bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous fatal Human herpesvirus 1 encephalitis in two domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Authors: de Matos Ricardo , Russell Duncan , Van Alstine William , Miller Andrew
Published: August 2014

Despite the particular susceptibility of the rabbit to experimental infection with Human herpesvirus 1 (HHV-1) and the high seroprevalence of HHV-1 in human beings, reports of natural infection in pet rabbits are rare. The current report describes 2 cases of HHV encephalitis in pet rabbits in North America. Antemortem clinical signs included seizures, ptyalism, and muscle tremors. Results of complete blood cell count and plasma biochemistry panel were unremarkable except for a mild leukocytosis in both cases. Both rabbits died after a short period of hospitalization. Rabbit 1 presented mild optic chiasm hemorrhage on gross examination, while rabbit 2 had no gross lesions. Histologic findings for both cases included lymphocytic and/or lymphoplasmacytic encephalitis with necrosis and the presence of intranuclear inclusion bodies in neurons and glial cells. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of affected brain tissue using primers specific for Human herpesvirus 1 and 2 confirmed diagnosis of HHV encephalitis for rabbit 1. Immunohistochemical staining (poly- and monoclonal) and PCR analysis using primers specific to HHV-1 confirmed the diagnosis of HHV-1 encephalitis for rabbit 2. The owner of rabbit 2 was suspected to be the source of infection due to close contact during an episode of herpes labialis. Given the high susceptibility of rabbits to experimental HHV-1, high seroprevalence of HHV-1 in human beings, and severity of clinical disease in this species, clinician awareness and client education is important for disease prevention. Human herpesvirus 1 encephalitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for rabbits with neurologic disease.
Campylobacter jejuni as a cause of canine abortions in the United States
Authors: Sahin Orhan , Burrough Eric R. , Pavlovic Nada , Frana Tim S. , Madson Darin M. , Zhang Qijing
Published: August 2014

Although Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of ruminant abortion with great economic impact, the organism has rarely been implicated in canine pregnancy loss, with only 2 documented cases to date. In the current report, 2 cases of perinatal death in adult female Bulldogs associated with C. jejuni infection of fetoplacental organs are described. Fetuses and placentas were received at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (Ames, Iowa) from 3 puppies that died soon after the birth (case 1) and from an aborted fetus (case 2). Microscopic examination of tissues was generally unremarkable; however, multifocal hemorrhage and infiltrates of macrophages and neutrophils were observed in placental sections from the first case (case 1), and low to moderate numbers of degenerate neutrophils were apparent within multifocal alveoli in the fetal lung in the second case (case 2). Ancillary diagnostics for common infectious causes of reproductive failure in dogs were negative. However, C. jejuni was isolated from the submitted placentas in high numbers in both cases as well as from the fetal lungs and livers. Genotyping of the abortion isolates indicated that the isolates were distinct from each other as well as from selected canine enteric C. jejuni isolates included herein for comparison. Both abortion strains were sensitive to all 9 antimicrobials tested, except the isolate from case 2, which displayed resistance to tetracycline. These findings provide convincing evidence for the inclusion of C. jejuni culture in routine diagnostic testing for causes of canine pregnancy loss.
“Here for the Residents”
Authors: Tayab Aysha , Narushima Miya
Published: August 2014

Purpose: This study explores the perception of cultural competence of personal support workers (PSWs) in a long-term care (LTC) home in Ontario. As Canada’s demography becomes older and more diverse, LTC homes will increasingly accommodate residents from various cultural backgrounds. However, few studies have examined cultural competence among PSWs in the LTC home setting. Design: The study employed a qualitative case study approach. Data collection and analysis were conducted in three phases: document analysis of organizational policies, a key informant interview with the Director of Care, and two focus groups with PSWs. Results: Our findings illuminated the PSWs’ broad definition of culture, the process of developing cultural competence and its strong connections to person-centered care, and the organizational factors that facilitate or hinder PSWs’ cultural competence. Implications: The ambiguous perception of cultural competence reported by PSWs suggests the need for more education and further research on this topic.
Impermanence and Sense of Coherence
Authors: Wijesinghe Sunny , Parshall Mark B.
Published: August 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of traditional Buddhist spiritual beliefs and practices on coping with chronic illness. Design: The study was a descriptive ethnography. Participant observation and semistructured interviews were used with 45 Sri Lankan Buddhist nuns with a chronic illness and 20 secondary informants. Cultural domains and taxonomies were explored to uncover themes pertaining to traditional Buddhist spirituality and experiences of chronic illness. Findings: A repeating cultural theme, responsibility, was identified. Responsibility took four forms: to the Buddha, to the social circle, to self-liberation through meditation, and to finding security in old age. Nuns shaped spiritual practices (some with folk origins) to fulfill these responsibilities. Coping ranged from health-seeking to resigned acceptance. Conclusions: Responsibilities and coping were situated in a context of Buddhist spiritual beliefs about impermanence. Findings were congruent with Antonovsky’s model of salutogenesis, in particular, the construct of sense of coherence.
The Use of E-Mail to Deliver Performance-Based Feedback to Early Childhood Practitioners
Authors: Barton Erin E. , Pribble Lois , Chen Ching-I
Published: August 2014

Three studies are described that examined the relation between performance-based (PB) feedback delivered via e-mail and preschool teachers’ use of recommended practices. The authors conducted the first two studies in the same classroom with different classroom staff. The third study was conducted with three different teachers employed in three separate classrooms. In Study I, the teachers demonstrated initial increases in use of targeted practices; however, the increases did not maintain over time. In Study II, the teachers demonstrated initial increases with some variability across behaviors. In Study III, a functional relation was established for three teachers across three self-selected behaviors, which generalized and maintained. The discussion includes implications for future PD research and practice, and provides recommendations for designing effective PB feedback systems.
Participation in Organized Activities and Conduct Problems in Elementary School
Authors: Denault Anne-Sophie , Déry Michèle
Published: August 2014

The goal of this study was to test a mediation model in which social skills mediate the relationship between participation in organized activities and conduct problems among elementary school children. Two moderators of these associations were also examined, namely, gender and reception of special education services. A total of 563 children (45% girls; Mage = 8.44) were surveyed. The findings revealed that, after controlling for important covariates, more frequent activity participation predicted better social skills, which, in turn, predicted fewer subsequent conduct problems among children. These associations were not moderated by gender or reception of special education services. These findings suggest that organized activities may provide a positive developmental context for children with conduct problems.
The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
Authors: Gomez Rapson , McLaren Suzanne
Published: August 2014

Objectives: For the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) ratings, the study examined support for a bifactor model, and also the internal consistency reliability and external validity of the factors in this model. Method: Participants ( N = 1,178) were older adults from the general community who completed the CES-D. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis of their ratings indicated support for the bifactor model. For this model, the general factor explained most of the covariance in the scores of the CES-D items for Depressed Affect, Somatic Symptoms and Retarded Activity, and Interpersonal Difficulties items. Most of the covariance in the scores of the Positive Affect (PA) scale was explained by its own specific factor. Additional analyses showed support for internal consistencies and external validities of general factors based on all the CES-D items, and when PA items were excluded, and also the PA-specific factor. Discussion: The findings support the use of a total CES-D score without the PA items and also the concurrent use of the PA scale score.
The Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits
Authors: Witthöft Michael , Weck Florian , Gropalis Maria
Published: August 2014

Severe health anxiety constitutes a disabling and costly clinical condition. The Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits (MIHT) represents an innovative instrument that was developed according to cognitive-behavioral, cognitive-perceptual, interpersonal, and trait models of hypochondriasis. We aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the MIHT in a sample of patients with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) diagnosis of hypochondriasis. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the postulated four-factor structure of the MIHT was found in a first CFA in patients with hypochondriasis ( n = 178) and in a second CFA based on a mixed sample, with other somatoform disorders ( n = 27), panic disorder ( n = 25), and healthy controls ( n = 31) added to the original group of patients with hypochondriasis ( n = 178). In terms of specificity, patients with hypochondriasis showed larger scores on all four MIHT subscales (i.e., affective, cognitive, behavioral, and perceptual) compared to all other groups. Analyses of convergent and discriminant validity revealed promising results concerning the MIHT affective and perceptual scales but also point to certain problematic issues concerning the MIHT cognitive and behavioral scales. The findings suggest that the proposed structure of the MIHT is valid also in patients with hypochondriasis and demonstrate the specificity of the four hypochondriacal traits assessed in the MIHT.
On the use of differential quadrature method in the study of free axisymmetric vibrations of circular sandwich plates of linearly varying thickness
Authors: Lal Roshan , Rani Rashmi
Published: August 2014

The present work deals with the free axisymmetric vibrations of circular sandwich plates with core of linearly varying thickness. The face sheets are treated as membranes of equal thickness and the core is assumed to be solid as well as moderately thick. The plate is assumed to be symmetric about the middle surface. Due to linear thickness variation in the core, the face sheets take the shape of conical shell and because of this the face sheet membrane forces contribute to the bending and transverse shear of the core of sandwich plate. The effect of transverse shear and rotatory inertia has been retained in the core. The equations of motion for such a plate have been derived by Hamilton’s energy principle. The frequency equations for three different boundary conditions have been obtained by employing differential quadrature method. The effect of various plate parameters such as taper parameter, thickness of the core at the center, face thickness on the natural frequencies has been studied. Comparison of results has been made.
Auditory and Visual Attention Performance in Children With ADHD: The Attentional Deficiency of ADHD Is Modality Specific
Authors: Lin Hung-Yu , Hsieh Hsieh-Chun , Lee Posen , Hong Fu-Yuan , Chang Wen-Dien , Liu Kuo-Cheng
Published: August 2014

Objective: This study explored auditory and visual attention in children with ADHD. Method: In a randomized, two-period crossover design, 50 children with ADHD and 50 age- and sex-matched typically developing peers were measured with the Test of Various Attention (TOVA). Results: The deficiency of visual attention is more serious than that of auditory attention in children with ADHD. On the auditory modality, only the deficit of attentional inconsistency is sufficient to explain most cases of ADHD; however, most of the children with ADHD suffered from deficits of sustained attention, response inhibition, and attentional inconsistency on the visual modality. Our results also showed that the deficit of attentional inconsistency is the most important indicator in diagnosing and intervening in ADHD when both auditory and visual modalities are considered. Conclusion: The findings provide strong evidence that the deficits of auditory attention are different from those of visual attention in children with ADHD.
Symptom Profile of ADHD in Youth With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative Study in Psychiatrically Referred Populations
Authors: Joshi Gagan , Faraone Stephen V. , Wozniak Janet , Tarko Laura , Fried Ronna , Galdo Maribel , Furtak Stephannie L. , Biederman Joseph
Published: August 2014

Objective: To compare the clinical presentation of ADHD between youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD and a sample of youth with ADHD only. Method: A psychiatrically referred sample of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) youth with ADHD attending a specialized ambulatory program for ASD ( n = 107) and a sample of youth with ADHD attending a general child psychiatry ambulatory clinic ( n = 74) were compared. Results: Seventy-six percent of youth with ASD met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria for ADHD. The clinical presentation of ADHD in youth with ASD was predominantly similar to its typical presentation including age at onset (3.5 ± 1.7 vs. 4.0 ± 1.9; p = .12), distribution of diagnostic subtypes, the qualitative and quantitative symptom profile, and symptom severity. Combined subtype was the most frequent presentation of ADHD in ASD youth. Conclusion: Despite the robust presentation of ADHD, a significant majority of ASD youth with ADHD failed to receive appropriate ADHD treatment (41% vs. 24%; p = .02). A high rate of comorbidity with ADHD was observed in psychiatrically referred youth with ASD, with a clinical presentation typical of the disorder.
Tracking Distraction
Authors: Franklin Michael S. , Mrazek Michael D. , Anderson Craig L. , Johnston Charlotte , Smallwood Jonathan , Kingstone Alan , Schooler Jonathan W.
Published: August 2014

Objective: Although earlier work has shown a link between mind-wandering and ADHD symptoms, this relationship has not been further investigated by taking into account recent advances in mind-wandering research. Method: The present study provides a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between mind-wandering and ADHD symptomatology in an adult community sample ( N = 105, 71 females, M age = 23.1) using laboratory measures and experience sampling during daily life. Results: Mind-wandering and detrimental mind-wandering were positively associated with ADHD symptoms. Meta-awareness of mind-wandering mediated the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and detrimental mind-wandering, suggesting that some of the negative consequences can be ameliorated by strategies that facilitate meta-awareness. Interestingly, participants with low ADHD scores showed a positive relationship between detrimental mind-wandering and useful mind-wandering; however, participants with high ADHD scores failed to engage in this type of “strategic” mind-wandering. Conclusion: These results provide new insights into the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and mind-wandering that could have important clinical implications.
Sensation Seeking and Cocaine Dependence in Adults With Reported Childhood ADHD
Authors: Ballon Nicolas , Brunault Paul , Cortese Samuele
Published: August 2014

Objective: To compare measures of sensation seeking in a clinical group of cocaine-dependent (CD) patients with and without a history of probable childhood ADHD and in non-cocaine-dependent (NCD) healthy volunteers. Method: Patients ( n = 75; 42 with and 33 without probable childhood ADHD) and comparisons ( n = 84) were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies, the Wender Utah Rating Scale for childhood ADHD, and the Zuckerman Seeking Sensation Scale. Results: We found significantly higher prevalence rates of probable childhood ADHD in CD versus NCD ( p < .001). The mean total scores of sensation seeking were significantly higher in CD versus NCD participants ( p < .001) as well as in CD patients with versus those without a probable history of childhood ADHD ( p < .001). Conclusion: Our study sets the basis for longitudinal investigation assessing whether the persistence of high level of sensation seeking in adults with childhood ADHD contributes to the transition to cocaine dependence.
Seventy-Five Years of Transportation Administration Becoming Public Administration
Authors: Miller Chad R. , Lambert Bruce
Published: August 2014

Public sector investment in transportation accounts for about 4% of all governmental spending but may represent the public investment most frequently accessed by citizens. This means that transportation administration faces public administration (PA) type challenges, and a number of these are discussed in this special issue of Public Works Management & Policy. Transportation administration is a subfield of PA, but it has enjoyed its own distinct history and evolution, partially due to the dependence upon engineers to carry out this mission. This commentary argues that the field has evolved from a coterie of apolitical technicians to more closely mirror the practice and values of the general body of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Recent changes in spending on transportation infrastructure and a shift to a more integrated operational focus have moved transportation to be more in alignment with PA.
The origin of the see-through graphical interface
Authors: Kim John
Published: August 2014

This article defines a new category of media technologies, the see-through graphical interface, which are interface devices that project graphical information into a user’s field of view. This category includes technologies as diverse as head-up displays, augmented reality, military gunsights, and others. This article identifies and discusses the first see-through graphical interface, the British Mark II gyro gunsight, a computing gunsight used in the cockpits of fighter aircraft during the latter half of World War II. On the basis of an analysis of the design and history of this gunsight, this article considers the implications of see-through graphical interfaces for prevailing ideas on virtuality, materiality, human–computer interaction, and media history.
A mobile-phone immunization record in Ontario: uptake and opportunities for improving public health
Authors: Wilson Kumanan , Atkinson Katherine , Pluscauskas Michael , Bell Cameron
Published: August 2014

A free iPhone app was designed to help parents in Ontario track their children’s vaccination records. It was launched in the iTunes app store on 20 November 2012. There were 4867 downloads in the following 12 months. We observed that downloads of the app were correlated with media coverage. Usage of the app was measured by app opens and the time spent in the app per open: on average there were 53 opens per day and 126 seconds spent per open. Users expressed concerns about the privacy of health information and accessibility by people of lower socioeconomic status, who were less likely to be smartphone owners. A national version of the app is now being developed for multiple mobile phone types. There is potential to develop additional features such as mobile adverse event reporting, vaccine vial barcode scanning and integration with immunization registries. Immunization is an area in which a mobile solution is very useful.
The development of individual learners in an L2 listening strategies course
Authors: Yeldham Michael , Gruba Paul
Published: August 2014

This study examined the idiosyncratic development of second language (L2) learners in a listening strategies course. The progress of four Taiwanese EFL learners was examined longitudinally through a variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques as the learners participated in a course combining direct instruction of strategies with their practice embedded in the class listening texts. The results showed how all learners developed a greater balance in their use of top-down and bottom-up strategies, chiefly by selectively integrating suitable strategies from the course into their listening repertoires. They also developed in a number of person-related and task-related areas, including their confidence, motivation and feeling of control over the listening process.
Securing the home: Gender, CCTV and the hybridized space of apartment buildings
Authors: Wright Jordana , Glasbeek Amanda , van der Meulen Emily
Published: August 2014

This article explores gendered narratives of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in apartment buildings. Drawing on primary data from a study with a diversity of women in Toronto, Canada, the authors foreground women’s experiences with apartment living and situate it as a profoundly feminized domestic arrangement. Consideration of the workings of CCTV in apartment buildings troubles both security and surveillance studies, especially in the context of the dominant legal and ideological configuration of ‘the home’. The apartment is at once ‘the home’ and neighbourhood; it is simultaneously a private space that must be secured from external threats and a public space that inhabitants have little power to secure.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Western adoption of Buddhist tenets?
Authors: Fung Kenneth
Published: August 2014

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological intervention that has wide clinical applications with emerging empirical support. It is based on Functional Contextualism and is derived as a clinical application of the Relational Frame Theory, a behavioral account of the development of human thought and cognition. The six core ACT therapeutic processes include: Acceptance, Defusion, Present Moment, Self-as-Context, Values, and Committed Action. In addition to its explicit use of the concept of mindfulness, the therapeutic techniques of ACT implicitly incorporate other aspects of Buddhism. This article describes the basic principles and processes of ACT, explores the similarities and differences between ACT processes and some of the common tenets in Buddhism such as the Four Noble Truths and No-Self, and reports on the experience of running a pilot intervention ACT group for the Cambodian community in Toronto in partnership with the community’s Buddhist Holy Monk. Based on this preliminary exploration in theory and the reflections of the group experience, ACT appears to be consistent with some of the core tenets of Buddhism in the approach towards alleviating suffering, with notable differences in scope reflecting their different aims and objectives. Further development of integrative therapies that can incorporate psychological and spiritual as well as diverse cultural perspectives may help the continued advancement and evolution of more effective psychotherapies that can benefit diverse populations.
The other-publics: Mediated othering and the public sphere in the Dreyfus Affair
Authors: Hong Sun-ha
Published: August 2014

This article analyses mediated invocations of ‘the people’ or ‘the public’ in the Dreyfus Affair, and orients this historical analysis towards contemporary debates on public spheres and digital media. If the ideal Habermasian public sphere never historically existed, how did the ‘imperfect’ public spheres of the past nevertheless contribute to democratic political participation? The late 19th century is a particularly salient point of comparison, being a time of transition from one set of media technologies and notions of publics to another. Focusing on newspapers, posters and other print-based communicative practices, I identify two general and consistent modes by which the ‘other-public’ is produced: (1) the ‘other’ audience as the target of persuasion, influence and commentary, and (2) the speaker as a distinct ‘other’ from the crowd. This othering was not a pathological barrier to ‘full participation’, but a constitutive part of publicity in an age of nascent mass media.
Out of the frame: A longitudinal perspective on digitization and professional photojournalism
Authors: Klein-Avraham Inbal , Reich Zvi
Published: August 2014

Contrary to the scholarly literature frequently associating digitization with external threats to professional photojournalists, this study focuses on internal factors: the new routines and practices of digital photojournalism, embedding them in the broader context of growing threats to cultural industries and labor markets. Using a longitudinal perspective, and based on in-depth interviews with 15 Israeli photojournalists with experience of both the chemical and digital eras, we suggest that digitization has had much wider ripples than just accelerating the speed and efficiency in which news photos are taken, transmitted, selected, manipulated, stored, and retrieved. Although not “causing” the crisis in the employment and work conditions of professional photojournalists, the implementation of digitization created a negative synergy between their old and new weaknesses. Further new routines may help restore the supremacy of professional photographers if they succeed in emphasizing their reskilling and upskilling enabled by new technology.
Integrating lane-keeping system with direct yaw moment control tasks in a novel driver assistance system
Authors: Goodarzi Avesta , Ghajar Mostafa
Published: August 2014

In this paper, a novel lane-keeping system is introduced controlling lateral and angular position of the vehicle in the lane while preventing it from instability in critical situations. When the vehicle deviates from its ideal path because of driver drowsiness or external causes such as cross wind, the system controls the steering and brake systems as actuators and directs the vehicle to the ideal path. Optimal control theory has been used in controller design stage. Furthermore, since the driver has not a monotonic behaviour, a method for adapting the controller with variations of driver parameters has been proposed. Simulation results show the superiority of the performance of this system in comparison with usual systems.
Microstructural evolutions and mechanical properties of friction stir welded AA2024-3
Authors: Ghorbanzade Taghi , Soltanipour AbdolReza , Dehghani Kamran , Chabok Ali
Published: August 2014

In the present work, the effect of rotating speed on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of AA2024-T3 subjected to friction stir welding (FSW) were studied. Four rotational speeds (400, 500, 630 and 800 rpm) at a constant traverse speed (32 mm/min) were employed. The results show that the generated temperature gradient across the nugget zone resulted in microstructural changes in terms of size and distribution of precipitates. Besides, increasing in rotation speed from 400 rpm to 800 rpm caused about 10% increase in both tensile and yield strength. According to the results of bending tests, an increase in the rotation speed led to a decrease in the bending angle of FSWed specimens. The W-shaped hardness profile was observed for all rotation speeds. However, the hardness profile obtained for 400, 500 and 630 rpm exhibited a lower hardness in base material compared to that of nugget zone.
Effect of pressure oscillations on in-cylinder heat transfer – through large eddy simulation
Authors: Winkler Niklas
Published: August 2014

As fuel consumption is a key issue for next-generation internal combustion engines, the heat release rate is increased and the duration shortened towards partially premixed combustion and in extreme cases towards homogeneous charge compression ignition to increase thermal efficiency. However, a steep rise in the heat release rate may trigger pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber, which have shown to increase the heat transfer, lowering efficiency and increasing fuel consumption. The aim of this research is to find the physical mechanisms that cause the increased in-cylinder heat transfer in the presence of pressure oscillations. According to the author’s knowledge, the physical mechanisms responsible for the increased heat transfer have yet not been well understood for this application. Several of the hypotheses for this work are therefore based on the research performed for pulsating turbulent pipe flow. A numerical study has been performed using the large eddy simulation approach, where the pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber have been triggered by an artificially imposed heat source. The results show an increase in heat transfer in relation to pressure amplitude, in accordance with previous experimental studies. The mechanism found is a rapid transport of high-temperature fluid from the heat source towards the wall due to large-scale velocity fluctuations emerged from the pressure oscillations resulting in increased heat transfer.
A review of the literature of selective catalytic reduction catalysts integrated into diesel particulate filters
Authors: Song Xiaobo , Johnson John H , Naber Jeffrey D
Published: August 2014

Combining the functions of selective catalytic reduction with the diesel particulate filter provides the opportunity in light- to heavy-duty applications for design and packaging flexibility, improved thermal management and reduction of the aftertreatment system volume, mass and cost. This integration can be achieved by washcoating the selective catalytic reduction catalyst on and/or in the diesel particulate filter substrate wall. With packaging flexibility and closer placement of the selective catalytic reduction system to the engine, the aftertreatment system can achieve faster light-off and can operate at higher temperatures. Despite these advantages, there are many challenges associated with the integrated selective catalytic reduction-in-diesel particulate filter technology. This review provides a comparative analysis of the advantages and limitations of the selective catalytic reduction-in-diesel particulate filter technology based on the published literature to date. It summarizes the significant accomplishments for selective catalytic reduction-in-diesel particulate filter technology research and development, including optimization and performance characterization studies based on experimental and modeling effort and the needs for future research and development.
Benjamin’s communist idea: Aestheticized politics, technology, and the rehearsal of revolution
Authors: Simons Jon
Published: August 2014

Recent interest in communism as an idea prompts reconsideration of Walter Benjamin’s conception of a “communist” aesthetic politics. In spite of Benjamin’s categorical condemnation of aestheticized politics, his “artwork essay” is better read as both explicit condemnation of a particular (regressive fascist) type of aestheticized politics and implicit commendation of another (progressive communist) type. Under the modern conditions of the technological reproducibility of art, and mass politics, the character of and relationship between the cultural value spheres of politics and aesthetics also changes. Benjamin analyzes dialectically the actuality of the fascist response to modern mass arts and politics in which technology and society are misaligned, and the potentiality of a communist response that would bring about a collective interplay of humanity and technology.
Doubt and commitment: Justice and skepticism in Judith Shklar's thought
Authors: Misra Shefali
Published: August 2014

Commentary on Judith Shklar's skepticism has ranged from the claim that it was not the central characteristic of her thought to the argument that it seriously hobbled her thinking about justice. In fact Shklar's uniqueness as a thinker resides precisely in the fact that she combined a sweeping skepticism with a strong commitment to liberal justice. Skepticism interacted with her liberal moral commitments to inspire her account of injustice, without which her views about justice are impossible to grasp. Shklar's skepticism produced her laser-like focus on sources of injustice and oppression for the individual, whom she perceived to be potentially threatened no less by tribe, nation, family, or a democratic citizens' community than by the state itself. It produced not only her highly original insights into the inadequacy of all existing models of justice, but also her subtle yet concerted effort to render democracy safe for liberalism in political theory while at the same make liberalism more egalitarian.
Beyond belief: Strategic taboos and organizational identity in strategic agenda setting
Authors: Hoon Christina , Jacobs Claus D
Published: August 2014

A comprehensive strategic agenda matters for fundamental strategic change. Our study seeks to explore and theorize how organizational identity beliefs influence the judgment of strategic actors when setting an organization’s strategic agenda. We offer the notion of “strategic taboo” as those strategic options initially disqualified and deemed inconsistent with the organizational identity beliefs of strategic actors. Our study is concerned with how strategic actors confront strategic taboos in the process of setting an organization’s strategic agenda. Based on a revelatory inductive case study, we find that strategic actors engage in assessing the concordance of the strategic taboos with organizational identity beliefs and, more specifically, that they focus on key identity elements (philosophy; priorities; practices) when doing so. We develop a typology of three reinterpretation practices that are each concerned with a key identity element. While contextualizing assesses the potential concordance of a strategic taboo with an organization’s overall philosophy and purpose, instrumentalizing assesses such concordance with respect to what actors deem an organization’s priorities to be. Finally, normalizing explores concordance with respect to compatibility and fit with the organization’s practices. We suggest that assessing concordance of a strategic taboo with identity elements consists in reinterpreting collective identity beliefs in ways that make them consistent with what organizational actors deem the right course of action. This article discusses the implications for theory and research on strategic agenda setting, strategic change, a practice-based perspective on strategy, and on organizational identity.
Towards contemporary play: Sociocultural theory and the digital-consumerist context
Authors: Edwards Susan
Published: August 2014

This article introduces the notion of ‘contemporary’ play in relation to existing ideas about children’s play, learning and development from a sociocultural perspective. The need to think about the nature of contemporary play is considered in response to arguments suggesting that the quality of children’s play has declined in line with their increased access to digital technologies, digital media and consumer-based products. In this article, the notion of the digital-consumerist context is explored as a way of thinking about how the increased availability of these technologies, media and products has evolved and converged to create a particular site for development which connects with existing understandings about play as a leading activity and the role of mature play in children’s development. Rather than positioning technologies, media and products as causes of deficiencies in children’s play, it is suggested instead that the digital-consumerist context promotes a form of direct cultural participation for young children (0–8 years of age) with the potential for realising multiple ways of participating in a continuum of digital to non-digital experiences. These experiences are framed as a form of cultural connection that aligns with existing sociocultural accounts of play as a process of cultural interpretation. This raises questions regarding the role of contemporary play in the digital-consumerist context, particularly in terms of the relationship between play and development in the early years.
Educators’ understandings of, and support for, infant peer relationships in early childhood settings
Authors: Davis Belinda , Degotardi Sheila
Published: August 2014

This research adopted a qualitative methodology to investigate the reported beliefs and pedagogical practices relating to infant peer relationships held by three early childhood infant educators. Thematic analysis was used to derive commonalties and differences that reflected these educators’ views and practices about children’s early peer relationships. Results indicate in-depth understandings about children’s capacities that did not, however, appear to be translated into their reported practice. This research has implications for planning and programming experiences designed for social interactions, along with the significant role of the early childhood educator in recognising and fostering young children’s early peer relationships.
Conforming to reform: Teaching pre-kindergarten in a neoliberal early education system
Authors: Brown Christopher P
Published: August 2014

Policymakers’ neoliberal education reforms have altered the landscape of publicly funded early education in the United States and across the globe. Practically speaking, these reforms expect early childhood teachers to prepare their students for success in elementary school and later life by providing them with a specific set of knowledge and skills. This creates a new set of challenges for early educators who strive to prepare their culturally and linguistically diverse students for school in a manner that addresses their individual, cultural, and sociopolitical needs. The study discussed in this article set out to examine how teachers who were identified as meeting their students’ various needs prepared them for success in elementary school. In doing so, it became apparent that these teachers struggled to define their practices as well as the construct of effective teaching in ways that went beyond policymakers’ neoliberal conception of the early education process. This article examines this tension and considers what is possible for teachers and the field of publicly funded early education in these highly structured neoliberal systems of governance.
The development of early numeracy skills in kindergarten in low-, average- and high-performance groups
Authors: Aunio Pirjo , Heiskari Pekka , Van Luit Johannes EH , Vuorio Jari-Matti
Published: August 2014

In this study, we investigated how early numeracy skills develop in kindergarten-age children. The participants were 235 Finnish children (111 girls and 124 boys). At the time of the first measurement, the average age of the children was 6 years. The measurements were conducted three times during 1 year of kindergarten. We used a between-group repeated-measures analysis of variance and post hoc group comparisons for three measurement times on two related mathematical scales. The results showed that differences in mathematics skills among children are already visible in kindergarten before formal primary education in mathematics starts. The early numeracy skills measured, namely, relational skills in a numerical context and counting skills, were weaker over the kindergarten year in low-performing children, and, although their skills improved, they did not catch up to their average peers.
Can virtue be measured?
Authors: Curren Randall , Kotzee Ben
Published: August 2014

This article explores some general considerations bearing on the question of whether virtue can be measured. What is moral virtue? What are measurement and evaluation, and what do they presuppose about the nature of what is measured or evaluated? What are the prospective contexts of, and purposes for, measuring or evaluating virtue, and how would these shape the legitimacy, methods, and likely success of measurement and evaluation? We contrast the realist presuppositions of virtue and measurement of virtue with the behavioral operationalism of a common conception of measurement in psychometrics. We suggest a realist and non-reductive conceptualization of the measurability of virtue. We then discuss three possible educational contexts in which the measurement of virtue might be pursued: high-stakes testing and accountability schemes, the evaluation of programs in character education, and routine student evaluation. We argue that high-stakes testing of virtue would be ill-advised and counterproductive. We make some suggestions for how program evaluation in character education might proceed, and offer some examples of evaluation of student virtue-related learning. We conclude that virtue acquisition might be measured in a population of students accurately enough for program evaluation while also arguing that student and program evaluation do not require comprehensive evaluations of how virtuous individual students are. Routine student evaluation will typically focus on specific aspects of virtue acquisition, and program evaluations can measure the aggregate progress of virtue acquisition in all its aspects while evaluating only limited aspects of the learning of individual students.
Toward programmatic research on virtue assessment: Challenges and prospects
Authors: Fowers Blaine J.
Published: August 2014

Poor construct definition has characterized research on virtue, beginning with Hartshorne and May’s honesty studies and continuing to the present. Recently, scholars have begun to define virtues in ways that improve the prospects for measuring virtue constructs, but a coordinated, programmatic approach is necessary for success in virtue measurement. A brief overview of the construct of virtue includes six key elements that can structure virtue assessment design. Recent research on the trait/situation problem suggests that situational factors do not obviate traits. Veridicality issues such as social desirability and positive illusions are significant challenges for self-report virtue measurement. In summary self-report measures, these challenges can be met with a number of methods, including directly assessing social desirability and item construction to remove social desirability. These challenges can also be met using other-reports, experience sampling, or experimental procedures. A brief discussion of construct validity in virtue measurement leads to the conclusion that many studies with a variety of methods are necessary to establish valid measures of virtue.
Use of Modified Delphi to Plan Knowledge Translation for Decision Makers: An Application in the Field of Advanced Practice Nursing
Authors: Carter Nancy , Lavis John N. , MacDonald-Rencz Sandra
Published: August 2014

Disseminating research to decision makers is difficult. Interaction between researchers and decision makers can identify key messages and processes for dissemination. To gain agreement on the key findings from a synthesis on the integration of advanced practice nurses, we used a modified Delphi process. Nursing decision makers contributed ideas via e-mail, discussed and clarified ideas face to face, and then prioritized statements. Sixteen (89%) participated and 14 (77%) completed the final phase. Priority key messages were around access to care and outcomes. The majority identified “NPs increase access to care” and “NPs and CNSs improve patient and system outcomes” as priority messaging statements. Participants agreed policy makers and the public were target audiences for messages. Consulting with policy makers provided the necessary context to develop tailored policy messages and is a helpful approach for research dissemination.
Strange Bedfellows
Authors: Chess Shira
Published: August 2014

At first blush, the romance might seem antithetical to gaming. The masculine hegemony of the video game industry creates specific genre expectations about video games. Just as “extending play” is about opening itself to new kinds of ways that people play, it also encompasses extending to new audiences. At the same time, there is always a risk of ghettoizing new audiences—reinforcing stereotypes that keep gamers marginalized. This essay analyzes one such extension: the complex relationship between the romance novel and the video game. Modleski illustrates how romance in books, television, and film are often dismissed as frivolous, but also demonstrate how audiences use romantic texts for a wide variety of purposes. Although universal, romance is an experience that can be understood as both general and specific as well as generic and subjective. The video game romance, while not a perfected genre, often struggles with these larger questions about identity and subjectivity. This article explores the tension between subjectivity and interactivity, as it relates to romance and gaming, specifically in the hidden object gaming genre. Analysis focuses on three romance-themed game texts: Harlequin: Hidden Object of Desire, Ravenhearst, and Love and Death: Bitten. With each of these games, I examine the different modes of interactive romance and demonstrate how subjectivity functions within the gameplay, complicating traditional notions of identity and subjectivity within the romance. Additionally, I illustrate how the games ignore the potential of player agency in favor of formulaic structures and subjectivities.
Leaving Earth, Preserving History
Authors: Marino Carvalho Vinicius
Published: August 2014

This article discusses the role of historicity in the Mass Effect series of videogames. In a preliminary moment, I will attempt to identify the concepts that underline the franchise’s notion of history. Subsequently, I will discuss ways to analyze such a portrayal from the point of view of its audience’s response and its potential as a platform for historical reflection. Finally, I will compare Mass Effect’s approach to history with that of the retro-futuristic Bioshock games as well as with the discussions about historical strategy games made by historians to determine convergences and dissonance in their employments of historical discourses. It will be argued that Mass Effect’s choice-based narrative conditions its notion of history as an individually driven process whose changes are manifested in the short duration and that its hypothetical future is consonant with some of contemporaneity’s anxieties about its place in history