain better pay and conditions. This paper examines whether migrant workers have benefited from unionisation in terms of pay, pensions and health insurance in Ireland. Based on a large-scale national survey, we find that union membership delivers a modest wage premium of a relatively similar magnitude to both nationals and immigrant workers. Unionised immigrants are twice as likely as non-unionised immigrants to earn above the median hourly earnings and have greater pension coverage. In particular, immigrants from the new accession states in the European Union, with the lowest mean hourly earnings of any immigrant group, gain the most from union membership. Nonetheless, Irish nationals enjoy greater benefits from membership than immigrant workers. Addressing this discrepancy will require a greater focus by unions on organising immigrant workers.
Development of Product Relatedness and Distance Effects in Typical Achievers and in Children With Mathematics Learning Disabilities
Authors: Rotem Avital , Henik Avishai
Published: February 2014

The current study examined the development of two effects that have been found in single-digit multiplication errors: relatedness and distance. Typically achieving (TA) second, fourth, and sixth graders and adults, and sixth and eighth graders with a mathematics learning disability (MLD) performed a verification task. Relatedness was defined by a slow and inaccurate response to false results that were related to one of the operands via a shared multiplication row (e.g., 3 × 4 = 16). Distance was defined by a slow and inaccurate response to false results that were close in magnitude to the true result (e.g., 6 × 8 = 49). The presence of these effects indicates that participants are sensitive to numerical features of products. TA children demonstrated sensitivity to relatedness and distance from second grade onward. With age their sensitivity expanded from easy problems (e.g., 2 × 3) to difficult ones (e.g., 8 × 9). Children with MLD were sensitive to relatedness on easy problems. Their sensitivity to distance differed from the pattern seen in sixth grade and was partial in eighth grade. The presence of numerical sensitivity in children with MLD calls for instructional methods that would further develop their number sense.
Syntactic Awareness and Arithmetic Word Problem Solving in Children With and Without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Peake Christian , Jiménez Juan E. , Rodríguez Cristina , Bisschop Elaine , Villarroel Rebeca
Published: February 2014

Arithmetic word problem (AWP) solving is a highly demanding task for children with learning disabilities (LD) since verbal and mathematical information have to be integrated. This study examines specifically how syntactic awareness (SA), the ability to manage the grammatical structures of language, affects AWP solving. Three groups of children in elementary education were formed: children with arithmetic learning disabilities (ALD), children with reading learning disabilities (RLD), and children with comorbid arithmetic and reading learning disabilities (ARLD). Mediation analysis confirmed that SA was a mediator variable for both groups of children with reading disabilities when solving AWPs, but not for children in the ALD group. All groups performed below the control group in the problem solving task. When SA was controlled for, semantic structure and position of the unknown set were variables that affected both groups with ALD. Specifically, children with ALD only were more affected by the place of the unknown set.
Exploring the Relationship Between Violent Behavior and Participation in Football During Adolescence
Authors: Beaver Kevin M. , Barnes J. C. , Boutwell Brian B.
Published: February 2014

The current study examined the association between playing high school football and involvement in violent behaviors in sibling pairs drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The analysis revealed that youth who played high school football self-reported more violence than those youth who did not play football. Quantitative genetic analyses revealed that 85% of the variance in football participation was the result of genetic factors and 62% of the variance in violent behavior was due to genetic factors. Additional analyses indicated that 54% of the covariance between football participation and violence was due to genetics and 46% was the result of nonshared environmental influences. However, even after controlling for genetic influences, participation in football appeared to increase violent behavior.
Effects of School Mobility on Adolescent Social Ties and Academic Adjustment
Authors: Langenkamp Amy G.
Published: February 2014

Why are transfer students at an increased risk for disengagement and dropout? Previous research suggests that the loss of school-based social relationships play a role. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) are used to analyze what predicts student transfer and what effect this has on students’ social relationships. Results are based on propensity score matching techniques and are compared with those from a more traditional approach that utilizes regression methods. Findings indicate transfer students report fewer school friends and fail more courses. In addition, transfer students report increased closeness to their teachers after changing schools. Conclusions point to the importance of gatekeepers within institutions, such as teachers, to help individuals rebuild social solidarity after mobility between institutions.
Panel Attrition
Authors: Lugtig Peter
Published: February 2014

Attrition is the process of dropout from a panel study. Earlier studies into the determinants of attrition study respondents still in the survey and those who attrited at any given wave of data collection. In many panel surveys, the process of attrition is more subtle than being either in or out of the study. Respondents often miss out on one or more waves, but might return after that. They start off responding infrequently, but more often later in the course of the study. Using current analytical models, it is difficult to incorporate such response patterns in analyses of attrition. This article shows how to study attrition in a latent class framework. This allows the separation of different groups of respondents, that each follow a different and distinct process of attrition. Classifying attriting respondents enables us to formally test substantive theories of attrition and its effects on data accuracy more effectively.
Spouse- and Service-related Antecedents of Officers’ Commitment
Authors: Bellou Victoria , Gkousgkounis George
Published: February 2014

The importance of an officer’s commitment to the armed forces has been widely recognized and investigated. Although family-related issues seem to be of the utmost importance for developing and enhancing an officer’s commitment, the evidence that is available is rather scarce. The present study seeks to add to current knowledge by incorporating responses from officers’ spouses. In particular, it examines both spouse- and service-related characteristics as antecedents of an officer’s commitment to the army setting. This is an area that has been underinvestigated to date. The sample for this study consisted of eighty-six artillery officers of the Greek Army and their spouses. Evidence revealed the lifestyle that the military demands, such as geographical mobility, periodic separations and risk of injury or death, has an impact on spouses’ satisfaction with army life and their marriage, which in turn may affect spouses’ commitment to the army. Furthermore, as might be expected, spouses’ commitment to the army and service-related characteristics of officers do predict the extent to which officers feel committed to the army.
The Dark-Side of Rule Governed Behavior
Authors: McAuliffe David , Hughes Sean , Barnes-Holmes Dermot
Published: February 2014

The current research set out to investigate whether adolescents who self-reported high or low levels of depressive symptomatology would demonstrate differential sensitivity to changing contingencies as a function of accurate/inaccurate (Experiment 1) or pliance/tracking instructions (Experiment 2). Following a screening procedure, students were divided into two groups and instructed on how to respond during a simple learning task. In Experiment 1, we observed a characteristic set of outcomes that were contingent upon the type of instructional control provided and levels of depressive symptomatology reported. Whereas accurate instructions resulted in quick and efficient learning (schedule sensitivity) regardless of depressive symptomatology, inaccurate instructions lead to problematic rule-following in the high depressive symptom group. Experiment 2 revealed that schedule insensitivity effects can be further augmented when participants who report depressive symptoms are equipped with a set of superordinate pliance instructions. In contrast, students in the tracking condition showed increasing adaptation to the changing contingencies throughout the study.
The Effects of a Community-Based, Culturally Tailored Diabetes Prevention Intervention for High-Risk Adults of Mexican Descent
Authors: Vincent Deborah , McEwen Marylyn M. , Hepworth Joseph T. , Stump Craig S.
Published: February 2014

Purpose

This article reports the results of a community-based, culturally tailored diabetes prevention program for overweight Mexican American adults on weight loss, waist circumference, diet and physical activity self-efficacy, and diet behaviors.

Methods

The intervention used content from the Diabetes Prevention Program but culturally tailored the delivery methods into a community-based program for Spanish-speaking adults of Mexican descent. The design was a randomized controlled trial (N = 58) comparing the effects of a 5-month educational intervention with an attention control group. The primary study outcome was weight loss. Secondary outcomes included change in waist circumference, body mass index, diet self-efficacy, and physical activity self-efficacy.

Results

There were significant intervention effects for weight, waist circumference, body mass index, and diet self-efficacy, with the intervention group doing better than the control group. These effects did not change over time.

Conclusions

Findings support the conclusion that a community-based, culturally tailored intervention is effective in reducing diabetes risk factors in a 5-month program.
A Chronic Grief Intervention for Dementia Family Caregivers in Long-Term Care
Authors: Paun Olimpia , Farran Carol J. , Fogg Louis , Loukissa Dimitra , Thomas Peggy E. , Hoyem Ruby
Published: February 2014

Dementia caregivers do not relinquish their role after placing family members in long-term care and they experience increased chronic grief. The Chronic Grief Management Intervention (CGMI) is a12-week group-based program that uses guided discussion to deliver knowledge of Alzheimer’s or a related dementia and teach skills in communication, conflict resolution, and chronic grief management in dementia caregivers who placed their family members in long-term care. Using a quasi-experimental design, 83 caregivers from 15 long-term care facilities received either the CGMI ( n = 34) or a comparison condition consisting of two check-in calls ( n = 49). In this pilot study, we examined the feasibility of implementing the CGMI and evaluated the effects of the intervention on caregivers’ knowledge and skill and their chronic grief and depression. The intervention was feasible and resulted in significant improvement in caregivers’ heartfelt sadness and longing at 3 months and a significant drop in their guilt at the 6-month follow-up.
Spirit at Work (SAW)
Authors: Wagner Joan I. J. , Gregory David M.
Published: February 2014

A cross-sectional mixed-method survey explored and measured relationships between spirit at work (SAW) concepts, experience, education, practice context, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment using LISREL 8.80 and 2012 survey data from a random sample of 217 surgical and 158 home care registered nurses (RNs) in western Canada. Qualitative data underwent content analysis using a priori coding categories based on established theory. Final model indices fit the observed data. SAW concepts of engaging work and mystical experience accounted for moderate to large amounts of model variance for both home care and surgical nurses, while significant positive relationships between SAW concepts, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment were also reported. Researchers concluded that SAW contributes to improved job satisfaction and organizational commitment while being sensitive to RN experiences across clinical contexts. As an holistic measure of RN workplace perceptions, SAW contributes essential information directed at creating optimal environments for both health care providers and recipients.
Is Cardiology Evaluation Necessary in Children with Electrocardiogram Abnormalities Noted on Polysomnogram?
Authors: Baldassari Cristina M. , Beydoun Hind A. , Peak Jessica , Reed John H.
Published: February 2014

Objectives

(1) To determine the prevalence of cardiac disease in children with electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities on polysomnogram (PSG). (2) To assess whether factors such as family history of heart disease and severity of sleep apnea are associated with cardiac disease.

Study Design

Case series with chart review from 2002 to 2012.

Setting

Tertiary children's hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Children between 1 and 16 years of age with ECG abnormalities on PSG who were referred to cardiology for evaluation were included. Children with a known history of cardiac disease were excluded.

Results

Sixty‐one children had ECG abnormalities on PSG and were subsequently referred to cardiology. The mean age was 6.5 years (SD, 4.5), and 64% (n = 39) of subjects were African American. The mean obstructive apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was 8.8 (SD, 13.3), and 26% of the children had severe obstructive sleep apnea (AHI >10). The most common ECG abnormality (n = 52) recorded on PSG was premature ventricular contractions. Thirty percent (n = 18) of children had marked arrhythmias noted on their PSG ECG. Most children referred to cardiology underwent echocardiogram (45/61) and 24‐hour arrhythmia monitoring (42/61). Five children (8%) had cardiac pathology, including atrial and ventricular ectopy, tuberous sclerosis, mitral regurgitation, and aortic insufficiency. Factors such as family history of heart disease (P =. 40) and severe OSA (P =. 74) were not associated with cardiac pathology.

Conclusion

Cardiac pathology in children with abnormal ECGs on PSG is common. Cardiology referral in such patients should be considered. Further research is needed to determine the appropriate cardiac workup.
Using Most-to-Least Prompting and Contingent Consequences to Teach Numeracy in Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms
Authors: Davenport Lisa A. , Johnston Susan S.
Published: February 2014

Mathematics and numeracy are valuable cognitive learning areas that need to be addressed during the early childhood years. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an intervention strategy comprised of creating opportunities, prompting, providing consequences, and prompt fading when teaching preschool children with disabilities numeracy/math skills in the context of identified classroom activities. A single subject multiple-baseline probe design within participants, replicated across three participants, was used to explore the effects of the intervention. The results of this study support the use of the strategy within inclusive preschool settings.
Design of a fully modular and backdrivable dexterous hand
Authors: Martin Javier , Grossard Mathieu
Published: February 2014

This paper presents the mechatronic design of a new anthropomorphic hand. It has been developed in the context of a multidisciplinary project which aims at understanding how humans perform the manipulation of objects in order to replicate grasping and in-hand movements with an artificial hand. This has required the development of a new hand with a high level of both anthropomorphism and dexterity. The hand must exactly replicate the kinematics of the human hand, adding up to 24 degrees of mobility and 20 degrees of freedom, which is a design challenge if a high level of dexterity must be guaranteed. Three key concepts have guided the mechanical design: modularity, backdrivability and mechanical simplicity. A modular approach simplifies the complex hand assembly and permits us to concentrate our efforts on one basic unit which will be replicated throughout the hand. Mechanical simplicity and backdrivability ensure a good natural mechanical behavior, essential for stable control of contact forces. Likewise, a better controllability will enhance the dexterity of the hand. A thorough mechanical design assures backdrivability through the whole mechanism, including actuators and transmission of movement to the joints. Experimental results confirm the validity of the design approach and will open new lines of research into robotic hands.
Pathologic Characterization of Genotypes XIV and XVII Newcastle Disease Viruses and Efficacy of Classical Vaccination on Specific Pathogen-Free Birds
Authors: Susta L. , Jones M. E. B. , Cattoli G. , Cardenas-Garcia S. , Miller P. J. , Brown C. C. , Afonso C. L.
Published: February 2014

To characterize the clinicopathologic features of recently described genotypes of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), 1 representative strain of genotype XIV and 2 of genotype XVII, all isolated from West Africa, were used to infect groups of ten 4-week-old specific pathogen-free chickens. The pathobiology of these 3 strains was compared to a South African NDV strain classified within genotype VII. All chickens infected with the 4 viruses died or were euthanized by day 4 postinfection due to the severity of clinical signs. Gross and histologic lesions in all infected chickens included extensive necrosis of lymphoid tissues (thymus, spleen, bursa of Fabricius, cecal tonsils, gut-associated lymphoid tissue), gastrointestinal necrosis and hemorrhages, and severe hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Immunohistochemical staining revealed systemic viral distribution, and the most intense staining was in the lymphoid organs. Results demonstrate that the 3 West African strains from the previously uncharacterized genotypes XIV and XVII are typical velogenic viscerotropic NDV strains with lesions similar to the South African strain. Under experimental conditions, QV4 and LaSota NDV vaccine strains successfully protected chickens from morbidity and mortality against the genotype VII and one genotype XVII NDV strain, with no significant differences in the amount of virus shed when 2 vaccine schemes were compared.
Pathologic Mechanisms Underlying the Clinical Findings in Canine Leishmaniosis due to Leishmaniainfantum/chagasi
Authors: Koutinas A. F. , Koutinas C. K.
Published: February 2014

In dogs with symptomatic or asymptomatic leishmaniosis, Leishmania infantum appears to induce a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response that in the sick dog may eventually result in tissue damage via different pathomechanisms, notably granulomatous inflammation (eg, nodular dermatitis, osteomyelitis), immune complex deposition (eg, glomerulonephritis), and/or autoantibody production (eg, polymyositis). This is a compensatory but detrimental mechanism generated mainly because of the insufficient killing capacity of macrophages against the parasite in the susceptible dog. Clinical disease is typically exemplified as exfoliative and/or ulcerative dermatitis, with or without nasodigital hyperkeratosis and onychogryphosis, glomerulonephritis, atrophic myositis of masticatory muscles, anterior uveitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, epistaxis, and/or polyarthritis, appearing alone or in various combinations. The pathogenesis of these clinical conditions has recently been highlighted, to a greater or lesser extent. The usually subclinical conditions expressed as chronic colitis, chronic hepatitis, vasculitis, myocarditis, osteomyelitis, orchiepididymitis, and meningoencephalomyelitis, though uncommon, are of pathologic importance from a differential point of view. The leading cause of death among canine leishmaniosis patients is chronic proteinuric nephritis that may progress to end-stage kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome, and/or systemic hypertension. However, even the asymptomatic proteinuria, when profuse, may be a serious problem because it predisposes to arterial thromboembolism and eventually contributes to the deterioration of the body condition.
Treatment and Control
Authors: De Smet Stefaan , Van Hecke Nele , Verté Dominique , Broekaert Eric , Ryan Denis , Vandevelde Stijn
Published: February 2014

The life of older mentally ill offenders (OMIOs) is often characterized by successive periods of detention in correctional facilities, admissions to psychiatric services, and unsuccessful attempts to live independently. Through in-depth interviews, eight personal stories from OMIOs under supervision of the commission of social defence in Ghent (Belgium) were analyzed in the phenomenological research tradition. The results of the study reveal that OMIOs had more positive and less negative experiences in prison settings when compared with other institutional care settings. Independent living, unsurprisingly, is favored the most. This may be due to the fact that the latter option fosters personal competence, feelings of being useful, personal choices, and contact with the “outside” world. Even in later lifetime, a combined approach of risk assessment with improvement of well-being remains valuable to stimulate offender rehabilitation. Therefore, more research into concepts that could be used to support OMIOs needs further consideration.
After the Anthropocene
Authors: Johnson Elizabeth , Morehouse Harlan , Dalby Simon , Lehman Jessi , Nelson Sara , Rowan Rory , Wakefield Stephanie , Yusoff Kathryn
Published: February 2014

Crutzen and Stoermer’s (2000) naming of the ‘Anthropocene’ has provoked lively debate across the physical and social sciences, but, while the term is gradually gaining acceptance as the signifier of the current geological epoch, it remains little more than a roughly defined place-holder for an era characterized by environmental and social uncertainty. The term invites deeper considerations of its meaning, significance, and consequences for thought and politics. For this Forum, we invited five scholars to reflect on how the Anthropocene poses challenges to the structures and habits of geography, politics, and their guiding concepts. The resulting essays piece together an agenda for geographic thought – and political engagement – in this emerging epoch. Collectively, they suggest that geography, as a discipline, is particularly well suited to address the conceptual challenges presented by the Anthropocene.
The question of space in Carl Schmitt
Authors: Minca Claudio , Rowan Rory
Published: February 2014

In this paper we present an analysis of the German legal and political theorist Carl Schmitt as a spatial thinker whose work contains many elements relevant to the concerns of political geography. In examining his fundamental concern with how to ground modern political order without theological foundation, we identify a conceptual matrix between space, political order and conflict that underpins his thought. Charting the development of his spatial theory across his work, we focus on two key spatial moments from immediately before and after the Second World War: first, his theory of Großraum (‘greater space’) order as a reformulation of global order after the eclipse of the state and its complicated entanglements with Nazi spatial thinking and expansionism in eastern Europe; second, his notion of nomos, developed after the war to embrace both a geo-elemental spatial ontology and an account of the rise and fall of Eurocentric global order. We conclude by noting Schmitt’s failure to move beyond an understanding of order grounded on spatial division and his increasing retreat into eschatological fantasy as global spatio-political relations became increasingly more complex in the late 20th century.
The state, institutional frameworks and the dynamics of capital in global production networks
Authors: Smith Adrian
Published: February 2014

For some time now, calls have been made for a more adequate theorization of the state and institutional frameworks in work on global production networks (GPNs) and global value chains (GVCs). However, despite claims in GPN research that institutional contexts matter, there remains an absence of theoretical frameworks on the state in GPNs. Consequently, understanding of the relations between state action and the changing geographies of production networks remains in its infancy. This paper explores a strategic-relational understanding of the state and the rearticulation of scales of state formation to understand the dynamics of global production networks in macro-regional spaces.
Organizations in the making
Authors: Pallett Helen , Chilvers Jason
Published: February 2014

This paper synthesizes recent insights from geography, science and technology studies and related disciplines concerning organizations and organizational learning at the science-policy interface. The paper argues that organizations do not exist and evolve in isolation, but are co-produced through networked connections to other spaces, bodies and practices. Furthermore, organizations should not be studied as stable entities, but are constantly in-the-making. This co-productionist perspective on organizations and organizing has implications for how geographers theorize, study and intervene in organizations at the science-policy interface with respect to encouraging learning and change and in the roles we adopt within and around such organizations.
Geographies of resilience
Authors: Weichselgartner Juergen , Kelman Ilan
Published: February 2014

In disaster science, policy and practice, the transition of resilience from a descriptive concept to a normative agenda provides challenges and opportunities. This paper argues that both are needed to increase resilience. We briefly outline the concept and several recent international resilience-building efforts to elucidate critical questions and less-discussed issues. We highlight the need to move resilience thinking forward by emphasizing structural social-political processes, acknowledging and acting on differences between ecosystems and societies, and looking beyond the quantitative streamlining of resilience into one index. Instead of imposing a technical-reductionist framework, we suggest a starting basis of integrating different knowledge types and experiences to generate scientifically reliable, context-appropriate and socially robust resilience-building activities.
Implementation of Concussion Legislation and Extent of Concussion Education for Athletes, Parents, and Coaches in Washington State
Authors: Chrisman Sara P. , Schiff Melissa A. , Chung Shana K. , Herring Stanley A. , Rivara Frederick P.
Published: February 2014

Background:

Most states in the United States have passed laws regarding concussions, but little is known regarding the implementation of these laws.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to survey high school coaches 3 years after the passage of a concussion law to evaluate the variation in concussion education and knowledge in the context of this law as well as measure the effects of sport (football vs soccer) and urban versus rural locations. The hypothesis was that concussion education and knowledge would be more extensive in football compared with soccer and in urban locations compared with rural locations.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

A mixed-methods (paper and online) survey was conducted in 2012 to 2013 on a random sample of public high school football, girls’ soccer, and boys’ soccer coaches in Washington State, stratified by urban and rural locality. The survey covered the extent of concussion education for coaches, athletes, and parents as well as coaches’ concussion knowledge and experience.

Results:

Of 496 coaches contacted, 270 responded (54.4%). Nearly all coaches answered concussion knowledge questions correctly, and nearly all coaches received education via ≥2 modalities (written, video, slide presentation, test, and in person). Athlete education was less extensive, with 34.7% exposed to ≥2 modalities and 29.5% only signing a concussion information form. Parent education was even more limited, with 16.2% exposed to ≥2 modalities and 57.9% only signing a concussion information form. Significantly more football than soccer coaches gave their athletes an in-person talk about concussions (59.1% vs 39.4%, respectively; P = .002) and provided concussion education to athletes via ≥2 modalities (44.1% vs 29.7%, respectively; P = .02). Concussion education for coaches and parents was similar between sports, and concussion education for all parties was similar in urban and rural localities.

Conclusion:

Three years after the passage of a concussion law in Washington State, high school football and soccer coaches are receiving substantial concussion education and have good concussion knowledge. Concussion education for athletes and parents is more limited. Football players receive more extensive concussion education than do soccer players.

Clinical Relevance:

Clinicians should be aware that athletes and parents may not be receiving significant concussion education.
Arthroscopic Glenoid Bone Grafting With Nonrigid Fixation for Anterior Shoulder Instability
Authors: Zhao Jinzhong , Huangfu Xiaoqiao , Yang Xingguang , Xie Guoming , Xu Caiqi
Published: February 2014

Background:

The healing rate and clinical outcomes of glenoid bone grafting with nonrigid fixation for patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability are unknown.

Hypothesis:

Glenoid bone grafting with nonrigid fixation can yield satisfactory results for patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability with regard to graft healing and the restoration of shoulder stability.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 52 patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability underwent Bankart or bony Bankart repair as well as arthroscopic glenoid bone grafting. Allogenic bicortical iliac grafts were used. Instead of firm fixation, the grafts were tethered to the glenoid by sutures from anchors placed in the glenoid surface. Follow-up occurred at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging examinations were performed immediately after surgery and at each follow-up visit to evaluate the healing of the graft and the changes in the repaired capsule-labrum structure. Functional evaluations were taken at 24 months with the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score and the Rowe Score for Shoulder Instability. For the patients who underwent surgery 2.5 years earlier, an additional review was conducted to evaluate the latest stability status of the shoulder. Failure was defined as recurrence of dislocation or instability.

Results:

The mean follow-up time was 39 months (range, 24-64 months). In all cases, the grafts healed to the glenoid at 3 or 6 months, and glenoid remodeling was complete within 12 months; in most cases, a robust bone-capsule structure formed on the anterior side of the glenoid. The glenoid defect area changed from 32.7% ± 8.7% (range, 10.7% to 53.9%) to −16.3% ± 3.3% (range, −26.7% to 5.9%), and the glenoid defect width changed from 28.3% ± 8.7% (range, 10.4% to 54.5%) to −16.9% ± 7.3% (range, −33.4% to 2.8%). Compared with the presumed normal glenoid, the final glenoid surface area increased in 94.2% of patients and final glenoid width increased in 96.2% of patients. One patient experienced redislocation and 2 experienced a sense of instability without dislocation, which resulted in a failure rate of 5.8%. Six patients exhibited slight pain. The Oxford score improved from 29.7 ± 5.6 preoperatively to 42.4 ± 3.3 at 2 years postoperatively, and the Rowe score improved from 34.7 ± 6.1 preoperatively to 91.8 ± 2.8 at 2 years postoperatively.

Conclusion:

In this study, arthroscopic glenoid bone grafting with nonrigid fixation in combination with Bankart repair resulted in 100% graft healing and the satisfactory restoration of shoulder stability.
Effect of Capsular Release in the Treatment of Shoulder Stiffness Concomitant With Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Park Jin-Young , Chung Seok Won , Hassan Zulkifli , Bang Jin-Young , Oh Kyung-Soo
Published: February 2014

Background:

In spite of the high prevalence of shoulder stiffness during rotator cuff repair, optimal management remains unclear.

Purpose:

To identify the effect of capsular release during rotator cuff repair on the outcomes of patients with both shoulder stiffness and a rotator cuff tear, based on subgroup analyses.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Forty-nine consecutive patients (mean age, 61.5 ± 8.3 years) were enrolled who underwent arthroscopic repair of a small- to large-sized full-thickness rotator cuff tear and manipulation for concomitant shoulder stiffness (passive forward flexion ≤120°, external rotation at the side ≤45°). The first 21 consecutive patients underwent manipulation alone to treat stiffness; the second 28 consecutive patients underwent capsular release with manipulation. Among the 49 patients, 25 showed severe stiffness (forward flexion ≤100°, external rotation at the side ≤30°; 11 in the first series and 14 in the second series), and 15 had diabetes mellitus (30.6%; 6 in the first series and 9 in the second series). Shoulder range of motion was measured 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively and at final follow-up visit. Simultaneously, functional outcome was evaluated by visual analog scale for pain, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Constant score, and muscle strength ratio (involved/uninvolved), and cuff integrity was assessed ultrasonographically at least 1 year postoperatively.

Results:

All range of motion measurements, functional scores, and muscle strength ratios significantly improved postoperatively regardless of the treatment method of stiffness. No outcome measure differed significantly between patients who did and did not undergo capsular release, regardless of the severity of stiffness, except for a temporary improvement in external rotation at side 3 months postoperatively in favor of those who underwent capsular release in cases with severe stiffness. Among patients with diabetes mellitus however, those who underwent capsular release showed greater improvement in forward flexion after 3 months and 1 year and in external rotation at the side for all time points (all P < .05), except for 6 weeks postoperatively; these patients also had a significantly higher final American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score ( P = .03). Of 21 patients who underwent manipulation alone and of 28 who underwent capsular release and manipulation, 2 and 1 developed retears, respectively.

Conclusion:

Both manipulation and capsular release with manipulation significantly improved range of motion and produced satisfactory functional outcomes. The outcomes did not differ between treatment methods for stiffness regardless of the severity of stiffness. In patients with diabetes mellitus however, capsular release at the time of rotator cuff repair seems to be beneficial, especially for external rotation and final postoperative function.
Nano silver conductive composite material for electromagnetic compatibility
Authors: Perumalraj Rathinam , Narayanan K Sankara
Published: February 2014

In this research work, copper wires with 0.0564 mm, 0.0502 mm, and 0.0447 mm diameters were selected as a conductive filler of core material for producing various resultant count of copper core yarn with cotton fibers and polyester fibers as sheath material. The copper core yarns with a resultant count of 118 Tex, 98 Tex, and 84 Tex were produced by G5/1 ring spinning machine with the core attachment device. From the produced copper core yarn different types of fabrics were produced by using a weaving machine. In order to improve the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of copper core yarn woven fabrics, nano silver finishing was given. The copper core fabrics were treated by nano silver particles with various levels of nano silver concentration, ethanol, time, and copper wire diameter using Taguchi design experiments. The morphology structure, bonding nature, and size of silver nanoparticle treated copper core cotton and polyester fabrics were studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy analyzer and X-ray diffraction. The effect of antibacterial properties of silver nano treated copper core cotton and polyester fabrics were also analyzed. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic studies have confirmed the crystalline structure of silver nanoparticle over surface of copper core cotton and polyester fabrics. Scanning electron microscopic and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic studies revealed that the silver nanoparticles were formed and dispersed with spherical shape of about 30 to 50 nm. On increasing the nano silver concentration an increase in nano silver deposition and electromagnetic shielding has been observed in 500–12,000 MHz frequency range. The electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of nano silver finished fabrics were improved by 20–55% to that of the untreated copper core yarn fabrics.
The effect of temperature on creep behavior of wood-plastic composites
Authors: Chang Feng-Cheng , Lam Frank , Kadla John F
Published: February 2014

The creep properties of wood-plastic composites limit their application, particularly in temperature variations affecting long-term performance. In this study, the effect of temperature was studied based on dynamic mechanical analysis spectra and isochrones and a newly developed stress-temperature incorporated creep equation. According to the dynamic mechanical analysis spectra, the addition of a higher content of wood flour resulted in higher moduli, indicating increased stiffness and lower mechanical loss factor. According to the isochrones, the creep strain of wood-plastic composites increased with elevated temperatures and stresses at the same time point. Moreover, the strain increased almost linearly with increasing stress at lower temperatures but became nonlinear with elevated temperature. With these findings, a stress-temperature incorporated creep equation was developed based on short-term creep tests. This empirical equation incorporates the effect of temperature in a power law equation. Good agreement was observed between the equation and experimental results.
The Science Behind Curriculum Development and Evaluation
Authors: Doabler Christian T. , Clarke Ben , Fien Hank , Baker Scott K. , Kosty Derek B. , Cary Mari Strand
Published: February 2014

The production of an effective mathematics curriculum begins with a scientific development, evaluation, and revision framework. The purpose of this study was to conduct an initial investigation of a recently developed Tier 2 mathematics curriculum designed to improve the outcomes of first grade students at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD). The curriculum, which is anchored to a scientific design framework and a well-specified theory of change, centers on the careful integration of foundational concepts of whole number and validated-design principles of explicit and systematic instruction. Four instructional groups, with each consisting of five first grade students with MD and one interventionist, participated in the study. Data related to the feasibility, usability, and promise of the curriculum to improve student mathematics achievement were collected using multiple methods. Results provide preliminary evidence in terms of these curriculum development and evaluation areas. Implications for instruction and design research are discussed.
A study on the fire resistance performance and thermal degradation behavior of a new intumescent flame retardant fluoroelastomer
Authors: Ding Shuai , Feng Jie , Hao Jianwei , Liao Qiuheng
Published: February 2014

In order to improve the fire resistance of a fluoroelastomer when used as an insulating material, a combination of a triazine-based polymeric charring-foaming agent and ammonium polyphosphate as a novel intumescent flame retardant system was employed. The additional effect of zinc borate and modifying resins (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, epoxy resin and ketone-aldehyde resin) on its fire resistance and thermal decomposition behavior was studied. Upon exposure to a 1000°C flame, the use of zinc borate and ketone-aldehyde resin reduced the backside temperature of intumescent fluoroelastomer-coated steel specimens, indicating a beneficial effect. Thermogravimetric, muffle furnace pyrolysis, scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope results revealed that the ketone-aldehyde resin adjusted the thermal decomposition temperature of the fluoroelastomer to match with that of the intumescent flame retardant-zinc borate system; in this way, the char residue formed was not only increased in quantity but also showed improved integrity and thermal stability.