bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deriving AMVs from Geostationary Satellite Images Using Optical Flow Algorithm Based on Polynomial Expansion
Authors: Wu Qiong , Wang Hong-Qing , Lin Yin-Jing , Zhuang Yi-Zhou , Zhang Yan
Published: June 2016

An optical flow algorithm based on polynomial expansion (OFAPE) was used to derive atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) from geostationary satellite images. In OFAPE, there are two parameters that can affect the AMV results: the sizes of the expansion window and optimization window. They should be determined according to the temporal interval and spatial resolution of satellite images. A helpful experiment was conducted for selecting those sizes. The limitations of window sizes can cause loss of strong wind speed, and an image-pyramid scheme was used to overcome this problem. Determining the heights of AMVs for semitransparent cloud pixels (STCPs) is challenging work in AMV derivation. In this study, two-dimensional histograms (H2Ds) between infrared brightness temperatures (6.7- and 10.8-μm channels) formed from a long time series of cloud images were used to identify the STCPs and to estimate their actual temperatures/heights. The results obtained from H2Ds were contrasted with CloudSat radar reflectivity and CALIPSO cloud-feature mask data. Finally, in order to verify the algorithm adaptability, three-month AMVs (JJA 2013) were calculated and compared with the wind fields of ERA data and the NOAA/ESRL radiosonde observations in three aspects: speed, direction, and vector difference.
Sensitivity of the ECMWF Model to Semi-Lagrangian Departure Point Iterations
Authors: Diamantakis Michail , Magnusson Linus
Published: June 2016

Accurate estimation of the position of the departure points (d.p.) is crucial for the accuracy of a semi-Lagrangian NWP model. This calculation is often performed applying an implicit discretization to a kinematic equation solved by a fixed-point iteration scheme. A small number of iterations is typically used, assuming that this is sufficient for convergence. This assumption, derived from a past theoretical analysis, is revisited here. Analyzing the convergence of a generic d.p. iteration scheme and testing the ECMWF Integrated Forecast System (IFS) model, it is demonstrated that 2–3 iterations may not be sufficient for convergence to satisfactory accuracy in a modern high-resolution global model. Large forecast improvements can be seen by increasing the number of iterations. The extratropical geopotential error decreases and the simulated vertical structure of tropical cyclones improves. These findings prompted the implementation of an algorithm in which stopping criteria based on estimated convergence rates are used to “dynamically” stop d.p. iterations when an error tolerance criterion is satisfied. This is applied consistently to the nonlinear forecast, tangent linear, and adjoint models used by the ECMWF data assimilation system (4DVAR). Although the additional benefit of dynamic iteration is small, its testing reinforces the conclusion that a larger number of iterations is needed in regions of strong winds and shear. Furthermore, experiments suggest that dynamic iteration may prevent occasional 4DVAR failures in cases of strong stratospheric cross-polar flow in which the tangent linear model becomes unstable.
Identification of Tropical Cyclone Storm Types Using Crowdsourcing
Authors: Knapp Kenneth R. , Matthews Jessica L. , Kossin James P. , Hennon Christopher C.
Published: June 2016

The Cyclone Center project maintains a website that allows visitors to answer questions based on tropical cyclone satellite imagery. The goal is to provide a reanalysis of satellite-derived tropical cyclone characteristics from a homogeneous historical database composed of satellite imagery with a common spatial resolution for use in long-term, global analyses. The determination of the cyclone “type” (curved band, eye, shear, etc.) is a starting point for this process. This analysis shows how multiple classifications of a single image are combined to provide probabilities of a particular image’s type using an expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm. Analysis suggests that the project needs about 10 classifications of an image to adequately determine the storm type. The algorithm is capable of characterizing classifiers with varying levels of expertise, though the project needs about 200 classifications to quantify an individual’s precision. The EM classifications are compared with an objective algorithm, satellite fix data, and the classifications of a known classifier. The EM classifications compare well, with best agreement for eye and embedded center storm types and less agreement for shear and when convection is too weak (termed no-storm images). Both the EM algorithm and the known classifier showed similar tendencies when compared against an objective algorithm. The EM algorithm also fared well when compared to tropical cyclone fix datasets, having higher agreement with embedded centers and less agreement for eye images. The results were used to show the distribution of storm types versus wind speed during a storm’s lifetime.
Contact Pin-Printing onto Porous Silicon for Creating Microarrays with High Chemical Diversity
Authors: Horner Ian J. , Kraut Nadine D. , Richardson Caley A. , Jean Bernandie , Rook Alyssa M. , Bright Frank V.
Published: June 2016

We explore the size and spatial microheterogeneity of contact pin-printed spots formed on porous silicon (pSi). Glycerol was contact printed at room temperature onto as-prepared, hydrogen-passivated pSi (ap-pSi) using 50 or 200 µm diameter solid pins. The pSi was then subjected to a strong oxidizing environment (gaseous O3) and washed to remove the glycerol masks. The glycerol-free regions were converted to oxidized pSi (ox-pSi); the glycerol-coated regions were protected from O3, but not entirely. The final array is described as circularly shaped “ap-pSi” regions on a field of ox-pSi. When comparing the areas outside and inside the glycerol-masked pSi spots, one finds dramatic differences in the Si–O–Si, SiH x ( x = 1–3) and O ySiH x ( y, x = 1–3) levels with a spatially dependent continuum of compositions across the spot diameter. Experimental conditions could be adjusted to tune the final ap-pSi spot diameter and edge widths from 90 µm to 520 µm and 20 µm to 130 µm, respectively. The resulting ap-pSi spot diameter is explained by using molecular kinetic theory and time-dependent glycerol imbibement into the pSi within a one-dimensional Darcy’s law model.
Layered Gold and Titanium Dioxide Substrates for Improved Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Sensing
Authors: Strobbia Pietro , Henegar Alex J. , Gougousi Theodosia , Cullum Brian M.
Published: June 2016

This manuscript describes a simple process for fabricating gold-based, multi-layered, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates that can be applied to a variety of different nanostructures, while still providing multi-layer enhancement factors comparable to those previously achieved only with optimized silver/silver oxide/silver substrates. In particular, gold multi-layered substrates generated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have been fabricated and characterized in terms of their optimal performance, revealing multi-layer enhancements of 2.3-fold per spacer layer applied. These substrates were fabricated using TiO2 as the dielectric spacer material between adjacent gold layers, with ALD providing a conformal thin film with high surface coverage and low thickness. By varying the spacer layer thicknesses from sub-monolayer (non-contiguous) films through multiple TiO2 layer thick films, the non-monotonic spacer layer thickness response has been elucidated, revealing the importance of thin, contiguous dielectric spacer layers for optimal enhancement. Furthermore, the extended shelf life of these gold multi-layered substrates was characterized, demonstrating usable lifetimes (i.e. following storage in ambient conditions) of greater than five months, with the further potential for simple limited electrochemical regeneration even after this time.
Use of the 5 As for Teen Alcohol Use
Authors: Friedman Jessica L. , Lyna Pauline , Sendak Mya D. , Viera Anthony J. , Silberberg Mina , Pollak Kathryn I.
Published: June 2016

Clinical guidelines recommend addressing adolescent alcohol use in primary care; the 5 As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) may be a useful model for intervention. We audio-recorded 540 visits with 49 physicians and adolescents, compared alcohol disclosure rates in the encounter with those in a survey, and analyzed conversations for use of the 5 As and their relation to adolescent reports of drinking 3 months after the encounter. When physicians asked clear, nonleading questions, drinkers were more likely to disclose alcohol use ( P = .004). In 64% of visits in which alcohol was discussed, physicians used one or more of the 5 As, most frequently “Ask.” No physician used all 5 As. Among drinkers, there was no association between physicians’ partial use of the 5 As and adolescent alcohol consumption at 3 months. Physicians can learn more effective ways to “Ask” about alcohol use to increase disclosure of drinking and to be more comprehensive in their counseling.
Who governs Norwegian maritime security? Public facilitation of private security in a fragmented security environment
Authors: Aarstad Åsne Kalland
Published: June 2016

This article analyses the Norwegian governance of maritime security that surrounds the accommodation of armed private security provision on board Norwegian-registered ships, and questions the role of Norwegian public authorities. In 2011, the Norwegian government introduced a new legal framework that explicitly permitted the use of armed private security for ships transiting piracy-prone waters. Through an in-depth examination of the agenda setting, implementation and evaluation phases of the new policy, the article analyses the roles and responsibilities performed by the involved actors. Comparing the empirical case study of Norway with the governance literature, it is argued that public actors neither ‘steer’ nor ‘row’, rather they function as facilitators in and for a governance arrangement that is essentially industry-driven in character. This facilitating role encompasses elements of both acceptance and contribution, where a low degree of public control was accepted in return for a flexible and low-cost/risk scheme against piracy. As such, the facilitating role does not support the view that contemporary security governance is a zero-sum game between public and private actors. Instead, the facilitating capacities of public authorities are seen as their competitive advantage in an increasingly fragmented security environment. This article contends that although maritime governance inhabits peculiarities related to both the shipping industry’s global competitive character and the maritime domain’s geographical distance from public authorities, the Norwegian governance of maritime security is nevertheless deeply embedded in global governance structures. This underscores the need to address the maritime domain as constitutive of global politics and, in turn, treat the ‘facilitating argument’ developed here as potentially relevant for the broader governance literature.
Import Demand Income Elasticity and Growth Rate in Pakistan
Authors: Khan Saleem , Azam Muhammad , Emirullah Chandra
Published: June 2016

This article applies the import demand function and constrained growth model in case of Pakistan and investigates for the impact of trade liberalization using data for the period of 1981–2010. The autoregressive distributed lag method and rolling regression analysis are employed to estimate import demand income elasticity. In results, the imports are found to be highly sensitive to the changes in income level. In addition, a trend of gradual increase in income elasticity of imports has been found since the aftermath of trade liberalization. However, no evidence has been found that indicates that the growth rate is increased as a consequence of liberalization. The liberalization has not increased export growth in association with the rising growth in import demand income elasticity. Thus, it is concluded that liberalization has increased the external constraint over economic growth.
A mixed-methods evaluation of the Move it Move it! before-school incentive-based physical activity programme
Authors: Garnett Bernice R , Becker Kelly , Vierling Danielle , Gleason Cara , DiCenzo Danielle , Mongeon Louise
Published: June 2016

Objective:

Less than half of young people in the USA are meeting the daily physical activity requirements of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity. A mixed-methods pilot feasibility assessment of Move it Move it! was conducted in the Spring of 2014 to assess the impact of a before-school physical activity programme on student academic measures and behavioural health.

Design:

Move it Move it! encourages students and families to run/walk laps in the recess yard. Student miles are tracked and incentives are awarded at several benchmarks

Setting:

Launched in 2012, Move it Move it! is a voluntary morning running/walking programme at the Integrated Arts Academy (IAA) elementary school designed to build community, increase fitness and prepare students for learning.

Methods:

Self-reported surveys were administered to all consented students in grades 3–5 ( N = 129). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with school personnel ( N = 11).

Results:

Average Move it Move it! miles ran/walked were significantly positively associated with commitment to school and The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) mathematics testing scores. Interviews with school staff/faculty further explained quantitative results including the perceived impact of the programme on academic success and school engagement and the perceived impact of the programme on student behaviour and school climate.

Conclusion:

Results from this pilot assessment of a community-based initiative suggested that positive academic and behavioural outcomes were associated with engagement in a before-school incentive-based physical activity programme.
The case for reinvigorating quality of working life research
Authors: Grote Gudela , Guest David
Published: June 2016

The quality of working life became an important topic in the 1960s and 1970s, helping to stimulate an early approach to evidence-based policy advocacy drawing on interdisciplinary research by social scientists. Over the years it fell out of the limelight but much relevant, albeit fragmented, research has continued. We present a case for rekindling an integrated and normative approach to quality of working life research as one means of promoting workers’ well-being and emancipation. We outline an updated classification of the characteristics of quality of working life and a related analytic framework. We illustrate how research and practice will benefit from following this renewed quality of working life framework, using work design as an example. Concluding, we aim to stimulate debate on the necessity and benefits of rebuilding a quality of working life agenda for marrying academic rigour and practical relevance in order to support interventions aimed at fostering worker emancipation and well-being.
Multiscale damage analysis of carbon nanotube nanocomposite using a continuum damage mechanics approach
Authors: Rai Ashwin , Subramanian Nithya , Koo Bonsung , Chattopadhyay Aditi
Published: June 2016

A multiscale-modeling framework is presented to understand damage and failure response in carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites. A damage model is developed using the framework of continuum damage mechanics with a physical damage evolution equation inspired by molecular dynamics simulations. This damage formulation is applied to randomly dispersed carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposite unit cells with periodic boundary conditions to investigate preferred sites and the tendency towards damage. The continuum model is seen as successfully capturing much of the unique nonlinear trends observed in the molecular dynamics simulations in a volume 1000 times greater than the molecular dynamics unit cell. Additionally, application of the damage model to the continuum unit cell revealed insights into the failure of carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites at the sub-microscale.
Using a Multicomponent Function-Based Intervention to Support Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Cho Su-Je , Blair Kwang-Sun Cho
Published: June 2016

The current study evaluated the effects of a multicomponent function-based intervention on students with other health impairment (OHI) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a private special education school. The focus of the intervention was to prevent problem behaviors and to increase academic engagement by modifying classroom activities, teaching replacement skills, and changing behavior consequences. Data using a multiple-baseline design across academic subjects revealed that target problem behaviors decreased and academic engagement increased in reading, writing, and mathematical activities for students. Social validity with the classroom staff indicated that the intervention process and outcomes were highly acceptable and effective. In conclusion, this study provides strong evidence that a multicomponent function-based intervention can be successfully applied to students with both ADHD and problem behaviors.
Imperial routes, national networks and regional projects in the Pan-American Highway, 1884–1977
Authors: Ficek Rosa E.
Published: June 2016

This article discusses the planning and construction of the Pan-American Highway by focusing on interactions among engineers, government officials, manufacturers, auto enthusiasts, and road promoters from the United States and Latin America. It considers how the Pan-American Highway was made by projects to extend U.S. influence in Latin America but also by Latin American nationalist and regionalist projects that put forward alternative ideas about social and cultural difference—and cooperation—across the Americas. The transnational negotiations that shaped the Pan-American Highway show how roads, as they bring people and places into contact with each other, mobilize diverse actors and projects that can transform the geography and meaning of these technologies.
Imitation of Non-Speech Oral Gestures by 8-Month-Old Infants
Authors: Diepstra Heidi , Trehub Sandra E , Eriks-Brophy Alice , van Lieshout Pascal HHM
Published: June 2016

This study investigates the oral gestures of 8-month-old infants in response to audiovisual presentation of lip and tongue smacks. Infants exhibited more lip gestures than tongue gestures following adult lip smacks and more tongue gestures than lip gestures following adult tongue smacks. The findings, which are consistent with predictions from Articulatory Phonology, imply that 8-month-old infants are capable of producing goal-directed oral gestures by matching the articulatory organ of an adult model.
Reintegrating to the Prison Community
Authors: Carson Jennifer Varriale , Chenault Scott , Matusiak Randa Embry
Published: June 2016

Programming elements of reintegrative shaming into correctional institutions has become increasingly common. One popular program of this type is the Impact of Crime on Victims Classes (ICVC). Although the community typically envisioned in reintegrative research is one to which offenders return on prison release, we propose that the ICVC may have an effect on victimization within the institution, applying a theoretical conceptualization of the prison as its own community. Utilizing interrupted time-series analysis, we find that these classes, as a whole, did not significantly decrease institutional misconduct.
Test-Based Admission to Selective Universities: A Lever for First-Generation Students or a Safety Net for the Professional Classes?
Authors: Thomsen Jens-Peter
Published: June 2016

This article examines whether the existence of a secondary higher education admission system honouring more qualitative and extra-curricular merits has reduced the social class gap in access to highly sought-after university programmes in Denmark. I use administrative data to examine differences in the social gradient in the primary admission system, admitting students on the basis of their high school grade point average, and in the secondary admission system, admitting university students based on more qualitative assessments. I find that the secondary higher education admission system does not favour first-generation students; further, the system serves as an access route for low-achieving children from the privileged professional classes. Drawing mainly on theories in the social closure tradition, I argue that children with highly educated parents will be favoured when qualitative merits are honoured, and that professional-class families will be especially vigilant in pursuing educational pathways that will secure the reproduction of their class.
Revisiting Main Street: Balancing Chain and Local Retail in a Historic City’s Downtown
Authors: Litvin Stephen W. , Rosene Jennifer T.
Published: June 2016

The success of a city’s retail core is largely dependent on the composition and organization of its merchant constituents. Not only should the price-point and products of a city’s retail align with its resident and visitor demographics but the stores should be strategically balanced to maximize consumer spending and interest. Heritage destinations dependent on the tourism market should pay special attention to this issue, assuring their visitors a valuable shopping experience while simultaneously preserving the destination’s cultural appeal. This case study considers the rapidly evolving shopping district of Charleston, South Carolina, focusing specifically on the retail core’s recent influx of chain merchants to what was once predominantly a local main street. A historical account, paired with an in-depth survey of merchants, is presented. The research builds on previous studies that have considered the issue of merchant mix from the perspective of the city’s stakeholders, tourists, and residents.
What Can Demographic–Economic Modeling Tell Us about the Consequences of Regional Decline?
Authors: Batey Peter W. J.
Published: June 2016

The aim of this article is to demonstrate how a particular modeling framework, based on extended input–output analysis, can be used to obtain a clearer understanding of the impact of regional decline of the effects of high, and rising, unemployment; of falling industrial final demand; of welfare payments; and of declining population. The activity–commodity framework used here provides a systematic way of adding demographic variables to the familiar Leontief interindustry model and the extended inverse derived from it provides a rich source of information about the interaction of demographic and economic change, expressed as demographic–economic and economic–demographic multipliers. Drawing on the author’s research in the 1980s and 1990s, this article considers two empirical examples to show the framework’s analytical value: a simple extended model is used to assess the distributional effects of welfare payments in a declining region; and a more elaborate version is linked to a set of regional labor market accounts, summarizing intercensal change in population and employment. This model is used to produce a comprehensive assessment of the effects of population and employment change in two UK regions, one a growing region (East Anglia) and the other a region in decline (Merseyside). In a final section, the benefits and limitations of the extended input–output modeling framework are discussed in comparison with some of the alternative modeling frameworks that are currently available.
“I don’t want to grow up, I’m a [Gen X, Y, Me] kid”
Authors: Smith April , Bodell Lindsay P. , Holm-Denoma Jill , Joiner Thomas , Gordon Kathryn , Perez Marisol , Keel Pamela
Published: June 2016

The current studies examined the hypothesis that maturity fears are increasing among undergraduate men and women from the United States over time. Study 1 used a time-lag method to assess generational effects of maturity fears among a large sample ( n = 3291) of undergraduate men and women assessed in 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2012. Results revealed that both men and women reported significantly higher rates of maturity fears across time. Study 2 replicated these findings, and used a more restricted time frame to more closely examine the rate of change. Undergraduate women ( n = 673) were assessed in 2001, 2003, 2009, and 2012. Maturity fears were again found to increase from 2001 to 2012. Recent cohorts of emerging adults seem more reluctant to mature than previous cohorts. Many contributing factors may be at play, including challenging economic times, social pressures to remain youthful, and/or internal fears of assuming increased responsibility.
Stress and Psychological Health
Authors: Gomes A. Rui , Faria Susana , Lopes Heitor
Published: June 2016

This study tested the mediating role of primary (e.g., threat and challenge perceptions) and secondary (e.g., coping potential and control perception) cognitive appraisal in the relationship between occupational stress and psychological health. This mediation was tested using a cross-sectional study based on self-reported measures. The total sample consisted of 2,302 nurses, 1,895 females (82.3%) and 407 males (17.7%), who completed an evaluation protocol with measures of occupational stress, cognitive appraisal, and psychological health. To test the mediating role of cognitive appraisal in the relationship between cognitive appraisal and psychological health, we used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results confirmed that primary and secondary cognitive appraisals partially mediated the relationship between occupational stress and psychological health; however, the direct effects of stress on psychological health cannot be ignored. The findings indicated that cognitive appraisal is an important underlying mechanism in explaining adaptation at work.
Mobile phones in the diffusion of knowledge and persistence in inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Asongu Simplice , Nwachukwu Jacinta C.
Published: June 2016

The success of inclusive development strategies in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda depends substantially on the adoption of common inclusive development policies among nations. Building on the relevance of a knowledge economy in the post-2015 development agenda, this study models the feasibility of common policies for inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). More specifically, we investigate the complementary role of knowledge diffusion in the inclusive benefits of mobile phone penetration in SSA from 2000 to 2012 by employing the Generalised Method of Moments. Knowledge diffusion variables include educational quality, innovation and Internet penetration. The main finding is that inclusive human development is persistently conditional on mobile phones in knowledge diffusion. Moreover, countries with low levels of inclusive human development are catching-up their counterparts with higher development. Policy implications are discussed with particular emphasis on how to leverage common knowledge economy initiatives for inclusive development.
Nuclear voices in the news: A comparison of source, news agency and newspaper content about nuclear energy over time
Authors: Boumans Jelle W , Vliegenthart Rens , Boomgaarden Hajo G
Published: June 2016

While news media are frequently criticized for their alleged increasing reliance on ‘subsidized content’ provided by sources and news agencies, this claim is seldom empirically verified. Based on insights from computer science, this study proposes an approach to quantitatively compare source, news agency and newspaper content over time. Including press releases from two corporate actors and one nongovernmental actor as well as articles of news agencies and newspapers, the approach is applied to the debate about nuclear energy in the Netherlands (2003–2012). Results show no indication of an increased similarity of newspapers’ content with either source content or news agency content, thus providing no justification for the concerns about an increasing dependency of newspapers on subsidized content. Contradicting literature, we found that media content is most similar to the nongovernmental organization’s content, with the exception of one regional newspaper that strongly reflects the local corporation’s content.
Effect of TGF-beta1 on MMP/TIMP and TGF-beta1 receptors in great saphenous veins and its significance on chronic venous insufficiency
Authors: Serralheiro Pedro , Cairrão Elisa , Maia Cláudio J , João Marina , Almeida Carlos M Costa , Verde Ignacio
Published: June 2016

Objectives

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) may participate in local chronic inflammatory processes in varicose veins and in venous wall structure modifications through regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and their inhibitors (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)). The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of TGF-β1 in the vein wall, namely on the gene expression of selected MMP, TIMP and TGF-β1 receptors.

Methods

Healthy vein samples were harvested from eight subjects who underwent coronary bypass graft surgery with great saphenous vein. Each vein sample was divided into two segments, which were cultivated separately in vitro (one of the segments had TGF-β1 added) and then submitted to gene expression analysis.

Results

In the TGF-β1 supplemented group, there was a general increase in the mean gene expression. Specifically, expression of MMP9, MMP12, TIMP1 and TIMP2 were statistically significant.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate that the gene expression of MMP9, MMP12, TIMP1 and TIMP2 was influenced by the addition of TGF-β1. These results may be translated to chronic venous insufficiency framework and suggest involvement of TGF-β1 in the vein wall pathology.
Unlocking hidden community assets: Marginal specialization and community resilience of Gypsy-Travelers in the Netherlands
Authors: Salemink Koen
Published: June 2016

Enduring social exclusion has forced Gypsy-Travelers to specialize in marginal economic activities. These marginal specializations build on specific skills, attitudes, and strategies which are valuable for the communities’ overall development. Today’s Gypsy-Traveler communities face a context of rapid economic restructuring, due in part to advancements in technology and digitalization. This paper combines the literatures on the exclusion of Gypsy-Travelers and marginal entrepreneurship to demonstrate the need for recognition of community-specific assets, even those linked to illicit or illegal activities. Based on the Dutch context, a framework is proposed for conceptualizing the possible impact of four community assets on Gypsy-Traveler community resilience. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential for a community-based approach in the work of, for example, liaison officers and policymakers, which would unlock community assets and strengthen the communities’ economic position. The key challenge for practitioners is to counter the dominant, negative discourses on Gypsy-Travelers, while at the same time tempering the possible diverging effects of building on community-specific assets.
Intimate Partner Jealousy and Femicide Among Former Ethiopians in Israel
Authors: Edelstein Arnon
Published: June 2016

Ethiopian immigrant women in Israel are overrepresented as victims of femicide; they are killed at more than 16 times the rate of the general population. This article suggests integrating current theoretical and empirical models to explain Ethiopian femicide, and stresses that considering psychological or sociocultural explanations as risk factors alone is not enough to understand this phenomenon. We distinguish between risk factors and triggers for femicide against Ethiopian women. While sociocultural and even psychological changes are risk factors for femicide, one, two, or three main triggers may activate such potential risk factors, such as the woman’s willingness (WW) to leave the intimate relationship, sexual jealousy (SJ), and formal complaints against the abusive partner. The first two triggers are jealousy oriented. To analyze this phenomenon in Israel, we examined all court decisions on intimate partner homicide (IPH) from 1990 to 2010. After reading former studies on IPH and identifying important variables that could explain the phenomenon, we first catalogued the data in every decision and verdict according to main independent variables mentioned in the literature. The study population consists of first-generation immigrants, N = 194: native Israelis (47%), new immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU; 31%), and Ethiopians (16%). Our analysis of court decisions reveals that triggers containing jealousy components are responsible for 83% of femicide cases committed by Ethiopian men, in comparison with native Israelis (77%) and immigrant Russian men (66%) who murdered their intimate partners. In addition, there is a significant correlation among motive (jealousy), method of killing (stabbing), and “overkilling” (excessive force).
Vice or coping mechanism? Bridging political science and anthropological approaches to the study of corruption
Authors: Bodruzic Dragana
Published: June 2016

Political science and economics have dominated the study of corruption. Recently, anthropologists have questioned traditional definitions of corruption and have conducted a deeper inquiry into the interplay of cultural dynamics and corruption. However, despite the existence of two strands in anthropology—interpretive and political economy—anthropological contributions to the study of corruption have come primarily from interpretive anthropology. Anthropologists studying corruption have focused on narratives and on understanding corruption’s embeddedness in cultural logics. Ethnography, however, has also revealed the importance of fixed price in many instances of corruption. This paper argues that fixed price is an indicator of the systematization of corruption. Consequently, greater attention needs to be paid to how corruption is also embedded in political economy.
Economic Education Retrospective
Authors: Asarta Carlos J. , Jennings Austin S. , Grimes Paul W.
Published: June 2016

The American Economist has a long and significant history of publishing research in the field of economic education. This article provides a review and synthesis of the 70 economic education articles published by the journal between spring 1990 and spring 2015. The authors discuss The American Economist’s contribution to the field of economic education according to four primary themes: program design, instructional and assessment methodology, instructional materials, and student outcomes.
Teaching and Learning Alternatives to a Comparative Advantage Motivation for Trade
Authors: Self James K. , Becker William E.
Published: June 2016

Introductory economics courses emphasize opportunity cost, comparative advantage, and specialization to show the benefits of trade. We assert that this emphasis leads to erroneous student mind-set that trade requires specialization based on comparative advantage. We test students who have been exposed to the typical textbook and classroom presentation of specialization and trade with real but paradoxical situations where the same goods are both imported and exported by a country. Students are found to generally understand comparative advantage calculations but wrongfully apply the idea to this multiproduct trade situation for which specialization is not relevant.
Mimesis as mediation
Authors: Nicoll Benjamin
Published: June 2016

Phenomenological accounts of technology, mediation, and embodiment are beginning to problematize traditional distinctions between subject (human) and object (machine). This shift is often attributed to a material or post-human turn since it is usually associated with an interest in the non-human actors and objects that make media interfaces possible. This article contends that these tendencies should also be considered part of a deeper lineage of dialectical thought in critical theory. Using videogames as an example, I argue that academic debates related to the player/game relationship can be read through the lens of Adorno’s aesthetic theory. Developing Adorno’s concept of mimesis, I argue that the interface is often treated as a dialectical question of how the space between subject and object should be traversed. I reflect on the possible advantages of focusing on this contested space through a discussion of game controllers and the Aristotelian concept of techne.
Calretinin Neurons in the Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Authors: Moore Robert Y.
Published: June 2016

The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a circadian pacemaker, is present in all mammalian brains. It has a complex organization of peptide-containing neurons that is similar among species, but calcium-binding proteins are expressed variably. Neurons containing calretinin have been described in the SCN in a number of species but not with association to circadian function. The objective of the present study is to characterize a calretinin neuron (CAR) group in the rat anterior hypothalamus anatomically and functionally with a detailed description of its location and a quantitative analysis of neuronal calretinin immunoreactivity at 3 times of day, 0600, 1400, and 1900 h, from animals in either light-dark or constant dark conditions. CAR neurons occupy a region in the dorsal and lateral SCN with a circadian rhythm in CAR immunoreactivity with a peak at 0600 h and a rhythm in cytoplasmic CAR distribution with a peak at 1400 h. CAR neurons should be viewed as an anatomical and functional component of the rat SCN that expands the definition from observations with cell stains. CAR neurons are likely to modulate temporal regulation of calcium in synaptic transmission.
Computed Tomography–Guided Percutaneous Gastrostomy/Jejunostomy for Feeding and Decompression
Authors: Albrecht Heinz , Hagel Alexander F. , Schlechtweg Philipp , Foertsch Thomas , Neurath Markus F. , Mudter Jonas
Published: June 2016

Background: An effective method for long‐term enteral feeding or stomach decompression is the use of a percutaneous gastrostomy (PEG) or sometimes jejunostomy (PEJ). Under certain circumstances (eg, inadequate transillumination), endoscopic placement of PEG/PEJ tubes is impossible. In these cases, computed tomography (CT)–guided PEG/PEJ may represent an alternative technique. In this study, we evaluate indications, results, and complications of CT‐guided PEG/PEJ. Materials and Methods: A total of 102 consecutive referred patients were enrolled in the study. Patients came to the endoscopy unit of our department to undergo a CT‐guided PEG/PEJ for long‐term intragastric/intrajejunal feeding (n = 57) or decompression (n = 45). The majority (n = 98) received a pull‐through PEG/PEJ with simultaneous gastroscopy/jejunoscopy. Dose length product and the effective dose for every patient were calculated. Results: PEG/PEJ tube placement was successful in 87.3% (89 of 102). Feeding PEG/PEJ tube placement was successfully completed in 91.2% (52 of 57); decompressive PEG/PEJ tube placement was likewise successfully completed in 82.2% (37 of 45). No procedure‐related mortality was observed. Minor complications (eg, tube dysfunction, local bleeding, minimal leakage, local skin infection) were observed in 13 patients. The complication rate was similar between the feeding and decompression groups (P = .9). Conclusions: CT‐guided PEG/PEJ is a feasible and safe method with a low procedure‐related morbidity rate for patients where endoscopic placement via transillumination is not successful. Thus, the procedure is an attractive alternative to surgical tube placement. Long‐term complications, mainly tube disturbances, can be treated easily.
Can US Metropolitan Areas Use Large Commercial Airports as Tools to Bolster Regional Economic Growth?
Authors: Mosbah Simon , Ryerson Megan S.
Published: June 2016

Local governments own and operate most large US commercial airports. They have long considered air traffic development and airport expansions as essential tools to support regional economic growth. This literature review investigates the validity of this claim. Recent econometric studies estimated airports’ economic benefits, while geographers cautioned that airport expansions cannot trump macroeconomic trends. The burgeoning knowledge on the economic and environmental risks of airports and air service sheds critical light on airport-based economic development strategies. Planning scholarship should investigate airport planning practices, analyze the variations of airports’ economic effects between metropolitan areas, and measure the impacts of airport expansions.
Examining Learner Engagement Strategies
Authors: Gallagher Tiffany L. , Bennett Sheila , Keen Deb , Muspratt Sandy
Published: June 2016

The Learning and Engagement Questionnaire (LEQ) measures instructional and environmental variables associated with learner engagement. The present study sought to determine the suitability of the LEQ to measure learner engagement with a sample of Canadian teachers and to further investigate the factorial structure in comparison with the Australian context. Canadian teachers ( N = 739) from Kindergarten to Grade 12 responded to the LEQ in ways that are explained by two factors identified as “Instructional Cycle” and “Student-Directed Learning.” The previously reported factor structure of the LEQ identified five factors in the Australian study: “Goal Directed Learning,” “Task Selection,” “Intensive Teaching,” “Teacher Responsiveness,” and “Planning and Learning Environment.” There is a discussion of the cross- cultural differences between the Australian and Canadian participant groups and their dominant pedagogical approaches. The LEQ has the potential to raise teachers’ awareness of the strategies they can use to facilitate inclusive practice through differentiated student engagement.
Contract Breach and Retirement Among Spanish Adults
Authors: Topa Gabriela , Jiménez Irene
Published: June 2016

The present research examines the effects of contract breach on retirement satisfaction. We specifically tested the moderating role of retirement self-efficacy and the mediating role that negative affect may play in influencing the relationships between contract breach and retirement satisfaction, either anticipated or actual. Two empirical studies have been conducted by self-reported questionnaires, with older workers of Spanish descent from Spain—one sample being comprised of workers still in the workforce (Study 1; N = 160) and the other being comprised of recent retirees (Study 2; N = 215). We found that contract breach was positively related to negative affect and negatively related to both anticipated (Study 1) and actual retirement satisfaction (Study 2). Moreover, moderation analyses showed that these effects are strong for participants with low rather than high retirement self-efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Volunteering During an Emergency
Authors: Kulik Liat
Published: June 2016

The present study examined differences in the volunteering experience during an emergency situation using a life stage perspective. The volunteering experience was examined in a sample of 472 volunteers who volunteered during Operation Protective Edge in Israel, based on their motives for volunteering, satisfaction with the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of volunteering, and intentions to volunteer in the future. The findings indicate that motives of social solidarity and of escape from reality through volunteering are higher among volunteers in late adolescence than among volunteers in middle and late adulthood. No differences were found in the motive of personal empowerment through volunteering. Men tend to express a higher intention to volunteer in the future than women. The findings indicate a need to expand the theory that explains differences in the volunteering experience along the life cycle in routine situations, such that it will also be compatible with volunteering in emergency situations.
Vibration signal analysis of a hydropower unit based on adaptive local iterative filtering
Authors: An Xueli , Yang Weiwei , An Xuemin
Published: June 2016

The vibration signals coming from a hydropower unit have strong nonstationary characteristics when strong vortex develops in the hydraulic turbine draft tube. Related to this problem, a new vibration analysis method for a hydropower unit based on adaptive local iterative filtering is proposed. Firstly, adaptive local iterative filtering was used to decompose the complex vibration signal into several intrinsic mode functions. Then, frequency spectrum analysis of these components was performed to obtain the vortex characteristic frequency from the vibration signal. Simulated and real-world signals were used to verify the proposed method. The obtained results show that this method can overcome the problem of mode mixing in the existing empirical mode decomposition method, since it improves the efficiency and accuracy of feature extraction for nonstationary vibration signals from a hydropower unit.
A rare case of acquired lymphangioma circumscriptum of the penis
Authors: Adikari S , Philippidou M , Samuel M
Published: June 2016

Acquired lymphangioma circumscriptum is a rare occurrence on the penis. We report a case of a 47-year-old man who presented with a single lesion of acquired lymphangioma circumscriptum on the penis resembling genital warts. We report the case to increase awareness of this rare condition which may mimic sexually transmitted infections such as genital warts.
Book Review: Richard Sheridan, Joy Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love
Authors: Jena Lalatendu Kesari
Published: June 2016

Richard Sheridan, Joy Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love, 2015, New York: Portfolio/Penguin Publishers, 268 pp., $16 (Paperback). ISBN 978-1-59184-712-0
A guide to management of neuropsychiatric manifestations of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Molina Ruiz Rosa M , Evans Andrew H , Velakoulis Dennis , Looi Jeffrey CL
Published: June 2016

Objective:

This clinical update review focuses on treatment approaches of neuropsychiatric manifestations in Parkinson’s disease.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic search of the literature using Pubmed and selected recent and relevant papers for this review.

Results:

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson’s disease usually require optimization of levodopa therapy as a first step. Most psychotropic drugs can be used in Parkinson’s disease, however there is still lack of an evidence base due to limited studies and difficulties in diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Non-pharmacological treatments have also proved effective in Parkinson’s disease. Cognitive impairment requires special consideration.

Conclusions:

Management of neuropsychiatric manifestations in Parkinson’s disease is complicated by the lack of evidence. Treatment should be individualized and benefits and risks must be balanced.
Early Intervention for Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: Decker Kalli B. , Vallotton Claire D.
Published: June 2016

Family-centered early intervention for children with hearing loss is intended to strengthen families’ interactions with their children to support children’s language development, and should include providing parents with information they can use as part of their everyday routines. However, little is known about the information received by families via early intervention and whether this aligns with recommended practices. This study used in-depth interviews to examine parents’ reports of information received from early intervention service providers about how to promote the language development of their children with hearing loss. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the information parents received. The information parents receive is partially in line with current recommended practices, such as the importance of frequent communication with their children during everyday activities. However, parents also discussed the need for additional unbiased and specific information about how to promote their children’s language skills.