bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced Readers in Reading First Classrooms
Authors: Brighton Catherine M. , Moon Tonya R. , Huang Francis H. L.
Published: July 2015

This study of advanced readers in Reading First (RF) classrooms was part of a larger evaluation of one state’s RF implementation. The study’s purposes were to (a) assess the longitudinal growth of advanced primary readers as compared with their non-advanced-reading peers over a 3-year timeframe and (b) determine the degree to which RF classrooms addressed the reading needs of advanced primary readers. Archival data sources included RF scaled scores, classroom observations, and interviews with teachers, coaches, and principals. Using multilevel growth modeling, results indicated that all readers grew; however, advanced readers grew the least, with the average of the group going from the 97th national percentile rank (NPR) in the spring of kindergarten to the 83rd NPR in the spring of their second-grade year. Qualitative findings revealed four themes: (a) Strict adherence to adopted basal readers defined program fidelity, (b) compromises in curriculum and instruction limited opportunities for advanced readers, (c) degree of fit between the core basal readers and advanced readers resulted in lack of challenge, and (d) varied understandings (and misunderstandings) surrounding differentiated instruction led to limited rigor for advanced readers. Recommendations are offered to help practitioners and researchers ensure that the needs of advanced readers in proposed federal and state education regulations and initiatives are considered rather than only focusing on struggling students.
DSont: DSpace to ontology transformation
Authors: Farid Humaira , Khan Sharifullah , Javed Muhammad Younus
Published: July 2015

Semantic web facilitates the effective sharing and reuse of existing information. Institutional repositories (IRs) are built to organize and manage the intellectual output of an institute. They generally use relational databases for maintaining metadata of digital documents. The focus of this research is to share the information of an existing IR with other information systems for discovering common interests. To process the data in semantic context, a relational database needs to be transformed into an ontology. The existing relation to ontology transformation systems produces odd results if they are applied on an IR database because its schema is meta-schema. The proposed system first creates an intermediate database, having a normalized schema for the data model of an institute preserved in an IR database and then transforms it into an ontology. Finally semantic correspondence is established between entities of source and target ontologies in order to integrate them. The system has been implemented and evaluated for its correct and lossless transformation. The results demonstrate that the transformation is correct and the information is preserved.
Removing bias towards World Englishes: The development of a Rater Attitude Instrument using Indian English as a stimulus
Authors: Hsu Tammy Huei-Lien
Published: July 2015

This study explores the attitudes of raters of English speaking tests towards the global spread of English and the challenges in rating speakers of Indian English in descriptive speaking tasks. The claims put forward by language attitude studies indicate a validity issue in English speaking tests: listeners tend to hold negative attitudes towards speakers of non-standard English, and judge them unfavorably. As there are no adequate measures of listener/rater attitude towards emerging varieties of English in language assessment research, a Rater Attitude Instrument comprising a three-phase self-measure was developed. It comprises 11 semantic differential scale items and 31 Likert scale items representing three attitude dimensions of feeling, cognition, and behavior tendency as claimed by psychologists. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure with acceptable model fit indices. This measure represents a new initiative to examine raters’ psychological traits as a source of validity evidence in English speaking tests to strengthen arguments about test-takers’ English language proficiency in response to the change of sociolinguistic landscape. The implications for norm selection in English oral tests are also discussed.
Understanding technology acceptance in a mandatory environment
Authors: Hwang Yujong , Al-Arabiat Mohanned , Shin Dong-Hee
Published: July 2015

Acceptance and use of a system is known as a major measure of success from an information systems (IS) perspective. However, within organizations where most system use is mandatory, intention-to-use or usage by and large does not provide a full picture of how such use came to be or if it is truly representative of how end-users really feel about using the system. This study summarizes the theories and models on technology acceptance in the mandatory environment in the IS literature and identifies the critical research based on broader research perspectives. The paper provides an important insight into IS acceptance in the mandatory environment. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed in the paper.
Common goal areas in the treatment of upper limb spasticity: a multicentre analysis
Authors: Ashford Stephen , Fheodoroff Klemens , Jacinto Jorge , Turner-Stokes Lynne
Published: July 2015

Objective:

We aimed to develop a goal classification of individualised goals for spasticity treatment incorporating botulinum toxin intervention for upper limb spasticity to under-pin a more structured approach to future goal setting.

Design:

Individualised goals for spasticity treatment incorporating botulinum toxin intervention for upper limb spasticity ( n=696) were analysed initially from four studies published in 2008-2012, spanning a total of 18 centres (12 in the UK and 6 in Australia). Goals were categorised and mapped onto the closest matching domains of the WHO International Classification of Functioning. Confirmatory analysis included a further 927 goals from a large international cohort study spanning 22 countries published in 2013.

Results:

Goal categories could be assigned into two domains, each subdivided into three key goal areas: Domain 1: symptoms/impairment n=322 (46%): a. pain/discomfort n=78 (11%), b. involuntary movements n=75 (11%), c. range of movement/contracture prevention n=162 (23%). Domain 2: Activities/function n=374 (54%): a. passive function (ease of caring for the affected limb) n=242 (35%), b active function (using the affected limb in active tasks) n=84 (12%), c. mobility n=11 (2%). Over 99% of the goals from the large international cohort fell into the same six areas, confirming the international applicability of the classification.

Conclusions:

Goals for management of upper limb spasticity, in worldwide clinical practice, fall into six main goal areas.
Virtual reality for improving balance in patients after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Zhen , Han Xiu-Guo , Sheng Jing , Ma Shao-Jun
Published: July 2015

Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality interventions for improving balance in people after stroke.

Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Methods:

Studies were obtained by searching the following databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science and CENTRAL. Two reviewers assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed trial quality.

Results:

Sixteen studies involving 428 participants were included. People who received virtual reality interventions showed marked improvements in Berg Balance Scale (mean difference: 1.46, 95% confidence interval: 0.09–2.83, P<0.05, I²=0%) and Timed Up and Go Test (mean difference: –1.62, 95% confidence interval: –3.07– –0.16, P<0.05, I²=24%) compared with controls.

Conclusions:

This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials supports the use of virtual reality to improve balance after stroke.
Enhancing trust in the legal system through victims’ rights mechanisms
Authors: Laxminarayan Malini
Published: July 2015

Understanding trust in the legal system has been an important step in comprehending compliance with judicial authorities. Trust results from both procedural aspects such as perceptions of procedural fairness and outcome elements, such as a just verdict. These procedural elements meet the criteria of the relational model of authority, asserting a need for interpersonal treatment and neutrality when assessing justice judgments. While a plethora of research exists, there generally remains less empirical evidence from the crime victim’s perspective. The current study identifies six victim rights mechanisms and examines the association between these variables and the impact of the process on the victim’s trust in the legal system. Results indicate that for Dutch victims of serious crime, victim impact statements are significantly associated with trust. Incarceration as a control variable was also strongly associated with the dependent variable. Assistance from victim support reached marginal significance, though the latter displayed an inverse relationship. Implications for policy are discussed.
Expression of Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Wang Jian-Qing , Qin Fu , Zhu Liang
Published: July 2015

Objective

To explore the role of Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1) in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Methods

NHERF1 and β-catenin protein were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting of kidney tissue samples from patients with ADPKD and controls (normal kidney tissue [>5 cm from the foci] collected from patients undergoing unilateral nephrectomy for kidney cancer). NHERF1 and β-catenin protein and mRNA were quantified by Western blot and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively, in kidney tissue samples from Han:SPRD (+/+) and (cy/+) rats. The effects of human recombinant NHERF1 on proliferation and cell cycle of ADPKD cyst-lining epithelial cells (WT9–12) were evaluated by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively.

Results

Levels of NHERF1 protein and mRNA were significantly lower, and β-catenin levels significantly higher, in patients with ADPKD and Han:SPRD (cy/+) rats, compared with control subjects and (+/+) rats, respectively. Exogenous recombinant NHERF1 significantly inhibited proliferation of WT9–12 cells and increased the proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase.

Conclusions

ADPKD is associated with a decrease in NHERF1 protein and mRNA levels. Supplementing exogenous NHERF1 inhibited the proliferation of WT9–12 cells.
The condition for first slip in a common edge contact subject to in-plane and anti-plane loading
Authors: Ramesh Rangarajan , Hills David A
Published: July 2015

A contact is formed from two elastically similar cylinders of the same diameter and having ends cut at the same angle, not necessarily perpendicular to their axes, pressed end to end. The interface experiences Coulomb friction and the assembly is subject to transverse shear and remote torsion. This constitutes a contact with a mutually defined extent. The condition for and location of the point of first slip are found. It is shown that torsion (anti-plane loading) encourages edge slip and transverse (in-plane) shear encourages slip from an interior point. The necessary condition for adhesion at the edge under the most general condition is derived.
Hiroshima temporalities
Authors: Shapiro Michael J
Published: July 2015

As is made evident in Rosalyn Deutsche’s recent book, Hiroshima After Iraq, Hiroshima keeps returning through the way diverse artistic genres evoke parallels between the bombing of Hiroshima and subsequent atrocities. After contrasting US and Japanese perspectives on the event of the bombing and drawing on Walter Benjamin’s concept of temporal plasticity (while at the same time heeding the relationship between presence and grammar), this essay ponders the future anterior of Hiroshima, its continuous will-have-beens, as new films and re-analyses of older ones (especially Hiroshima Mon Amour and The Cats of Mirikitani) continue to restage its significance.
The A-bomb victims’ plea for cosmopolitan commemoration
Authors: Saito Hiro
Published: July 2015

This paper critically revisits the A-bomb victims’ plea for cosmopolitan commemoration that takes humanity, rather than nationality, as a primary frame of reference. To this end, I first elaborate the nature of cosmopolitan commemoration espoused by A-bomb victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in comparison with another form of cosmopolitan commemoration pertaining to the Holocaust victims. I then analyze limitations in these cosmopolitan commemorations and explore how they can be transcended. In light of my critical analysis, I argue that genuinely cosmopolitan commemoration, a prerequisite for reconciliation and world peace, will appear on the horizon if the commemorations of the two events are synthesized with the help of ‘historians’ debate’ that continuously subjects the logic of nationalism to critical reflections. This synthesis has the potential to help people envision cosmopolitan politics – cosmopolitics – where they can engage in peaceful but agonistic struggles, not as enemies but as fellow humans, in collectively governing their lives in today’s war-torn world.
Biodiesel from waste cooking oil in Mexico City
Authors: Sheinbaum Claudia , Balam Marco V , Robles Guillermo , Lelo de Larrea Sebastian , Mendoza Roberto
Published: July 2015

The aim of this article is to evaluate the potential use of biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil in Mexico City. The study is divided in two main areas: the analysis of a waste cooking oil collection pilot project conducted in food markets of a Mexico City region; and the exhaust emissions performance of biodiesel blends measured in buses of the Mexico City public bus transportation network (RTP). Results from the waste cooking oil collection pilot project show that oil quantities disposed depend upon the type of food served and the operational practices in a cuisine establishment. Food markets’ waste cooking oil disposal rate from fresh oil is around 10%, but with a very high standard deviation. Emission tests were conducted using the Ride-Along-Vehicle-Emissions-Measuring System in two different types of buses while travelling a regular route. Results shows that the use of biodiesel blends reduces emissions only for buses that have exhaust gas recirculation systems, as analysed by repeated measure analysis of variance. The potential use in Mexico City of waste cooking oil for biodiesel is estimated to cover 2175 buses using a B10 blend.
Burst Suppression for ICP Control
Authors: Zeiler Frederick A. , Akoth Eva , Gillman Lawrence M. , West Michael
Published: July 2015

Background:

The goal of our study was to perform a systematic review of the literature to determine the effect that burst suppression has on intracranial pressure (ICP) control.

Methods:

All articles from MEDLINE, BIOSIS, EMBASE, Global Health, Scopus, Cochrane Library, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (inception to January 2015), reference lists of relevant articles, and gray literature were searched. The strength of evidence was adjudicated using both the Oxford and the Grading of Recommendation Assessment Development and Education (GRADE) methodology.

Results:

Seven articles were considered for review. A total of 108 patients were studied, all receiving burst suppression therapy. Two studies failed to document a decrease in ICP with burst suppression therapy. There were reports of severe hypotension and increased infection rates with barbiturate-based therapy. Etomidate-based suppressive therapy was linked to severe renal dysfunction.

Conclusions:

There currently exists both Oxford level 2b and GRADE C evidence to support that achieving burst suppression reduces ICP, and also has no effect on ICP, in severe traumatic brain injury. The literature suggests burst suppression therapy may be useful for ICP reduction in certain cases, although these situations are currently unclear. In addition, the impact on patient functional outcome is unclear. Further prospective study is warranted.
Fecal Microbiota Transplant
Authors: Han Samuel , Shannahan Sarah , Pellish Randall
Published: July 2015

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has steadily increased in incidence since the 1990s, with an associated increase in recurrence and severity, which has in turn lead to more intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. The development of recurrent CDI, in particular, has been associated with increasing patient morbidity and mortality as well as an immense financial burden on the health care system. Recently, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has received much publicity as an effective means of treatment for recurrent CDI. The goal of this review is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of CDI, with a particular focus on FMT and its utilization in the ICU.
Rape and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Examining the Mediating Role of Explicit Sex–Power Beliefs for Men Versus Women
Authors: Snipes Daniel J. , Calton Jenna M. , Green Brooke A. , Perrin Paul B. , Benotsch Eric G.
Published: July 2015

Many rape survivors exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and recent literature suggests survivors’ beliefs about sex and control may affect PTSD symptoms. The present study examined beliefs about sex and power as potential mediators of the relationship between rape and PTSD symptoms for men versus women. Participants ( N = 782) reported lifetime history of rape, current PTSD symptoms, and beliefs about sex and power. Women reported higher levels of lifetime history of rape than men (19.7% for women; 9.7% for men). While rape history predicted PTSD symptoms for both genders, beliefs about sex and power were shown to be a significant partial mediator of this relationship for men, but not for women. Results extend the literature on rape and PTSD by suggesting that survivors’ beliefs about sex and power are connected and can affect their PTSD symptoms. Additionally, results illustrate how sexual violence against men may reaffirm male gender roles that entail power and aggression, and ultimately affect trauma recovery.
Military Versus Civilian Murder-Suicide
Authors: Patton Christina L. , McNally Matthew R. , Fremouw William J.
Published: July 2015

Previous studies have implicated significant differences between military members and civilians with regard to violent behavior, including suicide, domestic violence, and harm to others, but none have examined military murder-suicide. This study sought to determine whether there were meaningful differences between military and civilian murder-suicide perpetrators. Using data from the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), military ( n = 259) and civilian ( n = 259) murder-suicide perpetrators were compared on a number of demographic, psychological, and contextual factors using chi-square analyses. Logistic regression was used to determine which variables predicted membership to the military or civilian perpetrator groups. Military murder-suicide perpetrators were more likely to be older, have physical health problems, be currently or formerly married, less likely to abuse substances, and to exhibit significantly different motives than civilian perpetrators. Logistic regression revealed that membership to the military, rather than the civilian, perpetrator group was predicted by age, physical health problems, and declining heath motive—reflecting the significance of a more than 15-year difference in mean age between the two groups. Findings point to the need to tailor suicide risk assessments to include questions specific to murder-suicide, to assess attitudes toward murder-suicide, and to the importance of assessing suicide and violence risk in older adult military populations.
Cognitive and Affective Empathy, Personal Belief in a Just World, and Bullying Among Offenders
Authors: López-Pérez Belén , Hanoch Yaniv , Holt Kayleigh , Gummerum Michaela
Published: July 2015

Bullying extracts a heavy toll on offenders and prison staff alike. Studying what factors may affect bullying is extremely important as this may help to minimize bullying in prison. Although there is research on the relationship between lack of empathy and positive attitude toward bullying, previous research has overlooked that age may influence this relationship. In fact, previous research has shown that there are changes in empathy across the life span. Therefore, we examined whether having a positive attitude toward bullying in offenders was predicted by age, mediated by cognitive/affective empathy. Another important factor in the prediction of positive attitudes toward bullying may be the belief in a just world, as having a weak belief is related to more aggressive outbursts. Given that there is scarce research in the topic, we examined the relationship between having a positive attitude toward bullying and personal belief in a just world. To that aim, 123 sentenced adult male prisoners, selected from a Category C prison in the United Kingdom completed different questionnaires to assess their levels of cognitive and affective empathy, positive attitude toward bullying, and personal belief in a just world. As expected, age predicted a positive attitude toward bullying, mediated by affective empathy. However, we did not find a positive relationship between a positive attitude toward bullying and a personal belief in a just world. The results are discussed in terms of their application in possible intervention programs.
After the Referendum
Authors: Ijabs Ivars
Published: July 2015

During the years 2011–2014, Latvia experienced a significant increase in the adoption and use of militant democracy measures—constitutional amendments, refusals of party registration, restrictions on referendums and popular initiatives. These events, triggered by a widely attended referendum on the introduction of Russian as the second state language, highlighted the problematic relations between democracy and nation-building in Latvia. Despite earlier expectations that the original militancy of Latvian democracy would decrease with the gradual integration of the Russophone minority, recent developments show that the defence of a particular type of nation-building has become an integral part of Latvian democracy. Contrary to earlier attempts to describe Latvia as an example of ethnic democracy, this article argues that the nation-building proceeds on the basis of a not fully consistent combination of elements of ethnic and liberal republican approaches.
External Conditionalities and Institutional Change
Authors: Joireman Sandra F.
Published: July 2015

Kosovo is one of several Western Balkan countries that are part of the next round of accession to the EU. Like Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia, it is also a country in which the history of conflict is recent and the benefits of EU membership ought to be a strong economic and political enticement to meet the standards necessary for membership. Yet, instead of major transformation of the post-conflict society towards democratization, economic development, and a robust human rights regime, the prospect of European Union membership appears to be leading to superficial legal changes without enforcement. This article investigates the tensions between internal challenges to legal change and external pressures for reform, adding to the literature on the decoupling of Europeanization and domestic change in candidate countries. A short analysis of one policy area, women’s property rights, illuminates the gaps between legal change and enforcement processes. The article also considers how and when a change in law can lead to social change. It is argued here that legal change in response to EU conditionalities may begin superficially, but creates an opportunity for collective action that can eventually lead to democratic change and a more robust enforcement of law.
Coalition Formation Decision Support System
Authors: Rohn Eli , Kalech Meir , Diskin Abraham
Published: July 2015

Many democratically elected representative governments around the world require the formation of a coalition to create a government that is expected to be durable and stable. Creating such a coalition is far from trivial. This research describes a computerized coalition formation decision support system that attempts to meet this challenging task and formally rank possible coalitions. We use theories from political science and utilize insights from artificial intelligence to build the tool. We demonstrate the tool’s utility and validity empirically by comparing historical coalitions to predictions made by the tool. Tests show that we are able to recommend quite accurately durable coalitions and assess which coalitions would most likely be unstable.
Thinking ‘Post-Racial’ Ideology Transnationally: The Contemporary Politics of Race and Indigeneity in the Americas
Authors: Da Costa Alexandre Emboaba
Published: July 2015

This article introduces the special issue on post-racial ideologies and politics in the Americas. It argues for the necessity of a transnational frame when examining the related, yet historically variable expressions of post-racial ideology and politics across diverse moments and contexts in the Western Hemisphere. The article examines various modalities of ‘post-racial’ thinking and politics, including mestizaje (racial and cultural mixture), colorblindness, and multiculturalism, elaborating their interrelated characteristics in relation to the silencing and minimization of racism and the elision of the role race plays in maintaining structural inequalities. The intersections between the post-racial and racial neoliberalism are highlighted as are the implications of post-racial ideologies for anti-racist and decolonial politics. Special issue article contributions are also described and situated.
Managers’ work and retirement: understanding the connections
Authors: Martin Bill , Lee Mary Dean
Published: July 2015

Private sector managers’ pathways through late career and retirement are important, but insufficiently studied. Based on a large qualitative study of retiring managers in big Canadian firms, this article explores the relationships between managers’ work during their careers, their retirement transitions and their retirement activities. Three distinctive patterns of managerial work and careers are found: those of expert managers, organization managers and strategic managers. They are strongly related to how managers end their ‘full commitment’ careers and then build retirement lives by combining leisure activities, family commitments, civic involvement and paid work. Variations in retirement pathways are not well predicted by either individualization theory or theories based on generational or class habitus. Managers appear to develop distinctive orientations to acting with agency that arise from the way managerial work is organized; and these frame managers’ retirement pathways. These findings may indicate why individualization does not necessarily lead to life course destandardization.
A mapping model for product surface design based on ergonomics requirements
Authors: Guiqin Li , Yang Chen , Xiaojian Liu , Lixin Lu
Published: July 2015

In this paper, a mapping model for product surface morphology design based on ergonomics is proposed. The method advances the traditional approaches based on anthropometric measurements to a new one based on digitised product surfaces; thus, it simplifies the complexity of non-uniform rational B-spline surface representation during product design. The method was constructed by converting the experimental data to the surface shapes based on the pressure distribution map. An adjustment algorithm is presented to eliminate the errors in mapping non-planar base shapes. The experimental mapping data are pretreated, so that the mapping process reflects the statistical characteristics of the tested groups as far as possible. Based on the mapping model, a prototype implementation system for ergonomic product design is developed. As an example, a car seat design is presented to show the performance and availability of the method.
Terminal area guidance for reusable launch vehicles
Authors: Zhou Min , Zhou Jun , Guo Jianguo
Published: July 2015

In this paper, a ranging-capability-estimation approach and an adaptive guidance law are developed for reusable launch vehicle during the terminal area energy management. The reference trajectory is planned within the neighborhood of the center of ranging capability. To estimate the ranging capability, a group of algebraic formulas are derived to compute its upper boundary, and an iteration logic is investigated to compute the lower boundary. This approach is simple and potential to be used on-board. A more precise range prediction and the consideration of bank angle and normal acceleration constraints improve the feasibility of the planned Shuttle-based ground track. In the longitudinal guidance, a new dynamic-pressure tracking scheme is designed to combine with the tracking of a reference altitude profile. This combination strategy guarantees the controlling of altitude, velocity, and flight-path angle. Finally, an automatic gain-tuning method, based on the feedback linearization technique, is developed for the proportional and derivative gains in the trajectory-tracking law. Numerical simulations of the X-33 demonstrate that the proposed ranging-capability-estimation approach has high precision, and its computation time is short; the new guidance law can automatically deliver the reusable launch vehicle to the desired approach and landing interface state even when there are initial-state dispersion and flying disturbances.
Adaptive constraint backstepping fault-tolerant control for small carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle with uncertain parameters
Authors: Zheng Feng-ying , Gong Hua-jun , Zhen Zi-yang
Published: July 2015

This paper addresses the control scheme of carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle systems in the presence of control input constraints, external disturbances, and actuator faults. The scheme is used for command tracking of angle of attack α, the sideslip angle β, and the bank angle of the aircraft φ. The control law makes use of command filters to directly accommodate magnitude, rate, and bandwidth constraints on the aircraft states and the actuator signals. The parameter update laws compensate for any uncertainties or changes in the aerodynamics. An appropriate fault controller structure is proposed, and the matching conditions are derived for fault compensation. The considered faults are modeled as both loss-of-effectiveness and lock-in-place. It is proved that the proposed control approach guarantees that all the signals of the resulting closed-loop system are bounded, and the tracking error between the system output and the reference signal converges to a small neighborhood of zero by appropriate choice of the design parameters. Initial simulations verify that the constraint adaptive control law performs well on the undamaged aircraft model. Maneuvers with some actuator faults are also simulated. The results of these simulations show that the proposed control approach is able to provide accurate tracking, even under some unknown aerodynamic parameters, actuator faults, and severe landing environment.
Positioning: Dialogical voice in mind and culture
Authors: Raggatt Peter T. F.
Published: July 2015

The article combines discourse analysis and dialogical self theory to propose an integrated model of positioning processes in social interaction. The model incorporates social positioning—a focus for discursive psychology—with reflexive positioning—a focus for dialogical self theory. To illustrate the model, a fictionalized scenario is presented involving two people who meet for a date at a restaurant. The discursive dynamics of the scenario are then parsed using the model. The sequelae to the encounter take in the social rules for conducting dates at restaurants, but also the life trajectories of those concerned, their social worlds, and their internal micro-dialogues. Bakhtin’s concept of “loophole” is invoked to conceptualize reflexivity in the self, in the context of interactional dialogues. In discussion, the prospects for using fictional accounts as tools for developing psychological theory are considered. Without innovation in methods, advances in our understanding of positioning processes may be compromised.
Understanding public perceptions of biotechnology through the “Integrative Worldview Framework”
Authors: De Witt Annick , Osseweijer Patricia , Pierce Robin
Published: July 2015

Biotechnological innovations prompt a range of societal responses that demand understanding. Research has shown such responses are shaped by individuals’ cultural worldviews. We aim to demonstrate how the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) can be used for analyzing perceptions of biotechnology, by reviewing (1) research on public perceptions of biotechnology and (2) analyses of the stakeholder-debate on the bio-based economy, using the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) as analytical lens. This framework operationalizes the concept of worldview and distinguishes between traditional, modern, and postmodern worldviews, among others. Applied to these literatures, this framework illuminates how these worldviews underlie major societal responses, thereby providing a unifying understanding of the literature on perceptions of biotechnology. We conclude the IWF has relevance for informing research on perceptions of socio-technical changes, generating insight into the paradigmatic gaps in social science, and facilitating reflexive and inclusive policy-making and debates on these timely issues.
Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality and Public Health in Urban Areas
Authors: Hassan Noor Artika , Hashim Zailina , Hashim Jamal Hisham
Published: July 2015

This review discusses how climate undergo changes and the effect of climate change on air quality as well as public health. It also covers the inter relationship between climate and air quality. The air quality discussed here are in relation to the 5 criteria pollutants; ozone (O3), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM). Urban air pollution is the main concern due to higher anthropogenic activities in urban areas. The implications on health are also discussed. Mitigating measures are presented with the final conclusion.
Initial Development of a Computer Algorithm to Identify Patients With Breast and Lung Cancer Having Poor Prognosis in a Safety Net Hospital
Authors: Rhodes Ramona L. , Kazi Sabiha , Xuan Lei , Amarasingham Ruben , Halm Ethan A.
Published: July 2015

Background:

Physicians often have difficulty with prognostication and identification of patients who are in need of counseling about options for care at the end of life. Consequently, the objective of this study was to describe the initial stages in development of a computerized algorithm that will identify breast and lung cancer patients most in need of counseling about care options, including advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice.

Methods:

Clinical and non-clinical data were extracted from the electronic medical record of breast and lung cancer patients admitted to a large, urban hospital for the year 2010. These data were used to create an electronic (e-EOL) algorithm designed to identify advanced cancer patients who could benefit from in-depth discussion about end-of-life care options.

Results:

There were 369 eligible breast (42%) and lung (58%) cancer patients identified by ICD-9 code. The e-EOL algorithm identified 53 (14%) patients that met assigned criteria (presence of metastatic disease and albumin < 2.5 g/dl). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the first generation algorithm were 21%, 96%, and 91% when compared to physician expert chart review. Survival analysis showed that 6-month survival for algorithm positive cases was 46% versus 78% for algorithm negative cases, and 1-year survival was 32% versus 72%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Initial testing of the e-EOL algorithm appears to be promising. Other markers of advanced illness will added to the algorithm to improve its test operating characteristics so it may be used to identify patients with poor prognosis in real time.
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Motivational Stage-Tailored Intervention to Advance Care Planning
Authors: Ko Eunjeong , Hohman Melinda , Lee Jaehoon , Ngo Ai-Nhat , Woodruff Susan I.
Published: July 2015

Aim:

This pilot study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a stage-tailored motivational interviewing intervention with education that focuses on changes in end-of-life (EOL) communication, completion of advance directives (ADs), and readiness for advance care planning (ACP).

Methods:

One group pretest–posttest design was implemented with 30 low-income older adults.

Results:

This pilot study showed its feasibility in enhancing ACP. Action for ACP—that is, identifying a proxy for decision making and documenting EOL treatment preference in an AD—increased significantly by 23.3% (n = 7). The participants’ readiness for ACP, knowledge, self-efficacy, positive attitudes, and perceived importance of ACP increased significantly after the intervention.

Conclusion:

Health care professionals and service providers who interact with older adults should tailor ACP dialogues in accordance with individuals’ motivation.
Somewhere In-Between
Authors: Daskalaki Maria , Butler Christina L. , Petrovic Jelena
Published: July 2015

This article discusses the de/construction of liminal identities in relation to translocal patterns of work. Through a phenomenological analysis of three autobiographical narratives, it informs management and organization studies, discussing liminality and translocality as embedded and embodied phenomena experienced in relational, spatio-temporal, and inter-corporeal levels. In particular, the article proposes that a post-dichotomous conceptualization of place and non-place, self and other, and fixity and mobility unveils the complexities of studying identity, liminality, and translocality as interrelated phenomena. Liminal identities are explored as socio-spatial, temporary crystallizations of translocal bodily experiences, disrupted by differentially embodying displacements and emplacements across space–time. Finally, we suggest that translocal socio-spatial scales are inter-corporeal performances that challenge both material and immaterial boundaries. The article concludes with the contributions of this work to identity, liminality, and translocality studies and a discussion of future research directions.
Vision-based sensing of UAV attitude and altitude from downward in-flight images
Authors: Rawashdeh Nathir A , Rawashdeh Osamah A , Sababha Belal H
Published: July 2015

Autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) often carry video cameras as part of their payload. Outdoor video captured by such cameras can be used to estimate the attitude and altitude of the UAV by detecting the location of the horizon in the video frames. This paper presents a video frame processing algorithm for estimating the pitch and roll of a UAV, as well as its altitude. The frames are obtained from a downward pointing video camera equipped with a fisheye lens. These open-loop estimates can serve as redundant data used to implement graceful-degradation in the event that the main closed-loop control sensors fail, or for fault-tolerance purposes to augment inertial sensors for increased accuracy. The estimated values had a mean error of ±0.7 angular degrees for roll and ±0.9 angular degrees for pitch, while the altitude estimation from the video had a mean error of ±0.9 meters. The results are presented and compared to actual attitude and altitude values obtained from a traditional inertial measurement unit and, in the case of altitude comparison, an absolute air pressure sensor. The algorithm was developed on a personal computer to work at 10 frames per second and uses only simple image processing functions that can be deployed using open source libraries on lightweight computing boards capable of image processing.
Vortex suppression and nano-vibration reduction of aerostatic bearings by arrayed microhole restrictors
Authors: Chen Xuedong , Chen Han , Zhu Jincheng , Jiang Wei
Published: July 2015

Air vortex flow can induce small amplitude vibration of aerostatic bearings on the order of nanometers, which is known to be harmful to positioning accuracy of aerostatically supported devices in ultra-precision applications. In this paper, in order to suppress the vortex flow and reduce vibration of aerostatic bearings, a novel design of arrayed microhole restrictor (AMR) is proposed, and its effects are numerically and experimentally investigated. By computational fluid dynamics analysis, the transient flow features are studied for aerostatic bearings with AMR and conventional restrictors, and static performances of the bearings are also compared. Vibration strength of the bearing is measured experimentally to validate the effectiveness of AMR. The results show that vortex shedding in the recess is suppressed and the vibration can be effectively reduced by AMR, while load capacity and stiffness of the bearing remain unchanged.
Perturbation–iteration method for strongly nonlinear vibrations
Authors: Pakdemirli Mehmet
Published: July 2015

The new perturbation iteration method developed by Pakdemirli and co-workers for regular problems is extended to cover problems with blow up secularities for sufficiently long time intervals. The Duffing equation, the quintic Duffing equation, systems with quadratic and cubic nonlinearities and systems with odd nonlinearities are treated using the new approach. In all cases, the perturbation parameter and/or the nonlinearity coefficients are selected to be large so that the system is strongly nonlinear. Approximate analytical solutions are presented and contrasted with the numerical solutions. It is concluded that the method outlined is reliable for strongly nonlinear equations having constant-amplitude type solutions.
Business Models for Sustainability
Authors: Gauthier Caroline , Gilomen Bettina
Published: July 2015

The disruptive nature of many sustainability solutions may be the main barrier to their implementation and dispersal: adopting a business model perspective may help address this problem. Previous literature has explored how organizations can convert their supply chains and customer interfaces toward a sustainability focus, but has generally not considered links to other business model elements—such as value propositions and financial models—in exploring business model transitions. Moreover, the implementation of sustainable solutions often relies on projects being implemented and managed collectively, so that organizations need to adapt their business models to deliver value propositions collectively, a phenomenon that research on business models for sustainability should address. This article addresses these issues by exploring changes in business model elements in detail via an in-depth qualitative study of two French sustainable urban projects— Caserne de Bonne and IssyGrid®. Our results show, first, that it is worth considering the role played by business model elements (the value proposition and the financial model) that literature does not usually discuss in enabling the management of or transition to business models for sustainability. Second, considering all four business model elements allows us to develop a typology of their transformations in organizations working toward sustainable solutions. Third, introducing the necessary collective dimension of sustainable solutions highlights the role of agency in facilitating their development and adoption.
Scaling up Hartree–Fock calculations on Tianhe-2
Authors: Chow Edmond , Liu Xing , Misra Sanchit , Dukhan Marat , Smelyanskiy Mikhail , Hammond Jeff R. , Du Yunfei , Liao Xiang-Ke , Dubey Pradeep
Published: July 2015

This paper presents a new optimized and scalable code for Hartree–Fock self-consistent field iterations. Goals of the code design include scalability to large numbers of nodes, and the capability to simultaneously use CPUs and Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors. Issues we encountered as we optimized and scaled up the code on Tianhe-2 are described and addressed. A major issue is load balance, which is made challenging due to integral screening. We describe a general framework for finding a well-balanced static partitioning of the load in the presence of screening. Work stealing is used to polish the load balance. Performance results are shown on Stampede and Tianhe-2 supercomputers. Scalability is demonstrated on large simulations involving 2938 atoms and 27,394 basis functions, utilizing 8100 nodes of Tianhe-2.
Walking Histories, Un/making Places
Authors: Aoki Julia , Yoshimizu Ayaka
Published: July 2015

This article is a methodological examination situated within a larger multisited project on the formation and regulation of communities of sex workers in Yokohama, Japan, and Vancouver, Canada, in historical and social discourse. Tracing the fragmented and elliptical histories of these communities, we are attentive to the potential for walking, and specifically walking tours, as an ethnographic method, a mode of historical engagement, and a means to reflect on our unfolding and shifting space–body relationships as we move across spaces of inquiry with varying levels of ease/tension. We seek to understand walking tours as a means and method to critically engage the histories that we seek to uncover and the absences we face in our attempts to uncover them—not only the social relations that constitute and are constituted by the space but also our own relationship to current communities that exist in the space—and the ways our lifeworld entanglements interfere with and give shape to our research endeavors. We problematize academic tendecies to situate lifeworld entanglements as secondary or superfluous to the research process. By tactically spatializing our personal experiences in a series of endnoted digressions, we make strange academic writing conventions of appropriate form and content.
Bohemianism and Urban Regeneration
Authors: Huston Simon , Wadley David , Fitzpatrick Rachael
Published: July 2015

Despite a burgeoning literature, the role of bohemians in the urban milieu and in initiatives toward regeneration remains contested. As a first step toward later modeling and application, we present a thoroughgoing literature review, a short commentary on bohemian phenomena, and suggested readings. Since qualitative sources dominate the field, the review is structured rather than fully systematic in the scientific sense. After discarding innumerable irrelevant and incidental papers, three strands remained for subsequent analysis: “bohemian,” “bohemian + creative-city,” and “smart regeneration.” The first is static or historically contextualized, situated best in the humanities. The last two strands are dynamic and dissect, descriptively or analytically, elements of bohemianism relevant to the urban scene. Wherever and whenever they emerge, radical bohemian artists test existing limits or incite transformative action.
Second screen effects
Authors: Nee Rebecca Coates , Dozier David M
Published: July 2015

Television (TV) audiences are increasingly using portable communication technologies to multitask, look up information online, check social network sites, and comment on the programs being watched. Although multitasking can distract audiences away from the TV content, the use of a second screen in a manner that complements the mass communication content is a unique phenomenon that may lead to positive outcomes. This study, based on survey data collected from a national stratified random sample ( N = 1417), supports a theoretical model linking frequency of complementary simultaneous media use to engagement, which in turn mediates incidental learning. Findings may be useful for mass communication scholars and practitioners seeking to understand the effects of dual electronic media use.