bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relative size measures of urban form based on allometric subtraction
Authors: Shpuza Ermal
Published: November 2015

One of the most common relativization techniques in life sciences quantifies body condition based on residuals from the linear regression in the log–log plot of body mass against a linear measure of size. Given the network-based analogy between organisms and cities, the method is applied to comparative urban studies to formulate relativized allometric measures based on the allometry to size of metric and topological measures of street networks. The analysis of a sample of 70 cities from a confined region considered in three historical stages demonstrates that the more allometric scaling of a measure to size diverges from the linear, the more allometric measures show discrepancy to the existing relativization methods that are based on mean measures and ratios between measures. Allometric measures reflect the dynamics of specific regional samples of cities and therefore also differ from relativization methods that relate measures that grow exponentially with size against static theoretical yardsticks. The comparison involving two additional samples of cities from other regions suggests that the proposed allometric measures can be used to approximate size-invariant measures for cities with unknown allometry more reliably than existing relativization measures. The method can be applied to formulate relativized indices for any measure that displays allometry to size in various scales of the built environment.
Selecting gaits for economical locomotion of legged robots
Authors: Xi Weitao , Yesilevskiy Yevgeniy , Remy C. David
Published: November 2015

This paper explores the benefits of using multiple gaits in a single robot. Inspired by nature, where humans and animals use different gaits to increase their energetic economy, we analyzed how increasing speed affects the choice of gait, and how the choice of gait influences optimal speed. To this end, we used optimal control as a tool to identify motions that minimize the cost of transport of two detailed models: a planar biped and a planar quadruped. Both of these models are actuated with high compliance series elastic actuators that enable a rich set of natural dynamics. These models have damping in their springs, feet with mass, and realistic limitations on actuator torques and velocities. They therefore serve as an intermediary between past simpler models and hardware. We discovered optimal motions with an established multiple shooting implementation that relies on pre-defined contact sequences, and with a direct collocation implementation in which the footfall pattern was an outcome of the optimization. Both algorithms confirmed findings from biology. For both models, changing gaits as speed varies leads to greatly increased energetic economy. For bipeds, the optimal gaits were walking at low speeds, grounded running at intermediate speeds, and running at high speeds. For quadrupeds, the optimal gaits were four-beat walking at low speeds and trotting at intermediate speeds. At high speeds, galloping and trotting were the best gaits, with nearly equal performance. We found that the transition between gaits was primarily driven by damping losses and negative actuator work, with collisions playing a relatively small role.
Learning in neoliberal times: Private degree students and the politics of value coding in Singapore
Authors: Cheng Yi’En
Published: November 2015

Drawing on fieldwork carried out between 2013 and 2014 in Singapore, I offer a case study of how students are shaped by and pushing back against neoliberal discourses, by focusing on the ethnographic context of a local private education institute. Drawing on theorizations around the corporeal politics of value, this article examines the actual production of neoliberal subjectivities in light of a new rhetoric around the ‘learning citizen’ in the globalising city-state. I demonstrate how private degree students engaged with practices of value coding that attempt to fashion themselves into ‘employable’ future workers, but in ways that are informed by a different circulation of value meanings. These value practices – often defensive, anti-elitist, and subversive of a dominant subject of value (i.e. the ‘proper’ university student) – were aimed at recuperating and creating a separate domain of value worth. I argue that the actual production of neoliberal citizenship in education spaces need to be (re-)interpreted through a politics of value coding. This allows for a clearer view of how students themselves negotiate embodied forms of value, with and against those practices of alienation and exclusion that mark them as human capital.
Negotiating nation: Native participation in the cartographic construction of the Trans-Mississippi West
Authors: Bernstein David
Published: November 2015

Since the 1970s, historians of cartography have resituated the map as a form of discourse that contains power, rhetoric, and value. Unlike the critical investigations into Euro-American maps, however, explorations of Native maps have remained positivist activities: attempts to find “authentic” Indian world-views. It has become a truism that Indian understanding and depictions of place were incompatible with cartographic representations of the expanding American state. In this interpretation, the creation and circulation of a map of America inherently meant the erasure of indigenous ways of understanding their place—literally—in the geographic creation of the American republic. Yet for much of the nineteenth century, nothing in the process of mapping the expanding American state inherently excluded Native people. This article argues that Indian names and naming practices were essential to the cartographic creation of the American west. By analyzing the toponyms inscribed on what a specialist for cartographic history at the Library of Congress has called the “most important map of the American West prior to the Civil War”, this article will demonstrate how this essential process of state-building was a reflection of both Euro and Native American mapping practices and typified the syncretic nature of how the American West was mapped.
Analytical evaluation of the peak contact pressure in a rectangular elastomeric seal with rounded edges
Authors: Strozzi Antonio , Bertocchi Enrico , Mantovani Sara , Giacopini Matteo , Baldini Andrea
Published: November 2015

The contact pressure is considered for an elastomeric rectangular seal with rounded edges. An asymptotic matching is performed between an available analytical expression of the contact pressure that neglects the finiteness of the seal dimensions and a fracture mechanics solution describing a periodically laterally cracked strip of finite width. This matching provides a corrected formula for the peak contact pressure that accounts for the finiteness of the seal dimensions. The analytical expression for the peak contact pressure is validated versus finite element predictions for a large family of seal geometries and, in particular, for a seal reference shape extracted from the pertinent literature. An appraisal of the finite deformation effect has been carried out numerically.
Multisector Nutrition Program Governance and Implementation in Ethiopia
Authors: Kennedy Eileen , Tessema Masresha , Hailu Tesfaye , Zerfu Dilnesaw , Belay Adamu , Ayana Girmay , Kuche Desalegn , Moges Tibebu , Assefa Tsehai , Samuel Aregash , Kassaye Tarik , Fekadu Habtamu , Van Wassenhove Joan
Published: November 2015

Governments globally are stressing both direct nutrition interventions combined with nutrition sensitive policies and programs to combat malnutrition. Governance at all levels has been identified as a critical element in ensuring success of national nutrition plans. For example, the most recent National Nutrition Program (NNP) in Ethiopia discusses the essentiality of governance and coordination at all levels. The research uses a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with key informant. The research discussed in this article focuses on governance structures from national to regional to district level in Ethiopia with an emphasis on translation of a strategy and implementation of the NNP. This article concentrates primarily on results from the national and regional levels. Data at both the national and regional levels indicate that there is general agreement on the nature of the nutrition problems in Ethiopia. At all levels of government, under nutrition, food insecurity, and micronutrient deficiencies were listed as the main nutrition problems. The challenges in governance and implementation identified at both the national and regional levels, however, varied. The implementation of the 2013 NNP was in its early stages at the time of this research. While there was palpable energy around the launch of the NNP, respondents indicated issues related to leadership, coordination, collaboration, advocacy, and budget would be challenges in sustaining momentum.
A study of roles of different valence of copper oxide interaction with electron beam irradiation in polyethylene composite
Authors: Bee Soo-Tueen , Sin Lee Tin , Ratnam CT , Chua Gin-Khuan , Rahmat AR
Published: November 2015

The aim of this research was to investigate the interaction of electron beam irradiation on the different valence of copper (I) and copper (II) oxides (Cu2O and CuO) added low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites. The results showed the increasing of Cu2O loading level in replacing the CuO has significantly reduced the gel content (or degree of cross-linking networks) in LDPE matrix. This is due to the poorer effect of Cu2O in inducing the polymeric free radicals. Meanwhile, the application of low irradiation dosage (≤100 kGy) has significantly increased the crystallite size for crystallite peak (110) of all LDPE composites. However, further increment in irradiation dosages from 100 to 300 kGy has gradually reduced the crystallite size of deflection peak (110). The tensile strength of all LDPE composites was gradually decreased with increasing of Cu2O loading level due to agglomeration of Cu2O and CuO particles in LDPE matrix. In addition, the increasing of irradiation dosages on all Cu2O /CuO added LDPE composites has gradually increased the tensile strength by inducing the formation of the cross-linking networks in LDPE matrix. Nevertheless, the increasing of irradiation dosage has gradually decreased the elongation at break of all Cu2O /CuO added LDPE composites. This is due to the higher degree of cross-linking networks in LDPE matrix could restrict the mobility of LDPE macromolecular chains when subjected to straining stress.
Experimental characterization and finite element modeling of the residual stresses in laser-assisted mechanical micromachining of Inconel 625
Authors: Samanta Avik , Teli Mahesh , Singh Ramesh
Published: November 2015

Laser-assisted mechanical micromachining offers the ability to machine difficult-to-cut materials, like superalloys and ceramics, more efficiently and economically by laser-induced localized thermal softening prior to cutting. Laser-assisted mechanical micromachining is a micromachining process with localized laser heating which could affect the cutting forces and the machined surface integrity. The residual stresses obtained in the laser-assisted mechanical micromachining process depend on both mechanical loading and the laser heating. This article focuses on the experimental process characterization and prediction of the cutting forces and the residual stresses in a laser-assisted mechanical micromachining–based orthogonal machining of Inconel 625. The results show that the laser assistance reduces the mean cutting forces by ∼25% and enhances the normal compressive residual stress at the surface by ∼50%. Since microscale residual stress measurement is very time-intensive, a coupled-field thermo-mechanical finite element model of laser-assisted mechanical micromachining has been developed to predict the temperature, cutting forces and the residual stresses. The cutting forces and residual stresses’ predictions are in good agreement with the measured values during machining. In addition, parametric simulations have been carried out for laser power, cutting speed, cutting edge radius, rake angle, laser location and laser beam diameter to study their effect on cutting forces and surface residual stresses.
The design and performance evaluation of axial ventilator with honeycomb in the turbofan engine lubrication system
Authors: Jingyu Zhao , Zhenxia Liu , Guozhe Ren
Published: November 2015

Numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the performance of the axial ventilator equipped with honeycomb structure. The oil /air two-way coupling model based on the Realizable k–ɛ turbulence model and the droplet impact model are proposed. Based on verifying the rationality of numerical model, characteristics of flow resistance and oil–gas separation efficiency are calculated and analyzed. The results show that the axial ventilator with honeycomb has favorable separation efficiency, which is estimated as 99.6% for the oil droplet diameter of 5 µm. The honeycomb structure has little effect on flow resistance, but plays a major role in the oil–gas separation of axial ventilator, where the contribution to the oil separation accounts for 80% at least. Besides, the increase of rotation Reynolds number enhances the centrifugal force, resulting in the increase of separation efficiency, while the increase of nondimensional mass flow rate and environmental temperature reduce the residence time of oil droplets in the axial ventilator mainly, resulting in the decreasing of separation efficiency.
Multiobjective optimization for collision avoidance maneuver using a genetic algorithm
Authors: Seong Jae-Dong , Kim Hae-Dong
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we analyze an evolutionary multiobjective heuristic algorithm for collision avoidance maneuver optimization when multiple objects in space threaten a satellite. Population-based evolutionary multiobjective heuristic algorithms can stably find optimal or suboptimal solutions on account of their robustness and flexibility. We present a collision avoidance maneuver optimization planning method using the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II. Our proposed method simultaneously optimizes two goals: the minimization of DeltaV consumption and maximization of the satellite maneuver cycle length. Through an experimental evaluation, we demonstrate the efficient performance of our method in terms of DeltaV consumption and maneuver cycle length under constraints, including allowable DeltaV and burn start time, with consideration of a safety threshold between the user satellite and multiple threatening objects. We perform the simulation once per each burn strategy, i.e. in an in-track direction with a single burn; in three radial, in-track, cross-track direction with a single burn; and three radial, in-track, cross-track directions with two burns. We obtain various solutions, all of which satisfy the safety threshold. For the in-track direction with the single burn strategy, the solution showed merit in the minimization of DeltaV consumption. On the other hand, the results of three radial, in-track, cross-track directions with two burns showed good performance in maximization of the maneuver cycle. We therefore contend that efficient collision avoidance maneuver optimization planning can be achieved by using a multiobjective heuristic algorithm.
Numerical modeling of adhesively bonded composite patch repair of cracked aluminum panels with concept of CZM and XFEM
Authors: Talebi Behnam , Abedian A
Published: November 2015

Application of composite patches in repair of damaged/aged aircraft structures is one of the most popular repairing methods in aerospace engineering. Since running experiments are difficult, time consuming, expensive, and also require high level of expertise, simulation of the behavior of the patch and also the faulty components after repair can assist designers and engineers in optimization of their designs. In this article, full-scale simulation of a damaged panel that is experimentally repaired with a composite patch will be considered using ABAQUS, a commercial finite element code. The crack growth process is modeled with the extended finite element method and the cohesive zone model (CZM) is used to model the progressive damage in the adhesive of the composite patch repair. Also, sensitivity analysis is performed on the CZM parameters and it is shown that the three parameters i.e. the shear toughness, maximum first shear traction, and penalty parameter for the elastic stiffness are important in the simulation of adhesively bonded composite patch repairs. The calibrated cohesive properties are successfully used to predict the response of the composite patch to the strengthened in damaged structure with considering the linear and nonlinear stage of failure process. The simulation results obtained in different stages have been verified with the existing experimental results.
Nonlinear dynamic modeling in low frequency and control system stability domain determination for a LPE
Authors: Jafargholi Ali , Mousavi Firdeh Seyyed Reza , Shafiey Dehaj Mohammad , Karimi Hassan
Published: November 2015

Algorithms have been presented for the low-frequency nonlinear dynamic modeling and stability domain determination of liquid propellant engines. Also, the considerations that can facilitate the modeling process and remove the drawbacks have been presented. The defined algorithms and the stated considerations have been applied for a particular liquid propellant engine. The equations describing the mentioned engine have been classified into 11 subsystems. The simulations have been performed in the MATLAB Simulink software environment. Each simulated subsystem represents one or several physical subsystems whose interactions have been defined in the overall form of engine configuration. The engine modeling results have been validated by the data of cold and warm tests of the subsystems and engine. In the process of determining the stable operation range of the mentioned engine, by linearizing the obtained nonlinear model, which accompanies the correct determination of model input and output, and by applying the Nyquist criterion, the stability analysis of the regulator and engine systems has been performed control system and the stability margin and the cutoff frequencies have been obtained. Finally, the effects of structural and process parameters of the relevant subsystems on the engine’s stable range of performance have been evaluated.
Air traffic generation for new terminal area air traffic management concepts design and evaluation
Authors: Besada Juan , Marquinez Iñigo , Portillo Javier , de Miguel Gonzalo , Bernardos Ana
Published: November 2015

This paper describes two systems that can be used to obtain realistic random traffic samples in a terminal area: a real traffic analyser and a synthetic traffic generator. These two systems allow the air traffic management (ATM) engineer to gain insight on the traffic structure of the area under analysis, and allow obtaining realistic traffic samples enabling the evaluation of new operational concepts, the validation or system performance measurement after procedure changes, the analysis of ATM performance under forecasted future traffic changes, etc. Together with the design of the system, the work provides insight of user interfaces and describes the potential uses of such tools in an integrated ATM system.
A cognitive agent aboard remotely piloted aircraft systems: Development, evaluation, and certification issues
Authors: Wohler Marcus , Schulte Axel
Published: November 2015

In future air traffic scenarios, remotely piloted aircraft systems are likely to play an increasingly important role. A major use case and subject of research is loss of command and control data link. Therefore, a novel engineering solution is described, which makes use of knowledge-based information processing methods for the implementation of higher cognitive functions in an artificial agent. This agent shall be integrated aboard the airborne vehicle and shall work in a cooperative relationship with the human pilot on the ground for his or her support. With the provision of functional redundancy in flight guidance and mission management related decision-making the overall system safety shall be improved. The article captures the whole development process of the agent including concept, requirements definition, system design, implementation and evaluation. The interactions between the human and the cognitive agent are discussed and the necessity to augment the conventional human–machine interface is deduced. A scenario-based usability study with a group of pilots in addition to real flight tests to evaluate the developed system is described. In addition, considerations on certifiability of such an artificial cognitive associate system are presented.
Investigation of adding fins to external stores for improving the flutter characteristics of a wing/store configuration
Authors: Amoozgar MR , Shahverdi H
Published: November 2015

In this paper, the effect of aerodynamic damping produced by store rear horizontal fins on the aeroelastic instability of a wing with a large underwing store is investigated in an incompressible flow. The wing is modeled by using the classical Euler–Bernoulli beam theory while the unsteady strip aerodynamic theory based on the Wagner function is used to simulate the aerodynamic field. The underwing store is modeled as a concentrated mass attached to the wing by a rigid pylon and has rear horizontal fins. The numerical results of the developed generic and simple model are compared with available results, and an excellent agreement is observed. It is found that the aerodynamic damping of the store produced by its rear fin can compensate the flutter boundary of the wing-store configuration and therefore for more accurate analysis, in addition to the store weight and location, the effect of store fin must also be considered.
High-resolution environmental reconstruction in SW Peloponnese, Greece, covering the last c. 6000 years: Evidence from Agios Floros fen, Messenian plain
Authors: Katrantsiotis Christos , Norström Elin , Holmgren Karin , Risberg Jan , Skelton Alasdair
Published: November 2015

A paleolimnological record from the central Messenian plain (southwestern Peloponnese, southern Greece) indicates rapid changes in the water level and chemistry of a transient lake on the flanks of the Taygetos Mountains during the last c. 6000 years. The analyses are based on diatoms as well as carbon and nitrogen isotopes from bulk sediments in a 7.5-m-long sediment core retrieved from the drained fen of Agios Floros, at the northern banks of the ancient River Pamisos. The sequence consists of fen peat in the uppermost section underlain by lacustrine sediments, which are punctuated by two layers of clay with diatomaceous silt bands. High accumulation rate is recorded in the oldest part of the section (up to 23 mm/yr), particularly during two decadal-long periods centered at c. 5700 and c. 5300 cal. BP. The diatom record reveals pronounced peaks in the planktonic taxon Cyclotella distinguenda, which correspond to the laminated sequences, reflecting the rapid development of a deep lake with an open water environment during these two time periods. Another two events with intermediate water levels are inferred at c. 5200 and c. 4600 cal. BP. These short-lived phases were probably, to a large extent, caused by local tectonic processes and the consequent hydrological anomalies of the nearby karst springs, although abrupt climatic changes with enhanced precipitation might have also played a role. At c. 4500 cal. BP, our data suggest the development of terrestrial conditions in this area, which can be attributed to the decreasing activity/dry up of springs, probably associated with more arid climate. After c. 2500 cal. BP, the diatom record infers a return to wetter conditions, probably as a response to more humid climate with marked seasonality and human activities, developing the present-day environment with cultivated and seasonally semi-flooded fields.
Redating the moraines in the Kromer Valley (Silvretta Mountains) – New evidence for an early Holocene glacier advance
Authors: Moran Andrew P , Kerschner Hanns , Ochs Susan Ivy
Published: November 2015

Among the many well-preserved moraine systems that are found throughout the Austrian Silvretta Mountains, a set of prominent moraines in the upper Kromer Valley located in front of the ‘Little Ice Age’ positions are of particular interest as they have been allocated to contrasting time periods in the past. Initial assumptions associated them with the transition period from the Younger Dryas to the early Holocene, but first exposure dating results published in 2006 suggested a relation to the ‘8200-year event’. However, since then, the lack of comparable evidence elsewhere in the Alps prompted a re-evaluation of the moraines at this site based on the recalculation of the original ages with the recently available lower 10Be production rate (‘Northeast North America’) and by dating additional boulders in the Kromer Valley and in the neighbouring Kloster Valley. The newly sampled boulders ( n = 9) show, depending on interpretation, moraine stabilization around 10,000 years. These ages implicate that glacier termination occurred considerably earlier than during the previously suggested 8200-year cooling event, but also clearly after the climatic cold period of the Younger Dryas (>11,700 years) and the Preboreal Oscillation (~11,400 years). Consequently, our results suggest that the Kromer Valley moraines represent a marked glacier advance during the Boreal period before the final recession to mid- and late Holocene glacier size.
When the strike encounters the sans papiers movement: the discovery of a workers’ repertoire of actions for irregular migrant protest in France
Authors: Kahmann Marcus
Published: November 2015

Between April 2008 and June 2010, France witnessed an unprecedented wave of strikes by irregular migrants. At its height, almost 7000 workers occupied enterprises, temporary work agencies and employer federations. Through a sequential analysis of this movement, this article seeks (1) to identify the resources provided by the strike to irregular migrant protest, (2) to trace the emergence and the innovations in the strike repertoire and (3) to account for the leading role played by the CGT trade union. It argues that the strike represents a significant and distinctive extension of the traditional mode of sans papiers protest as it relied on specific means of collective action and groups of actors. It is the recognition by the constituent actors of the repertoire that has allowed the union to take the leadership in the movement.
European wage-setting mechanisms under pressure: negotiated and unilateral change and the EU’s economic governance regime
Authors: Marginson Paul , Welz Christian
Published: November 2015

Since the onset of the crisis in 2008, collective wage-setting mechanisms across the EU have faced pressure to become more ‘marketized’. Surveying developments across EU Member States, this article finds profound changes in wage-setting mechanisms in some countries, alongside less far-reaching ones in some others and little, if any change, in yet others. Pressure for further marketization has particularly focused on multi-employer bargaining arrangements, which constitute a fundamental feature of wage setting in western Europe. In particular, state supports underpinning such arrangements in the six countries subject to international financial assistance have been curtailed or removed. More profound changes are shown to have been driven by government imposition rather than negotiation between employers and unions. European and international institutions have exercised considerable influence, through requirements from the ‘troika’ but also through the EU’s new regime of economic governance. For the Member States subject to international financial assistance, an alternative to current EU policy prescriptions is to promote mechanisms facilitating company-level negotiations within, and to reinstate state supports for, multi-employer bargaining frameworks.
The non-medical out-of-pocket costs to attend a free anxiety disorders treatment clinic in Australia
Authors: Anderson Reece , Wong Nora , Newby Jill M , Andrews Gavin
Published: November 2015

Objective:

Australia has high out-of-pocket costs for medical and non-medical treatments. The ‘cost to attend’ is seldom added to these estimates.

Method:

A sequence of 92 participants attending a free Anxiety Disorders Clinic at an inner city public hospital were surveyed about the costs to attend one appointment, including costs such as private /public transport costs and lost income.

Results:

We found that these out-of-pocket costs were on average AUD$57 per person to attend an appointment at a free point-of-service clinic. Of the 45% who experienced financial burden from attending, the majority reported only slight burden.

Conclusion:

This level of ‘cost to attend’ a free outpatient treatment clinic is non-trivial given people with anxiety and depressive disorders, like many others with chronic disorders, will need at least 6–10 visits to complete a course of treatment.
“You didn’t just consult community, you involved us”: transformation of a ‘top-down’ Aboriginal mental health project into a ‘bottom-up’ community-driven process
Authors: Singer Judy , Bennett-Levy James , Rotumah Darlene
Published: November 2015

Objective:

Recently, there has been a consistent call for Indigenous health research to be community-driven. However, for a variety of reasons, many projects, such as the one featured here, start as ‘top-down’. Using ten accepted principles for Aboriginal health research, the present article illustrates how a top-down project can be transformed into a ‘bottom-up’ community-driven project.

Method:

A table of examples is provided to show how the ten principles were translated into practice to create a bottom-up process.

Results:

We suggest that key elements for creating a bottom-up process are iterative conversations and community involvement that goes beyond notional engagement. A feature of community involvement is generating and sustaining ongoing conversations with multiple levels of community (organisations, health professionals, Elders, community members, project-specific groups) in a variety of different forums across the entire duration of a project. Local research teams, a commitment to building capacity in the local Indigenous workforce, and adequate timelines and funding are other factors that we hypothesise may contribute to successful outcomes.

Conclusion:

The article contributes to a much-needed evidence base demonstrating how appropriate structures and strategies may create bottom-up processes leading to successful outcomes.
Health Impact Assessments, Regulation, and the Unconventional Gas Industry in the UK: Exploiting Resources, Ideology, and Expertise?
Authors: Watterson Andrew , Dinan William
Published: November 2015

Health impact assessments (HIAs) across the globe may be used by governments and industries to secure approval for unconventional gas extraction developments. HIA is an umbrella term that covers an array of health review and assessment practices, ranging from the very general to quite specific and technical health studies. Our concern in this paper is principally with the specialist end of the HIA continuum and particularly its application to unconventional gas extraction in the UK. We outline the context within which HIAs in unconventional gas extraction may be conducted. We then explain what HIAs may do. HIAs are often commissioned from consultancy companies to assess unconventional gas extraction project risks and benefits and propose mitigation measures. Communities can rarely afford HIAs in the planning process and may consider them biased when commissioned by vested interests. The oil and gas industry uses these techniques for its own ends. Hiring experts, be they specialist consultants, researchers, lobbyists, ex-government officials, or regulators, to influence planning and regulation is a well-tried tactic and structural advantage exploited by industry in seeking license to operate. Equitable and ethical HIA principles are urgently needed in the UK in relation to unconventional gas to secure the integrity and probity of the emerging regulatory system and address concerns regarding unregulated practitioners.
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
Authors: Nilsson Christina , van Limbeek Evelien , Vehvilainen-Julkunen Katri , Lundgren Ingela
Published: November 2015

Despite the consequences for women’s health, a repeat cesarean section (CS) birth after a previous CS is common in Western countries. Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) is recommended for most women, yet VBAC rates are decreasing and vary across maternity organizations and countries. We investigated women’s views on factors of importance for improving the rate of VBAC in countries where VBAC rates are high. We interviewed 22 women who had experienced VBAC in Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden. We used content analysis, which revealed five categories: receiving information from supportive clinicians, receiving professional support from a calm and confident midwife/obstetrician during childbirth, knowing the advantages of VBAC, letting go of the previous childbirth in preparation for the new birth, and viewing VBAC as the first alternative for all involved when no complications are present. These findings reflect not only women’s needs but also sociocultural factors influencing their views on VBAC.
Negotiating Collective and Individual Agency
Authors: Paul Mandira , Essén Birgitta , Sariola Salla , Iyengar Sharad , Soni Sunita , Klingberg Allvin Marie
Published: November 2015

The societal changes in India and the available variety of reproductive health services call for evidence to inform health systems how to satisfy young women’s reproductive health needs. Inspired by Foucault’s power idiom and Bandura’s agency framework, we explore young women’s opportunities to practice reproductive agency in the context of collective social expectations. We carried out in-depth interviews with 19 young women in rural Rajasthan. Our findings highlight how changes in notions of agency across generations enable young women’s reproductive intentions and desires, and call for effective means of reproductive control. However, the taboo around sex without the intention to reproduce made contraceptive use unfeasible. Instead, abortions were the preferred method for reproductive control. In conclusion, safe abortion is key, along with the need to address the taboo around sex to enable use of “modern” contraception. This approach could prevent unintended pregnancies and expand young women’s agency.
Workload-based change propagation analysis in engineering design
Authors: Tang Dun-Bing , Yin Lei-Lei , Wang Qi , Ullah Inayat , Zhu Hai-Hua , Leng Sheng
Published: November 2015

As engineering change is a significant activity in industry and uses a lot of engineering design capacity, the management of engineering changes has become a crucial discipline. Some methods and tools to support dealing with changes have been provided. From the perspective of the workload, our work extends the method of change management through incorporation of requirement-driven change propagation. The primary result of this work is the provision of a design support to find the optimal solution of design change by examining the workload of each change propagation path. In this article, two types of change relationships are illustrated: relationships between change requirements and components and relationships between components. A matrix-based approach and two types of change propagation pattern (AND and OR) are implemented to generate change propagation paths. The concept of workload transformation is applied to calculate the workload of each change component, and then the total workload of each change propagation path is calculated to achieve the optimal solution of design change. Based on the analysis results, the schemes of design change with high workload can be avoided and those with low workload can be implemented efficiently. To demonstrate how the developed method can be applied, a blowing and suction machine is taken into consideration. Finally, the method is initially discussed and evaluated.
Ignorance Is Bliss
Authors: Lay J. Celeste
Published: November 2015

After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans eliminated default neighborhood schools and began to require parents to choose a school for their child. There are many new schools and a new enrollment process, making accurate and comprehensive information essential. Is one’s information source related to satisfaction in their choices? Psychological theories suggest that more information may not always be better; people can be overwhelmed and actually make suboptimal choices. I show that a greater reliance on comprehensive sources is related to less confidence that one’s child got into their top choice school, while those parents who use shortcuts, such as social networks and/or school advertising, are more satisfied that they made the right choice. Information sources are not, however, related to the likelihood of enrolling one’s child in a high performing school. Rather, the school performance score is predicted by race and socioeconomic class.
Progressive and Regressive Equilibria in a Tax Competition Game
Authors: Green-Armytage James
Published: November 2015

This article models interjurisdictional competition over nonlinear taxes on the incomes of mobile individuals. Each individual has exogenous wealth and a location preference that is drawn from a continuous distribution. We find that more concave utility of consumption functions lead to more progressive tax structures, as richer people place less value on marginal consumption relative to location. In the benchmark model, a relative risk aversion coefficient of one is the boundary between progressivity and regressivity. The exercise helps us to understand which types of jurisdictions are more likely to have progressive taxes as their optimal policies.
Renal abscesses in cats: six cases
Authors: Faucher Mathieu R , Theron Marie-Laure , Reynolds Brice S
Published: November 2015

Case series summary

Six cats were diagnosed with renal abscesses. Common clinical findings were lethargy, dehydration, abdominal pain and nephromegaly. Fever was noted in half of the cases. Diagnosis was established by ultrasonography, cytological examination and bacterial culture of abscess aspirates. At least one possible contributing factor could be identified in all cases. Antibiotics were consistently used and in two cats the abscess was surgically drained. The short-term outcome was fair but the long-term outcome was dependent on the underlying condition.

Relevance and novel information

The results of this small case series suggest that renal abscess should be considered when nephromegaly and/or abdominal discomfort are noted. Diagnosis of renal abscess is straightforward when ultrasonography and fine-needle aspirate analysis can be performed. Medical treatment is assumed to be preferable but surgical treatment may be warranted on a case-by-case basis. Given that almost every affected cat was diagnosed with at least one comorbidity, a thorough evaluation is recommended for all cats with renal abscesses.
Evaluation of oral maropitant as an antiemetic in cats receiving morphine and dexmedetomidine
Authors: Martin-Flores Manuel , Sakai Daniel M , Mastrocco Alicia , Learn McKenzie M , Campoy Luis , Kirch Pati J , Boesch Jordyn M , Gleed Robin D
Published: November 2015

Objectives

The aim of the study was to evaluate the antiemetic effects of maropitant, after oral administration, in cats receiving morphine and dexmedetomidine.

Methods

This prospective, blinded, randomized controlled trial involved 98 healthy female domestic shorthair cats. Cats were randomly assigned to receive maropitant PO 8 mg total (group M) administered 18 h prior to sedation with intramuscular dexmedetomidine 20 µg/kg and morphine 0.1 mg/kg, or no antiemetic treatment (group C). The occurrence of signs of nausea (sialorrhea and lip-licking), retching and emesis during the 30 mins following administration of dexmedetomidine and morphine was measured for each group.

Results

Two cats were excluded from the investigation. Cats in group M (n = 46) received an average of 2.5 mg/kg of maropitant PO. Compared with group C (n = 50), cats in group M had lower incidences of emesis (M: 4% vs C: 40%), retching (M: 8% vs C: 40%) and lip-licking (M: 30% vs C: 52%) (all P <0.05). The incidence of sialorrhea was not different between groups (M: 21% vs C: 22%).

Conclusions and relevance

Maropitant 8 mg total PO was effective in reducing morphine and dexmedetomidine-induced emesis by 10-fold, when administered as early as 18 h in advance to healthy cats. Maropitant PO could be useful for administration the evening prior to a scheduled procedure requiring sedation/anesthesia to decrease the incidence of emesis.
Do coping styles mediate the relationship between disability status and psychosocial loss in people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis?
Authors: Gedik Zumrut , Sorias Oya , Idiman Egemen
Published: November 2015

The main aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyse the degree to which coping may act as a mediator between disability and psychosocial loss in people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. Participants ( N = 158) completed measures of psychosocial loss and ways of coping. Disability status was evaluated by attending neurologists. Coping partially mediated the relationship between disability and psychosocial loss. Disability leads to the experience of psychosocial loss but it is not the sole factor determining the formation of psychosocial loss. Coping is also associated with such losses in multiple sclerosis.
Group interaction as the crucible of social identity formation: A glimpse at the foundations of social identities for collective action
Authors: Thomas Emma F. , McGarty Craig , Mavor Ken
Published: November 2015

Many of the world’s biggest problems are being tackled through the formation of new groups yet very little research has directly observed the processes by which new groups form to respond to social problems. The current paper draws on seminal research by Lewin (1947) to advance a perspective as to how such identities form through processes of small group interaction. Multilevel structural equation modelling involving 58 small group discussions (with N = 234) demonstrates that focused group discussion can boost the commitment to take collective action, beliefs in the efficacy of that action, and members’ social identification with other supporters of the cause. The results are consistent with the new commitment to action flowing from emergent social identities.
Effects of Tearing on the Perception of Facial Expressions of Emotion
Authors: Reed Lawrence Ian , Deutchman Paul , Schmidt Karen L.
Published: November 2015

What is the function of emotional tearing? Previous work has found a tear effect, which resolves ambiguity in neutral expressions and increases perceptions of sadness in sad expressions. Tearing, however, is associated with a variety of emotional states, and it remains unclear how the tear effect generalizes to other emotion expressions. Here we expand upon previous works by examining ratings of video clips depicting posed facial expressions presented with and without tears. We replicate Provine et al.’s (2009) findings that tearing increases perceptions of sadness in sad expressions. Furthermore, we find that tearing has specific effects on ratings of emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, and fear) and ratings of intensity and valence in neutral, positive, and negative expressions. These results suggest that tearing may serve a specific and independent communicative function, interacting with those of various expressions.
Postcolonial teacher education reform in Namibia: Travelling of policies and ideas
Authors: Erixon Arreman Inger , Erixon Per-Olof , Rehn Karl-Gunnar
Published: November 2015

Long before Namibia’s independence in 1990, Sweden initiated a policy dialogue with Namibia’s future political leadership. This article reviews the impact of an educational reform in Namibia in the early 1990s called the Integrated Teacher Training Programme (ITTP), which was an outcome of collaboration between the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO), the liberation movement and teacher educators from Sweden and other Western countries. Research questions posed concerned: (1) the ITTP’s perceived impact on the participants’ private and professional lives; and (2) the ITTP’s impact on the participants’ views on knowledge and education in relation to democracy. A combination of individual interviews and questionnaires was administered in situ in 2009 in Namibia to 17 former ITTP students who were living in various places across Namibia. This follow-up study indicates that the ITTP was crucial for the participants’ professional careers and private lives. The majority saw education as a key to democracy and social transformation, and considered themselves as important actors at local, regional and national levels in forwarding these aims. However, it is concluded that, while the learner-centred education philosophy initially had a strong impact, its application in teacher education has functioned more than anything as a rhetorical device for nation-building.
A Case Study for Redesigning Tobacco Cessation Services
Authors: Dreher Marietta , Schillo Barbara A. , Hull Molly , Esqueda Valerie , Mowery Andrea
Published: November 2015

While many smokers are aware of the dangers of smoking and want to quit, the use of evidence-based cessation services remains low. At the same time, interest in new technologies to support quitting is increasing. This case study presents an initiative that sought to understand the needs of current and former smokers in Minnesota, United States, as part of an effort to redesign tobacco cessation services and engage more smokers in the quitting process. Current and former smokers were recruited to participate in a two-phase formative research study. Phase 1 ( n = 37) used an online bulletin board and a mail-in work group. Phase 2 ( n = 26) used traditional focus groups. Five major themes emerged from the research: (1) smoking is a significant part of a smoker’s identity, (2) a smoker’s readiness to quit varies, (3) many smokers need help in tipping the scale toward quitting, (4) smokers have differences in quitting styles, and (5) smokers seek barrier-free services. These research findings provide key insights that can be used to redesign cessation services to better meet the needs of smokers. Cessation services and promotional messaging should acknowledge the significant role that smoking plays in the identity of smokers, recognize the importance of a smoker’s readiness to quit, and respect differences in quitting styles. Guidelines for redesigning services based on this exploratory research are offered.