bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monthly air-conditioning energy demand calculations for building energy performance rating
Authors: Hitchin Roger
Published: September 2015

A new calculation method for monthly cooling energy demand is presented which extends the utilisation factor method of standard EN ISO 13790:2008 to take account of a number of important features of air-conditioning systems that are currently ignored. In all other respects it is compatible with this method, which is the most widely used means of producing building Energy Performance Certificates in Europe. In particular it enables the impact of free cooling, and of the tempering of supply air to be quantified; calculates tailored seasonal efficiency figures for chillers, and provides initial estimates of the potential savings of inter-room heat recovery and of the energy penalties associated with terminal reheat and dual duct systems.

Practical application: This paper proposes an extension to the most widely used calculation method for Energy Performance Certificates in Europe, improving its ability to reflect important features of central air-conditioning systems. This is of particular importance for climates and buildings where cooling is required when the outdoor air temperature is relatively low. In particular it enables the impact of free cooling, and of the tempering of supply air to be quantified, calculates tailored seasonal efficiency figures for chillers, and provides initial estimates of the potential savings of inter-room heat recovery and of the energy penalties associated with some other systems.
Archival Data in Micro-Organizational Research: A Toolkit for Moving to a Broader Set of Topics
Authors: Barnes Christopher M. , Dang Carolyn T. , Leavitt Keith , Guarana Cristiano L. , Uhlmann Eric L.
Published: September 2015

Compared to macro-organizational researchers, micro-organizational researchers have generally eschewed archival sources of data as a means of advancing knowledge. The goal of this paper is to discuss emerging opportunities to use archival research for the purposes of advancing and testing theory in micro-organizational research. We discuss eight specific strengths common to archival micro-organizational research and how they differ from other traditional methods. We further discuss limitations of archival research, as well as strategies for mitigating these limitations. Taken together, we provide a toolkit to encourage micro-organizational researchers to capitalize on archival data.
Activation for Health Management in Colorectal Cancer Survivors and Their Family Caregivers
Authors: Mazanec Susan R. , Sattar Abdus , Delaney Conor P. , Daly Barbara J.
Published: September 2015

Activation, the state of possessing the skills, knowledge, and confidence to manage one’s own health, is associated with positive self-management behaviors in individuals with chronic illness. Little is known about its role in cancer survivorship. The aims of this study were to describe activation in patients with colorectal cancer and their family caregivers, examine the relationship between patient and caregiver activation, and determine whether activation is related to symptom distress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, physical activity, and work productivity. Using a longitudinal, correlational design, a convenience sample of 62 patients and 42 family caregivers completed surveys during postoperative hospitalization, and at 6 weeks and 4 months postop. Activation scores for both patients and caregivers were stable over time, were not correlated, and were at the third level of activation. Linear mixed effects models revealed that negative emotions were associated with less patient activation and lower caregiver self-efficacy for caring for oneself.
The Church Made Me Do It
Authors: Terry Andrea J.
Published: September 2015

In recent years, the Marin Foundation has gained increasing attention as a Christian group attempting to reconcile with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual (LGBT) community. As one means of fostering reconciliation, the “I’m Sorry” campaign within the Marin Foundation encourages individuals to post online video confessionals, stating what they are sorry for and how they intend to make things better for the LGBT community. This study examines these online video confessionals as a unique site of identity negotiation for Christian individuals attempting to reconcile with the LGBT community. Rhetorical analysis of the videos revealed that the individuals drew from a specific repertoire of apology and suggestions for future action, which fell in line with Kenneth Burke’s notion of scapegoating and mortification. As a result, the “story of self” articulated by the individuals failed to be coherent with both the stated goals of the foundation and the main tenets of Evangelical Christian identity.
Risk factor for respiratory death after lung cancer surgery in octogenarians
Authors: Matsuoka Katsunari , Ueda Mitsuhiro , Miyamoto Yoshihiro
Published: September 2015

Background

As society ages, the frequency of elderly patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer is increasing. However, the indications for surgery in octogenarians are still controversial. We examined the outcomes of elderly patients undergoing thoracic surgery for lung cancer, focusing especially on non-cancer-related death.

Methods

Between January 2004 and March 2011, 1673 patients with lung cancer underwent surgical resection at our institution. Of these, we retrospectively examined 174 patients aged 80 years or older.

Results

Perioperative morbidity and mortality were 24.3% and 1.15%, respectively. Of 163 patients who were followed up completely, 78 (47.9%) died. The overall postoperative survival rate at 3 and 5 years was 63.6% and 48.3%, respectively. Almost half of the deaths were due to causes other than lung cancer recurrence, with respiratory disease accounting for the majority. We found that a low body mass index was a significant risk factor for death due to respiratory disease after lung cancer surgery in this patient cohort.

Conclusion

The overall survival rate of octogenarians undergoing lung cancer surgery is acceptable. However, because octogenarians with a low body mass index have a significantly higher risk of death due to respiratory disease, surgeons and pulmonologists should take this into account when performing postoperative follow-up in these patients.
Relationship of thymic changes and complications after congenital heart surgery
Authors: Nafakhi Hussein , Mahdi Liwaa H , Albasri Alaa M , Jumaa Alaa S , Hussein Hussein R
Published: September 2015

Background

The true role of thymic function in children with congenital heart defects is largely unknown.

Aim

To study the possible role of thymic CD3 (T-lymphocyte marker) and CD20 (B-lymphocyte marker) expression and thymic histopathological changes in complications after surgery for congenital heart defects.

Methods

Between January and July 2014, thymic tissue samples were obtained from 13 (69% male, 31% female, mean age 10.9 ± 2 years) of 25 Iraqi patients who underwent open heart surgery with partial thymectomy for correction of congenital heart defects. The samples were evaluated for thymic expression of CD markers (CD3 and CD20) and histopathological changes. For up to 6 months after surgery, data on complications were collected from each patient, including wound infection, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, rehospitalization, chest infection, and death.

Results

The prevalence of thymic hypoplasia was 15% and it occurred more frequently in patients with absent thymic CD3 expression ( p = 0.005). Only wound infection ( n = 2) and atrial fibrillation ( n = 1) comprised the postoperative complications in our patients. Absence of thymic CD20 expression correlated significantly with postoperative complications and obstructive cardiac defects ( p = 0.04), whereas no significant correlations were found between thymic hypoplasia with CD3 expression and postoperative complications ( p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Patients with absent thymic CD20 expression had significantly more postoperative complications and cardiac obstructive defects than those with positive CD20 expression.
Environmental governance in Croatia and Macedonia: institutional creation and evolution
Authors: Taylor Andrew
Published: September 2015

The environment acquis are, by common consent, amongst the most technically and politically demanding that a state aspiring to EU membership must transpose. SEE states confront a major ‘gap’ between the policies and institutions they have and what they must achieve. Transposition requires the creation of policy networks involving a broad range of state and non-state actors. This paper examines the efforts of Croatia and Macedonia to adapt to EU environmental policy. Using social network analysis the paper focuses on institutional creation and evolution and argues that effective governance depends on the prior creation of effective hierarchies. Networks exist but capacities and capabilities are in short supply and this reinforces the centre and government over civil society.
The warp of the world: Geographies of space and time in the Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy
Authors: Morton Adam David
Published: September 2015

This article analyses the representation of space and time in The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy, through a focus on the places and geographies that constitute All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain. Contributing to the project of spatial history in geographical studies, the argument focuses on the relation of space to time in these works to reveal the political production of space and the politics of space as a social relation. This conceptualisation of the politics of space, viewing the spaces of geography and the past/present of history as co-formed, is revealed as significant in reconsidering the novels that constitute The Border Trilogy. From the uneven spatio-temporal development of the Mexican Revolution in All the Pretty Horses, to the spatial histories of The Crossing, to the urban spaces linking El Paso and Ciudad Juárez in Cities of the Plain, space is revealed as a constituent part of history in these works. Overall, a consideration of the integrations of space and time, from the perspective of spatial history, is crucial to rethinking the role of borders and landscapes in these works by Cormac McCarthy.
Innovative allocation mechanism design of carbon emission permits in China under the background of a low-carbon economy
Authors: Hu Zhuo , Huang Dong , Rao Congjun , Xu Xiaolin
Published: September 2015

The total quantity control and trading of carbon emission permits (CEPs) are important means to promote the development of a low-carbon economy, and the key is the initial allocation of the CEPs. For the initial allocation problem of CEPs in China, we analyze the disadvantages of the existing free allocation method, namely, that it cannot stimulate the polluters to declare their real marginal-cost information and so it is difficult to achieve effectiveness in resource allocation. Considering these disadvantages, we design an incentive auction mechanism for allocating CEPs based on the theory and methods of a divisible-good auction, to achieve the optimal supply strategy of the government and the equilibrium bidding strategies of polluters. The theoretical proof shows that this auction mechanism has properties such as stimulation of information and validity of allocation.The auction mechanism is applied to the problem of CEP allocation in fourteen cities in the Hanjiang River Basin in China. From the allocation results of this application example, we make some suggestions for improving the implementation of the CEP trading system and the design of future environmental policy in a low-carbon economy.
The Falls In Care Home study: a feasibility randomized controlled trial of the use of a risk assessment and decision support tool to prevent falls in care homes
Authors: Walker Gemma M , Armstrong Sarah , Gordon Adam L , Gladman John , Robertson Kate , Ward Marie , Conroy Simon , Arnold Gail , Darby Janet , Frowd Nadia , Williams Wynne , Knowles Sue , Logan Pip A
Published: September 2015

Objective:

To explore the feasibility of implementing and evaluating the Guide to Action Care Home fall prevention intervention.

Design:

Two-centre, cluster feasibility randomized controlled trial and process evaluation.

Setting:

Purposive sample of six diverse old age/learning disability, long stay care homes in Nottinghamshire, UK.

Subjects:

Residents aged over 50 years, who had fallen at least once in the past year, not bed-bound, hoist-dependent or terminally ill.

Interventions:

Intervention homes ( n = 3) received Guide to Action Care Home fall prevention intervention training and support. Control homes ( n = 3) received usual care.

Outcomes:

Recruitment, attrition, baseline and six-month outcome completion, contamination and intervention fidelity, compliance, tolerability, acceptance and impact.

Results:

A total of 81 of 145 (56%) care homes expressed participatory interest. Six of 22 letter respondent homes (27%) participated. The expected resident recruitment target was achieved by 76% (52/68). Ten (19%) residents did not complete follow-up (seven died, three moved). In intervention homes 36/114 (32%) staff attended training. Two of three (75%) care homes received protocol compliant training. Staff valued the training, but advised greater management involvement to improve intervention implementation. Fall risks were assessed, actioned and recorded in care records. Of 115 recorded falls, 533/570 (93%) of details were complete. Six-month resident fall rates were 1.9 and 4.0 per year for intervention and control homes, respectively.

Conclusions:

The Guide to Action Care Home is implementable under trial conditions. Recruitment and follow-up rates indicate that a definitive trial can be completed. Falls (primary outcome) can be ascertained reliably from care records.
Feasibility of Pilates exercise to decrease falls risk: a pilot randomized controlled trial in community-dwelling older people
Authors: Barker Anna L , Talevski Jason , Bohensky Megan A , Brand Caroline A , Cameron Peter A , Morello Renata T
Published: September 2015

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility of Pilates exercise in older people to decrease falls risk and inform a larger trial.

Design:

Pilot Randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Community physiotherapy clinic.

Participants:

A total of 53 community-dwelling people aged ⩾60 years (mean age, 69.3 years; age range, 61–84).

Interventions:

A 60-minute Pilates class incorporating best practice guidelines for exercise to prevent falls, performed twice weekly for 12 weeks. All participants received a letter to their general practitioner with falls risk information, fall and fracture prevention education and home exercises.

Main outcome measure(s):

Indicators of feasibility included: acceptability (recruitment, retention, intervention adherence and participant experience survey); safety (adverse events); and potential effectiveness (fall, fall injury and injurious fall rates; standing balance; lower limb strength; and flexibility) measured at 12 and 24 weeks.

Results:

Recruitment was achievable but control group drop-outs were high (23%). Of the 20 participants who completed the intervention, 19 (95%) attended ⩾75% of the classes and reported classes were enjoyable and would recommend them to others. The rate of fall injuries at 24 weeks was 42% lower and injurious fall rates 64% lower in the Pilates group, however, was not statistically significant ( P = 0.347 and P = 0.136). Standing balance, lower-limb strength and flexibility improved in the Pilates group relative to the control group ( P < 0.05). Estimates suggest a future definitive study would require 804 participants to detect a difference in fall injury rates.

Conclusion:

A definitive randomized controlled trial analysing the effect of Pilates in older people would be feasible and is warranted given the acceptability and potential positive effects of Pilates on fall injuries and fall risk factors.

Trial Registration:

The protocol for this study is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN1262000224820).
Tweeting and Trivializing
Authors: Pavelko Rachelle , Myrick Jessica Gall
Published: September 2015

A quick search of social media websites demonstrates that users often describe their benign behaviors (e.g., organizing drawers or color-coding) as related to obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Yet, the actual disease is complex and often much more severe than suggested by Twitter users who employ the term #OCD. The present experiment examines the effects of such disease trivialization on social media users’ perceptions of the disease, emotional reactions, and intentions to take action related to the disease. To do so, it first explicates the concept of disease trivialization as a three-part phenomenon involving oversimplification, decreased severity, and mockery. Findings from an experiment ( N = 574) indicate that different patterns of emotional reactions can be found in response to framing of OCD as either trivial, clinical, or both trivial and clinical. Moreover, significant interactions between independent variables were found. Participant gender and preexisting familiarity with OCD also shaped participant perceptions and behavioral intentions. Directions for future work are discussed.
One-shot learning and generation of dexterous grasps for novel objects
Authors: Kopicki Marek , Detry Renaud , Adjigble Maxime , Stolkin Rustam , Leonardis Ales , Wyatt Jeremy L.
Published: September 2015

This paper presents a method for one-shot learning of dexterous grasps and grasp generation for novel objects. A model of each grasp type is learned from a single kinesthetic demonstration and several types are taught. These models are used to select and generate grasps for unfamiliar objects. Both the learning and generation stages use an incomplete point cloud from a depth camera, so no prior model of an object shape is used. The learned model is a product of experts, in which experts are of two types. The first type is a contact model and is a density over the pose of a single hand link relative to the local object surface. The second type is the hand-configuration model and is a density over the whole-hand configuration. Grasp generation for an unfamiliar object optimizes the product of these two model types, generating thousands of grasp candidates in under 30 seconds. The method is robust to incomplete data at both training and testing stages. When several grasp types are considered the method selects the highest-likelihood grasp across all the types. In an experiment, the training set consisted of five different grasps and the test set of 45 previously unseen objects. The success rate of the first-choice grasp is 84.4% or 77.7% if seven views or a single view of the test object are taken, respectively.
Solving the direct geometrico-static problem of underconstrained cable-driven parallel robots by interval analysis
Authors: Berti Alessandro , Merlet Jean-Pierre , Carricato Marco
Published: September 2015

This paper presents an efficient interval-analysis-based algorithm to solve the direct geometrico-static problem (DGP) of underconstrained cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs). Solving the DGP for a generic CDPR consists of finding all possible equilibrium poses of the end effector for the given cable lengths. Since cables impose unilateral constraints, configurations with one or more slack cables may occur. When the number of taut cables is smaller than six the robot is underconstrained and the DGP solutions must be found considering loop-closure and mechanical equilibrium equations simultaneously. The presented algorithm can find all DGP solutions of a generic CDPR in a numerically robust and safe way. By using interval analysis the proposed procedure can directly search for real solutions with non-negative cable tensions and it can take advantage of the physical constraints of the robot. The implemented procedure is discussed in detail, and the testing and experimental validation on working prototypes are presented.
Access to Recovery and Recidivism Among Former Prison Inmates
Authors: Ray Bradley , Grommon Eric , Buchanan Victoria , Brown Brittany , Watson Dennis P.
Published: September 2015

Access to Recovery (ATR) is a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)–funded initiative that offers a mix of clinical and supportive services for substance abuse. ATR clients choose which services will help to overcome barriers in their road to recovery, and a recovery consultant provides vouchers and helps link the client to these community resources. One of ATR’s goals was to provide services to those involved in the criminal justice system in the hopes that addressing substance abuse issues could reduce subsequent criminal behaviors. This study examines this goal by looking at recidivism among a sample of clients in one state’s ATR program who returned to the community after incarceration. Results suggest that there were few differential effects of service selections on subsequent recidivism. However, there are significant differences in recidivism rates among the agencies that provided ATR services. Agencies with more resources and a focus on prisoner reentry had better recidivism outcomes than those that focus only on substance abuse services.
Emerging market city
Authors: Akers Joshua
Published: September 2015

The increasing orientation of urban governance toward managing territory as a collection of real estate markets is an internalization of neoliberal reason, particularly its entrepreneurial logics, which results in an emerging market city, a city restructured in the service of markets and governed as a series of micro-market geographies. This reconfiguration of urban governance in US cities is a transition to the management for markets rather than population. This paper offers a case in which the rendering of the city as a series of markets underpins a multi-million dollar foundation-led planning project in Detroit that reimagines and restructures the role of urban governance in seeking a spatial fix for investment.
Beyond openness and prejudice: The consequences of migrant encounters with difference
Authors: Gawlewicz Anna
Published: September 2015

This article investigates the consequences of migrant encounters with difference in terms of ethnicity, religion, class, social status, sexuality and gender. While the notion of encounter has attracted much academic attention, in particular with regard to multiculture, social diversity and the challenge of living with difference, many of these debates tend to, oddly enough, overlook migrant populations. Furthermore, although they acknowledge that significant numbers of migrants to diverse societies such as the UK originate from much less diverse communities, they rarely reflect on the intricacies of production of difference in these respective places. Recognising these limitations, this article outlines the consequences of encounters with difference in the context of migration from Poland (a relatively homogeneous postcommunist society) to the UK (a ‘superdiverse’ post-colonial society). The article draws upon extensive empirical material collected among Polish post-2004 migrants to the Northern English city of Leeds. It establishes that migrant encounters result in development, revision or change of values and attitudes towards difference. This may involve a range of personal stances including favourable and prejudiced attitudes as well as, most likely, ‘complicated’ and ‘in-between’ responses.
Word-Problem-Solving Strategy for Minority Students at Risk for Math Difficulties
Authors: Kong Jennifer E. , Orosco Michael J.
Published: September 2015

Minority students at risk for math difficulties (MD) struggle with word problems for various reasons beyond procedural or calculation challenges. As a result, these students require support in reading and language development in addition to math. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a math comprehension strategy based on a dynamic assessment (DA) framework, which provided scaffolding support based on the student’s reading and language levels. A multiple baseline design was used to assess eight third-grade minority students at risk for MD. As compared with the baseline phase, the strategy increased problem-solving ability for all participants. All students maintained performance levels during follow-up sessions. Results suggest that the intervention facilitated word-problem-solving performance.
Local Government Sick-Leave Practices: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Reilly Thom , Thom Michael
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine paid sick leave (PSL) practices among large municipal governments in the United States. Results of a national survey suggest that over 90% of these governments offer PSL. Few reported making any post-recession changes, and in fact, most governments continue to allow employees to rollover unused sick leave from year to year, cash out unused sick leave upon termination, and/or include unused sick leave in pension calculations despite the sometimes significant cost of such policies. Documentation is required in 70% of governments, but formal auditing of PSL occurs in less than one third of responding governments. Type of government, employee classification (e.g., public safety vs. general staff), collective bargaining, and whether the government requires public hearings for public employee benefit changes were significant factors in determining certain PSL practices.
Parents’ School Satisfaction and Academic Socialization Predict Adolescents’ Autonomous Motivation
Authors: Suizzo Marie-Anne , Jackson Karen Moran , Pahlke Erin , McClain Shannon , Marroquin Yesenia , Blondeau Lauren A. , Hong KyongJoo
Published: September 2015

In this mixed-methods study, we used an explanatory sequential design to investigate the processes through which parental involvement influences adolescents’ achievement motivation. One hundred twenty low-income urban parents and their sixth-grade adolescents completed questionnaires, and a subsample of 11 mothers and 11 adolescents were interviewed. Parents’ questionnaires measured their satisfaction with their childhood school experiences, their current academic socialization practices, and their educational aspirations for their adolescents. Adolescents’ questionnaires measured their motivation to achieve to please their family and their autonomous motivation (internal locus of control and internalized value of learning). In Step 1, we conducted quantitative analyses to test two path models from parental school satisfaction to each adolescent autonomous motivation dimension. Results indicated that relations between parents’ school satisfaction and their adolescents’ autonomous motivation are fully mediated by parents’ academic socialization practices and adolescents’ motivation to achieve for their family. In Step 2, we coded interviews and identified themes to help explain how mothers’ memories of their school satisfaction inform their parenting goals and practices, and how adolescents have internalized their parents’ messages and are autonomously motivated to achieve.
A Review of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
Authors: Wang Ying , Yin Fei
Published: September 2015

X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX) is the second common genetic variant of CMT. CMTX type 1 causes 90% of CMTX. The most important clinical features of CMTX are similar with other types of CMT; however, a few patients get the central nervous system involved with or without white matter lesions; males are more severely and earlier affected than females. In this review, the authors focus on the origin and classification of CMTX, the central nervous system manifestations of CMTX1, the possible mechanism by which GJB1 mutations cause CMT1X, and the emerging therapeutic strategies for CMTX. Moreover, several cases are presented to illustrate the central nervous system manifestations.
Facile fabrication of highly soluble, extremely small-sized drug carriers using globular poly(ethylene glycol)
Authors: Lee Minji , Lee Dong Jin , Youn Yu Seok , Lee Eun Seong
Published: September 2015

We report extremely small-sized drug-carrying globular poly(ethylene glycol) particles. These particles were prepared using fullerene (C60) as a backbone structure and poly(ethylene glycol) as a hydrophilic shell. All π–π carbon bonds in C60 were combined with poly(ethylene glycol), which form a “globular nano-cage” with a hollow core (originating from the soccer-ball-shaped truncated icosahedron of C60) and the poly(ethylene glycol) shell. Subsequently, we constructed chlorin e6-conjugated globular poly(ethylene glycol). The obtained globular poly(ethylene glycol)–chlorin e6 (average 3.6 nm in diameter) was soluble in aqueous solution and enabled improved singlet oxygen generation. The preferential cellular uptake of globular poly(ethylene glycol)–chlorin e6 resulted in significant enhancement of in vitro or in vivo photodynamic tumor cell ablation under light illumination. Our approach offers a versatile strategy to create extremely small-sized drug carriers using a biocompatible polymer for various biomedical applications.
Altered Trust Learning Mechanisms Among Female Adolescent Victims of Interpersonal Violence
Authors: Lenow Jennifer , Cisler Joshua , Bush Keith
Published: September 2015

Early-life interpersonal violence (IV) is a significant risk factor for a broad range of mental health disorders, increased rates of re-victimization, and psychosocial dysfunction. However, the cognitive mechanisms by which these risks are conferred are largely unknown. The current study attempted to address this empirical gap. Thirty-two adolescent girls, aged 12 to 16 (15 victims of IV), completed a social learning task. A computational learning model was fit to the behavioral data (ratings of trustworthiness during the learning task) to test for group differences in the cognitive mechanisms by which adolescent girls learn to differentially trust others. Specifically, we tested for differences in task performance and subject-level learning parameters: learning rate (the extent to which preferences are updated with new information) and preference stochasticity (the extent to which preferences seem random). Adolescent girls who were victims of IV demonstrated significantly worse performance than their control counterparts. Among IV victims, we observed a relationship between higher learning rates and greater preference stochasticity. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Frequency, Nature, and Correlates of Hate Crime Victimization Experiences in an Urban Sample of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community Members
Authors: Burks Alixandra C. , Cramer Robert J. , Henderson Craig E. , Stroud Caroline H. , Crosby James W. , Graham James
Published: September 2015

The present study examines two central research questions. First, we sought to add to current knowledge on the frequency and types of hate crime experiences in an urban sample. Also, drawing on existing frameworks for sexual minority specific (SMS) stress, we examined internalized SMS stress (defined by internalized homophobia and acceptance concerns regarding one’s minority status) as a mediator of the association between hate crime victimization (i.e., objective or social SMS stress) and mental health symptoms (i.e., symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general stress). Participants were 336 self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community members who elected to participate in research at a community health agency in an urban southwestern United States jurisdiction. Results suggested (a) approximately one third of the sample reported lifetime hate crime victimization, with the most common types characterized by interpersonal, as opposed to property, crimes; (b) approximately half of participants reported their most recent victimization to law enforcement; and (c) internalized SMS stress mediated the relation between hate crime victimization and overall mental health symptoms. Findings are discussed with respect to implications of the unique nature of hate crimes in an urban setting, as well as theoretical and practical implications of SMS stress findings.
Emotional Labor in Critical Ethnographic Work
Authors: McQueeney Krista , Lavelle Kristen M.
Published: September 2015

In this article, the concept of emotional labor is used to capture dilemmas of critical ethnographic research. We frame our experiences not simply as “confessional tales,” or personalized accounts of how researchers experience their fieldwork, but as part of critical methodology itself. We identify three strategies for transforming our emotional labor into an analytic tool: contextualizing emotions, using emotions to unmask power in the research process, and linking emotions to personal biographies. Following ethnographers who question the separation between data and analysis, we explore how emotions and power intersected in two key ethnographic “moments”: collecting data and writing the research narrative.
“Helping the Helpless Help Themselves”
Authors: Rogers Laura E.
Published: September 2015

Volunteering and working in a homeless shelter is often seen as a key way in which individuals can ameliorate class differences through intergroup contact and help those being served. However, I argue that these same environments can also serve to reinforce and reproduce class boundaries. Volunteers and employees are provided a unique space in which they can feel generous and virtuous, while also maintaining cultural stereotypes of the homeless as immoral. In this article, I show how the affluent staff at a suburban homeless shelter engage in borderwork and construct moral identities for themselves in opposition to the clients. Based on 125 hours of participant observation and fourteen semistructured interviews with staff, I argue that the identity work of the staff can reinforce the very class boundaries they purport to resist. In their attempts to provide services to the homeless, they use rhetorical and physical strategies to reinforce class boundaries and create an othered status for those they served. The staff then feel good by “helping the homeless help themselves” while maintaining a safe distance from them.
Redefining the Marital Power Struggle through Relationship Skills
Authors: Randles Jennifer M.
Published: September 2015

In 2002, the United States federal government created the Healthy Marriage Initiative, a policy that has distributed almost $1 billion in welfare money to marriage education programs. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in classes for a purposive sample of 20 government-approved marriage education programs and textual analysis of more than 3,000 pages of curricular materials, I analyze how U.S. healthy marriage policy addresses issues of gendered communication and power. This case reveals the limitations of what I call ‘‘interpersonal gender interventions,’’ which obscure how gendered ideologies and inequalities are often maintained through institutionalized practices and state action. Specifically, I argue that by focusing on negotiation, communication, and conflict-resolution strategies—or what marriage educators call “relationship skills”—at the interactional level, state-sponsored marriage education masks persistent institutionalized gender inequalities, namely, latent and hidden forms of marital power. More broadly, I use this case to reveal how interpersonal gender interventions will likely have limited utility if individuals learn to develop more gender-egalitarian beliefs in the absence of institutional changes that enable them to act on these values.
Leadership for sustainability perceptions in higher education institutions in Oman
Authors: Hussain Sadiq , Albarwani Thuwayba
Published: September 2015

This study explores leadership in higher education institutions in Oman where education for sustainability issues are a high priority. The Vice-chancellor of the premier university Sultan Qaboos University, Qaboos Sultanate of Oman, and his four senior management team members answer the following question: What are the concrete steps which have been undertaken in order to allow the university to integrate sustainability in its: (a) curricula; (b) research; (c) practical projects; and (d) regional and national development endeavours? The views of these senior leaders carry larger national and international implications for the promotion of sustainability in Oman. They define their leadership as articulating a desire to bring about educational change and to prepare in practice for an explicit paradigm shift towards sustainability throughout the university and the country as well. Internationalization of the university is considered to be an important part of its sustainability strategy.
It’s not just about value for money
Authors: Abbott Ian , Middlewood David , Robinson Sue
Published: September 2015

This article draws on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews with headteachers and other stakeholders on the use of the Pupil Premium in Ofsted-rated outstanding schools. It has a focus on the significance of fundamental principles in determining how effective use is made of additional resources. In particular, the importance of a clear identification and maintenance of a consistent set of values, by school leaders, is identified as a major contributory factor in ensuring successful utilization of the Pupil Premium for the ultimate benefit of all pupils in the school and for the broader community.
Anti-Bullying/Harassment Legislation and Educator Perceptions of Severity, Effectiveness, and School Climate: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Authors: Cosgrove Heather E. , Nickerson Amanda B.
Published: September 2015

In this cross-sectional study, we examined a matched sample of 924 educators’ perceptions of severity of bullying and harassment and school climate prior to (Wave 1 n = 435) and following (Wave 2 n = 489) the implementation of New York’s anti-bullying and harassment legislation, the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA). Alignment with DASA mandates predicted educator perceptions of (a) less severe bullying and harassment, (b) positive school climate, and (c) less need for improvement in school anti-bullying practices. The relations did not differ before and after the implementation of DASA, suggesting that implementing practices aligned with the legislation was associated with positive outcomes, although the relations may not be due to the mandate itself.
An Asset-Based Approach to Volunteering
Authors: Benenson Jodi , Stagg Allison
Published: September 2015

Research demonstrates that volunteering provides many benefits for individuals and communities. However, research has not adequately addressed the potential significance of volunteering as a mechanism for low-income individuals to improve their own lives and support their communities. To account for the benefits volunteering could generate, research must shift from an emphasis on what low-income volunteers lack to an approach that uncovers the strengths and wealth present among low-income volunteers and their communities. The purpose of this article is to present a theoretically informed asset-based framework for analyzing volunteerism research. Through an examination of four nonfinancial assets—social capital, human capital, cultural capital, and political capital—we illustrate how an asset-based approach offers an opportunity to explore the ways low-income individuals could build and leverage assets through volunteering. Implications for future research that frames volunteering as an asset-building strategy are considered.
Geographies of the labour process: automation and the spatiality of mining
Authors: Ellem Bradon
Published: September 2015

Productive ways of thinking about work have emerged from the recent engagement between scholars in employment relations and human geography without any sustained attention to the spatiality of the labour process itself. Arguing that where work literally ‘takes place’ is important, this article explores the spatial nature of the labour process through an examination of automation in one of the world’s largest transnational mining companies, Rio Tinto. To read the labour process in spatial terms, work must be understood in the context of global production networks, the peculiarities of national ‘space economies’ and arguments about the claimed ‘hyper-mobility’ of globalized capital as well as labour geography itself. In this case, automation and a reworking of the geography of the labour process in an industry often seen as constrained by physical geography have implications for assessing labour’s agency and power amid more general changes to the spatiality of work.
Safety and efficiency of the wireless charging of electric vehicles
Authors: Gao Yabiao , Farley Kathleen Blair , Ginart Antonio , Tse Zion Tsz Ho
Published: September 2015

Wireless power transfer is a promising method to address the concerns over charging an electric vehicle. Since wireless charging stations operate without large cables or above-ground stations, they can be conveniently installed in public locations without the risk of vandalism or weather-inflicted damage, improving the lifespan of the electric vehicle charging station. In order for wireless charging stations to become widespread, possible health effects regarding exposure to the strong electromagnetic fields present during wireless power transfer must be investigated. This work examines, first, the potential human safety hazards, second, the electronic device interference, and, third, the thermal heating effects of wireless charging systems. A 3.3 kW wireless power transfer prototype was built in order to examine these effects. Changes in the wireless power transfer efficiency due to the coil misalignment were also investigated using an automated three-axis platform. Design considerations for electric vehicle wireless charging systems and safety recommendations are presented.
Aerodynamic performance improvement of the UAS-S4 Éhecatl morphing airfoil using novel optimization techniques
Authors: Gabor Oliviu Sugar , Simon Antoine , Koreanschi Andreea , Botez Ruxandra M
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we present a morphing wing concept of the airfoil of the S4 unmanned aerial system, the new optimization methodology and the results obtained for multiple flight conditions. The reduction of the airfoil drag coefficient has been achieved using an in-house optimization tool based on the relatively new Artificial Bee Colony algorithm, coupled with the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm to provide a final refinement of the solution. A broad range of speeds and angles of attack have been studied. An advanced, multi-objective, commercially available optimizing tool was used to validate the proposed optimization strategy and the obtained results. The aerodynamic calculations were performed using the XFOIL solver, a two-dimensional linear panel method, coupled with an incompressible boundary layer model and a transition estimation criterion, to provide accurate estimations of the airfoil drag coefficient. Drag reductions of up to 14% have been achieved for a wide range of different flight conditions, using very small displacements of the airfoil surface, of only 2.5 mm.
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus in HIV-infected patients in Guangdong, China
Authors: Huang SM , Cai WP , Hu FY , Lan Y , Liao BL , Chen YP , Tang XP
Published: September 2015

This study investigated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in HIV-infected adults at the time of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in Guangdong province, China. A total of 2793 HIV-infected adults were enrolled between January 2004 and September 2011. Demographic data and laboratory parameters were collected, HBV-DNA levels were measured, and HBV genotypes were identified before ART initiation. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in HIV-infected patients was 13.2%. A total of 266 HIV/HBV co-infected patients and 1469 HIV mono-infected patients were recruited. The median alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels of HIV/HBV co-infected patients were higher than HIV mono-infected patients (32 U/L vs. 22 U/L, p < 0.001 and 35 U/L vs. 24 U/L, p < 0.001, respectively), whereas the median CD4 cell count of HIV/HBV co-infected patients was lower than HIV mono-infected patients (59 cells/mm3 vs. 141 cells/mm3, p < 0.001). The level of CD4 cell count was lower in hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-positive co-infected patients than HBeAg-negative patients (36 cells/mm3 vs. 69 cells/mm3, p = 0.014). A similar result was found in high level of HBV-DNA and low level of HBV-DNA groups (33 cells/mm3 vs. 89 cells/mm3, p < 0.001). HBV genotypes were classified as genotypes B and C. Patients infected with genotypes B and C differed significantly in terms of proportion of those who were HBeAg-positive (40.5% vs. 62.2%, p = 0.014). This study indicates a high prevalence of HBsAg in HIV-infected adults in Guangdong. The level of CD4 cell count in HIV/HBV co-infected patients was much lower than HIV mono-infected patients, especially in patients who were HBeAg-positive and had a high level of HBV-DNA. The predominant HBV genotype in HIV/HBV co-infected patients is genotype B.
A case of metronidazole-resistant Trichomonas vaginalis in pregnancy
Authors: Forbes Georgina L , Drayton Rachel , Forbes Gavin D
Published: September 2015

Trichomonas vaginalis is a sexually transmitted protozoan infection resulting in vulvo-vaginitis and altered vaginal discharge in symptomatic women. Trichomoniasis has been implicated in causing adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight and pre-term labour. Metronidazole is the recommended first-line treatment for trichomonal infection. Other nitroimidazoles, such as tinidazole, are used as alternative regimens with similar activity but at a greater expense. Treatment failure usually represents patient non-compliance or re-infection, although metronidazole resistance has previously been documented. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for T. vaginalis is currently not available in the UK. Patients with disease unresponsive to first-line treatments pose a major challenge, as therapeutic options are limited. We present the case of a patient with presumed resistant infection during pregnancy, and the additional treatment issues that this presented.
HIV risk and awareness and interest in pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis among sheltered women in Miami
Authors: Doblecki-Lewis Susanne , Lester Larissa , Schwartz Bryanna , Collins Constance , Johnson Rai , Kobetz Erin
Published: September 2015

Summary

Pre- and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection are recommended for adults at substantial risk of HIV. Women experiencing homelessness have increased risk of HIV infection compared with stably-housed women. We conducted a survey of 74 sheltered women at Lotus House Women's Shelter (Lotus House) in Miami to assess risk behaviour as well as knowledge and perception of pre- and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis in this population. Of surveyed women, 58.1% engaged in vaginal and/or anal sex while sheltered, and of sexually-active women 55.4% reported inconsistent condom use. 83.8% of women reported no concern regarding HIV acquisition due to their behaviour. Few women surveyed (20.8%) had previously heard of pre- or non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis. The majority (58.3%) of respondents indicated receptiveness to these prevention methods when introduced. Those indicating that they would consider pre- or non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis were significantly younger than those indicating that they would not consider these prevention strategies (p = 0.004). Education and referral for pre- and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis should be considered for sheltered women at risk of HIV infection. Additional research to optimise implementation of biomedical prevention strategies in this population is needed.