bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entrepreneurship and process studies
Authors: Hjorth Daniel , Holt Robin , Steyaert Chris
Published: August 2015

Process studies put movement, change and flow first; to study processually is to consider the world as restless, something underway, becoming and perishing, without end. To understand firms processually is to accept but also – and this is harder perhaps – to absorb this fluidity, to treat a variable as just that, a variable. The resonance with entrepreneurship studies is obvious. If any field is alive to, and fully resonant with, a processual understanding of, for example, the creation of firms, it is entrepreneurship studies. This special issue is an attempt to consider the promise and potential of processual approaches to studying, researching and practising entrepreneurship. The articles in the issue attest to an increasing sensitivity to processual thinking. We argue that appreciating entrepreneurial phenomena processually opens up the field to an understanding of entrepreneurship as organizational creation – not simply the creation of new organizations but also experiments in new organizational form.
The potential of trading activity income to fund Third Sector organisations operating in deprived areas
Authors: Thompson Piers , Williams Robert , Kwong Caleb , Thomas Brychan
Published: August 2015

In the United Kingdom, as in other countries, Third Sector Organisations have been drawn towards income sources associated with trading activities, but many remain reliant on grant funding to support such activities. Using a multivariate analysis approach and data from the National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises, it is found that trading activities are used relatively commonly in deprived areas. These organisations are also more likely to attempt to access public sector funds. This suggests policy-makers need to consider the impact of funding cuts on Third Sector Organisations in the most deprived areas as Third Sector Organisations are unlikely to achieve their objectives without continuing support.
Associations Between Problem Behaviors and Early Vocabulary Skills Among Hispanic Dual-Language Learners in Pre-K
Authors: Hagan-Burke Shanna , Soares Denise A. , Gonzalez Jorge E. , Zhu Leina , Davis Heather S. , Kwok Oi-man , Pollard-Durodola Sharolyn D. , Saenz Laura M. , Resendez Nora M.
Published: August 2015

This study examined the relations between problem behaviors and early learning outcomes among 138 children in dual-language pre-K programs who were identified at the beginning of the school year to be at risk for difficulties in early language and literacy development. Children’s expressive and receptive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and conceptual thinking skills were assessed at the beginning of pre-K and again at the end of the school year. Their problem behaviors (externalizing, bullying, hyperactivity, and internalizing) were assessed midyear via teacher ratings. With the exception of internalizing problem behaviors, bivariate correlations indicated virtually no associations between children’s entry-level academic skills and midyear ratings of problem behaviors. However, multilevel models controlling for student- and teacher-level variables revealed that midyear ratings of problem behaviors were statistically significant predictors of poor outcomes on several vocabulary-related measures administered at the end of pre-K.
An Empirical Observation of Chinese Film Performance Drivers
Authors: Wu Shao-An
Published: August 2015

This study focused on the performance drivers of Chinese-language films released and screened in Mainland China. The associations among potential motion pictures’ performance drivers (namely consumer-perceived quality, genre, release timing, director, and star power) and the box-office revenue for a sample of Chinese-language films released in China during 2010–2013 were assessed. The results showed that consumer-perceived quality significantly explained box-office revenue. Star directors, actors/actresses, and genre also accounted for both box-office revenue and consumer-perceived quality. These findings provide useful insights for making decisions in introducing foreign films to the Chinese film market.
Turn That Racket Down! Physical Anhedonia and Diminished Pleasure From Music
Authors: Nusbaum Emily C. , Silvia Paul J. , Beaty Roger E. , Burgin Chris J. , Kwapil Thomas R.
Published: August 2015

Why do some people not enjoy listening to music as much as others? Two studies explored whether people high in physical anhedonia—an aspect of schizotypy that is associated with reduced pleasure from physical stimuli—are less engaged in the musical world than other people. Study 1 examined individual differences in music engagement and experience. People with higher levels of physical anhedonia reported valuing music less, experiencing fewer aesthetic emotions in response to music, liking fewer genres of music, and having less music experience. Study 2 used experience sampling to examine how individual differences in physical anhedonia predicted music engagement, music listening habits, and the aesthetic experiences of music in everyday life. During a typical week, people with higher levels of physical anhedonia spent less time listening to music. Taken together, these results suggest that as physical anhedonia increases, people become increasingly detached from and disinterested in music.
Depth-of-Focus Affects 3D Perception in Stereoscopic Displays
Authors: Vienne Cyril , Blondé Laurent , Mamassian Pascal
Published: August 2015

Stereoscopic systems present binocular images on planar surface at a fixed distance. They induce cues to flatness, indicating that images are presented on a unique surface and specifying the relative depth of that surface. The center of interest of this study is on a second problem, arising when a 3D object distance differs from the display distance. As binocular disparity must be scaled using an estimate of viewing distance, object depth can thus be affected through disparity scaling. Two previous experiments revealed that stereoscopic displays can affect depth perception due to conflicting accommodation and vergence cues at near distances. In this study, depth perception is evaluated for farther accommodation and vergence distances using a commercially available 3D TV. In Experiment 1, we evaluated depth perception of 3D stimuli at different vergence distances for a large pool of participants. We observed a strong effect of vergence distance that was bigger for younger than for older participants, suggesting that the effect of accommodation was reduced in participants with emerging presbyopia. In Experiment 2, we extended 3D estimations by varying both the accommodation and vergence distances. We also tested the hypothesis that setting accommodation open loop by constricting pupil size could decrease the contribution of focus cues to perceived distance. We found that the depth constancy was affected by accommodation and vergence distances and that the accommodation distance effect was reduced with a larger depth-of-focus. We discuss these results with regard to the effectiveness of focus cues as a distance signal. Overall, these results highlight the importance of appropriate focus cues in stereoscopic displays at intermediate viewing distances.
Bilateral Advantages in Subitizing With Visual Masking
Authors: Pryor Campbell G. , Howe Piers D. L.
Published: August 2015

Performance on a range of visual-processing tasks has been shown to improve when information is split bilaterally across the left and right visual hemifields rather than being restricted to a single visual hemifield. However, a recent study by Delvenne et al. found no such bilateral advantage for subitizing, which is our ability to rapidly and accurately enumerate small quantities of objects. This finding is particularly surprising, as it contradicts the prediction of FINgers of INSTantiation theory that subitizing should benefit from bilateral presentation. Our study investigated the issue by determining if there are any circumstances where a bilateral advantage for subitization occurs. Contrary to Delvenne et al., we found that subitizing could show bilateral advantages, but only when the display was backward-masked. We discuss these findings in relation to how the rate of encoding and the time available for this encoding may affect bilateral advantages in subitizing. A general model is proposed under which bilateral advantages could be explained.
No Relationship Between Binocular Rivalry Rate and Eye-Movement Profiles in Healthy Individuals: A Bayes Factor Analysis
Authors: Law Phillip C. F. , Paton Bryan K. , Riddiford Jacqueline A. , Gurvich Caroline T. , Ngo Trung T. , Miller Steven M.
Published: August 2015

Binocular rivalry (BR) is an intriguing phenomenon in which conflicting images are presented, one to each eye, resulting in perceptual alternations between each image. The rate of BR has been proposed as a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorder because (a) it is well established that this highly heritable psychiatric condition is associated with slower BR rate than in controls, and (b) an individual’s BR rate is approximately 50% genetically determined. However, eye movements (EMs) could potentially account for the slow BR trait given EM anomalies are observed in psychiatric populations, and there has been report of an association between saccadic rate and BR rate in healthy individuals. Here, we sought to assess the relationship between BR rate and EMs in healthy individuals ( N = 40, mean age = 34.4) using separate BR and EM tasks, with the latter measuring saccades during anticipatory, antisaccade, prosaccade, self-paced, free-viewing, and smooth-pursuit tasks. No correlation was found between BR rate and any EM measure for any BR task ( p > .01) with substantial evidence favoring this lack of association (BF01 > 3). This finding is in contrast to previous data and has important implications for using BR rate as an endophenotype. If replicated in clinical psychiatric populations, EM interpretations of the slow BR trait can be excluded.
Korea’s Post-1997 Restructuring
Authors: Park Hyeng-Joon
Published: August 2015

This paper aims to transcend current debates on Korea’s post-1997 restructuring, which rely on a dichotomy between domestic industrial capital and foreign financial capital, by adopting Nitzan and Bichler’s capital-as-power perspective. Based on this approach, the paper analyzes Korea’s recent political economic restructuring as the latest phase in the evolution of capitalist power and its transformative regimes of capital accumulation.
Can Public Policies Bring about the Democratization of the Outsourcing of Household Tasks?
Authors: Devetter François-Xavier
Published: August 2015

For twenty years or so, the outsourcing of household tasks has been considered to be increasing in many countries. In some countries (particularly in France), extensive public policies have been put in place to develop demand and create employment by explicitly seeking to democratize consumption, which still predominantly concerns more affluent households. By using both quantitative and qualitative data, this paper aims to gain a better understanding of the factors of demand for these services and to examine the possibility of bringing the process of democratization to a successful conclusion. Due to the originality of the data used, my approach differs from previous research in two main areas: first, it highlights the lack of democratization of the consumption of these services (among working-age households), and second, it identifies the two forms of inequality underlying their development.
Can Clinical Assessment of Locomotive Body Function Explain Gross Motor Environmental Performance in Cerebral Palsy?
Authors: Sanz Mengibar Jose Manuel , Santonja-Medina Fernando , Sanchez-de-Muniain Paloma , Canteras-Jordana Manuel
Published: August 2015

Gross Motor Function Classification System has discriminative purposes but does not assess short-term therapy goals. Locomotion Stages (LS) classify postural body functions and independent activity components. Assessing the relation between Gross Motor Function Classification System level and Locomotion Stages will make us understand if clinical assessment can explain and predict motor environmental performance in cerebral palsy. A total of 462 children were assessed with both scales. High reliability and strong negative correlation (–0.908) for Gross Motor Function Classification System and Locomotion Stages at any age was found. Sensitivity was 83%, and specificity and positive predictive value were 100% within the same age range. Regression analysis showed detailed probabilities for the realization of the Gross Motor Function Classification System depending on the Locomotion Stages and the age group. Postural body function measure with Locomotion Stages is reliable, sensitive, and specific for gross motor function and able to predict environmental performance.
Medicaid IBCLC Service Coverage following the Affordable Care Act and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Update
Authors: Herold Rachel A. , Bonuck Karen
Published: August 2015

Background:

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are associated with increased rates and duration of breastfeeding. Recent US legislation offers opportunities for private and public insurers to include IBCLC services as a covered benefit.

Objective:

To explore US states’ Medicaid coverage of IBCLC services following January 2014 legislative expansions of coverage for preventive health services.

Methods:

To assess IBCLC reimbursement practices, 20 states, stratified by Medicaid expansion (yes/no) and 3-month exclusive breastfeeding rates, were selected to participate. An electronic survey was sent to Medicaid and Maternal Health Directors, breastfeeding coordinators, and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) coordinators between July and December 2014. Email follow-ups clarified missing or ambiguous responses.

Results:

Of the 15 states responding, 9 had Medicaid expansion. None of the states permitted IBCLCs to bill for services autonomously. In 9 states, IBCLC services were covered with some type of stipulation, for example, billing under a physician. Of the 9 states with IBCLC coverage, 7 had accepted Medicaid expansion. States with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding were also more likely to provide IBCLC coverage.

Conclusion:

Recent legislative changes to public and private insurance that could expand coverage of IBCLCs have not yielded appreciable changes, particularly in states without Medicaid expansion. There is a need for research on the effects of adopting expanded coverage for IBCLCs and advocacy to do so.
Community-Based Participatory Initiatives to Increase Breastfeeding Rates in Indiana
Authors: Friesen Carol A. , Hormuth Laura J. , Cardarelli Tina L.
Published: August 2015

In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the Indiana State Department of Health funding for breastfeeding activities. The grant, issued in part in response to the 2011 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, focused on providing funding and technical support to small community-based organizations to address challenges encountered by breastfeeding mothers. Indiana used the funds to develop the Community Breastfeeding Support Initiative (CBSI). The goal was to provide funding and technical support to small community-based organizations to carry out self-selected projects in their communities. The 13 CBSI programs served 1345 individual clients (n = 3664 visits) during the 9-month period. This article provides valuable information about collaboration at the state level and the supporting infrastructure in place to carry out this project. Our findings about the number of clients served, number of visits, community-specific programs and activities, and lessons learned can be used by other organizations as they plan breastfeeding support programs for their community.
The Mediating Effect of Leader–Member Dyadic Communication Style Agreement on the Relationship Between Servant Leadership and Group-Level Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Authors: Abu Bakar Hassan , McCann Robert M.
Published: August 2015

This research examines how dyadic communication agreement in the workplace may operate at the dyadic-within group level as a process variable that mediates the relationship between servant leadership and group organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In doing so, we propose a model of leader–member dyadic communication whereby communication style agreement mediates the relationships between servant leadership and group-level OCB in work groups. The model is tested by using hierarchical linear modeling with data obtained from a sample of 510 employees and 59 work groups in three Malaysian organizations. Results show that servant leadership is related to leader–member dyadic communication style agreement in the workplace at the individual level and that the servant leadership–group-level OCB link is partially mediated by leader–member dyadic communication style agreement in the workplace. These findings partially validate our proposed model and provide empirical support for the central roles of communication exchange processes in work groups.
(Re)constructing the Pipeline: Workers, Environmentalists and Ideology in Media Coverage of the Keystone XL Pipeline
Authors: Kojola Erik
Published: August 2015

Environmental protection is presumed to damper economic growth and media accounts of resource extraction often portray trade-offs between jobs and the environment. However, there is limited evidence that environmental protection universally costs jobs and heavily polluting industries provide few jobs in comparison to environmental impacts. Therefore, how has media discourse contributed to the taken-for-granted division between the economy and the environment? This paper uses the Keystone XL pipeline controversy as a case of the symbolical conflict between supporters of growth and conservation to explore the role of ideology and power in media discourse. I use frame analysis of newspaper articles to explore the representations of labor and the environment and how hegemonic ideology legitimizes resource extraction. My analysis reveals binary framing that constructed the pipeline as a political controversy over the trade-off between the environment and the economy, which made conflict between workers and environmentalists sensible, and silenced alternatives.
Fabrication of metal-matrix AL7075T651/TiN nano composite employing friction stir process
Authors: Al-Ghamdi Khalid A , Hussain G , Hashemi R
Published: August 2015

Friction stir processing is a novel material fabrication technique. This study was undertaken in order to investigate a suitable set of friction stir processing parameters to form AL7075T651/TiN nano composite. A number of samples were produced by varying the process parameters, namely, tool-pin geometry, number of passes and the direction of tool rotation. The pin geometries employed include triangular, square and threaded taper; the passes were varied over two levels (i.e. 2 and 4) and the tool rotation was changed as clockwise and counter clockwise between the successive passes. The effect of these variations on the composite was quantified through several microstructural and mechanical tests. The increase in the number of passes was observed to improve various characteristics of the composite (i.e. distribution of TiN particles, grain refinement and mechanical properties). The effect of tool geometry, however, was associated with the choice of the number of passes. The change in the direction of tool rotation between the consecutive passes was witnessed to improve the distribution of TiN particles. From the X-ray diffraction analysis of the samples, the formation of several new phases was detected. These were found to have effect on the mechanical properties of the composite. A good trade-off among various properties of the composite (i.e. hardness, tensile strength and ductility) was realized when the friction stir processing was performed using square tool and employing four passes with simultaneously changing the direction of tool rotation between the successive passes. This study is the first report on the fabrication of AL7075T651/TiN nano composite through friction stir processing route.
Almost global trajectory tracking control of quadrotors with constrained control inputs
Authors: Zuo Zongyu , Ding Xiaofeng , Liu Hao
Published: August 2015

Control system design of small unmanned aerial vehicles with constrained inputs is an important design problem in practice which is usually not taken into account in many autopilot systems. This paper addresses a new control algorithm for trajectory tracking control of quadrotor aircrafts in the presence of control input constraint. To convert tracking-control problem to regulator one, the modified Rodrigues parameters (MRPs) based relative position and attitude kinematic and dynamic equations of a quadrotor are developed. The proposed algorithm employs the cascaded control scheme that is connected by a MRPs attitude extraction algorithm. The almost global closed-loop stability is guaranteed via the use of Lyapunov analysis tools, and an implicit manipulation for input constraint is obtained by employing the properties of the MRPs representation and hyperbolic tangent function. Finally, simulations are performed to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Comparing subsistence strategies in different landscapes of North China 10,000 years ago
Authors: Yang Xiaoyan , Ma Zhikun , Li Jun , Yu Jincheng , Stevens Chris , Zhuang Yijie
Published: August 2015

A recent switch in the study of the beginning of agriculture is to demonstrate the increasingly closer interaction between people and the landscape and how this would have played a crucial role in the transition to agriculture. Understanding the palaeo-ecology of the local environments at key sites and its relationship with subsistence strategies is critical to an improved appreciation of such interactions. This article examines macro- and micro-plant remains discovered at two important sites in North China, both dated to around 10,000 cal. yr BP. These two sites, Zhuannian and Nanzhuangtou, are located on the terrace of the Bai River in the Yan Mountains and next to Baiyangdian Lake on the piedmont of the Taihang Mountains, respectively. The floral remains at these two sites provide a great opportunity to examine (1) post-Pleistocene subsistence strategies, (2) the increasing consumption of millets and grassy plants and its significance and (3) the intra-regional diversity in food exploitation and its relationships with local environments. While the macro-plant remains at Nanzhuangtou indicate the importance of aquatic plants in the palaeo-diet, those at Zhuannian suggest a tendency of exploiting tree plants. This significance of these diversified plant food exploitation strategies by the last hunter-gatherers should be paid more attention in future research. Our data also once again confirm the importance of millet consumption to these hunter-gatherers on the eve of millet domestication.
1500-year cycle dominated Holocene dynamics of the Yellow River delta, China
Authors: Yi Liang , Chen Shenliang , Ortiz Joseph D , Chen Guangquan , Peng Jun , Liu Feng , Chen Yanping , Deng Chenglong
Published: August 2015

The world’s mega-deltas are extremely important from a human perspective and attract considerable effort to reveal their evolution, growth-related driving forces, and human impacts. Here, we report a case study on the Holocene deltaic evolution of the Yellow River, through development of a conceptual model, which is compared with paleo-proxy to analyze the forcing acting on the delta. The main conclusion is that superlobe switching was modulated by the 1500-year cycle. Cooling in Mongolia in response to strong Bond IRD events, which is coincident with warming in eastern China due to a strong Kuroshio Current, enhances the meridional temperature gradient, which then increases cyclone frequency and activates dust storms and terrestrial erosion throughout the catchment. Enhanced erosion supplies great amounts of material to the Yellow River and causes channel evulsion and superlobe development, expressed as dominant 1500-year cycle. At the same time, summer monsoon and solar forcing are uncorrected with deltaic evolution on these timescales. Therefore, we conclude that Holocene dynamics of the delta on a millennial timescale was dominated by winter cyclone activity across northern China and Mongolia.
Histoprotective effect of vitamin D against carbon tetrachloride nephrotoxicity in rats
Authors: Elmubarak SMEO , Özsoy N
Published: August 2015

This study investigated the protective effect of vitamin D against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups ((A) control; (B) 10-week exposure to CCl4; (C) 10-week exposure to CCl4 + vitamin D treatment; and (D) 10-week exposure to CCl4 + 12 weeks of vitamin D treatment). The CCl4 dose (1.5 ml kg−1) was injected subcutaneously twice a week, while the 0.5 mg kg−1 dose of vitamin D was administered intraperitoneally every day, as appropriate for each group. Whole animal and kidney weights as well as serum urea, creatinine, and glucose levels were measured. Kidney tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin, Masson’s trichrome, and periodic acid–Schiff. Tubular and glomerular degeneration were detected in the kidney tissues of CCl4-treated rats, together with dilatation and vacuolization within the tubules and hemorrhage in the intertubular region. In the kidney glomeruli; congestion, atrophy, and adhesion to parietal layer were observed. Tissue disorganization and aggregation of Bowman’s capsules were noted. Mononuclear cell infiltration was observed between the glomeruli and the tubules. In contrast, the kidney sections and functional parameters of vitamin D-treated rats were similar to the controls, suggesting that vitamin D treatment is able to reduce renal damage.
Applications of temporal kernel canonical correlation analysis in adherence studies
Authors: John Majnu , Lencz Todd , Ferbinteanu Janina , Gallego Juan A , Robinson Delbert G
Published: August 2015

Adherence to medication is often measured as a continuous outcome but analyzed as a dichotomous outcome due to lack of appropriate tools. In this paper, we illustrate the use of the temporal kernel canonical correlation analysis (tkCCA) as a method to analyze adherence measurements and symptom levels on a continuous scale. The tkCCA is a novel method developed for studying the relationship between neural signals and hemodynamic response detected by functional MRI during spontaneous activity. Although the tkCCA is a powerful tool, it has not been utilized outside the application that it was originally developed for. In this paper, we simulate time series of symptoms and adherence levels for patients with a hypothetical brain disorder and show how the tkCCA can be used to understand the relationship between them. We also examine, via simulations, the behavior of the tkCCA under various missing value mechanisms and imputation methods. Finally, we apply the tkCCA to a real data example of psychotic symptoms and adherence levels obtained from a study based on subjects with a first episode of schizophrenia, schizophreniform or schizoaffective disorder.
A comparative study of matched pair designs with two binary endpoints
Authors: Jiang Yuanyuan , Xu Jin
Published: August 2015

We study matched pair designs with two binary endpoints under three different approaches. Power approximation and sample size calculation are derived under these situations and facilitated by R programs. An adaptive design with sample size re-estimation is also presented. Through extensive simulations, we provide general guidelines for practitioners to choose the best approach according to the ranges of the interested parameters in the sense of feasibility and robustness. Application to a cancer chemotherapy trial is illustrated.
Microfoundations and Marxism
Authors: King John E
Published: August 2015

The ‘microfoundations’ metaphor had been used by mainstream macroeconomists with the intention of explaining macroeconomics in terms of microeconomics, or more precisely in terms of statements about individuals, viewed as representative agents with rational expectations who maximise lifetime utility, subject to shocks within a general equilibrium framework. Of the three reasons for rejecting this explanatory strategy, the focus here is on downward causation. Although individuals are heavily influenced by society, their decisions and behaviour are not sufficient as the explanatory foundations for a macrotheory.
Do Portuguese Preschoolers With High Hyperactive Behaviors Make More Progress Than Those With Low Hyperactivity After Parental Intervention?
Authors: Azevedo Andreia Fernandes , Seabra-Santos Maria João , Gaspar Maria Filomena , Homem Tatiana Carvalho
Published: August 2015

Improvement over 12 months of two groups of Portuguese preschoolers is analyzed after a parental intervention with the Incredible Years Basic Parent Program (IY). The groups were defined by the children’s initial levels of hyperactive behaviors (high hyperactivity, n = 34; low hyperactivity, n = 18). Changes in the children’s reported hyperactive behaviors and in mothers’ self-reported parental practices and mood were evaluated from baseline to the 12-month follow-up. Preschoolers with higher initial hyperactivity levels seem to have benefitted more from the IY intervention compared to children with lower baseline levels. However, this low-hyperactivity group improved as well. Findings also indicate high levels of maternal acceptance and satisfaction with the intervention in both groups, although some differences were observed. Overall, findings suggest that IY is equally suitable for parents of Portuguese preschoolers with high- and low-hyperactive behaviors at baseline, highlighting the usefulness of the program for children with different risk levels.
Effects of an Animated Book Reading Intervention on Emergent Literacy Skill Development
Authors: Schryer Erin , Sloat Elizabeth , Letourneau Nicole
Published: August 2015

Early language and reading experiences are known to predict later reading success. Interactive shared reading activities particularly benefit children’s emergent literacy development. Converging research has begun to show that certain educational television programs can significantly influence early literacy skill acquisition. There is a need, however, to combine interactive shared reading with the educational television production techniques known to purposefully facilitate emergent literacy. This research begins to address that need by pilot testing a research-based animated book reading intervention developed specifically to promote the vocabulary, alphabet knowledge, print concept, and rhyme knowledge of preschoolers in child care between the ages of 3 and 5 years. Employing a quasi-experimental pre- and posttest research design, results indicate that children in the experimental group made greater gains on standardized emergent literacy measures compared with children in a control group. Early findings suggest that the animated book reading intervention may be a feasible and effective way for child care educators to teach early reading skills.
Orientation of the Subtalar Joint
Authors: Krähenbühl Nicola , Tschuck Michael , Bolliger Lilianna , Hintermann Beat , Knupp Markus
Published: August 2015

Background:

Up to 60% of patients with an osteoarthritic ankle joint develop talar tilt with progression of the osteoarthritic process. The configuration of the subtalar joint, in particular the posterior facet, may contribute to the development of this wear pattern. Recently, the subtalar vertical angle (SVA) was used to describe the posterior facet of the subtalar joint in the frontal plane. The aim of this work was to analyze if the orientation of the subtalar joint may influence the type of asymmetric ankle osteoarthritis.

Methods:

In total, 60 ankles were retrospectively analyzed including 40 osteoarthritic patients and 20 healthy controls. The osteoarthritic ankles were divided into 4 groups: varus ankle joints with (incongruent) or without (congruent) a tilted talus and valgus ankle joints with (incongruent) or without (congruent) a tilted talus. The orientation of the subtalar joint was described using the SVA. The SVA was determined for every patient using weightbearing CT scans. Additionally, the inter- and intraobserver reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results:

The inter- and intraobserver reliability was excellent (ICC > 0.989 and >0.975, respectively). The varus groups (incongruent and congruent) had significantly lower SVA values, that is, more varus orientation of the subtalar joint than the valgus groups ( P < .05). The SVA of the control group was between the values of the varus and valgus ankles.

Conclusion:

The SVA provided a reliable and consistent method to assess the varus/valgus configuration of the posterior facet of the subtalar joint. In our cohort, varus osteoarthritis of the ankle joint occurred with varus orientation of the subtalar joint whereas in patients with valgus osteoarthritis, valgus orientation of the subtalar joint was found. Our data suggest that the subtalar joint orientation may be a risk factor for the development of ankle joint osteoarthritis.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective case control study.
Compassion Fatigue and the Elusive Quest for Journalistic Impact
Authors: Maier Scott R.
Published: August 2015

Influenced by behavioral research on compassion fatigue, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof goes out of his way to find just the right person who illuminates the larger story. Rather than focus on suffering or grim statistics, Kristof seeks to move readers by reporting on people who overcome adversity and offer real solutions. Content analysis and Internet metrics are used to assess whether this kind of reporting engenders reader response. Contrary to expectations, the story-telling techniques had little apparent effect on readers’ online response while story topic and geographic proximity influenced frequency of reader comments, Facebook Likes, and digital sharing.
PyCOMPSs: Parallel computational workflows in Python
Authors: Tejedor Enric , Becerra Yolanda , Alomar Guillem , Queralt Anna , Badia Rosa M , Torres Jordi , Cortes Toni , Labarta Jesús
Published: August 2015

The use of the Python programming language for scientific computing has been gaining momentum in the last years. The fact that it is compact and readable and its complete set of scientific libraries are two important characteristics that favour its adoption. Nevertheless, Python still lacks a solution for easily parallelizing generic scripts on distributed infrastructures, since the current alternatives mostly require the use of APIs for message passing or are restricted to embarrassingly parallel computations. In that sense, this paper presents PyCOMPSs, a framework that facilitates the development of parallel computational workflows in Python. In this approach, the user programs her script in a sequential fashion and decorates the functions to be run as asynchronous parallel tasks. A runtime system is in charge of exploiting the inherent concurrency of the script, detecting the data dependencies between tasks and spawning them to the available resources. Furthermore, we show how this programming model can be built on top of a Big Data storage architecture, where the data stored in the backend is abstracted and accessed from the application in the form of persistent objects.
Exploring the MPI tool information interface: features and capabilities
Authors: Islam Tanzima , Mohror Kathryn , Schulz Martin
Published: August 2015

The latest version of the MPI Standard, MPI 3.0, includes a new interface, the MPI Tools Information Interface (MPI_T), which provides tools with access to MPI internal performance and configuration information. In combination with the complementary and widely used profiling interface, PMPI, it gives tools access to a wide range of information in an MPI implementation independent way. In this paper, we focus on the new functionality offered by MPI_T and present two new tools to exploit this new interface by providing users with new insights about the execution behavior of their code: Varlist allows users to query and document the MPI environment and Gyan provides profiling information using internal MPI performance variables. Together, these tools provide users with new capabilities in a highly portable way that previously required in-depth knowledge of individual MPI implementations, and demonstrate the advantages of MPI_T. In our case studies, we demonstrate how MPI_T enables both MPI library and application developers to study the impact of an MPI library’s runtime settings and implementation specific behaviors on the performance of applications.
Evidence for seasonal reproduction in UK domestic cats
Authors: Jennett Amy L , Jennett Nigel M , Hopping Joanna , Yates David
Published: August 2015

Objectives

The aims of this study were to analyse a large body of data obtained by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Greater Manchester Animal Hospital on the breeding pattern of owned domestic cats in the UK, and to provide clear statistical evidence of whether seasonal variation remains present in temperate climates.

Methods

The total number of cats spayed and the number of cats found to be pregnant were recorded on a monthly basis from December 2005 to July 2014 by the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital. The percentage of cats found to be pregnant was calculated for each month and the 8.5 years of data were binned into calendar months. The mean and SD of the monthly pregnancy rate was calculated for each calendar month bin, as was the difference between the mean percentage of detected pregnancies and the global mean. The Z score for each month’s difference was then calculated.

Results

Data were available for 5414 cats neutered during the 8.5 consecutive years of this study. A global average of 8.9% of cats spayed were found to be pregnant. The mean calendar month pregnancy rate exhibited a very significant variation, with the highest positive deviation being in April (Z score +2.9) and the highest negative deviation being in November/December (Z score -4.5). When aggregated into 3 month averages, an extremely significant difference between ‘spring’ and ‘winter’ months of >7 SE ( P <<0.01) was found.

Conclusions and relevance

This study provides clear statistical evidence, from a large data set, that seasonal breeding patterns are still present under UK temperate conditions. We discuss the impact that this has on charity rescue shelters and propose that a campaign targeted at clients of animal welfare charities encouraging autumn neutering will be the most cost-effective method of cat population control, and help relieve the demand on welfare charity resources.
Applying the digital image correlation method to fretting contact for slip measurement
Authors: Juoksukangas J , Lehtovaara A , Mäntylä A
Published: August 2015

Fretting is a consequence of small relative oscillatory movement between contacting parts and can cause serious damage to machine components. This paper describes the implementation of digital image correlation method to a fretting test device to measure the relative movement, i.e. slip, between the contacting parts. A complete contact fretting test device is used, in which two flat fretting pads are clamped against a cyclically loaded flat fretting specimen. The material used is quenched and tempered steel. Digital image correlation, equipped with a microscope, is employed to measure the local displacement field at the contact edge. The micrometer-level slip amplitude and the length of the slip region are determined at specific time intervals during a fretting fatigue test. Both of these quantities appear to decrease and stabilize during fretting fatigue testing. The slip decreases markedly during the initial cycles.
The mechanisms of tribological wear in lubricated sliding bearings composed of soft bearing alloys with borided steel
Authors: Dziedzic Andrzej , Lubas Janusz , Bochnowski Wojciech , Adamiak Stanisław
Published: August 2015

In this study, we investigated the wear behavior of borided ISO C45 carbon steel and SAE-48, SAE-783 soft bearing alloys. Boriding was carried out in powder-pack processes at temperature of 950 ℃ for 8 h. High-lead alloy SAE-48 and aluminum alloy SAE-783 was used on low carbon steel. Sliding pairs under the examination were lubricated with 15 W/40 Lotos mineral engine oil. The wear behaviors of borided steel and SAE-48, SAE-783 alloys were characterized by using block-on-ring tester. The testing loads were 0.5 kN, 1.0 kN, 1.5 kN, 2.0 kN, respectively. The linear speed between the couples was 0.2 m/s. The linear speed between the couples was 0.2 m/s. The distance of friction was 100 m. Examinations performed with X-ray diffractometer revealed Fe2B, FeB phases in the borided layer. Scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer on the cross section of the borided layer revealed columnar crystals of Fe2B phase. The soft bearing alloy SAE-48 showed from 3.3 to 4.5 greater linear wear than SAE-783 alloy. The examined pairs showed abrasive and adhesive wear. The abrasive wear was dominant in the pair with SAE-783 bearing alloy. The adhesive wear was dominant in the pair with the SAE-48 bearing alloy. At the loads of 1.0 kN, 1.5 kN, and 2.0 kN the temperature of the SAE-48 bearing alloy was about 20 ℃ greater than the temperature of the SAE-783 bearing alloy. After the tribological tests the SAE-48 alloy showed greater roughness as compared with the SAE-783 alloy. When combining borided steel with a soft bearing alloy it is recommended to use aluminum-based alloy.
The tribological performance of a long chain alkyl phenylboric ammonium derivative and its interaction with ZDDP
Authors: Li Zhipeng , Zhang Yawen , Ren Tianhui , Zeng Xiangqiong , van der Heide Emile , Zhao Yidong
Published: August 2015

A long chain alkyl phenylboric ammonium derivative (DBBM) was synthesized as a lubricating additive. The tribological performances of DBBM and combinations of DBBM and ZDDP as additives were evaluated, which suggests that DBBM has better tribological properties than ZDDP. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy was used for the analysis of thermal films and tribofilms. The results indicate that the boron in additive mainly forms trigonal and tetrahedral coordination boron both in thermal films and tribofilms, while sulfur mainly generates iron sulfate in thermal films and iron sulfide, iron disulfide, and iron sulfate in tribofilms. It also can be found that it is more likely to form low valence sulfur when the concentration of ZDDP increases in the combinations.
Occupy is not a place
Authors: Hopke Jill E
Published: August 2015

In this article, I compare the origins and early development of the Occupy movement with that of the Spanish 15M, the Indignados or ‘outraged’, movement. How movements are integrated into longer lived global networks has been insufficiently studied. The ‘hyperlink’ can serve as a material representation of more durable affiliations between entities with a shared collective identity, in this case, activist Web sites, reflecting underlying network structures. Combining qualitative analysis of movement identities and narratives with analysis of hyperlinking patterns provides a more holistic understanding of the interrelations between the 15M and Occupy movements. I argue that the similarities in the structural hyperlinked network properties of the 15M and Occupy movements and their transnational interlinkages can be explained in part by commonalities in the two movements’ collective identities and dominant narratives.
Effects of a physical education-based programme on health-related physical fitness and its maintenance in high school students
Authors: Mayorga-Vega Daniel , Montoro-Escaño Jorge , Merino-Marban Rafael , Viciana Jesús
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a physical education-based development and maintenance programme on objective and perceived health-related physical fitness in high school students. A sample of 111 students aged 12–14 years old from six classes were cluster-randomly assigned to an experimental group ( n = 54) or a control group ( n = 57). During the physical education classes, the experimental group students performed a development programme twice a week for nine weeks. Then, after a four-week period of detraining, the experimental group students completed a maintenance programme twice a week for eight weeks. Students’ objective cardiorespiratory fitness (20-meter shuttle run test), objective muscular fitness (flexion-extension legs test), and perceived physical fitness (International Fitness Scale and the Contour Drawing Rating Scale) were measured at the beginning and at the end of the development programme, as well as at the end of the maintenance programme. The results of the two-way analyses of variance showed that the physical education-based development programme significantly increased the students’ objective physical fitness levels, and that these gains obtained remained after the maintenance programme ( p < 0.01). However, the intervention programme did not show an influence on the students’ perceived physical fitness ( p > 0.05). The physical education-based intervention programme was effective in increasing and maintaining objective physical fitness among high school students. This knowledge could help teachers to design programmes that permit a feasible and effective development and maintenance of health-related physical fitness in a physical education setting.
The house of the unknown artist and the cosmopolitan imagination of urban memory
Authors: Liinamaa Saara
Published: August 2015

This article returns to a diverse body of literature that has identified urban memory as a specific category of cultural analysis. Yet, while the significance of memory to culture and the city is widely recognized, at the same time, more and more questions are surfacing around the status and meaning of the term urban. This article pursues the contemporary question of urban memory by turning to alternative urban cultural practices – specifically, urban intervention art projects – that elaborate upon the social imagination, settings and scenes of urban memory. The case study for this article concentrates on Toronto-based artist Iris Häussler’s The Legacy of Joseph Wagenbach, 2006, a project that convincingly staged the discovery of an unknown reclusive artist’s house and presented it to the public as a legitimate municipal archival assessment. This project examines the production of archival knowledge and urban memory through invention, performance and participation, and places memory at the crossroads of global city aspirations and rapid gentrification in downtown Toronto. This article will argue that this fabricated urban archive presents a number of archival lessons and houses a creative cosmopolitanism that asks us to identify with the life of a stranger. By placing The Legacy in dialogue with recent perspectives on the cosmopolitanism imagination, I will argue for the significance of not just imagination but memory to a reinvented, embedded cosmopolitanism that grows out of both ambivalence and reciprocity within the urban everyday.